All the questions about Armenias ex-President Robert Kocharyan's case have already been answered. It is this case that is ridiculous, a mockery of the right. Kocharyan's legal defense team has noted this in a statement which reads as follows, in particular:

During a press conference on May 16 this year, [PM] Nikol Pashinyan, who in 2018 announced that the "March 1 case" had been fully solved, again referring to the "March 1" case, once again mentioned that the capsules were supposedly changed and in the end, he stated that "there will be an opportunity for a trial, I think the public will learn the answers to many questions."

1. Capsules have nothing to do with to ascertaining the circumstances of the deaths.

First of all, we have to remind that in the conditions of possible and unbelievable efforts of the SIS and the Prosecutor's Office on these capsules, even the threshold of the reasonable doubt did not overcome the mentioned accusation. We will not say anything new that the existence, identification or other circumstances of the capsules have no effect on determining the cause of death of 10 people. The identification of bullets and the weapons they were fired from can only have an effect on determining the circumstances of the death, and only in the case of casualties from gunshot wounds. Moreover, at least from the official reports of the SIS, it is clear that the capsules have nothing to do with the cases of at least seven people. It would be appropriate to mention the fact that Gegham Petrosyan was charged with the murder, detention and even extension of the detention on the murder of one of the 10 people, as the latter's involvement in the accusation was denied. However, we remind that it was Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters arrest of G. Petrosyan signaled the "solving of the murders." It is already truly undeniable that everything is being done to avoid and cover up the cause of death of 10 people.

2. The trial has been going on for more than a year, it is extremely politicized, and the branches of power regularly interfere in the activities of the court.

As for the trial, it should be noted that the trial on the case of the alleged overthrow of the constitutional order started in May 2019, a politicized process that has nothing to do with the law, within the framework of which no court hearings were held for three months as a result of the operation to seize the case from Judge Grigoryan, and only after the recent two-month coronavirus infection, the judge's plastic surgery, and then her annual leave.

So, the trial has started, moreover, during the trial in this case it became clear that Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code cannot be applied to the case of 7 and that Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code cannot be applied to Nikol Pashinyan as a result of retroactive force, but in the case of the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, the judge is so afraid that she can't even make a decision, postponing the examination of that issue. And one of the reasons for fear is that Nikol Pashinyan, as the head of the executive branch, is talking about the actual case in court, emphasizing its political nature. In addition to Nikol Pashinyan, the RA NA Speaker (assessing the decision of the Constitutional Court on the case) and many deputies of the National Assembly intervened directly or indirectly in the process, giving assessments on the case, even participating in the operation to blockade of the courts.

3. The factual circumstances of March 1 have already been confirmed by judicial acts.

As for Nikol Pashinyan's claim to know the organizers of March 1, it cannot be unrealistic, as he has known about these circumstances since 2008. Nikol Pashinyan, being one of the organizers of the riots and one of the main culprits of the tragedy, really knows the details of what happened. (). Nikol Pashinyan's guilt has been confirmed by a judicial act that has already entered into force (). Now, assuming the post of Prime Minister of the country, Nikol Pashinyan is trying in every way to rewrite history and be cleansed of the March 1 stigma, which will never happen. The only way to alleviate this burden is to show remorse, to admit guilt, to apologize, which should be guided by stopping political and other illegal persecution and returning the ongoing processes in the country to the legal and democratic (including the rule of law) field.

Thus, when speaking of this case we think it would be more sincere to emphasize the case of the apparent illegal detention of the second President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and the acquittal of the process that ridicules () of one of the most notable episodes of the heroic story of the Armenian people.

All the questions about the case on the charge (to Robert Kocharyan) of the alleged overthrow of the constitutional order have already been answered and are more than clear to the public, and the case materials have been published in various media outlets during the preliminary investigation. If the prosecution or others believe that there are other significant materials, they are free to publish those materials as well today.
Heather Carruthers, the mayor of Monroe County, where the Florida Keys are, said the decision to reopen was hard because it was clear that it was precisely because of the strict measures that the county was able to keep the virus at bay.

But as the infection rates in Miami and Fort Lauderdale have improved, she said, it became clear that the Keys had to come up with its own new normal.

I have to say, its probably one of the toughest decisions we have ever had to make as a county, Ms. Carruthers said. First, closing the Keys to visitors was heartbreaking. We knew what an impact that would have on our locals, and its not who we are. Were the come as you are county.

Health officials will be keeping a close eye on the number of infections to decide whether restrictions should be reinstated, she said.

This is not permanent, Ms. Carruthers said. We are watching this every day.

Airport screenings will also end on June 1. Lodging establishments will have to submit a sanitation plan in order to reopen, and hotels will be allowed to book only at 50 percent capacity.

Jason G. Barnett, who owns the Artist House, a bed-and-breakfast in Key West, said he had not yet decided whether to reopen in June. If strict Covid-19 guidelines mean he cannot serve a delicious buffet breakfast or have a daily happy hour, and that he can rent only three of seven rooms, is it worth it?
As the novel COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage economies, its full toll on agriculture is yet to be reckoned more fully.



The restrictions on movement and the limited social interactions will strain livelihoods and the agricultural supply chain as access to inputs and extension support services by the already vulnerable farmers and their communities is interrupted.



Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform, Solidaridad, an international civil society organization, is increasing access to agronomic and other production support information by farmers and communities that produce cocoa, oil palm and other food staples.



The platform is compatible with basic feature and android phones. It allows the target audiences to receive pre-recorded messages in real time.



It is an important part of a remote support approach that helps Solidaridad to quickly assess ground situations to generate response plans and interventions.



At this time when physical interactions are less desired, the IVR platform helps us to reach out to a large number of our programme beneficiaries quickly to share important information on COVID-19 protection protocols and to deliver other technical crop production content that aligns with the farming season and the cropping calendar, says Isaac Gyamfi, Regional Director for Solidaridad in West Africa.



Experience in the use of digital tools in virtual training of farmers



The Interactive Voice Response platform and other digital tools are not new to Solidaridad. In West Africa, they have been applied in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where Solidaridad is promoting sustainable practices across the cocoa, gold and oil palm supply chains.



In 2019, the organization used the IVR platform to transmit messages on Good Agricultural Practices to over 40,000 farmers, workers and producers under the Next Generation Cocoa Youth Programme (MASO)  funded by the Mastercard Foundation, and the second phase of the Cocoa Rehabilitation and Intensification Programme (CORIP II)  funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ghana.



Solidaridad also deployed mobile data collection tools to profile 60,068 cocoa farmers, 19,627 oil palm farmers and 1,056 miners in the operational countries. The data is used to support the creation of markets for potential small and medium enterprises.



It also serves as a baseline for current and future programmes whose impacts and outcomes would be tracked using the Interactive Voice Response platform.



The IVR platform provides Solidaridad and partners real-time feedback on farmers' experiences, learning and practices for additional intervention where necessary. With over 60,000 cocoa farmers already subscribing to the voice application platform, Solidaridad would continue to maintain contact with project beneficiaries during the pandemic. A total of 39,000 farmers are using the platform, says Ahmed Abdul Basit, Head of Digital Solutions at Solidaridad West Africa.



Stepping up COVID-19 awareness in local communities



Since March 2020, Solidaridad has used the IVR platform to sensitize 28,557 beneficiaries on the need to practice social distancing and other precautionary measures to prevent infection and contain the spread of the virus.



In Ghana, the awareness campaign messages, which were culled from national directives and the World Health Organization guidelines, were translated into Twi, a local language spoken by many of the communities where Solidaridad currently operates.



In Sierra Leone, Solidaridad is supporting the government to step up public awareness on COVID-19. In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, through its District Health Management Teams, Solidaridad has supported the production of relevant information, education, and communication materials for dissemination to over 20,000 farmers in 300 local communities in the country.



Through its Gold programme in Ghana, the organization has also embarked on a sensitization campaign to educate eight Village Savings and Loans Associations, six project mines and mining communities on measures to control the spread of the virus.



Other digital tools for sustainability



The organization will continue to innovate in the use of a digital classroom and other virtual tools to train small and medium enterprises and other community facilitators who are engaged for data collection.



In this effort, Solidaridad welcomes partnerships with development investors and foundations, as well as government ministries, departments and agencies to scale the use of digital innovations in support of vulnerable producers and enterprises to grow as the world adapts to the new reality of physical distancing.



Additionally, the organization is fast-tracking the development of a digital self-assessment tool for artisanal and small-scale gold miners to educate them on responsible mining practices. The organization has so far profiled some 1,000 miners in Ghana for a pilot use of a set of digital tools.



Support from donors and partners



In West Africa, Solidaridads work is funded by the Netherlands Government, the Mastercard Foundation (MCF), the European Union (EU), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the World Bank (WB), Henkel, Achmea, Mondelez International, and many other private sector companies.



Certainly, Solidaridad could not have done all these alone. The organization is grateful for the support of all development and implementing partners as it works to respond to the needs of beneficiaries at this critical time of COVID-19.

Source: Daily Graphic









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[May 18, 2020] Tres Solutions partners with Danelec Marine to accelerate the use of data and IoT in shipping

HOUSTON, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tres Solutions, a leading global provider of vessel performance software and services, and Danelec Marine, the market leading provider of ship-to-shore data solutions  today announced a collaboration that will accelerate the use of high-resolution data in delivering insights to shipping companies. The cooperation recognizes Tres as a certified third-party application provider in which the company's Tres Vessel Analytics (TVA) platform can seamlessly integrate with the DanelecConnect ship-to-shore data gathering and transmission platform. Danelec collects and pre-processes data from onboard sensors before transferring it to a secure cloud-based database. Tres will use the reliable, real-time data in its TVA decision-support software and services, helping existing and future clients improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and improve operations. "This collaboration brings together two leaders in maritime digitalization," said Aaron Holton, CEO of Tres Solutions. "The industry has continued to evolve, with customers seeking connected platforms. With Dnelec, we are collectively able to remove many of the barriers to widespread adoption of IoT by our customers and pave the way for further efficiency driven solutions for our clients."



As the industry increasingly uses IoT applications to harness the full potential of data, Tres and Danelec are committed to providing shipping companies with new tools that can improve confidence in decision-making and increase fuel and environmental efficiency. "We are pleased to welcome Tres Solutions into our ever-expanding integration ecosystem," said Casper Jensen, COO of Danelec Marine, "The industry is quickly changing, and many more ships will be IoT enabled in the coming years. We believe our collaboration with Tres will help lead the transformation of the industry in a smart and efficient way."

About Tres Solutions Tres is a leading maritime software and analytics company, providing digital vessel performance solutions that help clients improve data quality, save money, reduce emissions and improve operations. Its core Tres Vessel Analytics (TVA) platform is the fastest growing performance management and optimization system in the market and is deployed on nearly 300 vessels worldwide. Tres services include access to the Tres performance center and in-house specialists, who work closely with crews and shore teams to improve reporting and support ongoing performance initiatives. The company's software and service platform have helped customers realize 2-14% fuel savings annually. To learn more about the Tres Approach, visit www.tressolutions.com or email us at [email protected]. About Danelec Marine Headquartered in Denmark, Danelec is a leading supplier of Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs), ship-to- shore data communication systems and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). Danelec was one of the first companies to bring to market VDRs and Simplified VDRs (S-VDRs) to meet the original IMO carriage requirements. More than 6,000 vessels today are equipped with a VDR or S-VDR designed and manufactured by Danelec Marine. The company has service facilities with factory-trained personnel in more than 50 countries and Certified Service Centers at strategic locations worldwide. To learn more about the Danelec difference, visit www.danelec-marine.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1169028/TVA_Dashboard_Powered_by_DC.jpg

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2019 Savoy Foundation Check Presentation to Caterina's Club June 11, 2019

The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated (Savoy Foundation) today announced the list of organizations supported through its charitable contributions through 2020. This list includes local, national and international organizations focused on health, human services charities, aid to victims of hurricanes and earthquakes, education and childrens causes through its Chivalry for Childrens Causes.

Since it was founded in 1991, the Savoy Foundation has been committed to philanthropic initiatives, following the centuries old traditions of the Savoy Orders. The diverse charitable giving list included contributions to support local, national and international charities focused on providing medical, educational and humanitarian assistance and childrens causes, as well as social assistance charities that provide services to those in need and scholarship grants to support university students in the fields of arts/humanities and international studies.

Recent beneficiaries of Savoy Foundation grants have been the following:



Mercy Ships to support life-changing surgical procedures performed on hospital ships bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor.

In 2019, the Savoy Foundation launched a new Initiative - Chivalry for Childrens Causes - with the presentation of a substantial grant to Southern California-based charity, Caterinas Club, for its work providing meals, housing and job training for disadvantaged children and families

The New York Foundlings Camp Felix Program: to improve the quality of life of children in disadvantaged circumstances, to gain self-esteem and to develop life skills with an overnight camp experience each summer, providing a week-long adventure to change their outlook on life, their future, and their sense of pride. Camp Felix is the only overnight camp for children in the child welfare system. The Foundlings campers immerse themselves in activities that instill feelings of self-confidence, resilience, respect and community.

Stuart House at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center: to serve the special needs of sexually abused children and their families by providing comprehensive state-of-the-art treatment to help child victims and their families cope with the traumatic effects of sexual abuse on children's physical and psychological health.

Providence Rest Nursing Facility: to provide short term and long term care for the elderly in a peaceful environment.

Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships: to provide scholarships to college and university students studying in the fields of fine arts/humanities and international studies. International studies scholars participate in the Savoy Foundation NGO program at the United Nations.

Savoy History Series: to fund a lecture series on subjects relating the Royal House of Savoy and the history of Italy, Italian literature, history, art, science and impact on other countries.

Americas VetDogs Program, a subsidiary of the Guide Dog Foundation Inc.: to meet the needs of disabled veterans by providing guide and service dogs specially trained to provide balance, relieve stress or perform other tasks.

About the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated

The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated, a U.S. charitable 501(c)(3) organization, has three endowments: charitable causes, educational programs and operating expenses. The Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships were also established by the Foundation to provide financial aid to students in the Humanities and International studies. Annual grants are also made to childrens and hospital programs. In order to raise funds for the support of its activities, the Savoy Foundation sponsors a winter event, Ballo di Savoia and a spring event, Festa della Primavera in New York City and an event on the West Coast, Notte di Savoia Los Angeles. The Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Roster Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Members of the Italian Royal Family, headed by His Royal Highness, Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, actively support, attend and lend their names through formal patronage of the Savoy Foundations events. The Foundation also sponsors an annual history series on Italy and the Savoy dynasty which dates back over 1,000 years and is one of the oldest royal families in Europe.
Susan Posey is an avid family historian and retired psychotherapist who lives with her family in the mountains of western North Carolina. She has published her new book A Home on Wilder Shores: a spellbinding work inspired by a true family story.

Inspired by the authors Welsh ancestors, who immigrated to Philadelphia and the North Carolina frontier in the 1750s, the novel follows the stirring adventures of sisters Ardath and Gwyn.

After their mother disappears in Wales and their estranged father dies in the smallpox epidemic on their voyage across the stormy Atlantic, they assert their growing maturity in Ben Franklins colonial Philadelphia.

However, in hopes of finding their mother, they leave the safety of civilization, bound for North Carolina along the primitive wilderness track that would become the Great Wagon Road-where the wilds of frontier America sorely test their resourcefulness and resolve.

Published by Page Publishing, Susan Poseys engrossing book is a fast-paced drama that keeps the pages turning until the thrilling conclusion.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase A Home on Wilder Shores at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
The announcement of the datesheet for pending class 10 and 12 exams by the CBSE on Monday ended the uncertainty looming over northeast Delhi students for whom the board examinations had to be postponed twice this year.

While class 12 exams will be conducted across the country, the class 10 exams are only pending in northeast Delhi, where they could not be held due to violence sparked by protests against the amended Citizenship Act.

According to CBSE officials, class 10 exams will be held on four days.

"The class 10 exams will be staggered on four dates, starting July 1. The first paper will be of Social Sciences, while the next day students will be required to appear in Science exam.

"On July 10, exams will be conducted for both courses of Hindi, and on July 15 for both courses of English," CBSE Controller of Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj said.

For class 12, in North East Delhi, Physics exam will be held on July 3, Accountancy (July 4), Chemistry (July 6), English (July 8) and Political Science (July 14).

On July 15, four class 12 exams have been scheduled in North East Delhi -- Mathematics, Economics, History and Biology.

In February, the northeast part of the national capital was rocked by violence in which 53 people were killed and over 200 injured. The areas worst affected in the violence included Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura.

In view of the violence, the Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) had postponed exams at over 80 centres in northeast Delhi area till February 29.

The board had announced a fresh schedule, according to which class 12 exams in the area were supposed to begin on March 31 and conclude on April 14, while exams for class 10 were scheduled from March 21 to March 30. However, the exams had to be again postponed in view of the coronavirus outbreak and the nationwide lockdown.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of fighter from the National Defence have been recruited by Russia, to fight in Libya alongside for forces of Haftar reports Brocar Press.

Russia has begun recruiting mercenaries from the National Defense, one of Qamishlis most important pro-regime militias, to fight alongside Haftars forces in Libya, an exclusive source told Brocar Press.

According to the source, at least six fighters have been transported via Qamishli Airport to Lattakia, after which they will be taken to Libya to fight for 1,000 dollars per month.

The recruitment process began in secrecy, the source said. The six fighters from the National Defense failed to show up to their military headquarters in the regime-held neighborhood of Tei in southern Qamishli, as they had been recruited to fight in Libya and were transported to Lattakia.

While the source added that the initial recruitment would be limited to the ranks of the National Defense and other pro-regime forces in the governorate, he did not rule out that continued recruitment could extend to the tribes at a later time.

Russia has several military bases across Hassakeh governorate, the largest of which is Qamishli Airport. Russian forces have ramped up efforts recently to communicate with local actors and activists to gain the trust of residents, such as meeting with notables and tribal sheikhs as well as Self-Administration leadership.

The first batch, numbering about 85 fighters, left rural northern Homs on May 8, 2020, for Russias Hemeimeem Airbase for transport to Libya.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
At least 20 persons were confirmed dead and 24 others injured after gunmen suspected to Boko Haram attacked Gajigana village of Borno State on Sunday, witnesses said.

The attack happened at about 6:15 p.m. as residents of the farming community in Magumeri local government area were preparing to break their Ramadan fast. Gunmen driving in trucks stormed the village and began to shoot indiscriminately.

A member of Civilian-JTF, Baan Bukar, said although there was a military deployment in Gajigana, the soldiers could not do enough to save the villagers.

The Boko Haram fighters came to the village from the western flank far away from the soldiers who are stationed at the eastern side, said Mr Bukar.

As the gunmen attacked the community, the fasting residents who had endured temperatures reaching 42 degrees celsius tried to scamper to safety. Many could not go far before being mowed down by the terrorists.

The shootings were sudden and intense; people began to flee in all directions, Mr Bukar said.

The soldiers could not make it to the other side on time. But when they eventually did, the shootout dragged into the night.

This morning, we have prepared 18 corpses of the killed villagers for burial. Twenty four persons were injured in all; of which 19 of them are in critical condition, while five sustained minor injuries.

Mr Bukar said the 19 injured persons were taken to hospital in Maiduguri.

Confirming the development, member of the Borno State House of Assembly who represents Magumeri constituency, Audu Mustapha, said the figure had risen to over 20.

I have just returned from the hospital where the injured ones are receiving treatment, he told PREMIUM TIMES on phone.

He added that, those buried as a result of the attack are more than 20.

Gajigana is about 47km north of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

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The attacks came hours after the Nigerian military said troops had a fierce battle in Baga town and killed at least 20 Boko Haram insurgents.

During the Baga fight, according to John Enenche, a general and the coordinator of defense media operations, ninegallant soldiers were wounded in action with no loss of life.

The Gajigana attack is the first major onslaught on local communities since the commencement of Ramadan, Muslims holy month of lent.

Mr Enenche did not respond to a phone call and a text message seeking comments on the latest incident.
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Today host Jill Martin has split from her banker fiance, less than a year after the couple got engaged in a romantic Hamptons proposal, with the lifestyle expert blaming the stress of the pandemic for the breakdown of the long distance relationship.

In a statement obtained by People, Jill, 44, explained that the COVID-19 outbreak has 'taken a toll on so many aspects of life', including her romance with Erik Brooks, whom she has been dating since 2017.

'It's such a difficult time for everyone,' she continued. 'Erik is the most magnificent person, but with him living in Boston with his children, and me living in New York, the distance just became too difficult for us to maintain the kind of relationship thats important to us both.

End of the road: Today correspondent Jill Martin, 44, has split from her banker fiance Erik Brooks, less than a year after the couple got engaged

Trouble: The New York-based lifestyle expert admitted that the stress of the pandemic had 'taken a toll' on her long-distance relationship with Erik, who lives in Boston with his children

'He is an amazing man, and I wish him nothing but the best.'

Despite her wishing Erik well, Jill appears to be keen to put the memory of their relationship behind her; the lifestyle guru seems to have scrubbed every image of her former beau from her Instagram account since their break-up.

The news of the split comes almost a year to the day that Jill first revealed that her banker boyfriend had popped the question in a romantic proposal in the Hamptons over Memorial Day weekend last year.

At the time, Jill took to Instagram to share images from the surprise proposal - before she later detailed exactly how Erik had asked her to marry him.

'I SAID YES! I am over the moooooonnnnnnn,' she captioned the post, which included an image of Erik down on his knee during his carefully planned proposal.

'[Eric] told me we were going to a friend's house for a casual kick-off to summer party,' she added to the Today show, noting that even went as far as sending her a Paperless Post with a fake invitation to the event.

'I kinda knew something was fishy but couldnt put my finger on it!' she explained.

Once they arrived at the beach, Erik took Jill to the shore where he had set up a tent decorated with romantic mementos from their courtship.

Going all out: The banker popped the question over Memorial Day weekend last year, proposing to Jill in a tent he set up on the beach in the Hamptons

Dazzler: At the time, a delighted Jill happily showed off a huge rock on her finger as she celebrated the happy news

Support: Erik also invited his and Jill's parents to join them for the surprise

'When I looked in the tent there were pics of us from the last year and eight months framed everywhere ... candles ... flowers ... all our favorite songs on a playlist,' she said.

It was there that Erik got down on one knee, but Jill was so stunned that she admitted she left him hanging for a bit.

'It took me a few mins to say yes  he actually said, 'Is the answer "yes"?' as I hadn't responded! I said of course! Yes!' she recalled.

Just when Jill was wishing their families would be with them, Erik had their parents walk into the tent to surprise her.

The fashion correspondent noted that Erik's parents flew all the way in from Florida, while his three children, his sister, and the rest of the family arrived in the Hamptons the next day to spend the weekend with them.

At the time, Jill revealed that the couple had not yet thought about a wedding day, but added that she was 'so happy to know I will be spending the rest of my life with him'.

'He is my real-life Prince Charming,' she continued. 'I couldn't have created a better storybook ending.'

Opening up: Although Jill remained incredibly private about her relationship before the engagement, she revealed in February last year that she and Erik met on a dating app in 2017

Shutting it down: Jill appears to have deleted all images of Erik from her Instagram since the couple's split

Until her engagement news, Jill had kept her relationship with Erik relatively private, but in an essay that she wrote for Today in February last year, she detailed how she 'met the love of [her] life online' on a dating app in the fall of 2017.

'After endless dates, failed relationships and many tears I decided (after much nudging from my mother) to try,' online dating she explained, recalling how she went on date after date until she met Erik, a portfolio manager of Abry's Heritage fund.

'After summing up my life in three sentences and finding a picture that represented me, I had finally swiped correctly,' she wrote. 'Erik is kind, honest, funny and puts family first: he has three beautiful children whom I adore.'

In addition to their shared values, Jill and Eric both have parents that have been married for the past five decades.

While the fashion guru's mom and dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in February, the banker's parents have been married for 55 years.

After her engagement, Jill opened up in more detail about her relationship, revealing in July that she initially struggled to fit in to Erik's family dynamic as a stepmother to his kids.

She recalled a heartbreaking confrontation between herself, Erik, and the banker's 11-year-old daughter Bella while they were all on a vacation together - recalling how the tween had packed up Jill's suitcase for her at the hotel in a clear attempt to get her to go home.

'Prince Charming': When Jill and Erik got engaged, the lifestyle guru gushed about their shared values and her excitement at being with him 'for the rest of her life'

Struggles: In July, Jill opened up about the initial tension between her and Erik's children, revealing that she found it difficult to ease into her role as a stepmother

'I was so upset, I was hysterical crying,' Jill recalled in in July. 'And Erik said to her, "How could you do this?" He said, "Dont you want me to be happy?" And she said, "Dont you want me to be happy?"'

According to Jill, the children's initial hesitation to welcome her into the family soon disappeared, and she said at the time that she and Bella had gone on to become 'the best of friends'.

However, that hasn't stopped Jill from wanting children of her own.

Just a month before her surprise engagement, Jill opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs five years ago at the age of 38.

'I thought it was giving myself an option in the future, whether I met someone or I did it on my own,' she told Page Six. 'I wanted to give myself that choice.'

Jill, who was single at the time, gave herself injections twice daily without ever giving up work, though she recalled it being a 'very intense, painful process.'

In addition to being a Today correspondent, she is a Knicks reporter and also appears on QVC, where she recently launched a decor line, G.I.L.I by Jill Martin Home.
S pain aims to reopen its borders at the end of June, a minister has said.

Last week, the government announced a two-week quarantine for all overseas travellers in a bid to prevent a second wave of coronavirus. Now, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos has said the measure was only ever meant to be temporary.

As soon as we Spaniards can travel to other provinces, foreigners will be able to come to Spain, he told TVE broadcaster.

From late June, well start the tourism activity, I hope, he said. We must make Spain an attractive country from the health point of view.

Spain is dependent on tourism and it accounts for 12 per cent of the countrys economic output. One of the worst hit countries in Europe with 27,650 deaths and 231,350 infections, Spain is slowly relaxing its lockdown measures which have been in place since mid-March.

"It is consistent with the phase-out plan," said Abalos. "We can't allow foreigners to travel while the Spanish population is confined."

Last week, Greece also announced it hoped to begin welcoming tourists from June and Slovakia's joint borders with the Czech Republic and Austria are expected to open this summer.

Advice from the UK government remains the same and all but essential travel is advised against. Health secretary Matt Hancock said last week that the prospect of foreign summer holidays for many Brits was unlikely.
Labour has urged the government to rethink unfair new immigration rules which pose a threat to NHS and the care staff playing critical roles in the battle against coronavirus.

As the Immigration Bill returns to the Commons, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said it was hypocritical for ministers to clap for NHS workers and then tell people they are unwelcome because they are deemed low-skilled.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said Labour could not support the bill, which will enshrine Boris Johnsons promise of a so-called Australian-style points system in law as part of the UKs post-Brexit immigration system.

The long-delayed bill will be brought to the Commons by the home secretary, Priti Patel, on Monday amid calls from Tory MPs to rewrite plans to make it easier for health and care workers to come to the UK.

The crackdown, which will replace freedom of movement for EU citizens, will impose a minimum salary threshold of 25,600 for most workers seeking to enter the UK  with no exemptions for so-called low-skilled jobs, other than seasonal workers.

Mr Thomas-Symonds told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: What the government is proposing is not fair and its not in the national interest and thats because they are deeming people who are low-skilled to be unwelcome in this country.

That isnt an acceptable way to proceed. We see the clap for carers on a Thursday evening. It is wrong to then say on a Monday that you are unskilled, and that people with those skills are not welcome in this country.

Thats why Im asking the government to think again. We cant support an immigration bill today that is a threat to our health and social care sector.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said it was wrong to measure peoples contribution to society by salary, and pointed to how care workers, shop staff and refuse collectors who have played a critical role in the coronavirus crisis would be deemed low-skilled under government plans.

Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Show all 18 1 /18 Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jackie Wilson, a healthcare assistant, wearing PPE before going into rooms Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, speaks to a carer at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Carers working at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A care worker wearing PPE opens a drink carton Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, sits with a carer Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A care staff member wearing PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member at Newfield Nursing Home looks after a resident SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer wearing PPE uses a speaker Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer helps Jack Dodsley, 79, from his chair Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer wearing PPE helps Jack Dodsley, 79 Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer brings food to a resident at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member puts on PPE at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jackie Wilson, a healthcare assistant, puts on PPE before she enters a room SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A bench at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS

He also criticised Ms Patels refusal to waive the 624 immigration health surcharge for foreign healthcare workers, saying: I think that it is totally unfair on the one hand to be saying thank you to those foreign-born workers we have in our NHS and then charging them for actually using it.

It comes as a YouGov poll for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) suggested 54 per cent of Britons would support loosening immigration restrictions for workers who were defined as essential during the crisis.

Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, defended the plans as a way to attract the brightest and the best from around the world  not just from confining it to within Europe.

He said there was an awful lot of capacity within the UK for people to work in care homes, and added: The whole point of this new regime is that we are able to determine where the need is and adjust the rules to suit that.

The bill was first introduced to parliament in December 2018 but its progress stalled as Theresa May, the then prime minister, failed to command necessary support in her own party to win key Brexit votes.

Ahead of the bills second reading, Ms Patel said: This historic piece of legislation gives the UK full control of our immigration system for the first time in decades and the power to determine who comes to this country.

Our new points-based system is firmer, fairer, and simpler.

It will attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.
Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) on Monday said it has resumed production at its manufacturing facility at Kherki Dhaula, Gurugram.

The company commenced operations after receiving permission from concerned authorities, by adopting detailed safety guidelines and safety measures for its employees, SMIPL said in a statement.

SMIPL Managing Director Koichiro Hirao said, "At the onset, SMIPL will resume operation with limited workforce and will gradually shift to full production cycle as per the government's directive".

He further said the company has implemented detailed operating guidelines with emphasis on social distancing to ensure maximum precautions are taken by all its employees.

SMIPL had suspended its plant operations on March 23, 2020 under the government's directives to follow the nationwide lockdown to avoid COVID-19 pandemic spread.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, May 19 : The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday that super cyclone Amphan is expected to have the biggest impact in South and North 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal.

Addressing a press briefing, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, "Amphan is expected to make the biggest impact in South and North 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal. It will cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatia island during afternoon to evening of May 20, with maximum wind speed of 165-175 kmph, gusting to 195 kmph." Mentioning that Amphan has turned into a super cyclone rapidly, the IMD stressed that heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal on May 19 and 20, and heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal districts of Odisha is likely to occur.

Keeping in view the conditions, the IMD has advised a complete shutdown of shipping and boating activities in the vulnerable parts of West Bengal and Odisha till May 20. Rerouting or shutting down of rail and road traffic is also advised in the areas which the super cyclone is expected to hit.

"The super cyclone is likely to cause extensive damage to 'kuchcha' houses and old structures. Off rooting of trees, telephone poles, palm trees etc. is also expected. Ships and large boats can be damaged heavily," Mohapatra said.

The IMD said that the wind speed could be around 165-175 kmph when the cyclone crosses east Medinipur and North and South 24 Parganas districts.

"Strong winds will be felt over Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah and West Medinipur," it said.

During the briefing, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General, Satya Narayan Pradhan, said, "In West Bengal, a total of 19 teams are deployed, and four teams are on standby. In Odisha, 13 teams are deployed and 17 are on standby. While some NDRF teams are in the area, some are in transit and will reach by today or tomorrow morning," he said.

The Director General said that the teams are on their feet and carrying out awareness drives and evacuation in the area which are slated to be affected by the cyclone. Sanitisers and preventive medicines have also been given to the forces as the country will face a "dual challenge" with the Covid-19 pandemic and the cyclone.

The super cyclone is currently moving northwards with a speed of 7 kmph for the past few hours and is centred at about 730 km south of Odisha's Paradip, 890 km south-southwest of West Bengal's Digha and 1,010 km south-southwest of Bangladesh's Khepupara.

It is expected to cross between Digha and Hatia in Bangladesh close to the Sundarbans on May 20. The weather agency has issued an orange alert for coastal West Bengal and Odisha, where it said widespread damage is expected.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Racing fans hoping to see the green flag waved at the first-ever NASCAR doubleheader at Pocono Raceway next month may get the chance yet.

But it depends heavily on whether Monroe County ,where the track is located, has moved into the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolfs color-coded, three-tiered reopening plan by then.

Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf was asked a question about the conditions that must be met for the races scheduled from June 25 to 28 to take place during a televised news conference on Monday. And he gave an encouraging response for NASCAR fans.

If Monroe County goes to yellow before that race happens and NASCAR, in fact, has the competition without spectators in the stands and they follow other guidelines to keep the competitors safe, yeah, Wolf said.

Pocono Raceway spokesman Kevin Heaney welcomed this news. We are very appreciative of all the collaborative efforts of the governors office and NASCAR. Our staff continues to work with both parties and hopes to have additional details shortly. Once those final details are known, we will inform our fans directly, Heaney said.

At this point, Monroe County is one of 30 counties that remain under the red phase of the governors reopening plan where the strictest restrictions are imposed. Another 12 counties  Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne, and York  will move into the yellow phase on Friday.

This past weekend, NASCAR allowed racing to get underway by having Darlington Raceway in South Carolina host The Real Heroes 400 without fans in attendance. It had postponed racing in early March in response to the spread of COVID-19.

Driver Kevin Harvick crossed the finish line first at Darlington, beating Alex Bowman to win NASCARs restart of its 2020 racing season.

*This post has been updated to include a statement from Pocono Raceways spokesman.

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The head of the World Health Organization has said an independent evaluation of the global coronavirus response would be launched as soon as possible, and China backed such a review.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made his promise on Monday during a virtual meeting of the WHO's decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, at which Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country's own handling of the crisis.

U.S. President Donald Trump has fiercely questioned the WHO's performance during the pandemic and led international criticism of China's handling of the early stages of the crisis.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivering a speech via video link at the opening of the World Health Assembly virtual meeting from the WHO headquarters in Geneva on Monday

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking via video link on Monday. Calling the pandemic the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two, Xi said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility'

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a virtual meeting of the WHO's decision-making body on Monday

Tedros, who has always promised a post-pandemic review, said it would come 'at the earliest appropriate moment' and provide recommendations for future preparedness.

'We all have lessons to learn from the pandemic. Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience. WHO is committed to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement,' Tedros said.

The review must encompass responsibility of 'all actors in good faith,' he said.

'The risk remains high and we have a long road to travel,' Tedros added, saying preliminary tests in some countries showed that at most 20% of populations had contracted the disease but most places that less than 10 per cent.

A resolution drafted by the European Union called for an independent evaluation of the WHO's performance and appeared to have won consensus backing among the health body's 194 states.

Dr Tedros, a little-known figure before the coronavirus pandemic, has risen to prominence as Director-General of the WHO which is spearheading the global response to the virus. He has faced accusations of being too quick to praise the Chinese regime's coronavirus response.

Tedros - who has never practised as a medical doctor - is a career politician who was born in what is now Eritrea, began work under the Communist Derg junta, came to study in the UK, then rose to the top of Ethiopia's government first as Health Minister and then Foreign Minister before being elected to lead the WHO in 2017.

He has faced heavy criticism for his handling of the pandemic, especially for praise he heaped on China's communist party for its response - hailing the regime's 'commitment to transparency' and saying the speed with which it detected the virus was 'beyond words'.

This has led to allegations - most recently from President Trump - that the WHO is 'China-centric'.

China has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but Xi signalled Beijing would be amenable to an impartial evaluation of the global response once the pandemic is brought under control.

'This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO. And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld,' he told the meeting via video.

Calling the pandemic the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two, Xi said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.'

A draft of the EU resolution made no mention of China.

The WHO and its Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus (left, pictured meeting with Xi Jinping in January) has faced accusations that the organisation is 'China-centric' and has been too quick to praise the regime's coronavirus response

WHO and most experts say the virus is believed to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central city of Wuhan late last year. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this month there is 'a significant amount of evidencea the virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge China rejects.

A draft text of the EU resolution urges Tedros to initiate an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the response to COVID-19 under the WHO 'at the earliest appropriate moment.'

Diplomats said the United States, which suspended its funding of the WHO during the crisis, was unlikely to block a consensus backing the resolution.

But it could 'dissociate' itself from sections referring to intellectual property rights for drugs and vaccines, and to continued provision of services for sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic, they said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the WHO 'irreplaceable'. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Africa affirms its 'full support', but assistance to the continent should include debt relief and help with diagnostics, drugs and medical supplies.

Barbados' prime minister said Caribbean states need a restructuring of debt or a debt moratorium to 'provide certainty to both borrower and lender' during the pandemic.
Uber has announced it is axing another 3,000 jobs  taking the total it has cut during the virus crisis to 6,700.

The firm has seen a 50 per cent increase in orders from its Uber Eats food delivery arm, but at the same time travel restrictions have hit its taxi business hard and hampered its plans to become profitable.

Driven to distraction: Boss Dara Khosrowshahi said the firm had taken the 'incredibly difficult decision' to axe the jobs

Yesterday boss Dara Khosrowshahi said the firm had taken the 'incredibly difficult decision' to axe the jobs, days after he previously said 3,700 roles would be cut.

In an email to employees, he also revealed the US firm will shut up to 45 offices around the world and potentially scale back 'non-core' divisions such as freight.

He told them 'we are making really, really hard choices now, so that we can say our goodbyes, have as much clarity as we can, move forward, and start to build again with confidence'.

Uber had previously aimed to start turning a profit by the end of the year but recently admitted that is now unlikely.
Music icon Elvis Presley's Graceland is reopening for the tourists from Thursday, after it was shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The museum situated in Memphis, Tennessee, and former home of the Presley family, will be running the tour at 25 per cent capacity.

We are so excited to welcome you back to Elvis Presley's Graceland, 100 plus acres dedicated to the King of Rock n' Roll.

We are committed to the health and safety of our guests and associates and have been diligently working to ensure your visit is everything you're dreaming of, the statement posted on the museum website read.

As per the health and safety protocol set by the authorities, all the visitors and associates will be required to undergo temperature check screenings upon entering the property and anyone with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be permitted to enter.

Restaurants on the property will operate at 50 per cent capacity.

It will be compulsory for the museum employees to wear a face mask, while visitors will be encouraged to do the same.

Extra hand sanitizing stations are installed throughout the property.

Due to reduced tour capacities, the museum has also requested the visitors to purchase tickets in advance so that they get their preferred tour time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To the Editor:

A Number Defies Propaganda: 1,700 Extra Deaths in Moscow (news article, May 12), concerning Covid-19 deaths in Russia, failed to take into account the position of the Moscow city government.

The Moscow authorities published April mortality statistics in early May. Some news organizations compared monthly figures for deaths and assumed that the increase reflected the number of Covid-19 deaths. But the figures alone do not disclose the cause of death and vary widely in any event.

In April 2020, the city recorded 11,846 deaths. While that number was an increase of 1,841 over April 2019, it was an increase of only 985 for the same month in 2018. Our research showed that 639 of the deaths in April 2020 were attributable to Covid-19.

We perform an autopsy in every case, and therefore we are confident in the accuracy of our data. An increase in mortality rates is natural with an increase of acute respiratory viral infections, which aggravate the underlying illnesses.
People walk on the beach in a seaside town in Grosseto in Tuscany, Italy as the government eased restrictions. (Carlo Bressan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

European markets rose on Monday after their worst week since mid-March, with looser coronavirus restrictions boosting stocks.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 (^STOXX) index was trading 1.8% higher at around 8.30am in London. Britains FTSE 100 (^FTSE) and Frances CAC 40 (^FCHI) both jumped 2.1%, while in Germany the DAX (^GDAXI) was up 2.5%.

Equities and oil are higher as investors cautiously welcome signs lockdowns are ending, but markets remain in this tug-of-war pattern where we simply dont know whether the damage will be a lot worse than feared or the recovery will be much swifter, said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com.

The bounce comes after most leading indices in Europe saw their steepest weekly losses in two months last week amid fears over bleak economic data and higher infection rates in some countries. The Stoxx 600 had slid 3.8%.

READ MORE: Aldi partners with Deliveroo for online orders

Further easing of curbs on economic activity in areas hit particularly hard by the virus pushed stocks higher on Monday. Italy is allowing shops, restaurants and hair salons to reopen their doors this week. Parts of Spain also eased restrictions as its daily death toll fell below 100 for the first time in two months.

Oil prices have also edged higher with output curbed by producers and signs of higher demand, linked to easing of curbs on movement and trade. The lift to oil boosted energy stocks Total, BP and Royal Dutch Shell, which marked some of the highest gains in early trading.

Stocks rose overnight in Asia too. Japans Nikkei (^N225), South Koreas KOSPI (^KOSPI) and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong (^HSI) all rose 0.5%. Chinas Shanghai Composite (000001.SS) close 0.2% higher.

Futures were pointing to a rise on the open in the US later on Monday. S&P 500 futures (ES=F) and Dow Jones futures (YM=F) were both trading 1.5% higher and Nasdaq futures (NQ=F) were 1.4% higher at around 4am eastern time.

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American brokerage Goldman Sachs expects the Indian economy to contract by 5 percent in FY21, making it the worst performance by the country ever

Mumbai: American brokerage Goldman Sachs expects the Indian economy to contract by 5 percent in FY21, making it the worst performance by the country ever.

The brokerage said the GDP will contract by a mind-boggling 45 percent in the June quarter as compared to the January-March period on an annualised basis, because of the continuing lockdown which is chilling economic activity, before recovering later.

A slew of watchers are expecting a contraction in the Indian economy in FY21, some even after the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus announced by the government. Goldman was earlier expecting a 0.4 percent contraction before revising it down to a level it shares with Japanese brokerage Nomura.

"The -5 percent growth we forecast for FY21 would be deeper compared to all 'recessions' India has ever experienced," its analysts wrote in the note.

The virus continues to spread in India, resulting in the pushing of the nationwide lockdown with the gradual relaxation of restrictions, while concerns among consumers and businesses continue, it said.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

The rebound from a quarterly perspective will be very strong in the September quarter, it said, expecting a 20 percent growth in GDP over the level of June-end, but added that the same will be gradual from then on.

Joining its peers, the brokerage also said that the reform measures announced by the government will help growth only over the medium term and are not expected to have any benefit in the near-term.

In line with its peers, the brokerage also said that the fiscal impact of the stimulus measures announced by the government is very small at 1.3 percent of GDP.

The brokerage said while the slow growth may result in calls for even more stimulus from the government, the likely help will be smaller as compared with the post-2008 crisis as well because of the fiscal situation in India.
The usually bright and comedically gifted Lisa Kudrow is opening up about a recent experience which she called 'hard' and 'heartbreaking,' and it involves the death of her mother at the end of February.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Monday, the 56-year-old Friends star said she hadn't yet 'talked about' the fact that her mother, Nedra Stern, had passed away almost three months ago, and how difficult it was to practice social distancing at the funeral.

'I was the one who asked the rabbi to please let everyone know there was to be no hugging because we were all in an emergency room with her,' Lisa recalled. 'That was the hardest decision because we weren't there yet and we had only just heard the words "social distancing."'

Heartbreaking experience: The bright and gifted Lisa Kudrow is opening up about an experience which she called 'hard' involving the recent death of her mother

Kudrow did not specify the cause of her mother's passing, nor her age.

'I'm a freak and all I could think that whole day was there has to be coronavirus here,' she continued in the interview. 'Some people [understood] and most people were just looking at me like I was a monster when I'd take two steps back, put up my hands and say, "Hi, thanks for coming." That was hard.'

'That's the stuff that breaks my heart, too, when I see parents, especially in the health care field, who come home from work and are like, "Hi, remember, we have to stay away from mommy." How is a 3-year-old supposed to understand that?' the Opposite Of Sex actress added.

'I was the one who asked the rabbi to please let everyone know there was to be no hugging because we were all in an emergency room with her,' Lisa recalled about the funeral

On a slightly brighter side, however, Lisa remarked that 'Well, at least we got a funeral,' which has unfortunately not been the case for countless deceased loved ones whose funeral gatherings have been rendered impossible during the height of the pandemic.

'And everyone was hugging but me. I just couldn't bear it if I got someone sick,' the actress added, before mentioning that she and 'a couple family members did feel sick' a few days after the service  but that perhaps she 'was just drained.'

On Mother's Day, Lisa posted a stunning throwback travel photo of herself with her mother, but judging from the comments, no one knew that the Emmy winner had recently lost her.

'This is what a great mother looks like. The one on the left, I mean. #mothersday' she captioned the photo.

At home: The actress has been quarantining at home in Los Angeles with her husband of 25 years Michel Stern and their 22-year-old son Julian (left)

The actress, who's been quarantining at home in Los Angeles with her husband of 25 years Michel Stern and their 22-year-old son Julian, also discussed several of the projects she's been involved in  not the least of which is the yet-again-postponed Friends reunion.

When the pandemic caused productions throughout Tinseltown to shut down, Lisa said it was 'painful' to have to stop prepping the highly anticipated special.

'I have to be honest: I was getting nervous at the very beginning of March, before there was a stay-at-home order,' Kudrow said of the back-and-forth which took place between the Friends cast and those behind the reunion at the time.

'And then everything started shutting down, one by one. We all got on the phone and said it had to shut down. People threw out [other] dates, which have come and gone. But we were really trying to be able to do it as soon as we could.'

Old Friends: Lisa also discussed several of the projects she's been involved in  not the least of which is the yet-again-postponed Friends reunion

And the idea to do the reunion as something virtual or remote is (thankfully) not what Kudrow is envisioning.

'That's the whole point!' she said, of being able to reunite with Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston live and in-person.

'We haven't all been in the same room in front of people  I mean, we have privately once many years ago but that's it. The whole point of this is to be in the same room. That hasn't changed. And HBO Max is being phenomenally patient and understanding.'

The idea to do the reunion as something virtual or remote is (thankfully) not what Kudrow is envisioning; seen here in 2001 with Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer

Like fans around the world, Lisa is hoping that there will soon come a time when she and her Friends can once again physically sit together on the same couch, just as they had done for ten years on the set of Central Perk.

'I haven't heard anything officially, but hopefully there will be tests available so everyone has to be tested for the virus and antibodies before being able to show up for work. If everyone's tested and clean, then we don't have to be 6 feet apart. Everyone who checks out, so to speak, can sit next to each other on the couch,' she said.

'But the reunion of the cast and celebration of the show will definitely happen.'
Trump talk of 'fastest ever' vaccine sheds light on US coronavirus timeline

Global Times

By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 22:18:40

The early launch of research into the "fastest ever vaccine" by the US as revealed by President Donald Trump sheds light on the virus timeline and chain of events in the US that arouses global suspicions about the true source of the virus.

Trump said that scientists at the US National Institutes of Health began developing the first vaccine candidate on January 11, while on January 12 Beijing time, China first shared the genome sequence information of the new coronavirus with the World Health Organization.

January 11 is one or two months earlier than the February-March initial reported outbreak in the US and 10 days earlier than the first confirmed coronavirus case reported in the US on January 21.

The US deliberately concealed its knowledge of the impending epidemic even as China reported the unknown pneumonia to the world on January 3, Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the Global Times Sunday.

"Unless the US had patients contracted with the coronavirus beforehand or had strains of the virus in hand, there was no possibility that within hours of the virus genetic code being posted online that the US had already started vaccine candidate development," Yang said.

The timeline revealed US attempts to scapegoat China and divert attention from its own failures to combat the virus, said Li Haidong, a professor at the institute of international relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.

Chinese and American internet users commented online that the US owed the world an explanation after Trump's vaccine announcement.

Evidence has been growing that the worldwide pandemic likely had spread to the US or Europe weeks or possibly months before January.

Two patients in Snohomish county, Washington state had coronavirus symptoms in Christmas last year and later tested positive for the deadly virus, the Seattle Times reported on May 14.

"The US probably had coronavirus in December, but was too busy watching China to notice," ran a headline in Business Insider on May 12.

The US president was warned of the pandemic as early as January according to timelines published on March 31 in US media.

In testimony to the US Congress in March, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), said it was possible some COVID-19 deaths last year were diagnosed as flu-related in the US.

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China is targeting Australia, the first nation to demand an official inquiry, with boycott threats in an attempt to squelch overseas demands for investigation of its responsibility for creating and spreading the coronavirus. It perceives Australia, which depends on China for almost 35% of its exports and enjoys a trade surplus with China, as less able to withstand economic pressure than the U.S., which has run huge chronic trade deficits.

China may be threatening to sanction U.S. politicians that criticize it, but it is threatening to boycott Australia's key exports to it: beef, iron ore, and barley, important domestic industries that would be devastated by the loss of Chinese markets. China is a classic bully, targeting weaker victims in hope of intimidating others. And while some Aussie politicians have been critical of Australia taking the lead in demanding an investigation, P.M. Scott Morrison is receiving wide backing, including from the normally left-wing trade unions (paywalled):

China has threatened to cut off Australia's $63 billion iron export pipeline to the communist nation in what it describes as a "wake up call". The menacing warning came as the boss of one of Australia's most powerful unions took the extraordinary step of writing to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, urging him not to be "bulled" by China. In a major raising of the stakes in Beijing's stoush with Australia over PM Morrison's calls for an international inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, China has made it clear that it can easily look elsewhere to source key imports. The threat served up in China's state-owned Global Times follows Beijing suspending trade with four Australian abbatoirs and threatening 80 per cent tariffs on barley imports.

The editor of the Global Times, an official outlet, actually called Australia "pieces of chewing gum on the sole of China's shoes."

Journalist Andrew Bolt gets it and addresses Australian critics of the demand for an investigation, writing in the Herald Sun of Melbourne:

It takes a special kind of fool to blame Australia for being bashed by China, as if it's all our own fault that this menacing dictatorship is angry. Can't these know-nothings see how many other countries also have China shaking a fist in their face? Haven't they checked the extraordinary press briefings last week from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, the regime's Dr Goebbels? It's not just about us, people. New Zealand, Japan, the US, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, France and more all felt Beijing's lash last week. The dictatorship is on the move. It's time we paid attention to the bigger picture and stopped blaming ourselves.

In fact, 116 nations have so far backed Australia's push for an inquiry. The U.S. must take a leadership role and organize talks with Brazil, Canada, and other exporters to China of the key goods China is threatening to target for boycotts and agree to resist being used as cudgels against Australia.

Hat tip: John McMahon.

Graphic credit: PublicDomainPctures.net.
Crown Princess Victoria might be first in line to the Swedish throne, but did you know that she wasnt always destined to be the next queen? Her younger brother, Prince Carl Philip, was the original heirthat is, until the royal family changed the order of succession rules.

1. What happened?

It all started in 1980 when Sweden passed a new law that recognizes the natural birth order. Basically, this means the next king/queen will be the first-born child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, regardless of gender.

2. How did it affect the line of succession?

This had a huge impact, since males typically outrank females in the order of succession. When the change went into effect, it immediately bumped Prince Carl Philip down to the number two spot, making Crown Princess Victoria (who is a year older than her brother) the rightful heir to the throne.

Its important to point out that Prince Carl Philip is no longer second in line. Hes currently in the fourth position behind Victoria and her two children, Princess Estelle (8) and Prince Oscar (4). If the Crown Princess has any more children, Carl Philips standing will continue to decrease.

3. Why did the change occur?

Were not entirely sure, but our best guess is the Swedish government decided the rule was outdated. When Crown Princess Victoria becomes queen, she will make history as the countrys fourth-ever female monarch.

Sweden isnt the only country to honor the royal familys birth order. Shortly after Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed Princess Charlotte, Britain passed a law to ensure the young royal kept her rank despite the arrival of her younger brother, Prince Louis.

Can somebody write a Royal Rules for Dummies book please and thank you?

RELATED: Listen to Royally Obsessed, the Podcast for People Who Love the Royal Family
Press Release

May 18, 2020 Senate adopts resolution expressing condolences to family of former Sen. Tessie Aquino Oreta The Senate today adopted a resolution expressing its profound sympathy and sincere condolences to the family of former Maria Teresa Aquino Oreta who passed away at the age of 75 last May 14, 2020. Senate Resolution No. 406 was sponsored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Pia Cayetano, Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Sonny Angara, Francis "Tol" Tolentino, Cynthia A. Villar, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Leila De Lima, Win Gatchalian and Grace Poe. Oreta was elected senator in 1998 and served during the 11th Congress. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Oreta was like a sister to him and former Senator and current Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. "We are very saddened by her passing. I remember her as a very passionate and strong legislator whose advocacies focused on empowering women and children through landmark legislations like the Solo Parents Act, Early Childhood Care and Development Act," Sotto said. He said Oreta work for the improvement of the country's educational system as she believed that education is the key to the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipinos. Sotto said the Philippine Sciences System High School Act and the Governance of Basic Education Act as some of Oreta's bills that were enacted into law. "She sought to improve the employment status, working conditions and welfare benefits of public school teachers," according to Sotto. Villanueva said Oreta served as a legislator for 17 straight years. He said it was quite a feat for a woman of her time to be elected in the legislature. On her first term as a congresswoman, Villanueva said Oreta became Assistant Majority Leader, the first woman to hold such post in the history of the lower house. "I experienced in person how Senator Tessie loved the Filipino people, and I bear witness to it. She used to invite us to her house when I was a neophyte congressman, together with party-list representatives. She endlessly talked passionately on issues close to her heart. Especially dear to her were matters of education and how families can benefit from it. She often said that, "education is the lifeblood of the family," he said. Villanueva said nothing compared to Oreta's love for the teachers. In 1999, she spearheaded the Project TAO, which was the most comprehensive survey of its kind involving 420,000 teachers nationwide. The project revealed situations besetting public-school teachers. The survey results served as the compass for many educational reforms at that time. "Her initials are T.A.O. or tao which symbolizes her legacies as a public servant. In the over two decades of public life, the causes that she believed in and chose to fight for speak in volume. They evidence how she put the tao at the forefront. The Filipinos, especially women and children, are at the center of her public service," Villanueva said. Pacquiao said Oreta was a strong advocate of education, women and children. He said she filed almost 200 bills and resolutions during her term. "We mourn her death but at the same time celebrate her legacy. We are offering prayers of God's comfort and strength to be upon her husband, her children, relatives and friends," Pacquiao said.
With no fresh case reported over



the past three weeks, a slum cluster in Belgachhia area of north Kolkata, once marked as a COVID-19 hotspot, has been declared a green zone, an official here said on Monday.

The congested slum belt, spanning two sq km, has become a role model for the rest of the city with its successful implementation of lockdown norms, he said.

Swapan Samaddar, a member of the Board of Administrators at Kolkata Municipal Corporation, told PTI, that the bustee -- home to 3,0000 people - was taken off the list of containment zones last week, and the authorities declared it a green zone on Sunday.

"As no fresh cases were reported in the past three weeks, the slum, which had recorded seven to eight coronavirus cases including two deaths in April, has zero cases now. We will implement the Belgachhia model in other congested containment zones like Topsia," Samaddar said.

After the slum was declared a coronavirus hotspot on April 14, as several cases tumbled out of the area, all lanes leading to the bustee were barricaded and police pickets set up to regulate movements.

Residents were asked to stay at home and local clerics roped in to convince people to follow the safety norms.

The KMC official thanked the local clubs, voluntary organisations and religious leaders in the area, for their concerted efforts to stem the spread of the disease.

"The shutdown was enforced in the slum in letter and spirit. From barricading entry points to spraying of disinfectants and home delivery of essentials, all possible steps were taken to control the spread. Shortly after, the number of cases decreased in the locality," he said.

Samaddar noted that stand alone shops apart from grocery stores will be allowed to resume business in the area during the day time.

"Police and KMC personnel, however, will not lower the guards and random tests would continue. The local clinic will monitor the health of residents from time to time," he said.

The KMC official expressed confidence that congested slums in Topsia, Rajabazar, Metiabruz and Dhakuria areas will also be declared green zones in the coming days, after the Belgachhia model is implemented in these places.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Due to the growing concerns of the congestion and lack of order in the migrant camp, the non-profit Global Response Management decided to set up a clinic in the area to ensure that the population is prepared against the coronavirus.

It might take them months before they can proceed with their U.S. immigration trial under the Remain in Mexico policy by President Donald Trump known as Migrant Protection Protocols.

Clinic at the border

Executive director of the GRM Helen Perry says that they are yet to confirm any patients confirmed with COVID-19 in the migrant camp in Matamoros. However, they isolated two patients who were exhibiting symptoms of the disease. The test results are due in days or weeks.

She added that they were strengthening safety and security measures in the encampment because they were situated near hotspots in Matamoros.

According to Perry, GRM has operated in countries like the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. In Mexico, she believes that they have the capability and the capacity to treat the patients, but it was only a matter of coin.

Currently, they had five full-time medical workers and a handful of volunteers to help with the services. Many of them are also seeking asylum in the United States.

One doctor in particular, Dairon Elisondo Rojas, decided to flee to the U.S. after becoming part of the Cuban doctors going on medical missions in Venezuela, which he learned was filled with political agenda.

When he criticized the Cuban government for supporting the regime of Venezuela's shady Socialist Party, he was banned from practicing medicine in his own country. He then thought about moving to the U.S. instead, and now he is awaiting his trial in court for the immigration, which was postponed to late in June.

Rojas became the encampment's first doctor. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said that he would treat around 40 patients in the temporary shelters.

Check these out:

Migrants at Matamoros

Executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Sister Norma Pimentel said that the camp was a short-term solution. Asylum seekers must be able to find lawyers to represent them in court to stand a chance in migrating into the United States.

Whatever future the migrants at Matamoros hoped for seemed incredibly difficult at best. It seemed unlikely that Trump would lift immigration laws, and some lawyers predict that only one percent out of all their claims to move into the U.S. could be approved.

In the month prior, the doctors said that the makeshift clinic was opened to initially treat and test for COVID-19 patients at the encampment. Of the 60 people they tested, all of the results came back negative.

They regularly checked temperatures at random, and prescribed vitamins and medicine for patients to improve the health of immunocompromised patients. Other people at high risk would check in every day.

Part of the GRM's job was to launch education campaigns for the children. They also distributed medical supplies like masks to as many people as they could. Even in the limited space at the encampment, they managed to build sinks so that people would be able to wash their hands at the site.
Traders in Delhi have welcomed the Centres decision to allow markets to open in the fourth phase of the lockdown -- from May 17 to May 31 -- announced on Sunday, saying businesses hit by the restrictions will finally pick up in the Capital.

The Union home ministry on Sunday announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 31 and issued broad guidelines for the states on the relaxations that could be provided during the period. The Delhi government will issue a final list of relaxations, based on the Centres recommendations, on Monday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet. Delhi govt will prepare the detailed plan for Delhi based on the Centres guidelines and announce it tomorrow, Kejriwal tweeted.

Delhi govt will prepare the detailed plan for Delhi based on the Centre's guidelines and announce it tomorrow https://t.co/eBfrLKUpP9  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 17, 2020

Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

While manufacturing units were allowed to operate in the city from May 3, production has not been at full scale due to the imbalance between demand and supply as markets remained shut, according to industrial associations. They say that only 25-40% of industries had resumed work.

Last week, the Delhi government had suggested an odd-even scheme for markets in its proposal to the Centre on relaxations for the fourth phase of the lockdown. The Delhi government is likely to release its guidelines for markets on Monday.

Brijesh Goyal, the convener of the Aam Aadmi Partys trade wing and national convener of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, said, The government is in the process of finalising the guidelines for markets, now that the Centre has given its go-ahead.

Malls are not likely to be permitted to open in Delhi till May 31, as the Centre did not agree to the Delhi governments proposal of allowing 33% of the shops to open every day. However, the relaxations for stand-alone and neighbourhood shop will continue, a senior government official said.

However, traders associations in Delhi are divided over the odd-even proposal and also on the issue of whether markets should open.

Also Read: Economic package will have multiplier effect: Nirmala Sitharaman

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general, the Confederation of All India Traders, said the opening of markets will restore the demand and supply balance, but the odd-even formula wont be effective because traders are dependent upon other traders for exchange and purchase of goods. In a press statement, he suggested staggered timings for shops.

Members of the traders association in Chandni Chowk said a final decision will be taken tomorrow, but they would prefer to remain shut till May 31, due to the markets proximity to a containment zone.

Manufactures said that the opening of markets is essential for demand to pick up. Lack of demand, shortage of raw material, closure of wholesale markets, unavailability of transport and reduced labour availability have hampered production.

Also Read: Centres relaxations set to awaken Delhi from its two-month slumber

Ashish Garg, secretary of Narela Industrial Complex Welfare association, said, Opening our industrial units have no meaning when there is no demand. All businesses, including wholesale, small traders, small-scale industries etc, in the supply chain have to be up and running for economic activity to revive, as we all are inter-dependent.

The continuous migration of labour force to their home states has compounded the problem, say factory owners. With the labour force, especially unskilled labour, leaving the city, it will become difficult to restart businesses. There is even a shortage of skilled labour and it is difficult to find replacements for them, said Rakesh Sachdeva, the president of Naraina Industrial Area Phase 1 and 2.

Rajesh Garg, the secretary of the Indian Council for Trade and Industries, who owns a factory in Narela, said the government needs to draft a long-term policy to revive businesses. Coronavirus disease will not vanish in a month or two. The Centre and state governments should come up with a long-term policy, said Rajesh Garg.

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WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously reinstated as much as $4.3 billion in punitive damages awarded against Sudan to victims of truck bombs detonated in 1998 outside United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The attacks, conducted by Qaeda operatives, killed hundreds and wounded thousands. Starting in 2001, many of the victims and their family members sued Sudan in federal court, arguing that it had helped Al Qaeda in carrying out the bombings.

After a trial in which Sudan did not participate, Judge John D. Bates of the Federal District Court in Washington found in 2011 that Sudan had provided crucial assistance to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, its leader.

Sudan harbored and provided sanctuary to terrorists and their operational and logistical supply network, Judge Bates wrote. Bin Laden and Al Qaeda received the support and protection of the Sudanese intelligence and military from foreign intelligence services and rival militants. Sudan provided bin Laden and Al Qaeda hundreds of Sudanese passports. The Sudanese intelligence service allowed Al Qaeda to travel over the Sudan-Kenya border without restriction.
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TEGUCIGALPA  They didnt give us water or food, they threw us in the back like dogs, and they didnt 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 didnt even receive a test for the coronavirus, they didnt 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 didnt 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.

Related
Ryfe, a bar in Atlantic City, opened March 14 and had to close March 16 due to the coronavirus outbreak. It's now reopen, offering cocktails to go. Read more

New Jersey now allows most bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks, cocktail kits, and other alcoholic beverages in sealed containers no larger than a pint that can be taken out or delivered.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill that passed the Assembly unanimously making New Jersey the 32nd state plus the District of Columbia to allow restaurants and/or bars to sell to-go cocktails, bottled spirits, or both.

New Jersey distilleries also can sell cocktails and mixed-drink kits for alcohol they manufacture.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf was given a cocktails-to-go bill Monday afternoon. Under the Pennsylvania bill, drinks must be of 4 to 64 ounces and are limited to takeout.

The New Jersey bills provisions would expire six months after the end of the state of emergency or on the day that coronavirus-related executive or administrative orders expire, whichever occurs later.

 READ MORE: Cocktails-to-go bill is approved by Senate, and is on way to Gov. Wolf

New Jersey also is waiving taxes on alcohol used to make hand sanitizer. "Despite their own struggles, distilleries have come to our aid and established themselves as selfless partners in this fight by shifting some of their production to hand sanitizer, said Roy Freiman, a Democrat who represents Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset Counties, in a statement.Giving them some financial leeway is how we thank them for their role in helping keep us all safe.

The Distilled Spirits Council of America says there are 19 distilleries making hand sanitizer in New Jersey.

Sponsors of the bill, now law, issued the following statements:

Local restaurants and bars that relied heavily on taproom revenues are finding it tough to make ends meet, said John Burzichelli, a Democrat from Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties. This bill throws them a lifeline. It offers a chance to create more sustainable cash flow, so we can see the industry rebuild as we come out of this COVID-19 pandemic.

During my communications with our restaurant owners, they repeatedly asked for us to get this done, said Serena DiMaso, a Republican from Monmouth County. It will help to increase their sales and revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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M inisters were today accused of rank hypocrisy as new immigration legislation that would prevent foreign care workers from coming to the UK returned to Parliament.

The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination Bill will introduce a points-based migration system once Britain completes its exit from the EUs freedom of movement rules.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said today that prioritising entry for those with the highest skills would attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.

Her Labour counterpart, Nick Thomas-Symonds, hit out over the inclusion of care workers and others in a low-skilled category that will stop migrants wanting to do such jobs coming to the UK.

He said: It is rank hypocrisy towards our NHS and care workers to stand and clap for them on a Thursday night and then tell them that they are not welcome in the UK on a Monday.

Under the proposed new system, points allowing potential migration would be awarded on the basis of salary level, the ability to speak English and having a job offer.

A separate fast-track visa would be offered for doctors, nurses and other health professionals.
Each afternoon at 4 p.m., Olivia Turtoro, a sophomore at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, heads up to her bedroom, shuts the door, and logs onto the Zoom app on her iPad.

For the next 90 minutes or two hours, with only a barre and a piece of studio-quality dance floor, the 15-year-old Old Lyme resident, who began dancing at 4 and trains six days a week at Eastern Connecticut Ballet in East Lyme, bends in plies and demi-plies, and does pirouettes and leaps in an online Zoom session led by her ECB instructor.

Ive always wanted to be a professional ballet dancer, and I know I have to work very hard to get there, said Turtoro, who counts New York City Ballets principal dancers Sara Mearns and Tiler Peck among her idols.

Doing it at home has been an adjustment for sure, and I definitely miss being with everyone, but its worth it to maintain my strength and technique.

Turtoro is one of several hundred ECB students who have been participating in live ballet classes in their own homes since dance schools and studios were ordered closed in mid-March, according to ECB Executive Director Lise Reardon.

The highly acclaimed studio, a nonprofit organization, has been providing dance training to students along the Shoreline and in eastern Connecticut since 1992.

All of our students have been through a lot of disruption this spring, so the ballet classes are an important source of comfort and routine in their lives, she said.

Reardon said the teaching faculty has found unexpected inspiration in the online classes.

Its one thing for these young people to come to the ballet school and see their friends and get excited about class, and a good part of their learning and their experiences is the friendships and connections and the excitement that they get from being together, she said.

These kids are now going into a room in their house, theyre all by themselves, the teacher is face-to-face with them through Zoom, and that takes a lot of courage.

The teachers, she said, are seeing these kids as incredibly resilient so that inspires them to come up with creative ways to inspire the students how to continue to progress even in a small space.

In that regard, the Zoom setup has another benefit.

Its more personal because each little square is the students own and the teacher has to look at each student personally, she said.

By any measure, the 98 percent participation rate shows that the new normal has been wildly successful, Reardon said.

And thats crucial, it seems. Even missing a week of training has an impact on strength, technique, and precision that can take a while to get back .

Dance is layered, skill upon skill upon skill, so you have to solidify certain skills in order to move forward, she said. If theres a disruption or if your body isnt strong enough to handle the material, then bad habits develop and you dont make the progress that you should make.

ECB training generally begins as early as 3 years old with twice-weekly classes, gradually increasing to six days a week.

As much as meaningful development requires personal commitment and dedication, Reardon said, it also becomes a huge stress relief for them and a creative outlet.

That seems to be the case with Turtoro, who described her teachers as incredibly amazing.

Dance has always been an outlet for me and a stress reliever, so its been really good for me to still get to dance, she said, as she prepared to make her way upstairs to her bedroom for another class.

For more information, visit easternctballet.org.
New Delhi: German prosecutors will present evidence that a Frankfurt man scheduled for trial in a Federal state-security court in August received payoffs from Indias Research and Analysis Wing for spying on Khalistan and Kashmiri secessionists, as well as other sensitive details of the intelligence services operations in that country, highly-placed diplomatic sources have told Network18.

The upcoming trial of German resident Balvir Singh  scheduled for August 25, according to German government documents  is the third recent case involving RAW assets in that country, and comes in the wake of similar prosecutions in Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Even though Germany and India have sought to contain potential damage to their diplomatic relationship from the case, diplomatic sources said, strains have begun to mount as foreign intelligence services have pushed back against Indias secret war on Khalistan terror cells across Europe and Canada.

Balvir Singhs case, diplomatic sources said, centres around a senior RAW officer, recruited into the organisation from the Indian Revenue Service and operating out of Indias consulate in Frankfurt. The officer was asked to leave Germany after serving for less at the station for just six months, on charges of engaging activities incompatible with his status as a diplomat  the language Foreign Ministries use to describe espionage.

Germanys domestic intelligence service, the Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz or BfV, had targeted the officers activities in Frankfurt for surveillance following complaints emanating from pro-Khalistan groups that RAW operations were violating the countrys laws. German diplomat Uwe Kehm was asked to leave India in retaliation for the expulsion of the RAW officer, diplomatic sources said.

RAWs Frankfurt office was among other things engaged, intelligence sources said, in seeking information on Gurdev Singh Bagga, a German resident alleged by India to have been involved in last years deliveries of weapons and ammunition from Pakistan into Punjabs Tarn Taran district, using Global Positioning System-fitted drones.

Like Bagga, a senior Punjab Police officer told Network18, there are many pro-Khalistan Sikhs earlier based in Pakistan who have been given asylum in Germany. We are frustrated not just by misguided European policies which give residence rights to terrorists, but at the failure of their counter-terrorism services to take the operations of Khalistanis seriously.

RAW maintains two outposts operating under diplomatic cover in Germany  the most in any European country  running from Indias embassy in Berlin, and the consulate in Frankfurt, intelligence sources say.

The operations of the Berlin intelligence station, in line with diplomatic convention, are formally disclosed to the German government. RAWs station chief in Berlin is charged with liaising with the agencys counterpart in that country, the Bundesnachrichtendienst, or BND.

Even though Indian authorities have for long informally admitted the existence of the Frankfurt station  first set up to liaise with Afghan and Pakistani dissidents in Europe  the RAW officer serving there is not formally disclosed to the German government.

In 2019, a Frankfurt court gave Manmohan Singh, a journalist with a pro-Khalistan online news platform in Germany, an eighteen-suspended sentence for spying on Sikh secessionists for RAWs Frankfurt station. Along with his wife Kamaljit Kaur, Manmohan Singh was found guilty of receiving 7,000 for information provided to RAW between 2015 and 2018.

Earlier, in 2015, a German immigration officer was prosecuted for passing on material on suspected Khalistan activists to RAW. The previous year, Ranjit Singh  who had sought asylum in Germany claiming to be an All India Sikh Students Federation activist persecuted by India  was sentenced to nine months in prison for spying for RAW.

Immigration authorities in Canada, court documents show, even denied an Indian journalist permission to join his family in that country, saying he had sought to influence politicians in that country on instructions from RAW. The immigration authorities determination was, however, overruled by a court in March.

Ever since 2015, Indian intelligence sources said, RAW had aggressively recruited agents inside pro-Khalistan circles across Europe and Canada, seeking to target increasingly active cells providing finance and ideological support for secessionist terrorism in Punjab. The move ran in parallel with a separate push by Prime Minister Modi, starting from his visit to London in November, 2015, to win back Khalistan supporters living in the diaspora.

Led by now-RAW chief Samant Goel  then stationed in LondonRAWs new anti-Khalistan operations in Europe however sparked off confrontations with domestic intelligence services in those countries, who believed India was violating the conventions governing the activities of it.

Goel himself, intelligence sources said, came under pressure from authorities in the United Kingdom, who believed his operations were poaching on existing assets of that countrys own domestic intelligence service, MI5.

European laws guaranteeing privacy to citizens, a Western diplomatic source said, made it hard for their domestic counter-intelligence services to countenance some of RAWs operations, one Western diplomatic official said. Faced with complaints that a foreign intelligence officer is threatening the rights of residents, he argued, we have no option but to act.

Let me concede that, in some cases, weve been less than discreet about what weve been doing, one RAW officer said. No country will tolerate another brazenly conducting espionage on its soil. But the flip side of the story is also important, which is that Western intelligence services have been notoriously lax in their handling of Khalistan groups.

In 2010, for example, damning evidence surfaced in judicial investigation that Canadas intelligence and police services had known that plotting was underway to bomb the Air India jet downed over the Irish Sea in 1985, killing 329 people  but failed to act, because of a toxic mix of racism and misjudgment.

This problem wouldnt exist if Western governments werent giving asylum to religious terrorists in the first place, the officer said.

Even though the overall diplomatic relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Angela Merkel has been robust  Berlin, notably, pushed back against Chinas efforts to debate Kashmir in the United Nations Security Council, and declared that the termination of Kashmirs special status was Indias internal matter s igns have begun to emerge of strains in the relationship.

Germanys embassy in New Delhi had in March announced it was donating 1.2 million to a campaign by former Indian Administrative Service officer Harsh Mander  a vocal critic of the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Both Germanys Embassy in New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to requests from Network18 for comment on the donation.

The donation came months after India invited members of the Alternative fur Deutschland, a far-right political party hostile to Chancellor Merkel, to visit Kashmir in the wake of the revocation of Article 370.
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Today we'll look at Norwegian Energy Company ASA (OB:NOR) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.

Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Norwegian Energy:

0.028 = US$73m  (US$2.9b - US$358m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)

Therefore, Norwegian Energy has an ROCE of 2.8%.

View our latest analysis for Norwegian Energy

Is Norwegian Energy's ROCE Good?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. We can see Norwegian Energy's ROCE is meaningfully below the Oil and Gas industry average of 7.3%. This could be seen as a negative, as it suggests some competitors may be employing their capital more efficiently. Regardless of how Norwegian Energy stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is quite low (especially compared to a bank account). It is likely that there are more attractive prospects out there.

Norwegian Energy reported an ROCE of 2.8% -- better than 3 years ago, when the company didn't make a profit. That suggests the business has returned to profitability. The image below shows how Norwegian Energy's ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth.

Story continues

OB:NOR Past Revenue and Net Income May 18th 2020

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Remember that most companies like Norwegian Energy are cyclical businesses. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Norwegian Energy.

Do Norwegian Energy's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets.

Norwegian Energy has total assets of US$2.9b and current liabilities of US$358m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 12% of its total assets. With a very reasonable level of current liabilities, so the impact on ROCE is fairly minimal.

What We Can Learn From Norwegian Energy's ROCE

While that is good to see, Norwegian Energy has a low ROCE and does not look attractive in this analysis. Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Norwegian Energy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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GROUND work on Limericks 300m Project Opera development could begin in the third quarter of this year.

It comes after tenders were today published for the preliminary works at the site.

Limerick Twenty Twenty, the Designated Activity Company behind the proposal, which may bring 3,000 jobs to the city, has confirmed that it has invited contractors to tender to demolish some of the buildings around the site, which bounds Patrick Street and Little Ellen Street.

It comes after An Bord Pleanala cleared the way for the huge development earlier this year, with Limerick Twenty Thirty saying today work on the scheme could begin in earnest in quarter three of 2020.

Acquired by the former Limerick City Council, Project Opera will be capable of employing up to 3,000 people across a 450,000 sq ft campus.

The lynchpin of the Limerick Twenty Thirty portfolio which includes several more city centre sites, Project Opera will be developed over a six year period, and will bee a huge skyscraper, a new city library, and restaurants.

Mayor Michael Sheahan said: We all know the transformational impact that the Opera Site is going to have on Limerick. The timing couldnt be better for this announcement as it comes in the midst of a really challenging period for us all and when we need to see such positive signs of recovery. This is a clear and definite signal of that.

The chief executive of Limerick Twenty Thirty David Conway added: The Opera Site is a huge programme, the demolition and enabling works will be as big as anything undertaken in the city centre. We are looking at a 3.7acre site in the heart of the city that is significant in scale and in sensitivity. Theres substantial demolition and clearing works to be done to prepare it for a LEED standard build, which is the worlds leading green-building project and performance management system. But its also much more than a demolition phase of the project, an enabling job. Also theres a very substantial conservational aspect to this.

He said a lot of attention will be paid to this, and the tender document stipulated any contractor must employ a conservation architect and archeologist to oversee work to the historic buildings on site, alongside a environmental manager to monitor works.

Thats the level of respect and detail we are applying to this job and it will be a standard we will bring through the entire project, Mr Conway said.

Denis Brosnan, who chairs Limerick Twenty Thirty added: The public looked on at a half-built shell on Henry Street for years wondering if anything would ever be done to it and we got that turned around into a multi-award winning project within two years of the establishment of Limerick Twenty Thirty. The same will now happen with the Opera Site and its going to be a game-changer for Limerick.

This first phase of the works will be done in consultation with the Limerick City and County Council Regional Waste Management Team to minimise waste generated on the project and the successful tenderer will have to commit to an employment charter that will ensure local communities benefit from any new employment opportunities that may arise from the project.

The demolition and enabling works scope includes installation of site hoarding and access gates to the full perimeter of the site; design and installation of traffic and pedestrian management systems; full site clearance to include the removal of all general waste, rubbish and debris from within buildings and lying in open areas around the site; design and installation of temporary and building stabilisation works and weatherproofing to buildings to be retained; careful demolition of buildings and structures and site grading and installation of a hardcore working platform for the next stage of the development.
Myanmar (Burma) has become the second export customer for the Chinese SY400 MRL (Multiple Rocket Launcher) and began receiving the launcher vehicles and missiles in early 2020. The first (in 2017) customer for the SY400 was the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.

The SY400 system is unique in several ways. The launcher vehicle is the 8x8 41-ton (loaded) WS2400. This truck is based on Russian designs but equipped with a German engine and other mechanical components. The passenger cab carries the driver and seven passengers. Top speed is 75 kilometers an hour and range on internal fuel is 650 kilometers. Max payload is 22 tons. The WS2400 is strictly a military vehicle and is configured to carry and launch a number of different missiles or rockets. The SY400 can either carry two DF-12A ballistic missiles in sealed launch containers or two containers each holding four high-speed SY-400 guided rockets. Most SY400 vehicles carry SY-400 rockets.

The SY-400 projectile is a 400mm diameter solid-fuel rocket that weighs about two tons with two warhead options. With a 300 kg (660 pound) warhead, range is 150 kilometers. With a 200 kg (440 pound) warhead, range is 200 kilometers. A unique feature of the SY400 is that, while not a true ballistic missile, it is fired like one (straight up). Earlier long-range rockets were fired from a slanted launcher and the vehicle had to be aligned to face the target. SY-400 and the larger DF-12A ballistic missiles are both fired straight up. The SY400 has control features that enable it to tilt over once launched and follow the more familiar artillery rocket trajectory. The DF-12A goes to a higher altitude before tipping over and coming down at a higher speed characteristic of a ballistic missile.

Both SY400 and DF-12A use GPS/INS plus a terminal guidance system which enables them to land within 50 meters of the aim point. The DF-12A is a true ballistic missile weighting four tons, with a diameter of 600mm, length of six meters and a range of 280 kilometers with a 480 kg (nearly half-ton) warhead. As a ballistic missile, the BP-12A is faster and more difficult to intercept. The SY-400 is a high-speed rocket but not as fast as a ballistic missile and has a flatter trajectory and is easier to intercept because of its lower speed.

The BP-12A option for the SY-400 was introduced in 2008 to compete with the Russian Iskander M. The Russian missile was developed in the 1990s and entered service in 2008 The 3.8 ton Iskander E (export model) has a solid-fuel rocket motor and a range of 300 kilometers with a half-ton warhead. The missile, like its Chinese counterparts, can be stored in the shipping/launch container for up to ten years. Russia sells several different types of warheads, including cluster munitions, thermobaric (fuel-air explosive) and electro-magnetic pulse (anti-radar, and destructive to electronics in general.) There is also a nuclear warhead, which is not exported. Guidance is very accurate, using GPS, plus infrared homing for terminal guidance. The warhead will land within 10 meters (31 feet) of the aim point. Iskanders are carried in a 20-ton 8x8 truck, which also provides a launch platform. There is also a reload truck that carries two missiles. The SY400 missiles apparently only use a high-explosive warhead meant to do major damage to airfields, ports or structures.

It is unclear why Myanmar bought Sy400 systems because it is not under military threat from any neighbors. However, Thailand recently received some WS-1B long-range (150 kilometer range) rockets from China. Both Thailand and Myanmar are democracies with armed forces that sometimes take over the government. Burma was such a military dictatorship for decades until the generals allowed elections in 2011, rather than face major uprising and civil war. That negotiated return to democracy included the military maintaining a lot of autonomy and a relatively large budget. The Burmese military can buy whatever its budget will allow even if the item purchased really does little to improve national defense.

Qatar, the first customer for the SY400, was the latest Arabian nation to obtain ballistic missiles. In 1988 Saudi Arabia bought dozens of Chinese DF-3 liquid-fuel ballistic missiles, each with a range of 4,000 kilometers. These were never test fired by the Saudis and not shown in public until a 2014 parade. Meanwhile, the Saudis bought a dozen or so solid-fuel DF-21 ballistic missiles from China. These have a range of 1,700 kilometers. Meanwhile, Yemen bought dozens of ballistic missiles from North Korea in the 1990s. Iran and Israel build their own ballistic missiles but Israel has nuclear warheads for theirs. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia have reliable anti-missile systems which have been used in combat.
With respect to the coronavirus, President Trump often says "we're at war with an invisible enemy." The message is wrong, inaccurate, histrionic, and disrespectful to our veterans, and it validates the lefts narrative.

First and foremost, you go to war to protect and defend your nation. But the severe mitigation measures put in place are destroying our nation.

And when our military do go to war, they put their lives on the line to defend America, American values, freedom, and civilization itself. While people are dying from the coronavirus, they have not put their lives on the line to defend America. They died because they succumbed to a novel virus, just as people die every day from all manner of infection, disease, or injury. To call this a war is an insult to our military, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe.

In addition, using the word "war" when speaking about our efforts to contain the virus creates a level of hysteria that isn't helpful or necessary. The left has been manufacturing and fueling hysteria quite well. I don't think we need to add to it.

And if we are at war with a virus, then ultimately, we're at war with each other, because humans are the vectors for the virus. And so we have become wary, frightened, and suspicious of one another. We keep our distance and give people the evil eye if they dare cough, sneeze, or not wear a mask. And while Trump may have intended the expression to inspire us to feel we are united in fighting the virus, at this point in the madness we have created, the language fuels the wrong impression of our fellow citizens. We have all become the enemy of the other. A threat. Only time will tell how long it will take to unravel such a dreadful state of being.

Lastly, the idea that we're "at war" fuels and validates the left's power-grab. If we're truly at war, then all is justifiable.

So, no, we are not at war with an invisible enemy. Our language when speaking about this matters.

What landed on our shores was a novel coronavirus that we have no immunity to. It appears to be particularly infectious. Its mortality rate remains unknown thanks to botched models at the outset, and now, an inflated mortality rate and sluggish antibody testing.

There is no war.

There is no invisible enemy.

There is a viral infection circulating. The sooner we can build herd immunity, the better  far better than sitting around waiting for the "experts" to develop a vaccine that may never come, or that may be brought to market too soon, that may not be effective and, most seriously, that may be mandated by the state.

Graphic credit: Needpix.
A senior Tory MP has called for Sir Mark Sedwill, the UK's top civil servant, to quit so he can focus on coordinating the nation's coronavirus response.

Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said Sir Mark should stand down as Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service to concentrate on his role as national security adviser.

It comes after Boris Johnson and Sir Mark were said to have had a 'tense' stand off last week over who is responsible for implementing the Government's lockdown exit strategy.

Sir Mark Sedwill, pictured in Downing Street in October last year, is facing calls to quit his role as head of the Civil Service so he can focus on his role as national security adviser and oversee the UK's coronavirus response

Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said 'until a vaccine is procured the conventional school of decision-making will simply not work' as he called for Sir Mark to step down

Some MPs believe Sir Mark is spread too thinly, especially given the current pressures associated with dealing with the deadly outbreak.

But Mr Ellwood is the first senior MP to break cover and openly ask for him to stand down.

He said the coronavirus crisis is placing 'untold demands on all governments well beyond the routine' and that decision-making processes therefore needed to adapt.

Mr Ellwood told The Times: 'Government is being tested by persistent uncertainty.

'Traditional cabinet-led government works, is reliable, tried and tested, but it's a peacetime construct, siloed and slow to reach decisions.

'The creation of a biosecurity centre is welcomed but this should be a full situation centre to manage the operational aspects of implementing government policy.

'It should be run by the national security adviser who should relinquish the two other portfolios he currently holds.

'Until a vaccine is procured the conventional school of decision-making will simply not work.'

Mr Ellwood said coronavirus is 'testing the bandwidth of our current decision-making structures'.

But it is also 'impacting on global security' as some nations retreat from the world stage while others 'leverage the fog of Covid-19 to pursue their own geopolitical agendas'.

'Rather than prompt international cooperation this outbreak has moved us a notch closer to another Cold War,' he said.

Asked today if Mr Johnson is happy with Sir Mark having two roles, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: 'Yes. Sir Mark has been successfully fulfilling both roles since June 2018.'

Mr Ellwood's intervention came after it was claimed yesterday that Mr Johnson and Sir Mark had clashed after the PM used an address to the nation to set out his lockdown exit plan.

It was revealed last week that Sir Mark, pictured with Boris Johnson inside Number 10 on July 24 last year, had coronavirus at the same time as the PM

Citing two sources, The Sunday Times said Mr Johnson had listened during a meeting as details of the road map were being discussed before asking: 'Who is in charge of implementing this delivery plan?'

One of the sources said that silence followed before the PM looked at Sir Mark and said: 'Is it you?'

Sir Mark then reportedly replied: 'No, I think it's you, prime minister.'

Sir Mark's role in the Government's handling of the crisis has faced intense scrutiny in recent days after it emerged he had coronavirus at approximately the same time as the Prime Minister.

Downing Street only revealed his illness six weeks after the fact, sparking a furious secrecy row.
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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 13:42:51|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- To shirk its responsibilities for taking inadequate measures and failing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. side has recently ramped up claims that China should be held accountable for the outbreak and has to pay for it.

Such groundless accusations were only meant to seek scapegoats for domestic dilemma in the United States, Chinese experts said.

The 2020 election year in the United States has led some U.S. politicians into repeated moves to maneuver public opinion in an attempt to win the presidential and congressional elections by inciting populism and hatred toward China, said Huang Jin, president of the Chinese Society of International Law.

From a legal perspective, the pandemic is a global public health issue, and there is no such a thing as "state responsibility" of the first country to report cases, experts said, adding that AIDS was first reported in the United States in the 1980s and has spread across the world since then, but the global community has never asked the United States to be held accountable.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has been fully fulfilling its duties stipulated by the International Health Regulations, as well as honoring its moral obligations, said Kong Qingjiang, head of the School of International Law at the China University of Political Science and Law, adding that China should bear no so-called "state responsibility."

The virus has no nationality and knows no borders, experts said, stressing that only through global cooperation can the pandemic be defeated. Enditem
Yoon Mee-hyang, who was at the time a leader of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, participates in the weekly Wednesday rally, Feb. 26, in front of the former Japanese Embassy compound in Seoul to protest Japan's sex slavery of Korean women during World War II. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Jun Ji-hye



Yoon Mee-hyang, a lawmaker-elect and former head of a civic group for "comfort women," refused to abandon her parliamentary seat, Monday, despite mounting controversy surrounding the group, including the alleged misuse of citizens' donations.



Comfort women is a euphemistic term for the women and girls who were forced by Japan's military to serve soldiers in brothels during World War II.



"I offer my sincere apologies for the ongoing situations, but I am not considering accepting the request for resignation," Yoon said during her radio appearance. "I will prove my sincerity through my parliamentary activities."



Yoon won a proportional representation National Assembly seat in April for the Civil Together party, a satellite party of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.



Controversies surrounding the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan began after Lee Yong-soo, one of the surviving victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery, claimed May 7 that the group has never used citizens' donations for the benefit of the victims.



Suspicion has also arisen that the group poorly managed a country house it had bought to offer housing to the women.











Seen is a country house in Anseong, Gyeoggi Province, which the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan bought in 2013 to provide housing for the surviving victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery. But criticism has arisen that the victims were never allowed to stay there. / Yonhap
First published in The Age on May 20, 1946

Forecasting the Worlds Weather

weather map Credit:BOM

An international exchange of facsimile weather maps enabling almost instantaneous reception of detailed meteorological information has been forecast at a conference of Governmental and commercial organisations, including a representative of the R.A.A.F.

It was anticipated that ships and aircraft in flight would be able to receive special maps directly over their own individual receivers.
2 cops deputed for CM Bommai's security held for trying to 'extort' money from drug peddlers

Karnataka bars entry of people from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu till 31 May

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Bengaluru, May 18: Karnataka has announced major relaxations across the state by allowing train, bus and taxi services to resume from tomorrow.

While announcing the relaxations for the lockdown 4.0 period, the Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, said that people from four states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala - will not be allowed entry into the state will May 31.

Full list of what is allowed and not allowed during lockdown 4.0

The Karnataka CM also said, ''Sundays will be observed as complete lockdown days with the provision of essential services only. Communal parks will be opened from Tuesday and night curfew will continue across the state from 7 pm to 7 am.''

There will be strict lockdown measures in containment zones and economic activities will be permitted in other areas. Only essential services will be allowed in the containment areas within red zones.

Yediyurappa further announced that all shops, except those in containment zones, will be allowed to open and passenger trains will run within the state.

Four state transport corporation buses and the private buses have been allowed to operate with 30 passengers per bus capacity and wearing of face masks and maintaining physical distancing are mandatory.

The services will resume with strict social distancing norms and guidelines in place as suggested by the Union Home Ministry on May 17.

Those who will breach the social distancing norms will face strict action, an official said.

Yediyurappa had convened a meeting of Ministers and senior officers at 11 am on Monday to discuss the guidelines issued by Government of India for lockdown 4.0 at Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, his office said in a release.

The nationwide lockdown was initially imposed from March 25 to April 14, then extended to May 3 and again to May 17 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Lockdown 4.0: Important guidelines for you to follow

Bengaluru urban district still tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 216 infections, followed by Belagavi at 114 and Kalaburagi 104.

So far 1,43,444 samples have reported as negative, of them 5,228 tested negative on Sunday.
As I noted yesterday, Minnesota Model 3.0 projected 1,441 deaths due to COVID-19 when it was released this past Thursday (May 14). Getting to 1,441 deaths would require 50 or so deaths a day through the end of this month. Yesterday the authorities reported 22 new deaths, bringing the total to 722. The daily average so far this month is just over 22. With something like a team of thousands behind it, Minnesota Model 3.0 has looked like a flop from the moment it was rolled out.

The 22 new deaths came with the age breakdown to which we have become accustomed: 7 decedents were in their 90s, 8 were in their 80s, five were in their 70s, one was in his 60s, and one was in his 50s. NINETEEN of the 22 new decedents were residents of long-term care facilities. The share of long-term care decedents among all decedents continues to hover around 81 percent.

What we have here is a massive political and public policy failure aided and abetted by the media. The obvious truth at the heart of this saga is slipped into the bottom of Joe Carlsons current Star Tribune story Minnesota logs 699 new COVID-19 cases day before state relaxes stay-home rules. The headline contributes to the campaign of fear that is also an essential element of the saga, yet Carlsons story concludes:

Advanced age and living in a group home are risk factors for developing more severe illness. Nineteen of Sundays 22 newly reported fatalities happened in people who lived in long-term care or assisted living facilities. All 22 were between the ages of 50 and 99. Pre-existing health conditions are also a major factor in the death rate. In Minnesota, at least 519 of the people who have died had one of seven chronic health conditions, state officials said. So far, only eight people have been confirmed to lack any of those conditions, while full data are not available for the other 195 people who died from COVID-19. Minnesota has seen 722 deaths from the virus. The conditions tracked by the health department are: chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma; serious heart conditions; compromised immune systems from cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation and other factors; severe obesity (BMI of 40 or higher); diabetes; chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; and liver disease.

Carlson doesnt perform the calculation for his reader: those with significant underlying health conditions account for 98.46 percent of all COVID-19 fatalities in Minnesota. This has been true roughly from day one, yet the authorities only saw fit to mention it when  and no one thought to ask for it until  KSTP-TVs Tom Hauser blurted out the question at one of the Minnesota Department of Healths daily press briefings a few weeks back.

Why this hasnt been the headline news every day  why it is buried at the bottom of Carlsons May 17 story  is one of those mysteries the solution to which is hiding in plain view. In the manifestation of the CCP epidemic of 2020 in Minnesota, it is the dog that didnt bark in the night. Governor Walz has orchestrated a devastating fiasco with great fanfare and with the support of the Minnesota media.
New Yorkers abandoned their homes in New York City, the United States epicentre for the coronavirus virus, in favour of top locations like Miami, Los Angeles, and The Hamptons, according to mail-forwarding data.

The populated city saw a decline in its residents starting in March as the novel virus spread and caused an increase in the hospitalizations rate and death toll.

With NY Pause, the states stay-at-home order, implemented on 20 March, it encouraged the citys residents to flee to areas outside New York City.

The United States Post Office received 56,000 mail-forwarding requests from New York City in the month of March, which doubled the monthly average for the service, The New York Times first reported.

The number of requests then went up to 81,000 in April, and 60 per cent of those requests were for locations outside the city.

Many New Yorkers who left their homes amid the pandemic fled to areas in New Jersey, upstate New York, and Long Island. But these residents also choose to travel farther across the US, with some heading for Florida, Philadelphia, and even California.

Florida, specifically areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, was the most popular travel destination outside of the New York-New Jersey area.

Washington, Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia were also popular metropolitan areas New Yorkers requested their mail to be delivered to for the time being.

In California, locations of Los Angeles and Long Beach were popular requests.

The US Postal Service has allowed for most residents to make temporary mail-forwarding requests to a given location for up to a year to a given location.

While Manhattan had the largest number of residents requesting mail-forwarding to their temporary addresses, Brooklyn saw the second largest number of requests. Neighbourhoods in Brooklyn like Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights saw the most requests, which is where wealthier residents tend to live given the rent prices.

Cell phone data also showed an estimation of how many New Yorkers left their home between 1 March to May 1.

It found about 5 per cent of residents, or 420,000 people, left New York City in that time period, The New York Times reported.

Wealthier neighbourhoods like the Upper East Side, the West Village, SoHo and Brooklyn Heights saw a higher decrease of cell phone activity, with it down about 40 per cent since the start of March.

These wealthier neighbourhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn appeared to empty out first starting in March. Those who made $80,000 or less annually were not as likely to leave New York during the pandemic as those who made more.

New York was hit the hardest from the coronavirus pandemic in the US, as it was later determined a majority of the infections came from those travelling from Europe. The state has more than 359,000 confirmed infections and 28,325 people have died from the virus.
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye



High school seniors in Seoul will be allowed to physically attend school every day from Wednesday, although concerns over the spread of COVID-19 still remain, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said Monday.



The education authorities made the decision thinking that a further delay could affect the university entrance or employment plans of the seniors, at a time when the plan to reopen schools has already been delayed several times due to the pandemic.



Cho noted the government will need to further postpone the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) by a month, if the public health crisis persists.



"We have seen a fluid situation involving COVID-19 over the past week," Cho said "The government must consider all options."



The national college entrance exam has been postponed to Dec. 3 this year due to the pandemic  it is usually held in November.



Cho's comments came a day after the Ministry of Education announced that high school seniors nationwide would return to classes on schedule from Wednesday, while those in other grades will return to school gradually over the following weeks.



High school seniors in the capital will physically attend school every day, while, for other grades, schools are advised to choose the most appropriate measure among various options, including letting students attend school once a week, in accordance with the situation facing each school.



Cho added that 1,547 thermal cameras had been installed at 1,366 schools in Seoul for temperature checks of students and teachers. Those with a temperature above 37.5 degree Celsius will not be allowed to attend classes or work at the schools.



"I express my gratitude to teachers and other school personnel for their efforts to brace for the return of students amid the public health crisis," Cho said.



Despite the government's decision to forge ahead with the plan, some civic groups and parents are still calling for postponing the reopening again. A relevant petition posted on the presidential website has received support from more than 200,000 citizens.



Meanwhile, the KCDC reported 15 new COVID-19 infections, Sunday, bringing the country's total to 11,065, amid clear signs of a slowdown in those linked to Itaewon nightclubs.



KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said in a briefing later in the day that two more cases linked to the nightclubs were reported as of 12 p.m. Monday, bringing the total related cases to 170.



"Of the 170, 89 visited the nightclubs, and the remaining 81 were either family members or acquaintances," Jung said.



The new wave of infections began after a 29-year-old Korean man tested positive for the coronavirus, May 6, after visiting five nightclubs and bars in Itaewon from the night of May 1 to the early hours of May 2.


Piers Morgan said Kate Garraway is 'going through a living hell' on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning as her husband Derek Draper fights for his life.

The former Blair adviser, 52, has been in intensive care for seven weeks as he continues to battle coronavirus and remains in a critical and unresponsive condition.

Piers, 55, said: 'We haven't talked about it much because Kate Garraway is going through a living hell like many people.

'She's going through a living hell': Piers Morgan said on GMB on Monday he 'hopes and prays' Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper pulls through as he battles coronavirus

Heartbreaking: Derek, 52, is understood to be in an unresponsive critical condition following seven weeks in intensive care (pictured with Kate in December)

'Her husband has been in a very serious condition for many many weeks.

'We can all just hope and pray he comes through it, but it's been very, very difficult for Kate and her family.

'We miss her here at the show, but obviously we stay in touch with her a lot. We send her and the kids all our love and we just wish Derek all the very best.'

He said: 'We can all just hope and pray he comes through it, but it's been very, very difficult for Kate and her family'

Susanna Reid added (top right): 'We haven't said much, we leave it up to Kate, because she updates fans on Thursdays after the Clap for Carers and then Ben Shephard updates viewers the next day'

His co-host Susanna Reid added: 'We haven't said much, we leave it up to Kate, because she updates fans on Thursdays after the Clap for Carers and then Ben Shephard updates viewers the next day.'

Kate's husband was taken into hospital on March 30 and is understood to be in an unresponsive critical condition as he remains in a critical care unit.

Speaking on talkRADIO on Sunday, Piers described how he has personally been impacted by COVID-19.

Critical: Kate's husband was taken into hospital on March 30th and and is understood to be in an unresponsive critical condition as he remains in a critical care unit (Pictured in December)

He told Kevin O'Sullivan: 'I have a cousin whose father died of coronavirus. Had another friend of mine - a TV producer who I've worked on foreign assignments - whose mum died in a care home last week.

'I've had Kate Garraway, who's the Good Morning Britain co-presenter of mine - her husband Derek Draper is fighting for his life as we speak and has been for many weeks in an ICU unit.

'So I've been personally affected by this, by the sheer volume of friends of mine and family who have been directly impacted in the most horrific manner.

'So yeah, I do feel a personal attachment to this story. But I think most people, if they have a conscience, should.'

On Friday, another of Kate's GMB colleagues gave viewers an update on husband's progress.

Ben Shephard, 45, said: 'A lot of you have been asking how Kate, 53, Darcey, 14, and Billy, 10, are, and Derek. We can update you because Kate did last night on her Instagram.'

Shock: On Friday, Ben Shephard updated GMB fans on Derek's progress as he continues his coronavirus battle

In her post, Kate detailed how she had FaceTimed her comatose husband during the weekly Clap For Carers initiative and gushed that she 'believed he can hear us'.

During the video call, Kate beamed as she watched children light smoke coloured flares, while talking to her husband, who she believes could hear her.

Kate took to Instagram to share a video of her son Billy, 10, showing a lego version of his family with Derek taking centre stage on a stand, for his dad to have at his hospital bedside.

The following morning, Ben then read out her post, saying: 'So our #nhsclap was a little different tonight. We still clapped & cheered as much as ever but I couldn't film on my phone as had Derek on FaceTime throughout!

Clapping for carers: Kate detailed how she had FaceTimed her comatose husband during the latest weekly Clap For Carers initiative and gushed that she 'believed he can hear us'

Grateful: The mother-of-two has ensured she's stepped out with her children to clap for carers every Thursday evening

'Of course we can't KNOW but I believe he can hear us [he's still in a coma] & thought at least the incredible @nhs team's looking after him would hear our gratitude...

'Love to all in these terrible times - the separation from loved ones whatever the reason is so tough.'

After reading the post, Ben then went on: 'She's been doing this and a lot of people can share thoughts with their loved ones.

'The feedback we've had from people in comas has been that they can hear things.'

Kind: Kate took to Instagram to share a video of her son Billy, 10, showing a lego version of his family with Derek taking centre stage on a stand, for his dad to have at his hospital bedside

Earlier on Thursday, Kate shared a thank you to fans for their ongoing support.

The presenter, who has regularly kept followers updated with Derek's progress, told how the messages of support have 'meant the world' to her as her husband fights for his life in hospital.

Writing in her latest blog post, Kate said the kind words were 'comforting' as she tries to remain strong for her husband and children Darcey and William.

She said: 'I wanted to send a huge thank you to all of you who have sent me such wonderful messages wishing Derek well. It has meant the world to me.

'I am sorry I have not been able to reply to them individually, as I am sure you will understand that I am focusing on my family and Derek right now.'

The TV host continued: 'In quieter moments I am reading all of your messages and they are so comforting and wonderful to read.'

Kate is said to be phoning her husband, with whom she raises children Darcey and William, on a daily basis while he remains on a ventilator in intensive care.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) and Microsoft Corp have joined forces to launch ProtectWell, an innovative return-to-workplace protocol that enables employers to bring employees back to work in a safer environment.



ProtectWell helps employees determine they are safe to go to work, co-workers know their colleagues have been screened, and employers feel confident that their workplace is ready to do business. ProtectWell incorporates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the latest clinical research to limit the spread of Covid-19 by screening employees for symptoms and establishing guidelines to support the health and safety of the workforce and workplace.



The ProtectWell app is powered by Microsoft Azure, AI and analytics solutions, and also takes advantage of the Microsoft Healthcare Bot service, which is being used around the world for AI-assisted Covid-19 symptom triaging.



The app includes an AI-powered health care bot that asks users a series of questions to screen for Covid-19 symptoms or exposure. If risk of infection is indicated, employers can direct their employees to a streamlined Covid-19 testing process that enables closed-loop ordering and reporting of test results directly back to employers. Health care information is managed by UnitedHealth Group and employers in accordance with occupational health laws.



In addition, ProtectWell includes guidelines and resources to support a safe work environment, including physical distancing, personal hygiene, sanitation and more. Employers can also choose additional custom content specific to their workforce for a personalized experience.



As we plan for a safe and careful return to the workplace, employers need clear guidelines to ensure a safe environment and a robust process for employees to screen themselves for Covid-19 symptoms, said Ken Ehlert, chief scientific officer, UnitedHealth Group.



We are pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to launch ProtectWell, a simple and effective tool to ensure employers and employees have the information and resources they need to keep themselves, their colleagues and the public safe and healthy.



Microsoft Executive Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Business, Judson Althoff said: As businesses begin to reopen, employers will need to monitor and manage their workforce for Covid-19 symptoms to help ensure those at risk of spreading the virus stay home until cleared by medical providers. Microsoft is pleased to join with UnitedHealth Group to launch ProtectWell, which helps organizations manage the complexity of this undertaking.  TradeArabia News Service
Toyota Motor is resurrecting the Venza crossover as a new hybrid model as it pivots to electrify its vehicle lineup.

The Japanese automaker unveiled the midsize crossover as well as a redesigned Sienna minivan virtually on Monday. Both vehicles will exclusively be available with gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains.

"Both of these products, I think, really represent our next step to what we committed that we will have 100% electrification across our entire lineup by 2025," Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America, told reporters during a call. They're "two exciting products."

Hybrids, unlike all-electric or plugin hybrid vehicles, do not require drivers to plug the vehicles in to charge their batteries.

The Venza will be available beginning this summer, followed by the Sienna toward the end of the year, Carter said.
The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has produced a video on the eight year reign of the former President of the Union, Bice Osei Kuffour, aka Obour.



The video chronicles the elections in Tamale that resulted in Obours presidency from 2011 through to his re-election in Koforidua four years later.



Highlights of the video include the swearing in of the youngest ever MUSIGA President and the first set of executives during his first term and the second swearing in after his re-election.



Other highlights covered by the video included the KPMG study on the music industry in Ghana, the granting of AJUMAPA loans to musicians, the maiden edition of the Ghana Music Fair and the Presidential Grand Ball established by the union in 2013.



Other features of the video include comments by leading personalities in the music industry in Ghana. These include former MUSIGA Presidents, industry players and fellow musicians.



According to acting MUSIGA President, The video is a tribute to the contributions of Obour to the development of the union and the music industry in Ghana.



The video also showcases Obours credentials as an award winning and accomplished musician having swept the field at the Ghana Music Awards in 2005 with his smash hit tune, Konkontiba.



The video will be screened on a number of television stations nationwide and on all social media channels from Saturday, May 16.



Obour released his first album, Atentenben on Soul Record Label in 2002, followed by his second album, titled, Dondo, which featured songs like Nana Obour, Mesoodae and Palm Wine.



Nana Obour won the Best Video at both Ghana Music Awards and Ghana Music Awards UK in 2003.



Obour has led several national campaigns because of his positive and educative lyrics.



He won five awards at the 2005 Ghana Music Awards. His albums include Atentenben, Akademua, Dondo, Atumpan, President Obour and Fontomfrom.



He made a duet album with A.B. Crentsil titled, The Best of the Lifes. Obours 2004 album, Obour.com, produced the hit single Konkontiba.



Watch the full documentary below:













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Transmission electron micrograph of the CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, isolated from a patient. Photo published March 10, 2020. (NIAID)

Nearly 200 People Told of Possible Exposure at Church Service That Violated Stay-at-Home Order

Health officials in California notified nearly 200 people that they might have been exposed to the CCP virus at a recent church service held in violation of the states restrictive stay-at-home mandate.

Over 180 people attended the Mothers Day service at a church in Butte County north of Sacramento, the county health department said.

One of the attendees received results the next day showing they tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

That person is isolated at home. Officials found people who attended the service and notified them of their exposure, according to a press release from Butte County Public Health.

Besides being instructed to self-quarantine, a term that means isolating oneself at their home, people were told how to monitor themselves for symptoms, how to contact health officials, and what to do if they start to show symptoms.

The new virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, last year, causes symptoms similar to the flu. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, and aches and pains.

Health officials said theyre working with healthcare partners to test every person who attended the church service.

At this time, organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations, the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk, Danette York, the countys public health director, said in a statement.

We all need to do our part to follow the orders and mitigation efforts so that our Reopen Butte County plan can continue to move forward. Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at his daily news briefing at the Governors Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on April 9, 2020. (Rich Pedroncelli/Pool/AP Photo)

Pastor Jerel Hagerman conducts a drive-in car church Easter service in the parking lot of Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel amidst the coronavirus pandemic in Yucca Valley, Calif. on April 12, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Epoch Times couldnt contact the church in question because officials havent identified the congregation.

Under Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsoms March 19 stay at home order, gatherings of any size are barred.

Phase two of Butte Countys reopening plan doesnt ease that harsh restriction.

Loosening the limit on gatherings may be considered as we move forward to stage 3 in the future, Butte County health officials said in the release before again castigating the church.

Despite the Governors order, the organization chose to open its doors, which resulted in exposing the entire congregation to COVID-19. This decision comes at a cost of many hours and a financial burden to respond effectively to slow or stop the spread of the disease, the department said.

Butte County has a population of nearly 220,000. Twenty-two CCP virus cases have been confirmed. No deaths linked to COVID-19 have been recorded by county officials.

Newsom has been sued by a number of churches over his order, arguing the ban violates fundamental rights protected by the U.S. and state Constitutions. One pastor part of one of the suits, Rev. James Moffatt, a pastor in Riverside County, was fined $1,000 for holding a service.

Judges have sided with the state. U.S. District Judge John Mendez last week said plaintiffs didnt prove that state and city officials targeted the church apart from violating the law, writing the orders are permissible exercises of emergency police powers especially given the extraordinary public health emergency facing the State.
Failure to obtain information needed to fight COVID-19 cost many lives, US Secretary of Health Alex Azar alleges.

The United States has accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of failing to obtain information that the world needed to fight COVID-19.

World leaders have spoken at the virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly, as many countries called for an independent probe into the pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping says Beijing has always been transparent about the outbreak and will support a probe once the pandemic is under control.

Globally, there have been more than 4.7 million known cases of COVID-19, and nearly 315,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.7 million people have recovered.

Here are all the latest updates:

Monday, May 18

21:30 GMT  El Salvador Supreme Court orders state of emergency suspended

El Salvadors Supreme Court said on Monday it has ordered the immediate suspension of the state of emergency declared due to the coronavirus pandemic by President Nayib Bukele, who has faced criticism of showing authoritarian tendencies and exceeding his powers.

Bukele ordered the state of emergency on Saturday, when previous orders were set to expire, without congressional approval.

The renewal would have kept the emergency declaration in force for the next 30 days, extending strict lockdown measures such as school suspensions and a ban on movement in certain areas with high numbers of infections.

20:55 GMT  Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine, despite FDA warnings

US President Donald Trump revealed he is taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that he has touted despite medical warnings about its use, as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus.

Ive been taking it for the last week and a half. A pill every day, Trump told reporters. He said he has been having zero symptoms from it.

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against taking hydroxychloroquine outside of a hospital or formal study, citing serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems.

20:50 GMT  US cases surpass 1.5 million, over 90,000 deaths

The United States coronavirus cases has surged past 1.5 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, making it the country with most confirmed cases globally.

The total number of deaths from COVID-19 has now reached 90,000.





20:46 GMT  Qatar to close shops, halt all commercial activities

Qatar will close all shops and halt all commercial activities, from May 19 to May 30, to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, state news agency QNA said on Monday, citing a decision by Qatars Cabinet.

The closure excludes pharmacies, food supply stores and food deliveries.

Qatar reported 1,365 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 33,969, the Ministry of Health said.

20:35 GMT  More Guatemalans deported from US test positive for virus

Ten Guatemalans deported from the United States last week have tested positive for COVID-19 upon their return.

A Guatemalan health official who was not authorized to discuss the information publicly and requested anonymity said Sunday they had been aboard a May 13 flight from Alexandria, Louisiana.

Last week, health authorities had said three people from that flight had tested positive for the virus. The remaining 52 deportees aboard that flight will now be tested, the official said.





20:20 GMT  US stocks surge on COVID-19 vaccine progress

Wall Street stocks rocketed higher following positive news on the first clinical tests of a coronavirus vaccine, lifting shares of airlines, hotels and other beaten-down sectors.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average piled on more than 900 points, or 3.9 percent, to 24,597.37.

19:59 GMT  Jordan business owners fear financial ruin amid lockdown

Like other small businesses around the world suffering steep declines with the spread of coronavirus, businesses in Jordan have had their profits take a pounding during the holy month of Ramadan.

Read more here.

Jordanian business owners suffering due to the coronavirus lockdown amid Ramadan season [Ali Younes/Al Jazeera]

19:40 GMT  70 cases of COVID-19 at French schools days after re-opening

Just one week after a third of French schoolchildren went back to school in an easing of the coronavirus lockdown, there has been a worrying flare up of about 70 COVID-19 cases linked to schools, the government said.

Some lower grades in schools were opened last week and a further 150,000 junior high students went back to the classroom Monday as further restrictions were loosened by the government.

The move initially spelled relief: the end of homeschooling for hundreds of thousands of exhausted French parents, many of whom were also working from home.

19:18 GMT  French govt ordered to lift ban on religious meetings

Frances highest administrative court has ruled that the government must lift a blanket ban on meetings at places of worship imposed as part of measures to combat the coronavirus.

After receiving complaints from several individuals and associations, the Council of State said that such a ban on freedom of worship caused a damage that is serious and manifestly illegal.

It told the government to lift the ban within the next eight days.

19:10 GMT  US accuses WHO of failure, costing many lives

The US Health and Human Services Secretary has demanded change at the WHO, accusing it of failing to obtain the information the world needed as the coronavirus outbreak emerged.

Alex Azar said the US supports an independent review of every aspect of WHOs response to the pandemic, keeping up a US onslaught against the UN health agency over its alleged failure to press China to be more transparent about the origins of the outbreak.

We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control: there was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives, he said.

18:57 GMT  Macron, Merkel agree $542bn recovery plan for Europe

France and Germany have proposed a 500bn euros ($542bn) fund to finance the recovery of the European Unions economy from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus crisis.

Putting aside past differences and seeking to prove that the Franco-German core of Europe remains intact, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the unprecedented package after their talks by video conference.

With the European economy facing its biggest challenge since World War II, Macron also acknowledged that the EU had fallen short in its initial response to the virus and needed to coordinate more closely on health.

18:43 GMT  Chechen leader says protesting medics should be fired

The governor of Russias Chechnya said medics who complained about a lack of coronavirus protection were provocateurs who should be fired, after they retracted their statements on a loyalist channel.

Provocateurs should be dismissed, Ramzan Kadyrov said at a government meeting, Russian news outlet TASS reported.

Medics last week complained of a lack of masks in their hospital in the town of Gudermes, with some even gathering to protest.

18:20 GMT  UAE to expand nightly curfew after rise in coronavirus cases

The United Arab Emirates will extend a nightly curfew by two hours starting this week after reporting an increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases, an official said.

The curfew, which currently runs from 10 pm to 6 am would start at 8 pm as of Wednesday until further notice, Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, told a news conference.

17:59 GMT  Syria bans public prayers during Eid

Syria will not hold public prayers during Eid al-Fitr holidays at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, authorities announced, mirroring restrictions in Egypt and Algeria.

Inviting the faithful to pray at home with family, Damascus announced the suspension of collective prayer in mosques for Eid, state news agency SANA reported.

The decision by the legal committee of the ministry of religious endowments was aimed at restricting the spread of the new coronavirus.

17:43 GMT  The curious case of South Asias low coronavirus deaths

Scientists and public health experts are continuing to conduct research into why some South Asian countries  despite their ramshackle health infrastructure and dense populations  have witnessed lower coronavirus mortality rates compared with many Western countries.

Read more here.

New reported cases appeared to spike over the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr this weekend [File: K.M. Chaudhry/AP]

17:19 GMT  Brazil: Bolsonaro snubs health advice, snaps photos with children

Wearing a face mask, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro posed for photographs with children plucked out of a crowd of supporters on Sunday, disregarding public health advice aimed at containing one of the worlds worst coronavirus outbreaks.

Bolsonaros latest flouting of social-distancing guidelines came after a month in which he lost two health ministers, both of whom resisted his fight against quarantines. Brazils confirmed cases of the virus passed those of Spain and Italy on Saturday, making it the site of the worlds fourth-largest outbreak.

Read more here.

16:55 GMT  Uber cuts 3,000 jobs as virus slashes payroll by 25 percent

Ride hailing company Uber has cut 3,000 jobs from its workforce, its second major wave of layoffs in two weeks as the coronavirus slashed demand for rides.

Uber will be re-focusing on its core business, moving people and delivering food and groceries, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, in a note to employees.

The San Francisco company has cut a quarter of its workforce since the year began, eliminating 3,700 people from the payroll earlier this month [File: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters]

16:30 GMT  US drugmaker reports promising early results from COVID-19 vaccine test

US biotech firm Moderna reported promising early results from the first clinical tests of an experimental vaccine against the novel coronavirus performed on a small number of volunteers.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said the vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, appeared to produce an immune response in eight people who received it similar to that seen in people convalescing from the virus.

These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection, said Modernas chief medical officer Tal Zaks.

16:05 GMT  Iran calls for solidarity against pandemic, condemns US sanctions

Iran has called for global solidarity against the pandemic, but said that unilateral sanctions are inhumane and causing unnecessary suffering and pain for its population.

The US must be held to account for its intensifying unilateral sanctions against Iran and other affected nations, Saeed Namaki, Irans health minster, said in an address to the WHOs annual assembly being held online.

Alex Azar, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, addressed the two-day forum but did not respond to Irans allegations.

15:40 GMT  Nigeria to impose precision lockdown in coronavirus hotspots

Nigeria will impose precision lockdown measures in areas that report rapid increases in cases of the new coronavirus, the chairman of the presidential task force said.

The government also extended a full lockdown in the northern economic hub of Kano state, which has the second highest number of confirmed cases in the country, behind the commercial capital of Lagos, and where authorities are investigating a spate of mysterious deaths.

Nigeria has had more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 192 deaths [Adeyinka Yusuf/Anadolu]

15:17 GMT  How long will it take the US economy to recover from coronavirus?

Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing the United States into a sharp and painful recession. But how long will it take for the economy to recover its pre-pandemic strength?

And what does it mean for the more than 36 million Americans who have lost their jobs since mid-March?

Read more here.

15:04 GMT  Morocco extends coronavirus lockdown to June 10

Morocco is to extend its national lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus until June 10, Prime Minister Saad Dine El Otmani said.

Morocco had confirmed 6,930 coronavirus cases, including 192 deaths, by Monday morning, as the rise of hotspots within families and factories complicates efforts to curb infections

14:40 GMT  Qatar Airways cabin crew to wear protective suits; face masks must for passengers

Qatar Airways cabin crew will begin wearing protective suits and passengers will have to wear face masks on board, the Middle East airline said, as it begins rebuilding its network after the coronavirus pandemic grounded flights.

Cabin crew have already been wearing face masks and gloves while on board but will now also wear suits over their uniforms, while face masks would be mandatory for passengers from May 25, the airline said in a statement.

Cabin crew and passenger interactions will be reduced, it added.

On short and medium haul flights, one set of Qatar Airways cabin crew will operate the outbound flight and a second group the inbound [File: Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

14:21 GMT  Slovenia to tighten border controls for some visitors amid lockdown easing

Slovenia plans to tighten border controls for some European Union citizens to prevent a possible import of the new coronavirus, the government said, partially rowing back from a decision last week to let all EU nationals in.

The move reflects public disquiet that visitors from countries badly affected by the virus, such as neighbouring Italy, could inadvertently bring it with them.

On May 14 Slovenia became the first European country to declare an official end to its coronavirus epidemic [Ales Beno/Anadolu]

13:59 GMT  WHOs assembly delays decision on Taiwan observer status

World Health Organization member states agreed during their main annual assembly to delay a controversial discussion on granting Taiwan observer status, despite the United States and others stepping up pressure in recent days.

At the start of the first-ever virtual World Health Assembly, countries unanimously agreed to postpone a decision on granting observer access to Taiwan  a move vehemently opposed by Beijing  until later in the year to avoid diverting attention from the COVID-19 pandemic.

13:40 GMT  Spain says opening borders to tourists still weeks away

Spains Transport Minister said the country will not re-open its borders to tourists for at least another five weeks.

We cannot allow foreigners to enter while we are still preventing the Spanish population from leaving their homes, he said.

The ministers comments come after Italy, alongside Spain one of the European countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, announced it would open its borders to tourists from June 3.

13:20 GMT  US firm announces positive interim phase 1 results for virus vaccine

United States biotech firm Moderna reported positive interim results on Monday in the first clinical tests of its vaccine against the new coronavirus performed on a small number of volunteers.

The vaccine, mRNA-1273, appeared to produce an immune response in eight people who received it, of the same magnitude as that observed in people convalescing from the virus, the company said.

Full results of the phase 1 test, the first in the development of a vaccine and which in this case involved 45 participants, were not yet known.





Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui in Doha taking over from my colleague Mersiha Gadzo

12:50 GMT  UK wants to work with teachers to restart schools from June 1

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government wants to work with teachers and trade unions to help some students return to schools from June 1, the British leaders spokesman has said.

Some teachers have criticised the government for moving too quickly to return some students to schools, part of concerns in the UK that the country is not ready even for the tentative easing of rules.

We continue to want to work with teachers, head teachers and the unions in order to find a way to have a controlled and careful return of some year groups from June 1 at the earliest, the spokesman told reporters.

12:44 GMT  Africa backs WHO, needs help with debt relief, supplies: Ramaphosa

South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that Africa affirms its full support for the World Health Organization (WHO) which he said had been key in guiding the international response to the pandemic.

Ramaphosa, speaking to the WHOs annual assembly being held online, said that assistance to Africa needs to include debt relief and help with diagnostics, drugs and medical supplies.

12:41 GMT  Barbados PM calls for debt relief for Caribbean in pandemic

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has said that the Caribbean bloc Caricom states need a restructuring of debt or a debt moratorium to provide certainty to both borrower and lender during the pandemic.

Mottley, addressing the World Health Organizations annual assembly, warned that without debt relief there could be a disorderly unravelling that will create a crisis both within countries and the global financial system.

12:31 GMT  Pakistans Supreme Court orders government to lift ban

Pakistans Supreme Court has ordered the government to lift a ban on business activities on Saturday and Sunday, imposed in order to limit market activity on certain days to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The bench, headed by the countrys chief justice ruled that there is no justifiable rational or reasonable classification on the basis of which these two days are excluded from doing business.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also ordered the government of the southern province of Sindh to reopen all shopping malls for business.

In its order, the court appeared to take the position, popular among many worldwide critics of lockdowns, that the coronavirus was only one of many diseases and that the government was over-reacting to the threat.

12:11 GMT  WHO pledges independent pandemic response probe at earliest appropriate moment

World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has pledged to launch an independent probe to review the coronavirus pandemic response as soon as possible.

I will initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned and to make recommendations to improve national and global pandemic preparedness and response, he said at the start of the WHOs annual World Health Assembly.

11:54 GMT  Putin says situation in southern Russias Dagestan is difficult

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the coronavirus situation in Russias southern region of Dagestan was particularly difficult and that the mainly Muslim regions healthcare system was under serious strain.

The Caspian Sea region of Dagestan has reported 3,460 cases of the new coronavirus and 29 deaths, although Russian media reports have suggested the real figures are much higher.





11:27 GMT  Merkel: Pandemic will be overcome quicker if world works together

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the pandemic would be overcome more quickly if the world works together to tackle it, adding that it was necessary to look at whether the World Health Organizations (WHO) functioning could be improved.

In a video message at the WHO meeting, Merkel stressed that no country could tackle the coronavirus alone, adding: I am convinced we will overcome the pandemic. The more we work together internationally, the quicker we will achieve this.

11:24 GMT  South Korea calls for giving WHO teeth in face of new diseases

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called for giving the World Health Organization (WHO) more teeth to combat emerging diseases that threaten global health.

Moon, in remarks to the WHOs annual ministerial assembly being held online, said: We must update the WHO International Health Regulations and other relevant norms and augment them with binding legal force.

Under the 2005 rules, WHOs 194 member states are supposed to inform the Geneva-based agency quickly of any outbreaks. But WHO currently has limited leverage and lacks the power to enter countries to investigate without their permission.

Infection-related data should be shared among countries in a more transparent manner and an early warning system and a cooperation mechanism must be jointly established, Moon said.

11:05 GMT  Chinas Xi says supports WHO-led probe when pandemic is under control

China supports a comprehensive review of the global response to the pandemic led by the World Health Organization (WHO) after the virus is brought under control, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said.

In a video speech to the WHO, Xi said China has been open and transparent about the COVID-19 outbreak that first emerged in the country in late 2019 and will support an investigation conducted in an objective and impartial manner.

Xi also pledged $2bn over two years to help with the COVID-19 response and said any vaccines developed against the disease by China will be made a public good.

10:47 GMT  Guterres: World pays heavy price for very little unity

The planet is paying a heavy price due to countries ignoring the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in fighting the pandemic, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said.

Different countries have followed different, sometimes contradictory strategies and we are all paying a heavy price, the secretary-general told a virtual meeting of the WHOs World Health Assembly from New York.

We have seen some solidarity, but very little unity, in our response to COVID-19.

Since many countries had ignored the WHOs recommendations, the virus has spread across the world and is now moving into the global South, where its impact may be even more devastating.

10:39 GMT  Shops, cafes reopen as Italy lifts restrictions

Italy has taken its biggest step towards a cautious return to post-coronavirus normality, allowing a number of businesses and churches to reopen after more than two months of strict lockdown restrictions.

Read more here.





10:33 GMT  #IndonesiaWhatever: Indonesians vent online over response

A flood of criticism of the Indonesian governments response to the pandemic and the behaviour of many Indonesians has appeared on social media under a hashtag that translates as #IndonesiaWhatever.

The posts followed online comments by a doctor and social media influencer, Tirta Mandira Hudhi, who was outraged by the easing of a flight ban that led to passengers inundating a Jakarta airport late last week and ignoring guidelines on social distancing.

On his Instagram account, the doctor posted a picture of himself in full personal protective equipment, holding a sign with the words Indonesia? Whatever. Do what you like!

By Monday, the post had drawn more than 400,000 likes and the hashtag #IndonesiaTerserah was among the top trending on Instagram and Twitter.

10:30 GMT  Spain aims to reopen borders to tourism in late June

Tourism-dependent Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its lockdown fully unwinds, a minister has said.

Madrid last week surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travellers and effectively keeping borders closed, saying that was needed to avoid importing a second wave of the coronavirus.

But the move was meant to be temporary and Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restrictions in different phases.

Workers prepare the beach to comply with social distancing requirements in Mogan, Gran Canarias, Spain [Angel Medina/EPA-EFE]

10:28 GMT  Russian PM says growth of new cases has stopped

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has said that growth of new coronavirus cases has stopped in Russia, which has recorded the worlds largest number of infections after the US.

The situation with the spread of the coronavirus infection remains difficult but we can still acknowledge that we managed to put a stop to the growth of infections, Mishustin told a government meeting.

10:22 GMT  Australia welcomes growing support for inquiry at WHO meeting

A resolution pushed by the EU and Australia calling for a review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus has the support of 116 countries at the World Health Assembly, almost enough for it to pass, a document showed.

The resolution on the coronavirus will be put forward on Tuesday if it gains backing from two-thirds of the 194 members of the assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization.

China has strongly opposed calls for an international investigation into the pandemic but appeared more amenable to the resolution on Monday.

10:18 GMT  130 people test positive at refugee home in Germany

130 people have tested positive for the coronavirus at accommodation for asylum seekers in

western Germany, officials have said.

The remaining 170 residents at the shelter in the town of St Augustin, around 30km (19 miles) southeast of Cologne, have been confirmed negative in tests, a spokeswoman for the district government of Cologne said.

The residents are now being housed separately, depending on their test results, with outdoor areas also segregated. Asylum seekers have been instructed to eat only in their rooms.

Employees of the Public Order Office leave the refugee accommodation in Sankt Augustin, Germany [Oliver Berg/DPA via AP]

10:10 GMT  UK adds loss of smell and taste to COVID-19 symptom list

The UK has added the loss of smell and taste to its official list of COVID-19 symptoms, a step that it hopes could help pick up about two percent more cases of the coronavirus.

The change, announced by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Englands deputy chief medical officer, came after scientists advising the government decided it could help pick up more cases if included in the basic case definition.

Our basic case definition, which has for some time been new continuous cough or fever, will change to new continuous cough or fever or anosmia, Van-Tam, who previously worked at SmithKline Beecham, Roche and Aventis Pasteur, told reporters.

08:50 GMT  Yemens Saudi-backed government pleads for coronavirus aid

Yemens Saudi-backed government has accused its Houthi foes of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas they hold.

The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemens war-ravaged health sector.

Reports on the ground indicate a large number of coronavirus cases in areas under the Houthis control and hiding this information is completely unacceptable, Minister of Local Administration Abdul Raqib Fath told a news conference.

The government has reported 128 infections and 20 deaths linked to the coronavirus across nine of Yemens 21 provinces. The Houthis, who hold most large population centres, have only announced four cases, with one death, all in the capital Sanaa.





08:36 GMT  Thailands economy contracts for first time since 2014

Thailands economy has shrunk for the first time in six years due to the pandemic, which has shuttered borders and devastated the tourism-reliant country.

Data released by its economic planning agency shows a nearly 40-percent drop in tourist arrivals in the first three months of 2020, compared with the same period last year.

The drop has led the economy to shrink 1.8 percent year-on-year in January-March.

Thailand has not seen a contraction since 2014 when it was brought to a standstill by political riots that clogged the streets of Bangkok and led to a coup two months later in May.

08:23 GMT  EU authorisation for remdesivir might be granted in coming days  EMA

The head of the EUs medicines agency Guido Rasi has said an initial authorisation for US pharmaceutical company Gileads remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment could be granted in coming days.

It might be that a conditional market authorisation can be issued in the coming days, Rasi told a hearing in the EU Parliament in Brussels.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has already recommended the compassionate use of remdesivir, which allows a drug to be administered to patients even before it has been fully authorised.

08:12 GMT  Saint Peters Basilica in the Vatican reopens

Saint Peters Basilica in the Vatican has reopened to visitors after being closed for over two months under Italys lockdown orders.

A handful of visitors queued up, observing social distancing rules, and were watched by police officers wearing face masks before having their temperatures taken to enter the church, which has been closed since March 10.

People line up according to physical distancing measures to access St Peters Basilica in The Vatican [Vincenzo Pinto/AFP]

08:00 GMT  China says premature to immediately begin an investigation

Chinas foreign ministry has said it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus.

Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over.

The ministry said in a separate statement that President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later on Monday.





07:27 GMT  Spains cabinet to approve 3-3.5 billion euro basic-income scheme next week

The Spanish cabinet is due to approve next week a programme to grant a basic income to the poorest segments of the population to help them weather the economic fallout of coronavirus, Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva has said.

The minister said in an interview with RNE radio station that the cabinet would approve the programme, probably during the weekly cabinet meeting scheduled on May 26.

He said as many as 1 million families would receive the new benefit, which would cost the government between 3 billion euros and 3.5 billion euros per year.

07:21 GMT  Acropolis in Athens reopens after shutdown

Greece has reopened the Acropolis in Athens and all other archaeological sites in the country after a two-month closure.

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou led the ceremony as one of the first to visit the ancient Greek complex that sits on a hill above the capital. Only journalists and employees wearing masks were present.

Visitors walk past the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece on March 13, 2020 [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

07:00 GMT  English Premier League could show more matches on free-to-air, minister says

The English Premier League could show more matches on free-to-air TV platforms once it resumes, including during the normally protected 3pm slot on a Saturday, minister Oliver Dowden has said.

Dowden, head of the department for digital, culture, media and sport, said making the games available on free platforms could help to prevent fans from turning up outside the stadium for games that are being played behind closed doors.

It is likely to (resume) mid-June at the earliest, he told BBC TV.

06:57 GMT  Hungary government to propose giving up emergency powers on May 26

Hungarys government will submit a proposal to Parliament on May 26 to end its special coronavirus emergency powers, hirtv.hu has quoted Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff as saying.

Gergely Gulyas put a date on a similar statement by Orban on Friday. Gulyas said Parliament would take a few days to pass the bill, which will end the much-criticised emergency powers by early June.

No end date was set when Parliament gave the government permission to rule by decree in matters related to the coronavirus, leading to international criticism and accusations of an autocratic power-grab.





06:47 GMT  Idiotic UK mismanaging crisis: Ryanair CEO

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael OLeary has said the British government had mismanaged its response to the coronavirus outbreak for many weeks and its policy on a 14-day quarantine for international travellers was idiotic.

It is idiotic, and it is unimplementable, OLeary told BBC radio. This the same government that has mismanaged the crisis for many weeks.

06:41 GMT  UK still in talks with France over quarantine exemption: Minister

The UK is still in talks with France over whether French travellers should be exempt from a 14-day quarantine when they arrive in the UK, culture minister Oliver Dowden has said.

Discussions are ongoing with the French on that, he told Sky News.

The two countries said earlier this month that the UK would not impose quarantine to travellers coming from France at this stage, but the UK has still not set out the full details.





06:30 GMT  India records largest single-day coronavirus surge

India has recorded its biggest single-day surge with 5,242 new cases of coronavirus and 157 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the countrys infection tally to more than 96,000, the highest in Asia.

The country now has 3,029 reported fatalities due to COVID-19.

The surge in infections comes a day after the federal government extended a nationwide lockdown to May 31 but eased some restrictions to restore economic activity and gave states more control in deciding the nature of the lockdown.

Authorities are attributing the surge in infections to the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to Indias villages, which have weaker health infrastructure.





___________________________________________________________________

Hello, this is Mersiha Gadzo in Doha taking over the live updates from my colleague Kate Mayberry.

_____________________________________________________________________

05:30 GMT 

Im now handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha.

A quick recap of key developments this morning  Brazils right-wing president Bolsonaro continues to defy rules on social distancing and quarantine even as the number of cases in his country surges; coronavirus has tipped Japan into its first recession in four-and-a-half years; pressure is building for an international probe into the pandemic as the World Health Assembly (WHA) prepares to meet in a few hours time; and Australias leading economists are backing social distancing.

05:00 GMT  Japan slips into first recession in four -and-a-half years

The coronavirus pandemic has tipped Japans economy into its first recession in four-and-a-half years.

Mondays first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data underlined the broadening effect of the outbreak, with exports plunging the most since the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Global lockdowns and supply chain disruptions have also hit shipments of Japanese goods.

Al Jazeeras Impact team has more here.

People observe physical distancing rules as they wait to enter a fruit and vegetable shop in Yokohama, Japan [Koji Sasahara/AP Photo]

04:40 GMT  Fiji judge quashes social gathering convictions

Fiji High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo has quashed 49 of 51 cases relating to breaches of curfew and physical distancing restrictions, saying the penalties imposed by the lower court were cruel, degrading and, or, disproportionately severe, according to a report in the Fiji Sun.

Justice Temo noted that many of those convicted had been fined, but lacked the means to pay the fine and their livelihoods had been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Most were unemployed or subsistence farmers, the judge said. If they were working, they were not earning that much in a week. Most of them pleaded guilty on the first call, and most were first offenders.

04:25 GMT  Coronavirus probe calls intensify ahead of WHA meeting

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is due to start a key meeting in a few hours time, and calls for an independent probe into the coronavirus pandemic are growing.

Australia says more than 100 countries, including 50 African nations and all European Union member states, are backing a resolution calling for an investigation.

There is also pressure on the assembly over Taiwan, which is pushing to be heard in the face of Chinese opposition. Read more here.

The World Health Assembly is due to hold a virtual meeting on Monday [File: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP]

04:05 GMT  El Salvador emergency declaration challenged

El Salvadors attorney general has challenged a presidential decree declaring a state of emergency as unconstitutional.

President Nayib Bukele, 38, announced the extension on Saturday without securing the backing of legislators.

Bukele, who was elected last year, maintains he is within his rights.

All presidents in the democratic history of our country have had the power to declare a state of emergency and have exercised it, without legislative approval, he said.

In a televised speech to the nation on Sunday, he urged all arms of the government to come together to tackle the coronavirus.

03:25 GMT  Honduras extends blanket curfew

Honduras has extended a blanket curfew for a week.

The curfew was first imposed in mid-March to avoid the coronavirus overwhelming the countrys health system, and will now remain in force until May 24.

02:45 GMT  Parliament of Malaysia opens single-day session with support for front-liners

Malaysias parliament started a one-day session on Monday by giving a standing ovation to the countrys front-line workers.

Led by the king, members of Parliament, Senators and guests joined in the applause.

Parliament will sit for a single day, with the kings speech the only item on the agenda. It is the first time the House has sat since a power grab in late February that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government. After a week of turmoil, the king appointed Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, saying he believed he had the support of a majority of members of Parliament.

King, MPs, Senators and guests present in Parliament give a standing ovation to frontliners fighting #COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/SNOUcFszwP  BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) May 18, 2020

02:00 GMT  South Korea reports 15 new cases as club cluster eases

South Korea has reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus with signs the cluster centred around a Seoul clubbing district is slowing.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said five of the cases were locally-acquired, with the remainder imported, according to Yonhap news agency.

One new death was reported, bringing the total to 263.

01:40 GMT  China reports seven new coronavirus cases

Chinas National Health Commission has reported seven new cases of coronavirus, two in the northeastern province of Jilin where a partial lockdown is in place.

Shanghai also had one case, while the rest were confirmed among travellers returning from overseas in Inner Mongolia.

01:30 GMT  Leading economists in Australia back social distancing

A new survey shows Australian economists overwhelmingly support social distancing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The first Economic Society of Australia-Conversation poll asked 43 of the countrys leading economists whether they agreed, disagreed, strongly agreed or strongly disagreed with the proposition: The benefits to Australian society of maintaining social distancing measures sufficient to keep R less than one for COVID-19 are likely to exceed the costs.

Almost three quarters backed the proposition, 23 of them strongly. Only nine disagreed.

R is the reproduction number for the virus and measures the average number of other people someone who already has coronavirus will infect. When R is below one, the outbreak will begin to peter out.

01:00 GMT  UN chief calls on Bangladesh to move Rohingya back to camps

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling on Bangladesh to move Rohingya refugees  held on a flood-prone island after being rescued from ships stranded at sea  to the main refugee camps.

Bangladesh says the 308 Rohingya were sent to Bhashan Char island because of coronavirus concerns.

While those rescued at sea may be quarantined for public health purposes, they must also be extended the protection they deserve as refugees, Guterres said in a letter to Bangladeshs foreign minister, AK Abdul Momen, that was obtained by AFP.

I trust that they too will benefit from the humanitarian services offered to the Rohingya in Bangladesh and that, at the end of their quarantine period, they will be allowed to return to their families in Coxs Bazar.

Four cases of coronavirus have so far been detected in the camps. Read more on the story here.

Emergency teams worked to contain the spread of the virus in the worlds largest refugee settlement [File: Shafiqur Rahman/AP]

00:00 GMT  Bolsonaro defies coronavirus advice with selfies

Brazils President Bolsonaro continues to defy advice on social distancing even as the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil worsens.

On Sunday, he posed for selfies with at least three children picked out from a crowd of supporters who had congregated outside the presidential palace, Reuters News Agency reported.

In an online video, Bolsonaro said he welcomed the demonstration.

Above all [the people] want freedom, they want democracy, they want respect, he said.

Health ministry figures from Sunday night showed 7,938 new cases in Brazil, bringing the total to more than 241,000. A further 485 people died, bringing the death toll to 16,118.

23:30 GMT (May 17)  Hong Kong nationals arrive home after evacuation flight from India

A group of 249 Hong Kong residents stranded in India have arrived back home on a chartered flight.

The plane left New Delhi at about 11pm on May 17 local time (17:30 GMT), according to a Hong Kong government statement. The passengers included seven children under two years of age. They will all be required to undergo COVID-19 testing and spend 14 days in compulsory quarantine.

-

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

Read all the updates from yesterday (May 17) here.
New Delhi: Markets opened lower on Monday as investors weighed the fiscal impact of the government's economic stimulus.

In early trade, the BSE Sensex fell 188.17 points or 0.61 percent to 30,909.56 while the NSE Nifty declined 62.90 points or 0.69 percent to 9,073.95.

Major losers in the Sensex pack were ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, SBI, Maruti, Titan, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, HDFC Bank, Powergrid, ONGC, and HDFC, falling upto 3.81 percent. On the other hand, the major gainers were Infosys, RIL, ITC, Tech Mahindra, TCS and HCL Tech, rising upto 1.46 percent.

MSCI`s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.1% in early trade. Japan`s Nikkei rose 0.2% and South Korean stocks 0.1%, a Reuters report said.

In the previous session on Friday, the 30-share index pared most losses to settle 25.16 points or 0.08 per cent lower at 31,097.73.

Similarly, NSE Nifty slipped 5.90 points, or 0.06 per cent, to close at 9,136.85.
ORILLIA, ONT.After weeks of stay-at-home isolation, Ethan Sager and Robyn Berns were thrilled to spend at least part of the Victoria Day weekend at a cottage in Huntsville, before heading back home to Richmond Hill.

Stayed on the dock, enjoyed the weather, got burnt, Sager, 23, said Sunday about his sunny Saturday. The couple was waiting for their burgers at Webers,a Highway 11 landmark usually known for long lineups that didnt materialize this weekend.

With a state of emergency keeping Ontario beaches, campgrounds and attractions closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, things appeared relatively quiet in cottage country this weekend, considered the unofficial start to summer when people normally open cottages, launch their boats and socialize.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said Sunday traffic volume on northbound Highway 400 has been much less than what would be a typical Victoria Day long weekend. I still did see some boats on trailers and ATVs going north, families going north, but certainly not like a regular Victoria Day.

For weeks, there has been a big buildup to this long weekend. Premier Doug Ford, local politicians and public officials have weighed in on whether it was advisable and safe to make the annual pilgrimage to Ontarios many summer playgrounds. Numerous news reports have also captured the concern of some full-time residents that GTA cottager-owners and day-trippers might import coronavirus into areas so far largely spared of deadly outbreaks.

As of Friday, the total number of cases for the Muskoka area was 19, with 16 recovered. Theres been one recorded death since the pandemic began.

Last week, six cottage country mayors, along with the chair of the District Municipality of Muskoka, released an open letter urging an end to divisive attitudes or the propagation of negative us versus them social commentary relative to seasonal versus permanent residents, they wrote.

For that type of behaviour is counterintuitive to our Canadian values and falls far short of reflecting the sentiment of the vast majority of Muskoka residents. We are all in this together.

The mayors letter also reiterated guidelines and directives to potential travellers. Should you elect to either leave or come to Muskoka, bring provisions and self quarantine, do not congregate in groups, and consider face coverings.

Sager and Berns followed most of that advice during their whirlwind trip from Richmond Hill to Huntsville, bringing food and everything we needed from the city. We didnt go to the grocery store in Muskoka, said Sager. They also cut the visit short.

En route home, they stopped at Webers  where full social distancing protocol was in effect  because it gives us some form of normalcy ... going out, and not just staying at home cooking, Sager said. It also helps out a local business, to make sure its still lasting after the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a Mississauga man who owns a cottage near Parry Sound, reported Sunday that there was little boat traffic on his lake, while at night there are a few lights on the lake, someone had fireworks but that was it. He asked to remain anonymous so as not to exacerbate already existing tensions.

The town is quiet, the Canadian Tire was fairly busy, but I would not say the normal flow of people for this time of year. The marina was open but also quiet. I would say most people are staying at their cottages or homes, and no socializing.

The crowds have also stayed away from Wasaga Beach, located on the shores of Georgian Bay, about a 90-minute drive north of Toronto. On Sunday, the worlds longest freshwater beach was mostly deserted, the bars and restaurants beside Beach Area 2 closed.

The OPPs Schmidt said he has reason to believe most Ontarians continue to comply with the provincial edict that gatherings be limited to fewer than five people.

I havent heard of major parties that weve had to interrupt or get called to, Im sure we had a few, but for the most part I think were doing pretty well.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  May 18, 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: EOG Resources EOG, Occidental Petroleum OXY, ExxonMobil XOM, Chevron CVX and BP plc BP.

Here are highlights from Fridays Analyst Blog:

4 Reasons Why Oil Prices Jumped Higher Last Week

Oil prices rose 9% on Thursday, with WTI crude futures hitting a nearly six-week high. The U.S. benchmark gained $2.27 to end at $27.56 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices marked their highest finish since Apr 3.

Here are the factors that led to the surge in oil price:

IEAs Encouraging Commentary: The International Energy Agencys (IEA) latest Oil Market Report revised up its growth estimates for 2020 global oil demand. The Paris-based organization now projects crude consumption to fall 8.6 million barrels per day to 91.2 million barrels per day in 2020. This represents 790,000 barrels per day lower demand loss compared with last months report. The agency credited easing lockdown measures for the improving demand outlook.

Deliberate Supply Tightening by OPEC+: Member countries of the OPEC+ group, looking to shore up prices, have started to withhold output by almost 10 million barrels per day  the largest in history  from May 1. The collective cuts are in response to the unprecedented slump in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak, which led to crudes downward spiral. Per the agreement, Saudi Arabia (the OPEC cartels biggest producer and exporter) is committed to reducing oil production by 4 million barrels a day from an April baseline. Riyadh recently pledged an additional 1 million barrels per day in cuts from next month.

Supportive U.S. Government Data: The U.S. Energy Department's latest inventory release revealed the first decline in domestic crude supplies in 16 weeks. Per the report for the week ending May 8, crude inventories fell by 745,000 barrels, versus expectations for a 4.8 million barrels increase. Oil supplies at the Cushing, OK delivery hub fell, too.

Story continues

Further, gasoline stocks tallied a larger-than-expected decrease, while distillate inventories rose but the quantum of increase was less than what the market had been looking for. Meanwhile, the countrys crude output has fallen to 11.6 barrels per day, down from 11.9 barrels per day in the previous week. Top U.S. shale producers including EOG Resources, Occidental Petroleum to oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron have all slashed production.

Upbeat Tone by BP, Goldman Sachs: European supermajor BP plc portrayed a bullish picture on the demand environment. The London-based company, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), said that it has seen oil consumption surge back this week as vehicles return to roads with the relaxing of shutdowns and production cuts ramp up.

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Further, U.S. banking giant Goldman Sachs commodities unit recently suggested that crudes worst losses are in the rear view mirror with signs of gradual rebalancing. In fact, the leading investment management firm raised its global oil usage prediction for May by 1.4 million barrels per day and expects the market to flip into deficit in June.

Where are prices headed?

The bullish data points notwithstanding, investors still remain worried of the supply glut. In total, U.S. commercial stockpiles have risen by more than 75 million barrels since the week ending Mar 20. Further, domestic fuel demand remains abysmally weak, refinery utilization in the United States is close to its lowest level ever, while Cushing oil storage tanks are more than 80% full.

As proof of the demand destruction, EIA estimates U.S. oil consumption in 2020 to plunge by 2.2 million barrels per day to 18.29 million barrels per day. This implies that oil prices are unlikely to trade much higher from current levels.

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Alphabet's life sciences company, Verily, is launching a research project with an initial focus on understanding how the human immune system responds to the coronavirus.

The company is adapting its existing study, Project Baseline, which aims to use the latest technology for longitudinal health care research, to support the pandemic. Its first initiative, Baseline Antibody Research, offers serology testing to those who have already received a nasal swab test from Verily's testing program.

Verily, which spun out of Google Life Sciences, has already rolled out testing sites across various sites in California for those who suspect they might have the virus.

A serology test is designed to detect antibodies, which circulate in our blood to help fight off infections. Researchers see some potential in using antibody testing to understand how prevalent Covid-19 is in a community, and studies are already underway.

But there are wide variations in accuracy across the various test markers. These tests are producing a lot of false positive and false negative results. For that reason, many public health experts are wary about overly relying on antibody testing for so-called "immunity passports," as we don't yet know whether a positive result means there's conferred immunity.

Verily's chief medical officer Dr. Jessica Mega said the company is trying to learn more about antibody testing, given that there are still many unknowns about what a positive or negative result means for people. Mega spoke at CNBC's Healthy Returns conference about the importance of testing as a tool for public health as the country starts to re-open.

Participants in the Verily study will be asked to provide blood and nasal samples three times over the course of ten weeks. The study is open to those who have been diagnosed with the virus, as well as those who tested negative. The company has stressed that although Baseline study participants need a Google account, it won't share people's health information with Google for advertising purposes.

Participants might also be asked about their lifestyle and mental health via surveys. "Such information from healthy individuals can help quantify the public health impact of the disease, and provide a basis for better understanding the changes caused by COVID-19," the company wrote in a blog post published on Monday.

The initial study is limited to California for now, but Mega said there's the potential to expand nationally.

In addition to its antibody testing work, Mega also told CNBC that Verily is providing its technology to a clinical trial already underway to understand whether hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, can reduce the risk for medical workers. Verily said the focus is to study whether hydroxychloroquine can, and should, be administered prophylactically, meaning on a preventative basis.

Hydroxychloroquine has been touted as a Covid-19 treatment by President Trump and others, but some early studies are showing poor results and an increased risk of side effects, and there's a lack of randomized double-blind trials (the gold standard). More studies are still needed to gauge the overall safety and efficacy of the drug, including whether it makes sense to administer it to medical personnel.

"The nation needs answers on this front," said Dr. Mega.

Dr. Mega said that her company is working closely with researchers at Duke University as part of the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) research program. Duke has stressed that the results will be shared with the wider scientific community on an ongoing basis.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks to the Jewish leader Nicodemus, who was curious but also confused about the notion of being born again. In the course of explaining the difference between birth through ordinary means and birth through the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells Nicodemus, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

These words capture something of my own experience of new birth. At the time I came to faith, I was a PhD student in aerospace engineering at Princetonthe sort of person, in other words, who ought to have known about things like the source and consequences of airflow. Even so, I was utterly perplexed by what had happened. Like Nicodemus, the source and consequences of being born again were beyond my comprehension.

Looking back at the events in my lifemore than 20 years after my conversionI can see with greater clarity how God was working behind the scenes. My struggle against him, fueled by ignorance and pride, was utterly futile.

Advanced Beyond My Age

I grew up in southern India in a small city. My brothers and I were first-generation high school graduates, so the fact that I ended up working toward a NASA-funded PhD in advanced space propulsion at Princeton is nothing less than a miracle. And, like many miracles recorded in Scripture, it had a deeper purpose: to draw me to Christ.

My hometown is prominent in Hinduism because of its historic temples and a renowned monastery. Hinduism is in the soil, water, and air. I grew up in a devout Hindu family that was inseparable from the highest echelons of religious leadership. My commitment to Hinduism grew deeper when I left home at age 11 to study at a boarding school run by a prominent religious leader, where I excelled beyond the expectations of my family and my teachers. Pauls testimony, in Galatians 1, of advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people (v. 14), applied just as well to my progress in Hinduism. Many years later, I would become a leader in the Hindu Students Association at Princeton.

Before arriving there, I had been exposed to Christianity through friends, the prominence of Catholic colleges in India, and Christian movies released in the US. I was also intellectually curious about various world religions. I remember seeing the icons and statues in Orthodox and Catholic churches and thinking them to be similar to the gods I worshipped. I did not consider Christianity to be fundamentally different from Hinduism, but merely an appropriate religion for a different society.

On the other hand, I harbored a deep disdain for Christian cultural and moral values, as they were represented by Western culture. Like most Hindus today, I thought they were a form of debauchery. Compared to the teachings of Hinduism, they seemed intolerably lax. In my mind, then, Jesus could qualify as one among many in the pantheon of gods, but nothing more. My commitment to Hinduism also included a strong nationalist element (and the worldview behind it), and this resulted in a deep mistrust and antipathy toward religious conversionespecially conversion to Christianity.

Despite this, God was crucially at work, preparing me to receive Christ through my friendship with a fellow PhD student. As I worked alongside him for more than 12 hours a day, I respected him as a colleague, and eventually I became close friends with him and his family. On a few occasions, the Cross of Christ came up in casual conversation. Sensing that I was missing something, my friend explained that Jesus Christ died bearing our sins to reconcile us to God.

This was something I had never heard before. And it offended me! I was a deeply religious person, someone diligently striving to be good. How could my friend think that anyone, much less someone like me, was a sinner in need of salvation? Yes, I had problems, but wasnt I capable of fixing them myself? Why would I need Jesus to bear my sins?

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Out of respect for a friend and fellow researcher, I asked him to provide evidence for his explanation of the Cross. He readily encouraged me to read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, an author I recognized from his other popular works. But I quickly realized that I needed to go directly to the primary source, so I asked my friend to buy me a Bible.

Over the next few months, other stories from the Bible came up in our conversations. The parable of the Prodigal Son did not sit right with me, in part because God was not supposed to be like the profligate father in that story. He was supposed to reward good moral conduct, not irresponsible rebellion. In reality, I identified more closely with the other son, who did not seem to need grace. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:914) also blew the fuse of my understanding of God. How could a man who defrauded his own people by conspiring with foreign occupiers have a better outcome before God than a religious leader who followed all the rules? I had to get to the bottom of this Christian thing.

In tandem with my intellectual quest, God was showing me the futility of kicking against the goads, as he described Pauls own pre-conversion resistance (Acts 26:14). In a brief but decisive period, God exposed my false sense of self-sufficiency, which I had based on financial prosperity, academic success, and a strong relationship with my family. In short order, I experienced unexpected and unexplainable failures in each of these areasfinancial, academic, and relational. The blows came from different directions, but their cumulative effect was devastating. By removing the frail crutches on which my life was built, God exposed the reality of my profound weaknessespecially my utter inability to fix relational brokenness. I was in more pain than I had imagined possible, and I was devoid of the props on which I was accustomed to resting.

Knowing no other way out, I decided to end my own life. In the midst of this darkness, a voice within me spoke: This is why Jesus had to die for you. It came from nowhere, but at that moment my brokenness pointed to a greater brokenness in my relationship with God. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to ask my friend if I could attend church with him. My call came on a Sunday morning, just as he and his family were leaving the house to attend worship. That morning I heard the gospel, and I responded with a broken and open heart.

An Ananias and a Barnabas

My experience of becoming a Christian wasnt like flipping a switch. Believing the gospel didnt automatically lead me to conformity to Jesus Christ or produce the immediate fruit of righteousness in me. While I desperately desired the gift of forgiveness, I was reluctant to change anything else about my life or worldview. Given the enormous differences between Christianity and my earlier Hindu beliefs, my new life had to be nurtured before spiritual growth could occur.

Intellectually, I wrestled with three fundamental questions: Who is God? Who am I? What is my relationship with God? The more I pondered these questions, the clearer it became that the answers offered by Hinduism and Christianity are utterly incompatible. I had to reject the former to receive the latter. Functionally, I had to rethink all of life from a clean slate because I simply did not have a framework or vocabulary to make sense of my new identity.

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Paul needed an Ananias to spark his conversion, but he also needed a Barnabas to accompany him in his new journey of faith. God similarly ordained the support I needed to grow as a disciple. While Hinduism ties ones religious standing to ones birth status, Christianity teaches that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. My new Christian community cared not about my first birth but about my new birth: my confession of faith, my commitment to fellowship, and my desire to live wholly for Christ.

Every genuine Christian conversion is a miraclea transition from spiritual death to eternal life, from enmity with God to adoption into his family. Yet God seems to take special delight in seemingly impossible caseslike Paul, a former persecutorso that the riches of his grace might shine all the brighter. When I consider the chasm between my old outlook on life and my new life in Christ, I can only marvel at Gods work of redemptionand fall down at his feet in praise.

Kamesh Sankaran teaches engineering and physics at Whitworth University.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
DGAP-News: Franklin Mining, Inc. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Carson City, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2020) - Franklin Mining Inc. (OTC Pink: FMNJ) has entered into a Riesgo Compartido (Joint Venture) with Inversiones Mineras Scorpius Chile SpA represented by Francisco Coeymans Ossandon. This agreement covers the joint effort to explore the Chilean Los Totems copper mine held by Ossandon and Inversiones Mineras Scorpius Chile SpA. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/eqs_uk_988/3eebd29126a0e3352f8dd77cdfce18b1 Chilean Los Totems Copper Mine



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/eqs_uk_988/3eebd29126a0e3352f8dd77cdfce18b1 This grassroots exploration project represents a unique opportunity to explore for high-grade Copper and Gold/Silver mineralization amenable to U/G exploitation and/or shallow open pit exploitation at a time when a new copper cycle is beginning. Over 22,000 hectares of copper mines are expected to be covered in this venture. Small third-party claims located within the perimeter of the larger land package are currently being mined by "Pirquineros" with significant oxide Cu mineralization being direct shipped to Enami leaching facilities in Copiapo. These "windows" of mineralization are widespread and together with geological mapping, paint a clear picture of the potential to host similar mineralization. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/eqs_uk_988/452563e701434a2a445c3ca522591ded Target Model



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6923/56045_79c16340d4e979b3_002full.jpg Franklin Mining CEO William Petty is currently in negotiations to partner with David Moore, a world-renowned geologist and the owner of MDP Trading with over three decades of experience, for the duration of this project. Mr. Moore hails from Australia and currently resides in Laos. He will be assisting Petty and Ossandon in the facilitation of this venture. Safe Harbor Act: This release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report. For additional information, visit our website, www.FranklinMining.com, visit www.mdptrading.com call: 830-331-0031 email: FranklinMining.CEO@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @FMNJ1864 Corporate Logo To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/56045 Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser,to view the associated documents http://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/56045

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BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China's mobile phone shipments increased by 14.2 percent year on year to 41.73 million units in April, reversing a 10-month decline, a report from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed.

Shipments of 5G phones reached 16.38 million units in the same period, accounting for 39.3 percent of the total, according to the CAICT, a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

In the first four months of this year, mobile phone shipments dropped 20.1 percent year on year to 90.68 million units due to sluggish sales in the first quarter.

Forty-eight new models were introduced to the market last month, up 14.3 percent from a year ago, of which 22 were 5G models, said the CAICT.

The country's domestic brands dominated mobile phone shipments in April, with those made by Chinese manufacturers hitting 37.98 million units and making up 91 percent of the total shipments.
A bitter row over alleged censorship at The Guardian grew last night as it emerged a piece written by David Hockney was discussed at the highest level before being refused by the paper.

The artist became embroiled in a row with the newspaper after it refused to publish his controversial opinion that smoking could protect people from coronavirus.

In the piece, described by Hockney as a letter, the 82-year-old wrote: Now we have Covid-19, and surprise, surprise, a lot of reports are coming out saying that smokers rarely get it. Could there be something in this?

Artist David Gower (pictured) told the Daily Mail that the Guardian refused to publish a letter written by him outlining his opinion that smokers could protect people from coronavirus

Following claims the daily newspaper had decided not to run the work, a Guardian spokesman said: We are not aware of recently receiving a letter from David Hockney.

But the Daily Mail now understands that Hockneys article was discussed by a number of senior members of staff including the newspapers editor before being rejected.

Hockney was told that The Guardian would not publish the letter because the claims he made that smoking could protect people from coronavirus were pretty questionable.

The artist was told his opinion would leave [The Guardian] and [Hockney] open to the charge that were spreading misinformation.

Hockney condemned The Guardians decision as cowardly and claimed the newspaper cannot face aspects of his argument.

Hockney has been a smoker since the age of 16 but his letter was rejected by the Guardian newspaper as it risked spreading misinformation to the public

Its shocking that their agenda doesnt allow them to engage in open debate on this, he said.

Hockney wrote in yesterdays Daily Mail that he has smoked since he was 16 and the only time I gave up for a while was in 1969 because the person I lived with then didnt like it.

While speaking exclusively to Mail+ in his first ever Zoom interview, Hockney told Daily Mail Editor Geordie Greig: I wrote that letter to The Guardian and The Guardian has an agenda and thats what contradicted their agenda, I think. They were cowardly about it I think.

It is understood that Hockney responded directly to The Guardians refusal to publish his work by telling the newspaper: I think youre terrible.

The artist added: Youre part of the terrible demonisation of tobacco that has gone on in England too long.

Hockney (pictured) spoke exclusively to Mail+ in a Zoom call with Daily Mail editor Geordie Greig

The artist, who created the artwork 'Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy' (above), has called the Guardian newspaper 'terrible' and 'cowardly' for not publishing his argument

Defending his viewpoint to the Mail, Hockney pointed out that Greece has seen one of the lowest coronavirus death rates in Europe despite having an above average number of smokers.

He also said: I can remember a time when the first reports of smoking and cancer were published, they also thought it might be petroleum fumes, but they went after the easier option: cigarettes.

Who would have given up cars in 1950  everybody wanted one?

Hockneys theory that smoking could prevent coronavirus has split opinion.

Previously Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: It is abundantly clear... that smoking makes the impact of coronavirus worse.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock disagreed with Hockney's point of view, by saying that the impact of coronavirus is worse for smokers

And Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty advised: If you are going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it.

But scientists at Paris hospital Pitie-Salpetriere said they planned to give nicotine patches to key workers to test the theory it could be a preventative treatment.

That came after a study found that just 5 per cent of 482 Covid-19 patients spoken to were daily smokers, despite the fact that a quarter of French adults smoke.

Research in France and China claimed that nicotine could prevent the virus from reaching certain cells in the body and stop the body's immune system from overreacting

Neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, who reviewed the study, said he believes nicotine could stop the virus reaching certain cells and prevent the bodys immune system overreacting. The findings echoed similar discoveries made in China.

But an analysis of 11,590 Covid-19 cases by researchers at the University of California found the risk of disease progression for current and ex-smokers was nearly double that of non-smokers. They were also more likely to die.

A Guardian spokesman said: Our letters desk had no record of receiving a letter from Mr Hockney.

On further investigation, it appears he offered an article to another Guardian department, which we politely declined.
Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, who has been stuck in Wadi Rum in Jordan for over the last two months with the crew of his upcoming Malayalam film Aadujeevitham, has revealed theyve finally completed the shooting schedule.

Prithviraj took to Facebook and wrote: Aadujeevitham scheduled pack up. He also shared a picture featuring the entire crew. The team is all set to return home once they receive approval from civil aviation ministry, as per a report by Manorama online.

In March, Prithviraj shared how the team decided to stay back in Jordan and continue shooting by taking all precautionary measures. We are currently in Wadi Rum, Jordan and continuing shoot. We have decided so because, given the circumstances, that seems to be our best option. There are no international flights operating in and out of Jordan at the moment, and given the fact that all of us are already here, we can either stay put in our camp in the desert which is currently accommodating only our unit, or get out and shoot at our location which is barely a few minutes outside our camp. After consulting with the authorities and undergoing medical check-ups for each member of the unit, we have been given a go-ahead for the shoot as the location and the process of filming Aadujeevitham is in itself very isolated, he had posted..

Aadujeevitham, based on the critically-acclaimed eponymous 2008 novel about an abused migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, is one of the most anticipated films of this year. Having been announced with Prithviraj Sukumaran in the titular role of Najeeb Muhammad, an Indian emigrant gone missing in Saudi Arabia, the film also stars Amala Paul. The film is being directed by Blessy.

Also read: Ranveer Singh imitates Hulk Hogan in childhood photo, reveals his new look. See them here

The film will mark AR Rahmans return to Malayalam filmdom after 25 years. In 2018, speaking in Dubai ahead of a concert which was organized to celebrate 25 years of his musical journey, Rahman said he is thrilled to have signed a Malayalam film after a long hiatus. Im working with director Blessy for Aadujeevitham; its a beautiful love story. he had said. Rahmans last Malayalam outing was Sangeeth Sivan directed 1992 film Yoddha, which was his second film as a composer.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Dons, Stephen Fry once observed, "tend to be so horribly gnarled". He must not have met Dr Jennifer Cassidy, the brilliant and beautiful academic who has become one of the stars of Oxford University.

Cassidy's area is digital diplomacy, an apposite speciality in an era of Trump, Twitter and Russian election meddling. The Dublin woman has hosted Ted Talks, represented Ireland at the UN in New York and helped to monitor elections in Cambodia. And she did all this before turning 33.

That recent birthday was celebrated in lockdown, and for Cassidy the pandemic has been eventful and occasionally traumatic. Weeks before Covid-19 officially took hold in the UK, Cassidy contracted the coronavirus. Where she picked it up is "the million dollar question", she says. She was involved in evacuating a student who came from Wuhan Province in China, but he was not believed to have passed it on. In February she had travelled to Italy with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs but she had also used the tube in London. So its provenance remains a mystery.

"One of the symptoms I'm highlighting a lot, and it's not the most attractive but it is real, is nausea and stomach issues. Everyone was mentioning a cough but these were the first things I noticed. They were very bad. Since then many people presented with these same issues. I had to sleep with a bin beside by my bed, it was that bad - that went on for a few days."

Jennifer was particular worried because she'd had major surgery on her eye 18 months ago and felt that her immune system was still at a low ebb. She has a huge presence on social media and when she was laid low and failed to post updates to Twitter, some people became dramatically concerned. "A random Twitter follower called the police because I hadn't tweeted in five days," she says, adding that the man's fears were assuaged. "Another person told me they had checked rip.ie."

Her flatmate became ill as well but not as ill as Jennifer, who was hospitalised on March 22. "I was on a drip and had oxygen," she says. "It was quite frightening at the time but three or four days after that I was back to normal."

At that time there was no coordinated national response to Covid-19 in Britain and Jennifer was "horrified" at the now notorious press conference where Boris Johnson said the country would pursue a herd immunity strategy. "It was unbelievable how it was all handled. It was difficult even to get tested. I'm just very grateful I was able to get the care I needed.

Growing up in Dublin - she went to Wesley College - the plan was to become a violinist, but the upper echelons of excellence in that hyper-competitive field seemed unreachable.

"I never won an academic prize but I loved history and I studied politics for undergrad in Trinity," she says. "I had a phenomenal lecturer (and former current affairs producer with RTE) called Jacqueline Hayden and it was a transformative class - she really changed my life."

After graduating with a first, Cassidy applied to Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics and got into all three of them. She chose Oxford, where Professor Louise Richardson had become vice chancellor, the first Irish person to hold the prestigious post. Oxford, she says, was a culture shock in some ways.

"Although there's wealth in Ireland, I'd never seen wealth at that level. You did feel like you had to put on a face," she recalls. The intimidation factor of being surrounded by so many bright peers was also real: "I didn't speak once in the whole first term. I had huge impostor syndrome, even though I knew I earned my place."

After Oxford, where she got another first, she represented Ireland as an attache at the UN in New York. The assembly is organised alphabetically, she tells me, and she was stuck in block with Israel and Iran.

"Seeing that political theatre play out made me feel privileged and lucky to experience that high level of politics at the beginning of my career. It made me see politicians as human beings. Some of them were condescending to me. There were many comments about my age and gender, and that's why I wrote a book on gender and diplomacy."

She was also involved in election monitoring in Cambodia and says that sexism was worse there: "In Cambodia there was open sexism, and one of the reasons I left diplomacy was that I didn't want to dissent my whole life."

She went back to Oxford when Ireland had the presidency of the European Council.

"At that time nobody was really using Twitter in diplomatic circles but I had a feeling it wouldn't stay out of the general assembly hall forever," she says. "For my PhD proposal I looked at whether social media could be used to interfere in elections online. Trump came along in the last year of my PhD and he basically proved my thesis."

At Oxford she is now part of a digital diplomacy research group which does consultancy work with different ministries abroad. She says that some countries have now tacitly acknowledged the enormous role that tech giants have in shaping elections and have, in effect, begun to treat them as states.

"Ambassador Casper Klynge (of Denmark) made history when he was first ambassador ever to Silicon Valley," she says. "The only other country which has followed suit in this is France.

"It should happen more in my opinion because there is no denying that these companies can shape diplomatic outcomes and elections more than states can.

"The problem is that they are not governed under international law. Whether they should be is a question I struggled with. Diplomatic bureaucracy is very slow-moving; Twitter can change its algorithms twice a day - we don't know whether this is the case. The law will never be able to keep up with the change of pace. There needs to be something to hold them to account, however."

She says all of the moving around made close relationships difficult. Her closest friend is a Saudi woman whose mother was the first female representative in the Saudi parliament. She says she had a romantic relationship that ended last year. "I ended it with him, I won't go into it."

She says that looking around at other women her age gives her pause. "My sister, for instance, is a year-and-a-half older than me. We're basically Irish twins. And she has a relationship, a second kid on the way, a house. And I don't think I'll ever own a house in my life on an academic salary. She runs her own business and I can't even drive."

There have been some small consolations to lockdown: she is involved in a virtual book club with former Barack Obama advisor Samantha Power - a particular thrill for her. She continues to isolate at her rooms in Oxford.

"A few days ago I got quite low because I'd recovered and the reality hit," she explains. "My entire family was in Ireland and I was so looking forward to seeing my god-daughter. My sister was pregnant and I had my mother freaking out quite a bit.

"I've tried to establish a routine but I'm the least domestic person you could meet. I'm just really looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone. That's going to make my year."
Dr. Celia Lloyd-Turney, a Madison County physician who pleaded guilty to overprescribing opioids, was sentenced today to two years of home confinement and five years on probation.

Lloyd-Turney, a longtime health care provider, was among 60 medical professionals who were charged last year in a federal pill mill investigation in in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. Amid her trial earlier this year, Lloyd-Turney pleaded guilty to the federal crime of unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke today accepted a joint sentencing recommendation from Lloyd-Turneys defense attorney and federal prosecutors. In addition to serving home confinement and probation, she must surrender her medical license.

Lloyd-Turneys lawyer Erica Williamson Barnes declined to comment.

Lloyd-Turner was accused of overprescribing pills at Choice Medicine, a clinic in the Toney area of northwest Madison County. She was charged with 15 crimes, but prosecutors dropped 14 of them as part of the plea agreement.

She has spent more than thirty years providing medical services to predominantly low income and marginalized patients in and around the rural surroundings of Huntsville, says the joint sentencing recommendation. Dr. Turney is also a wife, a mother, a stepmother, a grandmother, a godmother, a sister, an aunt, a former employer and business owner, a caregiver, a humanitarian, a church member and sister in Christ, and a friend, who has in many ways lived an exemplary life of which to be proud.

A spokeswoman for Northern Alabama U.S. Attorney Jay Town, whose office prosecuted the case, declined to comment.
[May 18, 2020] Church Pension Group to Host Mental Health Webinars on Psychological First Aid Strategies

The Church Pension Group (CPG), a financial services organization that serves the Episcopal Church, today announced that as part of its ongoing efforts to provide virtual learning to assist clergy and lay employees of the Church address topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will host two webinars focused on Psychological First Aid Strategies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005668/en/ Presented in conjunction with Aspire Indiana, Inc., the webinars are a World Health Organization-endorsed approach to post-crisis psychological distress that can be learned and practiced by anyone who wants to help others. All clergy, lay employees, and volunteers (wardens and vestry members) who serve the Episcopal Church are welcome to attend and can register at www.cpg.org/webinarseries. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for virtual mental health educational programs to support impacted clergy and lay employees of the Episcopal Church," said Frank Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer of CP. "We have designed a series of webinars to assist our clients during these challenging times and believe these two sessions may also benefit those who volunteer for the Church."



The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 20 from 12:00PM to 1:00PM ET and will be repeated on Thursday, May 21 from 3:00PM to 4:00PM ET. It will be hosted by Krishna Dholakia, Senior Health Education Specialist at the Church Pension Group, and feature Jody Horstman, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Officer at Aspire Indiana, Inc. Psychological First Aid equips individuals with tools for listening, providing comfort and stability, and offering practical assistance and information on coping and support services. It helps individuals identify warning signs that indicate a need for professional mental health intervention and will assist them in recognizing the psychological impact that follows a traumatic event, allowing them to provide support both to those surrounding them and to themselves.

About Jody Horstman, Ph.D., HSPP Jody Horstman is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical addiction counselor. She joined Aspire Indiana, Inc., in March 2012 and serves as the Chief Clinical Officer. She has worked in community mental health in Indiana for 26 years and is a member of Indiana's State Disaster Mental Health Team and a trainer of Psychological First Aid. About The Church Pension Group The Church Pension Group (CPG) is a financial services organization that serves the Episcopal Church. It maintains three lines of business-employee benefits, property and casualty insurance, and publishing. CPG provides retirement, health, life insurance, and related benefits for clergy and lay employees of the Episcopal Church, as well as property and casualty insurance, and book and music publishing, including the official worship materials of the Church. Follow CPG on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. cpg.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005668/en/

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SANTA FE  Five more New Mexicans  ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s  died in the states coronavirus outbreak, pushing the death toll to 270, state health officials said Monday.

It was the smallest number of announced deaths in a day since May 11.

But testing also confirmed for the first time that infections have spread among New Mexicos prison population.

Twenty-one inmates at the privately run Otero County Prison Facility tested positive, a corrections spokesman said. At least one of the inmates was transferred to a hospital in El Paso.

Eric Harrison, a spokesman for the Corrections Department, said the inmates who tested positive have been separated from the general prison population and are under medical observation.

The state has so far tested over 130 inmates at the Otero County prison and plans to test the entire population, he said.

The number of confirmed infections throughout the state, meanwhile, climbed above 6,000 on Monday, as testing found 165 new cases, the state officials said.

The number of hospitalizations remained essentially flat, moving from 211 to 213 patients over the last day.

The Department of Health has also designated 1,796 people as having recovered from the disease.

Of the five deaths announced Monday, four were people who had underlying medical conditions, a risk factor for the disease.

The deaths included two men from Bernalillo County in their 70s and 80s, one of whom had been a resident at the La Vida Llena group facility; two men from McKinley County in their 60s and 70s; and a woman in her 30s from San Juan County.

About 61% of the new cases confirmed Monday were in McKinley and San Juan counties, where the outbreak has hit the northwestern part of the state hard.
 Flash

Iranian officials on Sunday warned the United States against any attempt to block the fuel delivery by Iranian tankers to Venezuela.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday that "the illegal, dangerous and provocative U.S. threats" against the Iranian tankers is a form of piracy and a big threat to international peace and security.

"The United States must stop acting as a bully at the international level and respect the rule of international laws, in particular the right to free shipping in free waters," he said in his letter.

Zarif noted that the U.S. administration would be responsible for the consequences of any "illegal move" in this regard.

Iran preserves the right to adopt appropriate and necessary measures in the face of such threats, he added.

In the day, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi summoned the Swiss ambassador, whose country represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to voice Iran's strong protest at what he called U.S. "provocations."

Araqchi urged the Swiss ambassador to convey "the Islamic Republic's serious warnings to the American officials against any possible threat posed by the U.S. to the Iranian oil tankers."

Iran and Venezuela enjoy "completely legitimate and legal trade relations," Araqchi said.

Araqchi also said that any threat against his country's tankers will elicit Iran's "immediate and categorical reaction, and the U.S. administration will be responsible for their consequences."

On Saturday, Hamid Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Association of Exports of Crude Products, said that the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of fuel from Iran to Venezuela at a time when the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors.

Washington is extremely angry about Iran's delivery of fuel to a location near its borders despite various sanctions it has imposed on Tehran's shipping and energy sectors, Hosseini was quoted as saying by Press TV.

"Gasoline shipment is not one that could be intercepted or attacked," Hosseini said. "It would be a remote possibility for the U.S. to block the gasoline export shipment," he added.

He described Iran's decision to ship large consignments of gasoline to Venezuela as a right move which is meant to help Caracas tackle its fuel shortage.

He also said Iran should continue to export more of such shipments in the future to offset a reduction in domestic demand for the fuel which has come as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, Western media reported that "at least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela ... which could help ease an acute scarcity of gasoline in the South American country."

Accordingly, the White House announced on Thursday the United States was considering measures it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela.

Earlier, western reports also said that the Venezuelan government officials piled large sum of gold, an amount equal to about 500 million U.S. dollars, on Tehran-bound jets in April as payment for Iran's assistance in reviving Venezuela's gasoline refineries.

On May 11, the Iranian ambassador to Caracas, Hojjatollah Soltani, denied that his country had received gold bars from Venezuela in return for its services to the restoration of Venezuelan gasoline refinery.

The news claiming that Venezuela is raiding its gold vaults and handing tonnes of bars to Iran through recent Mahan Air flights is a "big lie" and "baseless" claims, said Soltani.

In recent days, commercial flights had been made from Iran to Venezuela for the transfer of equipment to reactivate the Paraguana Refinery Complex, Soltani said.

"The Iranian government's cooperation with Venezuela has expanded in the time of novel coronavirus crisis, and our relations, especially in the area of trade cooperation, are stronger than ever," the Iranian ambassador stressed.
Six more persons died of COVID-19 and 141 tested positive for infection on Monday, raising the fatalities till date to the disease to 118 and infected cases to 4,605 in Uttar Pradesh, said officials.

"A total of 4,605 cases have been reported so far in the state from 75 districts, of which 1,704 are active while 2,783 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Till now, 118 deaths have been reported so far in the state," an official release issued here said.

While three deaths were reported from Sant Kabir Nagar, two were reported from Varanasi and one from Kushinagar, it said.

Of the total 118 deaths, maximum 27 were in Agra, followed 19 in Meerut, 11 in Moradabad, eight each in Aligarh and Kanpur, five in Gautam Buddha Nagar, three in Varanasi, four each in Sant Kabir Nagar, Firozabad, Mathura and Jhansi and two each in Mainpuri and Ghaziabad.

One death each was reported from Lucknow, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Basti, Bijnor, Prayagraj, Jalaun, Pratapgarh, Amroha, Bareilly, Shrawasti, Azamgarh, Etah, Kanpur Dehat, Mahoba, Kushi Nagar and Lalitpur.

Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said earlier that as many as 6,247 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the state on Sunday, adding that the state is also ramping up its pool testing facility.

"We are emphasising on surveillance and over 3.23 crore people have been surveyed by 79,825 teams in UP. Those having symptoms (of COVID-19) have been given the required treatment," Prasad said.

He said the Aarogya Setu app was used and alerts are being sent to people.

"We have made 17,447 calls on the basis of alerts generated by the app and 109 people have been quarantined."



The official said migrant workers coming from other states are being monitored by health workers.

Of them, 466 people had shown symptoms of coronavirus infection and their samples have been sent for testing, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
P olice are hunting a man after unprovoked assault on a 69-year-old woman on board a bus in north London.

Officers were called to reports that a woman had been injured in Camden Road on Monday, May 4, at around 4.40pm.

They discovered that a suspect had kicked the victim's shopping bag as she got off the Route 29 bus.

When the woman tried to confront him, he pushed her hard, causing her to fall backwards and onto the floor, police said.

Police are appealing for help to identify a man following an unprovoked attack on board a bus in Camden / Metropolitan Police

The woman, who walks with the aid of a walking stick, suffered a broken leg.

She was taken by the London Ambulance Service to a London hospital for treatment and after surgery she was discharged several days later.

Officers from the Roads Transport Policing Command have released CCTV images of the man and are appealing for the public's help in tracking him down.

The suspect is described as white, aged between 20 and 25-years-old, around 5ft 10in tall with brown hair.

He is believed to have been in the company of a woman who had a red pram.

No arrests have been made and police enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone who recognises the man is asked to contact 101 quoting crime reference 2312218/20 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
The objectives of the the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) will promote the usage of ICT which will directly result in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), R.S. Sharma, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said on Sunday.

"India adopted NDCP in the year 2018 with specified strategic objectives to be achieved by the year 2022," Sharma said in a message commemorating the 51st World Telecom and Information Society Day (WTISD).

The United Nations (UN) celebrates WTISD every year and the theme for this year is "Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)".

"One of the important objectives of the NDCP is to create a robust digital communication infrastructure, which can be used for development in various sectors including education, healthcare, energy, employment, innovation, etc.," Sharma added.

The TRAI Chairman also recognised the role of telecom service providers in protecting the economy and supporting the sudden surge in Internet traffic due to increased economic and other online activities during the current COVID 19 pandemic crisis.

He stated that service providers have taken every step to keep up their network to ensure seamless connectivity which helped in the growth of digital economy manifold during this unprecedented pandemic situation.

A recent report by research firm techARC in collaboration with the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) highlighted the growing role of telecommunications in the economy.

The new normal will see increase in enablement through telecom.

Other than the present 6 per cent direct contribution to the GDP, the sector is enabling 30-35 per cent of the GDP during the present COVID-19 lockdown period.

Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI recently said that the telecom sector has immensely contributed to keeping the country connected during the last 25 years and kept 1 billion people connected during the current lockdown situation.

Mathews earlier also stated that despite the precarious financial health, the industry will do everything in its power to ensure that its networks will continue to function as a vibrant, essential component of the nation's economic and communications health and well-being.

Adoption of new technologies including 5G, Industry 4.0, IoT, Fibre to the Home/Premise are expected to be faster to support the irreversible shifts that have happened due to the pandemic situation.

Areas like telemedicine, e-education, drone surveillance and industry 4.0 are likely see a surge in demand.
Sunday, May 17, 2020

With the coronavirus, every 2020 election campaign has fundamentally changed. All campaign tools that involve personal contact are pretty much gone for the moment. Alternatively, campaigns can for example rely on phone banks and massive text messaging. It is now common for presidential campaigns to have sophisticated apps (Team Joe, Trump 2020). Other high-profile campaigns can and should duplicate this.

This corona crisis is also an opportunity for campaigns to do what they should have been doing all along: build their data base. Campaigns should particularly reach out to elder voters. Many of them are online, but they need a little push to get more and further engaged. Everybody who runs an online business says the same thing: the money is in the (email) list. Translated for campaigns: The votes and the activism are in the list.

Phone, screen and radio time are all up. Therefore, campaigns should also reach out to radio stations. Campaigns can also do good old door hangers, robo calls and there is great technology out there to do live mass calls with hundreds or thousands of supporters. The good thing is that political leaders and surrogate candidates are not expected to be at meetings in person right now. As a result, they also have more time, which is no small feat. A top surrogate can do zoom calls for eight, ten races per day.

Political parties may also play a humanitarian role giving out aid or do food deliveries. It is however important to be very clear about this. A party should not pretend to give out aid, when they are actually campaigning. Parties should do either one and be candid about it.

This being said, all these changes are of a tactical nature. The basics of campaigns have not changed. They still need a message and a strategy. Ideally, campaigns tie their message to the current situation. They shouldn't make noise for the sake of making noise. While voters are listening more than usual, they want to hear specific solutions.
150 rights groups call for release of four Yemeni journalists sentenced to death for spying by court in Sanaa.

More than 150 human rights and press freedom groups have appealed to the United Nations to help overturn the death penalty to four journalists in Yemen.

The Specialised Criminal Court in the Houthi rebel-controlled capital Sanaa sentenced the four to death on April 11 on charges of spying after they spent nearly five years in prison.

Human rights lawyer Abdelmajeed Sabra, who defended the journalists, described the convictions as a serious violation of the Yemeni constitution and law.

The four journalists  Abdel-Khaleq Amran, Akram al-Walidi, Hareth Hamid, and Tawfiq al-Mansouri  were arrested on June 9, 2015, while using the internet at the Qasr Al-Ahlam hotel in Sanaa.

The media members were part of a group of 10 journalists arrested at the same time. Six others were convicted on similar charges, including spreading false news and rumours allegedly to aid the Saudi-Emirati-led military coalition that has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.

After filing an appeal, six of the journalists were ordered to be released, but only one was freed in April so far.

Prosecutors alleged between January 2014 and December 2015 the journalists broadcast false and malicious news and propaganda and disturbed public security. They were also accused of collaborating with the enemy.

The charges against the journalists are fabricated. They were just doing their jobs as journalists, Khalid Ibrahim, executive director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera.

In 2019, Amnesty International called the charges trumped-up.





Lack of press freedom

Yemen has one of the poorest press freedom records in the world, ranking 167th on Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index.

Barbara Trionfi, executive director of the International Press Institute, said: After many years in conflict, press freedom has suffered immense damage due to the lack of respect for the rule of law as a consequence of the conflict.

Trionfi added: In this context, the only tool left to press freedom advocates is international pressure which is, however, often weakened by the political divisions caused by the Yemeni conflict.

The list of 150 groups calling on the UN to help free the journalists includes the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies, the Yemeni Women Journalists Network, and the Arab Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

Elisabeth Kendall, a senior fellow at Pembroke College, Oxford University, described the cases as a truly worrying turning point.

The intimidation of journalists in Yemen is a common phenomenon but actual death sentences are rare, until now at least, Kendall told Al Jazeera.

Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy to Yemen, made special mention of the situation in his briefing to the UN Security Council on May 14. He called for the immediate release of all journalists currently held in Sanaa.

The international community regards this as a massive violation of human rights. The petition shows that the international community is coming together to prevent the death penalty, Ibrahim said.

The international reputation of the Houthis will suffer if they do not overturn the decision, he added.

No fair trial

Sabra, the lawyer, stated on his Facebook page the cases were heard without the presence of any defence lawyers up to the point when the death penalty was handed down.





Commenting on this, Kendall said the trial could not be considered to have met fair trial standards.

The journalists lawyer was not even granted access to the verdict hearing, she said.

On the courts appeal ruling to release the six journalists, Kendall said: Not only has this not been implemented, but they had already been held for nearly five years, including periods of solitary confinement and alleged torture, and they were held for over three years before even being charged.

According to Rob Mahoney, deputy executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, journalists in Yemen face multiple threats from the Houthis, the Saudi-led coalition, and various militias.

The brutality of the fighting and the lack of state institutions to protect basic civil liberties such as press freedom have proved deadly for journalists, Mahoney told Al Jazeera.

Kendall said the convictions were one more example of how all sides in this war are keen to control the message.

If a warring party doesnt like whats being said, it simply dismisses it as fake news and, in worst-case scenarios, it then intimidates or arrests the journalists in question in order to discourage others from reporting unfavourably in the future, she said.

However, to the best of my knowledge, the Houthis are the only warring side so far to have issued actual death sentences to journalists.

Al Jazeera made several attempts to contact Houthi officials for comment but received no response.
With the lockdown starting to ease and big players such as McDonalds preparing for a phased return to normal trading, factory prices here continue to improve.

Farmers with cull cows have benefited most so far, with their prices last week hardening by around another 10c/kg.

Those with good numbers of fit cows are now reported to be securing from 3.10-3.20/kg for Rs with combined loads of O and better P grades achieving a flat 3/kg.

The trade for bullocks and heifers also continues to harden with quotes yesterday up by another 5-10c/kg. Over the weekend agents were instructed not to leave anything suitable behind them.

This has left bullocks around 3.55-3.60/kg with heifers firm on 3.60/kg. Other reports indicate that where the quality and quantity of heifers was sufficient, 3.70/kg had been offered.

The trade for bulls, however, is reported to be still sluggish with prices in general only moving up 5c/kg leaving U grades on 3.60, Rs at 3.50 and better O grades on 3.40/kg.

A Dawn Group spokesperson told me trade is now reasonable and that they are slowly getting back to normal.

With the weekly cattle kill continuing to operate around the 25,0000-26,000 mark will factories be forced to give more?

Cattle are scarce as is traditional at this time of year and the good one will always be wanted, said the Dawn spokesperson. When I pressed further, I got the following reply: There is a degree of confidence in the trade coupled with low supplies and steady demand. Meaning? Prices will hold.

British beef

However, the Dawn spokesperson also pointed out that it was his understanding that Minette Batters, president of the NFU in England seemed intent on further prioritising British beef on supermarket shelves.

This could possibly make things difficult for us in the autumn, was the final word from the Dawn man.

The scheduled departure of another boat from Waterford today with a thousand plus head destined for Algeria, was quoted by many I spoke to as one of the reasons why prices have risen at the factory gates.

Several agents told me that factories had no choice but to up the ante on price

Meanwhile, the decision by Independent TD Denis Naughten to haul three government ministers before the Dails business committee to account for the high levels of Covid-19 infection in some meat plants wont have made him very popular in the farming community.

Likewise with Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin and his call for the closure of meat processing plants to facilitate a deep clean

At the outset of this crisis the government prioritised certain industries as being vital to the delivery of essential services and among those essential services was the food industry.

I asked the question last week in relation to Covid infections within meat plants as to whether or not workers unions should take an active part in voicing concerns.

Speaking with a veterinary union representative at the weekend I was told that his members continue to work in the sector under the strictest of HSE guidelines.

Looking abroad, there are some interesting developments. Relations between Australia and China have soured following Chinas decision to ban Australian beef imports following the Australian decision to support calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.

Figures from the EU Commissions Meat Market Observatory show the uptake of allocated beef and veal import quotas from outside the union to be sharply down when compared to the same period in 2019.

The total allocated tonnage under the Hilton Agreement for the first half 2020 is set at 22,500, but as of April 20 that figure stood at just 12,536 tonnes, a drop of almost 46pc.
As Pennsylvania prepares for its June 2 primary, just two days before the states stay-at-home orders are lifted on June 4, state and local election officials must act now to ensure the pandemic doesnt jeopardize our election. Voters shouldnt have to choose between their safety and making their voices heard. Officials must take steps to protect both: mail every registered voter a ballot with paid return postage. At a minimum, officials should extend the deadlines to apply for and submit ballots by mail.

For the first time, Pennsylvania voters can cast a ballot by mail without an excuse. You have until May 26 to request a ballot. Officials can ensure its a success by making sure voters, already reeling from the emotional, physical, and economic stress of the pandemic, dont have to ask for a ballot.

Pennsylvania should lead during this crisis. Our state needs a vote-by-mail message so loud that Gritty can hear it at the Wells Fargo Center. Using the $14.1 million in federal funds Congress has provided under the CARES Act will help cover the cost.

Election officials must also be mindful that vote-by-mail isnt a cure-all. According to figures from state VBM reporting, 90,840 mail-in ballots have been requested by Philly voters, compared with only 6,364 in the 2016 primary  thats only approximately 9% of registered Philly voters.

These low numbers are due in part to the citys digital divide, which has been amplified as more people move online for work and school. While applying online to vote by mail isnt the only way to do it, it is certainly the easiest and quickest. By applying online, voters can send an application instantly, avoid paying for an envelope and stamp, and even track its status.

But what about those who dont have access to a computer? Right now, voters are being told to call 1-877-VOTESPA. However, if most of the promotion to request a mail-in ballot is being done online in the first place, how are voters getting the information they need to apply?

Officials should start by meeting voters where they are  on their phones  through text message and social media ads. And they shouldnt stop there. They should be creative and consider public service announcements and phone calls, as well as a partnership with businesses like the recently reopened Fine Wine and Good Spirits, which could distribute mail-in ballot applications just as they do with voter registration applications. Grocery stores and food delivery services could do the same. Local artists have already teamed up with the Streets Dept, a local art blog, to design a series of voter information posters in four languages.

It would be easy to call this election early. We could give it the old Philly Shrug and accept that turnout will be low. This is an opportunity to drop the Shrug and embrace the hustle and hope that makes this city so great.

State and local officials need only look at the election debacle of Wisconsin a few weeks ago for a reality check. Wisconsin officials failed to plan, lawmakers let partisan politics guide who gets access to the ballot box, and the result was chaos, confusion, and uncertainty for voters. Thats no way to run a democracy. Luckily, theres time for Pennsylvania to learn from those mistakes to get it right for June, for November, and beyond. Our democracy and our health depend on it.

Jen Devor is a Point Breeze resident and project organizer for #VoteByMailPHL. Scott Seeborg is the Pennsylvania state director for All Voting is Local.
COVID-19 situation in SL under control, say officials urging public to be more responsible View(s):

The situation is under control as Sri Lanka eases the lockdown gradually in high-risk areas, maintains strong vigilance and conducts more community testing for COVID-19, a high-level health official said.

Urging people to keep to the strict preventive measures laid down by the health authorities such as social distancing, hand hygiene and wearing of face-masks, the Health Ministrys Deputy Director-General (DDG), Public Health Service, Dr. Paba Palihawadana said that COVID-19 infections are emerging now mainly from the navy cluster.

All necessary measures are being taken to curb infections within this cluster, she said, adding that even yesterday there was a meeting with naval authorities.

While decrying how people flocked to bars and taverns without a thought for preventive measures, she requested responsibility from society to ensure that individuals did not contract this virus as well as did not give it to others.

With community testing being discussed at length at different levels, Dr. Palihawadana said that of the nearly 2,000 RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests, about 50% are done in the community.

We are testing high-risk communities as well as carrying out random tests such as at bus-halts, she added.

This week, the isolated area of Sudewella, Ja-ela, was opened, according to the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak.

While some areas in Beruwala and Kandy had been opened on May 3, Suduwella followed on May 15.

With regard to Bandaranayake Mawatha, Keselwatte, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of the Colombo Municipal Council, Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni, said that the first positive case was found on April 15.

When tests found positive cases emerging from the area, three groups comprising 230, 310 and 320 people were sent to the Punanai quarantine centre, while everyone else was asked to be in self-quarantine in this isolated area. The final group at the quarantine centre will return home on May 23, he said.

Testing of people at Bandaranayake Mawatha is continuing and yesterday 60 samples were taken. The roads in this area have been opened for traffic but people living at Bandaranayake Mawatha have been asked to remain indoors in self-quarantine until these test results are received, which Dr. Wijayamuni was expecting last night.

Sri Lanka has a total of 935 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with nine deaths and 520 recoveries. The others are being treated in hospital. There are 106 suspected cases under observation.
Robert Pattinson's role as Batman is starting to make fans concerned, and they are slowly turning to social media to voice it out. The concern came from a certain GQ publication that was given the title "Robert Pattinson: A Dispatch from Isolation." In this piece, the actor describes his basic existence of kicking around inside his London apartment as production is delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The concern grows as Robert Pattinson himself admits that he hasn't been working out or exercising despite already given an exercise regimen along with a certain level of expectation from the fans. The actor said that his trainer left him with a certain Bosu ball along with weights that have now been gathering dust in the apartment's corner due to neglect and not being used since the quarantine began.

Fans took it to social media to express their concerns about the actor not taking the role too seriously.

Robert Pattinson's Workout Routine

Robert Pattinson told the interviewer from GQ that back in the 70s, nobody was working out, and even James Dean himself did not work out. The actor stated that he thinks that if people are working out most of the time, "you're part of the problem."

A video on Youtube by Looper said that although James Dean did not work out, he was also not playing Batman. The actor also shared his call with his co-star Zoe Kravitz on how she was preparing despite the ongoing lockdown. The actress said she is still putting in the work at least five days a week during isolation to prepare for her famous role as Catwoman.

The star also gave a certain statement saying that he was "barely doing anything." Although it is relatable due to the limited options during the whole quarantine period, this alleged inactivity has started to bother fans as to his ability to deliver the role properly. According to some of the words and actions related by the GQ interviewer, it seems like isolation has had a bad effect on Pattinson's psyche.

Read Also: Alien: Covenant Sequel in the Works? Ripley Scott Said "I'm Not Closing It Down Again"

Is Robert Pattinson a Good Fit for Batman?

The star even admitted that he finds it challenging to keep track of time even during normal circumstances and that the situation got worse during the lockdown. The actor also described the fear he has even to go out for a jog.

Another thing that has fans raising their eyebrows is that the actor started to pursue some insane culinary endeavors and is reportedly obsessed with stuff like microwaving pasta. The actor even admits that this is "actually quite revolting."

The Batman is said to hit the theaters next year on October 1, 2021, but the big question circulating the involvement of Robert Pattison in this role is, can he deliver? Fans will have to wait to see if Robert Pattinson would make a good Batman.

Read Also: Richard Gere was About to Pass the Role of Edward in Pretty Woman Until Julia Roberts Sent Him a Post-it Note
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again demonstrated his knowledge of history during an online press conference on Saturday. This time, the PM turned to the period of World War II, elaborating on Azerbaijan's...cooperation with the Nazis. According to Pashinyan, "Azerbaijan seeks to diminish the role of the Armenian people's victory over Nazism.." He argued that Azerbaijanis were allegedly actively involved in the Nazi legions.

Statistics on the number and nationality of collaborators during World War II are confirmed by both European and domestic archive materials, many of which are in the public domain. The absurdity of Pashinyans accusations is that it is impossible to diminish the specifically Armenian people's in the victory over Nazism, since the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War is inseparable - this is the common contribution of millions of soldiers and front workers of the entire Soviet Union. Pashinyan considers the overall victory through the prism of quantitative contribution, counting the number of Armenian generals, soldiers and Heroes of the Soviet Union based on their nationality. But why did he come down on Azerbaijan? Baku never intended to diminish the Armenian people's role, especially since thousands of Armenian participants of World War II come from the Azerbaijan SSR. However, Azerbaijan proceeds from the fact that the installation of a monument to Nazi criminal and Hitlers accomplice Nzhdeh in the center of Yerevan is contrary to the Armenian people's feat, who fought together with all the Soviet and European peoples against the Nazis.

Recently, the CIS countries celebrated Victory Day, but for modern Armenia this holiday has become ambiguous with the cult of Nzhdeh advancing in the country. Armenia's national policy was trapped in its own propaganda, which led to the search for "heroes". To maintain the image of "ancient people", the ideologists of Armenian nationalism are moving away from the principles of the post-Soviet consolidation. Politically and economically, Armenia continues to be part of the post-Soviet mentality, despite the fact that political strategists of the latest period of Armenian history seek to present the country as unconnected with others by common Soviet past and regional space. Such an attitude makes it possible to play an ethnic card, including to maintain warlike rhetoric in relation to the closest neighbors. This is not the first generation of Armenian politicians who uses this rhetoric as a political platform.

At his press conference, Pashinyan did not mention the existence of the Armenian Legion and many other Wehrmacht ethnic military units, considering it appropriate to protect Nzhdeh's criminal reputation criticizing one of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Mammad Amin Rasulzade. Indeed, the Nazis appealed for support to many emigrants who left the former Russian Empire, among whom were those who collaborated with the Nazis, harboring hatred for Bolshevism. However, unlike Garegin Nzhdeh, Mamed Amin Rasulzadeh, who shared democratic values, could not accept the fascist ideology, which was based on the recognition of the superiority of Aryan peoples. However, Pashinyans historical research was limited to references to Rasulzadeh in German sources, ay which the Armenian prime minister and his aides did not take a close look. Perhaps this kind of political demagogy is another attempt to manipulate the attention of the Armenian public. During the pandemic, when the whole country has been in constant tension, the Armenian Prime Minister couldn't think of anything better than to plunge into history, being no judge of it, as it became clear.
Restrictions introduced by Washington on Friday that ostensibly aim to allay U.S. cybersecurity concerns are really designed to safeguard American dominance of global tech, a senior Huawei Technologies Co. executive said Monday.

The so-called cybersecurity reasons are merely an excuse, Richard Yu, head of the Chinese tech giants consumer electronics unit, wrote in a post to his account on messaging app WeChat. The key is the threat to the technology hegemony of the U.S. posed by Huawei, he added.

Yu also posted a link to a Chinese article circulating on social media with part of its headline asking: Why Does America Want to Kill Huawei?

Huawei is hosting its annual analyst briefing in Shenzhen later on Monday, where it traditionally discusses its latest products and gives a business development update.

The Trump administration opened up a new front in its conflict with China on Friday by barring any chipmaker using American equipment from supplying Huawei without U.S. government approval. That means Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its rivals will have to cut off the Chinese company unless they get waivers from the U.S. Commerce Dept.

The decision drew condemnation from Beijing, which regards Huawei as a national champion because of its success in dominating global networking technology. China and Huawei have threatened retaliation should the U.S. enact further measures to constrain the countrys largest tech company.

On Friday, the Global Times  a Chinese tabloid run by the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party  reported that Beijing stood ready to initiate a series of countermeasures.

The Trump administration sees Huawei as a dire security threat, an allegation the company denies. The latest restrictions inject fresh turmoil into a complex international ecosystem that produces computer parts, while escalating a campaign to contain Huawei and Chinas technological ascent by cutting it off from vital gear.

Yus consumer unit is likely to get hammered most immediately, because it relies on TSMC for its most advanced products. Shares in Huawei suppliers including TSMC, AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. and Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. dived in Asia on Monday.

The U.S. already blacklisted Huawei last year, preventing American companies from supplying the Chinese company unless they got a license.

The latest move tightens those restrictions to prevent chipmakers  American or foreign  from working with Huawei and its in-house chip-design unit HiSilicon on the cutting-edge semiconductors they need to make smartphones and communications equipment.
Argos, which has a store on the Retail Park in Dundalk, has unveiled plans to reopen some of its stores in Ireland from Monday, May 18, in line with the latest guidance from government.

From Monday, Argos stores on high streets and in retail parks will start to reopen. Stores in shopping centres will remain closed, in line with government guidance.

The company says it will start with usual store opening hours and will review these over the next few weeks as it sees how people are shopping with. Open hours may extend opening hours in the future if it is safe to do so.

For more details, you can visit the Store Locator and opening hours page on the company's website from Monday, May 18 by clicking here.

There will be a range of measures in place in each store including a limit on the number of customers allowed in store at any one time. Customers will need to queue a safe distance away from each other outside the store and there will be staff on hand to help with this.

All stores will have perspex safety screens at the tills and staff will be following social distancing guidelines at all times, including when they pick items from the store warehouse and bring them to the collection counter.
Four people who returned from different parts of the country to Uttarakhand last week have tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, taking the states tally of total cases to 96.

A bulletin issued by the state health department on Monday evening confirmed the development.

The bulletin mentioned, Three new positive cases of Covid-19 were detected in district Dehradun, Uttarkashi and Nainital.

A 35-year-old man who returned to Dehradun from Mumbai and a 23-year-old man who returned to Uttarkashi from Gurugram tested positive at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh lab. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old woman who had returned to Nainital from New Delhi tested positive at the VRDL lab in Haldwani.

Earlier in the day, the health department had said that a 60-year-old woman from Dehradun who had recently returned from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19 late on Sunday night. The 60-year-old woman had returned from Mumbai on May 14 and was in home quarantine at the time when the sample was tested.

With this, a total of 47 Covid-19 cases have been reported from Dehradun with 18 active cases are there in the state. The rate of doubling of cases in Dehradun stands at 17.75 days.

Uttarakhand has so far tested 13,870 samples of which results of 1,087 are awaited. With the latest case, 24 people who returned to the state in the past one week have tested positive for Covid-19 in Uttarakhand.

On Saturday night, a 27-year-old man who had returned from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19 from Dehradun district.

Harish Mohan Thapliyal, public relations officer of AIIMS Rishikesh informed that the patient who tested positive on Saturday night worked in a luxury hotel in Mumbai and was asymptomatic when he had returned.

The patient worked as a hotel receptionist in a high-end hotel in Mumbai for the past five-six years and had recently returned home after a few positive cases surfaced in the same hotel though he had tested negative when his samples were taken there. He was asymptomatic and stayed in home quarantine in Rishikesh. He came to our screening OPD on Saturday with the intention for testing since his hotel co-workers were positive and he had travelled a long distance. We took his samples on Saturday morning and he tested positive by the same day mid-night, Thapliyal said.

He added that after the patient tested positive, officials are now doing a detailed contact tracing and taking other necessary action.
The Broadway League has canceled all Broadway performances through September 6, 2020.

Those holding tickets for performances through September 6 will receive an email from their point of purchase with detailed information regarding refund and exchange options. Any customers holding tickets through September 6 that have not received an email by May 18 are advised to contact their point of purchase for assistance after this date.

"While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theatre  behind the curtain and in front of it  before shows can return. The Broadway League's membership is working in cooperation with the theatrical unions, government officials, and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry," said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. "Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Governor Cuomo's office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City's economy  and spirit."
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 18, 2020 / B3C newswire / -- Affarsvarldens IPO Guide announced that FluoGuide A/S (FluoGuide) won the 2019 share price development award in the micro-cap category and also received the honorary quality award. The IPO Guide is an independent analysis group that has reviewed all Swedish IPOs since 2017.

FluoGuides primary focus is to maximize surgical outcomes in oncology. The Companys first product, FG001, is designed to improve surgical precision by illuminating cancer cells intraoperatively. The improved precision enabled by FluoGuides products has a dual benefit  it reduces both the frequency of local recurrence post-surgery and lessens surgical sequelae. Ultimately, these improvements will improve a patients chance of achieving a complete cure and will lower system-wide healthcare costs. The Company is planning a proof-of-concept clinical study (phase I/IIa) to demonstrate the effect of FG001 in patients with glioblastoma.

FluoGuide is traded under the ticker FLUO on the Danish branch of the Swedish-based stock exchange (Spotlight Stock Market). Its shareholders are primarily from Denmark and Sweden; the number of shareholders has grown steadily since the Companys Initial Public Offering (IPO). FluoGuide was introduced on the Spotlight Stock Market in May 2019, after a significantly oversubscribed IPO.

Sweden is one of the most competitive IPO markets in Europe, said Morten Albrechtsen, CEO. The entire FluoGuide team is working hard to capture the enormous potential of the Company to help patients and benefit shareholders. We are extremely proud of this recognition from the independent IPO Guide.

Affarsvarldens IPO Guiden (IPO Guide) is an independent analysis group that reviews all IPOs in Sweden. In 2019, they reviewed 42 Swedish listings and ranked them by both quality and price development.

Our IPO Guide aims to investigate and analyze all listings for the benefit of investors. Feedback from the market is that the IPO Guide provides an incentive for higher quality  it provides a mechanism for bad apples to be exposed and the best examples to be praised, explained Peter Benson, Editor-in-Chief, Affarsvarlden.

Affarsvarldens IPO Guide applies a rigorous pre-IPO and post-IPO analysis identifying critical issues (24 predefined flags) with the aim of contributing to the quality of the IPO sector in Sweden. The awards are given in two categories. The first is Share Price Development, measured as the price development from initial subscription price onwards. It compares the relative price performance to the OMXS30, with a breakpoint 12 months after listing. As a measure, it is designed to be objective and simple. The second is Quality, which is more subjective as it relies on a jury that selects winners based on an overall assessment of three factors: 1) the lowest number of flags given in the pre- and post IPO analysis, 2) the share price development during the year, and 3) the jury's review.

Of the 13 micro-cap companies analyzed by Affarsvarldens IPO Guide, 5.2 flags were identified on average, compared to only 2 flags for FluoGuide. FluoGuides share price increased with 353% from its IPO to the end of the first 12 months post-listing. This compared to an average of 29% for FluoGuides peers.



Sedermera Fondkommission acted as Financial Advisor to FluoGuide for its IPO and recently completed warrant exercise, being part of the IPO which was subscribed by approximately 97.4% before guarantees. We have been very pleased with Sedermeras excellent advice over the course of our work with them, said Albrechtsen.

As the company's advisor since the IPO, we have followed FluoGuide closely and we are obviously extremely happy with the progress the company has made. In a relatively short time, FluoGuide has not only achieved its stated goals but also achieved them in a shorter time than projected. We know how ambitious FluoGuide is and are not surprised by the awards they have received, commented Hans Nilsson, Director of Corporate Finance at Sedermera Fondkommission.

The Company is established on a decade of research in the group of Professor Andreas Kjaer at Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen and was made possible by a Grand Solutions Grant from Innovation Fund Denmark. It is great to see how our scientific work with the support from Innovation Fund Denmark is developed to benefit cancer patients and taken further through an IPO to build a Scandinavian based company to the benefit of society

About Affarsvarldens IPO Guide

Affarsvarldens IPO Guide (in Swedish IPO-guiden) is an independent analyses group that has reviewed all IPOs in Sweden since 2017. The IPO-guide was started by SvD Borsplus (Svenska Dagbladet  a Swedish leading newspaper) and is now integrated into Affarsvarlden - one of Swedens best-selling business magazines known for in-depth company analyzes and pointed reports that broaden knowledge of the business world and financial market. With its constant stock market surveillance, Affarsvarlden is an important tool for both private individuals and companies seeking a deeper insight into the stock market.

About FluoGuide

FluoGuides primary focus is to maximize surgical outcomes in oncology. The Companys first product, FG001, is designed to improve surgical precision by illuminating cancer cells intraoperatively. The improved precision enabled by FluoGuides products has a dual benefit  it reduces both the frequency of local recurrence post-surgery and lessens surgical sequelae. Ultimately, these improvements will improve a patients chance of achieving a complete cure and will lower system-wide healthcare costs. The Company is planning a proof-of-concept clinical study (phase I/IIa) to demonstrate the effect of FG001 in patients with glioblastoma.

Contact

Morten Albrechtsen, CEO

+45 24 25 62 66

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Keywords: Humans; Health Care Costs; Medical Oncology; Disease Progression; Awards and Prizes; Treatment Outcome; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton; Glioblastoma; Sweden

Published by B3C newswire and shared through Newronic


WASHINGTON  Raquel and her sons fled gang threats in El Salvador, survived the weeks-long journey to the U.S., and then endured the Trump administrations 2018 separations at the southern border.

This month, she was finally going to get her chance to convince an immigration judge in San Francisco that she should be granted permanent asylum in the U.S., ending the agony of having to prepare for her court date by reliving the danger in her native country and her weeks of detention at the border.

Thanks to the coronavirus, she will have to endure the wait for three more years.

Its really traumatizing, because I have to keep telling them the same thing, Raquel said. I thought I had gotten over everything that had happened to me ... but every time I remember, I cant help crying.

Raquels case is one of hundreds of thousands in the immigration courts that are being delayed by the pandemic. The courts, run by the Justice Department, have been closed for health reasons in the same way that much of U.S. public life has been on hold. But many of those who work in the system say the Trump administration has handled the shutdown in an especially haphazard manner, increasing the stress on judges and attorneys in addition to immigrants and making it harder for the courts to bounce back.

There isnt a day that goes by that there isnt mass chaos behind this veil of business as usual, said Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges.

The Justice Department began postponing hearings for immigrants who are not in detention on March 18, and the delays have been extended every few weeks. Hearings are now set to resume June 15. But many courts technically remain open, including the one in San Francisco, with frequently changing statuses announced on social media and a website. It also took weeks for all judges to get laptops that would allow them to work remotely, said Tabaddor, who hears immigration cases in Los Angeles.

The scattershot communications make it difficult to prepare for if and when the hearings are held, immigrants say. And its worse for those who have no lawyer who can help navigate the changes. About one-third of immigrants with pending cases have no representation, according to Justice Department statistics, and missing a hearing is grounds for deportation.

The agencys inspector general is investigating the handling of the courts during the pandemic.

The Justice Department says it is being proactive in balancing safety with immigrants rights. A spokeswoman said the agency is deeply concerned for the health of its staff and the public.

In a recent legal filing, the director of the immigration courts, James McHenry, said a one size fits all approach to court closures and procedures wouldnt work, given varying situations at different locations.

With postponements happening on short notice, most immigrants fighting deportation feel they must prepare for court even if pandemic-caused delays seem likely. But doing so can force them to revisit the terrifying situations they say they came to the U.S. to escape.

None who spoke with The Chronicle said they wanted to risk their health by keeping the courts open. But they and their attorneys said they wished the administration was doing more to take immigrants and staffers needs into account.

Because the immigration courts already have a backlog of more than 1 million cases, it can take years for an asylum applicant such as Raquel to go before a judge. In the meantime, they build lives here, knowing that can be yanked away if theyre ordered deported.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Raquel and others whose hearings have been postponed wont go first when the courts reopen  they go to the back of the line. The alternative for the immigration courts would be a logistical nightmare of rescheduling everyone elses hearings, which are now booked years in advance.

The Trump administration ended the practice of prioritizing cases of criminal immigrants or recent arrivals, and has curtailed judges ability to simply close the case of a low-risk migrant less deserving of deportation, which would clear court schedules for more serious cases.

The Justice Department declined to say how many hearings have been postponed because of the pandemic. But a nonprofit statistics clearinghouse estimated that the government shutdown of 2018-19 resulted in the cancellation of 15,000 to 20,000 cases per week.

Raquels case is emblematic of the thousands that are now in limbo. The Chronicle has agreed not to use her real name out of her concern for her safety, in accordance with its anonymous sourcing policy.

Raquel says she came to the U.S. in 2018 because a gang in the area of El Salvador where she lived threatened her family after her two sons refused to join.

She was among the immigrant families that were forcibly separated at the border. She spent a month and a half apart from her teenage son as she was shuffled between detention centers and jails. She says she endured numerous indignities, including having to shower in front of guards and being shackled by her wrists and ankles.

It was the most bitter experience Ive ever had, she said in Spanish.

After finally being reunited with her son and released, Raquel rejoined her husband and other son who had come here previously, settling in San Francisco. She was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, which again made her feel like a prisoner.

I had never felt so hurt like I did in this country, which hurt me so much just for crossing a border illegally, Raquel said. That was the sin and the crime that we committed, and we paid a high price.

Raquel spoke with The Chronicle before receiving word that her May hearing was canceled. She and her attorney had felt forced to prepare despite a high likelihood of postponement, just in case the Justice Department forged ahead.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

San Francisco attorneys who are working with immigrants during the pandemic say it is an acute challenge. Stay-at-home orders complicate preparing for cases that could have life-and-death consequences for those who fled violence back home.

Inside the newsroom Anonymous sources: The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. Presenting information from an anonymous source occurs extremely rarely, and only when that information is considered crucial and all other on-the-record options have been exhausted. In such cases, The Chronicle has complete knowledge of the unnamed person's identity and of how that person is in position to know the information. The Chronicle's detailed policy governing the use of such sources, including the use of pseudonyms, is available on SFChronicle.com. See More Collapse

Difficulties include trying to submit 1,000-page filings from home, needing to discuss traumatic stories of domestic and sexual violence with immigrants who are sharing one-bedroom apartments with 10 other people, and navigating courts changing status on Twitter.

Its taking an already not-user-friendly system and spinning it into chaos to the extent that even savvy practitioners dont know how to get information, let alone the applicant, said Erin Quinn, an attorney in San Francisco with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

She added, The stakes are high, and at the same time, a comment I got yesterday from a practitioner was, Im tired of trying to figure out what to do with my practice based on tweets.

Judges and court staffers are also frustrated. On March 22, an unprecedented partnership was formed among the unions representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys who serve as prosecutors in the courts, judges and the association for attorneys who represent immigrants. They wrote a letter to the Justice Department demanding it close all the courts, not just postpone hearings for immigrants who are not in detention. The agency later expanded the ability of attorneys to appear by telephone and for some judges to work from home.

Even now, however, the Justice Department is requiring some judges and staff to come in to court to handle cases of immigrants who are being detained  those hearings have not been canceled  or to process filings.

It is very, very upsetting. Employees do not feel like they are, No. 1, being protected and, No. 2, you dont feel respected and valued, said Immigration Judge Dana Leigh Marks, president emerita of the judges union.

Marks and Tabaddor say its part of a Trump administration pattern of stripping immigration judges of their independence at the expense of fair proceedings an example of haste makes waste, Marks said. The Justice Department has set performance metrics to push judges to complete more cases, and Trumps attorneys general have issued rulings that made it more difficult for judges to prioritize their caseloads.

The Justice Department, for its part, says it is making the courts more efficient. In November, McHenry testified before Congress that his agency had made considerable progress in restoring (the courts) reputation as a fully functioning, efficient and impartial administrative court system fully capable of rendering timely decisions consistent with due process.

Quinn, the San Francisco attorney, said the Justice Department should work more closely with immigrants lawyers like Raquels to prioritize cases that are ready to move forward.

Everything this administration has done to speed up or deal with the backlog are actually actions that limit the meting out of justice in the courts, which even before this crisis have been gumming up the system further, Quinn said. We will see the impact of that now as we try to come out of this crisis.

Meanwhile, for immigrants like Raquel, the wait will continue. Even with the hardship, she says coming to the U.S. was worth the risks.

Its about protecting my children, she said. Ive always told my sons, if God let us get here, they have to take advantage of it. ... In my country, someone walks down the block and they get assaulted or kidnapped and nobody ever finds them. But not here. Here you feel safe.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Alexei Koseff contributed to this report.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
"We're talking about no business," Guillermo Garcia, 61, said of the shuttered Olvera Street. Garcia owns the restaurant La Noche Buena and the store Memo's Place at the popular tourist spot. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

It was a sad sight for Jorge Contreras: rows of blue, yellow and orange puestos, or market stalls, on Olvera Street were shuttered. Nineteenth-century brick buildings that house restaurants, shops and museums were closed, too. La Plaza, typically teeming with people, was empty and quiet.

"This place is not meant to feel sad," the 55-year-old hat seller said. "It's supposed to be a place of dance and celebration."

For nearly a century, Olvera Street merchants  many of them now descendants of original vendors  have sold handcrafted items such as pottery, candles and Mexican folk art. Their survival is intertwined with tourism and cultural events such as Day of the Dead, Blessing of the Animals and Las Posadas, a nine-day Christmas celebration.

But the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the future of Olvera Street. Tourism has nearly dried up. Stay-at-home orders and other restrictions prevent people from gathering at the plaza and narrow street. Even though restaurants can sell takeout orders, its difficult to do so from a marketplace that is enclosed by several streets that require people to park and walk to the eateries.

And now, three months in, more than 70 merchants are asking the city for help. At a recent Los Angeles City Council meeting, Councilman Jose Huizar, whose district includes Olvera Street, introduced a motion that would exempt the merchants from having to pay April and May rents. The City Council is also looking into extending time for commercial tenants to pay back rent.

Jorge Contreras, 55, has sold cowboy hats at his stall, now closed, for 11 years. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Olvera Street is part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, a city department that marks the oldest section of Los Angeles. In addition to the Olvera Street marketplace, it includes La Plaza de Cultura y Artes and several historic buildings.

Valerie Hanley, owner of Casa California and a member of the Olvera Street Merchants Assn., said both efforts proposed by the City Council would help.

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"We're going to really need the city to step in and say we're going to subsidize the department so us merchants don't have to until we can get back to normal, she said.

Arturo Chavez, general manager for El Pueblo de Los Angeles, said the department has an annual budget of $5.6 million, and most of its revenue comes from filming, parking lots, cultural events and rent from merchants.

He said because of the pandemic, the historic district is projected to see a revenue loss for fiscal 2019-2020 of about $1 million.

The marketplace, Chavez said, is in a difficult situation because most vendors sell specialty items and dont count as essential businesses. The market also relies on tourism and gatherings, which are either prohibited or on the decline.

"Weve never dealt with a situation like this," he said. "It's bad enough that you're not going to be able to open, and on top of that you have back rent."

"Thats why they want rent relief," he added.

Hanley said monthly rent for merchants ranges from $1,000 for small market stalls to $10,000 for larger businesses. She said she's worried about the future of Olvera Street and isnt sure how it will operate after the city reopens during the final phase of the stay-at-home order.

"We're going to be one of the last places to recover, just because we're one of those areas that rely quite heavily on tourism," she said. "It makes up about 40% to 70% of our business, and that's going to be nonexistent for a couple of years.

Hanley said this has led her to fear that generations of families who have helped preserve the citys Mexican heritage are on the verge of disappearing unless they get help.

"Ninety years of our legacy gone because of 90 days of hardship," she said. "We have families that have up to six generations on the street. How do you recover that?"

Hanleys ties to the area stretch back to 1930, around the time Olvera Street was established as a marketplace. She said her father worked there shining shoes.

"The only time he left the street was to fight in World War II," Hanley said, adding that he took part in the invasion of Normandy. "His other brothers fought in the Pacific. They all came back alive."

In the 1960s, her parents opened a business on Olvera Street, selling pottery, religious articles, pinatas and other items. They continue to sell the same types of products.

Baltazar Ayala, a cook at La Noche Buena, served a takeout meal to a customer on Wednesday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

On a warm Wednesday afternoon, Guillermo Garcia sat under the shade of a tree on Olvera Street, contemplating the future of his restaurant, La Noche Buena, and his shop, Memo's Place. He also thought about the merchants and employees he has befriended over the decades.

The 61-year-old resident of Silver Lake said he had reopened his restaurant for takeout the previous week because he wanted his employees to make money to pay their rent and bills. He said he has gone from 10 workers to just three, including himself.

"I'm trying," he said, looking down. "I'm trying to help my workers, but not many people have showed up."

In an effort to boost business, Garcia joined food delivery apps such as Postmates. Even then, he said, it was slow.

His Mexican restaurant was one of the first to have opened on Olvera Street. Before the coronavirus, the little restaurant was often filled with customers eating tacos and taquitos. Now, the wooden stools are stacked up and the tables crammed inside. At this rate, Garcia said, he could continue for another five months before he will be forced to close.

He said he needs to make about $40,000 each month to be able to pay his rent, employees, bills and other expenses.

Looking around, Garcia said seeing an empty Olvera Street was making him depressed and nostalgic for the days when crowds would swarm the marketplace. He said schoolchildren on tours would run around, and cultural events brought thousands to the street. He also missed the office workers his business depended on during the week.

"I look around and can't believe what I am seeing," he said. "It's empty and sad."

Garcia was a teen when he arrived in the United States from Durango, Mexico. He had come to work for his grandmother, who opened the restaurant in 1929. He took it over in 1993. He said he took over the shop from a friend four years later.

Financial hardship is not new for Garcia. His businesses have survived economic downturns, including the one after 9/11. Despite how difficult it got, people came to eat and shop on Olvera Street.

But now for the first time, there is nothing.

"I'm trying," he said. "I don't know what will happen."

As the sun began to set over the quiet marketplace, Isabel Caballero, 73, took a bite of a taquito. Her two friends sat next to her. The Pomona resident had grown up around the historic district. Seeing such a desolate place worried her.

This is our history, she said. We cant lose this place, for the sake of our grandchildren.
President Muhammadu Buhari has taken delivery of the Madagascar herbal formulation against the Coronavirus.

During 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.
The Clemson University Palmetto Poll recently gathered data from South Carolina residents to gauge their concern regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the state and national response to it.

Steven V. Miller, an associate professor in Clemsons political science department who designed the survey, said that in addition to providing a general glimpse into residents concerns with the pandemic, the survey revealed major differences in attitudes toward government response along partisan, racial and ethnic lines.

Analyses of the polls results suggest just over 75% of South Carolinians are at least moderately concerned about the pandemic in their area, and almost half of South Carolinians are somewhat worried or extremely worried about getting sick with the virus. Further analyses from the poll found the following regarding South Carolinians attitudes toward COVID-19:

Black South Carolinians are particularly concerned relative to white respondents. An estimated 68% of black South Carolinians are extremely concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak whereas an estimated 27% of white South Carolinians are extremely concerned.

An estimated 67% of black South Carolinians are somewhat or extremely worried about themselves getting sick with COVID-19 compared to an estimated 46% of white South Carolinians.

South Carolina Democrats are generally more concerned than South Carolina Republicans. An estimated 71% of South Carolina Democrats are somewhat or extremely worried they will become sick with COVID-19 compared to just 37% of South Carolina Republicans.

The biggest differences in attitudes in the poll concern the state and federal governments respective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and what the government should prioritize regarding the outbreak. The polls analyses also suggest:

South Carolinians are more dissatisfied than satisfied with the U.S. governments response (52% to 40%).

South Carolinians are similarly as dissatisfied with the state governments response (51% to 43%), though the differences are not as clear as attitudes about the federal governments response.

South Carolinians are effectively split 50/50 on approving or disapproving on how President Donald Trump handled the early response to the pandemic. However, an estimated majority of South Carolinians (55%), think Trump acted too slowly.

South Carolinians are comparably as split on whether COVID-19 has had bigger effects on public health or the economy, but an overwhelming majority of South Carolinians want the governments response to prioritize public health over the economy (63% to 26%) in dealing with the pandemic.

There is major partisan variation on these topics, according to Miller. Republicans were more satisfied than Democrats regarding the U.S. governments response (68% to 6%), are more likely to approve of Trumps handling of the COVID-19 outbreak (86% to 3%), and are less likely to think Trump acted too slowly (18% to 97%).

Miller said that Republicans in South Carolina put more weight on prioritizing the economy over public health (44% to 39%) than South Carolina Democrats, who almost unanimously prioritize public health in the governments response over the economy.

The Palmetto Poll is housed within Clemsons political science department and the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. The poll has contributed to the public dialogue among South Carolinians since 1999 by sharing information about the attitudes, behaviors and characteristics of the states voters.

While the poll has historically relied on traditional, phone-based polling methods, its latest survey employed social media responses to an online survey. Miller said that after removal of incomplete surveys and those that failed retention checks, the poll included 1,030 participants. The poll opened on April 21 and closed April 29.

The poll employed a statistical technique, known for shorthand as MRP, to minimize the effect of non-representativeness in an online sample in order to extract more reasonable estimates reported here. This technique of weighting survey results by known sociodemographic attributes of the population has been known to survey researchers for decades, but this method is becoming more prominent now. YouGov used this technique to much fanfare in forecasting recent UK elections. A group of researchers at Microsoft and Columbia University introduced the idea of political weights to successfully forecast the 2012 presidential election using online survey data.
The court of general jurisdiction of the Ajapnyak and Davtashen districts of Yerevan today postponed the trial over the case of former Prime Minister of Armenia, leader of the Christian-Democratic Union political party Khosrov Harutyunyan vs independent MP Arman Babajanyan today.

Harutyunyans attorney had filed a motion to postpone the trial due to the coronavirus, and Harutyunyan explained why the motion had been filed.

My attorney has a newborn and is self-isolated. When we were considering his attendance in court, I offered to hesitate, especially since the restrictions are being eased. This couldnt be interpreted as an occasion or opportunity to postpone the trial since we are the most interested in this trial, he said.

During the previous trial, the judge had proposed to solve the issue through a conciliator, but Harutyunyan had said that the parties hadnt come to terms.

When the National Assembly was electing the chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission on April 18, 2019, MP Arman Babajanyan addressed candidate Garegin Baghramyan and said the Commission had granted licenses to former top officials and servicemen for management of hydro power plants and water resources and had mentioned Khosrov Harutyunyan as one of those top officials.

Khosrov Harutyunyan has filed a lawsuit to the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction to oblige the MP to refute the information hurting his honor, dignity and business reputation and has filed a claim for AMD 2,000,000 as compensation for damage caused to his honor, dignity and business reputation.
A hidden Murray River rockshelter speaks volumes about local Aboriginal and European settlement in the Riverland, with symbols of conflict - including a swastika symbol - discovered in Aboriginal rock art.

The engravings studied in 188 engravings in a remote South Australian rockshelter are a stark reminder of colonial invasion and the strife brewing in Europe ahead of World War Two, Flinders University archaeologists have revealed.

The 'graffiti' has been etched over or adjacent to Aboriginal rock art at a culturally significant rockshelter in limestone cliffs of the Murray River near Waikerie in South Australia.

The engravings reveal the deep Aboriginal significance of the rockshelter, the traumatic period of European invasion, and the frontier conflict and ongoing impacts of colonial settlement, says lead author Flinders Associate Professor Amy Roberts, who works with members of the local Aboriginal community.

The archaeologists from Flinders University, in partnership with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, have published their observations in a new article in Australian Archaeology.

"Of the 188 motifs identified, only one engraving remained that could be positively identified as a pre-European Aboriginal design - a 'treelike' motif," Associate Professor Roberts says.

"The rest of the identifiable historical inscriptions were the work of members of frontier conflict/punitive expeditions, local European settlers and a non-local Aboriginal man. Of the motifs that can be confidently identified one incorporates a swastika, engraved in 1932."

The first European historical inscriptions were engraved by members of volunteer police parties on punitive expeditions, and were part of a historical trajectory that later culminated in the Rufus River Massacre.

"It is unlikely that police party members were unaware of this deliberate desecration when they added their names to the front of the shelter," says co-author Flinders University Professor Heather Burke.

The authors argue that these historical engravings breach the Aboriginal cultural space and represent the first acts of trespass and desecration.

Fiona Giles, co-chair of the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, says: "We need to tell these stories to protect our history and heritage so that our culture is respected and not lost.

"For us, as traditional owners, this rockshelter is a highly significant and special place. It tells the stories of our ancestors and shows our deep connection to the river and reminds us of how our people lived before Europeans invaded our world," she says.

###

The paper, 'Connection, trespass, identity and a swastika: mark-making and entanglements at Pudjinuk Rockshelter No. 1, South Australia'(April 2020) by Amy Roberts, Heather Burke, Catherine Morton and the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation has been published in Australian Archaeology DOI:10.1080/03122417.2019.1738666

Research at the Pudjinuk rockshelters is being funded by the Australian Research Council [LP170100479].
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For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Washington, May 18 : The US Air Force has successfully launched its Atlas V rocket, carrying a X-37B space plane for a secretive mission, a media report said on Monday.

The rocket launched on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, a day after bad weather halted plans for a Saturday launch, said the BBC report.

The aircraft, also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), will deploy a satellite into orbit and also test power-beaming technology.

It is the plane's sixth mission in space.

The launch was dedicated to front line workers and those affected by the pandemic.

A message including the words "America Strong" was written on the rocket's payload fairing.

X-37B is a classified programme and very little is known about it.

The Pentagon has revealed very few details about the drone's missions and capabilities in the past.

"This X-37B mission will host more experiments than any other prior missions," Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett had said earlier this month.

One of the experiments will test the effect of radiation on seeds and other materials.

The X-37B programme started in 1999, the BBC reported.

The aircraft resembles a smaller version of the manned space shuttles that were retired by the US space programme in 2011. It can glide back down through the atmosphere to land on a runway, just as the shuttle did.

Built by Boeing, the plane uses solar panels for power in orbit, measures over 29 ft long, has a wingspan of nearly 15ft and a weight of 4,989 kg.

The first plane flew in April 2010 and returned after an eight-month mission.
HOLYOKE  Staffing levels at the Holyoke Soldiers Home left the building fundamentally ill-equipped to provide quality care to veterans even before the outbreak of COVID-19 that has infected more than 75 percent of the residents, killing at least 74, although studies and audits showed the home had adequate numbers of employees.

The staffing levels, for the most part, have met state and federal levels, according to a study released on Monday by the Pioneer Institute, a public policy research firm, which examined staffing levels at the state-run long-term health care facility for elderly and infirm veterans.

But when the coronavirus spread through the home, managers started combining units and having as many as nine residents bunk in the dining room to deal with an employee shortage, creating crowded conditions at the home, the study said

State officials and leaders at the Soldiers Home seem to have applied the staffing standards correctly, said Andrew Mikula, who wrote the study with Greg Sullivan. The problem is that the standards themselves are not sufficient to protect the frail and elderly during normal times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic.

The study, Understaffing at Long-Term Care Facilities is not Unique to the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Its Embedded in Federal Standards, shows that the facility met the standard cited in a 2017 report by the state auditor that calls for a minimum of 2.5 hours of nursing for each resident for each day.

But as early as 2001 the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services recommended that regulators require 4.1 hours of nursing staff, including registered nurses, license practical nurses and certified nursing assistants, available at any nursing home. The study showed that standard is often not followed at long-term health facilities.

At HSH (the Soldiers Home), where most residents need substantial assistance to eat and use the bathroom, staffing standards would ideally be far above the current standard of 2.5 nursing hours per resident day as applied in the 2017 state audit, the report said.

Figures from 2014 show there were an average of 3.43 hours of staffing per resident for every 24 hours. The numbers ranged from unit-to-unit with averages ranging from 2.72 hours to 6 hours, the study said.

The study cites multiple audits and studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the state Auditors office and other agencies including a series of published by the Republican in 2017 that showed 600 residents injured by falls, some causing broken bones and other serious injuries, during a two-year period at the home.

The Office of the State Auditor report, published on December 14, 2017did not identify any issues with inadequate staffing, notwithstanding the workers union petition declaring that the Home was chronically understaffed. The only finding about staff adequacy in the auditors report concerns unnecessary payroll costs for overtime hours. In 2019, a Suffolk University report on the Holyoke Soldiers Home asserted that excessive overtime is one of the primary indicators of possible problems with staffing, but the 2017 audit report didnt make that connection, and thus the warnings of union representatives went unheeded, the Pioneer Institute report said.

State officials said they first learned the coronavirus was rapidly spreading in the Soldiers Home over the weekend of March 28 through union complaints and from a call from Mayor Alex Morse. The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services sent a team to examine the situation on March 30 and by noon placed Superintendent Bennett Walsh on paid administrative leave and tapped Val Liptak, CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital, to run the facility in his place. They also brought in a clinical team, which included experts in infectious diseases and called in about 160 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to assist the overwhelmed staff.

As of Friday, 74 residents have tested positive for the disease and 54 have tested negative but medical personnel are waiting for results of eight tests. When the first resident tested positive on March 21, there were about 210 veterans living at the home.

Walsh has denied any allegations of wrong-doing and mismanagement and said he alerted state officials to the growing crisis repeatedly but was given no assistance. He is fighting the homes Board of Trustees attempts to fire him in court.

By March 2020, when staff started calling in sick with COVID-19, management consolidated staffing resources by combining different floors of the facility and having up to nine residents sleep in the dining room, which only accelerated the spread of the virus among residents, the study said.

The head of the clinical team, Lisa Colombo, a registered nurse the executive vice chancellor for Commonwealth Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, told the Home Board of trustees in an April meeting that residents of 10 units had been combined into seven, creating overcrowding conditions that exacerbated the spread of the disease.

There had been a significant number of people out of work they were down to 40 people in a staff that was already small, Colombo said. They had consolidated it down to seven units and that resulted in overcrowding.

Currently, there are five different investigations into the circumstances that led to the 74 deaths. Gov. Charlie Bakers office, state Attorney General Maura Healey, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and State Inspector General Glenn Cunha have all ordered investigations. State legislators are also planning to hold a hearing once they return to session.

While these investigations should determine whether the Holyoke Soldiers Home was mismanaged, its also critical that federal staffing standards at nursing homes, which have been the subject of academic literature for decades, be investigated and, where appropriate, improved. Unfortunately, regulators at multiple levels of government inadequately implemented the recommendations of this literature, leaving long-term care facilities like the Holyoke Soldiers Home fundamentally ill-equipped to provide maximum-quality care to elderly veterans, let alone handle the COVID19 pandemic," the report said.

Related Content:
Co-authors Daria Hanolainen and Elena Semenova created and tested an experimental method of graphical vignettes - a set of incomplete comic strips which kids are asked to complete using their own creative vision. The paper discusses possible applications for the method.

To assess potential bullying episodes, the researchers tried to represent the most widespread types of bullying in graphical form.

13 girls and 6 boys aged 15 - 16 were asked to pass the comic strip test; thus, bullying could be studied as a group phenomenon.

Each of the respondents was given a set of four vignettes and asked to complete them in 20 minutes. They could write or draw whatever they wished. In the interview, the researchers avoided the term "bullying" and some associated words of Russian language to give the young people the freedom to assess the school atmosphere without loaded questions.

This new methodology adds to the existing number of instruments to research sensitive topics. The results show that graphical vignettes indeed provide an outlet for schoolchildren to formulate what's important for them personally.

The co-authors note, "We made an effort to make this experiment friendly for the kids and to explain to them who we are and what we do as scientists, while emphasizing how important their contribution is for us. Seeing the transparency of our approach and the value of our work, they showed readiness to cooperate. Thanks to their creative work with vignettes, the teenagers could relay important opinions. Some kids emphasized their inability to speak with teachers or adults about aggressors in their classes because of the fear to be misunderstood and to trigger an escalation of bullying."

The authors conclude that kids can openly discuss their problems and traumatic experiences with the use of the proposed methodology. Peer reviews note the uniqueness of their work.

This research will be presented during the forthcoming International Forum on Teacher Education at Kazan Federal University (27th May - 9th June 2020).

###
Harnessing today's technology to the task of fighting the coronavirus pandemic is turning out to be more complicated than it first appeared.

The first U.S. states that rolled out smartphone apps for tracing the contacts of COVID-19 patients are dealing with technical glitches and a general lack of interest by their residents.

A second wave of tech-assisted pandemic surveillance tools is on its way, this time with the imprimatur of tech giants Apple and Google. But those face their own issues, among them potential accuracy issues and the fact that they won't share any information with governments that could help track the spread of the illness.

Contact tracing is a pillar of infection control. It's traditionally conducted by trained public health workers who interview those who may have been exposed, then urge them to get tested and isolate themselves. Some estimates call for as many as 300,000 U.S. workers to do the work effectively, but so far those efforts have lagged.

Other tech companies like Salesforce have offered database tools to assist manual tracing efforts, although those also raise privacy concerns because of the need to collect and store detailed information about people's social connections, health status and whereabouts.

Privacy advocates warn that the danger of creating new government surveillance powers for the pandemic could lead to much bigger problems in the future.

In a new policy paper shared with The Associated Press, the American Civil Liberties Union is warning state governments to tread more carefully and establish stricter privacy procedures before deploying technology meant to detect and curb new coronavirus outbreaks.

Even the most privacy-minded tools, such as those to be released soon by Apple and Google, require constraints so that they don't become instruments of surveillance or oppression. The risks of getting it wrong are enormous, said Neema Singh Guliani, a senior legislative counsel with the ACLU.

ACLU's report says the worst location-tracking technology should be rejected outright, such as apps that track individual movements via satellite-based GPS technology and feed sensitive personal data into centralized government databases. Good designs don't require you to gather people's location information and store that, Singh Guliani said.

She urged governments to set rules addressing both privacy and efficacy so that surveillance tools don't interfere with more conventional public health methods.

Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota were the first U.S. states to launch voluntary phone apps that enable public health departments to track the location and connections of people who test positive for the coronavirus. But governors haven't had much luck getting the widespread participation needed for them to work effectively.

The state with the highest known rate of participation so far is South Dakota, where last week about 2% of residents had the Care19 app on their phones. Last week was also the first time it recorded a single infection. The same app is getting even less support in North Dakota.

This is a red state, said Crystal Wolfrum, a paralegal in Minot, North Dakota, who says she's one of the only people among her neighbors and friends to download the app.

They don't want to wear masks. They don't want to be told what to do. A lot of people I talk to are, like, 'Nope, you're not going to track me.' Wolfrum said she's doubtful that the app will be useful, both because of people's wariness and its poor performance. She gave it a bad review on



Google's app store after it failed to notice lengthy shopping trips she made one weekend to Walmart and Target stores.

North Dakota is now looking at starting a second app based on the Apple-Google technology. It was rushed to market, because of the urgent need, Vern Dosch, the state's contact tracing facilitator, told KFYR-TV in Bismarck.

We knew that it wouldn't be perfect. The ACLU is taking a more measured approach to the Apple and Google method, which will use Bluetooth wireless technology to automatically notify people about potential COVID-19 exposure without revealing anyone's identity to the government.

But even if the app is described as voluntary and personal health information never leaves the phone, the ACLU says it's important for governments to set additional safeguards to ensure that businesses and public agencies don't make showing the app a condition of access to jobs, public transit, grocery stores and other services.

Among the governments experimenting with the Apple-Google approach are the state of Washington and several European countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Highlights Swiggy on Monday announced that it will be laying off around 1100 of its employees

In a blog post, the company revealed that it will scale down businesses that are not going to be relevant

Swiggy will provide financial, emotional and career-related support to the impacted employees.

Online food delivery app Swiggy on Monday announced that it will be laying off around 1100 of its employees to absorb the impact of coronavirus pandemic. In a blog post, the company revealed that it will scale down businesses that are not going to be relevant for the next 18 months. They have also stated that the company will provide financial, emotional and career-related support to the impacted employees.

Swiggy co-founder and CEO Sriharsha Majety said in a blog post that the HR team and managers will have one on one conversations with the impacted employees and will provide them further details. The employees will receive communication from their managers about the continuity of their roles in Swiggy. He also said that despite being impacted heavily due to COVID, Swiggy is at an "inflection point for the penetration of digital commerce and home delivery in India." This pushes the company to further invest in the grocery and other essential services that will continue to do well in the days to come.

"In line with the above business decisions, we, unfortunately, have to part ways with 1100 of our employees spanning across grades and functions in the cities and head office over the next few days. This is easily the hardest and longest deliberate decision the management team and I have been faced with over recent times. We have been fortunate to have some of the brightest missionary talents in the country join us over the last few years, and I would like to state unequivocally that this is not at all a reflection of anyone's performance," Majety said in a blog.

Srihasha also revealed that the worst affected business is the cloud kitchens businesses. "Since the onset of COVID, we have already begun the process of shutting down our kitchen facilities temporarily or permanently, depending on their outlook and profitability profile. We are already operating at significantly lower levels on our staffing and physical infra than our earlier footprint, and will continue to optimize before we get more clarity on order volumes for food delivery," he said in a blog.

All the impacted employees in Swiggy will receive at least 3 months of salary irrespective of their notice period or tenure. The company will provide an "extra month of ex-gratia to employees in addition to their notice period pay, working out to between 3-8 months of salary depending on the tenure." Swiggy has also said that it will provide medical support to all the laid-off employees till December 31, 2020. They will also help the employees in finding new jobs. The employees will be allowed to keep their work-allocated laptops and get mobile communication allowance for the next three months for better connectivity.

Swiggy will also reimburse the travel and relocation expenses for employees who had changed cities to work with the company. The blog post shared by Swiggy was sent out to all the employees of Swiggy on May 18, 2020, by the co-founder and CEO.

Swiggy isn't the only company impacted due to COVID-19, earlier, its rival in India, Zomato had laid off around 13 per cent of its workforce. They had also announced temporary pay cuts of employees of up to 50 per cent and a major shift to remote working.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, on March 25, 2020.

WASHINGTON  The State Department inspector general who was removed from his job Friday was looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog, pick up his dry cleaning and make dinner reservations for Pompeo and his wife, among other personal errands, according to two congressional officials assigned to different committees.

The officials said they are working to learn whether former Inspector General Steve Linick may have had other ongoing investigations into Pompeo.

The officials say the staffer who was alleged to have been made to do personal tasks is a political appointee who was serving as a staff assistant. CNN reported last year that congressional Democrats were investigating a different complaint, this one from a whistleblower, alleging that Pompeo's diplomatic security agents were made to perform similar personal tasks.

More from NBC News:

Pompeo advised firing of State Department watchdog

Wisconsin nurse went to bar to help sister reopen, now apologizes

States face hundreds of billions in lost revenue

The House first obtained details of the inspector general investigation late last week after learning of Linick's sudden removal. Congressional oversight officials investigating the matter, believe the firing was direct retaliation for his pursuing the investigation.

A White House official told NBC News that Pompeo "recommended" Linick's ouster and that President Donald Trump agreed with the move.

The State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

In a letter Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Trump said it was "vital" to have "the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General."

"That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General," the letter said.

Linick's removal drew criticism from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus, who said Congress needs written reasons justifying a removal. "A general lack of confidence is simply not sufficient," he said.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Saturday that they're launching an investigation of Linick's removal. They asked the Trump administration to turn over records and other details related to the firing by Friday.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has also fired the intelligence community's watchdog, Michael Atkinson, and replaced acting Inspector General Glenn Fine at the Defense Department.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

Kazakhstan confirmed 35th death from coronavirus in the country, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Ministry of Healthcare.

The woman born 1961 passed away in countrys Almaty city.

On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans president signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to the coronavirus outbreak, which came in force on March 16 and was to last till April 15, 2020.

Later, by a decree of Kazakhstan's president, the emergency state period in Kazakhstan was extended till May 1, 2020, and then till May 11, 2020. The emergency state was somewhat eased on May 11, 2020 but at the same time it was extended in some Kazakh regions.

The first two cases of the coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020.

The total number of the coronavirus cases confirmed in Kazakhstan since the virus was first confirmed in the country stood at 6,440 cases. This includes 3,373 people who recovered from the coronavirus, and 35 patients who passed away.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Jeane Freeman said some 600 staff from within the NHS had been seconded, but others yet to be recruited - Jeff Mitchell/AFP/AFP

Hundreds of new NHS staff who will be vital if strict lockdown measures are to be eased in Scotland may not be in place until the end of the month, it has emerged.

SNP ministers came under fire after it emerged that no contact tracers have yet been recruited from outside the NHS, despite ministers saying a team of 2,000 is needed to implement their test, trace and isolate strategy. More than 8,000 people have applied to be contract tracers to date.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said the UK government has recruited 17,000 contact tracers for deployment south of the border. Opposition parties at Holyrood said the disparity raised serious questions about the Scottish Governments approach and whether an exit to lockdown would now be delayed.

Meanwhile, Jeane Freeman, the Health Secretary, was accused of making woeful excuses for her failure to notify the public of a major coronavirus outbreak at a Nike conference in Edinburgh in February.

She appeared to blame attendees at the event for failing to pass on enough information to health officials, after business owners said they believed their staff members had fallen ill after unwittingly coming into contact with infected delegates.

At a press briefing, Ms Freeman said that around 600 current NHS staff had been seconded to the new contact tracing teams but that work was ongoing to hire the other workers needed for the new system to be implemented.

I have every confidence that we will reach that number of 2,000 by the end of this month which is when we said we should have test, trace, isolate fully ready to go, because it needs to match any easement of lockdown that we may decide to take, she said.

I cant speak for what the NHS in England have done and nor would you expect me to. People who come into the roll of contact tracers, or the overall support programme for test, trace, isolate need to go through training, they need to go through pre-employment checks, which of course you would expect us to undertake to ensure that those they are in contact with have a degree of assurance of their personal safety. That work is underway.

Story continues

Under a strategy published at the start of the month, Nicola Sturgeon set out plans to recruit hundreds of new contact tracers. Under the plans, those testing positive for the virus will be asked to self-isolate at home, as will anyone who they have recently been within two metres of for 15 minutes or more. These people will be tracked down by the new teams.

Scotland had pursued a similar strategy in the early stages of the outbreak, but abandoned it due to a lack of capacity. New contact tracing technology will be tested in three health board areas from Monday, with the pilot to last for two weeks.

Jackson Carlaw, the Scottish Conservative leader, said ministers now faced a race against time to hire enough staff.

For weeks weve been asking for plans on how contact tracers would be recruited, and the SNP gave us no clarity whatsoever, he said.

It now appears that they were way behind on their preparations, and will be hard pushed to get the number of staff that we need in time.

The success of the test, trace, isolate scheme depends on having enough staff, and the SNPs lack of progress has put this and Scotlands ability to exit lockdown safely in jeopardy.

The Scottish Government also defended its handling of the outbreak at the Nike conference in February, after at least 25 people linked to the event contracted Covid-19.

Staff at an Edinburgh kilt hire shop who dressed delegated and those at a marketing company which shared an office with Nike in Glasgow fell ill with coronavirus symptoms but were never warned by health officials about the risk. Ms Sturgeon did not disclose details of the outbreak to the public, citing patient confidentiality. At the time, the test, trace and isolate strategy was still in place.

Ms Freeman said on Sunday that said there was no failure in the government's approach and that "all the proper clinical led standard protocols" were followed.

"If we are not told by someone all the contacts that they have had we cannot trace," she said. "We can only trace on the basis of what the trigger case says."

Ian Murray, the Edinburgh MP and Shadow Scottish Secretary, said the claim showed why it had been important to inform the public.

The Scottish Government still refuses to accept responsibility for this cover-up and its impact, with Jeane Freeman trying to point the finger of blame at those who attended, he said.

This is a woeful excuse from the Scottish Government. The explanation from Ms Freeman is surely the very reason the public should have been told.

If tracing is based on recall of everyone you have been in contact with then thats ineffective, so you have to inform the wider public.

Instead, the government chose to keep Scottish businesses and workers in the dark.

It also emerged that the Scottish Government is to seek new powers to take over failing care homes, with the number of cases in the facilities an ongoing concern.

Official figures suggest a far higher proportion of Scottish coronavirus deaths have been linked to care homes compared to south of the border, although Ms Sturgeon has claimed the totals may be underestimated in England and Wales.

SNP ministers will also consider whether to increase testing to all care home staff and residents. Currently, all staff and residents are tested at a care home whenever there is a confirmed case of Covid-19, but only "sample testing" is carried out in homes that do not have active cases.

Scottish care chief executive Donald Macaskill called for regular testing of all staff and residents, a move that would bring Scotland into line with England and Wales.

"It's not happening, we're still arguing for it. It is one of the ways in which will keep people safe," Mr Macaskill, whose organisation represents the private care home sector, told the BBC.
Jacinda Ardern has shut down a TV presenter over an inappropriate comment during a live interview.

The New Zealand Prime Minister was left red-faced on 'The AM Show' after host Ryan Bridge asked why she was dying her hair.

Mr Bridge asked Ms Ardern if she was trying to cover up greys in the embarrassing blunder on Monday morning.

'Why are you dyeing it anyway? Is it going grey or something?' Mr Bridge said.

Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has shut down a TV presenter over an inappropriate comment during a live interview

Ms Ardern laughed uncomfortably before reprimanding the host for intruding on her personal life.

'Never... never... never... that's not a polite question to ask anyone - I was about to say a lady - but anyone, actually,' she said.

After a brief silence she confirmed it was a 'little touch-up,' with a smile on her face.

The host tried to backpedal by giving her a compliment and justified asking the question because her high profile job would be likely to cause stress.

'Looks good, Prime Minister. And I only mention the grey hair because you are the prime minister and it does tend to age people. No harm intended, alright?'

Ms Ardern agreed, but remained visibly uncomfortable as she smiled through the rest of the interview.

'No, it does, it does, I fully acknowledge that. Yep. Thank you for the reminder,' she said.

The New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) was left red-faced on 'The AM Show' after host Ryan Bridge asked why she was dying her hair

The interview has divided the general public.

Some felt the line of questioning was 'rude' and 'disrespectful' and slammed the presenter for trying to generate controversy.

'It was a bit gross and personally intrusive. Mostly I just found it weird. Is this a normal behavior from this guy or was it just because he was interviewing the PM and wanted the segment and himself to be memorable,' one woman wrote.

'No respect and if this was a male Prime Minister he would not behave like this. Absolutely dreadful and extremely distasteful questioning,' another said.

Others felt Ms Ardern's response was 'precious' and it was an acceptable question because her husband had shared the personal information on social media.

Mr Bridge asked his Ardern if she was trying to cover up greys in the embarassing blunder on Monday morning

The comment was made after a tweet by Ms Ardern's husband Clark Gayford advising he had helped with a home beauty treatment overnight.

'Helped dye partners hair and gave daughter a haircut with scissors I bought at supermarket for $6. Remarkably both parties still talking to me,' he wrote.

New Zealand's leader has been forced to navigate awkward interviews in the past, including one with 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley in February 2018.

Mr Wooley was slammed online for comments about Ms Ardern which were described by viewers as 'patronising' and 'repugnant'.

The comment was made after a tweet by Ms Ardern's husband Clark Gayford advising he had helped with a home beauty treatment overnight

Ms Ardern (pictured) isn't the first female leader to face embarassing questioning from the media

'I've met a lot of Prime Ministers in my time, but none too young and not so many so smart, and never one so attractive,' the host said during the on-air chat.

Ms Ardern isn't the first female leader to face embarrassing questioning from the media.

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made international headlines in 2013 when 6PR Radio host Howard Sattler asked Ms Gillard is her hairdresser husband was gay.

Sattler said his question was based off 'myths' and 'rumours' circling the country's first female leader but continued the line of questioning despite Ms Gillard's obvious discomfort.

Sattler asked Ms Gillard to 'confirm that he's not gay' and asked if the two were in a in a heterosexual relationship.'

The journalist was promptly sacked after the 2013 interview after 28 years working for the Perth radio station.

Ms Gillard said these types of interviews could be seen as a deterrant for young women considering entering into the public sector.
Commentary Myanmars Return of Indian Rebels: Act of Friendship or Strategic Trade-Off?

India and Myanmar sign a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation in July 2019. / Embassy of India, Yangon

Myanmars recent deportation to India of 22 ethnic Assam and Meitei rebels marks a new level of cooperation between the two neighboring countries. But the question that immediately arises is: Is this part of a trade-off? And if so, what can Myanmar expect from it?

One thing is already clear, however. The move sends a strong message to Indian rebels active along the border that Myanmar will be taking a tougher stance against them from now on.

The 22 Indian rebels had been held in prisons in Myanmar since their arrest during a military operation conducted along the border with India from January to March last year.

On Friday, a special plane landed in Khamti, Sagaing Region, picked up the 22 rebels and flew them to India.

Shortly after the plane landed, a senior Indian official announced, This is a huge step for the Myanmar government and a reflection of the deepening ties between the two countries.

Other Indian officials acknowledged that the operation was part of a larger campaign of backdoor diplomacy.

News reports linked 12 of the 22 insurgents to four rebel groups based in Indias Manipur State: the United Liberation Front of Asom (or Assam) (ULFA), the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). The remaining 10 were linked to Assam State groups the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO).

It is difficult to know how many Indian rebels remain active on the Myanmar side of the border, but some observers familiar with ethnic armed insurgencies put the figure at between 2,000 and 3,000. There are at least six Manipur rebel groups active on Myanmar territory in addition to Naga rebels belonging to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K).

The UNLF is one of the strongest currently active in frontier areas, with some 2,000 members, informed sources say.

In Sagaing Region it has bases in Tamu Township, in western Homalin Township, and in the Naga Self-Administered Zone.

The rebels have also received military training from Myanmar insurgent groups including the Kachin Independence Army, as well as from former communists who are veterans of the now defunct Communist Party of Burma.

Swedish journalist Bertil Lintner, author of several books on Myanmar and ethnic insurgencies, wrote in the Asia Times: Ethnic insurgents opposed to New Delhis rule have maintained cross-border sanctuaries in Myanmar since the late 1960s. Previously, these rebel groups were known to trek through northern Myanmars rugged and mountainous terrain into China, where they historically have received guns and military training.

In the past, these rebels received support from China, particularly around the time Beijing and New Delhi fought a bloody war in 1962.

Today, China appears to have ended direct support for the Indian rebels, but Lintner added, Manipuri and Assamese rebel leaders are still given sanctuary in Chinas southern Yunnan province.

Until now, Indian rebels have enjoyed relative freedom to set up camps and fight for autonomy and separation from India on the Myanmar side of the two countries porous border, which stretches for more than 1,600 kilometers.

The longstanding border insurgency issue has been a constant irritant to bilateral relations, serving to fuel suspicion of Myanmar in New Delhi.

But Myanmars generals have begun to develop closer relations with New Delhi of late as a way to counter Chinas growing assertiveness and influence. The strategy is part of a geopolitical rebalancing of old and new partners in which Myanmar seeks to diversify its alliances.

It is important to note that over the last five years, India and Myanmar have deepened ties, as well as defense cooperation between the two countries militaries.

In 2019, Senior General Min Aung Hlaings nine-day visit to India marked a milestone in defense cooperation between the neighbors.

Myanmar is a key pillar of Indias Act East Policy towards prioritizing relations with its East Asian neighbors, reads an Indian Ministry of Defense statement released at the time. India has steadily increased defense cooperation with Myanmar in recent years.

The defense cooperation between Myanmar and India includes reviewing joint exercises, training Myanmar military personnel, strengthening maritime security via joint surveillance, capacity building, enhancing medical cooperation, cooperating on pollution responses and jointly developing new infrastructure, according to a statement from the Indian Ministry of Defense.

India transferred one of its Russian-made Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarines (Myanmars first submarine) to the Myanmar Navy later in 2019.

The sale followed the Indian and Myanmar navies maiden joint exercise in the Bay of Bengal in March 2018.

Myanmar also seeks New Delhis assistance in fighting the Arakan Army in Rakhine and Chin states.

Myanmar desperately wants ground intelligence, satellite images of AA bases and movements, information on arms smuggling routes, and intelligence on Muslim extremists who are active in northern Rakhine, including in the Mayu Mountain Range, and have strong links to the Middle East and Pakistan.

This is not the first time Myanmar and India have cooperated to track down separatist insurgents.

When Myanmar was under the military regime, New Delhi courted top military leaders including Vice Senior General Maung Aye, who was No. 2 in Myanmars ruling council. He served in both the State Law and Order Restoration Council and its successor, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye visited India several times and developed close ties with both government and military leaders in the country.

As an interesting counterpoint to this relationship, General Khin Nyunt, then Secretary 1 of the SPDC, was known to be close to China.

The army faction often accused Gen. Khin Nyunts powerful intelligence group of allowing Indian rebels to operate in Myanmar territory and of turning a blind eye to arms smuggling. Many Indian rebels buy arms, ammunition and explosives from black markets in Southeast Asia, including from Thailand.

In any case, after a long power struggle with the infantry faction, then intelligence chief and prime minister Gen. Khin Nyunt was ousted in 2004.

In Myint Thus 2014 biography of the late Prime Minister General Soe Win (no relation to current deputy commander-in-chief Vice Senior General Soe Win) the general describes how he confronted the Indian rebels active in Sagaing Region.

As a regional commander posted to the Myanmar militarys Northwestern Command, Gen. Soe Win kept informed of the movements and activities of rebels from Indias Manipur and Nagaland states, but difficult terrain and infrastructure problems hampered his ability to confront them.

He also accompanied his boss Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye to India and received a request from leaders there to take care of the issue of rebels in Myanmar territory. We dont have a policy to harbor insurgents nor refugee camps As we do with Thailand, we share a border with India rebels often cross back and forth, Gen. Soe Win said. But in the book the general admitted there are over 30 rebel groups from India active along the border.

Under his command, some Naga rebels were ambushed and slaughtered, but tracking down Manipur rebels and their hidden caches in Tamu posed a serious challenge.

He also needed clearance from headquarters for such operations, due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

Finally, in the early 2000s, his troops succeeded in capturing a major haul of weapons at a house in Tamu, a town on the Indian border.

More than 900 brand-new M21 automatic rifles and 9mm pistols, satellite communications equipment and a cache of ammunition were seized. The weapons and ammunition had been hidden in spaces underground and in the ceiling of the safe house. Several rebel leaders who had come from Manipur to inspect the weapons were also apprehended. The weapons belonged to the UNLF group, which had planned to send them to India shortly thereafter, according to the book. In fact, Indian intelligence had informed Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye of the intended date of arrival of those weapons on the Indian side. If Gen. Soe Win had not been able to raid the house and seize the cache on time, Myanmar would have lost face. The operation no doubt pleased New Delhi.

Perhaps more interesting was the route the weapons had taken. As described in Gen. Soe Wins biography, the Chinese-made weapons had made their way to Tamu via Yangon Port. The weapons went to Bangladesh first according to the book, then arrived in Yangon.

The weapons were unloaded at the port without going through any security checks, the author of the generals biography cites him as saying.

The weapons were then shipped in a container to Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, without any trouble, according to Gen. Soe Wins account.

Customs officials and police were kept in the dark about the containers contents; they took bribes and allowed it through their checkpoints.

Once in Mandalay, the automatic rifles and ammunition were hidden in extra gasoline tanks attached to trucks and shipped to Tamu.

That was in the early 2000s, when Myanmar was under the widely feared military regime. Rebels had little problem bringing lethal weapons into the jungle to fight their causes.

Indeed, numerous such shipments have escaped the attention of authorities and made their way to various rebel headquarters along the border.

Today, weapons continue to flow into rebels hands, and arms smugglers and brokers are enjoying something of heyday, making a fortune in Myanmar.

Perhaps some of the rebels recently deported to India will be able to enlighten Indian authorities about their operational activities, and the routes and safe houses they use along the Myanmar-India border.

But the Myanmar generals and government are playing a much more sophisticated game.

The handover of the rebels to India is part of Naypyitaws long gameperhaps we could call it a trade-offaimed at winning the trust and favor of New Delhi.

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There was a mild drama yesterday in Abuja when three pastors denied members of their churches to evade arrest by the Federal Capital Terr...

The pastors, Ibitoye Kayode of the Liberty Faith Gospel Church, Joshua Olaniru of Liberty Gate Ministry and Vitalis Udeazi of Dominion Chapel, were said to have congregated with their members on a commonly shared prayer mountain located around Lugbe Federal Housing, for worship when the Enforcement Team swooped on them.The leader of the Enforcement Team, Ikharo Attah, said some of the pastors even denied allegiance to their churches, as they tried in vain to hide their true identities during interrogation.According to him, the clerics fought vehemently to conceal their names and the names of their churches.Attah disclosed that after much argument between the pastors and their members, the clerics were arrested and arraigned before the mobile court for violating the ban.He said one of the pastors even denied before the task force that any of his members was present on the mountain top.The denial was said to have been protested by the members who said it was the same pastor who led them to the mountain for prayers.Why are you all denying these large groups of worshippers? No one among you agreed that anyone came to worship with them even when they turned out in large numbers. One of you even went ahead to deny being a pastor, Attah challenged the clerics.Another cleric, Pastor Effiong Bassey, of the Holiness Revival Ministry Church, Karamajiji, was apprehended for holding a church service to mark the 60th birthday of a retired military colonel, P. E. Ebong, who left the military in 2015.You cannot hold a worship service in defiance of the directives of the Commander in Chief just to mark the 60th birthday of a retired colonel. Even for a serving colonel it is very wrong. You have to come with us and explain it to the magistrate at the mobile court, Attah told Bassey.The arrested clerics were consequently arraigned before a Mobile Court presided over by Magistrate Akonni.Akonni found them guilty and fined them N5,000 each.
Joe Plenzler is a retired Marine Corps combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as the PAO to the 34th, 35th and 36th commandants of the Marine Corps.

"Hero" is a loaded word.

And since Sept. 11, 2001, the word "hero" has been frequently applied to members of the military, veterans and first responders.

We see evidence of this in our language -- the reflexive "thank you for your service."

We see it at large public events, such as ball games, and in smaller ways, like reserved veteran parking spots and store discounts.

We see it on public display during our national patriotic holidays.

Many in the military and veteran community are uncomfortable with the wide application of the word "hero," as heroism in the military context requires valor in the face of great physical or moral danger and persistence in the face of fear.

Our military culture recognizes heroes with personal decorations like the Medal of Honor. Our heroes are few and far between.

Because of this, many veterans are simultaneously thankful yet uncomfortable with being thanked for their service.

After 20 years of serving in uniform, I know these things to be true.

Veterans know what it's like to go to war and sacrifice for what we believe is right.

We know what it's like to be away from our families and friends for extended periods, and to bravely step forward to serve.

We know what it's like to enter the unknown and persist against adversity.

Although more than 1.6 million of us have deployed to the post-9/11 battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, most of us believe that we simply did what our nation asked us to do.

And many veterans who were decorated for heroism have told me that they are uncomfortable with individual public recognition and that their medals hang heavily on their chests or around their necks.

Some Medal of Honor recipients I know have given their decorations back to their combat units to honor fallen comrades and to symbolize that great acts on the battlefield are the result of their team's efforts.

But something interesting is happening in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: The public dialogue around the words "hero," "courage," "service" and "patriotism" is shifting.

We have seen new champions emerge to meet this global threat.

We have seen everyday people redefining and expanding our common conceptions of courage, patriotism and selfless service. These people have stepped into the unknown and risked their health to treat the ill, save lives, console survivors, and keep essential medical and food supplies moving.

We are witnessing this dynamic in the daily struggles of doctors, nurses, hospital workers, emergency medical technicians, pharmacists, farmworkers, truck drivers, grocery store clerks and many more.

It is good for our nation to thank and recognize them. Perhaps, when COVID-19 restrictions lift and we are again safe to come together in great numbers at public events, we ought to ask our COVID-19 responders to stand and be recognized?

This pandemic has revealed that what had often been considered to be everyday jobs are, in fact, essential elements of our civilization.

The truth is that it takes many people from many walks of life to make our society worth living in, and sometimes it takes a major threat to reveal what's essential to our continued health and happiness.

There are many lessons to be learned from the global tragedy unfolding around us, and we can find inspiration and hope in the actions of those who have stepped forward to meet this threat.

I encourage all veterans to seek out those who are protecting our society today and make a point of thanking them for their service.

All who are battling COVID-19 deserve our heartfelt thanks and admiration.

Most importantly, thank you for your service to our great nation.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
WALTHAM, Mass., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today announced it has received a contract from the U.S. government to provide highly specialized viral transport media (VTM) for COVID-19 sample collection. The VTM is used during collection of patient samples for proper transport to laboratories that can test for the presence of the virus.

To ensure accuracy of COVID-19 test results, VTM must be manufactured and dispensed into tubes in an aseptic environment. Thermo Fisher currently produces VTM at its site in Lenexa, Kansas, which meets this requirement, and has ramped production from 50,000 to more than one million VTM-filled tubes per week.

Given the significant demand for COVID-19 testing and associated sample collection, Thermo Fisher will expand capacity in Lenexa with a new $40 million facility dedicated to VTM production and quality control. The added capacity and increased efficiencies will allow the company to scale production to more than eight million VTM-filled tubes per week.

The company plans to complete the new Lenexa facility in Q3 and expects that it will create approximately 300 new full-time jobs.

"Our production ramp-up in Lenexa has been impressive and our employees deserve recognition for their ingenuity and dedication to making this happen," said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We have a proven blueprint for high-quality VTM production in Lenexa and look forward to bringing significant new capacity on line as quickly as possible to continue the necessary testing ramp-up in the U.S."

Casper added, "We're proud of our role in helping customers to battle the pandemic. With our leading scale and depth of capabilities, Thermo Fisher can support virtually every aspect of the COVID-19 response, which demonstrates what it means to be the world leader in serving science."

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

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- The Elimu TV duo was arrested while interviewing Tanzania residents on the COVID-19 situation in the East African nation

- Tanzania authorities said the two were in the country illegally and legal action would be taken against them

- The President John Pombe Magufuli's government has been on the spot for keeping COVID-19 figures under wraps and ignoring all safety measures to prevent infections

Two Kenyan journalists have been arrested for trespassing to Tanzania to do coronavirus stories.

The duo was apprehended on Saturday, May 16, at Namanga after they were found interviewing locals on COVID-19 matters in the virus-ravaged East African nation.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Kenya's cases jumps to 912 after 25 more patients test positive

Kenya-Tanzania border. The two journalists were said to be in Tanzania illegally. Photo: The Standard.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mzee Jackson Kibor's six children to undergo DNA test over land wrangles

According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, Clinton Isimbu and Kaleria Shadrack, both from Elimu TV, were in the country illegally and were detained at the Immigration offices in Arusha.

"The two suspects got into the country using unofficial routes and they have been held at the Immigration department for further disciplinary actions," the statement read.

READ ALSO: Magazeti ya Jumatatu, Mei 18: DP Ruto awashauri Duale na Kindiki kujiuzulu joto likiwazidi

This came as the Tanzania government was on the spot for keeping under wraps the COVID-19 situation in the country and ignoring all safety measures to prevent infections.

President John Pombe Magufuli said on Sunday, May 18, he would open all schools and allow all sporting activities since infections were dwindling at a higher rate.

He also said tourists would be allowed in his nation with no quarantine because he wanted to keep the economy going.

"When they arrive and their temperatures are taken and (show) no symptoms of coronavirus, there is no need for quarantine. Let them go and spectate on animals," Magufuli said.

He said this while revealing one of his children had recovered from coronavirus after taking lemons and ginger.

"My child got coronavirus, my own child that I brought into this world. The child locked himself in the room and treated himself-using lemons and ginger," Magufuli said.

He also lashed out at President Uhuru Kenyatta for closing the border between Kenya and Tanzania and termed the move as illogical and unnecessary.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

My wife pushed me to marry another woman - Pastor Habil Were | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
New Delhi, May 18 : BJP MP Gautam Gambhir lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal after the Delhi Chief Minister allowed a wide range of activities in the national capital including plying of DTC buses, cars and bikes, calling it a "death warrant".

Gambhir tweeted: "The decision to open up almost everything in one go can act as a DEATH WARRANT for Delhiites! I urge Delhi Govt to think again & again! One wrong move & everything will be over!!" The Delhi Chief Minister said on Monday that auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws will also be allowed with one passenger; taxis and cabs will be allowed with two passengers, and RTVs will be allowed with 11 passengers.

"The entire nation has been under lockdown for the past few weeks. I am sure we will win the fight against Covid-19. Cases have reached 10,000 in the city. About 45 per cent of people have recovered while 160 people have died," he said.

But, the BJP MP says the pace of relaxation should have been slow rather than immediate which he fears may cause more positive cases aggravating the situation.
Indonesian peacekeeping forces personnel march in a parade during the celebrations for the National Armed Forces Day at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta, Oct. 5, 2019.

When Indonesian leader Joko Jokowi Widodo sent a draft of a long-awaited presidential decree (Perpres) to parliament last week, he defined the militarys role in counter-terrorism.

That move spotlighted the latest setback to democracy in the country and a further erosion of civil-military relations that came about after the 1998 fall of President Suharto and the end of the New Order, his 32-year-old dictatorship backed by the armed forces.

After the May 2018 suicide bombings in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, parliament quickly passed a new counterterrorism bill. Security forces had argued that the 2003 counterterrorism law, passed following the Bali bombings, was insufficient.

The new law, which had been stalled for several years due to a number of highly controversial provisions, gives security forces the powers of preventative detention and extended the period of time that they could hold suspects before bringing charges. It broadens the definition of terrorism and criminalizes the act of traveling overseas to join a militant group.

The most controversial provision, however, was that it gave the armed forces (TNI) a formal counterterrorism role.

There was some logic to this. Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT), the first group in Indonesia to pledge allegiance to the extremist group known as Islamic State (IS), operated out of the dense jungles of Central Sulawesi. The police lacked the capabilities to engage in jungle warfare.

In a very controversial decision in 2015, Widodo allowed the TNI to have a very limited operational role in the Poso region. Operation Tinombala was forged. Meanwhile, MIT was significantly degraded after the killing of its leader, Santoso, although it remains stubbornly determined to regroup.

In June 2015, the then TNI chief Gen. Moeldoko established the Joint Special Operations Command (Koopsusgab), which included forces from the army, navy and the air force.

Yet, the new military chief, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, quickly disbanded the group, saying he was concerned about any political backlash regarding the TNIs lack of a legal basis for counterterror operations.

But since then, acquiring legal counterterrorism authorities has been a top priority for the TNI.

Competition with the police was a factor. The TNI has long been under differing international sanctions because of allegations linking it to human rights abuses dating back to the war in East Timor in the early-1990s.

Since 2003, the police have been the recipient of significant international aid, training and assistance to improve its capacities. The TNI sees counterterrorism as a way to increase its own share of the budgetary pie as well as be a potential for international assistance.

Clawback

The concerns from human rights and democracy activists about Jokowis May 10 decree are well-founded.

The push by the TNI for a formal counterterrorism role should be seen as part of an overall clawback of civilian actions and authorities, which the TNI had relinquished following the collapse of the New Order regime 22 years ago.

Widodos first minister of defense, Ryamizard Ryacudu, identified the greatest threats to the country as illegal narcotic, secessionism, communism, and LGBTQ rights. He espoused a national defense program, Bela Negara, which defined the militarys role in civil administration, internal security and food security.

The Surabaya bombings were the justification the TNI needed to assume a formal role in counterterrorism. On May 18, 2018, days after the bombing, but before the passage of the new Counterterrorism Law, the president had already authorized the reactivation of the Joint Special Operations Command.

In July 2019, TNI chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto announced the founding of the militarys 500-strong counter-terrorism force Kopassus, and requested an additional 1.5 trillion rupiah (U.S. $101.6 million) in government funding to set up the united purchase of new equipment.

A dangerous precedent

The military gaining a larger role in counterterrorism is a dangerous precedent. But is it even necessary?

For one thing, the Indonesian police and in particular their elite counterterrorism force, Densus-88, has done an outstanding job in mitigating the threat. Its hard to argue that they do not have sufficient powers and resources. Indeed, in 2019, Densus-88 doubled in size, and now operates in every province. JAD, the Indonesian umbrella grouping for pro-IS organizations, is significantly degraded.

Recent counterterrorist operations following the November 2019 suicide bombing in Medan and the knife attack on Gen. Wiranto, the coordinating minister for politics and security affairs, have led to the arrest of dozens of suspects. Likewise, counterterrorism officials have a better understanding how Jemaah Islamiyah has been regrouping.

There are also very legitimate legal concerns about how the militarys involvement in counterterrorism will impact court cases and other investigations. The military is trained to deliver lethal force. While military leaders argue that they can be deployed rapidly, they are not trained to arrest, collect evidence and maintain chains of evidence and custody that will be admissible in courts.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo gestures during a news briefing about an emergency hospital being built to treat coronavirus patients in the Riau Islands province, April 1, 2020. [Reuters]

Civil-military relations

Jokowi promised that he would issue a decree formally outlining in what conditions the military could involve itself.

The intention of the 2018 law was that the military could only operate in coordination with the police and the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), and not conduct independent operations. While this fell far short of being under the police chain of command that many had demanded, Jokowi pledged limitations on the militarys role.

But competing interests led to the prolonged drafting of the Perpres. And the draft guidelines appear to be a victory for the TNI.

The most controversial provision is that the military no longer has to conduct its operations in coordination with the police.

The wording in the regulation is intentionally vague and does not define what other operations are. There is adequate concern that it could be used to target political opponents, or non-violent activists in places such as Papua.

Members of Parliament have already warned that the guidelines are not specific enough, but it seems unlikely that the president is going to face sustained political pressure for him to amend the Perpres, and he has sufficient backing in parliament to pass it.

So why did the president cave in to the TNIs demands?

First, Jokowi proved himself during his first term to not be the political reformer many had expected. Although known as the first president with no ties to the New Order regime, Jokowi was reflexively more cautious and conservative than many had hoped.

Courting the generals bolstered his position, especially in the run-up to the 2019 presidential election, when his challenger, Prabowo Subianto, was going to make security the cornerstone of an opposition campaign.

Second, Jokowi has only become more beholden to the military, which he has used to backstop his poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jokowi has surrounded himself with generals, rather than public health officials, and has allowed the military to take a leading role in the response to the pandemic. The government has tried to silence criticism of its handling of COVID-19, and in a blow to government transparency, there are reports that the government will no longer provide daily statistics on the outbreak.

The militarys fingerprints are all over this.

Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College and Georgetown University in Washington and the author of Forging Peace in Southeast Asia: Insurgencies, Peace Processes, and Reconciliation. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or BenarNews.
Israeli troops wound man who crossed from Lebanon: Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a man who crossed from Lebanon into Israeli-held territory, the military said. The man was taken to an Israeli hospital. Details about his identity and condition were not known. A report in Lebanon said the man was a shepherd who had not crossed the frontier. The Israeli army said the incident occurred after he crossed into Shebaa Farms, a disputed enclave along the frontier between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israel says the enclave is part of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed. Lebanon and Syria say Shebaa Farms belongs to Lebanon.
Online symptom checkers are often inaccurate, scientists have warned. (Getty Images)

Many turn to Dr Google to diagnose a sore throat, abdominal cramp or mysterious rash.

With GP consultations going virtual amid the coronavirus outbreak, searching for answers online may seem the more convenient option.

Scientists from Edith Cowan University in Australia have discovered, however, these symptom checkers are only accurate around a third of the time.

This is concerning given Google is said to generate 70,000 health-related searches a minute.

Read more: Why you shouldnt trust Dr Google

While it may be tempting to use these tools to find out what may be causing your symptoms, most of the time they are unreliable at best and can be dangerous at worst, said lead author Michella Hill.

We've all been guilty of being 'cyberchondriacs' and googling at the first sign of a niggle or headache.

The reality is these websites and apps should be viewed very cautiously as they do not look at the whole picture; they don't know your medical history or other symptoms.

Symptom checkers should not replace face to face consultations once they are up and running, said the scientists. (Getty Images)

The scientists input symptoms of 48 medical conditions to 36 mobile and web-based symptom checkers available worldwide.

These checkers then use an algorithm or artificial intelligence to generate the most likely diagnoses.

Results, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found the correct diagnosis was listed as the top result just 36% of the time.

It was in the first three results in slightly over half (52%) of cases.

Read more: What Dr Google Means for The Future of Medical Care

Many symptom checkers advise users to seek face to face medical care if their condition seems serious.

The scientists found the recommendations on when and where to seek healthcare was accurate less than half (49%) the time.

We found the advice for seeking medical attention for emergency and urgent care cases was appropriate around 60% of the time, but for non-emergencies that dropped to 30% to 40%, said Hill.

Generally the triage advice erred on the side of caution, which in some ways is good but can lead to people going to an emergency department when they really don't need to.

Story continues

The scientists also worry people with a serious health concern may become complacent if a symptom checker suggests it is nothing to be concerned about.

For people who lack health knowledge, they may think the advice they're given is accurate or their condition is not serious when it may be, said Hill.

Read more: Learning how to manage 'cyberchondria'  the constant urge to Google your health

The scientists added symptom checkers can be useful, but should not replace doctor consultations.

These sites are not a replacement for going to the doctor, but they can be useful in providing more information once you do have an official diagnosis, said Hill.

We're also seeing symptom checkers being used to good effect with the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Kings College Londons COVID-19 symptom tracker app is allowing scientists to better understand the spread of the infection.

COVID-19 is the respiratory disease that can be triggered by the coronavirus.

For symptom checkers in general, the Australian scientists called for more government regulation and data assurance.

There is no real transparency or validation around how these sites are acquiring their data, said Hill.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, NHS patients can access accurate information via its website.

GP support and repeat prescriptions are available online.
German firms plan charter flights to send staff back to China

From:ChinaDaily | 2020-05-18 11:10

German companies plan to charter a flight to China this month, as soon as May 25, to send their employees back to China, AFP reported.

Talks are underway for "a fast-track procedure" allowing employees of German companies to re-enter China on the special flight, Jens Hildebrandt, executive director for the German Chamber of Commerce in North China, told AFP.

German flag-carrier Lufthansa is expected to handle the first flight. A charter flight with 200 seats could leave Frankfurt for Shanghai Pudong airport on May 25, with passengers subject to mandatory COVID-19 tests before departure.

Foreign nationals eligible to apply for the flight include those needed for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities -- or those who have to travel due to emergency humanitarian needs.

Passengers will need proof of a negative COVID-19 test result valid for 48 hours before their departure issued by their company doctor, local health authorities or an institute providing commercial tests.

Upon arrival in China, they will need to take another COVID-19 and antibody test, and have to undergo a mandatory quarantine for 48 hours in Shanghai.

The expected economy-class ticket price is around 2,500 euros ($2,700), AFP said. The cost for COVID-19 testing, accommodation and transport involved in the return to China will be borne by companies.

There may be more charter flights later, if the first proves to be successful, Hildebrandt added.

In 2019, China became Germany's biggest trading partner for the fourth straight year, with 205.7 billion euros worth of goods traded, according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office. Last year, Germany imported 109.7 billion euros worth of goods from China, up 3.4 percent year-on-year.

China is working with some countries and regions to set up "fast-track channels" for urgently required personnel, Gao Feng, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday.

On May 1, two charter flights from Seoul with 136 South Korean technicians and supply representatives landed at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, marking the first batch of foreigners to return to Wuhan, Hubei province, to resume work since the novel coronavirus outbreak began late last year.
Themed "Fighting COVID-19: The Beacon of Science", the event, organized by China Daily, was broadcast on multiple media platforms on Sunday to a global audience. Four prominent speakers shared their personal accounts of how China and the international community have been battling the pandemic together, and they offered insights on how to strengthen the role of science in tackling public health emergencies.

Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, assistant director-general for natural sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said that "the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated a unique and productive international solidarity among scientists across the world."

"They are exchanging scientific and technological data, and information beyond borders," she said, adding that Chinese scientists published the "extremely important" genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus very early, which enabled other countries to develop screening tests.

"(The sharing) promoted open science and scientific collaboration across the world," she said. "We need to boost scientific input in decision-making and preparedness," she said, thus allowing "science as a beacon to inform governance."

Nair-Bedouelle said UNESCO warmly welcomes the open science COVID-19 platform set up by Chinese scientists. "The initiative is really in the spirit of making science more accessible, more connected to societal needs, and promoting equal opportunities for people and scientists across the world."

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that China has promptly published information related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and shared its practice with rest of the world.

He said China was the first to report the outbreak to the WHO, the first to share the genetic sequence of the virus, and the first to mobilize international collaboration against the disease. Moreover, China has taken swift and drastic measures that effectively stemmed the spread of the virus.

As an expert who also participated in containing the SARS outbreak in 2003, Wu said improved scientific and technological development in China in recent years had greatly contributed to the quick response to COVID-19, making possible the quick identification of the new virus and the development of testing kits for diagnosis. "We have seen a big progress in this aspect compared with the SARS outbreak 17 years ago," he said.

Wu said controlling the COVID-19 outbreak is not a task for one country, but a global endeavor. "All countries need to collaborate to finally win the battle against COVID-19," he said.

Denis Depoux, global managing director of consulting firm Roland Berger, said that technology and innovation have been paramount in the fight against the crisis, "because they provide a slate of solutions".

"Innovation helped overcome the constraints, bridge gaps, and generate new growth opportunities," he said.

"This type of situation is exactly where the Chinese innovation magic plays best. China is the cradle of design thinking, or inventing practical solutions to problems, through super-pragmatic innovation," Depoux added.

Such innovations are not only manifested in key areas like protective equipment, symptom tracking, online education and health consultation, but also flourish in small, "connect the dots" applications that make lives easier in times of crisis, he said.

On the high-tech front, artificial intelligence companies have developed solutions to check if people are wearing masks, help register and track individuals in transit, and identify possible cases, he said.

Depoux said the COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the digitization and modernization of companies, schools and the government. This trend will create or accelerate new sources of revenues as companies and individuals are more daring and willing to adopt new solutions during these changing times.

Sunney Xie, director of the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics at Peking University, recalled his personal story of working at Harvard University, which demonstrates the importance of Sino-US cooperation.

"Sino-US collaboration is mutually beneficial, contrary to what Americans are led to believe that China is the sole beneficiary," he said.

When he was teaching at Harvard University, he worked together with Chinese scientists and created a new way to safely screen embryos for genetic disorders. Since 2014. the method has been adopted in the US, China and the rest of the world.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Xie said he has witnessed all kinds of global response, including medical aid, voluntary work, generous donations, collaborative research and internet seminars.

"The virus knows no borders, and the same goes for our fight against it," he said.

Xie said his latest goal is to find the neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 survivors and inject them into patients as a substitute for plasma therapy, which has shown efficacy against the disease but is also difficult to scale up due to limited supply.

"Being scientists, we all believe that it is science, not politics, that will save mankind from the disaster of COVID-19 and other disasters yet to come," he said. "Diseases have no borders, neither does research, nor should humanity."

Launched in 2018 by China Daily, Vision China invites renowned political, business and academic speakers to tell China's story from global perspectives and discuss major China-related topics of international interest. It aims to become a broad platform to make China's voice better heard in the world, as well as to build a new channel to respond to global concerns on major China-related issues.

Sunday's event, supported by Huawei Technologies, Wuhan No 1 Hospital and Yiling Pharmaceutical, was the 12th Vision China event. It was also the third Vision China event related to the fight against COVID-19, after one with the theme "Fighting COVID-19: We are all Together" on March 31 and "Young Voices: Shared Future & Better Tomorrow" on April 16.

SOURCE China Daily
Sri Lanka will mark the 11th anniversary of its victory over the LTTE with a low key state ceremony on Tuesday, amidst the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Tamil separatist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which led an armed rebellion for over three decades against the Sri Lankan government to set up a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern province of the island nation was defeated by the Army in May 2009.

"This year the celebrations will be held at a simple scale. The main ceremony is to take place near Parliament tomorrow and the occasion is to be graced by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa," Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, the Army Commander told reporters here.

The Sri Lankan Government would be holding a restricted state commemoration ceremony on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would be graced by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

A large number of war heroes would be commemorated during the occasion.

On May 19, 2009, the formal end to the bloody separatist war was signalled with the discovery of the body of the feared LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran.

Lt Gen. Silva headed one of the Army divisions which cornered the LTTE in Army's final victory and President Rajapaksa was the top defense bureaucrat under his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa's then presidency.

Silva said the close relatives of war heroes will attend the restricted commemoration ceremony in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 981 infections of coronavirus with 9 deaths.

Silva said the Army is to give its biggest share of promotions to the lower rankers to coincide with the Hero's Day on Tuesday. Some 14,617 of them are to be elevated to their next rank.

The Army chief said that 23,962 soldiers, 1,160 sailors, 440 Air Force men, 2,598 policemen and 456 civil defense force cadres, who were killed during the three decades old conflict, would be commemorated at tomorrow's ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Tamil groups claimed that the military was keeping a close watch on the organisers of commemorations marked for the Tamils who died in the final battle.

They would light candles in their remembrance.

The LTTE was fighting the government troops since the mid 1970s to set up a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern regions of the island nation.

Sri Lanka's human rights record, particularly over the impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been the subject of international condemnation.

The UN Human Rights Council has called for an international probe into the alleged war crimes during the military conflict with the LTTE.

According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts, including the war with Lankan Tamils which claimed at least 100,000 lives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Governors Expect Schools to Open This Fall, but With Tweaks

A trio of governors over the weekend sounded positive note about bringing children in their states back to school this fall.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who previously served as a member of the Colorado State Board of Education, said during an interview on Fox News Sunday that he was hopeful public schools would reopen for the upcoming semester, although its not going to look like any other school year.

Schools need to function, they are going to function, Polis told host Chris Wallace. Its also going to be somewhat of a hybrid environment, meaning there might be times during the year theres an outbreak at a school that it has to convert to online for a period of weeks until its reasonably safe to return to school.

The Democratic governor also noted that day-to-day schedules are likely to be modified to reduce interactions in hallways and lunchtime, in order to slow the spread when theres an inevitable outbreak.

I made that very clear to our superintendents, I hope other governors across the nation are doing that, he added. You need that social side, right, and its a little bit harder to get that social side in an online setting. But academically, there are no excuses for every kid not to be able to accomplish their grade-level work.

Students leave the Thurgood Marshal Elementary school after the Seattle Public School system was abruptly closed due to CCP virus fears in Seattle, Wash., on March 11, 2020. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, also expressed optimism about schools reopening in his state while recommending caution. Although a phased reopening of Ohios economy has already begun on May 1, public schools in the state will remain closed through the remainder of the current school year.

What I have asked the schools to do is to assume theyre going back, but to come up with all kinds of alternatives, DeWine said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Assume, if youre back, for example, how do you achieve some sort of distancing?

But we hope to be open in August, when school starts back up in most places in Ohio, but we dont know yet, frankly. DeWine said, adding that schools districts should come up with very specific plans based on their own unique situation, as well as guidance from their local health officials.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a separate interview on CNN, said that he expected to see many schools, if not all, in his state reopen this fall.

I think some schools will not be, many schools will be conditioned on our ability to keep our faculty and students safe, said the Democratic governor. Theres nuance. But we are moving forward, in hope and expectation that we can start that school year very strategically and methodically, again, based upon the health as a prime frame of reference in terms of those decisions.

California has been moving deeper into phase 2 of Newsoms 4-phased plan, which means that businesses deemed lower risk will be allowed to reopen. Those businesses include some stores that sell merchandise like clothing, sporting equipment, flowers, and books. Schools are not included in phase 2.
Pompeo Warns US May Reassess Hong Kong Status After Alleged Attack on Press

Sputnik News

21:14 GMT 17.05.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned China on Sunday that the United States could change its view of Hong Kong's status in light of what it sees as interference with free press.

The State Department has delayed until 22 May a report to Congress on the state of the former British colony's autonomy from China, which guarantees it special treatment.

"Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems, and the status of the territory", he said in a press release.

Pompeo said he had been alerted to what he said were threats by the Chinese government to "interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong".

"These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world", he argued.

The US-China standoff escalated in March after Beijing said it would expel several journalists from three US publications and bar them from working in Hong Kong after Washington labeled Chinese state news outlets in the US as foreign agents. Washington claims Beijing's actions to be an attempt by the Chinese authorities to impede the work of journalists in the country.

Before that in February, China revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters for publishing an opinion piece by foreign policy scholar Walter Russell Mead that was critical of China's efforts against the coronavirus disease.

A Sputnik

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People who fail to comply with the directive to wear nose masks in the Ashanti Region will be made to undertake instant community service as punishment.



The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) last week instructed the police in the region to enforce the directive on the wearing of nose masks, especially on those accessing public areas.



Following the directive, the police last Friday begun an exercise to enforce the directive.



Community service



The exercise, carried out mainly in the Kumasi metropolis, saw the arrest of about 30 people, mainly trotro mates.



They were made to sweep and pick litter from the streets for a maximum of 10 minutes before being released.



The police also used the opportunity to educate the public on the need to wear nose masks to protect themselves from contracting the virus and also spreading it.



Checking compliance



In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Godwin Ahianyo, said the exercise was mainly to enforce compliance with the directive on the wearing of nose masks and physical distancing.



The police, he said, had used the previous weeks to educate the various transport unions in the region on the need for their members to wear the nose masks, as well as insist on their passengers wearing the masks before boarding their vehicles.



He said the police also used the occasion to distribute some nose masks to some identified members of the public



According to him, most people were complying with the directive, with just very few recalcitrants, most of whom were drivers mates.



Sustained



He said the exercise would be sustained until all residents complied with the directive and the wearing of nose masks became the new norm.



The exercise would be extended to the rest of the districts in the region, he added.



The first day of the exercise saw the team move from the Bekwai Roundabout, through the Harper Road, Bantama to the Labour Roundabout area.

Source: Daily Graphic









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For thousands of men from Ganjam district, such as Sadashiva Dakua, desperate to make a living, Surat in Gujarat has been nothing short of El Dorado.

Despite its overflowing sewers and cramped rooms, Surat has been a huge draw for many young men of Odisha, especially Ganjam district, where dreams of a well-paid job die as fast as they begin.

Now quarantined with 70 others at a school in Ganjams Polasara block, after a train journey back to his home 10 days ago, the 36-year-old is hoping he doesnt test positive. Ganjam has 307 Covid-19 cases, accounting for more than a third of Odishas total of 876 cases, and the administrations focus is on migrant workers such as Dakua, whose influx has pushed up Covid-19 cases in Odisha. Of the 876 cases, migrant workers accounted for almost 750 cases.

Till May 2, when the first case was detected in Ganjam, we managed to keep things under control. But as more and more migrant workers arrived from Surat, the positive cases zoomed, said Ganjams chief district medical officer (CDMO) Umashankar Mishra.

Once hailed in Ganjam for the money that they remitted back home, the tag of Surat returnee has become a cross too heavy to bear for the migrants.

His words are echoed by several people. Why did they have to come at all? They will now ruin us, said Meghnad Pradhan of Polasara, where the first death due to Covid-19 was recorded last week.

CURSED BY LOCALS, BUT LEFT WITH NO CHOICES

Though cursed by the people of Ganjam for bringing them misery, migrant workers such as Dakua had no option but to leave Surat. Having studied up to Class 10, and with few financial resources, Dakua migrated to Gujarats textile hub 20 years ago. In between, he married and now has a 10-member family in Jilundi village of Bhanjanagar block. Even before the lockdown, he never had a steady job as he moved from one company to another with little job security.

Tell me, what should I have done instead of fleeing? I not only lost my job in the textile factory, I had to share the 10x10-foot room at Surat with five others as they had lost their jobs. In normal times, only half of us would be in the room at any given point of time as our work hours alternated. It was too difficult and scary to live in the cramped room with no money. Several migrant workers in Surat were testing positive and I was scared whether I would be alive, said Dakua.

Several miles away, in a quarantine centre of Khallikote block, Kalu Charan Panigrahi cant forget how he escaped, though he was better off with regular payments and an ESI subscription that allowed him to get treated at hospital without spending anything from his own pocket.

I had food for just a fortnight, but was unsure about the lockdown ending. I was scared of queuing up for food as I thought I may end up infecting my 2.5-month-old daughter and my wife, said Panigrahi, who bought two train tickets for Rs 750 each with much difficulty.

Babuli Behera and two of his friends from Polasara block were less fortunate. They used their decrepit bicycles to leave Surat. Behera, 40, has been a regular at Surats textile mills for the past 15 years. On April 16, he took his Hercules bicycle, charged his feature phone and switched it off as he and his friends rode their bicycles from Surat, through Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, to Odisha over 10 days. He survived on biscuits and odd handouts on the way, and feels happy that he is out of the Corona narak (hell).

I had no job and no money left. I would have died of the disease had I stayed a little longer, said Behera.

Such stories get repeated across the quarantine centres of Ganjam, home to 55,000 migrant workers who have returned from Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states.

MIGRANTS SWELLED

Having travelled from the Covid-19 hot spots, these workers have swelled the Covid-19 cases of Ganjam in 16 days. From the first case on May 2, when an 18-year-old tested positive, the numbers have gone up to 307 on May 18, clocking around 20 cases a day on an average.

Ganjams district collector Vijay Amrita Kulange said despite the increase in cases, there is little to be worry about as the infections are all from quarantine centres. There is no reason to panic as no community transmission has happened so far, he said.

But Ganjam may have seen only the tip of the iceberg as only 5,000 samples from the 55,000 migrant workers have been tested so far. Till Sunday evening, 1,800 samples were pending with labs. In several quarantine centres, only a handful who showed symptoms of Covid-19 have been tested. In the quarantine centre at Mathura village of Khallikote block, none of the 37 who arrived from Surat have been tested.

We are ramping up testing facilities. We are testing 500 samples now and would soon test 1,000 a day. Then we can test almost everyone, said Ganjam CDMOs Mishra.

But with another 50,000 migrants expected to arrive at the quarantine centres, there is no certainty when a significant number of people at the centres can be tested.

At the centres, arrangements are hardly as perfect as the administration makes them out to be in social media posts. More than 150 people left a centre in Beguniapada block and people milled around in some other centres, handing over tobacco and other items, and there are also complaints of poor hygiene and food quality.

In Dhunkapada quarantine centre, four buckets have been given for 10 inmates while the single bottle of hand-wash for 73 people is almost exhausted. The toilets are stinking. With the gates shut, it feels as if we are serving a sentence in jail, said Nakula Patra.

We have not been tested for Covid-19 so far. Officials toss the medicines to us from a distance, said another inmate who didnt want to be named. Adding to the distrust is villagers guarding the local pond over suspicion that some workers may scale the wall of the quarantine centre and bathe there.

Outside, people discuss openly how the migrants are polluting the villages resentful of administrations decision of quarantining the migrant workers right inside village schools and colleges.

NO SOCIAL DISTANCING

Even as Covid-19 cases increase in Ganjam, there seems to be little social distancing. In Madhupali village, home to Ganjams first Covid-19 victim, a 40-year-old man who returned from Surat, his kin milled together while conducting his last rites.

Prafulla Behera died in a quarantine centre 10 days ago, just a few days after he arrived there. He left behind a wife and four daughters, the youngest one only give months old. None of the people who attended an event held 10 days after his death wore a mask or maintained social distancing.

In other villages of Ganjam, the concept of social distancing isnt being observed. Very few wear masks or seem to appreciate the importance of such protection while going on with their daily lives.

The real test will be ensuring social distancing in daily lives. In Odishas villages, people believe in social mixing and not distancing. Once a Covid-19 positive case in a quarantine centre infects someone outside, community transmission will only be a matter of time, said Binod Patra, head of the community medicine department of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. People are now not worried as Odisha has not seen higher death tolls like Gujarat and Maharashtra. Once that happens, it may be catastrophic.

POST-COVID WORRY

While the increasing infections are worrying the government, reverse migration is keeping state officials equally worried. Ganjam is chief minister Naveen Patnaiks home district and any potential social unrest here due to reverse migration may be politically uncomfortable for him. A significant rise in the number of migrant workers is expected to strain resources at a time when there is little scope of raising revenue. A rapid assessment of people returning to Odisha, done by the NGO Gram Vikas and Keralas Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development this month, found the migrant workers who have returned will need a monthly income of Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000 at their native places to go on with their lives.

Biswajit Bhoi, who teaches economics at the Central University of Koraput, said this is easier said than done. The unemployment rate in 2017-18 stood at 7.1% in Odisha, against the all India average of 6.1%. To give more money into the hands of these migrant workers, the government needs to ramp up MGNREGA workers. But how will the government do NREGA work in the next four months of the monsoon? he asked.

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Tropical Cyclone Amphan has intensified into the equivalent of a Category 5 storm as it tracks toward India and Bangladesh through the Bay of Bengal

Maximum sustained winds in Cyclone Amphan increased from 75 mph to 160 mph in just 24 hours from Sunday afternoon into Monday afternoon, India time, said a report issued by Weather.com meteologists.

Weather.com noted that peak impacts from the storm are likely to occur from late Tuesday through Wednesday local time, with its center crossing the coast between Kolkata, India, and Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Wednesday morning.

Storm Surge

The report warned that eastern India and Bangladesh are potentially vulnerable to catastrophic storm surge as a result of Amphans large size and extreme intensity, which will push a large amount of water northward through the Bay of Bengal.

A storm surge of up to 13 to 16 feet is possible over parts of West Bengal, with 10 to 13 feet possible into Bangladesh, said the Weather.com report, quoting Indias Meteorological Department (IMD).

The center of Amphan should cross the coast between Kolkata, India, and Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Wednesday morning local time.

Tropical Cyclones in Bay of Bengal

The triangular shape of the Bay of Bengal acts as a funnel pushing storm-surge waters into Bangladesh, said the report, noting that, as a result, storm surge has been the big killer in the most deadly Bay of Bengal cyclones.

During the past two centuries, 42% of the Earths tropical cyclone-associated deaths have occurred in Bangladesh and 27% have occurred in India, said Weather.com. The deadliest storm in world history, the 1970 Bhola Cyclone of 1970, killed an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 when it made landfall in Bangladesh on Nov. 12, bringing a storm surge estimated at up to 10.4 meters (34 feet) to the coast.

About Weather.com

Weather.com is a sister company of Weather Underground, both of which are subsidiaries of IBM.

Topics Windstorm India
The Catholic Diocese of Wiawso in support of the countrys fight against the deadly COVID-19 epidemic has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to three institutions in the Western North Region.



The beneficiaries are; Bibiani Government hospital, Ghana Police Service Division at Bibiani and the Saint John of God Catholic hospital at Sefwi Asafo.



Each of them received forehead thermometers, surgical face masks, Veronica buckets with wooden stands and receptive buckets, litter bins, cartons of alcohol based hand sanitizers, tissue paper, liquid soaps and surgical gloves.



Presenting the items on behalf of the Diocese, the Vicar General of Wiawso Diocese and the Parish Priest of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Enchi, Reverend Monsignor Simon Assamoah, said they have decided to assist the frontline workers in this battle against the novel Coronavirus.



He said as the Diocese was concerned about the rapid spread of the disease globally, they thought it wise to supplement governments effort in controlling the spread of the virus.



I have worked in the Bibiani Parish for 12 years and helped many organizations including; the Bibiani government hospital, where I provided them with hospital beds and incubators so I still have Bibiani at heart he said.



The Vicar General entreated the public to abide by the Presidents directives on the COVID-19 including; the compulsory wearing of the face masks.



The Reverend Brother Johannes B. Torwoe, Director of Saint John of God Catholic hospital, thanked the Diocese for the kindness.



He pledged that the items would be used for their clients and staff to obtain the optimum benefit.



The Administrator of Bibiani government hospital, Mr Habib Ganiyu, pointed out that Bibiani and Sefwi-Wiawso recorded about 56 cases, being managed at isolation centres.



According to him, We have periodically received PPE from the central government through the medical stores and the hospital had also procured few PPE but you will agree that the fight is not a joke, nobody can do it alone so what the Catholic Diocese of Wiawso has done is a good complement of the governments endeavor.



Be mindful of how you use the PPE to manage what the hospital has received to handle our cases. We may not get some to buy in the market and even if an order is placed, it would take a longtime to be delivered he noted.



He commended the Catholic Church for supporting them in these trying moments.

Source: GNA









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Rome, May 18 : A day before Italy takes its biggest step yet toward easing its national coronavirus lockdown, it recorded its lowest levels of new infections and deaths since early March -- before the lockdown was put into place.

Italy's Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 675 new cases and 145 deaths over the last 24 hours, down from 875 new cases and 153 deaths on Saturday, and 802 and 165, respectively, a week ago, Xinhua news agency reported.

The total for new infections announced Sunday was the lowest since March 4, and the death total was the lowest since March 9. Italy's national lockdown, the first peacetime lockdown in Europe, went into effect on March 10.

Other data released Sunday made a similar point that the lockdown has been effective in slowly reversing the spread of the pandemic in Italy.

The government reported that 2,366 people were cured of COVID-19 over the last day. The number of active infections fell by 1,836 to 68,351, according to the Civil Protection Department.

Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 762 are being treated in intensive care, a decrease of 13 from Saturday, and 10,311 people are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 89.

On Monday, the third and largest easing of the ten-week-old lockdown will go into effect. Shops, restaurants, bars, barbershops, beauty salons, museums, and beachfront operators will all be allowed to reopen, provided they respect rules for social distancing amid staff and members of the public and disinfecting facilities. Italians will also be allowed to move within the region they live in.

Still, media reports said that at least a third of the businesses allowed to reopen will not do so, either because owners or employees believe doing so is too risky or because rules on social distancing and disinfecting are too onerous.

Minister of Health Roberto Speranza said Sunday that close monitoring of the coronavirus outbreak will be essential as the economy reopens, and he urged Italians to respect rules in place.

"This next week will essentially be 'Week Zero' of 'Phase 2' of the lockdown," Speranza told reporters. "We have to restart carefully and to monitor the situation closely." The next step toward reopening the Italian economy will come on June 3, when the government says that it will allow unrestricted travel within Italy and between Italy and other countries in the Schengen visa-free travel area.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Tourism groups have pushed back against the idea of waiting until September for Queensland to relax its border controls with southern states, warning the damage to their $150 billion industry could not be justified when coronavirus case numbers were falling.

The industry called on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and other leaders to honour a national cabinet agreement to ease the restrictions by the middle of the year barring an outbreak that reversed the progress against COVID-19.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is facing pressure from the tourism industry to lift the state border as soon as possible. Credit:AAP

Trade and Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham made no criticism of Ms Palaszczuk for suggesting the September timetable but said all states should relax their controls if the current trends continued.

"If one or two states were to hold out, then they will be answerable to their tourism industry and will ultimately need to provide additional support to that industry," Senator Birmingham said.
Four more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Monday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 96.

The latest cases were reported from Dehradun, Uttarkashi and Nainital districts, where people coming from outside the state tested positive, a health department bulletin here said.

A 60-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man who had returned recently from Maharashtra tested positive in Dehradun. A 23-year-old man who had returned from Gurugram tested positive in Uttarkashi while a 20-year-old woman who had returned from Delhi tested positive in Nainital, it said.

With these,the state's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 96 out of which 52 have recovered and one has died, leaving the number of active cases in the state at 43, the bulletin said.

Dehradun has the maximum number of 18 cases, followed by Udham Singh Nagar with 15, Nainital with six, Uttarkashi with two and Almora and Pauri with one each, it said.

(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 drawn battle line with Sahara Reporters, a frontline online publication with headquarters in the US, over reports of corruption scandals in the Lagos legislature and linking the speaker to numerous allegations of fraud. The Lagos Assembly Speaker referred to Sahara Reporters publications as fake reports and depicting the online publication as blackmailer.

Curiously, both Speaker Obasa and Sahara Reporters brandish documents to prove their publications or counter-dispositions.

The Lagos Assembly Speaker was enraged with numerous allegations of corruption against him by Sahara Reporters, then, opened fireworks to hit back at Sahara Reporters.

Obasa disputed the report that he supposedly approved N258,835,000 to print invitation two months after the inauguration of the 9th Assembly. The Speaker declared that WHAT WAS APPROVED FOR THE PRINTING OF THE INVITATION CARD FOR EVENT WAS JUST N1,130,000.

The Speaker stated that for the avoidance of doubt, the entire inauguration of the 9th Assembly can be summed up into a total of N61.3 million He accompanied his response with document, giving a breakdown of the expenses.

Sahara Reporters had alleged that the payment of the N258,835,000 was processed on the orders of Obasa two months after the inauguration was held. It indicated that the inauguration of the Ninth House of Assembly which had 34 returning lawmakers and six new members held on June 7, 2019. Sahara Reporters then, cited that a document titled Celebrations and Ceremonies; dated August 7, 2019; partly read: 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.

Speaker Obasa was silent on the timing of the payment though disputed the N258,835,000.

Obasa also said he came out with proof that Sahara Reporters LIED in its claim that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly spends N17 million to maintain his office and personal apartment.

Sahara Reporters had alleged that Obasa is using companies linked to him to receive various sums of money from the Lagos State House of Assembly. The publication 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. Sahara Reporters added that 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.

The publication cited: 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.

Sahara Reporters maintained: 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.

The publication insisted, the letter 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 question Speaker Obasa may have to answer on this controversy: Is he living in the Speakers Residence at G.R.A., Ikeja, provided by the state government since he became Speaker of Lagos Assembly in 2015? Or since rejecting the official residence, what is the monthly allowance for residential maintenance or accommodation?

Speaker Obasa also talked of another spurious report that he approved N45.7 million for 2019 Christmas party that wsd never held.

He said the party held at the Assembly premises of the Lagos State Assembly and it was two-in-one, a combination of the Outreach programme and the normal Christmas party.

He listed participants to include the First Lady of Lagos, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; clergymen, including the General Overseer of Christ Living Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), Pastor Wole Oladiyun; His Royal Highness, Babatunde Ogunlaja, senior female politician, Chief Kemi Nelson, party chiefs and local government chairmen and others.

The Speaker supported his response with photographs and videos.

Sahara Reporters has an internal sources for the information who Obasa described as co-travelers.

Obasa further stated that Sahara Reporters goofed on the allegation of the N53.7 million approved by the Speaker to take an imaginary mistress to the United States; pointing out that the publication failed to acknowledge that the travel was officially for Speaker Obasa, members of the House and some staff.

He added that the event was even an opportunity to recognise and honour deserving staff, who had excelled in the course of their careers.

The Speaker noted some facts he said Sahara Reporters either deliberately and maliciously shielded or was blind to. He explained that the event was to Georgia, United States, for the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit which was billed to hold between 26th and 28th September 2019. He noted that the Speaker went for the event on a different flight from the lawmakers and others.

Obasa added that on getting to the US, the summit was discovered to have clashed with a United Nations event which took pre-eminence on Nigerian officials. Thus, the Speaker, lawmakers and staff returned ahead of an anticipated new date for the event.

The Speakers sounded conflicting, contradictory and self-defeatist within the context he presented his explanations.

Why recognizing or honouring deserving staff in US for excelling in their careers in Nigeria? Were the Lagos lawmakers also in the dark that they were not aware of global diplomatic timetable of UN activities before departing Nigeria? Were Nigerian officials so ignorant of their international mission to the US that they did not know that the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit was schedule on a date UN event was holding, and they opted for the UN event? Did the Lagos lawmakers get invitation to the 2019 US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Global Summit? Was the recognition of the deserving staff attached to the US Summit?

The Speaker could not clarify the allegation that he used his position in the State Assembly since 2015 to approve N47.5 million per quarter from the state treasury for social media influencers.

Sahara Reporters had stated that documents for the transactions showed that the payment was made to a media company to publicise the activities of the State Assembly.

The Lagos Speaker refuted the allegation of awarding contracts to himself, through his companies, and launder public funds.

Sahara Reporters listed some companies it said are linked to Obasa and used to get contracts from the Lagos Assembly.

Sahara Reporters noted that documents they sighted 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; Skye-Macosh Company, Swifthill International Ventures, Silver Section Global, Davedab Global Ventures and Jose Macosh Company.

Sahara Reporters stated that Obasa was formally using De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited to get and implement contracts from the State Assembly and ministries.

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, Sahara Reporters declared.

The publication further declared: In the Company and Allied Matters Decree 1990 of De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Ltd. with RC: A813/08/308 sighted by Sahara Reporters, 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.

Sahara Reporters also 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.

Speaker Obasa had at the House plenar denied using his company, Dekingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited, to get contracts from the House, saying the reports are false.

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.

Meanwhile, the public has a choice to decide who to believe.
Courtesy of U.S. Postal Inspection Service

En espanol | Two New York City police officers in an unmarked vehicle spotted 31-year-old Feng Chen behaving suspiciously early one morning last month. The Brooklyn man was walking in and out of buildings in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood, carrying what looked like mail.



When an officer approached Chen, he discarded mail on the sidewalk. As the officers questioned him, they spotted more mail bulging from his jacket pocket.

A search uncovered nine stolen Treasury Department stimulus checks worth more than $12,000, according to a criminal complaint. Other checks and credit cards also were recovered from the loot, the complaint said.

Chen was busted April 28, charged a day later with theft or receipt of stolen mail, and is staring at a maximum sentence of five years in prison. His federal public defender, Jan Alison Rostal, said she could not comment as the case is pending. While searching a New York Police Department database, the cops found a bench warrant for Chen from Manhattan, stemming from a prior case involving identity theft.

A federal crime

The federal case was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn  just as law enforcement officials across the nation caution people to keep an eye on their mailboxes as millions of paper stimulus checks are flowing through the mail. Tax refunds, unemployment checks and prescription drugs also are going out during the pandemic, and these items attract sticky-fingered thieves on the prowl.

On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California announced mail theft charges against Paula Orozco, 38. She has been accused of stealing mail after breaking into postal vehicles in San Jose, California, on April 18 and May 13. She's due back in court in San Jose on Tuesday.

Mail theft is a federal crime, whether what's purloined is a first-class letter containing a credit card, sneakers shipped by a retailer or a direct-mail ad destined for the garbage can.
Twilight fans are mourning the death of Gregory Tyree Boyce.

The Las Vegas Medical Examiners office confirms to E! News that Gregory, who played Tyler Crowley in Twilight, and his girlfriend Natalie Adepoju were pronounced dead on May 13. The two individuals' cause of deaths are still pending.

A source tells E! News that both Natalie and Gregory were found deceased in their Las Vegas condo on Wednesday, May 13. "Greg's cousin woke up and noticed that Greg's car was still at the house. He was worried because Greg was to be in LA. His cousin went to check on him and found them," the source reveals.

The source says that prior to his death Gregory was "really focused and handling a lot of business." And though he had moved to Las Vegas to help his mother, the insider reveals Gregory "would commute to LA for acting jobs and to see his daughter."

Celebrity Deaths: 2020's Fallen Stars

A second source adds, "Greg was definitely a person who loved life and [was] super positive... super animated, really witty, he was the life of the party. I will definitely miss him. He was one of my funniest friends in LA and made my experience there really memorable."

Gregory is most commonly known for his role as Tyler Crowley in the famous Twilight films.

Gregory Tyree Boyce, Twilight

In December, he celebrated his 30th birthday, which he commemorated with an Instagram post reflecting on his life. He wrote, "At one point I didn't think I would make it to see 30 years old. Over the years like everyone else I have made mistakes along the way, but today is one of those days I only reflect on the great ones. What a time to be alive. Happy Dirty 30 self! Let's make the rest of these years your best!!"

As for his girlfriend Natalie, the insider shares they'd been dating for "a little over a year." She was 27-years-old.

In a statement shared to a GoFundMe, her family described her as being a "loving daughter, niece, sister, cousin, and friend." They continued, "Natalie had so much life to live [and] we are saddened that her life was cut short. Natalie leaves behind her one and only baby boy Egypt, her father, two brothers and one sister, and a host of family and friends who love her dearly."

Gregory is survived by his 10-year-old daughter Alaya.

- Reporting by Holly Passalaqua
The Alabama Legislature today approved Gov. Kay Iveys plan for using $1.8 billion the federal government sent to the state for some of the enormous costs of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate voted 30-1 to approve Iveys amendment. That sent it to the House, which gave it final approval by a vote of 73-1.

The money comes from the CARES Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Trump.

The Republican governors plan prevailed despite some disagreement between her and GOP leaders in the Senate.

The plan does not list specific expenditures but directs the money into categories, such as reimbursements to state and local governments for coronavirus expenses, delivery of health care and related services to citizens, and support for citizens, businesses, non-profit and faith-based organizations directly affected by the pandemic.

The amendment says reallocation of funds between the categories would require unanimous consent of the House speaker, president pro tempore of the Senate, and the chairs of the Legislatures four budget committees.

Ivey issued a statement commending lawmakers on approving the amendment, which she said would direct the money where it was intended.

Our cities, counties and state, as well as places like our nursing homes, hospitals, schools and colleges have incurred many legitimate expenses because of COVID-19, the governor said. "I thank the members of the Alabama Legislature for supporting this amendment and for ensuring this money helps the people of Alabama who have been harmed by this disease.

"While no one could have predicted COVID-19, it is easy to conclude this pandemic has touched every aspect of our daily lives. I assure the people of Alabama that we will be with them at every step moving forward. Together, we will recover, and we will get Alabama back on her feet.

Ivey also announced that she had signed into law the education and General Fund budgets for next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Lawmakers passed the budgets earlier this month, salvaging the final weeks of a legislative session that was interrupted for almost eight weeks because of the pandemic.

Today was the final day of the session.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said the Senate was left out of developing the spending plan in the CARES Act amendment approved today, but urged his colleagues to pass it and send it on to the House.

Weve got a lot of work to do to get some 450,000 people back to work, Marsh said before the vote. Weve got businesses that may or may not make it. Weve got a lot of obstacles in front of us and weve got to deal with that.

Marsh later told reporters that senators didnt get a chance to participate in meetings between the House and the governors office to develop the plan.

The Senate was excluded from that process and that was unfortunate, Marsh told reporters. But we have to look at the big picture here. Weve got to get these dollars to the people that need them in the state. We want to expedite that as quickly as possible. So, its time just to move on.

Marsh and GOP leaders in the Senate have worked closely with Ivey the last three years. But he said the relationship is now strained.

Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, said Senate Democrats were left out of the discussions but said he would be a squeaky wheel in making sure the money goes to where it can protect citizens from the spread of the virus.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said he would ask the governor for an executive order adding Democrats to the list of legislators with some input over allocation of the funds.

I know that theres no better voice at the table for me but me, Singleton said. And we will be the squeaky wheel that screams out in the public the loudest because it is our people in the African-American community that are dying disproportionately more than anyone else from this COVID disease. We want to make sure that money is spent in the places that its going to help, not just our people but all Alabamians.

House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, was asked about Marshs statements that the Senate was excluded from talks between House leaders and the governors office on the amendment. McCutcheon said he and other House leaders reached out to the governor to keep discussions going on the COVID-19 money and because of concerns that the governor might veto the state budgets.

The House was willing to step up and bring suggestions to the governor, McCutcheon said. "We were not working against the Senate. We were not working in secret. We were just doing our job as a House body."

Ivey announced the plan Thursday in a proposed amendment to a bill passed by the Legislature on the COVID-19 funding. That came after days of friction between the governor and some legislative leaders about use of the money.

Lawmakers had the option of accepting Iveys plan or passing the bill again without her amendment.

Without the Ivey amendment, the bill would have put $200 million of the $1.8 billion under the governors control. Legislative leaders said their intent was to return in a special session called by Ivey to allocate the rest of the money.

Federal guidelines say the money can be used for expenses caused by the pandemic. But officials have said there is some uncertainty over how that is interpreted.

Disagreement between the governor and legislative leaders surfaced May 7 when Ivey criticized what she called a wish list that included $200 million for a new State House, as well as 15 other proposals. Marsh said he helped develop the list at the governors request. The State House idea was dropped from consideration, a spokesman for Marsh said last week.

Sen Del Marsh on CARES Act bill. Posted by al.com on Monday, May 18, 2020

The CARES Act money goes back to the federal government if the state does not spend it this year.

Iveys plan that was approved today:

Up to $300 million to reimburse state agencies for expenses directly related to the pandemic.

Up to $250 million to reimburse local governments for expenses directly related to the pandemic.

Up to $250 million to support delivery of health care and related services to citizens because of the pandemic.

Up to $300 million to support citizens, businesses, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations directly impacted by the pandemic.

Up to $53 million for reimbursement of equipment and infrastructure necessary for remote work and public access to functions of state government directly impacted by the pandemic, including the Legislature.

Up to $300 million for expenses related to technology and infrastructure for remote instruction and distance learning.

Up to $200 million for reimbursement of costs necessary to address the pandemic by the Department of Corrections.

Up to $10 million for reimbursement of costs necessary to ensure access to courts during the pandemic.

$5 million to reimburse the General Fund for supplemental appropriations to the Alabama Department of Public health during the pandemic.

Up to $118 million for any other lawful purpose approved by the federal government.

Today was the final day of a legislative session that was put on hold from March 12 until May 4 because of the pandemic. The State House was essentially closed to the public during the final days of the session because of COVID-19.

House members wore masks and some moved to the gallery normally used by spectators to allow for social distancing. Most of the 28 members of the House Democratic caucus chose not to attend because of the health risks and because of concerns that it was too soon to pass the budgets because of uncertainty over state revenues.

Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, had not attended since the session resumed until today. She had written an open letter to Marsh explaining that she thought it was a mistake to meet in May because of the health risks and because it was too early to pass the budgets because of the uncertainty of revenues.

Figures said she came today partly because Ivey asked for her support on the amendment. Figures wore a cloth mask over an N-95 mask, goggles, and gloves. She said she was surprised to find many senators not wearing masks and talking face-to-face without observing six-foot social distancing.

I was totally amazed," Figures said. "And I felt that no wonder the people of Alabama are not taking this seriously. Because we as leaders, some of us in these leadership positions, are not leading by example.
Leonard Chika

The police in Rivers state is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of a young man, Leonard Chika, in front of his girlfriend in the Mile 3 axis of Diobu in Port Harcourt the state capital on Friday. May 15.

Ezebunwo Ichemati, a friend of the deceased shared the story online.

He wrote: Another promising innocent life have been cut short this morning the 15th day of May 2020, in a mistaken identity hit that occurred this morning in the mile3 axis of Diobu in Port Harcourt.

What started about 5weeks ago as a minor battle for who takes matching ground rites from traders has gradually grown into a full blown cult war amongst two major cult groups in the heart of Mile3 Diobu, with both sides counting human loss.

The Rivers State police command especially the Mile3 divisional police station, cannot feign ignorance to the cult related killings numbering about 4 and the recent killing of this innocent young man named leonard Chika making it a total of 5 people murdered in cold blood in the streets of Mile3 Diobu.

The deliberate silence and inactions of the Rivers State police command have emboldened these daredevils that outside attacking their rivals, they also go in a looting spree and carry out destruction of peoples properties when on any mission.

Leo was a friend and a very hardworking young man who doesnt mind doing anything to earn a living no matter how belittling as long as it is legal. Today in the presence of his girlfriend those who cannot give life shot and killed him in cold blood.

The spokesperson of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident and said efforts are been made to arrest the suspected killers.

Unknown gunmen killed him. We were able to identify him and then he was taken to the mortuary. Investigation has commenced and all hands are on deck to arrest the killers.

Preliminary investigations suggest it was a cult clash but we cannot lend credence to that until our investigation is concluded. Omoni said
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Market Analysis

The changing lifestyle and work culture have infused the need for convenience food which is likely to drive the market growth for frozen fruits and vegetables. The increasing product offering of frozen fruits and vegetables coupled with easy availability in stores will complement the expansion of the market over the next couple of years. Furthermore, the introduction of Ready to Eat (RTE) products cut down the task of peeling and slicing which is likely to aid global frozen fruits and vegetables market proliferation. The catalyzed demand for RTE food is poised to accelerate the sales of frozen spinach and legumes. The frozen fruits and vegetables industry leaders facilitate the supply of seasonal products throughout the year which has accelerated revenue generation from the market and is likely to continue the trend over the assessment period. The growing demand for confectionery, bakery and dairy products will propel the revenue creation from frozen fruits segment of the market due to increased sales of kiwi and apricots.

The technological innovations adopted by the industry leaders for preserving the nutritional content and taste of fruits and vegetables while enhancing shelf life will further propel the market growth globally. However, some loss of nutrition during freezing is inevitable which is likely to hold the market growth during the review period. Other factors responsible for hampering the growth of frozen fruits and vegetables market include preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables, impacts on the environment, etc.

Market segmentation

By type, the Global Covid-19 Analysis on Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Market are segmented into fruits and vegetables.

By form, the frozen fruits and vegetables market has been segmented into whole, pureed, dried, and others.

By application, the global frozen fruits and vegetables market is segmented into fruits and vegetables. The fruits segment is sub-segmented into fruit juices & smoothies, breakfast cereals, salads & desserts, bakery foods, yogurts, and others. The vegetables segment has further been sub-segmented into pizza toppings, salads, Ready to Eat Food (RTE), noodles & pastas, soups, and others.

By packaging, the frozen fruits and vegetables market has been segmented into <10 kgs, >10-15 kgs,15-30 kgs, and >30 kgs.

Major Key Players Analysis

The key players profiled by MRFR in its report include General Mills (U.S.), Dole (U.S.), HJ Heinz (US), Simplot Australia PTY Ltd (Australia), Ardo NV (Belgium), Pinnacle Foods Corp. (US), Findus Sverige AB, (Sweden), and Bonduelle Group (France) among others. The strategies employed by the key players for gaining prominence in the market include the increased supply of products, competitive pricing, packaging innovations, acquisitions and mergers, product developments, etc.

Industry Developments

In July 2018, Patanjali, an Indian consumer goods company, has announced its plan to foray into frozen vegetables market. The company has successfully launched a couple of products and is planning to add 6-7 more vegetables to its frozen vegetables product line.

Access Full Report Details and Order this Premium Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/frozen-fruits-vegetables-market-728

Regional Analysis

By region, the frozen fruits and vegetables market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America. Asia Pacific will hold the largest share of market size during the projection period which accounts for more than 50% of the market size. The increase in per capita income coupled with a rising population will drive the market growth in the region. Furthermore, the consolidation of emerging economies such as India and China will encourage the Asia Pacific frozen fruits and vegetables market expansion.

North America and Europe market will witness growth due to technological advancements in preserving the frozen fruits and vegetables with minimum loss of nutrients. The changing lifestyle in these regions has fueled the demand for convenience food which will catapult market growth in Europe and North America.

South America market will thrive moderately due to the presence of emerging markets such as Brazil and Mexico among others. The region will hold potential for growth throughout the forecast period.

Read more details at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/infographics

NOTE: Our Team of Researchers are Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details.
Press Release

May 18, 2020 Immediately help stranded Filipinos, urges Bong Go as first phase of Balik Probinsya gets underway As the initial phase of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program commences, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reminded the government to immediately help all stranded individuals and families in Metro Manila and other urban centers and safeguard their welfare and well-being amid the COVID-19 situation. "Marami po sa ating mga kababayan mula probinsya at nagpunta rito sa Metro Manila ang nais na ngayong umuwi. Tulungan po natin silang makabalik lahat sa tulong nitong BP2 program at iba pang inisyatibo ng gobyerno," Go said. "Nadala na po sila sa Metro Manila. Takot sila dahil sa virus at nais na nilang makauwi sa kanila. Siguraduhin po natin na makababalik sila ng kanilang probinsya na ligtas," he added. Among those who are included in the first batch of individuals who will be assisted to return to their provinces under BP2 program include 112 persons traveling alone bound for Leyte. The first batch is part of the immediate-phase implementation of the BP2 program, according to National Housing Authority General Manager and BP2 Program Council Executive Director Marcelino Escalada, Jr. The first batch is scheduled to leave early this week. "Our target is 100 to 300 leaving for the provinces depending upon the capacity of the local government units to undertake health protocols," Escalada added. Based on an update relayed by Escalada, transportation needs will be provided or facilitated by the Department of Transportation while cash allowances will be extended to them by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A dispatch protocol will also be prepared by the Department of Health to ensure that strict COVID-19 precautionary measures are followed during their return. All and succeeding returnees will be subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test by the DOH. According to Escalada, NHA is preparing a dispatch site for the returnees. For initial batch, NHA is utilizing its property near Vertis North in Quezon City where a temporary terminal will be installed. The Department of the Interior and Local Government will link up with the target LGUs to receive them and ensure that their other needs are met. All concerned government agencies will extend other needed assistance to the returnees upon arrival in the province based on their profile and assessment. Returnees to Leyte are prioritized since the province has registered the highest number of individuals who signified readiness to return at 2,300 persons. Once they have been successfully brought back to Leyte, the program will have simultaneous trips to provinces throughout Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Meanwhile, 55 individuals in Cebu are also expected to return to Davao City by next week too under BP2 program. These include eighteen students, 21 people with disability, two senior citizens, a pregnant woman, and thirteen other individuals. They have been tested by DOH for COVID-19 and will be given food by DSWD while they wait for their departure schedule. The Office of Senator Bong Go has also assisted in coordinating with appropriate agencies regarding identification of beneficiaries, and provision of the needs of the returnees, such as food and transportation. The issuance of the clearance in their port of destination was also facilitated. As the BP2 program assists more and more Filipinos going back to their provinces, Go emphasized that the whole country should learn from the experiences encountered during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly the difficulties in controlling the spread of the disease and the challenges of delivering government services in overpopulated urban centers. "Sa Bisaya, 'natagam', o nadala na tayo. Let this be a learning experience for us all," Go said, emphasizing the need to provide long-term solutions to better address various social, economic, and health issues in the future. According to Go, these affected individuals only wanted to seek better opportunities in Metro Manila. Some are students from the provinces who wanted to take their education in big cities. Because of the stringent travel restrictions under the enhanced community quarantine, these people were cut off from their families for two months now. "We have to act now. Marami nang gustong umuwi pagkatapos ng naranasan nila dahil sa COVID-19. Kaya inilunsad ang programang ito ngayon para matulungan sila ng gobyerno at mabigyan sila ng mas maayos na buhay kung pipiliin nilang bumalik sa kanilang mga probinsya," he said stressing that it is an opportune time to implement the BP2 program now given the adverse socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis to the lives of all Filipinos. Go emphasized that the initiative should be seen as a long-term, holistic program to address perennial problems in both urban and rural areas and not simply just as an immediate response to the crisis. "Hindi po natin basta ililipat lang ang mga tao from urban to rural areas. Wala po itong pilitan. Sinisiguro ng gobyerno na magiging maayos ang kabuhayan ng mga taong lilipat. Kaya po nagtayo ng inter-agency council. Para masigurong lahat ng aspeto ng buhay ng mga Pilipino ay mapaghandaan," he explained. "Sa short-term, nais po ng programang ito na tulungan bumangon muli ang kabuhayan ng mga gusto na bumalik sa kanilang probinsya. Sa mid- to long-term phase naman, holistic ang approach pagdating sa pagsasaayos ng mga essential public services sa iba't ibang parte ng bansa, tulad ng education, housing, livelihood and health. Kasama rito ang pagpapalago ng ekonomiya sa mga probinsya," he added.
- The first patient to die in Madagascar was a 57-year-old who was reported to have had underlying diabetes and high blood pressure conditions

- The country now has 304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 114 recoveries

- The high number of recoveries was attributed to the herbal cure that has since been exported to other African countries

Madagascar has confirmed its first case of COVID-19 death after hitting global news headlines with it's tonic herbal cure for the dreaded disease.

According to a statement issued by the country's coronavirus task team, the patient was a 57-year-old hospital worker who had underlying conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure.

READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for May 18: Ruto advises Aden Duale, Kithure Kindiki to give up seats if pressure mounts

President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina drinking the tonic herb. Photo: CNN

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Moses Kuria says plan to ouster senator Kindiki meant to pave way for Ruto impeachment

According to CNN, the Indian Ocean island nation had not reported any deaths since the disease was first reported in there two months ago.

"It is with great sadness that we have to share with all our compatriots, that there is an individual, aged 57, who died from COVID-19," said Hanta Vololontiana, a member of the task force.

Currently, Madagascar has confirmed 304 cases with 114 recoveries having been recorded so far.

READ ALSO: Rais Magufuli afichua mwanawe alipona COVID -19 baada ya kula malimau

The nation hit the news headlines recently with its miraculous herbal cure that was attributed to the high number of recoveries recorded in the country.

Other Africa countries including Tanzania have already imported the tonic herb to be used by COVID-19 patients.

Others that have received their dose include Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Guinea Bissau.

The tonic drink is derived from artemisia  a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment  and other indigenous herbs.

However, the World Health Organisation is yet to approve it as a cure for the dreaded disease and its currently in its testing stage.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Despite all the plandemic theories, the June 2 primary election is happening. This past April, the New Mexico Supreme Court denied Governor Michelle Lujan-Grishams bid to make the ballot completely mail-in, its still an enticing and health-conscious way of voting.

Part of the Supreme Courts order requires the Bernalillo County clerks office to send absentee ballot applications to every registered voter. Each voter then sends the application in to the county clerk and youll be mailed a ballot. The Republican part of New Mexico protested the move to a full mail-in ballot because they argued it would invite voter fraud.

As if you needed a reason to vote these days, lets start with the most important, make your voice heard. Maybe Biden was never your choice for the Democratic nomination, and you wanted Uncle Bernie. We get it. Right now, thats not reality and we are stuck with him. Unless youre a fan of how the Trump administration has handled the past four years and this disastrous response (or lack of) to COVID-19, maybe its time for someone else to have a shot.

You do still have time to do this before the deadline. All applications for an absentee ballot are due by May 28. Ballots are due to the county clerks office no later than June 2 at 7 p.m. Keep in mind, you must be registered with a major political party, (Republican, Democrat or Libertarian) in order to mail in your application or to vote in-person for the primary.

If youre fine with standing in line to vote in-person, you can and should do that instead. All voting locations are mandated to follow any current state health guidelines. To find a voting site near you, head over to bernco.gov/clerk.

So mask up, or mail out and get out the vote.
The partner of a young pregnant woman killed in a horror head-on crash in Perth is out of intensive care but remains in a serious condition.

Friends have paid tribute on social media to 21-year-old Maddie Morgan and boyfriend Jack Bryant, 23, who were expecting their first child in less than three weeks. Credit:Nine News Perth

The woman was the passenger in a Nissan Skyline struck by a Ford Falcon at the intersection of the Great Eastern Highway and Homestead Road in Mahogany Creek about 7.45pm on Friday. She died at Midland Hospital.

The Skyline split in two when it was hit by the Falcon, smashing debris all over the road.

Friends have paid tribute on social media to 21-year-old Maddie Morgan and boyfriend Jack Bryant, 23, who were expecting their first child in less than three weeks.
KYIV -- The acting U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, Kristina Kvien, has called on Russia to stop its legacy of inflicting suffering on the people of Crimea," as Ukraine commemorated the victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's mass deportation of Crimean Tatars from their homeland in 1944.

Kvien issued a video statement on Twitter on May 18, which since 2016 has been marked in Ukraine as the Day of Commemoration of Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatars.

The Crimean Tatars were deported en masse from the Black Sea peninsula in May 1944, after Stalin accused them of collaborating with Nazi Germany.

Seventy years later, in March 2014, Russia seized Crimea after sending in troops and staging a referendum boycotted by many Crimean Tatars.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised the Crimean Tatars they would be treated well and guaranteed equal rights.

But Crimean Tatars, rights activists, and Western governments say Russia has subjected Crimean Tatars and others who opposed annexation to abuse, discrimination, and politically motivated prosecution on false charges.

In her statement, Kvien said that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars 76 years ago "caused unimaginable trauma, suffering, and the death of thousands."

"That trauma and suffering is only deepened by Russia's modern-day occupation of Crimea, the U.S. diplomat added.

The United States does not and will not recognize Russia's purported annexation of Crimea, and will remain its Crimea-related sanctions in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine, she said.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement condemning Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and new repressions against Crimean Tatars.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commemorated the 76th anniversary of the mass deportation by saying Crimea will one day return to Ukraine" and that "Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians [will] return to their homes."

Starting on May 18, 1944, some 250,000 people were put on trains -- most of them in the space of two days -- and sent to Central Asia. Tens of thousands died during the journey or after they were left on the barren steppe with few resources.

Crimean Tatars were not allowed to return to Crimea until the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev made reforms in the years before the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
American shale is easy prey as Beijing goes bargain-hunting.

China could soon embark on a global buying spree following the coronavirus-induced economic crisis and the re-opening of its economy, and the U.S. shale patch is an obvious target thanks to unprecedented demand destruction, ultra-low energy prices, and catastrophic debt levels that have left hundreds of IOCs on the verge of bankruptcy.

And now, some officials fear that a Chinese takeover of the battered sector is looming, which poses a national security risk.

Wayne Christian, commissioner of the Texas Railroad Commission, has told Fox Business that allowing hostile nations to swoop in and purchase distressed properties in Texas and elsewhere in the shale patch is a serious national security concern.

Is A Chinese Takeover Threat Real?

Christians concerns appear valid.

A 2018 oil discovery in the Permian in West Texas uncovered 46.3 billion barrels of crude, 281 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 20 billion barrels of NGL, effectively doubling the countrys Americas oil and gas reserves.

But more importantly, it put the country firmly on the path to energy independence, an energy utopia the country has struggled to attain for decades.

The ongoing crisis has severely depressed energy asset values, with oilfield prices having declined from an average price of $42,000 per net flowing barrel per day when oil prices were around $60/barrel to under $20,000 currently.

Shut-in fields are fetching even less, with a closed well commanding only half the price for a virtually identical field but with oil still flowing.

This makes U.S. shale assets a prime target for bargain-hunters, with Chris Atherton, president of EnergyNet, recently telling Forbes that his company has thousands of registered users with plenty of dry powder waiting to pounce.

While the Covid-19 crisis certainly has not spared Chinese companies, the recent attempted takeover of leading British smartphone chip maker Imagination Inc. by a Chinese firm proves that Beijings M&A appetite has hardly dulled. Chinese state-owned investment firm, China Reform, was, however, forced to abandon the deal following a furious backlash by British lawmakers on the same grounds that the Trump administration banned U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei: National security risk.

Although Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been on a steady decline ever since Trump ascended into the Oval Office, Chinese entities still invested some $25 billion in U.S. companies in 2018. Related: U.S. Fracking Activity To Hit Rock Bottom In May

An outright takeover of U.S. oil and gas companies by Chinese firms would face heavy scrutiny by the U.S. government; however, a workaround is possible by selling only certain non-critical assets or entering joint ventures that give Chinese companies financial exposure but not operational exposure.

For instance, in 2015, Chinese firm Yantai Xinchao Industry Co. received the green light from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to purchase $1.3 billion in oil assets by Tall City Exploration and Plymouth Petroleum in the Permian Basin.

Source: Congressional Research Service

Interestingly, its the possibility of such deals that has the likes of Christian concerned:

I dont want to wind up five years from now with, all of a sudden, some foreign country shutting down production in Texas because they own it, and prefer buying from their own reserves overseas. I think that would be inefficient use, and I would think it would threaten national security.

Does American Shale Have Non-Chinese Options?

The big question here is what other options are available for American oil and gas companies, which are now facing about $86 billion of rated debt due over the next four years; a bond buyback scheme set to benefit only a fraction of oil companies and zero certainty regarding when--if ever--oil and gas demand will return to pre-crisis levels.

Theres definitely hope on the horizon, with WTI prices having staged a big rally from single-digits three weeks ago to $32.50/barrel at the time of this writing.

However, its looking to be a long climb back to the top, with U.S. shale having a tight cost structure that requires WTI prices ~50/barrel to make it economically viable and banks no longer willing to make generic reserve-based loan terms given the scale of asset impairment.

Only the very well-padded are going to come out of this unscathed.

The lesser evil would be for American banks to continue seizing shale assets by establishing holding companies that will manage distressed assets and hope for energy prices to recover over the next 12 months or so. But thats also assuming they dont jump in bed with the Chinese.

The Trump administration isnt lending the industry much of a helping hand at this point--letting the market dictate what happens next. But hes also indicated that hes prepared to unleash another trade war with China, and if thats the case, he wont want the shale patch getting into their hands.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Cotonou, Benin (PANA)  The communal elections on Sunday in Benin recorded some disruptions at different places, according to the preliminary declaration of the platform of civil society observers
Kabul, May 18 : Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah have inked a pwer-sharing agreement to end the political deadlock following last year's presidential election, a government officials has confirmed.

Under the agreement signed on Sunday, Ghani remains as President, while Abdullah will head the High Council for National Reconciliation to lead the peace talks with the Taliban, reports Xinhua news agency.

Addressing a televised broadcast, President Ghani said that Afghans were able to settle their differences without mediation of foreign friends, a reference to the 2014 political dispute over election results which was later resolved with the mediation of former US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"I am hopeful the people of Afghanistan will see ceasefire in the coming days and then lasting peace in the country under the leadership of Abdullah," President Ghani said in his address.

For his part, Abdullah said: "Afghanistan has hugely suffered due to war, political instability and now COVID-19, and I am hopeful today's agreement will be the end of crisis." Under the new agreement, Abdullah will introduce members of his team to the President to be included in the cabinet.

Abdullah, who served as Chief Executive in the previous government and contested the presidential poll on September 28, 2019, had challenged the outcome of the vote in which the Election Commission declared Ghani as winner.

When the delayed results of the election were finally announced in February, Ghani was again declared President by the Independent Election Commission after earning a slightly higher percentage than Abdullah, reports TOLO News.

But the tensions increased after Ghani and Abdullah, both held inauguration ceremonies on the same day in their adjacent respective palaces, after the latter rejected the outcome.

Welcoming Sunday's development, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted: "The US is prepared to partner with the new government in a peace process that ends the war. That process must be based on timely implementation of commitments made to date. Both leaders should not repeat mistakes in governing...

"It is high time to take seriously the resolve of the Afghan people, and the world, to finally see an end to this conflict." In a statement, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: "In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued Taliban violence against their fellow Afghans, it is more important than ever that all Afghan leaders unite and work towards enduring peace in Afghanistan.

"We call on the Taliban to live up to their commitments, reduce violence now, take part in intra-Afghan negotiations, and make real compromises for lasting peace and the benefit of all Afghans." The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the agreement will enable the leaders to address the grave challenges facing the country.

Besides, Turkey, India, Iran and Canada also welcomed the agreement.
Industry bosses are urging the UK Government to begin planning flights between low risk countries in order to rebuild the economy.

Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye said he believes the UK should adopt a risk-based approach in order to determine where flights can travel to and from, as he warned the UK economy will suffer if quarantine measures continue for longer.

He said it is more than just about going on holiday, as 40% of the UKs exports go on passenger planes from Heathrow.

Aviation is the lifeblood of the UK economy, so many manufacturers rely on the supply chain coming by air, their exports go by air, he told Sky News.

Mr Holland-Kaye described how Heathrow Airport will be using thermal imagining as a screening process to detect Covid-19 among passengers.

The temperature checks are set to begin next week, starting at Terminal 2.

We are working with Public Health England to see if that could be part of the solution to health screening at airports, Mr Holland-Kaye said.

With passenger numbers plunging 97%, from an average of 250,000 a day to between 5,000 and 6,000, Mr Holland-Kaye warned: This is a very minimal level of traffic and I think that as long as the quarantine is in place, that will continue at those low levels.

The quarantine cannot be in place for more than a relatively short amount of time if we are going to get the economy moving again.

We are committed to serving the country during these times to bring your stranded friends and family home. This is just one of the many reasons why it is vital for Heathrow to remain open for the UK.



Find out more: https://t.co/0vh88iGW0Y pic.twitter.com/sKQl8rG5WT  Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) May 17, 2020

This is where we are urging the Government to have a common international standard, working with other countries so that traffic can start to flow in a normal way between low-risk countries.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), backed his position.

Asked about the Governments plan to have international travellers self-isolate for 14 days when they arrive in the UK, Dame Carolyn told Sky News: We would like to see an international standard. At the moment youve got different countries doing different things and that is very bad for global trade.

We do ask the Government to think very carefully about how this is introduced so that it doesnt put the brakes on our economy in this fragile recovery.

Mr Holland-Kaye suggested there should be a free flow of passengers between the UK and countries that have very low risks of transmission.

He said: I think that if the UK Government, with one of the biggest aviation sectors in the world, were to get together with the European Union and the United States, between them they have the heft and the global, diplomatic and economic power to set that international standard.

I think the approach to take is the risk-based approach as we do with security, where if two countries are very low-risk free of transmission, there should be a free flow of passengers between those countries.

On antibody testing and the potential for a so-called immunity passport, Mr Holland-Kaye welcomed the idea but said there needs to be consistency between countries for it to work.

He said: Its no good the UK having a health passport if another country has an entirely different system.

We need to have that commonality between markets so that we know your health passport is accepted in the country youre going to.

He said Heathrow desperately needs a third runway in order to expand the UKs ability to access global markets.

He called for more flights to markets in India and China as well as increased services to UK regions so businesses can plan in confidence and access global markets from Heathrow.

We will desperately need that third runway within the next 10 to 15 years, which is about the length of time to build it, he said.

Weve got more coming to use Heathrow with the few flights that they have and that just underpins how vital Heathrow is to the UK economy.
one hundred and fifty thousand people went last year in Germany against the EU copyright law reform to the streets, to overturn the Reform, in particular to prevent so-called upload filter and in order to defend a cultural practice of life, the Remix-culture in the network, unlimited and unpaid. At first, this sounds harmless and legitimate, but here's the core of the problem is buried: The Generation of "Digital Natives", the Bitkom industry Association and the digital American monopolies, headed by Google and Facebook, have formulated a common interest and campaign of detention propagated: Save your Internet as you know it.

The Public has changed since the digital Revolution, solid. The video "the destruction of The CDU" and "the destruction of The press" by Youtuber Rezo, with the Henri-Nannen prize and the Grimme-honored price that have made to the wider Public of the network stars known. Reason enough for the pirates - and network-Community arguments and look more closely at your core to be disclosed.

fighting The Internet community (supposedly) for a modern copyright law, what it means for you, to support the interests of the Users, the so-called "prosumers" who want to guide their practice of sharing and editing in the network without any restrictions. It is not a question but to Share, because Sharing means to abandon yourself to something, because giving it to the other, or makes available, but it comes to Copy. That's the Problem. The digital Copy takes something away, not be involved, and the professional is a Copyright holder, and copyright. In the "Sharing Community" is shared with other users, but not with the Authors. Even Marina Weis band, Ex-pirate, defended the practice of not taking into account the interests of the Creators as a new Way of Life in the network culture.

monopoly culture the digital culture of capitalism

Sascha Lobo, Leonhard Dobusch, Markus Beckedahl, "netzpolitik.org" and the other, the generation of card play. Those who advocate for copyright reform, did not understand the network. But it may not be exactly Vice-versa?

in a monopoly culture the digital culture of capitalism developed Twenty years after the Access Provider were cleared of liability in the European Union by the E-Commerce Directive, in the United States by the Safe Harbor principle, has. The Problem with this monopolization makes the network community in the name of your own unbegrenz idea of Freedom more disappear behind the framed the fight against the upload filter.

power politicians in the European Parliament against the data protection reform, because they saw it as a restriction of the freedom of the network. They were against the Directive on audiovisual media services, defined, what active platforms are in contrast to pure Access providers, and this responsibility is increasing. This network of politicians to serve not only the interests of the users, but also the interests of the monopolies to non-regulation.

Updated Date: 09 July 2020, 18:19
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlas Ocean Voyages today announced that the Luxe-AdventureSM Expedition Cruise brand is augmenting its inaugural-year offerings with four new, exciting Transatlantic, Caribbean and South America itineraries in October and November 2021. World Navigator, Atlas Ocean Voyages' first ship, will cruise the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to the Southern Caribbean islands before bringing guests along South America's east coast to Tierra del Fuego. Launching in July 2021, World Navigator, will bring fun-seeking adventurers, explorers and like-spirited travelers on authentic, thrilling, and once-in-a-lifetime Luxe-Adventure experiences to the world's most sought-after and remote destinations, including the Holy Land; Black, Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas; South America and Antarctica. World Navigator's 29 inaugural-year journeys are now open for booking.

"Beginning July 2021, Atlas Ocean Voyages' distinct, excitement-driven Luxe-Adventure journeys will offer new world explorers an unmatched travel experience aboard our new, safe, small, clean and green ship, World Navigator," said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. "We've adjusted our inaugural-year deployment to bring World Navigator to the Caribbean so U.S. and Canadian travelers can embark on an adventure closer to home. And, the new Transatlantic, Caribbean and South America itineraries provide our valued travel advisor partners more options when discussing future 2021 travel with their clients and to take advantage of our GET PAID NOW offer."

Adventurers, modern explorers and like-spirited travelers save up to $2,000 per suite and stateroom, and receive free air travel and more, on bookings made by June 30, 2020:

$1,000 savings plus FREE business-class air travel per suite guest

savings plus FREE business-class air travel per suite guest $500 savings plus FREE economy-class air per Horizon- or Veranda-stateroom guest

savings plus FREE economy-class air per Horizon- or Veranda-stateroom guest Reduced, 50-percent deposit

FREE changes to any itinerary, departing before March 31, 2022 .

"We're expanding our GET PAID NOW offer, the industry's most generous and immediate incentive program, to include our new Caribbean and South American Luxe-Adventure journeys to recognize Travel Advisors for their hard work," said Brandon Townsley, Vice President of Sales and Trade Partnerships. "In addition to their 15 percent commission, we will reward them with a $500 or $750 gift card now. Their clients also have confidence that they can change  for free  their Luxe-Adventure journey of a lifetime to any other itinerary through March 2022."

Travel Advisors can take advantage of Atlas Ocean Voyages' GET PAID NOW offer for all deposited World Navigator 2021/22 bookings and receive:

A $750 gift card per suite NOW

gift card per suite NOW A $500 gift card per Horizon and Veranda stateroom NOW

gift card per Horizon and Veranda stateroom NOW 15% commission

Bridging the Old and New Worlds, World Navigator will depart October 4, 2021, on a 13-night voyage, from Lisbon, Portugal. Guests will follow the winds of colonial explorers and call at some of the Atlantic's most beautiful islands, including Madeira, Tenerife, St. Lucia and Barbados.

From Barbados, a 10-night itinerary, departing October 19, will bring guests on an epic equatorial crossing, via the north coast of South America, to Recife, Brazil. On this journey, World Navigator contrasts the charm of small and elegant Tobago Island against French Guiana's rugged Devil's Island, en route to the historic and colorful cultures of Brazil's Fortaleza and Natal metropolises and the mouth of the mighty Amazon at Belem.

The subsequent, 13-night journey, departing October 29 from Recife, to Montevideo, Uruguay. Guest visit laid-back Brazilian ports of Buzios, and Paraty; explore the steep, cobblestone streets of one of South America's oldest colonial cities, Salvador de Bahia; and revel in Uruguay's resort city of Punta del Este. World Navigator guests also enjoy overnights in Rio de Janiero and in Itajai, where samba and adventure await.

Adventurers and like-spirited travelers can also explore the ecological diversity of Patagonia and the Falkland Islands on World Navigator's November 11 departure from Montevideo. This eight-night itinerary provides a late-night stay in Buenos Aires for guests to immerse in the city's art, culture, and architecture, and savor dinner and a tango, before heading to Patagonia's northernmost city, Puerto Madryn, and the Falkland Islands for incomparable wildlife-spotting of large indigenous birds, whales, sea lions and seals, five species of penguins, and more. World Navigator then charts a course towards Tiera del Fuego to begin her inaugural winter-2021/22, Antarctica Expeditions season.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is an all-inclusive, luxury cruise brand defined by simple elegance and deliver authentic, thrilling, and once-in-a-lifetime Luxe-AdventureSM experiences in the world's most sought-after and remote destinations. Adventurers, explorers and like-spirited travelers will find community aboard Atlas Ocean Voyages' safe, small, all-inclusive luxury ships and come together in welcoming and lively venues to share their day's exploits.

Guests indulge in one of 98 luxe suites and staterooms, all with an ocean view and most with a private balcony. All Atlas Ocean Voyages journeys include complimentary gratuities; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; Wi-Fi; L'Occitane bath amenities; a free shore excursion in select ports on every itinerary; meals and snacks; binoculars, coffee and tea service and butler service in suites.

World Navigator's construction in Portugal is on schedule and the ship will launch in mid-2021. Safety is the basic building block for the Polar Category-C and Ice Class-1B, expedition ship, and all of the most-modern hygiene and cleanliness measures are incorporated into World Navigator's design. The ship also utilizes underwater, forward-looking sonar to confidently navigate coastal, harbor and icy polar waters. In addition to propeller propulsion, World Navigator's alternate hydrojet propulsion system, helps guests quietly cruise into wildlife-rich waters without disturbing marine wildlife. Furthermore, Atlas Ocean Voyages' ships are among the first to employ the latest conservation and sustainability technologies  leaving nothing behind but footprints to help preserve the breathtaking locales and waters they ply for future generations to enjoy. The ship's Rolls-Royce hybrid power management and propulsion system maximizes World Navigator's fuel efficiency, consuming as low as one-fifth the fuel compared to cruise ships with conventional systems.

For more information about Atlas Ocean Voyages, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com; and follow @AtlasCruises on Facebook and Twitter, and @AtlasOceanVoyages on Instagram. Travel Advisors can call 1-844-44-ATLAS (1-844-442-8527) to book their clients on an unforgettable Luxe-Adventure journey, and register as an Atlas Ocean Voyages Advisor at www.atlasoceanvoyages.com/contact-travel-advisors/.

SOURCE Atlas Ocean Voyages

Related Links

http://www.atlasoceanvoyages.com


CAPE TOWN, South Africa  Prestons new face mask is emblazoned with the stars and stripes of the U.S. flag.

While protecting him from the coronavirus, it would normally also put him in danger in Manenberg, one of a number of violent and poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cape Town known as the Cape Flats. The masks colors identify Preston as a member of the Americans, a criminal gang usually unwelcome on the turf of the rival Hard Livings gang.

Theyd shoot me, the 35-year-old says with what appears to be a smile, his eyes crinkling.

But today, hes working side-by-side with other notorious gang members to deliver bread, flour and vegetables to poor families who are struggling during South Africas coronavirus lockdown, which has closed industries and left many in Manenberg without work.

Preston stands in a courtyard with the other gang members amid an unlikely truce, bowing his head as Danny, a senior member of the Hard Livings, says a prayer. Caps are removed and tattooed arms are held behind backs.

We (the gangs) did decide to work together to help, Danny said. And we have got no problem (with each other), you see. No problem.

The project was started by Andie Steele-Smith, an Australian known as the gang pastor. They ride in the back of his pickup truck and trailer, leaping off to carry items to homes and soup kitchens.

Steele-Smith said that as soon as these guys were given an opportunity to do something good, they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and are just wringing it for everything they can.

The gangs also benefit, getting some food as well as the chance to stay relevant in tough times. They also seem to enjoy the role of modern-day Robin Hoods.

Still, these men are drug dealers and many are killers. A lot of them have tattoos that identify them as members of prison Numbers gangs, which experts say are far more violent.

One who doesnt think much of their good deeds is J.P. Smith, who works in the mayors office of Cape Town in charge of safety and security. He says their real business is murder, extortion, trafficking in drugs and guns, protection rackets and corrupting police and judges, noting there were 900 gang-related killings in the Cape Town area last year.

None of that goes away because the gangsters suddenly pretend to do something nice, Smith said. The trauma theyve inflicted on communities for decades wont be forgotten for a couple of loaves of bread.

Manenberg resident Cristal van Rensburg says two cousins were killed by gang members, with one shot 30 times in the face and chest. Her brother and other relatives also are in gangs, and she says she often sees her cousins killers on the street.

In the beginning it was difficult, she said. Its not a good feeling to lose someone and know that person who hurt your family is walking past you every day. You see in Manenberg, thats part of life.

Despite its beauty, Cape Town was ranked last year as the 11th most-dangerous city in the world. According to the Mexico City-based Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, which compiled the list, Cape Town had 2,868 homicides in 2018, the second-most on the list behind Caracas, Venezuela.

An attempted truce has accompanied the food distribution, and Smith said police have reported a decrease in trouble in Manenberg in recent weeks.

But the grim reality is still evident.

During the food delivery, the pickup truck encounters people who say a man has been stabbed to death, and the victim is a member of a gang known as the Clever Kidz.

Santjie, a local leader of the gang who is riding on Steele-Smiths truck, had earlier made a comment that has become suddenly relevant: Life here is very quick. Its very quick.

Residents of Manenberg seem to live either in government-built housing blocks called the courts or in haphazard houses on unmarked streets.

The headquarters of the Americans is a multistory labyrinth with Welcome 2 United States scrawled on it. Across the street is more graffiti, misspelled and perhaps mistaken: God loves Manenburg.

The neighborhood was created by South Africas apartheid government in the 1960s as a dumping ground for poor non-whites who were evicted from Cape Towns prime land. Steele-Smith describes it as forgotten and lacking hope.

Danny, Preston and Santjie, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only their first names are used because they belong to criminal gangs, say they have much in common: all have been shot and all have been to prison.

Danny is 61 and says he was behind bars for 29 years for murder and armed robbery. The other two dont specify their crimes. Santjie, the youngest of the three at 31, has been in and out numerous times, he says.

All three saw joining gangs as natural  boys are recruited in their early teens or younger.

Preston says he may eventually quit his gang, but Danny warns: If you turn your back on your gang, youre a target.

A traitor, Preston agrees.

Leaving a gang means giving up protection. A local saying goes that the only sure way out of a Cape Flats gang is death.

The Rev. Eric Hofmeyer used to be a member of the Hard Livings gang, joining when he was 9 but getting out at age 21 in the 1980s. He says he survived two stabbings by rival gangs and also escaped death when police interrupted an attempt by his own gang to kill him.

He says the food project shows that the new generation is open to change.

I believe there is a way out for those young men, he said.



Follow Gerald Imray on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP
Ontarios right-wing populist government ignored complaints from workers at the Maple Lodge Farms poultry plant in Brampton in early April, two weeks before a coronavirus outbreak struck the facility. To date, one worker has died and over 25 have been sickened by COVID-19.

Workers told Global News that they had complained to management and the Ontario Ministry of Labour that Maple Lodge Farms, which claims to operate Canadas largest chicken processing plant, was failing to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). Social distancing measures were also not being observed in locker rooms and lunch areas. Workers had access to only one or two masks per shift. I would say its as close to working at a sweatshop as you can get, one worker told Global News.

The company reportedly recorded its first coronavirus case on April 15, almost two weeks after workers had first complained to the Ontario government about unsafe conditions at the plant.

The Maple Lodge Farms outbreak only became public knowledge on May 4, by which time dozens of infections were confirmed. Throughout April, the low-paid and highly-exploited workers were being bribed to come into the plant with $40 gift vouchers for KFC and other retailers. This practice is all the more criminal given that a large portion of Maple Lodge Farms 1,200 workers are recent immigrants whose residency status in Canada is often tied to a single employer.

An Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development spokesperson told Global News, We can confirm there have been eight complaints from April 2, 2020 to May 8, 2020 at the Maple Lodge Farms facility in Brampton.

Although the company has said it is reducing production by a third to facilitate a deep clean of the plant, workers have expressed strong opposition to returning to work until the pandemic is under control. Im actually quite scared, said one worker. I just dont want to go back to work until this is over.

The episode at Maple Lodge Farms plant underscores the criminal disregard for workers lives on the part of Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative government. Media reports indicate workers employed in multiple sectors have submitted over 200 COVID-19 related complaints to the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Not a single one has been upheld.

The virus is rampaging through workplaces across the province. At the Conestoga Meats plant in Breslau, 44 workers have tested positive. At the Saputo Dairy Products plant in Vaughan, one worker has died and 23 workers are infected. Three cases have been recorded at Cargills meatpacking plant in Guelph. At least five personal support worker fatalities have been recorded across Ontario.

Across Canada, at least 1,400 COVID-19 infections have been recorded among meatpackers. At Cargills High River, Alberta, plant, some 950 cases have been identified. Three fatalities are linked to the outbreak. A Cargill plant south of Montreal, Quebec, was forced to close temporarily after dozens of infections.

Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government has given its stamp of approval to the brutal treatment of meatpacking workers by the food processing giants. A $77 million package of assistance measures was unveiled earlier this month for the highly-profitable meat processing businesses, ostensibly to help fund safety measures in their plants.

The fate of meatpacking workers is indicative of the horrific conditions all workers will be faced with as the ruling elites reckless back-to-work campaign gathers pace. Canadas provincial governments have imposed widespread reopenings across all economic sectors, even as the number of new infections remains high. Auto plants across Ontario are to reopen today, bringing thousands of workers together under conditions that will make the rapid spread of the virus almost inevitable.

The unions are deeply complicit in the back-to-work drive and doing nothing to protect the workers they claim to represent. At Maple Lodge Farms, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union issued tepid appeals for provincial inspectors to work with the company to resolve the safety issues. UFCW Local 175 spokesperson Tim Deelstra also noted pathetically that workers have the right to refuse unsafe work on an individual basis.

What the unions oppose under all circumstances is independent worker action to fight for basic safety measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. At Cargills Alberta plant, the UFCW opposed strikes or any job action by workers even as the virus raged through the plant, declaring that such action was not legal. (See: Workers at Cargills Alberta meatpacking plant forced back to work despite 935 infections .)

The unions have also given their seal of approval to the pro-employer, state-enforced federal and provincial collective bargaining/labour relations system ostensibly serving as the mechanism to ensure workers safety amid the reckless back-to-work drive. With the death toll among workers mounting and news breaking of the mass dismissal of worker complaints by authorities in Ontario, the Canadian Labour Congress declared in a May 8 statement on health and safety that governments must have the capacity and commitment to enforcing occupational health and safety laws. If we are to avoid a dangerous second wave of COVID-19 infections, governments must also ramp up research and staffing capacity for rapid, effective COVID-19 testing and contact tracing to stem the spread of infections.

Such hollow rhetoric must sound like a cruel joke to poultry workers and meatpackers, who know first-hand that the unions are opposed to, and systematically seek to sabotage, efforts to mobilize workers collective strength to ensure that they and their families are protected from the highly-contagious and potentially fatal novel coronavirus.

The only way for meat packers and other sections of the working class to protect their interests and even their lives is to advance their own independent response to the crisis. Rank-and-file committees must be formed independently of the UFCW and the pro-capitalist unions to demand the shutting down of all non-essential production with full pay for workers affected, and the implementation of immediate safety measures, under the supervision of worker representatives and medical experts, in essential workplaces. These must include the supplying of adequate PPE to all workers, the testing of workers regularly to detect cases, the reduction of production line speeds to allow social distancing, the reduction of workers on the job to prevent crowding in the plants, and the provision of full pay to all workers sheltering at home.

The author also recommends:

Canadian unions cement anti-worker corporatist alliance with government and big business

[16 May 2020]

Mounting worker opposition to Quebecs reckless back-to-work drive

[14 May 2020]

US meatpacking workers continue walkouts and protests against forced return to work

[13 May 2020]
For HR leaders who need to measure, and truly improve engagement, Waggl is an Employee Voice platform that crowdsources real-time insight to drive faster action and alignment The direct support that weve gotten from the Waggl team has just been superlative. It has made this journey, which could have been rough, a whole lot smoother, said Rick Smith, Senior Director of Human Resource Management, University of Utah Health.

Waggl, the Employee Voice platform that crowdsources real-time insight to drive faster action and alignment around critical business topics, today announced that it has once again achieved notable growth in the past year by adding many well-respected brands to its client roster in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, government, technology, education, financial services, fast-moving consumer goods, and more.

Waggls primary focus has always been on building an agile, resilient culture and great employee experience, said Michael Papay, Co-founder and CEO, Waggl. In the past year, weve seen that translate into a strong, trustworthy brand and a superior customer experience. As businesses in the United States begin to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, we believe that maintaining an agile, engaged culture will be one of the most important predictors of continued business success. Organizations that commit to putting their people first by elevating Employee Voice will be on the right path toward recovery.

In order to keep pace with the constantly changing business dynamics of the past year, in combination with the challenges that come with rapid growth, Waggl maintains a strong focus on providing a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, and can contribute fully to the organizations success. Rather than making decisions in a closed room with a small, narrowly defined set of leaders, Waggl management exemplifies its core values of inclusion and transparency by increasing the number of people who add their input, and by practicing wider dispersion of knowledge. The goal is to create an organizational culture that is not only high-performing, but also resilient and able to withstand change.

In FY 2019, Waggl increased its bookings by 40%, and grew its Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by 32%, driven by a number of significant customer wins, including global industry leaders in diverse industries like aerospace, manufacturing, insurance, consumer beverages, healthcare and technology. These new customers joined Waggls already impressive roster of more than 100 premiere enterprise organizations, including Freddie Mac, Paychex, HEINEKEN, 3M, Mastercard, UCHealth, McGraw Hill, and Parsons, among others. In the past six years, Waggl has run over 22,000 pulses for more than 2 million participants, and has delivered over 8 million votes on topics of critical business importance.

Waggl is keenly focused on delivering a superior customer experience. Perhaps the strongest evidence of the companys success is illustrated by the fact that the number of its customers under multi-year agreements has more than doubled. Waggl finished 2019 with a customer Net Promoter Score (NPS) rating of 79, positioning the company alongside well-respected brands like Apple, Costco, Starbucks, and USAA. The experience Waggl provides to its customers represents a true competitive advantage through multiple customer impact stories and referrals.

The direct support that weve gotten from the Waggl team has just been superlative. It has made this journey, which could have been rough, a whole lot smoother, said Rick Smith, Senior Director of Human Resource Management, University of Utah Health. They were just there every step of the way, and thats been an immense help.

Waggl is proud to have been recently recognized as a leader in every aspect of its business, including culture, employee experience, product, customer experience, growth and expansion. In Q120, Waggl was recognized for the third consecutive year as one of the Best Places to Work in the San Francisco Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, ranking #8 for smallest companies. The company also received major accolades for corporate culture and growth from Forbes as one of Americas Best Startup Employers, and from Financial Times as one of The Americas Fastest Growing Companies 2020. In 2019, Waggl placed #15 on the San Francisco Business Times Fast 100 list and ranked 151 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, with three-year revenue growth of 2482 percent, placing 26 within California-based companies, 19 within software companies, and 10 within San Francisco companies. The company was named as Employee Engagement Vendor of the Year by the 2019 North American Employee Engagement Awards, recognized as a Top Workplace of 2019 by the Bay Area Newsgroup, and by San Francisco Business Times/Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work, earning the #2 ranking for wellness and the #10 spot for smallest companies. Waggl was also recognized by the 9th Annual Best in Biz Awards as Best Local Company of the Year for the San Francisco Bay Area.

As the COVID-19 crisis rapidly changed the business environment in Q1, Waggl launched a new offering called Putting People First to help organizations hear from their people during the COVID-19 crisis, and made it available for the first 90 days at no cost. The pandemic also spurred existing customers to use Waggl to engage with their employees, to check in on how they are doing, understand what questions they need answered, and what support they need to work more effectively in this new work reality. More than 50% of Waggls existing customer base has expressed interest in launching at least one pulse to their organization, in support of the new workplace reality. In partnership with Josh Bersin Academy and CultureX, Waggl has also launched the COVID-19 Pulse of HR, a dynamic resource for HR professionals navigating current events that invites people to add their voices to the dialogue about topics that matter to organizations.

To learn more about Waggl, please visit https://www.waggl.com/.

About Waggl

For HR leaders who need to measure, and truly improve engagement, Waggl is an Employee Voice platform that crowdsources real-time insight to drive faster action and alignment around critical business topics. Inspired by the waggle dance honey bees do to communicate vital information, Waggl believes every voice matters. Unlike heavy surveys or basic pulse tools, Waggl is a dialogue-first approach to engagement that creates shared ownership through inclusive team-based action planning.

With a seasoned Executive Team and premiere customers including Freddie Mac, Paychex, HEINEKEN, 3M, Mastercard, UCHealth, McGraw Hill, and Parsons, Waggl partners with leading enterprises to harness the collective intelligence of their people. For more information and an expanded customer list, please visit https://www.waggl.com.

###
Ruling Once Again Confirms US$543 Million Award as Final and Binding

NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swedish Supreme Court, on May 18, handed down its judgment in The Republic of Kazakhstan v Ascom Group S.A. et al dismissing with prejudice Kazakhstan's renewed challenge to a US$543 million Swedish arbitral award issued by a Stockholm seated arbitral tribunal in December 2013.

Kazakhstan had brought an unprecedented third challenge to the award in April 2020, having lost the first two challenges in December 2016 and March 2020 respectively. On this occasion, Kazakhstan launched a collateral attack on the award by way of a challenge to the Svea Court of Appeal judgment of December 9, 2016, which originally confirmed the validity of the award in its capacity as the supervisory court at the seat of the arbitration. Kazakhstan's application to appeal the Svea Court ruling by way of extraordinary review application was rejected by the Swedish Supreme Court in October 2017.

In its ruling, handed down on May 18, 2020, the Swedish highest court found that none of the alleged new circumstances invoked by Kazakhstan justified a reversal of the December 2016 Svea Court of Appeal judgment.

This ruling comes shortly after the Svea Court of Appeal in March 2020 summarily dismissed with prejudice Kazakhstan's second direct challenge to the award on the grounds that the matter had already been adjudicated.

Anatolie Stati, CEO and sole shareholder of Ascom Group S.A., one of the award creditors, said: "We welcome this ruling of the Swedish Supreme Court, which yet again confirms the futility of Kazakhstan's increasingly desperate attempts to escape compliance with its international treaty obligations. Through the repeated filing of frivolous appeals and challenges to the arbitration award around the world, Kazakhstan is proving itself to be nothing more than an international scofflaw that routinely flouts investment protections under the international treaties that it signs. The award creditors will continue unabatedly with their efforts to collect any and all amounts due under the award and related legal costs in all available jurisdictions."

As part of separate ongoing attachment proceedings in Sweden, the Stati parties have successfully frozen funds of approximately US$85 million owned by the Republic of Kazakhstan and held by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken in its capacity as sub-custodian under a global custody agreement between the National Bank of Kazakhstan and BNY Mellon.

In addition to the Swedish attachment, the Stati parties have successfully secured and maintain the benefit of various other attachments of Kazakh state property in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium, with the combined total value of all attachments worldwide exceeding US$6.25 billion.

The Swedish court ruling is the latest development in the Stati parties' long-running battle to enforce the award for Kazakhstan's violations of the investor protection provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty. In December 2013, a Sweden based arbitration tribunal found that Kazakhstan had violated international law by failing to treat the Stati parties' investments in Kazakhstan fairly and equitably, and awarded the Stati parties more than US$500 million in damages, legal costs, and interest. The award has since been fully upheld by two tiers of the Swedish judiciary, including the Swedish Supreme Court.

The claims originally arose out of Kazakhstan's seizure of the Stati parties' petroleum operations in 2010. The Stati parties acquired two companies in 1999 that held idle licenses in the Borankol and Tolkyn fields in Kazakhstan. They invested more than US$1 billion over the ensuing decade to turn the companies into successful exploration and production businesses. By late 2008, the businesses had become profitable and had yielded considerable revenues for the Kazakh state. Just as the Stati parties expected to start receiving dividends, more than half a dozen government agencies carried out multiple burdensome inspections and audits of the companies' businesses that resulted in false accusations of illegal conduct directed at the Stati parties and their Kazakh companies, including criminal prosecutions of their general managers on false pretenses. Kazakhstan's actions challenged the Stati parties' title to their investments, subjected them to hundreds of millions of dollars in unwarranted tax assessments and criminal penalties, and ultimately led to the seizure and nationalization of their investments by Kazakh authorities in July 2010.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kimberly Macleod

(917) 587-0069

[email protected]

Chris Winans

(908) 309-3959

[email protected]

SOURCE Ascom Group S.A.
Hannah Brown apologizes for using N-word

Former The Bachelorette star and Dancing with the Stars champion Hannah Brown has apologized after she sang the N-word in an Instagram Live video on Saturday night. ET reports Brown used the racial slur while apparently trying to remember the lyrics to DaBabys song Rockstar. When fans began complaining online, she initially denied using the word but issued an apology on Sunday. There is no excuse and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all, Brown wrote. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better.

.@hannahbrown singing the n word. This is deplorable and while it isnt my apology, the fact that you would giggle about it as you and your friend deny you saying it and that youd say no thats Patrick... beyond impermissible. You need to ACTUALLY address this. pic.twitter.com/6ARR1h3lBe    (@pastelhour) May 17, 2020

Scarface actor dies

Scarface actor Geno Silva is dead at age 72, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Silva died May 9 at his home in L.A. due to complications from a form of dementia known as frontotemporal degeneration. The veteran character actor is best known for playing the silent assassin known as The Skull, who kills Al Pacinos Tony Montana with a shotgun in Brian De Palmas 1983 movie. Silva also appeared in Fantasy Island, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Lost World: Jurassic Park," and Vin Diesels A Man Apart.

Scarface actor Geno Silva has died aged 72. pic.twitter.com/qqb2UCgmvG  Kobo | Businessman (@kobonwa) May 18, 2020

Scarface remake

In related news, a Scarface remake is in the works. SlashFilm reports Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name," Suspiria reboot) is set to direct a new version of the movie from a script written by the Coen Brothers. The 1983 movie itself was a remake of a 1932 film, based loosely on the life of Al Capone. A cast has not been announced for the new movie.

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Timothy Olyphant joining The Mandalorian season 2 ( SF

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Percy Jackson series in the works at Disney+ ( SF

Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news from movies, TV, music and celebrity gossip.

Fred Willard dead: Comedy actor who appeared in 300 movies, TV shows dies at 86 https://t.co/jS596wjZ0i  Geoff Herbert (@deafgeoff) May 16, 2020
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed a global open letter calling for a vaccine for COVID-19 to be distributed free to all people, irrespective of their class, race or social status.

He has thus joined a list of over 140 world leaders, both past and present, and experts who have signed the letter, known as the Peoples Letter, which was put out by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).



The President took to his Twitter handle last Friday to announce his signing of the global letter.



"Together with other global leaders, I signed the @UNAIDS Public Letter on a People's Vaccine for @COVID-19.



It is important that all people everywhere must have access to the vaccine when one becomes available.





It must be the #PeoplesVaccine," he posted.



President Akufo-Addo also thanked the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Ms Winnie Byanyima, for coordinating the initiative.



Other leaders



Among world leaders and experts who have signed the letter are the South African President and Chairman of the African Union, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa; the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Imran Khan; President Macky Sall of Senegal; a former President of Liberia, Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr Gordon Brown.



The rest are a former President of Mexico, Mr Ernesto Zedillo; a former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Ms Helen Clark; a former President of Ireland, Ms Mary Robinson, and a Nobel Laureate, Mr Joseph Stiglitz.



The Letter



The letter called for a mandatory worldwide pooling of patents and sharing of all COVID-19 related knowledge, the establishment of a global manufacturing and distribution plan for all vaccines and tests and to guarantee that vaccines, treatment and tests were provided free of charge for everyone.



We are calling on Health ministers at the World Health Assembly to rally behind a peoples vaccine against this disease urgently.



Governments and international partners must unite around a global guarantee which ensures that when a safe and effective vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available to all people in all countries, free of charge, it said.



Progress



It recognised that many countries and international organisations were making progress towards the goal for a vaccine for the viral disease.



Taking notice of the tireless efforts of the public and private sectors in research financing for a vaccine for the COVID-19, the letter said: Our world will only be safer once everyone can benefit from the science and access a vaccine  and that is a political challenge.



It added that it was time for Health ministers to renew the commitments made at the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO), where all states agreed to deliver the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.



Global interest



The letter further stressed that access to vaccines and treatments as global public good was in the interest of humanity.



We cannot afford for monopolies, crude competition and near-sighted nationalism to stand in the way. We must heed the warning that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.



We must learn the painful lessons from a history of unequal access in dealing with diseases such as HIV and Ebola, it said.



It added: We must also remember the ground-breaking victories of health movements, including AIDS activists and advocates, who fought for access to affordable medicines for all.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Britney Spears' second album Oops I Did It Again celebrated 20 years of its release on Saturday.

The album went on to sell over 20 million copies and be diamond certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.

And the 38-year-old pop star marked the two decades since her sophomore album's release with a sweet message to her fans for growing with her for over 20 years.

20 years of Oops: Britney Spears marked the two decades since her sophomore album's release with a sweet message to her fans for growing with her for over 20 years

She shared a video created by a fan showing clips of her from 2000 ahead of the album's release and said 'thank you to whoever made this.'

'I just nearly dropped my phone I wasn't expecting it,' she wrote alongside laughing emojis. '20 years since the Oops! album.

Explaining how she felt at the time, she added 'The anticipation and the butterflies I felt before it came out were crazy... all of my expectations were exceeded.'

'And it's all thanks to you folks...thank you for sticking with me and growing with me. I am one Lucky girl,' she wrote with a wink seemingly referencing her second hit single from the album, Lucky.

Can't believe it: 'I just nearly dropped my phone I wasn't expecting it,' she wrote alongside laughing emojis. '20 years since the Oops! album

We grew together: 'And it's all thanks to you folks...thank you for sticking with me and growing with me. I am one Lucky girl,' she wrote with a wink seemingly referencing her second hit single from the album, Lucky

'God Bless and thank you all! PS you see even 20 years ago I still liked to twirl.'

In the video, the then 18-year-old Britney gushed over her lead single and song the album would be named after.

'Actually I just got finished hearing the first single,' she said at the time. 'And I'm so happy about it. It's incredible, it's amazing and I think it's better than Baby One More Time.'

'It's really really weird that my name is known all around the world...It's really exciting.'

Then: In the video, the then 18-year-old Britney gushed over her lead single and song the album would be named after

Before oops: 'Actually I just got finished hearing the first single,' she said at the time. 'And I'm so happy about it. It's incredible, it's amazing and I think it's better than Baby One More Time'

She explained that the album would be 'more mature' than her last.

While the album sold millions of copies around the world and became Britney's second best selling album, the hit single may be the most iconic.

Her latex red outfit from the Oops music video, has become synonymous with this era of her career.

But the video's stylist recently revealed that the outfit almost never happened, while speaking to Vogue.

Second overall: While the album sold millions of copies around the world and became Britney's second best selling album, the hit single may be the most iconic

The outfit that almost wasn't: Her latex red outfit from the Oops music video, has become synonymous with this era of her career, the videos stylist recently revealed the outfit came to be overnight

'We wanted everything to be sexy and monochromatic,' Estee Stanley said of Britney's vision for the video.

With the help of costume designer Michael Bush they worked closely to create the iconic outfit.

'It was a last-minute thing to go to him and see if he could make something for us,' said. 'In [the music] world, everybody has to do everything in two minutes, so we knew he could pull it off. And he did.'

According to Stanley the red latex catsuit was made overnight for the video shoot and since latex is not a forgiving fabric, Britney has to pull through in the look.

Since: Britney went on to release seven more albums after Oops, with her latest being Glory in 2016 (pictured in 2020)

'If you put a latex outfit on, you're immediately sweating, and I knew she was going to be dancing all day. I was nervous that she would pass out,' Stanley explained. 'After one take, I unzipped her, and it literally looked like a bucket of water poured out of this jumpsuit. She had a very intense day, to say the least.'

Britney went on to release seven more albums after Oops, with her latest being Glory in 2016.

Known as the Princess of Pop, her work inspired other pop stars including Katy Perry and Meghan Trainor, she was honored wit the Billboard Millennium Award in 2016.
Jair Bolsonaro defied public health advice to greet supporters and pose for pictures outside his presidential palace on the day Brazil overtook Spain and Italy to become the fourth highest for coronavirus infections in the world.

The president, who has repeatedly dismissed Covid-19 as comparable to a cold, donned face mask to welcome a crowd that had amassed outside the building to the protest against the lockdown.

Mr Bolsonaro has hit out at governors across the country for imposing restrictions on work and movement to stem the spread of the virus, which has claimed more than 15,000 lives in Brazil.

Confirmed infections in Brazil topped 240,000 on Sunday, putting the country behind only the US, Russia and the UK. The true number is thought to higher as Brazilian authorities have carried out relatively little testing.

Despite the figures, the president plucked children from the crowd of supporters for photographs on Sunday, the latest flouting of social distancing from a leader who has repeatedly left the confines of his governmental building to welcome crowds and speak out against the lockdown.

Supporters chanted we want to work and chloroquine in reference to the potentially harmful chemical promoted by the Brazilian president and Donald Trump as a supposed cure.

Above all [the people] want freedom, Mr Bolsonaro said in an online video welcoming the demonstrations, which have become a bi-weekly occurrence.

They want democracy, they want respect, he added, claiming that Brazilians wanted to get the economy back up and running as quickly as possible.

However, a recent poll showed that many Brazilians are in favour of the lockdown.

The survey found two-thirds of the public back social distancing measures introduced by the nations 27 state governors during the pandemic.

Mr Bolsonaro has tried to use his office to encourage the opening of gyms, hair salons and other businesses  placing the populist politician at odds with his own advisers.

Mr Bolsonaro has lost two health ministers in a month, after both resisted his calls for the end of lockdown measures.

The second of those, Nelson Teich, resigned on Friday after sparring with the president over the governments response to the pandemic which has killed 15,724 people in Brazil.

Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European nations. Brazil had processed nearly 338,000 novel coronavirus tests in official labs by the beginning of the week, according to the Health Ministry. Another 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting in line.

By contrast, Italy and Spain have each run some 1.9 million official diagnostic tests for the virus.



Additional reporting by Reuters
By David Tizzard





David Tizzard
LIMERICK students are being encouraged to consider a national accounting technician apprenticeship programme which will create 20 jobs in the area this year and 150 positions nationally.

The accounting technician apprenticeship, which is available at Limerick College of Further Education, is a funded, work-based learning programme which sees apprentices earn at least 19,700 a year.

Leaving Certificate students and mature learners can apply to participate in the programme through Accounting Technicians Ireland.

The apprenticeship scheme provides a real alternative for Leaving Certificate students who prefer practical training to a full-time college programme, or for students who may have embarked on a college course and found it didnt suit them.

It is also an attractive option for existing employees and mature learners who would like to pursue a career in accounting.

Successful graduates may then progress on to full accountancy with Chartered Accountants Ireland or one of the other professional accountancy bodies.

Our students, when they complete the apprenticeship, gain a much in-demand accountancy QQI Level 6 award and two years of solid work experience, placing them in a strong position to progress in business or to further study, said Gillian Doherty, chief operations officer at Accounting Technicians Ireland.
Realty firm Gaurs Group on Monday said it will invest Rs 120 crore over the next two years on a new housing project in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The real estate market, which is facing a multi-year slowdown, has been severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Sales and new launches have almost dried while construction work has come to a standstill.

Gaurs Group said in a statement that the company will develop 450 studio apartments, in this project.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown is all set to change the way we live. People will increasingly prefer offices near their residence or a set-up, which may double up both as residence and offices," Gaurs Group Managing Director Manoj Gaur said.

The new project 'Gaur HomeWork' will entail an investment of Rs 120 crore, which will be met from internal accruals and sales proceeds, the statement said adding that the project will be delivered by 2022.

The prices of studio apartments are in a range of Rs 40-45 lakh for nearly 400 sq ft carpet area, it said.

The Group has constructed many real estate projects at Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. It is developing a large township on the Yamuna Expressway at a 250-acre land parcel bought from Jaypee group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three years ago when I decided to run for governor, I put all assets in blind trust form, and they continue to be in that form, so Im not involved, Pritzker said Monday when asked about the companies. I really dont even know the engagement of those businesses in anything that has to do with this, and Im really three years from having had any knowledge about any of those.
The president of the High Court has expressed his sympathies to the families of 85 wards of court who have died so far this year.

That is twice the number of deaths when compared to the same period last year, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, who manages the wards of court list, said today.

Arising from the Covid-19 restrictions, the judge said this was the first time he had been sitting in open court since March and it was only appropriate to express sympathy to the families, relatives, friends and carers of the 85 people who have died in such a small space of time.

The judge did not outline the cause of death, as that information has yet to be provided and compiled, but it is believed some of the deaths arose as a result of Covid-19 infection.

Most of the deceased wards are elderly people and it is understood a considerable number of those were in nursing homes or other care units.

The judge said he was very conscious some wards may have died in circumstances of isolation from their families, relatives and friends.

The fact families and friends could not be with their loved ones at the time of their deaths would have been a further great blow, as well as the fact of being unable to attend funeral services and requiem Mass, the judge added.

He was expressing sympathy, not just on his own behalf but on behalf of the registrar of wards of court, the individual case officers for each ward, and Patricia Hickey, general solicitor for wards of court who, in the case of 33 of the deceased wards, was the committee representing their interests.

While he had met a small number of the deceased wards personally, Ms Hickey would have known many of the deceased personally, he noted.

Ms Hickey, who described personal contact with wards as the true heart of wardship", thanked the judge and also extended her sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 21:28:46|Editor: huaxia

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COPENHAGEN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Danish Ministry of Health said that it will make COVID-19 tests available to all adults in the country from Monday. The move is part of Denmark's national testing strategy.

The tests are primarily aimed at adults without symptoms and will be conducted in white tents that TestCenter Danmark has already set up in 16 cities across the country.

Meanwhile, Danes showing symptoms of COVID-19 are alternatively requested to consult their own physician so they can be referred for testing in hospitals.

"Every single chain of infection is one too many and can potentially turn into several. Therefore, the national testing strategy is about significantly increasing testing widely in the population," commented Health and Elderly Affairs Minister Magnus Heunicke.

He told the public that "if there is the slightest indication that you might have been exposed to COVID-19, you should let yourself be tested." According to the ministry's press release, Denmark's testing capacity has massively expanded in recent weeks, with testing offered in hospitals, tents and at mobile testing sites.

"It is important to remember that even if the test does not show a virus, you still have to pay attention to hygiene and distance, because in some cases there may well be viruses that the test cannot yet find," said Heunicke.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Denmark stands at 10,968, with 548 deaths, out of 394,394 people who have been tested across the country, according to the latest count released by the Danish Statens Serum Institut on Monday. Enditem
The Government will today begin the passage of its flagship Immigration Bill through the House of Commons amid growing fears it will block 'low-skilled' NHS and care workers from coming to the UK.

The draft legislation will pave the way for the introduction of an Australian-style points-based immigration system in January next year after the Brexit transition period ends.

But Labour and the SNP have said they will oppose the Bill on the grounds they believe it discriminates against low-paid but important workers like those in the care sector.

Labour has accused ministers of 'rank hypocrisy' for clapping NHS and care workers every week due to their contributions in the fight against coronavirus while also seemingly making it more difficult for people from overseas to come and fill the roles.

Under the Government's immigration plans a fast track NHS visa has already been introduced, granting applicants lower fees and guaranteeing swift processing.

But it is only available to people who meet certain qualification thresholds like doctors.

In February the Government announced proposals for the future system, with points awarded for specific requirements like being able to speak English to a certain level, having a job offer from an approved employer and meeting a salary threshold of 25,600. The salary requirement could prove a major barrier to many care workers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, pictured in Downing Street on May 14, will today see the Government's Immigration Bill debated by MPs for the first time

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said the proposals brought forward by Home Secretary Priti Patel were 'not fair' and 'not in the national interest', adding: 'That's because they are deeming people who are low-skilled to be unwelcome in this country.'

Mr Thomas-Symonds said as a result the Immigration Bill poses a 'threat' to the health service and care sector.

'We have 180,000 EU nationals who are here, who are frankly helping to keep our services going,' he told the programme,' he said.

'There are other workers in other sectors - retail workers for example - all of whom the Government wants to send out a message to them with their new immigration system that they are low-skilled.

'I do not think it is right to be clapping our frontline workers and then today be sending out a signal that they are unskilled and unwelcome in the country. It is not fair and it is not in the national interest.'

The SNP's Stuart McDonald MP said 'instead of recognising' the contribution of migrant workers during the coronavirus outbreak and changing the Bill, the Government is 'content to cut off this crucial route for workers at a time when the UK needs them most'.

But Ms Patel said the new system will be 'firmer, fairer and simpler' than current arrangements.

She said: 'This historic piece of legislation gives the UK full control of our immigration system for the first time in decades and the power to determine who comes to this country.

'Our new points-based system is firmer, fairer, and simpler.

'It will attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.'

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said work is still ongoing on the specifics of the new immigration system.

'In relation to immigration, the Home Secretary has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on what occupations should be included in the shortage occupation list under the new system,' the spokesman said.

'The MAC has issued a call for evidence and will deliver its advice by the end of September 2020.'

The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill is due to receive its second reading in the House of Commons this evening.

It is the first of a number of stages which legislation must clear before it becomes law.

The passage of the Bill is ultimately a formality because of the Government's large majority.
At least eight employees at the Greater Noida factory of OPPO, the Chinese smartphone maker, was on Sunday found positive for the coronavirus, company officials said, adding that all operations at the manufacturing facility were suspended till further notice.

A spokesperson of OPPO India said that the company is taking stringent measures to keep the employees safe and is disinfecting the premises.

We had obtained permission from the state authorities to resume production earlier this month, following the MHA directives. As an organization that places the safety of all our employees and citizens at the forefront, we have suspended all operations at our manufacturing facility in Greater Noida and initiated Covid-19 testing for over 3,000 employees, for which results are awaited. Will only allow employees with negative test results to resume office following all safety protocols, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The company officials, however, refused to divulge the name of the hospital where the employees have been isolated. We have intimated the matter to the district administration, the spokesperson said.

However, despite repeated attempts, neither the district magistrate nor the chief medical officer could be available to confirm the positive cases related to OPPO.

Meanwhile, Gautam Budh Nagar reported eight fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday, taking the total tally of positive cases to 255 in the district.

According to health officials, of 255 cases, 191 patients have been discharged from different hospitals of the district and five others died of Covid-19, leaving the district with only 59 active cases.

The fresh cases include two men, each aged 21 years, a 53-year-old woman from Sector 12, a 55-year-old health worker of district hospital in Sector 30, and a 27-year-old female boarder of the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, a senior health official said.

Besides, three others have also tested Covid-19 positive, including a 50-year-old man of Sector 10, a 23-year-old woman and 47-year-old man  both from Sector 8, he said.

Official sources said that out of 10 Covid-19 patients discharged from different hospitals on Sunday, five were admitted in Sharda hospital. Todays list of cured and discharged patients included one surgeon from the Super Specialty Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute, commonly known as Child PGI. He reportedly got the infection while working in the quarantine ward there.

With the release of 10 patients from the isolation wards of different hospitals, the recovery rate of GB Nagar district has come to approximately 75%, which is much better than the national and state recovery rates of around 36% and 51%, respectively. Even in terms of fatality rate, GB Nagar (over 2.2%) stands better than national fatality rate of 3.2% and states 2.4%.
Justin Foronda, second from left, has dinner with his mother, Lina, left, brother Anthony and Anthony's girlfriend Michelle Diaz. When the coronavirus crisis began, Foronda, a nurse at Sherman Oaks Hospital, took on extra shifts. About 18% of registered nurses in California are of Philippine descent, according to a 2016 survey. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

If you live in Southern California, there's a good chance that you have at some point received medical care from a Filipino American professional.

Filipino nurses  along with doctors, anesthesiologists and every other kind of medical worker  are an essential source of labor at public hospitals such as L.A. County-USC, Kaiser Permanente and Ronald Reagan UCLA. Filipinos also staff and own many long-term care and mental health facilities.

And about 18% of registered nurses in California are of Philippine descent, according to a 2016 survey.

Nursing is such a popular profession among Filipinos that it's something of an inside joke. My roommate at UCLA used to say that he was going to be the first member of his family to become something other than a nurse.

After working a 12-hour nursing shift at a Sherman Oaks Hospital, Justin Foronda removes his work clothes in the backyard before entering the house as a coronavirus precaution. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

And when I met HiFi Kitchen chef Justin Foronda earlier this year and asked him what he did for a living, he responded, "I'm a nurse, of course!"

As for my roommate? Today, he is, of course, a nurse.

Foronda has always heard that Filipinos go into the medical field because they are caring, resilient, hardworking and kind. But he's never been satisfied with that answer.

"We get put into this box, like, oh, it's funny that all the Filipinos are nurses," said Foronda, a nurse at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

But the real story of why Filipino nurses came to the U.S. is the "legacy of a very long colonial history between the U.S. and the Philippines," said Catherine Ceniza Choy, a UC Berkeley professor who wrote about the history of Filipino nurse migration.

Nurse Justin Foronda disinfects his belongings in the backyard of his L.A. home as a precaution against the coronavirus. Foronda is also a chef at HiFi Kitchen, which provides food to hospitals. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

In the 1900s, the U.S. colonial regime began to cultivate a medical labor force in the Philippines. The lofty pretext of imparting Western medicine and civilization had helped politicians to justify the American annexation of the Philippines in 1898, which occurred despite the Philippines declaring independence and installing a democratic government.

When nursing shortages hit the U.S. after World War II, Filipino nurses came to work the jobs that Americans wouldn't via an exchange program.

Story continues

More nurses came after the U.S. ended immigration quotas in 1965, as well creating preferential pathways for skilled workers. The effect was further magnified when the Philippine government under Ferdinand Marcos began to actively encourage the export of all kinds of labor as a strategy of economic growth.

Nurses, and other exported workers, were labeled national heroes. And Filipino nurse graduates could not turn down the earning potential of a U.S. job, which was 12 times what they could earn in the Philippines.

Between 1965 and 1988, more than 70,000 foreign nurses came to work in the U.S., with the Philippines as the biggest sender by far.

Although American and Philippine nursing schools evolved in parallel and adhered to near-identical professional standards, Filipino nurses were systematically underpaid as exchange visitors and frequently assigned mundane tasks such as emptying bedpans, repairing gowns and janitorial duties.

American opponents of immigrant nurses added additional exam requirements for foreign nurses that failed thousands of Filipino nursing graduates. The exam fee was set at $70, the equivalent of a month and a half's salary for a nurse in the Philippines. Although the test was a prerequisite for the issuance of a work visa, the test could be taken in few major American cities.

And in 1975, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez were charged with the murders of patients at a hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. A massive deployment of the FBI  involving over 200 employees and more than $1 million  produced a case so weak that even a prosecuting attorney described it as "highly circumstantial."

Cross-examination revealed that a major witness for the prosecution  an alcoholic who admitted to significant memory loss  had no ability to distinguish between Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese and other Asian Americans. During testimony, he also asserted there was a nationwide conspiracy of 1,800 Filipino nurses to assassinate American veterans, and referred to Narciso and Perez as "a couple of slant-eyed bitches."

Abetted by a prosecution that focused heavily on demonizing Narciso and Perez as foreigners with brown skin, a jury convicted the women of three counts of poisoning.

The case became a watershed moment for Filipino Americans.

Filipino nurses around the nation began to recognize a shared experience of racial discrimination and exploitation. Activists reached out to black, Asian and Muslim civil rights groups and formed legal defense funds and nurse support organizations. Eventually, a judge set the verdict aside, citing the prosecution's "prejudiced" presentation of the case.

I think this history still matters today because hospitals hit with a flood of COVID-19 patients have nurses to care for them in large part because America opened its borders to Filipino nurses.

It matters because Filipino nurses recruited generations of sons, daughters, sisters and brothers to the field, and now entire families are at risk.

It matters because, unlike so many of us who retreated indoors when the pandemic came to Southern California, Foronda took on more shifts at the hospital, unable to sit at home knowing he could help.

It matters because Gigi Narisma-Estabillo, 55, is still going to work even though she has to reuse her N95 mask; because in the middle of a pandemic, the hospital laid off half of Narisma-Estabillo's team, forcing the remaining nurses to care for additional patients and risk further exposure; because Narisma-Estabillo and her fellow nurses still have to beg for personal protective equipment, or PPE, and coronavirus tests; because nearly half of the staff at her hospital is Filipino.

The history matters because what it shows is that this country has a responsibility to these workers, and we have not kept up our end of the bargain.

"We think America is great, yet everything that has happened, the fault is from top to bottom. Nothing is working. And we are scared," Narisma-Estabillo said. "They are pushing us to die."
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams (D) leadership during this trying time has been mostly steady and rational. However, the rollout of the plan to gradually reopen Virginia has shown that officials are still trying to make decisions based on a combination of sparse data and subjective criteria. The public health directors of all major Northern Virginia jurisdictions admitted that they hadnt met three of the six criteria, but, more telling, they didnt fully understand how to measure all six. There clearly was no agreement or understanding as to what enough hospital capacity or adequate and sustainable supplies meant. Even worse, its not clear that the counties or the state government have a plan to resolve those issues or to ramp up the testing and contact tracing were told must be in place before current restrictions can be lifted.
Main gate at Naval Air Station Pensacola is seen on Navy Boulevard in Pensacola

Reuters

Federal investigators found links to Al Qaeda in the phone of the Saudi gunman who shot and killed three sailors at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida in December, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Monday.

The attorney general said in January that the attack was an "act of terrorism" and that the shooter was motivated by "jihadist ideology."

In February, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the attack.

After cracking the attacker's phone, the FBI found that Second Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, who had been in the US for training, had been in contact with Al Qaeda operatives not only in the US but before he ever arrived.

The FBI director said Monday that the attack was the "brutal culmination" of years of planning.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The FBI found links to Al Qaeda after finally unlocking the two phones belonging to the Saudi gunman who killed three sailors at Naval Air Station Pensacola last year.

After gaining access to the contents of the attacker's phones, investigators found that Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a second lieutenant in the Saudi military who was in the US as part of a training program, had been in contact with a suspected Al Qaeda operative prior to the Dec. 6 attack on the Florida naval base, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Monday.

CNN, citing US officials, was the first to report the links to al Qaeda found in the shooter's phones.

On the day of the attack, Alshamrani opened fire on base personnel with a handgun obtained through a legal loophole. He killed three sailors and injured a handful of other people before he was killed by local law-enforcement officials.

Following a preliminary investigation, Barr announced in January that the attack "was an act of terrorism," explaining that the shooter was apparently motivated by "jihadist ideology."

Story continues

Alshamrani regularly posted anti-American, anti-Israeli, and jihadi messages on social media. He did so just before he started his deadly attack. He also reportedly hosted a dinner party days earlier to watch mass shooting videos.

In early February, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), one of the more brutal branches of the terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. Later that same month, the White House announced that AQAP leader Qassim al-Rimi had been killed in an airstrike.

As the FBI investigated the NAS Pensacola attack, they hit a roadblock with the shooter's iPhones, which they were unable to crack. In January, the FBI asked Apple for assistance, but the company, according to the attorney general, refused to assist.

The FBI, which has been deeply critical of Apple for hindering the investigation, managed to find another way around their problem.

His phone data revealed that Alshamrani, who tried to destroy the phones during the attack by shooting them, was in regular contact with AQAP, not only in the US, but also before he ever arrived in the country. The AG announced Monday that a counterterrorism operation was recently conducted against the oversees AQAP operative.

The FBI director described the attack on NAS Pensacola as the "brutal culmination" of years of planning. He said that he shared his plans with AQAP, but it remains unclear whether or not the attack was directed by al Qaeda.

The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

Update: This post has been updated with the remarks from Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(CNN)  Two women in Pakistan have been murdered in a so-called "honor killing" after a video showing them kissing a man circulated online.

The cousins, aged 22 and 24, were shot and buried on May 14 in a remote village in Pakistan's North Waziristan province, according to police officer Muhammad Nawaz Khan.

Khan said the father of one of the victims and the other victim's brother were arrested Sunday and confessed to killing the women.

The leaked mobile phone video in which the women appeared is a year old, but surfaced on social media this month, sparking the family's ire and decision to kill the women, said Khan. The footage shows a young man kissing the two women on the lips, while a third woman laughs alongside them.

The third woman's life is not believed to be in danger, Khan said, but police are concerned for the safety of the man, who is thought to have gone into hiding.

The tribal areas in North and South Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan, are deeply conservative and known for their strict "honor code." Women are often not allowed out of the house unaccompanied, and a family's social standing is measured by her obedience to family demands, according to Amnesty International.

In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that many people who had condemned the Waziristan murders on social media had been "threatened or ridiculed," and called on the authorities to "make it clear to all that it will not tolerate any support for this heinous practice."

"The local administration must take all possible steps to ensure the security of the third girl and the man in the video, and to bring the perpetrator to justice," it said.

Honor killings in Pakistan

There are an estimated 1,000 honor killings each year in Pakistan, according to a 2019 report by Human Rights Watch. But there are no official statistics around them, as they often go unreported or are logged as a suicide or natural death by family members, the report adds.

In October 2016, Pakistan passed a bill that fixed a loophole that allowed killers to escape prosecution if pardoned by the victim's family. Previously, family members who were complicit in the crime could also forgive those who had committed it.

That new legislation came three months after Qandeel Baloch, a social media star and feminist, was killed by her brother in Punjab province for dishonoring the family.

While honor killings in Pakistan now carry a life sentence, they remain common in Pakistan's remote tribal areas -- and the majority are against women perceived to have bought shame on their families.

The passage of the 2016 bill has not made honor crimes go away in Pakistan, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said in a statement on Monday that condemned the latest murders.

"Antiquated -- and lethal -- notions that 'honor' resides in women's bodies and actions still prevail across Pakistan, and it will take far more than laws to effect a change when perpetrators of 'honor' crimes continue to act with impunity," the HRCP said.

"The patriarchy that upholds casual sexism is the same patriarchy that is used to justify, endorse and perpetrate 'honor' killings. Neither is acceptable," the statement added.

Pakistan is the sixth-most populated country in the world. But it's one of the world's worst performers when it comes to gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum's 2020 gender gap report.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Two Pakistani women murdered in so-called honor killing after a leaked video circulates online"
Bismah Malik By

Express News Service

India's largest online food delivery company Swiggy has announced that it is letting go of 1100 employees across all grades, functions in the cities and at the head office over the next few days as the sector is jolted by the massive loss in business brought on by the COVID pandemic.

Swiggy CEO, Co-Founder, Sriharsha Majety wrote in a blog post addressed to his employees that the decision to trim the company's workforce is easily the hardest decision he had to take.

The Bengaluru-headquartered Swiggy also said that it will shut down its cloud-kitchen business (started two years ago) which may not even remain highly relevant for the next 18 months as the world adapts to a new normal in the post-COVID environment.

"Since the onset of COVID, we have already begun the process of shutting down our kitchen facilities temporarily or permanently, depending on their outlook and profitability profile. We are already operating at significantly lower levels on our staffing and physical infra than our earlier footprint, and will continue to optimise before we get more clarity on order volumes for food delivery," Majety said.

Swiggy was operating more than 1000 cloud kitchens across 14 cities for its restaurant partners with an investment of $24.5 million.

ALSO READ | Atmanirbhar Bharat: Nirmala Sitharaman goes Dutch to bear costs of revival, but will it help?

As the food delivery major works on its way to profitability, Swiggy said that cost optimisation including employee costs had become pivotal to survive the storm.

The Swiggy CEO said that 1100 employees who will be laid-off will be handed at least three months of salary irrespective of their period of tenure/notice period.

"For every year they have spent with us, we will be offering an extra month of ex-gratia in addition to their notice period pay, working out to between 3-8 months of salary depending on the tenure," he added.

Swiggy will also extend the ESOP benefit measures (by waiving off one-year ESOP cliff for those that have not completed one year and extend the benefits for the notice period) to the impacted workforce. The employees who have been fired will be contacted through one-on-one video calls, the Swiggy CEO added.
They celebrated their silver plate wedding anniversary on Sunday.

Jennifer Flavin shared a selfie with her husband Sylvester Stallone marking their 23rd wedding anniversary while on lockdown in Los Angeles.

The couple cozied up for a sweet photo as she wrote 'Happy anniversary to us! 23 years.'

Silver plate: Jennifer Flavin shared a selfie with her husband Sylvester Stallone marking their 23rd wedding anniversary while on lockdown in Los Angeles, on Sunday

Sylvester, 73, took the snap, wearing a dark blue zip-up sweater, while Jennifer placed her arm and rested her chin on his shoulder.

The couple initially met in 1988 and began a relationship that ended in 1994, when the actor had a relationship with model Janice Dickinson.

He reconciled with Jennifer, 51, in 1995 after a DNA confirmed he was not the father of Janice's daughter Savannah.

They welcomed daughter Sophia in 1996 and wed in a civil ceremony at The Dorchester Hotel in London on May 17, 1997.

Origins: The couple initially met in 1988 and began a relationship that ended in 1994, when the 73-year-old actor had a relationship with model Janice Dickinson (pictured together in 1990)

Together the actor and former model went on to welcome two more daughters Sistine in 1998 and Scarlet in 2002.

Sistine shared a snap of the couple from their civil ceremony with Jennifer in a white crop top, veil and low-rise jeans, and Sylvester in a plain black tee and dark jeans.

'23 years of marriage,' she wrote with a heart emoji. 'Their second wedding lol.'

Together again: They reconciled in 1995 and welcomed daughter Sophia in 1996 before tying the knot in a civil ceremony at The Dorchester Hotel in London on May 17, 1997 (pictured at the ceremony)

Celebrated: Their daughters Scarlet and Sistine both shared throwback snaps of the couple from the 90s, to mark the anniversary (pictured at an unknown date)

Scarlet also celebrated her parents with a post to her Instagram stories on Sunday.

Sharing a photo from an unknown date, the couple looked retro both rocking plain tees in beige and blue.

Sylvester posed with his middle fingers touching, and Jennifer placed her hand on his stomach.

She simply wrote '23 years,' with a red dancing emoji.

Perfect match: The actor has said he truly met his match with Jennifer, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'Ive never had more fun' than with his other half (pictured the year of their wedding in 1997)

Family: Together the actor and former model went on to welcome two more daughters Sistine in 1998 and Scarlet in 2002 (the family pictured in 2016)

Before his relationship with Jennifer, the Rambo actor was married to Sasha Czack for 11 years.

They had two sons, Sage and Seargeoh. Tragically Sage died of heart disease in 2012 at the age of 26.

After the demise of his relationship with Sasha, Stallone was married to model Brigitte Nielsen for a tumultuous two years.

But the actor has said he truly met his match with Jennifer, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'Ive never had more fun' than with his other half.

'I learned that from my wife  It took me 19 years to realize shes always right,' he went on, adding: 'I realized that women have a knack, at least Jennifer, for making incredibly erudite, wise, smart decisions. I always leap without looking.'
Factories, workers in crisis By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Apparel workers jobs in over a 100 companies are still hanging in the balance even as private sector workers were being asked to receive Rs.14, 500 or 50 per cent of the basic salary during this COVID-19 crisis period.

The government together with the trade unions and the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) reached an agreement recently to pay workers Rs.14, 500 or 50 per cent of the basic salary for those compelled to stay home. Companies have been asked to employ only a minimum staff to work in the factories under the current health guidelines.

In this respect, a large number of workers will have to stay at home, and during this time they will be paid Rs.14, 500 or half their basic salary whichever is higher, the agreement states.

Employees cannot be removed from their jobs in places where work was stopped due to the pandemic situation, it was stated.

Moreover, all employees cannot be deployed at the same time and they will be deployed equally each month on a shift basis.

This payment will be in force only for the months of May and June at the end of which there will be further review of the situation next month.

FTZ Trade Union General Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times that this would apply to all factories and said workers have to be called for work and must be paid according to the amount of days they work.

He noted that once the factories were allowed to be opened up most got back to work and it is learnt that they are carrying out production for orders previously obtained and as a result factories have work.

During this crisis, he pointed out some employers want to push for labour law reforms and some are trying to use the situation to reduce the workforce.

In fact, he asserted one factory had introduced a voluntary resignation scheme and used various methods to intimidate them and thereafter reduced the workforce by 1000 following which they are now in agreement to pay Rs.14, 500 to the remaining staff.

Mr. Marcus noted that most factories have orders until even August and that the situation is likely to change fast by then and with European retailers opening up, orders will continue to flow in.

Joint Apparel Assocation Forum (JAAF) General Secretary Tuli Cooray told the Business Times that though the agreement was made their representatives at the last concluded National Labour Advisory Committee meeting had stated that their companies were unable to pay this amount and would be writing to the Commissioner General of Labour on this matter.

He pointed out that even at the time of the meeting about 83 companies had already written to the Labour Commissioner that they will not be able to submit to the general Rs.14, 500 payment stipulated by the government.

Some of the worst hit companies are those employing workers below 3000 that comprise the small and medium scale factories, he said.

In this respect, due to the large workforce employed in this sector unlike other industries, at least 60,000 workers in over 100 companies will not be able to receive this payment as agreed upon.

However, all the large companies will go ahead and pay the Rs.14, 500 as they are in a position to do so.

Moreover, he pointed out that although at this moment there is no question of layoffs it cannot be ruled out in future either.

Currently approximately over 200 companies are in operation from large to small scale firms and due to health guidelines none of them is employing 100 per cent staff, Mr. Cooray said.
Recently, OxBlue (oxblue.com) has been publishing the OxBlue Activity Index, a measure of domestic construction activity based on real-time field data. Its created by measuring job site activity and comparing it to previous milestones. Each report goes in-depth on the states with the largest changes in construction activity: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Washington, New York and Colorado.

As a contrast, this report covers the activity in the top ten states ranked by construction volume, according to research firm GlobalData:



California

Texas

New York

Florida

Washington

Illinois

Pennsylvania

Georgia

Ohio

North Carolina

This report measures the 11 weeks of activity between March 1st, 2020, and May 15th, 2020

Out of the top 10 states for construction activity, 5 restricted construction. While the state of California deemed construction essential on a state-wide scale, cities such as San Francisco implemented local restrictions. These local measures ended on May 13th. In Washington, construction was deemed non-essential on March 25th. The order was amended on April 24th, allowing job sites to open as long as social distancing is possible. Pennsylvania imposed a strict construction ban, which was lifted on May 1st. New York is the only state still imposing construction restrictions, though construction will be one of the first industries to restart, according to reopening guidelines announced on April 26th. Ohio is currently only permitting housing construction.

Though each top state for construction activity has experienced some level of decline over the past two months, areas with construction restrictions are by far experiencing the most change. As the crisis continues, OxBlue will share regular updates on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting the construction industry and on the technology being developed to combat the spread of the virus.

The full report is available on the OxBlue website. If you have any questions, please contact us at (888) 849-2583 or online at oxblue.com/contact.
Before actor Neeraj Kabi took on the role of a media tycoon who escapes assassination in his latest project "Paatal Lok", he was eyeing the part of Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary after he read about the fascinating journey the character goes through.

It was Jaideep Ahlawat who eventually played the washed out cop who lands the case of a lifetime when four suspects are nabbed in the assassination attempt of prominent journalist, Kabi's Sanjeev Mehra.

Kabi, best known for films "Talvar", "Ship of Theseus", and web series "Sacred Games", said the Amazon Prime Video Original was a "dream project".

"I was waiting for a good show on Amazon and 'Paatal Lok' had all of it -- good script, story, and cast. It joined all the dots beautifully.

"I remember I got attracted to Hathiram's character first. 'Kya kamaal ka character hai ye Hathiram ka, kya likha hai'. I thought 'What a journey he is going to go through.' I was not even looking at my own character," the actor told PTI in an interview.

But then he began reading his "Macbeth-like" character, who rises to power after but at the cost of his personal integrity.

"The writing and the arc were beautiful. The series begins with Sanjeev's downfall. He was once a great hero. He was the poster boy of investigative journalism. Then suddenly, because the TRPs of his channel were down, his boss decides to sack him. He's a slightly broken man who later decides to fight back."



"Paatal Lok" is a neo-noir show which takes a deep dive into the hinterland India in the form of an investigative thriller, while talking about crime, politics, caste, and class divide.

Creator Sudip Sharma of "NH-10" and "Udta Punjab" fame found the germ of the nine-episode series in 2009 novel "The Story of My Assassin", by Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal.

The actor said the show only drew basic idea from the book and Tejpal, who is accused of sexually assaulting his former woman colleague, is not associated with the series.

"The whole plot that this is a story about the four people who are into crime and you are trying to take us into their personal, human world. Not their world of crime, we are telling you how it all began," he added.

Kabi said unless it's a biopic, he doesn't draw inspiration from real-life characters. He has played Mahatma Gandhi in Shyam Benegal's 2014 television series, "Samvidhaan".

"For example, if I'm playing Gandhi, it's going to be everything about him. But if it's a profession like journalism or engineering, I never take one character because it's too limited a vision.

"What I took here was the entire concept of journalism. I read on the country's great journalists in the 1990s and understand their philosophy, mindsets and what made them had that courage."



The 52-year-old actor said at one point of time, the viewer will come to empathise with the people of 'paatal lok', a metaphor used in the series for the lower class who have been referred to as 'worms'.

"People from the 'Paatal Lok' are not always criminals. They might perform the crime or be connected to it, but there are another loks (classes) - dharti (middle) and swarg (upper) which initiate that crime. The doers are different and the creators are different. That's the dichotomy of the series," he said.

An acclaimed film and theatre actor, Kabi gained popularity as the corrupt DCP Parulkar in "Sacred Games", a series which was a fight to finish to save the city of Mumbai from a nuclear attack.

The actor admitted that both "Paatal Lok" and the Netflix India Original share certain doomsday undercurrents but both shows have their own identity.

"They have those undercurrents, in fact 'Sacred Games' had it in a very, very big way. Having read the script, there are certain sensibilities over there. But I don't believe that one show supersedes another. 'Sacred Games' was a great show and had its own time, so is 'Paatal Lok'.

"People might feel that because now comes another amazing series. Each of these shows has the power to stand on its own. They are magnanimous mountains of work. I don't think they were made to outdo any one."



In the times of the coronavirus pandemic, the situation is grim and Kabi believes the audience will react to a gritty, graphic thriller like "Paatal Lok" according to their sensibilities.

"Some of them are finding it as a great relief to see something wonderful under lockdown at home. I have got responses from people saying that 'anyway things are not good outside and now to see a show like this it's really pulling me down and I'm feeling emotionally low', even though it is a great watch.

"This is bound to happen because the show is coming out at a time when things are very grave outside. We are living in very poor times. Times when people are falling sick and dying. This is not just an incident, it's a phase of humanity we are going through. We have never faced this. How people see wars, we are seeing this time," he said.

Next for Kabi is a mainstream Hindi feature film with a leading female actor and a Hollywood web series.

He had begun shooting for the series in March but the project is on hold due to the lockdown.

"That's a wonderful project and a nice role. I'm very happy about it."



Produced by actor Anushka Sharma's Clean Slate Films, "Paatal Lok" also features Gul Panag, Abhishek Banerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State Micheal Pompeo warned China on Sunday that the United States could review Hong Kong's status in view of alleged interference by the Beijing with the work of American journalists in Chinese autonomous region. "Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory," Pompeo said in an official statement.

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BEIJING - China's Chang'e-4 probe has survived 500 Earth days on the far side of the moon while conducting a scientific exploration of the virgin territory.

The lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have resumed work for the 18th lunar day on the far side of the moon after "sleeping" during the extremely cold night.

The lander woke up at 3:25 am Sunday (Beijing time), and the rover awoke at 11:53 am Saturday. Both are in normal working order, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The Chang'e-4 probe, launched on Dec 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan 3, 2019.

A lunar day equals 14 days on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The Chang'e-4 probe switches to dormant mode during the lunar night due to the lack of solar power.

The rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, has driven 447.68 meters, and is now 292 meters away from the lander. It has conducted scientific detection on lunar rocks, the lunar soil on its track and some impact craters.

Scientists used the Lunar Penetrating Radar on Yutu-2 to study the geological structure with a depth of 40 meters, unveiling the secrets buried under the surface of the far side of the moon, enriching our understanding about the history of celestial collisions and volcanic activities and shedding new light on the geological evolution on the moon.

Scientists also analyzed the data of the infrared imaging spectrometer on Yutu-2 and revealed the material composition on the moon's far side, verifying that the lunar mantle is rich in olivine, which deepens our understanding of the formation and evolution of the moon.

China plans to launch its first Mars exploration mission Tianwen-1 in July. Due to the modification of the ground communication facilities, the rover and the lander will conduct in-situ detection during the 18th lunar day, said the CNSA.

The scientific tasks of the Chang'e-4 mission include conducting low-frequency radio astronomical observation, surveying the terrain and landforms, detecting the mineral composition and shallow lunar surface structure and measuring neutron radiation and neutral atoms.

The Chang'e-4 mission embodies China's hope to combine wisdom in space exploration with four payloads developed by the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.
Jaipur, May 18 : At a time when economies of the world are sinking and job crisis hits new high, the young kids during lockdown are busy creating newer earning models by forming their clans (teams) online where they learn new vocabulary of the virtual world to use it smartly to livestream their games for earning a decent amount which is then donated to help the needy during the lockdown.

The young students have quickly learned the lessons of using superchat, streaming, shout out among many other newer terms which continue buzzing the virtual world round the clock.

"There are many young influencers who are earning around Rs 6 lakh a month online by showing their talent to the world. Unaffected by present blues of slowdown or recession, they are confidently building their brand online and this is what inspired us, but for a different reason," says Ankit, a class 12 student.

"We wanted to contribute in India's fight against COVID-19 and also wanted India to win this war. After seeing people stuck midway during the lockdown, we wanted to help such people. Although our parents were contributing in different ways, we wanted our share too in this fight.

"Hence we stated exploring newer avenues online following the 'stay safe and stay home' norm," says Ankit's friend Nishant.

"As we were unable to go outside to meet our friends and attend regular schools, we friends started playing online games and managed to earn Rs 500 a day via these gaming sites which we started donating at different platforms," he said.

Besides Arpit and Nishant, there are many other students who are equally sensitive towards the COVID-19 pandemic and are decently donating the amount they are winning to help the needy on the ground.

Says Ankit, "Charity begins at home! This seems to be an old adage, however, we are living to it fully by giving our time and energy contributing to the fight against unseen virus." "We want India to win this COVID-19 battle. Hence, we (a group of six) decided to make contributions from our side too. We started playing PUBG with a set mission. While our parents continued scolding us and also threatened to send us to hostel, all we wanted was to contribute to the nation during lockdown following all norms as per 'Stay Home, Stay Safe'. The tournaments were tough too and hence we required more engagement. But then when we started winning, we transferred the amount via our parents to many NGOs who are serving food, water and slippers to the needy," says Aditya, another student of class XII.
Im honored to be selected to work with this incredibly talented group of attorneys to lead this nationwide litigation, said Ms. Miller.

Cory Watson attorney Lauren S. Miller has been named to the Plaintiffs Steering Committee (PSC) for In Re: Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, the multidistrict litigation involving Zantac medication linked to cancer.

Ms. Miller is one of 20 attorneys appointed by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to the PSC out of 62 applicants. The PSC will continue to investigate and develop the Zantac (ranitidine) claims. The committee also oversees the coordination, preparation, and presentation of the cases.

Im honored to be selected to work with this incredibly talented group of attorneys to lead this nationwide litigation, said Ms. Miller.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established MDL 2924 in February, consolidating defective drug liability cases involving Zantac in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Over 200 cases have been filed in the federal MDL, with thousands more expected to be filed against the manufacturers and distributors of Zantac and ranitidine.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established the MDL in February consolidating 140 lawsuits. The litigation is In Re: Zantac Ranitidine Products Liability Litigation, case number MDL 2924 and is located in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.

About Lauren S. Miller

Lauren S. Miller joined Cory Watson Attorneys in 2015 and is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts of Alabama. Ms. Miller primarily focuses her practice on personal injury and represents plaintiffs in complex litigations involving dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, and consumer products.

In addition to her complex litigation practice, Ms. Miller represents clients in individual personal injury claims and pursues justice for sexual assault survivors.

Ms. Millers experience includes serving on the discovery, expert, and Daubert committees in In Re: Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) and Cialis (Tadalafil) Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2691) where she was part of a six-attorney team from multiple law firms across the country that presented expert witnesses and scientific evidence in a four-day causation hearing in federal court in San Francisco, California. She was also recently part of a national team that favorably resolved over 500 cases against a well-known medical device manufacturer for individuals injured by the companys defective device.

About Cory Watson Attorneys

Cory Watson Attorneys is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm with offices in Birmingham, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee. The firm has recovered more than $2.7 billion for clients across the country. Attorneys are frequently at the forefront of major class actions and multidistrict litigations involving dangerous pharmaceuticals and product liability, and are often appointed to leadership positions in national cases. Firm practice areas include Personal Injury, Product Liability, Class Action, Asbestos, Business & Commercial Litigation, Dangerous Pharmaceuticals, Defective Medical Devices, and Environmental/Toxic Torts. To learn more, visit CoryWatson.com.
Turkeys COVID-19 cases continue to decrease

Turkey recorded 44 COVID-19 deaths, 1,368 new cases and 1,825 recoveries in the past 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday.

The death toll in Turkey from the coronavirus rose to 4,140 in the past 24 hours, Koca said on Twitter, while the total number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 149,435.

Some 35,369 tests were made in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data.

There are currently 914 coronavirus patients in intensive care units across Turkey.





Sources: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkeys-covid-19-cases-continue-to-decrease/news

https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/

Road safety measures for summer unveiled

In a circular sent to the governor offices in 81 provinces, the Interior Ministry has stressed that this summer, traffic measures will be implemented from June 1 to Oct, when vehicle traffic between provinces and road accidents increase.

During traffic controls, security forces will particularly check if social distancing rules are observed.

Read more here: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/road-safety-measures-for-summer-unveiled-154862

Turkey in phone diplomacy to assure 70 countries of its tourism safety

Turkey has started a telephone diplomacy with 70 countries to inform them about the countrys healthy tourism certification project to ensure the fulfillment of high health and hygiene standards at airlines, airports and other transportation facilities, accommodations and food venues, the culture and tourism minister said on May 18.

Turkeys certification system details that the country is a safe place for tourism, detailing measures being taken against COVID-19, said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in a written statement.

The country had also sent letters of intent to 70 countries in which Turkey has been a popular tourist destination in recent years, including Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Russia, and the Czech Republic.

The letters included information on passenger and employee health and safety and measures taken in facilities and transportation.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Reality Check: Compulsory vaccines in the UK and other rumours fact-checked

The BBC have been fact-checking the most widely shared dubious coronavirus claims.

Click here to read the article here

Global statistics

There are now 4,837,361 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 1,872,911 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 317,304.

Source: Worldometer.

Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates.

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Todays featured image: Fethiye Boatyard by Lyn Ward
A girl poses in her graduation outfit in a poppy field near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., on April 16, 2020. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bay Area Counties Make the Best of Graduation With Drive-In Ceremonies

Its graduation season again, and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have made adjustments so students can still have graduation ceremonies despite the shelter-in-place orders.

Most people will have to modify their celebrations this year due to the pandemic, but they are coming up with creative ways to end the school year.

San Mateo County issued an order on May 11 allowing up to 200 vehicles to gather, with many restrictions. This is intended to help schools host modified graduation ceremonies.

The San Mateo County Event Center and Audio Visual Resources have partnered with local schools to offer drive-in packages for 2020 graduation ceremonies.

These are challenging times indeed. Collaborating with Audio Visual Resources has helped us to come up with a truly creative strategy, that helps celebrate the Classes of 2020, said Dana Stoehr, CEO of San Mateo County Event Center, in an emailed press release. Packages can be customized, but the general idea is a drive-in movie theater format to assure social distancing in the safe confines of student and family vehicles.

Commencement speeches will be broadcast through big screens and FM transmitters. Audience members can tune into the correct channel and listen from their vehicles. Students can also be granted the opportunity to individually walk the stage, pick up their diplomas, and get photographs to complete their graduation.

Principal Derek Bellow holds a sign as students drive by during a celebration to recognize seniors in the class of 2020 at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, on April 17, 2020. Students remained in vehicles to maintain social distancing as they drove through the school parking lot and their teachers and staff greeted them and cheered. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Contra Costa County also made efforts to celebrate student achievement. On May 12, it urged schools to host online graduation celebrations.

For those that cant, they may also hold drive-in ceremonies of up to 200 vehicles, six feet apart. Starting May 19, the county will allow vehicle-based gatherings and services.

For those in other counties who do not have drive-in service, here is a list of graduation celebration ideas:

Decorate your car. Instead of decorating caps, decorate the car with balloons, banners, and photos, and encourage others to do the same. Then drive down the street to create a graduation car parade. Organize a graduation party at home. Decorate the living room and kitchen and celebrate with your closest loved ones. Host a virtual celebration. Call up everyone to throw an online party for those who are graduating this year. Make your own gown. Take an old item of clothing and repurpose it into a graduation cap and gown. Put together a scrapbook. Write messages to each other and mail photos. Keep your memories in a scrapbook or photo album. Leave gifts at the front door. Buy or make gifts, and surprise the graduate at their door. Cook for the graduate. Prepare a special cake, dessert, or meal for that achiever. Put together a video. Find video clips of your friends filmed before the lockdown, and compile a video of the past school year or the last four years. Play a game. Find a board game like Monopoly, Telestrations, Apples to Apples, Risk, or Othello, or complete a puzzle. Another option is to go play outside in the yard or near home. Play Twister or Frisbee or have a water balloon fight. Do your own photo shoot. Find a spot in your yard, a nearby park, or even your house, and play with angles and lighting for that professional graduation photo. Be creative!
People sit and drink at Shenannigans Restaurant Bar on Mitchell St in Darwin, Australia on May 15, 2020 . (Shane Eecen/Getty Images)

Northern Territory Enjoys Return to New, Not Old, Normal

The Northern Territory has significantly lifted COVID-19 restrictions but there are no plans to open borders with the pandemic still a threat.

The streets of Darwin and Alice Springs have a sense of normality again with cafes and restaurants allowed to serve dine-in customers but the Northern Territory is unlikely to open its borders in the short term.

The Northern Territory lifted a range of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on Friday allowing businesses to reopen that had been shut for 53 days.

The lockdown restrictions in the Northern Territory have been less onerous than in the rest of the nation, especially in the eastern states, with Territorians freer to move about and see other people since businesses such as restaurants and gyms were shut down on March 23.

Now the Territory has relaxed its restrictions more than anyone else, which Health Minister Natasha Fyles said on Monday, was about accepting we couldnt keep living the way we were, we needed to balance that risk  get back out and have some type of normal life.

The Territory has had 30 COVID-19 cases but no community transmission or deaths and only two active cases, involving defence force members who returned to Darwin from the Middle East on May 1.

It is hoped that resources can now be free to be thrown at the economic crisis.

The reason why the Territory was able to open up at the weekendwith further easing to come on June 5 such as allowing people to visits a bar without having a meal and the re-start of contact sportswas because of the closed borders, Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said.

We want Territorians to have people visit and get more money going through the economy.

Community transmission is probably the most important rate down south, while there is that random community transmission happening down south how could I have confidence in letting people in?

Unfortunately the Territory economy is highly reliant on southerners for many reasons  but you cant do what weve done and then let it all go.

About 3000 people went back to work on Friday, according to the Northern Territory Government.

The Northern Territory Government has committed more than $100 million to stimulus packageson top of federal supportto deal with the economic crisis including a generous home improvement scheme giving homeowners who spend $2,000 on renovations up to $6,000 when they use a local tradie.

Fyles said many health professionals were very anxious at the prospect of the Northern Territory reopening its society to what is being described as a new normal and their advice had to be respected.

She said people should realise life was not back to an old normal, social distancing must still be practised and they should download the COVIDSafe app to better track and trace virus outbreaks.

By Greg Roberts
She is known for showing off her incredible figure.

And Paul Hollywood's ex-girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam was up to her old tricks once more on Monday as she took to social media to post another racy snap.

The stunning redhead, 24, looked nothing short of sensational in the sizzling picture which made the most of her eye-popping cleavage and toned legs.

Sizzling: Paul Hollywood's ex-girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam was up to her old tricks once more on Monday as she took to social media to post another racy snap

Summer looked incredible in the plunging white swimsuit with a neckline that went down to her stomach.

The swimsuit was cinched in at the waist showing off her curves and the lower half was high-waisted to show off her long legs.

She wore sky-high heeled sandals and paid little attention to her face as she turned her head to the side and wore sunglasses.

Last month, Summer made a thinly-veiled dig at her Bake Off judge ex after it was reported that he has already moved his new lover into the house they shared in Kent.

Woah! Last month, Summer made a thinly-veiled dig at her Bake Off judge ex after it was reported that he has already moved his new lover into the house they shared in Kent

She took time out of her busy routine caring for her horses on Easter Sunday to kick back and sunbathe in one her her fields.

Wearing a crop-top and denim shorts in the balmy spring weather, Summer took to Instagram stories to share a snap of the view, which she accompanied with the track Savage by Megan Thee Stallion.

The lyrics appeared to be quite pointed: 'B***h, that's my trash, you the maid, so you bagged him, ah I'm a savage (yeah), Classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah); Sassy, moody, nasty (hey, hey, yeah)!

'Acting stupid, what's happening? B***h (whoa, whoa) What's happening? B***h (whoa, whoa). I'm a savage, yeah! Classy, bougie, ratchet, yeah!'

The post comes after friends of Paul's revealed his new girlfriend - pub landlady Melissa Spalding, 36 - is self-isolating with him in his 1 million farmhouse, just eight months after splitting from Summer.

Friends say she immediately accepted his invitation to relocate from the nearby Chequers pub in the village of Smarden where she lived, amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

Paul bought the Grade II-listed house last year for him and Summer to live in.

A friend told The Mail on Sunday: Paul and Melissa got together soon after his split from Summer and they are really happy together. Actually its looking like this one could very well last for Paul.

Dig: It was reported that he has already moved his new lover into the house they shared in Kent

Paul became close to twice-engaged Melissa after spending time in her pub when he split from Summer in August.

The two women are understood to have previously been friends, but they no longer speak.

Summer moved out of the 18th Century farmhouse amid claims that Paul asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

She later threatened to sue for defamation after he suggested that she had courted media attention.

The property, which Paul acquired in February 2019, is about 40 miles from his former marital home.

His ex-wife Alex still lives there with their son Josh, 17. Paul is awaiting a court hearing to settle how his 10 million fortune is divided.
This article is going to be my memoir. It will be my thank you letter to this chapter and all of the people in it. Her Campus at UMKC changed my college experience and my life. If you're a reader that's been thinking about joining the chapter, this is the sign that you've been waiting for.
(PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  A lawyer was given a three-month suspension from practising by a Court of Three Judges on Monday (18 May) for failing to supervise a paralegal who later went on to represent himself as a legal advocate and solicitor.

Jonathan Tan See Leh, a consultant at Whitefield Law, had earlier admitted to failing to exercise adequate supervision over his employee, Colin Craig Lowell Phan Siang Loong, and for sharing fees for legal work with him. Both actions are said to be in violation of the Legal Profession Act.

Tan stopped practising law from April last year.

The virtual hearing was brought on by the Law Society (LawSoc), which argued that Tans actions were grave enough to warrant disciplinary action.

Siraj Omar, the lawyer representing LawSoc, said that Tans actions enabled an unauthorised person to falsely represent himself as a lawyer to the public, and receive payment for legal work.

These breaches go to heart of what is sacrosanct and that is the need to protect the public and ensure that legal advice is (properly given by) authorised persons, he said.

If allowed to go unchecked, actions such as Tans would erode public confidence, said Siraj, who sought a three-month suspension for Tan.

Tan, who represented himself, did not dispute the recommendations and did not argue his case.

A lawyer since 1998, he hired Phan as a paralegal in January 2015. Phan, though formerly a lawyer, had failed to renew his practising certificate a month before. Tan was aware of this at the time.

Between January and February 2015, Phan sent five e-mails to three persons in which he represented himself to be an advocate and solicitor. Tan was copied in the emails.

Phan then shared around 50 per cent of the fees for the legal work he performed with Tan, subject to the cases he handled.

During his hearing before a disciplinary tribunal, Tan had admitted to the facts set out by LawSoc but had argued that Phan was not a lawyer only because of a technicality  his failure to renew his practising certificate. Tan also said that his failure to supervise Phan was not sufficiently serious.

Story continues

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Judge of Appeal Andrew Phang and Justice Woo Bih Li said on Monday, however, that the fact that Phan was not a lawyer did not lead inexorably to the conclusion that (Tans) misconduct was any less serious.

In its oral judgement, the panel found that Tan had facilitated Phans misconduct by allowing the latter to function as a lawyer.

(Tans) misconduct is not a simple case of negligence, but a blatant disregard of the professional and ethical standards that are meant to preserve the dignity of the legal profession and to protect the public, said Judge of Appeal Phang, on behalf of the panel.

The judges took into consideration three mitigating factors in Tans case:, that Tan admitted to the facts without qualification; that he had no history in similar violations; and that he voluntarily ceased practice from 1 April last year, which the panel took as an indication of his remorse over his actions.

We note that there is no aggravating factor in the form of harm caused to any of (Tans) clients as a result of his misconduct, said Judge of Appeal Phang.

In imposing a three-month suspension on Tan, the panel said that a fine was not appropriate as Tan had known that Phan did not have a practising certificate but had entered a fee-sharing agreement with him.

The LawSoc also sought $8,000 in costs, which Tan did not object to.

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Guwahati, May 18 : A Covid-19 patient died in Assam on Monday taking the state's fatality to three, while five more tested coronavirus positive in the past 24 hours raising the state's tally to 102, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, here on Monday.

According to Sarma, a 71-year old cancer patient Gopindra Chandra Malakar, who had returned from Mumbai recently, died at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). "Malakar died due to respiratory distress. Doctors did their best," he tweeted.

Sarma in separate tweets said two persons, one from Jorhat and another from Nagaon districts, tested Covid-19 positive on Monday. Three more people had tested positive here on Sunday night. Of these three cases, two had come from Mumbai and one from Bihar.

Of the 102 cases in Assam, 56 are active cases. 41 people have been discharged from hospitals and two cases migrated to other states.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Antibody tests, which reveal whether you've had Covid-19, have been hailed as the way out of lockdown and safely getting people back to work.

With one of the first tests now finally officially approved, Mail writers undergo two versions  and find out what's it's like to discover you've had the virus confirmed . . . or not.

A tiny plaster on my right arm and a 199 hole in my bank account are the tell-tale signs I have tried the Government's new test to see if Covid-19 can be blamed for the nasty cough and banging headache I had before lockdown even started.

In early March, I thought I had flu and, with my temperature hovering above normal, I climbed under the duvet for three days.

In the long weeks since, with Britain paralysed by the pandemic, I developed a nagging worry that my sudden illness was down to the virus which has transformed how we live and  tragically  how many die.

So I set out to find the truth. A few hours after the Government trumpeted that it is to introduce antibody tests in the battle against Covid-19, I booked an appointment with a doctor at a private clinic in London.

The Government is promising to buy millions of tests, like the one I had last week, and hand them out for free.

Reporter Sue Reid after having a Covid-19 anti-body test at a clinic in Queen Anne Street, Marylebone, London

The test scours the human body for antibodies released by the immune system as you fight coronavirus, and can tell, with near certainty, whether you have had the disease in the past.

I went online to book my test one evening after a simple Google search of 'Covid-19 antibody check'. Early the next morning I got a phone call from a pleasant-sounding woman at the clinic I had chosen. She checked my name and address, gave me a 1pm slot that day and took my 199 payment.

Soon, I was in my mask and heading off in a black cab (sanitised by the driver, Tony) to the central London clinic, where they took a phial of my blood and sent it for testing at a laboratory. 'We will send you the result by email later today,' the doctor told me.

Frankly, it was a relief to get it done. For I suspected the virus might have struck others close to me, too.

A fortnight before I took to my bed, my partner, Nigel, had been rushed to hospital, suffering from a mystery infection.

Reporter Sue Reid had a Covid-19 anti-body test at this clinic in Queen Anne Street, Marylebone, London

He has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy, and his immune system has been shot to pieces.

Despite all manner of tests, the doctors could not discover what bug was ravaging Nigel's increasingly thin body. He had a fever, searing stomach pains, and was so ill that for 24 hours he barely knew he was in hospital.

Was it sepsis he had picked up? A bad reaction to chemo? Or was it coronavirus? None of the doctors knew. Nigel was not tested for Covid-19 (it was early days), and when the mystery infection cropped up again last week  meaning he is back in hospital  he had no clue if he'd had the virus and, if so, whether it had come back.

I turned to a doctor pal for advice. She came up with a cunning plan. 'If you have the antibody test and find out you had coronavirus when you were ill in March, then the chances are Nigel had it in hospital and then passed it to you,' she suggested. So, as the family guinea pig, I walked into the clinic. The doctor there said my test would, after lab analysis, very accurately show if I had been hit by Covid-19.

Three-and-a-half hours later, I received an email from the clinic saying I was in the clear.

And that means, almost certainly, that Nigel did not have the virus, either, when he ended up in hospital the first time.

I am sure I am not the only one rushing to have the test.

Even if you test positive, it does not guarantee immunity from the disease. The makers of the Government tests  Abbott Laboratories in the U.S. and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche  make that clear.

But these tests give us a glimmer of hope. They will help scientists get a 'bigger picture' of Covid-19's lethal antics.

VIRUS TIP Improve your physical and mental health by getting up to stretch every 20 minutes and taking a daily 30 to 60-minute walk, says physiotherapist Jonathan Scattergood. Advertisement

Research into the test results will be able to discover the level of antibodies which develop in the body of a Covid-19 survivor.

Scientists will get to know where the virus has been: in what parts of the country, and where it hit hardest: in NHS hospitals, care homes or in the community. All this is vital and may lead to a vaccine against the virus.

For if a person does become immune (by catching the disease itself or being vaccinated against it), they can return to normal life without fear of getting infected and passing it to someone else.

Boris Johnson and health minister Edward Argar insist the antibody tests are game-changers.

As Argar explains: 'This could allow more people to go to work with confidence.'

A more sober view came from infectious disease expert Professor Eleanor Riley at the University of Edinburgh.

She told Sky News: 'An antibody test tells me that those symptoms I had a few weeks ago were due to coronavirus. It doesn't tell me that I am immune to re-infection'.

In Britain, the tests will first roll out among NHS and care home workers who faced the original onslaught of the virus.

As for myself, the email I received from the clinic stated clearly that antibodies were 'not detected' in my blood.

Now I know that my illness in March was not Covid-19. And Nigel, my partner, may have had an infection but it is unlikely to have been caused by the virus.

This means that we are still terrified of going out of our front door and catching the disease. And we are likely to be for some time yet . . .

SO HOW SAFE AM I WITH MY 'IMMUNITY PASSPORT'?

By Simon Walters

I wouldn't say I felt I had joined a master race when my Covid-19 'immunity passport' arrived this week. But I did have a slightly smug glow of satisfaction when discussing my positive antibody test result with colleagues.

'Jammy devil' and 'I wish I had one' were among the envious, bordering on resentful, responses.

Although there is no absolute proof, some experts believe having antibodies provides some immunity which may mean I cannot get the disease again or pass it on to anyone else. But they don't know how much.

Friends who had antibody tests that proved negative bore the dejected air of youngsters who had just failed the 11-plus. Or their driving test  again.

I paid 85 to a private GP practice for the test. Having had extreme fatigue for three weeks, but few other symptoms, I wanted to be sure. The nurse, Kathy, took a pin prick of blood from my finger using a little kit from Derby-based SureScreen Diagnostics. After chatting for the ten minutes it takes for a result, she saw a flicker on the kit, looked up and declared: 'Good news. You're positive!'

I wouldn't say I felt I had joined a master race when my Covid-19 'immunity passport' arrived this week. But I did have a slightly smug glow of satisfaction when discussing my positive antibody test result with colleagues

I was delighted, even more so the next day when I received an email containing a photograph of the result, the test kit used, details of SureScreen and my driving licence. A Covid-19 'immunity passport' in all but name.

SureScreen says its coronavirus test is at least 97 per cent accurate, so the results are not fully assured.

The Government is in talks to buy antibody tests made by Swiss firm Roche which cost more and take longer. Roche says they are 100 per cent accurate (with a 0.2 per cent false positive rate).

SureScreen is hoping further tests will show the accuracy of its kit, which costs just 10 to make, is even closer to 100 per cent and can, therefore, win Public Health England approval soon.

The Government is opposed to providing coronavirus 'immunity passports' mainly because no one is certain you can't get the disease twice.

Instead, they are considering a more cautious 'health certificate' allowing those, like me, who have tested positive to enjoy greater freedom. But only if and when it is known that immunity is established, and for how long.

Others have said it could lead to two tiers of citizens. Or lead to 'coronavirus parties' where people try to get the disease so they can acquire a Cov-ID card  as it could become known. Somehow it makes me glad I have one.

As the lockdown eases, I can imagine a fellow commuter eyeing me nervously if I stray within the two-metre social distancing zone on a busy train.

The temptation to smile reassuringly and flash a photograph on my iPhone of my coronavirus 'immunity passport' at them may be irresistible.

All I need is my Superman cape.
She had worn a mask when she walked in, and was glad that Ola Garcia, her server, wore one, too. Both had their temperatures checked when they arrived, Ms. Garcia before she started her shift and Ms. Wilson at the door.

I dont eat just anywhere, and I am not going to other places that have opened, Ms. Wilson said. But Ive been here enough, and I see what theyre doing with the cleaning and the gloves and the masks to know Im safe.

Restaurants are experimenting with a number of ways to keep diners and employees safe, and signal that sanitation is taken seriously. An Ohio breakfast spot hung washable clear plastic shower curtains between tables. One Atlanta restaurant requires servers to change into different-colored gloves each time they head back to a table, to assure diners that the gloves are fresh.

For other diners, all the masked waiters and plexiglass dividers in the world wouldnt get them into a restaurant yet.

Its not about trusting them, its about trusting the idiots who are coming in, said Dale Benerofe, a health care worker in Atlanta who used to eat out two or three times a week. I want restaurants to open up. I really do. But not now. Its too stressful.

Even Danny Meyer, who wrote a book on hospitality, said in a recent interview that he had no interest in reopening his fine-dining restaurants if capacity was so reduced that it wouldnt be profitable and the risk of contracting the virus so high that temperature-taking and face masks had to be built into service.

What were dealing with, all of us, is fear, he told me last week. Ive always believed hospitality is the antidote to fear. What we are usually really, really good at is to welcome people and make people feel good around a table. But that tool has been taken from our hands.
UN To Allocate USD 1 Million To Support COVID-19 Crisis in Georgia - GeorgianJournal
The US administration continues to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak and has targeted Chinese company Huawei.

Yet the market has decided to focus on more positive news, specifically that the easing of restrictions is not causing a spike in infections.

Meanwhile UK-EU trade negotiations have shown little progress and EURGBP has rallied back over 0.89.

Markets are higher after some mixed news at the weekend. European stock indices such as the FTSE and Dax are higher by around 2%, WTI oil is again higher by nearly 5% and is trading over $30 per bbl and gold has broken out above the previous highs to $1760 an oz.

Good news came courtesy of U.S. health secretary Alex Azar on Sunday who said on CNN,

"We are seeing that in places that are opening; we're not seeing this spike in casesWe still see spikes in some areas that are in fact close to very localized situations."

This is good news for further easing of restrictions and there has been no serious second wave in the US or in other nations. At least not yet. The big question remains whether economies can bounce back or will function at a fraction of previous capacity as travel and social restrictions remain in place.

Yet it wasnt all good news over the weekend. Just as things are looking up in the fight against the coronavirus, the US administration seems intent n stirring up fresh tensions with China.

The Tech and Trade War

US-China relations have been souring for several weeks now. Tensions were raised when President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on China in retaliation for the Covid-19 outbreak. Trump and the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, pointed to the "enormous evidence" linking the outbreak to the Wuhan virus laboratory. However, Trump backed down from the threat as clearly the markets are in no fit state to weather another trade war.

Yet, last week a slightly different method of attack was used. This time Trump focused on Chinese company Huawei and has tried to cut off its supply lines from other chip makers. This news weighed on US companies operating in China like Apple which saw its stock fall be nearly 2.5% on Fridays open. China responded by saying it will take 'all necessary measures' to protect Huawei and there is once more the potential for a Tech war.

And just to double down on the accusations, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro claimed over the weekend that China covered up the virus outbreak and 'then sent hundreds of thousands of Chinese on aircraft to Milan, New York and around the world to seed that'.

The renewed tensions are being largely ignored by the markets. The main focus remains the coronavirus and now specifically the easing of restrictions. The US dollar is largely unmoved and has been consolidating a contracting range since the beginning of April. However, it is pretty clear that Trump is trying to blame the crisis on China and the more the US economy suffers, the more he is likely to point the finger and perhaps push harder for punitive measures. With an election looming in November there are a lot of interesting and potentially dangerous narratives for markets to keep track of.

More Trade Issues

Away from US-China trade issues, the UK and the EU have their own problems. As Danske Bank reported on Monday,

the third round of trade negotiations between the UK and the EU27 concluded [last Friday] and it seems like the negotiations are on the brink of breaking down ahead of the important decisions on a possible extension of the transition period, fishery and financial services before 1 July. We continue to expect no extension despite COVID-19. The next round of negotiations is set to begin on 1 June.

The lack of progress is weighing on GBP more than the Euro and has allowed EURGBP to climb back over 0.89. A break of 0.9 would signal further upside is due ahead of some major decisions in June.
President Donald Trump targeted Senator Susan Collins (RME) in a series of tweets after she criticised him for firing another independent agency watchdog without providing Congress the justification she said was "required by law".

The president attacked news outlets and the Radical Left Democrats during the weekend while claiming that whistleblowers such as Rick Bright, a former top vaccine official, were causing great injustice and harm to the country.

He also singled out Ms Collins, writing on Sunday: This whole Whistleblower racket needs to be looked at very closely, it is causing great injustice & harm. I hope you are listening @SenSusanCollins.

His comments came after the senator posted several tweets of her own the prior day about the firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. A co-author of The Inspector General Reform Act, Ms Collins noted the legislation requires the President to notify Congress 30 days prior to the removal of an Inspector General along with supporting information for the dismissal.

She added: The President has not provided the kind of justification for the removal of IG Linick required by this law.

Mr Trump appeared to be watching television throughout the weekend while live-tweeting his reactions to CBS 60 Minutes interview featuring Mr Bright, in which the Health and Human Services whistleblower said we dont yet have a national strategy to respond fully to the coronavirus pandemic.

The best scientists that we have in our government who are working really hard to try to figure this out aren't getting that clear, cohesive leadership, strategic plan message yet, Mr Bright, who has filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint against the Trump administration, told the programme. Until they get that, its still gonna be chaotic.

Mr Bright alleged he was pushed out of his role at the federal agency after he refused to support the presidents claims surrounding an antimalarial drug called hydroxychloroquine. Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence the drug could serve as treatment for Covid-19 patients. Studies have not supported such claims.

The president slammed Mr Bright, describing him as yet another Fake whistleblower and a disgruntled employee who supports Dems in his series of tweets.

Though Mr Bright and Mr Linicks cases are seemingly disconnected, the president has long opposed whistleblowers and independent watchdogs throughout his tenure in the Oval Office. Mr Trump has previously fired several other inspector generals, including Michael Atkinson within the US Intelligence Community, Christine Grimm at Health and Human Services and Glenn Fine from his post at the Pentagon.

Ms Collins, who has occasionally spoken out against the presidents firings, described inspectors general as vital partners in Congresss efforts to identify inefficient or ineffective governments programmes and to root out fraud and wrongdoing.

However, her tweets stopped short of calling for an investigation into the firing. It was unclear whether Ms Collins would take action against the presidents dismissal of Mr Linick.
The World Health Organization bowed to calls Monday from most of its member states to launch an independent evaluation of how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the US and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and levelled the global economy.

The comprehensive evaluation," sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review "lessons learned from WHO's coordination of the global response to COVID-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus.

US President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from an animal.

WHO's normally bureaucratic annual assembly this week has been overshadowed by mutual recriminations and political sniping between the US and China.

Trump has repeatedly attacked WHO, claiming that it helped China conceal the extent of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages. Several Republican lawmakers have called on WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign.

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

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday it was time to be frank about why COVID-19 has 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, Azar said.

Speaking hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout, Azar said the U.S. had allocated $9 billion to coronavirus containment efforts around the world.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation of WHO's response at the earliest appropriate moment  alluding to findings published Monday in a first report by an oversight advisory body commissioned to look into WHO's response.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO's warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to reassess WHO's role in providing travel advice to countries.

The Trump administration has claimed that WHO criticized a U.S. travel ban that Trump ordered on people arriving from China.

In his opening remarks at the WHO meeting, Tedros held firm and sought to focus on the bigger troubles posed by the outbreak, saying we have been humbled by this very small microbe.

The pandemic has brought out the best and worst of humanity, he said. This contagion exposes the fault lines, inequalities, injustices and contradictions of our modern world. It has highlighted our strengths and our vulnerabilities. Science has been hailed and scorned. Nations have come together as never before. And geopolitical divisions have been thrown into sharp relief.

China, meanwhile, sought to divert attention to its renewed efforts to slow the coronavirus pandemic, with Xi announcing the $2 billion outlay over two years to fight it. Last year, China donated about $86 million to WHO.

Xi insisted that China had acted with openness, transparency and responsibility" when the epidemic was detected in Wuhan.

He said China had give all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus's genetic sequence, in a most timely fashion. Xi said China had done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need, but acknowledged more needed to be done. He said that in recent weeks, China has dispatched medical supplies to more than 50 African countries and that 46 Chinese medical teams were currently on the continent helping local officials.

Other world leaders including the presidents of France, South Korea and South Africa and Germany's chancellor were also piped in to throw their support to the WHO, which has been put on the defensive from a Trump administration that has blamed it for mishandling the outbreak and showering excessive praise on China's response. The European Union and others staked out a middle ground.

The Trump administration has claimed that WHO criticized a U.S. travel ban that Trump ordered on people arriving from China.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States  the health agency's biggest single donor  pending a review of its early response. The advisory body, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the heat of the response could hurt WHO's ability to respond to it.

Xi said China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control, and said it should be "based on science and professionalism led by WHO, and conducted in an objective and impartial manner.

Tedros emphasized that WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on Jan. 30, its highest level of alert, at a time when there were fewer than 100 cases outside of China. In the following weeks, WHO warned countries there was a narrowing window of opportunity to prevent the virus from spreading globally.

During the first few months of the outbreak, WHO officials repeatedly described the virus's spread as limited and said it wasn't as transmissible as flu; experts have since said COVID-19 spreads even faster. It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere.
Swiggy to lay off 1,100 employees due to COVID-19 impact

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 18: Food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy on Monday said it is laying off 1,100 employees across grades and functions in cities and the head office over the next few days due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic on its business, including cloud kitchens.

In an email to all employees, Swiggy Co-founder & CEO Sriharsha Majety said, "Today is one of the saddest days for Swiggy as we have to go through an unfortunate downsizing exercise." COVID-19 has hit the company with a huge blow of uncertainty, forcing it to look even harder at its cost base and preparedness for the road ahead, he added.

Amazon begins taking orders for non-essentials in red zones; Snapdeal partially

Giving the reasons for the laying off of 1,100 employees, Majety shared the management outlook and key business decisions that were reasons for this decision. The core food delivery business has been severely impacted and will stay impacted over the short term, but is expected to start growing again after that, Majety said.

"We need to hence prepare to come out stronger on the other side by continuing to build on capabilities that will help us make the most of the opportunity when things are better again," he added. "We also need to build a much leaner organisation and reduce costs to be able to withstand any further risks from the uncertainty," Majety said.

The company is choosing to scale down or shut down adjacent businesses that are either going to be highly volatile or will not be highly relevant for the next 18 months. The biggest impact here is on the cloud kitchens business, with many unknowns about volumes through the year, he added.

"While this crisis has impacted our core business negatively, there is no doubt that we are now at an inflection point for the penetration of digital commerce and home delivery in India. This offers us opportunities to continue investing our efforts in grocery and other service offerings that we think will continue to do well," Majety said.

The company will identify and significantly reduce every single indirect cost like hubs, office infrastructure, etc, it is one of the areas where the cut is most prudent given it doesn't affect customer or employee experience, he added. In line with these business decisions, "we unfortunately have to part ways with 1,100 of our employees spanning across grades and functions in the cities and head office over the next few days. This is easily the hardest and longest deliberated decision the management team and I have been faced with over recent times," Majety said.

Swiggy is fully committed to providing the best financial, emotional and career-related support that it can to make this journey less painful, and to ease the burden on the impacted employees and their families, he added.

The company will give all impacted employees at least three months of salary irrespective of their notice period or tenure, Majety said. "For every year they have spent with us, we will be offering an extra month of ex-gratia in addition to their notice period pay, working out to between 3-8 months of salary depending on the tenure," he added.

Regarding equity, Majety said, "while our standard ESOP policy has a one-year cliff and annual vesting, we will now be extending ESOP vesting to the nearest quarter (including the months of notice period) and waive the 1-year cliff for those who have not completed 1 year".

COVID-19 could cost 135 mn jobs, push 120 mn people into poverty in India: Report

The company will also provide medical Insurance cover for impacted employees and nominated family members until December 31, 2020.

Additionally, it will also be providing insurance cover for their parents. They will also be provided accident and term insurance till December 31, 2020, he added.

Swiggy will also provide the impacted employees' career transition support, connectivity support, learning support and relocation support, Majety said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role of the UN and its agencies and is a stark reminder of the importance of effective multilateralism, said veteran Turkish diplomat who, as the only candidate for the top job, is slated to lead the historic 75th session of the General Assembly which begins in September.

Ambassador Volkan Bozkir, also a parliamentarian, outlined his priorities as president of the world's foremost multilateral forum, during a virtual interactive dialogue with UN member states held on Friday.

The 69-year-old diplomat pledged to work towards consolidating trust and cohesion among countries, major groups at the UN, and international organisations, and to ensure that the world's most vulnerable people have a voice.

Bozkir, who has served with Turkey's foreign service for nearly 40 years, is the sole candidate for the presidency of the body that brings together all 193 UN member states.

The outbreak has coincided with the 75th anniversary of the UN. This is a stark reminder of the importance of effective multilateralism and, particularly, the crucial role of the UN and its agencies, he said.

As the coronavirus does not see borders or discriminate, he stated that the fight to defeat it should not result in stigmatisation, inequality or injustice.

A world free of COVID-19 will require the most extensive public health and social recovery effort all over the world. Build back better should be our motto.

Bozkir commended prompt action undertaken so far by the UN in the face of the crisis, including the adoption of several General Assembly resolutions which stress solidarity and cooperation.

I truly believe that the General Assembly with its universal membership and equal status of all its members, as well as its democratic credentials, is the most appropriate platform to provide political guidance in responding to the pandemic, he said.

With countries embarking on a Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, he called for the world's least developed countries, landlocked developing nations and small island developing states to remain a top global priority.

"The needs of the African countries and their special circumstances, including the 2063 Agenda, will continue to receive your attention, he added, referring to the African Union's blueprint to transform the continent.

"Another cross-cutting priority is to improve the living standards and rights of women.Women's full and equal participation in all spheres of life, by strengthening their status within society, is an absolute must in all our endeavours."



As president of the UN General Assembly, or "PGA", he will be guided by efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and non-discrimination.

"Consensus building will be one of the core efforts during my tenure. I will use the extent possible, the moral authority and the soft power of the PGA. I will allow continuity with the work of the previous PGAs and make improvements where necessary," he said.

"The overall agenda of our Organisation requires close coordination among the UN decision-making bodies. I will try to address the gaps and duplications as they relate to the agenda of the General Assembly.

The extraordinary challenge of COVID-19 has prompted a change in the working methods of the UN General Assembly.

Physical distancing and stay-at-home restrictions mean representatives can no longer meet in person, including to vote on resolutions, which are now circulated under a process known as silence procedure.

Ambassadors are given a 72-hour window to consult their capitals. If they all agree on a resolution, it is passed. If not, the resolution is not adopted as the silence has been broken.

I hope that we will soon return to normal functioning of the Organisation and be able to hold physical meetings without risking our health, he said.

If conditions do not permit us to do so, we should find ways and means, including technical infrastructure, to enable the General Assembly and other decision-making bodies to resume their functions in full.

The current General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria, has taken steps towards implementing electronic voting.

He has appointed Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica to consult with member states on the process.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety

Two missing Rohnert Park teenagers were found unharmed over the weekend, but a 15-year-old girl is still unaccounted for three days after she disappeared, police said Sunday.

The missing teen, Veronica Elizabeth Prado, 15, has not been seen since 10 p.m. Thursday, said a Rohnert Park police dispatcher. She was last seen wearing red, black and white Air Jordan sneakers and was carrying a black Tommy Hilfiger bag, according to a police report.
Stranded for over two months in a foreign land, over 2,400 Indians in Sri Lanka are still making rounds to the high commission in Colombo with no announcement yet about their possible evacuation from the island nation.

Adding to their woes are dwindling finances, homesickness and uncertainty about when they will be back home with their families.

The government launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' on May 7 to bring back home Indians stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. Sri Lanka is not among the countries for which evacuation flights have been announced so far.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism and Development Authority, over 2,400 Indians are stranded in the country due to the lockdown and travel restrictions imposed in view of the global pandemic.

"I am stuck in Colombo since two months. With limited financial support, I am struggling for my survival every day in this country. I have contacted the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka in this regard but the response from them is to wait for further phases of evacuation by Indian government, which is really painful and heart-breaking," Vineeta, a Noida based techie, told PTI over phone from Colombo.

Vijay Pal Singh and his wife wanted to take some time off their hectic work schedules and planned a vacation to Sri Lanka, leaving their kids with the grandparents. However, the vacation turned out to be much longer than what they desired.

"We had plans to take a break and spend time with each other, hence we left the kids back but our four-day break has now become a really long wait to be back home with our children. We have been forced to take time off work because we are not even in a position to work remotely from here," Singh said.

Satendra Mishra, who went to Sri Lanka on a tourist visa, said, "Till now no plans for evacuation from Sri Lanka have been announced. We are a group here and we are running out of savings to survive. Every morning we wake up to see a positive answer to our queries but there has been no yet".

Under phase one of the mission, the government has evacuated a total of 6,527 Indians from the Gulf region as well as countries like the US, the UK, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives.

In the second phase of the evacuation mission, the government will bring back people from Canada, Oman, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Tajikistan, Singapore, the US, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Kuwait and Italy.

The government has also announced that Indians will also be evacuated from Nepal, Nigeria, Belarus, Armenia, Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Georgia and the UK.

Chennai resident Ramakrishnan Srinivasan said, "We have contacted the Indian High commission in Sri Lanka. They are trying their level best to send us back. But so far there has been no favourable reply. Unless they get government orders from India what can they do".

As per the government's policy for evacuation, Indians having compelling reasons to return like pregnant women, elderly people, students and those facing the prospect of deportation are being brought back home.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus which has infected over 96,000 and killed 3,029 people till date, according to the Union Health Ministry. During this time operations of all international and domestic flights have been ceased.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Federal authorities are urging governors to use extreme caution in deciding when to resume visits at nursing homes, saying it shouldnt come before all residents and staff have tested negative for the coronavirus for at least 28 days.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services criteria for relaxing restrictions at nursing homes come more than two months after the agency ordered homes to ban visitors. Instead of firm dates, it lists a variety of factors state and local officials should consider, such as adequate staffing levels at homes and the ability to regularly test all residents and workers.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

Were urging governors to proceed with extreme caution because these are the most vulnerable citizens. We know that nursing homes have struggled, Seema Verma, head of CMS, told The Associated Press.

Already, outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities have claimed more then 32,000 lives, more than a third of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S., according to a count by the AP.

In Oregon, at least 78 coronavirus-related deaths and more than 480 cases are associated with a senior care homes, the most recent state data show. The deaths represent more than half of the states death toll from the disease.

The recommendations bolster the Trump administrations broader guidelines that say senior care facilities should be among the last in a community to reopen, given the vulnerability of their elderly residents. And they noted that some homes may have to wait even longer than 28 days from the last negative test if they have had problems with infection controls, staffing or other issues.

Although the ban on visitors is intended to keep residents safe, Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy said the prolonged isolation could have negative consequences, since family members often act as an extra set of eyes to ensure their loved ones are being properly cared for.

Its been necessary but it takes its toll on residents and family members, psychologically, mentally, physically -- in every conceivable way, Edelman said.

Dr. Sharon Inouye, a professor of geriatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said its been distressing to watch her mother cope with the isolation.

She got pretty depressed initially. She kept calling me and sometimes shed be crying, Im so lonely,'" said Inouye, who had to cancel plans to fly out and see her mother at an assisted living facility in the San Francisco area.

Inouye's sister, who lives closer to the home, was only able to see their mother from a distance twice. The in-person encounters between family members and residents by the home's entrance are difficult for staff to coordinate more frequently, Inouye said.

For weeks, nursing homes have been calling on local and federal officials for help accessing tests and personal protective equipment.

Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities, said the testing of residents and staff should be possible within a few weeks with the federal government making access for homes more of a priority.

-- The Associated Press
The European Union-drafted resolution seeking an independent probe into the coronavirus pandemic has been signed by 123 member countries so far. The resolution has already been backed by all the member countries of the European Union and 50 African nations after Australia major push for an investigation into the origin of the virus outbreak and the response of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt reportedly said that the resolution is expected to be endorsed at the World Health Assembly which is set to begin on May 18. According to Australian media reports, at least 116 countries have signed up as co-sponsors of the resolution calling for an investigation. The draft calls for "impartial, independent and comprehensive" probe into the COVID-19 crisis and an inquiry into the actions of the WHO and timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with the Member States a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing Mechanisms, as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19," reads the draft resolution.

The draft resolution has already received support from nations like Albania, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russia, San Marino, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Zambia.

Read: World Health Assembly Draft Resolution By 62 Countries To 'evaluate' WHO & China Accessed

Virtual meeting

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO has announced that the 73rd World Health Assembly will be held virtually and the meeting will be centred on the impact of coronavirus. All 194 member states and observers of the WHO are expected to join the meeting via videoconference which will conclude on May 19.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will represent India at the World Health Assembly beginning 3.30pm IST on May 18. The Assembly is also set to vote on whether Taiwan should be invited to join as a WHO observer amid its excellent COVID-19 response, in spite of China's strong opposition as it claims the self-governing island as its territory under the one-China policy.

Read: 62 Nations Issue 'Impartial, Independent, Comprehensive Evaluation' Warning To WHO & China

(Image credit: AP)
At least six people have died due to COVID-19 in West Bengal in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll in the state to 172, the health department said on Monday.

With 148 new COVID-19 cases reported during the last 24 hours, the total number of cases rose to 2,825 of which 1,575 are active, it said.

Of the six deaths, five were from the city and one was from neighbouring South 24 Parganas district, the department said in its bulletin.

Earlier, the government had attributed the death of 72 coronavirus-afflicted patients to comorbidities, and said COVID-19 in those cases was "incidental".

Among the 148 new positive cases, 61 were reported from the metropolis, 28 from Howrah, 26 from North 24 Parganas, 10 from South 24 Parganas, nine from Malda, four from Birbhum and two each from Nadia and North Dinajpur districts, it said.

There was one positive case each from West Burdwan, East Burdwan and East Medinipur, the bulletin added.

At least 47 more people were discharged from different hospitals in the state in the last 24 hours, following their recovery. The number of people who have recovered so far stands at 1,006.

As many as 7,614 samples were tested since Sunday evening. The total number of samples examined so far was 93,570.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the KPC Medical College and Hospital will start treating COVID-19 patients from Tuesday.

Thus, there will be 69 hospitals in the state treating coronavirus, a senior official of the state health department said.

The chief minister also expressed her gratitude towards the police force in West Bengal for their role in fighting the pandemic in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bill and Virginia McCrohan have been married for 30 years, but Virginia had been married once before.

Long after her divorce, her homes Verizon landline still had her ex-husbands name on the account.

Years ago I had asked for a name change on the phone bill  there were no cell phones at the time so it was only the home phone  but I was told I needed authorization from my ex-husband for that to happen, said McCrohan, 76. At that point in our lives I had no contact with him, so I left the account as it was.

Her cell phone was always in her name, she said

On Feb. 29, before the coronavirus shutdown, the couple went to a Sparta Verizon store to upgrade their cell phones. McCrohan said she requested the name change and to have future charges joined with her wireless bill. The employee said it wouldnt be a problem, she said.

But on March 6, the couples home phone stopped working. They called Verizon.

After several agents and hours of phone time, they concurred that the process to disconnect our phone had been made via computer and once in motion, could not be stopped, McCrohan said. Since it was nearing the end of the business day, we were told to call back the next day.

When they called back the next day, the couple got unexpected news.

The Verizon rep told us that the phone was disconnected and that if we wanted to keep that same number and service, we would have to immediately authorize the reconnect request," she said. We later found out that we were charged for both a disconnect and reconnect fee, neither of which we asked for and of course we had no landline for five days."

When they got their bill on March 19, the cost was $406.54. The couple returned to the Sparta store to ask for help. The rep determined the bill should be $196.54, McCrohan said.

The couple paid the amount before the due date, but on April 23, the bill still showed an outstanding balance of $180.62. The couple paid it to avoid any late fees, and their balance showed as zero.

On April 29, the couple received an email from Verizon, saying there was a $25.48 credit on the original landline account and they would receive a prepaid card as a refund. When the card arrived, it was still addressed to Virginias ex-husband.

Then the recorded calls from Verizon started, saying the couples account was short by $77.38.

On May 7, Bill McCrohan tried to explain the disconnect scenario to a Verizon representative in an online chat, and the rep said the charge was from before the changes to the couples account.

We know that is not true as our payments, for years, had been automatic payments, charged to our credit card, and always paid in full, Virginia said. She told us that charge had to be paid, so again to avoid late fees, an online payment was made on May 7, and two days later we were still getting the recorded message that our account had an unpaid balance.

Frustrated and not sure where to turn, they asked Bamboozled for help.

FIXING THE CHARGES

We asked Verizon to take a look at the couples billing debacle.

In short order, the couple got a call from Verizons executive office, which was followed up by someone from the companys landline team.

The couple was told there was confusion with the change to the billing system that bundles the landline with internet and cell service into one bill.

They received two credits: one for $120 and another for $77.38. Add that to the prepaid card they already received and they figure they were made whole except for $34.74, which they think is because of taxes and fees.

But never was there a logical explanation as to why our phone got disconnected in the first place, Virginia McCrohan said. There was never an admission of error. however, there were apologies for having to go through this ordeal with our billing and thanks for our patience and loyalty to Verizon.

We asked Verizon to explain what happened.

A spokesman said he was looking into it, but he didnt respond in time for publication.

But McCrohan received another email from the company.

She said that by requesting to bundle the wireless and landlines into one account, we essentially asked for that number to be disconnected," McCrohan said. No one ever told us that would happen, or that there was a charge for that to happen, and then that another fee to reconnect would be added.

McCrohan said she then voiced my opinion of how the Verizon reps at the lower end of the totem pole do not seem to be well trained in what information needs to go out to the consumer.

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.
PARMA, Ohio -- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Memorial Day 2020 will be unlike any other unofficial kickoff to summer in recent memory.

Still, the spirit of the holiday -- which honors those who have died while serving in the military -- remains, and in some ways takes on an even greater meaning with those fighting a different battle.

While communities are unable to schedule parades and commemorative events, virtual and social distance-friendly remembrance ceremonies are taking place.

Here is a rundown of Memorial Day offerings and ceremonies in Brooklyn, Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills:

Brooklyn

Instead of Brooklyns normal Memorial Day morning West Park Cemetery service, followed by a parade and picnic, this year the city is creating a video honoring residents who have served or are serving in the military, as well as recognizing those Brooklyn residents who have died while serving in the military.

The video will be posted on the citys Facebook page on May 25.

Because of the pandemic, we made the decision early to cancel the Memorial Day events, Mayor Katie Gallagher said. With the help of some of our employees (Terrance Duncan, Chris Frey and Dennis Williams) who have or still serve in the military, well release a short video tribute in the place of our traditional activities.

Although this is not the traditional ceremony, we couldnt let the day go by without doing something special to recognize those who have fought and died for our freedoms," Gallagher said.

Parma

American Legion Post 572 carries on its tradition of a Memorial Day service, scheduled for noon May 25 at Veterans Memorial Park.

Well be doing a ceremony including the playing of Taps, a 21-gun salute and raising of the flags, American Legion Post 572 Post Commander Tony Kessler said. Were asking anyone who wants to witness the little ceremony to do so from the parking lot while staying in their vehicles.

With everything thats going on, we didnt want to see Memorial Day get swept under the carpet. To us veterans, this is probably as important (a) day as any that we have all year. We certainly want to make sure we show our respect.

Mayor Tim DeGeeter said hes proud that Post 572 is stepping up with a sensible ceremony.

The fact that the veterans are even trying to put something together is remarkable, DeGeeter said. Obviously, its unique times here, but this is a small way to do it safely and still pay respects to those individuals. Memorial Day is an important tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Parma Heights

Parma Heights Memorial Day parade is canceled; however, the Rev. Mark Juengel is getting creative for Parma-South Presbyterian Churchs 153rd annual Memorial Day service with a video that will be posted on the citys Facebook page on May 25.

We cant have mass gatherings together, so were going to pre-record a service with myself, Parma Heights Mayor Michael Byrne, American Legion Parma Heights Post 703 Vice Commander Bill Schiffer, a soloist and organist that will be available on our website and the citys website, Juengel said.

We wanted to continue our tradition," he said. "With all of the chaos going on, its important to have some things that provide stability in our life. Its also important to remember that there are people who are still serving in the military.

Byrne added: By recording this ceremony, we will once again acknowledge and honor the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Id like to thank all our veterans and their families for their commitment and dedication to our country. I look forward to better times and hope to see everyone at next years Memorial Day parade.

Seven Hills

In lieu of the annual Memorial Day parade, ceremony and pancake breakfast at City Hall, Seven Hills this year is broadcasting a special virtual affair that will be posted May 25 on the citys Facebook page.

The ceremony includes Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta, local clergy, performances by Georgia Kostyack, Eagle Scouts Noah Bishop and Matt Marko raising the American flag and the Ohio Military Reserves playing Taps and laying a wreath.

Though circumstances prevented us from having our traditional ceremony, we must never forget the sacrifice made by so many that paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today, Biasiotta said.

Therefore, the administration felt strongly about putting together a ceremony that both honors the day and respects social distancing guidelines.

Read more news from the Parma Sun Post.
Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers.

A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you.

1. Verification and registrar choice

After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files.

In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days.

BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars:



GoDaddy

Namesilo

Uniregistry

NameCheap

Google Domains

Network Solutions

Name.com

Dynadot

Amazon Route 53

123 Reg

Gandi

2. We request the name from the seller.

Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process.

3. Transfer the name into your account

As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process.

4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete

Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller.




Sales for Q1 2020: 107.3m, down 11% from Q1 2019

Net margin for Q1 2020: 9.9m, down 1.3m from same period 2019

Normalised profit before tax in Q1 2020: 2.6m compared to 3.5m in Q1 2019

Basic earning per share (EPS) for Q1 2020 were 0.0722 cents per thousand shares compared to 0.0818 cents per thousand shares for Q1 2019

Acquisition of Elba completed on February 21 st 2020

2020 UK merger project on track despite external challenges

The Groups financial and operational strength to be leveraged to act on both short term and longer term strategic opportunities in the situation

Normalised PBT outlook range of 6.0-9.0m for 2020, based on a scenario that sales will bottom in Q2, start to recover in Q3 and be on track in Q4.

Bjarni Armannsson, CEO

The results of Q1 2020 were marked by the outbreak of Covid19 and actions taken to control the outbreak. This did especially impact the business in S-Europe, where overwhelming part of sales are to the HORECA sector which was heavily impacted by the lockdown implemented in March. On the other hand our retail sales have been strong from mid March which has helped mitigating the overall impact.

On February 21st the acquisition of Elba was completed, which will further strengthen our position in the S-European market. At the same time the Group sourcing network is strengthened with the former owners of Elba, GPG Seafood and Icemar, becoming shareholders in Iceland Seafood.

Important steps were taken on the merger project in Spain during the period. The legally merged entity Iceland Seafood Iberica started operation in beginning of the year. From February all production of light salted cod is in one location in Barcelona, with Ecomsa in Malaga now focused on local distribution in Andalusia. The outbreak of Covid19 has delayed distribution in the overall operation and are currently causing delay in the overall synergy creation from the merger. The estimate of overall synergy impact remains unchanged, we expect these to be in the range from 3.0-3.5m and be fully realised during 2021.

On March 4th we announced a significant investment in processing and coldstore capacity in Grimsby in the United Kingdom. Our two subsidiaries in UK, Iceland Seafood Barraclough and Havelok will be merged during this year, under one management team and in a single manufacturing side. The total investment for the site, refurbishment and machinery to fully utilise its potential is between 5.0-6.0m. We are in active discussion with key retail customers on new listings in the autumn and Q1 2021. Product range will reflect current offerings but on a larger scale. In order to be the sole shareholder of the merged entity, a 33% minority share in Havelok held by the management was acquired on March 4th.

The Covid19 outbreak has had significant impact on the operation from Mid March. The financial and operational strength of Iceland Seafood has enabled us to manage the situation effectively. We have taken actions to put appropriate contingency plans in place to protect health and safety of our employees and to secure continuity of operations. Risk management controls have been tightened with focus on liquidity and active management of our current assets on the balance sheet, i.e. receivables and inventories. Over 90% of the Group receivables are credit insured and our inventories are in good shape with vast majority being frozen goods. It was an important step to secure liquidity of our operation, when we secured new long term funding for the operation in Spain in April. These are loans with number of local banks in Spain, with total amount in excess of 17m. At the same time actions were taken to increase our funding headroom with our banking partner in Iceland.

Covid19 will continue to impact sales and profitability in Q2. The Group base scenario expects sales to bottom in Q2, start to recover in Q3 and to be on track in Q4. Based on this view the Group estimate the full year 2020 Normalised PBT to be in the range from 6.0-9.0m. Uncertainty remains significant on development of the pandemic and for how long sales and profitability will be impacted by the situation. We will communicate further on the matter and narrow the outlook range as less ambiguity will be on the development.

Whilst the current situation is bringing on some significant challenges, we as a group are also in unique position to act on opportunities that come up in the situation, which we are actively working on. This applies to both short term opportunities related to sourcing and marketing and also longer term strategic opportunities.

Investor meeting

On May 19th at 8.30 am, Iceland Seafood International hf will host a meeting for market participants and investors, where management will present and discuss the Q1 2020 results. The meeting will be held at the Companys premises at Kollunarklettsvegur 2 in Reykjavik. The meeting will be also be webcasted live on https://livestream.com/accounts/11153656/events/9126432/player and recording will be available after the meeting on www.Icelandseafood.com/investors

Disclaimer

This announcement is furnished and intended for European market participants and should be viewed in that light.

Any potential forward looking statements contained in this announcement reflect the management's current views on future events and performance, whilst those views are based on positions that management believes are reasonable, there is no assurances that the stated events and views will be realized. Forward looking views naturally involve uncertainties and risks and consequently actual results may differ from the statements or views expressed.

For more information:

Iceland Seafood International hf.

http://www.icelandseafood.com/Investors

Bjarni Armannsson, Bjarni.armannsson@icelandseafood.com

Attachments
Many people base the disposal of their food items on the small "best by" or "best before" labels printed in some portion on the food packets. Since 1973, the US Congress has been considering a bill requiring food manufacturers to list a date that perishable foods should be sold by. This bill, however, has failed to make it into law.

Since then, the US came up with its own regulations on how to label perishable items. However, the scope of their laws is different in every state. The lack of uniformity confuses consumers even though the labels in question are on similar products packaged at the same time.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a staggering 1.3 billion metric tons of yearly global food waste is accumulated due to production losses and consumer waste. This is a huge problem considering world hunger is still a problem faced in some parts of the world.

Also Read: Milk Spoiler Alert: Sensor Capable of Detecting Milk Spoilage

Food Waste Problem

Consumers see printed expiration dates on food items as accurate indicators that say that something is no longer safe for consumption. But in reality, the dates are merely set by manufacturers as criteria and part of their analytical strategy to assign a label they find suitable for a product.

In 2015, the Food Marketing Institute, now renamed as Food Marketplace Inc., discovered that about 83 percent of shoppers in the United States had thrown out food based on the "best before" label. Truthfully speaking, The Telegraph reports that the label has nothing to do with whether a food is still edible but rather is meant to tell retailers to pull inventory from their shelves.

In the European Union, where laws on food labels are more uniform, the consulting firm, ICF, estimates that about 9.5 to 12 percent of all household food waste can still be blamed on date-marking issues.

Because of these inconsistencies regarding food expiration date labels and without better regulations, food and sensor scientists would like to put consumers in charge of telling whether the food they were to eat remains to be good or safe for consumption or not. Experts have long envisioned user-friendly devices that could give people a clear-cut message that: "This food is no longer safe for consumption."

Food Spoilage Sensors

To solve this problem, Firat Guder, an engineer at Imperial College London, has developed a budget-friendly cellulose-paper-based gas sensor for tracking food quality. In his paper published in ACS Publications, he described how some microbes that grow on top of meat and fish break down the fish's amino acids and release gasses like ammonia, as their colonies multiply.

Guder's sensor measures how well electrical current flows through the paper, and as the paper absorbs gases from inside a food container, the flow of current changes, signaling microbe growth. His sensors are responsive to the point that if you were to put them in a sealed container with ammonia inside, they would register a signal in mere minutes.

Theoretically, consumers could install the sensors inside a product's wrapping after buying them. Because Guder's sensors use an electrical signal as a readout, users can simply tap on their phones to get readings from the sensor through an integrated radio-frequency tag, he says.

Meanwhile, Ken Suslick from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign also creates sensors that can mark food spoilage. Rather than using a single measurement, Suslick's sensors torrent air across a series of different sensors to form a complex signal that can be refined and classified. This mechanism copies the way our noses sense and distinguishes gases.

Suslick calls his sensor an electronic nose that uses a dispensable paper or plastic strip with different chemically responsive dyes printed onto it. The sensor is then primed into a handheld "sniffing machine" to test the quality of a food product.

Guder is still weighing on how his technology will make its way into the market. Using the company, BlakBear, to commercialize the technology, he is hopeful that many people can benefit from his science in the future.



Read Also: Cans of Hunt's Tomato Paste Have Been Recalled Because of Molds
Local Sikh organizations to take the case of New Zealand youth trapped in India due to corona: Advocate Dhami
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Federation of Alcohol Beverage Producers (India) has given a representation to Satyajeet Rajan, additional chief secretary, taxes (excise) citing the discrimination being meted out to Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) industry in Kerala.

Vinod Giri, director general of FABP (India) has said that while taxes and margins on IMFL total up to 240 per cent as against 88 per cent for imported liquor. The decision of the state government to impose additional sales tax of 35 per cent on IMFL and not on imported liquor has drawn flak.

Vinod Giri told TNIE that a product of the same quality sells at Rs 2,600 if made in India, compared to Rs 1,600 if imported. We had brought the issue to the attention of the Kerala High Court that there is a wide gap between taxes on IMFL and imported products, added Vinod Giri.
SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dalrada Health Products, the wholly owned subsidiary of Dalrada Financial Corp. (OTC Pink: DFCO) announced the appointment of Gregg Silvers as the VP of Product Development for the GlanHealth suite of sanitizing products. Silvers comes with 17 years of running organizations in the services industry, particularly offering cleaning and sanitization solutions, including Shark Innovative Technologies Corp., a Texas company providing disinfectant spray services and sanitizing products to a national customer base. "Mr. Silvers brings the subject matter expertise to expand our GlanHealth product and service offerings to the transportation, healthcare, hospitality, janitorial, and manufacturing industries. His knowledge of supply chains and the market landscape allows us to strategically plan and carve out our path to providing safe solutions to help businesses get back to work and sustain those safe procedures in a consistent manner into the future. We are extremely excited to have him onboard and his efforts to date are producing increased product demand with a growing customer base," said Brian Bonar, CEO of Dalrada.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about sanitizing products, and it's understandable that most consumers are tied to only a few popular brands, where alcohol-free products are not top of mind or there is a lack of awareness. I am looking forward to positioning the GlanHealth brand as a thought leader that provides the best solutions in the market, to help bring peace of mind and the education needed to make informed decisions," said Silvers.

With the appointment of Mr. Silvers, Dalrada Health acquired 100% of Shark Innovative Technologies Corp. in an all stock purchase agreement. The acquisition includes Shark's spraying equipment, technologies, supply contracts, and large volume customers.

About Dalrada Health

A subsidiary of Dalrada Financial Corp., Dalrada Health is focused on solving health problems around the world. The company develops products and services that address the unmet needs of consumers due to accessibility, affordability, or availability. With operations in the U.S., Malaysia, and India, Dalrada Health can reach underserved markets through strong partnerships and the development of efficient supply chains. Dalrada Health is committed to solving universal health problems through improved methodologies resulting in products and services that benefit the global marketplace. For details, visit https://dalradahealth.com. For details about GlanHealth's hand sanitizers and surface disinfectants, visit https://GlanHealth.com.

About Dalrada (DFCO)

Dalrada Financial Corp. (OTC Pink: DFCO) solves real-world problems by producing innovation-focused and technologically-centered solutions on a global level. Delivering next-generation manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare products and services designed to propel growth, Dalrada is a team of industry experts and an organization built upon a strong foundation of financial capital. The Company and its subsidiaries are positioned for stable long-term growth through intelligent market research, sound business acumen, and established operational infrastructure. For more information, visit www.dalrada.com or call 1-858-283-1253.

Disclaimer



Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future revenues and sales projections, plans for future financing, the ability to meet operational milestones, marketing arrangements and plans, and shipments to and regulatory approvals in international markets. Such statements reflect management's current views, are based on certain assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events, or performance may differ materially from the above forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional financing that will allow us to continue our current and future operations and whether demand for our products and services in domestic and international markets will continue to expand. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that may impact the Company's success are more fully disclosed in the Company's most recent public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE Dalrada Health

Related Links

http://dalradahealth.com


Bay League boys and girls basketball teams will play five league games and then there will be a tournament to determine seeding for CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday deposited Rs 10,000 each on accounts of survivors and those affected by the gas leak incident at the LG Polymers plant in Visakhapatnam.

As many as 19,893 people residing in the affected villages were compensated with Rs 10,000 each. Reddy further assured of taking stringent action against those responsible for the tragedy, adding that a committee is probing into the incident and the government is awaiting its report.

As many as 12 people were killed when styrene vapours leaked from the LG Polymers plant on May 7, while several hundred fell ill after inhaling the poisonous chemical at RR Venkatapuram near Visakhapatnam.

He said all the styrene gas deposits of about 13,000 tonnes were shipped back within 10 days and all the victims families were provided compensation to support their livelihood.

"Whatever action is recommended by the committees, those proceedings will be implemented transparently. We will not allow such a situation that the company will undertake the same activities at the same location in future. That is why that raw material Styrene has also been sent back," Reddy said.

He also appreciated officials and ministers who played an active role in restoring normalcy in the area and directed officials to look into the job demands of the affected families.

Besides, the state government has announced Rs 1 crore to the kin of the deceased as ex-gratia and different packages to victims depending on the severity of ailments.

LG Polymers in a statement on Monday said it successfully completed the transportation of the Styrene Monomer (SM) inventory within the plant as well as in the styrene tanks that were at the port. "There is now no SM left at the LG Polymers plant in Vizag.

"Additionally, in collaboration with related institutions, we are devoting our resources to analyse the cause of the accident, prevent re-occurrence, and most importantly provide assistance to the families of the deceased and injured. Our immediate focus is to provide assistance to the

people in the local area to help them continue with their normal lives as soon as possible," Jeong Sunkey, Managing Director of LG Polymers, said.

There had been an unequivocal demand from people of Venkatapuram and surrounding villages that the plant be completely shutdown as it posed a threat to their lives.

(With PTI inputs)
Quantzig, premier analytics solutions provider,has announced the completion of its latest success story that illustrates how physician journey analysis helped a multinational pharma company to reduce its marketing costs by 30%.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005317/en/

With several years of experience in delivering industry-leading capabilities in data integration, advanced RWE analytics, and business intelligence, Quantzig helps healthcare organizations to redefine workflows using real world data. Request a FREE proposal to get started.

In today's highly complicated healthcare ecosystem, a physician's performance has a direct impact on the financial success of the organization. Hence the analysis of the physician's level of engagement is gaining importance in the healthcare industry. Also, the increasing pressure to provide high-quality and cost-effective care for patients is encouraging the adoption of physician journey analysis. Through data analytics, hospitals and clinics can improve the patient care systems and meet the current regulatory requirements set by the governments. The RWE analytics team at Quantzig offers effective insights that help healthcare companies understand the next best marketing action at each stage of physician engagement. Physician journey analysis also offers key insights that strengthen physician engagement, provides information on the latest developments in the industry, and creates awareness about the changes in the market.

Request FREE demo for tailored solutions and custom recommendations to thrive in today's highly regulated healthcare industry.

"By offering effective insights, we help healthcare industry players understand the next best marketing action at each stage of the physician journey," says a physician journey analysis expert from Quantzig.

Physician Journey Analysis Engagement: Outcomes, insights, and solutions offered:

Quantzig's analytics team has extensive domain knowledge and experience in offering the best marketing actions that will help physicians gain more recognition in the market. Some of the solutions offered and results obtained as a part of this engagement are listed below:

Offered insights on the key responsibilities of the commercial excellence team to strengthen the physician engagement

Assured 12% increase in TRx prescriptions from physicians in lower tiers, six months post implementation of targeted marketing approaches designed based on physician journey mapping

Business rules were fed into the Content Management Systems (CMS) to serve up right messages in the right channels at the right time to right physicians

Reduced marketing cost by optimizing call planning and sampling distribution processes based on the analysis of physician prescription behavior

Want detailed solution insights? This case study on physician journey analysis is now available for free, Get in touch with our physician journey analytics experts right away!

About Quantzig

Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005317/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact

Quantzig

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

US: +1 630 538 7144

UK: +44 208 629 1455

https://www.quantzig.com/contact-us
All but state media barred from session, first since Muhyiddin took power, with kings speech only item on agenda.

Malaysias king on Monday said the appointment of Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister after a power grab two months ago was proper and constitutional, as Parliament met for a single day and a vote on an opposition challenge to Muhyiddins leadership was postponed.

The king appointed Muhyiddin to the top job on March 1, saying he believed the veteran politician had the support of a majority of the 222 members of Parliaments lower house.

Muhyiddins administration includes parties that had been rejected by voters in the May 2018 election, and was challenged by the opposition  Muhyiddins former allies in Pakatan Harapan  who said they were the ones with the majority.

The lower house speaker had initially approved a motion tabled by Muhyiddins 94-year-old predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, seeking a vote of no confidence, but the vote was postponed indefinitely after the government shortened Mondays meeting, leaving time only for the royal address.

Surely, every contest will have a conclusion. The countrys political wrangling could not be allowed to fester without any end, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said in his speech, which was broadcast live on national television.

Hence  in line with provisions under the Federal Constitution, I found that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had the majority support of members of the Dewan Rakyat and was qualified to be appointed as the eighth prime minister, the king said, using the titles awarded to Muhyiddin.

The kings role is largely ceremonial and it is unlikely his endorsement of Muhyiddins appointment would have much sway over a vote in Parliament on his leadership.

The seating chart handed out by parliamentary officials showed Muhyiddin with a majority of three, local media reported.

Ceremonial role

Mondays meeting was the first time Parliament had convened this year, after the government postponed the session originally scheduled for early March. Its next session is due to take place from July 13 to August 27.

Ministers of Parliament were sat in every other seat, and only state media were allowed to cover the event, which began with a tribute to the countrys front line workers and was over by early afternoon. The government said the session had to be short because of the coronavirus.

In a news conference afterwards, Mahathir lamented the decision and noted that the pandemic was causing hardship for many ordinary people.

It is the right of every member of parliament, irrespective of whether they think they will win or lose, to move a vote of no confidence, he told reporters. If we expose the wrong-doing of the government then we would hope that good sense would prevail.

Mahathir resigned from his second stint as prime minister at the end of February after a power grab among a few disgruntled members of the governing Pakatan Harapan coalition.





After a week of wrangling in which Muhyiddin secured the support of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which Harapan had defeated in 2018 amid growing anger at corruption allegations surrounding the party, he was named the head of government.

Muhyiddin, who co-founded Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia with Mahathir, had been home minister in the Harapan administration. The partys members of Parliament are now split between the two men.

Since taking power Muhyiddin has had to focus on the health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus.

Malaysia, which imposed curbs on movement in mid-March but has since allowed people to return to work providing they follow social distancing guidelines, has reported 6,894 cases of the coronavirus and 113 deaths.
A woman in China has told of her horror after seeing nearly 30 bats crawling across her kitchen window.

Ms Shi was getting ready to make breakfast when she made the shocking discovery at her home, according to reports.

Local wild animal officials who were called to catch the flying mammals told Ms Shi it was 'a good thing' that the bats had gathered outside her home because it meant 'the city's environment was good'.

A woman in China has told of her horror after seeing nearly 30 bats on her kitchen window. The bats (pictured) were moving on the outside of the window after flying into a tiny crack

Wild animal rescuers caught some of the bats after removing a pane of glass from the window

The rescuers in central China said they planned to release the bats back to nature (file photo)

Ms Shi saw the bats on the morning of Friday in the city of Zhengzhou in central China's Henan Province, reported Henan Radio and TV Station.

The nocturnal animals were said to be moving on the outside of a window. They had flown into a tiny crack between the window and an exterior wall.

'I was scared to death and immediately called over my family members for help,' Ms Shi told reporters.

Ms Shi (above) who discovered the bats last Friday told reporters: 'I was scared to death and immediately called over my family members for help.' She then called the wild animal officials

Workers from the wild animal station arrived in Ms Shi's home after receiving her report

Workers caught some of the bats after an hour-long operation, but most of them flew away

Workers from the local wild animal protection station soon arrived in Ms Shi's home after receiving her report.

They decided to remove a pane of glass from the window to catch the bats.

Workers caught some of the bats after an hour-long operation, but most of them flew away on their own.

Dong Chaowei, the director of the wild animal protection station, suspected that the bats belonged to the same family.

He cautioned the public not to touch bats if they see them at home because 'wild animals could carry viruses and bacteria'.

Dong Chaowei (above) from the wild animal protection station said it was a 'good thing' that residents could find bats in their homes. 'It means Zhengzhou has a good environment,' he said

The bats had flown into a tiny crack between Ms Shi's kitchen window and an exterior wall

Mr Dong said it was a 'good thing' that residents could find bats in their homes.

'It means Zhengzhou has a good environment. The government has paid much attention to planting trees, and the ecology has improved, and the number of wild animals has an obvious increase,' he told reporters.

Mr Dong said he and his team planned to release the captured bats back to nature.
Israels new Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi embraced today US President Donald Trumps peace plan with the Palestinians, yet stopped short of supporting any unilateral annexation by Israel of West Bank lands. Speaking at the May 18 changing-of-the-guard ceremony at the Foreign Ministry, Ashkenazi said, President Trump presented us with a historic opportunity to shape the future of the State of Israel and its boundaries for decades to come."

Ashkenazi was echoing the pledge made last February by Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, who vowed that if elected prime minister he would advance the Trump administration plan and push for the Knesset to adopt it in full. Still, both Ashkenazi and Gantz are aware of the diplomatic landmine planted within the plan, in the form of American acceptance of West Bank settlement annexation. As agreed in the April 20 unity deal, Blue and White will enable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to present for Knesset vote his annexation plan this summer, but its leadership is reluctant over supporting it.

In his May 18 speech, Ashkenazi emphasized the need to maintain Israels peace treaties with neighboring Egypt and Jordan, noting that peace is a strategic asset that must be protected. I see a great importance in strengthening the ties with the countries with which we have peace  Egypt and Jordan. They are the most important allies in dealing with regional challenges.

Ashkenazi evidently tried reassuring Jordanian King Abdullah, who has multiplied his warning over the last few days against any West Bank annexation moves. Interviewed by German Der Spiegel May 15, King Abdullah said, "If Israel really annexed the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan." Asked whether an annexation move would lead to Jordan suspending its peace treaty with Israel, the king said, "We are considering all options."

Last week, security experts warned that any damage to Israels ties with Jordan would threaten the countrys national security. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad argued May 16, "Annexation will erode our ties with Jordan. It would be a political move without a strategic advantage. Im sure the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] brass understands this.

Indeed, Israels security-diplomatic front is now in the hands of two ex-generals  new defense Minister Gantz and new Foreign Minister Ashkenazi. Both belong to Blue and White and both are far from enthusiastic about annexation, be it ideologically or security wise. They must now find a way to advance Trumps plan without engaging Israel in the diplomatically dangerous move of annexation. Anticipating Netanyahus first move on the issue, Ashkenazi and Gantz relayed to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the difficulties and dangers entailed in Israel annexing the Jordan Valley, especially vis-a-vis the Hashemite Kingdom.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem awaits now to see the strategy their new minister will adopt. In their May 16 discussion about Israel's annexation plans, Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, who currently presides the Council of the European Union, proposed inviting Ashkenazi to their next ministerial meeting. Evidently, she estimates that Ashkenazi is a partner for dialogue.
A retired Seema Sashatra Bal



personnel allegedly shot his wife, son and uncle with his licensed gun at their home in Assam's Dibrugarh district and killed them on Monday, police said.

The man, who had taken voluntary retirement, shot his wife and his sleeping ten-year-old son at their home, district additional superintendent of police Manabh Baruah said.

While his wife died on the spot, the boy was badly injured in his head, the ASP said.

The man then went to his maternal uncle's place at Kumaranisiga near NH-37 and shot him before fleeing the scene, he said.

The man's son and uncle were rushed to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh town where they succumbed to their injuries, Baruah said.

The police have cordoned off the area and launched a search to find the man, Dibrugarh superintendent of police Sreejith T said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The coronavirus (covid19) in Algeria is not as much of an economic liability as it has been across the Mediterranean in Europe. Algeria imposed some restrictions in urban areas but otherwise left the economy alone. A nationwide curfew was implemented in early April but modified by region and gradually eased. The curfew was mainly about keeping people home at night. The curfew hours were longest in the capital and eight of the most populous provinces. For the other provinces, it was 7 PM to 7 AM. There are two southern provinces, which are thinly populated and largely desert, where they have been no reported covid19 cases. These two provinces have no curfew at all.

So far the government has identified about 7,100 Algerians who have come down with the virus and so far Algeria has suffered about 13 deaths per million population. Thats much less than the world average of 41 deaths per million, but much worse than South Korea where deaths were five per million. South Korea was praised for its efficient handling of the virus. South Korea has a much better public health system but so far Algeria has done well with what it has. Algeria has one of the worst national health systems in the world and among Arab nations ranks 17th out of 21.

What helped was Algeria has only had 160 cases per million people while South Korea had 216. Both are doing better that the United States, which has 4,700 cases per million and 275 deaths per million. One reason for the higher American and European numbers per million is a better health care system that can identify and count more of the infected and dead. Not all nations are able, or willing, to get accurate numbers. Many nations dont really notice the deaths covid19 causes because the death rate for covid19 is not much worse than a very bad annual influenza epidemic. Moreover, covid10 is most lethal to those who already have serious medical problems. There are fewer of those in many poor nations that have not got the medical infrastructure to keep the seriously ill alive.

Neighbors Tunisia had 88 cases per million and four deaths per million. For Morocco, it is 186 and five, Libya nine and 0.5. To the south Mali has 43 and three.

Political Deadlock

The presidential elections held last December 12th were conducted despite popular opposition. The results were not the instant disaster many predicted because the candidate elected, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, was a former prime minister who formed his new government by appointing new government ministers that most protesters approved of, or could not criticize. None of the new ministers had opposed the weekly protests, which finally ended with the arrival of covid19. Tebboune has also met with protest leaders and simultaneously organized an effort to create a new constitution that would make it more difficult for him, or any future president, to again become a corrupt president-for-life. The new president, as a former senior official himself, knows that there are many senior people in the government, military and business community who oppose such changes. Such opposition has to be expressed quietly but it is still there and it will be a year or more before it will be clear if a new, dictator-proof, constitution is possible or not.

The problem is that Tebboune had the support of the military and will be under pressure to maintain a high level of military spending. Nearly a third of the government budget goes to the military. This is high by world standards. In fact, it is the highest in the world by a nation that releases such data. North Korea is believed to devote more of the government budget to the military but refuses to talk about it. Other nations that come close are Saudi Arabia, at 25 percent. Saudi Arabia believes it is at war with Iran and considers its military budget a wartime budget. Armenia, at 21 percent, is in a similar situation with neighbor Azerbaijan. Officially Algeria only spends about 14 percent of the government budget on the military but the reality is the spending is much higher and the security services want to keep it that way.

Most of the troops, mainly the younger ones, support going after corruption in a big way. The junior officers agree with that. For the older officers and NCOs who have made the military a career, priorities are different. For the older troops the most important thing is to maintain enough political power to maintain the current levels of military spending.

This outcome may prove that Algerians who felt that rushing elections favored the election of another corrupt politician, were right. So far the new president and his ministers appear pretty clean, as do most senior military officers. But that could change, as it often does, leaving Algeria with leaders are as corrupt and ineffective as all the previous ones. In other words, there would be a few token prosecutions for corruption but the majority of the corrupt bureaucrats and business owners would return to their outlaw ways.

Busted Budget

In addition to the unsettled political climate, Algeria is still suffering from the collapse of oil prices in 2013 and 2019. The most recent crash was caused by the covid19 virus sharply reducing demand while a feud between Russia and Saudi Arabia kept production high. After 2013 oil prices fell from $100 a barrel to $50. The 2019 crises took the price down to $20 a barrel. That has hurt Algeria which now expects GDP to decline nearly three percent in 2020 after growing nearly one percent in 2019. The old government was replaced a year ago in part because it was not successful enough in dealing with the resulting economic crises. The most visible sign of that failure is the growth of government debt from 26 percent of GDP in 2018 to nearly 50 percent now. Oil prices are at record lows and government plans to increase oil and gas production and diversify the economy are still underway. The government has not got spare cash for any new undertakings.

Dwindling Desperados

April was another month of infrequent contact with the remaining Islamic terrorists. Three were killed (all were armed) while one was arrested. Also arrested were five Islamic terrorist supporters who were providing financial, logistical and other support for Islamic terrorists and (usually) criminals in general.

May 16, 2020: In the east, across the Tunisian border in Kasserine Province, the security forces finally have the Islamic terrorists on the defensive. Tunisian security officials believe they have shut down Islamic terrorist operations in urban areas and cornered most of the remaining Islamic terrorists in the mountains along the Algerian border. The largest concentration of these terrorists are AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) factions in Kasserine Province. So far this year the security forces have detected the presence of several dozen AQIM members hiding out in Kasserine Province and discovered several hidden stores of weapons and bomb-building equipment. These hiding places contained other bits of evidence indicating the AQIM group was planning a number of bombing attacks against the security forces that were aborted when so much of the bomb-making equipment was captured.

The decline of AQIM in their mountain hideouts began in late 2019 when security forces cornered and killed Murad al Shayeb, a notorious Algerian Islamic terrorist who was also wanted for crimes in Tunisia. Shayeb belonged to AQIM and led a faction that had moved most of its operations to Tunisia after 2015. That left a former AQIM faction (Jund al Khalifa) as the main source of Islamic terrorist violence in Algeria. This did not last long because Jund al Khalifa had renounced its ties to al Qaeda and declared its allegiance to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). Once it joined ISIL Jund al Khalifa became a lot more violent.

Small groups of AQIM have been hiding out in the coastal mountains east of the capital for years and security forces were constantly searching the thinly populated mountains and forests of Bouira province. One reason AQIM survived in this area was that they kept quiet and tended to their criminal activities (drug smuggling) and cultivating new members. This strategy did not appeal to Jund al Khalifa which preferred the more radical ISIL approach. This meant losing a lot of members, some of whom surrendered to the government and provided information on Islamic terrorist activities in the coastal areas. That, plus the public outrage at the renewed Islamic terrorist violence and the growing availability of cell phones (the Islamic terrorists worst enemy) was the beginning of the end. By mid-2016 Jund al Khalifa appeared to be gone from their usual Algerian coastal haunts. There was little evidence that many AQIM members remained either. There are still some Islamic terrorists and supporters in Algeria but they are gone from their usual areas of operation and the search is on to find out where any may still be in the country.

What happened was that Jund al Khalifa remnants had, like many Algerian Islamic terrorists, fled to Tunisia. Individuals who could fled to Europe or Syria to defend the Caliphate. But most ended up across the border in Tunisia (Kasserine province) and soon began carrying out attacks throughout Tunisia. The backlash in Tunisia was devastating, despite survivors of ISIL defeats in Syria and Libya showing up in Tunisia. By late 2018 the remaining ISIL members were trapped in the mountains of Kasserine province and the end seemed near.

Shayeb was killed near the Algerian border and was believed to be operating on both sides of the border to raise money to keep his AQIM faction going. Tunisia was becoming as hostile for Islamic terrorists as Algeria but the few remaining AQIM and ISIL groups still found it easier to survive on the Tunisian side of the border. The Islamic terror groups thrive on the anger and frustration of young men who cannot get a job and see corruption and ineffective government all around them. Soon after its 2011 revolution Tunisia had become a functioning democracy while Algeria was still trying to rid its own democracy of the corruption and mismanagement that had developed after Algeria became independent of France in the 1960s. If the government goes bad on either side of the border the Islamic terror groups will find more recruits for the movement to form a religious dictatorship. This means killing those who get in your way because God is on your side. The religious dictatorship doesnt work either but that does not deter the desperate. While waiting for the next opportunity to declare jihad (struggle) and go to war the faithful obtain cash anyway they can. In effect these moribund Islamic terrorists are gangsters and they not only generate enough cash to keep the full-time members and their families going but also pay smaller amounts to up to 400 Algerian sleeper cell members who live in urban areas quietly preparing for the next jihad. The sleepers hear from the active members regularly, receiving news, instructions and a little cash. In Tunisia there are also sleepers but there are also active Islamic terrorists holding out in the mountains. Not so much in Algeria, where the only remaining Islamic terrorist bases are in the far south, along the Mali border where those Islamic terrorists carry out most of the operations in Mali. Up north there are very few active Islamic terrorists and most of those who do go active find it difficult to avoid the security forces or an Algerian with a cellphone and a dislike of Islamic terrorism.

May 10, 2020: In the far south, across the Mali border (outside Kidal) a roadside bomb was used against a peacekeeper convoy near the Algerian border and the Aguelhok crossing. Three peacekeepers were killed and four wounded. Local Islamic terrorists, operating from bases in Algeria, are believed responsible.

May 4, 2020: In the southeast (Bouria province, 120 kilometers from the capital) troops found and scrutinized a cache of Islamic terrorist equipment which included four automatic weapons (including ammo), 20 grenades and 20 kg (44 pounds) of explosives. This one was of recent vintage. Not many of these caches are found anymore and most of them are years, or sometimes over a decade old.
Valerie Pecresse, a French presidential hopeful from the Republican party, who had the egregious audacity to illegally visit the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on December 22, 2021, is now allegedly "infuriated" at the French government's "deafening silence" at Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's remarks that she would not have been permitted to leave the country, had Baku been informed about her illegal trip.
Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 40 points at the opening bell. Market will react to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of a slew of policy measures to support the economy amid the coronavirus-led disruption.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided the details of the fifth tranche of economic package on 17 May 2020. The FM announced a hike in the allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) by Rs 40,000 crore. The FM also said there will be a maximum of four PSUs in strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised. The FM also announced the suspension of new bankruptcy filings on loan defaults for one year and raised the threshold for insolvency under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to Rs 1 crore from the current Rs 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs from IBC proceedings. The Centre has also increased the borrowing limit for States by an additional Rs 4.28 lakh crore for FY21.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (16 May) unveiled structural reforms in eight sectors while announcing the fourth tranche of government's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package. The FM focussed eight sectors in this tranchecoal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation, power distribution, social infrastructure, space and atomic energy. An easing of limits on foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing, privatisation of six more airports, opening up of more airspace and allowing private sector in commercial coal mining were among key announcements.

On the economic data front, India's merchandise exports dipped 60.3% to US$ 10.36 billion in April 2020 over a year ago. Meanwhile, merchandise imports also declined 58.6% to US$ 17.12 billion. The trade deficit fell 55.9% to US$ 6.76 billion in April 2020 from US$ 15.33 billion in April 2019.

Merchandise exports in rupees plunged 56.4% to Rs 78951 crore, while imports declined 54.6% to Rs 130525 crore in April 2020 over April 2019. The trade deficit eased to Rs 51574 crore in April 2020 compared with Rs 106412 crore in April 2019.

As per the data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India's services exports increased 1.2% to US$ 18.16 billion in March 2020 over March 2019. Meanwhile, India's services imports declined 2.2% to US$ 11.11 billion in March 2020.

Meanwhile, in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centre on May 17 extended the nationwide lockdown till May 31. According to the new guidelines, the delineation of red, orange and green zones will be decided by respective states and Union Territory governments after taking into consideration the parameters shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading little changed as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy stateside may need a coronavirus vaccine to fully recover.

On the economic data front, Japan's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 3.4% in January-March, government data showed. That marked the country's second straight quarter of contraction, meeting the technical definition of a recession.

In US, stocks recovered from steep losses early Friday to close higher, despite data showing U.S. April retail sales plunged more than forecasts and news the Trump administration will block shipments of semiconductors to China's Huawei Technologies, stoking fears of renewed trade tensions.

However, sentiment was improved by news the House of Representatives was set to vote on another $3 trillion coronavirus package that could be the opening bid in another round of fiscal stimulus.

In economic data, U.S. retail sales fell 16.4% in April, the Commerce Department reported, as businesses remained all but shut down. Excluding autos, sales still dropped 16.2%.

Industrial production collapsed in April, the Federal Reserve said Friday. Industrial output fell a record 11.2%, pulled down by a record drop in manufacturing. Capacity utilization slumped to a record low 64.9% from 72.7% in March.

The University of Michigan said its preliminary consumer sentiment index for May rose to 73.7 from 71.8 in April.

Back home, key equity indices ended a volatile session on a flat note on Friday. Banks stocks extended losses while metals stocks bucked trend. Global shares were upbeat as data showed China's industrial output bouncing back in April. The barometer S&P BSE Sensex fell 25.16 points or 0.08% at 31,097.73. The Nifty 50 index lost 5.90 points or 0.06% at 9,136.85.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 2,388.04 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 1,225.53 crore in the Indian equity market on 15 May, provisional data showed.

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Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a chairpersons' meeting of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, May 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The chairpersons' meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, proposed on Sunday to adjust the agenda of the upcoming standing committee session.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the chairpersons' meeting.

In addition to previous items on the agenda, the chairpersons' meeting suggested that the 18th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, scheduled for May 18, deliberate a report on the qualifications of some NPC deputies and review appointments and dismissals, said a statement issued after Sunday's meeting.

A key task of the session on May 18 is to make preparations for the upcoming annual session of the NPC, which will begin in Beijing on May 22.
US President Donald Trump and UK prime minister Boris Johnson during the NATO summit on 4 December 2019. (Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

The United States and UK are hopeful that they will be able to seal a trade deal at an accelerated pace despite the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic and Britains status of uncertainty over what post-Brexit rules will look like.

Britains trade minister Liz Truss said on Monday: Both sides are hopeful that negotiations for a comprehensive trade agreement can proceed at an accelerated pace.

Ambassador (Robert) Lighthizer and I agreed that a second virtual round will take place in the weeks of 15 and 26 June, and that in advance of that negotiating teams will continue their work and meet virtually on a rolling basis, with meetings continuing throughout this week and beyond.

The update comes just three days after trade talks between the European Union and the UK broke up with very little progress.

The third round of post-Brexit trade talks between the two sides took place on 15 May. Both sides failed to find common ground and were left disappointed when the summit broke up around lunchtime.

Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, said he was disappointed by lack of ambition on the UK side and said they had not made any significant progress toward a governance structure.

You cannot have the best of both worlds, Barnier said.

The next round must bring new dynamism in order to avoid a stalemate between us. Let us make a success of round four in the first week of June by making the tangible progress we need.
Barely an hour to the south in Italy, a nationwide lockdown had been imposed as coronavirus patients clogged hospitals and morgues overflowed. But the apres-ski bars of the Austrian Alps were still packed with patrons.

Drawn by the famed ski runs that surround the resorts of St Anton and Ischgl, the late winter crowds included American, German, British, Dutch, Danish and French tourists.

More than 5,000 of them - including 28 from the United States - are now seeking to join a class action that will accuse Austrian authorities of intentionally staying silent about the outbreak in the resort villages. By withholding information, they believe, authorities decided that the euros being spent in local bars and hotels were more important than visitors' health.

It's an absolute gold mine, so keeping it open even one extra day is going to generate a lot of money, said Paul Wright, from Derby, who arrived in Ischgl in early March and started feeling ill several days later. This was about greed.

Questions about what officials knew and when they knew it are also central to a criminal proceeding prompted by complaints from a Viennese law firm and the Austrian Consumer Protection Association, the VSV. The latter named high-ranking politicians, mayors, hotel owners and powerful representatives of the ski industry, alleging they put economic interests first despite the escalating health risks. According to the prosecutor leading the investigation, more than 330 tourists have asked to be part of the complaints.

Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Show all 19 1 /19 Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Two elderly people chat on a street in Valencia, Spain on 4 May EPA Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent People look at the city from Villa Borghese park in Rome during the first day of Italy's next phase in its coronavirus lockdown Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent An elderly couple who has not been outside for nearly two months enjoys the weather as they sit on a bench in a park in Athens on 4 May AFP via Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Henri de Chassey, wearing a protective face mask, kisses his partner Margaux Rebois, who is returning to Paris after spending two months in Brussels on 4 May REUTERS Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A commuter in protective mask wears gloves at an underground station in Brussels as some companies are allowed to bring workers back to the office EPA/STEPHANIE LECOCQ Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Paralympic swimmer Inigo Llopis prepares to swim in San Sebastian, Spain, for the first time since the lockdown began Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A worker wearing personal protective equipment disinfects a school in Athens as Greece relaxes its nationwide lockdown REUTERS Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A Spanish National Police officer distributes protective masks in Melilla, Spain, on 4 May EPA Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent An employee poses in front of halfway-cured hams in a factory in Guijuelo, Salamanca, Spain, on 4 May EPA Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Workers in protective suits disinfect a high school in Athens as Greece moves to reopen schools for final-year students on 11 May EPA Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A worker disinfects a bus as transport vehicles are disinfected several times a day as part of Belgium's lockdown exit strategy Belga/AFP via Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A worker from Textilia haberdashery in Brussels holds a fabric that can be used to make customised protective face masks as Belgium relaxes its lockdown measures REUTERS/Yves Herman Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A bride tries on a wedding dress at a bridal shop in Madrid on the first day that some small businesses are allowed to open during Spain's lockdown REUTERS Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent People walk across the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in central Milan as Italy eases its lockdown AFP/Getty Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A couple kiss in the Duomo Square in Catania as Italy starts moving out of its lockdown Reuters Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent Mirel Chetan organises the books of the Antonio Machado bookstore in Madrid after 51 days of closure Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A couple kiss in front of the sea in Catania as Italy begins a staged end to a nationwide lockdown due to the spread of the coronavirus disease ANTONIO PARRINELLO/ REUTERS Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A waiter at Caffe Cracco handles takeaway coffee in Milan on 4 May as Italy starts to ease its lockdown Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images Europe emerges from lockdowns across the continent A woman holds a yoga posture as she exercises by the Colosseum monument in Rome on the first day of Italy relaxing its lockdown measures VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images

They had good reasons to cover this up, and those reasons are financial, Peter Kolba, leader of the VSV, said.

One-quarter of all jobs depend on tourism in this part of Austria, a historic, mountainous region of breathtaking beauty. Ischgl, population 1,600, lures about half a million travellers each winter, making it one of the most popular destinations in the Alps. St Anton welcomes 250,000 visitors.

Ischgl's first case of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was confirmed on 7 March. The patient was a barkeeper.

The next day, as Mr Wright and thousands of other skiers sped down the slopes, the Tyrol state medical authority posted a statement on its website announcing the case. Transmission of the virus onto the guests of the bar is, from a medical point of view, rather unlikely, the statement said.

Herbert Forster, director of the office that oversees the medical authority, noted recently that doctors did not know at that point just how easily infection could spread. And while he denied economic considerations came into play, he conceded officials could have done a better job at alerting tourists.

There were few additional details and no official warnings over the next several days. The evening-into-late-night partying continued.

I can't emphasise it enough, said Mr Wright, who retreated to his hotel room with a fever, a severe headache and fatigue and stayed in bed for the next 36 hours. If they knew of anything, that was suppressed. Back in the UK, his own test came back positive.

He and other British and US tourists said they would have cancelled their trips if information about an increasing number of cases had been made public. The Tregidgo family of New York City - two parents and three adult children who had been looking forward to their first vacation together in a decade - is among them.

If you're told there's a high rate of infections and you choose to go, then that's on you, said mother Barbara, a medical health clinician. But we were told there's no cases.

Before the Tregidgos arrived in St Anton on 8 March, only China, Iran, South Korea and northern Italy had been declared danger zones by US officials. The family says they checked an official Tyrol website that stated there was no risk of coronavirus. They were unaware that shortly before the barkeeper's diagnosis, Icelandic officials had warned Austria of likely transmission within Ischgl. They even called their hotel for final reassurance. They said a receptionist told them the snow was great and everything was all right.

A day after checking in, they realised it was not. Their local guide had a bad cough. Over the next few days, their massage appointments were cancelled because the therapist was home sick. Bars were ordered to limit patrons to try to reduce potential exposure.

The Tregidgos decided to fly home early, just before Donald Trump's travel ban left thousands of Americans stranded in Europe. Three family members subsequently tested positive for the virus. Though they feel lucky for suffering only mild symptoms, they would like the legal proceedings to establish accountability. They'd also appreciate some compensation for their additional travel costs.

Authorities stop cars from leaving the quarantine zone around the resort (Getty)

Prosecutor Hansjorg Mayr said he would not discuss details of the criminal proceedings until he has reviewed a 1,000-page report by the State Office of Criminal Investigations, which includes written statements, interviews and documents. Under Austrian law, criminal cases usually precede lawsuits brought by individuals.

The class action is likely to hinge on whether there were culpable, unlawful actions by the authorities, said Heinz Mayer, former dean of the faculty of law at the University of Vienna. That seems to be the case.

One of the travellers who contacted the VSV is a man from New Jersey who said he passed the virus to his father. His parent died less than three weeks later of Covid-19. Under the heading for damages incurred on the consumer association's registry, the man wrote: I don't know how to put a human life into financial terms.

The full extent of infection that traces to Austria's Alps might never be known. German officials estimate that tourists from their country alone account for more than 3,700 cases. In one group of 50 Americans, travelling together from Massachusetts, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas, more than half got sick. Tests showed at least one-third had Covid-19.

Ischgl's mayor, its tourism officials and representatives of a major ski lift all declined to be interviewed. Among the few locals willing to talk was Bernhard Zangerl, whose family acquired the rustic Kitzloch bar last fall. It is among the village's apres-ski jewels, a lively place that can fit about 200 people. It is where the coronavirus-positive barkeeper worked.

People in Ischgl experienced flu-like symptoms in February, Mr Zangerl maintains, which was hardly unusual given that it was winter. He thinks it is nonsense that others still consider his employee was patient zero, and he welcomes the criminal proceeding.

It's good that there is a lawsuit, because then it will be clear which of the authorities mishandled information, he said. His entire family, including his grandfather and pregnant sister, and all of Kitzloch's staff contracted the disease.

On 13 March, the Austrian government acknowledged the Covid-19 outbreaks in three Tyrolean resort villages. The announcement came at 2pm. Quarantines would take effect within an hour, authorities said. Nobody would be allowed in or out of the hotspot areas. The restrictions lasted until late April.

Mr Forster, who headed the emergency response team that took over at that point, defends the handling of the situation and mass departures. He says he simply did not see any alternative.

What do you think happens when you put 30,000 people under quarantine in a valley? he asked. Tourists who are not even allowed to ski anymore?

Everyone fled who could. And from Ischgl, the 17-mile ride out of the containment zone turned into a seven-hour traffic ordeal.

It was an exodus on public buses, crammed with tourists and coronavirus.

The Washington Post
A Point Piper payroll clerk has been charged after allegedly defrauding her terminally ill employer of almost $800,000.

In May 2016, Con Ange, who owns a string of adult retail outlets, was hospitalised after a vicious assault near his Crows Nest office and the following month the office was firebombed.

Neva Lozzi is alleged to have stolen almost $800,000 to pay for rent, international flights and credit card bills.

Mr Ange, 60, has told police he went overseas and left the day-to-day management of his adult empire with trusted employees including Neva Lozzi, 44.

In 2018 Mr Ange was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and throughout last year he spent a considerable period of time overseas unsuccessfully seeking treatment.
The head of the Green Party of Quebec is accusing outgoing leader Elizabeth May of consolidating her power within the party through her position as parliamentary leader, and through her husband's new position on the party's federal council.

"People have said that the Green Party is a one-person party. The reality is that over the years, the Green Party of Canada has been run top-down by Elizabeth May," said Alex Tyrrell, the leader of the Green Party of Quebec and a candidate to replace May as national leader.

"[May] is continuing to go in that direction, and consolidating power at a time when she's recently stepped down from the leadership makes it so that the Green Party will be continually dependent on Elizabeth May."

Tyrrell  whose application to run for the leadership has not yet been approved by the party  is an outspoken voice in Green politics and has criticized the federal party's performance in the 2019 election. He's also accused May of adopting ambiguous stances on the oilsands and candidates' views on abortion.

Before May stepped down as leader in November, Tyrrell launched a petition asking for an open leadership race. May remains the parliamentary leader of a caucus of two novice MPs.

Her husband, John Kidder, sits as the English vice president on the party's federal council.

"It's like she's regretting her decision now," Tyrrell told CBC. "Instead of stepping back, she's consolidating power."

Tyrrell displaying his 'ignorance,' says Kidder

May was not available for an interview, but her husband dismissed Tyrrell's comments as ill-informed.

"He's making statements that show either an ignorance of the role of the governing body or are designed to stir up fecal matter where none needs to be stirred," Kidder told CBC News.

Kidder said his role within the party is limited to governance. He said the federal council represents the party's membership, much as the board of directors of a corporation represents its shareholders. The council directs party staff, he said, but it also controls party funds and calls special membership meetings, and can suspend and expel members.

Story continues

It's separate from the parliamentary role May plays, Kidder said. He added that if the council has to make a decision that affects his wife directly, he would declare a conflict and recuse himself.

"I am deeply in love with my wife and I think she is fantastic," he said. "I'm a governance guy, she's a politician. They are very different roles, and if Alex doesn't understand that, then perhaps he needs to study up on how these things actually work."

Iced out of the federal party?

Tyrrell denies trying to stir trouble within the party. Instead, he said, he's trying to renew the Greens after a disappointing election result. He also claims his public criticisms of May have created a chill between himself and influential people in the party.

"It's very difficult to (renew the party) when you have people that are so entrenched in it that, you know, are latching on to power, refusing to step aside and let the new generation take over," Tyrrell said. "It's frustrating."

Tyrrell said that May and Kidder should step away from leadership roles in the party.

"What it is right now is a personality cult," he said. "The decisions are made by Elizabeth May and her entourage, and nobody questions them."

Tyrrell has also questioned May's planned appearance at campaign events with some candidates in the race, including Annamie Paul, at a virtual event later this month. Tyrrell says these appearances were designed to position favourable candidates in the lead.

Paul responded to Tyrrell's comments in an email, saying that "diversity is the Green Party of Canada's greatest challenge/weakness," and the party ran the "least diverse slate" of any party in the last election. Research, Paul said, shows equity-seeking groups have difficulty fundraising.

"Therefore, this is a reasonable measure to level a playing field that has been severely skewed in favour of certain groups for hundreds of years," Paul stated.

"Elizabeth has stated publicly that she will not be endorsing anyone, and she is able to help all candidates that fall into the relevant category."

Leadership candidates aren't concerned

Of the four official leadership candidates whose applications have been accepted by the party, most say they support the work May and Kidder do in the party. Paul, Amita Kuttner and David Merner all say they believe the spouses will operate independently of each other.

"I don't feel the same way as Alex," Merner told CBC. "The guy (Kidder) is a rancher from Ashcroft. He's not going to be told what to do or what to think or how to vote on the national council."

The fourth official candidate, former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray, was not available for comment.

CBC

Merner, who attended the couple's 2019 wedding, said Kidder would need to recuse himself from council decisions that affect May, such as decisions about her compensation or reimbursement of her expenses.

Dimitri Lascaris is also an unofficial leadership candidate; like Tyrrell, his application to run has not yet been accepted. While he shares Tyrrell's view that the party needs to move further to the left, he said he respects party membership's decision to elect Kidder.

"I think we should give John the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I'm not convinced at this point this is wrong."
Growing up in Iran, the composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh was surrounded by the sounds of traditional Persian instruments like the santour and tar. She found herself, however, drawn to the piano.

But one element remained consistent across traditions: Virtually all the music was composed by men.

If there was a woman present in a concert, she was a performer, Ms. Nourbakhsh, 28, recalled in a recent interview.

Together with her fellow Iranian composers Anahita Abbasi, 35, and Aida Shirazi, 33, Ms. Nourbakhsh set out to change that. In 2017, they founded the Iranian Female Composers Association, known as I.F.C.A., which is dedicated to supporting female composers from Iran through programming, commissioning and mentorship.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Hong Kong  Mon, May 18, 2020 09:00 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b6bdd 2 Health test,study,face-masks,surgical-maska,coronavirus,coronavirus-prevention,virus-corona,SARS-CoV-2,infection,infectious-diseases,COVID-19,coronavirus-mask-rush Free

Tests on hamsters reveal the widespread use of facemasks reduces transmission of the deadly coronavirus, a team of leading experts in Hong Kong said Sunday.

The research by the University of Hong Kong is some of the first to specifically investigate whether masks can stop symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers from infecting others.

Led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, one of the world's top coronavirus experts, the team placed hamsters that were artificially infected with the disease next to healthy animals.

Surgical masks were placed between the two cages with air flow travelling from the infected animals to the healthy ones.

The researchers found non-contact transmission of the virus could be reduced by more than 60 percent when the masks were used.

Two thirds of the healthy hamsters were infected within a week if no masks were applied.

The infection rate plunged to just over 15 percent when surgical masks were put on the cage of the infected animals and by about 35 percent when placed on the cage with the healthy hamsters.

Those that did become infected were also found to have less of the virus within their bodies than those infected without a mask.

"It's very clear that the effect of masking the infected, especially when they are asymptomatic -- or symptomatic -- it's much more important than anything else," Yuen told reporters Sunday.

"It also explained why universal masking is important because we now have known that a large number of those infected have no symptom."

Yuen was one of the microbiologists who discovered the SARS virus -- a predecessor of the current coronavirus -- when it emerged in 2003, killing some 300 people in Hong Kong.

Armed with knowledge from that fight, he advised Hong Kongers early in the current pandemic to adopt universal masking, something embraced by the city's residents.

At the time the World Health Organization and many other foreign health authorities dismissed using masks widely among the public, saying they should instead go to frontline medical workers.

Four months after its first COVID-19 case was detected, Hong Kong has largely managed to contain the disease with just over 1,000 infections and four deaths.

Experts have credited widespread mask use as well as efficient testing, tracing and treatment in the city of 7.5 million for the relatively low numbers.
Students at public schools across New South Wales will return to classrooms on a full-time basis from next week.

The decision is a major relaxation of coronavirus lockdown policies - which initially determined students would ease back into school one day per week.

The state government made the announcement following a successful transition into part-time learning earlier this month.

Students weren't initially supposed to return to full-time face-to-face learning until July 21, but are now all invited to return to school from Monday May 25.

Safeguards will remain in place to ensure social distancing policies are enforced and to protect students and staff.

Students at public schools across New South Wales will return to classrooms on a full-time basis from next week

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has always maintained schools are a safe environment for students during the pandemic, and said children are not primary transmitters of the deadly respiratory virus.

State governments had the powers to make their own decisions regarding keeping schools open or closing them to minimise unnecessary contact.

While Victoria opted to close schools entirely, New South Wales instead opted for a more lenient approach, urging parents to keep their children home if possible but leaving classrooms open for families who had no other options.

When the PM announced the easing of restrictions as Australia flattened the coronavirus curve, state premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would begin easing students back into classrooms one day per week, aiming to have them running at full capacity again by term three, about July 21.

Ms Berejiklian urged parents to remain cautious when sending children back to school

Students weren't initially supposed to return to full-time face-to-face learning until July 21, but are now all invited to return to school from Monday May 25. Fort Street Public School posted a sign welcoming their students back

But continued success has meant she can open schools earlier, hopefully encouraging more people to return to work.

Ms Berejiklian urged parents to remain cautious when sending children back to school.

On Monday, she said all parents should consider avoiding public transport where possible.

'When it comes to school children, we recommend, if you can, walking the children to school or dropping them off to avoid the public transport system,' she said.

Schools throughout the state also received a delivery of 550,000 health and safety items ahead of inviting students back.

The consignment included temperature checking hand guns, 40,000 bottles of hand sanitiser, 20,000 bars of soap and 20,000 toilet rolls.

There are 7,054 known cases of coronavirus in Australia so far, including 99 people who have died
San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer is backing away from an emergency ordinance she introduced this month that would have compelled the Recreation and Park Department to develop a list of potential locations for sanctioned tent encampments for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, following substantial blowback that Fewer said was purposefully manufactured to distort her goals, shes reached a deal that could yield an even broader list of potential sites, not restricted solely to park properties.

In return for tabling her legislation, which was co-authored by Supervisor Gordon Mar, Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg agreed to produce an inventory of park properties that could house sanctioned camps. His department will do so alongside the citys Real Estate Division, which oversees properties outside of Rec and Parks jurisdiction.

They have until June 2 to produce the list of properties where the city could erect more Safe Sleeping Sites, supervised spaces where homeless people can camp safely during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining sufficient distance from one another and access basic services. There is no quota of sites the agencies are supposed to produce.

The citys Emergency Operations Center plays a key role in selecting what locations can be used as Safe Sleeping Sites, largely based on access to utility services and whether a site can safely accommodate a given number of tents, given social distancing regulations.

During Mondays meeting of the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee, Fewer said Safe Sleeping Sites are a necessary alternative, given what she described as the citys struggle to house more homeless people.

The citys first sanctioned tent site opened Thursday on Fulton Street between the Asian Art Museum and the Main Library. A second is slated to open in the next two weeks at a city-owned lot that used to house a McDonalds restaurant at the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets.

The Recreation and Park Department oversees roughly 11% of San Franciscos total land area, Fewer said. In the midst of a public health crisis, park property cant be exempted from the citys emergency response.

It makes perfect sense to look at all options in times of this pandemic emergency, and its our primary responsibility as city leaders to save lives, Fewer said.

Ginsburg said he recognized the importance of his departments contributions to the COVID-19 response for the homeless, but stressed the need to balance those responsibilities with preserving recreation spaces for all.

I understand the importance of working with the Board of Supervisors and the Emergency Operations Center to identify additional locations for Safe Sleeping Sites on Rec and Park land that do not interfere with the publics critically needed access to the outdoors during this health crisis, Ginsburg said in a statement.

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.

Its also not clear whether Fewers legislation was needed, since park land could already have been commandeered for the citys COVID-19 response after Mayor London Breed placed the city in a state of emergency in February. Ordinarily, the City Charter empowers park officials to call the shots on how public park land can be used.

Still, Fewers attempt to even generate a roster of potential park locations for sanctioned encampments induced a swift rebuke from opponents, who blanched at the prospect of housing the homeless on land used for recreation.

Dozens of San Francisco residents wrote the Board of Supervisors to oppose the measure, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who wrote to express concern at the prospect of compelling the park department to permit homeless encampments in Golden Gate Park. She urged the city to instead consider available alternatives.

Fewer said the intent of her legislation was severely misinterpreted and purposefully misconstrued to appear as if she were mandating park officials to turn over open spaces for homelessness services, which her now-tabled legislation did not attempt to do. It would also not have allowed unregulated camping in Golden Gate Park or any other city recreation area.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
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.
By Arundhati Sarkar, Zandi Shabalala and Helen Reid

(Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp <ABX.TO> <GOLD.N> reported a nearly 55% rise in quarterly profit on Wednesday as gold prices surged, bolstering its ability to snap up mines including in copper, its chief executive said.

Investors' anxiety about a global economy brought to its knees by the coronavirus pandemic has boosted "safe-haven" gold <XAU=> by 12% so far this year, while copper <CMCU3>, seen as a bellwether for economic growth, is down about 15%.

Barrick CEO Mark Bristow has previously said the world's No. 2 gold miner aims to increase its exposure to copper because of its expected higher use in electrification.

He added on Wednesday the relative price performance between copper and gold made deals more attractive.

"(A stronger balance sheet) improves our capacity to take up opportunities that might arise in the short to medium term given the dynamic nature of the global economy," Bristow told Reuters.

Bristow has previously expressed an interest in acquiring Freeport-McMoran Inc's <FCX.N> flagship Grasberg mine.

Barrick, which maintained its quarterly dividend of 7 cents per share, trimmed its annual production forecast for gold after shutting its mine in Papua New Guinea.

The Canadian miner now expects attributable gold production of 4.6-5.0 million ounces versus 4.8-5.2 million previously.

The government of Papua New Guinea announced in April it would not renew a 20-year special mining lease for the Porgera gold mine, which is jointly owned by Barrick and China's Zijin Mining <601899.SS>, due to environmental damage and social unrest.

Barrick has said it will contest the move, which it regards as "tantamount to nationalization without due process", and in the meantime has placed Porgera on temporary care and maintenance, while suspending 2020 guidance for the mine.

Bristow said a mediator would be appointed to help negotiations if initial talks between the government and Barrick failed.

Story continues

TAX

Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL), the local venture in which both miners have a 47.5% stake, also received on April 9 a notice from Papua New Guinea's Internal Revenue Commission asking for $191 million in back taxes after audits for the years 2006 to 2015.

Barrick said the adjustments have "no merit" and it will contest the request.

However, in a sign of relations with Tanzania improving after a tax dispute there, Bristow said gold concentrate is currently being shipped from the country after an export ban was lifted in January.

Barrick, which operates in North and South America and Africa, has not closed any of its mines due to coronavirus restrictions, unlike many of its competitors.

Larger rival Newmont <NEM.N>, which was forced to shutter some mines in Canada and South America, warned on Tuesday of a financial hit in the second quarter.

Barrick's first quarter production fell 9% to 1.25 million ounces. Excluding one-off items, Barrick reported a profit of 16 cents per share, in line with analyst estimates.

Bristow maintained 2020 capital expenditure guidance, but said spending could come in towards the bottom of the $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion range.

Asked whether lunar mining was on the cards for Barrick after Reuters reported the U.S. administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon, Bristow said: "We don't plan to go to the moon right now."

(Reporting by Arundhati Sarkar in Bengaluru, Zandi Shabalala in London and Helen Reid in Johannesburg; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri, Mark Potter and Kirsten Donovan)
Seven among 18 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Haryana on Monday were from Gurgaon, taking the total in the state to 928.

In addition to Gurgaon, the two other worst-hit districts in the National Capital Region Faridabad and Sonipat reported three cases each.

Karnal and Mahendragarh reported a case each. Three cases were reported in Hisar, according to state health department's daily bulletin.

During the past few days, Gurgaon has continued to report fresh cases.

With more cases, Gurgaon now has cumulative COVID-19 cases at 211, with 97 of them being active.

Total COVID-19 active cases are 316 while the number patients who have been discharged was 598, as per the bulletin.

The state has tested 80,698 people, out of which samples of 75,045 have been found negative while reports of 4,725 were awaited, as per the bulletin.

Haryana has so far reported 14 COVID-19 related deaths.

Meanwhile, state health minister Anil Vij said as of May 18, tests per million being conducted in Haryana is 3,183 while the state's recovery rate is 64.44 per cent.

"So far, good thing is that not even one COVID-19 patient in Haryana has needed a ventilator support," he said.

He also said Maruti Suzuki India has donated 50 ventilators to the Haryana government.

"We have already installed these in many hospitals," he said.

On the issue of coronavirus tests being conducted by Rapid Testing Kits, a statement quoted Vij as saying that these were not delivering satisfactory results.

After Chinese kits were rejected by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Vij said they had later procured kits from a company from another country, but these too were not delivering the desired results.

"Either there is some malfunctioning of the kits or there may be a difference in the way we conduct the tests. However, we are trying to talk to the company to find out what could be the reason," he said.

Meanwhile, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and attended by district representatives of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and civil surgeons through video conferencing here on Monday, it was decided that Haryana's private health clinics, nursing homes, and dental clinics would also be included in the special economic package announced by the Centre for micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).

Apart from this, if a private doctor is infected with COVID-19, then his treatment would also be carried out at the government's expense, an official statement aid.

'We have had to face many challenges while dealing with the pandemic, but with the support of all sections of society, we shall soon overcome this crisis," said Khattar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 19, Micro Kickboard is celebrating as the official hosts of the 6th Annual National Scooter Day with a 50-Scooter Giveaway. Micro Kickboard is the U.S. Distributor for Micro-Mobility of Switzerland, with offices in Michigan and California.

Whether it's a ride around the block, a socially distant commute, or a cruise through the neighborhood, Micro invites all scooter riders to celebrate the benefits of scooting -- from getting fresh air and exercise to spending family time together, all with the bonus of reducing our carbon footprint.

Scooting on Micro has increased in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people are looking to stay active at home and spend quality time together, but also in recent years as people look for quality, alternative transportation options.

Micro Kickboard is hosting the (50) scooter giveaway alongside some familiar faces on Instagram. You can join in the festivities on their Instagram @microkickboard on Tuesday, May 19, as they accept entries to win scooters for children (Mini Deluxe, ages 2-5).

To share in Micro's celebration of National Scooter Day and the 50 Scooter Giveaway, just post to social media tagging @microkickboard and use the hashtag #NationalScooterDay!

CEO and Owner of Micro Kickboard Julie Hawksworth said, "We're thrilled to be offering Mini Deluxe scooters to 50 winners across the country. Scooting offers exercise and fun, and we realize that many families count on Micro to help their family spend time together outdoors. Spreading the Micro Joy is something that always gets us excited. Happy National Scooter Day!'

Media Contact: [email protected]

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Russia says US cannot trigger snapback of UN sanctions on Iran

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 6:57 AM

Russia has slammed the United States' wrong interpretation of the UN resolution that enshrined a 2015 nuclear deal, stressing that the document does not allow Washington to trigger the so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said paragraphs 10 and 11 of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231 permit the return of anti-Iran sanctions only through the procedures specified in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the US scrapped in May 2018.

The "US mistakenly believes that para 10&11 of UNSC res. 2231 allow US to invoke SnapBack to restore UN sanctions against Iran. US partners need to read the text more carefully. Both paras clearly indicate that it can be done only through the procedures specified in JCPOA," he wrote.

Ulyanov also noted that the US should restore its status as a member of the JCPOA Joint Commission and ensure full compliance with the accord before invoking the snapback of UN sanctions against Iran.

The Russian official further described those opposing the JCPOA as "helpless" and "ignorant," saying that they resort to insulting critics after the exhaustion of their arguments.

"The opponents of the #IranDeal are helpless and even ignorant. In the beginning of a dispute they provide 2-3 counterarguments and slogans. As soon as these arguments and slogans are exhausted, they move on to insulting opponents without proper justification. Not surprising!"

The UN Security Council endorsed the JCPOA under Resolution 2231, after which the 15-member body agreed to lift a UN embargo on the sales of conventional weapons to Iran on October 18, 2020.

Despite being not a party to the JCPOA any longer, Washington has recently launched a campaign to renew the Iran arms ban  in place since 2006/2007 -- through a resolution at the Security Council, but Russia and China are most likely to veto it.

To circumvent the veto, the US says it will argue that it legally remains a "participant state" in the nuclear pact only to trigger the snapback that would restore the UN sanctions, which had been in place against Iran prior to the JCPOA's inking.

Tehran says Washington, through its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, forfeited all rights to have a say in the agreement.

On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Americans will realize in the future that the hostile measures they have taken to undermine the agreement "will be to their own detriment."

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She's been dating 36-year-old reality star Scott Disick for three years.

But Sofia Richie, 21, was without her beau as she ran errands on Friday in LA.

The blonde wore her long hair fastened back from her face with a pink clip and sported designer sunglasses for her outing.

Stylish: Sofia Richie, 21, ran errands on Friday in LA wearing her long hair fastened back from her face with a pink clip and sporting designer sunglasses

Sofia was dressed in a colorful patterned blouse and frayed blue jeans.

The daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie went barefoot as she got into a waiting SUV.

She completed her look with a necklace and gold earrings.

Celebrity offspring: Sofia, the daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie, was dressed in a patterned blouse and frayed blue jeans and went barefoot as she got into a waiting SUV

She has been spending time with a bunch of pals this weekend and the day after her barefoot outing on Friday, she was seen out and about again, this time hanging with some girlfriends.

On Saturday, Sofia flashed her tummy in a one-shoulder crop top paired with black baggy pants and white fluffy slides.

Her hair with dark roots showing was left loose and she carried a large white leather tote with black handles.

Errands: The following day, Sofia was seen out and about again, spending time with some female friends on Saturday

Dared to bare: he flashed her tummy in a one-shoulder crop top paired with black baggy pants and white fluffy slides

Sofia's boyfriend Scott is reported to have sought treatment in Colorado last month as he wants help in dealing with the loss of both his parents in recent years.

But after his arrival at the facility was leaked online, he left and returned to LA.

The ex-partner of Kourtney Kardashian, however, is said to be looking for another rehab location.

A source told E! on Friday that the father of three is 'figuring out his options as discretely as possible.'

'Scott is still very upset and angry at what happened. He is trying to stay low key and isn't leaving the house much,' the source claimed.

Troubled? Sofia has been dating reality star Scott Disick, 36, who is reported to be considering entering a new rehab facility after his arrival at one in Colorado last week was leaked
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DUBLIN, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Covid-19 Impact On Cybersecurity Market by Technology (Network Security, Application Security, Endpoint Security, Cloud Security, Database Security, Web Security, ICS Security), Vertical, Region - Global Forecast to 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Cybersecurity Market is Expected to Grow from USD 183.2 Billion in 2019 to USD 230 Billion by 2021, Rising at a CAGR of 12% (COVID-19 Adjusted)



This market study covers the impact of COVID-19 on the cybersecurity market across different segments. It aims at estimating the market size and the growth potential of this market across by technology segments (network security, application security, endpoint security, cloud security, database security, web security, and ICS security) and vertical (banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, IT/ITeS, telecom, utilities, and public sector), and region. The study also includes an in-depth analysis of the key market players, key observations related to product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies.



Key market players have adopted various growth strategies, such as partnerships and new service launches, to expand their presence further in the impact of COVID-19 on the cybersecurity market and broaden their customer base.



Increase in realization for endpoint and VPN security measures drives the cybersecurity market during the COVID-19 crisis



COVID-19 crisis has transformed the thought process of a company's management and board toward cybersecurity. Especially, SMBs, startups, and large enterprises, except technology giants, were considering cybersecurity budgets as unavoidable Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) due to regulatory and compliance measures. Several digital agencies are yet to have a cybersecurity policy in place. This crisis has exposed companies to scenarios where their IPs are at the mercy and conduct of their employees, working remotely either on office laptops with zero firewall protection or personal laptops with/without free antivirus packages.



Endpoint security segment to show the highest growth rate during the forecast period in the cybersecurity market



Endpoint security solutions are a combination of both Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions. Together these solutions secure endpoints and remote devices used in organizations from viruses, Trojans, and malware, as well as advanced threats, such as zero-day malware and advanced persistent threats. EDR solutions enable continuous detection of and response to advanced cybersecurity threats and considerably improve threat detection, security monitoring, and incident response proficiencies for enterprises across verticals.



Healthcare segment to record higher investment and growth in 2020



COVID-19 poses an occupational health risk to healthcare workers, where COVID-19 has infected thousands of healthcare workers worldwide. Hence, preventing intra-hospital transmission of this communicable disease is a key priority for healthcare institutions and administrative bodies. As the remote and teleworking modes are adopted in the healthcare industry, the possibility of using personal devices and the home internet connections that do not have the enterprise-grade security would result in remote users vulnerable to malicious cyberattacks. In February 2020, WHO warned of fraudulent emails that have been sent by criminals posing as WHO. Cybercriminals have also been impersonating the US CDC by creating domain names similar to the CDC's web address to request passwords and even Bitcoin donations to fund a fake vaccine.



North America to record the largest market share in the global cybersecurity market impacted by COVID-19 crisis



North America is expected to hold the largest share in the global cybersecurity industry, while Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The high growth rate in APAC can be attributed to organizations in the region, grabbing opportunities to go beyond ensuring their regulations and compliances, and applying technology to curtail threats on enterprise devices. Additionally, the region has the highest adoption of mobile devices and connected devices that are highly vulnerable to endpoint attacks.



North America is the most significant revenue contributor to the cybersecurity market. The region is witnessing significant developments, especially in the endpoint security segment. In North America, the high penetration of this technology can be attributed to the increasing use of the automation and behavioral analysis for threat detection, growing amount of data across verticals, and rising investments by companies in real-time security solutions.



Key Topics Covered



1 Introduction

1.1 Covid-19 Health Assessment

1.2 Covid-19 Economic Assessment

1.2.1 Covid-19 Impact on the Economy-Scenario Assessment



2 Research Methodology

2.1 Research Scope

2.1.1 Objectives of the Study

2.1.2 Market Definition

2.1.3 Inclusion/Exclusion

2.2 Assumptions

2.3 Data Triangulation

2.3.1 Primary Breakdown

2.4 Stakeholders



3 Executive Summary



4 Impact on the Ecosystem and Extended Ecosystem

4.1 Cybersecurity Ecosystem Analysis, By Stakeholder

4.1.1 Technology Provider

4.1.2 Solution Designer and Developer/Consultant

4.1.3 System Integrator

4.1.4 Reseller

4.1.5 Managed Service Provider

4.2 Covid-19 Pandemic-Driven Market Dynamics and Factor Analysis

4.2.1 Drivers and Opportunities

4.2.2 Restraints and Challenges

4.2.3 Cumulative Growth Analysis



5 Business Implications of Covid-19 on the Cybersecurity Market

5.1 Implication On Technology Segments (Pessimistic, as-is, and Optimistic Scenarios)

5.1.1 Network Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.1.1 Forecast 2019-2021 (Optimistic/as-is/Pessimistic)

5.1.2 Application Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.3 Endpoint Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.4 Cloud Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.5 Database Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.6 Web Security Forecast (2019-2021)

5.1.7 Industrial Control Systems Security Forecast (2019-2021)



6 Covid-19 Impact on Major Verticals With Use Cases and How Clients Are Responding to Current Situation

6.1 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance

6.1.1 Forecast 2019-2021 (Optimistic/as-is/Pessimistic)

6.1.2 Key Use Cases

6.1.3 Author's Viewpoint (Vertical's Response to Covid-19)

6.2 Healthcare

6.3 Manufacturing

6.4 Information Technology/Information Technology-Enabled Services

6.5 Telecom

6.6 Utilities

6.7 Public Sector

6.8 Others



7 Covid-19 Impact on Regions

7.1 Introduction

7.2 North America

7.2.1 Forecast 2019-2021 (Optimistic/as-is/Pessimistic)

7.3 Europe

7.4 Asia Pacific

7.5 Middle East and Africa

7.6 Latin America



8 Covid-19 Focused Profiles of Key Vendors

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Company Profiles

8.2.1 Network Security

8.2.2 Application Security

8.2.3 Endpoint Security

8.2.4 Cloud Security

8.2.5 Database Security

8.2.6 Web Security

8.2.7 ICS Security



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jqsmhp

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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The State Department internal watchdog who was fired by President Donald Trump had nearly completed an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia, NBC News reported Monday.

Investigators in Congress believe that probe contributed to Trump's decision  on Pompeo's recommendation  to remove State Department Inspector General Steve Linick from his post, two congressional officials told NBC.

Pompeo confirmed Monday that he asked Trump to fire Linick because his work was "undermining" the department's mission, but did not elaborate on any specific details. The nation's top diplomat said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post that Linick's dismissal was not retaliation by the administration.

"I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he's supposed to be doing," Pompeo said, adding that he did not know Linick was investigating him.

The Post's report on its interview with Pompeo did not mention Linick's probe of the administration's arms deal.

The Trump administration in mid-2019 issued an emergency declaration to push through an $8 billion-plus arms deal with the Saudi kingdom and the United Arab Emirates without congressional approval.

The Democrat-led House voted, mostly along party lines, to block the weapons sale. Trump vetoed the resolutions last July, and the GOP-held Senate failed in an attempt to override the veto.

Much of the opposition stemmed from the 2018 slaying in a Saudi Consulate in Turkey of Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, as well as Saudi Arabia's military endeavors in Yemen. News outlets reported in late 2018 that the CIA found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself had ordered the assassination of Khashoggi, citing people familiar with the matter. The crown prince has denied ordering the killing.

Trump's firing of Linick came in a surprise move Friday night. The president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick, without providing further explanation.

On Saturday, a Democratic aide told NBC that Linick's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo's "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." Those tasks included walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning, according to NBC.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said Monday in a statement to CNBC: "I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick's firing. His office was investigatingat my requestTrump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia."

"We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed," Engel said.

Pompeo said in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday that Linick was fired because he "wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to" and that he was "trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do."

TWEET

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Linick did not immediately respond to an email.

The Friday night firing was promptly condemned by Democrats, as well as some Republicans.

Engel, and Sen. Bob Menendez, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick's firing by Friday.

In a statement over the weekend, Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo recommended Linick be fired "because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself."

But Menendez told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Sunday that he believed Linick was looking into the emergency declaration used for the arms sale.

"He was also looking into two political retribution cases that I specifically sent to the inspector general. And I believe that his report was just issued or is coming," the New Jersey Democrat said. "If we constantly have inspector generals massacred on Friday night, then there will be no independence, there will be no checks and balances and the American people will be ill-served."
Ex-policemen get up to 11-year jail terms in case over torture of detainees

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:23 18/05/2020

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI)  Former police officers of the Nizhnekamsk regional Interior Ministry directorate in Russias Republic of Tatarstan have been sentenced to prison terms up to 11 years on charges of torturing detainees, rights activists from Zona Prava (Law Zone) inform RAPSI on Monday.

Ex-policeman Rinat Akhmetshin has been sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony; other defendants in the case have been sentenced as follows: Gadel Rakhimov  to 11 years in a maximum security penal colony; Igor Filimonov  to 7 years and 3 months in a maximum security penal colony; Mikhail Logachev  8 years in a penal colony; Nail Mindubayev  to 6 years and 3 months in a maximum security penal colony, according to the NGO representatives.

Ex-policemen, depending on their role were found guilty of abuse of office with use of violence, special equipment, causing grave harm to health, and conspiracy by a group of people to drive a person to suicide by threats, cruel treatment and systematic humiliation of human dignity.

The sixth defendant Ilnar Garipov is evading investigators and has been put on a wanted list.

As established in the framework of the probe and in the course of court hearings, in 2017, Rakhimov, Filinov and Mindubayev seeking to improve their crime solving statistics, tortured Ilnaz Pirkin into admitting guilt of 47 thefts that he was innocent of. In the end, cruel treatment drove Pirkin to suicide. The victim has recorded his last word incriminating police on a mobile phone.

Also, Akhmetshin and Logachev using threats forced two other victims in the case, Vladimir Timofeyev and Nikolay Udiryakov to admit guilt for Pirkins death.

In November 2016, Akhmetshin, Logachev and Garipov forced detainee Ildar Kamaleyev to admit crimes he did not commit. Law enforcement officers hit the victim 20 times in various body parts including head and kidneys.
FAIRFIELD, Conn., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Source, the nation's largest provider of comprehensive support services to private foundations, and Endowment Wealth Management, Inc. (EWM), today announce their strategic alliance to provide high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients with optimal foundation guidance and management.

"Declaring this alliance confirms and celebrates the synergy our firms have shared for several years," said Jessica Donahue, head of strategic alliances for Foundation Source. "We greatly appreciate the opportunity EWM affords us to augment their services and help their clients achieve their philanthropic goals."

The firms began working together when an EWM client who was working through a community foundation required help transitioning to a family foundation model. The client desired greater long-term, multi-generational participation from their family and a cost-effective online platform for managing their foundation. To meet these needs, EWM turned to Foundation Source's complete outsourced solution that includes foundation creation (when needed), administrative support, active compliance monitoring, philanthropic advisory services, tax and legal expertise, and online foundation management tools.

Since then, said Robert Riedl, EWM chief executive officer: "We have had numerous clients utilize Foundation Source for their family foundation needs, and without exception, they are all very satisfied with the firm's expert advice and online platform. We look forward to working with Foundation Source to an even greater extent going forward."

About Endowment Wealth (www.EndowmentWM.com)

Endowment Wealth Management Inc (EWM) is an independent SEC-Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and Multi-Family Office (MFO) serving high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients throughout the US. The firm's mission is to provide "fee-only" holistic family wealth management advice that will sustain their clients' multi-generational family wealth, unity, and legacy.

About Foundation Source (www.foundationsource.com)

Foundation Source is the nation's largest provider of comprehensive support services for private foundations. Approaching our third decade, Foundation Source provides its services to more than 1,650 family, corporate, and professionally staffed foundations, of all sizes, nationwide. We work in partnership with wealth management firms, law firms, accounting firms, and family offices as well as directly with individuals and families. Foundation Source is headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut.

SOURCE Foundation Source

Related Links

www.foundationsource.com


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Catholicism's Most Popular Podcasts Now Coming to Catholic Radio

New partnership between Ascension and St. Gabriel Radio brings Father Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Edward Sri, and Father Josh Johnson to the airwaves of Columbus.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Ascension

May 18, 2020

WEST CHESTER, Penn. and COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 18, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- To evangelize effectively in a digital world, you need to be where people are--on their devices, in their cars, and in the social media sphere. Two acclaimed Catholic media entities have teamed up to make "great content and great delivery" a reality for Catholics living in the Columbus metro area.

Ascension (formerly known as Ascension Press) and St. Gabriel Radio today announced a new initiative to bring Ascension's acclaimed podcasts such as The Father Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast and The Jeff Cavins Show to a radio audience for the first time.

"Often in the Catholic world, organizations work in individual silos in their mission of evangelization," explains Matthew Pinto, Ascension's founder and president. "This partnership with St. Gabriel's is part of a coordinated effort to share the beauty of the gospel with the Catholic community across all forms of media. We believe the ultimate beneficiaries of this collaboration will be Catholics throughout the Columbus region, who will experience rich new content previously only available in podcast form."

According to Nielsen, radio continues to be "America's top-reach medium," with 92% of adults over 18 tuning in each week. This new partnership between Ascension and St. Gabriel Radio will make the faith-strengthening messages crafted by Ascension's top evangelists available to a much wider audience in the Columbus metro area.

While podcasts have been steadily growing in popularity, Americans are still nearly three times more likely to listen to the radio as compared to podcasts overall, and twelve times more likely to listen to the radio than to play a podcast while driving. St. Gabriel Radio has slotted "Ascension Presents" programming for the popular 4:006:00 PM (Eastern) evening commute. The two-hour programming kicks off today, and will be available daily, Monday through Friday. The lineup will consist of content from Ascension presenters Father Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Edward Sri, and Father Josh Johnson.

"St. Gabriel Radio, like Ascension, seeks to keep things fresh," comments Bill Messerly, executive director of St. Gabriel Radio, an independent affiliate radio station in the international EWTN Radio Network. "With the advent of podcasts, we have been seeking to see how we could bring this great content to our Catholic radio listeners. What better way to do this than to collaborate with the leader in faithful Catholic podcasts--Ascension."

Ascension's family of podcasts enjoy large followings and top rankings in Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The Father Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast is the #1 ranking Catholic podcast in both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and Ascension produces 6 of the top 30 Catholic podcasts on the Apple Podcasts platform. Collectively, the shows selected for the St. Gabriel collaboration have been downloaded nearly 19 million times by listeners from more than 180 countries. This new venture will take the best in Catholic audio content and pair it with the unparalleled audience reach of radio.

"Although radio is often overlooked as a means to evangelize, Catholic radio is very effective. Over the last decade [my team] has heard hundreds of first-hand conversion stories that resulted from listening to Catholic radio," attests Messerly. "We have been seeking new content that has a proven track record of long-lasting conversion. Ascension's podcasts deliver on this. They not only have some of the best Catholic teachers in the world, but they have speakers who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. We are proud to partner with Ascension."

For media inquiries or to discuss partnership opportunities with Ascension please contact:

(484) 876-1400, or newsroom@ascensionpress.com.

About Ascension

Ascension is a full-fledged multimedia network and the world leader in the creation and distribution of Catholic faith formation programs. Over the past 20 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of over 1,000,000 souls in more than 8,000 U.S. parishes through over 50 unique faith formation programs.

About St. Gabriel Radio, Inc.

St. Gabriel Radio, Inc. is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and is an independent EWTN Affiliate founded in 2005. The network reaches over 4 million people with the mission of sharing the Joy of the Gospel and the Splendor of Truth with a faithful and upbeat missionary zeal. For media inquiries for St. Gabriel Radio please contact: 614-459-4820, or info@stgabrielradio.com.

SOURCE Ascension

CONTACT: Shannon Nicolas, 484-876-1330, newsroom@ascensionpress.com.

Related Links

Ascension Website

Ascension Podcast Library
Hermann Tilke has hit back at one of the main criticisms made about the circuits his company designs for Formula 1.

"Sometimes I feel the urge to respond to criticism," said the German, who has inked many of the current tracks including Bahrain, China, Abu Dhabi and others.

"We are always criticised for the run-off areas," he told the Dutch publication Formule 1. "But they are necessary for motorcycle racing.

"If a car hits the barrier at 50kph, it is dented and the driver is fine. If a motorcycle rider hits the barrier at the same speed, he could be injured or worse."

Tilke admits that F1 may have got carried away with safety after the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994.

"But that fear made sense after the catastrophe in Imola," he said. "The safety sometimes went a long way, but it was an understandable response.

"I do think that the time has now come to build fewer run-off areas, as long as you don't also want to race motorcycles there.

"It does hurt a bit when Formula 1 comes to one of our circuits, after all the energy we put in, and immediate complaints are made about the run-off.

"They see a run-off zone that does not make sense for cars and they say 'Tilke again'. But it is usually intended for the bikes," Tilke insisted.

(GMM)
Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov believes that successful reintegration of these territories is impossible without the adoption of this process on the part of all of Ukraine, which requires a national inclusive dialogue.

"When we talk about reintegration, it is impossible without adoption. Therefore, when we talk about the main ideology of the ministry, we say that it is, in principle, the Ministry of National Unity. In order to reintegrate, we need to have a national inclusive dialogue, of all with each other," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Reznikov pointed out that the sociological studies show that now there is still a reluctance to return to Ukraine of a majority of the population in the occupied territories. At the same time, he noted that if we look at the way people react to many things in the rest of Ukraine, then we can see the unwillingness to accept.

"And this is a task that we must solve, including through communication, dialogue. For six years, the country has advanced in its development, and those territories have degraded, unfortunately, under Russian occupation regimes. Therefore, this is not an easy story," he emphasized.

Reznikov believes that Ukraine should reach out to people in the occupied territories through services, understanding of the people who are currently hostages of the occupation regimes under the control of the Russian Federation.

"They are informational, propaganda, ideological hostages among other things. Today they are afraid of their own country, their own real government, their authorities and their compatriots. Moreover, it doesn't matter what language anyone speaks. We do understand that," he noted.
Sunitha Natti By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The big question doing the rounds on Sunday regarding the Atmanirbhar Bharat economic package was this: How much of the total Rs 20.9 lakh crore will be paid out of the public purse?

Initial estimates peg the Centres fiscal outlay at 0.75-1.3 per cent of the GDP projected at Rs 210 lakh crore in FY21. In absolute numbers, the Centres financial outgo this fiscal will be Rs 1.5-2.73 lakh crore against the total Rs 20.9 lakh crore, according to separate estimates by Barclays and Care Ratings.

The reason for the stark difference between the two estimates is that Barclays excluded the Rs 1.5 lakh-odd crore allocation made for farm infrastructure and related activities as part of the economic package.

If you exclude the allocations already made during February Budget, cash on the barrel this fiscal will be even less at a little over Rs 1 lakh crore.

And if you exclude expenditure on coal evacuation, which typically is spread across years and given the long time lags in getting clearances making expenditure uncertain this fiscal, then the FY21 outflow will be nothing but chicken feed at Rs 75,000-80,000 crore.

Consider the break-up. Of the total package, Rs 8.01 lakh crore was from RBI. Besides, the governments first stimulus announced in March stood at Rs 1.92 lakh crore, of which Rs 80,000 crore is considered as beyond the FY21 Budget allocation.

It means, the five tranches of economic package announced between May 13 and 17, had additional capital allocations worth Rs 11.75 lakh crore, much of which includes credit guarantees.

Although, the actual outflows from the Central government is not clear, as per our calculations, it could be around Rs 1.3 lakh crore, noted Rahul Bajoria of Barclays. Thats because, some allocations like the Rs 20,000 crore earmarked for fisheries infrastructure spending could spill over to next fiscal as well.

For FY21, expenditure budget stood at Rs 30.4 lakh crore. To this, the additional spend due to the economic package could be Rs 1.5-2.7 lakh crore if you include total agricultural outlay at one go, which is highly unlikely.

Mindful of the rising expense, the Centre has already embarked on expenditure compression asking departments to rationalise spends by 60 per cent during the first quarter, besides freezing dearness allowance to Central government employees.

Lastly, anticipating a shortfall in tax collections, market borrowing limits were also raised by 54 per cent last month from Rs 7.8 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore.

This means, additional expenditure due to Covid-19, likely shortfall in tax collections and increased debt could take Indias fiscal deficit to 6 per cent of GDP in FY21. If one includes states fiscal deficit, it could be go up to 12 per cent of GDP, a first in decades. In absolute numbers, it implies an overall borrowing of close to Rs 25 lakh crore.
Days after reports emerged that IndiGo might be interested in buying bankrupt Virgin Australia, the company has said it has not formulated any such proposal, and that it's not a party to the proposal of InterGlobe Enterprises. "The company has not formulated any indicative proposal or expressed any interest in the sale of Virgin Australia," InterGlobe Aviation told the stock exchanges.

InterGlobe Enterprises Private Limited is a separate legal entity and a shareholder in IndiGo. "The company is not a party to or involved in any proposal of InterGlobe Enterprises Private Limited in relation to the sale of Virgin Australia," InterGlobe Aviation said.

ALSO READ: Air Mauritius files for bankruptcy

Earlier reports said Rahul Bhatia-led InterGlobe Enterprises, which holds 38.87 per cent stake in IndiGo, had signed an agreement to participate in the Virgin Australia sale. "As regards Virgin Australia, InterGlobe Enterprises has signed an agreement to participate in the sale process and is bound by the confidentiality requirements of that agreement. We are unable to say anything further at this stage," InterGlobe said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Virgin Australia enters voluntary administration amid debt crisis

Notably, Virgin Australia, the second-largest Australian carrier, announced bankruptcy on April 21 in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, thereby putting around 16,000 jobs at risk. Besides Bhatia's InterGlobe, IndiGo promoter Rakesh Gangwal's firms RG Enterprises, his family own 36.64 per cent in India's largest airline.

Cash-strapped Virgin Australia had appointed Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte as a voluntary administrator to lead a sales process after the Australian government rejected its plea for AU$1.4 billion loans. More than 10 parties have reportedly expressed interest in recapitalising Virgin. Virgin employs 10,000 people directly and 6,000 people indirectly. It competes with larger rival Qantas Airways Ltd, which would have a virtual monopoly in Australia if Virgin stopped flying.

The InterGlobe Aviation Ltd share was down 10.64 per cent at Rs 877.40 on intra-day trade from its previous close of Rs 984 on the NSE.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus effect: Air passenger traffic likely to log 30% negative growth in FY21, says CARE Ratings
Draganflys Pandemic Drone technology Conducts Initial Flights Near New York City to Detect #COVID19 Read the full news release https://t.co/xszFYYa3nx #dronesforgood #dronenews #healthtech #draganflydrones #covid19technology #pandemicdrone pic.twitter.com/kUlkQSDO97  Draganfly Inc. (@DraganflyInc) April 22, 2020

A Versatile Tool

Robot Government

Mixed Reactions

The plan for a pandemic drone didnt last long in Westport, Connecticut.Within days in late April, the police department of the coastal town outside New York City reversed course on using drone-mounted cameras to scan crowds for fevers and coughs.The department had said it would use the technology at beaches, train stations, recreation areas and shopping centers. Biometric readings would help the department understand population patterns and respond to potential health threats.Feedback from some of the towns 28,000 residents was quick and laden with concern, Lt. Anthony Prezioso said, so the department canned the program.This is not really a time to divide people, Prezioso said. If this was an issue that would create more angst and division among our community, it wasnt the time.At least 40 law enforcement agencies across the country have used drones in the past few months for coronavirus-related purposes, according to a Stateline review of police websites and news reports. Law enforcement drones have hovered over a homeless encampment to invite people to get a free health assessment, flown over parks to check for social distancing and broadcast messages asking crowds to disperse.But as in Westport, drones raise the question of what surveillance the public will accept in a tense time. The new measures  monitoring social distance, scanning crowds, testing temperatures  also worry civil liberties advocates and some in the drone industry.This is not a time to be, in my opinion, ramrodding the aircraft into the air, said Matt Dunlevy, who owns SkySkopes, a Grand Forks, North Dakota-based drone company. SkySkopes is testing how drones can be used to deliver supplies or spray disinfectant across areas such as playgrounds, gyms and stadiums. It is also doing limited indoor testing with a thermal imaging camera.I think that this is a time to take particular care as to how drones are used, Dunlevy said. I would personally encourage all drone operators to make sure that they take the utmost care and operate with the utmost sensitivity.Roughly 1,100 law enforcement agencies have acquired drones over the past few years, according to research by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College in New York. Agencies tout their uses for evaluating crime scenes and searching for missing persons.The Federal Aviation Administration requires drone pilots to be certified and keep drones in sight and not above people, with some exceptions. As long as its rules are followed, the agency doesnt regulate how a drone is used.I think its so cool that all these agencies are doing stuff, said Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the FAA. We wrote the authorizations and regulations broadly. When we wrote them, we had no idea wed be seeing this kind of public health agency use.Since 2013, at least 44 states have enacted laws addressing drones, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. For example, some states bar flights over correctional facilities.At least 18 states require law enforcement agencies to get a search warrant to use a drone for surveillance or to conduct a search, the group said.But those laws leave room for uses such as crowd surveillance and broadcasting social distancing messages, experts said.Either of those use cases dont violate the Fourth Amendment because people in public places dont have a reasonable expectation of privacy, said Gregory S. McNeal, a professor of law and public policy at Pepperdine University in California.The other bigger question is whether we as a society want drones flying around as the enforcers of these bureaucratic rules, whether by blaring these commands by speaker, or by other means, McNeal said. Thats less of a legal question and more of a social acceptance question.Civil liberties advocates worry that the pandemic will push law enforcement agencies to go to extreme lengths to adopt fast-moving technology.In a rush to do something, we need to be very cognizant that hastily implemented systems could pose unnecessary and significant risks to privacy, civil rights and civil liberties, said Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.Gross pointed to similar civil liberties discussions amid expanded government surveillance after 9/11. In times of crisis we are seeing our country relax protections for individuals, she said.Do we really want to live in a state where we have this ever-present eye in the sky thats collecting information about individuals, about their private, personal health? Gross said.Matthew Guariglia, a policy analyst with Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group based in San Francisco, said he was skeptical of the accuracy of thermal imaging cameras and questioned their use by law enforcement rather than public health officials. But even sending a drone with loudspeakers toward a crowd gave him pause.It normalizes policing and governance by robot, he said.And, he warned, even if a technology is adopted under the guise of short-term use, its less likely to be removed after the crisis.It might be for policing social distancing now, but in seven or eight months it might be sending that drone over protests against a presidential election, Guariglia said.The CEO of the company behind the Westport drone program, while commending the departments decision to back out, said he thinks other police departments will give it a try.They did the right thing by being transparent about it and providing the community a chance to voice their concern, said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. The Saskatchewan, Canada-based company with offices in Los Angeles and Raleigh, North Carolina, has been working with public safety agencies for about 15 years.The thermal imaging software was developed in partnership with the University of South Australia and Australias defense department, he said. It can detect body temperatures, respiratory rates and heart rates from 190 feet away . The cameras dont have facial recognition abilities, he said.It could provide us real-world information instead of guesses, Chell said.Chell said hes working with both law enforcement agencies and private industry groups to start more pilot programs. He declined to name any of the groups.Police in another Connecticut town, Meriden, started a drone program a few months ago with plans to use it to investigate crash scenes and search for missing people. Instead, police have used it to hover over two large parks and see whether residents are social distancing.In one snapshot, you can see areas of concern, said Sgt. Jeff Herget. On the first Sunday in May  a warm, spring day  the parks were full of families walking and hiking, he said.Using a speaker on the drone, the police played four or five announcements over about six hours reminding groups to keep a safe distance apart.Reactions were mixed. Many people at the park responded positively and wanted to see how the drone worked, Herget said, but online commenters were less supportive.Of ways to use the drones, he said, I dont think any of us thought wed be doing social distancing.
PRINCETON, N.J., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Plummeting revenues and rising expenses during New Jersey's COVID-19 crisis have had a severe impact on hospitals' finances, with the statewide hospital operating margin plunging to negative 30 percent, according to a financial impact analysis from the New Jersey Hospital Association.

NJHA's Center for Health Analytics, Research and Transformation surveyed the state's acute care hospitals for fiscal impacts of the pandemic for March and April. The aggregated responses show that hospital revenues fell 32 percent  or $650 million monthly  largely due to the suspension of elective procedures. Gov. Murphy announced Friday that those procedures, suspended by executive order March 27, will resume starting May 26.

Since coronavirus was first confirmed in New Jersey March 4, hospital expenses increased 10.6 percent, or $214 million per month. Those increases are associated with the costs of supplies, especially personal protective equipment, and staff, including overtime and increased demands for supplemental or per-diem staff. This figure does not capture the expenses associated with hospitals' expansion of bed capacity.

"COVID-19 is an unprecedented event for our healthcare system, and our hospitals have directed all of their resources at it, including extraordinary efforts to expand capacity that kept our state ahead of the curve," said NJHA President and CEO Cathy Bennett. "Unfortunately, that doesn't come without risk to hospitals' own fiscal health."

"With Executive Order 109's suspension of most elective surgeries and procedures, hospitals focused on COVID care, decompressing their surgery and procedure schedules to trauma and emergency care, labor and delivery, and life-saving surgeries. Consequently, N.J. hospitals are reporting significant declines in several key areas. Hospital volume is down for non-COVID inpatient admissions, emergency room visits, outpatient procedures and laboratory, radiology and other diagnostic tests," said Sean Hopkins, senior vice president of CHART.

"Modeling the impact of these combined revenue losses and expense increases, the statewide hospital average margin fell from 4.3 percent at the beginning of the pandemic to approximately negative 30 percent now," said Hopkins.

Added Bennett, "COVID-19 demonstrates that even healthcare  long assumed to be immune to economic downturns  is vulnerable in an event of this magnitude that requires hospitals to target virtually all of their resources at the public health crisis."

The CHART bulletin can be found at http://www.njha.com/media/600402/COVID-19-Financial-Impact.pdf. Visit www.NJHA.com/chart for additional data resources from NJHA.

SOURCE New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA)
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Mugello is still interested in hosting a replacement Italian GP amid the corona crisis, according to local mayor Federico Ignesti.

It is not clear if the regular Italian GP host Monza will be able to host a race, even behind closed doors without spectators.

"I have high hopes that the race can take place at least partly with the public present in Monza," Flavio Briatore told the Italian news agency Adnkronos.

But if that doesn't happen, Scarperia e San Piero mayor Ignesti thinks Ferrari-owned Mugello would be a solution.

"Mugello has everything to take the Italian GP instead of Monza," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"If in September the situation in Lombardy does not allow it to be held there, Mugello would be an ideal choice for a grand prix with empty stands to replace Monza.

"We do not yet know whether we will have such an opportunity, but we are ready to find the necessary resources, even if our chance is only one in a hundred," Ignesti added.

"We are already negotiating with the national auto club Aci, and everything in our region is ready to make such an attempt."

(GMM)
New Delhi: The Vice President of India and the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday (May 18, 2020) underlined the need to adopt new ways of living in corona times and said that the humankind holds the key to roll back the pandemic.

In an official Facebook post "A New Normal for Life After Corona", Naidu wrote, "Living responsibly with new attitudes towards life and humankind holds the key to roll back the pandemic."

The Vice President stressed on the need for new attitudes towards life and humanity amidst indications of the virus likely to stay for longer than earlier expected.

Soon after the announcement last night of lockdown 4.0 with restrictions substantially relaxed, Naidu wrote on Facebook, a detailed 1,539-word article dealing at length the philosophical and moral issues thrown by the COVID-19 pandemic and the way life needs to be lived henceforth.

The main thrust of Naidu being that life cant be lived in isolation and the virus outbreak highlighted the inter-connectedness of lives.

He said, "What affects one person anywhere affects everyone everywhere, be it the disease or economy."

Giving an account of the nature of life Before Corona, Naidu stated that man has emerged a loner in his quest for happiness and material advancement reducing the family and the society to being mere adjuncts and his confidence bordering on arrogance made him believe that he can live alone and all by himself, unmindful of the lives of others.

He wrote, "Stacked with better tools to fight the epidemics than when the pestilence struck humanity earlier and empowered with gene editing, Artificial Intelligence, big data etc, man was seeking to play God."

On the life After Corona, Naidu noted that it has shaken the fundamentals of living by oneself and highlighted the need for living in harmony with nature and fellow humans.

He observed that The invisible microbe once again proved that life can change very quickly. It brought into full play the uncertainty that can co-sail with life.

The Vice President felt that the COVID-19 pandemic raised questions about the meaning and purpose of life including the nature of relationships with fellow beings and moral issues connected with the current pathways of development given their impacts on nature and equity.

He said, "The virus has highlighted the consequences of economic fault lines in societies created by development pathways in terms of the impacts. Uncertainty continues to haunt the people. Uncertainty is the known source of anxiety which can lead to psychological issues. How to deal with this problem? To stay calm and be confident and adopt a new normal of life."

Stating that the goal of any civilization is to enhance the likelihood of survival of human beings, Naidu stressed that the corona challenge is more a civilizational issue than that of individual lives and new norms and ethos of living should be evolved to save the present civilization.

Noting that life cant be lived for long in confinement, Naidu welcomed the new relaxations for lockdown 4.0 announced last night. Referring to the people living with HIV virus that had no vaccine for long time by changing habits,

Naidu also urged the people to learn to cope with coronavirus by changing the habits and attitudes towards life and fellow humans, if the virus stays with the people for longer than expected.

The VP suggested several points for a new normal of living during corona times. This include -

- Living in harmony with the nature and fellow beings.

- Knowing that safety and security of lives are interconnected.

- Rationally analyzing the impact of every movement or action on the spread of virus.

- Not responding impulsively to the situation and instead of living in confidence keeping faith in science which can come up with a solution to the problem.

- Strict adherence to the behavioral changes ushered in so far like wearing a mask.

- Maintaining physical distance and ensuring hygiene.

- Preventing stigmatization so that the infected volunteer for treatment.

- Checking disinformation and prejudices against fellow citizens as carriers of the virus.

- Replacing the sense of collective helplessness by the spirit of the virtue of living interconnected with a shared destiny.

The Vice President urged the media of all kinds to disseminate correct and scientific information about the virus and the disease instead of presenting them as a catastrophe.

Venkaiah Naidu quoted famous poet Rumi, The wound is the place where the light enters you and said, "Let us illuminate ourselves with the experience of and lessons from the current pain. Studies in the area of post-trauma situations revealed that it is through the most trying situations that we experience bursts of growth that change our relationship with life. Let our civilization win this current battle and hopefully, at the earliest."

He concluded the note with, "Let our lives follow a new normal. Live differently and live safe."
San Antonio police have arrested a man in connection to a shooting that left a 33-year-old woman injured.

Police were called to the 6100 block of Birch Valley Drive on the Southwest Side just before 5:30 p.m. Friday and found the woman in a pickup truck in the driveway of a residence with a gunshot wound to her back.

Police said the woman had been with the suspect in the vehicle at some point but did not know where the shooting occurred.

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Initially, the woman was uncooperative, police said. After she was taken to University Hospital for treatment, she accused 38-year-old Placido Jaquez Jr., also know as Peewee, of being the shooter, according to police.

Police arrested Jaquez on Saturday. he was charged with for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with a bail set at $30,000.

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
A performance at the special art programme on May 17 that celebrates late President Ho Chi Minh's 130th birthday (Photo: VNA)

Prominent among those attending the event were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The programme aims to highlight remarkable contributions by President Ho Chi Minh to the national revolutionary cause, as well as promote the effective implementation of the campaign on studying and following the late Presidents ideology, morality and style.

The songs performed in the programme included those by both Vietnamese and foreign composers, popular among various generations of Vietnamese people, praising the late leader. Audiences also had a chance to enjoy songs of ethnic minority groups expressing their gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh's for his great devotion to the nation.

President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the north-central province of Nghe An. He devoted his whole life to the national liberation cause, while tirelessly striving for peace and progress in the world.

He also led the struggle for national independence to success and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945. The President passed away in 1969./
TSG carry out searches at the scene of a murder in the Lenadoon Avenue area of west Belfast on May 18th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

TSG carry out searches at the scene of a murder in the Lenadoon Avenue area of west Belfast on May 18th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Kieran Wylie was shot dead in front of his two daughters in a "brutal murder" in west Belfast last night, police have confirmed.

The first and deputy first ministers also passed on their condolences to his family. They condemned the attack and called for anyone with information to pass it to police.

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Mr Wylie was shot a number of times at close range at a house in the Lenadoon Avenue area of the city at around 10pm on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

At a press conference on Monday Detective Chief Inspector Darren McCartney said a potential dissident republic involvement was being investigated.

"Certainly one of the lines of inquiry we are investigating is that there is a violent dissident republican motive towards this murder," he said.

The detective said Mr Wylie was known to police. He said the victim had also been previously informed that he was "under threat".

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Mr McCartney said the murder had been witnessed by two of Mr Wylie's children - his 16 and 28-year-old daughters.

"The lifelong effect of what they witnessed last night are unimaginable," he said.

DCI McCartney added his thoughts were with Mr Wylie's family, particularly his two children who had witnessed the "brutal" shooting.

First Minister Arlene Foster expressed her "revulsion" at the shooting

Speaking at the daily Covid-19 press conference, the DUP leader said: "I would like to start today's press conference by expressing my revulsion at the shooting of Kieran Wylie in west Belfast last night.

"At a time when we are trying to protect ourselves from the invisible threat of Covid-19 and our emergency services are working hard to deal with people's concerns, it is particularly reprehensible that some people can callously take a person's life and we urge anyone with any information that can help identify those responsible to assist the police with their investigation."

Expand Close Forensics at the scene of a murder in the Lenadoon Avenue area of west Belfast on May 17th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook

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Local residents tried to help Mr Wylie in the aftermath of the attack.

On Monday white boiler-suited police forensics officers combed the scene, a smartly-painted terraced property with flowers in the window and fronted by black railings, for clues.

An ambulance and several police vehicles attended on Sunday evening.

Mr McCartney added: "This was a brutal killing and I believe Kieran was shot a number of times at close range."

He said the community was shocked at what had happened in a residential area.

"Those involved in this murder selfishly gave no thought to the impact on frontline emergency services who are already working hard to keep people safe during this global pandemic with an already stretched resource.

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"They also showed a complete disregard for the community.

"Those involved in this appalling murder offer nothing to the local community and need to be brought to justice.

"Nothing justifies killing another person and the recovery of the gun that was used in last night's murder is a key line of inquiry for me."

Justice Minister Naomi Long condemned the "senseless and brutal" murder, offering her sympathies to the family.

"There is no place for the gun in our society and those responsible for this appalling crime have left a family grieving and a community in shock.

Our first responders are dealing with an unprecedented health emergency and are trying to protect and save lives. It is beyond comprehension why anyone would divert them from those lifesaving duties at this or any other time.

I would urge anyone with information to pass it to the police on the 101 number or to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

West Belfast MP Paul Maskey tweeted: "Local people are angry this attack has been carried out when the community & emergency services are facing the Covid-19 pandemic".

Mr Maskey added his "thoughts are with the man's family".

SDLP West Belfast Councillor Brian Heading described the murder as "senseless and brutal".

Those responsible are thugs who need to get their foot off the neck of the community in west Belfast," said Mr Heading.

"They werent wanted in the past and they arent wanted now, particularly when our emergency services are working so hard to protect people from the impact of Covid-19.

The local community is in shock this morning. Those responsible need to be caught a face justice for what theyve done.

I would encourage anyone with information to bring it to the PSNI.

A Major Incident Public Portal will be made available which can be accessed at https://mipp.police.uk. It can be accessed from any device with internet access and videos and images can be uploaded onto it.

Police can be contacted on 101 quoting reference number 1589 of 17/05/20.
A 60-year-old woman from Dehradun who had returned from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19 late on Sunday night, taking the tally of cases to 93 in Uttarakhand.

The bulletin released by the state health department on Monday confirmed the case.

The health bulletin said, On May 17 at 11:25 pm a sample was tested positive for Covid-19 in district Dehradun, as per the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh lab report. The 60-year-old female patient had returned from Mumbai on May 14 and was in home quarantine at the time of taking the sample.

With this, 46 cases have been reported from Dehradun with 17 active cases in the state. The rate of doubling of cases in Dehradun stands at 17.75 days.

Uttarakhand has so far tested 13,870 samples of which results of 1087 are awaited. With the latest case, 21 people who returned to the state in the past one week have tested positive for Covid-19 in Uttarakhand.

On Saturday night, a 27-year-old man who had returned from Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19 in Dehradun district.

Harish Mohan Thapliyal, public relations officer of AIIMS, Rishikesh, said that the patient who tested positive on Saturday night worked in a luxury hotel in Mumbai and was asymptomatic when he had returned.

The patient worked as a hotel receptionist in a high-end hotel in Mumbai for the past five-six years and had recently returned home after a few positive cases surfaced in the same hotel though he had tested negative when his samples were taken there, Thapliyal said.

He was asymptomatic and stayed in home quarantine in Rishikesh. He came to our screening OPD on Saturday with self-intention for sampling since his hotel co-workers were positive and he had travelled a long distance. We took his samples on Saturday morning, which tested positive.

After the patient tested positive, officials are now doing a detailed contact tracing and taking other necessary actions, Thapliyal said.
Young farmers across the UK are being encouraged to take time to manage their mental wellbeing by using newly launched resources.

Take Time is aimed at encouraging YFC members to understand that their mental health matters as much as their physical health.

The initiative has been launched by the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) during Mental Health Awareness Week 2020.

It comes as the United Nations recently warned of the possibility of a global mental health crisis following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

As isolation is already a major issue for rural young people, NFYFC explained it was eager to build on its Rural+ work that was delivering mental health awareness sessions to YFCs.

Clubs have been closed since the middle of March due to Covid-19 restrictions, meaning members are no longer meeting with friends or getting access to Rural+ sessions or resources.

It is hoped the online Take Time toolkit will tackle some of the issues young rural people are currently facing.

There are seven Take Time sections that each provide advice for YFC members on ways they can improve their mental wellbeing.

Members of the Youth Forum have recorded tips to share throughout the week on social media to encourage their peers to stop and think about their own mental health during the current global crisis.

Youth Forum Chairman, Ruth Cooper from Cumbria FYFC, said it was more important than ever that young farmers took time to look after their mental health.

Lockdown in the UK brought a devastating blow to the YFC life we are used to, and it has been affecting all of us in different ways.

Many clubs have been hosting virtual meetings, quizzes and fundraisers, which is great but we know they are not the same as physically socialising with friends.

"The added pressures we are all facing due to changes to education, work, family and social lives are immense."
Hong Kong's parliament plunged into chaotic scuffles for the second time this month as pro-Beijing politicians took control of a key committee on Monday.

Securing the House Committee, which scrutinises bills before a second reading in the legislative council, paves the way for a debate on a bill that would make it a crime to insult China's national anthem.

For weeks pro-Beijing and pro-democracy have been arguing over the committee and today the tensions turned violent.

Pro-democracy legislators charged at more than 20 security guards who were surrounding pro-establishment lawmaker Chan Kin-Por.

Pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers got into a fight during a House Committee at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong

Weeks of tensions turned violent for the second time this month as pro-Beijing politicians took control of the House Committee. Pan-democratic legislator Chu Hoi-Dick scuffles with security

Chan, who was appointed to oversee the election of a new committee leader, had taken the chairman's seat in the meeting despite procedural objections by the opposition.

The guards used blankets to hold the protestors back while others shouted from their seats.

Security dragged several people out of the chamber, who were kicking and shouting.

One person attempted to leap over the security from benchtops to take back the chairman's seat only to be forced back.

The Democrats chanted 'foul play' and held a placard reading 'CCP (China Communist Party) tramples HK legislature'.

Opposition politician Ted Hui shouted at Chan telling him the meeting was 'illegal'.

While the protests continued Chan called a vote for a chairperson of the committee which was won by the pro-Beijing DAB leader Starry Lee.

Lee's party condemned the violence and pledged to push ahead with the anthem bill.

Pro-Beijing MP Martin Liao said: 'It's painful to watch and it's saddening to see a legislative assembly degenerate into this level of behaviour.'

Beijing has accused the former British colony's pro-democracy politicians of 'malicious' filibustering to prevent some proposed bills from going to a final vote, effectively paralysing the legislature.

It was the second time in ten days that legislators have pushed and shoved each other over the procedures of electing a chairperson.

Pan-democratic politician Lam Cheuk-Ting was removed by security after throwing papers

The pro-Beijing takeover of the House Committee paves the way for a debate on a bill that would make it a crime to insult China's national anthem. Pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui was pinned to the floor by security

Ted Hui was later carried out of the chamber by security guards after the fight between the politicians broke out

Eddie Chu, one of the lawmakers, told the BBC: 'If Hong Kong was a democracy we would not need to start scuffles like this.

'Unfortunately we are forced into this situation. I can foresee more fights within the chamber and outside the chamber.'

Last May, scuffles broke out in parliament over a proposed extradition bill that, if passed, could have seen people stand trial in courts in mainland China.

The bill sparked violent protests, some of which turned violent, in Hong Kong and was later scrapped.

Democratic MP Dennis Kwok said: 'They can take away the rules of procedures today but I am sure the Hong Kong people won't forget today.'

The house committee's role is to scrutinise bills before a second reading in the legislative council and has built up a backlog after failing to elect a chairperson since late last year.

The backlog includes the China national anthem bill, which is expected to be given a second reading on May 27 despite the procedural chaos.

Protesters have been calling on social media for city-wide demonstrations on that day.

Liao acknowledged the bill could spark social unrest. He said: 'We cannot shun our legislative duty because we think there's a risk.'

Social distancing has put the brakes on protests since January but demonstrations are expected to resume later this year when the pandemic is under control.

The House Committee has failed to elect a chairperson since late last year leading to a backlog of unscrutinised bills. Pro-democracy politician Wu Chi-Wai Lam was dragged out of the building by security

This isn't the first time Hong Kong parliament has broken out into violent protests. Pro-democracy politician Lam Cheung-Ting threw documents into the air

In April 15 activists were arrested, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior barristers.

Their arrests thrust the protest movement back into the spotlight and were condemned by Washington and international rights groups.

China's Hong Kong affairs office warned this month that the city would never be calm unless 'black-clad violent protesters' were all removed, describing them as a 'political virus' that seeks independence from Beijing.

The Chinese capital blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest and says protesters are undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday he believed China had threatened to interfere with the work of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong, and warned Beijing that any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy could affect the U.S. assessment of Hong Kong's status.

Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997 and the territory was promised a 'high degree of autonomy' for 50 years.

The 'one country, two systems' deal formed the basis of the territory's special status under U.S. law, which has helped it thrive as a world financial centre.
The government announced on Sunday new guidelines with considerable relaxations for the fourth phase of the lockdown, allowing conditional interstate travel, the opening of markets as well as the resumption of autos and app-based cab operators. The Centre also allowed states to define their red, orange and green zones. Earlier in the day, the Centre announced the fifth and final tranche of a Rs 20,97,053-crore stimulus package, approving a substantial hike in states borrowing limit while also allocating Rs 40,000 crore for the rural job scheme, among other steps.

States to fix zones in lockdown 4.0

The government on Sunday lifted several stringent curbs, including that on interstate travel and some local transport such as buses, and announced that state governments will grade zones based on the prevalence of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, while it also extended the nationwide lockdown imposed in March-end to stop the spread of the contagion till May 31. Read more

States, Union Territories to demarcate zones

The Centre transferred powers to states and Union Territories to demarcate red, orange, and green zones for carrying out Covid-19 containment activities from Monday, according to a letter by home secretary Ajay Bhalla to chief secretaries of all states. Read more

NREGA outlay, cap on state borrowing hiked in fifth round

Concluding the governments five-part policy reform and fiscal incentive package worth a total of Rs 20,97,053 crore, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a 66% jump in the allocated budget for the flagship rural job guarantee scheme; a substantial hike in the borrowing limit for states; a new plan that aims to end the monopoly of public sector enterprises (PSEs) and open up sectors for private participation; and substantial ease of compliance for businesses, including relaxations in the insolvency and bankruptcy framework. Read more

Will farmers get a better deal after recent reforms?

The government has announced major agricultural policy changes as part of the economic package it has unveiled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. These include deregulation of farm foods from the Essential Commodities Act (ECA). Read more

Economic package will have multiplier effect, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Over five days, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the specific contours of a Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to help the Indian economy overcome the immediate crisis caused by the pandemic and the lockdown imposed to control its spread, as well as lay the foundations for a self-reliant India. Read more

Eye on China, India backs 62-nation coalitions push for probe into Covid-19 origin

India has backed calls to identify how the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 was transmitted from animals to humans and conduct an impartial evaluation of the World Health Organisations response to the pandemic, according to a draft resolution proposed for the WHOs annual meet beginning tomorrow. Read more

Long wait and hope mark rail journeys of migrants to home

In 2001, Chinak Pherai Nishad left home. A resident of Gidhaura village of Siddhartha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, the 20-year-old aced his school and college examinations but found no well-paying job in the sparse economy of the Gangetic heartland. Read more

Protest by migrants stokes traffic chaos after UP govt seals borders

The Yogi Adityanath governments decision to seal the states borders took hundreds of migrant workers at the Uttar Pradesh heading home by surprise, leading to chaos at many points. Read more

550 districts in India have Covid-19 cases; many in rural areas

Even as India relaxed restrictions for the next phase of the lockdown, two separate, but related, data points point to a new challenge in Indias battle against the coronavirus pandemic. On May 17, 550 of Indias 736 districts had Covid-19 positives cases, an addition of around 180 districts in the last fortnight, according to data on the disease compiled from different states. Read more

Govt guideline on opening stadiums raises IPL hopes

Indian sports received a boost on Sunday after the Centre allowed stadiums to function in its directives for lockdown 4.0, opening a window for the postponed Indian Premier League to be held later in the year. Read more
Hong Kong stocks ended Monday slightly higher following gains in oil majors while the Chinese governments announcement to speed up infrastructure investment in the impoverished western region ahead of it annual legislative sessions boosted mainland stocks.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.6 per cent to 23,934.77 on the back of increases in CNOOC, PetroChina and Sinopec, which rose 7.8 per cent, 5.5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

The blue chips benefited after crude oil rose to more than a one-month high. Oil prices were supported by ongoing output cuts and signs of gradual recovery in demand for fuel as more countries eased curbs imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The worst may have passed, said Kenny Tang Sing-hing, chief executive at China Hong Kong Capital Asset, noting that Chinas post-pandemic policies will facilitate market recovery. He added that the Hang Seng Index faces resistance in breaking through the 25,000 level as investors await new policies likely to be announced later this week during the Two Sessions aimed at boosting the economy.

Stocks of Huawei suppliers were hit on Monday. Photo: AFP

The Shanghai Composite Index swung between gains and losses. It eventually closed 0.2 per cent higher at 2,875.42 following the governments initiative to speed up infrastructure development in the western region. The government said it aims to establish energy production bases, accelerate urbanisation and speed up infrastructure construction in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces.

Property stocks also contributed to the gains after housing prices in 70 major cities in the mainland ticked up in April.

Wang Jianhui, chief general manager of research department at Capital Securities, said the stock markets were behaving just like they have in the past before the annual legislative meetings. But he added that investors were treading with caution because of the impact of the coronavirus on the economy.

Story continues

In Hong Kong, tech stocks were hammered after the US tightened controls over Chinese tech giant Huaweis use of American technology and components. Sunny Optical Technology plunged 11.4 per cent and AAC Technologies Holdings fell 6.2 per cent as both these companies supply components to Apple and Huawei.

Chip maker SMIC shed 6.4 per cent after rising as much as 7.3 per cent in the morning. The decline came even after the company said that it had received a cash injection of US$2.25 billion from two state-backed funds to support advanced-chip making.

In the mainland, Kweichow Moutai, the world's most valuable liquor company, added 2.5 per cent and closed at an all-time high. In Shenzhen, ZTE dropped 0.9 per cent.

Alan Li, portfolio manager at Atta Capital, said that the US restrictions have increased concerns about Huaweis ability to make and launch new gear. He pointed out to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, which is said to have stopped new orders from Huawei because of pressure from Washington.

Meanwhile, Hang Seng Indexes Company, responsible for compiling the benchmark stock index in Asias third-largest stock market, said that companies with secondary listings and unequal voting rights will be included in the index for the first time. The most important revamp of the 50-year-old Hang Seng Index since the inclusion of H-shares in 2006 paves the way for technology giants such as Xiaomi and Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of this newspaper, to be included in the index.

If the changes are approved, the new stocks will be included in August at the earliest.

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 Hong Kong, mainland stocks make steady gains as investors look ahead to Chinas annual political meetings first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Seoul, May 18 : South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics on Monday announced to support five startups that were created by company employees as part of the companys C-Lab Inside in-house incubation program.

First startup is Blockbuster, a video editing application that allows content creators to easily apply computer graphics (CG) and 3D effects to videos with their smartphones.

Second is Hyler, it is a smart highlighter that allows analog text to be digitized and transferred to mobile devices.

Third startup is Haxby, a smart study note service that records incorrect answers from workbooks and recommends worksheets based on the learner's ability level, said the company.

Fourth one is SunnyFive, a window-shaped lighting device that produces artificial sunlight. Helps users synthesize vitamin D while they are indoors without having to worry about skin aging or sunburn Last one is RootSensor - a new type of sensor that records daily UV exposure and utilizes its wide incident angle to minimize detection loss.

Started in December 2012, C-Lab Inside nurtures employees' innovative ideas while instilling a corporate culture in which creativity is at the fore.

"To date, 163 employees have established 45 startups since the inception of the C-Lab programme. Not only have these companies raised $45 million in funding over the years, but their value has more than tripled compared to the time at which they were spun off," the company said.
Cyclone Amphan has now intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia Island on May 20, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Amphan (pronounced UM-PN) that had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm gathered more strength over the Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm likely to make landfall on Wednesday, the IMD has indicated.

The IMD has warned that the cyclone could ravage east Medinipur, south and north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata districts in West Bengal. Twenty-one years ago, in 1999, another super cyclonic storm had ravaged large parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal. It had taken Odisha, a number of months to repair the extensive damage that the Super Cyclone had caused back then.

The state is expected to face extensive damage in the storm that is likely to uproot communication and power poles. It said the Cyclone Amphan could also disrupt rail and road links in many places in Bengal and Odisha and inflict extensive damage to standing crops, plantations and orchards.

ALSO READ | Amphan likely to turn into super cyclone, says govt; will hit Bengal coast

Ahead of Cyclone Amphan making landfall, Odisha has urged the Centre to temporarily suspend Shramik Special trains passing through areas falling in the direction of the storm. The Odisha government also announced that it will shift migrant workers lodged in various quarantine centres near the coast to safer places.

Tracking Cyclone Amphans movement in 10 points:

1. Cyclone Amphan is likely to move north-northeastwards and rapidly across the northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia Island as a very severe super cyclonic storm.

2. This has raised the possibility of heavy rains and high-velocity winds in coastal Odisha and Bengal and the state governments have initiated the process of evacuating people from vulnerable areas.

3. Cyclone Amphan is likely to have a wind speed of up to 185 km per hour on Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry has said in its latest update.

4. Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued by the IMD for Gajapati, Puri, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara. On Tuesday, the rainfall activity is likely to increase in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajapur, Mayurbhanj, Khurja and Cuttack in Odisha.

5. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till May 21, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena has said. The IMD has issued a warning to suspend all fishing activity in Bengal and Odisha till May 20.

6. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has enhanced its strength to a total of 37 teams, with the addition of 20 more, to combat the dual challenge of Cyclone Amphan and the coronavirus pandemic, the chief of the federal contingency force said on Monday. 37 teams have been deployed by NDRF in West Bengal and Odisha, out of which 20 teams are actively deployed and 17 are on standby in the two states. On Sunday, the force had earmarked 17 teams for the task.

7. The NDRF is fully prepared with all the paraphernalia to face Cyclone Amphan which has turned into a super cyclonic storm by Monday and will continue to be so for some time, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said. In Odisha, the deployment of the force is in seven districts and in West Bengal in six districts so far.

8. The Odisha government is in the process of evacuating people from low-lying areas in 12 districts including 6 coastal ones due to the approaching super cyclonic storm.

9. The impending cyclone has forced the Indian Railways to divert the route for its Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar AC Special trains running from Bhubaneswar between May 19 and 22. The trains will now travel via Bhubaneswar-Angul-Sambalpur City-Jharsuguda-Rourkela-Tata route, bypassing the Bhadrak-Balasore-Hijli route.

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also discuss the super cyclonic storm in a high-level meeting on Monday to review the situation and preparedness.

With Amphan turning into a super cyclone, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has geared up to make necessary arrangements for the cyclonic spell that is expected to make landfall on Wednesday. The Bengal government has said that special arrangements have been made by deploying specialised disaster management teams at Sagar Island and Kakdweep in South 24-Parganas district in Bengal.
India is one of Afghanistan's biggest donor nations in the war-torn country's reconstruction efforts and New Delhi has been supportive of the peace process, the government has asserted.

Rejecting the Afghan Taliban's statement that India has been playing a negative role in the country for the past 40 years, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gran Hewad, said that Afghanistan's relations with India are within international frameworks and based on mutual respect.

India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. It has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled.

Hewad told Radio Azadi that so far India has been cooperating in the development and reconstruction areas and is expected to contribute to the peace process as well.

India is one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation. We expect India and other neighboring countries to play a significant role in Afghan peace process, Hewad said.

The Deputy of Qatar-based Taliban political office, Mula Abas Stanekzai, recently alleged that during the last two decades, India has only cooperated and kept ties with those who are corrupt and have been put in power by foreigners not elected by the Afghan people.

He mentioned that India should cooperate with Afghan peace process.

US Representative for Peace and Reconciliation Zalmai Khalilzad had discussed the Afghan peace with Indian officials and sought their cooperation during his visit to India. Khalilzad was in New Delhi earlier this month.

Afghan political analyst Khalid Sadaat told Radio Azadi that if the Taliban continues to make such remarks, it will hurt Afghanistan's diplomatic ties in the future.

Taliban should not give themselves this liberty to make country and state-level remarks, as it will have negative consequences for Afghanistan in the future.

And the other thing is that India and Pakistan are having historical enmity and Pakistan is playing a proxy role in Afghanistan and the Taliban are being accused of playing Pakistan's proxy role in Afghanistan and are backed by Pakistan, I believe these assertions of the Taliban are on Pakistan's demand, he said.

Saddat further said that considering the peace process, the Taliban should try to foster good relations with all the countries to have their present and future support.

On Monday, Afghanistan's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar held a video conference call with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Both the sides discussed issues of mutual interests including those pertaining to the economic and security cooperation and the Afghan Peace Process.

Meanwhile, India on Sunday welcomed the power-sharing deal between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah after months of bitter disputes over the results of last year's presidential election that pushed the country into a political crisis.

As per the deal, Ghani will stay as the president while Abdullah will helm the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) which has been mandated to lead future peace talks including with the Taliban.

There have been global concerns over Pakistan's support to the Taliban and other terror groups operating in Afghanistan.

Days before inking of the peace deal between the US and Taliban, India conveyed to the Trump administration that pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terror networks operating from its soil must be kept up.

India's support is guided by the needs and priorities of the government and the people of Afghanistan; activities are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government; and projects are spread across Afghanistan in a wide range of areas.

The most important symbol of India's assistance in the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been the construction of the multipurpose Afghan India Friendship Dam (AIFD). The project was inaugurated in June 2016. It has an installed capacity of 42 MW and supplies water for irrigating 75,000 hectares of land.

Chabahar Port, located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province in Iran, is an important infrastructure development project being currently undertaken by both India and Iran for enhancing sea-land connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian Region.

India has constructed a 218-km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating the movement of goods and services to the Iranian border. The highway, completed in 2010, connects Iran with the Garland Highway, which links Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif Herat and Kunduz.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People who are returning to swimming as restrictions ease are being reminded to do so responsibly.

Water Safety Ireland says that the water will be quite cold for many people at the moment, which is a factor in many drownings.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will suspend production at the Al-Khafji field, which they operate jointly, during June, Reuters reports, quoting Kuwaiti media.

Al-Khafji is one of four offshore and one onshore field located in the neutral zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Of these, just two fieldsAl-Khafji and Wafrapumped half a million barrels daily until 2015. Operational differences and a worsening in bilateral relations led to the suspension of production during that year. The worsening came as Saudi Arabia renewed Chevrons concession for Wafra. According to the Kuwaiti side, Riyadh did that without consulting it.

Then, in 2018, the two began negotiating the restart of the fields in the partitioned area as oil priced climbed steadily and U.S. President Donald Trump called on his Gulf allies to keep a lid on them. Indeed production restarted a few months ago, just before the coronavirus crisis began shaping up as possibly the biggest oil price crusher in history.

Al-Khafji was pumping 300,000 bpd until 2015 when production in the neutral zone was suspended and plans were to ramp this up to 325,000 bpd by the end of this year. At the time when the memorandum on the restarting of the fields was signed, there was worry this production will come on top of existing one in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but experts noted both countries were sticking to their production quotas under the OPEC+ agreement and the neutral zone fields will not add excess oil to their totals.

At the time, Saudi Arabia was producing about 10 million bpd of crude and Kuwait was pumping some 3 million bpd. Output from the neutral zone could have added half a million bpd to their combined total had the two not cut production at other fields. Saudi Arabia also earlier this month said it would cut an additional 1 million bpd from its total output to accelerate the recovery in oil prices.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
ST. LOUIS  After fleeing fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Desire Ndangamira spent 23 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda before arriving in St. Louis in March, just before the city shut down because of the coronavirus.

Our journey to come to the U.S. was quite amazing, Ndangamira, 47, said through a translator, adding that after arriving, Our life was staying in the house, and not going out was really difficult.

Ndangamira is one of 49 clients of the International Institute of St. Louis to begin their new lives that month in the city. Many spent years in refugee camps, awaiting word on whether they would be accepted in the U.S. After getting the good news and traveling thousands of miles, they found their adopted country was essentially shut down because of the pandemic. Their host, the International Institute, was closing or altering longstanding programs to comply with social distancing and other rules.

It was a challenge to tell the new arrivals to self-isolate and difficult emotionally for them not to explore and to delay that feeling of home, according to the institutes senior vice president for programs, Blake Hamilton.

The institute, which has helped tens of thousands of immigrants resettle in the area over the last 100 years, closed its offices March 16 to visitors and switched to providing services remotely whenever possible, Hamilton said. But the staff still had to pick up people at the airport and stock apartments with furniture and culturally appropriate food. Employees had to orient the arrivals to the home economics of the grocery store, including the use of gift cards provided for initial purchases. They had to help them set up internet connections and download apps, and make sure the children could participate in distance learning through the St. Louis school system.

Among the supplies the arrivals received were masks sewn by the Vietnamese community, which had benefited from resettlement programs decades ago, Hamilton said.

The immigrants did not arrive from areas that were particularly hard hit by the coronavirus, Hamilton said. The main concern was their possible exposure in airports. To get from Rwanda to St. Louis, you go through a few airports, he said. But all received health screenings upon arrival.

All are from sub-Saharan Africa or Afghanistan. They were likely unaware that stay-at-home orders were imminent in their adopted country, institute staff said. Those from Afghanistan were special immigrant visa holders, people who had worked with the U.S. military there, even at the risk of retaliation, he said.

Ndangamira said that he and his wife and five children, ages 4 to 23, have tried to stay busy watching TV and talking as a family. They have also been able to do a little socially distant visiting with family and friends from both Congo and the camp, he said through translator Gandy Kadisi, whos an International Institute case worker.

They are taking a cultural orientation class through the institute. Ndangamira was eager for work when he arrived in the U.S. with his family and on Thursday started a new job, Kadisi said.

The institute typically seeks entry-level jobs in packaging and housekeeping for new arrivals, Kadisi said. Hamilton said the goal is to secure a job within 90 days, although that is likely to take longer amid widespread job losses during the pandemic.

Another March arrival, Yusufu Abandelwa, 28, spent 20 years in a refugee camp in Tanzania after fleeing war in the Congo. To me, St. Louis is wonderful  havent had any issues, he said.

He came to St. Louis with his wife and four children, ages 22 months to 7 years.

Im wondering when this corona going to be end(ing) and when Im going to start work, he said through Kadisi.

Abandelwa said it was not hard to stay inside despite arriving in a new country.

But Kadisi, who is himself a former refugee, said he regularly has to remind most of the new arrivals about the stay-home orders.

I have to tell them every day to not go outside unless it is needed, he said, meaning trips to the grocery store or for health care before they come back home immediately. It was something they couldnt understand. But I had to tell them everyday, he said.

Kadisi said the immigrants are used to frequent visits with friends and relatives in their homes.

He talks to most of his clients twice a day, in the morning and evening, and also fields frequent calls with questions about life in America.

Kadisi also was born in the Congo, and resettled in America in September 2016 after spending seven years as a refugee. He has worked with the institute for over two years, interpreting and helping with resettlement plans, intake and cultural integration classes. He says he has a passion to help fellow refugees be successful in this country.

Kadisi picks clients up at the airport, takes them to their apartment and schools them in the basics: how to turn off lights and lock doors, how to use the restroom, how to call him or 911. These days, he does it all while wearing a mask.

Among the new challenges is observing Ramadan, which is traditionally celebrated by coming together for prayers and meals, Hamilton said.

Its particularly challenging to foster that feeling of togetherness right now, Hamilton said, comparing it to having to find a new way to celebrate an old holiday.

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Horrific images have been released by police showing the aftermath of a recent suspected livestock worrying incident.

An ewe has been put down after suffering severe injuries in a suspected dog attack in East Bierley, West Yorkshire on Friday 15 May.

The graphic images show the animal with her nose and jaw completely torn off.

West Yorkshire Police said a group of teenagers with two dogs were spotted in the area at the time.

The dogs are believed to be a bull-lurcher and a terrier, and may have been urged to hunt rabbits.

The force has now urged the public to keep dogs on leads at all times when walking in the countryside.

"The photos of the attack are horrific," West Yorkshire Police's wildlife and rural crime unit said.

The farmer attended the scene of the incident and was 'clearly upset. The ewe was then taken away to 'end its misery'.

"If anyone has any information about this incident or any similar please contact the police. Crime number 13200243182," the police added.

"Please keep your dog on a lead around sheep and cattle."

Livestock worrying cost farmers 1.2m last year as irresponsible owners continue to allow dogs to roam free in the countryside.

Despite sharp falls in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, rises in England contributed to the continued high cost of attacks.
Embattled 80-year-old does not state when will he officially quit as political uncertainty grips the African kingdom.

Lesothos embattled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has said he is stepping down, ending months of political uncertainty gripping the kingdom since he was accused of having a role in his ex-wifes murder.

I decided to personally come and inform you that I am stepping down as prime minister of Lesotho, he told supporters on Monday in his Abia home constituency on the outskirts of the capital, Maseru.

The 80-year-old did not state when will he officially quit and clarified that he would remain leader of his governing All Basotho Convention (ABC) party for the time being.

It is rather difficult to part ways with something that you had been accustomed to and leave people behind, but we all have to leave at some point, he said.

Thabanes political rivals have piled pressure on the prime minister to step down early over allegations he had a hand in the 2017 shooting of Lipolelo Thabane, whom he was divorcing.

His coalition was disbanded in parliament last week, and he had been expected to resign by May 22, when a new government is due to be installed.

Political instability

Thabane, whose term is due to end in 2022, had in January set himself a target of leaving office by July 31 because of his advanced age.

But Lesotho has been plagued by political instability since the start of this year, when police found Thabanes mobile number in communications records from the crime scene of his estranged wifes murder.

The alleged evidence prompted rivals within and outside Thabanes party to demand his immediate resignation.

Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was shot and killed outside her home two days before her husbands inauguration in July.

The murder sent shockwaves through Lesotho  a tiny landlocked nation of 2.2 million with a history of political turmoil.

Thabane has denied involvement in the killing.

His current wife Maesaiah Thabane, 43, whom he married two months after Lipolelos death, is considered a co-conspirator in the murder case.

She has already been charged with murder and is out on bail.

Successor

Thabanes government collapsed after his coalition partners pulled out over his repeated refusal to leave office earlier than stated, claiming he was tying up loose ends to ensure his retirement was as smooth as possible.

The ABC and main opposition Democratic Congress party have nominated Finance Minister Moeketsi Majoro as Thabanes successor.

Majoro will be sworn in as his successor tomorrow at 10am [08:00 GMT], said ABC spokesman Montoeli Masoetsa.

Whether he gave an exact date of stepping down or not isnt a real issue, the real issue is that he ceases to be a prime minister today, he added.

The partys national executive committee is expected to hold a special conference in July to elect a new leader.

While no premier has served out a full five-year term in Lesotho over the past 10 years, the octogenarian Thabane boasted in an interview with the AFP news agency last week that he has set an example to fellow African leaders who have the propensity to cling to power.

Im trying to set a precedent that leaders in Africa must volunteer to leave when they think its time to leave or at the very worst they must leave when their term ends.
In context: Though Covid-19 is winding down in some areas (for now), it still poses a threat. As such, many corporations and governments have made changes to the way they operate to help mitigate its spread and reduce the risk of infection. Whether that's instituting work-from-home policies on the corporate side, or practicing social distancing during local government meet-ups and lawmaking sessions, everybody (for the most part) is doing their best to combat the virus.

For one Texas court, that meant embracing the concept of a one-day virtual jury trial. This was a clever idea due to the crowded nature of many courtrooms (particularly when a jury is involved).

When you're trying to slow an infectious virus down, the last thing you want to do is force a large group of people to sit together in a small space for an extended period of time.

The Collin County trial in question took place five hours ago, and it focused on an insurance dispute. Lawyers on both sides of the case presented their arguments using videoconference software Zoom. The jury selection portion of the trial was streamed live on Judge Emily Miskel's YouTube channel, and you can watch the recording above.

This was a "summary jury trial," which gives lawyers the chance to present their arguments and receive a "non-binding verdict." Tomorrow, both parties are expected to "attend mediation" to attempt to reach a settlement, Judge Miskel explains.

Everything seemed to go relatively smoothly, and this virtual trial's apparent success might pave the way for other courts to conduct similar experiments amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were places they stayed that were remote without any of the basic comforts of home, which the couple described as like stepping into a National Geographic documentary. It often meant eating foods totally unfamiliar to their palates and admonishments from mom and dad to the kids, ages 8 to 16, that there would be absolutely no complaining about any food you are served, Toni said.
Williamstown Fire District Eyes Slight Decrease in Spending for FY21

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Williamstown Fire District plans next month to ask voters to approve a budget that is down 1.5 percent from the fiscal year 2020 spending level.

The Prudential Committee, which oversees the district, at its Wednesday meeting, reviewed the FY21 spending plan and other warrant articles for the June 30 annual district meeting.

The meeting, like the annual town meeting and elections, have been moved from May in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In another nod to the public health crisis, the meeting will be moved from its usual location in the cafeteria at Williamstown Elementary School to the school's gymnasium.

The larger space will enable participants at the meeting to spread out. Prudential Committee Chair John Notsley explained that since there is no school at WES, the custodians will be able to leave the floor covering down in the gym after the town's election on June 23.

The fire district election, as usual, will be held on the evening of the meeting. Balloting will run from 4 to 7 p.m. with the meeting scheduled to start at 7:30.

District Moderator Paul Harsch and Notsley each is on the ballot running for re-election to his respective office.

Most of the nine articles on the warrant for the district meeting are related to its finances for the coming fiscal year.

The largest item is Article 5, which covers the district's maintenance and operations budget. It is up by a little over 3 percent from FY20, going from $488,151 to $503,169, a difference of $15,018.

Most of the line items in the M&O budget are either flat or have slight decreases. An exception is the line item for management services, which is up by 74 percent, from $13,500 to $23,500.

District Treasurer Corydon Thurston said the change mostly is attributable to recategorizing money the district already spends each year.

"For example, the clerk and treasurer are now appointed positions and their pay will be moved from the salary account to management services, and $2,000 of that is the clerk's salary, which is new," Thurston explained. "Two support services from the town, at $3,000, were moved from [a different line item] plus some office support for the chief were moved and increased for the new year.

"Finally, we are over budget for this year for outside bookkeeping support, and I'm expecting to pay more and require more hours in the year ahead as well. I also included a slight contingency for an increase in services we receive from the town."

The $10,000 bump on the management services line is more than offset by reductions elsewhere in the warrant.

Unlike last the year, the district is not asking voters for a special appropriation from new tax revenue to pay for design work on a fire station the Prudential Committee is looking to build on Main Street. It will, however, be asking, in Article 6, whether district voters will approve a $20,000 appropriation from free cash to support that work.

The biggest ticket item on the warrant is Article 7, which seeks to spend $380,000 from the district's stabilization fund for a new tanker truck.

"It was highlighted in the report from our consultant," Notsley said. "We've been putting it off for some time. I think it makes all kinds of sense. The fact of the matter is, our trucks are getting old, and they're going to have to be replaced sooner or later.

"This is an opportunity to get a truck for a pretty reasonable price."

The next request on the warrant is for $50,000 from taxes to help replenish that stabilization account.

Early in Wednesday's discussion, one of the committee's newest members, Richard Reynolds, asked whether the district might want to skip funding the stabilization account in FY21 given the current uncertainty in the economy.

"I would hate to cut into that, to be honest with you," Notsley replied. "I think it's a necessary evil."

Thurston agreed later in the meeting.

"If there are concessions to be made, maybe do it from something else," he said. "If you get off track with capital [savings], you can get in trouble pretty quick."

Article 9 on the warrant seeks $20,000 from taxation to be used as matching funds for any federal or state grants the district may pursue in FY21. As recently as a month ago, that item may have been a little higher, but Assistant Chief Michael Noyes informed the Prudential Committee Wednesday that he has decided not to submit a grant request under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response [SAFER] program.

The federal grant awards local fire departments funds to pay for additional full-time firefighters. FEMA pays up to 75 percent of the cost of the position the first two years; the local department is obligated to pay at least 65 percent in year three.

Noyes said he felt the Williamstown district could prepare a better application for the next round of SAFER grant applications, and the Prudential Committee endorsed that decision by a vote of 5-0.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin may have dodged a potential no-confidence vote in a truncated session of parliament on Monday, but his position remains shaky as he appeases factions of his new political alliance and fields challenges from his former allies, analysts said.

The two-hour session, the first parliamentary sitting since the change of government at the end of February, featured only a speech by Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and no deliberations.

The honorable members (of parliament) should always show maturity in politics. This includes understanding the peoples grievances, championing their plight, holding to principles of justice, practicing a clean political culture, and refraining from harping on religious and racial sensitivities as well as the sovereignty and position of the Malay rulers, the king said.

Government officials said the session was shortened to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, but it also meant that a proposed motion for a no-confidence vote against Muhyiddin could not be held.

The king named Muhyiddin as Malaysias new prime minister on Feb. 29 after a ruling coalition headed by Mahathir Mohamad unraveled and he resigned.

Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, a political science professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia, said if parliament had not convened, it would have been dissolved automatically, but the COVID-19 pandemic created a justification to shorten the sitting.

Muhyiddins hold on power is extremely fragile, thats why he has to placate all the noise in his hastily cobbled coalition with various appointments and political largesse, Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told BenarNews.

Not only does Muhyiddin have a wafer-thin majority over the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition, he now has to contend with an ambitious United Malays National Organization party, Oh said. UMNO, a key partner in Muhyiddins governing alliance, dominated Malaysian politics for decades before it was defeated in the 2018 general election.

Muhyiddin would like to avoid embarrassment by any show of no-confidence at this point. But he is just kicking the ball down the road because as time passes, UMNO could become increasingly emboldened in challenging him, even publicly, Oh said.

Very slim

Mahathir, who had proposed no-confidence vote, told reporters after the session that the current government had a very slim majority.

If two or three of them (MPs) switch from a party to another, from the government to the opposition, then this government would fall. Its not like before, where the government had a two-thirds majority. Now only a few, Mahathir said.

So, we believe that if we can expose the wrongdoings of the government, good sense will prevail and there would be some from the government side who will support the motion, Mahathir said.

Another lawmaker echoed Mahathirs remarks.

Delaying the parliament sitting from the 9th of March to 18th of May was meant to give him (Muhyiddin) time to buy enough MPs to form a comfortable majority. That objective has clearly failed, Liew Chin Tong, an MP from the opposition Democratic Action party (DAP), wrote in his official blog.

The Muhyiddin government is now afraid of calling parliament, Liew said.

UMNO making noises

Muhyiddins Perikatan Nasional coalition includes UMNO, the Islamist Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) and a faction of the Bersatu Party, which was co-founded by Mahathir and Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin is also supported by Azmin Ali, the International Trade and Industry minister and former deputy president of Peoples Justice Party (PKR), the largest component party in the recently ousted Pakatan Harapan government.

Azmin brought over several MPs when he defected to give Muhyiddin the crucial number of supporters. Muhyiddin is backed by at least 114 MPs, according to Malaysian media, two more than the 112  one more than half of the 222-member parliament  needed to lead the government.

UMNO has become the most dominant party in the new ruling bloc, according to Oh, the analyst.

Both Zahid Hamidi (the UMNO president) and many UMNO warlords are understandably less than thrilled about playing third fiddle to Muhyiddin and Azmin, and they are making noises and creating antics to shake the tree a bit, hopefully keeping the ruling coalition in place, but replacing Muhyiddin and Azmin in the process, Oh said.

Zahid sees himself as an obvious PM, Oh said while warning that others in UMNO could be equally ambitious too.

As the pandemic situation subsides, you will see the racially supremacist and or religiously extremist elements in UMNO and PAS making a re-emergence and resurgence, such that they could keep their religious-racist agenda alive and well going forward, in time for the next general election, such that they still retain the votes of the overwhelming majority of Malays, Oh said.

In his view, the Bersatu party, split between Muhyiddin and Mahathir, is expected to lose its relevance.

I think Bersatu will become increasingly irrelevant without Mahathir as even just a figurehead as its political positions are increasingly being chipped away by UMNO and PAS, Oh said.

Azizuddin, the professor of political science, said it was difficult to determine Muhyiddins hold on power, describing him as a leader who is never controversial.

But not many dispute the thought that he deserves the premiership. He is even older than Anwar Ibrahim, Azizuddin told BenarNews, adding that many voters from the Malay majority welcomed the change of government in March.

In addition, some voters from the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, particularly those who felt they were not helped during Pakatans administration, support Muhyiddin, Azizuddin said.

The way he maneuvers in politics, I would say that he is smart in political strategies. Dont underestimate Muhyiddin, Azizuddin said.

Khalid Jaafar, an adviser to Azmin Ali, dismissed criticism leveled against Muhyiddin by former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who served as UMNO president.

Najib and others can say what they want. People are looking at whats Muhyiddin is doing. He will survive until GE15, Khalid told BenarNews, referring to the general election expected in 2023.

His (Muhyiddins) approval rating is very high, (for) managing COVID-19 where he has been decisive. He is also decisive in restarting the economy, Khalid said.
When Jenny Marr went to her first ultrasound exam to get a peek at her first child with husband Chris Marr, she noticed a strange look had crossed her doctors face. Naturally, she worried that something was wrong with the baby. She asked Dr. Lauren Murray if there was a problem.

I was like, Oh no, theres no heartbeat. And, shes like, No, there is a heartbeat, Marr, 35, of Dallas, recalled to TODAY. She goes, Yall, theres three babies in there. And we were just absolutely floored.

Feeding quadruplets every three hours it tough. It takes about an hour for them all to eat, then there's only a short window of time before they start it again. Still, the Marrs feel like they're getting the hang of it. (Courtesy Marr family)

Both Marr and Chris, 35, are only children and as far as they know no one in their families has ever had multiples. A week later on November 19, 2019 they visited a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for a follow-up appointment and the technician performing that ultrasound shot the couple an odd glance.

The tech  who was doing the initial (scan)  she gave me a funny look. We were like, Oh what's going on now?' We got worried again, Chris told TODAY. She was really cute. She said, Im not supposed to say this, but yall got four babies.'

Related: Need a dose of good news? TODAY brings you one good thing each day to lift your heart and make you smile.

In one short week they went from having triplets to quadruplets.

I made the joke that I am not coming back because there are going to be five babies next time, Chris said. We were just shocked. Jumping from three to four was easier to swallow. Just after that we heard they were healthy.

Dr. Lauren Murray, the Marrs' OB-GYN, says as far as she and her colleagues can tell there have been only 72 reported cases of identical spontaneous quadruplets. (Courtesy Marr family)

The first-time parents were in utter shock that they were expecting identical, spontaneous quadruplets. Its so rare that its hard for doctors to know how often it has occurred. Murray and her colleagues estimate that identical, spontaneous quadruplet births occur in 1 in 11 million or 1 in 15 million births. They found a mere 72 cases of it in published literature.

Its unbelievable. Itll never happen again in my career. I said, Girl, go buy a few lottery tickets because those are the kind of odds were dealing with, Murray, an OB-GYN at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, told TODAY. What a miracle it was.

Story continues

The Marrs shock continued when they learned that all four babies shared one placenta, which made the pregnancy more complicated. They all relied on that placenta for their nourishment, which meant if they didnt share well, one (or more) could be in trouble.

Related:

The risk was that one of the babies can develop stronger and basically take away from the other babies, Chris explained.

The doctor said that might require surgery and the couple worried again. But their doctors reassured them that they would address issues if they arose.

The babies shared incredibly well. There were no incidents on the sonogram even leading up to that where we were worried that one of them, or two or three of them, would be significantly smaller, Murray said.

Having identical spontaneous quadruplets was shocking enough, but when Jenny Marr went into labor during the COVID-19 pandemic it was the first time she truly worried. (Courtesy Marr family)

When Marr was 28.5 weeks pregnant, labor started. On top of delivering early, hospitals across the country were changing their policies because of COVID-19 and the Marrs wondered how that would impact their delivery and treatment.

For the first time (during my pregnancy) I anticipated the worst, Marr said. Maybe we were going to have sick babies and they were going to be in the NICU.

But her cesarean section delivery went well and Marr, her husband and mother watched as the doctors at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas pulled baby after baby out on March 15. Harrison was first, he weighed 2 pounds 6 ounces. Hardy was next he was 2 pounds 10 ounces, then Henry who was 2 pounds 6.7 ounces and Hudson was last at 1 pound 15 ounces.

They were all born in three minutes. Its incredible, Marr said. We called them our baby birds because they really looked like baby birds."

Three of the babies needed oxygen and all four stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for about 10 weeks. The babies came home in early May. So far, the Marrs have been juggling the feedings, which happen every three hours and take at least an hour to feed all of them. Telling the boys apart is tough.

They each have little bitty characteristics, Chris said. When we sit down and look at them we can figure out who they are but if you just look at them from a distance, they all look the same. Thank God, Hudsons a little smaller than everybody else and quieter.

Telling the four boys apart is still challenging for Jenny and Chris Marr. While the boys are two months old, they have only recently been home with their family after they were born at 28.5 weeks. (Courtesy Marr family)

While the couple is working on helping the babies gain weight, theyre enjoying that social distancing and quarantine has allowed their family to grow closer.

It was a very surreal time and its one of those things that we will probably look back on in a couple of years, hopefully, when everything's back to normal like, Wow that was crazy, Chris said.

Thats why they want their experience to make others smile.

We just hope that this little story and our boys bring as much joy to everybody as they bring to us, Marr said.
Russian and Turkish presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan held a phone talk and discussed the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Kremlins press service, the importance of further cooperation between the relevant structures of the two countries was noted, including on the treatment of patients and the development of vaccines.

Putin thanked the Turkish partners for their aid in returning compatriots in Turkey to their homeland, as well as for providing humanitarian aid to a number of Russian regions.

The parties continued to exchange views on the situation in Syria. The general mood was expressed to intensify joint efforts to implement the Russian-Turkish agreements on the Idlib de-escalation zone, including the Additional Protocol to the Sochi Memorandum of September 17, 2018, adopted in Moscow on March 5 this year.

The two expressed concern about the escalation of clashes in Libya. The need for an early resumption of an indefinite truce and inter-Libyan dialogue based on the decisions of the Berlin International Conference on January 19, 2020, approved by UN Security Council resolution 2510, has also been noted.

Actual aspects of the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation were also touched upon.

It was agreed to continue the regular dialogue at various levels.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed a proposed settlement to resolve allegations that a California mortgage lender, along with several related individuals and companies, unlawfully obtained credit reports and charged customers millions of dollars in illegal fees.

In January, the CFPB filed an injunction against California mortgage lender Chou Team Realty, which does business as Monster Loans, along with several related companies and individuals including Thomas Chou and Sean Cowell. The CFPB alleged that Chou and Cowell masterminded a scheme to use Monster Loans account with a major credit bureau to unlawfully obtain consumer reports to use in their associated student loan debt-relief business. The debt-relief business, in turn, allegedly used those reports to deceptively market their services nationwide and then charged consumers illegal fees.

The CFPB alleged that between 2015 and 2017, Monster Loans obtained consumer reports for more than 7 million people based on the false representation that the information would be used to offer the consumers mortgage loans. However, Monster Loans instead allegedly provided the reports to several associated debt-relief companies to use in marketing efforts. In 2017, Monster Loans helped create an entity called Lend Tech Loans  a company that purported to be a mortgage brokerage, but allegedly was used solely to illegally obtain consumer report information. The CFPB alleged that Lend Tech Loans wrongfully obtained consumer reports for more than 12 million people between 2017 and 2019.
Prithviraj Sukumaran on Sunday shared a picture from the sets of his forthcoming movie Aadujeevitham on his social media. Sharing the photo, he revealed that the Jordan schedule of the upcomer is finished. The crew of Aadujeevitham is stranded in Wadi Rum, Jordan, since March, and after multiple adversities, the team has finally wrapped up the schedule.

Check out the photo:

Also Read | Prithviraj Sukumaran Updates Fans That He Is Shooting For 'Aadujeevitham' Amid Coronavirus

Earlier last month, Prithviraj Sukumaran penned an open letter revealing that his crew of 57 members is stranded in Wadi Rum, Jordan after the authorities decided to impose a nationwide lockdown owing to coronavirus. However, the team of Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer continued shooting for the film undertaking required precautions. With the news of the schedule wrap of Aadujeevitham, media has been a buzz that the team is contemplating on returning to Kerala. However, neither the makers nor the actor has confirmed the news as of yet.

Also Read | Prithviraj Sukumaran To Shoot For 'Aadujeevitham' In Jordan Till April 10?

Meanwhile, Aadujeevitham, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Amala Paul in the lead, is reported to be based on a novel of the same name written by Benyamin. The movie directed by Blessy will narrate the story of Najeeb, an Indian immigrant. The movie slated to hit the screens later this year will allegedly see Prithviraj Sukumaran in a new look. Reports state that the actor will lose 30 kgs for his part in Aadujeevitham.

Also Read | Prithviraj And 'Aadujeevitham' Team Stranded In Jordan; Kerala CM Promises To Offer Help

Also Read | Prithviraj Sukumaran Starrer 'Aadujeevitham's' Shoot Resumed In Jordan? Read Details

What's next for Prithviraj Sukumaran?

On the professional front, Prithviraj Sukumaran has a slew of movies at different stages of production. Soon after the lockdown ends, Prithviraj Sukumaran is reported to join the sets of Kaduva. The movie, starring Prithviraj in the lead, will mark the return of popular director Shaji Kailas after three years. According to reports, the movie will see Prithviraj in a mass 'action-role'.

Besides the upcomer, Prithviraj Sukumaran is expected to start the pre-production work on his next directorial L2: Empuraan. The Prithviraj directorial is the sequel to his 2019's hit movie Lucifer. The forthcoming movie that stars Mohanlal in the lead is penned by actor Murali Gopy. Other than the forthcoming film, Prithviraj also has S. Mahesh's Kaaliyan in his kitty.

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
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Personal Assistant to President Buhari on Social media, Lauretta Onochie, has replied critics on why the president doesnt wear face mask.

The NCDC, Ministry of Health, and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have continuously advised Nigerians to wear face mask to prevent getting infected with the Coronavirus.

President Buhari who has engaged in several meetings since the outbreak of Covid-19 has not been wearing face mask.

Lauretta Onochie in defence of president Buhari , said that expert medical protocol states that there is no need for face mask when in a safe environment, hence Buharis reason for not wearing it.

Onochie in a tweet insisted that President Buhari was not breaking any rules by not wearing face mask.

Read her tweet below;
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(Kitco News) - All eyes are on silver as prices are starting the week with some robust follow-through buying after Friday's breakout session.

In a comment to Kitco News, Phillip Streible, chief market strategist at Blue Line Futures, said that a perfect storm of increased investment demand and falling supply is expected to continue to push silver prices higher.

May silver prices last traded at $17.51 an ounce, up 2.5% on the day. Sunday's rally follows silver's 5.5% jump on Friday; silver futures are trading at their highest level since late February. The precious metal has now recovered all of its loss from the March selloff.

Streible noted that the silver's Friday rally picked up new momentum after the release of the Federal Reserve's industrial production data for April. The report showed that industrial production dropped 11.2% last month, the most significant drop in the report's century-old history.

One of the report's components showed that mining output, including gold and silver production, dropped 11.2%, the sharpest monthly decline in history.

"Nobody really talks about the mining numbers in this report, but someone was obviously watching it," said Streible. "The data points to tightening physical supply. Silver prices are going higher because the market is getting a lift from all different angles."

With silver prices back over $17 an ounce ounces, Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said that the next critical resistance level to watch is $17.50 an ounce.

He added that silver has room to rally as speculative interest in the precious metal has been declining since early March as investors shed their bullish silver bets as the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the global economy.

"We have to contemplate the risk of a second wave of the virus wave in the second-half of the year, together with a developing Trump versus China blame game," said Hansen. "With these developments in mind, we see the risk of renewed stock market weakness, a stronger dollar and Japanese yen on safe-haven demand precious metals look set to rally further on safe-haven and diversification demand."

Although speculative investors have been reluctant to hold silver, Hansen said that investor demand in silver-backed exchange-traded products remains robust.

"Apart from a small dip in March, ETF investors have been continued buyers of silver ETFs since January. Total holdings have reached a record 98 million ounces," he said.
BEIJING, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) ("Sogou" or "the Company"), an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter, ended March 31, 2020.

First Quarter 2020 Highlights

Total revenues [1] were $257.3 million , a 2% increase year-over-year, or a 5% increase in RMB terms.

were , a 2% increase year-over-year, or a 5% increase in RMB terms. Net loss attributable to Sogou Inc. was $31.6 million . Non-GAAP [2] net loss attributable to Sogou Inc. was $31.1 million .

. Non-GAAP net loss attributable to Sogou Inc. was . Sogou Mobile Keyboard had 482 million DAUs (daily average users), up 9% year-over-year. As China's largest voice recognition app, it processed up to 1.4 billion daily voice requests.

"We started 2020 with smooth operations across our core businesses despite the challenging environment during COVID-19," said Xiaochuan Wang, CEO of Sogou. "In particular, our core Search business continued to outperform the industry in the first quarter. Thanks to the surge of user demand for reliable information and high efficiency during the pandemic, our Search and Mobile Keyboard recorded new highs in terms of traffic and user base, respectively."

Mr. Wang added, "On top of that, we carried out a comprehensive AI-driven upgrade across our core businesses to capture the opportunities that emerged during COVID-19. In particular, our voice AI has equipped Mobile Keyboard with industry-leading voice recognition functions and further evolves it into an AI communication assistant, while also facilitated sales growth of our AI recorders despite the dampening market. With steady implementation of our strategy, we believe we will effectively navigate through the pandemic, and our long-term growth prospects remain intact."

Joe Zhou, CFO of Sogou, said, "In the first quarter of 2020, we continued to deliver steady top-line growth despite challenges during the pandemic, while our profitability was impacted by the situation as a result of increased traffic acquisition cost. Going forward, we foresee ongoing pressure on our overall results in the second quarter as the impact of the pandemic lingers. We expect our business to resume healthy growth when the external environment normalizes post the pandemic."

First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Total revenues were $257.3 million, a 2% increase year-over-year.

Search and search-related revenues were $237.6 million , a 1% increase year-over-year. Auction-based pay-for-click services continued to increase year-over-year, accounting for 91.0% of search and search-related revenues, compared to 87.2% in the corresponding period in 2019.

were , a 1% increase year-over-year. Auction-based pay-for-click services continued to increase year-over-year, accounting for 91.0% of search and search-related revenues, compared to 87.2% in the corresponding period in 2019. Other revenues were $19.7 million , a 6% increase year-over-year. The increase was primarily due to increased revenues from sales of smart hardware products.

Cost of revenues was $217.0 million, an 18% increase year-over-year. Traffic acquisition cost, a primary driver of cost of revenues, was $181.3 million, a 27% increase year-over-year, representing 70.5% of total revenues, compared to 56.6% in the corresponding period in 2019. The increase was driven by increased traffic acquisition from third parties as users confined to their homes spent more time online during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Gross profit and non-GAAP gross profit were both $40.3 million, both a 41% decrease year-over-year.

Total operating expenses were $82.6 million, a 3% increase year-over-year.

Research and development expenses were $47.0 million , a 15% increase year-over-year, representing 18.3% of total revenues, compared to 16.2% in the corresponding period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in personnel-related expenses.

were , a 15% increase year-over-year, representing 18.3% of total revenues, compared to 16.2% in the corresponding period in 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in personnel-related expenses. Sales and marketing expenses were $28.6 million , a 2% decrease year-over-year, representing 11.1% of total revenues, largely flat with the corresponding period in 2019.

were , a 2% decrease year-over-year, representing 11.1% of total revenues, largely flat with the corresponding period in 2019. General and administrative expenses were $7.0 million , a 29% decrease year-over-year, representing 2.7% of total revenues, compared to 3.9% in the corresponding period in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in expenses related to the Company's non-core businesses.

Operating loss was $42.4 million, a 254% increase year-over-year, compared to a loss of $12.0 million in the corresponding period in 2019. Non-GAAP operating loss was $41.9 million, a 288% increase year-over-year, compared to a loss of $10.8 million in the corresponding period in 2019.

Other income, net was $7.2 million, compared to $8.7 million in the corresponding period in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to charitable donations of $1.9 million associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Income tax benefit was $1.0 million, compared to an income tax benefit of $0.2 million in the corresponding period of 2019.

Net loss attributable to Sogou Inc. was $31.6 million, compared to a net loss of $3.9 million in the corresponding period in 2019. Non-GAAP net loss attributable to Sogou Inc. was $31.1 million, compared to a net loss of $2.7 million in the corresponding period in 2019.

Both GAAP and non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per ADS was $0.08.

As of March 31, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of $1.2 billion, compared to $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2019. Net operating cash inflow for the first quarter of 2020 was $26.0 million. Capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2020 were $3.8 million.

[1] On a constant currency (non-GAAP) basis, if the exchange rate in the first quarter of 2020 had been the same as it was in the first quarter of 2019, or RMB 6.74=$1.00, total revenues in the first quarter of 2020 would have been 266.2 million, or $9.0 million more than GAAP total revenues, and up 5% year-over-year. [2] Non-GAAP results exclude share-based compensation expense. Explanation of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures and related reconciliations to GAAP financial measures are included in the accompanying "Non-GAAP Disclosure" and "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Results of Operation Measures to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures."

Business Outlook

For the second quarter of 2020, Sogou expects total revenues to be in the range of $260 million to $280 million, representing a decrease of 8% to 14% year-over-year, or a decrease of 4% to 11% year-over-year in RMB terms. In developing this guidance, the Company has considered the expected continued impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting contraction of the Chinese economy, as well as other challenges in the macro environment and the online advertising industry. The guidance represents the Company's current and preliminary view, which is subject to substantial uncertainty, particularly as to the status and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and worldwide.

For the second quarter 2020 guidance, the Company has adopted a presumed exchange rate of RMB7.07 = $1.00, as compared with the actual exchange rate of approximately RMB6.82 = $1.00 for the second quarter of 2019, and RMB6.98 = $1.00 for the first quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP Disclosure

To supplement the unaudited consolidated financial information prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"), Sogou's management uses non-GAAP measures of gross profit, gross margin, and net income that are adjusted from results based on GAAP to exclude the impact of share-based awards. These measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.

Sogou's management believes that excluding share-based compensation expense is useful for management's internal operating purposes and for investors. The amount of share-based compensation expense cannot be anticipated by management, and this is not built into the Company's annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, which generally will be the basis for information Sogou provides to analysts and investors as guidance for future operating performance. As share-based compensation expense does not involve subsequent cash outflow, Sogou does not factor in this expense when evaluating and approving expenditures or when determining the allocation of its resources to its business operations. As a result, in general, the Company's monthly financial results for internal reporting and any performance measures for commissions and bonuses are based on these non-GAAP financial measures that exclude share-based compensation expense.

The non-GAAP financial measures are provided to enhance investors' overall understanding of Sogou's current financial performance and prospects for the future. A limitation of using non-GAAP gross profit, gross margin, and net income measures that exclude share-based compensation expense is that share-based compensation expense has been and is likely to continue to be a significant recurring expense in the Company's business. In order to mitigate these limitations, the Company has provided specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying tables include details on the reconciliation between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to the non-GAAP financial measures the Company has presented.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. It is currently expected that the Business Outlook will not be updated until release of Sogou's next quarterly earnings announcement. However, Sogou reserves the right to update its Business Outlook at any time for any reason. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Sogou's and Sogou management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates, and projections, which involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, intense competition in the market for search and search-related services; our need to continually innovate and adapt in order to grow our business; our reliance on Tencent platforms for a significant portion of our user traffic; uncertainty regarding the extent and reach of PRC governmental regulation of sponsored search; and the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the economy in China generally and on our business in particular. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Sogou's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2020, and other documents Sogou files with or submits to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Conference Call and Webcast

Sogou's management team will host a conference call at 6:30 am U.S. Eastern Time, (6:30 pm Beijing/Hong Kong time) on May 18, 2020, following this quarterly results announcement.

The dial-in details for the live conference call are:

U.S. Toll Free: +1-888-317-6003 Mainland China Toll Free: 4001-206115 Hong Kong Toll Free: 800-963976 Hong Kong Local Toll: +852-580-81995 International: +1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 0996007

Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. When prompted, ask to be connected to the Sogou Inc. call and provide the passcode.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until May 25, 2020:

International: +1-412-317-0088 Passcode: 10143626

A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Sogou's website at http://ir.sogou.com.

About Sogou

Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) is an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry. With a mission to make it easy to communicate and get information, Sogou has grown to become the second-largest search engine by mobile queries and the fourth largest internet company by MAU in China. Sogou has a wide range of innovative products and services, including the Sogou Input Method, which is the largest Chinese language input software for both mobile and PC. Sogou is also at the forefront of AI development and has made significant breakthroughs in voice and image technologies, machine translation, and Q&A, which have been successfully integrated into our products and services.

For investor enquiries, please contact:

Jessie Zheng

Sogou Investor Relations

Tel: +86 10 5689 8068

Email: [email protected]

For media enquiries, please contact:

Yadan Ouyang

Brunswick Group

Tel: +86 10 5960-8600

Email: [email protected]

SOGOU INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED, IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)

















Three Months Ended



Mar. 31, 2020

Dec. 31, 2019

Mar. 31, 2019 Revenues:











Search and searchrelated advertising

revenues $ 237,610 $ 274,610 $ 234,177 Other revenues

19,674

26,413

18,545 Total revenues

257,284

301,023

252,722 Cost of revenues(1)

217,024

168,657

184,654 Gross profit

40,260

132,366

68,068 Operating expenses:











Research and development(1)

47,023

48,725

41,037 Sales and marketing(1)

28,597

34,926

29,196 General and administrative(1)

6,997

11,300

9,816 Total operating expenses

82,617

94,951

80,049 Operating (loss)/income

(42,357)

37,415

(11,981) Interest income

744

540

1,371 Foreign currency exchange gain/(loss)(2)

1,730

(1,540)

(2,196) Other income, net

7,212

527

8,735 (loss)/Income before income tax expenses

(32,671)

36,942

(4,071) Income tax (benefits)/expenses

(962)

1,953

(213) Net (loss)/income

(31,709)

34,989

(3,858) Less:Net loss attributable to non-controlling

interest shareholders

(93)

-

- Net (loss)/income attributable to Sogou

Inc. $ (31,616) $ 34,989 $ (3,858) Weighted average number of ordinary shares

outstandingbasic

382,141

385,586

391,379 Weighted average number of ordinary shares

outstandingdiluted

382,141

391,356

391,379 Net (loss)/income per ordinary sharebasic $ (0.08) $ 0.09 $ (0.01) Net (loss)/income per ordinary sharediluted $ (0.08) $ 0.09 $ (0.01) Net (loss)/income per ADSbasic $ (0.08) $ 0.09 $ (0.01) Net (loss)/income per ADSdiluted $ (0.08) $ 0.09 $ (0.01)













(1) Sharebased compensation expense

included in:











Cost of revenues $ 77 $ 255 $ 27 Research and development

613

2,602

858 Sales and marketing

(379)

797

168 General and administrative

166

383

141

$ 477 $ 4,037 $ 1,194 (2) Foreign currency exchange gain/(loss), mainly arising from our cross-border RMB-denominated intragroup loans,

is a result of depreciation or appreciation of the RMB, respectively.

SOGOU INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED, IN THOUSANDS)













As of Mar. 31, 2020

As of Dec. 31, 2019 ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents $ 263,500 $ 142,464 Short-term investments

886,865

995,350 Restricted cash

5,705

5,370 Account and financing receivables, net

119,035

131,813 Prepaid and other current assets

32,405

26,888 Due from related parties

2,132

2,837 Total current assets

1,309,642

1,304,722 Longterm investments, net

72,117

63,345 Fixed assets, net

100,016

110,006 Goodwill

6,011

5,534 Intangible assets, net

1,337

1,514 Deferred tax assets, net

16,055

16,306 Other assets

44,110

20,975 Total assets $ 1,549,288 $ 1,522,402 LIABILITIES







Current liabilities:







Accounts payable $ 176,629 $ 111,587 Accrued and other short-term liabilities

152,690

150,275 Receipts in advance

64,439

67,902 Accrued salary and benefits

13,493

24,167 Taxes payable

69,995

76,688 Due to related parties

37,567

22,594 Total current liabilities

514,813

453,213 Long-term liabilities

19,161

5,686 Total liabilities $ 533,974 $ 458,899









SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY







Sogou Inc. shareholders' equity

1,014,857

1,063,503 Non-controlling interest

457

- Total shareholders' equity

1,015,314

1,063,503 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 1,549,288 $ 1,522,402

SOGOU INC. RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP RESULTS OF OPERATION MEASURES TO THE NEAREST COMPARABLE GAAP MEASURES (UNAUDITED, IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)













































































Three Months Ended Mar. 31, 2020 Three Months Ended Dec. 31, 2019 Three Months Ended Mar. 31, 2019

GAAP Non-GAAP Non-GAAP GAAP Non-GAAP Non-GAAP GAAP Non-GAAP Non-GAAP Adjustments (1) Adjustments (1) Adjustments (1) Gross profit $ 40,260 $ 77 $ 40,337 $ 132,366 $ 255 $ 132,621 $ 68,068 $ 27 $ 68,095





































Gross margin

16%





16%

44%





44%

27%





27%





































Operating expenses $ 82,617 $ (400) $ 82,217 $ 94,951 $ (3,782) $ 91,169 $ 80,049 $ (1,167) $ 78,882





































Operating (loss)/income $ (42,357) $ 477 $ (41,880) $ 37,415 $ 4,037 $ 41,452 $ (11,981) $ 1,194 $ (10,787)





































Operating margin

-16%





-16%

12%





14%

-5%





-4%





































Income tax (benefits)/expenses $ (962) $ - $ (962) $ 1,953 $ - $ 1,953 $ (213) $ - $ (213)





































Net (loss)/income before non-

controlling interest $ (31,709) $ 477 $ (31,232) $ 34,989 $ 4,037 $ 39,026 $ (3,858) $ 1,194 $ (2,664)





































Net (loss)/income attributable to

Sogou Inc. $ (31,616) $ 477 $ (31,139) $ 34,989 $ 4,037 $ 39,026 $ (3,858) $ 1,194 $ (2,664)





































Net margin attributable to Sogou Inc.

-12%





-12%

12%





13%

-2%





-1%











































































(1) To exclude share-based compensation expense. This non-GAAP adjustment does not have an impact on income tax expense.













SOURCE Sogou Inc.

Related Links

www.sogou.com


The father of a young girl hospitalised with a rare syndrome possibly linked to coronavirus has warned that schools in the UK need to move mountains to ensure they open safely on 1 June.

Piers Roberts daughter, Scarlett, was diagnosed with an inflammatory disease which is similar to Kawasaki disease, weeks after recovering from coronavirus.

She is one of more than 200 children who are thought to have developed the rare illness in Europe, which has caused the deaths of two children in the UK so far.

Hundreds of similar cases have been reported around the world, with doctors suspecting that the syndrome is caused by the bodys overreaction to infection.

Mr Roberts, who works as a teacher, told Good Morning Britain on Monday that his daughter was making vast improvements.

However, he expressed his concern about schools reopening in two weeks, stressing that he didnt want other people to go through the tortuous time he has.

Mr Roberts said: There needs to be dialogue to get kids back to school and in education in a safe manner.

We need to move mountains to make this as safe as possible, he added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on doctors around the globe to share information about the Kawasaki-like disease, which is known as paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS).

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director of the WHO, said: "I call on all clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities and WHO to be alert and better understand this syndrome in children.

On Friday, the health agency issued a preliminary definition of PIMS, saying its symptoms include rashes, shock, low blood pressure and evidence of bleeding disorder.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the organisations chief scientist, said that a clear link between coronavirus and PIMS had not yet been established.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Dr Swaminathan said: Very recently there have been some reports of children getting admitted with a strange syndrome, something that looks like sepsis, something that looks like a disease called Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation in the blood vessels.

Now, its not very clear what the links are between Covid-19 and this syndrome. There are some children who tested positive for the virus and some who havent, she added.

Medical experts estimate that more than 100 children in the UK have been affected by the condition.

The first child to die from the syndrome in the UK was Alexander Parson, an eight-month-old baby from Plymouth who passed away at Bristol Childrens Hospital on 25 April.

A JustGiving page has been set up to raise funds to support his family. It has so far received more than 13,000 in donations.

Agencies have contributed to this report
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 19:25:59|Editor: huaxia

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by Ndalimpinga Iita

WINDHOEK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Charitable and benevolent efforts of the Chinese community in Namibia are deepening people-to-people relations between the two countries.

At Shighuru village in Mashare constituency in Kavango east region, about 230 dwellers received household goods donated by the Chinese embassy and community in Namibia in the fight against COVID-19.

The donated items would avert the life challenges of locals, including food insecurity, mainly sparked by COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese businesswoman, Charlene Chen, who handed over the items on behalf of the Chinese embassy said that people in rural areas are also affected by the state of emergency regulations due to the outbreak of COVID-19; hence the donation.

"We aim to help the people in dire need during this period and ensure that they maintain good hygiene," she said.

"In that way, we also build and nurture relations," said Chen.

Augustinus Shifwaku, member of the Shighuru village development committee is a pleased man. For him, the Chinese philanthropic efforts generate significant interpersonal contact with Namibian people at the grassroots level that can further advance interactions and commercial activities.

"We also call on support towards the development of our agricultural activities such as fishing and horticulture in the areas," he said on Monday.

Bonifatius Wakudumo, governor of the Kavango East region said in times of need, the Chinese government never wavered, always willing to help.

According to Wakudumo, through aid, the presence of Chinese people amid locals breaks social barriers and create friendships.

"Beyond the items provided, efforts by the Chinese to engage with locals bring people of the two countries together, and embracing diversity and multiculturalism," he said.

Meanwhile, in the Oshikoto region in northern Namibia, China Jiangxi International in Namibia also contributed charitable efforts. The company donated 14 tons of food packages. Managing director of China Jiangxi in Namibia Zhuang Yan said that the aim is to give back to the local people and defeat COVID-19 through joint efforts.

The generosity of the Chinese company is seen as another milestone in strengthening ties between the people of China and Namibia. The donation is also seen as an unifier between the two parties.

Betty Kaula, the councillor for Guinas constituency in Oshikoto region commended China Jiangxi International for the donation.

"The donation heeds to unity and the goodwill of the Chinese people. Through such platforms, we get to know them and develop better relations. Not only is that, but united, we are bound to win together," she said.

Zhang Yiming, Chinese ambassador to Namibia, said that the Chinese government and people will continue to stand in solidarity with the Namibian brothers and sister in the fight against COVID-19. Enditem
LONDON (Reuters) - JPMorgan (JPM.N) has made a number of changes in senior positions in its investment bank in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region to support a February reshuffle of the top roles, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

Head of EMEA investment banking industries coverage Guillermo Baygual will expand his responsibilities to become co-head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for the EMEA region along with Dwayne Lysaght.

Camillo Greco remains global head of consumer investment banking.

The Wall Street bank has also named new leaders for its capital market and merger and acquisition (M&A) units, filling a series of top roles left vacant after a major leadership reshuffle in February.

Aloke Gupte and Alex Watkins will become co-heads of equity capital markets in EMEA and Keith Canton will become global head of private placements.

Ben Thompson has been named head of leveraged finance capital markets for EMEA, while Marco Caggiano and Chris Roop will become co-heads of North America M&A.

These changes are intended to support a newly-launched committee of 18 global chairmen who are focusing purely on bringing in business and developing client relationships, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

Finally, Jared Kaye and John Purcell will become co-heads of investment banking coverage for the financial institutions group (FIG) sector in North America.

(This story has been officially corrected to replace first three paragraphs after JPMorgan issued corrected statement to clarify that Camillo Greco will not become co-head of EMEA investment banking industries coverage)
Kenyas medical professionals were set to strike today, Monday 18, but that has been put on hold.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General Seth Panyako and his Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) counterpart George Gibore, said the Government had agreed to dialogue with the health workers.

While addressing the press on Sunday, the officials however warned that the nationwide strike would go on if their demands are not met.

The Government has accepted to sit down with us to discuss our issues. We have therefore suspended the strike for 21 days. We have, however, not called it off. If the conciliation process does not yield to our demands, then we will proceed for the nationwide strike after the 21 days, said Panyako.

Mr Gibore added: If the Government fails to honor its other side of the bargain, then we will resume the strike. But for now, we have accepted their request to have us on the negotiation table.

The officials noted that the Country is already grappling with too many problems and their planned strike would only have worsened the situation.

As a country right now we have too many problems; flooding has killed over 200 people, theres the locust infestation and were also battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

The KNUN boss said the strike would only have hurt Kenyans and so it will only be the last resort after dialogue with government fails.
Masayoshi Son speaks during a joint announcement with Toyota Motor to make new venture to develop mobility services in Tokyo in October 2018.

SoftBank Founder and CEO Masayoshi Son said Monday he was "foolish" for his firm's multibillion investment in WeWork.

His comment in an earnings presentation came as SoftBank gave WeWork a valuation of $2.9 billion as of March 31 based on a discounted cash flow method, down from $7.3 billion as of Dec. 31, following its failed IPO. SoftBank has reportedly invested $18.5 billion in the company, according to a comments leaked in October from WeWork's chairman. WeWork's private valuation was as high as $47 billion before its botched IPO last year.

WeWork Chairman Marcelo Claure said on Twitter that he and Son are still "huge believers" in what he called the "new" WeWork and its management team.

"[W]e will continue to support the company," wrote Claure, who is also CEO of SoftBank Group International. "We have no doubt that @WeWork will emerge from #COVID19 stronger than ever and are committed to profitability by 2021."

Tweet

SoftBank had long been heralded for its savvy and splashy investments. The firm built its name on a massively successful bet on Chinese tech giant Alibaba. But SoftBank's reputation began taking hits last year when two of its Vision Fund portfolio companies, Uber and WeWork, revealed massive losses in their filings to go public. WeWork's bid to go public ultimately flopped when the company pulled its IPO filings following persistent criticism about its financial hits and unusual corporate governance structure.

SoftBank's $2 billion funding round in January 2019 valued WeWork at $47 billion ahead of its bid to go public. Prior to the IPO filing, the coworking-space company was expected to seek a valuation as high as $100 billion. That number slowly crept down as investors and analyst dug into its financials.

"We made a failure on investing in WeWork and I've been admitting that several times I was foolish," Son said, according to a FactSet transcription of his earnings call.

WeWork's business could suffer even greater losses now that the coronavirus pandemic has made coworking a dangerous activity. With many workers adjusting to their home offices, some companies are reconsidering their needs when it comes to office space altogether.

SoftBank's Vision Fund posted $18 billion in losses compared with $13 billion in total annual losses for SoftBank Group overall. The $100 billion fund was created to make large bets on companies and infuse them with cash. Of the 88 companies the Vision Fund has invested in, Son predicted Monday about 15 will be successful and 15 could go bankrupt in the midst of the pandemic.
GREENWICH  The start of spring means the return of the Greenwich Farmers Market, which opened this past Saturday for the first time in 2020.

But the market, which is held in the Arch Street/Horseneck Lane commuter parking lot, looks a bit different this year due to the coronavirus.

Patrons of the Greenwich Farmers Market must use social distancing practices when entering the outdoor market in central Greenwich. And all visitors must also wear masks.

The market limits the number of shoppers per household, set up one-way shopping aisles through the 14 vendors, which sell a variety of fresh produce, plants, and homemade jams and jellies. On Saturday, a steady flow of customers enjoyed the warm sunshine as the market adapts to the new norm.

The markets hours will be 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays through December.

Farming and food are an essential business, so we are trying to help our local farmers and the economy, said Judy Waldeyer, who is the market master in Greenwich.

Most of the vendors are offering payment through credit cards and/or Venmo, besides cash, Waldeyer said.

We really want to take it to contact-less, she said. Our customers have asked for a safe outdoor place to shop  and we are striving to keep everyone safe.

The vendors are spread out, and each booth has designated entrance and exit areas.

The parking lot is also set up for one-way traffic, with shoppers asked to enter and exit the market at Horseneck Lane and exit closest to I-95.

I have spoken to some of the market masters ... and they told me their sales are up 200 percent. People are ready to get out, Waldeyer said, as she emphasized the safety concerns. We have a lot of rules and a lot of signage. We are going to mandate the 6-foot social distancing.

dfierro@greenwichtime.com
Life on Te Hauturu-o-Toi during lockdown was in many ways little different from normal daily life on the island. The rangers and family on the island usually lead isolated lives.

Visitors must have a permit to land and at times they can keep the rangers busy with comings and goings, so none of that during lockdown. There are of course no shops, cafes or hairdressers. One comment from the rangers during lockdown was the lack of man-made noise from aircraft and boats, which I think they have been rather enjoying.

Due to the rugged nature of the island and the distance from medical assistance, many of the rangers normal duties couldnt be carried out for health and safety reasons. A good chance, if the dubious quality of their internet connection allowed, to catch up with office work, reports and budget planning.

Food and other supplies are normally ordered via the internet and brought to the island by supply ship every three weeks if the weather allows, so they are used to planning with big shopping lists. However, a delivery just the day before lockdown couldnt supply all the groceries on their list due to supermarket shortages and before their next order came, three weeks later, they were using up some of the stock in the freezers and being creative with meals. But, even so, better prepared than most of us to sit it out.

The children do correspondence schooling from home, so no change there for them. They are very capable of finding plenty to do, be it making body lotions, cakes or creating movies; reading or knitting; card games or metal work. With no-one else about they had more space to walk about in than most of us, but still limited to the flats only.

Some of you may have seen on Facebook the kiwi that strolled into the rangers kitchen in broad daylight, breaching the rangers bubble. It was unfazed by the rangers, cameras and man-made surfaces. The ranger on Motuora also had a close encounter with a kiwi in daylight on the beach.

Perhaps we have all now had a taste of what life might be like on an isolated island given our own experiences these last few weeks. Some of us have thrived and could probably manage a year or two on an island, but many of us are keen for restrictions to end and life to get back to normal. It has made me aware of the special sort of person you have to be to manage isolated conditions month after month or year after year. But, like us, the island rangers will still be chomping at the bit to be able to get back to the usual work that is required to care for our precious island taonga.

Lyn Wade, Little Barrier Island Supporters Trust

www.littlebarrierisland.org.nz
OTTAWA - The federal government has been quietly probing how to provide provinces with more money annually for child care, as part of what sources describe as an issue that is at, or near, the top of the Liberal agenda to restart the economy.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Children's backpacks and shoes are seen at a daycare, in Langley, B.C., on Tuesday May 29, 2018. The federal government has been quietly probing how to provide provinces with more money annually for child care, as part of what sources describe as an issue that is at, or near, the top of the Liberal agenda to restart the economy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA - The federal government has been quietly probing how to provide provinces with more money annually for child care, as part of what sources describe as an issue that is at, or near, the top of the Liberal agenda to restart the economy.

Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen has spent the past two weeks making phone calls to experts in the field, asking about how federal spending on child care can be better targeted.

Hussen has asked about the risks the sector faces through the shutdown and issues that need to be addressed to help centres reopen.

At the same time, the agenda for a group of deputy ministers has in recent days included child-care funding and social infrastructure, hoping to capitalize on the goodwill between the federal and provincial governments during the pandemic.

The suggestion coming through those conversations is that the Liberals are exploring how Ottawa can better co-ordinate a patchwork of provincial systems, so a lack of child care does not trip up the desired recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown in the second half of the year.

Speaking to The Canadian Press on Saturday, Hussen said a message coming to him is a desire for the federal government to help co-ordinate an area of provincial jurisdiction to ensure more uniformity across the country so "Canadians have access to affordable, accessible, quality child care as they go back to work."

Other details come from sources inside government with knowledge of the actions and others in close contact with the Liberals and federal officials. They spoke to The Canadian Press over the course of last week on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, or because they were not authorized to reveal behind-the-scenes efforts.

More than three million Canadians are out of work, according to Statistics Canada, and 2.5 million more had their hours slashed as public health restrictions forced the closure of businesses and sent workers home. Child-care centres and services have closed for all but essential workers.

The Liberals have acknowledged that getting parents back on the job, or increasing their productivity, won't be possible without a place for their children to go, be it school or daycare. The situation is particularly acute for women, who have seen proportionately steeper job losses than men, and are more often in part-time work, as well as in sectors affected early on.

Statistics Canada reported this month that 1.5 million women lost jobs over March and April, a 17 per cent drop from February levels, and suggested challenges for a recovery will be different for women.

"The need for child care has never been made clearer," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this month during a press briefing.

He said funding child care overseen by provinces is a responsibility the federal government shares in "to deliver the kind of child care that is needed."

The federal government is in the midst of a 10-year, $7 billion spend on child care.

The first round of three-year funding agreements was to expire at the end of March, but the timing of having a new minister put in charge of the file after the fall federal election, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to the deals being rolled over for another year.

Among the ideas put to the Liberals is a proposal to amend the extended agreements so provinces can direct federal funds to help daycares manage ongoing costs  beyond what they may receive from the federal wage subsidy or small business loan program.

At the same time, the Liberals are moving ahead with a promised child-care secretariat that would work towards building a national system. Outside experts consulted on child-care plans have suggested the government house the secretariat inside the Privy Council Office, which aids the prime minister and cabinet.

Andrew Bevan, who co-authored a recent paper on child care's place in the recovery, said reopening the economy quickly and getting parents back on the job would be impossible without safe and secure child care, particularly for mothers.

"While it is true that child care by itself isn't the silver bullet for Canada's economic and social recovery, it certainly will help the recovery happen more quickly and beyond that, the result will be more fair if child care is properly taken care of," said Bevan, who served as chief of staff to former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne.

Pumping more money into child care won't be simple. To expand existing capacity, there would need to be more physical space built and more early childhood educators hired in regulated daycares, all of which will take time.

Some of those workers will need care for their own children if they are to return to work.

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Hussen said he has had conversations about what social infrastructure will be needed to ensure there are enough spaces available to parents returning to work, and that child care workers have the necessary safety equipment so parents feel confident their kids are safe.

"We want to get this right," he said.

It's why the Liberals have been told to do a different kind of economic recovery stimulus, including money for new centres, retrofits of older ones and funding training programs and wage increases to expand the ranks of early childhood educators.

"Social infrastructure is a really important piece of how we get back to the new normal," said Kate Bezanson, the associate dean of social sciences at Brock University who co-authored the paper with Bevan.

"It takes multi-year investment and its benefits accrue over time."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2020.
Rev. Timothy Pelc blesses Easter baskets outside St. Ambrose Church in Grosse Pointe Park. He offered a prayer and sprayed holy water from a squirt gun instead of blessing baskets inside the church in a bid to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP)

Detroit: A Roman Catholic priest in the Detroit area has taken aim at his parishioners in a bid to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, using a squirt gun to shoot holy water.

Photos posted on social media by the St Ambrose Church show the Rev Tim Pelc shooting water into a car window as it stopped by the steps of the church on Easter.

He wore a mask, face shield and rubber gloves as further precautions against spreading the coronavirus.

The photos of the priest at the church in Grosse Pointe Park have inspired memes online.

One shows the 70-year-old priest amid the fires of hell directing the squirt gun at devil-like figures.

Pelc told BuzzFeed News for an article over the weekend that he was a little concerned about how the Vatican might react when the photos of him squirting holy water began circulating widely on the internet.

"But", he said, "I haven't heard anything yet."

The idea was to find a way to continue a tradition of blessing Easter baskets despite the pandemic. One photo shows Pelc standing behind a car with its hatchback door up, shooting water at a basket flowers.

The church and surrounding communities have taken the pandemic seriously, Pelc said. Parishioners have tied blue ribbons on trees at the church for each person who has died of COVID-19 in Michigan. That number is now approaching 5,000.
The U.S. is sticking with its plan to remove all but 8,600 troops from Afghanistan by July, despite a recent spate of attacks including one that killed mothers and newborns in a Kabul maternity ward, Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Friday.

In a series of tweets, and in a conference call with reporters Friday, U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad blamed the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State (ISIS) for the hospital attack that killed at least 24, and he pressed the Kabul government to begin negotiations with the Taliban on a peace settlement.

Read Next: SOCOM Close to Eliminating the Danger of Brownout Landings for Helo Pilots

Though the Taliban has denied involvement in that attack, Afghan officials have not ruled out the possibility. President Ashraf Ghani said Afghan forces are now moving out of their defensive posture and going on the offensive against the Taliban.

"We're still moving forward with the force reduction levels that we're committed to," Hoffman said. " ... "We expect to meet that within the timeline laid out under the agreement with the Taliban."

The planned drawdown levels were worked out in February by Khalilzad in lengthy negotiations with the Taliban.

Hoffman declined comment on how many troops may already have been withdrawn.

"I do not have an update for you on what the actual number is today," he said.

The U.S. stopped giving counts on the number of troops in Afghanistan in February, when the estimated troop strength was about 13,500.

The scope and types of attacks earlier this week, and other attacks allegedly carried out by the Taliban during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, led Ghani to order his forces out of their defensive posture to encourage peace negotiations with the Taliban.

"Today, once again, there is a need for you to demonstrate your hidden power and bring out your swords from the sheath," Ghani said in a speech Friday to members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, according to the local Tolo News Agency.

However, Ghani added that "Our objective is to create conditions for peace. We are not moving away from peace."

In a series of tweets, Khalilzad said 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," but added the peace process must not be allowed to falter.

"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," he said.

Even in a nation that has endured war and terrorism since the Soviet invasion in 1979, the attack on the Dasht-e-Barshi hospital in Kabul stood out for its brutality.

"They came to kill the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot, head of Afghan programs for Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), who escaped the attack in a hospital safe room during the four-hour assault.

"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," Bonnot said.

In a release, MSF, which ran the maternity ward, said 11 women were killed, three of them in the delivery room with their unborn babies, and five others were injured. Ten of the mothers managed to find shelter in safe rooms along with many health workers.

Also among the dead were two baby boys and an Afghan midwife working with MSF. Two newborn babies were wounded, and one was transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery after being shot in the leg, MSF said.

Even as the attack continued, a baby was born, and both mother and newborn survived, said a spokeswoman for MSF, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for its humanitarian work worldwide.

"We know this area has suffered attacks in the past, but no one could believe they would attack a maternity [ward]," Bonnot said. "This country is sadly used to seeing horrific events, but what happened Tuesday is beyond words."

The attackers numbered three, and all were killed by Afghan security personnel, Afghan officials said.

On Saturday, Afghans lined up outside the hospital compound, offering to adopt the babies whose mothers were killed, Tolo News reported.

Khalilzad has been undeterred in his efforts to press for negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government on an eventual peace settlement. The talks were originally set to begin on March 10, but no negotiations have been held as the Taliban continued attacks and disputes arose over prisoner releases.

In the conference call with reporters Friday, Khalilzad said it would be best to begin the talks soon while there was still a major U.S. troop presence.

"So, we want this to happen as soon as possible when now, we're still there in a significant way," Khalilzad said, according to Reuters.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Related: Death Toll from Attack on Kabul Maternity Clinic Rises to 24
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Throughout the pandemic, euro zone governments have lagged behind the European Central Bank in charting a path out of the economic crisis. Germany and France have suddenly decided they want to lead the way.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron have tabled a joint plan that includes, among other items, a shared 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund for the EU. Berlin and Paris are front-running the European Commission, which is meant to present its own proposal for the fund next week. The two leaders are sending a clear signal to the more hawkish euro area members  such as the Netherlands and Austria  that the worst-affected nations need more than financial wizardry to get through this emergency.

The Franco-German proposal would see the Commission raising the money on the financial markets and then distributing it in the form of grants. This would be a remarkable change for the EU, whose response so far has been that each country should take on more debt individually. In Merkels and Macrons plan, each member of the bloc will contribute depending on its share of the EU budget, which in turn hinges on the relative size of national incomes. But the Commission would disburse the money as it saw fit. Essentially, this clears the way for fiscal transfers from financially secure countries to those less fortunate  and is a tacit admission that Europe needs to make a statement about all being in it together on Covid-19.

The difference with the continents other emergency instruments is striking. The European Stability Mechanism, the euro zones rescue fund, has offered loans in the past to countries in crisis in exchange for a package of austerity and structural reforms. The pandemic has pushed Europes leaders to vastly improve the ESMs lending terms and to let it offer money for the strengthening of national health systems without the usual conditions. However, these are still loans, meaning theyll have to be paid back eventually.

Story continues

With their new proposal, Germany and France appear to have crossed the Rubicon on sharing the financial pain from the pandemic. The shift by the Germans from their usually conservative position is all the more noteworthy, and the financial markets certainly see it that way. Italy would be a clear beneficiary of the fund. Its 10-year bond yields dropped by nearly 20 basis points on the news, to 1.67%.

There are many details that still need to be ironed out. For a start, while Germany and France are the EUs dominant members, they still need to bring everyone else on board. The Dutch and the Austrians are traditionally opposed to the idea of grants, since they fear the money would be misspent. The inevitable negotiations may reduce the size and scope of these transfers, or demand stricter conditions from recipients.

However, if the EU does accept this plan without watering it down too much, the proposal would have significant long-term implications. The recovery fund is being presented as an extraordinary, one-off facility. However, it could be the seed for a larger EU budget, based not just on individual contributions from member states but also on new EU-wide taxes. If that happened, the euro zone would move somewhat closer to a fiscal union, which is needed to put it on a more solid footing.

The onus will ultimately be on the weaker member states such as Italy and Spain, and on how they use any money. Throughout the pandemic, they have made the case for more European help, arguing that the virus was no ones fault. As France and Germany promote the cause of more grants, individual governments must show they can allocate their funds intelligently, helping those most in need while boosting the growth potential of their economies. Solidarity wont last long without responsibility.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Ferdinando Giugliano writes columns on European economics for Bloomberg Opinion. He is also an economics columnist for La Repubblica and was a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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There weren't any roads leading to the valley where Joyce Lin was headed. So on the morning of May 12, on an Indonesian runway, the American missionary pilot climbed into the cockpit of a small Kodiak aircraft and prepared to set out over the jungle. Carrying rapid covid-19 test kits and other essential supplies, she was bound for Mamit, a remote village in the Papuan highlands awaiting her help.

Lin, a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship, an American-based Christian and humanitarian aid organization, had made the journey many times before. She was to take off at Lake Sentani, fly for dozens of miles over the thick, emerald jungle, climb over a pair of towering limestone mountain ridges and then, finally, descend into the valley, landing on a runway that went up a hill.

But Lin's flight never arrived as expected. Two minutes after she ascended over Lake Sentani, she sent out an emergency distress call, radioing back to the tower that she was in trouble. The plane went down quickly into the water. Villagers who lived along the coast rushed into the lake in search of her, but it was too late.

Lin died in the crash. She was 40 years old.

Indonesian search and rescue authorities recovered her body and the plane from the water, and the cause of the crash is now under investigation by authorities in Jakarta, Brad Hoaglun, a spokesman for MAF, told The Washington Post.

"She died doing what she loved, serving the people she loved in a place that she loved, that she felt deeply, deeply called to," said her close friend Christy Geaslen, whose husband, Joel, served with Lin.

On Friday, roughly 300 people attended the beloved missionary's funeral in Sentani, Indonesia, wearing masks and sitting in a socially distant arrangements. Lin, who leaves behind her parents, two sisters and a nephew, had spent the last decade of her life attaining the flight skills required for the fellowship, trading a career in cybersecurity for what she envisioned would be lifelong service to isolated people in need.

In what would be her final chapter, she had devoted herself over the last couple months to delivering preventive covid-19 supplies to the most remote corners of Papua, as well as bringing non-coronavirus patients to hospitals in medical evacuations.

"What has become very clear over the last few days is that it wasn't the circumstances of this single event, but the weight of her entire life that has made such an impact," Chase Reynolds, another local missionary, said in a tribute at her Friday memorial service.

Lin, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Colorado and Maryland before jetting off to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned two degrees in computer science and engineering. She also dabbled in guitar, piano and private aviation for fun. She "was a genius," Joel Geaslen said, and yet "she was so humble, not one to brag about who she was."

She worked as an IT specialist for the U.S. Air Force and for a private cybersecurity firm, until she felt pulled toward missionary work, as she explained in an MAF video about her service.

When she found MAF, "I knew from that moment that this was what God had for me," she said in the video.

"A lot of times when people think of a missionary, they don't think of what I do," she said. "They don't think of flying a plane or fixing a computer. They think of someone out there evangelizing, and that's just not what we do most of the time. My prayer each morning is simply that I would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and I would be a blessing somehow, to somebody, that day."

After nearly a decade of training, Lin arrived in Indonesia for language school in 2018 before beginning the humanitarian flights in Papua last year. She was part of an elite group of pilots selected by Mission Aviation Fellowship to deliver essential life-sustaining goods to some of the most far-flung and impoverished villages in the world, which are often inaccessible by car.

Lately, for MAF, that has meant delivering covid-19 test kits, fever- and cough-relief medicines, and personal protective equipment to villages where an outbreak would be insurmountable. In some cases, they deliver basic public health information, as some indigenous groups in Papua, without Internet or even electricity, were not even aware of the covid-19 threat, her colleagues told The Post.

In the weeks before she died, Lin had also spearheaded an effort to purchase hundreds of boxes of hand soap for delivery - another luxury not often found in some Papuan villages, her colleagues said.

"You look at the folks there and your heart moves with compassion," Joel Geaslen, an MAF pilot with Lin, told The Post. "You see how much they don't have, or the ways they live, and you think, how can I be a blessing to these folks? That's part of what moved Joyce. She saw the needs of others and she wanted to help them."

Lin made a point to get to know the people in the villages she visited, Larson said. They would typically line the runway, awaiting the airplane's arrival like it was the event of the month, and Lin would shake hands with all of them. She had a way with Indonesian neighbors too, befriending them quickly while silently fulfilling their distinct needs, whether it was finding a doctor or helping to fix a roof. "But she would never tell anyone about it," Christy Geaslen recalled.

"The only time I would hear about what she did was from the neighbors. She was so good about just loving people," she said.

Lin had just been certified to fly solo in Papua in March, a major achievement after so many years of preparation, including attaining a commercial pilot's license and instrument rating. In a moment recalled by Reynolds during his tribute, Lin shared the milestone with her friends in an email, and said in reply to one that she had "made peace" with the risks of her missions "a long time ago."

"It doesn't scare me to fly," she wrote. "If I die doing this, then I died doing what God called me to do, and I have no regrets about that."

Two days before her death, said her MAF colleague Brock Larson said, that peace of mind was evident. They were in a small Bible study group together, where the topic was, what does it mean to have joy in your life? The topic greatly interested Lin, because she felt that she had really found it in Papua, Larson said.

"She was just on cloud nine," Larson told The Post from Indonesia. "It seemed she was just completely content."

He said the impact Lin made on the lives of the people she served was clear in the tribute they left for her.

On the runway where they had expected Lin to land last week, only to hear of her death, the people in Mamit left red flowers and handwritten notes in Indonesian and English.

"Pilot Joyce Lin, 'Till we meet again," one said.
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
SALT LAKE CITY, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Nav , a free service that provides business owners the fastest, easiest and most trusted path to financing, launched a Self-Employed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Calculator to help the self employed estimate how much PPP loan forgiveness they may qualify for.

Nav's Self-Employed PPP Loan Forgiveness Calculator walks self-employed individuals, including most sole proprietors and independent contractors, through the calculations used to apply for PPP loan forgiveness.

The tool, which is free to use, was built by Nav's in-house experts, with decades of experience in business financing, who are intimately familiar with the legislation and guidance issued by the SBA.

To ensure that business owners are providing the best data possible, a robust list of frequently asked questions and additional information is also provided alongside the tool.

"There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding PPP loan forgiveness," explained Greg Ott, Nav CEO. "And, frankly, it is making a difficult situation for all business owners even more frustrating. Our team's commitment to helping business owners navigate the complexities of business financing, including PPP loans, is unwavering. This new tool provides another opportunity for us to help the self employed get the information they need to help their business survive and thrive."

For business owners who are still in need of PPP funds, Nav offers a free digital tool to instantly connect business owners with lenders that are taking SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications for PPP funds available to small business owners under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

"While many business owners are starting to think about forgiveness, there are still millions of business owners who haven't received the funds they so desperately need," shared Ott. "If you have not applied for or received any funding yet, I encourage you to let Nav's team of experts help you. Business owners who already have PPP funds, should leverage our services to ensure that their businesses are in the best possible standing for post-COVID financing."

Over the last six weeks, Nav has helped thousands of small business owners connect with PPP lenders and agents and secure tens of millions of dollars in government-funded loans.

About Nav

Nav provides business owners the fastest, easiest and most trusted path to financing. The leading Business Financial Management app, Nav hosts a robust marketplace of business financing products, and gives business owners free access to personal and business credit reports from major consumer and commercial credit bureaus including Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. The marketplace uses a unique, lender-neutral approach to help business owners find the best financing options for their needs. Nav's solution is also leveraged by other business service providers to enhance their customer experience. The company has offices near Silicon Valley, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City. To learn more, visit Nav.com.

*Note: Although Nav's Self-Employed PPP Loan Forgiveness Calculator seeks to provide borrowers with an accurate estimate of loan amounts that may be forgiven, such estimates should not be relied upon or construed as a legal opinion or legal advice. Nav encourages borrowers to consult with their lawyers, CPAs and Financial Advisors regarding PPP loan forgiveness.

CONTACT:

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Nav PR Manager

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Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18 2020

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has said he will not yet ease large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) and that the government is aiming to keep residents productive and safe in a new normal amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

He said residents needed to make peace with the virus, citing information from the World Health Organization that suggested that, although the transmission curve had started to flatten, the virus would not disappear.

We must coexist with COVID-19. Most importantly, people must stay productive and be safe from the virus, Jokowi said in a recorded video statement published on the Executive Office of the Presidents YouTube channel on Friday.

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Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week?
In its latest update, the underwriting agency noted: For any travel arrangements made from February 01, 2020, our insurers have determined the disease to be a known event and therefore you will not be covered in the event that you contract the disease overseas, and will not be covered for cancellation charges.

If no advice was issued by DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) when you cancelled your travel arrangements, this would be considered as disinclination to travel and would be excluded by the policy. If you were or are unable to travel as planned due to advice issued by DFAT, you should contact the travel provider who is obligated to provide a refund or issue a credit voucher.

In the event that a customer elects to receive a reduced cash refund even when entitled to a full credit voucher, DUAL said insurers will not be considering the difference. Coverage for coronavirus-related medical and additional expenses following the date the Australian government implemented travel restrictions will also not be provided if the policyholder chose to remain overseas.

The information provided by DUAL also includes details on how to lodge claims, what policyholders should do as part of mitigating their losses, as well as the next steps after submitting a claim.

We know theres a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment, but please know that our commitment to customers is our number one priority along with assessing claims as soon as possible, said the firm.
Pro-democracy activists chant slogans outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court, in Hong Kong, China, on May 18, 2020. (Jessie Pang/Reuters)

Hong Kongs Veteran Pro-Democracy Activists Defiant as They Hear Charges in Court

HONG KONGSome of the 15 pro-democracy activists arrested in police raids in Hong Kong showed defiance on May 18 as they appeared in court to hear charges of participating in illegal pro-democracy demonstrations last year.

Veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon, and senior lawyers were among those arrested last month in the biggest crackdown on the movements key figures since the protests began. The move drew criticism from rights activists and Western politicians.

At the time, Chinas Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office called the arrests normal law enforcement measures made on the basis of evidence gathered by police, adding that certain radicals were blind to the interference of outside forces.

The West Kowloon magistrates court granted bail to all the defendants and adjourned the case until June 15 at the prosecutions request. Several defendants made defiant remarks when asked if they understood their charges.

Demonstrating is not a crime, Figo Chan, the vice-convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, responded. I understand this.

Former legislator Leung Kwok-hung, also known as Long Hair, answered, I understand the government is rubbish.

Raphael Wong, an activist with the League of Social Democrats, said I understand this is political prosecution.

The Hong Kong government and police denied the arrests were politically motivated, saying they were in accordance with the rule of law.

Others held on charges of illegal assembly included Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, and former lawmaker and barrister Margaret Ng.

In all, one serving and nine former legislators were arrested, including veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum.

A family member cries and bid farewell to a prison van after protester Sin Ka-ho has been sentenced four years for rioting, in Hong Kong, China on May 15, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Last years protests in the Chinese-ruled city began over a proposed bill that, if passed, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial. But it was later scrapped.

Dozens of rival pro-democracy and pro-Beijing supporters gathered outside the courtroom, where proceedings could be seen on a screen. Western diplomats were present inside the court.

This month, United Nations human rights experts had urged authorities to drop the prosecution, provoking a strong rebuttal from Beijing.

Police officers arrest a demonstrator (C) during a pro-democracy protest calling for the citys independence in Hong Kong, China, on May 10, 2020. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images)

The arrests came amid a period of relative calm on the streets as the scale and frequency of protests ebbed since January, amid social distancing measures adopted in Hong Kong to guard against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak.

But as the CCP virus is being curbed, demonstrations have picked up again, drawing hundreds of participants, and are expected to gather steam as anger simmers amid a renewed push by authorities for tougher national security legislation in the city.

Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, and the territory was promised a high degree of autonomy for 50 years under a one country, two systems arrangement that has helped it thrive as a world financial center.

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:36:56|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Director of China's National Health Commission Ma Xiaowei on Monday called for unity and coherence of the world as well as support to the leading role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Ma made the remarks at the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly via video link as head of the Chinese delegation to the assembly.

Noting that COVID-19 is a common enemy of humanity, Ma said China had always shared the information concerning the epidemic and the virus' gene sequence, primers and probes with the international community as soon as possible and had carried out international technological exchanges.

He also called on countries to stand firmly against rumors, stigmatization and discrimination and jointly help countries with more fragile healthcare systems enhance their capabilities of COVID-19 response.

The Chinese government has always put people's lives and health first in the fight against the epidemic, and with great efforts and sacrifices, China has basically curbed the domestic transmission of the epidemic, according to Ma.

"We will not forget the precious support from the international community and will try our best to provide materials and technological aid to countries in need," Ma said.

China will take an active part in the WHO's global cooperation initiative on accelerating the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19, he added.

"We will surely prevail over the pandemic so long as the international community stands together," Ma said. Enditem
Assuming its true, this is in line with Israeli policy of aggressively responding to Iranian provocation, either kinetically or through other means, said Dmitri Alperovitch, a cybersecurity policy fellow at the Harvard Belfer Center and founder and former chief technology officer of CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm. Any time you see Iranian escalation, as with their buildup of rocket capacity in Syria, you have consistently seen Israeli retaliation with bombing runs on those positions. So it appears they have now applied that doctrine in cyberspace.
OTTAWA, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest United Nations (UNAMA) report in Kabul, Afghanistan, more than 10,000 civilians were killed and injured as a result of war in Afghanistan last year. These casualties are correctly recorded by the UN office, but the numbers tell us innocent people get killed as a result of U.S. and Taliban war, says Meladul Haq Ahmadzai, CEO of Taleam Systems .



Taleam Systems provides computer services to medical clinics and hospitals in Canada. The business has plans to develop new healthcare technology to support the war victims in Afghanistan by working with already established medical clinics and hospitals in the war-torn country.

The technology consists of a moving cart with a monitor, a small pc, and a handheld keyboard. Ahmadzai says, the hardware is already available  but it will take time to put it all together and test it.

Earlier this year, the United States government withheld $1 billion from the Afghan government due to the ongoing disputes between President Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah over election winning from last year.

According to Meladul Haq Ahmadzai, We have seen from past Afghan election results the amount of corruption and illegitimate results  clearly democracy is not working in Afghanistan.

Due to the non-stop military war operations in Afghanistan, more than 10,000 people get killed and injured every year as a result of ongoing Taliban and US war. The war in Afghanistan started in 2001 and has been ongoing for the last 19 years. The Taliban controls about 75 percent of the country.

Ahmadzai says, These deadly attacks are conducted by the Afghan forces and U.S. military, and also by the Taliban because they are the only players active in the war.

Meanwhile, Canadas government under leadership of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to install peace in Afghanistan, but Harper government was not able to fully bring the different ethnic groups to the table. The Canadian government quit the Afghan war mission in 2014.

Ahmadzai has met with two Afghan leaders to hear their perspectives about the current war situation in Afghanistan. He signals that Taleam Systems technology will be welcomed by Afghan leaders. He says, When I met with the Afghan leaders, they were interested in peace not war.

Just yesterday, Ghani and Abdullah finally announced that they would form a coalition government for the second time after pressured by the US government.

Ahmadzai adds, Although these figures seem to be accurate, but we still do not know who causes the most serious civilian casualties in Afghanistan war.

In recent days, Afghanistan hospital was attacked where children and mothers were killed. Zalmay Khalilzad the U.S. peace diplomat in Afghanistan said it was the work of Daesh while President Ghanis Vice President Amrullah Saleh called it the work of Taliban.

Ahmadzai says his business Taleam Systems has plans to create healthcare systems for Afghanistan hospitals. He concludes, We are currently working on new technology and once fully tested, we will bring it to Afghanistan in order to solve the current healthcare challenges for war victims.

Meladul Haq Ahmadzai is an Afghan-Canadian and is the CEO of Taleam Systems which provides computer support to hospitals and clinics. To learn more about Taleam Systems, visit www.taleamsystems.com

Media Contact:

Meladul Haq Ahmadzai

melad@taleamsystems.com

613-521-9229

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e63411fc-2ee1-444b-8d42-11ff6e676721




Artillery shells and landmines are responsible for a vast majority of injuries to Indian soldiers posted in Jammu and Kashmir, an army medical study has found. This shouldnt come as a surprise given the record number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control in recent months  but the study by army doctors has minutely studied the pattern of limb injuries sustained by its men over the last six years. Fragmentation agents were responsible for 67 per cent of wounds on 166 soldiers between 2014 and 2019. Bullets, the study discovered, caused only 32 per cent of wounds. The explosive ordnance, the study notes, were primarily artillery shells and anti-personnel landmines (APLM). "This high incidence is due to continuing hostilities across the Western border, where artillery shelling by the hostile nation is a constant feature," notes the study published in the January-June issue of the Journal of Marine Medicine.

Artillery shells and landmines are responsible for a vast majority of injuries to Indian soldiers posted in Jammu and Kashmir. (Representative photo: Reuters)

Ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control peaked last year after the abrogation of Article 370 last August. There were 3,200 ceasefire violations reported in 2019 compared to 1,629 the previous year. Surprisingly for a force engaged in counter-terrorism in J&K for close to three decades, there is insufficient data on limb injuries sustained in combat zones. One key finding is the utility of wearing body armour  bulletproof jackets and helmets  which have overall improved the survivability of soldiers, the reason between 60 to 70 per cent of all injuries were recorded to hands and limbs.

Limb Injuries in Combat Trauma compiled by Colonel Sanjay Maurya, Lt Colonel Vipin V Nair, Colonel Onkar Singh and Lt Colonel SK Singh is by no means exhaustive. The analysis is based only on 166 cases from one of four tertiary care centres in J&K between 2014 and 2019, most likely the Command Hospital, Udhampur. The doctors did not look at fatalities and confined their study to data on the wounded. The study also grades injuries, hospitalisation time, number of surgeries, and their correlation in ongoing military operations.

These findings clearly can have implications for military commanders. They could, for instance, help in improving the quality of combat trauma care in J &K and also focus on preventive aspects like improving troop body protection and bunker construction. Clearly many more such studies are required, one on combat fatalities, for instance, could tell the army how lives could be saved in the golden hour.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Also read: How surgical strikes killed India's soft state image
Rodham

By Curtis Sittenfeld

Random House. 432 pp. $28

---

In these Dark Ages of the Reign of Trump, Curtis Sittenfeld's "Rodham" descends like an avenging angel. Here, in the pages of this alternate history about Hillary Rodham Clinton, is the story not of "What Happened" but of "What Could Have Happened." This isn't just fiction as fantasy; it's fiction as therapy for that majority of Americans who voted for Clinton in 2016 and are now sick and unemployed under the current calamitous administration.

It takes a village to create a demon, and that tireless work has produced the extraordinary boogeywoman that is Clinton, the conniving, corrupt, murderous, senile, pedophiliac, money-grubbing, cookie-hating, email-abusing harridan who terrifies Fox News commentators. Indeed, as the subject of thousands of wing nut conspiracies, Clinton may already be the most fictionalized person in modern political history.

But "Rodham" is something of a rarity in American publishing. The market has long featured highly partisan nonfiction books created exclusively for liberals or conservatives. Trump disciples and detractors can spend their whole lives cuddled up with memoirs, biographies, exposes and rants that confirm their polarized convictions. "Rodham," though, is a high-profile novel - not a parody or a joke book, but a serious work of literary fiction - designed to rally the political spirits of liberal readers.

More than a decade ago, Sittenfeld published "American Wife," a thoughtful, slightly melancholy novel inspired by the life of Laura Bush. "Rodham" is a related project but with a dramatic twist of fate built into its premise. It's told in Hillary's own voice, which adds to the uncanny quality of this real/not-real story. This is a voice we recognize, the voice of countless hours of TV interviews and debates, the voice of several best-selling memoirs, the confident, carefully modulated voice of a woman who has been telling her story for decades. Indeed, the first third of "Rodham" feels comfortably familiar. There's bright young Hillary speaking at her Wellesley graduation in 1969, already burdened by the discontinuity between "how I seemed to others and who I really was." Looking back over half a century, she realizes that the intertwined conditions of her life were set early: "my competence, my loneliness."

When she meets Bill Clinton at Yale Law School in 1970, he's already a famous flirt - so brilliant and charming. Sittenfeld re-creates the Arkansas Lothario in all his rapacious appetites for attention, for women, for french fries. Long disappointed in the dating game, Hillary can't believe such a handsome man would notice her. She's been self-conscious about her appearance since middle school, when a frank classmate pointed out, "You're more like a boy than a girl." When Bill smiles at her, she confesses, "There was a ripple, a kind of swooning."

These early chapters follow the general outlines of Hillary's life, and sometimes it's hard to remember we're reading fiction, not autobiography. But that becomes easier to remember when Hillary describes having sex with Bill: "We knew each other's animal selves," she says, permanently damaging my attitude about animals. Of course, we already know way too much about Bill's sexual technique, but there are intimate details here that Ken Starr could only dream of. Although I can't quote much in a family newspaper, suffice it to say that Hillary experiences "an almost intolerable ecstasy." Multiple times. Even in Bill's car.

These erotic trysts might seem over the top, but they're all part of the novel's corrective impulse, its determination to rebalance the way men and women exist in our political imagination. After all, if Bill can carry on and Donald Trump can grab women, why can't a female politician have a healthy sex life?

It's no coincidence that the novel's inflection from history to alt-history is eventually sparked by sex - specifically Bill's "compulsive infidelity." Still in her 20s, Hillary decides she's had enough. She drives away from the most serious relationship she's ever had. From that point on, we're in uncharted territory: Sittenfeld's thought experiment about a smart, single woman dedicated to public service.

Yes, this is an implicitly polemical novel. It's devoted to exonerating a politician who has been maligned for decades. But that motive doesn't crimp the book's energy or its suspense because there are other larger themes at work besides Hillary's basic goodness. While telling a compelling story, "Rodham" provides an insightful analysis of the function of sexism in our political discourse.

The American history that Sittenfeld presents loops back through well-known events in Hillary's career, but they're reconceived outside the realm of her marriage to Bill. That alters some equations, but not others. She's still a resolute woman dogged by loneliness, contending with systemic condescension and suspicion. Everything about the way she's regarded, addressed, photographed, reported on and tweeted about is determined by the fact that she's a woman. In addition to the exhausting attention to her physical appearance, there are the contradictory demands of being commanding but matronly, authoritative but submissive, cheery but never witty, knowledgeable but not intimidating - all under the constant surveillance of journalists, pundits, comedians and fanatics frantic to create stories that fulfill their misogynistic fantasies. It's a maddening, inescapable trap that Hillary sums up near the end of the novel in a rare, full-throated fit of outrage that will make any ambitious woman stand up and cheer.

But Sittenfeld is at her wittiest when re-creating the men who dominate modern American politics. Even though Hillary never marries Bill in "Rodham," he remains a massive star in the political heavens, influencing the orbits of everything around him. He's the supremely manipulative country bumpkin grinning his victims into submission. And as an extra bonus, "Rodham'' captures Trump better than any other novel has so far. Sittenfeld showcases the real estate developer in all his bombastic narcissism and self-delusion. It's an astounding, slaying parody, while also, mercifully, offering us a future that avoids today's ever-expanding disaster.

The novel's exculpatory impulse exacts a cost, though. As a study of sexism and American politics, "Rodham" is rich. But as a character study, it knows everything. That leaves little distance between the narrator and her words in which we can sense the mysteries of an actual mind. In that sense, "Rodham" mimics Hillary's own careful presentation of herself. Perhaps what I'm tempted to call a flaw is merely another element of the novel's verisimilitude.

In a moment of introspection, Hillary looks back and wonders what might have been. "Was there a version of me that existed in a parallel universe?" she wonders. "If I'd married Bill, would I now be Hillary Clinton? Hillary Rodham-Clinton?"

Alas, yes.
CHICAGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on MarketsandMarkets report, "COVID-19 Impact on Gas Sensors Market By Technology (Electrochemical, MOS, IR, Catalytic, Laser), End-use Industry, and Region - Global Forecast To 2021", the global Gas Sensors Market size is projected to decline from USD 1,025 million in 2020 to USD 1,016 million by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of -0.9% during the forecast period.





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Electrochemical gas sensing technology segment is projected to lead the gas sensors market during the forecast period.

Based on technology, the electrochemical gas sensing technology segment is expected to lead the gas sensors industry during the forecast period. Electrochemical gas sensors measure the concentration of a target gas by oxidizing or reducing the target gas at an electrode and measuring the resulting current. These sensors use less power and are less affected by changes in temperature and pressure than others. In addition, these sensors are resistant to interference.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical & healthcare segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on end-use industry, the medical & healthcare segment is expected to register the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2021. The use of gas sensors is increasing due to their versatility, necessity in the detection of harmful gases, and proper functioning of establishments. In the medical & healthcare sector, gas sensors are used in the manufacturing of critical care equipment such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and other respiratory systems. Increasing demand for these types of equipment in this current situation is also a driver for gas sensors in the industry.

Browse in-depth TOC on "COVID-19 Impact on Gas Sensors Market"

15  Tables

8  Figures

65  Pages



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APAC is projected to register highest demand between 2020 and 2021 owing to presence of large medical equipment manufacturing base.

The gas sensors market in APAC is estimated to be the largest in the world. APAC has a large manufacturing base for medical instruments, equipment, and devices. Increasing requirement of these medical supplies from other COVID effected economies is boosting the production of gas sensors in the region. In addition, APAC has a broad base for oil refining, petrochemical processing, chemical processing, food & beverage processing, and others, which further supports the growth of gas sensors in the region.

Honeywell Analytics (US), MSA Safety (US), Amphenol (US), Figaro (Japan), and Alphasense (UK) are some of the leading gas sensors market players benefitting due to rise in demand in this COVID-19 scenario. Donations, increased production, supply chain remodeling, and new product development were the major growth strategies adopted by the market players during this period to enhance their regional presence and meet the growing demand for gas sensors in the affected regions.

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COVID-19 Impact on Composites Market by Fiber Type (Glass Fiber, Carbon Fiber and Natural Fiber), Resin (Thermoset Resin and Thermoplastic Resin), End-use Industry and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

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COVID-19 Impact on Packaging Market by Material Type (Plastics/Polymers, Paper & Paperboard, Glass And Metal), Application (Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Household Hygiene, Beauty & Personal Care And Electrical & Electronics) And Region - Global Forecast to 2021

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The Department of Labor and Employment has received an additional 1-billion in funding for its financial assistance program for workers, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed in his eighth weekly report to Congress on his administrations fight against COVID-19.

This was sourced from canceled projects and special purpose funds, 246.13 billion of which has been released to various agencies, including the DOLE.

The DOLE earlier realigned 1.5-billion from its 2020 budget to fund aid for 300,000 more formal workers through its COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program or CAMP.

CAMP, which was first implemented on March 23, provides each worker 5,000 in cash, which will be processed through the payroll systems of their respective companies.

Duterte said in his report that 649,573 workers in the formal sector have received aid through CAMP, where a total of 3.29 billion is allotted.

Of the 246.13 billion in funding released from government savings within the executive department, the largest chunk went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which received 196.04 billion, followed by a 30.82-billion assistance to cities and municipalities through the so-called Bayanihan Grant.

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act allows Duterte to realign funding within the executive department towards the administrations COVID-19 efforts.

CNN Philippines Xave Gregorio contributed to this report.
IT HAS been 480 days and counting that the Chuck E Cheese franchise in Trinidad has remained closed as children under 12 are still not allowed in safe zones.

In October, the Government drafted a safe zone policy that does not allow children under 12 to enter restaurants and other places of leisure.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the Centre's decision to link increased borrowing limits for states under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to the fulfilment of conditions, saying it is against the basic tenants of the federal structure and an "eyewash to befool people".

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, terming the entire economic package a "big zero".

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said on Sunday that the Centre is increasing the borrowing limit under the FRBM Act from three per cent to five per cent.

"But it's only 0.5 per cent. The other 1.5 per cent I will get if I agree to certain conditions which go against the federal system. So it's a big zero... It is an eyewash to befool people," she said.

Terming the conditions put forth in the fifth and final tranche of the economic stimulus package of the Centre an "assault on the federal structure", Banerjee, who is among the most strident critics of the BJP, said for the 1.5 per cent states have to do away with the federal structure.

"We have decided not to bow down and to protect the federal structure. We will protect our government and its rights. We are not like them (BJP) that once the election is over we will forget the poll promises," she said.

The Centre on Sunday raised the borrowing limit of states from three per cent of gross state domestic product (GSDP) to five per cent in 2020-21, which will make available an additional Rs 4.28 lakh crore.

However, part of the increased borrowing limit would be linked to specific reforms -- universalisation of One Nation-One Ration Card, ease of doing business, power distribution and urban local body revenues, Sitharaman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mercy College will hold a Virtual Trustees Scholarship event on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 to continue the tradition of raising scholarship funds for deserving students and recognizing distinguished honorees for their dedication to the Mercy College community.

Thirty-nine years ago, the trustees at Mercy College established a tradition to raise scholarship funds that would open doors for students to realize a life beyond their current circumstances. Now, during the coronavirus pandemic, the need for support is greater than ever. All proceeds from this virtual event, Mercy Colleges largest fundraiser of the year, will fund essential scholarships and student emergency funds that will help students achieve their dreams of a college degree and enter the workforce prepared to serve their communities.

The event is open to everyone and guests are invited to join in the celebration on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. by registering at the following link https://mercy.onlinegalas.com/ and there is no cost to participate. The virtual event will celebrate the many achievements of Mercy College, including the impact alumni have made in their communities while working on the front lines of the pandemic as essential workers in education and health care roles.

The College will celebrate five honorees including Irene Buckley, who recently retired after 39 years at Mercy and most recently served as chief of staff to President Tim Hall, with the Award for Lifetime Achievement; and Marlene Melone Tutera SAS 71, who served in many roles at the former College of New Rochelle, including past chair of the Board of Trustees, Director of Alumnae/i Relations and Director of Housing, with the Inaugural CNR Legacy Award. Samuel Acheampong 20, a cybersecurity major and immigrant from Ghana who has secured a coveted full-time job with ConEdison upon graduation, will receive the Award for Student Achievement. Two companies who have been integral to the Colleges successful operations and expansion will also be honored: Lessings Food Service Management, one of the oldest family-owned food service companies in the country and Mercys food service vendor, and SL Green Realty Corp., the landlord for the MercyManhattan Campus in Herald Square, will both receive the Award for Community Partnership.

For more information please contact Mercy College Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events Alexis McGrath Rothenberg, at (914) 674-7607 or events@mercy.edu.

About Mercy College

Mercy College is the dynamic, diverse New York City area college whose students are on a personal mission: to get the most out of life by getting the most out of their education. Founded in 1950, Mercy is a coeducational and nonsectarian college that offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. With campuses in Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan and Yorktown Heights, the vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region.
"In this unprecedented time, when the nation needs it most, we will bring Americans together as one family to honor our heroes," said Executive Producer Michael Colbert. "This has been the mission of the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT for 30 years, and we look forward to sharing stories and music of support, hope, resilience, and patriotism."

America's national night of remembrance will feature: new appearances and performances by distinguished American statesman General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret); Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner and two-time Oscar nominee, Cynthia Erivo; world-renowned four-time Grammy Award-winning soprano superstar Renee Fleming; country music star and Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry Trace Adkins; Grammy Award-winning gospel legend CeCe Winans; Tony Award-winning Broadway star Kelli O'Hara; Tony Award-nominated actress Mary McCormack; members of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly; and a special message from General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Broadway and television star Christopher Jackson will open the show with a poignant performance of the national anthem. The broadcast will also feature performances from previous concerts by Academy Award-nominated actor Sam Elliott; Oscar nominee and Emmy and Tony-Award winner Laurence Fishburne; and actor/producer/director Esai Morales.

Woven throughout the program will be messages from prominent guest artists of thanks and support for active-duty military, National Guard and Reserve and their families, veterans, and Gold Star families along with first responders, doctors, nurses, grocery clerks, truck drivers, postal workers...all those who are on the front lines, putting their lives at risk now in the fight against this virus. Hosts Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise will also share several powerful segments that highlight stories of generations of ordinary Americans who stepped forward and served our country with extraordinary valor in its most challenging times.

The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs on PBS Sunday, May 24, 2020, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T., as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on Facebook, YouTube and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 24 to June 7, 2020.

Also participating in new and some past selected performances are members from The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Chorus, The U.S. Army Voices and Downrange, The Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, and Service Color Teams provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.

Underwriters

The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT is made possible by grants from the Lockheed Martin Corporation, the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, General Dynamics, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American Airlines.

SOURCE Capital Concerts

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The Victorian government has announced $2.7 billion in funding for building projects across the state, led by about $1.1 billion to build new schools and classrooms.

Some of the $1.18 billion for schools and education will go towards fulfilling previously announced projects, such as the new 3000-student Greater Shepparton Secondary College  one of a total of 10 new schools in growth areas included in the funding  while $114 million will go towards 250 demountable classrooms.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the plan would create 3700 construction jobs. Credit:AAP

More widely there will be $382 million in upgrades for tourism destinations such as new mountain bike trails in the Ararat Hills, along with $328 million for resurfacing and patching roads, repairs at about 15 train stations and 300 kilometres of regional train track works.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he expected the $2.7 billion package to create 3700 construction jobs, many for Victorians out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a significant development towards developing a vaccine for the coronavirus, an American biotechnology company on Monday said its initial vaccine tests in people have shown promising results and can stimulate an immune response against the virus.

Moderna said that the first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in people appeared to be safe, according to a report in The New York Times.

It said the findings are based on results from the first eight healthy volunteers who each received two doses of the vaccine, starting in March.

The people who received the doses made antibodies that were then tested in human cells in the lab, and were able to stop the virus from replicating the key requirement for an effective vaccine.

Further, the levels of those so-called neutralising antibodies matched the levels found in patients who had recovered after contracting the virus in the community.

Moderna has said it is proceeding on an accelerated timetable, with the second phase involving 600 people to begin soon, and a third phase to begin in July involving thousands of healthy people.

The Food and Drug Administration gave Moderna the go-ahead for the second phase earlier this month as the US was ravaged by the virus pandemic.

Globally, 4.7 million people have been infected by the virus and over 315,000 have died.

The NYT report added that if the trials go well, a vaccine could become available for widespread use by the end of this year or early 2021.

Moderna's chief medical officer Dr Tal Zaks said in an interview that the company is doing its best to make as many millions of doses as possible.

The company tested three doses of the vaccine -low, medium and high. The initial results are based on tests of the low and medium doses. The only adverse effect at those doses was redness and soreness in one patient's arm where the shot was given.

At the highest dose, three patients had fever, muscles and headaches and the symptoms went away after a day, Zaks said.

The report said that the high dose is being eliminated from future studies, not so much because of the side effects, but because the lower doses appeared to work so well that the high dose is not needed.

The lower the dose, the more vaccines we'll be able to make, Zaks said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A recent appointment of new directors by the Federal Internal Revenue Service was done in violation of public service rules, a review by PREMIUM TIMES has shown.

The tax agency under its new chairman, Mohammed Nami, recruited four directors in March, but the positions were not advertised as required by federal rules to allow qualified Nigerians to compete. They also violated an internal regulation of the FIRS that would have seen qualified in-house staff take the posts.

The exercise also ignored a controversial 2016 presidential directive that suspended the tenure limit policy of two terms of four years for directors and permanent secretaries in the federal public service.

Mr Nami was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to the post in December 2019. He took over from Tunde Fowler whose first term got mired in a controversy over the amount of tax money the agency generated. A dissatisfied presidency said the FIRS had not collected as much tax as in the past, a criticism Mr Fowler said failed to consider the economic peculiarities of his tenure.

Mr Nami said in a recent interview that he met an agency that had virtually collapsed he had to start rebuilding from scratch. To rebuild, Mr Nami implemented organisation-wide redeployments and hired new hands to strengthen its capacity to deliver its mandate. But in doing so, he brushed aside provisions of the public service rules and the FIRS internal guidelines on hiring to senior positions.

The new chairman began the reorganisation shortly after taking office by unlawfully recruiting four officials who would later become directors and placing them as deputy directors on contract. In March, he retired eight directors and also gave four of those retired new appointments as contract staff. The four contract staff brought in from outside the agency were later confirmed directors within months even when their positions were not advertised.

The rule says those positions should have been filled by qualified FIRS staff, in this case, existing deputy directors. Where there are no qualified in-house personnel PREMIUM TIMES understands FIRS has several qualified deputy directors  then the agency is required by law to advertise the positions. Mr Nami did not do so.

The chairman told staff via a March 24 memo that the decision to retire all directors who had been in that cadre for eight and above years, and to hire new ones, was taken by the FIRS Board at an emergency meeting of March 20.

The retired directors who were given new contracts are Asheikh Maidugu, appointed coordinating director and head, executive chairmans group; Chiaka Okoye appointed group lead, digital support group; Auta Mohammed Bello, appointed special assistant, administration to the executive chairman; and and Kolawole Okunola, named special assistant to the executive chairman, information & communications. Those allowed to go are Kemi Odusanya, Victor Ekundayo, Emmanuel Obeta and Gbolaga Oshiga.

The newly-hired directors are Ahmed Musa (head, finance & accounts department); Abdullahi Ismaila (head, communication & liaison department), Aisha Hamza Mohammed (head, office of executive chairman department), and Ahmed Ndanusa (head, internal affairs & efficiency department). Mr Ndanusa is a former director-general and later chairman of the Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The coordinating directors are Asheikh Maidugu (executive chairmans group); Olufemi Oladeji Oluwaniyi (tax operations group); Innocent Chinyere Ohagwa (general services group), and Ezra Usman Zubairu (enforcement support group). The new group leads are Faosat Oguniyi (compliance support group) and Chiaka Okoye (digital support group). Mustapha Ndaijiwo was named the new special assistant (technical) to the executive chairman. Several dozens of staff were also redeployed across all segments of the organisation.

Violating the rules

Mr Nami said the decisions were guided by the FIRS Human Resource Policies and Processes (HRPP) handbook as an autonomous public entity, and cited paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of the handbook, which deals with FIRS staff exit policy and compulsory retirement.

But the Public Service Rule 02102 says appointments to senior government posts shall be made into available vacancies after due advertisement in the national dailies.

Also, Section 2.22 (1) of the HRPP says: Contract appointment shall only be made where the required skills and competence are not available within the Service.

If there are no person(s) with the relevant experience, qualification, competence and skill from within the system to be appointed, the vacant positions must be advertised in the national newspapers for at least six weeks, if it is an external recruitment, it adds.

There is no evidence the FIRS advertised for the vacant positions of the four directors before they were appointed.

One of the new directors and now head of communications at the agency, Mr Ismaila, told PREMIUM TIMES he and the other three directors were contract staff prior to their appointments and were duly employed based on due process and approval of the FIRS board.

Their appointments followed due process and are in line with the extant laws of the Service, he said in a response to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries seeking his clarifications on the issues. He did not explain why the positions were not made public as required by law.

In reality, Mr Ismailas employment is an example of how Mr Nami circumvented due process and in some cases recruited his loyalists to senior positions.

Mr Ismaila was completing a doctorate programme at the Ahmadu Bello University when Mr Nami was appointed chairman of the tax body. Without the FIRS advertising the positions or implementing competitive recruitment processes, Mr Ismaila was brought on board to the FIRS communication unit as a contract staff at the level of a deputy director. The incumbent head of communications, Wahab Gbadamosi, was at the time a deputy director.

Within four months, Mr Ismaila was made full staff and promoted as director and made head of communications, while Mr Gbadamosi was posted out to the FIRS training institute.

Onyema Omenuwa, the principal counsel of an Abuja-based law firm, Okwubedo-Utchi Chambers, insisted the appointment of the four new directors were in disregard for due process.

FIRS does not exist in a vacuum, as it is a creation of statute. Being so, the law setting it up always provides for the extent of its powers. Otherwise, it will be acting ultra vires its powers, he said.

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One, theirs were external appointments, strictly speaking, because they were contract staff. Does it mean qualified persons dont exist internally to take up the appointments, in accordance with Public Service Rules?

Yet, if no qualified personnel exist, due process would still have been flouted by non-advertisement of the vacancies. What has played out is arbitrary exercise of appointment power by the FIRS. There should be sustained strident condemnation of it, Mr Omenua said.

Presidential directive

In making room for the new hires, staff and lawyers accuse Mr Nami of also ignoring a presidential directive that suspended the tenure limit policy of two terms of four years for directors and permanent secretaries in the federal public service. The policy was to enable qualified public servants to rise to the peak of their careers.

President Muhammadu Buhari implemented the directive via letter No. SH/COS/100/A/1462 of June 17, 2016, and on June 20, 2016, then Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, issued memo No. HCSF/428//S.1//139 to inform heads of federal ministries, departments and agencies of the development.

The decision was widely criticised at the time, yet was not changed.

The FIRS argues that it is not covered by the directive as it is not civil service organisation.

The fact of the matter is that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is not a part of the Civil Service, even though it is a Public Service, Mr Ismaila told PREMIUM TIMES, insisting FIRS Board was not in breach of either the Public Service Rule or any law for that matter, including the HRPP, in retiring the affected directors.

It (FIRS) operates like its sister organizations, like the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation), CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria), CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission), etc. The Act establishing it gives it autonomy to hire and fire.

Mr Ismaila said the retirement of the directors was based on paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of the FIRS HRPP staff handbook, which deals with FIRS staff exit policy and compulsory retirement.

Section 10.1a (ii) of the HRPP pegs the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the Service at 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier. Also, Section 10.1a (iii) adds that  a Director shall compulsorily retire upon serving eight years on the post.

As prescribed, the retired directors had been on that cadre for eight years. Yet, lawyers say a presidential directive was enough to suspend that requirement, and regardless of its controversial nature, it ought to be obeyed.

Also, while the FIRS denies being covered by such directives, Section 1.8.2 of the HRPP says: All extant circulars, directives, notices, orders and other documents amending, giving further details and/or explanations to the provisions of this policy document (HRPP) hereto shall form part of the HRPP and shall equally be binding.

An Abuja-based legal practitioner, George Ukaegbu, who is also the managing partner, Ukaegbu Ukaegbu & Co., said As long as a Federal Establishments circular of general application to all Federal Government workers does not exempt the FIRS, it is bound by it, despite having distinct rules of engagement. If the circular wanted to exempt the FIRS, its content would have said so.

The circular by the Head of Service of the Federation on the tenure policy suspension was expressly copied to the FIRS. So, any action taken contrary to that subsisting circular is illegal, Mr Ukaegbu said.

The lead director, Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said by virtue of the provisions of the HRPP above, the FIRS Board may have misled itself to believe it was on solid legal grounds to take the decision to retire the affected directors.

When that directive suspending the tenure policy in the Federal Service was given by the president, well-meaning Nigerians condemned it. To the best of my knowledge, unpopular as it was, I am not aware it has been reversed yet. To that extent, the FIRS Boards decision was illegal, Mr Onyekpere noted.

The FIRS spokesperson, Mr Ismaila, however, put forward another argument, saying the retirement of the directors was in the public interest, to create vacancies for the existing staff in the Service who have remained stagnated.

The decision to have their replacements from outside the agency contradicts that claim, some staff of the agency said.

Editors Note: This post has been updated to remove a comment attributed to Elijah Okebukola.
The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has announced that it will be the title sponsor of Scott Albergs monthly harness racing handicapping contest on Facebook.

Scott Alberg, the 2006 National Harness Handicapping Champion, who also has numerous other handicapping titles, has been a Standardbred owner in the past, and has agreed to partner with USHWA as the contests new title sponsor.

I am looking so forward to having USHWA as our title sponsor, Alberg said. I know that, with the support of USHWA, our monthly contests are going to become very popular with the harness racing community and I can bet you it will draw some new faces to our sport, too!

The first contest will be held on the opening day of the first pari-mutuel track that begins racing in North America: Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio, this Friday (May 22). One race will be selected from the Scioto Downs Friday program, and contestants can enter free of charge.

Contestants must select the correct exacta in order for a chance to win one of three prizes given away in each contest. If more than three correct answers are submitted, a drawing will take place with all the correct winners and the first three names drawn will win a prize.

Prizes will consist of "swag bags"  magazine subscriptions and other items being donated from racetracks and harness racing organizations throughout North America, and will be different each month. The first contest prizes will be swag bags of items from the Hambletonian Society.

To enter the contest, fans must go to Scott Albergs Facebook page, where the contest will be prominently displayed. Alberg, as he has done in the past, will run the contests. All contest winners will have their name posted after the event and the ranking they finished in from the prize drawings.

Being partnered with Scott Alberg is a great opportunity for USHWA, said Kim Rinker, USHWA President. USHWAs social media team is committed to publicizing harness racing on numerous platforms to help bring new fans into our sport.

USHWA will also be promoting the monthly contest not only on Facebook, but with press releases and via Twitter and Instagram.

For more information check out Scott Albergs Facebook Page, USHWAs Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram accounts or the new USHWA website at www.usharnesswriters.com.

(USHWA)
SelectQuote Inc. said on Friday it was looking to raise about $342 million in an initial public offering that could value the owner of the insurance policy comparison website at more than $3 billion.

The company will offer about 18 million shares at between $17 and $19 per share, with selling stockholders offering another 7 million shares, taking the overall amount expected to be raised to about $475 million.

Overland Park, Kansas-based SelectQuote allows consumers to compare insurance policies for life, auto and home insurance from providers including American International Group, Prudential Financial Inc and Liberty Mutual.

While using websites to compare and buy insurance products is commonplace around the world, the U.S. insurance industry has been slower to embrace technology as means of bypassing traditional insurance brokers.

Missouri Insurance Firm Gets $5M to Move 1 Mile, Into Kansas The incentive package also calls for 290 full-time jobs to be created over five years. SelectQuote to Hire 150-Plus in West Des Moines, Iowa SelectQuote said it is filling the positions as part of plan to add more than 1,000 staffers across the company.

SelectQuotes IPO filing comes as the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to lower rates for many insurance lines, giving policyholders the opportunity to switch insurers at their next renewal.

For the year 2019, SelectQuotes net income more than doubled to $72.6 million from a year earlier. In the same period, its revenue jumped 44% to $337.5 million.

Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Evercore ISI and RBC Capital Markets were among the lead underwriters for the offering.

Entities Associated with Brookside Equity Partners owned around 22% of the company before the offering, SelectQuote said in a filing.

SelectQuote was founded in 1985 by Charan Singh, who currently serves as its chairman. Tim Danker has been chief executive officer of SelectQuote since 2017, according to the companys website.

(Reporting by Abhishek Manikandan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Things are going from bad to worse for Huawei as the US government doubles down on its apparent crusade to prevent the Chinese tech giant from operating in the States. Following the further tightening of export controls on Huaweis access to American equipment and software, one of its biggest providers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has stopped taking orders from the company, which means sourcing chips for its devices is set to become a serious challenge.

Under the new legislation, foreign chipmakers producing chips from designs by Huawei and using American design tools and hardware will have to apply for a licence from the US Commerce Department  given the ongoing security concerns the US has over Huawei, its fair to say that such licenses will not be easily obtained. The rule will take effect in 120 days, with any outstanding orders allowed to be fulfilled provided the shipment is completed by September 14th.

US officials have taken a dim view of Huawei  and indeed other Chinese tech companies  for a long time. Back in 2008 the company dropped a bid for 3Com after the US revealed it planned to investigate whether the deal would give China access to anti-hacking technology used by the Defense Department. In 2011, those security concerns meant the company was excluded from the creation of the dedicated first responder wireless network, and then in October 2012 a Congress report claimed that Huawei couldnt be trusted, citing dubious connections with the Chinese government, corruption and bribery, among other misdeeds. Huawei denied such accusations.

Fast-forward to more recent times, and Huawei remains Americas  or at least President Trumps  persona non grata. In 2018, the Defense Authorization Act came into law, preventing US government employees, contactors and agencies from using Huawei tech, and then in 2019, the decisive blow: President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency banning sales and use of telecom equipment that poses "unacceptable" risks to national security, including critical infrastructure and the online economy. In other words, Huawei was banned.

The repercussions for the company were immediate. In the wake of the ban, American chipmakers Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Xilinx backed off, as did UK-based chip designer ARM, leaving Huawei without access to vital components. US pressure on its allies meant that other countries followed suit, even when their own investigations suggested Huawei represented little threat. Meanwhile, the likes of Verizon and AT&T dropped Huawei products entirely.

At this juncture, Huawei  while vocal about its perceived victimization  remained cautiously optimistic about the situation, signing a deal with TSMC and announcing plans for its own operating system, Hongmeng, which would serve to sidestep the problems resulting from Googles departure from the brand. (China itself, however, did not respond well to the situation, creating its own unreliable entities list in retaliation). At one point, it looked like Huawei might even be given some kind of reprieve, after President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed a deal that would remove some restrictions on Huawei in the US. However, this supposed truce came amid a wider and rapidly-escalating trade war, the potential ramifications of which could have had major impact on Americas economy.

But its now 2020, and its more apparent than ever that there is no redemption for Huawei. Earlier in the year, Trump signed a bill to help rural carriers replace Huawei gear, while over in Europe carrier Vodafone announced it was removing Huawei equipment from its networks. The company unsurprisingly revealed a very bleak sales forecast for the year (despite its best efforts leveraging technical loopholes), and then last week, Huaweis ban was extended until May 2021. So for Huawei, it must have felt like the US Commerce Department was pouring salt in the wound when just days later, it announced the new rules which has ultimately left it without a chip provider.

TSMC had been something of a lifeline for Huawei, although thats not to say the move wont have an impact TSMC, too. Huawei was its second-largest customer, accounting for some 15 to 20 percent of its revenue, according to Nikkei Asian Review. However, its probably no coincidence that on the very same day that the Commerce Department made its announcement, TSMC  whose number one customer is Apple  revealed that its opening a new $12 billion chip facility in Arizona, with state and US federal government support. The foundry will allow more of TSMCs American customers to make their chips domestically, so in short, theyll be alright in the long-run.

For Huawei, however, the situation is more precarious than ever, and the company is, understandably, more than a little upset. In a statement reported on The Verge, Huawei rotating chairman Guo Ping hit back at the latest developments with a few choice words. The US government still persists in attacking Huawei, but what will that bring to the world? he said. The company added in an official statement that, This decision was arbitrary and pernicious, and threatens to undermine the entire industry worldwide. The statement concludes in a resigned tone. We expect that our business will inevitably be affected. We will try all we can to seek a solution.

But the company is swiftly running out of potential solutions. The company has previously hinted at switching its chip supply to Samsung  although whether Samsung would enter into such a partnership considering the wider situation is another question. Domestic chip production is another option  Chinas Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has just received a $2.2 billion investment from the Chinese government. However, compared to the likes of Intel, Qualcomm and indeed TSMC, theres no way SMIC could manage Huaweis large-scale demands. And production volumes aside, its tech is still slightly behind the curve. As The Verge reports, SMIC started mass production of HiSilicons Kirin 710A processor on its 14nm node just last week, while TSMC is expected to progress to a more advanced 5nm method later this year.

Even if Huawei does find a logistical solution to its chip nightmare, the damage this ongoing affair has caused the brand cannot be underestimated, nor can its impact on the global tech landscape  or at least Huawei thinks so. As its statement notes, In the long run, this will damage the trust and collaboration within the global semiconductor industry which many industries depend on, increasing conflict and loss within these industries. The US is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders. This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in US technology and supply chains. Ultimately, this will harm US interests.
Over 400 Hiscox insurance policyholders have been given the green light by lawyers to begin legal action against the company over its refusal to pay out on business interruption policies related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of the Hiscox Action Group could stand to win around 40million in claims against Hiscox should they emerge victorious from the case, which is being led by Silver Circle law firm Mishcon De Reya and financed by litigation funder Harbour.

The core of the pressure group's argument is their belief that the Business Interruption (BI) policies they took out with Hiscox mean they are entitled to recoup any losses arising from the Covid-19 outbreak and that, consequently, the insurer is wrong to deny its claims.

Hiscox has already admitted it expects to pay out between 120m and 142m if travel restrictions and social distancing measures are kept in place until October

On its website, it states: 'Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic many businesses, both SMEs and larger companies, have had to temporarily cease trading and have believed that their BI Insurance policy with Hiscox would cover these losses.

'The specific wording in the BI extension should respond in this situation, and the consensus is that Hiscox is wrong in denying claims.

'Our goal is to hold Hiscox Insurance to account and to take any action necessary to ensure that Hiscox Insurance is forced to pay out on thousands of valid BI insurance claims.'

The Bermuda-based insurer has already admitted it expects to award between 120million and 142million for event cancellations if travel restrictions and social distancing measures are kept in place until October.

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc is among those who have consulted lawyers over Hiscox's refusal to disburse business interruption payments.

Blanc's Brasserie Bar Co employs around 1,400 staff, but his restaurants have been closed since the government introduced lockdown measures in March, which have effectively prevented people from eating out at dining establishments.

Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc is among those who have consulted lawyers over Hiscox's refusal to disburse business interruption payments

In response to the various allegations against them, Hiscox has argued that some of its BI policies do not cover the Covid-19 disease. A spokeswoman for the company said:

'We understand these are difficult times for businesses, and we are paying claims that are covered by the policies we issue fairly and quickly.

'As the [Financial Conduct Authority] has said, most UK small business policies across the industry do not cover pandemics.

Lloyd's of London estimates that insurers could lose 164bn from the Covid-19 pandemic

She added: 'As we have said previously, we welcome all steps to expedite resolution of any dispute and we look forward to working with policyholders to achieve this.'

Simon Ager, of the Hiscox Action Group (HAG), said: 'Everyone has been working really hard to move this claim forward.

'For many of our members, this insurance is the difference between survival and bankruptcy, and we are determined that they should get the money they are entitled to as soon as possible.'

It said Mishcon de Reya's lawyers have also suggested that the group may be able to pursue their claim through the Enterprise Act.

Last week, Lloyds of London warned that compensation coming from Covid-19 related claims could cost them 3.5billion, which they said was 'far in excess' of those paid out after 9/11 and other major disasters.

The corporate body estimated that the insurance industry could end up losing 164billion from the coronavirus.

Hiscox's shares were down half a per cent around mid-afternoon at 696.5p.
The FBI found links between al Qaeda and the Saudi terrorist who killed three US sailors in Florida after cracking the military trainee's iPhones, attorney general William Barr said.

The direct link between Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, and al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operative Abdullah al-Maliki led to a counter-terrorism operation in Yemen that left the group "seriously degraded".

While Mr Barr would not confirm whether the operation was an airstrike, he said he was "very pleased with the results".

FBI Director Christopher Wray said that evidence from the iPhones showed that Alshamrani was radicalised as far back as 2015, and he expressed to join the Saudi Air Force to carry out what he called a "special operation".

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force on the base as part of a US Navy training program when he killed three and wounded eight others in December last year.

He was killed following the 15-minute shooting spree, in which he shot at a photo of Donald Trump and made statements critical of American soldiers overseas.

"We now know that Alshamrani continued to associate with AQAP even while living in Texas and in Florida; and that in the months before the attack, while he was here among us, he talked with AQAP about his plans and tactics--taking advantage of the information he acquired here, to assess how many people he could try to kill," Mr Wray said.

"We have more to learn. But we know enough now to see Alshamrani for what he was--a determined AQAP terrorist, who spent years preparing to attack us."

Mr Wray said Alshamrani was meticulous in his planning, which included:

Making pocket-cam videos as he cased his classroom building.

Wrote a final will, purporting to explain himself, and saved in his phone. It was the same will the AQAP released two months later when they initially claimed responsibility.

He coordinated with AQAP about planning and tactics

He was helping the organisation make the most it could out of the murders.

He continued to confer with his AQAP associates up until the night before the shootings

In February, the Islamist militant group AQAP claimed responsibility for the attack but the access to the iPhones provided the first direct evidence of the connection.

The decryption heads off a confrontation between Apple and the Justice Department, which had been critical of the company for not comprising its customers' privacy in the interests of national security.

It was not clarified how the FBI cracked Apple's encryption security, but they said the technique was a limited application and was not a fix for the "broader Apple problem".

Mr Barr said it was clear that the phones contained important information as Alshamrani disengaged from the gunfight long enough to fire a bullet into one of the phones.

"We asked Apple for assistance, and the president asked Apple for assistance, unfortunately, Apple would not help us unlock the phones," Mr Barr said.

"Apple had deliberately designed them so that only the user, in this case, the terrorist, could gain access to their contents."
[May 18, 2020]

Check an Influencer's or Brand's Instagram Account and Content Quality With InstaCheck by Combin

BADEN-BADEN, Germany, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Combin has released a new service - InstaCheck, an Instagram account audit for individuals, brands and influencers. With InstaCheck, Combin intends to help entrepreneurs, influencers and regular Instagram users enhance their Instagram marketing by offering a thorough review and exclusive advice given by Combin social media experts.

The innovative feature of the audit is that it is run by an AI and a human expert, not by artificial intelligence or a bot alone.

"The idea behind InstaCheck was to help those who want to monetize their Instagram accounts realize what works for teir profiles and what doesn't," says Anna Semyanova, Combin social media expert and an InstaCheck analyst.







InstaCheck allows advertisers to examine their own accounts' or influencer's quality, and influencers can prove their trustworthiness to brands after the audit. The report compiles an overall profile review, caption, hashtags, and engagement analysis, content examination and posts ideas, and an analysis of branding, tone of voice and aesthetics.

Users can apply for the InstaCheck audit now.

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View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/check-an-influencers-or-brands-instagram-account-and-content-quality-with-instacheck-by-combin-301060477.html

SOURCE Combin.com
Pandemic will end in 2022 only ifHere is what the WHO chief said

COVID-19 deaths, hospitalisations and lockdowns could be over this year, says WHO

India joins 62 nations to seek probe into outbreak of coronavirus

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 18: India has joined 62 other nations in backing an EU motion at the World Health Assembly for an independent inquiry into the outbreak of the coronavirus. The meeting will take place today.

The motion seeks an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international health response under the World Health Organisation to COVID-19 along with a timeline.

Health Ministry issues additional guidelines on rational use of PPEs in non-COVID-19 hospitals

The motion is expected to be passed unanimously and there was no objection to it, even by China and the United States. The US and China have however not joined the 62 nations that have declared support to the motion.

Sources tell OneIndia that the motion calls for WHO to work with international agencies to identify the zoonotic source of the virus. It also seeks to find the route of introduction to human population and the possible role of intermediate hosts.

India, will take over the chair of the WHO executive board on Monday. India has avoided lending support to any demand to put China in the dock for the origin of the virus.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he doesn't think the special prosecutor reviewing the origins of the FBI's Russia probe will investigate former president Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden.

Barr also criticized "increasing attempts to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon."

"The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one's political opponents based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr said. "This is not a good development."

The attorney general's remarks drew backlash from national security veterans who lambasted him for criticizing politically motivated investigations while acting as a legal shield for Trump.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Attorney General William Barr said on Monday that he doesn't think John Durham, the independent prosecutor reviewing the origins of the FBI's Russia probe, will investigate former president Barack Obama or former vice president Joe Biden.

Barr's comments came as President Donald Trump and his loyalists double down on accusing the Obama administration of masterminding the Russia investigation to sabotage Trump's presidency.

During a news conference about last year's shooting at a US military base in Florida, a reporter asked Barr about Trump's renewed allegations against Obama, which the president has dubbed "Obamagate."

Without specifically naming Trump, Barr criticized "increasing attempts to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon."

"The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one's political opponents based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr said. "This is not a good development."

According to The Washington Post, Barr then shot down the suggestion that the prosecutor reviewing the roots of the Russia probe, John Durham, would investigate Obama or Biden.

Story continues

"As to President Obama and Vice President, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," Barr said. "Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others."

He did not elaborate on who Durham is zeroing in on.

Barr's remarks drew some backlash from national security veterans who lambasted the attorney general for criticizing politically motivated investigations while acting as a legal shield for Trump.

"The news isn't that Obama and Biden won't be investigated. The news is that unidentified 'others' ARE being targeted in what appears to amount to a politically-motivated DoJ probe, which seeks to impugn the previous administration and exonerate Moscow," wrote Ned Price, the former senior director of the National Security Council.

"I don't expect this will keep Trump from continuing to malign Biden & Obama," Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor, tweeted. "Trump got what he wanted from Barr's investigations & Barr was a willing participant in the politicization of the Justice Department."

The attorney general has repeatedly raised eyebrows by saying he will not cave to pressure from the president despite repeatedly giving in to his public demands and overseeing an internal investigation targeting Trump's perceived political foes.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department abruptly moved to drop its case against Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. The decision came after Barr appointed an outside prosecutor to review the case. In January, senior DOJ officials also intervened in the case to ask for a more lenient sentence.

In February, Barr and senior leadership overrode the sentencing recommendation that career prosecutors handling the federal case against Trump's associate, Roger Stone, made to a court. The decision prompted all four prosecutors who worked on the case to withdraw as counsel for the government.

Barr announced that the DOJ was setting up an "intake process" to vet the information that Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, collects from Ukraine against Biden, one of Trump's 2020 Democratic rivals.

Last year, Barr inserted himself into the FBI's Russia investigation to clear Trump of obstruction of justice, despite the fact that the special counsel Robert Mueller's team specified that if they had confidence the president did not commit a crime, they would have said so.

The attorney general has also publicly parroted the conspiratorial language Trump uses to refer to the career officials who oversaw the Russia probe. Last year, Barr accused the FBI of "spying" on the Trump campaign, despite the fact that the DOJ inspector general found no evidence to support the conspiracy theory, dubbed "Spygate," that Trump originated.

Barr also went out of his way to insist that there was "no collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia, even though "collusion" is not a legal term.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Police Arrests 50-Year-Old Man For Allegedly Raping His Daughter For 8 Years In Lagos

A 50-year-old man has been arrested in Lagos state for allegedly raping his 19-year-old daughter since she was 11.

This was made known by the spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, Bala Elkana, who revealed that the suspect was arrested after his 45-year-old wife reported the matter at the Ikotun police station.

The suspects incestuous behaviour was discovered by his wife after she noticed their daughter was being disrespectful towards her father.

The woman was said to have asked her daughter what was wrong and she opened up to her mum that her father has been raping her since she was 11.

The victim said her father threatened violence on her each time she resisted him. She also disclosed that the father instilled so much fear in her that she found it difficult to report to anybody.

The suspect was arrested by detectives from the Family Support Unit, and he went on to confess to committing the crime.

After a thorough investigation the suspect was charged to Chief Magistrate Court ll Ogba on five counts of incest, rape, sexual harassment, defilement and sexual assault on May 11.

The suspect has been detained, while the court adjourned the case for further hearing until June 15, 2020.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

Trend:

We have major plans related to the modernization of energy infrastructure, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev during a videoconference with CISCOs Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kramer, Vice President Guy Diedrich and other executives of CISCO, Trend reports.

You rightly noted that we used your remarkable equipment to organize two important events. I can say that from a technical point of view, both events went well, although it was not easy. While the Summit of Turkic-Speaking States covered only a few countries, the second event brought together more than 40 participants. International organizations were also present there. By the way, the Non-Aligned Movement and the European Union participated in one event together for the first time. This had never happened before. Azerbaijan initiated these two important international events. Of course, both of them were associated with coronavirus and the fight against it at the international level. I can tell you that technical support was excellent. Thank you for this opportunity. We are currently using this opportunity to speak to you. By the way, I can tell you that I have spoken with colleagues, i.e. heads of state, several times using your excellent system. However, this is the first time I have talked with company executives in this way. I think it is a pleasant coincidence that this happens to be CISCO, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state noted that this demonstrates a very close and strategic partnership between our countries.

The first company I have such a conversation with represents the United States. In fact, let me tell you that I received a letter from President Trump yesterday. He congratulated me and the Azerbaijani people on the upcoming Republic Day. In his message, President Trump writes that the United States and Azerbaijan have cooperated for nearly 30 years to strengthen international security, diversification of energy supplies and political reforms. In the letter, he emphasizes that our two great states will do even more work in the future. This is a very important manifestation of friendship between the USA and Azerbaijan. As for the issues you have mentioned, we have already discussed them before. I am glad that we have made great progress since our meeting in Davos. My team informs me that work in these areas, in particular in the field of the Smart City project we discussed, is going well. And now you have come up with the idea of a Smart Country, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that along with urban infrastructure, transportation, parking lots and some other urban infrastructure, there is also a global concept of a Smart Country, which we fully support.

It covers, as you said, education, cyber security, healthcare and, as we have already discussed, I would add agriculture and management of water resources. I will come back to this. However, I was first informed about your cooperation with Quantela. Of course, we fully support this. I think it would be very useful to do a full study of the agenda, a kind of a roadmap to develop the Smart Country project. After that, the picture will become completely clear. A plan of upcoming actions will be ready, the final result will be determined and we will know what resources will need to be collected to achieve that. In the current situation, interconnected schools and the support you provide to the educational program are very important, because I want to inform you that our schools and universities have been closed due to coronavirus since the beginning of March and definitely will not open until the end of the school year. We also need to see how the situation with the coronavirus will develop. Today it is under control, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state noted that the number of dead is very low and thanks to serious restrictive measures, the number of infections is relatively low.

However, we can say that, like all countries of the world, we are now in the process of lifting the restrictions. Therefore, the possibilities for distance education are very important. If we have a system that provides full connectivity for all schools, this will be a great opportunity. In this case, as you said, Azerbaijan will become one of the leading countries. As for the issue related to cyber security, we have discussed it before. As we previously discussed and as I noted, the main goal on the new reforms agenda is to increase gross domestic product, create jobs and use innovative technologies for this, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that in the current conditions of the coronavirus, these issues are very important because it is possible to say that the gross domestic product of all countries has been affected.

At the same time, in four months of this year, our gross domestic product grew by 0.2 percent. We appreciate that this indicator is likely to drop next month. Things in the industrial sector are better. Growth in our non-energy industry exceeds 13 percent. Of course, coronavirus strikes at gross domestic product and jobs. We will certainly calculate growth of unemployment, but we have engaged a very serious economic and social package in the amount of 2 billion euros to prevent it. We are doing this to protect people who have lost their jobs in sectors of the economy that are completely closed today. For example, tourism. It is currently at zero level. In a word, these issues are of the greatest importance today. I believe we will focus on that. In addition to the issues just raised, I believe we can work in other areas too. I know that you are already in contact with us on issues related to digitalization of agriculture. In the current situation of the falling oil price, this sector will become one of the leading ones. Therefore, agriculture means employment, food security and exports, said Azerbaijans president.

The head of state noted that to achieve tangible results, Azerbaijan must have a system of very serious electronic control over water resources.

I have recently signed an order establishing a special state commission led by the deputy prime minister. It has already started to operate. Many ministers are members of this commission because we have suffered major losses. Last year we also faced a severe drought. It is expected this year too, though not as severe but it is an unpredictable phenomenon. Weather conditions change suddenly. Thus, the correct assessment of water resources, the determination of project priorities, electronic management of water resources and balance are the most important issues for us in the coming years, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that considering the fact that most of the infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan have already been completed, this will be the number one infrastructure project.

As a result of its implementation, we will ensure control over water resources, management and equal distribution. One of the biggest concerns here is that when distributing water resources, local executive bodies sometimes do this in an unequal manner, as a result of which a group of companies gets an unreasonable advantage. This injustice, in turn, creates serious difficulties. Therefore, I believe that this issue can also be included on our agenda. Thus, we will have a clear idea of what work needs to be done in the future. I think that our discussion today has been extremely important and encouraging. Thank you once again for supporting these initiatives. In an effort to modernize our country, we held numerous discussions, and everyone understands that this would be impossible without modern technologies. Therefore, I think that everything we discussed today will be implemented because all our previously planned initiatives have already been implemented. Returning to water management, you correctly noted the issue of water losses. We also have such a problem. Sometimes water losses in Azerbaijan account for 40 or even 50 percent. We not only lose water, but also harm the soil, because it is washed out and becomes unsuitable for agriculture. I think that by joining forces and using your experience, we can achieve great success in increasing yields, said President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state pointed out that we have limited resources of fertile land.

We must increase yields in order to provide ourselves with agricultural produce and increase exports. And this is possible only by using state-of-the-art technology. I believe that after the structure of a new format for our cooperation is officially determined, we should have a short-term implementation plan because we need these issues a lot. Security is the number one issue in the modern world. It includes the issue of energy security. Therefore, the importance of protection from cyber attacks will increase even more for us. Recently, during the pandemic, I took part in the opening of the AzerEnergy operational center. All operating systems, including SCADA, are functioning there. We have major plans related to the modernization of energy infrastructure. By reconstructing and renovating the existing power plants, we were able to achieve an increase in electricity production of at least 600 megawatts. In other words, by increasing efficiency only through resource optimization, we received large generating capacities. So this will be a priority for us, of course. With regard to healthcare, everyone understands that this is an important factor in the successful fight against coronavirus, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that along with all the restrictive and organizational measures, doctors treating patients play the key role here.

Therefore, our healthcare system was restructured in the shortest possible time. We made our best hospitals available to patients with coronavirus. Currently, more than 20 hospitals are in use. I can say that the cause of high mortality in some countries is the shortage of beds in hospitals. They physically cannot accept all patients. In case of a second wave of coronavirus in Azerbaijan, we have enough additional beds. Thus, modernization of the healthcare system is more important than ever because no-one knows how long coronavirus will spread, said President Ilham Aliyev.
New Delhi :

Red Fort, the 17th century monument from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 70th Independence Day tomorrow, and adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to-ground security cover with hawk-eye vigil being maintained across the entire national capital.



Thousands of security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, have been deployed to ensure foolproof security in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people.



A multi-layer security has also been thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day-long cultural festival Bharat Parv is underway. All the government buildings, including North Block and South Block, are being illuminated after sunset in the run up to August 15.



At Red Fort, a special team of NSG snipers and commandos will form the inner layers of the security cordon while anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles, senior police officials said.



Delhi Police has already prohibited aerial activities, including para-gliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons, across the city till October 10.



Also, police are surveying the areas in the vicinity of the Red Fort and have collected details of over 9,000 people residing there. The buildings facing the Red Fort will be secured by police and paramilitary personnel.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Americans will be expelled from Iraq and Syria, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, renewing Irans demand for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from the Middle East.

Iran almost got into a full-blown conflict with the United States when a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3, prompting Tehran to retaliate with a missile barrage against a U.S. base in Iraq days later.

Khamenei said Americas actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria had led to them being hated, according to a transcript of a speech to students published on his website.

The Americans wont stay in Iraq and Syria and will be expelled, Khamenei said.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had instructed the U.S. Navy to fire on any Iranian ships that harass it at sea, but said later he was not changing the militarys rules of engagement.

After Trumps statement, the head of Irans elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said that the Islamic Republic would destroy U.S. warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf.
The U.S. Supreme Court justices declined on Monday to review a federal courts ruling that had allowed Canadian miner Crystallex to take over shares of U.S. refiner Citgo in compensation for US$1.4 billion for the expropriation of assets in Venezuela.

U.S. refiner Citgo is the crown jewel in the holdings of Venezuelas state oil firm PDVSA, but the rejection of the Supreme Court to hear Venezuelas arguments for appeal of the previous ruling could mean that Venezuela is now even closer to losing control over Citgo than before, according to Bloomberg.

Citgo Petroleum Corp is one of the largest oil refineries in the United States. Its current operations are managed by two dueling boards of directorsone appointed by Nicolas Maduro and one appointed by Juan Guaidothe opposition leader recognized as the legitimate president by the U.S. and 50 other countries  and both are digging in over the power struggle for Venezuelas U.S.-based refinery that rakes in US$30 billion in revenue.

In the summer of 2019, a U.S. federal appeals court rejected PDVSAs appeal to knock down an earlier court order that allowed Crystallex to take over Citgo shares in compensation for US$1.4 billion for the expropriation of assets in Venezuela.

Venezuela has long argued that Citgo should be immune from the billions in debt that Venezuela has accrued on the grounds that they are two separate entities, but U.S. courts disagree, ruling that PDVSA and Citgos U.S.-based parent company PDV Holding did not show adequate separation from the Venezuelan government, which has accrued billions in debt with multiple parties.

The Republic of Venezuela had appealed at the U.S. Supreme Court the Third Circuit courts decision from last year to allow Crystallex to claim its compensation, saying that the seizing of Citgo shares would be a conflict under federal sovereign immunity law.

Still, Crystallex would need a U.S. sanctions waiver to execute its claim, an adviser for Juan Guaido told Reuters last year after the court allowed it to proceed with claiming its compensation award.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Sydney needs to "pick winners" for advanced manufacturing sites as global companies show investment interest during the coronavirus pandemic, the new chief of the Greater Sydney Commission says.

Describing a near-600,000 fall in the number of workers last month nationally as catastrophic, chief commissioner Geoff Roberts said momentum had shifted in the past two months in some sectors in Sydney, including banking, financial technology, tourism and international education.

"[Large global banks] really have returned to their HQs wherever they are in the world," he said.

Sydney has lost momentum in some sectors, such as banking. Credit:Kate Geraghty

However, he said the companies increasingly favouring Sydney as a city to invest in were those in advanced manufacturing such as aerospace and defence, medical-device making, freight and logistics and agribusiness, citing Sydney's relative stability and highly trained workforce as drawcards.
Even as Arizonas stay-home order is lifted, long-term-care facilities are being told to prepare for what could be a surge of new COVID-19 cases.

Over the weekend, businesses across the county reopened with new guidelines and community members seemingly took advantage of the opportunity to shop, drink and play. But the Pima County Health Department is encouraging long-term-care facilities and other congregate settings to continue being aggressive in their actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Long-term-care facilities, home to some of the countys most vulnerable residents, have been hit hard by the virus since the first case was detected in March. As of May 13, 84 long-term-care residents and one staff member have died from COVID-19, representing nearly 60% of the countys total virus deaths.

While as a county we are seeing a flattening of the curve, I think that as restrictions are loosened, were bound to see small surges and increased transmission in our community, which is just more of a reason for us to be mindful of our long-term-care residents and ensuring that as community transmission potentially increases, that those infections dont make their way into long-term-care facilities, said Kate Ellingson, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Arizona.

According to Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department, it will take several weeks for public health officials to detect an increase in transmission following the end of the stay-home order. This is largely due to incubation periods and testing lags.
The family of late President Umaru Musa YarAdua has donated food and personal protective gear to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to support the battle against COVID-19 pandemic in the territory.

Presenting the supplies, representative of the family, Shehu YarAdua, commended the doggedness of all the health workers.

The health workers dedication to service at this challenging times should serve as an example to other professional bodies, Mr YarAdua said.

Mr YarAdua, also commended the efforts of the federal government, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) FCT Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for their diligence in service.

My family, NGO, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation and I extend our deepest respect and gratitude to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the FCT administration, NCDC, and to all those working in the healthcare profession for their selfless commitment and diligence as they undertake vitally important roles in our countrys fight against the ongoing pandemic.

In difficult times, we often discover the best in ourselves, the dedication to service of doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other health workers, in these challenging times, is an example to us all, Mr YarAdua said.

Receiving the items on behalf of the FCT Administration, Minister of State, Ramatu Aliyu, commended the YarAdua family for the kind gesture, stressing that the move would be exemplary to other notable families in the country.

READ ALSO:

We are happy to receive our former first family, eminently represented by three eminent sons. This donation will no doubt go a long way to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on residents of the territory and by extension, entire Nigerians.

To me it is special because it is exemplary. This is a way to tell others that you can move out of your comfort zone to touch lives.

 In touching lives, you will not know that the little gesture may go a long way also to assist other people. This is telling us that they do care in the performance of their corporate social responsibility, she said.

The items donated include, 1000 pieces of N95 face masks, 13,000 pieces of surgical masks, 1,800 bars of soaps, 23,100 sachets of detergent, 100 cartons of macaroni, 100 bags of semovita and 100 bags of rice.

(NAN)
By Toni Lynn Davis

Much has been said about long-term care facilities recently. It is true that these facilities, which care for some of the states sickest and most vulnerable residents, have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 cases and sadly, in some instances, there have been deaths.

No community is immune to the threat of the novel coronavirus. However, what has been much less discussed is the care and compassion provided by the employees of long-term care facilities, and the grieving that takes place when a resident passes away.

The presence of residents with coronavirus at any long-term care facility does not signal a problem or shortcoming within a facility  nor does it diminish the tireless dedication of the staff members and health care workers employed in a facility.

Nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other similar facilities play a vital and valuable role within the health care continuum. We need these facilities to be available, prepared and willing to welcome older adults and others with COVID-19. These individuals deserve a place to receive quality care after being released from the hospital, and we are proud to be that caring place.

But sadly, COVID-19 knows no boundaries.

The frail and aging residents of New Jersey who live in long-term care facilities often require a level of attention and care that family members and friends can no longer provide. It is not an easy decision to move a mother or father or other loved one out of the home they know and into an unfamiliar environment. The compassionate health care workers employed by long-term care facilities recognize and respect the immense responsibility put in their hands  they are entrusted to care for these individuals as family members and friends wish they could do, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Staff in these facilities form special bonds with their residents and families and are committed to providing a safe, loving place for New Jerseys frail and aging population. We learn their stories. We know the names of their grandchildren, their favorite television shows and how they like their tea. Residents become extensions of our own friends and family.

So, when residents become sick or pass away, we  the health care workers, staff members and administrators  mourn like anyone else.

We see the empty rooms and empty chairs in the dining room. We miss the humming of favorite songs, the smiling, friendly faces and the simple good morning and good night greetings. Yet, despite the grief, we show up every day. We find the strength to carry on and continue to look after the physical and emotional well-being of the residents in our care.

To our community and colleagues on the frontlines of the coronavirus fight: We are in this together. We will continue to compassionately serve and care for New Jerseys residents with our colleagues in long-term care facilities across the state.

Toni Lynn Davis is the administrator at The Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center, which is affiliated with CentraState Health System.

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: France said on Monday it was making all efforts to address logistical and planning challenges to welcome Indian students for the next academic year, as it highlighted strong people-to-people ties as the core of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

As the COVID-19 pandemic brings about lockdowns and suspended events, France proposed several innovative ways to foster the cooperation with India across the scope of their bilateral relations.

The French embassy in India said in a statement the crisis will be turned into opportunities to boost the partnerships in education, research and culture.

"Logistical and planning challenges are being actively tackled to welcome Indian students for higher studies for the next academic year.

Thanks to a strong social and public healthcare system, France has taken care of its foreign students on an equal footing with French students, ensuring their safety and well-being.

Visas and scholarships have been extended wherever necessary," it said.

For new students, the embassy said France is fully geared up to enable the commencement of the academic year through virtual classrooms, if necessary.

"France has also augmented its proportion of scholarships by 50 per cent - equivalent to Rs 10 crore - for this academic year. These scholarships will be awarded regardless of whether a student starts the semester in India or France, as Indian students are still keen on following their dreams in France," the statement said.

FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE

The embassy said it will organise a virtual version of its bi-annual 'Choose France Tour' at the end of September for the intake of students for the 2021 academic session.

This will enable a greater number of French institutions to interact with Indian students, reaching aspiring scholars from all over India, it said.

"At the core of the strategic partnership between India and France lie strong people-to-people ties. As France and India gradually emerge from their lockdowns, enhanced exchanges will pave the way for a new world," said Emmanuel Lenain, the Ambassador of France to India.

"Trusted global scientific collaboration is the need of the hour since no country can achieve a breakthrough alone.

Our country recognises that education will play a critical role in shaping a post-pandemic world, and thus reiterates that Indian students and researchers are welcome in France, he said.

On the cinematic front, while the Festival of Cannes will be missed, the film market will be held online in June - as will upcoming professional meetings for the film industry, the statement said.

On the artistic front, in these difficult times, the embassy said it is continuing collaborations with its Indian partners.

India will remain the Guest of Honour Country at the 2021 Paris Book Fair, for which preparations are underway," the statement added.

"The French Institute in India, through its #ifionline programme, is bringing France to Indian homes like never before through films, documentaries, museum visits, online training, dance and music performances," it said.
ALBANY  Gov. Andrew Cuomo paused his daily briefing in the Red Room at the Capitol Sunday to bring in a doctor and get a COVID-19 test while the briefing was broadcast live on various television stations.

"Good to see you doctor," Cuomo said to Dr. Elizabeth Dufort, who is medical director of the division of epidemiology at the state Department of Health. Dufort came into the room and was covered in a PPE gown, mask, face shield and gloves. "You make that gown look good," Cuomo quipped.
A refugee woman pours soap into moulds at a soap factory in Hamdallaye, Niger. The soap is distributed for free to fellow refugees and the local community.  UNHCR/Jean-Sebastien Josset

It started as a mini-cooperative to give a small income for hundreds of refugees evacuated from Libya.

But with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, this small self-help project has grown into a "factory" and churns out bars of soap, liquid handwash, bleach and water containers for free distribution.

The project was established in 2019 by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Forge Arts, a local non-profit, at an emergency transit mechanism (ETM) centre in Hamdallaye, a small town less than 100 kilometers from Niamey, Niger's capital.

"We are not only helping to fight this disease but are learning new skills.

Here, over 280 refugee women work, doing their part to respond to the increasing demand for hygiene products.

"We are not only helping to fight this disease but are also learning new skills that will help us when we return home, says Nicole, who was evacuated from Libya and currently lives in the centre, where shes learnt how to make bleach without using any machinery.

Aboubacari Nana Kadidjatou, the administrator of Forge Arts, which conducts the training at the ETM, adds that equipping the women with these skills is essential.

This COVID-19 crisis is a real tragedy," says Kadidjatou. But thanks to the training, the refugees are now part of the response. This makes them feel useful.

See also: Malian refugees in Niger make face covers to prevent the coronavirus spread

In Niger, a skills training programme for Malian refugees is now helping the fight against coronavirus (Jean-Sebastien Josset, cameraperson/ Linda Muriuki, producer/ Werema Joshua, editor)

Since the pandemic started, Niger has confirmed 860 cases of COVID-19. With some 215,000 refugees and a further 225,000 internally displaced people or IDPs in the country, the risk of the virus spreading to displaced populations where crucial health facilities are overstretched is high.

UNHCR has been implementing special prevention measures that include strengthening communication with refugees and IDPs on hygiene and sanitation, increasing the distribution of hygiene supplies and training health workers.

UNHCR has also trained Tuareg refugees in Niamey, Nigerian refugees in Sayam Forage camp in Diffa and Malian refugees in Tillaberi and Ouallam, to make soap.

"We used to meet every week to make soap, but since the crisis started, we had to stop temporarily as group work was no longer possible until we made some adjustments, explains Fatouma, a Malian refugee in Niamey.

To ensure that the groups continue woking while adhering to WHOs social distance guidelines, UNHCR and partner agencies have implemented hygienic prevention measures, including raising awareness on stigmatization, handwashing and wearing masks.

We have now adapted and we work with no more than ten people at a time to comply with the preventive measures. We make up to 30 units of soap a week, adds Fatouma.

UNHCR is working on scaling up the skills trainings, which have become strategic in the fight against COVID-19.

By empowering refugees, they have become key contributors where they live."

By empowering refugees to be active in the health response, they have become key contributors in the areas where they live and in the eyes of the host population," explains Alessandra Morelli, UNHCRs Representative in Niger. This not only promotes their ability to contribute to the local economy but also enhances social cohesion.

Morelli adds that UNHCR is stepping up its activities in Hamdallaye, Niamey, Ouallam, Abala, Agadez and Maradi for a period of three months, by which time, she envisions refugees in these locations will be even more self-sufficient and crucial in the fight against the disease.

UNHCR has launched its global coronavirus emergency plan with an appeal for US$745 million to urgently support preparedness and response to situations of forced displacement over the next nine months.

Niger is one of the priority countries where an estimated US$5.9 million is needed to intensify measures to respond to COVID-19.
US ATTACKS ON CUBA AND VENEZUELA CONTINUES

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has stressed the need to denounce the US governments silencing of the terrorist attack committed in Washington DC against the Cuban Embassy.

On the morning of the 30th April, Cuban emigre Alexander Alazo opened fire on the embassy building from the street, firing thirty-two rounds with a semiautomatic rifle. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the building sustained significant damage. Alazo confessed to the Washington police that he had intended to kill.

This comes at a time when the Trump administration is continuing to ramp up its hostility against Cuba and other countries in the region such as Venezuela.

Immediately prior to the shooting, Alazo attempted to set fire to a Cuban flag which he had defaced with several phrases, including Trump 2020. However, he was unable to set it alight, as it was raining.

There has been no official denunciation of the violent attack by any relevant US government bodies. Instead, the limited statements by US government officials have focussed on the mental health of Alazo, portraying the incident as an isolated lone-wolf attack. This apathetic response would be unthinkable if such an attack had occurred against a US embassy in another country. Alazo was known to have been in contact with members of violent groups in Miami opposed to the Cuban government, which the US government has a long history of harbouring and supporting.

Many questions need to be asked:

Since Alazo did not have any history of mental illness or violence prior to moving to the US, what caused Alazos worsening mental state and proclivity to violence?

How was Alazo able to acquire the firearm, as records show he was in significant financial hardship?

Was Alazo pushed to carry out the attack by other individuals or groups, and what will the US authorities do about them?

The embassy is located on 16th Street NW, a central street in Washington DC which leads directly to the White House. How was Alazo able to carry out an armed attack so easily in such a sensitive location?

Why did the US State Department take five days to contact Cuban authorities regarding the incident?

Just a few days later on the 3rd and again on 4th May, two small groups of armed terrorists attempted to enter Venezuela from Colombia via speedboats. In both cases, they were quickly apprehended by Venezuelan authorities.

Amongst the terrorists, who were mostly deserters from the Venezuelan military, were two US citizens who were former US Special Forces soldiers: Airan Berry and Luke Denman.

The attack was organised by another retired US Special Forces veteran Jordan Goudreau, who now runs a private security firm based in Florida called Silvercorp USA, which has provided personal security services to Trump in the past, and provided security at the Venezuela Live Aid concert in Colombia, a propaganda event promoting another coup attempt in Venezuela last year.

Goudreau claims that he signed a contract with US-backed puppet leader Guaido to the tune of over 212 million US dollars, but only ever received $50,000. Guaido has denied this, but soon after the failure of the attacks, two advisors to Guaido resigned from their posts. One of the two, the Miami-based Juan Jose Rendon, has publicly confirmed Goudreaus claim.

When questioned about US involvement at a press conference, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied any involvement, and said, If wed have been involved, it would have gone differently.

But whether or not there was direct US state involvement, US officials have shown through willingly irresponsible statements like this that they condone such attacks on their political enemies  and they have gone further than statements. The US$15 million bounty placed on President Maduro by the US State Department in March is another clear incitement to violence against Venezuela and other Latin American countries inconvenient to the US. The US also acts through their support for the right-wing Colombian government, which harbours the training camps for Guaidos terrorists.

The attack on the Cuban embassy and the attack on the Venezuelan coast are very different in form, but they are both products of the violent sentiment the US government has promoted against the socialist governments of Cuba and Venezuela and their peoples, which is only intensifying.

The Cuban and Venezuelan peoples, like all others, deserve peace and independence. But the current US regime has no interest in these principles.
[May 18, 2020] Todos Medical Announces First Commercial Sale of COVID-19 Antibody Tests



Sub-distributor has network of state and local government clients seeking testing solutions

Return to Church program being initiated in Orlando, Fla. area REHOVOT, Israel, SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF), an in vitro diagnostics company focused on the distribution of a comprehensive suite of solutions for the screening and diagnosis of COVID-19 and the development of blood tests for the early detection of cancer and Alzheimers disease, today announced its first commercial sale of COVID-19 tests. The sale was made via a sub-distribution agreement with a U.S.-based medical distribution company with clients in state and local governments throughout the Southeastern United States who are seeking comprehensive testing solutions for Return-to-Work programs. Todos sub-distributors first sale was for rapid IgM/IgG fingerprick antibody test kits that will be deployed over Memorial Day weekend for the first of several Return to Church programs being planned. Todos sub-distributors church network covers over 84,000 Christian church congregations reaching over 28 million Americans. This sub-distribution agreement gives Todos U.S. distribution division access to a network of state and local governments, as well as Christian churches, and other communities of faith, that are for the first time pursuing COVID-19 testing services as they seek to responsibly reopen their congregations, said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Todos Medical. We provide organizations and their lab partners with access to a comprehensive, steady supply of bundled, high-quality, FDA-compliant PCR and antibody testing solutions that address their needs as they implement COVID-19 testing programs. As private organizations begin to take control of their COVID-19 testing, Todos plans to be a solutions provider for both organizations and labs seeking to more efficiently administer COVID testing in the United States. About the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can lead to respiratory illness, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses can be transmitted between animals and people and evolve into strains not previously identified in humans. On January 7, 2020, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, and additional cases have been found in a growing number of countries worldwide. COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. About Todos Medical Ltd. Headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF) engineers life-saving diagnostic solutions for the early detection of a variety of cancers. The Company's state-of-the-art and patented Todos Biochemical Infrared Analyses (TBIA) is a proprietary cancer-screening technology using peripheral blood analysis that deploys deep examination into cancer's influence on the immune system, looking for biochemical changes in blood mononuclear cells and plasma. Todos' two internally-developed cancer-screening tests, TMB-1 and TMB-2, have received a CE mark in Europe and are currently in a pre-commercial study with its distribution partner Orot+ (a division of Luces-Orot). Todos recently entered into an exclusive option agreement to acquire U.S.-based medical diagnostics company Provista Diagnostics, Inc. to gain rights to its Alpharetta, Georgia-based CLIA/CAP certified lab and Provista's proprietary commercial-stage Videssa breast cancer blood test. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.



Through Breakthrough Diagnostics, Inc., its joint venture with Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AMBS), Todos is also actively involved with the development of blood tests for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Todos expected to complete the remaining unowned interest in Breakthrough in the second quarter of 2020. Todos recently entered into distribution agreements with China-based companies to distribute certain novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits. The Company has entered into distribution agreements covering the U.S. and Israel with Gibraltar Brothers & Associates, LLC, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Shanghai Liangrun Biomedicine Technology Co. (Shanghai), for its proprietary colloidal gold immunochromatography (Colloidal Gold) point-of-care IgM/IgM-based antibody test kits, and with 3DMedicine Science & Technology Co (3DMed), a China-based cancer precision medicine company, for distribution in the U.S. and Israel of its ANDiS SARS-CoV-2 Detection Kit (COVID), ANDiS SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B Detection Kit (COVID/Flu) and its proprietary ANDiS350 3DMed Automated Solution countertop real-time PCR machine (3D Machine). Todos has formed Corona Diagnostics, LLC, a joint venture with Emerald Organic Products, Inc. (OTC: EMOR), to support the commercialization of its COVID-19 testing paradigm.

For more information, please visit https://www.todosmedical.com/ Forward-looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. For example, forward-looking statements are used when discussing our expected clinical development programs and clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are based only on current expectations of management, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or patent protection for product candidates; competition from other biotechnology companies; and our ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct our research, development and commercialization activities. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching our clinical trials; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; lack of validation of our technology as we progress further and lack of acceptance of our methods by the scientific community; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties that may develop with our process; greater cost of final product than anticipated; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition; and laboratory results that do not translate to equally good results in real settings, all of which could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Todos Medical does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Todos Medical, please refer to its reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor and Corporate Contact: Kim Sutton Golodetz LHA Investor Relations Senior Vice President (212) 838-3777 [email protected] Corporate Contact: Daniel Hirsch Todos Medical (347) 699-0029 [email protected]

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The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to reauthorize three national security surveillance authorities that have been expired since March. The chamber voted 80-16 to extend the surveillance authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The vote occurred after the Senate adopted a bipartisan amendment on Wednesday from Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont to provide additional legal protections in the FISA court for targets of surveillance warrants. The Senates amendment means the House will have to pass the new version of the legislation before it goes to the Presidents desk.

The additional protections in the amendment would expand outside review of FISA surveillance cases. The USA Freedom Act allowed for the appointment of amicus curiae (outside, neutral advocates) at the courts discretion. This amendment makes it a bit more mandatory, requiring the court to appoint one in any case involving "sensitive investigative matters." That covers a lot of ground, but the amendment was written with the targeting of US persons in mind.

More importantly, it grants the amicus the power to raise any issue at any time and gives them access to all pertinent court documents, including underlying warrant applications.

Unfortunately, this bill moved forward without stronger surveillance reforms, including an amendment written by Senators Ron Wyden and Steve Daines that would have added a warrant requirement for the collection of internet browsing history and search data. This fell one vote shy of passing -- something that any of the four missing senators that supported the amendment could have fixed by showing up and voting.

The Senates approved version reauthorizes authorities affected by 2015s USA Freedom Act and parts of Section 215, like the infamous "roving wiretap" authority and the apparently never-used "lone wolf" provision that allows for the surveillance of people with no known ties to any terrorist group.

If it remains intact before passage, the bill would also formally end the NSAs bulk phone data collection. The NSA voluntarily retired this after it was unable to avoid over-collection even while having to approach telcos directly with reasonable suspicion-supported requests for call records. Having gone from mostly useless to completely useless, the NSA decided this collection was no longer worth the compliance headache. For whatever reason, the FBI fought to keep this zombie program alive, claiming that the slim possibility of it being useful as some undetermined point in the future justified its continued existence.

Well have to see what survives the Houses second pass before it heads to Trump for a signature. Thats the version thats had plenty of input from Bill Barr, who apparently wants as much surveillance power as possible even as the Commander-in-Chief complains about the abuse of these powers to target him and his.
The public has been advised not to overlook other preventive protocols in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic apart from the wearing of nose masks.



Ashanti Regional Risk Communication Team on COVID-19 that gave the advice applauded the populace for generally accepting the practice of wearing nose masks but cautioned against neglecting other preventive protocols.



Mr. Felix Frimpong, the Regional Health Promotion Officer raised the red flag at a meeting of the committee in Kumasi to discuss the progress of risk communication on COVID-19 in the region.



The committee made up of the Regional Health Directorate, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Information Service Department (ISD), and the Ghana News Agency (GNA) is mandated to educate the public to make informed decisions on how to stay safe from COVID-19.



The Health Promotion Officer said all the recommended safety measures by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health were equally important and must be observed at all times.



It is important for people to wear nose masks but it only complements the other protocols to protect the individual from infections, he emphasized.



Mr. Frimpong said it was useless for one to wear a nose mask but refuse to wash hands with soap under running water, observe social distancing, and also sanitize hands with alcohol-based sanitizers.



He, therefore, reminded the public that wearing a nose mask without observing the other protocols was not enough to guarantee protection against the virus.



Nana Akrasi Sarpong, the Regional Director of ISD said behavioral change towards adapting to new situations among Ghanaians had always been a problem and underlined the need to come up with tailor-measured messages designed to appeal to their conscience.



He was however, optimistic that sustained public education with a demonstration of basic etiquettes would achieve the desired results.



Mr. Wilson Arthur, the Regional Director of NCCE bemoaned the blatant disregard for social distancing in various markets and called for logistical support for the public education drive of his outfit.



There was a unanimous decision to harmonize the public education drive of the various institutions to ensure a uniform message was communicated both at the regional and district levels.

Source: GNA









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<! ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi: members said to be delinquent in paying taxes >

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) have not been paying the appropriate income tax to the government, the Federal Government said today.

The Accountant-General mentioned tax issues in a detailed response to the accusations by ASUU that members salaries have dwindled since IPPIS began paying them.

IPPIS is the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, that handles centrally the salary payment to all government workers..

The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in a statement signed by Henshaw Ogubike, the Director Information, Press and Public Relations gave a blow-by-blow account on all issues raised by the academics.

Various chapters of the ASUU had complained that their salaries for February, March and April fell by 50 percent of the normal.

OAGF said with the IPPIS, the right deductions, covering several subheads were now being made.

Read the full statement:

The attention of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has been drawn to series of reports on claims by tertiary institutions unions, led by ASUU, that IPPIS was deducting their salaries and allowances to the extent that their take home is now only 50% or less of what they earn.

It is pertinent that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) puts the records straight for the interest of the general public and majority of staff of tertiary institutions that have displayed unparalleled understanding and cooperated with IPPIS till date. We hereby state as follows:

The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax is a statutory tax deductions paid by all salary earners. IPPIS applied the correct rate in compliance with Section 34 of the 6th schedule on personal income tax (Amendment) Act of 2011. Prior to migration to IPPIS, the rate of tax being applied by tertiary institutions was not correct, leading to underpayment of PAYE Tax.

It is important to note that all states governments of the federation made claims on the federal government to pay the differential arising from underpayment of tax by these institutions. The federal government has paid several billions on behalf of these institutions because of their underpayment of PAYE Tax. The request by the tertiary institution unions to formalise tax evasion through IPPIS is not only untenable, but unpatriotic request to violate extant laws on tax.

The Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax is a statutory tax deductions paid by all salary earners. IPPIS applied the correct rate in compliance with Section 34 of the 6th schedule on personal income tax (Amendment) Act of 2011. Prior to migration to IPPIS, the rate of tax being applied by tertiary institutions was not correct, leading to underpayment of PAYE Tax.

NHF Deductions: The National Housing Fund (NHF) is 2.5% of basic salary. This is another statutory contribution backed by the Act of National Assembly. This is a savings contribution by all federal employees to enable them have access to short life loans to own their personal houses. These savings contribution are refundable with interest either at retirement or exit from being an employee of the federal government.

The ASUU is bringing claims that those laws should not be applicable to them and thereby should be exempted or be made optional for them. The request for breach of Act of Parliament is not within the ambit of the IPPIS or the (OAGF). They have been advised to approach the National Assembly for amendment of the Act.

Pension Contribution

Another issue raised by the unions is the Employees Pension Contribution deductions. Employees Pension Contribution 7.5%. The ASUU claim that the Employee Contributory Pension should be based on basic salary and not on consolidated salary and it has increased their employee deductions thereby reducing their take home.

This is a penny wise argument not expected from Ivory Tower. The Consolidated salary is what is applicable to determine employees contribution of all Federal employees as Salaries Income and Wages Commission (SIWC) have consolidated salary without the composition. The actual amount contributed by the employee determines what the Government contributes as well. Deduction is in line with the Pension Contributory Act.

Payment of Allowances

On payment of allowances, it should be stated that this is based on the salary structure as approved by Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (SIWC). However, the OAGF has advised the tertiary institutions academic unions to approach the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (SIWC) to formalize any agreement on salaries and allowances that they claim to have been approved for them. This is because the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (SIWC) is the only body authorized by law to prescribe salary structure and issue circulars for all federal government employees in Nigeria, while Revenue Mobilization, Allocation And Fiscal Commission is the sister body that is authorized by law to issue circular on payment of salary and allowances to political office holders.

Any other salaries and allowances approved by any other agency in Nigeria which are not formalized by these two agencies will amount to illegal payment. Therefore, ASUU and other unions are expected to understand this. The fact that they arm-twisted their institutions to pay them these allowances does not translate to legality.

Sabbatical  visiting and adjoin lecturers: The payment of sabbatical aid visiting lecturers is duly recognized by IPPIS, but it is dependent on furnishing the IPPIS with the particulars of such lecturers, including his IPPIS number, his primary institution, the start date of the sabbatical or the visiting and the end date.

Government recognizes the fact that all staff on sabbatical are entitled to 100% of their salaries as sabbatical allowances, while visiting and adjunct lecturers will enjoy 50% of their salaries as visiting allowance. The government will no longer incur unnecessary expenditure on pension, NHIS or such allowances that are not part of universities pensionable salaries.

Union Dues

On the issue of Union Dues, it should be stated that 2% of their consolidated salary was deducted as union dues. This was done so that the government would not be accused of denying them the dues, as they claim that the federal government is trying to use IPPIS to incapacitate them.

It must be noted that the remittance of union deductions can only be legally made when the tertiary institutions and their union members forward the list of their members and their IPPIS numbers to enable IPPIS determine the actual amount to be remitted to each union. The list of members became imperative as some academics claim that they do not belong to any of the unions as some of the institutions are not universal. Among such institutions include Police Academy, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Nigerian Army University, Biu Remittances from such institutions have to be returned to them.

As soon as these are forwarded to IPPIS, any sharing ration amongst local chapters and headquarters, the monies will be remitted to them as we have a deduction schedule.

Promotion Arrears

Non-payment of promotion and consequential arrears. This accusation is very much unfair to IPPIS. The tertiary institutions were in charge of the payment of their salaries up to January 2020. Why did the tertiary institutions fail to pay their staff in line with the presidential directive that all consequential arrears due to federal employees must be paid on or before December 31, 2019? They owe their staff explanations why they refused to pay their staff up to January 2020. The IPPIS commenced the payment of salaries to tertiary institution in February 2020.

The IPPIS has made great effort to ensure that placement of tertiary institution staff on IPPIS is complete and correct in terms of their particulars and salary structure, grade levels and steps, indicating their IPPIS number as a unique identification for every staff on the platform.

This office is not unaware that there are bound to be teething challenges arising from migration of tertiary institutions onto IPPIS platform and this requires the cooperation and understanding of all the tertiary institutions to enable us effect the necessary corrections as quickly as possible.

On the completion of this process, the issue of payment of consequential arrears can be meaningful and realistic to ensure that there is no overpayment or underpayment arising from payment consequential arrears.

Promotion Placement

On promotion placement, it should be noted that this can only be done based on submission of promotion lists by the tertiary institutions and their new grade levels and step to justify changes on the enrolled date.

On the alleged payment to dead university staff: It means the Institutions deliberately forwarded to IPPIS the list containing dead ASUU members as being part of their personnel, to get more personnel fund. When the President directed that ASUU be paid, the OAGF sent a letter, through NUC Executive Secretary, requesting for the list of ASUU members through their VCs. We run BVN test on the list forwarded to us as we are aware that we cannot use the old nominal roll because of changes that might have likely taken place.

Pay Slips

On the issue of pay slips, the IPPIS had forwarded pay slips for February, March and April 2020 to the mail box of Bursars of the tertiary institutions to enable them generate such pay slips and distribute to their staff while the institutions have been advised to furnish IPPIS with active emails of their staff to enable IPPIS forward individual pay slips to their various emails in addition to bulk release of pay slips to the various institutions.

Non receipt of Salaries after payment:

As regards non receipt of salaries after payment; this arose because the names on the payroll are not in uniformity with the names in the bank. Employees are expected to update their bank details in conformity with names on the payroll as efforts to change payroll names in the banks is not allowed, except where there is a change of name as a result of marriage.

The IPPIS platform does not recognize joint accounts operated by two or more persons. Every salary payment is personal.

BVN as an ID

BVN as a way of confirming all account numbers of the tertiary institutions that are sent to IPPIS were forwarded to the relevant agencies for validation and confirmation. About 1,180 failed the BVN test and details have been forwarded to the universities for the necessary correction and update.

Dead Varsity Staff



On the alleged payment to dead university staff: It means the Institutions deliberately forwarded to IPPIS the list containing dead ASUU members as being part of their personnel, to get more personnel fund. When the President directed that ASUU be paid, the OAGF sent a letter, through NUC Executive Secretary, requesting for the list of ASUU members through their VCs. We run BVN test on the list forwarded to us as we are aware that we cannot use the old nominal roll because of changes that might have likely taken place.

It is the responsibility of the Institutions or Agencies to inform the IPPIS office about death, resignation or exit from service before due date. We sent payroll analysis to the tertiary institution Bursars for review of any omission or names to be excluded.

This issue is a cheap propaganda by ASUU to denigrate IPPIS for obvious reasons. Mention must be made here that good spirited members of the union personally wrote to inform this office of their not being entitled to February salary payment and requested for account to refund the salary.

The OAGF wishes to assure all the tertiary institution staff that we are always willing and ready to serve them as best as possible, but we plead for their understanding and cooperation.
A fraud campaign that has wrested millions of dollars from state unemployment agencies shows how states' poor information security protections have left them highly vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

The scammers took advantage of weak systems states use to verify the identities of people applying for unemployment benefits to file thousands of fraudulent claims, as the New York Times's Mike Baker reports.

Those systems are even more vulnerable now because states are rushing to get funds out to millions of newly unemployed people and, in some cases, foregoing lengthy reviews that weed out phony claims.

"There's a dire need to get money out quickly. This makes us an attractive target for fraudsters," Suzi LeVine, commissioner of Washington State's Employment Security Department, which has been hit hard by the scammers, told the Times.

The crimes are going to cost states whose resources are already stretched to the breaking point by the pandemic. "This is a gut punch," LeVine said.

The Secret Service has spotted claims that are likely fraudulent in Washington state, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wyoming, according to a memo reviewed by the Times. But the fraud could be far broader and the Secret Service is still investigating.

The scammers appear to be part of a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring, the memo states.

This makes them especially vulnerable. In some cases, applicants don't need to provide anything more than their name, Social Security number and some other basic information, cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs notes. That information has all likely been exposed by numerous past data breaches, and scammers can easily find it for sale on dark corners of the Internet.

The scammers in this case appear to have run a particularly professional operation, gathering large troves of data, known as personally identifiable information, or PII. And they avoided misspellings and other common errors that alert officials to fraud.

"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 Secret Service memo said.

Criminal groups have locked up computer systems and held them for ransom in dozens of cities in recent years, including Atlanta and Baltimore.

Since the virus hit, hackers locked up medical files at an Illinois public health agency and the state's unemployment office inadvertently exposed citizens' personal information. The Texas state government has also been hit with multiple digital attacks in recent weeks.

And hackers have created phony coronavirus-related sites that appear to belong to state and local governments to harvest people's personal data.

The federal government hasn't been much help. Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to include $400 million to help state and local governments improve their cybersecurity in the next round of coronavirus stimulus funding, but the money didn't make it into the final bill, which passed the House Friday.

The state shut down its entire unemployment system over the weekend after discovering $1.6 million in erroneous payouts, slowing the processing for a surge in legitimate unemployment claims, the Seattle Times reports.

About one in three workers in Washington state has applied for unemployment, and the state paid out about $1.8 billion in claims in April, the paper reported.

The scammers have also focused on filing phony claims for people employed by school districts, universities and municipal governments. One of the organizations hit hardest was Western Washington University, which told the Seattle Times that 410 members of its 2,463-person staff were targeted by fraudulent claims.

Those are people who accept digital transfers of the fraudulent money and then transfer it abroad to scammers so it's harder for law enforcement to track.

They're a critical component of other Nigeria-based scamming operations, which attempt to dupe victims into sending money abroad to collect a prize or inheritance or because they believe it's going to a phony romantic interest living abroad.

Mules are sometimes victims of such online romance scams and don't realize they're committing fraud.

- - -

The Washington Post's Tonya Riley contributed to this report.
By Trend

The number of taxpayers registered in Azerbaijan increased by 66,897 people or 6.7 percent from January 1 to May 1, 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, the countrys State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy told Trend.

In the reporting period, the number of individuals rose by 52,475 people, and legal entities - by 14,422 names, which is 6 and 11.1 percent more compared to the same period of last year, respectively.

The growth in the number of legal entities was due to the increased number of commercial structures. From January 1 through May 1 of this year, the number of commercial structures grew by 13,842 (12.1 percent), amounting to 128,380. The number of non-profit structures made up 15,564, which is 580 (3.9 percent) higher than the same period of last year.

More than 1 million taxpayers were registered in the country as of May 1. Of these, 925,818 (86.5 percent) are individuals, 143,944 (13.5 percent) - legal entities and other organizations.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Among the most ambitious features of the Google Pixel 4 that was released last year was the addition of Motion Sense, which added a Soli motion-sensing radar. However, it appears this feature won't be picked up by Google Pixel 5, the upcoming flagship phone from the internet giant.

Google Pixel 5 Will Not Include Motion Sense Tech

According to TechRadar, through the phone's motion-sensing radar, Pixel 4 users have new ways to interact with their devices, such as making gestures in the air to navigate through various apps and the phone's interface.

This idea helped eliminate touching the device.

But although Pixel 4 was the first device from Google that featured the Soli radar, it also seems like it will be the last as the next device, Pixel 5, won't be picking it up.

This news came after 9to5Google's podcast, wherein the hosts mentioned a tip that said the Soli chip wouldn't be included in the phone.

Unfortunately, the hosts didn't provide any other detail. Still, if it isn't included, Google Pixel 5 might have to find a new implementation of its face unlock as the 3D face will be gone since it relied on the motion sensor tech.

Nevertheless, it wasn't as surprising that the company would rather leave this feature, especially since they faced quite a few problems with the Soli chip.

Read Also: Supercomputers Shut Down After Cryptomalware Attacks

Surprising or Not?

For one, many Pixel 4 users claimed that it didn't work as it was advertised and that it only really worked with a handful of apps.

There was even an issue with the frequency as in some countries, the frequency that the technology will use is not legal, leading to the phone's failure to launch in India, along with other markets, last year, according to the news outlet.

By removing this technology on Google Pixel 5, the company will be able to launch it to more markets this time, and they can also bring down its price.

Besides the missing Soli chip, those awaiting the arrival of Google Pixel 5 might have heard of the rumor about its processor.

Pixel 5's Processor Leaked

According to Tom's Guide, the device will feature a mid-range, 5G-ready chipset. It is named the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G, which is an upgrade and more recent compared to the Snapdragon 765G that was initially believed as Pixel 5's processor.

But since the device's motherboard and software can support both processors, Google can easily upgrade to the latest chipset in time for their launch, or if they continue with the Snapdragon 765G CPU, they could potentially update the device later on with ease.

The latest Snapdragon 768G CPU supports a 120Hz display by default, a clear upgrade from Pixel 4's 90Hz.

Nevertheless, some fans might be disappointed as the upcoming phone might be using a less-powerful chip compared to its predecessors that used the Snapdragon 8 series chips, but this might help make the device more affordable compared to the past devices.

As of now, these details are still rumored, and Google hasn't officially announced that much detail for Pixel 5, so take these with a grain of salt.

Read Also: Apple Re-Opens Stores in the U.S.; Social Distancing, Masks, and Other Safety Rules Highly-Followed

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
WA Police have arrested 60 people after a six-month operation targeting the use of encrypted apps to sell illicit drugs.

The scale of the arrests has left senior police warning young adults of the serious criminal consequences associated with buying or selling drugs online.

Police have arrested 60 people in WA for using encrypted apps to sell drugs. Credit:Paul Rovere

Detectives from the drug and firearm squad raided 47 properties during the investigation, including 25 over the past two weeks.

Overall, police have laid 213 charges and taken MDMA, methylamphetamine, cocaine, LSD and psilocybine off the streets.
A New Orleans lawyer has been permanently disbarred for spending more than $125,000 of a couples $500,000 settlement from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The Louisiana Supreme Court took the action against Akello Patrice Dangerfield, who has been a lawyer since 1996, saying her conduct "demonstrates a clear lack of moral fitness."

In addition to permanently disbarring Dangerfield, the Supreme Court on Thursday also ordered her to pay $127,000 in restitution to the New Orleans couple.

"Her behavior continues to cause great harm to her client and tarnish the image of the legal profession," the high court wrote.

The couple hired Dangerfield to represent their commercial construction company in a claim for losses resulting from the massive BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

The couple was awarded nearly $506,000 in December 2016, and Dangerfield received the funds from BP in March 2017. Her 15% contingency fee totaled nearly $76,000, leaving $430,000 due to the couple.

Dangerfield, however, did not inform the couple she had received the settlement funds, the Supreme Court said, and when they asked about the funds she denied receiving them.

After reviewing an online status report regarding their claim and learning that Dangerfield already had received the funds, the couple met with her in April 2017. Dangerfield tried to renegotiate her employment contract by seeking to receive a higher percentage of the couple's recovery as her fee, the high court said.

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The couple refused, and Dangerfield disclosed she had already spent a significant portion of the funds and had only $303,000 left to give them, which she did that day, the court said. She agreed to give them the balance of $127,000 in 90 days but failed to do so, so the couple hired a lawyer to collect the remaining funds.

The couple also filed a complaint against Dangerfield with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, an arm of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board, in September 2017.

She had testified to the disciplinary board that she was caring for her mother during the time of her misconduct. Her mother died in August 2017.

Dangerfield could not be reached for comment Monday. Her law office phone number is no longer in service.

East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court records show Dangerfield has represented clients in the 19th Judicial District Court in the past.

The Supreme Court's permanent disbarment order means she can never be readmitted to the practice of law in Louisiana.

The Deepwater Horizon platform explosion killed 11 people and spewed about 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over three months.
People who have asthma or other lung conditions should not wear a face mask if it makes it difficult for them to breathe, Asthma UK has said.

The British Government is now advising people to wear face coverings if they are out in places where it is difficult to stay at least two metres (6'6") away from others.

This is because the coronavirus is a respiratory virus, meaning it infects people when it is breathed in and attaches to cells inside the airways and the lungs.

But people who have asthma or illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis may find masks or face coverings make it hard for them to breathe.

Experts say people should wear a mask if they comfortably can, to protect themselves and others around them, but not risk their own health in the process.

Mask-wearing in certain situations in public is now mandatory in many countries in Europe, including France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pictured: Three staff members put on masks as they prepare to return to work at a bar in Berlin)

In its official guidance, Britain's Cabinet Office now says: 'If you can, wear a face covering in an enclosed space where social distancing isnt possible and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet. This is most relevant for short periods indoors in crowded areas, for example, on public transport or in some shops.'

But it adds: 'Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 2 or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly. For example, primary age children unassisted, or those with respiratory conditions.'

Respiratory conditions are illness that interfere with someone's breathing such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or lung cancer.

Wearing a mask, experts say, can make it harder to draw air into the lungs and make symptoms of those conditions worse.

Asthma UK says: 'For some people with asthma, wearing a face covering might not be easy. It could make it feel harder to breathe.

'The government has advised that people with respiratory conditions dont need to wear face coverings, so if you are finding it hard, then dont wear one.'

The British Government has published a how-to guide to help people make face coverings out of t-shirts to protect themselves from the coronavirus

The British Government urges people to wear 'face coverings' rather than masks.

This lines up with the CDC's advice in the US, which is for people to make their own face covering out of cloth rather than buying special ones.

These may include scarves, bandanas, cloths, or it has even published a how-to guide for making a basic mask out of an old t-shirt.

British Health Minister Jo Churchill said: 'We are advising people to consider wearing a face covering if they can in enclosed public spaces where social distancing is impossible, for example on public transport or in shops.

'This may help prevent you spreading the virus to others.

'You do not need a clinical mask which is prioritised for our healthcare workers. Instead a face covering is sufficient and we encourage people to make these at home with items they will already own.'

Countries around the world now require people to wear masks while in public to stop them spreading the disease.

While the practice was already widespread in East Asia, it has now spread to Western Europe and Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and last week France have required people to wear them in certain situations by law.

In the US it is not necessary but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people to wear a face covering of some sort while in public.

Although the scientific consensus is that a mask or face covering will not protect someone from the virus, it may stop them spouting virus-infected droplets into the air for people around them to breathe in.

The coronavirus spreads in droplets, which means they piggy-back on the water that people breathe out normally - that causes condensation when you breathe on a window.

A cough or sneeze can spread the virus considerably further than just breathing.
Qantas has won the right to not give sick pay to staff who were stood down through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Transport Workers Union have pledged to appeal against the Federal Court's decision, which they believe is unfair for staff.

'The ruling is bitterly disappointing for Qantas workers battling serious illnesses and their families,' TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said, as reported by 9News.

Qantas stood down two-thirds of its workforce totalling 20,000 employees in March due to travel restrictions from COVID-19 and announced that sick/carer's leave will not apply during the stand down period.

Qantas has won the right to not give sick pay to staff who were stood down during the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: Qantas planes at Sydney airport on April 30

Among those affected include a cancer patient and another awaiting surgery for a triple bypass. Both have worked for Qantas for more than 30 years.

Australian Workers' Union National Secretary Dan Walton said the airline should be ashamed of themselves.

'It is absolutely shameful that during this crisis Qantas is putting corporate greed over worker welfare and refusing to let its workers access their sick leave,' he said.

The TWU claimed the airline is in breach of Fair Work Act provisions and urged Qantas to reconsider the 'heartless' move.

'It is an utter disgrace that Qantas workers, some of whom have worked with the company for several decades and are now battling very serious illnesses, have been refused sick leave in this way,' Mr Kaine said.

'They will struggle financially and this will pile pressures and stress on them and their families, making it more difficult for them to focus on getting better.'

The Qantas domestic terminal at Melbourne International Airport is empty during the coronavirus pandemic on April 21

The TWU has accused Qantas of treating staff like expendable cogs in its machine and raised questions over their adoption of safety measures for staff and customers during the pandemic.

'It refused to listen to worker concerns about the spread of the COVID-19, even suspending a worker in Sydney, and has allowed several clusters to spread,' Mr Kaine said.

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia Qantas employees can still access annual leave, long service leave and other support including the Governments JobKeeper payments.

'The Court has confirmed that employees who are stood down are not eligible to receive paid sick leave because there is no work to be absent from,' they said.
Anyone over the age of five in the UK with coronavirus symptoms can now apply for a test, Matt Hancock announced today.

The Health Secretary revealed checks will would be available at the drive-in centres or through mobile screening and could be booked online - although it is far from clear whether there will be capacity for them to receive one as patients, frontline workers, and care home residents will be prioritised.

Until now, swabs had been restricted to only NHS and social care workers, as well as over-65s and Brits unable to work from home who had symptoms and anyone living with a suspected patient.

Nicola Sturgeon once again stole Mr Hancock's thunder by revealing the move at her daily briefing in Edinburgh, hours before it was announced in the Commons.

Britain has been repeatedly blasted for its lacklustre response to testing throughout the crisis, which allowed the virus to spiral out of control in March without officials having any clue as to how widespread the true scale of the outbreak was.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to dramatically ramp up testing as the UK moves towards finally leaving lockdown, after eight weeks of strict measures. But officials again yesterday failed to hit their target of carrying out 100,000 swabs in a day. Health chiefs have yet to release today's statistics.

The announcement came after health chiefs finally added the loss of, or noticeable change to, taste and smell to the NHS's list of coronavirus symptoms, weeks after experts first raised concerns thousands of cases were being missed.

Mr Hancock told MPs in the Commons: 'We are expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before.'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to dramatically ramp up testing as the UK moves towards finally leaving lockdown, after eight weeks of strict measures. But officials again yesterday failed to hit their target of carrying out 100,000 swabs in a day. Health chiefs have yet to release today's statistics

HOW WILL BRITONS BE ABLE TO BOOK THEIR CORONAVIRUS TEST? People living in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland can apply for a swab test if they have tell-tale coronavirus symptoms on the NHS website. But suspected patients in Wales must book a home-test or a drive-through appointment through the Welsh government's website. WILL THERE BE ENOUGH TESTS? Officials admit there is a 'very high' demand for tests currently, and say they 'cannot guarantee' all Brits will be able to get swabbed. The NHS says it depends on how many tests are available each day in different parts of the country, and admits that priority goes to NHS and social care workers as well as critically ill patients. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19? Health chiefs only currently recognise three symptoms: a cough, a fever, or the loss of smell and taste. Scientists say the disease can cause other symptoms, including fatigue, diarrhoea, muscle pains and skin rashes. WHAT DOES THE TEST INVOLVE? Swab tests, technically known as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, pick up on active viral infection. The NHS says the test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud. People can also do the test themselves at home. The sample of genetic material - RNA - is taken to lab and worked up in a full map of their DNA which is scanned to find evidence of the virus. The PCR test is extremely reliable but can take a day or more to carry out, so patients can take have to wait several days to get a result. Advertisement

In the House of Commons today, Mr Hancock said: 'We are expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before.

'Yesterday we conducted 100,678 tests. Every day we are creating more capacity and that means more people can be tested, and the virus has fewer places to hide.

'Today, I can announce to the House everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test. That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.

'Anyone with a new continuous cough, a high temperature or the loss or change of sense of taste or smell can book a test by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus.'

It comes after the government expanded the symptoms of coronavirus to state that people should self-isolate if they lose their sense of smell or taste.

In the first change to the policy since the beginning of the outbreak, officials have added a third tell-tale sign to the government's definition of COVID-19.

The chief medical officers of the UK say anosmia - the scientific name for the loss of the senses - is clearly linked to the virus and should be treated with the same amount of caution as a fever or a new cough, the only other two official symptoms.

Angered doctors welcomed the move but said it had 'taken too long', with the UK lagging behind other countries and the World Health Organization after nose and throat specialists first sounded the alarm about this in March.

Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, today announced the move to offer tests to anyone over the age of five at her daily briefing in Edinburgh.

She said checks would be available at the drive-in centres across the country, or through any of the mobile testing centres.

And Ms Sturgeon announced that the tests could be booked online but admitted that key workers would be prioritised.

The announcement was pre-empted by Nicola Sturgeon, who revealed at her daily Edinburgh briefing earlier that Scots aged over five will be able to apply for tests

HOW MANY TESTS HAS BRITAIN CARRIED OUT THIS MONTH? DATE May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 TESTS 122,347 105,937 76,496 85,186 84,806 69,463 86,583 97,029 96,878 92,837 100,490 85,293 87,063 126,064 133,784 136,486 91,206 Advertisement

The move came as Ms Sturgeon said Scotland could start taking concrete steps to ease lockdown at end of the month despite admitting virus has not gone away.

The First Minister said she had stuck with the draconian restrictions 'a bit longer' to ensure that the outbreak was 'suppressed'.

But she said she expected the 'journey to normality' will be able to begin at the end of May, despite warning that the disease has 'not gone away''.

The measures - being unveiled as part of a 'route map' on Thursday - may be broadly similar to the blueprint published by the PM last week.

It comes as Downing Street today admitted the rollout of the NHS coronavirus app has been delayed - but said it was 'possible' to work without it.

Mr Hancock said on May 12 'we're rolling out in mid-May' but today he refused to set a date as Number 10 said it would be made available in the 'coming weeks' after experts have 'carefully studied' the findings of a pilot programme on the Isle of Wight.

The Health Secretary told MPs this afternoon that the Government has now met and surpassed its target of recruiting 18,000 contact tracers.

Figures collated by the Our World in Data website show how the UK has carried out 7.4 tests for every confirmed case, a rate 26 times lower than New Zealand

ROLLOUT OF NHS CONTACT-TRACING APP IS DELAYED The rollout of the NHS coronavirus app being trialed on the Isle of Wight has been delayed as Downing Street said it is 'possible' to work without it. Mr Hancock said 'we're rolling out in mid-May' but today he refused to set a date as Number 10 said it would be made available in the 'coming weeks'. The Health Secretary told MPs this afternoon that the Government has now met and surpassed its target of recruiting 18,000 contact tracers. Mr Hancock insisted Britain now has the three elements it needs for its 'test, track and trace' programme: sufficient testing capacity, the ability to trace contacts and the technology to keep track of where people have been. But major questions remain over when the last part of the strategy - the NHSX coronavirus app - will be given the green light to be made available nationwide. Critics have claimed the development of the app and the tracing programme has been 'chaotic' and characterised by 'misstep after misstep'. Advertisement

Mr Hancock insisted Britain now has the three elements it needs for its 'test, track and trace' programme: Sufficient testing capacity, the ability to trace contacts and the technology to keep track of where people have been.

The 'test, track and trace' programme is viewed as one of the key factors in preventing a second spread of coronavirus.

It will involve speaking to all the people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the disease and telling them to self-isolate.

It comes after Britain's testing fiasco deepened again last week amid claims that test results of tens of thousands of people had 'disappeared into a black hole'.

Authorities across the UK said they can no longer access data for swabs conducted outside NHS hospitals, which helps them control outbreaks locally.

Officials used to provide the results but NHS boards have now been told 'no data is being reported until further notice'. The problem arose on May 4.

Reporting will now only include tests that have been conducted in NHS labs, which only account for around half of the total swabs carried out.

It came after furious GPs slammed the 'failing' government for leaving them in the dark about how many people in the community are infected.
The somber mood in City Hall was momentarily lifted last week when council voted unanimously to commemorate June as Pride Month during which it would raise the rainbow flag to declare Napas official and public support of the LGBTQ community.

With all the sadness and difficulty, when I saw this on the agenda, it was uplifting, Councilman Scott Sedgley said of the councils recent focus on addressing immediate needs caused by coronavirus.

Though the multicolored flag flew outside government headquarters last year for the first time in Napa history, last Tuesdays decision by the City Council made it official city sentiment in accordance with the ordinance passed in September providing an approval procedure for ceremonial, non-governmental flags.

This is not just a symbol. Its powerful and it says here in Napa we are an inclusive community, Councilwoman Mary Luros said before the vote.

Pride Month originated from the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in June 1969, when a police raid on a gay bar ultimately resulted in fiery riots and violence between law enforcement, residents and patrons.

June has since been the time of year when LGBTQ individuals celebrate their identity in the form of global Pride parades and demonstrations, both identifying the strides that have come in their fight for equal rights and calling out the areas where governments and societies continue to fall short.

The rainbow-striped flag has symbolized the LGBTQ-rights movement since 1978, when artist and activist Gilbert Baker created the eight-color banner (its now been reduced to six) as a show of solidarity for the San Francisco gay community, a vanguard in nationwide efforts to secure equality. It was first flown during the citys Gay Pride Parade that year.

Celebratory pride events all over the world, including Napa Valley LGBTQ Pride, scheduled to take place next month have been cancelled due to social distancing guidelines. But Napas own LGBTQ community, which has struggled historically to secure formal gestures of support from City Hall, will celebrate the raising of the flag and declaration of Pride month as a sign of official solidarity.

I can assure you as a closeted Napa resident for many years that this makes a difference. This matters, Beth Nelson from Rainbow Action Network, a design project of First 5 Napa County aimed at increasing visibility, support, safety and connection for LGBTQ community members, said during last Tuesdays public comment period.

In 2013, over 1,000 people signed an online petition calling for the rainbow flag to be raised, but council members ultimately didnt vote on the measure. They instead opted to team with local merchants to declare a 10-day Pride Week downtown during which rainbow banners were hung from lamp posts.

The fight reached a crescendo last May, when activists and advocates organized a campaign in under one month to request City Council approve an ordinance allowing the rainbow flag to fly outside City Hall in June. Two weeks later, Council gave it the green light in a 4-1 vote.

The rainbow flag flew on City Halls single pole, below the American flag on top and the state flag in the middle.

Then-Councilwoman (now Vice Mayor) Doris Gentry was the only dissenting vote. She voiced support for LGBTQ residents, but questioned how the city could equitably decide what non-governmental flags should be displayed at the seat of government.

What will our policy be for other groups to fly other flags? Do we fly a Democratic flag or a Republican flag? Planned Parenthood? Pro-life? Gun rights? No flag represents every person, except the flag of the United States of America. Any (other) flag will have some people who love it and some people who dont, she said at last years public hearing.

The procedural concern prompted staff to craft a proposal for a new flag arrangement that would allow for the unfurling of other ceremonial flags deemed emblematic of recognized city positions.

Three flagpoles will soon sit side-by-side above a landscaped area in front of City Halls east steps. The Stars and Stripes fly on the original central mast and the new poles, to the right and left of it and 5-feet shorter, carry the state flag and any non-governmental banner like the rainbow flag.

Funding for the fresh layout has been delayed, in part due to budget cuts spurred by COVID-19.

Raising a ceremonial flag requires a council member to ask for a resolution specifying the message and dates, limited to a period reasonably related to a specific event. Only one banner of the sort can be flown at a time.

Napas LGBTQ flag, provided by Rainbow Action Network, will be the first to fly in accordance with the new procedure.

I do not think I will ever forget delivering the city flag, Nelson said, adding the flag will continue to serve as a marker of peace, even as global festivities for Pride Month are forced to cancel.

Near tears, Councilwoman Liz Alessio recalled last years emotional public hearings, saying she was proud of the feat council achieved alongside advocates for the LGBTQ community.

We stepped up and made it right, she said.

You may reach Carly Graf at cgraf@napanews.com; 713-817-4692; or via Twitter @carlykgraf.

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The Chinese state media has confirmed what the Indian forces have been trying to downplay since early May. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is tense and a standoff is underway between the Indian and Chinese Army in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.

The official mouthpiece of the Communist regime in China, Global Times, in an article published on Monday said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has "bolstered border control measures in response to India building defence facilities in Chinese territory".

"Since early May, India has been crossing the boundary line in the Galwan Valley region and entering Chinese territory. The Indian side built defence fortifications and obstacles to disrupt Chinese border defence troops' normal patrol activities, the report said.

This is an indication of a heavy troop build-up on both sides after the incident of May 5 when about 250 Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed with iron rods and sticks, even resorting to stone pelting.

Sources say more than 70 Indian soldiers were injured in the clash. A day later, two Chinese helicopters were spotted near the LAC, following which Sukhoi-30 jets conducted sorties from the Leh airbase. Days later, there was a similar face-off near Naku La Pass in North Sikkim.

Galwan has been an old flashpoint since 1962. There have been many such incidents of major and minor altercations and standoffs over the last 10 years in the Daulat Beg Oldie Region.

A second article in the Global Times said the present Chinese military action in the Galwan Valley is the strongest since the Doklam standoff of 2017.

Quoting sources, it said since early May, Indian troops have been crossing into Chinese territory and "purposefully instigating conflict to change the current border control situation". The Indian Army has denied this claim.

The article went on to say that "if India exaggerates the friction, the Indian military will have to pay a heavy price for it".

When asked for a response, an officer in the Indian Army said, "We cannot respond to everything that the Chinese media claims."

Army Chief General MM Naravane said temporary and short duration standoffs occur due to the differing perception of the alignment of boundaries which is not resolved, adding all such incidents are managed by established mechanisms locally.

He had earlier said Indian troops were maintaining their "posture" along the border with China while infrastructure development in the areas was also on track.

"There were two incidents at Eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim where aggressive behaviour by both sides resulted in minor injuries to troops post which both sides disengaged after dialogue and interaction at the local level," he had said.

Last week, India said it remained committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border with China noting that such incidents could have been avoided if there was a common perception about the frontier.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on May 14 that India and China attach utmost importance to ensuring peace and tranquillity in all areas of Sino-Indian border regions and referred to affirmation about it by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their two informal summits.

Though the Indian Army says an official disengagement has happened in Galwan Valley, reports coming in suggest reinforcement of troops on both sides.

The Global Times also has a theory on why India is provoking China. It quotes a research fellow from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences who says "the Indian government is under pressure and is trying to deflect attention from its poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic".

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in the Doklam tri-junction in 2017. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC, the de-facto border between the two countries. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Modi and Xi held their first informal summit in April 2018 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, months after the Doklam standoff. During the summit, the two leaders decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding.

Modi and Xi held their second informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai in October last year with a focus on further broadening bilateral ties.

(With inputs from PTI)
Companies from Germany, France and Switzerland plan to charter planes to bring their executives back to China amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Chinese authorities are likely to open express channels to facilitate their comeback and revitalize economic activity, sources told the Global Times on Wednesday.

As Chinas economy now goes back to normal, multinational enterprises need cross-border talent flow in a globalized supply chain. Photo by Huang Zhigang / Peoples Daily Online

The German Chamber of Commerce in China is organizing a flight with Lufthansa to assist German executives to fly back to China. The flight will leave from Frankfurt and land on Shanghai on May 25, an employee of a German firm told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Other European countries such as Switzerland and France may also charter flights to get corporate executives back to China, a person familiar with the matter told the Global Times.

"We are in constant contact with our members as well as with the Swiss and Chinese authorities. There is an urgent need for travel and we do our best to help develop solutions that take into account this need and take care of everyone's safety," Daniela Reinau, deputy general manager of the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In view of the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, China on March 28 temporarily suspended entry by most foreign nationals.

In a bid to reduce the coronavirus' hit on the economy, efforts will be made as soon as possible to open up "express access" for exchanges of key business representatives and technicians, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

Foreign firms play a vital role in driving economic growth as the country has largely contained the outbreak in the country, industry insiders said. Shanghai, which has the largest number of headquarters of foreign companies in the Chinese mainland, are striving to revive economic activity by helping foreign managers return.

The process won't be easy, industry insiders said.

"For instance, we must first apply to local district authorities in Shanghai where the Chinese branch is located, and show that the foreign executives are crucially needed for performing economic, trade, scientific or technological activity," an employee of a Chinese branch of a German company based in Shanghai told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"The foreign national can get an invitation after all the documents are processed and approved by local authorities, and the process may take a week then he may apply for a new visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate," the person said. After the foreign manger gets a visa, a flight to China can be booked.

"But the process for obtaining a visa will also be affected by the pandemic situation in the foreign national's home country," he said.

"The process is complicated, but many foreign firms understand it is necessary to take such measures to prevent the virus from spreading and we should cooperate," the employee said.

Passengers must take COVID-19 tests and offer proof of negative test results that were valid within 48 hours before departure from Germany. They will also need to go through 48-hour quarantine after arrival in Shanghai. During quarantine in Shanghai, a mandatory COVID-19 and antibody test will be required for each passenger, the employee said.

China requires international travelers to the country to undergo a 14-day quarantine, which was mandatory, said Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University.

But since China has largely contained the virus, it is possible that the quarantine period could be shortened in some circumstances, like those of German managers returning to work in China. They are required to take COVID-19 tests before they depart, Yang told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The results of an antibody test can be known within hours, so the two-day quarantine can ensure safety, Yang noted.

Edmund Yang, a Pricewaterhouse Coopers partner in Beijing, told the Global Times that some of the firm's clients want to get their staff back to China as early as possible.

"Some multinational companies are exploring the options for bringing their expatriates back to China, including applying for special approval from the relevant authorities and arranging charter flights," he said.

As of April 28, 76.6 percent of foreign companies in China had resumed more than 70 percent of their production capacity, according a survey of 8,200 key foreign-funded firms in the Chinese market by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

The number of newly established foreign-funded firms in China reached 9,616 in the first quarter, with foreign direct investment up 6.5 percent year-on-year to 242.28 billion yuan ($34.16 billion), data from the MOFCOM showed.

The German Chamber of Commerce did not comment when reached by the Global Times on Wednesday.
Back to the Future: Trivago Shifts Strategy With Plans to Return to Bigger TV Ad Push

In a Trivago strategy pivot, expect to see more Trivago actors on TV and video, but much less advertising in search engines such as Google.

These are among the strategy shifts that the hotel metasearch platform announced Monday in a shareholder letter while taking some $226 million (207 million euros) in impairment charges tied to the Covid-19 pandemic. Trivago notched a net loss in the first quarter of $233 million (214 million euros), compared with $8.5 million in net income in the year-earlier period.

Trivago felt the brunt of the adverse impact from coronavirus in late March; referral revenue from its advertising customers plummeted 95 percent in the last week of the month.

About half of Trivagos impairments were tied to its operations in the Americas, nearly 40 percent for its Rest of World segment, including Australia, Japan, India, New Zealand, Russia and Turkey, and only a little more than 8 percent from Europe. Trivago is headquartered in Germany.

Get the Latest on Coronavirus and the Travel Industry on Skifts Liveblog

Trivagos evolving strategy is to change its product to emphasize spontaneous getaways to nearby locations, rather than longer, meticulously planned vacations, and to increase our retention and reduce our marketing intensity in the future.

In some respects, Trivagos new plan has parallels to a new strategy that rival Tripadvisor hinted at last week when CEO Steve Kaufer said his company would sacrifice unique visitors in exchange for more engaged, returning customers. He didnt say how precisely that would be accomplished.

Trivago, which came onto the scene on the back of strong TV advertising with performance marketing playing a lesser role, but eased off on the overweight toward TV commercials, detailed Monday that it will now revert to a strong focus on branded marketing communication, our major strength and a key differentiator of our brand.

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Other Big Changes

Without providing many specifics, Trivago said it is assessing ways to let business customers advertise on the platform in a less risky manner because of the threat of cancellations, and it also intends to add more sponsored listings and display advertisements.

Booking Holdings brands, such as Booking.com, Agoda and Priceline, accounted for 38 percent of Trivagos revenue in the first quarter, which ended March 31. Brands tied to Expedia Group, which controls Trivago and will report earnings Wednesday, contributed 33 percent of Trivagos revenue.

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More than two months after it reported its first case of Covid-19, Odishas capital city Bhubaneswar on Monday, was declared free of any Covid-19 patients after the last 3 patients tested negative for the virus, a first state capital to attain this status.

Odisha chief secretary Asit Tripathy said with the recovery of 3 people who had tested positive on May 8, all the 57 people in Bhubaneswar who had tested positive have recovered. The 57 cases in the city had led to Bhubaneswar being tagged as a red zone in the MHA guidelines leading to several restrictions earlier.

Bhubaneswar had reported Odishas first Covid-19 case on March 15, when a 33-year-old student arrived in Odisha from Milan after spending 9 days in Delhi. Soon after, a 19-year-old youth studying in UK tested positive after his return to Bhubaneswar followed by a retired bank official. The cases then increased last month when 15 people in the city who came in contact with another person with travel history to Nizamuddin Markaz tested positive. Soon after a 60-year-old man in the city with no travel history tested positive followed by 6 members in his family and his tenants family.

Though Jagatsinghpur district was declared free of any Covid-19 cases with the recovery of 5 patients, but soon after 20 new people of the district, all migrant workers tested Covid-19 positive. As of now, Odisha has 615 active cases in Covid-19 hospitals.

During a special briefing, the chief secretary said Odisha has excelled and scored highly in several parameters as compared to the numbers at the national level in its fight against the pandemic. While India reported 712.7 Covid-19 positive cases per 1 crore population, Odisha reported 190.4 positive cases per 1 crore population. While 1,706 tests are conducted in India per million people, Odisha conducted 2,082 tests per million. The fatality ratio (deaths per 100 cases) for India was 3.15 while for Odisha it is 0.46, one of the lowest in the country.
St Stephens Church is seeking an Outreach Weekend Cafe Manager to become part of its successful and dynamic Cafe team, serving the community and city.

St Stephens Church is seeking an Outreach Weekend Cafe Manager to become part of its successful and dynamic Cafe team, serving the community and city.

Trustee treasurer role at King's Lynn foodbank Kings Lynn Foodbank are urgently seeking a new Trustee Treasurer to work with a fun, friendly, team who are all passionate about combating food poverty in Kings Lynn. Read more

Christian pregnancy charity gets Yarmouth hub TimeNorfolk, the Christian pregnancy loss charity, has opened a space dedicated to counselling for bereaved parents in Great Yarmouth. Read more

Family days at Norwich Cathedral The schools and families learning department at Norwich Cathedral are holding two sessions  morning and afternoon for a Family Activity Day at the Cathedral on Wednesday February 16. Read more

Churches prepare Queen's Platinum Jubilee plans Churches, Christian charities and youth organisations are working together to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee over the four-day Bank Holiday from June 2-5 and a new website has been created to celebrate the Queen's 70 years of faith and service. Read more

Eckling Grange cares for the elderly Despite some bad press, there are some Care Homes where 'Care' really does mean 'what it says on the tin', and a star example of this is the Norfolk Christian residential care home, Eckling Grange, at Dereham. Read more

New Commission to look at use of Norfolk churches A new Church Buildings Commission has been launched with the purpose of looking at the church buildings across Norfolk and Waveney in terms of their use and sustainability. Read more

Norfolk link to teaching opportunity with TCKs A Norfolk couple working in Asia have been helped by teachers of Third Culture Kids, and a programme is now inviting more people to get involved with it. Read more

Norfolk charity seeks mentors for prison leavers Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) continues to provide a Both Sides of the Gate Mentor support service to people leaving prison in Norfolk. Read more

Prayer and Worship week for Sheringham church Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham has launched a Prayer and Worship week as they seek Gods guidance for 2022 Read more

South Norfolk church schools are set to merge The Diocese of Norwich St Benets Multi Academy Trust has been given the green light to amalgamate Harleston CE Primary Academy and Archbishop Sancroft High School into one All Through School. Read more

Norwich conference looks at how to tackle spiritual abuse Following a series of revelations about high-profile Christian leaders, a group of Norfolk churches is organising a conference to look at spiritual abuse and godly leadership. Read more

Revelation vacancy for Centre Manager The Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe is seeking to appoint a Centre Manager. Read more

Gardening morning at N Norfolk Christian centre The Pleasaunce Holiday Centre in Overstrand is holding a work-party morning on Saturday February 5 and would like as many people as possible to join in to help get the gardens ship-shape. Read more

Poringland Bible teachers look at a building project The Way of the Spirit is starting the New Year with a meeting in Poringland to explore the Book of Nehemiah. Read more

House of Genesis needs part-time support worker The House of Genesis is seeking a part-time (20 hours per week) Support Worker to contribute to the day-to-day running of the charity, which provides accommodation to homeless adult men in Norwich. Read more

Church marriage  open to all? Regular contributor Philip Young shares with us his personal view on whether churches should marry same-sex couples. Read more

Christian retreat centre has new Chair of Trustees Paul Dunning has recently been appointed as Chair of Trustees of the Quiet Waters Christian Retreat Centre. He explains how he got involved and how others can do the same. Read more
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds' cross-country tour to raise people's spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic turned to tragedy Sunday when one of its planes plunged into the ground in Kamloops, B.C., killing one member and injuring another.

The Snowbirds jet crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames in the front yard of a house.

Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer with the Snowbirds, died in the crash, the Canadian Armed Forces said in a statement.

The pilot of the CT-114 Tutor aircraft, Capt. Richard MacDougall, sustained serious injuries in the crash, but they are not considered life-threatening.

Capt. Casey is from Halifax and joined Canada's Armed Forces in 2014 after several years working as a journalist, according to her biography on the Royal Canadian Air Force website.

Royal Canadian Air Force

The crash happened before noon PT, shortly after the jet took off from the Kamloops Airport. Witnesses say it was following another jet when it appeared to veer upward and circle the tarmac before going into a nosedive.

Video shows two puffs of black smoke coming from the plane and appears to show at least one person ejecting from the jet shortly before it hit the ground in a residential area near Glenview Avenue and Schreiner Street.

"Canadians look at the Snowbirds as a source of joy and an exhibition of the incredible feats that our people in uniform are capable of," Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement Sunday evening.

"Operation Inspiration was intended to lift the spirit of Canadians at this difficult time and the Snowbirds accomplished their mission. I know that all Canadians grieve this tragic loss."

In a statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is "deeply saddened" and that his thoughts are with the families of Capt. Casey and Capt. MacDougall, and the entire Snowbirds team. He thanked emergency crews in Kamloops for responding quickly.

"For the past two weeks, the Snowbirds have been flying across the country to lift up Canadians during these difficult times," Trudeau said.

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"Every day, they represent the very best of Canada and demonstrate excellence through incredible skill and dedication. Their flyovers across the country put a smile on the faces of Canadians everywhere and make us proud.

Governor General Julie Payette said she was devastated by Capt. Casey's death, and paid tribute to the Snowbirds.

"During a difficult time for our country, they were a source of hope, travelling across Canada away from their families, for us," Payette said in a statement.

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian described the crash as a "tragic scene."

"This accident today really shakes us to our core, but we will do our best to support the military and the men and women in service," Christian said during a media briefing Sunday afternoon.

Instagram/_jenncasey

Emergency crews from the Kamloops Airport initially responded to the incident. The Snowbirds were scheduled to do a flyover of the Okanagan area on Sunday. They will remain grounded for now, Christian said.

The CAF Flight Safety team will leave Ottawa Sunday night to begin its investigation into the circumstances of the crash, the CAF said.

Kamloops RCMP are asking the public to avoid the area. They're asking anyone who may have captured the crash on video to contact them.

Witness saw parachute land on house

Witness Annette Schonewille said she saw the jet fall from the sky.

Schonewille was parked with friends having coffee at McArthur Island Park in Kamloops.

CBC News

She said she watched one Snowbirds plane fly up and when the second one went after it, it appeared to catch on fire.

"The one plane continued and the other one ... was a ball of fire," she said.

"No noise, it was strange, and then the plane just did a cartwheel and fell right out of the sky. Just boom, straight down, and then a burst of black, black smoke."

'It was complete chaos'

Nolyn McLeod lives across from the house where the plane landed.

He was sitting in his yard with his father when the plane went right over them, about three metres above their roof, he said.

"We saw the pilot eject like maybe two storeys high, and then the plane with no pilot in it went right between me and my neighbour's house," he said.

The plane curved into the street and hit the bedroom window of the neighbour's house, he said.

Elwood Delaney

McLeod said he ran to the front of that house, then tried to direct a gathering crowd away from power lines.

The charred plane was sitting in the neighbour's front lawn, he said.

"The house was all burnt and charred; the roof was caving in," he said. "It was pretty bad. The whole lawn was on fire.

"It was complete chaos. People were yelling and screaming. We thought we were getting bombed or something. That's how hectic it was."

WATCH | Kamloops, B.C.'s Mike Trafford, who was a witness to the scene, describes what he saw:

Elwood Delaney said he watched two Snowbirds jets take off from the airport near his house.

"The other one didn't quite bank up high enough and it kind of got it behind the trees and [I] saw a parachute come out of it and then smoke there," he said.

"I saw one parachuter who landed on a house close by."

Photos provided to CBC News by Delaney show the remains of a jet in the front yard of a house and what appears to be a parachute on the roof.

Neighbours and passersby crowded around the front yard behind police tape.

Elwood Delaney

Rose Miller lives directly across the street from the house where the plane hit and said a couple who live there are in their 70s.

The woman had been in the basement while the man was behind the house at the time of the crash, she said.

Both of them are OK, she said, noting she'd spoken with them after they were moved to a nearby street.

Christian said one home was significantly damaged by fire, and an injured person was found at another home.

There was a large amount of debris around three houses, he added, saying the incident has "shaken that neighbourhood."

Snowbirds jet crashed in U.S. last October

The Transportation Safety Board said it is offering assistance to the Canadian Forces with its investigation into the crash.

The jets had arrived in Kamloops on Saturday after flyovers in Alberta.

On Sunday morning the Snowbirds tweeted that some mountain passes had low cloud cover, which would be unsafe to fly through.

In an Instagram story post on Saturday, a Snowbirds pilot said the team was in Kamloops and was dealing with some "electrical malfunctions."

This is the latest incident involving the military's aerobatic team in less than a year.

WATCH | Snowbirds pilot tried to increase altitude before crashing:

Another Snowbirds jet went down in the U.S. state of Georgia last October, where the team had been scheduled to perform an air show.

Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier sustained minor injuries when he ejected from the plane, which crashed into a farmer's field. No one else was hurt.

The Snowbirds have performed at air shows across Canada and the U.S. for decades and are considered a key tool for raising awareness recruiting for the air force. Eleven aircraft are used during shows, with nine flying and two kept as spares. The air force obtained its Tutor jets in 1963 and has used them in air demonstrations since 1971. Prior to Sunday's crash, seven pilots and one passenger had been killed and several aircraft had been lost over the course of the Snowbirds' history.
Elon Musk's private company spacex has confirmed that its first manned space shuttle will launch next week.

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will take off in the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 27 at 4:32 pm EDT (9:32pm BST).

As part of the 'Demo-2' mission, Behnken and Hurley will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) about 19 hours later and remain there for up to four months.

SpaceX, which has received billions of dollars from NASA since the late 2000s, has been supplying cargo to the ISS since 2012.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undergoing final processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA, 11 April 2020 (issued 18 April 2020), in preparation for the Demo-2 launch

An artist's illustration of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docking to the International Space Station

'Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A atop a specially instrumented Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its two passengers to approximately 17,000 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station,' NASA says.

'Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system and the maneuvering thrusters, among other things.

'In about 24 hours, Crew Dragon will be in position to rendezvous and dock with the space station.

Bob Behnken (L) and Doug Hurley (R) participating in a fully integrated test of critical crew flight hardware

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (rear) and Doug Hurley (front) participating in SpaceX's flight simulator of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, earlier this year

'The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously but astronauts aboard the spacecraft and the station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.'

With the Demo-2 mission, SpaceX is helping to establish itself as the leader in the private space sector thanks to its reusable rocket, the Falcon 9.

SpaceX has now overtaken aerospace behemoth Boeing, whose uncrewed demonstration of its Starliner spacecraft failed last year.

The Demo-2 mission follows uncrewed mission Demo-1, launched in March 2019, which acted as a successful test-run for the Crew Dragon craft.

SpaceX also said it would be delaying the next launch of its next Starlink satellites, which aims to boost global internet connectivity, to focus on Demo-2 during a period of adverse weather.

SpaceX technicians work on the next Crew Dragon Demo-2 craft as NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tour SpaceX headquarters in October last year

NASA and SpaceX are targeting May 27 for the launch of Demo-2, the first launch of NASA astronauts from the U.S. since 2011

'Standing down from the Starlink mission, due to tropical storm Arthur, until after launch of Crew Demo-2,' it tweeted on Monday.

NASA and SpaceX had said they would press ahead with plans to launch astronauts into space from US soil for the first time in nearly a decade later on this month, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The launch will be the first crewed launch from the United States to orbit since NASA's space shuttle program ended in 2011  since then, the US has had to pay to put its astronauts on Russian Soyuz rockets to give its astronauts rides to the ISS.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk speaks during a press conference after the launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo mission at the Kennedy Space Center

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters earlier this month that the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will be only the fifth class of US spacecraft to take humans into orbit, after the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.

'If you look globally, this will be the ninth time in history when we put humans on a brand new spacecraft,' said Bridenstine.

'We're going to do it here in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm going to tell you this is a high priority mission for the United States of America,' he said.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard takes off during the Demo-1 mission last year

Behnken and Hurley will reportedly arrive at their launchpad in a car made by Tesla, one of Musk's other companies  the Model X SUV.

Hurley, who was the pilot on the last Space Shuttle mission, admitted it was 'disappointing' that the launch won't be a public affair, as crowds are discouraged from gathering at Cape Canaveral to as part of measures to prevent coronavirus infection.

'We won't have the luxury of our family and friends being there at Kennedy to watch the launch but it's obviously, the right thing to do in the current environment,' he said.

Half of SpaceX's engineers have been teleworking, and on the day of the launch, NASA personnel in the mission control room will be spaced six feet (two meters) apart.
The Owosso barber who reopened his shop against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order is getting a visit Monday afternoon from a Dallas salon owner whod been jailed for defying a similar order in her state.

Shelley Luther posted on her Facebook page that shed be at Karl Mankes West Main Street shop at 2 p.m. Monday, May 18. No further details about todays visit were given, and attempts to reach Manke and Luther on Sunday evening were not successful.

Whitmers March 21 executive order closed barber shops and salons and other non-essential personal care services. She said it was necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

Luthers visit comes as the state recorded 11 new deaths Sunday, the lowest daily total of new deaths from COVID-19 since nine deaths were recorded on March 24.

The latest figures bring Michigans total reported cases of COVID-19 to 51,142 and the death toll is at 4,891. More than 28,000 have recovered.

COVID-19 figures reported on Sundays by the state Department of Health and Human Services have tended to be lower than usual, with some county health departments not providing numbers on that day.

Below is a look at the most recent developments related to the COVID-19 crisis.

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Dallas salon owner who was jailed to meet Owosso barber at his shop

Last week, Owosso barber Karl Manke, 77, had his license suspended by the state for reopening his business on May 4 against Whitmers coronavirus shutdown orders.

Shelley Luther was sentenced to a seven-day jail sentence after refusing to close her Dallas business, Salon A la Mode, in defiance of Texas COVID-19 orders. However, she only served two days after an emergency order by the Texas Supreme Court, according to The Dallas Morning News. She was released May 7.

The two are set to meet at Mankes shop this afternoon, according to Luthers weekend Facebook post. Bringing some Texas SASS to Michigan to help 77 yo barber, Karl Manke," the post reads. "See you at his shop on Monday @ 2pm!

Luther has gained national attention for her defiance. Manke, who faces an ongoing legal battle with the state, quickly became a rallied-around figure in the protests to reopen Michigans economy.

A GoFundMe campaign set up for Luther has raised just under $500K.

Michigan salons left in the dark as pressure to reopen mounts

Some hair salons and barbershops in Michigan say there is a lack of guidance from the state on when they may be able to reopen and what safety measures they should prepare to have in place.

With no guidance from the state, some industry professionals are studying other states like Ohio and Indiana with reopened salons to see what regulations they may have to follow. They have also turned to back-to-work guides from the beauty industry.

Like Manke, salons in Cadillac and Holland have opened against Whitmers orders.

Some industry officials have expressed frustration at the lack of communication from the state and wonder if better communication may have avoided businesses reopening in defiance.

Whitmers latest stay-home order extends through May 28.

Concordia University Ann Arbor faculty, staff create personalized videos for 2020 graduates

More than 80 faculty and staff at Concordia University-Ann Arbor helped create personalized congratulation videos to each and every spring 2020 graduate.

University officials said that staff and faculty did so to let the schools 164 graduates know that theyre valued.

Normally, the end of the semester includes a senior banquet, different celebrations within students academic schools and the commencement ceremony.

The university had scheduled an in-person commencement for this month but pushed it back to December because of the coronavirus pandemic.

All of MLives coronavirus coverage can be found 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.

More on MLive:

Michigans coronavirus crisis creates epidemic of mental-health issues

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 NYC

Let MI people go: Beach-goers protest Whitmers stay-home order
England is still in lockdown to try and reduce rising coronavirus case numbers, and avoid the NHS being overwhelmed with patients.

The new variant spreads between 50 to 70 per cent faster than the first strain, and over 100,000 people have now died from Covid in the UK since the start of the pandemic.

According to official statistics, there were 92,000 positive coronavirus tests in the last 7 days, and 4.4m tests conducted in the last week (around 730,000 daily).

Recommended Your ultimate guide to the latest UK coronavirus rules

Since 16 March the World Health Organisation has been telling countries with Covid-19 to test, test, test for the virus. As well as implementing strict social distancing measures and lockdown policies, experts have said a system of testing and tracking is an essential component to recovery.

Testing has been part of the UKs five-pillar strategy to fight the coronavirus since March but it has frequently faced criticism over continued hurdles and problems.

So who is eligible for a test now and what can you expect to happen if you get one?

Who can get a test?

Anyone in the UK with symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a persistent and new cough, loss of taste and/or smell has changed) can be tested for the virus on the NHS.

You can also get a test if youve been asked by your local council to do so, youre taking part in a government pilot project or youve been asked to get a test to confirm a positive result.

You can also get a test for someone you live with if they have symptoms.

You may need to get a test if youre due to go into hospital for surgery or a procedure. The hospital will arrange this for you.

Those who cannot get a free test on the NHS include those who have come to the UK from a high-risk country, if you are planning to leave the country, or your employer or school has asked you to get a test but you have no symptoms. You may purchase a private test.

Local authorities are now rolling out asymptomatic tests, as of the week beginning 11 January, but mostly only for those who cannot work from home. Check with your local authority to see if this is a service they offer.

(PA)

How do I book for a test?

On the government website there is an NHS test checking function, which shows you if you are eligible for a free test. Those with symptoms are always eligible.

Those in other circumstances should use the test checker. If you have symptoms, get a test as soon as possible. Testing sites around the UK are open seven days a week. If you are unable to travel to a test centre, you can order a home kit.

The coronavirus home test kit, will be registered and posted, and the results will be sent to you. This can be ordered through the NHS app on your phone. Just go to check symptoms.

Tests are most effective within five days of your symptoms developing. The ideal time is within three days of symptoms first showing. On the eighth day of having symptoms (England only), you must use a test centre as home kits will take too long to process.

On the fifth day of having symptoms (Scotland and Wales), you must use a test centre. Those who can not get a test online can call 119 to arrange a test, or 0300 303 2713 in Scotland.

What are my test options?

For people in England there are several choices for testing: you can either go to a drive-through centre or a walk-in centre, where you may administer the test or someone will administer the test for you. In order to go to a regional centre, the government says you or someone you live with must have a car to use.

With at-home test kit the tools will be delivered to your door and you can administer the test yourself in the privacy of your home. You will be asked to complete an identity check to get the test sent out.

You can order a test for up to three other people.

If you are getting a test because you have symptoms, you and all the people you live with muse self-isolate until you get the results of the test. Self-isolating also applies to the people in your support bubble.

Recommended How to get a coronavirus antibody testing kit

What happens in the test?

The coronavirus test is not the same as the antibody test.

The coronavirus test is an antigen test and tests if you currently have Covid-19, whereas the antibody test is to establish whether you have previously had the virus.

The free coronavirus test involves taking a swab of the nose and back of the throat  this can be done by the person themselves or by someone else. The test is done using a long cotton bud.

An antibody test requires a sample of blood rather than a swab from the throat. These have not yet been made accessible to the public. Free antibody tests are currently only available for people who work in primary care.

If you are having the coronavirus swab test done at a drive-through service you need to all arrive in the same vehicle and sit next to a window in the vehicle.

You are not allowed to ride a motorbike to a drive-through test site.

If you have booked an at-home test, you can watch this official tutorial to show you how to administer the test to yourself.

How do I get my results?

You will receive your test results by text message. The government says most people will receive a response the next day, but it can take up to three days.

While you wait for your results you (and anyone you live with or bubble with) must continue to self-isolate.

If your test turns out to be negative you can safely return to work as long as you are well enough, have not had a high temperature for 48 hours and anyone you live with also tests negative for Covid-19.

If your test is positive and you have no symptoms you should self-isolate for 10 days from when you took the test. If your test is positive and you develop symptoms days after the result, you should self isolate for 10 days from when you started getting symptoms
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has released detailed instructions on the hospital charges for Covid patients.

KDMC chief Vijay Suryavanshi has warned hospitals not to charge more than the amount fixed, else action would be taken against them.

Shastrinagar civic hospital and Holy Cross are providing free treatment for Covid patients. RR and Neon Covid Hospitals will charge patients. The saffron and yellow ration card holders dont have pay at any Covid hospitals and their treatment will be covered under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya scheme.

The civic body has decided the fees for quarantine centres and the Covid hospital for some patients. If anyone is overcharged, the civic body will take legal action, said an officer from health department of KDMC.

Those who are suspected cases or have tested positive to Covid-19 in Kalyan and Dombivli are sent to Tata Amantra quarantine centre. The patients, who are white card holders, and others admitted to the centre will pay 500 a day.

White ration cards holders and other patients will be sent to RR Covid Hospital in Dombivli or Neon Covid hospital on Kalyan-Shil road. If there is no bed available, the patients will be sent to Holy Cross Covid hospital. These patients will have to pay 2,800 a day for general ward, 3200 a day for twin sharing room, 3,800 for single room, ICU will cost 5,000 a day and ventilator 2,000 per day. The cost includes services such as doctors visit, nursing charges, PPE kit and food for the patient.

Additional charges will be incurred for medicines, surgical equipment, pathology lab and other tests with 15% concession.

Earlier, the civic body was providing free treatment but it was necessary to charge to balance the financial burden, said Prashant Patil, spokesperson, Kalyan Doctors Army.

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fordday BHPian

Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 348 Thanked: 926 Times

re: India on full lockdown. Edit: Now extended with relaxations till June 30, 2020 Quote: turbo Originally Posted by Factories can now run at full capacity.

But special trains are being run to send the labour back to their hometowns, where they will be placed in 14 days home quarantine.



This whole shramik specials are so shrouded in secrecy that only those in power and those fortunate ones who actually boards these trains are aware of it.

It is creating more chaos as those who are left out are restless and clueless. This is one of the reason that many started on foot or cycles or hiring trucks.



Understand that it may lead to some rush if it is announced publicly, but then otherwise things are getting worse. To add to it govt is willing to add as many Shramik trains as and when requested by state govts. This could be just an announcement to cool the tempers down without actually acting on it. Link This whole shramik specials are so shrouded in secrecy that only those in power and those fortunate ones who actually boards these trains are aware of it.It is creating more chaos as those who are left out are restless and clueless. This is one of the reason that many started on foot or cycles or hiring trucks.Understand that it may lead to some rush if it is announced publicly, but then otherwise things are getting worse. Last edited by fordday : 17th May 2020 at 21:16 .
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has been swabbed during an on-air coronavirus test to demonstrate how simple testing can be.

That came as Mr Cuomo told New Yorkers on Sunday that there was enough testing capacity to ensure those who needed to be tested could do so.

The governors live test on television was designed to show any doubting Thomas how simple the process is.

There is nothing about this test that should intimidate people from not taking this test. It is fast, it is easy, said Mr Cuomo on Sunday. It is so fast and so easy that even a governor can take this test.

The test was carried-out by Dr. Elizabeth DuFort, who Mr Cuomo assured was in the appropriate PPE wear to administer his Covid-19 test.

Wearing all personal protective equipment items, including gown, gloves and mask, Dr. DuFort inserted the long swab, known as a nasopharyngeal swab, deep into Mr Cuomos nose for around five seconds.

Thats it, nothing else  told you, added Mr Cuomo. Closing my eyes was a moment of relaxation. There is no reason why you should not get the test.

That is the whole test. Im not in pain. Im not in discomfort, said Mr Cuomo afterwards. You dont even have to be New York tough to take that test.

The swab is the initial stage of the diagnostic PCR test, which is the most common and most accurate test for confirming whether someone has contracted the coronavirus, said CNN.

Mr Cuomos swab sample would have been sent to a lab that could test for the presence of Covid-19 within one day or more.

New York, which has been at the epicentre of the American pandemic, has been conducting up to 40,000 coronavirus tests across 700 sites each day, continued Mr Cuomo on Sunday.

We have more sites and more testing capacity than were using, said the governor.

Tests are available to key workers and those who have symptoms or those who have been in contact with someone known to have Covid-19.

The more tests, the better for the state, the better for society, the better for your family, the better for you, added Mr Cuomo.

Seven areas, including upstate New York, have now matched all seven state reopening criteria which includes mass testing.
Cheesemakers are urging shoppers to buy British cheeses like stilton as the coronavirus lockdown caused sales to plunge by 30 per cent, putting the future of some businesses in doubt.

Closing the hospitality and events industries, farmers markets and exports has led to plummeting demand for Stilton, the first British cheese to be awarded protected designation of origin status (PDO).

PDO is reserved for foods that have a particular regional heritage, and means Stilton has the same status as Champagne, Gorgonzola and a host of other culinary specialities.

Cheese can only be labelled as Stilton if it is made to a certain method in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The drop in sales is also having an impact on 70 British dairy farms - some of which go back five generations - that supply the countrys Stilton cheesemakers.

The Stilton Cheese Makers Association is concerned that the current situation will discourage the next generation of cheesemakers and that some producers could go out of business as the food service industry remains locked down.

They are also exploring alternative methods such as mail order where this is feasible, to get Stilton to their customers.

In April, dairy farmers warned that they were being forced to throw away millions of gallons of milk because of a lack of demand from restaurants and catering companies.

Robin Skailes, chairman of the SCMA and director of Cropwell Bishop Creamery, said on Monday: Like many British food producers, Stilton sales have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We hope that the British public will support us by buying Stilton instead of imported blue cheeses which, in turn, will support British dairy farmers.

He argued that British blue cheese was as versatile as blue cheese made in France or Italy.

The SCMA said: Stilton has a creamy texture and savoury flavour, which ensures it can be easily paired with a range of food and drink. Its subtle umami note creates inspiring dishes when it is used as an ingredient in your favourite recipe.

The plea comes as the coronavirus crisis increasingly highlights the fragility of long food supply chains which have been upended by further checks or lockdowns at borders while farmers in some regions have struggled to find enough workers to plant and pick their crops.

UK farmers are looking for up to 80,000 fruit-pickers after most of those who normally do the job were unable to travel from Eastern Europe.
Days later, a typhoon slammed into the countrys main island, inflicting enormous damage and further driving down economic activity.

Even before that, Japanese export numbers had fallen steadily all last year on slowing global demand and the fallout from the U.S.-China trade war.

The situation has only worsened this year. The outbreak crushed Japans exports, forced it to postpone the Olympics and then put the country on a soft lockdown as it joined other nations scrambling to stop the coronavirus.

The emergency declaration stopped people from going out, leading to a substantial decline in consumption, said Kentaro Arita, a senior economist at the Mizuho Research Institute, a think tank in Tokyo. Now, he said, it is going to be impossible to avoid an impact on the scale of the global financial crisis or even worse.

Schools shut down, the country closed itself off to most of the world and, in mid-April, Mr. Abe declared a national state of emergency that led many people to stay home from work and businesses to close.

On the health front, the efforts seem to have paid off. Cases rose briefly before receding. The countrys health system never became overwhelmed. The total number of deaths attributed to the outbreak was under 750 as of Sunday, far lower than in other major developed nations.

But each of those decisions had a profound economic impact. School closures forced parents to stay home from work and hammered farms and dairies that make their living selling ingredients for school lunches. Canceling foreign visas obliterated tourism and stopped a source of critical foreign labor. The emergency declaration has slowed or stopped work at many large companies and devastated the countrys many small and midsize enterprises, particularly those in the service sector.
South Africa: Lockdown priority is to save lives, assures President Ramaphosa

As government remains inundated by pending litigation challenging certain provisions of the Disaster Management Act, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated that the priority of the lockdown regulations remains that of saving lives.

In his weekly online letter to the nation, the President said the States every decision is informed by the need to advance the rights to life and dignity as set out in the Constitution.

Since the start of the crisis, several NGOs, private citizens, business organisations, religious bodies and political parties approached courts across the country challenging aspects of the lockdown.

Some have succeeded in their legal challenges and some have not. Some had approached the courts on the basis of the urgency of their cases, had their urgent arguments dismissed and others have found other avenues for the relief they sought. Others have subsequently withdrawn their applications following engagement with government, the President said.

President Ramaphosa said government had checks and balances in place to ensure that every aspect of governance is able to withstand constitutional scrutiny.

Where we are found wanting, we will be held to account by our courts and, above all, by our citizens. Besides our courts, our Chapter 9 institutions exist to advance the rights of citizens, as do the bodies tasked with oversight over the law enforcement agencies, he said.

There has been, and will continue to be, robust and strident critique of a number of aspects of governments national response to Coronavirus, from the data modelling and projections, to the economic effects of the lockdown, to the regulations, he said.

As government, we have neither called for such critique to be tempered or for it to be silenced.

To the contrary, criticism, where it is constructive, helps us to adapt and to move with agility in response to changing circumstances and conditions. It enriches public debate and gives us all a broader understanding of the issues at play.

We have consistently maintained that we rely on scientific, economic and empirical data when it comes to making decisions and formulating regulations around our Coronavirus response. To the greatest extent possible under these challenging circumstances, we aim for consultation and engagement. We want all South Africans to be part of this national effort. The voices of ordinary citizens must continue to be heard at a time as critical as this, he said.

The President conceded that while progress had been made delaying the transmission of COVID-19, the virus had caused huge disruption and hardship.

There is still a long way to go. The weeks and months ahead will be difficult and will demand much more from our people.

The pandemic will therefore continue to place an enormous strain on society and institutions," he wrote.

He added: As we navigate these turbulent waters, our Constitution is our most important guide and our most valued protection. Our robust democracy provides the strength and the resilience we need to overcome this deep crisis.

President Ramaphosa added that while government appreciates that most court applicants are motivated by the common good, the public should recognise that the decisions taken by government are made in good faith and are meant to advance, and not to harm, the interests of South Africans.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Police operatives in Jos, Plateau State capital said they have arrested some suspected kidnappers and rescued their victims following attack inside the University of Jos, Senior Staff Quarters.

The command in a statement signed on Sunday by its spokesperson, Ubah Ogaba, said the arrest was made following a distress call that a lecturer has been shot and his six-year-old kidnapped.

On 16/5/2020 at about 0030hrs, the Command received a distress call at road 6, University Senior staff quarters Jos, where some hoodlums entered the house of one Dr Nandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos where he was shot and his six-year-old daughter was kidnapped.

Immediately the Command received the information, on the same date at about 0530 hours, a combined team of conventional policemen, mobile men, operatives from the anti-kidnapping unit, vigilante group and hunters were deployed to the hilly areas where the kidnapped victim was suspected to have been kept.

The scene was thoroughly combed and in the process, the kidnappers were sighted on the hill and there was a gun duel between the operatives and the kidnappers, the statement read in part.

The police spokesperson added that during the gun-duel, one of the kidnappers identified as Ali Mohammed was shot on his right leg and arrested with one AK 47 rifle with breach Number 1984/AP 0240, 29 rounds of live ammunition was also recovered from him.

Other suspects fled with injuries but a kidnap victim identified as Chiboze Joseph was rescued.

Ogaba in the statement revealed that the lecturers six-year-old daughter, Joanna Drenkat, was rescued by a team of operatives on the same day at Babale mountain, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA).

On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and the case is said to be under investigation and will be charged to court as soon as possible.

The Commissioner of Police in the state is, therefore, soliciting for useful information from members of the public to aid in the arrest of the fleeing suspects while a manhunt continues.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday ordered an inquiry into growing allegations of irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in the state.

Additional state chief secretary Jishnu Barua has been entrusted the task of probing the scam, which allegedly involved the inclusion of names of bogus beneficiaries for the central government-run scheme, and submit a report within one month.

Around 31 lakh farmers from Assam have been earmarked to get a cash grant of 6,000 -- to be paid in three equal monthly instalments of 2,000 each -- in a bid to compensate for their losses suffered due to the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

Congresss Assam president Ripun Bora had alleged last week that the panchayat representatives entrusted to make the list of beneficiaries had included names of ineligible people, including their own family members. He had demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducts an inquiry into the scam.

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a probe into the irregularities.

The deputy commissioners (DCs) of all the districts have been directed to verify the genuineness of beneficiary lists, the authenticity of eligibility of beneficiaries, bank account details and check duplicity in data entry, etc, said a release issued from the CMs office.

The DCs have been asked to validate the village-wise beneficiary list through circle officers, panchayat representatives, and village headmen within a month.

The DCs have also been directed to stop further release of payments under the scheme till the preparation of the correct beneficiary list with authenticated bank accounts after deletion of doubtful entries, it added.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is an assistant editor based in Guwahati. He covers all eight states of North-East and was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times . ...view detail
Lois Rybka-Dysard of Ghent never knew the significance of her father's World War II combat duty until a military historian looked at a box of medals, read the veteran's DD 214 discharge papers and saw a unit patch on one of his uniforms.

John Mullen of Troy, the historian and president of the Rev. Francis Kelley Society at St. Joseph's Church, Troy, a military honor society, became excited as he noted the artifacts and documents, especially the unit's "Black Devils" Red Arrow patch: It indicated her dad, Army Tech. Sgt. Andrew J. Rybka, had served with one of the toughest and most elite combat units in the war.

Rybka was a highly trained soldier with the 1st Special Service Force, the forerunner to the Army's Special Forces, Green Berets, Delta Force and Seals. He earned more than a pocketful of medals while serving in combat with the unit called the Black Devils Brigade.

The commando unit comprised 900 specially selected U.S. Army soldiers and 900 Canadian Army soldiers, Mullen said. The commandos were mostly handpicked lumberjacks, farmers, miners and others.

First, the American and Canadian soldiers underwent months of tough training at Fort Harrision, Montana, and the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains as well as in Canada, where they learned how to parachute, climb mountains and cliffs, ski, fight in hand-to-hand combat, and use special weapons and knives, as well as practicing beach landings.

By 1943, the strike force was ready for action anywhere. Their first mission was a successful counterattack on Japanese troops, who had invaded the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Afterward, the strike force was sent to Europe, where the Black Devils dislodged German soldiers from impregnable defensive positions in the Italian mountains.

Rybka and other commandos then went to Anzio, Italy, where they donned camouflage and blacked their faces with boot polish before going on important recon missions behind enemy lines. Rybka and other Black Devils often surprised the enemy during night raids. The Black Devils often left the Red Arrow unit patches with a warning  "The worst is yet to come"  written in German on corpses.

An allied soldier found a German officer's journal. In it, the German wrote, "The Black Devils are all around every time we come to the line, and we never hear them come." That's how the Black Devil nickname came about, Mullen said,

On June 4, 1944, the Black Devils commandos breached the gates of Rome to become the first force to liberate that city. The strike force also landed on islands near the French Riviera and had a role clearing out German forces from southern France.

In 2015, the Black Devils survivors received a Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor, for their World War II bravery.

Rybka earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, an Army Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Airborne Wings, World War II Ranger Diamond, an European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Bronze Arrowhead, indicating one landing under enemy fire, a Silver Star indicating five combat campaigns (Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, southern France and the Rhineland), a World War II Victory Medal, an Army of Occupation Medal, a New York State Conspicuous Service Cross with Silver Cross device, a New York State Medal for Merit with three Silver Shields and a New York State Conspicuous Service Star.

Rybka, a former Fort Orange Company employee and a Postal Service retiree, died in 2003.

New CWO 3

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Matthew Starr of Queensbury was promoted to chief warrant officer 3 during a ceremony at National Guard Headquarters in Latham.

Starr, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, is a full-time National Guard soldier who currently serves as the branch chief in charge of civilian Employee Relations for the New York National Guard. Starr is responsible for managing the benefit programs of more than 2,000 employees around the state. He also assists in administering a personnel budget of about $60 million.

Starr joined the Army in 2000 as a fire support specialist and spent four years serving at Fort Bragg, N.C., with the 18th Airborne Corps. In 2004, Starr joined the New York Army National Guard as a human resources noncommissioned officer.

Starr deployed to Afghanistan as support section noncommissioned officer in charge at the Joint Border Coordination Center in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan.

In 2015, Starr, then a staff sergeant, became a warrant officer. Warrant officers are technical specialists and leaders who fall between noncommissioned officers and the officer corps in the Army's chain of command.

Starr earned a degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and is a graduate of number of military schools, including the Air Force Load Planners Course, the Air Force Movement Operations Crouse, Warrant Officer Candidate School and the Technician Warrant Officers Advanced Course. He also attended Florida State University.

He has earned a Bronze Star, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, and a Parachutist Badge.
London Mayor calls for quarantine on foreign visitors as soon as possible

Boris Johnson has been by urged by Sadiq Khan to impose a 14-day quarantine on international travellers arriving in the UK as soon as possible in response to fears of new arrivals seeding a second wave of Covid-19.

The London Mayor said the UK was an international outlier because it had not imposed widespread quarantine arrangements  and suggested this was due to a lack of preparation for a pandemic.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the scheme would come into operation early next month and promised that details would be set out shortly.

He indicated that it would be a blanket provision applying to all countries, although ministers have already said the common travel area with Ireland would be unaffected.

Mr Khan told the PA news agency: We have got a number of airports that serve us  Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted and a number of other peripheral ones  but also the Eurostar as well.

I think its really important that anybody coming to our country isolates for at least 14 days. I want them tested as well as soon as they possibly can.

Mr Khan said London could not risk a second wave of Covid-19 being brought in from overseas.

Thats why its really important for us to be properly looking at people who have come from elsewhere around the world, whether its China, Italy, France, the Far East  anywhere, he said.

The Labour mayor suggested the Government was having to retrofit policies around its own failure to prepare for the outbreak.

He said: Im not sure what the advantage is of waiting, except for us being able to ramp up facilities.

This is another example of us being an outlier as a country.

He said the situation was not based on science, its based on us having to retrofit our policies around a lack of preparedness in relation to testing equipment and having the contact tracing in place.

Mr Shapps told MPs that the Government could consider granting exemptions for passengers from countries with low infection rates, but only after the initial measures are introduced.

Story continues

He said: It is the case we should consider further improvements  for example, things like air bridges enabling people from other countries who have themselves achieved lower levels of coronavirus infection to come to the country.

So, those are active discussions that go beyond what will initially be a blanket situation.

The plans for quarantine restrictions were condemned as idiotic and unimplementable by Ryanair boss Michael OLeary.

There was no medical or scientific basis, or the measures and instead said face masks would eliminate the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Ryanair chief executive officer Michael OLeary has condemned the quarantine plan (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Ryanair announced last week that it will operate nearly 1,000 flights per day from July 1 subject to European countries lifting flight restrictions and effective public health measures being put in place at airports.

Mr OLeary told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: You dont have enough police in the UK to implement a two-week lockdown.

And whats really worrying is that a two-week lockdown has no medical or scientific basis to it in any event.

If you really want to do something thats effective  wear masks.

The Prime Ministers spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Monday afternoon that the quarantine would be reviewed every three weeks.

Any changes brought in will be subject to a rolling review every three weeks to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific advice and that they remain effective and necessary, he said.

The spokesman added: The PM has said that those arriving in the UK from overseas will be required to self-isolate in order to prevent infections from abroad and a second wave of cases.

The work on this is continuing and we will set out more details in due course.
When Lamari Edwards joined Dreasjon "Sean" Reed's Facebook Live video, she could sense something bad was going to happen, but she never thought she was witnessing the last moments of her friend's life. "I had a bad feeling, but I did not think it would end this way," said Edwards.

Reed's video showed him driving at a high speed and narrating as officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department chased him May 6. The officers said they observed Reed's car driving recklessly, almost striking other vehicles.

In the video, Reed, 21, is seen stopping the car and getting out to run. Reed dropped to the ground after being tazed by an officer. The video does not show what happens next, but several gunshots can be heard.

The news of Reed's death spread quickly. For many black Americans especially, his story seemed all too familiar: another black man killed by the police. When Edwards heard about a demonstration being held the next day in Reed's honor in front of the Indianapolis City-County Building, she knew she had to go.

But like many of the 200 people who showed up, she wrestled with an additional concern: staying protected from the coronavirus. Marion County  which encompasses Indianapolis  has been under a stay-at-home order, set to lift Friday. It accounts for the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths in the state with, as of Tuesday, 7,632 confirmed cases and 429 deaths. Current Marion County Public Health Department orders state that all residents should wear a face mask or covering in public and practice social distancing.

Practicing proper social distancing can be difficult during a mass protest. And, unlike during some protests, particularly demonstrations in several state capitals against lockdown orders, people here took precautions. Although protesters recognized the dangers of the coronavirus that come with assembling in close quarters, they said they felt the cause was more important.

That's partly because Indianapolis is no stranger to violence. In 2020, police have opened 52 criminal homicide investigations. This number does not include accidental or self-defense shootings. Moreover, police were also involved in two other deaths, in unrelated incidents, within eight hours of Reed's death: One was a police shooting, and the other was traffic fatality in which an officer's car struck a pregnant woman.

An estimated 200 people showed up for a May 7 demonstration in Dreasjon "Sean" Reed's honor outside the Indianapolis City-County Building. (Tarena Lofton/Kaiser Health News)

Anthoney Hampton, an organizer of the demonstration, is a forklift driver who has mentored inner-city youth in Indianapolis for 25 years. (Tarena Lofton/KHN)

Brandy Taylor, a 23-year-old cake decorator, said she decided to come to the demonstration partly because of her kids. She is concerned about their safety once the pandemic passes. She explained that it seems like the violence has slowed down since the start of the stay-at-home order, but she said, "You can't keep people at home for forever."

Anthoney Hampton, 50, an organizer of the demonstration, said he felt no hesitation. He felt it was his obligation. Hampton works as a forklift driver and has been a mentor to inner-city youth for 25 years. As a father and grandfather, he wanted his family to know it is important to stand up for a cause you believe in. And he sees the problem as much bigger than the ones in Indianapolis.

"I changed my [Facebook] profile picture to the young man who got killed in Georgia [recently], and a few hours later, someone got killed in our backyard," said Hampton.

The young man he was referring to is Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery was shot to death Feb. 23 while jogging in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Georgia. A video of the shooting was posted online May 5, causing a national outcry. State officials took over the case and arrested two men and charged them with murder.

As in Indiana, Georgia residents protested the death, gathering outside the state Capitol, in the streets of the neighborhood where Arbery was killed and in other places around the state.

At the gathering here, Hampton took precautions against the coronavirus. He wore gloves and a red face mask that read "Give me 6 feet." Like Hampton, many others in the crowd showed up with masks.

Members of the Indianapolis chapter of Black Lives Matter passed out masks for protection. The organization also posted on their Facebook and Twitter pages urging participants to practice social distancing and wear protective gear such as gloves and masks but to stay home if they were sick.

Mat Davis was one of those distributing masks and telling people the fight against the coronavirus was also important.

"I was terrified," said Davis. "I was like 'Please take this. You're upset; I'm upset. Please cover your face up.'"
A group of ex-offenders has gone from sewing mail bags to stitching masks as part of a massive national effort to meet the growing demand for face coverings.

The sewing circle run by a charity for former prisoners at Haworth House, a hostel run by the Probation Service in Blackburn, Lancashire, began sewing face coverings with fabric donated by Scottish fashion designer, Patrick Grant.

Grant, a judge on BBC TVs The Great British Sewing Bee, has launched #BigCommunitySew, a national effort to provide free face coverings for all.

The group joined more than 100 Womens Institutes, community groups and scrubhubs across the nation all sewing DIY face coverings.

Many hubs, who have helped make scrubs and gowns for the NHS, have switched to creating face coverings as Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested people consider wearing them in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible  such as on public transport or while shopping.

Their efforts will help ensure people make and use their own face coverings while key workers do not run short of medical-grade supplies.

Grant, a Scottish fashion designer whose Cookson & Clegg factory in Blackburn has been manufacturing PPE since the start of lockdown, said: Ive been blown away by the efforts of our sewing community.

Id like to encourage those who can make or sew to find out who in their community needs face coverings and get making, he added.

There are around six million sewing machines in homes across the UK.

Expand Close Scots fashion designer Patrick Grant, the man behind the face mask sewing drive (Ian West/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Scots fashion designer Patrick Grant, the man behind the face mask sewing drive (Ian West/PA)

If every one of those can be used to make just a dozen face coverings that would be one for every person in the UK.

One group in Somerset sewed 600 face coverings for the every resident in the village of Croscombe.

Carol Powell, from Liverpool Ladies Sewing for the NHS, said: Our group has given everyone a feeling of self-worth after feeling useless under such stressful circumstances.

We are not only helping healthcare and key workers, but we are helping to improve our own mental and physical health.

The founder of NI Scrubs, Angeline Murphy, said: Sewing is a simple act of kindness that can make a real difference. Its rewarding at the best of times, but sewing now, with the purpose of protecting friends, family and frontline staff takes that sense of pride and accomplishment to a whole other level.

Amanda George, who runs the Scrub Hub for Bristol, added: Thousands of sewers have joined forces to help the national effort and now theres a big appetite to help produce enough face coverings for every neighbourhood.

Expand Close Passengers wearing face masks on a platform at Canning Town underground station in London (Victoria Jones/PA Wire) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Passengers wearing face masks on a platform at Canning Town underground station in London (Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

The campaign has received support from the Government and Michael Gove, The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

He said: The Big Community Sew is a wonderful example of communities across the United Kingdom coming together to do their bit for the national effort.

How-to videos for sewers are available on the Big Community Sew website, www.bigcommunitysew.co.uk

Public Health England has published guidance on creating your own face covering, which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
A fight erupted between SEACOM and another network operator when SEACOM discovered that one of its network numbers was being used by an Internet service provider from Manila in the Philippines.

The dispute involves an Autonomous System Number (ASN) belonging to SEACOM, which was being used by another network  IPDC Solutions in Asia.

It also involves a block of 256 IP addresses, ranging from 156.241.3.0 to 156.241.3.255, which African Internet registry AFRINIC assigned to a company called Cloud Innovation.

Autonomous Systems are part of a standard called Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). This is a system which helps facilitate the routing of traffic on the Internet.

An ASN is a unique identifier on the Internet for every network that participates in the global BGP. Think of it like your mobile phone number, physical home address, or thumb print, which are all unique to you, SEACOM told MyBroadband.

When anyone, other than you purports to identify themselves using your mobile phone number, physical address, or thumb print, you would be exposed to unnecessary risk. The same principle applies to networks who appropriate other networks ASNs.

Apology from IPDC

The ASN in question, AS37353, belonged to MacroLan. SEACOM acquired MacroLan in 2017 to extend the reach of its metropolitan fibre network in the Western Cape. MacroLans offices also became the Cape Town regional office for SEACOM.

Cloud Innovation was a client of MacroLan, but their contract ended shortly after SEACOM acquired MacroLan. MacroLan had previously announced a BGP route for the 156.241.3.0/24 IP address block on behalf of Cloud Innovation.

IPDC explained that it had used the MacroLan ASN, which now belongs to SEACOM, at the instruction of one of its clients. While IPDC declined to identify its client, MyBroadband understands that the client is an ISP in the Philippines.

After the issue was detected and reported to IPDC, the company apologised for not paying closer attention and verifying that its client was authorised to use the ASN.

Cloud Innovations role

While IPDC took responsibility for the error, members of the African networking community called Cloud Innovation to task for what had happened.

IPDC is a client of Link Infinity and LARUS Cloud Service Limited in Hong Kong, who in turn are clients of Cloud Innovation.

Cloud Innovation owns the actual IP address block, 156.241.3.0/24, which was issued to it by AFRINIC. It delegated the block to LARUS, which delegated it to IPDC, which delegated it to their client.

Another issue discovered with the 156.241.3.0/24 block was that an old Internet Routing Registry (IRR) object was still attached to it. This route object announced the MacroLan ASN as the designated ASN for the IP address block.

Cloud Innovation founder Lu Heng told MyBroadband that he believes the IRR object was the reason IPDCs client instructed IPDC to announce the IP address block using the MacroLan ASN.

We believe that they looked up the prefix in the IRR database and found some antiquated route objects specifying MacroLans ASN. [They then] erroneously applied the ASN in the stale route object instead of their own, Heng said.

However, we dont really know exactly how or why they did it, he stated.

What we do know is that we didnt want to try too hard to throw our customer (or their customers) under the bus publicly. (Generally not good for business), yet we wanted to make it clear that this occurred both without our knowledge and without our participation.

Cloud Innovation controversy

To understand the scepticism in the African networking community regarding Cloud Innovations explanation, it is necessary to understand the controversy surrounding how Lu Heng acquired large chunks of African IP addresses.

AFRINIC awarded Cloud Innovation a massive portion of Internet resources. Many in the community argue that these IP addresses were intended for use by Africans, preferably within AFRINICs service region.

While Cloud Innovation is technically registered in the Seychelles, the majority of its operations appear to be in Asia.

Asked about the controversy, Heng said there were no restrictions on how and where AFRINIC-issued IP resources may be used until recently.

That understanding [that AFRINIC resources should be used in Africa] was not part of AFRINIC policy until AFRINIC began issuing from its final /8 [16 million addresses], Heng stated.

Cloud Innovations does not have any AFRINIC address space from the final /8. While there is a widespread community perspective that this should be applied retroactively, no such policy has ever gained consensus in the AFRINIC community.

Heng said the claim that Cloud Innovation acquired this space while African ISPs struggled to get more than a /20 (4,096 addresses) or even a /22 (1,024 addresses) simply isnt valid.

At the time Cloud Innovation acquired our space from AFRINIC, space was readily available to any provider with a justified need, Heng said. Those struggles began after the soft landing policy kicked in and Cloud Innovation has not received any space from AFRINIC since that time.

Heng added that there is general consensus around the world that Regional Internet Registries like AFRINIC are for registration purpose only.

Routing is generally considered out of the scope of RIR policies. While some similar regional restrictive policies were proposed in almost all regions, none of them get passed, he said.

Moreover, we do realize the African Internet is underdeveloped, and we are doing everything we can to help Africa. Through our [Larus] foundation and other efforts, we have been working for years to widen participation in the policy process, especially by students and those just beginning their careers, to donate to African schools that need computers, and through other educational outreach.

IPDC apology accepted  SEACOM

SEACOM told MyBroadband that it accepts IPDCs apology.

SEACOM appreciates the fact that IPDC apologised and we hope that nothing like this will happen again in the future, the company said.

Asked whether it accepts Cloud Innovations explanation of what happened, SEACOM said that it does not wish to enter into a public debate on the matter.

Suffice to say that the Internet is only able to achieve its success through the coordinated cooperation of all operators who have a stake in its success, SEACOM stated.

Guidelines are published and clear, and it remains the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that they participate in a manner that will not bring it into disrepute by reckless or unethical behaviour.

No technical solution to ASN misuse

SEACOM also explained that there isnt really a technical solution to prevent unauthorised use of ASNs as has happened here.

The Internet Engineering Task Force has some drafts in progress, but nothing close to being ratified for widespread use, SEACOM said.

Until then, members take it upon themselves to uphold the ethos of good netizenship and common decency by calling out unacceptable behaviours, and through coordinated activity to ensure that the Internet remains a safe place to operate.

Now read: AFRINIC insider stole and sold Internet resources
Baker and Haynes have an easy rapport, by turns spicy and sweet. They yes and to each others ideas, heightening jokes and building flights of fancy that serve as through lines for their rambling, hour-long show. One running plotline involves a baby in an Iron Man suit that theyve trapped in a box in their backyard; another is their growing paranoia that people are out to steal lemons from the tree in their rentals backyard. When something is as real as this and as fresh as this, the way to make fun of it and the way to bring levity to it is to get as wild and out there as you possibly can. Were already in a surreal situation, so we are going more surreal with it, Baker says.
China is facing mounting pressure over coronavirus as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease.

Calls are set to be made for a full probe as the World Health Organisation holds its virtual assembly today and tomorrow.

The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding.

Meanwhile, the UK is among the backers of an EU resolution urging an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the international response to COVID-19.

Although the text does not refer explicitly to China it is seen as an opening shot in a looming battle over the origins of the disease.

Beijing has been accused of causing deaths by covering up the early stages of the outbreak, and hiding its death toll.

The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding. Pictured Tedros Adhanom and President Xi of China, who is addressing the assembly, shake hands in January

The World Health Organisation (logo pictured) is holding its annual assembly virtually today and tomorrow

At least 116 countries have signed the resolution - well over the two-thirds threshold needed for it to be put forward tomorrow.

The text calls on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to initiate 'field missions' to identify the source of the virus and how it crossed the species barrier to reach humans.

The WHO and most experts believe the virus emerged in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan late last year.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'There will need to be a review into the pandemic, not least so that we can ensure we are better prepared for future global pandemics. The resolution at the World Health Assembly is an important step towards this.'

President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later

China's foreign ministry said it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally.

Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over.
17.0Holding court: The Redmond family  Katie and William with children Lucy (15), Ali (12) and Will (6)  with other club members at Claremont Railway LTC in Dublins Sandymount make preparations to play under tight HSE and Tennis Ireland restrictions. Only people from the same family group can play doubles tennis under this phase. Photo: Maxwells

Under the roadmap for reopening society and business, June 8 is earmarked for Phase 2 of an easing of restrictions.

According to the Government however, the date is "just an indication of what might happen if everything goes well with restricting the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland" and certain criteria must first be met before each phase can be rolled out.

There is also an ongoing possibility that restrictions could be reimposed.

In Phase 2, the 5km travel limit will be increased to 20km from your home. Gatherings of up to four people from separate households will then be able to take place inside, and there will be dedicated hours when people cocooning will be able to go into shops. They will also be allowed a small number of visitors to their house.

Other amendments to the restrictions include larger funerals and a greater return to business and sport.

These measures will only come into place when the National Public Health Emergency Team says that the conditions are right for more relaxation of the restrictions in place to protect us all.

Before each Government consideration of the easing of restrictions, the Department of Health will provide a report to the Government with the latest data regarding the progression of the disease, the capacity and resilience of the health service in terms of hospital and ICU occupancy, the capacity of the programme of sampling, testing and contact tracing, the ability to shield and care for at-risk groups and an assessment of the risk of secondary morbidity and mortality as a consequence of the restrictions.

It will also provide risk-based public health advice on what measures could be modified in the next period.

The Government would then consider what restrictions could be lifted, having regard to the advice of the Department of Health as well as other social and economic considerations, like the potential for increased employment, relative benefits for citizens and businesses, and improving national morale and wellbeing.
A law student killed in a 'senseless and shocking' shooting was gunned down by mistake by a drive-by shooter aiming for a car wash, witnesses have claimed.

Aya Hachem, 19, died shortly after she was hit by a stray bullet from a car window in Blackburn, Lancashire as she walked to a Lidl supermarket at 3pm yesterday.

Witnesses to the tragedy claim the gunman was firing at the Quick Tyre and Quick Shine car wash, but missed and instead shot the University of Salford student.

Ms Hachem, who was a young trustee with the Children's Society, had been close to her home when she was shot and killed on King Street.

Her father Ismail Hachem today paid tribute to his 'strong' daughter in heartfelt Facebook post. 'My strong daughter lawyer Aya Ismail Hashem God's mercy on your pure soul,' he wrote.

One witness to the tragedy said online that Ms Hachem had been 'shot to the floor from a car window' as she walked down the street.

'A woman casually walking down the street gets shot to the floor from a car window,' they said. 'Get me out of this place. Shaken to f***. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

University of Salford student Aya Hachem (pictured) died shortly after she was shot from a car window in Blackburn, Lancashire at around 3pm yesterday

Pictured: Police forensics officers look at a car wash and valet inside the cordon on King Street in Blackburn

Another added: 'The aim, I believe, was to shoot out the glass in the big main window of the tyre place near Lidl. He missed and shot the lady.'

A passerby on King Street also today suggested the car wash was the target of the attack, following a previous dispute between the two parties.

'It is some sort of dispute regarding the car wash,' he said. 'There had been a fall out and this was a revenge attack.'

Detectives from Lancashire Police's Major Force Incident Unit were seen around the car wash today in protective suits as the investigation into Ms Hachem's death continued.

The murder investigation centres around a car 'with a number of occupants' which was spotted leaving the scene shortly after Ms Hachem was shot.

Ms Hachem (pictured), who was a trustee with the Children's Society, had been just 100 metres from her home when she was shot and killed on King Street

A vehicle matching its description - a light-coloured, possibly metallic green Toyota Avensis - was found abandoned on Wellington Road, a short distance away from the scene.

Police added there is 'no evidence to suggest Aya was the intended target of this attack and every indication is that she was an innocent passerby.'

Ms Hachem had recently passed her second-year law exams at the University of Salford and was the Vice Chairperson of the university's law society.

Her father, Ismail Hachem, paid tribute to his 'strong' daughter in a Facebook post.

'My strong daughter lawyer Aya Ismail Hashem God's mercy on your pure soul,' he said.

'They who broke our back with your horizon you were all dream, science and morals. Oh Allah, inspire us with patience and solace.'

In another touching tribute, Noreen Hussain added: 'Aya Hachem was exactly the type of young woman I'd love for her to aspire to be like. I therefore write this with a very heavy heart.

'As at no point would her parents have imagined she would be taken away during a turbulent time for the world in such a tragic way.

'A mindless gunman has robbed Aya of her life and her family and friends and all those in society, of the good she was doing for others.

Pictured: The Toyota Avensis police believe was involved in the shooting of Ms Hachem

Ms Hachem (pictured), who was a young trustee with the Children's Society, had been close to her home when she was shot and killed on King Street

'Such a noble and caring soul and intelligent and bright young person.'

The teenager, whose family had fled war-torn Lebanon, was found 'unresponsive' on the ground after gunshots were heard in the area around King Street on Sunday.

Armed officers, along with as many as seven squad cars and a helicopter, attended the scene and the victim was rushed to hospital, where she sadly died a short while later.

While a post mortem is yet to take place, it is believed the cause of death was a gunshot wound, a Lancashire Police spokesman confirmed.

The Asylum and Refugee Community (ARC) Project in Blackburn paid tribute to the 'beautiful' and 'much loved' Ms Hachem in a Facebook post today.

'With great sadness and heartache we have to share with you that we have lost Aya, beloved eldest daughter of Samar and Ismael from Lebanon,' a statement said.

Pictured: Forensics officers on King Street, Blackburn after the shooting of Aya Hachem

Her father, Ismail Hachem, paid tribute to his 'strong' daughter in a Facebook post today (Pictured: Police on the scene)

'Aya, one of our own, lost her life in a horrific senseless attack, randomly caught up in a shooting outside Lidl, King Street, Blackburn as she walked past at around 3pm on Sunday.

'Aya, a beautiful 19 year old young woman from Lebanon, had just passed her 2nd year law exams at Salford University and had a dream and ambition to study international law.

'Aya and her family are much loved in our ARC community. Our hearts and prayers are with them at this painful time especially during this holy month of Ramadam when Aya and her family were fasting.'

The Children's Society Chief Executive, Mark Russell, said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our young trustees, Aya Hachem.

'She was a truly remarkable young woman, and an inspiring voice for children and young people. Our thoughts are with her family at this awful time.'

Pictured: An armed police officer at the scene on King Street, Blackburn, today following the death of a woman from a suspected gunshot wound on Sunday

Armed officers, along with as many as seven squad cars and a helicopter, attended the scene and the victim was rushed to hospital

Friends of the 'beloved' teenager have raised more than 25,000 in just 12 hours to build a Masjid - a mosque - in her honour in west Africa.

In a JustGiving post, Hannan Qazi wrote: 'I urge you all to share and donate and grant this beautiful reward to our late sister.

'The Masjid will be built in association with Muslim Hands and built in Niger, West Africa.'

In an urgent appeal for witnesses, Terry Woods, of Lancashire Police, said: 'This was an appalling and senseless attack on an innocent young woman, whose life was cut short while she was simply out doing some shopping.

'First and foremost our condolences are with her family, who have lost their daughter during the holy month of Ramadan. For her life to have been cut short like this is unthinkable and her family are understandably utterly distraught.

Police are seen on King Street today where a woman, 19, was shot and later rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead

'We are now asking anybody information to come forward. We know King Street was reasonably busy at the time of the attack and there will have been witnesses in the areas of King Street and Whalley Banks, near Lidl and the A674, who may have seen something or who may know who is responsible.

;We believe a green-coloured Toyota Avensis was used to commit the offence, and this car was later recovered nearby. If you saw the car in the area of King Street and Whalley Banks, or if you saw it being abandoned on Wellington Road, again we would urge you to get in touch.

'Similarly if you have information about who had been using this vehicle either on the day of the attack or in the weeks preceding, please tell us.

'We are also still appealing for anybody with mobile phone, CCTV or dashcam footage taken in the area between 10am and 4pm yesterday to send it to us.

'We appreciate people may not want to get involved and may be reluctant to come forward, but an innocent young woman has been killed in broad daylight and we are asking anybody with any information at all to search their consciences and get in touch to tell us what they know.'

No arrests have been made and a critical incident has been declared, police confirmed.

Lancashire Police later confirmed that a murder investigation had been launched following the 19-year-old's death

The force is appealing for any information from people who were near the murder scene on King Street - even if they were flouting lockdown rules.

DS Holmes said: 'We understand people may be reluctant to come forward during this time, especially if they have not been following the government guidelines about staying at home, but we would reassure them that our immediate concern is to find out what happened.

'We urge anyone who has any information, no matter how insignificant they may feel it to be, to come forward and speak to us as a matter of urgency.'

He added: 'We appreciate this will have caused a lot of worry in the community, but we have deployed significant additional resources, including armed officers, to carry out high visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance to residents.

'Anyone with concerns or questions is welcome to speak to those officers.'

Anyone with information is asked to get contact the police on 101, quoting log number 817.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary last April at their Birkhall residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The heir to the throne and the Duchess of Cornwall, whose romance has spanned decades, tied the knot in 2005 in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall followed by a dedication in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Prior to their wedding, however, the couple had a complicated and controversial relationship.

Camilla was portrayed as the "third person" in Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage and was accused of the downfall of their relationship.

Furthermore, while she is now considered as one of the senior members of the royal family, she still had a difficult time setting up her royal charities because of the late People's Princess.

Camilla Struggled Not To Overshadow Princess Diana

In a Channel 5 documentary Charles and Camilla: King and Queen, a royal expert explained that the Duchess of Cornwall struggled to build her own organization as several charities were linked with Princess Diana.

"All senior members of the Royal Family have their favorite charities. The charities that they support, the issue they're most passionate about. In Camilla's case, it was very difficult for her because so many causes that we understand she actually did care about were associated with Diana," Journalist Daisy McAndrew said in the documentary.

This left Camilla having to tread "carefully" and not to look like she was trying to replace Prince Charles' former wife.

"She had to be so careful not to tread on Diana's image or Diana's favorite subjects or charities.," McAndrew furthered.

Moreover, the journalist pointed out that it would not have been a wise decision for Camilla to aim at any of Diana's previous foundations during her marriage with the heir to the throne.

"It would, of course, look like she was trying to walk in Diana's shoes. That was a very difficult line to tread."

The Duchess of Cornwall currently serves as a patron to numerous literacy charities, including the Wicked Young Writer's Awards and Beanstalk, the National Literacy Trust, Book Trust and First Story.

Prince Charles' Devastation Over Camilla's Previous Marriage

Before rekindling their relationship following the Prince of Wales' messy relationship with Princess Diana, it was also reported that Prince Charles underwent severe emotional turmoil when he found out that Camilla was engaged to then-husband Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1973.

In the same documentary, royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed that Prince Charles was in the West Indies and felt "crushed" when he heard the news about Camilla.

"One can only imagine that Charles would have been feeling pretty crushed by this news. He had gone away to serve and hoped that Camilla would wait for him. He certainly thought the relationship had legs, even if his family didn't," Nicholl said, referring to Charles being away with Camilla for several months.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding public housing authorities across New Mexico more than $5.5 million in grants.

The states congressional delegation announced the funding Friday, saying its part of the relief package recently approved by Congress. The money will be aimed at increasing access to affordable housing in hopes of keeping more New Mexicans in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic Reps. Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small said the grants come at a critical time as tens of thousands of New Mexicans are facing reduced work hours, layoffs and increased economic uncertainty.

I know what its like when you dont know when the next paycheck is going to come, Haaland said. These housing assistance grants will provide rental assistance to ensure folks can keep a roof over their heads and landlords can pay the mortgage.

New Mexico previously was awarded more than $16.7 million in HUD grants.
The report said that AIA has received more than 6,100 applications to defer premiums payments. Great Eastern has received around 2,800 requests, while Manulife had picked up more than 500.

As for the insurers, they are willing to extend this assistance to policyholders, and its unlikely that they would have a major negative effect on their financial standing.

It is just an extension of the grace period, Tan Lay Hoon, Manulife Singapores chief operating officer, was quoted as saying in the report. We dont think this is going to have much of an effect on our finances.

Paul Brenchley, partner at KPMG Singapores financial services advisory, agreed, saying that the requests arent a huge concern for insurers.

Weve yet to see the mass unemployment levels that have been experienced in some other countries, he told CNA. These few thousand applications for deferral schemes are, at the moment, a fairly small percentage of [insurers] local revenues.

Premium deferments are allowed for up to six months, but insurers are willing to re-evaluate the limit in response to the unfolding pandemic, the report said.
Imerys SA, which mines talc used in Johnson & Johnsons iconic Baby Powder and other products, agreed to turn over its North American operations to resolve more than 14,000 lawsuits claiming the mineral caused cancer in some consumers.

Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada  units that sought bankruptcy protection last year  will be sold at auction with the proceeds going into a trust to compensate talc victims, the company said in a statement. In return, plaintiffs will drop their suits, allowing the businesses to emerge from Chapter 11. Paris-based Imerys SA, the companys parent, didnt file for bankruptcy protection.

The deal aims to end six years of litigation over Imeryss role as the sole talc supplier for J&J. Consumers allege asbestos-laced talc causes one kind of cancer, while the mineral on its own causes another. J&J faces almost 20,000 suits making the same allegations, according to its latest regulatory filing.

The Imerys auction plan provides a favorable solution for all stakeholders, including representatives of current and future claimants in talc-related litigation, the company said in its statement early Friday.

Shares of Imerys surged as much as 8.1% in Paris after the settlement was announced.

J&J and Imerys have faced talc suits since 2014. Of those that have gone to trial, some juries have hit the companies with hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for their alleged mishandling of the product. The companies have had some verdicts wiped out on appeal.

Settled Claims

In 2018, Imerys agreed to pay $5.5 million prior to trial to settle claims by 22 women arguing its talc was tainted with asbestos. In that same case, a jury ordered J&J to pay $4.7 billion in actual and punitive damages to the women over their Baby Powder claims. The case is on appeal in state court in Missouri.

Women contend internal memos show J&J knew in the early 1970s that some of its powder contained asbestos. Others contend that just using the mineral on their genitals could cause ovarian cancer. J&J and Imerys deny talc causes any form of cancer and argue years of testing found the product to be safe. The companies also dismiss claims they improperly marketed their products and wrongfully targeted minorities.

As the talc suits mounted, defense costs became a drag on Imeryss revenue, as did disputes with J&J and insurers about responsibilities for those costs, court records show. Imerys executives said they concluded the company lacked the financial wherewithal to remain in the tort system and decided Chapter 11 was their best option.

Solid Step

This is one solid step in trying to get a measure of compensation for many people hurt from talc, Mark Lanier, a Texas-based plaintiffs lawyer who served as head of the Imerys creditors committee, said in an emailed statement. This is really a call for all talc producers and sellers to find a way to comprehensively settle all legitimate talc-cancer cases, said Lanier, who won the $4.7 billion verdict against J&J in 2018.

Other companies have used bankruptcy to resolve mass-tort litigation.

Opioid maker Purdue Pharma LP filed for Chapter 11 last year with a $10 billion plan to sell assets to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging it fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic by illegally pushing sales of its addictive OxyContin painkiller. The Purdue plan has been stalled by opposition from some states and local governments, who are demanding the company and its owners, the Sackler family, pay more.

Unlike with Purdue, Imerys officials came together with a committee representing talc victims to craft a deal that calls for the company to hand over as much as $132 million in cash and notes to help fund the trusts initial operations, according to the companys disclosure statement.

Auction Assets

Some of that contribution is contingent on how much the North American businesses fetch at auction, which may include a bid from Imerys SA to buy back the assets, court filings show. Those units make talc thats also used in plastics, ceramics and paper, and generated about $174 million of combined revenue in 2018.

Imerys also is relinquishing its claims to insurance covering the talc cases, which could total more than $2 billion, according to court filings. But the talc producer is fighting in court with some insurers over whether the talc claims are covered.

Likewise, the trust may be entitled to demand J&J kick in money to former Baby Powder users who developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked specifically to asbestos exposure.

J&J has refused to acknowledge or accept its indemnification obligations and has disputed the scope of coverage, Imerys said in court filings.

Jake Sargent, a J&J spokesman, declined to comment.

The plan also makes provisions for former Baby Powder users who develop cancer in the future. Imerys tapped James Patton, a veteran bankruptcy lawyer, to represent potential future claims against the trust.

Imerys officials are hoping the reorganization plan will get final approval before the end of the year from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Silverstein. A hearing on the plan is scheduled for June 30.

The case is In Re Imerys Talc America Inc., 19-10289, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

With assistance from Steven Church, Andrew Noel, Myriam Balezou, Finbarr Flynn and Albertina Torsoli.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Claims USA Mining
"We are crazy about doing good in this world," Mohammed M. said. "Everything that we do is rooted in transparency, integrity and kindness."

For example, a customer could choose to pay between $6 and $16 for a 4-ounce bar of soap, according to the company's website.

"We have a sliding price scale where customers can choose how much they want to pay for their products," Mohammed A. said. "So for customers that can afford to pay a little bit more, it offsets the price for customers who need to pay a little bit less."

Each of The Mad Optimist products are vegan, non-GMO, halal, gluten- and cruelty-free, the founders said.

"So, that's why we created our company, The Mad Optimist  a totally unique, customizable soap and body care company," Mohammed A. said.

"As Muslims, who happen to be vegan, we don't eat meat and hated the idea of cleaning ourselves with animal fat," which is found in some traditional soaps, Duncan said.

Three best friends  Anthony Duncan, with brothers Mohammed A. and Mohammed M. Mahdi  entered the Tank to pitch their vegan soap company, The Mad Optimist.

But when Cuban invested in a vegan, non-GMO soap and body care company during Friday's episode, his fellow Sharks thought he was crazy to do so.

Even though he doesn't win them all , billionaire investor Mark Cuban has an eye for vegan companies on ABC's "Shark Tank."

Although the Sharks respected the company's message, they were very worried about the sliding price scale.

"I can choose how much I pay you for? Please help me understand this madness," Shark Kevin O'Leary said, asking for the company's sales numbers and profit margin.

"The profit margin in the middle is about 50% In the last 11 months with The Mad Optimist brand, it's been about $21,000 [in sales] in soap," Duncan said on the episode.

To top it off, the three founders quit their jobs to focus solely on their business, and to get by, they've received loans from family members.

O'Leary was not impressed.

"Do you ever go home at night, and ask, 'What is the meaning of life?' Why are you optimistic? You have no reason to be optimistic," he told the founders. "I tried to be optimistic. There is nothing here for an investor. Your parents must be asking when you're going to wake up and get jobs."

Most of the other Sharks agreed with O'Leary.

"There is so much beautiful, vibrant energy [coming from the founders], but you have a long way to go," guest Shark and Kind snacks CEO Daniel Lubetzky said. "You're way too obsessed about your mission, and you're not letting the product shine through."

"I really love your energy, but I could not hate your business more. The open market does not reward good intention, it rewards results," Shark Robert Herjavec said and Lori Greiner agreed.

As four of the five Sharks opted out, Mohammed M. tried to change their minds.

"You have to understand how different we are. We have our revenue numbers live on our website," he said. "No one is doing custom bar soaps like we are."

Despite the other Sharks' opinions, Cuban was still interested in making a deal. He liked the vegan product and their transparency with customers.

But most of all, Cuban felt connected to the three best friends, as they started the company in Bloomington, Indiana, where Cuban went to college.

"Would you be willing to have multiple businesses? In other words, verticalizing," Cuban asked. "When you first came in, you started talking about being Muslim and you have a different orientation towards products, right? Why not have a website that focuses just on that market?"

Duncan and the Mahdi brothers said they would be open to this, but O'Leary still tried to get Cuban to opt out.

"You're cursing them," O'Leary said. "They're gonna stay doing this [if Cuban invests]. This is horrible."

But Cuban ultimately told O'Leary to "shut up."

"What really caught my attention, that I think has not been done anywhere, is showing your revenues, having the slider on price so people could pick your pricing," he said.

"Now, typically, these guys are all right. The mission can't lead the way. But sometimes, when a mission discloses something unique, that is worth the effort, then OK, particularly when it's [only a] $60,000 [investment]." The founders were seeking a $60,000 in return for a 10% stake in the company.

"I like the idea of being totally transparent. I like the idea of having a slider pay. So, I'll make you the offer. I'll give you the $60,000, but I want 25%."

After some negotiating, Cuban agreed to a $60,000 offer for 20%, along with an agreement to donate 100% of sales from their "Shark Tank" episode debut to charity.

O'Leary thought this was a "horrible" deal.

"When they give away 100% of sales on 'Shark Tank' night, their biggest night ever, it will guarantee that this business will never, ever, ever make any money. I think you've done a horrible thing here. You've left them in a curse. They're trapped in a business that will never profit," O'Leary said.

"I am right and you are wrong. I am on the side of light and you are on the side of darkness. You've put them into hell. Not only hell, but the third level of hell, where you make soap, one bar at a time," he said.

Cuban responded: "And that's the difference between you and I, Kevin. I have the ability to make them successful. You don't have that ability."

"I am so not worried," Cuban added.

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."

Check out: The best credit cards of 2020 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years

Don't miss:
Embedded SIM (eSIM) technology is becoming widely adopted in many modern smartphones, and South African mobile operators have started to support wearables with eSIMs.

These devices include Samsung and Apples high-end smartwatches  the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch.

Vodacom recently announced that it had added the Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 5 Cellular to its list of supported devices.

The Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular will be available from 22 May and will run on Vodacoms OneNumber platform.

OneNumber allows customers to connect their eSIM-enabled wearable to their existing mobile number, sharing their data and airtime balance.

MTN also supports eSIM functionality on the Samsung Galaxy Watch, although this is only available on selected contracts.

Major new devices which feature eSIM support include Apples iPhone 11 range, which was launched in September 2019.

After the launch of these new smartphones, local mobile networks told MyBroadband they would launch eSIM support for iPhones soon.

However, this is still not available on MTN and Vodacom  which are the only networks to offer eSIM support in South Africa.

MyBroadband asked these operators about the current state of their eSIM solution and when they expect to support Apples iPhone eSIM capabilities.

Vodacom

Vodacom told MyBroadband it does plan to add support for more eSIM devices in the future, but its current focus was on wearables.

We successfully launched the Samsung eSIM range mid last year and these devices are well received by customers, Vodacom said.

Plans are underway to support more devices in the future.

Our current focus is on the eSIM wearables, expanding our current eSIM wearable portfolio as well as enhancing the customer journey, as is the case with the launch of the Apple Watch, the company said.

Powered by Vodacom OneNumber, customers will have a seamless connection with their primary number through eSIM technology.

The company did not provide a timeline for iPhone eSIM support on its network.

MTN

MTN executive for corporate affairs Jacqui OSullivan told MyBroadband it was looking at improving its eSIM offering by the end of 2020.

MTN customers can get the eSIM technology on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm, OSullivan said.

These watches are only available to customers purchasing a 2-4-1 deal with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 or Note 10+ on the MTN Made For Me or Sky Price plans.

MTN is also engaging various other smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, and we expect to upscale our eSIM support by end of 2020, the company added.

One of the challenges of implementing eSIM is to find a way to obtain a customers identity proof such as ID and passport for RICA purposes.
San Francisco parenting benefits provider Cleo announced a coalition Monday that includes Bay Area tech companies and venture capital firms and will focus on supporting working parents during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

The group includes large employers including Salesforce and Pinterest and firms such as Greylock. Parenting company Happiest Baby; the Mom Project, which supports businesses hiring and retaining women; and PL+US, a campaign to win family leave in the United States, are co-creators of the pledge.

Members of the coalition have signed a nonbinding pledge to Invest in Parents by supporting flexible work options, providing non-bias training for managers and offering resources to help parents stay in the workforce.

I feel like COVID was the point that everyone was forced to reckon with the fact that the working family doesnt really work very well, said Cleo CEO Sarahjane Sacchetti. Many working parents were already struggling to keep up with the needs of jobs and children. COVID took our duct-tape safety net away.

Sacchetti said she recognized the impact of the pandemic on working parents almost immediately after the Bay Area shut down on March 17 and her own life was thrown into chaos.

With the nanny who usually cares for her two kids, ages 3 and 6, sheltering in place, Sacchetti and her husband struggled to juggle full-time child care with working from home.

It was really wild, Sacchetti said. The last three weeks of it got to be really overwhelming. Just not OK. I was just working all night to keep up, and I felt like I couldnt breathe.

Cleo also heard from members about the challenges they were facing during the pandemic.

When the company surveyed 246 members in April, more than half said they didnt have child care, and 20% reported that they or a partner were thinking about leaving the workforce to take care of children.

According to a survey from Education Trust-West, 83% of California families with young children now have a parent staying home and 36% are unsure whether theyll return to previous child care arrangements after shelter-in-place orders lift.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

This month, based on her teams experiences and feedback from members, Cleo announced Cleo Care, a benefit service that matches families with vetted babysitters through UrbanSitter, helps parents find families for cooperative child care and offers educational programs for parents to engage their kids. According to Sacchetti, more than 50 large employers have already expressed interest.

We cant wait for federal legislation, Sacchetti said. I just think its time for us to all talk about the fact that employers can do something.

Cleo is signing on more companies to its Invest in Parents pledge, and the initial coalition members will meet virtually this month and publish policy and workplace recommendations to support working parents in May and June.

Clarification: This story has been updated to note that Happiest Baby, the Mom Project and PL+US are co-creators of the Invest in Parents pledge.

Sarah Feldberg is The San Francisco Chronicles assistant features editor. Email: sarah.feldberg@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sarahfeldberg
By Levi Sumagaysay

Race and Coronavirus

Lifelong San Francisco resident Sandy Fong-Navalta was on Muni recently, heading home from work when she witnessed a white male yell at an elderly Asian man for being a "rude, f---ing ignorant Chinaman."

The Asian man had put his hand up when someone got too close to him on the bus. "You're the reason coronavirus came to America!" the white male continued in response to the elderly man's gesture.

Fong-Navalta, whose sister-in-law is Race and Coronavirus co-founder Pati Navalta, said she has witnessed or felt tension in San Francisco quite a bit since the first reports of coronavirus -- a homeless man recently told her she was "spreading the corona" -- and that it has come "to the point where I'm almost desensitized to it."

As some people blame the rise of coronavirus on China, where it originated, the FBI has warned about a possible rise in hate crimes against Asians in the United States. Businesses owned by Asian Americans are being vandalized.

Some Asian Americans are literally arming themselves in case they are physically assaulted, like an Asian family that was stabbed at a Sam's Club in Texas in March, reportedly because of coronavirus. And advocacy groups, policymakers and others are having to dole out advice on how to deal with it all.

Also in San Francisco in early March, Yuanyuan Zhu was on her way to the gym when a white male in his 40s who "looked like a regular person" spat on her after he shouted "F--- China." He also yelled at a passing bus to "run 'them' over."

She told her story on social media and to the New York Times, but she recently told it again to journalists who tuned in for a recent online press conference held by Chinese for Affirmative Action, Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and San Francisco State University's Asian American Studies Department, which have teamed up on Stop AAPI Hate, a website where people can submit anti-Asian incidents.

In the four weeks since the site was created, it had collected nearly 1,500 reports - and by Tuesday, that number was up to 1,716, according to Chinese for Affirmative Action SF spokesman Eugene Lau.

"I was panicked," Zhu said. "I just walked faster and into my gym." She said it was "hard to imagine that this would happen in the Bay Area," which is known for its diversity, and that it's important to speak up and collect data about what's happening.

Russell Jeung, head of Asian American Studies at SFSU, said the density of San Francisco, its residents' reliance on public transit, and large Asian population are probably why 41.8 percent of the reported incidents happened in the city. New York City was second, with 16.7 percent of the reported incidents.

"When coronavirus hit, I knew Asians would be targeted," Jeung told Race and Coronavirus. The incident reports are coming from different ethnic groups because many Asians are mistaken for Chinese.

The professor blamed politicians for "riling up their base" and trying to avoid responsibility for "not doing enough" in response to the novel coronavirus. "Their political rhetoric opens up hate."

He also pointed to the long history of anti-Asian racism in this country. Chinese miners were driven from their homes and even killed during the 1880s. Jeung said the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned Chinese laborers from entering the United States, has "eerie parallels" to U.S. sentiment today.

"Back then there was a recession and whites were losing their jobs," he said. "Now we're (headed toward) a depression and whites are losing their jobs."

A fairly recent parallel is the backlash against Muslims after the September 2001 terrorist attacks, Jeung said, adding that then and now, America was and is said to be at war.

"The difference is President (George W.) Bush said we shouldn't tolerate racism against Muslims," he said. "President (Donald) Trump insists on calling it the Chinese virus ... with social media and memes, it really shapes people's subconscious."

In a podcast interview with Race and Coronavirus, California Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, responded to whether he had been personally affected by anti-Asian backlash since the beginning of this crisis. He said that he had, but could not go into detail.

"This virus has really given people a license to hate," he said. Ting represents the 19th district, which includes parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

Ting applauded the creation of the Stop AAPI Hate website, citing the importance of collecting data for policymaking. However, he cautioned that reported numbers may not reflect the true number of incidents. "There are probably ... more people who decided not to step forward or haven't even heard about this website."

Cynthia Choi, co-director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, said as much during the press conference: "Consider this an undercount. Lots of incidents are unreported."

How can Asian Americans deal with the verbal harassment, shunning, being discriminated against at their workplaces and in other businesses, and even physical assaults?

The groups that held the press conference underscored the importance of reporting and tracking the incidents as a way to inform authorities and officials who can enact policies and enforcement to combat the hate.

"Racism can be traumatic," said Alicia del Prado, a psychologist from Danville who said she has seen patients who have been affected by anti-Asian sentiment.

She said she tries to help her clients "feel supported and understood so they do not internalize the negative messages and do not go to self-blame, self-hatred, paralyzing fear, or other negative outcomes."

Jeung takes some comfort in history: "Asian Americans have always resisted, so that gives me strength. The Japanese won redress and reparations (for their internment during World War II). America can apologize for its actions." He hopes that people use lessons from the past to politically mobilize, and is encouraged by the fact that there are more Asian American leaders in power these days.

Ting mentioned that "we have the largest Asian American caucus in California state history."

He said the Asian American caucus has stood against hatred in all forms and have the support of other caucuses on this issue. "If you ever think that representation doesn't matter, it absolutely does matter."

Copyright  2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
Ministers must order councils to reopen public toilets and car parks and stop 'terrorising' those who want to visit beauty spots, a government adviser said today.

Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said the risk outdoors was 'minimal' and people did not need to be so anxious.

The government eased draconian limits on exercise last week, with Boris Johnson saying the public is free to drive distances and enjoy public spaces as many times a day as they want.

However, tourist boards have joined local authorities in saying visitors should stay away from beauty spots and seaside resorts.

Weston-super-Mare has changed its slogan from 'Visit Weston' to 'Don't Visit Weston'.

People enjoying the summer weather on the beach in Brighton, Sussex, yesterday

Weston-super-Mare has changed its slogan from 'Visit Weston' to 'Don't Visit Weston'

Professor Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, told the Telegraph: 'The Government needs to be more proactive and order councils to open lavatories and car parks.'

He added: 'The ''stay away'' messages coming from a lot of these areas (seaside resorts and beauty spots) has fed back to the public who are wondering what they can do. I can see a lot of people thinking, ''is this worth it?''.

'Then there are the general levels of fear and anxiety. People are worried they won't be safe despite growing evidence that has not been well communicated that there is minimal risk.

'The Government has been terrorising the population, instilling a state of terror.'

Councils have closed car parks and shut public toilets in popular tourist spots such as Whitby in North Yorkshire.

The row comes as tens of thousands more Britons are heading back into work today, despite confusion over whether commuters should wear masks.

Travellers now face major changes on the railways and Tube as services were supposed to return to 70 per cent of normal levels as the lockdown continues to ease, including mandatory booking of seats on some routes or face not being able to board.

And going forward commuters could even be told to book a slot to enter their local railway station to prevent overcrowding, with stewards brought in to manage crowds at Clapham Junction today - Europe's busiest station by interchanges. Police and security guards were also deployed at other stations to prevent rush hour surges.

Professor Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said the risk outdoors was 'minimal' and people did not need to be so anxious

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said that people catching the Tube or bus should cover their faces but in contrast Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, said that face coverings are not mandatory on mainline trains with commuters claiming 'hardly anyone' is wearing them.

Sir Peter said: 'We are relying on people to be sensible. We are doing our best too. We want people to stay apart if they humanly can and if they can't, then a face covering is a quite sensible thing to do for the brief moments when you might be getting on or off a train or moving through a station'.

Asked what measures will be taken to try to keep passengers and staff, he told BBC Breakfast: 'We have processes to close stations if they become too full. My railway colleagues have rehearsed those processes on the national railway network if that becomes necessary'.

As many more people started working today, panicked passengers complained of packed trains and some mainline services ran with half the usual number of carriages. They have also been told to allow for social distancing - but despite floor stickers being installed on trains in European cities to ensure people stay two metres apart - they don't appear to have been put in on the Tube.

Sadiq Khan warned during rush hour this morning that 'lockdown has not been lifted', adding: 'London's doing an incredible job slowing the spread of #COVID19, but if we're to prevent a disastrous second wave we must all continue to stay at home as much as possible and avoid any unnecessary travel, especially on public transport. Don't let up now. Let's keep it going'.

But those who commuted into major cities today complained that while there were more trains - services were not up to scratch. The Tube was also busy again in rush hour, especially on routes from east London into central London most used by blue collar workers such as those in the construction industry.

And While Edward Reeves. who travelled to London on a Greater Anglia service tweeted: Why was the 0443 service to LST from Colchester this morning only a 4 carriage? It's usually an 8 carriage. Social distancing is difficult enough without halving the capacity of a train'.

Roads also appeared busier today as Sadiq Khan brought back the congestion charge two weeks early - before the price rises from 11.50 to 15 next month and is imposed on weekends for the first time.

Mr Khan's transport chief Heidi Alexander today urged people to stay away from public transport as many more people were due to return, and tweeted: 'LONDON: please don't use public transport unless you really have to. Work at home if you can. Don't travel first thing. Wear a face covering. And always wash your hands before and after you travel'.
About a third of small businesses forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic say they won't be able to reopen due to an inability to pay bills or rent, a Facebook survery has found.

More than half of the business owners surveyed by Facebook have also said they don't expect to be able to rehire the same amount of workers that they employed prior to the pandemic.

Facebook surveyed 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers and employees for its State of Small Business report that was released on Monday as part of a data initiative with the World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The report highlights the lasting impact the pandemic will have on smaller businesses despite the $660 billion in aid the government set aside to help.

Facebook surveyed 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers and employees for its State of Small Business report that was released on Monday

The findings from the survey show that 31 percent of small and medium sized businesses have been forced to close their doors in the past three months.

Of the one-third that haven't yet been able to reopen, about 34 percent said it was because they couldn't afford to pay their rent or bills.

About 44 percent of small business owners said they had to reduce the number of employees as a result of the pandemic and 22 percent had to fire more than 10 people.

Only 45 percent of business owners said they would be able to rehire the same employees they had to let go or furlough when they reopen.

The US economy lost a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April - the steepest plunge since the 1930s Great Depression - when the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7 percent.

More than 40 percent of owners said they would have to use personal savings to reopen and rehire employees.

Meanwhile, 30 percent of business owners and managers said they weren't yet sure where they would secure the money to reopen.

'Despite the 50 percent decline in sales, we still have to pay 100 percent of our fixed costs,' one business owner said in the Facebook report.

'This is impossible. Rent was already high. Now it makes up 50 percent of our gross income.'

The Paycheck Protection Program established by Congress in late March was aimed at helping businesses keep making payroll for eight weeks, despite orders to shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The eight-week period may be applied to any time frame from mid-February up to June 30.

Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican chairman of the Senate's small business committee, said on Monday that lawmakers need to move fast to extend it with many businesses moving toward the end of their eight-week period.

'The legislative fix needed to #PPP is extending beyond 8 weeks the time period a #SmallBusiness has to spend the funds on payroll. We are hoping to move quickly on this before the first wave of #PPP loan recipients reach the 8 week point,' Rubio wrote on Twitter.

While most states have begun to reopen their economies at least in part, some 36 million Americans - one in five in the workforce - have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.
Citywide, Oakland

Photo: Grace Cathedral/Facebook

The Bay Area's shelter-in-place order has brought countless events usually held as in-person gatherings online. We're aiming to support local businesses in San Francisco and Oakland by highlighting five of these events each day.

Got a suggestion for an online event based in SF or Oakland? Email our events reporter, Teresa Hammerl.

Here's your SF and Oakland event calendar for Tuesday, May 19. Practice yoga, join a poetry slam or hear a talk with Noam Chomsky about the Green New Deal  all from the comfort of your couch.

Detox Immunity Flow with Vaza

Photo: Vaza Yoga/Facebook

Jumpstart your Tuesday morning with a mood-elevating and immune-boosting yoga flow class. Teacher Vaza will focus on postures that help the body detoxify and strengthen, "leaving you feeling juicy for the day ahead."

When: Tuesday, May 19, 7:30 a.m.

How to join: Via Vaza Yoga's website

Price: $15 suggested donation; free to anyone in hardship

The Green New Deal with Amy Goodman, Noam Chomsky & Stan Cox

Image: City Lights/Facebook

Journalist Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) will appear in a City Lights-hosted discussion with famed scholar Noam Chomsky and Stan Cox, the author of the new book "The Green New Deal and Beyond." The trio will talk about the prospects for a Green New Deal and how the pandemic does and does not affect the struggle for climate and economic justice.

When: Tuesday, May 19, 12 p.m.

How to join: Via Crowdcast

Price: Free; reservation required

Prospective & Expectant LGBTQ+ Parents Group

Image: Our Family Coalition/Facebook

Ready to start a family, but aren't sure where to begin? Is a child on the way, and you want to connect with other queer and trans expectant families? Whether you're trying to conceive, using surrogacy or adoption, Our Family Coalition's peer support group is here to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer prospective and expectant parents  especially in these difficult times.

When: Tuesday, May 19, 6 p.m.

How to join: Via Our Family Coalition's website

Story continues

Price: Free

Yoga on the Labyrinth: Online

Photo: Grace Cathedral/Facebook

With Grace Cathedral closed, its weekly yoga session has moved online, with pre-taped sessions from the archives live-streamed every Tuesday night. The cathedral writes that each session is "an opportunity to experience movement, meditation and one another in new ways."

When: Tuesday, May 19, 6 p.m.

How to join: Via Grace Cathedral's website

Price: Free

Oakland Virtual Slam

Image: The Oakland Poetry Slam & Open-Mic/Facebook

International storyteller and performance poet Joyce Lee will host this shelter-in-place poetry slam, featuring the words of up-and-coming artists. Lee, a two-time Oakland Grand Slam Champion, has toured internationally with her performances of creative non-fiction writing. Prospective poetry performers should sign up tonight; the waiting list closes on Monday, May 18, at 11:59 p.m.

When: Tuesday, May 19, 8 p.m.

How to join: Via the Oakland Poetry Slam & Open Mic's Facebook page.

Price: Free
A new paper in The Review of Economic Studies, published by Oxford University Press, finds that people who use a coin toss to decide on an important change are more likely to follow through with that decision, are more satisfied with that decision, and report a higher overall happiness after a six month period.

Every person faces difficult decisions with potentially life-changing consequences: whether to quit a job, seek more education, end a relationship, quit smoking, etc. While behavioural economics offers several decision-making models, from "prospect theory" to "the sunk cost fallacy," it has little to say about people's overall happiness with their choices after they make important decisions.

To investigate this, University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt created a website (Freakonomics Experiments) where subjects answered a series of questions. Some examples of questions asked by Levitt, the co-author of Freakonomics and several other books, were: Should I quit my job? Should I move? Should I propose? Should I adopt? Users were also invited to create their own questions, including Should I get a tattoo? Should I try online dating? Should I rent or buy?

One choice, either the affirmative or the negative, was then assigned to heads and the other assigned to tails. Prior to the coin flip, the subjects were encouraged to identify a third party to verify their outcomes. Both the initial coin-flipper and the third parties received a follow up survey after two-months and six-months.

The two-month survey found that participants favoured the status quo, making a change less frequently than they predicted they would before the coin toss. At the six-month survey, this bias toward the status quo was gone. Furthermore, those who were instructed by the coin toss to switch their current position were more likely to actually make the change, reported that they were substantially happier, and said that they were more likely to make the same decision if they were to choose again. This was true for virtually every question at both the two- and six-month surveys. These results are inconsistent with the conventional theory of choice. In such theory, people who are on the margins should, on average, report equal happiness regardless of which decision they made.

'Society teaches us "quitters never win and winners never quit," but in reality the data from my experiment suggests we would all be better off if we did more quitting', said author Steven Levitt. 'A good rule of thumb in decision making is, whenever you cannot decide what you should do, choose the action that represents a change, rather than continuing the status quo.'

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The paper "Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness" is available at: https://academic.oup.com/restud/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/restud/rdaa016

Direct correspondence to:

Steven D. Levitt

Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics

1126 E. 59th Street

Chicago, Illinois 60637

slevitt@uchicago.edu

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Tim Thomas

Timothy.Thomas@oup.com

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals

Please acknowledge The Review of Economic Studies as a source in any articles.
Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar has been presented the 2019 Alexander Dalrymple Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian hydrography and across the wider Indian Ocean region, official sources said here on Monday.

First awarded by the UK Hydrography Office (UKHO) in 2006, the award is named after the first hydrographer of the Admiralty. Recipients are selected for their efforts in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world.

Vice Admiral Badhwar, who joined the Indian Navy in 1982, has extensive hydrographic surveying experience, including work in the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands  widely recognised as some of the most challenging environments to survey in the world.

In his role as Indias national hydrographer, Vice Admiral Badhwar has been a key member of the International Hydrographic Organisations capacity building sub-committee since its creation. He also leads the Indian Naval Hydrographic Offices regional capacity building programmes.

The UKHO said his contribution to the sustainable development of Indian Ocean coastal economies was recognised in 2019, when he received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service of an exceptional order during peacetime.

Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, UKs national hydrographer, said: Vice Admiral Badhwar is a true champion of the hydrographic profession. He has helped to unlock the economic potential of marine geospatial data and further hydrographic science in both India and the wider Indian Ocean region.

The important capacity building contribution of our friends and partners at the Indian Naval Hydrographic Office, who work in concert with the IHO, is helping to usher in a safer, more prosperous and more sustainable world.

Vice Admiral Badhwar said on receiving the award: This recognition would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues in the National Hydrographic Department, who worked tirelessly towards achieving the goals set forth by the United Nations and IHO.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prasun Sonwalkar Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from Indias north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999. ...view detail
Big-brained minnows of tomorrow could face cognitive challenges in warmer waters

Climate change could leave freshwater fish with bigger brains but a reduced ability to effectively explore their surroundings, scientists have found.

In order to survive, the worlds aquatic life will need to adapt to the warmer waters which global heating will produce in the coming decades.

New research by University of Glasgow biologists suggests that the physiological changes fish will undergo in warmer rivers might require them to trade brains for brawn, with potentially challenging consequences.

In order to test how living in warmer waters might affect cold-blooded freshwater fish, researchers from the Universitys Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health & Comparative Medicine fished minnows from the River Kelvin, close to the University, and split them into two groups.

One group of minnows was raised in tanks filled with water kept at the rivers usual temperature of 14C. The other spent their time in tanks heated to 20C, at the higher end of the temperature range climate scientists expect the River Kelvin could reach by the end of the 21st century.

Over the course of eight months, the researchers paid close attention to each minnows physiology and behaviour, and watched how they interacted with their environment.

Measuring the minnows oxygen consumption at rest and during exercise showed that the fish in the warmer tanks used more energy in both states, suggesting their metabolisms had ratcheted up as they adapted to the heat.

The researchers also observed that the minnows from the 20C tanks also developed bigger brains than their cooler counterparts. However, despite their bigger brains, they performed significantly more poorly in a test designed to measure their ability to navigate and find food.

They struggled to navigate a maze to reach a mealworm, and even though they had four attempts to learn the layout of the puzzle, their performance did not improve with repetition.

Dr Libor Zavorka, the papers lead author, said: While the minnows we studied were able to adapt to live in the warmer water, their reduced ability to find their way around in order to catch food does raise some questions. Although we found their brains were larger, they seemed less able to accomplish the simple tasks that minnows carry out every day.

Its likely that the expansion of brain tissue isnt accompanied by an expansion of neural density, so their brains dont provide any additional benefits for being larger. Brain tissue requires a lot of energy to maintain, so its likely that the minnows bigger brains act solely as a drain on their resources.

As their metabolisms increase to cope with the larger brains and the increased temperature of the water, they will need to eat more to fuel their bodies  but if they are less able to find food efficiently, they will need to spend more energy looking for it.

Professor Shaun Killen, head of the research group which produced the study, said: We chose minnows for this study because theyre a useful model species, found in many places across the northern hemisphere across a broad range of temperatures.

Surprisingly, this research is the first real study of how fish physiology, brain structure and behaviours might be affected by the warming of their habitats.

Our findings suggest that disrupting the delicate balance between the minnows physiology and their environment causes some unexpected side-effects. Were keen to extend our research further to explore the potential outcomes for freshwater fish in the increasingly challenging environments they will face in the future.

The teams paper, titled Reduced exploration capacity despite brain volume increase in warm acclimated common minnow, is published in Journal of Experimental Biology. The research was supported by funding from Natural Environment Research Council, the European Research Council, and the Austrian Science Fund. The WasserCluster LunzInter-university Centre for Aquatic Ecosystem Research in Austria also contributed to the research.
The Delhi Police on Monday said they arrested a 33-year-old cloth merchant from Tughlaqabad Extension for allegedly posting morphed photographs of a woman, who works with a national political partys IT cell, on social media. The police said the man was attempting to malign the womans image, probably because of her political connections. Other persons involved in the crime are also being tracked, senior officers said. The man circulated the posts on Twitter, Facebook and messaging apps, the police said.

Delhi Police spokesperson Anil Mittal said the cyber crime unit registered a case under relevant sections of the IT Act after receiving a complaint from a woman alleging that someone had circulated her morphed pictures on social media. The woman told the police that the photographs were obscene.

During the investigation, we found that such posts had been shared with multiple people through social media. We got the posts removed from Facebook and Twitter, Mittal said.

He said that technical surveillance led the police to an account, which had originally shared the obscene posts. The police found that the account details were in the name of one Mohammed Aasim Sayaad, a resident of Tuglakabad Extension, who works as a cloth merchant.

We arrested the man and inspected his mobile phone and computer, which revealed that he had shared the offensive posts on Facebook. He has confessed to his involvement, Mittal said.

Another officer privy to the probe, who wished not to be named, said the probe has suggested that there were many others involved in the crime. Sayaad is being interrogated to find out on whose directions such pictures were posted on the Internet. Some other account holders who posted the offensive content have also been identified through technical investigation and further probe is underway, the officer said.

The woman said that she is expecting more people to be arrested and that the police must investigate the matter thoroughly. I had lodged the FIR around two months ago. I think I was targeted because I am holding the flag of my political party in my Twitter profile picture . The same photograph was used, morphed and circulated on almost all social media platforms. It looks like the intention behind this is mainly political, she said.
In a bid to allay fears of OCI card holders over the temporary suspension of their long-term visas, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, said his government will soon take an appropriate decision on it. He also invited members of the Indian diaspora to invest in the country in view of the recent economic reforms announced by the government.

Participating in a virtual panel discussion with Indian-Americans on COVID-19, organised jointly by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) and the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BAJNA), Muraleedharan was flooded with queries over the OCI card issue. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of it and will take an appropriate decision soon.

A large number of Indian citizens whose children are OCI (overseas citizen of India) card holders and several people of Indian origin having the card are unable to travel to India, even for emergency reasons, because of the temporarily suspension of their long-term visa. This is step-motherly treatment with people of Indian origin and against the very ethos and spirit behind it, said Jaipur Foot USA chairman Prem Bhandari.

India's top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Home Minister Amit Shah, are personally aware about it and they have no doubt whatsoever about the Indianness of the overseas Indian community, Muraleedharan said in response to a question.

I understand the agony of the OCI card holders. Please do not have any ill will, he said, assuring the participants that the prime minister will take appropriate decision on this issue soon. Muraleedharan urged the diaspora to invest in India given the opportunity being offered by the major economic reforms announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Perhaps, India has never had such an economic reform. This is a great opportunity for the Indian diaspora to come and invest in India, he said. The announcements by Sitharaman in the last five days are a clear indication of how and what the Indian diaspora should look for, he said.

Also read: Vande Bharat Mission: Air India's special flights to take people back to US, UK, Singapore

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: India suspends entry rights of OCIs, exisiting visas till normal air travel restarts
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated a $1.36 million grant for Uzbekistan to procure medical equipment and supplies to support the countrys efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Trend reports citing the bank.

"The grant will be used to procure personal protective equipment for health care workers and other medical supplies that will help to rapidly build up the capacity of the countrys health care system. The grant is drawn from a previously approved technical assistanceRegional Support to Address the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Potential Outbreaks of Other Communicable Diseasesand adds to an initial $200,000 in technical assistance allocated to Uzbekistan to acquire medical supplies in March 2020. A further $19.5 million in loan savings from existing ADB projects has been reallocated to enable Uzbekistan to procure 800 ventilators," the message said.

ADB is working with the government and other development partners to mobilize additional resources to further strengthen Uzbekistans health care systems. It is also preparing countercyclical support and policy advice to help mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic.

On 1 April, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade, and ADB Governor Sardor Umurzakov discussed how ADB can support Uzbekistan in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 13 April, ADB tripled to $20 billion its initial package to address the immediate needs of its developing member countries, including Uzbekistan. ADB also approved measures to streamline its operations for quicker and more flexible delivery of assistance. The $20 billion package includes about $2.5 billion in concessional and grant resources.

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Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
First Minister: The peak in North Wales, we might just be reaching it now

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

The First Minister has explained today that the peak of coronavirus elsewhere in Wales has clearly passed, however said the peak in North Wales, we might just be reaching it now.

Today we used one of our two regular questions at the daily Welsh Government briefing to ask about hotspots around Wales, and if North Wales was more affected currently than South Wales.

Previously Welsh Government have referenced specific geographic areas as hotspots, and specifically asked people to download and use the coronavirus tracker app on JoinZoe.com. The First Minister has previously said that app will help Wales anticipate potential COVID hot spots.

We noted that has recently indicated some hot spots in North Wales, and asked the First Minister as of today, are there any places he would again refer to as hotspots in Wales, and in his view is North Wales currently more affected than South Wales?

The First Minister replied, The coronavirus impact in Wales started in the south east corner, and the virus has spread westwards and northwards.

That does mean that peaks in some parts of Wales are following at a different time to peaks in others.

The peak in south east wales we believe have quite clearly passed.

The peak in North Wales, we might just be reaching it now.

You are quite right to say the disease has different patterns in different parts of Wales.

And in North Wales, whereas the peak will be lower than it was in south east Wales as there is simply less coronavirus in circulation, it may be that it is reaching its peak in North Wales now, and then we will expect to see the same pattern of decline as we have already seen in those parts of Wales where the virus was experienced first.

You can view the full briefing today along with the Q&A on the below view:
With several states announcing that summer camps will open as early as next month and parents in other states anxiously awaiting the decision, parents and children should prepare that even if opened, summer camp will look different this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a three-part guide to opening camps. One of the first questions the CDC suggests camps ask is if they are "able to screen children and employees upon arrival for symptoms and history of exposure."

If summer camps were to follow the CDC's recommendations, employees would wear face masks. It does not make mention of face masks on children.

MORE: Family recreates Disney World Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at home after family trip canceled

Social distancing would be encouraged and mixing between groups discouraged. Staggered schedules and drops offs are suggested where feasible.

The CDC recommends activities be "adjusted" to limit sharing of toys, belongings, supplies and equipment.

In April, Tom Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Camp Association, told "GMA" that whether or not children can go to camp this summer may depend on where the camp is located. "So we are trying to look ahead and understand with the help of the CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the state and local public health authorities, what needs to be true this summer in order for camps to operate safely," he said.

Rhode Island is the most recent state to say summer camps will be open. Gov. Gina Raimondo said Thursday that the state would target an opening camp date of June 29. Campers, she said, would be organized into "pods" of roughly 10 children and will remain consistent throughout the camp experience. There would be limited interaction with other "pods." Children and adults will be screened via a checklist on arrival, and anyone showing symptoms of any sickness will not be allowed to attend.

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MORE: This girl created a curtain so should could hug her grandparents

In Georgia, another state where summer camps will be open, groups of up to 20 adults and children are allowed with no social distancing requirement. The groups would be together for the duration of camp and would not mingle with other groups. Parents will stay in cars at drop off. Children and workers are to be checked for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms daily.

In Connecticut, camp programs will be limited to 30 children total.

Virtual programs will likely be more popular this summer than ever before, particularly in hard-hit areas where camps are unlikely to open. Common Sense Media rounded up a list of free programs for kids that range from PBS Kids for Parents to Maker Camp.

This article was originally published on May 15, 2020.

Staggered schedules, limited sharing: What summer camp might look like amid COVID-19 originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
By Fathin Ungku and Wilda Asmarini

SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - Freeport-McMoRan Inc's Indonesian unit said it will operate the giant Grasberg mine with a "skeletal team" after a rise in coronavirus infections in the area, including at the mine workers' living quarters, and three deaths.

The move is aimed at ensuring workers at the world's biggest gold mine and second-biggest copper mine can socially distance effectively and avoid any further spread of the virus, which has infected 17,514 and killed 1,148 in Indonesia, a Freeport Indonesia spokesman said.

"We are trying to reduce the numbers of workers, reduce the population. We just have a skeletal team to run the mine," spokesman Riza Pratama told Reuters.

"For contractors whose projects have been delayed or postponed, we have returned their employees. We have also removed workers who are in the risk category," he said, adding that the changes have not affected the mine's output.

Pratama declined to say how many workers at the mine, which normally employs about 25,000 people, would be kept on to run the operation.

COVID-19 infections in the Mimika Regency, where Grasberg mine is located on Papua island, reached 150 cases as of Sunday, including 102 cases in Tambagapura, the living quarters built to house Grasberg's workers and their families. Three people in Mimika have died, official data showed.

Freeport did not disclose how many of the infected were workers, but said it had converted its on-site barracks into isolation wards for employees who had come into contact with infected persons.

Pratama declined to disclose the number of workers in isolation.

Elsewhere, Freeport has suspended operations at a copper mine in New Mexico because of the spread of COVID-19 among workers, while earlier this month, a factory run by the Indonesian unit of U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris shut after 60 workers contracted the virus.

However, a closure for Grasberg is unlikely as the project needs to continue operating in order to minimise damage to the mine and danger to workers, Pratama said.

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"If we don't maintain our mine ... it would be dangerous for our employees to work," he said.

Operations at Grasberg were affected in 2017 after thousands of workers staged a rally over layoffs by Freeport due to a contract dispute with the government.

But even then, Freeport continued to have a team of workers to maintain and operate the mine, Pratama said.

Freeport Indonesia last week said it has around 50,000 rapid and polymerase chain reaction test kits on site.

It has also shut on-site churches and mosques to prevent gatherings of large crowds and deployed a task force to ensure site cleanliness and prevent gatherings.

(Reporting by Fathin Ungku and Wilda Asmarini; Editing by Richard Pullin)
China will make its coronavirus vaccine a global public good once one is available, President Xi Jinping told the World Health Organizations governing body.

Xis comments come amid growing concern that countries will put national interests first in the quest for a protective shot, seen as the key to getting economies moving again. The WHO is pushing a proposal that aims to ensure broad access to treatments and vaccines while offering an appropriate reward to creators.

Covid-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good, which will be Chinas contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, Xi said in a speech to the World Health Assembly.

Among the dozens of vaccine projects under way worldwide, China has five candidates already in human trials. More will be approved next month.

The country has faced rising scrutiny over its handling of the virus, especially from members of the Trump administration. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said in a television appearance that the country sent hundreds of thousands of Chinese on aircraft to Milan, New York and around the world to seed it.

Xi said China acted with transparency and responsibility all along, and that it provided information to the WHO and countries in the most timely fashion. China will also provide $2 billion over two years to support the fight against the pandemic, especially in developing countries, he said.

Some companies involved in vaccine development have said countries that provide funding will get first dibs.

AstraZeneca Plc Chief Exective Officer Pascal Soriot said the U.K. will take priority for the University of Oxfords fast-moving effort to develop a shot. French drugmaker Sanofis vaccine that received funding from the U.S. will likely be used there initially, CEO Paul Hudson said last week. Sanofi said later that its vaccine would be available to everyone.
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.
From presidents to great military heroes, there are many important figures throughout history who are recognized for their strength, character and impact. While many think of men first when it comes to strong historical figures, there are countless women who are just as important, not only because of how they lived their lives but also because of their rock-solid faith, even in some of the toughest of circumstances. Unfortunately, too often, womens stories are not acknowledged but this doesnt mean they werent incredibly impactful, especially in the eyes of God. By definition, a strong woman is fearless when it comes to facing hard situations. They are confident in who they are and what they believe. In their example of fearlessness, they encourage others to be courageous and make a difference. Thats exactly who these women are  influential and grounded in their faith. Here are the seven Christian women who shaped history and what we can learn from them.

Mary Magdalene Public Domain While Mary Magdalene continues to be one of the most controversial figures in religious history, she was the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Magdalene has been portrayed throughout the centuries in a number of ways and many of these depictions don't do her story justice or speak her truth as a true disciple of Christ. Though she has been reinterpreted over and over again, she remains a compelling figure. When Mary and the other women, along with the twelve joined Jesus, they were taking a serious risk. Jesus was spurred into action after the arrest of John the Baptist. Much of John the Baptist's ministry took place on the east bank of the Jordan in Herod's territory of Parea. When John was imprisoned, Jesus took up his ministry in Herod's territory of Galilee which was viewed by Herod, not only as a challenge but also a threat. Despite the risk, Mary Magdalene was committed to Jesus' ministry.

Joan of Arc Public Domain Joan of Arc was a military leader and acted under divine guidance to lead the French army over Britain during the Hundred Years War. She was just 13 years old when she said that she had a vision from God that she would lead the French Army to victory against England. She was involved in several battles that appeared to substantiate the truth of those visions. While Joan of Arc was executed as a heretic when she was 19 years old; however, her story lives on through her bravery and her faith. She lived her life for God because of her deep love for Him. In fact, this love influenced everything she did when she was alive. Her final words were, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, which speak to the importance of God in her life. She always prayed to God and followed the instructions He placed before her. Joan of Arc is also an example of an independent woman who didnt rely on the opinion of others. She stayed true to her faith by following her beliefs. Millions of people now look to her a symbol of courage and an example of how to keep the faith.

Catherine Booth Public Domain Catherine Booth co-founded The Salvation Army with her husband, William Booth. The Salvation Army in the late Victorian period was unique for the employment of women in its ranks and among its highest officers, often playing active roles in evangelical and social work. The Hallelujah Lasses who preached the streets and provided social work to the poor, were highly influential in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. She was a revolutionary woman for her time, believing in the God-given right of women to preach. She once wrote, If the Word of God forbids female ministry, we would ask how it happens that so many of the most devoted handmaidens of the Lord have felt constrained by the Holy Ghost to exercise itThe Word and the Spirit cannot contradict each other. Her faith was highly influential and she set a standard for future women in church and leadership.

Harriet Tubman Public Domain Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to ultimately change history. Her story is so inspiring it became a featured film. Tubman's faith in God was a major force in her life and helped her fulfill her God-given mission to help others escape the bondage of slavery. She was not satisfied with her freedom alone. After her own escape, she made 19 return trips to the South and helped deliver at least 300 other slaves, known to say, I never lost a passenger. She earned the nickname Moses for guiding so many to freedom. She told her friends, including fellow abolitionists that her strength came from her faith in God as deliverer and protector of the weak. Tubman also shared that she listened carefully to the voice of God as she led slaves north and would only go where she felt God was leader her. Thomas Garrett, a fellow abolitionist said to her, I never met any person of any color who had more confidence in the voice of God.

Sojourner Truth Public Domain Sojourner Truth was born into slaver but fled, inspired to run away from her conversations with God which she held alone in the woods. At one point, she was tempted to return to return to the Dumont farm to attend Pinkster, a celebration of New York slaves but was struck by a vision of Jesus, during which she felt baptized in the Holy Spirit, according to PBS. Following this, she gained the strength and confidence to resist her former master. She relied on the supernatural power of God to survive oppression and injustice. Following her escape, she traveled across the nation to preach on human rights. Once during a preaching engagement, she asked the crowd, Does not God love colored children as well as white children? And did not the same Savior die to save the one as well as the other?" Her faith and preaching helped her to network with many abolitionists and womens rights activists, allowing her to become well-versed and highly influential in both areas.

Lottie Moon Public Domain If you dont know her name, you should. Lottie Moon was a missionary who spent decades devoting her life to spreading the Gospel. She established several Gospel-focused schools in China, while also entering thousands of homes in China to tell others about Christ. She is most commonly associated with the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, an offering that she helped start by sending letters from China to her constituents in the States. Her inspiring words and work opened the door for a special offering that funded the appointment of new missionaries. Her first few years in China were not easy. In fact, they were filled with hardship. Even during the first Sino-Japanese War, Moon made regular trip to rural areas to evangelize, sharing the Gospel. What was incredible about Moon was her life and ministry, a figure that was completely devoted to Christ.

Mother Teresa Public Domain Mother Teresa was a figure who believed the world could be changed through love and compassion. She lived a life of sacrifice, love and kindness; she devoted her life to helping others. Mother Teresa was so committed to helping people in need that she kept going and going until she could give no more. She was also a woman of intense faith who fervently believed the world could be a better place, person by person. Mother Teresa was committed to uplifting society and empowering the disenfranchised in a way that few leaders have even been able to demonstrate in this century. Through her actions, we see the importance of cultivating and living an attitude of faith. She shared many life lessons throughout her earthly ministry centered on love, compassion and humility. She may have passed on years ago, but her incredible love and wisdom still lives on today. Her life proves that youre never too old and that its never too late to make a difference in the world.

We can learn a lot from these seven Christian women. History richly affirms their value. We learn can learn important lessons through their lives and each put down the foundation for incredible ministry. Many of these God-fearing women lived in other times than us. Some even lived in different societies than us but regardless of their background, they teach us a great deal about the power of faith. They trusted in God, proclaimed the Gospel and history was changed because of it.

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Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.
[May 18, 2020] MSCI Prices $1.0 Billion 3.875% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2031

MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, announced today that it priced its private offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.875% senior unsecured notes due 2031 (the "notes") at an issue price of 100.0% to yield 3.875% (the "Offering"). Interest on the notes will be 3.875%, and will be payable in cash semi-annually, beginning on December 1, 2020. The size of the Offering reflects an increase of $200.0 million from the previously announced Offering size. The Offering is expected to settle on May 26, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. MSCI intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the Offering to redeem all $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.750% senior unsecured notes due 2025 (the "2025 Notes") and to pay related redemption costs. All remaining net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, potential repurchases of its common stock, investments and acquisitions. The notes will be senior unsecured obligations of MSCI and will be guaranteed by certain of its domestic subsidiaries. This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption with respect to the 2025 Notes. The notes were offered only to (i) persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and (ii) certain non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and therefore may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securitis laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes, nor does it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.



About MSCI Inc. MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 45 years of expertise in research, data and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process. To learn more, please visit www.msci.com. MSCI#IR

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or to future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond our control and that could materially affect our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Other factors that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements can be found in MSCI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC (News - Alert)") on February 18, 2020 and in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished with the SEC. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from what MSCI projected. Any forward-looking statement in this press release reflects MSCI's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MSCI's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. MSCI assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005764/en/

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Governor Ned Lamont has targeted May 20 as the day in which Connecticut will begin the first phase of its reopening. As such, the following guidelines have been provided as far as masks and cloth coverings for employees and customers:

Each employee shall be required to wear a mask or other cloth material that covers his or her mouth and nose at all times while a store is open to customers or as otherwise required under separate DECD workplace guidance. Employers shall issue such masks or cloth face coverings to their employees. In the event an employer is unable to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees because of shortages or supply chain difficulties, employers must provide the materials and CDC tutorial about how to create a cloth face covering, or compensate employees for the reasonable and necessary costs employees expend on such materials to make their own masks or cloth face covering.

Each retail facility shall require customers to wear a mask or cloth face covering while inside such retail facility, provided that no customer shall be required to wear a mask or cloth face covering if doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety due to a medical condition, the customer is under two years of age, or is an older child if the parent, guardian or person responsible for the child is unable to place the mask safely on the child's face.

If a person declines to wear a mask or cloth face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.

Companies should develop and implement practices for social distancing.

Social distancing means avoiding large gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others.

In-person meetings should be avoided as much as possible. Teleconferencing may be used by site-essential staff, provided they are dialing in from separate areas. Where in-person meetings occur, they should be limited to a maximum of ten people, each attendee should have a mask covering their mouth and nose at all times, and a distance of six feet should be maintained.

Discourage carpooling.

Increase physical space between employees and customers (e.g., drive through, Plexiglas partitions).

Deliver services remotely (e.g. phone, video, or web) where practical.

Deliver products through curbside pick-up or delivery when possible.

Workplaces with Multiple Shifts:

Where ever possible, utilize nights and weekends to spread out work schedules and provide for social distancing.

If possible, move from one or two shifts to three shifts. Keep each shift with the same people each day. That way, if a person on one shift becomes sick, workers on the other shifts are protected. This arrangement can also work by having one crew work for part of the week and one crew for the other part of the week. This may also accommodate shifting child care schedules.

Provide time where possible between each work shift to minimize overlap and allow for cleaning of the work environment at regular and appropriate intervals.

Stagger shift start/stop times, break times, and lunchtimes to minimize congregations at the time clocks or break areas.

Where possible, close or restrict break rooms and cafeterias and have employees bring lunches from home and eat at workstation or in cars.

If an employer does maintain break or lunch rooms, utilize extra rotations to reduce the number of employees in the break room/cafeteria at one time to achieve social distancing norms. Provide soap and water, or within available supplies, hand sanitizer and/or disposable wipes in break or lunch rooms and clean them after every shift.

Increase ventilation rates and increase the percentage of outdoor air that circulates into the system where possible.

Wherever possible, segment the workspace into discrete zones. Prohibit employees from entering into zones where they are not required to be to perform their jobs.

Manufacturing - Shutdown the facility when production is not needed whenever practical (even if you ramp on and off on a daily basis).

Eliminating transmission points

Reduce common touch points by opening internal doors where possible.

Install all no-touch disposal receptacle or remove lids that require contact to open for non-hazardous waste containers unless doing so creates an unsanitary environment.

Frequent cleaning of all touch points.

Secure all secondary doors and access points to minimize incidental contact.

Recommended to provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks, other work tools and equipment) can be wiped down.

To disinfect surfaces, use products that meet EPAs criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2 and are appropriate for the surface.

Prohibit workers from using other workers phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible. If shared, clean and disinfect equipment before and after use.

Employees should clean their personal workspace at the beginning and the end of every shift.

If a sick employee is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, follow the CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations.
Shapovalov was found "guilty" for a pro-Ukrainian Twitter account.

Ukrainian citizen, neuropathologist Yuriy Shapovalov has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in the Russia-occupied city of Donetsk for posts on social media.

Read alsoRFE/RL: Russian court rejects Crimean blogger's appeal

On April 16, 2020, a "court" sentenced Shapovalov to 13 years in a penal colony, according to a local media outlet.

Russia-controlled "authorities" claim Shapovalov was found "guilty" for a pro-Ukrainian Twitter account: "Since 2014, the said citizen has administered a page on Twitter, posted information that contributes to the destabilization of the social and political situation in the 'republic,'" it said.

Yuriy Shapovalov is a Donetsk neuropathologist. He was abducted by members of illegal armed formations in January 2018 when he was returning home from work.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told graduating seniors at Smith College on Saturday to focus on their unique purpose and power during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Pelosi, the first female speaker of the US House, was part of an online commencement ceremony hosted by the private women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts.

During this crisis and in the days, weeks and years that will follow, the world needs your leadership, she said.

Our goal as leaders is to shorten the distance between what is inconceivable to some but inevitable to us. Because Smithies are relentless and persistent, I am confident in your ability to do so.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said graduates would be well served by the resilience, courage and perseverance they have honed over the past four years.

So, as you go forth, embrace the groundbreaking legacy of those who came before you, she said. Know your purpose. Know your power.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Firearms are deadly weapons, but assault-style firearms can be even deadlier weapons. They have the ability to inflict much more damage and cause many more deaths than your average handgun or hunting rifle. In fact, whenever you hear of mass shooting attacks taking place, more often than not, there are assault-style firearms involved. It is no wonder, then, that countries and other jurisdictions that experience mass shooting attacks often respond by banning such weapons. Here are some countries which have abandoned assault-style firearms.

New Zealand

On March 15, 2019, a man entered two mosques in the city of Christchurch and opened fire, killing fifty people and injuring fifty more. Almost immediately, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on all assault-style rifles, as well as high-capacity magazines and military-style semiautomatic rifles. The Christchurch shooter, a 28-year-old male, apparently motivated by white supremacist ideology, carried out his attack using two semiautomatic rifles with 30-round plus magazines, which he managed to purchase legally. Before this ban came into effect, New Zealand had fewer restrictions on rifles and shotguns compared to other countries. The new ban does not, however, cover all assault-style firearms. Among the guns excluded from the ban are semiautomatic .22 caliber, smaller guns holding up to ten rounds, and semiautomatic and pump-action shotguns with non-detachable magazines holding up to five rounds.

Australia

On April 28, 1996, a man opened fire at a tourist site in Port Arthur, Tasmania, using an AR-15 rifle and another military-style rifle with self-loading capability. He ended up killing 35 people and wounding 23 others. Following the attack, the Australian federal and state governments enacted a series of changes to the countrys gun laws. Certain semiautomatic guns, as well as self-loading rifles and shotguns, were banned, as was the import of such weapons. Before these measures were enacted, gun control in the country was very limited.

Canada

Following a mass shooting in the province of Nova Scotia in April 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an immediate ban on assault-style weapons. The shooter in the aforementioned attack used two semiautomatic rifles and several semiautomatic pistols in his killing spree. In announcing the ban, the prime minister referenced other mass shootings in Canadas history, including the Ecole Polytechnique massacre in 1989, in which fourteen people were murdered. Such a ban may not, however, have prevented the Nova Scotia massacre from happening as the guns that Gabriel Wortman, the shooter, used were purchased illegally and may have been imported from the U.S. Nevertheless, nearly four out of five Canadians support the ban, according to a poll conducted by the Angus-Reid Institute. The Canadian government has also mused about a buyback program, similar to those that took place in New Zealand and Australia following the enactment of their bans on assault-style weapons.

European Union

The 2015 Paris terrorist attacks forced the EU to enact stricter gun control laws. Image credit: wikimedia.org

The EU, which is a political and economic alliance of 27 countries, prohibits the private possession of fully automatic weapons. This includes automatic weapons that have been converted into semiautomatics. Semiautomatic weapons are not entirely banned, but people wanting to own them require what is termed special authorization. In 2016, following terrorist attacks in France the year before, the EU passed a series of measures further restricting the ownership of semiautomatic weapons, banning such weapons with loading devices over 21 rounds, and also banning rifles and personal defense weapons with more than eleven rounds. In 2019, Switzerland voted to accept many of the EUs gun control regulations. Though Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it is party to the Schengen Agreement, which allows Swiss people to move freely throughout the 27-nation bloc, in addition to other bilateral agreements between the EU and the Swiss federal government.
The Greater Noida factor of Chinese mobile company OPPO was shut after six workers were tested positive for coronavirus. Once the workers at the Kasna factory were tested positive, operations were immediately halted on Sunday.

"We have been asked not to come to the factory as six COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at our manufacturing unit in Greater Noida. The company has asked us to stay at home till further notice," an OPPO employee told news agency IANS.

The mobile-maker said that they are following safety protocols and that only employees who test negative will be allowed in the factory. "As an organisation that places the safety of all our employees and citizens at the forefront, we have suspended all operations at our manufacturing facility in Greater Noida and initiated COVID-19 testing for 3000+ employees, for which results are awaited. We will only allow employees with negative test results to resume office following all safety protocols. We are undertaking stringent measures to keep the employees safe and disinfecting the premises," stated OPPO.

This development comes as two third-party construction employees at the under-constriction Vivo facility at the Greater Noida industrial belt also tested positive. Multiple factories are under construction in the area.

Companies such as OPPO and Vivo resumed work at their Noida/Greater Noida facilities from May 8. These companies were working with 30 per cent workforce. Around 3,000 employees in OPPO were in rotation out of the 10,000-strong workforce at Kasna.

Also read: Lockdown 4.0 Live Updates: Biggest ever spike of 5,242 COVID-19 cases, 157 deaths in 24 hours; tally 96,169

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: What activities will be allowed in red zones from today?
Whilst recent circumstances have put this issue into the spotlight, germs have been the preeminent threat to business productivity for decades, with absences from work in the UK accounting for 18bn in lost productivity every year, a figure which is predicted to rise to 25bn by 2030[1].

StoBox has been developed by medical experts in order to support and minimise these effects and is a key part of a wider germ-spread safeguard ecosystem, combating an issue which has always challenged society.

With 41% of UK workers stating they are worried about returning to the workplace[2], StoBox has been created by UMOVIS Lab as a key part of the wider preparedness and prevention ecosystem allowing the public to take a proactive approach to mitigating infection transmission.

StoBox is a support kit to give business leaders the resources they need in order to be responsible for their workforce and prepared for any future eventualities.

Comprising of protective equipment and products which mitigate the further spreading of germs, StoBox provides businesses and households with quality, medically curated items to best prepare and protect themselves. This includes:

Antibacterial wipes  containing greater than 70% alcohol which kills many viruses and most bacteria.

Oximeter  it gives two important measures which are useful in considering infections pulse rate and blood oxygen saturations.

Hand sanitizer  containing greater than 70% alcohol which kills many viruses and most bacteria.

Thermometer  to test for high body temperature is often an early sign of infection.

Gloves  to provide confidence in minimising the risk of acquiring and transmitting potential pathogens from the environment.

Antimicrobial wipes  these wipes include active agents to kill other types of pathogens for which alcohol is not effective.

N95/FFP2 Mask - a respirator masks that meets required standards and can be worn for many hours.

Mask (3-Layers) - wearing a face mask, when close contact with others is unavoidable, may reduce the risk of spread of infection.

Dr Luke Moore, Infectious Diseases Physician, Clinical Microbiologist and independent consultant for UMOVIS Lab, says: "Most will have a first aid box at home to reactively treat injuries, but few will have proactive measures in place to try and limit the spread of infection. In normal daily life we're going to be exposed to situations where germs can spread between us and in the world of germ transmission, the best possible answer is to try and stop yourself from getting an infection in the first place. StoBox is doing exactly that by introducing quality pieces of kit into everyday life, when you need it, to try to minimise the risk of transmitting infection onwards.

"StoBox works in two ways. The disinfecting gels and wipes limit the direct transmission of germs from our hands to the environment around us and the masks help to minimise the risk respiratory transmission  mitigating the chances of both the coming and going of infection.

"Preparedness and protection are essential when it comes to trying to limit infection and if we take the right measures, infection is something we can work together to minimise. Using equipment which mitigates the spread of the virus is a key part of that equation along with how we adjust our behaviour."

Sir John Hegarty, co-founder of The Garage who led on branding and product development, says: "150 years ago Florence Nightingale showed the world how to deal with infection. She put hygiene at its centre, proving it saved lives and reduced trauma. For that reason, Florence Nightingale has been the inspiration behind the design and concept of StoBox, supporting businesses in being prepared when the risk of spreading germs arises.

"We've called it StoBox to reflect that it should always be stored safely in your office or home and the nightingale which sits central to the branding reminds us of our inspiration, Florence Nightingale. Who taught us that hygiene is at the core of minimising the spread of germs."

StoBox is now available to pre-order on a subscription basis from stobox.com.

Notes to editors

References:

[1] As stated by the Centre for Economic and Business Research

[2] Survey carried out by TUC in mid-April 2020

About UMOVIS Labs:

For more information visit stobox.com.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1169091/StoBox.jpg

For further information, please contact:

W Communications

E: [email protected]

SOURCE UMOVIS Lab

Related Links

https://www.umovislab.com


Midland County added one new COVID-19 case on Monday, bringing its total to 71 cases and eight deaths, according to the afternoon state report.

MidMichigan Health  which covers a 23-county region and has medical centers at seven sites, including Midland  was listed as having 38 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 9 COVID-19 patients in ICU and 44% 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 18.

Bay County on Monday added seven new cases and one death, and Saginaw County added 17 cases and two deaths, bringing their totals to 248 cases and 16 deaths and 930 cases and 99 deaths, respectively.

Gladwin County remains at 17 cases and one death and Isabella County at 62 cases and seven deaths.

The state on Monday added 773 new cases; 513 of the cases are due to enhanced testing occurring in Michigan Department of Corrections facilities. Michigan added 24 more deaths on Monday. Overall, Michigan is at 51,915 cases and 4,915 deaths.

The state also 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 17. Gladwin Nursing & Rehab Community and Gladwin Pines Nursing Homes also are reporting no COVID-19 positive residents.

The average death age is 75.3, according to the state website, mich.gov, with the deceased ranging in age from 5 to 107. The state lists 42% of the deceased as 80-plus and 27% age 70-79. State statistics show 53% of coronavirus deaths are male and 47% are female.

The state lists the total recovered at 28, 234 cases, as of May 15, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to April 15, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. The numbers will be updated every Saturday.

The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 31% Black/African American; 35% Caucasian and 18% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 40% Black/African American; 50% Caucasian and 4% unknown

The total positive cases are 47% men and 52% women.

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 send an e-mail to: 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-21 19:23:09|Editor: huaxia

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KUWAIT CITY, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Tuesday reported 85 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths, bringing the total infections to 2,080 and death toll to 11, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Among the new cases are seven Kuwaiti citizens who returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Bahrain, the statement said.

A total of 72 cases were those who had contact with infected patients, it said, adding that the cause of the infection for the other six is still under investigation.

The new death cases are a 59-year-old Bangladeshi male and a 63-year-old Somali male who were in ICU, it added.

So far, 1,657 patients are receiving treatment, including 46 in ICU, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah announced the recovery of 45 patients from the coronavirus, raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 412.

On April 4, Kuwait reported the first death case of COVID-19.

The Kuwaiti government has imposed a nationwide curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

On March 13, Kuwait suspended all commercial flights. The government also closed stores, malls and barbershops as precautionary measures to curb the virus' spread.
Authorities in the civil



hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's worst coronavirus-hit city, have said ventilators built by a firm in Rajkot and supplied free of cost in large numbers to government facilities last month were not giving "desired results" on COVID-19 patients.

State Health principal secretary Jayanti Ravi said the ventilators, with the brand name 'Dhaman-1', supplied at a time when there is huge demand for them due to the virus outbreak, will be upgraded by the manufacturing firm.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent JV Modi had written to the managing director of Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited (GMSCL) for 50 'high-end' ICU ventilators for the 1,200-bed COVID-19 facility, the largest of its kind in the state.

The letter comes at a time when the hospital has been given 230 'Dhaman-1' ventilators, which a doctor here said cannot be termed "high end".

Quoting the head of the anesthesia department of the BJ Medical College, affiliated to the Civil Hospital, Modi said, in the letter dated May 15, that they are not getting "desired result" from Dhaman-1 and AGVA ventilators (both indigenously produced) on COVID-19 patients.

"We have placed demand for 50 high-end ICU ventilators each for COVID Hospital and Kidney Hospital. With rising coronavirus cases, we need more number of ventilators, as per the demand received by head of anesthesia department," Modi said.

Amid global shortage of high-end ventilators during the outbreak, Rajkot-based Jyoti CNC Automation had developed low-cost ventilators in just 10 days in early April, and offered 1,000 pieces free-of-cost to the state government under CSR.

These ventilators were supplied to government hospitals across the state to meet rising demand, Principal Secretary (Health), Jayanti Ravi said.

"The ventilator was tested and approved by Electronics and Quality Development Centre (EQDC). Our expert doctors also approved it," Ravi said.

She said accessories like high-flow nasal canula, oxygen flow meter, circuits and humidifier would be incorporated in them to make them more effective, she said.

Civil Hospital Head of anesthesia Shailesh Shah said Dhaman-1 ventilator in its present form is not as good as what one would term a "high-end ventilator".

"Luckily, until now, we used these ventilators on very few occasions, as high-end ventilators were available with us in enough numbers. Dhaman-1 is not a good replacement for high-end ventilators, but it can be used in dire emergency when you have nothing else at hand," said Shah.

Over the past week, however, the number of coronavirus patients requiring ventilator support has been increasing at the hospital, and depending on Dhaman-1 units was not a good idea, he claimed.

"We had around 100 ventilators in a 150-bed ICU of COVID hospital. With increasing demand, we have managed to source around 45-47 high-end ventilators from other medical colleges in Gujarat.

"The problem is good quality ventilators are not available in the market. It is very difficult for us or for the government to procure such ventilators. In such a situation, we have to compromise with the lower version," he said.

Till Sunday evening, Ahmedabad district reported 8,420 coronavirus positive cases, with 524 having died of the infection. The number of active cases stands at 5,236.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two San Antonio wholesalers have rejected offers from CRE8AD8 to partner with the event planning company to fulfill its $39.1 million contract with the federal government to buy food from struggling farmers and distributors, then package and deliver it to food banks and other nonprofits.

CRE8AD8 owner Gregorio Palomino and his partner on the project, chef Iverson Brownell, approached Labatt Food Service and River City Produce, seeking assistance on producing 750,000 boxes to be packed with dairy, meat and produce for hungry Americans through the U.S. Department of Agricultures $1.2 billion Farmers to Families Food Box program.

Companies had the green light to start distribution of the food boxes Friday. The deadline for completion of distribution is June 30.

But executives at Labatt and River City said they have no plans to partner with a company they believe never should have received a contract in the first place. They also cite a variety of other concerns, with food safety heading the list.

We wouldnt touch their offer with a 10-foot pole, said Matt Silva, Labatts director of sales.

Mike Nando Gonzalez, owner of River City Produce, agreed.

I dont know if a 10-foot pole is long enough, Gonzalez said.

Palomino maintains that safety is a priority for his company and that he offered to work with Labatt and River City because he wants to help local businesses and local workers.

Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News

I understand the sentiment from others that may have lost the bid, but I cant imagine turning away work or an opportunity to generate revenue for their business, Palomino said. We want to buy from local growers and purveyors, and help get San Antonio residents back to work, safely.

The USDA denied River City Produces bid. Labatt did not submit a bid.

Palominos comments dont ease the other companies concerns over his lack of experience and the fact that hes an unknown in a well-established industry.

I dont know the man, dont know what his motives are, Gonzalez said. Nobody knows who he really is, what his background is.  This (contract) just doesnt pass the smell test.

An event and wedding planner, CRE8AD8  pronounced create a date  was one of several companies with little to no experience in the food industry that the USDA chose among more than 200 companies that won contracts.

A USDA spokesperson said 550 proposals were evaluated on technical specifications, price, past performance and the capability to perform. CRE8AD8, which was started in 2007, received the seventh-largest contract in the nation.

Fourteen companies in Texas received contracts, said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, a coalition of 21 food banks in the state.

Last week, Brownell called Labatt with this deal: CRE8AD8 would purchase dairy and cooked pork and chicken from the company in exchange for use of its refrigerated dock, forklifts and permission to bring in 100 temporary staff

There are many thoughts on this, Silva said. For one, do they really think Id let 100-plus temps in our warehouse day and night during COVID?

Gonzalez said Palomino left him a voicemail last week requesting the use of River Citys cold storage facilities.

Gonzalez said he has no plans to return the call.

Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, along with other food industry advocates, have criticized the USDA for awarding contracts to companies that seem ill-suited for the task while rejecting bids from established wholesalers such as River City Produce.

In a letter to the USDA last week calling for the agency to review its bidding process, Stenzel predicted that food industry neophytes like CRE8AD8 would reach out to veterans in the industry for help.

Companies who were awarded bids without their own warehouse, staff and distribution ability are now soliciting companies that have those facilities and were denied bids for no apparent reason, Stenzel said in the letter.

Another reason established wholesalers dont want to work with CRE8AD8 is that it has yet to receive a key license from the USDA required for food distribution.

CRE8AD8 has applied to the USDA for a Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act license, but, as of Monday, had not received it. Described by the USDA as a license thats as basic for operating a produce business as a drivers license is for operating a vehicle, the requirement stems from a Depression-era law passed to ensure that farmers and others would get paid appropriately after selling a perishable product.

Buyers likely wouldnt be willing to sell large volumes of produce to a company lacking a PACA license. A USDA spokesman said a requirement for receiving a contract for the Farmers to Families Food Box program was that companies either have a PACA license or be applying to get one.

Gonzalez reiterated that food safety is a huge issue.

You cant turn something like this on with a flip of a switch, he said. From a food safety standpoint, you dont just go up to someone and say, Hey, I want to use your facility. That shows you what the mindset is. This isnt something you just do. This isnt putting trinkets into a bag.

Bob Owen / Staff photographer

In defending CRE8AD8s selection last week, Palomino said, We knew that we easily could do this because instead of putting tchotchkes in a bag that is going to a conference attendee, this is the same exact thing except its just food going into a box.

That comment didnt make Palomino any friends in the food industry, but Gonzalez insists that he and other wholesalers who had their bids rejected have multiple reasons to be upset.

The (San Antonio) Food Bank is dealing with people who really, really need this help, the end users, so to speak, Gonzalez said. Then there are people in my industry who need this and bid on it honestly to keep their doors open and operating and are now really getting pushed over the edge because the lifeline isnt there because it went to someone in a completely different industry.

Now Playing: See the viral video of San Antonio's Food Bank that changed the narrative of the coronavirus pandemic. Video: Kin Man Hui San Antonio Express News, William Luther San Antonio Express News, Michel Fortier

For his part, Palomino said he hopes River City Produce will reconsider working with CRE8AD8.

We want to keep business local and support locally owned businesses, Palomino said. This is good for Texas and great for San Antonio.

One company under scrutiny for receiving a $40 million contract from the USDA, California Avocados Direct, received a stop work notice from the agency last week, according to ProduceBlueBook.com.

But Ben Holtz, owner of Ben Holtz Consulting and a partner in California Avocados Direct, said he expects to receive a notice to proceed from the USDA this week.

Holtz said his company collects $1 million to 2 million a year in revenue.

I understand there are concerns, but I will meet the challenge, he told ProduceBlueBook.com

Tom Orsborn covers sports news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Tom, become a subscriber. torsborn@express-news.net | Twitter: @tom_orsborn
Disinformation is a key challenge that has to be urgently tackled, former Ukrainian Prime Minister and founder of the Open Ukraine Foundation Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said.

"In my humble opinion, practically there is no longer any real solid freedom of speech. What we are facing right now in some parts of the world is the "freedom of lie." And this is the biggest challenge," he said during the Kyiv Security Forum online discussion on May 15.

"In the current world everything that is white can be easily switched to black, everything that is round can be easily switched to square. So I see disinformation as one of the key challenges that have to be urgently tackled," Yatsenyuk said.

Global media, such as Washington Post, New York Times are currently fighting with disinformation: "The same is happening in Ukraine, but the problem is that we have a lack of this freedom of speech space. It's all about who owns the media outlets, who owns Ukrainian TV channels. Putin controls 50% of the news channels in Ukraine, so he can easily control 50% of the minds and hearts of Ukrainians," the KSF founder said.

Yatsenyuk emphasized that Putin's goal is not to provide his own narrative, but to undermine the truth: "Putin's goal is to inject chaos into Ukraine and into the Western world. Putin's goal is to undermine credibility, Putin's goal is to undermine this trust, Trust in the leadership, in the leaders, and in the values. And we have to tackle this with our own narratives, our own truth, the real freedom of speech, and the effective journalism and independent news outlets."

The latest Kyiv Security Forum online discussion "Who Is at War Against Global Democracy" was organized by Arseniy Yatsenyuk's Open Ukraine Foundation.

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Ben Ungermann's sudden and mysterious departure from MasterChef has only left furious fans with more questions.

MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo announced the 33-year-old hopeful wouldn't be returning to the competition during Sunday's episode, citing 'a personal matter'.

Following the 43-year-old chef's brief announcement, nothing more was said about the issue, after it was revealed in March that Ben had been arrested.

Mysterious disappearance: Ben Ungermann's sudden and mysterious departure from MasterChef has only left fans with more questions

Jock's announcement to the other contestants was so brief, some MasterChef viewers missed it completely.

'Ben? Is Ben gone? Did we miss a spiel about it?' wrote one fan on Twitter, while another asked, 'Where's Ben Ungermann?'

Tweeted another viewer: 'Wait tf [the f**k] did i miss something where did ben go?'

Out of the competition: MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo announced the 33-year-old hopeful wouldn't be returning to the competition during Sunday's episode, citing 'a personal matter'

Keeping it short: Jock's announcement to the other contestants was so brief, some MasterChef viewers missed it completely

Others wanted to know 'the goss', after Jock gave nothing away other than the fact Ben wouldn't be returning.

'Lol, Ben's departure gets 10 seconds of air time... clearly something dodgy going on there!' tweeted one viewer.

'So does anyone know what Ben did or...' added another, while one person wrote, 'Dammit! Ben was my fave. What happened?'

Trouble with the law: Following the 43-year-old chef's brief announcement, nothing more was said about the issue, after it was revealed in March that Ben had been arrested

Not coming back: Others wanted to know 'the goss', with Jock giving nothing away other than the fact Ben wouldn't be returning

Many viewers thought the show didn't give the popular star the send-off he deserved.

'So that's how they handled Ben's departure then. #PutYourIcecreamOutForBen,' tweeted one fan, referencing the former contestant's passion for ice cream.

'So @masterchefau is just pretending Ben Ungermann never existed?' tweeted another, while someone else commented, 'They really cut Ben out just like that huh.'

Sad farewell: Many viewers thought the show didn't give the popular star the send-off he deserved

Gone but not forgotten: It was revealed in late March that Ben had left the show halfway through production after he was arrested over 'a personal matter'

Others joked Ben's sudden departure may have had something to do with the show's meme-worthy hibachi grills.

'Did Ben steal all the hibachi grills on his way out?' mused one viewer.

Another added: 'The real reason Ben left #MasterChefAU is because they wouldn't let him cook ice cream on the hibachi'.

'We can confirm Ben Ungermann has left the MasterChef Australia competition. As this is a police matter, we will not be making further comment,' said production company Endemol Shine in March

Getting a grilling: Others joked Ben's sudden departure may have had something to do with the show's meme-worthy hibachi grills

It was revealed in late March that Ben had left the show halfway through production after he was arrested over 'a personal matter'.

News of his arrest prompted a spokesperson for Endemol Shine, the production company behind MasterChef Australia, to issue a brief statement to the media.

'We can confirm Ben Ungermann has left the MasterChef Australia competition. As this is a police matter, we will not be making further comment,' they said.

'Due to a personal matter, Ben has had to leave the competition and he will not be returning,' said Jock

During Sunday's episode, Jock told the other contestants simply: 'So, before we get to today's challenge, we've got some news. You're probably wondering where Ben is, yeah?

'Due to a personal matter, Ben has had to leave the competition and he will not be returning,' he added.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Network Ten for comment.
After covid-19 killed the elderly woman Mihaela Danaila had been taking care of for nine years in northern Italy, she joined a rush of about 1.3 million Romanians working abroad and headed home.

The 37-year-old had been part of a steady exodus west after the continent's ex-communist contingent joined the European Union. Open borders allowed doctors, engineers and builders to garner higher salaries elsewhere, escaping corruption and poor health care in the process. The shift helped richer countries struggling with aging populations but left the workers' homelands scrambling to fill jobs.

The virus has reversed a chunk of the migrant flows almost overnight: eastern countries now have an abundance of workers. The question is whether they'll stay. While wages haven't caught up, the region suffered far fewer Covid-19 deaths than western Europe and governments in Romania, Ukraine and Serbia are keen to retain at least some of those who've come back. People like Danaila may stick around.

"I don't want to return to Italy because life among strangers is hard," she said. "I'll see what happens in the next few months. If I manage to get a job here, that would be great."

Looking for employment right now is tough as eastern Europe's boom of recent years becomes what's shaping up to be its deepest slump since the fall of the Iron Curtain. But despite hitting records, unemployment isn't seen reaching the levels of places like Italy and Spain.

Romania -- which lost at least 4 million citizens to emigration since joining the EU in 2007, more than any other member-state -- reckons at least a third of those who have returned are actively looking for jobs and can help power construction, agriculture and industry in the coming years. One initiative is targeted at them: a 40,000 euro ($43,350) grant to start a farm.

"It's a priority for the government to retain these people -- we'll do it through investments, by creating new jobs," Finance Minister Florin Citu said. "Before the crisis, many companies complained that they can't find workers. Now, the workforce is here and we need to support it."

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has longed to lure back those who left after the EU granted visa-free travel in 2017. As many as 1 million were in Poland alone before the crisis struck.

While there's been less of a rush home than in Romania, Ukraine's central bank estimates that about 300,000 people returned during lockdown -- 10% of the total. One program will offer them cheap loans to start businesses. A 'Great Construction' project to upgrade roads will add 170,000 jobs.

Companies looking to fill seasonal positions in the U.K., Finland and Germany with Ukrainians are also facing a tougher time. They must provide medical insurance and contracts of at least three months.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

In Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic says about 400,000 workers have arrived home amid the pandemic, most having lost temporary jobs and social and health insurance. The inflow is equivalent to 6% of the population and a fifth of the workforce. Officials have urged them to take jobs in agriculture.

Not all eastern European nations have seen big influxes. Poles, who make up the biggest foreign group in the U.K., are largely settled and have remained where they are. It's a similar story for the Baltic region, which has been among the worst-affected by mass emigration since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

And those who have come back did so for an array of reasons -- Easter being a big one. Bulgaria is a case in point. While 360,000 citizens returned since February, 285,000 have left again. Data later this year on remittances, which reached $12 billion in Ukraine in 2019, will paint a clearer picture.

"In the short term, the impact will be on higher social spending for the state because the economy won't be able to absorb everyone," said Dan Bucsa, an economist at UniCredit Bank. "It's very likely most will leave again once the situation calms down."

Romania, like most countries, has enough to worry about with the virus, having suffered more than the other eastern EU members. But if officials can find time and resources to reach out to people like Danaila, it may be better off once the economy overcomes its slump.

"I have a 12-year-old son who's the main reason I want to stay," she said. "Being away from him has been the most difficult thing I ever did but when I look at the things he has now -- a computer, clothes, everything he needs -- I realize that with the wages in Romania I'd never have afforded it all. People say things have changed here as well. I'll see."
The judge overseeing PG&E Corp.s bankruptcy rejected an effort by dissident fire victims to upend voting on the California utilitys reorganization plan.

Judge Dennis Montali said during a hearing Friday that he planned to deny a motion asking to throw out votes on the companys Chapter 11 plan cast by families and businesses who lost homes, property and loved ones in the blazes.

PG&E shares climbed 2% to close at $11.33 on Friday.

Some fire victims who want to change the payout deal claimed that Mikal Watts, a lawyer representing the largest group of victims, has a potential conflict of interest that has tainted the six-week voting process, which ended Friday afternoon. The judge will consider the results of the creditor votes when deciding whether to approve PG&Es plan to reorganize, which includes a $13.5 billion payment to about 80,000 residents and businesses harmed by Northern California wildfires.

Watts said Friday that the bankruptcy judges ruling is appropriate, founded in facts and the law.

The motion was nothing more than an attempt to achieve earned media to try to get people to change their vote, Watts said, adding that more than 95% of his clients who have cast ballots have voted in favor of the PG&E plan.

Lawyers representing thousands of people who have claims against PG&E have been lobbying their clients to vote in favor of the reorganization proposal.

A dissident group of victims, including a former member of the official fire victims committee that helped negotiate the $13.5 billion deal, asked the judge to throw out thousands of votes cast by clients of Watts, alleging he has a possible conflict because his law firm received a loan that was backed in part by two major PG&E investors.

Watts, who represents more than 16,000 victims, has disclosed that Centerbridge Partners LP, a PG&E shareholder, and Apollo Global Management Inc., a PG&E bondholder, bought stakes in a $100 million line of credit provided in September to his law firm by Stifel Financial Corp.

The lawyer has said his loan was a general credit line to fund all of his firms cases and not just the PG&E litigation. Watts said there is no conflict of interest because Centerbridge and Apollo dont have a right to control his litigation decisions and they have no right to a share of his legal fees from the PG&E case. Watts also has said he disclosed the financing arrangement during in-person and virtual meetings with his clients.

Attorneys for fire victims including Watts ultimately reached a deal with PG&E and the companys shareholders to set up the $13.5 billion trust that will be funded in half with stock and in half with cash.

Will Abrams, a fire victim who filed the motion to designate votes solicited in bad faith, said he was disappointed in the bankruptcy judges decision.

Rather than producing a call for sunlight and process transparency, it seems my motion has driven these critical matters further into the dark, Abrams said.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
The comprehensive evaluation," sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review "lessons learned from WHOs coordination of the global response to COVID-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from animals.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Cement exports from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan dropped by 34.5 percent in the first 4 months 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $161,000, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on May 18.

In April 2020, exports from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan plunged by 71.6 percent compared to April 2019 and amounted to $16,700.

Turkeys export of cement to international markets from January through April 2020 made up over $1.1 billion, which equals to the indicator in the same period of 2019.

The cement export from Turkey amounted to 2.2 percent of the countrys total export from Jan. through Apr. 2020.

"Turkeys export of cement to international markets amounted to $231.7 million in April 2020, which is 25.5 percent less compared to the same month of 2019," the ministry said.

In April of this year, Turkeys export of cement to international markets amounted to 2.6 percent of the countrys total export.

"During the last twelve months (from April 2019 through April 2020), Turkey exported cement worth $3.5 billion," " said the ministry.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Mon, May 18, 2020 07:05 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8aed22 2 World France,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-death-toll,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,novel-coronavirus,virus-corona Free

Deaths from the new coronavirus in France passed 28,000 Sunday, the health ministry announced, as officials tried to contain outbreaks in two abattoirs.

The latest daily toll, of 483, the largest in several weeks, was made up mainly of deaths in care homes: 429 deaths, compared to only 54 in hospital.

Those numbers took France's total number of deaths from the virus to 28,108.

France's health directorate, the DGS, was not able to tell AFP why there had been a sudden rise in the figures for deaths at care homes.

The figures had been updated from those provided by the regional health authorities, they said.

The figure for care home deaths have been corrected several times in recent days, reflecting the challenges officials face in collecting and collating the data.

Abattoir 'clusters'

Health officials meanwhile were battling to contain two outbreaks of the virus at abattoirs that are so far known to have infected around a hundred people.

One abattoir is in the central Val de Loire region near the city of Orleans. The other is in the northwestern region of Brittany.

Regional health officials said 63 of the 209 workers at the Breton slaughterhouse had so far tested positive for the virus.

At the slaughterhouse in Fleury-les-Aubrais, near Orleans, officials there said they had detected a "cluster" of 34 cases among the 400 workers. Another 40 were tested on Sunday with others following on Tuesday.

"According to the company's human resources department, there were masks, gels, temperature readings at the entrance to the slaughterhouse and it seems that the protocol was followed," said regional prefect Pierre Pouessel.

The overall picture in France, however, with a continuing fall in both hospital deaths and admissions for the virus, was better news.

Four regions, in the north and the east of the country -- including the Paris region -- account for 74 percent of the number of people being treated in hospital.

Since the virus arrived in France, 98,569 people have been hospitalized, of whom 17,500 had to be treated in intensive care. More that 61,000 have recovered and been allowed home.
Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, the US presidents oldest sons, have attracted fierce criticism for attacking Joe Biden and Democrats in terms most observers considered beyond the pale even in Americas toxic political climate.

Related: They dont give him enough credit: the voters who back Trump, even through the pandemic

Trump Jr posted to Instagram a meme which baselessly insinuated that Biden, his fathers probable opponent at the polls in November, was a pedophile.

Eric Trump claimed Democrats were using the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly 90,000 in America, for political gain.

Both claims were made on Saturday.

In the face of fierce opprobrium, Trump Jr said he had been joking around.

But he also pursued the matter, accusing the former vice-president of unwanted touching and including in a tweet pictures taken from congressional swearing-in ceremonies and presented in misleading fashion.

In a statement, Bidens spokesman, Andrew Bates, said: No repulsive, manipulative tactic will change the subject from how almost 90,000 Americans have paid for Donald Trumps coronavirus negligence with their lives and how the booming economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden administration is now suffering from depression-level job losses.

Biden has faced and acknowledged accusations of inappropriate touching from adult women. He is accused of sexual assault by Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer. The former vice-president flatly denies the claim.

Donald Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct or assault by multiple women. Though he was recorded boasting about grabbing women by the genitals, he denies all such accusations.

In 2016, five women who were contestants in the 1997 Miss Teen USA pageant told BuzzFeed that Trump, who owned the event, barged into dressing rooms while they were changing and made no attempt to leave. Trumps campaign dismissed the claims. Trump has admitted to such behaviour at adult pageants.

Story continues

Earlier this year Trump Jr, 42, told Axios his father sometimes tells him to tone down his attacks on Twitter. His response, he said, was: I learned it by watching you.

Eric Trump, 36, spoke to the Fox News host Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night. He accused Democrats of using the coronavirus outbreak for political and electoral gain.

You watch, he said, theyll milk it every single day between now and 3 November [election day]. And guess what, after 3 November, coronavirus will magically, all of a sudden, go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen.

Biden responded again, with his communications director, Kate Bedingfield, saying: Were in the middle of the biggest public health emergency in a century, with almost 90,000 Americans dead, 1.5 million infected and 36 million workers newly jobless.

So for Eric Trump to claim that the coronavirus is a political hoax that will magically disappear is absolutely stunning and unbelievably reckless.

Most public health experts expect the pandemic to remain a serious problem in the US for months to come, with serious danger of a deadly resurgence later in the year.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported on how the Trump campaign is revving up smokescreen efforts to distract voters from the pandemic and economic crisis as the election gathers pace.

Attacks on Biden such as those pursued by Trump Jr are thereby part of a wide-ranging attempt to echo attacks on Hillary Clinton, Trumps opponent in 2016.

The AP reported that Bidens team doesnt believe a pervasive narrative like Hillarys emails will shadow this campaign.

Mike Donilon, a longtime Biden adviser, was quoted as saying: We have a president who doesnt want to talk about the central issue in this campaign right now. This isnt new. Its not like Trump started attacking the vice-president today or yesterday. Hes been at him all year long.

Donilon said people have a really good understanding of who Joe Biden is.

But Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign adviser, said accelerating, aggressive and unscrupulous attacks on Biden were a reminder that Trump is the outsider trying to take on those who were entrenched in power for decades.
Austria's economy minister has become the symbolic godmother of a young elephant, in a nod of thanks after the government used a cartoon of the large mammal as a reference to help people put pandemic distancing recommendations into perspective.

Margarete Schramboeck was named godmother to Kibali the elephant in a ceremony at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo on Monday. In order to help Austrians envision keeping the recommended one-meter (3.28 feet) apart, Schramboeck said authorities had spread the message it was the length of a baby elephant. A government video had showed a cartoon of a baby elephant to drive the point home.

Schramboeck said most people, and certainly myself, thought of Kibali. Now one year old, Kibali has grown past the Austrian coronavirus distance guidance to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) long, but zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck noted her trunk is now exactly a half-meter (1.64 feet) long.

He says: maybe from now on we can say you have to keep as much distance as two Kibali trunks. Schramboeck was given a watercolor of the elephant, and Kibali was given a cake of hay, fruit and vegetables to celebrate the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ever since tying the knot with Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has transformed into a happy-go-lucky bachelor to a family-oriented man willing to do anything to protect his wife and son.

However, did the Duke of Sussex actually mature as a protective husband and father, or did his former actress wife lead him to be the man he is right now?

A royal expert believes that Prince Harry is not the dreamy knight in shining armor that a damsel in distress could wish for. Instead, he is a guy with a "weaker" personality being dominated by Meghan's strong character.

Speaking to a UK news outlet, royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell claimed that the "weaker" Prince Harry will never have the guts to leave his wife because "it is impossible for him to wriggle free of her control."

The 70-year-old royal expert also expressed her belief that Meghan is "wearing the trouser" in their marriage.

The London Times and New York Times best-selling author is set to launch a tell-all book, which will somehow reveal some explosive truths about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their controversial relationship.

"I have seen marriages like Meghan and Harry's very close up where a strong, powerful woman - the alpha female - manages to wangle her way in with an alpha male who is weaker than she is." Lady C said.

"The husband is so strongly attached he can't ever summon up the strength to leave."

Meghan And Harry: The Real Story

Lady C also claimed that in her upcoming book titled "Meghan and Harry: The Real Story," which will be out in June 2020, she will "shine a light in the dark" of the ex-royal couple's relationship.

"She leads the reader through the maze of contradictions, revealing how Californian culture has influenced the couple's conduct," the book description read.

"She exposes how they tried and failed to change the royal system by adapting it to their own needs and ambitions, and, upon failing, how they decided to create a new system altogether."

It is not the first time that the aristocrat Lady Campbell has written books about the royal family. In 1992, she released a book about Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana.

Lady C's "Diana In Private: The Princess Nobody Knows" has been claimed to be an inside look at Princess Diana's life. It featured a detailed account of Diana's private life from her birth through her royal wedding to Prince Charles in 1979, as well as her struggles during their marriage.

Finding Freedom

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Duke and 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex are said to have worked with royal writers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand in their upcoming bombshell autobiography entitled: "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making Of A Modern Royal Family."

The book, which has a hardcover and Kindle version, will be available for sale on August 11, 2020 and is already expected to be a global bestseller.

The autobiography promises to give readers an honest and closer look at Harry and Meghan's royal life and the details that lead them to their controversial decision to step down as senior members of the royal family earlier this year.
Queen Elizabeth II may not be able to see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to the monarchy ever again.

Despite their abrupt decision to leave the firm, Prince Harry and Meghan received an assurance from Queen Elizabeth II that they would still be welcomed with "open arms" if ever they decide to come back.

However, such thing might be impossible now after an expert shared that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "absolutely have no plans" on returning to their previous royal lives.

In an interview with Express.co.uk, royal expert Marlene Koenig expressed her belief that the royal couple will not reconsider Megxit , which they pushed last March 31, after they established themselves outside the royal family.

"Absolutely not, not going to happen. They have made their decision, and the Queen has accepted it," Koenig said, explaining how the departure is not something they could easily take back.

Instead of waiting for the impossible thing to happen, Koenig believes that the royal family will have the core members of the royal family to take over and make up for the Sussexes.

For instance, it has been noticeable how Prince William and Kate Middleton stepped up and do more duties than before after Prince Harry and Meghan left. They also remarkably performed several engagement ever since the coronavirus pandemic started.

"Obviously not right now, once we've passed COVID-19, and people are able to go out again and live far more normal lives," Koenig continued. "I also certainly think Sophie will be taking more as well. I don't think they're needed."

In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan are now ironing out everything before the release of their tell-all biography titled "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family in Britain and the Commonwealth".

Royal expert Phil Dampier previously said that the book will burn the bridges between the Sussexes and the royal family, just like how Princess Diana's secret tapes did when they became the basis to create her biography titled "Diana: Her True Story."

"There will be fears the couple wants to settle scores and put their spin on what went wrong with Meghan's brief royal life," Dampier expressed. "The Queen has done everything she can to make them feel welcome and leave the door open for them to return. But this book [is] only going to make things much worse."

Prince Harry, Meghan Will Be TOO Busy

Aside from their tell-all book, Koenig also mentioned how Prince Harry and Meghan will be busier with their new lives now.

Per the expert, the royal couple will continue to stay connected with the charities they have been made patrons of when they were still considered as working royals. However, this time, they will expand their works through their new non-profit organization.

"By that time, I think they'll be on a financial foothold for themselves, and they will have made more decisions on where they are going to live and what their new non-profit will be. But I think they've made their decision and I don't think there's any going back," the expert explained.

Last month, the royal couple released the new Greek-inspired name for their venture -- Archewell. They revealed that the word Arche (which means "source of action") had also inspired the name for their one-year-old son, Archie.
The cover story about why Former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was fired was a complete fabrication. Initially, it regarded an investigation into the Secretary of State having a state department employee walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaners. Now the truth is coming out. Another lie associated to a possible illegal transaction.



The truth is, former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was fired by President Donald Trump abruptly last week for opening an investigation into the potential illegal arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

According to NBC News Josh Lederman, two sources have stepped forward to say that 

Linick was investigating the use of emergency declaration last year to sell arms to Saudis over objections of Congress at the time he was fired.

Washington Posts Greg Sargent reported that two aides for lawmakers serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee had confirmed that the former State Department Inspector General investigation was focused on a Saudi arms sale that has been mostly completed, although theres an indication that President Trump or his Administration had a time table for when the arms sales were going to be made public, which leaves the possibility that they may remain secret, even if they were illegal.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) told Washington Posts, Greg Sargent

I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linicks firingHis office was investigating  at my request  Trumps phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia.
















A 19-year-old from Utah on a church mission was struck and killed while riding his bicycle outside LaFayette, Ga., on Saturday.

Authorities said the driver of the vehicle that struck him on U.S. 27 northbound fled the scene.

Officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said McKay Bergeson had been serving in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission since last December.

Daniel Woodruff, a church spokesman, said, "We express our sympathy and heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones as they mourn his passing and remember his life. We pray they will feel the love of our Heavenly Father at this difficult time."

Another church leader in Utah described the victim as a larger-than-life personality. Troy Anderson told the Salt Lake Tribune, He was a bright light. Hes got a loud, wonderful and engaging laugh, Anderson said. He was very much a strength to those around him. He will be greatly missed.

The incident happened just after 9:30 p.m.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said another individual was riding alongside McKay Bergeson and witnessed the incident.

The victim was on a Trek mountain bike when he was struck from the rear and knocked to the pavement by a four-door sedan.

The victim was from Bountiful, Utah.
There has been much speculation surrounding the introduction of X-Men and Fantastic Four to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ever since Kevin Feiges Comic-Con announcement in 2019.

Every month, there seem to be new leaked details about how the studio intends to bring them into the fold, with one person even claiming that the X-Men will clash with the remaining Avengers in a future film.

However, the person believed to be the most trusted source of all the leakers  Roger Wardell  has waded in with what he claims to be new information, including casting decisions.

MCUs Fantastic Four and X-Men will be primarily based on their Earth-1610 counterparts, he wrote on Twitter, which means that the two factions would be introduced as part of the multiverse  a convenient way of explaining their absence so far.

Should this be the way Marvel proceeds, bosses will be able to say they planned this the entire time thanks to a blink-and-youll-miss-it background detail in 2011s Thor: The Dark World.

Wardell  who has a good track record when it comes to leaking huge MCU plot points  claims that John Krasinski is being circled for a lead role  possibly Reed Richards, the Fantastic Fours leader  with Breaking Bad villain Giancarlo Esposito also wanted for a key part.

While their arrival will likely be dealt with in Phase 6, other reports have predicted Wolverine will appear as early as Phase 5  although a leaked set video all but confirmed his appearance in Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Last year, during an Empire interview, Feige detailed a scrapped Avengers: Endgame scene that would have been extremely traumatic for younger viewers, and, at Comic-Con, named the Avenger that could have single-handedly taken down Thanos in Endgame.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 09:21:37|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan welcomed the signing of an agreement between political leaders in Afghanistan to end a political deadlock, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said Sunday night.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claimed victory in the presidential election, inked an agreement on Sunday to end the political deadlock following last year's presidential election, Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

Abdullah will head the High Council for National Reconciliation that will lead the peace process with the Taliban, according to Afghan media.

"At this critical juncture, it is vitally important that all Afghan leaders work together constructively in the supreme interest of the Afghan people and help bring lasting peace and stability to the country affected by decades of violence and conflict," the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, signed in February, has created a historic opportunity, which must be seized by all Afghan stakeholders to advance the goals of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

"It is critical that the intra-Afghan negotiations commence at the earliest, culminating in a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan," the statement said, adding that all Afghan parties must honor their respective commitments, work with perseverance and a sense of common purpose, and also guard against the machinations of any spoilers, from within and without.

Pakistan reiterated its commitment to continue to support a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and its neighbors, according to the statement. Enditem
Researchers are concerned there could be an education gap between the poorest and wealthiest families. (Getty Images)

Children from wealthier families are spending 30% more time on home learning during coronavirus lockdown compared with the poorest, new research has suggested.

The survey of more than 4,000 families in England, carried out for the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), found better-off children will have studied for around seven days more than their poorer peers by next month, when some children could return to school.

If schools do not go back until September and current rates of home learning continue, the gap would double to 15 full school days.

Ministers have said some primary school pupils in England should be able to go back to school from 1 June.

But the latest research has suggested there could be a gap in education, with some pupils doing more lockdown learning than others.

Read more: How to talk to children about the coronavirus

Children in the highest-income families are typically spending six hours a day on education, but the poorest just four and a half.

Nearly two in three (64%) of secondary pupils in state schools from the richest households are offered some form of active help, compared with 47% from the poorest fifth of families, the study suggests.

No matter the family income, however, more than half of parents said they were finding it hard to support their children learning at home.

Read more: How coronavirus measures may be affecting children's mental health

Children from wealthier families are doing more studying, new research has suggested. (Getty Images)

There also appeared to be a difference of opinions between families about whether to send children back to school next month.

Less than a third (29%) of parents in the poorest families said they would send their child back to primary school given the choice, compared with 55% of the most affluent parents.

Lucy Kraftman, IFS research economist and co-author of the report, said: There are significant differences in how children are spending their time during school closures.

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Children in lower-income households are spending significantly less time on both schoolwork and non-school learning activities than their better-off peers.

These differences will likely widen pre-existing gaps in test scores between children from different backgrounds.

Read more: Parents warned of 'separation anxiety' in children caused by coronavirus lockdown

Researchers are now calling for the government to look at the disparities between children from different backgrounds while schools are closed.

Children from lower-income families are already disadvantaged in educational terms, but this new research from the IFS shows that this is being compounded in various ways by being at home rather than in school during the lockdown, says Josh Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation.

On average, these children are spending less time on educational activity, have poorer access to technology, educational resources and extra support, and less likelihood of a quiet dedicated working space in the home.

The government needs to address these issues, both during the period of lockdown and when pupils start to return to schools bringing this additional disadvantage with them.

In its COVID-19 recovery strategy, Downing Street said it currently expects reception, year one and year six pupils to return in smaller class sizes from 1 June at the earliest.

This has been condemned by teaching unions, with the government still recording hundreds of coronavirus deaths every day.

Meanwhile, an online petition calling for parents to be given the option not to send their children back has gathered 500,000 signatures.
Netanyahu's new Israeli government approved, eyes West Bank annexations Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks during a swearing in ceremony of his new unity government at Israel's parliament in Jerusalem

By Jeffrey Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's parliament approved on Sunday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new unity government, ending more than a year of political deadlock, but he still faces a trial starting next week for alleged corruption.

His decision to share power with former rival, centrist Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, opens the way for Netanyahu to proceed towards a pledged annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, land that Palestinians seek for a state.

After three inconclusive elections, the conservative Netanyahu will remain prime minister for 18 months before handing over to his new partner.

Gantz, a former armed forces chief, will be Netanyahu's defence minister and "alternate prime minister", a new position that Netanyahu will hold when Gantz takes the helm.

By assuming that "alternate" premiership once he hands over to Gantz, Netanyahu hopes to avoid having to resign under legal rules that allow a prime minister to remain in office even if charged with a crime.

Israel's longest-serving leader, Netanyahu, 70, first came to power in 1996 and has served three consecutive terms since 2009. He goes on trial on May 24 on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud, which he denies.

"The people wanted unity, and that is what it got," Netanyahu told parliament, citing a desire to steer clear of a fourth election and the need for a national battle against the coronavirus crisis.

Lawmakers ratified the new administration by a vote of 73 to 46.

WEST BANK

Netanyahu can now push forward his plan to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, territory Palestinians want for their own independent state.

"These regions are where the Jewish nation was born and rose. It is time to apply Israeli law on them and write another great chapter in the annals of Zionism," he said.

But while Netanyahu has set July 1 as a starting point for cabinet discussions on the highly contentious issue, there is no publicly stated deadline for annexation of land that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

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Palestinians have vehemently opposed such a move, urging international sanctions against Israel in response. It would be certain to heighten tensions in the West Bank and Gaza.

"These colonial and expansionist positions confirm once again his (Netanyahu's) ideological enmity towards peace," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Gantz, 60, had cited the criminal charges against Netanyahu after the latest election in March when he again pledged to his own voters that he would not serve in a government with the veteran conservative leader.

Angering many of his supporters and splitting his own party, he made a deal in the end, saying the coronavirus crisis made national unity an imperative.

The new cabinet will have a record 36 ministers. Several new posts have been created to ensure both Netanyahu and Gantz can bring loyalists on board.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid ridiculed the public-health rationale behind the coalition, noting the number of Israeli COVID-19 victims on ventilators had fallen so steeply that the new government "could place a minister next to each bed".

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Editing by Frances Kerry and Gareth Jones)
Europes biggest budget airline says it expects to fly barely half the planned number of passengers in the current financial year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ryanair predicts passenger numbers in April, May and June will be just 1 per cent of the original expectation, with no more than half of its expected summer traffic of 45 million passengers in July, August and September.

The Irish airline is currently operating only 30 flights a day, compared with well over 2,000 daily departures it had originally planned.

The Dublin-based carrier expects to lose 200m (179m) in each quarter, and has taken a 353m (316m) hit in the shape of a hedge ineffectiveness charge  the loss from fuel contracts Ryanair signed at a much higher price and for fuel it no longer needs.

The forecasts were provided as Ryanair announced its full-year results for the financial year ending on 31 March 2020.

The airline made a profit of 1.002bn (896m), an increase of 13 per cent over the previous year  representing 6 profit for every passenger carried.

Fares increased 2 per cent and ancillary revenue, particularly seat assignments and priority boarding, was up by one-sixth. The average passenger spent 51.

The year-round load factor  the proportion of capacity occupied  was 95 per cent, meaning all but nine or 10 seats were sold on the average flight.

Looking ahead, Ryanair plans to re-launch services at scale in July, despite the UK government's plans for quarantine.

Its chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has predicted: People will simply ignore something which is so hopelessly defective.

The carrier has been scathing about financial aid received by other airlines, saying: The competitive landscape in Europe will be distorted by unprecedented quantums of state aid.

It says more than 30bn (27bn) has been given to the Lufthansa group, Air France-KLM, Alitalia, SAS and Norwegian.

Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Show all 11 1 /11 Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Ben Gurion International airport, Israel Reuters Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Daxing International Airport, Beijing AFP via Getty Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan EPA Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam AFP via Getty Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Haneda Airport, Tokyo Reuters Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Changsha Huanghua International Airport, China Reuters Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China EPA Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Daxing International Airport, Beijing AFP via Getty Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Haneda Airport, Tokyo Reuters Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China EPA Airports empty as Coronavirus affects aviation industry Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam AFP via Getty

We therefore expect that traffic on reduced flight schedules will be subject to significant price discounting, and below-cost selling, from these flag carriers with huge state-aid war chests.

But, the airline says: As we look beyond the next year, there will be significant opportunities for Ryanairs low-cost, growth model as competitors shrink, fail or are acquired by government bailed-out carriers.

The airline has announced 3,000 job losses, mainly pilots and cabin crew, and imposed 20 per cent pay cuts.

Ryanair has been widely criticised for the delay in refunding passengers whose flights it has cancelled.
Mumbai, May 18 : Budding actor Karanvir Malhotra, who is gearing up for his debut film 'What Are The Odds', says that as an actor, his job is to help people escape from their reality and he will serve this purpose with his upcoming film.

With the film releasing amid the coronavirus pandemic, Karanvir said, "We are living in extraordinary times and we all are overwhelmed by the happenings around us. I think my role as an actor and entertainer is to help people escape from their reality. So I'm glad that my first feature film is a light, fun and slice of life film about two teenagers and the extraordinary events that happen within the span of a day." The Netflix film releases on May 20. Produced by Abhay Deol and directed by Megha Ramaswamy, the film stars Yashaswini Dayama, Monica Dogra, Priyanka Bose, Manurishi Chaddha and Sulbha Arya, along with Abhay and Karanvir.

The actor made his acting debut with the web series 'Selection Day' followed by 'The Forgotten Army -- Azaadi ke liye'.

Karanvir said, "I see this film as a major building block in my career. Megha is a brilliant storyteller --distinctive and original. I'm thrilled to have had her as my director in my debut film. Working with Yashaswini was a treat. Her ideas are ingenious and I learnt heaps from her, as she's a natural actor. Getting to work with Abhay was the icing on the cake. I have always admired his craft and his ability to pick up unconventional roles and narratives, staying within the framework of mainstream Bollywood. His sense of humour and impeccable demeanour make him the star he is." Sharing his character in the film, the actor said, "I play the character of Ashwin who is a 'good boy' but certainly not conventional. The film's tone is playful and hence even a straightforward character like Ashwin had to be played with a lighter shade. There's always a feeling of nostalgia and euphoria when you play a character younger than you." "The most fun element for me in the film was the relationships Ashwin discovers, realises and builds in a single day, not just with human beings, but certain other species too," he signed off.
A man has been fatally shot in west Belfast, police said.

Officers were told at about 10pm the man had been shot at a property in the Lenadoon Avenue part of the city, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement.

Detective chief inspector Michelle Shaw said officers attended along with staff from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, however: "Sadly, a man has been pronounced dead at the scene."

There were no further details provided about the victim.

Belfast West MP Paul Maskey tweeted: "Local people are angry this attack has been carried out when the community & emergency services are facing the Covid-19 pandemic".

Mr Maskey added his "thoughts are with the man's family".

The investigation is at an early stage but those with information, or who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area, are asked to contact police by calling 101 and quoting reference number 1589 of 17/05/20 or anonymously via Crimestoppers.
No one irritates Donald Trump quite like Barack Obama.

Trumps run for president was in part triggered by his enmity for Obama, his desire to one-up him, and he has performed his presidency as a singularly focused attempt at Obama erasure, dismantling what he can of what Obama built and undoing policies Obama instituted.

Obama is everything that Trump is not: intellectual, articulate, adroit, contemplative and cool. He also happens to be a black man. The fact that he could not only ascend to the height of power but also the heights of celebrity and adoration vexed Trump.

Trump set about to demonstrate that none of that mattered, none of it could supersede the talents of a confident counterfeit. He convinced himself that Obama was the convenient recipient of affirmative action adulation from a world thirsty for racial recompense, an assuaging of white guilt.

Trump has held this view well before anyone heard the name Barack Obama. In 1989, Trump said in an NBC News interview, A well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white, in terms of the job market. Trump went so far as to say that Ive said on occasion, even about myself, if I was starting off today I would love to be a well-educated black because I really believe they do have an actual advantage today.
As we cross the 100-day mark without government today, we'll be lucky to stay below double the length of time it took to make a coalition the last time, in 2016.

It took 70 days last time. Now, such is the lockdown lethargy contagion in our politics, that we're told anything below 140 days in 2020 would be "a result".

And, as we also take our first baby-steps back from coronavirus lockdown today, the immediacy of the vast range of economic and social problems we face screams out: we need a newly mandated government - and we need it now.

Instead we struggle into week two of the three-cornered Fianna Fail-Fine Gael-Green Party talks and a strong suggestion that it will be a good outcome if we have a new government before this time next month. More worryingly, the mood music surrounding these talks is not good and the hopes of getting a successful coalition deal are still slight.

Beyond that, there is considerable doubt also about selling any such deal to the sceptical party members, especially those in the Green Party and Fianna Fail.

Over the weekend, we were treated to what looks like a phoney spat over moves within the existing caretaker government to prepare for a general election. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, whose department is still responsible for local government and therefore election logistics, put up a rather plausible argument about poll preparations.

In summary, it goes like this: these coalition-making talks may very well fall apart leading to another election. Given coronavirus personal distancing rules, expected to stay with us for a long time even if things go well, special preparations must be made for voting over more than one day, more use of postal ballots, and special arrangements for counting.

It's fine in so far as it goes. But given that the earliest we can have an election is very probably October, there were reasonable grounds for suspicion that this was a Fine Gael move to "spook" the Green Party - and more especially Fianna Fail.

So both sides started at it as senior Fianna Fail TDs Barry Cowen and Thomas Byrne hit back. Mr Cowen said the timing of the emergence of election planning "smacks of bad faith, selfishness and putting party before country".

Fine Gael hit back again, saying all voting planning had to roll on regardless. It also inferred that Fianna Fail "started this" with talk last month by Mr Cowen of an early referendum on housing land prices if a new government was pulled together.

But the reality here is that elements in Fine Gael see no harm in yanking Fianna Fail's chain on this one. Good public vibes about government coronavirus management leave it on a rave 35pc popularity rating in the latest RedC poll for May.

By contrast Fianna Fail is languishing on 14pc. Its leader, Micheal Martin, is keen to avoid the fate of becoming the first ever leader of his party not to be Taoiseach.

This spat has all the hallmarks of something which suits both to some degree, as an effort to dial down the view that both big parties are in lockstep, and the only ones with real needs in these talks are the Green Party. Though with time and place it probably suits Fine Gael - which remains in caretaker government - a deal better than Fianna Fail.

But Fine Gael should also keep a few key things in mind here. First is that we are up to half a year away from a likely election - even if all talking fails. Second is that by then voters' coronavirus gratitude may be long past its sell-by date. Third is that it fought and lost the February 8 General Election on the forlorn hope that voters would be grateful for good management of Brexit.

So, we can expect that some time today there will be patch-up talks between the two party leaders who will surely put things back together, and they will get back to hard negotiations.

There was another reminder at the weekend of the extent of the real gaps to be bridged, and the wide range of topics these divisions encompass.

Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly raised the question of the proposed 500m liquefied natural gas terminal, which has long been mooted for Ballylongford on the Shannon Estuary.

Putting the kibosh on that was among the Green Party's demands, much to the alarm of people in Kerry, Limerick and adjoining counties.

Mr Kelly, a usually measured and careful public representative, questioned the wisdom of blocking Ballylongford at the same time as meeting another Green Party demand to suspend all gas and oil exploration in Irish coastal waters. His calls have been echoed by Kerry Fianna Fail TD Norma Foley.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael suggestions that the site could become a focal point for alternative energy developments will be looked at askance.

But this is just one of a long list of potential impediments.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has achieved quite a coup in getting his party into the talks in the first place.

But there will be fears about a mismatch in the negotiating teams with a distinct lack of experience on the Green Party side.

Despite their spat, the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael negotiation teams are by far the more seasoned. They faced each other in similar talks in 2016 and have been in pretty constant touch ever since in keeping the unusual confidence-and-supply arrangements on the tracks.

So, we pass the 100-day mark with some hopes of a good outcome. But it won't be soon.
German ailing conglomerate Thyssenkrupp is in talks with international peers about consolidating its loss-making steel business, a person familiar with the matter said.

The talks, to be unveiled as part of a strategy revamp on Monday which is likely to include shutting or selling assets, follow a 372 million euro ($402 million) loss Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, Germany's largest steelmaker, posted in the first half of the group's fiscal year.

Ever since a strategy u-turn a year ago, which saw Thyssenkrupp dropping plans for a joint venture with India's Tata Steel in favour of a sale of its prized elevator unit, the group continued to champion the merits of steel consolidation.

Sources told Reuters that contact between Thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel never broke off and that both were still in talks about consolidation.

Business paper Handelsblatt said that Thyssenkrupp was also in discussions with Sweden's SSAB and China's Baoshan Iron & Steel and that both were interested in a majority of the German firm's steel unit.

Thyssenkrupp and SSAB declined to comment. Tata Steel Europe and Baoshan Iron & Steel were not immediately available for comment.
Two Wyoming Students Participating in Virtual International Science Fair

Two Wyoming high school students, who qualified from the Wyoming State Science Fair earlier this spring at the University of Wyoming, are participating in the virtual International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) this week.

Joshua Arulsamy, from Laramie High School, and Markie Whitney, representing Newcastle High School, will display their state award-winning projects in the Virtual Regeneron ISEF beginning Monday, May 18, and continuing through Friday, May 22.

Participants from throughout the world will be able to view projects, plus log into various panel discussions from leading STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) representatives.

This is the first year that ISEF has been held virtually, and there is a multitude of great speakers and events all open to the public for the first time ever, says Erin Stoesz, Wyoming State Science Fair director, who is based at UW. Id love to see members of the university community attend all or part of this.

To view the entire schedule, click here.
Schmids friend, Karen Fenske, recalled learning about the baking initiative: We were texting one day and she said, I was at the store this morning and I bought 10 pounds of green apples. She said, I donated a pie. Im baking pies and I want to give them to people who are helping everyone get through this, whether they be first responders or people on the front lines, doctors and nurses, the hospitals, the childrens hospitals.
The government and ruling coalition parties agreed Monday to shelve a plan to enact a law to extend the retirement age of prosecutors during the current Diet session, amid heated criticism from the Japanese public led by celebrities who have taken to Twitter to express their opposition.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, reached the agreement amid calls for the resignation of Hiromu Kurokawa, widely believed to be favored by the prime minister's office who was permitted to remain as chief of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office after he turned 63.

Abe and Nikai affirmed the government could not move forward with the proposed revision of the Public Prosecutors Office Law without the understanding of the public.

Senior officials said there was growing concern in the government that steamrolling the bill through parliament could cause significant damage to the administration as many believe Abe should be concentrating on containing the novel coronavirus.

Some in the government, which sponsored the bill, and the ruling parties were also considering removing a special provision from it that the opposition camp and pundits said would enable the government to allow elite investigators it favors to stay in office longer, according to the officials.

"We must not be involved in a matter that causes problems between the ruling and opposition camps at this crucial time," a senior government official said.

The official went on to say that the government should first seek parliamentary approval by June 17 -- the end of the ongoing session -- of a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2020 to fund measures to support people amid the virus pandemic.

The proposed revision, which was originally to come into effect on April 1, 2022, may be passed in the extraordinary parliamentary session this fall or in next year's regular session instead, the official added.

The bill to amend the law, which has been under deliberation in parliament since last month, calls for raising the retirement age of prosecutors to 65 from 63, and contains a special provision that allows some top prosecutors to stay until 66 upon Cabinet approval.

The bill also sought to raise the prosecutor general's retirement age from 65 to 68, if the Cabinet backs it.

But critics said such changes could damage the judicial system by enabling the administration to decide which prosecutors can stay in office longer.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday expressed disappointment over the COVID-19 economic package and requested the Centre to announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore.

New Delhi [India], May 18 (ANI): Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday expressed disappointment over the COVID-19 economic package and requested the Centre to announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore.

We express our thorough disappointment and request the government to reconsider the stimulus package and announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore of real Additional Expenditure equivalents to 10 per cent of GDP, he said.

Chidambaram, a former Finance Minister, stated that there can be no fiscal stimulus to the economy without Additional Expenditure over and above the Budgeted Expenditure.

We note that Finance Minister acknowledged that additional expenditure must be financed by additional borrowing. The true value of the fiscal stimulus package will, therefore, be known when we know what is the additional borrowing in 2020-21 to finance the additional expenditure over and above the expenditure budget of Rs 30,42,230 crore. The truth cannot be hidden for long, Chidambaram said.

A fiscal stimulus of Rs 1,86,650 crore amounting to barely 0.91 per cent of GDP will be totally inadequate given the gravity of the economic crisis and the dire situation in which people find themselves. Most analysts, rating agencies and banks have placed the size of the fiscal stimulus at between 0.8 to 1.5 per cent, he added.

Chidambaram also said that the fiscal stimulus package has left several sections high and dry, including migrant workers, farmers, landless agricultural labour, daily wage non-agricultural labour, workers who have been laid off or retrenched. He also included workers in unorganised or unregistered businesses/units who have lost their jobs, self-employed who have no work. (ANI)

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The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the world has crossed 4.8 million. Out of this, 1.86 million have recovered and over 316,959 people have died.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the world has crossed 4.8 million. Out of this, 1.86 million have recovered and over 316,959 people have passed away.

A two-day meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the WHO, started today. On Tuesday, a draft resolution will reportedly be pushed in front of the assembly calling for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19. The draft is currently backed by about 116 member nations out of 194. It needs backing from at least 2/3rd of the members (129) to pass.

Meanwhile, after being authorised for emergency use by the US FDA, Gileads remdesivir may reportedly get conditional authorisation by the EUs European Medicines Agency in the coming days.

Cases decline further in Italy, Spain saw less than 100 new deaths, Italy opens unlimited travel within regions

On Sunday, Spain saw less than 100 deaths due to the coronavirus disease in a day. This is the lowest daily death toll in the country in two months. Spain has already started easing restrictions in some areas while the worst-hit areas, Barcelona and Madrid, are still under strict restrictions.

On May 17, Italy reported a total of 145 deaths and 675 new cases. This is the lowest the death toll has been since March 9 and the new cases are as low as that on March 4. The total number of cases in the country is now at 225,435, out of which 31,908 people have succumbed to the disease.

On Monday, unlimited travel was allowed within the regions in Italy and all restaurants, cafes and religious places were reportedly opened after a 2-month-long lockdown with social distancing guidelines in place. The entire country had gone into lockdown on March 10.

UK notes low per day deaths, UK PM in talks with France to relax travel restrictions

Yesterday, the UK registered 170 new deaths by COVID-19, reportedly the lowest per day increase in death toll since March. However, as per media reports, this is possibly due to the fact the UKs death toll has been lower over the weekends as compared to weekdays. Englands health officials reportedly said on Saturday that their coronavirus notification system had not worked for a while, which may be responsible for the low death toll and this may show in the per day deaths on Monday.

Meanwhile, Britain and France are still in talks on whether visitors coming from France will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine after entering the UK. As per media reports, Britain has not yet finalised some details regarding this. It was earlier being said that Britain will not impose the quarantine.

Russia saw less than 10,000 cases

Russia has reported less than 10,000 cases for three days in a row now. With more than 290,000 affected, the country currently has the second-highest number of total cases in the world after the USA. For much of May, Russia has reported over 10,000 new cases per day at least.

On Monday, the country saw 8,926 new cases and 91 new deaths.

For more information, read our article on All you wanted to know about remdesivir.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
By Akbar Mammadov

The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh has said that Armenia is changing the demographics of the occupied Lachyn, thereby violating basic rights of over 77,000 Azerbaijanis expelled from the district.

The community made the remarks on the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Lachyn, in a statement published in its official Facebook page.

Following the occupation of Lachyn, natural resources were plundered in the district. As in other occupied territories, refugees of Armenian origin, especially from Syria, were illegally resettled in the Lachyn district. The steps taken by Armenia to change the demographic composition of the region, violating the most basic human rights of more than 77,000 Azerbaijanis who were subjected to ethnic cleansing as a result of the occupation of Lachyn, are a gross violation of international law", the statement reads.

On behalf of more than the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, numbering more than 80,000 people, including on behalf of more than 1 million Azerbaijanis subjected to ethnic cleansing in all occupied Azerbaijani territories, The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan called on the world community to put an end to the aggression by Armenia against the Azerbaijani people, the community said.

The community reminded that after Lachyn, the occupation of Kalbajar, Aghdam, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan, which are not included in the administrative borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, proved once again that the real aim of Armenia is to seize new territories by force and expand.

The Azerbaijani community further said that "statements by the Armenian side aimed at aggravating the situation and calls for the annexation of Azerbaijani territories continue to deal a serious blow to the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

"We, the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, once again invite the Armenian community of the region to dialogue", the community said, adding that they are ready to peacefully coexist with the Armenian community of the region within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Only in this case, sustainable and fair peace can be ensured in the region", the statement reads.

It should be noted that as a result of the occupation, the population of Lachyn district was subjected to ethnic cleansing. Thus, more than 300 military and civilian people were killed and went missing. Currently, 77.700 Lachyn residents live as internally displaced persons (IDP) across different regions of Azerbaijan

Armenia seriously damaged public and private property in the region. Thus, 217 cultural, 101 educational, 142 healthcare, 462 trade, 30 communications, 2 motor vehicles enterprises and various production facilities were looted and destroyed.
Its not a flaw, its a feature By Robert T. Smith

At Ohio State University's May 5, 2013 graduation, the left's Poster Child for big government, Barack Obama, chided his political enemies and admonished the graduating class that: "Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems...They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices." How bizarre is Mr. Obamas graduation proclamation as we watch the unfolding of history in real-time. People in powerful positions corruption, deceit, and politicians drunk on power is not a flaw of big government, it is a feature. As a few examples, the Obama Administrations persecution of General Flynn as a part of the attempted coup against President Trump, selling of indulgences for profit by the, then, Secretary of State Clinton, even the past gun-running scheme called Fast and Furious has come into the news again recently. It has become quite clear with recent documentation that President Obama and those empowered by the Obama Administration viewed General Michael Flynn as a threat and a component piece of their project to interfere with our countrys last presidential election. Consequently, Mr. Flynn had to be silenced with entrapment and false accusations, and used as an example for others who might thwart their agenda. Regardless of the corruption and deceit on full display, the liberal-bullshit-speak mainstream media provides its typical Democrat propaganda wall-of-noise cover by selectively contending that General Flynn plead guilty. In truth, the unlimited resources applied by the corrupted federal government and manipulative lawfare applied to Mr. Flynn had already financially broken him. It was the add-on degenerate offer to plead guilty or the full weight of lawfare would likewise be applied to his familythe proverbial gangster offer you cant refuse, that lead to the guilty plea. Tyranny of those in power in the big government is not a flaw, it is a feature. Is there really any more obvious example of big government corruption than the twin-headed monster from Arkansas, Bill and Hillary. Virtually continuous scandal and abuse of power during the two terms of the impeached and disbarred Mr. Clinton have been thoroughly chronicled in the past. The lesser half of the Arkansas Grifters operated the for-profit Clinton Foundation out of a separate server, as an add-on activity to her Secretary of State fiefdom. Evidence of illegal activities in the form of hard drives and communication devices destroyed, e-mails BleachBit-ed without prosecution. Illegal activities, enriching themselves under the guise of federal appointment as a primary activity, while alleging to conduct Americas business as a secondary consideration is not a flaw to the corrupt participants in big government, it is a feature. As a proverbial blast from the past, just recently Mexico's president asked the United States for answers and an apology for the Obama-era gun-running operation known as "Fast and Furious." The Fast and Furious program was going to be used by the Barack Obama administration as an excuse for more gun control in the U.S., but instead resulted in the death of hundreds of innocent Mexicans and Americans. Between 2009 and 2011, the Phoenix Field Division of the ATF would allow gun-buyers, many of whom the feds suspected were criminals, to take firearms purchased in the U.S. and walk into Mexico without interference from agents. The alleged intention was that once the guns were sold to powerful drug cartels, the ATF would later trace the firearms. Whistleblowers and investigators, however, found no attempt to trace the guns. More than 2,000 guns were sold to suspected criminals thought to be linked to Mexican drug gangs in the two years of the operation under the Obama presidency. Fast and Furious was designed to provide cover for the person in charge of big government to achieve his goal of gun control in the U.S, it was not a flaw of corrupt big government, it was a feature. The problem of a large and powerful, tyrannical government that would trample we the people under foot was clearly an issue with our founders. The basic human nature of people was clearly laid out in Federalist Paper no. 51 by James Madison... "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary." The Poster Child President Obama was a simple incarnation of that which he had admonished us to ignore and our founding fathers warned us to guard against, certainly no angel, but instead the Poster Child of tyranny. As best stated by Mr. Obamas former enabler David Axelrod "Part of being president is there's so much beneath you that you can't know because the government is so vast." The left must hate their Poster Child for big government. Every ounce of their belief system in a big all-powerful government has been and is being exposed as a fraud, by the person for whom they have carried the most water in our lifetimes. Hopefully, the multitudes of abuses by people in big governments powerful positions cannot overcome the design features of Americanism. Robert T. Smith is an environmental scientist who spends his days enjoying life and the pursuit of happiness with his family. He confesses to cling to his liberty, guns and religion, with antipathy toward the arrogant ruling elites throughout the country. Home
A special repatriation flight from London carrying 41 stranded Indians landed at the international airport here on Monday under the 'Vande Bharat Mission'.

Not a single person was found to have any symptoms of coronavirus infection during the medical examination and thermal screening carried out at the airport, Gaya District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) N K Gupta said.

Out of the 41 people who returned from England, 28 are from Bihar and 13 from Jharkhand, he said.

Passports of all the 41 passengers were deposited at the immigration counter by the district administration and all of them were given acknowledgement receipts, he said.

After completing all the formalities, the district administration sent the 28 passengers who hail from Bihar to quarantine centres in Bodh Gaya for 14 days where many hotels have been turned into such facilities.

Those hailing from Jharkhand were taken to Ranchi in a vehicle sent by the government of that state, the DPRO said.

Gaya, a holy city for Hindus, is about 15 km from Bodh Gaya, an international Buddhist pilgrim centre. Two international flights had left Gaya for Myanmar and Thailand on April 22 and April 24 respectively.

Magadh Divisional Commissioner Asangba Chuba Ao, Gaya District Magistrate Abhishek Singh, Special Superintendent of Police Rajiv Mishra, Gaya airport director Dilip Kumar and a host of other officials welcomed the passengers with kits having sanitizers and soaps.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germanys ruling elite is responding to the mounting tensions between the major powers triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic by intensifying its drive to war. After the Defence Ministry announced two weeks ago the purchasing of 138 fighter jets, including 30 nuclear-capable bombers, drones armed with missiles are now to be obtained. This was confirmed last Monday in a choreographed panel discussion involving government representatives, military officials, opposition politicians, and theologians held on the premises of the Defence Ministry.

In Afghanistan and Mali, where the German army defends the pro-imperialist puppet regimes against resistance from the local populations, three reconnaissance drones have been operating since 2010 and 2016 respectively. In 2021, they will be replaced by the Israeli-built Heron TP model, which will be equipped with missiles.

The establishment of Germanys own armada of armed drones has been a goal of the grand coalition for years and was part of the months-long talks on forming the government in 2018.

In its coalition agreement, the Christian Democrats (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), and Social Democrats (SPD) stated that they want to continue to develop the euro-drone within the framework of the European defence union. The Israeli Heron armed drone was seen as a transitional solution, the arming of which would be decided by parliament following a careful consideration of international law, constitutionality, and ethics. The panel held last Monday in the Defence Ministry was aimed at pushing forward with this goal.

State secretary for defence Peter Tauber (CDU), who opened the panel, stated that future drone attacks from the air would provide our troops with additional protection. This is the Defence Ministrys well-known propaganda. The reality is that there is hardly another weapon so strongly associated with the neocolonial wars of the 21st century and the anonymized murder of men, women, and children than drones.

In his appeal, General Inspector of the Armed Forces Eberhard Zorn left no doubt about the fact that Germany, like its imperialist rivals, would deploy armed drones to suppress entire populations of far-off regions and to carry out targeted killings of alleged opponents. Zorn explicitly referred to the armys interventions in Afghanistan and Mali. The German armed forces do not confront soldiers there, he said, adding, These are interventions where we do not face a state actor... In Afghanistan, many ambushes were carried out from residential areas where women and children are also located.

Although artillery or bombings by aircraft are capable of killing opponents from a distance, these conditions require a more precise method of combat.

The small directed bombs we use on our aircraft weigh 125 kg. But the bombs are generally larger. Although they are precision-guided, their explosive power is so strong that not only the target is destroyed, but damage is also caused in a radius of up to several hundred metres. The same goes for artillery, which is a wide-ranging weapon per se, Zorn explained.

The precision-guided nature of these weapons is thus one of the advantages from a military point of view. In contrast to aircraft and missile launchers, they can be used almost without a sound.

Leading representatives from the government and opposition parties strongly advocated in the following panel discussion for the purchasing of the new weaponincluding several members of the Parliamentary Defence Committee.

We think it is an elementary matter of modern defence to have armed drones, stated Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Free Democrats, FDP). We need this drone, and I hope and am sure that it will comeeven if we talk here for a while. Sooner or later, all participants have to get down to business. She could say, on behalf of the Free Democrats, we want this drone, armed, of course.

SPD defence policy expert and chairman of the Berlin state association of the Peoples Federation of Military Cemetery Providers Fritz Felgentreu stated, Were at a point where we need to be constructive. If it is true what the General Inspector explained...then one must conclude that the support from an armed drone is better than conventional aircraft.

The SPD Parliamentary Armed Forces Commissioner, Hans-Peter Bartels, spoke out strongly in favour of armed drones ahead of the meeting. An armed reconnaissance drone...for a German patrol in battle is worthwhile. In an emergency, this would be better than waiting on the arrival of fighter helicopters or jets.

The representatives of the Left Party and Greens also made clear that they support the German armys foreign military interventions. They opposed the governments plans merely due to tactical considerations. The defence policy spokesperson for the Greens, Katja Keul, declared armed drones to be a long-term security policy risk for the armed forces, because they could fall into the hands of the enemy.

The Left Party parliamentary groups spokesperson on defence policy, Tobias Pfluger, said that he rejects the form of going into a mission with armed drones. In other words, the Left Party agrees in principle with German imperialisms military offensive. In his remarks, Pfluger boasted that he had recently visited the troops in Mali, which meant he knows the needs of the soldiers better than anyone else present.

Pfluger also showed no concern about sharing the podium with the representative of the far-right Alternative for Germany invited by the Defence Ministry, Rudiger Lucassen. The right-wing extremist retired colonel spoke clearest of all about the war and rearmament goals bound up with purchasing armed drones. The essential point in supporting our soldiers on deployment is the active moment. The entire spectrum of conventional and technical means for waging war are necessary to hold down the enemy.

With its purchasing of armed drones, German imperialism is underscoring its determination to step up its neocolonial military interventions and brutally suppress any opposition to them. In so doing, Germany would join the ranks of military powers like the United States, Britain, Israel, France, and Saudi Arabia that have unleashed global drone warfare over recent years. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalists, between 9,000 and 17,000 people have been killed as a result of direct drone strikes.

So-called targeted killings are only the tip of the iceberg. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, official data indicate that at least 454 children were murdered, mainly by the US militarys hellfire missiles. In 2013, at least 13 guests at a wedding were blown to pieces by a US drone strike. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani and Iraqi military commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The planning and direction of these drone attacks take place at the American militarys airbase in Ramstein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. With the headquarters of the Allied Air Command Ramstein, all of the technical capabilities to wage global drone warfare are already available there for the German army to use.

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which Germany is developing jointly with France and Spain, plans to integrate fighter jet missions with drones and satellites to bring the next generation of the combat air force into heavy combat environments, as it states on the website of Airbus Defence and Space, the arms company involved in construction for the project.

The German armys murderous plans must be taken as an urgent warning by all workers and young people. Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War, the German ruling class will stop at nothing to enforce the interests of German capitalism and imperialism at home and abroad. Nobody should have any illusions. The heavy combat environments could also include revolutionary mass demonstrations and strikes by workers in Germany itself.
B ritain's train companies will ramp up services this week as the Government eases coronavirus travel restrictions.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group said services will increase from 50 per cent of the standard timetable to 70 per cent from Monday.

However, the capacity on each service will be reduced to as little as 10 per cent of normal levels in a bid to enable social distancing.

Meanwhile, passengers are still being urged to avoid public transport where possible as well as non-essential travel in general.

British Transport Police will deploy more officers at London stations in a bid to control crowds.

Commuters in London Bridge last week (Jeremy Selwyn) / Jeremy Selwyn / Evening Standard / eyevine

Will Rogers, managing director at East Midlands Railway, warned that the new timetable "will only allow a small rise in the number of passengers we can accommodate".

He added: "We urge everyone to only go by train if it is necessary and keep public transport for key workers and those who must travel."

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

Passengers travelling by train are being asked to wear a face covering and keep a two metre distance from other people where possible.

Transport operators are being urged by the Government to rearrange, remove or limit seating "to try and ensure social distancing is observed".

This may include blocking off seats in close proximity to others and removing face-to-face seating.

Passengers using London North Eastern Railway are only allowed to board trains if they hold a reservation as well as a ticket.

People have been urged not to use public transport / PA

The operator is asking passengers to sit in a window seat, with one person per row of four seats, and two empty rows between each passenger.

People travelling as a household will be allowed to sit together but must maintain "a safe distance" from other passengers.

Avanti West Coast warned its customers that anyone without a reservation may not be able to travel on their choice of train due to capacities being limited to around a quarter of normal levels.

Train operator Northern said there will be "significantly reduced capacity on each and every one of our trains".

Rail services have been slashed for weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic causing a collapse in demand and a rise in staff sickness.

But the Government is now urging people in England to go to work if they cannot work from home.

Advice in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales remains that people should stay at home.

Meanwhile the Rail, Maritime and Transport union described the increase in train services as a "high-risk strategy" and expressed concern that "rushed political considerations could well override the safety issues for staff and passengers".

It has called for new compulsory protections for passengers and rail workers, including the enforcement of two-metre social distancing on trains and the compulsory wearing of face masks by passengers, which should be provided for free at stations and be able to be disposed of safely.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "We are opposed to the early relaxation of lockdown measures and believe that non-essential workers should avoid using trains. When people absolutely must use a train, there should be new compulsory protections.

"We have the crazy situation of Eurostar passengers arriving with masks on into St Pancras but then not wearing masks when they transfer to the tube or other rail services."

A Department for Transport spokesman said the message remained that people should only go to work if they cannot work from home and they should avoid public transport if possible and maintain social distancing if they have no other choice.

He added: "We have asked operators to increase the number of services from today to help reduce pressure on the transport network, providing more space for social distancing as well as delivering increased reliability and extra capacity for the future."
LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Corey La Barrie, a 25-year-old social media star, was tragically killed on his 25th birthday in a car accident with his drunk friend driving, Daniel Silva. The La Barrie family is represented by Michael Kraut of the Kraut Law Group - case number LA092642 as a victim's rights advocate. Kraut Law Group and the Law Offices of Brian Breiter will work together to try the civil case to seek justice for the family of Corey La Barrie.

On Sunday, May 10th, 2020, Mr. La Barrie was in the passenger seat as 'Ink Masters' star, Daniel Silva, drove his 2020 McLaren 600LT at a high speed on a residential street. Silva lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road and collided with a stop sign and a tree. According to officials, Silva attempted to flee, but was stopped by eyewitnesses. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene, and both Silva and La Barrie were transported to a local hospital, where La Barrie was pronounced dead.

"The La Barrie family is in absolute shock, they're on their way to Los Angeles from Australia, to deal with the aftermath," said Michael Kraut, Managing Attorney and Lead Criminal Trial Attorney. "To lose a loved one is tragic in and of itself, but the devastating details of this case make it almost impossible for Corey's family to come to terms with," said Brian Breiter.

Corey La Barrie was part of a popular YouTube duo with Crawford Collins. The pair had more than 100,000 subscribers on their channel. La Barrie also worked as a solo social media entertainer, with more than 335,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, and 340,000 Instagram followers.

Mr. Kraut and Mr. Breiter urge anyone who has information about or witnessed the incident to contact Brian Breiter's office at (323) 954-9955 or [email protected]. All media inquiries should be directed to the Law Offices of Brian J. Breiter, LLP.

About The Law Offices of Brian J. Breiter, LLP:

The Law Offices of Brian J. Breiter, LLP is a boutique civil litigation firm located in California and Florida that specializes in taking catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims to trial. Mr. Breiter is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a multi-year SuperLawyer recipient, and has successfully obtained multiple multi-million-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of his clients. Mr. Pardon is 2020 SuperLawyers Rising Star recipient, a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 California, and has also obtained multiple multi-million-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of his clients.

About Kraut Law Group:

Michael Kraut is the Managing Attorney of Kraut Law Group. Mr. Kraut was a senior prosecutor with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office for over fourteen years before opening the Kraut Law Group. Mr. Kraut has been a top rated defense attorney in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California and is sought out by executives and CEOs that find themselves under investigation of both Federal and state cases. The Kraut Law Group is well known for the aggressive representation of clients and handles some of the most serious cases throughout Southern California.

SOURCE Law Offices of Brian Breiter
Bloomberg photo by Marcelo del Pozo.

Iran has sent an official warning to the U.S. against making threats to Iranian fuel tankers bound for Venezuela, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

On Sunday Irans Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Swiss envoy Markus Leitner, who represents U.S. interests in the Islamic Republic, to warn that any measures taken against Iranian fuel tankers will be met with a swift and decisive response, IRNA reported, citing the foreign ministry.
(Newser)  Less than a minute of footage allegedly showing two teen Pakistani girls in a secluded area with a young man was posted online. Now those two girls are dead. Male relatives allegedly shot the girls, ages 16 and 18, this week in a so-called "honor killing," the Guardian reports. The father of one girl and the brother of the other have been arrested, and two other family members are being sought. Police are also looking for a third young woman shown in the footage to make sure she is safe. The young man involved is believed to have recorded himself with the three females and posted the video to social media recently, even though it was shot nearly a year ago, the BBC reports. A life sentence is now mandated in Pakistan for anyone convicted of an honor killing. (Read more Pakistan stories.)
A Florida-based health care system says the results of more than 35,000 coronavirus tests are 'unreliable'.

According to AdventHealth, it was concerned with one of of its third-party labs, MicroGen DX, which had been processing the tests.

The group says scores of patients likely received false positive or negative results. Meanwhile, thousands went at least two weeks without getting results back.

Due the lab being unable to fulfill its obligations and 'unacceptable delays', AdventHealth has terminated its contract with the lab.

The company says it will notify the patients who are impacted with a letter and a phone call - but many Floridians say no one has reached out to them yet.

AdventHealth says the results of 35,000 coronavirus tests administered in Florida are 'unreliable'. Pictured: Cars arrive at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site at a parking lot in Tampa, April 22

Some patients received false positive or negative results, while others never got their results back. Pictured: Healthcare workers talk with a patient before collecting a sample at a parking lot in Tampa, April 22

The third-party laboratory that was processing the results says the fault is the federal government's for taking supplies and redirecting them to other labs. Pictured: Healthcare workers tend to a patient at the AdventHealth COVID-19 testing site in Daytona Beach, April 10

'While we work successfully with many other labs across multiple states to provide COVID-19 tests for our communities, we have terminated our contract with this particular lab and share in the disappointment and frustration this situation has created,' Terry Shaw, president and CEO of AdventHealth, wrote in a statement.

'We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and uncertainty it has caused.'

One of the Floridians who never got her coronavirus tests results back is Tanya Rezak, from Orlando.

She told DailyMail.com she had been experiencing upper respiratory symptoms for a few weeks and decided to get tested to rule out the virus.

Rezak signed up for a test and she was directed to a drive-thru clinic on May 5, and was 'in and out' very quickly.

Five days later, there were no results AdventHealth's app and she hadn't gotten a phone call

WHAT ADVENTHEALTH IS SAYING TO DO IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE 35,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED If you received a positive COVID-19 result, you need to be retested If you received a negative COVID-19 result, but have symptoms, you need to seek care and may need to be retested If you received a negative COVID-19 result and have no symptoms, you may ask to be retested pending availability If you were tested but haven't received results yet, they will not be processed. AdventHealth has asked that all unprocessed samples be destroyed Advertisement

'I called their COVID hotline and they said lab backlog and I would have to wait an additional week,' Rezack, 47, said.

'After the week, I called the COVID hotline again. They said the lab was backlogged and would expedite delivery of my results and said they would call me within 48 hours.'

After 48 hours went by with no phone call, Rezak took to Twitter to express her frustration. That's when she learned she wouldn't be getting her results back.

'We've been made aware the third-party lab we contracted with is unable to process COVID-19 tests,' the lab wrote back on Twitter.

Rezak was shocked.

'Responding to this on Twitter, I felt, was very unprofessional,' she said. 'They had broken my trust in their organization'

Rick Martin, CEO of MicroGen DX, whose lab is based in Texas, said the issue with not processing results quickly results was the fault of the federal government.

'The government basically has taken control of inventories of lab supplies,' Martin told WFTV.

'We had ordered extraction machines and a disposable device thats used on the extraction machines. We had ordered them months ago and all our orders were taken from us and redirected to other labs.'

Martin says he stands by his lab and the test results that did come back, but AdventHealth has since terminated its contact with the lab.

'I didn't learn anything except it's a sad mess in a time we need results quickly to be healthy as a community,' Rezak said.

'They need to understand lives are at stake... All along the line I've seen failure.'

She has since gotten a second coronavirus test from OrlandoHealth, with results expected to return in 24 to 48 hours.

As of Monday morning 658,000 people in Florida - three percent of the population - have been tested for the virus, according to the state's health department.

So far, 45,208 people have tested positive and 1,997 people have died.

It comes as Florida prepares for a 'Phase One' reopening including increasing restrictions on restaurants and retail store capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent.

Museums, libraries and gums will also be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, but bars and movie theaters will remain closed.
Few months from now, your attendance will be marked by facial recognition system or by voice. In airports, you will print your boarding pass through gestures.

Touchless technology is here to stay and will witness growth much faster than earlier due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Experts point out that touchless technology is likely to accelerate adoption across sectors such as aviation despite slump in business.

What is touchless technology?

The technology uses sensors to recognise your gestures, facial features or voice to complete a task. For instance, voice assistants such as iPhone Siri or Alexa, which uses voice-based technology. The technology interprets speech using automated speech recognition (ASR), a technology that helps human interact with computer using voice.

The same goes for facial recognition or gestures. In case of gesture, as the name suggests you use gestures to control and interact without actually touching the device. This technology uses computer vision algorithm to interpret the sign language for the action to be completed.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

Track this blog for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak

In facial recognition, it uses human facial patterns for identification. Take for instance facial recognition tech smart phone uses for unlocking. It uses sensors to capture your facial features and uses the information to identify you.

Where will the technology first pick up?

Biometric and aviation are few areas that may see quicker adoption.

Pareekh Jain, founder, Pareekh Consulting, a technology consulting firm, explained that companies will replace biometric attendance with touchless systems as there is no clarity on how long the situation is likely to last.

Due to COVID-19, most companies suspended biometric attendance, including IT firms. Some replaced them with access cards.

"But once the offices become fully operational, large enterprises are likely to adopt facial recognition," said Jain.

It is not just attendance, as situation continues, these technologies has the potential to replace any application that uses biometric.

Aviation is another area that will be one of the early adopters of touchless technology. Hexware Technologies is now working with its clients in sectors such as aviation to develop touchless solutions.

R Srikrishna, CEO, Hexaware Technologies, told Moneycontrol that although the aviation sector is going through a crisis, they will still have to operate even if the capacity is about half the size.

So they will have to invest in contactless process, he added. It could be getting the boarding pass printed through gestures or voice-based for on-boarding process.

US-based Clear, biometrics firm that has developed biometric-based solutions to bypass travel document at security checking in airports, has now jumped into COVID-19 screening. Clear is rolling out health e-pass that will now link health data to verified IDs so that businesses can track their employees.

Other sectors

In India, Uber is using a technology to check if a driver is wearing mask. The technology will check if a driver is wearing a mask based on the selfie driver sends whenever he starts the ride. Zomato recently launched contactless dining for post-lockdown world. This include digital menu by scanning QR code, ordering through app and contactless payments.

Infosys launched contact-less baggage management solutions for a North American airline. Cognizant introduced touchless authorisation processing for healthcare service providers. More such solutions will be the norm going forward across sectors.

Market for technology

According to markets report, touchless sensing market is growing at the rate of 17.4 percent and will reach $15.3 billion in 2025 from $6.8 billion in 2020. This is driven by increasing demand for contact-free sensing at back of COVID-19.

However its implementation is not without challenges.

Challenges

Cost of sensors is a challenge. Touchless sensing products are expensive and it might not be possible for firms to implement them in all aspects. In Wipro, washrooms are now fitted with sensors. An analyst pointed out that firms cannot make the entire office premises touchless given how expensive it would be at a time when businesses are hit. While wider adoption might bring prices down, firms will be judicious, the analyst added.

Another issue is with use of facial recognition that is likely to gain pace with COVID-19.

Facial recognition uses facial features to recognise an individual. Unlike fingerprints or iris, the identification is not accurate though works are on to improve accuracy. There have been cases where the technology has made inaccurate identification when it comes to people of colour, especially transgenders and ethnic minorities.

At this juncture, wide implementation, especially by the enforcement personnel like police, could result in inaccurate identification.

Privacy is another major concern too. There will be need for more clarity from government on how the data will be used and for what purpose. There is a need for stronger regulation before it is adopted widely.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
With three persons, including two migrant workers, testing positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh on Monday, the total number of the COVID-19 cases in the state has risen to 95, officials said.

While two cases are reported from Raigarh district, another case is reported from Surajpur district, they said.

Two migrant labourers who recently returned to Lailunga in Raigarh from Maharashtra tested positive for the viral infection this evening, said Raigarh Collector Yashwant Kumar.

He said the two workers were kept in a quarantine centre in Lailunga as a precautionary measure before they were allowed to go home.

They are being shifted to Raigarh medical college and hospital for treatment, he said.

Earlier in the day, a middle-aged man, who was kept at a quarantine facility in Surajpur after he recently returned from New Delhi, tested positive for the infection, a Health official said.

The COVID-19 count in the state is now 95 but the number of active cases stands at 36 as 59 people have been discharged after recovery, he said.

Of the 36 active cases, 20 are undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Raipur, six at COVID hospital Mana Raipur, five at COVID hospital Bilaspur and two at Medical College Hospital Ambikapur, he said.

Chhattisgarh COVID-19 figures are as follows: positive cases 95, new cases 3, deaths 0, discharged cases 59, active cases 36, people tested so far 36,606.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It's been a Ramadan unlike any other for Abdourahmane Sall, far from the mosque during the Muslim holy month as coronavirus cases mount. With only a little over a week left, he decided joining thousands of others in tradition was worth the risk after authorities allowed prayers to resume.

Men formed orderly lines outside the Massalikul Jinaan mosque in Dakar as they waited to receive hand sanitiser before entering while uniformed police watched on nearby.

Inside, some 2,000 men set their prayer mats 1.5 metres apart while 3,000 others spread out into the courtyard of West Africa's largest mosque.

We are being careful but to be honest we cannot escape the virus, said Sall, a 58-year-old tailor in a flowing orange tunic and face mask made of thick fabric.

If we abide by the precautions that health officials tell us, then God will protect us.

The World Health Organization has warned that as many as 190,000 Africans could die from the coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic, and countless more from other diseases as the continent's limited medical resources are stretched even further.

But across West Africa, countries are finding it increasingly difficult to keep mosques closed during Ramadan even as confirmed virus cases mount and testing remains limited.

The holy month is already a time of heightened spiritual devotion for Muslims, and many say prayer is now more important than ever.

Last week, Niger and Senegal allowed mass prayers to resume, and Liberia is reopening its houses of worship beginning Sunday.

In Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, several states recently signaled the reopening of mosques even as the number of confirmed cases nationwide exceeded 5,000.

The warnings about resuming public gatherings are being made worldwide but the stakes are particularly high in West Africa, where countries with fewer hospitals and ventilators have been prioritising disease prevention as a public health strategy.

As elsewhere, though, decisions here are starting to reflect an acknowledgement that the coronavirus crisis might last longer than some restrictions can be tolerated.

We must now learn to live in the presence of the virus, adapting our individual and collective behavior to the evolution of the pandemic, Senegalese President Macky Sall said in an address announcing the easing of several social distancing measures.

His speech came just hours after Senegal marked its highest daily number of newly confirmed cases since the crisis began here in early March, prompting concerns that the easing was premature.

With a large diaspora population in Europe, Senegal was among the first African countries to report COVID-19 cases as citizens returned home, but it has maintained a relatively low death toll despite having never enforced a total lockdown as other nations have.

Those early successes have been attributed to the limits on public gatherings and on regional transport, as mosques, churches and schools were swiftly shut down.

Critics fear Senegal now risks an explosion of new cases if people pray in large numbers and hold gatherings to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan.

We have passed the 2,000 case mark, lamented 39-year-old teacher Daba Senghor.

The opening of the mosques will help the spread of the virus. I am really afraid for my country.

Even some religious leaders in Senegal are still urging their followers to stay home: The Cheikh-Oumar-Foutiyou mosque in Dakar remained closed even after the president's announcement because the COVID-19 threat is not yet totally under control," according to a statement put out before anyone showed up for prayers Friday.

Where bans have remained in place in West Africa, the restrictions have been contentious.

Two prominent imams were suspended in northern Nigeria, while a Gambian court fined several Muslim clerics who led prayers despite the state of emergency in place.

And in Guinea, a group of young men recently used force to physically open the mosques' doors in Dubreka, a city located 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Guinea's capital, Conakry.

The gels, the soaps, the barriers, it's all a joke. It is God who cures this disease, that's why we must open the mosques, said Mouctar Camara, a 26-year-old student who was briefly detained after the incident.

Local leader Alseny Bangoura said they brought together the imams and tried to educate the young men about the risks of COVID-19. Guinea now has more than 2,500 cases even with limited testing.

We were shocked that they had taken crowbars to open the mosques, he said. We told them even Mecca is closed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French media reported on Friday that a nine-year-old boy in the city of Marseille died a week ago of a multi-system inflammatory disease that medical researchers have recently linked to the coronavirus pandemic. The emerging condition produces symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and affects children. It has seen a jump in incidence since the onset of the pandemic, and most or all of the children who have presented symptoms of the disorder are believed to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The child was admitted to the North Marseille urgent pediatric ward on May 2 with a rash but was sent home after doctors diagnosed him with scarlet fever. Later that evening, his health deteriorated rapidly and he was transported back to the emergency care, where doctors identified his symptoms with the rare Kawasaki-like syndrome. On May 8, he died in the hospital after a heart attack.

According to the French national health service, the boy suffered a preexisting comorbidity in some form of neurodevelopmental condition, though it is unclear how this affected his response to the disease. He tested positive for the coronavirus though he had not displayed any symptoms of it. The child has become the fourth death from the condition. A five-year-old and seven-year-old have died in the US and a fourteen-year-old in the UK.

Kawasaki Disease

This is a damning indictment of capitalist governments internationally who are reopening schools and asserting that the virus does not harm children.

The precise nature of the connection between the condition and the coronavirus is yet to be determined. On Friday, the World Health Organization published an international call for researchers to study the connection between the coronavirus and the newly-named multisystem inflammatory disorder in children and adolescents.

Symptoms include a rash, hypotension or shock, vomiting or diarrhea and abnormalities in the heart. The report notes that: reports from Europe and North America have described clusters of children and adolescents requiring admission to intensive care units with a multisystem inflammatory condition with some features similar to those of Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. Case reports and small series have described a presentation of acute illness accompanied by a hyper-inflammatory syndrome, leading to multi-organ failure and shock.

It is essential to characterize this syndrome and its risk factors, to understand causality, and describe treatment interventions. It is not yet clear the full spectrum of disease, and whether the geographical distribution in Europe and North America reflects a true pattern, or if the condition has simply not been recognized elsewhere.

Most of the children who have presented symptoms of the disorder have also tested positive for coronavirus, either directly from nasal swabs or via antibody tests. There is believed to be a delay of four to six weeks from the point of infection with coronavirus and the onset of symptoms of the recently-discovered condition, including in cases of asymptomatic coronavirus patients. (For a more detailed explanation of the disorder, see: Kawasaki-like disease afflicting young children and teens after infection with SARS-CoV-2 )

On Tuesday, the French national health agency reported for the first time on the number of cases of the syndrome in the country, placing the number at 125. On Friday, the minister of health reported that the number had increased to 135. In Britain, according to the Guardian, there are between 75 and 100 children receiving treatment for the condition across the country.

A study was published on Friday in the Lancet by researchers in Italy who examined the incidence of the condition in Bergamo, an initial epicenter of the pandemic. They found a thirty-fold increase in the incidence of Kawasaki-like syndrome in the region compared to before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The researchers concluded: The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic was associated with high incidence of a severe form of Kawasaki disease. A similar outbreak of Kawasaki-like disease is expected in countries involved in the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

The ongoing studies on the danger of coronavirus for children make clear that scientists are still seeking to come to grips with the full impact of the coronavirus and particularly its danger for children.

Even as these studies take place, however, governments across Europe and internationally are reopening schools, declaring without evidence that the virus cannot harm children and that even when carrying the virus, children will not pass it on to others.

More than 1.5 million students have returned to school across France over the past week, according to government figures. Schools have also reopened in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, and in parts of Germany, while re-openings are underway elsewhere.

The driving force behind the school reopening policy is not a fight against the pandemic, but the placing of children in classrooms so that their parents may be forced back to work, and the flow of corporate profits for the corporate and financial elite may be resumed and continued. In France, the school re-openings are being carried out in defiance of the official recommendation of the national scientific council, which had recommended a delay until September.

Today, the re-openings are being expanded to include students in sixth and seventh grade. French Education Minister Michel Blanquer told Europe1 on Monday last week that school re-openings were necessary because children were safer in classrooms than in their own homes.

In a general sense, we are now in a society where the virus is circulating, he said. Thats a fact  There are more risks in staying at home than going to school  If we take the contrary approach, we could all hide under our couch and wait for a vaccine. And the society would collapse from other reasons than COVID-19.

Blanquer feigned concern over the plight of children unable to eat at home or suffering domestic violence, leaving out that the Macron governments own austerity policies have exacerbated these conditions that it has refused to provide any significant support to the working class.

The end to lock-down measures is being accelerated even as signs emerge an uptick in new cases across France. On Saturday, while the total number of people hospitalized had fallen from 22,614 to 19,432 compared to the week before, the number of new admissions was almost 50 percent higher, with 350 new cases compared to 265 on May 9. Similarly, the number of newly admitted intensive care patients was 46 on Saturday, compared to 38 the week before.

Since the lifting of the confinement on May 11, 25 new clusters have been detected across France. The Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Centre-Val de Loire reported on Saturday that 34 workers at a slaughterhouse in Fleury-les-Aubrais had tested positive for the virus. On Sunday, the ARS in Bretagne reported that 69 cases had been detected among employees and their contacts at a slaughterhouse in Cotes-dAmour.
Judge Eric Norris: Athens-Clarke County Courts

A judge in Athens, Georgia is facing an ethics investigation after calling a local man who criticised him on Facebook into his office and berating him.

Superior Court Judge Eric Norris became the centre of an ethics probe when it was revealed that the judge arranged a meeting with a local bail bonds operator, Nathan Owens, last July, only to use the occasion to berate him.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the judge was under investigation by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission, which recently filed its findings on the matter to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Mr Norris used the opportunity to "chastise and berate" Mr Owens over a Facebook post in which Mr Owens criticises the judge for allowing a rape suspect to leave jail without bond.

During the confrontation, Mr Owens told the judge that he wanted an attorney, but the judge told him to "sit down," which Mr Owens came to believe meant that he was being detained.

The 5 July Facebook post at the heart of the confrontation deals with the rape trial of a man named Alex Michael Mosby.

The 29 year-old was indicted on rape, kidnapping and two counts of aggravated sodomy with force charges for his alleged role in an attack on a University of Georgia student.

Mr Mosby's trial ended in a mistrial and he was released from custody on his own recognizance by Mr Norris. Mr Mosby agreed to return for his next court trial, but never showed up, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Mr Owens - who works in the bail bonds industry and whose business is tied to the courts - then took to Facebook to criticise Mr Norris for allowing Mr Mosby to leave custody without placing a substantive bond on him first.

After giving a lengthy retelling of Mr Mosby's alleged crimes, Mr Owens offered his opinion on the release.

"In my opinion, Alex Michael Mosby is the last man who should have been released unsecured on a 'pinky promise' to appear at trial considering his history, likeliness to offend, danger to the community and repeat pattern of missing court. Each time Mosby has been arrested in Athens, he has missed court," Mr Owens wrote.

Story continues

He went on to call the ruling the "destruction of criminal accountability" that has "hit a new low in Athens-Clarke County."

Mr Norris scheduled the meeting with Mr Owens a week after the Facebook post was made.

Read more

Former ethics director accuses president of interfering in election
Houston police detectives are hoping the public can help identify a man seen on surveillance cameras shorty after a shooting Wednesday in west Houston.

The victim, 49, was sitting on an electrical box around 11:30 a.m. at an apartment in the 3400 block of Ocee Street, near Richmond Avenue. Thats when the gunman walked up, and the two started to scuffle, police said.
As we try to adjust to the new coronavirus reality, we can learn a lot from the experiences and resilience of refugees.

This Ramadan is unlike any other in living memory. Across the Muslim world, mosques stand empty, iftar meals are strangely quiet affairs and the joyful social gatherings that normally mark the Holy Month have been abandoned as we grapple with a global health emergency.

For many families, these disconcerting times have been made worse by the dire economic impact of the pandemic. Businesses and livelihoods have been damaged or lost, leading many to question how they will cope during this period and beyond.

For millions of Muslims displaced from their homes or countries by conflict and instability, the current crisis has compounded their suffering. Their health is threatened by an invisible menace they are poorly equipped to tackle, with refugees and displaced people often living in crowded conditions and lacking adequate access to water, sanitation and health services.

The sudden collapse of casual labour markets caused by restrictions on movement has had a disproportionate effect on the poorest in society, including the displaced. With no savings to fall back on, many are facing destitution and taking desperate measures to survive.

My colleagues in the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, who are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, report many worrying trends. Large numbers of refugees and displaced people unable to afford rent are facing the threat of eviction, while others resort to skipping meals or going without medication due to a lack of funds.

Yet despite the frightening and unfamiliar circumstances we find ourselves in, the values of compassion and giving that Ramadan represents have come to the fore. Though physically separated, the faithful are coming together in spirit to provide much-needed assistance and spiritual comfort to their Muslim brothers and sisters.

This years UNHCR Ramadan fundraising campaign, Every Gift Counts, is on course to generate record support, with more than $4m raised in individual donations as we enter the last week of Ramadan.

The funds raised will allow UNHCR to meet some of the most pressing needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing vital support such as shelter, food, clean water and cash assistance to the most vulnerable refugee and displaced populations.

In many parts of the world, meanwhile, refugees themselves are doing what they can to help others through the crisis. From the Syrian refugees delivering food and running errands for vulnerable locals in Switzerland, to the Afghan refugees in Malaysia making protective equipment for front-line health workers, they embody the spirit of collective action needed to meet this global challenge.

Take Huda, a Syrian widow who has spent the last five years in a refugee settlement in Lebanon with her children. Despite living in extreme poverty and having to borrow money to survive, this Ramadan she is taking what little she has and cooking large meals to share with her neighbours to help them celebrate the Holy Month.

The pandemic has brought great loss and hardship, but it has also spurred acts of kindness and compassion and seen many of us reconsider what is truly important in our lives. These moments of generosity and spiritual reflection represent the core values of Ramadan and show us that even during a crisis, there is an opportunity for progress and self-improvement.

This Ramadan, many of the worlds Muslims find themselves having to adjust to a new reality, when they may be stranded away from home or separated from their friends and loved ones. But there is much that can be learned from the experience of refugees, for whom this has been the norm for years or even decades.

Their resilience and courage in the face of adversity. Their devotion to family and friends. Their instinct to look out for those less fortunate than themselves  as illustrated by the way so many have contributed to the response to coronavirus.

As we worry about when we can be reunited with our friends and family, and resume our normal lives, it is worth remembering that those displaced by conflict, violence and persecution are faced with these uncertainties, and many more, every day. The grace and fortitude with which they respond can be an inspiration to us all.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 18:46:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China will establish a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals, said Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link.

China will also accelerate the building of the Africa CDC headquarters to help the continent ramp up its disease preparedness and control capacity, Xi said. Enditem
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has dismissed reports that it has been directed by the Ministry of Finance to reverse the 50% benchmark value on imports.

According to the GRA, the benchmark value policy also known as the discount policy continues to be implemented as originally announced by Vice-President Dr. 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 smuggling and make the ports more competitive and attractive.

A statement issued by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) said: the attention of the GRA has been drawn to a letter making rounds in the media on the 'Benchmark' value reduction policy (the discount policy).

The GRA 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, adding the internal analysis was not approved by the central government and is thus not applicable.

The MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson E.K. Dafeamekpor, has asked the Ministry of Finance to seek parliamentary approval before directing the GRA to reverse the 50% benchmark value reduction.

He said the move would be an illegality if it was implemented, as it had not been sanctioned by Parliament.

Following the announcement by the Vice President, last year, the GRA had stated that it was optimistic that the reduction of the benchmark values on some goods at the port would help the authority to meet its financial target for the year as it was not able to meet it in the previous year.

---Citinewsroom.com
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday signed a power-sharing deal, ending a bitter months-long feud that plunged the country into political crisis. "Doctor Abdullah will lead the National Reconciliation High Commission and members of his team will be included in the cabinet," Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Ghani, wrote on Twitter. The breakthrough comes as Afghanistan battles a series of crises, including a rapid spread of the deadly coronavirus and surging militant violence that saw dozens killed in brutal attacks last week. Abdullah had previously served as Afghanistan's "chief executive" under an earlier power-sharing deal, but lost that post after he was defeated in a presidential election that incumbent Ghani -- a former World Bank economist -- won in September amid claims of fraud. Abdullah, an ophthalmologist, declared himself president and held his own swearing-in ceremony on March 9, the day Ghani was re-installed as president. On Sunday the two rivals agreed on a new power-sharing deal, which experts feel could help pull Afghanistan out of political crisis. The agreement names Abdullah to lead future peace talks with the Taliban, who have already signed a landmark accord with Washington to pave the way for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. "It is now expected that these leaders resolve the problems that Afghanistan faces such as coronavirus and peace talks with the Taliban," Kabul-based political analyst Sayed Nasir Musawi told AFP. He said it was "immense pressure" from the United States that made the two agree a deal. "But it is difficult... differences will remain until they reach an agreement with the Taliban." Abdullah and Ghani contested the 2014 presidential election, with both claiming victory. To avert a full-blown conflict, then-US secretary of state John Kerry brokered a deal between the two that left Abdullah as the country's chief executive. But after a similar impasse in March, an exasperated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at the failure of the two leaders to come to an agreement, announced a $1 billion cut in aid to Afghanistan. With the impoverished country's GDP just $20 billion, the cut was a devastating blow to its donor-dependent economy. The harsh US measure came as President Donald Trump made it a priority of his administration to end America's longest war. In February, Washington signed a deal with the Taliban which stipulates that the US and its foreign allies will withdraw all forces from Afghanistan by early 2021. In return, the Taliban agreed not to attack foreign troops. But fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces continues to rage in the provinces, with both sides threatening to go on the offensive after two attacks last week that left dozens killed, including mothers and infants when gunmen raided a hospital in Kabul. The Taliban have denied responsibility for the hospital attack, which the US blamed on the Islamic State group.
Ministers are mulling coronavirus 'air bridges' to allow travellers to move between countries without the need for quarantine once the outbreak is under control, it was revealed today.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said a 'blanket' 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals will be introduced from next month.

But he disclosed that there are 'active discussions' going on over what countries could be exempted from the regime in future, referring to the idea of 'air bridges' - usually used to refer to military flights over enemy territory.

Countries with lower infection levels, such as Australia, New Zealand and Greece, could potentially be excluded from the tough rules, which will be enforced by law.

Earlier, Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary launched a savage attack on the government's plans for 14-day quarantine on arrivals to the UK.

The new rules are set dash hopes of summer holidays for most of the summer, as exemptions are largely limited to lorry drivers.

However, Mr O'Leary dismissed claims it will prevent his aim of resuming flights in July, saying he believes the policy is so 'defective' and impossible to enforce that the public will merely ignore it.

He insisted the government is 'making stuff up as they go along' and face masks are the best way to protect the travelling public - despite many scientists saying they are of limited benefit.

In the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

Britain's coronavirus death toll continued its downward trend today after officials announced 160 more victims, taking the official number of fatalities closer to the 35,000-mark;

Thousands more people have gone back to work as the transport network capacity is ramped up to help social distancing;

People should self-isolate if they lose their sense of taste or smell because it is a definite symptom of coronavirus, the government has announced today;

China is facing mounting pressure as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease at the World Health Organisation assembly;

Unions are facing calls to work with ministers to reopen schools amid warnings the poorest children are doing 75 minutes less home learning every day than their better-off counterparts;

Virgin Atlantic said that by introducing a mandatory 14 day self-isolation for every single traveller entering the UK, the Government is taking an approach that will likely prevent flights from resuming.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs a 'blanket' 14-day quarantine rule for arrivales will be introduced from next month

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary (file picture) today launched a savage attack on the government's plans for 14-day quarantine on arrivals to the UK

All arrivals at airports will face 14-day quarantine under the government's proposals

The latest slides released by the government tonight showing the UK's coronavirus status

Loss of smell and taste is FINALLY classed as coronavirus symptom People should self-isolate if they lose their sense of taste or smell because it is a definite symptom of coronavirus, the government has announced today. Anosmia, the clinical name for a change in smell or taste sense, has become the third symptom of the coronavirus that will be officially recognised by the NHS. Until now, people were only advised that they might have the virus if they had a fever or a new continuous cough. But scientists working for the government have now decided there is enough evidence to add anosmia to the list. Prof Tim Spector, head of the department of genetic epidemiology and leader of the Covid symptom study app at King's College London, said 50,000 to 70,000 people in the UK with Covid-19 were currently not being told to self-isolate even though they had the virus. He blamed Public Health England (PHE) and the wider strategy, saying an insistence that only fever and cough were the major symptoms was missing thousands of cases. Until now, the NHS 111 coronavirus symptom checker has listed high temperature and cough as the symptoms of Covid-19. Prof Van-Tam said on April 3 that the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) had looked at the issue and concluded loss of smell or taste should not be added to the symptom list. But in the same month, ENT UK, the professional membership body representing ear, nose and throat surgery in the UK, published guidance to patients saying it believed loss of smell and loss of taste were symptoms of coronavirus and that it had shared these details with PHE. The World Health Organisation (WHO) listed loss of smell and taste as 'less common symptoms' several weeks ago and other countries, including the US, added the symptom. Advertisement

Mr Shapps has insisted quarantine measures from early June will be a 'blanket situation' for other countries initially but could be then eased for those with low Covid-19 infection rates.

Huw Merriman, Conservative chairman of the Transport Committee, asked in the Commons: 'If he will consider air bridges so that those entering the UK from countries where the infection rate is below the rate of one would not be subject to quarantine?

'This will boost confidence in aviation travel and target safety where it's most needed.'

Mr Shapps replied: 'Final details of the quarantine scheme will be released soon, come in early next month.

'It is the case we should consider further improvements - for example, things like air bridges enabling people from other countries who have themselves achieved lower levels of coronavirus infection to come to the country.

'So, those are active discussions but will go beyond what will initially be a blanket situation.'

It is understood that hauliers will make up two thirds of those not required to self-isolate for two weeks.

The rest are expected to include people who 'work supporting national security or critical infrastructure and to meet the UK's international obligations', officials said.

Scientists researching coronavirus may also be exempt. Last week Downing Street denied that travellers from France would be excluded, despite previously suggesting that was an option.

Ireland will not be covered by the rules due to the Common Travel Area's role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

But Mr O'Leary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the plans are 'unimplementable, unmanageable and unpoliceable'.

'People will simply ignore something that is so hopelessly defective... Let's have some effective measures like face masks,' he said.

'All you get back out of the UK government is ''we don't know''.'

'It's laughable that this government can come up with any plans for a quarantine that would be strict and fully enforced...

'It's idiotic and it's un-implementable. You don't have enough police in the UK.'

He added: 'Two-week lockdown has no medical or scientific basis to it in any event. If you want to do something that's effective, wear masks.'

Mr O'Leary said the policy had 'no credibility' and predicted that it would be axed by June.

What is an air bridge? An 'air bridge' is typically used by the military to reach and supply territory across enemy lines. One of the largest in history was used for the Berlin airlift after the Second World War. That kept the Western-held area supplied between June 1948 and May 1949 when it was cut off by Soviet forces. Another famous air bridge was 'The Hump', which was the route over the Himalayas from India to resupply Chinese forces working with the Allies. Advertisement

He insisted research had suggested face masks could reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection by 98.5 per cent.

He told Sky News the government is 'making stuff up as they go along'.

'I think they are frankly just making stuff up as they go along,' he said. 'They are stumbling along grabbing whatever they think will make a headline.

There is no scientific or medical basis for a 14-day isolation for air passengers when you are not applying that equally to London Underground or London commuter train passengers.'

Virgin Atlantic appeared to back Mr O'Leary's comments and called for a 'multi-layered approach' of targeted measures to successfully restart flights.

The statement released today said: 'The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a devasting loss of life and livelihood for so many around the world and the UK.

'The safety and security of our people and our customers is our always our top priority and public health must come first. However, by introducing a mandatory 14 day self-isolation for every single traveller entering the UK, the Government is taking an approach that will likely prevent flights from resuming.

'We are continually reviewing our flying programme, however with these restrictions, there simply won't be sufficient demand to warrant flying and we are unlikely to resume passenger services before August at the earliest.

Oliver Dowden said quarantine rules for people travelling to the UK will be enforced by law

Lorry drivers are expected to make up the bulk of people exempted from quarantine rules when travelling to other countries (stock photo)

'We know that as the Covid-19 crisis subsides, air travel will be a vital enabler of the UK's economic recovery.

'Therefore, we are calling for a multi-layered approach of carefully targeted measures, which will allow for a successful restart of international air travel for passengers and businesses, while mitigating health risks.'

The Association of UK Airlines, the trade body for the industry added that if the government does push ahead with the 14-day quarantine plan then strict rolling reviews need to be in place.

Tell councils to reopen car parks and public toilets, says government expert Ministers must order councils to reopen public toilets and car parks and stop 'terrorising' those who want to visit beauty spots, a government adviser said today. Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said the risk outdoors was 'minimal' and people did not need to be so anxious. The government eased draconian limits on exercise last week, with Boris Johnson saying the public is free to drive distances and enjoy public spaces as many times a day as they want. However, tourist boards have joined local authorities in saying visitors should stay away from beauty spots and seaside resorts. Weston-super-Mare has changed its slogan from 'Visit Weston' to 'Don't Visit Weston' Advertisement

A spokesman said: 'Airlines are not going to operate if people are effectively told not to travel and that is going to do a lot of damage both to our tourism industry and businesses who rely on aviation for their supply chains and exports.

'If the Government does insist on doing this, with minimal exemptions in place, we need strict rolling reviews to be enforced so that this policy is not in place a second longer than it needs to be.'

Mr Dowden said quarantine rules for people travelling to the UK will be enforced by law.

He told Today: 'We would look at the relevant enforcement mechanisms just as we have done with other measures.

'So for example, the measures that we took when we introduced the so-called lockdown - those were underpinned by regulations which had consequences in law, and I'm sure we'll do the same thing.'

He said there would be 'very limited' exemptions to the rules.

John Holland-Kaye, the boss of Heathrow, raised hopes of looser rules yesterday, telling Sky News: 'If two countries are at very low risk of having transmission within each country, there should be a free flow of passengers.

'But if a country has very high risk with rising infection rates and poor controls, then there would be very tight controls on anyone accessing the UK from those markets.

Meanwhile, a government adviser has urged ministers to make councils reopen public toilets and car parks, and stop 'terrorising' those who want to visit beauty spots.

Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said the risk outdoors was 'minimal' and people did not need to be so anxious.

The government eased draconian limits on exercise last week, with Boris Johnson saying the public is free to drive distances and enjoy public spaces as many times a day as they want.

However, tourist boards have joined local authorities in saying visitors should stay away from beauty spots and seaside resorts.

Weston-super-Mare has changed its slogan from 'Visit Weston' to 'Don't Visit Weston'

Tubes 'miss Sadiq Khan's 75% target and only hit 50%' as commuters wait up to 15 minutes for rush hour services after 30 drivers refuse to work

Sadiq Khan has claimed that Tube services would hit 75 per cent of pre-lockdown levels from today - but the true figure may have been closer to 50 per cent because of a lack of drivers, industry sources have told MailOnline.

Commuters also questioned the Mayor of London's figures as they still had to wait long periods for trains on packed platforms where social distancing was impossible during rush hour.

The Aslef union today revealed that more London Underground trains could have been running today but some drivers were sent home after they raised concerns about 'health and safety'. While the RMT Union also shared CCTV images of packed trains during rush hour this morning where most people were not wearing masks.

Tens of thousands more Britons are heading back into work today but gaps between trains in the capital were still up to 15 minutes with critics demanding to know why the Mayor of London is not running a full service now common in European capital cities such as Berlin.

Transport for London, which is run by Mayor Khan, said today that Tube services would be back at 75%, DLR and London Overground at 80% and buses at 85% of pre-lockdown capacity as Boris Johnson encouraged as many people as possible to return to work.

The majority of people who crammed on to this Tube train at Canning Town before 7am today were not wearing face masks as Britain returns to work

The RMT Union shared this image of a packed District Line train in rush hour today - where most were not wearing masks - as Aslef said some drivers were sent home for raising health and safety concerns

But as the morning peak ended a senior Tube source told MailOnline: 'That might be the aim but in reality, across the entire Tube network, it was about 50 per cent of service.' At least 30 Tube train drivers refused to work on Health and Safety grounds saying not enough had been done to protect both them and passengers from the virus, the insider said. MailOnline has asked Transport for London to comment.

ASLEF chief Finn Brennan also tweeted: 'Bizarre situation this morning where Underground managers are sending home drivers who raise H&S [health and safety] concerns..meaning fewer drivers available..so fewer trains!' He added: 'It's disappointing and worrying that so many people are still using the tube without face covering this morning. They are risking the safety of staff and other passengers'.

There was also confusion growing over whether commuters should wear masks and it was revealed that stations will be shut if they get too busy with security teams brought in to manage crowds.

Sadiq Khan has said that people catching the Tube or bus should cover their faces but in contrast Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, said that face coverings are not mandatory on mainline trains with commuters claiming 'hardly anyone' is wearing them.

Sir Peter said: 'We are relying on people to be sensible. We want people to stay apart if they humanly can and if they can't, then a face covering is a quite sensible thing to do for the brief moments when you might be getting on or off a train or moving through a station'. He added: 'We have processes to close stations if they become too full'.

Roads also appeared busier today as Sadiq Khan brought back the congestion charge two weeks early - before the price rises from 11.50 to 15 next month and is imposed on weekends for the first time.
The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Monday (this file will be updated throughout the day). Web links to longer stories if available.

6:20 p.m.: British Columbia is announcing two new deaths and 16 new cases of COVID-19 over the Victoria Day long weekend.

There have been 2,444 total cases of COVID-19 in the province with 1,966 fully recovering.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the latest deaths both occurred in long-term care homes.

5:40 p.m.: More than 2,000 people have now died of COVID-19 in Ontario, according to the Stars latest count.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the provinces 34 regional health units were reporting 24,424 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 2,004 deaths. Those totals represented relatively low increases from the same time Sunday evening, at jumps of 310 new cases  a very low 1.3 per cent increase  and 20 deaths, both among the lowest single-day totals recorded in the province since early April. However, those low totals came amid a sharp decrease in COVID-19 testing over the long weekend.

Earlier Monday, the province reported the testing labs had completed just 9,155 tests on Sunday, down more than 7,000 from Saturday for the lowest single-day tally since April 17, a total far below the provincial target of 16,000 tests a day.

The drop was consistent with recent weekends, which have also seen notable slowdowns at both the testing labs and the assessment centres that collect patients samples for testing. Days with relatively low case totals have tended to follow testing lulls, and vice versa.

Still, as a whole, the daily growth in new COVID-19 infections across Ontario has fallen sharply since peaking at more than 700 cases a day in late April.

Meanwhile, the total of 20 deaths reported in the province since Sunday evening was well below the recent average, a sign the rate of new fatal cases in the province has turned a corner after peaking a more than 90 deaths in a day earlier this month, about two weeks after the peak in the 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.

The province also reported 972 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 174 in intensive care, of whom 133 are on a ventilator  numbers that have fluctuated in recent weeks. The province also says more than 17,500 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered  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  1,904  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.

4:37 p.m. Starting at midnight tonight stores in Toronto with separate street-front entrances are permitted to offer in-store shopping, provided businesses impose measures that enable physical distancing and are safe for staff, customers, and the community.

While positive news for hard-hit retailers, the city warns there continue to be new COVID-19 infections and implores all people to continue to practice physical distancing and frequent hand washing to limit the spread of the virus.

There are 8,603 cases of COVID-19 in the city, an increase of 92 cases since yesterday. There are 418 cases in hospital, with 88 in ICU.

In total, 6,493 cases are resolved, an increase of 132 cases since yesterday. To date, there have been 683 COVID-19 deaths in Toronto.

While healthy residents are encouraged to get fresh air and exercise, provincial orders and the City bylaw on physical distancing remain in effect, requiring people who are not from the same household to maintain a physical distance of two metres in a park or public square and not use park amenities.

3:49 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom relaxed county reopening criteria on Monday, a move he said will allow most of the states 58 counties to begin allowing dining in restaurants and other services.

The new criteria he outlined applies to counties that want to reopen faster than the state. While retail may open for curbside pickup statewide, restrictions on dining in at restaurants and other services are still in place statewide. Counties can move faster if they win state approval.

Twenty-four counties in mostly rural Northern California already won approval under the old guidance.

The new criteria eliminates requirements that a county have zero deaths and no more than one case per 10,000 residents over a two-week period. Instead, counties must have no more than 25 cases per 100,000 residents or no higher than an eight per cent positive rate among people testing for the coronavirus. They also must have no higher than a five per cent increase in hospitalizations over a seven-day period or fewer than 20 hospitalizations total over 14 days.

Newsom also said counties will soon be able to allow shopping in stores and hair salons to reopen. He also suggested professional sports could begin in June without spectators. He said the reopening of churches could begin within weeks.

3:31 p.m. The $1-million Queens Plate will remain North Americas longest continuously run stakes race.

Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson announced Monday the opening leg of Canadas Triple Crown will be run Sept. 12 at Woodbine Racetrack. The Queens Plate dates back to 1860 and is widely regarded as the countrys most popular and recognized horse race.

The Queens Plate will be held after the start of the American Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby, which is traditionally run on the first Saturday in May, will now go Sept. 5.

As well, the $125,000 Plate Trial and $500,000 Woodbine Oaks  two key prep races for the Queens Plate  will both be held Aug. 15 at Woodbine. The Oaks is Canadas premier event for three-year-old fillies and the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara.

3 p.m. Quebec will move forward with plans to restart non-essential surgeries and allow stores and daycares in the Montreal area to reopen as the province reported its lowest number of COVID-19 deaths in over a month.

Premier Francois Legault said the 34 deaths registered between Sunday and Monday marked the lowest number since April 12.

More importantly, he said more than 600 health-care workers have been able to return to work after being sidelined due to the pandemic, increasing hospital capacity to treat a potential surge in patients.

He said the news was good enough to allow stores in the Greater Montreal area with a door to the outside to open May 25 as planned.

Daycares will be allowed to open June 1, as planned, although Legault warned parents that spaces would be reduced and there might not be room for every child.

The province had originally planned to reopen businesses in Montreal on May 11 and daycares and elementary schools on Monday.

But while plans moved ahead elsewhere in the province, Legault eventually cancelled the rest of the school year for Montreal elementary students, and pushed back the dates for daycares and businesses in the city that has become the hot spot of the pandemic in Canada.

2:55 p.m. Just one week after a third of French schoolchildren went back to school in an easing of the coronavirus lockdown, theres been a worrying flare-up of about 70 COVID-19 cases linked to schools.

Some lower grades in schools were opened last week and a further 150,000 junior high students went back to the classroom Monday as further restrictions were loosened by the government. The move initially spelled relief: the end of home-schooling for hundreds of thousands of exhausted French parents, many of whom were also working from home.

But French Education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer sounded the alarm Monday, telling French radio RTL that the return has put some children in new danger of contamination. He said the affected schools are being closed immediately. French media reported that seven schools in northern France were closed.

France reopened about 40,000 preschools and primary schools last week, with classes capped at 15 students.

About 30 per cent of children went back to school, Blanquer said. The government has allowed parents to keep children at home.

2:35 p.m. Western New York, including Buffalo, met the states coronavirus containment goals and can begin to reopen its economy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Hospitals will be able to schedule elective surgeries as the region enters the first phase of reopening on Tuesday, but gatherings such as church services and sports events will still be banned, Cuomo said.

Personal disclosure  I want to watch the Buffalo Bills, said Cuomo, who held Mondays briefing in Buffalo. But Im still objective, Im acting as governor.

Most of upstate New York will have started reopening by the end of this week, but it will likely be weeks before New York City and its suburbs meet metrics for reopening including the availability of hospital beds and the hiring of enough contact tracers to contain the spread of the virus.

As part of the reopening, judges and staff members will return courthouses in 30 upstate counties starting this week, Cuomo said.

The governor said 106 people died of COVID-19 statewide on Sunday, the lowest number since late March.

Cuomos own COVID-19 test, taken at his daily briefing on Sunday, was negative, he said.

1:22 p.m. Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting no new cases of COVID-19.

The number of confirmed cases remains at 120, with all patients having recovered.

As of today, 20,573 tests have been conducted.

1:10 p.m. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the 11th consecutive day.

That leaves the total number of confirmed cases in the province at 260.

Three people are in hospital due to the virus, with one in intensive care.

Health officials say 249 people have recovered, while a total of three people have died as a result of the virus.

12:50 p.m. Nova Scotia is reporting three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,043.

No new deaths have been reported for the third consecutive day, leaving the total at 55.

Eight people are currently in hospital, with four in intensive care.

Health officials say 946 people have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

12:39 p.m. The World Health Organization bowed to calls Monday from most of its member states to launch an independent evaluation of how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the U.S. and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and levelled the global economy.

The comprehensive evaluation, sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review lessons learned from WHOs co-ordination of the global response to COVID-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from an animal.

WHOs normally bureaucratic annual assembly this week has been overshadowed by mutual recriminations and political sniping between the U.S. and China. Trump has repeatedly attacked WHO, claiming that it helped China conceal the extent of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages. Several Republican lawmakers have called on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday it was time to be frank about why COVID-19 has 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, Azar said. Speaking hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout, Azar said the U.S. had allocated $9 billion to coronavirus containment efforts around the world.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation of WHOs response at the earliest appropriate moment  alluding to findings published Monday in a first report by an oversight advisory body commissioned to look into WHOs response.

12:08 p.m. The $1-million Queens Plate will remain North Americas longest continuously run stakes race, The Canadian Press reported Monday.

According to a source, Woodbine Entertainment will stage the opening leg of Canadas Triple Crown on Sept. 12 at Woodbine Racetrack.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because Woodbine Entertainment has yet to formally announce a date for the race. But the source added that an announcement on the Plate, which began in 1860, is expected to be made later Monday.

Woodbine Entertainment is also expected to divulge its revised stakes schedule sometime next week.

The 1 1/4-mile Queens Plate, which is run on Woodbines Tapeta course, is for three-year-olds foaled in Canada. It was originally scheduled to be run June 27 at Woodbine Racetrack but the race was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11:36 a.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 347 COVID-19 cases and 30 more deaths in 24 hours amid a sharp drop in completed tests over the long weekend, according to the Stars latest count.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, the health units had reported a total of 24,157 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 1,984 deaths.

Earlier Monday, the province reported the testing labs had completed just 9,155 tests on Sunday, down more than 7,000 from Saturday for the lowest single-day tally since April 17, a total far below the provincial target of 16,000 tests a day.

The drop was consistent with recent weekends, which have also seen notable slowdowns at both the testing labs and the assessment centres that collect patients samples for testing.

The recent trend in new cases has been relatively flat, with an average of about 360 new cases reported per day over the past week, but the daily growth in new COVID-19 infections across Ontario has fallen sharply since peaking at more than 700 cases a day in late April.

The 30 deaths reported in the province since Sunday morning were well below the recent average, a sign the rate of new fatal cases in the province has turned a corner after peaking a more than 90 deaths in a day earlier this month, about two weeks after the peak in the 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.

The province also reported 972 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 174 in intensive care, of whom 133 are on ventilators. The province also says more than 17,500 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus 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  1,904  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.

11:07 a.m. The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 11:02 a.m. on May 18, 2020. (Note that figures provided by The Canadian Press include different totals for Ontario than those calculated by the Star.)

There are 77,305 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.

Quebec: 42,920 confirmed (including 3,562 deaths, 11,754 resolved)

Ontario: 22,957 confirmed (including 1,904 deaths, 17,638 resolved)

Alberta: 6,644 confirmed (including 127 deaths, 5,453 resolved)

British Columbia: 2,428 confirmed (including 141 deaths, 1,932 resolved)

Nova Scotia: 1,040 confirmed (including 55 deaths, 938 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

Total: 77,305 (11 presumptive, 77,294 confirmed including 5,805 deaths, 38,830 resolved)

9:59 a.m. As retailers across the province open up for business Tuesday, theres one large, glaring exception: shops in malls.

Premier Doug Ford said Friday that it will still be a while before mall stores are allowed open and acknowledged that puts them at a competitive disadvantage to street-front stores selling the same goods.

You know, about this crisis and the pandemic, theres a lot of things that just arent fair, said Ford at his daily COVID-19 briefing.

Its a matter of public safety, Ford said.

In some cases, if we open up the malls  open up Yorkdale, the place would be packed and we just cant have it, he said. Hopefully in stage two or stage three, when that time comes, theyll be able to open the doors.

Mall owners say theyre working overtime to make things safe for customers.

Read the full story from the Stars Josh Rubin.

9:18 a.m. The head of the World Health Organization says he will begin an independent evaluation of the U.N. health agencys response to the coronavirus pandemic at the earliest appropriate moment.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the pledge Monday after an independent oversight advisory body published its first interim report about the U.N. health agencys response to COVID-19 from January to April.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHOs warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to reassess WHOs role in providing travel advice to countries.

The advisory bodys review and recommendations appeared unlikely to appease the United States administration, which has been scathing in its criticism of WHO  in part over President Donald Trumps allegation that it had criticized a U.S. travel ban that he ordered on people arriving from China, where the outbreak first appeared late last year.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States  the health agencys biggest single donor  pending a review of its early response. But the review panel, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the heat of the response could hurt WHOs ability to respond to it.

8 a.m.: India recorded its biggest single-day surge in coronavirus cases on Monday, attributed largely to migrant workers returning home after losing their jobs in Indias population centres.

The 5,242 new cases and 157 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours took the countrys infection tally to more than 96,000, the most in Asia. It now has 3,029 fatalities.

On Sunday, the federal government extended a nationwide lockdown to May 31 but eased some restrictions to restore economic activity and gave states more control in deciding the nature of the lockdown.

Authorities are largely blaming the surge in infections to the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to Indias villages, which have weaker health infrastructure.

8 a.m.: China will provide $2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic, President Xi Jinping said Monday, rallying around the World Health Organization and its efforts even as the Trump administration has slashed funding for the U.N. health agency.

The European Unions 27-member bloc and other countries, meanwhile, called for an independent evaluation of WHOs initial response to the coronavirus pandemic to review experience gained and lessons learned.

In a speech to the World Health Assembly, Xi said China had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus genetic sequence, in a most timely fashion.

We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation, Xi said. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need.

The $2 billion over the next two years will support COVID-19 response efforts, particularly in developing countries, Xi said.

7:58 a.m.: The federal government has been quietly probing how to provide provinces with more money annually for child care, as part of what sources describe as an issue that is at, or near, the top of the Liberal agenda to restart the economy.

Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen has spent the past two weeks making phone calls to experts in the field, asking about how federal spending on child care can be better targeted.

Hussen has asked about the risks the sector faces through the shutdown and issues that need to be addressed to help centres reopen.

At the same time, the agenda for a group of deputy ministers has in recent days included child-care funding and social infrastructure, hoping to capitalize on the goodwill between the federal and provincial governments during the pandemic.

4 a.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. on May 18, 2020. (Note that figures provided by The Canadian Press include different totals for Ontario than those calculated by the Star.)

There are 77,001 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.

 Quebec: 42,920 confirmed (including 3,562 deaths, 11,754 resolved)

 Ontario: 22,653 confirmed (including 1,881 deaths, 17,360 resolved)

 Alberta: 6,644 confirmed (including 127 deaths, 5,453 resolved)

 British Columbia: 2,428 confirmed (including 141 deaths, 1,932 resolved)

 Nova Scotia: 1,040 confirmed (including 55 deaths, 938 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

 Total: 77,001 (11 presumptive, 76,990 confirmed including 5,782 deaths, 38,552 resolved)

Saturday 10:10 p.m.: In a joint statement, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces confirmed the crew member who died was Capt. Jennifer Casey, the Snowbirds public affairs officer.

The injured crew member was Capt. Richard MacDougall, a pilot and one of the teams co-ordinators.

According to the statement, the Snowbird fleet has been put on an operational pause, and the teams mission, dubbed Operation Inspiration, has been delayed indefinitely. An RCAF flight safety team was being dispatched form Ottawa to investigate the accident.

Follow the developing story here.

Saturday 5:29 p.m.: Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 331 COVID-19 cases and 24 new deaths in 24 hours as recent trends continue into the long weekend, according to the Stars latest count.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the health units had reported a total of 24,114 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 1,984 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 week. Still, as a whole, the daily growth in new COVID-19 infections across Ontario has fallen sharply since peaking at more than 700 cases a day in late April.

Meanwhile, the total of 24 deaths reported in the province since Saturday morning was well below the recent average, a sign the rate of new fatal cases in the province has turned a corner after peaking at more than 90 deaths in a day earlier this month, about two weeks after the peak in the 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 Sunday, the province reported 934 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 171 in intensive care, of whom 129 are on a ventilator  numbers that have fallen slightly in the last three days after remaining 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  1,881  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.
Army Sgt. Antonio Gozikowski was planning to leave the military next month and head to college.

After serving for six years, the dental assistant's goal was to become a dentist, and then return to the Army in a few years with his expanded medical skills.

But now, with the coronavirus forcing universities to consider virtual or reduced schooling this fall, he decided to take advantage of a new Army program and extend his military service for six more months.

Across the military, uncertainty about future jobs or college opportunities is driving more service members to re-enlist or at least postpone their scheduled departures.

As unemployment, layoffs and a historic economic downturn grip the nation, the military with its job security, steady paycheck and benefits is looking much more appealing.

Everything from elementary schools to universities is closing down and there's no saying how it's going to go when the fall semester opens, said Gozikowski, adding that he's hoping schools start opening up for spring semester.

This is like a safety net. I have a source of income and I'll be able to continue working.

Gozikowski, who is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and is serving at Fort Hood, Texas, is one of hundreds of service members who are taking advantage of newly developed, short-term extensions being offered by the military.

As of last week, the Army had already exceeded its retention goal of 50,000 soldiers for the fiscal year ending in September, re-enlisting more than 52,000 so far.

And the other services have also met or are closer than planned to their target numbers. The influx of people re-enlisting will offset any shortfalls in recruiting, which has been hampered by the outbreak.

And that will help the services meet their total required troop levels for the end of the year.

We're hiring, said Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

Like anything, market dynamics come into effect and people will see where the opportunities lie.

Sgt Maj. Stuart Morgan, the senior Army career counselor, said Gozikowski was able to take advantage of a new program designed to help soldiers who were planning to leave this year but are now worried and reconsidering their options.

The program allows them to delay their departure for up to 11 months to get them past the peak coronavirus period. By early last week, he said, 745 soldiers had signed up.

What we're seeing this year, which is directly related to COVID, is we do have a population of soldiers that what they were expecting at the end of transition has suddenly disappeared, Morgan said.

And now you have a soldier that is trying to go through a transition period that is now facing uncertainty on the outside.

The Air Force is already expecting to fall short of its recruiting goal by as much as 5,800 as a result of the virus.

And that gap, the Air Force said, could be filled by service members who decide to re-enlist or extend their service.

So far, the number of Air Force personnel who have withdrawn their requests to leave the service or have asked to extend their enlistment is 700 more than last year at this time, including 230 pilots and medical staff.

For one pilot, the opportunity to make that sudden change of course was a relief. In discussing his plans, he asked that his name not be used to preserve any future employment options.

Nearly two months ago, he was in Miami taking an airline certification course and getting ready for his next career.

For months, he and his fellow pilots at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois had been talking about which airlines were hiring.

Everybody was getting out, the 10-year transport aircraft pilot said in an interview from the air base.

The conversations were like, oh, who got picked up by Southwest, who got picked up by American, who got picked up by Delta. And then the whole coronavirus thing started to play its course.

Suddenly, he said, the discussions are more like, what are we gonna do now?" The pilot said he was worried about the uncertainty.

Even if he got a job, it might only be temporary, if the economic downturn continued.

I need stability in my life. There's no steady income on the outside, or guaranteed income either, said the pilot, adding that in the military, he's guaranteed a job.

While other people are getting laid off and not working, we're still collecting a paycheck and going to work. Retention is also on the rise in the Marine Corps.

Currently there are about 183,000 Marines, and the goal for the end of the fiscal year is about 184,600.

The Corps has nearly reached its retention goal of about 12,600 for the fiscal year, with only about 100 or so to get by the end of September.

The Navy was not able to provide retention numbers.

In addition, Marines who were planning to leave the service are being allowed to extend their enlistments by a few months, to get past the initial COVID crisis, or by a year or two.

Maj. Craig Thomas, a Marine Corps spokesman, said virus-related restrictions on recruiting and shipping new Marines to initial training will likely mean the service won't meet its goal for total force size this year.

He added, however, that while it is too early to tell if the bad economy will further boost retention, the enlistment extensions could make up for the recruiting shortfalls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japans SoftBank Group Corp reported a stunning $18bn loss at its giant Vision Fund, pushing Masayoshi Sons conglomerate to a record loss and highlighting the deepening crisis with its portfolio companies from the global downturn. The news came just hours after the company said Jack Ma, the co-founder of Chinese e-commerce Alibaba, resigned from SoftBanks board.

The disastrous 1.9 trillion yen ($18bn) operating shortfall at the Saudi-backed Vision Fund, including losses of almost $10bn at office-sharing firm WeWork and ride-hailing app Uber Technologies Inc alone, left SoftBank with its worst annual loss of 1.4 trillion yen ($13bn).

Son, who has been pressured by United States hedge fund Elliott Management to make share buybacks and bolster governance, said SoftBank would raise 1.25 trillion yen ($11.6bn) against its stake in Alibaba Group, which is the largest asset in its portfolio.

The coronavirus is an unprecedented crisis, a notably downbeat Son told an earnings presentation, comparing it with the Great Depression.

Appearing far more subdued than usual, Son said some of his tech unicorns had fallen into the valley of the coronavirus.

I believe some of them will fly over the valley, he added, standing beside a slide depicting cartoon unicorns dropping into a hole as a lone winged unicorn escaped to the other side.

The crisis has pushed the Vision Funds portfolio underwater, with its $75bn investment in 88 startups worth $69.6bn at the end of March. The $100bn fund had already delivered two consecutive quarters of losses before being upended by the outbreak.

SoftBank booked a $7.5bn loss on other tech investments, which it attributed primarily to the economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak has exacerbated underlying problems at many of its bets on unproven startups.

Scant detail

SoftBank provided scant detail on which companies saw writedowns but offered a sector breakdown showing investments in construction and real estate were worth less than half of cost price, with flagship transportation investments also under water.

The company has leveraged its investments to supply further funding for other bets  a strategy that has come under strain as valuations tumble  with losses larger than the groups revised estimate from just last month.

SoftBank-backed satellite operator OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in late March, adding to an impairment loss for investments held outside the Vision Fund that also includes part of the stake in WeWork.

The group pointed to further pain to come, saying uncertainty in its investment business will remain over the next fiscal year if the pandemic continues.

Son declined to set a dividend for the current financial year for the first time, underscoring the pressure for SoftBank.

With his usual emphasis on the total value of SoftBanks assets rather than profits, which are buffeted by the Vision Funds nebulous valuations, Son admitted that shareholder value has fallen and net debt grown this year.

The turmoil has given leverage to activist shareholder Elliott, which, in addition to recommending share buybacks, is pushing for greater transparency and oversight.

The demands echo critics who argue SoftBank is dominated by Son and offers little visibility on how the valuations that drive its profit are reached.

The group has pledged the sale or monetisation of $41bn in assets, in part to finance a 2.5-trillion-yen ($23.3bn) buyback to prop up its share price. By the end of April it had spent 250 billion yen ($2.3bn) on share purchases.
A man who suffered catastrophic injuries when an uninsured scrambler motorbike hit him and his wife while they were sunbathing in a public park is suing the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

Ilabek Avetian (aged 40) was in Darndale Park, Coolock, on June 9, 2018, with his wife, Anzhela Kotsinian, when the bike landed on them. Ms Kotsinian, who came from Lithunia to Ireland with her roofer husband, was also injured but not as seriously as him.

They have sued the MIBI, the body which compensates victims of uninsured and untraced driving.

The High Court heard today that efforts are being made to trace the rider of the motorbike involved in this incident. The couple's lawyers are to bring an application to the court seeking that the Garda Commissioner reveal what information gardai have on the rider.

The court heard the issue is complicated by the fact that the individual is a minor and the law prevents a child from being identified.

That application was adjourned on consent between the couple's lawyer and counsel for the Commissioner.

Separately, the couple sought permission from the court to join Dublin City Council, the owners of Darndale Park, as a third party in the case.

Laurence Masterson BL, for the couple, told Mr Justice Mark Heslin the MIBI are saying the council may have some liability.

It is alleged the council failed to control or supervise the park, or ensure it was patrolled by gardai. It is also claimed the layout of the park was such that it was possible for an incident like this to take place, counsel said.

Mr Masterson said the council may argue there was little they could do if youths are going to drive motorbikes around the park but nevertheless, having been called upon to do so by the MIBI, it was felt necessary to join the council in the case.

Mr Justice Heslin said it was appropriate to join the council in order that all matters may be effectively adjudicated on. The application was made on a one-side-only represented basis.
[May 18, 2020] Fairfax County Is Home to 11 Fortune 500 Headquarters for First Time; SAIC Is Newest Local Entry

For the first time ever, 11 Fairfax County-based companies in a broad range of industries hold spots on the Fortune 500 list of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. Fortune magazine published the 2020 list today. Fairfax County has more Fortune 500 headquarters than 35 states and the District of Columbia, and is home to nearly two-thirds of the 17 companies based in the Washington, D.C., region. The others are in Arlington County, Va. (1), Washington, D.C. (2) and Montgomery County, Md. (3). Fortune based its rankings on 2019 revenue. The new list includes these Fairfax County-based companies: 41. Freddie Mac, Tysons, financial services

83. General Dynamics, Reston, aerospace and defense

96. Northrop Grumman (News - Alert), Falls Church area, aerospace and defense

97. Capital One Financial, Tysons, financial services

155. DXC Technology, Tysons, information technology

289. Leidos Holdings, Reston, information technology

338. Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Tysons, hospitality

417. NVR, Reston, home construction

434. Beacon Roofing, Herndon, building materials

450. Booz Allen Hamilton, Tysons, management consulting

466. SAIC (News - Alert), Reston, information technology Fairfax County had 10 companies on the 2019 list. It added its 11th headquarters thanks to SAIC, which entered the list at No. 466. "Only a handful of communities can say they are home to 11 Fortune 500 companies. It sends a really strong message from the corporate world that this is a strong, stable, resilient location for headquarters operations," said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.



"The wide diversity of the industry sectors represented here also is striking, everything from our traditional strengths in IT, aerospace and defense to financial services, hospitality and construction, and that also speaks well for the stability and resiliency of our business base," Hoskins said. Other interesting information from the 2020 Fortune 500:

11 of the 22 Virginia Fortune 500 companies have headquarters in Fairfax County, including the four largest Virginia companies. Six additional Fairfax County-based companies are on the Fortune 1000 list: Parsons (News - Alert), Maximus, Park Hotels and Resorts, PAE, TEGNA and ManTech. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons, Fairfax County's largest business district, the FCEDA maintains business investment offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. The FCEDA is a member of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, which promotes and markets Northern Virginia outside the region and conducts activities and events to build the regional business community. Other members of NOVA EDA: Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County Department of Economic Development. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005676/en/

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Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov fired Colonel Mykhailo Bank, head of the strategic investigation department of the National Police in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. About this on his Facebook page wrote MP from the Servant of the People faction Oleksandr Dubinsky.

"Minister Avakov reacted to the MPs appeal about the incorrect actions of the head of the strategic investigation department of the National Police in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, Mykhailo Bank. Let me remind you, Bank wanted to inventory the Jewish regional community. That is, to conduct a census of Jews," the MP said.

Dubinsky said that the police officer was dismissed from his post on May 15.

On behalf of my colleagues I want to express my gratitude to the Minister for an adequate and timely reaction, the MP wrote.

As we reported before, In Ivano-Frankivsk region, the regional police made a request for a copy of the communitys charter and personal data of its participants, as well as lists of students in Kolomyia universities.
After maintaining much secrecy on the number of tests being conducted in Telangana, the state Health Department on Monday said 22,842 tests have been done till May 14.

The figure is one of the lowest in the country. However, sources say authorities have no plans to ramp up testing. The state has been receiving flak for not testing enough and under-reporting COVID-19 data.

The last official information on testing from the government was on April 30 when Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said the Health Department has tested about 19,325 samples.

This roughly translates to an average of over 200 tests conducted per day, making it the lowest among the southern states. Telangana has conducted only about 3,500 tests in the first two weeks of May even as capital city Hyderabad was labelled a virus hotspot by the Centre.

Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which recently fast-tracked its testing pattern, has conducted over two lakh tests in the same period (2,01,196) with an average of over 5,000 tests per day.

Karnataka has tested 1,28,373 samples, Tamil Nadu 2,79,467, while Kerala has conducted 39,380 tests in the same period (up to May 14).

Telangana on Monday added 41 new cases, taking the total to 1,592 while the number of recoveries crossed the 1,000-mark with the discharge of 10 people, said the Health Department. According to a media bulletin, as many as 26 of the new cases were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits, three from Medchal, and 12 were returnees to the state.

A senior doctor said health is a state subject and proactive measures need to be taken to deal with the crisis.

Testing is a great tool to control the viruss spread in containment zones. Only lockdown will not help fight COVID-19, testing needs to be ramped up. Lower testing is a reason for worry, especially for a state like Telangana with its capital Hyderabad heavily dependent on economic activities, said the doctor who did not wish to be identified.

The doctor added it would be prudent for any state to trace more, test more and provide better quarantine facilities.

The Telangana government has said no to random testing, arguing it would cause "panic" among people. The state does not test asymptomatic patients. In a few instances, it did not test patients without a travel history even if they displayed influenza (flu)-like symptoms. Random testing of frontline workers is also not being done unless they show symptoms.

State Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said 652 tests per a million people were being done in Telangana at a time when the national average is 1,600. Is government policy- less tests mean less #COVID cases? he wrote on Twitter on Monday.

The high court recently pulled up the administration for not testing suspected deceased patients.

A few days ago, Health Minister Eatala Rajender said the state is strictly following Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines (ICMR) for testing. We are strictly following ICMR guidelines that are being updated from time to time, he told News18.

Maharashtra, Delhi and even West Bengal (criticised for under-reporting and fewer tests) have done better in this regard.

Testing-wise a lot needs to be done in Telangana. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has a lot of containment zones." Indian Medical Association (IMA) Telangana unit secretary Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav told News18. "Also, we are at such a stage where we are not sure about variations in the mutation of virus. This raises questions like if one test is enough or not.

Lockdown extended

The Telangana government on Monday announced an extension of the lockdown till May 31 while declaring the entire state, barring containment areas, as green zones where it allowed several relaxations such as resumption of public transport, hair salons and e-commerce activities.

Rao said all shops can be opened in the state except in Hyderabad where they can function on an alternate (odd-even) basis. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) commissioner would announce the guidelines. However, no shops can be opened in containment areas.

State-run road transport Corporation buses can resume from Tuesday, but not in the city. Rao said Metro train and inter-state bus services would not operate. He said autos and taxis would be allowed in the city. In taxis, a driver plus three passengers would be allowed. In autos, a driver and two passengers would be allowed.

Hair salons and e-commerce can function.

Government and private offices can function 100% by following COVID-19 norms. Factories, industries and manufacturing units are also allowed to function by following the norms.

Curfew would continue in the state as it is till May 31 (during night time). All places of worship would remain closed and no religious festivals would be allowed, said the chief minister.

All educational institutions, cinema halls, malls and function halls would remain closed.

(With inputs from PTI)
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has clarified that it does not intend to impose any new or additional taxes on electricity that power sector firms sell to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The GRA also stated that it has withdrawn the letter dated 4th May 2020 directing all electricity and power-producing companies to apply the GETFund Levy of 2.5%, NHIL 2.5% and VAT rate of 12.5% on the value of the energy they supply the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Earlier this month, a letter from the GRA announced the directives, indicating that the services will no longer be zero-rated.

This was followed by calls from stakeholders within the power sector demanding the withdrawal of the directive from GRA.

But the Authority in a statement explained that the purpose of the said letter was to draw the attention of power producers in particular, to the VAT mechanism as it applies to the power sector and to get operators to invoice the supply of power to the ECG correctly.

It also stated that on account of their current invoicing policy, ECG over the years has had some challenges claiming input VAT associated with the supply of electricity by power producers, which could have reduced the net tax payable by ECG to GRA.

It further explained that, the supply of electricity to a 'dwelling' of up to a maximum consumption level specified for block charges for lifeline units is still exempt from VAT, NHIL and GETFund levy and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) already charges VAT, NHIL, and GETFund levy on the supply electricity in excess of lifeline units.

However, the Ghana Revenue Authority states that it is scheduling a meeting with power producers to address the application of the VAT mechanism to the power sector.

GRA directive

Earlier this month, the GRA issued a directive after sighting a notice dated March 13, 2001, which waives VAT on electricity supplied to ECG.

The GRA said the agreement was contrary to the Value Added Tax, 2013 (Act 870) which did not list supply of energy and capacity charge as one of the items that should be zero-rated.

----citinewsroom
EgyptAir has decided to slash the salaries of its high-ranking employees by 10% starting this month in light of the economic impact of the coronavirus on the airline industry.

The decision will affect chairmen of companies affiliated with the state-owned flag carrier, their deputies, advisors and department heads, pilots, and maintenance engineers, according to letter from chairman Roshdy Zakariya to employees published Sunday.

The policy of cutting all administrative and operational expenses will be applied to all the companys sectors," he added.

The austerity measure will be reviewed when operations improve and the crisis subsides.

The company has worked since the beginning of the virus outbreak to avoid any decisions that would affect staff members or their financial rights, Zakariya said.

But unfortunately, the situation has become very critical, especially since there is no specific date for the world to overcome this crisis.

Egypt grounded all international flights to and from the country on 19 March as part of unprecedented measures to curtail the spread of the outbreak.

EgyptAir has continued operating domestic trips and repatriation flights for Egyptian nationals stranded abroad.

The dire situation for the aviation industry has prompted Egyptian private airline companies to appeal to the government in late March to intervene to stop the economic losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

On Saturday, Egypts finance ministry said it will lend EgyptAir EGP 2 billion ($127.39 million) to help it tackle the impact of the pandemic on its operations.

The travel halt has hurt the countrys vital tourism sector  a major source of hard currency, leading to estimated losses of $1 billion per month, according to the tourism ministry.

Last month, the International Air Transport Association said Egypts airline industry faces a potential loss in revenue of $1.6 billion and 9.5 million fewer passengers in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis.

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Sudan Must Pay Terrorism Victims Punitive Damages, Supreme Court Rules

The Supreme Court reinstated a $4.3 billion punitive damages award against Sudan on May 18 for providing material support and safe haven to a Muslim terrorist group that carried out deadly bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa in the late 1990s.

The decision was a victory for the Trump administration, which argued on behalf of the victims of terrorism as a so-called friend of the court.

In the 80 decision in Opati v. Republic of Sudan, the high court reversed the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals decision to throw out the punitive damages. A separate $5.9 billion in non-punitive damages was not at issue in the case. Although Sudan failed to enter a legal defense to those claims and lost by default, the countrys government sent lawyers to court to fight the punitive damages claim.

Although sovereign nations are usually immune from lawsuits in U.S. courts, Congress laid out an exception in 1996 to make nations officially designated as state sponsors of terrorism liable for acts of terrorism. That law gave victims the ability to seek compensatory damages but not punitive damages, which are intended to penalize and discourage wrongdoing.

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) was further amended in 2008 to permit victims to seek damages under specific circumstances.

But the appeals court ruled in favor of Sudan, finding that the FSIA barred damages for events that preceded the 2008 amendment. The Supreme Court rejected that conclusion.

The new opinion was penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who used to sit on the appeals court, didnt participate in the case. Oral arguments took place Feb. 24.

Legislation usually only applies prospectively, Gorsuch wrote for the court.

This principle protects vital due process interests and ensures parties have an opportunity to know what the law is before they act, and may rest assured after they act that their lawful conduct cannot be second-guessed later.

The same principle also serves vital equal protection interests as well: If legislative majorities could too easily make new laws with retroactive application, disfavored groups could become easy targets for discrimination, with their past actions visible and unalterable.

The Supreme Court didnt accept Sudans contention that Congress had to provide a super-clear statement when it wishes to authorize punitive damages, because retroactive damages of the punitive variety raise special constitutional concerns, Gorsuch wrote.

Congress was as clear as it could have been when it authorized plaintiffs to seek and win punitive damages for past conduct, the justice wrote, noting that Sudan missed an opportunity to argue that the statute itself was unconstitutional.

Punitive damages arent merely a form a compensation but a form of punishment, and we dont doubt that applying new punishments to completed conduct can raise serious constitutional questions, Gorsuch wrote.

But if Congress clearly authorizes retroactive punitive damages in a manner a litigant thinks unconstitutional, the better course is for the litigant to challenge the laws constitutionality, not ask a court to ignore the laws manifest direction. Besides, when we fashion interpretive rules, we usually try to ensure that they are reasonably administrable, comport with linguistic usage and expectations, and supply a stable backdrop against which Congress, lower courts, and litigants may plan and act.

The case was considered unusual because the plaintiffs sought compensation not just for the 12 Americans killed and injured in al-Qaidas 1998 deadly truck bombings of U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Nairobi, Kenya, but also for non-U.S. citizen employees who worked for those diplomatic missions. The attacks left more than 200 people dead and thousands injured. About 600 people signed on as plaintiffs to the lawsuit.

Under dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was the countrys president from June 1989 until he was ousted in an April 2019 coup detat, Sudan harbored and provided sanctuary to Islamic terrorist groups. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is thought to have lived in Sudan in the 1990s. A provisional civilian-military government is in power in Khartoum, and democratic elections are expected to take place in 2021.

After revolutionary changes took place in the country, Sudan now wants to normalize relations with the United States so it can reenter the international community and gain access to international capital. In his final days in office, then-President Barack Obama began lifting U.S. sanctions against Sudan. His successor, President Donald Trump, has also rescinded U.S. sanctions against the country.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Cleveland companys decision to release its new line of coronavirus testing swabs in packaging meant for its old products has puzzled authorities in some of the states that got the swabs through a Trump administration program to ramp up testing for the deadly disease.

The new swabs are made of polyester so they wont contaminate specimens with plant DNA from cotton. But U.S. Cotton used boxes from its Comforts for Baby Cotton Swabs," for some of the products it sent states through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Pennsylvania Department of Health press secretary Nate Wardle said the federal government sent the state over 20,000 testing swabs last week, and more are expected in upcoming weeks to to bolster the states swab supply.

There was some confusion at first because they appeared to be labeled as cotton swabs and not polyester, which is what is primarily used for testing, said an email from Wardle. When we opened the swabs, we realized they were what was needed and none were lost, misplaced, thrown away, etc.

Jordan Abudayyeh, spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, told CNN that Illinois received several thousand swabs in the wrong boxes and state officials were concerned that the swabs were packaged together instead of being individually wrapped.

These are not ideal for how we conduct testing because we usually use individually wrapped swabs that ensure theres no cross contamination, said Abudayyeh.

CNN and The Seattle Times reported that authorities in Washington state placed confused phone calls to the nations capital after getting the mislabeled swabs.

Reed Schuler, a senior adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee, told the Seattle publication that he called the White House coronavirus task force to ask What exactly is this shipment were getting?

And they said, Oh sorry, ignore the packaging,' said Schuler. 'You were supposed to get a memo explaining that shipment.'

The memo from U.S. Cotton CEO John B. Nims said the swabs were sent in old packaging to deliver them as quickly as possible for those with the greatest need," and the labels did not reflect their contents. It assured states the packages in fact contained F.D.A. approved sterilized polyester spun swab for specimen collection of COVID-19.

Nims did not respond to a request for comment from cleveland.com.

A FEMA spokesperson said that "in an effort to answer our countrys call to action and expedite the production and delivery of the new spun polyester swab, U.S. Cotton used existing packaging for its polyester swabs which does not accurately communicate the content of each package.

Going forward, the spun polyester swab packaging will be blank, the spokesperson said.

Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individually wrapped swabs are preferable, but bulk packaged swabs can be used if care is taken to avoid cross-contamination. The CDC advises that those who receive bulk swabs redistribute them into individual disposable plastic bags while wearing a clean set of protective gloves.

President Donald Trump announced last week that FEMA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will deliver 12.9 million swabs to states nationwide during the month of May.

This major commitment is possible because of the massive mobilization of American industry, including Puritan Medical Products, U.S. Cotton, Abbott Labs, and Thermo Fisher, said Trump.

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He wore no mask, and all but one of his wrecking crew were equally unmasked. He danced over to the one guy who did have one on and yanked it down. Come on, man, smile! he said. He kept touching my arm and embracing everyone around him.
Dear World: Are you happy yet? This is not a story about coronavirus; its worse. It is a story about War, Unrestricted War. The Chinese have promised the world Happiness and Harmony, but have instead lost the Mandate of Heaven and delivered Hell. A few courageous experts have been right all along and this is a letter of thanks to them  and a note to the Americans who may want to follow. After you see the scale of deception unleashed upon our country and after your emotions calm, please take economic action! China is at war. Are we?

General Robert Spalding, in his book, Stealth War: How China Took Over While Americas Elite Slept gives it away in the title. But the stories of deception will send chills up your spine. Up front, the damage from the war is real. Simply put, 3.4 million US jobs vanished between 2001 and 2017 due to our trade relationship with China.with 75% of the jobs lost in manufacturing. All of this occurred under the false assumption that this is just normal free market competition. How do you adhere to free markets when your competition is communist and does not respect the price system, private property, or the rule of law? Economic elites have no answer. Everyone should know by now that China welcomes investment, but it wont let investors take their profits out of the country (China). Chinese companies set up shop all around the world, but the totalitarian CCP (Chinese Communist Party) puts all kinds of limits on foreign companies (USA) growing in China. Is this the free market system the elites have in mind? Adam Smith knew better.

How has the language and economic logic been so tortured and twisted in Chinas favor? Spalding shows how. subtly and effectively. In 2017, when Chinese president Xi Jinping went to the annual World Economic Forum  the epicenter of globalization  in Davos, Switzerland, he said, We must remain committed to developing global free trade and investment, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation through opening-up, and say no to protectionism. It sounds like Xi is adopting the Wests point of view, but here is where the CCP turns the tables, and why its influence is so subtle, cunning, and effective. In Davos, the crowd heard what they wanted to hear, but when one parses what he (Xi) actually said and what was left unsaid, it becomes clear Xi offered no firm commitment to anything. There is no mention of adhering to international law, no mention of changing monetary policy to allow for the free flow of earnings out of China. To whom is Xi saying no to protectionism? Not to China  everything about economic policy in China is protectionist. Hes saying the West should not be protectionist, because that serves CCP goals. So in fact the leader of China was subtly undermining the laws of free trade and globalization while appearing to agree with them. This is stealth war. The elites are promised billions in short term profits while their own countries are strategically being destroyed. Spauldings book details how we can get America back on track.

Bill Gertz similarly gives the premise away in his title, Deceiving the Sky, Inside Communist Chinas Drive for Global Supremacy. By 2018, the views of the elites above had finally begun to change. Gertz interviewed Michael Collins, the CIAs most senior analyst on China. China has been waging a low-level war against the United States with the overall objective of preserving CCP ruleA country that exploits all avenues of power, licit and illicit, public and private, economic, military, to undermine the standing of your rival relative to your own standing, without resorting to conflict, he said. Something that would never have been said even 10 years ago.

But this type of war can be every bit as lethal. On January 11, 2007, China launched the KT-1 rocket and obliterated a satellite in orbit, spreading tens of thousands of pieces of high-speed orbiting metal debris that will threaten both manned and unmanned spacecraft for decades to come. The destruction of an orbiting satellite that day was a twenty-first-century shot heard round the world. General John Hyten of the U.S. Air Force said it was a significant wake-up call to our entire military. The new space/economic/cyber/technology war was now painfully in sight. Every technology imaginable, from navigation to your banking account, runs seamlessly through information relayed by these satellites. The signal was clear: your economic life is no longer safe. PLA General Peng of the Chinese Military Academy stated without irony that this activity creates happiness for mankind.

Gertz collects 200 pages of evidence to refute this claim. We all know about the Uighur Camps, Tiananmen Square, the enslavement of Tibet, and organ harvesting. No one is happy in China. But the logic of war runs much deeper.

Xi Jinping, the leader of all Chinese thought and policy, respects three people above all: Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, and Adolf Hitler. The two he hates most are Deng Xiaoping (the Chinese reformer) and Ronald Reagan, who crushed Soviet Communism. Did you know that the highest-ranking Chinese official to ever offer to defect to the United States was rejected by the Obama administration? [Then-Vice President Joe] Bidens office overruled State and Justice Department officials in denying Wangs asylum request And as late as 2014, Hillary Clinton states in her own book that, we agreed to say nothing about the matter and the Chinese were grateful for our discretion. This action gave up the most important intelligence asset imaginable. The economic rewards to the Bidens and Clintons have been widely documented. The elites win. Americans lose.

Other elites, such as Google, decide to get into China by secretly agreeing to assist the Beijing government in developing a special search engine, using proprietary algorithms that would assist in censoring content on the internet. In critique, another hero, Gordon Chang, views Beijings technology control system as a massive digital totalitarian experiment. The U.S. Big Tech sector is apparently all-in.

Gertz outlines the work of several other heroes who have spent their lives fighting and analyzing Financial and Economic Warfare with Chinese Characteristics. Roger W. Robinson Jr. is a veteran financial warrior like no other. His work helped Reagan take down the Soviet economy, and he is now at work on China. He and Kevin Freeman of Economic War Room have shown that America spends relatively little fighting this economic war. Economic attacks come in via leveraged derivatives or cyber efforts, and can result in trillions of dollars in losses. Yet, the perpetrators can remain undiscovered. The Chinese currently control parts of our active military thrift savings plan TSP and index funds at Morgan Stanley such as the MSCI index, which is expanding the Chinese share by the day. Many other U.S. financial instruments also fund the Chinese military and weapons systems currently aimed at us. The day will come when Americans demand change and find out that this change will damage their retirement accounts. This is stealth war.

Many other warriors have joined forces in this new economic war. Steve Bannon, Matt Pottinger, Michael Flynn, Michael Pillsbury, and Peter Navarro have all come alongside the most powerful hawk on China in the White House, President Trump. For Bannon, the new approach to China is to apply Reagans strategy toward the Evil Empire of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Reagan said in 1988 at a Moscow summit: Heres my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose. Trump has made clear that economic security and military policy are two sides of the same national security coin.

I could show that the heroes above were all ridiculed by the sleeping elites and their hired gun typists, but time is short. The most powerful way to validate the work above, which I hope you share, is to show that the Chinese said practically all of the same things themselves back in 1999, in the book Unrestricted Warfare, by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui  a book written by two PLA senior colonels from the younger generation of Chinese military officers and published by a PLA house in Beijing. They went on to become generals in China, so their writing in 1999 must have been prescient.

Qiao states "the first rule of Unrestricted Warfare is that there are no rules, with nothing forbidden." Warfare which transcends all boundaries and limits, in short: unrestricted warfare.the rules of war may need to be rewritten. They go on to derisively explain how Uncle Sams success on conventional battlefields has led to an American preoccupation with traditional warfare, while the weak do not have to be so constrained.

"Did the special nature of the Gulf War...trigger 'a revolution in military affairs' or not? This is ultimately a question of perspective [] Perhaps because victory was achieved so easily, to this day there are very few people in Uncle Sam's wildly jubilant group that have accurately evaluated the significance of the war. By significance, they mean the undeniable fact that no one can beat Uncle Sam with guns or planes, and that therefore, other types of warfare will commence.

Whether it be the intrusions of hackers, a major explosion at the World Trade Center, or a bombing attack by bin Laden, all of these greatly exceed the frequency band widths understood by the American military, they wrote two years before 9/11. The American military is naturally inadequately prepared to deal with this type of enemy psychologically [] and especially as regards military thinking and the methods of operation derived from this.

However, by using the combination method, a completely different scenario and game can occur, they continue. If the attacking side secretly musters large amounts of capital without the enemy nation being aware of this at all and launches a sneak attack against its financial markets, then after causing a financial crisis, buries a computer virus and hacker detachment in the opponent's computer system in advance, while at the same time carrying out a network attack against the enemy so that the civilian electricity network, traffic dispatching network, financial transaction network, telephone communications network, and mass media network are completely paralyzed, this will cause the enemy nation to fall into social panic, street riots, and a political crisis.

This doesnt quite match the condition spoken of by Sun Tzu, wherein "the other army is subdued without fighting." However, it can be considered to be "subduing the other army through clever operations."

I have reviewed and praised the U.S. sources above because, perhaps, Americans want to understand all of the links and transitions above. The Chinese communists certainly do. I told you this story would not be about the coronavirus. It is about war.

David Alan Brat is the dean of the Liberty University School of Business. He served as the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district from 2014 to 2019.
Airbnb was supposed to be the hottest public offering of 2020. Instead, the home-sharing giant just cut 25% of its workforce and expects revenue to be less than half of what it was in 2019. WSJs Preetika Rana explains what made the company so vulnerable. PHOTO: Stephanie Swart for the Wall Street Journal
Lawyers for former president Donald Trump had asked the justices to put on hold a unanimous ruling from an appeals court, which rejected his assertions of executive privilege and his request to keep secret roughly 800 pages of his papers.
Simon Institute to host Knox College president in virtual talk

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Knox College President Teresa L. Amott will participate in a virtual discussion this week hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Amott will share her insights into the challenges that higher education in Illinois is facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The online event begins at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 21.

The free event is open to the public but registration is required and closes when the event starts.

Continuing series of conversations

The discussion with Amott is part of the Institutes online series called Understanding Our New World with historians, political analysts, and state and national leaders discussing how the pandemic is reshaping the world. The discussion focus is Higher Education in Illinois and the COVID-19 Crisis.

Teresa Amott is one of the most respected and longest currently-serving college and university presidents in Illinois, John T. Shaw, Institute director said. President Amott has confronted many of the same challenges that all leaders of higher education in Illinois have faced including difficult demographic trends, a protracted state budget crises, and now the deeply disruptive Covid-19 crisis. She will offer important insights about the immediate and long-term challenges and opportunities caused by this pandemic.

Named Knox College president in 2011

Amott is the 19th president of the college, based in Galesburg, Illinois and the first female to lead the college since its founding in 1837. Her career in higher education includes faculty and administrative positions at Bucknell University, Gettysburg College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she served as dean of the faculty and provost. Amott earned a bachelors degree in economics from Smith College and a doctorate in economics from Boston College.

Registration open for Amotts conversation

Registration for the free ZOOM meeting is available in advance. After completing registration, participants will receive an email confirmation with information about joining the meeting, along with the meeting ID and password.

Participants have an opportunity when they register to submit a question to Amott by email at paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu or by including it in the Questions and Comments section on the registration form.

Virtual talks attracting audiences

Shaw is pleased with the response to the Institutes first two virtual talks featuring author and historian David Kennedy and former U.N. and Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson. The events are available on YouTube.
Novel coronavirus travel restrictions have delayed police from flying into New South Wales for the extradition of the man accused of killing his parents north of Brisbane on Saturday evening.

It will be alleged Christopher Puglia, 31, killed his parents Frank and Loris, both 59, in the family's bed and breakfast - a crime described by investigating police as "something very, very traumatic".

Police were called to Joyner, 30 kilometres north of Brisbane, about 2pm on Sunday after the bodies were found by a relative inside the property the couple managed, according to Nine News.

Mr Puglia was arrested by NSW police in the Sydney suburb of Berowra about 6.30pm on Sunday, while travelling in his father's 2020 Toyota Rav4 - which he had recently purchased for work.
American Express chief executive Steve Squeri said a majority of the companys employees will work remotely through the end of this year as it seeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While the credit-card issuer wants to be prepared to have half of normal staffing at most locations by the end of the year, Squeri doesnt expect it to get anywhere near the 50 percent mark by the end of 2020, he told employees in a video message Monday.
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Information reaching 247ureports.com from sources near the presidency indicates a new development exhibiting the level of corruption in the Buhari led administration appears to threaten the financial integrity of Bauchi State. This is as monies belonging to Bauchi State Government was seized by the presidency and has decided not to release to the State Government  citing the money belongs to APC government and not PDP government.

It is recalled during the period leading up to the election that removed the former Governor of Bauchi State, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressive Congress [APC], the former governor launched a spending tirade having seen the hand writing on the wall. He was emptying the treasury of the State.

The then gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT], Bala Mohammed was quick to observe the ongoing liquidation of the State resources. He called the attention of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] to the ongoing money bazaar. Particularly, an account at the FCMB Bank which was housing about N11b.

Bala Mohammed sought for the account to be frozen until after the inaugurations. Through legal actions, the EFCC obliged him. The account was frozen and the then outgoing Governor was restricted access to the said money.

With Bala Mohammeds victory and swearing in, the frozen N11b was supposed to be unfrozen  and access allowed. Particularly in light of the economic woes bedeviling the country as a result of the pandemic.

Instead, the President Buhari led administration insists the money belongs to APC government and not to PDP government. For this reason, they will not release the money to Bauchi State. Till date, the administration has refused to release the funds.

In talking to sources conversant with the goings on within the administration, it was made clear some persons within the Buhari administration are seeking and/or insisting on a negotiated deal before the money is released. They want a percentage of the money.

The Bauchi State Governor is said to be adamant on his part insisting the money does not belong to a political party but to a State Government.

Stay tuned
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees received 11 applications to fill its open trustee position.

The seat on the seven-member board is vacant because of the April 27 death of Trustee Deb Bailey, 69, due to complications from cancer. The longtime community leader had served on the board since 2013.

Related: GRCC accepting applications to fill board vacancy after death of beloved Trustee Deb Bailey

Six women and five men from diverse backgrounds and a wide range of professions are seeking the appointment. The board will be interviewing them virtually this Wednesday and next, May 20 and May 27.

The first six interviews will be streaming live to YouTube on Wednesday beginning at noon at https://youtu.be/mtbx4jJ67w8.

The person appointed will complete the remainder of Baileys six-year term that expires December 31, 2020. She was board vice chairperson. The deadline for applications was Friday, May 15.

The board plans to announce who will fill the position during its 4:15 p.m. June 15 virtual meeting.

Here are the candidates seeking the position and their interview times:

David Abbott , of Grand Rapids, executive director of Festival of the Arts since 2018. His will interview at 1:50 p.m. this Wednesday. Abbott attended GRCC for two years before transitioning to Central Michigan University, where he earned a bachelors degree in Fine and Applied Arts.

Andrew Erlewein , of Rockford, assistant vice president at Aon Risk Service. A risk analyst at Aon since 2005, his interview is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. May 27. Erlewein attended GRCC. He earned his MBA from Wayne State University and a bachelors degree in actuarial science from Central Michigan University. He was appointed to the board of directors of the Kent District Library in 2016.

Linda Goulet , of Grand Rapids, Associate Department Chair for Marketing at Davenport Universitys Donald W. Maine College of Business and interim Associate Dean of Graduate Programs. She will interview at 9 a.m. Monday, May 27. Goulet, at Davenport since 1996, earned her doctorate degree in business administration from Walden University, and her MBA and bachelors degree in business administration from Western Michigan University.

Stephanie McNamar , of Grand Rapids, founder and CEO of Carlisle Collections, a designer clothing sales business and consultancy in operation since 1990. She will interview at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday, May 27. A former associate professor at GRCC, she has a bachelors degree in French from Michigan State University.

Brandy Lovelady Mitchell , of Caledonia, director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Kent ISD since 2018. Lovelady, former principal of Kent ISDs Kent Innovation High School from 2015 to 2018, will be interviewed at noon this Wednesday. She has a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University, a masters in secondary education and community agency counseling and school guidance counseling from Aquinas College and Michigan State University, respectively. Her bachelors degree is in human services from Siena Heights University.

Craig Noland , of Grand Rapids, attorney with McGraw Morris P.C. He will interview at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday, May 27. Nolands earned his law degree and bachelors degree in economics from Indiana University. He has periodically represented GRCC through the Middle Cities Risk Management Trust.

Teresa Hendricks Pitsch , of Grand Rapids, a trial attorney and bilingual director of the nonprofit Migrant Legal Aid since 2000. She will be interviewed this Wednesday at 2:35 p.m. Pitsch earned her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and has a bachelors degree in Spanish from Purdue University.

Laura Schoenborn-Preuss , of Comstock Park, Workforce Development Manager for DeWys Manufacturing since 2006. She will be interviewed at 12:40 p.m. this Wednesday. Shoeborn-Preuss earned an associate degree from GRCC, a bachelors degree in human resources from Grand Valley State University as well as a masters degree in education. She also has a masters degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.

Scott Urbanowski , of Kentwood, President of Humanoid Digital since 2014. He will interview at 1:15 p.m. this Wednesday. He has a bachelors degree in political science from Central Michigan University.

Judy Whipps , of Grand Rapids, retired professor of liberal studies at Grand Valley State University. She will be interviewed at 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27. Whipps has a bachelors degree in liberal studies from Grand Valley State University and a doctorate degree in philosophy from Union Institute.

Daniel Williams, of Grand Rapids, President and CEO of West Michigan Center of Arts and Technology (WMCAT) since 2015. Williams, former principal of Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, will be interviewed at 3:10 p.m. this Wednesday. He earned his doctorate in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University, a masters degree in educational leadership from Easter Michigan University, and bachelors degree in communication studies from the University of Iowa.

The Wednesday, May 27 interviews with Goulet, Noland, Erlewin and Whipps begin at noon and can be watched live on Youtube at https://youtu.be/6xEERlr2OAw.

More on MLive:

Michigan reports lowest daily coronavirus deaths seen since late March

Michigans coronavirus crisis creates epidemic of mental-health issues

Michigan salons left in the dark as pressure to reopen mounts
(CNN) - Australia may support new powers for the World Health Organization in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Greg Hunt said at the World Health Organizations virtual 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA).

He urged the international community to learn lessons to determine whether the WHOs mandate and powers need to be strengthened.

He stated that Australia supports an impartial and comprehensive review into the global response to the outbreak.

Meanwhile, speaking at the virtual assembly, UKs Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK supports an inquiry into the global response to coronavirus at the appropriate point."

For now we must all remain focussed on the fight against the virus, and of course a vaccine will be our best weapon in this fight, Hancock said.

More than 100 countries have proposed a draft resolution calling for an independent evaluation into the coronavirus pandemic.

The motion comes with international support from countries such as India, New Zealand, Russian Federation, the European Union and its member states, as well as the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The United States is not one of the signatories.

The draft does not specifically mention China or Beijing, but China has been facing mounting international scrutiny for its initial handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Australia: Leaders must investigate and determine if WHO's powers need to be stronger"
Members of An Garda on Dublins Henry Street during the coronavirus lockdown. (Brian Lawless/PA)

Almost a quarter of Irish businesses have stopped trading, at least on a temporary basis, as a result of the pandemic lockdowns and a third has laid off staff, according the Central Statistics Office.

The results from the second of the CSOs business surveys since the start of lockdowns here showed that while overall, the majority of businesses were staying open to trade, those in the construction, food and accommodation sectors were being hit hardest.

Two of every three responding enterprises in the construction sector had ceased trading either temporarily or permanently as of 3 May 2020, the CSO said, adding that 70pc of firms in the accommodation and food sector were closed.

The survey was conducted in the week starting on May 4 after a similar earlier survey for the April 20 week and a quarter of the 3,000 firms sent questionnaires responded.

Read More

In addition to the third of firms that have laid workers off, 36.7pc of businesses have implemented short time working.

Some firms that had shuttered in the first round of the survey had however restarted their businesses, the CSO said.

Amongst enterprises who responded to both waves of the survey, one in six of those who had ceased trading temporarily by 19 April indicated that they had recommenced trading by 3 May, it noted.

Almost half of the responding companies said they were confident of having the financial resources to continue operating for longer than six months and this split 65.1pc for large enterprises and 45.6pc for small and medium companies.

About 80pc were confident that they have the financial resources to continue operating for at least another month, the CSO said.
ANTIOCH (BCN)

A shooting at an apartment complex in Antioch early Monday morning left one man dead and another injured, according to police.

Antioch police officers responded at 1:33 a.m. to the Twin Creeks apartment complex at 1111 James Donlon Blvd. on a report of gunshots heard near an apartment.

Officers arrived and found a 36-year-old man down on the ground in the back patio of a unit with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his name is not yet being released, police said.

A second victim, a 23-year-old man, was taken by paramedics to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition Monday morning, according to police.

Investigators learned there were several people inside the apartment when an altercation occurred and a male suspect then fired several gunshots and fled the complex on foot.

The suspect remains at large and there was no description of him immediately available from police. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Police Department's non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or Detective Brogdon at (925) 779-6895.

Copyright  2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.




Market

The Kaduna State Government has adjusted the days of the week residents are allowed to move freely in the state.

The Managing Director, Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company, Hafiz Bayero, in a statement on Sunday said the days for free movement has been adjusted to Wednesday and Thursday.

Before the new change, residents were allowed to move out of their homes to purchase foodstuffs on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

He added that henceforth, no market would open on Saturday.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the adjustment may not be unconnected with the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr Festival expected to come up on Saturday, May 23.

Following the governments decision, the Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company has announced that it will make all the necessary arrangements for the orderly and safe conduct of trading activities at all the designated temporary neighborhood markets.

Traders and their customers visiting the temporary markets on Wednesday and Thursday are expected to wear face masks, observe physical distancing and comply with other public health protocols on both days, he said.

Bayero further warned traders against setting up illegal shops on the streets near the closed main markets.

He added that the temporary markets would operate from 10:00am to 4:00pm for the two days.
The U.S. economy could shrink by upwards of 30% in the second quarter but will avoid a Depression-like economic plunge over the longer term, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told "60 Minutes" in an interview aired Sunday.

The central bank chief also conceded that jobless numbers will look a lot like they did during the 1930s, when the rate peaked out at close to 25%,

However, he said the nature of the current distress coupled with the dynamism of the U.S. and the strength of its financial system should pave the way for a significant rebound.

Asked by host Scott Pelley whether unemployment would be 20% or 25%, Powell said, "I think there're a range of perspectives. But those numbers sound about right for what the peak may be." Pressed on whether the U.S. is headed for a "second depression," he replied, "I don't think that's a likely outcome at all. There're some very fundamental differences."

In a part of the interview that did not air, Powell said shrinkage of U.S. economic growth "could easily be in the 20s or 30s," according to a CBS transcript.

He said that growth could return in the third quarter.

"I think there's a good chance that there'll be positive growth in the third quarter. And I think it's a reasonable expectation that there'll be growth in the second half of the year," Powell said. "I would say though we're not going to get back to where we were quickly. We won't get back to where we were by the end of the year. That's unlikely to happen."

Among the factors that he said are different from the Depression era are an activist Fed and a Congress that already has passed close to $3 trillion in rescue funds and is contemplating another round. Also, the cause of this downturn is not an asset bubble or another associated more fundamental reason but rather a self-induced economic freeze brought on by efforts to combat the coronavirus.

Those efforts have led to 36.5 million Americans filing unemployment claims over the past two months and an unemployment rate currently at 14.7% and headed higher.

"In this case, you have governments around the world and central banks around the world responding with great force and very quickly. And staying at it," Powell said. "So I think all of those things point to what will be -- it's going to be a very sharp downturn. It should be a much shorter downturn than you would associate with the 1930s."

The Atlanta Fed estimated Friday that the data so far in the second quarter suggest a drop in GDP of 42%. That would be far and away the worst the U.S. has seen.

Powell did not speculate on what shape the recovery would take, but estimated that the U.S. ultimately will get to where it was before the virus hit  in the midst of the longest expansion in U.S. history. He cautioned, though, that a full recovery may not happen until a vaccine is found for the coronavirus.

"So in the long run, I would say the U.S. economy will recover," he said. "We'll get back to the place we were in February; we'll get to an even better place than that. I'm highly confident of that. And it won't take that long to get there."



Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly quoted Chairman Powell's projection for unemployment.
The Assam government on Sunday decided to provide job cards to all migrant workers who returned to the state and give them work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The decision was taken at a meeting held by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to discuss the issues of providing employment opportunities to the states people returning from outside.

Chief Minister directed to allot job cards to returning migrant workers and provide works under MGNREGA at the earliest. He also asked the skill development department to take steps for imparting training to returning workers for upgrading their skills, said a government release.

Sonowal issued instruction to identify skills of the returning labourers and provide training at development block level through a digital platform.

He instructed the finance department to discuss with banks about ways to provide bank loans to returning labourers for engaging them in productive sectors, the release added.

There is no exact figure on how many workers belonging to the state would be returning back to Assam. Nearly 6 lakh people staying outside the state had registered to avail financial assistance provided by the state. It is estimated that at least one-third of them could return back.

The chief minister also directed the industries department to prepare a district-wise list of MSMEs for providing benefits to the sector under the Rs 20 lakh crore financial package announced by the Centre.

He said that there are 1.01 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the state, and asked the department concerned to initiate all measures for passing on the benefits announced by the Centre.
A 35-year-old man has been arrested in a domestic violence shooting in Southeast Portland, police say.

Renardo Artez Mitchell is accused of attempted murder and other crimes in the shooting, which damaged multiple occupied apartment units in the 15600 block of Southeast Stark Street late Friday, according to Portland police.

No one was hurt. Police have not released information about the circumstances of the shooting.

Mitchell was booked into jail early Sunday, records show. Hes being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center on $830,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
In Arizona, only 0.33 percent of the prison population has tested positive for COVID-19. This may seem encouraginguntil you realize that tests have only been administered to 533 people of a total daily population of 41,248. Meanwhile, in Marion Correctional Institution, a prison in Ohio that has conducted mass testing, 2,143 incarcerated individuals (nearly 90 percent of the facilitys population) have tested positive, and 14 have died.

These contrasting examples demonstrate a disturbing reality: We dont have a good picture of how COVID-19 is ravaging the criminal justice system now, and its even more unclear what the system will look like in the future. The only certainty is that effects on incarcerated people, corrections staff, and their families and communities are and will continue to be devastating. While many facilities have taken some steps in the right direction, few have taken enough.

Now, it has fallen on researchers, journalists, and advocates to gather, centralize, and share data about the toll of COVID-19 behind bars, with the hope that more information will lead to better responsesand saved lives.

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The U.S. criminal justice system, by design, has long been a black box. In the 1970s, the beginning of the era of mass incarceration, the Supreme Court affirmed corrections officials rights to limit public and media access in their institutions, creating what Sharon Dolovich, a professor of law at the UCLA School of Law, calls a culture of secrecy.

Over the next several decades, the reality that took hold in prisons and jails around the U.S. involved increasing crowding, increasing inadequacy of health care, [and] increasing inhumanity of conditions, said Dolovich. And now, those same facilities are facing a pandemic.

The perils COVID-19 poses for incarcerated people are numerous. The incarcerated population is aging, and many individuals have prior conditions. Social distancing is often impossible, and even simple measures like frequent hand-washing and cleaning high-touch items can be severely limited. Very few facilities are testing sufficiently, and the few facilities that are mass testing (like Marion) are finding mass infections.

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A lack of public information about whats going on in prisons and jailsin normal and pandemic timesleaves room for neglect, missteps, and backward-oriented thinking, which ultimately threaten not just incarcerated populations but also the communities inextricably connected to them. Thus, it is crucial to track the steps facilities are and are not taking, and their consequences. The U.S. criminal justice system is highly decentralized and opaque, but jails and prisons often rely on lessons from other jurisdictions in considering what policy changes are possible in their own facilities, said Maddy deLone, the former executive director of the Innocence Project.

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In March, deLone began watching facilities in New York take action to reduce their incarcerated populations through releases. She wondered if other facilities around the U.S. were doing the sameand whether any of it was being systematically tracked. When she found it wasnt, she joined forces with Dolovich, who had started a collaborative spreadsheet to document criminal justice responses to COVID-19. The spreadsheet, which Dolovich first conceived in early March as a tool for personal research, quickly became the UCLA School of Law COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project.

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The project, directed by Dolovich, is tracking confirmed cases and deaths in corrections facilities; prison, jail, and immigration detention releases, as well as requests for such releases; policies affecting carceral conditions and visitation policies; and the situations in youth correctional and immigration detention facilities, among other indicators. Along with initiatives like Covid Prison Data, the project serves as a small window into the U.S. criminal justice system during a moment when most doors are bolted shut.

The project, which is largely volunteer-run, involves scraping dashboards published by corrections facilities where possible, but some categories involve a more qualitative process, gathering information submitted by individuals or digging through media reports and press releases.

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The projects audience is generally a mix of journalists, litigators, and policy analysts, Dolovich said. One user is Recidiviz, a nonprofit that employs data to help corrections departments reduce incarceration. Clementine Jacoby, Recidivizs executive director, told me that when the pandemic hit, Suddenly the need for timely, granular data  became a really acute need. To meet that need, a team of software engineers from the group sat down over a weekend in late March. Seventy-two hours later, they launched their first COVID-19 impact model in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Within 48 hours, the model had been downloaded in all 50 states.

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Since then, Recidiviz has released a web application available for free to anyone with a .gov email address. Its also updated its Excel model, which anyone can download online. The model combines epidemiological data with criminal justice dataincluding the data collected by the UCLA Law projectto allow corrections officials to predict things like when cases will peak in their facilities, how many hospitalizations and fatalities will result from that peak, and how policy changes such as reducing population or adjusting living conditions can flatten the curve.

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Looking to the future, Dolovich said she hasnt seen any recognition of the need to overcome the culture of secrecy that permeates the corrections space. Still, she can find reasons to be hopeful.

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To start, officials across the country are strategizing to reduce the incarcerated population through releases and reduced admissions. And that is a sea change from the mindset that we have had for the last four and a half decades, Dolovich said.

There are also signs of a collective cultural shift, said Dolovich. Increased awareness of the dangers of COVID-19 in prisons and jails has humanized the people held by system built upon dehumanization, pushing forward the recognition that it is profoundly unjust, in deLones words, to subject them to death when that wasnt the sentence.

Thats a shift thats hard to quantify or track, said Dolovich. But theres no doubt its a significant one.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Four on Mumbai-Goa train test positive for COVID-19

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Panaji, May 18: Four passengers, who arrived Goa on a train from Mumbai on Sunday, have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total tally of active cases in the coastal state to 26.

State health minister Vishwajit Rane confirmed that out of 100 samples of the passengers from Mumbai-Goa train four have tested positive.

The samples are sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital's virology lab for final confirmation, he said.

Online database for migrants to monitor their movement: Govt

With these four cases, the number of COVID-19 cases detected on Sunday has gone up to 13. Overall, there are 26 active cases in the state.

The fresh infection has come from the train that arrived on Sunday from Mumbai.

"All the 26 patients have been admitted to a specially-designated COVID-19 hospital in Margao town," Rane said.

On May 1, Goa was 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.

However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has claimed that there is no community transmission in the state.

Earlier during the day, six passengers from the Rajdhani Express train that arrived on Saturday have tested positive during last 24 hours.

Three workers, who were brought to Goa from neighbouring states as part of resumption of industrial units, have also tested positive, the official said.

During the day, the state tested 1,097 samples that were drawn on Sunday. Of them, 623 tested negative while 13 were found positive, the official from the state health department said.

The state government swung into action after passengers of the Rajadhani Express, which arrived on Saturday, tested positive.

Coronavirus cases in India rise to 90,927, death toll at 2,872; highest spike yet

State health minister Vishwajit Rane said the co-passengers, who travelled with the positive patients, have been taken to institutional quarantine of 14 days.

The state has moved to strengthen its testing facilities by installing additional rapid testing machines at its district hospitals in Margao, Mapusa and sub-district hospital in Ponda.
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.
The Kerala government also issued an order extending the lockdown till 31 May and issued guidelines in accordance with the central government guidelines.

Thiruvananthapuram: As the fourth phase of the nation-wide lockdown began, the Kerala government on Monday eased certain restrictions and allowed buses, taxis and autorickshaws to ply.

Besides, barber shops and beauty parlours can be open, but malls would remain shut.

In a relief to the tipplers, the Left government announced that liquor outlets would be opened when an online system for booking liquor is ready.

The government also issued an order extending the lockdown till 31 May and issued guidelines in accordance with the central government guidelines.

While buses would be allowed within a district with 50 percent capacity only, autorickshaws can ply with a lone passenger. However, a maximum of three people can travel in autos if they belong to the same family, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

With regard to taxis, two passengers, besides the driver, would be allowed to travel and in case it's a family, there can be three passengers apart from the driver. Private cars would also be allowed in the same manner.

"We will be following the general lockdown conditions in total but will make certain exemptions based on the state- specific requirements. All educational institutions will remain closed but online distance education will be encouraged," he said.

Public transport would be allowed within a district with 50 percent occupancy and no standing passengers, Vijayan said. The Chief Minister further said except in containment zones, there would be no restrictions within the district for travelling.

"In four-wheelers, driver plus two passengers or three from a family will be allowed. In three-wheelers, its driver plus one passenger or maximum three from a family. On two-wheelers, pillion ride is allowed only for a family member," Vijayan said.

He said inter-district travel would be allowed between 7 am and 7 pm for which there was no need to get a pass, but people need to carry an identity card. Travel to faraway districts would require a pass, he said.

Malls would not be open, but 50 percent of shops within shopping complexes can function as decided by the shopping complex management in consultation with local self-government institutions,Vijayan said.

"Barber shops and beauty parlours can open without AC with not more than two waiting customers. Liquor outlets would open as and when the online system is ready. Bars can sell liquor and food as a parcel. Licensed clubs can also sell liquor and food to their members," he said.

People would not be allowed to travel in and out of a containment zone. But in case of an emergency, travel would be permitted, but 14 days home quarantine or institutional quarantine would be essential.

All government offices would function with 50 percent attendance and the rest would work from home.Police stations would also function with 50 percent staff.

Till further notice, all Saturdays would be a holiday for government offices, Vijayan said adding that government employees who are not able to travel long distances should report to the District Collector near their residence within two days and they would be deployed for COVID-19 related work within the district.

Marriage functions would be allowed with a maximum attendance of 50 people and in funerals not more than 20 people should participate.

All religious places would continue to be closed and Sundays would be observed as complete lockdown day,he said.
In the context of COVID-19, France has announced that it will provide 200 million to India to support vulnerable sections of the society. President Trump has said that the US will airlift 200 ventilators to India costing $2.6 million. Earlier, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agreed to provide $3.6 million to assist India's response to coronavirus. The World Banks total commitment to Indias COVID-19 response has reached $2 billion. To strengthen the Indian health system, the China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a loan of $500 million.

For more than a decade, the narrative has been that as a rising power, India has become a major aid provider rather than a recipient of development aid. In fact, provision of development assistance abroad has become an important part of Indian foreign policy. Is it now changing because COVID-19? A careful analysis of development data reveals that the shift was already underway in the last few years, much before COVID-19 arrived on the scene.

While answering a question in the Loka Sabha in March 2017, the Minister of State for External Affairs, General V K Singh asserted that in the last three years, India has provided more aid to foreign countries than it has received. The figures, provided were about grants-in-aid rather than soft loans. Still, from 2005 onwards, Indian development profile was moving more towards provider of development cooperation.

Indian development activities abroad broadly fall under three major headings. These include lines of credit (LOCs), capacity-building, particularly the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, and bilateral grant assistance projects.

Since 2002, the EXIM Bank has signed 259 LOCs covering more than sixty countries in Africa, Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Latin America, with credit commitments of more than $25 billion. Majority of these LOCs have gone to African countries and are concentrated in the infrastructure sector. They have enabled Indian exporters to penetrate new markets and promoted Indian technology abroad. LOCs have helped in creating goodwill for India and also counterbalanced the growing Chinese influence, particularly in Africa.

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Under capacity building programmes, more than 10,000 personnel from other developing countries come to India every year for training.

Grant assistance projects are being implemented mainly in South Asia and Africa. Due to growing uncertainty, India has not announced any major new project in Afghanistan. Still, its commitments in Africa are growing. Recently, India committed $10 million to the SAARC Coronavirus Emergency Fund and also to provide medical supplies to other developing countries.

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which monitors global aid data also includes soft loans in the Official Development Assistance (ODA), the term used for development aid. Earlier, those concessional loans where the grant element was at least 25 percent were included under ODA. More recently, only the grant-equivalent of loans would be recorded as ODA.

As per latest OECD-DAC data, in 2017 and 2018, India has been the largest recipient of gross ODA in the world. In these two years, India received about $4 billion each year. Other major recipients viz. Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria and Bangladesh received lower amount than India. India, of course received more soft loans (more than $3 billion a year) than grants. The grant elements were larger in the case of some other developing countries in Asia and Africa. Today, India is the number one recipient of aid from Japan and Germany. It also receives significant assistance from the European Union, France and the US. Aid from the UK has declined in recent years.

India is not a member of the OECD. Similar to other BRICS countries, New Delhi also does not follow OECDs ODA definitions for its development aid abroad. Still, the OECD tries to capture these donors outflows under the category  ODA-like flows. Indias ODA-like flows in 2016 and 2017 were $1.7 billion and $3 billion respectively. Similar figures for China were $3.6 billion and $4.6 billion in these years. In 2017, India also provided $1.1 billion to multilateral organizations like the Asian Development Bank, AIIB and the World Bank.

These figures indicate that Indian development assistance dynamics has already been under transformation in the last few years. Soft loans have been increasing mainly to fund new infrastructure and renewable projects. The COVID-19 situation may push India further to secure more assistance and soft loans under various bilateral or multilateral windows. Although India will continue to be engaged in its development activities abroad, its own development needs will also be growing. We may witness some new trends in Indias development aid dynamics in the coming years.
By AFP

GENEVA: China supports an independent inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic after it is "brought under control", President Xi Jinping said Monday, as Europe accelerated its reopenings with landmarks Saint Peter's Basilica and the Acropolis in Athens welcoming visitors again.

ALSO READ| Italy, Vatican open new post-COVID lockdown phase with churches resuming public Masses

After weeks dogged by allegations from the US and elsewhere that Beijing had covered up the virus' origins, Xi insisted during the World Health Assembly that China has "always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude".

More than 4.7 million people have tested positive and 315,270 killed by the disease since it emerged in Wuhan late last year, according to an AFP tally.

Russia offered a glimpse of hope as it reported that growth in new cases had been halted, and US biotech firm Moderna reported "positive interim" results in the first clinical tests of its vaccine against the new coronavirus. But fears were growing over soaring infections in Brazil, India and South Africa.

The COVID-19 outbreak "must be a wake-up call," UN chief Antonio Guterres told the same virtual assembly, as he called out countries for failing to heed warnings from the World Health Organization about the virus.

"Different countries have followed different, sometimes contradictory strategies and we are all paying a heavy price," Guterres said, singling out in particular those who "ignored the recommendations" of the WHO.

ALSO READ| China announces USD 2 billion in coronavirus help at WHO assembly

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the pandemic has left a trail of economic destruction as governments shut borders, schools, offices and shops to halt transmission of the virus. With infection tolls slowing, Europe's worst hit countries are gingerly returning to normal.

World-famous landmarks like Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and the Athens Acropolis joined a slew of reopenings in Europe, alongside other churches, shops and restaurants which were allowed to welcome the public again.

Italy, once the hardest-hit country in the world, saw the first such openings after more than two months of lockdown, although the public reacted cautiously. "There's no-one here. Closed or open it's the same thing," lamented Raimondo Ricci, owner of the tourist favourite Sant' Eustachio Il Caffe near Rome's Piazza Navona.

In Venice, where gondolas returned to the waters again albeit with the gondoliers wearing with gloves and masks, locals heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's good news, a sign of everyone's desire to get back to normal as soon as possible, but without ever lowering our guard in order to defeat the virus once and for all," said Giovanni Giusto, city councillor for the Protection of Traditions.

Foreign ministers from more than 10 European nations were set for talks Monday on whether some of this year's vital summer tourist trade could be saved. And Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France were to hold a joint press conference on their plans to kick-start the European Union's economy.

But governments must walk a fine line between repairing the vast economic damage unleashed by the pandemic while preventing new infections that would force another round of restrictions.

ALSO READ| India supports move at WHO Assembly to seek origin of coronavirus

South America, Africa hit hard

UN chief Guterres warned that the eye of the storm is turning to the southern hemisphere, where its impact might be "even more devastating". The latest data has focussed fears concerning South America and Africa.

Deaths in Brazil have risen sharply in recent days, and with more than 241,000 infections reached over the weekend, South America's largest country now has the fourth-highest caseload in the world.

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed lockdowns for unnecessarily hurting the Brazilian economy and defied social distancing measures, but experts and regional leaders have warned that healthcare infrastructure could collapse.

Latin America and the Caribbean have recorded more than half a million infections, almost half of them in Brazil, and there is growing alarm about the impact of the virus on the least privileged in the region. Ecuador reported the first COVID-19 case in one of its indigenous Amazon tribes, deepening the crisis in one of South America's hardest-hit countries.

Nicaraguan hospital staff have said the country's health system is overwhelmed with patients suffering from respiratory illnesses and relatives say the bodies of loved ones are being carted off in pick-up trucks for "express burials" without their consent.

"Mourners are forced to chase trucks with the coffin to find out where their loved ones are being buried. Relatives are threatened by police or paramilitaries so that they do not tell the truth about the causes of death," the opposition National Coalition said in a statement denouncing government secrecy.

There was also grim data in Africa, where the number of infections rose rapidly. South Africa on Sunday reported 1,160 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since the first case was recorded in March, taking the total to 15,515 -- the highest on the continent.

In Asia, India extended its lockdown covering 1.3 billion people to the end of May as it reported its biggest single-day jump in infections on Sunday.

ALSO READ| Over 70 COVID cases reported at France schools days after re-opening

Deep economic pain

COVID-19 has left the world economy facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression, with Japan announcing its first recession since 2015 -- new evidence of the deep economic damage.

US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warned that the world's biggest economy is also going to suffer a massive downturn. "The data we'll see for this quarter, which ends in June, will be very, very bad. There'll be a big decline in economic activity, big increase in unemployment," Powell said. He added that a full recovery may not happen without a vaccine.

In American virus hotspot New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the public to safeguard the state's tentative reopening by proactively seeking coronavirus tests, himself undergoing a nasal swab on live TV on Sunday.

In one Brooklyn park, circles were spray-painted on the grass to encourage social distancing among people basking in the spring sunshine.
Coronavirus widens climate rift between European and U.S. oil majors FILE PHOTO: A combination of file photos shows the logos of five of the largest publicly traded oil companies BP Chevron Exxon Mobil Royal Dutch Shell,and Total

By Ron Bousso and Shadia Nasralla

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's top oil and gas companies have diverted a larger share of their cash to green energy projects since the coronavirus outbreak in a bet the global health crisis will leave a long-term dent in fossil fuel demand, according to a Reuters review of company statements and interviews with executives.

The plans of companies like BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Total are in step with the European Union's efforts to transition to a lower-carbon economy and away from a century-old reliance on oil, and reflect the region's widening rift with the United States where both the government and the top drillers are largely staying committed to oil and gas.

"We are all living differently and there is a real possibility that some of this will stick," BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney told Reuters in a recent interview, citing big declines in air and road travel, and a boost in telecommuting.

Global oil majors have all cut capital spending sharply as worldwide stay-at-home orders triggered by the coronavirus outbreak slammed fuel demand and sent oil prices to record lows.

But Europe's top five producers - BP, Shell, Total, Eni, and Equinor - are all focusing their investment cuts mainly on oil and gas activities, and giving their renewables and low carbon businesses a relative boost, according to Reuters calculations.

European oil majors' 2020 spending tilts green https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/yzdvxowmqpx/eikon.png

Company executives and investors say they expect fossil fuel demand to peak earlier than previously thought. At the same time, the EU is expected to focus economic stimulus on green energy infrastructure in the wake of the crisis to further align it with the ambitions of the Paris agreement to fight climate change, making investments in the sector more attractive.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently pledged to make climate policies the bloc's "motor for the recovery.

Story continues

BP aims to keep its previously planned $500 million in spending on low-carbon initiatives this year intact, despite a company-wide spending cut of 20% in the wake of the coronavirus, its incoming Chief Financial Officer Murray Auchincloss said in an analyst call on April 28.

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, meanwhile, told reporters in an April 30 conference call he also wants to "spare" the company's New Energy division, which is focused on renewables and low-carbon technologies, from the worst of its budget cuts.

"We still believe there is an energy transition under way that may pick up speed in the recovery stage and we want to be well-positioned," van Beurden said.

Total still plans to spend its previously planned $1.5-$2 billion on its low-carbon business, despite cutting its overall 2020 spending by $3 billion to $15 billion, CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in an interview with French paper Le Figaro on May 6.

"The three European (majors) are going to the low-carbon neutrality," said Phillipe Sauquet, Totals president for gas, renewables and power.

"Our future is more and more low-carbon sales, more and more electricity business, more and more renewables."

Total became a leading player in the Iberian power market on Monday after a deal with Energias de Portugal.

European oil majors' power ambitions https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/gjnvweonwvw/Oil%20Majors%20power%20ambitions.png

Equinor and Eni also both expressed a continued commitment to their plans to transition to clean energy. An Equinor spokesman confirmed the company is not changing its planned $1 billion of investment in renewables and low carbon energy in 2020 and 2021, despite cuts elsewhere.

Equinor, Shell and Total also announced on May 15 they are investing in a project in Norway to capture and store carbon.

Even after the rejigged spending, investments in renewables and low-carbon technologies for the top five European oil companies represents no more than 15% of total investments, and climate advocates are pressuring the companies to do more.

The group had already outlined plans to sharply reduce carbon emissions by 2050 prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

Some investor said, however, that these plans fall short of the Paris climate goals.

London-based investor Sarasin & Partners said that neither Shell or Total "has set out how they will shift capital away from expanding fossil fuel production to the extent required by their ambitions."

TRANS-ATLANTIC RIFT

The biggest U.S. oil and gas companies are taking a different path, encouraged by a government that is a vocal supporter of expanding fossil fuel production: investment in business ventures outside petroleum hardly register, and that is not going to change without a shift in government policy.

Chevron CEO Mike Wirth told investors in a conference call on May 1 he expects demand for oil and gas to rebound after the coronavirus pandemic lifts.

"The world is not ready to transition to another source of energy in large part anytime soon," he said.

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods echoed the view in a call with analysts on the same day.

"I know that there are a lot of different views on what the future holds, but I want to be clear on how we see it: The long-term fundamentals that drive our business have not changed."

Exxon shareholder activists unhappy with the company's broad rejection of climate proposals in recent years have been pushing recently to strip Woods of his dual chairman role.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents all the largest U.S. oil and gas drillers as well as Shell, BP and Total, said it also views the coronavirus outbreaks impact on fossil fuel demand as a blip.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has long cast doubt on the science of climate change and has decided to pull out of the Paris climate agreement citing the economic cost. The administration is also contemplating ways to pump billions into its oil and gas sector through tax breaks to preserve an industry that rapidly grew over the past decade.

The yawning transatlantic divide offers investors a troubling choice, according to analysts.

On the one hand, aligning with international commitments to the Paris deal seems like a "safe choice", according to Bruce Duguid, head of stewardship Hermes Equity Ownership Services.

On the other hand, the deeply depressed prices for fossil fuels since the onset of the coronavirus could make it the easy choice for consumers as economies recover.

"At the moment it is not clear who is right," said Tal Lomnitzer, senior investment manager at Janus Henderson. "It is possible that Exxon and Chevron will emerge from the other side of the crisis looking like heroes. Or possibly irresponsible."

(Additional reporting by Kate Abnett in Brussles, Valerie Volcovici in Washington, Stephen Jewkes in Milan, Bate Felix in Paris; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Marguerita Choy)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is pushing for revisions in fare collection in public utility vehicles to help prevent more infections during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Sinusulong na po natin ang [We are pushing for] cashless transactions for taxis and TNVS," LTFRB Chairperson Martin Delgra said at the Laging Handa briefing Monday.

Delgra said they have met with companies to explore cashless transaction options for passengers to "reduce, if not avoid, transmission of the virus," adding that they were looking to enforce a similar option for buses.

He said such a policy was already being discussed even before the pandemic.

"Ito pong programa na ito, hindi po ito bago. Even before this pandemic came into our lives, sinusulong na po natin ito as part of our modernization program of our public transport. Ngayon lang nagiging urgent itong pangangailangan to go cashless. Kaya mabilis at pinaigting pa natin yung polisiya for all public transport to go cashless," he explained.

[Translation: This program is nothing new. Even before this pandemic came into our lives, we've been pushing for it as part of our modernization program of our public transport. It's only now that the need to go cashless has become urgent. Thats why we prioritized and intensified the policy for all public transport to go cashless.]

With public health and safety as the primary concern, Delgra said they are also working with bus companies to keep a manifesto of all passengers that will record, among others, their name and phone number. He added that the system may soon be adopted by all PUVs.

"Part of the safety protocol is contact tracing measures that would be in place for public transport systems. Unang-una po sa bus, sa bus po minandato po natin na pag lalabas na po sila, papayagan na po sila sa mga lugar na pwede na silang tumakbo, kailangan po meron silang manifesto ng mga pasahero," he said.

[Translation: Part of the safety protocol is contact tracing measures that would be in place for public transport systems. In buses, we mandated that when they are allowed to ply their routes, they are obliged to keep a manifesto of their passengers.]

Passengers, meanwhile, are also requested to keep track of the PUVs they ride in, in case contact tracing becomes necessary after a co-passenger tests positive for the coronavirus.

"This is a shared responsibility by all and for all. Hindi lang po sa gobyerno ito na sinuslong, pati na rin po sa ating mga stakeholders, lalong-lalo na sa mga pampublikong sasakyan. I hope they comply and we are mandating them to comply," he said.

[Translation: This is a shared responsibility by all and for all. This isn't just for the government, but for the stakeholders, especially public transport. I hope they comply and we are mandating them to comply.]

Shuttle services encouraged

In MECQ areas, shuttle services are the only public transportation options allowed.

LIST: Businesses allowed to reopen in Metro Manila, areas under modified ECQ by May 16

Shuttle services are preferred because companies are assured that workers are able to arrive on time. It also means their employees would have no other interactions using other modes of transport.
Tokyo, May 18 : Alibaba Co-founder Jack ma has stepped down from the board of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group after serving it for nearly 13 years, the company announced on Monday.

The heavily indebted SoftBank did not give any reason but Ma has slowly been moving away from daily roles towards philanthropic work.

Ma is close with SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son.

Son invested $20 million in Alibaba in 2000 - a bet that turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public in 2014, according to CNN.

SoftBank has since sold some shares, but its 25.1 per cent stake in Alibaba was still worth more than $133 billion.

Ma is the only director out of SoftBank Group's current 11 directors who is leaving the position.

SoftBank also said it nominated three new board directors for election at the shareholders meeting: SoftBank Group chief financial officer Yoshimitsu Goto; Cadence Design Systems chief executive Lip-Bu Tan; and Waseda Business School professor Yuko Kawamoto.

Ma stepped down as Chairman of the multi-billion dollar e-commerce behemoth Alibaba in September last year.

Ma resigned as Alibaba's CEO on May 10, 2013.
Chinese troops have bolstered their border control measures in the Galwan Valley in the Aksai Chin region of the Sino-India border, official media here reported on Monday.

The Chinese action followed "India's recent, illegal construction of defence facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region," a write-up in the state-run Global Times tabloid said, quoting unnamed military sources.

"Since early May, India has been crossing the boundary line in the Galwan Valley region and entering Chinese territory. The Indian side built defence fortifications and obstacles to disrupt Chinese border defence troops' normal patrol activities, the report claimed.

There was no immediate reaction from either the Ministry of External Affairs or the Indian military.

A military official in New Delhi on condition of anonymity said such incidents happen along the un-demarcated Sino-India border due to the varying perceptions of the frontier by the two sides.

On May 5, around 250 Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed in Pangong Tso lake area in Eastern Ladakh. Four days later, there was a similar face-off near Naku La Pass in North Sikkim.

Reacting to the two border incidents, India last week said it remained committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border with China noting that such incidents could have been avoided if there was a common perception about the frontier.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on May 14 that India and China attach utmost importance to ensuring peace and tranquillity in all areas of Sino-India border regions and referred to affirmation about it by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their two informal summits.

"Occasionally, however, on account of difference in perception of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the Line of Control (LAC)," he said.

The LAC is the de-facto border between the two nations.

He further said, "The Indian side remains committed to the objective of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas."



When asked about the latest incidents, Indian Army chief Gen M M Naravane said the Indian troops were maintaining their "posture" along the border with China while infrastructure development in the areas was also on track.

"There were two incidents at Eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim where aggressive behaviour by both sides resulted in minor injuries to troops post which both sides disengaged after dialogue and interaction at the local level," he said last week.

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in the Doklam tri-junction in 2017.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control, the de-facto border between the two countries. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi held their first informal summit in April 2018 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, months after the Doklam standoff.

During the summit, the two leaders decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding.

Modi and Xi held their second informal summit in Mamallapuram near Chennai in October last year with a focus on further broadening bilateral ties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Midland ISD has nearly $5 million in the first draft of the 2020-21 budget dedicated for digital devices for students and teachers.

And Superintendent Orlando Riddick said last week that the investment likely will not stop there.

The effort to push the classroom experience beyond MISDs buildings has exposed the communitys technological shortcomings, specifically out in the county. The district has tried hot spots  purchasing more than 1,000  and turned its school buses into WiFi delivery vehicles, but Riddick said during the school boards meeting Wednesday that what is needed is cellphone towers.

He said the right combination for more access is hooking students up with the right type of devices  which will be tablets for kindergarteners through second-graders and laptops for students in third through 12th grade  and the ability to access the internet.

Paying for that WiFi push

To make the virtual classroom more reliable and more accessible, Riddick told the board of two options. The first is a partnership with the city and county to bring Wi-Fi, specifically Wi-Fi 6, to more people and inside more buildings.

He also said that the district has to think even bigger, including the purchase of a cellphone tower or Wi-Fi tower. He said that strategy has been employed by smaller districts. He also said he and MISD staff had meetings planned with districts outside the state  he mentioned Indiana and Arizona -- to see what other districts are contemplating.

He said instead of using hot spot devices  and the monthly fee which comes with them  the district could get a tower and the coverage area they bring.

As far as the laptops and tablets, Riddick said he expects those will be ready in January. He said it was important to make sure devices could meet the capacity of what were building logistically and that means pushing Wi-Fi 6, which current laptops arent able to do.
Everyone over the age of five with coronavirus symptoms across the UK is now eligible for a test, Matt Hancock has announced.

The health secretary said that the testing programme would be expanded from key workers and the over-65s, meaning that those showing signs of Covid-19 will be able to either book a test at a drive-through centre or request a home kit.

But Mr Hancock faced criticism over the test-and-trace system as he refused to set a date for the programme to start  after Downing Street said the next stage of lockdown-easing could begin without it.

There are also fears that the expansion of the testing policy will mean greater demand on key chemicals that laboratories say are already in short supply.

Mr Hancock told the House of Commons: Every day we are creating more capacity and that means more people can be tested, and the virus has fewer places to hide.

Today, I can announce to the house that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test. That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.

Recommended Boris Johnson under fire over promised workplace inspections

Anyone with a new continuous cough, a high temperature or the loss or change of sense of taste or smell can book a test by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Mr Hancock claimed his benchmark of 100,000 Covid-19 tests had been hit on Sunday, although this includes tens of thousands in the post and not yet administered.

From a tiny number of tests at the start of the pandemic in March, the UKs programme had been scaled at breathtaking pace into a global champion, he claimed.

But Allan Wilson, president of the Institute for Biomedical Scientists, which represents NHS laboratory staff, said the announcement on testing expansion was more of the same from the government, with what he described as reactive announcements and creating new targets rather than concentrating on a full testing strategy.

Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Show all 18 1 /18 Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jackie Wilson, a healthcare assistant, wearing PPE before going into rooms Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, speaks to a carer at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Carers working at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A care worker wearing PPE opens a drink carton Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, sits with a carer Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A care staff member wearing PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member at Newfield Nursing Home looks after a resident SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer wearing PPE uses a speaker Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer helps Jack Dodsley, 79, from his chair Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer wearing PPE helps Jack Dodsley, 79 Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A carer brings food to a resident at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jack Dodsley, 79, with a carer in PPE Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A staff member puts on PPE at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside Jackie Wilson, a healthcare assistant, puts on PPE before she enters a room SWNS Care home hit by coronavirus: A rare glimpse of life inside A bench at Newfield Nursing Home Tom Maddick/SWNS

He added: It is just reacting again and standing at a podium, making an announcement instead of having a proper sit-down conversation about the priorities. Are we prioritising anyone over the age of five, key workers or on a first-come-first-served basis?

Mr Wilson said the announcement would increase pressure on the governments Lighthouse Laboratories, which carry out the coronavirus testing, rather than the NHS. But he added: We are still competing with them for the same reagents for the test. The supply chain is still very hand-to-mouth.

The Lighthouse Labs dont seem to be able to get much above the 100,000 tests a day and its not clear where this extra capacity is coming from.

In recent days there have been problems with testing and data from the commercial labs being made available to local health officials.

Mr Hancock also came under pressure over how long it takes for test results to come back, ducking a question from Jonathan Ashworth, Labours shadow health spokesperson, asking for the average wait for returns from the private firms running the drive-through facilities.

Mr Hancock also strongly denied delays of 96 hours  when Rushanara Ali, a Labour backbencher, warned it would put people at risk  but was unable to give an alternative figure.

The health secretary said there were now 21,000 contact tracers in England  including 7,500 health care professionals to help the call handlers, more than the 3,000 originally suggested.

They will help manually trace the contacts of anyone whos had a positive test and advise them on whether they need to isolate. They have rigorous training, he said.

Earlier, Boris Johnsons spokesperson, when asked when tracing would be fully operational, said only that this would happen in the coming weeks.

Jonathan Ashworth demanded a date for it starting  and details for how people in contact with carriers would isolate  but Mr Hancock swerved both questions.

And Mr Hancock again dismissed growing criticism that care home residents were put at risk after patients were moved there from hospitals without being tested, helping to explain the high deaths rate there.

There has been no large-scale removal of people from hospitals into care homes, as has been implied by some, he told MPs. Those movements have been done with care.

And on care homes he again played down that 38 per cent have suffered Covid-19 cases, saying: The majority of care homes have not had outbreak at all.
MediaTek Dimensity 820 5G SoC With Up To 80MP Camera Support Announced News oi-Vivek

MediaTek has announced yet another upper mid-range 5G smartphone chipset -- the Dimensity 820 based on 7nm fabrication. The latest processor from MTK offers better performance when compared to the Dimensity 800, thanks to higher CPU clock speeds.

The MediaTek Dimensity 820 is an octa-core processor with four high-performance cores based on ARM Cortex-A76 with a clock speed of 2.6GHz and four efficient cores based on ARM Cortex-A55 with a clock speed of 2GHz.

The chipset comes with the Arm Mali G57 MC5 GPU with support for HyperEngine 2.0 that promises to enhance the gaming performance of the smartphone by keeping the device cool. At max, the processor can drive an FHD+ resolution screen with up to 120Hz refresh rate.

The custom MediaTek APU 3.0 can offer up to 300% faster ETHZ AI benchmark performance compared to the competition and AI also helps with some of the camera-centric features like objects, scenes, or people recognition.

The ISP on the MediaTek Dimensity 820 SoC can support up to 80MP single camera or a dual-camera setup (32+16MP) along with 4K video recording support. This reaffirms that a phone with the Dimensity 820 SoC could feature a 48MP or a 64MP camera. The Redmi Note 10 or the Redmi Note 10 Pro is expected to be the first smartphone to feature this processor.

In terms of connectivity, the built-in 5G modem supports 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. The model supports MediaTek 5G UltraSave Network Detection and MediaTek 5G UltraSave Content Detection along with Dynamic BWP and C-DRX (Connected Mode DRX). These technologies make sure that the chipset will consume less power even when the device is connected to a 5G network and receiving/sending a huge chunk of data.

The processor also supports dual-SIM 5G (5G+5G) with VoNR (Voice or New Radio) technology developed to offer calling services between two 5G devices. Additional connectivity features like Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11/ac are also supported on the Dimensity 820 SoC.

A Capable Mid-Range 5G Processor

Looking at the specs-sheet, the MediaTek Dimensity 820 looks like a capable 5G processor that is likely to be featured on many mid-range smartphones. The processor will be competing against the likes of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G and the HiSilicon Kirin 820.

Best Mobiles in India

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305 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on May 18, lower number due to fewer tests processed at a laboratory

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 305 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of 12 pm on May 18. The lower number of cases is partly due to fewer tests being processed at a particular laboratory.

The lower number of cases today is partly due to fewer tests being processed as one testing laboratory is reviewing its processes following an earlier apparatus calibration issue, and will need time to ramp up its testing capacity, said the ministry.

Photo courtesy: Facebook/Lawrence Wong

Of the new cases, the vast majority are Work Permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories. Two new cases are reported in the locally community, with both being Singaporeans/ Permanent Residents.

MOH said the number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of 7 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 3 per day in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has remained stable at an average of 2 per day in the past two weeks.

The national tally of cases stands at 28,343. Singapore has seen 22 deaths due to COVID-19 complications.

The countrys circuit breaker measures are expected to start lifting on June 1. The MOH said on Sunday that the number of new cases in the community has decreased to an average of three per day in the last week while the number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased to an average of two per day.
The Defence ministry on Monday said key recommendations of a high-level panel to speed up creation of key infrastructure along the border areas are being implemented.

A committee headed by Lt Gen DB Shekatkar (retd) recommended a series of reforms for the three armed forces as well as to boost border infrastructure.

In the last few years, the government has been focusing on enhancing road networks along the country's nearly 3,500 KM border with China.

"The government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of committee of experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border infrastructure. These were related to speeding up road construction," the ministry said in a statement.

In August 2017, the defence ministry approved 65 reform measures for the Indian Army, which included redeployment of nearly 57,000 officers and personnel of other ranks, based on the recommendations of the Shekatkar committee.

The reform measures included optimisation of signal establishments, closure of military farms and army postal wing in peace locations, as well as restructuring of repair echelons, including base workshops.

"The government has implemented recommendation of CoE to outsource road construction work beyond optimal capacity of Border Roads Organisation. It has been made mandatory to adopt Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) mode for execution of all works costing more than Rs 100 crore," the ministry said.

Under EPC mode, contractors are liable to pay fine for failing to meet deadlines in execution of projects.

"The other recommendation relating to introduction of modern construction plants, equipment and machinery has been implemented by delegating enhanced procurement powers from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 100 crore to Border Road Organisation," it said.

The ministry said new technology is also being adopted in laying of roads in border areas as recommended by the CoE.

"The land acquisition and all statutory clearances like forest and environmental clearance are also made part of approval of detailed project report (DPR). Further, with the adoption of EPC mode of execution, it is mandatory to award work only when 90 per cent of the statutory clearances have been obtained," the ministry said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Associated Press

GENEVA: China will provide USD 2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic, President Xi Jinping said on Monday, rallying around the World Health Organization and its efforts even as the Trump administration has slashed funding for the UN health agency.

The European Union's 27-member bloc and other countries, meanwhile, called for an independent evaluation of WHO's initial response to the coronavirus pandemic "to review experience gained and lessons learned".

In a speech to the World Health Assembly, Xi said that China had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus' genetic sequence, "in a most timely fashion". "We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need," Xi said.

ALSO READ| India supports move at WHO Assembly to seek origin of coronavirus

Xi said that the USD 2 billion over the next two years will support COVID-19 response efforts, particularly in developing countries.

The EU resolution proposes that the independent evaluation should be initiated "at the earliest appropriate moment" and should, among other issues, examine "the actions of WHO and their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic".

WHO announced the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on January 30, its highest level of alert. In the following weeks, WHO warned countries there was a narrowing "window of opportunity" to prevent the virus from spreading globally.

However, WHO officials repeatedly described the transmission of the virus as "limited" and said it wasn't as transmissible as flu; experts have since said COVID-19 spreads even faster. It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere.

ALSO READ| European Union calls for independent probe of WHO's response to COVID-19 pandemic

Xi said that he also supported the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19. "This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by WHO and conducted in objective and impartial manner," he said.


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European markets ended higher on Monday, with investors picking up stocks, reacting positively to news about Italy, New York and Spain moving to ease quarantine restrictions and reopening more businesses.



Markets also benefited from higher crude oil prices and comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the economic downturn could last another year and a half, but this will not be another Great Depression.



'It's going to be a very sharp downturn,' Powell said on CBS' 'Face the Nation' that aired on Sunday. He said the U.S. would have a slow recovery from what he called 'biggest shock' that the economy's had in living memory.



However, he added, 'It should be a much shorter downturn than you would associate with the 1930s.'



Traders were also betting on hopes of more stimulus from governments and central banks, and optimism about a potential coronavirus vaccine sometime soon after biotech firm Moderna said its experimental vaccine had produced antibodies in all 45 trial participants.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have reportedly agreed on a huge European Recovery Fund that would offer grants to regions and sectors mostly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.



The pan European Stoxx 600 climbed up 4.07%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended 4.29% up, Germany's DAX surged up 5.67% and France's CAC 40 jumped 5.16%, while Switzerland's SMI advanced 2.72%.



Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden moved up 3 to 6%.



Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Norway and Turkey gained 1.2 to 3%.



In the U.K. market, Carnival and TUI both gained nearly 13.5%. Anglo American surged up more than 11% and IAG ended higher by about 10.3%.



EasyJet, Fresnillo, Centrica, Intercontinental, Whitbread, Rolls-Royce Holdings, BHP Group, Rio Tinto, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, M&G, Glencore, CRH, Melrose and Barclays gained 7 to 10%.



In the German market, Thyssenkrupp soared 12.5%. Daimler surged up 10.7%, while Wirecard, Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen, BMW, Adidas, Continental and Infineon Technologies gained 7 to 10%.



BASF, Fresenius, Allianz, Deutsche Post, Covestro, HeidelbergCement, Merck and RWE also posted strong gains.



In France, Airbus Group, Unibail Rodamco, Technip, Valeo, Societe Generale, Saint Gobain, Vinci, Safran, BNP Paribas, Bouygues, ArcelorMittal, Credit Agricole and Michelin gained 6 to 12.5%.



In economic news, the euro area economy will not return to pre-pandemic level until 2021, European Central Bank Executive Board Philip Lane said in an interview with El Pais.



The future depends much on how quickly the restrictions on economic activity can be eased and also how people adapt to living with the coronavirus.



'From today's perspective, it looks in any case unlikely that economic activity will return to its pre-crisis level before 2021, if not later,' Lane said.



The banker said the ECB is continuously monitoring the situation and are ready to adjust all instruments if necessary.



In its monthly report released today, Germany's Bundesbank said the German economy is set to see a significant fall in the second quarter despite easing of coronavirus containment measures.



'Despite the easing measures that have been introduced, social and economic life in Germany is still far from what was previously considered normal,' the bank said.



The largest euro area economy had entered a technical recession in the first quarter with the GDP contracting 2.2%, the biggest since the global financial crisis in 2008-09.



Bundesbank said the prospects for the labor market for the coming months are also poor.



According to a survey from IHS Markit, UK household finances remained under severe pressure in May. The Household Finance Index, which measures households' overall perceptions of financial well-being, came in at 37.8 in May, up only slightly from April's eight-and-a-half year low of 34.9.



UK household finances remained under severe pressure in May, survey data from IHS Markit showed Monday.



The Household Finance Index, which measures households' overall perceptions of financial well-being, came in at 37.8 in May, up only slightly from April's eight-and-a-half year low of 34.9.



Although the index rose from April, the figure remained indicative of a strong degree of pessimism towards the outlook for financial health.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Boise, Idaho, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Snake River Farms, a brand owned by Agri Beef Co, a family owned company headquartered in Boise, Idaho for over fifty years, has donated steaks in value of $8 million to medical workers on the front-line of COVID-19 and food banks in partnership with organizations that serve the restaurant and hospitality industry. The donations took place in cities hard-hit by novel coronavirus including New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco with approximately 200,000 steaks distributed to recipients in these cities.

From coast to coast we have witnessed communities coming together to help each other, said Jay Theiler, Executive Director of Marketing at Snake River Farms. It took an extraordinary effort from our distributor partners who cut, packaged, and delivered these steaks to the non-profits and their volunteers, who mobilized, arranged, and distributed the nearly 200,000 American Wagyu steaks, to those working on the front-line and those in need.

Theres only one way well get through this crisis  together, said Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles. Hospitality workers are making extraordinary sacrifices right now, and were grateful for the spirit of caring and community that Snake River Farms and Newport Meat are showing with this generous donation.

In New York, the Snake River Farms American Wagyu steaks were delivered by Prime Food Distributor to Northwell Healths 23 hospitals to thank the front-line medical responders who have been leading the fight 24/7 in the battle against the novel coronavirus.

The Emergency Medicine Service Line is grateful for the generous donation from Prime Food and Snake River Farms. Our teams are working hard in the emergency departments every day and every night because we believe in caring for our communities. To see that caring reciprocated is outstanding," said Dr. John DAngelo, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Emergency Medicine Services at Northwell Health.

In Seattle, Snake River Farms American Wagyu steaks were delivered by Pacific Seafood and in San Francisco and Los Angeles the steaks were delivered by Newport Meat to benefit restaurant employees in both the front and the back of the house who have been particularly hard hit by the double impact of Covid-19 and the shuttering of restaurant establishments.

The steaks have been made available to this affected community through the generous support of local food banks and the collaboration of local labor organizations; Unite HERE Local 11 in LA, UNITE HERE Local 8 in Seattle, as well as with support of La Cocina and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and its members in the Bay Area.

Its times like these when we need to rely on each other as a community and provide mutual aid. Were so thankful to Snake River Farms for donating food to the La Cocina community at a difficult time when many of our food entrepreneurs are barely staying afloat. Food donations, relief funds, pivoting to these new streams of revenue its all a necessary band-aid to the hit these businesses have taken from the pandemic, but what were hoping for the future is that we can band together to create a truly equitable and just industry that protects and takes care of its people, said Consuelo Reyes Lopez of La Cocina.

About Snake River Farms / Agri Beef Co.

Snake River Farms is a premium brand produced by Agri Beef Co., a family-owned business headquartered in Boise, ID for over fifty years. Their livestock are raised on ranches throughout the Northwest and their proprietary herd of American Wagyu cattle is highly regarded as one of the finest in the world. Snake River Farms is involved in every aspect of beef production with a focus on delivering the finest quality eating experience from ranch to table. Snake River Farms is featured on the menus of the finest restaurants and specialty retailers around the world and is also available to order on-line for home-delivery at www.snakeriverfarms.com. #snakeriverfarms, #thesrfexperience



Media Contact:

Melissa Delgadillo

PR Manager, Snake River Farms

208.338.2625

melissa.delgadillo@agribeef.com
The COVID-19 pandemic is stress-testing our individual and collective emotional resiliency as 30 percent of Americans have reported in a recent survey experiencing psychological distress.

As we hunker down in our homes, isolated from family and friends, we are faced with a sense of dread that many are struggling to manage. However, we are no stranger to worry, stress, anxiety and alike, as 1 in 5 Americans have a diagnosable mental health condition and 300,000 Connecticut residents in 2016 experienced serious psychological distress during a 12-month period.

Each year, in the United States, we have nearly 200,000 deaths related to mental health disorders which are either preventable or highly amenable to treatment. That statistic includes 47,000 suicides, 88,000 from alcoholism and 67,000 drug overdoses. In spite of the numbers which portray a public health crisis, we, continuously, lack a sense of urgency.

Unfortunately, this state of affairs is nothing new to those of us working in the healthcare arena. As a behavioral healthcare administrator for more than 20 years, leading two of Fairfield Countys premier non-profits and at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, I have seen firsthand the challenges our families face and the degree to which our system fails us.

COVID-19 serves as the latest reminder of the need for a seismic shake-up. Among youth ages 10 to 24, suicides have increased by 56 percent between 2007 and 2017 making suicides the second leading cause of death trailing only automobile accidents, according to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

We were slow to detect a four-year surge in police officer suicides, 228 deaths in 2019, leaving departments scrambling last fall to develop programs. At present, more officers die from suicide than die in the line of duty. Similarly, we were caught off guard to meet the needs of our military who are high risks for PTSD. Not surprisingly, 6,000 veterans commit suicide each year.

A 2018 study shows that 52 percent of Connecticut residents reside in geographic areas that have a shortage of mental health professionals. While mental health does not discriminate based on race, gender, income and religion, there are significant disparities. The data shows that the negative impact falls hardest on people who have lower income and perhaps a greater degree of daily stress to contend with. Regardless of demographics, we have typically responded sporadically in the face of crises; once the crisis fades so does our resolve to make meaningful sustained change.

So what is the net result of our inaction? The United States currently ranks in the mid-40s globally in terms of life expectancy alongside impoverished countries like Lebanon, Cuba and Chile. There is no doubt according to the experts that mental health is at the core of the problem.

While funding resources are an issue, much of this carnage reflects our collective values and beliefs that gives cover to our inaction and lack of preparation. We are simply ashamed of seeking help even when it is in our hearts to do so. And we are ashamed of our family members and friends needing counseling and medication. We are reluctant to support them in recovery in the same manner routinely provided a loved one battling cancer.

At LifeBridge Community Services, I have had the profound honor of working with a team of clinicians, recovery specialist, case managers, youth instructors and administrative staff working tirelessly during the pandemic. Their commitment is to ensure that people obtain the care they need at this trying time.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Team LifeBridge quickly set up a telephone counseling system, staffed a 24-hour call line, found ways to deliver food vouchers and migrated the agencys Urban Scholars Afterschool Program on-line for middle school children so they can receive support and encouragement they need to learn, grow and thrive. This was no surprise to me. It represents who they are 365 days a year; year in and year out. Likewise, many of our sister agencies have done the same. My heartfelt thanks to all of them.

The prayers of Team LifeBridge goes out to each family member who bear the burden of losing a loved one without being able to hand hold at lifes end. We pray for the health and safety for our nation and for additional testing, new treatments and vaccines. And we pray that something good comes out of this tragedy.

Perhaps we will acknowledge that there is no health without mental health, as the two are interconnected. Hopefully, the widespread emotional pain spurred on by the pandemic will not be forgotten. May our call to action provide us the courage to seek mental health services both proactively and for treatment in confidence knowing that it is a positive life-affirming act.

Lastly, may we have love in our hearts, sufficient to partner with our family, friends and neighbors during their recovery journey absent of shame or judgment.

Alan J. Mathis is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridgeport-based LifeBridge Community Services.
STEARNS COUNTY, MN  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed an enforcement action against a bar owner who has vowed to reopen at least one of his bar locations in spite of Gov. Tim Walz's "Stay Safe Minnesota" executive order.

Walz has directed his cabinet to assemble guidance on how to safely reopen bars, restaurants, barbershops, and salons beginning June 1. However, until then, only takeout and pickup is allowed.



According to a statement from his office, Ellison told the bar owner, Kris Schiffler, that reopening early "would be both dangerous to the public health and in violation" of the statewide order.

According to the complaint, Schiffler has stated that "you have a better chance of getting eaten by a timber wolf or a grizzly bear than getting COVID-19."



Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Minnesota. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.



Schiffler is the owner and manager of six "Shadys" bars: Shadys Hometown Tavern and Event Center in Albany, Shadys Long Shots in Cold Spring, Shadys Bar & Grill in New Munich, and Shadys Silver Spur in St. Martin, all in Stearns County; Shadys Railside in Rice, in Benton County; and Shadys Golden Eagle in Burtrum, in Todd County.

Earlier this month, Schiffler announced his intentions to reopen all of his bars May 18. Ellison's office says he restated his intentions when they initially contacted him May 15.

The next day, however, he said in a video that he wouldn't be able to open due Ellison's threat of a $25,000 fine per violation.

However, after raising more than $160,000 through a GoFundMe campaign, Schiffler announced on Facebook that "Shadys Hometown Tavern in Albany will be open tomorrow, Monday May 18th at Noon!"

The GoFundMe page is now up to more than $189,567 in donations.

"We need our business back just like so many others do," the page states.

Story continues

"This isn't a fight we should HAVE to fight, but it is a fight we are GOING to fight! We are taking a stand to fight for our rights to earn a living, to fight for our employees and their families and to fight for ALL MN SMALL BUSINESSES! In order to do this, we need to raise a minimum of $100,000 for legal fees to bring this to the Supreme Court. We want to ensure that this never, ever happens to any of us again. We want our rights, our freedom and our control back!"

Schiffler in a video Sunday said the Albany bar will enforce social distancing other guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Stearns County COVID-19 hot spot

According to the State of Minnesota COVID-19 dashboard, Stearns County now has the second-higher number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. In the first week of May, COVID-19 cases increased 454 percent in Stearns County, compared to 95.5 percent across the state as a whole.

The county's rate of COVID-19 cases per capita is 2.5 times higher than Hennepin County and 3.5 times higher than Ramsey County.

Read more: Minnesota Starts Reopening Monday: 5 Things To Know

This article originally appeared on the Across Minnesota Patch
LOS ANGELES  Eleven firefighters were injured, three critically, when an explosion erupted during a fire Saturday downtown, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

An additional firefighter was in serious condition, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "Good news is everybodys going to make it," he said.

LAFD medical director Marc Eckstein said four of the firefighters were in an intensive care burn unit at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, a hospital affiliated with the University of Southern California. Two of them were on ventilators, he said.

An initial assessment found the business might be a wholesaler of products used to make concentrated cannabis, a process that usually requires the use of highly flammable butane.

"The occupancy was doing business as Smoke Tokes Wholesale Distributor, reportedly a supplier for those who make butane honey oil," the LAFD said.

"There is butane in that building," Chief Ralph Terrazas said late Saturday. "We saw butane [canisters] out on the street."

The area also includes multiple vape supply stores that sell vitamin E acetate. The address was listed in a 2018 fictitious business name statement as "Smoke Place."

"My thoughts are with our brave @LAFD firefighters," Garcetti tweeted Saturday evening. "Closely tracking this situation as we continue to get more information."

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Twitter, "Grateful for the brave firefighters and first responders on the scene battling these flames tonight."

The first report of a fire was recorded at 6:26 p.m., according to the department.

After firefighters arrived, an explosion was reported, a "mayday" call went out and the blaze might have spread to "multiple buildings," according to a subsequent LAFD statement.

Terrazas said "things didnt seem right" to the senior official at the scene, who told the first responders to retreat.

"The smoke pressure was escalating, the heat was increasing," he said.

Story continues

A witness described the exodus to officials, Terrazas said. "Our firefighters came down the aerialladder from the roof with their turnout coats on fire," he said.

Pamela Sisson, 43, was on her way to her home in the nearby Arts District when she spotted the fire and used her cellphone to capture video.

"It started to feel a little bit dangerous because ash was coming down," she said. "It was becoming increasingly dangerous to stay anywhere near there."

The blaze was put out in less than two hours, the department said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Andrew Blankstein reported from Los Angeles and Dennis Romero from San Diego.
President Donald Trump began the week with more attacks on President Barack Obama, saying his predecessor didn't have 'a clue.'

It was the latest instance of Trump and his allies trying to shift the terrain of the 2020 elections, with the president suggesting his predecessors should be in jail and blaming Obama for shortages in the national medical stockpile and a slow start to coronavirus testing.

Trump issued his latest attack in response to a tweet from One America News Network headlined: 'HHS Secy. Azar: Americas Coronavirus Response Has Been Historic.' It featured comments by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar praising the administration's response.

'True, except to the Fake News Media and a former president who didnt have a clue!' Trump Tweeted.

President Trump began the week tweeting that his predecessor Barack Obama 'doesn't have a clue'

President Donald Trump began the week tweeting that his predecessor Barack Obama 'doesn't have a clue' and called his own administration's coronavirus response 'historic'

Weekend offensive: Donald Trump had spent the weekend rage-tweeting against Obama, apparently going into overdrive after his predecessor used virtual commencement addresses to graduating high-school and college students to warn about the response to coronavirus

Trump's pinned tweet, which remains on top of his feed, says simply: 'OBAMAGATE!'

Trump fired repeated shots at Obama over the weekend  as Obama lobbed public criticism his way during virtual graduation ceremony comments.

'The Obama Administration is turning out to be one of the most corrupt and incompetent in U.S. history,' Trump tweeted. 'Remember, he and Sleepy Joe are the reasons I am in the White House!!!'

Obama has remained largely silent in the past on Trump's actions as president, only issuing veiled indications of disapproval.

In the hour-long televised 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, which is why things are so screwed up,' the 44th President continued, and while he did not mention Trump by name, there was no mistaking who he meant.

Obama's was much more explicit in recording that leaked last week where he called the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus that has now killed 90,000 Americans an 'absolute chaotic disaster.'

Trump claimed as he returned to the White House from a working weekend at Camp David that he had not heard the comments from Obama's commencement address.

President Barack Obama made comments interpreted as swipes at Trump in virtual commencement ceremonies Saturday

'What about Obama's comment? Obama's comment at the graduation ceremony,' a reporter asked of Trump as he disembarked Marine One on the South Lawn.

'I didn't hear it,' Trump said.

When the reporter tried to describe what the comments were, Trump dismissed Obama as 'incompetent.'

'Look, he was an incompetent president That's all I can say. Grossly incompetent,' he asserted.

In another tweet, Trump blamed Obama for the lack of protective medical gear and ventilators in the national stockpile, and once again connected him to early shortages in coronavirus testing, although the virus was not identified until the end of 2019.

'We have done a great job on Ventilators, Testing, and everything else. Were left little by Obama. Over 11 million tests, and going up fast. More than all countries in the world, combined,' Trump wrote.

Trump also tore into Obama and his former vice president, Joe Biden, in an interview with Fox Business which aired in full Sunday.

'This was all Obama. This was all Biden. These people were corrupt  the whole thing was corrupt, and we caught them,' Trump said.

Donald Trump suggested Obama and Biden should face jail time for involvement in the Michael Flynn case  and the president followed up with a tweet insisting he was elected due to his predecessor's 'corrupt' administration.

'It was the greatest political crime in the history of our country,' Trump.

'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.'

He continued: 'It is a disgrace what's happened this is the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country. And people should be going to jail for this stuff and hopefully, a lot of people are going to have to pay.'

Trump also said his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton should be jailed.

His attack followed information declassified by his director of national intelligence showing Biden was among the Obama administration officials who sought 'unmasking' information on the official who turned out to be Flynn after his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador to the U.S. got picked up on intercepts.

Trump lauded the decision by Bill Barr's Justice Department to drop the case against General Flynn, who had already pleaded guilty under oath. Trump called him a 'hero' for dealing with the charges.
He waded through his lawn to the curb so he could move his car to dry land up the street. Pang was surprised when he came outside to check on the car.
Speaking at the World Health Assembly, held virtually, China also backs a comprehensive review of the pandemic.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has pledged an independent evaluation of the global coronavirus response would be launched as soon as possible, with China, in an about-face, saying it backed such an investigation  but only after the pandemic had died down.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the promise during an unprecedented virtual meeting of the WHOs decision-making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA).

The WHOs response to the pandemic has been criticised by some, most notably United States President Donald Trump, who froze Washingtons funding to the multinational organisation in April. Addressing the two-day forum on Monday, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar called WHOs response a failure of information gathering and transparency that cost many lives.





A resolution drafted by the European Union also called for an independent evaluation of the international health response. On Monday, it appeared to have won consensus backing among the health bodys 194 member states. Such an investigation is expected to shed light on the origins of the virus, Chinas early handling of the outbreak and the conduct of the WHO.

Tedros, who has always promised a post-pandemic review, said the independent evaluation would come at the earliest appropriate moment and provide recommendations for future preparedness.

We all have lessons to learn from the pandemic. Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience. WHO is committed to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, Tedros said.

The review must encompass responsibility of all actors in good faith, he added.

Internal review

Despite the criticism, the WHOs seven-member internal oversight body also issued its first report of the organisations pandemic response on Monday, saying the WHO demonstrated leadership in handling the pandemic between January and April, while calling for some reforms.

The report backed a probe into the global response, but said conducting it during the heat of the pandemic could disrupt WHOs ability to respond effectively.

It also defended the organisation, saying an imperfect and evolving understanding is not unusual during the early phase of a novel disease emergence and, in an apparent rejoinder to Trump, said rising politicisation of pandemic response was hindering the effort to defeat the virus.

China signals backing of investigation

China, which has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus that first appeared of the city of Wuhan in December, also signalled that Beijing would be amenable to an impartial evaluation of the global response once the pandemic is brought under control.

Such an investigation needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO. And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the assembly on Monday via video.

He continued to fiercely defend Chinas response to the outbreak, calling the pandemic the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War II.

All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility, he said.

Xi also pledged $2bn over two years to help with the COVID-19 response and said any vaccines developed against the disease by China will be made a public good.

Row over Taiwan

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in opening the meeting on Monday, called the WHO irreplaceable and condemned countries who failed to work together.

We have seen some solidarity, but very little unity, in our response to COVID-19, he said.

But his words were soon followed with further discord, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a statement, condemned a decision by WHA members to delay discussion of whether Taiwan will be granted observer status.





Beijing considers the autonomous island a province awaiting reunification and seeks to exclude it from all international organisations.

Pompeo said the WHO leader had every legal power and precedent to include Taiwan in the meeting.

Yet he instead chose not to invite Taiwan under pressure from the Peoples Republic of China, Pompeo said.

Iran condemns US sanctions

Iran, for its part on Monday, condemned US sanctions as inhumane for causing unnecessary suffering and pain for its population during the pandemic.

The US must be held to account for its intensifying unilateral sanctions against Iran and other affected nations, Saeed Namaki, Irans health minister, said in a virtual address to WHA.

Washington has imposed a campaign of maximum pressure sanctions on Iran since withdrawing from Irans 2015 nuclear accord with world powers two years ago.

The US did not respond to Irans allegations during its address to the assembly.
A county judge in Oregon on Monday tossed out Gov. Kate Brown's stay-at-home executive order because it was not approved by the legislature within 28 days.

The big picture: Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff agreed with a group of churches who brought the lawsuit, arguing that Brown couldn't keep coronavirus restrictions in place for more than a month without the legislature's approval. She first issued the order on March 23.

The stay-at-home order is no longer in effect. It is invalidated. If people want to get their haircut, they can. They can leave their home for any reason whether its deemed essential in the eye of the state or not, Ray Hacke, the attorney who represented the plaintiffs, told AP.

Brown says she will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court in an attempt to keep the emergency order active.

What she's saying:

Todays ruling from the Baker County Circuit Court will be appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court within hours to keep my emergency orders in effect. This will ensure we can continue to safeguard the health of all Oregonians  including frontline health care workers, those living in nursing homes, workers in agriculture and food processing plants, and Oregonians with underlying health conditions  while the legal process moves forward.

The science behind these executive orders hasnt changed one bit. Ongoing physical distancing, staying home as much as possible, and wearing face coverings will save lives across Oregon."

It is irresponsible to dismiss the health risks and science behind our measures to stop COVID-19. We would be faced with the prospect of another mass outbreak without the tools that have proven to be effective in protecting our friends, families, neighbors, and loved ones from this disease.

 Kate Brown in a news release
Face masks may help limit the spread of the coronavirus, but the protective gear has caused a problem for the public - the inability to unlock smartphones.

Now, the Chinese firm Huami has solved the issue with a transparent plastic N95-like mask.

Called Aeri, the device is designed with anti-fog material, revealing enough of the face to be recognized by Face ID technology.

The mask is also equipped with built-in ultraviolet lights that disinfects filters within 10 minutes while connected to a power source through a USB port.

Scroll down for video

Chinese firm Huami is working on Aeri, which is a N95-like mask designed with anti-fog material, revealing enough of the face to be recognized by Face ID technology

Huami is known for its FitBit competitor Amazfit and produces Xiaomis Mi Bands.

The concept is to alleviate some of the burdens that come with wearing a face mask, including the cleaning of the masks and not have a smartphone recognize your face.

With the disinfecting technology, the removable filters can last up to a month and a half  much longer than surgical masks and N95 variants, TechCrunch reported.

Because of its modular design, users can customize the masks to include breathing fans for a more comfortable experience.

With the disinfecting technology, the filters, which are removable, can last up to a month and a half  much longer than surgical masks and N95 variants

The mask is also equipped with built-in ultraviolet lights that disinfects filters within 10 minutes while connected to a power source through a USB port

Pengtao Yu, vice president of industrial design at Huami, told TechCrunch: Whether people need to unlock their phones or not, they want to see each others faces at social occasions. 

The Chinese firm is in the process of developing an Aeri prototype, which they expect to have on the market in six to 12 months.

Until Huami releases its high-tech mask, a group of researchers created a tutorial of how to setup Apples Face ID to recognize your face while wearing a mask.

The video shows a user folding a brand-new mask in half, laying it on one side of their face and going through the process of setting up the biometric system.

Users can either Reset Face ID or choose to make their masked face an Alternate Appearance.'

Until Huami releases its high-tech mask, a group of researchers created a tutorial of how to setup Apples Face ID to recognize your face while wearing a mask

While half of your face is covered, pull up Face ID on your iPhone and follow the prompts

However, the team found that not all masks will work with the trick  it seems that those made of soft material are recognizable

Researchers at Tencent Security's Xianwu Lab say to use a brand-new mask, fold it in half and hook the one side around your ear so it lays flat on your face.

Hold the mask in the lower middle position with your hand, pull it to the semi-masked state without any creases.

TRAIN YOUR FACE ID Use a brand-new mask Fold it in half and hook the one side around your ear Hold the mask in the lower middle position with your hand Make sure the upper corner covers half of the tip of your nose Open the Face ID section of the Settings app on your iPhone: Settings > Face ID & Passcode Move your head as instructed to scan your new masked appearance. Advertisement

While half of your face is covered, pull up Face ID on your iPhone and follow the prompts.

However, the team found that not all masks will work with the trick  it seems that those made of soft material are recognizable.

We have tried many different types of masks, including ordinary disposable medical masks, N95 masks, masks with breathing valves, etc., which have not been found to be unsuitable, reads the blog.

The three-dimensional cup-shaped mask cannot be folded, but in theory, a similar entry operation can be performed by cutting half.

They also note that it doesn't always work so you may need to be patient or to just use your numerical passcode.
File image: Congress leader P Chidambaram

The Congress on Monday said the fiscal stimulus package announced by the government is "hopelessly inadequate" given the gravity of the economic crisis as it amounts to only Rs 1.86 crore, which is 0.91 per cent of the GDP. The party sought a revised and comprehensive package of 10 per cent of the GDP.

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said the stimulus package has left several sections like the poor, migrants, farmers, labourers, workers, small shopkeepers and middle class high and dry.

"We express our thorough disappointment and request the government to reconsider the stimulus package and announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore of real additional expenditure equivalent to 10 per cent of GDP," he said at a press conference through video-conferencing.

Chidambaram also accused the government of being opportunistic by pushing reforms. It is bypassing Parliament and a discussion on the package and this will be strongly resisted, he added.

"I think the government is deliberately sidelining Parliament. A meeting of the Parliamentary Committee should at least be held to discuss the fiscal stimulus package," he said.
The ABCs of public crisis management: academics, bureaucracy and common sense-paging common sense...

Crisis management is a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The management of a worldwide public health crisis is unimaginable, yet more urgent and necessary than anything modern civilization has ever faced. We will manage it, and the managers show up in three organizational categories.

ABC. Academics, bureaucracy and common sense. Those are the three foundations that will support the management platform. If one is weak, then the other two lack the highest opportunity for success.

Academics will continue to be the overachiever. Physicians, researchers, universities and biotechnology companies have worked tirelessly and selflessly to seek answers, to manage the health of our citizens, to provide guidance for being healthy and staying healthyand to search for therapeutics and vaccines, against overwhelming odds. They have been called heroes, war heroes and superheroes, and that is what they are. I am proud to know some of them and thankful every minute that they are standing strong and supporting foundation number one of the solution platform.

Bureaucracy comes next. The second foundation on the platform Bureaucracy is necessary, but unfortunately bureaucracy is also bureaucratic. Three levels. Federal, state and local. We have seen in the past weeks the shifting sands of advice, interpretation and enforcement of the guidance that our academic heroes have worked so tirelessly to share with us. Bureaucrats are informed by politicians, and politics can be distracting, when you are trying to solve a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Everyone can be sincere but people have different world views and different objectives that can distract from the overarching objective of waging fast war on a worldwide pandemic.

Two quick Tennessee local examples. The Chattanooga Housing Authority wishes to serve our most vulnerable neighbors by offering free testing at public housing communities in our city. The Housing Authority has assured the test results will be confidential and only supplied to the person being tested. It is very likely that positive results are required to be reported to the county health department, nonetheless. And, just last week, we learned that our governor has directed that all health department positive test results should be shared under a state and local memorandum of understanding with local law-enforcement agencies. This creates the possibility that our most compromised neighbors, who are promised confidentiality, will not receive it, because their test results will unwittingly go from our local health department to the state department of health and then to law-enforcement agencies. These decisions by the governor are good faith crisis management actions, but when combined with the local housing authority testing effort, the polarized decisions create confusion and distrust; and these decisions create a disincentive for our neediest neighbors to receive free testing. Trust will be eroded.

Tennessees governor has also also ordered the resumption this month of $9 annual, in person mandatory vehicle emissions testing, whereby a tester has to approach and lean into the drivers side of private vehicles. Each individual testing employee would encounter hundreds of citizens each week, and it is safe to say that the testing personnel are not health and hygiene experts. Without a valid and current emission test result, citizens cannot renew their vehicle registrations. This is a very efficient way to spread disease.

Thus, we must find our good friend and third platform, common sense.

Academics can over-perform and bureaucrats can order actions to be taken, but all of the above must be tempered with common sense. This third foundation of the platform is our North Star.

What we have witnessed over the past 10 weeks is not unexpected. That is why we called a crisis. The mess is here and it is not going away anytime sooninvoking common sense will send it on its way more quickly.

While the academics work 23 hours a day and while the bureaucrats manufacture bureaucracy, there must be a third and very thoughtful aggregation of qualified leaders whose only job is to think through the research findings, the public health weaknesses and opportunities and the leadership decisions being considered.

The common sense foundation to the platform should be led by experienced crisis managers who can put aside political differences, business interests and egos. These crisis managers must have the courage to speak brutal honesty to academics and politicians, and to shake them up, to tell them to snap out of it and to help them to make sensible, congruent and logical decisions.

Easier said than done with a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle, but it is still just ABCs.

Michael Mallen

Health, safety and environmental attorney


Mr. Denniston, 89, attended his first Supreme Court argument in 1958. Over the next six decades, he covered the court for The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, Scotusblog and other news outlets until he more or less retired in 2017. He is now the dean emeritus of the Supreme Court press corps.

On the phone the other day, I asked Mr. Denniston whether there was anything valuable in the new way of conducting arguments.

Its very hard for me to be charitable about it, he said, because I see so many flaws in it. The only virtue is that the court was publicly exhibited as it did its work. There is a civic value in that. But the process in terms of what we really need the Supreme Court to do, which is to resolve these dreadfully important constitutional and statutory and cultural questions, we just cannot have them doing it by a process that is so inherently flawed.

The point of oral argument, he said, is to allow the justices to communicate with one another about how they see the case. The lawyers have their say in their briefs, he said, and the arguments are the start of judicial deliberations.

My premise has always been that argument is for the court and not for counsel, he said. The justices use the arguments to try to influence each other or to try to gauge how each other is thinking.
Allies: Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset before the swearing-in. Photo: Amos Ben Gershon/Knesset Spokesperson's Office/Handout via Reuters

After three deadlocked and divisive elections, a year and a half of political paralysis and another three-day delay because of political infighting in his Likud party, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally swore in his new government yesterday.

The Knesset, the nation's parliament, passed a vote of confidence in his new administration to end more than 500 days of upheaval.

Over the weekend, both Mr Netanyahu and his rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz announced their appointments for the new government - the most bloated in Israeli history with an expected 36 cabinet ministers and 16 deputies.

Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz, a former military chief, announced last month they would be putting their differences aside to join forces to steer the country through the coronavirus crisis and its severe economic fallout.

Their controversial power-sharing deal calls for Mr Netanyahu to serve as prime minister for the government's first 18 months before being replaced by Mr Gantz for the next 18 months. Their groups will also have a similar number of ministers and mutual veto over most big decisions.

Critics have already accused the government of being out of touch by creating so many cabinet posts at a time when unemployment has soared to 25pc as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But because Mr Netanyahu's bloc includes several smaller parties, he still only has a limited number of cabinet ministries to hand out to the Likud rank and file.

A mini-insurgency by angry senior Likud members forced Mr Netanyahu to seek a delay in the swearing-in ceremony last Thursday.

To mollify his backbenchers, Mr Netanyahu created a series of ministries with questionable responsibilities, such as "community development", "settlement affairs" and "higher education and water resources" - and a minister to be the liaison between the parliament and the Cabinet. Each ministry means paying for drivers, staff and office space.

Yair Lapid, the new opposition leader, said the machinations had led to a loss of "trust of the Israeli public".

"The coronavirus is an excuse for a corrupt party at the expense of the taxpayer.

"After all the empty talk of an 'emergency government,' the government being formed today is the largest and most wasteful in the history of the country," he said.

"It's not just the waste, it's the contempt. The complete contempt for the crisis facing the Israeli public."

The deal has already led to the dissolution of Mr Gantz's alliance with Mr Lapid after he reneged on his central campaign promise not to serve under Mr Netanyahu, who has been indicted on corruption charges and faces a criminal trial starting next week.

Mr Gantz will start out as defence minister, with party colleague and fellow retired military chief Gabi Ashkenazi serving as foreign minister.
VITAS Healthcare, the nation's leading provider of end-of-life care, is hosting two Memorial Day services via the Zoom teleconferencing platform to help those grieving the loss of a veteran find peace amid restrictions on public gatherings.

On May 25, Memorial Day, VITAS will offer Zoom services at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT for grieving family members and caregivers whose lost loved one was a military veteran. Those interested can register online at VITAS.com/supportgroups.

Larry Robert, VITAS bereavement services manager, chaplain and a Navy veteran, will lead the online events.

"At VITAS, we recognize the difficult choices facing many families and caregivers who are grieving the loss of a veteran during the Memorial Day holiday. No one should have to choose between risking their health and missing the opportunity to honor a loved one," said Robin Fiorelli, senior director of bereavement and volunteer services at VITAS. "We're excited to offer a solution that meets the needs of our current moment without sacrificing any of the space, respect and reverence our nation's veterans are owed on this special day."

VITAS maintains an ongoing commitment to veterans and their families, showcased by the company's participation in We Honor Veterans, a special program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in conjunction with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Under the program's guidance, VITAS trains staff and volunteers to identify veteran patients during the admissions process and provide hospice care that acknowledges and honors veterans' unique needs at the end of life.

VITAS also employs community and admission liaisons who specialize in veterans' issuesoften as veterans themselvesconnecting patients and their families with appropriate services, community resources, and hard-earned federal benefits.

For those who need help after the holiday, VITAS conducts remote bereavement support groups over the phone and teleconference platforms throughout the year.

Sign up for one of the remote services today. Join VITAS and other military families in honoring these heroes.

About VITAS Healthcare

Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 48 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 12,262 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness daily, primarily in the patients' homes, and also in the company's 27 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the first quarter of 2020, VITAS reported an average daily census of 19,215. Visit www.vitas.com.

Media Inquiries contact: [email protected], 877-848-2701

SOURCE VITAS Healthcare

Related Links

https://www.vitas.com


Rumours about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's death have been doing the rounds for a while now. While North Korea remains silent about Kim Jong-Un's movements, the echo chamber seems to be growing louder by the day.





Reuters

The most recent hint being the massive portraits of the North Korean Supreme Leader's father and grandfather - Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il being taken down from the main square of Pyongyang.

According to recent reports, the portraits were removed without much noise and no one knows the exact reason behind this development. Daily Express quoted journalist Roy Calley as saying that a statue of Kim Jong Il has also been dismantled.



According to NKNews' latest reports, satellite images also show that the main observation deck used by Kim to overwatch military parades in Kim Il Sung Square was also demolished as part of the process.



Reuters

"The last time that happened was when the place was being renovated following the death of the Dear Leader," journalist Roy Calley, author of Look With Your Eyes and Tell the World, was quoted as saying by the Express.co.uk.



Reuters recently reported that China has sent a team including medical experts to advise on Kim's health. Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Gendai claimed that the North Korean leader is in a "vegetative state" after a heart surgery earlier this month.



Kim Jong-Un also missed a key anniversary on April 15, the day of the sun, and incredibly important commemoration of the birthday of his grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung.



According to Calley, Kim Il Sung Square's was last renovated in 2012 after the death of Kim Jong Il. "The fact that portraits have been removed is very interesting," said Calley.



Reuters

"I'm guessing (and only that) they are preparing to add a third statue and portrait, but who knows?" he added. Other theories suggest that these changes at the main square may be part of the plan to host an expanded celebration for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers Party of Korea.



In the past, US President Donald Trump had also claimed that he's got a "very good idea" about the status of Kim's health but he "can't talk about it now".


The BJP will launch "Maharashtra Bachao" agitation from Tuesday against the "complete failure" of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in tackling the COVID-19 crisis.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the COVID-19 situation has gone out of hands in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra because of the government's failure.

Fadnavis and other senior leaders, including state unit president Chandrakant Patil, and others held a video conference meeting earlier in the day.

"BJP leaders will submit their demands with officials in various talukas and districts as part of the process," Patil said.

He said the party leaders and workers will stand outside their houses on May 22 with placards condemning the state government's failure in mitigating the situation.
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After blocking a strike earlier this month, the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois-Indiana (SEIU HCII) has forced 10,000 nursing home workers in Illinois to remain on the job with poverty wages and no serious protections against COVID-19. Last month, nursing home workers across Illinois voted by a wide margin to strike on April 25.

The union hastily pushed through a contract vote and announced ratification of the two-year contract late on May 14, barely giving workers a week to read through the tentative agreement. SEIU officials deliberately kept the rank and file in the dark during negotiations, suppressing information on the bargaining on its Facebook page and website.

In voting to strike, the workers demanded personal protective equipment (PPE), safety protocols, hazard pay, an increase in base pay, paid time off for COVID-related illness, increased staffing, health insurance and transparency about COVID-19 cases in the nursing homes, which now account for nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 related deaths in Illinois.

A summary of the tentative agreement and signed tentative agreement between the union and the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities (IAHCF) is posted to the union website, but the details of the final agreement have not been made publicly available.

Under the new contract, new hires in Chicago nursing homes will be paid between $15.00 and $15.50 based on their job category in the first year of the contract and will only earn up to $16.00 or $16.50 by the end of the contract. Some Illinois nursing home workers outside of Chicago will earn even less based on their job category.

Most insultingly, only a $2 per hour minimum on top of base wages has been included as hazard pay under the new agreement. The hazard pay will only be extended for a period of 45 days and only applies to those workers who are caring for residents of nursing homes who have confirmed to test positive for COVID-19. Given the still inadequate levels of testing statewide it is likely that many nursing home workers under the contract, who are essential workers, will not be able to receive this meager bonus.

The union has agreed to just five additional days of sick leave for workers due to COVID-19 related illness, testing or quarantine. This flies in the face of medical recommendations that patients who are positive or are suspected to be positive for COVID-19 self-isolate for at least two weeks.

A central demand of nursing home workers at the outset of their struggle was the guarantee of adequate PPE for all workers. The contract does nothing to guarantee that the N95 face masks, FDA-approved sanitizers, face shields, gloves and other protective measures will be made available for the protection of these essential workers and their patients. It simply states that No employee will be required to work without adequate PPE as provided by CDC, IDPH and local health departments regulations, guidelines, and recommendations.

It is unclear how many nursing home workers voted on the contract and whether any have seen the full final agreement, before or after its supposed ratification. If a majority of nursing home workers did indeed vote to ratify the miserable contract, it only shows they have no confidence that the SEIU would fight for anything better.

From the very start, the SEIU, which is closely tied to the Democratic Party, was determined to suppress any strike action by nursing home workers because it could serve as a catalyst for brewing social opposition over the criminal response of the corporations and both big business parties to the pandemic. While trillions have been handed over to Wall Street and giant corporations, essential workers are left without basic protections, factory workers are being herded back into unsafe plants, and millions are unemployed.

The tentative agreement was quickly thrown together and announced on May 7, less than 24 hours ahead of the planned strike date. The fact that the SEIU called a strike vote at all shows that union officials feared they could lose control of rank-and-file workers if they did not find allow workers to blow off steam by voting to strike.

The ratified agreement, which the union has shamelessly trumpeted as a victory, accedes to every demand by the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities (IAHCF), which represents the business interests of the giant long-term care facilities. The nursing home business is largely controlled by private equity firms, which take in millions of dollars each year, primarily from Medicare and Medicaid, and run the facilities on shoestring budgets. This has led to massive understaffing and overworking of nursing home workers and deadly conditions for workers and patients.

The SEIU is responsible for betrayal after betrayal over the past several years. It has refused to address the lack of hazard pay and PPE for the home health care and childcare workers under the concessions contract it pushed through in January of this year. Instead it has told workers they should appeal to the capitalist politicians in Congress whose major preoccupation has been saving corporate profits, not lives.

Like other health care workers across the US, some nursing home workers in Illinois have been fired for speaking out on the dangerous conditions facing workers and patients. These workers have been largely abandoned by the SEIU and the new contract does nothing to protect workers who speak out from retaliation. Instead victimized workers must still go through the same onerous and bureaucratic grievance process as they had previously.

The phenomenon of high rates of COVID-19 infection and death in long-term care homes is not limited to the state of Illinois or even the US alone, but is a growing international concern among workers and families of the patients in these facilities.

Nursing home workers in Illinois must draw important lessons from this latest betrayal by the SEIU and prepare a counter-offensive to fight for their interests.

Nursing home workers should form rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the corrupt unions, to fight for the following demands:

* Adequate PPE and staffing levels in all long-term care homes across the state of Illinois, overseen by rank-and-file safety committees working with trusted medical experts

* A doubling of base wages and substantial hazard pay for all health care workers

* Fully paid sick leave with no penalties or restrictions during the pandemic and free health care for all workers

* The reinstatement of all workers who have been fired for speaking out and an end to the retaliation against whistleblowers

* A massive infusion of resources, not into the bank accounts of the nursing home companies and investors but toward meeting the needs of the workers and the elderly.

To pay for these elemental necessities, the bipartisan CARES Act must be overturned, and the trillions handed to the financial institutions and giant corporations redirected to meet social needs. The fight to obtain these basic necessities is above all a political struggle, which pits the entire working class against the two-corporate controlled parties and the capitalist system they defend.

The Socialist Equality Party and World Socialist Web Site will do everything to assist workers in this struggle. If you are a nursing home worker who is interested to learn more about how to fight for the building of rank-and-file committees in your workplace and would like share your experiences about the conditions that you face fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact us today.
Efforts to collect phone numbers and Aadhaar numbers have met with resistance in Kashmir, and there have been several cases of health teams being attacked by people.

With coronavirus cases rising in Kashmir, teams of health workers, donning protective gear and collecting phone numbers and Aadhaar details, have become a common sight. These measures, however, have led to concerns about privacy and misuse of data.

During door-to-door screening, health workers also ask people about their travel history. They note down whether people are suffering from any ailments, and whether they currently have any symptoms of coronavirus.

Efforts to collect phone numbers and Aadhaar numbers have met with resistance, and there have been several cases of health teams being attacked by people. For instance, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Budgam, Nazir Ahmad Bhat, said that health teams were attacked in central Kashmir's Wathoora when they went for screening to contain coronavirus.

On 27 April, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar Shahid Choudhary had also tweeted that there were incidents of resistance to health surveys. He had said, House-to-House Health Survey/Audit under progress in #Srinagar. Indispensable for better planning and response. Sporadic reports of non-cooperation. Request citizens to please help visiting teams for accurate health data. It's a collective fight against COVID-19."

Samir Matoo, Director Health Services, Kashmir, said that the health screening is aimed at containing the spread of the disease in the region. He said, It is the job of the health workers to obtain cell phone numbers in order to ensure a better containment strategy."

However, for many, these measures are reminiscent of earlier instances of security forces asking people to divulge phone numbers or information about their families.

Prior to that, authorities announced the setting up of a COVID-19 call centre and an app for tracking the disease.

Many Kashmiris wonder whether the measures will be effective, particularly when the government has restricted the internet speed. There has also been concern over some people fleeing quarantine centres, and complaints of infections spreading at isolation facilities. Some doctors have also been suspended due to people fleeing quarantine centres.

Tauseef Ahmad Bhat, a 34-year-old IT training professional, said, The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our lives. The government claims that it is serious about controlling the disease and says that digital connectivity will help control the infection. However, the snapping of high-speed internet remains a serious issue. There are also concerns that hackers can gain access data through health apps, or through unauthorised access to our mobile numbers."

The government has, however, said that high-speed internet services have been blocked to prevent violence and uploading of videos that fan anti-India activities in the Valley.

Commenting on the collection of phone numbers and Aadhaar data, RTI activist Sheikh Ghulam Rasool said, Making people provide phone numbers and Aadhaar numbers is an attack on privacy. Such surveillance measures leave people's vital information open to misuse."
Diva Shruti Haasan is one of the most talented actresses down south. The actress-singer has been keeping herself busy by doing things that she loves amid the lockdown. Of late, she has been sharing glimpses from her life, trying her hand at cooking, and also giving some serious fitness goals to her followers on social media.

Taking a look at her love life, Shruti Haasan recently broke up with her longtime Italian boyfriend Michael Corsale. Her relationship with him had raised many eyebrows in the past. Post-breakup, Shruti had responded on a reality show about her relationship with him. "I was a cool type, very innocent and everyone would boss around me. I am a very emotional person and that is the reason why they could take over. I would say, it was a very good experience for me," she was quoted as saying.

As per reports, the Race Gurram actress opened up about her love life again. She said, "I'm a very romantic person in the sense that I love to feel strongly for somebody, but if I don't feel that emotion then I would not care even if one disappears tomorrow. I love to feel strong when I am attracted to someone. I am romantic in the head, but then I like my space."

When asked if she will fall in love again, the actress said, "Why not? I am in the age of falling in love."

Talking about her projects, Shruti Haasan will next be seen in Krack, directed by Gopichand Malineni alongside Ravi Teja. She is also a part of Tamil movie Laabam which features Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role. Directed by SP Jananathan, the thriller is bankrolled by P Arumuga Kumar and Vijay Sethupathi.

Rana Daggubati Announces Engagement With GF Miheeka Bajaj; Netizens Start Celebration

NTR 30: Shruti Haasan To Play The Female Lead In Jr NTR's Film?
Editors note: Urban architectural historian, preservationist and university professor John Gomez presents a special series on the global Spanish influenza pandemic that reached and devastated Hudson County between 1918 and 1920.

Part 1: Peals for a Parish Priest

As the tall thin tower of St. Lucys Roman Catholic Church in Downtown Jersey Citys immigrant-rich Horseshoe district shook with the sustained peals of a clapped 2,000-pound bell  not too far from midnight, not too distant from still-crowded Hudson River wharves  it was understood that the Rev. Joseph Francis Flood, a young, newly ordained priest, had succumbed, that very night, to the unsparing throes of Spanish influenza.

The dreaded grip, or La Grippe, as Spanish Influenza was often referred to, had taken dominion over the metropolitan area during all of October 1918, just as the Great War, after four years of unconscionable bloodshed, was coming to a cessation under agreements and armistices. But before the victory parades of 1919 could stoke national patriotism and position the United States as a true world power, conflict-borne disease was brought home to mainland city streets  an ominous fragment fallen from the wars sweeping horror.

Everyone  soldier and citizen both  was at risk of communicable contagion, particularly at that vaccine-absent period in time. American cities had for more than a century been accustomed to scourges of scarlet fever, typhoid, smallpox and diphtheria, but the novel virus, from onset to departure, proved to be formidable, fast-acting, all-encompassing.

Hudson Countys medical community, although making meaningful strides with newly erected infectious disease hospitals, stood not a single chance against what homecoming infantry brought home.

An assistant to the Rev. William T. McLaughlin, Father Flood had been, since being assigned to St. Lucys just months earlier, extremely popular in the parish and surrounding tenement and warehouse wards. Vibrant, eager, engaged, he was known for his approachability as well as his giving nature. Communicants from adjacent corridors  15th Street, Pavonia Avenue, Jersey Avenue, Erie Street and beyond  were intensely drawn to him.

Archdiocesan officials took notice of his popularity and the great admiration emanating from his followers. Fearless, willing to visit and administer last rites to the stricken. Dedicated; trusted; adored.

At 27 years old, the religious world was firmly on the priests shoulders  only to be taken without answer, without adjudgement. From his bed inside St. Francis Hospital facing out onto the verdancy of Hamilton Park, Father Flood, having contracted the disease only a week before, sent, through grieving relatives, a loving message to the people of St. Lucys and a special word for the children of the parish, whom he dearly loved, as The Jersey Journal reported the following day.

After his passing, Father Floods body was immediately removed to St. Lucys rectory on Grove Street to lie in repose and await a private requiem high Mass, as local churches and synagogues had been ordered closed by mayors and health officials.

His death, alas, would not be solitary  for other clergy in the county would perish in the pandemic that seemed to strike, ravage and exit in mere months. More bell peals would be heard  and powerfully felt  as the flu, thought to have been rooted in Europe, covered and contaminated the vulnerable municipalities of Hudson County.

Father Floods experience  brutal, terrifying, tragic  and his visage  framed, collared, slightly sad  are both superimposed not only over St. Lucys falling-brick facades and windblown lawns and pavements today, but over all of Hudson County as its urban landscapes are, in 2020, overcome, challenged and changed by the novel coronavirus.

John Gomez, born and raised in Jersey City, is the founder of the non-profit Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy and holds a master of science in historic preservation from Columbia University. He teaches urban architecture at Saint Peters University and serves on the New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites in Trenton. He can be reached at preservationtv@gmail.com.

NEXT: Part 2: The Hand of Hague
A Roman Catholic priest in the Detroit area has taken aim at his parishioners in a bid to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, using a squirt gun to shoot holy water.

Photos posted on social media by the St Ambrose Church show the Rev Tim Pelc shooting water into a car window as it stopped by the steps of the church on Easter.

He wore a mask, face shield and rubber gloves as further precautions against spreading the coronavirus.

The photos of the priest at the church in Grosse Pointe Park have inspired memes online.

One shows the 70-year-old priest amid the fires of hell directing the squirt gun at devil-like figures.

Pelc told BuzzFeed for an article over the weekend that he was a little concerned about how the Vatican might react when the photos of him squirting holy water began circulating widely on the internet.

But, he said, I haven't heard anything yet.

The idea was to find a way to continue a tradition of blessing Easter baskets despite the pandemic. One photo shows Pelc standing behind a car with its hatchback door up, shooting water at a basket flowers.

The church and surrounding communities have taken the pandemic seriously, Pelc said. Parishioners have tied blue ribbons on trees at the church for each person who has died of COVID-19 in Michigan. That number is now approaching 5,000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Squadron Leader Len Williamson (Sydney) Co.O. of R.A.A.F. 1st. Bomber Squadron, Rengah air base, Singapore, returns from raid in Malaya. December 5, 1950. "Malaya is a key point in the strategic region, of which Australia is a main support area. Apart from the role which Australia may take as a member of the British Commonwealth in co-operation in mutual defence, it is fundamental to our security that the situation in Malaya, which has been brought about by the foreign-sponsored Fifth Column, should be cleared up as soon as possible." Mr. Menzies said he had previously made brief references in the House to the situation in Malaya, and the Government had recently had the advantage of informal discussions with Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, the Commissioner General. "Last year," he said, "there were encouraging signs that the efforts of the civil and military

authorities were achieving a steady reduction in terrorist activity and a corresponding in-

crease in the confidence of the Malayan and Chinese communities during the past few months. "Heartened by Communist successes in China, and no doubt expecting increased moral and material support from sources outside Malaya, these fanatical terrorists have considerably increased the

scope and intensity of their activities.

"Their operations also are being conducted with greater skill and daring than before. "Events in Malaya are, of course, part of the global pattern of imperialistic Communist aggression, and must be seen in a world context. The ultimate objective of the Soviet leaders is, and always has been, world Communism under their control. "TO OFFENSIVE" "For some years their tactics had to conform to their relative weakness, but at the end of the war they considered that the balance of world political and military power had so changed in their favour that they could at last go over to the offensive. "The result is the 'cold war,' a war waged relentlessly by every means-political, economic, psychological-short of the actual use of armed force.

"With Machiavellian skill, the Soviet leaders have endeavoured to weaken and disintegrate the non-Communist countries by infiltration in political parties, trade-unions, and other organisations, to create unrest, disorder and discontent. "No war on Malayan people": Communists demonstrate at Sydney Town Hall, 13 May 1950. Credit:Winton D. Irving "PROBING FOR WEAKNESSES" "They probe for, and concentrate their efforts on the weaknesses of their opponents. "Checked in Europe because of the successes of the West in achieving a remarkable measure of economic recovery with the help of Marshall Aid, and because of the Western Union and North Atlantic treaties (coupled with American military aid), having promoted collective security and

strength among the Western Powers, they have turned to Asia.

"Here they have achieved much greater success, because of events in China, and by the embarrassment of the Governments of Hong Kong, IndoChina, Burma, Malaya, and Indonesia. "Marxist - Leninist theory postulates that one of the so called 'contradictions of capitalism' is the conflict between the capitalist nations of the West and the colonial and dependent peoples. "FULLEST EXTENT" "Zhdanov, at the inaugural meeting of the Cominform in 1947, stated that one of their main tasks was to attack what he called the 'capitalist rear' by backing nationalist and dissident movements in South East Asia and the colonial areas. "It is generally agreed that the problems of South-East Asia are largely economic; that the fundamental need is to build up standards of living in that area.

A village scene on the river Kampong, May 1, 1950. Credit:British Official Photograph "Members will be aware of the recommendations of the Colombo conference and of the conference in Sydney, to this end, and this Government will co-operate to the fullest possible extent in whatever detailed plans are evolved. "It is clear, however, that the assistance to be given for economic progress in Malaya must be accompanied by an improvement in the present internal security conditions. DEFENCE RESOURCES "The first objective of aggressive Communism is to create through the action of a foreign-sponsored Fifth Column a situation in which the economic rehabilitation of Malaya would be impossible and economic aid would fail to achieve a useful purpose.
By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani MP Sevil Mikyailova has said that there is no control over COVID-19 situation in Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karbahk region and adjacent regions.

The occupied territories, which have become the center of terrorism, smuggling and drug trafficking in the region, have the potential to turn into the center of outbreak of coronavirus infection, Mikayilova told Trend news agency.

Despite recent cases of infection, the so-called regime in Nagorno-Karabakh is trying to cover up information about the pandemic. By giving false figures, they are trying to create the impression that the situation is under control. In reality, there is no control over the situation, and the risk of spreading the virus is growing day by day, the MP noted.

The MP said that the regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, which grossly violates all norms and principles of international law and seeks to divert the attention of the international community during a severe pandemic is an actual source of great threat.

The political regime in Armenia and the irresponsibility of Prime Minister Nicole Pashkina will have serious consequences not only for the region but also for the world, and it is important to have a unanimous decision on this issue, Mikayilova added.

Furthermore, the MP added that today Azerbaijan is one of the leading countries in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The initiatives and practical work made by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in this direction have ensured closer unity of the world community around this goal. In particular, the World Health Organization (WHO) praised the work of the Azerbaijani government and called President Ilham Aliyev's support for multilateral diplomacy and solidarity at the regional and global levels exemplary, Mikayilova said.

The MP stressed that the international community, in particular the UN Security Council and the OSCE Minsk Group, which has adopted four resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijani territory, must take a firm and decisive stance on the issue.

Because it is about a global threat and human security, she noted.

Ensuring Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is a matter of time, but the international community's standby attitude in the fight against the pandemic may have more serious consequences in the face of global challenges", the MP concluded.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 20:37:32|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The deficit of Indonesia's development budget is forecast to widen to 6.27 percent of GDP this year as the government edges up stimulus to offset risks of COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Monday.

The deficit is equivalent to 1,028.5 trillion rupiahs (some 69 billion U.S. dollars), Indrawati noted.

The projected deficit is more than double of the country's threshold of three percent of the GDP.

The government spending is expected to edge up 106.3 trillion rupiahs (about 7.14 billion U.S. dollars) to 2,720.1 trillion rupiahs (equal to 182.57 billion U.S. dollars) this year, she added.

Tax incentives to be given in response to the pandemic are estimated to reach 123.1 trillion rupiahs (about 8.28 billion U.S. dollars), the minister said.

Meanwhile, the total state revenues this year are forecast to nudge lower 13.6 percent than that of last year's figure of 1,691.6 trillion rupiahs (some 135.38 billion U.S. dollars), she said.

On the change of the figure, Indrawati said that the budged revision would be discussed with the parliament.

The global economic fallout caused by the pandemic has dragged down prices and demands of commodities, the major export products of Indonesia, and stretched deep the country's economy as it has kept millions of people cooped up for weeks.

Under such a condition, the government has revised downward economic growth to 2.3 percent this year from 5.02 percent last year. Enditem
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Alan Teitel is a Port Washington, Nassau County-based visionary and Founder of AlcovePro. He has spent the last 30 years at the cutting edge of digital video and cinematography. His priorities have shifted in the past few months like many business owners and members in the community to solving local PPE issues.

Alan Teitel donating 500 masks to the Port Washington Police dept. He has also made donations to Nassau county PD and the Village of Manorhaven to protect election volunteers. Alan Teitel donating childrens N95 masks to the Port Washington Fire Dept to help protect the kids during transport.

Teitel wants to help those on the frontlines of the war on the Coronavirus. "I have been very fortunate to have made amazing connections throughout my career," remarks Teitel. I want to help others during this time so I have decided to launch a national mask production business to help those on the frontlines of this Coronavirus war by reaching out to my connections.

The pandemic will be with us for many months to come, and due to the long-term need for masks, Teitel has decided to begin production of a new generation of masks. He hopes to be in full production mode by this summer.

When his equipment is up and running, he will be able to produce 10-15 million masks per month. The type of mask will be surgical washable masks for first responders, teachers and children.

Teitel has been donating masks to his local first responders in Port Washington who have been there through the years for his family. "I am grateful I have the ability and know how to help my community and beyond. We all need to work together for the greater good." A unique population who Teitel also wants to protect is the children in his community. He will also be producing masks custom made for children in honor of his father's service (Maurice Teitel) to the community as a pediatrician for over 50 years.

Please reach out to Teitel for more information by going to: https://alcovepro.com/emergency-mask-production for more information about mask donations and purchasing masks. More information will be available on Teitel's social media https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-teitel-bb25988/ or by phone at (516)413-7900.

Media Contact

Alan Teitel

516-413-7900

[email protected]

SOURCE Alan Teitel
Nava has been put together by its team using collaborative devising methods, selecting precious moments from personal stories to create a melange of nuanced offerings that piece together the obliterated contemporary history of urban trans women.

Around April every year, a ceremony associated with the Bengaluru Karaga  a deliriously popular festival in which Draupadi is worshipped as patron goddess  involves a man working himself into a heady trance while assuming stree vesha (the guise of a woman). Mythological implications aside, what shores up his passage into Draupadi is a posse of trans women hovering around him. Their feminine energies ostensibly supply him the power of ritualistic transformation, in much the same way as actors get into character in the theatre.

Last years observances took place at the Lakshmipuram burial ground which also houses a temple dedicated to Kali at her most potent and dangerous. An intrigued onlooker at the event was the Bengaluru-based theatremaker Sharanya Ramprakash, who had begun work on Nava, a play in Kannada featuring an ensemble of nine urban trans women, some of whom participated in the Karaga ritual. "It was striking to see them in their element against this backdrop, where symbols of womanhood are used so powerfully," said Ramprakash.

In their play, the women are no longer peripheral to the proceedings, but bring "bodies, voices and stories, deliberately silenced and wilfully ignored, to reclaim their rightful place: the centrestage."

The actors are affiliated with Poornima Sukumars Aravani Art Project, an arts collective for trans folk, with a particular focus on vivid larger-than-life murals and portraits that allow its members to visibly inhabit the public spaces that traditionally exclude them. Other stopovers that helped Ramprakash to better grasp her collaborators many worlds, was a guided tour dubbed as the Balaji Bar walk, that explored a frenetic night scene near the teeming KR Market in Old Bengaluru. Unlike the day with its prejudices, in the night, the space becomes theirs, with all its companion associations and friendships, explained Ramprakash.

One of the collaborators on Nava is Shanthi Muniswamy, a poet and illustrator who moonlights as a popular RJ for a community radio station. Her first foray into theatre was Sujatha Balakrishans When The Rainbow is Enough, the digital recording of which was released online on 15 May. The play opened in Bengaluru last year, and stylistically draws on Ntozake Shanges seminal work, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, performed as a set of choreopoems  dramatic expression in which real speak poetry compellingly interacts with lyrical movement. Balakrishan assembled marginalised women who lacked visibility in the mainstream, including women cabbies Yashoda Satyanarayana and Divya Srinivasalu alongside Shanthi, amplifying their voices with standard-issue monologues. Ive delivered motivational talks before, but I was nervous as it was my first time as an actor on stage even if I was recounting my own story, recalled Shanthi.

Conversely, Nava has been put together by its team using collaborative devising methods, selecting precious moments from personal stories to create a melange of nuanced offerings that piece together the obliterated contemporary history of urban trans women. The name itself carries several connotations. Ostensibly, its a reference to the navarasas of Indian aesthetics, with each woman enacting a piece with a rasa as its central motif. Shanthis testimonial channels the Vibhatsya (or disgust) rasa, as she recounts a particularly disquieting encounter from the past. During her early days as a sex-worker, she fell into a manhole while being chased by policemen. As she crawled across a stretch of sewage that her khaki-clad pursuers couldnt quite negotiate, she was struck by the sheer revulsion in their eyes. I enact the disgust that I received from those policemen on my trail, she said, charged by the memory. In Kannada, nava means new, attesting perhaps to the newness of the project vis-a-vis the straight-laced artistic mainstream. And, in a subversion, the title recalls a term used to slander trans women and feminine men  ombattu, or nine in Kannada, merely one in a long catalogue of local transphobic slurs.

Supported by the India Foundation for the Arts, Nava premiered at Ranga Shankara, one of Bengalurus thriving cultural venues; as the curtain-raiser at its annual theatre festival  dubbed the Festival of Laughter and Forgetting (a nod to the classic novel by Milan Kundera)  in November last year. Ramprakash was initially wary of an open-to-all showing that seemed to be at odds with the pieces intimate ethos, and perhaps positioned the women as objects for onlookers. The performers themselves soaked it in  the excitement of a first show, and the generous applause from the festival audience  lending credence to the idea that, perhaps, trans folk did not consider themselves different in the way an uncomprehending society-at-large projected upon them.

At the outset, Ramprakash wanted to participate in the project as an outside eye theatre consultant. But seeing the team falter when it came to fundamentals, saw her step in as director. The demands of professional practice were difficult to adhere to, but the actors soon realised they were working on a project that was as much about the means as the end. The production schedule, spanning eight months, was riddled with hiccups  so much so that Ramprakash worked in actors absences into the plays performance grammar, as a testament to their unpredictable and gritty lives. Nava was in the midst of a state-wide tour of Karnatakas Rangayanas  theatre institutes in places like Mysore, Dharwad and Shimoga  before the lockdown ended cultural activities in the state.

During Navas making, the actors natural lack of inhibitions made me feel like an insider, said Ramprakash. We frequented their bars and haunts, where people asked me for my rate. We laughed about that later. When the circle of trust was finally established, it was difficult for Ramprakash to process the aching stories of trans vulnerability that emerged. Sukumar attended some sessions and helped in making the ethical choices that provided the play with its defining material. There was great abandon and spontaneity in the actors improvisations, but post the plays opening, Ramprakash felt that they needed an interface with other skilled professionals.

In January this year, Mumbai-based actor and trainer, Puja Sarup, was flown down for a workshop. An alumnus of the Helikos International School of Theatre Creation, Sarup often works with masks as a mode of transforming actors physical bearings, allowing their imagination to take over and build characters. I wondered how my process would work with Navas performers, in that I initially felt that they already wore such a strong veneer of femininity, said Sarup.

What I learned was that their feminine trappings were not any mask, but innately a part of who they were as people.

Both Ramprakash and Sarup are cisgender women who have created material for the stage that stands on resolutely gender-queer turf. In the Patchworks Ensembles The Gentlemens Club, Sarup is an irrepressible drag king  a female performing artist donning masculine personas  with a Shammi Kapoor act replete with a sequinned gold jacket and 1960's hair-do. In Akshayambara, a play Ramprakash wrote and directed, she enacts a woman who takes on the male part of a Kaurawa opposite a female impersonator (Prakash Cherkady) playing Draupadi, in a traditional Yakshagana performance  a male domain for centuries.

Interacting with Navas performers has allowed them to look back at their own work with new eyes. It just tastes different now. When Prakash finishes with his act, he removes the stree vesha, as embodied by a lipstick, and reclaims his manhood so quickly and violently. The same lipstick in Nava is owned with such heart by the women, as a way of rejecting the manhood narrative, explained Ramprakash. Similarly, Sarup is revisiting her own drag personas  currently on air on Instagram Live is Elvis-lookalike Ronny  that shuffle between masculine prototypes (both toxic and benign) with an adroitness perhaps not available to her characters themselves.

Shanthi is hopeful for a future on the stage, I would love for theatre to be open to all, she said. In cinema, men used to put on gaudy makeup to play trans characters. Those portrayals were hard to digest. She added, I dont want to be restricted to trans parts. Any role will do for me, from an old lady to a charming Cinderella, but it has to be a female character. Ramprakash is not as optimistic about the theatre scenes preparedness to absorb performers like Shanthi. If you are going to work with marginalised communities, you have to start thinking differently, she said. Affirmative projects like Nava are important for trans actors to be integrated into the mainstream. Post #MeToo, even the prevailing set of assumptions regarding the interface between men and women has been challenged. This accommodation of diverse needs and expectations is required across the board.

Pioneers like Living Smile Vidya and Gee Imaan Semmalar founded the Panmai Theatre troupe in Tamil Nadu in 2014, pushing open the door for trans presence in theatre, but when it comes to casting, they might still not be the first port of call for trans roles, let alone other parts. The landscape is rife with cis actors eager to display their acting range by playing, say, a hijra. This is true for cinema and television, and many cis actors routinely garner great acclaim playing trans parts.

In 2018, Mumbais Akvarious Productions premiered Amey Mehtas One Night Only, a play based on an important aspect of Indian trans experience  the yearly jamboree at Tamil Nadus Koovagam, where trans folk congregate at the Koothandavar Temple to celebrate Aravans marriage to Mohini and mourn at his death the next morning. While Mehta sought out trans actors, ultimately the hijras in the play are performed by cisgender men and women. Giving up their livelihood for three months to work in a theatre project was a tough ask for the few transgender actors we met, he said.

One performer who impressed with his portrayal of a trans woman was actor Trinetra Tiwari, who drew upon his grandmothers close associations with local hijras in Ajmers Nasirabad, his hometown. Tiwari went on to essay another hijra in a short piece he wrote himself  Pehli Shaadi, in which a hijra-poet, Rangoli, breaks into the stand-up circuit while looking for Mr Right. These were the first significant roles I worked on, and I did not have any reservations about taking them up, said Tiwari, one of a growing tribe of contemporary actors who do not shy away from queer parts.

Commenting on Pehli Shaadi, playwright Mahesh Dattani wrote in a column, There is something politically incorrect when cis-gendered actors play transgendered characters with flamboyance. The applause from the audience at his entry also shows how we perceive the hijra community  with indulgence, while Tiwari said, As long as there is a human connection and enough empathy, any actor should be able to perform any role.

The South Asian diaspora in North America has thrown up performers like DLo and Vivek Shraya  and their success as cultural ambassadors for all aspects of their identity might give an indication of the space trans performers might occupy in a more inclusive environment, albeit one in which the struggle to be seen and heard is still real. The Los Angeles-based DLo is a queer multi-ethnic political theatre performer and a hip hop artist who has performed in India as part of The Parks New Festival in 2012. In an interview, he said, I do this for a sense of finally feeling like I belong. Even if it is only for an hour on certain nights of the month.

If the world hadnt shut down, this month wouldve seen the European debut of Shrayas solo performance, How To Fail As A Popstar, at the Theater der Welt (Theatre of the World) Festival at Dusseldorf. A Canadian artist who actively resists gender classification, she encourages her audience to rethink gender and identity in the 21st century. The play was recently streamed online by Canadian Stage, and even in a piece that is ostensibly about failure in the music industry, it is hard to see it as anything other than a triumph of the spirit, with Shraya remarkably coming into her own during the course of its 20-minute running time.

(Disclaimer: This writer was part of the devising team for The Gentlemens Club, and commissioned Pehli Shaadi for InQueerAble.)
Police officers in face masks patrol Red Square, Moscow, on May 8, 2020.

Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images

Russia has for weeks been suspected of deflating its official coronavirus figures.

On Sunday Jamaludin Hajiyibragimov, the health minister for Dagestan, a federal republic of Russia, said the actual death toll in his region is more than 20 times Moscow's official figures.

Russia said that Dagestan had 3,371 infections and 29 deaths, while Hajiyibragimov said the region actually has more than 13,000 infections and 657 deaths.

According to Hajiyibragimov, the reporting discrepancy is due to how authorities have determined patients' illnesses.

Many Russian patients have been diagnosed with "community-acquired pneumonia," which has the same symptoms as COVID-19 but without an official virus test.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The top health official for the Russian republic of Dagestan says the Kremlin has vastly underreported the number of coronavirus infections and deaths in his region, with the actual death toll more than 20 times Moscow's official figure.

In a Sunday interview with local journalist Ruslan Kurbanov, Dagestan health minister Jamaludin Hajiyibragimov said at least 13,000 people have been infected and 657 have died from COVID-19 in his region so far.

These figures are more than 20 times higher than Russia's official figures for the region, which are 3,371 infections and 29 deaths, according to Hajiyibragimov.

As of Monday, Russia has officially reported around 290,000 cases and 2,722 deaths in the entire country.

The Kremlin has been suspected of deflating its numbers of COVID-19 by various world health bodies, despite strong denials and threats of retaliation against media outlets reporting the potential discrepancy.

According to Hajiyibragimov, the reporting discrepancy is due to how authorities have determined patients' illnesses.

Instead of COVID-19, many Russian patients have been diagnosed with the more generic-sounding "community-acquired pneumonia," or CAP, which describes all the symptoms of a coronavirus infection but without an official virus test to determine the cause of the patient's illness.

If the overall rate of infection and death in Russia followed the same pattern as Dagestan's, Russia could have actually been hit by more than a million cases and already suffered more than 50,000 deaths from the pandemic.

Read the original article on Business Insider
E-commerce companies have started taking orders for non-essentials from consumers in cities even classified as red zones after the government relaxed norms for lockdown 4.0. The online retail platforms have started taking orders for non-essentials in cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru, industry insiders say.

Confirming the development, Paytm Mall said they have started deliveries for all their PIN codes for non-essentials as well. In a statement, Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice-President Paytm Mall, said: Our merchants, offline shopkeepers, and logistics partners have all ramped up operations in tier-I metro cities and all red zones in the country. We have opened up all our pin codes and are now taking orders for non-essentials delivery.

While the state governments have not yet officially come out with rules and regulations for operations in their specific areas, many relaxations have already been offered. This is part of the baby steps the government is taking to enable opening up of the economy, which has suffered a body blow after a two-month-long lockdown because of COVID-19.

An Amazon India spokesperson did not share details of areas that have been opened up for servicing, but said they were looking to revive the six lakh retailers and small businesses which sell on the platform.

We are humbled by the opportunity to be an extended partner to the government as it balances saving lives alongside creating livelihoodwe remain committed as always to ensuring the safety of our customers and our employees while creating business and employment opportunity, the Amazon spokesperson 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

Delhi NCR-based e-commerce platform Snapdeal said more than 65 percent of the orders booked on their platform today came from tier 1 cities that are in the red zone. Further, more than double the consumers who came to look for products on Snapdeal actually bought something, showing that consumers were waiting for e-commerce deliveries to begin in major cities.

On an average, users bought two to three products in one go, simply checked out their pre-loaded carts, which they have been accumulating over the last four to six weeks, said a Snapdeal spokesperson.

Among the cities which led the surge for Snapdeal are Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Patna, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Jaipur, Kota, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Indore and Kolkata.

The company gave details of products that were ordered, which include budget phones, garments, trimmers, home goods like pressure cookers and equipment needed to work from home like monitors and keyboards. The deliveries will start from today (May 19).
On May 18 every year, World AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is marked to create awareness about AIDS and its immunisation measures.



World AIDS Vaccine Day also puts the spotlight on the importance of developing a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and how healthcare workers, scientists, and volunteers are working towards finding a safe and effective vaccine for the disease.



On HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, the world is reminded that HIV can be prevented, and we can all play an important role in preventing its spread and ease the global burden wrought by the disease.



World AIDS Vaccines Day is different from World AIDS Day which is marked on December 1.



Every year, communities around the world hold a variety of activities on this day to raise awareness about vaccines, prevention, educate communities and bring attention to ways in which individuals can be a part of international effort to hold the spread of HIV and AIDS.



Usually, countries mark World AIDS Vaccine Day by holding conferences around the world. But due to COVID-19, no such gatherings have taken place. Video-conferencing will likely be used for interaction between scientists and healthcare professionals.



Already, the World Health Organisation has warned that COVID-19 may cause immunisation services across the world to shut down and these risks triggering a resurgence of diseases that can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines.



So how close are we to developing a vaccine for the HIV?



According to WHO, 75 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 32 million people have died of HIV since the start of the AIDS epidemic. Globally, some 37.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2018.



An estimated 0.8% of adults aged 1549 years worldwide are living with HIV, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions.



So, what is holding back the development of the vaccine in the face of these stark global figures?



Firstly, scientists explain that the immune system of almost all individuals do not respond to the HIV virus. The HIV virus attacks the human immune system, specifically targeting the CD4 cells - the bodys main defenders against infection - and using them to make copies of themselves. While the immune system produces HIV antibodies, it can only slow the disease progression and not stop or kill the virus.



Also, one of the major obstacles in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates quickly, making it difficult to create a vaccine that works against it. Basically, a vaccine targets the virus in a particular form, however, it may not work if the virus mutates.



Scientists typically use killed or weakened pathogens to make vaccines. But this technique has not worked in the case of HIV. The fact is that killed HIV virus does not work well to trigger an immune response against the virus in the body. Also, there is a significant potential risk of using any live form of the virus.



Vaccines are especially important for people who have a higher risk of infections such as HIV infection.



However, they buy the body more time to clear the infection on its own before disease strikes. With HIV having a long-dormant period before being progressed to AIDS, the virus hides itself in the DNA - which means the hidden copies of the virus cant be destroyed. Hence, a vaccine that buys more time wont work with an infection like HIV.



Finally, vaccines are tested thoroughly on animal models for safety and efficacy evaluation before being tried on humans. However, researchers cant find a good animal model to ensure that the vaccine is likely safe and effective for the HIV virus. Moreover, tests carried out on animals have not shown how humans would react to the vaccines.



Timeline: History of HIV vaccine research



1984



HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS. U.S. HHS Secretary Margaret Heckler declared that an AIDS vaccine will be ready for testing within two years.



1987



The first HIV vaccine clinical trial opened at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. This Phase 1 trial enrolled 138 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers. The gp160 subunit vaccine showed no serious adverse effects.



1988



The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Group (AVEG), the first U.S. cooperative HIV vaccine clinical trials group, began enrolling volunteers in its first trial.



1992



NIAID launched the first Phase 2 HIV vaccine clinical trial. This trial included HIV-negative volunteers with a history of high-risk behaviour -- injection drug use, multiple sex partners, or sexually transmitted infections. Participants were counselled repeatedly to avoid any behaviours that put them at risk of HIV infection.



1998



The first annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day to honour vaccine study volunteers was observed.



The first large-scale HIV vaccine trial began. VaxGen initiated a Phase 3 trial of AIDSVAX (VAX004) in North America and the Netherlands involving more than 5,400 volunteers.



1999



NIAID began the first African preventive HIV vaccine trial in Uganda.



The first large-scale HIV vaccine trial in a developing country began. VaxGen initiated a Phase 3 trial of AIDSVAX (VAX003) involving over 2,500 volunteers in Thailand.



The newly established Vaccine Research Center (VRC) was dedicated to immunisation advocates Dale and Betty Bumpers.



2000



NIAID formed the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), a network of clinical sites in the United States and abroad dedicated to developing a preventive HIV vaccine by testing and evaluating candidate vaccines in all phases of clinical trials. The network included more than 25 sites in the United States, Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.



The first African HIV vaccine trial was completed in Uganda.



2003



The U.S. and Royal Thai governments jointly initiated RV144, a Phase 3 trial to evaluate a novel HIV vaccine strategy commonly referred to as "prime-boost."



Formation of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise was proposed in the journal Science.



2004



Both VaxGen candidates failed to confer protection against HIV in Phase 3 trials.



2007



NIAID halted the Phase 2 Step and Phambili studies due to safety concerns.



2009



The Phase 2 HVTN 505 study was initiated to evaluate a prime-boost vaccine regimen developed by the VRC.



Results of the Phase 3 Thai Trial (RV144) revealed that the vaccine combination demonstrated a modest preventive effect in humans. The trial, which enrolled more than 16,000 volunteers, was the first, and to date only, large clinical study to demonstrate efficacy for an investigational HIV vaccine.



2010



VRC scientists identified two potent antibodies that neutralize most strains of HIV in the laboratory (VRC01 and VRC02).



The Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership (P5), an international collaborative team committed to building on the modest success of RV144, was formed.



2011



HVTN 505 was expanded to include protection from HIV as primary endpoint.



2012



Additional analyses of samples from RV144 provided insight into what types of immune responses may be needed for an effective vaccine.



2013



HVTN 505 immunizations were stopped due to lack of efficacy.



2015



The Phase 1/2 HVTN 100 study, part of the P5 research endeavor, launched to test the safety of an experimental HIV vaccine regimen based upon the RV144 findings, as well as its ability to generate an immune response.



2016



NIAID launched the AMP Studies to test whether intravenous infusions of the antibody VRC01 are safe, tolerable and effective at preventing HIV infection. The trials were also designed to answer fundamental scientific questions for HIV prevention and vaccine research.



HVTN 702, part of the P5 research endeavor, launched to test whether a new version of the RV144 HIV vaccine candidate safely prevents HIV infection among adults in South Africa.



2017



NIAID and partners launched Imbokodo or HVTN 705/HPX2008, a Phase 2b proof-of-concept study evaluating the safety and efficacy of an experimental regimen based on a mosaic vaccine designed to induce immune responses against a wide variety of global HIV strains.

Source: Ghanaweb









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UPDATE: The Director-General of Health is once again reporting zero new case of COVID-19.

Ashley says with no new cases today, the total number of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1499.

He says the total number of confirmed cases is at 1149. This is the number that is reported to the WHO each day.

There are no additional deaths to report.

There is no change to the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19. The number remains at 1433 or 96 per cent of the total number of cases in New Zealand.

Ashley says two people remain in hospital.

He says one is in Auckland City Hospital and the other is in Middlemore Hospital.

Neither of the cases are in ICU.

Laboratories carried out a total number of 2570 tests yesterday.

A total number of 230,718 tests have been carried out to date.

Last week, there were four days in a row where no new cases were reported in the country.

On Friday, there was one case reported and another reported on Sunday.

There were zero cases reported on Saturday.

Do Bloomfield said he'll be virtually attending the World Health Assembly, which is being held tonight in Geneva, and he will lead New Zealand's team present at the meeting. Health Minister David Clark will also be present.

"New Zealand is co-sponsoring a resolution on Covid-19, the purpose of the resolution is to agree, at a high level, the future areas of work to be undertaken on Covid-19 by member states and the World Health Organisation and other organisations," Dr Bloomfield said.

Nearly 800,000 students headed back to school today for the first time in eight weeks, many more parents are also able to return to their offices.

Since the country stepped into level 2 on Thursday, retailers have been able to reopen under a number of guidelines, but the transition wasn't as smooth as some businesses would have liked.

In Dunedin, police broke up several parties in the city's student quarter which were flouting level 2 rules on Saturday night. On the same night two males were seen lighting a couch on fire in the middle of Leith St.

The incidents came a day after the University of Otago praised students for their behaviour during the lockdown.

During the level 3 and 4 lockdown, police arrested more than 90 people and nearly 50 firearms were seized in a crackdown on organised crime.

-Additonal reporting by RNZ.

EARLIER:

As New Zealand heads into its first full week of Alert Level 2, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfiled will be delivering the latest COVID-19 results.

He will be joined by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster for the All of Government COVID-19 National Response update at 1pm today.

SunLive will be providing updates throughout the afternoon for those who miss the 1pm update.

What we know so far

On Sunday, there was one new confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health says the case is linked to the Rosewood cluster as a household contact of an earlier case.

New Zealands combined total of confirmed and probable cases is 1,499.

"We now have 1433 people reported as having recovered from COVID-19, an increase of five on Saturday."

This is 96 per cent of all confirmed and probable cases.

There were two people receiving hospital-level care for COVID-19  one each in Auckland and Middlemore hospitals. Neither of these patients is in ICU.

"We still have 16 significant clusters."

There are no additional deaths to report.
Ambassador Du Wei. Photo: Embassy of The People's Republic of China in The State of Israel

A preliminary assessment of the death of Chinas ambassador to Israel found that he died of health reasons, though an exact cause of death has yet to be determined, Chinas state-owned CCTV reported Sunday.

According to Israeli media, Ambassador Du Wei was found dead in bed Sunday at his official residence in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.

Israels national first aid service reported that Dus death appears to have been caused by a cardiac incident.

Initial reports said that no signs of violence were found on his body, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

Du took up the post in February, according to his work history published by CCTV. Before his stint in the Middle East, he had spent three years as Chinas envoy to Ukraine, and prior to that, as an official in charge of policy at Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China is sending a team to investigate the ambassadors death, the report said.

The 57-year old was married and had one child, according to CCTV.

Contact reporter Dave Yin (davidyin@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
Many businesses in the food industry did not have to close down during the lockdown. However, some of them have still made significant losses.

Especially for those in the event sector, times are tough. Shops have reopened, Luxembourg Citys "Groussgaass" is buzzing with life again, and face masks have become the new norm.

RTL visited Luxembourgs oldest butchers shop. Both butchers and bakeries were allowed to remain open throughout the lockdown. According to the speaker of the confederation of artisanal food producers, Anne Kaiffer, open shops did however not automatically lead to a stable level of profits: "Bakers also had losses of 50 to 70% because they couldnt offer a big part of their services like serving coffee, sandwiches, or lunch menus"

There are also fewer people in Luxembourg City because many work from home, and those who are working in their offices dont necessarily feel like going out to get something. Party services are hit especially hard by the corona crisis as their main income source are events, which are not allowed to take place.

"People used to going out and delivering their goods now have to deal with a severe stagnation of their businesses. Drivers are also not necessarily needed at the moment. For some of them the situation is very dire"

Kaiffer stressed that these people especially would require further aids from the government as their activities will be impacted for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the horeca sector is waiting for their own reopening day. According to Anne Kaiffer, bakeries should also be allowed to serve meals to their customers again.

"We are ready. Everyone has taken appropriate measures and knows how to handle the situation. This could also be a first step towards encouraging people to spend time with each other again  even if that means at a distance"

Kaiffer stated that businesses in this sector were used to strict hygiene regulations anyway. The staff was working hard and customers also showed a lot of patience and discipline.

Organising everything behind the scenes is not always easy and it will probably take some time for everything to go smoothly. Kaiffer thinks that the crisis will definitely change the food industry, and maybe not only for the worse when it comes to consumer behaviour.

"People dont need to have organic kiwis from New Zealand anymore"

According to Kaiffer, people are willing to buy more local and regional products again  a change which she for one appreciates.
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The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office on Monday launched a We Need to Know social media campaign to encourage people of Asian ethnicity to call police if they believe theyve been the victims of hate crimes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Multnomah County prosecutors also are urging victims of any protected class to call police if theyve been targeted with bias crimes for any reason. Prosecuting people who victimize others because of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or national origin has been a priority of the DAs Office, according to prosecutors.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

Prosecutors are particularly concerned that bias crimes against Asian Americans could increase as Oregon continues to reopen, people increasingly interact and some individuals might place blame on people of Asian ethnicity because the novel coronavirus first surfaced in China.

We need to know about bias crimes in our community so law enforcement can investigate these matters and if appropriate, refer them to our office for prosecution, District Attorney Rod Underhill said in a news release.

Nationally, we have seen headlines about Asian Americans being discriminated against, Underhill said, referring to the novel coronavirus pandemic. We will not tolerate that kind of hate against any race, ethnicity or protected class in our community. Multnomah County prides itself on being open and inclusive to all individuals.

Multnomah County District Attorney's Office releases We Need to Know campaign to encourage bias crime reporting. https://t.co/ROoizXybPj pic.twitter.com/lwSNG0q4RI  Brent Weisberg (@BrentWeisberg) May 18, 2020

The DAs Office is using Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to get the word out. Social media posts have been translated into simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese, according to the DAs Office. Links to the campaign in all of those languages can be found here.

Authorities said people should call 911 if theyre the victim of a bias crime in progress or witness such a crime in progress. If the bias crime is no longer happening or the suspect is gone, people should call Multnomah Countys non-emergency line at 503-823-3333.

The city of Hillsboro also has launched a similar campaign urging people to report hate crimes and Monday posted a video on YouTube titled Together, We Can Stop Coronavirus Discrimination.

Health officials have made clear there is no link between coronavirus and a persons race or national origin  anyone can get the virus, and anyone can spread it, wrote the Hillsboro City Council, in a public statement. Yet, misinformation is leading to discrimination due to the false association between race and coronavirus. This scapegoating has led to derogatory name-calling, verbal harassment, denial of entry and service, and even physical violence.

The statement continues: For Asian-owned businesses, the loss of customers has been especially drastic due to coronavirus misinformation, making a challenging situation even more difficult. Racist misinformation impacts livelihoods and lives. This is unacceptable, and serves as a direct call to action.

Hillsboro is urging residents to call 911 or Washington Countys non-emergency line at 503-629-0111.

Oregonians from any county can report bias crimes by calling 911 or their local non-emergency number. The Oregon Department of Justice also takes reports at its website: https://justice.oregon.gov/CrimeReporting/BiasCrime.

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Eric Trump claimed Saturday that the coronavirus will "magically" vanish after the November election and allow the country to fully reopen - an assertion that has no basis in science and is contradicted by health experts worldwide.

In an interview with Fox News' Jeanine Pirro, Trump suggested the president's critics were using the pandemic to undermine his father's rallies, calling it a "cognizant strategy" that would cease once it was no longer politically expedient.

"They think they are taking away Donald Trump's greatest tool, which is being able to go into an arena and fill it with 50,000 people every single time," the younger Trump said. "You watch, they'll milk it every single day between now and November 3. And guess what, after November 3, coronavirus will magically, all of a sudden, go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen."

He also criticized former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and boasted about crowd sizes at President Donald Trump's political events.

The Biden campaign pushed back against Trump's comments, calling them "unbelievably reckless."

"We're in the middle of the biggest public health emergency in a century, with almost 90,000 Americans dead, 1.5 million infected, and 36 million workers newly jobless," said Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield in a statement. "So for Eric Trump to claim that the coronavirus is a political hoax that will 'magically' disappear is absolutely stunning and unbelievably reckless."

She also accused the Trump administration of being "desperate to do whatever they can to throw up a smoke screen to try to conceal his historic mismanagement of this crisis."

Leading health officials have repeatedly warned that the coronavirus will not go away by fall and that a surge in cases toward the end of the year could be even harder to manage than the current outbreak.

Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert, said late last month the global spread of the disease made it "inevitable" that the coronavirus would return or linger beyond fall. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Washington Post that a second wave of covid-19 could be worse than the first because it would coincide with the flu season.

President Trump has acknowledged that the pandemic will remain a public health problem for months. Earlier this month, he said that although he is convinced covid-19 will disappear on its own, it "doesn't mean it's going to be gone, frankly, by fall or after the fall."
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday paid heartfelt tributes to Lance Naik Raj Singh Khatana of 10 Rashtriya Rifles, who was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Doda, an official statement said here.

The resident of Damdama village in Gurugram district was killed in a gunbattle with terrorists in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district.

The statement quoting the chief minister said, We are proud of our brave soldiers who protect our country's borders despite adverse circumstances.

He said that the nation would always be indebted to the martyrdom of Raj Singh Khatana.

The Chief Minister expressed his condolences to the bereaved family members.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Agartala/Guwahati, May 18 : After the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, Governor's rule was imposed in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on Monday as the polls have been postponed indefinitely due to the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of novel coronavirus, officials said.

Chief Executive Officer of the TTAADC Balin Debbarma said that G.K. Rao, former Tripura Chief Secretary and a retired IAS officer, has been appointed as the Administrator of the autonomous body. Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais appointed Rao, who of late was the member of the Tripura Police Accountability Commission, to run the politically important tribal autonomous body on his behalf.

The 30-member TTAADC, until Sunday, was governed by the opposition CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and its five-year term expired on May 17. An official of the TTAADC said that within the next six months, the elections to the council would have to be conducted as per the mandate of the Constitution.

Opposition CPI-M state Secretary Gautam Das and Tripura Pradesh Congress President Pijush Biswas separately asked the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government to conduct the elections of the TTAADC within the stipulated period. The politically important TTAADC, which was constituted under the sixth Schedule of the Constitution in June, 1985, has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura's 10,491 sq km are, home to over 12,16,000 people, mostly tribals.

In Assam, on the recommendations of the state government, the State Election Commission recently put off the 40-member BTC polls for an indefinite period. Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi, who is the constitutional head of the Sixth Schedule areas like that of BTC, had also earlier suggested postponement of the council polls.

Mukhi on April 27 appointed Rajesh Prasad, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, as the administrator of the BTC following the promulgation of Governor's Rule.

The politically important BTC, which started functioning in December 2003, comprises four districts of western Assam -- Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri and is home to over 31,00,000 people, the majority of whom are tribals. Before the Governor's rule in BTC, since 2003 it was governed by the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), a local party and an ally of the BJP-led Assam government.
Ritwika Mitra By

Express News Service

Impact of lockdown on tribal communities is yet to be assessed, says Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda in an interview with Ritwika Mitra but asserts that his ministry is doing its bit to create employment opportunities for tribal migrants who are returning to their home states. Excerpts:

The government recently increased the minimum support price for over 45 minor forest produce (MFP) items. What do you think will be the implementation challenges amid reports that tribal communities were forced to sell the products at much lower rates during the lockdown?

During this global pandemic, it is our responsibility to take care of the underprivileged as our tribal population is sustained by natural resources. The community earns its livelihood by selling forest produce, but is unable to get proper rate for the same. Thats why our ministry has included 50 minor forest produce items to have a minimum support price. We are planning to include more 30 items to this list. I have called for rapid implementation of sale of MFP with revised prices and some states have already agreed to the same. I have also spoken about it to all Union ministers, chief ministers and other state officials concerned. I was not aware that the tribals were forced to sell their produce at low rates during the lockdown. I will initiate an inquiry into this.

How does the government plan to boost food security and improve livelihood programmes for tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers amid the pandemic?

We are ensuring food security for tribal communities and other forest dwellers through the government and NGOs. The ministry is in constant touch with the officials related to the tribal affairs and monitoring the current situation. Given the current circumstances, the ministry has urged states to accelerate procurement operations for MFP to support the tribal communities as this is the busiest period of collection.

With over 15 tribal districts amid hotspots and 40 per cent of ST population living below poverty line, do you think there is a need to form an exclusive Covid response team for tribal areas?

Efforts are already being made to fight this epidemic. The ministry has not yet decided on setting up a separate team, but if necessary, will discuss it. We are also running awareness campaigns on adopting cleanliness, hygiene and social distancing, with help of ASHA workers.

Is the ministry planning to conduct an assessment report on the lockdowns impact on tribal migrants?

This issue is under consideration.

Is the ministry coordinating with state governments on how to provide support to tribals, especially the states with high tribal population?

Since May 1, when the MSP for MFP for 50 items was announced, small forest produce worth `40 crore has been procured by 17 states. Five more states will also start the procurement process soon. We, along with the states, reviewed the working of Van Dhan Yojana. I have also discussed with CMs and officials of various states the steps taken by them on return of tribal migrants to their home states. New employment opportunities for the home-bound migrants will be discovered by establishing small scale units at the village level and taking advantage of the traditional knowledge of tribal communities.
Nobody knows budget smartphone buyers better than Xiaomi. The reason that you are buying affordable phones with great specifications can be attributed to the revolution Xiaomi brought a couple of years ago. This year, the Redmi Note 9 series reaffirms that but Xiaomi seems in no mood to stop. After the Note 9 series, the focus is on the Redmi 10X series and Xiaomi has just given us a glimpse of what to expect from this phone, which is launching on May 26.

The Redmi 10X is supposed to sit under the Redmi Note 9 series but the design shown in the teaser tells otherwise. Previous leaks by tipster Ishan Agarwal have confirmed that the Redmi 10X will launch in a 5G flavour and it is going to rely on MediaTek's latest Dimensity 820 chipset. The Redmi 10X teaser, spotted by popular tipster Mukul Sharma, shows the back of the phone that looks quite similar to the Redmi Note 9 Pro, especially with its squarish camera hump.

However, the Redmi 10X's camera hump also holds the 48-megapixel camera branding, which is not present on the Redmi Note 9 Pro. As a result, this one looks more premium. The sides of the phone are also shown and it is clear that there's no fingerprint sensor on the power button. This hints at an in-display sensor, which could also point to the Redmi 10X relying on an OLED display.

A couple of days ago, a certification site passed a new Redmi smartphone with an OLED display and chances are that it was talking about this phone only. It is also possible that Redmi may stick to an LCD display for saving on costs and debut an in-display fingerprint sensor for an LCD display.

Redmi 10X renders

The teaser image also shows the four colours the phone will come in. There are the usual blue and white we saw on existing Redmi phones. There are two new colours for the Redmi 10X, gold and violet.

Another teaser released by Xiaomi hints at the AnTuTu score of the Redmi 10X, which indicates this phone to be a solid performer. The score seems to hint at the Dimesnity 820 chipset that MediaTek announced early today. The Dimensity 820 is a midrange 5G chipset with four Cortex A76 cores and four Cortex A55 cores, along with a Mali G57 MC5 GPU. The Dimensity 820 allows for 5G dual-SIM connectivity, which could help Xiaomi push it to global markets.

With an AnTuTu score of 415,672, the Redmi 10X could offer similar performance to phones powered by the Snapdragon 855 from last year. Hence, it seems that the Redmi 10X could sit between the Redmi Note series and K series lineup. A 4G version of the same could come to India replacing the ageing Redmi K20.
Arjun Rampal is spending some quality time with partner Gabriel Demetriades and their little bundle of joy Arik. The Rock On actor has been sharing beautiful family moments on social media.

On Sunday, Rampal added an adorable father-son moment to his Instagram timeline. In the image, the Housefull actor is seen having a playful time with his little boy.

With the adorable photo, Rampal wrote, Funday.....Sunday #masti

Some time back, the We Are Family actor, who has been sporting a full-grown beard lately, revealed his plan to get rid of it.

The extended quarantine has got the better of my beard. Time to let it go!!!!hopefully it grows back before filming commences.... #hairtodaygonetomorrow, read the caption.

Rampal and Gabriel welcomed their first child together on July 18, 2019. Today, the South African model is celebrating 10 months of her baby boy, Arik.

The D-Day actor had wished Demetriades this Mothers Day, saying, She is a new Mom and a very fine one too. Happy first Mothers Day, mamma @gabriellademetriades love you.

On the big screen, Rampal featured in 2019 film, Paltan alongside Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Harshvardhan Rane, Esha Gupta, among others.

The Raajneeti actor was also seen in a web show, The Final Call that premiered last year on OTT platform. The thriller series also featured Neeraj Kabi, Jaaved Jafferi and Harshad Arora.

Follow @News18Movies for more
By Susan Decker | Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON  A group of state officials has an idea to expand the availability of ventilators and other equipment hospitals need to treat coronavirus patients: let more medical facilities fix the ones they have.

In a letter to equipment manufacturers, the state treasurers of Pennsylvania, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, and Rhode Island said hospitals sometimes had to wait longer than a week for technicians under their maintenance contracts to fix equipment. Manufacturers have refused to supply parts to anyone who hasnt undergone the expensive company training.

In a global pandemic with this kind of urgency and this kind of devastation, where every second counts, there shouldnt be a single ventilator in any hospital that cant be used because of these restrictions, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella said in an interview.

Torsella led the group calling on manufacturers to release all repair manuals and service keys and to allow hospitals to use technicians of their choice instead of those required under maintenance contracts. The effort also turned a spotlight on an issue that some consumer rights groups are hoping could lead to a more permanent change.

Twenty states are considering legislation that would give consumers more rights to repair, resell and modify products they buy, whether its more access to the software on John Deere farm tractors, going outside Apple Inc.s Genius Bar to fix a broken iPhone, or selling digital books after theyve been read. Some, but not all, also include provisions that would cover medical equipment, which are tightly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The pandemic may give the movement a boost because of the outcry over reports of broken or unavailable ventilators. In April, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group sent a petition with 43,000 signatures calling on manufacturers to release repair information.

Hundreds of biomedical engineers, also known as biomeds, signed a letter to be released Monday by PIRG that calls for greater access to service materials and for making product-specific training on fair and reasonable terms.

As the outbreak spread over the past month, some medical equipment makers such as Medtronic Plc and General Electric Co. agreed to turn over manuals and other information to ensure hospitals have what they need.

The companies, along with Draegerwerk AG, sell medical equipment for as much as $1 million or more for each machine. Draegerwerk, which biomeds said has particularly strict rules, is projecting an increase in sales as hospitals need more devices to treat coronavirus patients. Even more profitable are the required service contracts to keep complicated equipment like ventilators, patient monitors, and MRI machines working.

We provide 24/7 technical support to the hospitals we supply as well as rapid on-site service, said Marion Varec, a spokeswoman for Draegerwerk. In fact, we provide manuals, to the extent consistent with FDA quality standards. We listen to our customers and support their needs.

Legislative proposals have been strongly fought by the industries affected, and the medical device industry has been among the most vocal. Its trying to get Congress to pass legislation that would impose more stringent requirements on hospital and independent biomedical technicians, or biomeds. Instead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was told to investigate whether there was a difference in the quality of service  the agency determined in 2018 that there was no fall off in quality of repairs when it was done by in-house hospital technicians or trained independent biomeds.

Among those weighing in on behalf of the biomeds was the Defense Department, which called the profit margins on maintenance astounding and said the markup for parts could be more than 1,000%.

Leticia Reynolds, president of the Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, said theres a big difference in what you can do at military hospitals and at civilian ones.

In the military, you can work on pretty much anything, said Reynolds. In the civilian sector, If you havent been to their school, they say We wont help you, or You cant buy parts.

The industry said its employees are held to a higher standard than those working for hospitals or with third-party repair companies, known collectively as independent servicing organizations, and its efforts were to put all technicians on the same level.

Currently, only servicing activities performed by medical device manufacturers are held to any quality, safety, or regulatory requirements by the FDA, said Peter Weems, Director of Policy & Strategy at the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance. Independent servicing organizations are not required to register with the FDA, report deaths or serious injuries, or adopt quality management systems.

Some hospital officials are critical of the medical equipment industry.

Its not about safety, its about maintaining a business advantage, said Patrick Flaherty, vice president of supplier performance at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, a group of more than 40 hospitals, who called the manufacturers monopolists and cartels. Its absolutely repulsive if you try to cloak it under patient safety.

Others say that the additional protections are needed with regard to complicated medical equipment  especially as more systems become networked and vulnerable to hacking.

This is life-saving and life-sustaining equipment, said Nick Lewis, systems director of environmental safety management and compliance at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tenn. Having tight controls  whether that be passwords, or when they update software  they have to be pretty tight with that stuff or we could potentially put ourselves at risk with cyber issues.

Amid a dire shortage of personal protective gear for doctors, nurses and other first responders through the country when the COVID-19 virus migrated from Asia and Europe, U.S. hospitals also found ventilators in short supply and some delivered from the National Stockpile broken. Hospitals and critical care facilities had to adapt other equipment, such as reconfiguring anesthesia machines and transport ventilators.

Massachusetts General Hospital sent a team to inspect and repair the entire contingent of ventilators the state received from the National Stockpile, knowing smaller hospitals wouldnt have the trained technicians, said Paul Biddinger, director of emergency preparedness at the Boston hospital.

Early on, as we saw the coronavirus emerging as a threat, we tried very hard to anticipate what the impact on our system could be, Biddinger said.

At the Johnson Memorial Health in Johnson, Ind., the hospital found powered air-purifying respirators needed by healthcare professionals in the COVID unit that were so old there was no way to buy the connector hoses that pump fresh air, said marketing director Jeff Dutton.

Someone knew a small business in Franklin that had a 3D printer and was able to replicate the part perfectly, Dutton said.

Manufacturers initially kept to their long-standing policies when it came to access to manuals, software codes and parts. But as the scope of the crisis grew, many began easing restrictions, posting their closely kept service manuals on their websites, or dropping objections to having them posted on sites such as iFixit.com, which crowd sources manuals.

Its unknown whether they will try to pull them back once the pandemic is over. Jared Wilson, co-founder of Insight HTM LLC, which does repairs and maintenance at ambulatory surgical centers, said he is bizarrely grateful for the pandemic.

Typically were in what was the morgue, the bottommost corner of the hospital, Wilson said. This really has brought to light the issue of maintenance of equipment. Weve been striving for this for so long.

Flaherty said the work being done at hospitals and critical care centers around the world spotlight that some of the rules are unnecessary.

If COVID did not create a learning platform for people, then its a missed opportunity, Flaherty said.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday asserted that stringent action would be taken against the South Korean firm, LG Polymers India Ltd, whose alleged negligence led to the leak of toxic styrene gas from its plant at Visakhapatnam on May 7, claiming 12 lives and over 500 people falling sick.

While, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which was scheduled to conduct a hearing on the Visakhapatnam gas tragedy on Monday, deferred it to June 1 as the experts committee, which was constituted by the NGT, sought more time to submit its report.

The expert appraisal committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will conduct a separate hearing in New Delhi on Tuesday over reports that LG Polymers had been operating its plant without obtaining the mandatory green nod from the ministry for expanding its capacity from 415 tonnes per day (TPD) to 655 TPD.

CM Reddy, who held a video conference with the officials and some of those affected by the gas leak, said that the South Korean firm would be held responsible for the tragedy, and action would be taken against its errant employees.

Weve appointed committees at district and state-level, respectively. The Centre, too, has appointed three panels. Well seek explanations from the company after the panels submit their separate reports. Well take appropriate action based on the companys response. Well give the firm a weeks time to respond, the CM said.

He said the company, which was given permission during the previous N. Chandrababu Naidu regime to operate, would not be allowed to function. Weve ensured that the raw material styrene gas, which caused the industrial disaster, is sent back to South Korea, the CM said.

LG Polymers on Monday announced that it had successfully shipped Styrene Monomer (SM) inventory from its plant in Visakhapatnam to Seoul.

The firms managing director (MD), Jeong Sunkey, said no styrene gas is left at the plant.

Were trying to ascertain the cause of the accident, prevent its re-occurrence, and most importantly provide assistance to the families of the deceased and injured, the MD said.

The companys immediate focus is to provide assistance to the people living in and around the plant and help them restart their normal lives at the earliest, he added.

The MD informed that a team of technical experts from the companys headquarters at Seoul had arrived at Visakhapatnam to take part in the rehabilitation process.

Weve commissioned a special task force consisting of more than 200 people to support the affected families, he added.

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Creativity without wastage with C Shapes By Paramie Jayakody View(s): View(s):

If youre the type of person looking to make a fashion statement with the jewellery you wear, then perhaps C Shapes is no stranger to you. But if youve never heard of them, then nows your chance to get up to speed about the company that is out to make a name for themselves in a unique way.

C Shapes is a small scale company whose primary goal is to produce unique, contemporary hand-made jewellery from waste materials, says Chaminda Kingsly Lorence, Founder of C Shapes. This is seen in the values of the company itself. If you take the name C-Shapes, you see: C- Creative, S  Sustainable, H  Handmade, A  Attractive, P- Pioneering, E- Extraordinary, S- Simple.

With these values in mind, C-Shapes has a bold vision and mission. We want to be the pioneers in transforming one persons rejects into another persons treasure. Simultaneously, the company is also piloting towards transforming waste materials into exclusive, contemporary jewelleries. This is carried out via continuous research and development.

The birth and concept of C-Shapes was one of innovation and the desire to create without wastage.  Every year a staggering amount of waste is dumped into landfills without any regard for its potential to be reused or recycled, explains Chaminda. As such a vast amount of usable resources are left to decompose in landfills. Because of this, concepts such as Zero Waste and Urban Mining have sprung up to the rescue as a solution for waste management and resource depletion.

With a philosophy such as Zero Waste, designers are encouraged to design their products in such a way that there is no residual material left. Think of it as the circle of life, where resources are reused in nature.

With Urban Mining, the process of reclaiming compounds and elements from products, buildings and waste which would otherwise be left to decompose in landfills is taken care of. Having been exposed to these concepts as a student in contemporary jewellery designing in PXL Hasselt, Belgium, Chaminda was motivated to introduce these very same concepts to the local fashion industry as well.

Rather than using precious metals that may cause resource depletion and environmental pollution, Chaminda wanted to make a difference. His solution? Use waste materials as jewellery. After a lengthy brainstorming session, Chaminda came up with the idea to manufacture jewellery by using waste materials. Following the completion of his studies and his return to Sri Lanka, Chaminda officially registered C-Shapes as a company in 2016.

What sets C-Sharp apart from other jewellery manufacturers is that their products are catered exclusively for those who admire a cleaner environment. Thats how our theme became be green and clearly be seen, adds Chaminda.

C-Shapes provides a large variety of individual, contemporary, conceptual and unique pieces of  green jewellery made mainly of paper, scrap copper, and waste pencils. They up-cycle waste materials and utilize a combination of traditional and novel design and fabricating technologies to create their lineup of Jewellery. In addition, C-Shapes is also the only company in Sri Lanka that carries out paper compression.

Since its inception in 2016, C-Shapes has taken part in the FACETS International Gem and Jewelry exhibition held in Sri Lanka. It was there that Chaminda was convinced that there is indeed a sufficient demand for their products among both the foreign and local community.

Networking is a key component of C-Shapes. For e-Business, we realized that direct communication with the customers is the most effective mode of selling. As such, Chaminda took the initiative in setting up relevant Facebook and Instagram pages. It provides us ample time to convey the concept of our products to a diverse group of customers. Further, customers can have a close look of the products, and can even go to the extent of customizing their own jewellery as well.

The Colombo Good Market is one such place where C-Shapes shows off their handiwork. The Good Market provides ample opportunity for C-Shapes to attract those who admire environmentally friendly green concepts. We receive really encouraging comments and materials from the customers says Chaminda proudly. We really enjoy explaining the story behind the products of CShapes, he also added.

From 2016 till now, Chaminda says he is quite satisfied with the way that C-Shapes has grown and evolved. But the journey isnt over yet. We are definitely going big in future, says Chaminda enthusiastically.

We will focus more on producing large objects by using discarded materials. To make their products more popular around the world, Chaminda shares that his next step is to initiate joint ventures with local and foreign parties. In addition, Chaminda is also on the look out for a permanent location in Colombo or Kandy to establish what he proudly calls the first green jewellery gallery in Sri Lanka.

In wrapping up, Chaminda shares that the best thing about life with C-Shapes is the positive and encouraging comments that he receives from customers. He holds a special place in his heart for children who come to admire the jewellery at C-Shapes. C-Shapes is our pride says a beaming Chaminda.

For more information about C-Shapes, be sure to check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CShapes/) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/cshapessl).
Former WWE Star Shad Gaspard Missing Off California Coast: Family

Former WWE star Shad Gaspard disappeared off the coast near Venice Beach, California, over the weekend, according to his family, as officials said they are searching for a male who went missing.

Deputy Trina Schrader of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department told news outlets that Los Angeles County lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard are engaged in a search for a man who they were unable to pull from the water after he showed signs of distress, but she did not confirm it was Gaspard.

At approx 3:45 p.m. L.A. County Lifeguards did see a black male in his 30s in distress. They went to try to rescue him. However, he went under before they could rescue him and a search effort was immediately put underway and a search effort has been underway ever since, Schrader told Fox News.

Siliana Gaspard, the 39-year-olds wife, wrote on Instagram that her husband has been missing, ABC7 reported. She posted two photos of Shad next to a child, saying he was seen last at Marina Del Rey beach when he disappeared.

A boy, who was not named, was pulled from the water on Sunday. He wasnt hospitalized, the report said.

That group was stuck in one of the rip currents and were swimming just north of the lifeguard tower, said Pono Barnes, an ocean lifeguard specialist. Thats why lifeguards were able to get there so soon, but unfortunately, one did, however, submerge.

We are going to put forth every effort available to us to locate the missing swimmer throughout the day and night, Schrader also said.
Restrictions on public activity have been in place due to Covid-19 since March 23, on foot of a Government decision based on the advice of the chief medical officer.

The near total lockdown applies to all aspects of life - personal, social, psychological and religious - yet virtually all the focus has been on the first three.

As a result church services are no longer taking place in public, although many in the Republic of Ireland remain open for private prayer. The same is not true in the North where they are completely closed on the instruction of the UK government.

Churches have responded creatively to this significant intrusion in the religious and spiritual lives of the public by live streaming various services on Sunday and every weekday. With around one-third of people attending services at least once a week and 50pc attend at least once per month, a large swathe of the population is affected and thousands are engaging remotely with these streaming services.

But watching a religious service on YouTube or television is very different from actively participating.

Catholic Mass has a particular structure with significant reverential moments.

The consecration is one such, but most important of all is the physical reception of Holy Communion. It is this sacrament many identify as the greatest lacuna in their spiritual/religious life.

The Church has developed a prayer which recognises this reality but allows us to receive the Eucharist spiritually.

There is also the community aspect to public religious celebration and this is much greater than the camaraderie of chatting in the car park.

Public worship is a community-based ritual, a coming together of believers to worship God and drawing spiritual strength from each other through prayer and the sacraments. So the private and public are intertwined. The lockdown has been a huge spiritual sacrifice, in the interests of the common good.

This makes the resumption of public services a significant event for Christians of all denominations and for other faiths.

It is proposed that church services such as Sunday Mass will resume on July 20, the fourth of the five phases to reopening the economy and business. But it is more than two months from now.

Some countries such as Spain, Sweden and Poland did not introduce any ban on public worship, although Spain and Poland enforced strict social distancing.

What is troubling for Catholics and other churches is most European countries are resuming church services much earlier than us. Croatia, Austria, Monaco and Slovakia have already restored the public celebration; Portugal is resuming on May 30 and France in early June.

In Germany churches were closed in March but a constitutional court found this breached the religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution. Churches reopened for services under strict guidelines.

In some countries the resumption has happened as a result of strong interventions from its bishops. In Italy the bishops kicked back against the absence of any reopening date from the Government.

A deal was struck that public liturgies including confession would resume today.

In England and Wales, services will resume on July 5 but Cardinal Vincent Nichols has called for a much earlier resumption, criticising the government as lacking sensitivity to worshippers' needs.

Regrettably we have to wait for considerably longer. Apart from Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin - quoted in the 'Irish Catholic' saying "it should be possible to begin sooner, but always giving priority to public health. Whenever it happens, it will require flexibility and generosity of spirit on the part of everybody" - none of the other bishops has uttered any discontent on behalf of the faithful in Ireland.

The meeting a few days ago between the Taoiseach and the bishops was described by Leo Varadkar as "good initial discussions". The only report of this is on the Bishop's Conference website and the Taoiseach's Twitter account.

Members of the laity, like myself, have questions for the bishops. Who asked for the meeting? Was an earlier resumption of services such as Sunday Mass discussed? Was any member of the laity present? There are no answers to these basic questions reported in the media at the time of writing.

The bishops should advocate for the spiritual welfare of the people in the pews. They should not be sounding like Department of Health bureaucrats. Their passivity does not attract admiration but rather disrespectful glee from those actively hostile to religion.

With a few notable exceptions, the morale of the bishops is clearly extremely low and they have succumbed to ennui and helplessness. This is partly a result of the sexual abuse scandals - never, hopefully, to be repeated.

But we are now in a different era and the Catholic laity in Ireland is no longer there to just pray and pay but want to be part of an active Church that is not simply doing the bidding of the state.

Despite the terrible impact the abuse scandal has had, many still carry on and "fight the good fight". The bishops should do the same and actively lobby to restore public worship, with appropriate health precautions, sooner than July 20.
There is no direct benefit for



STs in the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package announced by the Centre, Telangana ST Welfare, Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod alleged on Monday.

She conveyed this to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda when he telephoned her and enquired about the conditions of STs in the state against the backdrop of COVID- 19, an official release said here.

She urged that measures be taken to improve medical and transport facilities in ST areas as part of the economic package, it said.

Observing that concrete measures have been taken to check the virus spread in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Rathod said the virus has not significantly affected the ST areas.

Asked about the Centre's package, she said the package does not benefit the state much, the release said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria called up Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and asked about the COVID-19 situation in the state and about the drinking water facilities during the peak summer, another release said.

Rao told the Union Minister that the virus is under control in the state though cases are being reported in Hyderabad.

Noting that drinking water is being supplied through the 'Mission Bhagiratha' scheme, Rao said the state government is ensuring that there is no water scarcity even during the summer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Criticising the approach of both the Central and State governments towards the migrant crisis, TPCC president and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that over 13 crore workers were struggling due to the unplanned lockdown in the country.

Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday, Uttam compared the ongoing turmoil to the Partition in 1947. People have turned refugees in their own country. They are disowned and left in the lurch by the BJP and TRS governments, he said.

Calling Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao a dictator, Uttam said that he has been trying to suppress the opposition parties in the State. Are we living in India or totalitarian countries like Pakistan or North Korea? he asked. The TPCC president further said that none of the announcements made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had actually reached the beneficiaries in Telangana.
An Irishman who escaped from a notorious jail in Venezuela seven years ago has avoided being sent back to prison after being convicted of a drugs offence here.

Lee O'Neill (32) pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Friday to a charge of possession of heroin for sale or supply under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at his sister's home in College Park, Athlone, on November 27, 2018.

The court heard that O'Neill, a father-of-three of Manor Valley, Monksland, Athlone, was found with 3,018 of heroin and a list of clients during a garda raid on the property.

Detective Garda Eric Naughton said O'Neill was well-known to gardai in Athlone for his involvement in the drug scene.

In evidence O'Neill claimed he was holding the heroin to discharge a drug debt of 10,000 which he had built up over two months.

"Basically I had no choice but to hold it and to give it out to people," O'Neill said.

Questioned by Judge Keenan Johnson, O'Neill admitted that he could spend around 300 a day at the time to feed his heroin addiction.

However, he said he no longer took the drug and was on methadone and attending a treatment centre once a week before the Covid-19 restrictions.

O'Neill said he had cleared the drug debt with the financial help of his family.

He said he intended to stay drug-free as he had become a father to a baby daughter just three weeks ago and wanted to be around for her.

O'Neill said he did not have access to his two children from a previous partner.

Addressing the judge, he said: "I'm extremely sorry and if you give me this opportunity I will never be in this situation again."

The court heard O'Neill had four previous convictions for theft, robbery criminal damage and a public order offence.

Destroyed

Judge Johnson sentenced O'Neill to two-and-a-half years in prison but suspended the whole term on condition he kept the peace for 10 years and abstained from alcohol and drugs for the same period.

He was also ordered to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for the next 18 months.

Noting that O'Neill's brother had died earlier this year from a drug-related incident, the judge said the defendant should know better than anyone how heroin destroyed lives.

"It's a sad tragedy that drug barons manipulate vulnerable people like Mr O'Neill," the judge added.

O'Neill made headlines in 2013 when he and his brother Dermot broke out of a prison in Venezuela where they had been serving an 11-year jail sentence after being convicted on drug charges.

Lee pleaded guilty to the offences, while his younger brother had protested his innocence.

The brothers reportedly walked out of the notorious San Juan de Los Morros prison in Venezuela.

They had been travelling with Martin 'Butch' Beirne (28) from Sligo, who died in a hotel in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in March 2012 after a condom filled with cocaine burst in his stomach.

O'Neill said he had witnessed murders in the jail with prisoners stabbed if they were regarded as having done something wrong by other inmates.
By changing the definition of herd immunity the WHO would seem to set a singular course for policy makers. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Over 100 Nations Push for Independent Probe into WHO and CCP Virus Origin

An over 100-nation coalition led by Australia and the European Union is calling for an independent inquiry into the origin of the CCP virus, and the World Health Organizations (WHO) response to the outbreak, according to a draft resolution proposed ahead of the World Health Assemblys (WHA) annual meeting in Geneva on May 18.

The draft report (pdf) for the WHAs 73rd meeting pushes for an impartial, independent, and comprehensive investigation into the CCP virus pandemic, commonly known as the novel coronavirus pandemic. It also calls for a probe into the WHOs international response to the outbreak, including their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with the Member States a stepwise process of impartial, independent, and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing mechanisms, as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19, the draft resolution states.

Indias support of the probe into the origin of COVID-19the disease caused by the CCP virusmarks the first time the nation has formally communicated its stance on the issue.

The motion has so far been backed by Australia, all 27 EU member states, and nations including Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Brazil, and the Republic of Korea.

It calls on WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus to coordinate with the World Organization for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and nations to carry out scientific and collaborative field missions and identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts.

World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom (L) shakes hands with Chinese regime leader Xi jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2020. (Naohiko Hatta/AFP via Getty Images)

The push for a probe comes as President Donald Trump accused the WHO of withholding information from the United States, and of being a pipe organ for the Chinese regime amid the CCP virus outbreak.

Trump last month halted funding to the WHO until his administration completes a review over the United Nations agencys response to the CCP virus crisis.

The president said last month that the WHO may have misled the United States amid the outbreak.

They mustve known more than they knew because they came after what other people knew that werent even involved, Trump said during a meeting with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards in the Oval Office on April 29.

We knew things that they didnt know. And either they didnt know or they didnt tell us, oryou know, right now theyre literally a pipe organ for China. Thats the way I view it.

Trump noted that the United States has been contributing more than $400 million to the Geneva-based WHO for many years, while China contributes only $38 million, he said.

According to the WHOs records, China contributed $86 million through 2019, while the United States gave $893 million.

And yet, they [the WHO] seem to work for China. And they shouldve been in there [China] early. They shouldve known what was going on, Trump said, adding that the WHO could have stopped the spread of the CCP virus.

President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa., on May 14, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Why did China allow planes to fly out but not into China, but they allow planes to come out? the president also asked. And planes are coming out of Wuhan, and theyre coming out; theyre going all over the world.

The proposed motion has not yet received official backing from the United States, however it received vocal support from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month.

Who in the world wouldnt want an investigation of how this happened to the world? Pompeo said in Washington. We would urge every country, all of our partners, to demand that we get answers for what happened here, but also that we continue to havewe get the transparency, that the world gets the transparency it needs.

Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
'The most permits issued last month were to Amazon Data Services Ireland with 59, followed by Rosderra Irish Meats and Google.' Stock photo

The number of work permits issued to companies for workers from outside the European Economic Area hit 1,772 in April, the highest since online records began.

All workers from outside the EEA require an employment permit to work in Ireland unless they have an exemption.

The Department for Business Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) issues permits to applicants who have received a job offer from a company based in Ireland, with a minimum salary threshold of 32,000 for a critical skills employment permit and of around 30,000 for general employment permits.

According to DBEI statistics, which show the number of permits issued between 2009 and April 2020, April's 1,772 figure was the highest. It was up 44pc on March.

The most permits issued last month were to Amazon Data Services Ireland with 59, followed by Rosderra Irish Meats and Google. Since the start of the year, the most permits were issued to Dawn Meats with 160, followed by Google Ireland and Rosderra.

The DBEI said it had prioritised the processing of permit applications for medical personnel, resulting in 1,389 being issued to this cohort since mid-March. Applications from medical personnel accounted for 37pc of the employment permits issued in April, with roles in ICT accounting for 30pc.
For years, Andrej Babis wanted to run his country like a business. The coronavirus pandemic finally gave him the chance.

In 2017, the Czech billionaire campaigned on promises to make the government more effective and rid the state of traditional politicians he called incompetent. Even after he swapped running his multi-billion-dollar agrifood business to become prime minister, he kept complaining of lengthy, unproductive meetings that ramble on without a quick decision.

That changed in March. Babis, 65, ordered a strict lockdown before any one had died and more than 10 days ahead of the U.K., which now has the highest number of fatalities in Europe. He made wearing face masks mandatory and closed schools and most stores. The Czech Republic has one of the lowest death tolls from covid-19 in the European Union.

"I finally got to run it like a family firm," Babis told Czech radio station Impuls. "It was effective and concrete. We saw our measures and our decisions taking effect. It was a big difference."

The experience across former communist Europe is one of speedier quarantines, shut borders and a fraction of the cases compared with the west of the continent. Without international metropolises like London, Paris or Madrid, there are obvious geographical reasons. Yet the action of leaders who have been politically at odds with the EU in recent years is bolstering their standing at home at a pivotal time.

As governments elsewhere look weakened, the question is whether the Czechs, Poles and Hungarians can wield more influence in the 27-member EU in the post-virus fallout. The answer will come when the financial reality hits, according to Josef Mlejnek, a political scientist at Charles University in Prague.

"Naturally, there will be a need for the economic help from the EU and when it's time to distribute funds, the divide between the eastern and western parts of the EU will appear again," he said. "Right now, Babis is riding a wave of being successful in curtailing the first wave of pandemic, but his popularity going forward will depend on the extent of the economic impact."

Babis, whose net worth is $1.8 billion based on Bloomberg Billionaires Index valuations, has had his critics. His party's popularity stood at 26% in opinion polls last June as he was investigated for abuse of EU funds and faced the biggest Czech protests since the end of communism three decades ago. In December, the chief prosecutor reopened the case against Babis, who denies all wrongdoing. The party now polls 34%.

His government declared a state of emergency on March 12, more than a week before the country recorded its first death. That enabled Babis to make decisions swiftly without the usual procedure of publishing decrees and rounds of coalition meetings.

After stumbling at news conferences in the first weeks of the pandemic, he empowered others to take the central stage, mainly Roman Prymula, the nation's chief epidemiologist. Regular national addresses showed he remained in charge.

The billionaire has a reputation as a workaholic who arranges his own schedule and directly calls government officials at odd hours with tasks. His agricultural, chemical and media empire still employs nearly 34,000 people and it's hard to fill a grocery basket without a product from that web of companies.

Critics say that some of the lockdown measures were too rushed and showed how Babis is used to doing business and cutting deals. A court ruled early efforts to restrict people's movement and shut stores were illegal before the government revised the plan.

"It was a deliberate political play from the beginning designed to make Babis look like the main crisis manager in the eyes of the public, the man who can in a difficult situation single-handedly manage the entire country as well as a family business," said Jiri Pehe, the director of New York University in Prague.

Still, compared with some of his regional counterparts, Babis has taken a less political approach. In neighboring Poland, the government changed election laws at last minute and delayed a presidential vote from May 10 to a still unknown date. In Hungary, Prime Minster Viktor Orban pushed through legislation that allows him to rule indefinitely by decree.

The next few months will show whether Babis will be able to hang on to his lead in polls as he restarts the export-oriented economy heavily dependent on production of Skodas and other cars.

Gross domestic product may drop as much as a record 8% this year, according to the central bank, followed by a rebound to 4% in 2021. The prime minister has already made it clear the government will be looking for ways to save money, though only after spending to help mitigate the slump.

"I am from the business sector," Babis said. "I know what it means to save money."
On a chilly South African evening at the mining town of Marikana, men filed into a bus and sat one per row, ready to start their night shift at a nearby platinum mine.

Before boarding, a security guard scanned their foreheads and necks with a thermometer and showed each worker his temperature reading.

Hands were then duly sanitised and another round of checks occur at the mine shaft.

The rigorous ritual is repeated before every shift -- a new normal for South Africa's mines as the key industry slowly resumes operations under loosened anti-coronavirus restrictions.

South Africa boasts some of the world's richest deposits of precious minerals and base metals.

Mining is a critical cog in South Africa's already struggling economy, contributing eight percent to overall gross domestic product and raking in 45 percent of foreign exchange earnings.

Mines are also one of the largest employers, with nearly half million workers.

Mining is a key industry in South Africa as it is the major foreign exchange earner and a top employer. By Michele Spatari (AFP)

But operations were suspended when Africa's most industrialised economy went into lockdown on March 27, as crowded underground tunnels risked becoming breeding grounds for the novel coronavirus.

Mines were allowed to partially resume operations under "strict health conditions" on May 1.

Many already had protocols to limit disease due to a history of infections such as tuberculosis.

Social distancing not easy'

But coronavirus has forced mines to add extra protective measures, including surgical masks rather than ordinary dust masks, chemical sanitisation and social distancing.

"We see the mines as high risk in terms of transmission of this virus," said Limpopo provincial health minister Phophi Ramathuba.

Miners usually work in close quarters, so work practices are having to adapt. By Michele Spatari (AFP)

"It's not easy to practice (social distancing) underground," Ramathuba said after Marula platinum mine reported 19 coronavirus cases over the weekend.

By Monday, 1,450 miners nationally had been tested and 41 were positive for COVID-19, although none were contaminated in the mines, according to the Minerals Council association.

At least 168,500 miners have already been screened for symptoms at work.

The South African government has drafted comprehensive anti-coronavirus regulations for the sector to allow them to resume operations at 50 percent capacity, including screening and testing.

"The industry's focus is to prevent (outbreaks) as far as possible," the Minerals Council's health chief Thuthula Balfour told AFP.

Miners with underlying chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and AIDS are not allowed back to work until the virus has abated.

Migrant workers returning from virus hotspots around the country will also have to be quarantined.

But government wants operators to do more.

Miners also live in close quarters in many settlements, such as the Wonderkop settlement in Marikana. By Michele Spatari (AFP)

The industry has been "very efficient up to screening", said Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, but they have to "intensify testing," Mantashe said on Sunday, warning that he would shutter any mine that let infected workers underground.

Meanwhile, mines have been struggling to recover the losses incurred from more than a month of stalled operations.

"We are not making money at 50 percent," said James Wellsted, spokesman for Sibanye-Stillwater, the world's largest platinum producer.

Unions are worried about job losses.

Joseph Mathunjwa, leader of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), the largest mining union, warned that this is "an opportunity to restructure and use COVID-19 as an excuse to retrench workers."

'Things are bad'

Workers in Marikana are also worried about the possibility of losing their job.

The town grabbed headlines in 2012 when police gunned down 34 miners during a wildcat strike in scenes reminiscent of apartheid brutality.

"People are scared and angry, it's not easy to lose a job," said a Samaco chrome miner, who asked not be named for fear of retribution from employers.

People walk in the Wonderkop settlement in Marikana, near Rustenburg, on May 15, 2020, with the Sibanye-Stillwater platinum mine in the background.The mines are a critical cog in South Africa's already struggling economy, contributing eight percent to the GDP of Africa's most industrialised economy. They are also one of South Africa's largest employers, with nearly half million workers. But confined underground working conditions risk becoming breeding grounds for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The South African government has drafted comprehensive anti-coronavirus regulations for the sector and these include mandatory extensive screening and testing.. By Michele Spatari (AFP)

The 26-year-old was more concerned about loosing his job than catching coronavirus.

"Things are bad, its worse than before," said Primrose Sonti, a Marikana community leader and a lawmaker for the radical leftist opposition Economic Freedom Fighters.

"Here in Marikana people are hungry, people are angry," she said, adding some are so poor they can't even afford face masks or food.

Water is also a problem in some areas, making it difficult to respect hygene measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"How are we going to wash hands without water," she said.
By Nelson Renteria MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday night declared a state of emergency to extend coronavirus measures without approval by congress, touching off a torrent of criticism that the move had been unconstitutional. Salvadoran lawmakers and prosecutors on Sunday vowed to challenge the decree, which they said had overstepped Bukele's powers. Less than a year into his administration, Bukele, a brash 38-year-old leader, has repeatedly angered rights groups, who say he has shown authoritarian tendencies

By Nelson Renteria

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday night declared a state of emergency to extend coronavirus measures without approval by congress, touching off a torrent of criticism that the move had been unconstitutional.

Salvadoran lawmakers and prosecutors on Sunday vowed to challenge the decree, which they said had overstepped Bukele's powers.

Less than a year into his administration, Bukele, a brash 38-year-old leader, has repeatedly angered rights groups, who say he has shown authoritarian tendencies. In February, Bukele and a group of soldiers armed with automatic weapons briefly occupied congress. Last month, he released startling photos of hundreds of jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together in formation, horrifying advocates.

Congress approved an emergency declaration in March to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, but after an extension in April, the measure was due to expire Sunday. Lawmakers planned to discuss an extension when they reconvened on Monday.

Shortly after Bukele issued his decree, the Salvadoran attorney general said in a statement that it would file a suit alleging that the move was unconstitutional with the country's top court.

But Bukele, who swept to the presidency last year with an outsider candidacy, maintained he was well within his rights.

"All presidents in the democratic history of our country have had the power to declare a state of emergency and have exercised it, without legislative approval," he wrote in a post on Twitter on Sunday. "Will a president be prevented for the first time from exercising that vital power?"

Bukele's administration maintains that a civil protection law authorizes the president to declare a state of emergency if congress cannot hold a session.

They contend that the risk of the coronavirus spreading further in El Salvador justifies the measures. The country has 1,338 confirmed cases of the virus and 27 deaths.

The emergency declaration, which will remain in force over the next 30 days, extends the suspension of classes, restrictions on movement in areas affected by the pandemic and bans on gatherings of large groups. It also authorizes additional government spending during the emergency.

Lawmakers and civil society groups urged an investigation to determine whether Bukele had exceeded his powers.

"What would an autocrat do if Congress did not pass a law on his behalf? I would issue a decree. This has just been done by the young Salvadoran leader (Nayib Bukele) with the state of emergency. Another serious setback, Jose Vivanco, executive director for the Americas for U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; writing by Julia Love, Editing by Nick Zieminski)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
A 27-year-old migrant labourer who



had returned from Gujarat allegedly committed suicide on Monday at a quarantine centre in Balod in Chhattisgarh, police said.

The incident took place at around 3pm in Paraswani village under Arjuna police station limits, an official said.

"Suraj Yadu had returned from Surat in Gujarat to his native Paraswani on Sunday and was kept in a quarantine facility for 14 days as per protocol. His samples were sent for testing today. He was found hanging from the ceiling inside a room," he added.

A probe is underway to find out why he took this step, the official said.

On May 13, a migrant worker had committed suicide in a quarantine centre in Raigarh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The much talked about apple tree planted five years ago at Wiamoase in the Ashanti Region has turned out to be a species of fig.

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Horticulture of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) said the physical characteristics of the tree comes nowhere near apple or even pear.

Dr Irene Idan confirmed this to Luv FM after a reporter there visited the site of the tree in the Sekyere South District to take a sample.

Social media have been awash with excitement about an apple tree bearing fruits in Ghana because the fruit largely grows in temperate regions.

Dr Idan says there is nothing to the excited about in what is available at Wiamoase.

The leaves dont resemble that of apples, also the skin of an apple is very smooth but this is rough. When we cut the fruit, its internal formation doesnt resemble an apple.

The apple has thick mesocarp with long peduncle with seeds attached to it and thatll be sitting in the pericarp.

She says a quick look at it makes it resemble a pear, but the internal formation looks contrary.

Its more of a fig than an apple, she concluded.

---Myjoyonline
Ten more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 90.

Among the fresh cases, five have been reported from Hamirpur, three from Bilaspur and one each from Kangra and Chamba districts.

The five Hamirpur patients have a travel history to Mumbai and their samples were sent for testing on May 16.

Hamirpur deputy commissioner Harikesh Meena said among the two patients from Nadaun, one is a 60-year-old man from Chowki Rajputan village. He returned from Mumbai on May 12 and was at an institutional facility in Government Primary School, Booni.

The other patient, aged 47, belongs to Khungan village and returned from Mumbai on May 14 along with his wife and three kids. They were under quarantine at an institutional facility in Kashmir village.

The third patient is a 54-year-old taxi driver from Gwardoo village. He had returned from Mumbai on May 10 and was under home quarantine.

A 50-year-old woman from Redu Padhar village Tauni Devi area has also tested positive for the disease. She had returned from Mumbai on May 14 in a private vehicle.

The fifth patient is a 20-year-old youth from the same village and is a close relative of the woman. They were also institutionally quarantined.

The DC said the patients have been shifted to Radha Soami Charitable Hospital, Bhota, a dedicated Covid-care centre. Their primary and secondary contacts are being traced.

The sixth case was reported from Jaunta village of Nurpur in Kangra district. The patient, a 24-year-old woman is the wife of a Covid-19 positive man, Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said.

Three cases were reported from Bilaspur.

Meanwhile, a woman from Chamba has also tested positive. Earlier, her husband who had returned from Baddi had tested positive. Later, her two-year-old daughter also got infected. The husband has recovered but is still under quarantine while the daughter is admitted at a Covid-care centre.

The district administration had allowed the woman to accompany her daughter at the treatment facility.

With the ten new cases, the total tally in the state has climbed to 90 and the active cases have gone upto 42.

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a spurt in coronavirus cases since May 4, with 50 people testing positive.

Two people have died due to the contagion during the corresponding period.

Kangra is the worst-hit district with 21 cases followed by Una with 18 cases and Hamirpur with 15 cases.

Thirteen cases have been reported in Chamba district, nine in Solan, seven in Bilaspur, four in Bilaspur; two each in Sirmaur and Mandi and one in Shimla.

Till date, 18,118 people have been tested for Covid-19 in the state. More than 22,000 are under active surveillance.
E vening Standard readers can this week buy an exclusive limited-edition print created by Damien Hirst to help raise money for our Food for London Now appeal.

The Turner Prize-winning artist created the rainbow heart design as a symbol of solidarity and hope to pay tribute to charities and individuals helping to feed vulnerable Londoners during the coronavirus crisis.

From 11am today readers will be able to buy the edition in two sizes, priced at 300 and 1,000.

The larger version of the image which is filled with butterflies, one of Hirsts motifs, is 70cm by 72.7cm and the smaller one is 35cm by 36.4cm.

All money raised through sales of the design will go to our appeal to provide food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners who are unable to afford food or are confined to home and at high risk of losing their lives from catching the coronavirus.

Damien Hirst, Butterfly Heart, 2020 / Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2020

The funds will go to our appeal partner, The Felix Project, Londons biggest food surplus distributor.

The Felix Project is the most brilliant organisation, the artist said as the limited-edition print was launched. It works tirelessly with charities and community groups across London to ensure that good healthy meals are delivered to the people who need them the most. Im so happy to launch this limited edition print, Butterfly Heart, to help raise money to support their vital work during this difficult Covid-19 crisis.

The editions will be available to buy from 11am today until midday on Monday, May 25.

The number of editions ordered in that week will determine the final size of the edition. Each edition will then have its own unique number and be digitally signed on a label behind the work.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast

The two versions of the print are available to buy through HENI Editions at https://rainbow.henieditions.com/product/damien-hirst-heart/
YEREVAN.  Naturally, if we call a person a second time, it means that as a result of analyses, we have questions arised that we would be able to clarify; it seems that we have managed to clarify many circumstances. Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Inquiry Committee for Examining the Circumstances of the Military Activities of April 2016, stated this in a conversation with journalists Monday in Armenias parliament, referring to the fact that the committee had had a second meeting today with Arshak Karapetyan, who held the post of Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia during the April 2016 events and now is an adviser to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Kocharyan said that the committee has next summoned former Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and he agreed to take part in the committee's work. "Now we are working on the format; the dates will be either on May 26 or 27," he added.

And asked whether Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Bako Sahakyan will also be called, Andranik Kocharyan stated: "Bako Sahakyan has repeatedly said that he is ready to answer the committee's questions if necessary. As the chairman of the committee, I have several questions to ask Bako Sahakyan."
Iraq launches massive operation against Daesh near Syria border

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 10:38 AM

Iraq's Armed Forces have launched a new military operation against the Daesh terrorist group covering the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahuddin to the Syrian border.

Iraq's Security Media Cell announced the beginning of the counter-terrorism campaign, dubbed Operation Al Jazeera Lions, on Sunday.

"Under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command 'Operation Al Jazeera Lions' was launched this morning to monitor Al Jazeera desert north of Anbar governorate, south of Nineveh governorate, and west of Salahuddin governorate, reaching the international borders with the Syria," it said in a statement carried by Shafaaq news agency.

The campaign, it added, will be conducted on 11 fronts with the participation of military commanders, tribal forces and Popular Mobilization Forces  known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, under the air cover of the Iraqi Air Force.

The statement added that the new military operation is aimed at enhancing security and stability in those areas while chasing terrorists and arresting them.

Daesh began a campaign of terror in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks.

Iraq declared victory over Daesh in December 2017 after a three-year counter-terrorism military campaign, which also had the support of neighboring Iran.

Recently, however, Daesh has launched a string of terrorist attacks targeting civilians and Iraqi forces, among them Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters.

Iraqi groups have warned of renewed US-Daesh collaboration to destabilize the region, saying Washington is transferring senior commanders of the terror outfit from eastern Syria to Iraq.

Also on Sunday, Hashd al-Sha'abi said that it had conducted a missile strike on a Daesh hideout in Hawijah Jaloub, north of the city of Samarra.

Additionally, the Iraqi fighters found another Daesh hideout in the areas of Yaserb, south of Samarra, and confiscated weapons stored there.

Hashd al-Sha'abi further managed to shoot down a drone operated by Daesh militants in the city of Khanaqin in Diyala Province.

They also foiled a Daesh attempt to infiltrate into the nearby Ali Al-Sadoon village.

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Nafed on Monday said it has supplied quality pulses to the Delhi government for distribution through ration shops and refuted the allegations of substandard quality.

In late April, the Delhi government decided to suspend the distribution of pulses under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) over quality issues.

An order issued by the food and civil supplies department of the Delhi government had said the issue of quality of pulses was taken up with Nafed (the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India).

In a statement, Nafed said it started supply of pulses to the Delhi government from the second week of April.

The samples of pulses offered to the state government have been taken and stored properly, Nafed said.

The cooperative said the state government is "making baseless allegations" and trying to mislead people.

Nafed asked why the Delhi government did not raise the quality issue while lifting the stocks.

Under the central government scheme PMGKAY, one kg of pulses is to provided to each family through ration shops per month for the April-June period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
We wanted to share our story in our little town of Coos Bay. As a small restaurant in a small town and being fairly new (we opened in December 2017), we had a scary future. With restaurants being a risky endeavor, we were uncertain if we would survive.

Not only have we survived these challenging times of the past eight weeks, we have thrived and proved to be resilient and adapted with fortitude. As a fine-dining restaurant, though we also offer comfort food, we had to transform our philosophy and transfer our passions into a take-away box. Through the generous support of some local patrons, we could provide meals to first-line responders, police officers and firefighters. Within a short period of time, we also extended the pay-it-forward system to homeless people and foster children who couldnt get school-provided meals.

On May 9, we launched our first virtual wine dinner to continue supporting Oregon wineries. It was a hit, so we will continue to keep it virtual over the next six months.

These dark times had proved that the generosity and kindness of our community is far more contagious than the coronavirus pandemic. The donations of guests and strangers have sustained us to provide meals to people who need it most but also allow us to retain our loyal staff and our keep our doors open. We emerge ever tenacious and hopeful.

Kariktan (Rica) Cruz, Coos Bay

Cruz co-owns Restaurant O with Eoghain ONeill
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois business owners found guilty of violating the governors stay-at-home-orders could land in jail for up to a year under new emergency rules filed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker late Friday, two months into his executive response to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Under executive orders issued by the governor, 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 was extended twice, from April 7 to April 30, and now through the end of May.

Any person who violates the emergency rules, the latest rule filing says, could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor by local authorities, which could lead to up to a year in jail.

On May 11, the Madison County Board of Health, which includes all Madison County Board members, voted 26-2 in favor of a four-stage plan to reopen local businesses and churches. The countys plan calls for moving through recovery stages more quickly than Pritzkers five-stage Restore Illinois plan.

Pritzker has insisted local and state police will enforce his orders, but also emphasized they will educate and seek voluntary compliance. He has also said someone could be charged with reckless conduct for violating his orders and that he has the power to revoke state business licenses and withhold tax money from local governments.

Pritzkers extended executive orders have been challenged in court from multiple individuals and groups as the Legislature has refrained from clearing the ambiguity over whether Pritzkers emergency authority can be extended beyond a 30-day period.

The rules filed Friday add to the states public health laws and include a section called Pandemic or Epidemic Respiratory Disease  Emergency Provisions. It says restaurants cant have dine-in, certain retail can only do curbside sales, gyms must stay closed, and salons and tattoo shops cant operate during a pandemic.

Businesses and establishments located in airports and hospitals are exempt from the requirements of this Section for food and drink businesses, the rules state.

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, released a statement saying Pritzker had gone too far and enough is enough.

I find it disgusting this governor will try to lock up mom and pop business owners just trying to feed their families and pay their bills while his family travels around the country and he continues to let rapists and murderers out of jail, Meier said. Who would have thought he was planning on using those cells for people paying taxes?

State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, who is suing the governor over his extended executive orders, said the timing of the new rules is interesting as more people say the governor has exceeded his authority.

You got states attorneys, you got Illinois sheriffs saying, we are not going to prosecute, we are not going to do this, and I think its his way of trying to get people back under control while his family is still in Wisconsin and Florida and other places not following the orders themselves, Cabello said.

The governor has been criticized for ordering Illinois residents to stay at home while his family has traveled between Pritzker homes in Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Its unfortunate that the administration felt the need to do this because I think it will likely make the situation worse, said Mark Grant, Illinois state director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Weve seen a variety of communities, businesses, lawmakers and groups such as mine, ask for greater flexibility in the re-opening of parts of Illinois in a responsible way, he said. This act, filing emergency rules, seems to double down on the governors stubbornness to ignore anyone outside of his inner circle.

We would have preferred a measured and fruitful dialogue among government, municipalities and the business community, Grant said.

The Joint Commission on Administrative Rules could block the emergency rules at its upcoming meeting, which is scheduled Wednesday. If the rules arent blocked, theyd be in effect for 150 days.

There also is likely to be court challenges.

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.
The College Board is introducing new safeguards for high school students submitting their at-home Advanced Placement exams this week after widespread reports of technical problems.

In a message sent out to teenagers and their families on Sunday, the nonprofit organization that administers the exams expressed concern for the students who were unable to successfully submit their responses online for the high-stakes tests last week and said it was rolling out a backup email option for those who run up against error messages, starting Monday.

The option will not apply to students who previously ran into glitches during the first week of testing. The exams began May 11 and run through May 22, with makeup dates scheduled for June 1-5.

We share the deep disappointment of students who were unable to complete their exam  whether for technical issues or other reasons, Jerome White, a College Board spokesman, said in a statement. Were working to understand these students unique circumstances in advance of the June make up exams.

The College Board announced in March that for the first time ever it would digitally administer the exams, which help determine whether students earn college credit for high school coursework, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

A large number of students last week complained about having problems submitting their finished work before being timed out of the system or getting an error message that said, We did not receive your response.

The College Board, which also runs the SATs, said students worldwide took 2.2 million of the online exams so far, with less than 1% of them unable to submit their responses. Each test costs $94 and lasts 45 minutes.

The organization posted a list of technical work-arounds for students to check off before taking the exams in the middle of last week, including updating their web browsers and adjusting their iPhone camera settings.

Those fixes didnt work for everyone.

Many had updated recently, before the test, and others were able to submit part of the test, but not a last question, Suzanne Eick, a parent at San Franciscos Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, told The Chronicle. Its so disappointing and very frustrating  as well as unfair to our students who are already dealing with so much.

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.

Erin Strathmann of Oakland shared a video of her daughter attempting to submit a finished AP physics exam to an unresponsive website.

Its so inequitable to have tech be the barrier to getting the test graded, she said.

The College Board did not respond on Sunday to a request for comment.

With the new system in place, students who cannot submit their responses through the browser will receive a personalized email address immediately after the exam to which they can send their finished work.

The email backup option will also be in place for the June retests.

Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday notified the standard operating procedure for (SOP) quarantining Himachalis returning from foreign countries on special flights.

Principal secretary to chief minister Sanjay Kundu said that since May 9, as many as 29 Himachal residents have returned to India by special flights or by sea.

Nineteen returned by air between May 9 and May 16 and are currently quarantined at various institutional facilities in New Delhi.

Apart from it, three people returned from the Maldives on INS Jalashava on May 10 and two on INS Magar on May 13 and are kept in a quarantine facility in Kerala.

Five people have returned from Dubai and have been placed under quarantine at Amritsar, said Kundu.

He added that the ministry of home affairs has decided that all the returnees will have to be institutionally quarantined for 14-days preferably at the headquarters of the district they belong to.

Kundu said that the state government has identified Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC)-run Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla, Hotel Pinewood at Barog in Solan, Hotel Dhauladhar and Hotel Bhagsu in Dharamshala and Hotel Tea Bud in Palampur to quarantine returnees.

Managing Director of HPTDC will ensure that all these hotels maintain hygiene and cleanliness and the staff downloads the Arogya Setu App.

Additional chief secretary (health) shall depute sufficient doctors and paramedical staff to carry out regular health checkups of people under quarantine. And such persons will be allowed to leave the quarantine facility only after the clearance by the medical officer, said Kundu.

He said that the MEA will share the list of returnees with the state governments resident commissioner in Delhi before their arrival. The staff of the resident commissioner will receive the returnees at the airport as per the SOP issued by MHA.

They will be medically examined on arrival and will have to download the Arogya Setu App.

As per SOP of MHA, passengers found to be Covid-19 positive shall be taken to a medical facility of the state where the flight lands. Remaining passengers shall be taken to the institutional facility in Himachal by taxis arranged by HPTDC on payment bases, he said.

He said that deputy commissioners of the concerned districts shall issue an e-pass for the persons arriving from abroad and the taxi in which they shall be travelling.

If the returnees are found to be tested negative for coronavirus after 14 days, they will be allowed to go home where they will self-monitor their health for 14 more days, said Kundu.

He added that the state government shall only concur in the evacuation of those returnees who land at Delhi, Chandigarh or Amritsar airports.

Kundu said that HPTDC shall issue its own SOP for its operation and management in respect of the designated institutional quarantine centers. It may be ensured that all inmates of these centres observe social distancing, personal hygiene and wear masks at all times, he said.

Any violations or unruly behavior by the guests shall be reported to the officer of the law, he said adding that HPTDC will ensure that any public area within the premises like restaurants, gymnasium, bars, meeting halls are not used.

The use of lift should be avoided and if the situation warrants its use not more than two people be allowed.

He said that people entering the tourism unit converted into quarantine centre be screened medically and movement of guests outside their rooms shall be monitored.

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Overnight reports from Jacksonville police:

 A 17-year-old boy was arrested on a criminal trespassing charge after he was found on the roof of a Jacksonville business Sunday night.

An employee of a store in Lincoln Square Shopping Center at 901 W. Morton Ave. reported hearing someone on the roof about 10:31 p.m.

Police said the boy was trying to unplug decorative lighting.
A very fruitful maths professor has welcomed five new offspring into the world since coronavirus hit, and the bundles of joy have bought his child tally up to a staggering 64.

New Yorker Ari Nagel is known as the sperminator for the many and varied women he has helped conceive for years, and he hasnt let something like a global pandemic slow him down.

Ari Nagel has fathered 64 children around the globe. Photo: Facebook/ Ari Nagel

The father to now 64 children told the New York Post he has hopes of plenty more on the way after meeting with four women in his Brooklyn home during the lockdown period.

I havent done a lot of baking or spring cleaning in quarantine, Nagel told the publication, But Ive been productive in other ways.

The professor of maths at City University New York has met just one of the five bubs who have entered a locked-down world.

Of the five, three were born in the US, while one boy was born in South East Asia and one girl in Ghana.

With lockdown measures firmly in place for the past month in Aris New York home, the dad says he helped four women who visited his apartment, though demand for his very productive sperm has slowed somewhat due to the situation.

There was a period in mid-April when nobody reached out, he told the publication.

I dont remember the last time it was this quiet, except in 2018 when I was on vacation...

How Ari interacts with 64 children

Not that the dad hasnt got his hands full with several dozen offspring, some of whom he looks after on a regular basis.

He takes care of two of his daughters who live close by once a week, and has tried to visit each of his babies at some point, posting prolifically to social media with scores of his mini-mes.

Ari has helped more than 60 women fall pregnant, here pictured in 2017. Photo: Twitter/ProfessorAri

He reportedly has requests from women and couples desperate to conceive and looking for an alternative to costly IVF treatments and adoption almost constantly.

He says he is regularly flown around for his services, only expecting a free plane ticket for his baby-making services, something that has been helped by the current situation.

Story continues

Now that flights are so cheap, women are coming out of the woodwork, he said.

It looks like he may be hitting three-digit family status sooner than expected, with his pre-pandemic social media peppered with flights to locations both within the US and as far as Mexico, Morroco and Belgium.

How does Ari Nagel father children?

For those wondering about the nitty-gritty of it all, the dad has been open about providing women with fresh samples of sperm, often in a menstrual cup that they will then insert themselves, though in the past he said he kept it old fashioned.

The 44-year-old has also weathered some criticism and controversy, with five women successfully suing Ari for child support and some raised eyebrows after he donated to an 18-year-old woman living in a homeless shelter back in 2018.

Both Ari and the woman defended the decision at the time, and Ari says he is motivated by a desire to help women become mums however they want to.

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.
But to me, the best arguments for the office have always been psychological  and never have they felt more urgent than at this moment. Ill start with a subtle thing: Remote work leaves a terrible feedback vacuum. Communication with colleagues is no longer casual but effortful; no matter how hard you try, youre going to have less contact  particularly of the casual variety  and with fewer people.

And what do we humans do in the absence of interaction? We invent stories about what that silence means. They are often negative ones. Its a formula for anxiety, misunderstanding, all-around messiness.

You need time to develop informal patterns with colleagues, especially if you dont know them well, Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management at Wharton, told me. She added that power differences also complicate things, and not in a way I found reassuring. The literature suggests that if a boss delays in replying to an email, we underlings assume he or she is off doing important things. But if were late in replying, the boss assumes were indolent or dont have much to say. Great.

More broadly speaking, even without an office, there will still be office politics. Theyre much easier to navigate if you can actually see your colleagues  and therefore discern where the power resides, how business gets done, and who the kind people are.

But perhaps the most profound effect of working in an office has to do with our very sense of self. We live in an age where our identities arent merely assigned to us; they are realized and achieved, and places are powerful triggers of them. How much do I feel like a columnist if Im wearing a 21-year-old Austin Powers T-shirt (Its Cannes, baby!) and picking at my kids leftovers as I type? I mean, somewhat, sure. But I suspect Id feel more like one if I got dolled up and walked into the Times building each morning.

Rothbard, whos made a study of the borders between our professional and domestic selves, told me she sees this confusion all the time. There are integrators, she said, who dont mind the dissolution of those borders, and segmenters, who dont care for it. (The pandemic, she said, is a segmenters hell.) Its hardly uncommon to have multiple identities across multiple contexts, each of them authentic. But remote work makes it awfully hard for segmenters to give full expression to their professional selves, and when they do, it often rattles those around them. Your kids may see you talking to your employees in a different way and be like, Who is this person? she told me.

But its young people, Id argue, wholl miss out most if the office disappeared. Offices are often the very place where professional identities are forged  an especially valuable thing in an age of declining religious engagement and deferred marriage and childbearing. Yes, perhaps thats slightly ominous, just another depressing sign that work has replaced religion as a source of meaning, as Derek Thompson argued so beautifully in The Atlantic last year.

Unfortunately, technology has already collapsed the boundary between work and home. The office, at least, was a solid membrane between the two. And it may possibly be the last.

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.
Kim Kardashian has posted a slew of revealing snaps on her Instagram, despite claiming last year that she was trying to tone down her sexy image on social media.

The 39-year-old reality star revealed that she had taken pictures of herself wearing underwear on a photo booth app, modelling her upcoming range of undergarments for her brand SKIMS on Monday.

'I shot this myself on photo booth,' Kim shared with her 170 million Instagram followers, including shots of her showing underboob.

Nude: Kim Kardashian has posted a slew of revealing snaps on her Instagram, despite claiming last year that she was trying to tone down her sexy social media image.

Peek-a-boob: The 39-year-old reality star flashed some underboob in the shots on Instagram

In an interview with Vulture last November, Kim admitted that she had tried to purposefully cover up and dress less sexy, particularly on her social media pages.

Kim explained: 'I don't know if its the fact that my husband has voiced that sometimes too sexy is just overkill and he's not comfortable with that. I listen to him and understand him.'

However, she said that at the the end of the day, the rapper 'always gives me the freedom to be and do what I want.'

Changed her tune? Kim previously said last November she was trying to cover up more

Toned: The reality star showed off her impressive body in the slew of pics posted Monday

Not so demure: It seems Kim has gone back to her racy ways

Flash mob: Kim shared the racy images with her 170 million Instagram followers, including shots of her showing underboob.

Kim then said in the interview that she herself found her own Instagram feed to be inappropriate when shown around her children.

'But I have kind of had this awakening myself. I realized I could not even scroll through Instagram in front of my kids without full nudity coming up on my feed pretty much all the time. And I definitely contributed to that.'

She added: 'I mean, one of my most iconic covers was the Paper magazine (Winter 2014) one, when I was all oiled up and ripping my dress off. I also did think, like, Okay, I'm here in the White House.'

Toning down: Kim then said in an interview last year that she herself found her own Instagram feed to be inappropriate when shown around her children.

Differing styles: Kim treated fans to a whole new line of undergarments

Naked attraction: The set of lingerie appeared to come in different shades of nude

'...and then the next day I was posting, like, a crazy bikini selfie. And I was thinking, I hope they dont see this. I have to go back there next week.'

Kim met with President Trump last July to lobby for Alice Johnson, who was serving a life sentence in prison, but later freed.

The star has been tackling criminal justice reform for some time now, which is the subject of new docu-series The Justice Project.
The United States will never recognize Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and urges to immediately return full control of Crimea to Ukraine.

U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien said this in a video address on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people.

Today we solemnly remember the starting of Soviet deportations of Crimean Tatars, which caused unimaginable traumas, suffering and deaths of many thousands... That trauma and sufferings only deepen by Russias modern day occupation of Crimea. The United States does not and will not recognize Russias purported annexation of Crimea. Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine, Kvien said.

She assured that U.S. commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshakable.

We call on Russia to stop inflicting suffering to the people of Crimea, end conscription there and immediately return full control of Crimea to Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine and reaffirm that Crimea is Ukraine, the diplomat stressed.

May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People. The deportation of the Crimean Tatars began at 03:00 on May 18, 1944 and lasted until the beginning of June.

ish
The government's reform moves and stimulus package will only help the deeply-impacted growth process in the medium term of over three years and will not push up the GDP in the short term, analysts at two foreign brokerages said on Monday.

The analysts at Bank of America (BofA) and Nomura maintained their earlier GDP estimates suggesting a contraction of 0.1 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, for FY21 even after the announcement of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week announced a stimulus of up to Rs 20 lakh crore or 10 per cent of GDP, with a view to help arrest the slide in growth because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the specifics of the package in a series of press conference ending Sunday.

The package may fall short of mitigating the near-term challenges for some businesses, but it is better designed to improve India's medium-term growth potential and attract long-term risk capital, analysts at the Japanese brokerage Nomura said.

They also added that there are no silver bullets in the package.

Concurring with this view, BofA analysts said reforms in agriculture, mining, power and industry, higher foreign direct investment in defence and opening up of all sectors to the private sector will help to push up potential growth over time.

In the near term, GDP will likely contract by 12 per cent in the June quarter, and by 0.1 per cent in FY21, they added.

Maintaining its 5 per cent contraction estimate, Nomura said the government has aimed for maximum bang for minimum buck as most of the relief is either regulatory in nature or reflected in its contingent liabilities, rather than explicit budgetary support.

The brokerage said the dent to the fiscal deficit as a result of the package will be only 0.8 per cent, and India will end FY21 with the gap number at 7 per cent.

It, however, welcomed that the government has used the crisis to push through politically sensitive reform measures.

Nomura said that the packages have so far desisted from addressing the woes of particular sectors like travel and hospitality, and the additional money provided for employment guarantee will ensure migrants to stay back in the villages and may cause labour supply issues in cities.

BofA said the Reserve Bank will go for a 0.75 per cent more of rate cuts by October and conduct open market operations of USD 75 billion to find the fiscal deficit.

The Finance Ministry will follow up with interest subventions for small businesses and real estate, and use instruments like recap bonds to recapitalise state-run lenders, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jackie Clare Wood

Menlo Park, Calif.

To the Editor:

As a person who values life, I do not know what scares me more: catching the coronavirus, or the Republicans trying to force me out the door to confront it when they know they have not done enough to make it safe for us to do so. While the virus may or may not kill me, the more disheartening thought is that this government doesnt seem to care one way or another whether this happens or not. I can understand why some of us believe we are headed for a dark winter.

Michael Scott

San Francisco

To the Editor:

Re A President Riles a Nation Amid a Crisis (Political Memo, front page, May 16):

It would be surprisingly simple for President Trump to win the election. All he has to do is bring this nation together. I do not know a family who is not hurting in some way because of the Covid-19 crisis. Mr. Trump could praise Dr. Anthony Fauci for his counsel, and he could promise to look into the whistle-blowers complaints.

He could speak to the American people and acknowledge their pain. He could say simply, We are in this together. He could celebrate front-line medical workers, mail carriers, delivery people, grocery and big box store workers. And he could endorse Congresss efforts to relieve the financial sting and support the repeal of tax cuts to the wealthy.

But instead, you reported on Saturday, This weekend, Mr. Trump will huddle with some of his conservative allies in the House at Camp David, where they are expected to discuss the efforts  entirely fruitless up to this point  to prove Mr. Obama was involved in a conspiracy.

This, when parents and kids want school to start, grandparents want to see their grandchildren, and folks want to know when they can go to work again. We are flailing and hurting. However, his vitriol may work. We will feel so crushed, so tired, so sick, so poor, some of us may not go out and vote in November.
New Delhi:

The 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to an end from the next fiscal, with the Finance Ministry accepting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's proposal to merge it with the General Budget.

According to railways, the Finance Ministry has now constituted a five-member committee comprising senior officials of the Ministry and the national transporter to work out the modalities for the merger. The committee has been asked to submit its report by August 31.

"I had written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for merger of the Rail Budget with General Budget. This will be in the Railway's interest and also in the nation's interest. We are working out the modalities," Prabhu told PTI.

The public sector behemoth has to bear an additional burden of about Rs 40,000 crore on account of implementation of the 7th Pay Commission awards, besides an annual outgo of Rs 32,000 crore on subsidies.

Besides, the delay in completion of projects resulted in cost overrun of Rs 1.07 lakh crore and huge throw-forward of Rs 1.86 lakh crore in respect of 442 ongoing rail projects.

If the merger happens, Indian Railway will get rid of the annual dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the government every year.

According to a senior Railway official, the move to discard the age-old practice of a separate Rail Budget is part of Modi government's reform agenda.

With the merger, the issue of raising passenger fares, an unpopular decision, will be the Finance Minister's call.

Prabhu had also told Rajya Sabha on August 9 that he has asked the Finance Minister to merge the Railway Budget with General Budget in the long-term interest of national transporter as well as the country's economy.

All-India Railwaymen's Federation General Secretary Gopal Mishra said Railway Ministry's autonomy will be lost in the merger. "But we have to see in what form the merger will happen," he said.

The merger move is significant as it is expected to have political implications.

It has been seen that almost every Railway Minister, particularly in coalition governments, has addressed his constituencies by doling out favours by way of new trains and projects.

The keenly sought after Railway Ministry is likely to lose much of its sheen if merger happens.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Bone Therapeutics treats first patients in pivotal JTA-004 phase III knee osteoarthritis study

Details Category: DNA RNA and Cells Published on Monday, 18 May 2020 10:28 Hits: 1467

First patients treated following resumption of clinical activities in Hong Kong

JTA-004 phase III study approved in five of seven territories

GOSSELIES, Belgium I May 18, 2020 I BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the bone cell therapy company addressing high unmet medical needs in orthopedics and bone diseases, today announces it has commenced treating the first patients for the pivotal JTA-004 phase III clinical study in Hong Kong SAR. Several clinical trial sites in Europe are also expected to resume recruitment activities as COVID-19 lockdown measures are gradually being lifted.

The JTA-004 phase III study is a controlled, randomized, double-blind trial. It will evaluate the potential of a single, intra-articular injection of JTA-004 to reduce osteoarthritic pain in the knee compared to placebo or Hylan G-F 20, the leading current osteoarthritis treatment on the market. In the study, 676 patients with mild to moderate symptomatic knee osteoarthritis are expected to be enrolled. The study will be conducted in approximately 20 centers in six European countries as well as Hong Kong SAR. Bone Therapeutics has already received approval to start the JTA-004 phase III trial in five of the seven territories. It expects to obtain approval in the remaining two countries in the course of the next month.

The resumption of the JTA-004 phase III study with the start of patient recruitment is a very important development for patients suffering from the chronic and underserved condition of knee osteoarthritic pain and seeking novel treatments that could be provided by our enriched protein solution, said Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Bone Therapeutics. The regulatory authorities in five countries approving this trial reinforces the need for better alternatives to the existing treatments for this highly prevalent knee condition. The resumption of the phase III study would support Bone Therapeutics undertaking ongoing and future business discussions, and will also form a sound basis for our interactions with the US Food and Drug Agency.

Im very proud of all our teams for their efforts to reinitiate this crucial JTA-004 phase III study while we are still recovering from a global pandemic, said Olivier Godeaux, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Bone Therapeutics. The support of Nordic Bioscience Clinical Development (NBCD), our clinical research partner and a specialist in osteoarthritis clinical trials, has been invaluable to quickly restarting this study in very challenging circumstances. We remain committed to developing a more effective treatment option for the many patients suffering from knee osteoarthritic pain.

Reporting of the topline results of the study on the 3-month primary endpoint and 6-month follow-up period is planned in the second half of 2021. Bone Therapeutics has noted that, despite lockdowns being lifted internationally, patient recruitment and the progress of the clinical trial could still be delayed with a change in the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bone Therapeutics will continue to work with all partners on taking necessary precautions for the safety of the nurses, physicians and patients involved in the studies.

JTA-004 is Bone Therapeutics next generation of intra-articular injectables for the treatment of osteoarthritic pain in the knee. Consisting of a unique mix of plasma proteins, hyaluronic acid - a natural component of knee synovial fluid, and a fast-acting analgesic, JTA-004 intends to provide added lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic pain. In a phase II study involving 164 patients, JTA-004 showed an improved pain relief at 3 and 6 months compared to Hylan G-F 20, the global market leader in osteoarthritis treatment.

About Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common chronic joint condition in which the protective cartilage in the joints progressively break down resulting in joint pain, swelling, stiffness and limited range of motion. The knee is one of the joints that are mostly affected by osteoarthritis, with an estimated 250 million cases worldwide.

The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is expected to increase in the coming years due to increasingly aging and obese population. Currently, there is no cure for KOA and treatments focus on relieving and controlling pain and symptoms, preventing disease progression, minimizing disability, and improving quality of life. Most drugs prescribed to KOA patients are topical or oral analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Ultimately, severe KOA lead to highly invasive surgical interventions such as total knee replacement

About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and bone diseases. The Company has a broad, diversified portfolio of bone cell therapies and an innovative biological product in later-stage clinical development, which target markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.

Bone Therapeutics is developing an off-the-shelf protein solution, JTA-004, which is currently in phase III development for the treatment of pain in knee osteoarthritis. Positive phase IIb efficacy results in patients with knee osteoarthritis showed a statistically significant improvement in pain relief compared to a leading viscosupplement.

Bone Therapeutics other core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell therapy platform (ALLOB) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital, and uses a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells are produced via a proprietary, scalable cutting-edge manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, the Company is ready to start the phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process.

The ALLOB platform technology has multiple applications and will continue to be evaluated in other indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy, maxillofacial and dental applications.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the BioPark in Gosselies, Belgium. Further information is available at www.bonetherapeutics.com.

SOURCE: Bone Therapeutics
The National Green Tribunal formed a committee on Monday to look into a plea alleging construction on encroached government land and discharge of untreated sewage at a village in Bhopal in violation of environmental norms.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed that a joint committee comprising representatives of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, state pollution control board and the District Magistrate look into the issue and submit a compliance report.

"Since it is stated that the Municipal Corporation is not cooperating, let the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation take appropriate action against the person responsible for not complying with the directions of this tribunal," the bench said in a hearing held through video conferencing.

The NGT said that the order is an executable and binding decree and its violation is a criminal offence, and if the Municipal Corporation does not cooperate, the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation may be held personally accountable.

The direction came after perusing a report filed by state pollution control board which showed encroachment by the complainant himself.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Bhopal resident Hardesh Kira alleging violation of environmental norms by Raj Homes Colony by raising constructions on encroached government land and discharging untreated sewage at Kauluva village in Bhopal.

The state pollution control baord in its report said that a nala (public drain) is passing from two sides of complainant's house which has no boundary wall.

"The complainant filled the nala stretch at back side of his house up to boundary wall of Raj Home Pvt. Ltd. Now complainant has encroached the land of old nala path by filling it intermittently and said that he is the occupier of this encroached nala land," the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wellington: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has regularly thanked her "team of five million" for helping New Zealand weather the COVID-19 wave, and as of Monday she has confirmation of that headcount.

Her team of five million; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last week. Credit:Getty Images POOL

On Monday, Stats NZ released its quarterly estimate resident population figures which showed New Zealand notching the major milestone.

As of March 31, the South Pacific nation has 5,002,100 residents.
Falun Gong practitioners march from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, in Washington D.C., on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Popular Chinese Youtuber Raises Awareness About Spiritual Group Persecuted in China

A popular Chinese commentator recently introduced the spiritual exercise and meditation practice Falun Gong on his YouTube channel, helping to raise awareness about the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) persecution in China, which is still a taboo topic among Chinese diaspora today.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, an ancient meditation discipline with moral teachings centered on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, was first introduced to the public in northeastern China. It has since spread to over 90 countries around the world.

Since July 1999, hundreds of thousands of adherents have been thrown into prisons, labor camps, and brainwashing centers amid the atheist Chinese regimes sweeping persecution campaign.

Lao Hei, is a Chinese expat currently living in Spain. He has a large following on his YouTube channel We Media where he discusses current affairs.

He told The Epoch Times in a recent interview that he knew a little about the practice when he was in junior high school in China, but learned more after then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin ordered a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong.

At the time, the Chinese regime deployed its media outlets to spread hate propaganda vilifying the practice and its adherents, in an effort to justify its persecution.

At that time, I was studying at a university in Beijing. Whether it was on TV or in the newspapers, there was a lot of talk about Falun Gong being bad. When everyone was talking about Falun Gong, I felt that something was wrong. Falun Gong didnt provoke anyone. Why did they keep talking about it every day? Falun Gong had not harmed my family nor myself. Why should I believe what the news broadcast said?

He recalled walking with his classmates one day, and they were also saying something negative about Falun Gong. Suddenly I couldnt take it anymore, and I asked them, How did Falun Gong harm you? Then I shouted, Long live Falun Gong! Come and get me! Thats all I said. After that, my classmates kept more than five meters away from me out of fear of being implicated. That tells you how deep the fear of the CCP runs. This is my personal experience.

After he graduated from university and worked for a few years, Lao said he started to come into contact with some Falun Gong practitioners in his daily life. They often talked to him about what Falun Gong is, and the ongoing persecution.

Once I went shopping in a shopping center and sat down to rest in the square when I was tired. An old lady came over to chat with me, saying their practice is cultivation, improving ones health, and following truthfulness, compassion, forbearance. They are always very gentle, kind, and courteous. My first impression in the early years was that Falun Gong practitioners are harmless.

But an incident in 2012 gave Lao a deeper understanding about Falun Gong.

Several Falun Gong practitioners messaged him on WeChat, a popular social media platform, and told him about the current persecution and the Chinese regimes false propaganda about the practice. Lao said, One time, a netizen began to curse Falun Gong [on WeChat]. His abuse was particularly nasty, but I found that these Falun Gong practitioners were humble [when responding to the netizen]. They were able to control their emotions from beginning to end. As an observer, I thought that people with certain qualities can always stay rational and be able to endure abuse. It was at that time my opinion of Falun Gong changed.

Another incident left a deep impression on Lao about Falun Gong. He said that he once opened an online payment account, and wanted to make sure that it could receive money. So he asked people in his social media group to deposit a small amount into the account to see if it was working.

After a few days, there were no responses at all. On the contrary, a Falun Gong friend whom I never met in person transferred two funds to me, $5 and $8 (U.S. dollars). This is a small thing, but it was very touching to me. Because money is a sensitive issue, as soon as people are asked to pay, they will immediately close off themselves. However, this Falun Gong friend wanted to help me. I felt he was very upright. He took this small matter to heart. It wasnt about the amount of money, but his actions showed that he cared. So I felt that Falun Gong practitioners are actually helping people, rather than just saying it. I wont go into details of many other things like this. I feel Falun Gong practitioners are different from ordinary Chinese people.

After several years, Lao has met many more Falun Gong practitioners in real life.

[I] feel they are all good people. As I said before in my program, Falun Gong practitioners never do harm. Even though I dont practice Falun Gong myself, I would tell people not to be malicious towards Falun Gong. They are all good people.

In 2019, Lao Hei released three videos introducing Falun Gong on his YouTube channel.

The first one is titled, I dont practice Falun Gong, but I hope people can stop misunderstanding Falun Gong. They are all good people.

Another is titled, Interview with a Falun Gong practitioner who was repeatedly detained. Listen to her speak about the horrors of detention.

And the last one is titled, Lets talk about Falun Gong again: 1. Never quarrel; 2. Concentrate on spreading the truth; 3. Never harm anyone. No group can match them on these three points!

Lao Heis programs have attracted the attention of many Chinese netizens. Netizen Li Mengyuan said, Never quarreling is forbearance; concentrating on spreading the truth is truthfulness; never harming anyone is compassion. Falun Gong students use their actions to exemplify their spiritual beliefs.

Netizen Jessie Zou posted, When I was studying abroad in Germany, I also saw a Falun Gong booth on the streets. Back then, I felt they were ridiculous. After all, we were all raised in such an [prejudiced] environment. However, since the outbreak of the Wuhan pneumonia [CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus], I became eager for news from the outside world. People should have freedom of belief, and to be able to keep ones conscience. Patriotism is not equal to blind ignorance. Perhaps we should reflect on ourselves  I would like to have more contact with Falun Gong people when I study abroad in the future.

Netizen Jian Bai8 said: Attaboy Lao Hei! You have the courage to report about Falun Gong!

Lao Hei said he created these programs so people could fully understand Falun Gong. He said, They (Falun Gong practitioners) are always misunderstood by others. I have some Falun Gong friends here [in Spain] as well. They walk down the street every week to hand out leaflets, to spread information. Yet theyre expelled by some businesses who do not know the truth. They curse them as anti-communist or anti-China. I feel that Falun Gong practitioners have to endure too much. They endure too much for [for the sake of their belief in] forbearance.

Lao said that he had the responsibility to tell people the truth. Every upright person should do it, he said.

May Falun Gong Lead Humanity Back to Goodness

Lao believes the CCP fears that a highly self-disciplined group like Falun Gong could subvert the rule of its regime, and as a result, chose to persecute Falun Gong adherents.

In the process of cracking down on goodness, the CCP is turning China into a society where everyone hurts each other, he said.

The degree to which Chinese people harm others is like, even though you have no grudge against them, they will kill you if you try to hurt them, he said on his YouTube program.

Lao Hei shared his vision: I hope Falun Gong can lead humanity back to true goodness.
A group of 15 students handed out food to people newly impoverished by the coronavirus. In less than two months, they have provided 660 meals. For one of the organisers, their action is but scratching the surface, yet it helps. Since the start of the pandemic, millions of people have found themselves in extreme difficulty; two million have lost their jobs.

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies)  With the coronavirus pandemic leaving many Indonesians destitute, a group of university students decided to take matters in their own hands and provide free meals to vulnerable workers, like rickshaw drivers and trash collectors, left unemployed and in precarious conditions by the lockdown.

According to some associations, millions of people have fallen into extreme poverty since the start of the pandemic and are struggling to get money each day for food.

So far Indonesia has reported more than 18,000 cases with almost 1,200 deaths. In Asia, this is the largest number of deaths after China.

This is the time for us to act, said 19-year-old Sherina Redjo, one of the university students behind the initiative in Depok, a satellite town on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta

On their motorcycles, the volunteers distribute food parcels four times a week ahead of the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast.

For Redjo, what they do just scratches the surface of the problem, but no matter how small it is it will certainly help people in difficulty.

The group estimates that they have handed out more than 660 meals since they started in mid-March.

The coronavirus outbreak has cost some 2 million people their jobs in just six weeks, setting back by a decade the efforts made by the government to eradicate poverty.

Volunteers collect donations on social media, and on a good day, they can raise enough money for 50 food parcels.

I thank them [the volunteers] so much for giving me this package and I pray for their generosity, said Bambang, a cycle rickshaw driver.

We are focusing on providing dinner so that at least they can sleep with their bellies full, said Luqmanul Hakim Yullyadi, 19, the groups designated cook, who joined because I feel pity and sympathy for many of my friends whose parents income was disrupted because of this pandemic.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 15:07 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8cdd7b 1 National human-trafficking,Indonesian-sailors,long-xing-629,Chinese-fishing-vessel Free

The police have announced three suspects for human trafficking aboard Chinese fishing ship Long Xing 629. The case gained attention in Indonesia after the deaths of four Indonesian crew members.

The three suspects are from manning agencies in Indonesia. They are identified as W from PT APJ in Bekasi, West Java, F from PT LPB in Tegal, Central Java, and J from PT SMG in Pemalang, Central Java.

The National Polices human trafficking task force has conducted a preliminary hearing and has concluded that the three are suspects of human trafficking with the purpose of exploitation. The modus operandi is promising salary and work placement but with unclear working hours, said National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) chief, Gen. Comr. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, in a statement on Sunday.

Last week, the police questioned 14 crew members who had survived and had returned to Indonesia.

Read also: Indonesia reports alleged abuse in fishing industry to UN Human Rights Council

We found the evidence from the 14 crewmens testimonies and other related documents, said Bareskrims general crime subdirectorate head (III), Comr. John W Hutagalung, as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.

There is an allegation of human trafficking through sending the victims to work with the purpose of exploitation, said John.

The case is now being investigated further. The police are questioning witnesses, including the immigration officials who issued the crew members passports.

Earlier this month, a video aired by South Koreas Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) showed a group of men throwing an orange body bag, which was believed to contain the dead body of an Indonesian crew member, off a fishing vessel.

Read also: Parents of deceased Indonesian sailor demands justice

MBC reported that four Indonesian sailors registered to Long Xing 629 had died after reportedly enduring poor working conditions. Two unidentified Indonesian sailors told MBC that crew members were only allowed to take short breaks every six hours, had almost no time to sleep and were made to drink filtered seawater.

The Indonesian government has officially asked the United Nations Human Rights Council to address human rights violations in the fishing industry. (asp)
Inmates at a Colorado jail roiled by a rampant coronavirus outbreak won a class action lawsuit accusing the staff of violating their constitutional rights.

The alarming lawsuit described how inmates at Weld County Jail were held four to a cell with shared sinks and toilets as COVID-19 began spreading through the facility in mid-March.

By May, at least 10 inmates had tested positive for the virus - though only 22 of the roughly 480 housed at the jail had been tested. At least 18 deputies were also infected.

The American Civil Liberties Union stepped in to file the class action lawsuit against Weld County Sheriff Steven Reams after one inmate, 78-year-old Charles Peterson, caught the virus in the jail and then died from it days after he was released without being tested.

Peterson likely was a 'superspreader', according to an infectious disease expert who inspected the jail on behalf of inmates for their lawsuit.

The suit contended that Reams 'willfully disregarded public health guidelines', endangering 'not only those within the institution, but the entire community'.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the inmates on May 11, ordering the sheriff to socially distance those at risk, provide single cells when possible, and improve cleaning of communal spaces.

The case is among more than 100 lawsuits nationwide, many of them class-action cases, seeking mass releases of inmates or other measures to reduce overcrowding and infection risks in jails hit by the new coronavirus, according to the UCLA law school's COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project.

Many of those cases, as well as hundreds more filed by individual inmates, argue that confinement in facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks violates the US Constitution's protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Inmates at Weld County Jail in Colorado (pictured) filed a lawsuit accusing Sheriff Steven Reams of 'willfully disregarded public health guidelines' amid a coronavirus outbreak

Peterson began showing symptoms of COVID-19 a week after a parole violation landed him in Weld County Jail on March 11.

By the time he was released on March 30, he was on the verge of dying from it.

Peterson declined quickly, two fellow inmates told Reuters. Coughing and disoriented, they said, he eventually struggled to stand and began losing control of his bladder and bowels.

Donovan Birch said he and other inmates alerted jail staff, but Peterson was left in the general population.

Birch also became ill with COVID-19 symptoms after his exposure to Peterson, he said, but never was tested.

Peterson 'needed help', said Birch, who was jailed on a parole violation for trespassing charges. 'I knew he was going to die if he didn't get it.'

Instead, Peterson was released; two days later, he was dead. Official cause: 'acute respiratory failure, viral pneumonia and COVID-19 infection.'

A federal judge ruled in favor of the inmates on May 11, ordering Sheriff Reams (pictured) to socially distance those at risk, provide single cells when possible, and improve cleaning of communal spaces

Inmates have been issued masks since early April and have access to soap, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, said Weld County Sheriff's spokesman Joe Moylan.

He noted the jail has been on lockdown since April 1 - the day Peterson died - and inmates are rotated out of their cells in small groups to common areas that allow for social distancing.

Moylan declined to comment on the litigation and the specific cases of Peterson and Birch.

Peterson was released after Colorado's Department of Corrections decided not to hold him for his parole violation, part of the effort to slow COVID-19 transmission in local jails by reducing inmate populations.

Since March 1, the jail has reduced its population by more than 300 inmates; fewer than half its 954 beds are occupied.

Peterson's parole violation involved failing to renew his sex offender registration while living at 'Rock Found', a re-entry home for convicts returning to the community.

When he was let out of jail, a former Rock Found roommate brought him back to the home, cold, shivering, barely able to walk.

The program director called paramedics.

'I honestly could not believe that not a single person from the Weld County Jail had told anyone at Rock Found that they were releasing a seriously sick person into our care,' the director, Cheryl Cook, said in a statement filed in the inmates' lawsuit.

Moylan, the sheriff's spokesman, said Peterson was not tested for COVID-19 because he was not overtly symptomatic.

Charles Peterson, 78, died from coronavirus two days after he was released from Weld County Jail. Peterson is pictured in an undated photo released by his family

A sheriff's spokesman said Peterson (pictured in an undated photo with his grandchild) was not tested for COVID-19 because he was not overtly symptomatic

Many of the problems addressed in the judge's ruling were identified by the plaintiffs' expert witness during two visits to the jail in April.

He reported to the court that he found most inmates confined to group cells more than 22 hours a day with no handwashing options unless they were let out to a bathroom.

Many complained of unsanitary conditions and said shared sinks and toilets were not cleaned between uses, the expert reported.

Ralph Brewer, 41, jailed for violating a restraining order, told Reuters he was directed to continue working in the kitchen after developing nausea and a bad cough. Staffing was short, he was told, so he had to work unless he had a fever.

'It really concerned me. We had no masks, just gloves,' Brewer said. He requested a doctor to check his lungs, he said, but nurses only gave him Tylenol, cough medicine and instructions to stay hydrated.

Brewer was released on April 3 and his daughter took him straight to an urgent care clinic. The doctor said he had COVID-19 symptoms - no tests were available - and told him to quarantine for 14 days, Brewer said. He recovered at his mother's house.

'I was lucky to get out, but Im worried about the people still in jail,' Brewer said. 'Its crazy in there.'

Inmates at Weld County Jail (pictured) described how they were forced to keep working in communal areas even after falling ill with symptoms similar to those of COVID-19

Investigation reveals the hidden toll of coronavirus on America's prison system

COVID-19 has spread rapidly behind bars across the nation, according to an analysis of data gathered by Reuters from 20 county jail systems, 10 state prison systems and the US Bureau of Prisons, which runs federal penitentiaries.

But scant testing and inconsistent reporting from state and local authorities have frustrated efforts to track or contain its spread, particularly in local jails.

Top Five Worst-Hit Federal Prisons in the United States 1. Lompoc USP Positive Inmate Cases: 885 Positive Staff Cases: 7 Inmate Deaths: 0 2. FMC Fort Worth Positive Inmate Cases: 295 Positive Staff Cases: 6 Inmate Deaths: 9 3. Forrest City Low FCI Positive Inmate Cases: 253 Positive Staff Cases: 1 Inmate Deaths: 0 4. Lexington FMC Positive Inmate Cases: 207 Positive Staff Cases: 3 Inmate Deaths: 3 5. Elkton FCI Positive Inmate Cases: 135 Positive Staff Cases: 8 Inmate Deaths: 9 Statistics updated on Monday, May 18 Advertisement

And figures compiled by the US government appear to undercount the number of infections dramatically in correctional settings, Reuters found.

In a May 6 report, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 54 state and territorial health departments for data on confirmed COVID-19 infections in all correctional facilities - local jails, state prisons and federal prisons and detention centers. Thirty-seven of those agencies provided data between April 22-28, reporting just under 5,000 inmate cases.

Reuters documented well over three times the CDC's tally of COVID-19 infections - about 17,300 - in its far more modest survey of local, state and federal corrections facilities conducted about two weeks later. The Reuters survey encompassed jails and prisons holding only 13 percent of the more than two million people behind bars nationwide. Among state prisons doing mass testing of all inmates, Reuters found, some are seeing infection rates up to 65 percent.

The CDC tally 'is dramatically low', said Aaron Littman, a teaching fellow specializing in prison law and policy at the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles.

'We don't have a particularly good handle' on COVID-19 infections in many correctional and detention facilities, 'and in some places we have no handle at all.'

Problems with unreliable data aren't unique to corrections. Epidemiologists say the incidence of COVID-19 in the general US population also is unclear due to limited testing, especially in the pandemic's early days.

And the CDC acknowledged in its report that its infection count for jails and prisons was similarly hampered by spotty data and 'not representative' of the disease's true prevalence in those facilities.

But uneven testing for COVID-19 in correctional settings and erratic reporting of confirmed cases have profound implications for health officials and policy makers tracking its spread, because epidemiologists see jails and prisons as key pathways of transmission.

Lock-ups present the perfect breeding ground for COVID-19 outbreaks that quickly spread into surrounding communities

The United States has more people behind bars than any other nation, a total incarcerated population of more than 2.2 million as of 2018, including nearly 1.5 million in state and federal prisons and just under 740,000 in local jails, according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Jails generally keep inmates for short stays: arrestees awaiting trial or people serving short sentences. The churn of these inmates raises the risk of infections among both the inmates themselves and jail staff, who can carry the virus to and from the community.

Prisons, which hold convicted criminals on longer sentences, also are fertile ground for the virus. While inmates come and go far less frequently, the pathogen can be carried in from the community by a single contagious staffer, spread quickly in crowded cell blocks, and be re-introduced to the community by other, newly infected workers.

The top five worst-hit federal prisons are shown above (left to right): Lompoc USP in California; Fort Worth FMC in Texas; Forrest City Low FCI in Arkansas; Lexington FMC in Kentucky; and Elkton FCI in Ohio

Reuters collected data from 37 state prison facilities across the country that have done mass testing for COVID-19 among all inmates, including those with no symptoms, and found more than 10,000 confirmed cases among the 44,000 tested. There were 91 deaths from the disease at those facilities, which span 10 states.

In contrast, federal prisons, which typically limit testing to inmates with obvious symptoms, reported confirmed infections in fewer than 4,200 of their total inmate population of about 150,000, with 52 deaths.

The situation in the nation's 2,800 local jails is even more opaque. Many don't report their COVID-19 cases publicly, and there is no national tracking of their infection numbers.

Reuters surveyed the 20 US counties with the largest jails, holding an average total of about 73,000 inmates, and found nearly 2,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases - a figure that has risen nearly 30-fold over the past six weeks.

While some of that increase is a result of increased testing during that time, it still reflects an almost certain undercount, because testing remains limited in many of those facilities.

The surge in jail infections comes amid a chorus of concerns from judges, oversight agencies, corrections officers, defense lawyers and civil rights groups that most local lockups are ill-equipped to control the virus, which has killed at least 310,600 people worldwide.

Unlike state and federal prisons, typically equipped to provide health care for long-term inmates, jails often have little medical capacity.

In health care, jail inmates 'are the last and the least and the lost', said Dr Thomas Pangburn, chief medical officer for Wellpath LLC, the medical contractor in Wayne County's jails and hundreds of others nationwide.

Many jails have been overlooked in the race to secure COVID-19 test kits and medical supplies for hospitals and nursing homes, he said, but 'we have the most vulnerable population in a very confined space meant for correctional housing - and not for medical care.'

In many jails and prisons, the toll of COVID-19 on corrections officers and other staff approaches that of inmates - and here, too, the numbers reported to the CDC by state and local authorities appear to be a vast undercount.

The CDC report documented nearly 2,800 COVID-19 cases among staff across all US correctional facilities.

But Reuters found more than 80 percent of that number - upwards of 2,300 infected jail and prison workers - in its far less comprehensive survey of just the federal prison system, a few dozen state prisons and the 20 counties with the biggest local jails.

Inmates at Cook County Jail in Chicago plastered signs pleading for help on their cell windows last month as a coronavirus outbreak ravaged the facility

Heartbreaking photos from outside Cook County Jail on April 9 show handmade signs with the words 'SAVE US!!' and 'WE MATTER 2' plastered on cell windows

In an effort to curb infection rates, many jails and prisons are releasing inmates to create more distance among those remaining behind bars. That has raised concerns about whether inmates, particularly in jails, are being screened for COVID-19 before returning to the community, where many can't get medical care.

More than 37,000 state and federal prisoners have been released since March 31, according to US government data and records collected from 41 state prison systems by the Vera Institute of Justice, a research group that seeks to reduce incarcerated populations.

There is no national tracking of local jail releases, but in just the 20 counties surveyed by Reuters, at least 14,000 jail inmates have been let go.

Releasing inmates is critical 'both in jails and surrounding communities, because of the role jails serve as vectors' for spreading the virus, said Udi Ofer, justice division director at the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed dozens of 'decarceration' suits and legal petitions. 'It's a crisis.'

Some groups have pushed back. Victims' rights group Marsy's Law, named after the murdered sister of billionaire Henry Nicholas, has criticized the releases, expressing concern that crime victims aren't always notified when inmates are let out.

Lack of testing and protection proves fatal at hard-hit jail in Detroit

When COVID-19 began tearing through Detroit's county jail system in March, authorities had no diagnostic tests to gauge its spread. But the toll became clear as deaths mounted. First, one of the sheriff's jail commanders died; then, a deputy in a medical unit.

'Working in the Wayne County Jail has now become a DEATH sentence!' the head of the deputy sheriffs' union, Reginald Crawford, wrote on Facebook as the losses mounted.

By mid-April, the jail system's medical director and one of its doctors also had died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The virus was everywhere, but jail officials had little sense of who was infected and spreading it.

Testing of inmates and staff - needed to determine who should be quarantined to slow transmission - was just getting started.

In the weeks since, more than 200 staff and inmates have tested positive.

Wayne County Jail in Detroit has also suffered a massive COVID-19 outbreak

President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency on March 13. By that time, officials in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office already were scrambling to address a looming outbreak in their three jails.

Days earlier, Sheriff Benny Napoleon and Chief Robert Dunlap, the jails supervisor, had laid plans to keep inmates more separated, cut public visits and quarantine new arrivals - rules that took effect just after Trump's announcement.

On March 19, the jail also began releasing low-level offenders, for the most part inmates with risky medical conditions.

Staff and inmates were already falling ill across the jail system, which typically houses a population of about 1,400.

Donafay Collins, 63, a jail commander, was hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection that would kill him less than two weeks later - the first death among the four staffers claimed by the virus.

'It's like a bad dream,' Chief Dunlap said in an interview with Reuters.

Meanwhile, getting diagnostic tests and protective equipment to track and manage the virus proved challenging, Dunlap said. Suppliers had little to offer, and just about everything they had was going to hospitals and emergency medical services.

Hunting for face masks, the sheriff's office turned to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had been pressing the federal government to give states more supplies from federal stockpiles. On March 20, state officials sent the sheriff 7,500 N-95 masks provided by the US Department of Homeland Security.

The highly protective masks are used by staff handling sick inmates, Dunlap said. Basic surgical masks became available later for more routine use by both staff and inmates, he added.

Getting test kits proved even harder. As COVID-19 raced through Wayne County's jails in March, corrections officers needing tests had to visit a local testing center or hospital, where they often were refused if they did not show specific symptoms, Dunlap said.

It wasn't until April 6 - the day the virus killed the jails' medical director, Dr Angelo Patsalis - that officers began getting regular tests through the Wayne State University Physician Group.

Getting the tests was 'a matter of life and death,' said Crawford, the head of the deputy sheriffs' union, in an interview.

For inmates, however, testing remained elusive.

In late March, the sheriff directed the jail's medical contractor, Wellpath, to obtain test kits for inmates, but the company couldn't get enough due to heavy demand, Dunlap said.

'Wellpath, like every other provider around this county, couldn't get them.' So, COVID-19 testing was limited to inmates with symptoms.

By April 30, the jail's population had dropped to just 834 inmates - about 500 had been released - and only 89 had been tested for the new coronavirus.

Of those tested, 29 were positive, just over 30 percent, according to the sheriff's office. Among the sheriff's 810-member staff, 196 had tested positive, or 23 percent - of whom 89 have returned to work.

On May 7, the jail expanded testing to all inmates under a grant from the Hudson Webber Foundation. That should 'further mitigate the spread of the virus' inside and outside the jail, Dunlap said, and help identify infected inmates before release.

As in many states, Michigan's prison system began universal testing earlier than the jails.

On April 21, Michigan's Department of Corrections began testing for coronavirus infections in large numbers of inmates even if they showed no sign of illness, said department spokesman Chris Gautz.

Demands for mass testing are growing. The ACLU and the Council of Prison Locals, representing 30,000 federal prison employees, called earlier this month for universal testing in all federal lockups.

But some public health experts are ambivalent on that approach. The CDC's guidance for correctional facilities calls for quick COVID-19 testing of inmates who appear symptomatic, but it takes no position on universal testing.

The guidance reflects a belief among some public health experts that testing only symptomatic inmates and, in some scenarios, a sample of the rest may suffice for assessing the virus' overall prevalence in a jail or prison, said Marc Stern, former medical director for the Washington State prison system and a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Testing every asymptomatic inmate may not make sense if a jail lacks the capacity to isolate and trace the contacts of those who test positive - and also because not everyone who tests positive may be contagious.

In Michigan's prison system, however, officials say mass testing has been valuable.

'If you don't know where the problem is, you can't fix it,' spokesman Gautz said.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said on Monday people from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will not be allowed to enter the state till May 31, news agency ANI reported.

Yediyurappa said there will be a complete lockdown on Sundays with the provision of essential services only, according to ANI. There will be strict lockdown measures in containment zones and economic activities will be permitted in other areas.

The chief minister said state transport corporation buses and private buses will run as will trains running within the state, according to ANI. All shops will be allowed to open, it added.

The Centre has extended the nationwide lockdown to May 31 and said that movement of passengers would be allowed only with mutual consent between the states during the fourth phase.

Karnataka has reported more than 1,100 patients of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and more than 30 deaths.
Today, May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People.

The deportation of the Crimean Tatars began at 03:00 on May 18, 1944 and lasted until the beginning of June.

Despite the fact that representatives of the Crimean Tatar people fought in the ranks of the Red Army and even participated in the guerilla movement, the Soviet State Defense Committee accused them of allegedly mass treason and collaboration with the Third Reich, which became the reason for deportation. Undoubtedly, this was an act of genocide and ethnocide, as evidenced by the accusation of the whole people of treason and the application of the principle of collective responsibility.

Some 183,144 Crimean Tatars were deported according to official figures and 228,500  according to the Tatar sources. Over 110,000 people died during the first year and a half. Some 32,000 NKVD officers participated in the punitive operation. Men, women, children, and the elderly were driven to the railroad cars used to transport cattle and sent on 70 trains several thousand kilometers away from their home. People were given from a few minutes to half an hour to take their personal belongings, food, the dishes and household equipment. It is clear that most of the property remained and was confiscated by the state. The major part of the deportees was sent to a special settlement in Uzbekistan, some to the Gulag, and another part to replenish the special contingent for the Moscow Coal Basin.

Deportation was one of the means of "de-Tatarization" of Crimea. Cultural and historical monuments were destroyed, and the historical names of the places were replaced by new ones such as "Sovetsky," "Pervomaysk," "Krasnogvardeysk" etc. Crimea was inhabited by immigrants from Russia and other republics. During the post-war period, the population in Crimea increased by almost ten times.

After the transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954, a decree was issued (but not published) in 1956 on the rehabilitation of the Crimean Tatars, but practically without the right to return home in Crimea. The mass return of the Crimean Tatars to their homeland began only in the late 1980s. It seemed that peace finally came and it was possible to live calmly and freely on the native land, but Crimean land again became the object of Russia's encroachment, and the Crimean Tatars were (and are) subject to repression. The Crimean Tatar people consistently called for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, as well as did not recognize Russian occupation of Crimea. Russia, in turn, banned the entry of Crimean Tatar leaders Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov. As of February 2015, out of 300,000 Crimean Tatar people, about 10,000 people were forced to leave Crimea.

Taking into account these circumstances, the Ukrainian president issued a decree on May 16, 2014 that established the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People. On November 12, 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recognized the deportation as genocide and proclaimed May 18 as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Genocide against the Crimean Tatar People.
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Linkedin Daryl Goh (The Star/Asia News Network)  Mon, May 18, 2020 07:03 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8adfb2 2 Books Neil-Gaiman,James-McAvoy,Sandman,audio-drama Free

Celebrated British author Neil Gaiman's classic graphic novel series The Sandman will be receiving a star-studded audio adaptation on July 15 through the Audible platform.

This audio drama will revolve around the first three classic DC Comics/Vertigo books in the series  Preludes & Nocturnes (1989), The Dolls House (1989), and Dream Country (1991).

These fan-favorite works will be voiced by an eye-catching cast: James McAvoy (Morpheus aka Dream), Riz Ahmed (The Corinthian), Kat Dennings (Death), Taron Egerton (John Constantine), Samantha Morton (Urania Blackwell), Andy Serkis (Matthew the Raven), and Michael Sheen (Lucifer).

"This will be @DirkMaggs' adaptation of the first 3 Graphic Novels. They are stunning, with the cast of your dreams," wrote Gaiman on Twitter recently to announce The Sandman audio adaptation series.

Read also: Star-narrated 'Harry Potter' book streaming for free

You are going to be able to listen to the full cast #TheSandmanAudio at @audible from July 15th. This will be @DirkMaggs' adaptation of the first 3 Graphic Novels. They are stunning, with the cast of your dreams...

Preorder at https://t.co/5Nsug0Ank3 pic.twitter.com/t6RKSqCeI4  Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 13, 2020

Gaiman himself will narrate and produce the audio drama, with his longtime collaborator friend Maggs, who adapted the comics and is directing.

According to industry reports, this graphic novel series will also be realised as an 11-episode Netflix series soon. The Sandman was about to enter production before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing work to temporarily stop for the moment.

"The scripts for the first season are written, casting had started, directors hired, sets were being built. Everything was ready to go into production, and then we moved into a pause. As soon as the world is ready to make TV drama, Sandman will move smoothly back into being made," said Gaiman in a Tumblr post on April 14.

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This article appeared on The Star newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 22:40:46|Editor: huaxia

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BUDAPEST, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The government of Hungary has decided to provide funding for the establishment of a department of traditional Chinese medicine at a university in Budapest, local media reported.

"The government is providing 5.9 billion Hungarian forints (18.16 million U.S. dollars) to expand the Faculty of Health Sciences at Semmelweis University to include a department of traditional Chinese medicine," local news portal Index said.

The government said it will make one billion Hungarian forints available in 2020. The assets of the new department will be managed by Semmelweis University.

The new department will cover the entire range of healing, research and training activities related to traditional Chinese medicine and will welcome students from across Europe.

Semmelweis University in Budapest has been offering courses in traditional Chinese medicine since 2010. (1 U.S. dollar = 327.47 Hungarian forints) Enditem
Sound installation artist Susan Philipsz recording percussion effect for her piece, inspired in part by Edgar Allan Poe's "Telltale Heart." It was created for a mansion at the Woodlands and will be available Monday to install at your house. Read more

As originally planned, artist Susan Philipsz installation piece The Unquiet Grave would have invited visitors to wander through the Woodlands historic Hamilton Mansion as haunting sounds echoed through the building.

But even mansions located in graveyards are on lockdown at the moment, so that vision proved impossible. Instead, Philadelphia Contemporary has decided to bring a different version of the piece, which it commissioned, directly into peoples own homes  even those whose windows dont gaze out onto weathered tombstones.

 READ MORE: Hiding in plain sight, a city estate yearns for the spotlight

The new work, Muffled Drums, makes use of the same audio recordings that Philipsz intended for The Unquiet Grave. The artist is encouraging people to play the tracks on their smartphones, ideally placed around the house inside objects like pots and vases so the sound really resonates.

Muffled Drums goes live at 11 a.m. Monday at philadelphiacontemporary.org/muffled-drums, with audio tracks and a video to walk you through the DIY installation.

This is more about exploring the acoustics of objects within your own home, Philipsz explained from her home in Berlin. Its like giving a heartbeat to these objects. Of course, its not the mansion, with its creaky floorboards and torn wallpaper, but its a completely different experience of the sound in your own home. Unless you live in a big, creepy mansion.

The Unquiet Grave was inspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe, a lifelong obsession for Philipsz since the day she saw a film adaptation of Murders in the Rue Morgue at a likely too-young age.

Poe immediately came to mind when she visited the Hamilton Mansion at the invitation of Philadelphia Contemporary, the edgy museum without walls behind acclaimed site-specific installations like painter Jane Irishs Antipodes at Fairmount Parks Lemon Hill mansion.

 READ MORE: 'Antipodes' at Lemon Hill shows a way forward: Philly's mansions don't need to be musty antiques

Philipsz thought in particular of Poes 1843 short story The Tell-Tale Heart. It was only later that she learned that the story had been written and published while Poe was living in Philly.

I couldnt believe it, Philipsz said. Poe was inspired by domestic spaces, writing about his cellar, the space behind his walls, and the spaces around him. I feel like its so relevant for these times as were sitting at home in lockdown in our domestic spaces.

The Tell-Tale Heart is told from the perspective of a murderer who believes that he hears the sounds of his victims heartbeat emanating from the floorboards where hes been buried. Philipsz recorded several tracks of pounding drums as well as her own voice singing the mournful folk ballad The Unquiet Grave (Child 78).

These sounds work in an effective but very different way when carried into peoples own homes, she said. Its quite incredible how a small sound can become huge when you put it in the right object.

Philadelphia Contemporary artistic director Nato Thompson said he still hopes to host Philipsz work at the Woodlands once the COVID crisis has passed. But offering it online seemed like an ideal first step in rethinking public art for a quarantined city.

Susans piece is somewhat dreary and melancholy, which I like because it doesnt fit with the tone of the time. Or maybe it fits exactly with the tone of the time, which artists are very good at, he said.

In the original piece, the chimney and grates and cracks would emanate sound as you walked through this empty building and stared outside. Then when it couldnt happen we thought, Oh, now everyones in a building where you just stare out the windows while thinking about death and madness. "
As a middle-aged woman who had the audacity to pick up a camera and tell her own stories, Shelton was part of a self-determined and mutually supportive group of filmmakers: Ava DuVernay directed her first narrative feature (I Will Follow) after having been a successful publicist, learning the craft by way of DVD commentaries and listening to her clients interviews during press junkets. Greta Gerwig had made her name as an actress, co-directed Nights and Weekends with Joe Swanberg and endured patronizing questions about helping Noah Baumbach write Frances Ha and Mistress America by the time she made her solo directing debut with Lady Bird, a good decade into her career. Dee Rees worked in marketing and brand management before realizing, while on set for a commercial shoot, that she wanted to be a filmmaker.
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The government in its relief measures for the Civil Aviation industry announced its intention to free up India's air space for civil aircraft movement. Currently only 60 percent of India's air space is freely available for civil aviation with the rest being restricted for Defence use. This often leads to airlines having to take longer routes leading to increased expenditure on fuel and crew costs due to longer flying hours. The government will work with the Defence forces and rationalise these restrictions on air space availability to make civil aviation more efficient.

The government estimates this relaxation will lead to Rs 1,000 crore per annum cost savings for the aviation industry. Assuming a large part of this is by way of fuel cost savings this should lead to around 3 percent reduction in fuel costs for the industry. More importantly, cash savings of Rs 1,000 crore annually for airlines is not an insignificant amount at this difficult juncture when the industry is staring at steep losses.

On a back of the envelope basis, cost savings for the two listed airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet should be Rs 480 crore/Rs 160 crore, respectively given their domestic market shares of 48 percent and 16 percent, respectively. However, the true extent of relief would depend upon the speed with which the Government is able to work with the Defence forces to free up the air space.

And not to forget the actual savings would also depend upon the speed with which the airlines are able to restore their operations at normal levels as government estimate of savings would likely have been estimated on such basis. Having said this, much more needs to be done for the industry given that the disruption has been severe and that air travel will take at least 12 months if not more to come back to normalcy.

We advise investors to wait for the Q1FY2021 results of IndiGo and SpiceJet before taking any investment decisions. The quarter numbers will give a clearer picture of the performance of the companies, as they would have had only marginal operations (largely cargo). At current levels, we recommend a buy on IndiGo and a reduce on SpiceJet.

The author is Aviation Analyst at Centrum Broking.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The Country Director of IRC, Mrs. Vida Duti has called on the government to critically look at the situation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in health facilities of the country.

This she said will help prevent the spread of infections. Mrs. Duti said this at the Government and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) dialogue on WASH and COVID-19.

The meeting was held online through a web session due to the coronavirus pandemic was on the theme, "Civil Society Organization Role and Response in Accra".

The dialogue was to highlight the relevance of WASH in the fight against the COVID- 19 pandemic and the civil society response during this period.

The dialogue attracted stakeholders in the WASH sector to deliberate on the relevance of WASH in the fight against the COVID- 19 Pandemic which is ravaging the socio-economic life of countries globally including Ghana.

Mrs. Duti noted that the way people are handling veronica basket in this period is not the best.

She noted that only 42 percent of Ghanaian populations have access to water and handwashing facilities and 48 percent are without water. She also added that eight percent of our population uses unreliable water.

She called on CSOs to critically look at the complicities of the rural water sub- sector and use the lessons applications of the free water supply in informing reforms that can better streamline and ensure that the country has smooth processes.

The Chairman of Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, Martin Derry noted that the pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in CSO responsiveness, coordination, and integration systems.

He said the effects of covid19 are varied and sometimes extreme for our entire society and way of life.

"In focusing on inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind, CSOs have to identify the barriers to access, especially for women, children, PWDs, migrants: settler communities within Ghana", he noted.

Mr. Sery said CSOs need to develop emergency response strategies.

A member of CONIWAS, Awudu Yakubu Omoro Modoc said it time for CSOs to identify their strength on what they can contribute to the existing measures in fighting the COVID-19.

He noted that the biggest challenge facing the fight of COVID-19 is people with disabilities are being left out during education.

--WashTimes
[May 18, 2020] Attorney Clint Coons Helps Small-Midsized Businesses Pivot, Innovate and Change Operations During Covid-19

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt normal day-to-day operations of small-midsized businesses and nearly half of the U.S. workforce hangs in the balance, employers are taking creative measures to reset their go-to-market strategies and offerings. By changing their operations to meet the demands of their customers, businesses can not only stay relevant, but keep their staff employed and thrive in the new economy. "This pandemic offers business owners, investors, and solopreneurs the opportunity to take a critical look at their overall business model, offerings and operations and reset the entire business structure, creating new opportunities to serve and prevail," says Clint Coons, ESQ, small business expert and founder of Anderson Business Advisors. "This is the perfect time to explore new legal solutions to the most common business entrances and obstacles to help companies preserve and protect their brands and prosper for generations to come. There are great examples of resets happening within many industries." With the pandemic closing summer camps throughout the country, ACA accredited, Adventure Links, a 23-year old summer camp in Virginia, has found a way to replace its usual summer adventure camp programs with CampCloud TM, an experiential online alternative. The company is now offering its virtual camping programs to individuals and employers to assist employees working from home by keeping their kids engaged, learning and delighted all day from "virtually anywhere,". The program is being offered to other camps as a customizable, online option for their campers. Ensuring the health and safety of employers when stay-at-home orders are lifted, and business resumes is critical. Thanks to a team of entrepreneurs, Disinfect & ShieldTM, an FDA-registered, EPA-approved and eco-friendly disinfectant used in surgical suites for the last decade is now available to businesses worldwide to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and other dangerous organisms. It works by creating a permanent anti-microbial shield, preventing the virus from attaching to surfaces where it has been applied without risk to humans, animals, or crops. With Disinfect & Shield TM, employees, customers, and visitors can feel safe knowing that their space has been properly disinfected and treated for optimum health and safety.



Clint's financing and entity creation tips to help entrepreneurs and small business owners include: Know how to use loans before applying: CARES act loans have specific guidelines like having to use at least 75% of the loan within 56 days of receipt for payroll expenses. Concerned that money would dry up, many small business owners applied with no way of utilizing them because their business cannot reopen under the strict guidelines imposed on the industry. Alternate cash sources: Borrow from a 401(k) or IRA to keep businesses afloat, as it does not need to be paid back for at least 3-6 years. However, pulling money out of a retirement plan comes with some risk, such as if the business does not see profitability, then retirement funds were wasted on a failed business venture. Beware of increasing liabilities: Because insurance will not cover claims brought under COVID, reopening comes with risk and business owners are wondering how they will operate under strict COVID-19 related guidelines and still make a profit. Now is the time to pivot and reset. Consider restructuring: Set up your business in the right entity and state. Mistakes in formation or taxation can have a lasting negative impact on business growth and viability. Before starting a new business, consider the best structure for asset protection and tax minimization. For example, a limited liability company (LLC) gives business owners time to operate at a loss for the first few months write off the loss on their individual 1040 forms against other forms of income. There are different entity funding options with protection ramifications. Utilize Privacy Shield Protection by creating anonymity with trusts. "COVID-19 has shown that many businesses aren't prepared for worst-case scenarios and make common mistakes that can affect their ability to grow and borrow money," adds Coons. "If approached strategically, small to medium sized businesses can take this time to implement changes and help their operations succeed and thrive."

### Anderson Business Advisors focuses on providing unique resources to real estate investors, stock traders, solopreneurs, and business owners for the best asset protection and tax minimization. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005129/en/

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Israels 35th government, which was sworn in May 17, is also Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus fifth government. Officially, it is known as a national unity government, with Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party poised to step in as prime minister in 18 months. Gantz has, in fact, already been sworn in with Netanyahu, in his capacity as alternate prime minister. Nevertheless, the one person who will mark this new governments course, set its tone and determine its agenda will for the most part be Netanyahu.

In his inaugural address, Netanyahu laid out his political vision for this new government. To no ones surprise, it seemed to reflect his personal vision as leader of the ideological right. It will be a government committed to the annexation of large parts of the West Bank.

"The time has come to apply sovereignty to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. This won't distance peace, it will bring it closer," he declared, using the Israeli term for the West Bank. He continued, "The truth is  and everybody knows it  that the hundreds of thousands of settlers living in Judea and Samaria will remain there, no matter what arrangement is reached. The only reason the whole issue of sovereignty is on the agenda is because I promoted it personally for the last three years, both overtly and covertly."

Never before has a prime minister from the right used his inauguration address to announce his intent to annex West Bank settlements. Netanyahu is well aware of the fact that the window of opportunity to impose Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank will only remain open as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States. He is therefore planning to pour everything into advancing this one agenda item over the next few months, before the next presidential election in the United States this November.

As of now, two clocks are ticking for Netanyahu. The first is the political clock, which obligates him to hand over the office of prime minister to Gantz on Nov. 17, 2021. The second is the legal clock, which will begin ticking next week, on May 24, when his trial for bribery begins in the Jerusalem District Court. This will be the start of a yearslong saga, in which Netanyahu will be forced to operate under the shadow of his trial. At that point, all the testimonies, accusations and legal arguments will be out in the open. Since this could erode his public stature, he will have to act quickly.

It was almost impossible not to notice how Netanyahu took advantage of his speech to begin to lay out his legacy. Now 70, and after a total of 14 years as prime minister, Netanyahu declared that his meta-objective is to impose Israeli sovereignty over lands of the West Bank. It is his life project and the one big act of leadership that he wants credited to him. He wants to be the one to determine Israels borders for generations to come.

The question is whether his new partner will cooperate in such a volatile move, given how controversial it will be, especially among the international community. Would Gantz participate in such a step, if it would put Israels peace with Jordan at risk, as King Abdullah made perfectly clear over the last few days?

In his speech, which followed Netanyahu's, Gantz preferred to ignore this call for annexation. After all, it tested his position as leader of the center-left camp. Instead, he tried to lend a festive air to the swearing-in of the new government, after such a difficult birth. He was already facing widespread discontent over the new governments size. With a total of 34 ministers, the Gantz-Netanyahu government now bears the questionable title of the biggest government in Israels entire history. It will require vast amounts of funding just to function, even as Israel is reeling from a major economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

This building has lost the trust of its citizens, the new leader of the opposition, Yesh Atid leader and Knesset member Yair Lapid, responded in an attack on the new Netanyahu-Gantz coalition. To his former partner from the Blue and White party he said, Today, you are taking an oath of allegiance to a man who is about to stand trial for bribery next week.

Despite justifiable criticism of the governments wastefulness, the new coalition did put an end to the worst political crisis in Israels history. It was a crisis that lasted 508 days and involved three heated elections, which ended in a stalemate. Polls conducted since the last election show clearly that Israelis want a unity government. The trend only intensified since the coronavirus outbreak.

It was Gantz who made the really tough decision to abandon his promise not to sit in a Netanyahu government as long as the prime minister is under indictment for bribery. In doing so, he broke the endless cycle of elections, even if it meant the breakup of the Blue and White party, which offered the only viable alternative to form a government.

Even after he made that decision, he still had a long way to go before a government was formed. Negotiations lasted many long weeks, and on more than one occasion Gantz felt that Netanyahu was just taking him for a ride. But in the end, Netanyahu did sign on to a unity government based on a rotation agreement. Despite the overwhelming consensus of opinion to the contrary, he was willing to set the date for when he would leave office as Israels longest serving prime minister. Netanyahus fifth government will serve for the next year and a half, and then it will be replaced by the first Gantz government. At that time, Netanyahu will become alternate prime minister, and remain a full partner in running the country.

As the list of ministers was slowly revealed over the course of the day, Israelis found that their new government is unusually diverse. It includes two former chiefs of staff, who served under Netanyahu. Gantz already served as minister of defense, while Gabi Ashkenazi is the newly appointed minister of foreign affairs. They will also be part of the security Cabinet, which will distinguish it from the last government, in which Netanyahu held the unchallenged role of Mr. Security. In fact, he was almost the only experienced member of that security Cabinet with a proven record in security affairs.

Another positive change in the current government is the number of women now serving as ministers. This government will have eight women, including two who will also be part of the security Cabinet: Miri Regev of the Likud, who will replace Ashkenazi as foreign minister in a year and a half, and Orit Farkash HaCohen of Blue and White, who received the strategic affairs portfolio. Also, for the first time in Israels history, the Cabinet will include an ultra-Orthodox woman, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Omer Yankelevich, also from the Blue and White party. Another woman from Blue and White to make history is the new minister of immigrant absorption, Pnina Tamano-Shata, who is the first Ethiopian woman to serve in the Cabinet. Also to the new governments credit is the inclusion of two openly gay ministers with children. These are Minister of Internal Security Amir Ohana of the Likud and Minister of Welfare Itzik Shmuli from the Labor Party. This should not be taken for granted, especially since the coalition includes two ultra-Orthodox parties.

Will the new government survive? Most pundits believe that it will be short-lived. On the other hand, its size and the number of positions, as well as the fact that none of its leaders want a new round of elections, could actually make for a stable government after all.
Thanks to a photo posted on Twitter, a team of researchers discovered a new species of fungus. Their discovery highlights the growing role that social media plays in research, the group says.

The new species is now part of the Laboulbeniales order of fungi. It was called Troglomyces twitteri by the researchers after the social media site where it was first observed.

ALSO READ: This Newly Discovered Fungus Collects Gold From Its Surroundings

How it turned up

The researchers' discovery started when biologists and associate professor Ana Sofia Reboleira from the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark found something unusual about a photograph on Twitter, posted on October 31, 2018.

Entomologist Derek Hennen posted the image of the species in 2018, now a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech. He sent the millipede (from Ohio) pictures to people who tweeted at him that they had voted in the mid-term polls in the United States. The entomology student Kendal Davis had tweeted this particular photo.

To everyone (including me!), it was as normal of a millipede photo as you can get. But if you're @SReboleira , you have AMAZING vision and a preternatural talent for spying tiny fungi. She saw something no one else did!  Derek Hennen, Ph.D. (@derekhennen) May 14, 2020

In a news release, Reboleira said she saw something looking like fungi on the millipede's surface. Until then, she mentioned these fungi had never been found on American millipedes.

ALSO READ: 1-Billion-Year-Old Fungus Found In Canadian Arctic Is Earth's Oldest

Search & discovery

Reboleira showed her fellow-member Henrik Enghoff the picture. Then, both of them tracked down to the museum collections and started digging. The museum has an extensive selection of insects and millipedes.

"So, I went to my colleague and showed him the image; that's when we ran down to the museum's collections and began digging," he said. Reboleira and her colleagues found other American millipedes with the same unidentified fungus while scouring the museum's collections, verifying that the one on the illustration was a previously unknown species.

Hi @Twitter you have a new species named after you: https://t.co/jB4zUqUb2o  Ana Sofia Reboleira (@SReboleira) May 14, 2020

Those were fungi which had never been previously reported. Millipede specimens from Paris' Museum national d'Histoire naturelle helped validate the new species' discovery.

Troglomyces twitteri: What it's like

Troglomyces twitteri is part of an order called Laboulbeniales - small fungal parasites attacking insects and millipedes. It seems like tiny larvae. These fungi live outside of host organisms; in this case, on millipedes reproductive organs.

The first discovered laboulbeniales were in the mid-19th century. Their taxonomic status was established in comprehensive studies at Harvard University conducted by Roland Thaxter, starting in 1890. Thaxter described 1,260 species of these fungi (College of Environmental Science and Forestry of the State of New York).

Of these, approximately 30 species strike millipedes (University of Copenhagen). Many of these species have been described recently; Reboleira claims that many more are yet to be found.

Thanks, social media!

The finding has shown the growing contributions of social media to science, according to the researchers.

"There is an increasing interplay between research and social media platforms, and many scientists use Twitter to promote and share research, a phenomenon also promoted by scientific publisher companies," the researchers wrote in their study.

According to researchers, it is the first time that a new species for science has been discovered on Twitter. As a result of the casual observation of a colleague's photo, the study said such platforms for sharing research and making new discoveries are important.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Like other small businesses around the world suffering steep declines with the spread of coronavirus, businesses in Jordan have had their profits take a pounding during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan  the spiritual month of fasting, reflection, and worship for observant Muslims  is also considered a busy shopping season in Jordan and around the world, particularly the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks its end.

Many small businesses  ones that prior to the pandemic anticipated a busy sales season during Ramadan but ended up shuttering their stores instead  are now facing mountains of debt or are on the brink of bankruptcy.

Jordan has few major corporations such as telecommunication firms and manufacturing giants, and small businesses are responsible for 75 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), which currently stands at 32 billion dinars per year ($45bn).

Jordan has a population of 6.5 million citizens and almost three million refugees from neighbouring countries.

According to analysts, small businesses and family-owned shops provide the majority of the population with goods and services, ranging from dry cleaning to clothing and groceries.

Daily-wage earners such as painters, electricians, plumbers and others have suffered the most because of the COVID-19 lockdown and resulting loss of business and income.

Dry cleaning shop owner Abu Sajed said his business is barely surviving because of the lockdown [Ali Younes/Al Jazeera]

Losing livelihoods

Abu Sajed, an owner of a small dry-cleaning business in the Yasmeen neighbourhood of the capital Amman, told Al Jazeera he closed his store for 45 days straight, which brought him to the edge of financial ruin.

He said his shop supports his family and that of his brother who also works in it, making about 350 dinars a month ($500) for each.

When the government finally allowed us to open, we could not come to work because it refused to issue us permits to go out and drive a car to open the business, said Sajed.

He said he applied to get a permit online through government sites, but was rejected each time because his was deemed a non-essential business.

If we didnt open the business back up and cater to our regular customers we will lose our only livelihood, especially during the Ramadan season. It is very confusing for us, Sajed said.

The government initially allowed only neighbourhood grocery stores and butcher shops to open during the daytime so people could buy food supplies during the lockdown.

Other businesses were deemed non-essential such as computer and phone supply stores, clothing shops, and home repair businesses. These were barred from operating from mid-March until the end of April.

Mohammad Hussein, owner of a clothing store in Amman Old Town, said the lockdown has brought major losses to his business and personal income.

He noted Ramadan is one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year as people purchase new clothes for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Because Ramadan came this year in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown, we are on the brink of bankruptcy, he told Al Jazeera.

Fouad Baseet who owns a clothing shop in the Nazzal area of Amman, said the prolonged shutdown of his store has practically killed his business.





In normal conditions during the Ramadan season, we would have been very busy. But these days people are not buying new clothes for the holiday as they try to manage to feed their families as their first priority, said Baseet

The government strategy to fight the coronaviruss spread in the country has largely been effective in reducing the number of infections. There have been 629 cases and nine deaths as of Monday.

But it is has not helped family-owned businesses and daily-wage earners.

Government deception 

Jordanian economist Maen al-Qatamin, well known for his commentary on his YouTube channel, accused the government of deception and misleading the public, because it claimed to have no access to cash to support families and small business when in fact it did.

The government established several bank accounts to collect donations from the public and businesses to fund its operations, garnering more than 90 million dinars ($126m) in April. The majority of donations came from the banking sector, large corporations, and wealthy individuals.

The government established an account at the central bank worth $700m designed to help medium-sized companies with loans under strict financial conditions to cover operating costs. The government also said it distributed financial and food assistance to thousands of poor families around the country.

But according to al-Qatamin, small business owners were either deemed unqualified or were refused access to loans.

Instead of supporting the public with cash to spend, the government went on slashing all of the public sector salaries by reducing wages to teachers and other government employees and abolishing scheduled salary raises, he said.

The government also reduced the salaries of health care workers including doctors and nurses.

Recession

According to a finance ministry official, Jordan was suffering through a recession for years before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The current crisis will sink us further into recession unless the government starts really using sound economic policies and structural reform, he told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The official said the governments previous economic decisions were responsible for the deep financial crisis Jordan is going through today.

The problem in Jordan is that no one and no government is really ever held accountable for the disasters they create for the country.

Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz was quoted in the local press as saying on Monday that his government will pay bonuses to the healthcare workers in appreciation for their work in fighting the pandemic.

All the decisions the government has taken [during this crisis] were based on deep discussions and reviews with different government agencies, al-Razzaz said.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports








The Federal High Court (FHC) on Monday directed judges of its various judicial divisions to adopt virtual proceedings for court cases.

Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, issued the directive in the new 2020 Practice Directions for the COVID-19 period dated May 18 and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The direction, however, provides that proceedings can only be held virtually with the consent of the parties and their counsel.

Also, under the new rules, FHC judges cannot hear more than nine cases daily.

The direction also provides that:

Virtual proceeding is hereby adopted for adjudication in the Federal High Court.

Virtual proceedings can be either by Zoom, Skype or any other audio-visual platform approved by the Court,

The CJ also directed that where parties and their counsel agree to virtual proceedings in a case, they should liaise with the courts Registrar to schedule the hearings.

He said that cases for virtual proceedings shall then be stated on the Cause List, posted on the FHC website, and communicated to counsel and parties, either by e-mail or any other electronic means.

Mr Tsoho added that the Judge and counsel in such proceedings must also be properly robed.

Service of court processes may be effected by e-mails, WhatsApp or as may be directed by the Court, and shall be deemed as good service.

Service of hearing notices may be effected by e-mail, WhatsApp, text messages or as may be directed by the Court

The print out of same shall be sufficient proof of service, he said.

Also, in keeping with the Federal and States COVID-19 regulations, the Chief Judge also made mandatory, the wearing of face masks and maintaining of social distancing.

Face Masks must be properly worn by everyone within the court premises to cover their mouths and noses at all times.

Every person within the premises of the court and inside the court room shall observe the requirement of social and physical distancing of not less than 2 meters (6 feet) apart from each other,

At any given time, there shall not be a congregation of more than ten (10) within the Court premises, except for purposes of court sittings.

There shall not be more than twenty (20) persons inside the court room including the court staff and counsel at court sittings. he said.

(NAN)
Nurses draw on family strength in wrestling virus By Nadia Fazlulhaq View(s): View(s):

At the main hospital treating patients infected with the new coronavirus, the usual white nurses uniform has given way to personal protective gear, as nurses distribute medicines and draw blood samples.

Behind the success story of dozens recovering and being sent home from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, are nurses who have not seen their families for weeks, or even months.

They treat patients with care and concern clad in suffocating protective clothing and risking their lives to save others.

There was fear. We feared whether it will affect us, or whether we will carry the virus to our loved ones. We heard about health care workers around the world falling sick. We used to wear masks, gloves to protect patients from getting any germs from us, but now we had to protect ourselves from patients, said Shyamalee Perera, 54, a senior nurse at IDH for 27 years.

There was panic among staff, on how we will handle a global [virus] pandemic, if Sri Lanka will be affected severely. Nurses with young children at home and those were unable to travel to hometowns were seen calling their homes assuring they will be fine and telling how they miss their babies. Some nurses sent their families back to their villages and took shelter in boarding houses, while others stayed in nurses quarters, Ms. Perera said.

Despite the fears, nurses at the IDH were ready and trained to face global pandemics with preparedness drills during outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), swine flu, avian flu, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Ebola.

We were aware of how to handle a situation like this, as we had been given guidelines and training. We trained junior nurses, minor staff as well as incoming patients. It was no easy task wearing the PPE and working on hot and humid days. The inner scrub kit we wear is made of cotton poplin fabric, and then comes the coveralls, head cover, mask, and face shield. Because the fans were switched off, it is suffocating wearing it and exhausting at times, she said.

She said nurses and staff are encouraged by the gifts from companies and the people, whether it is dry rations, or prepared meals handed to the hospital.

We were stuck inside the hospital treating patients, and we knew the public understood our dedication and hard work. We didnt have time to shop for dry rations and did not know how our families struggled during the lockdown, she said.

Ms Geethani Udugama-korala, the matron at the IDH, said out of the 130 nurses, about 20 are seniors while the rest are juniors.

We guided them, and made sure they are fully ready to face a situation like this. When cases were increasing in Wuhan [in Hubei province in China], we began preparations. This is the only hospital, patients will first come to. So it was important for us to be prepared, she said.

It is the support of families that gives us strength. Some nurses have returned after maternity leave, some worked several shifts. The young nurses were a determined lot, who worked enthusiastically. There have been times I had to advise them to go back to their quarters and rest. It was all about saving lives, matron Geethani said.

As patient numbers increased, even the nursing station, consultants rooms were used for patient care, while nurses are in the corridors.

With the torrential rains, nurses have no place to stay. The makeshift tent in the hospital premises for nurses will not withstand the heavy rains, she lamented.

Twenty one years ago, when I got the nursing job at IDH, people asked me whether it was a punishment transfer. Today, I feel it is a blessing to be able to be a part of saving so many lives and the nursing community here is like a family. We all are together in this.
Kabul: India is one of Afghanistan's biggest donor nations in the war-torn country's reconstruction efforts and New Delhi has been supportive of the peace process, the government has asserted.

Rejecting the Afghan Taliban's statement that India has been playing a negative role in the country for the past 40 years, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gran Hewad, said that Afghanistan's relations with India are within international frameworks and based on mutual respect.

India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. It has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan controlled.

Hewad told Radio Azadi that so far India has been cooperating in the development and reconstruction areas and is expected to contribute to the peace process as well.

India is one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation. We expect India and other neighboring countries to play a significant role in Afghan peace process, Hewad said.

The Deputy of Qatar-based Taliban political office, Mula Abas Stanekzai, recently alleged that during the last two decades, India has only cooperated and kept ties with those who are corrupt and have been put in power by foreigners not elected by the Afghan people.

He mentioned that India should cooperate with Afghan peace process.

US Representative for Peace and Reconciliation Zalmai Khalilzad had discussed the Afghan peace with Indian officials and sought their cooperation during his visit to India. Khalilzad was in New Delhi earlier this month.

Afghan political analyst Khalid Sadaat told Radio Azadi that if the Taliban continues to make such remarks, it will hurt Afghanistan's diplomatic ties in the future.

Taliban should not give themselves this liberty to make country and state-level remarks, as it will have negative consequences for Afghanistan in the future.

And the other thing is that India and Pakistan are having historical enmity and Pakistan is playing a proxy role in Afghanistan and the Taliban are being accused of playing Pakistan's proxy role in Afghanistan and are backed by Pakistan, I believe these assertions of the Taliban are on Pakistan's demand, he said.

Saddat further said that considering the peace process, the Taliban should try to foster good relations with all the countries to have their present and future support.

On Monday, Afghanistan's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar held a video conference call with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Both the sides discussed issues of mutual interests including those pertaining to the economic and security cooperation and the Afghan Peace Process.

Meanwhile, India on Sunday welcomed the power-sharing deal between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah after months of bitter disputes over the results of last year's presidential election that pushed the country into a political crisis.

As per the deal, Ghani will stay as the president while Abdullah will helm the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) which has been mandated to lead future peace talks including with the Taliban.

There have been global concerns over Pakistan's support to the Taliban and other terror groups operating in Afghanistan.

Days before inking of the peace deal between the US and Taliban, India conveyed to the Trump administration that pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terror networks operating from its soil must be kept up.

India's support is guided by the needs and priorities of the government and the people of Afghanistan; activities are undertaken in partnership with the Afghan government; and projects are spread across Afghanistan in a wide range of areas.

The most important symbol of India's assistance in the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been the construction of the multipurpose Afghan India Friendship Dam (AIFD). The project was inaugurated in June 2016. It has an installed capacity of 42 MW and supplies water for irrigating 75,000 hectares of land.

Chabahar Port, located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province in Iran, is an important infrastructure development project being currently undertaken by both India and Iran for enhancing sea-land connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian Region.

India has constructed a 218-km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating the movement of goods and services to the Iranian border. The highway, completed in 2010, connects Iran with the Garland Highway, which links Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif Herat and Kunduz.
Doctors at Ho Chi Minh City Cho Ray Hospital put ECMO on patient 91. Photo: Ministry of Health

The committee said he is still dependent a life support machine called Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) though he has no fever and his blood pressure is stable.

Computerized tomography scan shows that 90% of his lungs are condensed. In addition, he has multi-organ infections, thus doctors are focusing on infection treatment and health recovery before transfering him to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for possible lung transplant.

The patient, a Viet Nam Airline pilot, was hospitalized on March 18, becoming the sickest COVID-19 patient in Viet Nam so far.

Since his admission to Ho Chi Minh Hospital for Tropical Diseases, his testing results have been mixed. He weights 100 kg and 1.83 meters tall with body mass index (BMI) of 30.1.

As of Sunday afternoon, he has been tested negative for the virus for 10 consecutive days, the national steering committee said.

His body excessively responded to the virus, creating cytokine storm that attacks healthy cells. He has also been resistant to all types of domestic coagulant drugs, thus the Ministry of Health has had to buy drugs overseas for his treatment.

Since doctors announced possible lung transplant for the patient, nearly 50 people have volunteered to donate part of their lungs to the British national. The volunteers, aged between 21-71, include doctors, reporters and ex-servicemen.
The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has issued a strong warning to the All Progressives Congress ...





The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has issued a strong warning to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the primary elections in Edo and Ondo States.





Ayodele warned the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki against making wrong moves and not doing the needful.





The clergyman cautioned Obaseki to listen to instructions if he intends to win APC primary election because his party plots to manipulate the election.





In his latest prophecies, Ayodele disclosed that APC National Chairman, Adams Oshimhole was playing his last national politics if care isnt taken with the way he is handling the power tussle between him and Godwin Obaseki.

He also warned APC against giving the ticket to Ize Iyamu





If they conquer Obaseki and give Ize Iyamu, he will not produce, what will happen to him will be more than what happened to Obaseki.





Obaseki should listen to instructions, do the needful, if he does all these, he will win the primaries even though the party leadership will want to manipulate it. Also, APC will have two candidates if care isnt taken.








Ex-FSC chief calls for deregulation to bolster investment



By Kim Bo-eun





Institute for Global Economics Chairman Jun Kwang-woo Jun Kwang-woo
Opinion Article

18 May 2020

You can feel the energy. More of us are getting eager to travel and here's the deal: Smart money says much of the first round of travel will be local and primarily via car.



Public transit (planes, trains, and subways) are a no go for many of the wary right now.



A proof of this prediction is in a new MMGY poll that says there's optimism about a Memorial Day rebound for road trips: "We see in our data that people feel safest in their cars and in a travel environment in whic h they can control their surroundings," Clayton Reid, Global CEO of MMGY, said.



The company's recent poll found that 68% of consumers feel safe in their cars, while 40% feel safe in parks.



Other polls say similar.



Said Reid, "This could mean some significant short-haul trips over Memorial Day to parks and other outdoor attractions."



Bet on it and I say that with great confidence about states like Arizona and Utah and New Mexico - with plentiful parks, lots of open spaces, and close enough to urban areas to have a drive-market audience ready to hit the road.



I can see similar in western Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont, New York State, Virginia, Oregon, really just about everywhere there are resorts in eye-popping natural settings close to urban markets where many cooped-up people want to hit the road - but stay safe and healthy.



Question: are you ready?



Hint: a lot of you are not.



This morning I surfed around and - without naming names - found many resorts with the standard photos: a bustling, crowded restaurant; a swimming pool populated by suit-wearing wedding guests, many dozens of them; a busy resort gym; a bar with elbow-to-elbow tipplers.



Others chose cheerful parking attendants taking over a car driven by an incoming guest and other shots show bellhops grabbing bags (no gloves, no sanitizers, no masks in view).



What's wrong with those pictures?



Just about everything. They were fine for the pre Covid-19 era but this is now and times are different.



For instance, a recent Arizona Republic poll found considerable unease about crowds. The story headline says it: "Reopening Arizona: Not ready to get back out there? New poll shows you're not alone."



A recent national Gallup poll found a majority of us - 58% -- are still social distancing.



Know those realities as you gear up to - possibly - greet your fi rst wave of guests in two months,



Here are five steps to ready you for success.



Step one in successfully preparing to welcome drive guests this Memorial Day is tidy up your website photo libraries. 86 the crowd shots. Don't erase the photos. Probably you will put them back up in a year or two when Covid-19 fades into memory.



But for now crowds - which had conveyed excitement, a certain buzz - trigger fear and a determination to go elsewhere.



Step two: Purge recent Facebook and Instagram posts in a similar way. Crowd shots go. Let's not go too far back in history - certainly any posts from 2019 and earlier can stay. But let's not convey the impression of busy crowds in 2020.



Step three: Time is short so get busy posting on Facebook and Instagram with the new message that you are ready to safely host guests in a healthy, refreshing environment. Stay tightly focused on the message, don't clutter your social channels with too many frantic posts.



Step four: Contact local media, especially television (think local morning shows), with the upbeat story that your property is primed to safely handle an influx of drive guests over Memorial Day. Big-city TV stations in your vicinity (think up to 500-mile distant, a day's drive) are the prime market. Be ready to talk about activities in nature, wellness, and culinary (stress your room service options if you offer them and you should).



Step five: Make very sure that all staff with possible guest contact - and that means pretty much everybody - can succinctly detail what the property is doing now to keep guests safe from coronavirus. What are the new steps? Of course every staff member won't know the full story. But everybody has to know the property has instituted comprehensive steps that are intended to deliver heightened safety for guests and employees alike.
WASHINGTON - Joe Bidens campaign says the former vice-president will rip up President Donald Trumps approvals for the Keystone XL pipeline if he takes over the White House next year.

Campaign officials made Bidens first policy pronouncements on the controversial cross-border pipeline expansion, designed to ferry Alberta oilsands bitumen to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, in a statement today to Politico.

Biden is no stranger to standing in the way of the Calgary-based TC Energy project, which he first opposed as a member of Barack Obamas administration, which formally blocked construction in 2015.

Trump has since approved construction permits for the project, but a federal judge in Montana halted construction last month after environmental groups complained that the impact on endangered species in the state hadnt been properly assessed.

The expansion  a 1,900-kilometre line between Alberta and Nebraska  has been beset by delays, protests and injunctions almost since its inception, and became a major flashpoint in 2011 when celebrity-studded protests outside the White House helped crystallize environmental opposition to the energy sector.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, meanwhile, has committed $1.1 billion to the project as his Conservative government extends outreach efforts in the U.S. in hopes of breathing new life into a sector hit hard by record-low oil prices and the economic impact of COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2020.
Unions have called on the Minister for Business to expressly assign powers to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to immediately shut work sites who do not comply with Covid-19 safety measures.

As the first stage of restrictions were lifted on Monday, thousands of construction workers and other staff returned to work, when it was revealed that the HSA has just 67 field inspectors assigned to inspect sites on foot of the new health and safety guidelines.

Minister for Business Heather Humphreys has not outlined as yet the exact number of new inspectors that will be hired or which departments and agencies supplemental inspectors will be seconded from.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) is to appear before the first session of the new Oireachtas Special Committee on Tuesday, and in their opening remarks, say they hope the Committee will consider making the recommendation to the Minister Humphreys to ensure safety on work sites can be enforced.

Currently, inspectors have powers of enforcement action including an Improvement Notice (IN) or Prohibition Notice (PN).

If, following an inspection, the inspector forms the opinion that the risk to the safety, health and welfare of persons is so serious that work should be restricted or immediately stopped, an application can be made to the High Court for an order restricting or prohibiting the use of the place of work, or part of a place of work.

"In our view this power should be exercised vigorously in respect to any workplace in which the terms of this Protocol are not being observed," writes Patricia King, the General Secretary of ICTU.

"Given the very serious nature of this virus and the possible severe consequences for those who contract it, it is crucial that the implementation and enforcement powers are actively utilised.

"It is therefore essential that the HSA have all the necessary resources available to them to execute a full-scale intensive workplace inspection campaign immediately. Not to do so would undoubtedly risk lives and would be inexcusable."

The Health and Safety Authority will also appear before the 19-strong committee to discuss 'The Return to Work Safely Protocol', under which a range of checklists and templates have been developed for use by employers, workers and worker representatives.

The committee will hear that tomorrow, that in terms of staff numbers, the Authority has a staff of 182 which is made up of administration and inspector grades.
Flooding in central Somalia has affected nearly one million people, with about 400,000 displaced, the United Nations said.

The UN also warned of possible disease outbreaks because of crowding where the displaced people are seeking temporary shelter.

At least 24 people have died in the flash floods that hit Beledweyne and Jowhar, two agricultural centres in Somalias central area, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The area is still recovering from floods last year that displaced more than 500,000 people.

Belet Weyne, in Hiraan region, is the most affected district after the Shabelle River burst its banks on May 12, inundating 85% of the town and 25 villages by the river, the UN said.

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The risk of disease outbreaks is high in the city of Beledweyne as heavy rains continue to pound Somalia and the highlands of neighbouring Ethiopia.

Residents in Beledweyne, a city of more than 400,000, said they are wading through flooded streets to escape waters that are still rising from the Shabelle River. They said they are worried about further flooding in the city, the epicentre of last years devastating flood, the worst in recent history.

The flooding here has affected the entire city People are very worried about their safety, said Hassan Elmi, a resident of Beledweyne. The government forces are helping some people, but those who are too weak or old need more help because they cannot wade through these flooded streets because the water is moving too fast.

The flooding also threatens to cut off the main road connecting Beledweyne to the airport, which could disrupt deliveries of emergency humanitarian supplies, according to the UN.

Nearly 40% of the people in Jowhar, a smaller centre of about 20,000 residents, have been displaced from their homes, according to Somali officials.
The health and economic consequences of Covid-19 have highlighted the critical need to support vulnerable populations, many of whom are disproportionately impacted. In this time of global crisis, Mastercard has decided to expand its worldwide commitment to financial inclusion, pledging to bring a total of 1 billion people and 50 million micro and small businesses into the digital economy by 2025.

As part of this effort, there will be a direct focus on providing 25 million women entrepreneurs with solutions that can help them grow their businesses, it said.

The extended commitment builds on Mastercards ongoing efforts to address the Covid-19 related health and economic challenges facing individuals all over the world.

As we prepare for a post-Covid reality, offering people across the Middle East and North Africa easy access to the digital economy is crucial to drive inclusion and create new opportunities for all. By harnessing the potential of technology and innovation, we will continue to work with our partners in the public and private sector to ensure a more connected future for tens of millions of unbanked people across the region. Together, we are developing solutions that are both commercially viable and socially impactful for generations to come, said Khalid Elgibali, Division President, Middle East and North Africa, Mastercard.

At the 2015 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Mastercard committed to bring 500 million excluded individuals into the financial system. It achieved that goal through more than 350 innovative programmes across 80 countries.

Throughout the Middle East & North Africa, fewer than half (44 percent) of adults over the age of 15 have a bank account, according to 2018 data from the World Bank. Mastercard has collaborated with governments and private sector partners across the region to drive financial inclusion and promote access to digital payments. In Egypt, Mastercard worked closely with the Egyptian Government and embarked on a number of ambitious programs, including payroll digitization. In Pakistan, Mastercard partnered with digital wallet JazzCash, enabling merchants to digitize their supply chain and move to cashless operations.

Reaching the global goal of one billion will require a broad range of efforts, including ongoing work on government disbursement solutions, wage digitization of private sector workers, partnerships with mobile network operators, solutions for gig workers, scaling efforts with fintechs, digital platforms and digital wallets/apps, solutions addressing needs of the financially vulnerable and the expansion of CityKey and Community Pass programs.

This announcement builds on Mastercards ongoing efforts to support an inclusive recovery by leveraging the companys technology, capabilities and reach. That work includes:

 In the first weeks of the global health crisis, Mastercard committed up to $25 million in seed funding to establish the Covid-19 Therapeutics Accelerator in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and others to help speed up the response to the Covid-19 epidemic by discovering, developing and scaling-up treatments for deployment around the world.

 Mastercard has committed $250 million in financial, technology, product and services support over the next five years to small businesses in many markets where it operates, supporting the vitality of businesses and the financial security of their workers.

 Mastercard is leveraging its network to provide support to governments around the world in a range of areas. This includes providing data insights to inform policymakers about the economic impact of the pandemic; increasing the speed and efficacy of aid disbursements to communities and business segments that need it most; developing donation platforms to enable emergency fundraising; and working with governments to assist business owners and consumers with cyber vulnerability assessments. TradeArabia News Service
Sales of existing, single-family homes in April  the first month to show the full force of the coronavirus  dropped a stunning 30.1% statewide and 37.4% in the Bay Area compared to the same period last year, but median prices were more or less unchanged, according to a survey released Monday by the California Association of Realtors.

Its not a fire sale, said Leslie Appleton-Young, the associations chief economist. Typically, prices are sticky on any movement down when sellers dont have to sell. When you get into a foreclosure situation, you have a bigger problem.

April data shed the most light yet on how the coronavirus is affecting residential real estate because deals that closed in March were entered into before most shelter-in-place orders took effect in mid-March. Some sales that closed in early April also may have gone into escrow pre-coronavirus, although prices may have been renegotiated after the stock market collapsed and layoffs began mounting.

I would call (the decline in sales) dramatic, sudden, breathtaking, Appleton-Young said. What it shows is an inability to transact for buyers and sellers and unwillingness to move forward with transactions.

The 30.1% sales decline statewide is the largest year-over-year drop since December 2007.

Between March and April this year, sales dropped 25.6% statewide  the biggest month-to-month decline since at least 1979. In the Bay Area, they fell 16.2% from March to April. The survey excludes sales of condominium units, newly built homes and homes not advertised on a Multiple Listing Service.

The median price of a home statewide, which was rising 7% to 8.5% year over year in January and February, rose a scant 0.6% in April.

In the Bay Area, the median price was $980,000 in April, down 3% from March but down only 0.8% from April of last year.

However, thats a little surprising because the median price rose year over year in every Bay Area county last month. The biggest gains were in Solano (up 10.9% to $482,500) and Alameda (up 9.6% to $1.03 million). The smallest was in Marin (up 1.1% to $1.37 million.) San Franciscos median price rose 4.1% to $1.7 million.

The median is the price at which half the homes sold for more and half for less. To calculate the Bay Area median, the association throws all homes sold in the Bay Area into one big bucket and sorts them high to low. So even though every countys median price went up in April, the Bay Area median went down slightly because there was a lot more in the bucket from the bottom end of the market, Appleton-Young said.

Thats consistent with what many agents have been reporting, that lower-priced homes are moving faster than high-priced ones.

Marcia Weske of the Grubb Co. was planning to list a two-bedroom condo on Berkeley Way in Berkeley the week the shelter-in-place orders came out. Afterward, we waited for weeks, trying to figure out how this was going to play out, she said.

Rather than underpricing the home to create a bidding frenzy  a common tactic in recent years when demand outstripped supply  they listed it April 10 at $745,000, the price the seller was willing to accept. Some agents are calling this transparent pricing.

Nevertheless, the outpouring (of interest) was constant, Weske said. But marketing was arduous. The shelter-in-place orders say that showings must be done virtually, whenever feasible. When its not feasible, in-person showings can be scheduled, with strict rules. There can be no more than one agent and two clients from the same household. Masks, gloves and booties should be worn, surfaces must be disinfected between showings and a warning posted at the door.

I pre-screened everyone who was going to see it, had them sign paperwork, read through disclosures, Weske said.

The house attracted 12 offers, quite a few in the $800,000 range, she said. Some came from people who had never seen it in person. Three were for $850,000. Of those, we took the one that had the best terms, from a family buying it for a UC Berkeley student.

Weske said all of her clients looking for homes are first-time buyers. They are tired of cramped living, they are hoping to start this next phase of their lives.

Appleton-Young said the entry-level market is holding up better than the high end because buyers are more sensitive to mortgage rates, which have fallen, and to stock prices, which have also fallen.

The average rate on government-backed loans is down about a third of a percentage point in the past two months to 3.28%. These loans go up to $765,700 in most Bay Area counties. Theyre easier to get than bigger loans, called jumbos, which lack government backing and are harder to sell to investors. With so much uncertainty, lenders are less willing and in some cases less able to hold jumbos on their books.

To get a jumbo loan, you need at least 20% down and a credit score over 700, said Jay Voorhees, owner JVM Lending in Walnut Creek. Before the coronavirus, we could do 10% down and a 680 FICO credit score. Jumbo rates on average are about 1.5% higher than they were a few weeks ago, he added. Some smaller banks have lower rates but long wait times.

For health and safety reasons, Wells Fargo has stopped having appraisers go into houses where its making a loan.

As a result, we have temporarily reduced maximum allowable (loan-to-value ratios) on jumbo loan amounts in some cases and eliminated cash-out refinances to account for alternative valuation methods, Wells Fargo spokesman Tom Goyda said in an email.

Voorhees said his volume of home-purchase loans dropped by 50% after the coronavirus hit, and stayed at that level for about six weeks.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Now we are back up to where we were this time last year, he said. March and April tend to be our busiest months. You had pent-up demand; thats why we are seeing a surge now. I think people are realizing they are not going to get laid off, the market is not going to be as soft as people thought it would be.

Even during the slowest times, some people need to buy or sell because they are upsizing, downsizing, getting married, getting divorced or relocating, said Mary Ann Veldkamp, an agent with Coldwell Banker Global Luxury in Santa Rosa.

Jessica August Saenz, Tony Saenz and their year-old daughter Amelia moved from Tucson to Santa Rosa in October because both got jobs as physicians at Kaiser Permanente  she in infectious diseases, he in family medicine.

I think we moved Oct. 7, by the ninth the power was out, a couple weeks later we evacuated, we started new jobs in November and by January were in a pandemic, Jessica said. It has been a busy, trying, challenging time.

So, they figured, Why not buy a house?

They put an offer on a home under construction in the Fountaingrove area on Valentines Day.

It was supposed to be done May 15, they contacted us in early April and said, Do you want to move in on May 1 instead? Jessica said.

Despite the pandemic, they didnt consider backing out.

We knew what we could afford. We felt pretty confident when we started our search in December what we had to work with, Tony said.

Many agents have seen a significant uptick in the past two weeks. Before the coronavirus, Sonoma County was averaging 80 to 100 homes going into escrow, and 80 could sell, in a given week, said Tom Kemper, manager of the Santa Rosa Coldwell Banker office. Those numbers fell into the 30s and 40s once everything shut down, no one could go anywhere, do anything. Two weeks ago, they popped up into the 60s. Last week, there were 92 going into contract.

Veldkamp said she had two homes close on Monday that went into escrow after the stay-at-home orders came down.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari received several sachets of artemisia-based tea on Saturday 16 May, which the Malagasy authorities praise as a remedy against the new coronavirus. The Covid-Organics will be tested in Nigeria before being made available.

It was the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, visiting Abuja, who handed over the potion to his Nigerian counterpart. Muhammadu Buhari, who is officially leading the response to Covid-19 on behalf of ECOWAS, is in line with the positions of the World Health Organization: Covid-Organics must first be tested by scientists.

And thats what NAFDAC, the agency in charge of food and drug control in Nigeria, is preparing. It says it is ready to examine Covid-Organics through laboratory analysis and medical evaluation.

Usually the verification of any product takes place over 3 months. But for the Malagasy drug artemisia, it should be accelerated according to Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, NAFDACs director of public relations. This agency will verify the presumed safety and efficacy of Covid-Organics, but without conducting clinical trials at this stage.
CCP virus forced 12 McDonald's stores to shut for an environmental clean in Melbourne. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The CCP Viruss Domino Effect on McDonalds

Fast food restaurant McDonalds has been forced to shut 12 outlets across Melbourne after a delivery driver tested positive for COVID-19.

The chain will deep-clean the stores where the driver made deliveries while he was asymptomatic and unaware that he had the virus.

This follows two other McDonalds closures at restaurants in suburbs Fawkner and Craigieburn after 11 COVID-19 cases emerged.

The Fawkner store reopened in five days with different staff, after a deep cleaning.

Two days later, McDonalds closed Craigieburn after learning of another infected worker. The worker is a relative of one of the staff members in Fawkner who had earlier tested positive for the virus.

The health advice remains that customers need not be overly concerned. Victorias Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said that they have a very low chance of catching COVID-19 through staff members.

Extensive testing has shown that people who have passed through places where there was a confirmed case, known as casual contacts, have an extremely low risk of transmission and are not currently recommended for testing.

This will help to ensure our hospitals, assessment centres and general practitioners can prioritise testing for those most at risk, Sutton said.

Another fast food store in Melbourne, Dominos Pizza, decided to shut its Fairfield store for a minimum of 14 days after being notified that a worker had tested positive for COVID-19.

Dominos informed all team members and families, and advised them to self-isolate and get tested.

Meanwhile, Cedar Meats in Melbourne will begin reopening after 100 cases were linked to the facility.

These cases come as, from June 1, Victorians were allowed to head out to enjoy food and drinks inside bars, restaurants, and cafes, for the first time in weeks, starting with up to 20 people.
President Ghani signs deal with his rival Abdullah, who will head peace talks with the Taliban amid surge in violence.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal on Sunday to end the months-long political crisis, a step that is expected to boost efforts to move the peace process forward.

Abdullah, who had disputed the election result and declared himself president in February, appointed as the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) that will hold talks with the Taliban armed group.

The United States had been pushing Afghanistans divided leadership to bury their differences and begin the so-called intra-Afghan talks after it signed an agreement with the Taliban on February 29 aimed at ending the 19-year war.

In a joint phone call to Pres. @ashrafghani and I today, @SecPompeo expressed U.S. support & appreciation for the signing of the political agreement that leads to the formation of an inclusive government. 1/2  Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) May 17, 2020

Abdullahs group will get 50 cabinet appointments and other provincial governors posts as part of the deal.

The US had cut $1bn in aid to Afghanistan after Ghani and Abdullah refused to compromise, with the two leaders holding parallel inaugurations in the capital Kabul.

Strengthened Kabuls position

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the deal. Secretary Pompeo noted that he regretted the time lost during the political impasse, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

In a repeat of the 2014 election that was marred by irregularities, Abdullah, who served as Afghanistans chief executive for the past five years, had disputed the result of the September 2019 vote.

On Sunday, Ghani said it was an historic day for Afghanistan and the agreement was reached without any international mediation, referring to the 2014 power-sharing deal that was mediated by the US.

Abdullah said the deal commits to forming a more inclusive, accountable and competent administration.

As the head of the HCNR, Abdullah has a big challenge ahead as the deal comes amid rising violence after which President Ghani announced the launch of a military offensive against the Taliban and other armed groups.

A broad political consensus is crucial when Kabul sits face-to-face with the Taliban as part of the intra-Afghan peace talks, Sami Yousufzai, an Afghan journalist who has followed the Taliban, told Al Jazeera.

In this crucial time when the Taliban are still conducting attacks against government forces and civilians are being killed in attacks claimed by [ISIL], this agreement has strengthened the Afghan governments position and weakened Talibans, Yousufzai said.

A tough message goes to the Taliban that despite such political divides, they would all sit unified in front of the Taliban.

What lies ahead?

Abdullahs team called the power-sharing deal an opportunity for peace.

We have said many times before that we are ready for peace, it is our priority, that was our position from the beginning, Fraidoon Khawzoon, Abdullahs spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

The High Council for National Reconciliation lead by Abdullah will now establish a mechanism for peace that will be different from the ones in the past. The council will form committees and peace delegations. The red lines will then determine what needs to be done and on what terms peace is wanted.

But analysts say challenges lie ahead as Abdullah will now have to build a consensus among the deeply divided Afghan political groups to come to a unified position when facing the Taliban at the negotiating table.

The agreement did not resolve the core grievances embedded in Afghan politics, and one survey of peace plans put forward by political elites in Kabul found that most were concerned with who will gets seats at the table  suggesting that the wrangling triggered by election issues could easily continue into peace talks, Andrew Watkins, senior analyst on Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera.

Afghanistan was shaken on Tuesday after attackers stormed a Kabul maternity hospital killing 24 people, including women and babies.

On the same day, at least 24 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a suicide blast at a funeral in Nangarhar province. The attack was claimed by ISIL (ISIS).

The Taliban denied involvement in both attacks but Ghani ordered its military to switch to offensive mode against the Taliban and other armed groups.

The armed group carried out a truck bomb attack near a military court in Gardez city, killing at least five people. The Taliban said Thursdays deadly attack was in retaliation to Ghanis false accusations against them.

Another major disagreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban is over the prisoner swap  a key part of the Doha agreement. The Taliban wants 5,000 of its prisoners released in one go  a demand the Ghani administration has refused to oblige.

So far, the Afghan government has released 1,500 Taliban fighters while the Taliban has set free 100 government prisoners.

The delay has caused frustration among the armed group. We reject Ghanis phased release of prisoners, Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Taliban, said in March.

Though the Taliban has largely avoided targeting US interests in the wake of the February agreement, it has intensified attacks on government forces.

Watkins said there are clear challenges posed by the Talibans continued violence but for now the worst category of dysfunction and factionalisation of Afghan leaders over peace may have been resolved.

What is clear is what this deal managed to avoid: the risk of state or societal fracture, the distraction and uncertainty for government employees and institutions while the two camps were split; and the risk of disunity during the peace process, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 21:51:52|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Tourism earnings in Sri Lanka dropped to 391 million U.S. dollars in February, in comparison to 475 million dollars earned within the same period last year, local media, quoting official figures from Sri Lanka Tourism showed here Monday.

The island country's tourism industry is one of the worst affected by the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic with earnings from tourism likely to be severely affected during the rest of the year as well, industry experts said.

According to official figures, tourist arrivals from key destinations, such as China, India, France, United States, Canada, Britain and Germany have also declined, while arrivals from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine increased on a year-on-year basis in February.

So far this year, the country has received nearly 500,000 tourists but tourist arrivals were halted when the country's main Bandaranaike International airport temporarily halted incoming passenger arrivals in March to prevent a further spread of the virus which has so far infected over 960 people in the country and caused 9 deaths.

Sri Lanka's Tourism Ministry, in March, said it had decided to revise tourism arrivals and earnings forecast for 2020 following the impact of the virus outbreak and the suspension of arrival flights at the airport.

"The COVID-19 outbreak has decimated many top source markets of Sri Lanka, but for us, the timing of the plunge is particularly unfortunate as the industry was on its path to recovery from the Easter Sunday terror attacks last year," Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said.

"Originally 2020 was supposed to be a big year for Sri Lanka, as we had planned for a significant surge in visitor traffic. However, the ambitious plans of Sri Lanka Tourism for 2020 are now under the threat of the COVID-19 crisis," she added.

Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga in January said the target of tourist arrivals for 2020 was 3.5 to 4 million tourists and 5 billion U.S. dollars in earnings. Enditem
The Lehigh County Coroners Office is searching for family members of a 57-year-old Allentown man who died Sunday.

Marc Grier was pronounced dead at 3:53 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, a news release said. The cause and manner of his death are pending further testing, the coroners office said.

Anyone who might know where Griers family may be found is asked to call 610-782-3426.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
The RUMC respiratory care team gets a donation of delicious food from Verizon as a thank you for their hard work during the COVID pandemic. Courtesy Richmond University Medical Center

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic, Staten Islanders are doing their part to flatten the curve by staying home, social distancing and wearing masks when they're outdoors.

Meanwhile, the health care heroes at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) are are being honored with donations of food, PPE, and other tokens of appreciation, for their selfless care of COVID-19 patients, healing the sick and vulnerable of Staten Island.

Scroll below for photos as we salute the RUMC medical staff and essential workers, and send photos of your COVID-19 heroes on the front line or your family practicing social distancing to gsantos@siadvance.com.

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Courtesy Richmond University Medical Center

The RUMC Pharmacy Department team gives a thumbs-up sign after receiving masks from Cindi Grobelny.

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Angelica Mroczek, Miss Staten Island's Outstanding Teen 2020, at left, and her sister, Tatiana Mroczek, donate KN95 masks to RUMC, and receive a warm welcome from Alex Lutz, RUMC Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

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Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis donated the nurses and essential workers at RUMC with tasty dinners to show her office's appreciation during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Brandon Patterson, left, and Sen. Diane J. Savino, deliver sanitizers and PPE to the staff at RUMC in appreciation of their efforts.

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Events with Farraj gifted the nurses in the Emergency Dept. at RUMC with these beautiful gifts to show their appreciation during the coronavirus pandemic.

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The RUMC Labor and Delivery Dept. received a gift of appreciation for their service during the COVID-19 epidemic by Arbonne Cosmetics.

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Assemblyman Charles Fall and Sen. Diane Savino, second and third from left, respectively, deliver food and sanitizers to the medical staff at RUMC in appreciation for their efforts.

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Assemblyman Charles Fall hands roses to the nursing staff at RUMC, as well as meals and sanitizers, in appreciation for their hard work.

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Courtesy Richmond University Medical Center

A patient who was discharged after recovering from COVID-19 showed her appreciation to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at RUMC with tasty treats.

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Bonefish Grill treated the nurses st RUMC with dozens of dinners to show their appreciation for their dedication during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Courtesy Richmond University Medical Center

Verizon and Blue Restaurant donated food and delectable treats to the Labor and Delivery Dept. of RUMC in appreciation for their service.

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Courtesy Richmond University Medical Center

Verizon and Blue Restaurant donated food and treats to the Dietary Department of RUMC in appreciation for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SoftBank (OTC:SFTB.Y), the Japanese tech company, is losing Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) co-founder Jack Ma as a board member.

In conjunction with reporting fiscal year ending March 31 results, SoftBank said that after thirteen years on the board Ma will resign effective June 25, 2020. Ma's departure comes at a time when the executive, who retired from Alibaba this past fall, is focusing more on his philanthropic efforts.

It also ends a long relationship between Ma and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. In 2000, Son invested $20 million in Alibaba before it became the leading eCommerce company in China. SoftBank still retains an investment in Alibaba, which has appreciated greatly over the years. Alibaba's market value stands at more than $570 billion today.

SoftBank is nominating three new members to the board, including Yoshimitsu Goto, CFO of SoftBank Group; Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of the semiconductor software company Cadence Design Systems; and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School. Tan is also the chairman of Walden International, a venture capital firm. Outside of Ma, SoftBank plans to retain the ten other existing board members. If the nominees get elected, the newly formed board will consist of thirteen members.

Separately, the tech stock announced plans to buy back 500 billion yen, or $4.7 billion, in stock by the end of March 2021. That's in addition to the $4.8 billion in shares Softbank announced it would repurchase in March of this year. The company is reportedly in talks to sell its stake in T-Mobile to Deutsche Telekom.




Kolkata, May 18 : With Amphan turning into a super-cyclone, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government geared up to make necessary arrangements for the cyclonic spell that is expected to make a landfall in the state on Wednesday.

State government sources said that special arrangements have been made by deploying specialised disaster management teams at Sagar Island and Kakdweep in South 24-Parganas district in Bengal.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already said that Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm overnight.

Sources said that at least seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in six West Bengal districts including East Midnapore, West Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah.

At least 10 NDRF teams are also kept on stand-by as the cyclonic storm is likely to hit the coastal districts with "very heavy rainfall" on Wednesday evening.

Besides West Bengal, a warning has also been issued for Odisha, Sikkim and Meghalaya till Thursday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for an emergency meeting on Amphan this evening with representation from West Bengal and its neighbouring Odisha. State Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee also called for a meeting this evening to review all the measures taken to tackle the situation that may arise.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Karnataka has reported its biggest ever spike with 84 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of infections to 1,231, the health department said on Monday.

With 37 deaths and 521 discharges, there are 672 active corona cases in the state, the department said in its mid-day situation report.

Among the 84 cases, Bengaluru urban, Mandya, Uttara Kannada constitute major share, while cases have also been reported from Hassan, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayapura, Gadag, Ballari, Davangere, Yadgir, Bidar and Belagavi.

Most of the cases which tested positive have an inter state travel history to Maharashtra, followed by contacts of patients already tested positive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sean McSharry is accused of ignoring the directions of gardai

A man accused of breaching Covd-19 regulations was found in a late-night gathering of young people who were drinking and playing loud music in a wooded area, a court has heard.

Sean McSharry (22) was arrested after allegedly failing to go home despite repeated garda directions.

He was granted bail, and the case against him was adjourned at Dublin District Court.

Mr McSharry, of Stillorgan Park, is charged with public intoxication and failing to comply with garda directions under the Health Act.

The offences are alleged to have happened at Murphystown Way, Leopardstown, on May 8, when a number of other arrests were also made.

A garda sergeant told Judge Gerard Jones the DPP was consenting to summary disposal of the Covid regulations breach charge at district court level.

She said it was alleged that a number of people were in a wooded area, playing loud music and drinking alcohol.

This took place adjacent to residential properties, she said.

Family

The group were given directions to move on at 11.55pm, but had to be directed again at 12.20am when gardai found them 400 metres away in the same area.

The accused was arrested at 1.40am.

There was a "quantity of alcohol consumed", and the accused was also alleged to have been in further breach of the regulations by being 5.4km from his own residence at the time, the sergeant told the court.

Gardai objected to bail, she added.

Mr McSharry came from a "very good family" and would abide by bail conditions, which would be explained to him, his solicitor John O'Doherty said.

The accused then gave a sworn undertaking to abide by the Covid-19 regulations.

Judge Jones asked him if he understood the regulations.

"I do, yeah," Mr McSharry replied.

The judge did not require any cash bail, but conditions included a curfew between 11pm and 7am, and the accused is also to be of sober habits.

He was remanded on bail to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court in September.
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According to the report, Fintech 2019: The Fears of Myanmars Unbanked, Myanmar ranks lowest among ASEAN countries in terms of financial inclusionthe proportion of its population that has access to financial services. To address the problem, Myanmar in 2013 launched its Financial Inclusion Roadmap. The government plans to increase financial inclusion in the country from its current 48 percent to 60 percent by 2022.

Last year, Wave Moneys transfer volume more than tripled year-on-year, reaching 6.4 trillion kyats in the country, according to the company.

Yoma Strategic CEO Melvyn Pun said, The COVID-19 situation is accelerating the trend toward a cashless society and drives the growth of e-commerce, and we expect this partnership to massively boost Wave Moneys capabilities to support these trends.

The press release said that as part of the strategic partnership, Wave Money will be able to take advantage of Ant Groups experience building mobile payment platforms to enhance its digital competence, capabilities and services.

More than 21 million people have used Wave Moneys services, including Wave Pay, for remittances, utility payments, airtime top-ups and digital payments, according to the company.

Wave Money, a joint venture between Telenor Group and Yoma Strategic, runs a network of more than 57,000 agents across 295 out of 330 townships in Myanmar, covering approximately 89 percent of the country. Yoma Strategic said in a press release on Monday the investment would promote access to financial services for people in Myanmar, as well as upgrade the technological capabilities and security of the countrys mobile financial services.

YANGONChinas Ant Financial Services Group plans to invest US$73.5 million (103.2 billion kyats) in Myanmars leading mobile money company, Wave Money. Owned by Alibaba Group, Hangzhou-based Ant is the operator of the online payment service Alipay.

Burma Operator of Chinas Alipay to Invest Over US$73 Million in Myanmars Wave Money

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

What Will it Take to Bring Struggling Myanmar Migrant Workers Home from Thailand?

Thai Economy Shrinks Most in Eight Years in Q1; Worse Yet to Come

Operator of Chinas Alipay to Invest Over US$73 Million in Myanmars Wave Money

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Xiaomi Vice President and Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing recently teased a new Redmi smartphone that is rumoured to provide super-performance.

The news broke from the latest teaser posted by Lu Weibing on the Chinese microblogging website, Weibo, revealing that the Redmi brand will be launching 'new surprises' before the end of this month.

Furthermore, he made a Chinese text post which translated to super performance, unexpected.

Shortly after the post, Lu shared another Weibo post of MediaTek which announced the new 5G-focussed development that could be a new Dimensity SoC powering the upcoming Redmi model.

This suggests that the company is planning to launch a smartphone, presumably with an upcoming MediaTek 5G chipset.

On May 18, MediaTek conducted a launch event where the company revealed more details which included the new chipset called Dimensity 820.

The Dimensity 820 SoC succeeds the Dimensity 800 which the company unveiled earlier this year at CES 2020 (however it hasnt appeared on a commercial phone yet) and slots in between the flagship Dimensity 1000 series and the gaming-focused Helio G90 series.

The new chipset brings along faster CPU and GPU performance, support for 120Hz panels which provides better gaming performance.
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A detailed analysis report of the Global Corrugated Boxes Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments.

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Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha has called on migrant workers as well as students and parents, to carefully calibrate the effect repatriation at this time could have on their jobs and education, before making decisions to seek to return to Sri Lanka, availing of the limited flights being operated by the Government for those facing compelling circumstances. He made this observation yesterday (16 May 2020) in an appearance on the News at 9 on Sri Lanka Rupavahini, where he noted that over 38,000 Sri Lankans are seeking to be repatriated, of that nearly 28,000 migrant workers. The comments made by the Secretary are below;

Priority right now of the Government following the Cabinet Paper presented by my Minister Dinesh Gunawardena two weeks ago, is to bring back the migrant worker category which needs to come, but more so in some cases have to come. Because they have gone out of status and are illegal, they also as a result of being illegal do not have access to the health facilities and anything else in those countries. There are many who have been thrown out of jobs. They are pretty much destitute. Thereafter we can consider those who want to come, but who have jobs and who simply want to come on holiday to avoid any Corona vulnerability.

Our plea to these employees, as we did to students some time ago, is to ask them to carefully calibrate the possible loss of jobs or loss of educational opportunity or major delays which can occur from their coming. Because in students, we particularly find that in some places, one set of parents want children to come, another set of parents want children to stay and finish their exams. So, while I know these are personal choices alright, I think there must be some rationality in doing this. Because from the Foreign Ministry perspectives, we are working very hard to get them back today, but I know that one month, two months from now, we will once again be asked to try to reconcile their status as students, when there are difficulties for them to get back or lose out on semester. It is the same with those who lose their employment.

So as much as the Foreign Ministry and the Government is trying to bring back people, that these people who are wanting to return, make a very careful assessment of their essential needs, as against just wanting to come for the short term. This may not be the best time to use this limited window and have to go into quarantine for 21 days when they come here as well.

We are going to try as much as possible to ensure that those who stay back are assisted to the extent possible, particularly the most vulnerable through the various networks of our 67 Missions, 16 where SLBFE is also present, to try and provide dry rations and where necessary medicines so that the problems they face are managed out there where they are.

As for those on short term visits, we have to bring them back. They have nowhere to go. We are conscious of that. The difficulty to some extent is the fact that they are spread all over and Sri Lankan Airlines, even cargo flights which now are flying, are not flying out to many of these capitals. So, while we are integrating them in flights already coming, how we bring them all back is a matter which is at the moment being discussed at the highest levels.





Ministry of Foreign Relations

Colombo

17 May 2020

Media Release in PDF
Elliot, a recent college graduate, leads a mens group at his local evangelical church in a small Midwestern city. The men dont just study Scripture. Instead, at weekly meetings, they try to rid themselves of their addictions to pornography.

At each gathering, the men discuss how the past week went with the help of a workbook they share. They use a numeric scale to rank themselves on their goals to avoid pornography, masturbation, and lustful thoughts. Elliot says it often takes time for men to open up with one another, so he leads by example.

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I start it out by being vulnerable with them, and they really react well to that, he told me. You have to kind of put yourself out there and say, Im not scared of sharing my story. 

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According to a national survey published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, conservative Protestant men are the most likely group to perceive themselves to be addicted to porn, even if they watch less of it than their secular counterparts. And this has turned out to be a lucrative phenomenon. Christian books, apps, lifestyle groups, and conferences constitute a booming industry to help men quit pornor, in the words of one of them, to help afflicted men develop sexual integrity.

As a religion and sexuality researcher, I first started hearing stories about pornography addiction while researching online Christian sex advice: blogs, message boards, and online stores created by and for evangelical Christians to have great sex in their marriages. Based on the stories I was reading online, pornography was a vicious virus that had spread to virtually all Christian men. I read countless stories of battles against pornography addiction and common advice that these addicts attend programs to get clean.

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In 2016, I started to meet these men and ask about how they came to understand their addictions. I wondered how they measured success and how their lives and relationships changed after they entered recovery, to use their term. These programs claim to free men of their darkest biological impulses and to put them on a path to healthy, spiritual relationships with women. What I found instead is that they reproduce many of the most damaging lessons of pornography itself.

At the end of February, amid signs that COVID-19 was on its way to becoming a national emergency, Alabamas Legislature fixed its crosshairs on another public health issue: addiction to pornography. It passed into law Alabama Senate Joint Resolution 7, declaring that pornography, including obscenity, is creating a public health crisis.

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A small staff manages NoFap.com and its brand full time.

Alabama is not alone: Sixteen states have officially affirmed the dangers of porn. The first was Utah, in 2016, after the Republican Party declared in its platform that internet pornography was destroying the lives of millions.

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For all the fanfare, many progressive clinicians, including in this magazine, wave away the issue of porn addiction. Most mainstream scientists do not liken it to drug and alcohol addiction, and there is heated debate about whether it meets criteria of a behavioral addiction, like gambling. Pornography addiction is not included in any reputable diagnostics manual, including the American Psychiatric Associations DSM.

But as a sociologist studying pornography addiction, my approach is different than other scientists. Im less concerned about whether it is real in a biological sense and more concerned with how it becomes real in the social world in which we live.

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Take NoFap, the famous Reddit forum with half a million followers and a stand-alone website with more than 270,000 members. The brainchild of Alexander Rhodes, NoFap is for men who want to quit watching porn and fapping (an onomatopoeia for masturbation). When Rhodes was in college, he decided to detail his experiment abstaining from porn for one week on Reddit. He claimed he had a full on pornography addiction and it was interfering with his life, especially his attempts to date women. The Reddit forum became a sensation, and now Rhodes and a small staff manage NoFap.com and its brand full time.

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A measure of success on NoFap is going 90 days No-PMO (porn, masturbation, or orgasm). This rebooting is hard but worth it, according to Fapstronauts, as they call themselves. Rewards include a host of superpowersspikes in confidence, the ability to sexually attract others, waves of creative genius, and newfound savviness in social interactions.

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There is no scientific evidence that supports the idea of these superpowers. Yet hundreds of thousands of NoFap users insist they experience them. Should we dismiss their stories as exaggerated and made up? I dont think so. Instead, we can learn from them.

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After nearly five years studying the pornography addiction recovery industry and the people who use it, I have discovered that its success is not because it rids men of their addictionsthough some insist it absolutely does do that. Its because it makes kicking pornography into a primal masculine endeavor in itself.

Since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, the most visible and popular model of addiction recovery has used medical language to understand addiction as a disease. This removes blame from individuals for the cause of their addiction, but it maintains pressure that they treat and overcome it.

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The common story is this: Mens brains are hard-wired to want porn.

Blending scientific language with the spiritual is typical of addiction recovery in the U.S. The 12-step model that dominates the industry requires faith in a higher power to successfully maintain sobriety. For Christians, this means that porn use is not a failure of their churches, or the corruption of pastors caught watching it. Instead, its biological. Its how men are built. This model lends credibility to anti-porn claims by drawing from so-called objective evidence rather than subjective religious beliefs. But such beliefs are still necessary and important for successful recovery.

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I have interviewed more than 40 men and women from Christian and secular porn addiction recovery programs, and the common story is this: Mens brains are hard-wired to want porn, and therefore it takes supreme faith in God and all the masculine strength one can muster to avoid it.

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Elliot, the recent college graduate, struggled through tumultuous periods of sobriety and relapse, as he puts it, in his quest to quit porn. It wasnt until he found a Christian book that explained the physical nature of pornography addiction that he was able to make a change. Before there was the support group, Elliots church decided to host a one-time screening of a Christian film on the harms of pornography, followed by a panel discussion featuring church leaders. The event was so popular the church scheduled it two more times that same week. As Elliot told me, Every session was just full of people, like there were people standing in the back. Thats what opened the floodgates on this issue.

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When some suggested a support group for Christian men who struggled with porn, Elliot was quick to volunteer. He described to me how he came to terms with his porn use: Im a believer and Im stuck in this sin, and yeah, I feel like there is a physical component. Your mind is, like, rewired. You have pathways in your mind that are deeply entrenched, and even if you are a believer in Christ, it is just hard to get out of that. Why is this scientific understanding important? Elliot explained, It changed my mindset.

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Treating porn addiction as a physical disease accomplishes two things for Christian men. Theyre able to maintain their masculinity by conforming to the expectation that they do, in fact, want to watch porn. (They are MEN, after all.) They can also avoid feeling shame about committing the sin of watching porn, since its explained by factors beyond their control.

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You can see this at work in Melissa. She attends a Christian support group for women whose partners are porn addicts. She describes her ex-fiance, David, as a porn addict who was really sick. David watched porn several times a day, and as Melissa described, Thats so much dopamine getting released that your brain shuts down, and then the only way to feel normal is by looking at porn. Melissa ultimately decided to end her relationship with David, but not because he watched porn. The problem was that he didnt admit to his sickness and strive to change his behavior.

For other Christian couples, though, men admitting they have a problem with porneven if they continue to occasionally watch itis a way to garner sympathy from women. Heather, another participant of a womens group for dealing with mens porn addiction, said she once thought pornography was only a moral issue, but now she doesnt see it that way: When I started to realize what pornography really did to the brainI mean it really caused changes in the brainthats when I started to get it, and why it is so hard to quit, she said. Once I learned that, grace was much easier to show.

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This sympathy, crucially, does not extend to women who watch porn themselves. Pornography addiction is decidedly a mans problem, according to both the porn-addiction industry and the people I interviewed. Sociologist Sam Perry has detailed this gendered double standard within conservative Christian churches, where women who watch porn are met with skepticism and stigma. As Perry puts it, women who watch porn are not just committing the sin of lust but they are also sinning against their gender, or sinning like a man.

Though imagined as outliers, nearly all of my interview respondents made a point to mention the fact that some women struggle with pornography. These women can find resources geared toward them, like the memoir and self-help book Dirty Girls Come Clean. These stories tend to normalize mens pornography addictions and isolate and pathologize women.

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Jesse is a Christian counselor who oversees pornography addiction support groups at an evangelical church. We always find that these women had something happen to them when they were little, he told me. This suggests that early abuse, violence, or some other form of victimization causes women to deviate from normal expressions of womens sexuality. The reason normal women dont look at porn, as described by the people I interviewed, is that they are seeking romance, more relational, not visually stimulated, and looking for emotional not physical connection.

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In all my research, I interviewed only one woman, Amber, who self-identified as a pornography addict. Amber shared with me how shes struggled to find real-life community with other women to whom she can relate. Instead, she tends to stick to an online forum, an in-person Christian therapist, and a lot of Christian self-help books. About the latter, she said, Its so frustratingmost of the stuff is geared towards men. I just read this one book, and there was like one mention of women in the whole book. Yet when I ask her if she thinks pornography addiction is mostly a mans issue, Amber repeated the gender stereotypes common throughout my other interviews: I think as a generalization, thats true, but for me, the visual stimulation thing is there. But I mean theres also more of an emotional thing. You know, I probably am attracted to more romantic porn videos, where theres more foreplay or more of what you perceive as connection. And that attracts me to it.

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Commercial porn can be a tired reel of the worst gender stereotypes: mens aggressive entitlement to womens bodies, womens sexuality existing purely for the enjoyment of men, and women who say no but really mean yes. Making the connection between porn and toxic masculinity is easy. But in my interviews with recovery group participants, I saw the same ideas at work. The scientific and spiritual gets muddled together as participants reinforce damaging gender stereotypesthose of hypersexual, biologically ravenous men who are simply wired differently than women. Women whose sexuality exists only in relation to male desire. Conservative Christianity supposes that God created men and women to be distinct from each other in order to come together in marriage. This belief also supposes that God created men to be assertive, dominant, and leaders, and women to be caretakers, helpers, and nurturers.

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This line of thinking reveals itself in porn addiction stories as participants make claims about why men, rather than women, are more likely to be addicted to pornography. As Frank, a Christian therapist and group leader, explained it, For the women  its more the romance suggesting women do not get romantic or sexual fulfilment from pornography, and when their husbands use it, the romance dies in their relationship. Women are described as dependent on men for sexual attention and pleasure rather than as autonomous sexual actors. In this way, porn addiction recovery reproduces the worst lessons of porn itself.

For recovering porn addicts who are Christian, religious commitment sets up validation for them whether or not they successfully avoid pornography, because they uniquely have access to God, who can offer them redemption. But for both secular and Christian recovery groups, the story of quitting porn is a story of men battling powerful biological urges. Therefore, only men who are especially strong and committed are able to win this battle. Instead of seeing pornography addiction as a weakness, the ability to recognize and overcome it is a hard-won accomplishment. Indeed, it leads to superpowers. Superpowers that are only available to men.

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Even though men watching porn is a part of the normal order, so too does quitting porn fall in line with the gender status quo. Jonathan, a 35-year-old Catholic, explained to my why he decided to join a pornography recovery support program this way: Because I was tired of being held down by the chains of pornography. I was tired of not being who I am meant to be and not being the person that God made me to be more importantly. Jonathan hopes to one day see complete freedom from porn, but for now, he experiences occasional setbacks. Still, he sees himself as a man on a questa quest to win the war and be ready to keep on fighting.
Automotive supplier Schaeffler India on Monday said it has donated emergency medical equipment and essentials worth Rs 6 lakh to a government-run hospital in Pune to fight against coronavirus pandemic.

Besides, its employees have voluntarily decided to contribute a part of their April salary to the PM CARES Fund and the company on its part will also contribute an equivalent amount in the fund, totalling to Rs 12.70 million, it said in a release.

The Pune's Aundh Hospital specialises in treating diseases related to the respiratory system has been identified as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital by the government.

It is a 300-bed facility, with allocation of 50-beds to their isolation ward to treat COVID 19 patients and 10 beds to the ICU facility.

The equipment and essentials provided by Schaeffler India Ltd has significantly improved its capacity to fight against COVID-19 pandemic and treatment of patients, the company said.

"These are difficult times and its heart wrenching to think of the daily wage earners and their plight. We were determined to contribute to the PM Care Fund as an organization.

"I am happy to see that each and every employee of Schaeffler India has come forward to contribute to the fund and together as an organization we have been able to support the government initiative," said Santanu Ghoshal, Vice President for HR and CSR, Schaeffler India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cheesemakers are urging consumers to buy Stilton and other British cheeses to support the industry and stop producers from going out of business. (Getty)

Sales of British cheese Stilton have plummeted by up to 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to new figures by the Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA).

The drop in sales comes as a result of the shutdown of the UKs hospitality and events industry, the closure of farmers markets, and export markets also being in lockdown.

The SCMA is is urging consumers to buy Stilton and other British cheeses to support the industry and stop producers from going out of business, while protecting an important part of the UKs cheese-making heritage.

Falling sales are also having an impact on British dairy farms as Stilton cheesemakers use milk from over 70 farms across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

In response to the pandemic, cheesemakers are having to reduce the amount of Stilton they are making while trying to process all of the milk from the farmers which supply them to avoid wasting it.

READ MORE: UK hospitality sector calls for government help with rents

Stilton is the UKs most popular blue cheese, according to the SCMA, and is the only British cheese with a certificated trademark to protect its British heritage, meaning it can only be produced following a time-honoured tradition. It was the first British cheese to be awarded the protected designation of origin status (PDO) giving it the same status as champagne.

The SCMA is concerned that impact of the coronavirus crisis will discourage the next generation of cheese makers and that some producers could go out of business as the hospitality and food service industry continues to be impacted by the lockdown.

Robin Skailes, chairman of the SCMA and director of Cropwell Bishop Creamery, said: Like many British food producers, Stilton sales have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that the British public will support us by buying Stilton instead of imported blue cheeses which, in turn, will support British dairy farmers.

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Maunakea, Hawaii - New evidence shows the first-ever pictures capturing the birth of a pair of planets orbiting the star PDS 70 are in fact authentic.

Using a new infrared pyramid wavefront sensor for adaptive optics (AO) correction at W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea in Hawaii, a Caltech-led team of astronomers applied a new method of taking family photos of the baby planets, or protoplanets, and confirmed their existence.

The team's results are published in today's issue of The Astronomical Journal.

PDS 70 is the first known multiplanetary system where astronomers can witness planet formation in action. The first direct image of one of its planets, PDS 70b, was taken in 2018 followed by multiple images taken at different wavelengths of its sibling, PDS 70c, in 2019. Both Jupiter-like protoplanets were discovered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT).

"There was some confusion when the two protoplanets were first imaged," said Jason Wang, a Heising-Simons Foundation 51 Pegasi b Fellow at Caltech and lead author of the study. "Planet embryos form from a disk of dust and gas surrounding a newborn star. This circumstellar material accretes onto the protoplanet, creating a kind of smokescreen that makes it difficult to differentiate the dusty, gaseous disk from the developing planet in an image."

To help provide clarity, Wang and his team developed a method to disentangle the image signals from the circumstellar disk and the protoplanets.

"We know the disk's shape should be a symmetrical ring around the star whereas a planet should be a single point in the image," said Wang. "So even if a planet appears to sit on top of the disk, which is the case with PDS 70c, based on our knowledge of how the disk looks throughout the whole image, we can infer how bright the disk should be at the location of the protoplanet and remove the disk signal. All that's left over is the planet's emission."

The team snapped images of PDS 70 with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRC2) on the Keck II telescope, marking first science for a vortex coronagraph installed in NIRC2 as part of a recent upgrade, combined with the Observatory's upgraded AO system consisting of a new infrared pyramid wavefront sensor and real-time control computer.

"The new infrared detector technology used in our pyramid wavefront sensor has dramatically improved our ability to study exoplanets, especially those around low-mass stars where planet formation is actively occurring," said Sylvain Cetre, software engineer at Keck Observatory and one of the lead developers of the AO upgrade. "It will also allow us to improve the quality of our AO correction for harder to image targets like the center of our galaxy."

This project benefited from the innovative infrared sensor that measures distortions in light caused by the Earth's atmosphere.

"New technology is a science multiplier," says Peter Kurczynski, Program Director at the National Science Foundation, which contributed funding to this project. "It enables investigations that were never before possible."

AO is a technique used to remove the atmospheric blurring that distorts astronomical images. With the new infrared pyramid wavefront sensor and real-time controller installed, Keck Observatory's AO system is able to deliver sharper, more detailed images.

"The PDS 70 imagery Jason's team captured was among the first tests of the scientific quality produced by Keck's pyramid wavefront sensor," said AO scientist Charlotte Bond, who played a key role in the design and installation of the technology. "It's exciting to see just how precise the new AO system corrects for the atmospheric turbulence of dusty objects like the young stars where protoplanets are expected to reside, allowing for the clearest, sharpest view of baby versions of our solar system."

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The W. M. Keck Observatory Adaptive Optics Near-Infrared Pyramid Wavefront Sensor development was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Telescopes and Instrumentation program and conducted in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and Caltech, as well as colleagues from the Subaru Telescope, Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, and the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille.

ABOUT ADAPTIVE OPTICS

W. M. Keck Observatory is a distinguished leader in the field of adaptive optics (AO), a breakthrough technology that removes the distortions caused by the turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. Keck Observatory pioneered the astronomical use of both natural guide star (NGS) and laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO) and current systems now deliver images three to four times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. Keck AO has imaged the four massive planets orbiting the star HR8799, measured the mass of the giant black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, discovered new supernovae in distant galaxies, and identified the specific stars that were their progenitors.

The original Keck II AO system was built with funding from the W. M. Keck Foundation and NASA. The new RTC will build on a laser guide star facility upgrade completed in 2016 with the generous financial support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, W. M. Keck Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and other Friends of Keck including The Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, Change Happens Foundation, Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation, and Sanford and Jeanne Robertson.

ABOUT NIRC2

The Near-Infrared Camera, second generation (NIRC2) works in combination with the Keck II adaptive optics system to obtain very sharp images at near-infrared wavelengths, achieving spatial resolutions comparable to or better than those achieved by the Hubble Space Telescope at optical wavelengths. NIRC2 is probably best known for helping to provide definitive proof of a central massive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Astronomers also use NIRC2 to map surface features of solar system bodies, detect planets orbiting other stars, and study detailed morphology of distant galaxies.

ABOUT W. M. KECK OBSERVATORY

The W. M. Keck Observatory telescopes are among the most scientifically productive on Earth. The two, 10-meter optical/infrared telescopes on the summit of Maunakea on the Island of Hawaii feature a suite of advanced instruments including imagers, multi-object spectrographs, high-resolution spectrographs, integral-field spectrometers, and world-leading laser guide star adaptive optics systems.

Some of the data presented herein were obtained at Keck Observatory, which is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

The authors wish to recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that the summit of Maunakea has always had within the Native Hawaiian community. We are most fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct observations from this mountain. For more information, visit: http://www.keckobservatory.org

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2020 budget of $8.3 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.
Felicien Kabuga is an 84-year-old man who has been roaming free for the last 23 years since being prosecuted with several charges of genocide. Kabuga was detained near Paris while assuming a fake identity.

The suspect was behind the radio station which spouted hate-filled messages that turned Rwandans against each other and was allegedly behind the importation of hundreds of thousands of machetes that armed that emotional citizens into a frenzy.

Slaughter of innocents

The New York Times reported that Kabuga's arrest is one of the most significant captures of the last decade and could bring justice to the families of his victims that number at least 800,000 along with nearly one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

The leader of Avega, a widows' group, told BBC that "Every genocide survivor is happy he is arrested."

Kabuga was one of the richest men in Rwanda before the genocide and has been accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) of being the principal financier and logistical backer of the militia groups that conducted the heinous act.

Johnstone Busingye, Rwanda's justice minister, said in a phone interview "It is historical on many levels," and that "You can run, but you cannot hide. It can't be forever."

Secretary of Ibuka, Ashihakiye Naphtal, said his members wished for Kabuga to stand trial in Rwanda, sending a powerful message to all citizens and genocide perpetrators alike.

The hopes of Naphtal's brethren are unlikely to be fulfilled as the case will be held by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) at The Hague after the closure of the ICTR in 2015.

The arrest comes as a delight to Rwanda's National Public Prosecution Authority and saying "Rwanda will continue to collaborate with the IRMCT to ensure that justice is delivered."

Also Read: Man Who Filmed Ahmaud Arbery's Murder is Receiving Death Threats, Claims He is Innocent

Killing without a touch

Will Ross from BBC Africa, reported that Kabuga was from the Hutu ethnic group and a successful businessman, also founded and financed Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) which consistently urged citizens to kill any person who came from the Tutsi ethnic group, according to BBC.

"A reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even after 26 years after their crims," stated the chief prosecutor at the IRMCT, Serge Brammertz. He added, "For international justice, Kabuga's arrest demonstrates that we can succeed when we have the international community's support."

The genocide happened in the span of 100 days, where extremist Hutus accused Tutsis of assassinating their president. Civilians conducted the disaster along with militia and police.

Senior government officials were also allegedly participating and orchestrating the genocides, and at least six senior figures are on an international most-wanted list.

Belgian expert on the event, Filip Reyntjens said "His trial may help us understand to what extent the genocide was planned," as well as, "Kabuga is often mentioned as someone who was involved through the funding of the extremist radio station. He's also mentioned in the context of the purchase of machetes. All of that will need to be proven, but a trial could unearth of a lot of things 26 years after the genocide."

Related Article: Terrorist Group Attacks Afghanistan Maternity Ward, Kills Women and Children

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Union Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah, said the steps announced by Modi government will prove to be a game changer for health, education and business sectors, which would provide employment to crores of poor. Talking about allocation for rural India, Shah said, The additional allocation of Rs. 40,000 crores under MGNREGS by Modi government will not only help in generating employment for the poor and migrant workers, but will also help create durable livelihood assets. This would greatly boost our rural economy and infrastructure, he added.

Home Minister hailed PM Modi's leadership in handling COVID-19 and said that it has outshined several developed nations. PM has resolved to prepare India for any such pandemic in the future, by strengthening and revamping India's health sector. Modi government has decided to increase India's health expenditure to create Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks in every district, strengthening lab network and surveillance, and encouraging research. I am sure this foresight will take India way ahead in the medical sector, he said.

Speaking on the decision on reimagining the Public Sector Enterprise Policy, focus on further improving Ease of Doing business through IBC related measures and decriminalisation provisions in the Companies Act, Shri Shah said that such decisions reflect PM Modi's futuristic vision and commitment towards a self-reliant India.

Modi government has decided to increase borrowing limit of States, which will give them extra resource of Rs. 4.28 lakh crore, the Home Minister said. Talking about other funds already given to States, he added that the Centre had previously given Rs. 46,038 crore through devolution of taxes in April; Revenue Deficit Grants of Rs.12,390 crore; and, SDRF funds to the tune of Rs.11,000 crore.

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Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer has been lobbying Trump administration officials, members of Congress, conservative pundits and other D.C. influencers in recent weeks to convince them that Israel must move forward on annexations of parts of the West Bank before November's election, fearing that Joe Biden will defeat President Trump, according to three U.S. and Israeli sources.

Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Dermer, his closest confidante, are concerned that a Biden victory would dramatically shift U.S. policy on Israel and Palestine and that Israel must create facts on the ground before the U.S. elections.

What they're saying: Dermers message in meetings and off-the-record briefings he's providing to think tank experts, pundits and reporters is that "Israel has to move on annexation now because we dont know whats going to happen in the elections and Biden might win," according to three sources. "We have a window of opportunity now and we need to use it."

Between the lines: Israeli and American sources told me Dermer is intensifying his lobbying efforts and wants to move as fast as possible because he is aware of the reservations some officials in the Trump administration are now having over giving Israel the green light for annexation.

These second thoughts were the result of several developments:

Deep concerns about Israeli annexation relayed to the White House and the State Department by Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Reservations and concerns regarding annexation raised by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi in their talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem last week.

Concerns by some Trump administration officials that Israeli annexation now would harm the White House's Middle East peace plan.

The coronavirus crisis, which still consumes most of President Trumps time.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on this story.

Go deeper: Jordanian king warns of "massive conflict" if Israel annexes parts of West Bank
NIH-funded study is first population-wide estimate of autism risk of children whose aunts or uncles have the condition

Roughly 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be expected to have ASD, compared to about 1.5% of children in the general population, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers also found that a child whose mother has a sibling with ASD is not significantly more likely to be affected by ASD, compared to a child whose father has a sibling with ASD. The findings call into question the female protective effect, a theory that females have a lower rate of ASD than males because they have greater tolerance of ASD risk factors.

The results, derived from records of nearly 850,000 Swedish children and their families, appear in Biological Psychiatry. The study was conducted by John N. Constantino, M.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues in the United States and Sweden.

"The results offer important new information for counseling people who have a sibling with ASD," said Alice Kau, Ph.D., of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch of NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which funded the study. "The findings also suggest that the greater prevalence of ASD in males is likely not due to a female protective effect."

Additional NIH funding was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

ASD is a complex neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in life and affects how a person interacts with others, communicates, and learns. Previous studies have found that roughly 3 times more males than females have ASD. Reasons for the difference are unknown.

One possible explanation is that females have a built-in resistance to the genetic factors leading to autism. With such a female protective effect, the theory holds that many women could carry such risk factors and be unaffected, but could transmit them to their sons, who lack the protective effect and may develop ASD.

In the current study, researchers analyzed data from Swedish national registers of births and family relationships. The children were born from 2003 to 2012. Roughly 13,000 children were diagnosed with ASD, about 1.5% of the total. Offspring of mothers with one or more siblings with ASD were about three times more likely than children in the general population to have ASD. Children of fathers with one or more siblings with ASD were twice as likely as children in the general population to have ASD, a rate that did not differ significantly than that of children whose mothers have a sibling with ASD. According to the study authors, the results provide the first population-wide estimate of ASD risk to children of parents who have a sibling with ASD.

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This finding challenges the existence of a female protective effect, Dr. Constantino explained, because if such an effect existed, the children of mothers with a sibling with ASD could be expected to have up to a 30% higher risk of ASD. Similarly, the researchers found no statistically significant increase in ASD risk for children whose uncles have ASD, compared to children whose aunts have the condition.

Reference

Bai, D et al. Inherited risk for autism through maternal and paternal lineage. Biological Psychiatry. 2020.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov.
At CES 2020, Lenovo showed off its new Smart Frame, an elegant $399 digital picture display the company said it would release in August. While the device is still coming out later this year, Lenovo is opening up pre-orders early. While supplies last, you can reserve the Smart Frame on Indiegogo and get a 50 percent discount in the process.

When we saw the device earlier this year, we declared it "one of the most elegantly designed digital photo frames" we had seen. A lot of that had to do with the midcentury modern-inspired design of the Smart Frame and the anti-glare coating Lenovo applied to its 21.9-inch 1080p display. It gave its screen a matte finish that's more common with hung art than LCD screens.

Lenovo Smart Frame

From a feature standpoint, the Smart Frame seems to have a lot going for it as well. It includes both light and color tone sensors, allowing it to adjust the brightness and temperature of its display to the ambient lighting of the room it's in. It also includes a motion sensor at its front, which lets you wave at the Smart Frame to change photos. Additionally, Lenovo decided to try and future-proof the device by adding 2-watt speakers and a microphone to open the door to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration down the line.

Of course, like with most new devices, you'll probably want to wait for an in-depth review before committing even $200. However, if you like what you see, this is a good opportunity to save some money on a new product.
WALTHAM, Mass., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today published the offer document (the "Offer Document") for its voluntary tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for all of the ordinary shares of QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) at an offer price of 39 per share in cash, following approval of the publication by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority.

The period for acceptance of the Tender Offer commenced on May 18, 2020, and is scheduled to end at midnight Frankfurt am Main Local Time or 6:00 PM New York Local Time on July 27, 2020. The Tender Offer is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including, among others, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, the adoption of certain resolutions relating to the transaction at QIAGEN's general meeting of shareholders (the "General Meeting"), and a minimum acceptance threshold of at least 75% of QIAGEN's issued and outstanding ordinary share capital as of the end of the acceptance period. The conditions to the Tender Offer are set forth in their entirety in section 12 of the Offer Document.

The QIAGEN Managing Board and Supervisory Board have unanimously recommended that QIAGEN shareholders accept the Tender Offer by tendering their shares and vote in favor of each of the transaction resolutions at the General Meeting.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021 as previously announced.

The Offer Document, both in German and in English, is now available at https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/offer.html. A copy of the Offer Document can also be obtained free of charge at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by contacting the U.S. and German information agents for the Tender Offer.

The German and U.S. information agents for the Tender Offer are, respectively:

D.F. King Ltd. D.F. King & Co., Inc. Mergenthaler Allee 15-21 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor 65760 Eschborn, Germany New York, NY 10005 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]



Fax: +49 69 2222 129 19 Phone: +1 (877) 297-1744

Advisors

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Thermo Fisher, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal counsel.

About Thermo Fisher

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements about expected revenue growth and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but other statements that are not historical facts may also be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; the need to develop new products and adapt to significant technological change; implementation of strategies for improving growth; general economic conditions and related uncertainties; dependence on customers' capital spending policies and government funding policies; the effect of economic and political conditions and exchange rate fluctuations on international operations; use and protection of intellectual property; the effect of changes in governmental regulations; and the effect of laws and regulations governing government contracts, as well as the possibility that expected benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions, including the proposed transaction, may not materialize as expected; the proposed transaction not being timely completed, if completed at all; regulatory approvals required for the transaction not being timely obtained, if obtained at all, or being obtained subject to conditions; prior to the completion of the transaction, QIAGEN's business experiencing disruptions due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers, licensees, other business partners or governmental entities; difficulty retaining key employees; the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the proposed transaction; and the parties being unable to successfully implement integration strategies or to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all. Additional important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in Thermo Fisher's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 28, 2020, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available in the "Investors" section of Thermo Fisher's website, ir.thermofisher.com, under the heading "SEC Filings," and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents Thermo Fisher files with the SEC, and in QIAGEN's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, which is on file with the SEC and available in the "Investor Relations" section of QIAGEN's website, corporate.qiagen.com/investor-relations, under the heading "Financial Reports," and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 6-K and other documents QIAGEN files or furnishes with the SEC. While Thermo Fisher or QIAGEN may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Thermo Fisher and QIAGEN specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if estimates change and, therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing either Thermo Fisher's or QIAGEN's views as of any date subsequent to today.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any ordinary shares of QIAGEN or any other securities, nor is it a substitute for the tender offer materials that Thermo Fisher and/or its acquisition subsidiary has filed with the SEC and published in Germany. The terms and conditions of the tender offer are published in, and the offer to purchase ordinary shares of QIAGEN is made only pursuant to, the offer document, the publication of which was permitted by German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht), and related offer materials prepared by Thermo Fisher and/or its acquisition subsidiary. The offer document for the tender offer (in German and in English) containing the detailed terms and conditions of, and other information relating to, the tender offer is, among other things, published on the internet at https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/offer.html.

Acceptance of the tender offer by shareholders that are resident outside of the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area and the United States may be subject to further legal requirements. With respect to the acceptance of the tender offer outside of the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area and the United States, no responsibility is assumed for the compliance with such legal requirements applicable in the respective jurisdiction.

THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND QIAGEN'S SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9, AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, AS WELL AS QIAGEN'S RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SEC. 27 OF THE GERMAN SECURITIES ACQUISITION AND TAKEOVER ACT (WERTPAPIERERWERBS- UND UBERNAHMEGESETZ-WPUG) AND POSITION STATEMENT (GEMOTIVEERDE STANDPUNTBEPALING) PURSUANT TO SECTION 18 AND APPENDIX G OF THE DUTCH DECREE ON PUBLIC TAKEOVERS (BESLUIT OPENBARE BIEDINGEN) CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF QIAGEN ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY, AND NOT THIS DOCUMENT, GOVERN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER, AND BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SUCH PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR ORDINARY SHARES.

The tender offer materials, including the offer to purchase and the related letter of transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, and the solicitation/recommendation statement and other documents filed with the SEC by Thermo Fisher or QIAGEN, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or at QIAGEN's website at www.qiagen.com or by contacting QIAGEN's investor relations department at 240-686-2222 or at Thermo Fisher's website at www.thermofisher.com or by contacting Thermo Fisher's investor relations department at 781-622-1111. In addition, Thermo Fisher's tender offer statement and other documents it files with the SEC are available at https://ir.thermofisher.com/investors. Furthermore, copies of the offer document are available free of charge from the information agent for the Tender Offer as set forth above.

Media Contact Information:

Karen Kirkwood

Phone: 781-622-1306

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.thermofisher.com

Investor Contact Information:

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Phone: 781-622-1294

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific

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An EX-DUP councillor who is facing historic sex abuse charges was ordered out of his home by the South East Antrim UDA.

Detectives are investigating the threat against William 'Billy' Ball which occurred just days after details of his court appearance appeared in the media.

Several masked men called to the Newtownabbey house the 66-year-old shares with his wife Audrey Ball, who is also a former DUP councillor. He was told to leave the area or risk being attacked by loyalist paramilitaries.

Ex-soldier Ball, who is originally from England, had been self-isolating at his home on Altnacreeve Park in the Rathfern estate when the threats were made.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police received a report that a number of masked men approached a house in the Altnacreeve Park area of Newtownabbey on the evening of April 28 and threatened a male occupant.

"Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact police on 101 or alternatively information can be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

South East Antrim UDA sources said that Billy Ball, an ex-Newtownabbey Borough DUP councillor who was once well-regarded in the area, was told he could be shot dead if he did not leave.

"Billy was told in no uncertain terms that he could be killed.

"What saved him is the fact he has a high profile, and his wife Audrey is a very decent woman who is liked by everyone," explained the loyalist insider.

Ball, who unexpectedly resigned from the DUP and his councillor role in 2018, is accused of indecently assaulting a female on dates between 1978 and 1980.

He faces further charges of exposing himself to the same person and a second woman during the same period. Court papers seen by Sunday Life refer to this alleged crime as "being of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature".

When Ball's case was mentioned in Belfast Magistrates Court last month, a district judge adjourned it to later in the year because of the coronavirus crisis. He has yet to enter a plea.

When the alleged sex predator quit politics two years ago the DUP paid tribute to him.

The party's group leader in Antrim and Newtownabbey, Philip Brett, said: "As a veteran, Alderman Ball was a champion for our armed forces both inside and outside the council chamber.

"He leaves a legacy of hard work and dedication, of which he can be very proud. I wish to thank him for his service and wish him a very happy retirement."

During his four-year stint as a councillor, Ball is best remembered for leading opposition to a comedy lampooning the Bible being staged at a theatre in Newtownabbey.

His sex abuse charges are the latest scandal to rock DUP associations in neighbouring Newtownabbey and north Belfast.

One of his council colleagues Thomas Hogg, a two-time DUP Mayor of Newtownabbey, left the party and council last year after he was charged with inciting a child who he knew to be aged between 13 and 16 to engage in sexual activity.

In March north Belfast councillor Guy Spence quit the DUP and the City Hall after losing "all confidence in the party" and accusing elements within of "a blatant attempt to cause me harm".
While Covid-19 has certainly changed the course of direction for many businesses, we have not let our foot off the gas to see this office move come to fruition, said McCoy.

While Covid-19 has certainly changed the course of direction for many businesses, we have not let our foot off the gas to see this office move come to fruition, said McCoy. We are thrilled to have this new space in Raleigh and are looking forward to growing our business presence in the region.

With a robust list of clients, Design Workshop is playing an active role in building and enhancing communities in North Carolina and across the southeast. Currently in Raleigh, the team is working on a master plan for a 59-acre park that honors the legacy of the Kellam-Wyatt families by transforming the former farm land into a county park that serves as both a nature preserve and agricultural hub. Additionally, the team is helping design a new neighborhood park in the Walnut Creek Wetland Park that will celebrate the communitys legacy and history. In Merry Hill, N.C., Design Workshop is guiding the planning and design of Tall Glass of Water Waterfront Park, a new 147-acre waterfront park that provides opportunities for adventure tourism and gathering spaces for the community to allow access to the beautiful waterfront of the Albemarle Sound. The team is also assisting St. Philips Episcopal Church in Durham, N.C., re-imagine its property in order to extend its mission to the local community, and working on a county-wide Comprehensive Plan and Green Print Plan for Beaufort County, SC with a coordinated focus on physical, social and economic resilience.

About Design Workshop

Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an internationally renowned design firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban planning and strategic services with eight offices in the U.S. and projects spanning the globe. The firm has been recognized with more than 460+ prestigious awards. Design Workshop differentiates its planning and design process through DW Legacy Design, the integration of art, community, environment and economics in every project. From fragile ecosystems to urban sites in rapidly changing cities, Design Workshop works in challenging environments around the world. For additional information visit http://www.designworkshop.com.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: A group of 127 Indian prisoners deported from Bahrain under a general amnesty were brought to Kochi by a special Gulf Air flight on Sunday night. The deportees were shifted to a quarantine facility arranged by the Southern Naval Command at the School of Naval Airmen at Kochi Naval Base after medical screening. One of the passengers was admitted to the Ernakulam Medical College due to suspected symptoms of COVID-19.

According to sources, the Indian citizens were incarcerated at a detention centre in Bahrain for violation of visa rules. They were arrested by Bahrain police for not holding proper documents including work permits.

After the Bahrain government decided to give them general amnesty, they were deported and sent to Kochi by a special aircraft. Among the deportees, 51 are Keralites while 76 hail from other states.

Sources said these people had gone to Bahrain in search of jobs and could not obtain proper work permits which led to their detention. They will not be able to apply for a fresh visa to Bahrain as they have been deported.

The deportees were shifted from Kochi airport to the School of Naval Airmen in a KSRTC bus by the district administration. The Union government had issued a directive to quarantine the deportees at Kochi Naval Base, where they would be regularly monitored by trained naval health professionals.

After the mandatory 14 days quarantine period, the deportees would be handed over to state agencies for transfer to their homes. There will not be any legal action against the deportees as they have been provided general amnesty by Bahrain.

The Navy had arranged a 200-bed quarantine facility at Kochi Naval Base in March which was being used as a transit quarantine camp for naval personnel returning to Kochi for duty after leave. The camp is being managed by trained naval doctors and personnel from the Southern Naval Command.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

About 340 million cubic meters of gas have been pumped into the Serajeh gas storage facility in Qom province from March 31 to date (May 18), said head of Serajeh gas storage facility department Mohammad Hassan Soleimani, Trend reports citing National Iranian Gas Companys (NIGC) website.

According to Soleimani, 900 million cubic meters of gas is expected to be pumped into the storage facility within the 8 months of this Iranian year (began March 20, 2020).

Soleimani added that some 892 million cubic meters of gas from this storage facility will be consumed during four cold winter months.

The official said that a 20-kilovolt substation has been put into operation to supply the required 500 kilowatts of electricity to the gas storage and the processing plant.

In preceding years, electricity of the Serajeh gas processing plant and storage facility was provided through the Qanavat city in the Qom province. There were constant power outages, and other problems, he said.

The Iran's Central Oil fields Company has 12 gas fields and 13 oil fields. Some of the extracted gas is pumped to two storage facilities after processing. The Shourijeh D and Serajeh gas storage facilities supply gas to Iran's Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, Mazandaran, Golestan and Semnan provinces.
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members were placed under home quarantine after they reached Budhana town here from Mumbai, police said on Monday.

Siddiqui, along with his family members, reached his hometown on Saturday after getting necessary permission for travel from the authorities in Maharashtra, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Nepal Singh said.

He said the actor and the family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative.

However, they have been placed under mandatory 14-day home quarantine, Singh said.

Nawazuddin's brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui said the actor came to his ancestral place to celebrate Eid with his family.

He, however, said the actor will not meet anyone outside the family in the wake of the situation arising out of coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

MSMEs have opened factories with 30-50% capacity but face issues such as shortage of raw material, labour and cash crunch

The firms said that earlier payment cycle was 3-4 weeks but now it has gone up to almost two months

MSMEs are among the worst-affected by coronavirus-induced lockdown and struggling to survive

Centre last week announced Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loans to support the crisis-hit sector

The small and medium firms (SMEs) have opened factories with 30-50% capacity but are grappling with issues such as shortage of labour, stuck payments in trade and limited raw material. They are, however, planning to scale up operational capacity and have been in touch with workers who went back to their native places during lockdown. The SMEs expect the demand to pick up as shops open up amid easing of lockdown restrictions.

"We are currently running only one shift and that too with 50% of the workforce. The actual capacity operational is only 25-30%. There are logistics related issues. We get our inputs from Hindalco. They have informed that they will soon start sending raw materials. So currently we are facing issues. Above all, we see subdued demand," says VK Aggarwal, Managing Director, Shashi Cables.

Many SMEs BusinessToday.in reached for comment said they were facing cash crunch as payments remained stuck in the trade. The firms said that earlier payment cycle was 3-4 weeks but now it has gone up to almost two months. Muzaffarnagar-based Chakradhar Chemicals, which produces micro-nutrient and water-soluable fertilisers, says their payments remain locked in both local and export market. The company's chairman Neeraj Kedia says that buyers have been asking for supplies but remain non-committal on payment timeline.

"One of our major payment for exports is awaited from the Philippines. Due to lockdown, necessary papers could not reach the buyer as courier company returned documents after lockdown was announced on March 24. There is a lot of payments stuck locally too," Kedia says. SK Jain, Managing Director of Haryana-based Solo group engaged in auto-components manufacturing says that he is planning to start night shift in the factory and has asked workers to report for duty.

The country's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are among the worst-affected by coronavirus-induced lockdown. The government last week announced a slew of measures including Rs 3 lakh crore collateral free loans, but most MSMEs say this will not help much given that they need immediate cash support.

"The measures announced by Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) are of zero help for the MSME sector. MSMEs were struggling to repay loans even before lockdown due to low demand and sales. Now, government wants MSMEs to take further loans. It does not make sense to increase liability when there is no demand in the market or fresh orders," says Sanjay Kaul, Chairman (taxation and banking) of Lucknow-headquartered Indian Industries Association.

Also read: Stimulus package has done nothing to spur demand, says Maruti's Bhargava

Also read: PM Modi forms group of ministers to monitor implementation of Rs 20 lakh crore package
The company is due to pay around $1.9 million in November 2020 after securing a loan in 2018 for the acquisition of a 23.8% stake in Chilean lithium miner SQM.

During a session where the company was answering questions from investors, Tianqi...
Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot may have exempted herself from her own prohibition on haircuts, but she made and carried out drastic, and probably illegal, threats against a church that announced its plans to hold Sunday services yesterday. Evidently, only important people like the mayor get to exercise their constitutional rights.

CBS Chicago covered the mayor's threats on Saturday: People heading to Philadelphia Romanian Church in Ravenswood on Sunday might have a hard time finding a parking spot. Ald. Matt Martin (47th) said no-parking signs have been put up for several surrounding blocks near the church at 1713 W. Sunnyside Ave. The signs have been mounted on Sunnyside Avenue between Greenview and Ravenswood avenues, and Paulina Street between Lawrence and Berteau avenues, Martin's office said. The parking ban is in effect from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, according to Martin's office. Martin said the signs were put up at the direction of the Mayor's office, in response to plans by the church to hold one or more religious services  in violation of the stay-at-home order for the coronavirus pandemic. The church's pastor, the Rev. Florin T. Cimpean, took aim at Mayor Lori Lightfoot in response to the parking ban. "The police called me to inform us that they were asked by the mayor to put up the signs. It is completely ridiculous," Cimpean said in the statement. "The mayor is inciting hate against the church which is very sad. A lot of our members risked their lives to escape Communism, only to find it germinating in 2020 under mayor Lightfoot in Chicago."

Yesterday, the mayor carried out her threat...and then some. Via Second City Cop:

City tow trucks arrived and yanked the vehicles of every single resident, including numerous elderly people and a more than a few nurses coming in from the night shifts and impounded them for violation of the signs that got posted Saturday with under twenty-four hours notice. The City also "closed" the private lot that the church used for parishioners in some half-assed attempt to force church-goers to park on the streets, streets listed as temporary tow zones to snatch their cars, too.

Here is a picture of one of the no parking signs that blanketed the neighborhood, courtesy of an AT reader.

Note that as threatened, it covers all day, not just the time of the church service. The neighborhood, which is densely populated, is ordinarily crowded and difficult to park in, which is why the church has leased use of a bank parking lot in Sundays. This all-day prohibition punished local residents, perhaps in an effort to turn them against the church that graces their area. The church is a large and beautiful edifice, an asset to the neighborhood (photo credit: a reader).

In a later post, Second City Cop points out that by blocking the parking lot, forcing parishioners out onto the streets where they were towed away, the police probably violated the law:

From our friend on the scene: Chicago Police are currently blocking the entrance to the PRIVATE bank parking lot across the street from Elim Pentecostal Church, to prohibit members from parking their cars there for the 7 pm service. The Church has had a contractual right to use this parking lot for the last 18 years. The Police confirmed that Mayor HeavyHand has ordered them to do this, after her street parking ban backfired against her this morning. The Police are now trespassing on private property and interfering with private contractual rights, not to mention grossly violating the Constitution. They are making our legal case better by the minute.

These measures taken by Mayor Lightfoot smack of fanaticism, a personal animus against religion.
An organisation representing Gorkhas has claimed that a scene in the web series 'Paatal Lok' contains a sexual slur directed at the community and indulges in stereotyping of the people of the Northeast, and demanded that the conversation be muted.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh (BhaGoYuP), the youth wing of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, has also started an online petition seeking that the particular scene is muted and the corresponding sub-title is uploaded again with a disclaimer.

In the scene, the alleged Nepali slur has been used against a woman character whose name suggests she belongs to the Khasi community of Meghalaya, said the online petition started by Namrata Sharma, who is the social welfare secretary of the BhaGoYuP.

"Nepali is one of the 22 scheduled languages and there are 10.5 million people in India who speak Nepali as the common tongue. The Gorkha community is the largest Nepali speaking community and this is a direct insult to the community," the Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh said.

"We strongly condemn it in toughest terms and seek immediate removal of the scene's subtitles and mute the slur," the petition to be sent to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

The Gorkhas cannot consume content stereotyping a community and accept racist attack in the name of creative freedom, the BhaGoYuP statement said.

"This is not just regressive but also racist stereotyping of Northeast people, in particular the Gorkhas. Racial discrimination exists is a known, seen, told fact. During COVID--19 crisis the NorthEasterners have been fighting corona racism." BhaGoYuP president Nanda Kirati Dewan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Agritech startup Eggoz, which is into the business of egg production, has raised Rs 2.5 crore from investors to fund its expansion plans.

Founded in December 2017, the startup is a full-stack egg producer of nutrition-rich eggs. It operates a network of poultry farms in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Eggoz has raised Rs 2.5 crore as part of its seed funding. It had earlier secured Rs 1.2 crore from a clutch of angel investors.

The seed funding round saw participation of investors like Tracxn Labs, Angellist, Tri-Deep Capital, founders of Letstransport, and angel investors along with existing investors - Narendra Sankar, Sunil Mishra, and Vishal Sharma, the company said.

Eggoz has so far sold over two crore eggs and has more than 1,00,000 birds under management. It has developed a new farming model for small-scale commercial egg farming.

With Eggoz's technology and integration platform, farmers can rear flock sizes starting from 500 birds at affordable initial investment and less land requirement, said Uttam Kumar, founder of the company.

With these efforts, Eggoz poultry farming is one of the most profitable and stable businesses to generate allied income for many marginal farmers as well as to fulfill protein-enriched food requirement of the growing population, Kumar added.

Eggoz works with farmers at several locations in north India, using nutritional engineering and technology.

Abhishek Goyal, Founder of Tracxn Labs, said: India's egg supply chain is largely unorganised. There is an opportunity for a player to implement best practices in production and create a trustworthy consumer brand. We were quite impressed by the founding team passion to solve this market.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Regional Hospital Mullingar has announced that after review and consideration for safety, the hospital has further eased their restrictions on partners attending the delivery of their child and visiting the post natal unit.

All birth partners can now attend the labour ward when their partner is in active labour.

Also read: IWA frontline workers delivering vital services to people across Longford

Birth partners of mothers who have a planned Caesarean Section can now see and hold their baby on return to the ward following their babys birth.



However, restrictions are still in place for theatre units.

A spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group, said, "At all times the hospitals priority remains the provision of safe maternity services for all patients at Mullingar. The ongoing nature of Covid 19 will continue to pose a particular challenge to a small unit with a relatively low staff complement.



"However, hospital is very pleased that, at this time, the Maternity Department can now allow partners to attend non caesarean section births and all partners are able to experience the very important and precious time, holding their new born baby shortly after their birth.

"Restrictions were introduced because of concern about potential patient infection and concern that infection of any members of the small staff at Mullingar could have an impact on the service provided to patients. However, we are thankful that to date, there continues to be a very low incidence of infection in the unit, and the Hospital therefore believes that it can further relax the restrictions.

"Restrictions will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis throughout the Covid 19 crisis. Regional Hospital Mullingar will communicate with all patients should it be necessary for the hospital to tighten restrictions again. It remains the hospitals sincere hope that all visitor restrictions due to Covid 19 will be lifted in the near future."

Also read: What shops and retail outlets can open in Phase 1 of the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions

Longford /Westmeath Deputy Joe Flaherty says he is pleased to see that Mullingar Regional Hospital has announced a further easing of restrictions on partners attending the delivering of their child and visiting the post natal unit.

Deputy Flaherty commented: All birth partners can now attend the labour ward when their partner is in active labour. Birth partners of mothers who have a planned Caesarean Section can now see and hold their baby on return to the ward following their babys birth.

He added: The continuing restrictions are a huge cause of concern and distress for couples and families due to have babies delivered at the hospital.
CAIRO - Egypts security and judicial authorities have been using the coronavirus pandemic to renew pretrial detentions of hundreds of people since mid-March, further depriving many of due process, an international rights group said Monday.

Human Rights Watch said hundreds, and most likely thousands, are in detention in Egypt without even a pretense of judicial review, saying that this is a government tactic.

COVID-19 has peeled away the last fig leaf covering Egypts grossly unjust pretrial detention system by eliminating even a pretense of independent review, said Joe Stork, the groups deputy Mideast and North Africa director.

The New York-based group called for judges to review the case of all those in prolonged pretrial detention and order their release pending trial unless there is clear, legal evidence they should be held.

HRW cited lawyers as telling the group that Egypts Supreme State Security prosecutors and criminal court judges have renewed detentions, including for scores of their clients, without transporting detainees to hearings or giving lawyers the opportunity to enter pleas.

Egypts Supreme State Security Prosecution is a judicial branch designed to investigate terrorism-linked and other high-profile criminal cases. Last year, Amnesty International accused the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of using the branch to detain peaceful protesters, journalists and critics on trumped-up charges without trial.

Citing rights lawyers, HRW said authorities did not hold detention renewal hearings between mid-March and the beginning of May, when courts partially closed under measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Instead, courts in Cairo and Giza renewed in early May the detentions of more than 1,600 defendants in over 100 cases, without their presence in the courtroom.

Under el-Sissi, thousands have been routinely kept in pretrial detention, often without evidence of wrongdoing and for merely exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and free expression, HRW said.

There was no immediate comment from the government on the report but charges of violations have repeatedly been denied in the past. Authorities say they are fighting terrorism and have accused rights groups of working with foreign entities to undermine the state.

El-Sissi led the militarys removal in 2013 of the countrys first democratically elected, Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, after his one-year rule proved divisive, sparking nationwide protests. Since then, el-Sissi has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on dissent and media, silencing critics and jailing thousands.

On Sunday, authorities briefly detained Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, an investigative media outlet, outside Cairos Tora prison while she was conducting an interview with Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.

Attalah was accused of filming a military facility without permission  likely referring to the prison. She was fined 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($125) and later released from a Cairo police station.

A spokesman for the interior ministry, which oversees the police, did not respond to phone calls and a government press officer also declined to comment.
The majority of San Antonio-based USAAs workforce will continue to work from home through Sept. 1, though some employees will return to the office starting next month.

Beginning on June 15, the financial services and insurance company said about 1,000 employees across its four campuses will be welcomed back under a pilot program. Besides San Antonio, USAA has campuses in Tampa, Colorado Springs and Phoenix.

USAA has about 35,000 employees, including roughly 19,000 in San Antonio, where its one of the citys largest employers.

Those returning to work next month will be doing so on a voluntary basis.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio-based USAAs profit surges 75% in 2019

USAA added its taking a cautious approach in executing its return-to-office strategy.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic in March, USAA transitioned its workforce to work from home. Occupancy at USAAs campuses has been about 6 percent of normal since it instituted the guidelines.

In developing its strategy for bringing back employees, USAA said its relying on medical guidance that includes criteria for community readiness; federal, state and local decisions; employee feedback; and other considerations such as school closures and lessons learned from organizations that open sooner.

When workers return to the office, USAA said it will be done in phases.

USAA said it will extend until Sept. 1 its offer to employees of up to three weeks of emergency pay for COVID-19-related illnesses. USAA medical plan participants who use network providers wont have to pay for out-of-pocket expenses for testing, diagnosis and prescribed medication for COVID-19.

On ExpressNews.com: USAA offering curbside meals, grocery pickup for employees

In March, USAA began offering curbside meal and grocery pickup for its employees. Through Thursday, it said it had fulfilled more than 4,500 orders. The premade meals are offered at half-price, while grocery items are sold at USAAs cost.

USAA serves more than 13 million customers, made up of members of the military, veterans and their families.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD
There is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on the country and our culture with the government contracting industry not being immune to that.

Prevailing wisdom says large portions of the workforce will stay home and work remotely. This will drive agencies to improve their IT infrastructure and hasten the drive to cloud environments and everything-as-a-service.

Well have less face-to-face interaction so there will be a need for beefed up private networks and broadband connections everywhere. Security requirements and solutions will tighten as the points of exposure have exponentially. The cascade of tech opportunities will go on and on.

How we work and how we manage work will change. Thats what most of everyone, including myself is saying.

But what if it doesnt change? What if a year from now, we have a vaccine and we have effective treatments? Will things swing back? Will agencies demand face time for both employees and contractors? Will old management habits return?

Every crisis is a supposed to be a great teachable moment. COVID-19 has exposed cracks in our educational system, health care, family support, and disaster recovery systems.

But will we learn the lessons? Can we afford to fix the cracks? Can we afford not to?

We have trillions of dollars going out as part of various stimulus programs. How will this be paid for? Will that bring a wave of austerity, which will translate into cuts to programs near and dear across the political spectrum.

The debt being piled on is so great that we likely wont be able to grow our way out of it. In fact, recent history has shown our debt has grown even while the economy has been growing and that isnt supposed to happen.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we saw tremendous change across the government. First the Transportation Security Administration was stood up, then the Homeland Security Department was created. Budgets soared and thats not even considering the cost of going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The death toll attributed to the coronavirus in the United States stands at nearly 90,000 -- a death toll far greater than those lost in the terrorist attacks and the U.S. soldiers, sailors and Marines killed in two wars.

How will Congress and the White House react? Will they see this pandemic as a one-off and move on?

I wish I knew the answers, but I worry that we wont change enough. That we wont invest in the right places or even have the right strategic debates to figure out where to invest. It seems we love to argue these days but we have lost our ability to move forward.

And of course, we might not have the resources to invest even if we figure out what to do.

Many people have told me that austerity is the great driver of change. Despite cuts, agencies will still have their mission and likely agencies such as the Health and Human Services Department will carry a greater burden. We need a better system for testing and treatment, whether it is COVID-19 or some other contagious disease. We need to understand where we are vulnerable.

A bigger mission with fewer resources will force them to be creative, so perhaps well see greater adoption of cutting edge technologies that will drive efficiency and effectiveness. Thats the sales pitch anyway.

But still I wonder and worry. Perhaps the nine-plus weeks of quarantine have me feeling anxious and a little cynical. Im generally an optimist so I believe well move in the right direction. It just wont be easy or smooth.
A second set of COVID-19 antibody tests purchased by the federal government for $9 million are far less accurate than claimed, joining a batch of 500,000 deemed last week to be little more accurate than a coin flip.

Independent testing has now found $18.9 million worth of antibody tests purchased by the federal government are inaccurate.

Antibody tests are designed to reveal if a person has ever been infected with COVID-19, rather than if they are currently infected. The government originally said the fingerprick antibody tests would be in GP clinics in early April.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt on Friday. He initially called the tests "of the highest quality". Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It now says it will hold onto the tests, and may use them in the future for surveys to find out the true number of people who have been infected by COVID-19.
Coworking firm Awfis on Monday said its revenue grew by 46 per cent to Rs 230 crore last fiscal on better demand for shared office space, and announced a solution that will provide physical and IT infrastructure to professionals working for home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our revenue stood at Rs 230 crore last fiscal as against Rs 158 crore in 2018-19. It could have been more, but revenues were hit in March because of the coronavirus outbreak," Awfis founder and CEO Amit Ramani told PTI.

The company has opened around 40 centres from May 4 with 33 per cent occupancy permitted by the government. Our centres in Mumbai and Pune are closed," Ramani said.

He said the coworking segment has also been affected like any other industries, but expressed confidence that flexible workspace would gain momentum post COVID-19 with corporates and startups looking to cut capex.

People are currently working from home because of the lockdown. "Post COVID-19, we expect that around 10-12 per cent of workforce will be working from home. Many companies have already announced such plans," he said.

Therefore, Ramani said, the company has come out with an offering called 'Awfis@Home', where it will help provide physical and IT infrastructure for work for home at Rs 2,500 monthly subscription fee.

"Organisations and individuals are trying their best to adjust to this new normal and need of the hour is a solution that would help them maintain and build the productivity and efficiency of the physical workplace right in the safety and comfort of their homes," Ramani said.

Awfis Chief Marketing Officer Sumit Lakhani said the new solution enables the flexibility of remote working coupled with the productivity of the office space.

The integrated toolkit provides the users smart and ergonomic furniture along with tech solutions like high speed broadband connection, data security and IT solutions.

Through an app, it will also help its corporate clients in attendance management of employees.

Awfis, which currently has 35,000 desks in 70 centres across major cities, has so far raised USD 81 million from investors, including ChrysCapital and Sequoia India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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SoftBank Group said Monday it would raise $11.5 billion using its holdings of Alibaba Group stock, part of plans to generate 4.5 trillion yen ($42 billion) in cash to shore up its balance sheet.

"To have some cash on hand, we will pare down our assets," CEO and Chairman Masayoshi Son told a news conference.

SoftBank will use derivative contracts to be settled in a few years to raise cash from its stake in the Chinese e-commerce group.

While SoftBank appears to have no immediate cash flow problems, its Vision Fund, which had driven the Japanese technology earnings growth, has seen the value of some of its tech investments fall.

On Monday, SoftBank reported a 1.43 trillion yen net quarterly loss after big bets on real estate and ride-sharing misfired during the coronavirus pandemic.

Son warned on Monday that the titan might not pay a dividend next year after its largest ever annual loss as a public company. He told investors to expect a clutch of business failures within the Vision Fund, a $100bn vehicle backed by outside investors.

"About 15 of 88 companies [in the Vision Fund] may go bankrupt. Another 15 will grow significantly. The remaining will be so-so," Son said.

"Unicorns are falling into the corona[virus] valley," said Son, referring to the nickname for valuable tech startups.
India has today began evacuating thousands of villagers and halted port operations ahead of a cyclone expected to hit its east coast this week, piling pressure on emergency services grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall on Wednesday near the Ganges RiverDelta, with winds as high as 150mph and the strength of a category 4 hurricane potentially causing devastation.

Low-lying delta in West Bengal state, which is densely populated and poverty stricken in parts could suffer storm surges of up to 30ft if the cyclone touches down there, causing havoc on already stretched public infrastructure.

Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall on Wednesday near the Ganges River Delta, with winds as high as 150mph

The cyclone comes as India eases the world's longest lockdown, imposed in April against the virus, which has infected more than 96,169 people and killed 3,029.

The states of Odisha and West Bengal sent disaster management teams to move families from homes of mud and thatch to places of shelter from the severe cyclonic storm, Amphan, which is expected to gain strength in the next 12 hours.

'We have to evacuate people from low-lying areas, and protect them from the coronavirus too,' said a senior official of India's home ministry who sought anonymity.

'It's not an easy task.'

Stranded migrant workers and their families queue as they wait for a medical screening before going to a railway station and board on a special train to Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh state, from the Guru Nanak Auditorium, in Amritsar on May 18, 2020

On top of the economic havoc caused due to covid-19 pandemic authorities are now having to deal with evacuating thousands of people in west Bengal. Pictured: Stranded migrant workers

The cyclone season usually runs from April to December, with severe storms forcing the evacuations of tens of thousands, causing widespread death and damage to crops and property, both in India and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Authorities at the port of Paradip in Odisha ordered ships to move out to sea to avoid damage as the cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal was likely to intensify into a super cyclonic storm.

'Operations have been wound down,' said Rinkesh Roy, chairman of the Paradip Port Trust. 'We are clearing the port.'

A policeman fills up bottles with drinking water to migrant workers of a special train service departing for Uttar Pradesh from Ajmer, May 18, 2020

Gujarat police personnel detain migrant workers residing on a construction site after taking part in a stone pelting in Ahmedabad on May 18, 2020

The lockdown has been devastating for the economy with millions of migrant workers plunged into poverty after losing their jobs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a rescue package of 220 billion on Tuesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a meeting in New Delhi, the capital, to plan how to mitigate damage and injuries.

'The extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan'...is likely to gain more strength and intensify further into a super cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours,' weather officials said in a statement, forecasting heavy rain in eastern and southern areas.

India, with a coastline of 7,516 km (4,670 miles), gets hit by more than a tenth of all the world's tropical cyclones, the bulk of them hitting its eastern coast around the Bay of Bengal.
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Hong Kong Television Network Limited (HKG:1137) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. I will be using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Hong Kong Television Network

The calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Levered FCF (HK$, Millions) -HK$20.0m HK$70.0m HK$210.0m HK$346.4m HK$505.5m HK$670.5m HK$827.1m HK$966.3m HK$1.08b HK$1.18b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 64.93% Est @ 45.94% Est @ 32.65% Est @ 23.35% Est @ 16.84% Est @ 12.28% Est @ 9.09% Present Value (HK$, Millions) Discounted @ 11% -HK$18.0 HK$56.8 HK$153 HK$228 HK$300 HK$358 HK$398 HK$419 HK$423 HK$416

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = HK$2.7b

Story continues

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the intial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 10-year government bond rate of 1.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 11%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2029  (1 + g)  (r  g) = HK$1.2b (1 + 1.6%)  11% 1.6%) = HK$13b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= HK$13b ( 1 + 11%)10= HK$4.5b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is HK$7.2b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of HK$4.5, the company appears quite good value at a 44% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

SEHK:1137 Intrinsic value May 18th 2020

The assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Hong Kong Television Network as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.318. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, DCF calculation shouldnt be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price to differ from the intrinsic value? For Hong Kong Television Network, There are three fundamental factors you should further examine:

Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Hong Kong Television Network you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does 1137's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the SEHK every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

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.
Cosmic rays  high-energy particles that move through space at the speed of light  are intensifying as the Sun enters a 'solar minimum', which could be a hazard to astronauts and produce more storms.

The reason that rays are intensifying is because of the lack of sunspots  dark spots that appear on the Suns surface caused by magnetic fields which illuminate earth with X-ray and ultraviolet radiation.

A solar minimum, which is a regular part of the sunspot cycle, according to Dean Pesnell of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, means that the Suns magnetic field is weak. This results in extra cosmic rays entering the solar system.

Neutron counts from the University of Oulu's Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory show that cosmic rays reaching Earth in 2020 are near a Space Age peak wrote Dr. Tony Phillips on his website.

So far this year, the sun has been blank 76 per cent of the time, a rate surpassed only once before in the Space Age. Last year, 2019, the sun was blank 77 per cent of the time. Two consecutive years of record-setting spotlessness adds up to a very deep Solar Minimum Phillips also wrote, while suggesting that excess cosmic rays...affect the electro-chemistry of Earths upper atmosphere and may help trigger lightning.

Some have speculated that the lowered output from the sun could result in a Little Ice Age, similar to the one that occurred between the 14th and 19th century and happened concurrently with mountain glacier expansion in the European Alps, New Zealand, and Alaska among other locations, and lower temperatures across the northern hemisphere.

Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Mystic Mountain, a pillar of gas and dust standing at three-light-years tall, bursting with jets of gas from fledgling stars buried within, was captured by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope in February 2010 Nasa/ESA/STScI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever selfie taken on an alien planet, captured by Nasa's Curiosity Rover in the early days of its mission to explore Mars in 2012 Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Death of a star: This image from Nasa's Chandra X-ray telescope shows the supernova of Tycho, a star in our Milky Way galaxy Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Arrokoth, the most distant object ever explored, pictured here on 1 January 2019 by a camera on Nasa's New Horizons spaceraft at a distance of 4.1 billion miles from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory in January 2012. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever image of a black hole, captured by the Event Horizon telescope, as part of a global collaboration involving Nasa, and released on 10 April 2019. The image reveals the black hole at the centre of Messier 87, a massive galaxy in the nearby Virgo galaxy cluster. This black hole resides about 54 million light-years from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Pluto, as pictured by Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft as it flew over the dwarf planet for the first time ever in July 2015 Nasa/APL/SwRI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures A coronal mass ejection as seen by the Chandra Observatory in 2019. This is the first time that Chandra has detected this phenomenon from a star other than the Sun Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks running downhill on the surface Mars were believed to be evidence of contemporary flowing water. It has since been suggested that they may instead be formed by flowing sand Nasa/JPL/University of Arizona Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Morning Aurora: Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station in October 2015 Nasa/Scott Kelly

However, even that has been contended, with research suggesting that "multiple factors, particularly volcanic activity, were crucial for causing the cooler temperatures" and that "a reduction in total solar irradiance likely contributed ... at a level comparable to changing land use."

Nasa also says any major change is unlikely: In terms of climate forcing  a factor that could push the climate in a particular direction  solar scientists estimate it would be about -0.1 W/m2, the same impact of about three years of current carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration growth.

Thus, a new Grand Solar Minimum would only serve to offset a few years of warming caused by human activities [and] the warming caused by the greenhouse gas emissions from the human burning of fossil fuels is six-times greater than the possible decades-long cooling from a prolonged Grand Solar Minimum. the space agency said.

While Dr. Phillips also suggests that this is a record-setting period of spotlessness, others have contested that claim. Some people are speculating that the behavior of the solar cycle is extremely weak, he says. But its not extremely weak, its probably just the weakest one in the past four solar cycles said Alexander Shapiro, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, and that for the past 50 years (approximately four solar cycles) the sun has been unusually active.

Though the Earth may not see the effects of this change, astronauts are at a higher risk. During solar minimum, the suns magnetic field weakens and provides less shielding from these cosmic rays. This can pose an increased threat to astronauts travelling through space Pesnell says.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla., May 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne supported the successful launch of the USSF-7 mission for the recently formed U.S. Space Force today. The mission carried the militarys X-37B space plane into orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.



Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion products supporting the launch included an RL10C-1 upper-stage engine, helium pressurization tanks on the rocket and a dozen MR-106 thrusters on the Centaur upper stage that provided roll, pitch and yaw control, as well as settling burns. This launch will carry the 1,000th MR-106 thruster to fly on an Atlas V launch vehicle.

This launch marks the second successful launch for the United States Space Force since the new branch of our military was officially established last year, said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdynes CEO and president. We look forward to supporting many more launches in the coming years for this new organization, which has the critical task of protecting U.S. and allied interests in space.

After the Atlas V lifted off the pad and the upper stage separated from the first stage booster, a single RL10C-1 engine ignited to place the payload into orbit. The RL10C-1 engine delivers 22,890 pounds of thrust to power the upper stage, using cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants during its operation. ARDE, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne based in New Jersey, provides the pressure vessels on the first and second stages on the launch vehicle.

About Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas, in support of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com . Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen .

Media Contacts:

Todd McConnell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 561-882-5395

todd.mcconnell@rocket.com

Mary Engola, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-289-1371

mary.engola@rocket.com




EDISON, N.J., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CS Energy, LLC, a leading integrated energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage and emerging energy industries, has successfully completed the largest solar project in New Jersey. The project owner, Ben Moreell Solar Farm, LLC and Department of the Navy (DON) executed a lease for approximately 170 acres of underutilized land for the purpose of constructing a 28.5 MW ground-mount project located at Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWS Earle) in Tinton Falls. CS Energy designed, procured and installed the power plant, creating a custom worksite that allowed for a streamlined construction process while still maintaining the base's high security standards. CS Energy's team of local workers safely installed an impressive 4,000 solar panels each day at the height of construction. Currently, the second phase of the project is underway. As in-kind consideration, CS Energy will install a separate behind the meter solar system that will connect directly to the NWS Earle utility grid, providing DON with renewable energy to support operations.

CS Energy

As part of the Navy's energy resiliency initiative, the Ben Moreell Solar Farm on NWS Earle was established. Owned by Vitol Green Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of global energy and commodities company Vitol Holdings B.V., the solar project will be tied directly to the local utility grid. In case of emergency, and with further investment, the clean power plant can be modified to power the base, which has a combined workforce of more than 1,500 civilian, military and contractor personnel.

"With close to 1 GW of solar capacity installed worldwide, CS Energy is a proven partner for delivering solar power projects that maximize use of the terrain while offering high levels of output," said R. Andrew de Pass, Head of Renewables for Vitol Inc. "Their attention to safety, efficiency and customer service enabled us to deliver the NWS Earle project in record time."

CS Energy's efficiency stems in part from its deep experience with designing and building solar and storage projects on U.S. military bases. The NWS Earle plant is one of the firm's largest; in total, CS Energy has installed more than 80 MW of solar energy projects on U.S. bases across the globe.

"Having access to reliable, sustainable and renewable sources of energy, like solar power, helps our Navy improve our energy security, operational capability, strategic flexibility and resource availabilities," said Capt. Pierre A. Fuller, Commanding Officer, NWS Earle. "We are equally pleased this is the largest solar project in the state, to date, and it contributes to New Jersey's Energy Master Plan."

The Ben Morrell project contributes to New Jersey's 2020 Energy Master Plan, which aims to garner 100 percent of its energy from renewable, carbon-neutral sources by 2050. The Energy Master Plan is the first of a series of monumental steps to ensure that the state generates and manages its energy supply in a way that is consistent with economic, climate, and societal demands.

"I'm proud of our team for once again safely complying with heightened military regulations and delivering a turnkey solar project," said Matthew Skidmore, CEO of CS Energy. "We are honored to help the US Navy, Vitol, and our home state of New Jersey increase their use of solar power."

About CS Energy

CS Energy, LLC (formerly Conti Solar, LLC) is a national EPC, O&M and energy storage company. CS Energy's attention to detail, flawless execution and collaborative culture has enabled them to successfully design and install nearly 1 GW of solar projects since their early initiatives in 2004. CS Energy's leverage established partnerships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers and landowners to streamline project development, design, construction and operations, driving down project costs and creating value across all project stakeholders. Majority-owned by Ares Infrastructure and Power with a minority position retained by The Conti Group, CS Energy is well positioned with a diversified network of industry experts and the financial resources to be a trusted, long-term partner.

About Vitol Group

Vitol is an energy and commodities company; its primary business is the trading and distribution of energy products globally  it trades 8 million barrels per day of crude oil and products and, at any time, has 250 ships transporting its cargoes.

Vitol's clients include national oil companies, multinationals, leading industrial and chemical companies and the world's largest airlines. Founded in Rotterdam in 1966, today Vitol serves clients from some 40 offices worldwide and is invested in energy assets globally including: circa 16mm3 of storage globally, 480kbpd of refining capacity, 6,850 service stations across Africa, Australia, Brazil, Eurasia and in Northwest Europe and a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets. Revenues in 2019 were $225 billion. www.vitol.com

CS Energy Media Contact:

Dianaliz Santiago-Borcan

732.520.5143

[email protected]

SOURCE CS Energy
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Vietnam brought citizens home from Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the US - the world's hotspots of coronavirus outbreaks.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on May 16 brought home more than 540 Vietnamese nationals on two repatriation flights from Europe and the US, continuing the countrys efforts to repatriate its stranded citizens.

Vietnamese passengers check in at Frankfurt. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Passengers include people of special cases who are children under 18, the elderly, the sick, people with chronic diseases, pregnant women, stranded tourists, workers of expired labor contracts, state employees in mission, and students who finished school, according to Vietnam Airlines.

Vietnamese passenger at Madrid. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Flight VN8 from Frankfurt (Germany) to Danang (Vietnam) with stopover at Madrid (Spain) brought about nearly 200 passengers from Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, the hotspots of coronavirus outbreaks in Europe.

This was Vietnam Airlines first direct flight from Spain to Vietnam.

On way from Hanoi to Frankfurt, Vietnam Airlines repatriated nearly 250 Germany nationals and brought medical supplies as Vietnamese pandemic relief to German people.

Vietnamese passengers check in at Washington DC. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Another flight on the day is from Washington DC to Noi Bai, Hanoi. It was Vietnam Airlines second flight to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from the US after the first one from San Francisco on May 8.

The return flight between Hanoi and Washington DC with a stopover in Alaska on way back took nearly 40 hours. Vietnam Airlines has used Alaska twice as a fuel stop.

En route to Washington DC, the fight carried a number of passengers and medical supplies donated to American people.

Vietnam Airlines flight at Alaska, the US: Photo: Ted Stevens Anchorage, Alaska

Vietnam Airlines used Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner for flights to Europe and the US, respectively.

American netizens published a video featuring a Vietnam Airlines 787-10 landing in Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Alaska after flying from Washington DC. The plane then continued back to Hanoi. Hanoitimes

Linh Pham

About 240 Vietnamese return home from France About 240 Vietnamese citizens were repatriated from France on Vietnam Airlines flights on May 5 and 6.
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John Regan, a construction sector organiser with Siptu, has called for the establishment of a dedicated safety inspectorate for the construction industry to assist the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to ensure Covid-19 safety guidelines are being enforced.

The HSA has not been adequately sourced for some time, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland. It needs to be fully backed and the construction sector needs its own inspectors to make sure there isnt a second surge of the virus, he added.

Siptu will be looking for workers on sites to elect a representative to make sure that guidelines and protocols for onsite safety are being observed, he said.

Many workers are apprehensive about returning to work, said Mr Regan. A system has to be put in place where frontline management and workers agree on times for breaks.

It is a case of common sense, he said.

But will common sense prevail? Were going to be very active in monitoring sites.

The trade union is very worried about safety on sites and has set up a hotline workers can contact if they are concerned about the site on which they are working. The hotline number is 01 8588210.

Social distancing and the safety of employees must be paramount.

Construction sites are a difficult place of work, he said. The lockdown had brought about requirements for employers to carry out assessments of on-site safety to ensure there are no hazards. There is now a whole new model for employers. It is a unique situation said Mr Regan.

Workers and employers will have to work together and every action will have to be safety-driven.
SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son. The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibaba's executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy. SoftBank will propose three new appointments to the board, including group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13. SoftBank will also propose the election of Lip-Bu Tan, ...
New Delhi: As the World Health Assembly meets virtually on Monday, the most important on the agenda will be a resolution that is likely to ask China to open up for probe on the origin of the novel coronavirus.

The resolution doesnt mention Chinas name but says that there is need to continue to work closely with other organizations to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to human population, including possible role of intermediate hosts and to enable this through collaborative field missions.

It has been widely speculated that the novel coronavirus emerged from the wet markets in China, jumping species from bat to human. The speculation also puts the pangolin as the intermediate source of the jump from animal to human. The pangolin is believed to be consumed by some for its exotic meat and the scales are believed to be used in traditional medicine. But so far, all this is in the realms of speculation. US secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has in fact said that the virus may have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIH) due to substandard practices and checks. The WIH is located close to the wet markets in Wuhan.

Now, the resolution clearly seeks on-site probe of the same. Though China in its defence has already said, that a joint team of China-WHO experts did a 9-day field visit in mid-February. The team comprised 25 experts from China, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, US and WHO.

In an exclusive interview to News18, Chinese ambassador to India, Sun Weidong even said, Being the first to report the virus does not mean Wuhan is its origin. A Chinese diplomat had earlier floated a theory about how the virus was exported by the American army to China drawing a sharp reaction from the US when President Trump started referring to the novel corona virus as Chinese virus.

However, despite the fact that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, have come in for severe criticism in its response to the Covid-19 threat, the closest that the resolution comes to seeking accountability of the WHO is by saying initiate consultation with member states into actions of WHO and their timelines pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US has accused the WHO of a dangerous bias towards China and suspended funding of the World Health Organisation pending an investigation. The resolution that in most parts backs WHO and also asks for providing sustainable funding to WHO to ensure that it can fully respond to public health needs in the global response to Covid-19. Interestingly, India has never responded on record to US suspending funding of the WHO but India is a cosponsor of this resolution that has not been backed by the US.
Bernie Ecclestone has decided to leave Brazil and return to Europe, according to Germany's Bild newspaper.

For the duration of the pandemic so far, the former F1 supremo has been at his wife Fabiana's coffee plantation and farm in Brazil.

But Ecclestone, 89, says Fabiana's pregnancy means they now want to go to Switzerland.

"We also have very good private clinics in Brazil, but the concerns about getting the virus are greater here than in Switzerland. So we are flying back to Europe for safety reasons," he said.

"We will stay in Switzerland for a while and see how the border openings continue. So far, the pregnancy has been uncomplicated and everyone is healthy," Ecclestone added.

(GMM)
President Donald Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick last week in part because of an investigation into an $8 billion emergency arms sale for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a source on Capitol Hill told Al-Monitor.

A Democratic aide told Al-Monitor that the House Foreign Affairs Committee has received information that this investigation was tied to his removal.

The Washington Post first reported that the year-old arms sale was part of Linicks investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Trump fired Linick on Friday night at Pompeos urging. Initial reports indicated that Linick was investigating allegations that Pompeo had used a staffer to perform personal chores and errands.

Why it matters: Todays revelation indicates that the president was also concerned about the arms sale investigation.

The president cited Iran to invoke emergency powers as part of a bid to circumvent Congress and sell billions in Raytheon-made precision-guided missiles and combat aircraft for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition against Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Even some of Trumps closest allies in Congress rebuked him for the emergency sale. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Todd Young, R-Ind., joined Democrats in introducing a series of resolutions to block the sale. While the moves to block the sales narrowly cleared the Republican-held Senate, Trump vetoed the measures.

Whats next: The chairman and top Democrat of the respective House and Senate foreign affairs committees  Eliot Engel of New York and Bob Menendez of New Jersey  have launched a probe into Trumps ouster of Linick. And last week the Pentagon announced another $2 billion contract for Boeing to produce missiles for Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Know more: Congressional correspondent Bryant Harris obtained the original memo that the Trump administration used to justify the emergency arms sale last year. The State Departments Iran coordinator, Brian Hook, appeared to contradict that justification months later by downplaying Irans influence over the Houthis. The White House has also withheld information from the Government Accountability Offices investigation into Saudi nuclear negotiations.
(CNN)  Foxconn says all of its major factories in mainland China are back to normal again after the coronavirus pandemic hobbled production earlier this year.

The Taiwan-based company, which is the main assembler of Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad, was forced to close its factories in China in late January as much of the country was locked down to prevent the spread of the virus.

Those closures affected much of Foxconn's business. Brokerage firm KGI Asia says about 75 percent of the company's production capacity is in mainland China.

Profits were hammered as a result of the closures. Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, on Friday reported first quarter operating profit of 4.5 billion Taiwan dollars ($151 million), a 72 percent decline from the prior year.

On a call with investors, Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-Way said that government restrictions around the world, coupled with rising unemployment, "has impacted consumer demand significantly" and the company's smartphone and consumer products division was facing a tough second quarter.

The outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain. "It's still unclear for us what is going to happen," Liu said.

The pandemic has upended global supply chains. Analysts warned this spring that Foxconn's troubles would likely hurt some of the biggest brands in electronics. Aside from Apple, the company also manufactures products for companies such as Microsoft, Dell and Sony.

Earlier this week, Sony said supply chain disruptions hurt its electronics business in the January-March quarter. Net profit fell 86% to 12.6 billion yen ($118 million) and revenue dropped 18%.

Apple's business, meanwhile, has held relatively steady so far. The company reported last month that revenue ticked up in the most recent quarter compared to last year by more than analysts were expecting. It was still far short of the guidance the company gave before the pandemic, though.

Sherisse Pham contributed to this article, which was first published on CNN.com.
An Indian working in a mining company in the UAE has become the latest expatriate to have lost his job for "Islamophobic" social media posts, a media report said on Monday.

Brajkishore Gupta was fired without notice for calling Indian Muslims 'coronavirus spreaders' and hailing the Delhi riots as 'divine justice' in his Facebook posts, the Gulf News reported.

Gupta, who is from Chapra, Bihar, was employed by Stevin Rock, a mining company headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah city.

"This isolated incident involving a junior employee was investigated and dealt with immediately resulting in the termination without notice of this person's employment with Stevin Rock," said the company's business development and exploration manager Jean-Francois Milian.

"Our company policy supports the direction of the UAE government in promoting tolerance and equality and strongly renouncing racism and discrimination and we have sent communications to all of our employees irrespective of their religious or ethnic background reminding them that any such behaviour is unacceptable and will lead to immediate dismissal," Milian was quoted as saying in the report.

Three Indians based in the UAE were either fired or suspended from their jobs for "Islamophobic" posts on social media early this month.

On April 20, India's ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor had warned Indian expatriates against such behaviour.

"India and UAE share the value of non-discrimination on any grounds. Discrimination is against our moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in the UAE should always remember this," he said in a tweet.

Last month, Sharjah-based businessman Sohan Roy had to apologise for "unintentionally hurting religious sentiments" through his poem, which alluded to a Muslim religious group.

In March, chef Trilok Singh was fired from a restaurant in Dubai for an online threat against a student in Delhi over her views on the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu (bottom C) is surrounded by security as he and other pro-democracy lawmakers scuffle with pro-Beijing lawmakers at the House Committeess election of chairpersons. (AFP)

Hong Kong: Hong Kongs legislature plunged into chaotic scuffles for a second time this month, as pro-Beijing lawmakers on Monday took control of a key committee, paving the way for a debate on a bill that would criminalise abuse of Chinas national anthem.

Pro-democracy legislators charged at security guards surrounding pro-establishment lawmaker Chan Kin-Por, who had taken the chairmans seat in the meeting against procedural objections by the opposition.

Guards hauled several legislators out of the chamber, some kicking and shouting. Some tried leaping over the guards from benchtops to take back the chairmans seat only to be forced back. The Democrats chanted foul play and held a placard reading CCP (China Communist Party) tramples HK legislature.

Opposition lawmaker Ted Hui shouted at Chan that the meeting was illegal. Even as the protests continued, Chan called a vote for a chairperson of the committee that was won by pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee.

Lees camp condemned the violence and pledged to push ahead with the anthem bill.

Its painful to watch and its saddening to see a legislative assembly degenerate into this level of behaviour, pro-Beijing lawmaker Martin Liao said.

Beijing has accused the former British colonys pro-democracy lawmakers of malicious filibustering to prevent some proposed bills from going to a final vote, effectively paralysing the legislature.

It was the second time in 10 days that have legislators pushed and shoved each other over the procedures of electing a chairperson.

Last May, scuffles broke out in the legislature over a proposed extradition bill that if passed could have seen people stand trial in courts in mainland China. The bill sparked often-violent protests in the Hong Kong and was later scrapped.

They can take away the rules of procedures today but I am sure the Hong Kong people wont forget today, said Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kwok.

Online calls for protests

The house committees role is to scrutinise bills before a second reading in the legislative council and has built up a backlog after failing to elect a chairperson since late last year. The backlog includes the China national anthem bill, which is expected to be given a second reading on May 27 despite the procedural chaos.

Protesters have been calling on social media for city-wide demonstrations on that day.

Liao acknowledged the bill could spark social unrest.

We cannot shun our legislative duty because we think theres a risk, he said.

Social distancing amid the pandemic has largely put a brake on protests since January, but demonstrations are expected to resume later this year with the outbreak coming under control.

The arrest of 15 activists in April, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior barristers, thrust the protest movement back into the spotlight and drew condemnation from Washington and international rights groups.

Chinas Hong Kong affairs office warned this month that the city would never be calm unless black-clad violent protesters were all removed, describing them as a political virus that seeks independence from Beijing.

Beijing blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest and says protesters are undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday he believed China had threatened to interfere with the work of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong, and warned Beijing that any decision impinging on Hong Kongs autonomy could affect the U.S. assessment of Hong Kongs status.

Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, and the territory was promised a high degree of autonomy for 50 years.

The one country, two systems deal formed the basis of the territorys special status under U.S. law, which has helped it thrive as a world financial centre.
Frontline health workers stationed at the Pentecost Convention Centre, near Kasoa, which is serving as an isolation centre for COVID-19, were the toast of the day as the country celebrated this years International Day of the Family.



To mark the day, which fell on Friday, May 15, 2020 the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Ghana organised an activity on the premises of the centre during which the health workers as well as the patients were feted and entertained with inspirational songs and performances by Roverman Productions.



The patients, who could not leave their rooms, listened to the loud music and watched the performance from their rooms.



The UNFPA also donated a package that comprised sanitary pads, toilet paper, towels and other essential items (dignity kits) to the convention centre and expressed its commitment to supply it with essential items during the pandemic.



Pentecost Centre



The Pentecost Convention Centre, which belongs to the Church of Pentecost, was offered by the church to serve as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients at its contribution to that national response of the pandemic.



It holds the largest number of COVID-19 patients, with the highest occupancy so far being 500, and also has the largest number of health workers, caring and treating the patients.



The frontline health workers spend many days at the centre, away from their families to provide the crucial care needed by the patients, as they are unable to go home regularly.



Health workers key



The Country Representative of UNFPA, Mr Niyi Ojuolape, said this year, the agency decided to leverage the global celebration by drawing attention to the need to support health workers and their families in Ghana, as they fight COVID-19.



Health workers, he stressed, were key in the fight against COVID-19 and must be appreciated for their bravery; their families who have had to let them go so that they can become heroes for Ghana also deserve our gratitude.



However, little attention has been given to what the increasing cases of COVID-19 means for physical and psychosocial health of health workers, other hospital staff and their families.



As the world commemorates the International Day of Families, their families are very well a part of Ghanas certain victory over the pandemic, Mr Ojuolape stated.



The Medical Officer in charge of the isolation centre, Dr Akosua Ayisi, who said she had not been with her family for about six weeks, expressed their gratitude to UNFPA for remembering them and their families on the International Day of Families.



Theme



May 15 was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1993 as the International Day of Families and has been observed every year to highlight the importance of families and promote awareness on how social, economic and demographic issues affect the family.



The theme for this year is: Families in Development: Copenhagen & Beijing + 25 as it also happens to be the 25th anniversary of Copenhagen Declaration and Beijing Platform for Action.



According to the United nations (UN), the anniversary comes at a time of one of the most challenging global health and social crises.



The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp focus the importance of investing in social policies protecting the most vulnerable individuals and families, it said, adding that it is the families who bear the brunt of the crisis, sheltering their members from harm, caring for out-of-school children and at the same time continuing their work responsibilities.



As the world struggles to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, there is a real opportunity to rethink and transform the way our economies and societies function to foster greater equality for all.



In doing so, gender equality will not be achievable without greater equality in families and that on this and so much else, the Beijing Platform for Action continues to provide a visionary road map of where we need to go, the UN stated.



Growing violence



The UN further noted that families have become the hub of intergenerational interactions that support us in this crisis. Under economic duress, poverty deepens. In times of uncertainty stress increases - often resulting in growing violence against women and children.



That is why the support for vulnerable families - those who have lost their income, those in inadequate housing, those with young children, older persons and persons with disabilities - is imperative now more than ever.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Early data from Modernas Covid-19 vaccine, the first to be tested in the US, showed that it produced protective anti-bodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, the company said on Monday. The data are from eight people who took part in a safety trial that kicked off in March as the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus was spreading. In the trial of 45 volunteers, conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, eight volunteers who got two doses of the vaccine produced protective antibodies roughly on par with people who ...
Durban  It is not known why two British citizens decided to ignore authorities and drive illegally into South Africa via the Eswatini (Swaziland) border post last month, but they did admit their actions were wrongful.

James Hackett, 41, and Erkan Bali, 38, pleaded guilty to related charges of obstructing the administration of justice and contravening the Immigration Act during their appearance at the Durban Magistrates Court on Friday.

As an expression of remorse for their blatant disregard for the rule of law, especially at a time when the country was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus, they each donated R15 000 to the governments Solidarity Fund, which is being used to combat the global pandemic.

They were due for a bail hearing the day before, but the matter was rolled over after their legal representatives engaged the State on a plea settlement.

The plea matter came before Magistrate Anand Maharaj and prosecutor Ronitha Singh represented the State.

Each accused was handed a fine of R40 000 or 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for five years, on condition they did not repeat the offence during the suspension period.

They also received a R10 000 fine or three months' imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act. The sentence was suspended for five years, provided they did not commit a similar crime in that time.

Hackett and Bali will be held at the Westville Prison until their deportation to the UK is completed.

Both men entered the country separately on a visitors visa from Swaziland in February but left together on March 18.

Together, they attempted to re- enter via the same Golela border crossing on April 11, but were turned away.

They complied with the instruction, but attempted another crossing a short while later.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 14:18:13|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD) on Monday confirmed four new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 140 in the country.

The latest confirmed cases are Mongolian nationals who returned home from Russia last week, according to the NCCD.

In addition, three more patients have recovered from the coronavirus, raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 24, said the center.

All the 140 confirmed cases, including four foreigners, are imported, mostly from Russia.

A French national tested positive for the virus on March 10, becoming the first case in Mongolia. So far, no local transmissions or deaths have been reported in the country. Enditem
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: As if the migrant workers were not facing enough problems, the Chennai police held some of them back from travelling to Assam. Reason? They did not have Aadhaar. Though Aadhaar card is not mandatory for migrants to travel back home, Chennai police seems to be insisting on it for some reason.

Recently, a group of five Assamese migrants from Ambattur missed the Shramik Express just because they did not have Aadhaar.More than 80 per cent of people from Assam do not have Aadhaar because of National Registrar of Citizens (NRC) process.

The five migrants in their early 20s are working at a restaurant near Ambattur OT bus stand. They successfully registered in Assam portal on May 7 and when they went to T2 police station in Ambattur Estate for verification, they were asked to produce Aadhaar.

READ| Centre gives charge to states on lockdown 4.0: Here's what's allowed, what's not

Ramesh Sahani, one of them, told Express that many of my friends from Coimbatore managed to take the train and reached home. Every day is a nightmare for us. We have not been paid since March and are able afford only one meal a day. Our families are worried.Krishna Sarkar had it much worse. His wallet containing all his identify proof was stolen.

Finally, they saw a ray of hope after Harmeet Singh, Assam Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and nodal officer for bringing people back from other states, spoke to Tamil Nadu police. The issue was brought to my knowledge a week ago and I immediately spoke to Tamil Nadu police. Majority of people in Assam do not have Aadhaar due to NRC. Also, Central government did not make Aadhaar mandatory for migrants to return home. They can show any proof of identity or even the document showing their inclusion in NRC list.

After a great struggle, these youth managed to complete the process on Saturday night. They submitted voter id and PAN card as proof at Ambattur police station and now are in the long queue to board the next Shramik Express. T2 police station inspector Vijayaraghavan told Express that they have collected details and sent it to Commissioners office. They have to wait for their turn, he said.

Social activist and lawyer Shreela Manohar, who reported the matter to Assam nodal officer, said thousands of migrants from Northeastern states in Chennai might face similar problems.
Jean Mensa is decreeing that over 392, 455 Ghanaians from the Central Region will not vote in 2020, because they dont have a Ghana Card as a requirement to register. The question is, are they not citizens?



Jean Mensas Electoral Commission and Ken Attafuahs National Identification Authority are like square pegs in round holes



As Sydney Smith once famously said, "as they say, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole because you aren't going to fit in unless you re-shape your edges."



Why will the President leave sensitive constitutionally created Offices like these in the hands of Jean Mensa and Ken Attafuah to decide who qualifies to vote? I wish I knew.



There is a Ga proverb that translates as, a crab does not begat a bird.



Your guess is as good as mine. They are all in the same soup of vindictiveness and capricious abuse of power to fulfill their agenda. Look at how the ladle is steering the thick soup. Very slowly; and that means there is trouble ahead.



What has the Central Region done wrong to the EC and NIA to make them want to revoke thier rights to register and vote?



What robbery strategy have the EC and NIA activated to take away the peoples" electoral fortunes in Central Region?



Is there more in the inept practices of preventing them from exercising the right to vote come 7th December 2020?



Is the general public aware that the EC and NIA want to disenfranchise over 392,445 good people of the Central Region?



Are they not Ghanaians?



Are they not 18 years and above?



These innocent people probably voted for the NPP in 2016 to win the infamous election with a 1 million margin. What has changed? Is it because the NPP hasnt fulfilled their promises?



Because of the NPPs new agenda innocent Ghanaians must suffer.



Why are they reducing their total suffrage numbers for voters by cutting them off?



Apart from those who just turned 18 years, majority of them have been voting since 1992 till 2016, and they must vote in 2020.



You dont have a right to throw them out of the 2020 voters register by virtue of changing the basic requirements of who a Ghanaian is.



If these people dont have passports and don't have Ghana Cards, it is obvious they cannot register to vote on 7th December 2020.



What an inept reason to disenfranchise Ghanaians for your parochial interest?



The Electoral Commission's Provisional Code Book 2019 has registered voters of 1,463,383 for the Central Region.



The National Identification Authority also has a total number of registered persons of 1,070,928



The current number of people who are likely to be disenfranchised by the NIA is 392,455!!!



Over 392,455 people cannot vote in the Central Region? Why? Is this fair?



They all have the rights of Ghanaian citizens as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic ot Ghana.



What was the crime of the Central Region to have a deficit of 392,455? Is it because the region often swings to determine who wins the Presidential election in Ghana?



Is the NIA in bed with the EC to reduce the number of voters in the Central Region?



And for what reason?



Neither the EC nor the NIA wants to own up who is perpetuating this fraudulent act.



The Electoral Commission has presented to Parliament a Constitutional Instrument to amend C.I 91 to make the Ghana card and the Ghana passport the only form of identification before one could be captured onto the yet to be compiled new voters' register.



Parliament's Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, in a statement issued on Friday, May 15, 2020, indicated that if the Electoral Commission succeeds with the intended amendment and proceeds to compile the new voters register, millions of Ghanaians will be disenfranchised



NPP MP Kennedy Agyapong recently said the NPP is leading, in an election yet to take place, with a margin of 1.5 million votes.



Parliament's Majority Leader, Kyei Mensah Bonsu, is warning that the December 2020 polls will be violent without a new voters register.



The people of the Central Region will not allow this to happen to them hence its either they are all given Ghana Cards or Ghana Passports or they will resist the compilation of a new register.



I will leave you with a famous quote from the Ghana National Anthem: (God) help us to resist oppressor's rule.







Source: TT Caternor, La Dadekotopon









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.

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Zareen Khan says people still assume Salman Khan helps her find work: "I cannot be a monkey on his back"
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting at The Venetian Las Vegas in Nevada April 6, 2019. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

US Lawmakers Urge Magnitsky Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over Pandemic Response

Three Republican congressmen have called on the Trump administration to impose Magnitsky sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses relating to the regimes coverup of the CCP virus outbreak.

Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Lance Gooden (R-Texas), in a May 18 letter (pdf), urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to sanction seven Chinese officials under the Global Magnitsky Act.

The federal law authorizes the government to punish foreign violators of human rights by freezing their U.S.-based assets and barring their entry into the country.

The Chinese officials identified included the heads of the city of Wuhans public security bureau and health authority, because of their roles in suppressing whistleblower doctors and citizen journalists for sounding the alarm about the severity of the outbreak during its initial stages.

If the actions of these individuals arent enough to earn a spot on the Magnitsky List, then I just dont know what is, Gooden said in a statement. We are talking about the people who are directly responsible for downplaying the virus and suppressing the voices of those who rang the alarms. Such egregious violations of global human rights are exactly the kind of thing we should be using this authority to address.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry, who promoted the conspiracy theory that the virus was brought into Wuhan by U.S. Army personnel, also was included on the list.

We believe their actions violated the 2005 International Health Regulations, the human rights of their citizens, and basic principles of fairness and responsibility in international relations, the letter reads, referring to the international treaty that requires countries to swiftly notify the World Health Organization of significant outbreaks.

Chinese state media The Global Times recently ran a piece threatening sanctions against U.S. lawmakers who have been critical of the regime. While the article didnt identify all those who would be sanctioned, the article criticized legislation introduced by Banks, Crenshaw, and Gooden that would allow Americans to sue the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for causing the pandemic.

Unlike the CCPs threats to sanction me, and other members of Congress, we have a leg to stand on, Crenshaw said. The communist regime concealed vital information and allowed this pandemic to spread, which cost countless American lives and livelihoods. Now, it is time for them to face the consequences.

Banks said the move showed the regime was reverting to desperate tactics in a bid to avoid responsibility.

Pompeo, in a May 16 interview with Breitbart radio, said the attacks by Chinese state media indicated the regime is trying to deflect attention from its responsibility in causing the viruss global spread.

I think this shows that the Chinese Communist Party understands the risk that theyve put on top of their own nation, he said. Those attacks demonstrate weakness, not resolve, by the Chinese Communist Party. You and I are both old enough to remember how Communist regimes, how autocracies behave. Once they know they have done things that are wrong, they strike out. They try to blame others. I think thats what youre seeing.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Metro Manila has finally eased into a moderated enhanced community quarantine since May 16 and as expected traffic has once again returned. People came in droves to reopened shopping centers and malls  as if the pandemic doesnt exist anymore.

But on Monday, employees who had to return to work faced a more difficult challenge with public transport still suspended. Those with private vehicles had to contend with a traffic buildup and checkpoints while those without had to walk or even cross highways just so they could get to their workplaces.

On top of this problem, there is still the threat of contracting coronavirus. Testing employees should be shouldered by employers as per the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), though it is not required.

"We have emphasized that symptomatic screening is ideal, and test only when symptomatic. IATF resolution stated that in no case shall testing be a condition for return to work, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Viber message to reporters.

Here are scenes from around Metro Manila throughout the day.

Some groceries and other open establishments maintain social distancing. Photo by JL JAVIER

The EDSA-Ayala intersection at 12 p.m. Photo by JL JAVIER

Fruit vendors along Felipe II St. in Manila wait for customers. Photo by JL JAVIER

A customer waits at a bench in a mall in Pasay. Photo by JL JAVIER

Electronics repair stores are now allowed to open during MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

At a mall in Manila City, security personnel still heavily screen and monitor shoppers looking to enter the premises. Photo by JL JAVIER

Hardware shops are now open as well. Photo by JL JAVIER

An ambulance maneuvers through light traffic at the EDSA-Shaw Underpass in Mandaluyong City. Photo by JL JAVIER

Some small businesses have also opted to open today as the government lifts several restrictions from the ECQ to stimulate the economy. Photo by JL JAVIER

Checkpoints are still stationed along major roads in Metro Manila to monitor motorists identification and permits. Photo by JL JAVIER

Some businesses are still closed despite relaxed quarantine measures in NCR. Photo by JL JAVIER

Grocery workers wear face shields while performing their tasks around the supermarket. Photo by JL JAVIER

This scene at a mall in Pasay City is a stark contrast to the crowded malls during the weekend when the quarantine rules were eased. Photo by JL JAVIER
The examinations were initially scheduled to be completed in March end but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The Kerala government has decided to postpone the remaining state SSLC (Class 10) and HSLC (Class 12) board examinations till June.

As per a report by Manorama, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram.

The examinations were initially scheduled to be completed in March end but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Last week, Directorate of Higher Secondary Education, Kerala, had announced the schedule for pending exams of Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) and High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC). As per the schedule, SSLC exams were to be held between 26 and 28 May, while Class 12 exams were to be held from 26 to 30 May.

The dates have now been further postponed as the Government of India has extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown till 31 May 2020.

The revised dates for Kerala SSLC 2020 and HSLC 2020 examinations have not yet been announced. Students can check the official website for latest update and exam schedule.

As per a report by The Indian Express, three papers of SSLC are left to be conducted. These include mathematics, physics and chemistry. A number of papers of Kerala HSLC 2020 remain to be held as well. More than 4.2 lakh candidates have applied for Kerala SSLC 2020 examination.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has on Monday announced that it will be conducting the pending Class 10 and Class 12 board examination between 1 to 15 July.
A heartbroken woman has punished her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her by sending him a tonne of onions to 'make him cry as much as I did'.

The ex-girlfriend, known by her surname Zhao, was left devastated after being dumped by her partner of over a year, according to the local press.

A picture released by Chinese media shows the alleged cheating boyfriend looking at the pile of vegetables after they were delivered to his door.

Ms Zhao's ex-boyfriend (pictured) later told Shandong Net that he broke up with the Chinese woman due to her 'crazy behaviours'. He is seen standing at his front door piled with bags of onions on Saturday

A heartbroken Chinese woman has launched an unconventional revenge on her ex-boyfriend who had an affair by sending him a tonne of onions to 'make him cry as much as I did'. The picture shows a delivery driver unloaded the onions on Saturday

Ms Zhao was furious when she discovered that her former lover did not shed any tears after the splitting while she spent three days crying.

She ordered a tonne of red onions to be delivered to her ex-boyfriend's front door with a note that read: 'I've cried for three days, now it's your turn.'

Social media footage showed a delivery driver with a truck loaded with the root vegetables at a residential compound in Zibo, Shandong of eastern China as he tried to get in touch with Ms Zhao's boyfriend on Saturday.

An order label can be seen in the clip with an instruction asking the courier to not contact the receiver and 'just dump the onions at the front door'.

After failing to contact the ex-boyfriend, the delivery guy reportedly spent over four hours to move all the onions from the truck to the man's front door.

The anguished woman told the local press that she purchased the onions in the hope to make her ex-boyfriend, who remains unidentified, to 'cry as much as I did'.

'I heard from my friends that he was not upset at all after breaking up [with me],' Ms Zhao told reporters . 'I spent three days at home crying. I was so heart-broken.'

'So, I ordered a tonne of onions to his home. I've got money,' said the ex-girlfriend. 'I wanted him to know the taste of tears.'

Social media footage showed a delivery driver with a truck loaded with the root vegetables at a residential compound in Zibo, Shandong of eastern China as he tried to get in touch with Ms Zhao's boyfriend on Saturday

Ms Zhao's ex-boyfriend later told Shandong Net that he broke up with the Chinese woman due to her 'over-the-top behaviours'.

'My ex-girlfriend was very dramatic. She is telling everyone that I haven't shed one tear since our break-up,' he added. 'Am I a bad person for simply not crying?'

A neighbour who lives in the same complex as Ms Zhao's boyfriend complained to the reporters: 'I don't know if her boyfriend cried, but I have definitely cried! This whole compound stinks of onions.'

Ms Zhao's ultimate revenge comes as China prepares to celebrate the '520 Day' on May 20, an unofficial Valentine's Day in the country as the pronunciation of the date sounds like 'I Love You' in Mandarin.
Suspended former Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs says the beginning of his hatred in his party started when he refused to criticize President Akufo-Addos free Senior High School policy.



According to him, he hit hard at the Akufo-Addo government when the free Senior High School policy was implemented as it has always been the position of the NDC, but upon reflection of the benefit that many children have received from the policy he had a different thought.



Free SHS fight



Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the Educated Fisherman as he is popularly called explained that his decision to discourage his party from criticizing the free SHS policy is based on the fact that the larger population of children who have benefitted from the Free SHS policy will reach their voting age by 2020 and that can spell doom for the NDC should they come to the realisation that the party criticised the policy they benefitted from.



He added that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) mistook his good counsel to be praise-singing of the Akufo-Addo government.



When Akufo-Addo's government implemented the free SHS policy, I was one of the first critiques against the free SHS, but you know something . . . if you start attending radio programmes, the way you talk and carry yourself, it makes you endear yourself to a lot of people who belong to both NDC and NPP, so the moment you criticise something of the government, you get people calling you to tell you how they have benefitted from what you are criticizing," he said.



He stressed that criticizing a new government that is doing something good like the implementation of the Free SHS policy was not going to help the cause of the NDC during the campaign time, hence, his decision to stop criticizing the Free SHS Policy.



If there is a new government in place and it is doing something that is good, it benefits some people, so you dont need to go, drag in and criticise it so seriously. If you do that, at the end of the day when the campaign starts, then the people will look at you with different eyes," he stressed.



Coronavirus fight measures



Touching on another issue that increased his hatred in the NDC, Allotey Jacobs averred that his party [NDC] felt his advice for the NDC to allow the Akufo-Addo government to carry its excellent measures in the fight against the COVID-19 was also wrong.



If you look at the COVID-19, what the government is doing is excellent. Let them manage the COVID-19 to the end of the crisis then we can come to do our usual political campaign . . . and again my people are saying that I have criticised the party," he explained.



Allotey Jacobs was of the view that his suspension from the NDC is borne out of these issues, adding that he meant well for the NDC as the party prepares for the 2020 general election.



NDC Suspends Allotey Jacobs



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has yielded to the pressure of party activists to suspend one of its top members, Bernard Allotey Jacobs.



Mr Allotey Jacobs was the partys immediate past Central regional chairman.



A statement purportedly signed by the NDCs national chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, on May 6, 2020, said Mr Allotey Jacobs was suspended pursuant to Article 46 (1) and 46 (6) and 46 (8) (b) of the Partys constitution.



The statement says his suspension was based on what it termed "persistent anti-party conduct, indicating that the decision to suspend him was taken at a National Executive Meeting held on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

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.

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If reports are to be believed, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members have been placed under home quarantine for 14 days, after they reached their village Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, from Mumbai amid the nationwide lockdown.

Nepal Singh, Superintendent of Police (Rural), told PTI that the Kick actor, along with his family members, reached his hometown on Saturday, May 16, after getting necessary permission for travel from the authorities in Maharashtra. Nawazuddin Siddiqui's mother, brother and sister-in-law travelled with him in his private vehicle.

The actor told reporters that he underwent medical screenings at 25 points during his journey. Nawazuddin and his family members were tested for the Novel Coronavirus, but their reports came negative.

Meanwhile, Kushalpal Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Budhana police circle, told IANS that the health officials visited Nawazuddin's home and ordered a 14-day quarantine for them.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui's brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui revealed that the actor came to his ancestral place to celebrate Eid with his family.

An Indian Express report quoted a source as saying, "Nawaz sir's mom was keeping unwell due to her age. Hence the actor and his brother left for Muzaffarpur from Mumbai on May 12. They took all the necessary precautions and permissions. On reaching their home town, they quarantined themselves at their home. They were tested for coronavirus, and their reports have come negative. They will be with their mother until Eid."

Speaking about work, Nawazuddin will next be seen in Ghoomketu. The film also stars Anurag Kashyap, Ila Arun, Raghubir Yadav, Swanand Kirkire and Ragini Khanna in pivotal roles. Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha will be seen in a cameo in Ghoomketu. Produced by Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), the film is slated to release on Zee5 on May 22.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui Starrer Ghoomketu Poster Revealed

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Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam tonight dismissed criticism for the delay in adding lost sense of smell and taste to coronavirus symptoms - saying UK only adds 'useful' signs to its list.

The NHS has updated its guidance for the first time since the outbreak started, saying 'anosmia' is clearly linked to the virus and should be treated with the same amount of caution as a fever or a new cough.

Professor Van-Tam batted away claims the move has been too long coming this evening, and delivered a thinly-veiled jibe at the WHO for including a lengthy list of things for people to watch for.

He said the international body's symptoms feature 'tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, skin rash... even loss of speech or movement is something the WHO put on there'.

'So what we have had to do is some very careful analysis behind the scenes... we have taken our time in this country.'

Prof Van-Tam insisted anosmia was 'very rarely' the only symptom that occurs, saying that meant cases were not likely to have been missed.

The defence came after doctors welcomed the move but said it had 'taken too long', with the UK lagging behind other countries and the World Health Organization after nose and throat specialists first sounded the alarm about this in March.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said this morning that officials hoped adding anosmia to the list of official symptoms would help them to pick up two per cent more COVID-19 cases

The latest slides released by the government tonight showing the UK's coronavirus status

Until today, a fever or a new continuous cough had been the only officially recognised symptoms of the coronavirus. Now, anosmia - a lost or changed sense of smell or taste - will be added to the list

One researcher who runs King's College London's COVID Symptom Tracker app said up to 70,000 current coronavirus patients are roaming free or still working because the government is not warning people about minor symptoms.

Professor Tim Spector said his team have linked 14 symptoms to the virus but the Department of Health is only recognising three.

Ministers were last week warned that as many as one in four patients are unaware they have COVID-19 because they don't get a cough or fever, but do suffer from anosmia or other less well known signs.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said officials hope adding the symptom to the list will help medics to detect three per cent more patients.

'With a cough or fever, sensitivity was around 91 per cent,' he said in a telephone briefing this morning. 'By adding anosmia, in terms of case pick-up, we think that might go to 94 per cent.'

At the Downing Street briefing tonight, Prof Van-Tam said: 'What I can tell you is from the Public Health England data set, called the FF100 - the first few hundred cases - there are actually 229 cases in there, all laboratory-confirmed Covid, all of whom have been studied in considerable detail and 0.44 per cent reported anosmia on its own as a symptom.

'So, the point about anosmia is it doesn't always come as the first symptom.

'Even if it does, it is followed by the cough, the fever and many of the other symptoms I have talked about, referring to the WHO definition.

'So you don't miss those cases.

'The important thing was to work out if this would add any sensitivity to the diagnostic cluster we were using and the answer is that it makes a small - a very small - difference and we have therefore decided to do it.'

Professor Van-Tam added: 'The reason for making the change now is that there has been a signal around the importance of anosmia as a symptom of COVID-19 for a while now.

'It has been important to continue to look at that and be sure that we consider it and introduce it at the right time... this has been quite a difficult piece of science.'

ENT UK, which represents specialist ear, nose and throat doctors, last week accused government officials of 'clinical negligence' in taking so long to include anosmia on its official list of symptoms which require someone to self-isolate.

Professor Nirmal Kumar, the president of the association and a practising doctor in London, told MailOnline that anosmia was a worrying symptom because it didn't stop people carrying on with their lives and spreading the virus.

WHAT SYMPTOMS IS THE GOVERNMENT MISSING? Researchers at King's College London and healthcare science company, ZOE Global, are running an app called COVID Symptom Tracker, which is being used regularly by more than three million people. It works by people logging on every day to report, anonymously, how they are feeling and whether they have tested positive for coronavirus. They have come up with a list of at least 14 symptoms which, if someone reports having them, increases their likelihood of testing positive for coronavirus. This suggests they are symptoms of the disease. The top three, in bold, are the only ones officially recognised by the NHS and government. If someone phoned 111 and described their illness but did not have one of those three, they would be told they do not need to self-isolate. The 14 symptoms are: Fever

Persistent cough

Anosmia (lost smell/taste)

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

Diarrhoea

Delirium

Skipped meals

Abdominal pain

Chest pain

Hoarse voice

Skin rash

Hives

Severe muscle pain Advertisement

Fatigue, for example, would leave someone bed-ridden, while a cough might make someone think twice about going out in public, Professor Kumar said.

'We're relieved that this has finally been accepted but we alerted people about this eight weeks ago,' he said.

'Everyone else, including the World Health Organization, took it up urgently, but it has certainly taken too long here.

'The prevalence is widespread. We used to see these patients occasionally but now we see them regularly.

'If we had recognised this earlier we would have reduced the spread. The reproduction rate of the virus would have been lower.'

Professor Kumar added that research suggests around 20 per cent of young patients infected with the coronavirus may get anosmia as their only symptom.

Professor Tim Spector said that thousands of coronavirus patients are going under the government's radar because its symptom definitions are too narrow.

He said on BBC Radio 4 today: 'We list about 14 symptoms which we know are related to having a positive swab test, and these are not being picked up by the NHS.

'At the moment, people are being told to go back to work if they're a care worker, and they've got something like loss of smell or taste or severe muscle pains or fatigue - things that we know and we've shown are related to being swabbed positive.

'This country is missing the ball in underestimated cases but also putting people at risk, and continuing the epidemic.'

He pointed the blame at Public Health England, which experts say was told weeks ago about other symptoms of the disease.

A paper outlining the symptoms Professor Spector's COVID Symptom Tracker app has picked up on includes fever, persistent cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, delirium, skipped meals, abdominal pain, chest pain, hoarse voice, anosmia, skin rash, severe muscle pain and hives.

'There's no point telling people to be alert if they don't know the symptoms,' Professor Spector added.

The government has come under fire for not listing a lost sense of smell and taste as a symptom of coronavirus sooner. Pictured, the NHS website as it still appears

'At the moment they're not really being offered tests, and they're being told not to self isolate if they don't have the fever and the cough and it's probably around half of the people in the population who are in that situation.

'We are probably missing at the moment between 50,000 and 70,000 people out there who are infected. We know that their swab tests will be positive.

'Someone has got to urgently ask this question of why we're the only country in this crisis that isn't really widening our group of symptoms and get on with it and do something.'

It is not yet clear how many people who catch COVID-19 do lose their sense of smell, and Professor Van-Tam said estimates range from the 'teens' to more than 50 per cent.

But data collected by Public Health England about the first few hundreds patients in the UK has convinced officials that there is a strong enough link connecting the two.

The deputy CMO said today: 'We're absolutely sure that other symptoms exist, including symptoms you wouldn't usually associate with a respiratory virus, such as abdominal pain.

'Some are so non-specific they would cause more confusion than clarity. Fatigue, for example, is a genuine symptom of COVID but any number of people suffer fatigue for a variety of reasons.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted he had lost his sense of smell when he fell ill with the virus, but that it had returned soon after he recovered.

NOSE AND THROAT DOCTORS SOUNDED THE ALARM IN MARCH Specialist doctors called for the British Government to recognise anosmia - the loss or change of sense of smell and taste - as a symptom of COVID-19 two months ago. ENT UK, which represents ear, nose and throat doctors, said medics worldwide were seeing 'significantly' higher numbers of patients with the symptom. On March 25 ENT UK said in a statement: 'We believe this is related to COVID-19 infection. 'At present, many affected patients do not have other symptoms, or only mild disease, and therefore do not meet the criteria for testing. 'While loss of smell may be caused by other viruses, we think that it is reasonable to assume that COVID-19 is the cause until tests prove negative. 'We therefore advise that patients follow current guidelines for self-isolating if they develop new onset anosmia. This will also apply to cohabiting friends or family.' The government did not take up the call and did not add anosmia until the list today. On May 13, last Wednesday, the same organisation said in a scathing press release: 'We have been in regular contact with PHE regarding the utility of anosmia as a marker of infection. 'However, anosmia is not yet included in the list of associated symptoms used by the NHS 111 service. Key workers, often dealing with vulnerable groups, are told they must still go to work as they do not meet the criteria for diagnosis. 'At the time of writing, NHS 111 declares 'it is unlikely you have COVID-19' unless you have a cough or fever; loss of sense of smell and taste, myalgia, fatigue and gastrointestinal upset are all disregarded. 'In the face of the current evidence base, this now amounts to clinical negligence.' ENT UK today welcomed the announcement but said 'it has certainly taken too long'. Advertisement

Professor Van-Tam said officials in the UK had not rushed to include the symptom because it was not certain in many cases that people were losing their sense of smell or taste directly because of the coronavirus.

Other viruses which affect the airways are known to have the same effect, including common colds and the flu.

Adding the symptom to the list too soon may have caused confusion or led people without the virus to believe that they had it, the deputy CMO added.

In most cases people's senses do return to normal after their illness but it is possible that it can be permanent.

The UK's four chief medical officers, led by Professor Chris Whitty, said in a statement today: 'We have been closely monitoring the emerging data and evidence on COVID-19 and after thorough consideration, we are now confident enough to recommend this new measure.

'The individual's household should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines and the individual should stay at home for seven days, or longer if they still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell or taste.'

Today's step comes after government ministers were warned last week that the virus was going undetected in as many as a quarter or people who have it, because they had atypical symptoms.

NERVTAG, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, warned officials last week that more people say they are losing smell or taste than have a cough and fever together.

They called for the public to be given a 'wider perception' of signs that could indicate COVID-19, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Professor Peter Openshaw, an experimental medicine expert at Imperial College London, told the newspaper that as many as a quarter of patients could be missed.

He said: 'In the self-reported symptoms, the loss of sense of smell comes out as a very, very frequent one.

'But in terms of how often that would actually lead to a diagnosis of COVID, that's not quite clear...

'It is important people have a wider perception of how it may present.'

Scientists today welcomed the news that anosmia had been added to the list but echoed concerns that it had taken so long.

Professor Carl Philpott, a rhinology expert at the University of East Anglia, said: 'The announcement that the CMOs have now recognised smell and taste disturbances is extremely welcome, albeit much later than other European counterparts and at least two weeks after the WHO added it to their list.

'This will hopefully now be another measure by which the pandemic can be contained, especially as in some people it may be the only symptom or may precede other symptoms.

'This is particularly pertinent in healthcare workers where reports of smell and taste disturbances have been commonplace, meaning the transfer of infection from colleagues to each other and to uninfected patients will have been happening unchecked.

'There will also be a recognition that although many patients will recover these senses, the need for ongoing support will be faced by a minority in whom these sensory losses persist.'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui

New Delhi: Famous Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiquis fans and family members have received news of relief as Nawazuddin Siddiquis corona test came back negative.

Nawazuddin had recently returned home from a lockdown in Mumbai with permission from his hometown. He was quarantined at his home in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. After which Siddiqui was tested for corona virus in which his report is negative.

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PhotoNawazuddin's loved ones and family members have breathed a sigh of relief after the report came to light. He has been in home quarantine for the last four days.

Shooting has stopped across the country due to the lockdown. The work of the film-TV industry has come to a standstill due to the halt in shooting.

All the stars are in their homes. In such a situation, Nawazuddin decided that he should return home instead of staying in Mumbai.

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At home, he quarantined himself and then had a corona test. Nawazuddin is expected to return to Mumbai only after the lockdown opens.

CoronavirusNawazuddin is one of the biggest stars of Bollywood. He has made a name for himself by acting in many Hindi films.

Nawazuddin's film Ghoomketu is going to be released on OTT platform soon. It has been decided to release it on G5.

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Anurag Kashyap, Ila Arun, Raghubir Yadav, Swanand Kirkire and Ragini Khanna have worked with Nawazuddin in Ghumketu. It will be released on May 22.
Sudan's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said it is greatly concerned about the latest developments of the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file.

In a statement on Sunday, DUP noted that it closely follows up the negotiations among Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, and all endeavors aimed at reaching a settlement that is satisfactory to all the parties concerned.

The Sudanese party expressed its regret over Ethiopia's unilateral move to fill and operate GERD without agreement with the Nile River downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan), lauding the Sudanese transitional government's conservative stance towards signing a partial agreement on the dam.

It warned that Sudan could be seriously affected if any harm happened to the dam after its operation.

It called on the transitional government to consult all parties and experts before taking any decision related to the dam.

DUP expressed its understanding of the Egyptian worries, calling on the Sudanese government to listen to the Egyptian vision.

It stressed its refusal of any bilateral agreement between Ethiopia and any downstream country.

Filling GERD without a tripartite agreement will make the three parties fight a losing battle, it added.

It called for the resumption of trilateral negotiations with a new positive spirit to resolve all the outstanding points and reach a just agreement achieving the interests of the three states

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On the day that 36-year-old Delaware County musician Keith Palumbo went missing from his Drexel Hill home, he was driving in his mothers silver Subaru with two other men when he got a call from alleged Warlocks Motorcycle Club member Michael DeLuca, telling him to go to DeLucas Southwest Philadelphia apartment.

After the three men arrived at DeLucas first-floor apartment on the 7000 block of Woodland Avenue on Feb. 6, DeLuca, also known as Kaos, immediately pulled out a handgun and began pointing the gun at Palumbo, court documents show. Palumbo began to protest and told Kaos not to point the gun at him."

But DeLuca suddenly shot Palumbo once in the face with the handgun, the documents say, citing an account of one of the other men allegedly in the apartment at the time. The documents did not name the witness and did not say why DeLuca allegedly killed Palumbo.

Palumbos body and that of another man were found by police April 3 inside a crypt in the closed Mount Moriah Cemetery in Southwest Philadelphia. Philadelphia police have said they believe the body of the second man is that of David Rossillo of Drexel Hill, who would have been 35 today. Relatives of Rossillos have declined to comment.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for DeLuca, 38, of Delaware County, on charges of murder, conspiracy, abuse of corpse, and related offenses in Palumbos death. He has been in federal custody since his April 2 arrest in Cheyenne, Wyo., when police during a traffic stop found a loaded .40-caliber pistol under the drivers seat of his black Cadillac. He has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and is expected to face court proceedings in Wyoming before being brought back to Philadelphia, authorities have said.

Earlier this month, police arrested and charged Billy Gibson, 47, of Drexel Hill, with conspiracy, hindering apprehension, abuse of corpse, and related offenses in connection with the disposal of Palumbos body. He has not been charged with murder.

According to the affidavit of probable cause for Gibsons arrest, Gibson was one of the two men who went with Palumbo to DeLucas apartment on Feb. 6. The second man, the unnamed witness, told police that they were all associated with the Warlocks Motorcycle Club."

The witness told police that after DeLuca shot Palumbo, DeLuca ordered him and Gibson to cut up the carpets that were bloodstained and to roll the victims body up in the carpet," the affidavit says. DeLuca then left in Palumbos Subaru and returned a short time later in a red pickup truck owned by Donna Morelli, 48, who lives on the 6400 block of Trinity Street, the document says. The witness told police DeLuca and Gibson then placed Palumbos body in the pickup and left.

A relative of Palumbos has said that Palumbo was not a Warlocks member and was a friend of DeLucas from childhood.

Four days after Palumbos body was found in the crypt, police interviewed a second witness who told them that in early February, DeLuca and Gibson arrived at that persons house, and DeLuca said he killed Palumbo and needed help disposing the body. This witness, who was not identified in the affidavit, said that DeLuca and Gibson threw Palumbos body into a crypt at the cemetery.

It is not known whether Morelli, whose house is across from the cemetery and who had until recently been listed as a member of the board of directors of the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, is the second witness. Efforts to reach her have been unsuccessful.

Her attorney, William Davis Jr. of Media, said Monday that he and Morelli had no comment on the case.

Kenneth Smith, board president of the Friends of Mount Moriah, the nonprofit formed to preserve the cemetery, which closed in 2011, has referred questions to Philadelphia police, who have declined to comment on Morelli.

The Woodland Avenue building where DeLuca was living is owned by Warlocks MC LLC, and the mailing address for the property is listed as Morellis Trinity Street home. Morelli was married to Eric Martinson, the former leader of the local Warlocks group, who died in September 2015, according to an obituary. A daughter of Martinsons later said that the two were not actually married.

In a 2016 Philadelphia Magazine article, Morelli, described as having tattooed arms and biker-gang ties that give her the aura of a Wild West outlaw, was mentioned as participating in cemetery cleanup efforts with the Friends group and patrolling the grounds to keep it safe.

Gibson remains in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia. The Defender Association of Philadelphia, listed as representing him, has declined to comment on his case.
A retired federal judge appointed to oppose the Justice Department's bid to dismiss former national security adviser Michael Flynn's guilty plea to lying to the FBI requested on Monday a hearing for oral arguments after he briefs the court.

The request for a hearing sets the stage for a pitched legal and political battle triggered by Attorney General William Barr's April 30 move to undo the conviction of the highest-ranking adviser to President Donald Trump convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan last week paused the case to hear from outside groups and appointed former New York federal judge John Gleeson to argue against the Justice Department request to undo Flynn's charges. Sullivan also asked Gleeson to examine whether the former three-star general may have committed perjury.

Trump supporters and some conservative legal analysts have cheered Barr's conclusion that the president's former national security adviser should never have been interviewed by the FBI in January 2017 and that therefore his lies concealing his Russian contacts were immaterial to any crime. Flynn pleaded guilty that December to concealing his talks about U.S. sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

But the department has been badly split - and many legal experts have been outraged - as insiders and thousands of Justice Department alumni claim the institution is being politicized and bent to Trump's will.

The struggle is marked by legal and political arguments over Sullivan's authority to stop prosecutors and the defense from jointly moving to reverse a conviction. It has also set off a debate over whether Barr's move is compromising the integrity of the department and courts and whether Trump should pardon his former aide instead of pushing a court to reluctantly sign off on his exoneration.

Gleeson on Monday proposed that the judge allow the government and outside groups to respond after he files his argument in three weeks. Also Monday, in one of the first publicly released draft filings to advise the court, more than 960 former Justice Department prosecutors accused Barr of appearing to serve the president's personal political interests. The prosecutors, whose service dates to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration, said in the filing that Barr violated his oath to faithfully execute the law and helped Trump undermine the Constitution by giving an aide impunity to lie to government investigators.

In a 34-page friend-of-the-court brief organized by attorneys with the nonpartisan, nonprofit group Protect Democracy and Harvard Law School professor Andrew Manuel Crespo, former prosecutors argued that Supreme Court precedent gives Sullivan authority to undertake "a searching review" of Flynn's case and to "protect the public interest in the evenhanded enforcement of our laws."

"Our democracy is safe only when the enormous power of federal law enforcement is applied equally to all citizens based on facts and the law, rather than the political whims of a particular president," the group wrote. "President Trump and Attorney General Barr have flouted these principles by seeking to dismiss the prosecution of Michael Flynn for what appear to be partisan political reasons."

The group said the FBI had indisputably legitimate grounds to investigate Flynn's lies. The government previously said Flynn's lies went to the heart of the investigation of whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia's intervention in the 2016 U.S. election, whether Flynn was seeking to reward Russia at Trump's direction or others', and whether his lies exposed Flynn to Russian blackmail.

Federal law criminalizes lying in any matter under court, congressional or executive-branch jurisdiction, the group said. The FBI has a dual mission to investigate crimes as well as national security threats that may not be criminal, the group also argued.

A Justice Department reading of the law that only lies by people under an open, valid investigation can be charged "could well call into question myriad past and future prosecutions," since investigators now can and often do open investigations once a subject lies, or lies to try to avert one, the filing asserted.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying in an FBI interview on Jan. 24, 2017, four days after taking office, regarding conversations with Russia's ambassador about not escalating hostilities over new U.S. sanctions and other late Obama administration policies ahead of Trump taking office.

In its April 30 motion to abandon Flynn's prosecution, the Justice Department cited recently uncovered FBI records showing the bureau had decided to close a counterintelligence investigation of Flynn before learning of his December 2016 calls with then-Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The Justice Department also said the FBI knew from transcripts that the calls probably did not give rise to a crime by themselves and that FBI officials differed over how to handle or interpret his actions.

Citing "frail and shifting justifications for its ongoing probe," the FBI's irregular moves to question him and earlier abuses in surveillance applications, the government concluded that Flynn's interview "was untethered to, and unjustified by the FBI's counterintelligence investigation" and that it was "conducted without any legitimate investigative basis."

Some Justice Department veterans and many conservative commentators have assailed Sullivan's actions as an overreach given the department's judgment. Brett Tolman, former U.S. attorney for Utah, called the judge's actions "outrageous" in a Fox News interview, citing the deference courts have said judges usually should give prosecutors in dismissal motions.

In 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit wrote that while the government may dismiss charges only "with leave of court," the judiciary "generally lacks authority to second-guess" executive branch decisions and such judgments "lie squarely within the ken of prosecutorial discretion."

Separately Monday, 15 Republican state attorneys, led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, called on Sullivan to dismiss Flynn's case immediately without commentary, saying that "such punditry disrobes the judiciary of its cloak of impartiality."

"The federal judiciary has no authority to make the executive branch pursue (or continue to pursue) a criminal conviction," the GOP officials wrote in another friend-of-the-court brief, adding, "The decision to charge a crime is a critically important function, deliberately left to the executive branch alone."

Others legal scholars disagree, however, and say the D.C. court and other federal appeals courts give judges authority to hold hearings, hear evidence and guard against dubious dismissals that benefit powerful and well-connected defendants without basis in fact, in bad faith and against the public interest.

- - -

The Washington Post's Carol D. Leonnig contributed to this report.
We recently saw people forced to choose between their personal safety and their right to vote in Wisconsin. We still dont know the full damage caused by holding the Wisconsin primary without expanded mail-in voting options, but regardless we cannot ever let it happen again.

This year we are faced with a great challenge in ensuring every eligible voter gets access to the ballot while also keeping themselves and their loved ones safe. This is a challenge that we can meet and overcome, but its going to take working together to implement solutions that may change the way we are used to voting, including by casting our ballot at home and returning it by mail.

Voting by mail is not a new idea. In fact, its been tried and tested in states across the country. In the 2018 midterm election, 27% of all voters cast their ballot by mail. In states that have used vote-by-mail extensively, such as Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Utah and California, it has proven successful in increasing access to the ballot while also ensuring elections are fair and secure.

Vote-by-mail and early voting reforms have traditionally focused on ensuring that voters who cant make it to the polls on Election Day because of work, school, family, health or other reasons are still able to vote. But now there are even more important reasons as we tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voting by mail provides an important solution to both protect the public health and the peoples right to vote. Thats why Republican and Democratic election officials and governors across the country are turning to vote-by-mail as a solution in this crisis  from Republican Govs. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Mike DeWine of Ohio, to Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

As support for vote-by-mail has grown among voters and political leaders alike, it has also been the focus of misleading attacks by President Donald Trump. So, let me take a minute to clear a few things up. First, there is absolutely no evidence that vote-by-mail benefits one party over the other. It has been implemented in both Republican and Democratic states and has been deployed as an electoral strategy by both parties. In fact, GOP officials have openly admitted they used vote-by-mail as a strategy to help elect Trump in 2016.

Second, there is no evidence to suggest that vote-by-mail is less secure than in-person voting. In fact, vote-by-mail is a paper-based system that is not susceptible to cyberattack and can be easily audited by election officials to make sure the election results are accurate.

This is all to say that vote-by-mail is a great solution so voters do not have to pick between their right to vote and their personal safety amid a pandemic. But it cant be the only solution. We know vote-by-mail doesnt always work for everyone and every community. That is especially true for Native Americans, the disability community, neighborhoods where people who speak other languages or do not have reliable postal service or move often. We also have to make sure that when states do expand mail-in voting options, they are doing it in a way that doesnt lead to ballots being rejected or votes being suppressed.

Ultimately, even as we expand vote-by-mail options, we must continue to employ other ways to ensure voting access to all eligible Americans  by offering voters some safe in-person voting options if possible and by expanding ways for voters to engage with the voting process. That includes expanding early voting opportunities, promoting online voter registration, extending voter registration deadlines and exploring more novel voting experiences like curbside, drive-by and mobile voting. These options, along with mail-in ballots, are common-sense approaches to protect the vote in the COVID-19 crisis.

As states contend with the economic realities of a global pandemic, however, we must ensure that they have the resources to take on these new reforms. Thankfully, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are now leading the important fight for additional funding for our elections. In order to ensure voting is secure and accessible for everyone in 2020, we will need Congress to dedicate at least $4 billion in the next stimulus package. This funding will allow states to adopt systems that are the best option for their communities and voters.

The pandemic we are facing is challenging on many fronts, but we cannot let our elections  and by extension our democracy  fall victim to COVID-19. If we work together to advocate for and implement solutions like vote-by-mail and expanded early voting, we can help ensure that our democracy survives this crisis.

Sylvia Albert is the director of voting and elections at Common Cause, which since 1970 has been holding power accountable through lobbying, litigation and grassroots organizing. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.

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Members of "G.rium Ensemble" pose in this photo. From left are cellist Choi Jeong-joo, violinist Ryu Si-yeon, flutist Yoon Hye-ri, pianist Lee Hyung-min, violist Shin Yoon-kyung and violinist Lee Kyung-sun. Courtesy of Universal Music Korea



Six classical musicians release album featuring folk music, children's songs



By Park Ji-won



Classical musicians tend to be orthodox when it comes to their musical turf, and thus they rarely traverse musical boundaries. A group of musicians, however, broke that norm and crossed genre lines to release an album featuring folk music and children's songs played in an ensemble format traditionally labelled as "classical."





Cover image of G.rium ensemble's recent album "Mama, Sister," released on May 4 / Courtesy of Universal Music Korea



Now in its third year "G.rium Ensemble," consisting of university music professors  pianist Lee Hyung-min of Dankook University, violinist Lee Kyung-sun of Seoul National University, violinist Ryu Si-yeon of Sookmyung Women's University, violist Shin Yoon-kyung of Kookmin University, cellist Choi Jeong-joo of Chugye University for the Arts and flutist Yoon Hye-ri of Seoul National University  released "Mama, Sister," the first album of the troupe on May 4 to celebrate Family Month. The album includes 12 locally famous songs such as "Arirang," "Spring in My Hometown" and "Pong-dang Pong-dang."



Although rare, they are not the first classical musicians to play arrangements of nursery rhythms and traditional songs.



Since 2015, pianist and Seoul National University professor Park Jong-hwa has been running a project to play children's songs on piano and other instruments traditionally associated with Western art music. And pianist Chung Myung-whun and cellist Chung Myung-wha played traditional songs on their 1994 album.



Compared with these two projects, the work of the ensemble members is more diverse in terms of format. They also sometimes play music in trio or quartet settings.



Also, the songs are sophisticatedly arranged in concerto and fantasy forms suitable for the group's instrumentation.





Pianist Lee Hyung-min, a professor at Dankook University and a member of performing group "G.rium Ensemble," speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at its headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
A Gonzales man who was fatally shot by law enforcement Sunday after firing at East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies through the rear window of an SUV  injuring one of the law officers  had recently finished a 17-year prison sentence for federal gun and drug infractions, according to local and federal authorities.

Sunday's incident started when deputies attempted to make a traffic stop near Pecue Lane and Airline Highway about 7:30 a.m. after noticing that the driver, 39-year-old Bernard Ledlow, appeared to be falling asleep at the wheel, according to the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office.

Ledlow fled in the vehicle and crashed several miles away on Kendalwood and Hoo Shoo Too roads, officials said. During the chase, authorities said, he fired a rifle through his back windshield at pursuing law officers and at a deputy who had been setting up road spikes.

After crashing, Ledlow ran into the woods while shooting at deputies, and one of the shots grazed a deputy's leg, authorities said. The deputy was treated at a hospital for his injury.

Manhunt ends in fatal shooting of man who shot, injured EBRSO deputy, officials say A man who shot and injured an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy Sunday morning has been fatally shot by law enforcement after a manhunt

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said deputies found Ledlow about six hours later in the woods. It led to a confrontation that ended when a deputy shot and killed him, the sheriff said.

Sundays manhunt triggered a large law enforcement response as authorities created a perimeter around the woods on Kendalwood near the Amite River. Officials evacuated homes in the area and deployed search dogs, helicopters and boats along the river.

About 10 residents were removed from their homes after deputies lost sight of Ledlow when he ran into the woods.

"We're very relieved the suspect is no longer a threat to the people living there, Gautreaux said.

Earlier this year, law enforcement circulated a bulletin across agencies warning them that Ledlow was a potential danger to officers and the public, the sheriff said.

Ledlow was released from federal prison in January after serving a 17-year sentence for possessing a gun with the serial code scratched off as well as a drug sale infraction in 2003, according to federal records.

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He had been arrested 13 times and convicted of a pair of felonies in Ascension Parish before his federal conviction, U.S. District Court filings show.

The cases include a felony armed robbery conviction after Ledlow held up a Gonzales bar at gunpoint in 1999, according to Ascension Parish court records.

The felony infractions barred Ledlow from legally possessing a gun, and he was on supervised release for three years following his release from federal prison.

Gautreaux described the rifle as an "assault" rifle and added that the SUV he was driving belonged to a neighbor who lent it to Ledlow.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office didn't release the name of the deputy who was injured nor the names of the deputies who encountered Ledlow before shooting him Sunday.

Gautreaux said the Sheriff's Office will investigate the officer-involved shooting.

The shooting comes just weeks after a gunman fatally shot a Baton Rouge police officer and seriously injured another as they were investigating a homicide.

The shooter in that April 26 incident, Ronnie DeWayne Kato Jr., was charged with first-degree murder and faces the death penalty after prosecutors said they would pursue it in the days following the shooting.

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said in a statement Sunday about the Ledlow incident that responding law enforcement showed bravery in the face of extreme danger.

A simple traffic stop escalated into reckless violence, she said. Im glad to hear the injured deputy has been released from the hospital.
White House Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro speaks during a briefing on the CCP virus pandemic in the press briefing room of the White House on March 27, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Buy American, Deregulate, Innovate Agenda to Drive Comeback From COVID-19: Navarro

White House trade adviser and Defense Production Act (DPA) coordinator Peter Navarro said on May 17 that the essence of the Trump administrations plan to rebuild the U.S. economy is to buy American, deregulate, and innovate.

Navarro, director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, told NBCs Meet the Press and ABCs This Week that President Donald Trumps administration plans to pursue policies to bring key supply chains back to the United States, as concerns continue to mount about the countrys dependence on China, now amplified by the CCP virus pandemic.

This president built up the most beautiful economy in three and a half years, and the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] crippled that in 30 days, Navarro told NBCs Chuck Todd on May 17.

He is going to rebuild this economy based on three things: buy American, deregulate, and innovate, he said. Were going to start by bringing home the pharmaceutical and medical supplies chains here, using things like the DPA and other private sector enterprises.

Navarro said the White Houses supply chain efforts will also focus on creating domestic jobs as the United States sees rising unemployment as a result of virus containment measures.

Nearly 36.5 million Americans have filed claims for unemployment benefits since mid-March, with 2.981 million for the week ending May 9, according to the Labor Department.

That is where this Trump ship is headingits jobs, its buy American, its make stuff here, Navarro said. And for every service sector job we may lose in this transition, were going to replace those with manufacturing [jobs], and things are going to be great.

Bring the jobs home and make it here, Navarro told ABC, adding that Trumps buy American, deregulate, and innovate agenda will benefit both the economy and national security.

The White House trade adviser made reference to the swift production of ventilators by General Motors and ventilator firm Ventec Life Systems on domestic soil after Trump invoked the DPA in late March.

We had a serious crisis back at the time. This was a miracle, and in some sense a microcosm for the future, Navarro told NBC. Using the DPA  700 pieces go into that ventilator, and General Motors was able to use its manufacturing platform to go out to its supply chain to replicate virtually all of those here on domestic soil.

So using the DPA, we were able to move at an incredible speed, innovate, and bring ventilator production right here on domestic soil.

We can replicate that throughout this economy, repurposing our factories, Navarro told ABC. This is the jobs president, the innovation president, the manufacturing president, and this is how were going to get through the other end of thisthis crisis here.

Navarros remarks came just days after Trump said the pandemic highlights the vulnerabilities of supply chains whose components are located in different parts of the world.

We have a supply chain where theyre made in all different parts of the world, Trump told Fox Businesss Maria Bartiromo on May 14.

And one little piece of the world goes bad, and the whole thing is messed up, Trump said, referring to the virus outbreak in Wuhan, China.

We should have them all in the United States, said the president, who has long pledged to bring manufacturing of key supply-chain components back from overseas.

The president told reporters on May 14 during a visit to a Pennsylvania distributor of medical equipment that his goal is to produce everything America needs for ourselves and then export to the world, including medicines.
Ukraine expects Russia's senior military and political leadership to be held accountable on charges of involvement in downing MH17 flight in Donbas in 2014.

"We follow the trial in the Netherlands with great interest and attention. It was not easy for us to reach that stage. In particular, I was an active participant in these negotiations for some time. We are well aware that this trial can last for several years. We are confident that this list will not be limited and that we can expect that senior military and political leadership of the Russian Federation will be brought to justice in the future," Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevheniy Yenin said in an interview with the Radio Liberty.

The official thinks that a judgement in MH17 trial will be delivered in a few years at least.

"Such trials are not quick. In addition, the speed should not harm the quality. We need quality, since we fully understand all the risks of further appealing the corresponding judgments in the European Court of Human Rights," Yenin said, adding that Ukraine's goal is to bring the Russian Federation and its top leadership to justice for violations of international law, the annexation of Crimea, military intervention in Donbas, including the downing of MH17.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, the factor of inevitability is important and prioritized.

"We see the circle around Russia shrinking gradually," Yenin noted.

As reported, the hearings within MH17 trial took place on March 9, 10, and 23, 2020. The next hearing will be held on June 8.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died. The JIT reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk.

In May 2018, the Netherlands and Australia formally accused Russia of being responsible for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet.

On June 19, 2019, the international Joint Investigation Team named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called defense minister of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing  colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the so-called Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk Peoples Republic; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic.

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Leah Soroka, Program Manager, ECA Agricultural Financial Services, IFC

The crop receipt is a simple and efficient financial instrument that enables farmers to use their future crops as collateral to access financing to buy inputs like seeds and fertilizer. In Ukraine, in over just a few years, more than 2,000 farmers have issued 4,000 crop receipts to obtain over $1 billion of financing. This is significant for a country where the agricultural sector is a key economic driver and major employer.

Just five years ago, a majority of Ukrainian farmers were not even aware that this instrument existed. Lacking collateral, they could not obtain the financing they desperately needed to run their farms. Ukraines Law on Crop Receipts was passed in 2012 to address this issue but because of limited knowledge of the instrument and insufficient institutional environment, Ukrainian farmers and creditors did not use it.

In 2015, IFC partnered with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) to launch a five-year project aimed at facilitating pre-season financing for farmers. IFC already had experience in helping implement a crop receipts program in Brazil and could use lessons learned to create awareness among Ukraines farmers and creditors.

The project, consisting of awareness campaigns and training sessions, also involved working with government partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Justice, to develop and launch a single, publicly-accessible electronic Crop Receipt Register and establish an efficient regulatory environment, such as accelerated out-of-court enforcement procedures to protect creditor rights. With this kind of legal support, creditors gained the confidence to use the instrument to lend to farmers.

Thanks to the project, the use of crop receipts increased exponentially. Here are a few reasons why the project is such a success:

Active training of creditors led to around 200 lenders agreeing to finance against crop receipts, thus dramatically improving farmers access to finance.

Extensive nationwide farmer training and media outreach increased public awareness on the possibilities of using crop receipts.

The crop receipts instrument was diversified in multiple agricultural segmentstraditional grains and oilseeds, horticulture, niche, and organic production, resulting in 40 unique value chains used by farmers as collateral.

The project especially targeted micro and small farmers, a segment of farmers that lacked collateral and therefore had limited access to financing.

Crop receipts got a boost when new currency regulations were introduced in 2019 by the National Bank of Ukrainethe regulations allowed the purchase of foreign currency to settle obligations under crop receipts issued to non-residents. This meant that even smaller Ukrainian farmers could access cheaper financing from outside the country, a privilege till then enjoyed by only very large farmers. Under the regulations, even farmers with around 100 hectares can issue crop receipts to access foreign capital to buy high-quality inputs, equipment, and machinery to increase yields and profitability and also make direct grain-supply contracts with foreign buyers. In just one year, Ukrainian farmers have issued 21 international crop receipts and received $7 million of working capital financing.

During the project, interactions with farmers, financial institutions, and input suppliers helped collect valuable feedback on how crop receipts could be improved to make the instrument faster to obtain and cheaper to register. These changes are embedded into the new draft Law on Crop Receiptssubmitted to Parliament in Aprilthat enables crop receipts to be transformed into an electronic document. Thia means borrowers can sign with electronic signatures and transact through their online personal accounts.

The new draft law also defines crop receipts as a security, which can be traded on the stock exchange. The law will also expand crop receipts to new value chains, including livestock production and primary processing of agricultural products, increase access to finance to agricultural cooperatives, strengthen creditors rights, and also create refinancing opportunities for creditors.

As Ukraine opens up its land market next year, farmers will need more financing for working capital to plant crops. Creditors also will require new instruments to manage increased financing demands from farmers. Lessons can be learned from Brazil, where creation of a secondary market for crop receipts through the securitization of agricultural receivables brought additional liquidity to agriculture. In Brazil, this move increased available financing for farmers from $3 billion to $17 billion per year. IFC is now researching how capital markets development in Ukraine could provide new financing to agriculture. This could be the next step in IFCs efforts to help Ukraine realize its agribusiness potential and accelerate economic growth.
Hes definitely one of the lucky ones. Historically, college graduates entering the work force during a recession have faced setbacks that can last a decade or longer.

Its a frightening time to be looking for a first job, said Jesse Rothstein, a senior economist in the Obama administration who teaches public policy and economics at Berkeley. If you dont get a good job when you start out, it hurts you not just now but for years to come.

In the short term, young graduates are more likely to be unemployed or settle for lower-paying work. They often miss out on valuable training that can set them on a career path and, once the economy recovers, they have permanently lower employment and earnings, Rothstein found in a study published last year on the impact of the 2008 recession on college grads.

Whether the Class of 2020 will face long-term setbacks depends on the severity of the recession and the speed of economic recovery, he said. The longer it lasts, the worse the damage.

As he struggles to find work, Tyler Lyson is considering leaving Berkeley to move back home to Post Falls, Idaho, where its cheaper, even though it would feel like giving up on his dreams.
Mumbai, May 18 : Amid the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, actress Urvashi Rautela says stray animals are dying of starvation, and has urged people to take care of them.

"I would request all the animal lovers to take care of street dogs that have been starving during the lockdown period with whatsoever food because I kind of realise that these canines are dying of starvation as no food is available to them due to the lockdown to avoid the spread of COVID-19," Urvashi said.

"Now there is no facility so it's resulting in their starvation. We should feed them and believe me it will give us immense satisfaction, especially for animal lovers. Government NGOs are providing food for daily wage workers and poor people but not many people are bothered about stray animals who are not getting food due to the lockdown. We need to shower the same affection on the beings who cannot speak," added the actress.

On her part, Urvashi makes sure she goes to feed stray dogs.

Meanwhile, Urvashi has also donated Rs 5 crore to aid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and says we need to get together and no donation is too small.

"I am extremely grateful to everyone, whatever they are doing, not only to actors, politicians, musicians or professional athletes, but also to the common people, because we all need to be together, and we all need their support, and no donation is too small, and together we can help the world to beat this," Urvashi said at that time.
The Trade Union Federation (TUF), which includes SIPTU, BATU and CONNECT trade unions, have called on construction employers to ensure that maximum protection is provided for workers as they return to work this week.

SIPTU Construction Sector Organiser, John Regan, said: While we welcome the fact that the National Protocol makes it obligatory for employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees on building sites, they need extra protection. Our members require more specific and written assurances which detail how the regulation of the new Covid-19 measures will be monitored in a meaningful way between worker representatives, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the employers. In the past, we have had a situation where construction workers were penalised after raising safety issues and this situation must not be repeated during this crisis.#

Connect General Secretary, Brian Nolan said: Where employers cannot provide a safe working environment, they must determine what steps are required to create one. If all appropriate actions have been taken, including obtaining advice from the HSA, and the threat from the virus persists, the employer must close the workplace.

BATU General Secretary, Brendan OSullivan said: The Covid-19 team which is monitoring the health and safety protocol should not be exposed to risk. These key personnel must receive all the necessary training and have a structured framework, which should be regularly audited, within the workplace in order to be effective in preventing the spread of the virus. They should also be clearly identifiable to all workers on the site.

SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Karan O Loughlin, said: We must ensure that there is no further lockdown as a result of a fresh surge in the virus and also avoid a repetition of the appalling situation in the red meat industry. We dont believe that the normal self-regulation mechanisms are appropriate under the current circumstances and a representative forum of workers and employers is required to co-ordinate with the HSA and its inspection process.
Foreign investors in India went on an aggressive selling spree in the March quarter with India-focussed offshore funds and ETFs witnessing a net outflow of whopping $5 billion compared to just $2.1 billion recorded in the previous quarter. This was the eighth consecutive quarter that this segment recorded net losses, according to 'Offshore Fund Spy' report by Morningstar India.

Of the total outflows from the category, the offshore funds witnessed net outflows of $3.6 billion, whereas offshore ETFs recorded net outflows of $1.4 billion owing to risk-averse sentiment after the spread of coronavirus and the resultant lockdown. "The scenario was not very conducive even before the lockdown was announced - with slowdown in economic growth and fall in corporate earnings being major concerns," noted Morningstar.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: What activities will be allowed in red zones from today?

An offshore India fund is one that is not domiciled in India but invests primarily in Indian equity markets. These are some of the key investment vehicles through which foreign investors invest in India. With them making an exodus, the asset base of the India-focussed offshore funds and ETFs also took a severe beating.

The asset size shrunk by almost 40 per cent to $29.8 billion in the March quarter from $49.4 billion recorded in the previous quarter. Consequently, the percentage allocation of these funds in the total offshore fund assets of Indian equity markets dropped to 18 per cent from 20 per cent in the December quarter.

"The future trend of the flows in the India-focussed offshore fund and ETF category would revolve around how India fares in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic versus other comparable countries and how the government brings the country's dwindling economy back on track amid multiple hindrances," says the report.

Looking into the performance, the category fell by 31.6 per cent during the quarter compared to 28.5 per cent fall in the S&P BSE Sensex. The S&P BSE Midcap and S&P BSE Small cap indexes slipped 29.4 per cent and 29.9 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, US dollar-denominated MSCI India USD Index clocked a negative return of 31.1 per cent.

The quarter also saw foreign institutional investors pulling out $6.4 billion from the Indian equity markets and $9.5 billion from the Indian debt markets. April saw a net outflow of $904 million from the equity space, while May turned out to be a positive month with FIIs turning net buyers for the month. They have pumped in net assets worth $2.8 billion so far till May 12.

"With the expectation of selective relaxation in the lockdown and a gradual opening of economic activity in the country, foreign investors will be closely watching the developments on this front and for how quickly India gets back on the path of economic growth. They will continue to watch the coronavirus, its spread, and its likely impact on the economy while making investment decisions in India," the report says.

Also Read: Massive dues from govt are hurting MSMEs more than coronavirus

Also Read: Delhi Lockdown 4.0 Rules: Essential shops allowed to reopen, buses, taxis can run, says CM Arvind Kejriwal
California Begins Distributing COVID-19 Aid to Illegal Immigrants

California officials started to distribute financial assistance on May 18 for illegal immigrants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each individual can receive $500 in direct assistance, if they qualify, with a maximum of $1,000 in assistance per household. A household is defined as persons who live and purchase and prepare meals together.

To qualify, people must provide proof that they are illegal immigrants. They must also show theyre not eligible for federal COVID-19-related assistance and have experienced hardship as a result of the pandemic, according to the states Department of Social Services.

Some 150,000 illegal immigrants are expected to receive financial assistance. If that projection holds, $75 million would be distributed.

People applied through various nonprofits to receive the funds. If approved, theyll receive cards with the funds either through picking it up in person or by mail.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced the payments in April.

This is a state that steps up to help those in need, regardless of status, he said at a press conference.

One out of 10 workers in the state are illegal immigrants, according to state officials.

Farm laborers with Fresh Harvest arrive in the early morning to begin harvesting in Greenfield, Calif., on April 28, 2020. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

An overrepresentation of that workforce is undocumented in the areas that are so essential to meeting the needs of tens of millions of Californians todayin the health care sector, in the agriculture and food sector, in the manufacturing and logistics sector, and in the construction sector, Newsom added.

Many mixed-status families are having trouble taking care of their families. We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportation that are still addressing the essential needs of tens of millions of Californians.

The state is providing the $75 million in assistance. A group of philanthropic partners, including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation, is providing an additional $50 million to distribute to families of illegal immigrants.

With the federal government and so many states failing to provide undocumented immigrants the economic and health supports all Americans deserve, I hope that corporations, foundations, and individuals across the country will join us in providing the emergency relief these members of our community need to weather this challenging time, Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of the Emerson Collective, said in a statement.

Legal complaints lodged to try to stop the distribution of funds to illegal aliens were blocked, one by the California Supreme Court on May 6 and one by the Los Angeles Superior Court on May 5.

According to the Center of American Liberty, which filed one of the emergency petitions, state and federal laws prohibit extending unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants.

The Governor made clear in his comments that he is giving $75 million in lieu of unemployment benefits that state and federal law bar to aliens working here illegally, Harmeet Dhillon, CEO of the center, said in a statement. It is also concerning that unnamed nonprofits, who have no accountability to the taxpayer, are going to receive and distribute taxpayer dollars.

Judicial Watch filed the other complaint, asserting that Newsom lacks authority from state lawmakers to provide the funds.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
The entire office building need not be closed if one or two cases of COVID-19 are reported there and work can resume after it is disinfected as per protocol, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours. All staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation, it said in the guidelines on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

The document outlines the preventive and response measures to be observed to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

It stated that any staff reportedly suffering from a flu-like illness should not attend office and seek medical advice from local health authorities. Such persons, if diagnosed as a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19 should immediately inform office authorities, it said.

"Any staff requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home. DoPT guidelines with respect to organizing meetings, coordinating visitors shall be scrupulously followed," the guidelines stated.

The high-risk exposure contacts will be quarantined for 14 days and they will follow the guidelines on home quarantine and undergo testing as per ICMR protocol while low-risk exposure contacts shall continue to work and closely monitor their health for next 14 days, the ministry stated in the guidelines.

It stated that since offices and other workplaces are relatively close setting with shared spaces like corridors, elevators and stairs, cafeteria, meeting rooms and conference halls, coronavirus infection can spread relatively fast among officials, staff and visitors.

"Thus there is a need to prevent importation of infection in workplace settings and to respond in a timely and effective manner in case a suspect case of COVID-19 is detected in these settings so as to limit the spread of infection," the ministry said in the document.

The basic preventive measures include maintaining physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks, practising frequent hand-washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Respiratory etiquettes such as covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue, handkerchief or flexed elbow and disposing of used tissues properly should be strictly followed besides self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest, the guidelines state.

As for offices, guidelines with respect to preventive measures specific to offices issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) should be followed, it said.

The ministry, however, stated that, despite taking the measures, occurrence COVID-19 infection among the employees working in the office cannot be ruled out.

"If there one or two cases are reported, disinfection procedure will be limited to places/areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hrs. There is no need to close the entire office building/halt work in other areas of the office and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol," the guidelines noted.

When one or a few persons who share a room or close office space are found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, the ill person should be placed in a room or area where they are isolated from others at the workplace and should be provided a mask or face cover till such time he/she is examined by a doctor.

Central or state health authorities concerned should be reported about such cases and a risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority, and accordingly, further advice shall be made regarding the management of a case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection, the guidelines stated.

If a suspected case reports very mild or mild symptoms on an assessment by the health authorities, the person would be placed in home isolation, subject to fulfilment of criteria laid down in Health ministry, it stated.

The rapid response team of the district concerned shall be requisitioned and will undertake the listing of contacts. The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of the workplace will start once the test report of the patient is received as positive, the guidelines said.

"If there are large numbers of contacts from a pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic case, there could be a possibility of a cluster emerging in a workplace setting. Due to the close environment in workplace settings, this could even be a large cluster.

"The essential principles of risk assessment, isolation and quarantine of contacts, case referral and management will remain the same. However, the scale of arrangements will be higher," the ministry said.

Contacts are those who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case anytime between 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the date of isolation or maximum 14 days after the onset of symptoms.

High-risk contact are those who have touched body fluids of the patient, had direct physical contact with the patient, including physical examination without PPE, touched or cleaned the linens or dishes of the patient and was in close proximity (within 1 meter) of the confirmed case without precautions and travelled in same environment but not having a high-risk exposure.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cyclone Amphan turns Super Cyclone; Odisha, Bengal on alert

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, May 18: Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said.

Explained: What is the procedure to name a cyclone?

"Amphan" (pronounced UM-PN) that had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm gathered more strength over the Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It is likely to move north-northeastwards and fast across the northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island as a very severe cyclonic storm, the department said.

"The very severe cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours, intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm," a statement by the India Meteorological Department or IMD read.

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm AMPHAN with Eye Pattern: 18th May 2020 (0730 to 0750 IST) pic.twitter.com/GAhQO3tGTz  India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2020

It will cause heavy rainfall and stormy winds in the coastal areas. The disaster control teams have already reached the coastal areas in Odisha and an evacuation process has begun.

VSCS AMPHANover central parts of South BoB near lat12.5N and long 86.4E, about 870 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha). To intensify further into an ESCS in next 06 hours. To cross WB  Bangladesh coasts bet Digha (WB) and Hatiya island in Afternoon/Eveng of 20th May as VSCS. pic.twitter.com/zOdQfcg1iq  India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2020

A cyclone alert has been sounded in West Bengal and Odisha. At least 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal. to clear out the coastal areas in view of the storm approaching.

Cyclone 'Amphan' to turn into severe storm in next 12 hours; to make landfall in Bengal on May 20

The cyclone, according to an IMD report early Sunday, is developing into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and can potentially become a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, S N Pradhan, the chief of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said in New Delhi.

Odisha, which has been ravaged by a string of cyclones over the last few years, including the cyclone Fani last year, has made arrangements to shift 11 lakh people from vulnerable areas, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

Twelve coastal districts--Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh-- are on high alert. He said of the 809 cyclone shelters in the 12 coastal districts, 242 are currently being used as temporary medical camps for the returnees from different states amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

(with PTI inputs)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at the immigration detention facility in Batavia are being sued by New York legal organizations over allegations they are not protecting immigrants in their custody from COVID-19.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York filed a federal class-action lawsuit Monday against ICE and the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility. The lawsuit claims the facility has not been enforcing guidelines to protect medically at-risk immigrants from COVID-19, in violation of a federal judge's April decision.

Prisons and detention centers are smack in the middle of a vicious cycle involving the spread of the disease, Karen Murtagh, executive director of the Prisoners' Legal Services of New York, said in a press release. The virus comes from the outside into confined congregate settings where social distancing is impossible. It then spreads like wildfire. ... We are deeply concerned that the failure of ICE to protect the at-risk individuals at the Batavia facility will result in a death sentence for many in and outside of the facility.

As of Monday, there are 49 people in the Batavia facility  which holds a number of undocumented immigrants from the Capital Region  out of about 300 total detainees who had contracted COVID-19, according to ICE's website. One month ago, on April 12, there were seven people confirmed to have COVID-19, the Times Union then reported. The facility had the seventh-highest number of confirmed cases out of all ICE facilities in the country, according to ICE's website.

In a statement, ICE said the seven people have since tested negative for the virus, bringing the facility's confirmed cases down to zero. However, attorneys in the lawsuit contested the integrity of that information.

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"We have a lot of questions about those representations because based on public testimony, it seems to be based on testing methods that are not actually confirming people have tested negative, but rather waiting a number of days after a symptom to claim theyre not infectious," said NYCLU attorney Bobby Hodgson.

The class-action representative, Dioris Ramon Rivera de los Santos, is a 65-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension. On May 8, Santos described being forced to live in a multiple-occupancy room, not having easy access to soap or cleaning supplies and being forced to interact regularly with staff who do not wear protective gear.

"I think what happened to me is very unfair," he wrote. "There are a lot of people here in jail who are in the same situation as me. I want to help them as well."

In a statement, ICE said it is taking numerous steps to protect immigrants from the disease, including alternatives to detention programs, ending social visitation and staggering meal and recreation times to implement social distancing.

The April 27 federal court decision ruled that detained people who are 65 and older, or otherwise considered to be at-risk, have the right to protections from contracting the disease such as single-occupancy cells, guaranteed access to sanitary supplies and permission to eat in cells to maintain social distancing. If the Batavia facility could not guarantee those protections, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo wrote, it would be constitutionally required to release the immigrants in danger.

Vilardo identified 10 people in his decision out of 23 initial petitioners, based on information provided by ICE. But the attorneys bringing forth the lawsuit estimate, based on national studies about the health of incarcerated populations, there are at least 100 people in the facility who are at-risk and not being identified or protected by ICE.

"ICE officials are the only ones who know how many medically at-risk people are in their custody, and their decision to continue jailing those people without proper protections creates an unacceptable risk of death and serious illness," Hodgson said. "No ones life should be put at risk because they are stuck in ICE detention while they proceed with their immigration case."

The Times Union reported last month that a number of immigrants are stuck in the facility because they are unable to afford bonds upwards of $10,000, or judges deny them bonds in the first place.

There are so many people that need to desperately get out, and it is truly a life or death situation," said Lee Wang, the director of the Immigrant Freedom Fund.
China is sending a team of investigators to probe the death of its ambassador to Israel who was found dead this weekend after just three months on the job.

Du Wei, 58, was found unresponsive in bed at his home in Tel Aviv on Sunday, having been appointed to the post in February. He was previously envoy to Ukraine.

China has said that Du 'apparently died of natural causes' but added that it is necessary to examine all possibilities.

While no official cause of death has been given, Israeli media said he appears to have died from a 'cardiac incident'.

China is expected to send a team to Israel to investigate the death of 58-year-old ambassador Du Wei (pictured) who was found dead in his bed on Sunday

An investigations team was due to depart from China on Monday, according to sources who spoke to Haaretz.

They will help probe the cause of Du's death, as well as handling embassy activities and arranging for the transport of his body, the paper said.

A representative for the family will be joining and will not be required to quarantine for 14 day, unlike all other international arrivals.

Israel's Foreign Ministry Director General Yuval Rotem said that he spoke with China's deputy ambassador Dai Yuming to express his condolences, and offered any help needed during the investigation.

Du is survived by a wife and son, who are not thought to be in Israel.

The ambassador's death comes just two days after he condemned comments by visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced Chinese investments in Israel and accused China of hiding information about the coronavirus outbreak.

In an interview with newspaper Haaretz, Wei said he his aim was to strengthen the ties between Israel and China.

No official cause of death has been given, but Israel's ambulance service has said it suspects a 'cardiac incident' while Du slept (pictured, his house in Tel Aviv)

He said: 'China is a law-abiding, responsible country, and should be trusted. Different things have been said regarding China's battle [against the coronavirus]. Initially, some were condescending and gloating.

When the disease broke out across the world, there were those who said that China has to apologize. They were looking for a scapegoat.

'Throughout history, certain groups of people have been accused with spreading plagues more than once. It's despicable and should be condemned.

The disease is the enemy of the entire mankind, and the world should fight it together.'

Wei also previously spoke about taking up the new role in the midst of a pandemic and how he had to enter quarantine for 14-days due to the outbreak.

He didn't receive his diplomatic credentials until March and did not meet with the Israeli president to get them, which is normal procedure.
Photo: Pieter Bruegel The Triumph of Death reflects the social upheaval and terror that followed plague, which devastated medieval Europe.

By Doreen Zyderveld-Hagel

It has been said that there are no atheists in a fox hole, and I cant help but wonder if we on planet Earth arent in a fox hole now.

Here we are in self-isolation, waiting, hoping, and praying the COVID-19 virus missiles wont strike us and embed in us that bacterias awful shrapnel. The virus is a serious health threat that has already claimed over 312,000 lives worldwide.

This pandemic is commonly referred to using warfare terminology, such as the front line, meaning those who work closest to and against the enemy. This foe, being none other than COVID-19, and the army who is fighting it includes doctors, nurses, scientists, cleaning staff, truck drivers, food servers, and store clerks, along with the real military personnel; essentially anyone and everyone who is putting themselves at risk to help others.

Warfare jargon has had some spiritual battle components associated with pandemics of the past as well. Firstly, Martinus Luther back in 1527 was of the opinion that the plague was caused by evil spirits who poisoned the air and exhaled pestilential breath.

More recently, the belief that demons caused the pandemic was also a view shared by the Chinese community, during the Spanish Flu, which struck Kelowna in 1918. That group of people said that an evil spirit shape-shifted to look like a barefooted young Caucasian boy, who lurked in the shadows of buildings at night and anyone unfortunate enough to see the apparition died.

Is not COVID-19 some kind of malicious entity, wreaking havoc and destruction in the world today, and so far is not one that can be stopped?

The idea of a malevolent spirit plague phenomenon is not some superstitious primitive notion, in my estimation, because Martinus Luther, the famous Protestant Reformer, lived to tell about the Bubonic plague that swept through Wittenberg, Germany, where he lived. He also had sound, practical, ethical and spiritual advice on the subject, which he lived by as a survivor of that pandemic.

Luther for instance, warned the public to take the medicine that was provided by the doctors and to follow personal hygienic practices, to purify the air in the streets and in their homes by disinfecting them. In regards to the handling of the human remains, he said they should be cremated to prevent the spread, or at least buried outside the cities for the same reason.

Interestingly, he was also aware of contaminated bodily fluids entry points, even through the eyes of the dying, going into the eyes of those doctoring them. PPE, such as goggles, face masks and shields, are used today to prevent this particular entry point, but not something readily available in that form, or known of back then.

Obeying the ordinances established by the local governments, such as quarantining and avoiding public spaces, was something Luther also recommended. He had strong admonitions for those who would put themselves at risk, either by thinking they were somehow invincible under their own steam, or that God would protect them and they need not take any precautions.

Both ways is suicide, and homicide, many times over, according to Luther, as those individuals are murdering others who otherwise would have survived, had these reckless persons taken basic safety measures. Consequently, they needlessly exposed family friends, neighbours, and the general public to the plague by their careless actions.

He also was horrified at the reports he received of some people who knew they were infected and deliberately went into other peoples homes and contaminated women and children. These people are assassins, he stated, and vehemently condemned, saying that these ruthless individuals should be delivered over to Jack the Hangman promptly.

He hoped those allegations werent true; otherwise: We Germans are more devils than human beings, and he supposed it would be better to live with wild beasts than such as these.

Sadly, there are similar reports of people today, who knew they are contaminated with the virus, and needed to be put in ankle bracelet tracking devices, because they wouldnt stay home. It would appear that the cruelty some people are capable of hasnt changed much in that regard, in the 500 years since Luther was around.

Luther also believed that those who take chances by not protecting themselves as best they can, are like someone who falls out of a boat and refuses to swim, saying God will pull me out of the water if He wants to, or that He is punishing me, so I must die.

Same goes with a family that doesnt leave a burning house when able to, saying God will put out the fire and we dont have to escape. Likewise, if neighbours see the fire and say the same thing, then the whole city would burn down. In those instances he says we are putting God to the test, which is not a good thing, when God gave us brains to use and self-preservation is instinctual for a reason.

The Protestant reformer also believed that to flee the plague was not a bad thing in and of itself, if those whom you are responsible for are taken care of, such as employees, neighbours, and other adults. But to abandon them in their need to save your own skin would lead to a much worse eternal fate.

To ignore and leave an unfortunate person lying in the street like a dog or a pig, to succumb to whatever calamity befalls him, is to also have that persons blood on your hands, according to Luther. He also believed we must take in the orphan or the adult, even one who may be covered in as many boils as the hairs on their body, if the hospitals are full and overwhelmed. It would be better to die helping the plague victims, than to live with their deaths on your head, Luther insisted.

He said that if Jesus died for us, we can die for each other if necessary. Those who say they would look after Jesus if he fell ill but ignore their neighbour is a liar, as Jesus had said whatsoever you did for them, you did for him  or neglected to do. (1 John 40:20 and Matthew 25:40.)

Nonetheless, God promised also that, as our gracious attendant and great physician, he will sustain them on their sick bed and heal their infirmities, referring to those who help others, or are sick and ask him to save them.

The plague is a feeble germ according to Luther, and God is in control, and can and will help those who ask of him. Psalm 91:11 states that God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you from the perilous pestilence. The catch, however, which he did not mention, is that it is a promise for those who believe in Jesus and the word of God, and do what is right according to following scripture, not what one may arbitrarily think is right or wrong in their own minds.

Finally there are those, both then and now, who stubbornly object to the word God, or Jesus or praying; or the notion that good and evil forces are at work. These individuals rely entirely on scientists to come up with a vaccine, and on medical personnel to save us. For some unfortunates it will be too late.

It would seem that things are spiraling out of control, and whereas this pandemic may not take as many lives as it did back in Luthers time, what we do know though, is that life as we know it wont be the same again.

Once this pandemic is stamped out, the fallout from COVID-19 is as still as of yet unfathomable. The shrapnel from the COVID-19 missiles will take many forms, with various consequences. However, God is still in charge and in him I put my trust, and have peace in knowing that.
Every year, millions of birds migrate to Mingxi county in Sanming, southeast Chinas Fujian province, to breed during the winter months among the dense forests and good ecological environment.

There is a bird-watching boom in Mingxi county. The local people have developed strong awareness of ecological environment, which is helpful for the conservation of biodiversity, said Huang Xueding, deputy chairman of Fujian Bird-watching Society, Chinanews.com reported on May 15.

While Fujian province is referred to as the greenest Chinese province, and its Sanming city the greenest Chinese city, Mingxi county, with its forest coverage reaching 80.6 percent, has been named the paradise of birds.

Mingxi county is an important hub along the route of migratory birds between East Asia and Australia.

Last year instead of reaping the rice in his 30 mu (2 hectares) of paddy fields, Lu Jiming, a 35-year-old villager of Zhongxi village, Xiafang town, Mingxi county, left all of the grains for the birds.

Lu and his fellow villagers plant lotus as well. Instead of collecting the lotus roots during the winter as most of the farmers in other areas do, they regard the lotus ponds as gifts for their bird friends who come to spend the winter.

The whole Zhongxi village has been transformed into Mingxi Wetland Park, the first provincial-level wetland park in Fujian.

The well-protected ecological environment in Junzifeng National Nature Reserve in Mingxi county attracts various birds, including the Chinese merganser, one of the worlds most endangered species.

Many birds on Chinas list of first-grade state protection have also been spotted in the nature reserve from time to time. In addition, birds like the mandarin duck and silver pheasant often flock to the nature reserve in huge groups.

In recent years, Lu and other young people in his village have set up a bird protection squad, patrolling mountains throughout the winter to ensure the safety of birds homes, according to Lu.

Before we knew more information about the birds on the list of first-grade state protection, protecting the birds has already been an unwritten rule in our village, Lu said.

Residents in Zhongxi village leave their paddy fields for birds, growing edible mushrooms and local special products in greenhouses built in open spaces around their houses.

As local people have made efforts to tap into tourism programs featuring bird-watching, the homestay business Lu has run in recent years often falls short of demand during spring and winter when migratory birds visit the locality in flocks.

There have been as many as 316 species of wild birds spotted and recorded in Mingxi county, accounting for 60 percent of the figure recorded in the whole province.
More than $51 million raised for the NSW Rural Fire Service during the bushfire crisis cannot legally be given to other bushfire relief charities and can't be spent on injured or deceased firefighters, lawyers for the RFS have told the NSW Supreme Court.

Comedian Celeste Barber raised $51.2 million for the RFS & Brigades Donations Fund in a Facebook appeal at the start of this year that initially sought just $30,000. As the appeal grew, Ms Barber said some of the money could potentially go to other charities, such as the Red Cross, or fire services in other states.

NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers battle a blaze in southern NSW in January 2020. Credit:Kate Geraghty

However, after the fundraiser ended, it emerged that strict rules governing donations may prevent this.

A trust deed governing the RFS fund says any income should be spent "to or for the brigades" to assist them with "purchasing and maintaining fire-fighting equipment and facilities", providing training and resources, and covering administrative expenses.
NORWALK  The family of a 19-year-old New Haven man killed by a state trooper in January allege Norwalk police failed to properly inform state police of his psychological condition, according to court filings in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Mubarak Soulemane was shot and killed Jan. 15 by Trooper Brian North under a highway overpass in West Haven following a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 95 that originated in Norwalk when police say he committed a carjacking outside the AT&T store on Main Avenue.

The family is seeking $10 million in damages in a lawsuit filed in February that names the state, the state police, the city of West Haven and the West Haven Police Department as defendants.

Court filings submitted last week allege Norwalk police mishandled the case by not providing state police with updated information as the pursuit unfolded, leading to the fatal shooting near the Exit 43 off-ramp.

In a court filing, the family alleges Norwalk police dispatch and command failed to properly and adequately advise the state police and West Haven police that Mr. Soulemane was in possession of a steak knife, that he did not threaten anyone at the AT&T store with the knife, and that his psychological condition appeared questionable, according to a claim notice provided by Mark Arons, a lawyer representing the family.

Police have said Soulemane, who grew up in Norwalk, entered the AT&T store with a knife and argued with employees before leaving and stealing a car, which was then involved in the high-speed pursuit.

Body camera footage released by state police following the deadly encounter shows Trooper North firing seven shots through the closed drivers side window of the car after the vehicle crashed and became boxed in by traffic.

Family members have repeatedly called for North to be fired and criminally charged in the shooting.

The court filing said the family intends to pursue a claim of wrongful death against Norwalk police, as well as claims for negligence, emotional distress, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The document claims the department failed to properly train personnel, supervisors and dispatchers; and failed to enact rules, regulations and policies which would have prevented Mr. Soulemanes death.

Calls left with the administrative office of the Norwalk Police Department and Chief Thomas E. Kulhawik seeking comment were not immediately returned on Monday. Mayor Harry Rilling could not be reached for comment.
It used to be the case that electricity generation was considered steadfastly defensive. Utilities are often included in lists of recession-proof asset types. Other members of this club included apartment REITs, consumer staples, gold producers, and some infrastructure names. Apartment REITs are a weak play in the current market; that much is clear. But utilities are fast becoming an at-risk investment theme.

The reasoning is simple. Business operations are at a historically low ebb. Entire industries have been shuttered. Manufacturing is down, and consumer demand is at an all-time low. In hindsight, investors should have seen it coming. But the best that investors can do now is to look ahead and hedge their bets. A light touch approach is called for, but cautious portfolio management should be at the top of the agenda right now.

A hot sector for disrupting companies

Bill Ackman got to the crux of the matter when he said, Its the virus, stupid. That was at the depth of the market crash, when his hedging of the market was paying off. This contrarian maxim gets to the core of the matter by reminding investors that whatever happens, this market is driven by the pandemic. Even the case for greener energy is bolstered by the cleaner skies of locked-down cities.

Some areas of the energy sector are doing better than others. Hydrocarbon investing is undergoing a profound shift, for instance. Oil prices cratered this month, reaching negative prices for the first time in history. Meanwhile, clean energy is on the ascent, creating headwinds for fossil fuels and growth opportunities for shareholders.

Take BPs split ownership of Lightsource, a global leader in solar tech. Getting into solar is a smart play for big oil producers and could become the norm. Indeed, solar is starting to go mainstream, with the Gemini project in Nevada getting the all-clear from the Trump Administration, and outfits like Heliogen eyeing scaled-up operations.

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Energy stocks are showing their cyclical side

The thesis for holding Canadas biggest oil producers isnt quite done yet, though. Hydrocarbon producers could survive long term in innovative ways. A new technique could re-purpose oilfields for gas sequestration while leaving the carbon in the ground. Theres also nothing stopping Big Oil from getting involved in big solar or big wind, for that matter.

Names like Fortis still stand out in the energy production space, despite the threat of cheap electricity. Revenues may not be about to ramp up just yet, though, so investors should be prepared for a run of limp quarters. However, the case for buying on the cheap and holding for the long term is strengthening.

Fortis is a top name to watch, as the lockdown eases across Canada. Its bottom line is likely to begin to recover, as businesses come back online. Construction services, for instance, should see energy demand start to come back as workers return to sites. But investors should also keep an eye on the virus. Transmission rates will be a key indicator of just how viable a full economic recovery will be in 2020.

The post Should Canadians Buy Energy Stocks in 2020? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Victoria Hetherington has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020
Via: BBC:

Chinas Ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, has been found dead in his apartment north of Tel Aviv, an Israeli official told BBC News.

The official said Israeli police had launched an investigation but initial findings suggested no foul play.

Mr Du, 57, was only appointed ambassador in February having previously served as envoy to Ukraine.

The ambassador was married and had a son but his family had still to join him in Israel.

He was living in Herzliya, some 10km north of Tel Aviv.




By Park Jae-hyuk







Tmoney is facing mounting losses from its business in Mongolia which it began ambitiously in 2015, the public transportation payment service provider's regulatory filing showed Friday.







Ulaanbaatar Smart Card, the Mongolian subsidiary of Tmoney, suffered a 1.79 billion won ($1.4 million) loss in 2019, following a 1.82 billion won loss the previous year. Its accumulated loss over the past five years reached 9.2 billion won.







Tmoney transplanted Seoul's public transportation payment system to Mongolia, a year after it declared the "Vision 2020" plan in 2014 to overcome difficulties from the saturated domestic market. Back then, the company expected to make a 100 billion won profit from Mongolia over the following 10 years.







The landlocked East Asian country, however, underwent a three-year bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2017, due to an economic slump after a sharp decline in prices of raw materials the country exports.







In the aftermath of the IMF's bailout plan, Mongolia faced a rapid depreciation of its currency, which resulted in Ulaanbaatar Smart Card's continuous losses.







Tmoney has lost all its initial investment in its Mongolian subsidiary.







In 2016, its Mongolian subsidiary fell into a state of capital impairment. Its debt was 7.1 billion won larger than its assets as of 2019.







What is worse, performances of Tmoney's other subsidiaries established for its foreign businesses have remained sluggish.







In 2017, the company liquidated Tmoney America that it set up in 2014 to provide call taxi services in New York and New Jersey.







Tmoney Asia, its Malaysian subsidiary, is also suffering from capital impairment, as its debt was 1 billion won larger than its assets last year. SMDev, its foreign business consulting arm, posted a 115 million won loss in 2019.







The Korea Times tried several times to reach Tmoney to ask about its countermeasures against the sluggish earnings overseas, but the company did not answer.







Founded in 2003, the company changed its name in 2019 from Korea Smart Card to Tmoney.







Its largest shareholder is the Seoul Metropolitan Government holding a 36.16 percent stake. The second-largest is LG CNS which holds a 32.91 percent stake.







Tmoney CEO Kim Tae-geuk, who has led the company since 2018, previously worked at LG CNS.


Students at NSW public schools will be back in classrooms full-time from Monday, ending two months of remote learning for as many as 800,000 children across the state.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian will on Tuesday confirm the May 25 start date following the "success of the phased return to face-to-face teaching".

But not all aspects of school will be back, with assemblies and excursions to remain banned.

Many independent and Catholic schools will also return to full-time learning from Monday.
Experts have warned a working coronavirus vaccine is unlikely to be ready this year as they told people not to have 'false expectations' after ministers said they are hoping to have 30 million doses for the UK by September.

Both Oxford University and Imperial College London are working on vaccines with the former now having done a deal with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to mass produce its effort if it is shown to be effective.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said yesterday the Government is hoping to be in a position to roll-out a mass vaccination programme in the Autumn of this year.

But one of the professors involved in the Imperial initiative today urged caution as he said there are 'no guarantees' a working vaccine will be developed and that even if one is it probably will not be ready for mass production until next year at the earliest.

Robin Shattock, head of mucosal infection and immunity at Imperial, said it is 'important not to have a false expectation that it is just around the corner'.

Imperial's Professor Robin Shattock today said it 'may take quite some time' for researchers to develop a working vaccine

Alok Sharma, the Business Secretary, said yesterday the Government is hoping to have 30 million doses of a working vaccine for the UK by September

Oxford University has done a deal with AstraZeneca to mass produce its vaccine if it is shown to be effective. Pictured is a person taking part in the vaccine clinical trial

What is the difference between the vaccines being developed by Oxford University and Imperial College? The science behind both vaccine attempts hinges on recreating the 'spike' proteins that are found all over the outside of the COVID-19 viruses. Both will attempt to recreate or mimic these spikes inside the body. The difference between the two is how they achieve this effect. Imperial College London will try to deliver genetic material (RNA) from the coronavirus which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. It will transport the RNA inside liquid droplets injected into the bloodstream. The team at the University of Oxford, on the other hand, will genetically engineer a virus to look like the coronavirus - to have the same spike proteins on the outside - but be unable to cause any infection inside a person. This virus, weakened by genetic engineering, is a type of virus called an adenovirus, the same as those which cause common colds, that has been taken from chimpanzees. If the vaccines can successfully mimic the spikes inside a person's bloodstream, and stimulate the immune system to create special antibodies to attack it, this could train the body to destroy the real coronavirus if they get infected with it in future. The same process is thought to happen in people who catch COVID-19 for real, but this is far more dangerous - a vaccine will have the same end-point but without causing illness in the process. Advertisement

Prof Shattock said there are an estimated 100 coronavirus vaccines in development around the world.

But the 'most optimistic estimation' would suggest that one proven to be successful will not be 'readily available for wide scale use into the beginning of next year'.

He said it 'may take quite some time' for researchers to get all the data they need to prove without doubt that a vaccine actually works.

Asked if the UK is 'on the brink' of getting a working vaccine, Prof Shattock told the BBC: 'I think we need to distinguish two different things. One of the hurdles is making vaccine doses, obviously AstraZeneca can do that and that is a good thing but that is very different to having the data that proves that the vaccine actually works.

'We need to have those data to show that it is ready and appropriate to roll out. It may take quite some time to get that data, it is a numbers game.

'And in fact as we are better at reducing the number of infections in the UK it gets much harder to test whether the vaccine works or not.

'There are no certainties, no guarantees in developing any of these candidates so I think it is important not to have a false expectation that it is just around the corner.

'It may be longer than any of us would want to think.'

Some health experts have suggested a vaccine could take as long as 18 months to develop while others have cautioned one may never be found.

Prof Shattock said: 'I think we need to keep context here. Obviously there could be some success, we could see things working earlier if we get the numbers and the kind of AstraZeneca approach is preparing for that success.

WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO ROLL OUT A VACCINE? Developing a vaccine is a complex procedure which relies on a number of lengthy steps. But researchers racing to develop one for COVID-19 - which threatens to keep entire nations in lockdown until it can be stopped - are breaking through this stages at an unprecedented pace, scientists say. One vaccine for rotavirus, a virus that causes deadly diarrhoea in children, took 26 years to make, the Washington Post reported, and one of its creators called this 'pretty typical'. Scientists must first sequence the virus they want to make a vaccine against - meaning they deconstruct it to examine its internal workings. This process was sped up because the Chinese officials who discovered the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 mapped the virus and shared it worldwide for free at the very start of the outbreak. Scientists also noticed that it is almost identical to the one that causes SARS, a similar illness which hit Asia in 2002/3. This saved time because researchers already knew which areas of the virus they could target, and some had already tried to make SARS vaccines, which could work as a blueprint for tackling COVID-19. Trials, which begin after a vaccine is painstakingly designed and produced in a laboratory, also take a long time. First, scientists must repeatedly test the vaccine on animals such as mice or monkeys. If it proves to be safe, this must then go on to very small human trials, then incrementally larger ones as the safety and effectiveness of it is constantly monitored. Often, human trials take months or even years so scientists can be absolutely certain the vaccine won't have any damaging side effects. If there are any hiccups the researchers may have to tweak the chemical make-up of the vaccine and start again. If things go smoothly, the vaccine can progress to the manufacturing phase and be produced en masse and sold to the people or governments who need them. Scientists have claimed they could have a vaccine ready for COVID-19 by September this year, a break-neck pace which critics say is unlikely. Professor Robin Shattock, an immunity expert at Imperial College London, said: 'Its highly unlikely that a vaccine will be available for use by September. 'It will be critical to build the evidence base to show a vaccine works before its deployed. This takes time and is dependent on seeing a difference in the number of infections between active vaccine and a placebo. 'The lower the transmission rate in the UK, the longer it will take to generate such data.' Advertisement

'But it is probably very likely that we won't really get the evidence until into early next year and then there is a difference between a solution in the UK which could be rolled out and a global solution.

'A global solution is likely to take much longer just because of the sheer operational effort to make billions of doses and make them available worldwide.'

Prof Shattock said he believed there is a 'very high chance of seeing a number of vaccines that work' as he said the evidence suggested coronavirus is 'not such a hard target as others'.

He added: 'My gut feeling is that we will start to see a number of candidates coming through with good evidence early towards next year - possibly something this year.

'But they won't be readily available for wide scale use into the beginning of next year as the kind of most optimistic estimation.'

Mr Sharma told the daily Downing Street press conference yesterday that the UK will get first access to the vaccine developed by Oxford University if it is proven to work.

AstraZeneca and the university have done a deal which would see the company make 100 million doses of the vaccine with 30 million ready for the UK by September.

Both the Oxford University and Imperial College London vaccine projects are viewed as two of the world's 'frontrunners'.

Mr Sharma pledged an additional 84 million to accelerate the development of a vaccine in Britain - on top of a previous 47 million pot of cash - so that mass production can start as soon as possible if clinical trials are successful.

A working vaccine is viewed as likely the only surefire way for the world to go back to something resembling normal life.

The Oxford vaccine is now in its first clinical trial and all phase one participants have now received their vaccine dose and are being monitored by the clinical trial team.

Mr Sharma said: 'I can also confirm that with Government support Oxford University has finalised a global licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for the commercialisation and manufacturing of the Oxford vaccine.

'This means that if the vaccine is successful, AstraZeneca will work to make 30 million doses available by September for the UK as part of an agreement to deliver 100 million doses in total.

'The UK will be first to get access and we can also ensure that in addition to supporting people here in the UK we are able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost.'

Prof Robin Shattock added: 'Its highly unlikely that a vaccine will be available for use by September.

'Generating doses of the vaccine is very different to having the necessary data to show that any vaccine is both safe and effective against COVID-19.

'It will be critical to build the evidence base to show a vaccine works before its deployed. This takes time and is dependent on seeing a difference in the number of infections between active vaccine and a placebo.

'The lower the transmission rate in the UK, the longer it will take to generate such data.'
The cast of The Umbrella Academy has virtually come together to mark season 2s release date.

The superhero series first aired on Netflix early last year and followed the lives of seven extraordinary humans who were adopted by an eccentric billionaire and made into a superhero team.
Memorial Day tribute features Gold Star mother from Flat Rock

Anne Adkins, a Gold Star Mother and resident of Flat Rock who lost her son Matthew T. Bolar, during combat duty in Iraq, will deliver keynote remarks during a livestreamed Memorial Day service Monday.

This years Asheville-Buncombe Memorial Day Ceremony will be held as a virtual ceremony, because of the need for physical distance under the state of emergency during the covid-19 pandemic.

The keynote speaker will be Anne Adkins, a Gold Star Mother and resident of Flat Rock who lost her son Matthew T. Bolar, during combat duty in Iraq.

The ceremony, planned in concert with the Buncombe County Veterans Council, will be streamed live from Asheville City Hall. Tune into the city of Ashevilles YouTube channel at 11 a.m. Memorial Day, May 25, to view the ceremony live in real time. Following the ceremony, it will be archived for later viewing on the citys YouTube channel.

Expected to last about 40 minutes, the ceremony will serve in place of both the City and the State Veterans Cemetery in-person events. There will be no attendees other than the individuals with active roles in the program. The program will consist of:
(TNS)  Tropical Storm Arthur will bring strong winds and heavy rains to parts of the Carolinas coast, forecasters say.Arthur, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is located about 135 miles south of Morehead City as of 5 a.m. Monday and is moving northeast, according to the National Weather Service. North Carolina could start to feel winds associated with the storm early Monday morning.The storm was moving a bit faster early Monday, NWS officials said.Arthur will approach the coast of North Carolina during the next few hours, and then move near or just east of the coast of North Carolina later today. Arthur is then forecast to turn away from the east coast of the United States tonight and Tuesday, forecasters said early Monday.The tropical storm is about two weeks earlier than expected, as Atlantic hurricane season doesnt officially begin until June 1.The storm has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph as of 5 a.m. Monday with higher gusts, the weather service says. Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station reported a gust of 39 mph overnight as the storm neared, the NWS said.Tropical storm-force winds extend 90 miles from the center of the storm, mainly to the east, the NWS says.The Outer Banks are expected to feel the brunt of the impacts, with heavy rain and tropical-storm force winds expected in the area on Monday, the NWS says. A tropical storm warning was issued for the area early Sunday morning, after the storms path shifted a bit westward and closer to the Outer Banks, McClatchy News reports.The warning extends from Surf City to Duck and includes the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. The warning indicates that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area, within 24 hours in this case.Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolinians to pay attention to the storm and to not take chances in dangerous surf in a news release Sunday afternoon.This early season storm reminds us that we always need to be prepared for severe weather, N.C. Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said in the release. The official start of hurricane season is still two weeks away, but now is the time to be ready.The NWSs Newport/Morehead office, which covers the Outer Banks, expects winds between 25 and 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 mph.Tropical-storm force winds are those between 39 and 73 mph, the NWS says.The office says potential damage from winds is limited, with damage to outdoor structures and fallen tree branches or uprooted trees possible.One to 3 inches of rain is possible on the North Carolina coast Sunday night and Monday, the weather service says. The Newport/Morehead office says 2 to 4 inches is possible, with isolated areas of 5 inches.Localized storm surge and flooding are also possible in the area, the NWS says. But threats remain limited.The weather services Wilmington office, which covers southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, says the storms main threats to the area are dangerous rip currents and elevated seas offshore. Land impacts should be minimal.Rip currents will be at threat in the area, the NWS says.Dangerous surf conditions are expected across the Southeast coast for the next few days, forecasters say. Swells associated with the storm could cause life-threatening rip currents.The NWSs Charleston office, which covers the southeastern portion of South Carolina, says the storm will stay east of the area, away from the South Carolina and Georgia coast.Showers are expected in the area into late Sunday afternoon, with a rumble of thunder possible. Overnight should be dry, with thunderstorms and showers expected throughout Monday, the weather service says.Arthur is expected to turn away from the east coast and should lose its tropical characteristics on Tuesday, the National Weather Service says.2020 The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)Visit The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) at www.charlotteobserver.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. GRAPHIC (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):
As election experts weigh into the groundswell for mail voting, support for making a general election just months away safer and more accessible during a pandemic is becoming a political platform for many of the nations most visible senators.

Chief among the lawmakers leading the charge for greater voting access are Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts -- three former presidential candidates who are now presumed to be top contenders for the role of Joe Bidens vice president, and who appeal to a broad range of voter demographics.

With less than six months until November, election experts and some lawmakers are already anticipating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will cause disruptions in the way many Americans vote. Those concerns are echoed by each of the senators, all of whom have put forth individual proposals that aim to bolster voting access efforts since the time the aftershocks of the coronavirus pandemic began manifesting across the country.

Their calls to action are not completely new -- each of the senators made cases for greater access at the ballot box as presidential hopefuls during their time on the campaign trail. At the time, the proposals were presented as components of their larger presidential platforms, but now, as the much delayed primary season finally inches to a close and traditional campaigning comes to a halt, the senators are back at work in hopes of making a lasting impact in November.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

For Sen. Klobuchar the realities of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hit close to home early on, as her senate office announced in late March that her husband, John Bessler, had been hospitalized after testing positive for the virus. All the while, Klobuchar was focusing on voting rights, an issue central to her defunct presidential campaign, and alongside Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden introduced the National Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020. Their aim: to expand in-person early voting and ensure mail-in ballot access nationwide.

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MORE: Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her husband, who is recovering from COVID-19: The disease is 'incredibly lonely'

Klobuchar and Wydens bill started off with 25 original co-sponsors and has grown to a list of 36 total Senate Democrats, including several of Klobuchars former Democratic presidential primary opponents like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

And likely important to the presidential election in November, some of the cosponsors of their bill also include several names that have been floated as being on Joe Bidens vice presidential shortlist, such as Sen. Harris, Sen. Warren, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

(MORE:Biden campaign ramps up staffing, focus on battleground states, sees a 'clear path' to 270 electoral votes)

Klobuchar even partnered with another vice presidential shortlister, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, an organization that encourages voter rights and voting access, to produce a socially-distanced joint video urging for expanded voting access and reform ahead of the November election.

Since then, Klobuchar has used nearly every tele-townhall, Zoom townhall and television interview to push her bill to move out of the introduction phase. The bills details of which include providing funding to states to expand early voting, such as providing them with money for postage and stamps, opening polls up to 20 days ahead of election day to bolster crowds on Tuesday November 3rd, and to train a new generation of poll workers so as to not expose senior citizens to COVID-19.

The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress, and signed by President Trump in late March went on to include $400 million in funding for provisions found in Klobuchar and Wydens bill. Their bill has also found broad support from various civil rights and advocacy organizations, including calls from a group of bipartisan secretaries of states for increased funding to expand early voting and vote-by-mail.

(MORE:Senate should improve House coronavirus package: Sen. Bernie Sanders)

Since Klobuchar and Wydens rollout, a number of other senators have released similar or complementary bills. Asked by ABC News what makes their bill different, and what they hope are the short and long term effects of so much focus on voting rights and safety during this pandemic, Klobuchar says COVID-19 has made the need for access to safe voting options even more urgent.

Americans are facing unprecedented disruptions to their daily lives, and we need to make sure that in the midst of this pandemic they dont have to risk their health to vote, Klobuchar wrote in a statement to ABC News. While I have long focused on expanding access to the ballot box, the coronavirus pandemic has made the need for changes even more urgent. It's clear that we must ensure that states have the resources to implement early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee voting by mail programs - reforms that are widely supported by a majority of Americans."

Biden, someone Klobuchar has campaigned heavily for, has taken notice of Klobuchars efforts on voting rights and safety since ending her own presidential bid just a day before Super Tuesday to endorse him. According to a pool report from a joint virtual fundraiser in early May, Biden praised Klobuchar as a real leader on voting issues, before he went on to slam President Donald Trumps criticism of by-mail voting as bizarre, given that Trump himself had voted by mail.

The presidents criticism of vote-by-mail has become a sticking point for Klobuchar, oftentimes comparing and contrasting it to the images of Wisconsinites putting their lives at risk to vote in the states April 7th primary. The state was plagued with a shortage of poll workers, consolidating voters to a limited number of polling locations that faced crowding and long lines.

I think we were all left with a searing image of those workers in line in Wisconsinsome of them in homemade masks and garbage bagsstanding in the rain just to be able to vote, Klobuchar said, retelling the story during a tele-townhall with labor union presidents last week. Dozens of them got sick, including a poll worker. At the same time, the President of the United States was able to vote in the luxury of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with his mail-in vote ballot that he got from Palm Beach, Florida. Every American should have that same right.

PHOTO: Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, right, walk to the Senate floor for a vote during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic at the US Capitol, May 13, 2020, in Washington. (Shawn Thew/EPA/REX via Shutterstock)

Sen. Kamala Harris

The fallout over Wisconsins primary election also served as a key launchpad for Harris rollout of the VoteSafe Act of 2020. The sweeping proposal aims to address the logistical hurdles that could arise as voters cast their ballots amid the pandemic, while also offering election officials across the country support to keep polling places accessible and safe.

During a recent call with reporters, Harris said prior to the pandemic, her biggest concern regarding voting was convincing people why they should vote and she added that the worry has grown under current conditions.

Now, we're concerned that [people] may say back to us, well, there's a reason now, there's a reason why I shouldn't vote, which is -- I don't want to get sick, Harris said.

The $5 billion dollar proposal aims to address issues states might encounter through a three pronged approach, which would include bolstering vote by mail efforts, expanding early voting access, and creating safe polling places for people who prefer to vote in person.

We want to put in place measures to make sure people will be safe because this election presents some of the biggest issues that we will ever and have ever faced as a country, the California Senator said.

MORE:House passes $3 trillion relief package, bill 'DOA' in Senate

According to the latest assessment from New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice, at least $4 billion is needed to ensure that states will have the resources necessary to hold safe and secure elections in the fall. So far, federal stimulus legislation has provided $400 million to states to allocate toward conducting elections this year. The $3.6 billion proposal for election assistance that is included in the economic relief bill brought forth by House Democrats last week would round out the multibillion dollar recommendation backed by the Brennan Center.

Sen. Harris told ABC News she spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about election funding ahead of the roll out of the House Democrats latest stimulus proposal.

The reality of it is that there have to be resources at the state level, federal level and local level to the extent they're able to put into allowing people to vote safely, Harris said, We're going to keep fighting for federal dollars to actually incorporate what we need to do around creating incentives for states.

Senator Harris efforts to put a spotlight on voting accessibility recently gained the backing of the highest-ranking African American lawmaker in Congress, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and the Chairwoman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections, Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio.

Clyburns partnership with Harris on the legislation, as well as his close ties to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, opened the door for speculation about the possibility that the California senator is among the top contenders for Bidens vice presidential slot.

Clyburn's endorsement of former Vice President Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary was a major factor in Biden's sweep of the Palmetto State. The victory was a first for Biden across the early state contests and served as a launchpad for his subsequent primary wins across the country on Super Tuesday. The South Carolina primary also offered an opportunity for Biden to show his strength among black voters, who comprise a significant bloc of the Democratic electorate. In 2016, black voters made up 61% of Democratic primary voters in the state, according to ABC News exit poll results.

MORE:House Democrats unveil new $3T relief bill with aid to states, direct payments to Americans

As one of the two African American senators who ran against Biden in the primary, Sen. Harris made appeals to black voters and urged other Democratic leaders to examine their interactions with the community.

"For too long, I think candidates have taken for granted constituencies that have been the backbone of the Democratic Party," said Sen. Harris said last year during the fifth Democratic debate in Atlanta, They show up when it's, you know, close to election time and [they] show up in a black church and want to get the vote, but just haven't been there before.

At the time, Harris warned against taking voters for granted and acknowledged the societal barriers people may face even before heading to the polls. With the introduction of the VoteSafe Act, she hopes the voting obstacles ahead of November will be alleviated.

I think it's very important to understand, we are not telling people how to vote. We're not telling people who to vote for. We're simply saying, this is your right as a patriot -- this is an extension of you, when you go to vote -- an extension of fighting for the democracy of our republic, Sen. Harris said to ABC News.

PHOTO: Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks, in Monterey Park, Calif. March 2, 2020. (Kyle Grillot/Reuters, File)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Nearly a year ago, Sen. Warren released what she called her Plan to Strengthen Our Democracy, in which she proposed a broad overhaul of the nations election systems. The ideas Warren brought forth at the time included instilling more oversight over federal elections, providing state-of-the-art resources to states for administering elections in a secure way, and expanding voting access.

We have around 8,000 election jurisdictions all doing their own thing. They are overstretched, under-resourced, and their technology is often laughably out of date, Warren wrote at the time in a Medium post.

This year, with many of those types of elections still on horizon, Warren published another election-related plan. The proposal happened as Americans were grappling with the sweeping impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and as voters in Wisconsin headed to polls to vote in the states controversial primary, despite federal health safety recommendations.

(MORE:Democrats push to strengthen stimulus oversight in next round of coronavirus legislation

Since the campaign started, one of the core pillars of all her stump speeches was strengthening our democracy, a Warren aide said to ABC News in an email. A theme of her democracy plan and the plan she released last month amid the COVID-19 pandemic is the need for federal standards to ensure that every eligible American can vote and have their vote counted.

Warrens Protecting Our Elections During the Coronavirus Pandemic plan proposes extending the early voting period to be at least 30 days, calls for hazard pay for poll workers, and provides oversight on the maintenance of states voter rolls amid the ongoing state of emergency across the country. The plan also advocates for proactively mailing all registered voters absentee ballots with self-sealing return envelopes and pre-paid postage and discusses the importance of supporting the U.S. Post Office.

The Massachusetts Senators ability to churn out rapid-fire policy proposals as a presidential candidate offered a roadmap to the kinds of policies she is now eyeing in the Senate as one of its most visible lawmakers. That kind of branded preparedness could also be the reason why she is presumed to be among Joe Bidens top picks for vice president.

Like her Senate colleagues who are also thought to be under consideration, Sen. Warrens latest plan to support elections outlines a similar multibillion dollar proposal that aims to ensure states have the resources and logistics necessary to conduct elections this fall. Warren maps out that at least $4 billion dollars is necessary to help states administer elections, and her office points to the latest proposal brought forth by House Democrats as the vehicle for potentially fulfilling that total amount.

In an email, an aide to Warren indicated that the various plans coming from Senate Democrats demonstrate how seriously the party as a whole is taking voting accessibility. Warren is a co-sponsor of both Harriss VoteSafe Act and Klobuchars National Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, and as negotiations over the recently proposed economic relief bill continue, Senator Warren echoed that notion by offering tough words across the aisle.

Republicans are using the coronavirus crisis to accelerate an undemocratic power grab and disenfranchise millions. The USPS is on the brink of collapse. And this government continues to work more for the wealthy and well-connected than the Americans struggling with this public health emergency and economic crisis, the senator said to ABC News in a statement.

MORE: Postal Service says it's going broke due to pandemic, Trump flatly opposes emergency aid

Warrens concern over the potentially perilous state of the U.S. Postal Service comes as the Postmaster General says the agency could run out of money by the end of the fiscal year in September without help from Congress and the Trump Administration. Part of the financial losses described by the agency are due to an unprecedented drop in mail stemming from the spread of COVID-19. The aid package proposed by House Democrats last week includes $25 billion to help the financially-crippled agency, but as negotiations continue, time is running out, and the lack of a functioning Post Office would severely hinder any new vote by mail efforts ahead of November.

Protecting our democracy is vital. Congress must act now to protect our upcoming elections, keep voters and poll workers safe, and safeguard our electoral institutions for the long haul, Warren wrote.

What can happen next?

As negotiations over aid to state and local governments continue on Capitol Hill, election experts are sounding the alarm over the perils facing the November election if adequate funding is not allocated soon. According to experts at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's Law School who spoke at a virtual panel discussion earlier this month, state election officials have about a month to six weeks to significantly address 2020 election needs in order to be able to hold elections in the fall.

The most significant issues they say need to be addressed overlap with elements of each of the Senators proposals -- including providing the necessary infrastructure to register voters; bolstering mail and absentee voting; and ensuring elections are safe and accessible to people who need to vote in person. These experts also say an increased focus on combating misinformation that could arise due to any changes with the voting process should also be examined.

Larry Norden, Director of Election Reform at the Democracy Program within the Brennan Center for Justice, said vendors who supply states with election essentials like envelopes and ballots need jurisdictions around the country to place orders by mid-June in order to fully make the November election deadline. In order to place those orders, states need to know how much federal economic relief they will ultimately receive.

"We don't need to necessarily see the money out the door from Congress but if election officials are going to start making these orders they need to know that the money is coming," he said.

"Four billion may sound like a lot of money and of course it is, and in normal times, I would say, there would be no chance that Congress would possibly provide that much money, but of course this is not normal times," Norden added.

Former presidential candidates seek to put spotlight on voting access amid pandemic originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Netflix post has been shared more than 225,000 times and received more than a million "likes" on Twitter

After Nexflix began reducing the quality of streamed content a few months ago to reduce the stress put on broadband connections as countries across the world went on lockdown, in various European countries, default 4K HDR has returned as the norm.

In March, European Union industry chief Thierry Breton called on digital streaming platforms to reduce content quality to prevent a demand overload resulting in continent-wide internet gridlock. Netflix, YouTube and Amazon were among those that complied with the request; last week, however, it was reported by FlatPanelsHD that Netflix is beginning to set the default streaming quality for their content back up to 4K HDR and up to 15 Mb/s bitrate -- or at least close to it.

The company said to the media that "it added four times the normal capacity in April." Denmark, Norway, Germany are some of the countries which have reported an increase in streaming quality, though depending on the internet provider, the quality varies. Apple began increasing streaming quality for Apple TV+ content last month, and other streaming services are likely to follow soon in these tech giants' footsteps.
Schools start to reopen this week as planned amid efforts by education authorities to minimize contact between them.

The reopening of schools was already delayed for another week due to a fresh surge in coronavirus infections traced to clubgoers in Seoul's Itaewon, but high school seniors are to return on Wednesday and the rest in the following weeks.

The Education Ministry decided not to delay the reopening of schools any further but come up with ways to ensure social distancing in the schools.

Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom told reporters on Sunday that very few teachers were among the newly infected patients and a further delay could affect the university entrance plans of high school seniors. Instead, it will try to minimize contact by, for instance, making them come in on alternate days or weeks according to grade or dividing years into several groups who will be taught in different rooms.

But it failed to give more detailed guidelines, saying each school can take the measures that suit it.

Teachers expressed disappointment, saying they expected the government to present more concrete measures to guarantee the safety of students and faculty rather than leaving the details to individual offices of education or schools.

The ministry said broader guidelines would be difficult to enforce since schools in different regions each have their own unique circumstances.
PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The PHL COVID-19 Fund is excited to announce it will host PHLove, presented by the Middleton Family, a one-time variety show on Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m., to support the Fund. Daryl Hall, Questlove, and Patti LaBelle will headline PHLove and feature DJ Jazzy Jeff, Amos Lee, DJ Diamond Kuts & Friends, WALLO267, Jeffrey Gaines, Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons, The Geator, Jerry Blavat, and Friends, and Pastor Alyn Waller and The Enon Tabernacle Fresh Anointing. The family-friendly event will air live on 6ABC, CBS3, NBC10, 96.5 TDY, 98.1 WOGL, B101.1, and KYW Newsradio, and stream nationwide online at Inquirer.com and Radio.com.

The variety show will celebrate the talent and resilience of the Greater Philadelphia region as it raises awareness and support for the PHL COVID-19 Fund. Produced by ESM Productions, a ROC Nation Company, along with support from Live Nation Philadelphia and Live Nation Urban, the lineup will include surprise guest appearances from several other friends of the Philadelphia region.

Since March 19, the PHL COVID-19 Fund, powered by Philadelphia Foundation and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ), has been rapidly deploying critical funds to nonprofits serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In eight weeks, the Fund has raised $16 million dollars and aided nearly 400 regional nonprofits. However, in order to continue to meet the critical needs of the community, more funding is vital.

"Despite the Fund's success to date, the needs of the most vulnerable among us continue to persist," said Pedro Ramos, President & CEO of Philadelphia Foundation. "Additional funding will support the urgent and pressing needs of the community."

"As the pandemic wears on, we continue to see our neighbors facing very real, very urgent challenges, placing ongoing strain on the limited resources that are available to help," said Bill Golderer, President & CEO, UWGPSNJ. "As successful as the Fund has been in raising money and identifying and addressing the most immediate, pressing needs in our community, the nonprofits at the frontline of the crisis are still struggling to meet increased demand for services. The additional funds raised from this event will not only make sure their doors remain open for those hardest hit in our community but ensure we stand ready to address emerging needs as well."

"These past two months have been a distressing time for all of us  particularly those who are most in need and lacking food, shelter and hope," said John S. Middleton, managing partner of the Phillies. "We all know there are people who can use a hand up right now."

The PHL COVID-19 Fund has prioritized supporting people who have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, such as seniors, people experiencing homelessness, those with disabilities, low-income residents without health insurance, people with substance abuse disorder and survivors of abuse.

"The PHL COVID-19 Fund is doing an incredible job helping nonprofits on the frontline of the region's response to this pandemic," added Leigh Middleton. "We're honored to be a part of this effort to raise funds for those most in need, and excited to bring this program to the community."

More information on the PHL COVID-19 Fund, recent grantees and its efforts to date can be found at www.PHLCOVID19Fund.org.

About Philadelphia Foundation

Founded in 1918, Philadelphia Foundation strengthens the economic, social and civic vitality of Greater Philadelphia. Philadelphia Foundation grows effective philanthropic investment, connects individuals and institutions across sectors and geography, and advances civic initiatives through partnerships and collaboration. A publicly supported foundation, the Philadelphia Foundation manages more than 1,000 charitable funds established by its donors and makes over 1,000 grants and scholarship awards each year. To learn more, visit philafound.org.

About United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, serving communities in Pennsylvania's Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and New Jersey's Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland counties, is part of a national network of more than 1,300 locally governed organizations that work to create lasting positive changes in communities and in people's lives. United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. In Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, United Way fights for youth success and family stability because we LIVE UNITED against intergenerational poverty. For more information about United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey visit www.UnitedForImpact.org .

For Philadelphia Foundation: Melissa Fordyce, 856-430-4661, [email protected]

For United Way: Abby Douglas, 330-208-5554, [email protected]

SOURCE Philadelphia Foundation and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 03:28:38|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the presidential and local elections in Burundi on Wednesday, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) on Sunday urged the authorities to provide a safe and secure environment for citizens to cast their votes.

In a joint statement, the partners said that they have been following the electoral campaign and remain concerned about reports of "intimidation and violent clashes between supporters of opposing sides."

"The two organizations encourage all entities involved in organizing the May 20, 2020 elections, the defense and security forces and state-owned media to fully contribute to preserving a stable and peaceful environment, pre-requisite for free, inclusive, fair, transparent and credible elections in Burundi," the statement said.

"They urge all political actors to refrain from all acts of violence and hate speech, and resort to dialogue, to enable the holding of consensual and peaceful elections. They also encourage the Burundian authorities to ensure and facilitate the full participation of women during this electoral process."

The AU Commission and the UN Secretariat also called on political parties to abide by the Code of Conduct they signed in December.

Authorities in the East African country were also urged to implement preventive measures to protect citizens from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, a UN Commission of Inquiry expressed alarm over violence and human rights abuses in the run-up to the vote.

Members also deeply regretted the government's decision to expel four staff members of the World Health Organization from the country. Enditem
A top union official's rejected claims that calling for the implementation of a 2% pay rise for public servants in October is "crowing".

Neil McDonnell, CEO of small and medium business group Isme, says it is not appropriate for the call to be made now

Brendan Ogle, of the Unite Trade Union says the challenges faced now are much different to the financial crisis in 2008.

He says: "I don't think it's crowing. When the last recession happened we had this concept of moral hazard.

"We were told at the time because: 'we all partied'-we didn't by the way but that was the narrative, that there couldn't be debt relief, there couldn't be rent freezes and there couldn't be moratoriums.

"What has happened here is the economy has been put into cold storage for public health reasons."

ISME says now is not 'appropriate' time to call for pay rises in public sector

The CEO of the business body ISME says now is not the time to be "crowing" for a pay rise.

It comes as unions look for a Government commitment to honour a 2% rise due to public servants in October.

Neil McDonnell, CEO of small and medium business group Isme, says it is not appropriate for the call to be made now.

"Really now is the time, notwithstanding that there are agreements in place, and I absolutely don't deny that there are agreements in place saying who gets what rise and when in the public sector," he says.

"But it really isn't something that is appropriate or sympathetic or empathetic to be crowing about in the national media," he says.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the Irish economy severely disrupting business and impacting employment.

Today a leading economist warned that the Munster economy will take a lot longer to recover from the Covid-19 jobs slump even as a return to work gets underway for builders and some retail stores this week.

Jim Power said the return to work will show up the regional imbalances across the State between the Dublin and the east coast economy and everywhere else, as non-grocery retail will take much longer and large store owners will likely seek to tap the Government's wage-support scheme even as their workers leave the 350 a week payment.
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T his CCTV footage released by billionaire Sir Frederick Barclay allegedly shows one of his nephews handling a bugging device in the Ritz hotel.

The 85-year-old businessman is locked in a bitter High Court battle with his twin brothers family over what he claims was an extensive invasion of privacy.

Sir Fredericks argument centres on 94 hours worth of secret recordings made over a number of months, in what his lawyers describe as commercial espionage on a vast scale.

The footage, captured just after 11pm on January 13, and released on Monday morning, allegedly shows Sir Fredericks nephew Alistair handling a listening device, which is said to have been used to capture more than 1,000 separate conversations.

Multi-millionaires Sir David Barclay (left) and his twin brother Sir Frederick after receiving their knighthoods / PA

In a statement, Sir Frederick said: I do not want anyone else to go through the awful experience of having their personal and private conversations listened to by scores of strangers.

It is surely in everyones interests for the law to be changed to prevent people, outside the authorities, using sophisticated spying devices that have such an intrusive impact.

He added: I am putting this video evidence forward as a graphic demonstration of how easy it is to spy on people in public places and to help bring about legislation to prevent such damaging intrusion.

The iconic London Ritz was sold to an investor in Qatar / AFP via Getty Images

He and his daughter Amanda are suing Alistair, Aidan and Howard Barclay, Aidans son Andrew and Philip Peters  a director of a number of family companies  after the elaborate system of covert recording came to light in January.

At a hearing earlier in May, the pairs lawyers claimed that the Ritz had been sold for half the market price after it emerged that discussions between Sir Frederick and a Saudi investor, who was offering 1.3 billion for the London landmark, were secretly recorded.

Hefin Rees QC said the recordings captured over 1,000 separate conversations over a period of months, including conversations with their lawyers as well as bankers and business people.

He said that a separate Wi-Fi bug was also used which was supplied by private investigations firm Quest, which invoiced for 405 hours of their time to listen and transcribe the recordings, with transcripts later shared amongst the defendants and others.

The court was told that Sir Frederick, who had placed great trust in Aidan and Howard Barclay to run his and his brothers business empire, is now left to contemplate his nephews betrayal.

Mr Rees said the defendants heard Sir Fredericks conversations with Sidra Capital, which at the time had made an initial offer of some 1.3 billion for the acquisition of the Ritz hotel.

He added: Despite this, the defendants sold the Ritz hotel to another buyer from Qatar at a price that appears to be for half the market price. One is left to speculate why.

Sir David Barclay (left) and Sir Frederick (right) / PA

Mr Rees argued that the recordings allowed the defendants to anticipate the claimants every move in advance, plan their business strategy around that, including knowing what legal advice the claimants were seeking and getting at this crucial time when their business and personal relationships had broken down, and the respective interests of the claimants and the defendants were in conflict.

Heather Rogers QC, representing all five defendants, accepted that the claimants have been recorded without their consent or knowledge, adding: It is correct that the defendants shared some of the transcripts between themselves.

But she said: This is not a case in which private information has been obtained and then widely disseminated to the press  it is not that kind of case at all.

A formal defence to the High Court claim has not yet been filed and a trial is due to take place at a later date.

The Standard has contacted the defendants' legal team for comment.
Jed Mercurio says the sixth series of hit BBC cop drama Line of Duty may have to be rewritten due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Production on the upcoming season of the show had to be halted after just four weeks of filming due to the global health crisis.

Writer and producer Jed admitted they could have to scrap what they have already filmed and start over with new scripts.

Up in the air: Jed Mercurio says the sixth series of hit BBC cop drama Line of Duty may have to be rewritten due to the coronavirus pandemic

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Jed explained: 'We're all considering [a re-write].

'We shot for four weeks in a pre-lockdown world, and all that material would have to be re-shot if we were going to change things. That would have huge cost implications, but we are considering it.'

Vicky McClure, who plays DI Kate Fleming, added: 'I am [wanting to go back]. Even if it means re-shooting what we've already shot.'

Jed also revealed they had a small outbreak of the coronavirus on set, which they were able to keep under control with testing.

Halted: Writer and producer Jed (pictured in 2019) admitted they could have to scrap what they have already filmed and start over with entire new scripts

He added that a return to filming before next year is unlikely unless testing facilities are made widely available.

He explained: 'The problem was when [testing] was abandoned by the Government, we were looking at a situation where we couldn't apply that.

'Nobody knows how this is going to unfold and we've just got to make sure everybody's safe. I feel for a lot of the crew, it's a difficult time when you're out of work.

'I want to get back as soon as we can, but that's got to be when it's safe. We're not a show that is similar to the soaps where there's a possibility of bringing the actual subject of corona into the storyline, where that could make it slightly easier for them to adapt to it, whereas it's currently not in Line Of Duty's world.

Happier times: Four weeks of the hit BBC show were shot before filming had to be stopped in March

'To be honest with you there's a lot we can do within the industry, but until wider society has the public health infrastructure of test, trace and isolate in place it's going to be very hard for anyone...

'I just don't think, unless wider society has got the process right, we'll be able to work in isolation.'

It comes after Vicky McClure enjoyed a brief reunion with her co-stars in a fun video chat last week.

The actress, 37, took to Instagram to share a snap from her online chat with co-stars Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar, along with series creator Jed.

Back together: Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure reunited with her co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston and series creator Jer Mercurio in a fun video chat on Monday

Vicky clearly seemed to be missing her co-stars as she shared a glimpse of their video chat on social media.

She captioned her post: 'LOD in lockdown. Missing this lot.'

Vicky - who plays DI Kate Fleming in the BBC police drama - also paid tribute to Martin on their joint birthday.

Sharing an on-set throwback snap with the actor - who plays DS Steve Arnott - she revealed they're planning to throw a huge party to mark the occasion when lockdown is over.

Sad: The actress appeared to be pining for her days filming with her co-stars, after production for series six was halted due to the lockdown

Vicky wrote: 'I mean who better to share my birthday with than my partner in crime!!!! @mrmartincompston.

'We were planning a party with us being together filming @bbclineofduty but we'll have an even bigger one now when we get back to it!

'I can't tell you how special today already is!! Feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Enjoy the sunshine everyone & Happy VE Day! Huge love to you all and stay safe.'

While Vicky is holed up in the UK, Martin is back home in Vegas with his wife Tianna, who hails from there and the rest of their family.
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has suspended operations at Noida factory after its six workers were found to be infected by coronavirus, a senior Gautam Budh Nagar police officer confirmed on Monday.

The company had resumed operations on Friday with screening of all employees who were asked to join the work.

Based on the information available with the Gautam Budh (GB) Nagar police, the officer told PTI that six workers at the Noida plant of Oppo have been tested covid-19 positive.

When contacted, Oppo India said that the company had obtained permission from the state authorities to resume production, following the MHA directive.

"As an organisation that places the safety of all our employees and citizens at the forefront, we had not only undertaken COVID-19 tests for all employees at the manufacturing facility in Greater Noida but also suspended all operations at the plant. We are undertaking stringent measures to keep the employees safe," the company said in a statement.

Oppo also said that it has started screening more than 3,000 workers who have to join work and also approached the government for the test.

There have been total 255 coronavirus positive cases in GB Nagar as on Sunday.

Till Saturday, 4,738 samples were collected from all across the GB Nagar district, comprising Noida and Greater Noida.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Malibu, CA, United States, May 18, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - In this episode of The Ellis Martin Report we'll direct the entire show to discussion of Covid-19 in a way that primarily discusses health and economics. Our first two segments will feature Zhittya Genesis Medicine which is currently researching a repair through an aerosol inhaler designed for the afflicted lungs of Covid patients. Company president Dr. Jack Jacobs will give us a report on his findings. We then have a full ad hoc discussion with Zhittya CEO Dan Montano where he'll share his thoughts about the economical aspect of the lockdown where he mentions countries such as Sweden remaining open throughout the epidemic. We will finish this episode therefore with an interview Ellis conducted with Swedish financier and economist Peter Bahrke in Stockholm.....to get the story from his ground zero, so to speak.

About Zhittya Genesis Medicine

Zhittya Genesis Medicine is a biotechnology company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. For 21 years our management has expended over $140 million dollars advancing this medicine. We are striving to change the world with our revolutionary new biological drug: FGF-1. In many trials FGF-1 has had the ability to grow new blood vessels in ischemic parts of the human body. These trials have shown that FGF-1 can reverse the progression of heart disease and completely heal diabetic foot ulcers.

To view the interview, please visit:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/100875/zhittya



About The Ellis Martin Report:

The Ellis Martin Report (TEMR) is an internet based radio program showcasing potentially undervalued companies to an audience of potential retail investors and fund managers that comprise our listening audience. TEMR is broadcasted on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel and The Opportunity Radio Network. CEO and company interviews are paid for by those represented on the program.

Contact:

Dan Montano

Zhittya Genesis Medicine

1120 N Town Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89144

questions@zhittyamedicine.com

www.zgm.care

T: +1-702-802-9855

Story continues

Source:

The Ellis Martin Report

Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved.
Compared to leaders in some states, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has so far erred on the side of caution during the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to ease the burden on the states hospital systems.

But following the release of Bakers phased plan to reopen sectors of the states economy, hospital workers are urging more even more caution and doubling down on calls for stricter measures inside hospitals moving forward.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association issued a statement on Monday outlining steps it would like to see the state pursue as health care services resume, including a strengthening of Personal Protective Equipment standards, consistent return-to-work standards and the universal testing of hospital workers, among other things.

Because healthcare facilities are under pressure to recoup lost revenue and quickly ramp-up elective and other non-emergency procedures, it is critical the state closely monitors their adherence to safety standards and heeds the advice of frontline healthcare workers," Donna Kelly-Williams, the groups president said in a statement.

Baker unveiled the first of the states four phases of reopening, which states that hospitals and health care centers can resume certain non-emergency procedures or hospital care that had been deferred during the crisis, as well as high-priority services for high-risk patients. That includes certain types of preventative care, pediatric care and medical treatment for high-risk patients.

The group says the state did include in its plan for hospitals ICU safe patient limits law and the screening of all patients entering the facility. But nurses say they want the state to create an advisory group of health care professionals on the front lines to consult policymakers "on how best to organize patient care across the state as healthcare facilities seek to resume normal operations and prepare to confront a potential second wave of infections.

As healthcare facilities begin to resume normal operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative the voices of frontline nurses and healthcare professionals are heard, Kelly-Williams said. Healthcare operations must resume in a way that protects and supports staff, with clear standards across facilities, so that all patients are safe, and the outbreak does not resurge.

Coronavirus in Mass.: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Related Content:
PLANO, Texas, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global online training provider GreyCampus has announced a collaboration with IBM (NYSE:IBM) to launch Certificate Program in Data Science and Certificate Program in Artificial Intelligence.

Designed for working professionals and graduates, these programs combine IBM's advanced online labs and course content along with GreyCampus's streamlined training delivery and expert instructors. Key features of these programs include interactive live classes from practicing experts, hands-on labs, 24/7 access to teaching assistants, online resources, Capstone projects and globally-recognized certificates.

"We are delighted to launch comprehensive career-aligned programs in collaboration with IBM," said Vijay Pasupulati, CEO and Co-founder of GreyCampus. "We are confident that our programs will enable our students to launch or grow their career in data science and AI. We believe such programs will significantly upskill our students and propel their careers forward."

"India has taken major leaps in digitization especially in the current environment where remote education and work is the new norm. With the ongoing digital transformation of organizations, data science and AI have become critical new skills for the modern workforce," said Devkant Aggarwal, Leader Growth Initiatives, Career Education. "This reaffirms IBM's commitment to provide the next generation with 'new collar' skills required to compete in the global economy."

These programs are structured to take the students from foundational concepts to advanced hands-on projects, along with continuous reinforcements in the form of quizzes, assignments and guidance from instructors. Programs are hosted on GreyCampus's learning management platform which also provides online access to resources, teaching assistants and discussion forums. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive industry-recognized certificates from GreyCampus and IBM.

In addition to these programs, GreyCampus will be launching more specialized emerging technology programs in the areas of machine learning, computer vision, data analytics and big data later in 2020.

Links provided below for further information:

Certificate Program In Data Science: https://www.greycampus.com/certificate-program-in-data-science

Certificate Program in Artificial Intelligence: https://www.greycampus.com/certificate-program-in-artificial-intelligence

About GreyCampus

GreyCampus is a global provider of training, enabling working professionals to acquire skills and certifications. The company provides training in technology and business areas including Data Science, Cyber Security, Project Management, Quality Management and Cloud Technologies. Based in Dallas, Texas and Hyderabad, India; GreyCampus has enabled more than 150,000 professionals achieve their career goals.

For more information, please visit www.greycampus.com

About IBM

For information on IBM, please visit www.ibm.com

Snigdha Biswas

GreyCampus, Inc.

U.S.: +1 518 302 6767

India: +91 741666443

SOURCE GreyCampus
People wait to cast their votes at a polling station for the special election between Democratic state assembly woman Christy Smith and Republican businessman and ex-Navy pilot Mike Garcia to replace former Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill in the state's 25th Congressional District, in Santa Clarita, Calif., on May 12, 2020. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

Pandemic Frustration Boosted GOP in California Special Election, May Help Flip House in November

Commentary

In a recent special congressional election, Republicans did something they hadnt done in 22 years: They flipped a seat to Republican from Democrat in California.

While there were special circumstances involved, there remains a broader issue that could lead to the GOP retaking the majority of the House of Representatives in November.

This is a year like no other in American history. Never before has the economy been shut down; never have churches been shut down or have people been largely confined to their homes.

To a significant degree, the political response to COVID-19 sadly has added to our divisions in what I call The Divided Era. From the outset, Democrats in office and the left-of-center media have often opposed and or criticized the actions of President Donald Trump for partisan reasons.

When the president suggested that there should be a mostly a national policy response to the pandemic, Democrats cried foul and said the individual states should have the greater authority. Trump then quickly adopted their position and let governors make many decisions.

Since then, shutdown policy has been driven by individual states, and predictably, the policy choices have fallen along red state/blue state lines. By and large, Republican states have pushed to open the economy while the Democratic states, including California, have sought to extend the shutdown.

That dynamic has caused considerable frustration for many Americansespecially for Republicans and business owners in blue states. As a result, as I have written before, the Democrats have branded themselves the party of the shutdown, and Republicans, along with Trump, have branded themselves the party of working men and women and as champions of the effort to reopen the economy.

Garcia Wins

Within that context, a special election was held in California in a swing district with many moving political parts. While counting continues, Republican Mike Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith by 12 percenta 19 percent swing from the 2018 results, when Katie Hill won the seat by 7 percent.

There were many factors as to why the vote swung decisively to the Republican column.

First, the seat was vacated because of a personal scandal involving former Rep. Hill. Scandals, of course, usually hurt the affected party and that played a role in flipping the District 25 seat.

Second, although the seat is now characterized as a swing district seat, for more than two decades, the seat was held by Republicans. When Hill won the seat in 2018, along with other Democrats campaigning in Southern California for Republican seats, she promised a certain measure of independence from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Her voting record proved otherwise, however, and that wasnt forgotten by many voters.

Third, special elections, in general, represent good opportunities for the minority party to pick up seats. When I was in party leadership in California, Republicans won two special elections for state offices. The minority party is often more motivated than the majority party in special elections. Further, most special elections have smaller turnouts than general elections and that places a premium on motivated parties and voters. That dynamic was present in Garcias victory.

Fourth, in this case, Republicans had a good candidate and Democrats didnt. Garcia is a Navy veteran who worked the district relentlessly, including defeating the Republican who had previously held the seat, Steve Knight, in the primary. On the other hand, its no secret that Smith had designs on becoming the states superintendent of schools.

Fifth, unlike many other California Republicans, Garcia spoke forcibly about the dangers of the Democrats socialist policies, touted his support of the Second Amendment and strong border policies, and accepted Trumps help.

In an election that turned on base turnout, that played well.

Sixth, its also true that Democrats were limited in their ballot harvesting (going door to door to collect absentee ballots) because of the COVID-19 shutdown. Not being able to collect absentee ballots likely reduced Democratic votes this time around.

On the other hand, Republicans came together quickly after Garcia beat Knight in the primary and that cooperation paid dividends.

COVID-19 Frustration

Finally, frustration within California also played a role and that may make a similar difference in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin in November.

Normally in California, Republican enthusiasm is wanting because GOP votes often dont amount to much in statewide races. Many Republicans have left the state for red states or low-income tax states. Meanwhile, the influx of people from outside the country has turned California a deeper blue, if not a one-party state.

The COVID-19 shutdown, which has included the shutting of churches along with small businesses, however, has sparked a small revolt in California that grows by the day. California Democrats offer no respite from the shutdown.

Republican officeholders and citizens are fighting tooth-and-nail for the right to reopen the economy. That motivation is spilling over into public sentiment and into the minds of independent voters. Part of that motivated Republicans in the special election, and Garcia will have to tap into that in his November rematch with Smith.

That same sentiment may also help Republicans take back the House in November.

At least three other seats in California (two in Orange County and one in the Central Valley) share much in common with District 25. The Democrats who flipped those long-held Republican seats also promised a degree of independence from Pelosipromises that havent been kept.

Along with the frustration of voters over the pandemic shutdown, promising Orange County candidates Young Kim, in the 39th District, has a chance to unseat the Democrat who narrowly beat Kim in 2018, while first-time candidate Republican Supervisor Michelle Steel could reclaim the 48th District. Also, David Valadao has a better-than-even chance to reclaim the Central Valley 21st District seat he lost in 2018.

All in all, the 2020 election will be about the economy: Republicans are fighting to reopen it and Democrats to keep it shut down. That places Republicans on the right side of working people and offers a good chance to reclaim a majority in the House this fall.

Thomas Del Beccaro is an acclaimed author, speaker, Fox News, Fox Business, and Epoch Times opinion writer, and the former chairman of the California Republican Party. He is the author of the historical perspectives, The Divided Era and The New Conservative Paradigm.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs were seized by Myanmar police - REUTERS

Myanmar police say they have seized a huge haul of liquid fentanyl - the first time the dangerous synthetic opioid that is ravaging North America has been found in Asias Golden Triangle drug-producing region.

In a sign that Asias drug syndicates have moved into the lucrative opioid market, more than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl was discovered by anti-narcotics police near Loikan village in Shan State in northeast Myanmar.

The seizure of the fentanyl derivative was part of Asias biggest-ever interception of illicit drugs, precursors and drug-making equipment, including 193 million methamphetamine tablets known as yaba. At 17.5 tonnes, that is almost as much yaba as has been seized during the previous two years in Myanmar.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of the bust was unprecedented and Myanmars anti-drug authorities had dismantled a significant network during a two-month operation involving police and military. Also seized were almost 163,000 litres and 35.5 tonnes of drug precursors - substances that can be used to produce drugs - as well as weapons. There were more than 130 arrests.

High pressure chemical reactors, and mixers used for manufacturing illicit drugs - REUTERS

The methylfentanyl discovery was an ominous indicator for the regions illicit drug market, the U.N. agency and a Western official based in Myanmar told Reuters news agency.

It could be a game-changer because fentanyl is so potent that its widespread use would cause a major health concern for Myanmar and the region, said the Western official, who declined to be identified.

The head of law enforcement for Myanmars counter-narcotics agency, Colonel Zaw Lin, said the methylfentanyl had been verified using state-of-the-art equipment.

The seizure showed the drug syndicates' methods were changing, he said.

Fentanyl and its derivatives have caused more than 130,000 overdose deaths in the United States and Canada in the past five years, according to government agencies.

Story continues

Weapons, ammunition, alongside bags of crystal methamphetamine and meth-laced yaba pills seized by Myanmar police - REUTERS

The opioid epidemic has not yet swept Asia, Europe or Australasia but there have been signs it is an emerging threat.

We have repeatedly warned the region [that] fentanyl could become a problem but this is off the charts, said UNODCs Southeast Asia and the Pacific representative Jeremy Douglas.

It is the shift in the market we have been anticipating, and fearing.

While Myanmar police did not disclose the purity and exact make-up of the methylfentanyl found, it comes in two main variants, both more potent than fentanyl, according to the European Unions drug monitoring agency.

Fentanyl itself is 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin.

Increasingly, drug traffickers have been mixing fentanyl and its derivatives with heroin, meth and cocaine, adding to their potency and lethality.
New Delhi: The Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) released a notice stating the changes made in the English and Mathematics exam paper for class 12 or ISC students which mentioned that students will have to appear for 80 marks theoretical exam for English and Mathematic instead of 100 from the coming academic year 2021. The remaining 20 marks will be allotted to project work.

The notice read, ''The CISCE had introduced a 20 marks Project Work for the subjects English and Mathematics from the ISC Year 2022 Examination. The CISCE has now decided to introduce the same for the ISC Year 2021 Examination also.''

Explaining the change in the pattern the notice further said that the existing pattern of a 100 marks question paper in the two subjects shall now be replaced with two components in each of these Subjects/Papers, i.e. Theory Paper (80 marks) and Project Work (20 marks).

In the new rule, the board gave liberty to candidates can choose from a list of topics for the project work.

In English, 20 marks will be further divided into listening, speaking, and writing with each having five marks. These marks will be allotted internally. The remaining five marks will be awarded on writing skills but based on external assessment.

In the notice it was informed that the pattern/method of assessment of the project work shall be the same as given in the document ISC Year 2022 Regulations & Syllabuses. The syllabuses and regulations are available on the website of the Council, i.e., www.cisce.org

To make it convenient for students to understand the new pattern the council will soon release the specimen question papers on the two subjects, i.e. English and Mathematics in its official website.
Fitness guru Ashy Bines says responding to messages from her fans is one of the 'really draining' parts of being an Instagram star.

The 30-year-old, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, shot to fame on social media as a result of her Bikini Body Challenge exercise program.

She continued building her fitness empire on social media for ten years and has amassed more than 4.5million followers on Instagram and Facebook.

The mother-of-one used to take the time to personally respond to all direct messages from her social media fans.

But over the weekend, Ms Bines used a lengthy Instagram story to 'get something off her chest' and announced she would be palming the task off to her customer service team.

Fitness influencer Ashy Bines has revealed that responding to messages from her fans is one of the 'really draining' parts of being an Instagram star

The health guru, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, shot to fame on social media as a result of her Bikini Body Challenge exercise program

'There is honestly just too many [messages] for me to keep up with and not feel drained,' she wrote, according to news.com.au.

'Hundreds a day. It can take up hours of my time. This week I've just realised I can't keep doing it all.'

While most messages come from people with genuine comments and questions, Ms Bines also gets abuse and threats from trolls.

She explained the abusive messages effect her mental health and fears her four-year-old son Taj may notice.

'I needed to make a choice to step away so it doesn't effect my energy especially for my gorgeous little man Taj, which two days this week it did and it feels awful and unfair that these horrible msgs really upset me enough for him to see and feel that.'

Fitness influencer Ashy Bines is pictured with her husband, Steve Evans, and son, Taj, at the beach

She explained the abusive messages on social media effect her mental health and fears her four-year-old son Taj (pictured) may notice

Ms Bines said she would focus her extra energy on creating more content for her fitness programs.

It comes two years after the fitness queen broke down in tears on social media after her Instagram account was hacked.

She was locked out of her profile and unable to respond to any direct messages from her fans.

Taking to her Snapchat story, a tearful Ashy alerted her fans not to respond to any direct messages after she lost control over her account.

'Good afternoon everyone, sorry I've been crying... My Instagram profile has been hacked,' Ashy said.

'I just wanted to let you guys know in case they reply to any of my [direct messages] or sent anything out that's not me.'

It comes two years after the fitness queen broke down in tears on social media after her Instagram account was hacked

A tearful Ashy alerted her fans not to respond to any direct messages after her Instagram account was hacked

'I really wouldn't care if I had to start again on Instagram but I just want all of my photos so I really hope the person that is doing this doesn't go and delete all the photos.'

But hours later, the mother-of-one confirmed on her Instagram story that her husband managed to save all the content after he retrieved her account.

'Thank goodness. I totally understand there's so much more worse things that could happen to you and what's going on in the world.'

She said the Insatgram account was where she documented her 'best memories' over the past eight years.

'Just overall, I feel like I have put a lot of time, effort, energy and love and I've connected with so many of you girls and that means a lot to me.'
Low-income credit unions (LICU) have benefits that help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 recession while helping to serve members who need support the most. If you are not aware of where your credit union currently stands in attaining this designation, reach out to your examiner and review your AIRES file to see how close you are. It is important to understand what percentage of your current membership qualifies as low income in relation to the 50.01% threshold required by the NCUA.

It is just as important to understand what goes into this calculation. The primary methodology for qualification is based on member address and if that address is within a low-income qualifying area. However, business addresses, Post Office boxes, and (until recently) Military Addresses do not qualify as low income. If a good percentage of your membership uses these address types as their primary mailing address, you may want to analyze whether you can achieve the designation through data enrichment or alternative LICU qualifying methodologies. The process can be quick. The NCUA developed a tool to allow them to quickly analyze and validate your credit unions submission.

Below is a list of LICU benefits and how they will help mitigate the risks of a COVID-19 recession:

Benefit: LICUs have an exception from the statutory cap on member business lending.

In CUNA Mutuals Credit Union Trends Report for April, the association laid out a bleak picture for the economy and its impact on credit unions. Major takeaways included projections of the economy contracting at a 20% annualized pace in the second quarter, and the unemployment rate rising over 15%. With corresponding decreases in Americans ability and interest in purchasing cars and homes, CUNA is expecting loan growth of only 2% in 2020.

Lifting the member business cap (12.25% of assets or 1.75 times net worth) can help diversify your credit unions loan portfolio and mitigate the decline in consumer loans. With recent reports that the PPP loan program will still fall well short of the small business demand, your credit union can fill an important community need in helping business owners stay open through the slow process of returning back to normal operating levels.

Benefit: LICUs can accept non-member deposits from any source and create low-income associations.

As CUNA cited, Americans typically join credit unions to obtain credit. With loan growth expected to fall to 2% this year, CUNA projects membership growth will fall to only 1%. CUNA also cited job loss as another negative influence as single common bond, multiple common bond, and TIP chartered credit unions lose potential members who are unemployed and no longer eligible to join through their employer.

The ability to accept non-member deposits could help mitigate challenges. Non-member deposits can offer creative opportunities for member and deposit acquisition strategies, lower cost of funds and make it easier for acquisitions. Additionally, low-income, multiple common bond credit unions can create low-income associations to help low-income people and add them as members. This can help grow membership and help new members in your community through times when they need it the most.

Benefit: LICUs are eligible for grants and low-interest loans from the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund.

As the Credit Union Times reported, early credit union call report data shows the extent to which net income and, as a function, operating budgets will suffer. In the first quarter of 2020, large credit unions already began to take hits to their investment portfolio and increase provision for loan loss to prepare for higher loan delinquencies.

Access to grants and low-interest loans can help your credit union continue to reach demographics hit hardest by the recession despite potential cuts to your operating budget. Credit unions receiving the LICU designation can receive grants from the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund. This NCUA administered program provides funds to help credit unions offer financial services to low-income members in an effort to stimulate the local economy. In 2019, $2M in grants and $3.5M in loans were made available for federal credit unions. Additional funds are also available via the Treasury Departments Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which in 2017, awarded more than $39 million to 56 credit unions

Benefit: LICUs have the authority to obtain supplemental capital.

Credit unions entered the COVID-19 recession well capitalized and ready to withstand damage caused by lack of profitability and balance sheet growth. The industry had a net-worth ratio of 11.14 percent, well above the 7% threshold considered to be well capitalized by the NCUA. No one knows how long the economic impact of COVID-19 and social distancing will last. Authority to obtain supplemental capital can help if your credit union is not as well capitalized and/or has a field of membership especially prone to the recession. Supplemental capital can also help your credit union be active in the wave of mergers that are likely to come as a result of COVID-19s economic impact

There will be no silver bullet strategy to weathering the challenges ahead, but the low-income designation can add another set of options to your risk mitigation plan. Most importantly, know that just because the NCUA has not proactively notified you that you qualify for a low-income designation, does not mean that you cant qualify. To achieve the benefits listed above it is worth your time to at least know where your credit union stands and why you may not currently qualify. Keep your leadership team informed on a low-income designation and if/when it is reasonable to apply.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is not often seen as a consumer champion, but he spoke for many when he branded the Government's plans for the tourism industry 'idiotic'. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added fuel to the fire by saying that a 'blanket' 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals to be introduced from next month will include Britons returning home. This was exactly what travel companies and holidaymakers alike did not want to hear  believing that it sends out the message that holidays are over. So, amid all the confusion and mixed messaging, let's try to shed some light...

What's the Government's travel strategy?

This is a massively important question, given that the outbound travel industry contributes over 37 billion a year to the UK economy, supporting 500,000 jobs. Wait and see is the official policy, hence the growing frustration. The Prime Minister  on the advice of scientists  is terrified of a second spike in the Covid pandemic and wants to see how the lifting of restrictions in other countries works out. Travel companies are furiously lobbying ministers, looking for clarity and a road map for the future... but they aren't getting either.

A large swimming pool and detached new holiday villa on urbanization in Southern Spain

Didn't Boris say that Britain and France would exclude each other from quarantine?

Apparently, we all got the wrong end of the stick following the PM's talks with Emmanuel Macron last week. Those travelling to and from France will not be excluded after all  but some people, such as lorry drivers, will be spared two weeks of quarantine.

I have a holiday booked in Italy for the middle of July. Is it best to cancel?

Not necessarily. Right now, the advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is to avoid all non-essential travel  but that could change. Italy certainly hopes it will. More than 3million of us seek out la dolce vita in one way or another each year and Italians are desperately keen to have us again as soon as possible. The country is not operating at full throttle just yet, but beaches finally started to reopen at the weekend and many restaurants, bars, hairdressers and other shops will do likewise in the next few days. In early June, a 14-day quarantine period is due to be scrapped.

Where else can I go to enjoy the Mediterranean sunshine?

Greece is a good bet. The country has escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic (with just 165 deaths, compared with almost 35,000 in the UK) and, given that it derives a fifth of its income and a quarter of its jobs from tourism, an absence of British holidaymakers will spell financial disaster for its already beleaguered economy The Greek islands have been in lock down since March but are due to open again this month. Even hotels will back in action on July 1  but don't expect any breakfast buffets. Sunbeds could also be nailed into the ground to allow for socially distanced tanning.

What about Spain or Turkey?

Yes. There's nothing to stop you taking up residence at your villa and quarantining there  but watch how you go. It wouldn't be much fun to end up in a Turkish prison if the authorities see you out and about. Remember Midnight Express.

If I'm renting a villa in Spain or Turkey, does staying there count as quarantine?

Yes. There's nothing to stop you taking up residence at your villa and quarantining there  but watch how you go. It wouldn't be much fun to end up in a Turkish prison if the authorities see you out and about. Remember Midnight Express.

Could your family holiday plans be scuppered this year thanks to quarantines?

If I'm returning from abroad, can I just head back to my house and work from home?

Yes  but you're supposed to stay indoors. That being said, are police really going to keep watch from noon till night to make sure you don't pop out to Tesco?

Can I get travel insurance?

That won't be easy at all. Mainstream insurance companies won't want to sell you a policy while the current FCO advice on travel is in place, and you are highly unlikely to get cover for the possibility of catching Covid-19. There are exceptions, however. One is The Greek Villas, a company that has a new policy in place with Lloyds of London for guests which does include coronavirus.

Amid the scramble, is your airline ready for take-off? BA: The national carrier has said it will resume flying holiday-makers in early July if the Government lifts quarantine rules. But there are no guarantees that it will reopen its Gatwick operation  which it suspended at the end of March  and the company has announced 12,000 redundancies. A British Airways Boeing 777-300 lands on London Heathrow's Runway as the sun sets EASYJET: All flights are grounded until further notice. As yet there's no update as to when they might be flying again, but flights are coming up on pricecomparison site Skyscanner from June 1. RYANAIR: The carrier is flying to Spain and Italy from July 1, although Spain's new two-week quarantine rules came into effect on Friday. VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Billionaire Sir Richard Branson wants the Government to bail his company out, but it's not happening. Meanwhile, Virgin is pulling out of Gatwick and could make 3,000 job cuts. It's still flying but further bad news can't be ruled out. JET2: All flights were grounded until June 17 (although there's been no update since April 24 so it's possible that this date will be pushed back) KLM: It returned on May 4 with just one daily flight, seven days a week, to Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Milan, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw and Helsinki. Wizz Air: Currently flying 10 per cent of timetable as part of a phased return to the skies. But the airline is planning on starting four new routes from Luton to Greece in July as well as one to Faro on June 16. Advertisement

What should happen now? It is bizarre that right now anyone can come into the country without any checks and yet the Government is about to introduce a two week quarantine policy. The words 'too little, too late' come to mind. This should have been done weeks ago when infections were at their highest. Heathrow Airport is handling about 6,000 passengers a day, compared with 250,000 normally, so it's no wonder that its boss is exerting pressure on the Government not to enforce blanket quarantine measures. 'Immunity passports' would be helpful. They would allow those who have already had Covid-19 to travel freely. The Government should also focus efforts on thermal screening technology, which is being used in Heathrow Terminal 2 as a trial. And why not introduce temperature screening for passengers both leaving and coming into the UK? Meanwhile, ministers are considering coronavirus 'air bridges' to countries that have got their outbreaks under control, such as New Zealand, which would avoid the need for quarantines. Advertisement

Cruising: is it sink or swim? There is no easy short-term future for cruising. Ships have been docked since March and will remain so for the foreseeable future. But that could work to the industry's advantage, as it will allow plenty of time to bring in new safety procedures. The long-term future looks bright. Cruising is a growing market because people are living longer, travelling later in their lives than ever before, and there's a big push to attract younger passengers, as epitomised by the launch of Virgin Voyages last year. Cruise ship, MS Queen Mary 2, departing Hamburg harbour on the Elbe River at sunset, Hamburg, Germany Worldwide, the industry is worth about 123billion and, if it hadn't have been for the pandemic, more than 32million passengers would have taken a cruise this year, including 2 million from the UK. Cruise companies are already busy enticing customers for 2021 holidays with some great deals. No-fly cruises are proving especially popular (Saga will even come and pick you up from home). Companies know that stringent new measures will have to be in place to restore confidence, especially since the debacle of the Diamond Princess, which witnessed an outbreak of Covid-19 at the start of the crisis. The Cruise Line Association, which represents major cruise companies in the UK, is working on measures such as pre-cruise testing of passengers, temperature testing (this may also apply in every port), increased sanitising and social distancing on board. Advertisement

Nearly all travellers will face quarantine

By Tom Payne, Jason Groves and Matt Oliver

Hopes for foreign holidays are in doubt after officials revealed a blanket quarantine could soon be enforced for returning travellers.

In a blow to millions desperate for a summer getaway, the Government said the vast majority of those arriving into the UK by air, rail or sea will have to selfisolate for two weeks.

And travellers who breach the new quarantine rules could face an automatic 1,000 fine, it emerged last night.

The fine would be ten times that imposed for breaking other lockdown rules.

'The quarantine period is going to be an important element in the next stage of tackling the virus and preventing a second wave,' a Whitehall source told the Daily Mail.

'We want people to understand that it is important and that we are serious about it.'

A limited list of travellers will be exempt, including lorry drivers, security and enforcement officials, airline and Eurostar staff, and scientists researching coronavirus.

The policy could begin as early as May 28, or possibly early June.

The date will depend on when the UK's coronavirus transmission rate is judged to be low enough for the measure to make a difference.

Every three weeks, the rule will be formally reviewed, but according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps it could eventually be replaced by a less restrictive system of 'air bridges' between very low risk countries.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said travellers from France would not be exempt, adding that an earlier statement on talks with Emmanuel Macron had been misinterpreted.

However, those returning from Ireland will be exempt because of the need to preserve the common travel area rules under the Good Friday Agreement.

The common travel area also includes Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

The announcement prompted anger among airline bosses, who have been lobbying ministers to scrap plans for a blanket quarantine amid hopes of restarting flights in mid-June.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary attacked the rule as 'idiotic and unimplementable' and predicted it would be widely flouted.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday: 'You don't have enough police in the UK to implement a two-week lockdown. And what's really worrying is that a twoweek lockdown has no medical or scientific basis to it in any event.

'If you really want to do something that's effective, wear masks.'

Last night, Tim Alderslade, of trade body Airlines UK, said: 'Airlines are not going to operate if people are effectively told not to travel and that is going to do a lot of damage both to our tourism industry and businesses who rely on aviation for their supply chains and exports.'

Meanwhile, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said the quarantine rule would scupper plans to resume large-scale operations in July, with a target date of August now more likely.

Airline bosses favour 'travel corridors' between low-risk countries and complain they have not been properly consulted on the proposals.

'A review every three weeks is far too long,' one senior industry source said. 'It could devastate the industry.'
Seventy-five years since V-E Day in 1945  a precis of the role of Poland and the Poles in World War II (Part Three) By Mark Wegierski

The Warsaw Uprising On July 22, 1944, the Communist-led Polish National Liberation Committee was created, calling for the establishment of a Polish People's Republic -- in opposition to the Polish Government-in-Exile in London. Although the Communists later claimed that the Committee assembled in Lublin (and that it had been unveiled in Chelm Lubelski), in fact, the PNLC was created in Moscow, and operated largely in Moscow for much of its earlier existence. At about the same time, beginning on August 1, 1944, the tragic Warsaw Uprising was launched. There had also been a doomed uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. It should be remembered that the Soviet front was several hundred miles away at that time, so the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising could never have been successful. The Polish underground tried to assist the heroic Jewish fighters, but had very drastically limited means under the crushing German occupation. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising can only be understood as an existential gesture of defiance, doomed from the outset. By August 1944, however, Soviet armies had reached the east side of the Vistula River (the main city of Warsaw is on the west side), and it was widely expected that the Germans would soon crumble. Although there is some suggestion that the Soviets had outrun their logistical tether at this point, most historians think that Stalin simply suspended Soviet offensive operations, in order to allow the Germans to crush the Uprising without outside impediment. The Polish resistance, nevertheless, continued over more than two, increasingly nightmarish months. The partisan fighters of the Polish Home Army, who mostly had only small arms, could not overcome the heavily armed and supported (tanks, artillery, flame-throwers, etc.) German forces. Furthermore, Hitler had given explicit orders to utterly destroy Warsaw, so the Polish civilian population was almost continually massacred. Stalin was also culpable in that he refused landing rights to Western Allied planes that could have airdropped weapons, munitions, and other supplies to the insurgents. The Allied airdrops to Warsaw were therefore virtually suicide missions, for which there were nevertheless considerable pilot volunteers. Over 240,000 Poles (most of them civilians, including massive numbers of women, children, and the elderly) perished in the Uprising, often being killed in the cruelest of ways (such as being burned alive when the Germans deliberately set fire to the Poles makeshift hospitals). The Germans exacted a ferocious retribution against the Poles, levelling the entire city, systematically blowing up buildings and monuments in their perceived order of importance to Polish culture, destroying or looting whatever art-works could be found, and deporting the remaining population to concentration camps. Poland Was Betrayed By Allies At the Conferences of the "Big Three" (USA, Britain, USSR) at Teheran, Yalta, and Potsdam, it was decided that Poland would be reconstituted in the boundaries of the Polish Piast state of the early Middle Ages, that is, the frontiers would be shifted by about 200 miles westward. While Poland would receive lands it had lost some 600 years ago, and would be forced to expel the German population living there, it would also lose lands that had been under its influence for over 600 years, and such Polish population there which had survived the various depredations of the war would simply be brutally transferred into the lands vacated by the Germans. The net loss of territory between the gains in the west, and the losses in the east, was almost one-fifth! In Stalin's conception, the Polish gains in the west would bind Poland forever to a pro-Russian orientation, because of Poles fear of German revanchism, while Polands eastern frontiers would now roughly coincide with what had been the Nazi-Soviet demarcation line of 1939. Polish soldiers took part in the final battles against Nazi Germany, including the Battle of Berlin. But they did not obtain the real fruits of victory. The adjustment into the new boundaries would have been difficult enough, without Stalin's further goal of imposing hardline Communism on Poland. Stalin could have chosen to allow for considerable internal autonomy while Poland remained under Soviet influence  along the lines of Finland. But that was not Stalins way. A civil war between the remnants of the nationalist underground, and the emerging Communist security apparatus, supported by huge Soviet forces, raged until 1949. Over 100,000 Poles died resisting Soviet Communism. Hundreds of thousands of Poles were severely and/or permanently injured as a result of heavy beatings, systematic torture, and brutal conditions of incarceration. Stalin sardonically commented, in his typically crude fashion, that "imposing Communism on Poland was like trying to saddle a cow." Churchill and Roosevelt did not treat the Poles in the West, who were seen as "unusually recalcitrant towards Stalin," fairly. The Polish gold reserves, which had been spirited out of Poland in 1939, and had indeed paid for most of the expenses of the Polish armies under Western Allied command, were unaccountably returned to the Communist government in Poland, with the result that many Polish veterans were left without any means of future sustenance. The general commanding the First Polish Parachute Brigade, for example, ended up working as a common labourer in Britain. Polish soldiers in the West were not even allowed to officially participate in the great postwar victory marches in London and other cities. World War II Victory March In 1992 It could therefore be argued that the real World War II victory march for the Polish military took place on Polish Soldiers Day, August 15, 1992, when Polish veterans from all over the world gathered to celebrate the beginning of a new, free Poland, and the end of Soviet Communism. (Partially based on an article co-authored with Apolonja Kojder that appeared in Polish American Journal, August 2004.) Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. Home
A man accused of breaking into a museum and taking selfies with priceless exhibits has been charged over the bizzare late-night escapade.

The man, 25, allegedly broke into the Australian Museum, in Sydney's CBD, just after 1am on May 10 and roamed around the empty building for 40 minutes.

Police claim he walked through multiple levels, attempting to enter rooms, looking through storage spaces and taking selfies with exhibits.

He allegedly stole an artwork and a cowboy hat off a stand  believed to be owned by a member of staff.

Police claim he walked through multiple levels, attempting to enter rooms, looking through storage spaces and taking selfies with exhibits. Pictured: taking a selfie with the skull of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex

The man was caught on CCTV taking a cowboy hat from a hat stand before putting it on his head

Footage of the incident showed the intruder getting up close and personal with the exhibits, looking at dinosaur bones and taking pictures of himself with the skull of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex.

The man then wandered through the staff-only part of the museum and attempted to access many parts of the building before eventually leaving.

'He's entered into a place of significance, we're lucky he hasn't damaged any historical artefacts or anything that is expensive in there,' Detective Chief Inspector Sean Heaney said last week.

Australian Museum is currently under renovation and police believe he got into the building by climbing scaffolding.

He was charged on Sunday with break and enter and is due to appear at Central Local Court today.

He was refused bail.
On Sunday, 19-year-old Rakesh Kathayat and his friends from Nepal watched helplessly as Ganesh Yadav, an Indian commercial goods driver, crossed the bridge over the Mechi river in his truck and drove into Kakarvitta in Nepal.

Kathayat, a resident of Nepals Dang region, and 20 of his friends came to Siliguri on March 23 to look for jobs. After the nationwide lockdown started on March 25 and the borders were sealed, the youths made several attempts to return home. They were stopped by West Bengal police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), that guards the international border, and sent back to Siliguri. It has been 40 days since the youths are living in a government facility for migrant workers.

On Sunday, the youths walked 30 km from Siliguri to Panitanki in Darjeeling district and pleaded with officials. They were once again refused entry into Nepal.

The youths claimed that they contacted some officials in their country before starting from Siliguri.

The officials promised to help us. We walked in the rain all night. But they are not even taking our calls, Kathayat told HT.

Nikesh Malla, another youth in the group, said, We have not eaten anything since Saturday evening.

Achintya Gupta, the local deputy superintendent of police, said the local administration is helpless. There is no way that we can help these stranded Nepali youths reach home, he said.

Kakarvitta is less than one km away from Panitanki and the two countries are divided by the Mechi river. During normal time, people from both countries can freely across the border. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, has changed the scenario. The border has been sealed for people. Only movement of goods vehicles between Bhutan and Nepal and India and Nepal have been allowed since May 9 to help Nepal meet its demand for essential items.

Every day, trucks carrying essential commodities from the Kolkata port enter Nepal through Panitanki. While returning to India, however, the drivers have to use the Jogbani border point in Bihar.

The Bengal government has not allowed trucks to enter through this land port, said a customs officer posted at Panitanki.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pramod Giri I am working with Hindustan Times since 2001 and am posted in Siliguri, West Bengal, as Principal Correspondent. I have been regularly covering vast area of northern parts of West Bengal, Sikkim and parts of Nepal and Bhutan. ...view detail
The government has backed away from its pledge to have Grenfell-style cladding removed from tall buildings by next month, with the dangerous material remaining on hundreds of buildings.

In July last year, James Brokenshire, then communities secretary, said in a written statement he expected all remediation work to be finished by June 2020 and warned building owners should expect enforced action if they did not meet the deadline.

However, some 307 high-rise towers are still awaiting the completion of remediation work as of the end of April, while 42 buildings have been stripped of the dangerous cladding, according to government figures.

Critics have accused the government of failing to take any meaningful action against wealthy building owners and said they hope ministers feel deeply ashamed as the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy approaches.

A spokesperson for the government did not say whether it would be able to uphold the pledge and said remediation work takes time and must be done safely and properly.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told Inside Housing: Building owners are responsible for making their buildings safe.

Remediation work takes time and must be done safely and properly. How long it takes varies according to the individual building, depending on the type and extent of the work required.

When Mr Brokenshire made his statement last July, there were 327 high-rise buildings with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, the same type used on Grenfell Tower.

Of those, 102 were social housing buildings, 163 were in the private sector, 26 were student towers, 29 were hotels and seven were publicly owned.

Mr Brokenshire said remediation work on all social housing towers would be complete by the end of last year and other towers would be complete by June 2020, except for for exceptional circumstances.

Although work on 42 buildings was completed during the year, more have been discovered, leaving the total number at 307, just 20 lower than when Mr Brokenshire made his pledge.

Of those, some 180 private buildings are awaiting the completion of works.

Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Newcastle ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures People release balloons in front of the Grenfell Tower during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the fire (Peter Summers/Getty Images) Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Downing Street is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire EPA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Kensington Palace is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Salford ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in by the Grenfell Tower ahead of the second anniversary of the fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Cards bearing names of victims of the Grenfell fire are attached to a railing nearby to the tower Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures People obersve a memorial during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Salford ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures The Grenfell Tower is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Kensington Palace is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Downing Street is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire EPA

Its sadly no surprise that the government is retreating from its own target for the removal of this deadly cladding, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, Matt Wrack, said in a statement to The Independent.

Residents being let down and ignored was a common theme before Grenfell, and little has changed since from a government that appears to think that targets are gimmicks for departmental press releases, rather than vital matters of safety.

He added: Ministers trying to use the excuse that remediation work takes time is obscene given that we are almost three years on since the Grenfell tragedy.

The truth is that there has barely been any progress because the government doesnt consider the safety of residents a priority, and would rather kick the can down the road than take any meaningful action against wealthy building owners who refuse to make their buildings safe.

As we approach the third anniversary of Grenfell, we hope ministers feel deeply ashamed.

A spokesperson for the government told Inside Housing: Residents safety remains our priority. This government is bringing forward the biggest change in building safety in a generation, backed by our unprecedented 1.6bn fund to ensure unsafe cladding, where it remains in place, is removed as soon as possible.

We have also issued guidance to ensure that this essential building safety work continues during the pandemic and have secured pledges from 26 local leaders and five metro mayors to ensure this vital remediation work continues, where it is safe to do so.

The Independent has contacted the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment.

An inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy has been postponed as the UK implemented its social distancing guidelines to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) to cancel the secondary teachers eligibility test (STET) on Saturday on the basis of the recommendation of a committee more than three-and-half months after it was conducted and later re-conducted at some centres came barely six days before the matter was to come up for hearing before the Patna High Court.

On May 12, after the board took a stand before the court that the results would not be published for the next 15 days, the bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah had fixed May 22 as the next date of hearing, with a clear observation: If for any reason the matter is not heard by the court on the next appointed date, the court expects that the board would not precipitate matters by publishing the results.

While hearing the writ petition filed by 35 applicants alleging out of syllabus questions and malpractices, the court, however, made it clear that in the meantime the board is not precluded from proceedings with the evaluation of the answer sheets.

The observation of the court, making a cap on publication of results, came after Dinu Kumar and Ritika Rani, counsels for the petitioner Neeraj Kumar, raised apprehension that the board might go ahead and publish the results if the matter was not heard on May 22 due to any reason. The petition was filed after it came to be known that the board could publish the STET results by May 15. Dinu Kumar said there was no mention by the boards counsel of any inquiry being conducted in the matter before the court on May 12.

The court was never informed if any committee was investigating the matter and when was it constituted. The only thing the boards counsel submitted before the court, which is part of the order, was that the advocate general, Lalit Kishor, would appear for the board and sought adjournment, he added.

Board chairman Anand Kishor could not be contacted on his mobile phone.

The STET exam was conducted on January 28, 2020 at 317 centres across the state. It was an examination for eligibility of teachers to be recruited in higher and higher secondary schools and the candidates had to wait eight years for it.

The first STET was conducted in 2011 and despite huge shortage of teachers in higher and higher secondary, it kept getting delayed. Nearly 2.47 lakh candidates had taken the STET-2019 exam held on January 28.

The Bihar board in a communique on Sunday said that no fee would be charged from candidates for the re-test, nor would they be required to apply afresh. The candidates would be apprised of the fresh date as soon as it is decided, said the statement.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, however, tweeted it was a clear example of how easy it was for the authorities to kill the dreams of the unemployed youth. Take exams after years of wait, then comes institutional leakage and finally cancellation. Coronavirus seems to have given birth to many new viruses and this decision is just one of them, he added.

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Mount Greylock School Committee Rejects Recommendation to Delay Field Decision

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The majority of the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday indicated it is ready to move forward with a decision about building an artificial turf field, just one week after its Finance Subcommittee decided unanimously to hit the pause button.

Without taking a vote on the matter at its regular monthly meeting, it was clear from the comments that four members of the seven-person committee do not believe concerns about the value of the remainder of a $5 million capital gift from Williams College are enough to hold off on the field decision.

As often has been the case, the most vocal proponent of building the turf field was Al Terranova.

He had asked for an agenda item on the field and opened the discussion by noting it consistently has been the one issue that has divided the School Committee during his tenure.

"I've been on a lot of committees," Terranova said. "I think this is one of the most unified committees I've been on  with the exception of the turf field.

"The turf field has become a political agenda with side things such as: we're experimenting with children, we're enlisting a jock mentality, we have hearsay science, we have an anti-Williams College theme that keeps coming up, we have a geopolitical world view. All these things, I really think, impact why we're having so much trouble doing this."

Terranova pointed to "architects, engineers, facility people, construction people, teaching staff" who advised the School Committee's Phase 2 Subcommittee and the 8-0 vote of that Subcommittee that recommended the artificial turf field.

He was the only member of the School Committee who definitively said Thursday that he will vote in favor of a turf field when the question again is put to the panel.

But three others indicated they were ready to take up that question in spite of the hesitancy expressed by the Finance Subcommittee.

"I do agree we're at the stage where the information has been gathered, and it's up to the School Committee to make a choice," Steven Miller said.

"It's not like we can save this money for another project down the road," said Carolyn Greene. "It's more like do want to do it now or do we want to wait and see how the economy shakes out a couple of years from now? I think there are a lot of really compelling arguments for why we would want to move ahead."

Both Miller and Greene mentioned that it could be a good time to put a project out to bid, while construction companies are looking for work in a flagging economy. Greene said that while Williamstown's largest entity, Williams College, has paused construction, the town itself used the break in the local economy to pave the primary street in its Village Business District.

A fourth member of the committee, Alison Carter, said it is worth discussing whether it is "worth the risk" to move forward on a project without knowing exactly how much money is left in the capital gift account to pay for it.

"I do think having reliable outdoor play space is going to be really important, given that, probably, putting students in a gym together is not going to be ideal for quite a while," she said. "I also  do want to respect the work the Phase 2 subcommittee has done for the last several years to come up with how they think this should be spent.

"I want us all to keep that in mind as well."

Greene did indicate she was open to the idea of pausing the capital project and asked whether the district had been advised to do so.

"Has anyone at the college asked us to not move forward with further expenditures on the project?" Greene said. "I'm getting a sense it's not just the committee or the administration.  Because that would better inform my understanding of what's going on."

Superintendent Kimberley Grady responded by reading aloud an email the district received from Williams Vice President James Kolesar on Tuesday.

"I've asked for a now-ish read on the fund, and will pass that on," Kolesar wrote. "It's worth keeping in mind, though, that no one knows where financial markets will go next. The accepted wisdom right now is to push off spending from capital to the degree possible. But you've got at least a couple things you have to do."

In addition to paying for the multipurpose building under construction the Mount Greylock campus, the district also has outstanding bills for design and rental fees on the construction trailers that have been housing the central administrative staff for years.

For years, the School Committee has framed the discussion of how to use Williams' capital gift in terms of three priorities: replacing the administrative space lost when the old Mount Greylock was renovated (an initiative that transformed into the multipurpose building now underway), addressing the deficient and non-compliant fields at the middle-high school and preserving some portion to address future capital needs at the school, like a new boiler or a new roof.

The value of the college's $5 million 2016 gift has fluctuated over the years, something that has worked to the district's favor until two months ago.

"The gift was not a gift in cash," noted Jamie Art, the chair of the Finance Subcommittee. "It was a gift in shares of the Williams College endowment. At the end of June, 2019, it was probably over $6 million. But that's the last time the gift was valued."

The School Committee has committed $2.5 million for the multipurpose building. In February, it learned that  based on the capital gift's pre-COVID-19 value  it could hold back the $1.5 million and still have a little more than $2 million to devote to the fields, which need to be brought into compliance with Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act whether or not a turf field (valued at more than $1 million) is included.

Again, those calculations were based on the more than $6 million of value in the gift reported by the college last summer. The Finance Subcommittee, with an eye on how much value the investment portfolio may have lost due to the global pandemic, recommended not considering another major appropriation from the gift, in part to preserve the $1.5 million that the School Committee long has discussed as a priority.

On Thursday, Greene, who recently returned to the School Committee after a two-year absence, offered a different perspective on that $1.5 million: The district should not preserve it.

"I would like to challenge the idea of keeping $1.5 million or even a million as an endowment," Greene said. "When it first came up, it was, as Jamie [Art] indicated, thinking about the fact that the Williamstown Elementary School had this endowment that came in conjunction with their building project.

"But I don't think the committee was really thinking about the fact that as a region, Mount Greylock had [Excess and Deficiency], which is not an endowment, but is a fund that you can tap for big capital expenditures when you know they're coming or in an emergency. We have an E&D. We have a very healthy E&D. We have almost a million dollars in the E&D  now, that's across three schools, so maybe it's more like $500,000 for Mount Greylock. And now we're going to ask the towns for a stabilization fund.

"If we have an E&D and we have a stabilization fund, we should not have a million dollars in an endowment. We should be spending those funds for things that are needed for the school. If we don't agree the fields are the thing that is needed, that's another topic."

Terranova, who has been a staunch defender of the idea of reserving $1.5 million for future needs  at one point going so far as to call the reserve account " sacred "  did not respond to Greene's analysis. He did, however, moments earlier push for the district to invest in the fields without making any reference to that reserve account.

"Four years ago, $5 million was given to us, OK?" Terranova said. "They said, We're not going to tell you how to spend the $5 million,' but we all knew the $5 million was to augment things that were not reimbursed by the [Massachusetts School Building Authority]. I don't know exactly how much we have now, but we know we have $2.5 million to take care of the Brockfill turf field, and that's a no-brainer.

"We do have the money. It's in the Williams College fund. It was given to us to be used on non-reimbursable things. That's the way it is. That's it."

At Greene's suggestion, the committee agreed to have the Finance Subcommittee, which previously consumed the Phase 2 subcommittee, meet with members of the original Phase 2 group to talk about next steps.

"I think we should move forward," Terranova said at the end of the discussion. "One of these days, everyone is going to have to raise their hand and say what they want for the field project. There has to be a vote.

"One of these days, all seven members have to vote on what we're going to do on the fields. That has to happen."
The cast and crew of Blessys Aadujeevitham are gearing up to return home, after completing their schedule at Jordan.

The team announced schedule pack up after weeks of shooting and some confusions over curfew following COVID 19 outbreak in between.

Prithviraj is playing the hero in Aadujeevitham, which is based on one of the all-time best sellers in Malayalam, written by Benyamin. The hero had lost weight considerably to get into the shoes of the character that he is playing.
AVT Reliability offers free support to help keep workforces safe as lockdown eases

AVT Reliability is using its expertise in thermal imaging  usually employed to detect faults in factory equipment  to help companies protect their workforce.





The company, headquartered in Cheshire, has devised an endorsed thermal imaging procedure to screen employees for one of the classic signs of COVID-19 infection  a raised temperature  as they arrive on site.

It is now offering to set up any companys thermal imaging equipment as a screening system at no cost, offer guidance and approach documents, or provide advice about suitable monitoring systems, for free.

Several companies have already taken up the offer and are screening staff as they arrive at work. Operatives are photographed face-on using a thermal imaging camera. The resulting image identifies areas of raised temperature via colour-coded imagery. Anybody displaying a temperature of 34?C or above is given a second, more in-depth screening focusing on their inner ear. If they are found to have a temperature above 38?C  considered by NHS standards to indicate a fever  they will be directed to seek medical advice, while those with a normal temperature can continue in to work.

This type of screening should ideally form part of normal business approaches for the Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical and other industries where employees and visitors are required to complete a healthcare declaration before entering sites.

AVT Reliability traditionally uses the technology to identify thermal anomalies in mechanical, electrical and process systems and alert clients to impending problems such as overheating.

PJ Cloete, Thermal Imaging Technical Authority at AVT Reliability, said: We were happy to use our knowledge and experience of thermal imaging to adapt it to a more human application.

Manufacturers are endeavouring to operate in extremely challenging circumstances due to the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and we know that every effort is being made to protect employees from the risk of infection. We wanted to offer whatever support we can, and thermal imaging screening is one way to do this.

He added: This offer is open to any company, not just AVT Reliability clients. Anybody who wants more information about employee screening can contact us via phone at +44 (0)161 486 3737 or on email enquiries@avtreliability.com

Contact Details and Archive...
As part of our #LockdownLessons series, Bizcommunity is reaching out to South Africa's top industry players to share their experience of the current Covid-19 crisis, how their organisations are navigating these unusual times, where the challenges and opportunities lie, and their industry outlook for the near future.

Amina Rai, regional communication officer for the UNHCR Private Sector Partnerships Africa

What was your initial response to the crisis/lockdown and has your experience of it been different to what you expected?

Comment on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on your organisation or economy as a whole.

How is your organisation responding to the crisis?

Support to national response plans, by working with governments and local authorities, by advocating for the inclusion of PoCs in these plans, and by implementing programmes that complement national plans, including health, WASH and shelter interventions that respond to and reduce the risk of infection.



Remote protection services and cash assistance to most vulnerable persons of concern, including in some cases host communities.



We are also calling on all who can, to contribute to the Zakat Fund during the holy month of Ramadan.

Comment on the challenges and opportunities.

How are you navigating physical distancing while keeping your team close-knit and aligned?

How have you had to change the way you operate?

Support prevention and response to Covid-19 in coordination with the Protection, Health, MHPSS, Shelter, Education, Wash and other sectors, through risk communication and community engagement (RCCE).



Ensure continuation of protection and assistance services, adapting operating modalities and prioritising people who are most at risk.

Any trends youve seen emerge as a result of the crisis?

Your key message to those in the sector?

We chatted to Amina Rai, regional communication officer for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Private Sector Partnerships Africa, to get her take.UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, stands in solidarity with host countries and communities, and calls upon timely international funding and support to national systems and national response plans. Covid-19 does not discriminate. This outbreak can affect anyone  including refugees and displaced people. This should be addressed through international solidarity and cooperation, together with an inclusive and measured approach at the national level. UNHCR welcomes the fact that many governments are including or are willing to include refugees, IDPs and other persons of concern (PoCs) in their national plans and response.Across Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the protection and poverty impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable people and those living in the economic margins of society has been devastating. Among them, refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, stateless persons and many others are unable to make ends meet. For instance, the majority of refugees and IDPs live below the poverty line in the regions. Many of those who had previously coped without cash assistance are now increasingly desperate, entering further into debt and spiralling into poverty. They face difficult choices such as reducing meals, sharing overcrowded shelters and limited access to clean water, soap or face masks.We recently released the findings of the UNHCRs 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report , highlighting the impact of the Refugee Zakat Fund on vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the globe  we have helped over 1 million refugees to date. With Covid-19, many, many more will need help.Covid-19 is a global public health crisis. However, the consequences of Covid-19 are creating a protection and poverty crisis for persons of concern to UNHCR.Compounding an existing general economic downturn, the impact of government containment measures on movement is having an immediate socio-economic impact at the individual and household level. This is affecting all  from the wealthy, to small business owners, to middle-class families and the poor. While acknowledging how far-reaching the impacts are, and not discounting the challenges faced by all segments of society, the economic impact will be most desperate and immediate for those living on the economic margins of society, with little or no capital and depending on daily wage labour or support from others.That said, it should also be noted that the 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report also revealed that South Africa ranks sixth in terms of the biggest risers over the past 10 years in the CAF World Giving Index 2019. The country ranks 45th overall and has a core of 36%.The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index provides insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world. The 2019 index is the 10th edition and includes the results of around 1.3 million individuals interviewed across the globe over the last 10 years. The report is primarily based on data from Gallups World Poll, which is an ongoing research project that was carried out in 143 countries in 2018 that together represent around 95% of the worlds population (around 5.2 billion people). The survey asks questions on many different aspects of life today, including giving behaviour.UNHCR is accordingly expanding its programmes to support national health systems and deliver health, WASH and shelter assistance directly; cash programming to address poverty and resulting protection risks; and deliver protection to the most vulnerable, including through remote tools.The response hence includes:While Covid is a public health crisis, its impact is resulting in a protection and poverty crisis for persons of concern and nationals living in similar conditions.While states can take vital and evidence-based public health measures to help control Covid-19, these should not discriminate against refugees. This crisis is a reminder that to effectively combat any public health emergency, everyone  including refugees, stateless and internally displaced people (IDPs)  should be able to access health facilities and services in a non-discriminatory manner. As the crisis has shown, we are only as safe as our most vulnerable communities.The 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report also revealed that seven of the ten countries where people are most likely to help a stranger are located in Africa. Across the region, Africans has always exhibited a strong sense of compassion and togetherness. This can be referenced in the African philosophy ofwhich exists in different languages across Africa and signifies a belief in recognised shared responsibility, and mutuality towards each other.Physical distancing and movement regulations have also had an impact on how UNHCR reaches out to refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, and vice versa. Two-way communication is crucial to address social isolation and distress, and to ensure programmes are responsive and tailored to the needs of diverse groups.Refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs and others are able to reach UNHCR, ask questions, and convey their priorities. While face-to-face methods may be restricted, virtual and remote tools are being adapted and enhanced to allow UNHCR and partners to deliver protection services and information in multiple languages, and with them identify persons at risk, design services and engage the broader host community. These include infolines/hotlines, call centres, whatsapp and SMS broadcasts, use of social media platforms and dedicated websites.Covid-19 prevention and control measures have restricted the movements of both forcibly displaced and humanitarian workers, as well as communities at large. UNHCR has responded across the MENA and Africa region by building on and ramping up its established virtual systems, focusing on two main objectives:Together with partners, UNHCR is reinforcing systems to communicate with refugees and deliver protection services such as registration and documentation, including innovative means by remote tools. Helplines and outreach programmes are being strengthened with the aim to ensure challenges faced by persons of concern are identified quickly and appropriate responses are put in place.Remote protection services are increasingly being applied. Operations are addressing ways to ensure assistance to the most vulnerable. Additionally, while we are witness to an economic downturn, we have also seen an increase in public generosity as we face these challenging times together, as a larger community. Refugees and those forcibly displaced have been facing movement restrictions, lack of livelihood and employment opportunities, and harsh uncertainties for years, and while we are experiencing a glimpse of these fears today, it has created a collective empathetic consciousness to the cause of refugees.This pandemic has clearly proven that we are only as strong as our most vulnerable, and that every person in society needs to protected in order for us all to be safe. I urge the larger community to consider those on the margins of society and most vulnerable to this crisis in any response and efforts to combat these challenging times.
Rescuing migrant workers View(s):

On Sunday, a social media clip showed a poultry farmer drawing a curtain in a yard outside and as he did so, hundreds of chickens scrambled out, some flying in anxiety to get out of probably being cooped up for a long spell. A caption on the clip says..This is what will happen on Monday (meaning when Colombo is open for work and other economic activity). On Sunday, a social media clip showed a poultry farmer drawing a curtain in a yard outside and as he did so, hundreds of chickens scrambled out, some flying in anxiety to get out of probably being cooped up for a long spell. A caption on the clip says..This is what will happen on Monday (meaning when Colombo is open for work and other economic activity).

However, there wasnt a rush to get to work on Monday, contrary to expectations while a near-normal situation had prevailed by around Wednesday. A shortage of buses also meant many people had to return home unable to get to their workplaces.

As I contemplated on these developments, a commotion at the gate drew my attention. Kussi Amma Sera, wearing a face-mask, was arguing with a vegetable vendor. Me elavalu aluth ne (These vegetables are not fresh), she said. Velanda-polen apata meva thama labenne (This is what we get from the market), said the helpless vendor.

Thamath oya adika milak aya karanawada (Are you still charging high prices)? asked Serapina who along with Mabel Rasthiyadu had joined Kussi Amma Sera. Mata thiyenne sulu labhayak witharai (I am only making a small profit), said the vendor in despair.

As I watched the scene at the gate, the telephone rang. It was human resources pundit H.R. Perera, popularly known as HR, on the line.

How how are you, he asked, adding: Are you back at work?

Yes most of us have returned and its nice to be back though its a bit of a struggle adjusting to an office environment after spending nearly two months under the work-from-home regimen, I said.

In the meantime, how is the situation in the Middle East for our workers, he asked. Very traumatic. Some may lose their jobs, while others are struggling to return amidst pay-cuts, accommodation constraints and fears of getting infected with the virus, I said.

We went on to discuss the many concerns of migrant workers in addition to other COVID-19 developments in Sri Lanka.

For the record, there are more than 1.8 million Sri Lankan migrant workers overseas, mostly in the Gulf states which are now struggling through their own crises of declining oil revenues and cutting back on construction projects etc., as the economic recession begins to bite.

Many of these workers have either lost their jobs or have been imposed severe pay-cuts. Many are desperate to return to Sri Lanka but cannot do so due to the absence of flights and closure of airports.

According to reports from there, the pandemic has created chaos in the West Asian labour markets with migrants claiming that their employment contracts have been violated by employers. A bigger fear is that of contracting the coronavirus as many, particularly construction workers, live in congested and often overcrowded accommodation.

To Sri Lanka, the situation in the Gulf is worrying particularly since remittances from Sri Lankan migrant workers are the largest single contributor to foreign exchange reserves. With apparel exports, the second largest foreign exchange contributor, also in trouble, the government has been struggling to steady the reserves and in desperation is allowing no questions asked foreign currency deposits from Sri Lankan expatriates and other investors. No questions would be asked even if black or undeclared money is invested in Sri Lankan banks.

Eyebrows have been raised over this decision particularly since the Central Bank this week announced that Sri Lanka has succeeded in being removed from the grey list of countries that support terror funding and money laundering activities. It remains to be seen whether Sri Lanka would get back on this list of dubious countries if unaccounted-for dollars flow into the country and beef up foreign exchange reserves. This is, however, not the first time Sri Lanka has thrown caution to the wind and invited foreign investment under a no questions asked policy, as part of desperate measures to boost foreign exchange reserves.

This is also not the only decision that has raised questions. The other is the carte blanche move to restrict non-essential imports. While on one hand it succeeds in reducing Sri Lankas usual requirement of foreign exchange, it drastically reduces the revenue from import taxes, overall reducing tax revenue  already burdened by reduced economic activity  and resulting in a struggle by the government to pay the salaries of public servants and other fixed costs including local and foreign debt.

The virtual exhaustion of funds under the earlier Vote on Account (which ends in end-May) means another struggle to get funds from the Consolidated Fund amidst a tussle between the government and the opposition on the legality of this move. At the same time, some economists have said the Consolidated Fund doesnt have any money in it!

Reverting to the discussion I had with HR, a database of Sri Lankans working abroad and who are in difficulty reached 59,419 registrations as at mid-April, half of them from the West Asian region.

While the government has been focusing on Sri Lankan students and others stranded abroad and organising repatriation flights via SriLankan Airlines, it is reported that the next step of the repatriation process is bringing back Sri Lankan workers who want to return from West Asia. It is also reported that the first set of workers to be repatriated would be from Kuwait, Dubai and the Maldives.

Kuwait, in addition to the COVID-19 crisis, has offered an amnesty to undocumented workers, which is another reason why Sri Lankan authorities are working on some repatriation flights from there. The government has also requested all undocumented Sri Lankan workers  those who dont have proper work visas and are deemed illegals  to register with the local Sri Lankan mission in an effort to provide them the same services as legal workers.

In a recent TV interview, Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha has said that migrant workers who still have jobs should seriously consider whether they want to come back or not. Somebody who is in a job whether in the Middle East or any country, blue collar or white collar, at this point when you come back, you might not be able to return to that job because those countries are also cutting back and everybody is scaling down, and so is the case in Sri Lanka. But if you dont have a job already, then I can see the logic, but I think it is important that people out there understand that when you come back to Sri Lanka too finding jobs wont be easy, he has said.

As I wind up my column, missing was my second cup of tea. I could hear the trio still in conversation at the gate conveniently forgetting my cup of tea, while happily sipping theirs!

While attention is being concentrated on the impact on garment exports and tourism with many webinars being held to discuss the crisis and recovery of these two key sectors, not enough attention other than the ministry is being focused on Sri Lankan migrant workers, which is something that needs to be rectified.
Tolu Ogunlesi, President Muhammadu Buharis Special Assistant on Digital and New Media has dashed the hopes of Nigerians asking for the ...

Tolu Ogunlesi, President Muhammadu Buharis Special Assistant on Digital and New Media has dashed the hopes of Nigerians asking for the whereabouts of the 15 Chinese experts.





Recall, at last weeks Daily COVID-19 Briefing, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire when asked about the whereabouts of the 15 Chinese experts had said he does not know.





Osagie Ehanires response consequently generated outrage from Nigerians including a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode.





On Saturday, Fani-Kayode had asked, Where are the 15 Chinese doctors? What is their mission? Who invited them? Is it true that they are spreading & infecting our people with COVID-19?

He further asked, Why did the Min. of Health tell us to stop asking questions about the Chinese?





But Tolu Ogunlesi has said that no one owes Nigerians information on the whereabouts of the 15 Chinese experts since they entered Nigeria legitimately.





He said that the Federal Government had done its part by making sure that the Chinese were quarantined for the mandatory 14 days, adding that even the Chinese are not under any obligation to disclose their locations.





Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Tolu Ogunlesi said, But no one owes anyone a daily accounting of their [15 Chinese] movement.





Theyre not illegal immigrants, theyve been tested and quarantined, and having been issued valid visas, they have a right to be in Nigeria. Theyre not under any obligation to have their whereabouts reported publicly.
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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. special envoy for Syria called Monday for talks between Russia and the United States to help end the more than nine-year-old war, saying the two major powers could play "a key role."

Geir Pedersens encouragement to Moscow and Washington to take a leading role was his first public appeal to the rival powers on opposing sides of the conflict - Russia which has been the key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the United States which supports the opposition.

Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the three countries that have taken the lead in arranging cease-fires in Syria - Assad allies Russia and Iran and opposition backer Turkey "are key players too."

He said members of a committee from the Syrian government, opposition and civil society who are supposed to draft a new constitution for the country and the 15 council nations are key players as well.

Pedersen said there have been too many fleeting opportunities in the past decades to move from conflict to a political path that were lost, and "those missed moments were followed by renewed violence and a hardening of positions among regional and international actors."

"We must not repeat this pattern," he said.

A man carries Syrian Independence flag as Turkish soldiers block a road after a nearby explosion outside the city of Ariha, in Idlib province, Syria, Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Pedersen said there is anxiety that while violence has somewhat abated at the moment it could escalate at any time, and deep disappointment that the political process hasnt delivered tangible improvements for the Syrian people.

"And there is a widespread sense that international competition is more prominent than cooperation, with Syrians paying the price," he told the U.N.'s top council.

With some calm at the moment and the world facing common threats from the COVID-19 pandemic and Islamic State extremists, Pedersen stressed that building trust between key international parties and with Syrians "is essential - and could unlock progress" toward peace.

He then encouraged the U.S. and Russia along with the others to engage in dialogue.

Ultimately, Pedersen said, "there is a need to come together to support a renewed effort in a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, U.N.-facilitated political process" toward a political settlement based on the 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed a road map to peace including drafting a new constitution and U.N.-supervised elections.

The longstanding divisions between the U.S. and Russia over Syria were evident in their speeches to the council that followed, which gave no indication of a desire for talks.

U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said fully implementing the 2015 road map, starting with an immediate nationwide cease-fire, is "what will move Syria toward a future of peace" - and thats what the Security Council must pursue.

She urged the council to ensure that the Syrian government reverse "its destructive pattern of behavior against its own people" and agree to a cease-fire instead of pursuing a military solution to the conflict.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called for the lifting of unilateral "suffocating sanctions" imposed by the U.S. and others which he said were preventing Syria from buying medical items to tackle COVID-19, and he criticized the illegal presence of U.S. forces in northeast Syria.

Nebenzia said Syrians themselves need to address common threats including the coronavirus, terrorism, foreign occupation and restoration of the countrys unity and territorial integrity.

"The external community should come together to provide humanitarian assistance and the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria to facilitate the political process without interfering in it," he said.
The government is lifting the curfew restrictions imposed due to the novel coronavirus epidemic in Budapest, with measures in the capital to follow the rest of the country with a two-week delay, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a video message posted on Facebook on Saturday.

Expert-level discussions have made it clear that we have contained the virus in Budapest as well so we can move on  albeit carefully and cautiously  to the second phase of defence here too, he said.



Responsible behaviour and social distancing are particularly important still in the capital, Orban said.



He asked mayors not to take the risk lightly and pay special attention to nursing homes.



On the 66th day from the announcement of the state of emergency, Orban continued, I can give you the good news that we have won the first battle, the one for the containment of the virus. This is no longer just a hope, a wish or self-encouragement, but a fact.



Orban added that the number of those who have been infected with the virus is low and the number of new cases is also showing a favourable trend.



We have succeeded because we made all the decisions in time, and because  let me especially emphasise this  everyone, people in the countryside, citizens of Budapest, single people, families, the elderly and young people alike, we all behaved responsibly; let me say thank you for this! Orban said.



Gergely Gulyas confirmed that if the trend of the epidemic remains unchanged, the government will ask Parliament late May to end the special authorization given to it at the start of the state of emergency.



Gulyas said the government lifted the restrictions in the capital only two weeks after it did in the countryside because coronavirus cases and fatalities were concentrated in Budapest.



In recent days, however, the number of people who recovered from the disease well exceeded the number of new infections, therefore, the number of active cases has fallen significantly, even though most Covid-19 cases are still in the capital, he added.



He said the government had consulted everyone, including mayors, virologists and doctors, to be able to take a responsible decision.



Gulyas said it would still be compulsory to wear a mask in shops and on public transport in Budapest in order to prevent the spread of the infection.



Public areas, parks and outdoor playgrounds can be visited from Monday 18 May.



He added that people over the age of 65 will continue to be allowed to visit groceries, drugstores and pharmacies between 9am and noon and everyone else during the remaining opening hours, but municipalities have the right to set different rules for the opening hours of markets.



From this Monday, all shops and service providers are allowed to open, and at restaurants, cafes and bars, the outdoor areas and terraces can be opened in the capital.



Outdoor swimming pools, museums and the zoo can reopen to visitors.



Religious services, weddings and funerals attended by up to 200 people will be permitted from June 1 outside of the capital and after June 15 in Budapest, Gulyas said, adding that family events can also be held at hotels and restaurants.



He also said catering units will not have to pay a fee for using public spaces for their terraces from Monday until September 1 because they have suffered huge losses.



Universities can be reopened in Budapest from Monday, but this will require the decision of the rector everywhere, Gulyas said, adding that it is still prohibited to visit student accommodation establishments.



MTI Photo: Zoltan Balogh
Aurora-based hospital giant UCHealth is requiring its full-time salaried employees to use eight days of paid time off during July and August to stem financial losses during the coronavirus pandemic.

The nonprofit, which operates 12 hospitals along Colorado's Front Range and three more in Nebraska and Wyoming, told its 24,000 employees last week about the cost-cutting move so they could accumulate enough time off to fulfill the requirement, said Dan Weaver, a UCHealth spokesperson.

The requirement doesn't apply to departments that schedule staff based on patient volumes, which include most clinical operations, he said.

The mandatory vacation requirement comes as other hospital groups in Colorado are taking similar steps to cut costs. Children's Hospital Colorado is requiring its employees who don't treat patients, including management, to use five days of paid time off by July 11 and is suspending paid time-off accruals. The nonprofit also is halting raises and retirement contributions for all employees during the rest of the year, is slowing hiring and is finalizing salary cuts for executives.

"Our financial analysis indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic will cause us to have a 2020 budget shortfall of at least $120 million," Children's said in an email statement. "We have no choice but to significantly reduce budgets across our organization. We have identified nearly $70 million in reductions such as eliminating or reducing capital expenditures, marketing expenses, sponsorships and travel. We are not laying off or furloughing any employees at this time, but we are making cuts to various components of compensation and benefits."

Nationwide, more than 1.4 million health care workers lost jobs in April, from doctor, dental and medical specialty offices to hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Those numbers include 33,520 health care workers in Colorado between mid-March and the end of April, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

UCHealth is losing about $120 million a month as patient volumes in its urgent care clinics, emergency departments and surgery departments have declined during the pandemic, Weaver said. The requirement is designed to avoid more severe cuts such as layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts other health care providers across the nation have imposed as financial losses have mounted, he said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has really impacted hospitals in a significant way," Weaver said. "We are doing this to reduce expenses, and, thankfully, have not had to impose layoffs, furloughs or salary cuts."

UCHealth employees who don't have enough paid time off will be able to use future time-off accruals to take the 64 hours, and those who want to take additional unpaid time off can with supervisor approval, Weaver said. Part-time employees also will be required to take a proportional amount of time off during July and August, based on their schedule, he said.

UCHealth operates Memorial Hospital Central, Memorial Hospital North and Grandview Hospital, all in Colorado Springs, and Pikes Peak Regional Hospital in Woodland Park, as well as outpatient clinics, urgent care clinics, free-standing emergency rooms and medical practices that together employ 5,400 in the Colorado Springs area.

The UCHealth and Children's actions follows a similar move in April by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, which operates Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs as well as outpatient facilities, clinics and medical practices. About one-third of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services hospital staff was forced to stay home last month and use vacation time to maintain pay and benefits, which the nonprofit said helped it avoid layoffs and furloughs.

The Penrose-St. Francis move was triggered by a dramatic decrease in demand for almost anything other than coronavirus care and child births. The hospitals emergency rooms were about half as busy as normal, and procedures were being done at 15% of their previous rate  largely due to a statewide ban on elective procedures that ended May 4.

Peak Vista Community Health Centers, which serves low-income patients, made some staffing changes in late March as a result of the pandemic, but didn't provide any details about the changes.

The personnel moves come as all three hospital operators received funding from the latest coronavirus relief package that provided $175 billion to hospitals and health care providers nationwide. Catholic Health Initiatives, which owns Penrose-St. Francis, received $24.4 million; UCHealth received $24.2 million; Children's received $22.1 million and UCHealth Memorial received $10.9 million. In Colorado Springs, Peak Vista received $1.52 million, the Center at Centennial rehabilitation facility received $1.32 million and Retina Consultants of Southern Colorado received $1.11 million.
President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn upon return to the White House on May 17, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Rebukes Obama Over Criticism of COVID-19 Response

President Donald Trump reacted to former President Barack Obamas criticism of his administrations COVID-19 response, calling his predecessor grossly incompetent.

Trump was asked by a reporter after returning to the White House from Camp David on May 17 what he thought of Obamas apparent suggestion, during a virtual speech on May 16, that many in the current administration arent even pretending to be in charge.

The president began by saying he had just returned from a working weekend and that tremendous progress is being made on many fronts, including coming up with a cure for this horrible plague that has beset our country.

Pressed again for a response, he said he hadnt heard Obamas comment, and when asked a third time, Trump said: Look, he was an incompetent president, thats all I can say. Grossly incompetent.

President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa., on May 14, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Obama on May 16 commented on the administrations handling of the pandemic, accusing the countrys leadership of being irresponsible and disorganized.

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 in a virtual commencement speech to historically black colleges and universities. A lot of them arent even pretending to be in charge.

While Democrats have repeatedly criticized Trumps response to the outbreak of COVID-19, Obama has rarely come out to speak in public. Earlier this month, however, Obama was reported by multiple outlets as saying in a private call to supporters that the Trump administrations pandemic response has been an absolute chaotic disaster.

Doing what feels good, whats convenient, whats easythats how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that waywhich is why things are so screwed up, Obama said on May 16. I hope that instead, you decide to ground yourself in values that last, like honesty, hard work, responsibility, fairness, generosity, respect for others.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in an interview last week with Trump 2020 reelection campaign senior adviser Lara Trump that Obama should have kept his mouth shut instead of criticizing Trump about the administrations COVID-19 response efforts in the phone recording, calling the former presidents intervention classless.

Karl Rove, a Republican strategist and deputy chief of staff during the administration of George W. Bush, told Fox & Friends on May 17 that Obamas comments on May 16 amounted to a political drive-by shooting.

It is so unseemly for a former president to take the virtual commencement ceremony for a series of historically black colleges and universities and turn it into a political drive-by shooting, Rove told Fox News.

This is a moment where these young graduates that could be inspired to a life of serviceto recognize that life is going to bring challenges, and how we handle the challenges is going to demonstrate our characterthere are lots of positive messages that the former president could have delivered, Rove said.

He has slandered, you know, not just the president, whos his political targetand he made it clear a week ago he was going to go after him, Rove said, interpreting the intent behind Obamas leaked phone call, but hes taking a slap at the vice president, who has done an extraordinarily effective job as the head of the coronavirus task force, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, Secretary Azar, Director Collins, all of the army that put up that hospital in the Javits Center, the Navy that sent its ships to Los Angeles and New York, all of these people in charge of responding to thishes now finally said they dont know what theyre doing.

Deaths in the United States due to the pandemic are nearing 90,000, according to a Johns Hopkins tally, while the number of infections is more than 1.4 million.

During a May 17 interview on CNNs State of the Union, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar defended the administrations response to the outbreak, highlighting that the United States has conducted 10 million tests over the last several months.

Thanks to the presidents historic response efforts here and the collaborative work of governors and heroic health care workers on the front lines, we are in a position to reopen, Azar said.




Haiti - NOTICE : Artistic residency program, call for Candidacy





Proposed by the Association 4 Chemins (A4C), this artistic residency program aims on the one hand to support artists from the very early stages of their creative ideas, but above all to decentralize cultural activities confined to Port-au-Prince. This Program offers innovative creators from all walks of life to spend precious time developing their creations in cities in Haiti.



These residences are done in partnership with cultural institutions present in these cities who benefit from the workshops led by the selected artists, intended for residents of the respective areas: art centers, performance halls, libraries, museums, art galleries... Other public institutions (school, asylum, prison...) are all structures that can accommodate the artists selected in their research.



The disciplines concerned include the performing arts, the visual arts, the transdisciplinary arts, etc. The end of the stay leads to a public presentation of the artists work with his trainees.



The duration of the stay is one month and the laureates will be allocated a fixed stay allowance of 90,000 gourdes.



The candidate must :



Apply individually;



Being a creator in a discipline of the living and / or visual arts, or transdisciplinary, etc ...;



Have an artistic project related to an interior city of Haiti;



Justify several years (at least 3 years) of professional practice;



Being released from professional activity during the stay;



No age limit required.



Application file :

Applicants must submit a detailed request covering the following points :



A precise description of the project indicating the specific objectives of the stay in relation to a given city. The period of residence desired by the artist must be indicated between August and October;



A short CV;



An artistic file (CD photos, audio, video, or documents by email);



The project and CV must be written in French and / or Creole.



Funding and support :

The winner will receive 80% of their living allowance upon leaving their residence.

The balance will be paid to him upon return, upon receipt of the original supporting documents for the costs associated with the residence, as well as a report on the stay which must be submitted within two months of the return.



Any reduction in the time of stay will result in a deduction in proportion to the number of days actually worked on site. Payments will only be made once the administrative procedures have been settled with the Association Quatre Chemins. The living allowance allocated to the winner is fixed and final. All costs and expenses incurred outside of this allowance remain the responsibility of the winner.



In no case may the stay be split.



If for personal or professional reasons, the winner could not maintain their stay during the current year, it cannot in any case be carried over to the following year. Prize winners are responsible for their transport and insurance. They will be held responsible for any damage that may result from the execution of their stay program.



It is recognized that the program may make changes if circumstances so require. In this case, the winners will be formally informed without prejudice to the objectives pursued.



Artists must send their application files to the following email address : festivalquatrechemins@gmail.com



Calendar :



June 30, 2020: closing of the applications

July 15, 2020: results announced

August 2020: start of residences

November 2020: Window on the renditions of each of the residents at the Quatre Chemins Festival



For information :

Daphne Menard, programming assistant daphnemenard11@gmail.com / + 509 4748 5149.



Note that the Associations 4 Chemins Festival, a flagship event of the Association, is held regularly in autumn in Port-au-Prince. The artistic direction reserves in its programming, a time when all the residents can present their stages of work and have exchanges with the public which is made up of festival-goers, journalists, broadcasters, cultural professionals, etc..0.



The XVII edition is scheduled from November 23 to December 5, 2020 and will host actress Magalie Comeau Denis as a guest.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Andrews Amoah, a primary six pupil of the Tutukpene M.A. Basic School was on April 24, this year expelled from the community by the chief and elders over an alleged break-in.

The Police, soon after, demanded the chief to produce the boy in two weeks.

Mr Innocent Komla Agblosu, the Municipal Social Welfare Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the boy was found at Abotoase in the Biakoye District, having journeyed on foot from Tutukpene to Kadjebi before boarding a charcoal hauling truck.

Mr Lawson Lartey, the Nkwanta South Municipal Police Commander confirmed to the Ghana News Agency GNA) that the boy had been found and handed him over to his family.

The chief and his elders took me to a small river with a fresh calabash and ordered me to fetch the water. They prayed over it and asked me to drink. They then told me not to step foot in the community again or I will die.

At Nkwanta I spent four days without food. Only water, until I found a truck loading charcoal to Accra. I helped them and later joined them on their journey. But when we got to Abotoase the driver asked me to get down, gave me GHC 20 and told me to wait for them, the boy, Andrews Amoah told the GNA.

He narrated how he slept in the open at the Abotoase Market, and said he depended on food vendors for meals.

Mr Prosper Amoah, father of the boy expressed gratitude to the Ghana News Agency for stories on the banishment and the police directive, which led to the boy's rescue.

---GNA
Rarely is there a foreign country where Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) and local people always express their respect and love for President Ho Chi Minh as in Thailand.

Out of the three monuments dedicated to Uncle Ho in Thailand, a memorial in Na Jok Village, Nakhon Phanom Province, is the largest. During his official visit to Thailand in 2013, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong visited a Thai-Vietnamese Friendship Village and presented VND30 billion to the Thai-Vietnamese People Association for the building of the memorial to President Ho Chi Minh. In addition to the donation from the Vietnamese Party and State, the construction of the memorial received great contributions from the OVs in the host country in general and Nakhon Phanom Province in particular. It was built on land of 12,000 square metres that the locality presented to the association, in honour of Uncle Hos revolutionary activities in Thailand.

The monument, which was inaugurated on the occasion of the 126th birthday anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890-2016), is a leading cultural and tourist destination in Nakhon Phanom Province, contributing to enhancing the friendship between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the President Ho Chi Minh relic site in Nong On Hamlet, Muong Town, Udon Thani Province, is considered to be the oldest monument commemorating Uncle Ho in Thailand. Built on an area of nearly 10,000 square metres nearly 10 years ago, the relic site has become a famous destination that has attracted a large number of both Thai and international visitors. The project consists of many items, some of which were restored such as the house where Uncle Ho lived and worked, granary, production and a breeding area and supplementary classes for the OVs. In addition, many works have been newly constructed, including a multi-purpose house, memorial area, bookcase and movie and conference rooms with many photos and paintings. The monument welcomes around 22,000  24,000 guests per year. In early 2017, roads connecting the provincial highway with the relic site were built and named Thau Chin 1 (with 5km in length and 6m in width) and Thau Chin 2 (160m in length and 4m in width).

The relic site is divided into two parts: Trai Cua and multi-purpose area. Trai Cua, where President Ho Chi Minh stayed and worked in 1928-1929, was restored with a thatched-roof house that has three compartments. Its middle compartment is used for gathering and study. Meanwhile, a set of wooden tables and chairs were set up on the left side for Uncle Ho to work and rest. The right compartment consists of a wooden stall for his comrades.

In the large yard, there is a well, warehouse, kitchen and a production and breeding area. The multi-purpose house has two floors. The altar for President Ho Chi Minh, with bronze statue, was placed in the middle of the first floor. Behind is a hall and reception room where the relic sites officials tell stories about Uncle Ho, particularly the time he lived and worked in Thailand. In addition, a space was arranged to display photos on his life and career, especially his valuable autographs and greetings to the OVs in Thailand during their first trip back to the homeland on January 10, 1960.

With an infinite respect for President Ho Chi Minh, many OVs, such as Vu Manh Hung, Le Thi Tuyet The, Luong Xuan Hoa and Nguyen Thi Xuan Oanh, have greatly contributed to the relic site and the activities of the Thai-Vietnamese People Association in Udon Thani Province. Vu Manh Hung, a manager of a large gio cha (Vietnamese sausage) factory, has been the head of the management board of the relic site for a long time. Le Thi Tuyet The has not only taught Vietnamese for free at Khanh An Pagoda but also taken the role of deputy head and guide. Meanwhile, Luong Xuan Hoa and Nguyen Thi Xuan Oanh have dedicated themselves to teaching Vietnamese to the OV children in the locality. They have received many certificates of merit from Vietnamese Party, State and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The relic site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh in Phichit Province was built with financial resources from the Thai government and local administration between December 2013 and September 2018. It is located in the Thailand  Vietnam Friendship Centre with a total area of 6,400 square metres. The monument is expected to become a leading cultural, historical and tourism in the province. Visitors can learn more about Vietnams traditional culture through many objects displayed in the first floor such as Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dresses) and non la (conical hats). The space on the second floor is used to showcase information and artefacts highlighting the great leaders revolutionary career in Thailand. An official from Pamakhap commune proudly said: The relic site is a symbol of the Thailand  Vietnam friendship. Not only OVs but also Thai people have always respected President Ho Chi Minh for his simple lifestyle and love for the nation, regardless of personal interests.




DOCTORS have expressed surprise about Zimbabwes indefinite coronavirus lockdown, which they say is futile in the absence of an expanded testing and contact tracing programme for the disease, the Daily News reports.





This comes amid rising positive cases of coronavirus in the country, which experts believe thrives the most in winter  which is looming large.





The secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), Norman Matara, told the Daily News yesterday that the indefinite extension of the national lockdown was not backed by scientific information.





We are not quite sure of the reasons they are giving for extending the lockdown indefinitely because when it was announced there were targets which were supposed to be met, including massive testing and contact tracing.





However, all that has not been done  It is all guesswork because it was not based on any scientific model. In the absence of massive testing, we really dont see any reason for extending the lockdown, Matara said.





He also warned that without government providing safety nets for people in the informal sector, there was also now a risk of the country losing lives due to malnutrition-related deaths.





We have seen in the past a steady increase of cases of malnutrition, especially in children.

We have heard from authorities that they will be assisting with money to the vulnerable groups, but up to now we have not seen anyone who has received it, Matara added.









On his part, the secretary-general of the Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA), Arron Musara, said doctors were of the opinion that the government should have relaxed the lockdown further.





In terms of controlling Covid-19, I think we have made progress, hence the general feeling among doctors is that there was need to ease things more.





There is a risk that we will lose more people to other diseases that are not related to Covid-19, he said.





In extending the lockdown indefinitely at the weekend, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said while indications were that the country had a reduced corona trajectory, there was still need to ease out of the shutdown in a strategic and gradual manner, to maintain the positive momentum. In extending the lockdown indefinitely at the weekend, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said while indications were that the country had a reduced corona trajectory, there was still need to ease out of the shutdown in a strategic and gradual manner, to maintain the positive momentum.









Despite these many achievements in the implementation of the National Preparedness and Response Plan, the outbreak is not over, and our country still has some gaps.









These gaps are being addressed in a targeted way, using a comprehensive Covid-19 preparedness and response strategy which takes into account risks and needs of different communities and populations.









Zimbabwe will, therefore, continue on level two lockdown for an indefinite period. We shall have regular two-week interval reviews to assess progress or lack of it, Mnangagwa said.








The global coronavirus pandemic has created a huge need for health care in the US, but it also is delivering a devastating financial blow to that sector.

COVID-19 worries have kept patients away from doctors' offices and forced the postponement and cancellation of non-urgent surgeries. The pandemic also has shut down large portions of the American economy, leaving many would-be patients without insurance or in a financial pinch that makes them curb spending.

All of this has forced hospitals, health systems and doctors to lay off staff, cut costs and hope a return to normal arrives soon.

You couldn't ask for a worse situation, really, said Joe Antos, an economist with the American Enterprise Institute.

Health care provided the biggest drag on the U.S. economy in the first quarter.

Spending on care fell at an annual rate of 18%, the largest drop for that sector among records going back to 1959.

Economists point to hospital systems, a key driver of the sector's performance, as a big reason behind the drag from COVID-19, which initially hit some parts of the sector more intensely than others.

The nation's largest hospital chain, HCA Healthcare, said its hospital-based outpatient surgery totals for last month were down about 70% through late April.

In many cases, hospitals that lose those profitable surgeries are gaining COVID-19 patients and losing money on them. Those patients may require hospitals to expand intensive care units, spend more on infection control and stock up on gowns and masks, among other items.

The American Hospital Association estimated in a recent report that the nation's hospitals and health systems will collectively lose more than USD 36 billion from March to June treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

When adding factors like lost revenue from postponed surgeries, the total balloons to more than $200 billion, said the association. Congress has set aside about $175 billion so far to help hospitals and other care providers, but the hospital association says more assistance is needed.

We're facing perhaps the biggest financial crisis in our history, association CEO and president Rick Pollack said.

From the doctor's office, the view also is bleak.

Dr. Seemal Desai said patient visits for his Dallas-area dermatology practice plunged about 85% after COVID-19 hit.

He started seeing patients over the internet with help from smartphone or tablet cameras. But that created fresh problems. Desai said some patients don't have the technology to do online visits. Others hesitate because they aren't sure their insurance will cover them.

Only about half the patients who were offered a telemedicine visit actually did one.

You would think my volume would be shooting through the roof and people would be clamoring for it, but it's completely the opposite, Desai said.

The dermatologist cut expenses, including marketing, and he's reduced some employee hours.

Nationally, the health care sector shed nearly 1.5 million jobs from February to April, or about 9% of its total, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A big chunk of that came from dentist offices. Preliminary data shows that employee totals for that slice of the sector sank by more than 500,000, or 53%.

Overall economic growth, as measured by the gross domestic product, fell at an annual rate of 4.8% in the January-March quarter even though the severe impact of the virus was only felt in the last couple of weeks of March.

The current quarter is expected to be much worse. The Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the GDP will plunge 40%. That would be four times the largest drop on quarterly GDP records that go back to 1947.

Even so, health care researchers expect hospitals, doctor's offices and surgery centers to rebound gradually. But they're not sure yet how much patient volume will return.

People who have lost jobs and insurance coverage may not make doctor visits unless they absolutely have to.

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently estimated that nearly 27 million people or about 8 percent of the U.S. population could have become uninsured at least temporarily between March and early May due to the loss of employer-sponsored insurance.

It also may take a while for some patients to become confident that a hospital or doctor's office is safe enough to visit without catching COVID-19.

People are just afraid to go to any medical setting right now, Antos said, noting that the economy also could face another setback if infection rates spike again.

In Texas, Dr. Desai has pulled chairs out of his waiting rooms to increase social distancing for patients and staff. He's also asking other patients to wait in their cars until the exam room has been sanitized.

The dermatologist got some government assistance in the first round of payroll protection loans, and that will help him for a few more weeks.

But he's not expecting a quick rebound. It's hard to rebuild patient volume when only two people can be in the waiting room at the same time.

After another month I honestly have no clue whether we will be able to remain open, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The latest report by the Nicaraguan government claim that there have been 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths, one of the lowest in the Americas, which has now turned into the global epicenter of the pandemic.

Despite threats by government officials, reports have begun surfacing in recent days from medical workers and other Nicaraguans exposing a massive effort by the government to suppress effectively all data and information about the real extent of the outbreak.

The administration of president Daniel Ortega and his Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) has not carried out any significant measures to contain the virus or mitigate its effects. Besides ineffective health care monitoring outposts at the borders and a refusal to sanitize public areas, authorities have actually encouraged mass rallies, tourism and the continuation of nonessential work.

The Citizens Observatory COVID-19, which claims to compile reports sent by medical workers from at least 50 of the 153 municipalities, had counted 1,033 suspected COVID-19 cases and 188 suspected deaths, as of May 9.

A study published in late March by the Imperial College of London projected that, out of a population of 6.6 million, between 5.2 and 6 million Nicaraguans would be infected and between 20,112 and 24,304 would die without a state intervention to enforce social distancing.

On Monday, Reuters interviewed several doctors, who said hospital beds intended for coronavirus patients were full at several hospitals. Everything is about to collapse. We are seeing too many atypical pneumonias, one said, while respiratory specialist Jorge Miranda explained: Everything that is atypical pneumonia at this time, when winter [rainy season] hasnt yet begun, is related to COVID19.

Reuters found that several doctors, nurses and their families report being infected but not counted in official totals. In one case, the mother of a radiologist, who tested positive for COVID-19, was diagnosed with atypical pneumonia. She died and was buried without any family present. El Pais reported this week, For over a week, dozens of burials under coronavirus protocol have occurred, according to reports by families in social media and press outlets. Several videos have appeared showing nighttime burials.

In response, Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is married to Ortega, described the whistleblowers as people with deformed brains who spread pandemics of fear, hate, on the basis of fake news.

However, on Friday, pictures published by La Prensa and reports by medical specialists to other outlets show that the government has deployed groups of thugs in civilian clothes to patrol the outside of the hospitals and cemeteries, ordering people to leave.

A neighbor of the General Cemetery of Managua told La Prensa that nighttime burials have been occurring frequently since late April. It is as if the population didnt already know that the COVID-19 is wreaking havoc. Its killing us, and instead of helping, the government is sending patrols to follow the corpses and their families so that they dont speak to anyone, she said.

Two years since a wave of mass demonstrations triggered by pension cuts unleashed a wave of repression killing over 300 protesters and turning more than 70,000 people into refugeesincluding many doctors and medical studentsthe Ortega government is employing the same authoritarian measures to let the deadly COVID-19 pandemic run rampant while silencing all opposition.

While several governments, including the White House, have denounced these measures, the denunciations have been largely muted, not to mention hypocritical. The return-to-work campaigns by virtually every government evidence that they ultimately see the response of the FSLN as the new normality sought in their own countries.

The Ortega regimes response demonstrates irrefutably the bourgeois class character of the government and the inevitable outcome of Sandinismo and all petit-bourgeois nationalist movements that have historically defended capitalism. As the crisis of capitalism and its social consequences intensify, it has unconditionally subordinated the lives and living standards of the working masses to the profit interests of transnational corporations while refusing to impinge on the wealth of the local oligarchy.

This is being carried out with shocking shamelessness. During Holy Week (April 511), the Catholic Church canceled its processions and events, but Vice-President Rosario Murillo called for a Holy Week to love each other, to visit one family after the other, a Holy Week to get to know each other more, to know Nicaragua more.

After disappearing from the public eye for a month and not attending any public event since February 21, Daniel Ortega reappeared on April 15 in a televised cabinet meeting to minimize the danger and oppose any shutdown: In the middle of this pandemic, work hasnt stopped because if work stops in this country, people will die, the people will be extinguished. Such statements are not a matter of fact, but a policy being pursued in connivance with the transnational corporations and the trade unions.

According to the trade union FESITEX, affiliated to the pro-government Sandinista Workers Center and the IndustriALL Global Union, on March 24, the maquiladora employers, the government and the unions reached an agreement in which 5,500 workers were suspended without pay, 2,893 were laid off, and 78,000 were furloughed with pay, some fully and some as low as 50 percent.

On Monday, April 13, about 78,000 workers were called back to work. However, at least 12,000 workers of the Gildan company continue to be suspended without pay, according to the Nicaraguan Textile Association (Anitec).

Most of the maquiladoras produce garments and cables and are owned by transnational corporations based in the US, South Korea, Britain and Canada. They have been attracted to Nicaragua by the tax exemptions, low wages and deregulation advanced under the FSLN and the opposition parties.

According to Googles Mobility Report employing cellphone data updated to May 9, trips to recreational places, retail stores and transit stations were down 34 percent, which shows that a large section of the population is trying to stay home as much as possible. However, trips to workplaces were only down 14 percent.

An April 30 statement signed by 543 doctors denounces a total lack of data and asked for mass testing, as well as protective equipment for doctors, a cancellation of public service payments and economic aid to help workers stay home. Then, on May 12, medical students working at the Bolonia Hospital in Managua released a letter saying, we have no data or equipment to deal with the pandemic we have no information about the diagnosis of these patients, which makes us fearful and concerned facing this uncertainty.

A letter sent to the WHO this week by five former health ministers, including those under the Sandinista government in the 1980s, denounce the government for denying or minimizing artificially the number of cases and deaths due to the pandemic and reported that [medical] personnel have been fired for informing the families with transparency.

Without providing any more information than referring to the occasion of Mothers Day, the government announced the release of 2,815 prisoners on Wednesday, more than half of the total in the country. This happened a day after the death of a 60-year-old prisoner at the Modelo prison, the largest in the country, while lawyers have denounced that dozens who remain in the prisons have shown coronavirus-related symptoms.

A teacher near the city of Leon explained to the World Socialist Web Site that she has been without an income since the private school where she worked closed in March; however, all public schools and some private schools remain open. The government has not offered any economic aid to those losing their employment.

Asked about the medical situation, she said that a cousin went to the hospital about two weeks ago with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. She said: They have him isolated because he is sick and they wont let him communicate with anyone. They took his phone away and we have not heard from him since.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 13F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 13F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
In Milwaukee, at Good City Brewings two locations, owner David Dupee plans to control the number of people and mark off space where people should stand while theyre waiting for the restroom  whatever we can do to make people feel comfortable that guests around them will be appropriately distant. But we dont expect any return to normalcy until theres a vaccine. Weve all been trained in recent weeks to walk across the street when we see other people on the sidewalk. Thats just in our psyche now.
Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe Ltd expects 30% decline in cement volumes in 2Q20

18 May 2020

Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe Ltd said business volumes had declined considerably due to low demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.



The LafargeHolcim subsidiary said the lockdown will have an inevitable impact on volumes for the second quarter in 2020.



"It is projected that 2Q2020 volumes will decline by 30 per cent with the possibility of spill over risks impacting the second half of the year," the company said in its first quarter trading update for 2020.



"The ripple effects of the lockdown and border closures are still to be fully quantified, but the business expects to continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak into the second half of the year."



It said it will have to rely more on foreign-funded projects to sustain operations in the wake of the slowdown in aggregate demand in the core individual homebuilder market.





Published under
Despite a shaken property market, the states biggest apartment developer reopened the door to bringing one of Perths highest profile residential construction projects back on to this years agenda, and foreshadowed an imminent exciting new initiative to be announced this week.

The announcement and teaser come as calls build for the state government to support the struggling sector through short and long-term reforms to stamp duty, the lump-sum tax seen as a barrier to people considering buying new homes.

The just-completed One Kennedy in Maylands, at the former Ross' Auctions site. Credit:Finbar

Developer Finbar had announced at the end of March that while it had completed the Sabina tower in Applecross, it was withdrawing financial guidance and dumping the May launch and October construction start dates of its landmark Civic Heart towers in South Perth, along with any other new launches, due to the impacts of COVID-19.

But on Friday managing director Darren Pateman, in announcing completion of the One Kennedy project in Maylands at the former Ross Auction site, said the 123 apartments were 43 per cent sold and once settlements commenced in June, Finbar would be debt-free on roughly $90 million worth of finished apartments.
In 2005, the owners of 2820 Scott Street bought the hundred-year-old property with the goal of turning it from a 30-room boarding house back into a single-family mansion. The multiyear renovation required an almost complete rebuild, from the structural steel beams needed to support the home to the elevator that now goes all the way up to the 2,000-square-foot rooftop terrace.

The owners got a major assist in the redesign when the home was selected for the 2008 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. There was a lot for designers like Ann Getty to work with in the over-16,000-square-foot home, which features seven bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.

In fact, the size could sometimes be a deterrent when showing it to buyers, according to listing agent Olivia Hsu Decker. "Some buyers used to complain that 2820 Scott has far more space than they would ever need," she said.

The home has been on and off the market several times since 2016, at anywhere from $29.5 million to $27.5 million in 2019.

They had a $25 million offer in escrow at the end of last year that fell through, she said, through no fault of the property. In the spring, when shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect, Decker said her owners could see the writing on the wall and quickly agreed to a price cut, chopping the price by a whopping $6.5 million to $21 million.

That new price point has generated a lot of interest, said Decker. "For this extremely high quality home and amazing views, this new price makes this home the best deal in San Francisco," she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the response preparedness against cyclone Amphan developing in the Bay of Bengal, and assured all possible Central assistance to the states which are likely to be hit.

Soon after the meeting, the prime minister wrote on Twitter that he prays for everyone's safety "and assure all possible support from the central government."



At the review meet, Modi took stock of the situation and reviewed the measures as well as the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

"During the presentation of the response plan, DG NDRF (SN Pradhan) informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve. Twenty-four other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country," the statement said.

The prime minister said he "reviewed the preparedness regarding the situation due to cyclone 'Amphan'. The response measures as well as evacuation plans were discussed."



Home Minister Amit Shah, Principal Advisor to the PM P K Sinha and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba also attended the meeting.

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD has said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  With bars, restaurants and retailers in northern Michigan given the go-ahead to reopen Friday, one public health official said West Michigan isnt too far behind the northern regions in minimizing the spread of coronavirus.

I think that overall, looking at this regionally makes some sense, and I dont think were too far behind the northern regions here in West Michigan, Kent County Health Director Adam London said Monday, speaking at a virtual townhall hosted by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.

As I mentioned, we have flattened the curve substantially. Our numbers are all trending downward in a good way. But I think we have to be careful, because while were trending in the right direction, were still in a very delicate precarious position.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday afternoon that residents in 17 counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and all counties in the Upper Peninsula would be allowed to go out to eat and shop at non-essential retail stores again. However, certain restrictions will be put in place. Bars and restaurants, for example, will be limited to 50 percent capacity.

Mondays townhall also featured Spectrum Health President and CEO Tina Freese Decker. Along with London, the two spoke about testing capacity, whether the curve is flattening in West Michigan, the number of people who are hospitalized for coronavirus COVID-19, and more.

Freese Decker said Spectrum is operating at about 60 percent capacity.

When asked whether she was worried if reopening more businesses in Kent County could cause infections to spike and push demand for hospital beds beyond capacity, she said: The capacity and the plans we put in place to surge, if we need to, are very solid.

Kent County, the fourth most populated county in the state, has a total of 2,868 confirmed cases and 56 deaths. The county posted 181 new cases on May 15, its second highest number to date. London attributed the spike to a backlog of cases that were recently tested. He says the overall number of cases, when looked at over a three-day average, is trending downward.

Meanwhile, Spectrums website shows its treating 68 patients who have tested positive for coronavirus. Testing is pending for another 28 patients.

Whitmer has faced strong pushback from Republican state lawmakers and some members of the businesses community who want her to adjust her stay-at-home order and give more businesses the opportunity to reopen. The Grand Rapids Area Chamber plans to host a press conference Tuesday, where members are expected to call for a responsible reopening soon.

When asked whether he thinks its time for more businesses to reopen, London said, Whether I think its time or not, its happening, and its going to continue to happen. He said additional executive orders will be issued and some businesses will ignore the existing orders and open anyway. Two prominent examples of such behavior are an Owosso barber and a Holland salon owner.

I think what we need to focus on right now is how do we make these work environments as low-risk as possible, and how do we educate our community and keep educating them, and recognize that were not through this yet, London said. We have weathered the storm of the first wave, but dont think that were anywhere near through this.

Read more:

If second round of stimulus payments is approved, how much could you get?

The flu has killed 2,200 Michiganders since 2000. Coronavirus topped that in a month.

DNR officer hides in swamp to bust men who tore apart beaver dam, shot at beavers
Karpowership Ghana has donated various food items to the Muslim Community at Sekondi Zongo as they fast and pray in the holy month of Ramadan.

Several bags of rice, cartons of vegetable oil, boxes of milk and sardines were among the items handed over to support the residents as part of the celebration.

Since we began operations in Ghana, we have made series of donations to Muslim communities as our way of supporting our brothers and sisters during Ramadan. We know that Ramadan, and by extension the Islamic faith embodies the values of charity, empathy, patience and holiness and these are needed to live in unity and build better relationships, especially in these times, Ms. Sandra Amarquaye, corporate communications specialist at the company said virtually at a brief ceremony to present the items.

She observed that the spiritual exercise which is set to end in a few days, is happening at an opportune time, when the country is in dire need of a solution to the Coronavirus pandemic which has infected thousands and brought the world to a standstill. She is hopeful that the Almighty God will hear the voices of his children and heal the world from the pandemic.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Muslim community, the Western regional Chief Imam Dr. Sheikh Ostaz Ali Hassan Ali, expressed appreciation to the company for its kind gesture and prayed for their continuous success. He noted it is admirable that despite the company commencing operations only a few months ago in the Sekondi area, it has shown great care and concern for the community. He added the items was needed in this crucial time as the current pandemic had greatly impacted many lives economically.

Ms. Amarquaye entreated residents to abide by all protocols put in place by the government to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country, as the fight against the virus must be done collectively. She advised individuals to adhere to all the safety measures enumerated by the Ghana Health Service.
Democrats launch probe into Pompeo, sacking of State Dept watchdog

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 1:26 AM

Top congressional Democrats overseeing foreign relations in both the US Senate and House of Representatives have launched a probe into the sacking of State Department's inspector general, charging that the firing was politically motivated.

The Saturday development came after US President Donald Trump informed Congress late Friday that he was preparing to fire Steve Linick from his post of inspector general (IG), triggering immediate censure from Democratic lawmakers who accused Trump of attempting to block an investigation by the IG into his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) stated on Saturday that Pompeo personally made the recommendation for the president to sack Linick to disrupt a probe into the secretary himself.

"Reports indicate 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 wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself," the legislators wrote in a statement.

"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," the lawmakers added.

This is while a Democratic aide told a local radio station that Linick was looking into whether Pompeomisused a political appointee at the State Department to perform personal tasks for him and his wife.

"We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions," Menendez and Engel further stated.

The lawmakers also demanded that the White House, State Department and Office of the Inspector General keep all records related to Linick's dismissal and turn over information to the committees within one week.

Linick is one of a number of IGs recently fired by Trump, who had earlier sacked the watchdog from the Department of Justice, Michael Atkinson, and Glenn Fine, who was named to oversee the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The allegation that Linick's firing was meant to prevent a probe into Pompeo has provoked questions of how far the US president will go to protect his most loyal allies.

Linick is expected to be replaced by Ambassador Stephen Akard, a veteran career Foreign Service officer who currently serves as the director of the Office of Foreign Missions. He was confirmed by the Senate for his post as director, but he will take over the IG position in an acting capacity until Trump nominates a replacement.

This is while Pompeoremains one of Trump's longest-serving senior officials, moving from director of the CIA to secretary of State in March 2018 following the swift sacking of then-Secretary Rex Tillerson.

Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas, is also one of Trump's most ardent defenders when he comes under pressure by the media.

Likewise, Trump has praised the top US diplomat while attacking the agency he oversees  sometimes in the same breath.

In the past, Trump said Pompeo was doing a "fantastic" job while referring to the State Department as the "Deep State." Trump has accused career civil servants, who take an oath of nonpartisanship, of undermining him in the agency based on their political leanings.

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Migrants at Ghazipur border on their way to their native places, during ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in New Delhi, Friday. PTI Photo

Prime Minister Modi just announced post-Covid economic revival with a INR 2 trillion package underlining focus on land. This comes almost a fortnight after launching of SVAMITVA, a scheme aiming to improve rural housing land and property rights, using Drone technology and involving Panchayats to monetizing rural housing property. The imperative now is to see if and how both are connected and if connecting them could boost rural economy while also reviving it from covid19-backlash.

It looks more important, as the national media, in the COVID19 wave with an inevitable bias for Urban India, so far, has completely missed to analyse this important scheme. Nevertheless, Svamitva remains critical for Bharat, as it aims to cover all 6.62 lakh villages and generate hundreds of millions of rural property cards, with substantive financial, employment and economic implications.

Ironically, for Indias millions of poor, informal workers and farmers, informality around land tenure is an inevitable reality. The informality accompanies them as they live in urban slums, when they cultivate farm lands on lease and as they stay in their village homes. It is the last informality around rural homestead lands and house property, that remain least visible, yet a grim reality in India. And addressing it at a time when many hopes are lost, by connecting SVAMITVA and INR 2 trillion package, provides a rare opportunity to trigger an inclusive rural revival.

Indian households hold 77 percent share of their wealth in land and property, more than China (62 percent) and US (44 percent) as per a RBI Report in 2017, but with poor capitalisation. Absence of a legally robust property documents make these household land assets dead capital, as per economist, Hernando de Soto.

That just 1.98 percent of Indias rural population (Census, 2011) are homeless in comparison to 38 percent landless rural households (SECC, 2011), make securing rural property an inclusive strategy.

In this context, launching of Central Sector scheme, SVAMITVA  Survey of Villages And Mapping With Improvised Technology in Village Areas on 24th April 2020, amidst COVID19 lockdown, can be seen as a hope for rural revival, post-Covid. This scheme, aims to generate property cards, to facilitate monetization of rural residential assets for credit and other financial services. Led by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, it aims at surveying the rural inhabited land parcels using Drone technology and involving Gram Panchayats.

With seemingly right ingredients and right intentions, its guidelines demonstrate a unique combination of partnerships, participation, democratization and technology innovation to secure rural property rights and tenures in India.

The idea for this scheme comes from a Maharashtra pilot, where Revenue Department piloted a survey in conjunction with Survey of India to help the Rural Development Department build a GIS based Property (Tax) Register.

By involving Gram Panchayat, the scheme ensure democratized decentralization of land survey and tax collection process, helping needle forward towards devolution of power aimed in 73rd amendment.

The survey aims to address two rural property problems that different Indian states face. For first group of the states, where village house sites are surveyed earlier about few decades back, their land records are now redundant, in spite of encouraging progress of Indias flagship DILRMP (Digital India Land Records Modernization Program).

In other group of states, inhabited area of villages are not surveyed till date. With the colonial administrations focus on surveying farm lands, their main source of revenue, village housing sites or inhabited areas used to be left un-surveyed. States/regions carved out of Bombay and Madras Presidency as well as from Punjab province, inherits this legacy. While some of the villages were surveyed and settled subsequently for different reasons, still a majority of them continue as such viz. Lal Dora areas in Delhi and Haryana and Gaothan lands in Maharashtra.

Svamitva, aims to provide an integrated property validation solution addressing both kind of the problems and issuing property cards to the property owners in all states.

That land records in most states lack a gender column need to be taken note of in designing the property records. All names of family members, including that of women, need to be recorded. Survey should ensure proactive inclusion of dalits, windows and other such households, who lacks visibility and voice, and known to be usually marginalized.

Most states lack survey manpower, which will be needed now massively. Provisions of private or licensed surveyors, as permitted in new survey laws in many states can be tapped; to train and remuneratively engage rural youth. With potential generation of at least one million of rural employment @ 1-2 surveyor for a village, this can boost post-Covid economy. These rural surveyors, will be very useful for subsequent updating of rural property records.

Panchayat is involved across most steps of the scheme implementation. Adequate capacity and accountability building will be critical to ensure they follow democratic norms, not tyranny, land also wields power.

While drones have demonstrated success in the pilots of Survey of India, they also raise expectations, has limitation in terms of flying regulations under new Drone Policy. Therefore, space for following Fit for Purpose approaches including use of other adaptive digital tools fitting to the diverse rural and biophysical contexts must be kept open.

In this scheme, Government of India contributes 10 percent while expecting the states to the mobilize the rest 90 percent, which may be difficult at the time of COVID crisis, when their revenue receipt has nosedived.

Maharashtra pilot shows that households can pay for the property card, which makes it revenue neutral. States, therefore, may need only some seed money. Available Financial Commission grants for Panchayats with its flexible spending options, Tribal Sub Plan and Special Component Plans for specific geographies as well as long-term loan from NABARD can be some sources of potential financing mechanism that states might consider exploring. A small allocation from INR 2 trillion grant can be vastly useful.

Secure land tenure alleviate poverty and propel economies, when identified with transparent and updated land and property records. Despite this hegemonic discourse, both markets and states have failed to deliver secure land and property rights in many countries including India.

Svamitva, seems a bold reformistic step and can be a real game changer to tackle post-Covid-revival while setting right this chronic land rights problem, provided states buy in politically, as land is a state subject and center supports financially. It can also be a very productive investment to bring adequate and dignified cash in the hands of the millions of informal poor migrants, now converged in rural India.

Pranab is the Founder-Coordinator of NRMC Centre for Land Governance. Chockalingam is the Settlement Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra.

Opinions are personal
Northern Italy -- Official COVID-19 deaths underestimate the full impact of the pandemic

According to a study by Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, the northern Italian city of Nembro recorded more deaths during March 2020 than between January and December 2019. However, only approximately half of all deaths recorded this spring were classified as confirmed COVID-19 deaths. The study shows that the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may go far beyond official COVID-19 death counts. It also shows the important role of all-cause mortality in quantifying the full impact of the pandemic. The study's findings have been published in The BMJ*.

During the current pandemic, the northern Italian region of Lombardy has been one of the most severely affected areas in Europe. Despite high death counts officially attributed to COVID-19 during the worst part of the pandemic, doubts were soon raised over the accuracy of these data. Official figures did not appear to reflect actual, observable pressures on the health care system. This was also the case in Nembro, a small town in the Bergamo province of Lombardy, which has a population of 11,500. In order to quantify the true impact of the pandemic on the local health care system, a team of researchers led by Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, Director of Charite's Institute of Public Health (IPH), studied overall mortality figures, looking at all deaths regardless of their cause. Working alongside colleagues from the Centro Medico Santagostino in Milan, the researchers found the following: During the height of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, the number of all-cause deaths was approximately double that of confirmed COVID-19-related deaths.

In order to accurately quantify mortality rate regardless of cause of death - known as all-cause mortality - the researchers used data for the period between January 2012 and mid-April 2020. They obtained data from several sources: the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), Nembro's registration office, and the Lombardy region COVID-19 dashboard. "Nembro is a small town with a very stable population and very little immigration and emigration over time," explains Prof. Kurth. He adds: "Given its size and the availability of quality data sources, this town provided the ideal conditions for a robust, descriptive epidemiological study to quantify the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as its impact on the health of this local community."

According to the researchers' analyses, in recent years the town typically recorded all-cause death counts just over 100 per year. In 2018 and 2019, for instance, the town recorded 128 and 121 deaths, respectively. This contrasts sharply with the 194 deaths seen during the three-and-a-half-month period between 1 January 2020 and 11 April 2020; of these, 151 occurred in March 2020 alone. This corresponds to a monthly all-cause mortality of 154 deaths per 1,000 person years for March 2020, nearly eleven times the rate recorded for the same month of the previous year (14 deaths per 1,000 person years). The largest increase in mortality recorded during the pandemic was seen among people aged 65 and over, with men disproportionately affected. 14 deaths involved people younger than 65.

"In the light of Nembro's otherwise extremely stable all-cause mortality figures, the massive increase in mortality seen during March 2020 can only be interpreted as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic", says the study's first author, Marco Piccininni, who is a researcher at the IPH. Out of a total of 166 deaths recorded during the pandemic (late February to early April 2020), only 85 had tested positive and were subsequently recorded as deaths from COVID-19. "This represents an enormous discrepancy and shows that the pandemic's impact on the health of the population was significantly more pronounced than the official COVID-19 death count would suggest," explains Piccininni. The study's authors believe there are two main reasons for this discrepancy. Firstly, it is likely that not all infected people were identified as such. This is probably attributable to a shortage of materials needed for testing and the fact that not all suspected cases were tested. Secondly, this could be due to people with non-COVID-related conditions having impaired access to health care, either because health system capacities had been exhausted by COVID-19 cases or because of individuals' reluctance to visit the hospital for fear of infection.

"If we are to accurately quantify the health impact of the pandemic, we must not rely on confirmed COVID-19 deaths as the sole metric," emphasizes Prof. Kurth. "To better adapt containment measures to the local situation, consideration should also be given to current data on all-cause mortality from within the relevant region. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to access up-to-date all-cause mortality data. I am pleased that Germany has recently started to make preliminary figures available."

###

*Piccininni M, Rohmann JL et al., Use of all cause mortality to quantify the consequences of covid-19 in Nembro, Lombardy: descriptive study. BMJ 2020;369:m1835. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m1835

The pandemic in Nembro

Nembro reported its first coronavirus cases towards the end of February 2020. This was soon followed by the introduction of the town's first social distancing measures. On 8 March, Nembro became part of one of Italy's 'red zones' - strict quarantine areas which people were neither permitted to enter nor leave. Residents were only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons, such as shopping for food or essential types of work. By 11 April, the number of confirmed cases had increased to 218. By 16 April 2020, 85 of these had died. Monthly all-cause mortality decreased during the month of April, which is likely a consequence of the strict community isolation measures.

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
A YOUNG man has admitted violently assaulting and falsely imprisoning a woman in a rural woodland in County Clare just over a year ago.

The 22-year-old, who has an address in Limerick city, has also admitted threatening and intimidating the woman by sending her messages while he was in custody at Limerick Prison having been arrested and charged.

When arraigned at Limerick Circuit Court, the man, who cant be named in order to protect the identity of the complainant, also admitted assaulting three other people during May 2019.

The defendant, who will be sentenced next month, also pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody on August 21, 2019.

He fled from gardai and prison officers near the entrance to the prison as he was being returned there following a procedural hearing at Limerick District Court.

The matter was adjourned to allow gardai to canvass each of the victims regarding victim impact statements.
Browsing books could become a thing of the past as shops implement measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (David Levenson/Getty Images)

Waterstones will introduce a coronavirus quarantine system for books that have been browsed but not bought, the booksellers head has said.

As England prepares for an easing of lockdown rules, many shops and businesses are making plans to reopen.

Waterstones boss James Daunt has said that if you browse a book and dont buy it, youll have to place it on a trolley.

Books will then be wheeled away and put in quarantine for three days before going back on shelves, he said.

Head of Waterstones James Daunt told a reporter that a 'quarantine process' would have to be introduced to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. (Harry Wallop/Twitter)

A spokesperson from Waterstones confirmed the measures.

She said: We are well prepared to open our shops as soon as we are permitted to do so. We will do so cautiously, with extensive measures in place to ensure the safety of both our booksellers and our customers.

The head of Waterstones has suggested browsed books could be 'quarantined' to prevent the spread of coronavirus when bookstores are allowed to reopen. (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The actions we will take include investment in equipment from sneeze guards to sanitiser stations, in the procurement of PPE for our booksellers, in the instruction and signage to support social distancing and we will provide trolleys so that browsed books are removed for appropriate quarantine off the shop floor.

We learn from the experience of our European bookselling colleagues  notably in Italy and Germany - who have reopened their shops ahead of us in the UK.

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Waterstones, which has almost 300 branches across the UK, is not the only business preparing itself to operate differently as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a series of measures to enable the capitals transport infrastructure to adapt to social distancing measures.

In a statement issued to Yahoo News UK, Transport for London said: TfL is introducing a range of further measures.

Hand sanitiser points will start to be introduced across the transport network over the coming weeks, with points to be installed at every Tube and TfL rail station.

Story continues

They will also be installed in all bus stations. The rigorous cleaning regime for buses, trains and stations will continue.

All taxi and private hire companies and drivers are being asked by TfL to put protective measures in place including ensuring face coverings are worn by drivers.

Schools across England are also preparing to implement social distancing guidelines to enable them to reopen for Foundation classes and years one and six from 1 June.

On Sunday, the Department of Health said 34,636 COVID-19 patients have died in the UK. The figure was up 170 from Saturdays death toll of 34,466.

Coronavirus: what happened today
The number of child migrants who have arrived unaccompanied in Kent has almost doubled in a year - as new figures reveal 1,448 people have crossed the Channel since January.

Some 450 child migrants were in Kent County Council's care at the end of April, compared to 257 in the same period last year.

Council leader Roger Gough said more children are now attempting to cross the Channel in dinghies due to a fall in the number of lorries travelling from France amid the coronavirus crisis.

Stowing away on trucks had previously been the 'typical route for a young person,' he told the BBC, but children are 'to a large degree now coming in the boats.'

Among the arrivals were 20 children who crossed the Channel in small boats over the bank holiday weekend, he added.

Pictured: Eight migrants arrive in Dover today after being intercepted by Border Force officials on the Channel

Asylum-seeking children are taken into the care of Kent County Council if they arrive unaccompanied.

'What we are now seeing, particularly as you can imagine all the changes with lockdowns across Europe and a significant reduction in freight transport, is that actually the boats are becoming a route for those unaccompanied asylum-seeking children,' he said.

Pictured: Kent County Council leader Roger Gough

'Very recent arrivals of unaccompanied asylum seeking children have been by boat. This is quite a new development.'

Mr Gough added that the increase in arrivals is putting 'severe and growing' pressure on the council's finances.

Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley estimates there are up to 200 child migrants living in squalor in settlements across Calais - most of them unaccompanied.

There are currently around 500 people in one camp in Calais, while 240 are spread out across three smaller sites. At a fifth camp, there are around 30.

Ms Moseley said the youngest unaccompanied child she has met in a camp is a 10-year-old Afghan boy. She has also met a 13-year-old girl without any parents.

She said: 'That's a rough figure. At any point, around 20 per cent of the refugees are under 18. A lot of them come from Sudan, where they could be recruited as soldiers.

'And some are from Afghanistan. They might have lost their parents and are trying to join other people in the UK.

Today's arrivals were spotted by British authorities crossing the Channel near Dover in a badly damaged wooden boat

The eight migrants were given face masks and life vests when they were intercepted by authorities

'Coronavirus has made the conditions even worse for them so they are even more desperate to get to the UK. These people have nothing to lose.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'The government takes the welfare of unaccompanied children very seriously and provides funding to local authorities, including Kent, as a contribution to the cost of supporting unaccompanied children and those who leave care.

'This funding was significantly increased in May 2019.'

An estimated 1,448 migrants have crossed the Channel by boat this year, compared to 1,850 last year in total.

Some 450 child migrants were in Kent County Council's care at the end of April, compared to 257 in the same period last year, it was revealed (Pictured: Migrants arriving in Dover today)

An estimated 1,448 migrants have crossed the Channel by boat this year, compared to 1,850 last year in total

Photographs from today picture the arrival of eight migrants who were intercepted by Border Force near Dover.

The group, who were given face masks and life vests, had been aboard a badly damaged wooden boat when they were spotted by British authorities.

It comes after a weekend in which 125 migrants - including 90 on six boats on Saturday - made it to Britain. On Sunday, a further 35 people were picked up in three boats.

The weekend's crossings mean a staggering 1,077 asylum seekers have crossed the Channel since Boris Johnson put the country in lockdown on March 23.
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

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

Turkey Central banks and UAE sign agreement worth almost $5 billion

Blinken: Western countries need unity to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine

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Oneida, N.Y.  Mike Fischer spent his teenage summers picking weeds between the onions on a muck farm in Chittenango.

It was the kind of backbreaking work you still remember, 45 years later. Fischer knelt and weeded next to migrant workers who became his friends in those summers.

So when migrant workers at Green Empire Farms in Fischers town became the center of the largest coronavirus outbreak in Upstate New York, he felt like he knew those workers, too.

He wanted to help, to comfort the workers in a community that may not feel friendly right now. Some residents have started sharing the migrant workers whereabouts on Facebook, as if they were criminals, and giving them the side-eye in the Walmart.

What better way to comfort people than a hot Sunday dinner delivered to their door, Fischer thought. On Sunday, he and about 30 others prepared and dropped off more than 300 meals to the migrant workers on their day off.

Nearly 170 migrant workers at the large greenhouse in Oneida tested positive for Covid-19. Public health officials said it was the workers living conditions  they slept four to a room, two to a bed, in cramped hotel rooms  that allowed the virus to spread.

At least five of the workers became seriously ill. Roxanne Whaley, a housekeeper at the Super 8 hotel where the workers are living, also caught the virus and her husband died of it.

When Fischer, who works as a lobbyist, came up with the idea to bring Sunday dinner to the workers, he didnt make many big announcements. He just stared calling: Who wants to help?

Within a day, his high school friends, family, snowmobile club, favorite restaurant (The Hamlet) and the only Mexican restaurant in town, La Cocina, all agreed to pitch in. They also started a GoFundMe campaign to cover some of the costs.

They tried to pick meals that would make the workers feel at home after being prodded and poked, quarantined and questioned. There was arroz con pollo for the Mexican and Venezuelan workers; poule en sauce for the Haitian workers.

Each container had a note attached to it, either in Spanish or French-Creole.

A group of people from Chittenango have been praying for you and your coworkers during this difficult time. We hope you enjoy this meal that we have prepared for you and perhaps remind you of your home. We will continue to pray for you and your family.

The group named itself Loaves and Bridges.

The inside of the Overlook Restaurant was an assembly line Sunday, from kitchen to containers to coolers. Dawn and Tom McCarthy usually use the spot for their catering business. Fischer knows them because hes a regular at their other restaurant, The Hamlet.

Sisters Mary Schwarz and Fay Sortore plastic-wrapped each meal, tucking the yellow notes on top.

Tom McCarthy stirred the pot of Haitian chicken, then scooped rice and chicken 120 times.

The meals went into insulated boxes and bags, so they would arrive warm.

Hector Alvarez, a supervisor for MAC Contracting (which provided the workers to the greenhouse farm), met Fischer at the first drop, the La Quinta hotel in Verona.

We really appreciate people how people have gone out of the way, Alvarez said. And we appreciate the people who prayed for us.

Alvarez said he was one of the workers who tested positive; he said he did not have any symptoms.

At the Super 8, Dimitri Pierre helped round up workers for the food delivery. Fischer hustled to get a Haitian translator he had lined up, but he didnt need one. Pierres eyes smiled behind his blue mask as he thanked Fischer in English.

Pierre, a crew supervisor for the migrant workers, was one of the few who did not test positive for the virus. He was recruited to work for MAC helping the Haitian workers, he said. Its nearly impossible to get a job that pays this well at home, he said. Thats where most of this money goes: to his wife and his children, who are 4 and 6. He hasnt seen them since December.

At the last stop at the Days Inn, John Giallegos thanked Fischer and the others.

The group unloaded the coolers of arroz con pollo for the last time as sky darkened.

When he worked at the farm all those years ago, Fischer would take the migrant workers to the grocery store.

One of the workers told him if he could find her corn meal to make her own fresh tortillas and the right spices for her chicken, she would have him over for an authentic Mexican meal.

He went to two stores in Syracuse, he recalled, before he could find the right stuff.

Later, he and his girlfriend went to the migrant couples trailer to share that meal. He still recalls their last name -- it was Corona, something that strikes him now. And he remembers how good that meal was and how kind they were.

It was the same meal he delivered Sunday to the workers who had been sick and far from home: arroz con pollo.

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Marnie Eisenstadt is a reporter who writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246.
Update: ALEA cancelled the alert less than 30 minutes after issuing the plea. Authorities say she returned home about 1 p.m.

Earlier: Authorities are asking for the publics help finding a 13-year-old Jefferson County girl.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Monday issued an alert for Jaikiya Glover. She was seen getting into an older model white Honda Accord or Civic at 9 a.m. Monday in Fairfield.

Jaikiya was last known to be in the area of Terrace G in Fairfield. She was wearing yellow tights, a black shirt, a leopard-print shower cap and was carrying a backpack.

She is a black female, 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. The vehicle she was seen getting into is very dirty and has dark tinted windows, authorities said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office at 205-325-1450.
SOCIAL DEMOCRACY HELPS FASCISM; VITAL NEED FOR RANK AND FILE UNITY

It was not accidental that Menzies, in introducing his Fascist Bill to Parliament, relied largely upon official ALP statements to bolster his case against Communism.

He quoted extensively from ALP Conference resolutions and from the advertisements authorised by Prime Minister Chifley against the coal miners in their strike last year.

Fascism, wherever it has appeared, has always borrowed extensively from the anti-Communist ideology of Social Democracy and Reformism.

While the Menzies Government does not yet constitute fascist dictatorship there should be no illusions about the fascist character of its legislation to outlaw the Communist Party and to destroy trade union rights.

Fascism in power, said the late Georgi Dimitrov in his report to the Seventh World Congress of the Communist International in 1935, is the open, terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinist and most imperialist elements of finance capital.

Dimitrov also pointed out: The accession to power of fascism is not an ordinary succession of one bourgeois (capitalist) government by another, but a substitution for one state form of class domination of the bourgeoisie (capitalist class)  bourgeois (capitalist) democracy  of another form  open terrorist dictatorship.

He warns that it would be a serious mistake to ignore this distinction, a mistake which would prevent us from mobilising the broad masses for struggle against the menace of a seizure of power by the fascists.

But a mistake no less serious and dangerous would be to underrate the importance, for the establishment of fascist dictatorship, of the reactionary measures of the bourgeoisie [...] measures which destroy the democratic liberties of the toilers, falsify and curtail the rights of parliament and intensify the repression of the revolutionary movement.

It cannot be disputed that Menzies Bill is a reactionary measure of the type described by Dimitrov. It destroys the democratic liberty of Australian workers to organise for Socialism, it destroys the democratic right of trade unionists to elect their own leaders, and, undoubtedly intensifies the repression of the labour movement.

It is in every sense a step towards fascism in Australia. Since Hitler perished beneath the ruins of his Berlin Chancellery and Mussolini was strung by the heels in Milan, the coloured shirt variety of fascism has fallen into disrepute. It is now the fashion for the most reactionary elements of finance capital to conceal their advance towards fascism under a Liberal, democratic mask.

Even in 1935 Dimitrov pointed out that the development of fascism assumed different forms in different countries and that in certain countries it did not immediately venture to abolish parliament and forbid the activities of other capitalist parties including Social Democracy.

He also drew attention to the fact that before the establishment of a fascist dictatorship, bourgeois governments usually pass through a number of preliminary stages and institute a number of reactionary measures, which directly facilitate the accession to power of fascism.

Whoever does not light the reactionary measures of the bourgeoisie and the growth of fascism at these preparatory stages is not in a position to prevent the victory of fascism, but on the contrary facilitates that victory.

The significance of the present attitude of the top leaders of the Australian Labor Party must be assessed in the light of this truth.

By agreeing in principle with Menzies Fascist Bill and not fighting for its total rejection, they are facilitating the growth of fascism in Australia.

In so doing they reveal themselves to be no different, fundamentally from the leaders of German Social Democracy, who paved the way for Hitlers rise to power in 1933.

Reformism represents a bourgeois or capitalist trend in the labour movement. The reformists, as Lenin long ago pointed out, are the real agents of the bourgeoisie in the Labour Movement.

The role of reformism is to subordinate the labour movement to the interests of the capitalist class, and to carry out the latters bidding.

The German Social Democrats, in particular, endeavoured by their whole policy between 1923 and 1932, when they were in the Government, to prove to the ruling class that they deserved its confidence no less than Hitlers Nazis.

In the decisive years of preparation for fascism, beginning with the establishment of the Bruning regime in 1930 which ignored Parliament and ruled by emergency decree, Social Democracy offered no resistance.

Had German Social Democracy been prepared to join with the Communists in resisting the Bruning regime, there is no doubt the advance towards fascist dictatorship could have been arrested.

However, the leaders of the Social Democratic Party, rather than join forces with the Communists, preferred to support the Bruning dictatorship and help it carry out its hunger offensive against the workers.

Just as the top leaders of the Labor Party in Australia today prefer to unite with Menzies in passing his fascist legislation, rather than unite with the Communists in opposing Menzies.

Our times in the critical period preceding Hitlers elevation to power the German Communist Party proposed a united front with the Social Democratic Party and four times was rebuffed.

The first united front appeal was made in April, 1932, when drastic wage cuts were decreed.

The second appeal was made in July, 1932, when the von Papen dictatorship expelled the Social Democratic Government of Prussia.

The third appeal was made on January 30, 1933, after Hitler had been installed as Chancellor.

The fourth appeal was made on March 1, after the burning of the Reichstag and the unloosing of the full Nazi terror. This appeal was left unanswered by the Social Democratic leaders, who were trying to cap their treachery by coming to an understanding with Hitler.

However, they had served their purpose and were cast aside. The Leiparts and the Grassmanns, declared Dr Ley, leader of the Nazi Labour Front, may profess their devotion to Hitler; but they are better in prison.

A United fighting front of the working class could have prevented the victory of fascism in Germany. It can prevent the further advance towards fascism here.

In their own interests, as well as in the general interests of the working class, ALP supporters must overcome the obstacle created by their leaders attitude towards the united front.

It is significant that Menzies was willing to promise immunity from the provisions of his fascist legislation for Labor members of Parliament. He did not promise, nor did Labor politicians demand, similar immunity for rank and file members of the Labor Party.

They, like the rank and file of the German Social Democratic Party, will follow the Communists into jail or a concentration camp, unless they break with the policy of their top leaders and unite with the Communists in fighting Menzies Bill.

It is true that there are certain groupings in the top circles of the Labor Party, but it is significant that it is always the Rights who act, foisting their policy on the party as a whole. They openly align themselves with Menzies and his pro-fascist policy. The Lefts remain passive or confine themselves to empty phrases.

The Rights organise and act. The Lefts talk and talk, and finally seek shelter behind the sacred cow  caucus decision.

The Rightwing are openly united with Menzies against democracy against peace, against the working class. The Lefts are united with the Rights because of their unwillingness to ignore formal caucus decisions.

Then an attempt is made to tie the trade unions to this treacherous policy.

The ACTU Congress resolution correctly expressed the will of the majority of workers by strongly condemning Menzies Fascist Bill and urging its outright rejection by both Houses of Parliament.

Then came this astoundingly illogical rider: But in view of the need for unity in the labour movement we accept the decision made by the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party that substantial amendments be made [...] .

There could be no greater travesty of labour movement unity than this. The amendments proposed by the Parliamentary Labor Party are by no means substantial and in no way alter the fundamental fascist character of the Bill.

Most of them have already been agreed to in substance by Menzies and in all likelihood the remaining difference about the onus of proof clause will ultimately be resolved.

Unity of the labour movement if needed AGAINST Menzies and hit fascist legislation, not with Menzies.

This unity can and must be developed from below by Communist and Labor Party supporters coming together in the unions and in the factories not merely to pass resolutions opposing Menzies and his fascist legislation, but to decide on positive action to defend living standards, defend democratic rights, defend the cause of peace and national independence.

In short, to halt the drive, towards fascism and war in Australia.

This article originally appeared in Tribune May, 1950.
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Eight schools have been closed in one city in northern France after a child tested positive for coronavirus.

Seven public schools and one private institution were shuttered in the city of Roubaix, on the Belgian border, on Monday morning.

It comes after a child in a reception class - which went back to school last week - was confirmed to be carrying the virus.

Around 70 cases have been detected in French school since lessons resumed for younger pupils last week.

Eight schools in the French city of Roubaix were closed Monday 'as a precaution' after a child in a reception class - which returned last week - tested positive for coronavirus (file image)

The schools were closed 'as a precaution' while investigators try to determine who the child has been in contact with, local officials said.

It was initially reported that seven schools had closed, but local outlet La Voix du Nord later said an eighth had also shuttered.

Authorities said that most of the affected schools will be able to reopen by May 25.

France is pushing ahead with moves to reopen public schools despite widespread concern from parents that their children cannot be adequately protected.

Some 40,000 nursery and kindergarten schools were allowed to reopen last week, though attendance was not mandatory.

About a third of pupils - or 1.4million children - are though to have attended classes, with the rest continuing to learn from home.

French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said that 70 cases of the virus have been detected in schools since 40,000 reopened last week, with all affected institutions closed

France reopened nurseries and kindergartens last week and pushed ahead with reopening junior schools on Monday, though attendance is not mandatory (file image)

This week is is the turn of junior schools located in 'green' departments, which have been deemed less at risk from the virus.

French Education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said around 70 cases of coronavirus have so far been detected in schools that have resumed lessons.

All of the affected institutions have been closed, he said, without giving further details.

School closures have been identified in regions including Mayenne, Finistere, Cantal, Haute-Garonne, Indre-et-Loire, Herault and Nice.

Given that the incubation period for the virus is several days, people are 'likely' to have been infected before the reopening of the schools, he said, speaking on French radio RTL on Monday.

'Almost every time these are cases that arise outside of school,' he said, adding that finding cases in schools was 'inevitable' but only happened in a minority of places.
Key Takeaways

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to exercise jurisdiction over all COVID-19 insurance coverage litigation.

The decision relates to an application for extraordinary relief from a Pittsburgh-based restaurant seeking coverage for business income losses allegedly triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and related government orders.

The decision is a small procedural victory for Pennsylvania-based insurers, affording them the opportunity to have disputes over coverage litigated on a case-by-case, policy-by-policy basis before state trial courts.

Last month, a Pittsburgh-based restaurant asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Commonwealths highest state court, to exercise jurisdiction over the restaurants lawsuit against its insurer for business income coverage allegedly triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and related government orders that limit the restaurants business activities. That, however, is not the extraordinary part, as the application also asked the court to exercise jurisdiction over all COVID-19-related coverage litigation in Pennsylvania. In a small victory for insurers, on May 14, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied the application without opinion.

Joseph Tambellini, Inc. D/B/A Joseph Tambellini Restaurant filed a lawsuit against its insurer, Erie Insurance Exchange, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, over a dispute about whether its commercial property policy provides coverage for business income losses allegedly due to mandatory business restrictions related to COVID-19. A short time later, Tambellini filed an Application for Extraordinary Relief with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that asked the court to exercise its Kings Bench authority and the Courts Extraordinary Jurisdiction powers to assume jurisdiction of the litigation.

Tambellini argued its case presents issues of immediate public importance to all Pennsylvania citizens seeking insurance coverage for losses, damages and expenses caused by government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tambellini also argued that the Supreme Court should exercise jurisdiction over the case now because the case will eventually end up before the Supreme Court due to contemplated appeals regardless of the outcome at the trial stage.

Tambellinis application also asked the court to exercise plenary jurisdiction over all COVID-19 insurance coverage litigation in Pennsylvania, since hundreds, if not thousands of insurance coverage disputes arising from COVID-19 will be filed in Pennsylvania. As part of its request, Tambellini sought coordination by the court of all COVID-19 insurance coverage cases in Pennsylvania in a fashion not unlike that utilized by the Federal Courts  on Multidistrict Litigation.

Erie countered that the parties private contract dispute is not a matter of immediate public importance and that Tambellini failed to provide factual support of its claim that COVID-19 litigation will overburden the Commonwealths trial courts. Erie also asserted that any decision reached by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could not have broad effect due to the variety of coverage forms and policy provisions used by different insurance companies.

Various insurers and trade associations filed amicus briefs that generally dovetailed with Eries arguments. Notably, the amici argued that that using Tambellinis framework and broad-based applicability would violate the due process rights of all Pennsylvania insurers, and asserted that if the court were to issue the broad-based proclamation advocated by Tambellini, all insurers in Pennsylvania must be joined to the litigation as indispensable parties.

The Supreme Court made short work of Tambellinis application, which was denied without opinion. Without an opinion, it is not known whether the application would have met with similar fate had Tambellini limited its requested relief to having the Supreme Court exercise its jurisdiction over only this specific contract dispute. However, given the exceedingly narrow matters over which the Supreme Court exercises its Kings Bench and Extraordinary Jurisdiction powers, we suspect the result would have been the same, even had the application not requested the court establish and then oversee a judicial program for handling all COVID-19 litigation.

The decision represents a small procedural victory for Pennsylvania-based insurers, by affording them the opportunity to have disputes over coverage litigated on a case-by-case, policy-by-policy basis in the normal manner in which such matters are litigated before state trial courts. The larger test will come in individual cases, where policy language will be measured against the facts of each case.
The head of the European Union's medicines agency Guido Rasi said on Monday an initial authorization for U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead's remdesivir as a Covid-19 treatment could be granted in coming days.

"It might be that a conditional market authorization can be issued in the coming days," Rasi told a hearing in the EU Parliament in Brussels.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has already recommended the compassionate use of remdesivir, which allows a drug to be administered to patients even before it has been fully authorized.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Kavali Vinutna, a Class V student from Vikarabad district is not just spending her lockdown holidays attending online classes and playing games, but also for a noble cause. She has stitched 200 face masks so far and handed over the same to the authorities.

A student of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Residential School at Miyapur, she learnt tailoring from her parents Venkataiah and Vijayalaxmi, who are tailors by profession.

During last summer vacation, she tried her hands at sewing machine and injured a finger, after that her father warned her to stay away from the machine.

I never thought she would learn it so fast and use it for a noble cause, said Venkataiah. Vinutna said she won a cash prize of `100 during an online activity organised by the school during lockdown. With that money, her father helped her buy a small piece of cloth and she started stitching face masks. Earlier, she donated 100 masks to the Collector. Inspired by Collectors encouragement, she started stitching more masks and stitched another 100 masks. Saturday being her birthday, she donated them to M Narayana, Superintendent of Police, Vikarabad.
A Bangladeshi medical team has claimed that their research on the combination of two widely used drugs has yielded 'astounding' results in curing the patients with acute symptoms of the coronavirus that has wreaked havoc across the world and claimed the lives of over 312,000 people globally.

The claim by the Bangladeshi medical team, which includes prominent physicians from the country, comes amidst the desperate global attempts for a remedy to the deadly coronavirus.

"We have got astounding results. Out of 60 COVID-19 patients, all recovered as the combination of the two drugs were applied," said Professor Dr Md Tarek Alam, the head of medicine department at private Bangladesh Medical College Hospital (BMCH).

Alam, a reputed clinician in Bangladesh, said a frequently used antiprotozoal medicine called Ivermectin in a single dose with Doxycycline, an antibiotic, yielded virtually the near-miraculous result in curing the patients with COVID-19.

"My team was prescribing the two medicines only for coronavirus patients, most of them initially reporting with respiratory problems with related complaints, later to be tested COVID-19 positive," he said.

Bangladesh has so far reported 20,995 coronavirus cases. A total of 314 people have lost their lives in the country due to the disease.

Claiming that the efficacy of the drug developed by them was such that patients recovered from the virus within 4 days, he said, adding that there were no side effects of it.

"We first ask them to be tested for COVID-19 and when found coronavirus positive we apply the drugs . . . They are recovering within four day. The repeated or second tests, in line with the procedure, reconfirmed them COVID-19 negative in all the cases under the research which found the combination to have no side effects on patients either," he said.

"We are hundred per cent hopeful" about the effectiveness of the combination, he said, adding they by now contacted the concerned government regulators and preparing to exhaust international procedures for acknowledgement of the drugs for the COVID-19 treatment.

Alam said his team was preparing a paper on the development of the drug for an international journal, as required for scientific review and acknowledgement.

Alam's associate Dr Rabiul Morshed said despite being a non-COVID-19 facility a huge number of patients directly and indirectly end up in BMCH, the country's premier private general hospital.

"But all of them have shown remarkable recovery being (COVID-19) negative in four days and 50 per cent reduction of symptoms in 3 days," he said.

The coronavirus, which broke out initially in China, has claimed the lives of 312,115 people while infected over 4,650,793, according to Johns Hopkins University.
China says will take all necessary measures to protect rights of its firms

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 1:52 PM

China has warned the United States of retaliation over its new restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei, saying it will take "all necessary measures" to safeguard the company's legitimate rights and interests.

"China will take all necessary measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese firms," China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement further called the United States' measure a "serious threat to global supply chains," adding that "China urges the US to immediately cease its wrong actions."

"The US uses state power, under the so-called excuse of national security, and abuses export control measures to continuously oppress and contain specific enterprises of other countries," the statement said.

China's warning came after the United States imposed new restrictions on Huawei, severely limiting its ability to use American technology to design and manufacture semiconductors produced for it abroad.

The Commerce Department said in a statement on Friday that the new restrictions would "narrowly and strategically" target Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology.

Beijing has already condemned the move, urging Washington to stop the "unreasonable suppression" of Huawei as well as other Chinese enterprises.

The latest rules will ban foreign firms that use US technology from shipping semiconductors to Huawei without US permission.

They will also cut off Huawei's access to one of its major suppliers, the Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which also manufactures chips for Apple and other tech firms.

Huawei has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The latest restrictions are a new escalation in the US-China battle for global technological dominance. The United States does not want China to dominate 5G mobile networks and is seeking to convince other nations not to use the Chinese firm's equipment for 5G.

Huawei, considered the world leader in superfast 5G equipment and the world's number two smartphone producer, has been under relentless pressure from Washington, which has lobbied allies worldwide to avoid the company's telecom gear over security concerns, in the shadow of a wider US-China trade conflict.

Washington has repeatedly accused the Chinese tech giant of a "decades-long" effort to steal trade secrets from American companies. Huawei has time and again denied the accusations.

US President Donald Trump's administration has blacklisted Huawei to block the company from getting any US telecom equipment contracts and prevent the transfer of American technology to the Chinese firm.

Washington accuses Huawei of providing Beijing with a way to spy on communications from the countries that use its products and services.

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'People who stay in their own homes don't understand.'

'The hope of going home, ghar jaane ki ummeed, once awakened, makes you greedy.'

'Lalsa hoti hai. Then you just have to go, come what may.'

IMAGE: A migrant woman carrying her child and her belongings walks to her village. According to a news report, ever since the lockdown began on March 24, 41 workers have died in road accidents on their way home. Several died of heart attack brought on by the long walk. Several more have committed suicide. Photograph: PTI Photo

Just 20 years old, Inderlal Kamalsingh Dhurve is a migrant labourer, a part-time farmer, a sole breadwinner and one of four survivors from the group that was mowed down by a goods train near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 10 days ago, claiming 16 lives.

Through his own journey, the soft-spoken young man reveals to Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com what drives migrants on a death walk home.

"Ask us why we decided to walk home hundreds of kilometres in this heat. Ask us why we risk everything to go home. But don't ask us why we were sleeping on the rail tracks," says Inderlal.

"Dum ghutatha. Hum saans nahin le pa rahe the. Zindagi jail ki salakon ke peeche nahin guzar jaata (It was stifling, we couldn't breathe. You can't spend your life behind bars)," he explains.

"You work in offices, the lockdown makes no difference to you. Mazdoor vyakti ek din kaam karega, toh do din baithke kha sekte hain. Lekin ek din kaam nahin karenge toh bhooka marjayenge (labourers can eat for two days on the wages of a day, but if they don't work for a day they will die hungry)."

"We leave our villages and work wherever we find work. Nobody goes alone. Ikkathe jaaten hain,, we go in a group. One person finds a job and calls the rest. And that is how I found the job at the steel plant in Jalna," says the 20 year old.

Our homes are far away, and that, he says, makes all the difference.

"You people are also locked up, but you are home. If we go home, even if we don't have money, we will get food to eat. Ghar mein aisa hai ki paise chahe na rahe, khana toh milega hi milega. But outside your home, that's not true. Lekin baahar aisa kuch nahin rahta hai. Ghar aur baahar mein jaisa zameen asmaan ka farak rehta hai," he says.

And that is why he and 19 other migrant workers under lockdown in the premises of a steel plant in Jalna, Maharashtra, decided to walk to their home on May 7.

Hours later, just four survived; 16 were crushed to death under a goods train.

Inderlal is now home in Pauri village in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh.

Home is a small, mud house with a thatched roof with an extended area for their cow. "It may not be a pucca ghar (a brick-cement house), and one day I will build one, but it is still home to me."

As India began an unparalleled and unplanned lockdown of 1.3 billion people on March 25, Inderlal, a contractual worker with the steel plant, hunkered down with hundreds of other workers at the two-storeyed building in the premises with multiple dormitories.

Unlike other migrants, he and the other workers were fed.

"We were given meals at the canteen in the building. There was always dal, roti, sabzi. We didn't go hungry. Koi dikkat nahin tha, we didn't have any problem," he says.

Unlike other migrants who were forced to undertake death marches home after their landlords threw them out, these workers stayed gratis at the dorm.

"Bas, samay ki hisaab se bardhasht nahi ho raha tha aur aage badhne ke prayaas mein the. Toh socha ghar chale jayen (we couldn't bear staying there anymore, considering the time we had spent in lockdown and we thought it was time to think ahead and head home)."

"Aapko agar ek room mein bandh kiya jaye aur khaana ke alava kuch nahin mile toh kya aap rahenge? If (you are shut in one room and given nothing except for food, what would you do?)," he asks.

Inderlal was new to Jalna. He was hired by a contractor to do odd jobs at the factory since January this year.

He did not have a clue how to get home, but there were several other workers at the digs who, like him, were from Madhya Pradesh, though different districts.

For outsiders to a state, like Inderlal was to Maharashtra, it is always imperative to establish contacts with people from your own village, district or state.

The workers's living quarters, he says, had at least 200 rooms with 15 workers to a room. Among them were many from Madhya Pradesh, and a man from his village, Pauri.

He was familiar with most of the men, but didn't know them personally.

"Bas itna hi tha ki hum unhe roz dekhte the aur pata tha ki woh yahin kaam karte hain. Pehechan toh ban hi jata hai (I used to see them every day and I knew they were working in the factory. You get to know people."

On the night of May 7, the group of 20 from MP set out for home.

There was nothing special about the date, just that that they thought it was time to go.

"Ek din mood bana ki nikalna hai, toh nikal hi gaye, we felt like leaving so we left," sighs Inderlal.

They made themselves rotis, filled bottles with water, and carrying their meagre belongings, walked into the night.

It must have been 8 pm, but he is not sure. His job, he says, was to follow the men. They were buzurg, seniors, his father's age; youngsters like him did not ask questions.

He did not know how many days of walking lay ahead, or whether they would get a train, or where they would sleep in the night, or eat, once the rotis ran out.

He had never heard of the Shramik trains being run by the government to ferry people like him. And he doesn't recollect anyone in the group mentioning the trains either. But someone said they would walk to Bhusawal and try and board a train to MP from there.

He had no idea the distance between Jalna and Bhusawal was a little shy of 160 kilometres. Or that the distance from Jalna to their districts in Madhya Pradesh of Mandla, Umariya and Shahdol, was 850 kilometres.

"Hum bas chal pade. Aur chalte gaye (We began walking and continued walking)," Inderlal says.

Some time in the night, they stopped for dinner. Each of the men had his own share of rotis. There was salt and chillies as accompaniment. Inderlal had eight rotis. He had been told to ration his food and water in the event they ran out before reaching home.

So, he ate two rotis.

They walked 45 km that night.

Somewhere near Badnapur, the group elders called a halt.

The men were exhausted.

"People who work in offices think people like us are used to walking. We are not and certainly not days on end. Bas majboori insaan ko takat de deti hai (Compulsion gives you strength)."

They were walking by the railway tracks for a while then, because it was the best compass to Bhusawal.

The elders said they should sleep away their exhaustion for a few hours and resume walking in the morning.

They sat down. Some on the tracks, some a few feet away, but all together in a cohesive group.

The moment they sat, says Inderlal, exhaustion clasped them in a tight embrace.

"Jo jahan baitha tha bas wohi so gaye. Humme itni shakti nahin thi ki uthke doosra jagah so jaye. Hum rail ke patri ke bahar baithe toh hum wahin so gaye (We went to sleep at precisely the same spot where we sat. We were so tired that we couldn't even pick ourselves up and find another spot. I happened to sit away from the rail tracks and so I slept there)."

Sixteen of the 20 men slept on the tracks, their bags cushioning their heads on the rail, their legs slung over the other rail.

Inderlal and three others slept a few feet away.

A man from his village he calls chacha, jostled him awake.

Inderlal had slept so soundly that he hadn't even heard the train sweep past, a few feet from his head.

"Letne ke baad, thaka hua sharir mein bahut gehri neend aa gayi thi. Achanak yeh ho gaya pata hi nahin chala (I went to sleep the moment I lay down. I slept deeply because I was so fatigued. I didn't even realise what had happened)," he says.

The survivors were taken to the civil hospital in Aurangabad.

At the hospital, Ambadas Danve, the Shiv Sena MLA, met the injured and told PTI, 'The state government is making efforts to send migrant workers to their home states. People should have patience.'

"People who stay in their own homes don't understand," says Inderlal. "The hope of going home, ghar jaane ki ummeed, once awakened, makes you greedy. Lalsa hoti hai. Then you just have to go, come what may," says Inderlal.

When he was awakened by "chachaji" after the accident, he couldn't grasp what had happened because he had not seen or heard the train.

Now, he says, he cannot ever think of a train without seeing those men lying there dead.

IMAGE: Policemen at the railway track where 16 migrant workers died and several were injured in a train accident in Aurangabad. Photograph: ANI Photo

According to PTI, India has recorded nearly 2,000 road crashes and 368 deaths from March 25 when the lockdown began till May 16 (11 am).

Of these, 139 deaths are of migrants travelling back home, 27 of essential workers and 202 of others, it said.

Apart from this number, several have also died of heart attacks brought on by the long walk. Several more have committed suicide.

Inderlal doesn't know when he reached home. Everything was a haze, but he remembers being dropped home by an ambulance.

"What is the point in asking about dates? They have no meaning to a man who has no work. He doesn't know if it is Monday or Sunday. In a village, every day is the same," he says.

He couldn't attend the funeral; the 16 men lived in another district too far to go without transportation.

At home, his parents, quite naturally, were pleased to see him. They knew he was heading home, but without a mobile phone or TV, they were unaware of the accident he had survived.

"Mummy was crying when she saw me. She doesn't say much, but she was happy." He has one sister who is married and lives in another village. He was on the phone with her just before this interview call.

He is grateful to be home, says Inderlal.

His caller tune is a Shiv bhajan. "Ek shakti toh hai jiske wajah se main aaj ghar pe hoon (There is certainly a divine power which ensured I reach home)," he says, hesitantly.

His father is pushing 60 or so he believes, but he is not fit enough to work.

"Can you imagine what would have happened to them I had died. Bas, sab kismat hai. It is fate," he says, after a long-drawn silence.

As if physically brushing aside the last couple of weeks, he says now that he is home, there is plenty of work for him to finish.

"Ghar ka kaam karenge. Gobar khad dalna hai. I will work around the house, fertilise the fields for the next crop," he says.

The family own a small patch of land; he thinks it is around an acre where they sow rice during the rains and matar, masoor and udad dal in the winter months.

The harvest is enough to feed the three for a year, but there is no surplus for the market. If he had a larger plot of land, he would never have left home, he says, but for tribals like him (they are Gonds), it is not possible to acquire more land, he says.

The ground is arid and his field is now bare.

Mandla district has received barely any rain last year and there is not enough water to sow dal.

"Chinta na kijiye (don't worry), we have enough grains at home to feed not just us but 10 more guests."

His village has at least 600 houses, and apart from the women and the elderly, most of the men are migrant labourers.

There are no jobs in his village or in any other village nearby. There is no work under MNREGS either.

"MP mein toh sattar pratishad aadmi berozgar hai, jo idhar udhar bhaagta hai. Usme se ek vyakti main bhi hoon (In MP unemployment is 70 per cent. People have to go here and there in search of work. One, among those people, is me)."

It has always been like this, he says, it doesn't matter which government is in power in the state.

Yet, despite an evidently bleak future, Inderlal is upbeat. He has not spoken to any contractor as yet nor has anyone called him. But he is not worried, because work won't be difficult to come by once the lockdown ends.

"Aisa nahin hai ki hum log ghar chale aayen toh naukri nahin milega wahan pe dobara. Naukri toh hume milegi hi kyunki hum kahin pe jaa sakte, koi bhi kaam kar sakte hain (The moment we get a call, I'll pick up my bag and leave. I know I will get a job, somewhere, someplace)," he says.

He had plans of getting married, but all that will now be on hold.

"What is the point in worrying or being afraid of what the future holds? The future will be exactly what I make of it," Inderlal says.

And how the government deals with the situation.

Since the time he has been home, the mobile network has been erratic, but he did read news reports on how the government has sanctioned money for migrants.

"I want to tell the government, that announcing a scheme is not enough. They have to give us cash. We want money in our hands. Bahut saare log aise hain jinka bank account hi nahin hai. There are many people who dont have bank accounts, so do you mean to say they will miss out?"

"Is it fair that we have to walk home and we don't get money while the government brings you back by planes and trains?"

The factory paid him Rs 30,000 for the three months he worked there. He sent Rs 20,000 home and of the remainder he has 1,000-odd rupees left.

"I was just three months into the job, so I hadn't decided on a fixed amount to repatriate home. Avashaktya anusar bhejte the (I sent whatever they required."

He also lent money to friends. They were small tranches, Rs 200, Rs 500, but several times over. That is what friends are for, he says. But now, he has very little savings left.

"Full khali ho gaya abhi (my pockets are empty now)," he says.

He understands the virus is dangerous and knows people have been dying, but faults the government for the manner in which the lockdown was imposed.

"Modiji should have given us a few days to go home before he announced the lockdown. Modiji has failed us."
Joe Biden's presidential campaign is calling out Eric Trump for his recent comments claiming that the coronavirus will "magically disappear" after the Nov. 3 election and Democrats were "milking" the pandemic in order to damage his father President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.

Were in the middle of the biggest public health emergency in a century, with almost 90,000 Americans dead, 1.5 million infected, and 36 million workers newly jobless. So for Eric Trump to claim that the coronavirus is a political hoax that will magically disappear is absolutely stunning and unbelievably reckless, Biden campaign spokesperson Kate Bedingfield said in a statement on Sunday, according to The Washington Post.

The simple fact is that President Trump ignored the threat of the coronavirus for months and has mishandled the response at every step since  destroying the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden administrations and leading to countless unnecessary death, Bedingfield said.

On Saturday, Eric, 36, appeared on Fox News and echoed his father's past claims that the coronavirus is being used by his liberal political opponents to hinder his re-election campaign.

The president, 73, previously dismissed the coronavirus as a Democratic "hoax" during a campaign rally in late February. As nearly 90,000 people in the United States have died from the COVID-19 respiratory illness, Trump has tried to walk back the claim and suggested that he knew the potential devastation of the pandemic all along.

RELATED: Matrix Co-Creator Blasts Ivanka Trump and Elon Musk for Their 'Red Pill' Reference

President Donald Trump and his son Eric Trump

In his Fox News interview with host Jeanine Pirro, Eric said he believes the virus will "magically disappear" after the Nov. 3 election, which will likely be between his father and Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

"They think they're taking away Donald Trump's greatest tool, which is to go into an arena and fill it with 50,000 people every single time," Eric claimed. "So they will and you watch, they'll milk it every single day between now and Nov. 3. And guess what, after Nov. 3, coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen."

Story continues

Trump's son, who took over the Trump Organization after the 2016 election, suggested Biden's campaign was happy about the pandemic  a sentiment quickly criticized on social media. "Listen, Biden loves this," he said.

But Biden's campaign fired back, suggesting that Trump's attacks are the only thing the incumbent president has left to promote himself ahead of the general election.

Trump's campaign knows he can't run on that dismal record, so they're desperate to do whatever they can to throw up a smokescreen to try to conceal his historic mismanagement of this crisis, Bedingfield said.

The coronavirus pandemic has drastically altered the 2020 election campaign, forcing both Trump and Biden to hold off on in-person political rallies, and leaving Democrats and Republicans in a war of words online and in the media.

Trump, who built his political brand on a fiery and unrestrained social media presence, has lashed out at Biden, 77, as "Sleepy Joe" in tweets and during recent press conferences about the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell Says Obama 'Should Have Kept His Mouth Shut' on Trump  Like Bush

Joshua Lott/Getty Images Former Vice President Joe Biden

The president has also taken aim at former President Barack Obama throughout the health crisis, repeatedly blaming his and Biden's administration for leaving the Trump administration unprepared to face the pandemic. Meanwhile, critics continue to question why Trump did not take quick action as the current president in office.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany described the national stockpile of medical supplies last Friday as an "empty cupboards left by President Obama," while reporters asked why Trump didn't make an effort to replenish it if that truly was the case.

Trump addressed the question himself during an interview with ABC News' David Muir earlier this month. What did you do when you became president to restock those cupboards that you say are bare? the ABC anchor asked Trump.

Well, to be honest, I have a lot of things going on, Trump responded, citing his impeachment trial in February.

Obama has indirectly fired back at Trump on multiple occasions this month and did so again over the weekend during his 2020 virtual commencement speech to students who had their graduation ceremonies canceled due to the pandemic.

"All those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing? It turns out that they dont have all the answers," Obama, 58, said. "A lot of them arent even asking the right questions."

There have been at least 89,500 deaths in the U.S. linked to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a New York Times tracker following the latest data. Nearly 1.5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus have appeared in the U.S., as well.

"In times of crisis, Americans stand as one," Biden tweeted on Sunday. "It's who we are. And it's how we're going to get through this  together."

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:50:46|Editor: huaxia

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MADRID, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Spain on Monday adjusted its predictions downward for the effects of the coronavirus on the Spanish economy during 2020.

The Bank's governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos explained that in a best case scenario, Spain would see between 9.5 percent and 12.5 percent knocked off its GDP in the current year -- three points more than the bank's initial prediction made a month ago.

Hernandez de Cos pointed out that Spain's economy shrank by 5.2 percent in the first quarter and advised that by the end of the year, the effect of the coronavirus on the economy would be "the worst ever in times of peace."

He also warned that the crisis would be "longer than at first anticipated and could cause persistent damage" to the economy, which he expects to grow by between 6.1 and 8.5 percent in 2021.

He said that fiscal measures need to be maintained to help companies through the crisis, explaining that although the cost would be "very high," there was "no simple alternative to an expansion of the budget." He warned that failure to do so "would increase the risk that economic growth will suffer more lasting damage."

Hernandez de Cos appealed for a "political agreement" between Spain's parties in order to pass the "structural reforms" that would be needed to recover from the effects of the virus. Enditem
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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged the leaders of the Egyptian army to be prepared to protect Egypt's national security, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The president gave the instructions during his meeting on Monday with Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohamed Zaki, the head of the Armed Forces Operations Authority, the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, and the commander of the Central Military Region.

According to Radys statement, El-Sisi was briefed during the meeting on Egypts security conditions and the efforts of the Armed Forces to control the borders and to pursue terrorist elements, especially in North Sinai and the western region.

The president expressed his appreciation of the efforts of the Armed Forces and the sacrifices they make for the country, Rady said.

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A random selection of strangely lyrical words, "murky founding spoonfuls", led emergency services to massive rocks where bushwalker Cornelia Gratzer had broken her leg in two places on a cold and wet day while she was bushwalking on Tasmania's Flinders Island.

"I felt it, heard it and saw it. It was all in slow motion," she said of the moment in late February when she fell and screamed out to the walking party she was leading. "I've broken it."

Bushwalker Cornelia Gratzer who was rescued from Flinders Island in Tasmania using the location finder what3words.

With Ms Gratzer unable to walk or move, a rescue party set off in search of mobile phone coverage to call triple zero. Others huddled around her to keep her warm.

When they finally got a signal, the other walkers struggled to communicate where they were or remember where the 10-kilometre hike had begun.
MBABANE  The Federation of the Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) has warned that Eswatini government should reopen the economy gradually once data shows it is safe.

According to FESBC Vice President Hezekiel Mabuza, this is an urgent issue, as more than 200 million people are undernourished in the Sub-Saharan African Region, and the pandemic is making the hunger situation worse. Undernourished people have weaker immune systems and may be at greater risk of severe illness if infected. On the other side, we also know that obesity and diabetes are linked to a higher risk of hospitalisation and death related to COVID-19. Mabuza said as far as the situation was concerned, there were now more than 72 000 confirmed cases on the African continent and almost 2500 people had sadly lost their lives. He said of this week, the pandemic had reached all 47 countries in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region, with a case being confirmed in Lesotho yesterday.

Average

On average, over the past two weeks, 1500 new cases have been reported every day in the WHO African Region. As our Kingdom relax social measures  and this needs to be done step-by-step, informed by data, with scaled-up public health capacities including testing  communities must be informed and enabled to implement preventive measures like physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering the mouth and nose when coughing, and disinfecting surfaces, also covering the mouth and nose with a mask when people are out in public, he said.

Mabuza said continuity of essential services was also incredibly important. He said this week, a new modelling study by WHO and UNAIDS indicated that there could be 500,000 extra deaths from HIV-AIDS-related illness in sub-Saharan Africa, if antiretroviral therapy is disrupted for six months.

He said the World Health Statistics published by WHO last week, reported that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 66 per cent of the worlds maternal deaths, and only one in two women have their family planning needs met. So, every woman should have access to quality health care, and this reaffirms the importance of continuing with providing essential services, even as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:31:52|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Cambodia provided 1,670 dignity kits along with communication materials to assist the Interior Ministry's National Committee for Counter Tracking in fighting against COVID-19 pandemic, said its news statement released late on Monday.

The dignity kits will be distributed to vulnerable migrant returnees, particularly pregnant women and women at high risk of gender-based violence and violence against women through the national and sub-national levels, the statement said.

Approximately 100,000 migrant workers have returned to Cambodia from Thailand since March and those returnees, especially pregnant women require continued access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, it said.

Essential items that women and girls need in such an emergency, such as basic hygiene items and useful information on COVID-19 are included, the statement said.

It added that the communication and information materials included are advice for pregnant and lactating women to help protect themselves against COVID-19, reduce risk from infection, practice social distancing and tips for coping with stress at home during the pandemic.

"UNFPA is calling on governments and partners to prioritize the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls, and respond urgently to their needs," said Daniel Alemu, UNFPA acting representative to Cambodia.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health said on Saturday that all of the 122 COVID-19 patients in the kingdom have recovered, as the country has detected no new cases of the virus for more than a month. Enditem


(Photo: 7 Top Places to Travel after the Quarantine)

Now that the whole world realizes that Covid-19 is here to stay, economies all around the globe learn to adjust and live with it. The travel industry isn't an exception. Sooner or later, all our favorite travel destinations will lift the restrictions, but the requirement for super vigilant hygiene and social distancing will remain. For this reason, we have collected a handful of wonderful places for you consciously omitting heavily-toured locations where getting infected is as easy as to make site. Postpone your Rome or Paris vacation for better times. Now is the time for these breathtaking (in a good sense) locations that keep you outdoors, away from the crowds, and thus, safe.

1. Iceland

Iceland didn't impose tough quarantine measures, but thanks to massive testing and contact tracing, the country coped with COVID-19 quite well. The government plans to resume international tourism this spring or summer. So get ready to see Iceland's jaw-dropping Gullfoss waterfall, Blue Lagoon geothermal bath, and its iconic geysers.

2. Scotland

The country has so many attractions to offer for those who prefer to stay away from the crowds. Astonishing coastal views, majestic castles, and the famous Old Man of Thorr, a spectacular rock formation that looks like from a fairy tale... The picture wouldn't be full without the Glenfinnan viaduct, aka the Harry Potter bridge, the most stunning railway in the world you have probably seen in films. And, of course, without Edinburgh, the old capital city with the back-in-time effect.

3. Hawaii

Coronavirus wasn't tough on this beautiful place (thanks to the government's timely follow-up), leaving pretty good chances Hawaii will be reopened for international tourism quite soon. The best place to visit in Hawaii in the post-epidemic situation is its heavenly beautiful Na Pali Coast of Kauai. Tour the coast by foot or by boat to get some perfect snorkeling experience, watch whales, and don't forget to stop by the gorgeous Hanakapiai Falls.

4. Argentina

If you crave for breezy landscapes and raw beauty of nature after a couple of months on a quarantine, Argentina is the place to go. Plan your detox trip to Patagonia and the Lake District to enjoy the tranquil luxury of the world's most pristine locations. Don't forget to take your fishing rod (glacial lakes of the Lake District are perfect for fly fishing) and grab a bottle of fantastic Argentine wine for your friends! This is what the world's best isolation is about!

5. Santorini

Santorini, the island full of sun, vibrant culture, and exquisite cuisine, is a true Greek gem. Everyone who sees its signature blue-and-white landscapes falls in love with Santorini forever. Since Greece coped with the pandemic quite well, its islands can be reopened earlier than other popular Mediterranean destinations. In the post-pandemic window, when the flow of tourists will remain low, Santorini will be the perfect choice for those who love luxury with very few people.

6. Australia and New Zealand

Due to remarkably successful handling of coronavirus, these countries are likely to be among the first to welcome international tourists after the lockdown. Plus, they have plenty of not very touristy locations where you can stay away from the crowds. Start from the Blue Mountains, the breathtaking place providing that in-the-middle-of-nowhere feeling that is absolutely priceless today. Then head to Queensland to dust off your scuba diving/snorkeling skills at the planet's largest coral reef.

And finally...

7. Somewhere in America

According to the recent Longwoods travel study, 52% of American travelers want their first trip after the quarantine to be a domestic one - just to reunite with their families and friends they had no chance to see for so long. Isolation makes us cherish the beauty located near us more, so why not keep it local and dare for that epic coast-to-coast road trip across America you used to postpone for so long?

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
God is Able: a profound manuscript that reveals to the readers pages that inspire reflection and meditation as they try to piece together the complexities of life. God is Able is the creation of published author Josh Lochan, an evangelist, a prayer leader, and warrior. He also helps in the ministry by feeding the homeless and ushering at the church.

Lochan shares, This is the foundation of my faith, hope, and everyday living. As I intend to keep on reminding myself of these things though, you might know them already and are established in the truth. Some of these are challenges that we encounter in our everyday walk as Christians, but we are to call upon the Lord Jesus for renewed strength and courage. We cannot make it on our own. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly in all we could ask or think. He keeps us from all our trials and tribulations.

As Christians, we cannot create something in our mind that God cannot see. Yet our faith cannot be targeted until we establish our goal. We can advance confidently in faith toward the dream we endeavor to live, the life which we have pictured in our mind, and we will meet success beyond our minds expectation in Gods time.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Josh Lochans new book is a gentle reminder of Gods immense power and blessing that shines over the lives of His believers. As readers take on their journey, may they be inspired to further strengthen their faith in Christ.

View a synopsis of God is Able on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase God is Able at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about God is Able, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
: As many as 52 fresh



COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Andhra Pradesh, where the total number of infections rose to 2,432, the Health department said on Monday.

No deaths were reported and the toll due to the virus remained at 50.

Out of the total cases reported, 19 were linked to the Koyambedu market in Chennai, which has become a hotspot, according to the bulletin.

Of the total positive cases, 150 were from other states (Maharashtra-101, Odisha-10, Gujarat-26, Rajasthan-11 and West Bengal and Karnataka one each).

Of the fresh cases during the past 24 hours ending 9 am on Monday, Krishna and Chittoor reported 15 each, Nellore seven, East Godavari five, Kurnool four, Kadapa and West Godavari two each and Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram one each.

As many as 9,713 samples were tested and 94 people have been discharged from various hospitals after treatment, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,527.

Currently the state has 705 active cases.

The state government is in the process of recruiting 835 medical specialists in General Medicine, Pulmonology and Anesthesia to work in COVID-19 designated hospitals across the state, a government bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the state Government on Sunday issued orders extending the ongoing lockdown till May 31 in accordance with the Centre's directive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gayathri Mani By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Around 100 Delhi University students from Jammu and Kashmir wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal seeking his intervention in the universitys decision to conduct online Open Book Examination (OBE).

We are a group of about 100 students from J&K enrolled in DU. As you know that the people of Union Terittory are only permitted to have 2G internet access and we are not even able to attend online classes with this internet speed. But now the University administration is going to conduct online exams. It is impossible for students of J&K to appear for the online examination. It will also impact our academic performance and our mental health, said Hemant Panotra, a DU student who wrote the letter on behalf of 100 students.

The students said that they have also written to Dean Examination and Vice Chancellor (VC), but received no response yet.On behalf of all 100 students I urge you to look into this matter as soon as possible, said Panotra in the letter.

Meanwhile, about 20 HODs and principals of DU colleges have also written to the University administration, Dean Examinations and VC Yogesh Tyagi, opposing the online exams. Even the IITs have pre-poned the summer vacations rather than hastily pushing for online semester evaluation/examination, said professor Sachin Maheshwari, Dean, Faculty of Technology, DU. Over 60,000 DU students have signed a petition against online exams and started a online campaign #DUAgainstOnlineExam.
PIGGS PEAK  While their prime duty is to protect people, police officers are struggling to protect each other from themselves.

The situation is tense at the Piggs Peak Police Station and camp after four police officers, suspected of having contracted the deadly coronavirus are still going about their duties.

This comes after contact tracing revealed that police officers were contacts of the Central Transport Administration (CTA) who tested positive. About a week ago, this publication reported that five civil servants from CTA in Piggs Peak had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Circumstances

It turned out that some of the CTA employees who had tested positive, had direct contact with certain police officers. This publication has gathered that one of the CTA employees had been fetched from Mbabane by two police officers using a police van. The female employee is said to have sat with the two law enforcers in the front seat. After the employees showed symptoms related to COVID-19, the CTA employees, including the woman, were tested and found to be positive. It was after this that the police officers were traced and found to be contacts. Health officials were then told that they had to take swabs for testing from six police officers. However, only four officers were tested due to shortage of testing equipment.

Under normal circumstances, people who are contact-traced and tested are supposed to be in quarantine for at least 14 days while waiting for their results. Instead of going into quarantine, the police officers continue to work in their various workstations, much to the frustration and infuriation of their colleagues, who have questioned why the suspected cops were not quarantined until they were cleared by their results. Fellow officers fear that if the virus is as contagious as the reports from the Ministry of Health suggest, then it is highly possible that the officers may have contracted it.

Yesterday, one of the officers was spotted in full uniform with several others patrolling the streets of Piggs Peak Town Centre. Several police officers are bitter about this, complaining that they are now putting their lives at risk. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the police officers alleged that the situation was serious, but that colleagues were afraid to speak about it.
Rome urges residents to keep their distance with signs on street pavements.

Rome mayor Virginia Raggi has launched a new street campaign to remind people to maintain social distancing measures, saying: "We can be close also by respecting distances."

The campaign involves striped lines on Rome pavements, complete with Roma Capitale sign and city logo, to enforce safety distances required by Phase Two in Italy's coronavirus emergency.

The mayor announced the move on her Facebook page, posting pictures of sidewalks outside the central registry office on Via Petroselli and outside the market on the shopping street of Via Cola di Rienzo.

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"At this moment it is very important to continue to maintain the physical distance to limit the maximum risk of contagion," said the mayor, adding that the signage was created using non-toxic paints.

The signs - which have received a mixed response from Romans - come ahead of a further loosening of lockdown restrictions in Italy on 18 May.
She has continued working at Heart FM throughout the coronavirus lockdown.

And Ashley Roberts has ensured she has been bringing glamour to the isolated office, with Monday being no different as she cut a chic yet low-key figure.

The Pussycat Dolls star, 38, looked chic in the simple ensemble yet glammed things up with an Yves Saint Laurent across body bag.

Grey days: Ashley Roberts has ensured she has been bringing glamour to the isolated office, with Monday being no different as she cut a chic yet low-key figure

Ashley was perfectly put together in the grey look - comprising of a grey cardigan and matching midi skirt, both in knitted material.

She added a funky edge with high-top Converse trainers while spicing things up with a pair of elegant cat-eye sunglasses.

Nailing her accessories, she donned delicate gold hoop earrings.

Elegant: The Pussycat Dolls star, 38, looked chic in the simple ensemble yet glammed things up with an Yves Saint Laurent across body bag

Her blonde tresses were worn in a high ponytail while her make-up was perfectly applied for a fresh-faced, dewy look.

Ashley's group The Pussycat Dolls were due to hit the stage for their reunion tour, before their plans were thwarted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, they said: 'Alright Doll lovers.. Following the latest government advice we are very sad to announce that we are postponing our UK and Ireland tour.

Strutting her stuff: Ashley was perfectly put together in the grey look - comprising of a grey cardigan and matching midi skirt, both in knitted material

Stunner: Her blonde tresses were worn in a high ponytail while her make-up was perfectly applied for a fresh-faced, dewy look

'We're gutted not to be able to perform next month, but the safety and health of our fans is of course our No.1 priority.

'We look forward to seeing you all at the rescheduled dates in October. In the meantime please stay safe and look after yourselves. Love Pussycat Dolls'.

The band had reunited after a nine-year music hiatus last year and were planning to travel the globe for their tour.
New Delhi, May 18 : The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), under the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, met for the second time on Monday to discuss the preparedness and requirements to deal with impending super cyclone 'Amphan' in West Bengal and Odisha.

The super cyclone is expected to cross between Digha island in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh close to Sundarbans on May 20 with maximum sustained wind speed of 165-175 km per hour gusting to 195 kmph.

The weather agency has issued an orange alert for coastal West Bengal and Odisha, where it said widespread damage is expected. It will cause heavy rainfall, accompanied by squally winds and storm surges in the coastal districts of the two states.

Officers of the state governments concerned apprised the NCMC of preparatory measures taken by them. They also assured that adequate stocks of food grains, drinking water and other essential supplies and services are available with them.

NDRF has deployed 26 teams in Odisha and West Bengal and additionally teams are enroute to these states. The teams are equipped with boats, tree cutters, telecom equipment etc. Rescue and relief teams of the Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard have been put on standby.

Reviewing the preparedness of the states and central agencies, the Cabinet Secretary directed that all necessary measures be taken to complete evacuation of people from low lying areas in cyclone path and maintain adequate quantities of essential supplies such as food, drinking water and medicines etc.

Agencies were directed to prevent disruptions to power and telecommunications services. He said that a free facility of targeted SMSs to warn the people of the cyclone and intra circle roaming should be provided.

Gauba also assured that assistance will be provided to the states from the Central government immediately.

The directions came after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of wide-spread damage to kutcha and old or damaged pucca constructions, uprooting of communications and power transmission poles, disruption of rail and road links and damage to crops and plantations. Large boats, ships could also get torn from moorings.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Monday said that as many as 53 teams are deployed, including those on standby, in West Bengal and Odisha to deal with the "dual challenge" of both impending Super Cyclone 'Amphan' and COVID-19.

Addressing a press briefing, its Director General Satya Narayan Pradhan said: "In West Bengal, a total of 19 teams are deployed, and four teams are on standby. In Odisha, 13 are deployed and 17 are on standby. While some NDRF teams are in the area, some are in transit and will reach by today or tomorrow morning." Besides this, six battalions of NDRF are also kept on standby and will be brought to the two states by IAF's C-130 transport aircraft, if and when required.

The storm is likely to impact the coastal districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore in Odisha and East Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogly, and Kolkata in West Bengal.

The Super Cyclonic Storm over west central and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal is moving nearly northwards with a speed of 11 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at about 700 km nearly south of Odisha's Paradip, 860 km south-southwest of West Bengal's Digha and 980 km south-southwest of Bangladesh's Khepupara.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Almost every new car that is launched in the market nowadays is priced at something-point-nine-nine lakhs and if with this price tag, it happens to fall under your budget and you decide to check it out at the dealership, you are met with a surprise. The actual price of the vehicle is more than advertised and if you want to be taking it home, you will have to end up spending more than you had anticipated. So the question is, what are these costs that drive up the final price of the vehicle? We break it down.

 Ex-Showroom Price

Perhaps the biggest chunk of the money that you will be spending is going to be the ex-showroom price  which is the price that you see in advertisements and quoted in reviews because that is the base value of the car that is not affected by all the other things we will be mentioned below and is the best way to put forth an estimate of where the car stands in terms of cost as compared to other vehicles, as every other automaker is quoting ex-showroom prices as well. This includes the ex-factory cost, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and the dealer margin. On top of that, other charges, like road tax, are calculated based on this price.

 Registration Fees

This is the charge that relates to the cost that is incurred towards the registration of the purchased vehicle. As part of this, all vehicles that are purchased are registered by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of the state where the buyer resides, and hence, they differ from state to state. Dealerships often also include the price of number plates, smart cards and other such costs as part of this, and once registered, your vehicle is given a registration number which has a state code (alphabetical), followed by an area code (numerical), then a series code (alphabetical) and ends with a four-digit number, all of which combines to give your vehicle a unique registration.

 Road Tax

This too varies from state to state and is pretty much self-descriptive  it is the tax you pay to be able to drive the vehicle on road. This is collected once during the period of the vehicles registration which would be for about 10 or 15 years since the date of registration and ranges within 3 per cent to 20 per cent of the ex-showroom price.

 Tax Collected at Source (TCS)

As part of a statutory procedure by the Government of India, dealerships charge TCS which is 1 per cent of the ex-showroom price, since June 2016. Vehicle buyers are given a certificate of the same upon collection which can be used at the time of filing their income taxes wherein this amount is credited back into their accounts.

 Green Cess

This is a fairly new addition to the total cost of the vehicle which was added by the Supreme Court after the temporary ban on diesel-engine powered vehicles with engine capacity of over 2000cc. This is applicable only on such vehicles and is 1 per cent of the ex-showroom price.

 Insurance

Vehicle insurance is mandatory in order to have your vehicle be road legal and there are different types of insurances that the buyer can opt for, like Third-Party, Comprehensive and Zero-Depreciation. The cost of these insurances goes from being most accessible with the Third-Party insurance and costlier towards Zero-Depreciation insurance but all of them have their own set of advantages too, so make sure you know full well what you are paying for.

 Extended warranty

Almost every new car that you would buy comes with a complimentary warranty that is offered by the manufacturer. It would last you for some thousand kilometres or years, whichever comes first and varies between different automakers and car models that they sell. However, you can opt for an extended warranty that comes at extra cost which not only will help cover costs that may rise up in the coming years with regards to your car but also will help you towards getting buyers for your car when you wish to sell it as those looking for a used car prefer buying one which is still covered under warranty.

 Essential accessories

This usually consists of accessories like mud flaps, floor mats, seat covers and car pillows etc that are offered by the dealership that sell official accessories from the automaker. However, all these accessories are usually priced higher than what you would be paying for the same as aftermarket accessories. Having said that, best to buy them from outside the showroom and remember, this is an optional purchase and even if you think you would want to be opting for some of the accessories and not all that are bundled together, you have the choice to pick and choose what you want individually.

 Annual maintenance package

This is an optional package that a buyer can choose to go for which offers, on an annual basis, services like roadside assistance, replacement of certain wear and tear parts, services, polishing etc. Also, since they are optional and can vary in their prices, be sure to see whether you are getting your moneys worth over the course of the next year.

 Logistics/Handling Charges

This is the part that you need to be on the lookout for as this might be a part of your bill, but it has been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court. This is because the dealers margin already includes all the cost of transporting the vehicles from the factory to their stockyard.

 On-Road Price

And finally, we come to the on-road price. This is the sum of all the charges mentioned above and it gives you the final price that you would be paying for the vehicles purchase. And as you would have realised by now, this is not a fixed figure as it may vary depending on the things and services you choose for your vehicle. Also, there might be discounts being offered by the automaker or the dealership, or there might be things like an exchange bonus for trading in your older vehicle that affect this price. But even then, the final price that is settled for the purchase of the car is referred to as the on-road price.

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Ken Osmond, best known for his role at the troublemaker Eddie Haskell on the television comedy "Leave It to Beaver," died on Monday morning, his manager confirmed to NBC News. He was 76.

The cause of death is unknown.

Osmond, a native of Glendale, California, began his career as a child actor with his first speaking part at age 9 in the film "So Big," starring Jane Wyman and Sterling Hayden, followed by "Good Morning Miss Dove" and "Everything But the Truth." He also guest-starred on television series, including "Lassie," "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," "Wagon Train," "Fury" and "The Loretta Young Show."

In 1957, Osmond auditioned for the Eddie Haskell role, which was originally intended to be a guest appearance, but those involved with the show were so impressed with Osmond's portrayal that the character became a key component of the series throughout its six-season run of 234 episodes.

Osmond portrayed Haskell as sycophantic to grown-ups while making fun of them behind their backs. He was a high school friend of Wally Cleaver, older brother of Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver, and constantly trying to get his friends in activities that would get them into trouble. During the final years of the show, Osmond was in the U.S. Army Reserve.

When the series ended, Osmond continued to work as an actor, appearing on "Petticoat Junction," "The Munsters," and a return appearance on "Lassie." He was cast in the feature films "C'mon Let's Live a Little" and "With Six You Get Eggroll" but found himself typecast as "Eddie Haskell."

Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1970 and grew a mustache to help secure his anonymity. In 1980, Osmond was struck by five bullets while in a foot chase with a suspected car thief and was protected from four of the bullets by his bullet-resistant vest, with the fifth bullet ricocheting off of his belt buckle. Osmond was placed on disability and eventually retired from the force in 1988.

Story continues

Osmond filed a class-action lawsuit in 2007 against the Screen Actors Guild, asserting that SAG had overstepped its authority in collecting foreign royalties without disclosing the collection agreements until he and Jack Klugman threatened to file suit. The action was settled in 2010.

Sources tell Variety that Osmond passed away at his Los Angeles home surrounded by family members.

Osmond's son, Eric Osmond, released the following statement to NBC News: "He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father. He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed."
Displaced Idleb citizens return to their homes, Russia cargo ships head for Tartous, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham swap prisoners with the regime and Syrian government shells Daraa village. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend.

1. About 268,000 displaced people have returned to their homes in northern Idleb province since a Russian-brokered ceasefire was reached on Mar. 6, 2020, Syrias Response Coordination Group said Friday. The local monitoring group has warned that constant ceasefire violations will endanger the lives of civilians and create a fresh wave of displacement in the region that hosts 3.5 million civilians, according to the United Nations.

2. On Saturday morning, a powerful explosion was heard in the administrative capital of Aleppo Governorate, a field source told Al-Masdar News. According to the source, the explosion took place around the defense factions in the Ramouseh District. The source said that the explosions were first thought to be from airstrikes on the Ramouseh District; however, they later ruled this out after investigating the scene of the blast.

3. Two Russian cargo ships are currently on their way to Syrias Tartous to deliver weapons and supplies, several images revealed on Saturday. According to Al-Masdar News, in two separate posts on Twitter, maritime observer Yoruk Isik photographed the two Russian ships as they cross the Bosphorus Strait. The first Russian ship, the Project 1171 Black Sea Fleet 197th Landing Ship Brigade Tapir LST Saratov, is currently en route to the Port of Tartous after transiting the Bosphorus Strait that links the Mediterranean and Black seas.

4. On Saturday, a senior aide of the Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Asghar Khaji, discussed with the Syrian ambassador in Tehran, Dr. Adnan Mahmoud, the latest developments in Syria and relations between the two countries. SANA reported that Khaji, according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement, confirmed the constant, support of his country to Syria in its war against terrorism and the maintenance of a strategic cooperation between Iran, Syria and Russia in this area. It is necessary to continue holding consultations and joint cooperation between Iran, Russia and Turkey within the framework of the Astana track to politically resolve the crisis in Syria, the Iranian diplomat said.

5. The Syrian regime and militant Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group have engaged in a prisoner swap in northern Aleppo province, local activists said Saturday. According to Zaman Al Wasl, the regime army released three members of Tahrir al-Sham and a member of Ahrar al-Sham Movement. In return, the former al-Qaeda branch has freed an army colonel taken captive last year in Idleb province and a soldier who has been held captive since 2014.

6. On Saturday, the Syrian government forces fired artillery shells at the outskirts of al-Yadudah village, eight kilometers northwest of Daraa, southern Syria. Local sources reported to Smart News that the Syrian government forces stationed in the al-Sero checkpoint, north of the town of Athman, shelled the outskirts of al-Yadudah with four artillery shells.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
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The Minister has agreed to assemble a team from within the Ministry of VROMI, who will work remotely to process the requested permits. This initiative will lead to more permits being issued within a short period, which will enable more construction activities to take place. Therefore, this will stimulate our economy as well as the Governments day-to-day activities.

The Department of Permits has been faced with the challenge of backlogs dating back to 2008, due to the lack of staff. In 2008 and 2010, dormant permits were identified as Red Dot, of which many of those requests were simply terminated even though construction was still carried out.





In recent years, new procedures have been implemented in an effort to streamline the process within the departments. The Minister recognizes primarily, by means of additional staff, that actual results can be achieved in lowering the existing backlog.





This initiative has been derived from the additional staff provided to the Department of Permits in 2019 by the VNG-I, the Association of Municipalities in the Netherlands, which lasted six months.

Furthermore, the Ministry is working closely with the ICT Department to automate many services, such as enabling building permit requests to happen digitally.





In closing, the Minister commends the collaboration of the staff at the Departments for their efforts in this initiative.





The Departments of Permits and New Projects has presented a plan to the Honorable Minister of VROMI, E.J. Doran to speed up the processing of building permits.
Warkworth volunteer Sue Robertson discovered just what dire straits many seniors were in when she offered to do their shopping during lockdown.

As an active member of Rodney Neighborhood Support, Sue was already alert to the needs of the elderly in her nearby streets and began picking up their groceries from the supermarket for them.

She got even busier when referrals started pouring in from Age Concern, where she works as a service co-ordinator, and the Warkworth New World. They would alert Sue to elderly who were trapped and not sufficiently computer literate to undertake online ordering or pay for groceries via internet banking.

Sue found herself making up to four shopping trips a day and delivering groceries all over the Mahurangi area.

I was delivering to people with diabetes and kidney transplants  people who were really health compromised, Sue says.

One English couple stranded in a family bach in Leigh had come to visit their daughter, who lived on the North Shore. They ended up cut off from the rest of their family, who were in separate bubbles.

They had their flights back to England cancelled and had no New Zealand bank account to pay for shopping.

Another elderly couple Sue shopped for found themselves stuck in a bach on Kawau Island, after they were barred from returning to their retirement village in Auckland. Sue would deliver groceries to the ferry terminal at Sandspit for transport to them by boat.

Often Sue paid for the groceries from her own limited funds until she could be reimbursed by Age Concern or the elderly themselves.

Sue says she had to limit the number of shopping trips she made each day and the number of items purchased on each trip to 20, otherwise she would quickly have run out of money.

Fortunately, Age Concern was generally able to reimburse Sue promptly.

They were trusting me that I am a good person doing it for the right reason, and I was trusting them that they were going to pay me back within 24 hours so that I could help someone else, she says.

Sue was also assisted by New World who allowed her to jump to the front of queues, and she was able to use a Rodney Neighborhood Support vehicle to make deliveries.

Its just been an amazing experience for me because its opened my eyes to what issues people have had to deal with, Sue says.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: India on Monday joined nearly 120 countries at a crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for an impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the global response into the coronavirus crisis as well as to examine the origin of the deadly infection.

The two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the WHO began in Geneva amid growing calls including by US President Donald Trump to investigate how the virus originated in China's Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing.

Another flash point between China and the US has been over the Trump administration's push for inclusion of Taiwan in the WHO. China has been strongly opposed to the move as it considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.

The WHA is also expected to delve into pooling in additional resources to deal with the pandemic that has killed over 310,000 people and infected nearly 4.7 million besides wrecking the global economy.

A draft resolution pushed by the 27-nation European Union and supported by a large number of countries for deliberations at the WHA called for a step-wise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the WHO-coordinated international response to COVID-19.

However, it did not mention China. The coronavirus pandemic was first reported in Wuhan, a port city in China in December last year. Since then, it has spread to over 180 countries.

ALSO READ| European Union calls for independent probe of WHO's response to COVID-19 pandemic

The resolution sought scientific and collaborative field missions to trace the origin of the coronavirus, saying such an exercise will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events in future.

It also called for continuing to work closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other countries as part of the "one-health approach to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population.

The resolution says possible role of intermediate hosts should also be evaluated. It has been uploaded on the website of the WHO.

Besides India, the countries which supported the draft resolution included Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives and Mexico.

Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK and Northern Ireland are also backing the resolution, according to the WHO.

The African Group comprising around 50 countries are also supporting the resolution. Surprisingly, the US has not figured in the list of countries backing the move. The draft resolution also pitched for making recommendations to improve global pandemic prevention mechanism including through strengthening the WHO's health emergencies programme.

Indian officials said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will represent India at the WHA video-conference.
With Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh easing the curfew to give way to a lockdown, shops in Ludhiana finally opened after a gap of 55 days. The shopkeepers, visibly relieved after getting back to business, welcomed the customers with smiles.

Though most say that the footfall was less, they are hoping that the situation will improve in the coming days.

Ghumar mandi market association president Pawan Batra said, We saw only 10% of the normal footfall but hope that it increases in the next few days. As a precautionary measure, we have deputed staff with thermal scanners at the entry points of shops and are also providing masks to residents who come to the market with a handkerchief covering their mouth. Also social distancing is being strictly observed in all shops and these are functioning with 33 to 40 per cent staff, said Batra.

Gurcharan Singh, a garment store owner in Chaura Bazar, said that around 85% of the shops in the market opened on the first day of the fourth phase of the lockdown.We received a lukewarm response from residents today but that was expected. However, there was a considerable rush in the markets and we are confident that the business will pick up steam in the coming days, he said.

Some shopkeepers demanded that the administration should allow them to open shops till 8pm as fewer people step out in the day these days due to the soaring temperature.

Model Town market association (regd) president Amarjit Singh said,  If shopkeepers are allowed to run their businesses till 8pm, they would be able to cater to more customers.Today, the shopkeepers were asked to shut their shops by 6pm.

Dilpreet Singh, a resident of Wait Ganj area, said residents had been eager to throng the markets as they were stuck inside their homes for 55 days. I stepped out to purchase grocery items but took care to avoid the busy streets. Everyone must take care to practise social distancing else the relaxation could turn fatal for us.

Meanwhile, traffic jams were witnessed in old city areas including Saban Bazar, Dal Bazar and Jagraon bridge. Police were making rounds of market areas, urging the people to maintain social distancing.

Industry relieved as supply chain restored

The industry has heaved a sigh of relief as with the opening of shops, supply chain has been restored.

Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) president Upkar Singh Ahuja said that it will help the cycle industry, but the auto sector is still going through a slump. Textile and hosiery industry is also facing a crisis as these units have to commence production for winters but they are apprehensive of low demand, he added.

United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association (UCPMA) president DS Chawla said opening of shops is a good sign as hardware, fasteners and other material required by the industry would be available now. People should also stick to the Covid-19 guidelines to contain the infection, he added
A doctor who told the Medical Council there had been no problem with his work here when his employment by two hospitals had been terminated within the previous year has been suspended from the medical register pending further order.

Dr Aamir Iqbal Malik told the Council in May 2018 there had been no problem with his work over the past year when in fact his employment at Kerry University Hospital was terminated the previous month, High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly noted.

Dr Malik was employed at the Kerry hospital from October 2017 to April 2018 when his employment was terminated due to two alleged failures by him to answer calls to attend to urgent deliveries of infants in distress, it was stated.

A review group headed by Dr Peter Boylan had also interviewed the doctor in October 2017 concerning an incident involving one of his patients at Cavan General Hospital.

Mr Justice Kelly said he was "extremely concerned", despite the Council's knowledge in May 2018 Dr Malik had been struck off the UK medical register over dishonesty in how he conducted his practice, it appeared not to have made inquiries about his assertion he had no problem in his employment here over the previous 12 months.

The Council should provide an explanation to the court as to what, if any, steps it had taken to check out the doctor's assertion, he directed.

Brian Ormond, solicitor for the Council, said its decision in May 2018 not to seek to suspend Dr Malik was based on a range of materials and documents, including references, and not the doctor's assertion.

It was reasonable for the court to say, had the council known of the issues at the Kerry and Cavan hospitals, it would have sought suspension and he would make further inquiries in line with the judge's direction, Mr Ormond said.

Following a council meeting last week arising from learning of Dr Malik's employment having been terminated in the two hospitals, it wanted his suspension pending an inquiry.

Earlier on Monday, the judge ordered the council's application for suspension, brought under section 60 of the Medical Practitioners Act, should be heard in public. That was necessary to ensure maximum protection for members of the public and prospective employers of the doctor, he said.

Dr Malik, a native of Pakistan, with an address at Staincliffe, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was not in court and was not represented but the judge was told of efforts to serve him at the English address and by email.

In his ruling, the judge noted Dr Malik qualified as a doctor in Pakistan in 1989 and came onto the medical register here in 2002.

Professional misconduct based on findings of dishonesty

He had been struck off the medical register in the UK in 2018 for professional misconduct based on findings of dishonesty in how he conducted his practice as a doctor there. An inquiry found, while he was working at a hospital as a specialist register in obstetrics/gynaecology, he falsified records concerning his dealings with a woman who was 41 weeks pregnant and whose baby was delivered stillborn, so as to suggest he had recommended she be reviewed at more regular intervals.

It also found he failed to meet a requirement to show to any prospective employer a letter, known as an exclusion letter, setting out those findings.

No finding of misconduct was made concerning allegations about his clinical practice and the strike off was made on the basis his fitness to practice was impaired as result of the dishonesty findings.

In May 2018, the Medical Council held a hearing, attended by Dr Malik, to consider whether he should be suspended from the register here arising from the UK matters. The doctor opposed suspension and asserted he had worked for a year here with no problem.

Mr Justice Kelly said he was "quite certain", had the council known the "true picture" at the May 8th meeting, it would have applied for suspension then. He was quite satisfied, on the evidence before the court, the doctor should have his registration suspended pending further order, he directed.
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Sri Lankan economy drags into a modest recession By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankan economy is set to face a modest recession of around  0.6 or a slow growth of 1.4 per cent if the coronavirus is contained within two or three more months under moderate global recovery even with high overall impact on the island nation, economic analysts said.

The COVID-19 economic shock is now affecting government revenue with almost half of the income (revenue) flowing from import taxes (much reduced now), and one third from taxes on consumption, including that of cigarettes and alcohol.

The Finance Ministry, with expenditure controls in place coupled with the savings from the tax reductions in government service delivery, expects a saving of 0.6-0.7 per cent of GDP in government expenditure.

During the first four months of this year, cash inflows from revenue collection authorities including the Inland Revenue Department, Customs Department, Excise Department, and Motor Traffic Department have slowed down since mid-March due to the lockdown. All liquor shops which were kept closed since March 21 re-opened on Wednesday. The drop in excise duty during this 52-day period was around Rs.26 billion, provisional estimates revealed.

The total drop in revenue collection of other three departments was in the region of around Rs 100 billion up to now, a senior Treasury official said.

Cash flows to the Treasury by way of revenue and other receipts amounted to Rs.331.5 billion while total cash outflow for recurrent expenditure stood at Rs.381 billion. The estimated government expenditure for this period is Rs. 420 billion.

The interim government has to raise funds for the maintenance of public services and essential expenditure by resorting to more domestic borrowing or allowing the Central Bank to continue pumping money into circulation.

A sum Rs.8.73 billion has been pumped so far this month, releasing a total of Rs.232.37 billion in money circulation up to now this year, Central Bank data showed.

The reserve money increased to Rs.935.6 billion mainly due to the increase in currency in circulation.

According to the Vote on Account revised on March 6, 2020, a sum of Rs.715 billion could be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund on a warrant issued by the President. But the Fund has been overdrawn by around Rs.83 billion by last month, informed sources said.

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardana told the Business Times that although the Fund has dried up in the first quarter, receipts from state institutions are still to be credited to the Treasury due to delay in revenue collections owing to the lockdown.

The Government has taken proactive measures in mobilising funds from multiple sources of market-based and official sources of financing to effectively improve terms and conditions of financing, he said.
Delroy Lindo, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jonathan Majors and Clarke Peters portray Vietnam vets on a quest to recover the remains of their squad leader, played by Chadwick Boseman (not pictured). (David Lee / Netflix)

Netflix released its first trailer for the Spike Lee film "Da 5 Bloods" Monday morning, offering a glimpse at the highly anticipated R-rated release that follows a group of vets from the days of Vietnam through the Trump era.

The film, with homages, Lee says, to "Apocalypse Now" and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," stars Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as four African American veterans who return to the country in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader, played by Chadwick Boseman. Jonathan Majors also stars.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic led to shut-downs of theaters worldwide, the two-and-a-half-hour movie was set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival, which would have been underway this week  and where Lee would have been the festival's first black jury president. Instead, the film will begin streaming on the site on June 12.

In March, Lee's 2000 film "Bamboozled" was added to the Criterion Collection and, despite its box office failure, is being reconsidered as a cult classic for its sharp look at racism. Lee has also been in the news this month for the short film he released as a tribute to New York and its front-line healthcare workers during the current pandemic, as well as for his appearances in "The Last Dance," ESPN's just-concluded docuseries on Michael Jordan. Lee's commercials for Nike, starring Jordan and the director as his "She's Gotta Have It" character Mars Blackmon with Jordan, helped establish the basketball icon as a pop culture phenomenon even before he won his first NBA championship.
ATHENS, Greece, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (DSX), (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Cargill International S.A., Geneva, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Leto. The gross charter rate is US$9,000 per day, minus a 4.75% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum July 15, 2021 up to maximum September 30, 2021. The charter is expected to commence on May 21, 2020.



The Leto is a 81,297 dwt Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2010.

This employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$3.73 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

Diana Shipping Inc.s fleet currently consists of 41 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 13 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 5 Kamsarmax and 14 Panamax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Companys fleet is approximately 5.1 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.67 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Companys website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Companys website does not constitute a part of this press release.

About the Company

Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements



Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.



The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.



The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.



In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts of the pandemic and of businesses and governments responses to the pandemic on our operations, personnel, and on the demand for seaborne transportation of bulk products; the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Corporate Contact:

Ioannis Zafirakis

Director, Interim Chief Financial Officer,

Chief Strategy Officer, Treasurer and Secretary

Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100

Email: izafirakis@dianashippinginc.com

Website: www.dianashippinginc.com



Investor and Media Relations:

Edward Nebb

Comm-Counsellors, LLC

Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350

Email: enebb@optonline.net
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry has put forth an interesting proposal for his county  and the other 253 counties in Texas. Henry wants Gov. Greg Abbott to freeze 2020 property appraisals at 2019 levels because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Henry is a Republican, though that shouldnt matter.

The logic behind this is as clear as the Plexiglas shields that have popped up in front of cashiers in many stores. Most Texans have taken a serious financial hit because of this crisis. Some have been devastated, even considering bankruptcy. The last thing they need is a bigger property tax bill.

Many counties are not even accepting appraisal protests in person because of the virus. They are requiring residents to file their claims over the phone or via email. The precautions are understandable, but some Texans will be put off by that added barrier. Republican state Rep. Mayes Middleton has even requested a legal opinion about whether cancellation of in-person valuation protests violates Texans constitutional rights.

An appraisal freeze would be unprecedented, but so is the coronavirus impact on Texas and the nation. Abbott has been doing many things outside of his normal duties to help Texans get through this crisis.

A move like this would have some drawbacks. An appraisal freeze would reduce property tax revenues for cities and counties that will also see a drop in sales tax revenues from all the businesses closed by the pandemic. Many are going to have to reduce payroll and services in the coming months. But most local governments have reserve funds they can use for times like this, and some of their residents have greater financial problems.

Even if a full freeze isnt feasible, Abbott could consider a partial one, such as on homes below $200,000 in value. That would cover many middle-class taxpayers and virtually all on the lower levels.

When the Legislature convenes in January, it can deal with state finances for the next two-year budget cycle. For now, Texans need all the financial help they can get, and this option would help. It deserves serious study.
Anunt de selectare a participantilor si participantelor la cel de-al doilea curs de instruire din cadrul Programului educational pentru dezvoltarea competentelor lucratorilor de tineret
Former President Barack Obama has been critical recently of the countrys leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.

And, now, President Donald Trump has fired back.

A day after Obama said during a commencement speech that the countrys leaders werent even pretending to be in charge, Trump dismissed the former president as grossly incompetent.

When asked about Obamas comments Sunday, Trump first said that administration officials had a great weekend.

But, when reporters followed up, Trump pulled no punches.

Look, he was an incompetent president, he said. Thats all I can say. Grossly incompetent.

Obama also took a hit from White House economic advisor Peter Navarro Sunday morning.

Im glad Mr. Obama has a new job as Joe Bidens secretary, he said on ABCs This Week. As far as Im concerned, his administration was a kumbaya of incompetence in which we saw millions of manufacturing jobs go off to China.
For more than 40 years, weve read endless revelations of abuse and violence in the colleges of Sydney University. This weekends exposure by University of Sydney student newspaper Honi Soit of human excrement in the hallways of St Andrews is one more horrifying chapter in a story which began in 1977 when the body of a woman was found on the oval of St Pauls College.

After the Honi Soit story, which included images of a memorial board desecrated by white supremacist slogans, I spent Sunday night speaking to women forced into sex acts. They didnt, couldnt, say no. Ten years ago. Last year. One woman, who left St Andrews six years ago, cried as she revealed she was left to convulse on her bed after an evening of enforced binge-drinking. She apologised to me for crying and said she was so grateful to the fellow resident who found her and called an ambulance.

St Andrew's College at the University of Sydney. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Horrifying, yet we all know about the acceptance of alcohol and sexual assault, the relentlessness of the culture which says boys will be boys and girls will learn their place. What was more surprising to me was the stories of young men defecating in the halls and in the bathrooms. The cleaners were always left to sort out the mess. One former student remembers them as mostly migrant workers cleaning the detritus of the sons and daughters of the wealthy, who go on to lead.

The work of activist group End Rape on Campus gives some idea of the extent of the sexual assault problem. It prompted the 2017 Change the Course report on sexual assault and harassment at Australian universities, which led to the national tick-the-box Consent Matters quiz, designed to pretend universities are trying to shift misogynist culture. As far as I understand, the majority of students have to do this exercise at least once during their university careers otherwise access to their grades is denied. But it's hard to see that a quiz can make much difference.
Federal authorities reported that millions of dollars in unemployment benefits had been stolen from US systems by a group of international hackers. The massive attack created a network that took funds that were meant for the jobless.

The system was breached by the use of detailed personal information that the criminals obtained previously. The assault occurred just as that nation has received a staggering number of unemployment claims due to the recent coronavirus pandemic.

Similar attacks

According to Fox13, the confidential information of more than 30,000 people who have applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance has been the target of cyberattacks, including security numbers and bank account and routing numbers.

The attack was noticed by a computer programmer who was also applying for the program when he saw that some information was being exposed.

The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (ADWS) was reportedly notified of the attack on the morning of Friday and has led to the website shutting down later that day.

Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas, addressed the incident during a press conference. The governor said, "It was necessary to shut the system down. These steps have been taken consistent with our state requirements for any potential data breach."

A formal investigation has been started, according to Governor Hutchinson and that applicants who may have had their information leaked will be notified. A credit monitoring program will be used if deemed necessary.

The official also said, "Our protocols is that Law enforcement is notified of the breach. We obviously notify our cyber insurance carrier. Forensics are currently being conducted by an outside IT expert that we want to make sure that the system is in good shape before it goes back online."

The unemployment assistance page is back online, according to reports, and Governor Hutchinson stated more than 100 people are taking time to work and make sure payments are appropriately distributed.

A statement by the ADWS read: "Yesterday, we learned of a system vulnerability impacting the division of workforce services' pandemic unemployment assistance application system and have disconnected outside access to the pua network. ADWS is committed to completing a full forensic review and will take all appropriate action in response to our findings."

Also Read: $3 Trillion COVID Relief Bill Raises Question, "How is the US Economy Faring Amid the Pandemic?"

Is the money safe?

The New York Times reports that with how many states across the nation are trying to pay the surge of claims, the payments have gone to direct-deposit accounts. In the state of Washington, officials realized the extent of the issue due to inquiries of employed people asking why they received confirmation emails.

Authorities are looking into the possibility that the breach was plotted by a Nigerian fraud ring and is using mules inside the US to extend its reach and make its attacks more formidable.

Washington State is being considered as the primary target of the attacks, although several other states have also had their systems breached.

Several employed citizens have become the target of fraudulent claims. One Anna Zivarts, who works at Disability Rights Washington, filed a complaint. Zivarts said she received a series of official online documents on May 8 and thought she might have owed tax money.

Upon opening and reading the contents of the emails, her worries changed for the worse. She said "I called my boss and said, 'Am I getting laid off and I just don't know about it?" but was reassured that was keeping her job.

Brian T. Moran, a US attorney from Seattle, said his office was tracking down the perpetrators of the false claims and advised the state to "address and fix vulnerabilities in their system."

The commissioner of Washington State's Employment Security Department, Suzy LeVine, said that the losses experienced by the state were in the millions. Coordination with law enforcement agencies is being conducted to try and take back the stolen funds.

Related Article: US Officials Says FBI, DHS Will Warn Against Chinese Hackers Trying to Steal COVID-19 Research

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Our next DealBook Debrief call is on Thursday, May 21 at 11 a.m. Eastern, and well be discussing the coming wave of bankruptcies with The Timess retail reporter Sapna Maheshwari and DealBooks own Michael J. de la Merced, a veteran reporter on the restructuring industry. R.S.V.P. here. (Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here.)

The Vision Funds scars are laid bare

SoftBank posted today a $13 billion operating loss, and $9 billion overall loss, for its most recent fiscal year. It showed how much the Japanese companys once-vaunted technology investment fund has dragged it down.

The company reported over $17 billion in unrealized losses on investments. Nearly $10 billion of that came from two companies: Uber and WeWork, both of which were struggling before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

 The losses were slightly more than the warnings issued in recent weeks to soften the blow. The groups net loss, for example, was about 7 percent worse than suggested.
F eel like you watched everything on Netflix? Finished all your books? Sick of home workouts? If lockdown fatigue is setting in then fear not, because the Fab Five are back with a fifth season of Queer Eye.

If youve seen the previous series (and the spin-off in which the crew head out to Japan), youll already have fallen in love with Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness as they bring a hurricane of positivity into peoples lives up and down the US.

Fans will be pleased to hear the new series will be made up of ten episodes, which is two more than the usual eight served up by Netflix.

Here's everything we know so far about the new instalments...

When is the release date?

Season 5 of the feel-good makeover show will hit Netflix on Friday, June 5.

The news was confirmed in an Instagram post shared on the show's official account.

The picture features the the Fab Five onboard the Gayflower in the Delaware River, next to the caption: Grab your oars, a life vest, and an extremely absorbent box of tissues because Queer Eye Season 5 is arriving in Philly, June 5th!

P.S. With 10 EPISODES, this is our BIGGEST season yet."

Where were the episodes filmed?

Previous seasons of the show lead the Fab Five to Georgia and Kansas City, plus a stopover in Jonathan Van Nesss hometown of Quincy, Illinois.

For season five, the makeover experts will hit the the east coast, as they head to Philadelphia.

Netflix has previously teased what the new series will entail, saying the gang will be heading to "the birthplace of the [United States], to bring their infectious brand of self-love, confidence and encouragement to a whole new roster of heroes."

The fifth season of Queer Eye promises to be emotional / Netflix

What can we expect?

The series was filmed last summer, meaning there were no social distancing guidelines in place (which is good, we cant imagine Queer Eye without hugs).

The show is all about positivity, helping less fortunate people, and bringing some pure, unbridled joy into people's lives.

In each episode, the five gurus take over almost every area of the participants life, making over not just their appearance, but how they feel about themselves.

Jonathan Van Ness takes care of the outside - hair, skincare and self-care - while Karamo makes sure the inside is looked after too (hes a master at pep talks).

Tan boosts confidence through introducing people to the joy of dressing well, Bobby shows off his incredible home renovation skills, and Antoni offers cooking tips.

While theres no official trailer yet, were certain that this series will have us weeping and blubbering through each episode again, so make sure youve got those tissues handy.

All previous seasons of Queer Eye are available to stream on Netflix now
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

Lockdown 4.0: Major relaxations in curbs in Gujarat's non-containment zones

India

oi-Deepika S

Ahmedabad, May 18: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday issued guidelines for the fourth phase of lockdown, announcing that the state will have containment and non-containment zones, with only essential services allowed in the former.

The relaxations came even as the novel coronavirus cases increased to 11,746-mark in Gujarat, while the deaths inched towards the 700-mark.

'Can't risk Italy-like situation': Maharashtra extends lockdown till May 31

Schools, colleges, shopping malls and gyms will remain closed.

Business and commercial establishments need to follow "odd-even" formula, wherein only 50 per cent establishments will remain open on any given day.

Barbershops and salons have been allowed to open in non-containment zones.

Restaurants can open, but only home delivery of food will be allowed.

Gujarat will be divided into containment and non-containment zones, and economic activities will be allowed in non-containment zones in the state.

People not wearing masks and those spitting in public places will be fined Rs 200 for the violations.

Containment zones, strict perimeter control shall be maintained, and no movement of persons would be allowed, except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services.

Inter- and intra-state movement of public vehicles with conditions and reopening of all shops except those in malls.

Embroidery and diamond units in Surat can resume their work with 50 per cent staff. Private offices with 33 per cent staff strength are allowed to resume from Tuesday in non-containment zones across the state.

Cab, taxi and cab aggregators will be allowed to operate but only with two passengers.

Two-wheelers will be allowed but without pillion riders.

The govt also announced resumption of state transport bus services across Gujarat. However, these buses will not be allowed to enter or leave from Ahmedabad, the worst-hit coronavirus district in Gujarat. City bus service will also not be allowed in the entire state.

The guidelines came a day after the Centre empowered the states to delineate red, orange and green zones. In the guidelines issued by the MHA on Sunday, it said that district and civic authorities will identify the containment and buffer zones.
For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here.

As Bay Area counties inch further into Phase 2 of Gov. Gavin Newsoms four-phase plan to reopen California, some cities are shifting focus to sidewalks and parking lots as the next economic recovery for restaurants and small businesses.

Restaurants could begin to offer open-air dining on these pathways if initiatives are passed in San Jose, San Mateo and Berkeley, whose mayors have recently backed the idea. In a mass text sent to residents, San Carlos asked for feedback on how much public space it should allow for outdoor dining.

Neither San Francisco nor Oakland has made official announcements on open-air dining, but its something that could be in the works.

Warren Logan, the policy director of Mobility and Interagency Relations at the Oakland mayors office, said Oakland has received a number of requests from small businesses on how they could use the public right of ways.

ALSO: Berkeley sidewalks, parking lots could soon be used for open-air dining

We're trying to think about the best way to accomplish this sort of shared vision of helping our businesses recover and providing them flexible spaces to allow physical distancing for their customers, Logan told SFGATE. It might look like temporary parklets or it might look like what we're already seeing with some of our businesses that have tape on the sidewalk to let people queue up.

Logan said that a number of steps need to be taken first, like rebuilding community trust as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a threat. Its also important to ensure a safe path for pedestrians, bikers and drivers as they set out into neighborhoods to reach these open-air areas.

Another goal is to make open-air dining financially accessible to all businesses around Oakland.

We already have permits for sidewalk cafe seating and we want to make sure that as we're allowing people to reopen their businesses, that there arent challenging administrative hurdles to jump through, Logan said. We are making sure that the parklet permit is really accessible to businesses during this really challenging recovery time.

Logan added that as neighborhoods and streets are being assessed, the city wants to make sure it's reaching out to different industry groups and small businesses so that their needs are being addressed.

I believe there's potential for advantages and disadvantages, and one of our main goals from an equity standpoint is to try and make sure that this program is beneficial, especially for the groups that are most vulnerable during this time.

In San Francisco, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association announced that it wants to work with city leaders, the SF Municipal Transportation Agency, SF Planning Commission and SF Department of Public Works on solutions. In a memo, the GGRA said it's advocating that the city permit the use of sidewalks, parking lots, alleyways and commercial corridors, among others.

Theres a range of things that the city should be exploring doing for restaurants as we reopen, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told The Chronicle. Trying to activate public space to allow for social distancing makes a ton of sense.

A representative from San Franciscos City Joint Information Center told SFGATE that using outdoor spaces for dining was being assessed by the city but did not provide additional details.

ALSO: 'Guests should be screened for symptoms': Newsom releases guidelines for restaurants

The GGRA suggested that a similar idea to San Franciscos Slow Street Program could be implemented for restaurants and cafes to promote the economic vitality of our local communities.

Logan pointed to Oaklands own Slow Street Program and how it's provided a space for locals to jog, bike or walk.

Were looking for lessons learned there on how we can provide safe streets for people to sort of navigate in a physical distant way, and perhaps near local businesses.

If Oakland pushes for open-air dining on sidewalks, it would need the approval of the Alameda County Public Health Department, which could not comment on whether it supported open-air dining in Oakland. (SFGATE will update the story as more details are announced.)

At the moment, Oakland is still reviewing feedback from local businesses and residents, but it wants to be prepared as changes come.

Were just working from an iterative standpoint just to figure out what the need is right now, Logan said. We just want to be ready for when [our economy opens] back up, so that our residents and our visitors can be as safe as possible, and that our businesses can take full advantage of the next step.

Susana Guerrero is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com | Twitter: @SusyGuerrero3

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.
The government has published a 50-page plan outlining how England and parts of the UK will gradually ease coronavirus lockdown over the next three months.

On Sunday, Boris Johnson revealed his road map for easing lockdown restrictions and unveiled a new five-point COVID-19 Alert system on Sunday evening.

It was followed by the publication of a COVID-19 Recovery Strategy document, detailing three key dates in easing lockdown restrictions - but they will only come into effect if data shows it is safe to do so.

The plans come with a warning that they are provisional and are subject to change. A full lockdown could be implemented if social distancing measures are not working.

Boris Johnson delivered an address on lifting the country's coronavirus lockdown on Sunday evening (Downing Street/AP)

Currently, the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not lifted any measures and have instead extended current lockdown measures.

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

The government has unveiled a new slogan - "Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives" - as it unveiled a three step COVID-19 recovery plan. (Getty Images)

Below is a timeline outlining the key dates in the governments COVID-19 recovery strategy in England:

Phase one: 13 May

Workers unable to work from home to return to workplace

People who are able to work from home are told to continue to do so, while those who are not have been advised to go back to their workplace as long as social distancing can still be observed.

People will be advised to wear face masks on public transport and when in enclosed spaces with people outside their households. (Sipa)

Use of face masks in enclosed spaces, workplaces and on public transport

Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as public transport and some shops. They should not be worn by the under-twos, young children who will find them hard to manage and those with respiratory conditions.

Unlimited exercise and meeting one family member of friend outdoors permitted

Britons will be allowed outside for unlimited exercise while people will be allowed to meet one member of family or a friend from another household outdoors, providing they are two metres apart. People are not allowed to visit the homes of family members or friends.

Story continues

Britons will be allowed out for unlimited amounts of exercise and are able to meet one family member or friend outside of their household. (PA)

Driving to outdoor locations for exercise permitted

People are also allowed to drive to outdoor open spaces, irrespective of distance from their homes. However, people in England should not travel across the border of Scotland or Wales, as different lockdown rules apply.

Vulnerable people to continue shielding

The government says anyone who has been told to shield because they are "extremely vulnerable" will have to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Compulsory quarantine period for all passengers travelling to UK

Passengers arriving into the UK will be required to supply their contact and accommodation information, and those not on a short list of exemptions will be made to self-isolate for 14 days.

Phase two: 1 June

Schools in England to reopen in phases

Providing infection rates are on the decline, the Government said it would be in a position to start a phased reopening of schools by 1 June. The first phase would see primary pupils back into schools, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

Non-essential shops may reopen

Non-essential retail stores, such as clothing and shoe shops, could be able to open no earlier than 1 June. This will only take place if businesses can prove they can keep people safe.

Cultural and sporting events in England to take place behind closed doors

Cultural and sporting events will be able to take place behind closed doors for broadcast from next month, avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.

A closed sign is displayed in the door of a restaurant as the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak continues, in London, Thursday, April 30, 2020.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Smaller weddings and gatherings could be permitted in England

The Government is consider how and if people may be able gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings.

Social bubbles and expansion of socialising in groups

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) is examining if it is safe to change the rules to allow one household to expand and include one other household in the same group or bubble.

Pubs, bars, restaurants, accommodation and gyms will need to stay closed until at least July. (Matt Crossick/Empics)

Phase three: 4 July

Pubs and hospitality may open

Pubs, bars, restaurants, accommodation and gyms will need to stay closed until at least July. Busy venues such as clubs or concert venues, may not be able to open again at this point or could have to open safely only in part.

Hairdressers, salons and leisure facilities such as cinemas could reopen

Leisure facilities such as beauty salons and hairdressers, may be permitted to reopen, providing they are able to comply with social distancing and safety standards.

A near-deserted Warwick town centre as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Places of worship to reopen

Place of worship - such as churches, mosques and synagogues - will also be permitted to open, providing they follow the same social distancing and safety measures adopted by other public facilities and venues.

Venues crowded by design will not reopen - but can open in part if safe

The Government says that venues which are crowded by design, and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing will not be able to reopen.

However, some businesses can open in part if safe to do so, while the Government said it will carefully phase and pilot re-openings to test their ability to adopt the new Covid-19 secure guidelines.

Coronavirus: what happened today
In a late Monday ruling, the Oregon Supreme Court stepped in to put a hold on a dramatic decision by an eastern Oregon judge that declared not only Gov. Kate Browns restrictions on church gatherings null and void but all her Stay Home Save Lives coronavirus emergency orders.

State Supreme Court Presiding Justice Thomas A. Balmer in a three-paragraph ruling issued at 7:45 pm. granted the states emergency motion after reviewing briefs from both sides.

The hold will remain in effect until the high court considers the states full petition to dismiss the Baker County Circuit judges preliminary injunction.

Balmer gave the plaintiffs until Friday to file any responses and said the court would take the matter under advisement, with no set timetable for a decision.

Earlier Monday, Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew B. Shirtcliff ruled that the governors executive orders in response to the global pandemic exceeded a 28-day limit adopted by state lawmakers and were no longer valid in response to a suit filed by 10 churches against the governor.

The governors office appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court to keep her emergency orders in effect, arguing that Shirtcliff overstepped his authority and his legal reasoning was flawed.

"Following swift action by the Oregon Supreme Court, my emergency orders to protect the health and safety of Oregonians will remain in effect statewide while the court hears arguments in this lawsuit,'' Brown said in a statement. ''From the beginning of this crisis, I have worked within my authority, using science and data as my guide, heeding the advice of medical experts.''

Shirtcliff granted a preliminary injunction to the churches, finding they had shown "irreparable harm'' from the deprivation of the right to freely exercise their religions.

"The governors orders are not required for public safety when plaintiffs can continue to utilize social distancing and safety protocols at larger gatherings involving spiritual worship,'' he ruled.

He added: Plaintiffs have shown that they will be harmed by deprivation of the constitutional right to freely exercise their religion. Other plaintiffs have also shown great economic harm to their businesses and their ability to seek livelihood.

The Baker County judge found that the churches can take necessary social distancing precautions, just as grocery stores and other essential businesses have done. He also ruled that the injunction was in the publics interest, allowing people the right to freely worship and the ability to restore economic viability.

"This court understands that the current pandemic creates an unprecedented crisis in the state as well as in our country,'' Shirtcliff said, speaking from the bench in a videoconference hearing.

He said he must weigh the governors public health concerns against the constitutional right of freedom of worship, but he found that "the balance of equities tips in favor of Plaintiffs.''

Salem-based attorney Ray D. Hacke filed the lawsuit earlier this month on behalf of the nonprofit group Pacific Justice Institute, which takes on religious liberty cases, 10 churches from across the state and 21 individuals. The churches, led by Elkhorn Baptist Church in Baker City, are in Bend, Camas Valley, Klamath Falls, Lincoln City, Newberg, Portland, Roseburg and Salem.

Hacke said Monday night that he was dismayed that the state Supreme Court is standing in the way of the injunction.

"Im discouraged the Supreme Court decided to reverse that. I think it defeats the whole point of the injunction but thats the call,'' he said.

Document: Judges Ruling

Document: Judges formal order granting preliminary injunction

Documents: States emergency motion for a stay, states petition for writ of mandamus , memo in support

Before Shirtcliff, attorneys for the churches successfully argued that ORS 433.441 limits declared public health emergencies to 14 days, or up to 28 days maximum, and because COVID-19 is a public health crisis, that limitation applied.

But the governors attorney countered that Brown declared a state of emergency under a different state law, ORS 401.165, which isnt limited to any particular time period and continues indefinitely.

Yet Shirtcliff found that the governors other Stay Home Save Lives executive orders placing limits on social gatherings, education and businesses also were invalid because they exceeded a 28-day limit.

Moreover, by not complying with ORS 433.441(5) timelines, the Governors subsequent Executive Orders 2005 through 20-25 are also null and void,'' the Baker County judge wrote.

Attorney Marc Abrams, representing the governor, urged Shirtcliff to put a hold on his ruling until the Supreme Court could review it, noting among other things that most states have taken actions similar to those of Brown.

"Theres evidence that this is working and the hardship balance calls at least for the court to stay its order to allow for legal review and in the interest of maintaining the status quo,'' he said.

But the judge, the former Baker County district attorney who was appointed to his seat last year by Brown, denied the hold request.

Within hours of the ruling, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum urged Oregon residents to continue to comply with the governors emergency orders "to protect all of us.'

By 2:30 p.m., Rosenblums office had drafted a petition to the Supreme Court to throw out the preliminary injunction, arguing that if allowed to stand, it "sharply increases the risk that Oregonians will be exposed to and contract COVID-19.'' The office also asked the states high court for an immediate hold on the Baker County judges injunction.

The trial court exceeded its discretion and committed "fundamental legal error,'' because the argument that the governor lacks authority to address the coronavirus emergency "lacks merit,'' Solicitor General Benjamin Gutman wrote. He noted that the state constitution grants the governor "all the police power vested in the state.''

Any time limits to the provisions for public health emergencies in state law "supplement rather than supplant'' the governors unlimited powers under her declaration of a state of emergency, he wrote. He further argued that the public interest overwhelmingly weighs against disturbing the governors executive orders.

Because the injunction creates "undisputed dangers,'' Gutman urged the states high court to exercise its authority and "protect the public health and allow the Governor to oversee an orderly transition from the Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order to less restrictive conditions.''

Earlier this month, Hacke told The Oregonian/OregonLive, If were risking our lives to go to church, if we survive great. If we die, then were going to heaven. If we want to take that risk, then its on us.''

In a court filing, Abrams took issue with Hackes quote. "But when behavior endangers others, it is not just a matter of individual choice and is, instead, a threat to public health,'' he wrote.

Brown earlier this month had modified her executive order, allowing social gatherings of up to 25 people with social distancing for counties with state-approved reopening plans. The governors office urged the suit be dismissed, arguing that public health is paramount.

"The Executive Orders issued by Governor Brown are not designed to hinder any specific faith, not designed to impede worship any more than any other activity that, by the mere act of gathering in large numbers, puts lives at risk. They are designed to keep Oregonians alive and to stop the spread of COVID-19,'' Abrams said in court filings.

Conservative activist Kevin Mannix, former legislator and gubernatorial candidate, was allowed to intervene in support of the churches suit against the governor on behalf of the nonprofit group Common Sense Oregon.

Before the Supreme Courts ruling, public health experts in the state held a news conference urging residents to maintain social distancing, wear masks and wash hands no matter what happens with the legal skirmish. They emphasized the need for a phased reopening of the state.

"Im very concerned it sends the wrong signal,'' Dr. Bruce Goldberg, professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, said of the Baker County judges ruling. "If we do abandon the social distancing in a random and uncontrolled way, well certainly put more of us at risk.''

The Rev. Chuck Currie of the United Church of Christ who also is assistant professor of religious studies at Pacific University, blasted the judges ruling.

"People of faith want to worship. We want to gather. But houses of worship across the world have ended up as hotspots for #COVID19. This decision by Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff is reckless,'' he wrote in a Twitter message after the ruling.

Hacke said he was scrambling with Mannix to respond to the states petition for state Supreme Court review, although he said it wasnt unexpected. He said the suit he filed on behalf of the churches and others sought to limit the governors orders beyond those affecting religious gatherings.

"She already exercised broad powers. We saw fit to exercise our rights to seek a broad remedy,'' he said.

Some Republican leaders applauded the decision.

We welcome the decision by the Baker County Circuit Court to respect the fundamental rights of the people of Oregon and to restore the rule of law, said Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier. It serves as a powerful reminder that Governor Brown, whatever her intentions, is not a ruler who can ignore Oregons Constitution and laws.

Senate Republican Deputy Leader Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls said he was thrilled by this significant challenge to our governments overreach. ... Churches, businesses and families have suffered under Governor Browns unconstitutional executive orders, and their lives have been irreparably damaged by the Governors actions."

In a similar case brought in California, a federal judge ruled this month that state and local stay-at-home orders were a valid exercise of emergency police powers and didnt violate a churchs constitutional rights. The judge in that case noted that the U.S. Supreme Court more than 100 years ago upheld the governments right to exercise police powers to promote public safety during a public health crisis.

Yet last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers stay-at-home order, ruling that his administration overstepped its authority when it extended the order for another month without consulting legislators.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

Subscribe to Facebook page

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Tick tick tick. Time is running out at Toronto city hall. When City Manager Chris Murray first told us about the financial crisis facing the citys government caused by COVID-19 on April 3, he reported that the city  taking a hit of about $65 million each and every week  had about enough funds to sustain operations through June 1.

I know calendars arent getting a lot of use these days, but trust me: its almost June.

Times almost up.

And rescue still hasnt come. More than six weeks after Toronto first sounded that alarm, urging the provincial and federal governments to provide Toronto funding to avoid financial disaster, Mayor John Tory is still waiting for a firm commitment from Premier Doug Ford or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Other towns and cities, facing similar financial catastrophes, are waiting too.)

Actions taken in the meantime by the city have pushed back the deadline a bit. Workers who couldnt be redeployed into priority areas like shelters or long-term care homes have been put on emergency leave. TTC service has been scaled back to account for low ridership. But these moves amount to a puny little umbrella that cant deal with the storm. The citys estimates show a whopping $1.5 billion budget shortfall by the end of the year, and that could be optimistic.

Faced with this, Tory has ramped up the pressure, giving variants of the same speech at several of the COVID-19 press conferences held at city hall last week. Its gotten a little repetitive, frankly, but the message is important  and the mayor has made a strong case.

He has pointed out, for example, that Toronto is not legally permitted to run an operating budget deficit, meaning theres no ability to temporarily sustain services with debt. Tory has also argued that Toronto has been smacked down whenever it has had the temerity to ask for additional powers to raise revenues, so the city has no access to measures like sales taxes or income taxes that will grow revenue when the economy improves.

So while theres no getting around that governments will have to pay a cost for the pandemic, the federal and provincial governments are capable of doing so in a long-term way that protects low-income people. The alternative that leaves paying for the pandemic to municipal governments inevitably involves steep increases to fares and user fees, and service cuts.

And cutting municipal services while the province and country are trying to recover would be incredibly short-sighted. Municipal services like homeless shelters, affordable housing and public transit make the difference for people teetering on the edge of poverty. Full and fair recovery is impossible if vulnerable people are just going to be left to fend for themselves.

So why then has it taken so long for Trudeau and Ford to commit to a rescue package? A lot of it is the same old story: intergovernmental squabbling. Last week, when asked about bailouts for transit agencies, the provincial government blamed the federal government, and the federal government blamed the provincial government.

These jurisdictional arguments are the kind of thing politicians spend a lot of time dealing with, but they mean absolutely nothing to the average person. The service worker who just needs the TTC to offer enough capacity to allow for safe, physically distanced travel does not care at all whether their bus drivers salary is covered by Queens Park, Ottawa or City Hall. They just want to know the bus will show up tomorrow.

Similarly, Toronto would really like to know whether Ford and Trudeau will show up with money to keep services going into June. That its taken so darn long is troubling for what it seems to reveal about provincial and federal priorities, but theres still some time left on the clock to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of local services  and a commitment to sustaining them. Just, please, hurry it up.

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18 May  Controversial TV personality Huang An has recently slammed actor Anthony Wong for his recent admission that he would consider moving to Taiwan and support its independence movement.

As reported on Epoch Times, Huang, who is known to be a firm supporter of the One China policy, shared recent articles about Anthony's intention to become a naturalised Taiwanese citizen, and slammed the actor for his lack of patriotism for China.

"Being someone who also has the surname Huang (Wong), this is really embarrassing for the Huang family," he said in the caption.

This is not the first time that Huang attacked another celebrity for being unpatriotic. Four years ago, he led a boycotting campaign against Taiwan-born K-pop idol Tzuyu for waving Taiwan's flag during a Korean variety show instead of the Five-starred Red Flag.

On the other hand, Anthony has a simple response to Huang An's tirade against him, telling netizens that shared the Weibo post with him, "I am not a Huang (Wong)."

It is noted that the award-winning outspoken actor was born Anthony William Perry, son of British citizen Frederick William Perry. He only adopted the surname Wong from his own mother to be his stage name.

(Photo Source: Oriental Daily)
South Africa: COVID-19: President calls for healthcare for all

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of universal health coverage.

That is the message underlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa who was addressing the virtual 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday.

The pandemic should propel countries to act with greater urgency to make it a reality.

In this final decade towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, we must press ahead with our goal of making universal health care a reality for all the people of the world, President Ramaphosa said, adding that no one should be left behind.

President Ramaphosa said the virus has dwarfed all other issues facing the international community and individual countries.

The pandemic has profound social, political, economic and security implications for us all. It is impacting on human health, our societies and our systems of governance. Although the coronavirus pandemic has affected both developed and developing economies, it is the poor who will suffer most.

The pandemic has also highlighted growing inequality that exists between countries.

Health care systems are struggling to cope. Some have been weakened by underfunding and neglect; others are under pressure because they were designed to serve the select few.

In addition, not only has the pandemic devastated the livelihoods of millions of people but has also changed the way people behave, work and live.

The global recovery depends on our ability to accept these realities, to prepare for them and to adapt accordingly.

He reiterated the call for social distancing, hygiene and other protocols recommended by the World Health organization (WHO) to become part of daily life.

The President also stated that South Africa supports the WHO in its guidance of international response to the pandemic.

The WHO has been instrumental in providing guidance and support to African governments with early detection of the pandemic, training health workers and strengthening surveillance in communities.

He said the African continent is extremely vulnerable to the effects of the virus and needs every possible support and assistance, including much-needed resources, to bolster its response and offset a potentially devastating social and economic fallout.

African response

President Ramaphosa, who is the chairperson of the African Union (AU), said the continental body consisting of 55 member states has taken very deliberate steps to respond to the virus.

We have developed a comprehensive COVID-19 strategy, established an African Union COVID-19 Response Fund and embarked on a fundraising drive to strengthen the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.

The AU has also raised US$ 61 million for the Response Fund and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The African Union has made a call for developing countries to be assisted in their efforts to combat the pandemic and to rebuild their economies.

This include debt relief, more Special Drawing Rights Allocations with international financial institutions, and the provision of comprehensive and robust stimulus packages to vulnerable countries.

To turn back the frontiers of the pandemic, we also need to deepen international collaboration around research and development and investment in essential medical technologies, in COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics and in vaccines, he said.

Finding a vaccine

President Cyril Ramaphosa said he fully supports the initiative by the WHO together with many governments, non-profit organisations and industry leaders to speed up the development and production of vaccines and therapeutics and to ensure that they are distributed quickly and equitably across the globe.

For its part, South Africa is participating in several research initiatives with continental and international partners including the global effort to develop, manufacture and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.

He also raised the importance of ensuring there is equitable access to medical equipment, technologies and best practice to combat COVID-19.

Let us also continue to work together to improve our emergency preparedness for potential future outbreaks of this nature, and take forward the proposal made at the previous meeting of the World Health Assembly to develop a Global Disaster Response Plan.

He employed people to be bold and courageous in confronting this pandemic.

Let us continue to collaborate and to act in the best traditions of social solidarity, he said at the virtual meeting.

The WHA meets annually in Geneva, Switzerland, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum held its gathering online.

The WHA is the supreme policy decision-making body of the WHO, governed by its 194 Member States and consisting of health ministers. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
As of last week, a ZIP code in the South Lawndale community, which includes Little Village, had the highest number of cases in the state. That same ZIP code was among the city neighborhoods with the greatest number of fatalities, with 72 deaths. Little Village is a Latino neighborhood, and its been harder to count the number of Latinos who have died of the coronavirus because the Cook County medical examiner only recently began labeling cases with that identifier.
Greece reopened the Acropolis and other ancient sites, along with high schools, shopping malls and mainland travel in Athens. Visitors were local residents as the country still has a 14-day quarantine for arrivals. (Image: AP)

Visitors visits ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill of Athens on May 18. (Image: AP)

A woman cleans metal barriers as site employees wearing mask to protect against the spread of coronavirus stand in front of ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill of Athens on May 18. (Image: AP)

Authorities decided to ease lockdown restriction and reopen tourism sector as the country is likely to suffer the worst-recession this year. (Image: AP)

A worker wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus cleans inside a mall during its reopening in Athens. (Image: AP)

Beaches in Greece were reopened and churches welcomed the worshippers over the weekend while following the social distancing norms in a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus pandemic. (Image: Reuters)

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 coronavirus in Athens. (Image: Reuters)

Orthodox faithful attend the first service open for believers following the easing of measures against the spread of COVID-19 in Athens. (Image: Reuters)

Christians attend mass inside the Athens Orthodox cathedral in Athens. The Greek government allowed churches throughout the country to reopen their doors to the faithful on May 17, a decision that applies to regular services and ceremonies like baptisms and weddings. The signs on the chairs read: "Not allowed to sit here." (Image: AP)

A man takes a picture next the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill of Athens. (Image: AP)
One of the most vocal champions of global "interdependence" in international affairs, Joseph Nye, has warned that the United States and the world should take Russia "much more seriously."

Nye, a political scientist whose influence helped shape Western thought in the latter stages of the Cold War, also downplayed the notion that Europe might be eager to significantly boost ties to Russia or China at the expense of transatlantic relations.

"I think that basically, the Europeans are not that attracted to China, and I think the Europeans also still have a fear about Russia," Nye, former dean at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, told RFE/RL's Balkan Service in a wide-ranging interview on May 11.

"Sure, Europe is in the center of a struggle between outside countries, but I don't see it as anything close to resembling the situation in the 1950s, for example."

On international influence in light of the current global coronavirus pandemic and the current U.S. administration's "America first" agenda, Nye stressed obstacles to Russian leadership on the issue and said he saw no "relative change" in the U.S.-Chinese balance.

One of the fathers of neoliberalism in foreign affairs in the 1970s, Nye is a longtime advocate of "interdependence" on the international stage.

His ideas have been seen as something akin to organizing foreign policy principles under several Democratic presidential administrations, and often run counter to neorealism, which emphasizes the role of a country's military power to accomplish goals abroad.

Nye has been a harsh critic of U.S. President Donald Trump.

He coined the term "smart power" a decade ago to argue for a greater reliance on accurate information and cultural and political arguments to complement military strength to achieve foreign policy goals.

Nye told RFE/RL he believed "American soft power has declined" since 2015, when he famously asked in the title of a book, Is The American Century Over?

Declining, Dangerous

But he argued that people in Poland or other Central European countries will tell you they could not imagine being in an alliance with Russia.

Nye cited continued European support for U.S. engagement and NATO, for instance. But added that Russia cannot be ignored. "I think Russia has to be taken very seriously," Nye said.

He called Russia a "declining state" by virtue of its annual loss of around 750,000 people from its workforce in recent years and its failure "to adapt its economy to a modern-technology economy as opposed to an energy-based economy."

But it is still a vast country with "talented people" and a nuclear arsenal, he added.

"After all, sometimes it is declining countries which are the most dangerous, because they're the most willing to take risks," Nye said. "So Russia should not fall below the radar; it's something we should take much more seriously."

The West's relations with Moscow have been tested by Russia's military ventures -- foremost among them its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine -- but also its ongoing suppression of peaceful dissenters and other perceived rights abuses, and suspected Russian assassinations and attempted killings in Europe, including fresh accusations that a Russian intelligence agent was recently dispatched to Prague with the poison ricin.

EU's Issues Internal, Not External

Meanwhile, China has funneled increased investment and lending to Europe, including particularly to aspiring European Union members in the Balkans, and has waged a publicity campaign alongside donations and sales of medical supplies as Europe battled the coronavirus that emerged from central China and has infected 4.8 million people worldwide and killed more than 315,000 as of May 17.

Asked about recent Russian and Chinese efforts to increase their influence in Europe, Nye downplayed the idea that the EU was torn over its affinities.

Energy pipeline politics and divisions over the use of Chinese technology like Huawei's 5G equipment "are not the kind of issues that will break Europe apart."

"I worry more about Europe's own responses to the coronavirus," he said, citing differences over financing of COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Nye suggested that perceived internal disparities pose a greater threat to the EU than any maneuvering by outside powers.

"I hope that the Europeans will find ways to set up a COVID recovery fund and have economic assistance to the countries [in Europe] that are having more difficulties, and out of this you try to get a stronger Europe," he said.

"That's the area that worries me more than the competition between the Russians, and the Chinese, and the Americans."

Meanwhile, Nye said, "The Chinese have been trying to use economic advances to have more influence in Europe.... Look at the European responses to the Chinese soft-power initiative about the pandemic. They haven't bought very much of the Chinese propaganda line."

'Cooperative Rivalry'

In the wake of an agreed trade deal to break out of a years-long trade war with China, the Trump administration has accused Chinese officials of obfuscations and lies that have contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic -- if not flat-out caused it, since they have suggested the deadly new coronavirus was perhaps released from a lab in Wuhan.

That has raised the specter of an impasse in bilateral relations that could block virtually all cooperation between the world's top economic powers.

Nye accused both China and the United States of engaging in "denial" and "blame-shifting" since the coronavirus pandemic began, citing perceived blows to both countries' "soft power" as well as their economies.

But he said he hadn't sensed any "relative change" in their global influence.

Nye argued that Washington and Beijing "need to cooperate," for example, on issues like the pandemic and climate change. He described those as issues of "ecological globalization" that will continue despite reduced "economic globalization."

"The U.S. and China can't cope with those issues alone," he said.

"So I think we're going to see a mixed situation of, instead of a new Cold War, I think you're going to see what I call a cooperative rivalry: There'll be some areas where there will be rivalry and some areas where there will have to be cooperation."

He cited "very deep differences" between those two countries, including territorial issues like Taiwan and "ideological disagreements" like the punishment of dissidents and the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority, in western China.

But he rejected talk of any 1950s-style, U.S.-Soviet Cold War, this time between Beijing and Washington.

"I think what you're going to see in the U.S.-China relations is a selective decoupling, but not a total decoupling," he said.

Nye and fellow American academic Robert Keohane co-founded the neoliberalist theory of foreign affairs four decades ago, arguing that while military might and balance of power remained important, international relations were being increasingly transformed by a "complex interdependence" that made cooperation more likely.

Nye has warned of an overreliance on military superiority and argued for a strategy of "smart power" that combined "co-optive" or "soft power" (a term that he coined in the late 1980s) and military strength as a path to international influence.

Written by Andy Heil based on an interview by Dragan Stavljanin
Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)

Date: 18.05.2020

Allocation on health sidelined during health emergency in Finance Ministeras packages

- IDPD

The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) has expressed anguish at total sidelining of allocations on health in the packages announced by the finance minister. In her two hours long speech yesterday she hardly spent 4-5 minutes on health. In a statement Dr S S Soodan - President IDPD, Dr Arun Mitra a Sr. Vice President IDPD, Dr Shakeel Ur Rahman a General Secretary IDPD said that she only provided breakup of the already announced package of 15000 crores by the Prime Minister. Out of which 4000 crores has already been spent, she said. The health sector needs over one lakh crores immediately in this crises and thereafter it has to be a continuous process in the budgets.

As per her speech infectious diseases blocks and test labs will be built at district level. There is no detail as to how much will be the allocation for this. She also talked of upgrading the public health infrastructure. On the contrary only a few months back the government had announced that they are handing over the district hospitals to the private sector. The government must clarify this and issue a policy statement on this. If the public healthcare system has to be strengthened there is an urgent need to increase the GDP spending on public health by at least four times from the present about 1.02%.

Dr Arun Mitra

Sr. Vice President IDPD

SEE THE ORIGINAL PDF VERSION HERE:
Saudi Arabia's biggest construction company Binladin International Holding Group is seeking an advisor to help cut costs as well as restructure the debt of a skyscraper complex in the kingdom's Makkah city, reported Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter.

Binladin had completed the $15 billion government-owned Abraj Al Beit golden clocktower complex in 2011. The development has seven towers of hotels and malls and looms over the Grand Mosque visited by millions of Muslim pilgrims every year, stated the report.

The 603-m-tall clock tower is the landmark feature of the complex, which was built to modernise the old city and provide accommodation and other facilities for pilgrims.

The move is part of efforts to restructure the construction group, after the government took a 35 per cent stake from Bin Laden family members that were swept up in an anti-graft campaign launched by Riyadh in late 2017.

Binladin said it was seeking proposals from advisers "on behalf of the shareholders in the Abraj Al Bait Complex" to review its operational and financial performance and to assess financial restructuring options, it said in a request for proposals in the document seen by Reuters.

The adviser would "review potential financing structures and options for implementation which may include rescheduling current loans, refinancing or other options taking into account any implications of changes in ownership structure," it added.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. State Department inspector general was investigating the Trump administrations use of an emergency declaration to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia when he was fired, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Monday.

President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he was firing Steve Linick, the inspector general since 2013, which sparked a backlash from Democrats, who suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible for what may be an illegal act of retaliation.

New York Rep. Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted on Monday that Linicks office was investigating  at my request  Trumps phony emergency declaration so he could send Saudi Arabia weapons. We dont have the full picture yet, but its troubling that Sec Pompeo wanted Linick pushed out.

Trump, in May 2019, declared an emergency under the Arms Export Control Act to bypass Congress and expedite $8.1 billion in weapon sales for Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. At the time, Pompeo said the sales were needed to deter further the malign influence of the Government of Iran throughout the Middle East region.

Lawmakers were delaying the sales over humanitarian concerns, and Democrats pushed back over what they saw as overreach by the executive branch. In June 2019, 26 Democrats asked Linick to investigate the declaration, calling the justification for for it dubious.

In the wake of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi  who the American intelligence community says was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Turkey under orders by the Saudi kingdom  Congress passed a series of measures on a bipartisan basis aimed at curbing U.S. support for Riyadhs involvement in Yemens civil war. Trump vetoed the measures and the Senate failed to override.

US Senate allows arms sales to Saudi Arabia, sustaining Trump vetoes

NBC News first reported Sunday night that Linick was investigating allegations that Pompeo used staff for personal chores and errands. The Washington Post broke the news Monday that Linick had mostly completed an investigation into Pompeos decision, and that the State Department was recently briefed on the IGs conclusions in that investigation.

Story continues

Engel and Sen. Bob Menenedez, D-N.J., ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to Trumps latest firing of a federal watchdog.

Engel and Menendez sent letters to the White House, the State Department and the inspector generals office asking that administration officials preserve all records related to Linicks dismissal and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday.

In a statement Saturday, Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., blasted Linicks firing as unjustified and called on Republicans to ensure accountability and oversight at the highest levels

President Trumps mismanagement has hollowed out the State Department and weakened the governments ability to respond in a crisis, Reed said. His desire for public servants to place abject, political fealty to him above the Constitution is costing our nation.
The day is usually marked with solemn commemoration, honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military.

There are usually parades, flag ceremonies, and other formal recognitions on Memorial Day each year, but this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be far fewer in-person events.

However, some groups and towns are finding creative ways to honor the day, from drive-by parades to live-streamed remarks.

Wildwoods American Legion Post 184 is hosting a drive-by parade on Sunday, May 24, in lieu of their traditional parade. The police and fire departments will drive through town, and people can register online for the parade to drive by their house.

Post 184 is also holding a house decorating contest. People can register their house online and display a patriotic scene, with the winner scoring a $100 Visa gift card. The houses will be judged during the drive-by parade.

Educational coloring pages and worksheets for kids about Memorial Day are also available on Post 184s website, including flag coloring sheets, stories from veterans, and What Patriotism Means To Me, writing sheets.

Parents are encouraged to submit the finished worksheets to be featured on Post 184s social media, and each child will receive a personal thank you letter from a veteran along with an American Flag, according to a release.

The true meaning of Memorial Day is commonly forgotten, said Commander of Post 184 Harry Weimar. We hope these learning opportunities and the parade experience will make everyone remember freedom isnt free, especially the next generation.

On Memorial Day itself, Post 184 is holding a small ceremony in their clubhouse that will include remarks from local officials and be broadcast on social media.

Typically on the morning we have a really neat gathering at American Legion Post 184, (with) a lot of speakers, said Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, adding theres usually up to 100 people.

Its a special day, he added, but again, unfortunately under the circumstances, were taking it inside.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

In Camden County, Cherry Hill is hosting a virtual Memorial Day ceremony, and having the council and mayor record messages that will be broadcast through social media on that Monday.

The township usually holds a ceremony for the holiday, where residents recite the Pledge of Allegiance, read the names of veterans who have died in the last year, and recognize missing prisoners of war.

Instead, this year the township has taken photos from last years ceremony and is combining it with the new voiceovers from the mayor and other officials, who will reflect on the symbolism of the holiday.

Usually this is a time where we physically come together, but this year, as we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we do so virtually through social media, said Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Shin Angulo. Im grateful for the opportunity to honor the service members who gave everything, and I look forward to when we can gather together in person.

Union County is not planning anything for Memorial Day, but the county is still distributing more than 28,000 flags to local cemeteries and American Legions to be placed on military graves, a spokesman said. The annual tradition was started by the Freeholders.

Cape May County canceled its Memorial Day ceremony and is instead offering appointments to place wreaths at the cemetery. Flags will also be placed at the Gerald M. Thornton Veterans Cemetery to honor the veterans, but with social distancing measures in place.

The placement of the flags can be completed and will be coordinated in accordance with all the social distancing regulations, said Freeholder Jeffrey Pierson.

In a release, the county said a different effort to remember the men and women in the military who have died this year will be announced soon, since an in-person ceremony is not possible.

In Essex County, Bloomfield is holding a wreath dedication ceremony in the morning on Memorial Day, instead of its usual parade. Although its closed to the public due to COVID-19, it will be broadcast on WBMATV later that afternoon, according to a release.

It will also involved the townships police department color guard, a 21 gun salute, and the bugle call Taps by two members of the Bloomfield Civic Band.

The Bloomfield Memorial Day Parade is something that I look forward to every year, said Mayor Michael Venezia. I am disappointed that I wont be able to see all our residents this year but I know that our Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department and our Police will be put on an outstanding ceremony to honor all the lives we lost defending our freedom.

The townships Boy Scout troops are also requested to honor fallen veterans by hanging red, white and blue bows on every veteran street sign throughout town.

"The Boy Scouts usually place flags on veteran gravesites at Glendale Cemetery each year," said Michael Sceurman, Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs. "With such uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, I thought it would be a nice way to keep them involved in our Memorial Day celebration."

Another way to mark the holiday no matter where you live in the state? By joining Gail Van Prooien in singing or playing The Star-Spangled Banner at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, to show respect for those who have died while serving in the military.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Did people keep their social distance when restaurant patios reopened Friday?

Not at some bars, as we discuss on the Monday episode of This Week in the CLE.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour coronavirus news podcast, with help from editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky and me. We answer many of the questions youve sent through our text message platform.

Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares once or twice a day what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802.

And youve been offering all sorts of great perspective in our coronavirus alert account, which has 13,000-plus subscribers. You can sign up for free by texting 216-279-7784.

Here are the questions were answering today:

1) Did people in Greater Cleveland follow social distancing rules as they returned to restaurants in the coronavirus pandemic? Some must have, but Lago East Bank is getting a lot of attention for photos shared on social media showing people much closer than 6 feet from each other, not wearing masks.

2) How is China making schools safe as children return to classes? Theyre taking temperatures quickly with child-size devices, spraying shoes with disinfectant and adding plastic shields to desks, among other idea. Meanwhile, Ohio is asking parents for feedback on its proposal.

3) Is Progressive Insurance, on of Northeast Ohios big employers, bringing the workforce back to the office? Not until September.

4) Has Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines task force on minorities and the coronavirus made any recommendations? No, theres been no report after nearly a month on the reason for health disparities.

5) What will going to mass be like for Northeast Ohios Catholics when the churches reopen in a week? Church will have no singing, no communion wine and no shaking hands during the sign of the peace, to try to protect parishioners from the coronavirus.

6) Why is the Cleveland Clinic excited about blood plasma from Covid-19 survivors? Theyre hopeful they can help current patients by taking convalescent plasma from a recovered patient and administering it to someone moderately or severely ill through a blood transfusion.

7) How can day camps keep children safe when they open this summer? Theyll have smaller groups, lots of hand washing and no field trips.

8) What are the rules and guidelines for gyms and workout centers when they reopen May 26? The regulations require social distancing; regular disinfection of equipment before and after each use; removal of some seating and lost and founds; and disabling saunas, steam rooms, and most communal showers.

Thats it for Monday. Check back Tuesday for a new podcast.

Meanwhile, find all our past episodes here

Do you get your podcasts on Spotify. Find us here.

If you use Stitcher, we are here.

RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here.

On Google Podcasts, we are here.

On PodParadise, find us here.

And on PlayerFM, we are here.
Panaji, May 18 : Goa's tally of active Covid-19 cases has reached 26, after four persons who had travelled to the coastal state from Mumbai via train on Sunday tested positive in preliminary tests.

After not recording a single Covid-19 case from April 3, Goa has witnessed the surge of 26 active cases since May 14.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said, that the samples of the four train passengers tested positive for a TrueNat rapid test and have been sent to the local testing facility for reconfirmation.

According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, all the 26 cases were "imported" into the state. A large number of cases involve passengers who have travelled by train to the state from Mumbai and Delhi, forcing Sawant to write to the Union Railways Ministry, to stop the Goa halt of the Rajdhani Express which starts from the national capital. Sawant has said that the Union Ministry has accepted his request.

"We have to control those coming in by train. With trucks coming in from red zones, the drivers could test positive. We are working out a detailed strategy to efficiently manage the entry of persons coming into Goa. Because as of now we have no community transmission," the Chief Minister said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Tourism Minister Khaled El-Anani held a video conference meeting on Monday with representatives from TUI - one of the largest world tour agencies.

During the meeting, Anani reviewed the efforts being exerted by the state to support the tourism sector and its workers to alleviate the negative economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

The talks tackled the precautionary measures adopted to sanitize tourist facilities, hotels and archaeological sites.

TUI officials discussed with the Egyptian side the procedures that need to be taken ahead of the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations.

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UNODC report on East and Southeast Asia: continued growth in the supply of methamphetamine while synthetic opioids spread

Photo:  UNODC

A new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns that the synthetic drug market in East and Southeast Asia continues to expand and diversify, and the price of methamphetamine has dropped to the lowest level in a decade as the supply has surged.

Released on 15 May, the report titled Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia: Latest Developments and Challenges, confirms that the variety and volume of synthetic drugs have increased in the past year. It is hard to imagine that organized crime have again managed to expand the drug market, but they have, remarked Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. While the world has shifted its attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, all indications are that production and trafficking of synthetic drugs and chemicals continue at record levels in the region.

Seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia have increased year-on-year over the last decade, something not observed in any other part of the world. Countries in the region have already confirmed seizures of 115 tons of methamphetamine in 2019, but the figure does not yet include any data from China which has seized an average of nearly 30 tons per year the last five years.

The report highlights that intensified supply has resulted in methamphetamine becoming cheaper, reaching its lowest price points in the last decade in East and Southeast Asia. Decreases in prices of methamphetamine were also observed in the high profit markets of Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea in 2019. Despite declining prices, the purity of Southeast Asian methamphetamine remains high and has even increased in some countries. In short, organized crime groups are in a position to provide better quality methamphetamine at much cheaper prices compared to a decade ago, increasing affordability and harm at the same time, observed Inshik Sim, UNODC Illicit Drugs Analyst.

East and Southeast Asia are also witnessing the steady rise of dangerous synthetic opioids. While there were only three opioids identified in the illicit drug supply of the region to 2014, the number increased to 28 in 2019, and seizures are being made in new locations as organized crime continue to push the limits of the business. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and even more potent variations deserve much more attention than they receive in the region, commented Douglas. Production is known to migrate into places with deep governance problems like the Golden Triangle, and we are concerned Southeast Asia could become a source for other parts of the world while these substances get mixed into or displace part of the regional heroin supply.

Beyond methamphetamine and synthetic opioids, the report confirms a wide range of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine and cannabinoids, are found across the region. It is clear that the synthetic drug market in East and Southeast Asia is dynamic and continues to evolve, according to Justice Tettey, Chief of the UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Section. Strategies in the region, and in fact elsewhere in the world, should be built with an understanding of the clandestine manufacture and chemical profiles of synthetic drugs, which is why forensic science and precursor control capacities are critical for countries and the region to effectively respond.

UNODC is working closely with Thailand and other countries in the region through the Global SMART Programme and Mekong MOU on Drug Control to monitor the drug situation and provide advice on cooperation, detection, precursor chemical control and public health strategies, and importantly to help countries collaborate together on joint and border operations. Secretary General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand, Niyom Termsrisuk, noted our partnership with UNODC and other Mekong countries is essential for success. The challenge we face is significant, and we will only be able to make progress through regional and international cooperation.



Related Links:

UNODC Regional Synthetic Drug Report: Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia - latest developments and challenges

UNODC's regional work on drugs and precursors - Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

UNODC Global SMART (Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends) Programme
Karnataka sets new set of rules for lockdown

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 18: Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa said that all shops will be allowed to open and all passenger trains in the trains will be allowed to operate. He said that four state transport corporations buses and private buses have been allowed to operate with 30 passenger capacity.

The CM, however, urged the people to maintain social distancing and also wear masks while travelling. The state has decided not to allow entry of people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He said that strict lockdown norms will be applicable in the containment zones.

With parks open in Karnataka, scores of walkers make a beeline

The CM, however, gave the green signal to barber shops and said that parks will be opened from 9 am to 9 am. Malls would, however, remain shut he said while adding that the same would apply to cinema halls as well.
Chicago's education industry is experiencing strong job growth. Local employers posted 76 new jobs over the past week and 548 in the last month, ranking fifth among local industries, according to ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace.

The education sector also came in seventh in terms of local employers adding new jobs. In the past month, 129 companies listed open jobs for Chicago-based workers in that area.

Top companies hiring locally in education include Distinctive Schools, Intrinsic Schools and Sonnets Academy. According to a recent job opening posted by Sonnets Academy, "Sonnets Academy is a private preschool ranging in age from 6 weeks to 6 years."

Regarding the most in-demand occupations in this sector, Distinctive Schools, Intrinsic Schools and Sonnets Academy were all looking to hire Chicago-based teachers.

This story was created automatically using local jobs data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
(Newser)  A pilot in a small plane went down in a remote part of Indonesia last week, and the fatal crash is making headlines in the US. It turns out the pilot, the sole person on the plane, was an American missionary named Joyce Lin who was flying COVID-19 test kits to villagers. Coverage:

The crash: The 40-year-old Lin took off in her Kodiak plane from an airport in Sentani on May 12 for the remote village of Mamit in the Papua highlands, reports CNN. About two minutes into the flight, she radioed that she was in trouble and asked to return to the airport, but the tower then lost contact, per Christianity Daily. Lin's plane crashed into Lake Sentani.

story continues below

Relief flight: Lin was a missionary for the Mission Aviation Fellowship, based in Nampa, Idaho, reports KTVB. She was attempting to fly COVID-19 rapid tests to villagers, along with other supplies.

Lin was a missionary for the Mission Aviation Fellowship, based in Nampa, Idaho, reports KTVB. She was attempting to fly COVID-19 rapid tests to villagers, along with other supplies. A missionary: Lin, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Colorado and Maryland, reports the Washington Post. She went to MIT to study computers and seemed all set to settle into a career in IT upon graduation, she says in a YouTube video. But feeling dissatisfied, she joined the missionary group instead, and she spent the last decade working on her pilot skills so she could help isolated communities, per the Post. She became certified to fly solo in March.

Lin, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Colorado and Maryland, reports the Washington Post. She went to MIT to study computers and seemed all set to settle into a career in IT upon graduation, she says in a YouTube video. But feeling dissatisfied, she joined the missionary group instead, and she spent the last decade working on her pilot skills so she could help isolated communities, per the Post. She became certified to fly solo in March. Unique role: "A lot of times when people think of a missionary, they don't think of what I do," she says in the video, compiled as a tribute after her death. "They don't think of flying a plane or fixing a computer. They think of someone out there evangelizing, and that's just not what we do most of the time." Lin had been in Indonesia for two years and spent part of that time learning the language.

"A lot of times when people think of a missionary, they don't think of what I do," she says in the video, compiled as a tribute after her death. "They don't think of flying a plane or fixing a computer. They think of someone out there evangelizing, and that's just not what we do most of the time." Lin had been in Indonesia for two years and spent part of that time learning the language. Tribute: "She died doing what she loved, serving the people she loved in a place that she loved, that she felt deeply, deeply called to," close friend Christy Geaslen tells the Post. An MAF colleague, Brock Larson, adds: "She was just completely content." Lin is survived by her parents and two sisters, according to a bio on the MAF website.

(Read more missionary stories.)
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If you've ever visited Blenheim Palace, you should immediately notice how immaculate the stunning stately home looks both inside and out.

And it clearly has no plans to let that change despite closing its doors for the last two months during the coronavirus pandemic.

With guests staying away from the world heritage site in Oxfordshire, officials have been ensuring it remains in top condition by giving it a huge spring clean during the shutdown.

It officially shut on March 22, as attractions around the UK began to shut down due to mounting fears around the deadly outbreak - with Blenheim Park remaining open but shops, cafes, toilets all closed to the public.

With only a skeleton staff in operation at the site, they have had the daunting task of having to dust off thousands of priceless artefacts spread across 200 rooms.

One member of staff was Sonia Serna, who has been working in isolation to ensure the landmark stays spotless and ready for visitors when it re-opens its doors. Currently it has no solid reopening date and is awaiting instructions from the government.

Cleaner Sonia Serna cleans a room at the palace as she dusts a statue of Queen Ann in the long library, having to stand on a platform to have any chance of reaching the towering monument. Everything inside Blenheim Palace must be totally clean and ready for when visitors are permitted to return

Sonia works her way around the statue to dust every inch as she continues in isolation at the stately home in Oxfordshire

Sonia is spotted carefully polishing an ornate sideboard dish. She is one of the staff members who has the daunting task of tending to all 200 rooms at the world heritage site and making sure they are spotless

She tends to another ornade dish in Blenheim Palace's saloon room. The marble tabletop appears to gleam thanks to her efforts in cleaning the artefacts around the site

Another angle shows a wider view of the saloon room she is cleaning in, with ancient paintings and murals seen scattered around the walls, tiled floors, fireplaces and a huge archway surrounding the door

Her responsibilities have included polishing and maintaining the home's vast collection of artwork.

One of her biggest challenges has been cleaning an ornate 18th century sideboard dish in the Great Hall. She has also been dusting statues, buffing floors and wiping down surfaces.

Sonia said: 'It can be a little strange to know you are virtually on your own in this magnificent building, but it is also an amazing privilege to have a palace to yourself.

Officals at the stunning Blenheim Palace are looking to keep the site looking immaculate despite it being closed for the last two months due to the coronavirus pandemic

A staff member at the palace is seen walking around the grounds. A skeleton staff at the famous landmark have been instructed to ensure all rooms and artefacts are kept clean so it is in perfect condition when visitors return after the outbreak

A view from the inner courtyard shows a deserted Blenheim Palace with hardly any staff present and no visitors on site while it is closed off to the public with attractions in the UK forced to shut down

'Our job is to ensure Blenheim's priceless collection of art and artefacts remains safe and we're constantly on the look out for any signs of dirt or damage that could affect the collection.'

Set in over 2,000 acres of landscaped parkland, Blenheim was originally built in 1722.

It was also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill in 1874, with his father describing the entrance to the estate as 'the finest view in England'.

A spokesman for Blenheim Palace told MailOnline: 'Whilst we are unable to open under Government guidance just yet, we continue to prepare for our re-opening so that as soon as we are allowed, we can open our gates once again for our visitors and guests to enjoy all we have to offer, whilst adhering to new safety measures we will have in place.'
Shares of defence companies were in focus in the intraday trade after the government said it would relax foreign direct investment norms in defence manufacturing by allowing 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route. Even though the stock market traded muted, defence stocks bucked the overall trend and hit the intraday high of as much as 10 per cent from previous close in early trade Monday. However, the shares gave up the gains later with most ending in the red.

The shares of Hindustan Aeronautics jumped 10 per cent, Bharat Electronics rose 5.53 per cent, BEML advanced 5.31 per cent, Astra Microwave Products surged 4.93 per cent, and Bharat Dynamics traded up 4.71 per cent in the early hours on the BSE. Barring Hindustan Aeronautics closing up 4 per cent, others ended in the negative territory amid weak market sentiment.

According to 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. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the FDI limit for the sector under automatic route would be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent.

Meanwhile, benchmark equity indices - Sensex and Nifty - ended sharply down on Monday, as investors fretted over the announcement of extension of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown till May 31. The government's fiscal stimulus package also couldn't revive confidence in investors. Sensex closed 1,068 points lower at 30,028 and Nifty declined 313 points to 8,823.

"Indian indices ended lower (contrary to the trend in Asian and European markets) for the third consecutive day on May 18 as details of Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by the Finance Minister over Wed-Sun disappointed listed corporates and market participants. Extension of lockdown and large additions of Covid-19 cases also dampened spirits. At close Nifty was down 313.60 points or 3.43% at 8823.25," Deepak Jasani, Head Retail Research, HDFC Securities, said.

"Index has given a closing below 21&50 DMA which further points out weakness in the counter. Moreover, The Index has formed a bearish marubozu candle which suggests selling pressure in the index. At present level index is having good resistance level at 9150 level while support comes at 8,740 levels," Sumeet Bagadia, Executive Director, Choice Broking, said.

Also read: India's GDP to contract 45% in June quarter, stimulus package 'strikingly smaller': Goldman Sachs

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: What activities will be allowed in red zones from today?
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given the Federal Government a 48-hour ultimatum to disclose the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team brought in purportedly to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

In a statement released by the partys spokesperson Kola Ologbondiyan, said its position is predicated on the alarming declaration by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, that he cannot account for the whereabouts of the Chinese doctors who were brought into the country from the epicenter of the pandemic, despite repeated warnings and dis approvals by medical experts and professional bodies.

Read Part of the statement below;

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 Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on April 8, 2020; in an elaborately publicized 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.

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.

Our 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.

The PDP however urged Nigerians to remain vigilant while intensifying personal and public health safety strategies at this critical time.
Absa Bank Ghana in collaboration with Genser Energy Ghana and its partners namely Barak Fund and Africa 50, have made a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other key medical supplies to the Ghana Armed Forces COVID Task Force & the Ashanti Regional Hospital, to complement governments effort in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.



The items worth close to $50,000 include medical protective masks and goggles as well as two sets of ventilators.



Commenting on the donation, Mrs. Ellen Ohene-Afoakwa, Corporate Banking Director at Absa Bank Ghana, noted that, Covid-19 is a major public health issue with profound economic and social consequences on Ghanaians. Our strategic collaboration with our clients to support frontline institutions is a demonstration of our commitment to work with all stakeholders to help win the fight against Covid-19.



We recognise the sacrifice of our frontline workers for Ghana and we deem it important to support them with the necessary equipment to protect them as they put their lives on the line to save others. We are in this together and we must support each other to win over Covid-19, she added.



Speaking on behalf of Genser Energy, the Financial Controller, Haruna Abdulai, said Genser Energy recognizes the importance of stronger partnerships and the positive impact it has on communities. Our organization remains committed to supporting those providing essential services while leading the fight against COVID-19.



Receiving the items on behalf of the Kumasi South Hospital, the Medical Director, Dr. Kwame Boadu, expressed appreciation to Absa Bank, Genser Energy Ghana and its partners for the support and commended the companies for showing care to the health workers helping in the fight against Covid-19.



We are grateful to Absa Bank and Genser Energy for the support and especially for the set of ventilators. The ventilators are very important in managing the serious cases and these are going to be dedicated to the treatment center.



The regional hospital for Ashanti, Kumasi South Hospital, is the main health facility for the Covid-19 treatment in the region. It recorded Ghanas first COVID-19 recovery as well as the first successful Covid-19, delivery by an infected mother.



Absa Bank Ghana has so far committed over Ghs 1.6 million Ghana Cedis to the fight against Covid-19. This includes a donation of GHs1 million to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund towards the procurement of test kits and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support increased testing and the protection of frontline health workers.



In addition, Absa is offering several relief packages to help reduce the economic impact on customers, as a result of the pandemic.

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.

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Mental health issues may have played a role in a kidnapping that led to an Amber Alert earlier this month, according to an arrest affidavit.

The alert was issued May 1 after police said 49-year-old Sherry McGill took her 2-year-old granddaughter from her home.

The girl's mother's boyfriend was watching the child at the time of the kidnapping and told police that McGill showed up at their home in San Antonio "talking incoherently" and took the 2-year-old while she was sleeping, the affidavit said. McGill soon returned still carrying the child but was now holding a knife and some pictures, the affidavit continued.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

The man said McGill wasn't making sense and asked her to return the child and then to leave. He told police he was concerned for the toddler because because of McGill's mental health condition, the affidavit said.

McGill ignored the man's pleas and left with her granddaughter.

McGill's father told police she may have been headed to Cartwright, Oklaholma, where her mother lives.

Police eventually located McGill driving later that morning in McClennan County and conducted a traffic stop. The girl was found safe and returned home.

McGill's bail is set at $75,000.

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
Barr Doesnt Expect Criminal Investigations of Obama, Biden

Attorney General William Barr said on Monday that he does not expect U.S. Attorney John Durhams probe into the origins of FBIs Russia investigation will result in criminal investigations into former President Barrack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Barr made the remarks during an unrelated press conference where he revealed Obama and Biden will unlikely be investigated by the Justice Department as part of Durhams investigation based on the information he currently possesses.

As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement based on the information I have today, I dont expect Mr. Durhams work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Barr said. Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others.

Former President Barack Obama speaks to guests at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, Illinois on Oct. 29, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

This comes as Obama and Biden are facing increasing scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for potential misconduct during the FBIs 2016 counterintelligence investigation into Trump campaigns alleged ties with Russia. President Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged, without naming specific crimes, that Obama and certain members of his administration were involved in a scheme to target Trumps former national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and other associates of the president during 2016 and 2017.

The president revived his accusations in his hashtag Obamagate after a number of revelations in recent weeks. Documents released earlier this month indicated that Obama was aware of details from phone calls made by Flynn with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Meanwhile, a declassified list of Obama administration officials who requested the unmasking of Flynn in intelligence reports, which was recently given to Congress, revealed that Biden and Obamas then-chief of staff Denis McDonough were involved in the requests.

During the press conference, Barr was critical over the increasing attempts in the past decade to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon while he made the point that the Justice Department would not allow this to happen again under his watch.

The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by ones political opponents based on the flimsiest of legal theories. This is not a good development, Barr said. This is not good for our political life. And its not good for the criminal justice system.

As long as Im Attorney General, the criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends. And this is especially true for the upcoming elections in November, he said.

Barr lamented the grave injustice that occurred against Trump during the 2016 presidential election and the first two years of his administration, but added that Durhams investigation, which has become criminal, would not be used for retaliatory purposes.

We saw two different standards of justice emerge, one that applied to President Trump and his associates and the other that applied to everybody else. We cant allow this ever to happen again, Barr said. The Durham investigation is trying to get to the bottom of what happened. And it will determine whether there were any federal laws broken and if there were, those who broke the laws will be held to account but this cannot be and it will not be a tit for tat exercise.

We are not going to lower the standards just to achieve a result, he added.

He said that the only way to break from the vicious cycle of improperly using the justice system for political purposes is to restore a single and proper standard of justice for everybody. He added that people need to be aware that there is a difference between abuse of power and a federal crime, citing a recent Supreme Court ruling in the Bridgegate case.

Not every abuse of power, no matter how outrageous is necessarily a federal crime, he said.

He said during such a divided time it was critical that the United States holds an election to allow the American people to make a choice between Trump and Biden based on a robust debate of policy issues.

We can not allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate. And Im committed that this election will be conducted without this kind of interference, Barr said. Any effort to pursue an investigation of either candidate has to be approved by me.

Barr assigned Durham early in 2019 to investigate the origins of the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign and to assess whether the surveillance of Trump campaign associate Carter Page was free of improper motive. The probe was designated a formal criminal investigation later in 2019.

That designation gave Durhams team the ability to issue subpoenas, impanel a grand jury, compel witnesses to give testimony, and bring federal criminal charges.

Barr previously indicated that he was very troubled by some of the information briefed by Durham, adding that the investigation was launched in order to uncover answers for things that are unexplained.

I think were getting deeply into the situation, and well be able to sort out exactly what happened, Barr said.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2020) Sixty-two nations have backed the joint push by the European Union and Australia to launch an investigation into how the coronavirus outbreak started, media said Sunday.

The draft motion calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the World Health Organization's response to the crisis, according to the Australian public broadcaster ABC.

The UN health agency will be asked to conduct field missions designed to "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts.

"

The motion has been backed by Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Australian and EU diplomats are reportedly working to convince China and the United States to join.

The document does not mention China or the city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have emerged. China has repeatedly derided efforts to blame it for the epidemic, which has infected over 4.4 million and killed more than 300,000 worldwide.
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 simiCaterina Scoglio, professor,larities 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. The idea is if there is a failure in one of the systems, it can propagate to the other system, increasing the catastrophic effects." Caterina Scoglio, Professor, Kansas State University

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 event will be truly life-changing, focused on endangered species and the world we wish to live in., stated Sherri Leopold, WGC Springfield Chapter President.

Women of Global Change will honor awareness on National Endangered Species Day on May 19th. This celebration will be shared via a global online event featuring Stephanie Arne & Felicity Forest, starting at 2 pm EST. Stephanie Arne is an accomplished wildlife conservationist, host, and speaker. She is the Wildlife Ambassador for CuriosityStream and the former host of Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom. Joining her will be Felicity Forest, a young and dynamic eight-year-old author and wildlife enthusiast, who has been recognized and awarded the Peacemaker Award in 2019.

This online event is being presented by the Women of Global Change (WGC) Springfield Chapter President Sherri Strohecker Leopold.

"WGC is so honored to have Mrs. Arne and Miss Felicity joining this meeting. Mrs. Arnes expertise in her field is world re-known. She understands the importance of connectivity and how it is critical to protect nature and humanity on a global scale. Felicity Forest is the author of - Why We Need Animals. She understands that humans, wildlife, and our surroundings are co-dependent and why this is especially important for the younger generation. She will be share thoughts, insights, and suggestions on how we can help endangered species from becoming extinct. This event will be truly life-changing, focused on endangered species and the world we wish to live in., stated Sherri Leopold, WGC Springfield Chapter President.

The Women of Global Change Foundation is an international multiple-award winning non-profit 501c3 organization whose impact has crossed into multiple continents. The Women of Global Change have been honored by the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, also WGC has received four White House awards (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) for their service accomplishments, and recognitions from three U.S. Presidents, plus many International Magistrates and more with over 50,000+ families served globally to date.

WGCF participates in educational initiatives, business networking events, and national and international projects of betterment through a variety of different programs, social impact missions, and leadership practices. WGC members work together in business, power, and spirit to provide a better world for women, children, and all human-kind.

As we approach National Endangered Species Day in this unprecedented time of world stillness, we are seeing dolphins returning to the waters of Venice and Mallorca and viewing Earth from space without the veil of pollution and we begin to see the realization of the importance of our interconnectedness for not just ourselves but for future generations. This event on May 19th is perfect for the whole family.

To Join this gathering go to: https://womenofglobalchange.com/

To find out more about Stephanie Arnie go to https://stephaniearne.com/
[May 18, 2020] Holmusk Announces Closing of US$21.5 Million Series A Funding Round, Led by Optum Ventures & Health Catalyst Capital

SINGAPORE, LONDON and NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Holmusk, a leading data science and health technology company, today announced a US$21.5 million funding round. The round was led by Optum Ventures (OV) and Health Catalyst Capital (HCC) and included existing investors Heritas Capital and other individuals. Holmusk is building the world's largest Real-World Evidence (RWE) platform in behavioral health and chronic diseases to expand data-driven, evidence-based care for people managing behavioral health conditions. This is made possible by bringing together specialty behavioral health data and Holmusk's novel analytics platform to deliver evidence-based insight that care providers, health care payers and patients can use to make fully informed care and treatment decisions, and better integrate care for people with both behavioral and chronic health needs. These capabilities can also aid pharma companies with R&D and commercialization of new drugs. In 2016, Holmusk acquired MindLinc, an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system focused on behavioral health, from Duke University School of Medicine. This enabled the company to leverage longitudinal data from many mental health institutions across US, stretching over 20 years. Founded in 2015, Holmusk is headquartered in Singapore with offices in New York City, London and Shanghai. Holmusk was recognized as a Technology Pioneer in 2019 by the World Economic Forum and is part of the Innovations in Healthcare's 2020 Innovator Cohort. The new funding round allows Holmusk to expand is US operations in New York City, and enables investment in its proprietary technology to harness and analyze real-world data to accelerate drug development and data-driven medicine.



Dr. Vijay Barathan from Optum Ventures (OV) and Charles Boorady from Health Catalyst Capital (HCC) will be joining the Board of Directors. "Our team is encouraged by Holmusk's evidence-based approach to improving care for people suffering from behavioral health disorders, and we look forward to working closely with the Holmusk team to support the next phase of growth" said Dr. Vijay Barathan of Optum Ventures.

Charles Boorady of Health Catalyst Capital said "by redefining the EHR from a repository of data to a clinical decision support tool with connectivity to digital therapeutics, Holmusk is uniquely positioned to improve patient care while reducing administrative burden and supporting the research and development of new care models and therapies." "In situations like today, the need for Real-World Evidence is more pronounced than ever," said Nawal Roy, Holmusk's Founder & CEO. "We are fortunate to bring on partners like Optum Ventures and Health Catalyst Capital who understand the importance and are excited to join us in our mission to drive evidence-based care." About Holmusk Holmusk is on a mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and chronic diseases through evidence driven medicine. Headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint, it is building the world's largest real-world evidence platform for mental health and chronic diseases. For more information, please visit www.holmusk.com. About Optum Ventures Optum Ventures is the independent venture fund of Optum, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone, and part of the UnitedHealth Group. Optum Ventures invests in digital health companies that use data and insights to help improve consumers' access to health care services and how care is delivered and paid for, and that make the health care system more reliable and easier to navigate. For more information, please visit www.optumventures.com. About Health Catalyst Capital Health Catalyst Capital is an independent private equity firm that invests in growth stage healthcare information technology and technology-enabled services businesses, including artificial intelligence, genomics, data analytics and informatics. HCC was formed by a team of experienced healthcare investors and operators seeking profitable investment opportunities, while at the same time seeking to improve the human condition and promote value-based care. For more information, please visit www.healthcatalystcapital.com. SOURCE Holmusk

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's third tranche of announcements of the mega Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus reiterated the Modi government's commitment towards the agriculture sector and highlighted its intent to rehabilitate the country's farmers, following the COVID-19 crisis.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman on May 15 announced 11 measures to boost the sector, ranging from the amendment of Essential Commodities Act to a Rs 1 lakh crore fund to boost agriculture infrastructure.

"The government will amend the Essential Commodities Act to enable better price realisation for farmers. Agriculture products, including cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, and potatoes to be de-regulated," said Sitharaman.

Experts give thumbs up

The announcements were welcomed by analysts and experts and they said that these steps are long-term positives.

"The announcements made by the government so far have addressed the key concerns of the MSME sector, migrant labourers, farmers, the marginalized, which is indeed the need of the hour, apart from enhancing the liquidity flow in the system," said Aamar Deo Singh, Head Advisory, Angel Broking.

VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said support to agriculture is support to 50 percent of India's workforce and thereby relief to 50 percent of India's households.

"The third tranche of FM's announcements is welcome, even though the financial outlay for this package also is limited. The proposed central law giving farmers the freedom to sell in markets of their choice is a long pending reform and is eminently desirable. Allowing e-trade in agri produce and measures to increase the availability of farming technology are welcome measures," said Vijayakumar.

On similar lines, B Gopkumar, MD & CEO, Axis Securities said the announcements pertaining to the agriculture sector and fisheries are intended to strengthen the value chain and infrastructure.

"The government's thinking is long-term in improving the economic fundamentals in providing key support which can improve the supply chain, reduce wastage, and better price realisations. This will help in the creation of employment and lead to long term demand creation," Gopkumar said.

"We do not foresee any major immediate benefits of the measures announced but the long-term thinking of the government is clear. The impact on equity markets of today's announcements is likely to be limited as benefits are back-ended.

Stocks to be in focus

Vikas Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities said the third tranche of reforms are focused on agriculture and essential commodities act to be amended. It could benefit some agri-related stocks but the bigger trigger and benefits for consumers and companies are missing.

Prashanth Tapse, AVP Research at Mehta Equities said Avanti Feeds, Apex Frozen and Waterbase would be in action after FM Nirmala Sitharamans announced the third phase of a package worth Rs 20,000 cr for fishermen through PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.

"On the trading page, charts suggest Avanti Feeds can test Rs 450-460 levels in the coming week on the back of FM support to space. We advise momentum traders to buy the stock on the FM measures with stop loss near Rs 414," Tapse said.

Ajit Mishra, VP- Research at Religare Broking said the measures for the agriculture sector could be beneficial to companies like fertilizer and crop protection companies like Rallis India, Coromandel International, Godrej Agrovet and Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers.

"In animal husbandry, the creation of an infrastructure fund of Rs 15000cr will facilitate private investment in dairy processing, improving cattle feed infrastructure as well as improve the health of animals. Further, incentives will be given for establishing plants for the export of niche products. This may benefit companies present in dairy and cattle feed businesses such as Godrej Agrovet, Hatsun Agro, Heritage Foods," Mishra said.

For fisheries, the government has allocated Rs 20,000 cr for aquaculture and infrastructure under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana which will help in filling critical gaps in the fisheries value chain. Also, it would benefit fishermen in getting financial support as well as increase production.

Mishra said from these initiatives, stocks like Avanti feeds and Apex frozen would benefit.

"Given the volatility in markets, from the above-mentioned stocks, we would recommend investors to buy Coromandel International, Godrej Agrovet and Rallis India at current levels and on further dips," said Mishra.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
By Wyatt Massey | Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn (TNS)

An employee at a local software company was terminated after a social media firestorm identified him as the person who posted a racist meme showing former president Barack Obama with a noose around his neck.

Screenshots shared on social media this weekend allege that the image was posted by Gary Casper, identified as vice president for information technology at Chattanooga-based Transcard.

Images of Casper's apparent posting were widely shared on social media. Casper's Facebook page was taken down or made unsearchable so the Times Free Press could not independently verify the post.

The picture of Obama, the first African American president in U.S. history, includes the caption "#PayPerView." Casper's Facebook profile listed his position as vice president of IT at the software company, as well as previous IT roles at US Xpress, according to the screen grabs. Threatening to harm or kill a former president is considered a felony with a penalty of up to five years in prison.

On Sunday afternoon, Transcard president Chris Fuller emailed the Times Free Press saying the company does not allow its employees to make political statements on social media.

"As soon as Transcard realized that an employee was utilizing social media to engage in political speech, it took immediate action to terminate its relationship with such person," Fuller wrote in the email.

Earlier on Sunday, Transcard posted to Facebook that "views reflected in posts made by individuals do not reflect the views or values of Transcard."

The Transcard Facebook page where the announcement was posted has been largely inactive, but is the one linked from the company's web page. Other employees' social media accounts, including the Twitter pages of Transcard's CEO and president, also appear to have been recently deleted. So has the company's main Twitter account.

Earlier attempts by phone to reach Transcard were unsuccessful because the company's telephone system was "temporarily unavailable," according to the recorded message.

The third-party payment account software company has promoted young professionals events in the city and was the first sponsor of the Chattanooga Red Wolves. In 2018, the company was expanding from 60 employees to between 90 and 100, and had around 1,800 clients, according to Times Free Press reporting at the time.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 12:10:00|Editor: huaxia

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VILNIUS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A China-Europe freight train from Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, arrived on Saturday in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, the China Post Group Co., Ltd said on Monday.

Departing on May 4 from Yiwu, known as the world's leading small commodities market, the postal service train carried 100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) loaded with 353.77 tons of international mail from Shanghai and four other Chinese provinces.

These international parcels will be transferred later to 36 European countries, including Spain, Denmark, Switzerland and France.

Following the successful operation of this train, the postal rail service from Yiwu to Vilnius will run at the frequency of one train per week in the future.

Back in mid-April, the first train of a new postal rail service to Europe arrived in Vilnius, loaded with much-needed medical supplies and 42 TEUs of international parcels.

Launched by southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and the first of its kind to Lithuania, the rail service aimed to meet the rising demand for international parcel delivery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
- The Bank of Ghana has given GHC10 billion to the government to help close Ghana's fiscal gap

- The support was paused after Ghana entered into an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

- It was, however, resumed after the outbreak of the coronavirus led to a widening of the budget deficit from 4.7% to 7.8% of Gross Domestic Product

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The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has reportedly supported the government with GHC10 billion to help close Ghanas deficit gap.

YEN.com.gh understands that the Central Bank halted support for the government after Ghana entered into an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It, however, resumed after the outbreak of the coronavirus led to a widening of the budget deficit from 4.7% to 7.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

READ ALSO: Report shows Ghanaians are losing interest in foreign accounts due to cedi's strength

Per a report by Business and Financial Times, a provisional Quarter One report on the economy published by the BoG shows the deficit has stretched to 3.4% from a target of 1.9% of GDP.

This was traced to shortfalls in tax revenues from international trade, taxes on goods and services, and spending on some unbudgeted COVID-19-related expenditure.

The Governor of BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison, explained that the emergency funding provisions were triggered in line with Section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act 2002 (Act 612) to purchase a government of Ghana COVID-19 relief bond with a face value of GH5.5billion at the monetary policy rate with a 10-year tenure and a moratorium of 2 years.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is reported to have stated that the the deficit will increase from the programmed GH18.9 billion to GH30.2 billion, the variance equivalent to 2.9% of GDP.

The primary balance will also worsen from a surplus of GH2.8 billion to a deficit of GH5.6 billion, representing 1.4% of GDP, he added.

Meanwhile, a new report from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) shows that Ghanas debt stock increased by GHC16.9 billion between January and March 2020.

The 2020 Quarter 1 results were part of a Summary of Economic and Financial Data released by the Central Bank.

The Report shows that Ghana's total debt stock as of March 2020 was GHC236.1 billion, which is 59.3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

READ ALSO: Ghana's economy could not withstand partial lockdown beyond 3 weeks - Ofori-Atta

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Five more people tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur on Monday, taking the total in the district to 15.

There are 11 active cases in the district while three patients have recovered and one died recently at Nerchowk in Mandi, officials said.

Three fresh cases are from Sujanpur subdivision, whereas two are from Nadaun subdivision, Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harikesh Meena said.

The DC said those found positive from Nadaun subdivision include a 60-year-old man, who returned from Mumbai on May 12, from Booni village and 50-year-old man from Khungan village.

Similarly, those found positive from Sujanpur revenue subdivision are a 54-year-old man from Gwarroo village, 20-year-old youth and 47-year-old woman from Rehroo Pathar village.

The other four people found positive returned from Mumbai on May 14.

They were already put under institutional or home quarantine and had recently returned in taxis. One of them from Gwaroo village is a taxi driver.

Meanwhile, the DC has directed the concerned sub-divisional magistrate to seal the concerned areas and take complete stock of the situation arising out of the sudden rise in the COVID-19 cases in the district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Beijing plans to conditionally ease epidemic prevention and control restrictions over its 682 nursing homes from Monday.

The institutions, with some 48,000 senior citizens who remained in residence during the Spring Festival holiday, have reported zero infections of COVID-19 since Jan. 27 when Beijing closed off nursing homes amid the severe challenge from the novel coronavirus.

Starting from May 18, family visitors, returning and newly admitted senior citizens, returning and new employees, and medical and maintenance personnel are among those who will be allowed to enter the nursing homes after going through relevant procedures and ensuring adequate protection, according to Li Hongbing, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, at a press conference held on Sunday.

Li said returning residents and applicants will have to take at least two nucleic acid tests before and after 14 days of isolation and medical observation.

To cope with the impact of the COVID-19, Beijing will allocate 100 million yuan (about 14.1 million U.S. dollars) to support the operation of elderly service institutions, he said.

Aside from the current operation subsidy, known as "bed subsidy" which is 100 yuan for each person admitted, Beijing municipal government will subsidize 500 yuan per person per month according to the number of senior citizens actually admitted to the nursing homes during the epidemic.

About 40 percent of the subsidy will be earmarked for professional nursing homes, the rest goes to sub-elderly service institutions in urban and rural communities.

The subsidy covers the February-April period. Further decision will be made according to the epidemic prevention and control situation in Beijing.

The population of registered residents aged 60 or above in Beijing was 3.52 million by the end of 2019.
The suspects, Edward Asante alias Agya Amadu, 47 and Razack Ibrahim, 32, whose pleas were not taken will re-appear in court on May 27.

Prosecuting, Inspector Gilbert Ayongo, told the Court presided over by Mr Abdul Majeed Illiasu that the suspects were arrested by the Assin Fosu Divisional Police Patrol Team upon a tip-off.

The police immediately moved to the community and arrested them after quantities of compressed dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, scissors and a knife were found in their room.

---GNA
Royal Mail Group (RMG) have offloaded their expensively procured CEO Rico Back, after only two years in the job.

Removed in a boardroom coup, Backs final pay-off will be close to 1 million pounds [$US1.21 million]. He will receive nine monthly payments totalling 480,000, and Royal Mail will provide up to 50,000 towards his legal fees and a maximum 25,000 towards outplacement support on top of unannounced remunerations. Most sickening of all, he will keep his 5.8 million golden hello payment received when he first took up the role of CEO.

While the sacking has caught many by surprise, it is the result of RMGs prolonged failure to implement the draconian new working practicesof the kind associated with rivals like Amazondemanded by the companys shareholders.

Royal Mail van, outside the Axminster post office (Image Credit: Wikipedia/Felix O)

Back was parachuted into the company in 2018 tasked with this mission, having previously earned a reputation for brutal labour relations at Royal Mails European subsidiary, General Logistics Systems (GLS).

During his two years at the head of Royal Mail, however, the companys stock price has fallen by 66 percent, involving RMG losing its prized FTSE 100 status.

Back could not ram through a 1.8 billion modernisation programme designed to shift the companys focus towards delivering parcels and offset a catastrophic decline in letter volumes during the COVID-19 lockdown. From the end of March to the beginning of May, 308 million fewer addressed letters were sent, a decrease of 33 percent. In April alone, RMG suffered a 22 million fall in turnover.

Until a temporary agreement to end Saturday deliveries was reached this month with the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Back was also unable to do away with the Universal Service Obligationguaranteeing six-days-a-week deliveryas a step towards increasing the exploitation of the workforce.

His efforts were sabotaged by his own brutish rhetoric and brazen displays of oligarchical arrogance and selfishness, which generated a massive level of opposition among postal workers. The coronavirus crisis stretched these tensions past breaking point and made him a liability to RMGs shareholders. While Royal Mail workers were forced to stay on the job in unsafe conditions throughout the lockdown, the company CEO was working from home in his 2.3 million penthouse in Switzerland. He refused to announce executive pay cuts during the pandemic and only belatedly cancelled executive bonuses.

Backs sacking has been met with understandable satisfaction by postal workers. However, it would be a fatal mistake to believe that RMG will halt its planned attacks on pay and working conditions. As The Who sang in Wont Get Fooled Again, Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

New CEO Keith Williams has been chosen by RMGs board for precisely the same purpose as Backto rapidly grow shareholders profits through an increased exploitation of the workforce. He has already promised an accelerated pace of change across the business.

Where he differs from Back is in his methods. He will rely more on the CWU to push through the attacks on postal workers, which Back failed to impose through a direct confrontation with postal workers.

Williams was credited with solving British Airways (BA) two-year dispute with cabin crews in 2011. The event is instructive. In 2009, BA had made 1,700 cabin crew redundant, provoking a strike. In response, the company victimised several striking employees and removed travel concessions from thousands of others. The outrage this produced created an intractable dispute that cost BA more than 150 million.

Williams was appointed CEO and promised to reverse these punitive measures in return for the Unite union calling an end to the strike. The 1,700 jobs originally lost did not return. A few years later, Unite rewarded BA by pushing through a concessions dealincluding surrender of hundreds of millions of pounds in pensionsto boost the companys ailing profits.

In contrast to Backs bulldozing demands, Williams MO is to avoid open provocations, to give unions the space to manage the extraction of concessions.

This process has begun to take shape at Royal Mail. Michael Hewson, chief analyst at CMC Markets UK, noted, The hope is that any new CEO will be able to work more collaboratively with the unions to make the changes that are needed to improve the competitiveness of a company, which lags behind most of its peers.

In a joint statement, RMG and the CWU announced a one-off payment of 200 for workers who have worked throughout the pandemic. Many postal workers have expressed their contempt at such a paltry figure on the CWUs Facebook page.

But while workers remain sceptical, the union is cock-a-hoop. Instead of sidelining the CWU, Back has proved that attacks on the workforce can only be implemented with their help. The bureaucracy sees Williams appointment as an opportunity to return to the close relations it enjoyed with RMG in the past, which saw concession after concession imposed on Royal Mail workers through company-union agreements.

The CWU were just as happy to accept this position with Back at the helm, with General Secretary Dave Ward cheering his offer of discussions to start talking about a framework for negotiations to resolve the overall dispute that weve got with Royal Mail earlier this month.

Over the past two years, the union has done everything in its power to prevent a confrontation between postal workers and Royal Mail and make such an arrangement possibleusing their members ballot solely to secure their seat at the companys table.

This was the perspective put forward in an online CWU meeting responding to Backs resignation. Deputy General Secretary Terry Pullinger told members, We didnt ballot to go on strike. We balloted for our right that weve earned to negotiate the future of this industry.

Back had inherited a company that had a good agreement in place  that was building a relationship with the trade union and rather than just keep that going he wanted to impose his new ideas and a lot of that was without this trade union.

With his departure, Pullinger continued, the union is in a strong position to work with the board, with whoever the new people are.

Pullinger and Ward implored them: work with us, weve got the ideas, weve always dealt with change and cynically thanked CWU members for having given us a platform to discuss new strategies with management.

Rather than the self-congratulations of the CWU, postal workers should take heed of the financial elites verdict on recent events. Since Back left, Royal Mails share price has increased 7.5 percent. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who bought a 5 percent stake in the company early this month to become its fourth largest shareholder, has increased his position. He and his fellow oligarchs have seen this one beforeanticipating that management and the union have got their act together and are preparing a profitable assault on workers conditions.

Backs departure does not mark an end to the struggle at Royal Mail, but the beginning of a new offensive of which the CWUs discussions form a crucial, dangerous part.

As the WSWS wrote two weeks ago: What matters now is how workers at Royal Mail go forward in fighting for their interests. The strike they voted for should be organised now. Its demands must be a permanent end to all attacks on jobs and conditions, the return of pay and pensions lost in previous union sellouts, and the immediate implementation of the safest working environment for those in work and financial security for those required to self-isolate. This struggle must be organised by rank-and-file committees of trusted workers, independent of the union bureaucracy.
(Natural News) A recent study by researchers from the University of Manchester has found that nearly one in every 20 patients who receive medical care are exposed to some kind of preventable harm.

The study, published in the journal BMJ, noted that in 12 percent of the cases, the preventable harm was so severe, it resulted in permanent disability or even death.

According to the nonprofit Institute for Healthcare Improvement, medical harm is the unintended physical injury resulting from or contributed to by medical care (including the absence of indicated medical treatment) that requires additional monitoring, treatment or hospitalization, or that results in death.

Researchers examined data from 66 previously published studies that reported 70 independent samples and included a pooled sample of 337,025 patients. In particular, the review looked at studies published within the past 19 years. The team found that over half of the harmful incidents they identified in the sample were, in fact, preventable. (Related: Medical nightmare: Woman left unable to function and in excruciating pain after botched surgery, then has her memories wiped by the pain meds.)

Our findings affirm that preventable patient harm is a serious problem across medical care settings, the authors concluded in their report.

The authors also point out that the burden on health systems caused by disabilities and deaths resulting from medical harm is comparable to chronic diseases like cervical cancer and multiple sclerosis in developed countries, or malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries.

Mitigating preventable medical harm a public health concern

A separate study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University revealed that medical errors account for 250,000 deaths each year in the United States. This makes it the third leading cause of death in the country, right after heart disease and cancer.

But other studies have even reported much higher figures, with some saying that actual deaths from medical errors can be as high as 440,000. Public health experts say that the discrepancy occurs as physicians, coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors do not list medical harm and system failures as causes of death.

The researchers believe that a majority of the medical errors that result in deaths are systemic problems. Some of these problems that need to be addressed include poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks and the absence or underuse of safety nets. A lack of accountability for the ways physicians practice medicine may also be a factor.

In the Manchester study, researchers also pointed out that medical errors can also be very costly. Hospitals across the United States spend an extra $9.3 billion each year due to extended hospital stays attributable to medical harm. Furthermore, the length of the excess hospital stays due to medical error amounts to an estimated 2.4 million hospital days.

Fortunately, patients may be able to take back control over what happens to them during hospital visits. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has listed 20 valuable tips patients can follow to prevent medical errors, which include the following.

If you are in a hospital, ask health care workers who will touch you if they have washed their hands.

If you are being discharged from the hospital, ask your primary physician to explain in detail the treatment plan you need to follow at home.

If you need surgery, make sure that you, your primary physician and your surgeon all agree on what is to be done.

If you need surgery, have it done in a hospital where many patients have had the procedure before.

If you have questions and concerns, know that it is your right to ask them.

Medicine.news has more studies on medical care in hospitals.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MinnPost.com

HealthcareValueHub.org

BMJ.com

CNBC.com

HopkinsMedicine.org

AHRQ.org
The Government today announced the mechanism for people engaged in technological research and development (R&D) co-operation-related activities in the Mainland, Macau or Taiwan to apply for exemption from the compulsory quarantine arrangement.

It said the Innovation & Technology Commission has started processing applications.

In accordance with the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation, the Chief Secretary may designate any person or category of people for exemption from quarantine if their travelling is necessary for purposes relating to manufacturing operations in the interest of Hong Kong's economic development.

The Chief Secretary has exempted up to two personnel of each eligible enterprise or institution who have to travel to the Mainland, Macau or Taiwan for conducting R&D-related activities, from the quarantine arrangement.

Eligible enterprises or institutions include the Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute, the Automotive Platforms & Application Systems Research & Development Centre, the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles & Apparel, the Logistics & Supply Chain MultiTech Research & Development Centre, and the Nano & Advanced Materials Institute, as well as a tenant, incubate, grantee, or occupant of the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation or Cyberport.

An exempted person must only travel for the purpose of conducting the technological R&D activities as approved, stay in the city in which the facilities with the approved technological R&D activities are located, and must take every precautionary measure to ensure personal hygiene and avoid unnecessary social contact.

After returning to Hong Kong, the exempted person will be subject to medical surveillance arranged by the Department of Health for a period of 14 days.

Currently, travellers to the Mainland and Macau would still be subject to the 14-day compulsory quarantine requirement imposed by Mainland authorities.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is discussing with Mainland and Macau authorities the mutual recognition of COVID-19 testing results conducted by recognised medical laboratories, with a view to exempting the quarantine requirement for Hong Kong travellers to the Mainland.
SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son.

The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibaba's executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy.

SoftBank will propose three new appointments to the board, including group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13.

SoftBank will also propose the election of Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of chip design software firm Cadence Design Systems who is also chairman of venture capital firm Walden International, and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School as outside directors. Kawamoto will become its only female board member.

That meets a demand from activist investor Elliott Management, which has pressed SoftBank to improve board diversity, and also wants a new subcommittee to oversee the investment process at the $100 billion Vision Fund.

The pressure comes as Son's top-down management style is under increased scrutiny with the fund expected to report its third consecutive quarterly operating loss later on Monday, plunging the group as a whole to a record loss.

The board is largely comprised of SoftBank insiders and confidants. It also includes Yasir al-Rumayyan, who heads the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that is the Vision Fund's biggest outside backer.

Ma's exit follows the departure of Tadashi Yanai, founder and CEO of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing , who resigned from the board late last year to focus on his fashion business.

Separately, SoftBank said the board had approve a second 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) tranche of share purchases, part of a 2.5 trillion yen buyback programme announced in March to prop up the group's share price as its tech bets flounder.

SoftBank has bought back more than 250 billion yen of its shares at the end of April. It has pledged to sell down or monetize $41 billion of assets to raise cash, with its stake in Alibaba - the portfolio's most valuable asset - seen as a likely target.
Last week, Rs 27 lakh was deposited in the bank account of a man who made a fervent appeal for help in a video, saying he had lost his job because of the Covid-19 lockdown and his family was near starvation.

Shabir Ahmad Shah, a 35-year-old from Vilgam village in Kupwara who now lives in rented accommodation in the old quarters of Srinagar, appeared in the video with his three young children and his wife. His appeal went viral on social media and people from different parts of Kashmir Valley deposited the money in his account within a day.

The very next day another video circulated on social media, in which a man, who identified himself as the head of a voluntary organisation, described Shahs appeal as fabricated and said several groups had already helped the family by providing food kits.

The man criticised Shah for fooling people and asked others to never directly donate money into the bank accounts of persons making such appeals. He also said Shah owned a vehicle.

The head of the voluntary organisation said people should instead give money to reputed NGOs. The person has lied. He was helped by various organisations. People should never trust these videos, said the man who declined to be named.

This is not a new phenomenon in Kashmir. Similar appeals have generated crores of rupees for people, mostly patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.

Not only Shah, but the people who posted or shared his video were criticised by many netizens, mostly those having a soft corner for NGOs or voluntarily organisations. Many people on social media described Shahs actions as a scam and sought action against him and others who made such emotional videos.

The matter even reached the court, when an advocate filed a complaint that prompted the chief judicial magistrate of Srinagar to order an investigation through the police station at Hawal.

In order to ascertain the truthfulness or otherwise, I deem it proper to get complaint investigated through SHO police station concerned u/s 202 CrPC, the courts order stated.

Javeed Ahmad, who works with a prominent NGO, said people shouldnt get emotional about such ploys to seek donations. Rather, people should leave this job to local groups which follow proper mechanisms and then make appeals, he said.

However, some people defended Shah and his family and described his appeal as genuine. When the NGOs saw a number of people helping him, it seems they got frustrated. Having debit of Rs 50000, staying at rented accommodation for months now, without work are good signs of being poor. Rest I believe public is best judge, Mir Suhail posted on social media, with picture of the family that was helped by people.
The Stunning Interior of Inveraray Castles State Dining Room Whats it like to eat dinner inside an 18th-century Scottish castle? Youre about to find out! Join host Julie Montagu for An American Aristocrats Guide to Great Estates: Inveraray Castle. This new series premieres Sunday at 9PM. https://bit.ly/2YKbD3Z Posted by Smithsonian Channel on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Travel plans on hold? You can visit Britains greatest castles from the comfort of your living room with the new series An American Aristocrats Guide to Great Estates, airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian. You can also watch it on fuboTV.

Join Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, to explore Great Britains most remarkable residences. Viewers get an all-access pass to aristocratic life behind the scenes, meeting the families who live in historic homes and learning that running a fairytale castle is often more about hard work than happily-ever-after.

Episode 1 takes Montague to Inveraray Castle, an 18th-century country house nestled beside a loch in the Scottish Highlands, and chats with the owners, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. Her visit also includes a stop at the annual Inveraray Highland Games and a turn at its most challenging event  tossing a giant tapered pole known as a caber.

What channel is Smithsonian on?

You can find which channel Smithsonian is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

Where can I watch An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates if I dont have cable?

You can watch it on fuboTV (7-day free trial), a streaming service that offers you access to your favorite TV shows, live sports events and much more. Theres a 7-day free trial when you sign up.
Oman Air will be operating a special flight from London for citizens who wish to return to the sultanate.

According to a statement released by the national carrier, the flight - which will be operated from London Heathrow to Muscat on May 18 - will be open to Omani nationals only.

"Those who wish to travel on this flight should contact Oman Air's sales office at [email protected] Please be informed that Oman Air will operate from the terminal with immediate effect until further notice," the carrier said in the statement.

Only passengers will be allowed to enter the building, wearing of face mask is mandatory and social distancing regulations apply, it said.
Because of the coronavirus, the bureau has pushed back its deadline for completing the 2020 count from the end of July to the end of October.

The census impacts so much of everyday life, especially emergency situations like coronavirus, Gregg said. The delay gives us an opportunity to drive up Iowas initial response rate.

Mandated by the Constitution, the decennial census is used to determine how many seats each state will get in the U.S. House of Representatives. Iowa is expected to retain its four congressional seats. The number also is used to apportion funding for numerous federal programs.

In Iowa, thats about $9 billion in federal funds channeled through various programs, including food stamps and housing programs, Gregg said.

While praising Iowans response, Maureen Schriner of the Census Bureau reminded the committee that the third of Iowans left to count will be the hardest to reach. Including them in the count will take the participation of census partners, such as cities and various non-governmental organizations.
A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that vaccination must be combined with nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) to achieve rapid and effective control of the ongoing pandemic.

The appearance of the novel coronavirus infection COVID-19 in the USA poses a huge public health burden as well as severe economic hardship. The decline in productivity and health has already led to an unemployment rate causing a decrease in both human and economic productivity (translating to about 30% unemployment and a predicted decrease in GDP by 50% within a few months).

As of now, the lack of a vaccine or effective drugs against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the use of NPIs, including physical distancing, regular and effective handwashing, wearing face masks outside the home and contact tracing, in addition to self-isolation and the quarantine of suspected COVID-19 cases.

NEW YORK - APRIL 01, 2020: An EMS worker outside of a Mount Sinai ambulance in Tribeca, New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: Jennifer M. Mason / Shutterstock

The Vaccine Race

Multiple pharmaceutical companies and researchers are frantically working on a safe and inexpensive vaccine, which usually takes a decade or more. However, some researchers are trying to speed up vaccine studies and trials, such as fast-tracking the vaccine development against the virus.

Many agencies have already begun trials at some phase, to prove the efficacy of the vaccine molecule. The candidate vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University is currently in early trials. If all goes well, they hope the first few million doses will be on the market by September 2020.

Others have not been slow to follow. The current study by researchers at Arizona State University and University of Florida aims at filling the gap for the development and use of a mathematical model to evaluate what effect a vaccine would have on the disease.

The Effect of Social Distancing

The researchers simulated the first situation without either vaccination or public mask use. This is used to measure the impact of physical distancing measures when the latter is the only intervention used at the community level. This shows a significant reduction in the number of new cases from a projected 120,000 to about 64,000 with social distancing.

Vaccines are also not suitable for some groups:

Too young or with weak immunity

Too old, or another medical condition, or unwilling for traditional or religious reasons.

The Vaccination Percentage for Herd Immunity

The researchers then ask for the least percentage of the population that must be vaccinated to protect themselves and others from severe or critical diseases. This also includes those of advanced age or who opt out for cultural, traditional, or religious reasons.

The result will hopefully be herd immunity  when enough members of a community are infected and recover, the viral transmission is blocked so that non-immune individuals are also protected against the disease. The best way to achieve herd immunity is vaccination.

The researchers found that, according to their analysis, effective pandemic control in the U.S. is possible if vaccination over 90% is achieved. This refers to the use of a suboptimal vaccine with a protection rate of 80%. The use of masks as well by just half of Americans markedly reduces the percentage required to be vaccinated to 78%.

Combination of Vaccination with NPIs

The increase in vaccination rates from baseline will be small (about 10%) in states like Florida or New York but quite large in the USA as a whole. Nationwide prospects of viral elimination using the hypothetical imperfect vaccine are small due to the very high coverage required.

However, the study shows that COVID-19 elimination (measured in terms of bringing Rc (the control reproduction number) to a value less than unity) is feasible even if social-distancing is implemented at a low level of effectiveness.

With low and moderate effectiveness of social distancing, vaccination of at least 80% and 67% respectively will lead to the elimination of the virus in the U.S. According to the simulations, say the researchers, elimination of COVID-19 using a vaccine is greatly enhanced if the vaccination program is complemented with another public health intervention at moderate to high effectiveness. This could be mask use in public or continued social distancing.

Again, vaccine coverage of 90% or more of the whole U.S. population is needful for herd immunity. This may be unrealistic since sufficient vaccine doses are expected to be unavailable at the beginning, many people are indifferent about the vaccine, and a significant number of people cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

This lends urgency to the task of complementing vaccination with a meaningful public health intervention by universal mask use in public. With higher vaccination rates, the daily and the overall number of deaths due to COVID-19 will fall.

Effect of Social Distancing and Public Mask Use

For example, we showed that for low, moderate, and high effective social distancing, in New York, vaccination of 80%, 67% and 61%, or more, can lead to virus elimination provided social distancing is also enforced at high or moderate levels.

They also simulated the effect at the population level of combining the vaccination strategy with a public mask use strategy. They found a reduction in the value of the reproduction number Rc) as vaccine effectiveness and mask use increases  with just a 10% use of masks in public. The use of a vaccine with only 80% efficacy, vaccine coverage of 90% can eliminate the virus from the whole population.

As mask use increases to 30% or 50%, vaccine coverage of 86% and 82%, respectively, will still lead to viral elimination. The required coverage for New York State and Florida will be lower, according to this model, at around 82% to 71% vaccination for mask use of 10% and 50%, respectively.

In summary, this study shows that COVID-19 in the states of New York and Florida, as well as the entire U.S., can be eliminated even with an imperfectly effective vaccine. However, the use of other public health measures to limit community spread will significantly increase the success of virus control.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in Bay Area hospitals has dropped by more than half since its peak more than a month ago.

According to state data reviewed by The Chronicle, total hospitalizations across the nine Bay Area counties dipped to 230 on Sunday, May 17, a 51% decline from the record 471 reported on April 7.

The data milestone comes as counties begin to take divergent paths on reopening their economies. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California will relax its criteria for counties that want to reopen faster than the state. The framework includes showing that their hospitalization rates remain stable and the number of coronavirus patients has not increased by more than 5% over the past seven days. Smaller counties must not have had more than 20 patients on any given day for at least two weeks.

San Francisco County reported 40 hospital cases, down 52% in a two-week period. Santa Clara County also saw a significant decline, down 51%.

Not all counties reported lower hospitalizations compared with two weeks ago, though all are showing signs of remaining stable as required by the states new relaxed guidelines. Alameda County reported 74 patients in hospitals, nearly even with the level reported two weeks ago. Solano logged 17, up from 14 the previous day and from 15 two weeks ago.

Sonoma County, which is seeking early advancement to Phase 2 in Californias coronavirus reopening plan, reported five patients hospitalized, compared to the three hospitalizations it reported two weeks ago. Napa, also seeking an earlier reopening, has reported one hospitalization for seven days running.

The nine counties reported 106 confirmed intensive care patients, a drop of 50% from April 7.

Six Bay Area counties  Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara  share a list of indicators to reopen, including hospital capacity. For at least a week, no more than 50% of patients in staffed hospital beds not added as part of pandemic-surge planning can be coronavirus-positive. All six counties are currently meeting that benchmark.

Here is the hospitalization data per county, as of Sunday, with intensive care unit figures in parenthesis:

Alameda County - 74 (38)

Contra Costa County - 16 (9)

Marin County - 1 (0)

Napa County - 1 (1)

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

San Francisco County - 40 (18)

San Mateo County - 32 (9)

Santa Clara County - 44 (19)

Solano County - 17 (9)

Sonoma County - 5 (3)

See more data on coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker and follow our live updates here.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang
The coronavirus pandemic is wrecking havoc for months now. With businesses closed across the globe, the magnitude of the damage is unprecedented. Moreover, there has been a massive impact on the supply chain across the globe.

The pandemic-led lockdowns have forced people to stay and work from home. This in turn has given rise to new trends like remote working, accelerating technological development. In fact, businesses now need to relook at staff compensation, with majority offering productivity from home. In several countries, governments are also making changes in policies to help both employees and employers to get through such trying times.

The new normal has altered several businesses, and here are a few emerging trends we would like to discuss

Dine-at-Home is the New Dine-Out

With coronavirus being highly communicable, social-distancing guidelines have been introduced, leading to closure of restaurants and dine-out facilities.

Many restaurants have not been generating any revenue for months now and have been exploring alternate option sowing to slim chances of the virus dissipating anytime soon. Several chef-driven, fine dining restaurants, which earlier solely focused on providing customers a dining-in experience, are now planning to offer take-away and delivery services.

Similarly, many companies that provide ready-to-cook meals are now collaborating with renowned chefs and restaurants to deliver recipes and ingredients to customers doorstep. All in all, food delivery enterprises seem to be in a better position as dinning-in is the only option now. Here are two stocks that can make the most of this new normal 

Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. APRN operates a direct-to-consumer platform that delivers original recipes, and fresh and seasonal ingredients. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 23.7% against the Zacks Food - Miscellaneous industrys projected earnings decline of 1.7%.

Story continues

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved up9.7% over the past 60 days.Blue Apron carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Domino's Pizza, Inc. DPZ operates as a pizza delivery company. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 14.2% against the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industrys projected earnings decline of 28.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has climbed1.9% over the past 60 days.Domino's Pizza carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Physical to Digital Transition

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the extensive use of robots and AI. From delivery, healthcare to surveillance, robots and AI are now replacing people at warehouses, factories, stores and even for police patrol.

In fact, since the outbreak, there has been a significant rise in online grocery orders, for both convenience and safety. Even for businesses, all processes, starting from order processing to internal communication, and from supply chain management to client service, have being digitized.

The crisis has led to rapid acceleration in development of technologies in various spheres of businesses. In fact, some changes that would have taken several years in a normal scenario, have been implemented in just months. Here are two robotics companies that will enjoy a boom 

Accuray Incorporated ARAY designs, develops and sells radiosurgery and radiation therapy systems. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is more than 100% against the Zacks Medical - Instruments industrys projected earnings decline of 21.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved100% up over the past 90 days. Accuray carries a Zacks Rank #2.

AeroVironment, Inc. AVAV offers unmanned aircraft systems. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 1.7% against the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industrys projected earnings decline of 12%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has advanced8.6% over the past 90 days.

Cloud Computing Powering Remote Working

With millions under lockdown, cloud computing and storage seem to be part of every persons life. From video conferencing, gaming, shopping, remote project collaboration to online classes, everything is online these days.

Along with connecting employees who are working remotely, cloud computing offers storage, data backup, disaster recovery and archiving facilities. In fact, the cloud computing boom has pushed companies like Microsoft Corporation MSFT to venture into different regions across the world, building its first datacenters in Italy, Poland and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Tencent and Alibaba are offering a vast array of cloud computing services for free to researchers and scientists, designed to support research that includes diagnosis, testing and genome sequencing of COVID-19. These cloud computing tools are also designed to help businesses, medical institutions and governments fight the pandemic. Here are two cloud-computing stocks that are poised to grow with the new trend 

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.s CRWD Falcon is a cloud-native endpoint security platform that protects customers against all cyber-threats with the power of big data and AI. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 87.2% against the Zacks Internet - Software industrys projected earnings decline of more than 100%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved36.8% north over the past 60 days. CrowdStrike carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Microsofts Azure offers cloud computing services for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through data centers. Azure sales grew 59% in third-quarter fiscal 2020, while sales of Office 365 Commercial and Dynamic 365 climbed 25% and 47%, respectively. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 19.7% against the Zacks Computer - Software industrys projected earnings decline of 9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has climbed1.3% over the past 60 days. Microsoft carries a Zacks Rank #3.

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GLEN CARBON  As with Maryville and Edwardsville, Glen Carbon has no plans to follow Madison Countys alternate reopening guidelines that was approved Tuesday.

Mayor Robert Jackstadt put out a brief statement on the subject this week after Madison Countys Board of Health approved a different set of reopening guidelines.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued a series of executive orders imposing restrictions upon individuals and businesses in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID-19. Recently, Madison County has issued policies to be implemented that, in part, may at least conflict with the restrictions imposed by Pritzkers orders.

Pritzkers Reopen Illinois plan has five phases and is guided by public health metrics designed to provide a framework for reopening businesses, education and recreational activities in each phase.

As a municipality, Glen Carbon is without authority to overrule lawful orders, regulations, laws or ordinances of the State of Illinois or Madison County, Jackstadts statement continues. Many arguments are being presented challenging the lawful authority of Governor Pritzker and/or Madison County to enforce the actions they have taken. Some of the challenges to those actions question the wisdom or necessity of those actions in light of our current conditions.

As Mayor of Glen Carbon, it is not within my authority to rule on the wisdom or lawful authority of the actions taken by the governor or by the county. As a unit of local government, Glen Carbon officials are not in a position to offer advice or counsel to individuals or businesses who may question their respective rights and obligations in light of the actions taken by Pritzker or Madison County.

As mayor, I have instructed our village employees to focus on their traditional responsibilities to promote the health and welfare of our community. We will refrain from becoming the arbiter or enforcement authority with regard to the rights and obligations of individuals and businesses within our village as may be affected by the orders of Pritzker or the regulations of Madison County.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 13:38:37|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Voters have endorsed the Australian government's response to the coronavirus crisis, according to a local opinion poll.

The latest Newspoll, which was published by the Australian on Monday, revealed that the governing Coalition leads the Opposition Labor Party 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis compared to 50-50 in late April.

It marks a significant turnaround for the Coalition after trailing the Opposition 48-52 in the wake of the summer bushfire crisis.

The Newspoll surveyed 1,504 voters across the city and regional areas between from May 13 to May 16.

Despite almost 600,000 Australians losing their jobs in April, the poll found support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison's economic response to COVID-19, with confidence in the handling of the economic crisis rising to 60 percent from 47 percent in April.

The number of respondents worried about losing their job fell from 36 percent in April to 30 percent while confidence in the preparedness of the health system rose from 41 percent to 69 percent.

However, 51 percent of voters said contracting COVID-19 was still their biggest concern compared to 42 percent who said the their top concern was the growing public debt.

Morrison's approval rating has fallen two points to 66 percent and he maintained his strong position as the preferred prime minister, leading Labor leader Anthony Albanese 56-29.

Almost one year ago, Morrison and the Coalition defied most opinion poll projections and won re-election for a third term in government. Enditem
Pune The Pimpri-Chinchwad crime branch officials arrested a suspect for the murder of the Mahakali gang leader in the Punawale area of Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The arrested man has been identified as Adam, alias Gotya Mohammad Khan, 32, a resident of Somtane phata; while the deceased is Manoj Fulchand Dhakodiya, alias Dingrya, 30, a resident of Ambedkarnagar in Dehuroad. The arrested has a history of nine cases registered against him.

Dingryas body, with a wound on his head, was found on Sunday evening under the London bridge in Punawale. His wife lodged a complaint with the Wakad police station and a subsequent case under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code was registered.

Police naik Mohammad Gaus Nadaf received information about a possible suspect sleeping under a tree at a local cemetery, according to a statement by Unit 4 of Pimpri-Chinchwad police crime branch. The accused was found at the said spot and was arrested.

During interrogation, he revealed that the two were drinking near the spot where Dhakodiyas body was found. The arrested man also told the police that he got into a fight with the deceased and bludgeoned him with a rod.

The deceased was on a two-year externment period and was in Pimpri-Chinchwad in violation of the externment. He has a history of 11 serious cases against him and is the younger brother of Rajesh Dhakodiya, the previous leader of Mahakali gang. Rajesh was killed in a police encounter in 2011, according to crime branch officials.
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, an Austin-based spirits company is stepping up to help keep people safe and healthy.

Titos Handmade Vodka, which turned its attention to making hand sanitizer in March, announced on Thursday that it is donating funds for vaccine research, ventilator development and pandemic mapping.

On CHRON.COM: Titos Handmade Vodka to produce and distribute 24 tons of hand sanitizer

Everything we do at Titos is rooted in giving back to the communities we serve, and this pandemic is no exception, said director of global impact and research at Titos Handmade Vodka Dr. Sarah Everett.

Titos has donated a $1 million grant to Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center via the brands philanthropic arm, Love, Titos.

The grant will facilitate the research and development of a vaccine candidate.

Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor Dr. Peter Hotez, associate dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi and a team of researchers are working to repurpose the work they began in 2011 on a SARS vaccine. The goal is to protect against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the announcement.

Its an honor to work with Titos on this life-saving initiative, which we hope will ultimately lead to a vaccine for America, said Hotez. Our vision is that it would also advance as a low-cost global health vaccine, now that COVID-19 is racing through Latin American nations, such as Ecuador and Brazil, in addition to South Asia.

The collaboration will benefit Texass position as a leader in improving humanitys odds of success against COVID-19.

Our coronavirus vaccine is designed in Texas and tested in Texas with the utmost priority to ensure it is safe and effective, Bottazzi said. To now see that it will be supported by Texas-based Titos is a testament that our state will be recognized as being at the forefront of this pandemic, making a difference and reaching all populations locally and globally.

Titos is giving a financial boost to the development and production of ventilators.

In partnership with the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering, Dell Medical School and Texas Health Catalyst program, it will distribute 500 ventilators for immediate use in Central Texas.

The vodka company is also looking ahead.

Titos has committed to providing funding to the University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, which is working to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 as well as improve preparedness for subsequent pandemic threats.
SLPP takes early lead in campaign preparation; others await SC ruling View(s):

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led ruling alliance has gone into high gear to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Like during the presidential election in November last year, the partys office at Nelum Mawatha in Battaramulla is being geared. Charts are coming up on the walls and past poll records are being analysed. Discussions are under way on how the campaign should be run, taking into consideration the guidelines of health authorities to avoid large gatherings. Pocket meetings and media campaigns are being discussed.

The campaign this time, however, will not see the main man at the helm. Basil Rajapaksa, who has directed them in the past, is staying away because of his new position  Special Envoy to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. It is to be in the hands of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Though the Election Commission has set June 20 as the date for parliamentary elections, Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has declared that he was empowered to change the date. Commission sources said this was now a strong possibility. More so, with the Supreme Court set to hear fundamental rights petitions challenging the EC move to conduct polls. In view of the SC hearing these cases, the EC is to announce a new date. This is expected to be decided upon only after the court hearings are concluded.

The main opposition parties, including the United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balavegaya, are still to focus on their main campaign. They are awaiting the outcome of the SC ruling on a date for the election.

Talk of top officials travel plans

A top bureaucrat is making a bid to travel to a western country sparking speculation that he does not plan to return.

Diplomatic sources remained tight lipped over his request for a visa but others said it related to what are being described as serious threats.

Dhanapala quits CC

International diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala has resigned from the Constitutional Council.

He represented civil society at the CC and is quitting for health reasons, officials said. The name of a former Secretary General of Parliament has been informally recommended as a replacement.

Move to oust alliance leader over alleged secret deal

The Opposition alliance took root after a larger number joined its ranks to contest the impending parliamentary elections.

And now, believe it or not, a new crisis is brewing within. Insiders say that a formidable group, with backing from a few abroad, are making a bid to oust the leader. The group includes a onetime influential minister, among others.

The main allegation, denied by the leader to his confidants, is a so-called deal he had worked out with those in power. They claim that the main accusation centres on matters personal.

The group now wants to foist another political leader, known for vying for many positions, and now remaining neutral.

Those who support the alliance leader say it was far too late now to oust him since nominations have been concluded and the parliamentary elections are pending. Hence, they argue his leadership was required. However, the group does not accept that position and say they would have to go ahead before any more loss of time.

However, as one witty among them said, anything is possible in Sri Lankan politics except to change a man to woman or vice versa. Little wonder, the talking point in the alliance now is about this so-called deal.

Cooking the votes Wimal style

With various discussions regarding elections and the manner in which the polls should be conducted in times of a pandemic, Minister Wimal Weerawansa has come out with a new idea.

During a programme with a state-run TV channel this week, he spoke of an invention where ballot papers in a ballot box could be placed in a special basket and thereafter heated for 20 minutes at a certain temperature at which the virus can be destroyed.

We dont have to do it to all ballot papers. We only need to use the device to heat ballot papers at polling stations in areas where COVID-19 is prevalent, the minister said.

Many asked whether Mr Weerawansa was proposing to cook ballot papers. Some wondered how much the device would cost, while others wanted to know if it could also be used to cook various types of food. Even Opposition politicians joined in.

There was no word whether the EC had reached out to the Minister regarding the invention he claimed to know about.

New envoys present credentials in virtual ceremony

The global pandemic coronavirus forced countries and institutions around the world to adopt new methods to carry out their daily affairs as the new normal of wearing face masks, social distancing and limitations for civilian movement are to be in place for the foreseeable future.

Many of them switched to the digital space to utilise services such as video conferencing, webinars, sharing/editing documents online, avoiding physical presence in their work places.

This week, it became evident that the government too stepped in that direction with the first ever virtual official ceremony of new ambassadors presenting credentials to the President. It was done through video conferencing.

On Thursday, newly appointed Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, who arrived in the island last week with a consignment of medical supplies from India, presented his credentials through video conferencing from his office to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was at the Presidential Secretariat, located a few hundred metres away from the High Commission near Galle Face Green.

Two other envoys  Irans and Brazils new ambassadors  also presented their credentials through video conferencing.

SC petitions: Hoole goes his own way

All three Election Commission members have been forced to retain private lawyers to appear on their behalf in fundamental rights cases coming before the Supreme Court.

But one of them, S Rathnajeevan H Hoole, is said to retain his own counsel, while the other two are to be represented by two Presidents Counsel.

This came after the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court this week that he is not in a position to represent the Election Commission members in the cases where Commission members have been named as respondents.

This is not the first time Mr Hoole retained a private lawyer in the Supreme Court even though he is a member of an Independent Commission. In November 2018, he joined others in filing FR petitions challenging the dissolution of Parliament by former President Maithripala Sirisena while naming his two other colleagues in the Commission as respondents. He was represented then by Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hisbullah who was arrested last month by the Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) over the Easter Sunday 2019 attacks. The lawyers family has maintained that his arrest was arbitrary and illegal.

Home quarantine for Japanese embassy officials

SriLankan Airlines flight UL 455 arrived in Colombo on Friday from Japans Narita International Airport in Tokyo, with a complement of 234 Sri Lankans.

They were sent to different quarantine centres  Punani (77), Rajagiriya (109) and Negombo (44).

Four Japanese Embassy officials who also returned in the same flight have been allowed self-quarantine in their homes.

Another flight from Myanmar

bringing in Sri Lankans was expected yesterday.
Average lending rate reached 22.38% in April 2020, the lowest in more than 12 years, according to the Summary of Economic and Financial Data by the Bank of Ghana.

This is compared with 23.06% in January 2020, 23.37% in February 2020 and 23.40% in March 2020, respectively.

The reduction in average cost of borrowing to less than 23% could be described by many analysts and market watchers as a good sign going forward.

However, the major concern will be access to credit by consumers.

Interest charged by savings and loans companies as well as microfinance companies are expected to decline to reduce the default rate among borrowers.

The Bank of Ghana, in February this year, slashed its base lending rate (policy rate) by 150 basis points to 14.50%. It also introduced a number of measures, including the reduction in the primary reserves from 10% to 8% to enable it support the real sector of the economy amidst COVID-19.

Though it maintained the rate at 14.5% on Friday, the cost of borrowing has reduced slightly.

The move to reduce the base policy rate was to lessen credit to the private sector in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the March 2020 Banking Sector Report, the February 2020 credit conditions survey revealed that banks reported net-tightening in the overall credit stance on loans to enterprises, except SME loans, with the likelihood of further tightening two months ahead.

Prospects of further tightening for enterprises seems, however, to reflect banks response to the fallouts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Banks similarly expected net-tightening of the credit stance on loans to households in the outlook, even though the credit stance on household loans eased during the first two months of 2020.

The survey also pointed to a decline in the overall demand for credit by enterprises, emanating from all sub-components of loans except short-term loans.

--- classfmonline.com
One of the biggest debates is whether the theory of a parallel universe or multiverses is real with some people, including some experts, who believe it exists and the other group in disagreement.

Although it remains a mystery, it's a popular concept in films and TV series. Nevertheless, it may not be fiction anymore as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists themselves have found possible evidence of a parallel universe next to our own.

NASA's ANITA

In a report by the Daily Star, a cosmic ray detection experiment conducted by several NASA scientists found particles that might be from outside our own universe.

The group of experts was working with NASA's Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA). They used a giant balloon to haul the device high above Antarctica, where there is cold, dry air, which provides the excellent condition to use it as there is little to no radio noise that could distort its findings.

ANITA is an instrument that detects ultra-high energy cosmic-ray neutrinos.

These high-energy particles are a million times more powerful than anything we can create here on Earth, and these neutrinos have become a great interest to astrophysicists as they are the only ones that can reach Earth unattenuated.

Read Also: Comet SWAN Will be Brighter as it Approaches the Sun--Here's How to See it in the Sky

Finding Possible Evidence of a Parallel Universe

According to the news outlet, low-energy neutrinos can pass by our planet with no problem, barely interacting with anything.

Nevertheless, high-energy particles will be stopped by our planet's solid matter, which is why these high-energy particles are detected coming "down" from space.

However, the team's ANITA detected a tau neutrino or a heavier particle coming from "up" out of the Earth in 2016, which means that these particles are traveling back in time and could be evidence of a parallel universe.

The bizarre phenomenon was reported by the NASA scientists, led by Peter Gorham, an experimental particle physicist from the University of Hawaii, as well as the principal investigator of the ANITA.

Even the discovery of the tau neutrino happened by accident, as Gorham and his team decided to investigate signals that have been dismissed as noise in the first two flights of the device, as noted by New Scientist.

Read Also: Sun on Lockdown? Experts Fear Deep Minimum As We See 100-Day Record-Setting Slump

The Only Explanation

In an attempt to explain the strange happening, Gorham suggests that the particle changed into a different type before it passed through the Earth and then back again, which is the only way it could happen, but "not everyone was comfortable with the hypothesis."

It's extremely rare that it might only happen once, but the team has witnessed this phenomenon happen several times.

With that, the simplest and the most scientifically elegant explanation is linked to the parallel universe, wherein when the Big Bang happened, two universes were formed and that the other world runs in reverse.

In this mirror world, time runs backward.

Nevertheless, it's still a possibility that the results came from a bizarre error the ANITA made, but if it's not, it may finally prove the existence of parallel universes.

"We're left with the most exciting or most boring possibilities," said Ibrahim Safa, who also works on the experiment.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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By Bashir Mohammed Kano

A Chieftain of All Progressives Congress(APC) in Kano, Alhaji Ado Yellow Has described the Chairman Kumbotso Local Government Council of Kano State, Alhaji Kabiru Ado Panshekara as a politician of high integrity, whose impeccable leadership credentials are worth cherishing.

Reacting to a recent allegation levelled against the Council Chairman by the Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission , Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado that the former had allegedly diverted palliatives meant for distribution to people of his Council, Yellow stated that Panshekara is one whose hands are clean and would never commit such a dubious act.

According to him, with the remarkable degree of compassion, magnanimity and pity known about the Council Chairman, even his people can attest to the fact that he is trust worthy and can never go to any length to deprive his people of such a laudable gesture at the time they are in dire need of help in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic currently permeating the country.

Citing the recent remark credited to the Chairman of the Covid-19 appeal fund in the media, Prof.Muhammad Yahuza Bello , alluding that he was not aware of such an alleged diversion, the APC Chieftain maintained that such a pronouncement has clearly proven his innocence stressing that no responsible leader in a position of authority as his could ever tread such a path of dishonesty and sheer wickedness.

He called on politicians to comprehend the simple logic that in partisan politics, a politician of high calibre is always prone to baseless mischief as a subtle way of tarnishing his image at a certain time stressing that there is no way a politician can rise to stardom without being taken to the cleaners.
2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #20

Posted on 17 May 2020 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... El Nino/La Nina Update... Toon of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week...

Story of the Week...

The Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Finds Itself on Increasingly Thin Ice

Covid-19 is just one of many setbacks for hundreds of scientists pursuing critical climate questions in the worlds most remote and inhospitable environment.

In March 2019, at a crowded happy hour in Boulder, Colorado, I sat listening to Matt Shupe, an atmospheric scientist, describing his decades-long dream that was about to come true.

He was sprinting to finish the years of planning and preparations required to freeze an icebreaker into the Arctic Ocean ice as close to the North Pole as it could get. The vessel would drift with the ice for a year as a rotating cast of nearly 600 experts from 20 nations representing dozens of scientific disciplines spread out in research camps around the ship.

"It's kind of like a work of arta manifestation of something that was an idea at some point, and now it's actually real," Shupe told me of his Arctic daydream that had turned into a full-time obsession. "It was my life story for the last 10 or more years."

Even the name suggested an artwork. MOSAiCthe Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climatewould be the largest Arctic research expedition in history, a $155 million mission to observe how the rapidly warming Arctic and its fast diminishing sea ice are affecting the atmosphere high above the expedition, the water below it and the weather throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

The warming of the Arctic was driving some of the most profound changes to the world's climate. But the region's inaccessibility made it less understood by science than just about anywhere else on the planet.

MOSAiC, which launched last September, hopes to fill that gap with the most detailed study ever of the polar sea, its atmosphere and the pack ice that functions something like a giant eggshell over the top of the Earth to modulate interactions between them. And all of this would take place over an uninterrupted year and document every aspect of a single, sprawling raft of that ice.

"Capturing a full year is one of the essential aspects of the expedition," Shupe said. "We really need to capture that full cycle of the life of the ice."

Then, in Marchsix months into the expeditionthe coronavirus triggered calamity. Shupe, who had returned from MOSAiC last winter and wasn't due to return to the ship until the summer, was desperately trying to get back, hoping to keep the coronavirus and the rapidly melting Arctic from turning his dream expedition into a frozen nightmare.

The Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Finds Itself on Increasingly Thin Ice by Michael Kodas, InsideClimate News, May 17, 2020

El Nino/La Nina Update...

May 2020 ENSO update: road trip

ENSO-neutral conditions continue and are expected to remain through the fall. Lets hit the road (virtually) and take a trip around El Nino/Southern Oscillation land! Who needs Carhenge when you have the Walker circulation

...

Where are we headed next? Theres a 65% chance that ENSO-neutral conditions will last through the summer. As predicted, ocean surface temperature anomalies decreased through April and into May. Winds over the surface of the tropical Pacific, the trade winds, have been stronger over the past few weeks, helping to cool the surface. Also, an area of cooler water beneath the surface has expanded over the past weeks.

May 2020 ENSO update: road trip by Emily Becker, NOAA's Climate.gov, May 14, 2020

Toon of the Week...

Graphic of the Week...

The Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Finds Itself on Increasingly Thin Ice by Michael Kodas, InsideClimate News, May 17, 2020

Climate Feedback Article Review...

Article in Business Insider accurately describes results from a study estimating up to 3 billion people could live in much warmer temperatures by 2070

Article Analyzed: 3 billion people  up to half the current global population  could be living in unbearable heat in 50 years by Sarah Al-Arshani, Business Insider, May 5, 2020

Four scientists analysed the article and estimate its overall scientific credibility to be Neutral

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Accurate.

Article in Business Insider accurately describes results from a study estimating up to 3 billion people could live in much warmer temperatures by 2070 by Nikki Forrester, Climate Feedback, May 8, 2020

Coming Soon on SkS...

PETM climate warming 56 million years ago strongly tied to igneous activity Part 3 (Howard Lee)

(Howard Lee) COVID-19 Shows that Research Institutions Need Stronger Scientific Integrity Policies (CSLDF)

(CSLDF) SkS New Research for Week #20 (Doug Bostrom)

(Doug Bostrom) Michael Moore's Movie is Garbage (Friendly Jordies)

(Friendly Jordies) The Underground Solution To Climate Change (zentuoro)

(zentuoro) 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #21 (John Hartz)

Climate Feedback Claim Review...

Diesel cars are a major source of NO2 emissions in European cities, contrary to online claim

CLAIM: "The drop in NO2 content has only been slight. So it cannot be the evil diesel engine cars that are choking our cities."

VERDICT:

SOURCE: Holger Douglas, Tichys Einblick, 12 April 2020

KEY TAKE AWAY: Road transport accounts for almost half of nitrous oxide emissions in European cities, including Stuttgart, Germany. Scientific studies have shown that diesel-fueled vehicles are the primary source of nitrous oxide emissions from road transport in Europe.

Diesel cars are a major source of NO2 emissions in European cities, contrary to online claim, Edited by Nikki Forrester, Climate Feedback, May 2, 2020

SkS Week in Review...

Poster of the Week...
As part of our #LockdownLessons series, Bizcommunity is reaching out to South Africa's top industry players to share their experience of the current Covid-19 crisis, how their organisations are navigating these unusual times, where the challenges and opportunities lie, and their industry outlook for the near future.

Morag Evans, CEO at Databuild

What was your initial response to the crisis/lockdown and has your experience of it been different to what you expected?

Comment on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on your organisation or economy as a whole.

How is your organisation responding to the crisis?

Comment on the challenges and opportunities.

How has the lockdown affected your staff? / What temporary HR policies have you put in place regarding remote working, health & safety, etc.?

How are you navigating physical distancing while keeping your team close-knit and aligned?

How have you had to change the way you operate?

Any trends youve seen emerge as a result of the crisis?

Your key message to those in the sector?

What do you predict the next six months will be like?

We chatted to Morag Evans, CEO at Databuild, to get her take.As soon as President Ramaphosa declared a national disaster on 15 March, we made arrangements for our staff to work from home. We are fortunate that our systems enabled us to do this quickly and effectively, with minimal disruption to our business operations. Our staff adapted exceptionally well to the new working dynamic and productivity levels are as high, if not higher than before the lockdown commenced. One would expect productivity levels to drop when your employees are working from home, but we have found our staff to be more focused during this time, which has enhanced their productivity.The lockdown experience has been pretty much in line with our expectations, but as it continues indefinitely, we are becoming increasingly concerned about its long-term impact on the economy. The construction industry in particular was in the grips of a serious downswing before the outbreak of Covid-19 and many companies are now facing permanent closure.There has obviously been an impact on our business, but we are fortunate in that it has not been as harsh as that experienced by many others in our country. While we are only at the beginning of this pandemic and it is difficult to tell how things will progress, I am hopeful that the government will further ease lockdown restrictions soon to facilitate the reopening of the economy.The construction industry, with the assistance of government, has the potential to make a significant contribution to the economy and help reduce unemployment. Local cement manufacturers have been particularly hard hit over the past few years by cheap imports from countries such as China, Vietnam and Pakistan. Our country has numerous cement-producing plants which are more than capable of keeping up with local demand, but governments failure to stem the tide of Chinese imports has led to a steady decline in local manufacturing output, and negatively impacted the competitiveness of our local manufacturers. The current constraint on Chinas manufacturing output provides a golden opportunity for local manufacturers to reclaim the supply chain of these products as well as other locally produced materials.Communication is key during these times of physical distancing. We conduct daily online meetings with our team to stay in touch and ensure that we all make the most of the opportunities presented to us during the lockdown period.Another positive lockdown spin-off for Databuild has been the surge in demand for online training on our products. Again, our team has been very productive, and the time saved in driving to meetings has been well spent. One-on-one and group sessions are available and provide a good way to network with business associates safely.Lockdown has given everybody more time on their hands. Besides catching up with admin and other mundane tasks they were previously unable to get around to, now is the perfect opportunity for managers to contemplate new and innovative ways to add value to their organisation, from an employee and supplier perspective. We advocate that companies use this extra time to plan their post-lockdown strategy so that as soon as it is over, their staff will be able to hit the ground running.For example, our sales staff have not slowed down in building their pipeline, even going so far as to expand their reach to remote areas they had not previously explored. Of course, the added benefit is that being able to meet online with prospective clients eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming travel, so the return on these activities will be far more lucrative over the long term.Additionally, to facilitate interaction between the construction industry network and enable stakeholders to take advantage of everyones increased availability during lockdown, we have set up a communication hub which companies can use to keep one another informed on the remote facilities they have put in place within their own organisation. This will enable the relevant professionals to get in touch with them quickly and easily and make the most of opportunities presented to them.Lockdown will end eventually and our objective at Databuild is to place our clients in the strongest position to move forward when this happens.Our IT team has been critical in helping us sustain our business operations during lockdown. They quickly and patiently resolved any issues we encountered along the way, and worked extremely hard to tighten our network security and mitigate the risk of cyberattacks. We consider our staffs virtual health and safety to be just as important as their physical wellbeing and we have gone to great lengths to educate them on how to stay safe and secure while working remotely. Cyber criminals also use the dissemination of fake news to exploit our fears and we continue to stress the importance of verifying all sources of information before passing it on.We are particularly mindful that not all employees enjoy working from home, and some may find the virtual working environment stressful, especially if there are small children in the household. To mitigate this, we communicate regularly with our staff to ensure they are coping well in the new working dynamic. This includes providing as much information as possible to help alleviate the anxiety caused by the enforced confinement. We have also established guidelines and set goals so that employees understand exactly whats expected of them while working from home, especially when it comes to meeting deliverables and targets.Databuild has been operating online since 2005, so lockdown has not caused any disruption to how our clients utilise our products.When it comes to networking, we now host all our events online, including roundtable discussions with leading industry professionals about relevant issues, and informative webinars on topics geared to assisting clients with the challenges they are experiencing during the lockdown period. So far, the response has been extremely positive.We have noticed a definite increase in email communications and campaigns. In fact, our experience has been that people favour more frequent campaigns from businesses they are engaged with and want to hear from them on a weekly basis.That people are yearning for human interaction is evidenced from the notable surge in webinar attendance. Whether the topic is educational and informative, inspirational or a networking opportunity, people want to connect with other people, while learning something useful in the process.I foresee that most companies will continue to work remotely, even after lockdown has ended. The time and costs saved by eliminating travel cannot be ignored and Databuild will certainly be applying lessons learned during lockdown to how we manage our operations going forward.Covid-19 has afforded us the opportunity to press the reset button, as it were, which we can use to plan and implement change we may never have been able to put into effect prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. Consequently, managers time would be well spent reflecting on how their company can contribute to rebuilding the construction industry post lockdown so that its better off going forward.The move to level four lockdown has enabled cement and construction material manufacturers to reopen for business, while projects in areas of water, energy, sanitation, roads and bridges are back online. This presents a golden opportunity for local manufacturers to boost their output and prove once and for all that our countrys own suppliers are more than capable of keeping up with local demand and that there is no need to rely on other countries for these products. Not only will this go a long way towards helping vulnerable businesses stay operational and survive the current crisis, but it will also provide much-needed stimulus to our ailing economy.Time will reveal all the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the risk of sourcing from single suppliers cannot be ignored. It only serves to render the supply chain vulnerable in the event of a crisis such as the one we are currently experiencing.I also urge all South African contractors to support local manufacturers in the coming months. Now, more than ever before, local role players, including government, need to work together to uplift and expand our countrys construction industry.I think that we are in for a difficult time over the coming months. A lot depends on how quickly our industry will be allowed to return to work.While we all have to face the unfortunate reality that many businesses will not be able to survive the lockdown period, it is also inevitable that the crisis will serve as a catalyst for other companies to repurpose their business model so that they retain, or even enhance their competitiveness post lockdown. Furthermore, I believe the lockdown will lead to the emergence of new businesses specifically geared to meeting the new requirements of a post-pandemic economy.Economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic will be long and slow, but if South Africans stand together and timeously seize opportunities to strengthen local capabilities, we can turn it around.
New guidelines for places of worship in Massachusetts have been released but some religious leaders are erring on the side of caution until the pandemic is better controlled.

The Rev. Tim Schenck at the Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham told MassLive that regardless of the states advisory, his church will continue to conduct services online.

Im not going to turn my parishioners into, you know, proverbial canaries in the coal mine. Its just not worth it, said Schenck. We have a group thats monitoring all of this. Were looking at state guidelines were looking at diocesan guidelines and were looking at whats best.

Schenck has been proactive in setting up a task force to discuss what a reopening will be like not only for his church but the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Schenck told MassLive that Bishop Alan M. Gates of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts said that there will be no in-person worship for their congregations before July 1.

The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and faith leaders from across the commonwealth met with the Reopening Advisory Board on Tuesday to address matters of religious institutions reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking away the opportunity for people to worship together was one of the worst of all the decisions we had to make in all this, said Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday. I am expecting and anticipating based on the conversations the reopening advisory board had with communities of faith and weve had with communities of faith that people will be diligent and serious about making sure that what they do, in regard to reopening will work for them and for their congregation.

In a newsletter to parishioners, Schenck outlines the churchs plans for the future and the concerns over safety.

As of today, we have no timeframe for any return. We believe that the journey to herd immunity from the virus will be one of many months and we will be patient, states the newsletter.

Not all faith leaders have shown the same patience during the crisis. More than 250 religious leaders signed a letter to Baker asking services be allowed to resume.

The reopening of our churches must be in the first phase," the letter said. "It is upsetting that, unlike roughly half the states across our nation, churches in Massachusetts were not deemed essential at the outset, but this must come to an end.

At least one church defied the governors shutdown order. Kristopher Casey, pastor of Adams Square Baptist Church in Worcester, conducted services with more than 10 people in attendance, defying the ban on large groups amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Casey has said he felt it was important to stand with the Lord and that holding the service is a constitutional right.

A criminal complaint was filed in Worcester District Court on May 7 after the Adams Square Baptist Church in Worcester held its third service in defiance of the state order.

In phase one of the reopening plan, places of worship shall be limited to 40% of the buildings maximum permitted occupancy level and ensure that attendees and employees have access to handwashing facilities, including soap and running water.

Through our Boston representatives we have lobbied to have the forthcoming capacity mandate expressed in a percentage of a church, parish center or gyms current full capacity rather than a fixed number, states the Diocese of Springfields website. Given the worship space variances and Mass attendance numbers, every parish may need to take a different approach in complying with guidelines.

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FedEx and Microsoft announced a new multiyear collaboration to help transform commerce by combining the global digital and logistics network of FedEx with the power of Microsofts intelligent cloud. Together, FedEx and Microsoft aim to create opportunities for their customers through multiple joint offerings powered by Azure and Dynamics 365 that will use data and analytics solutions to reinvent the most critical aspects of the commerce experience and enable businesses to better compete in todays increasingly digital landscape.

Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO, FedEx, said, FedEx has been reimagining the supply chain since our first day of operation, and we are taking it to a new level with todays announcement. Together with Microsoft, we will combine the immense power of technology with the vast scale of our infrastructure to help revolutionize commerce and create a network for whats next for our customers.

This new strategic alliance represents a long-term commitment between the companies to fuel innovation, collaborate on product development and share subject-matter expertise. Today, FedEx networks link more than 99% of the worlds gross domestic product across 220 countries and territories, and Microsoft Azure is trusted by more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies. By combining the breadth and scale of the FedEx network and the Microsoft cloud, businesses will have an unprecedented level of control and insight into the global movement of goods.

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, said, Now more than ever, organizations are counting on an efficient and capable supply chain to remain competitive and open for business. Together with FedEx, we will apply the power of Azure, Dynamics 365 and their AI capabilities to this urgent need, building new commerce experiences that transform logistics for our mutual customers around the world.

Announcing FedEx Surround  driving digital illumination of the physical world

FedEx Surround, the first solution resulting from the FedEx and Microsoft collaboration, allows any business to enhance visibility into its supply chain by leveraging data to provide near-real-time analytics into shipment tracking, which will drive more precise logistics and inventory management. While most carriers are reactive to global logistics dynamics with limited visibility options built into a packages journey, FedEx Surround will provide near-real-time insights  down to the granular level of ZIP code, for example  to shine a digital light on the progress and movement of physical inventory.

The benefits offered by FedEx Surround will extend to any business with a supply chain and particularly those that depend on highly time-sensitive deliveries. For example, a hospital may urgently need a package to help save a life, or a part may need rapid transport to a manufacturing facility to avoid an operational shutdown. In each instance, the near-real-time data insights provided by FedEx Surround offer a significant advantage to not only the organizations using the platform but also the people they serve.

FedEx Surround can also collect multiple data points gathered through the enhanced scanning and proprietary IoT technology of FedEx and analyze them using Microsofts broad suite of AI, machine learning and analytics solutions. This will provide participating businesses with not only enhanced visibility of a packages location during its journey, but also knowledge of global commerce conditions and external challenges in near-real-time, such as severe weather or natural disasters, mechanical delays, clearance issues, and incorrect addresses. This unprecedented level of data-driven insight will give FedEx Surround customers the opportunity to intervene early and act to avoid logistical slowdowns before they occur to reduce friction and costs. And with every package that ships, FedEx Surround will analyze past trends to identify future opportunities for streamlined shipping, creating a stronger and more resilient commercial ecosystem.

Information regarding FedEx Surround availability will be shared beginning this summer, and customer access will be rolled out in the months ahead.

FedEx and Microsoft expect to announce additional solutions as part of their collaboration in the coming months, which will leverage even more Microsoft technologies, including Dynamics 365. This includes reimagining commerce experiences for businesses to offer consumers more integrated ways to shop, and faster and more efficient deliveries.
Insufficient intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators at American hospitals combating the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of capacity planning for critical systems. The desire to minimize empty ICU beds and unused ventilators during normal times has led to acute shortages during the pandemic. We should learn from this experience and not let poor capacity planning endanger our electricity supply, especially during a time of crisis. A December 2019 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) change achieves this goal and it should be supported.

Sufficient power generation capacity is key to reliability, and in thirteen states along with the District of Columbia the PJM system operator manages this capacity market. PJM ensures sufficient future capacity by levying a fee on ratepayers that is ultimately determined in an auction overseen by FERC. FERC changed the MOPR rule because the capacity auctions are now grossly distorted by state subsidies protecting uneconomic nuclear and coal electricity generators or promoting renewable power sources.

Currently, eleven states in PJMs territory have renewable energy mandates, three have nuclear subsidies, and at least four have coal subsidies. We are locked in a vicious cycle where multiple states try to out-Green each other, only to be followed by other states acting to protect non-renewables sources with their own subsidies. For example, in the early 2000s, Maryland, like many states, began requiring a certain percentage of electricity come from renewable energy, primarily wind and solar, even if the power is produced in a different state. Since the inception of its program, Maryland taxpayers have sent hundreds of millions of dollars to out-of-state power producers. The fact that these payments undermine its renewable program seems inconsequential; this is just what happens when states start handing out taxpayer money for over ambitious policy goals.

In addition to working at cross purposes and wasting taxpayer money, the subsidies in PJM have grown so large and ubiquitous that they can endanger future electricity reliability. Keeping uneconomic coal and nuclear resources operating and artificially lowering wind and solar production costs force truly competitive natural gas producers out of the market. These subsidies also mask and distort the real future price of electricity, and make it difficult to know what type, and how much, new power generation should be built. Once we emerge from the pandemic induced economic slowdown, valid price signals will be even more important for knowing what type and how much new power generation capacity is needed. Allowing the existing and increasing thicket of subsides to continue muddies our ability to use capital efficiently and makes the best choice for future capacity buildout harder.

In response to this subsidy morass, FERC revised the MOPR by expanding the rules applicability from selected natural gas power generators to most all power sources offered into the wholesale, future generation market, be it wind or solar, nuclear or coal, or natural gas. FERCs action would make it more difficult to use subsidies to win an auction and get its benefits, e.g., the direct PJM payment, and often lower project financing costs and easier facility site approval. With some minor exceptions, the revised FERC rule helps contain runaway subsidies by invalidating all equally.

Yet in light of the ruling, states  including Maryland  are considering leaving PJMs capacity market and instead creating a Fixed Resource Requirement (FRR). Under the FRR, power companies would be required to meet their capacity requirements by generating or purchasing electricity from companies within and outside of the state. The Independent Market Monitor (IMM) for PJM recently concluded that if Maryland went in the direction of an FRR, costs for consumers would rise by more than $200 million in the next auction. While FERCs ruling seeks to restore competition and deliver affordable and reliable power, Maryland state leaders are instead considering options that would place an unnecessary financial burden on its residents.

In the midst of an escalating Green subsidy race, CO2 emissions in the power sector have come down but mostly due to private decisions based on the economics of using natural gas, not distorting subsidies. If state legislators wants to take action to deal with climate change, they can take more efficacious measures such as spending the equivalent subsidy amounts on improving climate change resilience and working to back a national carbon tax. Such a tax would save us all a great deal of money and more efficiently reduce our emissions.

The COVID-19 virus has shown that shortsighted measures to limit capacity expansion in critical systems, or efforts to manipulate these systems for non-central policy goals, is dangerous. We should allow the FERC to reform the electricity capacity market and enable this market to serve its real purpose of providing reliable and affordable electricity to consumers.

Jonathan Chanis manages New Tide Asset Management, LLC, a Maryland-company investing in listed equities and commodities. He formerly taught at Columbia University and worked at several financial firms, including Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
By Richard Winton, Hailey Branson-Potts and Alex Wigglesworth | Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES  A criminal investigation is underway into an explosion in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday that injured 11 firefighters and left several buildings damaged, several law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times, and officials are looking at whether oils stored there might have sparked the blast.

The Los Angeles Police Department along with local fire investigators and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working together on the probe.

An initial investigation of the scene identified the business where a fire broke out as Smoke Tokes, a warehouse distributor with supplies for butane hash oil. The law enforcement sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, stressed that the probe is in its early stages and that its unclear if there was any criminal conduct.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. The owners of Smoke Tokes could not be reached for comment.

Nicholas Prange, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, said carbon dioxide and butane canisters were found inside the building but that it was still not clear what caused the blast.

We are in the early stages of an investigation. We are looking at every aspect at this stage. We havent determined a cause, LAPD Assistant Chief Horace Frank said. The explosion was massive and those firefighters are very lucky to be alive. Skill and awareness is the reason they were able to get out from an incredibly dangerous situation.

The Criminal Conspiracy Section of the Major Crimes Division and the Lab Squad of the Gang Narcotics Division are leading the LAPDs part of the investigation, Frank said.

The explosion occurred in a stretch of downtown dubbed by police as Bong Row because of the high number of cannabis, CBD and pipe businesses.

In 2016, there was another major fire at a business called Smoke Tokes at an address nearby on Third Street.

It took more than 160 firefighters about two hours to put out that blaze, with the flames largely confined to the wholesaler and distributor of smoking paraphernalia, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.

Firefighters encountered pressurized gas cylinders that exploded amid the inferno, fire officials said. It was a tricky fire for us, LAFD Battalion Chief Mark Curry said back then. We had multiple explosions going off inside the fire while it was burning due to the butane containers releasing.

There were no injuries in the 2016 fire. The LAFD later said in a statement that firefighters who entered the building found intense fire in dense and highly flammable storage that included pressurized flammable gas cylinders, several of which were heard to explode.

It was unclear whether that business and the one that burned Saturday were connected.

In March, an explosion at another business nearby left three people injured. Witnesses said there was a loud boom and fireball at 743 Kohler St. The blast sent a plume of black smoke hundreds of feet into the air that could be seen for miles. Officials at the time did not reveal the kind of business involved, and the cause was unclear.

In the lastest explosion, firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. Saturday about a structure fire in the 300 block of Boyd Street south of Los Angeles Little Tokyo district.

The explosion that followed damaged several storefronts, melted fire helmets and left one fire truck burned and covered in debris. Officials said firefighters had to pass through a fireball to escape.

Firefighters were coming out with obvious damage and burns, said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

They ran straight through that ball of flame to get to safety across the street, Scott said.

Eleven firefighters received treatment for burn injuries at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, according to the LAFD. A 12th firefighter was treated and released at the emergency room Saturday night for a minor extremity injury, said LAFD spokesman Prange.

As of Sunday morning, three firefighters had been discharged from the hospital. Eight remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

All were expected to survive, officials said. Doctors at the medical center said one of the firefighters would likely need skin grafts.

The fire was put out an hour and 42 minutes after the call came in, authorities said.

LAFD Chief Ralph M. Terrazas said the firefighters responding to the call sensed something was wrong inside the building but could not escape before the explosion.

Initially, officials could not account for all the firefighters.

In an LAFD radio transmission, an official is heard screaming, Mayday! Explosion! I have two down firefighters.

When one of your own is injured  you can imagine the amount of mental stress, Terrazas said. A lot of our firefighters were traumatized.



(Times staff writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report.)
As the state and Wyoming counties begin to loosen restrictions on business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wind River Reservation tribes are continuing their aggressive approach to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Earlier this month, the two tribes extended until further notice a stay-at-home order for reservation residents they had originally implemented in April. They also instituted a 9 p.m. curfew, even as businesses like bars and restaurants begin to reopen or scale up operations in the county.

Tribal leaders say the measures are the best tool the tribes have in minimizing the number of cases among tribal citizens, a population tribal health officials and others have said are especially vulnerable to the virus serious side effects due to high rates of preexisting conditions and crowded housing conditions.

I would say that is probably the most important piece that the tribes put together, is that stay-at-home order, said Eastern Shoshone Business Council Vice-Chair Karen Snyder. This is just something that weve got to do because weve never been down this path  we really dont have any good guidance and what the next potential move is, other than we continue to look at keeping as many of our people safe and healthy that we possibly can.

Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho leaders voted to implement a stay-at-home order in April, allowing citizens leave their homes to seek medical treatment or shop for groceries, medications and other necessary goods. Employees working in essential occupations were also exempted.

The Wind River Tribal Court has also said that violators could be punished with a fine or jail time.

Its unclear if authorities have used that option. The Wind River Police Department chief hasnt responded to an emailed question about enforcement.

But leaders have said that health officials have been able to attribute some new cases to gatherings and other violations of the order on the reservation.

Extending the order

On May 8, the Wind River Inter-Tribal Council said it had extended the order, adding the 9 p.m. curfew and continuing to discourage gatherings of 10 or more people. The Inter-Tribal Council is made of both Wind River tribes business councils to jointly manage some tribal programs and services.

In passing the updated order, leaders said they are trying to prevent a wider outbreak that could overwhelm health care facilities and endanger tribal members who might already be vulnerable to the virus.

Slowing the spread of COVID-19 is a responsibility we all share, Northern Arapaho Business Council Chairman Lee Spoonhunter said in a Saturday press release. As tribal members, its important to continue following health guidelines and staying home whenever possible. As tribal leaders, well remain in contact with local, state and federal authorities, and continue to advocate for any available relief funds to assist our people in need.

In his release, Spoonhunter announced a $19 million disbursement from the federal government that was part of the CARES Act relief package. He also discussed the stay-at-home order.

Later on Saturday state officials said an eight person in Wyoming had died after contracting COVID-19. The Northern Arapaho Tribe then said that person was a tribal citizen, the fifth Arapaho to die after contracting the virus.

Northern Arapaho leaders have previously said that summer ceremonies may have to be canceled or postponed, but in a post on the tribes Facebook page earlier this week, it stated that ceremonies would go on as scheduled, albeit with some extra precautions. For example, many participants would have to provide proof of COVID-19 testing to participate in the Spring Pipe Fast at the end of the month. Others would have to follow mask and social-distancing guidelines.

Requirements for the Rabbit Lodge and Sundance ceremonies in July havent been finalized.

Recently, our Ceremonial Elders, the Northern Arapaho Business Council, along with the Wind River Cares Medical Staff met and discussed ways to ensure the safety of our people during our upcoming spring and summer ceremonies from COVID-19, the tribe wrote in its Facebook post. To be clear, our ceremonies will not be canceled or postponed and will take place as scheduled  These measures are put in place to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our people  and to work along with our prayers.

As of Friday evening, 197 of the states 541 confirmed cases were in Fremont County, the highest number of all Wyoming counties. Health officials have said part of the reason for the high numbers is because of the tribes aggressive response, which includes mass testing, to the pandemic.

An isolated island

While Snyder said it feels isolating to be the only government in the area enforcing such strict measures, she knows tribal leaders are doing the right thing to protect tribal citizens the best they can. She added that she is sympathetic to businesses that are eager to begin making money again, but is worried about tribal members bringing the virus back to the reservation from surrounding communities and further spreading it.

I feel like were on an isolated island, Snyder said. All of our surroundings are not doing the same. It just really feels like were isolated in our endeavors to try to contain (and) flatten the curve.

She added that its unclear when the order might be lifted, but at a minimum, she would want to see testing capability  especially in surrounding communities like Riverton and Lander  increase and case numbers begin to level off.

Snyder said the reservation community has mostly responded well to the orders. Tribal leaders have made public pleas for tribal members, especially younger members, to obey them, but overall she said most understand the reasoning behind the order, adding that she often sees tribal members following guidelines like wearing cloth masks when in public.

I think for the most part, our communitys been pretty respectful of what weve been trying to put in place, as far as having people stay at home, she said. But I would say, the kids are really restless. The kids are having a hard time accepting this and they want normal.

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A hearing to determine whether enough evidence exists to send a Farmington Hills man to trial for a February triple stabbing at Wayside Central is scheduled to take place Tuesday, and will be available for the public to watch courtesy the courts YouTube page.

The preliminary examination for Octayvious Sanchez-Lewis, 19, was delayed twice previously but is currently scheduled to take place Tuesday morning in 21st Circuit Court Judge Sara Spencer-Noggles courtroom.

Sanchez-Lewis is accused of stabbing three men during an altercation at Wayside Central, 2000 S. Mission St., after midnight on Feb. 23. One of the men required immediate surgery for abdominal wounds and one required surgery to repair tendons. The third was cut in the groin area.

He was charged with three counts of assault with intent to commit murder and two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent. During his interview with police, Sanchez-Lewis said it was an act of self defense.

If found guilty of assault with intent to commit murder, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is currently lodged at the Isabella County Jail on a bond of $850,000.

The preliminary exam was originally scheduled for March, but was delayed due to witness availability, Isabella County Prosecutor David Barberi said at the time. It was again delayed earlier this month.

Tuesdays hearing, which will be conducted over Zoom, is available for public viewing over the courts YouTube channel.

It is part of the plan to restore public access to the courts due to COVID-19 announced by the Michigan Supreme Court on May 6. The plan sets forth a reopening based on four criteria: two weeks without a case of COVID-19 at the court facility or deep cleaning where COVID-positive people were, a two-week downward trend of positive results as a percentage of total tests, a lifting of local and statewide stay-at-home orders and capacity within local healthcare providers to treat all patients without crisis care.

Part of that includes the expansion of teleconferencing as it regards hearings.

Visitors and employees of the court who attend hearings in person are required to wear facemasks.

READ MORE:
Alyaa Alhadjri, a senior reporter at Malaysiakini, describes the situation for journalists in Malaysia as part of the #MYMediaMatters campaign, supported by the European Union. She says that archaic legislation and new rules continue to restrict press freedom in Malaysia.

1. What does it mean to be a journalist in Malaysia?

Being a journalist in Malaysia means to be subjected to at times discriminatory practices by the government which is biased against certain media outlets. There also remains to be archaic legislation and new rules that restricts press freedom. These limitations have forced journalists to be more creative in carrying out our duties. Being a journalist in Malaysia also means being able to communicate and report in several different languages, on top of multi-tasking between platforms for example print and online media.

2. Do you see Media Freedom in Malaysia moving forward?

Media Freedom in Malaysia had briefly moved forward over the last year, but it is feared that there could be a regression after another change of administration. This is unless steps are taken to pressure the government into not undoing reforms which are already in place or promised.

3. What can we do to be better?

Explore ways to collaborate on projects to maximise our often limited resources. The media fraternity should also keep pushing for self-regulation of the industry through the proposed Malaysian Media Council.

4. What can we do to ensure media freedom?

Be in solidarity against threats to media freedom, including from authorities and government.

The #MYMediaMatters campaign is part of a multi-year project, Strengthening Malaysias Media for Change, supported by the European Union. For details please see the IFJ project page.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates.
FCA assembly workers arrive for an early morning shift re-opening at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Mich., on May 18, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

US Auto Industry Returns to Life After Lockdown

WARREN, MichiganThe Detroit Three automakers and their suppliers began restarting assembly lines on Sunday after a two-month CCP virus lockdown in a slow revival of a sector that employs nearly 1 million people in the United States.

On a chilly and damp Monday morning, hundreds of workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) truck plant in Warren, Michigan, began lining up before 4 a.m. to start the 5 a.m. shift. Signs overhead read: Lets restart.

Im a little nervous, said Larry Smith, 53, of New Baltimore, who works on wheel alignment away from the assembly line. They made all the precautions [and] theyve done everything they can to prepare us  Im trusting in God.

Detroit automakers on Monday said there were no issues with absenteeism as the plants opened.

FCA reopened four U.S. assembly plants on Monday, including Warren Truck, on a single shift, as well as four parts plants.

The reopening of car plants will be a closely watched test of whether workers across a range of U.S. industries can return to factories in large numbers without a resurgence of infections.

FCA assembly workers arrive for an early morning shift reopening at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Mich., on May 18, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, and FCA have all been preparing for weeks to reopen their North American factories in a push to restart work in an industry that accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. economic activity.

Investors welcomed the gradual restart, sending GMs shares up more than 9 percent on Monday. FCA shares rose 7.3 percent, while Fords were up 6.7 percent.

Auto companies have redesigned assembly lines and retrained workers in an effort to avoid CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreaks that could derail production again.

Workers entering factories on Monday were checked by temperature monitors. Protective masks or shields are standard protective equipment. Jobs such as installing seat belts that used to require two or more workers to get close together inside a vehicle have been redesigned to keep people a safe distance apart.

Plastic screens have been installed along assembly lines to separate workers leaning in to the engine compartments of vehicles. Break areas have been reconfigured to keep workers six feet apart.

The Detroit automakers have collaborated with each other and with the United Auto Workers to develop common CCP virus safety practices. Other automakers in the United States are adopting similar safety measures.

Wearing a black Detroit vs Everybody protective mask as he entered FCAs Warren Truck plant early Monday, production operator Laruante Gary, a Detroit resident who installs doors on Ram pickups, said, I expect to see things cleaned and safety protocols being observed, and I expect us to know something as far as the next steps for us.

Another production worker at the plant, Sean Reid, 37, of Belleville, expressed concern over the earlier CCP virus-related deaths of several U.S. auto workers, including one at Warren Truck.

I dont know where people have been, I dont know what theyve been doing, he said. I dont like it, but what can I do, really?

FCA assembly workers arrive for an early morning shift re-opening at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Mich., on May 18, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

The Detroit automakers have many older workers in states such as Michigan that were hit hard by the pandemic.

Theresa Segura, 61, of Lincoln Park, arrived for work at the FCA Warren plant on Monday but was immediately sent home after noting on an FCA questionnaire that she had been exposed to a family member who had just tested positive for the CCP virus.

Segura, who has worked at the truck plant since 1993, said she thought that it was in any case too soon to reopen because there are still people sick out there.

Were risking our lives going in there, said Segura, who works as a floater, moving from job to job at the plant as needed.

Critical Restart

Some non-union automakers in the southern United States reopened earlier this month. Electric car maker Tesla Inc began building vehicles last week in defiance of a shutdown order in Alameda County, California, then stopped and agreed to reopen again Monday.

For the automakers and their suppliers, many of which began reopening their plants last week, the restart is critical to ending the cash drain caused by a two-month shutdown forced on them by COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus.

FCA assembly workers arrive for an early morning shift re-opening at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, as the CCP virus disease (COVID-19) in Warren, Mich., on May 18, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

The emphasis is on getting assembly lines again producing such profitable vehicles as GMs Chevrolet Suburban SUV, Fords F-150 pickup truck, and FCAs Jeep Wrangler SUV.

Ultimately were in this together. Because if we dont build trucks, Ford Motor Company is gone, said Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, the union that represents more than 14,000 hourly workers at Fords two Kentucky assembly plants, which build trucks and SUVs.

The UAWs Dunn said one question will be how many Ford workers punch in at his local production facilities this week given a lack of daycare in Kentucky, where schools are closed, as well as fear among those with underlying health conditions who are at greater risk. Ford has been hiring temporary workers to cover absenteeism, he said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday will tour a Ford manufacturing plant in Michigan that has been repurposed to make ventilators and personal protective equipment, according to the White House.

GM is reopening a number of plants on one shift, including 1,600 hourly workers making pickup trucks in Flint, Michigan, and 1,600 workers manufacturing pickups in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Another issue automakers will have to watch closely is the financial health of suppliers. As most suppliers get paid on average 45 days after they deliver parts, some will struggle to stay afloat as the industry slowly reopens, analysts say.

By Ben Klayman

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
The state government is imposing limits on the amount of alcohol allowed in cars to prevent bootleggers selling it to dry Aboriginal communities in Western Australia.

A new law is coming into place across the 42,000 square kilometre Kimberley region which would allow police to charge anyone with suspicious quantities of liquor in their cars.

The move follows ongoing issues around illegal sales which has resulted in cartons of beer being sold for up to $200 in areas like Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, reported The Australian.

The towns are home to more than 200 remote communities which have been alcohol free for the past decade, under the directive of indigenous leaders.

The state government is imposing limits on the amount of alcohol allowed in cars to prevent bootleggers selling it to dry Aboriginal communities in Western Australia

However last week sly groggers managed to slip past authorities and sneak alcohol into one of the dry communities.

Police were forced to intervene within 24 hours as community members became intoxicated and children stopped going to school.

The ruling follows a push by Western Australian Police Commissioner Chris Dawson for a blanket ban on full strength takeaway alcohol across the entire Kimberley region.

Changes to the sale of alcohol were proposed after an explosive investigation to the impacts of alcohol on aboriginal communities and their children in the Kimberley region.

Detectives were confronted with alcohol driven family violence, alcohol abuse and emergency departments overwhelmed with patients.

A new law is coming into place across the 42,000 square kilometre Kimberley region (pictured) which would allow police to charge anyone with suspicious quantities of liquor in their cars

The WA liquor licencing authorities are due to hand down their response to the investigation today, a year on from the findings being released.

At the time, suggestions were made for a major crackdown on the sale of alcohol in the region, including allowing bottle shops to sell nothing stronger than mid strength beer.

One of the changes to come out of the report is likely to involve restrictions on alcohol in cars, however the exact quantities are still unknown.

Police would be able to arrest anyone found with more than the allowed carry limit, but they'd have to prove the offender intended to sell the alcohol for a profit.

In the past bootleggers claimed they were buying up large quantities to give to friends who were planning to reimburse them.

Alcohol-related violence has dropped by 40 per cent in the Kimberley between March 1 and April 5, compared to the same time last year.

WA Police also restricted the sale of alcohol on March 25, limiting shoppers to only one carton of beer and three bottles of wine a day (stock image)

Authorities believe the drop is an unintended consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

Many indigenous communities left major towns to relocate to the smaller dry communities when the virus hit, restricting their access to alcohol.

WA Police also restricted the sale of alcohol on March 25, limiting shoppers to only one carton of beer and three bottles of wine a day.
Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took oath as a member of the legislative council (MLC) at the Vidhan Bhavan. This is the first time a Sena chief became a member of the state legislature and he is the second from the Thackeray family to become a member of the assembly after his son Aaditya Thackeray.

Thackeray was accompanied by his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya at the oath ceremony held in the Central Hall of the state legislature. He was one among the nine candidates belonging to the ruling coalition of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and opposition party who were declared elected unopposed to the council last week.

His election to the House was crucial for him to continue as the CM, as he had to fulfill the constitutional requirement of becoming a member of either of the Houses before May 27-- six months from the day he took oath as the chief minister.

Speaking to reporters outside Vidhan Bhavan, Shiv Sena MP and party secretary Vinayak Raut, said, All Shiv Sainiks are proud that their leader is taking oath as a legislator today. The state has got good leadership [under Thackeray].

Besides Thackeray, eight new members of Maharashtra Legislative Council -- Shiv Senas Neelam Gorhe, Nationalist Congress Party s (NCP) Shashikant Shinde, Amol Mitkari, Congresss Rajesh Rathod and Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Pravin Datke, and Ramesh Karad also took an oath.

In toal, 14 candidates were in the fray for the MLC election but later four -- two each from the BJP and the NCP -- withdrew their nomination, while an independent candidates nomination was rejected.

With the election on the nine seats of the upper house pushed back because of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), political uncertainty loomed over the state on how to get Thackeray elected to the council.

The state cabinet had recommended that Thackeray should be nominated by Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, as the MLC polls were deferred due to the pandemic. But the governor did not take the decision, prompting Thackeray to raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Later, the MVA constituents and Governor Koshyari wrote to the Election Commission to hold the legislative council polls.
First deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov has emphasized that certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are not negotiable, which Russia confirms and acknowledges with its attitude to them.

"I'll tell you, they [ORDLO  Russia-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions] are not 'subjects' to the extent that even the aggressor country does not recognize them as 'subjects.' Representatives of the Russian Federation even in the Minsk process call their 'invitees' by the names of two cities: they say 'Donetsk' and 'Luhansk.' That's it. Although, the Minsk text itself says 'representatives of certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,'" he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Reznikov said that during conversations with Russian representatives at negotiations on the sidelines, he repeatedly heard from them the expression "our wards." "That is, they treat the representatives of the ORDLO as their wards, and with disdain. It is clearly seen who is the host and the boss, and who the subordinates are," he said.
Hifter, a dual U.S.-Libyan citizen and former CIA asset who lived for years in Northern Virginia, launched his Tripoli offensive in April 2019, saying he would seize the capital quickly. Instead, the campaign has turned into a military stalemate, with forces bogged down in fighting that has killed and wounded several thousand civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands.
As part of the fight against COVID-19, Canada is urging employees at all work sites  to work remotely whenever and wherever possible.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

As part of the fight against COVID-19, Canada is urging "employees at all work sites  to work remotely whenever and wherever possible."

Although we might find comfort in thinking switching between office and remote work is mostly an IT problem, three decades of management research on telecommuting tells us that the real challenges are just starting.

Thousands of teams across Canada are going through the difficult transition of redefining the way they function. How teams tackle these challenges will have profound consequences on their productivity and the well-being of their members. Below are three challenges teams will face, and practical recommendations on how to mitigate their effects:

Redefining communication norms

Office workers share a large amount of information in person  they stop by each others offices to get advice, clarify expectations over coffee or gather by the water cooler to talk. Research shows that informal discussions help employees understand whats happening on their teams and keep feelings of isolation at bay.

Teams that switch to remote work need to craft new communication norms that fit their new context. Team members should not be afraid of over-communicating at first, even if it feels wrong to do so.

For example, calling a co-worker over the phone several times in a row might be frowned upon in an office context but is perfectly acceptable for teams switching to remote work.

New communication norms can only emerge from experimentation, and experimentation means trial and error.

Managing work-life conflicts

Office workers are used to keeping their work and their private lives relatively separate in space and time (meaning they work at the office during work hours, and live life privately at home the rest of the time), which helps them limit conflicts between the two. Our sudden switch to remote work erases these boundaries, which blurs our responsibilities.

New remote workers, especially those with dependants, need to redefine the relationship between their work and their personal life. In order to limit conflicts and interruptions between the two, remote workers should negotiate with their managers a creative schedule that balances both responsibilities  for example, by alternating work and family responsibilities throughout the day.

Once set, employees should communicate with their co-workers when and how they can be reached for work matters.

Further, new remote workers who do not have a home office should refrain from working in areas that they typically use for relaxation, like a bed or the couch, as tempting as it may be.

Instead, they should reorganize their homes and use table or a desk in a quiet space as their workstation. Here as well, family members should be informed that this area is dedicated to work only.

Rethinking what supervision means

When we cannot see an employee work, we might suspect theyre not pulling their weight. Although certain jobs involve quantifiable work outputs that could alleviate these concerns, many do not. A project manager, for example, might only issue one deliverable every few weeks, which limits the opportunities for monitoring.

Managers will face the important challenge of redefining what supervising employees means in the context of remote work.

A common mistake managers make is to compensate for lack of direct observation by closely monitoring how remote employees do their work. This strategy is doomed to fail because managers dont know everything thats going on in the lives of remote employees. For example, an employee might decide to work on a weekend to compensate for taking care of a sick child during the week.

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Instead of focusing on how employees work, supervisors should explain to them why their work is important. In uncertain times, employees might forget what their work actually means, especially if the context has changed.

In my research, I find that people who focus more on why they work are more likely to explore new creative possibilities in their work than people who focus more on how they work.

In short, switching from traditional office work to remote work is a fundamental change in how teams function.

The challenges listed above will take time to resolve, and misunderstandings are to be expected. For this reason, we should be forgiving of one another during this experimentation period and focus on establishing effective work norms for our new normal.

Jean-Nicolas Reyt is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at McGill University.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
Restaurants serving takeout and delivery orders in Louisiana during the coronavirus outbreak and businesses providing protective gear should be largely shielded from lawsuits for injuries, the state Senate decided on May 14.

Senators overwhelmingly supported the pair of bills from Republican Sens. Sharon Hewitt and Patrick McMath, which are similar to business-backed measures proposed in other states and in Washington amid the pandemic.

Supporters say the liability protections are needed to ensure that businesses that stayed open to provide services to people despite the viruss risks and that converted their manufacturing operations to provide needed protective gear shouldnt face frivolous lawsuits.

During this crisis, small businesses had our back, said Republican Sen. Heather Cloud, a business owner from Turkey Creek.

The liability limitation proposal from Hewitt, of Slidell, would offer the protections to people and businesses who donate recovery services or products  such as hand sanitizer and protective clothing  and to people and businesses selling that type of disaster aid outside of the typical course and scope of their operations. They couldnt be sued for injuries, deaths or property damage involving the services or products, unless someone could prove the high legal standard of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

The protections would extend during any declared state of emergency in Louisiana.

McMaths proposal would offer similar protections to restaurant owners and employees, though it would only apply to the coronavirus outbreak, not to future emergencies or disasters in the state.

Both measures would retroactively cover activities beginning March 11.

Hewitt said she wanted to encourage businesses that have donated products or converted their manufacturing operations to make needed virus-related supplies. As an example, she pointed to Louisiana distilleries that used their alcohol to make hand sanitizer.

You dont want people to be afraid to respond in an emergency because theyre afraid theyre going to be sued. That could have a chilling effect, she said.

Republican Sen. Pat Connick, a lawyer from Marrero, opposed Hewitts bill, raising concerns about the risk of defective products.

Were giving blanket immunity  for some products that may not even work. They may not be effective against the coronavirus, Connick said.

Democratic Sen. Jay Luneau, a lawyer from Alexandria, objected to both measures. He said while he appreciated the spirit of the proposals, they could have unintended consequences.

For example, he said a retired chemist could decide to create hand sanitizer in a garage but make a mistake and blow up that garage. A neighbor whose home is damaged from the explosion couldnt sue for the damage, Luneau said.

You need to think carefully about what message you want to send, he said.

Senators voted 28-6 for Hewitts bill and 31-3 for McMaths bill. Both move next to the House for debate.

The Senate also backed a measure aimed at shielding government agencies from lawsuits from employees required to work during the coronavirus outbreak, if they follow the guidance for protective measures issued by the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bills are Senate Bills 491 and 508.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Louisiana Politics
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The Delhi University in a press release issued on Sunday announced a Research Without Barriers initiative under the Institution of Eminence scheme .

The university said that the initiative will define new contours of widening the research catchment, change the way research is perceived and carried out, and democratize and expand the research space.

The research without barriers initiative envisages promoting research among the wider community of individuals who can concretize ideas and create excellence through transforming those ideas into actionable solutions and applications in science, technology, sustainability, public health, skill development and enhancement, policy, governance, management, and justice system with reference to India and the globe, reads the varsity statement.

The initiative expects to forge new alliances and collaborations both nationally as well as internationally.

However, the proposed research will not be confined to the traditional domains of knowledge. The programme is expected to break the disciplinary silos, institutional barriers, and geographic boundaries.

In an advertisement published on the Universitys website, the IoE under this initiative has invited world-wide participation and partnership of academics/researchers/practitioners and others from any sphere of knowledge, reads the statement.

The research proposal has to be submitted online using the appropriate links provided on the IoE website: http://ioe.du.ac.in/.
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Rahul Bhatia's InterGlobe Enterprises may have chosen to opt out of the race for Virgin Australia, just after the first round.

Sources close to the development told Moneycontrol that the parent company of IndiGo declined to submit an indicative enterprise value for Virgin Australia, as was required by Deloitte, the administrator of the bidding process.

This was in addition to the Express of Interest that InterGlobe had already submitted last week.

InterGlobe instead argued that it was unable to submit a non-binding bid, as the due diligence done till now was limited and it needed more data and information.

Deloitte has instead shortlisted BGH Capital, Bain Capital, Indigo Partners and Cyrus Capital Partner. These suitors are said to have also submitted an enterprise value for Virgin Australia.

Shortlisted bidders are expected to put in bids by June 12.

Virgin Australia, co-founded by British businessman Richard Branson, had filed for bankruptcy in April, after its request to the Australian government for a financial aid, was turned down. The disruption caused by COVID-19 had accentuated its already frail financial condition, including a debt of $4.2 billion.
The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases crossed one lakh on Monday with more people testing positive for the deadly virus in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and other states, even as a much-relaxed fourth phase of the lockdown began with restarting of market complexes, autos, taxis and inter-state buses in various parts of the country.

The death toll due to COVID-19 crossed the 3,000-mark too.

With an aim to reboot numerous locked down economic activities, authorities across the country ordered reopening of markets, intra-state transport services and even of barber shops and salons in some states, barring in containment zones. However, schools, colleges, theatres, malls and religious gatherings are among those that would remain shut down, at least till May 31.

India has been under a lockdown since March 25, which was first supposed to be for 21 days or toll April 14, but was later extended till May 3, then further till May 17 and now for another two weeks till May 31.

However, a number of relaxations have been given in the current fourth phase, while states and union territories have also been granted significant flexibility for deciding the red, orange or green zones in terms of the quantum and severity of the virus spread.

In its morning 8 AM update, the Union Health Ministry put the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases 96,169 and the death toll at 3,029. It also said that 36,824 people have so far recovered from the infection.

However, a PTI tally of figures announced by different states and UTs as of 10.30 PM put the number of those having tested positive for the infection at 1,00,157, with a death toll of 3,078 and recoveries at 38,596 across the country.

Maharashtra topped the nationwide tally with over 35,000 confirmed cases and 1,249 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 11,760 confirmed cases and 81 deaths. Gujarat has also reported 11,746 confirmed cases, while its death toll is higher than that of Tamil Nadu at 694.

Delhi has also crossed the 10,000 mark in terms of the number of confirmed cases, while its death toll has now reached 160.

Gujarat, during the day, recorded 366 new COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths, including 31 from the worst-hit Ahmedabad, taking the state's case count to 11,746 and the number of fatalities to 694, a health department official said.

Maharashtra reported 2,033 new cases, taking the tally to 35,058. This was the second consecutive day when the state has reported more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases.

Mumbai alone reported 1,185 fresh cases and 23 more deaths, taking the total count of the city to 21,152 and the fatalities to 757. Of the 1,185 new cases, 300 samples were tested positive in private laboratories between May 12 and 16.

Kerala also saw 29 new cases -- all but one being returnees from overseas and other states -- raising concerns about the state witnessing a possible third wave of the dreaded virus infection. The state had reported the country's virus infection on January 30, but at least twice it has already been seen as having flattened the curve of the infection.

The state government has been warning about a rise in cases due to return of expatriates from other countries and also due to arrival of people from other states. Its active cases has now more than doubled to 130 from the 64 in just four days,



while over 67,000 people remained under observation.

The total positive cases has now reached 630 in the state, which had on May 8 last declared it had flattened the curve.

India's first COVID-19 case was reported in Kerala on January 30 when a medical student from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, tested positive in Thrissur.

The second wave of the virus had hit the state during March when a three-member family returned from Italy.

Later in the night, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana also reported new cases.

The nationwide count of confirmed infections incidentally crossed the crucial one-lakh mark on a day when the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown kicked in with several relaxations for economic and public activities, barring in containment zones or areas identified as serious hotspots of the virus infection.

Revising its strategy for COVID-19 testing, ICMR also said on Monday that returnees and migrants who show symptoms for influenza-like illness will be tested for coronavirus infection within seven days of ailment and stressed that no emergency clinical procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of testing.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its revised strategy for coronavirus testing in India also added that all hospitalised patients who develop symptoms for influenza-like illness (ILI) and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 having such signs will also be tested for coronavirus infection through RT-PCR test.

Besides, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case are to be tested once between day five and day 10 of coming in contact, the new document stated. Asymptomatic contacts of a confirmed case were being tested once between day five and day 14.

The Health Ministry also said that for every one lakh population, there are 7.1 coronavirus cases in India so far as against 60 globally.

It also said the recovery rate of coronavirus cases in India stood at 38.39 per cent.

Besides, India also joined nearly 120 countries at a crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for a probe into the origin of coronavirus as also comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the pandemic that has also wrecked the world economy.

During the two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva amid growing calls, including by US President Donald Trump, to investigate how the virus originated in China's Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing, Chinese president Xi Jinping said his country had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus' genetic sequence, "in a most timely fashion."



Representing India at the meet, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said the country took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and asserted that the country has done well in dealing with the disease till now and is confident of doing better in months to come.

He Minister Narendra Modi personally monitored the situation and ensured a preemptive, proactive and graded response, leaving no stones unturned to contain the deadly virus from spreading.

Since the first case of the deadly coronavirus was reported in China last December, more than 47 lakh people have tested for this virus across the world and over 3 lakh have lost their lives. India is the 11th most affected country, while the US tops the chart with over 14.9 lakh confirmed cases so far.

China's official tally of confirmed infections is less than 84,000, while it has reported more than 4,600 deaths.

While most of the economic activities have already resumed in China, many other countries have also begun lifting their respective lockdowns to limit the economic cost of the pandemic, though there have been concerns about re-emergence of the virus spread.

In India also steps are being calibrated to ensure revival of economic activities and therefore several relaxations have been given in the fourth phase of the lockdown including by lifting all restrictions on operating of private sector offices.

The Health Ministry also said that the entire office building need not be closed if one or two cases of COVID-19 are reported and work can resume after it is disinfected as per the government protocol.

However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours. So far, many offices were being sealed even after one case was getting detected.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area.

3:30 p.m.

Bars, breweries, day care centers and more can soon reopen across Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday. Citing a decreased "positivity rate" of COVID-19 cases across the state over the last two weeks, Abbott also eased restrictions for some already-opened businesses.

Effective immediately, gyms, personal care services, child care facilities, businesses located in offices, youth clubs and programs are allowed to reopen at 25 percent occupancy or with 25 percent of the workforce there. Beginning Friday, May 22, restaurants are permitted to expand capacity to 50 percent and bars, breweries, bowling alleys, skating rinks, zoos, aquariums and bingo halls can open at a 25 percent capacity.

Read more on Abbott's plans for phase 2 here.

9 a.m.

Monday marks what could be the start of phase 2 of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to reopen the state and restart the economy. Phase 1 started on May 1 and allowed for retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, museums, malls, churches and libraries to reopen at 25 percent occupancy levels.

Abbott said during a previous press conference that if state data shows no surge in COVID-19 cases, phase 2 could begin on May 18. That phase would increase occupancy for the already-opened businesses to 50 percent and allow others, including gyms and businesses in office buildings, to reopen at 25 percent occupancy.

PHASE 2: Gov. Greg Abbott's list of businesses that can reopen on May 18, under certain rules

Over the last two weeks that the state has slowly reopened, COVID-19 cases have surged in some areas that include a growing outbreak in the Texas Panhandle. On Saturday, the state reported the biggest single-day jump in cases since the pandemic began with 1,801 new cases reported that day.

Sunday marked the sixth day in a row for the state to report more than 1,000 novel coronavirus cases, according to the Houston Chronicle's data team. The state total had risen to 48,657 cases with a total of 1,347 deaths.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas reports massive jump in COVID-19 cases in single day

In the H0uston region, the total number of cases had risen to 13,459; the death count is at 307.

Abbott will give an update on the phased reopening with details on further easing of restrictions for businesses at 2 p.m. Monday. Check back on Chron.com for updates.

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com
The Tamil Nadu government on



Monday laid the foundation stone for setting up a Rs 336 crore medical college in Tirupur.

The institute, with a sanctioned strength of 150 MBBS seats, will be set up with 60 per cent central funds, an official release here said.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami laid the foundation stone for the institute from here through video conferencing, the release said, adding the effort was part of the government's decision to ensure every district in the state has a medical college.

The state has a total of 37 districts, including five which had come into existence recently.

The Tirupur Medical College was being set up at an estimated Rs 336.96 crore, of which the Centre will contribute Rs 196 crore, while the state government will bear the rest of the cost, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Housing Committee of the House of Representatives said it will inspect on Tuesday the Al-Zomor Canal axis flyover currently under construction in Al-Haram district, Giza.

The flyover has drawn heated criticism for being in close proximity to residential buildings.

The Housing Committee, accompanied by MPs representing Al-Haram and Umraniya districts, will inspect the flyover to see how close it is to the residential buildings, and to listen to residents complaints.

Images circulating on social media last week depicting a concrete structure  a part of the axis  colliding with the residential buildings of Nasr Al-Din Street in Al-Haram, have stirred controversy online and in Egyptian media.

Residents of those building have voiced their grievances to the media, complaining that the structure is too close to their apartments, and even touches the balconies and windows in some storeys.

Head of the committee MP Emad Saad Hammouda said the aim of the visit is to understand the situation on the ground and to make sure that none of the residents will be harmed.

Hammouda added that the committee will write a detailed report and draft recommendations, stressing that the committee will continue to follow up on future developments.

Al-Zomor Canal axis, which ranges between 7.5 and eight kilometres long, connects south and north Giza, and is a Ministry of Housing project.

Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir said on Wednesday that the axis is very important for the urban development of the area, stressing that it was well-planned.

The minister said in a phone call with Sada El-Balad satellite channel that there is no way to change the design of the project.

He asserted that the buildings touching the flyover are violating the buffer division line, arguing that the violating buildings should in fact be demolished.

On Monday, the head of the Central Development Authority Mahmoud Nassar told MBC Masr channel that all those harmed by the axis will be compensated.

However, he said residents in violating buildings will not be compensated as they took over parts of the street and narrowed it down.

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New Delhi, May 18 : Government revenue collections can increase by Rs 30,000 crore through regulation of non-Virginia tobacco and these funds can be used by the government for Covid-19 relief efforts, according to the National Health Forum.

NHF has written to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health for regulating the sale of non-Virginia tobacco by ensuring that the sale is processed through auction platforms.

NHF has said that the sale of non-Virginia be processed through auction platforms overseen by the Tobacco Board of India or via APMCs and taxing the non-Virginia tobacco at the same tax as the Virginia tobacco on per kilogram basis.

"The initiative will have a double benefit, first the enhancement of revenue and secondly controlling the sale of the so far unregulated tobacco products in India", NHF said.

National Health Forum (NHF), India's leading NGO working in the field of tobacco control and which has been involved in various key effective activities on tobacco control measures, lauded the efforts being made by the government in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Mandakini Sinh, Managing Trustee, NHF, "As per our estimates, a 30 per cent levy as a reverse charge levied upon and paid by the manufacturers and dealers of non-Virginia tobacco products will yield a revenue increment of around Rs 30,000 crore. This will lead to a far wider net of taxation and all types of tobaccos will be uniformly brought into the tax net. Currently, all tobacco products manufactured using non-Virginia tobacco (such as Burley tobacco) are in the unorganized sector and there is large scale evasion of tax by manufacturers and scant respect for the tobacco control laws." Presently, non-Virginia tobacco is freely sold without any intervention by the government and in the process, the Indian farmer gets a raw deal. The non-Virginia tobacco is used in the manufacture of chewing varieties of tobacco, hookah, gutkha, kiwam, gudaku, zarda and bidis. These non-Virginia tobaccos constitute about 85 per cent of tobacco grown in India.

NHF said these are neither appropriately taxed nor it's growers who are the poorest of poor farmers get stable prices for their produce. There are private intermediaries and middlemen who take advantage of the situation and milk the poor Indian farmers.

Virginia Tobacco on the other hand, is properly and strictly controlled and taxed by the government with checks and balances in place, such that not only proper revenue is generated but the interest of the farmer is also addressed.

A sizeable quantity of the non-Virginia tobacco goes in the manufacture of chewing tobacco, gutkha, Pan Masala with tobacco, zarda and snuff which are all products that are extremely dangerous in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as they need to be spat out after consumption, NHF said.

"There is no doubt in our mind and other like minded NGOs that if the government regulates the sale and distribution of non-Virginia tobacco as it has done in the case of Virginia tobacco, it will lead to fair and uniform taxation of all tobacco products and definitely benefit our farmers (who are currently not paid for almost a year after the sale occurs due to the price setting power of the powerful middle man)", according to NHF.

COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread destruction of economic activity and there is a need to channel increased resources in resurrecting economic activity and provide relief to the jobless and new source of tax collection to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore will be a great boost to support the post COVID rebuilding efforts.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Inside Hook

For those who have been following the spread of COVID-19 around the globe, the case of Italy stands out for a host of reasons. Earlier this spring, it was home to an unnerving number of cases  and over 31,000 people have lost their lives there as a result of the coronavirus. The number of cases has been dropping steadily over the last few weeks, however, and the Italian government recently announced a significant step in the nations recovery.

At The Washington Post, Chico Harlan has the news of an important milestone for Italy. Its government recently announced the easing of a number of travel restrictions. These changes, as of now, are set to go into effect on June 3.
Piers Roberts, whose daughter is seriously ill in hospital with Kawasaki disease after recovering from coronavirus, hit out at the government's decision to reopen schools. (Picture: PA)

A devastated father whose five-year-old daughter is in intensive care after contracting Kawasaki disease just weeks after recovering from coronavirus has hit out at government plans to reopen schools.

Teacher Piers Roberts said his family had been broken after daughter Scarlett suddenly fell ill again and was rushed to hospital suffering from organ failure.

He said Scarlett, who contracted coronavirus in school before the lockdown, had recovered and had been fit and well for six weeks before becoming seriously ill again.

Scarletts family have shared her condition on social media, saying it was important to highlight what they called the unconscionable risk taken by the government by deciding to reopen schools from 1 June, accusing them of using children as guinea pigs and turning schools into death camps.

The familys concerns come as Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove defended the governments plans to begin reopening primary schools in England from next month, saying measures were being put in place to ensure the safety of children and teachers as they returned.

Thread

This is my 5 yrs old great niece. She was fit & healthy until a mild bout of Covid19 5wks ago from which she appeared to recover.

She is now in ICU with a Kawasaki inflammatory response.

She is off the ventilator but has developed heart problems.1/#Marr #Ridge#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/AG9b7k4Sgn  junes63 (@JuneSim63) May 17, 2020

Robertss aunt shared a picture of five-year-old Scarlett in hospital alongside a series of tweets outlining her condition.

She said: My nephew wants to get back to full time face-to-face teaching as soon as possible. But using his daughter and those like her as guinea pigs is an unconscionable risk and one we cannot take while so little is known about the illness that felled her.

Story continues

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

This is my five-year-old great-niece. She was fit and healthy until a mild bout of COVID-19 five weeks ago from which she appeared to recover. She is now in ICU with a Kawasaki inflammatory response. She is off the ventilator but has developed heart problems.

She said Scarletts parents  a doctor and a teacher  wanted to share their experience as they believe schools will be the next frontline in the coronavirus crisis.

My nephew and his wife want the UK to know they are appalled at proposals to bring back to school full year groups on 1st June, she wrote.

They expect, as do the teaching and medical unions, more cases like that of their daughter if the government persists in this plan.

Roberts, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has also hit out at the government on social media, penning an open letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson.

He said: Schools may well be labelled as death camps in time and instead of PPE you could consider providing teachers with some form of commandant uniform as your exit strategy is to blame whatever public group you can  I suppose that way we would at least appear to know our duty.

Please continue to scapegoat us. Please continue to keep your party line amidst intentional ignoring of emerging science.

If your boss is going to label a global pandemic as a war and you want to effectively put our young people in perilous danger (now very much evidence based) whilst vilifying our profession, then that is a war crime right there and a human rights catastrophe.

Coronavirus: what happened today
86% of choir members got infected with COVID-19 after church practice: report

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A new report from the Skagit County Public Health Department in Washington state published by the CDC Friday, shows how quickly the coronavirus spread after a choir practice became a superspreader event for the disease that infected 86% of attending members and killed two of them.

Now state health officials say the findings in the report, based on the experience of Skagit Valley Chorale that normally rehearses at the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church on Tuesday evenings and once a month on a Saturday morning, could have significant implications for future church gatherings.

"It's really important that people realize that by meeting, by gathering, 86% of them could become ill and the results and aftermath of that is hard to fathom," Skagit County Health Officer Dr. Howard Leibrand said in a King 5 report.

The report from the health department showed how the 122-member chorale was likely exposed to a superemitter of the virus who attended choir practice on March 3 and March 10.

One person at the March 10 practice had cold-like symptoms beginning March 7. This person, who had also attended the March 3 practice, had a positive laboratory result for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, the report said.

Of the 78 members who attended the March 3 practice, 51 or 65.4% of them got infected with the virus. All but one of the infected individuals from the March 3 practice were among the 60 members who also attended the March 10 practice, 86.7% of them tested positive for the disease. Among the 21 members who only attended the March 3 practice only one of them became ill.

The 2.5-hour singing practice provided several opportunities for droplet and fomite transmission, including members sitting close to one another, sharing snacks, and stacking chairs at the end of the practice. The act of singing, itself, might have contributed to transmission through emission of aerosols, which is affected by loudness of vocalization, the report said.

Certain persons, known as superemitters, who release more aerosol particles during speech than do their peers, might have contributed to this and previously reported COVID-19 superspreading events, the researchers added.

They explained that the findings from this event shows the high transmissibility of the coronavirus as well as the possibility of superemitters contributing to broad transmission in certain unique activities and circumstances.

"They were sitting closely together and spending time there and then they would switch chairs, share snacks, and they might have touched surfaces other people infected touched," Lea Hamner, co-author of the report and communicable disease and epidemiology lead at Skagit County Health told King 5.

All of this activity occurred at a time when Skagit Valley had no reported cases yet even though the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Washington state on Jan. 21.

In a March 23 statement, the Skagit Valley Chorale said that during the dates they were holding rehearsals, schools, restaurants, churches, bowling alleys, banks, libraries, theaters, and other businesses also remained open.

The advice from the state of Washington was to limit gatherings to 250 people. There were no recommendations from Skagit County Health Department regarding meeting sizes, but they did state that people over 60 should avoid large public gatherings, the group said.

Still, the chorales board of directors tried to be careful. They urged all members to stay away from rehearsals on March 3 and March 10 if they showed any symptoms of illness, no matter the cause.

They also advised anyone who felt their health or safety was in jeopardy to not attend.

Each member was left to determine for him/herself whether to attend. At no time was anyone pressured to attend if they were uncomfortable doing so, the group said.

Despite the precautions taken, however, very few of the chorale members were spared from contracting the virus.

As a result of the high transmissibility of the virus the researchers recommend that people avoid face-to-face contact with others, not gather in groups, avoid crowded places, maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet to reduce transmission, and wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Alan Cross, a Southern Baptist pastor in California and the author ofWhen Heaven and Earth Collide: Racism, Southern Evangelicals, and the Better Way of Jesus, argued in a New York Times op-ed Thursday that while some churches are pushing to reopen despite the lack of a vaccine for the coronavirus  and there's no guarantee that there ever will be a vaccine for COVID-19  most churches are taking the virus seriously.

While pastors defying closure orders have grabbed headlines, the reality is that over 90 percent of pastors and church leaders complied with shutdown orders in March and many are still waiting until later in May and into June before resuming public worship  even in states where restrictions are weakening, he wrote. Most pastors that I have engaged with take seriously the responsibility to navigate this national tragedy with wisdom, compassion and patience.

In Alabama for example, even though Gov. Kay Ivey is now allowing churches to resume meeting, many churches in Alabama continue to use online services and plan to wait a bit longer before reopening for in-person services.

The largest church in the state, the Church of the Highlands, will continue to emphasize watching online services and Pastor Chris Hodges, said there were no plans to return to in-person group worship before May 31.

Iveys pastor, the Rev. Jay Wolf, pastor of Montgomery First Baptist who advised her on church safety issues, told AL.com that he believes it will be no sooner than May 31 before in-person services begin. Even then, he said, it might not even be safe for a large church to meet in person.

Bishop Stephen A. Davis, pastor of the 5,000-member Refresh Family Church, formerly known as New Birth Birmingham, told AL.com that right now, We still think its too risky.

Were waiting another couple of weeks just to be safe, Davis said. Just because the state reopens businesses doesnt mean its safe to bring that many people together.
The crew for a Hainan Airlines flight walks through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, which is now requiring travelers to wear face coverings during the coronavirus outbreak. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

As Los Angeles County found itself in a coronavirus crisis in March, it became clear the highly infectious disease was surging out of control, with every one person testing positive for the virus infecting an average of 3 other people.

Last week, L.A. County officials released data showing remarkable progress: The infection rate has fallen. Instead of every patient infecting an average of more than three other people, every infected person in L.A. County now infects just one other person.

Among L.A. County public health experts, this number is called "R," which stands for the Effective Transmission Number of the disease. This number can change when the public takes steps to change behaviors, such as adhering to a stay-at-home order.

The fact that the disease was spreading from one infected person to more than three others represented "a high rate of spread, much faster than what is seen, for example, with seasonal influenza," Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County, said Thursday.

Officials believe the drop is tied to stay-at-home orders imposed in late March.

In early March, for every one coronavirus-positive person in Los Angeles County, an average of more than three people were subsequently infected. By late March, due to the stay-at-home order, for every one infected person, only one other person on average was subsequently infected. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)

"This represents tremendous progress, and we should all be very proud. It is also what allows us to start easing health officer orders and the restrictions that we've all been living with for the past several weeks. Safer at Home bought us time," Ghaly said.

"It allowed our healthcare system to become more prepared. It allowed time for testing to be ramped up. It allowed time to prepare to do more contact tracing efforts, and it showed the power of what we can all do to protect ourselves and one another," Ghaly said.

But the fact that the Effective Transmission Number hasn't fallen below 1 also poses a challenge. It explains why the coronavirus has stubbornly persisted at a plateau in California. If every person who gets infected on average infects one other person, then the disease levels will remain constant.

Story continues

L.A. County's rate is the same as is now reported in Silicon Valley, home to Northern California's most populous county, Santa Clara County, an early hot spot of the statewide outbreak.

Health officers in the Bay Area on Monday said they have seen a number of positive signs since the last loosening of stay-at-home orders executed on May 4, which allowed all construction and certain businesses that primarily do work outdoors, such as gardening and landscaping, to resume.

We make one change, watch the indicators, and when we havent seen that uptick, then we take the next step and then we watch again, said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County's health officer.

Santa Clara County was the initial epicenter of the health crisis in California. Now its cases amount to 3% of the states total and its deaths 4%. In early April, 9% of people tested in the county were positive for the virus, Cody said. Now the rate is 1% to 1.5%, a very significant improvement, Cody said.

Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco's health officer, also said his city was seeing progress.

As long as San Franciscans continue to social distance, practice good hygiene and wear masks, reopening businesses could continue.

So far the game is going relatively well, Colfax said Monday. But we are only in the second inning of a long game.

He said the virus will remain a threat in San Francisco for at least the next 18 months.

Los Angeles remains the center of coronavirus in California, with more than 1,800 deaths.

Ghaly said Los Angeles County will need to closely monitor the rate of disease spread. If the Effective Transmission Number starts to tick upward, it's possible that L.A. County will need to reimpose stronger stay-at-home measures. That would be expected if people aren't careful in staying away from others or stop avoiding social gatherings or wearing masks.

If the Effective Transmission Number rises substantially, it's possible the county could again be threatened with having so many critically ill patients, it exceeds the number of intensive care unit beds.

Officials are starting to see a decline in the number of coronavirus patients in the ICU.

If disease transmission rates rise, it's possible L.A. County could run out of intensive care unit beds. (Los Angeles County Department of Health Services)

There is an added potential problem: It can take two to four weeks before hospitals start seeing a surge in patients after they've been infected, so it can take some time before officials realize what's going on.

Ghaly said L.A. County residents can't simply get back to life as they once knew it right now "because so many of us across the county are still susceptible to COVID-19," she said. If people did go back to old habits, she said, "then we will experience a rapid increase in cases and that will require drastic action that none of us want to revisit."

"The better question is what we can do to get back to work and get back to our lives in ways that still protect our families and our community," Ghaly said. "Both are important for our overall health and well-being, and for the vibrancy of our community. And both are very possible."

The strategy, Ghaly said, includes:

Accepting that masks will need to be used in public

Practicing physical separation when outside the home

Continuing to wash hands and cleaning frequently touched surfaces

Being cautious around older people or those with underlying health conditions

Respecting new rules in venues that commonly have placed people close to one another, such as restaurant dining rooms, when they reopen

Following isolation and quarantine rules when sick or exposed to a sick person

Increased testing for at-risk populations

Federal officials have said they expect it will take 12 to 18 months at the earliest to see a vaccine. And they've warned about a surge of cases that may come in the fall.

"We are not going to get back to the normal, the way it was," Ghaly said. "But we can and will get to a place that allows everyone to earn a living, to take care of themselves and their family, to find enjoyment in their lives. And then that allows us to be healthy at the same time."
Nurses have been the standout heroes of this pandemic: immortalised in art by Banksy and singled out by a humbled Prime Minister.

There are other key worker heroes, of course: the unsung carers, cleaners, shop and postal workers; the teachers toiling in schools kept open for essential workers children, and not forgetting the transport workers who have died.

At the end of the first weekend in lockdown, a mother of three from my sons primary, always the snappiest dresser at pick-up, posted an exhausted-looking picture of herself in scrubs, at the end of a long weekend working in ICU.

Her nose and cheeks were blistered from the mask, her eyes looked shocked. She did not complain but instead described it as a privilege to have the skills needed; her sympathy was with the patients and families unable to be with them.

Author Patricia Nicol recommends the best selection of books on nurses to read during lockdown

There are lots of wonderful books featuring nurses. My mother, who tells winning anecdotes from her training days in early 1960s Glasgow, loves the Call The Midwife books by Jennifer Worth. After Florence Nightingale led the professionalisation of nursing in the 19th century, it became one of the more respectable careers open to women.

Vera Brittains compelling World War I memoir, Testament Of Youth, vividly conveys what an eye-opening, politicising experience nursing the war-wounded was for a blue-stocking product of the Edwardian bourgeoisie.

In Ernest Hemingways terrific tragic love story A Farewell To Arms, Frederic Henry, an American volunteer with the Italian ambulance service, falls deeply in love with Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. Together they flee the Italian front to try to live in peace.

My mother, who tells winning anecdotes from her training days in early 1960s Glasgow, loves the Call The Midwife books by Jennifer Worth (left). Much of Michael Ondaatjes World War II-set The English Patient also takes place in Italy

Much of Michael Ondaatjes World War II-set The English Patient also takes place in Italy. There, at an abandoned villa, Canadian nurse Hana devotedly nurses the devastatingly injured man labelled the English patient, though he is not.

Lets hope our respect and gratitude to health workers extends way beyond this emergency and the Thursday night claps.
Photographs of Rowena Weng Carranza-Paraan at the first all-women media safety training in the Philippines have been maliciously twisted in a red-tagging. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemn the harassment and the blatant disregard of a journalists right to be safe at workplace.

A social media account under the name Aram dela Cruz on May 13 shared photographs of Paraan, a former NUJP national chair and head of citizen journalism arm of the ABS-CBN broadcasting network which was forced off the air earlier this month. The photos depicted Paraan at a training organised by NUJP, where Paraan was the lead trainer, conducting a simulation on administering first aid to an injured person. The photos were originally published on MindaNews in 2013 during an all-women media safety training held in Cagayan de Oro City on March 16-17.

The red-tagged photographs were edited and captioned: Ano ang tunay na ugnayan ni Rowena Paraan (NUJP, Head ng Bayan Mo Ipatrol Mo, ng ABS-CBN at ng CPP-NPA-NDF. Alam ba ito ng ABS-CBN? (What is the real connection between Paraan and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front. Does ABS-CBN know this?)

NUJP said It is utterly shameless but dangerous that a historic media safety training aimed at protecting and ensuring the safety of media workers is being used to malign, threaten and put journalists and the NUJP in danger.

The IFJ said: The unrelenting harassment and red-tagging of journalists since the ABS-CBN shutdown is both shocking and reflective of the importance of journalists safety. The IFJ condemns the red-tagging and urge the public to respect the rights of journalists to be safe and speak out as media workers and unionists.
One of the three police officers involved in the raid that led to fatal shooting of sleeping black EMT had been accused of being a 'dirty' cop in a previous lawsuit.

Breonna Taylor, 26, died in the early hours of March 13 after law enforcement raided the home she shared with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker in Louisville, Kentucky.

Her loved ones have already launched a lawsuit against the three officers; it emerged Monday that one of them had been accused of harassing a man in 2019.

Officer Brett Hankison was accused of having a 'vendetta' against Kendrick Wilson and of being 'a dirty cop' in an October lawsuit; he denied all the claims.

It comes after Taylor's family accused the Louisville cops of obtaining the search warrant used in the raid based on false information investigators gave to the judge.

Wilson's ongoing federal lawsuit - unrelated to the shooting incident in March - accuses Hankison of targeting him and planting drugs, The Courier Journal reports.

It says Hankison arrested Wilson three times over a two year period at bars where he worked as off duty security. The charges against Wilson stemming from these incidents were dropped on two of these occasions. One case is still pending.

The suit says Hankison and Wilson were also involved in 'a relationship with the same woman'. It says the officer was 'unfairly targeting' Wilson.

Breonna Taylor, 26, died in the early hours of March 13 after law enforcement raided the home she shared with her boyfriend Kenneth Walker in Louisville, Kentucky

Officer Brett Hankison, pictured, has been accused of having a 'vendetta' against Kendrick Wilson and of being 'a dirty cop' in an October lawsuit; he denied all the claims

Taylor's family says that Louisville cops obtained the warrant used to raid her home based on false information that investigators gave to the judge.

Attorneys for the family of 26-year-old Breonna filed a lawsuit against Louisville Metro Police Department alleging that a detective falsely claimed that a drug suspect was receiving postal packages at her house.

In the early morning hours of March 13, Louisville police executed a no-knock raid on her home as part of an investigation centered on two men suspected of selling drugs in the Russell section of the city.

Taylors apartment in southwest Jefferson County was more than 10 miles away from the Russell neighborhood, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

Police suspected Taylors home was used to receive drugs, and a judge signed off on a no-knock warrant allowing law enforcement officials to raid her home.

Just before 1am, Louisville police said they identified themselves before using a battering ram to enter Taylors home, where she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed.

The search warrant used to justify the police raid which left Breonna Taylor, pictured, 26, dead on March 13 claimed that Taylor's home was used by a suspected drug dealer, Jamarcus Glover to receive suspicious packages. The family says this claim is false and is suing police

The suit claims that LMPD Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, left, and officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove, right, entered their apartment without announcing themselves

Taylor was in bed in her home that night with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. According to the family, Walker, who was licensed to carry a firearm, fired his gun thinking that the couple was being burglarized. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer

Taylors neighbors and her family dispute this. They said police never identified themselves, and that Walker, who was legally allowed to carry a firearm, shot at the cops thinking that he was being robbed.

Police responded with gunfire, killing Taylor, who suffered eight gunshot wounds.

Walker was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid.

Mattingly, Officer Brett Hankison, and Officer Myles Cosgrove were the three detectives who raided Taylor's home.

Officers fired at least 20 rounds during the raid. The above image shows a bullet hole piercing what appears to be a piece of furniture in Taylor's home

A bullet hole is seen in a glass window at Taylor's apartment in southwest Jefferson County

All three officers are named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by Taylor's family.

Taylor had no criminal record and worked for two local hospitals. The lawsuit alleges that police fired at least 20 rounds into the home.

The warrant which was approved by a judge the day before Taylor died was based on a detectives belief that one of the drug suspects in Russell, Jamarcus Glover, used Taylors residence to receive mail, keep drugs, or stash money from the sale of drugs.

Glover was arrested in a separate raid that same night more than 10 miles away from Taylors home.

A Louisville detective wrote in an affidavit that he saw Glover leave Taylors apartment two months before the raid with a United States Postal Service package which he then transported to a known drug house, according to the Courier Journal.

The search warrant used to justify the police raid which left Breonna Taylor, 26, dead on March 13 claimed that Taylor's home was used by a suspected drug dealer, Jamarcus Glover, pictured, to receive suspicious packages. The family says this claim is false and is suing police

The detective wrote that he verified the information through a US Postal Inspector.

But the inspector, Tony Gooden, told WDRB-TV that he was never asked by the Louisville Metro Police about any suspicious packages being sent to Taylors apartment.

Gooden said a different law enforcement agency asked his office in January to investigate whether any suspicious mail was going to Taylors resident.

After looking into the request, Gooden said his office found there was nothing suspicious linked to Taylors home.

There's no packages of interest going there, Gooden said.

Benjamin Crump, a Florida-based lawyer who specializes in high-profile cases involving police shootings of African Americans, said that Goodens statement directly contradicts what the police stated in the affidavit to secure a no-knock warrant for her home.

Crump is now part of a team of lawyers representing Taylors family.

Gooden further stated that no packages of interest were going there, Crump said.

We will continue to demand transparency from the Louisville police on behalf of Breonna's family.

Taylor's death sparked outraged nationwide. Her family is suing Louisville and its police department for wrongful death

DailyMail.com has reached out to Crump and the LMPD for comment.

No-knock warrants are a controversial practice that allows law enforcement officials to raid a suspects home without identifying themselves or notifying the suspect beforehand.

Supporters of the practice say that it prevents suspects from destroying evidence during the time that authorities use to identify themselves.

But opponents say that it poses various dangers.

Houston police stopped the practice of no-knock raids last year after two civilians were killed and four officers were shot during a drug raid that was launched based on faulty information.

No-knock raids have resulted in officers being shot because residents who are legally permitted to carry firearms believed they were being burglarized.

Several states, including Kentucky, have stand your ground laws that allow the use of lethal force in case they fell victim to crimes such as assault, rape, and burglary.

Louisville's top cop and mayor urge DOJ and FBI to investigate deadly police shooting of black EMT

Louisville officials have now asked the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI to review the police department's internal investigation of the killing of Taylor.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad announced their request for additional federal help on Thursday.

They said the results would be forwarded along with the findings of the police integrity unit to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also called for an outside review into the killing of Taylor.

The death of the 26-year-old emergency medical technician sparked a national uproar and calls for federal intervention.

'My priority is always that the truth comes out,' the mayor said. 'We can be transparent with the people of our city. And we can and we must also talk about the relationship between our police and our communities of color: past, present and future.'

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer (left) and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad announced their request for additional federal help on Thursday. They said the results would be forwarded to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron

The police review is going to the state's attorney general since the county's prosecutor, Thomas Wine, recused himself from the case, a statement by the mayor's office said.

Wine also asked state officials to appoint a special prosecutor for the case on Wednesday to avoid a conflict of interest since he is prosecuting Taylor's boyfriend, Walker, for the shooting of the officer.

A lawyer for Walker said he fired in self-defense because the officers did not announce themselves, a point disputed by Louisville police.

'One reason the news of this case hits people so hard is because it reopens old wounds - the history of racism and the mistreatment of people of color in our community,' said Fischer.

Kendall Boyd, the director of the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission, said city officials have put together an initiative, the Synergy Project, to have constructive dialogues about the 'strained' and 'broken' historical relationship between police and communities of color.

'Everybody gets to say their truth,' Boyd said.

Mayor Fischer said in a statement Tuesday: 'Police work can involve incredibly difficult situations. Additionally, residents have rights. These two concepts will and must be weighed by our justice system as the case proceeds.'

Senator Kamala Harris blasted the lack of an independent investigation into the officers' conduct as an injustice.

'When you look at Breonna Taylor. A woman who was 26, an EMT, and this one woman had a dream of becoming a nurse. And shes sitting in her apartment when shes killed by police who were at the wrong place serving a warrant. There should be an investigation. Thats not justice,' Harris said Wednesday on NBC News.

An online petition called #StandWithBre seeking to arrest and charge the police officers involved in the shooting, terminate them, and pursue charges has gained over 171,000 signatures.

Taylors heartbroken family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April in Jefferson Circuit Court.

Taylor 'had posed no threat to the officers and did nothing to deserve to die at their hands', the lawsuit says.

'More than 25 bullets hit objects in the homes living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, both bedrooms in Taylor and Walker's apartment and into the adjacent home, where a five-year-old child and pregnant mother lived,' the lawsuit states.

The case emerged in the national spotlight when Taylor's family hired Crump, the prominent civil rights lawyer who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery, the black jogger who was shot dead in Georgia in February.

On Wednesday Crump called Taylor's death an execution.

'You can't walk while black. With Ahmaud, you can't jog while black. Driving while black. But Breonna Taylor was sleeping while black in the sanctity of her own home,' Crump said during a news conference.
The Chinese firm Huawei has launched a stinging attack against the US, amid fears that new sanctions on the telecoms and technology giant by Washington could lead to industrial threats against some of Irelands biggest employers.

Donald Trumps administration is set to ban US firms from supplying components to other companies that provide Huawei with key technology.

At an analyst conference, company executives responded by describing the move as pernicious and arbitrary and that it would have an effect.

The move could leave some Irish-based subsidiaries of US multinational firms fearing an indirect loss of business.

Based on what I know, if the US further blocks key technology supply to Huawei, China will activate the unreliable entity list, [and] restrict or investigate US companies such as Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple, and suspend the purchase of Boeing airplanes, said the editor in chief of the Chinese Global Times, Hu Xijin.

Apple is Corks largest industrial employer, with over 6,000 people. Qualcomm also has offices in Cork.

Last year, then Fianna Fail TD Willie ODea voiced fears for the future of Analog Devices, which employs over 1,200 people in Limerick and provides components to Huawei for smartphones.

A spokesman for Huawei could not say if the tightening sanctions would directly affect companies located here.

But other company executives said that the US was involved in a crude game of one upmanship for trade reasons.

The US is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders, the company said in a statement. Ultimately this will harm US interests.

China has complained to the US about the tightening sanctions, which the US says has been taken on foot of security fears over Huawei being too close to the Chinese government.

In its relentless pursuit to tighten its stranglehold on our company, the US government has decided to completely ignore the concerns of many companies and industry associations, the Huawei statement continued.

To attack a leading company from another country, the US government has intentionally turned its back on the interests of Huawei's customers and consumers. This goes against the US governments claim that it is motivated by network security.

This decision by the US government does not just affect Huawei. It will have a serious impact on a wide number of global industries. In the long run, this will damage the trust and collaboration within the global semiconductor industry which many industries depend on, increasing conflict and loss within these industries.
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.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 18:59:40|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Monday launched a six-month campaign to clear a backlog of nearly 40,000 court cases, of which about 75 percent involved drug crimes, Justice Minister Koeut Rith said.

Speaking during a press conference here after the launch of the campaign, Rith said the backlog of court cases had grown after the Southeast Asian country had carried out measures to crack down on drug crimes in recent years.

Since early 2017 to date, authorities had filed almost 30,000 drug-related cases involving with over 60,000 arrested suspects to courts across the kingdom, he said, adding that a total of 1.66 tons of illicit drugs had been seized from the suspects.

"The campaign's purpose is to reduce a backlog of court cases at municipal and provincial courts, to accelerate the seeking of justice for people, and to reduce overcrowding in prisons," the minister said.

"Tackling the backlog of court cases is our priority in order to enhance justice services and to strengthen public confidence in the judicial sector," he added.

Rith said judges and prosecutors will be required to work harder, as the Ministry of Justice have set up more facilities for hearings and will recruit more judges, prosecutors, and clerks in order to ensure the success of the campaign.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry has also worked closely with the country's Anti-Corruption Unit to make sure that the campaign is corruption-free. Enditem
Carson City, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2020) - Franklin Mining Inc. (OTC Pink: FMNJ) has entered into a Riesgo Compartido (Joint Venture) with Inversiones Mineras Scorpius Chile SpA represented by Francisco Coeymans Ossandon. This agreement covers the joint effort to explore the Chilean Los Totems copper mine held by Ossandon and Inversiones Mineras Scorpius Chile SpA.

Chilean Los Totems Copper Mine



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6923/56045_79c16340d4e979b3_001full.jpg

This grassroots exploration project represents a unique opportunity to explore for high-grade Copper and Gold/Silver mineralization amenable to U/G exploitation and/or shallow open pit exploitation at a time when a new copper cycle is beginning. Over 22,000 hectares of copper mines are expected to be covered in this venture. Small third-party claims located within the perimeter of the larger land package are currently being mined by "Pirquineros" with significant oxide Cu mineralization being direct shipped to Enami leaching facilities in Copiapo. These "windows" of mineralization are widespread and together with geological mapping, paint a clear picture of the potential to host similar mineralization.

Target Model



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Franklin Mining CEO William Petty is currently in negotiations to partner with David Moore, a world-renowned geologist and the owner of MDP Trading with over three decades of experience, for the duration of this project. Mr. Moore hails from Australia and currently resides in Laos. He will be assisting Petty and Ossandon in the facilitation of this venture.

Safe Harbor Act: This release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report.

For additional information, visit our website, www.FranklinMining.com, visit www.mdptrading.com call: 830-331-0031 email: FranklinMining.CEO@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @FMNJ1864

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/56045
Restaurant executives pressured Donald Trump during a White House meeting Monday to extend the timeline for small businesses to spend their Payment Protection Program funds  as a fast-food CEO called the coronavirus pandemic a 'Chinese nightmare.'

Trump signaled support for the notion, claiming that extending the period for borrowers to spend their money from eight weeks to 24 weeks 'should be easy.'

A social-distanced table of restaurant executives joined Trump and other administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the president's daughter and Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, in the State Dining Room to discuss challenges facing their industry in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

'Mr. President, the Payroll Protection Program would be a Godsend if we could make one change. If we could extend the time that we need  that we have to spend the proceeds,' Marvin Irby, Interim CEO of the National Restaurant Association, said.

'In too many communities today, the eight-week period is simply not enough time,' he continued.

Restaurant executives urged Donald Trump during a meeting Monday to extend the Payment Protection Program timeline through October, which would expand the program from eight weeks to 24 weeks

Marvin Irby, the Interim CEO of the National Restaurant Association, sat across from the president in the State Dining Room and asserted: 'In too many communities today, the eight-week period is simply not enough time'

'How much time do you want?' Trump interjected, before proposing 30 weeks. He was met with a counter from Irby, who said '24 weeks' was the preferred timeline to spend the grants doled out from the PPP

Fast-food franchiser James Bodenstadt (pictured), a mega-Trump donor, was also at the meeting  and referred to the coronavirus pandemic as the 'Chinese nightmare' while also calling himself the epitome of the 'American Dream'

James Bodenstadt has donated more tahn $440,000 to Trump's reelection campaign

'How much time do you want?' Trump interjected.

'24 weeks,' Trump said.

'How about 30 weeks,' the president proposed.

'30 weeks works,' Irby chuckled.

'How about 75 weeks?' Trump again proposed.

'Eh,' Irby responded with a sound rather than a word.

'I know a couple of you  you'll never stop, right?' Trump joked, and was met with some chuckles.

The rest of the executives at the meeting echoed Irby's proposal, requesting to extend the timeline from June 30 to October 31.

'If those two changes were made to that program, it would change it dramatically,' Will Guidara, member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition and New York fine dining restauranteur, followed-up.

Mnuchin told the restaurateurs that he is working on a technical fix to the PPP that could extend the time frame, but admitted that it may not be for the desired 24 weeks.

Also invited to the round table discussion was James Bodenstadt, a Trump donor and the first ever fast-food franchise owner to publicly advise the White House on reopening restaurants.

When it was his turn to speak, Bodenstadt bashed the coronavirus pandemic as a 'Chinese nightmare,' making reference to the several times the president referred to the disease as the 'Chinese virus' since the first cases originated in Wuhan, China at the end of last year.

'Frankly, you know, eight weeks, nine weeks ago I was thinking about this Chinese nightmare and I didn't want it to affect the American Dream that we all had,' Bodenstadt said of him and his fellow restaurant owners.

'And I'm a success story about the American Dream, going from $3.45 an hour starting at the front counter of a fast food restaurant, to what we have today,' he continued.

The CEO of MUY Company has donated more than $440,000 to Trump's reelection campaign. His most recent donation was on March 12, according to FEC filings, when he gifted $200,000 to the Trump Victory PAC.

Restaurants across the country started to re-open last week as lockdown and stay-at-home orders began to lift in some states and localities

Bodenstadt is the CEO of MUY Company, which franchises Wendy's, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut  and he owns and operates more than 730 such locations across the U.S.

'Being able to stay open, and work with the governors, and get the PPP money, and to be able to give people the assurances that tomorrow is going to be better than it was today, and give them that hope has been really important for us, our business and those families,' he told Trump.

Owners at the meeting on Monday also urged the president to include rent holidays for restaurants so those with expensive rent, like in New York City where it reaches into the millions, can keep their location without fear of being pushed out for failing to make rent payments.

The PPP bailout funds were initially passed as part of a measure for small businesses in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, which was signed by Donald Trump at the end of March.

The fund was replenished once as part of an interim package after the first $250 billion had already been pledged to small businesses across the country after applications were only opened for a few days.
(Bloomberg) --

Huawei Technologies Co. warned the latest U.S. curbs on its business will inflict a terrible price on the global technology industry, inflaming tensions between Washington and Beijing while harming American interests.

Chinas largest technology company said it will be significantly affected by a Commerce Department decree barring any chipmaker using American equipment from supplying Huawei without U.S. government approval. That means companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its rivals will have to cut off the Chinese company unless they get waivers -- effectively severing Huaweis access to cutting-edge silicon it needs for smartphones and networking gear.

Washingtons decision drew condemnation from Beijing, which regards Huawei as a national champion because of its success in dominating global networking technology. China and Huawei have threatened retaliation but Rotating Chairman Guo Ping on Monday refrained from commenting on a possible Beijing response -- a departure from just two months ago when the company warned Washington risked opening a pandoras box and Chinese countermeasures if it chose to go ahead with additional restrictions.

Our business will significantly be impacted, Guo said at a company briefing with analysts in Shenzhen. Given the changes in the industry over the past year, it dawned on us more clearly that fragmented standards and supply chains benefit no one. If further fragmentation were to take place, the whole industry would pay a terrible price, he added.

Huawei is still assessing the potential fallout of the latest restrictions and couldnt predict the impact on revenue for now, Guo said. On Monday, a swathe of Huaweis suppliers from TSMC to AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. plunged in Asian trading.

Guo was far less vocal than colleague Richard Yu, who runs the consumer division responsible for smartphones. The outspoken executive said the restrictions that ostensibly aim to allay U.S. cybersecurity concerns are really designed to safeguard American dominance of global tech.

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The so-called cybersecurity reasons are merely an excuse, Yu, head of the Chinese tech giants consumer electronics unit, wrote in a post to his account on messaging app WeChat earlier on Monday. The key is the threat to the technology hegemony of the U.S. posed by Huawei, he added.

Yu also posted a link to a Chinese article circulating on social media with part of its headline asking: Why Does America Want to Kill Huawei?

The U.S. is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders, spokesman Joe Kelly told analysts, reading from a prepared statement. This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in U.S. technology and supply chains, Kelly said. Ultimately, this will harm U.S. interests.

Read more: Global Chipmaking Kingpin Gets Dragged into U.S.-China Trade War

(Updates with more details from the Huawei briefing with analysts)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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China has been quick to reopen its industries. Photo: Reuters/Marko Djurica

Levels of pollution have risen to above normal levels in China since the country's lockdown was eased, in an early indication that Beijing may opt for a "dirty" recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, among other pollutants, were higher in the month to May 8 than in the same period in 2019, according to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent think-tank which is based in Europe.

Levels of pollution were generally highest in areas that have a lot of coal-burning industry. Air pollution in the country dropped dramatically during February's lockdown as industry and transport were stopped.

The country's carbon emissions were estimated to have dropped 25pc during the most stringent lockdown period.

"The rapid rebound in air pollution and coal consumption levels across China is an early warning of what a smokestack industry-led rebound could look like: highly polluting industries have been faster to recover from the crisis than the rest of the economy," said Lauri Myllyvirta, the lead analyst at CREA.

The latest data will raise concerns that China, whose population is 1.4 billion, is taking a path of quick and dirty economic growth, as was seen in the wake of the 2008 recession.

"As the world's largest CO2 emitter and as the first major economy to reopen after the crisis, all eyes are on China.

"It is essential for policymakers to prioritise clean energy and reduce the country's economic reliance on highly polluting, energy intensive industries," said Mr Myllyvirta.

Chinese citizens will share the heightened concerns of many around the world for health to be prioritised in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.

Studies that have drawn links between higher levels of pollution and worse rates of infection or outcome have so far proved inconclusive.

But air pollution exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma that are a risk factor in patients suffering from Covid-19. ( Daily Telegraph, London)
US Will Be 'Expelled From Iraq and Syria', Iran's Supreme Leader Says

Sputnik News

17:57 GMT 17.05.2020(updated 18:34 GMT 17.05.2020)

The situation between Iran and the United States almost escalated into a full conflict after a US drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January, prompting Tehran to retaliate by firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq hosting US forces.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has stated that the "Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria and will be expelled", according to his official website.

In the meantime, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that Tehran will retaliate if Washington takes action against the fuel deliveries to crisis-hit Venezuela.

The statement comes after the US State Department in 2019 designated Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Cuba as countries that had "not cooperated fully" with Washington in fighting terrorism. According to the US, Tehran remains "the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism", backing Hezbollah and Iraqi Shia groups, while its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated by Washington as a foreign terrorist organisation, is "directly involved in terrorist plotting and the killing of US citizens".

In early January, a US strike in Baghdad killed Iraqi Shia militia commander Abu Mahdi Muhandis and Qasem Soleimani, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. Washington alleged that both were involved in an attack on the US Embassy late last year.

The US has been enforcing a policy of so-called "maximum pressure

" on Iran since 2018, when the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear deal reached between Iran, Russia, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union in 2015.

The US-led coalition of more than 60 countries has been carrying out airstrikes and other operations against the Daesh* terrorist group in Iraq since August 2014 and in Syria since September 2014. However, the coalition has been acting in Syria without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

A Sputnik

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With regard to other politicians, distrust is expressed more often than trust.

Almost 60% of Ukrainians say they trust in President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The president's performance is positively assessed by 57% of respondents (37% negatively), according to a survey conducted by the Rating Sociological Group.

Read alsoOver 42% of Ukrainians would vote for Zelensky if elections held in late April  poll

Over a third of respondents could not assess their level of trust in Parliament Speaker Dmytro Razumkov and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Some 25% trust in Razumkov, while 33% do not trust. Pollees say they have distrust of Shmyhal more often than trust (39% against 14%).

With regard to other politicians, distrust is expressed more often than trust. MP Yuriy Boyko enjoys the trust of 25% of the pollees while 57% distrust him; MP Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has 24% and 61%, respectively; MP Yulia Tymoshenko 22% and 72%, respectively; and former President, MP Petro Poroshenko 20% and 76%, respectively.

As UNIAN reported earlier, most Ukrainians say they do not trust in parliament, government, law enforcement agencies, the Health Ministry, and the National Bank of Ukraine.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) announces an update on issuing its 2019 Financial Statements and the publication and dispatch of the 2019 Annual Report.



Reference is made to the Companys announcements dated April 27 and May 12, 2020 (collectively, the Announcements). Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this announcement shall have the same respective meanings as defined in the Announcements.

As disclosed in the announcement dated May 12, 2020, the Company has been advised by its Auditors that they have not been able to render an unmodified opinion on the 2019 Financial Statements prior to the filing deadline of May 14, 2020, as they have not had sufficient evidence to support managements going concern assumptions due in part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia imposed travel restriction of non-Mongolian passengers to enter Mongolia since February 2020. On April 28, 2020, the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia decided to extend the suspension of international passenger flights till the end of May 2020. As a result, the Company was not able to file the 2019 Financial Statements by the filing deadline of May 14, 2020.

On May 13, 2020 the Company made an application to the BCSC, the Companys principal securities regulator in Canada, requesting that a MCTO be granted in respect of the late filing of the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings. On May 15, 2020, the BCSC granted the Company a MCTO which will be effective until June 15, 2020. Pursuant to the MCTO, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company will not be permitted to trade any securities of the Company unless and until such time as the Company files the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings. While the MCTO is in effect, the Company expects that shareholders of the Company will continue to be able to trade the Companys common shares on the TSX. Until the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings are filed, the Company will be required to comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines specified in NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of press releases for so long as the MCTO remains in effect.

Story continues

Meanwhile, an application was made by the Company to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for further extension of time for the publication of the 2019 Annual Report (the Further Extension) as provided for under the Further Guidance on Joint Statement in relation to Results Announcements in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic issued by the Securities and Future Commission in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 16, 2020. The Company anticipates trading of the Companys common shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will be permitted to continue if the Further Extension is granted by Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

During the effective period of MCTO, and if the Further Extension is granted, the Company will use the additional time so granted to obtain relevant evidence so as to support managements going concern assumptions, and to obtain an unmodified opinion from the Auditors on the 2019 Financial Statements or pursue another appropriate resolution to this matter. If the Company is successful in obtaining an unmodified opinion from the Auditors on the 2019 Financial Statements, the Company will file the 2019 Financial Statements and 2019 Annual Report as soon as possible following the receipt thereof. There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will be able to provide sufficient evidence to the Auditors and obtain an unmodified opinion on the 2019 Financial Statements prior to the expiry of the MCTO or Further Extension. If the Company is unable to file the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings prior to the expiry of the MCTO, it is anticipated that the BCSC will issue a general failure to file cease trade order (CTO) prohibiting the trading by any person of any securities of the Company, including trades in the Companys common shares made through the TSX. The Company anticipates that the CTO would take effect shortly after the expiry of the MCTO and would remain in place until such time as the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings have been filed.

The Company will make further announcement(s) in relation to the updates on status of the Further Extension application with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the 2019 Financial Statements, and the publication and the dispatch of the 2019 Annual Report as and when appropriate.

Shareholders of the Company and potential investors are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company.

About SouthGobi

SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.

Contact:



Investor Relations



Kino Fu

Office: +852 2156 7030 (Hong Kong)

+1 604 762 6783 (Canada)

Email: kino.fu@southgobi.com



Website: www.southgobi.com
Malaysia's king warned lawmakers against resorting to hostility and slander, as he spoke at the country's first parliament sitting since its chaotic change of government two-and-a-half months ago.

"Honorable Members should always display maturity in politics," Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad said in his televised royal address. "Do not revert the country to a situation of political turmoil while the people are still faced with various problems and a difficult future due to the Covid-19 pandemic."

For the first time in the country's history, the one-day session on Monday hosted only a speech by the king, leaving no time for representatives to discuss policies for addressing the pandemic or go through a planned confidence vote against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Opposition lawmakers said the move showed Muhyiddin's refusal to face them, while the premier said it was meant to reduce the risk of infections.

The brief parliament sitting offered a glimpse of Malaysia's new political landscape, which was roiled by a week-long power struggle that left both sides of the aisle fragmented. The parliament's seating arrangement, which should broadly be divided between the government and the opposition, saw the new leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim sitting directly across from Muhyiddin. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad sat a few seats away, in between members of both sides of the divide.

"We call on the people to work together with the government to continue to develop the nation," said the king. "We believe that only with solidarity between the people and the government will we be able to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous Malaysia."

Muhyiddin is backed by parties from former ruling and opposition sides that on Sunday declared a deal to formalize a coalition. That includes the United Malays National Organisation party that supports race-based affirmative action policies, even as he sought to present himself as prime minister to all. He's also counting on support from the Bersatu party that he founded with Mahathir, who has secured the approval to launch a motion of no confidence against him.

Despite being in the ruling coalition, UMNO leaders have openly criticized the government, especially on the distribution of aid and the implementation of a lockdown meant to contain the pandemic.

"Governance has to take a back seat to division of spoils," said Wong Chin Huat, a professor at Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia in Sunway University. The current government "will stay on for a while unless the economy hits bottom and completely erodes their legitimacy."

So far, the opposition coalition doesn't pose a "credible threat" to the government, said Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, a professor of government at Universiti Utara Malaysia. "With the country facing the crisis and the people's mind preoccupied with health and economic issues, many attempts at destabilizing the government might not be well-received by the people," he said.

The government is working to implement its 260 billion ringgit ($60 billion) stimulus package, the biggest in Southeast Asia as proportion of gross domestic product, while promising another set of measures to bolster an economy struggling with the effects of the pandemic. That has kept Malaysia from contracting, with the first quarter showing a surprise expansion of 0.7%, the slowest since 2009.

"Malaysia's political scene has always been such that absent a general election, the incumbent government would always have the upper hand, as it possesses abundant political and other forms of largess to distribute around to acquire political support," said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow of Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

The stability of Muhyiddin's government depends on UMNO, the biggest party backing him, Oh said. "So the current ruling coalition is likely to hold due to the major coalition parties' common preference for racial and religious supremacy albeit in a multiracial and multicultural society, but whether it would continue to be led by Muhyiddin is at best questionable," he said.

Muhyiddin came to power in March after the king named him as the one most likely to secure the support of a majority in parliament, ending a week of shifting allegiances among lawmakers who broke away from their parties and argued among themselves over whom to support as premier.

The turmoil was set off by Mahathir's abrupt resignation in February, leading his then-assumed successor Anwar Ibrahim to rise as his coalition's candidate, before returning to the race too late.

Mahathir and Anwar have since joined hands, saying "it's time" to restore an election mandate they won two years ago and issuing a statement together for the first time since their government was ousted.

"It would be foolish to underestimate Pakatan Harapan, especially Mahathir," said Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, director at BowerGroupAsia. "However, the question remains as to whether Mahathir is willing to take a step back and let Anwar take the lead. One of the main reasons behind the collapse of the previous government was the distrust between the two leaders."
A 60-year-old man lost his life and his son received serious injuries when their motorcycle collided with a speeding tractor in the neighbouring Mahoba district, police said on Monday.

Circle Officer Jatashankar Rao said the incident happened Sunday evening when there was a head-on collision between the tractor and the motorcycle.

Bahora and his son Jitendra received serious injuries in the incident and were admitted to a hospital, he said, adding "Bahora was declared dead. His son was referred to Jhansi Medical College for treatment."



Following the incident, irate residents blocked the road for traffic for nearly an hour.

Rao said a case has been registered against the driver of the tractor, and the vehicle has been seized.

Efforts are on to nab the drive, police said, adding the body has been sent for postmortem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia impounding 22 ships carrying fuel, food at Jizan port: Official

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 5:28 PM

A official at Yemen's Hudaydah port says Saudi authorities have impounded nearly two dozen ships carrying energy derivatives and food destined for the impoverished and war-ravaged Arab country.

A total of 22 ships are moored at the port city of Jizan in southwestern Saudi Arabia, the unnamed official told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network on Sunday.

The official added that the vessels are loaded with more than half a million tons of oil derivatives, including gasoline and diesel fuel, more than eight thousand tons of gas, 10 thousand tons of flour and 9,000 tons of rice.

Later on Sunday, Reuters reported that a vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Aden and offshore of Yemen's port city of Mukalla.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in notice on its website that the attack happened at 1230 GMT on Sunday, noting, "Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise extreme caution."

Maritime security firm Dryad Global said the incident was the ninth of its kind in the Gulf of Aden this year.

Also on Sunday, Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees thwarted two offensives mounted by Saudi-sponsored mercenaries fighting to reinstate exiled former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militiamen attacked Dhubab and Pasha Bear districts in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz.

Yemeni troops and their allies, however, managed to foil the attacks after hours of fierce gunfight, inflicting heavy blows to the Saudi-backed forces and forcing them to retreat.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in order to bring Hadi back to power and crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement.

The US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than 100,000 lives over the past five years.

More than half of Yemen's hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or closed during the war by the Saudi-led coalition, which is supported militarily by the UK, US and other Western nations.

At least 80 percent of the 28 million-strong population is also reliant on aid to survive in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A Joint Memorandum of Cooperation was signed today between the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on private sector fundraising activities.

KSrelief is the only body authorized to receive charitable or humanitarian donations from within the Kingdom, whether it is from the governmental or private sector. Through KSrelief, Saudi public, corporate and private donors, including foundations, and philanthropic organizations can provide donations or grants to support UNICEF's work outside the Kingdom. Thus, the contributions are made to UNICEF projects outside the Kingdom by donors inside the Kingdom.

The Memorandum, which enables this fundraising to take place, was signed between the KSrelief Head of International Relations, Dr. Yahya Al Shammri and the UNICEF Representative for the Gulf Area Office, Mr. Eltayeb Adam.

UNICEF is one of the main international partners of KSrelief. The two organizations have cooperated on many life-saving projects. In Yemen, storages for immunization vaccines in Aden have been funded. A vaccination program for children under the age of five was also implemented and a much needed cholera treatment and prevention program in all Yemeni governorates was rolled out. The total provided by KSrelief to UNICEF to combat cholera in Yemen was USD 33 million.

SOURCE King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre
For months, the class of 2020 had all of its milestones vanished, postponed or moved online, with video commencement speeches, drive-by selfies from principals and Instagram yearbooks.

Now high school seniors will get another chance to pin a corsage to their tuxedo or gown: The prom is going virtual, too.

The former first lady Michelle Obama has partnered with MTV to provide this rite of passage on May 22 for high school students who are in quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event is being held in partnership with When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for which Ms. Obama is a co-chair, to increase voter participation in every election.

MTV said on Friday that the 20 high school students who won a contest would be highlighted in Fridays Prom-athon, featuring short-form original content from the winners, prom-themed movies and a virtual party with surprise guests and live performances.
What are the rights of the employee and the employer regarding the return to the office? Can working from home employees refuse to go back to the workplace due to COVID-19, even if it has a COVIDSafe plan?

As Australia commences its return to normality in the wake of COVID-19, the internet is already abuzz with questions about the return of employees to their workplaces. When will it happen? How will it happen? And, increasingly, can I refuse to return when my boss tells me its time?

On Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australias 3 Step Framework for a COVIDSafe Australia. As businesses reopen and move towards recommencing their normal operations in accordance with the framework, employers will be asking their employees to return to the workplace.

In some cases, a business cannot operate without its employees being physically present at the premises. A restaurant cannot serve meals without wait staff. A shop cannot sell goods without shop assistants. A nail salon cannot perform pedicures without nail technicians. In these cases, most of the time, the point at which the employer will require its employees to return to the workplace will be clear. Subject to the employer having developed a COVIDSafe plan (more about that later), when the business reopens, or ramps up its operations to a level that requires more staff, the employer will need its workers to return.

But in other workplaces, the timing of the return to the workplace may not be so clear cut. COVID-19 has forever changed the way that many people work. Businesses have had to quickly move to models that allow work to be performed remotely and with increased flexibility. For some, these changes have created a realisation amongst staff that they can do their jobs from home and, with no commute (or commuting costs), no dress code, and the ability to pop a load of washing on while the kettle boils for morning tea, they quite like it. For this reason they may want to delay their return to the workplace for as long as possible, or not want to return to the workplace at all.

Some organisations have already flagged that certain members or their workforces will continue to work from home following the end of the pandemic. In addition to positive feedback from employees, they have realised that reducing the number of employees at their premises may result in bottom line savings when the costs of commercial rent, cleaning, heating/cooling and other incidental office costs (Im talking about those important things like chocolate biscuits and coffee pods) are weighed against the costs associated with facilitating work from home, such as ongoing costs for more sophisticated IT systems.

But what if an employee refuses to return to the workplace once they have been told its time? Employers will need to carefully consider the circumstances of any such refusal. Is the employee one that needs to attend the workplace in order to perform their duties, like the wait staff, shop assistants and nail technicians mentioned earlier? Or will the employee still be able to perform the inherent duties of their role from a remote location?

In either case, the employers first step in directing employees to return will be to ensure a COVIDSafe plan has been developed. This requires the employer to assess the public health orders in place at the relevant time so as not to breach the relevant restrictions. At present, that includes physical distancing and, in some workplaces, the 4 square metre rule. This may require an employer to relocate workspaces, or introduce teams of workers who attend the workplace in shifts so fewer employees are present at any one time. Additionally, in order to comply with work health and safety laws, employers also need to ensure that they provide and maintain a safe working environment. In the current circumstances, this will require employers to ensure that their COVIDSafe plan includes proper systems for maintaining effective hygiene, health monitoring and cleaning. It will also require employers to plan for the possibility of COVID-19 cases in the workplace.

Special circumstances will apply to some employees. Those with disabilities or carers responsibilities will require additional consideration by the employer if they cannot legitimately return to the workplace due to matters relating to COVID-19. In relation to those employees, hasty decisions by an employer may give rise to allegations of discrimination or adverse action, so care must be taken and obtaining legal advice is often a good idea.

Employers will need to consider how their employees travel to work, and whether any community measures still in place will cause their employees difficulty in travelling to and from work, or expose them to unnecessary health risks. Australias Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy has suggested that employers consider staggering their employees start and finish times so that public transport is not crowded during peak travel times. However, when services may only be able to cater for a quarter of their usual capacities, the hassle of altering work hours and the delays that will likely occur are almost certainly going to make employees think twice about wanting to return to work if they dont believe its absolutely necessary.

But if the workplace has the appropriate measures in place and the employee can commute to the workplace safely, it largely becomes a matter of employer discretion as to whether the employee can continue to work from home. Relevant matters to consider include the employees level of productivity at home versus in the workplace, whether the employee needs to be in the office for supervision (either to provide supervision or be supervised themselves) and the need for the employee to interact with co-workers and others face-to-face. Ultimately, if the employer wants the employee back in the workplace, then they can direct the employee to return. Any refusal by the employee to follow a reasonable direction, could have disciplinary consequences.

At the end of the day, the health and safety of employees is paramount. But productivity is also of great importance, and the employer can determine what it requires of its employees after weighing up the pros and cons of allowing an employee to continue to work remotely, both as we emerge from lockdown and into the future.

Erin Kidd is a Special Counsel in the Employment Law Group at McCabe Curwood, an Australian law firm.

Keep up to date with our COVID-19 and COVIDSafe stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Kuwait and Qatar reportedly announced on May 17 that people who would be found without wearing the protective face masks will be charged with fine and jail time. Kuwait's health ministry said while speaking at the press conference, that those caught not following health safety protocol can face up to three months in prison, while Qatar state TV reported the same term.

According to reports, Kuwait can impose the maximum fine of 5,000 dinars ($16,200) and Qatar 200,000 riyals ($55,000). With over 2.8 million population, Qatar has 32,604 cases of coronavirus with 15 fatalities so far. Meanwhile, Kuwait has recorded 14,850 total cases and 112 deaths. Overall, out of the total population of around 30 million people, Saudi Arabia, has 54,752 cases and 312 fatalities have been registered. While UAE has a total 23,358 confirmed cases and the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths among the six states at 220.

Earlier, the United Arab Emirates had made an announcement that a total curfew would be imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, during which, the government will also conduct a nationwide disinfection drive. In a statement, the Emirates Federation said that the curfew will be imposed blocking the main entrances to Al Ras. Further, it mentioned that public transportation will be suspended with immediate effect in the area that provided commercial connectivity for goods transportation between Iran and Dubai, a region that had turned to the epicentre of the outbreak.

Read: Yemen Clashes Between Saudi, UAE-backed Fighters

Read: Vande Bharat Mission: 288 People Stranded In USA, UAE Land In Hyderabad

Drive-thru test centres

UAE had also reportedly announced the drive-thru test centres across the regions tourism and business hubs to test the suspected cases of the COVID-19. The centre was launched in the capital of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan was quoted saying by the state broadcasters that UAE will never hesitate to take stern measures to safeguard citizens lives. He stressed that the region will also simultaneously manage the business and would not let development come to a halt.

UAE government instructed mandatory closure of all malls and markets across the region. It, however, exempted pharmacies, supermarkets, co-ops and wholesale open markets, such as the fish and meat markets from mandatory lockdown. UAEs Ministry of Interior and the National Crisis and Disasters Management Authority urged people to stay indoors and allowed only the essential movements, as per local media reports.

Read: COVID-19: First Batch Of 88 Nurses From India Arrive In UAE

Read: Indian Classical Dancer In UAE Dies Of Cardiac Arrest

(Image Credit: AP)
Filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, co-creator of The Matrix franchise, has hit back at Tesla CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump for quoting her movie.

In a cryptic Twitter post over the weekend, Musk wrote Take the red pill with an emoji of a red rose.

Ivanka retweeted the post, writing Taken.

The tweet referred to the classic scene from the 1999 sci-fi thriller, in which Lawrence Fishburne's Morpheus tells Keanu Reeves' protagonist Neo that he has been living in a computer simulation and gives him a choice to take a blue pill and forget about the Matrix or take a red pill to learn the truth about the Matrix.

Wachowski was seemingly unhappy with the Twitter interaction between Musk and Ivanka, and shot back at the duo saying F*** both of you.

She also responded with a tweet to support the Brave Space Alliance, which is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ Center located on the South Side of Chicago.

Her sister, Lana Wachowski is writing and directing The Matrix 4 which stopped production due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM), commonly referred to as TSMC, is the largest and most capable contracted chip manufacturer in the world. This company is at the forefront of the 5G revolution and the next wave of datacenter hyperscaling. Analysts have been increasingly optimistic about these shares' potential, upwardly revising EPS estimates for the next couple of years and propelling TSM into a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

TSMC is utilized by the biggest and baddest semiconductor companies in Silicon Valley, including Nvidia (NVDA), Qualcomm (QCOM), AMD (AMD), and even leading US hardware innovator, Apple (AAPL). These cutting-edge businesses rely on TSMC for their manufacturing needs because it is the only company that can meet their requirements.

Semiconductor manufacturing has been seen as a commodity-like business. Some investors are worried about the saturated competition and pricing pressure that weigh on commodity industries. TSMC is anything but a commodity business.

TSMC fosters innovation every chance they get, with "about 85% of worldwide semiconductor start-up product prototypes were enabled by TSMC," according to the investor relations page. Its massive scale and capabilities are unmatched. Its closest competitor is only a fraction of its size and unable to compare to the company's fabrication capabilities. Top chipmakers are all but forced to utilize TSMC to remain competitive.

Financials & Performance

Since TSMC listed its shares 26 years ago it has driven astounding growth figures, with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 15% for both its top and bottom lines over the past decade and a half. The business is very well-capitalized, with $14.25 billion in cash & equivalents, combined with consistent, robust cash-flows that allow the company enormous financial flexibility.

TSMC provides monthly revenue updates, and 2020 has been a stellar year for the company through April, with year-over-year topline expansion of 39% in the first 4 months of the year. it would appear that TSMC has been relatively immune to the global health crisis that has been devasting to so many industries.

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TSM shares have exhibited exceptionally consistent growth over the past ten years, providing shareholders with over 400% capital gains (more than 2 times the S&P 500's returns). Stockholder returns are driven through reliable capital appreciation and a cushy 2.6% dividend yield. Analysts are estimating that TSM's dividend payout will increase by more than 20% annually over the next 3 years. A growth stock with a strong yield is rare gem.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Quote

TSM is one of the most under-appreciated post-pandemic equity opportunities. The stock is down 17% year-to-date, unjustly underperforming the broader semiconductor sector, which saw a 10% decline over the same period. I like these shares at any price below $50 per share.

Recent News

TSMC just announced that it would be moving forward with a plan to construct a $12 billion chip manufacturing plant in Arizona. The plant is anticipated to start producing revolutionary 5-nanometer transistors by 2024.

This news followed the Trump Administration voicing its concern about US chipmakers' overreliance on Asia. According to sources familiar with the matter, both the State and Commerce Department are involved with TSMC's plans.

This marks a big win for US chipmakers who will no longer need to rely on supply chains abroad for their manufacturing needs. This also puts TSMC right in the middle of the innovative action.

Key Takeaway

TSMC is an excellent way to hedge your semiconductor bets and invest in the future of hardware. There is a tidal wave of chip innovation on the horizon and a sizable amount of pent up demand for cutting-edge hardware with this pandemic further illuminating the worlds need for technology. 5G and hyperscaling will catalyze this impending surge in chip demand, and the world's leading chip manufacturer is a well-positioned benefactor.

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China will be in the spotlight at the World Health Organisations (WHO) annual health forum, with major powers pushing for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic and for Taiwan to be granted a seat at the table.

The World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHOs decision-making body, will meet online for a shortened agenda on Monday and Tuesday, when Beijing and Western countries  particularly the United States  are expected to debate responsibility for the pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the assembly, state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has also been invited to deliver a speech at the meeting.

A draft resolution proposed by the European Union (EU) and co-sponsored by Australia, Britain, Zambia, and others, calls for an impartial, independent, and comprehensive evaluation of the WHOs response to the coronavirus, as well as identification of the pathogens source.

The draft resolution also calls for greater international collaboration on vaccines, including through voluntary pooling and licensing of patents.

More than 110 countries  including South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and the African Groups 54 member states  have said they support the resolution.

Beijing has said it is taking an active part in text consultations on the EU resolution but has lashed out at Australia and the United States, which have been vocal in their calls for an independent investigation into the coronaviruss origins.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that China had held discussions on the EU-led resolution, and that while it supported a WHO-led investigation into the animal origin of the virus and a review on the WHOs handling of the crisis, the time was not yet ripe.

During the negotiations, most of the countries said that the epidemic has not ended yet and the most urgent task is to cooperate on fighting the outbreak. It is not time yet to immediately begin a review and investigation on the viruss origins, Zhao said.

Story continues

Zhao also said China opposed the drive for an independent investigation promoted by a handful of politically motivated Western countries.

The US government has promoted the theory that the virus may have originated in a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, while Canberra has echoed the general scientific consensus that it likely spread to humans in Wuhan from an animal source.

There will also be a vote on Monday for a proposal to invite Taiwan to the WHA as an observer, a motion sponsored by eSwatini and Nicaragua, two of Taipeis 15 remaining diplomatic allies.

Support for Taiwan has also come from the US, Japan, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand.

Taiwan confirmed that the island did not receive an invitation to take part in the WHA event.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu expressed deep regret and strong dissatisfaction over Taiwans exclusion, saying the WHO Secretariat had yielded to pressure from the Chinese government and continued to disregard the right to health of the 23 million people in Taiwan.

So far, governments from 29 countries have expressed support for Taiwans WHO participation. All of our diplomatic allies submitted the related proposal to the WHO. And a growing number of world leaders have spoken out publicly for Taiwan, Wu said.

But he said Taipei had accepted the suggestion from our allies and like-minded nations to wait until the resumed session before further promoting our bid.

Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the exclusion of Taiwan from WHA participation would only create a gap in the global health system, and when it comes to prevention of pandemic outbreak, full global cooperation instead of national borders is highly necessary.

Taiwan took part in the WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016 as Chinese Taipei, but has been excluded since due to pressure from Beijing after the election of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Observers said Taiwan was unlikely to be reinstated as an observer.

Sulmaan Khan, a Chinese foreign relations expert at Tufts Universitys Fletcher School, said there was a growing backlash over Chinas handling of the pandemic but it was not clear if the chorus of support for Taiwan was going to be sufficient to override Chinese objections

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has been criticised as being too complimentary of Beijings handling of the pandemic, will also address the meeting about the response to Covid-19.

In addition, participants will discuss the WHOs budget, with its biggest funder, the US, suspending its contributions over concerns about the WHOs handling of the pandemic.

Analysts said the EUs proposal for an independent review of Covid-19 is in line with inquiries into previous infectious disease outbreaks, but could struggle to get the needed support from China or the US, with increasingly at odds in their broadening strategic rivalry.

David Fidler, an adjunct senior fellow at the New York-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations, said that reviews of the international response to major outbreaks, like the one the EU was expected to put forward on Covid-19, were standard operating procedure.

Usually, by the time the post-outbreak reviews happen, the origin or source issue is pretty much resolved, and not particularly controversial, so it does not really have much impact on the policy aspects of review efforts, he said. With this pandemic, the origin or source issue is already significantly politicised.

But if Beijing felt it was being treated unfairly or if Washington was concerned with WHO involvement in the review, it could be that neither China nor the US support any review proposal, which means it will lack political weight and, perhaps, some legitimacy, he said.

Alexandra Phelan, adjunct professor in global and public health law at Georgetown University, said an independent Covid-19 inquiry would require high-level support from the United Nations leadership to ensure its recommendations were adopted.

The only way were going to get through this next phase without a complete re-envisioning of the international order is some sort of high level-led process like that, she said. The problem is were probably still going to be battling this pandemic for some time. Working out when to start that process is going to be tricky.

Additional reporting by Lawrence Chung, Catherine Wong, Linda Lew and Simone McCarthy

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Union chiefs are now warning teachers it will 'not be safe' to mark pupils' books when schools reopen, while casting yet more doubt on the government's plans to bring children back to primary schools next month.

Staff who are members of the UK biggest teaching union will be told to go through a 20-page checklist with their bosses before returning to work.

They will only be deemed safe if there is a 'yes' answer to every question, say the National Education Union (NEU).

It comes as a third council in England is set to defy official advice to reopen schools in June. Schools in Bury will not reopen 'while high levels of Covid-19 remain'.

Following growing opposition to the plan to reopen primaries to certain year groups from June 1, Bury council says that while high levels of the infection remain in the north west, 'the borough will not be re-opening schools on June 1'.

Unclear guidance around practical arrangements for social distancing within schools, as well as concerns over testing and tracing, and supply of PPE, were listed as other reasons for refusing to open.

Teaching Assistant Sarah Yates applies tape to the floor to define a 2m boundary around the teacher's workspace in Huddersfield

Staff who are members of the UK biggest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU) will be told to go through a 20-page checklist with their bosses before returning to work

Paul Whiteman (left), head of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the government must lay out the level of risk to pupils, teachers and parents before plans to mitigate it can be discussed. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (right) has demanded unions 'do their duty' and let children start returning to the classrooms

Children of essential workers eat lunch in segregated positions at a school in Worcester

Unions and the government are continuing to clash over plans to reopen primary schools by June 1.

But the NEU, which has more than 450,000 members, has cast fresh doubt on the government's plans, which were confirmed by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson over the weekend.

Union bosses have told members it is 'extremely unlikely' that primary schools will reopen on June 1.

In a new document, named the Planning Guide for Primary Schools, seen by MailOnline, the NEU has challenged the government's plan to use micro-groups - similar to the system used in Denmark - which will reduce the need to keep students and teachers more than two metres apart.

The NEU instead is urging strict two metre social distancing measures remain in place - as is being done in other workplaces.

The planning document also includes a 20-page safety checklist, written jointly with fellow unions, Unite, Unison and GMB, which it will urge its members to go through with bosses before they return to schools.

Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said: 'Our checklist incorporates and builds on the Government's own toolkit for primary school wider opening. That is what makes our checklist rigorous.

Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, which has produced a Planning Guide for Primary Schools which could reopen on June 1

The NEU instead is urging strict two metre social distancing measures remain in place - as is being done in other workplaces. The planning document also includes a 20-page safety checklist, written jointly with fellow unions, Unite, Unison and GMB, which it will urge its members to go through with bosses before they return to schools

'Health and safety reps have the legal right to be consulted on the risk assessment and future amendments,' the document states. Pictured right is a summary of checklist questions for representatives to answer, including: 'Are you satisfied with the cleaning and hygiene arrangements that will operate from when extended opening begins?'

Pictured left are more steps from the summary of checklist questions for reps to answer. Right are questions for reps to ask about site preparation

'Reps need assurances about the systems that the head teacher will be able to implement. Without these assurances there can be no expectations on either staff or parents,' the document states

The DfE is asking head teachers to undertake an audit of how many staff are available, both teaching and support staff

'It is designed for use when it is safe to open schools nationally. It sets out the standards which teachers, school staff and parents should expect to be met before the head teacher decides that the school is safe to open more widely.'

He added: 'Teachers and support staff will be responsible for ensuring safe practices are implemented, as young children will not be able to do so themselves. Parents would expect nothing less.'

The document says the Government needs to 'step back from 1 June and work with the education unions' to create conditions for a safe return to schools.

It outlines the following conditions to be met: 'Safety and welfare of pupils and staff as the paramount principle.

'No increase in pupil numbers until full rollout of a national test and trace scheme.

The document states: 'The Planning Guide is explicit that unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff

One question for reps to ask is: 'How does the school propose to ensure social distancing at the start and end of each school day?'

Reps are advised to ask if individual risk assessments and discussion with parents/carers have taken place and been agreed by the date when extended opening begins

Reps are given guidance to ask if individual pupil risk assessments will be in place for all pupils who 'exhibit anti-social behaviour, eg biting, before a decision is made'

The workplace checklist tells reps to ask about what guidance will be given to staff on how to support children - and will visitors be provided PPE where necessary

'A national Covid-19 education taskforce with Government, unions and education stakeholders to agree statutory guidance for safe reopening of schools.

'Consideration of the specific needs of vulnerable students and families facing economic disadvantage.

'Additional resources for enhanced school cleaning, PPE and risk assessments.

'Local autonomy to close schools where testing indicates clusters of new Covid-19 cases.'

It comes as Paul Whiteman, head of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), today urged the government to reveal the level of risk to pupils, teachers and parents before plans to mitigate it can be discussed.

His comments come after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson demanded unions 'do their duty' and let children start returning to the classrooms, with the government aiming to reopen primary schools as early as June 1.

Speaking on Radio Four today's programme, Mr Whiteman, whose union represents 31,000 school leaders, said: 'I think what needs to be recognised first of all is that teachers and school leaders do want to see pupils back to class.

A primary school has advised that children would have to stay inside a hoop on the playground and clean their own cuts if they fall over when classrooms reopen. Holywell Village First School in Northumberland, has come under fire over its plans for social distancing when pupils return to the classroom on June 1

Schools have been partially closed since March following the outbreak of coronavirus in the UK

What safety measures are planned to reduce coronavirus in schools? Ministers have unveiled a raft of measures to keep pupils who do return to school safe from coronavirus. They include: Classes of no more than 15 pupils

Socially distanced desks

Children told to only mix in small groups, with those groups not mixing with others.

Increased and regular cleaning of schools

Staggered lunch and break times

Staggered arrivals and departures

Packed lunches

No shared classroom equipment Advertisement

'We've been engaging along with other unions and with the department for education to discuss exactly how this can be done and how it can be done safely.

'What our school leaders are very concerned about is schools becoming centres of transmission and this is the question we want more clarification on, specifically around transmission from children to adults.

'The government has asserted publicly that their isn't the risk of transmission we fear. There's been some commentary but we haven't seen the science underpinning that. '

Mr Whitehead also invited the government to write to him setting out the science behind the decision it makes with regards to reopening of schools.

Meanwhile, Mr Courtney also made similar calls for the government to share the science behind its decisions with teaching unions.

He also hit out at some of the science behind the government's previous decision in relation to coronavirus, describing it as 'wrong' and claimed it had 'cost lives'.

Kevin Courtney (pictured), the head of the UK's biggest teaching union the National Education Union (NEU), has also called for the government to share the science behind its plans to reopen schools while speaking on Good Morning Britain today

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Courtney, whose union represents over 400,000 school staff, said: 'We want to see the science in public so that scientists can comment on it.

Young children ARE as likely to get coronavirus as adults, says deputy chief medical officer 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', during Saturday's coronavirus news briefing. 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. 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.' Advertisement

'That would give confidence if the science is support, but also I think some of the British science has gone wrong that the government advice has been based on.

'So far our government has abandoned community testing when they shouldn't have done, we went into lockdown too late, we had Cheltenham Festival when we really shouldn't have done and there have been mistakes which have costs lives.'

The comments come as yesterday ministers urged unions to work with them to get schools up and running by June 1 after a study found better-off children are doing 75 minutes a day more home learning than the poorest.

The danger of the coronavirus lockdown widening the gap with the most disadvantaged pupils was highlighted in research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS).

Meanwhile, academies and the Church of England have heaped pressure on unions by warning that delay damages the prospects of children who can least afford it.

The chief executives of 22 academy trusts warn schools must reopen soon to avoid 'irreparable' damage to vulnerable children.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove yesterday escalated the row by telling union leaders: 'If you really care about children, you will want them to be in school.'

Mental health charities have also raised concerns that time spent away from friends will be damaging to childrens' mental health.

Asked today if some local authorities could be penalised if they fail to reopen schools, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: 'We are working with them to try and ensure that that doesn't happen and to address those concerns.

Michael Gove yesterday escalated the government's row with unions by saying: 'If you really care about children, you will want them back in schools.'

'It's in the children's interest to get them back to school and I hope that we can address the concerns that they have.'

Britain's head teachers' union has backed plans for schools to reopen on June 1 following meetings with key government advisers.

The Association of School and College Leaders claim teachers were no more at risk than any other profession heading back to work as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease.

Over the weekend, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson outlined the plans for reception, year 1 and 6 to return from June 1.

He insisted that pupils 'stand to lose more by staying away from school'.

He outlined measures schools will take avoid a surge in the killer disease which has killed 34,500 people in the UK and infected 241,000.

Measures include small classes and keeping children in small socially-distanced groups.
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) ("PSH") today announced that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's Public Shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 18 May 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 50,258 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,744 pence 21.28 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,686 pence 20.57 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,722 pence 21.01 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 18 May 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 13,587 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 21.05 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 20.60 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 20.81 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 18 May 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 55,285 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 21.30 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 20.60 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 21.01 USD

PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 31.30 USD 25.48 GBP which was calculated as of 12 May 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 197,957,607 Public Shares outstanding, or 203,794,271 Public Shares calculated on a fully diluted basis (assuming that all Management Shares had been converted into Public Shares at the Relevant NAV). Excluded from the shares outstanding are 12,999,143 Public Shares held in Treasury. The prices per Public Share were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the one special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) have not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005664/en/

Contacts:

Camarco

Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk
UN posting for Sydney woman

Mrs Mary Tenison Woods of Sydney has been appointed chief of The Status of Women Section of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations. She succeeds Madame Menin of India. Mrs Tenison Woods will leave Sydney in late June to take up her position at Lake Success on July 3. In addition to her work with the Status of Women Section, she will also advise the committee of Human Rights and other organisations within the United Nations.

Passion Play returns

A cast of 1500 German villagers has presented the three-centuries-old Oberammergau Passion Play for the first time since 1934. The audience included West German President, Mr Theodore Guess, Chancellor Dr Konrad Adenauer, and the British and United States High Commissioners. The role of Christ was played by a village innkeeper and the Virgin Mary by a 16-year-old wood-carving student. The performance took nine and a half hours.

Swab of own horse




Cross Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, his family, the state government, residents of the State and relatives of Simeon Nwakaudu were all left in tears on Sunday, May 17 after the media aide to the governor died from a yet to be verified cause.

The governor while consoling the deceased family expressed pains, describing the exit of the aide as a shocking development.

Wike in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday through the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, commended the deceased whom he described as a good loyalist and hardworking fellow.

The statement reads, The governor on behalf of his family, the government and good people of the State condoled with the bereaved family.

He prayed to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great loss.

The statement added that the late Special Assistant to the governor on Electric Media gave up the ghost at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), on Sunday (today).

The cause of Nwakaudus sudden death is, however, yet to be known, although an unofficial report claimed he had died of cardiac arrest.

On their part, Nigeria main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement released a few moments ago expressed their pain over Nwakaudus death.

PDP stressed that it is disheartening to hear about the death of Simeon Nwakaudu at this time when he is most needed to discharge his skills for the betterness of the state.

PDP wrote, Our hearts bleed as our nation, the media industry and indeed Rivers state, have lost one of our brightest and patriotic media professionals; a loyal compatriot, who gave his all in serving our dear nation.

Nwakaudu was a courageous and hardworking Nigerian, who dedicated his youthful life in serving our nation as an accomplished journalist, Special Assistant to Governor @GovWike during his tenure as Minister of Education and then as his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, where he contributed immensely in the implementation of Governor Wikes vision for a New Rivers State.

Indeed, Nwakaudus death is a painful loss not only to Governor @GovWike and the government of Rivers state but also to our great party, the @OfficialPDPNig, the media industry and our nation, Nigeria, at large.

Meanwhile, the Northern Community in Rivers State a few days ago have filed a lawsuit against the state Governor Nyesom Wike, before the Federal High Court sitting Port Harcourt.

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Military vehicles of the Libyan internationally recognised government - Ayman Al-Sahili/Reuters

Libya's internationally recognised government claimed a significant symbolic victory on Monday as its forces captured a strategic air-base from General Khalifa Khaftar's Libyan National Army.

Osama Juweili, a senior commander with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, said troops entered Watiya airbase, 80 miles southwest of the capital, early on Monday morning.

GNA media posted pictures of what it said was a Russian-made Pantsir air defence system captured at the base.

There was no immediate confirmation from the LNA, although a spokesman earlier said it had evacuated troops from the base after it came under intense bombardment.

Watiya was a key foothold for Gen Haftar's forces, which are backed by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Russia, in western Libya.

Its fall marks his biggest setback since he sparked the current round of Libya's civil war by launching an assault on Tripoli in April 2019.

It is the latest of a series of gains for the GNA since Turkey openly began supplying weapons and personnel to Tripoli at the beginning of the year. Turkish supplied drones pounded Watiya for weeks ahead of Monday's assault.

Violence in Libya has escalated despite international pressure on both sides to pause the fighting to allow the country's doctors to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic.

Libya has reported at least 65 cases of the virus, including three deaths.

At least seven people were killed a university campus being used to house families displaced by fighting in Tripoli came under artillery fire on the weekend.

Fayez Serraj, the GNA Prime Minister, said in a statement that the "victory does not constitute the end of the battle but brings us closer than any time before to the bigger victory, the liberation of all towns and regions and bases."
As part of their back to work policy, the federal and state governments in Germany are also aggressively pushing for the reopening of schools, endangering the health and lives of thousands of teachers, students and their families.

The approach is particularly ruthless in Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). In Saxony, the social distancing rules in school buildings are now being overridden, and in NRW teachers who were previously protected because they belonged to risk groups are being ordered back to schools.

All teachers from the risk group, i.e., teachers with previous illnesses and teachers who have reached the age of 60, are now obliged to participate in procedures for taking oral examinations, according to an instruction issued by the NRW Education Ministry on May 11. The same applies to pregnant and nursing teachers. The use of these groups of people in the context of oral examinations is permissible.

In the federal state of Saxony, with its Christian Democrat-Social Democrat-Green coalition government under Michael Kretschmer (CDU), the official requirement of maintaining at least 1.5 metres separation in classrooms will be eliminated. From Monday, May 18, 2020, compulsory school attendance for grades 1 to 4 will apply again, says a letter from the Saxony State Ministry of Culture to all headmasters. In primary and special schools, lessons could be implemented continuously in the respective classroom and class group. The generally valid distance rule was thus not valid within the fixed class groups.

Resistance is growing among teachers and pupils against this irresponsible policy, which threatens to turn schools into new hotspots of the coronavirus pandemic.

A protest letter from Leipzigs Kurt Masur Elementary School, with more than 500 pupils, to the Saxony Education Minister Christian Piwarz (CDU), says the announcement of the start of school operations has triggered a shock-induced paralysis. It was in no way understandable that the prescribed infection protection measures in private and public areas are [being] overridden intentionally. Completely opening one of the largest elementary schools in Saxony means accommodating 20 classes with up to 28 children per class in rooms of up to 58 square metres.

Teachers who signed the letter asked indignantly what the changed risk assessment of the Saxony state government was based on and why testing opportunities would not be offered until June. They also point to the complete lack of protection so far. Up to now, there are no medical face masks, glasses or the like available at our school. Why is this not provided for the self-protection of the staff if social distancing is not observed?

They accuse the state government of deliberately accepting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the catastrophic consequences that would follow. If you so consciously calculate an increased risk of infection, why then [open] all primary schools in Saxony at the same time? they ask angrily. And continue, But how do you then correct consequential health damages caused by COVID-19?

The protest by the Leipzig teachers is part of growing opposition to the policy of opening schools all over Germany. Student, teacher, and parent associations have spoken out against the policies of the respective state governments. There are many voices expressing their anger, desperation and protest on social media.

As early as the beginning of May, student representatives of the Lise-Meitner Gymnasium in Leverkusen (NRW) condemned the opening of the school as a premature relaxation and declared, This years Abitur [high school] examinations are not sustainable. They emphasized, Peoples lives are at stake, pointing out that countless petitions, open letters, comments from student councils, school principals and the Philologists Association oppose the policies of the Christian Democrat-Free Democrat state government under Armin Laschet (CDU).

This mood is also expressed on Twitter.

For example, the group Gerechte Abschlusse (Fair graduations) posts, We as students consider it irresponsible that teachers in the risk group should now attend the oral examinations. This is not the way it works! Mrs Gebauer had claimed she wanted to protect this group, but now they are to be compulsorily deployed so that we students have trusted teachers in the examinations. Health comes first for us; such an about-face is irresponsible.

Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) is the minister of education in NRW and is particularly hated by pupils and teachers. In mid-April, at a special session of the Committee for Schools and Education in the NRW state parliament on the subject of Resuming school operations and the resulting consequences, she cynically stated, There will, sad as it is, be school communities that have to mourn the deaths of teachers, school administrators or family members, which can sometimes have a lasting effect on school life and everyday school life.

Suuyuki tweets angrily, Since several children between the ages of 2 and 17 in the district of Bautzen have fallen ill with coronavirus, does it then make sense to send all primary and special needs pupils back to school without distancing rules? She would support strikes by teachers, as politics obviously takes no consideration of their health.

Many see the irresponsible opening of schools as an experimental laboratory for the never officially declared, but de facto, pursued herd immunity policy of the federal government. For example, Hilde81 comments on the letter of the Leipzig teachers, Finally, a letter that speaks from my heart. And she makes clear, Schools and daycare centres, with their families and employees, are not a testing laboratory!!!

FamilyM condemns the Saxony school policy: Contact restrictions remain. Another household can meet outdoors following distancing rules. But school openings are being pushed through hard. An experiment in herd immunity? Children and their families as test subjects?

Luke agrees, Contact restrictions until June 5th, but schools to be used for herd immunity? How can school openings be justified?

Michaela W. draws a comparison to the slaughterhouses, where hundreds of Eastern European workers were infected because of the scandalous working and accommodation conditions. Will schools soon resemble todays slaughterhouses?

M.R., a teacher in a Berlin secondary school for five years and now working abroad, expressed his anger in an interview with the WSWS. In the current situation, the government is putting the lives of teachers at risk and is experimenting with our children here. He strongly advised all parents to absolutely leave their children at home so as not to endanger them.

Stephanie, a secondary school pupil from Bavaria, told the WSWS, The pupils have risk groups at home and some of them belong to this group themselves. Students are afraid of being the ones who bring the virus home and end up having to live with the guilty thought of having indirectly caused the death of a family member.

She adds, All these lives are being put in danger because Germany wants to present itself as something? As what? As inhuman and undemocratic? It cannot be that the government ignores us like this.

But there is a brutal logic behind these premature school openings. It is part of the comprehensive back to work policy being pushed by all parties in the Bundestag (parliament) and by the trade unions to squeeze the gigantic sums that have gone to the financial elite in the coronavirus emergency packages out of the working class again. The ruling class is willing to walk over dead bodies for this. There is only one way out. To ensure that health and life are protected from the drive for profit, the working class and youth worldwide must organise themselves politically independently and turn to a socialist perspective .
Authorities have released the name of a young man stabbed to death over the weekend at a downtown Birmingham homeless shelter.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Quavion Demarco Blair. He was 20.

North Precinct officers were dispatched about 3 a.m. Saturday to the Firehouse at 626 2nd Avenue North, said Sgt. Rod Mauldin. When they arrived on the scene, they found Blair unresponsive in the lobby area with multiple lacerations and puncture wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:19 a.m.

Mauldin said the preliminary investigation suggests the victim was stabbed by another resident of the shelter. The suspect was taken into custody at the Greyhound bus station and taken to the hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Formal charges have not yet been announced, and no motive has been determined.

The Firehouse Shelter released this statement: The event that transpired last night is a tragic reminder that accessible mental health care is paramount, and we must work together to ended the violence that claims so many lives in our community and across the country. The Firehouse is working to support our guests and staff through this very difficult time and welcome all prayers and support as we mourn the loss of a valued member of our family.

The slaying is Birminghams 43rd homicide of 2020. Of those five have been ruled justifiable and therefore are not deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 65 homicides including the 43 in Birmingham.
With YouTube replacing big



screens during the ongoing lockdown, Bengali film director Nandita Roy's short film 'Kajol Mashi' is a tribute to house maids and people like peons, drivers and others "who are our constant support system".

The film, a part of lockdown short stories, streamed on YouTube from May 14, also addresses the issue of migrant labourers who are faced with unprecedented crisis during the lockdown, she said.

The plight of domestic helps with many people asking them not to come during the coronavirus pandemic for the fear of getting infected has been portrayed by Roy in her film.

"Though many of us have banged the door on their faces during the pandemic, their true worth remains unrealised during normal times," the director said.

Another film 'Dure Thaka Kachher Manush', an Indo- Bangla collaboration, directed by Shahriar Palak on coronavirus failing to separate two best friends stuck in separate cities is being streamed from May 12.

Bikram Chatterjee of Tollygunje film industry essays the role of an epidemiologist, Rafiath Rashid Mithila of Dhaka portrays the character of a journalist in the film.

The director said, after developing the short story of Abhra Chakraborty, "We shared the scripts with the two actors who shot the sequences in their respective locations with their own mobile phones on separate dates under my online direction. The final product came out after the actors sent the footage and the editing was done."



The film also highlighted that though the two cities have a physical disconnect during the lockdown, a mental connect and common language binds them.

The funds raised by making the short will be donated to the cine workers in Dhaka and Kolkata, many of whom have been rendered jobless in the wake of the pandemic.

In a new web series, actors Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Ankush Hazra have teamed up in 'Case Jaundice' having episodes such as Humans Vs. Corona (Manush Bonam Corona Virus), Police Vs. Mask (Police Bonam Mukhosh Pora Jonogon), Work Vs Home (Office bonam Poribar) being streamed from May 15.

"Case Jaundice is a satire of 10 episodes. Two lawyers present an argument in a courtroom, one of them representing human beings and the other coroma virus. Five episodes are being streamed from May 15 while the rest five will be streamed from May 22," Director Subhankar Chattopadhay said.

Parambrata Chattopadhyay said, "We had a lot of fun shooting from home. It looked a bit unfamiliar at first but we enjoyed the experience.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Racing in Ireland will return with a flat meeting behind closed doors at Naas on Monday, 8 June, while the Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas will take place on the first weekend back at the Curragh.

The Board of Horse Racing Ireland met on Saturday to timetable initial stages of the sport's resumption along with prize money recommendations.

For the first three weeks, racing will be restricted to nine racecourses which are more centrally located to minimise travel distances and which also have higher stable capacities given the requirement for one stable per horse under the new protocols.

The Curragh will host the 2000 Guineas on Friday, 12 June, with the 1000 Guineas a day later.

The Derby and the Oaks retain their traditional dates on Saturday, 27 June and Saturday, 18 July respectively.

The Champions Weekend will take place at Leopardstown/Curragh across the weekend of 12/13 September.





Curragh Racecourse CEO Pat Keogh reiterated last week that horse racing is a key industry as well as a sport and that it supports 30,000 jobs with many of these in rural areas.

He told the Leader: We are all ready to go when we get the green light from the Government and when it is safe to do so.

The track has been kept in fantastic condition and facilities are 100% ready for racing behind closed doors and we will be observing all the public health guidelines while doing so.

He added: The Curragh had been due to hold racing on Saturday, March 28, and had all the protocols in place at that point.

So we have already made the preparations and we will be reinforcing these in the coming days while we await a decision from the government.

If this is 30 days or 60 days or 90 days  we are ready to go and get racing going again. The new-look racecourse  featuring an eye-catching grandstand  was unveiled last year after a major redevelopment costing over 80m.

Mr Keogh added: I know that racegoers are keen to get back to racing at the Curragh and that will happen soon.



Examine proposals

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail earlier this month that the Government would examine proposals from sectors of the economy wishing to have restrictions lifted earlier than scheduled in the Governments roadmap, which was June 29 for horse racing.

HRI representatives have been in ongoing talks with Government officials on this issue.

HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish racing community are fully supportive of the Government and the Chief Medical Officer for the way in which they have handled this unprecedented public health emergency.

Through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine there has been constructive engagement with various Government departments this week on the basis that racing will only resume behind closed doors when it is deemed safe and appropriate.



Covid-19 protocols

Prior to March 24, race fixtures were among the last group of Tier 2 commercial activities to continue with ten fixtures staged safely behind closed doors with only key personnel permitted on site.

Horse Racing Irelands Covid-19 protocols which were in place for those fixtures have been further strengthened in the meantime and we feel that the industry can safely resume sooner rather than later and will continue to engage with Government on that basis.

Meanwhile Mr Keogh said a major upgrade of the irrigation system for the the racetrack and gallops is virtually completed.

Bosses wanted to improve efficiency and sustainability of the system and to comply with animal welfare obligations.

The existing network of underground water pipes in the racecourse was decommissioned.

A water pipe distribution system was installed which will be fed by an existing water lagoon located in the racetrack infield.



Enhancing experience

The CEO also said that facilities have been reconfigured to enhance the race day experience for visitors when the venue reopens to the public.
Lockdown lifted, Bang Tao residents still urged to stay at home

PHUKET: The lockdown restrictions were lifted in Bang Tao at midnight Friday night, but Chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) MaAnn Samran is still asking people in the area to stay home as much as possible to avoid a further outbreak of COVID-19.

COVID-19Coronavirushealth

By The Phuket News

Monday 18 May 2020, 06:30PM

Cherng Talay OrBorTor sound trucks today wound their way through the small streets in the villages urging people to stay indoors. Photo: Cherng Talay OrBorTor

Mr MaAnn confirmed that the checkpoints that had cut off all but essential traffic from entering  or leaving  Moo 2, 3 and 5 of Cherng Talay for more than a month were removed at 00:01am Saturday (May 16).

He also confirmed that he had not received any order from provincial authorities to either maintain the lockdown or lift the restrictions.

With silence from the provincial government, he decided to abide by the previous order, he said.

The previous order had actually expired three days earlier, at midnight last Wednesday night (23:59pm, May 13).

The decision to lift the lockdown in the three areas is a turnabout on Mr MaAnns stance just four days ago, when he told The Phuket News that he had no authority to take any action without an order from provincial superiors.

Cherng Talay Police, who set up the checkpoints, confirmed to The Phuket News today that they had removed their officers and the checkpoints at the instructions of the Cherng Talay OrBorTor.

Actually many officials were involved in the lockdown, but the local administrative office was the main one to manage and control [the checkpoints] , one Cherng Talay police officer told The Phuket News today.

Cherng Talay villages Moo 2, 3 and 5 have been under lockdown since April 13, when the island underwent its Tambon Lockdown, preventing any non-essential travel between any of Phukets 17 subdistricts. Phuket was the only province in the country to have travel between subdistricts banned to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, when the Tambon Lockdown was lifted on April 30, the three villages in Cherng Talay and four other areas on the island remained under lockdown as at that time there had been recently confirmed cases of people infected with the virus in those areas.

Thanit Sermkaew, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, on Monday last week confirmed that the lockdown restrictions in place in Bang Tao were set to be lifted last Thursday (May 14)  as long as there were no new confirmed infections in those areas.

Now released from lockdown orders, local residents may move freely throughout their own community, which at this stage appears to have suffered the longest continual lockdown period for a residential area in the country.

Regardless, Mr MaAnn said he is urging people to stay home as much as they can, and only venture out when they need to.

Of course, people can go out of the area to work and make money for living. However, now that the lockdown has been lifted, peoples lives are not very different because places are still not allowed to open, and some people cannot go back to work, he said.

The obvious change is that a lot more cars are passing through the area, but I still want people to stay home and go out only when necessary, Mr MaAnn added.

Meanwhile, Cherng Talay OrBorTor sound trucks today wound their way through the small streets in the villages urging people to stay indoors.

The OrBorTor sound trucks also explained that more food and relief packages for people in need were being distributed.

Any residents still needing urgent assistance were urged to call the OrBorTors Social Welfare Division at 076-271096-7 ext 125.
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.
It's long been claimed that the key to comedy is timing. But it seems that being tall  and from Liverpool  helps, too.

A bid to pinpoint the funny gene by analysing our favourite comedians found that city-dwellers of above-average height were most likely to make the grade.

Another key sign was being the youngest sibling from families with at least three children  suggesting their comedy chops were honed early on as they competed for attention. Examples include Ricky Gervais, Micky Flanagan and the late Victoria Wood  all of whom were the youngest of four.

Another key sign was being the youngest sibling from families with at least three children  suggesting their comedy chops were honed early on as they competed for attention. Examples include Ricky Gervais (pictured left), Micky Flanagan (pictured right) and the late Victoria Wood  all of whom were the youngest of four

The study of successful comics  commissioned, fittingly, by the Beano  was carried out by statistician Dr Geoff Ellis. His research, which examined the backgrounds and physical attributes of 50 leading British entertainers, found they were twice as likely to hail from the North. They were also likely to be taller  over 5ft 9in for male comedians, and 5ft 3in for women  and from cities rather than rural areas.

Leaving no stone unturned, Dr Ellis also examined astrology. Geminis were found to be the funniest, while those born under the signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are least likely to make us chuckle.

An additional study, also commissioned by the Beano, concluded that Liverpool is the funniest city in Britain. Pictured: Comedian John Bishop from Liverpool

An additional study, also commissioned by the Beano, concluded that Liverpool is the funniest city in Britain. Scousers received two-thirds of the vote, in a poll of 2,000 Britons, followed by Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester.

Those from Oxford were deemed least likely to make us laugh.

A second poll, of 2,000 children aged between six and 13, suggested that naff dad jokes still hold an enduring appeal. Just one in seven children said their mother was the funnier parent.
Adam Driver is an actor, family man, and former member of the military. Social media recently tried to cancel the Star Wars star. Find out why.

Adam Driver | Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage

Adam Driver joined the Marines after Sept. 11

In 2019, Driver discussed his joining the Marines with The New Yorker. His desire to join the armed forces came after feeling a desire for retribution as a result of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In his interview, he discussed not knowing who he was seeking revenge from. It wasnt against Muslims, Driver explained. It was: We were attacked. I want to fight for my country against whoever that is.

He was medically discharged from the military due to a mountain biking incident that dislocated his sternum. After he was discharged, Driver enrolled in the Juilliard School, where he met his future wife, Joanne Tucker. Together, they started Arts in the Armed Forces, a nonprofit organization that makes arts programming free and readily available to active-duty military, veterans, and their families.

Twitter tried to cancel Adam Driver for enlisting in the Marines

The world of social media can be vicious sometimes. Celebrities like Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian West, and now Driver have been cancelled on Twitter at some time or another. Twitter users tried desperately to cancel Driver for enlisting in the military after 9/11 to serve in the Afghanistan War, misconstruing his reasons for wanting to fight.

Many people assumed Driver was motivated by a dislike for Muslims, which ultimately lead to the #AdamDriverIsOverParty. Several people tweeted about their dislike for the actor, while other Twitter users were confused by the outrage. This is twice that Ive seen random cancel parties happening on Twitter with people REACHING for reasons, one Twitter user wrote. Quarantine got them so bored to create [the] #AdamDriverIsOverParty.

me finding out twitters cancelling the millionth unproblematic king this week #adamdriverisoverparty #thankyouadamdriver :)) pic.twitter.com/yXuU1n12Wa  rachel :)) (@reprisedloser) April 21, 2020

RELATED: Who Is Adam Driver Married To?

In reality, Driver explained to The New Yorker his motivations for joining the Marines were rooted in the desire to challenge himself. As the most disciplined branch of the military, Driver was willing to accept the difficult task.

A Mayans MC star defended Adam Driver

Though many Star Wars fans stepped in to defend Driver on Twitter, no one had quite as much of an impact as Vincent Vargas, who stars in the FX series Mayans MC. Vargas served for three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2007.

I think right now, people are completely polarized and completely divided on opinions on everything in the world, Vargas explained to MEAWW regarding the outrage surrounding Driver. I believe they took Adam Drivers quotes on what he talked about, why he wanted to serve our country, and turned it against him as if he [were] an Islamophobe.

RELATED: Adam Driver Had an Inspiring Reason for Joining the Military

Vargas expressed the unfairness in peoples reactions to Drivers service. I just didnt think it was fair to someone who [served] our country, someone who decided to join for whatever reasons that might be and then to turn around and try and damage his career because of unpopular opinions of other people, he added. Its a small demographic of individuals that use social media to essentially bully someone on their own opinion.

Thanks to his fellow actors and military members, Drivers being canceled online seems to have passed.
Lucknow, May 18 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that he had sought the list of 1,000 buses that were being arranged by the Congress to ferry the migrant workers but their leaders did not provide him with the same.

"The Congress should not indulge in petty politics and that too, when the nation is facing the corona crisis," he said in an interview to a TV channel, the video clip of which has been released to media persons.

The Chief Minister said that he had earlier sought a list of migrant workers from the various state governments but he had not receive any so far.

Yogi Adityanath further said that one of the trucks involved in the Aurraiyya accident in which 24 migrants had died on Saturday, had come from Punjab and the other was from Rajasthan. Both had taken considerable money form the migrant workers to take them to Bihar and Jharkhand.

"What was the Congress leadership doing when money was being taken from migrant workers?" he asked.

The Chief Minister further said that the Congress leaders want to extort money and at the same time show that they are honestly concerned about the issue too.
HoudahGeo 6 allows photographers to add geotags to photos shot using DSLR cameras without built-in GPS hardware, or edit geotag information embedded in existing digital photos.

No matter how many cameras get added to future iPhones, Apple is unlikely to ever match the quality of images captured by a true single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. With the market for point-and-shoot cameras demolished, smartphones have been deemed good enough for most, while enthusiasts and pros will always hold out for optical image sensors and interchangeable lenses.

One downside is that most affordable digital SLRs ship without built-in GPS, making it more of a headache than it should be to add accurate geolocation metadata to photos taken with such cameras.

HoudahGeo is a Mac app for adding, editing, or removing GPS metadata from digital photos, including those taken with DSLR cameras that lack the ability to capture latitude, longitude, and altitude data on their own. This can be done manually by searching for a known address, landmark, or city, using reference photos taken with a GPS-enabled smartphone, or importing geographic data from a mobile app or hardware track logger.

IDG Whether importing scanned prints or those taken from a DSLR without GPS, HoudahGeo 6 makes it easy to geocode digital photos.

Although dedicated GPS track loggers provide the most accurate results, they run upwards of $100 or more, but Ive had remarkably good luck using HoudahGeo with other methods too. On a recent family nature hike through a remote area where getting accurate results from a manual search wouldnt work, we enlisted a slick iPhone app called Geotag Photos Pro 2 to log our journey. (The first three trips are free.)

When the hike was over, the resulting GPX file was AirDropped to an iMac, then imported into HoudahGeo 6 alongside images from a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR. After confirming the current camera time (an important step for automatic geocoding), the software matched existing timestamps in the JPEG files against our track log and we were able to quickly add new EXIF metadata to the original files. (If you dont want to modify camera originals, theres an option to make copies instead.)

IDG HoudahGeo 6 extracts more metadata from Apple libraries, so iPhoto and Aperture users can easily migrate to newer software.

After importing the geotagged DSLR files into Apple Photos, everything fell right into place in sequential order alongside other images taken during the same hike with an iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone 7 Plus. The whole process was quick and easy, but by this point the lack of a companion iOS app for capturing track logs (or even a full mobile edition of HoudahGeo) really feels like a lost opportunity.

Image browser

With the release of version 6.0, HoudahGeo finally plays nice with Apple Photos, while continuing to support aging applications iPhoto, Aperture, and Adobe Lightroom Classic as well. (Pro tip: You can now import even more metadata from Apple libraries and write them to EXIF/XMP, which comes in handy for migrating to newer software.) The previous version of HoudahGeo required geocoding images prior to importing into Photos, but thankfully that is no longer the case.

Thats because your Photos library now appears on the sidebar in Load mode (slowly in many cases), so you can drag and drop one or more images from the media browser for processing. Import a track log file from disk or connected GPS logger, geocode images in Process mode, switch to Output mode and click Notify Photos Library from the toolbar. Changes made to your library images will then be reflected in Apple Photos without modifying the original files.

IDG Your Apple Photos library now shows up in the sidebar for easy drag-and-drop when loading images for geotagging.

HoudahGeo 6 also now taps into Apple Maps, a huge improvement over previous versions which relied on buggy and often unreliable open source map data. Not only do map, satellite, and hybrid views look better than ever, theyre also more detailed and attractive, too.

Other small but welcome features: JPEG+RAW pairs are finally treated as a single photo, while weather (ambient temperature, humidity, air pressure) and water depth data is now supported via manual entry or from imported KESTREL and UDDF log files, a welcome addition for nature lovers and scuba divers alike. This version also checks off the feature most-requested by users: An option to select the time zone when writing times to EXIF or XMP.

IDG HoudahGeo 6 now includes support for Apple Maps, so satellite views look more beautiful and detailed than ever.

Bottom line

HoudahGeo 6 finally plays nice with your Apple Photos library while delivering plenty of other improvements like Apple Maps support and more geocoding data, but wheres the mobile companion app?
Beirut: Unknown warplanes attacked Iran-backed fighters in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, killing several of the Iraqi militiamen, Syrian opposition activists said Sunday.

The strikes late Saturday targeted a base near the border town of Boukamal, killing seven fighters, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor.

Omar Abu Laila, a Europe-based activist from Syria's eastern Deir el-Zour province, confirmed a strike hit Iran-backed Iraqi fighters in the area but had no exact word on casualties. The strikes came days after reinforcements were brought into the area from Iraq, the Observatory and Abu Laila said.

Abu Laila, who runs Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective that reports on news in the border area, said Israel was most likely behind the attack, but gave no evidence.

Israel rarely comments on such reports, although it has acknowledged carrying out airstrikes inside Syria on numerous occasions over the course of Syria's nine-year conflict, saying it was going after Iranian military targets in the country.

There have recently been several reports of suspected Israeli strikes inside Syria, including one on May 4 that left 14 Iranian-backed fighters dead, according to the Observatory.
The democratic presidential candidate Joe a consultant, in the case of an election victory, the decision of incumbent Donald Trump to withdraw its troops from Germany. "We would review all of the decisions, the President, Trump has taken, including this one," said Antony Blinken, Biden's Advisor for foreign policy, the news Agency Reuters in a Wednesday Interview.

The problems began with the way the decision had been made, said Flashing sub-allusion to the Absence of a consultation with the Federal government. "But we also have a deep Problem with the thing itself."

Trump has announced that the number of in Germany, stationed American troops around 9,000 to 25,000 soldiers lower. The plans are in the national and international criticism. The American forces in Germany are for the reinsurance of the Nato partners against Russia. Moreover, Germany as the main logistics hub of the United States, a rotary is used outside of their own country.

The stationing costs America every year, a lot of money. Germany has invested in the past ten years, nearly a billion Euro to support the American forces on the ground.

Updated Date: 09 July 2020, 12:19
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the governments technology-driven direct benefit transfer (DBT) has been crucial in implementing the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana aimed to help the poor amid the coronavirus crisis.

The PM Garib Kalyan (scheme) used the technology available and was therefore able to do direct benefit transfers for various categories  DBT was implemented with missionary zeal in the last four years. Otherwise, this wouldnt have been possible.

As many as 22 million construction workers received financial support of Rs 3,950 crore, Sitharaman said. The money was directly transferred in their accounts. This was possible because of DBT.

As on 16 May, one-time transfer of Rs 2,000 each was provided to 81.9 million beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan scheme, which amounted to over Rs 16,000 crore. As many as 200 million account holders of Jan Dhan Accounts will receive Rs 500 for three months, out of which Rs 10,025 crore has already been transferred.

We responded immediately by giving foodgrain, cash, cylinders ... state governments, Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India), and FCI (Food Corporation of India), amid logistical challenges, made a lot of effort to give upfront grains to those in need, the minister said.

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Scientists are seen working on a potential vaccine for COVID-19 in Keele, Britain.

Carl Recine/Reuters

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that a "lot of uncertainties" lie in the process of developing a vaccine for widespread administration.

However, a vaccine could likely be ready in the fall of 2020 to "ring-fence an outbreak" in a particular city or for a "certain portion of the population on an experimental basis."

Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said on NBC's "Meet the Press," said that a 12-18-month timeline for a vaccine would have previously seemed "completely unrealistic," but figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci could make it "possible."

"We should hold out some level of hope that if everything goes in the right direction, we could possibly be seeing a vaccine by the end of the year," Inglesby said.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Two public-health experts projected that the timeline for the delivery of a novel coronavirus vaccine is still likely to occur at the end of this year at the earliest.

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that a "lot of uncertainties" face the process of moving a vaccine from a variety of successful trials to widespread manufacturing, pointing to his experience with the difficulty in scaling a vaccine for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

"When you try to scale up and get volume, a lot of things can go wrong, a lot of things can be delayed," Gottlieb told host Margaret Brennan. "It's very hard to get to the point where you're manufacturing at high, high quantities."

"I would say that's' probably more likely a 2021 event that we're going to have a vaccine available in sufficient quantities to mass inoculate the population," he said, before adding that a vaccine could likely be ready in the fall to "ring-fence an outbreak" in a particular city or for a "certain portion of the population on an experimental basis."

Story continues

Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 17, 2020

Gottlieb's comments came the same day Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," where host Chuck Todd asked him about the previously mentioned "12 to 18-month timeline" for the vaccine.

"Is the 12 to 18-month timeline realistic or not?" Todd asked.

Inglesby said that the timeline would have previously seemed "completely unrealistic," and though some challenges still lie ahead, officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, and Moncef Slaoui, Trump's recent pick for chief of the vaccine task force and a former chairman of vaccines at GlaxoSmithKline, could make it "possible."

Fauci testified before Congress on May 11 that the 12-to-18-month timeline is possible, but there was no guarantee a vaccine would work at all. Days later, Trump announced an initiative to develop and make available "hundreds of millions" of doses of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020.

"Well, coming into this year I would have said it was completely unrealistic," Inglesby said. "I still think that there -- it is far from a sure thing. But given that there are now 110 vaccine projects going on around the world that all the major vaccine companies in the world are working on this in some way, and given that Tony Fauci and Moncef Slaoui are now leading figures in the US in this project and they both believe it's possible, I think it is possible."

Despite promising beginnings with a massive class of vaccine projects, Inglesby warned that the US can't yet "bank on" the trials.

"But everything would have to break in the right way," Inglesby said. "And there are many ways that it might not work. So, I don't think we should bank on it. But we should hold out some level of hope that if everything goes in the right direction, we could possibly be seeing a vaccine by the end of the year."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Monday, May 18, 2020

An appraisal of land starts with the first two components of Highest and Best Use analysis: what is Physically Possible and what is Legally Permissible?

Issues of physical possibility include size, shape, soil suitability, frontage, visibility and access. Legal issues can be particular to an individual property. Easements, deed restrictions and leases can encumber a property and limit current or future development. Legal issues can be regulatory in nature. Wetlands, endangered species, and stormwater management regulations are good examples. Legal issues include, often most importantly, local zoning codes because they drive the uses permitted and the density of development. Residential developers are concerned with the types of units permitted (single family dwellings, townhomes, apartments, etc.) and the potential number of dwelling units. Broadly, commercial developers are concerned with the uses permitted (retail, office, industrial, etc.) and potential floor area. The greater the square footage permitted, the higher the value.

Although appraisers are not planners or engineers they typically have a working knowledge of the first two components of Highest and Best Use discussed earlier. They also have the specialized skill set to address the next two steps in Highest and Best Use analysis: Financially Feasible and Maximally Productive.

Once an appraiser has determined the Physically Possible and Legally Permissible Uses and potential density an analysis of the marketplace must be undertaken to determine which of these uses are Financially Feasible. For example, a vacant parcel on a side street might be a poor location for a retail strip center, but it might be well suited for an office building. Then the real drill-down begins. Is there a market for new office space? Is there any new construction in the area? How do values in the area compare to current construction costs? Once the Financially Feasible uses have been established, the appraiser determines which use is Maximally Productive - the use that brings the highest value to the land.

The Highest and Best Use of an improved property is, more often than not, the current use. Depending on the type of property and the use of the report, the appraiser will simply start "pulling comps," sales and leases of similar properties in the market area. Land valuation includes a detailed Highest and Best Use analysis which is more demanding and requires a superior skill set.

fter the Highest and Best Uses has been determined the appraiser uses data sources t his or her disposal to identify potential land sale comparables. It is imperative that the appraiser understand that value follows use. A sale of land for the development of a three story office building should not be used to value a parcel of land that has a Highest and Best Use of industrial development, even if the permitted square footage is identical. Land Sales must be carefully researched. It is safe to say that the appraiser should be as familiar with each of the land sales as the subject property.

Once the land sales have been researched the appraiser selects the most comparable sales for analysis. Next, an appropriate Unit of Comparison must be selected. Years ago, appraisers use a simple Per Acre or Per Square Foot analysis. We have found that the minimum today is a Per Usable Acre analysis because the usable portion (net of wetlands, slopes, and other physical encumbrances) of the property is isolated.

The most precise analysis for residential land is Per Dwelling Unit. This requires detailed knowledge of the development potential of the subject and all the land sales, but it most closely mimics the market because that is what buyer-developers are focused on.

The same applies to commercial property; the most precise Unit of Comparison is Per Proposed Building Square Foot. Certain specialized property types have unique Units of Comparison. For example, day care centers can be analyzed Per Child Permitted by State License. Theaters and restaurants are sometimes valued Per Seat. Marinas are valued Per Slip and some high-density retail space in urban areas or on boardwalks are valued Per Front Foot. It is up to the appraiser to discuss this Unit of Comparison issue with market participants to determine the best fit.

The land sales are then typically arrayed on an adjustment grid and adjusted for differences in Property Rights Conveyed, Financing, Conditions of Sale and Market Conditions (Time). These four adjustments are made in a series. The next adjustments are at the discretion of the appraiser and can include Location, Physical (size, shape, easements, etc.) and Size. The most important adjustments in many parts of the country are Zoning and Approvals. In Zoning the differences in density are addressed. If the subject is in a zone that permits single family dwellings on 20,000 square foot lots and the land sale is in a zone that has a minimum lot size of 30,000 square feet, an adjustment is warranted.

Approval status is often the most important adjustment because fully approved parcels can garner significantly higher sale prices. We recently performed an analysis of "flipped" residential land sales. The first sale was the purchase of raw land and the second sale was the sale of the fully approved parcel. The results, which showed a premium between 39% and 572%, were eye-opening.

After the land sales are adjusted the appraiser must reconcile the adjusted sale prices to a single value. The net and gross adjustments are analyzed, and the appraiser determines how much weight will be given to each land sale in the final value estimate.

The users of land appraisals vary widely. Banks use appraisals for financing, but individuals and/or their attorneys order land appraisals for estate settlement, partnership or family disputes, divorce, tax appeal, eminent domain actions, potential acquisition or disposition, donation, and many other reasons. The appraisal is typically performed by a state licensed or certified appraiser, but sometimes brokers will offer price opinions.

Cost and time vary depending on the complexity of the assignment and the type of report required. The valuation of a single-family lot could cost $250 to $1,000 and take less than a week. A complex valuation for eminent domain purposes with reports from other professionals (engineers, planners, cost experts and others) could take six months and cost $25,000.

Like any other appraisal for lending purposes the bank may only lend a percentage of the land value. Many banks will not lend on land unless the buyer has a plan to develop the property and a successful track record in the development of similar properties.
(Reuters) - Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S.

(Reuters) - Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents U.S. interests in the Islamic Republic, over possible measures Washington could take against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela, the Mehr news agency reported.

A senior official in U.S. President Donald Trumps administration told Reuters on Thursday the United States 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 U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration official declined to specify the measures being weighed but said options would be presented to Trump.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi passed on a message to the ambassador on Sunday warning against any U.S. threat against the Iranian tankers, according to a report on the foreign ministry website.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also wrote a letter to U.N. chief Antonio Guterres warning that any American measures against the fuel shipment would be dangerous, illegal and a form of piracy, according to the report on the foreign ministry website.

At least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela, according to vessel tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon on Wednesday, which could help ease an acute scarcity of gasoline in the South American country.

Venezuela is in desperate need of gasoline 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.

(Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Elaine Hardcastle)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
To satisfy continuous requests from our contacts and the media following our first press conference, the second is set to focus on the countrys economic recovery, getting back to work, and whats next for society as it slowly steps into reopening amidst the pandemic, Helms says

On Thursday, May 21, PR agency JOTO PR Disruptors will hold the TOP COVID-19 Summit: Quarantined Press Conference. From 23pm EDT, this one-hour webinar will focus on The Economic Reboot amidst the COVID-19 crisisrelying on expertise from a variety of industry experts within the healthcare, finance, technology and supply-chain sectors and led by Moderator Karla Jo Helms, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist of JOTO PR Disruptors.

To satisfy continuous requests from our contacts and the media following our first press conference, the second is set to focus on the countrys economic recovery, getting back to work, and whats next for society as it slowly steps into reopening amidst the pandemic, Helms says. We put together a panel of leading experts who are able to provide their help, hope, and solutions.

The topics and industry experts for this press conference will include:



The Healthcare Economy: Lisa Kennedy, Health Economist, Managing Principal, Innopiphany

Financial Recovery: Jeff Mount, President of Real Intelligence LLC

Technology Fuels the Economic Reboot: Mike McLaughlin, Chief Information Officer of Technologent

Supply Chain/Infrastructure  Moving the Country Past the Pandemic: Don Lefeve, President at Commercial Vehicle Training

All of these industries are interrelated and interdependent. What is affecting one is affecting another in ways that we might not see, Helms says. Likewise, what is helping one could also help another. The leaders on this panel want to help.

This is the second in a series of webinars, with the first hosted in March and featuring a panel of experts from the healthcare, supply chain, finance, technology, and eCommerce industries to discuss what was happening in regards to each panelists zone of expertise. This diverse group provided real-time information as consumers and businesses all over the world tackled pivoting and pushing forward during the novel coronavirus crisis. After the press conference, JOTO PR Disruptors put together a resource guide for consumers and businesses to include informative tools, data, and other resources from industry experts as discussed during and after the press conference.

As planned for this weeks and future press conferences, these events will continue to be more targeted and geared towards hearing from industry-specific experts to offer real-time insight, information, and solutions on their response to the current pandemic. During a time when it is needed arguably now more than ever, Helms stresses the importance of communication, which she says is critical in persevering through this crisis as a community.

This is not the time to cut back on your communications. In all my years of crisis management, we operated on a primary principle: nature abhors a vacuum. And in a time of crisis, it seems that people tend to communicate lessdo not fall into this, Helms says. Promote first, communicate foremost. You have to do this before you try to figure out or repair administrative lines. Then you get in a sense of the economy. Follow that orderas if you dont, there wont be anything to economize on.

All are welcome to attend the second TOP COVID-19 Summit: Quarantined Press Conference webinar on Thursday, May 21 from 23pm EDT. For more information and to sign up, visit the events registration page.

About JOTO PR Disruptors:

After doing marketing research on a cross-section majority of 5,000 CEOs of fast-growth trajectory companies and finding out exactly how they used PR, how they measure it and how they wanted the PR industry to be different, PR veteran and innovator Karla Jo Helms created JOTO PR and established its entire business model on those research findings. Astute in recognizing industry changes since its launch in 2009, JOTO PRs team utilizes newly established patterns to create timely PR campaigns comprising both traditional and the latest proven media methods. This unique skill enables JOTO PR to continue to increase the market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for its clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JOTO PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all JOTO PRs processes are streamlined PR services that have become the hallmark of the JOTO PR name. For more information, visit http://www.jotopr.com.

About Karla Jo Helms:

Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JOTO PR. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the lineand how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen or another is brutally rejected.

Being an alumna of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinionKarla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances, and doing what it takes to excel.

Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of PR to drive markets and impact market perception.

# # #
Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye. Source: von.gov.ng

Following the arrival of the Madagascar herbal cure for COVID-19 in Nigeria on Saturday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has promised to fast-track the laboratory examination of the drug, named Covid Organics, The PUNCH reports.

The agency, which regulates and controls the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged water, chemicals and detergents, noted that the product would be subjected to the normal procedure but that the process would be fast-tracked.

President Muhammadu Buhari, had while receiving the samples of the product, also known as CVO, from the visiting President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Embalo, at the presidential villa noted that he would first listen to science before allowing the product or any new medicines to be used in Nigeria.

The President told his guest that the relevant regulatory institutions in the country would need to endorse the product before it could be used by Nigerians.



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, Buhari told Embalo.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, NAFDACs Director of Public Relations, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, who spoke on behalf of the agencys director-general, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, noted that the agency would prioritise the laboratory examination of the product once it received it from the authorities.

He said, When the drug arrives, it will go to the Minister of Health who will in turn hand it over to NAFDAC through the PTF. It is after that we would start our laboratory examination. It will be subjected to the normal procedure.

We would expedite action on this because everyone is anxiously waiting for the result. We would speed it up but it will still have to go through the normal laboratory analysis and medical evaluation.

Unlike the orthodox medicine, with the herbal medicine, it is given linctus status, it is not given full registration and that means it has a life span of two years, unlike normal drug that has a life span of five years. So, this is what will be applicable to the Madagascar drug. We would ensure that the claims being made are true.

When asked how long it could take for the laboratory examination to be concluded, he said the normal procedure was three months but that given the situation at hand, the process would be prioritised without compromising the efficiency of the process.

He said, The normal mandatory procedure is three months, but under this emergency, we would give it a top priority to come out with urgent results. In the process of the evaluation, if NAFDAC needs to get in touch with the manufacturers we will. It all depends on the analysis in the lab.

This kind of drug does not go through a clinical trial at this stage; it is only when it wants to go through registration that it will be subjected to clinical trial. We are only going to determine its safety and efficacy now.

Embalo had during the visit said his main reason for visiting Buhari was to thank him and seek his fatherly counsel after the tussles that attended the general elections in Guinea Bissau, which he won.

He disclosed his plan to form a government of national unity and follow in the footsteps of Buhari to begin a war against corruption.

Embalo added that his new government inherited myriads of challenges and would require the big brother support of Nigeria to pull through, adding, The 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.

Buhari, who commended Embalo on his victory and for being able to stabilise his country, noted that Nigeria was determined to keep West Africa politically stable, promising to support the new government in Guinea Bissau.

He said, I commend your political dexterity in getting the opposition to join the proposed unity government. I will cooperate and help in every way possible.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said in a statement that Buhari seized the opportunity to praise the President of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, for the good work he had done in the West African sub-region.

Issoufou is the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States.

Following the criticisms that greeted the planned importation of the Madagascar drug into Nigeria, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, said on Thursday that Nigeria did not request the herbal medicine from Madagascar.

He explained it was a gesture from Madagascar to all African countries, including Nigeria. He noted that the quantities meant for each African country were airlifted to Guinea Bissau from where respective African countries would airlift theirs.

Mustapha stressed that the President had given a clear instruction that he should subject the product to the same validation process any internally manufactured product would be taken through and that he should make arrangements to freight it home.

Meanwhile, the President of Guinea Bissau personally delivered the products to Nigeria on Saturday.

The Regional Director of World Health Organisation office in Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said at a media briefing on Thursday that the WHO was in touch with the government of Madagascar.

There is an ongoing search for a vaccine for the raging virus, which has infected 4,706,088 persons across the world, out of which 311,899 persons have died while 1,802,555 persons have recovered.
While many of us dreamt about sharing our lockdown bubble with a personal chef, a group of University of Waikato students were living that dream in Tauranga.

When the University stopped accommodation payments for students who chose to go home to their families at Level 4 lockdown, several residents at the university-managed Mayfair Court apartments in Tauranga opted to leave. For those who stayed, there were other perks.

Business student Ayesha Saeed, social work student Laura Norton, and environmental science student Logan Hill felt theyd struck gold with their lockdown flatmate. First-year teaching student Matthew Shepherd, also happens to be an ex-Navy trained chef.

During lockdown, Matt generally cooked twice a week with his flatmates happy to pitch in grocery money.

It was a bit more fend for yourselves before but since lockdown Ive done more cooking, says Matt.

And its gone down well according to Ayesha; Matts cooking is absolutely amazing, and we are always looking forward to the days where we do flat dinners and Matt cooks.

The Universitys accommodation coordinator, Iris Beemster, says the students have all been very self-sufficient and have made the most of the situation. A private Facebook group has kept them all connected, so even the students who moved home still feel like part of the Mayfair Court family.

Ive been really impressed with their resilience and how theyve supported each other, says Iris. Theyve gone on walks together, organised games and movie nights and even set up a home gym in one of the vacant apartments. When I took them for their weekly supermarket shop, it was clear Matt had some great things on the menu!

At Level 3, students in the five tenanted apartments merged to make one big bubble. Iris suggested that Matt might like to share his culinary skills with the whole group.

On Friday night, to celebrate reaching Level 2, he did just that. Matt cooked up a feast fit for 15, with ingredients donated by Acting Director of the Tauranga campus, Associate Professor Ken Perszyk.

Last week, Ken arranged a surprise delivery of pizza for our extended bubble, says Matt. When he found out about the dinner, he offered to buy the groceries which was a really kind gesture.

While many people would be overwhelmed to prepare four main dishes, several sides and a dessert, single-handedly, Matt was unfazed by cooking for the larger group.

After spending six years with the Royal New Zealand Navy, he had catered everything from cocktail parties, buffet functions and dignitaries dinners, to cooking hundreds of meals for the troops.

Hed started his City and Guilds cooking apprenticeship straight out of Hutt Valley High School in Wellington.

Matthew Shepherd, front, with a few of the University of Waikato students he cooked for to celebrate reaching COVID-19 Alert Level 2.

Growing up, my dream job was to teach or cook. I went into the Navy at 17, and now here I am training to be a teacher, he says.

When Matt left the Navy he moved to Thailand for two years and seized the opportunity to try out teaching. He taught English to students, ranging in age from 10 to 18 years, often up to 900 per week.

As full on as it was, the experience told Matt what he needed to know. After two years, he returned to New Zealand to enrol in a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) at the University of Waikato.

Every teacher I spoke to recommended Waikato as having the best teaching programme. I chose the Tauranga campus as I prefer the lifestyle here.

Matt was initially a little apprehensive about starting university but says his varied life experience has held him in good stead so far.

I wasnt the most academic at high school so I didnt know what to expect. I really enjoy the lectures which makes all the difference and, although Id rather be on campus, Ive managed OK with the online learning.

He also managed a slap up dinner for his Mayfair Court mates. The sumptuous selection included roast lamb and sauteed vegetables, Thai green curry, spicy vegetable curry, and traditional Italian carbonara followed by a strawberry and blueberry pie for dessert.

With a range of people here, I catered for Hindu, Muslim and vegetarian so there was something for everyone, he says.

Luckily, there were lots of helping hands to do the dishes.
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, who are the most admired people in America?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The BJP will launch "Maharashtra



Bachao" agitation from Tuesday against the "complete failure" of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in tackling the COVID-19 crisis.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the COVID-19 situation has gone out of hands in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra because of the government's failure.

Fadnavis and other senior leaders, including state unit president Chandrakant Patil, and others held a video conference meeting earlier in the day.

"BJP leaders will submit their demands with officials in various talukas and districts as part of the process," Patil said.

He said the party leaders and workers will stand outside their houses on May 22 with placards condemning the state government's failure in mitigating the situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
What happened

By now you've probably heard the news: biotech Moderna Inc. appears to have a viable coronavirus vaccine -- "mRNA-1273" -- that "interim Phase 1 data" from a study of 45 people shows to be "generally safe and well tolerated." In at least eight of those subjects, it generated enough of the right kind of antibodies to suggest that it might provide "full protection against viral replication" of the SARS-CoV-19 coronavirus.

Investors are elated, and the S&P 500 Index of companies is up well over 3% this afternoon on the news. The optimism has spilled over from the biotech sector, too, to infect (in a good way) stocks as far away as the basic materials sectors of chemicals (Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) up 9.4% in 1:45 p.m. EDT trading), copper (Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) up 8.4%), and aluminum, too, with Alcoa (NYSE:AA) shares up an astounding 16.3%!

So what

But is this news as good as it seems? After all, it was only four days ago that Alcoa CEO Roy Harvey told Bloomberg that Alcoa lacks "the clarity [or] the orders on the books, to signal that there is a definitive recovery coming." In the meantime, Harvey worries that the global aluminum industry is "producing more aluminum than it needs," which is a recipe for price weakness, and low profits (or losses).

At Freeport-McMoRan, too, the news isn't great. A rise in coronavirus infections at the company's Grasberg mine in Indonesia is causing Freeport to cut its workforce to a "skeletal team," reports Reuters today, and the company has suspended production at a New Mexico copper mine for similar reasons.

At Dow, meanwhile ... there are no reports of factory closures today, at least. But what news there is at the company -- an effort to collaborate with other companies such as 3M and DuPont to produce 100,000 "level 2 medical isolation gowns" -- was undercut by Dow's confirmation that the gowns in question will be "donated to healthcare professionals."

While that's great news for frontline healthcare workers, and good news for Americans in general as it shows industry is still stepping up to help fight the virus, there's not a lot of profit margin in producing goods at Dow's own cost, and then giving them away.

Now what

And that is not great news for the investors rushing to buy back into Dow, Freeport, and Alcoa stocks today. Recall that over the past 12 months, all three of these stocks have reported negative earnings. Worse than that, COVID-19 wasn't solely responsible for those losses. According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, each of Dow, Freeport, and Alcoa stocks lost money last year as well, before most of us even had any idea what a "coronavirus" was.

Before betting that the end of the pandemic-fueled recession will revive shares of these companies, investors should consider that they were already looking pretty sickly before coronavirus even came on the scene.
CHALONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, France (Reuters) - Roman Catholics in a town in eastern France were able to attend mass in their cars on Sunday, in the country's first drive-in religious service since the start of a lockdown eight weeks ago aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus.

The mass, held in the town of Chalons-en-Champagne, began with priests in white robes and wearing black face masks holding a procession through the parking lot, as a hymn was played and cars honked their horns.

The local bishop, Francois Touvet, stood on a podium in front of the cars as he led the service. Priests later gave out communion wafers to the faithful as they sat in their cars.

The virus outbreak and government restrictions on all public gatherings, intended to curb the spread of the virus, have forced many people in France and around the world to come up with innovative solutions to continue their activities.

France began cautiously to emerge from its lockdown on May 11, but indoor religious services remain banned until the end of the month as the government seeks to contain the risks of a second wave of infections.

"It (the lockdown) was really a deprivation for Catholics, as it was for other religions, not being able to gather in our places of worship... We very quickly came up with the idea of this formula of a drive-in mass," Bishop Touvet said.

MASKS AND SANITISER

"People are in their cars, they come from the same apartment or the same house, they have alcohol gels and masks. The cars are one metre apart from each other, we give communion, and then we wash our hands," Touvet added.

Worshippers are prohibited from leaving their vehicle, car-pooling is banned and a maximum number of four people from the same household are allowed per vehicle.

France has so far reported 142,291 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 27,625 deaths, among the world's highest fatality rates.

One worshipper, Michelle, was delighted to be able to attend mass again.

Story continues

"There's mass on television but it's not the same as being with the community at a Sunday service," she said.

Similar drive-in masses have taken place in other countries including Poland, where a priest has started taking confessions from the faithful in the parking lot of his church in Warsaw.

In Greece, by contrast, after the easing of a ban on public gatherings, thousands of people returned to church on Sunday after weeks of having to stay away.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Gonzalo Fuentes and Pascal Rossignol; Editing by Gareth Jones)
A mother-of-five has entered the battle for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro despite the chaos surrounding the seat's vacancy.

Karen Porter will be running as an independent under the 'New Liberals party' after Labor member Dr Mike Kelly announced his retirement due to ill health.

Eden Monaro became a bloody battleground earlier this month after a highly publicised scuffle between NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

The announcement will likely pave the way for a contest among three high-powered women, with Labor putting up Bega Valley mayor Kristy McBain and speculation the Coalition will preselect local farmer Fiona Kotvojs.

A single mother of five has entered the battle for the federal seat of Eden Monaro despite the chaos surrounding the seat's vacancy

Karen Porter will be running as an independent under the 'New Liberals party' after Labor member Dr Mike Kelly announced his retirement due to ill health

Ms Porter told Daily Mail Australia she's one of those people who does 'crazy stuff' but even she's still questioning her decision to dip her toes into federal politics.

'I wake up at nighttime and I say to myself WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I think I can either sit here in Brebdo and complain about our government or I can actually get up there and try and make some changes,' she said.

She said the argy-bargy from the Coalition only cemented her decision to run for the seat.

'Those two guys who came saying they'll run and beating their chests, then both walked off and said actually we're not now, that's so embarrassing, it's not about them, it's about our electorate.'

Ms Porter is a mother of five whose children range from age 29 down to 13, and runs a sustainability focused business in Canberra, but lives in Bredbo on the Monaro plain.

She said she was driven to enter politics to provide a world she wanted her five children to grow up in

Ms Porter is a mother of five whose children range from age 29 down to 13, and runs a sustainability focused business in Canberra, but lives in Bredbo on the Monaro plain (pictured)

She has listed her major campaign policies as climate change, small business and anti-corruption initiatives in a biography on the New Liberals website.

'The current Government has their heads in the sand on climate change, they reward large corporations with tax advantages, they have deals under the table with their mates, and the working-class people, including small business owners, are neglected,' her biography reads.

Ms Porter also raised the need for major improvements to health services, including mental health and road safety.

She said she was driven to enter politics to provide a world she wanted her five children to grow up in.

'While I don't have any political experience I'm coming is as someone who gives a damn who just wants to see a future for our kids and our country. Forget all the political bullsh** that comes with a politician I think we need some real people up there who actually care.' she said.

She said she politics needs 'real people' rather than political bullsh**

'We need make it about values, we need to look after our families and our children, we need to look after our planet that's warming every day and actually be really active with it.'

She also raised the need for more women in positions of power.

'I really want to join and link arms with the beautiful women that are already up at Parliament house as independents who are trying to make changes for our climate. We need some people up there that have integrity and are ethical,' she said.

Ms Porter has a wealth of government experience, having worked in both local and federal Government for 22 years and is on the Board Director of the Master Builders Association.

The by-election has been a hot topic since the announcement of Dr Mike Kelly's retirement on April 30.

The by-election has been a hot topic since the announcement of Dr Mike Kelly's (pictured) retirement on April 30.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance (pictured with wife Jennifer) declared he would run before pulling out

The by-election campaign already hit headlines when NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro decided not to run and NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance declared he would run before pulling out.

Mr Constance said he pulled out of the Eden-Monaro preselection battle because a Sydney newspaper reported on its front page that Mr Barilaro had used a crude word to describe him to colleagues.

Mr Constance on unexpectedly announced his withdrawal from the contest just 24 hours after he'd put his hand up.

'You read the paper like I did this morning and go 'Nah stuff that',' Mr Constance told the ABC.

'I hadn't signed up to contest federally to be called that type of smear.

The by-election campaign already hit headlines when NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro (pictured with his family) decided not to run

'That kind of white-anting doesn't just stop with that front page it goes on and on.'

The Daily Telegraph ran images of Mr Constance and Mr Barilaro on its front page on April 6 with the phrase: 'C#?! He called him what?'

Mr Constance said the spat was 'disappointing' and 'humiliating' but he forgave the deputy premier and they remained mates.

'I've had a gutful of this stuff. I know John didn't mean it, in that discussion I had with him today, but ultimately (who) does this all benefit?'

Mr Constance has been open about his mental health struggles after fleeing his Malua Bay property south of Batemans Bay during this summer's unprecedented bushfires.

Mr Barilaro revealed he would not contest the South Coast seat for the Nationals only days earlier.

After announcing he wouldn't be running, Mr Barilaro launched a scathing attack on Nationals federal leader Michael McCormack, using a text message leaked to Sky News.

The deputy premier told Mr McCormack - the deputy prime minister - he was threatened by the NSW Nationals leader.

'You have failed your team and failed as a leader,' Mr Barilaro wrote.

The Liberals' 2019 candidate for the seat, Fiona Kotvojs who lost by 0.9 per cent, has declared she will run.

Bega mayor Kristy McBain has already been selected as Labor's candidate.
BIG RAPIDS  The community will have an opportunity to remember those who died while serving the United States on Memorial Day.

Although Big Rapids usually commemorates the day with a variety of ceremonies and a parade through downtown, this year's schedule will look a little different due to the concerns of the coronavirus.
We dont have the full picture yet, but its troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed, Mr. Engel said of the arms sale inquiry.

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Pompeo said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post that he had recommended to Mr. Trump that Mr. Linick be fired because Mr. Linick was undermining the departments mission. Mr. Pompeo did not give details.

He also said his recommendation to fire Mr. Linick could not have been an act of retaliation to end an investigation because he had not been briefed on any inquiries.

However, top department officials had clearly received briefings from Mr. Linicks office and been asked to comply with investigations.

Mr. Linick is widely seen as competent, though sometimes reluctant to wade into the most politically charged issues.

Nonetheless, he issued a harsh report in 2016 on the use of a private email server by Hillary Clinton, who served as Mr. Obamas secretary of state, and played a minor role in the impeachment inquiry against Mr. Trump last fall. He issued two reports last year that criticized political appointees at the State Department, some of whom work closely with Mr. Pompeo.

Mr. Trump has appointed Ambassador Stephen J. Akard, the director of the Office of Foreign Missions, for the role of acting inspector general. Mr. Akard, an associate of Vice President Mike Pence, failed to get congressional support for a top State Department job under Mr. Pompeos predecessor but was eventually confirmed for the lesser post at the foreign missions office.
World leaders met virtually Monday at the World Health Organization's 73rd World Health Assembly to discuss and set priorities for the next year. At the assembly, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for greater authority to be vested in the WHO to deal with emerging diseases, while HHS Secretary Alex Azar called the WHO's response to the coronavirus a failure that "cost many lives." Biotech company Moderna released data on its closely watched phase 1 human trial for its coronavirus vaccine candidate. The data appears to be positive and shares of the company skyrocketed, lifting the overall market. The coverage on this live blog has ended  but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's U.S. team. Global cases: More than 4.8 million

Global deaths: At least 318,534

Most cases reported: United States (More than 1.5 million), Russia (290,678), Brazil, (255,368), United Kingdom (247,709), Spain (231,606). The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Russia's coronavirus cases now near 300,000

09:30 a.m. (London time): Russia reported a further 9,263 infections on Tuesday, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 299, 941. Russia now has the second-highest number of cases in the world, after the U.S. The daily rise in cases was below 10,000, a daily threshold that was crossed repeatedly earlier in May, for the fourth day in a row, Reuters noted. Russia's coronavirus response center said the death toll had now reached 2,837, after a further 115 people died in the last 24 hours.  Holly Ellyatt

New car sales in Europe fall 76% in April amid coronavirus lockdowns

08:00 a.m. (London time): European car sales fell dramatically in April as coronavirus lockdowns shut car dealerships and brought a halt to manufacturing, EU-wide industry data showed on Tuesday. New car registrations in the EU fell 76.3% in April, from the same month a year ago, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). "The first full month with COVID-19 restrictions in place resulted in the strongest monthly drop in car demand since records began," the ACEA said, adding that the number of new cars sold fell from 1,143,046 units in April 2019 to 270,682 units last month.  Holly Ellyatt

Thai Airways shares surge after government reportedly approves bankruptcy court restructuring

2:18 p.m. (Singapore time)  Shares of Thai Airways in Bangkok skyrocketed nearly 12% after the country's cabinet approved a plan for the airline to go to bankruptcy court for debt restructuring, Reuters reported Tuesday citing the Thai prime minister. "The government has reviewed all dimensions ... we have decided to petition for restructuring and not let Thai Airways go bankrupt. The airline will continue to operate," Prayuth said, according to Reuters. The airline industry has been among the worst hit globally, with authorities around the world heavily restricting international travel as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.  Eustance Huang

India now has more than 100,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths

12:30 p.m. (Singapore time)  There were at least 101,139 reported cases of infection in India and as many as 3,163 people have now died from Covid-19, according to information posted on the health ministry's website. That makes India one of the worst-affected countries in Asia-Pacific, though more than 39,000 people are said to have recovered from the disease. Despite being in a nationwide lockdown since late March, the number of reported cases continued to increase. Those restrictions have already been extended multiple times and are now set to last through to the end of the month. Still, in some low-risk areas, restrictions are expected to be gradually eased.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

Doctors and medical staff wait for their turn during the collection of samples for Covid-19 testing at LNJP Hospital, during nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, on May 9, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Sonu Mehta | Hindustan Times | Getty Images

Trump threatens to permanently cut off WHO funding, withdraw U.S. membership

11:33 a.m. (Singapore time)  President Trump threatened to permanently cut off funding to the World Health Organization and withdraw U.S. membership if the agency "does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days." Trump said in a letter dated Monday that the only way forward for the WHO is "if it can actually demonstrate independence from China." "I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America's interests," Trump wrote.  Saheli Roy Choudhury Tweet: This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory!

Leading coronavirus vaccine candidate maker expects to raise $1.34 billion in new stock offering

11:10 a.m. (Singapore time)  Moderna said it priced an offering of 17.6 million new shares at $76 each. The offering, which is expected to raise $1.34 billion, comes after the biotech company reported positive data in a early-stage human trial for its coronavirus vaccine candidate. The upbeat trial data sent the stock soaring nearly 20% higher to close at $80 a share.  Christine Wang

Japan's Abe 'looks like a lame duck' as his government comes under fire for its virus response

10:38 a.m. (Singapore time)  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has seen his approval rating decline, with 55% of respondents in a recent Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll saying they do not have a favorable view of the government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. That comes despite Japan's "effective response compared with many other countries," said Teneo Intelligence's Tobias Harris. Harris told CNBC that part of the reason behind the decline in Abe's approval ratings has been due to the perception that he reacted "too slowly to the pandemic." Unlike its peers in the region, Japan initially resisted declaring a nationwide state of emergency until the middle of April, when it reportedly had more than 9,000 infections and nearly 200 deaths in the country.  Eustance Huang

How some Asian economies managed to contain the virus outbreak

10:04 a.m. (Singapore time)  Taiwan hasn't reported any new cases of the coronavirus disease for more than a week  that's a feat that few globally have achieved even as more countries and territories prepare to roll back containment measures. Part of Taiwan's efforts includes the use of big data and technology, which helped authorities identity potential cases and isolate those with a higher risk of infection, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That allowed the self-ruled island, located just across a narrow strait from mainland China, to avoid locking down its economy. Read here for more on what Taiwan did to contain its outbreak, and how Hong Kong and Vietnam managed to achieve similar results.  Yen Nee Lee

U.S. retail sales could drop more than 6% this year

8:51 a.m. (Singapore time)  Market research company Euromonitor said U.S. retail sales could be down at least 6.5% in 2020. Factors that can alter its forecast for the year include the duration of the pandemic, the government's response, and the rate at which shoppers feel comfortable enough to return to malls and stores. Euromonitor said companies that could fare best this year include grocery retailers, e-commerce names, third-party delivery platforms and big food brands. Those that are predicted to struggle most include apparel retailers, department store operators, luxury chains and direct-to-consumer brands.  Lauren Thomas, Saheli Roy Choudhury

Citi says Amazon grew job postings in April while Alphabet and Facebook cut back

8 pm ET  Amazon increased its job openings 19% year over year in April while other internet companies like Alphabet, eBay, Facebook and GrubHub cut back, according to an analysis by Citi analysts led by Jason Bazinet. At Amazon, growth in the number of job postings, a proxy for costs, slowed from 35% in March. Jordan Novet

Coronavirus vaccine adviser Moncef Slaoui to divest $12 million of Moderna holdings

Former GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui, who will serve as chief adviser on the effort to find a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, speaks as President Donald Trump listens during a coronavirus disease response event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

7:20 pm ET  Former Moderna executive Moncef Slaoui, tapped to lead the White House coronavirus vaccine project, will divest himself of approximately $12.4 million worth of stock options he has in the company. Slaoui "directed the divestiture of his equity holdings in Moderna and that sale should be effective tomorrow morning," an HHS spokeswoman said Monday. Moderna's stock soared Monday on news of a promising coronavirus vaccine candidate, jumping from a Friday close of $66.69 a share to $80 at the conclusion of Monday's trading. Christina Wilkie

Small businesses get back to work, adapt to heightened safety measures

6:39 pm ET  Business owners in states that are reopening are dealing with a laundry list of questions. While worrying about safety issues for workers and guests, there is also liability concerns and hoping that consumers will come back. CNBC's Kate Rogers and Betsy Spring report that some business owners are getting creative to adapt to the new normal. Daniel Halpern, who owns a number of TGI Friday's restaurants across the country, is preparing to reopen his first store for dining in Georgia this Tuesday. Halpern said his locations will have personal protective equipment, sanitizing equipment and there will be temperature checks for workers and guests. "I think we have a lot of repair to do," he said. "Delivery sales and takeout certainly have grown significantly, and we hope that that continues, but I think we're going to slowly but surely build our in-store guests through time and trust." For James Cummings, who has 46 Great Clips locations, that meant taking protective measures and creating a new position, the hair traffic controller. "It's like a receptionist on steroids or a bouncer at the club," Cummings said. "It's making sure we get this right  training our employees on the new processes, educating the customers on the new expectations  and doing that in a thoughtful, professional way. Moving forward through this together, not rushing and making a mistake." Chris Eudaily

Moderna plans to issue $1.25 billion in fresh equity following 20% stock surge

The entrance to Moderna's headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Brian Snyder | Reuters

5:30 pm ET  Biotech company Moderna announced plans to issue at least $1.25 billion in shares of common stock after releasing the results of its phase 1 clinical trial earlier today. Moderna said it expects to primarily use the proceeds to fund the manufacturing and distribution of its vaccine candidate once it obtains necessary regulatory approvals. Morgan Stanley is running the deal and the company is giving the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $187.5 million in common stock. Jasmine Kim

Trump says he takes unproven hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection

5:05 pm ET  President Trump said he's been taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for over a week to prevent coronavirus infection even though it is not yet a proven treatment. "I happen to be taking it," Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House. "A lot of good things have come out. You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers. Before you catch it. The front-line workers, many, many are taking it." He added: "I'm taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think it's good, I've heard a lot of good stories." Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

States reopen gyms, expand retail services

A person disinfects an elliptical machine at a gym in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, May 16, 2020. Louisiana entered its phase 1 of reopening on Friday after Governor John Bel Edwards loosened restrictions on certain business in the state. Bryan Tarnowski | Bloomberg via Getty Images

5 pm ET  The governors of Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Kansas allowed gyms to reopen in their states on Monday. With gyms often categorized as businesses with a high risk for virus transmission in recovery plans, reopening them signals a big step forward for these states. Other states expanded their retail services, with New Jersey stores now allowed to offer curbside pickup and Minnesota malls open to foot traffic. Louisiana also reopened its casinos at 25% capacity. For more on states' reopening plans, click here. Hannah Miller

California governor says pro sporting events without spectators, in-store retail could begin early June

People sit on a hill overlooking Dodger Stadium on what was supposed to be Major League Baseball's opening day, now postponed due to the coronavirus, on March 26, 2020 in Los Angeles. Mario Tama | Getty Images

4:40 pm ET  California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state could continue easing its statewide stay-at-home order to allow for professional sporting events without spectators and in-store retail to resume as early as the first week in June. He said the decision would be based on the state's ability to maintain the rate of transmission of Covid-19 and no additional stress is added to hospitals and intensive-care units.Newsom previously lifted restrictions on curbside retail pickup as part of California's phased reopening plan, but he said it's up to local jurisdictions to decide whether it's safe to follow the eased guidelines. Noah Higgins-Dunn

Detroit automaker plants cautiously reopen

Ford started resuming vehicle production in the U.S. on May 18, 2020 with new coronavirus safety protocols such as health assessments, personal protective equipment and facility modifications to increase social distancing. Ford

4:20 pm ET The Detroit automakers started producing vehicles in the U.S. for the first time since late-March, when their plants were shuttered to protect workers and assist in flattening the curve of Covid-19. The reopening of plants for General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler is being closely monitored by other industries as well as government officials as a test of whether social distancing and coronavirus safety protocols for densely populated work areas such as assembly plants can successfully reopen without a resurgence of the disease. The restart of production will test the automakers' capital-strained supply chains, coronavirus safety protocols and consumer demand. All three must be in tact for any hope of a steady recovery for the U.S. auto industry. The Detroit automakers and others have taken steps to assist with all three issues. They've implemented extensive safety protocols for workers and attempted to provide time for suppliers to come back online. For demand, they're offering 0% financing of up to 84 months as well as big discounts on vehicles. Michael Wayland

San Francisco lifts some retail restrictions

An Original Joe's restaurant employee wearing a protective mask hands a take-out order to a customer through a car window in San Francisco, California, on Thursday, May 14, 2020. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg via Getty Images

3:53 pm ET  San Francisco has lifted some restrictions on retail locations. Shops can now offer curbside pickup, but won't be able to allow customers inside stores for several more weeks, according to the city's Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax. Places of worship, theaters, personal care providers and restaurants are at least a month away from reopening, Colfax said at a press briefing. However, he did say that summer camps opening in the area could be a "real possibility." Hannah Miller

Dow gains 1,000 points on vaccine hopes

3:50 pm ET  The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 1,000 points, or 4.25%, in the final minutes of the trading session, boosted by hopes of a coronavirus vaccine. The S&P 500 gained 3.6% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.7%. That surge for the Dow would be the largest single-day gain since April 6, if it holds into the closing bell. Read more on the markets from CNBC's Fred Imbert. Sara Salinas

Santa Clara County moves into second phase of reopening

2:40 pm ET  California's Santa Clara County issued a new health order allowing retailers to offer storefront pickup and manufacturing, warehousing and logistical operations that support retail to resume. The new order allows the county, which is home to most of Silicon Valley, to move into the second phase of reopening. Residents are still required to stay home as much as possible and wear face masks. Hannah Miller

Former White House economic advisor calls for more federal support

2:29 pm ET  The federal government should help cities, states and hospitals recover some of the money lost amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Gary Cohn, President Donald Trump's former economic advisor. "I'm not trying to help cities and states get back to a solvent financial position, [but] I would like to get hospitals and states back to a financial position they were in 60 days ago," Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." Cohn said that political leaders need to decide whether their goal at this point in the crisis should be to continue flattening the "curve" of coronavirus infections, or to focus on recovery efforts. "I'm sort of in this camp  if we decide we're solving for the recovery, a lot of the actions that can be taken to help solve for recovery again can fall on the states and the cities," Cohn said, "and it may mean getting money to states and cities." Some Republicans, including Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have shown resistance toward sending money to states. House Democrats on Friday passed another round of massive coronavirus relief legislation, which would send nearly $1 trillion to cash-strapped state and local governments, among a bevy of other provisions. Republicans say the bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. Kevin Breuninger

As the pandemic pushes customers online, retailers face new challenges

2:26 pm ET  Instead of stepping into stores, customers are filling up virtual baskets  and that hasn't been all upside for retailers. The shift to online, through curbside or home delivery, is forcing companies to change how they operate and train employees. It's also cutting into profits, as they have higher transportation costs, more returns and lower odds of up-selling customers or enticing them to make impulse buys. Some companies, such as Walmart and Walgreens, have launched new online offerings. For others, such as Macy's, Gap and Kohl's, e-commerce has been a lifeline as stores stay shut or reopen slowly with curbside pickup. "Curbside, at the moment, is kind of a contingency option," GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders said. At the end of the day, he said, "it's not as good as having people come in the store to buy." Melissa Repko, Lauren Thomas

Azar offers intense criticism of WHO Covid-19 response

2:08 pm ET  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar had harsh words for the World Health Organization in terms of how it responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Azar said the agency failed to gather critical information about the virus, costing "many lives," CNBC's Sam Meredith reports. In an apparent reference to China, Azar added that one of WHO's members did not fulfill transparency obligations, further putting the world in jeopardy. Hannah Miller

Uber cuts another 3,000 jobs

2:02 pm ET  Uber is cutting another 3,000 jobs, less than two weeks after an initial round of 3,700 cuts, CNBC confirmed. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi relayed the news in an email to employees Monday. Khosrowshahi said Uber would also be closing or consolidating 45 offices around the world. He also warned of possible further measures to reduce expenses in the future. Uber said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that members of its board would forego 100% of their retainers for the rest of the year. While the latest measures will cost the company $175 million to $220 million, according to the filing, mainly as a result of severance and termination benefits, the moves will save the company at least $1 billion annually, the company said. Lauren Feiner

Routine kids' vaccinations, including measles, fall during pandemic, CDC says

A nurse holds up a one dose bottle and a prepared syringe of measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine made by Merck at the Utah County Health Department in Provo, Utah. George Frey | Getty Images

1:27 pm ET  Vaccinations for young children in the United States have fallen as more Americans skipped routine doctors' visits and stayed home due to the pandemic, the CDC said. The observed declines in vaccinations might leave young children and communities vulnerable to preventable diseases such as measles, the CDC wrote in its findings. "If measles vaccination coverage of 90%95% (the level needed to establish herd immunity) is not achieved, measles outbreaks can occur," the agency warned. Late last month, the World Health Organization warned world leaders that children across the globe would die as the coronavirus pandemic forces some countries to temporarily halt vaccinations for other serious and deadly diseases. Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

One-third of small businesses won't reopen after the pandemic, Facebook survey finds

Businesses stand temporarily closed in the French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, May 16, 2020. Bryan Tarnowski | Bloomberg | Getty Images

1:13 pm ET  Of the small and medium-sized businesses that have been forced to close up shop during the coronavirus pandemic, about a third believe they won't reopen after the initial crisis passes, according to a new report. The finding comes is from a Facebook survey of 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers and employees. The survey is part of an ongoing data initiative between Facebook and the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The survey also found that less than half of the business owners who have closed shop believe they will rehire the same workers they had to let go. The findings indicate the path to recovery could extend even further than imagined beyond the date when businesses are allowed to reopen. Lauren Feiner

New York governor asks major sports leagues to open seasons without fans

1:04 pm ET  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he has asked major sports leagues to plan a reopening without fans, saying that they could televise the games instead. He said this would include sports like "hockey, basketball, baseball, football, whoever can reopen" and state officials are a "ready, willing and able partner." Cuomo said the decision to return depends on whether franchises believe they will be able to make money without spectators. "I think this is in the best interest of all the people and in the best interest in the state of New York," Cuomo said. New York is working toward reopening regions in the state in phases. Cuomo said that a sixth region, in western New York, will begin phase one of the state's reopening plan on Tuesday. Entertainment and recreational activities wouldn't be allowed until phase four. Noah Higgins-Dunn

Surgeon urges the public to wear masks so 'we can shut down the virus'

Guests wearing face masks visit the Universal Orlando's CityWalk as sections of the entertainment and retail district opened today for limited hours for the first time since Universal Orlando closed on March 15, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Paul Hennesy | Barcroft Media | Getty Images

12:50 pm ET  If 60% of people wore face masks that were at least 60% effective, "we can shut down the virus," Dr. Atul Gawande told CNBC. "Yes, there are going to be people who don't want to wear their mask, just like they don't necessarily want to get their vaccinations," said Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "But above a certain level, and it doesn't have to be perfect, we can create the change." A double-layered, well-fitted cotton mask is likely at least 60% effective, according to Gawande. "This is about us learning, not about becoming vigilantes with each other, but about building a way that we are actively interested in preventing infecting one another," he said. Kevin Stankiewicz

Flanigan's chain of family restaurants and liquor stores gets $13.1 million in small business rescue loans

12:35 pm ET  Flanigan's Enterprises, the operator of the Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill chain of family restaurants and Big Daddy's Wine and Liquors retail liquor stores, announced in an SEC filing that the company and its entities got approximately $13.1 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program. The company said it received $5.9 million in loans. Some $4.1 million was loaned to eight limited partnership stores, $2.6 million was loaned to five franchisees and $500,000 was loaned to the company's managed store. Flanigan's said it got the loans from Bank of America. Flanigan's did not immediately return CNBC's request for comment and Bank of America declined to comment. The company did not announce any plans to repay the loans. Flanigan's said in an 8-K filing that the company has $29.8 million in cash on hand and $32 million in outstanding indebtedness, including the full funding of the loans. The federal government issued guidance in late April suggesting that large publicly traded companies with liquidity that got the loans should return them. Flanigan's has 26 locations that are restaurants, liquor stores or a combination, mostly in Florida, according to its latest annual report. The company also has five franchisees and a market cap of nearly $30 million. Jennifer Schlesinger

Germany and France propose EU recovery fund

12:14 pm ET  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a 500 billion-euro fund to help economies significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The European Union would borrow together on financial markets and use the fund to help specific sectors and regions that were particularly affected by the outbreak, The Associated Press reported. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke positively about the proposal and said it acknowledges the serious challenges faced by the EU.Hannah Miller

Massachusetts lifts certain coronavirus restrictions

The "Teammates" statues of former Boston Red Sox players Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio wear makeshift masks made of Red Sox merchandise as the Major League Baseball season is postponed due the coronavirus pandemic on April 9, 2020 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Billie Weiss | Boston Red Sox | Getty Images

11:53 am ET  Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker released more details on the state's four-phase reopening plan. Manufacturing and construction operations were allowed to resume Monday and places of worship can reopen under certain guidelines. Baker also gave insight into which businesses can reopen next week. "This guidance asks people to change behaviors and it changes the way some of our favorite places look and feel," Baker said at a press briefing. Beginning next Monday, retailers will be able to partially reopen in the state with curbside pickup. Certain personal care services such as hair salons and barbershops can also reopen under restrictions. Office spaces will also be able to reopen at 25% capacity, except in Boston. Hannah Miller

145 children in NYC have multisystem inflammatory syndrome

11:36 am ET  New York City health officials confirmed 145 cases of what was previously referred to as pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his daily news briefing. Of 145 patients, 67 tested positive for Covid-19 or have the antibodies against the virus. De Blasio said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the rare and potentially fatal illness an official definition, which is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. The CDC also confirmed the link between the Kawasaki-like disease and Covid-19, and expanded the list of symptoms to persistent fever, irritability or sluggishness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, conjunctivitis, enlarged lymph node on one side of the neck, red cracked lips, or red tongue and swollen hands and feet. Jasmine Kim

New York City to potentially begin reopening by mid-June

People wearing protective face masks are seen in a nearly empty Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on May 12, 2020 in New York City. Ben Gabbe | Getty Images

11:30 am ET  New York City could begin to reopen by the first half of June, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. The city has met three of the seven health indicators set forth by state, including experiencing a 14-day decline in net hospitalizations, CNBC's William Feuer and Jasmine Kim report. Once all seven health indicators are met, the city can enter the first phase of reopening, which includes resuming construction and allowing retailers to reopen with restrictions, according to de Blasio. Hannah Miller

How post-pandemic office spaces could change corporate culture

11:20 am ET  Shifts in corporate culture may be on the horizon because of the massive move to remote work and new safety protocols expected to take place in companies across the U.S. Whether this shift will see a spike in employee morale is being widely debated. According to an April survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 2 in 3 employers say that maintaining employee morale during the pandemic has been a challenge. Yet according to the Q2 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey, workers are happier with their jobs than they were before the pandemic, even though more than half (54%) say their jobs have become increasingly more difficult. What is agreed upon is that it will require bold, firm leadership to maintain a positive corporate culture during these uncertain times.Jen Geller and Riley de Leon

Workers who still have their jobs are happier but working harder: CNBC survey

11:10 am ET  While the pandemic has abruptly upended nearly everything about the traditional workplace, job satisfaction and happiness measures have ticked up, according to the latest Q2 CNBC|SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Survey. When asked directly about the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on their relationship to their employment, 38% of workers say they are happier to have their job now than they were before the outbreak  an indication that workers may be reevaluating their views and expectations on work in general, particularly in light of the 14.7% unemployment rate. Just 11% say that now, more than before, they wish they had a different job. Nevertheless, while workers say they are happier with their jobs, many say the pandemic's impact on their workplace has made it more difficult for them to do their job effectively, with 1 in 5 saying it has become much harder and 34% saying it has become somewhat harder. For some, the difficulty lies in homeschooling children while working full time; for others connectivity issues or not having easy access to certain programs or files has created work-related challenges; for essential workers, the stress of catching the virus and wearing the personal protective equipment and instituting safety procedures has been challenging. Jen Geller

U.K. researchers should know by July if vaccine is effective

10:54 am ET  The U.K. could roll out 30 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine as early as September, officials have said. According to the British government, the U.K. will be the first country to be granted access to a vaccine being developed at Oxford University and distributed by AstraZeneca. The pharmaceutical giant will work to make up to 30 million doses of the vaccine available to Britons by September, provided the vaccine is proven to be effective. AstraZeneca said in April that Oxford researchers would know by July whether their vaccine, which began human trials on April 24, could prevent Covid-19 infections. Chloe Taylor

The U.S. job losses may have hit bottom in mid-April, according to LinkedIn data

Luis Mora stands in front of the closed offices of the New York State Department of Labor on May 7, 2020 in Brooklyn, New York City. Stephanie Keith | Getty Images

10:48 am ET  The U.S. decline in job hiring may have hit bottom in mid-April and could be on the verge of starting to recover, according to data gathered by LinkedIn and provided to CNBC. The hiring rate in the U.S. declined steadily from early March until mid-April due to the coronavirus, but the U.S. hiring rate has been plateaued since then, LinkedIn chief economist Karin Kimbrough said. Hiring rate is a metric that indicates how many people have been hired in a region per day versus a year earlier, according to the Microsoft-owned professional social network. Other regions that were hit earlier by Covid-19, including China and France, are already beginning to recover, although progress has been slow. That may be an indicator that hiring in the U.S. may soon start to pick up, but it will likely be a long process, Kimbrough said. Salvador Rodriguez

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards

Homebuilder sentiment bounces back in May

10:30 am ET  The nation's homebuilders are seeing a faster-than-expected recovery, as buyers come back to the market and mortgage rates hit new record lows. Builder sentiment bounced back more than expected in May, after the sharpest drop in the history of the National Association of Home Builder's monthly survey in April. Sentiment was hammered last month by anxiety over how the coronavirus outbreak would affect the housing market. Builders now are seeing sales improve and expect much higher sales in the next six months, although buyer traffic is still quite low. Consumers are facing high unemployment and high economic uncertainty, but demand for housing was incredibly strong at the start of this year and may be even stronger now as those living in cramped urban apartments seek more space in the suburbs. Diana Olick

Confusion reigns over how many contact tracers the U.K. has hired

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock arrives for the weekly Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on 21 May, 2019 in London, England. Wiktor Szymanowicz / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

9:49 am ET  The U.K. government, at the end of April, pledged to recruit an army of 18,000 contact tracers to keep tabs on Covid-19 patients and their contacts. Despite the large number of jobs apparently available in this area, it wasn't immediately clear how members of the public should go about applying for either type of role. On Friday, a senior politician said only 1,500 had been recruited but on Sunday Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the number of people hired was in fact over 17,000. Sam Shead

Dow soars 700 points for biggest jump in a month, boosted by coronavirus vaccine hope

9:40 am ET  Stocks opened higher, rebounding from losses last week, as news from Moderna stoked optimism about a potential coronavirus vaccine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded up 700 points, or nearly 3%. The S&P 500 gained 2.5% while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.7%. Read updates on stock market activity from CNBC's Fred Imbert and Thomas Franck Melodie Warner

WHO chief says 'long road to travel'

8:17 am ET  The head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said there is still a "long road to travel" in the world's response to Covid-19, with most countries showing a large portion of their population still uninfected. Early serological tests in some countries show that no more than 20% of populations have contracted the virus, and "in most places less than 10%," he said, according to Reuters. "The risk remains high and we have a long road to travel," he said. Tedros also vowed to commission an independent and transparent review of the agency's handling of the Covid-19 crisis at the "earliest possible moment." "We all have lessons to learn from the pandemic. Every country and every organization must examine its response and learn from its experience," Tedros said. Sara Salinas, Chloe Taylor

Daily new cases, by region

Moderna vaccine candidate shows early signs of progress

7:58 am ET  Data from Moderna's phase 1 human trial of its coronavirus vaccine shows early signs of progress as it produced antibodies in all 45 participants, the company announced. The company said the vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated, CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace reports. Moderna's vaccine candidate is among the furthest along in the world. The company has been working with the National Institutes of Health to fast-track development of the potential vaccine. Shares of Moderna surged more than 30% in premarket trading on the news. Will Feuer

Spain's economy will see a further hit in second quarter, Bank of Spain warns

7:34 am ET  The economic impact from the coronavirus crisis in Spain will last longer than expected, the Bank of Spain's governor warned, saying he foresees a "significant deterioration" in the second quarter. The central bank's Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos told Spain's parliament that "what has been confirmed in the last few weeks is that the recovery will not be without difficulties, and, besides, more unfavorable scenarios cannot be ruled out," Reuters reported. De Cos said that scenarios envisaging a fall in Spain's GDP of between 9.5% and 12.4% in 2020 now look realistic. Holly Ellyatt

South Korea calls for an empowered WHO

In this photo illustration the World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is seen on a screen of pc and a coronavirus image displayed on a screen of a smartphone in Kiev, Ukraine. Pavlo Gonchar | SOPA Images | Getty Images

7:26 am ET  The WHO needs more legally defined power to combat emerging diseases in the future, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said, Reuters reported. "We must update the WHO International Health Regulations and other relevant norms and augment them with binding legal force," he said at the World Health Assembly. The WHO's 194 member states have agreed to inform the United Nations agency quickly of new public health threats, but the organization lacks legal enforcement mechanisms. For example, representatives of the agency cannot enter a country to investigate without permission. "Infection-related data should be shared among countries in a more transparent manner and an early-warning system and a cooperation mechanism must be jointly established," Moon said, according to Reuters. Will Feuer

Xi says China supports WHO-led review

Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization, (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, on January 28, 2020 in Beijing, China. Naohiko Hatta - Pool | Getty Images
In this interview with Premium Times, the Minister State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva, said in spite of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry has done well in delivering its core mandates. Excerpts:

PT: Whats the impact of COVID-19 on the industry?

SYLVA: COVID 19 pandemic is devastating indeed, both medically and economically. For the oil industry, we are more concerned with the economic devastation. Although we also lend a hand medically, our main focus is on the economic side.

COVID 19 has brought the world economy to its knees, and the Nigerian economy is currently lying flat on its stomach. But, we are determined to prevail.

At my inauguration in August 2019, our ministry was given eight mandate areas  to curb crude oil theft and products smuggling; completion of the gas flares commercialisation programme; increasing crude oil production to three million barrels per day; reducing the cost of crude oil production by five per cent; passage of the PIB; promotion of inland basin and deep-water exploration; collaborating with the private sector to increase domestic refining capacity, and creating jobs and opportunities.

PT: So, how is the ministry faring in the various areas?

SYLVA: On curbing crude oil theft and products smuggling across our borders, we have done a lot. The NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) launched Project White which, within a very short time, brought down the countrys daily petrol consumption from over 62 million litres to 52 million litres per day.

Again DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources) launched COLTS (crude oil lifting and tracking system), which tracked all the crude oil being exported from Nigeria.

Today, I can say that losses are not from the oil terminals any more. All the crude oil thefts recorded are before the crude oil arrives at the terminals, especially the land based terminals.

So, from the pipeline system, which are crisscrossing a lot of mangroves and forests, that is where the losses are recorded.

We have been able to eliminate completely losses from the terminals. So, the 60 to 100,000 barrels that we lose sometimes are usually from the pipeline system.

What we discovered was that when barging permits were given to companies to barge their crude oil, instead of through the pipelines, we realised that no losses were recorded.

But, barging is much more expensive and has its own problems. There are too many layers involved. So, it is not sustainable.

On the 19th of March, we completely deregulated the petroleum products supply system. We took out subsidies, even on PMS (premium motor spirit). But, I see some kind of paradox here.

We started by stopping products smuggling across our borders. But, with deregulation and removal of subsidy, I foresee a situation where we might be encouraging the development of markets even outside our borders. Now, NNPC is no longer bearing the burden of subsidy payment.

On the completion of the gas flares commercialisation programme, this is progressing steadily. The bidders conference was held and 200 companies were pre-qualified to participate in the commercial bid. The response was very encouraging.

So far, the government has released about 45 gas sites. These companies were expected to visit the sites for assessment. But, again with COVID-19, the companies have not been able to inspect the sites.

I believe as soon as the lockdown is eased off, we will progress very fast with that process. Some companies were supposed to have taken final investment decisions on their projects in June. But, because of COVID-19, they were not able to travel to Nigeria.

We are still waiting for them between now and June, when we expect everything will relax, and they will be able to come. Then, we might be able to begin to see some FIDs taken by some investors under the gas flares commercialisation project.

However, on gas, the flagship project in the sector is the Nigeria LNG Train 7. Few days ago, shareholders released the EPC (engineering, procurement contracts) and the FID taken to show that Train 7 has taken off completely. This is something everyone is proud of.

On the CNG (compressed natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) penetration programme, what the government is trying to do is to get Nigerians to use CNG and LPG (otherwise called cooking gas) more.

Nigeria has one of the lowest LPG penetration, even in Africa. Even Niger Republic has a higher LPG penetration than Nigeria.

In Nigeria, LPG is used most in the cities. In the rural areas, gas usage is almost absent. What the government is trying to do with this programme is to encourage the penetration, so that villages and rural areas will begin to use gas as well. That will safeguard our forest resources and our environment.

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We are going to create a lot of jobs by making access to LPG cheaper. Today, people cannot really use gas, or why the penetration is low, because the initial capital outlay to using gas was quite high to the ordinary man, who had to invest in buying a gas cylinder, and each time the gas finishes, they will have to refill a full bottle.

PT: Nigeria has one of the highest costs of crude oil production. What is the mjnistry doing about it?

SYLVA: This is a big problem for the industry, because it is not sustainable to have a situation where our average cost per barrel is around $30 per barrel. COVID 19 has taught everybody that we cannot continue like this.

NNPC is doing very well in this regard. They are looking deeper into the budgets of operating companies. Before now, NAPIMS (National Petroleum Investment Management Services) had completely abdicated its responsibility of auditing the cost of production with the joint venture companies and became the contracting agency. But, under the current leadership of the GMD (Group Managing Director), NAPIMS is now deeply more to its responsibility. And we are beginning to see a lot more compliance in the area of auditing of the accounts of the JVCs.

The contracting cycle was also a big problem. The long contracting cycle led to higher costs of projects, and by extension, higher cost per barrel.

But, now our regulatory agencies and bodies are living up to their billing by shortening approvals and contracting cycles as a result bringing down the cost of projects. We will begin to see soon a reduction in the cost per barrel. NCDMB (Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board), NNPC, DPR are involved very largely in this.

PT: So, what is the update on the PIB?

SYLVA: On the passage of the PIB, I am happy to report that we are almost ready. The general structure of the Bill is ready. What remains is for the Bill to be discussed with the Minister, who is the President, and presented to the Executive Council of the Federation. It is largely work in progress. Things can still change after the discussions with the President and FEC.

But, the structure of the Bill is that it is in two parts  The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and The Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill (PIFB). It has 294 sections.

The PIB is broken into four broad parts  the part dealing with governance, administration, host community development and interpretations.

The PIFB deals with the fiscal framework. We believe that when this Bill is passed, Nigeria will be one of the most attractive investment destinations in the oil industry in the world.

Our other mandate is to increase crude oil production to three million barrels per day. Apart from the usual OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) constraint, which membership compels us to abide by whatever cuts have been agreed by members, the current COVID-19 crisis has not done the county very well these past few months.

COVID-19 wiped out demand for oil, forcing crude oil prices down so badly. The only way OPEC can react to it was to agree on very unprecedented cuts, which has affected the countrys ability to ramp up its oil production.

But, we still have our eyes on the future. COVID-19 is not going to be with us forever. In many countries already the curve is flattening. In others its already coming down.

So, the country is planning for the future. We have our eyes fixed, for instance, on the Bonga South-West Project, which is going to add a significant number of barrels to our production.

We are also embarking on the marginal field programme, which we expect will add significant number of barrels to the countrys production

We are also pursuing the PIB. After the passage of the PIB, we will have a major bid round, which is also expected to bring major additions to the countrys production.

The general overview of the PIB is that before it is taken to the National Assembly, we hope to have a targeted discussion with the media to give a clearer understanding with its details.

PT: How is the inland and deep-water basin exploration programme coming along?

SYLVA: For the first time in Nigerias history, a commercial discovery in the countrys inland basin has been announced in Bauchi and Gombe states.

With the PIFB, there will be a lot more investment in the deep offshore hopefully. As I said earlier, work is at an advanced stage on Bonga South-West.

On collaboration with the private sector to increase domestic refining, work is ongoing in the Dangote Refinery, although some suppliers recently declared force majeure because of COVID 19.

Also, there are a lot of modular refineries the government is working with. We believe that soon a lot of them will come on stream.

Work is on Port Harcourt Refinery would have started by now if not for COVID 19. It underscores governments commitment to developing local refining capacity.

On creating jobs and opportunities, the construction of NLNG Train 7 alone will create 12,000 direct jobs at the construction phase, in addition to numerous indirect jobs.

The CNG/LPG programme will create at least a million jobs in the short term, and many more million jobs in the longer term. The foundry will take about 5,000.

Conversion of cars and CNG, apart from additional pumps at the filling station, which will require more hands, will be additional jobs created.

The conversion cost is quite small. With N100,000, you can convert your car to biofuel. That means your car can run either on CNG (gas), or petrol.

NNPC and a few other marketers have also agreed to install CNG pumps in their filling stations across the country.

Going forward, if the consumer finds the price of petrol to be expensive due to the removal of subsidy, he has an alternative. If he wants to continue driving on petrol, thats his choice.

We are doing very well on the gas flares commercialisation programme. With the Nigeria LNG, a lot of flares are already taken out.

With the coming of the CNG and the LPG penetration, a lot more will be taken down. With gas flare commercialisation going on, by the time we finish, we will not be seeing any flares again in the next few years.
Bananas and mangoes, among other imported fruits, are in shorter supply in Japan as the coronavirus pandemic has caused lockdown-driven delays in harvesting, flight reductions and a subsequent decline in cargo volumes. This has prompted some retailers to raise the prices of such products.

In Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, banana bunches from the Philippines were selling last week for 95 yen (about 95 cents), excluding tax, at the Shinjuku Yaoya fruit and vegetable store. The price is about 20 yen higher than in February and March.

"It is becoming more difficult to get banana stock. Even if we raise the price, we make little profit," said Hidetoshi Aramaki, a managing director of the company running the store.

According to the Tokyo-based Japan Banana Importers Association, imports of Philippine bananas, which account for about 80% of bananas imported to Japan, fell by about 10% in late April from the same period last year. This is due to a shortage of fruit harvesting and packing workers, following the Philippine government's move to impose a lockdown mainly in metropolitan areas in mid-March to restrict people's movement.

The wholesale price of Philippine bananas stood at 179 yen per kilogram in March, up 7% from last March and up 8% from the previous month, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market.

Bananas grown in Ecuador, Peru and Costa Rica are expected to replace Philippine bananas, but availability from those countries has also been unstable.

A worker involved in a relevant business in Tokyo said in agony, "We can't get enough [imported fruit] to meet the orders we've received."

On the other hand, the demand for the tropical fruit is increasing due to consumers exercising self-restraint and spending more time at home. The sale of bananas at supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area increased by 23% from May 1 to May 10 compared with the same period last year, after rising 18% in April.

The pandemic has also affected the procurement of products other than bananas. Showa Boeki Co., an Osaka-based importer, usually imports products such as Mexican limes and Thai mangoes by air. These are usually loaded into the cargo bellies of passenger aircraft along with the luggage.

However, the company had to reduce its lime imports from weekly to biweekly from mid-April as many airlines have either reduced or suspended their international flight services. A rise in transportation costs has increased procurement costs by about 20%.

"It has become difficult to arrange the purchase of imported products," said a Showa Boeki official.

Nowadays, the priority in air cargo transportation is given to masks and other medical supplies. "In some cases, fruit cannot be loaded into the cargo holds along with such items," said an official at a different company.

The volume of Mexican avocados handled at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market was down by 20% in March compared with the same month last year due to the global decline in container traffic volume, pushing up the average price by 5%.

Some in the industry are concerned about shipments of cherries, which enter their peak season around May and June, lemons grown in the United States, and grapefruits from South Africa.
ITV presenter Piers Morgan has revealed he has received death threats over his criticism of the governments handling of the coronavirus crisis, claiming they will only encourage him to challenge ministers louder and harder.

The Good Morning Britain host said trolls had subjected him to threats, abuse and petitions to get him fired from the daily morning show.

Vowing to carry on with his critiques, Mr Morgan tweeted: Memo to trolls: the more you try to silence me with foul-mouthed abuse, death threats & petitions for me to be fired, the louder & harder I will challenge the Govt over its handling of this crisis. Lives depend on it.

The host resumed his criticism on Monday mornings show.

He attacked ministers repeated claims the government was ramping up coronavirus testing  pointing to the latest figure showing just over 76,000 people were tested on 16 May, only a small increase on daily figures seen at the end of April.

The number of people tested have barely moved, he said. Theres no evidence of ramping up going whatsoever. If we dont get to significantly higher levels of people tested.

Mr Morgan added: Theres no ramping up going  I would argue, and they shouldnt be pretending there is.

The presenter  who has repeatedly clashed with ministers since the beginning of the pandemic  also lambasted the government for refusing to put people forward to appear his programme.

This will be the 20th day of its boycott of our show during the worst national crisis since WW2, he said. All because we asked them tough questions. Well keep asking them.

The presenter was cleared by Ofcom after the media regulator received 4,000 complaints about his interviews with Conservative politicians.
The Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has alleged of plots by critics to strain her relationship with Governor...





The Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has alleged of plots by critics to strain her relationship with Governor Nyesom Wike.





Banigo, in a statement by her Press Officer, Owupele Benebo in Port Harcourt, asked critics to stop causing dissatisfaction between her and Wike.





The Deputy Governor said Wike had performed well in the fight against COVID-19 in the State, adding that murmurs that she had been sidelined was untrue.





She added that there was a cordial relationship between herself and the Governor, warning that no one should distract the State with such rumours.

The attention of the Office of the Deputy Governor of Rivers State is drawn to a Press Statement, titled COVID-19: Stop sidelining your deputy, shes a Public Health Professional issued by a group called Centre for Public Trust on Sunday, 17th May, 2020.





In as much as the Office of the Deputy Governor would not want to join issues with the said group because comment is free, it is important to set the records straight so that right thinking members of the society would not be misled into believing this falsehood.





We would like to state categorically, that there is no iota of truth about Governor Wikes alleged sidelining of his Deputy, Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo as regards COVID-19 or indeed any Programme or Policy of the State Government, she has continued to enjoy a cordial and robust relationship with the amiable and gender friendly Governor of Rivers State, Chief Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS Africa and the Pride of Rivers State, from the inception of this Administration in May, 2015 to date, so the purported sideling of his Deputy is a mere figment of the Imagination of the Group.





Apparently, the Group, Centre for Public Trust is not comfortable with the fact that the State Chief Executive, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and indeed all members of Team are committed and working towards the actualization of the new Rivers vision; this is why they want to cause a rift between the Governor and his Deputy. Please they should look elsewhere.





Yes, the Deputy Governor is a Public Health Physician, but it is indeed very very uncharitable to insinuate that Governor Wike would be jealous of his Deputy, when he has very impressive credentials himself, as a Legal Luminary and a Life Bencher, a two-time Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area, a former Chief of Staff Government House, a former Minister of State Education, former Supervisory Minister of Education and a Second Tenure Governor of Rivers State.





COVID-19 is real and it has claimed lots of lives across the globe, Governor Wike has continued to demonstrate leadership in the Country in the fight against COVID 19, which has been emulated by other States of the Federation and the Federal Government, of course he is the first Governor in Nigeria to close his borders, which blazed the trail for others to follow.





These upheavals about Governor Wike and his Deputy concerning COVID-19 is absolutely unnecessary, because the Governor himself cleared the air in a Live Television Programme that his Deputy has been contributing her quota in the quest to stem the COVID-19 onslaught or do they want the Governor to take the back seat in this war?





We are in a State of war with an unseen enemy, COVID-19, instead of the Purported Centre for Public Trust to join forces with Governor Wike and his team to reduce the prevalence rate of the killer virus in our State, they are playing politics.





Our advice to them is simple, do not cry more than the bereaved and please do not try to be more Catholic than the Pope. Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo is fine and is totally committed and loyal to His Excellency, Chief Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS Africa the Pride and Governor of Rivers State in his quest to protect the Rivers People against COVID-19, his strategy is working. Do not distract him, Banigo said.
Four out of 10 care homes in England have reported outbreaks of coronavirus, according to the Prime Minister's office.

A spokesman for Boris Johnson said data currently shows 5,889 care homes have reported a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 outbreak during the pandemic.

This amounted to 38 per cent of all the homes in England, he said, and 343 of them had reported cases in the past seven days.

The government is facing scathing criticism over claims it left care homes in the lurch as it scrambled to protect the NHS at the start of the outbreak.

Office for National Statistics data shows that more than 12,500 care home residents died with coronavirus in March and April.

It is unclear how many people have been infected in homes because they have not been offered routine testing, meaning many have either recovered or died without a test to confirm that they had the virus.

Care home deaths of all causes have rocketed during the coronavirus crisis, suggesting even people who aren't killed directly by the illness are suffering

The ONS shows that care home residents have made up an increasing proportion of people dying because of the virus as the outbreak has gone on.

Overall, around 37 per cent of all the 33,841 COVID-19 deaths recorded in March and April happened in nursing homes.

In the week ending May 1, care home deaths accounted for 40 per cent of the total, while hospital deaths made up 53 per cent.

Two weeks earlier, however (April 11 to 17) this split was 23 per cent and 70 per cent.

And in the week ending April 3, just five per cent of deaths happened in care homes, compared to 89 per cent in hospitals.

A care home owner writing in the Sunday Times yesterday said that the NHS had shepherded patients out of hospitals and into care homes without being tested.

MAJORITY OF COVID-19 CARE HOME VICTIMS DIDN'T MAKE IT TO HOSPITAL The majority of care home residents with COVID-19 die in their care home, with just over one in four dying in hospital, analysis shows. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that just over one in four of all deaths of care home residents in England and Wales between March 2 and May 1 involved COVID-19. From 12,526 coronavirus deaths that happened during that period, 9,039 (72 per cent) occurred within a care home. A further 3,444 (27 per cent) occurred at hospital. The ONS also found that COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for male care home residents in England and Wales during the period, accounting for 30.3 per cent of deaths. It was the second leading cause of death in female care home residents, after dementia and Alzheimer's disease, accounting for 23.5 per cent of deaths. Of all hospital deaths involving COVID-19 during this period, 14.6 per cent were accounted for by care home residents. Source: Press Association Advertisement

Writing anonymously, he said: 'The government was asleep at the wheel. We were sent a public health document on March 13, which said that if any of our residents got significantly ill, they wouldn't allowed into hospital and would ave to die in their home. We'd never read anything like it.

'Elderly people weren't a priority. The government's thinking was: care homes won't be affected.

'But if anything, the war on COVID is happening in care homes, not just the NHS. The government is boasting how it did so well in protecting the NHS, but the reality is deaths in care homes.'

There are around 400,000 people living in care homes around the UK, many of whom have dementia or other debilitating health conditions.

As well as people dying as a direct result of the coronavirus, there are also thousands of 'excess deaths' happening in care homes - those that happen in addition to the average amount that would be expected.

People may be getting less medical care than they usually would, putting their health and lives at risk, experts say.

The Alzheimer's Society last week said there is a 'tragically high' number of people dying in care homes.

Director of research at the charity, Fiona Carragher, said: 'Sadly, devastation continues in care homes with more than three times the usual number of deaths than average reported clearly showing the cost of not putting social care on an equal footing with the NHS.

'We need to know why the death toll in care homes remains so high in addition to coronavirus-reported deaths. 70 per cent of care home residents have dementia and were deeply concerned that this indicates an increase in deaths due to dementia, caused by isolation and reduction in care workers.

'Each of these deaths is a heart-breaking loss to their friends, families and carers which is why the Government must honour their commitment to ensure care homes get testing for all residents and staff and the protective equipment they need.

'We now approach our third month of lockdown, still with a tragically high number of care home deaths.'

Real care home death toll in England and Wales could be as high as 22,000 - more than DOUBLE the official figure, academics claim

More than 22,000 care home residents across England and Wales may have already died as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a grim analysis.

Official data last week showed almost 9,000 COVID-19-related deaths in care homes had been recorded in the two countries by the start of May.

But researchers at the London School of Economics fear that count is a huge under-estimate, and the true toll could be more than twice as high.

They said that care home residents taken into hospital before they died were not being counted properly, and that others who didn't actually catch the virus may have died as a result of less available medical care or help with eating and drinking.

Their calculations took into account those home residents in hospitals, thought to make up 15 per cent of Britain's official death toll.

And the bleak projection also included 'excess deaths' - the number of people dying compared to average - across the care industry as a whole.

It comes as the Government is still under fire for not offering enough support to care homes during the crisis as the industry has accused it of rationing testing and protective equipment to focus its efforts on helping NHS hospitals.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer last week called on Boris Johnson, in Prime Minister's Questions, to account for 10,000 'unexplained' deaths in care homes in April which hadn't been factored into Government figures.

Mr Johnson admitted there was 'much more to do' to tackle the care home 'tragedy' but did not link the thousands of excess deaths to the coronavirus response.

The LSE research claims that the number of care home deaths officially recorded is actually only 41.6 per cent of the total.

Dr Jose-Luis Fernandez and PhD researcher Adelina Comas-Herrera said: 'Data on deaths in care homes directly attributed to COVID-19 underestimate the impact of the pandemic on care home residents.

'They do not take account of indirect mortality effects of the pandemic or problems with the identification of the disease as the cause of death.

'Not all care home residents die in care homes, (according to CQC data, 15 per cent of all deaths of care home residents are found to happen in hospitals).

'Deaths of care home residents in hospitals are not currently accounted for in publicly available estimates of the number of deaths in care homes linked to the pandemic.'

The report showed that people dying and actually having COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate may only make up a relatively small proportion of all care home residents who have died during the pandemic

The report said that people in care homes might have died because they had been forced to isolate in their rooms and missed out on help with eating and drinking.

They may also have not had the same access to medical care that would have been given before the pandemic, either because treatment was delayed or because they didn't want to go to hospital out of fear of catching the virus.

There are approximately 400,000 people living in nursing homes in Britain, and a majority of them have dementia, making them extremely vulnerable.

Dr Fernandez and Ms Comas-Herrera's report added: 'Calculating total excess mortality in care homes since 28 December and adjusting this by the assumption that 15 per cent of care home residents die in hospital, suggests that by the 1st May there had been in excess of 22,000 deaths of care home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in England and Wales.'

The LSE report comes after weekly statistics showed almost 10,000 care home residents have now died of coronavirus in Britain - a quarter of all the UK's victims.

By the start of this month 8,312 people had died in care homes in England and Wales, along with 1,195 in Scotland and 232 in Northern Ireland - a total of 9,739.

A spokesperson for the ONS, which collects the most accurate data on deaths in all parts of the community, said: 'Our data shows just under 20,000 "excess" deaths registered up to 1 May above average in care home settings since the pandemic started.

'Of those, 8,312 have had COVID-19 mentioned on the death certificate. We are undertaking further analysis on all deaths of care home residents which will be published on Friday.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Boris Johnson clashed in Parliament as Mr Starmer urged the PM to account for 10,000 'unexplained' excess deaths that had happened in care homes in England and Wales in April

Although the number of people dying in care homes has remained lower than hospital deaths so far, residents are making up a larger proportion of the fatalities being reported each week, from just five per cent of the total at the start of April to 40 per cent at the end of the month

Bosses and staff in the care industry have accused officials of overlooking them in a scramble to 'protect the NHS'.

Routine tests were not available for staff or residents for most of March and April and staff say vital personal protective equipment (PPE) has been in limited supply.

Last week top scientists said that ongoing, uncontrolled outbreaks in homes was contributing to Britain's slow emergence from lockdown.

The reproduction rate of the virus is believed to be higher inside the homes and in hospitals, meaning it is spreading faster and is still a danger, even though it is now at low levels in the community.

In Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged Boris Johnson to explain why there had been 10,000 'unexplained' care home deaths in April.

Mr Starmer said: 'The ONS records the average number of deaths in care homes each month. The last five years the average for April has been just over 8,000.

'This year the number of deaths in care homes for April was a staggering 26,000 - that's three times the average - 18,000 additional deaths this April.

'Using the Government's figures only 8,000 are recorded as COVID deaths, that leaves 10,000 additional and unexplained care home deaths this April.'

The Prime Minister did not link the 10,000 deaths to the coronavirus response but admitted there was 'much more to do' to address the 'tragedy' hitting the industry.

Mr Johnson said: 'Coronavirus is an appalling disease which afflicts some groups far more than others, I think the whole country understands.

'And in particular the elderly, and he's right to draw attention, as I said, to the tragedy that has been taking place in care homes.

'The Office of National Statistics is responsible for producing the data that they have, the Government had also produced data which not only shows that there has been, as I said, a terrible epidemic in care homes but since the care homes action plan began we are seeing an appreciable and substantial reduction, not just in the number of outbreaks but also in the number of deaths.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a tweet: 'We're injecting a further 600 million for care homes with our infection control fund to protect residents and staff in our coronavirus battle'.

ONS data shows that, although homes are still reported to be in the grip of the virus, the number of people dying in them had started to fall by the end of April.

At least 8,314 people had died of COVID-19 in England's care homes by May 8, data from the Care Quality Commission shows. When deaths from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are added the figure is 9,739

Data for England and Wales shows the number of people dying of COVID-19 - and therefore the total number of people dying week-on-week - had clearly started falling by the end of April

DEMENTIA PATIENTS 'ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER SEVERE CORONAVIRUS' Dementia sufferers are up to three times more likely to develop severe coronavirus, according to a study. Researchers analysed data from 450 patients over the age of 65 who tested positive for COVID-19. University of Exeter and the University of Connecticut experts then compared them with 250,000 older people without the infection. An analysis showed around 0.5 per cent of pensioners needed hospital treatment for coronavirus overall, compared to 3.5 per cent of dementia patients. The rate dropped to just three-fold higher for dementia patients when other factors were taken into account, The Telegraph reports. It could explain why care homes are baring a large brunt of the UK's COVID-19 crisis, with the majority of the 400,000 residents having dementia. Advertisement

Between April 18 and 24, care homes in England and Wales recorded 2,794 residents' deaths. But between April 25 and May 1 this fell to 2,423.

Although a single week's drop is not enough to be certain of a trend, it coincided with a marked drop in deaths of all causes (21,997 to 17,953), in COVID-19 deaths in any location (6,746 to 4,744) and coronavirus hospital deaths (4,841 to 3,214).

The scale of the tragedy in care homes has become clearer as the outbreak has progressed and appears to have peaked later than the crisis in hospitals.

In the week ending May 1, care home deaths accounted for 40 per cent of the total, while hospital deaths made up 53 per cent.

Two weeks earlier, however (April 11 to 17) this split was 23 per cent and 70 per cent.

And in the week ending April 3, just five per cent of deaths happened in care homes, compared to 89 per cent in hospitals.

The Alzheimer's Society said there is a 'tragically high' number of people dying in care homes.

Director of research at the charity, Fiona Carragher, said yesterday: 'Sadly, devastation continues in care homes with more than three times the usual number of deaths than average reported clearly showing the cost of not putting social care on an equal footing with the NHS.

'We need to know why the death toll in care homes remains so high in addition to coronavirus-reported deaths. 70 per cent of care home residents have dementia and were deeply concerned that this indicates an increase in deaths due to dementia, caused by isolation and reduction in care workers.

'Each of these deaths is a heart-breaking loss to their friends, families and carers which is why the Government must honour their commitment to ensure care homes get testing for all residents and staff and the protective equipment they need.

'We now approach our third month of lockdown, still with a tragically high number of care home deaths.'

The charity added that dementia patients are 'really struggling' with visiting restrictions and urged the Government to find a way to facilitate visiting hours to prevent their social wellbeing being 'irreversibly damaged'.
Business groups and economists have slammed unions jostling to secure a higher minimum wage during the coronavirus pandemic as tensions rise over the best way to help workers and revive the economy.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has continued pushing for a $30-a-week increase to the minimum wage during the pandemic, saying it would help boost spending, while the Greens' economic recovery plan released on Monday doubled down on moves to increase the minimum wage to at least 60 per cent of the median wage.

Peter Strong, of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, has criticised unions for continuing to call for a minimum wage increase. Credit:Pat Scala

But with almost 600,000 workers losing their jobs in April, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia chief executive Peter Strong has warned this figure could climb higher if employers are forced to pay more.

Mr Strong said union-driven moves to raise the minimum wage were extraordinary given the country's current economic challenges.
King Gon and Tae Eul went on a long trip to find someone connected with Lee Rim. Unfortunately, it wasn't the correct address. King Gon was convinced that Lee Rim already set everything up even before they start their investigation.

As he returned to the city, King Gon went out with Eun Sup for a snack in a bread shop. He told Eun Sup that he would be taking him to Corea to disguise as Captain Jo Yeong.

The Kingdom of Corea

Prime Minister Koo visited her mother and asked her about the newspapers she received. Her mother also shared her experience seeing a person who looks like Lee Rim.

The Republic of Korea

Shin Jae didn't provide more details of how he ended up in Korea. He remembered his past as a young boy watching a young Lee Gon, wailing as he made the death ceremony of the late King.

Tae Eul felt awkward as Shin Jae confronted her about King Gon and the tales of his kingdom. He denied and kept his secrets about his past from the people who surround him. It was Lee Rim who brought Shin Jae to his new parents in Korea at a young age. He only remembers the time his mother left him in the streets back in Corea.

The time stopped again, which King Gon anticipated that Lee Rim is back in Korea. He waited for the phone to ring, and when it did, he picked it up. King Gon knew that Lee Rim was listening on the other line. He narrated the markings on the great sword from his ancestors. Lee Rim didn't answer and hung up. Both men destroyed their phones.

King Gon and Tae Eul went out on a date and ate their favorite chicken and beer. They discussed their plans in capturing Lee Rim. Tae Eul gave him a picture of a person that is missing in her world, and King Gon saw the man working in the horse stable. He informed Tae Eul of his plans of taking Eun Sup to his kingdom, and Jo Yeong will stay and protect her.

The Kingdom of Corea

King Gon brought the shop owner who worked with Lee Rim and was also responsible for his father's death. Eun Sup had a hard time pretending to be Jo Yeong, though King Gon tries to teach him the ways in the palace.

He traced one of Lee Rim's underling in his palace. King Gon arrested him and placed all the men who committed in treason in the hidden basement.

The Republic of Korea

Shin Jae took a vacation and never contacted Tae Eul. He spent drinking most of the time.

Na Ri felt uneasy looking at Jo Yeong. She was convinced he is not his usual self.

Tae Eul checks where she can find Shin Jae.

In the meantime, Jo Yeong was staying in the hotel and took driving lessons. He prepares all the things he needs to work around the city.

The Kingdom of Corea

Prime Minister Koo went to the palace with the year-end reports together with King Gon. They both checked all the records are met and acted correctly by the government.

Jo Yeong gave his laptop to King Gon. He opened it and watched recorded videos of Tae Eul. They tail Tae Eul's activity each day.

He saw something different from a young boy playing with his yoyo. The lightning strikes again, and King Gon felt pain in his right shoulder.

Lee Rim learned about Tae Eul, who captured one of his members. He has plans to leave and back in Corea again.

King Gon met with Prince Buyeong as they watched the first sunrise of the year. It's a new year celebration for the Kingdom. King Gon celebrated without Tae Eul by his side.

Then, time stopped. This was what King Gon was waiting for - to face Lee Rim and capture him. King Gon, with Maximus, went out to the center of the city amidst the people cheering for his presence. King Gon meets Lee Rim. A face with immortal life is what he achieves.
General Manager of Waste Masters and Agro Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Edmund Kweku Vidjah, who is in charge of the disinfestation exercise against bedbugs in public senior high schools (SHSs) in the North East Region has said that the chemical used against the blood-sucking insects was very potent.



According to him, schools being disinfested to rid them of the menace of bedbugs will attest to the potency of the chemical when they are re-opened.



Short of disclosing the name of the chemical, he said it was one that had the approval of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ministry of Education for the national disinfestation exercise in SHSs across the country.



Mr Vidjah made the observation when Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) begun a four-day disinfestation and disinfection exercise (Thursday, May 14, 2020Sunday, May17, 2020) in the region.



While the disinfestation is targeted at bedbugs, the disinfection was against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).



The GM of Waste Masters and Agro Ghana Limited described the exercise so far by his team of sprayers as very successful.



We have enjoyed the full cooperation of the school authorities which has facilitated the pace of our work. In fact, the school heads have been very helpful, he expressed.



He went on to aver that the disinfestation will particularly help ease the pains of students, looking at the harm done them by bedbugs.



About twelve (12) SHSs were expected to be disinfested and disinfected in the region.



Meanwhile, speaking to a cross-section of journalists after the exercise in his school, the Assistant Headmaster in Charge of Administration, Nalerigu SHS, Ali Nantomah, was full of praise for the government and Zoomlion.



According to him, his school has been battling with bedbugs over the years, a situation, he lamented, sometimes compelled the students to sleep outside their dormitories.



and to make matters worse, many of my students could not even have the peace of mind to do any meaningful academic work, he bemoaned.



That is why our school is very grateful to the government and Zoomlion for this initiative. Indeed, it will go a long way to ease our burden of using our scare resources to spray the school, and further give the students the peace of mind to study, Mr Nantomah gladly expressed.



The team also sprayed Gambaga Girls SHS also in the North East Region. Among the facilities sprayed included the dormitories, administration blocks, dining halls, beds, mattresses, lockers, kitchens, various offices etc.



The exercise is a collaboration between Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service.



Already the exercise had been undertaken in Eastern, Ashanti and Volta Regions. And was currently taking place in Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Northern, North East, Oti and Savannah Regions.

Source: Peacefmonline









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 hitwoman that was photographed smiling and toting an assault rifle back in January was found dismembered and stuffed in an ice chest Sunday in Matamoros.

The chopped up body of assassin, or sicaria, Joselyn Alejandra Nino, who went by the pseudonym La Flaca, or the skinny woman, was found along with a dismembered woman and decapitated man in the back of a truck.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The Department of Health reported 205 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the countrys total to 12,718.

An additional 94 more have also recovered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 survivors to 2,729. Meanwhile, the DOH recorded seven new fatalities, for a total of 831 deaths.

Three of the new COVID-19 patients are healthcare workers, according to the DOH. This brings the total number of infected personnel to 2,314, while 32 more survived the illness for a total of 938.

No new fatalities among medical frontliners were logged in a week, as the death toll remains at 35.

Of the newly recorded infections nationwide, 145 or some 70 percent are in Metro Manila, which is now under a more relaxed modified enhanced community quarantine.

The provinces of Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales have also been placed under modified ECQ, wherein more businesses are allowed to reopen but mass transportation remains suspended.

A stricter ECQ is still being implemented 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.

Even with heightened fears of COVID-19 transmission now that relaxed quarantine rules are in place, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government still has no plans to carry out mass testing. He added that authorities will leave such efforts in the hands of private businesses.

Several officials have also warned against a possible second wave of COVID-19 due to the easing of restrictions, but some experts said they are not even sure if the country has gone past the first wave of infections.

READ: Is PH past the first wave of COVID-19 infections? Experts weigh in

On Sunday, the Department of Health said any sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases in the coming days may lead authorities to reimpose strict lockdown rules.

Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire also stressed that regardless of the classification an area falls into, the whole country is still under quarantine. With this, she reminded the public to continue practicing social distancing and other preventive measures against the virus.

For cases among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs recorded on Monday eight new coronavirus infections, two new recoveries, and two more deaths.

These updates bring the total numbers to 2,405 confirmed cases, 828 recoveries, and 279 deaths among Filipinos overseas. The DFA also noted that it is the second consecutive day where no new cases were registered in the Asia and the Pacific region.

Continuing to log the highest number of infected Filipinos are Europe with 728 cases and the Middle East with 689 infections. Some 543 cases have been recorded in the Americas, while 445 have been registered in the Asia Pacific.

To date, over 4.7 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19. Some 315,000 of these cases resulted in death, while over 1.7 million patients have already recovered.
Australias call for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 has been backed by 116 countries, The Australian reported, citing the countrys Foreign Minister Marise Payne.



"There is positive support for an independent review into the pandemic to help the world learn the lessons necessary to protect global health," The Australian cited her as saying. "This is about collaborating to equip the international community to better prevent or counter the next pandemic and keep our citizens safe," Payne pointed out.



Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in turn, said that Canberra's push for an inquiry was not aimed at blaming any country. "Its a pretty honest question with honest intent and an honest motive," he noted.



The countries that voiced support for Australias initiative initially included Russia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and all members of the European Union. Several African nations joined them later, bringing the total number to 116, TASS reported.



The countries are expected to adopt a resolution at the 73rd World Health Assembly, which particularly highlights the need for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the WHO-coordinated international response to the COVID-19 pandemic.



All 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) and a number of international organizations have been invited to participate in the event.




Susan Ade Coker

Rant HQ founder, Suzan Ade Coker might be in for more trouble after labeling Igbos in her group senseless.

Recall that we reported that the owner of the popular Facebook group which boasts of over 1 million members got into trouble after she insulted Igbos and vowed not to apologise over the ethnic diatribe.

After Igbos in the group expressed disappointment over her post, she asked those who were offended to exit her group.

Not happy with that, some Igbos accused her of being a tribalist and reported her to the organizations she represents.

Her website, ranthq.org has been suspended alongside an advert on coronavirus she shot for the World Health Organization which had been running on the international websites Twitter page for some time now.

There is currently a petition on Change.org accusing her of scamming a company of thousands of Euros. The petition has garnered over 8,000 signatures calling for the closure of her company and investigation into the allegation.

Facebook has also given her warning after the group was reported for hate speech.

Reacting, she wrote:

Thank you Facebook!

Some posts removed but group NOT pulled down!

We promise to do better. We promise to continue to give people the room to express themselves within the confines of Facebook community rules. Ultimately we shall use this platform to build and encourage, oneness, peace and unity of mankind worldwide. We shall do everything within our power to ensure this on a daily basis by adhering strictly to Facebook community rules.

We would like to use this opportunity to thank everyone for their support for RantHQ. God bless you. Amen.

Kindly note, we would be a little more strict in standard and conduct. I understand that this may not be suitable for all. Therefore we ask that we all carry on in a manner appropriate and in line with Facebook community rules.

Thank you all and God bless.

RantHQ admin. I am short of words. The heavens will attend to you. Amen.
Pastor Steph Smith runs Cathedral in the Night, a ministry in Northampton dedicated to helping the vulnerable people. For many, her services are needed now more than ever.

Residents gather at 5 p.m. before coronavirus struck Massachusetts to listen to a sermon. After which people would receive some food.

On March 23, Gov. Charlie Baker gave an executive order to all non-essential businesses to cease in-person operations which limited places of worship to gatherings of no more than 10 people.

Smith is still on the steps of the First Churches at 129 Main St. providing food for residents but no longer giving sermons.

Smith told MassLive that she has been seeing different people coming for food during the crisis.

We're seeing a lot of different faces that I've never met before the numbers haven't gone crazy high for us, but they're a little bit higher once the shelter closes, said Smith. I think we're going to have some more people.

Northampton opened an emergency shelter that is open to people seven days a week at Northampton High School. The shelter serves residents of ServiveNets two overnight homeless shelters located on Center Street and Grove Street which were closed in April.

Both shelters will open back up on May 23 and Smith feels that she will see an increase of numbers once they do because some residents may not want to move.

I don't know if that means their newly experiencing hunger or if they're just found out about us. I'm not really sure, Smith added.

Eevee Bacon, who has been coming to the church for a while, said that she has seen more support for people in her position since coronavirus hit the state.

I mean, heck, I use the portable restrooms around town, and they have wet wipes in these things, said Bacon. I could wipe off the toilet seat and be able to feel at least a little bit more clean.

Since April 20, she has been living in her car and relying on the food pantry to eat, provide her with clothes and cleaning supplies.

I currently dont have a job right now, either, and I feel that even if I did have a job I wouldnt be able to afford to pay for rent. said Bacon. Its been so, so hard to get a job.

Smith is providing people with not only food but other necessities that they might need; from sleeping bags to masks.

The Cathedral in the Night relies on support from donors to keep people fed. During the times of coronavirus people can support the ministry by Facebook, Paypal or Amazon.

Every crack has become a chasm. Everything is harder; from finding a place to go to the bathroom, a place to be during the day and access to food, said Smith. My hope is that we continue to work on the cracks in our system. The pain that were all feeling is a pain that my community has felt for a long time.

Related Content:
The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 313,000 people worldwide.

More than 4.6 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks.

The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 1.4 million diagnosed cases and at least 89,318 deaths.

PHOTO: A cleaning technician wearing PPE deep cleans the home of a family on May 14, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Sunday's biggest developments:

US death toll surpasses 88,000 Texas reports single highest daily rate increase of infections 137 cases of NYC children with syndrome associated with COVID-19 NASCAR returns after 10-week hiatus Judge rejects Martin Shkreli's plea for early release

Here's how the news developed on Sunday. All times Eastern.

11:42 p.m.: University of South Carolina to temporarily resume classes

As colleges and universities assess whether to reopen for in-person classes in the fall, the University of South Carolina is taking a preemptive approach for the winter.

The university announced that it will resume in-person classes at the end of the summer -- but only for three months.

In a letter to the university community, the school's president said that in-person classes will begin on Aug. 20, proceed uninterrupted through the school's traditional mid-October fall break, and run through Thanksgiving, at which point the university will return to distance learning due to concerns about a second spike of the virus.

"The recommendation to cancel Fall Break and essentially accelerate in-person instruction for the semester was developed with significant input from faculty, staff and student government leadership," University President Robert Caslen said in the letter. "Our best current modelling predicts a spike in cases of COVID-19 at the beginning of December, which also will likely coincide with traditional flu season."

Story continues

8:22 p.m.: Member of Canadian aerobatic team killed in flyover crash

A member of the Royal Canadian Air Force's flying aerobatic team was killed while training for a flyover to thank front-line COVID-19 workers.

An aircraft with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds crashed near the city of Kamloops, British Columbia, Royal Canadian Air Force officials said. One person in the plane was killed and the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries, said officials.

The aircraft crashed while "preparing to continue Operation Inspiration," the flyovers performed to support front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said.

One person on the ground was also injured in the crash, which occurred in a residential neighborhood, according to Canadian broadcaster CTV.

5:12 p.m.: NASCAR returns after 10-week hiatus

NASCAR started its first race in 10 weeks Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

Precautions due to the coronavirus pandemic meant no fans were allowed in the stands and team rosters were limited to 16 people, including the driver. The starting order for the 400-mile race was also drawn at random based on owner points.

PHOTO: Drivers head through a turn in front of an empty grandstand during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race, May 17, 2020, in Darlington, South Carolina. (Jenna Fryer/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

The event was dedicated to health care workers fighting COVID-19.

NASCAR's next race is Wednesday at Darlington Raceway.

3:46 p.m.: California's infection rate continues to climb

The COVID-19 infection rate in California continues to increase.

California has 78,839 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,261 deaths, according to the latest data from the state.

New cases went up 2,046 in a day, while deaths increased by 57. The previous day saw only 1,857 new cases.

The state has been working to increase testing capacity, with more than 1.2 million tests conducted as of May 16 -- up 56,117 from the day before.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently started to loosen restrictions on his stay-at-home order.

Fewer than half of California's 58 counties -- 23 -- are currently in Stage 2 of a four-stage reopening plan. That stage allows for lower-risk workplaces and child care facilities to reopen.

1:17 p.m.: UK to get Oxford COVID-19 vaccine 1st as part of industry deal

The United Kingdom will have first access to Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine if it's successful, a U.K. government official said Sunday.

Oxford has signed a global licensing agreement with U.K.-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to deliver 100 million doses of Oxford's potential vaccine; the company will work to make up to 30 million of those doses available for the U.K. by September as part of the deal, according to Business Secretary Alok Sharma.

"This deal with AstraZeneca means that if the Oxford University vaccine works, people in the U.K. will get the first access to it, helping to protect thousands of lives," Sharma said in a statement.

Researchers at Oxford and Imperial College of London will also receive 84 million pounds (about $101 million) in government funding toward developing a vaccine, Sharma announced.

Human clinical trials for Oxford's coronavirus vaccine began last month. Imperial's vaccine trial is set to begin in June.

The U.K. has the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and the second-highest number of deaths in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, with more than 244,000 cases and 34,716 fatalities.

12:20 p.m.: Cuomo urges NYers to get tested, demonstrates swab test

New York has more testing capacity than New Yorkers are using, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.

Some drive-in sites that can do 50,000 COVID-19 tests daily are only doing about 5,000 a day, the governor said.

To urge those eligible to get the COVID-19 swab test -- often described as unpleasant -- the governor demonstrated getting one live during his daily coronavirus briefing.

PHOTO: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo receives a COVID-19 swab test during his daily briefing, May 17, 2020, in Albany, New York. (Pool via ABC News)

"This test is not an invasive test. There's no pain to this test," Cuomo said before the test. "This is nothing about this test that should intimidate people from not taking this test. It's fast and easy, and so fast and so easy that even the governor can take this test. That's how fast and easy it is."

A doctor wearing personal protective equipment then collected a sample from the governor using a deep nasal swab.

"That is the whole test. I'm not in pain and discomfort," Cuomo said after the seconds-long test was administered. "There's no reason why you should not get the test. You don't even have to be New York tough to take that test."

New York state has more than 700 testing sites and is performing up to 40,000 tests a day, Cuomo said. The state also has formed a partnership with CVS, the governor announced Sunday; more than 60 CVS pharmacies across the state will be able to do 50 or more tests a day.

New Yorkers eligible for the diagnostic test include anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, those who have had contact with someone with a confirmed case, a person in a precautionary or mandatory quarantine, health care workers, first responders, nursing home employees and essential workers. Additionally, those who are returning to work during Phase 1 of the state's reopening, such as construction or manufacturing workers, are now also eligible, the governor announced.

The state also launched a new website Sunday to find testing sites.

11:15 a.m.: 137 cases of NYC children with syndrome associated with COVID-19

There are now 137 cases of children with Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during his daily press briefing on Sunday.

Of those cases, 66 have tested positive for the coronavirus or antibodies were detected. There has been one death from the illness.

De Blasio implored parents that if they see their child exhibit any of the symptoms of the syndrome, including persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and vomiting, to immediately call their health care provider.

"Early detection saves lives of children," the mayor said.

Overall, the number of daily hospitalizations has remained flat since May 14, while ICU admissions and the percentage of people who tested positive for coronavirus were both down, de Blasio said. There were 469 ICU admissions, down from 506 on May 14; and 11% of people tested were positive, down from 13%.

Meanwhile, beaches will remain closed Memorial Day weekend but de Blasio did not rule out the possibility that they will be open later in the summer.

"It's still not safe," the mayor said, adding that walking on the beach is permitted but if officials start to see people congregating and are going against recommendations, they will take further measures.

De Blasio also implored New Yorkers to give blood as the supply in the city has gotten low due to a lack of blood drives because of coronavirus-related social distancing.

The New York Blood Center, which helps supply additional blood to area hospitals, is down to a two-day supply of blood.

"We need to make a comeback quickly," de Blasio said.

Hospitals have their own emergency blood supplies but unless they receive additional blood, some surgeries cannot move forward, the mayor said.

10:30 a.m.: Spain daily death toll under 100 for 1st time in 2 months

For the first time since March 16, Spain's one-day death toll from the novel coronavirus dropped below 100.

Spain reported 87 new deaths on Sunday, bringing the total deaths in the country from the pandemic to 27,650.

The country's Health Ministry reported 652 new cases.

Spain has had 231,350 confirmed COVID-19 cases, which is the fifth most cases globally after the U.S., Russia, the U.K. and Brazil, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

Fernando Simon, chief of emergency response, said the rate of transmission is low, "which makes us think that we are in a favorable situation," but that a second wave is possible.

7:39 a.m.: Eric Trump implies Democrats, Biden using coronavirus as conspiracy to hurt President Trump by 'taking away' MAGA rallies

In an interview on Fox News Saturday night, Eric Trump baselessly accused Democrats and Joe Biden's campaign of trying to use the coronavirus to hurt his father, President Donald Trump, politically by "taking away" his campaign rallies.

Speaking on "Justice with Judge Jeanine," Eric Trump tossed a number of confusing and wild accusations about Democrats, Biden, and the coronavirus pandemic -- appearing to claim that lockdowns around the country were part of a Democratic/Biden manufactured conspiracy to stop the president's campaign rallies and hurt his political prospects, despite the virus death toll now approaching 90,000 in the United States.

The president's son accused Democrats of wanting to "milk [the coronavirus] for everything they can" and seemed to imply that Democrats and the media were blowing the pandemic out of proportion to hurt the president, saying that after Election Day the "coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen."

Asked how the virus has impacted President Trump politically, Eric Trump blamed Democrats for rallies being put on hold, which he called "Donald Trump's greatest tool":

"Biden can't go on stage without making some horrible blunder. I mean even from his basement he's making awful gaffes every single day, so, his campaign is thrilled that he's not going out there. And they think they're taking away Donald Trump's greatest tool, which is being able to go into an arena and fill it with 50,000 people every single time," Eric Trump said. "So they they will and you watch they'll milk it every single day between now and November 3, and, guess what, after November 3rd, coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen."

"They're trying to deprive him of his, his greatest asset, which is the fact that the American people love him. The fact that he's relatable. The fact that he can go out there and draw massive crowds. Joe Biden can't get 10 people in a room, my father's getting 50,000 in a room and they want to do everything they can to stop it. So make no mistake, to a lot of them... a lot of them this is a very cognizant strategy that they're trying to employ. It's no different than again the nonsense that they're trying to throw in the Hope Act," he continued. "It's no different than the mail-in voting that they want to do all these places. It is no different than wanting illegal immigrants to vote in our country. It is a cognizant strategy. And it's it's sad and again it's not going to be allowed to happen we're going to win November."

Eric Trump claimed using the coronavirus is a "cognizant strategy" by Democrats and/or Joe Biden and implied they played some role in "taking away Donald Trump's greatest tool" -- which is a confusing and baseless accusation given not only was the decision to stop rallies made by the president's own campaign, it came as many experts said large gatherings like political rallies shouldn't return until as recent as next year.

Also, he's echoing comments President Trump made early on as the virus first spread when he called it a Democratic "hoax" given their response to the virus. But, months later, Eric Trump is now implying the response to the virus is some Democratic conspiracy while experts like Dr. Fauci are warning that reopening the country too soon could lead to "needless suffering and death."

4:48 a.m.: Texas reports single highest daily rate increase of infections

The latest number of of coronavirus cases in Texas jumped by 1,801 in a single day, the highest daily rate since the state started tracking data. The number of cases reported now stands at 46,999, according to the latest figures released by Johns Hopkins University.

There are currently 19,093 active cases statewide with 1,791 patients hospitalized -- which is an increase of 75 from yesterday.

A total of 678,471 people have been tested out of a statewide population of around 29 million people.

The state of Texas has also reported 1,305 fatalities -- an increase of 33 but down from the two day high of 58 and 56 the previous two days.

12:35 a.m.:Federal judge blocks North Carolina governor's restrictions on religious services

A federal judge issued an order on Saturday that allows North Carolina religious leaders to reopen their doors to their congregations in spite of the governor's warning that they risk spreading coronavirus.

Gov. Roy Cooper said he wouldn't appeal the ruling blocking his restrictions on indoor religious services.

A hearing is scheduled May 29 on whether the order will become permanent.

The order prevents Cooper from taking enforcement actions against religious worshipers but also states they should observe recommendations for social distancing and reduce transmission of the virus when possible.

Governor Cooper's spokesperson issued the following statement in response to the order.

"We don't want indoor meetings to become hotspots for the virus and our health experts continue to warn that large groups sitting inside for long periods of time are much more likely to cause the spread of COVID-19. While our office disagrees with the decision, we will not appeal, but instead urge houses of worship and their leaders to voluntarily follow public health guidance to keep their members safe."

7:45 p.m.: 'Pharma Bro' denied release from prison

Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive imprisoned for fraud and most infamous for hiking the price of a lifesaving drug, was rejected for release due to COVID-19.

Shkreli, 37, had argued for release in part because of his work in bio pharmaceuticals, which he said could benefit the public. If allowed to research coronavirus, Shkreli said he could bring a cure to market.

MORE: 'Delusional': Feds slam 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli's attempt to leave prison to find COVID-19 cure

The judge flatly rejected the claim.

"The court does not find that releasing Mr. Shkreli will protect the public, even though Mr. Shkreli seeks to leverage his experience with pharmaceuticals to help develop a cure for COVID-19 that he would purportedly provide at no cost," U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York Kiyo A. Matsumoto wrote.

This report was featured in the Monday, May 18, 2020, episode of Start Here, ABC News daily news podcast.

"Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.

ABC News' Will Steakin, Alexandra Faul, Christine Theodorou, Ahmad Hemingway and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

If Oxford's coronavirus vaccine works, officials say UK will get it first originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
obviously?!? clearly fucking not



obviously you're such an asshole



Edited at 2020-05-18 01:47 am (UTC)

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Just fuck off, Neil. Fuck off

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You abandoned your son and put people at risk! You're a selfish asshole. I hope your son ends up hating you.

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We don't want him!

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"I pay taxes so I should be allowed to kill people!!"

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Go home to your wife you selfish prick.

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She doesn't want him either!

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Or at least to his son.

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he can't go back to NZ, the borders are closed to all foreigners

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Cackling @ the backlash. I'm just pleasantly surprised he's getting ratio-ed? Instead of a bunch of fans falling over themselves to defend him.

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Oh, there are plenty of fans doing that, too.

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My Facebook Terry Pratchett group is an interesting half and half mix of people who think he's still doing the best thing and people who think he's the absolute worst for this.

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It's not his primary residence. He went to his vacation home.

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And leaving his child... If Amanda is that terrible, it's not like there aren't hotels he could stay in.

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I feel like he's flat-out saying: "I don't care"

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he's there because he couldn't go to his other home that is overfilled with other shitty travellers

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Time has NOT been kind to Ms Palmer, damn.



Also, Neil Gaiman is the kind of fucker who likes the smell of his own farts.

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In this regard, I maybe won't agree with most people here? If he stays in his house and won't be in contact with anybody, to me it's not an issue.



But maybe it's what I would do if I had a house at the beach and didn't have to go to work every day. I will buy groceries by phone to be delivered and never get out of my house if I could.

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TBH a guy who flounces out of one country in the middle of a pandemic (abandoning his wife and toddler along the way) potentially endangering all the crew that work the flight to take him from one country to the next, and decides to skip out on his primary residence to go to his vacation home does not strike me as the type of person who is going to be extra careful and adhere to all the guidelines.



But that's just me.

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I agree with the abandonment of his family (especially the kid, he and the wife would have killed themselves in two days top)



mmm ONTD(me) doesn't read. I was projecting myself driving to this idealistic beach house, not traveling by other means.

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A huge part of the problem is that he isn't the only person doing this, because every idiot with multiple homes is thinking of doing the same thing. In areas where people own vacation homes there are often more homes than permanent residents, and the hospitals aren't built to handle that many people, since the homes are empty much of the year. This selfish herd behaviour is putting those who actually live there at risk of not getting the care they need

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He's travelled to the Isle of Skye which recently has had a terrible outbreak in a care home, it's one of the more remote regions of Scotland and they only have one (1) hospital in Inverness which covers a huge region in the Highlands and Islands that can give ICU care, and the inhabitants would have to be helicoptered there.



Not only has he travelled from NZ via LA (badly hit region) through London (badly hit region) and driving through the length of the UK to Scotland which has been doing pretty well inc omparison with England to settle in one of the most vulnerable areas of the UK is appalling.



People were called out by this MP and our First Minister for doing the same thing just before lockdown, because poeple think that they're smart in wanting to be in lockdown in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. We all would you buggers, but the communities are so vulnerable and you're potentially spreading it.



Sorry if I'm heated, but I've been stuck in Edinburgh for the past few months with a grandmother in Inverness (which is usually only a 3 hour journey away) who has been needing my support and company but I haven't been able to, and knowing this cunt has just done what he's done makes me angry.

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What about everyone he encountered on his way there? Its really fucking irresponsible to travel rn unless its for an emergency which his case wasnt

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Also. His vacation home is on the Isle of Skye, which has no major hospital. The closest one is at least 100 miles away by ferry, and car, in Inverness. Super cool of him.

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Yup and the hospital in Inverness is the only one for the entire Highlands and Islands region of Scotland which can offer ICU treatment and so already are struggling.



I hope they refuse him if he gets sick. He can just lock himself away in his beautiful house and die quietly.

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Just a memory with you mentioning Raigmore. As a young child we had neighbours who were from Skye, the wife was a nurse who was working somewhere here in Glasgow. They eventually moved back to Skye (this was well before the bridge was built) and whenever they talked of a hospital visit they had to get the 1 hour ferry journey over to Mallaig and then drive to Raigmore for the appointment which was easily another 2 & 1/2 hrs. It was literally a full day journey for them.

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Sorta OT but Id kill for a vacation home in the Highlands

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I had to look this up to make sure I wasnt imagining it. I had a feeling there were two community hospitals on the island, one in Portree and the other in Broadford but I was never sure about the number of beds. As I said, I looked and Portree had 12 beds and Broadford has 25 and as mentioned by another poster there are no ICU beds. So thats 37 beds total for an island of 10K. And this twat saunters up to his hoose for a wee getaway ... what an absolute fud.

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Finding out that Neil Gaiman is such a colossal asshole (I knew before this incident, but jeez) is a blow to teenage me.

It's also just a "yes all men" moment for adult me tho

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I just remember all the posts about the shit things Amanda has done over the years and so many comments were like Love yourself Neil and I love Neil, but I hate her and turns out theyre both garbage. Surprise, surprise.

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this was me negl



finding out they clearly deserve each other is both disappointing and a relief tbh

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Oof. Yep. Guilty as charged. Live and learn!

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Why is literary/author drama so fucking intense and weird

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You are here: Business

China's mobile phone shipments increased by 14.2 percent year on year to 41.73 million units in April, reversing a 10-month decline, a report from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed.

Shipments of 5G phones reached 16.38 million units in the same period, accounting for 39.3 percent of the total, according to the CAICT, a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

In the first four months of this year, mobile phone shipments dropped 20.1 percent year on year to 90.68 million units due to sluggish sales in the first quarter.

Forty-eight new models were introduced to the market last month, up 14.3 percent from a year ago, of which 22 were 5G models, said the CAICT.

The country's domestic brands dominated mobile phone shipments in April, with those made by Chinese manufacturers hitting 37.98 million units and making up 91 percent of the total shipments.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 08:38:03|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland reported four new imported COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,704, the National Health Commission said Monday.

Four new cases were reported in Inner Mongolia, the commission said, adding that one new suspected case imported from abroad was reported in Shanghai.

Of the total imported cases, 1,659 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 45 remained hospitalized with two in severe conditions, the commission said.

No deaths had been reported from the imported cases. Enditem
Teachers and principals are bracing themselves for all manner of reactions when 800,000 school children return to class today for the first time in eight weeks.

They say they expect that some children will be excited, some will be anxious and some might not turn up at all.

The Education Ministry has warned schools' truancy rates might rise because families have got out of the habit of regular schooling and some will be worried about COVID-19.

In Christchurch, Somerfield School principal Denise Torrey says her staff were preparing to deal with a wide range of behaviour and emotions among their pupils.

"We're going to have everything. We're going to have children who will, like they do on the first day of school, run in the gate excited to see their friends and teachers, we're going to have some children a little bit worried that mum and dad might have to stay at the gate."

Denise says the school would be drawing on what it learned after the Canterbury earthquakes.

"What we do know from earthquakes is it's a bit of a roller coaster. Everyone will come back, there'll be a bit of adrenaline and then the real world will kick in and for many of our children the real world is going to be unemployment for whanau."

Denise says children's feelings would depend a lot on how their parents had reacted to the pandemic and the lockdown, and schools needed to reassure parents that returning to school was safe.

"Invariably when that happens, the children will be coming through the gate very happily."

Otorohanga College principal Traci Liddall says teachers will have to take things slowly.

"There's definitely some anxiety that we are going to have to be really cognisant of, students and teachers. Also they haven't seen their mates for weeks, so we're really going to be taking it from the perspective of like it's the first day of the school year again."

She says teachers will focus on rebuilding relationships and connections with their students.

"You can't teach kids, you can't expect academic improvement if you don't have good relationships."

Traci says some students will not be back today because they have underlying health problems, and the school will continue to provide online learning for them.

"It is a lot of work, but ultimately the needs of the kids come first."

The Education Ministry last week warned schools that regular attendance had been falling in recent years and the pandemic could prompt attendance rates to plummet further.

Auckland Secondary Principals' Association president Steve Hargreaves says his school had been talking to families about the return to school.

"We do know that there is a number who are just a bit worried - are we on top of the virus, what are the preparations the school's got in place, will my child be safe."

Steve says schools have been doing a lot of work to ensure classrooms are clean and safe.

"Schools are right on top of this.

"We're just one school, but I know this is what's happening everywhere else, we've had all staff in the last two days planning down to the finest detail about okay, we're in a technology class, how are we going to clean the tools between uses of students."

Steve says schools have sterilised classrooms and equipment, put barriers around reception areas

-RNZ/John Gerritsen
A cabinet minister today refused four times to rule out penalties on local education authorities that are threatening to boycott moves to start reopening schools from June 1.

Oliver Dowden said the Government recognised legitimate concerns about teachers safety and was working with unions to overcome them and to give reassurances.

Mr Dowden, whose wife is a teacher, told Sky News: I hope that we can all continue to work together as one nation. I think if we can get children back to school, and its safe to do so, then we should really try to do so.

But asked repeatedly whether councils like Liverpool, which say they may decline to open schools altogether, would be penalised, he said: We are working with them to try and ensure that doesnt happen.

On penalties, he added: I really hope it doesnt come to that.

Pressed again what would happen if talks fail, he said: I dont want to speculate on that at this stage.

Pressure was mounting on the unions to come to an agreement to prevent millions of pupils missing six months of lessons.

Experts said disadvantaged children would suffer most of all if they were denied classroom time until the autumn, while poorer families would endure the greatest hardship because parents in manual occupations are least able to work from home.

The Government is proposing a phased back to school next month beginning with children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6. Pupils will be cocooned in smaller classes with staggered start times and lunch breaks to limit the spread of the virus.

The National Education Union, which has 450,000 members, called the plans reckless. However, eight former education secretaries have weighed in with calls for schools to go back for the sake of the children, including Labour heavyweights Lord Blunkett, Alan Johnson and Charles Clarke.

The Church of England and the mental health charity Mind have also issued warnings about the impact on children of being isolated instead of learning.

Culture Secretary Mr Dowden said his own daughter was in Year 6 adding: Itd be great for her to be able to get back to school before she makes that transition to secondary school.

"Similarly kids in reception and in Year 1, theyre just starting out, really, in those early years learning the reading and the writing and getting some routines important. If we are able to do it, we should do it.

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Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders union NAHT, said teachers wanted more clarification on whether schools are centres of transmission.

He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that unions were waiting for scientific evidence to justify the Government assertions that risks were lower than feared.

I want to invite the Government today to write to me so that I can talk to the 31,000 school leaders that we represent, particularly in the primary sector, and say this is why the Government has made that assessment.

The Government was backed by two new scientific studies, according to reports. Children are not the primary drivers of Covid-19 spread in schools, according to research in Australia, an unnamed member of the Governments Sage subcommittee on schools told The Daily Telegraph.

A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that pupils from the wealthiest families will have done seven full school days worth of extra home learning by June 1, because affluent families had better facilities.

The IFS warned of a widening attainment gap between rich and poor. Chief executives of 22 academy trusts warn schools must reopen soon to avoid irreparable damage to vulnerable children.
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.

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SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of shaming humanity by its inhuman attitude towards migrant workers returning home to flee huger and joblessness.

The BJP government is shaming humanity with its act. Due to its attitude, migrant labourers from not only UP but other states also are angry. It has raised question mark on its functioning," Yadav said in a statement here.

"The situation has become serious due to the closing of state borders. The labourers are stranded hungry and there is no one to hear them. They are begging before policemen for getting entry in the state. Those who are stranded mid-way are being misbehaved by the police," he said.

"Due to the short-sighted decisions of the BJP government, the life of migrants have become hell," Yadav said, claiming that labourers were lathi charged in Mathura with similar incidents replicating themselves in Saharanpur and Jhansi.

He said this "inhuman government" sent back labourers of Jharkhand, who died and injured in Auraiya incident, in the same open truck.

"A father had to come to take the dead body of his son spending Rs 19 thousand," he said.

He said his party demands Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of labourers, who died in road mishaps.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
T he Government's daily coronavirus press conference was hit by problems with Zoom, leaving journalists unable to ask questions live.

Members of the press had to submit written questions rather than quizzing Business Secretary Alok Sharma via video calls as they usually do.

Mr Sharma then read the questions out loud before they were answered by him or Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director for England.

It came as users of the conference calling app began reporting issues with the app from around 10am on Sunday, with many experiencing audio and video problems.

Thousands of people were affected in the UK, according to the website Downdetector.

A Zoom spokesman said on Twitter, said: "Our team is investigating the root cause of issues joining Zoom Meetings.

"These issues appear to be limited to a subset of users."

The issue was solved in the evening, according to the app's social media account.

The spokesman added: "We continue to assess & monitor. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused."

Members of the press had to submit written questions rather than quizzing Business Secretary Alok Sharma via video calls / 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty

The timing of the problems meant some church services were affected and astronomy meetings were also among the events affected by Zoom's outage.

One user wrote: "Zoom app is facing some issues while hosting and joining meetings today. The astronomy meeting for today stands cancelled. New date and time for the meeting will be communicated soon."

Another said: "There seems to be some issue... While hosting and joining in the meetings via paid accounts... Kindly look into this at the earliest !!"

While a third wrote: "I think youre broken. It took 3 times to be able to see my church. In case youre not aware, worship services need extra IT support. Its one of the few times each week we get to safely SEE so many people. Please fix the bug."

Zoom has been grown in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, with millions relying on the site to connect with friends, family or colleagues due to lockdown restrictions.
Late Friday night, President Donald Trump informed Congress that he was firing the top watchdog within the State Department, Inspector General Steve Linick. The dismissal is the latest move in a purge of inspectors general aimed at eliminating any internal monitoring of the administration and establishing an authoritarian, personalist government.

Over the past six weeks, Trump has removed the inspectors general of the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services, in addition to Friday's action. Three of the four moves have been announced late on Friday night, when news coverage is generally more sparse and Congress is not in session.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump offered no explanation for the sudden firing, other than to say he no longer had "the fullest confidence" in Linick, a veteran of the George W. Bush administration who was appointed to the State Department post by Barack Obama in 2013. Trump said the dismissal would take effect in 30 days.

Steve Linick (Image Credit: U.S. Department of State)

A White House official told the press that Trump had fired Linick on the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Media reports quoted an unnamed Democratic aide as saying that Linick was investigating Pompeos alleged misuse of a political appointee to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife.

Pelosi denounced the move in a statement issued Friday night. House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel and Robert Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced an investigation Saturday into Linicks removal. They wrote letters to the White House, State Department and Office of the Inspector General to preserve all records related to Linicks dismissal and turn the information over by May 22. They said the firing may be an illegal act of retaliation because the inspector general was investigating Pompeo.

Under Obama, Linick published a highly critical report about Hillary Clinton's use while secretary of state of a private email server. Last October, during the House impeachment hearings, Linick met with congressional aides of both parties and provided them with documents that had been given to the State Department by Trump's private lawyer Rudolph Giuliani. The documents concerned the role of Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, in serving on the board of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings, as well as negative information about Marie Yovanovitch, who had been removed by Trump as US ambassador to Ukraine the previous April.

While the information likely bolstered the Republicans' defense of Trump against the Democratic impeachment drive, Linick's intervention into the hearings breached Pompeo's order that State Department officials boycott the investigation.

Last year, Linick published two reports that were highly critical of how Trump political appointees, including a top aide to Pompeo, had treated career staffers at the State Department.

The White House announced that it would appoint Stephen Akard, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, a division of the State Department, as acting head of the Office of Inspector General in place of Linick. Ackard is a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence when Pence was governor of Indiana. He was also general counsel, chief of staff and vice president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which promotes tax and other incentives for businesses to locate in Indiana.

On Friday night, April 3, Trump dismissed Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson in retaliation for his role in the Democratic impeachment drive. In September 2019, Atkinson bucked efforts by the Trump administration to conceal from Congress the whistleblower complaint filed by a CIA operative in the White House. The complaint concerned Trumps attempt to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an investigation into the Bidens in connection with Hunter Bidens paid position on the board of Burisma, while Trump was withholding military aid from the regime in Kiev.

Atkinson turned the complaint over to Congress, sparking the investigation by the Democratic-controlled House and eventual impeachment of Trump for weakening the right-wing, anti-Russian government in Kiev in the midst of a hot war with Moscow. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate in February.

After removing Atkinson, Trump defended the firing, saying that he took a fake report and gave it to Congress.

Within a week of Atkinsons firing, on Tuesday, April 7, Trump removed Acting Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine, preventing him from becoming the head of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, established as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act to oversee the presidents management of the massive corporate bailout.

On Friday night, May 1, Trump removed Christi Grimm, the top watchdog at the Health and Human Services Department. This came a month after Trump criticized Grimm for a report in March detailing severe shortages of coronavirus testing kits and personal protective equipment for doctors and medical staff. At an April 6 press conference, Trump had dismissed Grimms report as wrong and attacked her as an Obama holdover.
Bangkok-Phuket buses slated for June 1

PHUKET: Long-haul buses out of Phuket to Bangkok are set to start rolling again on June 1 as the state transport company Transport Co, better known by its Thai initials BorKor Sor, today resumed its long-distance buses out of Bangkok to Northern Thailand and the Northeast.

COVID-19transport

By The Phuket News

Monday 18 May 2020, 01:04PM

Social distancing will be observed on the buses. Image: BorKorSor

Buses between Bangkok and Phuket, Samui and Trang will resume on June 1. Image: BorKorSor

Buses from Bangkok to the North and Northeast resumed today (May 18). Image: BorKorSor

Officials at the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 in Rassada held a meeting on Friday (May 15) to prepare for the resumption of bus services. Photo: Phuket Bus Terminal 2 / Facebook

From June 1, buses bound for Phuket will depart Bangkok from Mor Chit 2 bus terminal at 6am and the New Southern Bus Terminal (SaiTai Mai) at 6:40am.

The bus from Phuket to Bangkok will depart from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 in Rassada at 6:45am each day, the BorKorSor has announced.

Officials at the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 in Rassada held a meeting on Friday (May 15) to prepare for the resumption of bus services.

Also starting from June 1 will be buses between Bangkok and Samui, and Bangkok and Trang

From June 1, buses bound for Samui will depart Bangkok from Mor Chit 2 bus terminal at 6am and the New Southern Bus Terminal (SaiTai Mai) at 6:30am. The bus from Samui to Bangkok will depart at 5:30am each day.

From June 1, buses bound for Samui will depart Bangkok from Mor Chit 2 bus terminal at 6am and the New Southern Bus Terminal (SaiTai Mai) at 6:30am. The bus from Samui to Bangkok will depart at 5:30am each day.

Buses from Bangkok to Trang will depart from Mor Chit 2 bus terminal at 6:15am and the New Southern Bus Terminal (SaiTai Mai) at 6:45am. The bus from Trang to Bangkok will depart at 6:40am each day.

Passengers are to be spaced accordingly with one metre between each traveller, and all staff and passengers travelling on the buses must wear a face mask at all times and should expect to have their temperatures checked every two hours, the BorKorSor explained in its announcement.

All touch areas are to be cleaned frequently, and buses are to be cleaned thoroughly and left open for one to two hours while parked in the sun after cleaning, the BorKorSor added.

All persons are to wear face masks at all times while at the bus terminal.

Any persons found with a body temperature above 37.5C will not be allowed to board the bus, the BorKorSor explained clearly.

Also, all passengers must complete a document reporting to provincial authorities their medical history and travel plans to help health officials work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the BorKorSor added.

REGISTER FIRST

The Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) has issued a strong reminder that all people wanting to leave Phuket must register with provincial authorities first through the online form at www.phuket.go.th

Whether or not people will be approved to leave travel will depend on the necessary reason given, and all people must follow the COVID-19 prevention measures as prescribed by the government, PR Phuket explained in its post late yesterday.

Applicants must also obtain a "Fit to Travel" document, available here, in order to travel across provinces and to show officials when they arrive at their destination, where they must observe a 14-day quarantine, PR Phuket repeated.

The Fit to Travel permit, which can be downloaded by applicants after they have been approved, must be presented at the Phuket Check Point in order to be permitted to leave the island, the post noted.

People can still register to leave the island in person at Muang District Office, Wichit Municipality, Kathu District Office, Kathu Municipality, Thalang District Office and Srisoonthorn Municipality until May 15.

After then, permits will be available online only, the post added.

Only after applicants have been issued a Fit to Travel should they register with the Phuket Provincial Police through the PhuketSmartCheck-in app to book their queue to leave Phuket, the post explained.

Phuket Provincial Police yesterday reminded people that the PhuketSmartCheck-in app stops accepting applications at 6pm each day.

People can confirm whether they have been approved to leave by entering their name and Thai government ID card number in the form at https://www.phuket.go.th from 7pm each day.

Phuket Provincial Police yesterday also repeated that apart from those already permitted to enter Phuket (such as drivers making essential deliveries and medical personnel), all other people must have an essential reason to enter Phuket.

Emergency patients, people with doctor appointments or those attending court or required to assist police with investigations were being approved to enter Phuket, the post noted.

The Provincial Police urged people wanting to enter Phuket to register first through the PhuketSmartCheck-in app.

People can check the app after 8pm each day to see if they had been approved to enter the province.

People who are not approved entry to Phuket may have submitted incorrect information or documents, and may submit a new request through the app, the post noted

If you are still not approved, you will have to wait for provincial authorities to announce that the province is open to allow people to come back in, the post said plainly.

People entering Phuket will be screened and must provide officials with necessary information to help them prevent the spread of COVID-19, the police explained in their post

Health officials may require people entering Phuket to observe a 14-day quarantine period, the post noted.
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That double punch in the gut led to his leaving North Carolina for a two-year stint as an economic advisor in Nepal. He worked at a high level to develop an economic plan for the entire nation. Hunt says, I learned to get a big view of a country  What you have to do to develop a nation  the importance of educating people, providing infrastructure like roads, electricity, banks.

His time in Nepal made him more pragmatic and less ideological. It isnt just a matter of dividing the pie. You can grow the pie. Thats a fundamental thing to know.

When Pearces book first came out, I wrote, My theory, based on Pearces short description of the Nepal experience, is that it, as much as anything else, set Hunt apart. If Richardson Preyer had won or Jim Hunt had passed the bar exam, Hunt would have missed Nepal. His life and North Carolina history would have made for a much different story from the one Gary Pearce tells so well.

Hunts ability to take a punch and come back stronger made North Carolina a better place.

Hopefully, Gleesons proven ability to take one will serve the public similarly.

One thing for sure, if he challenges the forces of the president, those punches will come hard and fast.

D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch, Sunday 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8 p.m. and other times.
Why the Church needs more focus on discipleship than 'biblical manhood and womanhood': author

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Whenever the subject of gender and the Church comes up, controversy seems to inevitably follow and for some, the way in which "biblical manhood and womanhood" has been taught has been detrimental to them.

Having experienced some of that dysfunction herself, author Aimee Byrd of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals emphasizes in her latest book, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover Her Purpose, which was released on May 5, that discipleship is the main aim of the Church.

As evangelicals continue to debate who can and cannot serve in leadership positions in the Church, the vast majority must be trained to find their calling in God's Kingdom and in the Church, she maintains, and in order to do that the entire biblical metanarrative around conventional ideas regarding manhood and womanhood must be reengaged.

"What do we believe about what the Bible says about why we are made and where we're headed?" the author asks in recent video series from Zondervan about her book and what inspired it.

Byrd elaborated in a recent interview with The Christian Post that her goal was and is to reinvigorate the conversation about how churches approach their charge to disciple believers, particularly regarding male and female lay ministers, and how they teach and edify one other outside of specific offices where ordination is required. Unfortunately, she explained, some are now misrepresenting her work and making unfair characterizations about what she has written.

Byrd is also the co-host of the Mortification of Spin podcast and resides in Maryland with her family. Below is a lightly edited transcript of the interview.

CP: In light of the reckoning that has been happening within the wider culture in recent years as it pertains to male-female relations, everything from #metoo and #churchtoo, why do you think it is that whenever one dares touch the subject of gender in the Church it raises the hackles of everybody so much?

Byrd: I think there are multiple reasons for that. I try to do the best I can. But unfortunately, I have experienced some of the worst, which is pretty sad. When I'm talking about gender I'm immediately assigned by some a motive of having some sort of feminist agenda, a hidden agenda in my writing. There is a fear motivation, I think, behind some of it. They think we are trying to usurp authority from men.

I'm a member of an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which has pretty conservative views of women. And I adhere to the confessions that my church subscribes to in my writing. The odd thing is, and it's really hard for me to communicate this level as a woman, but I am not writing about church leadership and who gets ordained. And when I do write about that I write and affirm what my denomination does. I'm writing about lay people and discipleship. And that's what so strange. At first I was naive enough to think, I wrote my first book about how women are theologians as well because anybody who engages in conversation or even thought about who God is ... is a theologian. And so I encouraged women to be good theologians and to sharpen their theology and to invest in that.

That was accepted pretty well. But I find that when you talk outside of the circles of women's ministry  and there are a lot of problems within women's ministry, like how we are marketed to, how condescending it really is, and how little we are invested in theologically  as soon as I get outside of that and talk about lay discipleship being invested in as same as the men and having our own theological contributions as sisters in the church, that's where the 'Hold up, Aimee' comes. And what I'm finding in some of the critiques of the book is that there is just a prevalent ontology of woman that she is by nature subservient to the man so, therefore, laywomen are subservient to laymen.

CP: We've previously spoken about women and their leadership abilities in the Church. Do you think that this ontology you're speaking of that continues to appear is in any way rooted in a flawed view of the Trinity, what is known as Eternal Subordination of the Son, where Jesus is eternally in submission to the Father, a view that has been held and espoused (to varying degrees) by some of your critics? Is this view of how the three Persons of the Godhead relate to each other projected onto human relationships, specifically how men relate to women?

Byrd: In the book, I make the case that the book Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which was edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem, does make that case in some of its articles. I don't think necessarily that all the contributors of that book would make that case but the editors certainly included it all there. And then, what was surprising to me was that some who would emphatically push back against ESS are still making the case of natural theology and women's ontological subordination. That was odd to me to find that as well.

CP: What is the most urgent point you're emphasizing most in Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood as it pertains to discipleship?

Byrd: Originally, I sought out to write the book about discipleship because in all my experiences, even in the Reformed church, which values education, in my speaking engagements all over the country, I'm finding that a lot of churches are lacking a vision for discipleship and have outsourced a lot of it to parachurch groups and are lacking training for disciples to teach each other. So I sought to write a book to come alongside the church and maybe lay out a vision of discipleship and have the elders use it as a sort of way to start training disciples, equipping them more. But as a woman writing about these things I found a roadblock  this whole woman thing. Me being a woman talking about it and also discipling women alongside of men and the differences in separation that are so saturated now in our church culture.

In talking with my editor, we decided that the roadblocks need to be addressed directly, and I kind of have that more direct voice in my writing anyway. So she encouraged me to do that. The book is sort of presented as an alternative to all the resources we have marketed to us in this evangelical so-called "biblical womanhood" culture.

My book focuses on three things: 1) the reciprocity of the male and female voices of Scripture, to how we read our Bible. 2) The covenantal aspect to Bible-reading and interpretation, the importance of our public community in the local church in the reading of Scripture. 3) Lastly, bearing the fruit of that, in our church life, so the great honor we have toward one another as brothers and sisters in God's house.

CP: You've gotten some favorable reviews and others are asking more pointed questions. What do you believe is the most unfair criticism you've received?

Byrd: There are two levels to it. There is an actual private Facebook group that had over 1,100 members there for a while before they started purging people who were sharing things in it. It's full of church officers from Reformed denominations and it was formed to combat the teachings of several women. I was added [among those several women] and became the No. 1 enemy, I guess. For over two years, this group has been harassing me and slandering and plotting against me.

A lot of them have anonymous accounts on Twitter and social media but now some of them are starting to write under their own name, accusing me of being a feminist and trying to take down the Reformed church with a terrible agenda ... they twist everything I say. They're not going to want to read it with any kind of understanding. They're just coming after me.

And then I think there's this other group that the unfairness I would say is that instead of addressing actual horrible things [as it relates] to biblical manhood and womanhood, they might say things like "Well yeah, there are some issues in the movement, but ..." and then they kind of want to critique me for what I didn't write. I didn't write the book that they wanted me to write. And so I need to answer these questions before I have any credibility to write what I did want to write.

That has been frustrating to me because I would like to have a good conversation. And I certainly don't think I'm the last word on any of this, that my book is just scratching the surface on these things. I know, principally, what I write is in line with my [denominational] confession so if I'm able to do that, and there are things that people maybe disagree with outside of that, what I write, and in the application of the Bible interpretation in there, that's great. Let's have a conversation about that. I even expect that. I wrote the book with discussion questions at the end. Talk through those things where you differ. Talk about the biblical principles we're holding in common here. I would love for that to happen but instead I'm getting: "You didn't talk about 1 Timothy 2." Well OK, but that's because this isn't a book about ordination. It's not about women being held up as a church officer. It's about laypeople.

No one is talking about the "one another" verses and the verses about all people being told that they need to be able to teach, all the stuff that I am talking about that is about discipleship. It's like they bypass all my main points. That's kind of insulting and frustrating to me as a conversation partner wanting my book to be discussed for what I did write.

And even in some areas where I talk about Lydia as a church plant of Paul, I ask questions that some people were asking. Was Lydia, then, a leader of church leaders after they left? I came to the conclusion that it appears that Luke was left behind by the use of first-person and third-person that he uses in Acts and therefore I believe that Luke was left behind, get started before more church officers are established, that they didn't leave Lydia, a new convert, to lead the whole church. And yet, I'm being accused everywhere of calling Lydia "a pastor." I don't get it.

I'm being accused of calling Junia an apostle with a capital A where I labor to show that I don't think she was an apostle with a capital A but we can't get beyond the fact that she is called "great among the apostles" [in Romans 15] with a lowercase a  people planting churches, all of the qualifications of the many people who were described as apostles.

CP: In other words they were apostolic in the truest sense of the word, meaning "sent one."

Byrd: Right, exactly. So those things are really frustrating. So people are really stumbling on, just talking about women serving in any kind of capacity like that.

I'm hearing from so many men and women have been struggling with this topic, who have been through some pretty bad junk in the church because of it, who are very appreciative of the book. And what's really burning on my heart here is that, yes, I had to [address] some critique in this book directly but what I'm really wanting to do is peel back that stuff and reveal what the Bible is really saying here, which is really rich and beautiful about God's love for His church and our great honor as disciples to communicate God's Word and then commune together as a church.

And so I would hope that while it is a controversial topic, but why let it set us back? It's really sad that it's that controversial and so I hope that people would get past that part of it and that even if you disagree with me, that we can have a calmer conversation about it. I don't have a secret agenda. I'm pretty direct.
President Donald Trump accused former President Barrack Obama of being grossly incompetent following Obama's comment about how the present administration responds to the pandemic, according to a recently published article.

Former President Barrack Obama's Comment About How Trump's Administration Handle the Pandemic

It is very rare in the political history in the United States of America where a Predecessor gives comments and criticism to his successor. It is to show respect and a chance for his successor to prove what do better if not the best.

However, the pandemic has broken this tradition in the country as former Pres. Barrack Obama gave an indirect comment about how Trump's administration handle the pandemic in a video he released when he gave a speech to the graduating students.

Obama said: "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge." His speech came in the wake of the pandemic that killed almost 80,000 at that time where most of them are coming from the communities of colors according to a report.

The speech he delivered online was intended for the historically black colleges and universities on Saturday. In the virtual speech, he also said online: "Doing what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy - that's how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way - which is why things are so screwed up."

Obama seems not satisfied with the response of the present administration for two things. First, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic that hit hard people from the community of different colors, and second is its economic impact that leads to millions of unemployment.

Obama also asserted in an article: "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."

President Trump Accused Former President Obama of Being Grossly Incompetent Following the Virtual Speech

President Donald Trump responded to the indirect criticism of the former president. Trump accused Obama of being grossly incompetent during his time of office in the country.

Trump said mentioned he hasn't seen the video about Obama's comment but he said: "Look, he was an incompetent president, that's all I can say. Grossly incompetent."

Moreover, Trump said on Sunday: "So I think we had a great weekend. We did a lot of terrific meetings. Tremendous progress is being made on many fronts, including coming up with a cure for this horrible plague that has beset our country."

He also added: "It was a working weekend, it was a good weekend. A lot of very good things have happened."

Meanwhile, Peter Navarro, the White House Trade Adviser, also said in a separate interview that he was so "glad Mr. Obama has a new job as Joe Biden's press secretary." Biden was the former vice-president of Obama and is now running for President against Trump.

Read related articles:
The uproar began when an Alaska lawmaker emailed all 39 of his statehouse colleagues to compare health screening stickers to the badges that singled out Jews during the Holocaust.

"If my sticker falls off, do I get a new one or do I get public shaming too?" Rep. Ben Carpenter, a Republican, wrote Friday, sharing his dismay at a new requirement for legislators returning to the Alaska Capitol amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Are the stickers available as a yellow Star of David?"

READ ALSO: 'This is horrible': Massive fire erupts on South Padre Island, engulfing condominiums

The backlash was swift: "Ben, this is disgusting," one Jewish representative wrote back in emails first posted by the Alaska Landmine. "I don't think a tag that we're cleared to enter the building is akin to being shipped to a concentration camp," responded another. The leader of the state House's Republican delegation said Carpenter should apologize.

But Carpenter dug in.

"Can you or I - can we even say it is totally out of the realm of possibility that covid-19 patients will be rounded up and taken somewhere?" he said later in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News, arguing that officials are overreacting to the coronavirus with limits on people's liberty. "People want to say Hitler was a white supremacist. No. He was fearful of the Jewish nation, and that drove him into some unfathomable atrocities."

That provoked a new round of denunciations from fellow lawmakers, one of whom said he's seen similar arguments making the rounds online. The comments echo comparisons made by some protesters opposed to stay-at-home orders who argue that strict public health measures are akin to slavery and genocidal dictatorships - governors have been likened to Nazis - in rhetoric that many view as inappropriate in a national debate about measures to curb the coronavirus.

Anti-Semitic symbols and Confederate flags have also popped up at protests, causing offense and getting entangled in resistance to lockdowns.

"If people want to have a dialogue about how this is infringing on our Constitution, I'm happy to have that conversation," said Rep. Grier Hopkins, a Democrat, the Jewish representative who wrote the email calling Carpenter's initial message "disgusting."

"But I hope he understands that this is not the Holocaust, and how that massacred 6 million Jews, and how genocide is not health mandates," he told The Post on Saturday.

Democratic colleague Rep. Andy Josephson told the Anchorage Daily News: "I don't know there's a whole lot more to say. I just think it's pretty unfortunate."

Carpenter, who did not immediately respond to The Post's inquiries Saturday, told the newspaper he didn't intend to "rile somebody' and has "no ill will toward the Jewish nation and the Jewish people in our country."

Another representative on the mass email chain reviewed by The Post sympathized with Carpenter's view, later telling the Anchorage Daily News she wanted to "stay away from either condoning or condemning anything he said about [the Holocaust]." She said she agreed with his take on the virus response.

"We should all be concerned about the implications of being labeled as 'non compliant' or wearing a badge of 'compliance,' " the representative, Sarah Vance, a Republican, wrote in an email after Hopkins had written his rebuke.

SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES: Texas reports massive jump in COVID-19 cases in single day

Protesters and lawmakers around the country have raised questions about the value of continued coronavirus restrictions, though polling shows a majority of Americans are concerned about lifting stay-at-home orders too early. Shutdowns have devastated the economy, put millions out of work and placed sweeping new limits on Americans' daily lives.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The requirement that sparked Carpenter's email, though, was quite limited in scope: a rule that state legislators wear stickers indicating they've passed a health test when they head back to Juneau on Monday.

"We want to take necessary precautions because we have some of the most rural communities in the entire country, and they were decimated by the 1918 flu pandemic because people brought the disease back," Hopkins said. " 'It is enough? Will it help to keep us all safe?' [are] some of the bigger questions I've heard."

Like most states, Alaska has been moving to reopen: Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, let restaurants, retail stores and hair and nail salons start operating late last month, though with new social distancing requirements, such as capacity limits that many businesses find burdensome.

But Carpenter still said he sees coronavirus measures as a slippery slope, claiming the danger is past. He argues that with 10 Alaskans dead from the coronavirus, the fear of the pandemic is a bigger threat than the disease - a view shared by some national leaders including President Trump, who has tweeted that "WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF."

"We have a way of life that is being threatened right now because we have shut down our economy," Carpenter told the Anchorage Daily News.

He continued to defend his statements in text messages to the newspaper after its story with his Hitler comments published, saying: "The point was that it was fear that drove him. The attention of his fear was undesirables, including Jews. And the larger point is that PEOPLE FOLLOWED HIM."

Asked about the assessment of Hitler, Hopkins evoked the 2017 neo-Nazi rally where people chanted "Jews will not replace us." Attendees have described themselves as "white nationalists" who want a "homeland for white people."

"If those people were not white supremacists," he said in an interview, "well, I guess I don't know what a white supremacist looks like."
Ukraine is ready to appeal to international arbitration courts, in particular the International Court of Justice, if negotiations with Iran on a downed Ukrainian passenger plane do not yield results, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin has said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to him, this will happen if negotiations on an objective impartial investigation into the plane crash and compensation for the families of the victims, the airline and Ukraine bring no results.

"If the talks come to a standstill, we will have to turn to international arbitration courts, including the International Court of Justice. It's not just about Ukraine, it's about a united front of the states of Canada, Britain, Sweden, Afghanistan, and Ukraine," Yenin said.

He also spoke about problems with the examination of the black box flight recorders. So far, Iran has not completed this process. However, "a country where an incident took place must ensure the immediate reading of these black boxes or transfer them to a third state," Yenin said.

According to him, Ukraine is considering conducting an examination in France.

The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on January 8. There were 176 people on board  nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). They all died.

Iranian lawmaker Hassan Norouzi, a member of the parliament's legal and judicial commission, said in early April that the Iranian military did the right thing by shooting down the airliner and said that nobody had been arrested for the incident.

At the same time, Iranian officials denied the lawmaker's statement and opened a criminal case against him for "dissemination of false information" and "incitement of public consciousness."

op
Following the detection of its first omicron case Saturday in Haidian district of Beijing, the Chinese capital locked down certain communities and office buildings just weeks before the Winter Olympics and the Lunar New Year holiday. The city opened 30 emergency testing points in Haidian on Monday as it rushes to contain the spread

Jan 19, 2022 05:37 PM
Thousands gathered to party in Florida and clashed with law enforcement over the weekend.

Volusia County Sheriff's Deputies believe roughly 3,000 people gathered in different locations in DeLand for a party Saturday.

Officials said during the day the gatherings were uneventful, but at night things took a turn.

Law enforcement said weapons were pointed at officers. Bar stools, bottles and jars were also thrown at them, police said.

Around 10:30 p.m., a passenger in a vehicle pointed a weapon out the window, in the direction of a deputy and pedestrians while at a gas station.

Just after midnight, two men, later identified as Alphonso Parker and Charles Turner, exchanged gunfire near a crowd of roughly 1,500 people.

Deputies said Turner fled from police and threw the weapon. Turner is being charged with two counts of possession of a weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, inciting a riot and resisting an officer without violence.

Deputies said Parker was arrested on many of the same charges as Turner, excluding the tampering with evidence but also charged with possession of a concealed firearm.

Investigators said a 34-year-old man took himself to a hospital and told police he was at the party in DeLand when he heard gunshots, and when fleeing with others realized he was shot.

A person is also in custody for hitting an officer with a cup containing alcohol, during which a deputy was punched but that person fled the scene.

One deputy sustained a minor knee injury and a DeLand PD officer had a minor head injury when he was hit with the jar.

Multiple people were taken into custody.
Richa Saxena, Karan Kalra

The lockdown announced by the government as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown various operational challenges for businesses trying to function during these times. duty

Overview of Stamp Duty Law

Stamp duty is an indirect tax levied by the government and is payable on the execution of specific documents (or instruments, as used in legislations). Both the Centre and state governments have jurisdiction to levy stamp duty.

Under Article 246 of the Constitution read with Seventh Schedule List I ( the Union List), the Central government has the power to levy stamp duty on certain instruments (such as bills of exchange, cheques, promissory notes, transfer of shares etc.) whereas, under List II (State List), the state governments have the power to levy stamp duty in respect of documents other than those specified in List I which are executed within the territory of the relevant State.

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

Further, only those instruments attract stamp duty that falls within the description of instruments described under the relevant stamp acts (being the Indian Stamp Act,1899 (as amended by different states) and the relevant state-specific legislation in force, such as the Maharashtra Stamp Act, in Maharashtra (collectively Stamp Acts).

Timelines for payments and consequences of delay

Stamp duty is required to be paid either prior to or on the date of execution of an instrument, with limited exceptions allowing for payment on the next working day after execution. A delay in payment of stamp duty may be rectified by approaching the Collector of Stamps (Collector) who is vested with discretionary powers to accept delayed payments, with or without levying penalties (which in some cases may be up 10 times the deficient stamp duty amount) if he is convinced of the genuineness of the delay. Pertinently, any instrument chargeable with stamp duty and which is inadequately stamped or not stamped at all is not admissible as evidence in a court of law.

Limitation during the lockdown

Typically, stamp duty can be paid (1) online by using the e-stamping facility (maintained by SHCIL, e-SBTR etc.) in certain states; (2) purchasing non-judicial stamp papers (bond papers bearing impressed stamps) from concerned vendors; and (3) paying duty and getting the document stamped using a franking machine, available with the specified vendors.

Given most vendors are not allowed to remain open during the lockdown as well as the restrictions on movement, the second and third options mentioned above are not viable.

Further, while prima facie e-stamping appears to be a viable solution, this too is faced with limitations. First, the facility is not available in all states and even in states where it is available, there are varied limitations on the types of documents that may be stamped in this manner such as the minimum amount of duty that can be paid, multiples of amounts for which stamp paper can be purchased etc.

Next, the process of e-stamping while allows the payment of duty online, requires the actual stamp paper to be collected physically from identified vendors. While a view can be taken that the obligation to pay stamp duty in time can be achieved if the payment is made online within the timelines applicable under the law, practically, parties would still face challenges in collecting the stamp paper later, the timelines for which cannot be ascertained today.

Possible solutions

While there is no biding order/relief measures announced in most states at the time of this publication, Maharashtra has gone ahead and granted some much-needed relief. The Maharashtra Government's IGR and Controller of Stamps Office, has issued a circular on April 27, 2020 (Circular) that effectively allows parties to pay stamp duty without attracting penalties and without the Collector exercising its discretion, within 30 days of the lockdown restriction being lifted. This is a welcome move even in Maharashtra where e-stamping is available through the e-SBTR system.

Unfortunately, other states or the Central government are yet to provide such relief and accordingly it is imperative to consider whether the law and its interpretation can be relied upon to provide some solution. The Indian Stamp Act and most of the state enactments while giving discretionary powers to the Collector to accept delayed payment of stamp duty with or without penalties, prescribe that the Collector may do so if the concerned parties approach the Collector suo moto and if he is convinced that the instruments were not duly stamped on account of a mistake, accident or urgent necessity.

Therefore, if it can be established that (1) the parties did indeed have the intent to pay stamp duty in a timely manner but despite making best efforts to pay the same (including by attempting to use the e-stamping facilities, where available), they were unable to make the payment; and (2) the instrument in question needed to be executed urgently and necessarily, we believe it should be regarded as just and sufficient rationale to satisfy a Collector of the genuineness of the cause and the relevant Collector should accept to stamp such documents without levying penalties.

There are a number of judicial pronouncements that lay credence to the arguments presented above for payment of stamp duty within a reasonable period after the lockdown is lifted, on instruments executed during the lockdown. The High Court of Punjab and Haryana in Kul Bhushan vs Chief Controlling Authority (Financial Commissioner Haryana State) Chandigarh and Others observed that where due to unavailability of a stamp vendor the agreement in question could not be duly stamped, the Collector should not impose any penalty. Also, the Madras High Court in Navinraj vs Gnanasekar[2] opined that a Collector while considering imposing penalty and the quantum thereof, the Collector should take into account all facts and circumstances surrounding the matter, including the financial position of the parties involved.

It would also be important to take note that the Government of India, Ministry of Finance issued a communication dated April 20, 2020 (GOI Letter) to the state governments requesting them to issue instructions to Collectors to not impose a penalty in respect of loan agreement related instruments if stamped within a reasonable time (say 30 days) following the withdrawal of the Covid-19 lockdown. Interestingly though, while the GOI Letter clarifies the penalty aspect, it is silent on whether the Collector is bound to accept delayed payment of stamp duty itself or if it can continue to exercise it discretionary powers. While it may reasonable to suggest that the intent was to require Collectors to be duty-bound to accept payments made in accordance with the GOI Letter, what is more pertinent is that the GOI Letter can at best be regarded to have persuasive value since it only requests state governments to issue directions and nothing more.

Given that the lockdown has now been extended for at least another couple of weeks with the strictest restrictions hitting the metros where commercial activity is concentrated, it is imperative that during this period documents can be executed in the best possible manner to ensure they are admissible in evidence before a court of law with least logistical and financial stress. While Maharashtras Circular clears the dust for the state, similar action from other states is eagerly awaited and till then parties may consider the suggestions made in this publication and rely on judicial interpretation and good governance.

Richa Saxena (Of Counsel, Bombay Law Chambers)

Karan Kalra (Founder, Bombay Law Chambers)
MARYVILLE, Mo., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tenaska Clear Creek Energy Center, a 242-megawatt (MW) wind farm in northwest Missouri, is now fully operational. The facility achieved commercial operation on Monday, May 4.

Located north of Maryville in Nodaway County, Tenaska Clear Creek is comprised of 111 Vestas turbines across approximately 31,000 acres.

"This project was a team effort that involved not just Tenaska but also a number of landowners, community leaders and contractors. For us all to come together and bring online this safe and efficient wind farm, that is quite an accomplishment," said Tenaska CEO and Vice Chairman Jerry Crouse. "The team achieved many milestones to get here, and we are excited that Tenaska Clear Creek has reached its goal: commercial operation and delivering renewable power to Associated Electric Cooperative."

Tenaska, an energy company based in Omaha, Nebraska, is a respected developer and operator of generating facilities across the United States. Tenaska Clear Creek is the 18th power project that the company has brought online.

The wind farm produces renewable energy under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., an electric generation and transmission cooperative based in Springfield, Missouri, that provides wholesale power to six regional cooperatives, including NW Electric Power Cooperative Inc. of Cameron, Missouri, and 51 local cooperative systems in Missouri, southeast Iowa and northeast Oklahoma that serve 910,000 members.

"Clear Creek helps us advance Associated's strategy to deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to our member-owners," said David J. Tudor, Associated CEO and general manager. "Power from this resource contributes to our diverse and balanced energy mix and helps ensure we can continue to deliver benefits to our members."

The wind farm is owned by Tenaska Clear Creek Wind, LLC, which is comprised of affiliates of Tenaska and Bright Canyon Energy.

"We invested in this wind farm to gain operational experience with wind, and we could not have found a better partner for our first undertaking than Tenaska, a company that brings to the table innovation, commitment and rigor," said Bright Canyon General Manager Jason Smith. "Clear Creek will provide clean energy to customers in the Midwest for years to come and serve as a model resource to make America's energy mix more and more green through the coming decades. We are proud to be a part of that effort."

Construction of the wind farm began in spring 2019. Vestas, an industry-leading global manufacturer of wind turbines, supplied the wind turbines and is providing maintenance services for the project. Mortenson, a premier builder and provider of energy and engineering services, was the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. The completion of the Tenaska Clear Creek wind project is an important milestone in Mortenson's celebration of 25 years in the wind energy industry.

Construction of Tenaska Clear Creek represented an investment of more than $300 million in the regional economy. Through Mortenson, 350 craft workers were hired from the local area and approximately $30 million in contracts were awarded to regional businesses.

During operation, Tenaska Clear Creek is supported by a team of 16 local employees staffed through NAES Corporation and Vestas. Approximately 160 landowners have long-term leases with Tenaska Clear Creek, which is estimated to result in more than $1.2 million in lease payments annually. Tenaska Clear Creek is expected to generate more than $1.2 million in tax revenue annually for local units of government.

Tenaska, which owns and operates 8,200 MW of generating facilities across the United States, prides itself on being a good business neighbor. Tenaska Clear Creek has established a community fund that will support programs in Nodaway County. The wind farm will contribute $15,000 annually for the next 20 years.

Tenaska is also managing construction of the Nobles 2 Power Partners wind farm in southwest Minnesota. The 250-MW project is anticipated to be online by the end of 2020. Tenaska's development pipeline includes 7,000 MW of renewables projects.

In addition to power generation, Tenaska and its affiliates are industry leaders in natural gas and electric power marketing. Tenaska Marketing Ventures is among the top five largest natural gas marketers in North America and is the top-ranked natural gas pipeline capacity trader. Tenaska Power Services Co. is the leading provider of energy management services to the U.S. wind industry, as well as to generation and demand-side customers in the U.S., with more third party-owned generation under management than any other provider.

About Tenaska Clear Creek Wind, LLC

Tenaska, an energy company based in Omaha, Nebraska, formed Tenaska Clear Creek Wind, LLC to build, own and manage Tenaska Clear Creek Energy Center in Nodaway County, Missouri. Today, the partnership is comprised of affiliates of Tenaska and Bright Canyon Energy. An affiliate of Tenaska serves as the managing partner.

About Tenaska

Tenaska, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the leading independent energy companies in the United States. Forbes magazine consistently ranks Tenaska among the 50 largest private U.S. companies. Gross operating revenues were approximately $9.9 billion in 2019.

Tenaska has developed approximately 10,500 megawatts (MW) of natural gas-fueled and renewable power projects. Affiliate Tenaska Solar Ventures provides development services for roughly 6,000 MW of renewable solar capacity. Tenaska and its affiliates have managed the acquisition and divestiture of 10,500 MW of energy assets. The current Tenaska operating fleet includes 12 natural gas-fueled and renewable generating facilities able to generate approximately 8,200 MW combined.

Tenaska affiliates are industry leaders in natural gas and electric power marketing. Tenaska Marketing Ventures (TMV) is among the top five largest natural gas marketers in North America and is the top-ranked natural gas pipeline capacity trader. TMV is consistently top ranked by its customers in the annual Mastio & Company Natural Gas Marketer Customer Value / Loyalty Benchmarking Study. During 2019, TMV sold or managed 10.7 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day. Tenaska Power Services Co. is the leading provider of energy management services to generation and demand-side customers in the U.S., with more third party-owned generation under management than any other provider.

For more information, visit www.tenaska.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Bright Canyon

Bright Canyon, based in Phoenix, Arizona, is a developer, owner and operator of electric infrastructure in the U.S. Bright Canyon is a subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.

SOURCE Tenaska

Related Links

http://www.tenaska.com


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People looking to book a holiday to France should wait until talks about a prospective quarantine across the Channel have concluded, a top minister has told Sky News, with the measures to be reviewed every three weeks.

Boris Johnson announced international travellers flying into the UK would be required to quarantine themselves for two weeks when he addressed the nation last Sunday.

However, Downing Street later added: "No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage."

The clarification from Number 10 led some people to book trips to France, safe in the knowledge that no quarantine would be imposed.

The government then said there was no exemption for France and that talks were ongoing to negotiate how the border crossing would work to ensure the spread of COVID-19 is contained.

Now, Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has said details of any quarantine between the UK and France are not yet confirmed.

The Times has reported that lorry drivers travelling between the two countries could be among those who would be exempt from a two-week self-isolation period.

Sky News put that to Mr Dowden, who appeared to confirm it.

He said: "The reason for allowing some exemptions is to keep the economy going. If we didn't apply quarantine exemptions to lorry drivers, we wouldn't be able to get all the freight we need from France from the rest of Europe to Britain.

"We're taking some sensible, proportionate exemptions to it and of course all the other restrictions will continue to apply to lorry drivers, but it's just to help the flow of traffic that seems a suitable measure to take."

He added that "discussions with the French are ongoing", before denying that the government had sent out confused messaging on the issue.

Mr Dowden said: "We did say we're having constructive discussions with the French about quarantine - and that is what's going on."

Story continues

He added: "As far as I'm concerned, we've been consistent. We're looking to introduce these quarantine measures, those measures haven't been introduced yet, we're still working out the final details of those. Those will be coming forward shortly."

The initial guidance from Number 10 - that there would be no need to self-isolate if travelling into or from France - prompted optimism that as lockdown measures ease, people could look to holiday in France.

Mr Dowden played down this prospect, telling Sky News: "I think people should wait to see what the quarantine measures look like and what measures we take in relation to France."

He confirmed that at the moment there are no quarantine measures in place between the UK and France.

Speaking at a regular Westminster briefing for journalists, the prime minister's spokesman said the 14-day quarantine will be reviewed every three weeks.

"The PM has said that those arriving in the UK from overseas will be required to self-isolate in order to prevent infections from abroad and a second wave of cases," he said.

"The work on this is continuing and we will set out more details in due course."

Downing Street insisted there had never been an exemption for France, but said there would be one for Ireland as part of the common travel area.

:: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Asked how long the quarantine regulation would last, Mr Johnson's spokesman said: "Any changes brought in will be subject to a rolling review every three weeks to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific advice and that they remain effective and necessary."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told MPs that final details of the quarantine scheme will be confirmed next month but "we should indeed consider further improvements".

He was responding to a question from Conservative MP and transport select committee chair Huw Merriman, who asked if "air bridges" to let people coming from countries with R rates below one could be exempt from the two-week quarantine proposed.

Mr Shapps confirmed there are "active discussions" on what initially be a "blanket" policy.

It comes as the boss of Ryanair has described UK government plans to introduce a 14-day quarantine as "nonsense".

Michael O'Leary told Sky News he believed ministers were "making stuff up as they go along" - saying such a precaution was unworkable and unenforceable as the no-frills carrier maintained its plans to resume 40% of its flight schedule from July.
May 18 : Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas leaves no stone in sprinkling the magic of her beauty on Social media. For stunning diva seems to be a good day today. The actor feeling blessed took to her Instagram feed and shared a selfie.

In the photo the Sky Is Pink actress is seen quite endearing in her white knitted top and skirt. She seamlessly paired her ensemble with a hat and opted for a cherry lippy.

The caption of her post read, Feeling blessed. The sun, a hat and a cherry lip... its a good day.

No doubt the Baywatch actor is all-around jaw-droppingly beautiful woman, but she is a philanthropist too. The actress to spread the awareness over COVID-19 collaborated with WHO. She has been going all out in spreading awareness about coronavirus and lending her support along with husband Nick Jonas to various initiatives that help people cope up with the situation.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka will be next seen in Bollywood film The White Tiger. It is reportedly based on a Man Booker prize-winning novel of the same name. The movie is going to be featured on Netflix and it also stars other talented Indian actors like Rajkummar Rao. Priyanka Chopra is all set to make her fans feel awed in this village drama.

The plot explains the story of a villager on a run to make his life better. However, her fans are eager to know about her upcoming Hollywood projects.
Queensland's embattled former deputy premier will not walk away from the fight for her seat in Parliament.

Jackie Trad has confirmed she will contest her South Brisbane seat at the October state election.

Jackie Trad will fight for her seat on the backbench. Credit:Dan Peled/AAP

A little more than a week ago, the former treasurer and deputy premier announced she would stand aside from her ministerial duties while she was investigated by the state's corruption watchdog.

She denies allegations she interfered in the appointment of the new Inner City South State Secondary College principal in her electorate.
After turning down 8-million dollar offer to keep his coronavirus tracker ad-free, the 17-year-old boy is now an internet sensation.

Read More: Canadian Snowbird Jet Crashes in a Residential Area Leaving 1 dead and 1 Injured

What's Made Him Decide To Keep The App Ad-Free

Avi Schiffmann,17, is known as the inventor of the most visited coronavirus tracking app in the world. He used this project as a good excuse to procrastinate on school work, saying that the app has taken "100% of his time." Schiffmann is indeed proud of his project. However, he doesn't want to become a model or wants to make a name for himself during the pandemic that is currently spreading across the world.

The coronavirus pandemic looks like it's not going to be over anytime soon, and Schiffmann is working hard to update his tracking app until the end continuously. Governments and people all around are now using his app to get updates about the coronavirus around the globe.

Once the pandemic is finally over, he's planning to shut down his servers and make a page that would compare COVID-19 to the other deadly virus, SARS, and Spanish flu.

The reason for the comparison is that he thinks that it can be used as a historical outlook on the coronavirus for people to use his studies for future virus and pandemics around the globe, which will be a huge help to scientists and researchers given the statistics his servers are continually pushing out.

Schiffmann is also planning to update his app to add more features and keep it ad-free for the entirety of the time to make it quick, accessible, and clutter-free for everyone to use.

Read More: This is How Apple Retail Stores Follow Health Guidelines During Re-opening

How Does The App Work?

Schiffman created an app--a project he has spent most of his time--is capable of getting information about the deadly coronavirus from sources such as WHO, CDC, and other government sites. The app shows worldwide infections, deaths, recovery rates, and rates of change.

The site offers new features you can use, like the new survival rate calculator. The site also contains infections broken down in map-view and pages with necessary information about the novel coronavirus. Not to mention tips for hygiene and several symptoms that are now being associated with COVID-19.

Schiffmann said, "In the future, I hope pressure is on the WHO" to make a tool like this: "The responsibility shouldn't be on some random kid, but it's obvious that people want to know the statistics."

Schiffmann has said that the time consumed by this app has come at a price for his health by saying that he had to stay up for 50 hours straight. He also estimates that he has been working on the app for over a hundred hours already by saying, "It's taken over my life," but didn't wait to add that he will "gladly take on the pressure."

Plans for the Young Inventor

Despite people telling him that turning down eight million dollars would be a decision he would regret in the future, he said, "I'm only 17, I don't need $US8 million... I don't want to be a profiteer."

He even said that he has gotten job offers, including one from Microsoft, but is not interested in them for now but said, "Now I know a ton of VCs and investors... if I started a company tomorrow, they'd at least read my business plan."

Schiffmann's dream connection would be from Bill Gates, and he's especially interested in talking about the crossroads of public health and technology. So Mr. Gates, if you happen to hear about this kid, make sure to give him a ring.

Read More: Hackers Conducted a Massive Unemployment Benefit Scam Using Millions Of Americans' Stolen Identities

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Peru:

More than 50,000 people marched in Perus capital and eight other cities to protest violence against woman and what they say is the indifference of the judicial system.

Officials said the size of the protest yesterday against gender violence was unprecedented in Peru and followed several recent high-profile cases in which male perpetrators were given what womens groups said were too-lenient sentences. The march in Lima ended at the palace of justice.

Today, the 13th of August, is a historic day for this country because it represents a breaking point and the start of a new culture to eradicate the marginalisation that women have been suffering, especially with violence, said Victor Ticona, president of Perus judicial system.

Ticona said that a commission of judges would receive representatives of the protesters. Newly inaugurated President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski took part in the march along with first lady Nancy Lange.

What we dont want in Peru is violence against anyone, but especially against women and children, he said. Earlier in the day, Kuczynski said his government is going to ask for facilities for women to denounce violence because abuse flourishes in an environment where complaints cannot be made and the blows are absorbed in silence and this is not how it should be.

Perus march follows similar protests against gender violence in other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, held under the slogan #NiUnaMenos, #NotOneLess.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani has issued an order to establish a nineteen-member body as the "Sardar Soleimani World Award Policy Council".Sardar means Marshal or Chief Commander in Persian.

The order is based on a resolution by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

Qassem Soleimani, the Chief Commander of Qods Force, the extraterritorial arm of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was killed in a U.S. drone attack on January 3 outside Baghdad international airport.

The biennial series of awards, in commemoration of the fallen IRGC commander, is set to be presented to people in the field of "struggle and resistance". The Islamic Republic refers to its proxy militia in the region as "resistance groups."

The nineteen-member group includes the Islamic Republic's Foreign Minister, the head of the state-run Radio and Television Organization and representatives of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, the Islamic Jihad movement, and the Yemeni Ansarullah, the Iranian official news agency IRNA reported.

The award was initially approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution nearly seven months before Soleimani's death as the "Sacrifice Prize".

However, the council decided later to rename the Prize as "Sardar Soleimani Award", IRNA cited the council's secretary, Saeid Reza Ameli, as saying.

The award will be given at two levels and in proportion to the geographical scope and "effectiveness of self-sacrifice", with the titles of "Sardar Soleimani Supreme Award" and "Sardar Soleimani Award" biannually.

Also, the award is granted in the main category of "struggle and resistance" and six sub-fields of "people and society", "culture and art", "politics", "education and research", "media" and "sports" to qualified candidates according to the decision of specialized committees, local news outlets reported.
Cabinet chose the wrong time to be divided, if the controversy over whether or not to vary the maximum 20 people threshold and allow 70 worshippers in church  which has since been reversed following the quick intervention of Parliament  in the midst of a national crisis of enormous proportions occasioned by COVID-19 when unity is prerequisite to mounting counter measures to prevail over this threat facing mankind.

At a time when the nation, like the rest of humanity, is facing inevitably the greatest threat in the history of this kingdom, everyone, including those vehemently opposed to the Tinkhundla political system responsible for ruining this country, the last thing expected was a leadership division at the level of Cabinet.

Division

This division was manifest when Home Affairs Minister Princess Lindiwe announced that churches would be allowed to congregate with 70 people. This announcement opened floodgates to an ocean of condemnation and criticism on one hand, while on the other hand it was welcomed by some  not all  church leaders. In the absence of definitive data, it is plausible to conclude that those opposed to this idea were probably overwhelming since the minister later on the very same day amended her earlier statement by substituting 70 per cent with 70 congregants. If this was meant to placate the situation, the minister was wrong because the crescendo of opposing voices could not be muted thus forcing the hand of Parliament to intervene.

Ordinarily one would have assumed the first ministerial directive allowing 70 per cent church attendance was a decision of the Cabinet collective. But when she was able to amend it to 70 congregants within hours after the initial statement it became crystal that there was something terribly wrong in the decision-making hierarchy  not that it was not impossible to get the nod of the collective via a virtual meeting of Cabinet although this not plausible given the prevailing circumstances. Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini had earlier on declared that only a maximum of 20 people, observing social distancing, were allowed to meet, which meant the minister was in contradiction when she varied this.

Begging

As I see it, the question begging for an answer is whether Minister Princess Lindiwe deliberately set out to disobey the PM. Also flowing from this question is the PMs authority over his troops, namely Cabinet, and if he is effective in exercising same. There are a number of dynamics informing decision-making and, indeed, Cabinets posture towards its leadership role in extricating this nation from the threat of COVID-19. These dynamics are themselves informed by the socio-political ecosystem. On one hand, you have Minister Princess Lindiwe, who is co-leader, with her husband Bishop Robert Kasaro, of Jesus Calls Worship Centre (JCWC), otherwise commonly referred to as JC, to which the PM is a member. That makes the minister, who in Cabinet is subordinate, superior to the PM. Could it be possible, therefore, that Princess Lindiwe had discussed the matter with the PM privately and got his consent to vary the maximum 20 people to 70 per cent and later to 70 people. That is probable but best left to conjecture. Or did Princess Lindiwe set out to defy the PM by leveraging on her position in church?

Could the princess have used her social status, or a combination of her church position and social class, to make unilateral decisions? Again this is best left to conjecture but there is no escaping that this had somewhat undermined if not damaged the PMs authority, projecting him as a weak and indecisive leader. The sum total of this is that it also undermines Cabinet and the principle of collectivism in decision-making which cumulatively translate to poor and weakened leadership.

Tough

As I see it, the incumbent PM was always going to have it tough for it is inevitable that he would always be compared to and measured against the colossal figure of his predecessor, the late Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini. This would have been the case even if it were someone else and not the incumbent PM. Albeit the late former PM had the measure of the office and was decisive; he was not necessarily a good leader. He was as authoritarian as they come and created a ruinous legacy of entitlement that promoted looting and grand kleptocracy that has bankrupted the country while relegating the majority of emaSwati into a life of poverty.

With the timely intervention of Parliament, Princess Lindiwes directive has since been reversed. But this was not before the lawmakers wondered as to who was in charge of Cabinet. But while the matter has been put to rest, the perception that the JC church has become the epicentre of government will linger on. And what of the PM, how long can he survive this battering? With strong and unequivocal leadership this distraction could have been avoided to allow the PM and Cabinet to lead the nation in these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for now let us consider this to have been a litmus test for the PM from which he shall, hopefully, emerge a stronger leader.
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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:44:04|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government on Monday urged citizens not to catch lifts from cross-border trucks as this posed a health risk to them and others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been reports of truck drivers assisting travelers to evade lockdown travel restrictions by hiding them in trailers and compartments of their vehicles.

Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said those catching lifts from the haulage trucks were risking the lives of many others.

"Ministry of Health and Child Care reports two new positive cases. One is a UK returnee. The other is a cross-border truck driver who tested positive in Zambia and was confirmed positive in Zimbabwe.

"Those that catch lifts on cross-border trucks are risking us all, and endangering their families," he said on Twitter.

Mangwana had earlier said that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had allowed trade between member states to continue, so supplies could move within the region during different lockdown regimes.

His warning came as six Zimbabwean cross-border truck drivers tested positive for COVID-19 in Zambia on Friday after crossing into the country through the Chirundu border post.

To date, Zimbabwe has confirmed 46 COVID-19 cases and four deaths.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday said that testing of cross-border truck drivers will now be mandatory.

Zimbabwe has been on lockdown since March 30 with restrictions on inter-city travel. Enditem
New Delhi, May 18 : Ride hailing service Ola on Monday said it has resumed normal ride operations in more than 160 cities with enhanced safety protocols applicable with every trip as per the state governments guidelines.

The company said that driver-partners operating three and four-wheelers on the platform will be available to serve mobility needs on Ola app, with highest levels of safety precautions in Covid-19 sensitive states like Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (except Chennai), Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam.

The safety protocols include "compulsory mask usage for driver-partners and passengers, complete sanitization of cars post-trips, adhering to social distancing norms by limiting to two passengers per ride amongst other key steps through our '10 Steps to a Safer Ride' initiative," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Ola vehicles will not operate to and from government identified red or containment zones.

"All driver-partners are required to wear masks and need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through their partner app," said Ola.

Ola is giving drivers and customers an option of cancelling the ride if anyone of them is seen not wearing the mask.

To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open during all rides.

Meanwhile, Uber India said it has resumed ride services in 34 cities.

The company said that riders will constantly be notified with further information and the status of specific cities through its app.

Among the cities when Uber has resumed operations are Gurugram, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Udaipur, Vapi and Visakhapatnam.

Not more than two riders would be allowed, besides the driver and no one should be seated right next to the driver.
New Delhi, May 18 : Registering its displeasure over no stimulus for the trading community, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reconsider the economic package and announce measures to support the trading community.

In a statement, the traders' body said that it has resented with deep regret that one of the largest and most committed segments of the trading community in the country has been omitted in wide reaching announcements of the economic package.

The traders' body has written to Sitharaman to come up with measures for around seven crore retail traders in the country. It has also sent similar communication to Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Textile Minister Smriti Irani.

In the letter, CAIT has said that the traders of India have stood firmly with the government and the people of India in these troubled times to ensure continuous supply of essential commodities but now the traders feel that the Centre has let them down.

It reiterated that at the time of lifting of lockdown, the traders will have to meet various financial obligations like payment of salary to employees, payment of GST, Income Tax and other levies, EMIs, bank interest on loans and various other incidental expenses among others.

"All such circumstances will land the traders in turbulent time of financial crisis and it is expected that in absence of any handholding of the traders by the traders, about 20 per cent marginal traders will have no other alternative but to close down their business establishments and rest of the traders will have to do great struggle in reviving their business activities," it said.
In recent weeks, the Australian government has placed the country at the forefront of the Trump administrations confrontation with China by spearheading calls for an international inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. That demand, while couched in neutral terms, essentially accuses China of deliberately or recklessly setting the coronavirus on the world.

Despite concern in Canberra about the patently false White House allegations that the virus emerged from a Wuhan laboratory, the Liberal-National government, backed by the opposition Labor Party, has provocatively pushed ahead with the inquiry call, winning praise from the US administration.

Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government is now claiming credit for helping instigate a draft resolution calling for an inquiry to go before the World Health Assembly this week. That resolution makes no mention of China or Wuhan by name, instead calling for an impartial evaluation of the international health response to COVID-19, but the government insists it toughened up the original version proposed by the European Union, dovetailing with US demands for a more explicit thrust against China.

At the same time, the Morrison government has contributed to the Trump administrations ramped-up trade war with China, even as the US president has issued incendiary threats to punish and cut all relations with Beijing. Over the past week, Australian corporate media outlets and prominent government figures have accused China of retaliating against Australias inquiry stand by taking action against imports of beef and barley from Australia.

What has been revealed, however, is that successive Australian governments, including the Rudd-Gillard Labor governments of 200713, have been imposing tariffs and other restrictions on imports from China, particularly steel and aluminium products. This protectionist record came to light after China warned it would impose a 73.6 percent duty on Australian-grown barley and suspended imports from four of Australias biggest abattoirs.

Both disputes involve long-running trade conflicts. The warning on barley followed an 18-month Chinese investigation into claims that Australia dumped the crop into China, where it is used to make beer and to feed livestock. The barley exports were worth almost $600 million in 2019, after coming off multibillion-dollar highs in previous years.

China complained of a lack of co-operation from Australian barley growers, which reportedly received assistance from the Australian governments $10 billion supposed rescue plan for the Murray-Darling river system, dating back to 2007. China gave Australia a May 19 deadline to respond.

Chinas essential facts document accused large barley producers, CBH Grain, GrainCorp, Glencore, Cargill and ADM of not providing an accurate and full report on the production costs of barley. The document said four smaller producers provided no information.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry estimated that barley farmers received $165.5 million in subsidies via the Murray-Darling scheme and, as a result, the price of barley in China fell 26 percent in the three years to 2017.

In the beef dispute, Chinese authorities referred to errors relating to labelling and health certificates that date back more than a year. Chinese buyers purchased $2.6 billion, or 25 percent, of Australias beef exports last year.

China suspended imports from two JBS Australia-run abattoirsBeef City in Toowoomba and Dinmore near Ipswich in Queenslandas well as the Chinese-owned Kilcoy meatworks and the Northern Co-operative Meat Company at Casino in New South Wales (NSW).

Chinas Foreign Ministry said last Tuesday that the suspension was due to violations of customs and quarantine standards found in multiple batches of beef. A spokesman called on Australia to investigate the issue and rectify the problem to safeguard the food security of Chinese consumers.

Addressing a daily press briefing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman repeated Chinas criticism of calls for an inquiry into the origins of coronavirus. To politicise the epidemic will inhibit cooperation on epidemic control and prevention and it is not welcome, he said. But he denied that Beijing had threatened economic coercion in response to the Morrison governments move.

Even though one of the suspended abattoirs was Chinese-owned, the Australian media was immediately full of charges that the barley and beef moves represented an aggressive response to Australias COVID-19 inquiry call.

Reports then emerged of Australias treatment of Chinese steel and aluminium makers, who face import duties as high as 144 percent. Chinese authorities wrote to their Australian counterparts as far back as April 2014 warning that anti-dumping duties on Chinese products could affect the broader economic relationship.

Australias Productivity Commission has regularly criticised the federal government for imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel and aluminium, saying again last month there was no convincing justifications for these measures. Its latest report said: Australia is one of the most prolific users of anti-dumping measures in the world and continues to impose an array of anti-dumping measures.

Prime Minister Morrison, who has repeatedly boasted of defending Australias sovereignty against China, brushed aside Beijings explanations for its barley complaint. He provocatively accused the Chinese government of retaliating against supposedly legitimate anti-dumping measures. We have had anti-dumping inquiries in relation to Chinese products to Australia, he said. Not all those decisions were well received.

Australias anti-dumping measures mushroomed during the Rudd-Gillard Labor government, with the trade unions agitating for such protectionism as a means of diverting growing workers anger over job destruction in reactionary nationalist directions. The unions blamed foreign governments and workers for closures and job losses driven by the profit calculations of transnational corporations.

Through an Anti-Dumping Commission, the Australian government currently has 81 protectionist measures in force against 22 countries and 27 types of imports. Two-thirds of the measures are aimed at steel and aluminium imports, notably from China.

Sections of the Australian ruling class, especially the billionaires whose fortunes are built on iron ore, coal and gas exports to China, are voicing fears of the fallout from Australias alignment with the US trade war against China. Nevertheless, the dominant layers of the corporate and financial elite are committed to the US-led conflict with China because of their dependence on the US for investment and military backup.

Over the past two decades, Chinas economic growth has made it by far Australian capitalisms biggest export market, but that same growth also has turned it into a direct threat to the post-World War II dominance of US imperialism. The escalating US diplomatic and economic attacks on China are threatening to descend into a nuclear-armed military conflict, with Australias population on the frontline.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) received $950,000 within the Salyan field development project in the first quarter of 2020, SOFAZ told Trend.

As part of the Zigh-Hovsan-Absheron block of oil fields development project, SOFAZ received $0.6 million, the fund said.

On November 3, 2006, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Russneft Absheron Investments Ltd. signed an agreement on restoration, development and shared distribution of production of the Zigh and Hovsan oil fields in Azerbaijan.

The agreement entered into force on October 8, 2007. In 2018, 500,000 barrels of oil were produced from this block of fields, which coincides with the volume of oil production in 2017.

The total area of the territory specified in the agreement is 68.81 square kilometers.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @IsmailovaNargis
Leaving Forest Department officials on their toes, yet another leopard attacked livestock in the wee hours of Monday at Katamaanadoddi in Ramanagar taluk. This is the third leopard attack in less than two weeks in the vicinity. On Sunday, forest officials had caught two leopards after a 62-year-old lady was mauled by a leopard on Saturday. Similarly, last week, a leopard had killed a three-year-old boy in Magadi taluk of Ramanagar district.

Also read  Hunt on for man-eater leopard after woman mauled to death

On Monday early morning at around 3:00 am, a leopard sneaked into Katamaanadoddi village and attacked a calf that was locked up inside a cattle pen.

Range Forest Officials revealed to DH that the cattle pen belonged to a farmer Desappa.

The six-month-old calf has been severely injured and profusely bleeding from the neck. The leopard may have tried to drag the calf away. However, the family of the farmer disturbed by the weak bleating of the calf, switched on the lights, prompting the leopard to disappear into the dark, an official said quoting villagers.

On Sunday, the forest officials had caught two leopardsa male and a femalenear Sidaganapalya and Bodaganapalya. Following the killing of a 62-year-old at Kottagaanahalli village, a Forest Department personnel had kept cages at 11 places across Magadi taluk. Both the leopards were caught just a kilometre away from the spot of killing.

Similarly, the villagers from Dasappanapalya, four kilometres from the spot, had rescued two leopard cubs and handed them over to the Forest Department.
Athens (AFP) - Greece reopened the Acropolis in Athens and all open-air archaeological sites under tight sanitary conditions to the public on Monday after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A clutch of visitors -- among them foreigners living in Athens -- and masked reporters gathered at the world-famous site, the most-visited monument in Greece, which had been closed since March 13, ten days before a general lockdown was imposed.

"We have never seen so few people at the Acropolis," a Russian visitor accompanied by her husband told AFP.

"It's like having a private visit," said the woman, who has lived in Athens for five years.

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was among the first visitors to the ancient Greek complex that sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the capital.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, journalists and employees -- many wearing face masks -- attended, as well as a few tourists, with measures to control the virus enforced.

Separation screens have been put up and the sites have been disinfected, the culture ministry said.

Visitors will be encouraged to wear masks -- which will be compulsory for guides at the site -- and guests will be asked to stay 1.5 metres (five feet) apart.

- 'Precious achievement' -

Greece is dotted with dozens of temples, stadiums, theatres and citadels from Antiquity, including the Bronze Age Minoan palace of Knossos on Crete, and Olympia, cradle of the Olympic Games.

The Acropolis saw 2.9 million visitors last year, a 14.2 percent increase on the previous year.

But all museums will not be open until June 15 under the government's plan to gradually lift restriction to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Paid beaches in Athens reopened on Saturday.

Tourism is a major economic engine for Greece and has been hit hard by confinement measures in place to stem the spread of the virus.

Greece and another nine EU states including Germany on Monday said they were in favour of "progressive" cross-border movement, "provided current positive trends continue leading to comparable epidemiological situations in countries of origin and of destination."

Story continues

"We call on tourism businesses and related private actors to use the coming weeks to take appropriate precautionary measures to protect travellers once freedom of movement and travelling is restored," the foreign ministries of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia said in a joint statement.

The foreign ministers who held a videoconference to discuss a coordinated approach towards restoring freedom of movement, said there had to be "a common understanding of health-related standards and procedures."

The Greek government on Monday said it would announce its travel and health protocols within days, but that the country was "starting from scratch" as far as season expectations are concerned.

"Anything we gain will be a success," said government spokesman Stelios Petsas.

"We want a bigger market share from a much smaller pie," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week.

"If things go according to plan, we will be open July 1, with a protocol that is going to make common sense," the PM said.

Athens expects the economy to contract nearly five percent this year, partly due to the loss of tourism income from key markets such as Germany, Britain and the United States.

With 165 deaths from the virus, Greece started easing the measures this month after a six-week lockdown with an eye to salvaging the vital tourism season.

The country has suffered less from the pandemic than many other European nations and restaurants are due to resume trading from May 25, a week earlier than originally planned.

"This is a precious achievement, it allows for the resumption of the tourist season which will be extended to make up for" lost time, the Greek culture minister said.

The government spokesman said that two weeks after the first restrictions were lifted on May 4, mobility was up 33 percent this month compared to April without major changes on the virus front.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Makeup Museum , today announced Givaudan , the world's leading flavour and fragrance company, as an official beauty sponsor for the museum's debut of the immersive Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America exhibition in New York City.

As one of the official sponsors, Givaudan will provide an exclusive 1950s-inspired fragrance to scent the exhibition space, as well as insight around the Swiss manufacturer's critical role in fragrance. As part of its contribution to history, Givaudan opened a perfumery school, which trained a third of the world's creative perfumers. In the 1950s era, the company also transitioned Givaudan into the flavor industry, establishing itself as the first creator of tastes and scents.

"Perfume has always been an integral part of beauty. It is important to showcase fragrance in this exhibit," said Emily Bond, Head of Fine Fragrance North America at Givaudan. "We want people to know the story behind a fragrance. Who created it, how it's developed, and how techniques have evolved over the years. We are proud to sponsor the world's first Makeup Museum and highlight Givaudan's history."

"Makeup Museum is excited to have an incredible sponsor like Givaudan with such an amazing and unique history in the fragrance space as one of our founding sponsors," said Doreen Bloch, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Makeup Museum. "We love how innovative Givaudan is in the world of perfume and we believe this sponsorship connects perfectly with our beauty audience. We can't wait to see how the Pink Jungle perfume delights beauty lovers across the world."

The Makeup Museum brings together beauty industry veterans including its Executive Director and Co-Founder Doreen Bloch (CEO of beauty research company Poshly Inc.), Co-Founder Caitlin Collins (former editor of Makeup.com), Co-Founder Rachel Goodwin (celebrity makeup artist). With a combined 40+ years of experience in the beauty industry, the female co-founded team came together with one powerful idea: to build a permanent institution that explores all aspects of beauty history and its impact on society and culture.

Other official sponsors include trailblazing companies that were instrumental in shaping and defining beauty in the 1950's such as Erno Laszlo, Alcone Company, and CONAIR.

You can follow the Makeup Museum on Instagram (@MakeupMuseumOfficial) where the Makeup Museum will be highlighting exclusive digital content provided by Givaudan.

MAKEUP MUSEUM

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Fertiliser crisis: Lanka turns to China imports By Chris Kamalendran Coconut, tea, vegetable production at a standstill due to shortage View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka has decided to turn to China for import of fertiliser as paddy and other cultivators throughout the country continued to face a crisis of short supplies, senior officials and trade sources said.

National Fertiliser Secretariat Director Mahesh Gammanpila told the Sunday Times they were turning to China to increase imports as they were looking at fertiliser which would be less harmful to the soil compared to the current imports.

We are also looking at ways of resolving the current fertilizer crisis within the next two weeks with two shipments due to be cleared this week, he said. Mr Gammanpila explained that though they were looking to import from China, the secretariat would also go ahead with current orders placed with Pakistan and Dubai.

He said they were turning to China as it was supplying fertiliser with less nitrogen content and would be better for the soil.

The fertiliser crisis has been caused by a few complicated issues. They include the failure to pay some of the private importers on schedule by both the former and present government, issues in distributing stocks which are already in hand due to a shortage of labour and short supplies.

Plantation Minister Ramesh Pathirana told the Sunday Times the ministry would resolve the crisis within the next two weeks.

However, JVP member Namal Karunaratne, who leads farmers organisations, said the government was making contradictory statements at one time claiming it had sufficient stocks and at other times saying it was awaiting shipments.

He said one of the main issues the farmers were facing was the unavailability of the fertiliser at the right time.

There is a traders mafia which tell the farmers that if they were buying a particular quantity of urea they also need to buy another fertiliser even if they did not require it. Unfortunately the government has not been able to stop it, he said. The JVP member said that although the fertiliser secretariat was planning to import from China, the quality of the fertiliser should be checked.

Meanwhile, coconut, tea and vegetable cultivators were also affected by the fertiliser shortage.

Farmers said they were set to begin the Yala season, but the delay in arrival of fertiliser had severely affected them.

The government cannot give the fertiliser when we need. It should be available at the right time. If the government has stocks, it should have made arrangements to distribute them considering it an essential service, H.M. Chandrasiri, a Matale farmer said.
The exercises were to involve the army, navy and air force, with ballistic missiles, ships and fighter planes. Earlier this month, on the occasion of other exercises, the North threatened "a necessary response on our part".

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - South Korea has decided to postpone the maritime military exercises scheduled for this week. The official reason is adverse weather conditions, but many think that this is to avoid fresh criticisms from North Korea.

The army, air force and navy had scheduled their exercises tomorrow off the south-east coast of the country, in the Uljin area, where ballistic missiles, ships and fighter planes are deployed. Similar exercises are held twice a year and those due to take place tomorrow have been suspended.

A Ministry of Armed Forces spokesman, Choi Hyun-soo gave the reason as bad "weather conditions". But many media outlets said the decision had to do with Northern reactions to the exercises held earlier this month.

On that occasion, the Ministry of the Peoples Army of the North issued a statement in which the exercises were judged "a serious provocation" which required "a necessary respone on our part".

According to the local newspaper "Chosun Ilbo", after that statement, the office of President Moon Jae-in strongly criticized military leaders. Choi has asked the media not to spread "distorted" news, which causes "unnecessary security fears" and injures public confidence in the military.




Nigerian group of scammers uncovered by secret service

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.

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.

Washingtons 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 states 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.

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. Attorneys office in Seattle said on Friday that it is working with state authorities to track down and prosecute criminals who are stealing unemployment benefits.

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 nations 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.

Its 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.

Im proud of our bankers because theyve 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.
Area residents facing food uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic got some relief Monday thanks to the Joint Chinese College Alumni Association.

In coordination with the Southwest Management District, the Alumni Association donated $40,000 to enable the YMCA, Houston Food Bank and Brighter Bites to distribute 120,000 meals to area needy families.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas reports massive jump in COVID-19 cases in single day

The pandemic affects everyone, so we all have to work together to fight back, said Alumni Association president Judy Jeng in a news release. It doesnt matter about our religious beliefs, political affiliations or our races, we are all in this together.

The announcement of the donation was made Monday at a YMCA food distribution site in southwest Houston. Hundreds of Houston-area residents were in a four-block line of vehicles to receive a food distribution.

According to the news release, in the last nine weeks, the YMCA has distributed more than 5 million pounds of food to more than 260,000 people, officials said, as residents have lost jobs and income because of the pandemic.

MORE FROM ROY KENT: YMCA of Greater Houston begins to move toward reopening

Because of anti-Asian backlash associated with the pandemic, State Rep. Gene Wu called on residents to support one another during this time.

We want to make sure everyone survives ... so join with me and push back against hate, push back against bigotry, push back against Asian-American sentiment, push back against anti-immigrant sentiment and say we are all a part of this community and we will get through this together, Wu said.

Houston Food Bank President/CEO Brian Greene was thankful for the donation.

This generous gift from the Joint Chinese College Alumni Association will help (us) by providing additional non-perishable items to produce-focused distributions in (Gulfton) and Alief, Greene said. We are grateful for organizations like the Joint Chinese College Alumni Association as their support will help us be able to continue to provide food for better lives throughout this difficult time.

Also at the event, the Southwest Management District made its own donation in the hopes of making an even larger donation in the future.

District Board Vice Chairman Fred Bhandara donated seed money that will lead to at least $50,000 more in funding for the Food Bank.

Bhandaras and the management district are each donating $15,000, while the Zoroastrian Association of Houston, of which he is a member, is donating almost $10,000, to be matched by Sysco, the Houston-based food distributor.

We are working hard to serve you, said Southwest Management District Board Chairman Kenneth Li. The management district is proud to be part of it.

For more information or to make a donation to the Houston Food Bank go to www.houstonfoodbank.org.

rkent@hcnonline.com
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PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / Cyber Degrees EDU is pleased to announce a new ranking list for the best ranked cyber security school programs in the U.S. Now more than ever, everyone depends on the internet. Keeping networks and computer systems free from cyber-attacks is a top priority and the demand for cyber security graduates continues to increase. This means that students seeking a career in cybersecurity will need to know their best educational options based on objective criteria. Its all a matter of performing due diligence, and that is where these school rankings step in to help.What were the criteria for determining the top cyber security colleges in the United States? First, researchers looked at colleges specializing in cyber security with a variety of degree programs. All schools on the list are either high quality or very affordable and are located across the country. While the list provides some of the best schools for cyber security, Cyber Degrees EDU also recognizes that it is important for students to find the best school for their particular needs and so these rankings aim to provide the information needed for students to make the best possible choice for them.Proprietary Ratings SystemA proprietary ratings system was used to rank the various colleges and universities offering cyber security bachelors and masters degree programs. Data used for this includes items like the schools retention rate, which is the number of first-time students returning to the university the following year. The graduation rate focuses on the percentage of those first-time students receiving a degree from the school within 150% of standard program time. While the standard program time for completing an undergraduate degree is four years, a student graduating within six years is included in the graduation rate as the longer time frame becomes more normal across the country.Costs are also a major concern for most students and their parents. Because of this not only were tuition rates included, but also the percentage of students receiving grants and scholarships, for a realistic examination of true tuition expenses. Also included is the availability of work-study and similar online programs.Cyber security is a fast paced growing and well-paying field. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The average salary for graduates reflects the quality of the education and the demand by top employers for these students. Researchers used this information to weight schools based on their graduates average salary.Selectivity is also determined by a schools acceptance rate. The acceptance rate is the number of students accepted to a school versus the number of applicants. All acceptance rates involve first-time, first-year students.Keep in mind that while retention, graduation, and acceptance rates are good indicators of a schools overall quality, what matters most is the reputation of the individual cyber security program. That is why knowing which schools were attended by the best cyber security professionals is so vital.Online reviews provide information unobtainable elsewhere. While it is true that students are more likely to post a negative review of a school if they have issues, it is also true that such reviews may bring up crucial details about courses or campus culture.Increasingly, education is occurring via online programs. Many of the universities offering the best cyber security programs are brick and mortar institutions, but most offer a combination of in-class and online learning. There are also high-quality schools offering cyber security degrees online only. For many students with work or family obligations, an online only or hybrid program is the most practical choice.Other ChoicesWhat makes a university a great fit for one student may not work out so well for another. It is a matter of each student knowing what they want and need in an education, whether it is an undergraduate or graduate experience. That is why these cyber security programs include ranking information based on the needs for students.Students will find a profile of each school and its cyber security program. With this information, students can determine which schools meet all of their needs and which provide their wants. Students may also discover that the school in which there was the most interest originally is not as suitable as it could be, while another might prove a perfect match. Some of the colleges and universities that were included in the rankings are: Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California-Davis, Johns Hopkins University, The University of Texas at Austin and Brigham Young University-Provo. The full 55 ranked cyber security colleges can be found on the Cyber Degrees EDU website.If going the traditional route, note that these institutions are primarily located in large cities. Students can benefit from the wide range of activities, business and cultural opportunities available. Such locations likely offer more internships and job possibilities.###For more information about Cyber Degrees EDU, contact the company here:Cyber Degrees EDUDavid J. Byrdsupport@ cyberdegreesedu.org Cyber Degrees EDUUnited StatesCyber Degrees EDUSOURCE: Cyber Degrees EDU
NAIROBI, Kenya 

Flooding in central Somalia has affected nearly 1 million people, displacing about 400,000 people, the United Nations said Monday, warning of possible disease outbreaks because of crowding where the displaced are seeking temporary shelter.

At least 24 people have died in the flash floods that hit Beledweyne and Jowhar, two agricultural centers in Somalias central area, according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The area is still recovering from floods last year that displaced more than 500,000 people,

Belet Weyne in Hiraan region is the most affected district after the Shabelle River burst its banks on May 12, inundating 85% of Belet Weyne town and 25 villages by the river, the U.N. said. The risk of disease outbreaks is high in the city of Beledweyne as heavy rains continue to pound Somalia and the highlands of neighboring Ethiopia.

Residents in Beledweyne, a city of more than 400,000, said they are wading through flooded streets to escape waters that are still rising from the Shabelle River. They said they are worried about further flooding in the city, the epicenter of last years devastating flood, the worst in the recent history.

The flooding here has affected the entire city.  People are very worried about their safety, said Hassan Elmi, a resident of Beledweyne. The government forces are helping some people, but those who are too weak or old are need more help because they cannot wade through these flooded streets because the water is moving too fast.

The flooding also threatens to cut off the main road connecting Beledweyne to the airport which could disrupt deliveries of emergency humanitarian supplies to the town, according to the U.N.

Nearly 40% of the people in Jowhar, a smaller center of about 20,000 residents, have been displaced from their homes, according to the Somali governments Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in Hirshabelle state.
Despite law enforcements efforts to tame Crystal Beach during the annual Go Topless Jeep event following last years chaotic weekend, a shooting left two injured and more than 120 others were arrested on unrelated charges.

By Sunday morning, police had jailed 127 people since Thursday, according to Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset.

Last year, 113 people were arrested on charges ranging from driving without a seat belt and minors in possession of alcohol. More than a dozen people were charged with drunk driving, and at least one person was accused of resisting arrest.

The sheriffs office also is investigating a shooting that occurred around just before midnight Saturday at The Washout, a central location on the beach.

A group of men started fighting and it transferred over to females fighting, Trochesset said. When the women were fighting, a husky male discharged a firearm.

He said the suspect shot two men before fleeing on foot. As of Sunday evening, the man had not been identified and no related arrests had been made.

Nearly 100 yards away, Jason Simpkins said he came up on the aftermath.

As we were heading that, we heard a bunch of sirens, he said. People were running at us away from the scene saying someone had been shotWhen we got up there, we saw it was a chaotic scene. There were two people on the ground and (first responders) were working on them. At the same, they are having to do crowd control, because they have a lot guys out there who are family and friends of the victims and they are flipping out.

Simpkins, who is from the Dallas area, said he, his wife and young daughter came to Crystal Beach for a vacation.

Once we got down here, the person next to us told us it was going to be a crazy weekend, he said. I thought we could handle that. Weve traveled everywhere. It started as one, long row of cars.

Then, it was two rows of cars going in the same direction. Then, there were people cutting in and out of people. Then, it was three rows going both directions. You have people honking at each other and people walking. People were (using the restroom) behind our RV. It was crazy. A lot of underage drinking. We had no idea.

Trochesset said the higher number of arrests compared to last year were due to having more officers on patrol, adding that there were fewer people on the beach compared to 2019.

Whether its COVID-19 or the weather, there is just not as many, he said.

As a response to last years chaos, Trochesset had 80 employees scheduled to work the event. The Texas Department of Transportation also sent reinforcements and 30 additional state troopers were expected, he said.

Despite the weekend coming to a close, the department has no time to relax.

In just a few days, we have Memorial Day weekend, so we dont really get a break, he said.

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Dormaa East District Public Health Emergency Committee (PHEC) has on Thursday, May 14, 2020, shared assorted items to fight coronavirus (COVID-19) among its stakeholders in the fight.

The items which were part of a great number of others were received from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, and some individual related to the District.

The items include over a thousand (1,000) pieces of nose mask, boxes of disinfectants and other cleaning detergents, boxes of surgical and examination hand gloves, thermometer guns, gallons and other liters of hand sanitizers and liquid soaps, boxes of Royale cocoa powder, Wellington boots among many others which include hygiene and sanitation essentials such as waste bins and tricycles for lifting and offloading waste.

Aside from the Health Directorate which took over 70% of the things shared, other beneficiaries were; the Town/Area Councils, Departments and Agencies under the District Assembly, Persons with Disability, and other vulnerable groups, the major markets of the district and the transport unions and other associations.

In a short meeting with the stakeholders prior to the presentation, the District Chief Executive and Chairman of the PHEC, Hon. Emmanuel Kofi Agyeman gave updates and reviewed the activities of the PHEC on the COVID-19 prevention in the district, emphasizing on the enforcement of wearing nose mask as the current strategy in the fight and asked stakeholders to set an example in order to make the enforcement easier.

He noted that ensuring the provision of potable water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management were also other means deployed in the prevention of the pandemic and all other possible infections; hence, the dustbins to be positioned at vantage points, markets and public places and tricycles (Aboboyaa) to lift and offload waste to final disposal sites.

The DCE personally gave a standing ovation and applauded in appreciation to government, some persons in government, and other individuals in and out of the district who in diverse ways have supported the district and the PHEC in the fight against COVID-19.

He explained that out of the last quarter common funds which has just been received by the assembly, 2 % is being given for the running of the substructures with emphasis on tree planting and sanitation. He appealed to the people to ensure high standard of sanitation to enhance healthy life.

He also advised the market women to continue in social distancing, nose mask-wearing to avoid closure of the market and encouraged them to do well in paying taxes to support the assembly in its developmental agenda

The District Director of Health, Mr. Jacob Kwadwo Aleeba who received a chunk of the COVID  19 items for his directorate on behalf of the other beneficiaries thank the government and all who have supported the government in this crucial moment of the nation. He reiterated the reality of the disease and advised that people should endeavor to continue in the compliance of all the protocols meted out in its fight.

Citizen Abroad Donate To Fight COVID-19

In a related development, the District Chief Executive on behalf of the District Public Health Emergency Committee (PHEC) on COVID-19 received a cash donation of three thousand Ghana cedis (GH3,000) in support of the fight of the disease.

The Donor, Mr. Francis Kyere popularly known as Onua who is a native of Wamfie the district capital but resides in America sent the money through his uncle and wife on Thursday, May 14, 2020

His guardians who presented the money said their son was moved by the devastation the disease has caused in America and wish that Ghana does not get to that state. They noted also that their son intends to bring other support for the development of the district.

The DCE who received the money expressed satisfaction to the gesture saying, it would be good if all who can afford, come together for the development of the district. He added, the money would enable the committee to sew more nose mask to be distributed, especially to the disadvantaged, as the district fight against the prevention of the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:22:55|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Monday warned against potential escalation in Syria amid concerns over COVID-19.

Briefing the Security Council, Pedersen saw further progress in Russian-Turkish cooperation on the ground in the northwest, pursuant to their March agreement that brought relative calm to Idlib governorate.

But this calm has been punctuated by violent incidents and mutual attempts at cross-line offensives, he cautioned.

Meanwhile, there have also been further incidents of mutual shelling, improvised explosive device attacks around Afrin and the northeast; further tensions, targeted killings, military build-up and clashes in the southwest; further reports of Israeli airstrikes in Deir-ez-Zor and Aleppo; as well as further incidents pointing to a resurgence of the Islamic State in the eastern desert, said Pedersen.

"In short, violence continues and there is a constant risk of escalation which could unravel existing arrangement ... We must, at all costs, avoid reversion to the all-out fighting and abuses and violations we have seen before."

He also warned that Syria's instability reverberates elsewhere -- including as far as Libya, given reports of fighters being recruited in Syria in large numbers and sent to fight on both sides of the conflict in Libya.

The Security Council has called on all parties to ensure a sustained period of calm throughout Syria. Key players should be working together so that significant calm in many areas is sustained, enhanced and expanded into a nationwide cease-fire, he said.

Syria has not experienced mass COVID-19 outbreaks that have been the fate of many other countries, said Pedersen.

Bearing in mind testing limitations, the officially reported caseload is 64, of which 58 are in government-controlled areas and 6 in the northeast. No cases have been reported in the northwest, he said.

But he warned that the risk of broader outbreaks remains. "Given the Syrian context, any such development could have devastating consequences in the country and beyond it too." Enditem
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill Friday that includes additional aid for K-12 schools, but which has little chance of becoming law.

The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions, or HEROES Act , passed 208-199. It faces an icy reception in the Republican-controlled Senate, where lawmakers who are concerned its provisions extend beyond pandemic relief, have said they wont consider the bill.

Education funding included in the relief package falls short of the goals of education groups, who pushed federal lawmakers to include at least $250 billion for education in the bill.

The HEROES Act would create a $90 billlion state fiscal stabilization fund for the U.S. Department of Education to support K-12 and higher education. About 65 percent of that fundor roughly $58 billionwould go through states to local school districts.

The bill would also provide $1 billion to shore up state and local government budgets that have been hard hit by declining tax revenues as businesses closed to slow the spread of the virus. Governorsand Democrats who supported the bill have said such general state aid is necessary to support their upended budgets and to help them avoid making steep cuts to education and other public services. School finance experts say such cuts would disproportionately affect schools with large enrollments of low-income students, which rely more heavily on state funding.

Without this funding [state and local governments] will have to make devastating cuts, especially in education, public safety and public services, House education committee Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Va., said during debate on the bill.

WATCH

Every day, the financial and human cost of #COVID19 continues to rise. The #HeroesAct reflects the sense of urgency that this crisis demands. -Chairman @BobbyScott pic.twitter.com/wNAksXqJno  Committee on Education & Labor (@EdLaborCmte) May 15, 2020

But Republican representatives argued the bill is too costly. President Donald Trump has criticized state and local aid, saying he doesnt want to bail out states that have mismanaged their finances. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday the HEROES Act is a liberal wishlist and that Trump has no immediate plans to negotiate a fourth coronavirus relief bill.

A previous bill, the CARES Act, included a $13.5 billion education stabilization fund .

Though the HEROES Act falls short of their wishes, education groups have pushed for its passage, while continuing to pressure Congress for more.

The bill is not perfect, National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia told reporters Thursday, but its state and local funding would help address growing needs as schools prepare for the complicated task of welcoming students back after extended closures.

The teachers union launched a new advertising and advocacy campaign this week in support of coronavirus relief for schools.

We urge the Senate to pass this vital relief legislation because the American economy cannot recover if schools cant reopen, and we cannot properly reopen schools if funding is slashed and students dont have what they need to be safe, learn and succeed, Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement after the House vote.

Photo: Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., wearing a New England Patriots mask, walks down the House steps after voting on the rule for the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act on Friday -- Bill Clark/Congressional Quarterly via ZUMA Press

Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa .
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has commenced a crucial meeting with the State Ullamas, Preachers, and Jumaat Friday Mosque Imams to b...





Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has commenced a crucial meeting with the State Ullamas, Preachers, and Jumaat Friday Mosque Imams to brainstorm, as the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19 extends the Kano lockdown by another two weeks.





The meeting is expected to deliberate on issues bothering on the closure of Jumaat Mosques, banning of Religious activities and other religious rites in the holy month of Ramadan.





Already some Jumaat Mosques Imams are reported to have started defying closure of Mosques by observing their Friday Prayers.





Governor Ganduje had warned that anyone who violates the state ban on Friday Prayers would have himself to blame, a threat that was taken lightly by clerics who conducted their prayers last week.





Similarly, traders at the Kwari major textile market, Sabon Gari and other big markets in Kano are reported to be grumbling, following the lockdown of all economic activities.





There are speculations that the government will relax some of its total lockdown orders which especially as it affects the Friday Prayers.





Governor Ganduje was last week quoted as saying that his government is ready to relax the lockdown if Kano residents were ready to obey the COVID19 protocols.





The protocols according to him include exercising the much needed social distancing rules, wearing face masks, using hand sanitizers and constant washing of hands.
On the morning of May 18, 1980, a volcano erupted not from its peak but from its side. In the minutes that followed, volcanic violence devastated the landscape, unleashing eight times more energy than was released by the sum of every explosive dropped during World War II, including two atom bombs.

This was Mount St. Helens. Its explosion, the first major volcanic eruption in the lower 48 states for generations, killed 57 people  scientists, photographers, hikers and people living in the shadow of the mountain.

Scientists knew that something wicked had been brewing beneath this stratovolcano in Washington State that lies between Seattle and Portland. During a period of less than two months, a bulge the size of a town had appeared on its north flank, a vast pimple of unusually positioned magma. But the singular ferocity and unusual dimensions of the eruption took almost everyone by surprise, serving as a reminder of how much the science of volcanology had yet to learn.

The 1980 event was really a landmark for volcanology writ large, said Seth Moran, the scientist-in-charge at the U.S. Geological Surveys Cascades Volcano Observatory.
"I was never really big into reading books ... but with horse racing, it just seemed to click."

In a recent interview, Nick Catalano recalled "The Meadows racing form" as his reading material of choice in middle school. Now at 26, Catalano's favourite book hasn't changed ... although as a Standardbred owner, he can frequently find his name in its pages.

"With only a little bit of money, I had to take it slow in the beginning," Catalano explained when profiled by the Washington, Pa.-based Observer-Reporter. "That's how you learn the business."

Catalano, who works closely with the training tandem of brothers Scott and Tim Betts, has come a long way since buying his first horse while studying at the University of North Carolina.

"I was 19 and owned my first race horse," Catalano continued. "I was in college and my horse was racing. Me and my friends were watching on my computer. And he just got beat out."

From that near miss with his first horse seven years ago, Catalano has blossomed into a prominent owner at The Meadows, with 30 horses currently to his name. Among the most prominent is 10-year-old pacer Phoenix Warrior N, who won 13 of 29 starts in 2018 on his way to local Horse of the Year honours at The Meadows for Catalano and partners Tim Betts and Stephen Moss.

While racing in Pennsylvania remains at a standstill under some of the more stringent governmental restrictions in North America, Catalano and his partnership is doing their part to keep not just their stable  but the whole Meadows backstretch  as normally operational as possible.

"We didnt lay off any of our workers," Catalano said. "Were hopeful, trying to stay positive that well get back to racing."

(with files from the Washington, Pa., Observer-Reporter)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:25:35|Editor: huaxia

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By Nguon Sovan, Mao Pengfei

PHNOM PENH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Sen Vanna, a primary school teacher in a rural area in southeast Cambodia's Tboung Khmum province, travels to teach his students at their homes every day after schools have been closed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Education has encouraged students to study through provided online platforms or TV channels; however, Vanna said students in his area, about 67 km west of the Tboung Khmum provincial town, have difficulty accessing both the internet and TV channels.

With the advice from the provincial education department, Vanna and other teachers at the Hun Sen Chheuteal primary school in Peam Chileang commune of Tboung Khmum district, since earlier this month, began to travel to students' homes to deliver lessons.

"In the commune, students can not study online because they do not have smart phones and the internet service here is very poor, while learning on provided TV channels is also impossible because of no signal," the 64-year-old teacher told Xinhua via phone recently.

"Therefore, with the instruction from the provincial education department, teachers at the school have decided to travel to teach students at their houses in small groups," he added.

Vanna, who is a fourth-grade teacher, said he had to drive his motorbike for about 20 km every working day to and fro between his house and students' houses.

He first looked for houses that had enough space for sitting and then arranged four or five students to gather in one house as a group for classes.

"I teach each group for half an hour and then, I go to teach another group," he said. "I can teach four groups of students for the whole morning."

Vanna said he always practice good hygiene during each session, and both he and his students wear face masks and keep social distancing.

The teacher said he have more than 40 students, but not all of them have the opportunity to attend his teaching as some have to help their parents with farming at this time of year.

For Vanna, traveling a long way to teach from one house to another in different villages is undoubtedly tiring but, he said, it is his obligation as a teacher.

"This is my obligation, and I pity the students who have missed classes for months due to the COVID-19," said Vanna, who has been a teacher for nearly 40 years.

Education Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha said on Thursday that for students in rural areas who can not access online classes or have no TVs, they can gather to study, but the number must not be more than 10 and they must keep social distancing and follow health advice provided by health authorities.

The Southeast Asian country closed all academic institutions since mid-March to stem the COVID-19 spread.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in a letter recently that despite no new COVID-19 cases detected in the kingdom over the past month, schools would remain closed until November, when the new academic year begins, in order to avoid the virus spreading in communities and to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health said on Saturday that all of the 122 COVID-19 patients in the kingdom have recovered, as the country has detected no new cases of the virus for more than a month. Enditem
Ryanair is negotiating pay cuts, unpaid leave and up to 3,000 job losses with its employees and trade unions, as coronavirus reduced passenger numbers at the airline by over 5 million.

However, the the airline's outspoken CEO is somewhat optimistic about travel in Europe this summer, and told CNBC he anticipates "deep price discounting" on flights.

In its full-year results to the end of March, the Irish company said revenues rose to 8.49 billion euros ($9.19 billion)  a 10% increase from the year before. Profit was up 13% at 1 billion euros, excluding a fuel hedge charge.

However, it said the ongoing pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions suggest this year will be "difficult" for the carrier.

The majority of its airplanes were grounded from mid-March and the company expects to resume at-most 50% of its scheduled flights during the second quarter (between July and September).

Speaking to CNBC Monday, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary was confident some passengers will still seek a summer break.

He said people in "northern Europe, Ireland and the U.K. will still go to Spain, Portugal on family holidays; they will still go to the beaches. There are very low incidents of Covid in those areas."

"We do think families will still go on the summer holidays once the school holidays come around, but at best we think we are talking about 50% of our normal traveling," he added.
Inventor and farmer James Dyson is now the wealthiest person in the UK, topping the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time.

The British entrepreneur grew his net worth by 3.6 billion in a year to a total of 16.2 billion, climbing five places in the list.

Most of Dyson's electrical products are designed in the UK but manufactured in Asia.

Beside vacuum cleaners, the 73-year-old is also known for running an agricultural business with net assets worth 527.5m - Beeswax Dyson Farming Ltd.

Farming continues to be the main principal activity for the business, which comprises 35,000 acres of land throughout Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

The company also looks to energy for diversified income and turnover from this source has increased compared to 2017.

Dyson, a prominent Brexiteer, favours the UK leaving the EU as it would 'liberate' the British economy and allow trade deals to be struck around the world.

However, the billionaire inventor has been critical of the Conservative government's direction. In 2017, he criticised then-Defra Secretary Michael Gove's 'Green Brexit' approach to the industry after the UK leaves the EU.

He said small UK farming businesses may be at a disadvantage to their European counterparts under the plans.
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 There was a dead lizard in the mail. But that wasnt the unusual part. Australias wildlife coroner, forensic veterinary pathologist Dr Lydia Tong, performs hundreds of autopsies on native and exotic animals each year, many of them from zoos; others, such as this shingleback lizard, the victim of a multibillion-dollar global trade gone wrong. This time the reptile had its own unusual traveller  a parasite never before seen in a shingleback. Straight away that was a clue that it might have been handled with another species, maybe there had been a jump, Tong says. Its hard to say but thats why we monitor and investigate these kinds of infections so closely with wildlife. The trade is a melting pot for it." From live monkeys smuggled through customs to tigers shot or bred for their bones, soaring demand for wildlife, dead or alive, has spawned the worlds fourth-largest contraband market - right behind drugs, humans and guns. Gram for gram, rhino horn and endangered turtles are now worth more than cocaine. But experts warn the world's latest coronavirus outbreak shows the trade threatens more than just animals. As people push farther and farther into the last wild places, more diseases previously unknown to humanity are making the leap across species lines. Vet and epidemiologist Dr Jon Epstein says habitat loss, global travel and a persistent appetite for wild animals have created a perfect storm for the next human pandemic. And Asia's infamous wet markets  where both the deadly 2003 SARS outbreak and now the latest coronavirus COVID-19 are thought to have started  remain ground zero. Early research suggests the world's most illegally trafficked animal - the endangered pangolin - could be the very species that passed on this new virus to humans. So how do these diseases spread, why are people still buying wildlife and what is being done to stop the next animal-borne epidemic? Warning: distressing content.

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An image of a bamboo rat caged on top of a deer allegedly sold at the Wuhan seafood market has circulated online. Credit:Weibo Where did the coronavirus come from? In the Chinese city of Wuhan, the sickness seemed to come from the western end of the seafood market  where the fare on offer wasn't only taken from the sea. As China began to realise just what had stirred inside its borders, a team of forensic medical experts descended on the market. They found traces of the mystery virus in areas where traders reportedly sold wild animals: porcupines, raccoon dogs, foxes, bamboo rats, frogs and more, all caged together for slaughter in the rush and press of the market. Some of those traders ended up in hospital with strange fevers and pneumonia. Close to 2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide since December. Not all of those initial patients reported contact with the market. But while Chinese researchers so far have claimed they are yet to find the source species, they have already ruled that the illegal wildlife trade is involved. "It looks like there was transmission in the market," Epstein says. "But where the virus actually came from, which animal, that's still a mystery, that's still the black box." By New Year's Day, the entire market had been shuttered under quarantine in scenes eerily reminiscent of the SARS crisis. For scientists such as Epstein, who have been monitoring wild diseases ever since, it wasn't a surprise.

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How do animal viruses get into humans? More than 70 per cent of all new diseases emerging in humans are thought to have been caught from animals, some of which, such as bats, primates and rodents, might have lived with the viruses for thousands of years. Bats are essential to many ecosystems we rely on but, through a lucky quirk in their immune system, they also carry a whole host of diseases that do not harm them. As animals come into contact with each other, the viruses that have grown up with one species have a chance to jump to something new. Often it is the new host's reaction to these tiny invaders that causes illness. And as viruses copy and mutate in unfamiliar environments, they can also become more unstable. Experts warn such diseases are now making the jump to humans more often and spreading farther as the global trade in exotic wildlife  sold for their meat, parts and as exotic pets  ramps up. Every day in Asia, scores of live animals are trucked into markets for slaughter from all corners of the region as part of a longstanding cultural preference for fresh meat over frozen. Some of them have been caught from the wild, sold on from remote or poorer communities to vendors or smugglers, both legally and as part of a thriving global trade in "wild tastes" and exotic products. More than 5500 of the 31,500 known vertebrate species on Earth are now traded and another 3196 are at risk as similar species dwindle in the wild. But as well as driving extinction, the trade puts unfamiliar animals on a collision course with each other. Increasingly, endangered species are taken from more exotic locales in Africa, South America and even Scandinavia and then thrust close together in cages. "These markets [and cages] are often really dirty and cramped, you might have bats on top of rabbits on top of rodents," Epstein says. "They're stressed out, trading body fluids, there's faecal matter, blood. That's the perfect opportunity for a virus [to] jump."

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Update: China's response backflips Since this article was first published on February 7, China has taken conflicting steps on the wildlife trade. Under fire for keeping much of the trade legal after SARS, Beijing had in February announced seismic reforms to outlaw the sale of all wildlife for food and restrict their commerce for medicine, pets or research. Shenzhen also recently became the first Chinese city to ban the sale and consumption of dogs and cats, millions of which are also sold in wet markets for meat every year. But by April, China was offering tax breaks to ship wildlife products overseas (a perk not extended to medical supplies) and reopening wet markets back home - a move slammed as unfathomable by Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison given what is known about the market's risks to human health. The World Health Organisation has warned against wet markets but stopped short of condemning China's decision, noting it cannot police countries, it can only advise them and its advice is to shut the markets down. Beijing had initially blamed the wildlife trade for the outbreak, but its Foreign Ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao has since ignored research showing the natural origins of the virus in favour of unfounded conspiracy theories about where it came from. China's national health commission has even advised that unproven traditional remedies including bear bile can help patients critically ill with COVID-19. The endangered pangolin now carries the auspicious title of the world's most illegally trafficked animal amid demand for its scales and meat in cuisine and traditional medicine. Credit:Getty Images It's what biologist Professor Diana Bell calls "the speed-dating of diseases", where animals under intense stress shed their viruses faster and have fewer immune defences against new ones. The killing is often bloody, done by hand with knives in the middle of the market, amplifying the risk to humans. If a vendor already has a cut on their hand or touches their nose or mouth, they can be infected. Coronaviruses can also be passed on by rodents like bamboo rats, commonly sold in wet markets, Bell says. At Traffic, an international group that monitors the wildlife trade, Dr Richard Thomas says it is still unclear if the Wuhan wet market was the source of the latest outbreak, but conditions in such places are a "recipe for disaster". What are wild animals traded for besides food? Elephants are killed for their valuable ivory. Species, such as the endangered rhino and tiger, are prized for the unproven medicinal value of their bones or parts. Bears are caged and "milked" for the bile of their gall bladder, smaller mammals like foxes bred for their fur; the skins of predators like lions and polar bears become trophies or their young are smuggled overseas live as pets. Monkeys are even caught in the wilds of Southeast Asia for live sale to Western research labs. In one extraordinary case in 1997, a long-tailed macaque bound for the US escaped from its crate on a flight stopover in Paris and caused chaos on the tarmac. Scientists poring over the virus's genome say it is about 75 per cent similiar to the original SARS strain but have found a closer (96%) match to another coronavirus already found in bats, which are still eaten throughout some parts of Asia. As bat viruses tend to be very stable, many experts expect another mammal likely served as "the missing link" between bats and humans, as was the case with viruses such as SARS and Hendra. Once the virus jumped from a bat to a new host species, it mutated and grew in potency before leaping again into humans. More than one paper has since found an even closer match for the new virus in pangolins. While studies have so far been based off samples from pangolins taken elsewhere in China over the past year, experts are nonetheless intrigued by the theory, given the widespread trade of the mammal for its meat and scales. (An an earlier report linking the virus to snakes has already been widely dismissed by experts, who say such diseases are unlikely to jump from reptiles to humans.)

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But they can spread swiftly in the exotic pet trade as well as wet markets, Tong notes, as animals are again thrown together and transported great distances. At the Australian Museum, wildlife forensic scientist Dr Greta Frankham helps run DNA tests and gather evidence for local police and border officials prosecuting wildlife crime. She says the trade carries a huge biosecurity risk. "In recent cases we've seen native and exotic species held together in the same rooms, so it's always possible things could jump," she says. "Even pets coming in, we've had cases of them turning up abandoned, they could pass something on to our native wildlife. It'd only take one bird with Newcastle disease to devastate the agriculture industry." Less than 4000 tigers remain in the wild but at least 100 are still killed each year for the global trade in their parts and skin. Credit:Getty Images Were there signs this would happen? Yes, and warnings from scientists. Epstein has been to the wet market in Guangzhou where SARS emerged. At least two species there tested positive for the virus: raccoon dogs and civets, a cat-like mammal served as a delicacy in Asia. Thousands were seized and killed by Chinese officials at the height of the crisis. But two years later, Epstein was part of the team that eventually traced the virus back to another wild animal in China - bats. "Some researchers think it could even have been passed directly to humans by bats in the market, and then poor civets caught it from us," Epstein says. Since then bats have been implicated in ongoing outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa, sometimes directly or via infected gorilla carcasses brought back from the jungle, and in the case of the coronavirus MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), through camels. Disease hunters such as Epstein, along with researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, have continued to monitor wild bat populations for the past 15 years through the group EcoHealth Alliance.

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She loves to dress up when she heads to work on a daily basis.

And Myleene Klass put on a very smart display when she headed to work at the Smooth FM radio studios in London on Monday.

The 42-year-old mother-of-three looked incredible when she stepped out wearing a flared black trouser suit.

Chic: Myleene Klass put on an incredibly chic display in a black flared trouser suit as she headed to work at Smooth FM radio studios in London on Monday

Happy: She had a big smile on her face as she walked through the doors of the studio with her large Chanel tote on her arm

Her jacket was well-fitted and had large gold buttons whih were accented with a chunky gold Chanel necklace.

She wore it with a delicate silk camisole top and matching trousers and heels.

And despite the salons being closed, Myleene was sporting impeccably styled hair, with her balayage locks worn in large curls.

Well-cut: Her jacket was well-fitted and had large gold buttons whih were accented with a chunky gold Chanel necklace

She wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and carried an oversized Chanel handbag on her arm.

Myleene looked as though she had lots of fun over the weekend.

Her daughter Hero, nine, donned a smart suit to treat Myleene and her boyfriend Simon Motson to the restaurant experience from the comfort of their own home.

She carried a bottle of rose wine to Myleene and Simon, calling 'bonjour, bonjour' as she walked in the room.

Cute: Her daughter Hero, nine, donned a suit to treat Myleene and her boyfriend Simon to the restaurant experience from the comfort of their own home over the weekend

Doing her thing: She carried a bottle of rose wine to Myleene and Simon, calling 'bonjour, bonjour' as she walked in the room

Myleene also shared a playful post about her eight-month-old baby Apollo saying 'dada' over and over again as she tried in vain to teach him to say 'mama.'

The pretty brunette has been heading to work every day amid the coronavirus pandemic to host her Smooth Radio show from inside the studios.

Although she hasn't had any disruption to her job, the former Hear'Say star is also working from home.

The star has been helping out families stuck at home in lockdown, by providing online music lessons.
The first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in people appears to be safe and able to stimulate an immune response against the virus, its manufacturer, Moderna announced Monday.

The findings are based on results from the first eight people who each received two doses of the vaccine, starting in March.

Those people, healthy volunteers, made antibodies that were then tested in human cells in the lab and were able to stop the virus from replicating  the key requirement for an effective vaccine. The levels of those so-called neutralizing antibodies matched the levels found in patients who had recovered after contracting the virus in the community.

CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Cameras capture gunman who shot man in the head

The company has said that it is proceeding on an accelerated timetable, with the second phase involving 600 people to begin soon, and a third phase to begin in July involving thousands of healthy people. The Food and Drug Administration gave Moderna the go-ahead for the second phase earlier this month.

If those trials go well, a vaccine could become available for widespread use by the end of this year or early 2021, said Dr. Tal Zaks, Modernas chief medical officer. How many doses might be ready is not clear, but Zaks said, Were doing our best to make it as many millions as possible.

There is no proven treatment or vaccine against the coronavirus at this time. Dozens of companies in the United States, Europe and China are racing to produce vaccines, using different methods. Some use the same technology as Moderna, which involves a segment of genetic material from the virus called messenger RNA, or mRNA.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Fact-checking Gov. Abbotts GREAT NEWS about Texas recoveries

Moderna said that additional tests in mice that were vaccinated and then infected found that the vaccine could prevent the virus from replicating in their lungs and that the animals had levels of neutralizing antibodies comparable to those in the people who had received the vaccine.

Three doses of the vaccine were tested: low, medium and high. These initial results are based on tests of the low and medium doses. The only adverse effect at those doses was redness and soreness in one patients arm where the shot was given.

But at the highest dose, three patients had fever, muscles and headaches, Zaks said, adding that the symptoms went away after a day.

But the high dose is being eliminated from future studies, not so much because of the side effects but because the lower doses appeared to work so well that the high dose is not needed.

The lower the dose, the more vaccine well be able to make, Zaks said.

Modernas stock was up 40% in pre-market trading.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Americasroof/Wikimedia Commons

A lawsuit filed Monday describes a prominent international hedge fund as a Mad Men-esque workplace, where male traders described women as bitches and cunts and publicly rated their appearance on the trading room floor. The complaint against Advent Capital Management by former employee Courtney Robb claims the companys top brass allowed the behavior to continue and retaliated against her when she complained.

This case demonstrates that #MeToo still has many miles to go on Wall Street, an attorney on the case, Jeanne Christensen, said in a statement. Female employees continue to be silenced in this male-dominated sector.

In a statement, Advent said it is a minority-owned firm which takes seriously its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and plans to vigorously defend against these claims.

While Advent cannot comment on pending litigation, we believe that the complaint does not fairly or accurately recount the facts of this matter, the company said. Advent is proud of its commitment to a culture free of harassment and being a strong advocate of civil rights organizations nationally.

How Equity Tells The Harsh Truth About Being a Woman on Wall Street

Robb started working at Advent, a $9 billion dollar hedge fund with offices in New York and London, as a junior investment associate in 2016. At the time, according to the suit, the company employed only one woman across the risk, business development, sales and investment departmentsa female trading assistantand to this day, the company lists no female executives on its website. Instead, the complaint claims, women were confined largely to the client advisory group where Robb worked, selling investment strategies to potential clients and maintaining relationships with existing ones.

The complaint claims the women in this group were routinely subject to harassing comments made by one man in particular, portfolio manager Mike Brown. Among other things, Robb claims Brown frequently rated women on a 1-10 scale on the trading room floor, and made comments such as, Watching women get out of cabs should be a spectator sport.

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In one instance, Robb claims Brown asked her if she had had a wild weekend, saying she looked like a party girl. In another, she claims he cornered her in the office kitchen and asked if she want[ed] a kiss, before reaching to grab a Hersheys Chocolate Kiss from the table behind her. Seeing Robbs stricken reaction, the complaint claims, Brown squeezed her and told her to lighten up.

In another instance, the complaint claims Brown began talking loudly about another female employee and her boyfriend on the trading room floor, saying: If I knew I could look like that and have sex with someone who looked like her, I would never go to the gym. Shes model hot. Id like a photo of her. I cant believe she has sex with someone like him. He must be really rich. The next day, according to the complaint, the female employee had a panic attack on her way to work.

Do You Want to F*ck Her? You Can, She Works for Me: Lawsuit Claims Sexism at Steven Cohens Hedge Firm

According to the complaint, when Robb complained about Browns behavior to a manager, she was almost immediately called into a meeting with Advent founder and president Tracy Maitland, who allegedly dismissed the behavior as locker room talk and accused her of making some things into a bigger deal than they needed to be. When Robb expounded on the difficulties facing women at Advent, Matiland allegedly responded: What do you want me to do? Hire more women? They just end up leaving to take care of kids!

Robb also claims women at the company were often expected to complete menial tasks, like cleaning and scheduling, that their male counterparts were not. The complaint claims she was often asked to clean up conference rooms after meetings and make restaurant reservations for her bosssomething similarly situated male employees were not asked to do.

In April 2017, shortly after Robb started complaining about the unequal treatment, she became subject to increased scrutiny from her supervisor, who insisted on reviewing all of her work before it was sent out, she claims. (Around this time, she says a trader told her the other male employees were thinking of downgrading her marry, fuck, kill status to kill.) On May 24one day after she complained to her manager that she was being retaliated againstRobb was fired, allegedly because her managers deemed her a poor company fit.

But the saga did not end after she left. That summer, when Robb informed Advent she planned to file a gender discrimiation complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the company responded by saying it planned to file a lawsuit against her for theft of corporate property and numerous breaches of her contractual and fiduciary obligations as an Advent employee. Undeterred, Robb filed complaints with the EEOC and the New York City Commission on Human Rights. (Robbs lawyers later asked for the complaints to be discharged to give her the ability to file a federal suit.)

Models Lured Women to Wall Street Sex Dungeon: Lawsuit

Advents resulting suit, filed in state court in December 2017 and reviewed by The Daily Beast, claims Robb forwarded company emails containing confidential and proprietary information from her work email to her personal email for a period of four months, with the intent of causing harm to Advent's business and reputation and to benefit herself or Advent's competitors. The suit also claims Robb has refused to destroy the forwarded information or send her email over to a forensic investigator to certify that she had done so.

Robb strongly denies any allegations of theft. Her complaint claims Advents suit was textbook retaliation that was intended to send a message to Advents current and future female employees that this is what happens to women at Advent who speak out about discrimination. Among other things, she claims Advent demanded she pay $20,000 for the forensic inspection of her personal laptopwhich could have been avoided if the company had provided her a work laptop to begin with.

In textbook fashion, Advent has blamed, shamed and victimized Ms. Robb over and over again, the complaint states. For more than two and a half years, Advent has engaged in abusive, retaliatory litigation that has exceeded all boundaries of civility.

Robb is asking for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive measures aimed at changing the behavior she says she experienced at Advent. She also wants the defendants actions ruled illegal under state and city law.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A subsidiary of pharma services company Open Orphan will have capability to undertake up to 3,000 antibody tests a day within two weeks.

Europe-focused Open Orphan specialises in rare disease and so-called orphan drugs.

The subsidiary, Hvivo, has entered into an exclusive contract with Quotient, a commercial-stage diagnostics company, to carry out tests.

The test is designed as a serological disease screen specific to Covid-19.

The MosaiQ Covid-19 antibody microarray machine, used for the testing, is on site at Hvivo's laboratory in London and is undergoing testing.

It is expected to be fully operational within two weeks, following which it will have capability to undertake up to 3,000 tests a day.

The company intends to enter into discussions with channel partners to secure testing volumes.

The pricing of tests will be determined as part of these negotiations, according to a statement from Dublin-listed Open Orphan.

The Cathal Friel-headed company said it was not its intention to deal directly with consumers. However, while it said there can be no certainty on pricing until such time as terms are agreed, it noted the current market prices ranging from circa 70 for home testing kits and upwards towards around 150.

It is the intention to supply testing capability to channel partners, who will in turn deal with the end users and the final price points, Open Orphan said.

The firm said it notes the increase in the company's share price and media comment regarding its collaboration with Quotient.
Chinese scientists have discovered two antibodies which prevent the coronavirus from invading human cells.

The distinct antibodies are called H4 and B38 and prevent SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, from latching on to uninfected cells.

In preliminary trials on mice, the amount of virus inside infected lungs was reduced by up to a third after just three days and the rodents suffered less damage to their respiratory system.

The antibodies were discovered in the blood of a recovered patient and block the pathogen from binding to the ACE2 receptor on the surface of many human cells.

Previous studies have found ACE2  an enzyme which sticks out from the surface of our cells and creates small proteins which help regulate blood pressure, wound healing and inflammation  acts as an inadvertent gateway for the virus.

Spikes protruding from the surface of SARS-CoV-2 latch onto the ACE2 receptor and from here it can destroy cells and wreak havoc.

Researchers say the antibodies themselves are a 'promising treatment' and could help scientists develop an effective vaccine.

Scroll down for video

Pictured, a computer generated view of how one of the antibodies - B38 - prevents the virus binding with ACE2 and invading cells. Left, the antibody (green and blue) binds to SARS-CoV-2. It overlaps with where the virus wold bind to ACE2 and gets in the way, stopping it from infecting the cells. Right, what it looks like when the virus (now in purple) latches on to the ACE2 receptor in human cells, which provides a gateway into the human body

Four antibodies were discovered which bind to SARS-CoV-2 and not SARS, B38, H4 as well as B5 and H2 (pictured). Each antibody was then tested to see if it could inhibit the binding of the viral spike with the ACE2 receptor. H2 (far right, blue line) was almost completely ineffective. B5 (second from right) expressed 'partial competition' but was not as effective as B38 and H4 (left and second from left, respectively)

H4 and B38 were two of 14 individual antibodies found in the plasma of the recovered COVID-19 patients.

Researchers compared to see if they were effective at binding to SARS-CoV-2, which is causing the current pandemic, and the genetically similar SARS, which caused a pandemic back in 2003.

Four antibodies were discovered which bind to SARS-CoV-2 and not SARS, B38, H4 as well as B5 and H2.

Each antibody was then tested to see if it could inhibit the binding of the coronavirus's unique spike with the ACE2 receptor.

H2 was almost completely ineffective, proving it does not compete with ACE2 to latch onto the virus.

B5 expressed 'partial competition' but was not as effective as B38 and H4.

Next, the Chinese scientists led by Dr Yan Wu from Capital Medical University in Beijing, wanted to investigate if the two antibodies could work in tandem.

They found the two antibodies bind to different parts of the viral spike, which means they can work together to prevent binding with the vulnerable ACE2 receptor.

'Cocktail B38 and H4 exhibit synergetic neutralising ability, even in the presence of a higher titer (concentration) of virus,' the researchers write in their study.

They can work together because they target different epitopes  binding sites on an invading pathogen  on the virus's spike.

When these epitopes are covered by H4 and B38, it is impossible for the virus to bind with ACE2 as the bulky antibodies get in the way.

The scientists found that both the antibodies can surround the virus at the same time, with only minimal overlap.

Pictured, a superimposed image created by the team of scientists showing what it looks like with the virus (purple) superimposed against the antibody (blue and green) as well as the ACE2 receptor (pink)

This means both antibodies can be effective at neutralising the virus without significantly hindering the other.

Researchers then tested these antibodies in mice. Mice infected with the virus were given a dose of both antibodies 12 hours later.

After three days, the amount of virus in the lungs of the mice was analysed and compared to a control group.

They found that mice injected with H4 and B38 antibodies had a reduction of 26 and 32.8 per cent in viral load.

Analysis of the lungs revealed the group that was not treated suffered severe respiratory issues.

'Severe bronchopneumonia and interstitial pneumonia can be observed in the mice of [the] control group, with edema and bronchial epithelia cell desquamation and infiltration of lymphocytes within alveolar spaces,' the scientists explain.

'Mild bronchopneumonia was observed in the H4 group, while no lesions were observed in the B38 group.'

The researchers say that as COVID-19 continues to spread, understanding the binding sites of the virus will be key in vaccine development.

'Furthermore, the molecular features of the neutralising antibody targeting epitopes are helpful for the development of small molecule or peptide drugs/inhibitorsm' they say.

'The neutralising antibodies themselves are also promising candidates for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment against COVID-19 virus.

The full findings are available in Science.
Westpac's leadership team has been hit by the shock departures of two of its most senior executives, including consumer banking chief David Lindberg who was seen as a potential future chief executive of Australia's second-largest bank.

Mr Lindberg, who has only been running Westpac's largest division for 14 months, is leaving for the Royal Bank of Scotland, while chief information officer Craig Bright is also leaving later this year after 18 months in the job.

Mr Bright is moving to UK bank Barclays said sources who did not want to be named because the appointment had not been formally announced.

Chief executive of Westpac's consumer bank, David Lindberg, is leaving the lending giant. Credit:Peter Braig

The changes came as Westpac said it had created a new group executive role in charge of financial crime to be filled by an internal appointment, Les Vance, following a money-laundering compliance scandal that last year cost the job of former CEO Brian Hartzer.
Two girls ride bicycle at a village in Hanoi after its Covid-19 lockdown was lifted, May 7, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

The Health Ministry confirmed no new Covid-19 patients Monday morning, marking the 32nd consecutive day without community transmission of the disease.

Vietnams Covid-19 count now stays at 320, including 60 active patients. The rest have recovered.

In the past 24 hours, two new cases were confirmed, both Vietnamese citizens returning from Russia on a repatriation flight.

From April 16 to date, Vietnam has not recorded any case caused by community transmission.

Of the nations total cases so far, 180 have been imported. However, Health Ministry representatives have said that infections among those coming from foreign countries should not be a public concern as they are quarantined on arrival. The country should be alert for community transmissions, they've said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 213 countries and territories, and reported deaths have topped 316,500.
WASH Officer, Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya

Unicef in Nairobi

Sun May 24 2020

behavior changeearly recoverygood practicesknowledge managementmonitoring and evaluationprogramme implementationprogramme managementresource mobilizationsanitary engineeringsocial sciences

WASH Officer, NO-B (Temporary Appointment), Nairobi, Kenya, #00113582

Job no: 531583

Position type: Temporary Appointment

Location: Kenya Division/Equivalent: Nairobi Regnl(ESARO)

School/Unit: Kenya

Department/Office: Nairobi, Kenya

Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), NO-2

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Hygiene

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the WASH Specialist, the primary role of the WASH Officer will be to lead the implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation Program in selected counties. The WASH Officer will work closely with selected County Governments as well as National Line Ministries to ensure quality and timely results are delivered. The main tasks will include: monitoring and follow-up of CLTS implementation at county level, development and roll-out of Open Defecation Free Roadmaps, technical support and capacity building of county Health teams, as well as support to coordination at County level. Strong understanding of CLTS and knowledge of CLTS Guidelines and Protocol is required.

Programme development and planning

Draft updates for WASH in the situation analysis, to inform the development of WASH-related outcome and output results. Research and report on trends in WASH, for use in programme development, management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.

Contribute to the development/establishment of WASH-related outcome and output results, as well as related strategies, through analysis of WASH sector needs and priorities.

Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing/administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials/documentations, complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support progress towards the WASH-related outcome and/or output results in the country programme.

Prepare required documentations/materials to facilitate review and approval processes.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, provide solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.

Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.

Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders.

Prepare sectoral progress reports for management, donors and partners.

Technical and operational support for programme implementation

Undertake field visits and surveys, collect and share reports with partners/stakeholders. Report critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems to supervisor, for timely action.

Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in WASH, to support programme implementation.

Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response

Draft requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements and partnership agreements to ensure UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in case of an emergency.

Study and fully understand UNICEFs procedures for responding in an emergency.

Take up support roles in an emergency response and early recovery, as and when the need arises.

Networking and partnership building

Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.

Draft communication and information materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund-raising for WASH.

Participate in inter-agency meetings on UNDAF planning, to integrate and harmonize UNICEF output results and implementation strategies with UNDAF development and planning processes.

Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

Assist in the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).

Assist in the preparation of learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.

Assist in creating and delivering learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up-to-date with latest developments.

Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering or another relevant technical field.

Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree are a strong asset.

A minimum of Two (2)years of professional work experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.

Required Specific Experience: a minimum two years of experience in implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Kiswahili. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEFs values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are...

[insert functional competencies]

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Advertised: May 11 2020 E. Africa Standard Time Application close: May 24 2020 E. Africa Standard Time
Lawn mowing is an essential service offered by commercial landscaping companies involved in their $53 billion industry, yet for most companies, it is a loss leader. At most, lawn mowing has a 10 percent profit margin due to it being commoditized (almost anyone can ride a mower and do an acceptable job), and hyper-competitive (landscapers underbid each other to win business).

Even ride-on mowers are not sufficient to help landscaping companies increase profitability because they still depend on human labor. Rising wages, a shrinking labor pool, and the need to prevent injuries in the field are a few of the reasons why human labor, which accounts for 45 percent of the total costs associated with lawn mowing, prevents companies from increasing their profitability.

Enter Graze, the fully autonomous, solar-powered commercial mower that enterprising investors should keep an eye on.

Equipped with a robust suite of sensors (i.e., RADAR, LIDAR, GPS, ultrasonic sensors, odometry sensors, and an optical suite), Graze can rapidly map job sites and execute mowing paths without colliding into obstacles (e.g. trees, people) while also using data to further improve precision and efficiency.

Unlike traditional equipment manufacturers that focus on one-off equipment sales, Grazes business model is subscription focused. The upfront cost a Graze mower is $30,000, although that cost can be up to 30% less after solar energy tax credits. Traditional commercial mowers, on the other hand, can cost up to $15,000.

Considering how Graze mowers have an expected five-year shelf life, two years longer than traditional mowers, the cost difference is not significant. Graze also charges $1,000 per month per mower for ongoing maintenance, however landscaping companies can easily offset the fee with labor savings costs and increased productivity.

With Graze, if a four-person landscaping team only then requires two employees, they are not just saving 50 percent on labor, but are also realizing a potential 3x to 5x margin bump.

A few features Graze plans to introduce in the future include the ability to:

Track and plan around weather data

Detect and defend against turf and plant diseases

Provide data analytics and insights to its customers

Manage mower fleets with artificial intelligence, thereby providing a reduction in indirect labor costs (i.e., administrative personnel).

Graze has established relationships with leading landscaping businesses such as LandCare and Mainscape, which have signed letters of intent to order 400 Graze mowers. This order has an estimated value of $36 million, consisting of upfront equipment costs and recurring subscription fees.

The Graze founding team consists of commercial landscaping and robotics industry experts with decades of industry expertise with leading companies such as John Deere, Miso Robotics, Microsoft, and SpaceX.

Graze is looking for investors to help it continue shaking up the landscaping space. If youre ready to get in on this ground-floor opportunity to see your money grow over time, check out the Graze website and learn more about investing here.

Related:

This Fully Autonomous Lawnmower Is Uprooting Commercial Landscaping

4 Fun Ways for Millennials to Dip Their Toes Into Investing

The Filipino Retail Investor Is Evolving



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Lee University president Dr. Paul Conn issued a statement Monday emphasizing the schools commitment to a full schedule of in-person classes and activities in the fall semester, beginning August 19. We realize the course of this pandemic is fluid, and safety will be our highest priority, but we are optimistically preparing to do everything possible to welcome students in person for the fall semester.

The announcement followed Dr. Conns meetings with the Lee Board of Directors last Thursday and a general meeting of the faculty and staff via Zoom technology.

Dr. Conn announced the appointment of a new Task Force to develop detailed plans for Lees re-opening in August. The task force is being chaired by Dr. Debbie Murray, provost and vice president for academics, and includes fifteen senior administrators. Summer school sessions are currently being taught through an online platform.

An earlier task force has done excellent work to get us to the end of the spring semester, and to make plans for summer school, Dr. Conn said, but that group is now being expanded and given a specific mandate to prepare the university to plan a return to normal operations, or as close to that as possible with the health and safety of our students, staff, and community foremost in mind.

Dr. Murray has performed admirably in leading our faculty through a very difficult spring semester, Dr. Conn added, and I know shell be effective in leading this group to prepare the Lee family for the complex circumstances ahead.

According to Dr. Murray, the task force is currently planning a multi-phase opening of campus, culminating in a return to full, in-person classes for the fall semester.

Going from our current status of 100 percent virtual instruction and sharply reduced staff on the campus to full on-campus operation will require a series of small steps, said Dr. Murray, all while monitoring the state of this crisis across the country and in our region.

The university suspended in-person instruction following its spring break week, at which point faculty began using Zoom to provide instruction and advising. The spring semester was finished in this manner, in part so that would-be May graduates could complete their degrees on time. The graduation exercises normally held in early May were postponed and merged with the summer graduation for the weekend of August 1, although May graduates were officially declared on May 9 to have earned their degrees.

Summer school courses have been delivered over Zoom, with the intent to allow a few graduate courses to take place on-campus in the June session. The delivery mode for the third summer school session in July has not been determined yet, but the task force is reviewing what precautions would need to be in place for on-campus instruction to happen.

Various summer camps offered by the university in July may also be a proving ground for safe in-person activities on campus. Camps and conferences originally scheduled for May and June have been postponed or cancelled.

As information about the virus continues to evolve, the task force will make the necessary adjustments, and continue to update Lee constituents through the process. We are hard at work on Plan A, which is to welcome all our students back to campus, with the hope that circumstances will allow for it and a commitment to consider everyones safety, Dr. Murray added. But we will do the work to thoroughly develop a Plan B, should the situation require it.



Lee University is located in Southeast Tennessee, one of several states considered most open for business as measured recently by the date of lifting of restrictions, the capacity businesses are currently operating with, and the ratio of tests administered per confirmed case (17).

While we are determined to vigilantly protect our students, faculty and staff according to prudent estimates of the level of risk in Tennessee, we realize that many of our students are coming to us from other states where the circumstances are very different. We are determined to make every decision carefully, with not only the Lee family in mind, but also others in our community, Dr. Murray said.

According to the most recent information from Tennessee.gov, Bradley County, with a population in excess of 100,000, has had 83 confirmed cases to date, with 67 considered recovered and one fatality.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Andrew Harnik, File via AP

Steve Linick, the State Department inspector general who was fired Friday, was investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning, according to a report by NBC News.

CNN, citing an unnamed Democratic aide, separately reported that Pompeo was suspected of making a staffer run personal errands.

Two top Democrats in Congress announced on Saturday that they would investigate the circumstances of Linick's firing.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Steve Linick, the State Department inspector general who was fired Friday, is thought to have been investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a staffer run personal errands, according to multiple reports.

Two congressional officials told NBC News on Sunday that they were working to determine whether Linick was conducting additional investigations into Pompeo's conduct. A Democratic aide told CNN that Pompeo was suspected of making a staffer run personal errands such as walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning.

Representatives for the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday announcing the firing, President Donald Trump said he "no longer" had full confidence in Linick.

"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," Trump wrote in the letter, according to NBC News.

Inspector generals are meant to conduct independent oversight of government agencies. Linick was the fourth inspector general removed by Trump since April, with the other three having been assigned to the Defense Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the intelligence community.

Story continues

Pelosi said in a statement on Friday night that Linick's firing had "accelerated" what she described as Trump's "dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people."

"Inspector General 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," she said.

Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a joint letter to the White House on Saturday demanding it forward all records related to Linick's ousting to Congress by 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 letter said.

In a statement Friday evening, Engel said he believed Linick's firing was an "unlawful act of retaliation."

"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. "This president believes he is above the law."

Read the original article on Business Insider
U.S. owner of Trump D vessel to seek help from U.S. Embassy in Ukraine over prosecutors' actions

15:05, 18.05.20 7281

The former owners were accused of extracting sand near Russia-occupied Crimea without the Ukrainian authorities' permission.
[May 17, 2020] Apex and BITE Announce Partnership to Deliver New Solutions to Asian Asset Management Market

HONG KONG, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Apex Group Ltd. ("Apex" or "the Group"), a global financial services provider and BITE Investments ("BITE"), a fintech company providing high net worth investors ("HNWIs") access to alternative investments, today announce the launch of a partnership to deliver enhanced solutions to the Asian asset management market. BITE provides high net worth investors access to alternative asset funds and their underlying, direct co-investment opportunities, in smaller more manageable sized amounts and has recently closed a pre-Series A funding round backed by Apex. The BITE solution was developed in response to demand from HNWIs who are typically "under-allocated" to alternative asset classes including private equity, despite the class historically outperforming the S&P 500, particularly during "bear markets." Apex delivers a single-source solution covering the full spectrum of financial services products to asset managers, capital markets and private clients via over 45 offices and 3,500 employees worldwide. The Group's partnership with BITE provides a unique offering for Chinese and other Asian investors globally, and those across the broader APAC region, to build an USD Alternatives investment portfolio. This partnership supports the market trend of a shift by HNWIs towards online wealth management solutions and diversification of their investment portfolio using alternative assets which has been underway in recent years and is being accelerated by the current market environment.



Peter Hughes , Founder and CEO of Apex Group: "The opportunity to partner with BITE comes at an ideal time for Apex as we focus our APAC strategy on addressing this underserved space and market opportunity. The combination of our fund, financial and corporate services and longstanding presence in the region, enables us to partner with BITE to provide a technology enabled distribution platform to build Asia's premium online alternatives investment platform for high net worth investors.

"We look forward to working with William and their experienced management team who bring and excellent track record of building and running fintech and financial services firms." William Rudebeck, Founder and CEO of BITE Investments: "We are hugely excited by the partnership with the Apex and the ability to leverage their institutional global reach to bring BITE's technology driven access to outstanding alternative investment opportunities. The partnership creates arguably the most compelling solution for investors in the marketplace. "There are many financial 'supermarkets' for high net worth individuals in Asia, but no truly dedicated, trusted, online source of premium alternative investments, and yet, given the performance of some alternative investments, we see huge demand for such a platform." Apex Group Apex Group Ltd., established in Bermuda in 2003, is a global financial services provider. With 45 offices worldwide and 3,500 employees, Apex delivers an extensive range of services to asset managers, allocators and financial institutions. The Group has continually improved and evolved its capabilities to offer a single-source solution through establishing the broadest range of products in the industry; including fund services, digital bank account opening, paperless onboarding, depositary, custody, super ManCo and business solutions including HR and Payroll. www.theapexgroup.com BITE Investments BITE is Asia's Premium Alternatives Investment platform. BITE helps investors and advisors access funds that would otherwise be inaccessible because they are either oversubscribed, too illiquid, or have an institutional-level minimum buy-in. BITE's management team is supported by a world class set of shareholders and advisors and operates within the parameters of some of the world's most respected regulatory regimes; BITE is majority owned by VCP Advisors, which is regulated in North America (FINRA / SEC), Europe (FCA, UK), Asia (SFC, Hong Kong) and Cayman (CIMA). Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1168920/Apex_Logo.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1168921/BITE_Logo.jpg SOURCE Apex; BITE

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The 2015 attack in the occupied West Bank village of Duma killed 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh and his parents.

An Israeli court has convicted a Jewish settler guilty of racially motivated murder in a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian couple and their baby in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli prosecutors said Amiram Ben-Uliel chose the Dawabsheh family home and another dwelling in Duma village, near Nablus, on the assumption they were inhabited and, before firebombing them, spray-painted Revenge and Long Live King Messiah on their walls.

The arson attack killed 18-month-old Ali Dawabsheh. His mother, Riham, and father, Saad, later died of their wounds. Alis four-year-old brother Ahmad survived with burns on his body.

Ben-Uliels triple conviction on Monday by the Lod District Court carries a potential life sentence.

The 25-year-old was also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder and two of arson, but was acquitted of a charge of belonging to a terrorist organisation.

A second, underaged defendant in the case entered a plea deal last year in which murder charges against him were reduced to conspiracy charges.

Ben-Uliel said Israeli investigators forced him to make a false confession to the Duma attack.

This trial wont bring my family back, Hussein Dawabsheh, Alis grandfather, said outside the courtroom in central Israel. But I dont want another family to go through the trauma that I have.





According to the indictment, Ben-Uliel surveilled the village with the unnamed minor, and the two agreed to carry out an attack in Duma and another in Majdal, with the aim of killing Palestinians inside their homes.

The indictment went on to say that on July 31, 2015, Ben-Uliel went to meet the underaged defendant in a cave in the Jewish outpost of Yashuv Hadaat. The latter did not show up, and Ben-Uliel decided to proceed alone.

Ben-Uliel searched for a house in which there were indications of people living there. He first threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of a house whose inhabitants were not at home.

He then proceeded to Saad and Rihams house and threw the second burning Molotov cocktail through the bedroom window where the couple and their two children were sleeping, before escaping.

Ben-Uliel belonged to a movement known as the hilltop youth, a leaderless group of young Jewish settlers who set up unauthorised outposts, usually clusters of trailers, on West Bank hilltops  land the Palestinians want for their hoped-for state.

Double-standard

The attack was condemned across the Israeli political spectrum, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged zero tolerance in the fight to bring the assailants to justice.

Investigators placed several suspects under administrative detention, a measure typically reserved for Palestinians, that allows authorities to hold suspects for months without charge.

Critics, however, noted that other non-deadly attacks, such as firebombings that damaged mosques and churches, had gone unpunished for years.

And as the investigation into the Duma attack dragged on, Palestinians complained of a double-standard, where suspected Palestinians are quickly rounded up and prosecuted under a military legal system that gives them few rights while Jewish Israelis are protected by the countrys criminal laws.
The Overseas Chinese Museum of China reopened on May 15 after a closure lasting over three months due to COVID-19, starting things off with a major exhibition of old postcards.







The 200-odd exhibited postcards, old photos and other articles mostly dating back to the early 20th century, and the exhibition combines them all to show the history of Chinatown in San Francisco.

Curators of the exhibition aim to lead through the early history of Chinese immigrants to the city and reflect their contribution to local communities. Particular focus is also brought to their devotion to rebuild the city after it was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1906, as well as bravery during World War II.



Many scenarios from daily life were portrayed in postcards, which serve as important references for historical studies.

About 100 pieces were collected by Herby Lam, a Chinese-American who permanently donated 17 of them to the museum.





The exhibition is set to run through July 19.




CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African airports operator ACSA needs treasury support to finance up to 11 billion rand ($594 million) of new debt by 2025, the state-owned company said on Monday.

Since late March when South Africa declared a state of disaster to contain the new coronavirus, major domestic airports such as the continent's busiest OR Tambo in Johannesburg have closed, knocking revenue at Airports Company SA (ACSA).

African airlines could lose $6 billion in passenger revenue in 2020, the International Air Transport Association said last month.

"New debt of 10 billion to 11 billion rand is required in the next five years and this will require shareholder support in the form of government guarantees," ACSA said in a presentation to lawmakers.

The operator, which also holds concessions at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, said about 3 billion rand in guarantees would be required over the next three years.

Between 2021 and 2023 its capital expenditure budget is seen at 17.9 billion rand as it develops major projects, such as a new runway and terminal at Cape Town airport, ACSA said.

In March ratings agency Moody's downgraded ACSA to Ba1

from Baa3 with a negative outlook as expected passenger traffic was seen falling by at least 30% in the financial year to March 2021.

Struggling state-owned companies including bankrupt national airline SAA and power utility Eskom rely heavily on government bailouts which are straining tight public finances as Africa's most industrialised economy faces the prospect of a prolonged recession.

($1 = 18.5167 rand)

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; editing by Jason Neely)
Kolkata, May 18 : The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has divided all the containment zones across the state into three different categories as the nationwide lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic entered its fourth phase from Monday.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said that the containment zones would be defined as Zone A, B and C. While Zone A will be identified as 'Affected Zone' (total lockdown), Zone B will be known as 'Buffer Zone' (with some particular relaxations) and Zone C will remain 'Clean' (with all relaxations).

Issuing the fresh guidelines for lockdown 4.0, Banerjee said that after May 21, all big and small shops would be allowed to open, except for those in the containment zones.

"Shopkeepers and customers will have to abide by the social distancing guidelines. Sanitisation is a must. The state government has made wearing of masks and gloves compulsory for all shopkeepers and hawkers," she said, adding that senior state government officials are looking into the aspect if hawkers can reopen their stalls on alternative days in the fourth phase of lockdown.

Banerjee also said that no restaurant would be allowed to open now, while hotels can be opened maintaining all social distancing norms.

"Games can begin with no spectators. As far as autos are concerned, they can ply with only two passengers. Saloon and beauty parlours can be opened strictly maintaining the social distancing guidelines. All the tools at the saloon, beauty parlours must be sterilised before using," Banerjee said, adding that buses will ply on roads from May 21 onwards.

"The Central government has announced a curfew between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. But we are not saying it's curfew as it is mainly used during communal tensions. But yes, the lockdown will continue and there will be strict restriction between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. We urge people to follow the lockdown measures. If anyone is seen flouting them, strict action will be taken against the violator," she said, appealing the opposition parties not to resort to politics at this time Covid-19 crisis.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chemuta Divine Banda Archives

Dr. Chemuta Divine Banda, Chairman of Cameroons National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms has died in Yaounde Monday, May 18, 2020.

The human rights vanguard is said to have died at "Le Jourdain", a clinic in the countrys capital Yaounde where he was receiving medical attention.

Born on December 26, 1946, Dr. Chemuta Divine Banda became Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms of Cameroon in 2003, an office he occupied until death snatched him this Monday.

The native of Bafut in Mezam Division of the North west Region graduated from the University of Yaounde and obtained a PhD in Public Administration at Nova University, USA.

As Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr. Chemuta spared no effort trying to take the commission up to the international standards with the aim to achieve greater autonomy, more credibility and efficiency.

Dr. Chemuta was very vocal about the human rights violations and abuses that have since characterised the crisis in the countrys North West and South West regions.

He was among those who carried out an inquiry to shed light on the February 14, 2020 killing of children and women in Ngarbuh, Donga-Mantung Division.
President Moon Jae-in delivers a keynote speech to the World Health Assembly through teleconference, at Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae



By Kang Seung-woo



President Moon Jae-in proposed Monday that the international community cooperate beyond borders to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and other pandemics that may emerge in the future.



"The Republic of Korea fully supports the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop vaccines and treatments," Moon said in a keynote speech to the World Health Assembly, delivered via videoconference.



"Furthermore, such vaccines and treatments are public goods that must be distributed equitably to the whole world."



His speech came as Korea has gained international recognition for its successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the nation's achievement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus proposed, during an April 6 phone conversation, that Moon deliver the keynote speech, hoping it could serve as a good opportunity to share Korea's experience on dealing with the pandemic.



Moon said Korea would be committed to developing coronavirus vaccines.



"The Republic of Korea is also working with GAVI, the Global Fund, Unitaid and the International Vaccine Institute as a donor country, and this year we will begin contributing to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations," he said. GAVI is an international organization working to immunize children against infectious diseases, while Unitaid helps create transformative solutions to address global pandemics.



Alongside vaccine development, the President said the international community needs to expand its humanitarian assistance for countries with vulnerable healthcare systems and share its quarantine experiences.



"Until the day everyone is free from COVID-19, we must work together and leave no one behind," he said.



Moon also suggested updating the WHO International Health Regulations and other relevant norms and augmenting them with binding legal force.



"A novel infectious disease could emerge at any time, and we must be able to respond more quickly and effectively," he said.



"Infection-related data should be shared among countries in a more transparent manner, and an early warning system and a cooperation mechanism must be jointly established. At the G20 and ASEAN+3 Summits, various measures for cooperation were proposed, and I hope they will be made more concrete."



Meanwhile, Moon attributed the nation's COVID-19 success to the people displaying the highest form of civic virtue and voluntarily participating in quarantine efforts.



"This was what really enabled the three main principles of openness, transparency and democracy to flourish. The government also supported the people's efforts with swift, widespread testing and creative approaches," he added.


The Duggar family can post as many happy birthday messages as they like, but family followers know the truth. Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are not Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars favorite couple. Long before Derick started spilling family tea on Instagram, it was clear the couple was moving away from the Duggar familys ideals, much to the chagrin of Jim Bob. Now, Derick has outlined his career aspirations, and it is pretty clear that Jim Bob probably doesnt approve of his plans moving forward.

Derick Dillard shocked fans when he enrolled in law school

When Derick and Jill married in 2014, Derick had taken a year off to complete some missionary work. He had previously held a position in the accounting department for Walmart and returned once he married Jill. That job didnt last long, though. Derick left Walmart for good, and the duo took off on a mission trip in South America, through an established missionary group. Their time in South America reportedly ended when both Jill and Derick failed to learn Spanish. An insider claims the ministry the couple was associated with requires missionaries to learn the official language where they are working within one year.

RELATED: Counting On: Did Derick Dillards Law School Education Embolden Him on Instagram?

After their missionary trip ended, the couple landed back in Arkansas. Derick took on a job with Cross Church, working in youth ministry, but again the position only lasted a year. He then abruptly enrolled in law school, shocking Counting On fans. Its seemingly going well. Derick enrolled in the program at The University of Arkansas in August 2018 and should graduate in 2021.

Derick Dillard has an interest in working as a public defender or prosecutor

Derick has plans for when he finishes his education. The father of two showed up on the First Class Fatherhood podcast to discuss his life and raising his two sons. Derick told the hosts that he entered law school intending to go into public service, and so far, that is still his path. He noted that he had interned with the attorney general and was currently interning at a prosecutors office.

Dericks plan to enter the public sector is certainly an interesting one. It absolutely doesnt jive with Jim Bobs suggestions for those in his family. According to the ministry that Jim Bob and Michelle belong to, adherents must avoid working for people who do not belong to their ultra-conservative Christian sect. The Institute of Basic Life Principles, also advises against working for corporations that place women in management positions. The rules have led many adherents to open their own small businesses.

RELATED: Revealed: The Duggar Family Has Ties to a Controversial Christian Ministry

Derick and Jill, however, do not subscribe to the beliefs of the IBLP. Derick denounced the ministry in an interview with Katie Joy of Without a Crystal Ball, and the couple has bucked several of the ministrys teaching in recent years. Against the ministrys suggestions, Jill wears pants and has piercings. Additionally, the couple decided to enroll their eldest son, Israel Dillard, in public school.

Could Jim Bob block Dericks future career?

Derick has shared a lot of information about the Duggar family in recent months. Some of his biggest bombshells have centered around how Jim Bob controls his family. In one admission, Derick claimed that Jim Bob had prevented him from taking a dream job in the past, and he alleges he is not the only person in the family who has been blocked from pursuing a career. In fact, he claims that Jim Bob prevents the men in his family from working for anyone outside the family.

RELATED: Counting On: Is Jim Bob Duggar Preventing His Sons From Getting Real Jobs?

That has led some fans to question whether or not Jim Bob could create trouble for Derick moving forward in the future. Derick doesnt seem concerned about that prospect, though. Perhaps that is why hes been so willing to speak out. Jim Bob may leave Derick alone to avoid further negative press.
In a sign that efforts to roll back the autonomy of Pakistans provinces is snowballing into a crisis, politicians in three minority provinces in the country have criticized the recently constituted government commission tasked with dividing federal resources between Islamabad and four provinces.

Opposition politicians in the western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have joined the provincial administration in southern Sindh Province, led by the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to criticize the formation of a new National Finance Commission (NFC) last week. This body typically has up to 10 members -- two each to represent the four provincial administrations and the federal government.

The politicians have questioned the governments motives in nominating to the commission representatives for the provinces who are not even residents. Opposition figures in the three minority provinces fear that by handpicking the members of the body Islamabad wants to reclaim a greater financial share granted to the provinces under a previous NFC Award in 2010, which acted on a resource distribution formula outlined by the 18th Amendment to the Pakistani Constitution.

While officials have rejected such criticism, the controversy over the commission comes amid a broader struggle over the decade-old 18th Amendment. These changes in the supreme law granted greater resources and autonomy to the provinces by devolving key ministries and increasing provincial shares. The amendment also protected the country from future military coups and removed clauses from the constitution that limited democracy. During the past month, opposition politicians have resisted a government push to review the amendment.

Lawmaker Usman Kakar, who represents Balochistan in the parliament's upper house or Senate, says they will not accept the nomination of Javed Jabbar, a former federal minister, to represent their province as a non-statutory member of the commission. Kakar says that as a resident of southern Sindh Province, Jabbar is not suitable for representing Balochistan in the national body, which is tasked with distributing financial resources between the federal government and four provincial administrations for the next five years. Their decision allocating federal resources is formally called the NFC Award.

All [opposition] lawmakers from Balochistan, particularly our Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party supporters, will never accept Javed Jabbars appointment to the NFC, he told Radio Mashaal. All this is part of the [federal] governments effort to increase its [financial] share at the cost of Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, opposition politicians are likewise questioning the nomination of Musharraf Rasool Cyan. We reject the composition of the10th NFC Award, said Asfandyar Wali Khan, leader of the secular Awami National Party. Appointing irrelevant people coming from a particular background is a violation of the constitution, he said in a statement issued on Twitter. Non locals cannot fight for the rights of our province.

Cyan, a former bureaucrat who has served in the province, hails from the eastern province of Punjab, according to daily The News.

Lawmaker Shazia Atta Marri, a PPP leader from Sindh, also demanded Pakistani President Arif Alvi revoke his May 12 announcement that outlined the composition of the new NFC. The way the new members have been appointed and the way many subjects were inserted into it makes this specific notification unconstitutional, she told parliament on May 15. We demand that it be revoked immediately.

Marri pointed out that because the constitution specifically says the federal finance minister should chair the commission, authorizing Prime Minister Imran Khans finance and revenue adviser Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to chair the NFC meetings is a violation of the supreme law. Khan currently holds the finance portfolio.

But Jabbar and senior government officials have rejected the oppositions criticism and defended the appointments.

While it is also correct that I am not a resident of Balochistan, one is a citizen of Pakistan, and about 45 percent of the territorial dimension of my national identity is derived from Balochistan, Jabbar said in a statement to the English-language daily Dawn. I did not seek this nomination and accepted it only because of the kind insistence of the [Balochistans] Chief Minister. He added that he has been involved with the underdeveloped region for 45 years as documentary filmmaker, head of various nongovernmental organizations, and a federal lawmaker and minister.

Liaqat Shahwani, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, said that Balochistans finance minister is a member of the NFC, as are the finance ministers of other provinces. There is nothing in the constitution that says where the other members of the commission should come from or what specific abilities and skills they require, he told Radio Mashaal.

Shahwani said that in the past Qaisar Bengali, an eminent economist from Sindh, and Gulfaraz Ahmed, a petroleum executive and resident of Punjab, had represented Balochsitan in the NFC.

The opposition, however, is unlikely to give Islamabad a walkover on the issue. The four provinces are expected to lose a large part of the financial gains they made in the 2010 NFC Award, when the federal government surrendered a sizeable part of more than 10 percent of its share to the provinces in the overall national revenue pot called the divisible pool.

The three minority provinces had also gained a greater share because instead of the previous criteria to divide the resources on population numbers alone, the new formula included poverty rates, revenue generation, and inverse population density in addition to population numbers to distribute the divisible pool.

The new formula reduced the share of the federal government by 10 percent while Punjab, the most populous majority province, also lost some of its share. Leaders of the minority provinces hailed the new formula as a harbinger of a strong federation. But the current federal government led by Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf party now opposes the distribution. Pakistans powerful military, too, has weighed in to oppose the 18th Amendments distribution of resources.

The controversy has ethnic dimensions, as well. Punjab, the most developed province, also dominates national institutions including the military. This has historically prompted leaders of minority provinces to criticize what they call domination by Punjabi political and military elites.

In the absence of a visible consensus over the NFC and the 18th Amendment, political temperatures are likely to rise in Pakistan.
A staff member at Chanel boutique in Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, blocks a photographer from taking a picture of the store, May 13. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho



By Kim Jae-heun





Chanel Korea CEO Stephane Blanchard
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The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

TOP OF THE HOUR:

 Probe suggests many more virus-related deaths in Mexico City than official count.

 Hong Kong ramping up coronavirus testing.

 China reports 6 new cases, South Korea 13.

 Texas continues swift reopening.

 Trump says hes taking malaria drug to protect against virus.

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MEXICO CITY  A registry of death certificates in Mexico City suggests there have been 4,577 cases in which doctors mentioned coronavirus or COVID-19 as a possible or probable cause of death, more than three times the official count.

The federal government acknowledges only 1,332 confirmed deaths in Mexico City due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

Mexicans Against Corruption said in a report Monday it obtained access to a database of death certificates issued in Mexico City between March 18 and May 12. It showed that in explanatory notes attached to 4,577 death certificates, doctors included the words SARS, COV2, COV, Covid 19, or new coronavirus.

The virus technical name is SARS-CoV-2. The notes the group counted included terms such as suspected, probable, or possible when describing the virus role in the deaths. In 3,209 certificates, it was listed as a suspected contributing factor along with other causes of death, like pneumonia, respiratory failure, septic shock or multiple organ failure.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged there are more virus-related deaths than officially reported, and has said a special commission will review the death figures. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new report.

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HONG KONG  Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says the territory is ramping up coronavirus testing, especially for workers at the busy international airport and caregivers at homes for the elderly and disabled.

Lam said Tuesday tests would be increased from 4,500 to 7,000 daily with both the government health department and university laboratories taking part. Hong Kong has gone several days without new local infections, but a recent cluster among three members of the same family has increased concerns about those who show no symptoms passing the virus on to others, something authorities hope can be remedied with increased testing.

A densely populated city of more than 7 million people just across the border from mainland China, Hong Kong has reported 1,055 COVID-19 cases and four deaths.

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BEIJING  China reported six new coronavirus cases Tuesday, a day after President Xi Jinping announced his country would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout.

Three of the new cases were listed as imported. Two were registered as local infections in Jilin province, and another local case was identified in Hubei province, where Chinas outbreak was centered.

Authorities in Hubei carried out nucleic acid tests on more than 1.5 million people between May 11 and May 17. More than 72.5% of tests were administered in Wuhan, where authorities plan to eventually test all 11 million residents as part of safeguards against a second wave of virus cases.

Wuhan and surrounding cities in Hubei accounted for the bulk of Chinas reported 82,690 cases and 4,634 deaths from COVID-19.

Xis appearance via video link at the World Health Assembly on Monday came amid finger-pointing between the United States and China over the pandemic, and the World Health Organization bowing to calls from most of its member states to launch an independent inquiry into how it managed the response to the coronavirus.

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SEOUL, South Korea  South Korea has reported 13 new coronavirus cases, a possible sign that a recent outbreak in the capital area is stabilizing as officials prepare to reopen schools this week.

Figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday brought national totals to 11,078 cases and 263 deaths.

Nine of the new cases were from Seoul and nearby regions, where dozens of infections have been linked to club goers who went out in early May as the country began relaxing social distancing measures.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip urged vigilance to maintain hard-won gains against the virus and called for education officials to double check preventive measures with high school seniors returning to school on Wednesday.

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University of Notre Dame officials announced Monday the schools campus will reopen to students on Aug. 10, with social distancing, a mask requirement, testing and contact tracing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Notre Dames president, the Rev. John Jenkins, said the university will open to students two weeks earlier than originally scheduled. He said there wont be a fall break and the semester will end before Thanksgiving.

Bringing our students back is in effect assembling a small city of people from many parts of the nation and the world, who may bring with them pathogens to which they have been exposed, Jenkins said in a statement. We recognize the challenge, but we believe it is one we can meet.

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AUSTIN, Texas  Texas is allowing most facets of daily life to reopen under what Republican Gov. Greg Abbott calls the second phase of one of the nations swiftest reboots.

Abbotts sweeping new orders Monday lifts most full lockdown orders in Texas. Bars, child daycare centers and zoos are the latest businesses that can start reopening. Summer camps and youth sports will also be allowed by June.

Abbott says social distancing measures must still be in place, including limits on customers and no fans at sporting events. Theme parks remained closed.

Abbott says hes seen no evidence that raise concerns about a possible new wave of cases that might force Texas to impose tougher restrictions again.

Democrats have criticized the governor for going too fast. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says he probably wouldve chosen a different pace and that his only hope and prayer is theres not another spike in cases.

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WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump said Monday he is taking a malaria drug to lessen symptoms should he get the new coronavirus, even though the drug is unproven for fighting COVID-19.

Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement daily for about a week and a half now. Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administrations top medical professionals. The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the new coronavirus.

Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.

Trump repeatedly has pushed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, but no large, rigorous studies have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19. They can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combo and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.

Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. Two new ones published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.  California Gov. Gavin Newsom relaxed county reopening criteria on Monday, a move he said will allow most of the states 58 counties to begin allowing dining in restaurants and other services.

Bottom line is: People can go at their own pace, and we are empowering our local health directors and county officials that understand their local communities and conditions, Newsom said.

The new criteria he outlined applies to counties that want to reopen faster than the state. While retail may open for curbside pickup statewide, restrictions on dining in at restaurants and other services are still in place statewide. Counties can move faster if they win state approval.

Twenty-four counties in mostly rural Northern California already won approval under the old guidance.

The new criteria eliminates requirements that a county have zero deaths and no more than than one case per 10,000 residents over a two-week period. Instead, counties must have no more than 25 cases per 100,000 residents or no higher than an 8% positive rate among people testing for the coronavirus. They also must have no higher than a 5% increase in hospitalizations over a 7-day period or fewer than 20 hospitalizations total over 14 days. The latter will ensure small counties dont get penalized for just one or two extra hospitalizations.

Newsom also said counties will soon be able to allow shopping in stores and hair salons to reopen. He also suggested professional sports could begin in June without spectators. He said the reopening of churches could begin within weeks.

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WASHINGTON  Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is slamming the Trump administrations response to the coronavirus outbreak, proclaiming that President Donald Trump, had months, months to take action and failed to do so before the U.S. death toll began rising.

Biden addressed the AAPI Victory Funds Progressive Summit virtually on Monday, speaking from his home in Delaware, as Canadian geese honked loudly and persistently in the background. The group aims to empower Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

The former vice president said of the virus, The scale of the loss is staggering and its infuriating.

But more than that, its heartbreaking to think how much fear, how much loss, how much agony could have been avoided if the president hadnt wasted so much time and taken responsibility, Biden said. We got denials, delays, distraction  many of which were openly xenophobic.

Biden added, that the country, Got bald-faced lies about testing capacity that, Anyone who wants a test can get a test.'

It wasnt remotely true two months ago, he said and it still isnt.

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CAIRO  The governor of Egypts Daqahlia province, northeast of the capital, has contracted the coronavirus, among the highest-ranking officials in the Arab worlds most populous nation to be infected.

In an interview with the local Sada el-Balad channel, Dr. Ayman Mokhtar says hes in stable condition but suffers debilitating fatigue and a cough.

The Nile Delta governorate has been a virus hot spot in Egypt, targeted with tight movement restrictions in recent weeks.

Egypt has reported 12,764 cases and 645 deaths because of the virus, a relatively modest toll compared with some other countries in the region. But the count is rapidly accelerating, raising fears that a bigger outbreak is yet to come.

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ORLANDO, Fla.  As Walt Disney World prepares to allow some third-party shops and restaurants to open at its entertainment complex later this week, its posting a warning.

While enhanced safety measures are being taken at Disney Springs, an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present, the company said Monday on a website for the entertainment complex.

COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable, the warning said. By visiting Disney Springs you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.

The opening of some shops and restaurants at Disney Springs on Wednesday marks the latest baby steps Orlandos theme park resorts are taking toward reopening since mid-March when the spread of the new coronavirus forced them to shut their gates.

Last week, Universal Orlando allowed the opening of about a half-dozen restaurants and eateries, as well as two retail shops and some merchandise carts at its Citywalk entertainment complex.

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SALEM, Ore.  A county judge has declared Oregon Gov. Kate Browns coronavirus restrictions null and void because she didnt have her emergency orders approved by the Legislature following 28 days.

Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff made the ruling Monday in a lawsuit brought by churches who had sued saying the social-distancing directives were unconstitutional.

The suit had also argued that emergency powers only last for a month and after that Brown would have needed legislative approval. The judge agreed.

Brown said she would immediately appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court to try to keep the emergency orders in effect.

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LANSING, Mich.  Restaurants, bars and other retail businesses can open in much of northern Michigan starting Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in relaxing her stay-at-home restrictions  a key step for the tourism-dependent region before the Memorial Day weekend and summer season.

Bars and restaurants, which have only been able to do pickup and delivery, will have to limit capacity to 50% under Mondays announcement.

Groups will be required to stay 6 feet apart, and servers will have to wear face coverings. Office business also will be able to resume if work cannot be done remotely.

The governors latest order keeps closed other places of public accommodation such as movie theaters, gyms and hair salons in all 83 counties, at least through May 28.

Whitmer called the partial reopening of northern Michigan a big step, but urged people to not go rushing out. She recommended that residents considering visiting the Upper Peninsula or a 17-county region of the northern Lower Peninsula  which have 7.5% of the states 10 million people  to think long and hard.

The whole state is watching to make sure we get this right, said Whitmer, a Democrat who has been criticized by Republican lawmakers for not earlier restarting sectors by region. If we get this right, we will be able to take the next step.

Whitmer also issued an order requiring that businesses resuming in-person work develop a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and make it available to employees and customers by June 1.

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JUBA, South Sudan  South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar says he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The former leader of the armed opposition in South Sudans five-year civil war rejoined the government months ago under the latest peace deal.

Machar is the deputy of the countrys COVID-19 task force and says all of its members were tested after one was found to have the virus.

He says his wife, the defense minister, also has tested positive but says many of those who tested positive are in good health.

Machars spokesman James Gatdet says that includes Machar and his wife, and he adds that the infections will not hinder the implementation of the peace deal.

South Sudans government says the country now has 347 confirmed virus cases.

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ROME  Italy has registered its lowest daily increases in both deaths and new cases of COVID-19 since before the national lockdown began in early March.

According to data from the Health Ministry, 99 deaths of persons with coronavirus infections were registered in a 24-hour period ending Monday evening.

That same period saw 451 confirmed new cases.

On Monday, Italians enjoyed a first day of regained freedoms, including being able to sit down at a cafe or restaurant, shop in all retail stores or attend church services such as Mass.

But until next month they still cant travel outside their regions except for work or other strict necessities, as lockdown rules are gradually lifted.

Italy now officially has 32,007 deaths, although many in nursing homes who died during the lockdown period werent tested for coronavirus as the tests were mainly given to hospitalized patients.

Overall, there are 225,886 confirmed cases of COVID-in Italy, where Europes outbreak began.

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ISTANBUL  Turkeys president has announced a new four-day curfew during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr to be applied across the country to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped the restrictions would no longer be needed after the next round of lockdowns between May 23 and 26.

Previous weekend and national curfews were applied to 31 provinces, but this round will restrict people to their homes in all 81 provinces.

The country has opted to impose short weekend and holiday curfews, instead of full lockdowns, fearing possible negative effects on the already troubled economy.

Turkeys health ministry announced 31 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the lowest since the end of March, bringing the death toll to 4,171. The data also showed 1,158 new infections with the total now at 150,593.

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GENEVA  The U.S. Health and Human Services secretary has demanded change at the World Health Organization, accusing it of failing to obtain the information the world needed as the coronavirus outbreak emerged.

Alex Azar said the United States supports an independent review of every aspect of WHOs response to the pandemic, keeping up a U.S. onslaught against the U.N. health agency over its alleged failure to press China to be more transparent about the origins of the outbreak.

Without mentioning China by name, Azar said: In an apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak, at least one member state made a mockery of their transparency obligations, with tremendous costs for the entire world.

Azar, speaking by video conference to the WHOs annual assembly, also joined recent statements from the U.S. State Department blasting the U.N. health agency for not allowing Taiwan, whose government is a rival of Chinas, to attend the event as an observer state.

The health of 23 million Taiwanese people should never be sacrificed to send a political message, Azar said.

He said the United States had allocated $9 billion to benefit the global coronavirus response.

Azar spoke just hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the assembly by videoconference, saying China would spend $2 billion to help respond to the COVID-19 crisis and economic fallout from it.

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Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Insurance group, Hollard Ghana, as part of efforts to join the fight against COVID-19 across the country, has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Western Region Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in addition to an awareness campaign on regional radio and TV.



GPRTU PPE Donation



The presentation was made by the Regional Branch Manager, Mr. Isdor Oheneba in the presence of Mr. Samuel Kojo Essel, Business Development Officer and Mr. Benjamin Ackah, Hollard Life Manager. It was received by Western Region GPRTU Advisor, Mr. George Senkyere at a socially distanced handover held at their office.



Speaking to the companys motivation to donate the PPE, Mr. Oheneba said, The GPRTU is a vital player in the transportation industry. We believe equipping them with nose masks and hand sanitisers will ensure that their drivers are protected while providing essential public transportation services. In turn, this will safeguard their passengers and curtail the spread of the COVID-19.



Receiving the items, the GPRTU Advisor, Mr. Senkyere thanked Hollard Ghana for the kind gesture and promised the PPE will be utilised properly. Were grateful to Hollard for thinking about our safety at this time. In addition to the PPEs, we shall continue to enforce the Ministry of Healths COVID-19 safety directives to wash hands frequently, reduce the number of passengers per bus and insist on mask-wearing.



COVID-19 Awareness Campaign



Further to Hollard Ghanas efforts to fight against COVID-19 in the Western Region, the insurance company has embarked on a public awareness campaign hosted on West Gold 106.3 FM and Sky TV.



The campaign features engagements with radio presenters, resource persons, and callers with tips and Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on COVID-19 to dispel misconceptions and share precautionary measures. Listeners who correctly answer questions on COVID-19 safety protocols are rewarded with PPE.



Free COVID-19 Cover for all existing and new customers



The PPE donation and awareness campaign comes as Hollard Ghanas Life Insurance subsidiary, Hollard Life Assurance announced a free COVID-19 cover for all its existing and new customers on individual and group policies. Hollard Life can be reached via the following means 0302220966 (Hollard Life), [email protected], [email protected], and www.hollard.com.gh.



Hollard Ghana combines its deep local knowledge of the market with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand. With feet firmly planted on the Ghanaian soil but Headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customized to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard was previously Metropolitan Insurance which operated in Ghana for over 25 years.





Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Shelley Davies waits for her delivery at Plants and Friends./Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate

LATEST, May 18, 8:00 p.m. An outbreak of the coronavirus at Windsor Vallejo Care Center in Solano County has left 11 residents dead.

County officials reported that 99 residents and 32 staff members at the facility have been infected. Nine of the 11 individuals who died were receiving end-of-life comfort care before testing positive for the virus.

May 18, 4:40 p.m. Here's a look at new coronavirus cases reported in the Bay Area on Monday. This will be updated as more counties make announcements.

Alameda County announced 65 new cases, increasing its total to 2,457. The death toll remains 83.

San Francisco reported 40 new cases to increase its total to 2,131. The death toll remains 36.

San Mateo announced 69 new cases to increase its total to 1,671. The death toll remains 66.

Contra Costa announced nine new cases to increase its total to 1,155. The death toll remains 33.

Marin reported 12 new cases to increase its total to 329. The death toll remains 14.

Napa reported two new cases to increase its total to 92. The death toll remains two.

Solano reported 14 new cases to increase its total to 424. The death toll remains 16.

Santa Clara reported 19 cases to increase its total to 2,470. The death toll remains 135.

May 18, 2:00 p.m. After individual Bay Area counties branched off of the original regional shelter-in-place order one by one last week, a new order issued by health officials Monday establishes a new multi-county consortium in the Bay Area.

The order  signed by health officials in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and the city of Berkeley  announces a move to Stage 2 of Governor Gavin Newsom's statewide reopening plan, which allows for the return of retail and manufacturing with physical distancing measures in place.

Conspicuously absent from the new order is San Mateo County  the first Bay Area county to break off from the original order last week.

Click here to read more.

May 18, 1:30 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared data Monday revealing the severity of the coronavirus pandemic is declining and the state is ready to further relax the stay-at-home order.

The governor suggested sporting events without spectators may resume as early as June and people could be attending small church meetings and visiting hair salons in a few weeks.

"Yes, that includes getting a haircut, said Newsom, who delivered the encouraging message from a press conference at Mustards Grill in Napa.

These activities fall into Stage 3 of Newsom's four-phase reopening plan and, while he didn't provide a timeline for a jump into this next phase, he did say multiple times "it's weeks, not months away," which suggests early June.

The governor emphasized counties will have the flexibility to move into Stage 3 at their own pace. Counties will initially be given the opportunity to apply for approval to transition into Stage 3 and then Newsom will issue a statewide order offering the opportunity to all counties.

"The Bay Area is in a different position than other parts of the state," Newsom said of the San Francisco region that has made modifications more slowly than other parts of the state. Get all the details from the Newsom press conference here.

May 18, 12:40 p.m. The city of San Francisco is rolling out three new testing sites in underserved parts of the city, Mayor London Breed announced Monday.

The new test sites will open at the Tenderloin (a mobile test site at the Tenderloin Recreation Center), the Excelsior (City College Student Health Center), and in the Hunter's Point neighborhood.

Today, we are taking another step towards ensuring equitable access to testing for San Franciscans, said S.F. Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax. By strengthening our efforts in neighborhoods that we know are most vulnerable to severe impacts of the virus, we continue to help people get the care they need and slow the spread of the virus. Not only does testing expansion help identify cases more rapidly and inform outbreak detection, it also continues to be an essential part of our overall strategy towards recovery.

The city will now have more than two dozen test sites across the city, helping San Francisco reach its goal of testing up to 1,800 people a day. As Colfax said Monday, the city is currently testing about 1,000 per day.

May 18, 12:15 p.m. In a digital roundtable Monday, S.F. Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax and Mayor London Breed discussed newly relaxed restrictions on retail in San Francisco County, and considered what needs to happen for the city to move towards a more comprehensive reopening.

Noting the city is now in its Stage 2A (curbside pickup only), Dr. Colfax said the earliest San Francisco would move into Stage 2B  which includes adapting retail for indoor services, and opening offices and schools  is 2-4 weeks.

Other phases, including the opening of higher-risk spaces like houses of worship, movie theaters, salons and restaurants, are at least a month out.

The more we can adhere to social distancing and masking and hygiene, the faster well get to the other phases, he said.

Colfax did address the possibility for summer camps to open, noting he think[s] its a real possibility that they may be able to welcome children, though its going to be different than it was before.

May 18, 10:30 a.m. Santa Clara County made a statement Monday that it is following in the footsteps of the eight other Bay Area counties and reopening retail for storefront pickup, as well as allowing manufacturing, warehousing, and logistical operations that support retail to resume.

Santa Clara is the last county in the nine-county Bay Area to make an announcement about stepping into Stage 2 of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase plan for relaxing the shelter-in-place order. The county said retail can officially resume Friday.

Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin counties reopened retail with curbside pickup Monday. Contra Costa will follow on Tuesday. Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties already moved into this stage and retail has been open for more than a week.

"As we reopen certain sectors, Bay Area residents are still required by health order to stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings, and follow the precautions that have helped the region make progress to slow the spread of COVID-19," the Santa Clara County Health Department said in a statement. "As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by our COVID-19 indicators and other data related to the spread of COVID-19 in our region."

Santa Clara health officials said the county is able to make this step based on several indicators including a trend of new cases of COVID-19 stabilizing  and even decreasing  with increased testing.

May 18, 8 a.m. San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties are reopening retail with curbside pickup Monday, marking the start of a move into Stage 2 of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase plan for relaxing the shelter-in-place order.

In the East Bay, Alameda and Contra Costa counties are expected to take the same step later this week.

Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties already moved into this stage and retail has been open for more than a week.

Newsom is reopening the state's economy with a four-stage plan that he emphasizes is based on science and data and promotes social distancing. The state is currently moving from Stage 1, with all residents except essential workers staying at home, into Stage 2, when businesses with a lower risk of spreading COVID-19 can reopen.



Newsom has given several sectors statewide permission to open, including curbside-pickup retail and office space where teleworking isn't possible. At the end of Stage 2, restaurants with dine-in service and schools can reopen with social-distancing measures in place.

Across the state, counties have made the leap into this next stage, but the state isn't requiring counties to comply with the modifications if they have more stringent guidelines in place. Santa Clara is the only Bay Area county without a plan for moving into Stage 2.

In Stage 3, higher-risk businesses such as gyms and hair salons will reopen. Stage 4, with the return of large gatherings at concert venues and convention centers, is months away, Newsom said.

Coronavirus in the greater Bay Area: A county-by-county snapshot

ALAMEDA COUNTY: 2,457 confirmed cases, 83 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

For more information on Alameda County, visit the public health department website.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 1,155 confirmed cases, 33 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

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: 329 confirmed cases, 14 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

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: 92 cases, 3 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and 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: 2,131 confirmed cases, 36 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

For more information on San Francisco County, visit the public health department website.

SAN MATEO COUNTY: 1,671 confirmed cases, 66 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

For more information on San Mateo County, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 2,470 confirmed cases, 135 deaths

What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing

Fore more information on Santa Clara County, visit the public health department website.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 163 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: 424 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: 387 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?

California could move into Stage 3 in June: Here's what that means

Newsom details 4 stages to reopen California businesses
Massive bushfires are occurring unnaturally, often in native forests in south-eastern Australia, prompting the collapse of ecosystems and rendering logging unviable, according to a new study published overnight in the journal of the National Academy of Sciences in the US.

Since 2003, Victoria has been hit with three mega-fires, blazes that burn over 1 million hectares, but in the period of European settlement before that there was just one, in 1939, according to research led by Professor David Lindenmayer, one of the worlds leading forest ecologists.

Two fire zones came together near the southern NSW town of Tooma to form a mega-fire in January. Credit:Eddie Jim

Fires, exacerbated by climate change, are now so common that it is unlikely that the mountain ash forests set aside for logging on an 80-year rotation will ever reach maturity and, as a result, logging has become unviable in native forests, the report says.

The study also found that over the past 25 years, 63 per cent of Victoria's state forests had burned, but only 44 per cent of national parks.
Over half (53%) of Brits are worried about their job security in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. (Getty)

The majority (53%) of Brits are worried about losing their job during the coronavirus pandemic, new research has found.

The industries where employees were most worried about losing their job include sales (75%), administration (74%), leisure and tourism (71%), automotive (69%) and IT (65%), according to a study by job board CV-Library.

Last week claims for universal credit hit 2.5 million. Universal credit is now the main benefit for the newly unemployed, suggesting a steep rise in unemployment as firms have axed staff and many self-employed workers have seen their incomes evaporate.

Over half (55%) of people think the company they work for will suffer due to COVID-19, with the highest figures among workers in automotive (81%), hospitality (75%), marketing (71%), IT (71%), construction (66%), leisure and tourism (63%), and recruitment (63%).

Those aged 45-54 (61%) and 25- to 34-year-olds (54%) are the most concerned about job security, according to the study of 1,408 UK professionals.

READ MORE: Youth unemployment fears as school leaver hiring drops by a third

Looking across the UK, employees in the West Midlands are the most anxious, with 68% of respondents saying they are worried about losing their job, followed by workers in London (66%) and the South East (64%).

Over three quarters (77%) of workers on furlough also expressed concerns that there may not be a job available for them once the scheme is over. Some 7.5 million workers have been furloughed under the governments job retention scheme.

Workers in hospitality were the most concerned, with 90% saying they feared their jobs would not be there for them after the furlough scheme ends. Workers in design (89%), engineering (86%), retail (86%) and manufacturing (71%) were also among the most worried.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: Were living in very strange times and this is impacting people at all levels. The government is doing its best to get the economy moving again, but this is going to take time and a lot of professionals are struggling with the uncertainty.

Story continues

READ MORE: UK hospitality sector calls for government help with rents

Indeed, our data shows that the majority of people who are still working or on furlough are worried about job security and whether their employer is even going to weather the storm.

We know that some industries are going to suffer more than others and were expecting to see a real shift over the next 12 months in terms of what people want and need from their job; especially in the absence of pay rises and promotions.

Following such an uncertain period, more professionals will want to work for employers that can offer some sense of job security, especially as the pandemic will have a long-lasting impact on the UK economy.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Finance UK
TDT | Manama

Yasser Al Samak, a 50-year old musaharati (Ramadan drummers who awaken the faithful for their pre-dawn meal) has become the latest social media hit by adapting age-old songs for the time of coronavirus.

On the streets of Bilad Al Qadeem, his voice and drums ring out during the Holy Month of Ramadan. His potent messages went viral on WhatsApp and Instagram through short video clips, where his musical talents are displayed every evening.

Stay home with your family and blend your suhoor meal with hope, because those who rely on God, he will protect them, sings Al Samak. His lyrics toll out religious advice as well as the importance of health advisories.

Make yourself strong with prayer and wear the mask as a shield against the pandemic, he sings. Al Samaks songs feature lyrics about life during the pandemic, praises the benefits of social distancing, and draws attention to the large sacrifices made on the frontline by medical staff and volunteers.

Al Samak also came up with a pun on the word corona, urging people to eat macarona (pasta). His message radiates hope and teaches people that life must go on and that the faithful should not lose their resolve in the face of the crisis. Having done this for 30 years, the experienced musaharati said he hopes to raise awareness while also spreading hope and maintaining a sense of continuity during the crisis.
President Donald Trump on Monday defended his right to fire the State Department inspector general who was probing Mike Pompeo and defended the secretary of state having government employees walk his dog or even wash dishes.

Trump provided the defense of Pompeo even as it was revealed the IG who Pompeo sought to have removed was investigating him for the alleged misuse of government employees for personal errands  a matter Pompeo himself would not comment on Monday.

'Hes a high quality person, Mike. Hes a very brilliant guy,' Trump said at the White House. 'And now I have you telling me about dog walking, washing dishes and you know what, Id rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isnt there or his kids arent  you know,' Trump said.

'What are you telling me its terrible. Its so stupid. You know how stupid that sounds to the world? Unbelievable,' Trump said.

'I was happy to do it. Mike requested that I do it,' President Trump said of the decision to fire the State Department inspector general who was revealed to be probing Mike Pompeo as well as an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia

Trump said it was Pompeo's idea to axe the IG, career government official Steve Linick. 'He asked me if that would be possible. I said Ill do that, sure,' Trump said.

Trump repeatedly defended Pompeo on the dog walking charge, ridiculing the idea that it would become a major story in the media.

'You mean hes under investigation because he had somebody walk his dog from the government? I dont know,' Trump said. 'I dont think it sounds like that important.'

'You have a man thats supposed to be  and hes a brilliant guy He was Number One at West Point. Number One at Harvard, I believe, Harvard Law school  or close. Number One at Harvard Law School, or very close to number one,' Trump said, although Harvard does not have class rankings like West Point does.

'Id rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isnt there or his kids arent  you know,' President Trump said, defending Mike Pompeo from allegations he had government employees do chores for him

'And theyre bothered because hes having somebody walk his dog as youre telling me? I didnt know that. I didnt hear that. I didnt know about an investigation. But this is what you get with the Democrats,' the president continued.

'Heres a man supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major countries,' Trump said.

'And maybe hes busy, and maybe hes negotiating with [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong un, okay, about nuclear weapons. So he says please can you walk my dog. You mind walking my dog  Im talking to Kim Jong un?' Trump said.

'Please walk my dog, to who, a Secret Service person or somebody? I dont know,' Trump said.

'And theyre bothered because hes having somebody walk his dog as youre telling me?' Trump said when a reporter asked him about it.

MEET STEVE LINICK THE IG DONALD TRUMP FIRED FOR MIKE POMPEO Steve Linick's government career was ended abruptly by Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo in another Friday night firing of an inspector general. It was the end of a 26-year government career which had taken Linick from working as a federal prosecutor in California to one of the key roles in government. Linick, 57, a graduate of George Washington University was first a prosecutor in Philadelphia, then joined government service in 1994 as an assistant U.S. attorney in California, then rose in the Department of Justice. In 2010, he became inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, after it was part of the 2008 financial crisis, and was highly critical of rewards for executives there. In 2013 he was nominated to be the State Department inspector general, and was passed by the Senate on a voice vote. At the time IG appointments were not seen as being partisan nominations. Linick has no public political affiliation and lives in Virginia, which does not require political party affiliation to be registered. Public records do not show any political donations, although his wife Mary Britton - general counsel of science conglomerate Denaher - twice donated to Barack Obama's re-election campaign. And far from having a partisan record he was slammed by the Hillary Clinton campaign for a report in May 2016 on her private email server which was critical of her handling of official information and called using her personal email 'not appropriate.' Advertisement

'I didnt know that. I didnt hear that. I didnt know about an investigation. But this is what you get with the Democrats,' he said.

It was not immediately clear why Trump said Pompeo had aides wash dishes. He was responding to questions about an investigation into reports Pompeo had aides walk his dog and do other chores, as well as about an investigation into arms sales to the Saudis amid the brutal war in Yemen.

Trump said he encouraged top aides to fire Obama appointees  even though inspectors general are career employees who generally are former prosecutors or other investigators who root out corruption within their own agencies.

'I did suggest in pretty much all cases you get rid of the attorney generals because it happens to be very political whether you like it or not and many of these people were Obama appointments and so I just got rid of him,' Trump said  momentarily mixing up 'attorney general' and 'inspector general.'

'I was happy to do it. Mike requested that I do it,' Trump said.

'He should have done it a long time ago, in my opinion.' Trump repeatedly put distance between himself and the IG, although he signed a letter delivered to the House speaker Friday firing him.

'I dont know him. Never heard of him,' Trump said.

Pompeo said Monday the agency's independent inspector general who was abruptly fired Friday night was 'trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do'  in a statement acknowledging there was a substantive reason behind the act.

Amid new blowback for the swift action  including a link to a probe of Pompeo's alleged use of government staff to do personal errands  the nation's top diplomat told the Washington Post fired IG Steve Linick 'wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him.'

President Trump on Friday provided only a vague reason for the extraordinary firing  saying he didn't have the 'fullest confidence' Linick, who was confirmed by the Senate on a voice vote and appointed by President Barack Obama.

Pompeo's claims that the IG was fired for cause came after new information that Linick was investigating a controversial multi-billion U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee said Monday the State Department IG fired by President Trump late Friday had been investigating administration arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday State Department IG Steve Linick was fired because he was 'trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do'

Rep. Eliot Engel's statement connects the sudden termination of the independent auditor to a controversial $8 billion sale of high-tech military hardware that Trump approved despite fierce opposition in Congress.

His claim came after Democrats revealed Linick had probed allegations Pompeo had a politically-appointed staffer walk his dog and perform other errands.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump's firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog 'could be unlawful,' and Democratic committees have launched a probe.

'I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linicks firing. His office was investigating - at my request - Trumps phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,' House Foreign Affairs chairman Rep. Eliot Engel told the Washington Post.

'We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed,' Engel continued. The paper reported that the State Department had recently been briefed on the IG's findings  which could provide a circumstantial connection to the sudden firing  amid an apparent purge of four inspectors general officials.

Trump announced Linick's removal in a letter to Pelosi late on Friday night, making him the latest government inspector general that the Republican president has ousted over the last several weeks.

Trump wrote Pelosi that he 'no longer' has 'the fullest confidence' in Linick.

Engel and Senator Robert Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Republican-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced on Saturday they were launching an investigation.

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on February 12, 2019, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approaching to kiss the Hajar al-Aswad ('Black Stone'), believed to be the only piece remaining from an altar built by the patriarch Abraham, as he visits Islam's holiest shrine of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, during his inspections of expansion at the site. The Trump administration approved $8 billion in arms sales to Saudis despite congressional opposition

Trump infuriated many members of Congress last year, including some of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, by declaring an emergency in order to sidestep Congressional review of $8 billion in military sales, mostly to Saudi Arabia.

The powerful weapons included F-15 fighter aircraft and potent javelin missiles. The president was able to circumvent congressional opposition by invoking an 'emergency' pegged to attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq by Iranian proxies.

The IG fired by Trump was also said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning.

Donald Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Steve Linick in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday night. That made him the fourth government inspector general to be ousted in recent weeks.

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife and walking Sherman, their pet dog.

Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, suggesting Pompeo was responsible, in what 'may be an illegal act of retaliation'.

One White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: 'Secretary Pompeo recommended the move and President Trump agreed.'

Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees questioned the timing and motivation of what they called an 'unprecedented removal.'

The ousted State Department inspector general was said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo, pictured, made a staffer walk his dog Sherman and pick up his dry cleaning

Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, pictured, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department's management

'We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions,' House panel chairman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement announcing the probe.

The two Democrats said it was their understanding that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally recommended Linick's firing because the inspector general 'had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself.'

A State Department spokesperson confirmed Linick had been fired but did not comment on the Democratic investigation or Pompeo's role in the dismissal.

The agency said Stephen Akard, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, would take over the watchdog job.

Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration, is the fourth inspector general fired by Trump since early April following the president's February acquittal by the Republican-led Senate in an impeachment trial.

Pelosi called the ousting an acceleration of a 'dangerous pattern of retaliation.'

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife Susan, pictured in September 2019

Dems investigate Trump's dismissal of State Department IG 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.' Advertisement

In April, Trump removed a top coronavirus watchdog, Glenn Fine, who was to oversee the government's COVID-19 financial relief response.

Trump also notified Congress that he was firing the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, who was involved in triggering the impeachment investigation.

Earlier in May, Trump ousted Christi Grimm, who led the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, after accusing her of having produced a 'fake dossier' on American hospitals suffering shortages on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

'Trump is methodically eliminating anyone who would bring wrongdoing to light,' Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel, tweeted.

Engel and Menendez called on the Trump administration to turn over any related documents by May 22.

Trump and his administration have repeatedly balked at Congress' power to check the executive branch, refusing to turn over records in multiple probes and triggering lawsuits over its oversight power. It was not immediately clear what, if any, other action lawmakers would take outside the probe.

Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who exited after clashing with Trump, said the 30-day notice gave lawmakers a window to act, if they wanted to, including calling Pompeo to testify.

'It is part of a purge to remove legitimate watchdogs and replace them with loyalists,' he tweeted.

Representatives for Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump's letter provided 30-days' notice as required and said he no longer had confidence in Linick's ability to serve as inspector general, but gave no specific reasons.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement that citing 'a general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.'

Top Trump adviser Peter Navarro suggests ousted State Dept inspector general was part of the 'deep state'

President Donald Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

Trump fired Inspector General Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee, late on Friday but gave no reason for the move.

Linick is the fourth inspector general to be fired by Trump in the past two months, following his acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate in his impeachment trial.

Navarro, the Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, reacted to the ouster during an interview with ABC's This Week on Sunday morning.

'We've had tremendous problems with, some people call it the 'Deep State'. And I think that's apt. So I don't mourn the loss,' Navarro said.

'There's a bureaucracy out there. And there's a lot of people in that bureaucracy who think they got elected president and not Donald J Trump.'

Trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested that ousted State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was a member of the 'deep state' during an ABC News interview on Sunday morning

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Trump's firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog 'could be unlawful' if it was intended to retaliate against one of his investigations.

'The president has the right to fire any federal employee, but the fact is if it looks like it's in retaliation for something the IG, the inspector general, was investigating, that could be unlawful,' Pelosi said on CNN's 'State of the Union.'

Navarro's comments are only likely to further inflame tensions with Democrats, who on Saturday launched an investigation into Trump's late-night ouster of Linick, the latest in an escalating pattern by Trump of firing watchdogs whom he views as a threat to his presidency.
A critically-acclaimed Chinese author has caused controversy in China after her diary entries during the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan have been translated for release in the western world.

Wang Fang, 65, who uses the pen name Fang Fang, has been slammed as a traitor online after the account which she initially shared to her Weibo account has been collated for publication in English this month.

To be published as Wuhan Diary, Wang documents life inside Wuhan as the city was put into an unprecedented lockdown.

Live blog: Coronavirus news and updates from Australia

As many Chinese people looked for a reliable source as the outbreak began to spread in Hubei, millions flocked to her social media accounts to follow her account before they were later censored online.

Detailing a range of issues, she wrote about PPE shortages, overcrowded hospitals and claimed state-owned media tried to downplay the outbreak in its origins.

Wang Fang has been targeted by nationalists in China over the release of her book about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan. Source: Getty

In an extract from the book published in the Sunday Times she details a conversation she had with her brother who told her there was a new contagious disease found in the city.

"Now that I think back, it was actually my eldest brother who first told me that this virus was contagious.

"He teaches at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

"On December 31, he forwarded to me an essay entitled 'Suspected Case of Virus of Unknown Origin in Wuhan'.

"However, it wasn't long before the official government line came down: 'Not contagious between people; it's controllable and preventable'.

Her account from within the original epicentre has divided opinion online, with Wang being accused of speculating from rumours she had heard from around the city.

A police officer stands guard outside of Huanan Seafood Wholesale market where the coronavirus is believed to have originated. Source: Getty

Despite her work resonating with many Chinese people, when it was revealed her book was to be published in foreign languages, she was targeted online and was accused of profiting from criticising China, which could lead to further condemnation from the Western world.

The pending release of the book coincides with a growing group of countries calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus and how the outbreak was handled in its early stages.

Story continues

Seeing the book as potential ammunition for other countries, social media in China was awash with angry nationalism accusing Wang of being a traitor to her country, with state-media publication The Global Times saying she had lost her dignity.

Gu Su, a professor of philosophy and politics at Nanjing University, told The South China Morning Post it has become difficult for Chinese people to accept information they disagree with after receiving one-sided information for so long.

If Chinas nationalism keeps growing to the extreme, becoming xenophobia, it will be bad for Chinas future cooperation with the world, he said.

There has been growing support for Wang, however last month this led to two Chinese universities investigating inappropriate speech by a staff member and former employee for supporting the author online, The South China Morning Post reported.

The hashtag Fang Fang on Weibo has so far been viewed about 940 million times.

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.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the continued alignment of all Afghan groups, Mehr news agency reports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held separate phone conversations with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah and welcomed the progress made in the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister further voiced Irans readiness to support the continued alignment of all Afghan groups.

Today, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi also welcomed the accord reached between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and expressed Irans readiness to assist in the process of inter-Afghan political talks and the continued alignment of Afghan groups, including the Taliban.

After months of conflict over the Afghan presidential election, a political agreement was signed on Sunday between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah in an effort to end the crisis.

Under the agreement, Abdullah will chair the High Reconciliation Council, which has five deputies and have an independent budget along with specific powers. Moreover, He will retain a right to introduce 50 percent of the government's cabinet.

The agreement states that Afghanistan's 34 governors will be appointed on the basis of mutual agreement and that any change, adjustment, or removal of individuals from important government positions will be conducted due to proper reasons.

Afghanistan Election Commission declared Ashraf Ghani president on Jan. 20, 2020 which was later rejected by Abdullah.

On March 9, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah held simultaneous inauguration ceremonies at the presidential and Sepidar palaces with their supporters, effectively giving Afghanistan two presidents and a parallel government that created the crisis.
Often, that jumble of experiences is more negative than positive, Carrier says, and thats probably even more true during the covid-19 crisis. If you have stress or anxiety, even if youre not really conscious about it, it may very well go into your dreams. If you are making bad dreams that you dont like, its saying something about the state of mind that you have during the day.
In his first nationally televised Sunday interview since ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders once again urged his supporters to vote for former Vice President Joseph Biden. He claimed that Biden, a central figure over nearly 50 years in the Democratic Partys ever more pronounced shift to the right, could be convinced to adopt a progressive agenda.

In the course of his eight-minute interview on ABCs This week with George Stephanopoulos program, Sanders repeated the standard party line in support of the return to work in the midst of the still uncontained and deadly coronavirus pandemic. Without offering any serious criticism of the criminal policy of the Trump administration, which is now being implemented by Democratic as well as Republican governors across the country, or offering any genuine alternative, Sanders declared that the crisis that we face is opening the economy safely.

He made no mention of polls showing a large majority of the population in opposition to a premature reopening, or the wave of strikes and protests by workers rejecting the alternative of returning to work without any protection against the virus or losing their jobs and being cut off of unemployment benefits.

Millions of workers in the US and around the world are experiencing the indifference to human life of capitalist governments, which are knowingly condemning workers to sickness and death in order to resume pumping out corporate profits. Under these conditions, two words that were not uttered by the supposed democratic socialist Sanders were capitalism and socialism.

Also unmentioned was the multitrillion-dollar handout to Wall Street known as the CARES Act. Senate Democrats, including Sanders, voted unanimously in favor of what Sanders himself called corporate welfare.

Stephanopoulos, a former aide to Bill Clinton, asked Sanders if he would vote in the Senate for the so-called Heroes Act passed on Friday by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. The $3 trillion relief bill is a fraud. Not only does it fail to provide adequate relief for the more than 35 million workers who have been laid off over the past two months, the Democrats passed it in the knowledge that the Republican-controlled Senate will not approve it.

While not explicitly endorsing the legislation, Sanders commended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying, I think what Pelosi did in the House, it is significant, it is important. I have some disagreements with it, and I want to see the Senate improve upon it. How Sanders expects the Senate to improve upon legislation that Senate leaders and Trump have both declared dead on arrival was left unsaid.

Moving on from the bill, Stephanopoulos asked Sanders to comment on statements by Republicans that Joseph Biden and the Democrats have not been sufficiently tough on China. With a smile on his face, Sanders jumped at the chance to embrace the anti-China campaign that is in reality being carried out by both parties.

Echoing a series of campaign ads by Biden, Sanders attacked Trump for being soft on Beijing. Trump, he said, used to talk about President Xi being a great leader and a good friend of his. He doubled down on the demonization of governments in the cross hairs of US imperialism, attacking Trump for calling probably the worse dictator in the world, North Koreas Kim Jung-un, a wonderful human being.

The main political purpose of the interview became clear when Stephanopoulos brought up a memo released this past Friday by Sanders former campaign chair Jeff Weaver. Weaver, who launched a pro-Biden Super PAC after Sanders quit the race, warned in the memo that a significant portion of Sanders supporters are currently unsupportive and unenthusiastic about a Biden presidency.

That millions of Sanders supporters, many of whom thought they were supporting a candidate who would fight for their interests against rapacious billionaires, would be unsupportive of Biden, a hustler for credit card companies and Wall Street banks, is hardly surprising. Sanders, however, disputed Weavers assessment, saying that at the end of the day, the vast majority of the people who voted for me ... will be voting for Joe Biden.

Sanders offered his good friend Joe some advice for winning over his supporters. I think what Joe is going to, and hes beginning to move in that direction, is to say to those working class people, say to those young people, say to those minorities: Listen, I understand your situation. You know, I understand that youre graduating college with tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I understand that you dont have any health insurance. I understand that youre working at a job that is paying 12 bucks an hour and you cant get by on that, we gotta raise that minimum wage ... to a living wage.

In other words, do not actually offer anything substantive or real. Biden simply needs to spew out empty phrases of understanding. That Sanders thinks some insulting window dressing from a career capitalist politician will be sufficient to win over his supporters gives some insight into what the Vermont senator really thinks of those who volunteered their time or donated their hard-earned wages to his campaign.

Sanders continued, Joe and his staff understand that. I think they are going to reach out to our supporters and come up with an agenda that speaks to the needs of working families, of young families, of minority communities.

In reality, any words of understanding from Biden and whatever agenda emerges from the Biden task forces joined by Sanders backers, such as Democratic Socialist of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will be dead letters, forgotten as soon as they are adopted.

The only agenda that speaks to the needs of working families in the US and around the world is the revolutionary socialist program advanced by the Socialist Equality Party and our candidates for president and vice president, Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz.
A 50-year-old man, Ede Tyndale, has landed in the police net for allegedly raping his daughter since she was 11 years old.

According to a statement by Bala Elkana, spokesman of Lagos police command, he said the victim is now 19-year-old.

Trouble started when the woman noticed some strange behaviours from her daughter and decided to find out why the sudden disrespect towards her father, he said.

Read Also: Man Rapes Teen Wife To Death Days After Marriage

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The survivor opened up to her mother that her father started having sexual intercourse with her when she was 11-years-old. That he often threatened violence whenever she resisted him.

The father instilled so much fear in her that she finds it difficult to report to anybody.

After a thorough investigation into the case, the suspect was on 11/5/2020, charged before Chief Magistrate Court ll Ogba on five count charges of incest, rape, sexual harassment, defilement and sexual assault, Elkana said.
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today partnered with Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to light up the Parliament House and spread the message of hope on the occasion of International Day of Light.

International Day of Light underlines the potential of light to foster peace and sustainable development. On this occasion, the 93-year old landmark was illuminated with a dynamic simulation that used an advanced light consisting of over 875 ColorKinetics lighting fixtures. The simulation started with vibrant colors depicting the diversity of the country and then changed to a subtle show of five colors that denote the five elements of the universe, as a symbolic representation of the world coming together in this endeavor to recover. Then, the lights turned from red, to orange, to green and then to bright in blue. And finally, the building glimmered in the glorious tri-colors of Indian National Flag as an indicator of unity and solidarity in this time of darkness.

The dynamic lighting system is controlled, monitored, and managed using Signifys Interact Landmark connected lighting software. Interact Landmarks fault detection, alerts, and troubleshooting capabilities helps to reduce downtime and keep the site looking spectacular.

Speaking on the occasion, Sumit Padmakar Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Signify Innovations India Limited said, The initiative is a reminder of hope and positivity during an extremely difficult time. We at Signify, believe that light is fundamental to a progressive society and its sustainable development goals, and the International Day of Light is a perfect opportunity to harness its powers in an effort to bring the country together. This initiative is also a mark of our renewed commitment to look for solutions in lighting technology for a new normal that we find ourselves in today. We are thankful to CPWD for being our partner in this effort.
The European Union is betting that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants a trade deal so much he will compromise to get one.

With talks between the two sides locked in a stalemate and the chances of agreement before a key summit in June looking slim, EU officials say they see no reason to change tack. When chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Friday that an agreement may be impossible to reach, his comment was as much to do with putting pressure on the U.K. to back down as it was about signaling an imminent collapse of the talks, they said.

"To make progress in this negotiation -- if it is still the U.K.'s intention to strike a deal with the EU -- the U.K. will have to be more realistic," Barnier said. "It will have to change strategy."

EU officials are aware that is a big ask for a government led by a group of politicians who not only supported Brexit but also think Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, gave away far too much in her negotiations over the country's exit. But the bloc is still betting that the closer the U.K. gets to the end of the transition period on Dec. 31, the more likely it is to back down.

It's no small gamble, all the more so because the U.K. is expecting the EU to be the first to concede ground. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove urged the EU to "show just a little bit of their fabled flexibility" in the negotiations. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity after last week's round of talks, characterized the process now as a game of chicken.

Barnier's team has restricted room for maneuver because it is limited by the mandate it has been given by the bloc's 27 governments. U.K. officials say that for the stalemate to be broken, Barnier needs new guidance that will enable him to become more flexible. That, however, would require the unanimous agreement of the EU's national leaders - an outcome that isn't certain.

There is no plan to seek a change to the mandate, and the EU will continue pushing for the U.K. to meet its demands in full, one official in Brussels said. The EU won't give up on the talks and, for now, its strategy is to sit tight, he said. That indicates Brussels doesn't expect progress before June's scheduled stocktaking summit - or immediately afterward.

While the U.K. merely wants a trade deal with Europe, the bloc wants a whole lot more, and that goes to the heart of the problem. The EU wants a wide-ranging agreement covering many policy areas from law-enforcement to aviation rules - and it wants a single way of governing the entire deal. This would also involve the European Court of Justice, something to which the U.K. is opposed.

The bloc insists that the proximity of the U.K. and the size of its economy means the country must accept certain conditions bolted onto the trade deal. This would see it sign up to various European standards in areas such as workers' rights, the environment and state aid.

The U.K. has rejected these "level playing field" conditions, saying they don't fit with its new position as an independent nation - but the EU expects Britain will have little choice but to capitulate if it wants to reach an accord.

The U.K. is also demanding an upfront agreement on EU fishing boats' access to British waters. The bloc is pushing for something close to the status quo in which the seas around the U.K. are divvied up between European countries. With control of fisheries a totemic issue in the Brexit campaign, it's not something Britain will give up without a fight.

Here, though, Barnier signaled that a compromise could be found after the U.K. delivered its detailed position paper on fishing earlier this month. Privately, some EU officials concede the bloc's demands are untenable. The U.K. has indicated it is prepared to grant EU boats annual quotas, as Norway does today. But a deal on this issue would still require the bloc to make a large concession on an issue that France in particular feels strongly about.

From the outset, the EU has warned that the Dec. 31 deadline doesn't leave enough time to negotiate a trade deal. Canada took seven years to reach an accord with Brussels. During last week's talks, EU negotiators were still trying to persuade their British counterparts to consider extending the timetable, officials said.

But Johnson has ruled out doing that, and U.K. officials say they are confident enough time remains to get the slimmed-down deal they're looking for and that the pressure of a deadline will help get the result they want.

If the stalemate continues, there will come a point where Britain publicly starts preparing to end the transition period without a trade deal -- an outcome that would trigger the return of tariffs and quotas -- in order to bring some certainty to the future, a U.K. official said.

The two sides are nowhere near that point yet, the official said. Both sides know there's still some way to go before either has to blink.As the pandemic hits African economies, Libya's southern border is getting busier and the alarm bell is ringing in European capitals.
AGI

AGI - Espulsi dall'Italia non possono lasciare il Paese perche privi di vaccino e di super green pass. E la storia di 13 migranti, tra cui gambiani e senegalesi, tutti uomini, che sono rimasti a Siracusa e da giorni, per ripararsi, si sono accampati dentro un parcheggio coperto, a Ortigia, nel suggestivo centro storico della citta. Della vicenda e stato informato il Comune di Siracusa che, grazie a un'associazione di Protezione civile, ha allestito una tendopoli in un'area parcheggio in via Augu
A High Court judge has said the issue of a request from French authorities to view the legal submissions on Ian Bailey's objections to his proposed extradition is "a storm in a teacup".

Mr Justice Paul Burns said today that he would disregard two pieces of correspondence from France seeking access to Mr Bailey's submissions as they had not come from the Issuing Judicial Authority.

Last week, Ronan Munro SC with Marc Thompson BL, for Mr Bailey, told the High Court that French authorities had made an unprecedented and unorthodox" request to view the legal submissions on Mr Bailey's objections to his extradition there.

The Englishman is facing a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier and a three-day hearing where he will contest the request for his surrender has been scheduled to commence before the High Court on July 15.

The 63-year-old denies any involvement in the mother-of-ones death.

During today's brief hearing, Counsel for the Minister, Robert Barron SC with Leo Mulrooney BL, said the State had brought the French correspondence to the court's attention so it was aware of what was happening. Mr Barron said it was correspondence between two different States and the Minister for Justice was entitled to do with it how it saw fit.

In reply, Mr Munro, for Mr Bailey, said it was a non-justiciable issue as it had come from the head of the office for international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and not the Issuing Judicial Authority.

Mr Justice Burns called the issue of the request by French authorities "a storm in a teacup" as it had not come from the Issuing Judicial Authority in France. There was "no sinister element" to the correspondence, he said, and it was of no consequence to the proceedings.

The judge said the correspondence was not addressed to the High Court and had been brought to his attention as a matter of caution. He said he would treat it that way until he was told to treat it differently.

He pointed out that the Issuing Judicial Authority had not corresponded with the court, adding: "Obviously these matters should have been properly done with the Issuing Judicial Authority and it has not been done in this instance".

Mr Bailey was not present in court for today's hearing. He was previously remanded on continuing bail until July 15.

Last week, Mr Munro explained that a request was received from French authorities to view the submissions from both the State and Mr Bailey ahead of the extradition hearing in July. He noted that the issuing of such documents seemed to be outside the statutory procedure.

Mr Munro further stated that he was not aware of any free-wheeling statutory right which the issuing State had to ask for this. I can say to the court with confidence that it is an unorthodox application but the court is well able to deal with it, he said.

Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Leo Mulrooney BL, said an email and a letter, dated March 18 and April 14, had been received from the French authorities, which were handed into the court.

Mr Justice Burns said they seemed to be letters from the French authorities requesting submissions from both parties, which was nothing to do with the court. However, Mr Mulrooney said that the Minister for Justice would not release the submissions without a ruling from the court.

Mr Munro said he had reservations about the request and he wanted the proper statutory provisions followed. In my experience it is unprecedented. I can't think of a case where an executing State has sought this, he added.

In reply, Mr Justice Burns said that although "this certainly had not happened before" it did not mean that it was not allowed.

This is the third time French authorities are seeking Mr Baileys surrender in relation to the death of Ms du Plantier, whose badly beaten body was found outside her holiday home in Schull in December 1996.

Mr Bailey with an address at The Prairie, Liscaha, Schull, west Cork, was convicted of the French womans murder in his absence in a Paris court in May 2019. The three-judge Cour dAssises in Paris accordingly imposed a 25-year prison sentence on the Englishman in his absence.

He was arrested at the Criminal Courts of Justice Building in December last year and remanded on bail after a High Court judge endorsed the third European Arrest Warrant seeking his extradition to France.

Mr Bailey denies any involvement in the mother-of-ones death. He did not attend the French court and had no legal representation in the proceedings, which he has described as a farce.

His senior counsel, Mr Munro, previously told the High Court that Mr Bailey will be opposing surrender on grounds related to fundamental rights and that the authorities previous two extradition attempts were relevant to their points of objection to the present attempt.

The court has also heard that Mr Bailey swore an affidavit setting out certain factual matters, particularly in relation to his health.

The Supreme Court refused to extradite Mr Bailey in 2012 holding that surrender was prohibited because the alleged offence was committed outside French territory and Irish law does not allow prosecution for the same offence when committed outside its territory by a non-Irish citizen.

A second French extradition request in respect of Mr Bailey was dismissed as an abuse of process by the High Court in 2017. On that occasion, Mr Justice Tony Hunt held that the unique features of the case justified termination of the proceedings.
Migrants workers occupy every spare spot aboard trucks in Patna, India, as they attempt to get home during the coronavirus lockdown on May 17, 2020.

Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

India's coronavirus outbreak has exploded to 100,161 cases and 3,144 deaths on Monday. It's now the largest in Asia, behind Iran.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a strict nationwide lockdown on March 25, which has since been extended multiple times.

Some restrictions have lifted, allowing the agriculture industry and small shops to reopen in an effort to revive the struggling economy.

Mumbai has been wrecked by the virus, but cases are beginning to emerge in rural areas as millions of migrant workers head home from major cities where they made their livelihood.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

India, home to 1.35 billion people, may also soon have Asia's largest coronavirus outbreak.

On Monday, the country reported its largest single-day increase: 5,242 cases and 157 deaths, the Associated Press reported. That surge raised its total to 100,161 cases and 3,144 deaths. Those numbers make the country the second-hardest-hit in Asia, leapfrogging China and just behind Iran, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns on March 25.

"There will be a total ban of coming out of your homes. Every district, every lane, every village will be under lockdown," he said, according to The New York Times.

Modi estimated at the time that India needed about three weeks to curb the infection's spread, stressing, "If we're not able to manage the pandemic in the next 21 days, the country and your family will be set back for 21 years."

The government has since been forced to extend the sweeping restrictions several times as the coronavirus has raced across the crowded nation. The most recent extension is set to end on May 31.

Hospital attendants with a man with a fever lying on a stretcher awaiting a coronavirus swab test at Guwahati Medical College Hospital in Assam, India, on May 17, 2020.

Anupam Nath/AP Photo

Mumbai has been hardest hit, with 20% of the country's cases and 25% of all deaths, the Times reported.

Story continues

The city of 20 million-plus residents is not only India's financial hub but also where Bollywood and Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, are located. According to the Times, local hospitals have been overrun and police officers are stretched thin. In Dharavi, social distancing at home is nearly impossible, as typically more than half a dozen residents live in rooms bookended by concrete slabs covered with tin roofs.

Migrant workers have been hit hard by the crisis

Among the worst of the population wracked by the virus are some 40 million migrant workers who, when jobs dried up, found themselves stranded in major cities without money or food. Some were forced to walk hundreds of miles over days to get home.

"This lockdown is totally inhuman," lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan, who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking help for these workers to return home, told BBC News.

"Those who test negative for COVID-19 must not be forcibly kept in shelters or away from their homes and families against their wishes," he added. "The government should allow for their safe travel to their hometowns and villages and provide necessary transportation for the same."

Migrants wait in queues with their families to board buses to reach Ghaziabad railway station as part of their journey to their hometowns during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdow in Uttar Pradesh, India, on May 18, 2020.

Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

India's government relaxed some restrictions on May 4, allowing millions of migrants workers to travel by buses and special trains from major cities where they'd been working. This triggered a spike in infections in villages in rural areas where those people headed.

Modi, who introduced a $260 billion coronavirus relief package, is also gradually lifting restrictions to revive the economy. The agriculture industry and small shops have resumed business across multiple states and e-commerce deliveries have restarted.

But restaurants, hotels, colleges, schools, flights, and malls remain closed across the country, according to the Associated Press.

"It's overdue as the economic impact on India is going to be quite severe," Arvind Subramanian, a former economic adviser to the Indian government, said to The Times.

Goldman Sachs on Monday predicted that the Indian economy will shrink by 45% this quarter. The country's GDP will decline by 5% this fiscal year, the company said, marking India's steepest contraction since 1979.

Members of the Central Reserve Police Force patrol a coronavirus containment zone in Ranchi, India, on May 17, 2020.

Diwakar Prasad/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Meanwhile, the lack of hygiene and lack of space to maintain social distancing continue to complicate India's coronavirus response as is the summer  with temperatures closing in on 100 degrees Fahrenheit and making it difficult for people to stay indoors  and impending monsoons.

Also, experts worry that India's testing rates are low, which is preventing officials from understanding the true scope of its coronavirus outbreak.

While grappling with a peak in its COVID-19 cases, India is also bracing for a category-4 super cyclone that's headed for the nation's West Bengal coast and is expected to make landfall on Wednesday. Amphan is set to bring heavy rain and winds will reach up to 105 miles per hour when it hits, per the India Meteorological Department. Thousands are being evacuated, but social distancing has reduced the capacity of cyclone shelters by more than half, CNN reported.

However, in a speech that hinted at the lockdown being eased further, Modi said that the country can't be overly bogged down by the virus, according to The Times.

"All the experts are telling us that corona will be part of our lives for a long period," he said. "But we cannot allow our lives to revolve around corona, corona, corona."

Correction: This article initially reported that India has the worst coronavirus outbreak in Asia. It has the second-worst, after Iran.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Quest Private School, a British International Curriculum School in Bahrain, has announced the opening of its doors and will be accepting students from kindergarten through fifth grade as soon as it obtains the requisite approvals from the Ministry of Education.

It is set to provide a distinguished educational experience in line with a British style curriculum and within the framework of the Cambridge International System.

The new school aims to include High School education in the future. The school expects to further its mission as a new and powerful addition to the private education sector in Bahrain.

The Administration staff is led by Principal Mark Barratt, MBA, M.Ed, a passionate educator, who has in excess of 20 years of experience in his native New Zealand. In addition, he has a wealth of experience working in the education sector in several other countries and across the Middle East.

We are committed to focusing on personalized learning that makes education relevant to the students and encourages them to strive for excellence. Barratt said as he laid out the broad scope of the school.

He explained that the school has a strong commitment to the Arabic Language and Culture, acknowledges the value of the Middle Eastern community and will incorporate this ethos into the day-to-day operation of the school. He added, We also aim to develop students who have a growth mindset based on resilience, that they will be curiosity-creating active learners who dont give up.

With a staff drawn from around the globe, Quest School is dedicated to the ideal of developing global citizens. The expectation is that Quest School students will make a positive contribution to their local communities, one that acknowledges the understanding that we are inter-dependent and rely on each other.

As part of the extensive recruitment process, teachers had to commit to a comprehensive professional development programme aimed at making these a reality within their classrooms.

The Board is continuing to heavily invest in the school site and educational resources to ensure that Quest School is an exceptional educational facility. - TradeArabia News Service
BETHESDA, Maryland, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Roughly 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be expected to have ASD, compared to about 1.5% of children in the general population, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers also found that a child whose mother has a sibling with ASD is not significantly more likely to be affected by ASD, compared to a child whose father has a sibling with ASD. The findings call into question the female protective effect, a theory that females have a lower rate of ASD than males because they have greater tolerance of ASD risk factors.

The results, derived from records of nearly 850,000 Swedish children and their families, appear in Biological Psychiatry. The study was conducted by John N. Constantino, M.D., at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues in the United States and Sweden.

"The results offer important new information for counseling people who have a sibling with ASD," said Alice Kau, Ph.D., of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Branch of NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which funded the study. "The findings also suggest that the greater prevalence of ASD in males is likely not due to a female protective effect."

Additional NIH funding was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.

ASD is a complex neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in life and affects how a person interacts with others, communicates, and learns. Previous studies have found that roughly 3 times more males than females have ASD. Reasons for the difference are unknown.

One possible explanation is that females have a built-in resistance to the genetic factors leading to autism. With such a female protective effect, the theory holds that many women could carry such risk factors and be unaffected, but could transmit them to their sons, who lack the protective effect and may develop ASD.

In the current study, researchers analyzed data from Swedish national registers of births and family relationships. The children were born from 2003 to 2012. Roughly 13,000 children were diagnosed with ASD, about 1.5% of the total. Offspring of mothers with one or more siblings with ASD were about three times more likely than children in the general population to have ASD. Children of fathers with one or more siblings with ASD were twice as likely as children in the general population to have ASD, a rate that did not differ significantly than that of children whose mothers have a sibling with ASD. According to the study authors, the results provide the first population-wide estimate of ASD risk to children of parents who have a sibling with ASD.

This finding challenges the existence of a female protective effect, Dr. Constantino explained, because if such an effect existed, the children of mothers with a sibling with ASD could be expected to have up to a 30% higher risk of ASD. Similarly, the researchers found no statistically significant increase in ASD risk for children whose uncles have ASD, compared to children whose aunts have the condition.

Reference

Bai, D et al. Inherited risk for autism through maternal and paternal lineage. Biological Psychiatry. 2020.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov.

SOURCE Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Related Links

https://www.nih.gov


Ukraine is liberal about opening its borders and intends to coordinate this process with European partners, considering the real situation with the pandemic.

"We will coordinate our actions with our European partners. When we mention Italy, the key point here is, of course, "within the Schengen area." That is, if Italy opens [its borders] and our immediate neighbors do not open, it will be quite difficult to get to Italy, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, commenting on Italy's intention to open borders within the Schengen area on June 3.

At the same time, he added that Ukraine had recently opened one more crossing point on the border with Poland  pedestrian crossing point Shehyni.

"We are absolutely liberal in this regard, but we will take into account two factors: the first - how partners open the border, and the second - the real situation with the pandemic in Ukraine. But no one is going to keep Ukrainians under lock and key, we have no such ideas," Kuleba assured.

As reported, on March 12, the Government introduced the quarantine in Ukraine to counteract the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus infection. In particular, trading establishments were closed except groceries, pharmacies, gas stations, and banks. The operation of subway in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, municipal, intercity, and interregional road, rail, and air transport services were suspended. On March 28, Ukraine completely closed its border for scheduled passenger services, including air services.

The quarantine was extended until May 22 but restriction measures were eased from May 11.

The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organize a number of special flights to return Ukrainian citizens home.

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[May 17, 2020] In Collaboration with Leading Telcos, Experian Helps Thousands of COVID-19 impacted Consumers in Asia to Stay Connected

Experian is working with existing telco partners across Asian markets to allow them to rapidly provide assistance to their subscribers to minimise financial or movement control impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak - by offering temporary increased credit limits, reduced fees and through relaxing the eligibility criteria to allow more subscribers to be provided with airtime advance

Close to 2.4 million individuals across Sri Lanka , Thailand and Vietnam have received airtime advances with many benefitting from reduced fees

In emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging agile analytics and tools to swiftly adjust strategies will provide relief to stressed subscribers DHAKA, Bangladesh, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian, the world leader in information services, today announced that it is working with its existing telco partners across Southeast Asia and the wider region to better support subscribers digitally during this challenging period. Experian is actively collaborating with telcos to help them broaden existing criteria to enable them to rapidly roll out extended offers to subscribers who have been impacted by the lockdown measures. As part of the containment strategies of several countries, forced lockdowns and movement controls have disrupted livelihoods across the region, leaving individuals and communities struggling as a result of the downstream impact on the economy. In particular, staying connected during movement control restrictions have proven to be critical, allowing consumers to gain access to essential services like food supplies and in managing the psychological effects of isolation, among other benefits. In a recent study from Sri Lanka, in-person mobile top-ups experienced spikes during off-curfew hours, indicating that many subscribers risk infection from COVD-19 to continue to use their mobiles.



Experian initiated collaborations with its telco partners to change their current eligibility criteria as deployed through their existing Dynamic Airtime Advance (DAA) service. The subscriber benefits are manifold and includes increased eligibility, data top-ups, promotion to non-active users and increase airtime advance limits. In Sri Lanka, Experian worked with Hutch Sri Lanka to make the necessary changes on their DAA eligibility criteria, completing it hours before the lockdown came into effect in the island nation on 20 March. While offers for subscribers are typically determined by their usage patterns, the focus has been on actively widening the eligibility to ensure a broader pool of subscribers stay connected. With Hutch Sri Lanka, this included the following changes to criteria:

The increase to the number of individuals that are eligible for the service by reducing the minimum access requirements;

The increase in airtime advance limits to a broader number of customers; &/or

A one-time discount to encourage inactive subscribers to use the service. "We are happy to have collaborated with Experian as they have proven to be a reliable partner and most of all, for consistently being available to collaborate in an agile and rapid way to help Sri Lankans during unprecedented events such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The changes in subscriber eligibility and credit limit have allowed us to keep more subscribers connected despite the new challenges faced," said Hamdhy Hassen, General Manager - Marketing for Hutch Sri Lanka. Dev Dhiman, Managing Director, Southeast Asia & Emerging Markets, Experian said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has become the defining health crisis of our time, setting off an unprecedented impact to individuals and local communities. The agile nature of our collaboration with telco partners in the region has made it possible for their customers to stay connected in this significant moment of need." "We are striving to innovate at speed and contribute to the larger ecosystem by making a social impact to the communities we live and work in. In some cases, this also means that we will share financial losses incurred by our partners. However, that does not deter us from the larger goal - to stand together to make a collective impact, to show our resilience in the face of uncertain adversities, and to unite to definitively tackle one of the greatest challenges in modern history," he added. Experian is working with other telco partners in the region to roll out similar initiatives in the spirit of ensuring more individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to get access to telecommunication services. Experian is focused on helping people stay connected during these uncertain times and make a social impact in economies that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. About Experian Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments - from buying a home or a car to sending a child to college to growing a business by connecting with new customers - we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime. We have 17,200 people operating across 44 countries, and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experian.com.sg or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group. Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200515/2805365-1LOGO SOURCE Experian

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Turkey Only NATO Member on U.S. Religious Freedom Watch List

Turkey is once again on a U.S. State Department's "Special Watch List" in the 2020 Annual Report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Turkey was the only country in NATO to be on the "Special Watch List" because "in 2019, religious freedom conditions in Turkey remained worrisome, with the perpetuation of restrictive and intrusive governmental policies on religious practice and a marked increase in incidents of vandalism and societal violence against religious minorities."

The report highlighted Turkey's anti-Jewishness and the targeting of other religious minorities like Alevi's, as well as Greek, Armenian and Assyrian Christians.

"Many longstanding issues concerning religious sites, such as the inability of the Greek Orthodox community to train clergy at the Halki Seminary, remained unresolved," the report said.

The Theological School of Halki (IIIIIIIII IIIII IIIIII, Turkish: Ortodoks Ruhban Okulu), was founded on 1844 on the island of Halki and was the main school of theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church's Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople before it was shut down in 1971 under the guise of a new law that banned private higher education.

The report also explained that "in several instances in 2019, Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek religious and cultural sites, including numerous cemeteries, faced severe damage or destruction--in some cases because of neglect, but also due to vandalism or state-endorsed construction projects."

The report also went into detail about the threat of Hagia Sophia once again becoming a mosque under orders from Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoAan.

"President ErdoAan called multiple times for the Hagia Sophia, a historic Greek Orthodox basilica that has held legal status as a museum since 1935, to be converted back into a mosque. In November 2019, a Turkish higher court also issued a decision permitting the Chora (Kariye) Museum, a former Greek Orthodox church, to be converted back into a mosque--thereby possibly setting a precedent for the similar conversion of the Hagia Sophia," the report said.

The report also went into detail about violence and murders against religious minorities.

"Throughout 2019, members of Turkey's various religious and ethnic minority communities faced both threats of violence and actual violence, including at least two killings. In May, 86-year-old Zafir Pinari, a Greek man, was found murdered in his home on the island of GAkAeada [Imvros, Greek: IIIIII]," the report said.
HOD HASHARON, Israel, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wize Pharma, Inc. (OTCQB: WIZP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of ophthalmic disorders, today announced that on May 13, 2020, Bonus BioGroup (TASE: BONS.TA), a company in which Wize owns an 8.9% equity stake, reported preliminary pre-clinical results in an animal model for its novel drug product candidate MesenCure, specifically developed to treat life-threatening acute respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients and pneumonia patients. Bonus reported that following treatment with MesenCure, the microscopic appearance of treated lungs was similar to healthy lungs, and a significant improvement in additional parameters was achieved.

Bonus BioGroup reported that it is developing MesenCure specifically to treat the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 patients by reducing the inflammatory process in the respiratory system, allowing the injured lungs to recover. MesenCure consists of activated mesenchymal cells (MSCs) that are isolated from the adipose tissue of healthy donors. Following intravenous transfusion, the activated cells are expected to reach the lungs and act to reduce inflammation, and alleviate respiratory and other symptoms.

This preclinical study was conducted on an animal model suffering from severe respiratory distress symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 patients, including massive infiltration of immune cells to the lungs, a marked increase in fluid in the lungs, and a decrease in blood lymphocytes cell counts.

Treatment with MesenCure reduced Pulmonary edema (fluid) in the lungs by 47% compared to untreated subjects, and demonstrated the ability to significantly increase blood lymphocyte counts, which play a key role in fighting viruses. According to Bonus BioGroup, these results indicate the ability of MesenCure to relieve acute pneumonia and to alleviate life-threatening lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients.

Bonus BioGroup has more than a decade of MSC-related experience, patented technologies, and in-house MSC manufacturing capacity based on the development of its lead clinical stage BonoFill, a tissue-engineered bone graft product.

MesenCure may be useful for treating a variety of indications, such as lower respiratory tract infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. According to the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, worldwide more than 1 billion people are suffering from inflammatory diseases of the lower respiratory tract worldwide, which cause an estimated 7.5 million deaths each year, and are the third leading cause of death in Europe, not including COVID-19 mortality data.

"We are pleased to see the positive results reported by Bonus BioGroup, based on its MSC-related experience with BonoFill, on MesenCure in this preclinical study." stated Noam Danenberg, CEO of Wize.

About Bonus BioGroup

Bonus BioGroup is an Israeli biotechnology company whose highly innovative, proprietary therapeutic platform for healing severe bone defects is strongly positioned to break into the $8 billion global bone rehabilitation market. The company's BonoFill solution which employs novel tissue engineering technology for growing live human bone grafts has been selected by the Israeli Ministry of Science as a technology that will change the world forever, and it is already achieving outstanding success rates in Phase I/II clinical trials. The BonoFill solution is a revolutionary approach for personalized treatment of bone defects using live bone grafts created from the patient's own cells. Patients undergo a simple liposuction procedure to harvest fat tissue, which is then engineered into bone using Bonus' proprietary technology. Upon injection into the bone defect, the bone graft grows, connects and matures to become healthy new autologous bone, while reducing the risk of rejection.

About Wize Pharma

Wize Pharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company currently focused on the treatment of ophthalmic disorders, including DES. Wize has in-licensed certain rights to purchase, market, sell and distribute a formula known as LO2A, a drug developed for the treatment of DES, and other ophthalmological illnesses, including CCh and Sjogren's syndrome (Sjogren's).

LO2A is currently registered and marketed by its inventor in Germany and Switzerland for the treatment of DES, in Hungary for the treatment of DES, CCh and Sjogren's and in the Netherlands for the treatment of DES and Sjogren's. Wize's strategy involves engaging local or multinational distributors to handle the distribution of LO2A. In November 2018, Wize completed a Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of LO2A for patients with CCh, which demonstrated a statistical significance result, using a mixed model with repeated measures (MMRM). Wize is currently conducting a Phase IV study for LO2A for DES in patients with Sjogren's, expected to publish results in either the second or third fiscal quarter of 2020.

Forward Looking Statements

Wize cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words referencing future events or circumstances such as "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," and "will," among others. For example, when we discuss the potential of Bonus BioGroup and their products, the ability of MesenCure to relieve acute pneumonia and to alleviate life-threatening lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients, that MesenCure may be useful for treating a variety of indications, such as lower respiratory tract infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that Bonus BioGroup is uniquely positioned to develop and advance MesenCure through clinical trials based on its MSC-related experience with BonoFill, and that Wize expects to publish results of its a Phase IV study in either the second or third fiscal quarter of 2020, we are using a forward-looking statement. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Wize's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the success of Bonus BioGroup, including its development of MesenCure,; our needs for additional financing; our dependence on a single compound, LO2A and on the continuation of our license to commercialize LO2A; our inability to expand our rights under our license of LO2A; the initiation, timing, progress and results of our trials and product candidate development efforts; our ability to advance LO2A into clinical trials or to successfully complete our preclinical studies or clinical trials; our receipt of regulatory approvals for LO2A, and the timing of other regulatory filings and approvals; the clinical development, commercialization and market acceptance of LO2A; our ability to establish and maintain corporate collaborations; the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering LO2A and our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; estimates of our expenses, future revenues, and capital requirements; competitive companies, technologies and our industry; and statements as to the impact of the political and security situation in Israel on our business. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting Wize is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in Wize's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 30, 2020, and in other filings that Wize has made and may make with the SEC in the future. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Wize does not undertake any obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as may be required by law.

The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

For all investor enquiries, please contact:

Or Eisenberg

Chief Financial Officer

+972-72-260-0536

[email protected]

SOURCE Wize Pharma, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.wizepharma.com


CRYSTAL BEACH  Come and take it. Dont tread on me. Trump 2020. The Confederate battle flag. Stars and stripes. The tricolors of Mexico.

More people brought flags and beer than face masks and gloves to the annual Go Topless event for Jeep enthusiasts this weekend at the popular Galveston County beach.

Thousands flocked to the 2-mile stretch of coast along the Bolivar Peninsula Sunday, as Republican leaders push to open more business and public spaces closed for the past two months by the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas General Land Office reopened beaches on May 1 as part of a statewide reopening plan, and have given the green light for gyms to reopen Monday. Many Democrats, public health experts and scientists warn that the hasty reopening may cost thousands of lives.

Joey Roy and his girlfriend Aloha Flake spent the weekend at Crystal Beach. The Conroe couple drove up and down the shoreline in a Polaris Ranger ATV sporting a Trump 2020 flag and another one that was a combination of the Confederate Battle Flag and the Texas flag. Although they have worn face masks in other situations, they did not feel the need for them while enjoying the sun and sea breeze.

We take precautions and of course, were safe but at the same time, we gotta live, 46-year-old Roy said. This is our right. This is why we live here. This is why America is great.

Police Beat: Two shot after busy weekend at Crystal Beach

The rapid spread of the coronavirus in April prompted Galveston County officials to temporarily close Crystal Beach for Easter weekend. Cypress resident Adam Ray wore a face mask to get a haircut last weekend but did not do so on Sunday when he and his fiance Megan Stratton, 37, took their five children and five of their friends to Crystal Beach where they enjoyed the water, played cornhole, grilled some meat and listened to country music.

I did five years in the Army, said Ray, 38. Ive been shot with anthrax and smallpox during two tours over in Iraq. I figured Id be fine.

Stratton said the children formed a tight group after being home since Spring Break. With nobody suffering from preexisting medical conditions and nobody sick with any illnesses other than allergies, she felt it was safe activity.

I think their mental health is more important at this point, Stratton said. Theyre pretty resilient. None of them have gotten sick, not even a cold. Maybe some allergies, but thats it.

Crystal Beach: Over 100 arrests made during 'Go Topless' weekend

But there is more to worry about at the beach than the coronavirus. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said the The Go Topless event takes on a more intense vibe after the sun goes down with people more interested in drinking and partying than cruising and enjoying the beach.

A totally different crowd comes in at night, Trochesset said. Its like a shift change.

Two men were shot late Saturday night during a fight on the beach near South Monkhouse Drive, the sheriff said. The shooter fled, while the two victims were airlifted to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston where they underwent surgery Sunday morning. Their condition was not immediately known but the case remains under investigation.

Law enforcement officials kept a heavy presence on the beach and along State Highway 87 on Sunday with sheriffs deputies making traffic stops on the beach, Texas Department of Public Safety state troopers patrolling the roads and volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue manning first aid stations.

Crowds for the Go Topless event normally thin out on Sunday but with high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic, Trochesset said law enforcement officials planned to maintain a heavy presence on Sunday night.

Here lately, not as many people have to work the next day, Trochesset said.

Galveston County: Crowds descend on Crystal Beach for Go Topless Jeep Weekend

Dallas resident Jason Simpkins was camped out on the beach in an RV with his wife and their 5-year-old daughter at time of the shooting. Although they felt safe with the presence of law enforcement, Simpkins said chaos ensued after the shooting.

When you have four rows of traffic, people parked on the beach and the tide coming in  where are they gonna go? They were literally running through there, Simpkins said.

Houston resident Kyle Curtis said people fleeing the incident ended up at his RV along the beach. The 23-year-old HVAC repairman has attended the event since high school and said he came this year, despite the pandemic.

I wasnt anticipating a shooting, Curtis said. I just wanna come out here, blow off some stream and have a good time.

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Spring resident and Jeep owner Miguel Medina said Go Topless began as an event for Jeep clubs and enthusiasts to take the tops off their vehicles. Medina started participating in the event in 2015 but Jeeps are now the minority of vehicles on the beach.

Jeep club members, he said, used to enjoy each other companies, show off their vehicles and spend Sunday cleaning up the beach. Neighbors from nearby condos spent Sunday picking up trash, which included broken liquor bottles when glass is prohibited on the beach.

The Pennsylvania-based jeep accessories vendor Extreme Terrain pulled sponsorship of this years event at Crystal Beach due to the coronavius pandemic.

In response to more than 100 arrests at the event last year, Crystal Beach residents launched an online petition to end the event. The Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce did not promote the event this year but it was listed on other community calendars.

Because of the accidents and the fatalities that happened last year, the jeep community has started to avoid Crystal Beach to change that mentality and association, Medina said.

sergio.chapa@chron.com

http://twitter.com/SergioChapa
Google last week said that this summer Chrome will remove resource-hogging web advertisements from websites, including ads that mask unauthorized crypto-mining operations.

Arguing that a very small number of online ads - three-tenths of a percentage point of all on the web - disproportionately account for major portions of total network and CPU consumption, Google plans to scrub sites of such ads starting with a Stable build of Chrome near the end of August.

Chrome 85 is scheduled to release on Aug. 25, and would be the most likely version to debut the feature.

"These ads (such as those that mine cryptocurrency, are poorly programmed, or are unoptimized for network usage) can drain battery life, saturate already strained networks, and cost money," Marshall Vale, a Chrome product manager, wrote in a May 14 post to the Chromium blog.

When Chrome detects one of the uber-aggressive ads, the browser will unload the content from the ad's frame - the portion of the page in which it's displayed - and refill the space with an error message stating "Ad removed," along with a link to more information.

After copious measurements, Google decided to strip out any ad that consumed 4MB of network data, used the CPU during half of any 30-second span or tallied a total of 60 seconds of CPU usage. Those bars were so high that they affected only 0.3% of all ads, but, Google contended, such ads accounted for 27% of all ad-generated network traffic and 28% of all ad-related CPU usage.

Other browsers have addressed bad actors, including crypto-miners, using different approaches. Mozilla's Firefox, for example, blocks crypto-miners by targeting domains known to harbor such scripts. (Mozilla relies on domain lists produced by Disconnect.) It's not surprising that Google took a metrics-based route here; it typically bases decisions, or says it does, on data collected by Chrome and/or its search engine.

Chrome users can try out this "Heavy Ad" detection and removal prior to version 85 via the chrome://flags option page. Set the Heavy Ad Intervention flag (which also goes by #enable-heavy-ad-intervention) to Enabled and relaunch the browser.

Site developers and ad content creators should use the time between now and late August to test and, if necessary, alter first-party advertisements, Google said. "Our intent with this extended rollout is to give appropriate time for ad creators and tool providers to prepare and incorporate these thresholds into their workflows," said Vale.

Detailed instructions on how to track removed ads using an API as well as how to test the resource usage of ad content were provided in this support document.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday that the government still has no plans to carry out mass testing to detect COVID-19 infections in the country, adding that authorities will leave such efforts in the hands of private businesses.

"As much as possible, ini-increase natin ang capacity ng testing kaya nga we're aiming na aabot tayo sa 30,000 (a day), pero in terms sa mass testing na ginagawa ng Wuhan na all 11 million (residents), wala pa pong ganyang programa at iniiwan natin 'yan sa pribadong sektor," Roque said in a Malacanang press briefing.

[Translation: As much as possible, we are raising our testing capacity that's why we're aiming that we reach 30,000 (a day), but in terms of mass testing like what is being done by Wuhan where they're testing all 11 million residents, we don't have a similar program and we're leaving it to the private sector.]

Calls for mass testing have been rampant on social media since March, when the Department of Health confirmed local transmission of the disease. Authorities earlier rejected the idea, but later implemented what they call a "progressive" COVID-19 testing program" which prioritizes people with severe flu-like symptoms, the elderly, those with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant women with mild symptoms, and healthcare workers with respiratory symptoms.

Companies have organized Project ARK or Antibody Rapid Test Kits, which has raised 1 million test kits for the use of barangays as well as for workers looking to return to work.

LIST: Who can be tested using rapid COVID-19 test kits?

"We cannot hide from the virus forever. We have guidelines on how to go back to work... For asymptomatics, government will not test muna kasi nga wala pang kakayahan, kulang pa nag PCR (tests) kaya tumutulong kami," Project ARK medical team chief Dra. Minguita Padilla said. She added that the private sector has also procured additional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR kits and machines to be installed in government-run hospitals to boost capacity.

PCR tests are said to be the gold standard as these detect the presence of the actual coronavirus in swab samples.

READ: Expert says PH must expedite mass testing with both rapid and PCR tests

Several local government units have also initiated local testing as they hope to reduce infections within communities.

The Department of Labor and Employment also published an advisory on Monday, which requires all employers, contractors and subcontractors to "shoulder the cost of COVID-19 prevention and control measures" such as testing, disinfection, proper training of workers, and protective gear for their workers. This is to ensure that employees will bear none of these expenses.

"We know that businesses have suffered so much, but for the sake of our economy we encourage them to dig deeper into their vast reserve of charity and benevolence so that their workers and the communities can continue to further weather this crisis that we are all facing and fighting together," Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement.

TIMELINE: The COVID-19 response money trail

A separate DOLE notice also appeals to business owners to allow work-from-home and other alternative arrangements when possible to limit the exposure of laborers. In return, the order allows adjustments on wages and wage-related benefits as agreed upon by both worker and management for up to a six-month period.

Roque earlier admitted that the Philippines was slow to roll out testing efforts as government missed its original target to expand the capacity of local laboratories to run at least 8,000 tests per day by April 30. That goal has been raised to 30,000 daily tests by end-May.

READ: Companies willing to test own employees to boost PH mass testing capacity  DTI

The country's 30 testing laboratories can currently process up to 14,500 samples per day  barely half the month-end target, according to the national task force on COVID-19. Four mega swabbing centers and quarantine facilities have also been set up to cater to probable and even confirmed patients experiencing mild symptoms, in a bid to declog hospitals.

There are currently 12,513 confirmed cases in the country as of Sunday afternoon, of which 9,054 are active cases, 2,635 have recovered, and 824 died.

The government imposed a two-month lockdown in most of Luzon, which has stretched on to two more weeks for Metro Manila, the epicenter of the local outbreak. Restrictions were partially eased beginning May 16 as the state hoped to reopen the economy as businesses went dark.

The World Health Organization has recommended all nations to "test, test, test" to combat the coronavirus, as early detection would allow patients to be isolated and treated to prevent further infections. Roque earlier said the government wants to run at least 2.2 million rapid tests and 900,000 PCR tests. He adds they need to test at least 1 percent of the country's population.
Libya's UN-recognised government scored another battlefield victory Monday against strongman Khalifa Haftar, capturing a key rear base used by his fighters in a conflict now in its second year.

Haftar, who controls swathes of eastern Libya, launched an offensive in April last year against the capital Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

On Monday, the GNA said its forces had seized the strategic Al-Watiya airbase southwest of Tripoli, representing the latest in a string of setbacks suffered by Haftar's camp in recent weeks, including the loss of two key western coastal cities in April.

"We proudly announce the liberation of Al-Watiya base," 140 kilometres (90 miles) southwest of Tripoli, said Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the GNA, in a statement.

The reported capture of Al-Watiya comes after a weeks-long siege by pro-GNA forces of the base, where Haftar had stationed aircraft for bombing runs against his rivals.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Haftar camp.

But Wolfram Lacher, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, said a withdrawal of Haftar fighters from Al-Watiya would ease pressure on GNA forces.

"Haftar's forces withdrew from Al-Watiya airbase, their last foothold on the (western) coastal plain," Lacher said on Twitter.

In recent weeks pro-GNA forces had stepped up air strikes against Haftar's fighters, targeting their supply lines around Al-Watiya.

"Today's success is not the end of the battle but it brings us closer than ever to victory when all cities and regions will be liberated and the tyrannical bid threatening democracy (is) crushed," Sarraj said.

The conflict pitting Haftar against the GNA has been exacerbated by foreign military intervention.

The United Arab Emirates and Russia back the eastern-based strongman while Turkey supplies the unity government.

'Unwinnable war'

Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar who controls swathes of the country's east is backed by the United Arab Emirates and Turkey while the UN-recognised Government of National Accord is supplied by Turkey. By - (LNA War Information Division/AFP/File)

Prior to seizing Al-Watiya, GNA forces pounded it from the air using drones supplied by Turkey, while also bombarding the town of Tarhuna.

GNA forces spokesman Mohamad Gnounou said loyalists had destroyed three Russian-made anti-aircraft systems in the airbase since Sunday, before the missile defences could be deployed by Haftar's forces.

According to the GNA, these systems were provided to Haftar by the United Arab Emirates.

GNA commander Mohamad Gammoudi said the final attack on Al-Watiya was launched at dawn Monday, with air support, in a context where the base was surrounded on three fronts.

"We did not meet with much resistance. A few armoured vehicles tried to slow down our advance while providing cover for retreating Haftar militiamen," he added.

Haftar's forces had occupied Al-Watiya since 2014, and used it as a launchpad for air attacks on GNA positions.

But according to military sources all his aircraft have been destroyed in battle for Tripoli.

Lacher said the capture of the base "frees up GNA forces from western cities to move to frontlines south of Tripoli.

"It also strengthens the sense among anyone except Haftar's true believers that his war is unwinnable," he added.

The battle for Tripoli has left hundreds dead and displaced more than 200,000 people.

Strikes have targeted civilian infrastructure and hospitals. Tripoli's only working airport, Mitiga, has repeatedly come under attack since Haftar launched his offensive last year.

In January, world leaders committed to ending foreign meddling and to upholding a 2011 weapons embargo, but the UN has warned that both sides have continued to receive arms and fighters.

Libya has been in chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted and killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
SoftBank Group said today that Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba Group, will step down from its board after serving as a director for 13 years. Mas resignation will be effective on June 25, the date of SoftBank Groups annual shareholder meeting.

The company did not give a reason for the resignation, but over the past year, Ma has been pulling back from business roles to focus on philanthropy. Last September, he resigned as Alibabas chairman, and is also expected to step down from its board at its annual general shareholders meeting this year.

Ma has a long business relationship with Softbank Group chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son. SoftBank was one of Alibabas first major backers, investing a reported $20 million in 2000, one year after the e-commerce company was founded. As of a February 2020 SEC filing, it owned about 25.1% of Alibaba shares. Its stake in Alibaba is currently worth more than $100 billion, making it SoftBank Group's most valuable investment.

SoftBank Groups announcements were made a few hours before it is scheduled to release a dour first quarter earnings report. The company said last month it expects its $100 billion Vision Fund to lose about $16.5 billion, due largely to the near collapse of WeWork, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on other portfolio companies, including Uber and Oyo. It is also expected to post an annual operating loss of $12.5 billion.

To lower debt and increase its cash reserves, SoftBank Group said in March that it is selling or monetizing $41 billion of its assets and buying back $4.7 billion of its shares.

Ma is the only person out of SoftBank Groups current 11 directors who is leaving. The company also said it nominated three new board directors for election at the shareholders meeting: SoftBank Group chief financial officer Yoshimitsu Goto; Cadence Design Systems chief executive Lip-Bu Tan; and Waseda Business School professor Yuko Kawamoto.
Janet Street-Porter has told Boris Johnson to 'get stuffed' after he told Britons to get fit during lockdown.

Last week, the Prime Minister planned a war on obesity after deciding his own touch-and-go battle with coronavirus was exacerbated by him being overweight.

And during a segment on weight during lockdown on This Morning, Janet blasted the PM as 'chronically obese' and hypocritical.

Not having it: Janet Street-Porter, 73, objected to Boris Johnson wanting people to get fit during the coronavirus lockdown

Holly Willoughby said to the pundit: 'Many Brits are at risk of putting on up to a stone in lockdown as almost half put on a pound a week since restrictions began, this is from a new poll. This is quite frightening isn't it Janet?'

The media personality, 73, replied: 'When I read in the papers last week that Boris Johnson wanted us all to get fit because he had belatedly realised that one of the reasons he was in intensive care was because he was chronically obese, so now like a late convert he wants us all to get fit and lose weight as well as enduring lockdown, I have two words for him. Get stuffed.'

Later, Robert Rinder revealed he had put on a stone and a half, 'the size of a small child', during lockdown, which has left him 'depressed'.

'Get stuffed': The veteran broadcaster told Holly and Phil on This Morning that the Prime Minister was 'chronically obese'

Unmoved: Holly had revealed that many Britons are at risk of putting on up to a stone in lockdown

Health scare: The Prime Minister is planning a war on obesity after deciding his own touch-and-go battle with coronavirus was exacerbated by him being overweight

On Friday, it was reported that Boris told senior advisers that his coronairus experience - which he famously said 'could have gone either way' - has left him determined to lead a public health drive.

Being obese doubles the risk of needing hospital treatment for coronavirus, research shows.

According to The Times, Mr Johnson told colleagues 'it's all right for you thinnies' as he discussed the danger being overweight presents for Covid patients.

Struggling: Robert Rinder (bottom right) revealed he had put on a stone and a half since lockdown began

His own weight was 17-and-a-half stone before he went into hospital, putting his BMI at 36 when his 5ft9in height is taken into account and placing him over the BMI of 30 that means a person is obese.

The Prime Minister is determined to use the coronavirus pandemic to get people to be healthier and is said to be 'obsessed' with getting people to cycle to work.

A major study in Glasgow last week found obesity may double the risk of needing hospitalisation for COVID-19.

And Oxford University research has found those who are morbidly obese are three times as likely to die of coronavirus.
British expat Miriam Margolyes has doubled down on her scathing criticism of Australia, insisting she is just 'telling it like I see it'.

The 79-year-old Harry Potter star, who became a naturalised citizen seven years ago, made headlines on Monday for saying she was horrified by the 'brutality' and 'greed' of modern Australia.

She has since declared in an interview with The New Daily that she won't be making any apologies for her remarks.

Facing the wrath: British expat Miriam Margolyes (pictured) has doubled down on her scathing criticism of Australia, insisting she is just 'telling it like I see it'

She said her longtime partner, Heather Sutherland, a retired Australian professor of Indonesian studies, had warned her that 'Australians do not like criticism'.

'And they don't, so I knew that I was doing something quite risky by having an opinion,' said Margolyes, who recently travelled more than 10,000km around the country over two months for her ABC documentary series, Almost Australian.

'I think Australians are a bit tired of Brits mouthing off about Australia, and I don't blame them,' she added.

But despite this, she decided to throw caution to the wind and say what she really thought about Australia - regardless of the consequences.

'I hope people will not be too annoyed about the things I have to say, but in the end, to be honest, f**k 'em if they are. That's tough. I'm telling it like I see it,' she said.

'F**k 'em': Margolyes made headlines on Monday for saying she was horrified by the 'brutality' and 'greed' of modern Australia - and has since declared in an interview with The New Daily that she won't be making any apologies for her remarks

It comes after Margolyes, who is best known for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, sparked outrage by saying Australia was 'harsher' than she had first thought when she arrived in the 1980s.

'We think we know what [Australia is] like, but we don't. It's quite complicated. It's layered. Lots of things happen. I do think I was right that it's harsher than it was. Maybe that's true in the world,' she told TV Tonight.

'There's a harshness about it, which I didn't expect.'

Adopted Aussie: The BAFTA-winning actress became a naturalised citizen in January 2013 after years of dividing her time between London and Australia

She said the most confronting part of the documentary was having to visit Surfers Paradise, a highly developed stretch of coastline on Queensland's Gold Coast popular with holidaymakers.

'There is a brutality there and a greed in Australia, which I don't like,' she said.

'You know, the developers. Those horrible structures along the coast, that people should be ashamed of living in. Surfers Paradise, it's disgusting. I think that actually shocked me because I don't go there. It's not my world and I don't want to go there.'

'Those horrible structures along the coast': She said the most confronting part of filming ABC documentary series Almost Australian was having to visit Surfers Paradise, a highly developed stretch of coastline on Queensland's Gold Coast popular with holidaymakers (pictured)

The BAFTA-winning actress, who lives in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, became a citizen in January 2013 after years of dividing her time between London and Australia.

'I don't like class distinction and there is far too much of that in England,' she said after her citizenship ceremony.

'There's an energy here  an optimism, a vitality. I think England doesn't have that anymore. There's an irony and not accepting bulls**t [in Australia] and I love that, that straight-talking stuff.'

Famous role: Margolyes, who is best known for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, lives in the NSW Southern Highlands with her partner. Pictured with (L-R) Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

It comes after Margolyes caused controversy in Britain last month when she said on Channel 4 show The Last Leg that she had wanted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to die from coronavirus.

Presenter Adam Hills had asked her how she felt the UK government had handled the pandemic so far.

Speaking from her home via video link, she replied: 'Appallingly, of course, appallingly. It's a disgrace, it's a scandal. I had difficulty not wanting Boris Johnson to die. I wanted him to die.

'Then I thought that will reflect badly on me... so then I wanted him to get better.'

Shocking: It comes after Margolyes sparked outrage in Britain last month when she said on The Last Leg that she had wanted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to die from coronavirus

Johnson had been hospitalised with COVID-19 on April 5 and was admitted to intensive care the following day. He has since made a full recovery.

Britain's television watchdog, Ofcom, has received more than 400 complaints since the outburst, and politicians have urged Channel 4 to apologise for allowing the remark to air unchallenged.

Good Morning Britain anchor Piers Morgan blasted Margolyes last week, describing her comments as shameful.

Ordeal: Johnson (pictured) had been hospitalised with COVID-19 on April 5 and was admitted to intensive care the following day. He has since made a full recovery

'Shame on you, Miriam Margolyes. Shame on you,' Morgan said.

'If someone said on this show, "I wished he'd died", I'd have ripped him, but no one said anything [on The Last Leg].

'It's not funny what Boris went through personally on that ICU.'

Almost Australian airs from Tuesday at 8.30pm on ABC and iview
The officials comments marked a significant escalation in the on-and-off battle between the Justice Department and Silicon Valley over the issue of encrypted phones. The debate has been at something of a stalemate since 2016, when the Justice Department abandoned a court case that might have settled the issue. That case also involved a dead terrorists phone that the FBI first said it could not access, then later did.
UK pub operators have called for a halving of social distancing rules when that countrys bars reopen; while publicans here are still awaiting clarity on what rules will be imposed when Irish pubs tentatively reopen on August 10.

Britain is tentatively looking at reopening its pubs in July. Two of the UKs leading pub groups  Fullers and Shepherd Neame  have urged the countrys government to relax social distancing rules and allow for only a one metre distance between customers rather than two metres.

Shepherd Neame boss Jonathan Neame was quoted as saying the two metre rule would be profoundly challenging to maintain, meaning a lot of pubs might not reopen. Fullers CEO Simon Emeny said halving social distancing to one metre - in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines - would allow four times more customers into pubs.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said using one metre for social distancing would enable many more pubs to viably reopen.

Many UK pub groups have entered negotiations with lenders for additional credit. Mitchells and Butlers  which owns the ONeills chain and is partially backed by Irish financiers JP McManus and John Magnier  has had its previously granted temporary waiver against possible default due to enforced closure extended until June 8.

Here, the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said it is still awaiting clarity on what rules publicans will have to adhere to when Irelands pubs finally reopen  a date currently pencilled in for August 10.

Earlier this month the VFI issued the Government with a list of proposals aimed at making it possible for pubs to function under the ongoing social restrictions imposed to guard against the spread of the Covid-19 virus. However, it claims it has received no reply.

Among its proposals was the adoption of WHO guidelines, which suggest a one metre gap between people in public, rather than rules put forward by the HSE, which has promoted the two-metre rule.

While the VFI has stopped short of calling for only allowing for one metre between pub customers, it said the WHO guidelines would allow for four people per every ten square metres  or 40 people for every 100 square metres.

VFI spokesman Brian Foley said pub owners need clarity from the Government as many are planning to renovate and retrofit their premises in order to meet the new health and safety standards. He warned that many pubs across Ireland simply wont be able to reopen as social distancing rules will make it commercially unviable to trade.

JD Wetherspoon, which owns more than 900 pubs across the UK and Ireland  refused to comment on the social distancing debate and gave no timeframe for work to be completed on its in-progress Irish pub developments. However, it said it was keen to reopen its pubs.
A pro-Brexit protester looks on as flags flutter outside the Houses of Parliament in London

By Gabriela Baczynska and Elizabeth Piper

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - Stumbling through video calls, the long-troubled Brexit talks are heading for a new crisis as coronavirus health restrictions bar the intense face-to-face meetings that have proven crucial in pulling the negotiations back from the brink.

With increasingly frustrated British and EU negotiators trading barbs over each other's "ideological approach" and "lack of understanding" of the consequences of Britain's departure from the bloc, talks on a new trade pact between the estranged allies have made virtually no progress in recent months.

Officials and diplomats on both sides forecast tensions will rise before a June 30 deadline, raising questions for companies over future trade between the world's fifth-biggest economy and its biggest trading bloc which accounted for about 650 billion pounds a year before the coronavirus crisis.

"It's difficult to make it as...we would like over video conference," said a senior British official involved in the negotiations with the EU.

"If we can meet face-to-face at some point in the future, that will help, there is no doubt, it's easier to establish understandings that way. No matter how well we know each other, it helps a lot."

Such off-the-record, personal meetings have yielded breakthroughs in the stalled talks before, most notably when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, met for a countryside stroll last October.

Walking side-by-side down grassy paths in a rustic Elizabethan manor house near Liverpool, the two honed in private exchanges the makings of Britain's divorce deal, which had been unattainable for their negotiators until that point.

On that basis, Britain left the EU the following January and the two sides now run the tightest of schedules to seal a new trade deal from 2021.

While face-to-face talks have proved crucial to finding breakthroughs in previous rounds, it is not clear whether having to rely on video conferences that bar the more personal contact will ultimately prove fatal to the process. Meetings in person have often been fraught and unproductive too.

The UK official joked that the lead negotiators could have a virtual drink together to help the talks along.

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London says it wants a simple free trade agreement such as the EU has with Canada or Japan, which would mean significantly more trade frictions, while Brussels is arguing for a wider deal to take into account Britain's proximity to the bloc.

"We are in this glass bubble of Webex calls and there is only so much you can do there," said an EU diplomat following Brexit talks from the EU's hub Brussels.

THE ART OF HORSE-TRADING

Coronavirus has knocked the already tortuous Brexit talks off their course, sapping resources and attention.

EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier went through a severe bout of the COVID-19 respiratory disease triggered by the novel coronavirus and his British counterpart, David Frost, self-isolated with symptoms in March.

Hundreds of EU and British officials negotiating in dozens of parallel video calls have since all but failed to narrow differences on the thorniest issues from the level playing field guarantees of fair competition to fisheries to security ties.

"Without that sort of top-level physical meeting that would unlock a political breakthrough, we will struggle," said another EU diplomat. "There will be more tensions in the coming weeks. Things will inevitably go into a proper crisis mode."

Any failure of these negotiations would rattle markets and unleash the most severe Brexit damages with Britain crashing out from the EU's orbit from 2021 without any agreements in place to cushion the shock for businesses, traders and citizens.

The sides have given themselves until the end of June to assess progress and decide on any extension of negotiations beyond the end of the year.

Johnson has repeatedly refused to do that, promising to end Britain's current status-quo transition period after Brexit and take the country out of the EU's orbit.

The stakes are rising as running the arcane talks on video calls has prevented the informal coffee breaks and small huddles away from the main negotiating tables where officials, based on their personal rapport, test sensitive ideas to break deadlocks.

"The downside obviously is you can't take people off for a coffee and talk stuff through," the UK official said earlier on in the negotiations. "It is possible to have the conversations, what is more difficult is to replicate the atmospherics."

(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's new foreign minister said Monday that US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal offered an "historic opportunity" but that regional peace deals must be maintained during its implementation.

Gabi Ashkenazi, who became the Jewish state's top diplomat when a new unity government was sworn in on Sunday, made the comments at a transition ceremony in Jerusalem.

"The plan will be promoted responsibly and in coordination with the United States, while maintaining peace agreements and the strategic interests of Israel," Ashkenazi said according to a copy of his remarks seen by AFP.

Shortly before his new government was sworn in, right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was time for Israel to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Such settlements, home to some 400,000 Jews in the West Bank, are considered illegal under international law.

Annexing those communities is a key provision of the Trump plan, which has been rejected by the Palestinians and criticised by much of the international community.

Ashkenazi is a political ally of former Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz, the alternate prime minister and defence minister in the new unity government.

The foreign minister did not specifically mention annexation in praising Trump's plan, which also calls for the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital outside of Jerusalem.

Speaking later in the day at his own transition ceremony, Gantz noted his "committment" to diplomatic processes and advancing "Trump's peace plan and all it contains" -- a possible reference to the Palestinian state.

The Trump plan also gives a green light from Washington for Israel to annex the strategically crucial Jordan Valley, an area on the border with Jordan that accounts for roughly 30 percent of the West Bank.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meanwhile warned of "dangerous repercussions" if Israel proceeded with the "illegal" West Bank annexation, which he said would "undermine the foundations of peace in the region".

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In a statement he called on the international community to take "swift" measures to counter the plan, including recognising a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Jordan's King Abdullah II, speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel days ago, said: "If Israel really annexes the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."

Jordan and Egypt are the two countries in the Arab world that have signed peace treaties with Israel.

Referencing those deals, Ashkenazi said "peace with our neighbours is also a strategic asset and we must safeguard it."

Under the terms of the coalition deal agreed by Netanyahu and the centrist Gantz, the unity government can begin action to implement Trump's plan from July 1.

The European Union has said it was considering various diplomatic actions to stop unilateral Israeli annexations in the West Bank.
Four people were injured and eastbound Interstate 78 was closed for about an hour after an SUV crashed into the center median barrier near Hamburg and rolled multiple times, state police said Monday.

Crews were call about 10 p.m. Sunday to the interstate just before the Route 61 interchange in Tilden Township. Initial reports indicated one person was thrown from the vehicle.

According to state police at Hamburg:

The SUV driven by Xuan Yang, 54, of Staten Island, N.Y., was in the left eastbound lane when it veered into the concrete median barrier before returning to the travel lane and rolling multiple times.

Yang and three female passengers were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, near Allentown, with what troopers described as moderate injuries. The names of the passengers were not released.

Information on their medical conditions was unavailable.

Crews from the Hamburg Fire Company, Hamburg EMS and Northern Berks EMS responded.

An investigation continues.
New Delhi: Reacting to recent remarks from Taliban accusing India of playing a negative role in the country from the past 40 years, the Afghanistan government said that India is one of Afghanistan's biggest donor nations in the war-torn country's reconstruction efforts and New Delhi has been supportive of the peace process.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (MoFA) in a statement said:

India is one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation. We expect India and other neighboring countries to play a significant role in the Afghan peace process, said Gran Hewad, spokesperson of MoFA, to Radio Azadi.

India has played an active role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and its expanding partnership has grown into multi-sectoral activities in all parts of Afghanistan.

The most important symbol of India's assistance in the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been the construction of the multipurpose Afghan India Friendship Dam (AIFD).

The project was inaugurated in June 2016. It has an installed capacity of 42 MW and supplies water for irrigating 75,000 hectares of land.

Chabahar Port, located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province in Iran, is an important infrastructure development project being currently undertaken by both India and Iran for enhancing sea-land connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian Region.

India has constructed a 218-km road from Zaranj to Delaram for facilitating the movement of goods and services to the Iranian border. The highway, completed in 2010, connects Iran with the Garland Highway, which links Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif Herat, and Kunduz.

India's contribution to economic development and assistance to Afghan people has earned tremendous goodwill in Afghanistan but the growing close relationship between the two countries is not acceptable to Pakistan. The rising specter of terrorism and violence has targeted Indian developmental projects in Afghanistan.

A number of Indian technicians along with an even larger number of their Afghan people have been killed in such terrorist attacks.

The Indian Embassy in Kabul was itself directly attacked in 2008, which led to the death of a number of Embassy personnel and scores of Afghan nationals waiting to receive visas to travel to India.

Afghanistan's statement came after a recent remark made by the Taliban saying India always pursued a negative policy inside Afghanistan.

In an interview with an Afghan media Azamm, Deputy Head of Talibans political office in Qatar Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai said, "India maintained economic, military and political ties with a corrupt group instead of the nation."

Taliban accused India of keeping ties with those who are corrupt and have been put in power by foreigners not elected by Afghan people. Talibani leader Abas Stanekzai stated that India should cooperate with the Afghan peace process.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, was in New Delhi last week, the first such visit after the US Taliban deal on February 29 held in Doha. Zalmai Khalilzad, had discussed the Afghan peace with Indian officials and sought their cooperation.

Political analysts of Afghanistan insist that the Taliban should not make a country and state-level remarks in a current fragile situation.

Khalid Sadaat, a political analyst told Radi Azadi that if the Taliban continues to make such remarks, it will hurt Afghanistans diplomatic ties in the coming future.

Sadaat claimed that the Taliban are making these assertions on Pakistans demand.

Taliban should not give themselves this liberty to make a country and state-level remark, as it will have negative consequences for Afghanistan in the future. And the other thing is that India and Pakistan are having historical enmity and Pakistan is playing a proxy role in Afghanistan and Taliban are being accused of playing Pakistans proxy role in Afghanistan and are backed by Pakistan, I believe Taliban's assertions are on Pakistans demand, said Khalid Sadaat.

This month over 40 people, including two newborn babies were killed in two terror attacks in Afghanistan on May 12.

In a series of tweets, former Director of National Directorate of Security (NDS) stated, "If state sponsors of terrorism in the region are not stopped we will see another 9/11 style attack in future. Alqaedas Al-Zawahiri, Abu Muhammad Al Masri & Saif ul Adel are still planning for attacks in the west with the backing of HQN which is based in PAK."



National Security Advisor of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib has also said that the Afghanistan government and International partners have a responsibility to hold the Taliban and their sponsors accountable.

After the attack, the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib tweeted, "The attacks of the last two months show us and the world that Taliban and their sponsors do not and did not intend to pursue peace. Their attacks this spring against Afghans are comparable to the level of fighting seasons. International partners have a responsibility to hold the Taliban and their sponsors accountable. The reason to pursue peace is to end this senseless violence. This is not peace, nor its beginnings."

Earlier in 2020, terrorists attacked a Gurdwara in Kabul killing more than 25 Afghan Sikhs, and the attack was claimed by the Islamic State.

India also expressed its deep "concern at the upsurge in violence" and extended its support and said, "Need to assist the people of Afghanistan in dealing with coronavirus pandemic."

India also emphasized the need to "putting an end to terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries" which is necessary for "enduring and sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan."
ROCKVILLE, MD  Confirmed coronavirus cases in Montgomery County ticked up by 211 on Monday, to 8,417, while the number of people who have died from the disease rose by 5, bringing the local death toll to 442.

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 4,748,300 people and killed more than 315,800 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 39,762 positive infections and 1,903 confirmed deaths. State health officials are now reporting 120 "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 Monday morning, 161,744 people have tested negative for COVID-19 and 2,817 have been released from isolation. There are currently 1,447 hospitalized coronavirus patients. Of that, 555 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to state data, hospitalizations are at its lowest level in three weeks.

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 11,608.

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 last week, 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.'"

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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.

Until certain coronavirus benchmarks are met, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says the county cannot reopen.

Most parts of the state have gradually started to reopen as part of phase one of Gov. Larry Hogan's Maryland Strong Roadmap to Recovery plan.

Under phase one, barbershops and hair salons, retail stores, and houses of worship can reopen at 50 percent capacity, given people follow social distancing rules and wear masks.



Harder hit jurisdictions, like Montgomery and Prince George's counties, decided against reopening  citing ongoing concerns over their caseloads and fatality counts.

For Elrich to lift his coronavirus restrictions, the county must see:

A consistent decline over a 14-day period in new cases as more testing is conducted

A sustained decrease in the number of daily deaths

A downward trend in hospitalizations rates (and ICU beds in use)

A sustained decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients going to the ER

SEE ALSO:

This article originally appeared on the Rockville Patch
A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers last week unveiled a plan to compensate essential workers who fall sick or die from COVID-19. The lawmakers are modeling their Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act after the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-NY, Jerrold Nadler, D-NY, Peter King, R-NY, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-IL, who previously joined forces on the 9/11 compensation fund, introduced the measure during a digital news conference. They were joined by representatives of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Uniformed Firefighters Association, National Rural Letter Carriers Association, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.

According to a press release from Maloney, the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act would set up a fund for essential workers and their families across all industries, providing financial assistance to help with medical costs, loss of employment, loss of business, replacement services and burial costs.

The announcement comes after at least 13 states have taken action that would require workers compensation insurers to pay benefits to first responders, health care workers and other essential workers submitting COVID-19 workers comp claims without first having to prove they were exposed to the virus during the course of their employment. The scope of the occupations covered under such presumptions vary by state.

Coronavirus Health Effects Could Last for Years for Some Survivors Beating the initial sickness may be just the first of many battles for COVID-19 survivors. Workers Comp May Need Backstop as Presumptions Push Claim Costs into Billions An executive order by California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the most aggressive among the directives issued by 13 states that require workers compensation insurers to pay at least some COVID-19 claims. What to Expect in Workers Compensation Costs From COVID-19: NCCI If only 10 percent of health care workers contract COVID-19 and all of their claims are deemed compensable, workers compensation loss costs could double or even triple in some states. Analysts Tally Workers Comp Cost of Exposure to COVID-19 While the potential cost of relaxing a tenet of the workers compensation system to deal with extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 could top $50 billion, its more likely to be one-fifth of that, an analyst reported recently. Insurers Promote Federal Pandemic Insurance Plan to Congress The program would cover future business interruption losses and be like the government-supported commercial terrorism program initiated after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The proposed federal funding act would:

Create a new website and office developed and administered by a Special Master to assist in the application process.

Maximize compensation for essential workers and their families by simplifying the application process to get those affected back on their feet.

Authorize appropriated funds as needed for five years with the fund permanently closing one fiscal year after the Special Master determines that no additional claims can be filed.

According to the media statement, the compensation application would allow claimants to provide information regarding the extent of their loss for consideration, and eligible individuals would receive compensation no later than 20 days after approval.

Family members who share homes with essential workers and became sick through contact with the essential worker would be eligible to file a claim.

In a media statement, Maloney, who lead the battle to permanently fund the 9/11 Victims Fund last year, said: On September 11th, it was the firefighters and officers who ran into the burning buildings to save lives. Today, it is hospital workersnurses, doctors, EMS, janitorial staff, pharmacists, technicians and all essential workers. We owe them more than applause at 7 p.m.

In this fight against the coronavirus, it is the first responders, retail workers, transit workers, grocery store clerks, delivery workers, janitorial staff, sanitation workers, mail carriers, hospitality workers, and federal, state and local employees who are on the frontlines, walking in to the fire every day as they risk their health to make sure we are safe, fed, and healthy.

The move comes as medical teams around the globe are just starting to track the long-term health of survivors of COVID-19 amid concerns the health effects could last for years. Some recovered patients report breathlessness, fatigue and body pain months after first becoming infected. Studies in Hong Kong and China show that survivors deal with with poorer functioning in their lungs, heart and liver.

Meanwhile, the insurance industry is promoting the idea of an insurance plan backed by the federal government that would help businesses that in the future suffer losses from a pandemic. Insurers want the pandemic policies to be backed by the U.S. government, similar the government-supported commercial terrorism products after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Insurers are facing multiple lawsuits, political pressure and criticism from customers with business interruption policies over not covering their recent financial hardships despite the fact these policies either exclude or do not specifically cover a global pandemic.

Topics Carriers COVID-19 Legislation Workers' Compensation USA Talent
The Lagos state police command says it arrested Ede Tyndale, a 50-year-old man, for allegedly raping his 19-year-old daughter on a numbe...

The Lagos state police command says it arrested Ede Tyndale, a 50-year-old man, for allegedly raping his 19-year-old daughter on a number of occasions.





In a statement on Sunday, Bala Elkana, spokesman of Lagos police command, said Tyndale was arrested after his wife filed a complaint against him.





Elkana said the mother told the police that her husband started having sexual intercourse with their daughter when she was 11.





According to him, the suspect instilled so much fear in her that she was afraid to tell anyone about what she was going through.

Trouble started when the woman noticed some strange behaviours from her daughter and decided to find out why the sudden disrespect towards her father, he said.





The survivor opened up to her mother that her father started having sexual intercourse with her when she was 11-years-old. That he often threatened violence whenever she resist(ed) him.





The father instilled so much fear in her that she finds it difficult to report to anybody.





The police spokesman said Tyndale has been charged to court and the hearing of the case has been fixed for June 16.





After a thorough investigation into the case, the suspect was on 11/5/2020, charged before Chief Magistrate Court ll Ogba on five count charges of incest, rape, sexual harassment, defilement and sexual assault, Elkana said.




Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio), founder of GAMCO Investors, released his portfolio for the first quarter of 2020. The top five buys included Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), DuPont de Nemours Inc. (NYSE:DD), Baush Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC), Edgewell Personal Care Co. (NYSE:EPC) and Evergy Inc. (EVRG).





Gabelli currently manages a portfolio of 848 stocks, with 34 new positions added this quarter. The portfolio is valued at $8.46 billion with a 3% turnover rate. Gabelli focuses on investing in undervalued stocks that, backed by research, show the potential for growth.

Portfolio overview

Gabelli's top holdings were Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE) with 2.08% of the equity portfolio, Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. (NYSE:AJRD) at 1.77% and GATX Corp. (NYSE:GATX) at 1.51%. By weight, his top invested sectors were industrials (30.21%), communication services (14.16%) and financial services (9.70%).

Amazon

Gabelli's most impactful buy during the first quarter was the addition of 5,641 shares of Amazon, trading at an average price of $1,936.38. The purchase represents an increase of 126.62% in the holding and an overall impact on the portfolio of 0.13%.

Amazon is known for its online retail platform, cloud-based services and more recently a foray into in-house digital media production. Over the last several years, the company has seen a rapid increase in popularity drastically increasing prices and can continuously be seen featured on the Most Active Stocks list on GuruFocus. As of May 18, the stock was trading at $2,424.99 per share with a market cap of $1.21 trillion.

GuruFocus gives the company a valuation rank of 1 out of 10 and the Peter Lynch chart shows the stock trading above its intrinsic value, suggesting that it is overvalued.

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Amazon also has a financial strength rating of 6 out of 10 with a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.77, which is higher than 61.02% of the cyclical retail industry. A profitability rank of 8 out of 10 is awarded thanks to a return on equity of 18.51% and a three-year revenue growth rate of 25.6, which is higher than 91.48% of the industry.

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DuPont De Nemours9

Gabelli also bought 304,367 shares of DuPont De Nemours, continuing on his trend of purchasing the stock since the second quarter of 2019. The purchase represented a 67.02% increase in the holding at an average price of $49.25 during the quarter.

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Dupont de Nemours, commonly known as Dupont, was formed by the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont in August 2017. Prior to spinning off separate companies, it was a top chemical company in terms of sales. As of May 18, the company was trading at $48.45 per share with a market cap of $35.16 billion.

The holding has gained Gabelli a total estimated return of 17.19%. GuruFocus gives the company a profitablity ranking of 6 out of 10 and a valuation rank of 1 out of 10. A cash-to-debt ratio of 0.09 places the company lower than 87.13% of the industry and an Altman Z-Score of 0.87 suggests the potential for bankruptcy.

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Bausch Health Companies

At an average price of $24.35 during the quarter, Gabelli added 571,103 shares of Bausch Health Companies to his portfolio. This represented a 1,366.28% increase in the holding and an overall 0.10% impract on the portfolio as a whole.

The Canada-based pharmaceutical company focuses primarily on generic drugs for skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, eye health and neurology. On May 18, it was trading at $16.99 per share with a market cap of $6.06 billion.

GuruFocus gives the company a high valuation rank of 9 out of 10 with forward price-earnings ratio of 4.02, which is higher than 95.04% of other drug manufacturing companies. However, an Altman Z-Score of 0.03 places the company deep into the distress zone, indicating the potential for bankruptcy alongside a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.04, which ranks them lover than 94.02% of the industry.

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Edgewell Personal Care

Gabelli increased his holding of Edgewell Personal Care with the purchase of 308,814 shares at an average price of $29.94 per share during the quarter. This represented an increase in the holding by 14.55% and a 0.09% impact on the portfolio.

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The Connecticut-based company foucses on consumer products. The company was formed in 2015 as a spinoff of Energizer Holdings. On May 18, the company was trading at $27 with a market cap of $1.48 billion. The Peter Lynch chart suggests the stock has consistently been trading above its intrinsic value since 2014.

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GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 4 out of 10. A cash-to-debt ratio of 0.27 scores lower than 58.45% of the industry and an Altman Z-Score of 1.22 places the company in the distress category. However, the company has been decreasing its debt slowly since 2016.

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GuruFocus also provides a profitablity ranking of 7 out of 10 thanks to an expanding operating margin at 12.35%, which is higher than 79.86% of other consumer packaged goods companies. As well the company is awarded a valuation rank of 8 out of 10 with a forward price-earnings ratio of 9.14, which is higher than 92.75% of the industry.

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Evergy

The fifth-largest change in Gabelli's portfolio in the first quarter was the addition of 140,997 shares of Evergy at an average price of $65.83 per share. The represented the growth of the holding by 40.49% and an overall impact on the portfolio of 0.09%.

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Evergy was formed when Westar Energy of Topeka and Great Plains Energy merged. Headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, the company services 1.6 million customers across Kansas and Missouri. The company was trading at $59.07 per share on May 18 with a market cap of $13.35 billion.

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GuruFocus shows three severe warning signs as well as four medium warning signs. The company was given a financial strength rating of 3 out of 10, a profitability rank of 7 out of 10 and a valuation rank of 2 out of 10. The company has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.03, which is lower than 87.14% of the industry, and an Altman Z-Score of 0.82, suggesting the potential for bankruptcy in the future. The Peter Lynch chart suggests the company is overvalued.

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Disclosure: Author owns no shares in any of the stocks mentioned. The mention of stocks in this article does not at any point constitute an investment recommendation. Portfolio updates reflect only common stock positions as per the regulatory filings for the quarter in question and may not include changes made after the quarter ended.

Read more here:

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1,000 Entrepreneurs: The Natural Home Goods Revolution With Stuart Landesberg







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China Dodges Senator Simon Birminghams Calls to Discuss Trade Dispute

Australias federal trade ministers phone calls to his Chinese counterpart have gone unanswered, as Senator Simon Birmingham seeks to resolve the trade disputes about Australian barley and beef.

The Chinese regime is considering slapping an 80 percent tariff on barley imports following an 18-month anti-dumping inquiry and has also blocked Australian beef imports from four abattoirs.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has dodged the trade ministers calls for about a week.

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) announcement on May 10 saying that they may impose a tariff on barley came shortly after federal health minister Greg Hunt reiterated that the Australian government will support a European Union motion to investigate the origins of the CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, that emerged from China last year.

Weve made a request for me to be able to have discussions with my Chinese counterpart, Birmingham said in an interview with ABC Insider. That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage.

The call ought to be returned, he said.

The Australian government in conjunction with the barley industry have submitted a response to refute Chinas claims that the government subsidises the industry in order to distort the market.

This is simply a commercial farming operation getting on with business and theres no justification for duties to be applied on any of our barley products, Birmingham said.

If the CCP decides to implement any additional tariffs or duties the Australian government may involve the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve the dispute, Birmingham said.

Australia has used WTO disputes with other valued partners around the world in recent years. Ive initiated them with Canada in relation to certain wine practices, with India in relation to certain sugar industry practices, he said.

Asked if China is a market economy where buyers and sellers can freely conduct business Birmingham said: It has a very large predominance of state-owned enterprises operating, sometimes in less transparent ways than others.

China is Australias number one trading partner, but Birmingham said it was up to businesses to determine who they sell their goods and services to.

I would expect that many Australian businesses, off the back of some unpredictable regulatory interventions, such as those weve seen in the last couple of weeks, would start to consider whether the risk profile has changed, and may, therefore, look at other markets, he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was nothing remarkable about the push for an independent inquiry into the origins of the CCP virus and reiterated that Australia will stand its ground.

Former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson thought the Australian government was making a perfectly reasonable proposition.

I mean, is (China) serious that we dont want to know how the coronavirus started and got spread? Emerson said.

It is not anti-China, it is pro-science so that we learn about this particular virus on the assumption that at some time in the future, hopefully a long time into the future, there will be more outbreaks of different viruses.
Russia is working on getting reciprocal medical aid from the United States, Moscow said on Monday after the country reported its lowest overnight rise in coronavirus cases since May 1.

But Russia, whose tally of 290,678 cases is the second highest after the United States, said the situation remained difficult after officials reported 8,926 new infections.

This marked the third day in a row that the figure was below the 10,000 mark which it has been above for most of this month.

Meanwhile, Moscow is working on securing supplies of reciprocal medical aid from the United States to help it combat the coronavirus, Russia's Deputy Foreign Sergei Ryabkov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington was sending Moscow some testing equipment and medical ventilators to help it manage the crisis and that the equipment was "on its way", the Washington Examiner reported on Sunday.

Although Russia sent a batch of Russian-made medical ventilators to the United States in early April, U.S. officials say they were not needed in the end.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus last month, told a televised government meeting on Monday that the situation overall was improving and that many patients were being discharged by hospitals.

"The situation ... remains difficult, but we can nonetheless say we have managed to stop the growth in the infection (rate)," he said at the meeting held by video conference. "The dynamic is positive, according to the most cautious estimates."

Moscow and Russian regions across 11 time zones are in their eighth and seventh week of a lockdown respectively to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but Mishustin said that 27 regions were safe to begin gradually relaxing their restrictions.

He did not specify which regions this applied to.

Russia's coronavirus taskforce said on Monday that 91 people had died in the last 24 hours, pushing the country's death toll to 2,722 as Moscow looked to the United States for help.

Ryabkov said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump had promised earlier that the United States would be ready to help Russia with equipment once it was mass producing ventilators.

"That possibility was welcomed with gratitude from our side, this issue is now being worked on. We consider mutual help to be a straight-forward matter," Ryabkov was quoted by Russia's RIA news agency as saying.

The ventilator that Russia sent to the U.S., the Aventa-M, came under the spotlight last week after it was reported to have caused two hospital fires, in Moscow and St Petersburg.

Russia subsequently suspended the use of the Aventa-M, although only those manufactured from April 1, after the ventilators had been sent to the United States.

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New Delhi, May 18 : E-learning platform Vedantu has witnessed a major surge after it announced support to students with free access to its complete learning platform during the Covid-19 lockdown, the company said on Monday.

According to the company, 1 million students attended live online classes on Vedantu's platform.

The number of subscribers on its platform has grown exponentially to 6,50,000 additional learners from kindergarten to 12th grade and competitive exams such as JEE and NEET.

Vedantu's collections and revenue grew by 80 per cent over the previous month, achieving the highest growth over the collective last 2.5 years.

During this Covid-19 period, the e-learning platform has crossed a watch time of 1 billion minutes across its platform and channels.

"We will continue to provide free access to our platform to support students across the country ensuring uninterrupted & uncompromised learning, from the safety of their homes," Vamsi Krishna, Co-founder and CEO, Vedantu, said in a statement.

According to a recent survey conducted on its platform, Students find live interactive classes more engaging, convenient and a better way of learning than offline classes.
Rakuten Viber is doubling the maximum number of group call to 10 participants at once in the wake of coronavirus in Sri Lanka View(s):

With the growing pandemic in the world due to the Covid 19 epidemic, countless people are being quarantined after exposure. Government organisations, health ministries have requested companies to consider adapting a work-from-home scheme to control the spread of the virus, and several have followed suit.

In fact, working from home has never been a more realistic option. People can work remotely with their computers and smartphones, staying as productive as ever while keeping themselves safe. With apps like Viber, for instance, you can work-from-home with maximum efficiency and punctuality. Here are just some of the ways the popular messaging app can help you get things done amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Have meetings through group call. Since COVID-19 can spread easily in large groups, its best to restrict your company brainstorming sessions to voice calls. Group calls are a great way to bypass the risk of meetings. Viber recently doubled the number of people who could participate in group calls to help everyone stay connected despite COVID-19. Now, Viber group calls can support up to 10 people at onceenough room for even the most important meetings.

Were committed to finding more ways for people to connect in groups during this challenging time without having to be physically in the same place. With more people working remotely, in response to the spread of the coronavirus, we want to do our part to ensure that people have a safe and secure environment to stay connected with loved ones and to be able to continue to do their jobs from wherever they are, said OfirEyal, Chief Operating Officer of Rakuten Viber.

Send big files. Viber supports easy file sharing, so you can send your co-workers and business partners important reports and presentations quickly. Files up to 200MB can be directly shared within the app. For even bigger files, you can share links to cloud services on your Viber chat.

Work seamlessly on desktop. The desktop version of Viber also supports chats and calls, letting you meet co-workers and clients from the security of your home. It also has a cool screen sharing feature, which lets you share what youre doing on your computer screen to your contacts. This is really useful when you want to watch a video together, or when you want to give them a quick tutorial of a work app you like.

Call anyone, anywhere in the world. Nowadays, everyone is wary of international travel. If you need to get in touch with contacts who cant make the trip to you, use Viber Out, which lets you call any cellphone or landline in the world for just $8.99 a month.

With Vibers convenient features, its still business as usual, even if everyones working from home. On top of keeping your data secure and private, Viber helps you keep your health in check too.

About Rakuten Viber: At Rakuten Viber, we connect people. No matter who they are, or where they are from. Our global user base has access to a range of features like one-on-one chats, video calls, group messaging, and updates and discussions with their favourite brands and celebrities. We ensure our users have a secure and free environment to share their emotions. Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Inc., a world leader in e-commerce and financial services. It is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors. Join Viber today and enjoy the worlds best communication experience. For further inquiries, contact us at media@viber.com.
(Natural News) Because President Trump suggested that it might be an effective remedy against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been endlessly bad-mouthed and vilified by leftists, the mainstream media, the World Health Organization (WHO), and many others that are coincidentally pushing remdesivir and vaccines instead.

In a research paper he published for open peer-review, Leo Goldstein breaks down the assault on hydroxychloroquine and the seemingly endless stream of pseudoscience that is driving it. His view is that HCQ works and science proves it, and that studies opposing it have been misinterpreted, (are) invalid, or worse.

Along with azithromycin (AZ), HCQ is one of the safest and most tested prescription drugs on the market, Goldstein contends. It is also very inexpensive, which means that the pharmaceutical industry does not rake in blockbuster profits from its sale  this being another reason why many are discouraging the use of HCQ for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

One study that sought to discredit HCQ intentionally left out zinc, a necessary cofactor for its safety, which led to the negative conclusions the authors desired. As it turns out, their aim is to redirect peoples attention to remdesivir, a major HCQ competitor.

The COVID-19 Treatment Panel at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) just so happens to have financial ties to Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of remdesivir. But as is usually the case, this financial conflict of interest was never publicly disclosed, and has only been uncovered by researchers like Goldstein who are interested in uncovering the truth.

Fake science studies continue to smear hydroxychloroquine and the mainstream media is eating them right up

Though these and others special interests are actively discouraging the use of HCQ, AZ, zinc, and various other remedies that show promise in the fight against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the public needs to remember that both HCQ and AZ, at least, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that doctors can legally prescribe them for use against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

One of the biggest supporting pieces of evidence that HCQ is effective against this pandemic is that it was supposedly used to treat virtually every COVID-19 patient in New York, to quote Peter Navarro, New York being the major global hotspot for the pandemic outside of Wuhan, China, where it originated.

Once HCQ started to be used in New York, the number of deaths in the state decreased significantly, reports indicate. Even so, the NIHs COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel took a negative-ambivalent stance against the drug, again because it has a vested interest in seeing remdesivir prescribed instead.

This surprising stance was taken contrary to the ample evidence of the efficacy and safety of HCQ and despite absent evidence of its harm, Goldstein notes. The panel also strongly recommended against the use of hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin (AZ), the combination of choice among practitioners.

The very same day that the panel took this negative-ambivalent stance, a paper was published in the journal medRxiv suggesting that hydroxychloroquine is not only ineffective but also harmful. This paper has yet to be peer-reviewed and it was authored by unqualified people with conflicts of interest.

But the mainstream media ran with it, spreading misinformation and lies about the dangers and ineffectiveness of HCQ. Meanwhile, this same mainstream media continues to push remdesivir as a safer and more effective alternative, even though there is scant, if any, evidence to support this claim.

The FDA has also intervened with its own warning against the use of HCQ in treating the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The Big Pharma-backed agency cannot force doctors not to prescribe HCQ, but it is strongly urging them not to because it, too, is a bought-and-paid-for deep state entity with major conflicts of interest.

Be sure to check out Goldsteins full analysis here.

You can keep up with more of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) by visiting Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

WhatsUpWithThat.com

NaturalNews.com
Before the pandemic, Shalinder Singh spent Sundays at his gurdwara, helping serve a community meal for 300 people or more at the Sikh place of worship in suburban Detroit. Now, he's all about pizza. Singh and his family have paid for and delivered hundreds of pies to hospitals, police stations and fire departments since the gurdwara suspended in-person services.

They wanted to carry on a tenet of their faith: helping others through langar, the communal meal shared by all who come. "It just popped up in my mind, this is the time to take care of the heroes in the front," said Singh, the 40-year-old owner of a pet products company. "I spoke to a couple of doctors and they said pizza is the best because they're working 12 to 16 hours and they don't have time to sit and eat."

The Singhs, including 12-year-old Arjun and 14-year-old Baani, have delivered more than 1,000 pizzas since early April, with no plans to slow down. They drive as much as an hour to spread their pizza love once a week, as Singh continues to run his business, which is classified as essential.

"We're trying to go to areas that aren't getting much food," Singh said. In New York, 25-year-old Japneet Singh, a fellow Sikh, also thought of pizza for under-resourced hospitals and overworked, minimum wage employees in the crosshairs of the virus.

After college graduation and some time in corporate life, he most recently worked as a field supervisor for the U.S. Census Bureau and drove an Uber on the side while searching for his passion. Then the virus struck, shutting down his work. In the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, Singh's heart went out to the desperate staff at Elmhurst Hospital Center and other hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19.

"I figured you know what, I'm sitting home," he said. "Food always makes things better, so I asked one of my friends who works at Elmhurst Hospital, what can we do? He was like, pizza would be great. Ever since then, we haven't looked back." Japneet Singh began delivering in late March; he too estimates he's distributed 1,000 pies or more. He makes two or three runs a week to hospitals throughout the city, and to the others in the struggle.

"There's other people on the front line, like grocery workers. We've been to a Walmart, police precincts, FDNY stations. We recently started feeding the homeless," he said. Singh has enlisted a couple of friends willing to help deliver the food, but he's most in need of donations; he's paid for pizzas out of his own pocket, but it's not enough.

"We started putting out little clips on social media and that's how people have found us to donate," he said. Social media has been so great. I make a post and ask, `Where should we go next?'" He's raised nearly $2,000. He's been working with the owner of two Papa John's pizzerias in Queens and Brooklyn who's been discounting pies and donating some as well.

Store workers have been especially grateful. "These are minimum-wage workers," Singh said. "If we can put a smile on their faces with just a slice of pizza, why can't we do just one small act of kindness, you know?"

Also read: Lockdown 4.0 Live Updates: Biggest ever spike of 5,242 COVID-19 cases, 157 deaths in 24 hours; tally 96,169

Also read: Coronavirus: US, India working together on developing COVID-19 vaccine, says Trump
Nerolac Paints adds Leo Burnett to its roster of creative agencies after a multi-agency pitch. At Leo Burnett, the account will be handled out of the Mumbai office.

Speaking about the announcement, Anuj Jain, Executive Director, Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited said Nerolac as a brand has consistently evolved since its inception. Collaborating with the right partners is significant in working towards the long-term vision of the brand. As we complete a 100 years of building a rich brand legacy, we are faced with a new normal and it is imperative that we join forces with creative teams that can help deliver better value to our customers. We are confident that our newly found association with Leo Burnett will help us deliver impactful campaigns and support our commitment to build a healthy and beautiful future.

Added Dheeraj Sinha, MD  India & Chief Strategy Officer  South Asia, Leo Burnett, Nerolac is a leading brand in its category and we are excited to partner them in their next phase of growth. Brand Nerolac has a strong legacy of 100 years, yet it is very future focused and high on innovation. There is a tremendous potential in this category to build a new narrative and we look forward to doing that. We are excited about this new journey of creating some magic together.
HALIFAX - The Snowbirds aerobatic team member who was killed in the crash of one of its Tutor jets is being remembered fondly as a proud native of her hometown of Halifax.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HALIFAX - The Snowbirds aerobatic team member who was killed in the crash of one of its Tutor jets is being remembered fondly as a proud native of her hometown of Halifax.

Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer, died Sunday when the plane crashed in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., while on a cross-country tour meant to convey hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Capt. Jenn Casey is seen in this undated handout photo from the Royal Canadian Air Force Twitter page. One member of the Canadian Armed Forces has died and another is injured after a Snowbird plane crashed in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday while on a cross-country tour meant to impart hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer with the Canadian Forces, died in the incident, the Department of National Defence said Sunday night. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Twitter-@RCAF_ARC *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Casey, who had been with the Snowbirds since November 2018, is a former journalist who worked as a reporter, anchor and producer at NEWS 95.7 in Halifax.

Dan Ahlstrand said Casey was the first person who reached out to befriend him when he transferred to the East Coast's largest city from a sister radio station in Moncton, N.B., in 2012.

Ahlstrand said Casey was "super proud" of her community.

"She lived in the north end," he said. "So she gave me the insiders tour of the haunts to go and check out."

Ahlstrand said she also offered advice on such things as where to find the best donair  a Halifax fast food staple.

He described her as an upbeat person who had an infectious smile  a trait Ahlstrand said he'll remember the most.

"She always brightened up the room and she was such a very positive person. Even when her beloved Montreal Canadiens were awful, she kept that smile on her face."

Ahlstrand said Casey left the radio station in 2014 to join the military and recently returned as a guest on one of its talk shows just before the Snowbirds' current tour, dubbed Operation Inspiration, began in Halifax on May 3.

Another former radio colleague, Scott Simpson, also paid tribute to Casey in a Facebook post from his current home in London, Ont.

"Jenn was a delight to be around, solid in her work, and had such an infectiously upbeat and genuine way about her," said Simpson. "We could all see the pride she expressed in her work with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds as Captain Jenn Casey."

The jet's pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall of Moncton, N.B., survived the crash and is being treated for injuries the military has said are not life-threatening.

Reached in Dieppe, N.B., MacDougall's mother, Paulette Richard, said she has talked to her son since the crash, adding that he is trying to process what happened.

"We mostly shared a personal conversation about how you feel after having been through a trauma like that and losing a partner like that," Richard said.

She said MacDougall's injuries included multiple fractures that occurred when he hit the roof of a home after ejecting from the aircraft.

"None are life-threatening, and none are going to likely affect his mobility or quality of life when everything heals," she said.

Richard described her son as a "positive, friendly and caring person."

"He's a pretty good guy I think, and I think other people would feel the same way," she said.

Richard said the family is from a military background and is familiar with the order in which her son flies with the Snowbirds. When they were alerted Sunday to a video of the crash that was on television, she said they had an idea of possible trouble.

"We know that he flies in a two-ship (formation) right after the nine ship . . . and when we saw the two ship we knew it was 50-50 that it was Richard."

After a few phone calls, Richard said officials confirmed that her son had been involved.

"We reached out to find out the extent of his injuries and we were obviously relieved and very grateful that he was alive, but very saddened to hear that he had lost Jenn."

Casey joined the Canadian Forces in 2014 and was based out of Trenton, Ont., according to her Royal Canadian Air Force bio.

Before joining the Snowbirds, she spent most of 2018 with the CF-18 Demo Team, travelling around North America and the United Kingdom with the NORAD 60 jet.

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Casey's death was marked by Premier Stephen McNeil in a tweet sent early Monday.

"On behalf of the entire province, I offer my deepest condolences to Capt. Jennifer Caseys family, friends, @CFSnowbirds team and fellow service members," said McNeil. "Nova Scotians stand with you and send our love, thoughts and prayers."

The crash is the latest of a series of recent tragedies to profoundly touch Nova Scotia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly one month ago a gunman killed 22 people during a rampage through rural parts of the province  an event followed by the crash of a military helicopter from a Halifax-based frigate off Greece that killed six people, including three from the province.

And just last week, police in Truro, N.S., called off a six-day search for three-year old Dylan Ehler, who went missing while playing outside his grandmother's house near a river that runs through the town.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2020.
A fire broke out in two flats of a residential building named Mumbais Mazgaon on Monday. The fire was reported in Shirin Manzil. Four fire tenders and four jumbo tankers are at the spot for firefighting operations. No injuries have been reported so far.

The fire is said to be confined in two flats on the sixth floor, which has been engulfed in heavy smoke.

The incident took place around 12.22 pm on the sixth floor of the seven storey structure and the fire brigade reached the spot around 12.34 pm.

Officials said two people have been rescued and brought to a safe zone.

Prabhat Rahangdale, chief fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said, Two people were rescued from fifth floor and were brought to a safe zone using the staircase while seven other residents are stranded at a safe location on the seventh floor. Efforts are being made to get them to safety.

More details are awaited.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has accused the Trump administration of damaging the global technology industry with its extended trade ban.

Huawei, which will be prevented from trading with US companies for at least another year, labelled the US government's decision arbitrary and pernicious.

The company said the US will cause damage to the global technology industry by undermining trust and collaboration in the sector, and affect services for 3 billion people.

Trump blacklisted Huawei in May last year amid ongoing allegations that the company is a threat to American national security  which Huawei has denied.

This blacklisting will now last for another 12 months along with a tightening of rules around Huaweis ability to buy semiconductors from firms that use US technology, it was revealed last week.

Huawei has shot back regarding the decision, saying it was banned originally without justification, and accusing the US of trying to crush companies outside its own borders.

Trump blacklisted Huawei in May last year amid ongoing allegations that the company is a threat to American national security  which Huawei has denied

Huawei categorically opposes the amendments made by the US Department of Commerce to its foreign direct product rule that target Huawei specifically, the company said in a statement.

This new rule will impact the expansion, maintenance, and continuous operations of networks worth hundreds of billions of dollars that we have rolled out in more than 170 countries.

This decision by the US government does not just affect Huawei  it will have a serious impact on a wide number of global industries.

In the long run, this will damage the trust and collaboration within the global semiconductor industry which many industries depend on, increasing conflict and loss within these industries.

A Huawei store this month. The company said its business will inevitably be affected but it will try all it can to seek a solution

Scrutiny of Huawei in the US and elsewhere has been driven by the suggestion that the company has close ties with the Chinese government.

As a result of this, Huaweis telecoms equipment and other devices such as smartphones could be used for spying, the US alleges, and could therefore represent a security risk.

All US companies have been prohibited from collaborating with Huawei since May 16, 2019, when the US government placed Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List  a government blacklist that prohibits trade with foreign parties.

A temporary general licence, which allows US firms to operate with the Chinese companies on a limited basis, has also been extended for another 90 days.

The general licence has allowed Google, for example, to continue allowing elements of its Android operating system to work on Huawei phones including its Mate 30, minus the Google Play Store and Google Mobile Services.

The extension, which will last until August 13, also provides a window for users of Huawei devices and services, to transition to alternative suppliers  however, this is expected to be the final renewal before a complete and total ban.

A Huawei Mate 30 Pro smartphone on display in a Huawei brand store at the Aviapark shopping mall in Russia. Mate 30 Pro became the first Huawei smartphone to go without Google Mobile Services

In its blacklist, the US had intentionally chosen to attack a leading company from another country and in the process it has intentionally turned its back on the interests of Huawei's customers and consumers, the Chinese company said.

It will impact communications services for the more than 3 billion people who use Huawei products and services worldwide, the company said.

The US is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders, it said.

This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in US technology and supply chains. Ultimately, this will harm US interests.

Huawei said it is undertaking a comprehensive examination of the USs new rule and will try all it can to seek a solution.

We hope that our customers and suppliers will continue to stand with us and minimize the impact of this discriminatory rule.

Huawei said it has remained committed to complying with all US government rules and regulations and has fulfilled its contractual obligations to customers and suppliers against all odds.

Huawei chairman Guo Ping added that Huawei spent $18.7 billion buying from US suppliers last year and would continue to buy from them if the US government would allow it.
T he Government was embroiled in an angry row with travel bosses today after ministers decided to impose damaging quarantine rules on most travellers returning from abroad - even from France.

It had been hoped that a deal agreed between Boris Johnson and President Emmanuel Macron last week would allow British tourists to travel across the Channel this summer on ferries or through the tunnel without having to self isolate for 14 days on return.

However, ministers are now warning the industry that this exemption is only likely to apply to lorry drivers and people involved in essential work such as scientific research.

A spokeswoman for the travel industry body ABTA, said: Any measures that limit travel will have a damaging impact on the UK inbound and outbound tourism industry. They should therefore be based on health and scientific advice and be proportionate, targeted and limited only to what is necessary to protect public health.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, said: It is a major blow to the industry given there is no certainty at all to when people can go back. And they wont book until they are confident they will be able to travel.

It confirms that there wont be much foreign travel at all until 2021 and adds weight to my feeling that there will be a very strong domestic season.

Sue Ockwell of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, said this year had been like hitting a brick wall for travel companies and accused the Government of constantly changing its mind in off the cuff comments about when and under what conditions holidaymakers would be allowed to go abroad.

Ministers are meeting today to agree a very tight set of exemptions to the 14 day rule. Whitehall sources said the number exempted had been scaled back considerably on scientific advice.

But they also said that the quarantine requirement would be subject to a review every three weeks, raising the possibility that it could be lifted for some countries with particularly low coronavirus infection rates in July in time for the peak season.
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Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 18:19 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8dcf94 1 City anies-baswedan,Jakarta-administration,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19,coronavirus,mudik,mudik-ban Free

After a number of conflicting statements from city and police officials, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has reiterated that a local mudik (Idul Fitri exodus) is not permitted, urging residents to stay at home and keep in touch with family members through digital communication instead.

Everyone needs to stay at home, Anies said in a statement on Saturday. The virus knows no holidays, it doesnt care if its Lebaran [Idul Fitri] or not. Lets not exacerbate the situation in Greater Jakarta [...] and render our [mitigation] efforts over the past two months useless.

Anies issued on Friday a decree banning all Jakarta residents from leaving Greater Jakarta, with the exception of travel serving essential needs to curb the interregional transmission of COVID-1

Anies said the travel ban would not apply to workers in essential sectors, including state officials, members of international organizations, security personnel or medical workers.

The former education minister confirmed, however, that the decree did not mean that residents were allowed to mudik within Greater Jakarta, despite previous statements from Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) head Arifin and National Police traffic corps operational head Sr. Comr. Benyamin to the contrary.

Theres no such thing as a local mudik; only virtual mudik is allowed, Anies said.

According to the official government count, Jakarta had 6,059 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 463 deaths as of Monday.
Braces, Good Grain Bakery and The Bake Shed are among the businesses to contribute to a new recipe book being sold to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.

The Little Rainbow Book of Recipes features 71 recipes, including vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options, from UK food and drink brand founders and experts to celebrate 71 years of the NHS.

Bakery recipes include a selection of sandwiches by Braces Bakery, a meatless feast pizza by frozen vegan pizza company One Planet Pizza, Welsh cakes by Castle Dairies and gluten-free blueberry muffins by Good Grain Bakery.

Organic chocolate company Seed & Bean, meanwhile, provided a recipe for a chocolate espresso banana bread, traybake specialist The Bake Shed offered up a lemon drizzle traybake recipe and pancake company Griddle explained how to make a melt-in-the-middle chocolate sharing pancake.

The recipe book has been compiled by creative business specialist Visionary Food Solutions, based in South Wales, and is available via the companys website, priced at 10. All profits will go to NHS Charities Together, which represents and supports the work of more than 140 member charities.

The Little Rainbow Book of Recipes has been an amazing project to be part of, said Gareth Hobbs, managing director of Visionary Group.

The fact people have given up their time, when businesses are under so much pressure, to support this initiative made us know we were on to something special. The book has just gone live on pre-order, and it is amazing to see sales coming in already. And, with support from the industry, Id like to think there will be a sizable donation to NHS Charities Together at the end of this.

Businesses, including bakeries and their suppliers, across the UK have increased their support for the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic from donations of treats to hospitals, reopening stores to serve frontline staff and donating money from the sale of goods to NHS charities.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 01:44:53|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran is ready for the worst-case scenario over U.S. threats concerning the shipment of Iranian fuel to Venezuela, spokesman for Iran's government Ali Rabiee said on Monday.

Iran and Venezuela interact within the framework of healthy and regular business exchanges and their relations do not concern any other country, Rabiee said during his weekly press conference.

His remarks came after the White House announced on Thursday that the United States was considering measures it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to the crisis-stricken Venezuela.

Iran will take appropriate actions internationally to protect freedom of navigation, Rabiee said.

"We hope that the United States would not make such a mistake," he said, adding that "however, we take all the possibilities into account and we are ready for a worst-case scenario."

On Sunday, Iranian officials warned that any attempt by the United States to block the country's fuel delivery to Venezuela would trigger an "immediate" response from the Islamic republic. Enditem
A family-owned plumbing merchant has been given a 1.5m lifeline from Ulster Bank which will help support its 60 staff province-wide during lockdown.

Stevenson and Reid secured the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) with Ulster Bank, in a move that its says will help provide it with essential cashflow and help secure jobs while many of its construction sector clients are not operating.

Founded in 1980, Stevenson and Reid has expanded to become one of the largest independent plumbing merchants in Northern Ireland with branches in Newtownabbey, Belfast, Newry, Bangor, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Omagh, Cookstown and Londonderry.

Its outlets stock a wide range of plumbing, heating, bathroom and tiling equipment which the company supplies to trade customers as well as to the public.

Billy Stevenson, the company's owner, said: "We have been in business for over 40 years and this is the most challenging period we have experienced. The team at Ulster Bank have worked with us for decades, supporting our growth over the years, and they have been fantastic in helping us at the present time as well.

"Ulster Bank worked very quickly to enable us to avail of the loan which will provide the cashflow to take us through this crisis and safeguard our business for the future as we look towards the next 40 years."

Girvan Gault, director of commercial banking, Ulster Bank, said: "We are pleased to be able to support the company at this time. It is one of a wide range of local businesses that we are helping through the CBILS and Bounce Back Loan Schemes."
BACKGROUND TO THE VIETNAM WAR PT. 2

The US commitment kept climbing and by 1965, had 184,300 military personnel in Vietnam. The US Air Force launched Operation Rolling Thunder as the first combat troops arrived. On Christmas Day, Operation Rolling Thunder was suspended for one month and then resumed. Cambodia broke off diplomatic relations with Washington. By New Years Eve, 1966, there were 385,300 US military personnel in Vietnam with 6,644 killed in action. Not enough apparently. General Westmoreland asked for fresh manpower. In August 1966, Operation Rolling Thunder was said to be closing in on Hanoi. This was followed by Operation Tiger Hound and Operation Masher/White Wing, which caused 2,389 known enemy casualties.

By 1967, there were 485,600 US military personnel in Vietnam with 16,021 killed in action, but by early 1968, the numbers had ballooned out to more than half-a-million with 30,610 killed in action, fuelling the anti-war movement with thousands chanting, Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today? But General Westmoreland ignored them: we have reached an important point where the end begins to come into view, he said, but that was before the Tet Offensive, a traditional Vietnamese holiday when there was normally a cease-fire. Not this time.

In a tactical coup-de-force, some 85,000 North Vietnamese attacked more than 100 South Vietnamese towns. President Johnson announced he would not stand for re-election, Robert Kennedy, brother of John, was assassinated, and Richard Nixon made a come-back and returned as President of the United States.

In March 1971, Lieutenant William Calley was convicted of premeditated murder for the butchery at My Lai. Calley had led a platoon of 30 men into the Vietnamese hamlet, known as Pinkville, where between 200 and 500 unarmed villagers were brutally slaughtered and girls as young as five were raped  one of many such massacres. It was disclosed by journalists after being suppressed by the Pentagon for more than a year. During Christmas 1972, for 12 days and nights, Nixon ordered the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong when more than 40,000 tons of high explosives were dropped on the people trying to force concessions at the Paris Peace talks. It failed.

The withdrawal of Australias forces began in November 1970 under the Gorton government when eight Royal Australian Regiments who had completed their tour of duty were not replaced. A phased withdrawal followed and when Whitlam was elected in December 1972, he immediately abolished conscription and pulled Australia out of the war and by 11th January 1973, our involvement was over. Approximately 60,000 Australians served in the war, including ground troops, naval forces and airmen, with 521 killed and 3,000 wounded.

But for the Americans, the war dragged on until 1975 with its ignominious defeat. Estimates of US military personnel who served in Vietnam vary from 2.6 to 3.8 million. There are 57,939 names of those who died or are missing as a result of the war written on Washingtons Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was a war Washington never forgot nor forgave, considering it an insult to its national pride. As a consequence, Vietnam was punished by a trade blockade and by political and economic isolation which lasted for more than two decades. It was also being punished  like Cuba  for not having a full-scale capitalist parliamentary charade.

We are now seeing a rewriting of the history of that wicked war, an attempt to erase from our memories Washingtons merciless bombing of civilians in Laos and Cambodia, its use of napalm and defoliants, the rapes and tortures by crazed GIs in hamlets like My Lai, because the war has been recognised  even in Americas heartland  as an obscenity they would prefer to forget, making it imperative to remind people of what actually happened.

PROJECT 100,000

This was a draft programme outlined by Secretary of defence Robert McNamara in 1966. Of the first 240,000 inducted into the military between 1966 and 1968, forty per cent were below 6th-grade education level; forty-one per cent were black; seventy-five per cent came from low-income families, and eighty per cent had dropped out of high school. The poor of America have not had the opportunity to earn their fair share of this nations abundance, McNamara mouthed, but they can be given an opportunity to serve in their countrys defence.

AGENT ORANGE AND DIOXIN

Between 1961-71, the US military sprayed more than 21 million gallons of lethal defoliants and herbicides across 4.5 million acres of South Vietnam in a defoliation programme called Operation Ranch Hand, which affected almost five million Vietnamese civilians living in the sprayed area, figures that do not include the Vietnamese soldiers serving on both sides of the conflict. Launched by President Kennedy on 4th December, 1961, to test its effectiveness, in August 1962 he gave the nod for Ranch Hand to be substantially upgraded: to remove foliage along thoroughfares used as a cover for ambushes, to defoliate trees and plants to improve aerial visibility and to destroy subsistence food crops. The number of missions increased sixteen-fold from 107 in 1962 to more than 1,600 in 1967.

Five million acres of mangrove and upland forest were defoliated and 500,000 acres of crops were destroyed, approximately twelve per cent of southern Vietnam. Today, 2.1 million acres are still barren and unproductive and it is estimated that it will take more than 100 years of intensive replanting to bring the forests back to their original state. In addition, almost 1.6 million gallons of herbicides were dropped or sprayed on roadways and railway and communication lines. Cambodia was also sprayed, along with Laos, although little is known about the extent of spraying in Laos during the CIAs secret war, except it was a huge amount.

Agent Orange was the most commonly used defoliant, a liquid compound that was made up of an equal mixture of the herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. Toxic for only about a week before they broke down, during the manufacturing process the herbicides were contaminated by a lethal by-product, dioxin, arguably the most dangerous chemical known to science. Dioxin leached into peoples bodies, their food, and their groundwater, sentencing millions to mutilation, starvation, miscarriages, deformities and cancer. US and allied veterans  and their children and grandchildren  who were exposed during the period of heaviest usage also had elevated rates of various cancers. The toxin is lethal for at least 100 years.

The defoliants came in fifty-five gallon drums, the barrels of which were often re-used by the military and civilians for showers, BBQs and water storage  further contaminating the users with the traces of dioxin that remained in the barrels. The herbicides were provided to the US military by Dow, Monsanto, Diamond Shamrock, Occidental, Hercules and other American chemical companies. The companies were well aware of methods that would have reduced their toxicity, but they ignored standard manufacturing guidelines. As a result, dioxin levels averaged thirteen ppt.

NAPALM

Despite its horrific history, napalm  a word formulated by mixing naphthenic and palmitic acids with gasoline  played a major role in the war in the air and on the ground. It was created by a top-secret collaboration between Harvard University and the US government in 1942 and used to devastating effect in Europe and the Pacific during WW2, especially in Japan, where napalm destroyed sixty-four of its largest cities. On 9th March 1945, 330 bombers dropped 690,000 pounds of napalm over Tokyo in one hour, bathing it in a firestorm, incinerating more than 87,500 people. As the appalling US General Curtis LeMay, who directed the Tokyo bombing and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, stated: we scorched and boiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo on that night than went up in vapour at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Arguably the greatest cataclysm in the history of war.

After 1945, it was used extensively in Korea and Vietnam. In Korea, the US Army claimed that napalm was the most outstanding weapon, even though its consequences were among the most inhumane and brutal, but having been pronounced as the wars winning weapon, napalm became part and parcel of the US arsenal from the beginning of its hostilities in Vietnam. The last time it was used  as far as we know  was during Americas invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In the decade between 1963 to 1973, 388,000 tons of napalm were dropped on Vietnam, ten times the amount dropped on Korea. First it was used via flamethrowers to clear out bunkers, foxholes and trenches and even if the flames could not penetrate the entire bunker, it consumed all the oxygen and suffocated everyone inside. Its use was then extended to destroy enemy villages full of civilians. Later in the war, US bombers dropped napalm bombs, which proved to be even more destructive than the flamethrowers, leaving an area of 2,500 square yards engulfed in unquenchable fire with an even higher numbers of civilian casualties. Not surprisingly, its use became a potent psychological weapon as its use created sheer terror.

The brutality of napalm was exposed by the media in all its horror. Thousands of pictures and videos about napalms devastation were reported daily in the press and on television and gradually became a symbol of the barbarity of the Vietnam War. One of the most indelible pictures about its cruelty was the photograph of a nine-year old girl and group of children running down the road after a napalm attack on their village. The girl was naked and screaming because napalm was burning deep within her body.

Out in the open, napalm causes severe burns everywhere. Human skin becomes covered with a viscous magma that resembles tar and causes wounds that do not heal. In contact with humans, it immediately sticks to the skin and melts the flesh, with no way to extinguish the fire without causing unbearable pain. In panic, many victims try wiping it off, which only causes the fire to spread, expanding the burns area. And yet, in 1952, the US Patent Office issued a certificate for Incendiary Gels, making napalms formula available worldwide.

The use of napalm against a concentration of civilians was banned under Protocol 111 of the 1980 United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and at present, 106 states have adopted the protocol. President Obama signed it when he assumed office, almost three decades after it was adopted by the UN General Assembly, but Americas ratification is subject to a diplomatic reservation that says it can disregard the treaty at its discretion if doing so would save civilian lives, which seems one hell of a cop-out.

In 1984, after years of court battles and official denials, seven American chemical companies paid a measly $US180 million to settle a class action by US war veterans who claimed that Agent Orange had caused their cancers, birth defects and other health problems. Not surprisingly, the companies chose this slap on the wrist rather than have the court find them guilty and thereby set a precedent.

Years later, a reminder of democracy-US style, came out in the form of a book called The Phoenix Program by Douglas Valentine. It exposed the depravity of this super-secret American operation set up during the Vietnam War, which used murder, torture, rape, kidnapping, blackmail, psychological warfare, disinformation and a complete denial of democratic processes for civilian detainees, apparently happy to rely on a computerised blacklist based on unreliable reports by anonymous informers. In 1968, there was even a monthly quota of 1,800 neutralisations, CIA newspeak for assassinations. Phoenix ran from 1967, when it was given final approval by a White House Committee that included Dean Rusk and Richard Helms, until Saigon fell in 1975.

Australian Defence Minister Killen admitted in Parliament that members of the Australian Army had taken part in Operation Phoenix.
Two elderly couple was brutally killed and executed in a cemetery or just yards near the grave of their son, according to a recently published article.

U.S. Army veteran Paul Marino, 86 years old, and his wife Lidia Marino, 85 years old, always visited their son's grave in the DelawareVeterans Memorial Cemetery for the past three years except only if the weather is bad, according to their surviving 60-year-old son Ray Marino.

Ray Marino said: "It was like a regimen. Mom and Dad visited my brother's grave every single day, without fail, unless there was inclement weather. They usually went there in the morning."

According to Ray, his parents usually stand in front of the grave of his brother for 10 minutes or more to show to him how much they love him. They also offer him fresh flowers and most of the time spend minutes talking to their deceased son.

However, a tragic event happened to the couple while they were just yards away. They were fatally shot and executed by a man which seemed to be a random attack in the area on May 8 at around 10:15 in the morning.

It was a close friend who called and informed Ray about the shooting incident. Ray tried to call his parents' phone but they didn't answer. He was then informed by his other friend that his father was rushed to the Christiana Hospital in Delaware.

Meanwhile, his twin brother Paul Marino Jr., who works as a maintenance manager for a company in Delaware, was told by his co-worker if he had heard a shooting incident in a cemetery where his parents visit everyday.

Paul Jr. said in a report: "I asked which one and when he told me, I said, 'Oh, my God.' I kept calling them, but I was getting no reply. I went into my office and started watching all of the (online) news about it." He also added "I could see my dad's station wagon parked at the cemetery. Then I knew."

Their mother was pronounced dead at the scene on Friday just two days before Mother's Day while their father was rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment but died a day after because of his gunshot wound.

Ray said in another report: "My parents were in their 80s, but they were very healthy and active. They had five or 10 more years of good life left, I'm sure. I thought they would die from natural causes someday - not be executed by a stranger in a cemetery."

Suspect of the shooting incident was later identified as Sheldon Francis, 29 years old from Middleton, Delaware. However, he was also found dead due to a gunshot wound in a neighborhood near the cemetery. It is still not clear if the man killed himself or another person shoot and killed him.

The surviving sons of the elderly couple are still baffled with many questions on how and why their parents became the object of the crime knowing that the shooting was an act of random attack.

Ray said: "He came up behind them, pulled out a handgun, and did his thing. He shot our dad in the back of the head and then he shot our mom. We don't know if he shot our mom first in front of our dad or if he shot our dad first in front of our mom. We don't even know if they saw him."

Moreover, it was also found out that the couple just celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary and their son could still not believe in how they die in a seemingly senseless way. Until today, the motive of the crime remained questionable.

Read related articles:
Robert Downey Jrs Iron Man co-star Terrence Howard was replaced in the role of War Machine for the sequel, after refusing to agree to a pay-cut for the second film. Howard was reportedly the top-paid actor on Iron Man, because Marvel considered hiring Downey a risk.

As the story goes, Howard took a $1 million pay-cut for the first Iron Man, just so that Downey could be hired. But as he has said on numerous occasions since, when the time came for Downey to repay the favour and bat for Howard when they were renegotiating their contracts for the sequel, Howard was ignored.

Also read: When Marvel flat out refused to hire Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man because it could be biggest dumpster fire ever

In a 2015 Rolling Stone profile, Howard said, I called Robby and was like, Look, man . . . Leaving messages with his assistants, called him at least 17 times that day and 21 the next and finally left a message saying, Look, man, I need the help that I gave you. Never heard from him.

Also Watch | Avengers: Endgame premiere | Robert Downey, Cooper get playful on red carpet

He continued, And guess who got the millions I was supposed to get? He got the whole franchise, so Ive actually given him $100 million, which ends up being a $100 million loss for me from me trying to look after somebody, but, you know, to this day I would do the same thing. Its just my nature.

In a 2013 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Howard had said, It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to re-up for the second one, took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out. They came to me with the second and said Look, we will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you. And I called my friend, that I helped get the first job, and he didnt call me back for three months.

Also read: Robert Downey Jr stood up for Avengers cast after Marvel tried to strong-arm them and they threatened to quit

Downey in a 2008 interview to MTV had said, I had nothing to do with that decision. I love Terrence very, very much. Thats all Ill say, because I havent talked to him yet  Its one of those situations where I still dont quite know what happened or why. Heres what happens, too: things happen and you wind up commenting on them before youve actually talked to the people and its in poor taste.

Howard told Rolling Stone that when he was told about his new contract, his agent said f**k you and put the phone down. Don Cheadle was hired has Howards replacement in 24 hours, and has played War Machine ever since.

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Police arrest father and brother of two sisters shot dead after mobile phone video of them with a man surfaced online.

The father and brother of two teenage sisters shot dead in Pakistan after mobile phone video of them with a man surfaced online have been arrested, police said, drawing praise from womens rights activists.

The man who shot the video has also been arrested, while a relative suspected of carrying out the killing is still at large, local district police officer Shafiullah Gandapur said on Monday.

The sisters, who were 16 and 18, were shot dead on Thursday in the remote tribal region of North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Hundreds of women are murdered each year in Pakistan by family members over perceived damage to honour that can involve eloping, fraternising with men or any other infraction against conservative values that govern womens modesty.

Many such killings go unreported, but the 2016 death of social media star Qandeel Baloch at the hands of her brother ignited a fierce debate about their prevalence and prompted the government to tighten the laws.

Police have come under mounting pressure to investigate these crimes.

Our intentions are sincere. We first heard about the incident through social media and decided to confirm it, Gandapur told the Reuters news agency by phone from North Waziristan.

We reached the crime scene and found traces of blood as well as a blood-stained fabric. We arrested the brother and father of the two girls who were murdered and today successfully arrested Umar Ayaz, who made the video.

Swift action

Gulalai Ismail, a Pakistani womens rights activist exiled in the United States, said the swift action by police in filing a case the day after the murders was a win for tribal women in the province area.

In such crimes, time is of essence, she said. And if this is delayed, like seven such murders that happened earlier this month, the incident is swiftly swept under the carpet, with many passed off as suicide or natural deaths.

Human rights experts say enforcement of justice is often lax in cases involving violence against women, with proceedings at times being drawn out while accused killers were freed on bail and cases faded away.

That is particularly true in remote, socially conservative areas like North Waziristan, where women enjoy little freedom and local customs often hold greater sway than federal laws.

Before 2018, this kind of murder was not considered a crime in the tribal area, neither was it reported, she said.

Pakistans semi-autonomous tribal areas only came under full federal jurisdiction in 2018.

Ismail said a tribal leader had urged locals to punish the teenagers featured in the video after it emerged online.

In the tribal code of conduct, this punishment for such acts is always murder, she said.

The whereabouts of a third girl who also appeared in the video are unknown, Ismail said, adding, She needs protection, too.
A non-governmental organisation



has claimed that a 30 per cent tax on non-virginia tobacco can fetch Rs 30,000 crore and it can be used by the government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Health Forum (NHM), which works in the field of tobacco control had recently written a letter to the Union Finance and Health ministries and sought to regulate the sale of non-virginia tobacco, which is not the case as of now.

"As per our estimates, a 30 per cent levy as a reverse charge levied upon and paid by the manufacturers and dealers of non-virginia tobacco products will yield a increment of around Rs 30,000 crore," NHF Managing Trustee Mandakini Sinh said in a statement.

This will lead to a far wider net of taxation and all types of tobaccos will be uniformly brought into the tax net, she claimed.

"COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread destruction of economic activity and there is a need to channel increased resources in resurrecting economic activity and provide relief to the jobless. A new source of tax collection will be a great boost to support the rebuilding efforts," Sinh said.

Currently, all tobacco products manufactured using non- virginia tobacco such as burley tobacco are in the unorganised sector and there is large scale evasion of tax by manufacturers and scant respect for the tobacco control laws, she claimed.

The non-virginia tobacco is used in the manufacture of chewing varieties of tobacco, hookah, gutkha, kiwam, gudaku, zarda and bidis that are extremely dangerous in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as they need to be spat out after consumption, NHM said.

"These are neither appropriately taxed nor its growers, who are the poorest of poor farmers, get stable prices for their produce. There are private intermediaries and middlemen who take advantage of the situation and milk the poor Indian farmers," the NGO said.

In its letter to the Central government, the NHM appealed for regulating the sale of non-virginia tobacco, which constitutes about 85 per cent of tobacco grown in India, through auction platforms overseen by the Tobacco Board of India.

"The initiative will have a double benefit -- firstly the enhancement of and secondly controlling the sale of the so far unregulated tobacco products in India," the release said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds during a 2016 demonstration.

AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

A Canadian Armed Forces member died and another was injured after a Canadian air force jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Kamloops, British Columbia, during a flyover on Sunday at around 11:42 a.m. local time.

The flyover was dubbed "Operation Inspiration" and was "a cross-Canada tour to lift the spirits of Canadians and salute front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic." The operation has since been delayed "indefinitely."

The Canadian air force flight safety team is investigating the circumstances of the accident.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A Canadian air force jet participating in a flyover dubbed "Operation Inspiration" crashed into a residential neighborhood in Kamloops, British Columbia, on Sunday, killing one team member and seriously injuring another.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it received reports that a Snowbird plane had crashed into a residence at 11:42 a.m. local time.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries," Canada's Department of National Defense and the Canadian Armed Forces said in an emailed statement.

Captain Jenn Casey, CF Snowbirds Public Affairs Officer.

Supplied

The department said the service member who died was Captain Jennifer Casey, the team's Public Affairs Officer, originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Captain Richard MacDougall, one of the team's coordinators who was piloting the aircraft, is being treated for his injuries.

The department said the Snowbird aircraft were participating in "a cross-Canada tour to lift the spirits of Canadians and salute front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic." The aircraft were meant to fly in a nine-jet formation with trailing white smoke in cities across the country throughout the week, though the operation has since been delayed "indefinitely."

Story continues

The crash occurred shortly after the jet took off from Kamloops Airport, the department said.

The Canadian air force flight safety team is investigating the circumstances of the accident.

"Operation INSPIRATION was intended to lift the spirit of Canadians at this difficult time and the Snowbirds accomplished their mission," said Canada's defense minister Harjit Sajjan. "I know that all Canadians grieve this tragic loss."

Video of the incident posted to Facebook by a user named Cory Pelton appears to show the aircraft flying alongside another jet before veering sharply and nosediving. Smoke can be seen coming out of the aircraft as it makes its descent.

Associated Press said local residents reported scattered debris and a house on fire.

Andrea Woo, a journalist at the Globe and Mail, tweeted video shared to Snapchat by people at the scene of the crash appearing to show debris from the plane in someone's yard.

"As we watch the Snowbirds fly over our homes, let's remember that we are all in this together," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month when announcing the flyover.

The flyover follows similar multi-city missions conducted by the US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds last month.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cabinet approves two mega power projects View(s):

The Cabinet has approved two mega power projects costing more than US$ 500 million in a bid to overcome a shortfall of power supplies.

One of them is an LNG project and other is the required floating deck, pipeline and storage facility due to be set up in Kerawalapitiya off Wattala . The construction is expected to be completed in three years.

Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times that worldwide tenders would be called for the power projects approved by the Cabinet.

The LNG project is aimed at producing 300 Mw and expected to cost around US$ 230-250 million. It will be constructed on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis in 20 years.

He said 100 percent funding should be brought by the investor.

The second project is expected to cost US$ 330 million. It involves the construction of a pipeline from the Colombo harbour to Kerawalapitiya at a cost of US$ 50 million and the floating deck and the storage tank costing US$ 280 million.

The proposal was made on the basis of Build, own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT).

However, after discussion at the Cabinet it was decided to change the terms where the government would have a major share holding.

This was done to prevent a foreign company having a monopoly over the power supplies in Sri Lanka, a senior official explained .

It was also decided that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Ceylon Electricity Board would have control of the construction of the storage tank, the pipeline and the floating deck.
And now, the unthinkable. None of us could have guessed at the time that "Sword of Trust" would be the last picture Shelton would ever make, or that Deirdre  who in one six-minute scene manages to convey a longtime struggle with addiction and loss  would be the last character she would ever play. Shelton, who died Friday at age 54 of an undetected blood disorder, was a director who loved actors and an actor who sometimes appeared in other directors' movies, but she rarely appeared in her own. That she made an exception this time felt like a gift then and feels like even more of a gift now. The poignancy is made even more unbearable by the fact that Mel is played  beautifully  by Marc Maron, Shelton's romantic partner and frequent collaborator, with whom she had just begun writing a new movie.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 18:50:10|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China will work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries, said Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link.

China is also ready to work with the international community to bolster support for the hardest-hit countries under the greatest strain of debt service, so that they could tide over the current difficulties, Xi said. Enditem
WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr has installed a new top deputy over the federal prosecutor's office for Washington, raising concerns that a key U.S. attorney's office handling multiple investigations of interest to President Donald Trump is becoming further politicized.

The arrival of Associate Deputy Attorney General Michael Sherwin - who won the conviction of a Chinese trespasser at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida in September - has triggered new accusations that Justice Department leaders are bypassing career prosecutors in the office and intervening in cases favoring the president's allies, current and former federal prosecutors in the office said.

Barr's actions in cases handed off by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's Russia probe and "packing" of senior supervisory positions with close associates "seriously undermines the U.S. attorney's office in D.C.'s . . . long-standing reputation for independence from political influence," said Charles Work, a former office prosecutor, Republican Justice Department political appointee and president of the D.C. Bar.

"This represents a politicization of the U.S. attorney's office of the District of Columbia that is remarkable, and unique, and unprecedented," said Stuart Gerson, a Republican and former Barr aide who served as acting attorney general briefly under presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "It's a political coup, there really can be no question about it."

Barr selected Sherwin, a career U.S. prosecutor from Miami who specializes in national security cases, after first meeting and being impressed by Sherwin in the investigation into the deadly December shooting at a naval air station in Pensacola, Florida, officials said. Department leaders approved his move to the D.C. office after softening its sentencing recommendation for Trump political confidant Roger Stone in February. Sherwin started almost a month before Barr moved to dismiss the guilty plea of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, an action no career prosecutor joined.

U.S. attorneys nationwide typically select their own top deputy, current and former prosecutors said. While the attorney general must approve all choices, making a selection himself, and drawing from senior Justice Department leadership to do so, is unusual, they said.

The move's timing is also sensitive. As principal assistant to interim U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea, Sherwin is in line to take over the office through late December without need of Senate approval if Shea is not appointed by Washington's federal district court before his appointment expires June 2. The White House, Barr, or the court, however could appoint someone else.

The Justice Department bars active prosecutors from speaking to media about cases without high level approval. But several assistant U.S. attorneys in the office - each with experience prosecuting violent crimes or public corruption who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss official matters - said they felt "defanged," torn and staggered by the personnel moves coupled with the appearance of special treatment for the president's friends. Some said they have lost credibility when asking for cooperation from defendants, witnesses and victims whose lives depend on their word.

"How do I secure a plea now? How do I get victims to trust me? How do I get cooperators to trust me," one said.

Others said they expect defense lawyers to seek to exploit reversals and exotic rationales to block cases. Some also fear jurors in a city with pockets of grinding violence will further lose trust in the criminal justice system and will be reluctant to deliver convictions.

"Most of my defendants are people of color," one said. "This just reinforces that belief . . . that rules that apply to them, don't apply to the affluent and well-connected."

"We're out here trying to hold people accountable, and you have these [president's] guys traipsing in and out of the courtroom like it's nothing?" another marveled.

Shea and the Justice Department declined to comment on staffers' criticisms, a spokeswoman said.

The upheaval comes as Barr has launched a criminal review into the handling of the 2016 inquiry into Trump's campaign, and taken steps to facilitate the president's calls to investigate his likely 2020 Democratic opponent, former vice president Joe Biden and his family.

The U.S. attorney's office in Washington is a traditional choice to handle such cases. The office has 300 lawyers and jurisdiction to prosecute both national security cases and political corruption across the federal government along with local and federal felonies in D.C.

Accusations that Justice Department leaders were exerting control over the office were galvanized in February when Barr shifted out initial Trump appointee Jessie Liu as U.S. attorney before Stone's sentencing. Liu had become a focus of Trump's anger after a grand jury balked at indicting former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe.

Barr replaced Liu with his own counselor, Shea, as interim U.S. attorney. Shea brought in another aide of Barr's top deputy to serve as the D.C. office's chief of staff and the pair immediately stumbled into a crisis in Stone's case.

Within days, all four line prosecutors withdrew from the case when Barr undercut their sentencing recommendation for Stone, Trump's longtime political adviser convicted of lying to a congressional committee investigating Russian interference.

In an echo of Stone's case, Flynn prosector Brandon Van Grack, a former Mueller team member, refused to sign the department's April 30 motion to dismiss the former three-star general's prosecution, according to two people familiar with the matter. The other line prosecutor on Flynn's case, Jocelyn Ballantine, and the office's acting criminal division chief, John Crabb Jr., also declined to sign, two people said.

That left Shea's signature on the filing alone, mistakenly accompanied by Liu's D.C. Bar identification number, as the New York Times first reported.

Flynn had admitted under oath that he lied in a January 2017 FBI interview about conversations with Russia's ambassador related to easing U.S. sanctions.

But a federal prosecutor Barr tapped to review the case said it should be dropped because the FBI had no legitimate basis to interview Flynn so his lies were immaterial.

Neither Van Grack, who remains with the department's national security division as chief of a foreign lobbying disclosure and enforcement unit, nor Ballantine responded to requests for comment; Crabb declined to comment.

Sherwin approved and communicated to prosecutors the decision to give Flynn's defense internal FBI records that the government cited in its dismissal motion, an official said. The decision to move to dismiss the case was Barr's, and approved and communicated to Flynn prosecutors by Shea, who showed them the motion on a day's or less notice, two officials said.

Sherwin and a spokesperson for the D.C. U.S. attorney's office referred questions to the Justice Department, whose spokeswoman said it "does not comment on internal, deliberative conversations."

A person familiar with the discussions said the disclosure of documents to Flynn "wasn't because of politics, Barr or Shea. It was Sherwin as a career prosecutor saying this is the right call."

Line prosecutors said even if decisions came following internal discussions or disagreements, the Flynn decision has heightened concerns that office leaders are following orders from above instead of relying on subordinates' knowledge and training in the law.

"This has knocked the wind out of us, that our office would do something like that," said one prosecutor. "The thinking is, we have more integrity than that. ... You file a pleading with the court and then someone sends out a tweet and it gets changed?"

Jonathan Kravis, one of four D.C. federal prosecutors who quit Stone's case in February, called the undercutting of "career employees to protect an ally of the president an abdication of the commitment to equal justice under the law."

Barr's decision to further "attack" his own silenced employees "sends an unmistakable message to prosecutors and agents - if the president demands, we will throw you under the bus," Kravis wrote.

Not all office veterans have been critical of Barr, and many remain supportive, saying the attorney general is doing his job.

Charles Roistacher, who served as its No. 3 official under former U.S. attorney Joe DiGenova from 1986 to 1989, said there was nothing improper about the department's latest actions in Stone's or Flynn's cases or personnel appointments.

"It is typical when you have a new U.S. attorney that supervisory positions . . . will be replaced. It happened to me," Roistacher recalled, when DiGenova left. He lamented how politicized the office had grown, but said, "The whole process [against Flynn] stunk."

Sherwin's supporters say he impressed Barr with his competence and not because of politics or White House connections.

Sherwin "is a career prosecutor with a stellar reputation, background and merit," one official said.

Three Justice Department officials confirmed he was Barr's choice to take the No. 2 slot in the district office in D.C. They cited Sherwin's work in the investigation of the December shooting in Pensacola, an act of terrorism that led Barr to call on Apple to unlock the shooter's phones.

Sherwin, 48, joined the office of Barr's top deputy in October on a 12-month detail after prosecuting a Chinese business executive who breached security while carrying a cache of electronics into Mar-a-Lago. Secret Service agents whom Sherwin interviewed introduced him to Trump, one person said. In a brief chat, Trump discussed the importance of Chinese counterintelligence work and supported the prosecution team.

Sherwin came to Washington after 13 years as a U.S. prosecutor in south Florida, eventually specializing in national security investigations. In 2011, he was asked by a deputy of Obama attorney general Eric Holder Jr. to serve in Afghanistan. Sherwin assisted Afghan prosecutors in conducting more than 120 criminal trials over 12 months of suspected terrorist detainees at Bagram Airfield.

Prominent Miami white-collar defense attorney David Oscar Markus, who has handled cases against Sherwin and who founded a widely followed blog on South Florida's federal court system, called Sherwin one of only a handful of prosecutors for whom he would vouch.

"If you were looking for the person to work a case and make the right decision about it, it would be Michael Sherwin," Markus said. "He's a five tool prosecutor: ethical, apolitical, smart, thoughtful, and unafraid of making the tough, but right, decision."
To many companies, dealing with human resources issues can be a headache. Along with issues such as creating a fair workplace environment and heading off potential lawsuits come the unusual issues of the COVID-19 crisis, such as physical arrangements once workers return to the office.

From her 15 years of experience as a human resources consultant, Alexandra Torres Rodriguez knows a badly organized HR department can limit a companys growth. Thats why she decided to build HR Butterfly Effect, a consultancy to help small and mid-size businesses to expand and metamorphize through human resources strategies.

Her year-old business came in third in the Miami Herald Startup Pitch Competitions track for students, alumni and faculty of Florida International University, where she earned a masters degree in Human Resource Management in 2013.

Alexandra Torres Rodriguez launched her firm, Butterfly Effect, to help firms boost business by eliminating costly human resources missteps.

This has been a very surprising journey, she said. Im very grateful for this opportunity.

Pitch Competition judge Ricardo Weisz said Torres

Torres Rodriguez stood out because of the quality of her submission. In a market with many HR software offerings, he said. She was able to differentiate herself by offering consultants to support the clients.

Torres Rodriguez worked in HR for several companies including Dior and Pro-Secur before entering the consultancy world with Eleva Solutions in Southwest Dade. Her consulting work helped her identify a gap in the market: businesses need to be educated about human resources issues, but in an accessible way.

In March 2019, Torres Rodriguez launched HR Butterfly Effect with $10,000 from her savings. She left her job with Eleva a year later and recently added a business development partner to her startup, Sylvia Palacios, who has more than 30 years of experience in human resources. Together they have built a strong network within the HR community.

Though HRBE has yet to sign any clients, the firm has approached potential clients during the pandemic. Torres Rodriguez wants to make sure they know the company will be there when times get hard.

Story continues

HRBE would provide the guidance businesses need to grow and keep employees happy. Torres Rodriguez explains the company doesnt make decisions for clients. Instead, it supports change by educating business owners.

I want to be one that when people find me, I will cater to exactly what they need, she said. They are getting something unique.

The company offers a variety of services tailored to clients needs, with monthly memberships for startups and small businesses ranging from $49 to $149. It also offers HR Solutions packages with project-based fees of $3,000 to $6,000. Prices are determined by the size of the business.

Big HR firms like ADP, CoAdvantage and Regis HR group are some of HRBEs top competitors. These established firms have more years in the market and have resources and technology HRBE lacks  and higher prices. But Torres Rodriguez says her company will differentiate itself by getting to know the actual clients and understanding exactly what partners are looking to do with their businesses.

Torres Rodriguez saw how businesses are sued left and right either because the owners have made bad decisions or employees feel wronged. So, she decided to pursue a masters in Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law with Tulane University to see how she could further improve her services and advise her clients. This has allowed her to anticipate clients needs and act as a bridge between her clients and an attorney.

They are going to get an HR professional that knows the law, she said, adding this would make HRBE a one-stop shop for all of clients needs.

This story has been updated to correct misspellings and date errors.
A total of 1,285 people of Himachal Pradesh stranded in Mumbai and Goa due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown arrived at the Una railway station in two special trains on Monday, an official spokesperson said.

The trains reached Una in the early hours of the day, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said.

The DC said 697 residents returned from Mumbai and 588 people came back from Goa.

Earlier, 2,128 residents of the state stranded in Goa and Karnataka were brought back on board two special trains. While 642 people came from Bengaluru on May 13, 1,486 people returned from Goa on May 15.

Of the 697 passengers who arrived from Mumbai on Monday, 242 were from Kangra, 169 from Hamirpur, 103 from Mandi, 43 from Bilaspur, 40 from Shimla, 38 from Una, 26 from Chamba, 10 each from Kullu and Kinnaur and eight each were from Solan and Sirmaur, Kumar said.

Of those who arrived from Goa, 146 were from Kullu, 122 from Kangra, 120 from Mandi, 92 from Chamba, 45 from Shimla, 22 from Sirmaur, 19 from Hamirpur, 10 from Solan, nine from Bilaspur, two from Una and one was from Kinnaur, he said.

The passengers were provided water and food packets before being sent to their home districts in Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses, Kumar added.

Superintendent of Police Karthikeyan Gokulchandran, Additional Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary and Additional Superintendent of Police Vinod Dhiman were present at the station to ensure proper arrangements were in place, he said.

The DC thanked Bhadsali's Radha Soami Satsang Ghar secretary Gurmukh Singh and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh's Subash Vashith and Dr Hemraj for providing 2,400 food packets to passengers and employees at the railway station.

The returnees will have to remain in quarantine for 14 days, Kumar said.

Upon arrival, a passenger, who hails from Kinnaur district, said she worked at a hotel in Goa and was left with no option but to come back as the establishment had closed in view of the lockdown.

She thanked Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and the state government for making the arrangements that enabled her to return home.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kudos to Linn County commissioners (Small Oregon county launches ambitious coronavirus testing program after state couldnt help, May 5). Instead of merely announcing reopening plans, which are impossible without far more coronavirus testing, Linn County commissioners bought 10,000 tests to protect their citizens. In an era where politicians on both sides spend an inordinate amount of time complaining, whining and blaming others, these local politicians initiated a testing program that will protect their most vulnerable seniors.

Many heroes have fought in this pandemic: Dr. Li Wenliang, who endured local government repression in Wuhan after raising the COVID-19 alarm, Dr. Helen Chu of the Seattle Flu Study who bravely tested for the coronavirus before authorization just in time to prevent further contagion, retired Colorado paramedic Paul Cary who gave his life volunteering in New York City during its surge, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan bringing 500,000 tests directly from South Korea, and 65-year old New York sculptor Rhonda Shearer mortgaging her loft for $600,000 to buy PPE for local health care workers, a reprise of her similar heroics after 9/11 when she donated massive amounts of protective gear to Ground Zero workers.

Im adding the Linn County commissioners and Manny Cruz of Willamette Valley Toxicology to the list.

Tad Everhart, Portland
By Laman Ismayilova

Each year since 1977, the world community marks International Museum Day on May 18. Initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) , the event aims at raising awareness among the public of the essential role played by museums in cultural life.

International Museum Day 2020 is taking place under the theme "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion" to celebrate the diversity of perspectives that make up the museum community, and champion tools for identifying and overcoming bias in what they display and the stories they tell.

The Day is a great occasion to enjoy museums. Let`s see how the country`s best museums and art hubs celebrate this holiday:

Azerbaijan National Art Museum

Founded in 1937, the National Art Museum thrills art connoisseurs with fascinating examples of decorative-applied arts, multiple paintings of Azerbaijani, Italian, Russian, French, German and Polish painters in various styles.

On International Museum Day 2020, the museum presents a virtual exhibition of stunning art works by partially sighted or visually impaired children. Young talents are students of Republican Special Boarding School No. 5 and the Rehabilitation Center. Their paintings were created during master classes conducted by professor of the Tbilisi Academy of Arts Georgi Guraspashvili as part of an International Seminar Art without Borders. The virtual exhibition is available on the museum`s social networks: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum

Famous for its extensive rug collections, Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum will host international online conference on the topic Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion.

The first part of the conference will start at 2 pm Baku time with participation of Chair of the Network of European Museum Organizations (NEMO) David Vuillaume, director at Entertainers Ltd Barbara Lisicki (UK) and director, International Centre for Inclusive Cultural Leadership, Anant National University, Former Vice President, ICOM, Paris, Amareswar Galla.

The online conference will be moderated by the director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum President of ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, Shirin Melikova.

The second part of the online conference will start at 3 pm Baku time, bringing together the directors of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Azerbaijan National Art Museum, National History Museum, State Museum of Azerbaijan Musical Culture, Independence Museum of Azerbaijan, Jafar Jabbarly State Theater Museum, YARAT Contemporary Art Center, Old City Museum Center, Gobustan National Historic and Artistic Reserve, House Museums of Sattar Bahlulzade, Tahir Salahov, Jafar Jabbarly, maestro Niyazi and others.

Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture

Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture presents its collections in three languages (Azerbaijani, English and Russian) to a wide audience under the headings "Listen to what we have" and "Visual Arts in the Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture".

The Old City Museum Center

The Old City Museum Center (Icherisheher) has prepared a video titled "Promoting Inclusive Education through Traditional Arts" about the first program of inclusive professional education for art and creative expression in the field of culture.

The project is implemented by the Old Museum Center in partnership with European Union and the United Nations Development Program.

In addition, the Old City Museum Center and National Museum of Georgia will hold an international Zoom conference titled "Ancient museum work in the most modern times" dedicated to the International Museum Day (May 18).

The conference will provide insight into international experience of historically and geographically close neighbors. The round table will also discuss the prospects of cooperation between Icherisheher Museum Center and National Museum of Georgia.

Maiden Tower

This year is marked with the 20th anniversary of Icherisheher's inclusion (together with the Shirvanshahs' Palace Complex and Maiden's Tower) in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

In this regard, the Old City Museum Center presents the Maiden Tower - architectural monument through the "World Heritage 3D Scanning" program.

This virtual tour is for the first time ever presented with information desks in two languages on all floors, a visualization of panoramic view of the city from the top of the tower and a link for virtual tour of embed code that can be placed on the website.

The project is implemented in collaboration with Germany based company EK Global Consulting GmbH. (www.ekmgc.de) and startuper on cultural heritage Sabina Zulalova (sabinazulalova.com).

YARAT Contemporary Art Space

Supported by Bakus Main Cultural Department, YARAT Contemporary Art Space invites you to enjoy its urban multimedia project.

During the event, exclusive collection of artworks will be presented to the public and viewers. The project provides insight into museum collections and exhibition projects of different historical periods and dedicated to various topics.

Art exhibits will be represented by Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Museum of Azerbaijani Painting of the XX-XXI Centuries, Hungarian National Museum, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre (Latvia), Fashion Museum (Latvia), YARAT Contemporary Art Space and etc.

Thanks to the latest modern technology it is now possible to cover more audience. Artworks from the collections and exhibition projects from a number of museums will be presented to residents of quarantined cities all over the world, while demonstrating video projections of their living environment. Viewers will be able to become acquainted with museum exhibits while observing the show from the windows and balconies of their apartments, broaden their outlook and reflect on artistic creativity, without leaving their homes #evdeqal (#stayhome).

The partners of project include PLATFORM Art, Yasamal district executive power, The Embassy of Hungary, The Embassy of Latvia, Goethe-Zentrum Baku and Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

Events of Night of Museums multimedia project will be highlighted on YARAT`s digital platform.

Azerbaijan National Museum of History

On International Museum Day, Azerbaijan National Museum of History has prepared a virtual project "One Touch - A Thousand Values" aimed at promoting the museum.

As part of the project, the head of the museums ethnographic science foundation, Ph.D. in art criticism Sevinj Nasirova will take part in "Dikdaban" show, aired on Ictimai TV (Public TV). The museum expert will cover such topics as protection of cultural heritage and upcoming joint activities with other museums.

Gobustan National Historical and Art Reserve

Gobustan National Historical and Art Reserve has announced a campaign "Be depicted on Gobustan rocks!". Those who wish to join the action can share their photos taken in Gobustan in the reserve's Facebook and Instagram pages. Moreover, a meeting with the ceramics artist Mir Teymur Mammadov will be broadcast today on Facebook.

Azerbaijan Independence Museum

Azerbaijan Independence Museum will conduct an online tour "Equality" for vulnerable groups of society on May 18 at 12.00 on Zoom platform.

The main goal of the museum is to highlight national independence movement of Azerbaijan at different stages of historical development. The museum stores rare documents, numismatic collections, works of art and other exhibits.

Jafar Jabbarly Theater Museum

Jafar Jabbarly Theater Museum will surprise the viewers with the programme "The World belongs to all of us", including a virtual exhibition of paintings by children with autism spectrum disorders from a group at the "Birge ve Saglam" Public Association and a live broadcast of "Blue Bird" play on social networks.

House-Museum of Jafar Jabbarly

The Jafar Jabbarly House-Museum will showcase "Morning star" photo exhibition, featuring unique historical exhibits stored in the museum, as well as photographs reflecting successful projects and events implemented by the museum over the past years.

Khachmaz and Masalli Historical and Local Lore Museums

Khachmaz Historical and Local Lore Museum holds an online contest of paintings "The Mysterious and Magical World" among schoolchildren under the motto "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion" and "My Exhibit". Students send their drawings to the competition, the theme of which is their favorite museums or exhibits, as well as their photos. The contest winners will be awarded with diplomas and various gifts.

Furthermore, Masalli Museum of History and Local Lore will hold a virtual presentation "The Past and Present of Our Folklore" by the Khalai Folk Music and Dance Ensemble on Facebook.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
While most of us are locked down at home in quarantine, the avian world is on the move, with the spring migration in full flow. If you are housebound, this is the perfect opportunity to check out your backyard for incoming warblers and other species, said Wheelwright.

The middle of May is the coolest time of the year for land birds coming back to the Northeast, he added, with twenty or more species of warblers alone to look out for. Youve also got a lot of late migrants, like flycatchers, showing up, as well as all the blackbirds that are already here, like orioles and bobolinks.

And then theres the sound of it all, Wheelwright enthused. The world is alive with birdsong at this time of year. It starts around forty-five minutes before dawn, or even earlier, and goes on all day. The birds are fat and excited and foraging and looking to establish their territory.
(Reuters) - Early data from Moderna Incs COVID-19 vaccine, the first to be tested in the United States, showed that it produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, the company said on Monday.

The data comes from eight people who took part in a 45-subject safety trial that kicked off in March. The Moderna vaccine is one of more than 100 under development intended to protect against the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 4.7 million people globally and killed over 315,000.



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Early-Diagnosis, Predictions on Infection Spread Using Big Data and AI

KT Corporation, South Korea's largest telecommunications company, announced a three-year research study today funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for ICT-based global epidemic response using artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data.

The 10-million-dollar project stems from the recognition of South Korea's advanced information and communication technology (ICT) as well as its proven ability to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The three-year research collaboration builds off discussions between the Gates Foundation and KT in 2019 and the research will be conducted in South Korea, which possesses a high mobile phone penetration rate and 5G infrastructure.

With Gates Foundation grant funding, KT will develop Big Data algorithms to improve early-diagnosis based on AI during an epidemic and prediction of viral infections spread using mobile data. Research expenses will be divided equally between the two organizations.

The project calls for KT to first develop a mobile app to automatically input symptoms typically associated with viral infections. An Internet of Things (IoT) body temperature sensor will be among the tools. Symptoms and body temperature will be analyzed with AI to create an algorithm that will calculate the probability of infection.

KT will also use mobile data to examine human mobility patterns and regions with epidemics to determine the direction of the infection spread. At the same time, it will analyze virus trends by region and develop forecasting models to predict seasonal outbreak for each region.
For the last five years, Air Force Special Operations Command has been working toward incorporating a high-energy laser weapon on its newest AC-130J gunship. It now plans to test-fire a 60-kilowatt laser in 2022, according to a program officer affiliated with the program.

"If it is successful -- and we are planning for success -- then it will feed into our new requirements and potentially a new program down the road," said Air Force Col. Melissa Johnson, program executive officer for fixed-wing programs at Special Operations Command. She spoke during last week's Virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association.

"If this goes forward past the demo ... we'll have an additional [research, development, test and evaluation] program going forward," Johnson said, as reported by NDIA's National Defense Magazine.

Related: US Military's Mystery Space Plane Rockets Back into Orbit

Johnson explained that previous tests have largely been ground-based and done in conjunction with the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. The next, scheduled for fiscal 2022, will be onboard the AC-130 aircraft, she said.

The J-model aircraft achieved initial operational capability in September 2017.

The fourth-generation AC-130 is slated to replace the AC-130H/U/W models, with delivery of the final J-variant sometime in 2021, according to the Air Force.

The 4th Special Operations Squadron, part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, received its first J-model with the Block 30 software upgrade in March 2019.

Along with the 105mm cannon sported by its cousin, the AC-130U model, the AC-130J is equipped with a 30mm cannon "almost like a sniper rifle. ... It's that precise; it can pretty much hit first shot, first kill," Col. Tom Palenske, then-commander of 1st SOW, told Military.com during a trip to Hurlburt in 2018.

Palenske said that a laser would be the ultimate ace in the hole, making disabling other weapons systems easier.

"If you're flying along and your mission is to disable an airplane or a car, like when we took down Noriega back in the day, now, as opposed to sending a Navy SEAL team to go disable [aircraft] on the ground, you make a pass over that thing with an airborne laser and burn a hole through its engine," he said.

Palenske was referring to 1989's Operation Nifty Package mission to capture and remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega from power, during which a SEAL team "disable[d] his aircraft so he couldn't escape."

With a laser, "it's just like that. And you just keep going on, and there's no noise, no fuss, nobody knows it happened. They don't know the thing's broken until they go and try to fire it up," he said at the time.

AFSOC had hoped to incorporate the laser onto the aircraft this year. Johnson said gaps in funding, not technological maturity, were behind the delay.

"After several years of seeking stable funding, we are there," she said.

Then-AFSOC commander Gen. Brad Webb made a similar remark in 2018.

"The challenge on having the laser is funding," Webb said during the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium that year. "And then, of course, you have the end-all, be-all laser questions: 'Are you going to be able to focus a beam, with the appropriate amount of energy for the appropriate amount of time for an effect?'

"We can hypothesize about that all we want. My petition is, 'Let's get it on the plane. Let's do it. Let's say we can -- or we can't," Webb said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Read more: Canadian Snowbirds Crew Member Who Died in Jet Crash Identified
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont speaks during SiriusXM Business Radio's 'Making A Leader' Series at SiriusXM Studios in New York City on Dec. 20, 2019. (Bonnie Biess/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Connecticut Governor Pushes Back Reopening of Hair Salons, Barbershops

Hair salons and barbershops wont resume operations on May 20, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont suddenly announced Monday.

The businesses wont reopen before early June, the Democrat said.

Weve been hearing a lot of feedback, and at this time I think the best approach is that we hit pause on the reopening of hair salons and barbershops, take a step back, and allow some more time as preparations continue to be made, Lamont said in a statement.

According to the governors office, he and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo have chosen to align the reopening of hair salons and barbershops in their two states.

The office said Lamont had extensive discussions with business owners and employees before making the decision.

Women walk along the beach on the Long Island Sound on Tods Point in Old Greenwich, Conn. on May 7, 2020. The beach and park opened partially again for residents to walk, run and cycle on the beach but no laying in the sand or going in the water. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

Raimondo, also a Democrat, said in a statement: I know how hard this crisis has been on close-contact businesses like hair salons and barbershops, and were working around the clock to get you back to work quickly and safely. We look forward to continuing to coordinate with our regional partners are we work toward reopening these businesses in early June.

New England states have been among the slowest to start reopening since most governors in the nation implemented harsh restrictions in March in a bid to blunt the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Raimondo eased some restrictions earlier this month but said last week that phase one of her reopening plan will last one month, double the amount of time she originally said.

Lamont has eased few restrictions, though hes said some businesses can reopen or expand operations on May 20.

A pedestrian walks past Bannisters Wharf in Newport, R.I. as so-called non-essential retailors reopened, on May 9, 2020. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Malls and retailers are slated to reopen on Wednesday along with office spaces, outdoor dining at restaurants, zoos, and university research programs. Capacity and social distancing requirements are in place for the companies that do reopen. People in high-risk groups, primarily the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, will still be urged to stay home.

All businesses that reopen first have to self-certify through the states online program before resuming operations.

Lamonts decision came just as Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, told reporters of the first relaxations in his state.

Manufacturing and construction companies designated non-essential were allowed to reopen under rules effective immediately, Baker said.

Houses of worship can also resume in-person services, though outdoor services are strongly encouraged as opposed to indoor ones.
George Miller, farmer and mill proprietor, resided on Section 29, Warren Township, and was one of the representative self-made men of the county.

Miller was born Sept. 20, 1845 in Hagerstown, Wayne County, Indiana, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Sexton) Miller. In 1849, when Miller was four years old, his father went to California during the great overland rush to that part of the country.

His father learned the trade of the blacksmith and followed the same for a while in the "land of gold," but soon abandoned it and went to San Francisco and Sacramento. He was very successful in California and sent his family some $3,500, but before he had established a successful business, he became sick and died. His death occurred in 1858, some eight years after he arrived in the "Golden State," and none of his family saw him from the time of his departure from his home in Indiana.

George Miller, the subject of our biographical notice, remained with his mother in Wayne County, assisting in the maintenance of the family and attending the common schools until he was 18 years old. On arriving at that age, he learned the painter's trade and followed it for five years. He was then engaged as an employee in a saw mill at New Lisbon, owned by his brother.

He remained with his brother in the mill for three years, and in the fall of 1869 came to Midland County.

He and his brother erected a steam-powered sawmill on the Tittabawassee River just below Sanford, and he was actively engaged in operating it for two years. After that, he sold the mill to Benjamin Dean and went to Coleman.

In 1871, Miller purchased a portable sawmill and erected it at Coleman in this county. He added to his capacity nearly every year until Oct. 11, 1883 when it was destroyed by fire. The mill property was worth about $6,000, and was insured for only $2,700, causing a net loss in its destruction of $3,300.

In the winter of 1883, Miller erected another larger and more costly mill than the one destroyed by fire. He ran it about seven months during each year, and his mill had the capacity to produce about $4,000 worth of stock per month.

It was a sawmill, shingle mill and hoop mill in combination. The sawmill had a capacity of about 1,000 feet-an-hour, the shingle mill 40,000 shingles every 11 hours, and the hoop mill 12,000 hoops every 11 hours.

Miller united in marriage Oct. 31, 1870 to Catherine Sanford, daughter of Charles C. and Eliza B. (Burton) Sanford, for whom the village was named. Her father was still living at Sanford and had attained the venerable age of 65 years. The mother had died six years earlier.

Catherine Miller was born Dec. 24, 1851, at Geneva, Ashtabula Co, Ohio. The husband and wife were parents to two children, George Ora, born Aug. 31, 1871, and Cora, born June 5, 1874.

Politically, Miller was a believer in and supporter of the principles of the Republican party. He had been Justice of the Peace for four years, supervisor for three terms, township treasurer, for one term and highway commissioner for two terms.

He was a Democrat until the tariff question was introduced into politics and then joined the Republican party. Socially, Miller held a high position in the estimation of the citizens of his township. He possessed that push about him which added to the development and prosperity of the community in which he resided and made many warm and true friends.

Miller owned three farms in Warren Township adjoining the village of Coleman, comprising 330 acres.

He had 170 acres of his land improved, 40 acres in wheat and 60 in meadow.

Miller was the first man to manufacture shingles and hoops in Warren Township, and did much to advance the interests of the same. He was prominent in the best interest of his township and county since he became resident therein and contributed his influence and effort to the substantial progress of both.

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 April 15, 1994.
No relationship is as pure and joyous as a true friendship and interestingly, it blooms in unexpected places. In one such similar instance, 40-year-old Gayoor Ahmad had met Anirudh Jhare, 28, at a quarantine shelter in Jodhpur recently. Both of them had to go through mandatory isolation after they entered the district in Rajasthan from different states. According to a report in TOI, Jhare hailed from Nagpur and had entered Jodhpur as a tourist while Gayoor was a carpenter from Muzaffarnagar, UP, who is a specially-abled and uses a tricycle to move around. On May 8, both of them were dropped off 40 km away from Bharatpur near the UP border after their quarantine period was over. Soon after bidding adieu, Jhare noticed that Gayoor was struggling to move around his tricycle and hence, he decided to help his friend reach home safely.



So instead of heading home to Nagpur, Jhare pushed Gayoor's tricycle for the next five days as they crossed several districts until they reached Muzzafarnagar on May 12. That was an entire stretch of about 350 Km.





 indiarailinfo



Gayoor told the media outlet, I was on my tricycle and Anirudh was always walking behind, pushing it during the whole journey of about 350 km. We reached home in Muzaffarnagars Kidwai Nagar late on May 12. He didnt abandon me." Such instances restore our faith in humanity. People who came across their inspiring story were thoroughly impressed with Jhare's sacrifice and compassion towards his friend. Even Additional district magistrate Alok Kumar said, Every possible help will be provided to the disabled man and his family, and even to the person who helped the disabled man.



Whats more interesting is that now Gayoor wants Jhare to live with him until the lockdown is lifted and his family wants the same. He has also made a special request to the administration to help Anirudh reach Nagpur. Isnt this wonderful? Anirudh said, First, we are human beings. We are Hindus and Muslims after that. I am happy I could help Gayoor. I am living with his family now. I will be here for a while. All of them are nice and polite. It's like I am with my own family."

It is heartwarming to witness such true and rare friendships in todays time.
A Georgia judge is under investigation for allegedly bringing a man into his chambers to berate him over a Facebook post that criticized the official over his decision to release an accused rapist last year.

Superior Court Judge Eric Norris met with Nathan Owens in July 2019 after Owens called Norris out on social media for releasing Alex Mosby, who was charged with raping a woman in 2018, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In a filing from the state Judicial Qualifications Commission's investigative panel, officials said Norris used the meeting to 'chastise and berate' Owens over his Facebook post.

During Mosby's trial in June 2019, Norris was the presiding judge.

Judge Eric Norris (left) met with Nathan Owens (right) in July 2019 after Owens called Norris out on social media for releasing Alex Mosby, who was charged with raping a woman in 2018. Norris scheduled a meeting with Owens in his private chamber

After Mosby was released, Owens took to social media, writing (post pictured): 'No collateral was posted. No third party involved to insure accountability'

At the time, the jury became deadlocked 11-1 and Norris asked the prosecution and the defense if they would accept the verdict, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Both sides initially agreed, but the defense backed out before the verdict was read. Following the mistrial, Norris allowed Mosby to be released from custody on his own recognizance.

After Mosby was released, Owens took to social media, writing: 'No collateral was posted. No third party involved to insure accountability. Guess what? Alex Michael Mosby missed his trial date on June 14, 2019.

'There is now an active bench warrant for his arrest. He still has not been located.

Alex Mosby (pictured) was arrested and charged with raping a woman in 2018

'In my opinion, Alex Michael Mosby is the last man who should have been released unsecured on a pinky promise to appear at trial considering his history, likeliness to reoffend, danger to the community and repeat pattern of missing court.

'Each time Mosby has been arrested in Athens, he has missed court,' Owens wrote in the post.

He continued: 'There is a VICTIM here who is being denied JUSTICE. Public safety is being compromised.

'Every parent with a daughter at UGA or in Athens should be aware and concerned for their safety with individuals such as Alex Mosby simply being able to walk out of jail with no accountability. The destruction of criminal accountability is real.'

Nearly a week after Owens' Facebook post, Norris scheduled the meeting, according to the AJC.

At one point during the meeting, Owens told the judge that he wanted an attorney.

But Norris, who was recently named chief judge of the Western Judicial Circuit, reportedly told him to sit down, giving Owens the impression that he was being detained.

Norris is now facing an ethics charge over the meeting.
A former White House pandemic expert said on Monday that workers in manufacturing plants such as those returning to work in the first phase of the country's reopening should be tested for COVID-19 every day to avoid 'another national problem'.

Tom Bossert, former Homeland Security Adviser to President Trump, appeared on Good Morning America on Monday to warn that without frequent enough testing, there would likely be a resurgence of the virus.

'Testing is a problem. We don't have enough of it but the testing standard is better now.

'We don't have enough of them yet... we're going to see it result in a summer of low cases and a fall of a return,' he said.

He mentioned meatpacking plants and other high-density workplaces where testing employees frequently will be key to monitoring another outbreak.

Scroll down for video

Tom Bossert, former White House Homeland Security Adviser, says workers should be tested every day or every other day when returning to high density worksites like factories or plants

Employees in manufacturing and construction jobs have been the first to go back to work in many states. Pictured, an employee at D'Addario & Co in Farmingdale, NY

Is the country reopening too soon? @ABC News contributor and former Homeland Security Advisor @TomBossert talks to @RobinRoberts about reopening and testing. pic.twitter.com/KHg9wGjQAT  Good Morning America (@GMA) May 18, 2020

'They need to be tested as they come into work every day or every other day,' he said.

Eventually, testing needs to be scaled up so that 'everyone in the community' can be tested regardless of whether or not they are symptomatic.

'Test people even if they don't feel poorly so we can contact trace and close these things before they become another national problem,' he said.

Almost every state has now begun letting people get back to work gradually. The first jobs to return in many are manufacturing and construction workers despite there still being new cases every day.

As of Monday morning, 1.5million Americans had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 90,080 had died.

Bossert described the dilemma of reopening too soon or staying closed and crushing the economy as a 'toggle''.

'We're going to have to start planning to toggle between mitigation and suppression,' he said.

'What you want to do is be happy but controlled.

'We keep using the term reopening as if we're back to normal, you know that's not the case, this is just an end to the shelter in place rules but we still need to make sure we need to continue all the other rules,' he said.

Some states are enforcing social distancing rules more than other.

In New York and parts of California, face coverings are mandatory and social distancing rules are being enforced by local law enforcement.

Workers waiting to enter the Tyson Food pork processing plant in Indiana on May 7. It's unclear if any businesses are mandating tests for employees before re-entry

Businesses that do reopen are doing so cautiously and are adapting by only allowing take-out.

However in Wisconsin, bars last week were packed to pre-pandemic levels after the state said they could reopen.

Some dine-in restaurants are also resuming business in Texas, with little in the way of new measures to ensure people are staying far enough apart.

It has many questioning how to go about their own lives now that they are technically allowed to resume parts of their old daily lives.

Data has shown that despite it being legal to go back to restaurants in some states, patrons simply do not want to because they still afraid of catching the virus.


(Photo: Pedro Oliveira)



(Photo: Pedro Oliveira)

Do you know that there are more than 2.3 million photos taken every minute around the world? Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, allowing them to take pictures of literally everything. Yes, the democratization of photos benefits many, but you also need to understand its drawbacks, such as photo manipulation, circulating images without consent, and spreading fake news.

As a professional photographer, it is your responsibility to be ethical. Remember, most people know how to read and write from a young age, but they don't understand photography at a professional level. What you present should tell a transparent story instead of teasing your audience to manipulate the photo's meaning. This is one of the reasons why the photographer Pedro Oliveira firmly believes in photography ethics.

Pedro is an advertising/documentary traveler photographer and has earned recognition for "Careful: Soul Inside," a project that portrays the faces of the homeless and tells the story of how challenging life is for them. Trying to draw the fine line between what society sees and what it chooses not to see could have gone either way for Pedro. But it was his photography ethics that helped him stay within his boundaries throughout the project.

Criticism of Careful: Soul Inside

While the massive majority appreciate what Pedro tries to convey in "Careful: Soul Inside," some people don't shy from criticizing it either. They believe that Pedro had exploited the homelessness subject for his own gain and that he shouldn't have objectified their homelessness to earn popularity. But Pedro disagrees.

The photographer argues that a story is always there to be told and that it is the storyteller's duty to report on subjects which are often overlooked by society. In his particular project, all the subjects were fully aware of why he was taking their photos and appreciated the goal of the project. They were aware of the fact that Pedro would publish these photos so that he could give voice to their stories.

This project wasn't just a publicity stunt to make money. In fact, Pedro didn't make a penny from this project. During his two-year journey of capturing photos of the homeless, Pedro came across many people who didn't want him to take their pictures. And, Pedro respectfully agreed to their requests. Oliveira warns that a photographer/videomaker should, too, know the limits of their freedom. Meaning, as a photographer your goal is to elicit as much information and realness as possible, and you just cannot convey such truthfulness by spying on people and "stealing" snapshots; not to mention that this would be just plain wrong. That's the type of ethics he wants photographers to follow.

Essentials of photography ethics

Pedro, who has photographed subjects from the Brazilian favelas to the Desert of Saudi Arabia, believes that not following photography ethics leads to deceiving the audience. Manipulating images may bring unwanted controversies, and that's not what photographers should aim for. Photography is a medium to positively impact the world through the lenses of a photographer while bringing the genuineness of the moment. Anything that breaks such rules disobeys the ethics of photography.

According to Pedro, many photographers use manipulative images for cheap publicity. They don't realize how strongly photos can affect people. If you stay within the realms of photography ethics, you can easily avoid these controversies.

For Pedro, his lens tries to tell the true stories of his subjects whether it is a man facing homelessness in Brazil, a woman who suffered domestic abuse in Los Angeles, and wants to share her experiences, or a Camel's shepherd in Saudi Arabia. His idea of photography is to capture during that one millisecond the emotions hidden behind the person's eyes and for such ethics and empathy are essential.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The entire membership of the Leipzig chapter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP-Leipzig) in Germany, has observed with dismay the deafening silence from the former president, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, on his role and tacit involvement in the purchase of some military transport aircraft, under dubious circumstances from Airbus SE.

Following the 31st January 2020 judgment of the crown court in Southwark, United Kingdom between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office (UK) and Airbus, in which the latter was fined to the tune of $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in some countries, including Ghana, investigators in France and the United States of America (USA) have equally found the worlds second-largest aerospace manufacturer guilty of fraud, bribery, and corruption.

While investigations have begun in some countries linked to this shameful act, including Sri Lanka and Columbia, Indonesia has concluded her investigations. Over a week ago, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced the former president director of Garuda Indonesia - the flag carrier of Indonesia - to eight years in prison for accepting US$3.4 million in bribes and laundering.

For Ghana, the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo acted swiftly by referring the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for further investigations: A commendable act which promises to bring a logical conclusion to the matter.

It is worthy to note, that preliminary investigations by the OSP point to UK nationals Philip Middlemiss, Sarah Furneaux, Leanne Davis and John Dramani Mahamas brother, Samuel Adam Mahama, as having acted as intermediaries between Airbus and Mr. John Mahama resulting in bribes to the tune of about 5 million. Notwithstanding the referral to the OSP, it is important to note that the former president who doubles as the presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2020 general election still resides in the country and can respond directly to these damning issues about him.

However, Mr. Mahama has since gone on regional tours, organized policy dialogue series and featured on digital conversations with the public on healthcare and infrastructure and COVID-19 response on his John Mahama Live internet broadcasts. His insatiable quest to win the next presidential election has led him to comment on every little issue, including the number of Ghanas COVID-19 cases, save the Airbus scandal.

Former president Mahama owes the nation a great deal of responsibility and accountability, especially in this Airbus scandal, for all fingers point to him. Recalling his remarks in a BBC focus on Africa interview, Ghanaians are aware former president Mahama finds it difficult to answer questions on corruption since he will like to know if the question relates to him as a president or as a person. Like the BBCs Peter Okwoche, we inquire, Mr. President, did you take it?

This is not the first time a court has ably declared the Mahama administration as corrupt. The UK court ruling only affirmed Justice Dotse JSCs position, that former president John Mahama created an atmosphere to "create, loot and share" the nations resources. It is of no surprise that the Accra High Court on 12th May 2020 sentenced three former government officials in the Mahama administration, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, William Matthew Tetteh Tevie and Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, to various terms in prison after convicting them of willfully causing financial loss of $4m to the state. Sadly, the former president who watched as his apparatchiks misappropriated the nations scarce resources only cited the popular quote from British-born Jewish-U.S. lawyer Louis Nizer, When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself. One wonders the implicit meaning to this response from a man who touts his partys ideals in probity and accountability. Is he faulting the court, or the prosecutors? Is his wish to protect people who are involved in corrupt practices?

Over the past few years, the nation has had to painfully bear a non-stop series of corruption allegations made against former president John Dramani Mahama and his government during and after his tenure of office. He is alleged to be involved in international scandals such as the Ford saga and Armajaro, just to name but few. As he once posited in 2014, Corruption amounts to mass murder because it deprives government of resources to address the basic needs of people, we will like to ask, how many people has he killed with the genocides he has committed over the years?

For us in Germany, this is more or less a test case for Ghana, if the destiny of the nation can once again be entrusted in the hands of the NDC, and of course, a person who has shown time and time again of potentials of enriching himself at the dire expense of the nation that offered him free senior high education and gave him an opportunity to serve in all levels of governance.

We therefore make a passionate appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians, home and abroad to rise up to hold the former president accountable for all of the corruption scandals either overtly or covertly. We also appeal to civil society organizations, the media and all stakeholders in Ghana to add their voice to this worrying issue.

We therefore call on the former president to as a matter of urgency clear his name at this material time, while the case is still under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

God Bless our homeland Ghana

Issued:

Luqman Abubakari,

Ag. Director of Communications,

NPP Leipzig, Germany.

Signed:

Nana Benyin Enninful,

Ag. Chairman.

NPP Leipzig, Germany.
On the face of it, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans announcement of a housing scheme for migrant workers and the urban poor seemed promising. Millions of migrants leaving cities to walk back home in unimaginably harsh conditions is, after all, the abiding image of Indias tryst with COVID-19. However, this is a repackaged version of earlier schemes and a quick-fix band-aid solution to a structural problem.

The thrust of Sitharamans plan is on creating affordable rental housing through public-private partnerships and incentivising industries, manufacturers and institutions to develop it on private land. This will be done under the existing Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a flagship programme thats usually heard of once a year during the Budget speech. Its essentially re-branding. Housing for All by 2022 was anyway supposed to include the urban poor.

That said, there is little to quibble about the governments intent; the issues are deeper.

It took a continuing exodus of migrant workers and families for more than six weeks for the government to realise that their overwhelming desire to leave cities  their places of work, not places of social comfort  came at least partly from their terrible living conditions. Despite grand announcements and publicity for Housing for All over the last six years, little has changed for those forced to live in squalid slums and informal settlements in Indias cities.

Six to eight men still share a tiny room with a tin roof, families make do with mezzanine floors as homes, one common toilet block services more than 1,000 people a day, basic civic amenities and open spaces are luxuries. A staggering 8.5 to 9 million people live this way in Mumbai, Indias financial capital. The numbers are fewer but the situation no different in Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other cities.

Indias first national urban housing policy was unveiled back in 1988. More than half a dozen schemes followed as did the Rajiv Awas Yojana under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) of 2005. It isnt the dearth of policies that plagues the urban affordable housing sector, its the inability of successive governments to meaningfully translate these policies on ground.

This is because the urban real estate market turns land into a precious commodity, monetises it, and makes speculation of land-property prices an industry unto itself. A democratic State should ideally balance these with the social goal of housing but when the powerful real estate lobby is a major political donor-influencer, elected governments merely make right noises about affordable housing. Housing ceases to be part of the necessary social contract with its citizens. Sitharamans announcement is a belated acknowledgment of this lapse.

The market, left to its wisdom, will chase profits. This, in urban housing, means building large-scale gated communities for upper-middle classes and luxury apartments for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals. The profusion of these in Mumbai and Delhi  cities with maximum migrant workers and slums  has meant a terribly skewed reality in which lakhs of houses lie unsold or unoccupied while millions of urban poor live in cramped and inhospitable dwellings.

This deep mismatch is not an accident; its an outcome of policies. See its scale. Nearly 6.5 lakh units in Indias top seven cities were unsold or unoccupied with  Mumbai accounting for 2.16 lakh of them  by December last year, according to property consultancy Anarocks report. The government offered a more modest tally. The Finance Ministry told Lok Sabha In December that nearly 1.85 lakh houses lay unsold across major cities, 55 percent of them in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Delhi-NCR.

Even the conservative 1.85 lakh units total to a jaw-dropping 225 million square feet worth about Rs 1.39 lakh crore. There are financial implications as well. More importantly, there is a human cost thats paid by millions of migrant workers  mostly lower caste and classes.

Large groups of these workers remain invisible to mainstream society, points out a report of Aajeevika Bureau, a non-profit providing services and support to migrants. They remain invisible because most are forced to live on the margins of cities, in their worksites where separation between work and home is erased, in cramped and shared rented rooms in slums often at the mercy of extractive landlords and local mafias, or on pavements and railway stations. Across these wretched places, discrimination on basis of community, caste and religion is common.

Affordable rental housing seems like a panacea but its only a mirage. The construction of such houses is itself a tall task given that this has not been viable for either private players or governments so far, their location and allocation could see another grey market emerge, and this could well be used to unlock land parcels in green zones worsening the ecological balance. The concept of affordable housing itself needs a revisit because it has, so far, meant cramped spaces built in tall buildings that are barely five feet away from each other. The best of them in Mumbai are vertical slums or slumscrapers. Tightly-packed low-cost housing areas in Singapore, like slumscrapers, saw a spurt in COVID-19 cases.

Sitharamans announcement of affordable rental housing is a consolation for us in middle India snugly ensconced in our apartments that we did not abandon migrant workers after all. And to somehow lure them to return to their work  essential work for many of us, wretched life for them.

(Smruti Koppikar, a senior Mumbai-based journalist and urban chronicler, writes on politics, development, gender and the media. Views are personal.)
PITTSBURGH, May 18, 2020 - Neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute have traced neural pathways that connect the brain to the stomach, providing a biological mechanism to explain how stress can foster ulcer development.

The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, build a scientific basis for the brain's influence over organ function and emphasize the importance of the brain-body connection.

Until now, research exploring the gut-brain interaction has largely focused on the influence of the gut and its microbiome on the brain. But it's not a one-way street -- the brain also influences stomach function.

"Pavlov demonstrated many years ago that the central nervous system uses environmental signals and past experience to generate anticipatory responses that promote efficient digestion," said Peter Strick, Ph.D., Brain Institute scientific director and chair of neurobiology at Pitt. "And we have long known that every increase in unemployment and its associated stress is accompanied by an increase in death rates from stomach ulcers."

To find brain regions that control the gut, Strick and his coauthor David Levinthal, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Pitt, used a strain of rabies virus to track connections from the brain to the stomach.

After being injected into the stomach of a rat, the viral tracer made its way back to the brain by hopping from neuron to neuron -- using the same trick that rabies virus uses to infiltrate the brain after entering the body through a bite or scratch -- to reveal the brain areas that exert control over the stomach.

Strick and Levinthal found that the parasympathetic -- "rest and digest" -- nervous system pathways trace back from the stomach mostly to a brain region known as the rostral insula, which is responsible for visceral sensation and emotion regulation.

"The stomach sends sensory information to the cortex, which sends instructions back to the gut," Strick said. "That means our 'gut feelings' are constructed not only from signals derived from the stomach, but also from all the other influences on the rostral insula, such as past experiences and contextual knowledge."

In contrast, the sympathetic -- "fight or flight" -- pathways of the central nervous system, which kick in when we're stressed, predominantly trace back from the stomach to the primary motor cortex, which is the seat of voluntary control over the skeletal muscles that move the body around.

Identifying these neural pathways that connect the brain and stomach could provide new insights into common gut disorders.

For example, Helicobacter pylori infection typically triggers ulcer formation, but descending signals from the cerebral cortex could influence the bacteria's growth by adjusting gastric secretions to make the stomach more or less hospitable to invaders.

These insights also could change clinical gastroenterology practice. Knowing that the brain exerts physical control over the gut gives doctors a new way to approach bowel problems.

"Several common gut disorders, such as dyspepsia or irritable bowel syndrome, might not get better with current treatments," said Levinthal, who also is a gastroenterologist at UPMC. "Our results provide cortical targets that will be critical for developing new brain-based therapies that might be helpful for our patients."

###

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants P40 OD010996, R01 AT010414 and K08 DK101756; U.S. Army Research Office Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant W911NF-16-1-0474; and a grant from the DSF Charitable Foundation.

To read this release online or share it, visit https://www.upmc.com/media/news/051820-pnas-brain-to-stomach [when embargo lifts].

About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

As one of the nation's leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1998. In rankings recently released by the National Science Foundation, Pitt ranked fifth among all American universities in total federal science and engineering research and development support.

Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region's economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see http://www.medschool.pitt.edu.

About UPMC

A $21 billion health care provider and insurer, Pittsburgh-based UPMC is inventing new models of patient-centered, cost-effective, accountable care. The largest nongovernmental employer in Pennsylvania, UPMC integrates 89,000 employees, 40 hospitals, 700 doctors' offices and outpatient sites, and a more than 3.7 million-member Insurance Services Division, the largest medical insurer in western Pennsylvania. In the most recent fiscal year, UPMC contributed $1.2 billion in benefits to its communities, including more care to the region's most vulnerable citizens than any other health care institution, and paid $587 million in federal, state and local taxes. Working in close collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC shares its clinical, managerial and technological skills worldwide through its innovation and commercialization arm, UPMC Enterprises, and through UPMC International. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside on its annual Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals and ranks UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh on its Honor Roll of America's Best Children's Hospitals. For more information, go to UPMC.com.

http://www.upmc.com/media

Contact: Erin Hare

Mobile: 412-738-1097

E-mail: HareE@upmc.edu

Contact: Ashley Trentrock

Mobile: 412-529-9092

E-mail: TrentrockAR@upmc.edu
Museums in many Chinese cities are holding a variety of events to promote culture and get closer to the public, echoing the theme of the 2020 International Museum Day, which is "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion".



As part of the activities held during International Museum Day, which falls on Monday, more than 20 of China's most renowned museums are providing access on digital platforms to virtual exhibitions from Sunday to Tuesday.

Starting at 9 am on Monday, six major attractions, including the Maiji Mountain Grottoes and Mogao Caves, will be shown on a livestreaming platform for the first time.

Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, will host the main event of this year's event in China. Scholars from foreign countries and organizations, including the United Kingdom, the United States and the International Council of Museums, will also join an internet symposium in Nanjing on the future development of the world's museums in the context of cultural diversity.

Wu Xiaolin, deputy director of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said the province has 302 registered museums that provide diversified and professional exhibitions. The museums in the province received more than 100 million visitors last year.

On Monday, the Nanjing Museum is holding an exhibition showcasing about 200 cultural relics ranging from the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) to the Han Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220).

Many curators of museums, including the Dunhuang Academy, the Nanjing Museum and the Hebei Museum, will also give detailed information about their top collections on livestreaming channels.

As China's cultural center, Beijing is building itself as a "city of museums" with its 187 registered museums.

On International Museum Day, the city's museums will launch 94 events, including 50 online exhibitions and 15 livestreaming broadcasts, to reduce the infection risks from face-to-face contact.

"The online exhibitions and livestreaming can overcome the limits of time and space to provide content equally for all," said Chen Mingjie, head of the Beijing Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"We have organized experts to give high-quality museum interpretations to all online and offline audiences."

He said that cultural heritage authorities in Beijing want to create an atmosphere in which local residents and visitors can access a museum anytime and from any location.

The events will allow people to closely observe cultural relics without being physically present at the museums.

Museums have also adopted popular tools and high-tech to enrich internet-based event experiences.

A group of museums such as the China National Film Museum, the Memorial Museum of Lao She and the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China hold livestreaming broadcasts, while some others such as the China Media Museum will adopt virtual reality technology to provide a more vivid experience.

"Even though we are in the special period of COVID-19 epidemic prevention, we can still connect closely with our audience with the help of VR technology," said Pan Li, head of the China Media Museum.

Owned by the Communication University of China, the China Media Museum focuses on the development of the country's media industry.

"Items in our exhibition are not something ancient. Most of them are just decades old, but they can evoke the memories and emotions of the visitors because these are related to people's lives in some way, which I believe is the most important meaning of museums," he said.

"Going to museums has become fashionable nowadays as the public has a growing appetite for culture."

To enhance communication with the audience, the Capital Museum will launch "Me and Museum" educational projects, soliciting works such as videos, audio recordings, paintings and photography from the public, and the winning entries will be exhibited at the Capital Museum.

Navigation service provider AutoNavi will also provide descriptions of about 600 items that belong to 20 national museums.

Citizens can open the updated AutoNavi app and listen to the descriptions wherever they are.

Guo Ning, vice-president of the company, said the app can play the role of a "smart carrier" to bring culture to a wider audience.
(Photo : www.pxhere.com)

Pirates have attacked a Stolt Apal tanker says a shipping company just off the coast of Yemen; however, there were no reported casualties among the crew.

Read More: Pilot in Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Did Not Have Drugs or Alcohol in System Based on Autopsy

Attacks are becoming more frequent by pirates

Stolt Tankers shared the news regarding one of their ships, the Stolt Apal, which came under fire by pirates who dared to try and oppose the armed guards who were present to protect the crew and cargo.

According to reports, the pirates came in force, bringing together two-speed boats as well as six armed pirates who were ready for a fight. the pirates then approached Stolt Apal regardless of warning shots given by the defending armed guards.

Read More: US Space Force Unveils Its Flag in the Oval Office with President Trump

Stolt Tankers spoke with Reuters saying, "After multiple warning shots were fired by the armed guard team aboard Stolt Apal, the skiffs opened fire on the ship. The armed guard team returned fire, disabling one skiff and ending the pursuit."

"The bridge area sustained minor damage from bullets, but there were no injuries, no pollution, and no cargo impacted on Stolt Apal. A coalition warship responded, and Stolt Apal has resumed her voyage," the company added.

Naval forces were luckily nearby sailing through a corridor, and they happened to recognize the genuine threat of an attack that was happening. The incident happened despite maritime security constantly patrolling the waters.

The pirates seemed to originate somewhere near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This has also been the ninth incident this year of attempted piracy over the Gulf of Aden. The reason why most shipping companies now are bringing in armed guards is to deter the theft and possible loss of their crew and cargo.

Due to the heavy concentration of violence and piracy within those waters, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations naval authority has provided ample warning on its website which advises that all vessels operating in that area "to exercise extreme caution."

Read More: STOP MISINFORMATION! Here's How to Spot a Conspiracy Theory













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A Dublin man has been jailed for nine years for holding guns for a large criminal organisation.

Gardner, of Carnlough Road, Cabra, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the various firearms and ammunition at Quarry Road, Cabra on November 5, 2016. He has 40 previous convictions for more minor offences.

He was wearing a bulletproof vest when gardai approached him in November 2016. He came to garda attention as they followed a white Ford Focus van as part of a surveillance operation.

He had a car key on him, which he claimed to have found while out walking his dog.

The key opened a car found in an underground car park not far from where Gardner was seen talking to the occupants of the van.

Two machine guns, three loaded revolvers and over a hundred rounds of ammo were found in the car.

The court heard Gardners fingerprints were found on the revolvers, and one of the machine guns, but he could not explain how they got there.

He later accepted they belonged to a large criminal organisation.

When asked why he was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was arrested, he said it was for his own protection.

Judge Martin Nolan accepted his admissions were helpful, but said he must have known the guns were to be used to cause serious harm or death to others.

He described the holding of firearms for third parties as a very serious offence before jailing him for nine years.
More than 100 countries will co-sponsor a motion calling for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus, clearing the way for the measure to pass the World Health Assembly.

In a major strategic victory for Australia, an updated draft motion will now be co-sponsored by 116 of the assembly's 194 member states, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said the review will enable the international community to better prevent the next pandemic. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne hailed the move as "a win for the international community and Australia".

Senator Payne said Australia was "very encouraged by the growing levels of support for the comprehensive World Health Assembly motion".
What India and China will offer for the NAM?





by Harsha Senanayake





Not surprisingly the space and position of geopolitical manifestation of South Asia have intensified the scholarly debates on world affairs and International Relations; nobody could abandon the concluding remarks of 1904 Pivot to History; the realistic comprehend on geopolitics written by Halford John Mackinder. His accounts conjecture the future of the international system and by existing in that authenticity, we can perceive that Mackinders assertions on China not erroneous. However, by going with the theory presented by the equivalent of Mackinder; Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, the future of the world deposits in the Indian Ocean; the most precarious sea theater out of seven oceans which considered as the golden access of the heartland.





Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan

The advance of Chinese footprint in the Indian Ocean and Chinas vigorous quest for foreign military bases comprising Pakistan designates the Chines vision of geopolitics, and its intension is to advance supremacy in the most critical ocean in the world to construct the China-centric world order as cited by Mackinder. However, the rejoinder from the rimland India stranded on the intension of deterring potential threats from Chinese military manifestation in its immediate neighbourhood including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Cambodia by solidifying India's military partnership with countries in global South to poise Chinese shackle of military formations. However, Indias intention of control over the Indian Ocean to triumph heartland by contending with Mackinders China is not merely an extension of their acquainted rivalry but a definitive instant in the overall political evaluation as modern states. However, with the intension of endearing Asia, it is vibrant that China and Indian preserve hypocritical standpoint in terms of the ideals and practice of the foreign policy.





Demanding that the western powers to withdraw military bases and their presence in Asia while the Indian Ocean has been depicted as the part of the anti-colonial and anti-imperial outline of Indian and Chinese foreign policy and their commitments to the accomplishment of NAM. Nevertheless, the current behaviour of two countries driven by the realist accounts of Mahan and Mackinder and they commenced adapting to the realities of the international system by reviewing the establishment of foreign military bases through the lenses of security interests but not through the ideologies such as modern colonization or imperialism.





Chinas transition follows the familiar dictum that the flag follows trade, and the best illustration would be the case of Sri Lanka. The massive trade and development projects led by China in post -2009 epoch inevitably tracked by Chinese military and security interests. Chinese BRI deployed as a vehicle to drive military overseas basing through a perceived necessity to deliver security for OBOR projects. Yet, the establishment of Chinese military bases in overseas had been shaped by the shared strategic interests of countering common enemies of the region as well; Pakistan fitting to the bill perfectly and Pakistan have the precedent of hosting foreign military bases to counter its immediate neighbour and adversary; India. The Pakistan armys determination to contain Indias power means there is diminutive political opposition to accommodating Chinese bases and facilities. The complexity of the anti- India alliance between India and Pakistan means Delhi cant prevent Beijing from developing bases and strategic facilities in the Indian Ocean to triumph the heartland. Delhi must deal with these realities and Chinese warships might appear in Pakistan soon and in other places where China has the political influence comprising Sri Lanka and Maldives; therefore India has to contain the nature and scope of Chinese military undertakings.





Unlike in the past, Indian face of imperialism spreading through the Indian Ocean and the glob; Delhi is now making its armed forced interoperable with its allies. India expanded its form of imperialism by increasing the numbers of overseas military bases including establishments in Bhutan, Maldives, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Madagascar, Seychelles, Qatar and Oman and after prolonged reluctance, India has signed agreements with the US and France for mutual peacetime exploitation of military bases followed by agreements with Japan and Australia. Delhi is pursuing access to military facilities in several countries and the logic of Delhis quest for foreign military bases is comparable to China. Delhis security imperatives are no longer restricted to its borders and it desires to secure its widely dispersed interests with the forward military presence in the Indo-Pacific.





However, what prerequisites to comprehend is that anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist legacy of India conquered by the realist accounts of power and supremacy; India and China trail Mahan and Mackinders realist protocols of endearing the heartland by promoting Asian face of modern imperialism and colonialism. The question remains; what do India and China offer for NAM by promoting the hypocritical appearance of the foreign policy.





About the author: Harsha Senanayake is a researcher at Social Scientists Association- Sri Lanka and a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He has acquired a masters degree in International Relations from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi, India and a specialised degree in International Relations from the Department of International Relations, University of Colombo. Harsha serves as an AIPE fellow- TFAS USA. He has authored few books including The Changing Patterns of USA- Japan Security Relations: Case Study of Okinawa and The Human Security Discourse and Seeking Peace: Field Work Analysis Based on the Sri Lankan Civil War.












Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda in a series of tweets on Monday lashed out at opposition ruled states for unfairly targeting the party workers and said it was unbecoming of those in power to silence dissent.

In the last few days, it has been observed that in opposition ruled states, the state machinery has been used unfairly to target BJP workers and independent voices on social media, critical of the local governments handling of Covid. In a vibrant democracy, this is unacceptable, he said in a tweet.

In the last few days, it has been observed that in opposition ruled states, the state machinery has been used unfairly to target BJP workers and independent voices on social media, critical of the local government's handling of Covid. In a vibrant democracy, this is unacceptable.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 18, 2020

The BJP president went on to say that the culture of debate and criticism of those in public life is an integral part of our democratic process. but using state agencies at your disposal to silence dissent is unbecoming of those in power. Opposition should adhere to political arguments, when questioned on their failing, he said in a second tweet.

Culture of debate and criticism of those in public life is an integral part of our democratic process but using state agencies at your disposal to silence dissent is unbecoming of those in power. Opposition should adhere to political arguments, when questioned on their failing.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 18, 2020

I want to assure every BJP worker, supporter & well wisher, who is being targeted by those scared of their unprincipled politics getting exposed, that the BJP stands with you. We will defend your right to free speech and resist these tyrannical forces in the democratic framework.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 18, 2020

Nadda took no names in his tweets.

The BJP has been at odds with the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, and several party MPs have complained of not being allowed to step out and join relief work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Union home minister Amit Shah had also written to Banerjee last week, stating that her government was not allowing special trains and it was injustice to migrant workers stuck there.

The BJP and the Trinamool Congress have been at loggerheads over sharing of information about the casualty numbers in Bengal and the steps being taken to contain the spread of the virus. Words were also exchanged between the Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh over running of Shramik Special trains for taking migrant workers to their native states. While the BJP at the Centre accused states of not giving permission to requisition trains, the states refuted the allegation and said their lists were pending with the railway ministry.

In April, Bankura MP Subhas Sarkar was booked under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005, for allegedly spreading false alarms while MP from Alipurduars, John Barla, complained of being put under house arrest by the district administration.

While Nadda did not specify any incident or state, he assured his party workers and said, I want to assure every BJP worker, supporter & well wisher, who is being targeted by those scared of their unprincipled politics getting exposed, that the BJP stands with you. We will defend your right to free speech and resist these tyrannical forces in the democratic framework.
Virtual office tour experience with Swivel AgileView "Swivels application has significantly contributed to Cameron Management's digital transformation success and will continue to do so as we move to balance both digital and traditional leasing practices."

Swivel, Inc., a digital leasing platform for office space, today announced Cameron Management has implemented its SaaS-based leasing application, AgileView, to give tenants the ability to virtually tour any space and allow broker teams to collaborate with tenants and execute leases more efficiently.

Featuring almost 50,000 square feet which is comprised of 12 suites ranging from approximately 600 square feet to 17,000 square feet, Cameron Management accommodates both individual tenants and companies of all sizes with an immersive virtual 3D experience for touring spaces. As a result, the company is able to keep activities moving efficiently to safeguard business and maintain momentum during unpredictable times.

Faced with such an unprecedented circumstance of losing the ability to physically engage with tenants, we knew we had to pivot to a flexible, virtual format to keep business moving for both our brokers and prospective tenants, said Jano Nixon Kelley, Cameron Managements Director of Marketing. Swivels application has significantly contributed to our digital transformation success and will continue to do so as we move to balance both digital and traditional leasing practices.

Through AgileView, tenants and tenant brokers can explore a self-paced virtual experience of any of the spaces, experience the space staged in multiple ways, and schedule one-on-one guided virtual tours with a Cameron leasing agent.

As companies begin to plan how office space will look when they bring their workforce back together again in a safe, healthy and productive environment, the next wave of office leasing is evolving and will require more agile approaches, said Swivel Founder and CEO, Scott Harmon. Digital leasing will become part of the mainstream fabric for office CRE. Property landlords who realize this shift, and adapt their leasing models accordingly, will profit while others lose out on a whole new generation of tenants.

Cameron Management will launch their virtual touring capabilities with a two-week long scavenger hunt for local tenant brokers. Houston brokers can complete the scavenger hunt to win cash prizes from Cameron Management tenant, Amegy Bank. In the spirit of connecting the dots, winning brokers can use the money to support Houston area businesses.

Companies can learn about agile office leasing directly at swivel.work. Find Swivel on LinkedIn and Twitter: @SwivelWork, and follow Swivels blog to stay on top of company developments, news, events and happenings.

About Cameron Management

Cameron Management, founded in 1995, is a Houston-based commercial real estate group that owns, manages, and leases office buildings in Houston. Its portfolio is comprised of classic buildings located in Class A submarkets and managed to a Class A standard. Tenants are attracted to the economic value and attentive onsite property management, engineering and leasing provided by Cameron Management. More information about Cameron Management can be found at http://www.cameronmanagement.com.

About Swivel

We are on a mission to transform the entire office leasing experience. With its digital leasing platform, Swivel enables commercial real estate owners to harness the power of technology to transform the way they lease office space. Leasing teams that adopt digital leasing over traditional methods engage prospective tenants and get leases signed faster with less cost to owners and tenants. To learn more, visit http://www.swivel.work.
He still on this and we're still giving him attention for it?

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slay

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what a qt gif

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i wonder if billboard will respond when they release the chart today.

can't recall an artist claiming they are fixing the numbers or letting something like this slide...



i wonder if billboard will respond when they release the chart today.can't recall an artist claiming they are fixing the numbers or letting something like this slide...

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They probably wont because hes a non factor. Hes seen as a joke in the industry so no one will take his claims seriously.

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also he was almost certainly using bots to inflate his own youtube views..

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maybe it's a very dedicated fan who pooled money together from other fans (it's usually international fans that want to help on the US charts)



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here's hoping tbh - make them fucking donate their shit finally

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serious question how on earth would he know six cards were used? is he a billboard accountant idgi

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He learned a lot of math in prison, ok

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I mean he has 6x9 tattooed on him (I guess). He knows math!

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he figures since he can't get anything above a 5k credit limit that ariana can't either.

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Lmfaoooo

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He mentioned there being a third party audit and Billboard declined to comment when they were presented with the result

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All th stans fighting on their behalf. I'm glad I don't do twitter.

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can j+a pay his security team so that they all take a smoke break at the same time with the doors unlocked and a livestream running

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I hate how much people are giving him another chance.

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i'm tired of this rat and he's threatening to release more music this week

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I hate everyone involved.

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Who cares, fuck his pedophile rasict, non talented ass! Keep up the good work Billboard!



Edited at 2020-05-18 06:50 pm (UTC)

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stop making these posts about six9*ne.

everyone, stop commenting. just stop.

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why does it matter? this is a livejournal site in 2020. nobody is checking here and we all hate him. we're allowed to discuss things we hate.

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Nah. Fuck him. We should stop talking about this rapist.

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livejournal in 2020. i can't believe we are here.

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i mean if you want to give him mentions, by all means go ahead and support this rapist all you want

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lol he debuted at #3

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This whole interview has given so many amazing gifs 

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rip queen and we thank ha for that.rip queen

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T he first US coronavirus vaccine trial has had positive initial results, with volunteers developing protective antibodies against the virus, the company running the tests has said.

Eight people who took part in the trial developed coronavirus antibodies that give them a level of protection against the virus even higher than those who have already had Covid-19, Moderna added.

The US pharmaceutical company said that the trial indicated that the vaccine was safe and only produced minor side effects.

But onlookers urged caution, as the vaccine still has to go through several more trial stages before it can be mass produced.

Moderna's first vaccine trial had positive results / REUTERS

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University, told Reuters: "These are significant findings but it is a Phase 1 clinical trial that only included eight people. It was designed for safety. Not for efficacy."

He added that the new data is encouraging - but many things could still go wrong between this stage and the end of the trial process.

Volunteers received a 100 mcg dose and a 25 mcg dose. Moderna said that the 100 mcg dose appeared to be more efficient than the weaker version.

The next stage is the second trial phase, while the company hopes to progress to the third phase by July. US regulators have fast-tracked the review process in the hopes of producing a vaccine quickly.

Moderna has partnered with Swiss biotech firm Lonza to boost production efforts if vaccine trials are successful - enabling them to make up to 1 billion doses per year.

A volunteer for a coronavirus vaccine trial in the UK / PA

Stephane Bancel, Modernas chief executive, said: "We are investing to scale up manufacturing so we can maximise the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2.

The US Government has invested heavily in Moderna's vaccine, giving $483 million in funding in April.

And the company's share price rose by more than 22 per cent when news of the trial's results emerged on Monday.

Dr Elisa Granato, 32, was one of two people trial the new medicine / PA

Moderna's vaccine is among more than 100 being developed worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation.

Work on a vaccine at Oxford University in the UK is underway, with a human trial starting last week.

Business secretary Alok Sharma said on Sunday: The first clinical trial of the Oxford vaccine is progressing well with all phase one participants having received their vaccine dose on schedule earlier this week.

The speed at which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented.

The Government is aiming for 30 million coronavirus vaccine doses to be made available by September if UK trials succeed, he added.

But there may never be a successful coronavirus vaccine, experts have warned on many occasions.
A University of Sydney residential college will investigate fresh allegations of misconduct two years after a landmark review found a high incidence of sexual violence and need for cultural change on campus.

The principal of St Andrew's College, Wayne Erickson, said the allegations of misconduct brought to his attention on Monday were under investigation.

"I'm not letting this rest," he said.

University newspaper Honi Soit on Monday reported allegations of drunken behaviour including vomiting and defecating in public spaces and hazing incidents at the residential St Andrews College.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday warned China that the United States could change its view of Hong Kong's status in light of alleged interference by Beijing in the work of American journalists in the Chinese region. The State Department also delayed until May 22 a report to Congress on the state of Hong Kong, which guarantees it special treatment.

"Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory," Pompeo said in an official statement.

READ | China To Be Held Accountable At World Health Assembly Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Sources

Pompeo said that the US has been alerted to the Chinese governments threats to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong."

"It has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong. These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world," Pompeo said.

READ | Trump Pens Massive Attack At 'plague Floating' China After Saying He Doesn't Want Xi Talks

China expels US journalists

The United States and China have been at loggerheads on several issues, of which, many are pertaining to COVID-19. The standoff between the two world powers escalated in March after China expelled American journalists from three US publications, namely - The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. The action came after Washington labeled Chinese state news outlets in the US as a foreign agent

Washington claims that Beijing's interference in the work of the US free press is an attempt by the Chinese authorities to obstruct the work of journalists in the country.

Earlier in February, China had revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters for publishing an opinion piece that questioned China's efforts against the novel coronavirus.

China is also likely to face questions at the WHO meeting scheduled to take place on Monday, over the origins of Covid and whether Taiwan should have its own representation at the world body.

READ | China To Face Questions On World Stage Over Initial Handling Of COVID-19, At WHO Meeting

READ | Mike Pompeo Condemns China-linked Hacking Into COVID-19 Research In US

(With inputs from ANI)
Melvin, the soft-spoken Guatemalan native I wrote about a month ago who told me he didnt know how he was going to feed his wife and two children, is breathing easier.

Thats because he received more than $13,000 in donations from Chronicle readers, including a $10,000 check from one woman, after my column was published.

But Melvin hasnt been the only recipient of reader generosity since the coronavirus put all of our lives on hold. Dozens of Chronicle readers have spread a wealth of kindness. Even as millions are unemployed and millions more have tightened their budgets, Im amazed by the willingness to donate. It gives me hope amid growing desperation.

Before I continue, let me say this: Thank you.

Michelle Burnett, a single mother of two daughters who was fired from a retirement community, received almost $2,000, including a $1,000 check from a reader who said it was money he wouldve spent at his local pub.

Gerardo Pena, the owner of Right-Way Shoe Repair, saw a spike in donations to the stores GoFundMe campaign after I wrote about multigenerational households, according to his daughter Leslie Pena. She says the shop has received a total of $25,000 in donations, including checks from customers who put them in the mail slot.

And get this: Martha Rosenquist received almost $2,000 after I wrote an update about the money shed already received.

Anonymous sources The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. Presenting information from an anonymous source occurs extremely rarely, and only when that information is considered crucial and all other on-the-record options have been exhausted. In such cases, The Chronicle has complete knowledge of the unnamed person's identity and of how that person is in position to know the information. The Chronicle's detailed policy governing the use of such sources, including the use of pseudonyms, is available on SFChronicle.com. See More Collapse

Christopher Olivola, an assistant professor of marketing and an expert in charitable giving at Carnegie Mellon Universitys Tepper School of Business, told me what Im seeing is called the identifiable victim effect. Thats where people will readily provide aid to an individual rather than a group.

The idea is that when you have this identifiable victim, this one person for which you get this individuating information, it moves people more, he said. You can put yourself in the shoes of one person. You can simulate, psychologically, what its like, but you cannot put yourself in the shoes of millions of people.

Leslie Pena said that a Right-Way customer, whos also a reader, told her father that he came from a family of cobblers. He gave $2,000. Adam Johnson, the manager of Eddies Drive In Liquors and Video, showed me a cigar box full of money that hes collecting for the Penas, whove had only 10 pairs of shoes to repair in the last month.

We just want to save that money for the shop so it survives, because I dont know how long this is going to last, Leslie Pena said.

Readers have been sending checks to me at home. Melvins checks were sent to the home of Anita Iverson-Comelo, the principal at Bridges Academy at Melrose, where Melvins children attend school.

One woman, who mailed a check to Melvin, sent me checks for the Penas and David Benton, the owner of Sugarsweet Cookie + Cake Studio in East Oakland. She also sent money for Esther Williams in Marin City, who was featured in a story by my colleagues Lizzie Johnson and Kevin Fagan.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

I never imagined it would be like this. I had thrown in the towel, said Melvin, a 36-year-old undocumented immigrant who asked that his last name not be published because he fears action by immigration authorities. The Chronicle granted him anonymity based on its anonymous sources policy.

God has not abandoned us, Maria, Melvins wife, recalled telling her husband after receiving the first checks. There are people who have a heart who care for us.

An estimated 7.6 million undocumented immigrants hold jobs in this country, but they wont be receiving federal aid because they dont have Social Security numbers. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $75 million in state funds to undocumented immigrants.

Melvin and Maria thought about going back to Guatemala, a country they fled about a year ago. Melvin, who had a house and a repair business, was part of group that protested mining near his village. He says he was harassed and that men attempted to assault Maria, who was a teacher, and his daughter.

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.

We had to leave our dreams and everything behind, Melvin said.

The family lives in a bedroom inside a house in East Oakland. They pay $1,000 per month in rent. Their housemates are families from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Melvins family is confined to their room, sharing a bed, a queen mattress perched on two smaller box springs.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

I met Melvin at Bridges, a school thats shifted its focus from teaching students to making sure the students and their parents are surviving. More than half of the 435 students have at least one parent who is undocumented, and 80% of students are English learners.

The woman who gave Melvin $10,000 also gave Bridges $15,000, according to Iverson-Comelo. The schools GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $62,000 and stimuluspledge.org, the website launched for people to donate their stimulus checks, has brought in $80,000. Iverson-Comelo said more than 300 Bridges families will get $500 checks.

This has shown me that people are willing to take care of each other, she said.

As I talked to Melvin and Maria, I could hear the shrieks of children playing outside. Melvin is afraid to let his 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter play outside, so they play games inside as a family. After a lunch of handmade tortillas and soup, the family moved the round patio table aside so that the daughter had room to dance.

Melvin was relaxed and smiling.

I hope that when everything calms down, I can actually in person meet the people and say thank you, he said.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov emphasizes that Ukraine is working on the return of all its territories, including Crimea, and will offer a separate platform for negotiations on Crimea.

"First of all, when I visited the president with the prime minister, and I was offered to head this ministry, I immediately asked the question: 'Do I understand it correctly that we are talking about the temporarily occupied Crimea and the temporarily occupied part of Donbas? The answer was: 'Yes, you understand it correctly, so and in no other way,'" he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Reznikov recalled that his first official business trip as reintegration minister was a trip to the Kherson region, on the administrative border line with Crimea, temporarily occupied by Russia.

He also indicated that Ukraine would propose a format for international negotiations on the return of Crimea and is discussing this with its partners.

"There will be a separate platform on Crimea, because the existing Minsk was originally created to solve the Donbas issue - to end Russia's military aggression against Ukraine," the deputy prime minister said.
Depression soon, heavy showers likely in several regions of TN; Puducherry

Pondy extends lockdown till May 31; curbs eased, liquor shops to reopen

India

pti-PTI

Puducherry, May 18: The Puducherry government on Monday decided to extend the lockdown till May 31 in keeping with the guidelines issued by the Centre and announced that liquor shops will reopen from tomorrow.

The liquor outlets would be open from 7 am to 7 pm Tuesday,Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters after a Cabinet meeting where a decision to this effect was taken.

These shops have been shut since March 25 when the nation-wide lockdown was announced to contain the spread of coronavirus. Intra-state bus services would also be resumed from Tuesday and all shops and hostels would be allowed to function from 6 am to 7 pm from tomorrow, he said.

Lockdown 4.0: Cabs, buses, private offices allowed in Delhi; No salons

Shops were earlier permitted to function till 5 pm. The chief minister said a decision on imposing 'COVID-19 tax' on liquor and also on petrol and diesel would soon be taken to augment the state's revenues.

He said since shops in Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions are closely situated, there was possibility of outlets drawing large number of customers. People turning up at the shops should wear masks and maintain social distancing, he added.

Police, Revenue and Excise department officials would keep a close watch and regulate the crowd. Revenue from the liquor business by way of excise duty is a major source of income for the Territorial government.

The Chief Minister also announced that the cabinet had decided to extend the lockdown till May 31 in keeping with the decision taken by the Centre.
Princess Eugenie re-shared actor Kevin Bacon's appreciation post for key workers - before expressing her own thanks to our 'health heroes.'

Taking to Instagram, the royal, 30, re-shared a video posted by the Footloose star which shows several NHS workers re-enacting the famous 'My heart will go on' scene from Titanic, while being pushed along on a hospital bed with a series of amusing props.

In his initial post, Kevin Bacon, 61, penned: 'If this video doesnt help remind us what type of heroic spirits nurses are, I dont know what does!

'Today is #InternationalNursesDay and more than ever, we must celebrate them and the incredible, tireless, selfless work they are doing each day to save lives and combat this virus.

Princess Eugenie (pictured), 30, has taken to Instagram to express a personal thanks to our 'health heroes'

The royal re-shared a video posted by Kevin Bacon (pictured), which shows nurses re-enacting a scene out of Titanic while being pushed along on a hospital bed

'Also a reminder I am matching donations up to $50K in @sixdegreesofkb donations to support @frontlinefoods and @feedthefightdc and their efforts to feed our frontline workers. This is a great way to honor all of the hard work these folks are doing.'

It comes a day after Princess Eugenie praised her special mum Sarah Ferguson for bringing joy and happiness through her 'storytime' YouTube show during this challenging time.'

Taking to social media, Princess Eugenie shared a screenshot of her mother, the Duchess of York's post, and wrote: '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 his initial post, the actor, 61, penned: 'If this video doesnt help remind us what type of heroic spirits nurses are, I dont know what does!'

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 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.

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.'

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 royal has previously 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)
SAVANNAH, Ga. - More than two years before he was fatally shot in a Georgia subdivision, Ahmaud Arbery had a tense confrontation in a public park with police officers who attempted to use a stun gun on him after Arbery angrily protested being bothered and refused to let them search his parked car.

You bothering me for nothing! Arbery tells one of the Glynn County police officers whose body camera recorded the encounter on Nov. 7, 2017.

Arbery was killed Feb. 23 by a white father and son who armed themselves and gave chase after seeing the 25-year-old black man running down their street. More than two months passed before a video of the killing emerged, sparking an outcry. Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, were then jailed on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.

Attorneys for Arberys parents said Tuesday that the body camera video from 2017 shows Arbery being harassed by the same police department that declined to arrest his killers. The McMichaels were taken into custody after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case this month.

Ahmaud Arbery's family attorneys have condemned the release of police footage of the slain 25-year-old man. They joined local NAACP leaders at a news conference to speak out against what they call attempts to portray Arbery in a negative light. (May 19) (The Associated Press)

In the incident report for the 2017 encounter, officer M. Kanago writes that he pulled up behind Arberys car parked in an open field at a public park because it was a known area for drugs and other criminal activity.

First obtained by The Guardian, the video released Monday shows Arbery repeatedly declining when an officer asks to search his Toyota. A backup officer arrives, and tells Arbery dont reach the car and keep your hands out your pockets. This second officer then attempts to use a stun gun as Arbery raises his hands out to his sides. The device just clicks loudly; the officer later says it malfunctioned. Arbery complies with orders to get on the ground, and he goes to his knees.

At the beginning of the encounter, Arbery hands over his drivers license and asks the first officer on the scene why hes being bothered. When hes told that the area is known for drugs, Arbery becomes angry. Criminal activity? Im in a f-ing park! I work! What the f- you talking about?

The first officer pats him down looking for weapons. Im not searching you. Im checking you for weapons, he says, adding: You dont have any warrants.

Absent probable cause or a court-issued warrant, police generally arent allowed to search a parked car without permission.

Arbery was not arrested or charged with any crimes. S. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Arberys mother, said Tuesday that the video showed Arbery being harassed by police.

The same reason that Ahmaud Arbery was killed was the same reason he was stopped in that park. It was the criminalization of blackness itself, Merritt said at a news conference. They saw a black man alone in the park and said, You know what, this appears suspicious.

Officer Brandon Kondo, a Glynn County police spokesman, said the department is not issuing any statements regarding the Ahmaud Arbery case, or previous interactions. He referred any questions to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the shooting investigation.

In the police report, the first officer on the scene wrote that as Arbery, bare-chested beneath an open coat, became angry, I observed veins popping from his chest which made me feel that he was becoming enraged and may turn physically violent toward me.

As the officer calls for backup, the body camera video shows Arbery shouting at him: You hit me with that s-, bitch, you gonna be f up!

After police try to stun him, Arbery and the officers seem to calm down. On his knees, Arbery says: So in the park chilling, then, thats a crime?

Well, when its way back here ... its kind of weird, one of the officers replies on the body camera footage. We dont see cars sitting out here that often.

The officers let Arbery go about eight minutes after the encounter began. But hes told he cant drive off in his car because he has a suspended license. He walks away.

Two law enforcement experts who reviewed the video for The Associated Press said they saw no blatant abuses by the officers. Its possible the attempt to stun him was justified by Arberys aggressive behaviour, though his anger also seems understandable, said Nirej Sekhon, a Georgia State University law professor who studies policing.

Hes there in the park and if we take him at his word  and theres no reason not to  hes trying to have a moment to himself and being questioned by police is aggravating, Sekhon said.

Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said she would have liked to see the officers act a bit more calm and collected, but added that they acted by the book.

Police also released video Tuesday of Arberys Dec. 1, 2017, arrest outside a Brunswick Walmart store on shoplifting charges. The video shows Arbery being ordered to lie face-down while being handcuffed. Court records show Arbery pleaded guilty to trying to steal a television and was sentenced to five years on probation.

___

Brumback reported from East Point, Georgia.
A disturbing sign calling for the hanging of the White Houses top infectious diseases expert featured at a rally repeatedly praised by Donald Trump.

The protest in New York on Thursday against coronavirus lockdown measures made headlines when a local television news reporter received sustained abuse from demonstrators there.

The reporter, Kevin Vesey, posted footage of the incident on Twitter, which was shared thousands of times and eventually by the US president himself, who retweeted it multiple times.

People cant get enough of this. Great people! Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday in support of the protesters, many of whom were the presidents supporters.

Though the sign calling for the execution of Dr Anthony Fauci did not feature in the social media video, it appeared in a TV report by Mr Vesey for News 12 Long Island.

Hang Fauci, hang Gates, open up all our states, reads the sign, which is shown to the camera by a male demonstrator.

The threatening message references Dr Fauci and Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft founder who has sounded the alarm on pandemics and has become the centre of unfounded conspiracy theories among some on the far-right about Covid-19.

Protester holds disturbing sign at anti-lockdown rally (News 12 Long Island)

Some of these activists claim, contrary to any evidence, that Mr Gates is part of a global scheme to hype the dangers of the disease and gain financially from finding a vaccine.

Dr Fauci has also been the target of anger from some Trump supporters due to his repeated warnings about the dangers of ending lockdown measures too early and his willingness to counter misinformation emanating from the White House.

The protest in Commack, Suffolk County, on Thursday was organised by a group of Trump supporters who called themselves the Setauket Patriots, and backed by a branch of the Oath Keepers, a radical right-wing organisation associated with the militia movement.

As of Saturday, Suffolk County had suffered a confirmed 1,733 deaths from coronavirus  the ninth-worst figure in the entire country  and almost 38,000 confirmed cases.

The White House has been contacted for comment.
Jaipur, May 19 : At a time when the Congress leaders are busy making scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his recent announcement of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign, Vishwendra Singh, Rajasthan state tourism minister and an ex-royal from Bharatpur princely state, has come out open to support the PM for launching this ambitious campaign.

In his tweet, Singh said, "Fail to fathom the protest against #AtmanirbharBharat. Countries around the world have made themselves self sufficient. Why shouldn't #India do the same? I for one wholeheartedly support this initiative by PM @narendramodi. Time to think beyond #pettypolitics." Meanwhile, state BJP president Satish Poonia welcomed his statement and retweeted this tweet. Further, he replied saying,"@vishvendrabtp ji surely if all people representatives like you stand united in support of the spirit of nation first, then @narendramodi ji's #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan will soon attain success and India will lead the world by becoming world guru again." Replying to Poonia, Singh said, "We always stand dedicated to create a self-sufficient India, the country always stands first for us. My ancestors gave up their Bharatpur princely state to a united and independent India on one call of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 21:46:36|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean legislators on Monday called for the postponement of June and November 2020 public examinations following disruptions to the school calendar by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sitting during the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education, the legislators said learners are not prepared to sit for the examinations due to the short time they have had of learning this year.

While some have continued classes through e-learning, a vast majority of the students in rural areas had been disadvantaged due to lack of access to the internet.

Those with access to internet were also facing difficulties due to the high cost of data.

Committee chairperson Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga said the government must consider the plight of the disadvantaged rural student.

Legislator Johnson Madhuku said the performance of disadvantaged students will certainly be affected if the government sticks to its original 2020 examination timetable.

Responding to queries from the legislators, Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) director Lazarus Nembaware said the organization will wait for guidance from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Nembaware said they were now waiting for dates from the government after the announcement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday that learning of examination classes can now resume.

He said it was too early to talk about shifting the November examinations, noting that what the examination body will do in the meantime is to prepare the examination papers so that they are ready when government gives the green light.

"As far as we are concerned we will still put into motion the wheels of preparing for the November examination and then wait for direction from the ministry. We are amenable to the issues," he said.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education is on Wednesday expected to address parliament on when schools will re-open and the modalities of operation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mnangagwa on Saturday extended indefinitely the lockdown period which started on March 30, adding that reviews will be conducted after every two weeks to assess the situation.

Zimbabwe currently has 46 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 18 recoveries and four deaths. Enditem
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

The SunZia Southwest Transmission Project is seeking an alternative route to move its massive clean energy line out of White Sands Missile Range and away from sensitive wildlife refuges in Socorro County.

The company asked the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements New Mexico office in March to consider amending the federal right of way it obtained in 2015, which allowed it to cut through White Sands northern extension area and cross the Rio Grande at Escondida, just north of Socorro.

SunZia developers say adjusting the route could win critical U.S. Department of Defense support for the project, and potentially reduce opposition from conservation groups and Socorro County officials who fear the line would cause irreparable harm to flocks of migrating birds and other wildlife, while damaging the areas pristine landscapes.

Reopening the BLMs National Environmental Protection Act, or NEPA, process represents a complete reversal from SunZias previous position during eight years of BLM deliberations from 2008 to 2015, when it refused to locate its line outside the White Sands extension zone, leading to years of conflict with the U.S. Department of Defense that culminated in a compromise agreement to bury portions of its transmission infrastructure.

Pursuing a new NEPA means pushing the 14-year-old project back another four years, to 2024. But it might help pave the way for final state-level approvals needed to move forward, which came to a screeching halt in September 2018 when the Public Regulation Commission rejected SunZias application for line-location permits, said SunZia New Mexico Executive Director John Ryan.

We took a step back and evaluated internally what makes sense to solve some of the issues that werent resolved in the first NEPA process, Ryan told the Journal last week. We pretty much stopped all permitting when we didnt get through the PRC, and we looked at ways to reduce opposition. Its taken a lot of time to evaluate potential routes and identify alternatives.

By moving the line outside the extension zone  a call-up area just north of White Sands where ranchers and others are often evacuated for testing exercises  SunZia could indeed win goodwill from the military to help champion the project, said Sherman McCorkle, former member of the New Mexico Military Base Planning Commission and a key player in the SunZia-DOD conflict from 2012-15.

For national security, for White Sands and for New Mexico, this is extremely good news, McCorkle told the Journal. (SunZia) wants New Mexico citizens to be cheerleaders for the project, but they cant be cheerleaders if it harms White Sands. They can be, however, if its out of the call-up area.

SunZias nearly four-year dispute with the DOD involved the Pentagons top brass and Obama White House officials, who negotiated a compromise that committed to bury about five of the 45 miles of line that would pass through the call-up zone.

Despite that agreement, Ryan said, the military was never comfortable with the project transversing the call-up area, an issue that reemerged during PRC hearings in 2018. And with opposition from Socorro County and local communities mounting at the PRC, SunZia opted for a new approach.

We visited with the DOD and White Sands to see if there was an alternative route they could support and advocate for, Ryan said. The new NEPA process will cost time and money, but with them now advocating for it, we feel it will be a better process, given all the permitting we have to go through.

Its unclear whether conservationists and local communities will support the new proposals for SunZia, which would transport wind energy 520 miles from central New Mexico to Arizona for export to Western markets. Exact locations for alternative routing wont become public until the NEPA process begins in a couple of months.

In general, SunZia wants to move the projects east-west segment  which runs from central eastern New Mexico near Corona in Lincoln County west to the Rio Grande  northward beyond the call-up zone and above the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Instead of crossing the river at Escondida, between Sevilleta and the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to the south, SunZia would cross farther north near Bosque in Valencia County.

It would generally parallel the planned Western Spirit Transmission Line, a separate project that also includes a segment running east-west from Corona to Bosque.

SunZias new plans did persuade some Socorro County commissioners to withdraw opposition to the project. The commission voted 3-2 on May 12 to support the alternative route, retracting a unanimous 2018 resolution against SunZia.

And in a separate 3-2 vote, the commission approved an agreement for SunZia to pay county government $20,000 for each mile of line running through Socorro, potentially totaling $1.8 million for 90 miles, to support local health, safety and welfare projects.

But Commission Chairwoman Martha Salas and Commissioner Ray Martinez, who opposed the resolution and agreement, said moving the line north wont limit its impact on wildlife, landscapes and land owners.

It doesnt change anything, Salas told the Journal. It doesnt matter where you cross the river, it will impede migrating birds and impact the entire area.

Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust Executive Director Cecilia Rosacker said the entire river zone from Bernalillo County to Bosque del Apache is a critical, continental migratory bridge for tens of thousands of birds that roost and feed along the waterway.

Its a major migratory corridor where the birds spend the winter, Rosacker said. Moving the line north doesnt change our concerns, because it will still impact them.

The Land Trust and other groups say the only solution is to bury the lines at the river.

That would defuse a lot of opposition, Salas said. Theres no perfect solution, and some will still be concerned, but most of the opposition would go away if the line went underground.

The NEPA process will consider below-ground alternatives.

It will be up to the BLM, Ryan said.
The attorneys of the Khachatryans have issued a statement sounding the alarm about the ongoing and overtly unlawful acts of the National Security Service of Armenia. The statement reads as follows:

The attorneys of the Khachatryans are sounding the alarm about several unlawful acts that have been committed in the period between April 30 and May 17. In this period, several dozens of unlawful searches have been conducted in the homes and structures of co-founder of Galaxy Group, chairman of the board of directors of Ucom Gurgen Khachatryan, his family and relatives, as well as persons related to them, and this has sparked several questions with respect to the lawfulness of the motions for searches and the actions of the National Security Service.

It should also be stated that a specific judge had partially upheld nearly ten motions for searches, permitting a search to find Gurgen Khachatryan, but instead of appealing the court decision to the appeal court as prescribed by law, criminal prosecution bodies submitted the motion to the court in minutes, and the case was inscribed to a desired judge, who immediately upheld the motion and satisfied the desire of the National Security Service. This means that under this criminal case, even courts cant serve as a reliable mechanism to restrain the unlawful actions of the body implementing criminal proceedings. This is the second search in the homes of the family members of Gurgen Khachatryan over the past week. Employees of the special significance subdivisions of the National Security Service of Armenia have already been engaged in the searches and have started seizing objects, including pictures posted on the walls of the homes, but the courts hadnt given permission for seizure, the attorney stated.
UK's media watchdog Ofcom has fined controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Peace TV network 300,000 pounds for broadcasting "hate speech" and "highly offensive" content in the country. The London-based regulator for the communications services in the UK has fined licence holders of Peace TV Urdu 200,000 pounds and Peace TV 100,000 pounds for breaking its broadcasting rules.

"Our investigations found that programmes broadcast on Peace TV Urdu and Peace TV contained hate speech and highly offensive content, which in one instance was likely to incite crime," it said.

"We concluded that the content represented serious failures of compliance with our broadcasting rules, which warranted fines. Ofcom has today fined the former licence holders of Peace TV Urdu 200,000 pounds and Peace TV 100,000 pounds for breaking our broadcasting rules," Ofcom said in a statement.

READ: UK economy to witness 'slower' recovery amid COVID-19 crisis: OBR head

Peace TV is owned by Lord Productions Limited, and Club TV holds the licence of Peace TV Urdu. Both have the Universal Broadcasting Corporation Limited as their parent company which is owned by Naik, a 54-year-old televangelist and Islamic preacher from Mumbai.

"The former licence holders, Club TV and Lord Production must now pay 200,000 pounds and 100,000 pounds respectively to HM Paymaster General," said the statement issued early this month.

Peace TV is a nonprofit satellite television network broadcasting free-to-air programmes in English, Bengali and Urdu languages from Dubai. The founder and president of Peace TV are Naik.

The controversial preacher has been wanted in India for money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches. He left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.

Last week, India made a formal request to the Malaysian government for his extradition. He was banned from entering into the UK in 2010 due to his "unacceptable behaviour".

READ: UK recruits over 17,000 people for contact tracing amid pandemic crisis
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will join U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and others in a virtual town hall Monday, May 18, to discuss stimulus funding for communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, hosted by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, will feature leaders of black, Latino and Asian legislative caucuses who will discuss the CARES stimulus package and upcoming stimulus bills. Discussion will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, and will be available on Zoom.

As the nation enters month three of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, it is clear that the pandemic has disproportionately devastated Black and Brown communities across the country, reads a press release about the town hall.

Joining Gilchrist and Harris in the discussion will be Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Rep. Karen Bass, Congressional Hispanic Caucus 1st Vice-Chair, Rep. Ruben Gallego, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus 2nd Vice-Chair, Rep. Mark Takano.

Illinois State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth will also be present to share a case study on how the black legislative caucus in her state secured commitments from the state to direct federal stimulus funds to front-line organizations advancing community safety.

The town hall will include a Q&A session for legislators and their staff. It will be moderated by the Robert Rooks, CEO for the Alliance for Safety and Justice.

The health and well being of black communities have long been harmed by under-investment in essential programs and resources that people rely on for their health and safety," Rooks said in a prepared statement. "The groups and services in communities that help people meet their core needs must receive state and federal support to reduce the harm of this pandemic and ensure healthy communities.

Mondays event is co-sponsored by the Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs and National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women.

To watch the town hall, register for the Zoom conference, 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.

Read more on MLive:

The flu has killed 2,200 Michiganders since 2000. Coronavirus topped that in a month.

Michigan salons left in the dark as pressure to reopen mounts

Man who tested positive for coronavirus arrested after spitting at, threatening ER staff

Monday, May 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan
It is a tough time for the world due to Pandemic we are not able to answer COVID-19. Businesses are seeing a hidden enemy, which is a troubling world from the last four months. But we humans never give up. It's life and we have to keep rolling. Many countries are ready to start their business, and entrepreneurs are prepared to start a business in a new way.



Salem bin Nasser Al-Shangal Qatari Businessman:

Salem bin Nasser Al-Shangal, A Qatari businessman, is in our list of a top businessman who we feel will make it big soon after Pandemic.

Salem bin Nasser Al-Shangal is in the field of general trade and new cars trade. It is a tough time for him and his field of work. But he is ready to take on this massive challenge in 2020.

Salem Bin Nasser a Passionate businessman:

Salem bin Nasser is a passionate businessman who focuses hard on his work, love to meet productive people. His inspiration comes from his father, who supported him from the beginning of his life, whether it is business or personal experience.

Pandemic a challenge:

Pandemic has changed his plans in 2020. Now he is coming up with new concepts this year to cover all the loop points, expand the business to other parts of the world and gain something big before 2020 ends.

He knows Coronavirus has Paralyzed our world and business. Still, he also feels it is a golden opportunity for all the investors to try something new, which creates demand in the market.



Salem bin Nasser and his business:

Salem bin Nasser runs a group of companies, in which most important are SBN General Trading Group, and Diyar Al-Ezz Company for New Cars Trading, and it was established in 2008 with 100% Qatari ownership and management.

Qatar is the best place for business:

According to Salem bin Nasser, The State of Qatar has an attractive and developed business environment, thanks to wise leadership, which has spared no effort to overcome the difficulties facing merchants, to develop these businesses and trade in the state and from outside.

He always tries to find passionate people, enthusiasts of development, success and achievement. He also feels lucky that his team is working superbly with innovative ideas.

To all the newcomers in the business, Salem pieces of advice are hard work, diligence, diligence, development and development of their work. It doesn't look fascinating, but this is only the way to success in life.

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Is the Insurance Policy Affected if the Business Opens Against a Governors Orders: The Facts About Supposed Illegal Acts Exclusions

States have gone to war against some municipalities over COVID-19. Executive orders currently in place in many states still bar certain businesses considered non-essential from opening; but some municipalities have told their respective governors they are opening the community regardless.

Governors in these situations have undertaken various tactics to prevent these municipalities from carrying through with their plans. North Carolinas governor told a county that if they opened, all state funding would be cut (the county capitulated). Other governors, seemingly out of options, have undertaken a unique and indirect tactic  misrepresenting insurance coverage.

Although this sounds like an odd tactic, the goal is to scare the business owners into remaining closed. If the governors can successfully do this, it doesnt matter what the city or county does, businesses wont open out of fear.

Governors and their representatives are publicly stating that if a business opens in violation of the executive order, doing so places its insurance coverage in jeopardy because of the illegal, criminal and dishonest acts exclusions. The problem is, there is enough untruth in these statements to make them lies.

Lets review the truth or half-truths of these claims on a coverage-by-coverage basis. Note, analysis is of unendorsed policy language, endorsements can alter policy language.

Commercial General Liability (ISOs CG 00 01 04 13)

Coverage A  Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability. Simply, there is NO illegal or criminal acts exclusion applicable to Coverage Part A. One state knowingly took indecent liberties with the Expected or Intended Injury exclusion in its attempt to assert that coverage would be denied.

The expected or intended injury exclusion does not act to deny claims resulting from opening against a governors orders. This exclusion applies to the actions of an insured that one would EXPECT or INTEND to cause injury such as punching someone in the nose or setting a trap. A reasonable person intends and would expect that someone would be injured by such acts.

No one opening a store expects or intends to cause injury or damage. Asserting that coverage provided by Coverage A in the CGL is affected by the governors order is false.

There does not appear to be an applicable exclusion in Coverage Part A. So, a slip-and-fall incident is covered, a products liability claim is covered, basically anything covered under Coverage A in normal times is covered if/when the business opens  even against a governors orders.

Coverage B  Personal and Advertising Injury Liability. There is a Criminal Acts exclusion appliable to personal and advertising injury coverage. Within Coverage B is this specific exclusion:

Exclusions

This insurance does not apply to:

Criminal Acts

Personal and advertising injury arising out of a criminal act committed by or at the direction of the insured.

Personal and advertising injury is a defined term. Basically, this exclusion applies to activities and actions such as libel, slander, defamation of character, violating a right of privacy, wrongful eviction, false arrest and other such actions. If any of the acts listed in the definition is done in violation of a law, there is no coverage.

If the store owner calls the governor a nasty name, that would be excluded; but only if doing so is considered a criminal act. Thus, this exclusion is a non-issue.

Coverage C  Medical Payments. In short, there are no exclusions for illegal, criminal or dishonest acts in Coverage C. Where the insured had coverage before, they still have coverage.

Commercial Property

Within ISOs CP 00 10 10 12  Building & Personal Property Coverage Form there is one reference to illegal. The policy excludes coverage for contraband, or property in the course of illegal transportation or trade. This is intended to exclude coverage for products that are illegal to import, export or sell.

Two key questions arise:

Is operating in defiance of an executive order a criminal act (illegal); and

If it is a criminal act, does ignoring an executive order mean the operation is in the course of illegaltrade?

Illegal or Criminal Act

An illegal act is one that is forbidden by law. In the absence of this pandemic, the reasonable assumption is that the insured is a legal operation and was operating legally. Whether an executive order disallowing the operation of a business is given the effect of or is equivalent to a law is a question for the courts.

If operating in defiance of an executive order is forbidden by law (making it a criminal act), will the law be upheld in court? Reports are that at least one state court has determined that stay-at-home orders are not legal. Whether other courts will follow is unknown.

For sake of this analysis, lets make the worst-case assumption that operating in defiance of an executive order is considered a criminal act. If operating against a lock down order is a criminal act, this is strike one towards the lack of property coverage.

However, given the anecdotal evidence, these orders do not appear to hold status as a law. They are emergency declarations that can be enforced to a certain degree. If they were, in fact, laws and the actions were illegal, the governors would not need to use scare tactics and/or threats such as the revocation of the business operating license, they would simply have the owner arrested.

Additionally, laws cannot generally be created by edict. A law (statute) generally requires approval of both houses. Yes, as stated, an executive does have broad powers during a declared emergency, but that does not include the ability to create a law or statute.

Lastly, in general the US is a supposed to be a bottom-up regulatory model. The only reason the NC county succumbed to the governors orders was because the state threatened to take away state funds. Evidently, opening is not illegal, its just against the governors wishes contained in the emergency declaration. (Its unlikely that any level of government would want the executive to have the ability to create law by edict.)

If the actions are NOT criminal, coverage for the property is NOT excluded.

Is Operating in Defiance of the Order In the Course of Illegal Trade

In the course of can be defined to mean during a specified period. Other definitions include in the process of, and during.

Blacks Law redirects the definition of course of trade to trade usage. Trade usage redirects to usage. Under usage is found the meaning of trade usage. A long way around to the information needed.

Trade or trade usage in Blacks Law essentially means the common methods of operation. Other sources define trade to mean a business or occupation entered into for profit.

Given the above, it appears any business operating is in the course of trade. If operating in defiance of a governors order is illegal (a criminal act), the business is in the course of illegal trade. Operating in the course of illegal trade negates property coverage during the time of illegal operations.

The commercial property form does not limit the application of this wording to real or personal property  the wording applies to all property.

Unfortunately, there is not a fix for this possible exclusion of coverage. The lynchpin or key factor to whether the property is covered or excluded from coverage is whether the operation is illegal. If opening is not illegal, there is no loss of coverage; if opening is a crime, there is no property coverage.

ISOs CP 10 30 09 17  Causes of Loss  Special Form contains an exclusion for dishonest or criminal acts; however, the wording applies to actions undertaken by the insured to damage or destroy covered property. This exclusionary wording does not apply to the operation of the business within or outside the allowances of an executive order.

Is coverage excluded for property losses when the business is operating in defiance of an executive order? This may ultimately be a question for the courts.

If a governors decree does NOT carry the weight of a law, its unlikely this wording would apply  meaning there would be coverage regardless the governors wishes;

If a governors decree IS given the weight of a law, making the act of opening illegal, the insured may lose property coverage; or

If a governors declaration is granted the weight of a law, but such decree is struck down by the courts, coverage may be reinstated.

From a property coverage perspective, the question of coverage is murky. Carriers may or may not attempt to spit hairs to deny or provide coverage.

Workers Compensation and Employers Liability

Does NCCIs workers compensation policy respond to cover an injury to an employee arising out of and in the course and scope of employment if the business is operating against that orders of the state? Workers compensation is a unique coverage, the policy responds in accordance to the guidelines of the states workers compensation statutes. To answer the question, the statute must be reviewed. If statute does not exclude protection to employees working in violation of the law, the work comp policy responds and pays for injury  regardless of the executive order.

Because workers compensation is for the benefit of the injured worker, it is unlikely any state law would disallow coverage for any work-related injury, even if the business is operating against an executive order. This violates the spirit and intent of the coverage. In fact, some work comp statutes specify that it applies to workers whether lawfully or unlawfully employed.

The respective state law must be reviewed, but such limitation or exclusion is unlikely to be found. Furthermore, there is no wording in the policy itself that would allow the insurance carrier to seek repayment from the insured. Thus, opening in defiance of an executive order does not appear to jeopardize workers compensation coverage.

Part Two  Employers Liability does contain exclusionary wording regarding employment in violation of the law. The policy reads:

Exclusions

This insurance does not cover:

bodily injury to an employee while employed in violation of law with your actual knowledge or the actual knowledge of any of your executive officers.

Is the employment in violation of the law or is the operation in violation of the law? The apparent intent is to exclude employers liability protection for those employed in violation of federal guidelines regarding status as a legal worker in the US. Given the intent, this exclusion does not appear to apply. But remember, this is regarding the employers liability protection only, this wording does NOT apply to workers compensation.

Business Auto (CA 00 01 10 13-Business Auto Coverage Form)

There is no illegal, criminal or dishonest act exclusion in Section II  Covered Autos Liability Coverage of the business auto policy (BAP). Like the CGL, there is the Expected or Intended Injury exclusion; but, as in the CGL review, this is irrelevant in regard to this conversation.

Operating in disregard to the executive order does not appear to negatively affect the liability coverage provided by the business auto policy. If the BAP did exclude illegal acts, there would be no coverage for injury caused when speeding, when making an illegal turn or many other actions that are illegal.

Neither is there an applicable exclusion under the physical damage coverage. No specific exclusionary wording appears to affect uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage either.

Apparently, the business auto policy responds regardless of any orders in place.

Professional Liability and Errors & Omissions Policies

There is no standard professional liability or errors and omissions (E&O) contract, thus each will require separate review. However, most of these forms do contain exclusions related to criminal conduct. But does such wording exclude coverage simply because the business is open?

Given the intent of coverage, professional liability and E&O policies cover the professional activities of the insured and the harm caused by the improper practice of those activities. Opening against the wishes of the governor doesnt seem to entail the professional activities.

For example, assume insurance agencies were not considered essential businesses and were forced to close. If an agency owner decided to reopen in spite of the order, any act or failure to act for or on behalf of a client may result in an E&O suit. IF opening is a criminal act (its not clear if such act is criminal), does that activate the criminal acts exclusion?

Opening in defiance of any order has no correlation to the erroneous act of the agent. They are separate and distinct incidents. One has no relationship to the other.

This same logic appears to apply to all other activities covered by either a professional liability or an E&O policy. Opening against the wishes of the governor does not appear to affect coverage.

However, some governors have threatened to and some already have revoked certain professional licenses. If holding a professional license is a condition of the professional liability or E&O coverage, then these coverages appear to be in jeopardy.

Most occupations that require professional liability or E&O coverage also require a license to provide the service (not the same as a business license). If the government, through its police powers, revokes a professional license, the coverage may cease to exist for any future events. Revoking a professional license is not the same as revoking a business license. For agents, this is revoking the agents P&C license, not the agencys license to exist. Whether such revocation is allowed by law is not a topic for discussion in this article.

Executive or Management Liability

Directors and Officers (D&O), Employment Practices Liability (EPL) and Fiduciary Liability are the three most commonly discussed executive or management liability coverages. Like professional liability and E&O, there are no standard forms. Likewise, these forms generally do contain exclusions related to illegal, criminal, and/or dishonest acts.

Following are examples from two separate management liability forms:

Exclusions:

The Insurer shall not be liable to make any payment for Loss in connection with any Claim made against any Insured:

alleging, arising out of, based upon or attributable to:

(2) the deliberately fraudulent or criminal acts of an Insured; provided, however, this exclusion shall only apply when it is finally adjudicated that such conduct occurred;

EXCLUSIONS

We will not pay for any loss resulting from any claim:

Based upon, attributable to, or arising in fact out of any dishonest, malicious, fraudulent or deliberately criminal act or any willful violation of any statute or regulation;

Notice the key words common to both exclusionary examples, based upon, attributable to and arising out of. Neither exclusion applies to any management liability suit unrelated to opening against the will of the governor. The only suits that might be excluded are management liability suits directly related to the violation of the decree; otherwise, the policy is unaffected.

Findings

Overall, opening in defiance of a governors decree appears to have little effect on insurance coverage. Questions arise in two policy types:

Commercial property; and

Professional liability / E&O policies.

If, and this seems to be a big if, the act of opening is a criminal act, the insureds commercial property coverage may be compromised. And if the state revokes the business owners professional license (not business license), the professional liability or E&O policy may exclude coverage.

The fear tactics being used by some states surrounding insurance coverage are largely unsupported. Not being lawyers, no agent should advise on what constitutes a criminal act, but agents can and are within their licensure to explain insurance language.

Topics Agencies Auto Workers' Compensation Property
The White House rebuked the top US health agency on Sunday, saying "it let the country down" on providing testing crucial to the battle against the coronavirus outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been under intense scrutiny since producing a faulty test for COVID-19 that caused weeks of delays in the US response. Critics have pointed out that it could simply have accepted kits made by the World Health Organization, which has been producing them since late January, instead of insisting on developing its own test. "Early on in this crisis, the CDC, which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space, really let the country down with the testing," White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told NBC's "Meet the Press." "Because not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test. And that did set us back." The Food and Drug Administration has also criticized the CDC for not following its own protocols in manufacturing COVID-19 tests. The errors were not corrected until late February. Trump often blames the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, for passing on "broken tests" for the new coronavirus -- although Obama left office years before the virus came into existence. But Navarro's comments mark the strongest criticism by a named White House official of the CDC's role in the administration's slow rollout of testing. - 'Backbone' - Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar defended the CDC against Navarro's criticism, telling CBS it was never meant to be "the backbone of testing, of broad, mass testing, in the United States." "I don't believe the CDC let this country down. I believe the CDC serves an important public health role. And what was always critical was to get the private sector to the table," he said on "Face the Nation." An editorial in the respected medical journal The Lancet also came to the agency's defense. "There is no doubt that the CDC has made mistakes, especially on testing in the early stages of the pandemic... But punishing the agency by marginalizing and hobbling it is not the solution," it said. "A strong CDC is needed to respond to public health threats, both domestic and international." The United States has the world's largest coronavirus outbreak by far, with more than 89,000 deaths among nearly 1.5 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. On March 6, Trump said as he toured the CDC headquarters in Atlanta that four million "beautiful" testing kits would be available within a week and that "anybody that needs a test gets a test." More than two months later, just 12 million Americans have been tested -- less than four percent of the population. That places it 39th in the world behind other hard-hit countries like Russia, Italy and Spain, according to trusted online statistics source Worldometer. Experts say widespread testing -- of healthy people as well as those with symptoms -- is crucial as a means of knowing exactly where the virus is spreading as the US begins reopening the world's biggest economy. In New York, the hardest-hit part of the US, Governor Andrew Cuomo took a virus test on live television Sunday in a bid to encourage more widespread testing and pave the way for a safer reopening of the populous state. Navarro, echoing a claim made frequently by the president, said that locking down the country until the outbreak was over would kill "a lot more people" through suicides, drug abuse and a halt on medical procedures than the virus itself. He accused China -- where the outbreak started late last year -- of crippling the US economy "in 30 days," but vowed that Trump would rebuild it as the country reopened. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been under intense scrutiny since producing a faulty test for COVID-19 that caused weeks of delays in the US response White House Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro -- pictured on March 22, 2020 -- has accused China of crippling the US economy A medical worker takes a break outside a special COVID-19 area at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City
It may be that searching deliberations about what went wrong in the 2016 news coverage have taken place behind dozens of newsroom doors. Ive heard reports of such post-election discussions, but they seem to have mostly focused on how the media missed the story of economic anxiety and growing anti-elitism in the heartland. This has been remedied by what I like to call the Endless Diner Series: Coastal journalists venturing inland to ask members of Trumps base if they really still like the guy they voted for.
Gleeson on Monday proposed that the judge allow the government and outside groups to respond after he files his argument in three weeks. Also Monday, in one of the first publicly released draft filings to advise the court, more than 960 former Justice Department prosecutors accused Barr of appearing to serve the presidents personal political interests. The prosecutors, whose service dates to President Dwight D. Eisenhowers administration, said in the filing that Barr violated his oath to faithfully execute the law and helped Trump undermine the Constitution by giving an aide impunity to lie to government investigators.
Experts are calling for couriers and other workers at risk of becoming super-spreaders to be the focus of a new wave of coronavirus testing, after a dozen McDonald's outlets were closed when a delivery driver tested positive to COVID-19.

Furniture removalists, Uber drivers and supermarket workers could be also targeted as the countrys testing regime moves beyond those showing signs of illness, to seemingly healthy people in jobs that put them in contact with many people.

Alan Macgill has a job that brings him in regular contact with the public. Credit:Eddie Jim

Victoria recorded eight new cases of coronavirus on Monday. One was a truck driver who is believed to have contracted COVID-19 from an employee at Craigieburn McDonalds, before visiting 12 other McDonalds outlets while asymptomatic.

The state now has 1567 confirmed cases, but there have likely been hundreds of other asymptomatic infections that were never detected by authorities.
Protective face masks tend to hide ones identity and facial features, but in Tamil Nadu masks themselves are having a face of their own. Mask wearers are now sporting printed masks of their favorite heroes such as Rajinikanth, Vijay, Ajith and Surya. This trend has caught up over the last few days after textile exporters in the states knitwear and textile export hub Tiruppur decided to give masks a new face.

With protective face masks becoming an inseparable accessory since the start of the pan-India lockdown in late March, textile manufacturers and exporters from Tamil Nadus Tirupur have started making cloth masks. While the mainstay of the textile industry is export-quality garments, the lockdown has given rise to more makers of cloth masks.

We have been in the garments export business for about 24 years, but this during this lockdown with limited staff we started making cloth masks to cater to the rising demand. For about 45 days now weve been making PPE and masks. We initially supplied it to a few government staff and later on we turned it into a business opportunity Chandrakumar, CEO Sentinel clothing told WION.

With sales and export of garments having nearly dried up during the lockdown, the garment industries have been churning out masks and PPEs in a few thousands every day, with the help of limited staff who are turning up for work. The same equipment that are used for garment manufacturing are now being re-assigned to make masks.

We were initially making masks with zodiac signs printed on them and also 7-color sets for a week, but what really was a hit among the masses was the masks with actors faces on them. Right from masks with prints of evergreen comedian Vadivelu to the action heroes, the demand soared over the last week as we were the only ones experimenting with this. While the plain masks cost 10.Rs apiece the printed ones cost 15, but people prefer the fashionable ones Chandrakumar added.

In recent times the orders for customized masks have piled up from various corporates, schools and even political parties. Suppliers in Tirupur have received orders from the AIADMK and Kamal Haasans Makkal Needhi Maiam, both of whom chose to have their party logo and flag printed on the masks.

While their factory has the capacity to make about 50,000 masks a day, Chadrakumars factory makes only about 5000 due to the less availability of workers. However, he feels that the high demand for masks would last for at least 3 months from now. Over 30 textile units in Tiruppur alone are involved in making masks using the cloth materials.

With the increasing Covid-19 cases in India and the WHO reports that mention about the virus being here to stay, masks are likely to play a greater role in coming times- that of a fashion accessory and a personal statement.
COVID-19 is the UK's largest public health crisis since World War II. There is an urgent need to identify why some patients with the virus do very well whereas others need to be admitted to intensive care and may die from the disease. A new observational study aimed at identifying markers that predict how COVID-19 affects patients is being led by clinicians and academics at North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol.

The DISCOVER (DIagnostic and Severity markers of COVID-19 to Enable Rapid triage) study is focused on blood-based biomarkers and their ability to predict a patient's disease course alongside demographic factors such as age, sex, frailty and other medical conditions.

When patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are admitted to hospital, they will be approached by the research team and consented for blood sampling and access to their medical history. These patients will then be followed up for 28 days, remotely, and their clinical progress recorded. Blood samples from the study will be stored anonymously for future research.

One biomarker the research team will test is suPAR (soluble urokinase plasminogen activating receptor), which has already had encouraging results from Greek data, alongside other more conventional tests, such as troponin, NT-proBNP and ferritin. The team will also test a variety of molecules that control the immune system, known as "cytokines". This is very important as, although the majority of patients with COVID-19 recover quickly, at the present time doctors do not yet know the best way to predict which patients to keep in hospital to monitor more closely. This early triage of patients is crucial to manage the pressure on hospital beds safely.

Dr David Arnold at North Bristol NHS Trust and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow in the Bristol Medical School: (THS), said: "We hope to rapidly publish this work and share our results with other UK and international centres to allow wider use of successful prognostic biomarkers. Our study could help doctors in the future decide which tests are useful in managing coronavirus and which are not."

Dr Fergus Hamilton, Honorary Research Fellow in the Bristol Medical School: (PHS), added: "One of the key strengths of DISCOVER is that despite the rapid speed of application, ethical approval, and data collection, plans were made early to collaborate with both local and national researchers to ensure that any samples or data collected will be available to ensure the benefit to the wider research community, and ultimately, to patients. We have developed many collaborations over a short period, including with the UNCOVER group and Public Health England."

Collaborations include:

* Development and testing of antibody testing (or 'immunity passports'); * Developing techniques to measure drug levels for potential treatments for COVID-19; * Finding ways to measure live virus in blood (with one of only two labs in the UK authorized to work with SARS-CoV-2); * Understanding the 'microbiome' of COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit; * Measurement of whether patients with cancer have a different immune response to COVID-19; * Testing whether patients' genes (or how they are activated) affects response to COVID-19.

Patients admitted to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) will shortly join the North Bristol NHS Trust led study, with hospitals in Exeter and Gloucester entering in the coming weeks.

This North Bristol NHS Trust led study will be working with the Trust's charity, Southmead Hospital Charity, to support DISCOVER. Additionally this ground-breaking research project has also received funding from the University's Elizabeth Blackwell Institute.

If you are interested in donating to help fund DISCOVER and provide further ground-breaking research into COVID-19, please contact Southmead Hospital Charity to find out more.

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 19, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (C) and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz attend a memorial service for late Israeli president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, on Se Image Source: IANS

Jerusalem, May 18 : Israels 35th government was sworn in at the Knesset (Parliament), bringing an end to a 508-day political impasse.

On Sunday night, the Knesset voted 73-46 in favour of the new coalition government agreed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival, Benny Gantz, reports The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu was sworn in as Prime Minister and will head the government for the fifth term of his political career.

Gantz, also the Chairman of the Blue and White Party, was sworn in as "alternate Prime Minister and future Prime Minister" as well as Defence Minister.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader who was first elected as Prime Minister in 1996 and has served three consecutive terms since 2009, promised to hand over the premiership to Gantz on November 17, 2021.

"We established the precise terms under which our agreement will be fulfilled and will not be fulfilled," Netanyahu said later in a Channel 12 interview, amid widespread scepticism that he will honour the deal.

"I will fulfil exactly, but exactly, what is written in the agreement. It is my intention and my goal to do so. And there is no reason for me to say anything to you but, yes, that's what we will do." In addition to Netanyahu and Gantz, 32 ministers were sworn in, including the first female ultra-Orthodox Minister, Omer Yankelevich (Diaspora affairs), and the first Ethiopia-born Minister, Pnina Tamano-Shata (immigration and absorption), in Israel's history, said The Times of Israel report.

Totaling 73 lawmakers, the coalition will include 35 MKs from the Likud party, 16 from the Blue and White party, nine from the Shas party, seven from the United Torah Judaism party, two from the Labor party, two from the Derech Eretz party, one from the Jewish Home party and one from the Gesher party.

Speaking at the cabinet's first meeting, which took place immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu told the new Ministers that the COVID-19 pandemic topped the government's agenda.

The second mission would be to pass a state budget and revive the economy, while the third item would be to combat Iran, he said.

The fourth was fighting the war crimes probe in the International Criminal Court and the fifth was the diplomatic issue of West Bank annexation.

Gantz spoke after Netanyahu, saying Israel was ending the "worst political crisis in its history" and calling for an end to "the era of incitement" and the start of an "era of reconciliation".

He said he would do everything so that all Israeli citizens - Jewish or Arab, heterosexual or LGBT - would "feel at home".

Meanwhile, the new government's swearing-in comes just a week before Netanyahu's criminal trial over his suspected corruption.

His trial on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud will start on May 27, but he denies any wrong-doing, slamming the allegations as part of "a witch hunt".
Samsung has unveiled a new smart window that will emit full spectrum natural light throughout the day to simulate real sunlight.

Called SunnyFive, the window is intended for people living in low-lit spaces or suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

Unlike other light therapy lamps, the SunnyFive will let users program their own custom 'sunlight scenarios' through a companion app, creating their own settings for color temperature, brightness and angle of light.

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Samsung has announced the SunnyFive, a new smart window that will emit full spectrum natural light throughout the day to simulate real sunlight and help people living in low light settings or suffering from seasonal affective disorder

The SunnyFive can also automatically shift the angle and intensity of light throughout the day to simulate the movement of the sun.

The window can be set as an alarm clock, according to a report in The Verge, producing a bright morning light to gently nudge its users out of bed even on the gloomiest winter mornings.

According to Samsung, the light will help stimulate the production of vitamin D similar to what sunlight does, but without the added worry of 'skin aging or sunburn.'

It's unclear what Samsung's plans for SunnyFive are - the company hasn't announced a release date or price for the product.

It was unveiled as part of a new line of projects from Samsung's C-Lab, the company's startup incubator that was founded in 2012 and has so far given more than $45million in funding to 45 tech startups.

Users can create their own custom settings for the SunnyFive, altering the angle of light, color temperature and brightness. They can also chose a range of preprogrammed 'sunlight scenarios'

The SunnyFive was based on an earlier prototype called Sunnyside, and can also be used as an alarm to wake people up with bright and cheery sunlight in the mornings

Based on an early prototype called Sunnyside, the SunnyFive was just one of five new projects from C-Lab, which include a smart highlighter pen that can translate printed text into digital files.

Another new product is a sensor that can be built into wearable devices or buildings to monitor average daily exposure to UV rays, keeping track of solar energy exposure or warning about potential sunburns.

'These results illustrate Samsungs commitment to investing in employee-driven innovation and promoting the South Korean startup ecosystem,' Samsung's Inkuk Hahn said in a statement.

'Going forward, we will continue working to unlock Samsung employees potential for creative innovation while encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit.'
Imperial Valley News Center

Alleged Narcotrafficker and High-Ranking Mexican Cartel Member Extradited from Uruguay to the United States

Washington, DC - A Mexican national had his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Columbia Friday on charges related to his alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.

Gerardo Gonzalez Valencia, aka Lalo, 43, arrived at Dulles International Airport Thursday evening after being extradited from Uruguay, where he was arrested in April 2016. The indictment charges Gonzalez Valencia with an international conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, intending and knowing that those substances would be unlawfully imported into the United States. The indictment alleges that Gonzalez Valencias criminal conspiracy ran from 2003 to 2016.

The Department of Justice will never waver in our commitment to disrupt and dismantle CJNG and its enablers, wherever they are found, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners in Uruguay, Valencia Gonzalez now will be held to account in the United States for his alleged crimes.

Todays extradition and arrest of Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia deals another blow to the leadership of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. Mr. Gonzalez-Valencia is alleged to have distributed significant quantities of cocaine and meth and will now face justice in the United States. We are grateful for the outstanding partnership with the National Police and Government of Uruguay during this long term investigation.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by DEA Los Angeles. Trial Attorneys Brett Reynolds, Kaitlin Sahni, Cole Radovich, Kate Naseef and Acting Deputy Chief Anthony Nardozzi of the Criminal Divisions Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Uruguay for making the extradition possible and the U.S. Department of States Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for its support. The Criminal Divisions Office of Enforcement Operations provided assistance in support of this investigation and the Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendants extradition from Uruguay.
A real estate agent has gone viral online after sharing his tips for saving a home deposit in a 15 second TikeTok video.

Jared Kirkwood, 27, of Sheridon Holmes in Melbourne, posted a dance video on May 8 featuring a three-step plan to set aside enough money to buy a property.

'Saving takes sacrifice,' he captioned the clip. 'You can do it!'

Jared Kirkwood, of Sheridon Holmes in Melbourne, has shared his three-step plan to securing a home deposit online

In the first step, Mr Kirkwood advises people to open four bank accounts and name them Erry Day, Bills Away, Rainy Day, and Home Someday.

Next, he says to divide your income by putting 40 per cent into Erry Day, 20 per cent into Bills Away, 15 per cent into Rainy Day, and 25 per cent into Home Someday.

The final step is to adjust and live off the 60 per cent of your income in the Erry Day and Bills Away accounts, while saving 40 per cent for a rainy day and home deposit.

The video has racked up more than 155,000 likes since it was uploaded earlier this month, but has left commentators divided.

Some fans praised the advice for being more practical than attaining an education.

'You are more useful than school,' one person wrote.

Mr Kirkwood says the first step to save a home deposit is to open four bank accounts

Mr Kirkwood advises prospective home buyers to split their earnings across the four accounts

Another added: 'learned more from this video than my economics class.'

Others said the steps were not realistic for their budgets.

'Yeah bit hard when rent alone is 50 per cent plus bills and food/petrol/ day care/ car rego/warrants/tyres,' one woman said.

'Hahaha nope my rent is 75 per cent of my income but nice try,' another comment read.

Mr Kirkwood has been regularly posting popular real estate advice on TikTok since April.

In the videos, the New Homes Advisor recommends building your first home rather than buying a property.

The Melbourne realtor says people should try to live off 60 per cent of their income while saving 40 per cent

Mr Kirkwood explains the price of blocks of land and construction costs can be cheaper than buying a home in the same area.

This gives prospective buyers the opportunity to design their own home, and their property will be worth more in value when it is complete than the cost of having it built.

First home owners can then use the equity made from building their first home to buy another, increasing their property portfolios.

Mr Kirkwood's steps resemble those in step two of best-selling financial guide book The Barefoot Investor.

In it, author Scott Pape advises people to open four bank accounts, and call them everyday, splurge (short term), smile (long term, such as holidays), and fire extinguisher (a house deposit).

Income is then divided, with 40 per cent going into savings (splurge ten per cent, smile ten per cent, and fire extinguisher 20 per cent) and 60 per cent used in the everyday account to live and pay bills.
Supercomputers across Europe were forced to shut down after a string of malware compromises attempted to hijack computing power for mining cryptocurrency.

According to a report from ZDNet, supercomputers in UK, Germany and Switzerland, and potentially a high-performance computer in Spain, were all affected by similar breaches in which nodes controlling clusters of computers were infected with malware.

The breaches occurred at different points over the past week, ZDNet reports.

Security researcher, Chris Doman, co-founder of Cado Security, told ZDNet that the malware was designed to use the supercomputers' power to mine Monero XMR cryptocurrency.

Hackers breached supercomputers across Europe in an effort to hijack computing power for a cryptocurrency mining operation (Stock photo)

As noted by ZDNet, many of the supercomputers that were forced to shut down as a result of the breach were also being used to conduct research on COVID-19.

Specifically, researchers have been using the computers to help develop a viable vaccine.

Hackers reportedly gained access to the computers via SSH credentials stolen from people who were authorized to run processes on the machines.

Those credentials belonged to researchers in Canada, Poland and China, ZDNet, reports.

While security researchers say they haven't been able to concretely link the hacks to the same groups, similarities between the type of malware and other 'network indicators' suggest the efforts may be coordinated.

As noted by ZDNet, this isn't the first time that malware has been loaded onto supercomputers in an effort to mine cryptocurrency, but it's the first time that it's been carried out by hackers.

Supercomputers around the world are being used to speed up the search for a treatment for the deadly coronavirus (stock)

Previous incidents involved employees installing malware for their own personal gain.

As noted by ZDNet, in 2018, Russian authorities arrested engineers at the Russia Nuclear Center after they were discovered using the agency's supercomputer to mine cryptocurrency.
Reliance Industries shareholders will have to pay only 25 per cent for subscribing to the company's mega Rs 53,125-crore rights issue, and the balance will have to be paid in two installments in May and November next year, the company said.

Oil-to-telecom conglomerate's rights issue will open for subscription of shareholders on May 20 and will close on June 3. One share will be offered for every 15 shares held at Rs 1,257.

Of the Rs 1,257 per share price, only 25 per cent is to be paid at the time of subscription. A similar amount will be due for payment in May 2021 and the balance 50 per cent has to be paid in November 2021, the company said in a regulatory filing.

"The rights issue committee of the board of directors, in its meeting held on May 17, 2020, has proposed the following schedule for payment of the balance amount of Rs 942.75 per rights equity share - Rs 314.25 i.e. 25 per cent in May 2021; and Rs 628.50 i.e. the balance 50 per cent in November 2021," it said.

The board, it said, would make the calls for this purpose at the relevant time.

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 first such issue by the firm in nearly three decades.

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 Industries' share price has since risen to Rs 1,458.90 (Friday's closing price), but rights issue price remains the same.

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 Industries (RIL), 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 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 RIL tapped the public for funds was in 1991 when it had issued convertible debentures. The debentures were subsequently converted into equity shares at Rs 55 apiece.

Mukesh 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 a reduction in RIL's net debt.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana government Monday informed the Delhi high court that it has decided to allow advocates to travel to the national capital and have started issuing them e-passes for interstate transit during the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

A bench of justice Siddharth Mridul and justice Talwant Singh were also told by the Uttar Pradesh government that the lawyers who wished to commute to Delhi from Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad may contact the respective nodal officers who will issue them one-time passes.

The submissions were made while hearing a plea by Bar Council of Delhi chairman advocate KC Mittal, who had filed a plea challenging the decision of these states to restrict the movement of advocates, who reside in the NCR areas, to visit offices and courts in the national capital.

During the hearing, Mittal told the court that the pro forma uploaded for issuance of e-passes in districts of Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad do not have column for advocates and it is only meant for Interdistrict movement within the state of Uttar Pradesh.

He said for interstate e-passes, a separate pro forma has to be provided, including advocates in the category of those who could avail of e-passes. He added that e-passes should be issued within half an hour of the application and should be valid for at least one week, to avoid lawyers a daily inconvenience.

The court, taking note of these undertakings, posted the matter to May 20.

Meanwhile, the Delhi high court, also agreed to the suggestions made by the Delhi high court bar association (DHCBA) to reopen the advocates chambers so that lawyers can get retrieve their files and books, but with certain conditions and safeguards, including the number of persons who can access the rooms and the timings thereof.

The high courts committee, set up for the preparation of a graded action plan in opening up courts in a staggered manner, recommended that the chambers can be opened in two phases -- between 10am and noon and 2pm and 4pm.

The committee accedes to the proposal of Mr Mohit Mathur (DHCBA president) for providing access to lawyers to their respective chambers situated in three lawyers chambers block of this court to primarily enable them to take away their files, books, belongings etc., it said.
YouTuber and makeup artist Jeffree Star is being slammed as insensitive and tone-deaf for releasing a cremation-themed eyeshadow palette during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 34-year-old announce the new product this weekend, sharing several images of the black, white, and gray palette on Instagram and uploading an introductory video on YouTube.

But while many of his fans are filled with excitement over the impending release, critics are piling on, too, calling Star a 'capitalist a**hole' and 'f***ed up' for selling a makeup that makes light of death when thousands of people are dying every day from COVID-19.

Uh-oh: YouTuber and makeup artist Jeffree Star is being slammed as insensitive and tone-deaf for releasing a cremation-themed eyeshadow palette during the coronavirus pandemic

New stuff: The 34-year-old announce the new product this weekend, sharing several images of the black, white, and gray palette on Instagram

Theme: It includes a $58 24-shade palette with black, white, and gray eyeshadows with names like R.I.P., Pallbearer, and Last Look

Dark: He also posed for a dark cemetery photoshoot

Jeffree's May 22 launch includes a collection of several products, most notably a $58 palette with 24 shades of eyeshadow.

The shades are all cremation-themed, meaning they're shades of gray, black, and white  and have names like R.I.P., Pallbearer, Last Look, Eulogy, Goodbye, Life Insurance, Angel of Death, Grave Digger, Death Certificate, Burial Gown, Hearse, and Diamond Ashes.

The packaging also has a marble look like an urn, and features urn artwork, and Jeffree posed for a graveside photoshoot to promote the new makeup.

In a video discussing the palette, Jeffree said he picked the name and theme because he liked how goth it was, but also that it's a term he uses with friends.

'You know when you are really blown away by something, you're mesmerized, and it's so sickening? Me and my friends love to say, "B****, I'm cremated. Baby, I'm deceased!" he said.

Details: The packaging also has a marble look like an urn, and features urn artwork

Excited: Jeffree said he picked the name and theme because he liked how goth it was, but also that it's a term he uses with friends

All about death: Shades have names like Eulogy, Goodbye, Life Insurance, Angel of Death, and Grave Digger

Making light: Some of the shadows are called Death Certificate, Burial Gown, Hearse, and Diamond Ashes

Many of his fans quickly came on board and expressed excitement over the upcoming release  but critics chimed in too, sharing their horror and disgust over the ill-timed launch.

'Jeffree star rly released a CREMATION themed palette in the middle of a global pandemic in which the bodies of thousands killed by covid are being cremated. and STILL his deranged lil fans will eat it up lmao. i'm so tired when will that voldemort nosferatu looking c*** just ***.' wrote one.

'Jeffree Star releasing a palette called CREMATED during a global pandemic is peak capitalist a**hole,' wrote another.

'So ur gonna tell me Jeffree star is releasing a palette called "cremated" during a global pandemic where thousands are dying. pls who are his PR team ALSO these shades are so nasty...tell me they arent all dupes of themselves....' a third chimed in.

Not impressed: Critics shared their horror and disgust over the ill-timed launch

'Ok hear me out.,' tweeted another. 'I know Jeffree Star had this palette name trademarked in September but to drop a line called cremated during a pandemic while thousands are dying and given no option but to be cremated.... its kinda f***ed up.'

Yet another made it personal, tweeting: 'My grandma had to be cremated after she died from Covid. This seems like bad timing for such a product.'

One more said that releasing the palette 'during a pandemic where 308k+ people have DIED is so freaking tonedeaf. Had no idea dying was so quirky wouldve died sooner.'

Jeffree has responded to the backlash, but doesn't appear to think much of it.

'There's a lot of people talking about it, it's trending on Twitter and b**** it might be the talk of the town right now,' he said on Instagram.

'There's a lot of positives, a few negatives because everyone's allowed to have their opinion.

Whatever: Jeffree has responded to the backlash, but doesn't appear to think much of it

T'here's always so many meanings with my art and that's what it is, it's mine. I created it for the world, it is allowed to be interpreted any way that anyone wants to take it, but I always come from a good place and this palette is f***ing sickening

'I'm so proud of it and on a real level guys, my father was cremated, my two dogs that passed away last year were cremated, so nothing ever comes from a negative place in my life. So if you take it that way, that's how you articulate things, but b****, not me.'

Star also spoke to fellow YouTuber Sebastian Williams, explaining that the launch has already been delayed because of the pandemic, and he didn't want to delay further.

'With how production is going after months of delays, some things we decided to cancel and others just didn't make sense to wait when we already have a very packed year!!

'I have three more eyeshadow palettes launching in 2020 and several new products launching and Cremated would've been moved to 2021, way later in the year and I never want to risk makeup becoming expired, that's not the best for the customer experience. I want my customers to get the best quality product.'

Following the rules? Jeffree was called out on social media for ignoring social distancing practices back in April

Having friends over? On the 15th, he shared a photo of himself at home with his social media manager. It's unclear if she is living at his house

New wheels: Just days before California's shelter order, he went out to pick up a custom McLaren

This isn't the first time the YouTuber has faced backlash since the pandemic began. In April, he was called out on social media for ignoring social distancing practices.

The 34-year-old YouTuber and makeup artist spent $14.6 million on a 25,000 square-foot house in Hidden Hills, California in December, but since quarantine began, he's left his home to run non-essential errands, like picking up a new luxury car.

Even more brazenly, though, he has also invited friends over, sharing a photo of himself and and his social media manager posing after doing their makeup together.

Jeffree has referenced 'quarantine' several times across Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, but the beauty vlogger doesn't seem to actually be adhering to any sort of quarantine or self-isolation.

On March 20, he uploaded a YouTube video called 'Never Leaving My House Again'  in which he does, in fact, leave his house.

At the end of the clip, Jeffree went to pick up a custom-made pink McLaren, visiting a busy garage to see the car and drive it home.

Post COVID-19 world: On March 20, he uploaded a YouTube video called 'Never Leaving My House Again'  in which he does, in fact, leave his house

Glam squad: He has a hair stylist do his hair, but also heads out to get Botox

Errands: He also goes out to pick up a brand new car that he had customized

Meet and greet: Jeffree walked through a busy garage and met with several people

And while the rest of the video was filmed at his house, several other people were there, despite calls for individuals to stay at home.

'We're going to get ready today. We're going to get ready in this quarantine environment,' Jeffree said near the top of the clip, after greeting his hair stylist in his home

'Everyone out there watching, I think the world is in a really weird state now,' he said.

'I looked at my last makeup review that was at the end of February, and then things really got serious in March,' he explained as his hair stylist intently looked on.

'The fact that there's real cities on full lockdown. There's so much happening, it's just really overwhelming.'

In addition to getting glammed up at home, he also appeared to visit a dermatologist's office to get Botox.

In the video's description, Jeffree explains that the video was 'filmed a few days ago before California went on full lock down'  though even before that official order went into place, residents has been encouraged to practice social distancing.

Out and about: Jeffree said the video was shot before California's shelter order  but social distancing was still recommended at the time

Look at me! The makeup artist posed with the new hot pink car

Collection! Shockingly, Jeffree actually has several pink McLarens

Puppers: He also has two new dogs brought over to his home

'Right now we are not allowed to leave our homes unless to get food or medicine,' he wrote. 'It's been hard to sit down and film with all of this craziness happening.'

But if that video was filmed before California's shelter order went into effect, Jeffree's Twitter photo from April 15 was not.

'Quarantine and do our makeup,' he captioned the image of himself and Kammi.

Jeffree has also shared photos of his two new pet dogs, who were delivered this month.

Commenters on Twitter have been quick to call the makeup artist out for not following the rules.

'I think Jeffree Star needs to address why hes having people over at his house. You need to self quarantine!' wrote a woman named Bianca.

Stop it! Commenters on Twitter called him out for not socially distancing

'Thats literally the opposite of quarantine btw,' a man named Zachary commented on the picture of Jeffree and Kammi.

'Your deff not taking social distancing seriously at all.. but ya cool glad you go to do your makeup,' added a user name Kristen.

'Newsflash, its not quarantine when you have someone over, also, you are in the high risk category with your asthma, so risky for you to have anyone over,' chided another commenter.

'That doesnt look like social distancing to me Jeffree... I love you, your makeup, and your content, but you have a LARGE audience and you should be setting a better example,' added someone named Alex.

Some have speculated that Jeffree may not be having guests over, but rather, that he may have invited some people to stay with him at his house.

New digs: In December, he dropped $14.6 million on a new home in Hidden Hills, California

Stunning: The home boasts eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, two guest houses, and a two-floor gym

Space to relax: Star, 34, first announced in October on Twitter that he and boyfriend Nathan Schwandt were house hunting. They have since split up

Spacious: The backyard includes a large pool, an outdoor kitchen, a built-in BBQ area, and an unfinished barn

Fancy: The home also comes equipped with an elevator to transport Star between the three floors

Jeffree had initially bought the home with his ex, skateboarder Nathan Schwandt, before the pair split in January after five years together.

The home boasts eight bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and was an upgrade from his $3.6 million home that he'd lived in for three years.

The new house is one of the more extravagant mansions in the community of nearly 700 homes, all of which is guarded by three main gated entrances.

Upon entering the more than 25,000 square-foot home, visitors are greeted in a large entryway and a double staircase leading up to the second floor.

There are also two separate guest houses on the property, a 4,700 square-foot garage to park Star's luxury vehicles, a ballroom, a master bathroom complete with a sauna, a spa room, a two-story gym, and a wine cellar.

Brand new: The Hidden Hills mansion was built in 2007, according to Variety

Lots to do: There's also a 4,700 square-foot garage to park Star's luxury vehicles, a ballroom, a master bathroom complete with a sauna, a spa room, and a wine cellar

All the amenities: The gym spreads out over two floors

Amenities: It wouldn't be a California mega-mansion with out a built-in home theater

Time to play: The home comes equipped with a game room

The backyard includes a large pool, an outdoor kitchen, a built-in BBQ area, and an unfinished barn that could be converted into a third guesthouse or even a studio space for Star to film his many YouTube videos.

The Hidden Hills mansion was built in 2007, according to Variety, and then acquired by financier Jeff Feinberg and part-time actress Stacey Feinberg in May 2010 for $13 million. The couple briefly lived in the mansion before moving out during their divorce.

Neighbors will Kris Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Drake, The Weeknd, and John Stamos.
Skin doctors suddenly are looking at a lot of toes  whether by emailed picture or video visit  as concern grows that for some people, a sign of COVID-19 may pop up in an unusual spot.

Boston dermatologist Esther Freeman expected to see skin complaints as the pandemic unfolded  various kinds of rashes occur when people get very ill from other viruses.

"But I was not anticipating those would be toes," said Freeman of Massachusetts General Hospital, who has viewed via telemedicine more toes in the past several weeks than in her entire career.

They're being called "COVID toes," red, sore and sometimes itchy swellings on toes that look like chilblains, something doctors normally see on the feet and hands of people who've spent a long time outdoors in the cold.

Don't race to the emergency room if toes are the only worry, said the American Academy of Dermatology.

Earlier this month, it issued advice that a telemedicine check is the first step for people wondering if they have "COVID toes" and who have no other reason for urgent care. Doctors then should decide if the patient should stay in home isolation or get tested.

The most common coronavirus symptoms are fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath  and some people are contagious despite never experiencing symptoms. But as this bewildering virus continues to spread, less common symptoms are being reported, including loss of smell, vomiting and diarrhea, and increasingly, a variety of skin problems.

In one report, dermatologists evaluated 88 COVID-19 patients in an Italian hospital and found 1 in 5 had some sort of skin symptom, mostly red rashes over the trunk. In another, Spanish doctors reported a series of 375 confirmed virus patients with a range of skin complaints, from hives to chickenpox-like lesions to the toe swellings.

Pictures of reddened toes and rashes all over social media and doctor chat groups have "already enabled the rapid recognition of skin signs by dermatologists. It is now time for rigorous science" to understand the link, Dr. Kanade Shinkai of the University of California, San Francisco wrote in a recent JAMA Dermatology editorial.

Boston's Freeman directs an international COVID-19 registry for doctors to report cases of possibly virus-linked skin symptoms. Of 500 reports since late March, about half are chilblain-like spots on the feet, she said.

Chilblains, what doctors call "pernio," are an inflammatory reaction. When pernio-like reactions appear in coronavirus-infected patients is one of many mysteries. For some people, it's the first or even only symptom they notice. Others see the toe problem at the same time or even a few weeks after experiencing more common and serious COVID-19 symptoms.

It's showing up in young people too, according to Dr. Amy Paller of Northwestern University, who is part of a pediatric dermatology registry also collecting images of patients' toes.

Among the theories: Is it just inflammation triggered by an infection instead of the cold? Is the virus irritating the lining of blood vessels in the skin, or perhaps causing microscopic blood clots?

"The public health message is not to panic," Freeman said, noting that most toe patients she's seen haven't become severely ill.

Are they contagious? "We can't tell just by looking at your toes," she said. Other medical conditions, such as lupus, can cause similar spots  another reason doctors should discuss each patient's overall health and next steps for testing or other needed care.
Even in the best of times, events can be counted on to come along occasionally that upend our expectations. But these are the most extreme times the majority of us will ever live through, and that can make the violence of the inversion something to behold. Yesterday's truth becomes tomorrow's punchline.

Remember Gangnam Style? Credit:AP

Cast your mind back just two months as the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread through Australia and the Morrison government put together its first set of economic support packages. Remember the predictions of a V-shaped recovery, in which the economy would take one big hit and then steadily rebound, uninterrupted? And putting our economy into "hibernation" so that it would emerge refreshed and intact in the spring?

Only two months after these predictions were put forward confidently by political and economic experts, they now sound as outdated as Gangnam Style. Which leads you to wonder how much of what we're being told to expect right now will come to look moth-eaten or irrelevant in, say, July, let alone September, when the JobKeeper program that's propping up millions of jobs is due to come to an end.

Of one thing we can be certain. The day will arrive when the pandemic is over. COVID-19 will be with us forever but somehow  through a vaccine or treatments or the establishment of herd immunity or something else  the overwhelming fear of imminent contagion will recede.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Monday (May 18) target the Opposition, accusing it of misusing state machinery to silence dissent in the states it governs. Without taking name of any states, Nadda, in a series of tweets, asked the Opposition parties to adhere to political arguments when questioned on their failing.

Nadda also assured BJP workers that the party stands behind them.

"In the last few days, it has been observed that in opposition ruled states, the state machinery has been used unfairly to target BJP workers and independent voices on social media, critical of the local government's handling of Covid. In a vibrant democracy, this is unacceptable," the first of the BJP chief's tweets read.

"Culture of debate and criticism of those in public life is an integral part of our democratic process but using state agencies at your disposal to silence dissent is unbecoming of those in power. Opposition should adhere to political arguments, when questioned on their failing," read his second tweet.

"We will defend your right to free speech and resist these tyrannical forces in the democratic framework," Nadda assured BJP workers and well-wishers.

There have been incidents of police cases in states like Maharashtra and West Bengal, both ruled by opposition parties, over alleged "fake" reports related to coronavirus developments.

The Opposition has said that criminal cases have been registered in BJP-ruled states as well, including in Gujarat, over media reports that did not go down well with governments there.
On May 15, we issued an updated research report on Teck Resources Limited TECK. The company is poised to gain from cost-reduction initiatives, strong project pipelines and innovation-driven efficiency program. However, weak commodity markets and a global economy slowdown amid the coronavirus outbreak are concerns.



The company recently reported first-quarter 2020 results. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 13 cents, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 15 cents. The figure also tanked 83% year over year. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant reductions in the commodity prices, which hurt the quarterly earnings. Further, the underperformance resulted from the dismal performance of the energy business unit due to significant decline in global benchmark crude oil prices.



Solid Project Pipeline Stokes Growth



Teck Resources is poised to gain from the Neptune Bulk Terminals facility upgrades and construction of the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 copper project. The Neptune Bulk Terminals project will strengthen the steelmaking coal supply chain and meet the long-term requirements of customers for consistent, high-quality products. Furthermore, expansion of the Elkview Operations plant will boost the overall steelmaking coal production capacity. The Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 copper project will transform the companys copper business, making it a major global copper producer. Though the company has temporarily suspended construction activities on the QB2 project amid coronavirus fears, there are significant opportunities to increase production and mine life in future phases.



Cost-Reduction Actions to Boost Growth



The company has implemented a cost-reduction program to lower operating costs and deferred some of the planned capital projects in a bid to counter the uncertain economic conditions. It has increased the total targeted cost reductions to $610 million through the end of 2020 compared with the $500 million previously announced. Given the coronavirus pandemic-induced crisis, Teck Resources has further increased total targeted cost reductions to $1 billion for the current year. This will bolster the companys margin for 2020. Moreover, Teck Resources continues to implement its innovation-driven efficiency program RACE21 that is expected to improve productivity across the business.



Few Headwinds to Counter



Weak Commodity Price Woes



The global economic uncertainty and the pandemic have adversely impacted commodity prices. The extent and duration of the impact that the pandemic might have on demand and commodity prices, suppliers and global financial markets cannot be ascertained at this time. Consequently, the company has suspended its 2020 annual guidance. Further, disruptions at mine sites due to the pandemic will likely hurt mine production growth in the second quarter. The company expects second-quarter sales volume at the Steelmaking Coal segment to decrease due to the unfavorable impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global economic activity, and steelmaking coal demand and supply.



Given the weak demand due to the coronavirus outbreak, and the high inventory levels given the rail and port constraints, the company plans to shut down Neptune Bulk Terminals, in order to progress the facility upgrade, which might mar quarterly coal production.



Further, pricing softened in 2019, reflecting the pressure on steelmakers margins factoring lower steel pricing and persistent high iron-ore prices. Steelmakers curbed production amid uncertainties created by trade disputes and the global economy slowdown. The copper and zinc metal markets were under pressure during the March-end quarter, affected by the macroeconomic slowdown. Moreover, sales volumes of refined zinc from the companys Trail Operations and Red Dog zinc concentrate is expected to decrease significantly in second-quarter 2020 due to the unfavorable impact of COVID-19.



Sluggish Energy Market to Hurt Teck Resources



Teck Resources Energy business has bearing the brunt of the volatility in the global crude oil prices. During the first quarter, the company reduced Fort Hills to a single-train facility resulting in lower production of bitumen. Furthermore, bitumen production was affected by the Government of Alberta production curtailments that came into effect on Jan 1, 2019. Assuming ongoing production on the basis of operating Fort Hills as a single-train facility through the balance of 2020, its operator Suncor now expects Fort Hills annual production to be approximately 100,000-120,000 barrels per day, of which Teck Resources share is 21.3%. The company expects its share of Fort Hills production for 2020 will be reduced to approximately 8-9 million barrels of bitumen.



Price Performance



The companys stock has depreciated 56.6% over the past year compared with the industrys decline of 8.5%.

Story continues





Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Teck Resources currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Newmont Corporation NEM, Barrick Gold Corporation GOLD and Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV, each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Newmont has an expected earnings growth rate of 90.2% for 2020. The companys shares have surged 103.6% in the past year.



Barrick Gold has an estimated earnings growth rate of 60.8% for the ongoing year. Its shares have soared 112.7% over the past year.



Franco-Nevada has a projected earnings growth rate of 19.2% for the current year. The companys shares have appreciated 92.5% in a years time.



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Teck Resources Ltd (TECK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

Centre asks 50 per cent of junior staff to resume work from office

India

pti-PTI

Delhi, May 18: The Centre on Monday asked 50 per cent of its junior employees, below the level of deputy secretary, to join work in office, according to an official communique.

Till now, only 33 per cent of such employees were asked to attend office due to the novel coronavirus-triggered lockdown. Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said the move will help towards normal functioning of central government offices.

"Allowing 50 per cent staff to resume work from office is a move towards normal functioning of central government offices.

The work in offices will gain efficiency and expediency, Singh told PTI. He said there will be staggered entry and exit timings for central government employees joining office.

Social distancing norms will be strictly followed by central government employees resuming work from office, the minister said.

Full list of what is allowed and not allowed during lockdown 4.0

For regulating attendance of officers and staff, below the level of deputy secretary, all heads of department have been asked by the Personnel Ministry to prepare a roster so as to ensure that 50 per cent of officers and staff attend office on every alternate day, the communique issued to all central government departments by the ministry said.

All officers of the level of deputy secretary and above shall attend office on all working days, it said.

Those officers or staff who are not required to attend office on a particular day, shall work from home and should be available on telephone and electronic means of communications at all times, the ministry said.

All heads of the department have also been asked to ensure that the 50 per cent of officers and staff who attend office observe staggered timings, the Personnel Ministry said.

There will be three shifts for the central government employees  9 am to 5.30 pm, 9.30 am to 6 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm. These instructions shall be in force with immediate effect, the Personnel Ministry said, adding that bio-metric attendance shall remain suspended until further orders.

Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public and work places, it said, citing the national directives for COVID-19 management.
Washing your hands is better than disposable gloves for preventing COVID-19 spread, Public Health says

More than two months after the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, the federal government has weighed in on whether Canadians should wear disposable gloves as a protective measure.

For the general public, regular hand washing is actually a better way to ward off COVID-19 than wearing gloves, a spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told CBC News.

The agency has previously recommended that Canadians practice social distancing and wear a face mask in public as preventive measures, but it has remained silent until now on whether people should wear consumer-grade, disposable gloves.

PHAC's advice was prompted by a CBC News inquiry about the government agency's position on wearing gloves. PHAC said Saturday it will soon update its website with the information.

Dianne Preston of Guelph, Ont., said she has been wearing gloves while grocery shopping, even though she was unsure if it would protect her from the coronavirus.

"I really have no idea if it actually helps or whatever, but I feel a little bit better doing it," she said. "I figure, it can't hurt."

PHAC said donning gloves can lead to trouble if the wearer touches a contaminated surface and then touches their face. The virus can infect people by entering their eyes, nose or mouth.

CBC/Sophia Harris

Microbiologist Keith Warriner agrees that gloves aren't the best solution.

"It gives you that false security," said Warriner, a professor at the University of Guelph. "If you're wearing gloves, you're less likely to wash your hands which is one of the best strategies."

Warriner also warns that if disposable gloves aren't removed properly, people risk contaminating themselves.

What about retail workers?

As provinces ease COVID-19 restrictions and allow more more businesses to open, some Canadians wonder if retail workers should be wearing gloves.

Food service chains Tim Hortons, McDonald's and Starbucks each mandate that employees wear face masks, but have different policies on disposable gloves.

Story continues

Tim Hortons requires all workers to wear them, McDonald's makes them available for those who serve customers and handle cash, and Starbucks said employees have the "option" to wear gloves.

McDonald's Canada

On its website, PHAC has posted recommendations for businesses, advising that employees wear disposable gloves if they will come into contact with infected people or surfaces. The agency also said "wearing disposable gloves does not negate the need for frequent hand washing."

Warriner said wearing gloves in the workplace can also lead to a false sense of security, so workers may not wash their hands  and change their gloves  as often as they should.

"It's this sort of compensation for hand washing that's a real concern," said Warriner. "They'll get contaminated from [handling] cash and then they'll go and pick a doughnut up."

Watch | Why gloves won't do much to protect you from COVID-19:

Tim Hortons, McDonald's and Starbucks each said that they have strict hand washing protocols for employees.

"We do not consider gloves to be a replacement for proper, thorough hand washing," said Tim Hortons spokesperson, Michael Oliveira in an email. "Team members are still thoroughly washing their hands each and every time they change gloves."

McDonald's has fielded criticism from some customers on social media because not all of its workers wear gloves.

In response, the fast food chain has praised the merits of hand washing with statements on Twitter such as: "When handling food, gloves can actually be a risk as opposed to protection."

Grocer ends mandatory glove policy

Alberta-based grocery store owner Patty Nowlin has adopted many protective measures during the pandemic. But last month she axed her policy that all employees wear disposable gloves after concluding that it may be hurting more than helping.

"When people were wearing the gloves, I would just question whether or not they're washing their hands as often, or [changing] those gloves as often as they would be washing their hands," said Nowlin, owner of Sunnyside Natural Market in Calgary.

Submitted by Patty Nowlin

Nowlin said another influencing factor was witnessing a shopper enter her store with soiled gloves.

"I noticed that, where your fingertips are, they were dirty," she said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, have they been wearing those gloves every time they go out?'"

Nowlin said workers still wear gloves for some tasks  such as cleaning with harsh disinfectants  but, otherwise, they're relying on the trusted practice of vigilant hand washing.

"We're still reminding people all the time, wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands."

After hearing PHAC's recommendation on wearing gloves, shopper Preston is considering nixing her own strategy of wearing gloves while grocery shopping and instead, sticking to hand washing.

"If they say it won't help, then there's no use in really doing it."
There were 59 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 28 hours in Spain, said the Health Ministry in an afternoon briefing, down from 87 on Sunday. This is the second day in a row with fewer than 100 overnight fatalities.

The total official death tally is 27,709 while infections number 231,606 as certified by PCR lab tests.

Central authorities are now giving regional governments an additional four hours to send in their daily reports, and figures are being released in the afternoon instead of around noon.

Deescalation plan

Parts of Spain moved on Monday to a new stage of the governments coronavirus deescalation plan. While the Madrid region, Barcelona and a large part of Castilla y Leon remain in Phase 0, some of the restrictions on businesses, libraries and museums were eased. The Madrid regional government will send new reports to the Health Ministry on Monday to request to transition to Phase 1.

The city of Gandia in the Valencia region moved to Phase 1 on Monday, which allows sidewalk cafes to open at 50% capacity. Monica Torres

Meanwhile, the Balearic island of Formentera, and the Canary Islands of La Graciosa, La Gomera and El Hierro moved to Phase 2, which allows social meetings of up to 15 people and bars and restaurants to open their indoor dining areas.

Joaquin Gomez, the owner of the restaurant La Tefena in El Hierro, told EL PAIS that while he had received lots of calls from locals, he may only open in the morning if things dont go well. The restaurant owner explained that one of the challenges was finding a substitute to individual menu cards, which are banned because they could spread the coronavirus. Hotel owners on the islands have been more weary about reopening, given the lack of international tourists.

The rest of Spain is either already in Phase 1, or moved to this stage on Monday. The areas that moved to Phase 1 are: the parts of the Valencia region that remained in Phase 0 last week, the remaining provinces in Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete, Ciudad Real and Toledo), and the remaining provinces in Andalusia (Granada and Malaga).

Regional elections

The premier of the Basque Country, Inigo Urkullu of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), has announced that regional elections will be held on July 12.

The premier of Galicia, Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the Popular Party (PP), is also scheduled to meet with his aides and announce the date for regional elections, which is expected to be on July 12 as well.

The premier of Basque Country, Inigo Urkullu, in a file image.

Both regions had been planning to hold elections on April 5, but they were postponed because of the coronavirus crisis.

Holding elections in this context feels as inopportune to me as to anyone else, noted Feijoo. But Galicia needs a legitimate premier and a fully functional parliament.

Guaranteed minimum income

Spains plans for a new guaranteed minimum income system will be approved in the last Cabinet meeting in May, according to Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva. In an interview with the national radio station RNE on Monday, the minister said that around 100,000 vulnerable households will be able to benefit from the scheme.

Ongoing street protests

Hundreds of people on Sunday blocked the central Paseo de La Habana avenue in Madrid to protest against the government of Socialist (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Many of the protesters wore masks and gloves, but the size of the crowd made it impossible for social distancing measures to be respected. Police vans unsuccessfully tried to disperse the protesters. Although some officers got out of the vehicle, they did not at any point charge against the crowd or try to make them move along.

Protesta contra la gestion de la crisis del Gobierno en el Paseo de la Habana de Madrid Protest in the Paseo de la Habana in Madrid.

The protest was organized on social media by the ultraconservative Catholic organization Hazte Oir (Make Yourself Heard), which is known for its campaigns against abortion and LGBTQ rights. The organization called around 30 protests in Madrid, as well as a dozen in the provincial capitals across Spain, and one in Marbella in the southern province of Malaga.

Another demonstration in Madrids Plaza de Quito square also drew large crowds. This square is located in the El Viso neighborhood, which is the wealthiest in Spain, with 42,818 income per capita, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

There were also demonstrations in Nunez de Balboa street, in Madrids upscale Salamanca district, which has been protesting for seven days in a row.

Spanish airports

The Spanish government has raised the number of airports available as entry points into the country from five to 13. Starting Monday, travelers will also be able to enter Spain via the airports in Seville, Menorca, Ibiza, Lanzarote-Cesar Manrique, Fuerteventura, Tenerife Sur, Alicante-Elche and Valencia. This is in addition to the previously announced five airports: Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, Gran Canaria, Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas, Malaga-Costa del Sol and Palma de Mallorca. The order, published last weekend in the Official State Gazette (BOE), comes as parts of Spain enter a new stage of the coronavirus deescalation plan.

Testing in Catalonia

The Catalan regional government announced on Monday that it would carry out one million serological tests in a bid to better understand the level of coronavirus immunity in the region, especially among health professionals, other essential workers, as well as positive cases diagnosed without the more reliable PCR test.

The preliminary results of an antibody study of nearly 70,000 people across Spain found that just 5% had contracted the coronavirus.

With reporting by Noor Mahtani, Sonia Vizoso, Pedro Gorospe and Miguel Gonzalez.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
Screenworks will conduct a webinar How to Run an Online Writers Room by screenwriter and script producer Peter Mattessi (EastEnders, Neighbours, The Heights), talking about how an online room differs from physically being in the room with other writers.

Held on May 21st from 11am  12:30 pm via zoom, the webinar will include a Q & A with attendees.

During these challenging times we are constantly seeking innovative ways to support our members and screen practitioners across regional Australia so they can continue with their work explained Screenworks CEO Ken Crouch.

We have had a number of requests for advice on how to structure an online writers room and we were delighted that Peter Mattessi has agreed to deliver this session given his extensive national and international experience.

This 90-minute webinar is ideally suited to anyone looking for online solutions in order to collaborate with writers and creatives, as well as early-career writers and producers seeking advice and techniques for running an effect online writers room.

During COVID-19 this is a pay what you can afford webinar.
The world is reeling under the shock of the coronavirus pandemic and economies have come to an absolute standstill. Even as uncertainty looms, actor Ashish Chowdhry is rather positive and is trying to instil the same feeling in his children, too.

We, as a family, have gone through worse in our life, especially being victims of terror attacks. Weve gone through way too much in life for my kids to realise that this is not an issue that cant be handled, says the actor, who lost his sister Monica and brother-in-law Ajit during 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Having said that, Chowdhry adds that his kids  son Agasthya and daughters Salara and Sammah  are not in a denial mode, and are quite aware of whats happening around.

They realise what kind of hardships people are going though. I did a little bit of charity and I made my kids sit by my side as I did it. I explained to them why I was doing it, so they are value the fact they have a roof over their heads and food to eat, he says.

Other than his kids and wife, actor Samita Bangargi, Chowdhrys late sisters kids  son Kanishq (21) and daughter Ananaya (17)  also live with him. The 41-year-old shares how he always motivates them saying this too shall pass.

Ive always maintained that Im a father of five. I keep telling them that this may not be the worst, and its not that anything will not come after this. Weve to be prepared, whether it is death, accident, natural calamity or pandemic, we have to overcome it, he adds, asserting that following the guidelines laid down by the government is the way to fight this particular crisis.

The actor further says that he looks at every problem as an opportunity to learn and also teach people around him. I know its bad but it was also bad when the 26/11 attacks happened. How do we explain what is worst? he concludes.
Several universities in Ho Chi Minh City will launch dual-degree training programmes in the 2020-2021 academic year in an aim to offer more diverse choices for students.

Students at Hong Bang International University. (Photo courtesy of the university)

Students at member universities under the Vietnam National University-HCM City will be able to study their own major plus an additional major taught by other member universities.

If they choose to major in journalism, psychology, international relations, English language, or tourism and travel administration at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, they will finish their first academic year at the university for which they initially applied.

Courses in the two majors can be transferred to the other programme major. A minimum of 30 credits are required for the second major.

Students can also choose majors in international economics, business administration and economic law taught by the University of Economics and Law.

The University of Technology will start dual degree training for majors in aviation techniques and ship techniques, and the University of Economics and Law has already enrolled students for its dual degree training.

Associate Professor Dinh Duc Vu Anh, head of the higher education division at Vietnam National University-HCM City, said that dual degree training would help students adapt to a changing world.

Hong Bang International University will also start dual degree training programme this year.

Dual training programmes are a wise educational investment and a good preparation for young people in the 4.0 industry era, experts have said. The competitive capacity of students will be enhanced, and their job opportunities will increase.

Hong Bang International University's 10 majors in the dual degree programme are in the fields of technology-IT, economy-management-law, social sciences and international languages.

Students have to finish their first year of their major first, and after five years of study, they can obtain two degrees./.VNA
Explained: Will India face West Africa's situation in closure of schools amid coronavirus outbreak?

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, May 18: With the number of coronavirus cases on the rise, schools and other educational institutions have remained closed in India. Through this, the closest comparison for the current pandemic could be with the closure of schools during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014.

Though the coronavirus pandemic and the Ebola epidemic are different, these two disasters become similar in how education system was hit in the respective outbreak regions.

Amid coronavirus outbreak, US to deport 161 Indian nationals in this week

Several Educationists are now looking at the experience that West Africa faced in 2014 for more insights into the consequences of government-mandated classroom shutdowns.

How students were pulled out from the schools

During the Ebola epidemic, schools in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia were closed to break the chains of transmission. It was said that children and young people can be vectors of transmission as the contact rates are high in schools. Nearly 50 lakh students in these countries were pulled out of classrooms. In Sierra Leone, schools remained closed for nine months, in Guinea and Liberia, the schools did not open for almost six months.

Huge spike in COVID-19 cases in India: 5,000 cases reported in 24 hours; Death toll stands at 3,029

According to the 2015 UNDP report on the socio-economic impact of the epidemic, the students had lost about 1,848 hours of education, ranging from 33 weeks in Guinea to 39 weeks in Sierra Leone.

Several students did not return to schools after it reopend

After the epidemic came under control and school gates reopened, several students did not continue their education. A survery conducted by the World Bank had said that nearly 25 per cent of the students in Liberia and 13 per cent in Sierra Leone did not go back to school after reopening. The school dropouts were attributed mainly to economic reasons. In simple terms, the burden of shuting down schools and classrooms was borne by the children coming from the poor families.

There was a gender divide in closure of educational institutions

Though the students were severely affected by the closure of schools, study revealed that girl students did not return to the classrooms as several physical and sexual abuse and violence and an increase in early pregnancies became a reason. During the Ebola outbreak, Sierra Leone witnessed cases of teenage pregnancies.

Rajasthan reports 242 new coronavirus cases

With these situations in the front, the Indian government allowed online classes to be conducted to the students. However, not many students in India can afford the basic needs to have the required gadgets to get into the online classes as the number of unemployment are on the rise due to coronavirus. Also, the students from the lower income families and daily wage workers'families, presently, will find it difficult to go back to schools after it reopens due to lack of money.
New Delhi, May 18 : In a bid to make women more aware about hygiene, the Delhi BJP on Monday launched 'Mission Anivarya' and distributed sanitary pads to women residing in the city's slums.

The party plans to distribute six lakh sanitary pads among the women in the city's slums. The 'Mission Anivarya' was launched by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari along with Delhi Police officials at his residence here. Launching the Mission Anivraya, Tiwari, who is also the BJP MP from northeast Delhi said, "During the lockdown period every person is struggling for the things of need at their level." He said, in the time of crisis of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, it is also a challenge for the teenaged girls and women in slums to keep themselves healthy. "Hence six lakh sanitary napkins will be distributed among them under Mission Anivarya in collaboration with Delhi Police," he said.

The BJP leader said that 'Mission Anivraya' campaign will continue even after lockdown. Stressing on the health of the women members of the family for a healthy family, Tiwari also thanked the Delhi Police for joining this campaign and said that due to direct contact with the women police during the distribution of sanitary napkins, the confidence of the women living in the slums would also be strengthened and if needed, they will be able to share problems in front of them.

Besides Tiwari, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) of New Delhi Ajay Tomar said that in time of crisis we have to meet and help each other with restraint. "It is equally important to follow the rules of social distancing and lockdown to defeat the Covid-19 virus. Tiwari has done very good work by starting this campaign," Tomar said.

He said the Delhi Police will ensure that sanitary pads reach the slums for the health and hygiene of the women and adolescent girls living in the slums. Talking about the Mission Anivarya, Delhi BJP Media Co-incharge Neelkant Bakshi said that it is not easy for women and girls living in slums and settlements to buy sanitary pads due to their financial condition.

"And in time of this crisis, to relieve them from buying sanitary napkins and for their hygiene and better health, we are starting to distribute sanitary pads under this mission," Bakshi added.
Counting is underway in Benin following elections devoid of several leading opposition parties amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Voting was held on Sunday to select municipal councillors across the countrys 77 councils, although turnout is likely to have suffered, according to reports from the capital Cotonou.

The opposition Social Liberal Union (USL) party urged its supporters to stay at home and avoid an election parody. It said the government of President Patrice Talon was being stubborn by going ahead with the polls despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Civil society groups noted a poor voter turnout, according to RFIs Cotonou correspondent, describing some voters wearing masks at polling stations. However, other voters said people were not following measures such as handwashing or maintaining a minimum distance between people.

Benins electoral commission has not yet published turnout figures and it has until 24 May to compile and publish election results. Beninese authorities ignored a ruling by the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights that the vote should have been suspended.
[May 18, 2020] MediaOps Announces TechStrong Con: A Free 12-Hour Global Tech Conference Presenting Shared Experiences Of Resilience, Collaboration And Leadership To Overcome The Global Pandemic

Featuring more than 30 distinguished speakers across four tracks, including Emerging Technologies, Digital Transformation, Cyber/DevSecOps and Spotlight Solutions BOCA RATON, Florida, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MediaOps today announces TechStrong Con, a free, 12-hour global tech conference focused on celebrating the tech community and its best practices during these extraordinary times. The virtual conference features thought leaders, innovators and the builders of tomorrow's latest innovations in the areas of Digital Transformation, DevOps, Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies. Attendees will hear from the brightest minds in our community about how technology is making a difference, while gaining practical strategies they can use within their own organization to survive and thrive in the COVID-19 world and beyond. TechStrong Con will take place June 4, 2020, starting at 10:00 GMT. The 12-hour event features more than 30 speakers in four separate tracks, two exhibit halls including an AWS partner pavilion, live Q&A with speakers, peer-to-peer chat sessions, ask the expert sessions and more. To register, please visit https://techstrongcon.com. Amid a global pandemic, the IT community continues to shine as a beacon, demonstrating how humans are leveraging technology to overcome the many challenges we face. TechStrong Con celebrates everyone on the front lines of technologythose working to transform the world and move it forward. It also celebrates the courage of our frontline workers and healthcare professionals who risk their lives every day to care for the sick among us. A portion of sponsor proceeds from TechStrong Con are being donated to COVID-19-related charities globally. "It is both our challenge and mission to help define what the future will look like moving forward. Although many of us are battling the emotional, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 while working from home, the tech industry remains unbowed. We collaborate. We communicate. We develop. We deploy. We are strong, TechStrong," said Alan Shimel, CEO of MediaOps. "Where would the world be without the internet, the cloud and ther technology today? Yes, we are TechStrong and this event will be a celebration of it."



The speakers for this event were hand-picked by the chairman of the speaker committee, renowned technologist John Willis, and represents a diverse field of leaders from around the world. A partial list includes: William Hurley , CEO, Strangeworks

, CEO, Strangeworks Andrew Shafer , Vice President Transformation, Red Hat

, Vice President Transformation, Red Hat Liz Rice , CNCF Board Member & Technology Evangelist, Aqua Security

, CNCF Board Member & Technology Evangelist, Aqua Security Patrick Debois , Director of DevOps Relations, Snyk

, Director of DevOps Relations, Snyk Chenxi Wang , Managing General Partner, Rain Capital

, Managing General Partner, Rain Capital Cat Swetel , Engineering Manager, Ticketmaster

, Engineering Manager, Ticketmaster Abby Kearns , CTO, Puppet

, CTO, Puppet Mik Kersten , CEO, Tasktop

, CEO, Tasktop Mitch Ashley , CEO and Founder, Accelerated Strategies Group

, CEO and Founder, Accelerated Strategies Group Jessica Deen , Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft

Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft Shannon Leitz, Director, Intuit

Leitz, Director, Intuit Sanjeev Sharma , Co-founder and Principal Analyst, Accelerated Strategies Group A complete list of speakers is available at https://techstrongcon.com. Free registration for the event is also available on the site. Registration is limited.

"For this event I reached out to many of the technology leaders I admire most and would personally like to see present. I feel this is the strongest lineup of speakers assembled for one show that I have ever seen," said John Willis, chairman of the speaker committee for TechStrong Con. "I am humbled that so many of my friends and colleagues are joining me on this virtual stage to present at this event. I am genuinely excited to see them speak myself." In addition to the four tracks of speakers, TechStrong Con features: State-of-the-Art Virtual Environment Live Q&A with keynotes  Unique chance to participate in live Q&A chats with our brilliant keynote speakers. Jump in right after the session and extend the conversation.

 Unique chance to participate in live Q&A chats with our brilliant keynote speakers. Jump in right after the session and extend the conversation. Educational environment  One-of-a-kind virtual expo hall with booths and chat rooms. Get educated, download infinite resources instantly, and interact directly with sponsors and attendees.

 One-of-a-kind virtual expo hall with booths and chat rooms. Get educated, download infinite resources instantly, and interact directly with sponsors and attendees. Giveaways and Donations  Attendees get the opportunity to join forces and help raise funds that will be donated to COVID-19-related charities globally. The following sponsors and their support ensure this conference is available to the IT community at no cost. Premier Sponsors : AWS, CloudBees, Harness and Palo Alto Networks

: AWS, CloudBees, Harness and Palo Alto Networks Supporting Sponsors : Accurics, ConnectALL, Contract Security, GitLab, InfluxData, Instana, Lightstep, NewVector, ScienceLogic and Snyk

: Accurics, ConnectALL, Contract Security, GitLab, InfluxData, Instana, Lightstep, NewVector, ScienceLogic and Snyk AWS Pavilion Partners: Checkmarx, CloudBees, Monday.com, New Relic and PagerDuty Share This: Let's Get Stronger #TechStrongCon! Join Forces with @ashimmy, @botchagalupe, @whurley, @lizrice, @littleidea, @chenxiwang, @patrickdebois and more. For more info, visit https://techstrongcon.com/#register | #TechStrongCon About MediaOps MediaOps is the place to tell your story. DevOps.com, Security Boulevard, Container Journal, Digital Anarchist and TechStrong TV are the brands that comprise a premier global media platform for technical communities regarding digital transformation, DevOps, cybersecurity and cloud native. Each of its brands attract and engage a thriving online community of technology professionals around the world. Resources include award-winning editorial, creation of high-quality custom content, and multimedia production and distribution. As the leaders in these emerging segments, MediaOps' properties are powerful, integrated marketing and communication platforms to help clients maximize campaign ROI and paid media investments. https://mediaops.io Media Contact

Deb Schlam

MediaOps, Inc.

[email protected]diaops.io Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1169113/MediaOps_Logo.jpg

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As part of measures to reduce community infections of COVID-19 in the Ashanti Region, the Ashanti Regional Police Command has begun an enforcement exercise aimed at ensuring that every individual who steps out of their homes wear a nose mask.

The exercise according to the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Godwin Ahianyo which started over the weekend will see Police personnel stationed at vantage points to ensure that residents moving around are in their nose masks.

ASP Godwin Ahianyo added that persons who refuse to wear the mask will be instructed to engage in community service.

Ours is to educate, encourage and also somehow enforce the wearing of the nose mask as it is a directive issued by the Regional Security Council. We started it on Saturday and we are continuing. Ours is to educate, encourage and also somehow enforce the recalcitrant ones to wear them and so that is basically what we are doing. Until this whole thing ends or we see that every single person is wearing the nose mask we will not bring the exercise to an end. On Friday some persons who were recalcitrant were made to do some kind of community work; some were made to sweep while others cleared debris.

The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) last week instructed the police in the region to enforce the directive on the wearing of nose masks, especially on those accessing public areas.

Following the directive, the police last Friday began an exercise to enforce the directive.

Thus, People who fail to comply with the directive to wear nose masks in the Region will be made to undertake instant community service as punishment.

The exercise which was carried out mainly in the Kumasi metropolis, saw the arrest of about 30 people, mainly trotro mates.

They were made to sweep and pick litter from the streets for a maximum of 10 minutes before being released.

The police also used the opportunity to educate the public on the need to wear nose masks to protect themselves from contracting the virus and also spreading it.

---citinewsroom
Trump: We have a lot of information on Wuhan lab and its not good

President Trump sits down with Sunday Morning Futures anchor Maria Bartiromo to discuss the role the Wuhan lab played in the coronavirus pandemic.
We are delighted to bring Terri onboard as we continue to strengthen our FP&A and Administration functions at The Bowdoin Group.

The Bowdoin Group, an executive search firm with deep expertise in leadership search and strategic build-outs for companies across the Innovation Economy, announced the expansion of their team with two new strategic hires, including the appointment of Terri Ryan as the new Vice President of Finance.

Terri brings a strong finance background to The Bowdoin Group and experience in building and managing companies in high growth environments with increasing levels of complexity. She has over 25 years of experience leading finance organizations and overseeing strategic financial operations, reporting, analysis and planning, and administration. Most recently, Terri served as the Vice President of Finance and Administration at NetNumber, Inc., where she oversaw and led their finance, accounting and HR teams, and partnered closely with the management team to provide strategic analysis for making better business decisions.

We are delighted to bring Terri onboard as we continue to strengthen our FP&A and Administration functions at The Bowdoin Group. She is a great addition to the team and will support our strategic vision across the board, said Scott Aldsworth, President at The Bowdoin Group.

When asked about her new role as VP of Finance, Terri stated, The Bowdoin Group is such a recognized name in the search industry. Their reputation precedes them across the Greater Boston Area, and its an honor to join such a well-regarded and mission-driven firm. I am looking forward to working closely with the management team as the company continues to grow.

The firm also welcomes Travis DeMar as a Senior Consultant to the team. Travis brings years of relationship-building and management experience to The Bowdoin Group, most recently serving as a Talent Acquisition Consultant for Pegasystems, and before that, a recruiter for WinterWymans executive search business, where he was responsible for candidate engagement and client relationships. Before entering the talent acquisition industry, Travis spent 10 years in higher education.

We are excited to welcome Travis to the team, said Kara Barr, Vice President of Delivery at the firm. Our delivery mechanism is built on a strong foundation of both recruiting and research, and we know Travis will be a strong addition in bringing the best possible service to our clients.

The Bowdoin Group looks forward to continued growth across the core vertical markets it servesBioPharma, Digital Health, and Technologywith the experience and expertise that both Terri and Travis bring to the firm.

About The Bowdoin Group

Founded in 1994, The Bowdoin Group is an award-winning executive search firm that specializes in leadership and strategic roles, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) services, and major hiring projects for a wide range of companies, from small firms building out their executive team to larger firms sourcing talent for rapid market expansion. With deep expertise in BioPharma, Digital Health, FinTech and Financial Services, and Software and Technology, Bowdoin is a national leader with the ability to source talent and service companies globally. The companys service reputation has earned it a ranking in the top 2% of the recruiting industry for client satisfaction year after year. The Bowdoin Group is also active in supporting the local entrepreneurial ecosystem as well as several non-profit causes, including Life Science Cares, NEVCA, Hack.Diversity, and FinTech Sandbox. Visit us at https://www.bowdoingroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

###

Contact

Emily Leinbach

Head of Marketing

eleinbach@bowdoingroup.com

(718) 263-5239
The case is growing for a prolonged US recession. Heres why we could be in for one.

Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing the United States into a sharp and painful recession. But how long will it take for the economy to recover its pre-pandemic strength? And what does it mean for the more than 36 million Americans who have lost their jobs since mid-March?

How deep of a hole has the economy fallen into?

A really deep one. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlantas GDPNow forecasting model currently sees the US economy shrinking 42.8 percent from April through June. Thats -42.8 percent.

As for the jobs market  Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell said during an interview with CBS on Sunday that the US unemployment rate could peak at 25 percent. In April, the unemployment rate hit 14.7 percent  the highest since the Great Depression. And consider this: in February, before lockdowns started sweeping the nation, the jobless rate was a mere 3.5 percent.

That sounds more like an abyss. Whats it going to take to crawl out of it?

To get an idea of what it will take, you have to first understand exactly what lockdowns have done to the economy. To illustrate, well start with Netflix.

But I dont subscribe to Netflix. I watch Hulu.

Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime  any streaming service will do for this analogy.

Fine, then. Go ahead.

OK. So, you know when youre binge-watching a programme and you start to feel hungry. So you hit pause, go to the kitchen, make some popcorn and then come back and pick up the programme where you left off?

I do that all the time. Is that what happened to the economy?

No. Hitting pause is what a business does when it closes for, lets say, the weekend. It pauses activity and picks up Monday right where it left off. But thats not what happened with coronavirus lockdowns.

When cities and states across the US  and countries all over the world, for that matter  started closing borders, ordering businesses to shut and people to stay at home, it was more like closing the Netflix app, turning off your computer and unplugging your wireless router.

That sounds drastic.

It was. Thats why economists keep saying that the pandemic has delivered an unprecedented blow to the US and global economies.

So, back to that abyss. How long will it take to crawl out of it?

The answer is riddled with uncertainty. Because the economy wont power back up all at once. We have to plug the router back in, wait for it to boot up, then turn on the computer, scroll through the apps, select Netflix, wait for it to load, and find the programme we were watching. Then, if were lucky, we can start watching where we left off. Or we may have to start at the beginning and fast forward to where we were.

Any chance it powers up quickly and without a hitch?

What youre talking about there is what economists call a V-shaped recovery  basically, a steep plunge, followed by an equally sharp rebound. That is the best-case scenario,

How likely is it that well get a V-shaped recovery?

Anything is possible, but some economists are pretty convinced were more likely looking at a U-shaped recovery at the very least.

U as in ugly?

It is certainly uglier than a V-shaped recovery. In a U-shaped rebound, the economy tanks, then stagnates for a few quarters before ramping up sharply.

Is that the worst-case scenario?

Not by a long shot. Some economists are warning about a W-shaped recovery. Thats when lockdowns are lifted, the economy starts to recover, but we then get another wave of COVID-19 infections, forcing more lockdowns that tank the economy again.

Then there is the dreaded L-shaped recovery. Thats when the economy falls off a cliff, then goes through an agonisingly slow recovery characterised by chronically high unemployment, slow growth, stagnant wages and not a lot of business investment.

Have we experienced an L-shaped recovery before?

The Great Depression of the 1930s was an L-shaped recovery. So was the Great Recession of December 2007 through June 2009.

Whats the difference between a recession and a depression?

Check out this article for the answer to that question. But if it makes you feel better, the Feds Powell said on Sunday he doesnt think were looking at another depression.

So what kind of recovery are we looking at then  V, U, W, L?

Again  no one can say for sure. Last week, Powell warned that we could be looking at an extended period of low growth and stagnant incomes. He also issued a call for more government spending if necessary to avoid long-term economic damage. Keep in mind that the Fed has already made trillions available in lending to help businesses and households through this crisis, as well as state and local governments. And Congress has enacted virus relief spending bills worth $2.9 trillion  or 14 percent of GDP- to help the country weather the pandemic.

What does that mean for the jobs market?

Again, its hard to say with any degree of certainty. During the Great Recession and its aftermath, the number of job seekers overwhelmed the number of open positions for years. And any extended period of low growth is fraught with peril for workers. Because the longer people are out of work, the greater the risk that their skills will become dated and their networks will dry up.

Is there anything positive that comes out of any of this?

A great disruption  and this one definitely qualifies  creates opportunities to fix many of the things that have been broken with the US economy, but that have been allowed to fester. Now could finally be the time that policymakers decide to meaningfully tackle growing income inequality, fix the sieve-like social safety net, enact student loan debt relief, rein in soaring healthcare costs, make supply chains more resilient, and incentivise more climate-friendly business activities.
New Delhi, May 18 : The demand for personal care products and kitchen appliances saw a meteoric rise on ecommerce platforms as the government allowed sale of non-essential items across zones (barring containment spots) from Monday.

Paytm Mall saw a 50 per cent surge in sales for grooming products from tier II and III towns. There was almost a 50 per cent jump in the sale of shavers, trimmers, epilators, hair straighteners and styling products and hair dryers, among other products.

"We think the demand for these products is set to rise further over the next few weeks and post that it would remain consistently high," said Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President, Paytm Mall.

According to Anuj Singh, Chief Merchandising Officer, Best Price, Walmart India, when the lockdown was imposed, they saw a spike in categories like sanitizers, personal wash, staples, and home cleaning products.

"With non-essential categories opening up, we expect some pent up demand in small kitchen and home appliances like irons, kettles, pressure cookers, and fans," said Singh.

The new guidelines for lockdown 4.0 have paved the way for a broader resumption of economic activities across most parts of the country.

"At Snapdeal, we are ready and equipped to now start serving customers all across India - in red, green and orange zones - by providing them access to the entire selection of millions of products," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

According to Flipkart, allowing e-commerce to serve the consumers with their varied product needs in all the classified zones, except containment zones, is another welcome move.

"As a marketplace e-commerce player, we believe that the new guidelines also give us an opportunity to boost the MSME community and help them to restore their businesses faster and support livelihood in the country," a Flipkart Group spokesperson said in a statement.

"Post the new guidelines, we are awaiting the advisories from different states. We will continue to work in accordance with the directives from the government and local authorities while serving customers, sellers through our safe supply chain," the spokesperson added.
A planned SpaceX launch of 60 more Starlink broadband internet satellites, which was supposed to go up tomorrow, has been scrubbed "due to tropical storm Arthur" making the Atlantic Ocean a bit too choppy to attempt recovery of the launch rocket, announced SpaceX in a tweet today. The mission -- "Starlink-7" -- has therefore been postponed "until after launch of Crew Demo-2," said the company.

As a result, we now know when SpaceX plans to launch its first-ever crewed mission -- a spaceship carrying actual astronauts, launched from U.S. soil for the first time since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011. Barring further delays, that launch will take place on May 27 at 4:33 p.m. EDT.

SpaceX had hoped to have time to get its Starlink-7 mission launched and recovered this week, then reposition its drone ship to recover the Crew Dragon's booster rocket as well next week, reports Spaceflightnow.com. But with the storm interfering, the company decided this was going to be more of an either-or situation than an and-and.

Starlink is arguably the more important mission to SpaceX's financial future. In internal documents, SpaceX has outlined how it expects to derive the bulk of its future income from providing satellite internet service, rather than from providing space launch services. Still, the company has apparently decided that it first wants to make sure the Crew Dragon mission goes off without a hitch -- securing its position as the company that returned American astronauts to space from American soil -- and worry about getting Starlink operational later on.

Starlink-7 will still go up. It's just going to do that after Crew Demo-2, not before.
Hordes of migrants have returned to Uttar Pradesh from different parts of the country during the coronavirus lockdown. These workers were stranded in other states and had no work.

Out of those who returned at least 414 migrant workers are exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus disease Covid-19, Hindustan Times Hindi language publication Hindustan reported. The health authorities in Uttar Pradesh said that all the migrant workers are being tested. The health department, with the help of ASHA workers, have so far tested 3.50 lakh workers, it further reported.

Uttar Pradesh health secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said that these migrant labourers are first taken to shelter homes where they undergo thermal screening. The authorities then conduct rapid testing and pool testing. If a single case is found positive in a pool, all the group members are tested individually.

The labourers who do not display any symptoms are then sent to home quarantine for 21 days. Village and mohalla committees are tasked with monitoring those workers.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 206 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 4,464, Dr Vikasendu Agrawal, Joint Director/State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) said in a statement.

This is one of the highest number of Covid-19 cases reported in a single day in the state.

The state also recorded eight more deaths due to Covid-19 on Sunday, taking the toll to 112. Of the eight deaths reported on Sunday, five were reported from Aligarh, while two Covid-19 patients died in Kanpur and one in Meerut.

Agra is at the top with 27 fatalities, followed by Meerut (19), Moradabad (11), and Kanpur and Aligarh with (8) each. Jhansi, Mathura and Firozabad recorded four deaths each.

Of the fresh Covid-19 cases reported on Sunday, the highest number of 17 fresh cases was reported from Pratapgarh, 11 from Hapur, 10 each from Gautam Buddh Nagar and Lakhimpur Khiri, 9 from Ghaziabad, 8 each from Meerut, Lucknow, Rampur, Siddharthanagar, Bahraich, Ghazipur, Sitapur and Pilibhit.

The number of Covid-19 patients discharged in the state stands at 2,636, while the count of active cases in the state is 1,716.
30,000 'Omisure' kits reach Odisha, trial run in progress for detection of Omicron variant

3rd wave of COVID-19 to end in 3 weeks: SBI Research Report

India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

Karnataka govt revises guidelines for testing, quarantine and isolation: Check here

SC directs states to reach out to 10,000 kids orphaned due to Covid-19, pay compensation

Rs 20 lakh crore 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' economic package: See breakup here

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 17: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday unveiled fifth and final details of the mega economic relief package worth Rs 20,97,053 crore. Prime Minister on Tuesday announced the economic package for the country to become 'self-reliant' and deal with COVID-19 crisis.

Rs 20 lakh crore 'Aatm Nirbhar Bharat' stimulus package

Earlier measures: Rs 1,92,000 crore

Revenue lost due to tax concessions announced since March 22: Rs 7,800 crore

PM Garib Kalyan Package: Rs 1,70,000 crore

PM's announcement for health sector: Rs 15,000 crore

Tranche 1: Rs 5,94,550 crore

Emergency working capital facility for businesses including MSMEs: Rs 3 lakh crore

Subordinate debt for stressed MSMEs: Rs 20,000 crore

Fund of fund for MSMEs: Rs 50,000 crore

EPF support for businesses and workers: Rs 2,800 crore

Reduction in EPF rates: Rs 6,750 crore

Special liquidity scheme for NBFCs, HFCs and MGIS: Rs 30,000 crore

The fifth and final tranche in-depth

Partial credit guarantee scheme 2.0 for liabilities of NBFCs and MFIs: Rs 45,000 crore

DISCOMS: 90,000 crore reduction in TDS/TCS rates: Rs 50,000 crore

Tranche 2: Rs 3,10,000 crore

The second tranche included Rs 3.10 lakh crore.

Free food grain supply for migrant workers for 2 months: Rs 3,500 crore

interest subvention for MUDRA Shishu loans: Rs 1,500 crore

Special credit facility for street vendors: Rs 5,000 crore

Housing CLSS-MIG: Rs 70,000 crore

Additional emergency WCF through NABARD: Rs 30,000 crore

Additional credit through KCC: Rs 2 lakh crore

Tranche 3: Rs 1,50,000 crore

Stimulus under Part-3 included 1.5 lakh crore.

MFEs: Rs 10,000 crore

PM Matsya Sampada Yojana: Rs 20,000 crore

TOP to TOTAL: Rs 500 crore

Agri infra fund: Rs 1 lakh crore

Animal husbandry infra development fund: Rs 15,000 crore

Promotion of herbal cultivation: RS 4,000 crore

Beekeeping initiative: Rs 500 crore

Tranche 4+5: Rs 48,100 crore

The fourth and fifth tranches totalled to Rs 48,100 crore.

Viability gap funding: Rs 8,100 crore

Additional MGNREGS: Rs 40,000 crore

RBI measures: Rs 8,01,603 crore

Total: Rs 20,97,053 crore
Understanding the genetic mutations and protein changes that take place in the progression of cancer is key to its treatment. Mutations in the gene TP53 and concomitant mutant p53 proteins in cancer cells have become notorious over the course of multiple studies of several different types of cancers. Yet so far, the mechanisms behind the role of these protein changes in propagating the disease has been poorly understood. Masanobu Oshima at Kanazawa University and his collaborators now report results that suggest just how these protein changes may lead to accelerated tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Previous studies of cancers in the lungs, intestines and pancreas, as well as colorectal cancer, had suggested that changes in p53 lead to invasive abilities and stem cell characteristics crucial for late-stage tumorigenesis. In addition to this "gain of function (GOF)" mutation, wild-type protein p53 is reduced in cancer cells through a "loss of heterozygosity" process, where instead of having two alleles for each gene corresponding to each parent, the gene has just one.

Oshima collaborated with researchers at Kanazawa University in Japan, Theragen Etex Bio Institute and Seoul National University in South Korea. They found that tumor cells that carry GOF mutant p53 and lost wild-type p53 are enriched in liver metastasis lesions, suggesting combination of p53 LOH and GOF mutations promotes metastasis (Fig. 1). In studies of single cells dissociated from each other, the researchers found that loss of heterozygosity was key to the cell's survival and proliferation, which has implications for metastasis. In addition, the structures formed were more complex and glandular.

Further studies suggested that the combination of gain of function mutations and loss of heterozygosity provided some protection against cell death. When injected in live mouse models the combination also accelerated tumorigenesis as well. The tumours formed had a fibrotic microenvironment, a signature of a poor prognosis for colorectal cancer.

Fibrotic structures are also linked with inflammation pathways. The researchers analysed the mutant proteins with the ingenuity pathway analysis software package, which provides integrated analysis of gene expression and other cell traits. The analysis indicated growth factor/MAPK and inflammatory pathways were indeed upregulated in cells with gain of function mutations and loss of heterozygosity. What is more trametinib treatment, (which inhibits a protein in the MAPK pathway) suppressed the cloning efficiency of these mutant cells. Ingenuity pathway analysis also revealed that stem cell pathways were up regulated in cells with gain of function mutations and loss of heterozygosity, as well as cells where both Trp53 alleles were disrupted (Fig. 2). In their report, the researchers suggest their findings "will contribute to the future development of therapeutic strategies against CRC [colorectal cancer] metastasis."

###

[Background]

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most fatal cancers world-wide. Not only are TP53 genetic mutations found in 55-60% of colorectal cancers but the percentage rises to 80% in metastasis-related cases of colorectal cancer, implying it has a role in the malignant progression of the cancer.

Tumorigenesis

In tumour initiation healthy cells become cancerous - their genetic make-up mutates and abnormal cell division processes take over. In healthy cells, proliferation and apoptosis (programmed cell death) balance. The imbalance between these processes is thought to be key to the onset and proliferation of cancer.

The researchers' studies of the cells with respect to a process that causes intestinal epithelial cell death - anoikis - revealed that the combination of gain of function mutations and loss of heterozygosity provided cells with a level of protection. This could knock out of kilter the balance of production and destruction of cells - so delicately tuned in healthy cells.

Metastasis

Metastasis describes the spread of cancer to different parts of the body often through the lymph system or bloodstream. Tumours then develop at new sites from just a handful of cells. The study of how cells that had gain of function mutations in the p53 protein fared once dissociated from each other has implications for metastasis. In fact the researchers found little difference between cells with or without loss of heterozygosity when they mechanically dissociated them. Here the dissociated cells remain as tumour glands rather than single cells. The real difference was observed when they used enzymes to dissociate them into single cells, and the single cells were subcloned (a technique for moving DNA into daughter cells). The subcloned population lost their wild-type Trp53, even when subcloned from cells with heterozygous Trp53 gain of function mutations.
EXPERT OBSERVATION

The key question for Hotspotting in putting together our reports in the current climate is this: among the locations that have strong long-term fundamentals supporting price growth, which ones are best set-up to withstand the forces of the Covid-19 shutdown?

Were searching for places which have the credentials to do well in the short-term, in dealing with the impacts of virus crisis, as well as having the features that drive long-term growth.

As I see it, the key factors are:

1. The strength of the market pre-coronavirus

2. The level of vacancies going into the virus shutdown period

3. The make-up of the local economy and in particular where most of the jobs exist

4. The key components of population growth in that location

5. The level of spending on infrastructure

All of those elements are important, but perhaps the most important one in the short-term is the make-up of the local economy and which sectors provide the bulk of the jobs.

Let me give you an example: Albury-Wodonga, which straddles the border between NSW and Victoria, has one of strongest economies anywhere in regional Australia, it offers wonderful affordability and high rental yields  and, in the past 12 months, theres been some pretty good price growth there.

But the key factor about Albury-Wodonga right now is where most of its employment exists.

The four biggest sectors that provide the most jobs in this city are: 1 hospitals and medical services; 2 supermarkets and food stores; 3 the military; and 4 aged care.

I cant imagine a better situation in terms of sectors likely to be hiring rather than firing in the current climate than those.

So, right now, amid all the issues afflicting Australia because of the coronavirus, Albury-Wodonga is performing well in its economy and its property market.

Overall, what we know to be true is that regional Australia is much less impacted by the virus shutdown, generally speaking, than the major cities.

Clearly, regional cities where the economy is largely dependent on tourism will suffer. But most of the regional centres that interest us are not in that situation.

Most of the regional centres that are grabbing our attention have economies based on sectors that are doing well in the current situation, or are likely to do well as we exit the lockdown phase and head back towards normal - sectors like agriculture, viticulture and resources & energy.

Among the capital cities, Adelaide property market is particularly well placed to emerge from the shutdown with prospects for growth.

Coming into the virus crisis, Adelaide was one of the leading capital city markets in the nation with the best prospects for growth.

The Autumn 2020 edition of the Price Predictor Index ranked Adelaide No.1 among the state and territory capital cities for the number of suburbs with rising sales activity, out-ranking both Melbourne and Sydney.

Adelaide is one of the nations most consistent property markets. It always delivers steady demand, underpinned by a solid local economy and helped by the exceptional value for money offered by its housing market.

Adelaide also had a very low vacancy rate heading into the shutdown period: an overall vacancy rate below 1% which means the citys rental market is well-placed to absorb the extra rental stock coming into the market because of the impact of the virus shutdown.

The latest figures, to the beginning of April, show that even with the recent influx of new properties seeking tenants, its vacancy rate is still just 1.2% (the lowest among the capitals, equal with Canberra).

The citys economy is in a strong position to recover well from the shutdown period.

Adelaide is the high-tech innovation capital of Australia and South Australia leads the nation in the production of alternative energy. It has been transitioning strongly from old-style manufacturing to the production of modern technology products.

One of the likely outcomes from the virus crisis is a revival of manufacturing in Australia and Adelaide is well-placed to benefit from that.

Adelaide also has strong sectors in education and medical services.

It has a state government which has been spending significant amounts on infrastructure  and has announced plans to fast-track shovel-ready infrastructure projects to lead the economic recovery on the other side of the shutdown period.

Overall, I see Adelaide as being one of the best capital cities in the nation for real estate investment with good prospects for future growth, as well as above-average rental yields.

TERRY RYDER is the founder of hotspotting.com.au

ryder@hotspotting.com.au

twitter.com/hotspotting
The revived American Idol has been renewed for a fourth season -but the third season is currently absent from Australian screens.

While the 2019 season with judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie screened on Foxtel, it has not proceeded with the 2020 series.

ABC is yet to confirm if the judges, along with host Ryan Seacrest, will return for a fourth season.

The renewal will bring the total number of seasons to 19, having previously aired between 2002-2016.

Meanwhile a lockdown finale has just declared a 2020 winner.

The final included Katy Perry performing her new single Daisies, Luke Bryan singing One Margarita and Lionel Richie performing We are the World joined by this years Idol family.

https://youtu.be/FH4Ow92YEDI

Source: Deadline
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn departs U.S. District Court, where he was expected to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States, in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2017.

The top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.  who recently signed court filings that benefited felons who are allies of President Donald Trump  will become acting boss of the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to an NBC News report that cited senior law enforcement officials.

Tim Shea, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, is set to be replaced by Justin Herdman, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, according to an announcement Monday by Trump of Herdman's planned nomination.

The president did not say whether Shea would be taking the DEA job.

However, according to senior law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC News, Shea will replace acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon. Dhillon will take a high-level Justice Department post, the officials also told NBC. Dhillon has served as the DEA's acting administrator since July 2018.

The White House declined to comment on NBC's report. A Justice Department spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is one of the most prominent federal prosecutor posts in the United States. The office often handles politically sensitive cases and other high-profile matters because of its jurisdiction, which is home to the seats of the federal government.

Shea is a former top advisor to Attorney General William Barr. He has been in the interim D.C. prosecutor's job only since late January. Less than two weeks after taking that post, Shea sparked controversy by overruling prosecutors in the case of Trump friend Roger Stone.

Shea, in a court filing, recommended a lower criminal sentence for the longtime Republican operative Stone than the one that had been first suggested by the case's trial prosecutors, who had asked that he be sent to prison for up to nine years. Shea's reversal of the recommendation, which was highly unusual, if not unprecedented, came after Trump criticized the call for a stiff prison sentence for Stone.
In addition to providing comfort and palliative care during the pandemic, Muir says hospice can play a role in delivering an important message about older patients unique end-of-life care  and their options  during a pandemic that hits older adults especially hard, and one with no cure or vaccine yet in sight. For instance, he says, questions need to be asked about elderly patients being put on ventilators without seriously considering whether that course of action is actually the best for them.



As he describes it, a trip to the hospital with serious COVID symptoms may well lead to the ICU and, as a patient's condition rapidly worsens, a swift decision to intubate. There isn't always time to ask the question: 'Do you want to be on the vent or not?' he says. An alternative to that scenario, of course, can be staying at home with the symptom management support of a hospice team. Our message, from a public health standpoint, is that the safest place for many frail elders to be at this time is in their own homes, whether they are COVID positive or negative, he says. The number one message we are still getting from our families: If only we'd known about your services sooner."

Hospice care developed as an alternative to dying in the hospital. While a majority of Americans say they would rather die at home, if possible, many still do not get that option. Particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say that choosing not to end up in a hospital, on a ventilator and barred from seeing loved ones, may require speaking up before the patient reaches a crisis, using tools such as advance directives or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment  POLST  and sharing that preference with family members and doctors.

Beckwith says this has been her hospice's challenge since it was founded 41 years ago: How do you get people to listen to the message that there is an alternative to dying in the hospital?"
Although it has just begun, the USDAs Farmers to Families Food Box Program is off to a disturbing start, one that appears to be a betrayal of taxpayers and unlikely to deliver for Americans in need.

Many questions have been raised about the contracts the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded to companies to package and distribute produce, dairy and meat to food banks across the nation. Questions that are, unfortunately, best reflected in the awarding of a $39.1 million contract to a San Antonio-based event planning company, CRE8AD8 LLC (pronounced Create a date).

Has CRE8AD8 ever distributed wholesale food to food banks and nonprofits? No, owner Gregorio Palomino told Express-News reporter Tom Orsborn.

Does CRE8AD8 have a Perishable Agricultural Commodities ACT, or PACA, license?

Its been applied for, Palomino said.

Can CRE8AD8 hit the ground running, getting food boxes to families in need as quickly as possible?

Nope. Palomino is scrambling to hire people, and hopes to be up and running in June.

Does CRE8AD8 have the warehouse and logistics operations to supply the massive Southwestern Region, which stretches across Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah.

We dont think so.

We knew that we easily could do this because instead of putting tchotchkes in a bag that is going to go to a conference attendee, this is the same exact thing except its just food going into a box, Palomino said.

In principle, the Farmers to Families Food Box Program is a worthy idea. With the closure of restaurants and schools during the pandemic, the program purchases surplus dairy, meat and produce. The idea is to package this food into family-sized boxes and then distribute it to food banks. So, why not contract with known food distributors instead of doling out millions to an event planner?

Other questionable awards in the $1.2 billion program include contracts for two meat processors under investigation and a bankrupt dairy producer. A number of contracts went to companies outside the regions they are supposed to serve.

Its almost as if USDA doesnt care if the food makes it to those in need. When an event planner secures a contract like this, its time for Congress to investigate.
DENVER, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC: CBDD), a full-line CBD and Hemp oil company ("CBDD") that sells Black Pearl CBD and hemp products and the owner of CBD Social Network, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire a Swiss CBD retailer.

"We are very pleased to announce that CBD of Denver, Inc. just signed an acquisition agreement with Royal Green GmbH, our second acquisition," said CBDD CEO Marcel Gamma. "Royal Green currently operates a full-service CBD retail store. Their current revenues are approximately $600-700,000. The company is anticipating the opening of a new retail outlet in Zurich and their goal is to open 3-4 additional stores throughout Switzerland." Royal Green also maintains an online ecommerce website https://www.royalgreencbd.ch/

With this 2nd acquisition, CBDD and its majority shareholder Swiss Industry Ventures, AG, are positioned to become a leader in the Swiss CBD market. Switzerland is in a central location, surrounded by 5 EU countries and is the business and banking hub of the Europe. The company looks to expand its customer base quickly in adjoining countries.

CBDD has engaged Executive Industries, Inc. to complete our ongoing financial filings and keep us in compliance with OTC Markets. We have also retained Jonathan D. Leinwand, P.A., a law firm experienced in CBD, cannabis, corporate and securities law. Their expertise in mergers and acquisitions will be an indispensable asset as we move forward with our corporate objectives.

The Revenues from the first two acquisitions will be consolidated and included in our Q2 financial filing due on June 30th.

CBDD offers a superior CBD product that is full spectrum without depending on THC to activate the benefits of cannabidiol. Black Pearl CBD has 0% THC, but is not an Isolate where the THC is stripped from the product rendering it ineffective. We use a proprietary technique adding terpenes as the activation ingredient, resulting in a product that is the finest in the industry. Our products are available at www.blackpearlcbd.com.

Information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance, involving known and unknown risks and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events. We assume no obligation publicly about update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason.

SOURCE CBD of Denver, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cbdofdenver.com/


TOKYO (Reuters) - China and South Korea have consulted Japan about easing border controls on business travellers to help revive business activities, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday without citing sources.

The idea, already implemented between South Korea and China, would allow a fast-track entry of business people if they test negative for the new coronavirus before departure and after arrival, the newspaper said.

But Tokyo is cautious about relaxing border controls at this point due to fears of another spike in infections, as well as a lack of test kits for travellers, according to the report.

Japan's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday lifted his state of emergency for 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures, easing curbs on 54% of the population. The greater Tokyo area, accounting for one-third of the nation's economy, and other major cities remain under restrictions.

Japan has reported some 16,300 cases of the coronavirus, not counting infections on a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama port early this year, and 748 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to public broadcaster NHK.

While Japan has avoided the kind of explosive outbreaks seen in the United States and elsewhere, its testing has also been among the lowest.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by William Mallard)
The World Series of poker is tipped to return to Las Vegas later this year after the flagship event was cancelled this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Coin Rivet reported on the cancellation, which was eventually confirmed in April after months of speculation.

It came after the likes of Doug Polk, Mike McDonald and Josh Reichard all took bets on the potential of the series be postponed.

The WSOP was expected to bring around 190,000 visitors to Las Vegas with the cancellation putting strain on the local casinos.

2020 WSOP Postponed :

The 51st World Series of Poker (WSOP), is officially being postponed as a result of the public health emergency involving COVID-19. It is now targeted for fall of 2020, with exact dates and events to be determined.

More details: https://t.co/iaYZgSGXr9 pic.twitter.com/UVL6PQwH96  WSOP (@WSOP) April 20, 2020

According to reports, casinos like Treasure Island had hoped to re-open today on May 15 amidst murmurs of the lockdown being eased in Nevada.

Local businesses and casinos are understandably itching to after months of minimal revenue, although as detailed by Kings Resort in Czech Republic strict restrictions will be imposed.

Kings wrote in an announcement: Highest hygiene standards will be implemented, such as hand sanitisers for the guests and frequent disinfection of all areas.

It was also revealed that poker tables would be limited to four people, which could pose an issue if the WSOP was planning a full schedule later this year.

It is impossible to know where the world will be in a few months time in terms of the pandemic and lockdown measures, but as US President Donald Trump seems keen to restart the economy it would be safe to suggest that an event like the WSOP will go ahead with additional measures in place to ensure the safety of players.

Story continues

With live poker taking a gruelling hit in light of the lockdown online poker has understandably endured a massive boom, with prize pools hitting record levels across all major providers like Pokerstars, partypoker and 888poker.

This boom has not been confined to Europe as allowed US states like New Jersey smashed its previous record with the industry taking $3.6 million in rake during March.

For updates on the World Series of Poker, click here.
On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do

Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there...
A new book on how Nigeria can avert the looming threat of implosion arising from growing discontent over current political system has been released.

The book, which serves as a blueprint for the government and people of Nigeria on the way forward, highlights various political options to steer the country away from edge of the precipice. It is in response to mounting demand for change of the countrys political system from unitary system to federal.

The current unitary system with centralized powers is incompatible with a heterogeneous society like Nigeria, fueling demand for federalism believed to be best suitable for the countrys diverse cultural and socio-economic aspirations of the multiethnic confederacies.

The book, entitled The Future of Nigeria, and written by Michael Owhoko, a renowned journalist and author, is aimed at stemming the growing agitation for separate independent sovereign states through self-determination and militancy.

The Future of Nigeria which was released over the weekend and now available on Amazon and major bookstores worldwide, also highlights how minerals and other natural resources across Nigeria can support federalism; why leaders continue to seek ethnic gains at the expense of national interest; and why militancy and separatist groups have emerged as sign of discontent in the polity.

The bane of the country is the loss of regional autonomy to unitary system where the winner at the centre controls the resources and deploying same subjectively, leaving the federating units stunted and dependent. This has resulted in distrust, frustration, fear and discontent as it stifles initiative and capacity of component units to develop at their paces, Owhoko specifically revealed in the new book.

The book which is an updated version, is a must read not only for the ruling and political class but important for all stakeholders in the federating units on ways of saving the country from balkanization engendered by sustained agitation for a system of government that guarantees equity and justice.

Michael Owhoko is a journalist, author and public relations practitioner who has mostly worked in the banking, oil and gas, and media industries. He is the publisher of Media Issues, an online newspaper that can be found at http://www.mediaissuesng.com. He is also the author of The Language of Oil and Gas; Career Frustration in the Workplace; Nigeria on the Precipice: Issues, Options, and Solutions; and Feminism:The Agony of Men.
WASHINGTON  House Democrats told the Supreme Court that it needs grand jury evidence from the Russia probe as they continue to investigate whether President Donald Trump had committed additional impeachable offenses.

In a court filing Monday, the House Judiciary Committee said the secret grand jury evidence gathered by former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation "is central" to its inquiry into possible obstruction of justice by the president. "If this material reveals new evidence supporting the conclusion that President Trump committed impeachable offenses ... the Committee will proceed accordingly  including, if necessary, by considering whether to recommend new articles of impeachment," Douglas Letter, the House's general counsel, wrote.

Letter said the committee is also looking into improper political influence in the Justice Department's handling of the cases of Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, two presidential allies who were indicted as a result of the Mueller investigation.

Court sides with Congress: DC appeals court allows release of secret Mueller grand jury testimony to Congress

The Justice Department has argued the House committee isn't entitled to grand jury evidence, saying it has failed to explain which specific testimony it needs access to or how it would help its investigation into potential obstruction by the president.

"Not only does the public have an interest in protecting grand-jury secrecy, but (the House committee) has provided no basis to conclude that it has urgent need of the requested materials for a hypothetical second impeachment," Solicitor General Noel Francisco wrote.

House Democrats and the Justice Department have been locked in a legal battle over the grand jury evidence. In March, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled that the House committee is entitled to the evidence. The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to review the lower court's ruling.

Story continues

Letter told the Supreme Court that the committee still needs the grand jury material even if the impeachment proceedings, which focused on the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine, have concluded.

"The Committees investigation did not cease with the conclusion of the impeachment trial," Letter wrote.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, President Donald Trump and former special council Robert Mueller.

The House committee's investigation focuses on instances of possible obstruction of justice detailed in Mueller's voluminous report, released last year. A separate but related subpoena seeks testimony from former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key witness on possible obstruction by Trump. The Trump administration has blocked McGahn from testifying, saying Congress can't force high-ranking presidential aides to testify.

In February, a three-judge appeals court panel ruled that McGahn does not have to testify, saying the judiciary can't be an "ombudsman" who resolves disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government. The full appeals reheard the case last month.

In the Monday filing, Letter suggested that the committee's investigation has expanded to include the Justice Department's handling of the cases of Stone and Flynn.

Separation of powers: Trump administration faces tough questions from federal court in separation of powers disputes with Congress

The department was met with swift backlash in February after it backed away from a stiff prison recommendation for Stone, who was convicted in November of lying to Congress and obstructing the Russia investigation to protect Trump and his 2016 presidential campaign. Four career attorneys who prosecuted Stone left the case in apparent protest.

The Justice Department, again, sparked a political firestorm when it sought to drop the prosecution of Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communications with a former Russian ambassador. Flynn later reversed course, claiming investigators trapped him into making a false statement.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan tapped a retired federal judge to challenge the Justice Department's bid to dismiss Flynn's case and to address whether the former Army general committed perjury after claiming innocence from a crime he had earlier admitted.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House to Supreme Court: Mueller grand jury key to impeachment inquiry
May 18, 2020

Operating a successful organization requires industry professionals to focus their expertise in a fashion that drives profits and achieves goals. Investing time and energy into seemingly peripheral issues such as logistics and cybersecurity are not necessarily what makes thought leaders thrive. Yet, IT vulnerabilities open the door to hackers who can steal digital assets or take operational control over business networks.







Today, we also have to be mindful to protect our business from the dangerous world of cyber-attacks. As a business owner or executive, there should be a multi-layered approach to prevention that includes strategies/solutions to keeping your business running to reduce the impact and probability of cyber-attacks, Keith Marchiano VP of ICT Kyocera Intelligence Mid- Atlantic reportedly said.

Rather than expose sensitive data to potential theft or ransom, industry leaders may want to consider having a thorough systems review, analysis, and cybersecurity consultation. What experts have to say about enterprise-level cybersecurity may make you rethink your current defenses.

What Businesses Dont Know About Cybersecurity Can Hurt Them

Cybersecurity is not something which one size fits all. For any size business, it should be planned in such a way that they are the next target because hackers do not know whom they are attacking, Duleep Pillai of Veltec Networks reportedly said. They look for an entry point. And once they get in, they find out who it is and how they will be able to maximize from the entry they gained.

Many business leaders commonly believe that their organization has been pre-targeted before a hack begins. But blanket efforts such as phishing schemes cast wide nets by sending out bulk emails. Only after a misstep occurs, such as downloading a tainted file or clicking on a malicious link, does the cybercriminal focus on a target. Too often, businesses believe they will not necessarily be the focus of a cyber-attack, to their detriment.

Experts Advocate for Developing a Cybersecurity Culture

The notion that cybersecurity measures are a response to critical threats tends to put organizations at increased risk. Business leaders would be wise to consider hackers along the lines of thugs. They want to turn the struggle over your digital assets into a street fight and blindside you with a first punch. Its a lot harder to recover from that first blow than defend against getting hit. Experts strongly urge business leaders to take steps to create a cybersecurity culture that stands ready to defend your data.

No cybersecurity tool is 100 percent effective against all threats. For example, if malicious emails can be detected and filtered in the Cloud, then firewall edge devices and AI security workstation/endpoint security tools are only necessary if an email threat escapes detection, Centerpoint IT president Chris Chao reportedly said. A proper cybersecurity mindset is focused on eliminating the majority of threats before they reach your critical systems and users.

The Centerpoint IT cybersecurity expert also believes that layered approaches deliver determined defenses. His sentiments about such multi-pronged strategies echo through the industry.

Multi-Layered Cybersecurity Strategies Deter Hackers

Its essential for decision-makers to understand that cybercriminals are in the business of penetrating your system defenses. Many are not necessarily unhinged sociopaths typing code in dark rooms. While their moral compass points in the wrong direction, they often value time and effort. Layering defenses can change the perception that your outfit is nothing more than low-hanging digital fruit ready to be plucked. According to OnPar Technologies CEO Jeremy McParlan, these are four ways to harden your defenses.

Securing all user accounts by requiring strong unique passwords and enabling Multi-Factor authentication

Ensuring that all software is kept up to date, patched and protected with a quality anti-virus solution to combat threats

Keeping data safe by implementing an automated and encrypted backup system for business data

Ongoing security management to quickly detect and respond in the event of a security incident such as a data breach

Ian Brady of Steadfast Solutions advocates for a layered approach that includes identity and access management review of all platforms, as well as DNS Based Web Filtration that provides the enhanced protection to a computer without the firewall they traditionally have in the office.

Joe Cannata of Techsperts, LLC concurs with McParlan and Brady that the best cybersecurity strategy for small business is a multi-layer approach. Along with firewall and virus protection, Cannata points out that high emphasis should be placed on email deterrents. Thats largely because email phishing has emerged as a top malicious delivery system.

Email security is arguably the most important layer of security these days. Email security will scan all emails sent and received for threats such as ransomware, phishing, and other malicious items, the Techsperts CEO reportedly said. The combination of these three layers, when applied properly, should be the baseline for most small businesses.

Hackers have made phishing schemes that leverage email and other electronic messaging tools a weapon of choice because employees too often lack cybersecurity and awareness training.

Cybersecurity Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link

Security always needs to address the weakest link in any organization: the staff, Carl Fransen of CTECH Consulting Group reportedly said. Staff need to be trained on how to properly use the companys systems, how to identify potential threats, and have a working knowledge of the proper security procedures.

Along with training and providing actionable intelligence about emerging threats, experts roundly support layered employee login security. Fransen points out that forward-thinking organizations have moved away from on-premises servers and embraced the Cloud. That proactive shift also calls for layered employee login security measures such as identity management, threat analytics, document protection, and multi-factor authentication, among others.

Perhaps Infiniwiz co-founder Alek Pirkhalo best highlights the fact that organizations have unique cybersecurity needs and no single strategy works from everyone.

If this is healthcare or financial industry, I would also make it mandatory to encrypt all devices to improve the security of data, implement threat monitoring SOC/SIEM appliance to improve chances of detection of infections like ransomware, and dark web monitoring in case credentials get stolen, Pirkhalo reportedly said.

Only after a thorough review of your defenses and a cybersecurity consultation will you know whether your digital assets are secure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a rule that will simplify or waive agency reviews of certain biotech farm products, including plants and seeds that have been genetically modified or engineered.

As a result, some products could be sold to farmers without a USDA review  a move that comes despite concerns by consumer groups over biotech crops.

The final rule is the first major overhaul of USDAs regulations over biotech plants, seeds and microbes since 1987, the agency said. Previously, USDAs review system focused on genetically modified organisms, where a gene is added from another organism.

Existing regulations have not kept up with emerging technologies such as plant gene editing, which works like the find-and-replace function on a word processor: It finds a gene and then makes changes by amending or deleting it.

Scientists can edit genomes more precisely and rapidly, and altered agricultural products could get to market more quickly and cheaply, say biotech advocates.

If a company uses biotech to create a product that has traits that could have been achieved through traditional plant breeding, it would no longer have to go through a pre-market review through USDA, the agency said.

Such products typically require USDA to conduct a risk assessment of whether they can cause or spread plant diseases, among other vetting. Some of those products also are reviewed or regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which has oversight over food safety, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

If its a GMO, thats basically what theyve been looking at over and over again for the past 20 years, theyre saying they dont need to look at new examples, said Clint Nesbitt, senior director of science and regulatory affairs with Biotechnology Innovation Organization, an industry group that represents companies such as Bayer AG.

If what youve done with gene editing could have been done with plant breeding, youre good to go, Nesbitt said.

The change, first proposed during the Obama administration, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last summer directing federal agencies to streamline the review process for agricultural biotechnology including genetically modified livestock and seeds.

Consumers have pushed for years for greater transparency over what is in their food, fighting for GMO labeling on consumer products against pushback from farmers, biotech firms and food companies that argue such genetically engineered ingredients are safe.

Genetically modified crops were a sticking point between the United States and China during their trade war. Beijing took years to approve new strains of those crops, which U.S. companies and farmers have complained stalls trade by restricting the sales of new products.

(Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter; Additional reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Topics Legislation USA Agribusiness Pollution
Akwa Ibom State Government has said it foiled an alleged plot to smuggle 68 suspected COVID-19 patients into the State. The Stat...





Akwa Ibom State Government has said it foiled an alleged plot to smuggle 68 suspected COVID-19 patients into the State.





The State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, disclosed this when he received the Akwa Ibom caucus in the National Assembly, who were in the State for a facility tour of the newly constructed Isolation Centre for Quarantine and Prevention of Infectious Diseases located at Ituk Mbang in Uruan.





Gov. Emmanuel said Intelligence gathering revealed that the suspects, who were from distant States, had liaised with some of their collaborators within, who encouraged them to come into the State and take advantage of the healthcare system made available for COVID-19 suspects and patients.







He said as soon as he got the information, he immediately used the police to block them.





Buttressing his claims, Emmanuel said, I even have text messages where people were trying to communicate with their colleagues here and those their colleagues were encouraging them to move into the State, that here people are better treated, that they should also come. Guess how many they were trying to bring in. About 68 of them. So you can imagine if they were allowed to come in. So by the time the intelligence got to us, I had to also use police to block them. In the absence of that, I think so far, the curve has declined drastically.





Governor Emmanuel said besides the case of the 68 suspects, some suspects who were also apprehended while making similar attempts through unconventional borders, had revealed they had information that once they succeed to enter the State and declare themselves to have symptoms, they will immediately be picked up and given exclusive treatment till they recover.





Yesterday we got a call from one village in Etinan that somebody sneaked in from a State. Apparently the person had symptoms where he was and he just discovered that here people who had symptoms or tested positive are better treated. People even enter through water and when they come in, they declare themselves to be having symptoms so we can pick them up, give them the treatment because they are hearing the testimonies and even calling people to see what we are doing: the way we treat people here, the way we feed people there. Recall I had already said that where we isolate people should be as good as where any national assembly person should stay. So we have tried to make everybody comfortable, he said.





The governor, however, condemned the attempt by people to invade the State despite agreement reached at the Governors Forum that interstate borders be closed to passenger movements in the meantime.





Speaking on behalf of the Akwa Ibom Federal lawmakers, the leader of the delegation and Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-west, Senator Christopher Ekpenyong, said the State representatives in the National Assembly were proud of the State Governor and commended his drive against COVID-19 in the State.





Ekpenyong said the Akwa Ibom National Assembly caucus was delighted at the level of work on the new Isolation Centre for Quarantine and Prevention of Infectious Diseases project at the Ituk Mbang.





He lauded the proactive disposition of the Governor in healthcare matters, adding that Udom Emmanuel, being at the saddle in a time like this is the best for the State.





He added that though Akwa Ibom had missed out a lot from the federal level in this season of the pandemic, apart from the rice given to the State which a good quantity was not good for consumption, yet the State had recorded success.





The lawmakers made a donation of N5 million to the State COVID-19 Management Committee, to support the provision of face masks for the people of the State. The donation was received by the Chairman of the Committee and Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem.
The latest:

President Trump threatens to permanently pull funding from WHO and 'reconsider' US membership

President Donald Trump late Monday threatened to permanently pull U.S. funding from the World Health Organization if it does not "commit to major substantive improvements in the next 30 days."

In a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump said, "It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world. The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China.

"My administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization. But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste."

The letter on official White House letterhead, screenshots of which were posted to Twitter, comes after Trump temporarily halted funding to the organization last month.

Treasury Department is starting to send some stimulus payments on debit cards



The Treasury Department said Monday that it will start issuing some stimulus payments by sending a debit card to people in the mail.

Until now, payments had been either directly deposited in an individual's bank account or sent as a paper check.

About 4 million payments will be sent on a debit card.

The Visa debit card can be activated immediately and can be used to make purchases, to get cash at an ATM or to transfer funds into a bank account without being charged a fee, Treasury said.

The direct stimulus payments -- which are worth up to $1,200 per individual and up to $2,400 per couple -- were included in the $2.2 trillion aid package passed in March.

AP test organizers make changes after some students couldn't submit exams



The College Board says it's taking steps to avoid a repeat of the problems that are forcing thousands of high school students to retake their Advanced Placement exams if they want to get college credit.

Students are taking the AP tests online this year because the coronavirus pandemic has closed schools and made it unsafe to gather at in-person testing sites.

Some students who took the tests last week reported not being able to upload their exams, a problem the College Board blamed on users' outdated browsers and other technical issues.

The organization set up an alternate email submission process for students who have browser problems, according to The College Board website. That system went into effect today.

If students get the message "We Did Not Receive Your Response," they will get instructions to email their submissions to a unique email address.

"AP students took nearly 2.2 million AP Exams last week, and we're so proud of every student who tested. We also share the deep disappointment of those who couldn't complete their AP Exams. We're providing a new safeguard for students moving forward," the College Board said in a tweet on Sunday.

The organization said that less than 1% of students weren't able to submit their results in the early days of testing.

More evidence US childhood vaccinations dropping during virus outbreak



The number of childhood vaccines administered in Michigan has dropped by as much as 22% amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report uses Michigan as a case study, but that doesnt necessarily suggest the state is worse off than others when it comes to vaccines. The findings, for example, come less than two weeks after another report from the CDC showed childhood vaccinations plunged in across the United States since the pandemic began.

In that earlier report, the CDC reported a notable decrease in the number of vaccines ordered through a federal program that immunizes half of all kids in the U.S. Unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children will be at risk of other infectious diseases besides coronavirus, the CDC cautioned at the time.

The new report looked at Michigans vaccine information system earlier this month, and found that the number of non-flu vaccine doses administered to children overall decreased 22%. Vaccine doses in children under two years old decreased 16%.

Fewer than half of five-month-olds were up to date on their vaccines this May, according to the study. Typically, about two-thirds of them are.

Children enrolled in Medicaid, a program for low-income Americans, also had lower rates of vaccination. Among seven-month-olds, for example, only 35% of Medicaid-enrolled children were up-to-date on their vaccines. Thats compared to 55% of children not enrolled in the program.

The observed declines in vaccination coverage might leave young children and communities vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, wrote Cristi Bramer and colleagues at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Immunization Action Coalition in Minnesota and the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

They noted that measures aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus may make it more difficult to access health care services. Some services can be replaced by telemedicine, they said, but vaccines require in-person visits.

Strategies to maintain immunization services include dedicating specific clinics, rooms, or buildings for sick visits and well visits; reducing the number of patients on-site at any one time; closing waiting rooms or registration areas, and having patients check in by phone and receive vaccinations from their vehicles in the parking lot, the researchers wrote.



Several major factories reopen



General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler will begin to gradually restart their U.S. factories Monday, with some big changes put in place to help protect workers from the coronavirus.

At Ford, 59,000 factory workers, about 80% of the workforce, are expected to show up for work, according to the company. At GM, about 15,000 of the company's 48,000 factory workers are expected to report to work on Monday, with more expected to report in coming weeks as the ramp up in production continues, a spokesperson for the company said. Meanwhile, about a third of Fiat Chrysler's hourly workforce, or about 16,000, are expected to start Monday, according to the company.

The workplaces they will be returning to will look somewhat different from the ones they left in mid-March.

"We work really hard at imagining a world with COVID-19 in an assembly plant," said Ford CEO Jim Hackett in an interview with CNN Friday. "So they have lots of consideration, of course, for social distancing. We used to have two people, for example, that would be inside the vehicle as it's going down the assembly line. We stopped that."

All three companies have said they would thoroughly and frequently clean facilities and allot extra time between work shifts to do so. At Ford, for instance, factories that had been running on three shifts, or essentially around the clock, will work on two shifts to allow extra time for cleaning. At Fiat Chrysler factories, 10 minutes per shift will be allotted for cleaning.

The automakers said they will also screen employees with questionnaires before they leave for work and administer temperature checks as they enter plants or other facilities.

Governors balance reopening



Governors across the U.S. are navigating a balancing act as they try to reopen their economies without triggering a second spike of coronavirus cases.

By now, all but two states have loosened restrictions in place to help curb the spread of the virus. Some began allowing limited gatherings, while others have allowed restaurants and some businesses to reopen their doors with caution.

And while many parts of the country have expressed hope about their number of cases seemingly slowing, other states have reported hikes.

In Texas, officials reported the highest single-day increase in new cases over the weekend, but the governor has attributed it to more testing. Restaurants, movie theaters and malls have been open for a little more than two weeks, and the governor is expected to announce the next step in the state's reopening Monday.

In Florida, health officials reported 777 new coronavirus cases, adding the state's testing also increased in the past week, according to a statement released Sunday.

On Monday, the state will enter into its first full phase of reopening, which will allow restaurants, retail stores and gyms across Florida to reopen with certain restrictions.

And in California, which is now in the second of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four reopening phases, the governor said that while he was empathetic to residents' concerns, he wanted to move forward safely.

"I deeply understand the stress and anxiety that people have, that entire dreams have been torn asunder because of the shutdowns, their savings account depleted and their credit ratings destroyed," Newsom told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday. "The question is, how do you toggle back and make meaningful modifications to the stay-at-home order?"

Here's where schools stand



Guidance on moving forward has often come from local leaders. While most states announced students would not return to class this academic year, a union representing nearly 1.7 million teachers has published guidance on how schools should safely reopen  when they do.

"Once we have reduced the number of cases for at least 14 days with adequate testing in place, reopening plans can go into effect on a community-by-community basis," an April report by the American Federation of Teachers says.

In their reopening plans, schools should also consider protections for at-risk staff and at-risk students, according to the union.

Maintaining health schools may also mean having to reorganize portions of it  including making classrooms smaller, staggering lunch times and coming up with alternative plans for some after-school programs, according to the guidance.

"While our public schools have been woefully under-resourced, and we must continue the fight to change that, this next two years is an opportunity to visualize what schooling looks like in a post-pandemic era, to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive," the report says.

Testing

For the regions reporting more new cases, it's unclear whether that's due to more testing or the virus spreading more rampantly.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Tapper Sunday the country had conducted more than 10 million coronavirus tests, and the federal government was now deploying rapid tests to meatpacking facilities and nursing homes, among other locations.

In the next few weeks, projections show there will be nearly 13 million tests administered, he said.

New York, once the country's epicenter, is conducting about 40,000 coronavirus tests per day, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who added the state is doing "significantly more" diagnostic tests by population than other countries.

Officials have said the state is past its peak. And the governor said Sunday two more regions  in addition to five already in phase one of reopening  are close to beginning to reopen.

Cuomo also said his state along with New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware will open beaches for the Memorial Day weekend beginning May 22, with restrictions.

With phased reopenings underway, one concern that remains across the U.S. is how accurate diagnostic tests are.

AdventHealth announced about 35,000 coronavirus tests  33,000 of which were conducted in Florida  have been deemed unreliable because one of the processing labs was "unable to fulfill its obligation."

The company said it was "working diligently" to notify people who are impacted via letters or phone calls.

CDC on the sidelines of the pandemic

Months into the pandemic, experts are calling for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to step up and lead the U.S. efforts of fighting the virus.

The CDC has been the lead agency in battling recent pandemics and disease outbreaks including the 2009 H1N1 swine influenza pandemic and the 2003-2004 SARS outbreak. But their regular briefings on coronavirus were halted by March and the White House took over.

That was a mistake, Emory University professors and staffers wrote in a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"If we are to win the battle against COVID-19, we need the CDC's scientific independence and unstifled voice," the group wrote.

"For the past 70 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been our nation's strongest bulwark against public health threats. Its skill sets, expertise, and scientific credibility are unmatched in any other domestic or global institution. An unfettered and enabled CDC is fully capable of leading and guiding our nation's evidence-based response to public health emergencies."

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Sunday, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb also suggested the agency had been uncharacteristically quiet during the pandemic.

"Whatever the reasons, CDC has spoken infrequently and with more reticence than is customary in public-health crises," he said.

"The more information about how to reduce the risk of spread and the severity of sickness, the more lives that can be saved, and the more comfortable Americans will feel about starting to resume normal life," he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ward six, bed 46. Im alone in a four-by-seven-metre room. A small narrow window in the door provides a glimpse into the inner workings of the hospital. The window to the outside world is filthy, covered by the bleach now used to wash it down between patients, the cleaner told me. It means you can hardly see out.

One overhears the nurses and doctors talking about each patient through the door. "Her obs are OK. Oxygen levels drop when she sleeps. Another chest X-ray ordered. Needs a daily blood test. Check number of breaths per minute."

Breathing difficulties associated with COVID-19 landed Gabriela Domicelj in hospital.

And the dreaded swab test. Ive had six: five positives and one negative (probably a mistake). A long stick up the nostril and another into the back of the throat. I am deeply grateful for the medical staff and systems we have in this country, but why are the hospital swab tests performed at 5am?

One day I heard a senior nurse talking to a junior nurse outside my room before he administered my swab test, his first. "They have to gag and cry out, then you know that youve done it right," she told him. I gagged appropriately and I could tell he smiled under his mask, pleased that he had completed the task well.
The entire office building need not be closed if one or two cases of COVID-19 are reported there and work can resume after it is disinfected as per protocol, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

IMAGE: Security personnel keep vigil at the Fancy Bazar, which was sealed as a COVID-19 containment zone after detection of some cases, in Guwahati. Photograph: PTI Photo

However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours.

All staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation, it said in the guidelines on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

The document outlines the preventive and response measures to be observed to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

It stated that any staff reportedly suffering from a flu-like illness should not attend office and seek medical advice from local health authorities.

Such persons, if diagnosed as a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19 should immediately inform office authorities, it said.

'Any staff requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home. DoPT guidelines with respect to organizing meetings, coordinating visitors shall be scrupulously followed,' the guidelines stated.

The high-risk exposure contacts will be quarantined for 14 days and they will follow the guidelines on home quarantine and undergo testing as per Indian Council of Medical Research protocol while low-risk exposure contacts shall continue to work and closely monitor their health for next 14 days, the ministry stated in the guidelines.

It stated that since offices and other workplaces are relatively close setting with shared spaces like corridors, elevators and stairs, cafeteria, meeting rooms and conference halls, coronavirus infection can spread relatively fast among officials, staff and visitors.

'Thus there is a need to prevent importation of infection in workplace settings and to respond in a timely and effective manner in case a suspect case of COVID-19 is detected in these settings so as to limit the spread of infection,' the ministry said in the document.

The basic preventive measures include maintaining physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks, practising frequent hand-washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

Respiratory etiquette such as covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue, handkerchief or flexed elbow and disposing of used tissues properly should be strictly followed besides self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest, the guidelines state.

As for offices, guidelines with respect to preventive measures specific to offices issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) should be followed, it said.

The ministry, however, stated that, despite taking the measures, occurrence COVID-19 infection among the employees working in the office cannot be ruled out.

'If there one or two cases are reported, disinfection procedure will be limited to places/areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hrs. There is no need to close the entire office building/halt work in other areas of the office and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol,' the guidelines noted.

When one or a few persons who share a room or close office space are found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, the ill person should be placed in a room or area where they are isolated from others at the workplace and should be provided a mask or face cover till such time he/she is examined by a doctor.

Central or state health authorities concerned should be reported about such cases and a risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority, and accordingly, further advice shall be made regarding the management of a case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection, the guidelines stated.

If a suspected case reports very mild or mild symptoms on an assessment by the health authorities, the person would be placed in home isolation, subject to fulfilment of criteria laid down in Health ministry, it stated.

The rapid response team of the district concerned shall be requisitioned and will undertake the listing of contacts. The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of the workplace will start once the test report of the patient is received as positive, the guidelines said.

'If there are large numbers of contacts from a pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic case, there could be a possibility of a cluster emerging in a workplace setting. Due to the close environment in workplace settings, this could even be a large cluster.

'The essential principles of risk assessment, isolation and quarantine of contacts, case referral and management will remain the same. However, the scale of arrangements will be higher,' the ministry said.

Contacts are those who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case anytime between 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the date of isolation or maximum 14 days after the onset of symptoms.

High-risk contact are those who have touched body fluids of the patient, had direct physical contact with the patient, including physical examination without PPE, touched or cleaned the linens or dishes of the patient and was in close proximity (within 1 meter) of the confirmed case without precautions and travelled in same environment but not having a high-risk exposure.
NEW CANAAN  The towns First Selectman Kevin Moynihan spoke to the towns residents in the towns call updating the residents about the coronavirus in the town for Friday, May 15.

Moynihan said in the call that we appear to be on track for (the) re-opening of downtown retail stores, restaurants and offices on or soon after next Wednesday, May 20(th), in accordance with (State of Connecticut) Gov(ernor) (Ned) Lamonts Phase 1 Re-Opening CT Plan.

RELATED: State of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamonts Phase 1 Re-Opening CT Plan

Moynihan also spoke about the preparations that have been underway for this time.

The town has been working with merchants and restaurateurs to help them prepare for the safeguards they will need to meet for the protection of their customers and employees, Moynihan said.

Moynihan also let the towns residents know about the arrangements that they will see on the towns Elm, Main, and Forest Streets when things are re-opened.

While we will be erecting some street barriers on Elm, Main, and Forest Streets to allow for outdoor dining on sidewalks, no streets will be fully closed, and most on-street parking will remain, Moynihan said.

In addtion, Moynihan spoke about what parking in the towns downtown public lots will be like.

To help our merchants and restaurants get back up, and running, parking in the downtown public lots will be free for the indefinite future, Moynihan said.

Moynihan also gave a perspective about the re-opening, and the status of the virus pandemic.

While this is a bit of a turning point in the initial wave of this (corona)virus pandemic, it is by no means a return to normal. It would be a mistake to think that we are out of the woods from the dangers of this highly transmittable virus, especially for elderly residents, Moynihan said.

Moynihan also spoke about what the rule in the towns downtown area for face coverings, or masks outdoors, and inside stores, restaurants, and offices will be when it re-opens.

Face coverings, or masks will be required outdoors as well as inside stores, restaurants, and offices because it will be impossible to maintain required 6-foot social distancing on walkways, Moynihan said. Moynihan also referenced Gov. Lamonts guidance for what senior citizens in the town are asked to do.

For this reason, the gov(ernors) guidance continues to be that senior citizens should continue to stay safe at home, and let younger people grocery shop, pick up Rx prescriptions, and restaurant meals for them, Moynihan said. For the same reason, it is important to understand that downtown New Canaan will be an area where face coverings or masks will be required outdoors as well as inside stores, restaurants, and offices because it will be impossible to maintain required 6-foot social distancing on walkways, Moynihan also said.

Were counting on our residents to comply with this simple, common sense requirement at all ages except for very young children. And in all parts of town, you should always carry a mask or face covering, and wear it when needed to protect others as they will do to protect you, Moynihan also said.

Moynihan then gave an update about whether the towns Town Hall building is going to re-open, or still be closed during the process of the re-opening, and as it relates to town staff.

Please note that Town Hall will remain closed to residents, and visitors until sometime in June, but town staff will continue to be easily available by phone, and email, and there is a drop-box at the door for documents that need to be filed, Moynihan said.

Moynihan finished the towns call for the evening with congratulatory comments to all of the towns graduating college seniors, and graduate school students, along with a message about the towns residents staying safe, protecting friends, and loved ones, and staying strong amid the virus pandemic.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all graduating college seniors, and graduate school students from New Canaan. America needs your talents, and enthusiasm to help rebuild our economy from this historic pandemic. Best wishes to you all for the future, Moynihan said.

Please stay safe, and remember it is up to all of us to protect our friends, and loved ones. Stay strong New Canaan, Moynihan also said.
Even as opposition parties in Goa



claimed the special train service between Delhi and Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram was bringing in COVID-19 cases due to a scheduled halt in Madgaon, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed "90 per cent Goans" alighted.

He said the state has 35 COVID-19 cases, only four of whom were non-Goans, though some hours earlier state Health minister Vishwajit Rane had put the case count at 37.

Sawant said 33 of 35 patients came from Maharashtra and two from Karnataka.

Sawant said all those who alighted at Madgaon station from the special train were asked to furnish proof that they resided in the state.

Eight passengers who were on the train that arrived on Saturday tested positive, while the one that reached on Sunday had 12 cases.

Sawant also said more than 10,000 workers had left Goa for their native states amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, while governments in Bihar and West Bengal were yet to give permission for entry.

The CM said trains to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were being planned from Goa to help transport stranded migrants.

"The cost of arranging a special train depends on the distance it travels, but on an average Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 is charged per head," he said, adding that the tourism sector constituents had volunteered to pay.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
While the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc across much of the globe, political and business leaders are already starting to think about what the world might look like once the worst of the outbreak eases.

The forecasts arent good.

Collapsing governments, famine, crushed economies and emboldened extremists are all among the darkest post-pandemic scenarios. Yet even less dramatic outlooks have a gloomy tinge, with political alliances crumbling and economies unlikely to rebound fast enough to blunt the impact of hundreds of millions of lost jobs.

Seams that were opening before the virus emerged are tearing apart faster. U.S.-China bickering about the origins and response to the virus now threaten a trade deal that could help the world recover. A fight over distribution of an eventual vaccine is dividing allies. And the United Nations has been sidelined, while autocratic governments have stepped up attacks on civil liberties.

Hopes that nations might momentarily set aside their differences to combat the coronavirus have largely evaporated.

This pandemic is about as close to an asteroid hitting the earth as you can imagine in terms of a common threat, said Richard Fontaine, chief executive officer at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. But not only has there been no meaningful cooperation, its become just another vector for competition.

Trade War Fears Are Returning to a Virus-Lashed Wall Street

One of the first fights will be over access to any lasting treatment or vaccine. French officials erupted last week when the chief executive officer of Paris-based pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said the US may get the companys potential vaccine first because America helped fund the research. Many global leaders contend that any vaccine should be viewed as a public good, though inevitably some populations will have delayed access.

Other post-virus fractures are also emerging: The US shunned a Europe-led virtual meeting on May 4 to raise billions of dollars for a vaccine, and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council havent been able to agree on a resolution urging a global cease-fire -- in part because the US objected to a reference to the World Health Organization, which President Donald Trump says is too close to China.

On a deeper level, there is widespread unease about the Trump administrations repeated refusals to relent in its maximum-pressure campaign of economic sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, despite the privations suffered by those countries people as the virus rages.

Virus Revives Worst-Case Scenarios for U.S.-China Relationship

As a result, one clear victim of the virus geopolitically will be confidence in the US Under the Trump administration, disdain for international institutions like the UN, the WHO and the World Trade Organization has only been heightened during the outbreak.

The newly aggressive stance -- exemplified by Secretary of State Michael Pompeos remark that China has a history of infecting the world -- has some experts believing the US is making a clean break with the pre-virus world, regardless of the results in Novembers presidential election.

Many nations, having seen an America First response to the pandemic, will be wary of being too dependent on Washington. The worlds biggest economy, home to many top universities and researchers, was unable to secure enough testing and medical equipment to cope with the virus, which has now claimed more than 86,000 American lives.

At the same time, Chinas demands for concessions in exchange for badly needed equipment -- often of low quality -- and its continuing refusal to allow a full investigation into the viruss origin make it a less appealing option for nations caught between the superpowers.

The corrosive damage runs pretty deep, said William Burns, a former US deputy secretary of state whos now president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The pandemic crisis is a painful accelerant of a lot of the trend lines on the international landscape -- fragmentation among states, greater tendency to focus on narrow nationalism, aggravation of major-power competition and regional disorders.

A U.S.-Shaped Void Forces Australia to Stand Up Against China

Other potentially long-lasting damage also has been inflicted. Algeria, which relies on oil for most of its revenue, announced it was slashing its budget by half amid plummeting crude prices. Some experts fear a new wave of economic migrants fleeing from its shores on the Mediterranean to Europe.

The pandemic is expected to wipe out $8.5 trillion in global output and could send 130 million people into the ranks of extreme poverty, according to the UN. Already, more than 100 countries have appealed to the International Monetary Fund for help as the coronavirus eradicates key sources of revenue such as tourism and travel.

Why Theres a Looming Debt Crisis in Emerging Markets: QuickTake

One winner, even if Republican Trump stays in the White House, is big government. More than $8 trillion globally -- including about $3 trillion in the US -- has already been deployed by governments trying to confront the virus. More will be coming, with the US starting to consider another stimulus package.

Were going to see a larger government role in the economy because thats the only way of re-injecting something into it, said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs in Rome. There will be a greater government role in the economic recovery but also greater attention to avoid hostile takeovers, particularly with China in mind.

With the US still feeling some of the viruss harshest impacts, China is aggressively trying to shape the narrative about the outbreak with an eye to what comes next. From the earliest days, it moved to silence domestic critics and doctors who spoke up about the virus, and it continues trying to shut down calls from Australia and other countries for an investigation into the pandemics origins in Wuhan.

U.S. Warns That Chinese Hackers Are Targeting Virus Research

Those actions, under what critics call Chinas Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, have been so aggressive that several countries -- including Nigeria, Kazakhstan and France -- have called in its diplomats for complaints.

Neither China nor the US come out of this looking good, said Kathleen Hicks, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The real issue becomes how do other players weigh those factors, their sense that the US is less likely to lead?

Those countries are increasingly left with a difficult choice: ally more closely with one of two unappealing options, or seek some distance from both, despite a dependency on Chinas cheap manufacturing and US capital.

The US is trying to disrupt its own dependence on China by speeding up a reorientation that would bring critical supply chains back to the U.S., a notion other nations are weighing as well.

Face Mask Diplomacy

Many countries are waking up the Chinese Communists aggressive face mask diplomacy, and they dont like it, Keith Krach, the US undersecretary of state for economic affairs, said in an interview. The damage to Chinas reputation is irreparable.

Thats left some countries looking to exploit opportunities while Beijing and Washington are distracted -- what former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the coming post-COVID anarchy in a May 6 article in Foreign Affairs. Chief among them is Russia.

Battling declining popularity ratings at home, President Vladimir Putin has used the chaos caused by coronavirus to deepen his governments influence in Syria and Libya.

This is all very convenient for Putin, who is not strong enough to be the main leader but who can play with a wide range of partners, said Alexander Dynkin, president of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, a state-run think tank. There wont be any global leaders for a while.

UN Relief

Amid the pessimism, however, some believe the notion of dashed US leadership is overblown. Laments about diminished Americas standing in the world have been voiced for decades, and yet the US remains powerful and wealthy enough to reclaim that role, regardless of Chinas bid for more influence.

Weve been talking about the end of the American century for a fifth of a century, said Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Seeing this as the end of the American moment and saying the US will never be able to recover, I think thats silly and overwrought.

Either way, for poor countries, its a terrible moment for the worlds biggest players to be fighting. On Thursday, the UN tripled to $6.7 billion the money its hoping to raise to fight coronavirus and its aftershocks compared with what it was seeking six weeks ago, warning that the specter of multiple famines loom.

In many countries across Africa and South America, another fear is that the full extent of the crisis isnt even known. Brazil, where President Jair Bolsonaro has mocked the threat from the virus, has more than 206,000 reported cases and more than 14,000 deaths, numbers seen as underestimates. Yet the government is pressing on with efforts to reopen more sectors of Latin Americas biggest economy. At the same time, Colombia is militarizing its frontier with Brazil to ward off the spread of new cases.

Brazil Health Chief Exits After 29 Days as Virus Caseload Soars

And in Africa, the UN Development Programmes director for the continent, Ahunna Eziakonwa, has warned of a complete collapse of economies and livelihoods. Of particular concern is Zimbabwe, where more than half the population needs food aid and the economy had collapsed even before the coronavirus hit.

Livelihoods will be wiped out in a way we have never seen before, Eziakonwa said.

As scenarios like that begin to unfold, whats becoming more clear is that the world after coronavirus will be much different from the one we lived in less than six months ago.

With the pandemic still spreading fast in many poor countries ahead of the Southern Hemisphere winter, the crisis may force the US and its allies to sideline foreign policy priorities that have shaped Trumps first term. Issues that seemed significant, such as the maximum pressure campaign on Iran or the vilification of the International Criminal Court, may pale in comparison to the virus as its impacts pile up.

Its not the US that will choose what it wants to focus on, said Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a senior State Department adviser in the Obama administration. The coronavirus is going to decide.
Jason Amo Gyimah

18.05.2020 LISTEN

The Chief Finance Officer at OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers Limited, Jason Amo Gyimah has said, the novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) has hit hard on many businesses and caused disruption and distress for general life.

According to him, most companies have not prepared for the unprecedented appearance of the pandemic which has brought this drastic decay of the economy. This challenges companies and individuals to insure lives and properties.

"COVID-19 has hit the worlds economy, Ghana's economy down to business. Productivity at various companies have reduced, many people are being laid off thereby making matters difficult for companies and individuals to insure lives and properties ", he said.

He added "All that you need to do as a business is to restrategized and find alternative measures to mitigate the risk. Invest heavily in IT infrastructure to remain in business. Furthermore, inasmuch as COVID-19 has affected general life negatively it has also thought us positive lessons to care for each other and the practice of personal hygiene."

He commends government for its tremendous work towards the fight against the virus, urging the government to look within and invest more money into small scale enterprises in order to revive the economy.

"Government is really doing well but I think more should be done. COVID-19 has really thought us lessons that have made us come to the realization that we lag behind. A lot should be done, I think the government should invest more in the financial sector, health sector and the small scale businesses to boost the economy", he reiterated

Detailing the importance of insurance and insurance brokerage in one's life he said, it is very important to insure lives and properties because one cannot predict future occurrences.

"It is very important to insure lives and properties and in doing so you need to contact a broker because they are in good positions to connect you a reputable insurance company. In Ghana, we fear to contact insurance brokers because we think they are expensive. In fact, insurance brokers don't charge, they are actually free. I will advise everyone to contact a broker to connect you to the right insurance company you deserve", he said.
A Delhi court on Monday extended till June 16the judicial custody of Jammu and Kashmir Police officer Davinder Singh, who was arrested earlier this year while ferrying two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists in a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway.

Singh was produced before the court via video conferencing which extended his custody for a month, his advocate Prashant Prakash said.

Special judge M K Nagpal had earlier directed the jail authorities of Hira Nagar Jail in Jammu and Kashmir, where Singh is currently lodged, to produce him before the court here today.

The judge had also issued production warrants against three other accused Javed Iqbal, Syed Naveed Mushtaq and Imran Shafi Mir arrested in the case. The court extended their custody as well till June 16.

The production warrants were issued after Tihar jail authorities informed the judge that the accused could not be brought before the court since they are currently in a J-K jail.

DSP Davinder Singh was suspended from the Jammu and Kashmir Police in January this year.

The Special Cell had brought Davinder Singh to Delhi from Hira Nagar Jail in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier the court had sent Syed Naveed Mushtaq and others to police custody till April 3 after the police said that he and other co accused were planning to execute terror attacks in Delhi and other parts of the country and targeted killings of protected person.

The police had said that Mushtaq, the commander of Shopian district of Hizbul Mujahiddeen, used to chat with other co-accused and militants through various internet platforms, including darknet chat.

Mushtaq, along with other militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, were planning to execute terror attack in Delhi and other parts of the country and targeted killings of protected persons, police had told the court.

Delhi Police had filed an FIR under Section 120B of IPC. The FIR said that the youths of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab are being trained for carrying out terrorist activities.

The FIR also mentioned of D Company and Chhota Shakeel. According to the FIR, the Delhi Police Special Cell had received an input that the D Company is funding to pro-Khalistan terrorist organisations in Punjab.

Under this very FIR Davinder Singh was taken in custody. He is currently in judicial custody in the case.

The Special Cell had also interrogated Davinder Singh regarding the Khalistan angle, police said.

Although Davinder Singh is not named in the FIR, but the Special Cell has some inputs on the basis of which the enquiry will be done carried out and Davinder Singh will be questioned.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Roxanne Liu and Tova Cohen

BEIJING/TEL AVIV (Reuters) - China has given the greenlight to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' <TEVA.N> Austedo treatment for Huntington's disease, the company said on Monday.

Teva's CEO Kare Schultz said the drug would be priced somewhat lower in China than in the United States. However, it will not yet be eligible for coverage under China's national insurance scheme, which means it will only be affordable initially to a limited proportion of patients in the world's second-largest drug market.

Austedo was included in China's fast-tracked approval channel as a rare disease treatment of "significant clinical advantage". It has been approved to alleviate uncontrollable movements in patients with Huntington's disease - a hereditary brain disorder that often appears in middle age - or tardive dyskinesia, a spokesperson at the Israel-based drugmaker said.

Austedo, which is expected to generate sales of $650 million in the United States this year, costs around $60,000 a year per patient in the United States before insurance coverage, Schultz said.

Austedo needs to be significantly cheaper than $60,000 a year to be affordable to most patients in China, where major commercial insurance programmes are yet to cover Huntington's disease, said Cao Xi, who runs "Hyacinth Care", a Shanghai-based non-profit organization dedicated to the disease.

"We would go in with a strategy of being in the specialized clinics first, so there would not be broad access in the beginning," Schultz told Reuters in an interview prior to the Chinese approval.

Annual treatment costs for Chinese patients were around 12,000 yuan ($1,687) on average in 2018, according to a survey conducted by Hyacinth Care involving about 360 participates who suffer from Huntington's disease or carry a mutant gene related to the illness.

"If [the drug is] too expensive, we hope there could be some national medical insurance-related policies to help patients afford the drug," said Cao, who has a relative with Huntington's disease.

Story continues

China has pledged to include more rare disease drugs in its central government-backed nationwide insurance scheme, which most patients, especially less affluent ones, rely on to pay drug bills.

"You start with a private launch... and then it's many years typically before you get into the national process," Schultz said. "You're talking about a launch which is basically not government-aid[ed] to begin with."

Austedo was approved in the United States to treat chorea associated with Huntington's disease and tardive dyskinesia in 2017. Revenues from sales of the drug in North America surged 64% to $122 million in the first quarter.

(Additional reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Susan Fenton)
To the annoyance of some shareholders, China Hongguang Holdings (HKG:8646) shares are down a considerable 32% in the last month. The bad news is that the recent drop obliterated the last year's worth of gains; the stock is flat over twelve months.

Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more attractive to potential buyers. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. The implication here is that long term investors have an opportunity when expectations of a company are too low. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E implies that investors have high expectations of what a company can achieve compared to a company with a low P/E ratio.

See our latest analysis for China Hongguang Holdings

How Does China Hongguang Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 5.51 that sentiment around China Hongguang Holdings isn't particularly high. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (7.2) for companies in the building industry is higher than China Hongguang Holdings's P/E.

SEHK:8646 Price Estimation Relative to Market May 18th 2020

China Hongguang Holdings's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

Story continues

China Hongguang Holdings saw earnings per share decrease by 39% last year.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

How Does China Hongguang Holdings's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Net debt totals 14% of China Hongguang Holdings's market cap. It would probably deserve a higher P/E ratio if it was net cash, since it would have more options for growth.

The Verdict On China Hongguang Holdings's P/E Ratio

China Hongguang Holdings trades on a P/E ratio of 5.5, which is below the HK market average of 9.7. The debt levels are not a major concern, but the lack of EPS growth is likely weighing on sentiment. Given China Hongguang Holdings's P/E ratio has declined from 8.1 to 5.5 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is more worried about the business today, than it was back then. For those who prefer invest in growth, this stock apparently offers limited promise, but the deep value investors may find the pessimism around this stock enticing.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: China Hongguang Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

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.
May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Venezuela's appeal of a lower court ruling allowing Canadian gold mining company Crystallex to seize shares in U.S. refiner Citgo to collect on an unpaid arbitration award.

That meant a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling from last year that Crystallex could seize the shares in Citgo would stand. Crystallex is going after Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, to collect on a $1.4 billion judgment for expropriation of its assets under late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

The decision marked a setback to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized as the country's interim president by the United States and dozens of other countries and has focused on protecting PDVSA's overseas assets from seizure by creditors or possible sale by President Nicolas Maduro.

But Crystallex still faces obstacles in its quest to seize Citgo shares.

The U.S. Treasury Department, which sanctioned PDVSA last year as part of the Trump administration's efforts to oust Maduro, has said claimants against Venezuela cannot enforce arbitral awards by seizing property without specific permission.

"It is important to clarify that thanks to the actions of the legitimate government, the U.S. Treasury Department has implemented an order protecting the Republic's assets, especially Citgo," Guaido's press team said in a statement.

A Crystallex spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guaido's representatives took control of Citgo last year and have so far managed to stave off a number of parties seeking shares in the company as payment, including U.S. oil company ConocoPhillips and holders of PDVSA 2020 bond, which is backed by a 50% stake in Citgo.

Maduro, who has overseen an economic collapse of the once-prosperous OPEC nation and stands accused of rigging his 2018 re-election, in 2017 pledged the other 50% to Russia's Rosneft as collateral for a loan. He retains control of Venezuela's territory, and calls Guaido a U.S. puppet who "stole" Citgo. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley in Washington Editing by Marguerita Choy)
One supermarket item has continued to see a surge in sales since the panic buying frenzy calmed- and it's not toilet paper or pasta.

Aldi's sales of its coffee brand Lazzio has spiked by 50 per cent since mid February, peaking even higher across March to April as Australians were ordered to stay at home.

The popular Aldi product is supplied by Black Bag Roasters, a Victorian coffee company which forms part of the Nomad Coffee Group.

One of Aldi's products expected an unexpected surge in sales amid the coronavirus panic buying frenzy (pictured) - but increased sales in the company's Lazzio coffee products are tipped to outlive the pandemic

CEO Craig Dickson said during the height of the lockdown, the company was working around the clock to keep up with demand.

'Our traditional business declined but Aldi sales were up more than 50 per cent for probably a six to seven week period,' Mr Dickson told news.com.au.

'It was pretty crazy, the orders that were starting to come in were pretty much emptying the warehouse and we were roasting pretty much every hour we were allowed to and packing to keep up with the demand of Aldi.'

Mr Dickson was initially concerned the coronavirus would stifle business because the company supplies beans to cafes and restaurants.

He held an emergency meeting on March 12 to plan the move to shift the company's focus towards its online sales.

But as millions of commuters swapped morning takeaways for home brews, Aldi's coffee sales sky rocketed.

Nomad Groups customer service and sales teams employees were suddenly thrown into the warehouse to help pack and make coffee for Aldi.

Aldi's Lazzio coffee (pictured) has seen sales surge by more than 50 per cent since mid February

Although the demand was gruelling, Mr Dickson said it saved many jobs, with all 75 of the company's full time staff able to keep their jobs.

The coffee company had to let go all casual staff and expected to cut down further as the company would have faced significant loss.

'If it wasnt for having the partnership with Aldi we probably would have had to stand down some staff. So to be able to go through that time and not do that was fantastic,' he said.

Mr Dickson said the company's operations will be forever changed by the coronavirus crisis, as he predicts more people will work from home than in the past.

Managing Director for Vittoria Coffee Rolando Schirato said the company had witnessed a 50 to 90 per cent drop in out of home coffee consumption.

Mr Schirato said while there had been an overall spike in home based products, coffee pods had seen the most significant sales growth.

Cafes and restaurants in QLD, NSW and the NT have begun to reopen as COVID-19 restrictions eased down to stage one.

While other states have started to relax the rules, cafes and restaurants in Victoria will remain restricted to takeaway.
UPPER THUMB  Another death due to COVID-19 was confirmed in Tuscola County Monday.

The new death brings the total number of deaths for the county up to 19. There were also two new confirmed cases in Tuscola County, bringing its total up to 172.

Huron County reported no changes to its confirmed numbers Monday, remaining at 44 cases and a single death.

Sanilac County also saw no reported changes to its numbers, remaining at 39 cases and 5 deaths.

These changes follow an Upper Thumb case increase of nine on Sunday and three on Saturday, with Tuscola County being the only county to report an increase in its death toll over the weekend.

Across Michigan, both the number of confirmed cases and the death toll went up slightly Monday after seeing the lowest confirmed daily COVID-19 death number since March.

There were been 773 new confirmed cases Monday across the state and 24 new deaths from the virus.

Michigan had 51,915 confirmed cases and 4,915 deaths according to numbers Monday.

As of May 15, 28,234 people in Michigan have recovered from COVID-19.

Also on May 15, the Huron County Health Department released updated numbers for the confirmed cases by zip code, when there were 38 confirmed cases in the county.

Of that number, 19 are in Harbor Beach, seven are in Bad Axe, four are in Port Austin, three are in Caseville, three are in Port Hope, and Sebewaing and Ruth each have one.

The latest state numbers come as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that retail businesses, restaurants and bars in the Upper Peninsula and 17 counties in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula can reopen with some restrictions.

As part of the reopening, bars and restaurants will be able to have a 50% capacity, servers will be required to wear face coverings, groups have to remain six feet apart, and any office work that cannot be done remotely can resume.
An amateurish infographic tweeted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday night attempts to show Texas and Floridas superiority over California and New York in everything from their respective COVID-19 death rates to state income tax.

According to the Four Most Populous States by the Numbers graphic, the two southern states have fewer coronavirus deaths and smaller budget deficits. It also notes that Florida and Texas have reopened dine-in restaurants, salons and barbershops, and churches, while California and New York have not.

Abbott's only comment was a chin-stroking Hmmm

Its not clear who created the chart; no credit is provided. But beyond the blurry photos, there are clues that the workmanship is less than professional. Some figures are not current and others are misleading. For example, the 13 percent California income tax only applies to those making over $1 million per year.

An unfortunate typo has turned the word mortality into morality. According to the graphic, Texas has the lowest morality rate of the four states.

The Houston Chronicle reported Texas had 1,801 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the largest single-day jump since the pandemic began.

Replies to the governors Twitter post ran the gamut. There was much red state flag waving and needling of blue states: God bless Texas!, Great Job Governor Abbot [sic] and Governor DeSantis. Hey Gavin and Cuomo, you might want to learn something and To you California or New York nut jobs, if you move here, vote Republican, dont want TX to become CA or NY!!!

But a number of people questioned the graphics figures, such as the mortality rate, which should be COVID-19 deaths as a percentage of cases not total population. Others pointed to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Texas, suggesting that the tweet "would not age well."

A few noted that unlike California and New York, Texas and Florida get a disproportionate amount of federal aid that allows them to keep their own taxes artificially low or that the deficit figures did not account for Texas' $45 billion pension debt.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

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Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate
[The lockdown] gave us the opportunity to rethink the way we were doing things, he said. We tried to see the opportunity and not complain too much, we do have to adapt. You have to be smart on what you are doing. Balthazar fans stood by their restaurant during the lockdown, with takeaway offerings selling out each week. Emma Ferguson of Balthazar restaurant in Perth. The restaurant reopened on Monday, with their online booking system going into overdrive until most lunch and dinner sittings in the near future were full.

Co-owner Emma Ferguson said there would be some changes to the way they operated, and not just the offering of fragrant hand sanitiser. Their set menu must be paid for at the time of booking and confirmation phone calls made prior to the dining time would be more in depth than before. Everyone has prepaid because at the moment there is not a lot of space for cancellations, she said, noting the restaurant usually seated more than 60 people at a time. The phone call would remind customers not to come in if they were feeling at all unwell. Customers would enjoy two-hour sittings, with time in between for the tables to be sanitised.

Ms Ferguson said the state government's method of reopening venues slowly, and with the 20-person maximum, was smart despite the fact it wouldn't work for two of her other venues. This is the initial gust in the sails, which hopefully pushes us to Phase 3 when you can hopefully host more numbers George Kailis While Balthazar would reopen now, Ms Ferguson's Northbridge venues No Mafia and Los Bravos would remain closed until the numbers of people they could entertain was increased. She said part of the experience of those venues was the hustle and bustle of the area and the social vibe inside which would not be possible under the current restrictions. But she supported the way the reopening was being managed.

"I think it's just a great way to reopen Perth," she said. "A lot of the regulations and requirements from the government are very fair and necessary." She said while some people in hospitality had made comments suggesting diners spend big to support their venues if they were going to take up a seat, that was not the philosophy at Balthzar. Ross Drennan, co-owner of The Old Synagogue, which had only opened for about three months before the pandemic shut the doors at the newly refurbished venue, said there was no doubt people were dying to go out. Despite the three-storey site with 1000-people capacity being home to four different venues, The Old Synagogue will have to adhere to the 20-people limit over the whole venue, which is why Mr Drennan made the decision to only open Tonic & Ginger.

The restaurant is running two lunch sittings from Friday to Sunday and two dinner sittings seven days per week. Sadly the Old Synagogue with its four venues, which caters for up to 1000 people, had to shut its doors just three months after its lavish opening at the end of 2019. Mr Drennan said they had toyed with the idea of a condensed menu but decided to serve people the full offering with some seasonal adjustments. We opened bookings on Wednesday May 13 and within 24 hours we were booked out for the whole of this week, he said. He said the response was very encouraging with dinner bookings already at capacity for the following week as well.

We sent out an email to our existing customer base to give them the first opportunity at booking before we announced the reopening to the public. The take-up was fantastic, he said. Mr Drennan said the whole team was keen to get back on the tools and start working together again. Our venue can host almost 1000 people, so 20 people is only 2 per cent occupancy, he said. Part of our decision is based on us being optimistic that restrictions will be eased further within a month and then we will be well placed to scale up again. He said the restrictions had come at a huge cost to the business, but was confident they would survive.

It was devastating to have such a successful start and then see your turnover cut to zero, he said. Loading Having to lay off the best part of 100 staff was the hardest bit. We all worked so hard over the three months we were open and had achieved so much. Unfortunately having just opened, the vast majority of our staff were not eligible for JobKeeper. George Kailis, whose hospitality offerings include Swanbournes Shorehouse and Island Market at Trigg, said they had been inundated with bookings over the weekend.

The Shorehouse is opening for two sittings, lunch and dinner from Friday to Sunday, and Mr Kailis said spots for this weekend were virtually all taken. Bookings for the next three weekends had already flooded in and 50 per cent of the seats were already taken. Even before restrictions had eased we had emails saying can you book us in which was really pleasing, he said. Blue Swimmer crab omelette at the Shorehouse. He said while pre-booking and pre-paying for the set menus, which include a selection of customer favourites, was helping towards making the micro- dining experience profitable, it was more important to open up the doors to engage with the community again. Set menus would drive the per-head spend up slightly for restaurant operators, he said.

Someone coming in and spending $15 on an entree and having a glass of water and walking out when you only had 20 diners would be very difficult on the business. Loading The financial viability is questionable still, but we felt that we needed re-engagement with our regular customers and the communities around our businesses and engaging our staff and getting our team back together and supporting suppliers and producers," Mr Kailis said. Bringing the business back to life is critical, it just feels horrible, especially us being beach-side when the weather has been so awesome. This is the initial gust in the sails, which hopefully pushes us to phase 3 when you can hopefully host more numbers.
Two trucks carrying 95 migrants illegally from Maharashtra were seized in Rishikesh over the last two days.

One truck with 33 migrants from Pune was seized near Saptrishi barrier of Raiwala on Sunday while another carrying 62 migrants from Nasik was seized by police in Muni ki Reti police station area on Saturday, police officials said.

Driver of the truck bringing migrants from Pune fled as he saw policemen waiting at Saptrishi barrier, an official at Raiwala police station said.

The truck, however, was seized and the migrants, who were travelling in it after paying the driver, were quarantined in Haripur area after being screened, he said.

Another truck was seized on Friday in Muni ki Reti police station area after it was found carrying 62 migrants illegally from Nasik, Tehri's Additional SP Uttam Singh Negi said.

They were screened and offered food before being sent to their respective districts in Uttarakhand as they were travelling hungry, Negi said.

The truck driver was arrested and a case under different sections of the IPC and Disaster Management Act was registered against him but he was let off on bail, he said.

When contacted Director General (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar said the police is under great pressure with around 10,000 migrants returning on an average from different parts of the country daily.

They have to be properly screened before being quarantined or sent home as per COVID-19 protocol, he said.

"Truck drivers are perhaps taking advantage of our preoccupation with returnees coming in trains and buses. The police personnel at the barriers, however, have been asked to keep a tab on the movement of incoming trucks also," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Claire Lyon may be the only Australian musical performer who can still look out onto a sea of people from the stage - even if they're all wearing masks.

The soprano is currently starring in the South Korean run of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, thought to be the only major production in the world to continue being staged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian Claire Lyon in Phantom of the Opera.

"Some of my colleagues [in Australia] performed their last show without knowing it was their last show," Lyon said. "Same with Broadway or the West End. People thought they would be back in a couple of weeks. But now it's looking like the end of 2020. In a word, it's devastating.

"It's an emotional rollercoaster. There's survivor's guilt, in a way. But I'm also extremely proud of our show and our producers and the way they haven't given up on us. They've kept us afloat."
As author Ashley Poston made her way through a to-do list in early March, she fired off an e-mail to her publicist with a list of bookstores that she wanted to read at for the release of her YA romance Bookish and the Beast (Quirk, Aug.). Poston says that as soon as she crossed it off the list, she realized, Oh, thats probably not going to happen. She recalls, It was sort of surreal, and I felt a little foolish afterward.

Yet Poston is not alone. Hundreds of YA book releases and publicity plans have been altered by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has upended the conventional publishing worlds most tried-and-true methods for publicizing new works.

YA authors are now a vanguard in publishing, charting new territory online, trying untested methods of reaching readers, and honing tools that previously existed but were largely underutilized by a trade that prizes in-person interactions at conferences, bookstores, and community gatherings.

Authors and publishers team up

Poston counts herself among the fortunate YA authors of the coronavirus era. Armed with a marketing background and some lead time until the release of her book, which is also the third in a series, she has been able to transition from planning a book tour to participating in online events with relative ease. She pitched her publisher the idea of posting Instagram videos in which she read her own writing from when she was 16 and shared excerpts from Bookish and the Beast. Quirk then created a weeklong event around her proposal.

Other publishers also moved quickly to support their authors. Season two of Penguin Young Readers We Are YA podcast was originally slated for release in June, but it was moved up to mid-March. We saw the social distancing moment as an opportunity to accelerate our timeline, says digital marketing director Alex Garber.

Much of the challenge of making the technological logistics work for both the podcast and the publishers YouTube Live channel was taken up by Felicity Vallence, associate director of digital marketing. I set up a little studio in my apartment bedroom and on Sunday afternoons recorded three or four back-to-back podcast episodes with authors, she says. Authors were fantastic in their response, not only by participating but also sharing with their followers via social media. For many of our guests, being on the podcast provided an outlet to talk about their books at a moment when tours and other speaking engagements were being canceled.

Some publishers have decided to focus on YA graphic novels, whose readers are already accustomed to online engagement. On April 18, First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group, organized Comics Relief, an online conference that gave readers a chance to learn about comics creation from novelists, editors, and designers in six sessions throughout the day.

Comics Relief was Macmillans first large-scale, homegrown virtual event, and we planned it in a matter of weeks, so there was a lot of learning on the fly, says associate marketing director Melissa Zar. The work paid off, as more than 550 attendees stayed from start to finish. Working with the creators was a huge highlight, Zar adds. Our authors and illustrators were incredibly enthusiastic and willing to take this leap of faith with us.

Graphic novelist Ngozi Ukazu was among them, co-leading two panels, which came easily to the author and illustrator after years of doing webcomics. In general, Im used to planning virtual events, she says. A sequel to Ukazus Check, Please was released the week of Comics Relief. Along with the festival, she also did Instagram Live sketch-jams and livestreams on Twitch.

The effort appears to be paying off. According to Macmillan assistant publicity director Morgan Kane, First Second is already planning another Comics Relief event for June 6.

Book launches and new audiences

Monica Hesse says she was returning from a festival in Dallas when she realized she would need to cancel her April book launch for her historical novel They Went Left (Little, Brown). Instead, she did a virtual book launch with Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C. When she logged onto her computer, she immediately experienced an unexpected benefit of a virtual event. Friends and relatives from all over the country were waiting. It was really emotional to get texts from everyone, from my old drama teacher to my middle school best friend, saying theyd all logged on, too, she recalls.

Still, Hesse says there are drawbacks to online readings when compared with in-person events. They definitely feel like a substitutelike you made the brownies but replaced the oil for applesauce. Its not quite the same. Yet she believes that virtual events welcome readers who might otherwise not be able to attend author events.

The prospect of reaching that wider audience was a source of motivation for debut YA author Rocky Callen, who came up with creative ideas to build awareness for the launch of her book, A Breath Too Late (Holt). Instead of a single event, she did a week of recorded conversations with her agent and editor in advance of the books release, in which she talked about writing and mental health, which are themes in her novel. She then did the book release in an online event with Jandy Nelson, Printz Award-winning author of Ill Give You the Sun.

I spent a lot of time googling, asking questions, and watching videos about using the technology for my launch, Callen says. And while it took a chunk of time, I am happy to have the basics under my belt now.

Like Hesse, Callen has delighted in seeing how a wider audience is able to access her digital events compared with what might be possible in-person. We have an incredible opportunity to engage with people who are isolated even without a pandemic, she says, who dont have the money for a bus ride, who dont have a babysitter, who just want a glimpse of an author they dont know, and who need us as writers even if they cant make it to an event.

L.C. Rosens embrace of technology was more cautious at first, but he has quickly adapted. Rosen has been doing events in advance of the release of Camp (Little, Brown), his novel about toxic masculinity at a summer camp for queer teens, in late May, but familiarizing himself with the necessary digital tools was initially difficult. Im not usually tech-savvy at all, he says, but I figured it out eventually.

Rosen notes that it has been challenging to get used to not seeing audience members faces and fielding chat questions while speaking. But, like Callen, he says accessibility has been one of the most exciting parts of going online. Id love it if maybe live events started getting broadcast by bookstores and libraries that are now equipped to do so. I also think that videoconferences can work, for example, with international stuff. Im so excited I get to talk to folks in other countries about my book. I hope theres a way to keep that borderlessness in the future.

Difficult crowds

The democratization of attendance at events that have gone online is not without its perils. While Rosen is encouraged by what he has experienced in his digital events, he remains concerned about how technology can create a space for hate. Theres the issue of harassing engagement, he says. Some people, under the anonymity of Zoom, feel empowered to say racist, sexist, and homophobic stuff. That can be very shocking and disheartening.

Kelly Yang, author of Parachutes (HarperCollins/Tegen, May) was the target of racist comments during one of her first online events in March. She had been quick to adapt to digital events, launching an online writing workshop for teens, but a few sessions after she began, a student began posting racist comments. The incident drew widespread attention and Yang was unsure whether she would continue. It was so mind-boggling and so devastating, she says. I wondered, should I continue the class?

The student later apologized, and Yangwho has a background in teachingnot only continued but also revamped the format of the workshops to include fellow authors. Hosted weekly, Yangs workshops involve interviews with authors about their approaches to writing. She also archives the sessions for her YouTube channel and website. Between 40 and 100 students attend each week, and she says she is glad she continued with the program. Its so much fun. Its rewarding to have these conversations. You dont feel as lonely.

The challenge, Yang says, is drawing attention to her book when media outlets only want to focus on the racism she experienced. While racism is important to address, she laments the lost opportunity to draw attention to Parachutes. Nevertheless, she is continuing to advocate for the book with big-draw events like her upcoming book launch, which she is doing with a special guest, National Book Awardwinner Laurie Halse Anderson.

Pairings for book launches

Author pairings like the one that Yang has planned for her book launch are turning out to be among the bright spots for YA authors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online events have made it possible for them to appear with popular authors, and at events they would have otherwise missed.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea (Candlewick), is blunt about her initial reaction to the virus scuttling her in-person book launch this month. It feels terrible, she says. You know rationally that you dont want those events to happen. You dont want any of those people who would come to even have the sniffles. It all makes sense, but theres nothing normal about this right now.

Tokuda-Hall found comfort in the fact that some of her favorite authors have been willing to do joint events that would have been impossible before the coronavirus outbreak. Her launch on May 6 included fellow authors Charlie Jane Andrews and V.E. Schwab. Schwab was able to do the event from Paris only because of Zoom. She is one of my favorite fantasy authors, Tokuda-Hall says. The great silver lining is that I dont know if I ever would have had an event with her. Likewise, Tokuda-Hall calls Andrews a moonshot author and adds, This is a miracle that I could do an event with them.

Natalia Sylvester had a similar experience when fellow author Angie Cruz asked her to take part in an event called El Gran Combo, a six-author fiesta reading to benefit three New York City bookstores: the Lit. Bar, Mil Mundos, and Word Up Community Bookshop/Libreria Comunitaria. Cruz had been planning a five-city tour with Jaquira Diaz and Carolina de Robertis, but after the coronavirus forced her to cancel, she took the fiesta online.

When I heard that bookstores are now selling books online, I thought, maybe there is a way that we as a collective of Latinx writers can drive sales to them, Cruz says. More than ever, they need our support, and simultaneously, we could use this event to amplify the works of new books by Latinx writers.

At the same time, Cruz expanded the slate of authors to include Sylvester, Lilliam Rivera, and Melissa Rivero. Attendees each had to buy a book by one of the authors to get an access code to stream the reading, and they were encouraged to dress for a fiesta.

It was one of those magical events where everyone just comes together full of joy and gratitude, and the conversation, moderated by Bookstagrammer @lupita.reads, was genuine, open, and generous, Sylvester says. We had more than 150 people join us live, and each store reported having record book sales for the day, with spikes in the days following the event.

The experience has Sylvester thinking beyond in-person events, even for times after concerns over the coronavirus have subsided. She pointed to ASL interpreters at panels for the online Everywhere Book Fest as an example of an element that hopefully advances accessibility at both types of events and enhances the popularity of online ones. I think we need to appreciate what each format has to offer and go all in, she says. Think about what is the one event that couldnt exist any other way but virtually, then do that.

Despite her discomfort with being on camera, Melanie Sumrow, author of Inside Battles (Little Bee), let technology take her places she otherwise would not have gone, as her tour vanished following her books March 1 release. She spoke at an online conference of the Missouri Association of School Librarians, which, she says, given the cost of traveling and other priorities, is not a conference that I otherwise would have attended.

The same is true for a teachers book club that Sumrow organized. I had gotten a tweet from an educator saying, Im loving this book. I would love to pick your brain about your research. Would you do a book club?  Sumrow asked on social media if others teachers would be interested, and they were. That led to a conversation with educators about her book, which deals with themes of mental health and white supremacy.

Sumrow emphasizes that Zoom book clubs and other online readings do not have to have large audiences to be important. She capped her educator book club event at 15 attendees and calls it an unqualified success. It was great because there were teachers from across the United States, she says.

That access is important, because Sumrow sees an opportunity to bring authors and audiences together who might not be able to meet if they had to travel. I think, on some level, it does level the playing field, because theres no expense for travel, she says. It might open things up for authors who might not be able to go. So it might be an equalizer.

The psychological toll

While Sumrow is doing her best to embrace technology, there is still an emotional impact for authors with books releasing right now. Ive heard that this whole thing is like the stages of grief, she says. I had the denial stages. Weve been talking about this stuff for half a year, and youre so excited that readers will connect with it as you go on tour.

For Laura Lee Gulledge, author of The Dark Matter of Mona Starr (Amulet), valuing personal interaction over interaction via social media and other technology has been a career choice. Having to break with that proved difficult. She was already struggling with depression when the coronavirus hit, and she suddenly needed to find ways to reach readers for the April 7 release of her graphic novel. At first she tried to simply recreate the events she had planned in online settings. I think I was so emotionally attached to those opening events that I was clinging to what was lost, she says. There was so much mourning.

Leah Johnson, author of You Should See Me in a Crown (Scholastic Press, June), was in a similar position, suffering from poor sleep and finding it difficult to muster creative energy. She says she has found it difficult at best and impossible at worst to show up to the page most days and channel the tenderness and joy that is central to the types of stories that I tell, when I spend so much time fearing for the safety of the people I love.

Gulledge says, Now that this situation has forced me to create a system that works for me, I think I might even start turning more of my content and lessons into video form. And the experience, she adds, has given her a boost of confidence. Whenever youre tested, you can somehow handle the challenge with grace. It reminds you that youre stronger than you thought.

Johnson has begun finding more moments of peace by being easier on herself. Im trying to give myself permission not to feel it every day, she says. Im really grateful for all the festivals that have gone virtual in spite of in-person cancellations. Nothing will be normal again for a long time. But virtual festivals have given us all back some semblance of normalcy, while also giving us a better shot at making sure these stories reach the readers who need them most.
What Sweden may gain by its approach, over the longer term, is a population with a greater natural immunity to the virus if there is no vaccine. To achieve a level known as herd immunity, in which the virus is largely unable to spread, two-thirds or more of the population would have to acquire protection stemming from exposure. It isnt known if Sweden will reach that level or something less. But it might have more natural resiliency against a second wave. Nations that took drastic measures to protect people at the outset will be left with populations that are more susceptible. But if a vaccine is found relatively soon, it will provide immunity with a far lower cost in lives.
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Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 15:42 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8d28b6 1 City Tanah-Abang,Tanah-Abang-Market,Central-Jakarta,Satpol-PP,traders,vendors,COVID-19,coronavirus,COVID-19-Jakarta Free

Reports have emerged that numerous vendors have set up shop in Tanah Abang Market in Central Jakarta ahead of Idul Fitri despite the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) currently in effect.

Vendors were seen assembling their tents and arranging items on pedestrian lanes in the area on Monday. Nearly all the blocks of the Southeast Asias largest textile market remain officially closed.

Instagram user @kelasmojo posted on Monday a series of photos and videos depicting several traders claiming space on pedestrian lanes.

Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) head Arifin said the traders began setting up shop on Sunday despite the agencys strict supervision.

The crowds in Tanah Abang only lasted [for a few hours], he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Satpol PP personnel have closely guarded the area, but several vendors must have resumed their businesses when the personnel were on a break, he added.

Arifin said that in addition to monitoring the market area, the agency had closed a number of hotels and lodges around Tanah Abang in recent weeks ahead of the Islamic holy day.

These businesses are also restricted under PSBB. Lets not just blame the small vendors, he said.

Tanah Abang district head Yassin Pasaribu said those who had taken to the pedestrian lanes were all clothing vendors and were not exempt from PSBB.

Read also: Residents of crowded Kebon Kacang in Central Jakarta test positive for COVID-19

We have tried [dispersing the crowds], Yassin said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com, adding that the makeshift shops were open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

He said the clothing vendors could no longer wait for the reopening of the shopping blocks because the days leading up to Idul Fitri were normally among the most profitable periods for the businesses.

Several vendors have tried to set up shop over the last few days. But it hasnt been as crowded as it was today, Yassin said.

Tanah Abang Market was the first city-owned market to close because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the capital city.

In March, PD Pasar Jaya shut down all activities in Tanah Abang Market for 10 days, from March 27 to April 5.

Almost all shopping blocks in the market remain closed. Operation in Block G is restricted to grocers, according to PD Pasar Jaya president director Arief Nasrudin.

Read also: Rescuing local businesses

The famous textile market is home about 10,000 tenants and generates daily sales of up to Rp 100 billion (US$ 6.20 million). It is located in the busy Tanah Abang area, where the surrounding streets are also filled with traders and vendors.

The market is typically at its busiest ahead of the month of Ramadan and Idul Fitri, when people arrive from all over the country to purchase goods in bulk to sell in their home regions.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has imposed PSBB on the capital until May 22 to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases. It remains unclear whether the administration will extend the restrictions until after Idul Fitri.

Jakarta, the epicenter of the outbreak in Indonesia, had confirmed 5,922 COVID-19 cases and 478 deaths as of Sunday.
Since Pompeo took up his current post in April 2018, and for more than one year before that as the CIA director, he has been peerless in his navigation of Trumps inner world of loyal advisers and domestic politics around foreign policy. While sticking close to Trump, he has weathered the impeachment process involving Ukraine, questions over the decision to kill a top Iranian general and the fraught diplomacy between the president and Kim Jong Un, the unpredictable leader of North Korea.
France said on Monday it is exploring novel ways to maintain cooperation with India amid the Covid-19 crisis, especially in education, and has augmented the proportion of scholarships for this academic year by 50% or Rs 10 crore.

The efforts are focused on maintaining people-to-people exchanges despite lockdowns and suspension of events. France also intends to turn the Covid-19 crisis into opportunities to boost partnerships in education, research and culture.

France is fully geared to enable the start of the academic year for new students through virtual classrooms, if necessary. Authorities are hoping students will be able to join their classes in France in autumn, if not in September.

France has also augmented its proportion of scholarships by 50%  equivalent to 10 crore rupees  for this academic year. These scholarships will be awarded regardless of whether a student starts the semester in India or France, said a statement from the French embassy.

French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said: The strategic partnership between India and France is nurtured through strong people-to-people ties. As France and India gradually emerge from their lockdowns, their exchanges will serve as building blocks for a new world and a common future.

Trusted global scientific collaboration is the need of the hour since no country can achieve a breakthrough alone in the Covid-19 crisis, he said. Our country recognises that education will play a critical role in shaping a post-pandemic world, and thus reiterates that Indian students and researchers are welcome in France, he added.

Notwithstanding logistical and planning challenges, France will continue to welcome Indian students for higher studies. France has taken care of its foreign students on an equal footing with their French counterparts, ensuring their safety and well-being through its social and public healthcare system. Visas and scholarships were extended, where necessary, amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The French Embassy will also organise a virtual version of its biannual Choose France Tour at the end of September for the intake of students for the 2021 academic session. This will enable more French institutions to interact with students from all over India.

The French government is also committed to the National Plan for Open Science, and the third edition of the Indo-French Knowledge Summit is scheduled in Pune in 2021 to bring health and the environment into greater focus.

French network programmes are adapting to the situation arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, and Alliance Francaise centres in more than 13 Indian cities have arranged online classes during the lockdown. This has ensured continuity in French language lessons for more than 31,000 students.

The statement said France remains one of the most affordable destinations for higher education, with many institutions boasting some of the highest global standards and offering more than 1,500 courses taught in English. Business and engineering programmes are the most sought after, though France has courses in niche areas as well.

The latest global rankings have shown four of the six best animation schools of the world are in France, including Rubika, which has a campus in Pune.

On the cinematic front, while the Cannes festival will be missed, a film market will be held online in June and there will be online professional meetings for the film industry. With more and more streaming platforms, there is a great potential for Indo-French collaborations and exchanges, the statement said.

The French embassy is continuing collaborations with Indian partners, such as the launch of the Serendipity Arles grant that provides opportunities for artists from South Asia to participate in the Arles Photography Festival next year. The Assises Internationales du Roman/Villa Gillet in Lyon recently saw the virtual participation of Indian writers.

India will also remain the guest of honour country at the 2021 Paris Book Fair, for which preparations are underway.

The French Institute in India, through its #ifionlineprogramme, is bringing France to Indian homes through films, documentaries, museum visits, online training, and dance and music performances.
Monday, May 18, 2020 at 2:54PM

Since Google Meet is now a free service for all users, it comes as no surprise that it has surpassed 50 million downloads on the Play Store. COVID-19 increased demands for apps like these, so Google opted to give all of its users access to the app that used to only be free for GSuite users. It's not surprising that it went from five million downloads at the start of March, then 10 million users 20 days later, and now over 50 million. The platform has hosted three billion minutes of video meetings daily, through its iOS, Android, and web apps.

Google Meet is similar to Zoom in that it can have a single host with up to 100 participants. Skype and Facebook Messenger, on the other hand, are limited to 50 participants for its free users. Google secures Meet by requiring users to have Google accounts and lets users create and join meetings using codes. If you use Gmail, you probably see the option to start or join a meeting on the left sidebar of the web app, making it easier to use its service.

Source: Android Police
He was one of those super volunteers, said the Rev. Janette Wilson, national director of Push Excel. Like many faceless, nameless people who support movements and are never recognized, Don was doing it for the cause. If I would go to a demonstration, you wouldnt have to call Don. He would just be there with his little smile. He just believed in change for everyone. He wanted everyone to have the same access. He was our movement man.
How Iran Uses Cultural Centers To Expand Its Influence In Latin America

Tereza Dvorakova May 17, 2020

Buenaventura is one of the most violent and poorest cities in Colombia. In one of the most dangerous neighborhoods, a music sang by children voices is wafting from a house with a big sign saying Mezquita in front of it. It is a mosque and a headquarters of the local Shia Muslim community led by Sheikh Munir Valencia, a Colombian cleric who got educated in Iran.

Munir Valencia was born in Buenaventura. His mother raised him to be a proper Christian. When he was preparing to go to service of God and work in a church, he met a girl from a Muslim family which made him question his religion and eventually he converted. As a new ardent Muslim, he was offered a scholarship to study in a famous mosque in Buenos Aires under a prominent Iranian cleric Mohsen Rabbani.

As he later proved his talent and devotion to Islam, he and his wife were given an opportunity to study in Qom. As he describes, he got everything for free, starting from education and accommodation to transportation and other benefits. Once he came back, he started to run an educational and cultural center as well as a local mosque to practice his religion and share it with the community.

Munir Valencia is not the only one in Latin America who converted to Shia Islam and traveled to Qom to get an Islamic education to spread in local communities. In fact, Iranians have built a well-structured and systematic network of cultural centers and local mosques usually led by converts trained in Iran with an aim to recruit local people and increase Tehran's influence in the region.

As Emanuele Ottolenghi, an expert on activities of Iran in Latin America from Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explains "When people convert, they travel to Iran and the trip is fully funded by the regime. It is usually a two-month trip during which they take classes, see the Iranian [religious] culture, holy sites, or battlefields of the Iraq- Iran war. Part of this process is designed to identify the most talented students because most of them come back or stay in Qom even for years to train to become clerics."

When they come back, their role is clear promote their religion and the Iranian regime. The cultural centers seem to be the most convenient way to do so as it allows them to organize events, publish texts in Spanish or spread their message on social media.

The cultural centers are integrated in a systematic network spearheaded by an organization called Islam Oriente. "They have a whole range of publications for the Hispanic community, they overwhelmingly produce in Spanish but they also started to publish in Portuguese and the range of publications is impressive  they have a quarterly journal that is history, philosophy, theology or they also have publications for children called Los Angelitos," summarizes Ottolenghi.

The organization is based in Qom and is led by Mohsen Rabbani, one of the leading persons in Iranian operations in Latin America who came to Argentina at the beginning of 1980's to spread the message of the Islamic revolution. According to Argentinian judicial authorities, Mohsen Rabbani was implicated in the bombing of a Jewish Community Center (AMIA) in Buenos Aires in 1994. Based on the information of an investigation report by Alberto Niesman, Argentinian government issued a still-standing international arrest warrant and an INTERPOL red notice which forced him to leave Argentina and move back to Iran.

Prior to his departure, Rabbani proved to be very successful in his missionary work guiding numerous converts and helping them to strengthen their faith. He has developed especially strong relationship with the Argentinian-born Lebanese descendant Suhail Assad who has become one of the most prominent figures in Iranian propaganda campaign in Latin America.

"Suhail Assad was born in Buenos Aires; he went to university where he studied theater and acting. However, he found out he had some sort of spiritual epiphany, so he decided to journey back to Lebanon to the village of his ancestors. He was probably recruited because he started to study there to become a cleric and eventually moved over to Iran where he was ordained as a cleric in Qom in a seminary for foreign students. From there he eventually became in charge of spreading the word in Latin America," says Ottolenghi.

Assad is also the face of Iranian propaganda as he has hosted several religious programs broadcast on HispanTV, he has been a subject of a documentary movie about his life and hosted a documentary series about Muslim converts in several countries on the continent.

Although he is generally located in Qom, he often travels across Latin America to carry out missionary work, giving lectures at universities and helping locals to establish their cultural centers. According to open sources, he has laid the foundations of more than 20 Islamic centers in Latin America and has visited more than 80 universities, lecturing about the Islamic Revolution in Iran or about Shia Islam.

This way, Assad has become an important link between local cultural centers and the Qom-based sponsoring organization, Islam Oriente. This connection is further enhanced by an Islam Oriente operation called Center for Iranian-Latin American Cultural Exchange which is based in Caracas and where Suhail Assad is usually operating from while travelling in Latin America.

Having extensive ties in Latin American Shia Islamic community and close relationship with Mohsen Rabbani, he has been associated with several international watch terrorism lists or connected to the 1994 AMIA attack due to which he was banned from entering to Mexico.

Assad is also a brother-in-law of Argentinian cleric, who succeeded Rabbani at the Buenos Aires at-Tauhid mosque and Rabbani's first convert and right-hand man, Abdul Karim Paz. Due to the close relation with Suhail Assad, Abdul Karim Paz very often appears in his shows on Hispan TV explaining Shia principles of Islam. According to Emanuele Ottolenghi "he is reportedly in charge of accompanying coverts from Latin America to Iran." He has also helped to establish several cultural centers in Chile and Bolivia. In a book called Iran's Strategic Penetration of Latin America he is described as an influential person "managing Mohsen Rabbani missionary operations targeting Argentinians and also in developing the younger generation of Islamists in Argentina such as Suhail Assad."

Iranian operation in Latin America, however, extends beyond the Spanish speaking world. In Brazilian capital Sao Paulo, it is possible to find several Iranian cultural centers. Two of them, Islamic Benevolent Religious Organization and center Arresala, are operated by Sheikh Taleb Hussein al-Khazraji, an Iraqi born cleric who was sent to Brazil not long after Mohsen Rabbani. "Al-Khazraji has been involved in Iran's network since the early 80's. Before he came to Sao Paolo in 1989, he was in Tanzania," explains Ottolenghi.

His name is also mentioned in the investigation documents of 1994 attack in Buenos Aires as an "employee of Iranian government who recruits believers to get them closer to Tehran."

Bilal Mohsen Wehbe is another character who has been operating alongside Khazraji and who was sanctioned ten years ago by the United States as a "chief representative of Hezbollah in Latin America" as he, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury "had relayed information and directives between Hizballah leaders in Lebanon and Hizballah elements in South America." He has been active in the mosque until recently.

Iran has a very detailed and structured strategy to expand its influence. The cultural system is based on three pillars which are linked in a certain hierarchy. Islam Oriente from Qom spearheads the network in Latin America by its operational Center for Iranian-Latin American Cultural Exchange based in Caracas. The local cultural centers are connected by these two organizations and are usually led by locals who were recruited by one of the missionaries or clerics such as Mohsen Rabbani, Suhail Assad or Taleb Khazraji.

According to Emanuele Ottolenghi, they are successful in their operations. "They don't take everybody  the recruitment process is very slow, they vet people very carefully before they bring them onboard. So, they do not recruit tens of thousands of people, but they are more likely in hundreds. However, the people they bring onboard tend to be true believers through and through - the part of that is that they indoctrinate them for years because they need them for a lifetime to slowly win over civil society."

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/how-iran-uses- cultural-centers-to-expand-its-influence -in-latin-america/30617121.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.

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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will participate in a pre-recorded fireside chat webcast hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald focused on clinical data being presented at the virtual 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The webcast is intended for investors and other interested parties, and will be available beginning at 8:00a.m ET on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

The webcast will feature Peter F. Lebowitz, MD, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, who will highlight key clinical data including updated results from the Phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 study of the BCMA CAR-T (JNJ-68284528) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, final overall survival results from the ERLEADA (apalutamide) Phase 3 SPARTAN study in nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, an update on Amivantamab (JNJ-61186372, EGFRxcMET bispecific antibody) in patients with exon20ins-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, and initial Phase 1 study results of Teclistamab (JNJ-64007957, BCMAxCD3 bispecific antibody) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Dr. Lebowitz will also discuss the company's oncology strategy and portfolio.

The webcast can be accessed by visiting the Johnson & Johnson website at www.investor.jnj.com and clicking on "Webcasts/Presentations." The webcast duration is approximately 30 minutes and will be available through the end of July.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

The webcast may contain "forward-looking statements" regarding, among other things, future operating and financial performance, product development, market position and business strategy. The viewer is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Johnson & Johnson. A list of risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2019 and our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statement made in this presentation speaks only as of the date of this presentation. Johnson & Johnson assumes no obligations to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments

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The growing number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has caused a kind of fear psychosis to such an extent that a state government bus transporting migrant workers to a Uttar Pradesh district struggled to get necessary tools to replace a flat tyre, recalls the bus driver who returned recently after completing the 3200-km journey.

Pradeep Tupe, attached to Vaijapur bus depot in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, recounted how people grew wary when they noticed the bus number-plate with 'MH' abbreviation.

Tupe and his colleague Gokul Thube left for Maharajganj district, located near the Indo-Nepal border, with the bus carrying 22 migrants from Vaijapur on May 9.

"Our bus developed a flat tyre near Ayodhya during its two-day journey to the destination Pipara Kalyan in Maharajganj district. We had tools to unbolt the flattened tyre, but we were not carrying the tools needed to unbolt the spare wheel," Tupe told PTI on Monday.

"We sought help from nearby workshops and garrages, but as soon as they saw the bus's registration number beginning with 'MH', they just didn't cooperate," he recalled.

"Labourers in the bus tried to convince the local people but to no avail. Finally, we broke down the bolt of the spare wheel with a stone, which took five hours," he said.

When asked about his overall experience of the journey, Tupe said he overcame with fear while crossing the Chambal valley, which was once synonymous with dacoits.

He said the bus had to be diverted through Chambal as the borders of Jhansi were blocked. "We remained inside the bus for nearly 96 hours during the to and fro journey. We got down only for attending nature's call. The bus was well-equipped. We were carrying food," he said.

Tupe recalled that families of the labourers grew emotional after they reached the destination and requested us to stay back for a night. "However, we started back immediately. And returned to Maharashtra on May 13," he said.
This is an opinion column.

Id like to think it couldnt happen here. But it could. You know it could.

Id like to think I (or someone who looks like me) could go jogging in any neighborhood in our state with my only worry being if I had the stamina to get home.

That I could pause to curiously look over a construction site (which weve all likely done) and worry only that some loose material above me might topple onto my hardhat-less head, or that I might step on a nail.

Not that I would be perceived to be a criminal.

Not that I would be confronted by someone with a gun.

Not that I would be killed.

Id like to think it couldnt happen in Alabama. You know it could.

None of us knows what exactly transpired on the afternoon of February 23 when Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, went for a jog in a neighborhood in Glynn County, Ga., in the southeastern part of the state. We know he stopped at a home under constructionperhaps to get water, reports say. We know he encountered two rifle-wielding white men on a pickup truck. We know he tussled with one of them over the rifle.

We dont know how or why the tussle began. Let me just say this: The way I was raised, where I was raised (Oklahoma), and the things Ive seen, being confronted by two white men with rifles would not be a welcoming committee.

We do know Arbery was shot. We know he is dead.

Ahmaud Arbery during his time in the service.

We know it took two months for the men he encountered  64-year-old Gregory McMichael, an ex-district attorneys investigator, and his son Travis, 34  to be arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault.

We also know a whole lot of shadiness happened in between involving a couple of DAs and perhaps other law enforcement folks seemingly hellbent on ensuring their former colleague and his son were absolved. That they were just doing their duty under a Civil War-era state law allowing anyone to arrest anyone else if they see them committing a crime and no police are in the area.

The McMichaels said they thought Arbery was a burglar.

Now, hes dead.

Injustice like this isnt new, shared former President Barack Obama in a commencement address for HBCU graduates that was live-streamed on Saturday afternoon.

This photo combo of images taken Thursday, May 7, 2020, and provided by the Glynn County Detention Center, in Georgia, show Gregory McMichael, left, and his son Travis McMichael. The two have been charged with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, whom they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood. (Glynn County Detention Center via AP)AP

Every state has some form of citizens arrest law, either on the books or common law.

Ours is Alabama Code Sec 15-10-1. It reads: A private person may arrest another for any public offense: (1) Committed in his presence; (2) Where a felony has been committed, though not in his presence, by the person arrested; or (3) Where a felony has been committed and he has reasonable cause to believe that the person arrested committed it (my italics).

It could happen here. You know it could.

It does happen here, says Birmingham attorney Dennis G. Pantanzis. Our firm has reviewed hundreds, if not thousands, of citizens arrest cases. Fortunately, theres never been anybody killed. This has been boiling under the surface for a long time.

Some of the laws were written a couple of centuries ago, during the Civil war, but their genesis dates back to the 1200s, during medieval times when the king didnt have enough police to cover the kingdom so citizens were empowered to share law enforcement duties and arrests.

I dont think too many people today say we dont have enough police, Pantanzis says. They may not be mobilized perfectly, but most people believe we have plenty of law enforcement to enforce the laws. So, the need from medieval times is not there. Its just crazy.

There are some components of citizens arrest laws worthy of keeping:

Allowing shopkeepers to detain a shoplifting suspect, for instance. Thats kind of OK, says Pantanzis. Though Ive litigated on behalf of people who were falsely held and beaten up and the shopkeeper paid a lot. I say let them keep the potato chips, water gun, or whatever it is they took.

Allowing police officers to make arrests outside their jurisdictions, where they become private citizens. Police officers are trained, Pantanzis says. They must still have probable cause. They go through personality tests, theyre trained to use weapons, when to use them and they know the constitutional protections of citizenship, including the right to live. Now, its morphed into I thought I witnessed a crime or heard it on a police scanner or I think he looks like the guy.

Allowing hiring private security. (Ive had cases where companies that hired them were held accountable when they committed an assault, false arrest or someone was shot. I advise clients, if you hire a security guard, [they should have] no weapon.)

Outside of those exceptions, the rest of us should not have the right to arrest anyone.

We have the right to weapon and the right to defend ourselves, and that should stay, Pantanzis says. But now, were saying: I can go into the street with my weapon, get the guy, and if theres a struggle Im going to blow him away. That should go away. Add todays high racial intolerance and bigotry, the rise in hate crimes, as well as the political divisiveness and media being accused of false stories, and weve thrown gas on the fire.

In Vilifying the Vigilante: A Narrowed Scope of Citizens Arrest," published in the Spring 2016 issue of Cornell Universitys Journal of Law and Policy, author Ira P. Robbins, Co-Director, Criminal Justice Practice & Policy Institute and Barnard T. Welsh Scholar at American Universitys Washington College of Law, wrote: The doctrine of citizens arrest in the United States has been ignored for far too long.  Placing such power in the hands of ordinary, untrained individuals creates the possibility that citizens will misuse or abuse the privilege, sometimes with serious consequences for both the arrestor and the arrestee. 

[I recommend] drastic restrictions on the scope of the citizen's arrest doctrine in general and that its use be confined to three categories: shopkeepers, out-of-jurisdiction police, and private police forces with appropriate training and oversight. In all other instances, the doctrine of citizen's arrest should be abolished.

Adds Pantanzis: If we limit citizens arrest to those three exceptions and hold people responsible economically for their actions, we could eliminate a lot of tragedies. Is it perfect? No. We could have someone shot and killed for stealing a pack of gum.

Or for jogging. For almost anything. It could happen. You know it could.

Unless our lawmakers act first.

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
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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 20:24:47|Editor: huaxia

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XI'AN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese man reunited with his family Monday after being abducted as a toddler in northwest China's Shaanxi Province 32 years ago, police said.

At 3:30 p.m., Mao Yin and his parents embraced at the Xi'an municipal public security bureau in the provincial capital.

Born in February 1986, Mao was abducted when he was two and a half years old at the entrance of a hotel in Xi'an.

In the following years, police investigated and searched more than 10 provinces and municipalities for the child.

In late April, Xi'an police received tips saying a man from Sichuan Province in southwest China adopted a child from Xi'an years ago at the price of 6,000 yuan. After a series of investigations and comparisons, police found a man surnamed Gu from the city of Mianyang of Sichuan resembled the missing Mao, which he was later proven to be by a DNA test.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, more than 6,300 children who were abducted have been reunited with their families via DNA tests since 2019. The ministry launched the online platform Tuanyuan, meaning reunion in Chinese, in May 2016, which has helped find 4,385 missing children in the country. Enditem
Weeks after ventilators made at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital were fitted across several hospitals across the state handling coronavirus cases, it has been revealed that these were not exactly ventilators.

The ventilators were inaugurated by chief minister Vijay Rupani on April 4 amid soaring cases of coronavirus in the state, with Gandhinagar being the worst affected. The Ahmedabad Mirror quoted a senior bureaucrat over the case of defaulting machines being passed off as ventilators.

After the inauguration of machines on April 4, CM Rupani had said that in view of the shortage of ventilators across the world, Gujarats ability to make them at much-reduced prices would be path-breaking for the state.

The defaulting machines came to light after doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital demanded more ventilators from the government despite having 230 Dhaman-1machines. A senior official termed them as Ambu-bag.

State Health principal secretary Jayanti Ravi said the ventilators, with the brand name Dhaman-1, supplied at a time when there is a huge demand for them due to the virus outbreak, will be upgraded by the manufacturing firm.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent JV Modi had written to the managing director of Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Limited (GMSCL) for 50 high-end ICU ventilators for the 1,200-bed COVID-19 facility, the largest of its kind in the state.

The letter comes at a time when the hospital has been given 230 Dhaman-1 ventilators, which a doctor here said cannot be termed high end.

Quoting the head of the anaesthesia department of the BJ Medical College, affiliated to the Civil Hospital, Modi said, in the letter dated May 15, that they are not getting desired result from Dhaman-1 and AGVA ventilators (both indigenously produced) on COVID-19 patients.

We have placed demand for 50 high-end ICU ventilators each for COVID Hospital and Kidney Hospital. With rising coronavirus cases, we need more number of ventilators, as per the demand received by head of anesthesia department, Modi said.

Amid global shortage of high-end ventilators during the outbreak, Rajkot-based Jyoti CNC Automation had developed low-cost ventilators in just 10 days in early April, and offered 1,000 pieces free-of-cost to the state government under CSR.

These ventilators were supplied to government hospitals across the state to meet rising demand, Principal Secretary (Health), Jayanti Ravi said.

The ventilator was tested and approved by Electronics and Quality Development Centre (EQDC). Our expert doctors also approved it, Ravi said.

She said accessories like high-flow nasal canula, oxygen flow meter, circuits and humidifier would be incorporated in them to make them more effective, she said.

Civil Hospital Head of anesthesia Shailesh Shah said Dhaman-1 ventilator in its present form is not as good as what one would term a high-end ventilator.

Luckily, until now, we used these ventilators on very few occasions, as high-end ventilators were available with us in enough numbers. Dhaman-1 is not a good replacement for high-end ventilators, but it can be used in dire emergency when you have nothing else at hand, said Shah.

Over the past week, however, the number of coronavirus patients requiring ventilator support has been increasing at the hospital, and depending on Dhaman-1 units was not a good idea, he claimed.

We had around 100 ventilators in a 150-bed ICU of COVID hospital. With increasing demand, we have managed to source around 45-47 high-end ventilators from other medical colleges in Gujarat.

The problem is good quality ventilators are not available in the market. It is very difficult for us or for the government to procure such ventilators. In such a situation, we have to compromise with the lower version, he said.

The issue attracted some hilarious reactions on Twitter with people accusing CM Rupani for favouring "selected companies".

If he isn't replaced soon, BJP Should get ready to bid Goodbye to Gujarat. Vijay Rupani is Essentially Rajkot's CM and Not Gujarat's.  H. H Sheikh Banker Bin Settlement  (@ifsc_kyc) May 18, 2020

@narendramodi @AmitShah Sir, requesting you to kindly look into matter it seems he is having more weight to promote his relatives bussiness and is having no vision and progress in Gujarat development model. Kindly have person like u @narendramodi sir.  Rajput Nitesh (@rjnitesh172) May 18, 2020

@WHO See the reality  Yes I Am (@TheTrut93172789) May 18, 2020

So much hyped Make in India ventilator Dhaman-1 fails to work properly. Ahmedabad civil hospital asks for other ventilators which really work. Have high death rates in Ahmedabad has to do anything with this PR exercise ventilators? pic.twitter.com/mxldrXPoZ3  Dr. Safin (@HasanSafin) May 17, 2020

Meanwhile, Ahmedabad district reported 8,420 coronavirus positive cases, with 524 having died of the infection. The number of active cases stands at 5,236.

With inputs from PTI
Perhaps at no time in Ontarios history has a five-digit data point been the focus of so much scrutiny, dispute, congratulation and anguish.

That data point is the number of COVID-19 tests completed in the past 24 hours. On days when it rises towards the provinces target of 20,000, officials celebrate. On days when it dives down towards 10,000, reporters and politicians demand answers  even as the cause of these fluctuations remains obscure.

Start picking up your socks and start doing testing. I dont know what the big problem is, Premier Doug Ford said earlier this month, blaming public health officials after a reported 24-hour tally of just 10,654.

Though the daily number oscillates, Ontarios average has risen steadily from about 8,700 tests per day in the middle of April to 15,800 over the last week. That near-doubling was the result of a herculean effort from both public health units  a maxed-out workforce tasked with testing every long-term-care resident and worker in the province  and unprecedented expansion in the provinces laboratories.

Ontario has clawed its way to its current testing totals. And yet, it may not be enough. The province confirms it is still pushing to increase capacity; experts have floated goals of 100,000 daily tests. Reopening the economy safely depends on having a near-omniscient view of the spread of the disease, to stamp out COVID-19 embers before they become wildfires. That todays hard-fought targets could be both an enormous achievement and still not enough demonstrates the formidable challenge ahead  although epidemiologists say its more important to test wisely than to hit some arbitrary number.

It is an unbelievable leap, to have gotten to where we are and to be as successful as it is in a very short time, said Dr. Larissa Matukas, head of microbiology at St. Michaels Hospital, one of the hospital-based labs in the provincial network.

At the outbreaks outset, Public Health Ontario was responsible for all testing. But by March, PHOs lab was swamped by an enormous surge in demand. Dr. Vanessa Allen, chief of medical microbiology at PHO, co-ordinated with labs across the province to clear the backlog by early April. Allen now leads a formalized, integrated lab network, combining the resources of Ontarios hospital, private and public health laboratories.

Yet even those combined resources were not enough. Individual labs in the network have each dramatically expanded their own capacity too, in some cases 20-fold over typical flu season volumes. Scientists who run these facilities have leveraged international research relationships to acquire cutting-edge equipment, validated more efficient processing methods in a fraction of the usual time, and even relied on colleagues graciously giving up their adjacent office space to grow labs physical footprints.

Its like, Oh great, I have all this equipment  oh my gosh, where am I supposed to put it now? And its not just space  its the whole infrastructure, right? This is big machinery  its heavy, so it needs special benches. It needs maybe special electrical, all of the engineering side and planning side, says Matukas, adding that space is at a premium in downtown Toronto hospitals.

Lab leaders juggle a head-spinning list of pros and cons as they work to obtain new equipment. One instrument might be incredibly efficient at processing high volumes of tests, but rely on proprietary chemistry that is rationed by the manufacturer to supply all its global customers. Another instrument may be a better match for the labs pre-existing technology, but require highly skilled technicians to keep it running, a limited staffing pool. All of these instruments likely come from countries battling their own COVID-19 epidemics, leaving Canadian scientists wary of becoming too reliant on a single overseas manufacturer that may be pressured to prioritize domestic needs.

In the end, the labs are choosing to diversify.

Rather than put all our eggs in one basket  were doing three different manufacturers tests, in the hopes that if one manufacturer goes down or cant supply, we still have the other ones to back us up, said Dr. Tony Mazzulli, microbiologist-in-chief at Sinai Health System.

Mount Sinai has the highest-volume hospital-based lab in Ontarios network. Before the pandemic, the lab processed about 500 flu tests a day. Its capacity was boosted to about 3,400 COVID-19 tests daily, but starting this week, a trio of new instruments will begin pushing capacity towards 10,000  although labs avoid running at full capacity 24-7, since any additional surge risks creating new, dangerous backlogs.

Sinai uses instrumentation from Luminex, a Texas-based company; Altona, a German company; and Seegene, a Korean company. Luminex is the fastest, providing results in under two hours, while the Seegene has been Sinais workhorse, processing just under 700 tests a day: the lab acquired Seegenes technology after watching South Korea smother its outbreak early on, assuming one element of the countrys success was highly sensitive testing equipment.

Recently, Mazzullis lab connected with BGI Group, a next-generation genome sequencing company from China. Another Sinai scientist had a research relationship with the company, and through that connection, Sinai acquired three new instruments that can each process 2,300 tests daily, once the lab optimizes workflow. The company has promised a steady flow of the supplies necessary to run the machines  even though Chinese officials recently declared they would test all 11 million residents of Wuhan, where a new case cluster was identified.

The work doesnt end with finding equipment, space to put it, and adequate staff, however. Every time a change is made, the process has to be validated all over again  a quality control check to make sure results are still accurate.

Swabs have been a massive challenge. Ideally, patients are swabbed with a long, thin nasopharyngeal swab, which is inserted deep into the nostril. One of the primary suppliers for these swabs is in northern Italy, a region devastated by the pandemic. There are global shortages of the swabs.

Ontario started using swabs designed for testing sexually transmitted infections. They are too rigid to be inserted deep in the nose, however. The labs determined that swiping the inner nostril and throat with one STI swab gave accurate results, but that approach had to be validated. A new batch of Chinese-made nasopharyngeal swabs just arrived at Sinai; that too had to be validated. Sinais and Toronto Western Hospitals assessment centres are now collecting saliva samples alongside typical samples, to see if this swab-free approach produces similarly accurate results.

The labs have increased efficiency through automation. But public health units that are responsible for facilitating the collection of patient samples cant automate their work. There is no robot that can insert a swab deep into the nostril of an 85-year-old long-term-care resident.

When the province put out a call to test every single resident and staff member in every long-term-care home across Ontario, public health units had already been working flat-out for weeks. They are also responsible for tracing the contacts of anyone who tests positive, without which testing is a fruitless exercise. They guide workplaces and care homes on their infection prevention strategies to stop outbreaks from happening in the first place.

It was a herculean effort to do this, said Dr. Julie Emili, the acting associate medical officer of health for Waterloo Region.

As with the labs, a test is never just a test. Before anyone is swabbed, requisitions and labels have to be organized so that the result can be matched to the patient. The health units scheduled their visits to accommodate multiple staff shifts, and to make sure their local labs wouldnt be swamped by a sudden surge. To actually carry out testing, they partnered with paramedics, family doctors, hospitals and more.

It was truly a challenge for all of us, said Dr. Wajid Ahmed, associate medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex County. Our staff are working day and night to make sure that we have all the logistics of getting the swabs done.

Once, when a promised shipment of swabs didnt show up, the health unit had to delay testing a home as it scrambled to get supplies from its hospital partners, Ahmed said. He and other public health officials expressed dismay at the premiers command to start picking up your socks.

We have been continuously working every day for the last two months with no break, ensuring that our community gets what it needs. And so it was a little bit disappointing to feel that the premier thinks that way, he said.

Clarification - May 19, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear the role and responsibilities of public health units in Ontario.
TOKYO - Japans economic growth plunged into recession in the first quarter as the coronavirus pandemic squelched production, exports and spending, and fears are growing worse times may lie ahead.

The Cabinet Office reported Monday a drop of 3.4% annual pace in seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product, or GDP, the total value of a nations goods and services, for the January-March period, compared to the previous quarter.

The annual pace gives what the rate would be when continued for a year. For just the quarter, the drop was 0.9%.

Exports dived 21.8%. Private residential investments slipped nearly 17%, and household consumption edged down 3.1%.

Analysts say things are expected to get worse, as the worlds third-largest economy undergoes its biggest challenge since World War II.

Japan is in a technical recession, defined as two quarters straight of contraction, as its economy contracted 1.9% in October-December. It remained flat July-September, and eked out 0.5% growth for April-June, according to the latest numbers.

Japan is extremely valuable to the economic damage from the ongoing outbreak. It is dependent on trade with both China and the U.S., the country where the pandemic began and the country where it has been hit hardest.

Travel, tourism and trade with those countries and others have faded.

Manufacturers that are pillars of Japans economy, such as Toyota Motor Corp., have reported dismal financial results results. Some companies were unable to provide forecasts for this fiscal year. Profitability is nose-diving as people hold back on buying. Production at some plants have halted.

The government has come up with a rescue package of nearly 108 trillion yen ($1 trillion), and is announcing more, including aid to small businesses and cash handouts.

Japan has seen more than 16,000 people infected with the virus and more than 700 deaths, but those numbers are relatively low given it has the worlds oldest population.

Japan eased its state of emergency last week for most of the country, though hot spots like Tokyo are maintaining restrictions. While many places are starting to reopen, normal operations and a recovery in consumption are not expected anytime soon.

Robert Carnell, regional head of research Asia-Pacific at ING, said the damage to the private sector will continue, even as public demand picks up, helped by government aid.

So even though the state of emergency has been criticized as being a halfhearted response to the pandemic, compared with many other nations, it has still resulted in a substantial reduction in economic activity, and will weigh on growth, he said.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
While public venues are still closed in France until July at least due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Drive-in Festival kicked off on Saturday in Bordeaux for ten days.

However, this initiative upset the Federation of French Cinemas, which considers that the priority after lifting lockdown is reopening cinemas

"We just want to make a cultural offer during the lifting lockdown, not to create a commercial offer," one of the Drive-in Festival organisers, Mathieu Robinet, former managing director of Bacs films, told French news agency AFP.

Drive-in Festival

The Drive-in Festival kicked off on Saturday in Bordeaux, western France, for 10 days before going to Marseilles and the Hauts-de-France.

The program is varied: the Oscar-winning Parasite or the French comedy Le Grand Bain.

According to Matthieu Robinet, "the Drive-In Festival has no commercial potential" because it is only possible thanks to the 35 volunteers of the Drive-in Festival organisation, whose concept is meant to be "ephemeral".

The festival will finish as soon as the cinemas reopen, adds Robinet.

Cannes film festival

Cannes also announced the installation of a drive-in on a car park facing the sea at 9.30 pm, from 20 May to 24 May, with two previews: La Daronne, a comedy by Jean-Paul Salome with Isabelle Huppert and Singing Club by Peter Cattaneo with Kristin Scott Thomas.

The screenings will be organised by Cannes mayor David Lisnard and three cinemas in the city with the support of Thierry Fremaux, one of the Cannes Film Festival's co-organiser.

Federation upset

But the Federation of French cinemas (FNCF) "deeply regrets the media and economic damage that will be caused by these demonstrations, which divert spectators, the media and the local and national administration from the only battle to be fought: the reopening of cinemas," it said in a statement targeting both drive-ins and classic outdoor film screenings.

In addition to the issue of drive-ins, the film federation is calling for a ban by the Centre National du Cinema (CNC) of all traditional outdoor screenings.

It says that it is impossible to guarantee the rules of physical distance during such an event.

Drive-ins worldwide

In the United States, some drive-ins - there are 300 in total - have been sold out since the country was confined.

The same applies to Germany which has two drive-ins and South Korea, where they have been filling up since the beginning of March.
(Newser)  Last year, a Saudi military officer training at a US naval base in Florida shot and killed three American sailors and wounded eight others. Now, federal authorities have finally broken into one or both of his iPhones and discovered a link to al-Qaeda, reports the New York Times. The gunman, Mohammed Alshamrani, had been in contact with an al-Qaeda operative before the December attack at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, per the AP. Exactly how much help al-Qaeda provided in the attack is still unclear, but Attorney General William Barr and FBI chief Chris Wray were expected to flesh out details later Monday.

story continues below

If Alshamrani was indeed trained or directed by al-Qaeda, this would be the first time since 9/11 that a foreign terrorist group has played such a role in an attack in the US, according to CNN. Alshamrani was killed in the attack, and authorities found two damaged iPhones in his possession. He deliberately shot one of his own phones during the assault, notes the Times, suggesting it contained information he wanted to keep secret. Apple has refused to help federal authorities get past the phones' encryption, and the FBI finally managed to do so without the company's help. "There is no such thing as a back door just for the good guys," declared Apple earlier this year, justifying its refusal to help in cracking the phones. (Read more al-Qaeda stories.)
In a week, Maria Winslows son and his friends will be staying at a home in Belmar they rented for $30,000. When they signed the lease last year, Winslow said, the group expected sun-soaked days and nights at bustling Jersey Shore nightclubs.

But their picture perfect vacation went out the window with the coronavirus. The Osprey, Manasquans legendary nightclub a short ride from Belmar, wont open this summer. Some towns, like Seaside Heights, arent allowing swimming on Memorial Day Weekend. Amusement piers, sit-down restaurants and arcades all boardwalk staples will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Winslow said her son wanted a refund. But the realtor turned down the request, she said, so theyre moving forward with the trip.

My son started banging the drum early on, and the realtors response was You rented a house, not the beach and bars. Thats the truth, but youre paying top dollar because you want to go in the summer and go to the attractions," said Winslow. Winslow and other family members also booked a stay in Wildwood Crest for a week in August, a trip she said she also tried to cancel without success. We and other renters have no option and risk a financial loss.

As the start of the summer season fast approaches, some want out of their contracts, saying their annual Jersey Shore vacation wont be the same this year.

Many beaches are open for active recreation, but the heart of the New Jerseys coastline, the Atlantic Ocean, remains closed off to swimmers in some towns. Favorite eateries and ice cream shops wont offer dine-in experiences. There may be lines to get onto beaches as towns comply with capacity limits mandated by the governor. And organized games, contact sports, concerts and events on the sand are not allowed.

On top of that, theres a general fear small shore towns wont have the infrastructure to handle a possible rise in coronavirus cases as crowds flock there.

A woman carries ice cream onto the beach at Pier Village in Long Branch, N.J. as many enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon at the Jersey Shore on Sunday, May 3, 2020. Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Renters and homeowners alike are in a pinch.

Its ultimately up to the landlord to decide whether a refund will be granted if a tenant is unhappy about a lack of amenities this year, said Bob Rich, an Avalon and Stone Harbor-based realtor. He said there is no legal requirement, on that basis, that a refund be given.

His office began writing coronavirus clauses into leases in earlier April, but those clauses only apply if occupancy is restricted by the state, county or municipalities. (As of Monday in Cape May County, rentals greater than 30 days are now permitted. By June 1, short-term rentals will also be allowed also).

It usually goes one of two routes, Rich said: The landlord, also leery of inviting guests into their home amid a pandemic, could simply cancel the stay and refund the tenant. Or, the landlord might have a wait and see approach," not committing to returning payments until closer to the move-in date.

Since April 1, his office has had eight cancellations. Some were due to local restrictions on renting last month, while others canceled for health reasons or because of reduced amenities in the town theyre staying at.

Thats a decision the landlord and tenant have to agree on. If the tenant wants to change the lease that they have with the landlord, then that can be done, but its got to be agreed to by both parties, Rich said. Its no longer an occupancy issue, and it becomes much more ambiguous what is promised other than occupancy of the property.

Rich compared the coronavirus impact on the summer rental market to an oil spill that occurred 50 miles off South Jerseys coastline two decades ago and prohibited the use of some beaches for two weeks.

That was not anything that was done by the landlord. The landlord had their property ready. The landlord didnt know there was going to be an oil spill. Likewise, the landlord (this year) didnt see COVID-19 coming, Rich said.

Now, he said, landlords are focusing on sanitizing properties thoroughly.

People walk onto the beach in Ocean City, N.J., Saturday, May 16, 2020. Some people wore face masks to help protect themselves and others from COVID-19, but social distancing appeared to be difficult to maintain at times.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Some shore mayors are working with the governors office in hopes of re-opening more places that vacationers expect to be part of their stay, like bars and restaurants.

Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer said the town made a suggestion to the governors office to allow socially distant restaurant seating at outdoor, open-air bars with earlier closing times and no bar service.

Were making suggestions, but its totally up to the governor, he said. For Memorial Day Weekend, he said beach badge checkers will be equipped with digital counters to keep track of the number of people entering the beach, which will be zoned into four sections.

Big groups often rent houses together as a way to split the high cost of living near the beach, especially during Senior Week, the week after prom when many high school students head to Wildwood with a house rental or hotel stay. But that has also created confusion and led to some wanting refunds rather than risking breaking coronavirus rules.

A group of 68 teenagers from Lacey Township and 98 from Toms River are trying to get their money back for a Senior Week booking at the Twilight Motel in Wildwood, to no avail.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Senior Week festivities are permitted as long as there are fewer than 10 people in a rental and theres proper social distancing.

This notion of the bubble  going and breaking your bubble and going outside of it  if theres more than 10, that gives me discomfort, Murphy said.

Lavallette landlord Peter Nardella, who rents three units at one property for up to $2,500 a week, has been allowing contract changes and refunds due to the coronavirus.

So far, Nardella has had three cancellations for Memorial Day Weekend and one for July 4th, but said his financial situation allows him to be lenient. And he understands why someone would want to stay away from the shore this year as people remain unsure what their vacation might look like.

Even today, we dont know if Lavallette will allow people to swim (in the ocean), Nardella said.

Other homeowners, though, arent in the same boat, he said. Some rely on the busy summer season to make enough money for year-round living expenses.

He only urges renters to be as communicative as possible early on if theyre thinking of canceling.

There are retirees that, this is what they use to offset their retirement money... (But) we are adopting a 100% refund, no questions asked policy if you have a concern. We have to be flexible as landlords, Nardella said. Ultimately, (renters) are our bread and butter and we have to make them comfortable.

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 NJ.com.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.
LMS/SIS Integration

PowerSchool Dashboard Helps Teachers Track Student Online Participation

One education technology company is using the data generated by online student activity to try to help teachers keep their kids on track. PowerSchool announced "Unified Insights Student Learning," a program that combines data from its student information system, PowerSchool, with its learning management system, Schoology. The dashboard offers educators a bigger view of student behaviors and interactions with their online classes.

According to the company, the Schoology LMS has seen a 400 percent increase in student interactions--more than a trillion--in the last seven weeks, compared to last year. That included 145 million assessments, as well as more usage of course materials, assignments and discussions. Overall, however, just over half of students (52 percent) have participated in those online activities run through the LMS.

The new dashboard is intended to show LMS adoption levels, engagement and the effectiveness of distance learning initiatives at a district, school, grade, course and student level.

The company said that the integration with the SIS data will help district officials identify gaps in equity, access or distance learning engagement by demographics, socio-economic level and special education status. The goal: to identify at-risk students and do intervention planning.

"We've never before had the ability to combine LMS data with core SIS data in this way including ethnicity, attendance, [individualized education program] status, health information, standards mastery and more. Being able to visualize these trends in the data...will be critical as we close this academic year and look toward the next, ensuring we keep kids on track," said Tony Harvey, CIO of Muncie Community Schools, in a statement. "This is data I need and would use all the time to help students reach their potential, not just in this time of the COVID-19 crisis."

PowerSchool Unified Insights Student Learning will be available initially on Jun. 1, 2020 to customers who have both Schoology Learning and PowerSchool SIS. A demonstration of the new dashboard is available with registration on the PowerSchool website.
SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son.

The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibaba's executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy.

SoftBank will propose three new appointments to the board, including group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13.

SoftBank will also propose the election of Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of chip design software firm Cadence Design Systems who is also chairman of venture capital firm Walden International, and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School as outside directors. Kawamoto will become its only female board member.

That meets a demand from activist investor Elliott Management, which has pressed SoftBank to improve board diversity, and also wants a new subcommittee to oversee the investment process at the $100 billion Vision Fund.

Son's top-down management style is under increased scrutiny with the fund expected to report its third consecutive quarterly operating loss later on Monday, plunging the group as a whole to a record loss.

The board is largely comprised of SoftBank insiders and confidants. It includes Yasir al-Rumayyan, who heads the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that is the Vision Fund's biggest outside backer.

"Who is the voice of reason who can stand up to Son? You probably need more than one," said Nicholas Benes of The Board Director Training Institute of Japan, a non-profit focused on corporate governance training.

"I am doubtful that these four outside directors, in a board of 13, will have much effect slowing Son down before the next WeWork deal," he added, referring to SoftBank's soured bet on the office-sharing startup.

Ma's exit follows the departure of Tadashi Yanai, founder and CEO of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing <9983.T>, who resigned from the board late last year to focus on his fashion business.

Separately, SoftBank said the board had approve a second 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) tranche of share purchases, part of a 2.5 trillion yen buyback programme announced in March to prop up the group's share price as its tech bets flounder.

SoftBank has bought back more than 250 billion yen of its shares at the end of April. It has pledged to sell down or monetise $41 billion of assets to raise cash, with its stake in Alibaba - the portfolio's most valuable asset - seen as a likely target.
A mother has urgently advised fellow parents to look out for Kawasaki disease affecting their children after her five-year-old son fell seriously ill with the condition.

Hannah Fields and her husband Luke, from West Yorkshire, became concerned with the health of their son, Harry, after he developed an inflammatory fever and an alarmingly-fast heart rate which left him unable to stand.

Harry was admitted to a hospital ward amongst patients with coronavirus at Leeds General Infirmary where he had to be given antibiotics, fluids and steroids through a drip for five days after being diagnosed with the disease.

5-year-old Harry Fields (pictured), from West Yorkshire, fell seriously ill after contracting the deadly Kawasaki disease last month

Harry's mother, Hannah (second left) and her husband Luke (second right) became concerned with their son (right)'s condition after he had a very high fever and an alarmingly-fast heart rate

Kawasaki disease, which causes blood vessels throughout the body to swell and causes a 'pinprick' rash, fever and swollen lymph nodes, is believed to be linked with COVID-19 as it is a sign that a child has suffered from the virus in the past.

Harry first fell ill on April 24 after developing a temperature and a sore throat, which caused him to have a lack of energy and no appetite, but a GP suspected it was tonsillitis and treated him with antibiotics.

However, Harry's condition deteriorated a week later when he started hallucinating and developed a temperature exceeding 40 degrees and a heart-rate of 169bpm, which forced his parents to call 999.

Mrs Fields, who works as a mobile hairdresser, told The Yorkshire Evening Post: 'He was one very poorly five-year-old boy.

'Thank god for my husband Luke dialling 999 as early diagnosis is key to saving life.

'If he had been left untreated any longer the out come would've been very different.'

Blood tests at the hospital showed Harry had inflammation in his heart, kidney and bowels, with the five-year-old diagnosed with 'variant multi system vascular inflammatory response'.

Harry was initially treated for tonsillitis after his parents took him to the GP with his original symptoms but his condition deteriorated a week later and his father was forced to call 999

The five-year-old boy was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary (pictured) and was diagnosed with 'variant multi system vascular inflammatory response' which is linked to coronavirus

Harry also took two coronavirus tests but both came back negative.

Mrs Fields revealed that Harry is still being treated for Kawasaki disease through aspirin, ECGs and heart echoes.

On her son's condition now, she said: 'He is thankfully making a good recovery.

'I just want to make it more aware to people as I don't think they know enough about how this virus can affect children.'

Harry (pictured) is still being treated for the Kawasaki disease with aspirin, ECGs and heart echoes - the disease has affected around 100 children in the UK

Mrs Fields (left) has warned other parents to look out for the disease which has affected around 100 young children in the UK

Kawasaki disease has affected around 100 children so far in the UK, with the disease also spreading around Europe.

While a British study claimed there is a link between the disease and COVID-19, WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said this week that there is no clear connection between the two deadly illnesses.

Alexander Parsons, an eight-month-year-old baby from Plymouth, sadly passed away due to the disease after being rushed to hospital last month.
The number of corona positive cases in AP has decreased with registration of only 25 Covid-19 positive cases

Vijayawada: For the first time, the number of corona positive cases in AP has decreased with registration of only 25 Covid-19 positive cases on Sunday. The number of recovered patients discharged is 1,433 as against the total 2,230 cases registered, which is again a positive sign indicating gradual control over the pandemic in the state.

Further, 150 positive cases have been reported from among the states natives who have returned to AP. Including them, the total positive cases in the state are 2,380. During the last 24 hours, as many as 103 patients recovered from the deadly infection while one patient died in Krishna district, taking the states death toll to 50.

Among the 103 patients who recovered from corona, 42 are from Krishna, 18 from Guntur, 15 from Kurnool, 13 from Nellore, seven from Visakhapatnam, three each from West Godavari and YSR Kadapa districts, while one patient each have been discharged from East Godavari and Anantapur districts.

Further, from out of the 150 positive cases who have returned from other states, 23 from Gujarat have also been discharged on Sunday.

As many as 9,880 samples have been tested in the last 24 hours, which revealed 25 positive cases. The highest number of seven positive cases has been registered in Srikakulam district, followed by four each in Chittoor and Guntur districts, three each in Kurnool, Prakasam and Visakhapatnam and one positive case in Nellore district.

As many as 1,433 corona positive victims have been discharged after being successfully cured out of the total 2,230 cases of which 747 are active.

Medical and health department officials informed that till date as many as 2,29,080 tests have been conducted in the state. This led to detection of 2,205 positive amounting to 0.962 percent of positive cases. Coupled with the 2.22 percent death rate, it is a positive sign of Covid-19 being controlled in AP.

No new positive cases have been registered in Anantapur, East Godavari, Kadapa, Krishna, Vizianagaram and West Godavari districts. Kurnool district continues to top with 611 positive cases, followed by Guntur in second place with 417 cases, Krishna third with 367 cases, Chittoor fourth with 177 cases, Nellore fifth with 150 cases, Anantapur sixth with 122 cases and Kadapa seventh place with 102 cases.

Visakhapatnam district, where corona cases were fewer earlier, has now climbed to the eight place with 75 positive cases. West Godavari is ninth with 70 cases, Prakasam 10th with 66 cases, East Godavari 11th with 52 cases, Srikakulam 12th with 14 cases and Vizianagaram 13th with seven cases.

The highest number of corona victims discharged is 405 in Kurnool district, followed by 275 in Guntur, 253 in Krishna, 94 in Nellore, 77 in Chittoor, 71 in Anantapur, 68 in Kadapa, 63 in Prakasam, 51 in West Godavari, 39 in East Godavari, 33 in Visakhapatnam, and four in Srikakulam district. All seven positive victims in Vizianagaram district are undergoing treatment at the various corona treatment centres.
A regional infrastructure fund announced in exchange for a freeze on coal royalties has finally been set up a year after it was promised.

In May last year, then-Treasurer Jackie Trad promised coal royalties would not be increased for three more years in exchange for millions of dollars in contributions from mining giants to build in some of the towns in which the companies operated.

Queensland Resources CEO Ian Macfarlane and Treasurer Cameron Dick. Credit:Jack Tran/Queensland Government

The government funnelled $30 million to kick-start the fund and wanted miners to chip in $70 million to bring the fund to $100 million.

Brisbane Times understands the resources industry were ready with their wallets more than six months ago, but negotiations had stalled late last year under then-Treasurer Ms Trad.
The increased contribution from Beijing is likely to ratchet up pressure on the Trump administration, which has cut U.S. funding to the global health agency.

It came as support for a W.H.O. probe into the origins and spread of the coronavirus has been gaining momentum. Mr. Xi said that China supported a review of the global response to the outbreak, but that it should wait until after the pandemic is under control.

U.S. reaction: A senior Trump administration official called Chinas pledge a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese governments failure to meet its obligations.

Related: The Chinese Communist Partys latest line is that the virus in effect could have started anywhere, according to an article published in the partys magazine over the weekend.

Here are the latest updates and maps of where the virus has spread.

In other developments:

The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter  like all of our newsletters  is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.
Stuck at home? Take some virtual tours of famed museums By Tera Jayewardene View(s): View(s):

If your first stop when you are in a new city is its museums, then the current lockdown may have dampened your spirits as travel seems a distant dream. But take heart, there are still lots of virtual ways to see the world. Here are a few virtual tours of some the worlds greatest museums you can take  all you need is a stable internet connection.

The Louvre

The worlds largest art museum in Paris is a good place to start. The Louvre, has 7 free online tours that you can take including the Egyptian Antiquities that showcases collections from the pharaonic period.

Check out Exhibition: The Advent of the Artist, where you can view paintings by Delacroix, Rembrandt or Tintoretto. Another virtual tour is called Remains of the Louvres Moat where you can walk (click) around and examine statues closely. Then there is the Galerie dApollo where you can experience the restored Galerie dApollo, which was destroyed by fire in 1661 and rebuilt by Le Vau. In this tour you scroll across the roof, which is a homage to the Sun King, Louis XIV. Another great virtual tour is called Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader .

To take the tours visit: https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne#tabs

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC has a 360 virtual tour of the entire museum. In addition you can also check out past exhibits that no longer exist in reality but have been cemented in the virtual world.

The current exhibits offer a wide variety; a few favourites are the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils  Deep Time, which looks at the mass extinction of dinosaurs, Ice Age extinctions, Evolution of life in the Ocean and Land. In addition, check out the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt, the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals and much more.

For more information and for access to all the tours visit: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour

To experience the permanent exhibit visit: https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/

Van Gogh Museum

This museum in Amsterdam houses the largest collection of works by the Dutch Master and thanks to Google we can take them in at leisure.

Google Arts & Culture is an online platform where you view high resolution images of cultural artifacts and paintings from Google Arts & Culture partners from around the world. Some of the sites such as the Eiffel Tower allow you to browse, almost as if you are walking around yourself.

Other museums to check out if you are an art buff are the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC), the National Gallery (London), British Museum (London), Old Masters Picture Gallery, Dresden State Art Museums (Germany) and Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art.

To visit the Van Gogh Museum: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum

The Vatican Museum

If you are yearning to visit Rome and the Vatican, take a virtual tour of Sala Alessandrina, Sistine Hall, Hall of the Papyri, Profane Museum, Pio Clementino Museum, Chiaramonti Museum, New Wing, Sistine Chapel, Raphaels Rooms, Niccoline Chapel and the Room of the Chiaroscuri. Marvel at the beauty of the Sistine Chapel and take your time and virtually explore the museum.

To take the virtual tour visit: http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.1.html
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Muskegon County officials declared a local state of emergency Monday because of flooding.

County officials officially signed off on a local declaration of emergency because high water levels on Lake Michigan and local lakes, combined with significant rain over the weekend, caused flooding across residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors alike.

Local states of emergency allow emergency responders to coordinate and share resources across the community.

The declaration specifically cites flooding that took place on Sunday, May 17, across Norton Shores, Muskegon Heights, Muskegon, Fruitport Township, Egleston Township, Twin Lake, Muskegon Township, North Muskegon, Montague and Whitehall.

Infrastructure, including drains and roads, have been flooded, and some businesses have reported flooding as well, according to the release from county officials.

Five roads were shut down because of the water levels, and two were closed because of broken culverts. The roads under water could take several days to reopen, said Amy Johnson, executive secretary to the Muskegon County Roads Commission, while those in need of culvert repair could be closed for several weeks.

Local streams and creeks are also flooding, including Bear Creek, which extends from the northeast of Bear Lake, running parallel to Holton Road in north Muskegon, and continuing up towards the Twin Lake area.

About 3-4 inches of rain has fallen across the region since Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, and a flood warning remains in effect for Muskegon and Oceana counties.

The National Weather Service has further stated that flooding across West Michigans lakeshore communities could continue until Tuesday.

Two other county roads that have been closed because of broken culverts remain closed because the weather has affected the ability of workers to make repairs, Johnson said.

The closed roads are:

Fenner Road, between Buys Road and Green Creek Road (broken culvert)

Tyler Road, between Automobile Road and Central Road (broken culvert)

Michillinda Road, between M-120 and Dalton Road (under water)

Todd Road, between Lorenson Road and Weber Road (under water)

Simonelli Road, between White Lake Drive and Lakewood Road (under water)

Scenic Drive, between River Road and Giles Road (under water)

Carr Road, from Sternberg Road to Jensen Road (under water)

All affected roads have been closed off, but signed detours have not been set up, said Drew Nichols, maintenance superintendent of the Muskegon County Road Commission, in part because most signage is already in use, following major storms in the area two weeks ago.

For all local people, its all common sense, he added.

The most dramatic road outages are the broken culverts, Nichols said. The outage at Fenner Road will require easily two weeks to completely replace a total culvert failure, he said. The other one, at Tyler Road, will take about a week, he added, because the county wont need to order parts.

Nichols said he expects the flooded roads to reopen by midday on Tuesday.

He also urged caution to drivers, saying that some culverts may have failed without the county yet knowing about it. Drivers who come across affected roads that are not yet marked should call 911 to report dangerous conditions, he said.

Although the high water issue is countywide, the most affected areas are Fruitport Township, Laketon Township, Fruitland Township, and Dalton Township, because of their lower elevations, as well as Laketon Townships wetland climate, Nichols said.

Community members who have been affected by flooding can contact the countys Department of Emergency Management by sending their name, address and cell phone number, along with any pictures of damage to their property, to EM@co.muskegon.mi.us.

Those with non-emergency needs as a result of flooding can call 211, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Elsewhere, Ottawa County has also declared a state of emergency as well to deal with local flooding there.

Flooding along Lake Michigan has reached historic levels, and Lakeshore Flood Warnings are in effect in Allegan, Ottawa and Van Buren counties.

The scale of these storms could also contribute to further erosion issues along the Lake Michigan coastline.

Read more on MLive:

Ottawa County issues local State of Emergency due to flooding

Significant flooding expected in Lake Michigan beach towns beginning today

Flood watch issued for Ottawa County

Historic high water levels on Lake Michigan lead to basement flooding inland
[May 18, 2020] The T.D. Jakes Foundation And Partners Launch First Virtual STEAM Summer Academy

DALLAS, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The T.D. Jakes Foundation, a global nonprofit that focuses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education, workforce preparedness and job training will host a first-of-its-kind virtual STEAM summer academy. STEAM Academy 2020 is a five-week summer program open to Dallas County students, ages five to 16, that aligns with separate efforts from Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Dallas Regional Chamber to create a continuum of virtual learning programs to connect students with skills and opportunities to compete in the 21st century workforce. Registration is now open on the T.D. Jakes Foundation website. "Unfortunately, school closures have a disproportionate effect on lower-income communities," said T.D. Jakes, founder and chairman of the foundation. "Now more than ever, we must find innovative ways to increase awareness of our young people to the skills and careers of the future. I am proud to partner with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Dallas Regional Chamber to support our most vulnerable communities and ensure all children have an opportunity to dream." A no-cost program aimed at lower-income, underserved communities, STEAM Academy 2020which will run from the week of June 15 to the week of July 13will include three-to-four hours per week of online activities provided by Accelerate Learning's STEMscopes learning platform, an award-winning, research-based national leader in PreK-12 STEM curriculum, in conjunction with STEAM content provided and sponsored by corporate partners such as home healthcare technology provider Axxess, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, the Beck Group and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "With so many families struggling, we wanted to provide support to young people and their parents while also keeping our communities safe," said Hattie Hill, President and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation. "We hope that this program serves as a model for future efforts and a viable way to bring STEAM curriculum to every corner of the country and world." STEAM Academy 2020 effectively aligns with Dallas Works, Mayor Eric Johnson's Summer Youth Employment Program, and Future Focus Camp, a college readiness and career exploration camp for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Dallas Regional Chamber. Due to social distancing concerns, these two programs have elected to serve students virtually this summer, rather than cancel altogether. Alongside the STEAM Academy, these programs and their respective organizations will offer a continuum of enrichment for students, focused on education, job readiness and employment opportunities. "United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is committed to preparing North Texas students for success in school and providing meaningful career exploration experiences to help guide their pathways into the workforce. We are excited to join forces with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, the Dallas Regional Chamber, and Mayor Eric Johnson to help equip our students for the future," said Jennifer Sampson, President & CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The five-week program is tailored to the three age groups being served and highlights each area of STEAMscience, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. Lessons are designed to engage children and help them understand a problem; plan, build and test the project or potential solution; and brainstorm and create ideas for improving or further applying the solution all while having fun and seeing new opportunities. "The Dallas Regional Chamber is deeply invested in strengthening our local talent pipeline to ensure the students of North Texas are prepared to succeed in our region's vibrant business community," said Drexell Owusu, Senior Vice President of Education & Workforce at the Dallas Regional Chamber. "This summer, we are honored to collaborate with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Mayor Eric Johnson to serve our students when they need it the most." To help address the digital divide, organizers are working with volunteers and corporate partners to identify the need for digital devices and internet connectivity, and work through various options to provide a remedy. When registering, parents will be asked whether they have access to these devices and broadband internet. "I am proud to partner with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, the Dallas Regional Chamber and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on this important and groundbreaking initiative to provide educational opportunities for our city's children," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. "Though our regular routines are on pause as we handle the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we still must commit to ensuring that our children are able to continue learning and developing the skills they'll need to secure the jobs of the future." STEAM represents some of the fastest growing, most in-demand and highest-paid job sectors. Estimates show that 80% of all future jobs will require STEAM literacy and skills. According to the Pew Research Center, women in computer occupations have declined since 1990, from 32% to 25%. African American and Latino workers represent approximately 29% of the working population but comprise only 16% of the advanced manufacturing and 12% of the engineering workforces. "Axxess is pleased to support this initiative to inspire young people and help them recognize opportunities that are available to them," said John Olajide, founder and CEO of Axxess and 2020 Chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber. "We not only have world-class engineers who can serve as role models for these young people, but we have more than 40 countries represented among our employees, so we know well the benefits of providing more opportunities that lead to greater diversity of thought in the work place." For partnership and sponsorship opportunities and inquiries, please email [email protected]. For more information about the T.D. Jakes Foundation, please contact Andrew Flach at 973-769-3914 or [email protected] For more information about the Dallas Mayor's Office, please contact Tristan Hallman at 469-785-1421 or [email protected] For more information about the Dallas Regional Chamber, please contact Drexell Owusu at 214-850-7492 or [email protected] For more information about the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Axxess, please contact Dennis Petroskey at (202) 215-6767 or [email protected]. About the T.D. Jakes Foundation

The T.D. Jakes Foundation is committed to building bridges to opportunity in the United States and around the world. For years, T.D. Jakes has connected diverse communities across socio-economic divides. With the launch of his eponymous foundation, Chairman Jakes is harnessing decades of resources and connections to prepare people for success in the 21st-century workforce, lift underserved populations and connect corporations to new, highly skilled pools of talent amid increasing global competition. For more information, visit: www.tdjfoundation.org. About STEMscopes

STEMscopes, created by Accelerate Learning Inc., is an award-winning, research-based national leader in PreK-12 STEM curriculum. Used by over 5 million students and 250 thousand teachers across all 50 states and internationally, STEMscopes provides comprehensive digital resources, supplemental print materials, and hands-on exploration kits that drive engagement and academic growth. For more information, visit stemscopes.com or call toll-free 800-531-0864.







Contact: Andrew Flach

JConnelly

973-769-3914

[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-td-jakes-foundation-and-partners-launch-first-virtual-steam-summer-academy-301060654.html SOURCE The T.D. Jakes Foundation

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The entire country has rallied behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the coronavirus pandemic, leading American newspaper The New York Times has said.

In an article on the Covid-19 crisis across the world, and in India, the newspaper said that PM Modis approval ratings have soared even higher, sometimes touching 90 per cent in the last few months. It also compared PM Modi to other world leaders like US President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. The NYT said that unlike these leaders, PM Modi has been thriving during the coronavirus crisis.

If India rides out the pandemic in a decent form, PM Modi may emerge even stronger, the NYT further said in the article. It recalled the Pulwama bombing and Indias response which further bolstered PM Modis re-election bid in 2019 to make the point.

PM Modi is widely seen as a mobiliser, and not as a despot, and that is the reason why his various calls to the nation during the Covid-19 lockdown were largely followed by the people, said NYT. As the coronavirus crisis gripped the country, PM Modi appeared before the nation and asked them to observe Janta Curfew, and the people obeyed. That was March 22.

Since then, PM Modi has appeared thrice before the nation - first time to announce a nationwide lockdown, then its extension and most recently, to announce a Rs 20 lakh crore financial package - and all his requests have been adhered to.

Even the unique exercises like asking countrymen to stand in their doorways and clap at a certain time, or to light candles at another, have been followed by millions. NYT called them as softer, feel-good exercises.

The NYT story, however, also pointed out the hardships faced by migrant workers who are leaving in hordes to their native places since they cant find work in locked down country. The accident in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya is also mentioned in the article.

But what worked for PM Modi, according to NYT, is the fact that he never downplayed the virus threat or said India had capabilities it didnt. The Prime Minister also worked well with the state authorities regardless of ideology, it further said.

It also said that the number of infections in India and the death toll is very less for a country which has a population of more than 1.3 billion.

India on Monday reported the biggest one-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in a single day so far as 5,242 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours, Union health ministry data showed.

The number of people who have died after contracting the highly contagious disease also rose to 3,029 up from 2,872 from Sunday.
The Charger Blog

JC Murphy, president of Savant, a home automation company, recently connected with the University community virtually as part of the College of Businesss Executive MBA Speaker Series, discussing how his company has responded to the global coronavirus pandemic. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

JC Murphy connected with the University community virtually as part of the College of Businesss Executive MBA Speaker Series.

Isaac Valentine 20 EMBA, a program manager at Lockheed Martin, says he enjoys the opportunity to learn firsthand from successful business leaders. Thats why he made it a point to log into Zoom on a recent Friday afternoon to hear a presentation by JC Murphy, a successful and influential business leader, who "visited" the University as part of the Universitys Executive MBA speaker series.

"It was a pleasure listening to JC share his business experiences as a senior leader," said Valentine. "He covered a great deal of insightful information around acquisitions and mergers, discussing many of the key challenges and how to work through them."

"Sharing my career experience around the importance of organizational dynamics was invigorating." JC Murphy

The president of Savant, a home automation company, Murphys lecture focused on organizational dynamics, and Murphy says he enjoyed sharing his expertise with the University community.

"The opportunity, in a small way, to contribute back into the program was very important to me," he said. "Sharing my career experience around the importance of organizational dynamics was invigorating, especially talking through the critical impact of organizational dynamics during mergers and acquisitions and how proper understanding, planning, and responding to these factors can determine the success or failure of the venture."

Current students and alumni joined the discussion remotely via Zoom, which enabled them to "raise their hands" and ask Murphy questions after the talk. Several faculty members, including Brian Kench, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business, who joined with the College of Business Orange campus entrance as his Zoom background, and Michael Davis, MBA, director of the Universitys EMBA program, were also part of the discussion.

"Success breeds success," said Prof. Davis. "He shared his experience and wisdom regarding his successful integration of acquisitions, and that is something you cant get from a textbook. Presentations such as his are just one of the reasons our program is so special.

"We are proud to have very successful leaders who want to share their wisdom with current program members," Davis continued. "This continues to contribute greatly to our programs 45 years of success."

Students asked Murphy about how his company has been mitigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and how he prepared his team to respond to it. He discussed the importance of staying connected and supporting each other virtually.

Robert Albright, Ph.D., chair of the Universitys management department, says Murphys insights were valuable to everyone in attendance.

JC Murphy, president of Savant.

"JC has exceled in his career, and he is now actively sharing his experience with our students," he said. "He delivered an excellent talk, expertly intertwining his lessons of experience with the course subject matter. All the attendees, including me, came away with a fresh perspective, new ideas, and an enhanced appreciation for the topic."

Valentine, the program manager at Lockheed Martin, says Murphys talk and the chance to ask questions afterward was an important opportunity for current students to take part in.

"JC provided great insight into the process, as well as areas to look at and watch during a merger or acquisition within an organization," said Valentine. "He also provided valuable insight into culture, change management, team integration, and collaboration that we can draw from throughout our careers.".

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Reverend Monsignor Simon Assamoah, the Parish Priest of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Enchi of the Western North Region said the time is wrong for churches to re-open considering the increasing number of COVID -19 cases recorded daily by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

According to the Parish Priest who is also the Vicar General of the Wiawso Catholic Diocese, If the community spread does not stop, we will not need to allow churches to operate because the church is a place where different people congregate and if they begin to worship then we are calling for a breeding ground for the disease.

"The disease is rising across the country and health officials are trying to trace, test and treat patients who may have come into contact with the virus. Times would be tough for health workers to go about their duties, when churches resume operations he remarked.

Monsignor Assamoah appealed to Pastors, Priests and Prophets to pray in their homes and encourage their members to do same, adding that, when things stabilized they could have their church activities without fear.

He beseeched Ghanaians to cultivate good personal hygiene protocols, including; social and physical distancing, observing social distancing, washing of hands with soap under running water and wearing of face masks to curb the spread of the disease in the country.

If we adhere to these procedures, the sickness would not escalate and we would leave our normal life soon he noted.

---GNA
The first ventilated Covid-19 patient has been discharged from Tullamore Hospital as the number of patients with the virus at the hospital continues to fall.

The latest data from the HSE showed that were 12 patients with Covid-19 in the hospital with three of those in the Critical Care unit.

Trevor OCallaghan, CEO of Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said, we were very pleased last week to see the discharge of the first ventilated Covid-19 patient from the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. On behalf of all healthcare staff we wish this patient and every patient that has spent time in our hospitals in these recent times, the very best in their continuing journey in recovery."

He said it was very encouraging to hear the positive news and it compounds within us all the reserve to keep going and again hold firm in their challenging times.

Mr O'Callaghan continued, "we also acknowledge those patients and families who have lost loved ones. Our health service is working for everyone - and our staff are taking every precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19. So, if youre worried about a health problem, dont let fear of coronavirus stop you from getting help. Your GP is just a phone call away. And if you have urgent symptoms like chest pain - or signs of a stroke, like slurred speech, or weakness in your face or arms, - go to your Emergency Department, or call 999 or 112, immediately."

He also thanked all the staff for their continued commitment to delivering health services and supporting colleagues in these difficult times.

"We are still dealing with a very deadly virus. It is a very important week for the government as we approach another stage of easing the restrictions. We would ask our community to please continue to practice the essential elements of hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and adhering to the social distancing measures. You have heard it time and time again but it is in our hands, please stay safe and hold firm," he concluded.
More than 750 lecturers at UC Berkeley fear for their jobs after the university expanded its hiring freeze.

Lecturers with six years or less of experience on campus originally were exempt from the hiring freeze announced April 1. But UC Berkeley officials subsequently revised the terms of the freeze to include those lecturers.

The lecturers, already frustrated by a lack of job stability, view the move as essentially a precursor to layoffs.

They call it a hiring freeze, but the fact people cant get reappointed means they will in fact be laid off, said Marianne Kaletzky, a lecturer in English and comparative literature.

UC Berkeley reappoints most lecturers with less than six years of experience  known as pre-continuing  on a yearly basis, and sometimes semester by semester.

This move comes amid ongoing negotiations between UC officials and UC-AFT, the union representing lecturers and librarians throughout the system. The unions previous contract expired Jan. 31.

On the Berkeley campus, there are 771 pre-six lecturers and 338 continuing lecturers (those with more than six years of experience), according to Tiffany Page, a global studies lecturer and member of the unions bargaining team. The continuing lecturers have more job protections.

In all, lecturers teach 42% of undergraduate credit hours at UC Berkeley, so the university is very dependent on us, Page said. I think theyre wondering what enrollment levels will look like in the fall.

University officials said the amended hiring freeze traces to the pandemics devastating financial toll. UC Berkeley abruptly moved classes online in March, and Chancellor Carol Christ has said she expects the school to adopt a hybrid plan for the fall semester, with some in-person classes and others online.

Our Chancellor has stated that Berkeley is facing a COVID 19-related deficit of between $170 (million) and $400 million, spokeswoman Janet Gilmore wrote in an email to The Chronicle. The hiring freeze was implemented in light of that financial situation, and to ensure the universitys more limited resources are being allocated in a consistent manner.

Lecturers learned of the change to the hiring freeze following an April 21 letter from Paul Alivisatos, executive vice chancellor and provost, to deans and department chairs. The letter extended the freeze to include pre-six lecturers, including those who already had an offer or reappointment for fall and spring of the next academic year. Department chairs can request exemptions.

Given the number of classes lecturers teach, the move could have a significant impact on fall semester courses. UC Berkeley officials might ask tenured faculty members to teach more classes, lecturers suspect, or possibly increase class sizes. Or cut classes.

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.

Lecturers have become a core part of the universitys teaching mission, Kaletzky said. Without a majority of lecturers, the university almost certainly would have to cancel a huge number of classes they planned to offer.

Or, as lecturer Crystal Chang Cohen said, Theyre keeping us in a waiting game. Were like gig workers, wanting to keep us flexible, and that leaves many people in a lurch.

Gilmore, the university spokeswoman, suggested that fall semester class schedules remain in flux. Much depends on enrollment, with colleges and universities across the country bracing for a drop as they scramble to reshape instruction because of the pandemic.

As of today, we plan to largely adhere to the fall schedule of classes, Gilmore wrote in her email Thursday. However, we may have to rethink small-enrollment courses, which are obviously more expensive on a per-student basis than large lecture courses  consequently, there may be fewer small-enrollment courses offered in the next academic year.

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick
(Photo : Mika Baumeister on Unsplash) Hackers Conducted A Massive Unemployment Benefit Scam Using Millions Of Americans' Stolen Identities Hackers Conducted A Massive Unemployment Benefit Scam Using Millions Of Americans' Stolen Identities

A group of hackers stole millions of Americans' identities and used them to conduct a massive unemployment scam.

According to a report from The Verge, a Nigerian crime ring allegedly used millions of Americans' stolen identities to fraudulently file for unemployment benefits. The situation is currently being investigated by the US Secret Service.

It was explained by authorities that the personal information was stolen at a time when millions of Americans were applying for unemployment benefits. The large number of applications resulted in lax security measures, allowing the group of hackers to breach the unemployment systems in many states.

The New York Times reported on May 16 that a sophisticated international attack was evident, according to US investigators. The attack could siphon hundreds of millions of dollars that were intended for the unemployed.



It was reiterated that detailed sensitive information about American citizens, such as social security numbers that may have been breached years ago, was used by the group of cyber attackers.

The information obtained was used to file claims on behalf of individuals who have not been laid off. Payments have gone straight to direct-deposit accounts, while people in many states rushed to pay claims. It was later realized by an agency in Washington State that was tasked to manage unemployment claims when confirmation paperwork was reportedly received by still-employed individuals in their mail.

Hackers conducted a massive unemployment benefit scam using millions of Americans' stolen identities

According to The Verge, a memo was sent to the field offices by the US Secret Service late last week. It stated that a "substantial" database of stolen personal information--most of it coming from government personnel, school employees, and first responders of the pandemic--are being used by a Nigerian-based ring.

The evidence of other attacks in Flordia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Wyoming, and Rhode Island, clearly shows that Washington State is the main target of the hackers, as stated by the US Secret Service.

The New York Times reiterated that some workplaces at Western Washington University in Bellingham were seriously affected, with more than 400 out of 2,500 employees targeted by the group of hackers. The state was forced to hire more people since the hotline was flooded with phone calls from people and businesses asking about the unemployment notifications they have received.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced over 36 million Americans out of work. State unemployment offices are being inundated with claims, making it difficult for them to accommodate the unemployed individuals since many of the offices lack essential resources and staff to vet applications while getting payments to people in a timely manner. A 27% increase in fraudulent claims was seen by Washington's unemployment department between March and April 2020.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The crown jewel of Oregon state parks is back open, with waterfalls still gushing at the tail end of spring.

Silver Falls State Park reopened to the public Monday, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said, with viewpoints and hiking trails back open, while the campground and visitor center remain closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The state parks department also reopened Champoeg State Heritage Area on Monday, another popular park site south of Portland. Trails and day-use areas are back open at Champoeg, while its campground and visitor center also remain closed.

In 2019, Silver Falls was the fifth most visited day-use park in the Oregon state parks system, according to data provided by the parks department, drawing more than 1.2 million visitors.

READ MORE: What outdoor spaces have reopened in Oregon? Whats still closed?

Silver Falls is known for its stunning collection of waterfalls, all visible on the famed Trail of Ten Falls. The hiking trail is a 7.3-mile loop through the forested canyon alongside the creeks that feed the falls, from the 177-foot South Falls to 27-foot Drake Falls.

All three primary trailheads at the state park  South Falls, North Falls and Winter Falls  are back open to the public, as well as the 214 Trailhead on the outskirts of the park. The South Falls and Horse Creek day use areas are also open.

The parks department is asking visitors to maintain social distance, wear face coverings, visit only with those in their own household, and to come prepared with food, water, hand sanitizer and trash bags. State officials are encouraging people in more densely populated areas not to travel more than 50 miles from home for recreation.

Oregon state parks have begun to reopen, as state officials allow outdoor recreation areas with public health precautions in place to welcome back visitors amid the ongoing pandemic.

Other notable park reopenings include Smith Rock in central Oregon, Tryon Creek in Portland and many oceanfront parks on the south and central Oregon coast.

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

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In recent years there's been an increasing demand for higher education in refugee camps across Africa. This is because young people in camps (or coming into camps) are finishing school or looking for something to do, and because humanitarian-development initiatives promote education as a key to success. There is also a widespread belief among refugees that education improves their chances of being resettled overseas.

Online education has, in recent years, emerged as one of the main methods of delivering higher education in the camps.

Refugee camps lack infrastructure, have few resources and people are confined far away from traditional higher education institutions. Coupled with advances in technology and global education inter-connectivity, online education is touted as a viable solution for refugees that seek further learning.

While there is great potential for online higher education to reach many people, caution needs to be paid if online education is to live up to the hype.

As academics who operate in both refugee and non-refugee higher education spaces, we have insights into how education is delivered and the very different roles it plays in these contexts.

The online education delivered in refugee camps is typically developed and facilitated by Western universities and humanitarian organisations in partnership with local universities. They offer a range of qualifications such as degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The types of courses vary greatly depending on what resources are available and how strict the camp's confinement policies are. For example, a course could include the option of attending classes in a local university or it could take place solely online.

Technology and reliable internet connections are the most important resources. But both are rare commodities in refugee camps. Refugees also face the challenge of learning non-contexualised material, in extremely inhospitable surroundings, with little or no support.

We find that the purpose of higher education in camps, its delivery method and the content to be problematic for refugee learners. In our experience, we believe that this is because the needs of refugees haven't been considered before a course is introduced. In addition, the necessary pedagogy to support learners is not in place.

With the rush to use online education in refugee contexts, it is imperative that we scrutinise its role and application. Higher education has a very different meaning for those who have the freedom to do what they want, than for those who don't always have the agency to make their own life choices.

Significance

The most important question to address is what are the goals and the significance of higher education in a refugee camp?

Refugees usually have three options: remain for a long time or resettle in the host country, resettle in another country (usually in the US or Europe) or go back home. Higher education may equip refugees with the skills to cope in all these situations. Humanistic skills  such as knowledge of their human rights, gender sensitivity and empowerment  and competencies, such as language, technological and professional know-how. However, unless it's relevant and delivered appropriately, it may lose its power to enable these skills.

We've seen courses  that would not be out of place in Harvard or Oxford  delivered in places where electricity, food or smart phones are not a given. How can a refugee, whose basic needs are not being met, spend hours online discussing philosophies that bear no resemblance to their daily lives or learn to code with limited access to a computer that frequently doesn't work?

In addition, these courses are often delivered without being sensitive to different student realities. They assume all students have access to the same resources, learn in the same way and have the same cultural references in which they can process and embed new knowledge.

In our view, a lot more thought needs to be given to what and how courses are implemented in these contexts.

Western education

There are also questions as to why Western education providers are in refugee camps in the first place and whether local universities aren't better placed to operate.

This is because the majority of refugees will not be resettled to a third country. They will have to build their futures in the refugee camp they're in, unless they return home. Local universities may, in many situations, be better placed to understand the education needs of refugees than foreign ones.

To legitimise their presence, western humanitarian and development agendas like to promote the idea of partnering on the ground. This appeals to funders of education development projects, who wish to promote capacity building as a key facet of what they do.

In this context, partnerships are formed between foreign and local universities. However, we've seen how power dynamics can often result in a local university  despite having a better understanding of the context and needs of refugees in its area  being sidelined by well-funded western institutions.

What needs to happen

Concepts such as localisation and culturally appropriate pedagogical practices must be at the centre of our common reflection on online higher education in refugee camps and be put into practice.

To meet the higher education needs of refugees, those of us working in refugee contexts need to take the time to get to know our students better. For our work at the University of Geneva , the success of our programmes in refugee camps has always hinged on truly listening to refugees' views on how education can improve their lives.

For instance, from our conversations, we developed the InZone-Raft Basic Medical Training course in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp. This online course, its content and delivery, was informed by and facilitated by the refugees with the assistance of their tutors in Geneva.

The course focused on health-care issues relevant to communities in Kakuma. It has provided its participants with skills and knowledge that are much-needed in the under-resourced health care system in the camp. The first cohort of students from the course recently graduated and are currently preparing to undertake internships with the International Rescue Committee in Kakuma.

Online higher education can be a great lever for social change in refugee camps. It can really work well, but many innovative ideas remain to be explored and implemented, if it is to be done right.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Paul O'Keeffe, Post Doctoral Researcher, Universite de Geneve And

Abdeljalil Akkari, Professor, Universite de Geneve
Tel Aviv: After three inconclusive elections since late 2018 - and multiple last-minute delays - Israel's long-awaited new government has finally been sworn in, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing the time had come to annex West Bank settlements pending US approval.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit:AP

Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz both hailed their "emergency government of national unity" on Sunday as the end of an unprecedented one-and- a-half-year political crisis.

But the make-up of the coalition, with seven factions with widely different world views, is likely to pose immediate challenges.

These are likely to include a cabinet or parliament vote, possible as early as July 1, on whether Israel should extend sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank that house settlements, on what Netanyahu notes is Biblical land.
Joe Biden campaign signs in Alexandria, Va. (Olivier Douliery / AFP/Getty Images)

With the world turned upside down by the novel coronavirus, Joe Biden has refashioned his presidential campaign to shift from an emphasis on steadiness and stability to the promise of big, bold change.

While the fundamentals of Biden's White House bid remain the same  with a call for such Democratic standbys as expanded healthcare and greater equality  he talks less about restoring things as they were before President Trump's disruptive time in office and more about where the country heads from this unsettling place.

The more transformative vision is a response to the greatest economic and health crises most Americans have ever faced and the way the toll of COVID-19 has changed public attitudes and opened the door to new political possibilities.

You dont have a once-in-a-century pandemic wreaking both the human devastation and economic devastation that COVID-19 has wrought without producing new thinking about whats required  not just bringing this country back but, as the VP likes to say, build back better," said Jake Sullivan, a senior campaign advisor.

In the coming weeks, Biden said, he will lay out his plan for the "right kind of economic recovery," which campaign aides say will include boosting the so-called "caring economy" of child care, nursing and healthcare aides; pouring major investments into public health infrastructure; expanding the domestic production of critical medical and protective equipment; and ushering in a new era of corporate responsibility for the private sector, which, Biden pointedly notes, has been bailed out twice in 12 years.

The forcefully populist messaging could help Biden in two ways: sharpening the contrast with Trump, who still holds an edge with voters on economic issues, and attracting those progressives who may still be smarting over his defeat of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic nominating contest.

Bidens approach in the primaries  offering himself as a keeper of the liberal faith but one more pragmatic and electable than Sanders or Warren  was a winning strategy in the time before the pandemic. Now, he echoes some of their grander rhetorical flourishes, pledging to "transform the country" and "change the system."

Story continues

There are signs that the toll of the coronavirus crisis  with nearly 90,000 Americans dead so far and roughly 36 million unemployed  has so rattled the electorate that broad segments may be open to a more expansive government.

A recent poll from Navigator Research, a progressive group that does daily coronavirus-related surveys, found that 50% of Americans said the federal government should be doing more to improve the economy. A late April poll by the liberal Groundwork Collaborative found roughly 70% of respondents backed major, sweeping action by the government to address the pandemics economic impact.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Poll has similarly found high support for government coronavirus aid across party lines, a notable contrast from the polarized views of the 2009 stimulus package adopted amid the Great Recession.

There is a risk, however, that Biden could overreach in a time when voters may crave a reassuringly even-keeled approach more than massive changes.

"Id be a little careful, said Paul Begala, a veteran Democratic strategist who helped put Bill Clinton in the White House. I think voters are a little skeptical of grandiose plans to remake everything. His party rejected the revolution and chose reconciliation. I think thats why Joe beat Bernie."

Advisors to the former vice president said Biden first began thinking of how the virus would require a more sweeping policy approach in March, soon after stay-at-home orders went into effect across the country.

By early April, he was telegraphing the scope of his expanded thinking, musing in a CNN interview that the economic ruin could equal or eclipse what President Franklin D. Roosevelt faced in navigating the Great Depression. In an interview last month with Politico, he called for a new stimulus bill that was a hell of a lot bigger than the $2-trillion package passed by Congress.

Campaign aides are quick to say that Bidens statements mark an evolution, not a revolution, in his thinking. From the start of the campaign, Bidens platform, which included calls for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and $1.7-trillion plan to combat climate change, was more progressive than any Democratic nominee before him.

"Its not so much about the fundamental principles of what hes proposing being different. Or looking at this crisis and saying, 'We have to throw out the policy playbook Ive been working from and start a new one,'" said Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager. "Its about scaling up to meet this moment."

In response to the coronavirus, Biden has so far called for canceling at least $10,000 of student loan debt per person during the crisis and increasing Social Security payments by $200 per month  notions that were originally promoted by Massachusetts Sen. Warren.

Those initiatives came on the heels of his steps immediately after locking up the nomination to adopt Warrens bankruptcy reform proposal. He also proposed lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60 and offering tuition-free public college for many students, steps in the direction of Vermont Sen. Sanders signature policies.

The steady embrace of his rivals' policies is a sign that Biden is offering more than just a "hat tip" to the left, said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

"The good news is that so many progressive solutions where there's a lot of enthusiasm among voters happen to be the solutions that meet the moment with this coronavirus crisis," Green said, "so it creates a win-win for Biden to both be the president people want and unify the party by bringing progressives over."

Still, some on the left say they'll need to see more. Ben Tulchin, a top advisor in Sanders two presidential campaigns, said Biden's hints of a New Deal-style presidency are "encouraging" but incomplete.

"He's just got to follow through ... on big and bold policies, which he hasn't done yet," Tulchin said. "It will require retooling what he did in the primary, because in the primary it was about pushing back on Bernie's big, bold policy proposals."

Biden formalized those overtures to the left last week when he announced "unity" policy task forces that consist of Biden and Sanders allies, including some of the latter's most vocal backers, such as Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

The Republican National Committee quickly seized on the alliance, painting Biden as a Sanders-esque revolutionary.

"Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are two sides of the same socialist coin," said Steve Guest, a party spokesman. "Now with his full embrace of AOCs radicalism, Biden is the bannerman for the socialist agenda."

Biden's campaign, meanwhile, has stepped up its attacks on Trump's handling of the pandemic's economic fallout, charging that the administration's efforts to aid businesses have favored the well-off and well-connected over small business owners. Biden and Warren co-wrote an op-ed blasting Trump for shrugging off oversight requirements for coronavirus aid.

Obviously, this new crisis gives [Biden] and his campaign an opportunity to reassess and reevaluate, and he can say that in earnestness, Tulchin said. He doesnt have to apologize for shifting gears because the world has changed.
In response to the plea by President Cyril Ramaphosa for a multi-stakeholder approach in tackling the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, Novartis SA has donated R13.3m to two local NGOs in support of their efforts to help alleviate the socio-economic pressures caused by the virus.

Feed SA and Gift of the Givers

Novartis has set up a Covid-19 Response Fund which will provide $20m in grants to support public health initiatives to help communities manage challenges posed by the pandemic around the world. Numerous entities are facing challenges surrounding a severe lack of PPE to protect healthcare workers who are in the forefront fighting the pandemic. Novartis has committed to alleviating some of the pressure by donating funds towards purchasing of PPE supplies.Shelly Horner, Novartis country president, says, Currently, South Africa has been approved for an equivalent of R13.3m as part of our local efforts to flatten the Covid-19 curve. Following our stringent due diligence process, including a local task team who form part of an integral approval process, we have partnered with credible, registered NGOs. We identified Feed SA and Gift of the Givers as suitable partners in our contribution towards the reduction of the spread of Covid-19, the protection and support of healthcare workers, the Department of Health (DoH) initiatives and assisting vulnerable individuals in our communities.Feed SA is an NGO that sets up feeding schemes and community development projects in informal settlements around the country. Their beneficiaries are 100% BEE based, and range from creches, to after-school programmes, community centres, homes for the mentally and physically challenged, hospice, as well as meals for bed ridden and elderly citizens.With the emergency of Covid-19, Feed SA launched their Covid-19 Action Plan, which is a fundraising campaign, aimed at supporting the most vulnerable members of South African society - people who live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, the sick, the elderly and the unemployed.Gift of the Givers is a partner to the government's Covid-19 initiative, augmenting public health services by supporting medical professionals with protective wear, supplying relevant essential medical equipment and providing medical consumables to the institutions in urgent need.
Trump on Monday announced he intends to nominate Cleveland U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman to the offices top slot and replace Timothy J. Shea, who has had a rocky three-month tenure. As principal assistant to Shea, Sherwin will take over the office on an acting basis effective Tuesday and can remain through mid-December without needing Senate approval. An administration official said Herdman will need Senate confirmation for the position, so it is unclear when he will arrive in Washington.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is offering financial assistance to all 570 teaching and non-teaching staff of some 45 private schools in his constituency.



The kind gesture of the outspoken MP born out of a decision after he was told the teaching and non-teaching staff of the schools within his constituency have not been paid since March this Year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



On his Facebook page, he announced the package stating; In the unfortunate circumstances, I have notified the leadership of private schools of a new MPs initiative to offer a cash compensation package to all 570 teaching and non-teaching staff at the end of this month (May).



He assured teaching and non-teaching staff to be rest assured of their jobs because non-will be laid off during this difficult times.



Read full statement below;



In the unfortunate circumstances, I have notified the leadership of private schools of a new MPs initiative to offer a cash compensation package to all 570 teaching and non-teaching staff at the end of this month (May), he wrote.



He also expressed gratitude to the schools for not laying off any staff.



Read his full post below



I have been in touch with the leadership of the 45 private basic schools in my beloved constituency to find out how they are coping with the exigencies of the times and to express my solidarity.



Sad to hear that unlike their counterparts in the public sector, teaching and non-teaching staff have not received salaries since March, thanks to COVID-19.



In the unfortunate circumstances, I have notified the leadership of private schools of a new MPs initiative to offer a cash compensation package to all 570 teaching and non-teaching staff at the end of this month (May).



I am particularly delighted that I have also secured assurances that no teacher would be laid off in these difficult times.



We are all in this together. We will defeat COVID-19 together and we rise from the ashes together.

Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









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Justice Ginsburg saw it in different terms. Her dissent said the ruling would effectively gut the Voting Rights Act and was tantamount to throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet. An estimated 1,700 polling places have been closed, mainly in the South, since the court ruling, and voter suppression is already shaping up to be a battleground in the 2020 election.

Those gathered at the Cato Institute last fall were talking less about Justice Thomass jurisprudence than they were about his biography. The story of his life and the intellectual home he found among American conservatives is one that, his supporters note, runs contrary to the notion that the Trumpist version of the Republican Party is sympathetic to white nationalist influences.

Justice Thomas grew up impoverished in a Gullah-speaking community in Georgia and spent his youth as a black nationalist radical in the mold of Malcolm X before reluctantly accepting a job with a Republican attorney general in Missouri, the only job offer he was given, he explains in the film. He voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980, in what he called a giant step for a black man.

It really isnt just about correcting the record about him: I think its an important story, a great American story, the classic American story that I think should be told, Mr. Pack, the films director, said during a question-and-answer period.

Mr. Pack is engaged in publicity on two fronts at the moment: for the Thomas film, and for a new job of his own. He was nominated by Mr. Trump in 2018 to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the independent agency that oversees Voice of America and Senate Republicans have recently renewed efforts to confirm him. Last week, however, a vote on his nomination was postponed and news broke that the attorney general for the District of Columbia was investigating whether Mr. Pack unlawfully used funds from a nonprofit organization that he runs.

That came to light after Mr. Pack went on Fox Newss The Ingraham Angle on Monday to promote his latest film and note, with some amazement, a different confluence of events: Joe Biden, presidential candidate, now facing a sexual-assault allegation that he has vehemently denied, is the man who presided over Justice Thomass confirmation hearings, which featured a harassment allegation that Justice Thomas vehemently denied.
SHELTON  Terms for Board of Education members would remain at two years while other boards and commissions would stay at four years if charter revision commission proposals are ultimately approved.

The Charter Revision Commission at its May 11 remote meeting reached consensus on making all appointed boards four-year terms. The library board was dropped from six years to four while the Planning and Zoning Commission would remain at four-year terms.

Commissioners decided to keep the Board of Education at two-year terms, rejecting the suggestion of making members serve four-year, staggered terms.

Commissioner Don Sheehy said he did not feel two years would be long enough for an appropriate learning curve on what is an intensive board facing many complicated issues.

The commission has stated all along that it seeks unanimous consensus before moving ahead with accepting or rejecting a revision, but Sheehy said he simply wanted to voice his opinion. He said he was willing to accept the will of the majority on Board of Education term lengths.

Accepted revisions include increasing the size of the Library Board to seven members, same as the Planning and Zoning Commission. Both moves were made to avoid deadlock votes.

One issue remaining for discussion is Planning and Zoning alternates. Proposals have run the gambit from eliminating them altogether to maintaining the current two alternates, one from each political party. Under this plan, the alternate could only fill in for a member of his or her political party.

There is also debate over whether the alternates  if maintained  would serve two- or four-year terms.

The commission, by consensus, also agreed to establish language in the city charter to create of a technology committee.

With the ever-changing technology needs and costs associated with tech updates and purchases, Board of Aldermen President John Anglace Jr. recommended creation of a nine-member committee.

Anglace, in testimony before the commission last month, said the nine-member board would have three members from the business and industry sector appointed by the Board of Aldermen, three members from the school community appointed by the Board of Education and one member appointed by the mayor as well as the IT directors from the city and Board of Education. The mayor and school superintendent would serve as ex-officio members.

Anglace also suggested members serve two-year terms and be responsible for examining ways to provide the public with service enhancements using IT platforms, to develop a five-year IT plan and maintain IT security.

The committee would have the authority to examine any aspect of city government for possible IT improvement, said Anglace, and do more for less.

Anglace also recommended that if an IT committee were to be ultimately approved by voters, a referendum should be held to approve $2.5 million for the committee, which would have the authority as a building committee by the BOA to make expenditures.

The Charter Revision Commission is near the end of its idea debate stage, and a draft city charter, with revisions, will be put together over the next few weeks.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
Many are in a hurry to get back to their lives and businesses. We all get that. But it is way too soon to be packing bars, restaurants, concerts and theaters, much less sending children back to school or planning family vacations.

Who knows if hair/nail salons, stores and other public places such as water parks or airports are cleaning to the standard that kills the virus. How many times do they clean? Have they cleaned each and every surface? What about door handles leading in and out of a business? Can you tell if there is virus still present??

Lifting the stay at home order statewide, much less nationwide, means that we are going to be living with this virus for years to come as people gathering in public spaces means more will become contagious. According to Dr. Bright and Dr. Fauci, the way to protect us from getting ill is to stay home, test, trace, quarantine and protect the vulnerable.

Perhaps someone in your family, or a close friend, is at risk? How would you feel if you brought the virus into your home, or the home of someone you care about, because you needed to visit a bar, see a movie or get your nails done? Are you ready to visit an elderly relative in a nursing home??

Sixty-nine percent of Wisconsinites approved of the governor's plan. Many of us agree the state should open but VERY slowly. The number of cases in Wisconsin rises daily and the number of deaths as well. So sure, let's open up and allow the virus to spread far and wide - Right??

Patsy Klein

Kenosha

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In January of this year, Mr. Nicolas Aznavour, the Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aznavour Foundation, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan regarding the discussions around renaming of the Zvartnots International Airport.

Responding to the active public discussions in the media on the subject of Zvartnots International Airports renaming starting from 2018, as well as todays publication by the Public Council of RA, Mr. Nicolas Aznavour expressed his position on the matter. We consider it necessary to highlight that Mr. Nicolas Aznavour did not apply for the renaming of the airport, and such emphasis in the media publications is considered unacceptable.

In 2018, after my fathers passing, we were informed about a campaign to rename the airport after him and the Foundation also received some requests. Our family was in mourning at that time and we did not react to those letters and announcements. But recently we found out that starting from January 11th a new wave of the same initiative has appeared in different media outlets and social media, including polls meant to evaluate the publics reaction to naming the airport after Charles Aznavour. The biggest takeover from the media and the discussions was that people are very positive about renaming the airport after my father, but they also have a strong attachment to the name Zvartnots. This leads us to believe that the best option would be to keep the same name by adding Charles Azavours name to it: Zvartnots International Airport after Charles Aznavour. There is a widespread practice in the world and here are some examples: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport, RomeFiumicino International Airport "Leonardo da Vinci", Rio de JaneiroAntonio Carlos Jobim/Galeao International Airport, Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport, Lisbon International Airport after Humberto Delgado, BarcelonaEl Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport, etc.

I am aware that for naming purposes the Government requires permission from families and the right holders. With this letter, I would like to express our willingness and encouragement to add Charles Aznavours name to the name of the Zvartnots Airport. We are certain that the new name will bring more international attention towards our country and help us in promoting Armenia to the world.

The Aznavour Foundation considers it important to note the fact that Mr. Nicolas Aznavour did not call for renaming of the airport, but expressed the family's positive attitude on the subject. The Aznavour family attaches great importance to public opinion and wants to emphasize that the best solution would be to incorporate the new name, while preserving the old one, following the international experience.
A few months later, Bihar will be in election mode. Political parties in the state will gear up gradually for the key poll battle. The Delhi election verdict this year, riots that followed soon after, the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown have made the task of the political parties in Bihar more challenging.

Handling of the outbreak and migrant crisis by the Bihar government is crucial as it can make or mar the political prospects of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

According to Afroz Alam, professor and head of the political science department at Maulana Azad National Urdu University: Undoubtedly, the state's response to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic will be a primary factor in deciding the voting behaviour of the people in the soon-to-be-held elections. Bihar is not an exception. A perception has started building in Bihar that Nitish Kumar, despite having 15 years of chief ministerial experience and known for good governance, has failed to deliver what the other states have been able to achieve.

I am of the view that the popular approval rating of Kumar has gone down among the 2.5 crore workers/daily wage labourers stranded in other states out of which 2 crore live in rural areas. We must also remember that 34 per cent people of Bihar are living below the poverty line who are devoid of any assured income during this period.

In this context, the apathy of the Bihar government in addressing the concerns of migrants like arranging transport, fares and food to return to their homes and ensuring minimum social security may cost the government heavily. The pandemic has the potential to shift the electoral agenda towards governance issues like better healthcare system, employment, industrialisation, education and so on. We may witness a domino effect of already growing anger against the present regime in rural Bihar from where the workers were stuck in other states during the lockdown."

Both the key parties, ruling Janata Dal (United) and opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), will try to put their best foot forward and evolve political strategies keeping in mind the mood of the people after the pandemic and the migrant exodus. The opposition would also try to build a political narrative based on how the situation was handled by Nitish Kumar.

Socially and politically the RJD and the Congress have made the right political pitch by offering to bear the burden of railway fares of the migrants. The move compelled the Nitish to announce that his government will take care of the migrants' fare. Many political analysts believe that the CMs dilly-dallying attitude towards the return of students from Kota in Rajasthan and migrants travel by train may have damaged the political gains from the resolutions passed by him against the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Bihar assembly had declared that there is no need for NRC in the state and NPR would be done as per the 2010 format. Many political analysts believe that by doing so Nitish Kumar had scored political points over the opposition.

On the one hand he tried to pacify the anger and apprehension of the anti-CAA, NRC and NPR protesters, and on the other he smartly seized the opportunity from opposition parties to attack him and reap political mileage out of it. Therefore, to connect with the youth, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav pitched his election campaign through 'Berozgari Hatao Yatra' from Patna. The big question is, can Tejashwi match the political acumen of Nitish Kumar and stitch a formidable alliance against him in the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav during the campaign trail.

"The impact of the Delhi verdict and the following riots will have a cascading effect on the forthcoming electoral competition in Bihar apart from the Covid-19 pandemic and migrant crisis. The defeat in Jharkhand and Delhi state elections will force the BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance to renew its political synergy.

On the other hand, the dismal performance of the Congress in the Delhi elections is worrisome, and it is the RJD that needs to up the ante to stitch a formidable alliance. The election would be a mix of governance assessment and polarisation of votes on religious lines," says Praveen Rai, academic secretary, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).

Initially the opposition was groping in the dark to come with the political narrative that can help it attract the masses and galvanise the cadres on the ground. The migrant crisis and ineffective handling by the state machinery seems to have provided the kind of political narrative the opposition was looking for.

Tejashwi Yadav has made the right move while trying to tap the anger of the youth of the state and it would be interesting to see if he can fine-tune rapport with young people or outsmart Nitish in social engineering under the guidance of his father Lalu Prasad. In politics, opportunities keep on rotating from time to time and the party that is smart enough and can adjust to the required political aspiration and demand of the people will surely have an edge. The changing idiom of politics does strike a chord, which is evident from the Delhi elections.

(The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed are personal.) 
Katrina Kaif was last seen on the big screen in Bharat opposite Salman Khan. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, it was a drama film released in 2019. The movie received mix reviews from the audiences, but the shooting locations wooed many. Katrina recently revealed where the film was shot. Read to know more-

Also Read | Katrina Kaif's Jaw-dropping Action Scenes On Screen, Check Videos

Katrina Kaif reveals Bharats shooting locations

Katrina Kaif appeared in a new video-based question and answer app called Cameos by Google. The actor answered a few questions about her film Bharat. One of them was about the shooting locations of the movie. Answering the question, she said, So the shooting locations of Bharat was first Malta, then it was Abu Dhabi, then it was in Delhi, then it was in Mumbai. These were the primary shooting locations which we had in the film. There was a small bit shot in Ludhiana as well. The longest schedule, I think was between Malta and Abu Dubai which was extremely hot, but I absolutely loved all of these locations. It was my first time to Malta and I thought it was such a beautiful place and I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

Also Read | Katrina Kaif Speaks About Challenges She Faced When She Entered Bollywood

Katrina Kaif also disclosed the reason she was captive to the story of the movie. She said, What attracted me to the story of Bharat was the entire journey of this man who is wanting to provide for his family at any cost. And what also really attracted me was the character I play, Kumud. I absolutely loved the way that she was so strong, so feisty, knows her own mind. Just had a fantastic sense of humour also and completely not afraid to also say her emotions, confront her emotions. And the entire story was something which I just felt was very beautiful and I wanted to be a part of it right away when I heard it.

Also Read | Katrina Kaifs Weekly Roundup: Here Is What The 'Bharat' Star Was Up To This Week

Bharat shows the post-independence history and life of a common man through it. The film was assumed to be based on a true story. Katrina Kaif cleared the air on the news saying that, Bharat is based on the Korean film, An Ode to My Father. So when Ali Abbas Zafar was adapting the film he wanted to make it more relevant to our audience, our emotional value system. Just something which we here could relate to a little bit more. So yes its an inspiration, it's inspired by the film An Ode to My Father but its an adaptation".

Also Read | Katrina Kaif And Director Kabir Khan's Collaboration Has Given Bollywood These Hits

Bharat also features Sunil Grover, Aasif Sheikh, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi with others. Katrina Kaif was cast when Priyanka Chopra Jonas opted out of the film. It emerged as a commercial success and is Salman Khans biggest opening day release.

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Stephanie Pierson, 48, (left) and her daughter, Arielle, 28, (center) who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, were surprised by family and friends outside their home in Collingswood, N.J. on May 17, 2020. They did a drive-by graduation celebration for them. Standing with them is Stephanies daughter, Eliana, 10, and husband, Pedro Vadillo (right) take a photo. Read more

Over the last 15 years, Stephanie Pierson lost her mom and dad, got married, had a second child, and, semester by semester, took classes toward a bachelors degree at the University of Pennsylvania.

On Monday, she got that degree. Whats more, her daughter Arielle, 28, received her bachelors from Penn, too. Both graduated with the highest honors.

Penn couldnt say whether they were the first mother-daughter pair to earn undergraduate degrees at the same time. Whats certain is that nothing about the Piersons journey has been traditional.

Arielle attended school in Mexico as a child when Pierson worked there. She was home-schooled at times, and she dropped out of high school before getting her associates degree at Camden County College on her way to Penn.

Mondays first-ever virtual commencement fits their pattern, both Piersons said.

 READ MORE: For college seniors, coronavirus signals premature end of an era

We have never done anything conventionally, so this graduation, of course, is going to be unconventional, said Arielle, an anthropology major who lives in South Philadelphia.

They were among 7,564 Penn graduates for the universitys 264th commencement, a virtual ceremony that included a tribute video to the class and singing of the alma mater by alumnus John Legend.

 READ MORE: Let the virtual graduations commence: Coronavirus has pushed ceremonies online

Stephanie, a native of Media who now lives in Collingswood, started college the traditional way, entering Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., after high school decades ago, then transferring to Lehigh University. During sophomore year, she became pregnant with Arielle and dropped out.

She began cleaning houses so she could take Arielle with her. She moved to Mexico and taught English for a year, then to Texas, where she took some college classes. In 2007, she lost her job and moved in with friends in New Jersey.

She also started at Penn that year. She would take one or two classes a semester each year. Both Stephanie and her daughter attended Penns College of Liberal and Professional Studies, which largely serves nontraditional students. Stephanie, a Latin American and Latino studies major, had her tuition covered by a Bread Upon the Waters scholarship for part-time female students over age 30.

Still, she struggled with lifes challenges. At one point, she had her father and grandmother living in her home on hospice. There were happy times, too: She and her husband got married during fall break one year.

Its a completely different world than when you are 20 years old, going to school, and thats all you are thinking about, she said.

She credits her late father, F. John Pierson, with inspiring her. Without a college degree, he worked his way from the mail room to middle-level management at Peco, but couldnt go further. He paid for her first few classes.

It was his dream for me, she said.

Arielles love for archaeology began as a child: Her mother took her to the Penn Museum, and gave her excavation kits and a book on archaeology.

My constant exposure was dirt and history, and I had a fascination with it, she said.

But Arielle never much liked school. The breaking point came during her senior year of high school, she said, when saw she had already read all the books on her English class reading list. Thats when she dropped out and signed up for dual credit classes at community college.

Then Arielle saw how much her mother liked Penn and enrolled.

After her first few classes, she got a full-tuition scholarship through Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community college students, and worked as a waitress to support herself while attending school. She also worked as a Penn Museum fellow.

During their journey, Arielle and her mother took four classes together, which sparked friendly competition.

If I got a 96, she would get a 97, Arielle recalled. She always managed to get me by one point.

Arielle didnt really care.

I love her, she said. Shes brilliant.

Several classes they took were in Arielles specialty.

It was amazing for me to watch her, Stephanie said.

Stephanie is pursuing a masters degree, and eventually hopes to work in nonprofit leadership. Arielle is interviewing for a paralegal job and plans to apply to law school.

Over the last few years, they realized that if they planned things right, they could graduate together. Stephanie even dropped a writing course so she could stay in school an extra semester.

The mother-daughter duo dreamed of the traditional graduation stroll down Locust Walk, with faculty lined and cheering as they passed, then commencement at Franklin Field, usually attended by more than 20,000 graduates and family and friends.

The coronavirus delayed that. But they will get their chance: Penn will hold an on-campus commencement for the class in 2021.

For now, they settled for Penns virtual ceremonies. They watched their LPS program ceremony together on Sunday, with immediate family and friends around to cheer them on.
Andhra Pradesh on Monday accused Telangana of constructing new irrigation projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers without permissions even as it defended its own plans to take up new schemes.

Andhra Pradeshs special chief secretary (irrigation) Adityanath Das submitted a detailed explanation to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) on its latest proposal to draw 6 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) to 8 tmc of water from Krishna river by constructing the Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme and expanding the Pothireddypadu head on the foreshore of the inter-state Srisailam reservoir.

Das pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act clearly stipulated that any new project by both states has to be first evaluated and recommended by KRMB and Central Water Commission. Thereafter, the projects require approval from the apex council of the Jal Sakthi ministry.

He said after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014, Telangana had taken up five new projects for using 150.53 tmc of waters from Krishna, with an ayacut of 16.87 lakh acres, in violation of the provisions of the act. These projects are Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift scheme, Dindi lift scheme, Bhaktha Ramadas lift scheme, Mission Bhagiratha and Tummilla lift scheme.

In addition, Telangana enhanced the capacity of existing projects such as Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu and Srisailam Left Bank Canal, Das said.

Andhra Pradesh lodged its protest on several occasions on these projects and in spite of repeated requests by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana is going ahead with executing these projects, affecting the interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Das defended the latest projects proposed by Andhra Pradesh, saying they were meant to meet drinking water and irrigation needs of drought-hit areas of Rayalaseema, Nellore and Prakasam districts.

At present, water can be drawn from Pothireddypadu head regulator only for 10 to 15 days a year, only when the water level in Srisailam is above 810 feet. We have proposed the Rayalaseems lift scheme to draw water at a level of 800 feet to meet our needs and it will be within the allocation of the tribunal, he said.

Das also wrote a separate letter to the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), complaining against Telangana for building several irrigation projects, including the Rs 1 lakh crore Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme, which allegedly violates the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

He said the total water available to both states from Godavari river is 1,430 tmc, including 776 tmc to Andhra Pradesh and 650 tmc to Telangana.

However, Telangana has been executing seven new projects, including Kaleshwaram, with utilisation of 450 tmc feet without furnishing the detailed project reports to GRMB and approval of apex council. What is more, Telangana has enhanced the utilisation of waters under Kaleswaram from 225 tmc to 450 tmc, which will affect the Andhra projects like Polavaram in the downstream, he complained.

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CHANDLERVILLE  Despite distance-learning requirements that have kept AC-Central Elementary students away from school, cafeteria staff members have worked to make sure there are lunches available for those who need them.

The team has been putting together lunches each day and non-perishable breakfast items for the following day.
The first repatriation flight to West Bengal under the Vande Bharat Mission landed at the Kolkata airport on Monday from Bangladesh with 169 people, including 16 in need of medical emergency treatment and a pregnant woman, officials said.

The plane that took off from Dhaka arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here around 12.30 pm, airport officials said.

"After deboarding the plane, the passengers are now going through health check-ups and screening. The state health department officials are monitoring the entire process," they added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed the passengers and thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the West Bengal government for working in coordination to facilitate the operation of the flight.

"Pleased to welcome the first spl flight under #VBM to West Bengal. AI 0231 has landed in Kolkata, carrying 169 Indians frm Dhaka. Thank @airindiain @MoCA_GoI & WB Govt for support & coordination. Appreciate the effort by HC @rivagdas & Team @ihcdhaka," he said in a tweet.

The sources said the passengers include 73 students, 45 stranded tourists, 16 people having medical emergencies, and a pregnant woman.

The passengers will be placed under institutional quarantine before they can go to their homes, officials added.

"After the screening and check-up of the passengers for COVID, they would go on a 14-day quarantine. If someone tests positive, he or she will be taken to hospital," a state health official said.

The state government has already shared the list of hotels with the Union government which it has earmarked for pay-and-use quarantine stay and also those arranged by the government for free, he said.

The Centre launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' on May 7 to evacuate Indians stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

The issue of repatriation flights to West Bengal had snowballed into a major political row last week after senior TMC leader and minister Partha Chatterjee 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 that the 'Vande Bharat' mission is for all Indians stranded abroad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The May 13 front-page article Justices seem split over Trump subpoenas contained one particularly troubling detail. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was said to possibly be searching for a middle ground to reduce tensions between divided conservative and progressive factions on the court. Searching for a middle ground would be an abdication of his responsibility. It could lead to what the president has been seeking all along: to run out the clock on the cases before the election. This might happen if the court remands them to lower courts for further review. Who would care about the outcome of such a review? President Trump would then either be out of office or in office for a new term with a virtual stranglehold on the judiciary.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has come down heavily on the central government's Atmanirbhar package of Rs 20 lakh crore stating that under the guise of COVID-19, the Union Government is allowing foreign private monopolists to loot the country.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, he said the ploy of the BJP government is to compromise the security of the country by helping these monopolists, adding that the hopes of the common people have been shattered. Instead of strengthening the countrys economy, the package will destroy it, he said.

Chennithala said the decision on going for FDI in defence manufacturing should have been discussed in Parliament before taking a unilateral stand. He lamented that it shows that federalism has crumbled. He also said that the central government should have discussed it with the states as well.

The expectation was that it would be a stimulus package as people have got no purchasing power. The countrys economic stability cannot be increased just by sanctioning loans. People will be forced to pay not only interest, but penal interest as well when they dont have any source of income to repay the loan, said Chennithala.

The Opposition leader did not spare the LDF government either. He said if the Centre had announced Rs 20 lakh crore, the LDF government had announced Rs 20,000 crore which is nothing but cheating the people. Chennithala alleged that while the state government utilized the package to pay the arrears, the central government has been urging them to avail loans.

KPCC will be submitting a revival package recommendation before the LDF government on Tuesday. The state government should take steps to help people whose lives have been in penury following the lockdown, added Chennithala.

He also alleged that there is corruption involved in the decision to open bars. Chennithala claimed that the government has taken 20 percent commission from bar owners for retail liquor sale.

Currently, retail liquor sale is permitted through 265 Bevco outlets and 35 other shops. After the lockdown is called off, the LDF government is planning to promulgate an ordinance to change the Kerala Abkari Act that will eventually permit retail liquor sale through bar counters, said Chennithala.
Highlights Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and others are all set to resume delivery of non-essential items in all three zones

Until now, the e-commerce platforms were only allowed to deliver essential items in red zones

Amazon and Flipkart are not accepting orders in Delhi yet for non-essential items

E-commerce platforms Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and others are all set to resume delivery of non-essential items in all three zones including red, orange and green. As the nation ushered into the lockdown 4.0, the MHA issued fresh guidelines about the businesses that can resume services in all three zones. However, there is no relaxation for containment zones and no services will be resumed in those areas.

Until now, the e-commerce platforms were only allowed to deliver essential items in red zones but now they can deliver other non-essential items like mobiles, laptops, and other electronic items. Amazon and Flipkart are yet to issue a statement about the same but Snapdeal and Paytm Mall have already shared their statements.

"We thank the government for taking the decision for allowing the delivery of non-essentials in red zones across the country. This move will help us deliver to most of the metro cities which presently fall in the red zones. We have received a sizeable number of consumer electronics wishlist orders from metro cities where people have been waiting to buy laptops, mobile phones, as well as other daily use items for the last several weeks now. The government's decision will also help in opening up supplies of consumer electronics from warehouses which are in the red zones. We have already had discussions with our merchant and logistics partners and will start taking orders and delivering from Monday itself. We are ensuring that all state and central guidelines are followed to operate in the red zones.In the coming week, we hope for more relaxations in the interstate movement of non-essential goods so that e-commerce activity scales up," Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President, Paytm Mall said in a statement.

Amazon and Flipkart are not accepting orders in Delhi yet for non-essential items as MHA's latest guidelines say that the states will take a final call about the businesses that it wants to open in its cities. After getting a nod from the Delhi Government, Amazon and Flipkart will likely resume their services in the state. However, Snapdeal in a statement said that it is ready to resume services in all three zones.

"We welcome the guidelines announced by the MHA, which pave the way for a broader resumption of economic activities across most parts of India. E-Commerce has played a crucial role in the last two months by delivering a range of much-needed goods to consumers - within the safety of their homes. Our sellers and delivery partners have worked extensively to meet these requirements while exercising strict safety measures and we applaud their commitment in rising to the occasion. At Snapdeal, we are ready and equipped to now start serving customers all across India - in red, green and orange zones - by providing them access to the entire selection of millions of products. This is also the moment that will enable lakhs of medium and small online sellers to start rebuilding their businesses as they serve the needs of users in cities and towns across India, " a Snapdeal spokesperson said in a statement.

Earlier, the government had allowed Amazon, Flipkart and others to resume the delivery of non-essential items in orange and green zones. They were prohibited from delivering items in red zones.
On the whole, though, no state worthy of the name can permit exceptions to its monopoly on legitimate deployment of armed force like those in Michigan or North Carolina. Surely no sensible interpretation of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms would say a state must tolerate them.
Elders boss Mark Allison says Australia can have a major strategic partnership with the United States and a successful trading relationship with China simultaneously, stressing problems sometimes emerged between countries.

The chief executive of the $1.5 billion ASX-listed agribusiness giant also predicted that the tensions in the Australia-China relationship would be resolved, saying that, at a business and state level, the relationships were strong and mutually beneficial.

Elders managing director Mark Allison says countries have spats from time to time.

"It's very, very simple. We can have a major strategic alliance with the US and have a major commercial trading relationship with China; we don't have to choose between one or the other.

"And we can have both and in no way in doing that, compromise any of our principles," Mr Allison said.
The people of the Soviet Union in the past and Russia at present always hold special sentiments for late President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh has affirmed.

President Ho Chi Minh (C) and other delegates to the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1961 (File Photo VNA)

Talking to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in Russia on the occasion of the late leaders 130th birthday (May 19), Manh said that in his position, he has met many leading officials of the Russian Federal State, localities, Russian researchers, and Russian friends who have expressed their sentiments and respect for President Ho Chi Minh.

The diplomat emphasised the role of the President in laying a foundation for the friendship between Vietnam and the Soviet Union in the past and Russia at present.

He revealed that on May 19, a video conference between Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and Saint Petersburg of Russia will be organised, with Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov expected to deliver speeches.

The Vietnamese diplomatic representative office in Russia is working with leading officials of Saint Petersburg to speed up the installation of a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in this Russian city where he first set food in the Soviet Union, Manh added.

On this occasion, the VNA correspondents in Russia also had a talk with Prof. Dr. Vladimir Kolotov, head of the Ho Chi Minh Institute under the Saint Petersburg State University.

Kolotov, one of the leading Russian scholars of Vietnamese studies, affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh always left a good impression on those who once met him.

The Ho Chi Minh Institute is the first foreign research institute named after the late President in the world, he stated, adding that this years May 19 also marks the institutes 10th founding anniversary.

President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the north-central province of Nghe An. He devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation, while tirelessly striving for peace and progress around the world.

He also led the struggle for national independence and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945. The President passed away in 1969./.VNA
What are the most memorable moments you recall?

Oh my God, oh my God (she says laughing) Many. Thats very difficult. When we moved from Lambrate we had to think very carefully about it because it was a good atmosphere with very sunny days, everybody outside, the feeling of a festival, which is different from Rho Fiera. Seeing directors of big companies talking with young designers. Those moments were very memorable. But also the dietro le quinte, behind the scenes, because there were so many incredible spaces that I saw in Milan. I remember when we opened the serranda of the Magazzini Raccordati  after 30 years, without keys  we were speechless, just saying wow, this is exactly what we hoped there was behind, and it was even better. I remember I had an appointment there with Luca Nichetto to see the space and to discuss what could be the possibilities and he was just saying everything is possible here!.

And doing it altogether with a very small team, mostly women, of course Fulvia Ramogida, head of the Italian team was there, together with Ilaria Casetto and a very young team as well. When I started I was 32 and now I am 42, so we were very young I think. I took some risks. I remember also spectacular exhibitions as for example during the first year of Ventura Centrale, I found incredible the giostra called Time Machine by Lee Broom, it was so poetic in that big empty space with a carousel moving very slowly. When I was standing there, with classical music on the background, a man came in, I think he was 90 or 95 and he stood next to me saying he worked in that exact space for years. He got very emotional thinking he would never see that space anymore in his life. What I remember the most are the happy faces of the visitors, of the exhibitors, people would come all excited telling you wow, I just spoke with Mr.-this-and-that and maybe a project is coming!
- Tanzanian president John Magufuli said countries that had issued lockdown orders stared at a looming food shortage in 2021

- People in locked down countries, he said, were not productive and as such the countries would be food insecure

- The president said Tanzania was not going to let COVID-19 dictate to it how to live since the country had experience in dealing with other viral diseases like measles and AIDS

- Magufuli said COVID-19 cases in his country had reduced significantly and as a result, he was planning to open the education and tourism sectors

Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli has said the coronavirus pandemic was going to cause a biting food shortage in countries that have imposed lockdown orders.

Speaking during a church service on Sunday, May 17, Magufuli said the orders had restricted movement and as such, will impact heavily on the region's food security in the near future.

READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for May 18: Ruto advises Aden Duale, Kithure Kindiki to give up seats if pressure mounts

President Magufuli (l) with President Uhuru Kenyatta (r) during a past event. Photo: State House Kenya.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: President Magufuli says his child recovered from COVID-19 after taking ginger, lemons

The head of state, however, assured that his country was more than ready to export food to the countries that will be affected by food scarcity.

"We may not see the impact at present but I am sure there will be a serious food shortage next year because demand will be high in countries that are on lockdown. Demand will be high there because their people have stopped being productive.

That will be the right time for those of us who work hard to help our colleagues because they will have no food," Magufuli said insisting that Tanzania was not going to be ruled by COVID-19.

READ ALSO: KICD, StarTimes partner to grow access to online learning

READ ALSO: Kenya Airways hilariously claims they can't bring Stella back home as classic song goes viral

He noted that Tanzania had premised cementing its economic muscle at a time when other countries had redirected all their efforts in combating the scourge.

Magufuli said that in case he closed churches and other sections of the country's economy, then the country would experience an economic meltdown that will cause more pain.

"Our economy must come first. It must not sleep. If we allow our economy to sleep, we will not receive salaries. Church offerings will cease if we announce a lockdown. Life must go on," said Magufuli.

Magufuli said countries that have issued lockdown orders stared at a looming food shortage in 2021. Photo: John Pombe Magufuli.

Source: Facebook

Tanzania, he said, was in solidarity with other countries in East Africa region to fight the pandemic but revealed his administration had decided to apply different measures.

"We are together in seeking development but when it comes to finding solutions to challenges, we may employ different measures.

There is no way you can have your own house but receive orders from someone on what you should do at any given time," he stated.

The President hinted that he was planning to open up schools adding that the country was set to experience a tourism boom at around August 2020.

He said that section of local airlines had fully been booked and he had instructed the health and tourism ministry not recommend 14 days quarantine for visitors along as their temperatures were within the required range.

"We will allow visitors to come. They have chosen Tanzania because they know the truth. They will not be quarantined.

We will only check their temperatures after which they will be allowed to go and watch wildlife," statted Magufuli.

Section of leaders in East Africa had, however, accused Magufuli of what they termed as casual handling of the pandemic and failing to listen to medical experts.

The no-nonsense President had earlier criticised the COVID-19 testing which he termed as erroneous and aimed at deceiving Tanzanians.

He later stopped regular updates about the disease from the country on April 28 when some 509 people had been diagnosed with the disease which included 183 recoveries and 21 deaths.

On Saturday, May 16, Kenya closed its border with Tanzania except for cargo shipment following a spike in infections in the country. President Uhuru Kenyatta also closed Kenya's border with Somalia.

Last week, Zambia also closed its border with Tanzania.

The move came hardly a week after the US adviced its citizens living in Tanzania that risk of contracting the disease in Tanzania was high.

On Sunday, May 17, when Kenya's cases climbed to 887, the Ministry of Health announced that 12 others who tested positive were truck drivers from Tanzania who were referred back to their country.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly.

My wife pushed me to marry another woman - Pastor Habil Were | Tuko TV.

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The State Department inspector general fired by President Trump was said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning.

Donald Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Steve Linick in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday night. That made him the fourth government inspector general to be ousted in recent weeks.

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife and walking Sherman, their pet dog.

Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, suggesting Pompeo was responsible, in what 'may be an illegal act of retaliation'.

One White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: 'Secretary Pompeo recommended the move and President Trump agreed.'

Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees questioned the timing and motivation of what they called an 'unprecedented removal.'

The ousted State Department inspector general was said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo, pictured, made a staffer walk his dog Sherman and pick up his dry cleaning

Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, pictured, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Departments management

In a letter to Congress, Trump, pictured Sunday, 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

'We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions,' House panel chairman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement announcing the probe.

The two Democrats said it was their understanding that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally recommended Linick's firing because the inspector general 'had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself.'

A State Department spokesperson confirmed Linick had been fired but did not comment on the Democratic investigation or Pompeo's role in the dismissal.

The agency said Stephen Akard, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, would take over the watchdog job.

Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration, is the fourth inspector general fired by Trump since early April following the president's February acquittal by the Republican-led Senate in an impeachment trial.

Pelosi called the ousting an acceleration of a 'dangerous pattern of retaliation.'

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife Susan, pictured in September 2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan Pompeo, pictured in February

Dems investigate Trump's dismissal of State Department IG 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.' Advertisement

In April, Trump removed a top coronavirus watchdog, Glenn Fine, who was to oversee the government's COVID-19 financial relief response.

Trump also notified Congress that he was firing the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, who was involved in triggering the impeachment investigation.

Earlier in May, Trump ousted Christi Grimm, who led the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, after accusing her of having produced a 'fake dossier' on American hospitals suffering shortages on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

'Trump is methodically eliminating anyone who would bring wrongdoing to light,' Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel, tweeted.

Engel and Menendez called on the Trump administration to turn over any related documents by May 22.

Trump and his administration have repeatedly balked at Congress' power to check the executive branch, refusing to turn over records in multiple probes and triggering lawsuits over its oversight power. It was not immediately clear what, if any, other action lawmakers would take outside the probe.

Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who exited after clashing with Trump, said the 30-day notice gave lawmakers a window to act, if they wanted to, including calling Pompeo to testify.

'It is part of a purge to remove legitimate watchdogs and replace them with loyalists,' he tweeted.

Representatives for Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump's letter provided 30-days' notice as required and said he no longer had confidence in Linick's ability to serve as inspector general, but gave no specific reasons.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement that citing 'a general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.'

Top Trump adviser Peter Navarro suggests ousted State Dept inspector general was part of the 'deep state'

President Donald Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

Trump fired Inspector General Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee, late on Friday but gave no reason for the move.

Linick is the fourth inspector general to be fired by Trump in the past two months, following his acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate in his impeachment trial.

Navarro, the Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, reacted to the ouster during an interview with ABC's This Week on Sunday morning.

'We've had tremendous problems with, some people call it the 'Deep State'. And I think that's apt. So I don't mourn the loss,' Navarro said.

'There's a bureaucracy out there. And there's a lot of people in that bureaucracy who think they got elected president and not Donald J Trump.'

Trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested that ousted State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was a member of the 'deep state' during an ABC News interview on Sunday morning

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Trump's firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog 'could be unlawful' if it was intended to retaliate against one of his investigations.

'The president has the right to fire any federal employee, but the fact is if it looks like it's in retaliation for something the IG, the inspector general, was investigating, that could be unlawful,' Pelosi said on CNN's 'State of the Union.'

Navarro's comments are only likely to further inflame tensions with Democrats, who on Saturday launched an investigation into Trump's late-night ouster of Linick, the latest in an escalating pattern by Trump of firing watchdogs whom he views as a threat to his presidency.
Prime Care Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of flexible hosting, managed services and cloud software for healthcare organizations, today announced it has joined the Kronos Workforce Dimensions Technology Partner Network  a fast-growing ecosystem of organizations utilizing the revolutionary Workforce Dimensions solution and intelligent Kronos D5 platform.

As part of this network, Prime Care Technologies will deliver its securely hosted archiving solution, primeARCHIVE, to Kronos customers migrating to Workforce Dimensions, enabling them to quickly back up and query historical workforce data. As a long-time Kronos partner and integrator, Prime Care Technologies understands the criticality of workforce data storage needed to easily analyze, report, and comply with unique workforce rules.

We are delighted to extend our relationship with Kronos for its workforce management and human capital management (HCM) customers, said Jim Hoey, president and CEO, Prime Care Technologies. As a 13+ year Kronos reseller and certified implementation and support partner, we know the importance of securing historical data and having long-term access to reporting. We are confident our data center will provide a highly secure environment to store all historical data for Kronos Workforce Dimensions customers.

Workforce Dimensions from Kronos is a next-generation workforce management solution. Cloud-native, mobile-native, and powered by artificial intelligence, Workforce Dimensions delivers real-time analytics to drive in-the-moment decisions, unburdening managers from time-consuming, low-value tasks and empowering employees with an engaging experience. The open application programming interface (API) framework of Kronos D5 makes it quick and simple for customers to extend the value of their workforce management and HCM investment with innovative and tightly integrated partner applications that drive user adoption.

Workforce Dimensions is built on a completely open and extensible platform, enabling innovative integrations with partners, including Prime Care Technologies, that empower employees in ways that simply are not possible with legacy solutions, said Mike May, senior director, Workforce Dimensions Technology Partner Network, Kronos. By simplifying the process of migrating data from a legacy solution to Workforce Dimensions, healthcare organizations will accelerate their deployment even faster to deliver a next-generation employee experience sooner.

Learn more about Prime Care Technologies at https://www.primecaretech.com/primeARCHIVE.

To learn more about Workforce Dimensions by Kronos, visit: https://www.kronos.com/products/workforce-dimensions-suite.

About Prime Care Technologies

Since 2003, Prime Care Technologies has equipped long-term care providers with flexible hosting, managed services and cloud software that evolve with industry demand. Based in Atlanta with 175 employees and 200+ healthcare/IT partnerships, its technology-driven solutions are installed in 6,500+ facilities. With deep multi-vendor interoperability expertise, including the integration of 70+ healthcare applications and 3,500+ EDI payers, Prime Care Technologies offers the leading data warehouse and claims clearinghouse in post-acute care. Learn more at http://www.primecaretech.com. We provide the tech. You provide the care.
Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has expressed dissatisfaction on how the quality of home videos in Nigeria has dropped.

Yul in a tweet said Nollywood is now filled with crappy actors, actresses, and directors.
Hollywood action star Dwayne Johnson says it's a proud moment for him to see his daughter Simone following in his footsteps and join WWE. Johnson, who had a long career in professional wrestling before becoming a Hollywood star, said Simone, 18, will be the youngest signee in the history of WWE.

"She signed her contract with the WWE, it just blows my mind," Johnson told Jimmy Fallon via video chat on The Tonight Show.

"First of all, I mean, what an honour that my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps. But more importantly, follow in my footsteps sounds clich, but she actually wants to blaze her own path, which is just so important. She wound up being the youngest signee in the history of the company, by the way, he added.

Johnson, who shares Simone with former spouse Dany Garcia, said his daughter started training at the age of 16.

"She was working her a** off. Quietly, under the radar, in the ring, getting thrown around, and all the bumps and bruises that go with pro wrestling. And she hung in there, I'm very, very proud of her."

WWE had announced in February that Simone has officially signed with the company.

She is the fourth generation from her family to join pro-wrestling. Her father, under the name The Rock, was a 10-time world champion, while her late grandfather, Rocky Johnson, and her great-grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, were both inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Dwayne Johnson's Daughter Signs WWE Contract, Will Start Training To Carry On Family Legacy

Shazam 2: Dwayne Johnson Reveals Details About 'Black Adam', Will Start Shooting In 2020
China still faces an enormous challenge of a potential second wave of coronavirus infections, a top medical advisor of the country has warned. According to Dr. Zhong Nanshan, the Chinese government's senior medical adviser, the majority of Chinese are susceptible to the COVID-19 infection due to lack of immunity.

"The majority of ... Chinese at the moment are still susceptible to the COVID-19 infection, because (of) a lack of immunity," Nanshan, the public face of China's fight against coronavirus, was quoted in an exclusive CNN report.

"We are facing (a) big challenge, it's not better than the foreign countries I think at the moment," he said.

Nanshan also confirmed that that local authorities in Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus first emerged in December last year, had suppressed important information about the magnitude of the initial outbreak, the report said.

Also Read: Infographic: How little Govt will spend of Rs 21 lakh cr stimulus package

According to China's National Health Commission (NHC), the country reported over 82,000 positive cases of coronavirus, with at least 4,633 deaths.

Zhong, known as the "SARS hero" for fighting the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003, played a key role even during this time of unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, especially in the critical early stages of the outbreak. He was the one who confirmed in January this year on state broadcaster CCTV that the coronavirus can be transmitted between humans.

Also Read: Imposing conditions on states for borrowing more a bad idea: Abhijit Sen

Earlier in April, China reported the presence of asymptomatic coronavirus cases, raising concerns of a second wave of infections amid the relaxation of stringent measures in the country initiated to contain the deadly disease. Asymptomatic coronavirus cases are those who carry the virus but do not show any symptoms and can cause sporadic clusters of infections.

Besides the asymptomatic cases, the country also reported new imported cases, according to NHC.

China, which has banned new arrivals of foreigners to minimise imported cases, is limping back to normal with most of the factories and businesses humming with activity.

By Chitranjan Kumar with PTI inputs
Everyone aged five and over in the UK with coronavirus symptoms can now be tested for the disease, Matt Hancock announced on Monday.

The health secretary was speaking in Parliament after the loss of taste or smell was added to the list of COVID-19 symptoms, alongside a fever and a new persistent cough.

Testing in England had been limited to key workers, hospital patients, care home residents and the over-65s with symptoms, along with their families or people they live with.

Making tests available to anyone over five with symptoms is a major expansion of the UK's testing programme.

Staff work at a the COVID-19 drive-by testing facility at Ikea near the Wembley stadium in London. (AP)

How can I get tested?

If you think you need a coronavirus test you can arrange to visit a regional test drive-through site.

You can ask for a home test kit  although these have been in short supply.

The test is performed by a taking a swab from the nose or the back of the throat.

If you are self-isolating because you or member(s) of your household have coronavirus symptoms, the employer referral portal allows employers to refer essential workers for testing.

However, only symptomatic people in the household can be tested.

But if the employee works in social care, they can be tested whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.

An NHS nurse holds a Coronavirus testing kit as she speaks to the media at a drive through Coronavirus testing site in March. (Getty)

If referred through this portal, essential workers will receive a text message with a unique invitation code to book a test for themselves.

Other than drive-through centres and home kits there are:

Mobile testing units: Mobile testing units move around the UK, responding to need travelling to test essential workers at sites including care homes, police stations and prisons.

Satellite centres: NHS capability is being increased by providing test kits directly to satellite centres at places like hospitals that have a particularly urgent or significant need.

NHS facilities: Testing in NHS facilities such as hospitals is available for patients and some NHS workers.

A courier would then pick up the sample and take it to a laboratory to be analysed.

Story continues

The government said it aims to return test results within 48 hours of a swab being taken, or within 72 hours for a home test.

Why is it important to get tested?

People are tested both for individual diagnosis and to understand how widely the virus has spread.

Tests may also show if people need to continue self-isolating, as they may have already had and recovered from the virus, in which case they could go back to work.

Tests help people to know whether they are safe to go to work. For example, if you come into contact with large numbers of people or vulnerable people on a daily basis.

Wide testing can also let the health service plan for extra demand, and inform government decisions around social distancing and lockdowns.

For the government's full advice, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested#how-to-arrange-a-test.
Keeping what is thought to be isolated populations of spotted lanternfly under control in the Altoona area is one of the goals of a Penn State study that launched in April and will continue into the fall.

The researchers from Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences also want to assess the potential spread of the invading Asian insect in Blair County, which is one of a dozen counties added in March to the states spotted lanternfly quarantine zone, which now includes 26 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties.

The destructive insect was discovered in the Altoona area in August 2019, part of the lanternflys ongoing spread after being discovered in North America for the first time in Berks County in 2014.

Outlier  or isolated  populations are important targets for management, said Joe Keller, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Entomology. Early detection and treatment can be essential for the effective management of invasive insects. In short, its generally easier and less costly to deal with a few hundred than it is a few thousand.

Keller and fellow postdoctoral scholar Osariyekemwen Uyi are conducting the research under the guidance of Kelli Hoover, professor of entomology. Ethan Park, a forester with the state Department of Agricultures Bureau of Plant Industry, is helping.

The spotted lanternfly feeds on the sap of important agricultural plants, including grape vines, fruit trees, nursery plants and hardwoods, and can be a nuisance in parks and yards as well, where the sugary honeydew it produces can cover surfaces and provide a medium for sooty-mold growth.

PESTS  The stages of the spotted lanternflys development from egg masses on trees to the adults that are more than an inch long, a nuisance to residents and agriculture alike. (Pa. Department of Agriculture)

Being added to the quarantine list does not necessarily mean that Blair County is entirely infested. It also can indicate that a few municipalities within that county are having issues with the pest. The latter describes the situation in Blair County, noted Park.

The spotted lanternfly population in Altoona is manageable, said Park, who added that emerged egg masses were found last fall, suggesting that the insects have been in Altoona since 2018.

Though it may have been present in Altoona for two seasons, it does not appear to have spread much, and the numbers appear to be low. This makes me hopeful that with landowner cooperation and reporting of sightings by the public, we will be able to contain the insects in Altoona.

The researchers have set up study sites in several locations where the insect has been confirmed.

The state Department of Agriculture is managing these populations by using the insects preferred host, the invasive Ailanthus altissima, or tree of heaven, as a trap tree.

About 90 percent of the Ailanthus in an infested area are removed. The remaining trees are treated with a systemic insecticide.

This forces the lanternfly to feed on the remaining tree of heaven and ingest insecticide, and it has proven to be a very effective form of control, Park said.

The Penn State scientists are complementing that effort by working to locate the populations outer edge using sticky tree bands and circle traps, both of which capture insects as they move up tree trunks. The sticky traps that Penn State uses do not trap nontarget species such as birds because the adhesive side faces inward.

The team, moving outward from the populations center, is monitoring the number of spotted lanternflies found. In addition to trap counts, they are looking for egg masses and for nymphs and adults not caught in the traps.

A third objective of the research is to measure the effectiveness, costs and labor associated with each trapping method.

Traps are useful in the detection of new invasions of insect pests, for delimitation of the area of infestation, and for monitoring population levels of established pests, said Uyi. Having information on how well certain traps work is vital for decision-making on control measures.

For more information, visit the Penn State Extension lanternfly webpage.

Penn State Extension will host a webinar on The Spotted Lanternfly in Forest Ecosystems from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, May 19.

This webinar will present the current state of on-the-ground experience and research related to the invasive spotted lanternflys in regional forest systems.

The spotted lanternfly has a wide range of hosts, including hardwood species of economic and ecological importance, but the reality of the effect of the insect in forests is nuanced and still involves uncertainty.

The webinar will present a roundup of current lanternfly information relevant to those working in the fields of forest ecology, management and products.

To register for the free webinar, visit the Penn State Extension website.

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Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
It will be free of charge for people who are in the risk group

Maksym Stepanov Open source

Today, on May 18, Ukraines Ministry of Health will sign an order on the introduction of the ELISA testing. It will be free of charge for people who are in the risk group. This was stated by Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov during a briefing that was broadcasted by 112 Ukraine TV channel.

"Today, a corresponding order on the introduction of ELISA testing will be signed. It will allow us to significantly increase the number of people tested," Stepanov said.

People who have any symptoms of coronavirus disease will be tested in the first place, as well as all contact persons.

As we reported earlier, as of early morning of May 18, 18,616 cases of infection with Covid-19 were reported in Ukraine. 325 new cases have been diagnosed over the last 24 hours.

535 people succumbed to the disease, another 5,276 successfully recovered from coronavirus.

The largest number of cases is observed in Chernivtsi region (2,694) and Kyiv (2,280). Kyiv, Lviv and Rivne regions follow, with 1,197, 1,019 and 1,126 cases, respectively.
Egypt's embassy in Kuwait has contacted Kuwaiti authorities to solve a crisis of an Egyptian driver, who has been stranded on the Kuwaiti-Saudi borders for 63 days.

A source from the embassy told MENA on Monday that the diplomatic mission follows up the latest developments concerning the problem of the Egyptian driver, who is one of a 13-driver group stranded on Kuwaiti-Saudi borders after the adoption of the precautionary measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak in March.

Egypt contacted the Kuwaiti authorities and the Egyptian consulate in Riyadh, leading to facilitate the return of 12 drivers through Jordan, but this driver, called Adel Al Muslimi, did not go to Jordan due to personal reasons, the source added.

Al Muslimi extended thanks to the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait over efforts to solve his crisis and thanked the Kuwaiti authorities for warm hospitality.

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By Junko Yoshida, EETimes (May 15, 2020)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is no Foxconn. Foxconn promised a big LCD fab in Wisconsin, but that ended up producing nothing but a photo opp for Terry Gou and Donald Trump.

TSMC will deliver their promise. Thats what I told my colleagues when we started to plot a game plan for EE Times editorial coverage of TSMCs latest decision to build a 5nm fab in Arizona. Five hours later, reading stories filed by our colleagues from Taipei, Im beginning to realize that we might be getting played by both TSMC and the U.S. government.

Judith Cheng, Chief Editor of EE Times & EDN Taiwan/Asia, pointed out in her story that TSMC, in announcing the companys decision, cited TSMCs willingness to set up a factory in the United States. Why not call it a plan?

Its a subtle difference but it hints that negotiations between TSMC and the US and Arizona governments might be far from over. As our original news story by Taiwan correspondent Alan Patterson shows, TSMC didnt disclose the terms of the agreement with Arizona and the United States.

Note, also, while the announcement says Arizona, it did not mention any specific city in Arizona. Why no names, if they are to begin building a fab in 2021?

Click here to read more ...














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President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed his predecessor as grossly incompetent, a day after former President Barack Obama said leaders werent even pretending to be in charge amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Asked about Obamas comments, Trump first told a pool of reporters at the White House that administration officials had a great weekend during a working trip to Camp David.

We did a lot of terrific meetings, tremendous progress is being made on many fronts, including coming up with a cure for this horrible plague that has beset our country, he said.

When pressed further, Trump added: Look, he was an incompetent president. Thats all I can say. Grossly incompetent.

Since leaving office, Obama has largely avoided weighing in on politics or how his successor is doing. But recently, with the coronavirus outbreak taking a huge toll on the country, he has become more outspoken.

In April, 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs and unemployment was at 14.7 percent. As states ease coronavirus restrictions, the spread continues: There are nearly 1.5 million cases and more than 89,000 deaths in the U.S. The Trump administration has been criticized for a delayed response to the outbreak and a lack of organization in providing tests and medical supplies.

Last week, on a call with roughly 3,000 former staffers, Obama said the government has taken on a Whats in it for me? mindset, and he called the White Houses pandemic response an absolute chaotic disaster.

On Saturday, in a virtual address to graduates of historically black colleges and universities, Obama broached the topic again: This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing.

He didnt name names, but the implication was clear.

Trump calling his predecessor incompetent is not new. He has railed against inheriting what he has called an ineffective and broken system when he came into office. He has said he wont be asking former presidents for help because he wasnt going to learn much. And in 2013, before his presidential aspirations were in the picture, Trump tweeted : Who thinks that President Obama is totally incompetent?

But the presidents brief comments on Sunday come as he pushes the unfounded Obamagate conspiracy theory, alleging that officials in the previous administration sought to undermine Trump and target his top associates  like former national security adviser Michael Flynn  with the Russia investigation.

Trump even began pushing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to more aggressively look into the origins of the investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election. McConnell, along with most Republicans, has been cautious on embracing Trumps position.

On Sunday morning, White House economic adviser Peter Navarro also had a strongly worded defense of the administrations handling of pandemic mitigation.

Im glad Mr. Obama has a new job as Joe Bidens press secretary, Navarro said on ABCs This Week, referring to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. As far as Im concerned, his administration was a kumbaya of incompetence in which we saw millions of manufacturing jobs go off to China.
The charter company had fronted between $700,000 and $800,000 for airfares, insurance, rentals and other costs, which they cannot afford to return to passengers, she said.

Instead, the money from Holland America, along with an additional amount  potentially as much as about $1 million  not already used for other expenses, will be grouped together and prorated to the cost of passengers cabins, she said, adding that she could not calculate the total amount passengers could expect to see.

Prairie Home Cruises said it has gone beyond its contractual obligations in trying to secure passengers even a partial refund. Eric Nilsson, the lawyer for the company, said its charter agreements force majeure clause, which considers uncontrollable catastrophic events, allowed cancellation without penalty or forfeiture of payments made.

Further, the terms of agreement in the companys travel insurance specifies that a governmental declaration of pandemic releases it of liability  a standard clause in such insurance policies.

Ms. Wolfson said she finds the whole process rife with bureaucracies and told the charter company in an email that: Waiting until June for an unspecified partial refund seems callous, unprofessional, and unacceptable.

She said that while she was disappointed the cruise was canceled and would rebook if offered a refund, Id be really disappointed to be thousands of dollars in the hole because we could really use that right now.

But that might not be a possibility. In an email to Ms. Wolfson, Ms. Gustafson said that the loss of cruise funds has hit us in the knees.
Covid-19 testing will be made available to all care home residents and staff here, Health Minister Robin Swann has announced.

NI Ambulance Service personnel as well as NHS nurses will be drafted in to help deliver the testing programme for the 475 local nursing homes.

And mobile testing units will be deployed across the care home sector.

The minister said he intends to complete the roll-out of testing to all residents next month.

In addition, a testing programme for all staff will be put in place.

The Department of Health said last night that 3,762 residents have already been tested to date - 5% of the care home population.

News of the testing plan comes after the UK Government announced a major investment in helping the care home sector battle coronavirus, with 20m in additional funding for Northern Ireland.

Ministers and health administrators across the UK have faced severe criticism over the handling of the coronavirus crisis in nursing homes.

Hundreds of vulnerable elderly care home residents here have died after contracting coronavirus.

It's believed that they make up around half all coronavirus-related fatalities that have occurred locally.

Last week angry relatives of people who had died in some care homes threatened legal action if Mr Swann did not agree to set up a public inquiry into the crisis.

Making the announcement, Mr Swann said: "Testing right across the care home sector is easier to demand than to deliver.

"It has always been my intention to over-deliver rather than to over-promise.

"Following detailed planning and preparatory work, I can now confirm that testing will be available to all residents and staff.

"There are some important sensitivities to be addressed. There are human rights considerations where residents may not consent to be tested or may not be able to consent for reasons such as dementia.

"The swab test for Covid-19 can be an unpleasant and intrusive process, so there are also issues in relation to subjecting frail older persons to swabbing, particularly in homes where there are no outbreaks."

The minister said he was confident a way forward could be found to overcome these problems.

At present here care home staff and families only have access to testing if they are displaying Covid-19 symptoms.

All staff and residents are also tested in homes when two or more people - staff or residents - have symptoms, as this is a possible outbreak scenario.

Testing is already under way for all residents and staff in homes where there have been previous outbreaks that have not been resolved.

Mr Swann said: "It has to be emphasised once again that testing is not a solution to the Covid-19 threat in care homes.

"It builds on the wider programme of support that has already been put in place, which includes staffing and financial support, PPE provision and robust infection prevention and control measures."

Meanwhile, speaking about the issue UK-wide, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said there are "big lessons" to be learned from the treatment of care homes during the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Gove said the Government had taken "significant steps" to improve the situation of those in care homes.

However, amid growing criticism that Westminster had failed to provide adequate support to the sector, he acknowledged the situation remained a "challenge".

"There are big lessons to be learned," he told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show. "We are still living through this pandemic and there will be lessons to be learned. We have taken significant steps to improve the care of people in care homes.

"There will be a point in the future when all of us can look back and reflect and make sure we have learned the appropriate lessons.

"At the moment, we are focused on making sure we beat the virus and protect people as effectively as possible."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:

Uzbekistan welcomed the signing of the power-sharing deal in Afghanistan, Trend reports with reference to the The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

Earlier, it was reported that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah, his political rival, signed a political agreement on power sharing on May 17.

"Uzbekistan welcomes the agreement of Afghanistan's political leaders to establish an inclusive government and the High Council for National Reconciliation. We also express our hope that these important decisions will pave the way for political negotiations and the establishment of lasting and long-term peace in neighboring Afghanistan," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry also assured that Uzbekistan will continue to fully support the inter-Afghan political process and provide all possible assistance in building a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

Since March, when Ghani and Abdullah simultaneously held their inauguration ceremonies, the politicians have been trying to reach an agreement. In early May, Abdullah Abdullah said that he and Ashraf Ghani "made progress in the negotiations and reached a preliminary agreement on a number of principles" and spoke on work on the details of a reconciliation agreement.

Now, they have signed an agreement that leaves Ashraf Ghani as President, but Abdullah Abdullah is entitled to appoint ministers to the government.

---

Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
As the coronavirus public health crisis continues and states look to reopen their economies, restaurants in New Hampshire and Rhode Island are expected to be able to reopen Monday.

Restaurants in both states, which are allowed to implement outdoor dining and continue curbside delivery, are subject to several social distancing requirements that aim to stave off the spread of the viral respiratory infection.

The intent of these recommendations is to reduce transmission of COVID-19 among employees and customers; support healthy business operations; and maintain a healthy work environment, New Hampshires state guidelines say.

In New Hampshire, indoor dining is not allowed, and no more than six guests are allowed at tables outside. Tables also need to be spaced out at least six feet apart from on another, according to guidance issued by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununus Economic Re-Opening Task Force.

An example of what many #NewHampshire restaurants will be looking like starting today. The state is allowing them to reopen under a set of guidelines. @wbz pic.twitter.com/KBQxprUyye  Lisa Gresci (@Lisa_Gresci) May 18, 2020

Rhode Island has similarly restricted indoor dining. Tables must be separated by at least eight feet outdoors and be kept at least six feet away from areas with regular customer foot traffic, including bathrooms, entrances and exits, according to state requirements.

Tables at restaurants in Rhode Island can be placed closer together if barriers of an appropriate height, like those made of plexiglass, are installed between them. No more than 20 tables are allowed at a restaurant, state guidelines say.

Bar seating at restaurants in New Hampshire and Rhode Island are also not allowed.

Additionally, establishments should prevent customer access to potential gathering spaces on the premises (e.g. dance floors, courtyards), Rhode Islands guidelines say. Customer seating anywhere other than at tables is prohibited.

Most customers and employees are required to wear face coverings when entering and exiting restaurants in each state. Hand sanitizer must be made readily available to both customers and employees as well.

In New Hampshire, face coverings are not required to be worn by customers seated and dining outdoors. Rhode Islands guidance does not explicitly require face coverings to be worn outdoors either, only when social distancing guidelines cannot be followed.

Customers are required to wear face masks when entering or exiting the restaurant, when in a common area (e.g. hallway or restroom), or when otherwise traveling within or through the restaurant, Rhode Islands guidelines say.

The news about the two New England states comes as Massachusetts looks to begin its four-phase reopening plan. Places of worship, construction and manufacturing will be among the first to open back up amid the public health crisis, MassLive learned Sunday.

The businesses and places of worship will have to operate with strict public health guidelines. Social distancing and face covering requirements are expected to be implemented.

It is still unclear what wave of the state coronavirus reopening advisory boards reopening plan restaurants will be included in, though some of those working in the food service industry in the state have begun to plan to operate outdoors.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to release information Monday about his reopening advisory boards plans to allow certain industries to start operating again.

Both New Hampshire and Rhode Island have seen far fewer case counts and deaths related to the viral respiratory infection than Massachusetts, which has been hit particular hard by the pandemic. The commonwealth has seen 86,010 total COVID-19 cases and 5,797 fatalities due to the disease.

New Hampshire has reported 3,596 statewide coronavirus infection and 172 deaths attributed to the disease, while Rhode Island has identified 12,674 cases and 499 COVID-19 related fatalities.

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While three women died and 536



people tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 11,760, the Tamil Nadu government asserted that the state has done 3,37 lakh tests so far, the highest number in the whole country.

The three women, aged between 53 and 70 years, died here at government hospitals.

Two of them died on Sunday and another today.

Of the 536 new cases, 46 were from Maharashtra and 304 were men and 232 women , a health department bulletin said.

As on date 7,270 were the active cases, it said.

So far, 11,760 people have tested positive, of which 4,406 have been discharged following recovery.

As many as 234 went home today alone after overcoming the illness.

On May 15, the number of recovered people was 359 and it was 939 and 634 on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, meanwhile, refuted DMK president M K Stalin's allegation that the Tamil Nadu government had reduced the volume of tests.

"An opinion that tests have come down is not acceptable and it is entirely wrong.

In the whole of India, we are doing the highest number of tests.

We make early diagnosis, treat people, facilitate their recovery and bring down the number of deaths," he said, adding such best practices to tackle COVID-19 were even lauded by a Central team.

No particular number is pre-determined by the government for carrying out testing for any given day.

"Is it possible to do so?," he asked, adding all RT-PCR tests are barcoded and no single test can be underplayed.

Also, the testing data was being uploaded real time in Central government portals.

Stalin had alleged that the government had cut down the number of tests to 8,270 on May 16 as against 14,102 on May 7.

"We have done the highest number of tests in India. So far 3,37,841 tests have been done in Tamil Nadu (from February 1), which is the highest.

In Chennai city alone we have carried out 85,000 tests," he said.

Today, 11,121 samples have been tested.

Remarks that tests have come down in Tamil Nadu are both not true and anguishing and "in the name of criticism, levelling accusation is not acceptable," he said.

Doctors, paramedics and technicians involved in the testing process do painstaking work and it calls for praise, he said.

Tests were being done as per protocol and several factors like the number of people arriving from foreign countries, other states or districts, testing of contacts and those with severe acute respiratory infection and influenza like illness together make up the aggregate number of tests daily, he said and indicated that there may some variance.

On an average, for the past ten days, 12,536 tests were being done every day, he said and added that it must not be assumed that tests have come down by merely looking at some variance in the number of tests for specific days.

"No one is left out of testing and the exercise is being done asper Central government guidelines.

The new challenge is the arrival of people from other states," he said.

Clusters like the Koyambedu market and another related to a conference in Delhi were managed well by aggressive testing, he poined out.

Also, "now we have 61 testing facilities, of which 39 are in government hospitals and 22 in private centres and there is no scope for reducing tests intentionally," he said, adding such a big testing capacity was a "huge achievement."



The State-run King's Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research here was the second facility to undertake tests in the country after the National Institute of Virology in Pune, he claimed.

According to the bulletin, Chennai continued to be on the top of the list of virus cases with a count of 7,117, of which 5,460 are active cases and 56 people died as on date here.

Of the total of 1,961 people who arrived from abroad, 13 have tested positive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
St Marys Chapel in Ahoghill which was attacked with paint

A priest has said he cannot understand why a church near Ballymena was targeted in a paint bomb attack after years of excellent community spirit.

Politicians have united in condemnation of the weekend attack on St Mary's Ahoghill.

The church, near Galgorm in Ballymena, was targeted sometime between Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Damage was caused to the front door and steps of the premises in the incident, which police are treating as a hate crime.

"We're struggling to understand why someone would do this. It has come completely out of the blue," said parish priest Fr Hugh O'Hagan. "We have a good relationship with everyone in the village and the community is shocked and upset that this sort of thing would have happened.

"Two bottles of paint were thrown sometime on Friday night or Saturday morning and it's the first time in many, many years that we've had any sort of incident.

"Sadly the impression is that someone has decided to target a Catholic church, but they are all good, decent people in this village and we've had so much support since people heard what has happened.

"It's upsetting, of course it is, but we'll just have to let the police deal with the situation and hope and pray that something like this doesn't happen again."

There was widespread condemnation from local political representatives.

TUV councillor Stewart McDonald said: "The attack on Ahoghill Roman Catholic Church is totally unacceptable."

UUP councillor William McNeilly hit out at those responsible.

"I have nothing but total, total condemnation for this," he said. "The community should have no time at all for the sort of people who would do this."

Local Sinn Fein councillor Ian Friary said the incident had left parishioners very upset.

"This isn't what we want to see in our community," he said.

"We don't need this sort of thing happening in our area."

Police in Ballymena are investigating the incident and appealed for information.

"Paint was thrown over the door and front of St Mary's chapel on Ballynafie Road," said Sergeant Neil Hewat.

"We are treating this incident as a hate crime and I am appealing for anyone with information to please get in touch with us by calling 101, quoting reference 644 16/05/20."
AUSTIN, Minn., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a global branded food company, announced today that its quarterly dividend on the common stock, authorized by the Board of Directors at 23.25 cents ($0.2325) a share on May 18, 2020, will be paid August 17, 2020, to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 13, 2020.



The August 17 payment will be the 368th consecutive quarterly dividend paid by the company. Since becoming a public company in 1928, Hormel Foods Corporation has paid a regular quarterly dividend without interruption.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS - Inspired People. Inspired Food. 

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" list for 11 years in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.  to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com.

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

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COVID-19 ravages Iran

Iran expert Hadi Kahalzadeh takes stock of the political and economic outlook for the country as the virus continues to spread.

As of May 5, Iran had recorded over 6,000 deaths and nearly 100,000 cases of coronavirus.

Though that rate is still below the United States and much of Europe's, the country was already suffering from a severe economic downturn, in part due to crippling U.S. sanctions.

Since 2018, when it withdrew from the nuclear deal signed by President Obama, the Trump administration has imposed a policy of "maximum pressure," restricting oil exports and limiting access to the international banking system.

"Because of the financial crisis, the Iranian government cannot protect its population against the coronavirus," said Hadi Kahalzadeh, an Iran expert and PhD fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. "It's a very grave situation."

BrandeisNOW spoke with Kahalzadeh about the humanitarian and economic crisis in Iran and the impact of U.S. sanctions.

BNOW: What's the economic situation like right now?

KAHALZADEH: Even before COVID-19, as a result of U.S. sanctions, Iran had a 40% poverty rate with 33 million people living under the poverty line. The sanctions also shrank Irans economy by 15% in 2018-2019, leaving the country with the largest fiscal deficit in its modern history.

So far, the coronavirus outbreak has cost the economy $11 billion. I also expect the poverty rate to rise as high as 50% or 40 million people by the end of this year. In addition, the roughly four million jobs that were created after Iran signed the nuclear deal with the Obama administration in 2015 will be lost in the next eight months.

BNOW: Can the government cope with both the economic and health crisis?

KAHALZADEH: Unfortunately, the government doesn't have either the required resources or a sustainable strategy to manage the crisis and mitigate the negative impacts of the virus. The country needs around $30 billion in resources to fight the pandemic, but the sanctions have banned the country's access to its foreign exchange reserves. I believe the sanctions have made coronavirus more deadly for Iranians.

: The government has long been split between the religious hardliners led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the more moderate politicians led by President Hassan Rouhani. How is this dynamic playing out?

KAHALZADEH: Politically, the sanctions and coronavirus have created an enormous opportunity for the hardliners. Two years ago, when President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, the hardliners were emboldened. They spread the message that America cannot be trusted and the West is not reliable. They said Rouhanis open approach to foreign relations was useless and failing to deliver on the presidents promises on foreign policy and the economy. The economic sanctions and now the coronavirus outbreak changed the balance of power tremendously in favor of the hardliners.

: We've seen a number of protests and popular movements arise in Iran over the last several years. Aren't they demanding Western-style reforms and pushing back against the hardliners?

KAHALZADEH: Iran has a large educated middle class. Particularly the youth population is ambitious and looks up to developed countries and the West, desiring a strong national economy and a less troubled foreign policy. They have shown time and again that they are not standing by the hardliners, almost in every election in the past 10 years.

However, the dire economic situation is taking a toll on them, closing avenues for progress and crushing many dreams. They have constantly called for deep systematic reforms within their own national identity and keep repeating that call in every momentum that arises.: If circumstances become dire enough, will people rise up and demand democratic reforms?

KAHALZADEH: The current U.S. administration believes that foreign economic pressure can lead to a mass uprising in Iran. I think this is an illusion.

People's preferences change when they are dealing with a harsh economic situation. Their goal becomes addressing basic needs rather than pushing for political or systematic change. In this situation, the civil society gets weaker and less capable of bringing about reforms. I strongly believe there is no chance for development and democracy for a nation that is impoverished and incapacitated under severe economic sanctions.
18th May 2020

Runtime 11:59





Greatland Gold have caught the attention of investors and are one of the most watched stocks on @LondonSouthEast. The shares have re-rated since January and the company currently has a market cap of around 330M.

So what's all the fuss about? We are grateful to Gervais Heddle, CEO of #GGP for joining us from Australia to talk us through the latest developments at the Haverion gold/copper discovery in the Paterson region of Western Australia. Gervais says its the potential economics of the project which make it so exciting. Just over a year ago Greatland Gold entered a farm-in to develop the Haverion assets with Newcrest, a world class gold miner and Australia's largest.

By coincidence they run one of Australia's largest operating gold mines 45 kilometres away in Telfer, and with that comes huge milling capacity, so Newcrest make the ideal farm-in partner as they bring expertise and relatively low capital costs for a project of this size."We've found a large mineralised system with the best grades in Paterson," said Gervais, "10 times better than Telfer." "These kind of strong geological systems come along very rarely, and they just keep giving excellent results, but its very rare to see results like this" said the CEO.
The budget proposal arrives as the Districts economy has ground to a halt. The city is projected to lose nearly $800 million in revenue in fiscal year 2021 alone  plus another $700 million in revenue in this fiscal year. This marks the first budget in a decade in which local revenue has not increased and city officials are forced to scale back spending rather than increase it.
The University of North Georgia's (UNG) first Ph.D. program will help meet a growing national demand for criminal justice instructors.

On May 12, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents approved a doctoral degree in criminal justice with a concentration in intelligence that is scheduled to launch in fall 2021 at UNG, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. It will become the second criminal justice Ph.D. in Georgia. The other is at Georgia State University.

"This degree is hugely significant for UNG because while we have three existing doctoral degrees, this is our first Ph.D. and represents a significant benchmark in the growth of research and graduate programs at the university," said Dr. Chaudron Gille, UNG provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.

The program will train intelligence analysts, who can go back to their law enforcement agencies and implement research-based policies that can lead to better results. Those who earn the degree also can teach criminal justice at the university level. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of postsecondary teachers in criminal justice is projected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026.

A recent survey of UNG's Master of Science in criminal justice students showed 87.5% were interested in a Ph.D. program in the field, and 75% of those were "very interested" in the possibility of studying at UNG. Nearly all respondents pointed to cost and online availability as deciding factors.

"The online nature of this Ph.D. program will attract working professionals already established in their careers and communities, catering to the lifestyles of upcoming generations and adding a mixture of flexibility for working professionals," said Dr. Douglas Orr, who takes over as head of UNG's Criminal Justice Department on June 1 after previously serving as assistant department head.

The cohort-based program will focus on applied research and require 54 hours of coursework, including 15 hours of dissertation courses, with the ability to complete it in three to five years. All students will be required to complete two teaching practica and write and defend a dissertation.

The program will be well-positioned to attract workers who spend a 30-year career in law enforcement and have a desire to teach in higher education upon retirement. That was the case for Orr, who worked in law enforcement for three decades before earning a Ph.D. in criminal justice at Washington State University. He is eager to lead UNG's new doctoral program.

"A practitioner who has worked in law enforcement not only understands the rule, they have lived the exception," Orr said. "They can teach other people coming through the criminal justice field about how theory differs from practice."

In addition to preparing those who can teach criminal justice, the degree is designed to meet the intelligence and research needs of military, federal, state, and local governmental agencies, private corporations engaged in intelligence and security fields, and others interested in developing greater knowledge about the field of intelligence and research studies.

With the additional degree, UNG's criminal justice program will offer associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, including its Public Safety Academy that allows students to earn a bachelor's degree while earning Peace Officer Standards and Training certification.
The Irish Council of Civil Liberties admits it is concerned following reports that Gardai are considering using drones.

The Business Post reported over the weekend that a working group has been established to examine how the devices could be used to benefit the force.
Jorge Armenta, Mexican journalist and director of digital media outlet Medios Obson was slain on May 16 in Ciudad Obregon and it has been confirmed that it was an armed attack that took his and a police officer's life. The local prosecutor's office has stated that another officer was wounded in the encounter.

Mexico has labeled a notorious place reporters and journalist outside a warzone. Mexico comes second after Syria with around 140 journalists have been slain in the country since 2000. A press freedom summit was held in June 2019 to discuss solutions to end the crisis. The CPJ or the Committee to Protect Journalist which annually tracks journalist deaths has even called for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to strengthen press freedom.

Deadly year for journalists

In countries across the world, murder rates have plummeted as people are kept off the streets and locked inside their homes. However, this is not the case for Mexico. Last March, homicide rates have hit a new high record and violence has spread throughout the country. With the second quarter of the year almost coming to an end, there have been already three journalist deaths in Mexico.

Last April 2, journalist Victor Fernando Alvarez went missing and 10 days later, on April 12 an unknown decapitated body was found in the Port of Acapulco which was close to where his family last saw him. The body was proven to be Alcarez only after conducting forensic tests on the remains. In March, the body of journalist Maria Elena Ferral was found after it was shot five times by two men on motorbikes as she was leaving a meeting. Although she was immediately rushed to the hospital, she did not last the night.

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Despite protection, journalists continue to be slain

Jorge Armenta was already under government protection after he started to receive threats. But this did not save him. The state governor has already urged for an investigation on Armenta's assassination and to find those responsible for this heinous crime.

Journalism is proving to be a life sentence in Mexico and investigative journalism is almost impossible to execute. Those who are brave enough to write about corruption or organized crime are mostly at risk. Majority of the killings are on local journalists but the international press still faces a possibility of endangerment. Since the murder of US video journalist Brad Will in 2006, there has been no harassment of violence against international press. Will was shot while he was filming protests in Oaxaca city, Mexico.

As the country braces itself for the economic and health disasters brought about the COVID-19 pandemic, protection for journalists should not be put aside. When President Obrador came into office in 2018, he made a promise that he will no longer allow the assassination of Mexican journalists, however, the future still seems bleak.

This month marks the death anniversary of slain journalist, Javier Valdez who was assassinated in Sinaloa. In May 2017, was dragged from his vehicle in midday by the Rio Doce office and he was shot 12 times on a busy street. Since then, press people and the public has seen this as a message that if a high profile individual such as Valdez can be killed, anyone can.
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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 09:29 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b8e9f 1 National World-Telecommunication-Day,EnvironmentConservation,mobile-app,UN-Secretary-General,Environment-and-Forestry-Ministry Free

Conservation and environmental activism are no longer limited to professionals working and interpreting data in the field, as regular civilians can now pitch in through mobile apps that not only educate, but also invite people to contribute to conservation efforts from the screens of their smartphones.

As the global community commemorates World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminds people that new technologies are powerful tools to tackle the worlds most pressing challenges.

International cooperation on digital technology is essential to [...] achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Guterres said in his 2020 commemoration message.

For Indonesia, forest conservation and efforts to mitigate and prevent land and forest fires has been a big focus area in the digital space. The severity of annual blazes, which managed to raze 1.65 million hectares of land last year, has pushed environmental groups and government agencies to develop digital tools to help mitigate the disaster.

Here are a few examples of apps that look to bridge the digital divide in conservation efforts:

Urundata is a crowdsourcing app that invites its users to help interpret landscape and environmental data for research and environmental restoration purposes.

The app, launched in April last year, boasts over 1,000 downloads on Google Play Store, with 1,055 data contributors in 19 campaigns helping to observe 4,408,458 landscape spots.

The app is a project of the RESTORE+ consortium, which consists of the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASS), as well as 10 higher learning institutions in South Sumatra.

IIASS scholar Ping Yowargana, one of the developers of the app, said the group looked at crowdsourcing efforts such as Kitabisa or change.org and wished to implement similar methods for data gathering on landscape information to help restoration efforts and guide policymaking.

We wanted to try quality crowdsourcing that still fulfills some scientific criteria, resulting in efficient and cheap data gathering gleaned from peoples contribution Ping told The Jakarta Post this week.

The app gamifies data gathering and interpretation, in which users are presented with satellite images of various landscapes and then asked to identify what kind of landscape it is  informing users of the differences between primary forests and man-made plantations.

The app has so far gathered data from South Sumatra and East Kalimantan, provinces that have a wide range of geographical make-up and are prone to annual forest and land fires.

It is currently gathering national data for restoration landscapes, asking users to distinguish between primary forests, secondary forests, plantations, agricultural land, grass fields and savannas.

Ping said the data would be made publicly available on the urundata.id website once all the data had been collected.

The Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) has also developed its own smartphone app dubbed Mitra Gambut (Peat Partners), together with the Partnership for Governance Reform (Kemitraan) nongovernmental organization.

The app will serve as an online platform for villagers in peatland areas to share best practices on peatland restoration.

The app, launched in 2018, has been installed on more than 1,000 devices, mostly by villagers and the project facilitators. It works like a social network platform, but puts an emphasis on geospatial features such as geotagging (marking the location of posts).

The BRGs deputy for promotional education and partnerships, Myrna Safitri, said Mitra Gambut was meant as a companion app for the agencys Villages Care for Peatland program, so villagers and their facilitators have a platform to share their restoration practices and success stories.

The app is for them a place of education. They share what can be successfully planted in their villages, and in turn others are motivated to communicate [through the app], she said.

The Riau Police have developed a smartphone app called Lancung Kuning Nusantara to assist police and military personnel across 11 provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan to aid prevention and law enforcement against land and forest fires.

With the app, security personnel and civilians can volunteer by reporting land and forest fires when they occur. Once they register for an account in the app, users are also able to look for hot spots that have emerged within the past 24 hours  using various satellite data and imaging to inform.

For more simplified data on forest fires within the last 24 hours, the LAPAN: Fire Hotspot app is a solid alternative.

Both apps have been installed on more than 50,000 devices.

The Environment and Forestry Ministry has also jumped on the digital bandwagon by launching its land and forest fires monitoring system SiPongi, which is available through the sipongi.menlhk.go.id website and as a smartphone app. Found on Google Play Store, the app has been downloaded and installed on more than 1,000 devices.
Moscow court upholds 2.5-year sentence of 2012 Bolotnaya riots case defendant

 Lyudmila Klenko, RAPSI

10:48 18/05/2020

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI) - The Moscow City Court has upheld 2.5-year prison sentence given in absentia to Dmitry Buchenkov, a defendant in the 2012 Bolotnaya riots case, according to the court's press service.

On December 24, Buchenkov was convicted and sentenced in absentia. Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Cour also included the term spent in detention and under house arrest in the sentence, considered the term served and closed the search case. On December 18, a prosecutor demanded an 8-year term in penal colony for Buchenkov.

In February 2018, the Moscow City Court upheld suspension of proceedings against Buchenkov because of his disappearance. In November 2019, the trial was resumed. As reported earlier, the defendant, who was under house arrest, once failed to appear at the Bolotnaya case hearing. He was put on the international wanted list, and his house arrest was replaced with detention. The case was suspended. Prosecutors believed that Buchenkov fled to Europe.

In October 2016, final charges were brought against the defendant. He stands accused of participating in mass riots and attacking persons in a position of authority. There are 6 charge counts and 7 victims in the case against him, his lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina told RAPSI earlier.

Buchenkov pleaded not guilty. His attorneys insisted that he was out of Moscow on the day of riots. According to defense lawyers, Buchenkov has an alibi.

Initially, Buchenkov was put in jail. In March, the Moscow City Court replaced his detention with the house arrest.

Over 400 people were arrested, and scores were injured in the authorized Bolotnaya Square protest that turned violent in May 2012. Dozens were later charged with inciting mass riots and battery against law enforcement officers.

Riot organizers Leonid Razvozzhayev and Sergey Udaltsov were sentenced to 4.5 years in prison each. Other defendants in the case received prison terms ranging from suspended sentences to four years. Several defendants were pardoned; two activists were sent to compulsory mental treatment.

The convicts supporters believe that the riots were provoked by police.
Chinese smartphone brand Oppo is making a renewed push into the European market through a partnership with telecommunications giant Vodafone at a time when its bigger rival Huawei Technologies has seen slumping sales in the region amid a US trade ban and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vodafone will distribute Oppo products across its retail channels in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and the Netherlands effective May this year, Oppo said in a statement on Monday.

The cooperation with Vodafone signals Oppos global ambitions with a strategy to promote the brand in mature overseas markets at a time when Huawei is facing headwinds selling internationally after being put on a US trade blacklist that prohibits it from using Google mobile services. Huaweis development could be impeded after the US Department of Commerce announced last Friday it would further restrict the ability of Huawei to develop semiconductors using American technologies.

Oppo now accounts for 2 per cent of the European market after experiencing 10-fold growth in the first quarter amid countrywide lockdowns imposed to limit the spread of the pandemic, according to the research firm Canalys. The growth spurt saw Oppo jump to fifth spot in the region, behind fourth-place Xiaomi with 14 per cent and second-place Huawei with 21 per cent market.

Global smartphone shipments fell 13 per cent in the first quarter to 272 million units due to the impact of Covid-19, according to Canalys.

Oppo is confident that our industry-leading products and technologies will enable Vodafone to win new opportunities in the 5G era, Oppo vice-president Alen Wu said in the statement.

Oppo, headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong, has previously offered smartphones in the mid to low price range with entertaining marketing strategies targeting young people in the countrys lower-tier cities. The launch of its new flagship Find X2 series of phones earlier this year showed it has ambitions to expand its overseas presence from developing markets in Asia to Europe where smartphone users are more willing to shell out for premium models.

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Oppo said that since September more than half its smartphone shipments have been outside mainland China, and the company expects its proportion of overseas sales will increase with its push into new markets.

However, in their home market Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo have faced stiffer competition after Huawei doubled down on efforts to expand domestic sales to compensate for the impact of the US blacklist that curbed its efforts to woo overseas buyers.

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.

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Where some see crisis, others see opportunity. Some experts have been advocating another method of fighting the coronavirus: Herd immunity. But what is it? And why is it so controversial?

On 29 April, the Centre allowed migrant labourers to return to their home states and issued strict guidelines in terms of social distancing and quarantine rules. The Indian Railways operated the first train ferrying migrants back to their native states on 1 May and Shramik Special trains have since transported 17 lakh labourers home.

Earlier, host states faced the challenges of providing food and shelter for migrant labourers, and of convincing them of the necessity of staying where they were. Now, there is a new fear: of the coronavirus spreading in rural areas that have remained relatively untouched.

Experts have expressed concern about community transmission and a lack of healthcare infrastructure in rural areas even as Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have seen a spurt in cases with the influx of migrant workers.

Dr Kumudini Panigrahi, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology at KIMS, Bhubaneswar, told Firstpost returning migrants would invariably lead to the infection spreading. "Even after quarantining them for 14 days upon arrival, the incubation period of the virus might increase and they might be infected post quarantine. Since it is such a new virus, it's hard to say how it will act at any given point of time," Dr Panigrahi said.

Dr Kiran Dave agreed. The vascular surgeon from Ahmedabad said it was difficult to determine who was infected due to the large number of asymptomatic cases. "Migrants may end up infecting people in their villages, leading to community transmission, which is a big issue due to the lack of any medical facilities and an already burdened healthcare system," Dr Dave said.

Herd immunity

However, where some see crisis, others see opportunity. Some experts have been advocating another method of fighting the coronavirus: Herd immunity. But what is it? And why is it so controversial?

Herd immunity is a scientific concept that states that if a majority of people in a population are exposed to a microbe, the whole group would become develop immunity on their own and hence be immune to the virus, regardless of the presence of some susceptible people. This is because the microbe does not have an easy way to transmit anymore. So, the majority of immune people will, in a way, save the susceptible ones.

The traditional way of establishing herd immunity to a virus is simple: Vaccinating an overwhelming majority of the population. Take measles and polio, where 90 to 95 percent and 80 to 85 percent of the populace respectively had to be vaccinated to establish herd immunity. Polio has been eradicated in India.

And in the absence of a vaccine? Letting 60 to 70 percent of the population contract the infection and let the virus run its course.

'Only way forward'

Some high-profile experts have argued that India has no choice but to establish herd immunity. Jayaprakash Muliyil, chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Institute of Epidemiology has called it the "only way forward."

In an interview with The Wire, Dr Muliyil said the lockdown meant India was not trying to confront the virus, but to "hide from it". Once the lockdown is lifted, the virus, which has not disappeared, will hit us again, Dr Muliyil argued.

Dr Muliyil proposed that India's young population expose themselves to the virus and build up immunity, saying the country's young demographic profile gives it an advantage over the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the UK.

He added that a good guesstimate is that approximately 60 percent of India's youths would have to acquire immunity for herd immunity to be established.

Immunologist and cell biologist Dipyaman Ganguly told News18 with no hopes of vaccine in the near future, herd immunity is one of the only hopes of defeating the coronavirus.

Ganguly, principal scientist and Swarnajayanthi Fellow at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) is currently working on Randomised Control Trial (RCT) using convalescent plasma collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, said,"Since developing a vaccine for COVID-19 is not an easy task and it is unlikely that we will get one soon, the only hope that remains is that of herd immunity and it is bound to happen.

The virus is going infect a large number of populations in India. When a large number of people get infected, their bodies will develop natural immunity. They will stop the virus from spreading further by breaking the chain of infections transmitted from one person to another," he told the channel.

No magic bullet

Of course, such a strategy is rife with risk. The first problem is that, in the absence of a vaccine, herd immunity is by no means a magic bullet. Dr Gyaneshwar Rao, a senior practising surgeon explained, "Herd immunity is a scientific concept, not a goal or a strategy. It is a part of any infective epidemic or pandemic."

He explained that herd immunity is measured with the ease with which a disease spreads (infectious virus or microbes) and is measured using the reproduction number (R0), which is the average number of people who are expected to catch the disease from a single infected person. For COVID-19, R0 is estimated to be around 2 to 3. While the common flu, in comparison, has an R0 of 1.3, while measles has an R0 as high as 18.

Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHOs health emergencies programme, has warned against thinking that countries could "magically" make their populations immune to the coronavirus and to consider the human cost it could entail. We need to be careful while using terms in this way around natural infections in humans because it can lead to a very brutal arithmetic which does not put people, life and suffering at the centre of that equation, Ryan added.

Which brings us to the second problem of putting your chips down on such a strategy. India's fatality rate is currently 3.23 percent compared to the global average of 6.28 percent. Let's be generous and stipulate that the mortality rate falls to 1 percent.

Letting the virus spread far and wide in a country as populous as India, even in a controlled manner (were such a thing possible) before herd immunity could conceivably be established could result in lakhs of deaths. Dr Muliyil, in the interview with The Wire, agreed. Even as he proposed isolating the elderly from the infected, he said such deaths would be "the cost to be paid to keep the rest of India safe" and "the sacrifice" India is asking of its youths so the country could survive.

Speaking to Firstpost, Dr Harsh Toshniwal, an infectious diseases specialist in Ahmedabad, broke down the numbers entailed in employing such a strategy, "Herd immunity isn't just people getting infected and recovering. If 60 to 70 percent of the population get infected, recover, become immune, and then transmit that immunity to the rest 40 to 30 percent indirectly, that is when we can say herd immunity by infection has been achieved. In a country of 130 crore, that would mean around 90 crore people being infected. That is a huge number which our healthcare system is not ready to take on, even if most of these cases are not serious."

He noted that if even 90 crores Indian were infected, about half (45 crores) would be asymptomatic and the rest symptomatic. "Where will we get the beds, the doctors, the nurses, ventilators to treat these sympathetic patients? It would be absolutely devastating to our country. Herd immunity through vaccination is the only method that can work. We cannot afford to infect people. "

Dr Toshniwal also gave an example: "Polio was eradicated by giving vaccines to 80 percent of the children in India, which indirectly provided immune protection to the remaining 20 percent. But herd immunity by infection in India would devastate our healthcare infrastructure."

Sweden all-in, UK backtracks

In Sweden, which is all-in on herd immunity through spreading the virus, colleges and high schools were kept closed, but kindergarten through grade nine open. This strategy has been controversial, with the country's coronavirus death rate per million citizens higher than that of the United States (which is leading the world's coronavirus toll), and its coronavirus toll is considerably higher than its Nordic neighbours, which all enforced stricter lockdown measures, as reported by The Guardian.

Meanwhile, the UK, which initially seemed to be heading in that direction, quickly backtracked and introduced stringent social-distancing measures after new simulations of the outbreak from Imperial College London highlighted how badly hospitals would be overwhelmed by such a strategy and the government realised the number of deaths it would entail.

Comparing India with Sweden and the United States is like comparing apples to oranges, others said.

Dr Om Shrivastava, a consultant with the National Centre for Disease and Control told Firstpost, "The vast majority of people in India do not have the same access to clean water, sanitisation, healthcare facilities. One needs to evaluate these things and account for the amount of exposure an individual has to viruses on a daily basis. Unlike Sweden, where most people have equal access to healthcare, food and water, all Indians do not have the same access and that is a major issue".

Dr Vinit Lal, an interventional cardiologist based in the US, told Firstpost, " Although the US is currently not looking into this strategy but it is waiting for developing nations like India, which has a younger population to see how this works with such a new virus like COVID-19. It's an attractive option, but a rather risky gamble. But that being said, no country in the world is an expert on this virus to tell us if this concept can work."

With a COVID-19 vaccine  the only fool-proof method of keeping everyone safe  being at least 18 months away, and with governments weighing the best way to protect both lives and livelihoods, the debate over herd immunity is only set to grow louder and fiercer.
China has slapped punitive tariffs of more than 80 per cent on barley imports from Australia as upwards of 110 countries backed a push for an international coronavirus inquiry.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham indicated Australia may appeal the imposition of a 73.6 per cent anti-dumping tariff and a 6.9 per cent anti-subsidy tariff introduced on all Australian barley from Tuesday.

Dumping is a process where a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges in its own home market and anti-dumping tariffs are usually put in place to protect domestic producers.

"Australia is deeply disappointed with China's decision to impose duties on Australian barley," Mr Birmingham said in a statement.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham (left) has slammed the decision by China's leader Xi Jinping (right). Source: AAP

"We reject the basis of this decision and will be assessing the details of the findings while we consider the next steps.

"We reserve all rights to appeal this matter further and are confident that Australian farmers are among the most productive in the world, who operate without government subsidy of prices."

China's Ministry of Commerce announced the tariffs late on Monday after completing a 16-month investigation into an anti-dumping complaint.

"The investigating authority has ruled that there was dumping of imported barley from Australia and the domestic industry suffered substantial damage," a statement on the ministry's website said.

The tariffs are a huge blow to Australia's barley trade with China, which is understood to cover about half of all barley exports.

Barley producers are also deeply disappointed by the decision and rejected China's claims of dumping.

Agricultural crops, including barley, are seen in Queensland's Darling Downs. Source: AAP

The tariffs are a huge blow

They warned it would cost the grains industry and rural and regional economies $500 million a year in lost exports.

"The tariffs are a huge blow to Australia's barley trade with China," the Grains Industry Market Access Forum, Australian Grain Exporters Council, GrainGrowers, Grain Producers Australia and Grain Trade Australia said in a joint statement.

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"These tariffs will disrupt and most likely halt exports by artificially increasing the price of Australian barley imported to China until the situation is resolved."

The punitive tariffs come just one week after China imposed a ban on meat imports from four Australian processing plants.

The measures increase suspicions that China is punishing Australia for pushing for an international investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly the source of the outbreak.

On Monday night more than 110 countries co-sponsored an Australian-backed motion for an independent international investigation at the World Health Assembly.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus promised an investigation before the vote went ahead, while President Xi Jinping said his country supported a "comprehensive evaluation of the global response".

"This work needs a scientific and professional attitude and needs to be led by the WHO, and the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld," Mr Xi told the summit.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously described the push for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus as completely unremarkable.

But China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused foreign lawmakers of politicising the pandemic.

Beijing's ambassador in Canberra has also raised the prospect of consumer boycotts of Australian products because of the push for an inquiry.

Farmer Jamie Watts sows barley on his property on the Darling Downs. Source: AAP

Aside from the tensions over coronavirus, Mr Birmingham admitted China had long-standing grievances over Australian tariffs on its steel.

"We have had representations in the past from China in relation to our anti-dumping system," he told the Australian Financial Review.

"Anti-dumping disputes shouldn't be resolved by scorecard though. They should be resolved on the merits of each individual argument."

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.
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha sat on a dharna at the Rajghat here on Monday, demanding that the armed forces be deployed to help migrant workers reach their homes.

Sinha was joined by AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey who demanded proper arrangements for moving stranded migrant workers back to their states.

They were, however, picked up Delhi Police later in the evening and taken to a nearby police station.

"We have just been arrested by the Delhi Police," Sinha tweeted.

There was no immediate comment from the police.

Sinha, a former BJP leader and a trenchant critic of the Narendra Modi government, said civilian authorities, be it central or state dispensations, have "failed" migrant workers who have been compelled to walk on roads, with some even dying in the process.

"Our simple demand is that the responsibility be given to the armed forces and paramilitary forces that they should, with all resources at their command and with whatever civilian resources they can commandeer, send these migrant workers to their homes with dignity," he said.

Before being taken into custody by the police, Sinha said he will continue with his dharma until his demands are met. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP just cares about the rich and it has left the poor to fend for themselves.

"The government has no strategy because it has no will to help the migrants. The BJP is an anti-poor government. You can call people from abroad but not help the migrants walking on the streets. The ongoing crisis has proved that," he said.

AAP MLA Dilip Pandey said the government should show some sensitivity towards the migrants.

"The government has capacity to run 20,000 trains daily and ferry 2.3 crore people daily across the country. It should use this capacity to help people," he said.

AAP leaders later protested against the police decision to break up their dharna and detain them.

Sanjay Singh asked if it is a crime to protest for the rights of migrants. The politicians who spread hatred are not arrested by police but those who fight for the rights of poor migrants are taken into custody, Pandey said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Its hard to imagine an act more deserving of punitive damages, and we are deeply gratified that the Supreme Court has validated the right of our clients to receive this measure of compensation, Matthew D. McGill, a lawyer for the Kenya victims, said in a statement. We are hopeful that this soon will lead Sudan to reach a just and equitable resolution with its victims.
Parts of evidence from Amber Heards former personal assistant will be aired at the trial of her ex-husband Johnny Depps libel claim against The Sun newspaper.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star is suing the tabloids publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that referred to the 56-year-old as a wife-beater.

The article related to allegations made against Mr Depp by actress Ms Heard, 34, that he was violent towards her during their marriage  which he strenuously denies.

Expand Close Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, who said he was never violent towards her (Ian West/PA) PA / Facebook

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During a High Court hearing last week, Mr Depps lawyers asked for the evidence of four additional witnesses  the actors former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, mechanic David Killackey and Ms Heards former personal assistant Kate James  to be included in his case against the publisher.

In a High Court ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Nicol gave consent for the statements of Ms Paradis and Ms Ryder to be included  which NGN lawyers had previously agreed to.

However, the judge said Mr Killackeys evidence would be excluded, and only parts of Ms Jamess evidence could be admitted.

The judge ruled that Ms Jamess evidence relating to Ms Heards consumption of red wine, her impression of Mr Depp, and an allegation that Ms Heard provided altered vaccination certificates for the couples pet dogs, could form part of Mr Depps case.

He also allowed a claim by Ms James that Ms Heard asked her to help draft a letter to US Homeland Security in 2014, which falsely claimed one of Ms Heards employees was just a friend, which meant she would not fall foul of regulations.

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However, he excluded other parts of Ms Jamess witness statement, including evidence relating to Ms Heards alleged drug taking, the redesign of the actresss apartment and her clothing style  saying they were irrelevant.

The judge also said he will determine during the trial whether Ms Jamess evidence relating to what was referred to in court as the Australia dogs episode, will be allowed to form part of Mr Depps case.

In 2014, Ms Heard and Mr Depp recorded a now infamous video apologising for bringing their Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo into Australia illegally.

Ms Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying an immigration document to conceal the dogs in a private jet in 2014 and avoided jail under a deal that included appearing in the video warning others against breaking Australias strict quarantine laws.

At last weeks hearing, lawyers for Mr Depp said evidence from Ms Paradis, who has two children with the star, and actress Winona Ryder, with whom he had a relationship in the 1990s, should form part of his case against the publisher.

David Sherborne, representing Mr Depp, said in court documents that his relationship with Ms Paradis ended in 2012, shortly before he and Ms Heard were together and when he is first alleged to have been violent.

In her statement, Ms Paradis said: I have known Johnny for more than 25 years.

Weve been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together.

Through all these years Ive known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous, and non-violent person and father.

She added: He was never violent or abusive to me.

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Whatsapp Winona Ryder said Johnny Depp was never violent, never abusive towards her (Yui Mok/PA)

In her statement, Ms Ryder said: I cannot wrap my head around (Ms Heards) accusations.

He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me.

Mr Sherborne said Mr Killackeys witness statement referred to an incident after Ms Heard asked for her car to be released without payment, which Mr Killackey refused.

Mr Killackey claimed Ms Heard had said: Johnny isnt paying my rent, he isnt paying my bills, f*** him, f*** you, Mr Sherborne said.

Mr Sherborne said Ms James, who worked for Ms Heard during the early years of her relationship with Mr Depp, claims Ms Heard asked her to lie about the Australia dogs episode.

Sasha Wass QC, representing NGN and Mr Wootton, argued during last weeks hearing that the evidence of Mr Killackey and Ms James was largely tangential, describing Ms James as a disaffected ex-employee who was giving contentious and malicious evidence.

A two-week trial was due to start in London on March 23 at which the actor, Ms Heard and a number of Hollywood figures would have had to give evidence, but it was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The trial is now set to take place at the Royal Courts of Justice over three weeks from July 7, with strict social distancing measures in place.

Expand Close Amber Heard and Johnny Depp attending the premiere of Black Mass during the 59th BFI London Film Festival in 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Amber Heard and Johnny Depp attending the premiere of Black Mass during the 59th BFI London Film Festival in 2015 (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Mr Sherborne said Mr Depp intends to travel from his home in France to London to give evidence, while Ms Heard will be able to travel from California but will have to observe a 14-day quarantine if current restrictions remain in place.

The libel claim against NGN and Mr Wootton arises out of publication of an article in The Sun in April 2018, under the headline: Gone Potty  How can JK Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?

Mr Depp has brought separate libel proceedings against Ms Heard in the US, which the court has previously heard are ongoing.

The pair met on the set of 2011 comedy The Rum Diary and married in Los Angeles in February 2015.

In May 2016, Ms Heard obtained a restraining order against Mr Depp after accusing him of abuse, which he denied.

The couple settled their divorce out of court in 2017, with Ms Heard donating her seven million US dollars (5.5 million) settlement to charity.

A spokeswoman for Ms Heard said: As the judgment today shows, Mr Depps team has been attempting to introduce irrelevant evidence.

This is one of the defining characteristics of their strategy  to adduce irrelevant evidence designed to smear Ms Heard and distract from the facts so that people do not focus on Mr Depps behaviour.

Adam Waldman, Mr Depps US lawyer, who is instructed in the libel proceedings, said in a statement: The Sun attempted to exclude the truth.

But in a case about Amber Heards lies and frauds to get what she wants, we are delighted that we will be able to show Amber Heards history of lies and frauds to get what she wants.
American Journalists Based in Hong Kong

Press Statement

Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

May 17, 2020



It has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong. These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world. Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory.

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New Delhi, May 18 : A Delhi court on Monday extended the judicial custody of disgraced Jammu & Kashmir Police officer Davinder Singh for another month.

Singh was nabbed while ferrying two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, earlier this year.

He is currently lodged in Hira Nagar Jail in J&K and was produced before Special judge M K Nagpal through video conferencing after which the court extended his custody till June 16.

Besides Davinder Singh, three other accused -- Javed Iqbal, Syed Naveed Mushtaq and Imran Shafi Mir were also produced before the court through video conferencing, pursuant to which their custody was also extended till June 16.

Delhi Police's Special Cell had brought Davinder Singh from Hira Nagar Jail to the national capital in March for interrogation in another case.

Police had earlier told the court that Mushtaq, who is the Shopian district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, along with other militants, were planning to execute a terror attack in Delhi and other parts of the country and targeted killings of protected persons.

In connection with this, the Delhi Police had filed an FIR which stated that youths in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab are being trained for carrying out terrorist activities.

Davinder Singh was taken in custody under this FIR and was also interrogated regarding the Khalistan angle.
As countries globally grapple with the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic fallout, Malaysia faces an additional threat  the fragility of its current government. That's a "triple-whammy crisis" for the Southeast Asian country at a time when businesses and households have been hit by months of lockdown to combat the pandemic, said Tricia Yeoh, a fellow at Malaysian think tank Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs. "At the moment we know that the coalition that governs the federal government is operating at a very, very thin, fragile ... majority," Yeoh told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Monday. "As long as the current government doesn't table any motion (in parliament), it is secured  but the question of political stability will continue to haunt the current government and has, of course, tremendous economic impact."

Malaysia flag seen on the top of Palace of Justice building's dome. Faris Hadziq | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images

The country's parliament sat for the first time this year on Monday. The session was supposed to debate motions that include additional government spending in economic stimulus packages to cushion the impact of the coronavirus, as well as a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin was sworn in as prime minister in March after his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad's sudden resignation sparked a week-long tussle for the top job between the two main political factions in Malaysia. The no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin was sought by Mahathir. But Muhyiddin, citing the coronavirus pandemic, decided to convene parliament on Monday only for an address by the king.

Time is running out
Fifth annual Proof CanTrust Index reveals make or break trust moment for Canadian leaders

TORONTO, April 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Canada's trust story is in many ways stable and strong. However, the 2020 Proof CanTrust Index , one of the largest and deepest studies of trust in Canada, suggests there is significant room for improvement, especially when it comes to trust in our leaders. As Canadians navigate the COVID-19 crisis, surrounded by major disruption and uncertainty, conditions will amplify both the positive and the negative aspects of leadership in this country.

"Trust is more critical now than ever. Actions taken throughout the COVID-19 crisis and recovery will not only impact an organization's reputation, but also its long-term survival," said Proof CEO, Bruce MacLellan. "Canada's COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan must include building trust. What Canadian leaders do now will either build or break trust."

In Canada We Trust

Canadians have a high propensity to trust and hold very distinctive values that inform our own evaluation of trust in others. Our citizens identify very highly as Canadian and share a sense of belonging to Canada. Our research found that the stronger the sense of belonging and identification as "Canadian", the greater the willingness to trust.

However, considering our high propensity to trust and strong feeling of Canadian identity, it is concerning that trust remains low in many areas. Our overall trust index this year hovers at 38 per cent (39 per cent in 2019 and down from 45 per cent when we began this study five years ago). The trust index increases among those with a higher disposition to trust (up to 55 per cent). Those under 50 years of age are least trusting of Canadian institutions on an aggregate level. Younger Canadians exhibit a lower disposition to trust than older Canadians and have lower trust scores in many areas of our research.

C-suite Get a C Grade

An important area of concern, especially now, is low trust in our leaders. The overall trust level of Canadians in CEOs has fallen from 55 per cent in 2018 to 38 per cent in 2020. Employees give their employer a C grade in efforts to build trust internally. The further employees are from the C-suite, the lower they grade their employer. Moreover, when Canadians were asked who they trust as sources of reliable information, business executives were trusted by only 28 per cent.

Although senior leaders must always remember to walk-the-talk, employees are generally more inclined to trust their direct manager. Earn the trust of your middle managers and then empower them to build the trust capacity of an organization.

"How leaders and businesses behave now and into the future will have an important impact on shaping trust levels of young and middle-aged people," said Proof EVP, Vanessa Eaton. "The evidence is clear, teams with a higher degree of trust in their leadership are more agile and better able to navigate uncertainty. Senior leaders need to better understand trust and how to build it."

Trust in Essential Services is Relatively Strong

Trust levels remain strong in services important during this pandemic, namely hospitals at 66 per cent, grocery stores at 58 per cent, our healthcare system at 57 per cent and banks at 48 per cent. Over five years, we see that Canadians place enduring trust in their public services and institutions. Trust in the RCMP, for example, is at 61 per cent, trust in our healthcare system is at 57 per cent, and the education system at 55 per cent.

Another distinctly Canadian feature of trust is the number of newcomers arriving with relatively higher baseline levels of trust, serving to raise the national average.

We Trust Science, and Our Media Trust is Climbing

As sources of reliable information, Canadians trust medical doctors (76 per cent) and scientists (70 percent) more than all other sources except their own friends and family (78 per cent). In contrast, politicians in general are trusted by only 12 per cent. It's telling why Canadian politicians of all parties are so closely aligned with their medical advisors, unlike some politicians in the United States.

Trust in the news media is proving resilient, and up slightly to 44 per cent in 2020 over 40 per cent in 2019. This trust may grow further as people rely on the media during the COVID-19 crisis. Over half of all Canadians say they trust the institution of Canada's free & independent press.

"In times of crisis, we need our news media and educated sources of information to be trustworthy and to communicate in a reliable and credible way," added MacLellan. "This increase is promising."

At the low end, bloggers, influencers and celebrity endorsers see the lowest trust, however the influence of these groups can't be discounted. Trust varies greatly with age, almost doubling among those 25 and under.

About Proof Inc.

For leaders responsible for managing, protecting and building organizations and brands, Proof is a public relations and communications partner that "asks better questions" to create insight, grow trust and achieve success. Founded in 1994 and now with close to 300 awards for client work and industry leadership, the independently owned Proof family of companies (Proof Inc., Proof Experiences Inc., Proof Strategies, Inc.) have more than 200 team members in offices in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Washington, DC. Proof collaborates with independently owned WE Communications, reaching more than 100 additional international markets. Follow Proof Inc. at getproof.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @get_proof.

About the Proof CanTrust Index

Now in its fifth year, the Proof CanTrust Index is a leading source of research and understanding of trust in Canada. We study and analyze topics, events and population segments unique to Canada  Quebec residents, newcomers to Canada, seniors, political party supporters and where people reside. For 2020, we surveyed 1,500 Canadians in January (17-27) as COVID-19 began to sweep around the world. The sample is representative of Canadian population statistics by region, age and gender and has a confidence interval of +/- 2.5 percentage points. For more information, visit CanTrustIndex.ca .

SOURCE Proof Inc.

For further information: Harry Godfrey, 416-737-8751, [email protected]m

Related Links

www.getproof.com


Well-known developer and businessman Greg Kavanagh and his brother Hugh have settled their legal dispute which brought them all the way to the High Court.

Mr Justice Senan Allen in the Four Courts today was told the case had been settled and resolved in its entirety to the mutual satisfaction of both sides.

The case had come before the High Court last week over what was claimed was the removal of Hugh Kavanagh as a director of 19 companies.

Rossa Fanning SC, for Bernard Kavanagh, otherwise known as Hugh Kavanagh, told the court on that occasion it was an "unfortunate" and urgent commercial dispute.

Relations between the brothers had deteriorated in recent times, the court heard.

In broad terms, Greg Kavanagh was seen as the "front of house" of the business while Hugh Kavanagh had a hands-on role in terms of actual building work and development activity, Mr Fanning said.

Hugh Kavanagh estimated the net value of Structured Marshalled Investments Ltd (SMIL), the main holding company for the business, was 35m, the court heard.

The High Court had given counsel leave to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendants. The proceedings were by Hugh Kavanagh and Simlur Ltd, a company of which Hugh Kavanagh is owner and sole director, against Greg Kavanagh and 20 companies, including SMIL, New Generation Homes Ltd and Isotonic Hotel Ltd.

Hugh Kavanagh claimed he had been removed as a director of 19 of the 20 defendant companies but had not been removed as a director of one defendant firm, Bezzu Corporation Ltd.

In court documents, he said he had operated a property and construction business with Greg, his younger brother, for 17 years and they had worked closely together to build up a very successful business.

Up until about six weeks ago, they had had a very close personal relationship as brothers, each were best man at the other's wedding and Greg was godfather to two of his three children, Mr Kavanagh said.

One investor in some of the projects "described us as being like Siamese twins", he said.

He said important decisions were made jointly and it was always agreed they owned the business equally.

He said this was formalised in 2018 when 50% of the shares in SMIL, the main holding company for the business, were transferred to his holding company, Simlur.

In recent months, his relationship with Greg had deteriorated, he claimed, and his brother, he asserted, had allegedly purported to remove him as director of 19 of the companies.

In court today, Mr Fanning for Hugh Kavanagh told Mr Justice Allen the matter had been resolved in its entirety to the mutual satisfaction of both parties and a settlement agreement had been concluded.

Counsel said it was also agreed the agreement, which was handed in to court, be made a rule of court.
Alejandro Fox, an amputee in Playa del Carmen on Mexicos Yucatan peninsula, has prepared meals every day for the last 14 years with his wife to sell to workers and tourists on one of the citys main streets.

Each morning Fox, 64, rises at 6 a.m. and spends the next 15 hours cooking and selling his homemade meals of carne asada, beef barbacoa, and chicken moles with salsa and salads.

Since early April, that street has been closed, his customer base gone, and Fox has been left to deliver between five and six meals a day, earning about $20 in total, to whatever remaining clients he can find.

The impact of this pandemic has been very difficult, Fox said. They have closed everything  all the established businesses, craft shops, places where they sell snorkeling, tours  everything has died.

The COVID-19 virus has been devastating worldwide, but while in the U.S. a significant portion of the population has been able to telework or receive some government assistance, Mexicos large informal economy has meant little or no safety nets. In Mexico, about 56 percent of the population is either self-employed or works for small family businesses that are out of the formal tax system  a status known as the informal sector.

Many of these jobs provide workers with a day-by-day income, with little or no savings, no unemployment compensation or health benefits, and no backup for the kind of self-isolation measures that have been recommended by Mexicos federal government and made mandatory by several states, including Quintana Roo, where Playa del Carmen is located.

The current situation is horrible for the informal economy, because there is no tolerance for the way these businesses operate: everything you do requires hand-to-hand distribution, close quarters, face-to-face, said Harry Jones, a human resources attorney who specializes in Mexican labor issues.

Mexico reported 42,595 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,477 deaths as of May 14, although the Health Ministry has stated that testing is only done for those who have symptoms serious enough to warrant hospitalization. The ministry had previously estimated about eight undetected COVID-19 cases for each confirmed one, based on international guidelines.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors administration has been criticized for its low level of economic aid to help businesses like that of Fox, which supports him and 11 family members in his household.

While the U.S. has spent nearly 15 percent of its annual GDP to boost the economy by helping those hit hard by the virus, Mexicos spending has been less than 2 percent of its GDP. There have been no cash payouts to small businesses or families.

In Mexico, we have not developed the means for transferring funds to informal sector workers in this crisis, said Santiago Levy, a former Finance Ministry official and expert on poverty on Mexico, in a recent webinar on the crisis in Mexico. In Brazil, in Peru, they are making these kinds of transfers. As a result, in Mexico the isolation cannot be as strict as it is in other countries.

Lopez Obrador has publicly stated his resistance to Mexico taking on debt because of the virus and there has been no significant intervention for its businesses, whether formal or informal.

What you really need in Mexico is a fiscal stimulus, said Manuel Molano, the director of the Institute of Mexican Competitiveness. In the U.S., if you are a small business and you are in trouble because of the pandemic, you will get a soft loan, and that loan might be subsidized. We dont have anything similar.

The only available assistance to these small businesses from the federal government is coming in the form of a $25,000 peso loan (about $1,000), with 6 percent interest and repayment to begin in three months.

I dont know anyone who has gotten a loan, said Arturo Buenrostro, an artisan in San Miguel de Allende, whose recycled materials shop was forced to close, and has left him struggling to pay his 15 employees. All the loans are with papers, you need to show papers. You need to show ID and home information and telephone information. And you need to show that you are paying taxes.

Mexican economists say that this kind of loan program falls short of the kind of assistance the most vulnerable informal sector businesses would need to survive.

The lack of government intervention for these businesses is inexplicable, said Beatriz Leycegui, a former trade ministry official. It is impossible for these micro-businesses to be able to address the situation by themselves. The amount of cash flows that they have only allows them to survive a couple of weeks, at the most six weeks. Companies are shutting down.

And it is expected to leverage a heavy blow to the Mexican economy, which is expected to contract 6 to 8 percent this year, as informal and formal businesses fold.

Government authorities are providing some food aid, making deliveries of beans, rice and other staples to impacted communities. Yet the combination of no financial assistance and a large population that lives at the economic margin has meant that Mexican health officials are already predicting that there will be a second wave of Covid-19 infections when the restrictions will begin to be lifted in June.

Organizations are trying to fill the gap as well, with food deliveries to vulnerable populations. For example, a loosely-organized group of artists and artisans in San Miguel de Allende have raffled off a guitar to raise money for food donations.

Mariana Luz Amador, a flower and garland seller in San Miguel de Allende who was forced to close her stand, is one such recipient.

Im starting to cry, just thinking about it, she said in the video that asks for contributions. We just have to wait until this thing is over.

But for most Mexicans in need, their most reliable source of help will be other family members, both locally and overseas.

The family is saving the country, Buenrostro said. A lot of money is coming from outside to help family members, mothers, sisters. There are lines of at least a hundred people at the bank, every time I go there, waiting to get a number at the bank to collect their money transfer.

And in places like Playa del Carmen, the local government has started offering free long-distance bus trips to help unemployed cooks and waiters and hotel workers get back to their home villages, where their overhead costs are lower.

The people with lower salaries, they all had to return to their families, said Daniela Nieto Preciado, a human resources manager for a local tourism company in Playa del Carmen, who said her company laid off about 450 of its 500 employees as a result of the health crisis. A lot of people from the Yucatan are from small villages, where people can live from their cattle and ranches.
Mike Pompeos Strange Trip to Israel

Commentary

Even before Israels new government was sworn in, and despite all the other challenges facing the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a lightning-fast trip to Israel, primarily to warn Israel about China.

His visit was seen in Israel primarily as a political mission, and while ostensibly the visit fits into the renewed U.S. pressure on relations with China, there are many questions surrounding the trip that have appeared to perplex Israeli leaders.

While Israels ties to China have long been controversial, Americas other allies, and the United States itself, have fueled Chinas remarkable growth in technology and provided China with state-of-the-art weapons.

Pompeos visit had, as its backdrop, a paper prepared by the Rand Corp. under contract to the Pentagons Office of the Secretary of Defense. The paper, called Chinese Investment in Israeli Technology and Infrastructure reviews Chinas effort to acquire Israeli technology and to position itself in Israels critical infrastructure, including ports, railroads, and water supply systems.

Its quite legitimate for the U.S. government to be concerned about Chinas influence in Israel, especially since China is emerging as Americas No. 1 global competitor and also as the top potential adversary.

Worry in the United States is primarily aimed at Chinas growing military pressure in the Eastern Pacific and in the South China Sea, which sits astride what are regarded as vital sea lines of communication. But Israels activities, no matter what they are in technology or infrastructure, have little or nothing to do with the main challenge to Americas position in Asia.

Selling Tech to China

A peculiarity of the Rand study is that its openly published and not classified. Americas European allies have been selling highly sensitive military and civilian technology to China. While the United States has occasionally advised the Europeans on the subject, it has, in contrast with the Rand studys discussion of the Israeli case, said nothing in public.

Among other items, Germany has supplied most of the engines for Chinas growing navy, including MTU 396 SE84 series quiet engines for Chinas latest submarines, Type 039 Yuan class. The Type 039s are also equipped with air independent propulsion that most likely also came from Germany, giving the submarines a level of performance and quietness thats probably equal to nuclear submarines of similar size.

The Yuan class is a growing challenge to U.S. Naval operations in the sensitive South China Sea, Taiwan, and Miyako Straits, because their extreme quietness permits China to approach U.S. fleet operations in the area, and represents a significant threat.

France has supplied helicopter design and manufacturing that has gone into Chinas military helicopter fleet in the form of the Airbus EC-175 helicopter, as well as others, including Britain, which supplied smooth-bore weapon technology. Even Ukraine sold China its T-10K-3 jet fighter (a clone of the Russian Su-33 prototype) now called the Shenyang J-15 and in use on Chinas new aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong.

Similarly, the United States Asian friends and alliesKorea, Japan, Taiwan, and Singaporehave engaged in significant cooperative technology ventures with China, many of which have military and intelligence significance. Yet again, the United States hasnt made any public complaints.

Nor has the United States been honest about the massive transfer of technology from its own industries, laboratories, and universities to China, in such sensitive fields as supercomputers, robotics, battery technology, and nanotechnology, including advanced coating materials. Indeed, the United States even allowed its rare earth mining and refining industry to be decimated by China, leaving U.S. industry and its military vulnerable to Chinese manipulation or coercion.

Israels Challenges

Israel, for its part, is facing some challenges of its own. One of them is pressure from the European Union on the Palestinian issue that could, at least potentially, harm Israels economy, which depends heavily on exports of agricultural and manufactured products to Europe.

Theres also a major divide between Europe and the United States over Iran, which Israel sees as its primary strategic threat. Europe on the other hand, led by the Germans, sees Iran as an important market for its industrial wares. It isnt especially interested in Irans geopolitical ambitions, just as Europe has no special interest in Chinas growing interest in expansion in the Pacific, and so long as it doesnt hurt business for European industries.

Its likely Israel will make some accommodation to the United States, although it will be done with some difficulty and with considerable internal opposition from Israeli industry and especially from the highly successful Israel high technology sector. Israels high technology sector is highly entrepreneurial and accounts to a large degree for Israels economic success and for its ability to rapidly develop new armaments to defend the country.

Israels new government will almost certainly face an internal struggle, and in a coalition government, it wont be easy to arrive at any consensus that will please the United States.

Meanwhile, the United States must exercise care, as Pompeo understands. Israel is the main bulwark in the Middle East against both a rising and dangerous Iran and a rogue Turkish regime that may not stay in the NATO alliance.

The Trump administration, which wants to reduce its costly and unproductive deployment of U.S. soldiers to places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, even to the Gulf states, depends on Israel to fill the gap. The administration will have to balance its fight with China with its needs in the Middle East and Persian Gulf.

Stephen Bryen, Ph.D., is regarded as a thought leader on technology security policy, twice awarded the Defense Departments highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. His most recent book is Technology Security and National Power: Winners and Losers.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
FILE PHOTO: George Washington is seen with printed medical mask on the one Dollar banknotes in this illustration taken

By Howard Schneider

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unemployment checks are flowing, $490 billion has been shipped to small businesses, and the U.S. Federal Reserve has put about $2.5 trillion and counting behind domestic and global markets.

Fears of overwhelmed hospitals and millions of U.S. deaths from the new coronavirus have diminished, if not disappeared.

Yet two months into the United States' fight against the most severe pandemic to arise in the age of globalization, neither the health nor the economic war has been won. Many analysts fear the country has at best fought back worst-case outcomes.

For every community where case loads are declining, other hotspots arise and fester; for states like Wisconsin where bars are open and crowded, there are others such as Maryland that remain under strict limits.

There is no universal, uniform testing plan to reveal what is happening to public health in any of those communities.

Between 1,000 and 2,000 people a day continue to die from the COVID-19 disease in the United States, and between 20,000 and 25,000 are identified as infected.

If there is consensus on any point, it is that the struggle toward normal social and economic life will take much more time, effort and money than at first thought. The risks of a years-long economic Depression have risen; fact-driven officials have become increasingly sober in their outlook; and the coming weeks and coming set of choices have emerged as critical to the future.

Faced with two distinct paths - a cavalier acceptance of the mass deaths that would be needed for "herd immunity" or the truly strict lockdown needed to extinguish the virus - "we are not on either route," Harvard University economist James Stock, among the first to model the health and economic tradeoffs the country faces, said last week.

That means no clear end in sight to the economic and health pain.

"I am really concerned we are just going to hang out. We will have reopened across the board, not in a smart way ... and we will have months and months of 15% or 20% unemployment," Stock said. "It is hard to state how damaging that will be."

Story continues

TAKING STOCK

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Fed chair Jerome Powell will appear via a remote internet feed before the Senate Banking committee on Tuesday to provide the first quarterly update on implementation of the CARES Act, which along with a follow up bill formed the signature $2.9 trillion legislative response to the pandemic.

Graphic: Americas pandemic safety net https://reut.rs/3g04qTO

They will likely face detailed questions about their efforts after a rocky few months. The Paycheck Protection Program in particular was originally overwhelmed with applicants and criticized for hundreds of loans doled out to publicly traded companies.

Yet, now two months in, a replenished program still has $120 billion in funding available - money on the table that analysts at TD Securities suggest people have refused to pick up because of confusion about the terms.

The hearing is also likely to be a platform for Democrats to coax Mnuchin and Powell toward acknowledging that more must be done - Powell said so directly in an appearance last week - and for Republicans arguing against quick new action.

DEATH PROJECTIONS DOWN, TESTING UP

The lockdowns and money have had an impact on the disease's spread, as the postponement of sporting events and other mass gatherings, and restaurant and store closings curbed the spread of a virus that some early estimates saw killing as many as 2 million Americans.

Deaths as of Saturday stood at around 87,000 and are expected to pass 135,000 by early August.

Graphic: Tracking the novel coronavirus in the U.S. https://reut.rs/2WDHS3C

After federal government missteps and delays, testing has ramped up to 1.5 to 2 million tests a day, still less than half what health experts say the country needs. (Graphic https://reut.rs/2LIoDPT)

Strict lockdowns slowed the rate of infection in the hardest-hit areas, "flattening the curve" so hospitals could retrain nurses, cobble together donations of personal protective equipment such masks, gloves and gowns, and were spared from the direst predictions about intensive care shortages.

However, the fight against the coronavirus may still be in its initial stages in more than a dozen U.S. states, where case numbers continue to rise.

Graphic: Where U.S. coronavirus cases are on the rise https://reut.rs/2ZbEWwC

And community agencies are noting increases in cases of domestic violence and suicide attempts after weeks of home confinement.

TRILLIONS MORE SPENDING AHEAD?

At its passage in late March the CARES Act was regarded as a major and perhaps sufficient prop to get the U.S. economy through a dilemma.

Fighting the spread of the virus came with a massive economic hit as stores closed, transportation networks scaled back, and tens of millions of people lost jobs or revenue at their businesses. (See a graphic https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/bdwpkeakpmn/index.html of the economic fallout.)

Facing a decline not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the main goal of the bill was to replace that lost income with checks to individuals and loans to small businesses that are designed to be forgiven.

JPMorgan economist Michael Feroli estimated recently that the loans and transfer payments under the act turned what would have been an annualized blow to income of nearly 60% from April through June into an annualized decline of 15% - sharp, but far more manageable.

GDP in the second quarter, however, will drop 40% on an annualized basis. The budget deficit this fiscal year is expected to nearly quadruple to $3.7 trillion.

Some of the deadlines in the CARES Act are approaching. The small business loans were meant to cover eight weeks of payroll, a period that has already lapsed for companies that closed in mid-March, when President Trump issued a national emergency declaration. The enhanced $600 per week unemployment benefit expires at the end of July.

The House on Friday passed a new $3 trillion CARES Act to replenish some funding, but it is unclear whether the Republican-led Senate will take it up.

Weeks after a V-shaped economic recovery was predicted in March, most economists and health officials have a darker message.

"It is quite possible this thing will stay at how ever many deaths it is a day indefinitely, just wobbling up and down a little bit as epidemics move to different places around the country," said economist and Princeton University professor Angus Deaton.

"The sort of social distancing we are prepared to put up with is not going to do very much."

(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Heather Timmons and Daniel Wallis)
PHILADELPHIA, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge has ruled that the parents of Bucks County mass killer Cosmo DiNardo can be held legally responsible under Pennsylvania law for the deadly actions of their mentally ill and pathologically violent son according to Carin A. O'Donnell, attorney from the firm of Stark & Stark, who represents the family of 19-year-old shooting victim, Jimi T. Patrick. The recent ruling was in response to a request by lawyers for DiNardo's parents to dismiss the parental-liability claim in the pending lawsuit (Patrick et al. v. DiNardo et al. No. 180-30000-44) filed against them.

Judge Shelly Robins-New, in her recent order upheld the position of plaintiff's attorney Carin A. O'Donnell, that Antonio and Sandra DiNardo, Cosmo's parents, can and should face filed civil claims that they failed in their lawful duty to protect others from possible harm at the hands of their violent, mentally ill son. Ms. O'Donnell argued in court filings that the parents' responsibility was uniquely substantiated because of Cosmo DiNardo's access to firearms and his documented history of disruptive and violent behavior. According to court documents, his violent conduct was not only well known to his parents, but was at times directed at them.

"We are pleased that the court has sustained the parental-liability claim in our complaint, which also includes claims of wrongful death and negligence, and look forward to rightfully pursuing this case  and the companion cases brought on behalf of the other three victims - being tried before a jury," said Ms. O'Donnell. "As argued in our pleadings, we assert that the DiNardo parents failed to keep guns, including the rifle used to murder Jimi Patrick, away from their son despite his extensive history of violent behavior, hospitalization for his mental illness, and his widely known affection for firearms; which meant he posed an undeniable danger to others." The civil lawsuits against the DiNardos and their affiliated businesses were filed in 2018 following the brutal July 2017 Bucks County murders of Jimi Patrick, Dean Finocchiaro, Thomas Meo, and Mark Sturgis by DiNardo and his accomplice.

SOURCE Stark & Stark Law Firm
Did you ever imagine you could shop for cosmetics on a vending machine? Well, the future of make-up is here with Twenty Beauty, a revolutionary make up brand launched by two sisters, Jyotsna and Santhoshi Reddy. Jyotsna is a beauty hoarder turned beauty-preneur whose dream is to create a Gen Z make-up brand designed to look good on every skin type. Santhoshi is beauty connoisseur turned beauty-preneur , who co-founded Twenty Beauty along with her sister.

At a time, when twenty somethings in India can easily access their choice of makeup online and the e-commerce websites have overtaken physical stores significantly, Twenty Beauty is attempting to shift the trend back to physical purchase of beauty products. This is being done by introducing vending machines, selling merchandise cosmetics. No wonder beauty hoarders are going bonkers at the announcement.

The company plans to install these  vending machines at airports, metro stations, and shopping malls. Some of the highlights of using these vending machines would be 

1.Saving time spent hovering at counters

2.Being able to buy everything ranging from lipsticks to highlighters.

3.Any time buying of makeup made possible.

Together, the two aspiring sisters have invested their passion for beauty and aesthetics into building a brand for themselves and for all the make up enthusiasts in the country.

Speaking about the concept behind Twenty Beauty, Jyotsna says, Twenty Beauty is a uniquely conceptualized business adhering to beauty trends of the current generation. Their website, twentybeauty.in, gives a glimpse into what led the two sisters to devise this ingenuous make up brand.

It was a dream for Twenty Beauty co-founder Jyotsna to curate a skin-perfect makeup, which would make any young woman feel good in her own skin. She is a certified chemist who walked the extra mile to assure the right formulation of pigments and active ingredients, which work wonders on all types of skin dynamics. She spent four years searching all around the world, procuring enriching beauty ingredients, to meet the standards of international beauty brands. Her sister, Santhoshi, co-founder of Twenty Beauty, depicts her commitment to the business idea with the fact that she owns 2,150 sq ft vanity room, full of hundreds of makeup products, which range from drug store to high-end cosmetic brands.

The Reddy sisters consider makeup as a tool of confidence, culture and inclusivity. And it is this thought that they are prepared to propagate through their path-breaking vending machines.

Disclaimer: This is a company press release. No HT journalist is involved in creation of this content.
African Union flag



The following is a statement of the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil on the occasion of the International Nurses Day, May 12.  ED.



Today, the African Union (AU) Commission joins the world to commemorate International Nurses Day in support of the invaluable contribution of nurses to the prosperity of health care delivery systems across the globe. At the onset, the commission pays respect and tribute to all the nursing staff who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their care, value and dedication will be honored through generations.



In addition, the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, so in addition to the commemoration, we are also joining the international community to advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce.



Nursing has been a profession with a powerful sense of public service for over 150 years. Over the years, nurses have served the community as providers and collaborators within the primary health care framework. They have also strongly taken up an advocacy role by reaching out to communities for health promotion and calling on decision makers to formulate better health policies. Today, they remain the most vital workforces in healthcare, playing a crucial role in disease prevention, treatment and care. The commission calls on AU member states to ensure that all nurses and midwives operate in an environment where they are safe from harm, respected by medical colleagues and community members, have access to a functioning health-care service, and where their work is integrated with other health-care professionals.



Nurses will play an even greater role in delivering quality and timely health care services if they are empowered for leadership. Health systems are challenged now more than ever by COVID-19, and an increase in deadly, lifestyle diseases. There is a great need for nurses who are analytic, critical thinkers and problem solvers to enter the industry. This calls for healthcare specialists who can exude both leadership and innovation. Globally, clinical leadership and engagement is recognized as a fundamental driver for better patient outcomes. The commission calls for Africa's governments to entrust nurses with leadership positions in the global health sector. In addition, we applaud all the nurses going above and beyond the call of duty to help each other with heavy workloads and save lives as the world battles coronavirus.



The capacity of human resources for health in terms of magnitude and quality has been recognized as a beneficial constituent of strengthening healthcare systems. The World Health Organization estimates that nurses and midwives represent nearly one-half of the total number of health workers around the world.



However, for all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal Three: Health and well-being for all, the world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives by 2030.



These additional jobs represent opportunity for investment in health workers. The International Council for Nurses estimates that the shortage of more than 600,000 nurses in Sub-Sahara Africa needs to be vigorously attended to in order to meet the targets of AU Agenda 2063 and Africa Health Strategy.



Improving the knowledge and skills of the existing nursing and midwifery workforce in Africa is thus a matter of urgency, if the shortage in human resource is to improve. The commission encourages AU member states to harness partnerships between universities in Africa to develop programs that enrich the expertise of nursing and midwifery workforce.



Moreover, countries should monitor and evaluate the quality of their nursing schooling system and nursing graduates to ensure that they are fit to meet the demands of an evolving health care system and health-related continental and global goals.



As I conclude, I call on policy makers to recognize that investment in nurses yields robust economies. Since the era of struggling for independence, nurses have played a crucial role in healthcare delivery to the soldiers and communities and despite the terrible conditions during war. This ultimately contributed to attainment of independence and stronger economies, which the continent is reaping from to-date.



On this International Nurses Day, let us remember that nurses are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see. They are part of their local community  sharing its culture, strengths and vulnerabilities  and can shape and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients, families and communities.



Therefore, we must strive to ensure that nurses across the world are equipped to tackle today's health challenges.

By developing nursing and midwifery, countries can achieve the triple impact of improving health, promoting gender equality and supporting economic growth. It is time to uplift the critical contribution nurses make to global health.


Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:17:16|Editor: huaxia

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BAKU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan's armed forces embarked on large-scale operational and tactical exercises on Monday, aimed at building up combat capacity, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The five-day military drills involve up to 10,000 military personnel, 120 tanks and armored vehicles, 200 missiles and artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems, and mortars, up to 30 jets and helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

In the course of the exercises, the troops will practice combat readiness, planning, and comprehensive support of operations, among others.

In late April, the nation's naval forces conducted tactical exercises in the Caspian Sea to practice protecting energy infrastructure in the operational zone. Enditem
Police deal with parties in the Dream Apartments Obel 64 tower in Belfast (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Arlene Foster has said she was "shocked" to see the Belfast Telegraph report that police removed around 40 revellers after all-night parties were staged in a Belfast apartment complex at the weekend.

Our exclusive pictures show visitors appearing to flout social distancing restrictions in a number of apartments, which are available to rent on a short-term basis, in the Obel Tower 64 at Donegall Quay.

Police said they were called to the high-rise on a number of occasions on Saturday night.

While Mrs Foster said she was shocked by the pictures, deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said big gatherings of people flouting the restrictions were putting the public at risk.

People started arriving at Obel Tower 64 at around 4pm on Saturday with parties occurring through the night until around 5.30am on Sunday.

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Theres no suggestion that every apartment in the building was involved in partying.

Dream Apartments, which rents out the properties, has launched an investigation.

The company said it was made aware of an incident in one apartment, and was investigating further anti-social disruption on its property. It said it completely condemns any breaching of social distancing regulations in the complex

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It explained the apartments are currently available to rent to key workers, as well as to those who want to self-isolate.

The company had taken the booking in good faith, it added, in the understanding that it was helping people with the need to self-isolate.

It criticised what it described as the deplorable abuse of trust.

Eyewitnesses spoke of their shock as events unfolded into the early hours of Sunday.

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Video clips of the parties were uploaded to Snapchat and people could be observed shouting out of windows and dancing as music blasted.

A steady stream of taxis were observed dropping people off at the apartments.

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One eyewitness told this newspaper: It was like a seven-floor nightclub. There was loud music and dancing... theres no way social distancing was being followed.

The PSNI said: Police received reports that a number of parties were taking place within the building last night.

Officers attended on a number of occasions throughout the night and removed approximately 40 non-residents from a number of apartments who were in breach of the Covid-19 regulations.

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No one was charged with any offence and no fines had been issued, police explained, adding enforcement action will only be taken as a last resort.

Dr Connor Bamford, a virologist at Queens University Belfast, described the actions of the party-goers as worrying considering the wider risk to the community.

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It is very concerning, given that adequate social distancing between a small number of people is likely impossible in such a scenario, he said.

We know that SARS-CoV-2 is still out there in the community  albeit at a reduced level  and we know that it can spread well in close contact.

Parties like this will be excellent means to spread the virus to many people if someone was infected who attended it.

We should continue to discourage such behaviour that is putting those attending the party at risk as well as the wider community.

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Dream Apartments said on Sunday: We were made aware of an incident in one apartment first thing this morning and took the immediate action to eject the people involved from the building.

We are fully investigating the allegation of further anti-social disruption on our property.

Our accommodation is currently open to key workers and those wishing to self-isolate for health or work reasons.

The booking who caused last nights disruption (was) from a supposed key worker, which we took in good faith, in the understanding that we were helping people with the need to self-isolate. This abuse of trust is deplorable. We completely condemn any behaviour that breaks any social distancing guidelines and we will be screening all future bookings with greater care with immediate effect, and introducing stricter security measures.

We understand that it is human nature to enjoy and crave social contact. However, in the current climate this is totally unacceptable on our premises.
A member of the elite Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aerobatics team has died and another has been injured when a plane crashed during a performance to honour public efforts against the coronavirus.

The aircraft, part of the team known as the Snowbirds, crashed into the front yard of a house in Kamloops, British Columbia, shortly after taking off on Sunday morning.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died, the RCAF tweeted late on Sunday. In an update on Monday, it said the other persons injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The person killed was identified by the RCAF as Captain Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer with the air force.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that one member of the CF Snowbirds team has died and one has sustained serious injuries. We can confirm that we have contacted all primary family members of those involved. More information will be communicated in the near future.  Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 17, 2020

Update: Our previous statement indicated that the surviving member of the crash suffered serious injuries, we can confirm that their injuries are not considered life threatening.  Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 18, 2020

Witness accounts

Witnesses said the pilot managed to eject from the plane with a parachute before it crashed, landing on the roof of a house.

Video shot by a witness showed two of the teams Canadair Tutor single-engine aircraft taking off. One of the planes reared up almost immediately before plunging to the ground, exploding just after the pilot ejected.

In another video taken by a passer-by, the burning wreckage of the aircraft can be seen in front of a house as people gathered outside.

Photos from the crash scene also appeared to show debris burning in front of the building, part of which was on fire.

No noise, it was strange, and then the plane just did a cartwheel and fell right out of the sky. Just boom, straight down, and then a burst of black, black smoke, witness Annette Schonewille told Radio Canada.

Public broadcaster CBC quoted another witness, Nolyn Mcleod, as saying the plane passed about three metres (9.8 feet) over his roof.

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We saw the pilot eject like maybe two stories high, and then the plane with no pilot in it went right between me and my neighbours house, before finally hitting the neighbours bedroom window, he said.

It was complete chaos. People were yelling and screaming. We thought we were getting bombed or something. Thats how hectic it was.

The plane was scheduled to fly over British Columbia as part of a tour dubbed Operation Inspiration launched earlier this month to pay tribute to Canadians efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The Snowbirds signature nine-jet formation, with trailing white smoke, began its tour in Nova Scotia and was to perform aerial displays over cities from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, at elevations as low as 150 metres (500 feet).

The incident was the second recent accident involving the Snowbirds. One of the teams jets crashed into an unpopulated area last October before a show in Atlanta  after the pilot ejected.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has suspended operations at Noida factory after its six workers were found to be infected by coronavirus, a senior Gautam Budh Nagar police officer confirmed on Monday.

The company had resumed operations on Friday with screening of all employees who were asked to join the work. Based on the information available with the Gautam Budh (GB) Nagar police, the officer told PTI that six workers at the Noida plant of Oppo have been tested COVID-19 positive.

When contacted, Oppo India said that the company had obtained permission from the state authorities to resume production, following the MHA directive. "As an organisation that places the safety of all our employees and citizens at the forefront, we had not only undertaken COVID-19 tests for all employees at the manufacturing facility in Greater Noida but also suspended all operations at the plant. We are undertaking stringent measures to keep the employees safe," the company said in a statement.

Oppo also said that it has started screening more than 3,000 workers who have to join work and also approached the government for the test. There have been total 255 coronavirus positive cases in GB Nagar as on Sunday.

Till Saturday, 4,738 samples were collected from all across the GB Nagar district, comprising Noida and Greater Noida.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:

With the organizational support of Azerbaijans Ministry of Energy, a videoconference between Secretary General of the International Energy Charter Urban Rusnak, and Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Energy, Vice-Chair of the International Energy Charter Conference Samir Valiyev has been held, Trend reports referring to the ministry.

The meeting was organized to address issues raised by the organization during the presidency of Azerbaijan at the International Energy Charter Conference in 2020.

During the videoconference, the parties exchanged views on the technical organization of the 31st Meeting of the Energy Charter Conference entitled "Energy Efficiency for All: Innovation and Investment", which is scheduled to be held in Baku on December 16-17, 2020.

They also assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organizations activities in 2020 and reviewed the current state of modernization of the International Energy Charter Treaty. The parties

The parties discussed organizational issues including approval of documents and conduct of the meetings of the groups on modernization, implementation, management and strategy.

High-rank representatives of the International Energy Charter and relevant structural divisions of the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry also took part in the videoconference.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @IsmailovaNargis
Two men have been caught on camera stealing from a store while wearing watermelons on their heads.

Police in Virginia arrested Justin Rogers on Saturday for misdemeanor larceny of alcohol, misdemeanor possession of alcohol by an underage person and felony prohibition of wearing a mask/face covering in public for the incident on May 6.

The 20-year-old is seen on surveillance camera with his apparent accomplice  who has not been identified - arriving at Sheetz with the fruit over their heads and holes cut out for the eyes.

Justin Rogers, 20, and his accomplice are seen in the Sheetz store on May 6. It's not clear what they are accused of stealing

One of the suspects is seen preparing the fruit (left). He is later seen in the store (right)

Justin Rogers, 20, is seen left in his TikTok profile photo and right in his mugshot after he was arrested Saturday

It's unclear what was stolen in the incident around 9.35pm.

Louisa Police Department managed to detain Rogers after asking the community for help in a May 16 Facebook post where they dubbed the investigation the 'MELON-HEADS' case.

Immediately people shared photos of where they'd seen them earlier in the day.

Debra Blasko said they 'posed for us in Food Lion the other day'.

Another said: 'OMG I was literally in the store at the cash register when they walked in.'

Aside from their attention-grabbing disguises, another Facebook user made fun of their noticeable mode of transport.

One woman said they posed for a picture when she'd seen them that day (left). Another person saw them in the area (right)

Their lifted 2006 Black Toyota Tacoma also helped police identify a suspect with the help of the community

They posted pictures of the vehicle (left) and them inside it (right) on their TikTok channels

'Smart to take your very distinct vehicle to the crime scene,' one man sarcastically wrote.

But the pair had also documented their bizarre outing in a set of TikTok videos.

The clips show them carving out the watermelons, and include a clear shot of one of their faces, before they set out on their troublesome adventure.

If you have any more information, please contact Officer Taylor of the Town of Louisa Police Department at 540-967-1234 or Crime Solvers at 1-800-346-1466 OR Louisatown.org.
Lufthansa Group and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) with its spin-offs Clime-works and Synhelion have signed a joint Letter of Intent for a possible cooperation the field of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).



The researchers and engineers at ETH Zurich have developed innovative processes that make it possible to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and, together with water and with the help of concentrated sunlight, convert it into a synthesis gas that can be used to produce jet fuel. Such a fuel releases only as much CO2 as was previously extracted from the atmosphere. It is the common goal of the signatories to prepare these promising technologies for later production on an industrial scale.



The partnership initiated by the Lufthansa Group subsidiaries SWISS and Edelweiss is to include, among other things, cooperation in the areas of technology and economic efficiency. It is also intended to agree on acceptance quotas of SAF at a later date in order to support future demonstration projects of the partners. Further contents of the cooperation are to be worked out by the end of 2020.



"In contrast to other modes of transport, air transport will depend on sustainable liquid fuels in the foreseeable future. Their market launch requires a joint effort by fuel manufacturers and airlines, said Prof. Dr. Aldo Steinfeld, Professor for Renewable Energy Carriers at ETH Zurich.



"This Letter of Intent marks the intention of such a cooperation between ETH Zurich, the ETH spin-offs Climeworks and Synhelion and the Lufthansa Group Airlines to jointly address the challenges involved. This is intended to support the energy turnaround in aviation."



"With the planned cooperation, we are once again underlining the importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuels for the goal of achieving aviation with a balanced CO2 sheet, said Christina Foerster, Executive Board Member of Deutsche Lufthansa AG responsible for Customer & Corporate Responsibility



The Lufthansa Group has been working hard for years to make flying ever more sustainable. Thanks to the forward-looking technologies and the cooperation with innovative partners in already two of our home markets, we are on the right track.  TradeArabia News Service
A deep freeze combined with the ongoing efforts to control the spread of coronavirus caused Baton Rouge riverboat casinos to bring in 14% less in February, compared to the year before. The Belle of Baton Rouge, which was closed for two days during the freeze, posted a 46.9% drop in revenue.
The South Korean military has postponed a massive live-fire drill for the Army, Navy and Air Force from this week to June because of "bad weather."

Some critics accuse military authorities for trying not to agitate North Korea amid a quixotic government initiative to interest Pyongyang in cross-border business projects. A military spokesman on Sunday blamed "squalls and rain" that have been forecast.

The drill plan envisions identifying targets with detection devices and launching strikes against any armed provocation in the East Sea. The multiple rocket launcher Chunmoo and Apache helicopters of the Army, the Harpoon and Haeseong-1 ship-to-ship missiles of the Navy, and FA-50 fighter jets of the Air Force were slated to be mobilized.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry declined to confirm whether the drill would be staged. Although it has been staged regularly until recently, the military has used a different yardstick each time whether to make it public or not.

On May 8, Cheong Wa Dae officials called a meeting with military officers after the North protested about an earlier drill to defend the northwesternmost islands. A Cheong Wa Dae spokesman denied the meeting had anything to do with the North Korean protest, but that seems to have been its sole purpose since it was hastily called right after the protest.

On Sunday, the North's propaganda website Uriminzokkiri claimed the island-defense drill was a "full violation of the inter-Korean military agreement."

In fact it was conducted in waters off Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, not in the putative maritime "peace zone" in the West Sea set up by the cross-border military agreement of September 2018.

North Korea itself only a week earlier violated the agreement by shooting at a South Korean guard post in the demilitarized zone.
To compile the civil code is a major legislature task set by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Students debate on a mock trial held in Yaohai district, Hefei, capital of east Chinas Anhui province on June 16, 2019. Photo by Xiong Wei/Peoples Daily Online

According to schedule, general rules of the civil code, which is dubbed as an encyclopedia of social life, will be made first, followed by detailed provisions.

Huang Wei, an official with the Legislative Affairs Commission of Chinas National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, told the Peoples Daily that legislative departments, conducting thorough and extensive research, have heard advice via multiple channels and constantly improved the draft version of the civil code since the compilation started in 2015.

To gather wisdom from the mass is a conspicuous characteristic of the compilation, Huang noted. She took the provisions on marriage and family as an example. Regarding the marriageable age, an issue that draws wide social attention, legislative departments have not only studied the opinions from different parties, but also conducted special surveys to solicit public opinions on desired marriageable age under the help from the National Bureau of Statistics, to further improve the rationality and accuracy of the legislative resolution.

Students from an elementary school in Pingli county, northwest Chinas Shaanxi province talk to a robot at a legal education base, September 20, 2019. Photo by Shen Yijun/Peoples Daily Online

Relevant drafts have all been published on the website of the NPC to solicit public opinions after being deliberated by the NPC Standing Committee. According to preliminary statistics, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has published seven times the drafts since August 2018, receiving 951,607 pieces of advice from 410,349 people. The advice and relevant problems have been studied by legislative departments, and highlighted during the revision process.

Legislation shall be fact-based and shall conform to social reality. According to Huang, legislative departments have gone to different regions multiple times for investigation, hearing advices from parties concerned on the drafts. During the drafting of the general rules and compilation of detailed provisions, these departments also went to various places for investigation and seminars. They visited residential communities, neighborhood committees, enterprises and universities to solicit opinions. Besides, they also established a coordinating group consisting staff from the Supreme Peoples Court, the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate, the Ministry of Justice, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Law Society, convening conferences on a regular basis.

Police officers in Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region explain legal knowledge to local residents, January 1. Photo by Wu Mingxian/Peoples Daily Online

How to improve the relevant regulations on high-rise littering is a hotspot issue during the compilation of the provisions on torts, Huang introduced, saying high-rise littering is a frequent problem that seriously endangers peoples lives and property. Legislative departments, based on the existing terms in the tort liability law, have thoroughly studied relevant legislation of foreign countries, held seminars for parties concerned, scholars, property management companies and residents, and have gone to places concerned for special investigation, Huang introduced. They finally improved relevant provisions and won high recognition.
The NSW government will not take into account the latest drought in calculating how much water should be available to irrigators under draft plans condemned by regional councils and a Nationals MP.

While dams that supply some of the state's biggest towns still hover below 20 per cent capacity, the government is poised to sign off on a water allocation system that backdates the "drought of record" gauge used as far back as 2004.

Narran Lakes near Brewarrina in north-west NSW has had its biggest inflow since 2013 but the area remains drought affected. Credit:Nick Moir

The water-sharing plans, which will be lodged with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, will inform water management for the next decade, leaving some plans 26 years out of date by the time they are next updated.

The drought of record defines the period when inflows into each catchment were at their historical lowest, and sets the benchmark for how much water can be sustainably drawn from the rivers in the repeat of such an event.
GO1.com, a Brisbane, Australia-based new generation learning platform, raised over $40m in Series C funding.

The round was led by Madrona Venture Group and Seek with participation from new investor Salesforce Ventures and existing investors, M12  Microsofts venture fund and Our Innovation Fund. As part of the funding, S. Somasegar, managing director, Madrona Venture Group, will join the GO1 board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to increase market expansion in North America as well as expand its content provider partner network.

Led by Andrew Barnes, CEO, GO1 provides a platform that allows companies to upscale their workforce with on-demand training and a dynamic content-driven platform for companies that are Open to Learn. The funding follows an integration with Microsoft Teams, which enables organizations using Teams to learn directly within their workplace ecosystem. Individuals can now find, consume, share, and discuss learning resources from its library of online learning resources.

GO1s platform can integrate into existing systems and provide a learning library from all the best providers.

FinSMEs

18/05/2020
Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced on Monday that his committee will debate and vote on June 4 on a broad subpoena authorization that would allow him to compel testimony from Obama-era officials as part of an investigation into the origins of the Russia probe.

Why it matters: The authorization will mark a significant step in the Senate Judiciary Committee's review of possible FBI misconduct as it relates to both surveillance abuse and unsubstantiated allegations that the Russia investigation was politically motivated.

President Trump and many of his conservative allies have spent the last few weeks promoting #Obamagate, or the conspiracy theory that President Obama ordered the investigation in order to undermine the incoming administration.

The Justice Department is currently conducting its own criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe. Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he does not expect it to result in charges against Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden.

Details: The subpoena, if approved, will authorize Graham to compel documents, communications and testimony from dozens of officials and relevant witnesses from outside the government, including:

Current FBI director Christopher Wray

Former FBI director James Comey

Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper

Former CIA director John Brennan

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates

Former UN ambassador Samantha Power

Former national security adviser Susan Rice

Between the lines: Graham shot down a request from Trump last week to compel Obama to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Lisa Wilkinson's upcoming appearance on the SBS genealogy series Who Do You Think Your Are? has unveiled some disturbing truths about her family.

According to a report by Woman's Day on Monday, the 60-year-old media personality was left 'heartbroken' after discovering her ancestors had been trialled for murder.

Relatives of her late mother, Beryl, were accused of murdering their baby in the 1800s during a drunken night at home.

History lesson: Lisa Wilkinson's upcoming appearance on the SBS genealogy series Who Do You Think Your Are? has unveiled some disturbing truths about her family

Lisa discovered that her three-times-great-grandmother Eliza O'Brien found herself embroiled in a violent brawl with her husband, Edmond Duggan in 1835.

A terrified Eliza - who arrived in Australia as an Irish convict - then fled to a neighbour's home, clutching a knife and the couple's baby, Elizabeth, who was bleeding from the temple after sustaining a head wound.

The baby later died, and her parents were trialled for murder, before it was discovered she had succumbed to syphilis, which had been transmitted to her by her mother during childbirth.

Shocking: According to a report by Woman's Day on Monday, the 60-year-old media personality was left 'heartbroken' after discovering her ancestors had been trialled for murder

'I'm heartbroken. I look at their lives and think I don't think I would have coped,' admitted Lisa after learning about her ancestry.

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald last week, Lisa revealed her mother, who passed away in 2018, had endured a difficult upbringing after being born out of wedlock.

She said Beryl never knew her father, and her mother turned to alcohol and became addicted to medication.

Hard life: In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald last week, Lisa revealed her mother, Beryl (pictured), who passed away in 2018, had endured a difficult upbringing after being born out of wedlock

'She was thrown into orphanages at the drop of a hat,' Lisa revealed.

'When you're as deprived of love as my mother was, it's difficult to unlearn a lot of that upheaval and unrest.'

Lisa spoke more about her appearance on the show on Instagram on Sunday, revealing she had no idea what would be uncovered.

'I'm heartbroken. I look at their lives and think I don't think I would have coped,' admitted Lisa, who's genealogy story took her to India

'What I discovered explained so much for me and took me to places that broke my heart,' she wrote.

'To be honest I'm feeling very nervous about it all because TV doesn't get more raw or real than this... but it's my story with all its missteps and flaws, but one that's also full of acts of bravery and the unending resilience of my ancestors.'

Who Do You Think Your Are? airs Tuesday at 7.30pm on SBS
In this May 17, 2020, photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a medical worker collects a sample for COVID-19 testing at the Tongji community in Shulan in northeastern China's Jilin Province. Authorities have tightened restrictions in parts of Jilin province in response to a local cluster. AP-Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



GC Pharma, a leading South Korean biopharmaceutical company, said Monday it will provide a possible COVID-19 treatment "for free" for patients testing positive with the contagious disease.



The company's plasma therapy  GC5131A  will be available for patients once its development is completed.



"Other than the government's planned financial provision, GC Pharma will cover all costs after the commercialization of GC5131A. No prerequisites, condition, or distribution limit have been set and that means GC Pharma will cover all possible financial losses if COVID-19 spreads," it said, adding the decision was a result of an "understanding" with its shareholders.



"Treatments and drugs for contagious diseases such as COVID-19 should be intended to stabilize public health. We hope the decision will be seen as representative of South Korea's commitment to fight COVID-19, both collectively and thoroughly," GC Pharma CEO Huh Eun-chul told investors in a note, according to the company.



No drug has been proven to be safe and effective in treating the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn't approved any drugs specifically to treat patients with COVID-19. But plasma therapy has been emerging as a "viable and first" option of possible management for patients hospitalized with the virus with doctors and pharmaceutical companies involved in addressing possible shortfalls.



GC5131A is currently under development and the firm earlier said it plans to commercialize it in the second half of the year. As the number of infected and the death toll are rising globally, leading pharmaceutical companies are teaming up with relevant authorities to develop possible treatments.



GC Pharma's upcoming product extracts immune proteins with antibodies from the blood plasma of recovered patients. Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that remains when all red and white blood cells and platelets have been removed.



The South Korean company recently teamed up with top-tier drug companies including CSL Behring and Takeda to jointly develop the blood plasma treatment. GC Pharma is one of the members of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, which is the first case of the global plasma-initiated drug manufacturers forming a partnership for the single project of developing a plasma-derived hyperimmune globulin treatment for the disease.


A host of British stars including Ant and Dec, Gordon Ramsay, Holly Willoughby, David Walliams and Laura Whitmore are starring in a new mental health campaign.

ITV's Britain Get Talking features more than 20 of the nation's famous faces speaking in a video call about staying connected.

The advert raises the importance of reaching out to people during these unprecedented times of lockdown and isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lending support: A host of famous faces including will.i.am, Ant and Dec and Holly Willoughby feature in a new campaign for mental health awareness

The initiative launches at the start of Mental Health Awareness week and will debut on TV on Monday evening.

In the impressive roll call of stars lending their support to the project and featuring on the video are: Ant and Dec, Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, will.i.am, David Walliams, Gordon Ramsay, Harry Redknapp, Laura Whitmore, Iain Stirling, Jim Carter, Jason Watkins, Julie Etchingham, John Barnes, Lorraine Kelly, Maggie Alphonsi MBE, Anna Friel, Emma Willis, Charlene White, Tinie Tempah, Davina McCall and Sheila Hancock.

Ant said: 'We are huge supporters of ITV's Britain Get Talking 2020 campaign which has been highlighting the importance of people connecting, even more so now than ever. It's incredible that as a result of the campaign more than 6 million people have got in touch with someone so far.'

At home: Gordon Ramsay starts the video chat with the stars, assisted by his daughter Tilly as the family self-isolate in Cornwall

Helping out: Among the stars lending their support are Ant and Dec, Julie Etchingham (bottom left), Jim Carter (bottom centre) and Laura Whitmore (bottom right)

Famous faces: The campaign, which will premiere on TV on Monday night, features the celebrities taking part in a video call

Dec added: 'So for this Mental Health Awareness Week, we're stepping it up another notch and asking people to reach out beyond their immediate family and close friends.

'Who could you reach out to who might really appreciate it? Britain, let's keep talking.'

The video shows Gordon Ramsay and his daughter Tilly loading up a video chat before others such as David Walliams and Julie Etchingham join one by one.

Unprecedented times: Phillip Schofield (top left), Tinie Tempah (top right), Sheila Hancock (bottom left) and Jason Watkins (bottom right) are urging Britons to reach out to friends and family

Get talking: The initiative launches at the start of Mental Health Awareness week and will debut on TV on Monday evening

The celebrities then each read out a line of a message which says: 'It's been a funny old time, to say the least, and who hasn't felt over these past few weeks a bit lost and out of sorts?

'That's why keeping in touch has never mattered more. A pixelated face on a video chat or a voice on the phone can help ease stress and reduce anxiety.

'Even a little text goes a long way and it makes you feel good too. And while it might be easier to talk to your nearest and dearest, it's so important to look beyond your inner circle.'

The new campaign comes as ITV research carried out by YouGov showed that 55 per cent of us are more worried than usual about our families' mental health during the lockdown.

Joining forces: The Love Island power presenting couple Iain Stirling (left) and Laura Whitmore (right) feature among the more than 20 famous faces

Timely: Research has shown that 55 per cent of us are more worried than usual about our families' mental health during the lockdown

Meanwhile 57 per cent of us are more conscious than usual of the need to look after our mental well-being.

But others have found positives during their isolation, with a third of people saying they have got back in touch with old friends and family.

The video continues: 'To the elderly uncle who's self-isolating, the quiet guy at work you see from time to time, the old friend you somehow have lost touch with, or the ones who live on their own and far away.

Important message: The celebrities take it in turns reading out a line of a message, telling Britons to look out for each other

Making a difference: Since its return on March 21, the campaign Britain Get Talking has seen over 6.1 million people take immediate action to text or call a friend or family

'Remember them, reach out to them, let them know you care. Because the ones who are not expecting your call could be the ones who need it the most.

'This Mental Health Awareness Week, show a friend you're thinking of them. Britain Get Talking.'

Since its return on March 21, the campaign Britain Get Talking has seen over 6.1 million people take immediate action to text or call a friend or family.

Paul Farmer, chief executive at Mind, said: 'Many of us are worried about coronavirus and how it will affect us and those we love and, for those of us with existing mental health problems, we may never have felt more isolated or alone.'

The film will debut on ITV and STV in the ad break for Harry's Heroes: Euro Having A Laugh just before 21:00pm and is supported by charities Mind and YoungMinds.

On air: The film will debut on ITV and STV in the ad break for Harry's Heroes: Euro Having A Laugh just before 21:00pm and is supported by charities Mind and YoungMinds
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged at the start of the World Health Assembly that Beijing would donate $2 billion to developing nations in Africa to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, to be spent over the next two years.

Xi urged more international co-operation and warned medical supplies still needed to be deployed to areas where they are needed most.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:Xinhua

Meanwhile, Taiwan will strive to actively participate in global bodies despite its failure to attend this week's key World Health Organization (WHO) meeting, and will not accept being belittled by China, President Tsai Ing-wen will say on Wednesday.

Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party won January's presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide, vowing to stand up to China, which claims Taiwan as its own.

China views Tsai, who will be sworn into office for her second and final term on Wednesday, as a separatist bent on formal independence for Taiwan. She says Taiwan is already an independent state called the Republic of China, its official name.

Tsai will say at her inauguration that Taiwan will seek to "actively participate" in international bodies and deepen its cooperation with like-minded countries, generally a reference to the United States and its allies, according to an outline of her speech provided by Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang.

Taiwan sees the need for participation in WHO as all the more urgent because of the coronavirus pandemic, which was first reported in China.

Despite an intense lobbying effort and strong support from the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and others, it was unable to take part in this week's meeting of the World Health Assembly.

On relations with China, Tsai will reiterate her commitment to peace, dialogue and equality, but that Taiwan will not accept China's "one country, two systems" model that "belittles" Taiwan.

China uses this system, which is supposed to guarantee a high degree of autonomy, to run the former British colony of Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997. It has offered it to Taiwan too, though all major Taiwanese parties have rejected it.

Tsai will also pledge to speed up the development of "asymmetric warfare" capabilities, and boost renewable technologies in a move to position Taiwan as a hub of clean energy in the Asia Pacific.

Reuters
(CNN)  The US state of Georgia allowed restaurants to reopen on April 27. The three owned by Ryan Pernice are still shuttered.

The entrepreneur hasn't opened his restaurants, Table & Main, Osteria Mattone and Coalition Food & Beverage, since March 16. Pernice is worried about the health of his employees and customers, but there's another reason the restaurants are still shut down: They can't make a profit with social distancing rules in place.

"If you talk to restaurants across the globe, the language might change, but the math is the same," Pernice told CNN Business. "Restaurants and bars need volume and traffic to make them work."

Pernice has been forced to lay off or furlough 80 of his 120 staff. Around the world, millions more restaurant and bar workers have lost their jobs as countries impose strict lockdowns designed to contain the pandemic. Some of those restrictions are now being eased, but restaurants and bars are not being prioritized for reopening because they are viewed as venues where the virus might spread.

Restaurant owners and managers are grappling with the brutal math that underpins their industry. Margins are razor thin, forcing eateries and bars to pack in customers every night, and especially on the weekends, in order to stay afloat. In the toughest markets, that means multiple waves of guests, and tables that are pushed together as closely as possible.

It's a business model that is simply not compatible with social distancing.

"There will be no profits for us while we are social distancing," said Blaiss Nowak, another Georgia restaurateur who chose to reopen when restrictions were lifted last month. "There are a great amount of restaurants that I've heard will never open again."

Nowak has reduced the number of customers in his restaurant from 200 a night to just 50, with tables spread 12 feet apart. The main dining area, which used to accommodate 60 people at a time, is now limited to 24. He hopes that by opening now, his employees will be trained to deal with social distancing when customers feel more safe returning to eat.

Some restaurateurs say they will remain closed rather than open with reduced seating. New York restaurant operator Union Square Hospitality Group laid off around 2,000 people in March and its CEO, Danny Meyer, said last week that he doesn't expect customers to return until a vaccine is found. (There's no guarantee that will happen.)

"There is no interest or excitement on my part to having a half-full dining room while everyone is getting their temperature taken and wearing masks, for not much money," he told Bloomberg News.

That sentiment is widespread. In Italy, thousands of restaurant owners have protested the government's proposed social distancing measures, which are due to take effect when eateries are allowed to reopen on June 1.

"This restaurant is the love of my life, but my preference is not to open," said Mario Firpo, owner of Gennaro Esposito Milano, a pizzeria in Milan. He estimates the restaurant's capacity will fall by nearly 70 percent if he's forced to keep tables two meters apart.

Firpo is part of a movement of Italian restaurateurs protesting online and in the streets under the hashtag "Io non apro" or "I do not open," while others use the banner "Risorgiamo Italia," or "Italy Rises Again."

In the United Kingdom, three quarters of bars and restaurant operators are not confident they will survive social distancing and many would prefer to stay closed, according to a survey of over 260 establishments conducted by bar and restaurant guide SquareMeal.

"If we suddenly halve our customers without government support it will lead to a huge number of business closures and job losses," said James Ramsden, a London restaurant owner whose business only breaks even at 85% capacity.

Kate Nicolls, CEO of the trade association UK Hospitality, called on the government to support businesses with rent payments to continue wage support for industry workers. "For some businesses, [social distancing] isn't going to be economically viable and it may be the case that a significant number of outlets cannot open," she said.

Social distancing at the pub

Bars are even worse off than restaurants, according to Gagan Gurung, the owner of Hong Kong's Tell Camellia. The former British colony imposed social distancing rules, allowing restaurants and bars to remain open at half capacity and with spacing of five feet between groups.

But when infection rates spiked at the end of March, the Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau found that over half of new cases had originated in bars. As a result, establishments exclusively serving alcohol were ordered to shut down for a month while restaurants continued to operate.

Gurung's cocktail bar has since been allowed to reopen. But he says that cutting its usual seating capacity of 30 in half is simply not feasible in the long run.

"How do you survive only having 15 people at 1.5 meters distancing?" Gurung said. "It's not healthy for our business for sure."

Ireland is known for its pub culture and nearly 8 percent of the country's workers are employed in the drinks and hospitality industry, according to a report published last year by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland. After bars and restaurants were instructed to close two months ago, the Restaurants Association of Ireland reported an estimated 120,000 job losses in the sector.

The Irish government has set a reopening date of August 10 for pubs, but has not yet provided guidelines on social distancing. A model proposed by the Vintners' Federation of Ireland includes no live music, table service only, and no more than four people per 10 square meters.

For pub owner Brian O'Malley, lockdown has meant turning to innovative ways to make money. He has set up a delivery service for one of his pubs, The Bath in Dublin, bringing freshly poured pints of beer to local residents.

While the delivery service means some money is coming in, O'Malley is worried about the extra costs from protective measures.

O'Malley said staff costs would increase, because workers would need to sanitize tables and be stationed outside toilets to ensure proper hygiene. "I can't see how staff will reduce at all whereas revenue will reduce a lot," he said.

Fine dining is also at risk in Ireland, according to Michelin-starred chef JP McMahon, who said that a social distancing policy of two meters means "the industry will be wiped out." For the industry veteran, there is no commercial logic to opening.

"As responsible directors, we should be saying we shouldn't open. Should we open knowing these conditions will lose us money?" he asked.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Restaurant and bar owners say social distancing could wipe out their industry."
The government has withdrawn its order directing companies and commercial units to pay full wages to workers even when they are not in operation during the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25.

The lockdown, imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, entered its fourth phase on Monday.

The government's move is expected to bring relief to a large number of industries and companies which were unable to pay full wages to their employees.

While issuing guidelines for the lockdown's fourth phase, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla's order on Sunday said, "Whereas, save as otherwise provided in the guidelines annexed to this order, all orders issued by National Executive Committee (NEC) under Section 10(2)(1) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, shall cease to have effect from 18.05.2020."

Sunday's guidelines mentioned six sets of standard operating protocols, mostly related to movement of people, which will continue to remain in force.

But it does not include the March 29 order issued by the Union home secretary that directed all employers to pay wages to workers on due date without any deduction even if the commercial unit was closed during the lockdown period.

The March 29 order had said: All employers, be it in the industry or in shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment of wages of their workers, at their workplaces, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown.

Bhalla, while issuing the fourth phase's guidelines, had said he, as chairperson of the NEC under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has issued orders on lockdown measures on March 24, March 29, April 14, April 15 and May 1 specifying various issues related to implementation of the lockdown and the exemptions given to various people and services from the curbs.

Interestingly, the Supreme Court on May 15 had asked the central government not to take any coercive action for a week against companies and employers who are unable to pay full wages to their employees during the nationwide lockdown.

There may be small companies which are not earning and therefore unable to pay, the top court had observed.

A bench of justices L N Rao, S K Kaul and B R Gavai, hearing multiple petitions on the issue through video conferencing, observed that the ministry of home affairs \circular of March 29, directing companies to make payment of full wages to workers, was an omnibus order and there was a larger question involved which needs to be answered.

The top court issued notice on a plea by the Hand Tools Manufactures Association, comprising of MSMEs seeking quashing of the order asking private establishments to pay full wages to their workers during the lockdown.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that he had a conference on the issue and needs to file a detailed response on the pleas.

The bench said there may be small industries which are affected due to the lockdown as they can sustain for say 15-odd days but not more and if they cannot earn, how are they going to pay their workers.

This is an omnibus order (March 29). There is a larger question involved and government has to find an answer to it, the bench observed and posted the matter for this week.

It added that if the government does not help these small companies, then they will not be able to pay to their workers.

Senior advocate Jamshed Cama, appearing for the association, said the companies are going out of work as they do not have orders for production of goods and they are being prosecuted due to the government circular.

He said the government must hold the hands of these companies and help them but they cannot be prosecuted.

The bench said there shall be no coercive action against any of these companies for failing to pay full wages to its employees till next week.

The Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) said in its plea that the ministry of home affairs had passed orders without due care and deliberation on the financial implications for employers.

The small industrial units warned that making full payments will lead to their closure which, in turn, will cause permanent unemployment and adversely affect the economy.

They have said that such a blanket direction for payment of full salaries was arbitrary, unconstitutional and unsustainable.
SA Premier Steven Marshall speaks to media with Mel Andreatta Matilda's assistant coach, Corey Wingard Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services and David Ridgway Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) during a Matildas media opportunity on August 31, 2019 in Adelaide, Australia. (Mark Brake/Getty Images)

South Australia Passes 80,000 Tests With No New Cases

South Australia continues its virus-free run as the state government bolsters its COVID-19 testing regime after surpassing 80,000 tests.

Premier Steven Marshall has praised the states response to the virus with 1500 tests a day performed over the past week.

Extensive testing for COVID-19 has been a hallmark of South Australias strong, decisive response to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Marshall rejected suggestions the states good position could result in the borders with other states being opened soon.

He said a time would come to open the borders but not yet.

These gains that weve made have been so hard-fought that we dont want to cede those by opening up our borders too soon, he said.

Also on May 18, specific and targeted COVID-19 testing for high-risk sectors of society was introduced to continue South Australias defence against the virus.

Transport, health, seasonal and aged care workers, along with prisoners and the homeless, are being prioritised under the Active Testing Surveillance Framework.

Health Minister Stephen Wade says focused testing on vulnerable sectors within society will ensure we remain ahead of the virus.

We are not going to rest on our laurels. Through enhanced testing of specific groups, we will be able to implement in a timely manner any necessary control methods, including isolating cases and infection control procedures, he said.

The program comes as the SA government prepares for a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases despite the state having no new or active infections.

Marshall is weary that relaxing too many restrictions too soon will lead to catastrophic impacts for the local economy.

We do not want to put South Australian businesses in the difficult position of opening up, and only having to close again because of a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

The number of virus cases in SA remains at 439 with no new infections reported on Monday.

One person remains in hospital but is no longer infectious.

By Patrick James
Vietnam holds a number of advantages against other countries at a time when investors are looking to exit China, according to experts.

On May 3, the Japanese government said it would spend US$2.2 billion of the countrys economic stimulus package to help firms shift production out of China. Meanwhile, the Economic Times reported India has reached out to 1,000 US firms seeking relocation from China.

Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi Takeo Nakajima told Hanoitimes the move would help firms to mitigate impacts from a disruption to the global value chains during the Covid-19 pandemic, which came as a direct result of a high concentration of the production bases.

For Japanese firms, the above-mentioned policy package would encourage them to strengthen their supply chain resilience, he said.

Nakajima referred to a survey conducted by JETRO last year highlighting that Vietnam was the second-highest country in the business expansion ranking among the Japanese respondents.

They valued the countrys market size, friendliness to Japan, and the quality labor force, Nakajima explained.

However, as Japan is now struggling for recovery from the pandemic, the JETRO head expected Japanese businesses to scale down their activities for a foreseeable future.

Jason Yek, senior Country Risk Analyst at Fitch Solutions.

Sharing the same view, Jason Yek, senior country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions, in an exchange with Hanoitimes said the hightening of the US  China trade war, which spanned 2018 and 2019, and Chinas lockdowns during the first quarter of 2020, which severely disrupted supply chains in the region, have exposed the perils of being too exposed to one manufacturing hub.

On this front, we believe that Vietnam will be an attractive alternative investment destination for lower value added manufacturing especially, as has already been demonstrated during the 2018-2019 period which saw an influx of companies into Vietnam from China to circumvent the US tariffs, he said.

Yek went on saying compared to China, Vietnam currently has the advantages of lower labor costs and is not engaged in a trade war with the US.

In comparison with other Southeast Asian countries, in addition to low labor costs, Vietnam has a multitude of free trade agreements signed, which will facilitate trade globally, as well as a FDI-friendly business environment.

Meanwhile, compared to other low labor cost countries such as India, Vietnam benefits from having better socio-political stability and also policy stability, which includes tax rates, labor laws, and rules on investment, which are supportive of investor confidence.

Future not a bed of roses

Illustrative photo.

While Vietnam has been highly effective in containing the Covid-19 pandemic, the countrys priority is now shifting to economic recovery, a process that Nakajima of JETRO Hanoi said requires different paths and tasks than the Covid-19 fight.

According to Nakajima, the engines of the Vietnam economy are FDI, international trade, manufacturing, IT, tourism, and growing consumers.

Most of them need a free flow of people, goods, and services across the borders. The domestic manufacturing activity remains healthy, but there are not many overseas markets active yet, Nakajima said.

Vietnam cannot recover its economy alone, he asserted, adding 71% of the Japanese companies say that the negative effects by Covid-19 would linger on throughout 2020 according to the a survey in March 2020.

As a result, FDI into Vietnam could be slow as Korea, Japan, China, and other FDI source countries prolong their economic recovery.

Even when FDI is flowing, the question would be how much the country can absorb and turn the capital inflow into a growth contributor.

Yek of Fitch Solutions backed this point of view, saying the influx of FDI during the 2018-2019 period showed that while Vietnam was an attractive destination, the countrys logistical infrastructure was inadequate to handle the sudden influx of companies and this resulted in severe bottlenecks at the ports and traffic congestion.

A shortage of sufficiently skilled labor for the needs of foreign investors has also been a problem. Thus, we believe that logistical and labor bottlenecks are challenges for Vietnam in terms of its attractiveness to FDI over the near term, Yek said.

Addressing the labor and logistical bottlenecks will be key to boosting business and investment in Vietnam. Other areas which can be improved include improving transparency of the judicial system and also the efficiency of commercial dispute resolution. A continued push in the governments anti-corruption campaign will also augment Vietnams FDI attractiveness, Yek recommended. Hanoitimes

Ngoc Thuy

Where will FDI head after leaving China? Foreign investors are considering relocating their production bases out of China, and many of them are heading for Vietnam.
Dallas, TX , May 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). It is designed to help small businesses continue pay employees despite the massive economic disruption from the novel Coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

PPP is a $669 billion program. It provides loans to eligible small businesses on favorable terms that may, in the future, be forgiven. The amount of the loan is about 2.5 times the business average monthly payroll costs.

WHAT KINDS OF PPP FRAUD ARE POSSIBLE ?

As with any large government benefit program, there is a substantial potential for fraud by loan applicants. Broadly speaking, the possibilities for applicant fraud fall into three categories: (1) eligibility; (2) loan amount; and (3) necessity.

Eligibility : The PPP has a number of eligibility criteria. They include, among other things:

-Being in business as of February 15, 2020;

-Not having so many employees or so much net worth that the business is not a small business;

-Not being owned, in whole or in part, by an undocumented alien;

-No owner of 20% or more of the business may be incarcerated, on probation, on parole, subject to a criminal charge, or convicted of a felony in the last five years.

A person who falsely certifies in the application that the business meets a criterion that it does not meet can be subject to federal criminal charges. For example, if the business was created in order to take advantage of the loan program and did not exist before February 15, 2020, but an owner certifies that it was, this type of false statement could result in criminal prosecution.

Loan Amount : The PPP ties the loan amount to average monthly payroll costs. The loan amount is supposed to be 2.5 times the business average monthly payroll. The purpose of this formula is so that the business can pay employees for about two and a half months while trying to recover from the financial effects of the novel Coronavirus shutdowns.



Some might be tempted to overstate payroll costs in order to get a bigger loan than they are entitled to receive. False statements that are designed to obtain a larger loan than the business should receive could result in a criminal prosecution.

The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Rhode Island has already charged two men for allegedly filing fraudulent loan applications claiming to have four businesses with numerous employees when, in fact, no employees actually worked for any of the businesses.

Necessity : In order to apply for a PPP loan, an applicant must certify that current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.

A false statement of necessity for the loan could potentially result in criminal prosecution. The Small Business Administration has indicated that public companies with ready access to capital will probably not be able to meet the necessity test. A business that uses the loan simply to line the pockets of the owner, rather than to support ongoing business operations, could also face possible criminal charges for falsely certifying necessity.

WHAT KINDS OF CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE POSSIBLE FOR PPP FRAUD :

A variety of federal criminal fraud statutes potentially apply to fraud in connection with the PPP program. They include:

-Misrepresentations to the Small Business Association under 15 U.S.C.  645(d).

-False statements to a federal executive branch agency under 18 U.S.C.  1001.

-Making a false federal claim under 18 U.S.C.  287 (false claims).

-Bank fraud under 18 U.S.C.  1344.

-Mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1341.

-Wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1343.

A violation of any of these statutes is a federal felony offense that is punishable by federal prison time.

WHAT DEFENSES ARE THERE TO CHARGES OF FRAUD IN CONNECTION WITH THE PPP PROGRAM ?

Any federal fraud case will turn on its specific facts. However, there are some common defenses that apply to fraud cases, including alleged PPP fraud.

- Truth : It may be possible to show that the allegedly false statement was not, in fact, false. For example, if federal prosecutors claim that a business did not have a real necessity for a PPP loan, it may be possible to show that there are facts of which federal agents were not aware that created a need for the loan.

- Good faith or innocent mistake : In order to prove a criminal violation of a fraud or false statement statute, the Government must show that the accused had the necessary criminal intent to make a false statement or to deceive. An innocent mistake, or one made in good faith, such as in good faith reliance on the advice of an accountant, is an effective defense.

-Materiality: The Government must show that any alleged false statement was material. This means that it was significant enough to have the capacity or a natural tendency to influence the determination required to be made. See United States v. Lueben, 838 F.2d 751, 754 (5th Cir. 1988). A false statement that is not significant enough will not support a criminal charge.

CONCLUSION:

Federal investigative agencies will be on the lookout for any potential fraud in connection with the PPP program. Any federal criminal fraud allegation is a serious matter and can result in prison time. If you are being investigated, or if you have been charged, concerning fraud in connection with the PPP program, you should consult an experienced federal criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Acting quickly can help you get out in front of the investigation or the charges and can make the difference between a positive outcome and a disaster.

About John Helms

Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer John Helms is an experienced federal criminal defense attorney. https://johnhelms.attorney/john-m-helms/

Law Office of John M. Helms

Address: 12240 Inwood Rd #220, Dallas, TX 75244

Phone: (214) 666-8010









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The misnamed progressive Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government is preparing for mass repression as it takes Spain out of lock-down, imposing the unpopular back-to-work policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This was revealed in a confidential 22-page document, Delta Papa Order 21/20: Civil Guard Action in the Framework of the Transition Plan towards a New Normality, signed by Lieutenant General Fernando Santafe and leaked to El Periodico last Tuesday. Santafe is the Chief of Operations Command of the Civil Guard, Spains paramilitary police.

The document was drafted to reorganize security measures during the gradual lifting of confinement measures. Podemos and the PSOE are fully aware that these policies will provoke new outbreaks of COVID-19, needlessly putting millions at risk to keep extracting profits from the working class. The document warns of a high probability of growing social unrest in coming months, warning of acts of sabotage against critical infrastructure or buildings with ties to political parties.

The target of the repression is the working class. The document states that social unrest would come from the most economically deprived areas and the millions of people affected by an ERTE [temporary layoff] or fired and production or services sectors that might consider themselves harmed by the ongoing restrictions and limitations. It admits that economic restrictions caused by the state of alarm have seriously affected the Spanish economy, which may result in an economic crisis affecting the most disadvantaged citizens, who could see their basic needs unmet.

The economic situation is devastating. Lines at food pantries have been growing since the pandemic began. Unemployment rose by 7.9 percent in April, reaching 3.8 million workers. The true picture, however, is hidden by union-backed ERTEs, which let employers stop paying wages to temporarily unemployed workers, who instead receive state unemployment benefits amounting to a 30 percent wage cut. The de-facto state bailout of companies currently affects 3.5 million workers. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will likely lose their jobs when ERTEs phase out at the end of June.

Merging as usual the Spanish bourgeoisies traditional fears of working class opposition and of regional separatism, the document also refers to politically-motivated or separatist acts aimed at disturbing the peace, referring to Catalan and Basque separatists.

Terrified of mass working class opposition, the PSOE-Podemos government is feverishly making preparations. The document states the Civil Guard will increase monitoring of social media for preventive identification of possible initiatives or movements that generate or may generate conflict or social alarm, all in the name of struggling against episodes of disinformation [fake news]. That is, the PSOE-Podemos government is carrying out mass online censorship.

This confirms the statement at a news conference in April, initially dismissed as a slip of the tongue, by Civil Guard General Jose Manuel Santiago, calling to prevent social stress created by hoaxes, and to minimize the [online] environment opposing the governments handling of the crisis.

This monitoring aims to provide the PSOE-Podemos government real-time data on the general acceptance of the restrictive measures of each phase of de-confinement and to identify possible areas, localities or social groups that are more likely to violate those rules.

The document is a warning to the working class and youth. As in the 1930s, the capitalist ruling class in each country is feverishly building up its military and police-state apparatus amid a pandemic, while stoking extreme nationalism in preparation for mass repression internally and war abroad. Fascistic movements, still lacking a genuine mass base, rely on the sponsorship of sections of the existing parties and promotion by the mass media.

The Civil Guard, which overwhelmingly supported the fascist coup, led in 1936 by Francisco Franco that triggered the Spanish Civil War, has been the Spanish bourgeoisies main forces for repression of the working class throughout the 20th century. The fact that the left populist Podemos party is prepared to send it against the working class underscores the deep class gulf separating this party of the affluent middle class from the workers.

Internationally, left populist parties are all prepared to play a similar reactionary role. Melenchon is offering his services to the French ruling class to guarantee social cohesion and stifle workers opposition, while accepting mass deaths caused by the end of the lock-down. In Germany, the Left Party has entered into an alliance with Germanys right-wing Grand Coalition government against the workers, voting unanimously in favour of the German governments multi-billion-euro bailout of the banks and big business. They are terrified of the growing radicalization of workers and youth.

This underscores the cynicism and hypocrisy of the anti-Marxist populist professors and activists of Podemos, like its general secretary, Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias.

For decades the ruling class built them up as left, as they denied the class struggle and opposed working class politics based on calls for populism. However, this denial was itself a defence of their class privileges and position. Now in power, they clearly recognize the existence of the class struggle, and are desperate to crush it as a threat to their rule.

Since the state of alarm, the PSOE-Podemos government have sent the Spanish police to suppress steelworkers strikes and protests by delivery riders from Glovo and UberEats. Just a few weeks ago Spains Constitutional Court outlawed May Day protests, arguing that public health must prevail over the right to protest. With unsurpassed cynicism, this ruling fell as the government was prematurely lifting confinement measures, placing millions in danger of getting COVID-19.

The highly-publicised right-wing protests of a few hundred in Madrids affluent Salamanca district have not faced the same repression. They have protested every day since Monday, without police authorization as required by law and in violation of the state of alarm. Police not only refused to disperse or fine them, but stood aside, allowing them to continue. Meanwhile, the working class neighbourhood of Vallecas in the same city has seen four times more fines for violating confinement rules than the average in Madrid.

The pandemic is exposing the entire political establishment. All have reached the same policy, defending the interests of finance capital at the expense of workers lives. The right-wing Popular Party leader Pablo Casado stated that in the event of new outbreaks, we cannot go back to exceptional measures, we must live with the virus. Similarly, a big business association in Valladolid bemoaned the decision to have a gradual de-confinement to save the elderly who are, they said, a non-productive group from the economic point of view.

The Podemos-backed mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, said: We want de-confinement as soon as possible, but we want to do it well, we do not want to wait long.

Five years ago, analysing the support of Podemos for the austerity policy of its Greek ally, the Syriza government, the WSWS warned: Looking out at the population from the Moncloa Palace through multiple lines of riot police, a Prime Minister Iglesias would be as terrified of the workers as Tsipras or Spains current prime minister, Manuel Rajoy. It defined Podemos as guardians of order. The conclusion they drew from the Stalinist dissolution of the USSR in 1991 and the restoration of capitalism in Eastern Europe ... is that capitalism is the only game in town. They are politically and ideologically conditioned to serve as bribed tools of finance capital.

This warning has been comprehensively vindicated.
US aircraft drops incendiary balloons, sets fire to wheat crops in NE Syria

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 3:45 PM

An American aircraft has reportedly dropped thermal balloons over agricultural lands in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah, setting fire to wheat crops in the area.

Syria's official news agency SANA, citing local sources who requested anonymity, reported on Sunday that the targeted area was part of agricultural lands in the countryside of al-Shaddadi town.

The report added that the fire gutted 200 dunums (0.2 square kilometers) of wheat fields.

The sources highlighted that US planes also flew at low altitude very close to the people's homes in the agricultural fields, causing panic and fear among local residents.

Since late October 2019, the US has been redeploying troops to the oil fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of President Donald Trump's earlier order to withdraw all troops from the Arab country.

The Pentagon claims the move aims to "protect" the fields and prevent possible attacks by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, though Trump had earlier suggested that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields.

Syria, which has not authorized American military presence in its territory, has condemned the US, saying it is "plundering" the country's oil.

Turkish gunfire kills civilian, injures another near Ra's al-Ayn

Separately, a civilian lost his life and another sustained injuries when Turkish forces and their allied Takfiri militants opened fire on a van near a checkpoint northwest of the key border town of Ra's al-Ayn.

SANA reported that the vehicle was coming from the city of Raqqah, when it was intentionally targeted.

The report identified the victim as a school employee, while the injured man is said to be a retired worker at the national electrical company.

Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northern 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.

Ankara 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.

On October 22 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed a memorandum of understanding that asserted YPG militants had to withdraw from the Turkish-controlled "safe zone" in northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which Ankara and Moscow would run joint patrols around the area.

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So, what do you know, I am getting a local vineyard, here in Uppsala, Sweden. Well, actually, it is 13 km (8 miles) away in a straight line, but that is a lot closer than Blaxsta Gard vineyard, which is 110 km (70 miles) south of me.The importance of this, for people other than myself, is that Blaxsta Gard is currently one of the most northerly commercial vineyards in Europe (see my post Climate change and the most northerly vineyards in Europe ). In that previous post, I noted that Finlands most northerly vineyard does not make commercial wine from grapes, whereas Norways does do so. Now, Sweden has a vineyard at that same same latitude, almost 60 N, that intends to release commercial wines (ie. not made from other fruits).This news was reported last week in my local newspaper,, from which the following text is translated  the original report is no longer online. It was then summarized in various other national media, whose (Swedish) reports are mostly still online.Yes, says Lanna Bruk Beverages, which, together with entrepreneur Asterios Ziakoulis, is currently planting 1,250 vines at Arna.In the past, Lanna Bruk Beverages has made itself known for its wine production at the Lanna Bruk facility, where they use imported grapes from their own farm in Greece. Now they are expanding the business with locally grown grapes, and thus become the first commercial grape-grower in Uppsala.It feels really exciting using local produce. We will be the first vineyard in Uppland, says Victor Ryden, who is one of five founders of the company.We haven't trumpeted this yet, so its mostly those closest who know about it. But we hope that it will be appreciated, especially in times like these when many demand locally produced products.The area, which has been named Asterios Vineyard, is located just after the Garrison in Arna, and is about half a hectare.We started preparing the soil in April, and got the vines home a month ago, which we have now started planting. The varieties we will grow are Solaris (white grape) and Rondo (red grape). Initially, there will be 1,000 vines of Solaris and 250 of Rondo, says Victor Ryden.We think it fits well, as it is a sunny position, and is a little protected with a forest area around. It forms a kind of microclimate that we think is suitable for viticulture.We haven't really decided yet, but sparkling wine feels exciting, I must say.The plan is for the first wines to be available for sale at Systembolaget [the national liquor chain] and restaurants in four to five years.Now, the focus is on doing good preliminary work, so that the rows establish themselves properly, and to create good conditions that will produce results later on. If this goes well, we may plant more vines in the vineyard in the future.The vineyard is not particularly romantic. It is next to a main road, with constant traffic, and with a car-trailer warehouse facility next door and a military airfield across the road. The vines are at the base of a small west-facing hill, where a patch of forest has been cleared, and the land partially leveled, including removal of the glacial rocks. If the cold turns out to be a problem, they may have been better off moving further up the hill, so that the cold air can drain away, reducing the risks of frosts in early spring.
Even as oil prices inch above $30 a barrel, U.S. producers waiting for a better return are finding that storage has become its own valuable commodity that in short supply could erase crudes recent gains.

The coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders wiped out demand for crude oil and its refined products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The resulting global oil glut quickly filled storage tanks, creating a crisis that plunged oil prices into negative territory and forced producers to find different ways to store their product.

Companies that didnt have access to massive storage tanks at trading hubs such as Cushing, Okla., are using temporary tanks in places like the Permian Basin of West Texas or are paying tens of thousands of dollars a day to store oil aboard supertankers anchored in the Gulf of Mexico.

Storage rates are higher than normal, but its either pay up or shut in production  thats the reality were living with now, said Bruce Fulin, vice president of the commodity price service Argus.

Industry Downturn: Texas boomtowns go bust with record low oil prices

There are about 650 million barrels of working crude oil storage capacity in the United States, and its 62 percent full, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Nearly 403 million barrels are stored at refineries and tank farms while an additional 129 million barrels are in pipelines, rail cars and barges, the agency reported.

The storage crunch is more pronounced at the Cushing hub, the delivery point for West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, and much of the oil produced in the U.S. There are 76 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity, and tanks are 79 percent full, EIA data shows.

Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox

Though the tanks arent full, fears of a looming storage crunch were one of the factors that plunged the price of West Texas Intermediate to an unprecedented negative-$37.63 in April.

This negative price was not a purely paper anomaly, Mizuho Bank oil industry analyst Paul Sankey said. It was the reality of paper markets meeting physical markets and the last holders of the May contract for crude being unable to get out of their ultimate requirement to take delivery of crude at landlocked Cushing, Okla.

Anthony Starkey, a crude oil price and storage expert with the energy and commodities information service S&P Global Platts, said pipeline and storage tank operators will feel the most acute pressure this month and next.

Platts estimates that there is space for 60 million barrels in commercial oil storage tanks across the U.S., and with an expected 34 million barrels of cheap Saudi Arabian oil headed to the Gulf Coast for delivery in May and June, Starkey said that only leaves less than 30 million barrels of storage for U.S. producers.

Without the use of floating storage or increased exports, U.S. tanks will fill rapidly, Starkey said. And if they fill up, prices would be pressured again.

Boom Goes Bust: The great Texas oil shutdown has begun

But some relief might be at hand, as manufacturers and oil field service companies offer temporary storage products and services to producers.

Houston oil field services company Gravity recently announced that it has 5,000 storage tanks that can hold 500 barrels each and that can be hauled to a production site on a flatbed truck.

Wyoming-based Well Water Solutions and Houston-based Select Energy Services are renting and selling storage tanks that resemble giant above-ground swimming pools.

In Texas, Well Water Solutions is renting four temporary storage tanks that hold 60,000 barrels each to a pair of oil companies with wells near Midland. Rents vary based on volumes and the lengths of leases, but they average 45 cents for a year, company President Sean Lovelace said.

Midland-based Source Rock Midstream is working to add liners to wastewater and freshwater tanks that will allow them to store crude oil until prices pick up, the company's president Ben Samuels said.

Were looking at a unique situation that weve never seen before, and we all have to figure out how to survive and get to the next phase, Samuels said.

Some oil companies such as San Antonio-based TerraFina Energy are already using onsite storage. Pipeline companies stopped taking deliveries from TerraFinas wells, prompting the company to throttle back production and store oil at tanks that were already next to the wells, founder and CEO Marsha Hendler said.

Ive got enough storage where I can last three or four months, Hendler said. If I just pump one day a week, I may be able to last longer. I can also program it to slow down and just pump for a couple hours a day.

World Standing Still: Oil industry faces unprecedented crisis amid pandemic

Storage tanks next to oil wells may buy producers more time, especially at low-producing wells. But state officials dont keep track of the number of these tanks in the oil fields or how much oil they can hold.

And while temporary storage is being deployed in the oil fields, tens of millions of barrels of crude are being stored aboard tankers in the Gulf.

Ship tracking service ClipperData says there are 20 oil tankers that have been anchored in the Gulf for than more than seven days. With a capacity of 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil, those ships could be holding 40 million barrels at sea until prices improve.

But renting a tanker that can hold 2 million barrels can cost $76,000 to $100,000 per day, according to Argus. Large companies such as Shell, Hess and Occidental Petroleum can charter the supertankers to store U.S. oil bound for export, while smaller companies use smaller tankers at lower rates.

These are high prices for crude vessels, Argus Fulin said. And because there are fewer of them available and the owners know that, prices go up. For the next couple months, they will see vessel charter rates being very strong.

U.S. crude inventories, meanwhile, are still rising but at a slower rate as oil companies cut their output more quickly than anticipated, Starkey said, providing a little breathing room.

We now expect that we will stay below global tank tops, said Starkey of Platts. We will squeak by.

sergio.chapa@chron.com

http://twitter.com/SergioChapa
Capture and PlatformQ believe universities deserve platforms supported by teams of enrollment marketing experts, focused on their institutions goals. - Leonard Napolitano, Capture CEO

Capture is thrilled to announce a partnership with PlatformQ Education to enhance prospective students experiences when evaluating and enrolling in universities across the country. Colleges experience higher attainment of student recruitment goals when utilizing the two platforms to execute marketing automation and online event management.

Captures ENGAGE, the marketing automation product within the companys Behavioral Intelligence Platform, aligns a prospective students college website browsing activity with customized, triggered dynamic content; encouraging them to take the next step in their decision process. This often includes attending online events.

PlatformQs Conduit seamlessly continues the prospects interactive journey via an institutionally branded online, live and on-demand event platform where students interact, gather information and ask admission counselors questions.

The need to digitally connect students with university representatives is critical amid the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Captures ENGAGE and PlatformQs Conduit link prospective student behavior on university websites to actions taken during virtual events. By incorporating the two platforms within their enrollment strategy, universities are:



Conducting focused prospect outreach based on real-time behavioral data;

Maximizing online event attendance and attribution;

Experiencing increase in yield rates across all populations.

In November, Conduit hosted Why Suffolk, a webcast for mutual Capture partner Suffolk University that focused on students who had not yet completed their application for admission, says Gil Rogers, Executive Vice President of PlatformQ Education. Attendees engaged with live content on the Conduit platform. Throughout the next two months, more than 70% of student attendees had started or completed their application, with over 50% being admitted for fall 2020. Being able to track and influence a students next steps through Captures ENGAGE allows institutions to answer the question, What happens to the student after the online event?

Capture and PlatformQ share in the belief that universities must meet prospective students where they are online, with personalized and measured actions, says Capture CEO Leonard Napolitano.

This is how institutions can best help students make their most informed college decision, Napolitano says. Capture and PlatformQ believe universities deserve platforms supported by teams of enrollment marketing experts, focused on their institutions goals.

Upcoming Webinar

Capture and PlatformQ will host a webinar on Wednesday, May 20 from 2-3pm ET. Conduit + Capture: Maximizing Opportunities for Audience Impact (https://capture.buzz/pqwebinar) that will illustrate for enrollment leaders how they can:

Support maximum identification of prospects to inform follow-up marketing and communications;

Drive the highest attendance of online events through integrated marketing activities between both platforms;

Maximize ROI by aligning activity data to ensure your team is focused on the right prospects at the right time;

Captures InnovateUSA

PlatformQ will also participate in Captures Innovate USA (https://capture.buzz/InnovateUSA), a free, 3-day virtual conference bringing together industry experts, enrollment leaders, Capture pros and even a fire-eating data scientist to guide enrollment leaders to success through these unprecedented times. PlatformQs presentation is titled What Happens Now? Maximizing Your CRM to Deliver on Increasing Online Engagement and will be presented by Gil Rogers, Executive Vice President, PlatformQ on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

Available for Comment

Leonard Napolitano, CEO of Capture

Gil Rogers, Executive Vice President of PlatformQ Education

About Capture

Capture is a leading innovator of marketing platforms and services for higher education recruitment and enrollment management. Capture's Behavioral Intelligence Platform offers solutions throughout a prospective student's college decision process. With industry-leading marketing automation, fully managed services and AI-powered predictive modeling built specifically for higher education, Capture gives institutions the control needed to effectively target interested students in relevant ways that increase engagement and drive admissions.

About PlatformQ Education

PlatformQ Education helps colleges and universities evolve their online engagement strategies. With its suite of products, including Conduit, Campus Connect, Global SMS and email automation, PlatformQ Education enables institutions to meaningfully engage with students, parents, and counselors at every stage of the engagement process. Whether the goal is to increase applications or influence accepted students decisions, more than 200 institutions rely on PlatformQ Education to support their conversion and yield goals.
Burma Rakhine Court Frees Civilians, Says No Evidence in Terrorism Case

Kyauktan villagers who were released by the Sittwe District Court on May 15, 2020. / The Irrawaddy

SITTWE, Rakhine StateA local court in the Rakhine State capital of Sittwe released six residents of Kyauktan Village on Friday over lack of evidence after the six spent more than a year in prison on pending terrorism charges.

As the plaintiff could not present any solid evidence against them, the Sittwe District Court released them without charging them, said U Aung Naing Win, a lawyer for the defendants.

The Myanmar military opened cases against eight residents of Kyauktan under the Counterterrorism Law for alleged ties to the Arakan Army (AA) in May 2019. Two of them are under the age of 18 and their cases are being handled by the Sittwe Township juvenile court.

My brother and others were released. It is said they were released because they are innocent. I am very happy that my brother was released, but we were quite miserable while he was detained for one year and 15 days, Daw Khaing Moe Nwe, the elder sister of Ko Maung Maung Hlaing, one of the six who was released on Friday, told The Irrawaddy.

As they left the court on Friday, the six told reporters that they were tortured in detention.

Myanmar military troops arrived at Kyauktan Village in Rathedaung Township on April 30 last year and summoned all male residents above the age of 15. They then interrogated 275 people at the local school on suspicion of having ties to the AA.

Days later, while still in military detention, six of the locals were shot dead on May 2. According to the military, soldiers shot the detainees after they attempted to take the soldiers guns. Eight other detained residents of Kyauktan were wounded and two of them died later at the hospital.

Since the detention and shootings last year, residents of Kyauktan Village have fled their homes out of fear and gone to live with their relatives.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Kim said she was lucky to figure out what was going on, but said most Chicago restaurateurs are too busy to notice whats happening with their online presence. Restaurants could be seeing their reputations suffer because of poor service from a delivery company without their knowledge, she said.
While social distancing was maintained during Part 2 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion special, which the stars filmed from their own homes, that didn't stop tensions from flaring up and emotions to be laid bare.

Eva Marcille broke down in tears and had to leave for a few minutes after becoming overwhelmed with emotions as she discussed her abusive ex Kevin McCall, revealing that he, 'beat me so bad.'

The second part of the three-part reunion finale ended with NeNe Leakes abruptly leaving the show, which may hint that she's leaving the show for good.

Breakdown: Eva Marcille broke down in tears and had to leave for a few minutes after becoming overwhelmed with emotions as she discussed her abusive ex Kevin McCall, revealing that he, 'beat me so bad'

NeNe leaves: The second part of the three-part reunion finale ended with NeNe Leakes abruptly leaving the show, which may hint that she's leaving the show for good

While Leakes didn't say specifically she was leaving the show, a preview for the third and final part of the reunion finale seemed to indicate Leakes wasn't returning for the rest of the reunion, which airs Sunday, May 24 at 8 PM ET on Bravo.

Leakes even told People on Sunday that she's still undecided on returning for RHOA's 13th season, stating, 'I go back and forth with it every day. I feel like it's a big conversation I need to have with the network and with production.

Leakes walked off towards the end of the episode, where a video package was playing featuring Cynthia Bailey and other housewives, but Leakes simply couldn't watch, saying her castmates were, 'a bunch of haters.'

NeNe: While Leakes didn't say specifically she was leaving the show, a preview for the third and final part of the reunion finale seemed to indicate Leakes wasn't returning for the rest of the reunion, which airs Sunday, May 24 at 8 PM ET on Bravo

'What would they do if I wasn't even here? Who would they talk to?' Leakes says, before eventually leaving, though the rest of the cast was unaware that she left.

When Cynthia said that she didn't consider Nene, 'a toxic friend,' they all realized she had left, with Eva quick to comment.

'When the heat gets hot Andy you get out of the kitchen,' she said, while the preview for Part 3 of the reunion featured the return of Yovanna Momplaisir, though NeNe Leakes was still nowhere to be found.

What would they do: 'What would they do if I wasn't even here? Who would they talk to?' Leakes says, before eventually leaving, though the rest of the cast was unaware that she left.

One of the episode's other big emotional moments comes when host Andy Cohen asked Eva asked about Marley changing her name, asking if her husband Mike Sterling is adopting her.

'I was sued by the donor,' who 'acted a fool in the classroom and got arrested,' Eva says, referring to her ex Kevin McCall.

'It was one of those things where I had definitely saw signs before. He beat me so bad,' Eva added about the abuse she endured when they were together, five years ago.

Emotional Eva: One of the episode's other big emotional moments comes when host Andy Cohen asked Eva asked about Marley changing her name, asking if her husband Mike Sterling is adopting her

'I can say five years later my life is completely different, thank god. Even though you know it's not your fault and yet you still feel guilt.' Eva says.

'He was put into my life so I could get my biggest sunshine Marley. I wouldn't take it back because then I wouldn't have her,' Eva says when she starts crying.

'I hate talking about him, he's such an a**hole,' Eva says while fighting back tears while removing her mic and walking off.

Hate: 'I hate talking about him, he's such an a**hole,' Eva says while fighting back tears while removing her mic and walking off

Kenya asks if she can step off and cal Eva and she does, with Eva ultimately returning a few minutes later.

The reunion begins with a continuation from the first part of the reunion, where Porsha Williams sent receipts from a text from Kenya Moore to her saying she was gonna 'get Cynthia's a**' when they were friends.

Porsha says she was watching the show with Kenya were watching the show and venting about Cynthia Bailey.

Call: Kenya asks if she can step off and cal Eva and she does, with Eva ultimately returning a few minutes later

Porsha: Porsha says she was watching the show with Kenya were watching the show and venting about Cynthia

'I didn't feel the need to get in the middle of it' Cynthia says. 'It is a sisterhood, as dysfunctional as it is.'

'One season you might be cool with this one, one season you may not. This is how it works. NeNe Leakes is someone I was close to and it hurt,' she said.

'Cynthia and I certainly aren't were we used to be. It's baby steps,' Nene says. Cynthia says she's ready to move on.

Sisterhood: 'I didn't feel the need to get in the middle of it' Cynthia says. 'It is a sisterhood, as dysfunctional as it is'

Andy introduces a video package where all the housewives are getting ready for their new kids and stuff, with shots of their live reactions to the baby pics.

Andy says his son has some possible girlfriends to go after. A fan asks why Cynthia has been talking about having another kid at 53 and she says it's a joke.

Cynthia talks about living with her blended family in quarantine in Los Angeles, Andy says he likes their dynamic.

Dynamic: Cynthia talks about living with her blended family in quarantine in Los Angeles, Andy says he likes their dynamic

Joke: A fan asks why Cynthia has been talking about having another kid at 53 and she says it's a joke

Cynthia talks about how she and Mike were 'cringing' when they brought up sex talk in an episode.

Marlo talks about nephews, stating, 'A year ago, I never thought I would be here, but it's changed my life completely.'

NeNe jokes that Marlo isn't shopping as much as she was before kids.

No shopping: NeNe jokes that Marlo isn't shopping as much as she was before kids

'I am so in love with that little girl,' Kenya says about her daughter.

One fan says Porsha is such a funny person but her daughter is so 'no nonsense.'

Porsha and Kenya bonded over new babies, but as season went on Porsha threw shade.

In love: 'I am so in love with that little girl,' Kenya says about her daughter.

'It was a great relationship, but at every turn I was observing her being the same Kenya, doing the same hurtful things, so yeah, I do make some jokes about it,' Porsha says.

Kenya says it was a 'lot' and when Nene came back it was turned around on her.

Porsha calls Kenya the queen of shade.

Jokes: 'It was a great relationship, but at every turn I was observing her being the same Kenya, doing the same hurtful things, so yeah, I do make some jokes about it,' Porsha says

Porsha says she talked to Shamea in awhile and Shamea called Kenya a liar.

'Her receipts should be put in the shredder,' Porsha says as Kenya says Porsha lies all the time.

Porsha and Kenya get into it a bit before the commercial break.

Into it: Porsha and Kenya get into it a bit before the commercial break

A fan asks why Kenya acts surprised when her shade backfires and she says she's not surprised.

Marlo and Kenya go at it and Kenya calls Nene the 'ugliest bitch on this show'

Andy asks if people can't f**k with her business but she can f**k others' business, which some of the Housewives think is a good point.

Shade surprise: A fan asks why Kenya acts surprised when her shade backfires and she says she's not surprised

Kenya says she felt 'very bad' about calling Tanya a c**t and she apologizes.

A fan says Nene says Tayna deserves what happens in her marriage and she asks if she still feels that way and Nene doesn't respond.

Nene and Kenya go at it a bit and Kenya was asked about hinting in Toronto that someone's husband was cheating on her.

Very bad: Kenya says she felt 'very bad' about calling Tanya a c**t and she apologizes

Kenya said she wasn't talk about Tanya at the time and Tanya said her plan was 'intentional from the very beginning.'

'You've been talking all day. Zip your lip so someone else can say something,' Tanya says.

Cynthia says that she confirmed in Toronto that Kenya was talking about Tanya.

Zip: 'You've been talking all day. Zip your lip so someone else can say something,' Tanya says

'I wear wigs occasionally to protect my 24 inches of real hair' Kenya says and says she doesn't hide it but they all say she does.

Porsha asks Tanya if Kenya acted alone, but she gives Cynthia credit for doing the wrong thing.

Kenya says Cynthia had nothing to do with anything.

Acted alone: Porsha asks Tanya if Kenya acted alone, but she gives Cynthia credit for doing the wrong thing

Kenya says she's boring, and Cynthia says she was 'privy to that information' and it had nothing to do with the brunch.

'I was very upset about the whole situation. Yes we did eat the cookies,' Cynthia adds.

Kandi asked about not giving a f**k and she says, 'I wasn't there when cookie lady came around so why does anyone care?'

Wasn't there: Kandi asked about not giving a f**k and she says, 'I wasn't there when cookie lady came around so why does anyone care?'

Kandi says if she was there, she would have had something to say about it.

Kandi was asked about having a kid through a surrogate and if she's worried about the connection with the baby.

'We love her so much and our connection is so closed and there is no difference with any of the babies I've birthed, 'Kandi says.

No difference: 'We love her so much and our connection is so closed and there is no difference with any of the babies I've birthed, 'Kandi says

Kayla is in new york to work on her fashion goals when the quarantine started.

How is Mama Joyce and Todd? 'They're great. All the arguments that they had went out the window.'

Andy moves on with Porsha and Dennis who betrayed her trust and they cut to a video package.

Mama Joyce: How is Mama Joyce and Todd? 'They're great. All the arguments that they had went out the window'

'He's here, we're quarantined together with PJ and my mom and we're in a good place together,' Porsha said.

What was the 4 am women thing? 'I was upset. I did not feel the need to comment so I didn't. We're in a good place now. What I did know is he was going to a birthday party at a club. What I didn't know is they went out to eat after.'

Was Porsha annoyed by rabies shot - 'I didn't really hit me, like make me upset, because I was so numb. Who believes that? It's absolutely not true.'

When asked if they moved too fast, Porsha says, 'Oh, certainly. I'm a hopeless romantic and I loved him and we wanted the same things. I do wish we had gone slow.'

Too fast: When asked if they moved too fast, Porsha says, 'Oh, certainly. I'm a hopeless romantic and I loved him and we wanted the same things. I do wish we had gone slow'

ANdy asks Kandi about not putting herself in Porsha's business. 'Posha and I are trying to get into a better place so I didn't want to comment.'

Nene chimes in and ANdy asks about her personal feud with Kandi and they both go off.

'First of all, if I have anything to say I will say it to your face' Nene says.

'B***h go hide in your lunchbox' Kandi says as Eva cracks up.

Go hide: 'B***h go hide in your lunchbox' Kandi says as Eva cracks up

Andy mutes Kandi and Nene cause they won't stop arguing, but they still keep going, unaware they've been muted.

Andy tries to get to the bottom on what's going on and Nene goes off and Nene gets muted and they go off again

'I'm embedded in your brain bitch' Kandi says.
By Trend

Hungary and Slovenia have agreed on a road map towards a gradual reopening of their border by June 1, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on his Facebook page on Monday, Trend reports with reference to Reuters.

Restarting our economies is not possible without restarting international cooperation, Szijjarto wrote. Therefore, without jeopardising the protection of health, which is a priority, an easing of restrictive measures imposed at the borders is needed.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has condemned online misinformation linking 5G technology to the coronavirus and sounded the alarm about a growing vandalism risk to critical telecommunications infrastructure.

Unfounded conspiracy theories about the next-generation telecommunications networks have become increasingly popular online in recent years and Mr Fletcher has intervened as authorities around the world grow concerned about the real-world threats posed by anti-5G activists.

The rollout of 5G technology has fuelled conspiracy theories about its health effects. Credit:AAP

While misinformation about the health effects of the electromagnetic energy emitted by 5G technology preceded COVID-19, the pandemic has fuelled unscientific claims about the equipment causing the disease or placing people at greater risk of infection.

Mr Fletcher has responded to the growing community concerns with an emphatic declaration that the radio waves used by mobile and wireless technologies had been studied closely for decades and no harmful effects had been found.
China supports an independent inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic after it is "brought under control", President Xi Jinping said Monday, as Europe accelerated its reopenings with landmarks Saint Peter's Basilica and the Acropolis in Athens welcoming visitors again.

After weeks dogged by allegations from the US and elsewhere that Beijing had covered up the virus' origins, Xi insisted during the World Health Assembly that China has "always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude".

More than 4.7 million people have tested positive and 315,270 killed by the disease since it emerged in Wuhan late last year, according to an AFP tally.

Russia offered a glimpse of hope as it reported that growth in new cases had been halted, and US biotech firm Moderna reported "positive interim" results in the first clinical tests of its vaccine against the new coronavirus.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke via video link to the World Health Assembly. By GREG BAKER (AFP)

But fears were growing over soaring infections in Brazil, India and South Africa.

The COVID-19 outbreak "must be a wake-up call," UN chief Antonio Guterres told the same virtual assembly, as he called out countries for failing to heed warnings from the World Health Organization about the virus.

"Different countries have followed different, sometimes contradictory strategies and we are all paying a heavy price," Guterres said, singling out in particular those who "ignored the recommendations" of the WHO.

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the pandemic has left a trail of economic destruction as governments shut borders, schools, offices and shops to halt transmission of the virus.

With infection tolls slowing, Europe's worst hit countries are gingerly returning to normal.

World-famous landmarks like Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and the Athens Acropolis joined a slew of reopenings in Europe, alongside other churches, shops and restaurants which were allowed to welcome the public again.

Italy, once the hardest-hit country in the world, saw the first such openings after more than two months of lockdown, although the public reacted cautiously.

"There's no-one here. Closed or open it's the same thing," lamented Raimondo Ricci, owner of the tourist favourite Sant' Eustachio Il Caffe near Rome's Piazza Navona.

In Venice, where gondolas returned to the waters again albeit with the gondoliers wearing with gloves and masks, locals heaved a sigh of relief.

Tthe Acropolis in Athens was one of a number of famous landmarks reopened. By Aris MESSINIS (AFP)

"It's good news, a sign of everyone's desire to get back to normal as soon as possible, but without ever lowering our guard in order to defeat the virus once and for all," said Giovanni Giusto, city councillor for the Protection of Traditions.

Foreign ministers from more than 10 European nations were set for talks Monday on whether some of this year's vital summer tourist trade could be saved.

And Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France were to hold a joint press conference on their plans to kick-start the European Union's economy.

But governments must walk a fine line between repairing the vast economic damage unleashed by the pandemic while preventing new infections that would force another round of restrictions.

South America, Africa hit hard

UN chief Guterres warned that the eye of the storm is turning to the southern hemisphere, where its impact might be "even more devastating".

The latest data has focussed fears concerning South America and Africa.

Deaths in Brazil have risen sharply in recent days, and with more than 241,000 infections reached over the weekend, South America's largest country now has the fourth-highest caseload in the world.

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed lockdowns for unnecessarily hurting the Brazilian economy and defied social distancing measures, but experts and regional leaders have warned that healthcare infrastructure could collapse.

Italy, once the hardest-hit country in the world, saw shops reopen after more than two months of lockdown. By Miguel MEDINA (AFP)

Latin America and the Caribbean have recorded more than half a million infections, almost half of them in Brazil, and there is growing alarm about the impact of the virus on the least privileged in the region.

Ecuador reported the first COVID-19 case in one of its indigenous Amazon tribes, deepening the crisis in one of South America's hardest-hit countries.

World toll of coronavirus infections and deaths as of May 18 at 1100 GMT. By (AFP)

Nicaraguan hospital staff have said the country's health system is overwhelmed with patients suffering from respiratory illnesses and relatives say the bodies of loved ones are being carted off in pick-up trucks for "express burials" without their consent.

"Mourners are forced to chase trucks with the coffin to find out where their loved ones are being buried," the opposition National Coalition said in a statement denouncing government secrecy.

Relatives "are threatened by police or paramilitaries so that they do not tell the truth about the causes of death," it said.

Russia offered a glimpse of hope as it reported that growth in new cases had been halted. By Yuri KADOBNOV (AFP)

There was also grim data in Africa, where the number of infections rose rapidly.

South Africa on Sunday reported 1,160 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since the first case was recorded in March, taking the total to 15,515 -- the highest on the continent.

In Asia, India extended its lockdown covering 1.3 billion people to the end of May as it reported its biggest single-day jump in infections on Sunday.

Deep economic pain

COVID-19 has left the world economy facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression, with Japan announcing its first recession since 2015 -- new evidence of the deep economic damage.

The world's biggest economy is also going to suffer a massive downturn, US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warned.

"The data we'll see for this quarter, which ends in June, will be very, very bad. There'll be a big decline in economic activity, big increase in unemployment," Powell said.

He added that a full recovery may not happen without a vaccine.

In American virus hotspot New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the public to safeguard the state's tentative reopening by proactively seeking coronavirus tests, himself undergoing a nasal swab on live TV Sunday.

In one Brooklyn park, circles were spray-painted on the grass to encourage social distancing among people basking in the spring sunshine.

burs-tgb/hmn/wdb
Dividend payments have been decimated this year because of the impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on the economy. One of the sectors hit particularly hard has been the energy industry where dividends have plunged with oil demand. Dozens of companies have reduced or suspended their payouts with many more likely to follow unless conditions dramatically improve.

However, not all energy dividends are at risk for a reduction as the sector does boast many sustainable payouts. Three of the safest these days are those paid by TC Energy (NYSE:TRP), NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), and Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP).

Highly resilient cash flows

Canadian pipeline giant TC Energy's business model has proved to be immune to the current downturn in the oil market. That's because 92% of its cash flow has no exposure to variability in commodity prices or volumes. Because its customers pay the same rate regardless of market conditions, it generates very stable cash flow.

Meanwhile, TC Energy only pays out about 40% of those funds to support its 5%-yielding dividend. That's well below the typical ratio in the pipeline sector, which can be as high as 80%. The company also has one of the top credit ratings in its peer group. That conservative financial profile provides TC Energy with the financial flexibility to expand its pipeline network, with it currently boasting the largest backlog in the sector. Those factors lead TC Energy to believe it can grow its dividend by 8% to 10% next year and at a 5% to 7% annual pace after that, even if market conditions remain weak.

A durable dividend

Electric utility NextEra Energy also generates steady income. That's because the demand for electricity in the areas where it operates has held up relatively well in part because of weather conditions. Meanwhile, customers must buy the power its renewable energy business produces thanks to contractual obligations.

As a result, NextEra fully expects to deliver on its outlook for 2020. It also reaffirmed its long-term forecast, which would see it grow its earnings per share at a 6% to 8% annual rate through 2022. Combine that with its conservative dividend payout ratio and balance sheet, and NextEra expects to increase its 2.4%-yielding dividend at a 10% annual rate through 2022.

A safe and sound payout

Brookfield Renewable Partners also operates assets that are relatively immune to near-term issues in the energy market. That's because it sells the bulk of the renewable electricity it generates under long-term contracts. As a result, it produces reasonably stable cash flow.

Meanwhile, Brookfield pays out a conservative amount of that money to support its 4.2%-yielding dividend. It complements that with a strong balance sheet. That gives it the financial flexibility to expand its operations via acquisitions and development projects. In Brookfield's view, those two growth drivers will help increase its cash flow at a 9% to 16% annual rate through at least 2024, which should support 5% to 9% yearly dividend increases. By growing cash flow faster than the payout, Brookfield will increase the safety of its already sound dividend.

These energy dividends will endure

Many energy companies have had trouble maintaining their dividends because falling prices and volumes affected their cash flow. This trio of dividend-paying energy stocks, however, is reasonably immune to those issues, making their payouts among the safest in the sector since they should endure these challenging times and keep growing in the coming years, even if the economy doesn't bounce back quickly.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said the county is getting closer to opening the beach at Oneida Shores Park in time for Memorial Day weekend.

I think were leaning toward opening up, McMahon said Monday during his daily coronavirus briefing.

Jamesville Beach wont be ready by then, he added.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that state beaches throughout New York will open the Friday before Memorial Day. Local officials have the option to open their beaches as well.

All beaches that open will have to operate under new rules meant to limit the spread of the virus, including limiting visitors to 50% of a sites maximum capacity.

The county still has work to do on a layout for the beach and more plans to make on how to keep people far enough apart from each other, McMahon said.

More mobile testing planned

The countys new mobile coronavirus testing site performed over 300 tests when it was at the former Nojaim Brothers Supermarket on Gifford Street in Syracuse last week. The mobile site was part of the countys effort to proactively test more people for the virus and boost tests enough to meet state reopening requirements.

McMahon said the mobile site will deploy to places where officials dont have enough information about the virus spread. He specifically mentioned towns in the southern part of the county, which have seen few cases so far.

Its unclear whether thats because the virus isnt present there or whether theres simply not enough testing. He didnt offer any details today on new dates or locations for the mobile testing site.

He reminded residents that anyone can now get a test at the Syracuse Community Health Center drive-thru site in Syracuse.

City pools?

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, who appeared with McMahon at todays briefing, said he has been talking with the state about whether city pools might open this summer. Pools were not a part of Cuomos move to open beaches last week.

Opening pools would bring health concerns, but would also create additional expenses for the city, Walsh said.

State officials have told Walsh theyll get back to the city with guidance.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

After mom dies of coronavirus in NYC, Syracuse woman takes on a final promise: a place to rest

Who can get a coronavirus test in NY? Cuomo widely expands eligibility for thousands

Cuomo: No more New York lockdowns planned, even as coronavirus is expected to slowly spread

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
18.05.2020 LISTEN

With countless economies and million livelihoods at ransom as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, countries around the world are looking at ways to keep tourism businesses afloat. In the face of a global pandemic and hotel industry meltdown, it is clear that the hotel industry is sailing into uncharted deep waters. Instances from the US hotel industry (and airlines) came back strong after 9/11 when travellers were afraid of terrorism. Regions affected by the SARS, MERS and Swine Flu outbreaks were followed by similar bounce-backs. But somehow, Covid-19 feels different.

Nonetheless, businesses will return only once employers, employees and travellers feel that it is safe to do so from a health perspective. As the global lockdown concludes and restrictions are being softened, people will be motivated to stretch their legs and therefore will like to spend times outside at destinations that offer some sort of freedom after prolonged lockdown restrictions. This will contribute greater numbers as travellers are assured and convinced of safety protocols at these facilities including hotels. What measures and how will hotels in Ghana consider based on evidence from the past to ensure smooth operations?

Hotels as infection hotspots

Hotels can be a critical component in the evolution and or spread of a local disease outbreak into a global pandemic. The spread of SARS (first coronavirus outbreak) in 2003 became visible to the world when an infected 64-year-old Medical Professor, Dr. Lui Jianlun and his wife from Guangdong checked-into room 911 (renumbered 913) on 21st February, 2003 at the Hotel Metropole (rebranded Metropark) in Kowloon in Hong Kong. They constituted the source of infection for multiple hotel guests who then disseminated the virus to their home countries upon their return. Environmental sampling (using Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR) on the carpet outside their room, and elevator area showed a hot zone which tested positive for the SARS virus, 3 months after their stay in the hotel. Also, during the H1N1-Swine flu virus outbreak, a 25 year old male Mexican (index patient) arrived in Hong Kong and stayed at the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai in 2009 which led to the isolation and quarantining of all guests and staff by the Department of Health in Hong Kong. The hotel became the epicentre for the virus as it marked the first case in Hong Kong and the Asian continent. In the case of Covid-19, a British businessman, Steve Walsh has been identified as a super spreader (a generic term that means someone will disproportionately infect a large number of people with a virus) after contracting the virus at a conference at Singapore Grand Hyatt hotel in January.

Although rebranded 12 years on, a review submitted by Richmond Hill on tripadvisor on December 9, 2015, suggests that the impacts of the virus are still felt. the infamous Room 911 has been rebranded as well, now numbered 913. They are trying to shake the label of what once was. It was indeed 12 years ago, but when you see that they cover the elevator button with plastic and have signs stating that they clean and sterilize this film hourly, well, please understand if this disease or anything like it were ever to return, an hourly cleaning is not going to do anything. It has been only five years after Hills review and it only takes a second to contract the disease from an infected person. Also, a CNBC columnist, Tom Huddleston Jr. on February 16, 2020 added that now, 17 years later, that hotel (Hotel Metropole) is still remembered as the infamous ground zero for one of the worst global disease outbreaks of the century. These accounts put forward that outbreaks can stimulate lasting negative brand image on hospitality facilities, especially hotels.

Adjusting to the new normal

In order for hotels to sustain their businesses, the Hong Kong hotel industry adopted an industry-wide recovery effort and emphasized on mutual support. For such a move to work in Ghana, there must be a unified front for all registered hotels with an authoritative executive body to represent the voice of all hoteliers in the country. Additionally, past experiences have led to calls for better preparedness of the hotel industry for future crises and outbreaks. This means that the industry moving forward will experience a lot of changes to ensure health-wise safety of guests. It has therefore been suggested that the long term impacts will see a highly digitized operations to reduce person-to-person contact, pervasiveness of Covid-19 and any other future outbreaks, provision of extra health assurance and disinfectants. However, the cost intensive nature of such digitization processes, accumulation of health related costs among others will render most hotels in Ghana unable to keep up and the few that can afford will experience resultant hotel job losses. What is clear is that the hotel business may not return to normal in terms of hygiene, cleanliness and distancing as a higher percentage of guests will add up to the formerly germophobe sect. As such, hotels will have to make timely adjustments by emphasizing high hygiene standards, person-to-person contact and general management and operational modifications. Thus, owners must reimagine their businesses as health safety companies first, hospitality providers second.

It is suggested that hoteliers consider the following before opening for business; a) the safety of employees must come first. Once staff are assured and convinced of their safety, they will go every mile to ensure guests adhere to outlined health protocols in order not to put their own safety in jeopardy. b) Create an incident command centre. This will require liaison with qualified health professionals to be at post on the facility to instantly attend to health emergencies. b) Universal precautions and training for employees to reduce chances of contracting disease. This will be defined by the issuance of Clean and Safe certificates that could be instituted by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) as the regulator. This clearance certificate has details outlined in the World Health Organizations interim guidance on the operational considerations for Covid-19 management in the accommodation sector. This Clean and Safe and similar approaches have been adopted by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Singapore (SG Clean certification) and Marriot International (Global Cleanliness Council), and can serve as the primary source documents from which GTA can adapt to suite the Ghanaian industry. c) strict cleaning protocols including for instance, mounting hand sanitizer dispensers inside and outside rooms or near high-touch areas such as elevators and stair wares, providing hand and surface wipes inside rooms so wary guests can perform their own wipe-down whiles in their rooms as well as information on chemicals, disinfectants and cleaning agents used d) investment in technology to support a move towards low-touch and person-to-person interactions such as mobile check-ins, issuance of digital room keys, restaurants will have to do away with physical menus to embrace soft displays on screens, online orders virtual tours of facilities such as itours should take centre stage when it comes to the projection of available hotel facilities on websites etc. e) physical distancing will dominate to eliminate waiting rooms and crowded lobbies. More spaces between tables in in-house restaurants will have to be created. Creation of physical barriers such as plastic barriers, ropes or signage and plexiglass (this has particularly experienced demand hikes as a result of Covid-19 in restaurants, movie theatres, grocery stores, pharmacies/drug stores and even considerations are being made in airline seating to be used as clear partitions between passengers) between employees and guests at highly frequented locations such as front desk, concierge and casinos.

Hoteliers should see the current break in demand streams as a time to reflect and reset their operations in the face of overarching vulnerabilities to infectious disease outbreaks. This is against the strong belief that hotels could provide additional line of defence beyond entry border screening, and they could offer another layer of protection against Covid-19 and any prospective outbreak especially in situations where screening of travellers occur during the incubation period without visible signs to detect infections. As declared by an Executive Director of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Michael Ryan I dont think anyone can predict when or if this disease will disappearit is important to put this on the table---this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communitiesand this virus may never go away. This statement was made following an analogous declaration by the Chief Scientist of WHO claiming that coronavirus could potentially be under control in four or five years time as was reported by the Independent News outlet. It has been almost 2 decades after the Hotel Metropole episode and till date, the hotel is constantly fighting to gain credibility on the eyes of guests. With growing fears over a second outbreak of Covid-19, nations across the globe have planned a gradual lifting of bans in order to pay much attention to avoid such an occurrence, and hoteliers must pay attention to critical details before considering opening for business. Therefore, until such pragmatic modifications are made to reflect the new normal prompted by Covid-19, it is recommended for hoteliers not to be in haste reopening their facilities to customers, be it those from intra or international borders.
Maharashtra Health Minister



Rajesh Tope on Monday sought to understand the Kerala way of fighting the coronavirus pandemic and underlined challenge of ensuring social distancing in congested places like Dharavi, a Mumbai hotspot which has so far recorded over 1,200 cases, his counterpart from the southern state said.

Tope interacted with Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja who has been widely praised for the southern state's robust response to the pandemic and flattening the COVID-19 curve, reflected in low number of cases and fatalities as compared to other states.

In posts from her official Twitter handle @shailajateacher, she said, Maharashtra State health minister Rajesh Tope shared that the challenge in Maharashtra is the inability to ensure social distancing in places like Dharavi.

"Tope was eager to understand our standard operating protocol, guidelines, treatment and testing methods that Kerala has successfully implemented to fight COVID-19," said the Kerala minister, who is popularly known as Shailaja teacher in her state.

"The Maharashtra health minister lauded Kerala's effort in providing best quarantine system and minimising deaths," Shailaja said.

Tope said it is commendable that Kerala has managed to move forward in plasma treatment, according to her.

The Kerala minister also added in one of her tweets that the Maharashtra government and its health department are doing their best to minimise death and prevent the spread of the disease.

Tope also tweeted that he interacted with his Kerala counterpart.

Sharing details of the interaction along with a couple of photographs, Tope said, I interacted with health minister of Kerala K Shailaja and tried to find out additional measures to be undertaken for curbing the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

Dharavi, a sprawling slum colony in Mumbai, has so far reported more than 1,200 COVID-19 cases and 56 deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 rumored to have whooping 4,500mAh battery

New Delhi, Mon, 18 May 2020 Deepak Kumar

The current rumor surfacing online suggests that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 to have a bigger battery with 4,500mAh. The bigger battery capacity in Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will provide more battery life to the device.

According to the recent rumors, upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is expected to come with 4,500mAh battery. The current report claims on the size of the battery to come with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and according to the report this phone is expected to come with 4,500mAh battery.

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 expected to come with a battery of 4,500mAh capacity, which is good enough to run the phone for the longer period of time. These days people are looking for the smartphone with more battery power as people runs heavy games or applications.

According to the GalaxyClub reports, Samsung is planning to bring Samsung Galaxy Note 20 with 4,500 mAh battery. The battery size will have the same size as found in the Galaxy S20.

The battery size is small as compared to the Samsung S20 series device where company provides 5,000mAh battery.

The GalaxyClub reports referrers to the basic Galaxy Note 20 and in this phone this battery capacity seems good.

In Samsung Galaxy Note 20 the battery is seems to be upgrade to the previous 3,500mAh found in the Note 10. The battery life on the Note 10 was not so good, but in Galaxy Note 20 the battery capacity of 4,500mAh is expected to provide longer battery life.

With the more battery power in Note 20, this device will provide more running time. People will be able to use this device for a longer period of time in one charge.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is next smart device from Samsung which is scheduled for release somewhere in August 2020. In coming days we are expecting more leaks and rumors about the specification of this device.

Samsung might come up with more details about this device before actual launch of the device. This phone is scheduled to be released in August this year, but the actual release date is still to be announced by the company.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Toughest day?

As New Mexicos fight against the coronavirus pandemic stretches from weeks into months, state Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel cant pick one day tougher than others.

But there have been days that have been more challenging, more frustrating.

Relentless days, days when I dont move from my computer from 6:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., 14- and 15-hour days, days when I feel Im not measuring up, not doing all that I could, Kunkel said.

But she fears that she may not yet have had her toughest day.

We have not peaked yet, she said. We dont know yet what New Mexicos future looks like.

Kunkel, 68, is the widow of Dr. James Michael Kunkel, who was chief of vascular surgery at University of New Mexico Hospital.

Cabinet Secretary Kunkels training is in social work and law. She earned a law degree from the University of New Mexico in 2003.

However, she has a lot of experience in New Mexicos health community. Kunkel worked eight years at UNMs Health Sciences Center, starting as a pediatric social worker and then moving on to assistant director of care management services.

She was an assistant attorney general for New Mexico from 2004 to 2007. And she worked for seven years in different areas of the Department of Health, four of those years as deputy director at the Developmental Disabilities Division, before Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed her DOH secretary in January 2019.

I was ready to retire, Kunkel said in a recent phone interview. Im no spring chicken. But I have such respect for the governor.

The Health Department has eight divisions and 3,000 employees, the largest workforce of any state department.

Its hard enough to run on a good day, Kunkel said. And then coronavirus came.

She said she is fortunate that the departments staff is made up of dedicated people, many of whom have been with the department for many years.

But it would not be truthful if I said (fighting the pandemic) is not a problem, she said. It is hard to find balance in my life. It is very stressful, emotionally draining.

Testing is key

New Mexico has had 5,938 coronavirus cases and 265 coronavirus deaths.

There have been 133,253 coronavirus tests in the state.

In the overall battle, knowing where the virus is and catching it first is the only weapon we have, she said. To do as many tests as we have done is a positive thing and has made a difference.

The virus came later to New Mexico than to some other states. Kunkel said the state started testing Feb. 28 and did not get a positive result until March 11.

We got ahead on testing, she said.

Not that there were not rough spots in the process, especially early.

It was a struggle to get supplies, Kunkel said. It was a struggle to get nasal swabs for collecting specimens and then to get the ingredients for testing the specimens at the lab. We were competing with our sister states, which was really painful.

She said supplies have been less of a problem recently because the federal government has stepped up to help.

Health Department officials said Sunday that the state was able to administer more than 5,000 tests a day. They have said their goal is to reach more than 7,000 tests per day, a rate that is one of the keys to further reopening the state.

Testing is what we have until we get a vaccine, she said.

Strong action

Other than testing, Kunkel said, the major component in New Mexicos campaign against the pandemic has been the courage to take strong action. Closing schools early is one such example, she said. Another was implementing emergency measures for more than a week earlier this month in Gallup, restricting business hours and closing roads into the city to nonresidents.

Gallup is the county seat of McKinley County, which has 3.5% of the states population but 30% of its COVID-19 cases.

New Mexico can be proud of (the tough calls), she said. But the other part of that puzzle is that you have to support the people affected through unemployment (benefits) and with food services and water.

She knows that the limitations of life with coronavirus are difficult for everyone.

I appreciate peoples frustrations. Its beautiful weather out there. People are getting outside, and some people are not wearing masks. People have to appreciate the restrictions. Masks help.

More recently, Kunkel said, the Department of Health has been focusing on special populations  the homeless, people with mental illnesses, people with substance abuse problems.

If you get sick, you are told to go home and self-isolate, and DOH will call you every day, she said.

But what if you dont have a home to go to or are not able to function as most people do?

Kunkel said the Health Department is working with Gallup, Farmington and Albuquerque to make housing available to this especially vulnerable segment of people.

The real protection is to keep the virus out, she said.

Sleepless nights

Kunkel was born into a family of accountants in the Detroit area. She became interested in social work because her parents opened their home to foster children.

She got a bachelors degree in sociology from the College of Mount St. Joseph, now Mount St. Joseph University, near Cincinnati, and a masters in social work from Michigan State University.

She moved to New Mexico in the late 1980s when her husband went to work for UNM Hospital. Dr. Kunkel died in 1990, just before his 40th birthday, leaving Kathy Kunkel the widowed mother of a daughter and two sons.

So tough times are not new to her.

She managed a career, continued her education and raised her children. Her daughter is a biophysicist in San Diego, one son is a geneticist in Albuquerque and the other a nurse in Vermont.

She is working from her Albuquerque home during the coronavirus crisis, getting up at 5 a.m. and starting each day with a 6:15 a.m. phone meeting with Katrina Hotrum-Lopez, secretary of New Mexicos Aging and Long-Term Services Department.

We talk about issues. We have a testing plan for long-term care facilities, Kunkel said.

Communication, she said, is a major challenge: trying to stay on the same page with the many others using, looking for and allocating resources in the coronavirus battle.

There are lots of meetings now, a lot of meetings, she said. And there are some sleepless nights.

Long road

Kunkel said she is bolstered by the publics support, the encouraging emails she receives, the people who leave gifts such as a cheese and wine basket at her door.

My neighbors across the street found out I had jelly beans for dinner one night, and since then they cook me dinner every night.

Shes grateful because shes on a long road with blind curves.

I have not found a point yet, she said, when I can take my foot off the pedal.
There is a mystery that hangs over Giuseppe Conte, of how an unassuming professor few expected to last became a political survivor and, at the height of the covid pandemic, had more power than any Italian leader since Benito Mussolini.

It's all the more intriguing when you consider he has no power base of his own and looked out of his depth at key moments of the crisis. And yet, as he gives Italians more freedoms for the summer after more than two months of lockdown, the prime minister is the most popular politician in the country, wielding emergency powers that lawmakers never even got to vote on.

"I have been accused of being a dictator, paternalist, illiberal," he told reporters on Saturday evening. "It seems to me that when this government needs to show its face and take responsibility, it has never failed."

The thing that keeps coming up in conversations with government officials and politicians of all stripes is a certain chameleon-like quality that has enabled the so-called "lawyer of the people" to front a euroskeptic coalition and then to keep the country in line as a figure of the Italian establishment. What's more, he is someone the European Union has realized it can reason with.

"Conte was born as a compromise but he's managed to become indispensable," said Roberto D'Alimonte, who teaches politics at Rome's Luiss University. "That's pretty exceptional for a prime minister without a party of his own."

He's never won a national vote, but Conte has established solid relationships with both President Donald Trump and Germany's Angela Merkel and outlived his early political sponsors to become an unexpected source of stability for both Italy and the EU as his country is battered by the coronavirus. There's no general election due until 2023, though Italian governments are often short-lived and Conte's second coalition has been shaky since it came together last year.

The 55-year-old's high-wire act in charge of Europe's fourth-biggest economy looked like it might have run its course toward the end of April, when stir-crazy Italians saw a pale and exhausted prime minister live on television struggling to explain why he still had to keep many things shut down. His government's plan for another 55 billion euros ($60 billion) of spending to keep companies and families afloat also seemed to take an age to get approved by a squabbling cabinet.

Yet here he is. He's taken some knocks but has come out the other side.

"We are taking a calculated risk, aware that the contagion curve could rise again," he said, in the courtyard of his official Rome residence. "We are taking this risk and we have to accept it, otherwise we could not restart. We cannot wait for a vaccine."

Conte, who will address the Rome parliament on Thursday on the virus emergency, appealed to Italians in an open letter published by newspaper Leggo on Monday to respect health and safety rules as they edge back toward some kind of normalcy. He urged them to wear protective masks on public transport as well as in shops and other closed spaces, and respect one-meter social distancing.

The prime minister's unexpected political career has been a series of calculated risks.

Parachuted into office from Florence University law faculty in 2018, he became the unlikely choice to head a coalition of populists who simply could not agree on who should lead and wanted someone they could control. Instead, he's outlasted them all and kept the peace with the EU as Brexit was unfurling.

There were revealing glimpses of steel at the outset.

As Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League and Luigi di Maio's anti-establishment Five Star Movement put the finishing touches to their coalition in a meeting at the parliament in Rome, party officials were somewhat surprised to see the prime minister-elect acting as if he was really running the show, according to one person who was present.

As each Cabinet nominee was read out, Conte smacked the palm of his right hand on the desk to signal his agreement.

The due diligence Five Star and the League had done on Conte before he was plucked from academic obscurity suggested he was the type of character who would ultimately do as he was told. So they put his attitude that day down to the clumsiness of a novice.

If only they had thought of sounding out Conte's boss in Florence. "I knew Giuseppe as a mild, calm character," recalled Patrizia Giunti, who was head of the law faculty at the time. "But if he cared about something, he would push for it."

From the start, Conte made commitments to European integration that riled his political backers and cut his coalition partners out of negotiations over economic policy, according to the League's euroskeptic lawmaker Claudio Borghi, head of the lower house's budget committee.

During the fall of 2018, Salvini and Di Maio courted a confrontation with the EU by threatening to breach its fiscal rules. Conte persuaded them to trim their spending enough to engineer a settlement.

Officials from both parties said they were taken aback. "We soon found out Conte had his own agenda," Borghi said in an interview.

The danger for Conte, and for his EU partners, is that he may not be able to keep a lid on Italian euroskepticism forever. Public opposition to the EU has been growing for years and it increased sharply during the initial weeks of the Covid crisis because Italians felt abandoned by their neighbors. If the government did fall, Salvini, who threatened to pull the country out of the EU in March, would start as favorite to win.

For now though, Conte has strengthened his grip.

Salvini took the League into opposition in the summer of 2019 after Conte thwarted his attempt to take over as premier and Di Maio clings on as foreign minister despite being pushed aside as Five Star leader. At the G-7 summit in the posh French sea resort of Biarritz, Conte appeared to be a lame duck.

Instead, he discovered he had friends in high places. Trump praised him as a "a very talented man" and took an unusual step of supporting Conte even when Salvini, who styled himself unashamedly himself on Trump with an "Italy First" slogan, had made a clear bid for power.

Di Maio himself is at a loss to explain why the premier is so popular within Five Star ranks, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Polls show Conte is Italy's favorite politician - though the League is still the party with most support.

He's still embroiled in the most desperate battle to keep Italy afloat, with the lockdown triggering the worst recessions since World War II. He's struggling to get the money from his first stimulus package through the state bureaucracy to the people who need it and his chaotic reopening plan has left business owners tearing their hair out.

"It's unbelievable that after two months we still don't have clear guidelines," Alessandro Cavo, a restaurant owner in the old town of Genoa, said in a phone interview. "If the government's aim is to destroy the restaurant business, we can definitely say 'well done.'"

But he has the support of his EU colleagues, who learned that they can rely on him during his almost two years in office. Many European leaders had minimal expectations for his premiership and they respect the way he's prevented factions in his governments from doing too much damage at a European level, according to a Brussels-based diplomat.

At summit meetings in Brussels he's chatted into the early hours over beers with Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. The German chancellor appreciates his charm while noting his lack of experience, according to a German official. At Davos, he asked for five minutes of her time over an espresso. "Certainly, that would be fantastic. A coffee is better if an Italian asks for it," she replied.

She has been surprised by how aggressively he lobbied for joint euro-area debt issuance to fund Italy's recovery, but she also realizes he is under a great deal of domestic pressure, said the official.

For those paying attention, that mix of flattery and grit has been the secret of Conte's success.
SoftBank Group Corp CEO Masayoshi Son on Monday pinned his hopes on a small group of "winged unicorns" to save the performance of his $100 billion Vision Fund - although he gave few clues on which ones they would be.

Announcing a record annual loss for his tech conglomerate, and an $18 billion shortfall at the Saudi-backed Vision Fund, Son told an earnings presentation on Monday that tech unicorns had plunged into the "valley of the coronavirus".

But he said a smaller number of the tech companies would make it and could eventually account for 90% of the value of the portfolio.

He showed a slide where cartoon unicorns were falling down a hole as a lone winged unicorn flew to safety on the other side.

The 62-year-old businessman offered few clues as to which of the fund's 88 portfolio companies would eventually succeed.

Son said winners from the current crisis included companies in food delivery, online medical services, video streaming and online shopping. Overall, the pandemic has been a disaster for the fund.

"If Son had a good idea of what these companies are he would have singled them out," said Amir Anvarzadeh, market strategist at Asymmetric Advisors.

SoftBank has limited exposure to areas like online education and streaming, with TikTok parent Bytedance one notable exception. In food delivery, there has been demand from locked-down consumers but vendors also have faced disruptions, including being forced to shut down.

Uber and similar portfolio companies have been hammered by a slump in their core ride-hailing business.

Online medical services, such as Ping An Healthcare and Technology, have seen an upswing, although questions remain over the broader application of this type of healthcare technology.

Son's thesis that a small number of hits can make up for other failures is typically applied to early-stage investment, because there's greater potential upside.

But the Vision Fund has focused on late-stage startups, meaning there may be less uplift.

ISOLATED EMPIRE

Son's business empire is "becoming increasingly isolated," Mio Kato, analyst at LightStream Research wrote in a note on the Smartkarma platform.

Long-time ally Jack Ma is exiting SoftBank's board and Son, under pressure from U.S. activist fund Elliott Management, has been forced to sell down his Alibaba stake to fund share buybacks.

SoftBank has also been unable to secure further cash from the Vision Fund's big backers like Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund due to poor performance.

Without more funds "Softbank can't raise its mark to market values by throwing more good money after bad," Kato wrote. The fund's portfolio slipped underwater at March-end.

On Monday, Son repeated his pledge of no bailouts for struggling parts of the portfolio, although there are funds in reserve for "follow-on" investments.

A stark change of tone from Son was reserved for WeWork, which as recently as November he said was heading for a rapid recovery.

The largest portfolio companies "have a relatively good chance of passing through the valley of the coronavirus," Son said.

"The exception is WeWork."
Goldman Sachs company logo

The economic package announced by the Narendra Modi government over the past few days to help economic recovery is unlikely to have an immediate impact on growth, said Goldman Sachs in a report released on Sunday, saying that it now estimates real GDP to fall by 5 percent in fiscal year 2021.

There have been a series of structural reform announcements across several sectors over the past few days. These reforms are more medium-term in nature, and we therefore do not expect these to have an immediate impact on reviving growth. We will continue to monitor their implementation to gauge their effect on the medium-term outlook for the Indian economy, said Goldman Sachs in a report.

It added that the -5 percent growth we forecast for FY21 would be deeper compared to all recessions India has ever experienced, Goldman Sachs said. On May 12, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced that Government will unveil Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus to help the economy fight the COVID-19 slowdown.

But, going by the details announced by union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the past five days, it shows that the actual stimulus amount was much less.

According to Goldman Sachs, the aggregate discretionary component of fiscal support announced by finance ministry, including Rs 1.7 lakh crore package announced March, stands at 1.3 percent of GDP ($2.7 lakh crore), much smaller than the aggregate figure of 10 percent of GDP (Rs 20 lakh crore) announced by the Prime Minister.

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 weaker economic outlook reflects the extremely poor economic data we have received so far for March and April, and the continued lockdown measures, which are among the most stringent across the world, Goldman Sachs said.

It further said: We expect a strong sequential mechanical rebound in Q3. However, beyond Q3, we expect only a gradual recovery, as the targeted policy support continues to be tepid compared to other emerging economies, and far less than most advanced economies, the report said.

India has been under a lockdown since March 25 with most of the economic activities except essential services came to a halt leading to economic distress and job losses. The government has now extended the lockdown to May 31.
BANGALORE, India, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- E-Learning refers to learning via electronic technologies to access curriculum outside of a traditional classroom. In most cases, this refers to a complete online course or degree.

E-Learning programs take priority over traditional learning methods because of their potential to minimize training costs depending on the overall curriculum and factors such as off shoring, model delivery, and content selection, as well as learning management systems (LMS).

The global e-Learning market size was 171 Billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.85% during 2019 to 2025.

In comparison to traditional methods, e-Learning often provides additional qualitative advantages in the form of learning anytime anywhere, access to worldwide mentoring tools for optimal skill growth, and administration as well as control of the training calendar from various locations.

This research provides the empirical analysis of the demand outlook for e-Learning, along with emerging developments and potential forecasts to assess the imminent pockets of investment. The research will also cover the impact of COVID -19 pandemic.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GLOBAL E-Learning MARKET SIZE

Increased adoption of e-Learning in corporate & academic set-ups, constructive government policies to encourage e-Learning in emerging markets, advances in technology in smart education & e-Learning, increase in the number of mobile learning applications, are some of the major factors that are expected to increase the e-Learning market size.

Mobile learning, micro learning, social learning, and corporate MOOCs are the latest trends that raise industry revenues for e-Learning. The rising demand from various end-user industries, such as healthcare, to train their employees drives the growth of the e-Learning market size.

E-Learning is a gamification leveraging technique that easily collates the tracking progress of students and improves their interactions with educators and other students. In addition, gamification is increasing e-Learning popularity due to the need for systems such as LMS and analytics. These systems are generally used to understand and upgrade the learning process. This increasing incorporation of gamified learning into the e-Learning the system is expected to increase the e-Learning market size

Cloud-based e-learning platforms offer significant reductions in costs, allowing users to access information over the Internet, removing the need for heavy software and applications to be downloaded. This adoption of the cloud-based model is expected to increase the e-learning market size during the forecast period.

On the global e-learning market, the corporate training sector provides an excellent investment opportunity for vendors. Large businesses can be early adopters in mature markets as their training programs, and content covers compliance, IT management, and industry-related courses. Most companies concentrate on facilitating collaboration and information transfer between remote teams, improving functional skills, exchanging cross-domain expertise, and training for entry-level workers and newcomers.

Furthermore, due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the education programs have been shifted online, and there has been an increase in the number of users who have started to pursue an additional degree to enhance their knowledge. This has, in turn, impacted the e-Learning market, and a steep rise is expected.

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E-Learning MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

During the forecast period, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth rate that will give market vendors many opportunities. Digital literacy and awareness of the benefits of using smart devices in modern classrooms will have a major effect on the growth of the e-Learning market share in this region.

North America's e-Learning market share accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global e-Learning market. Furthermore, the region is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period due to adoption among organizations to provide effective training to their employees. The corporate sectors are effectively engaged in enhancing their employee training programs that can lead to higher productivity.

E-Learning MARKET SEGMENTATION

E-Learning Market by Region

The major regions covered in the report are

North America

Europe

China

Rest of Asia Pacific

Central & South America

Middle East

Africa .

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E-Learning Market by Types

e-Learning solutions

e-Learning system.

E-Learning Market by Applications

K-12

Higher education

Corporate.

The e-Learning key manufacturers in this market include:

Adobe

Blackboard

Cisco

Instructure

NIIT

Pearson

Others.

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

 Academic E-Learning Market Report

The global Academic e-Learning Market size was 103.8 Billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.23% during 2019 - 2025.

A key factor driving the Academic e-Learning Market size is the rise in higher education e-Learning enrolments. The proliferation of digital learning tool providers such as content providers, learning management systems, and developments in technology have revolutionized e-Learning on a global scale. Due to factors such as flexible formats for courses, certifications, and degree programs that promote job placement, professional development, and advanced studies, the number of e-Learning enrolments has increased significantly.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3J253/academic-e-learning

 Corporate E-Learning Market Report

The global Corporate e-Learning Market size was 64.4 Billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.16% during 2019  2025.

The on-premise deployment segment holds the largest corporate e-Learning market share. This method of implementation helps the company to have complete control over all e-Learning components. Large businesses that find training to be an integral part of their overall business model prefer this form of deployment.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3N254/corporate-e-learning

 Blended E-Learning Market Report

The global Blended e-Learning Market size was 128 Billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.14% during 2019 - 2025.

Blended e-Learning is an educational program that combines digital online media with traditional methods in the classroom. It needs both teacher and student physical presence, with some elements of student control over time, place, etc. Although the students attend brick-and-mortar schools with a teacher, face-to-face classroom experiences are mixed with computer-mediated content. Mixed learning is also used in career development and training settings.

This report studies the market size of Blended e-Learning by participants, countries, product types and end industries, historical data for 2014-2018, and forecast data for 2019-2025. This report also studies the global competitive environment, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, distribution channels, distributors, and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0K244/blended-e-learning

 E-Learning Services Market Report:

This report studies the e-Learning services market size by players, countries, product types and end industries, historical data for 2014-2018, and forecast data for 2019-2025. Furthermore, this report analyses the global competitive environment, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks, and barriers to entry, distribution channels, distributors, and Porter's Five Forces Analytics.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-8V2466/global-e-learning-services

 E-Learning Courses Market Report

This report studies the e-Learning Courses Market size by players, countries, product types and end industries, historical data for 2014-2018, and forecast data for 2019-2025. Furthermore, this report analyses the global competitive environment, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks, and barriers to entry, distribution channels, distributors, and Porter's Five Forces Analytics.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-8F2440/global-e-learning-courses

 E-Learning Virtual Reality (VR) Market Report

Designers of e-Learning VR programs create an atmosphere that is enjoyable for learners, allowing them to experience practical environmental simulation. However, heavy hardware investments can somewhat restrict the global e-Learning Virtual Reality Market size.

In addition, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to generate several lucrative business opportunities in the coming years for learning assistance. AI is useful for the prediction of learner behavior and for personalized learning. This also aids in repairing a training cycle and in implementing positive learning habits such as self-explication and self-regulation.

This report studies the e-Learning VR Market size by players, countries, product types and end industries, historical data for 2014-2018, and forecast data for 2019-2025. Furthermore, this report analyses the global competitive environment, market drivers and patterns, opportunities and challenges, risks, and barriers to entry, distribution channels, distributors, and Porter's Five Forces Analytics.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3O250/e-learning-virtual-reality

 Online Learning Market Report

The global Online Learning Market size was 171 Billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.85% during 2019 - 2025.

Online learning provides the learner freedom to learn from anywhere, at any time, as most online educational tools are portable. The corporate segment in the online learning market is expected to show tremendous growth during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the less cost-intensive training model. This growing adoption of online learning by corporates, coupled with technological advancements, is expected to increase the online learning market size.

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It helped me understand that every single person has something that theyre dealing with, whether you can see it or not, said Beilstein, a third-grade teacher at South Shore Elementary School in Crownsville, Md., and The Washington Posts 2020 Teacher of the Year. Now in her seventh year as a teacher, she was chosen from 21 finalists from the District, Maryland and Virginia.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,029 and the number of cases to 96,169 in the country on Monday, registering an increase of 157 deaths and a record jump of 5,242 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry.

IMAGE: A woman carries her child on her back as migrants wait for transportation to reach their native place during the COVID-19 lockdown in Varanasi. Photograph: ANI Photo

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 56,316, while 36,823 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said. "Thus, around 38.29 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said.



The total confirmed cases include foreign nationals too, the ministry said.

Of the 157 deaths deaths reported since Sunday morning, 63 were in Maharashtra, 34 in Gujarat, 31 in Delhi, six in West Bengal, five each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, four in Tamil Nadu, three in Punjab and one each from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Odisha.

Of the 3,029 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,198 deaths. Gujarat comes second with 659 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 248, West Bengal at 238, Delhi at 160, Rajasthan at 131, Uttar Pradesh at 104,Tamil Nadu at 78 and Andhra Pradesh at 50.



The death toll has reached 37 in Karnataka, 35 in Punjab and 34 in Telangana.

IMAGE: Volunteers distribute food to the poor and needy in Mustafabad area in New Delhi, India. COVID-19 is spreading at a worrying rate in the country. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images

Haryana has reported 14 fatalities due to the disease. Jammu and Kashmir has 13 deaths, while Bihar has registered eight and Kerala and Odisha each have reported four deaths.



Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three COVID-19 fatalities each, while Assam has reported two deaths.



Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Puducherry have reported one fatality each, according to the data shared by the ministry.



According to the ministry's website, more than 70 per cent of the deaths are due to co-morbidities, the existence of multiple disorders in the same person.

According to the health ministry data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 33,053, followed by Gujarat at 11,379, Tamil Nadu at 11,224, Delhi at 10,054 Rajasthan at 5,202, Madhya Pradesh at 4,977 and Uttar Pradesh at 4,259.



The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 2,677 in West Bengal, 2,407 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,964 in Punjab.

IMAGE: Migrant workers walk on a bridge after they were stopped by police while returning to their native places in New Delhi. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images

It has risen to 1,551 in Telangana, 1,262 in Bihar, 1,183 in Jammu and Kashmir, 1,147 in Karnataka and 910 in Haryana.



Odisha has reported 828 coronavirus infection cases so far, while Kerala has 601 cases. A total of 223 people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 191 in Chandigarh.



Tripura has reported 167 cases, Assam 101, Uttarakhand 92, Chhattisgarh 86, Himachal Pradesh 80 and Ladakh 43.



Thirty-three COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.



Goa has reported 29 COVID-19 cases, while Meghalaya and Puducherry have registered 13 cases each.



Manipur has seven cases. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadar and Nagarn Haveli have reported a case each till how.



"410 cases are being reassigned to states," the ministry said on its website, adding "our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR".



State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.
Modified On May 18, 2020 02:23 PM By Sonny for Nissan Kicks

The Thai-spec Kicks gets Nissans e-Power hybrid powertrain that combines a tiny petrol engine with an electric motor

Nissan Kicks launched in Thailand previews global facelift.

The 2020 Kicks gets a revised front fascia and new powertrain.

Nissan e-Power consists of an electric motor, a petrol engine and a battery.

India-spec Nissan Kicks could borrow cosmetic updates seen on the Thai-spec SUV.

Nissan has launched the Kicks in Thailand for the first time and it happens to be a special one. The Thai-spec Kicks packs Nissans e-Power technology, making it an hybrid SUV that doesnt require external charging at all. The Thai-spec model gets a revised design and could very well be a preview of the global facelift.

Nissans e-Power system consists of an electric motor, a small displacement petrol engine, an inverter and a tiny battery. The electric motor drives the wheels while the engine acts as a generator to charge the battery while on the move which eliminates the need for an external charger. It allows the Kicks to drive like an EV without the range anxiety and be relatively cleaner too.

The Kickss e-Power setup uses a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol unit as the generator and the electric motor offers 126PS and 260Nm of performance. Battery pack capacity stands at 1.57kWh. The Nexon Electric, for reference, has a 30.2kWh battery back. As it needs to be refueled instead of charging, the fuel efficiency of the engine is said to be around 23kmpl.

In terms of the cosmetic updates, the new Kicks SUV comes with a revised front fascia. It looks sportier than before with sleeker LED headlamps, bigger V-motion grille with black surround and new bumper design. The rear end seems mostly unchanged with new LED elements for the taillamps and the Thai-spec model has the rear skid plate integrated into the body-coloured bumper.

The cabin of the Thai-spec Nissan Kicks is similar to the one sold in South and North American markets and is slightly different from the India-spec model. The central AC vents are positioned above the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is embedded into the dashboard and doesnt seem as awkward as the free standing unit in the current India-spec Kicks SUV. Theres a semi-digital instrument cluster with a 7-inch TFT display, a flat-bottom steering wheel and updated centre console for the e-Power drivetrain. Other features on the Nissan Kicks facelift include six airbags, active safety systems like front collision warning and rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, auto headlamps, 360-degree camera and engine start-stop button.

While the Kicks e-Power and its hybrid powertrain are unlikely to come to India, Nissan could refresh the model sold here by borrowing design cues from the latter. We expect it to go on sale in 2021. Nissan had previously stated it will study the feasibility of the e-Power tech in India, but so far no announcement has been made regarding its introduction. Thailand happens to be the second market to locally produce the e-Power tech after Japan. Just to give a price reference, the Thai-spec Nissan Kicks e-Power starts from Rs 21 lakh (converted 889,000 baht).

The India-spec Kicks SUV was recently updated with BS6 engines including a new 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine, making it the most powerful model in the segment at 156PS. The BS6 Kicks has been recently launched with prices ranging between Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 14.15 lakh (ex-showroom, India). It will continue to rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Renault Duster.

Read More on : Nissan Kicks diesel
Tamil Nadu: Pulicat fisherfolk keep out Covid-19, fight to survive

May 18,2020 | Source: The Times of India

Thirty-two fishing hamlets in Pazhaverkadu, or Pulicat, about 50km from Chennai, have become model villages, untouched by the raging Covid-19 pandemic. They are, however, struggling to survive. The norms have been strictly implemented and the residents have cooperated fully, said P Ethiraj, head of Arangamkuppam hamlet.



When the lockdown began on March 24, fearing that they would not be able to find agents to sell their catch, the fishermen decided against putting out to sea. The common net available to the community was pledged for Rs 5 lakh. Each family was given Rs 1,000 in cash and some groceries. The fisheries department provided fishing ban subsidy of Rs 5,000 and the state government gave Rs 1,000 to each family as lockdown assistance. But this was not enough to help sustain the fishermen families, said Ethiraj.



Now, most families are struggling and have been unable to bring their plight to the attention of the authorities concerned. G Rajalakshmi, president of the womens self-help group at Goonangkuppam village under Light House panchayat, said the state government had provided for free 20kg of free rice, atta, oil, sugar and dhal to each family. But, of the 20kg rice only 5kg was raw rice and was of good quality. The rest was of very poor quality. Many complained of health problems. We have been unable to cook and eat three times a day, she said.



Rajalakshmi said the villagers wanted to complain to civil supplies department authorities about the poor quality of ration items and to the fisheries department about their poor condition but no officials had visited the area because of the lockdown. Unlike the fishermen in Chennai district, most of who own fibreboats and have been able to put out to sea to catch fish, those in Pazhaverkadu have been struggling at home, Ethiraj said. Fisheries department staff and district administration officials should make a visit to the fishing hamlets in Pazhaverkadu to understand the pathetic conditions, he said.
Connecticut officials released new guidelines Monday for dental offices that plan to start offering teeth cleaning and other non-emergency procedures as other businesses are slated to reopen later this week.

While Gov. Ned Lamont never ordered dental practices to close completely, deeming them essential parts of the workforce as other businesses were forced to close or work from home in mid-March, dentists were strongly advised to limit their work to emergency procedures only.

Several practices told the governors office they plan to start offering elective procedures once again, as the state begins reopening Wednesday. That led Lamonts office to draw together a group of dentistry professionals and officials from the Department of Public Health, according to a press release from the governors office.

Having representatives from each of these groups collaboratively develop these protocols was an important step forward so that all of their concerns could be heard and addressed, Gov. Lamont said in a statement Monday.

Under the guidelines, dentists offices are expected to post signs reminding patients to wear masks and reminding staff to stay home if theyre sick.

Dentists are expected to calculate how much personal protective equipment they will need for staff, and keep a two-week supply on hand under the new guidelines before they begin providing non-emergency procedures again.

Anything patients might touch in dentistry waiting rooms - including magazines - are supposed to be removed, and offices should provide touch-less payment options, according to the guidelines.

The guidelines also outline cleaning checklists and plans dentists are expected to keep, as well as detailed records of who staff and patients interact with in case the information is needed to help with contact tracing.

The new rules come as Gov. Lamont has faced repeated questions from members of the press about the health and safety of dental hygienists going back to work during his daily news briefings.

The success of this effort is owed to each members extensive and continuous hard work, commitment to professionalism, advocacy for their constituencies, and common goal of protecting the health and safety of the dental workforce and patients, Gov. Lamont said in Mondays press release. Our group of professionals at the Department of Public Health have been incredibly thorough and thoughtful during this pandemic, and this is yet another example of their incredible hard work on behalf of the residents of our state.
Three outlets of food court staple Hero Sushi and five staff members have been fined a record $891,000 for underpaying workers and attempting to cover up the wrongdoing.

An audit in 2016 by the Fair Work Ombudsman found 94 Hero Sushi employees at stores in the Canberra Centre, Westfield Kotara and Australia Fair on the Gold Coast, many of whom were international students and migrant workers, had been underpaid just over $700,000.

A Federal Court judge said Hero Sushi underpaid its workers to boost profits. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

"This is a case about greed and the exploitation of the vulnerable," Federal Court Justice Geoffrey Flick found on Monday. "Those in a position to ruthlessly take advantage of others pursued their goal of seeking to achieve greater profits at the expense of employees."

One worker told the court of working 60-hour weeks and being afraid of losing her job if she gave in to fatigue. Another said she accepted the wages because she was living out of home due to a family breakdown and had to support herself.
Lead vocalist Shaheen Salmani of the Delhi-based Sufi rock band Rocknaama has been actively talking about lockdown woes and raising awareness around issues pertaining to the marginalized amid the coronavirus pandemic. She recently held an online gig with Delhi Youth Welfare Association, a not-for-profit organisation, to raise funds and awareness about the daily wage workers and migrant labourers. You see so many videos of migrant workers walking for hundreds of kilometres without food or water. There is no conveyance; even if there are provisions, they are being duped and charged more by people who are taking advantage of their condition, she says. Drawing attention to the plight of this workforce, she adds, The policies are framed but are not showing results on the ground. Jinke paas khaane ke paise nahi hain voh aapko fare kahaan se denge. They have nothing to eat aur daal-roti-chawal koi exotic demand nahi hai.

Her video garnered over 10k views and helped raise 35,000 so far . The intention and hard work notwithstanding, artistes are bound to get hate mail. There will always be trolls and hate-mongers, but if I am able to help even ten people, my work is done. Every voice counts, she says while encouraging people to do their bit.



Read: Coronavirus hits Indie music scene, artistes take gigs online

With industries adapting to the new normal, indie musicians like her are also finding ways to cope with the changing times. I shot a video in my backyard and recorded the song at home. Fans would understand even if the production quality is not up to the mark. Content would matter over technology, she opines.

Interact with Etti Bali @TheBalinian

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Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine welcomed their first child together - daughter Harper May - earlier this month.

And on Monday, Karl, 45, let slip that Jasmine's mother Cheryl was still living with the couple in Sydney, 18 days after his wife gave birth.

While hosting Nine's Today show on Monday, he joked: 'My mother-in-law is still living with me... She has got to go back home at some point.'

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'She's still living with me': Karl Stefanovic jokingly pleaded with Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to lift border closures so his mother-in-law can 'go back home' on Monday

Karl's made the joke during a conversation with Queensland's premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about the state's border closures.

The border between NSW and QLD has been closed since April, but the premier said this may likely be reviewed at the end of May.

After joking about his mother-in-law being stuck in New South Wales, Karl did clarify she's been a tremendous help to both him and wife Jasmine, 36, with their newborn.

'She's a great help, I love her,' he insisted with a chuckle.

Just jokes! While hosting Nine's Today show on Monday, he joked: 'My mother-in-law is still living with me... She has got to go back home at some point'

'She's a great help, I love her': After joking about his mother-in-law being stuck in New South Wales, Karl did clarify she's been a tremendous help to both him and wife Jasmine, 36, with their newborn

Jasmine gave birth to the couple's first daughter in a luxury maternity suite in Sydney on May 1, and they took their baby home from the hospital on May 6.

The shoe designer's family, who usually reside in Queensland, travelled interstate for the milestone moment and have not been able to go home.

Not only has Jasmine's mother been by her side since giving birth, but her sister Jade also appears to be staying close by at the moment.

Family: Not only has Jasmine's mother been by her side since giving birth, but her sister Jade also appears to be staying close by at the moment

Sweet: Karl and Jasmine welcomed Harper May on May 1. Pictured: Jasmine with her daughter

Earlier this month, Jasmine thanked her mother for her support in a sweet Mother's Day tribute on Instagram.

She also took the time to acknowledge her new mother-in-law, Karl's mother Jenny.

'It's my first Mother's Day and my heart is so full because of you Harper May,' gushed Jasmine, sharing a picture of herself nursing Harper.

'Everything hurts. I'm tired. Emotional': Karl returned to his duties on the Today earlier this month after taking 10 days off following Harper's birth on May 1. Pictured with Allison Langdon (right)

Karl returned to his duties on the Today earlier this month after taking 10 days off following Harper's birth on May 1.

'Everything hurts. I'm tired. Emotional,' he confessed on his first day back at work.

He joked that it was much easier being back on TV than at home, laughing: 'I'd go home, but it's too much work!'

He also said wife Jasmine was taking to newfound motherhood 'in her stride', with their daughter feeding well and sleeping three hours on, three hour off.

Karl is already a father to three older children, Jackson, 20, Ava, 15, and River, 13, whom he shares with ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn.
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, wildlife conservationists in Assam released 14 captive-bred pygmy hogs in the jungles of Manas National Park, giving a boost to the conservation efforts in saving the world's smallest and rarest pig species in the wild.

The original stock of the critically endangered pigs was captured from Manas, 24 years ago for conservation breeding owing to the threat posed to the wild existence of the mammal, mainly due to increasing human activities.

"This is a significant milestone in the effort to save one of the most endangered mammals in the world through conservation breeding. The iconic species now return to their home, where the original population still survives, albeit dramatically declined. With this, the number of pygmy hogs reintroduced into the wild has reached 130 (62 males, 68 females), which is more than their current original global wild population," a statement issued by Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) said on Monday.

The captive-bred pygmy hogs were released in the Bhuyanapara range of Manas National Park, bordering Bhutan between May 14 and 17.

PHCP is a collaborative project involving Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, IUCN/SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Assam forest department, Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change, Govt of India, EcoSystems-India and Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation group in Assam.

The captive breeding project of PHCP began using six wild hogs captured from the last surviving population of the species in Manas in 1996 and currently holds almost the entire global captive population of the species, it said.

The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) belongs to a unique genus that has no close relative. It stands about 25 cm from the ground and weighs 6 to 9 kg. It differs from young wild boars in having a rudimentary tail (2-3 cm) and a more spindle-shaped body. It lives in small (4-8) groups that construct thatch houses (nests) to live in, and not just to farrow like other pigs. The species was originally found in the narrow belt of tall alluvial grasslands that runs across the southern edge of the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent.

According to wildlife conservationists, pygmy hog is an indicator species for the health of tall wet grassland habitat across the southern foothills of the Himalayas, which has seen a lot of destruction over the years.

Earlier, 35 hogs (18 M, 17 F) were released in Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, 59 (26 M, 33 F) in Orang National Park, and 22 (11 M, 11 F) in Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary, all in Assam.

Parag Jyoti Deka, project director, PHCP, said, tracking both wild and released animals is normally achieved by monitoring their nests, droppings or foraging marks and through radio telemetry.
North Penn School Board, parents sound off on photo showing teacher taping mask to child
Educators, parents, and Chester community members rally in support of Chester Upland public schools the night before a December court hearing on a petition to convert the district's elementaries to charters. A Delaware County judge has now directed the district to issue requests for proposals for all schools to be managed by charter operators. Read more

A Delaware County judge has directed the struggling Chester Upland School District to move forward with proposals to outsource the management of its schools  a step that could lead to the entire district being turned over to charter operators.

The order, issued Thursday by Judge Barry Dozor, opened the door to what could be one of the widest expansions in Pennsylvania of charter schools, which are independently run but publicly funded.

It also drew protests from advocates of traditional public education, who said such a step would further deplete district resources and lacked adequate accountability measures.

The last thing that students in the Chester Upland School District need is an expansion of charter schools that will drain more resources from their neighborhood public schools, said Chris Lilienthal, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the union that represents district teachers.

District leaders, meanwhile, sought to calm community fears, describing outsourcing as simply one option, and saying the district would have the final decision  though it has been overseen by a court-appointed receiver for more than seven years.

The recovery plan includes many possibilities for us to consider as part of the best interest of our students, said a Facebook message posted Sunday by Superintendent Juan Baughn and School Board President Anthony Johnson. This is only one of those possibilities.

Chester Upland, serving one of the regions poorer communities, has for years faced financial stress. Across the district, more than half of its 7,000 public school students already attend charters, one of the largest percentages of charter enrollments in the state. (About one-third of Philadelphia public school students attend charters.)

But the economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus has piled new stress on districts across the country.

In his order, Dozor wrote that the gravity of the school districts severe financial distress, aggravated by the economy, and financial crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is both a short-term and a longtime reality and a precursor of a far grimmer school district financial report card.

Last month, the districts lawyer filed a plan with the court to consider opening the entire district to charter operators  a broadening of a proposal that first arose in November, when Pennsylvanias largest brick-and-mortar charter school petitioned the court to allow charter operators to propose to take over the fiscally distressed districts pre-K to eighth-grade schools.

 READ MORE: Charter school pushes for takeover of Chester Uplands elementary schools

The school, Chester Community Charter, already enrolls 60% of Chester Upland elementary students. The education management company that runs Chester Community Charter, CSMI, is a for-profit venture founded by Vahan Gureghian, a Gladwyne lawyer and major Republican Party donor.

Max Tribble, a CSMI spokesperson, said Monday he could not comment on whether the company would apply to manage the Chester Upland schools but said CSMI does not manage schools with students beyond eighth grade.

I do not see that changing, Tribble said. We are not proposing to manage the high school.

He described Dozors order as providing a loose framework for possibly outsourcing various functions and for possibly outsourcing some management services  echoing the districts message that the order gave the district the option of allowing charter schools to take over a particular school, should we find it financially beneficial.

Darlene Hemerka, s staff attorney for the Public Interest Law Center, which intervened in the case on behalf of several Chester parents, said that while it wasnt a surprise that the court was moving forward with potential outsourcing, what we find concerning is it feels like the whole proposal has changed  from transferring elementary schools to charter management, to the entire district.

In his order, Dozor said the requests for proposals are intended to address the districts substantial near-term and long-term challenges, including lagging academic results, attendance and truancy, financial challenges, deferred maintenance, operational administrative, and financial requirements, special education, and the delivery of quality safe education.

He did not give a time frame for the receiver  soon to be Baughn, the districts current superintendent  to solicit and evaluate the proposals. But the judge said the district must first produce audits from 2018 and 2019  information the Pennsylvania Department of Education has argued is critical to assessing the districts finances.

A spokesperson for the department noted Monday that any change in the management of district schools will require court approval.

Additionally, the order requires a competitive bid process, demonstrated financial savings, and the demonstration of the continuity of quality educational curriculum for all students, as well as alternative quality arrangements for students who choose not to attend the conversion charters, spokesperson Rick Levis said.

While the order gives the receiver authority to issue the requests for proposals, the Chester Upland school board  which is elected but serves in an advisory capacity  will be able to review any potential outsourcing recommendations, according to the order.

A spokesperson for the current receiver, Gregory Thornton, who will step down this month, said he could not answer questions Monday, including about the time frame for issuing requests for proposals and the current status of the districts budget.

 READ MORE: Schools brace for budget cuts as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the economy
By late March, nearly every country in Europe had closed schools and businesses, restricted travel and ordered citizens to stay home. But one country stood out for its decision to stay open: Sweden.

The countrys moderated response to the coronavirus outbreak has drawn praise from some U.S. politicians, who see Sweden as a possible model for the United States as it begins to reopen.

We need to observe with an open mind what went on in Sweden, where the kids kept going to school, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican, said at a hearing Tuesday.

But while Sweden has avoided the devastating tolls of outbreaks in Italy, Spain and Britain, it also has seen an extraordinary increase in deaths, mortality data show.

In Stockholm, where the virus spread through migrant communities, more than twice the usual number of people died last month. That increase far surpasses the rise in deaths in U.S. cities like Boston and Chicago, and approaches the increase seen in Paris.

Across Sweden, almost 30% more people died during the epidemic than is normal during this time of year, an increase similar to that of the United States and far higher than the small increases seen in its neighboring countries. While Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia, all have strong public health care systems and low health inequality across the population.

Its not a very flattering comparison for Sweden, which has such a great public health system, said Andrew Noymer, a demographer at the University of California, Irvine. Theres no reason Sweden should be doing worse than Norway, Denmark and Finland.

No two countries are exactly alike, making comparisons inexact. Luck, travel patterns and personal actions play a role, not just government policy.

Swedish officials chose not to implement a nationwide lockdown, trusting that people would do their part to stay safe. Schools, restaurants, gyms and bars remained open, with social distancing rules enforced, while gatherings were restricted to 50 people.

Two months later, it has not been the worst-case scenario that many envisioned. COVID-19 deaths have disproportionately hit the elderly and those in nursing homes, as is the case in most countries, but hospitals have not been overwhelmed. As with the rest of the world, it will be months, or even years, before the full picture of mortality emerges.

It is clear that mortality in Stockholm has been a lot higher than you would expect from a normal year, said Martin Kolk, a demographer at Stockholm University. But we will have to wait and see what happens. Its a very big difference if we continue to see excess mortality for six more months, or if it will be back to normal levels in a few weeks.

The New York Times measured the impact of the pandemic in Sweden by comparing the total number of people who have died in recent months against the average over the past several years. The totals include deaths from COVID-19, as well as those from other causes, including people who could not be treated or decided not to seek treatment.

While no measure is perfect, the increase in deaths offers the most complete picture of the pandemics toll, demographers say.

Swedish public health officials have defended their strategy, while acknowledging that the country has failed to protect the elderly. The goal is to limit the spread of the infection without having to lock everything down, they said.

Once you get into a lockdown, its difficult to get out of it, said Swedens state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell. How do you reopen? When?

Instead of imposing strict lockdowns, public health officials said that Swedes could be relied on to go out less and follow sanitation guidelines. That proved to be true: As a whole, Swedes visited restaurants, retail shops and other recreation spots almost as little as residents of neighboring countries, according to Google mobility figures.

But there is reason to believe that Swedens approach may not work as well elsewhere.

Swedens low density overall and high share of single-person households  factors it shares with its Scandinavian neighbors  set it apart from other Western European countries. In Italy, the virus tore through multigenerational households, where it easily spread from young people to their older relatives.

And although Sweden is not a particularly young country in comparison with its Western European peers, it has a high life expectancy and low levels of chronic diseases, like diabetes and obesity, that make the virus more lethal.

Even without a full lockdown, Swedens economy has not been unscathed. Preliminary evidence shows Sweden has suffered similar economic effects as its neighbors: The Swedish Central Bank projects the countrys GDP will contract by 7 to 10% this year, an estimate on par with the rest of Europe. (The European Commission projects the EU economy will contract by 7.5%.)

That could change. But the countrys high death toll offers a warning, demographers say.

Sweden will be judged at the finish line, Noymer said. But its a very high-stakes risk, and the consequences are peoples lives.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
An audio recording said to be from the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the fatal attack.

The FBI has found mobile phone evidence linking al-Qaeda to the December 6, 2019, shooting at a US naval base in Florida in which three people were killed, US officials announced on Monday.

The attacker, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, had been a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force. He was on the base as part of a US Navy training program designed to foster links with foreign allies, and was killed by law enforcement officers during the attack.

The evidence we have been able to develop  shows that the Pensacola attack was actually the brutal culmination of years of planning, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on a conference call with reporters, adding that evidence showed Alshamrani had been radicalized by 2015.

The Justice Department had previously asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement.

Speaking on the same call, Attorney General William Barr said Justice Department officials succeeded in unlocking the encryption on the shooters iPhone after Apple Inc declined to do so.

The information from the phone has already proved invaluable, Barr said.

Law enforcement officials left no doubt that Alshamrani was motivated by anti-American ideology, saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks of September 11, 2001, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting.





Separately, al-Qaedas branch in Yemen, released a video claiming the attack. The branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global networks most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the US mainland.

In January, US officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had posted anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had contact with child pornography.

Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the US later determines should face charges.
The US Justice Department declined on Sunday to comment on Puerto Ricos decision to hold another referendum on joining the island as a state.

No comment, Nicole Navas Oxman, a spokeswoman for the US Department of Justice, said in response to a request from a TASS correspondent.

The State Department, the White House, as well as several American lawmakers, including the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate of the US Congress, Mitch McConnell, have not yet responded too.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez, announced Saturday a referendum on the island's entry into the US on a state basis. The referendum will be held on November 3 at the same time as the local elections. However, the plebiscite does not provide for the US obligation to accept the results of the vote. The final decision must be made by the US Congress, according to the US law.

The current international legal status of Puerto Rico, annexed by the US during the Spanish-American War of 1898, is largely controversial. Puerto Ricans are officially considered US citizens, but do not pay taxes to the federal treasury and do not have the right to participate in presidential elections. The supreme legislative power on the island belongs to the US Congress: it is responsible for foreign policy, defense, and local legislation. Executive power is lead by the governor. The island receives aid from the federal budget of the US. In the US House, Puerto Rico is represented by a non-voting resident commissioner.

If Puerto Rico becomes a state, the island will be represented by seven lawmakers in the US Congress - two in the Senate and five in the House. However, according to the Associated Press, it is unlikely that the Republican-controlled US Congress will agree to approve the islands state membership, as its inhabitants are likely to support Democrats, which will strengthen the latters position in the US legislature.

The upcoming referendum will not be the first for Puerto Rico. To date, five plebiscites on the status of the island have already been held.
Italy ready for tourists says Di Maio European black lists would be unacceptable says foreign minister

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 18 - Italy is ready to welcome back European tourists starting June 3, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told counterparts from various countries including Germany and Austria in a virtual summit on tourist flows on Monday. Di Maio said it was "unacceptable" that there should be black lists among European countries. "Unless we change direction," he said, "there will be serious economic fallout on the tourist sectors of all European countries, not only Italy".



Di Maio added that "we will cancel other European countries from what are called the advise-against lists, that is we will eliminate European countries from the destinations warned against by the foreign ministry's crisis unit.



"We expect reciprocity and on this many countries have committed themselves to doing so".



German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters after the videoconference that "with Italy and Spain, countries particularly hard hit by the coronavirus and where many limitations are still in place, we will have to continue to talk".



Attending the talks on tourist flows were the foreign ministers of Germany, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Slovenia, as well as Italy.(ANSAmed).




ROME, May 18 (Reuters) - Italians will be able to grab a cup of their favourite Starbucks coffee again after the group said on Monday it would reopen its Italian cafes, with the exception of its flagship location in central Milan.

On Monday shops, restaurants, coffee shops and hair salons reopened in Italy as the government further softened its coronavirus lockdown rules, one of the world's strictest, which lasted 10 weeks.

Starbucks said it would open its cafes in Milan and the one in the northern city of Turin but would still keep shut the Roastery in the finance capital's city centre, opened in September 2018, and the location at the city's Malpensa airport.

"How we operate these stores will look and feel different," the company added, explaining that operations would follow the government's rules for the sector as well as social distancing.

All coffees will be served in takeaway paper cups, although people will be able to drink their beverages at tables in Milan as long as they respect social distancing measures, and contactless payments will be preferred.

Staff will serve coffee wearing face masks and gloves.

In the Turin cafe, only takeaway drinks will be available.

Starbucks' Milan flagship store - Starbucks' first roastery in Europe - will stay shut as "now is not the time to reopen it", the group said in a statement. "(It) is designed as an immersive experience and encourages customers to linger and enjoy the expansive space," it added.

Opening dates for the Roastery and the Malpensa locations have not been decided yet.

Last week Starbucks said it would begin a phased reopening of 150 of its drive-thru locations and some takeaway-only stores in the United Kingdom.

In China 90% of Starbucks stores were now open and about 85% of its stores in the United States were open for delivery. (Reporting by Giulia Segreti; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Some of the highest coronavirus rates in San Antonio are found on opposite sides of the economic spectrum  from the citys poorest neighborhoods east of downtown to the Dominion, an affluent enclave filled with multimillion-dollar homes.

When the city began reporting the number of coronavirus cases in San Antonio ZIP codes, the first hot spot appeared in 78209  home to Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, among the wealthiest neighborhoods in San Antonio.

But as testing has become more accessible since March 13, when San Antonio reported its first coronavirus case unrelated to the evacuees who quarantined at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, the infection rate in each ZIP code today paints a vastly different picture of where residents have tested and screened positive for the disease.

Besides clusters in ZIP codes containing Bexar County Jail and Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where outbreaks have caused infection rates to soar five to seven times the countys average, some of the areas with the highest rates are scattered widely across San Antonio.

Public health experts say the data showing numbers of cases and infection rates in each ZIP code can be used to shed light on developing hot spots. But perhaps even more accurately, those maps can be used as a reflection of where people are  or not  getting tested.

Folks who get tested are the ones who get diagnosed, so by that token, are (those maps) reflecting the number tested? Yes, said Dr. Anita Kurian, assistant director of the Metropolitan Health District. Is there a probability or a possibility that the number of cases we are reporting are a gross underestimation of cases that are really out there? Quite possibly.

Texas was initially among the worst states in the country when it came to testing per capita, a problem exacerbated by the fact that it sometimes took up to 10 days to get results back from private labs. It meant that local officials were forced to navigate the first few weeks of the pandemic with a limited understanding of where infections were gaining ground.

When San Antonio began releasing data that showed the number of cases in each ZIP code, for example, the first appeared in 78209, home to Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Parts of the county where higher concentrations of families live in poverty, such as the South Side, saw an initial absence of cases.

Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, an epidemiologist who previously served as San Antonios pandemic flu coordinator and recently worked on San Antonios public health transition team, said the reason behind the early spike in affluent neighborhoods was twofold. Families that live in 78209 tend to be wealthier than the city as a whole, which meant they had the disposable income to fund Spring Break trips to ski resorts or Europe  places where the virus had already spread.

Secondly, families with higher incomes are more likely to have health insurance and a relationship with a primary care doctor, Rohr-Allegrini said. Initially, that was one of the only ways to get tested.

Those folks  if they feel sick  they go to the doctor, she said. If youre a poor person on the South Side with no health insurance, if you feel sick, you stay home. You dont go to the doctor to get tested.

Today, some wealthy communities are still seeing some of Bexar Countys highest infection rates. Take 78257  the ZIP code home to the Dominion, where residents have included Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Austin and Spurs stars. Last year, George Straits hilltop mansion was listed for sale there for $8.9 million.

That ZIP code has the fifth-highest median household income in the county  more than $118,000 per year, according to census estimates. Only 4 percent of the people who live there dont have health insurance  a figure nearly four times less than the county average uninsured rate, according to census estimates.

According to Metro Health data as of Thursday evening, 78257 had a rate of about 1.2 coronavirus cases per 1,000 people  about 30 percent higher than the average ZIP code. Its northern neighbor, 78006, which spans over expansive ranch estates in Northwest Bexar County and up to Boerne, is also among the ZIP codes with the highest rates of cases.

Thats why we have all our efforts on setting up additional testing sites in the neighborhoods where probably they dont have access to health care coverage or transportation to a site to get tested, Kurian said.

When the virus began to appear across San Antonio, city-run testing was limited to people with symptoms who were considered to be most at risk, such as health care workers, emergency responders and people with compromised immune systems. Other residents were told to seek out testing from their primary care doctors. Some went to free-standing emergency clinics.

Meanwhile, the city had begun tracking where people were getting infected  and who was dying of the disease. A month after San Antonio reported its first case unrelated to the evacuees, Kurian said, it was clear that people of color were dying at higher rates.

Across the nation, the pandemic has disproportionately ravaged black communities, exposing existing inequities in Americas health system.

The disparities soon became present in San Antonio: On April 13, African-Americans made up about 8 percent of the local population but accounted for 13 percent of the cases and one-third of deaths from the disease. As of Thursday, they made up 24 percent of deaths.

The city began a targeted push to increase the availability of testing and education about the virus in areas where families might not be able to afford health care or even the transportation needed to get to a doctors office.

Using census estimates, the city identified ZIP codes with the highest concentrations of people of color and families with lower incomes, who are more likely to have existing medical conditions that put people more at risk of serious illness and are more likely to live in environments, such as multi-generational households, that make it difficult to isolate.

Armed with masks and informational flyers in both English and Spanish, a team of city health workers walked door to door in neighborhoods on the East, West and South Sides to educate people on coronavirus disease symptoms, risks of transmission, prevention measures and testing locations. Since April 3, those health workers have combed through more than 100 neighborhoods and distributed 73,000 door hangers.

The city has also offered free testing at walk-up sites on the West Side, where people can get tested even if they lack an ID or health insurance or are asymptomatic. On Thursday, the city opened two other locations on the East Side.

As awareness in those areas increased  and so, too, did San Antonios testing capacity  more and more cases were reported there. Today, along with concentrating in some of San Antonios richest neighborhoods, the two-thirds of the 15 ZIP codes with the highest rates have a higher concentration of residents living in poverty than the county as a whole.

Four Bexar County ZIP codes with some of the highest concentrations of residents living below the poverty level  which, for a family of four, means earning less than $26,200 per year  are also among the top 15 ZIP codes with the highest rates of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Among them: 78202, which covers San Antonios Eastside Promise Neighborhood, where 4 out of 10 residents live in poverty and 3 out of 10 lack health insurance. 78220 and 78225, on the East and Southwest Sides, are also on the list of ZIP codes with highest rates of cases, where nearly one-third of residents live below the poverty line.

Public health experts say the number of cases reported will continue to rise as the city sets up new walk-up testing sites that are accessible for people whod previously faced barriers to testing. Thus far, about 1,200 people have been tested at the walk-up sites.

Cases are also likely to jump because people without symptoms can now get tested. Data from across the globe has indicated that anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of people with COVID-19 showed no symptoms, though it appears that they might still be able to spread the disease to others. Even at the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 56 of 74 residents who tested positive showed no signs of illness.

Rohr-Allegrini said that makes it even more important to target testing to areas most vulnerable to outbreaks. People living in poverty are more likely to have existing health conditions  such as asthma and diabetes  that might put people at higher risk of falling seriously ill with COVID-19.

Families struggling to climb up the economic ladder also have a greater chance of experiencing crowded living conditions, with multiple generations under one roof.

Somebody that lives with five people in a home with one bathroom and like two bedrooms, and they cant fully isolate and one of them has heart disease  all of the people in the house are going to get infected, and at least one of them is going to get ICU care, Rohr-Allegrini said.

In the first two months of the pandemic, San Antonio hospitals havent come close to running out of space for patients. But when moving forward with expanded access to testing, efforts should still be focused on preventing the spread to people who are more likely to need medical care if they get sick.

Its just important to understand that when we need to talk about the need to address the disease in marginalized populations, its not that theres something about them, Rohr-Allegrini said. Its that we recognize the overall environment leads to a greater spread of disease, and we want to prevent that for the overall good of society.

Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. To read more from Marina, become a subscriber. marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf
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.
Indonesias official coronavirus taskforce declared on Tuesday that workers under the age of 45 will be permitted to return to work over the coming weeks.

The decision followed an announcement two weeks earlier, that President Joko Widodos government wants to begin relaxing social restrictions and reopen the countrys borders and nonessential businesses by July. The statements follow moves by governments around the world for premature returns to work.

As Channel News Asia reported, Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Doni Monardo told a press briefing at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta: Why we are suggesting heads of companies prioritise relatively young workers is due to the fact that those aged 60 and above have the highest mortality rate.

Doni referred to data showing that the over-60 age group made up 45 percent of deaths in Indonesia, while the 4659 age group accounted for 40 percent. If we can protect both vulnerable groups, it means that we can protect 85 percent of our citizens, he said.

Doni cited the comparatively low death rate15 percentof the below 45 age group, which comprises the vast majority of the population, as a justification for sending them back to work: The young population under 45-years-old are physically healthy and they have high mobility. If they are exposed [to the coronavirus], they might not get sick because they show no symptoms.

These assertions were put forward as the findings of experts, despite the well-known fact that young people may be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, who bear the risk of unknowingly passing it on to the more vulnerable or elderly. This sort of reasoning is based, not on a scientific and rational approach to understanding and containing the virus, but purely on economic considerations.

The Widodo administration has been relentlessly pushing to kick start the Indonesian economy by whatever means necessary and, as its recent announcements have made clearer, is willing to place the lives of millions in danger to resume the production of corporate profits.

Economic growth has slowed down to 2.97 percent in the first quarter of the year, well below the median 4 percent predicted by most analysts. A senior government official told the Asia Times that the decision to force workers back on the job was based more on economic calculations than on the health aspect.

Epidemiologists across the country have warned that a return to work would dramatically increase the potential for transmission of the virus and put the entire population, regardless of age, at extreme risk of physical debilitation or death.

The Indonesian governments declarations have been made even as the coronavirus continues to ravage the densely-populated island nation. Contrary to national health ministry claims, the virus is showing no signs of abatement.

Last Tuesday, Indonesias COVID-19 death toll passed the 1,000 mark. The announcement of a return to work was made after a record spike in daily cases, with 533 new infections last Saturday. A new record high was set on Wednesday with 639 new cases, amid a sharp rise in the official numbers. The total now stands at 17,514 cases and 1,148 deaths.

Indonesia recorded its first two cases on March 2, even though the virus was known by authorities to be spreading throughout the country since late January. Its fatality rate has since overtaken all other countries in East and Southeast Asia, apart from China.

Most importantly, the official death toll only includes deaths from positive cases confirmed by specimen tests using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method at laboratories. Deaths from probable cases are not included, despite the significant rise in burials under COVID-19 funeral procedures. Health experts have suggested the actual toll could be four times greater than the official government figure.

The number of persons under surveillance for suspected infection has grown to more than 250,000 people, according to the Jakarta Globe. Probable cases in hospitals have increased to over 32,000 patients.

Indonesias limited testing capacity, one of the lowest in the world, has meant, however, that after two months only 187,965 people have been tested, in a country of 273 million people. In other words, it has conducted around 688 tests per million people, compared with 64,977 per million in Spain.

Such a low rate is due to the chronic lack of testing equipment, the delayed results of PCR tests, and the governments refusal to invest in a rigorous mass testing regime.

The underfunded and depleted healthcare system was already overwhelmed at the outset of the pandemic. Indonesia is estimated to have fewer than four doctors and 12 hospital beds per 10,000 people, and less than three intensive care beds per 100,000 people.

Despite the limited knowledge on the true extent of the spread, President Widodo is urging workers to resume their jobs and said that the lockdown measures could be relaxed by the end of May. Until the discovery of an effective vaccine, we must live in peace with the coronavirus for some time to come, he told a press conference.

The new policy is being falsely portrayed as an effort to prevent further lay-offs and assist the millions of unemployed workers during the pandemic. As of April 13, at least 2.8 million people had lost their jobs, according to data from the Workers Social Security Agency. More than half were furloughed and placed on unpaid leave.

The Indonesian governments coronavirus response has consisted primarily of gigantic stimulus packages aimed at supporting big business with a pittance reserved for healthcare and token social welfare investments.

Many frustrated workers are unable to access government social aid, which is hampered by data problems. According to the governments worst-case estimates, up to 5.2 million more people could lose their jobs and 3.8 million fall into poverty during the pandemic.

In Jakarta, Indonesias capital, the virus has infected 5,774 people and killed 460 so far. The megacity, which is home to over 10 million people, has scores of dangerously overcrowded neighbourhoods known as kampungs where workers and their families live in cramped, adjoined houses or informal settlements with shared toilets. Physical distancing is all but impossible in these areas.

Indonesias Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry said in 2019 that at least 118 of the 267 sub-districts in Jakarta had slums. Jakarta health agency officials are aware that the virus has begun to infect the impoverished workers in kampungs, such as Kebon Kacang, Johar Baru, and Kemayoran, which have contributed heavily to the citys confirmed cases tally.

Residents of these poor urban districts, as well as the rural masses in the countryside, are being tested for the virus through the rapid antibody method, which is known to produce false negatives, while the more accurate PCR tests are largely reserved for patients at major Jakarta hospitals.

Around 32 percent of Jakartas workers are in the informal sector, earning an average of $US168 per month. Thousands are not only at risk of losing their incomes but also their homes, with about 27 percent of Jakartans struggling to pay rent amid the citys surging housing prices and general cost of living.
(CNN)  Alicia Kappers doesn't remember her contractions or her baby's first cries. Other than her newborn son, her only reminder of that day is the scar from her cesarean section.

She was 31 weeks pregnant when her husband took her to a Cincinnati, Ohio, hospital in late March. She had a cough, fever and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

The novel coronavirus was putting a strain on her body and the 40-year-old mother would have to deliver her baby early while in a medically induced coma.

Kappers and her husband dreamed of giving a sibling to their 3-year-old son Zayne. Conceiving had never been an easy task for them and a pandemic was about to make things even more difficult.

She fought for her life on a ventilator

From putting together a nursery for the baby to having to hunker down at home because of the virus, the life of this family of three was already changing.

When her toddler first complained about fatigue and a fever in early March, Kappers nurtured him back to health without thinking it could be the virus. Then, her husband started having headaches, fatigue and lost his sense of taste and smell.

"We are pretty confident the virus circled through our entire family," Kappers' husband, Ziad Razzak, told CNN.

Kappers, who works as director of professional development at a Cincinnati law firm, started feeling sick about a week later. She started getting worried it could be Covid-19 when her condition continued deteriorating.

Razzak, 37, took her to TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital on March 24 and within hours, his wife was on a ventilator. It was terrifying, he says.

"I don't know whether they thought she was going to pull through it," Razzak said. "We started discussing how to deliver the baby to make sure he was safe."

As Kappers battled the virus, doctors placed her on her stomach -- a method called prone positioning -- to help increase the amount of oxygen that was getting to her lungs and make breathing more comfortable. They also treated her with the experimental drug remdesivir as part of a clinical trial.

Nurses would call her husband every day at 6 a.m. and place the phone next to Kappers' ear. She was sedated but for a few minutes, Razzak would tell her about their toddler and recall funny memories. It was his way of trying to cheer her up and motivate her to keep fighting while alone in the hospital.

When Kappers started to have contractions -- more than two months before her due date -- doctors decided it was time to deliver her baby. She had to give birth while in a medically induced coma.

"At the time, I was a little upset for her sake ... because she was going to have this baby and wouldn't get to meet him for so long," Razzak said. "It was not the way this delivery was supposed to go."

They couldn't touch their son right away

Neither of them could meet their newborn son, Laith, right away.

After giving birth, Kappers' health improved but it was a slow process. She had been connected to a ventilator for weeks and got a tracheotomy to help her wean off the sedatives.

Several weeks passed before Kappers fully regained consciousness and learned about her son's birth.

"I just remember looking down as I went to the bathroom for the first time (since waking up) and thinking 'Oh my Gosh, I have a scar there that I never had before,'" Kappers said. "It was the C-section."

Razzak had been in the middle of a 14-day coronavirus quarantine when his son was born. He was cleared and the newborn's Covid-19 test was pending when they met each other. Razzak says he was in an isolation room, wearing a face mask, goggles and a protective suit when he held Laith for the first time.

He couldn't touch his skin but "it was still better than nothing," Razzak said.

The newborn boy has since tested negative for the virus.

Going home without him

Nurses and medical staff at TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital cheered and waved blue, white and yellow pom poms last week as Kappers was wheeled out of the hospital.

They had helped celebrate Kappers' 40th birthday, cared for half their family with compassion for more than a month and now, they were giving them a heartfelt farewell -- just as if they were family, Razzak said.

But it was a bittersweet send off. Kappers had to go home before meeting her son, who was still in the hospital.

When Razzak brought Laith home a couple of days later, he carefully placed him on Kappers' lap.

Kappers defeated the virus and is now able to walk without help but has not fully recovered. She's on light oxygen, is working to regain her strength and has difficulty talking because she's healing from the tracheotomy.

While she is happy to be home and is overjoyed to have her family finally together, Kappers says she feels "mother's guilt" because she can't pick her son up and she can't take care of him herself.

"I feel guilty but I have to understand that he basically saved my life," Kappers said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "She was fighting coronavirus and gave birth while in a coma. She met her baby five weeks later."
Elecnor SA, Ghana, a leading engineering, renewable energy infrastructure construction and development company has donated COVID-19 relief items to three institutions in the Ga North and Ga West Municipalities to support measures towards curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.



The institutions which benefited from the support are the Ga North Municipal Assembly, the Ga North Municipal Hospital and the Ga West Municipal Hospital.



The items valued at GHc 30,000 includes a dozen boxes containing 600 pieces of examination gloves, six gallons of five liter alcohol-based hand sanitizers, 10 veronica buckets and 4,000 pieces of face masks.



Supporting communities



Presenting the items at a short ceremony, the Country Director of Elecnor SA, Ghana, Mr Mateo Perez Camino said, the gesture forms part of the numerous corporate social responsibility activities undertaken by the organization in areas it operates.



Elecnor, S.A. Ghana had since 1999, executed several energy infrastructure developments in Ghana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy. It is currently constructing the biggest power substation in Ghana at Pokuase, in the Greater Accra Region and it is also involved in the construction of the 17MW PV Solar Plant in Kaleo and Lawra, for the Volta River Authority (VRA), which will increase the renewable generation component in the national energy mix.



Mr Camino said, in March 2020, Elecnor SA, Ghana organized a free health screening exercise for residents in Pokuase ACP Estates and its nearby communitiesThe company, he said, had also provided solar powered street lights for residents at the Ridge West and Koans Estates in Pokuase where it is currently constructing a Bulk Power Substation as part of the Ghana Power Compact Program.



In these unusual times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it as our duty to show our commitment towards safeguarding the health and safety of not only our over 200 Ghanaian staff but also to the residents and the institutions helping fight the pandemic said Mr Camino.



He added that we are proud of the contributions we make towards improving the communities we operate in.



Appreciation



Receiving the items, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga North Municipal Assembly, Madam Gertrude Ankrah, highly commended Elecnor SA Ghana for its socially responsible gesture and entreated others in the corporate community to emulate the example.



The Ga West Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Clement Wilkinson, said the items which were valuable supplies for the battle of the coronavirus disease which had affected a number of people and had taken the lives of others.



He said the battle had to be fought and won collectively, hence the need for corporate bodies and individuals to support in whichever way they could.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Local variations in climate are not likely to dominate the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Princeton University study published May 18 in the journal Science.

The researchers found that the vast number of people still vulnerable to the strain of coronavirus causing the pandemic -- SARS-CoV-2 -- and the speed at which the pathogen spreads means that climate conditions are only likely to make a dent in the current rate of infection.

"We project that warmer or more humid climates will not slow the virus at the early stage of the pandemic," said first author Rachel Baker, a postdoctoral research associate in the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI). "We do see some influence of climate on the size and timing of the pandemic, but, in general, because there's so much susceptibility in the population, the virus will spread quickly no matter the climate conditions."

The rapid spread of the virus in Brazil, Ecuador, Australia, and other nations in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere -- where the virus began during the summer season -- provides some indication that warmer conditions will indeed do little to halt the pandemic, Baker said.

"It doesn't seem that climate is regulating spread right now," Baker said. "Of course, we do not yet directly know how temperature and humidity influence the virus' transmission, but we think it is unlikely that these factors could completely halt transmission based on what we see among other viruses."

Experience with other viruses suggests that, without a vaccine or other control measures, COVID-19 will likely only become responsive to seasonal changes after the supply of unexposed hosts is reduced, said co-author Bryan Grenfell, the Kathryn Briger and Sarah Fenton Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Public Affairs and associated faculty in PEI.

"Previously circulating human coronaviruses such as the common cold depend strongly on seasonal factors, peaking in the winter outside of the tropics," Grenfell said. "If, as seems likely, the novel coronavirus is similarly seasonal, we might expect it to settle down to become a winter virus as it becomes endemic in the population. Exactly how depends on a lot of complex factors for a given location."

The pandemic's trajectory over the next several months will be influenced by "both human-induced factors -- such as non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce contact -- as well as fundamental biological uncertainties, such as the strength and duration of immunity following infection," Grenfell said. "As knowledge of the immune response develops, we hope to be able to project its interaction with seasonality more accurately."

Baker and Grenfell conducted the study with second author Wenchang Yang, an associate research scholar in geosciences; Gabriel Vecchi, professor of geosciences and the Princeton Environmental Institute; and C. Jessica Metcalf, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and public affairs.

The study authors are all affiliated with PEI's Climate Change and Infectious Disease initiative. The same team published a paper in December examining how climate conditions influence annual outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

For the study in Science, the researchers ran simulations on how the pandemic would respond to various climates across the globe. Having been discovered in late 2019, COVID-19's response to warmer weather is not well known. The researchers instead ran three scenarios based on what is known about the role seasonal variations have on the occurrence of similar viruses.

The first scenario assumed that the novel coronavirus has the same climate sensitivity as influenza, based on a prior model from laboratory studies that highlighted the importance of low humidity to promote spread. In the second and third scenarios, the virus was given the same climate dependence and length of immunity as human coronaviruses OC43 and HKU1, which are two causes of the common cold.

In all three scenarios, climate only became a mitigating factor when large portions of the human population were immune or resistant to the virus.

"The more that immunity builds up in the population, the more we expect the sensitivity to climate to increase," Baker said. "If you run the model long enough, you have a big pandemic and the outbreak settles into seasonal infection. We're assuming that if the same climate drivers apply to COVID-19, this would be the outcome."

The researchers also ran a simulation that accounted for the average impact of control measures such as social distancing. The results suggested that the longer these measures are in place and slow the transmission of COVID-19, the more sensitive the virus becomes to warmer weather.

"The next step is to test our model by comparing future changes in the pandemic curve with detailed measurements of local climate, control measures and other local variables in different climatic regions," Metcalf said. "We also aim to extend our initial model ---- which mainly captures transmission in cities -- to more rural areas."

The study also has broader implications for refining the integration of meteorological information into understanding disease outbreaks, Vecchi said.

"We are currently exploring the extent to which weather and climate predictions can help provide improved information about the likely course of this disease," Vecchi said. "Weather is only one of many factors. A deeper, interdisciplinary understanding of the interplay of multiple factors that impact disease evolution -- disease dynamics, weather and socioeconomic drivers, including mitigation measures undertaken by society --is needed."

###

The paper, "Susceptible supply limits the role of climate in the early SARS-CoV-2 pandemic," was published online by Science May 18. This work was supported by the Cooperative Institute for Modelling the Earth System (CIMES), the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI), and the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS).
The heart of a brain-dead female farmer in Hanoi was flown to Ho Chi Minh City to successfully save a female patient last week in Vietnams first case of female heart donation.

On the afternoon of May 13, the heart was airlifted from Viet Duc University Hospital in the capital to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, covering a journey of over 1,730 kilometers.

It was the first time the heart from a female donor had been successfully transplanted into a recipient in Vietnam.

A team of experts from the Vietnam National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation (VNHOT) and doctors at Cho Ray Hospital took part in escorting the heart and the following organ transplant.

As the heart had to be transplanted within six hours of being harvested from the donor, everything had to be sped up.

The medical team and their special carry-on baggage  a box containing the donated heart  had been arranged to disembark the plane in only two minutes after landing at 8:10 pm May 13.

A green corridor was provided by Ho Chi Minh City police officers to expedite the hearts transportation from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Cho Ray Hospital.

Later the same night, the heart was already beating in another female patients chest, giving her a new lease of life after a successful operation.

Traffic police officers escort a vehicle transporting a donated heart from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, May 13, 2020. Video: Vietnam National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation

Doctors said there have been seven families whose brain-dead relatives had registered to be organ donors recently.

Apart from the transplant at Cho Ray Hospital, another transplant was also successfully performed by doctors at the Hanoi-based Viet Duc University Hospital recently.

For the last five years, there have been fifty flights delivering donated organs between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and the central city of Hue.

According to doctors, the flight on May 13 might be the donors first-ever time being on a plane.

A similar story happened in 2018 when a young Vietnamese man who donated his heart had his first flying experience that was also his last.

Although we are very familiar with the mission, we are always overwhelmed with emotions. This was the first time that we had brought a womans heart to the southern region from the north. A womans heart, which is similar to mine, made me choke back my tears, a member of the team that escorted the heart told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

I waited for the heart to beat in the new chest before I left the hospital, as I had always done. Tonight, a woman got a new lease of life. [The donors heart] will have a new and very different life, at a place far away from her hometown."

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Higher education is becoming a stressful occupation, research shows. And academics in health professions experience additional sources of stress related to clinical training. Yet these academics, working in fields like psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work are expected to cope better with occupational stress, because they are required to have emotional intelligence.

To understand this better, we studied the relationship between occupational stress and emotional intelligence among health profession academics.

South Africa's apartheid government created separate universities for different sections of the population. Institutions for students who weren't white received the least resources and are known as historically disadvantaged institutions.

We did an online survey of 92 academics in the health professions at a historically disadvantaged institution. The response rate for the study was 55%. The survey measured demographic variables such as gender, race, highest qualification and academic status.

The survey used an emotions scale to measure characteristic emotional intelligence. This scale measures how emotions are perceived and used. It also measures how you manage your own emotions and those of others. The sources of work stress inventory was used to assess general work stress and stress experienced from other sources such as career advancement, workload and job security.

What academics had to say

Workload, the interface between work and home and general work stress were ranked as the top three stressors. The changes in higher education which include but is not limited to an increased focus on research as well as social responsibility have expanded the number and intensity of roles that academics take on. This increases their workload and associated stress. Students vary in terms of readiness and ability and academics must accommodate this variation to ensure student success. This leads to stress as academics are responsible for ensuring that students all achieve the same qualification even if some started their higher education at a disadvantage.

Academics have flexible work hours. Increased responsibilities translate into longer work hours, making it difficult to regulate flexible work hours. The increased use of digital platforms requires that academics acquire new skills and master software applications, as well as applying them to learning and teaching. The vagueness of flexible work and the changes in expectations and duties increase role ambiguity and, in turn, stress.

Our survey found that a lack of resources caused low levels of stress. We concluded this was because academics in historically disadvantaged institutions were used to having fewer resources.

Job security and career advancement caused low levels of stress. Academics in South Africa are appointed to their posts permanently after a probationary period. There's a clear promotion path once academics become permanent. We found that academics from minority groups experienced more stress related to job security.

Women experienced more pressure balancing family responsibilities and work demands. Early career academics or recent appointees experienced more stress associated with adjustment. They may be unfamiliar with the organisation and their roles as academics.

Staff in junior positions experienced pressure to complete doctoral studies. Thus they found career development stressful.

Managing emotions

We found that health professions academics had the capacity to manage their emotions when stressed. The findings suggested that they could recognise and manage their own emotions and those of others.

The results provided empirical evidence for the assumption that academics in health professions are emotionally skilled. They can use emotional intelligence to regulate emotions under stress.

We found that women were more adept at managing anger, contempt and disgust at work. Men were more emotionally intense. They expressed emotion more often using nonverbal communication.

Academics from minority groups were more inclined to actively manage emotions in the work place. They manage their own emotions and those of others. Research about race and emotional intelligence is limited. But our survey results indicate that there is a tendency among academics of minority ethnic groups to engage more in self-management and management of the emotions of others when working in competitive environments.

The work/home interface improves when individuals are able to manage their own emotions. Thus being able to manage your emotions is positively linked to performing well in your job. Conversely, academics who did not manage their emotions effectively, were more prone to emotional exhaustion thus impacting their job performance.

Going forward

This study underscored the idea that gender, race and rank affect occupational stress. The findings support assumptions that health profession academics are emotionally intelligent. This ability helps them to cope with stress in the academic environment.

Acknowledging health professions education as a stressful occupation is important. The interplay between socio-demographic variables, occupational stress and emotional intelligence is key to developing appropriate management and support strategies.

Abigail Simons, a research psychologist at the University of the Western Cape's Centre for Diversity in Psychological Practice, also contributed to the research and the article.

Mario Smith received funding from the National Research Foundation in the Thuthuka funding instrument.

Erica Munnik and Jose Frantz do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Jose Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, University of the Western Cape And

Erica Munnik, Clinical Psychologist/ Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology/ Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape And

Mario Smith, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of the Western Cape
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Linkedin Purna Cita Nugraha and Andi Sparringa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 15:08 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8cecaf 3 Opinion COVID-19,coronavirus,global-landscape Free

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of how the international community is heavily interconnected and vulnerable. No country, no matter how powerful or prosperous, can overcome this cross-border pandemic alone. Now, the world faces one common enemy: COVID-19.

Those who championed internationalism once promised a world of winners, a more inter-connected society where international cooperation would triumph over disputes. However, with the recent geopolitical fragmentation and inward-looking policies sweeping across nations, the COVID-19 pandemic may have shattered this fantasy.

The fact is that this global pandemic will create both winners and losers. Those who cannot survive will become obsolete.

Thus, a clear consequence of this tragic pandemic is a change in the behavior of the international community. In this regard, the pandemic has created political, economic, social and cultural shifts that have changed the global landscape. These shifts are certainly worrying, but they also present opportunities to those who can navigate smartly through these challenges.

Nowadays, we see rising digital engagement with various online platforms. Recent high-level meetings of the Group of 20, ASEAN and ASEAN Plus Three, as well as the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) reflect the increasing global dependency of online platforms as a means of communication during the pandemic.

While this has indeed assisted societies to engage with one another, it also poses some salient challenges, at least from an economic and security standpoint. First, it has created a new divide or economic gap, between the haves and haves not with regard to the technology. In other words, countries that are economically more advanced with digital ecosystems already in place, will certainly be at an advantage compared with those who do not have this luxury.

Increasing digital utilization also faces another challenge in the realm of cybersecurity. With more than half a million Zoom accounts sold in the dark web, digital privacy and consumer protection are definitely at risk. Interpol identifies that there are at least three types of cybercrimes flourishing amid COVID-19: malicious domains (creation of fake domains to carry out spamming and phishing), malware (embedded in coronavirus maps, websites and spam emails) and ransomware (infected attachments that attack critical medical and public institutions).

There are also concerns whether the pandemic will give room and even exacerbate violent extremisms, xenophobia and narrow nationalism.

The example of the blame game on the origins of the virus between the two most powerful economies illustrates how this pandemic is also becoming a dangerously politicized agenda. However, there are also other worrying trends in other regions.

In the Middle East region, for example, some countries are blaming others for the increase in coronavirus cases and even for spreading the outbreak. If not settled amicably, this region could fall into deeper political sectarian conflict.

Notwithstanding the social costs, according to a paper published by the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER), the economic impact of COVID-19 could increase global poverty for the first time in three decades, pushing more than half a billion people, 8 percent of all humanity, into poverty.

This study shows that the achievement of the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda, particularly on no poverty and zero hunger, could well be under considerable threat. In essence, COVID-19 could reverse a decade of global progress toward reducing poverty.

In addressing the challenges above, the international community needs to show a united front with a forward-looking and collaborative approach. The following are several pertinent areas of cooperation to mitigate COVID-19 while also addressing the SDGs.

First, international cooperation is needed to create a safer digital ecosystem for information sharing. Furthermore, joint efforts are needed to strengthen cyber risk-management measures to effectively counter cyber threats and prevent or mitigate attacks on critical information infrastructure. A legal debate over the much-needed international legal regime and application of international law to cyberspace must also be revived.

Second, in combatting this common enemy, spreading the culture of peace and tolerance is essential. There should be no room for divisions when our focus should be on how we can together manage and beat this virus.

Third, is to increase political coordination to better manage this crisis and to be collectively prepared for future pandemics at the regional and global level. The world democracies must show their leadership in taking part to resolve the pandemic through a democracy-led process that promotes multilateral avenues.

Recent G20, ASEAN and NAM summits showed that their spirit is geared to attaining this common goal. The ASEAN and ASEAN+3 summits last month identified proposals to establish an ASEAN COVID-19 response fund, an ASEAN+3 pandemic task force and an ASEAN+3 reserve of essential medical supplies. While the recent NAM summit agreed to establish a task force to develop a database of medical and humanitarian needs of NAM countries. Realization of these joint commitments will become a testament to how strengthening multilateralism will go far and beyond.

Fourth, in addressing poverty, while installing the right economic incentives, stimulus packages and social safety nets have been the means to build economic resilience; bolstering bilateral trade and investment ties are also paramount.

As industries are reorienting and diversifying lines of production, they are also expanding the scope of their cooperation across borders to better adapt to the changing global supply and demand shock.

In this regard, governments are exploring and facilitating innovative ways to strengthen economic cooperation with partner countries, to fulfill needs of priority medical supplies and medicine.

Innovative cooperation between Indonesia and partner countries such as South Korea, Japan India and the UAE are a few examples.

Indonesia and South Korea are working together in the joint production of personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators and masks. In this regard, raw materials are imported to Indonesia and then converted into final products.

Cooperation between Indonesian state-owned enterprises with Japanese and Indian companies is also taking place in the procurement of pharmaceutical ingredients for COVID19 medicines.

While the provision of medical supplies assistance from the UAE is also directly followed by its purchase of Indonesian agricultural and small and medium enterprises products. This certainly highlights how international cooperation can go a long way. Not only to fulfill one countrys necessities, but also for the greater global population.

In addressing the health crisis in developing countries, international cooperation is needed to help increase national capacities in the health sector as well as in obtaining medicines and medical supplies. The recent NAM summit called for the provision of health care for all, which calls for unhindered access to affordable medicine for developing countries. This is vital in the attainment of the SDGs. It is important that the most vulnerable get access to medicines in crisis situations

All in all, the need of the hour is to ensure that the changing global landscape will, in turn, support global efforts to stop the pandemic and prevent economic collapse. How well countries navigate through these challenges or capture opportunities by strengthening international cooperation will eventually determine success in defeating this common enemy. Thus, the global community must stand under the one flag, that of cooperation.

***

Purna Cita Nugraha is deputy director for Middle East affairs in the Foreign Ministry, where Andi Sparringa works as a diplomat. 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.
Blueprint Trial Consulting, a leading national litigation strategy firm providing jury research, graphics consulting, and trial presentation services, announces that it has hired Edward Schwartz, Ph.D., M.S.L. as Senior Litigation Consultant. Dr. Schwartz impressive educational background, wealth of experience, and collaborative approach make him a sought-after consultant to trial teams, in-house counsel and insurance professionals.

Dr. Schwartz has 20 years of experience and has worked on hundreds of cases in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Dr. Schwartz focuses on using game theory and decision theory with the real-world insights of social psychology to gain a complete picture of how people process, analyze, and retain information to evaluate and decide important cases. In his role, Dr. Schwartz will use quantitative and qualitative analyses of pretrial jury research studies to provide clients with actionable feedback on case themes, strategies, evidence, witnesses, and presentation. Further, he will regularly work with clients to provide early case assessment consulting, advise on trial strategies, prepare witnesses, and assist with jury selection.

Dr. Schwartz is regularly asked to provide insight on jury trials in the national media, having been interviewed by CNN, the Associated Press, the New York Times and many regional news outlets. Dr. Schwartz has published numerous articles about the American jury system in law reviews and peer-reviewed journals and has taught about juries and jury trials to undergraduates and law students at Harvard, Yale and Boston Universities. Dr. Schwartz has a Ph.D. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a Master of Studies in Law from Yale Law School.

Dr. Eric Rudich, a partner at Blueprint Trial Consulting, commented, As a litigation consultant, it was immediately apparent that Edward is a brilliant litigation tactician. We are extremely excited to have Edward work to continue our mission to help our clients obtain favorable outcomes for their important litigation matters. Edward is a key addition to our team as we continue to expand.

Speaking about his move to Blueprint Trial Consulting, Dr. Schwartz commented, I am extremely excited to be joining the team at Blueprint. Under the leadership of Eric Rudich and Chad Graf, the company has excelled at blending exacting standards with innovative technology to deliver excellent value to its clients. I know that my clients are going to love working with my new colleagues at Blueprint.

ABOUT BLUEPRINT TRIAL CONSULTING

Blueprint Trial Consulting LLC is a leading litigation consulting firm. Blueprint Trial Consulting was created to provide attorneys and clients with the information necessary to make critical litigation decisions. The firm offers litigation consulting, jury research, graphics consulting and production, and trial presentation services to the legal community. Blueprint utilizes these services to assist litigants with evaluating litigation risk and preparing for trial. Through our combination of research, analytics, experience and creativity, the firm offers the insight necessary to obtain successful litigation strategies.
A nursing staff at King George's Medical University (KGMU) here tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday, an official said.

"A staff nurse posted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of KGMU has been found positive for the coronavirus," an official spokesman of KGMU said here.

He said the contract-tracing of the nurse, a resident of Nishatganj, is underway.

The nurse has been admitted to an isolation ward and getting treatment, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Just three months ago, centrist Democrats were panicking. After strong performances in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders appeared poised to sail away with the nomination for president. Some in the party feared the self-identified democratic socialist would wreak havoc down the ballot.

Related: Could Susan Collins' vote for Kavanaugh help the Democrats flip the Senate in 2020?

If Bernie Sanders was at the top of the ticket, we would be in jeopardy of losing the House, the Louisiana congressman Cedric Richmond, a co-chair of Joe Bidens campaign, said on a February conference call. We would not get the Senate back.

The world looks different now  and so does the Senate map. With Biden the presumptive nominee and Donald Trump facing widespread criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis, election experts say the upper chamber is up for grabs.

Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage, meaning Democrats will have to flip at least three seats to take the majority, assuming they win the White House. If they cant win the presidency, they will need four seats to control the Senate. Doug Jones, a Democrat, is considered an underdog for re-election in Alabama. If he loses, Democrats will need another Republican seat.

But Joness race is one of only a few chances for Republicans to flip a seat themselves. Other Democrats up for re-election, such as Gary Peters in Michigan, have started to pull ahead. The map is unfavorable for Republicans, with incumbents facing difficult re-election races in presidential battleground states like Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina.

Over the course of the last several months the playing field has gotten a little bit bigger, and Id say Democratic prospects in some of these individual races have also seemed to get a little bit better, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

The overall race for the Senate is more of a coin flip than maybe you would have described it at the start of the cycle.

Story continues

Democrats have managed to expand the map, in part thanks to Biden clearing the presidential primary field, which seems to have improved the partys prospects in states Trump carried in 2016, such as North Carolina and Georgia.

A lot of Democrats were rightly worried that if you had a more progressive nominee, an avowed Democratic socialist on the ticket like Bernie Sanders, flipping a state like North Carolina  would have been much harder, said Jessica Taylor, Senate and governors editor for the Cook Political Report.

Republicans are on defense in states they previously thought safe, most notably Montana. The states Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, launched his Senate campaign in March. A recent poll showed him leading the Republican incumbent, Steve Daines, by seven points, even though Trump carried Montana by 20 in 2016.

I think the Democrats have done a better job of putting more races in play than the Republicans have, Kondik said, although Republicans are just defending many more seats.

Democratic candidates have seen better fundraising numbers, which party strategists say is a reflection of grassroots energy. For example, in Maine, in the first quarter of this year, Sara Gideon raised nearly three times as much money as the Republican senator Susan Collins.

Incumbent Republicans face the same challenge as the president: the financial devastation caused by the pandemic has robbed them of their best talking point  the strength of the US economy. As the unemployment rate climbs and many Americans lose health coverage, Democratic strategists are quick to point out that the administration has stayed in a lawsuit from Republican state attorneys general which seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Republicans, right now, today, support a lawsuit that could toss out critical protections for people with pre-existing conditions, said Benjamin Ray, senior director of campaign communications for the Democratic group Emilys List.

It might sound unconscionable to kick people that have gotten sick in a global pandemic off of their health insurance, but its what incumbent Republicans want.

Democratic strategists insist Republicans are also suffering as a result of Trumps handling of the coronavirus crisis and his partys refusal to criticize him for it.

Last month, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senate Republicans campaign arm, circulated a 57-page memo which instructed candidates: Dont defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban  attack China.

After the Trump campaign lashed out, the committee was forced to backtrack, saying there was no daylight between the NRSC and President Trump.

The NRSC did not offer a comment to the Guardian.

Helen Kalla, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said: Republican senators have completely tied themselves to the president, and now theyre on the hook and own the failed coronavirus response.

With a majority of Americans expressing disapproval of Trumps handling of the crisis, Democrats say Senate Republicans will suffer the consequences in November.

It is very clear what the Republican agenda is, Kalla said. I dont think voters are going to forget it.
Conservationists say if tourism fails reserve land will be used for farming or property development instead.

Millions of tourists normally flock to Kenyas wildlife reserves.

But international arrivals into the country have been stopped because of the coronavirus pandemic and the loss of tourism dollars is putting conservation projects at risk.

Al Jazeeras Malcolm Webb reports from Nairobi.
A new symptom relating to the coronavirus may be much more fatal than previously known effects. A new trend is being observed among patients being admitted to hospitals in New York. Beyond the usual fever and respiratory signs, some cases are showing severe confusion and neural incapacity.

The most common reason for this issue is a lack of oxygen, but patients are showing the symptoms contrary to how the respiratory system is faring.

Neurologist at the New York University Langone Brooklyn hospital, Jennifer Frontera, who is overseeing the patients, told AFP that discoveries are raising the alarm over the effects of the COVID-19 on the human nervous system.

An unusual new symptom

According to Rappler, new reports of unusual signs developing concerning the coronavirus infection have begun surfacing.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study last week, which found 36.4% of 214 Chinese patients showed neurological symptoms ranging from mild confusion to severe seizures and strokes.

Associate professor of critical care medicine, neurology, and neurosurgery at the Univesity of Pittsburgh, Sherry Chou said, "I think at this point, I would say that we know something." Also, adding "But we definitely don't know enough," regarding the correlation between the virus and the human brain.

One of the biggest mysteries to Professor Chou is contemplating is why the neural symptoms of the COVID-19 virus only show up in some patients. She wonders if the infection targets the nervous system directly or is just a reaction of the body to the foreign attacker.

Also Read: China's "SARS Hero" Says Lack of Immunity Makes the Country Vulnerable to COVID-19 Second Wave

Lack of information

Professor Chou also said, "We're really in uncharted waters here," while explaining most of what we have yet to understand with the disease is born from its uniqueness and recentness and how our attention is focused on containment and mitigation rather than researching everything about it.

The professor is also in hopes that the missing information regarding the cause of the pandemic is figured out soon as she leads a team of physicians and scientists from all over the world to understand just how the COVID-19 affects the nervous system, as reported by AARP.

An examination of 58 patients in Strasbourg, France revealed more than 50% were found to be confused or agitated, and succeeding brain imaging suggests inflammation, a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed this week.

Chair of the neurology department at the University of California, S Andrew Josephson, said to AFP "You've been hearing that this is a breathing problem, but it also affects what we most care about, the brain," while adding "If you become confused if you're having problems thinking, those are reasons to seek medical attention."

The newly discovered symptoms prompt the general population to ignore the previous mantra of "Don't come un unless you're short of breath" would likely not apply anymore.

Frontera and her team have found one startling case where a man in his fifties whose white matter had been severely damaged that it "would basically render him in a state of profound brain damage," they said.

Doctors are at a loss and are interested in analyzing the man's spinal fluid to reveal the inner workings of the virus. Still, these are difficult to perform on patients attached to ventilators.

There is no current knowledge of how long or how severe the neurological effects of the COVID-19 are. The entire experience of contracting the deadly virus and being subject to multiple tests is disorienting enough to the patient.

Returning to normal seemingly takes longer for people with neurological conditions than those who have heart failure or stroke, added Rohan Arora, a neurologist at the Long Island Jewish Forest Hills.

Related Article: Study Says Human Host Gets the Blame for Bringing Coronavirus to Wuhan, Not Animals

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hong Kong, May 18 : Hong Kong recorded no new COVID-19 cases on Monday, according to a government source, as officials planned to extend the city's social-distancing measures.

With no new infections, the number of confirmed cases remained at 1,055, with four related deaths, reports the South China Morning Post newspaper.

On Sunday, Hong Kong recorded three imported cases from Pakistan, after three locally transmitted cases broke a streak of 23 days without anyone becoming infected in the city.

Hong Kong is expected to keep in place most social-distancing measures for another two weeks, including limiting public gatherings to eight people, given the risk of a new local cluster from unknown sources, the South China Morning Post has learned.

But authorities may slightly relax some rules, such as by allowing larger gatherings for religious purposes or reopening karaoke lounges, provided enough precautions are taken, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Both of Jack Dorsey's companies will now allow employees to work from home permanently.

San Francisco-based Square said Monday it would let people work remotely, even after regional shelter-in-place orders end. The news came a week after Twitter, also run by Dorsey, announced its employees would have the same option.

"We want employees to be able to work where they feel most creative and productive," a Square spokesperson told CNBC. "Over the past several weeks, we've learned a lot about what it takes for people to effectively perform roles outside of an office, and we will continue to learn as we go."

Square announced a new 356,000 square-foot building in the East Bay of San Francisco earlier this year where it said it planned to move a few hundred employees. The payment company has more than 3,000 employees, some of whom will still need to go to the office for jobs that can't be done remotely. The Verge first reported the new Square policy.

Square and Twitter are the only major Bay Area tech companies to implement a permanent work-from-home policy. Google and Facebook are telling employees to work remotely until the end of this year amid broader Covid-related shutdowns.

Dorsey has long advocated for remote work. At one point last year, the CEO announced he would live in Africa for up to half of 2020 and continue running the two companies from another continent. After the Covid pandemic hit, Dorsey said he was reconsidering the move. His decision not to move also came after Elliott Management, which has a large stake in Twitter, pushed for Dorsey's ouster earlier this year, citing Dorsey's time split between Square and Twitter and his desire to move to Africa as reasons for Twitter to bring in a new CEO. The two sides ultimately settled, and Dorsey's job appears safe for now.

A "distributed" workforce model would expand the company's hiring pool, Dorsey said at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference last week.

"We can get talent anywhere. There's a lot of folks out there that do not want to move to San Francisco. They feel comfortable working in a much smaller office or just home," Dorsey said at the conference.
Chill Insurance has reportedly caught the eye of several private equity (PE) investors, with the race being led by London-headquartered mid-market PE firm Livingbridge.

The latter has emerged as the top contender for an investment in the Irish online insurance broker, according to sources cited by The Sunday Times. The Dublin-based intermediary is looking to grow further after snapping up Aaran Insurances last year, and PE backing is among the likely routes to take.
Unable to physically pray together this Ramadan, Muslim New Yorkers spend time preparing food for those in need.

New York City  Hani Hajir has cooked his entire life. Watching his customers eat at the halal restaurant he owns in Brooklyn is what brings him joy. But the current coronavirus pandemic lockdown has robbed him of this simple pleasure for more than a month.

He closed shop on March 30, less than two weeks after New York City shut down to contain the spread of the virus. Hajir was worried that he would be exposed to the disease, given that he was the one who interacted with customers the most. Moreover, the business took a hit given the neighbourhood is primarily made of factories and warehouses  a workforce that has all but disappeared since the pandemic began.

Hajir said he had become depressed under the lockdown. He is not alone. Muslim community leaders in New York City said the lack of community activities and inability to pray and break fast together during the holy month of Ramadan has hit the community hard.

But Hajir, like many Muslims across the United States, has found new ways to observe Ramadan, including practising community and charity despite the lockdowns and quarantines.

Hajir has teamed up with the Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Brooklyn to provide food to homeless individuals.

Hajir prepares food in his restaurant every day to give to MCC for deliveries. Mohammed Bahi, director of MCC, then brings the meals to a location in Manhattan to share them with the members from the homeless community.

Even though the MCC has been involved with feeding the homeless community since 2014, Bahi said that this time the spirit is different. MCC has seen nearly double the number of people who normally show up during their Ramadan food drives.

Jeff Perrington, who has previously experienced homelessness and currently works as a liaison for the MCC and the homeless community, agrees that the number of those seeking food assistance this year is on the rise.

Things have gotten more catastrophic, he said. In April, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shared concerns that food insecurity in the city had doubled during the pandemic, with the citys homeless population especially vulnerable.

MCCs food drive for the homeless community runs about six blocks in Manhattan, according to Perrington, with volunteers making sure social distancing measures are in place. MCCs initiative also provides masks, gloves, sanitisers as well as other hygiene products.

A new tool to strengthen faith

Beyond serving the community, the initiative also offers the volunteers some respite from being in the confines of their home.

New York City is home to approximately 768,767 Muslims, scattered across all five boroughs.

For many who attend the MCC, Bahi said the mosque, now temporarily closed, was the number-one tool for them to strengthen their faith and beliefs, especially during Ramadan.

We lost that tool, [and] everyone is going around trying to replace it, and we thought this is the best way [to do so], Bahi said.

MCCs initiative also has support from other organisers and facilities, namely the Asiyah Womens Shelter, the only domestic violence shelter in New York geared towards Muslim women that is under the umbrella of Muslims Giving Back, a volunteer-run group thats a part of MCC.

People queue up for free food handed out by volunteers from Muslims Giving Back, in red vests, in the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of Brooklyn [Wong Maye-E/AP Photo]

Dania Darwish, the executive director of Asiyah, said volunteering with these activities provides the centres residents with an opportunity for a mental break from the circumstances theyre processing. They assist with preparing and packaging the meals that Bahi carries to Manhattan every night.

Many of the survivors at the centre, she says, were very close to their families, and not being together at this time has made the current isolation particularly challenging.

But theyre now using this volunteer opportunity to fill the absence, while also giving back to the community, she said.

A time for action

Other initiatives have also popped up across the city. The New York Police Department Muslim Officers Society says every year they organise a massive iftar celebration for the community at the police headquarters.

Given that that is not possible this year, they are now organising a troop of four halal food carts that are providing free meals to New Yorkers between 5pm and 8pm.

Adeel Rana, president of the society, estimates that there are about 1,000 people who show up to the carts every day.

Three of the carts are stationed in specific neighbourhoods across the city, while one does rotations.

The meals are served during the time of iftar, but Rana said they are open to everyone. When you serve our community, it means youre serving anybody that also belongs in our community, he said.

The food carts belong to Zakarya Khan, who owns a halal restaurant, Gyro King, that operates through different carts and branches in the city.

Imam Mufti Mohammed Ismail, centre, and volunteer Mohammad Q Ullah, left, delivers a box of food supplies prepared at An-Noor Cultural Center and masjid for those impacted by COVID-19 restrictions [File: Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo]

As soon as the shutdown began, Khan had to close out the carts, and those that ran the carts were suddenly unemployed.

The initiative to offer free meals is now helping fill this gap, as well, as Khan immediately hired back those who were working the cart shift.

This is a time of help, this is a time of sympathy, compassion, but this is also the time of action, he told Al Jazeera.

As for Bahi, he said the volunteer work is helping people recreate the idea of praying together  just in a different way.

The feeling were getting is really reminiscing about being inside a mosque and praying together, he said. Instead of us praying together standing feet to feet, shoulder to shoulder, were feeding the homeless together feet to feet, shoulder to shoulder.
Virtual meetings are quickly becoming a standard practice for government entities and organizations after the coronavirus quickly put an end to in-person interactions.

Many of the entities are adjusting rapidly because they are required to hold public meetings by law.

According to Zooms blog website, the virtual meeting tool had more than 200 million daily meeting participants by March. Similarly, Microsofts Team platform had 44 million users by March 18, according to Business Insider. The Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Humble, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority and others use virtual platforms to continue their public meeting schedule.

CASES INCREASE: Confirmed coronavirus cases rise after mobile testing site opens in Humble

The Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce has produced virtual streaming in the past but nothing to the extent they have now, according to President and CEO Jenna Armstrong. Sam Schrade, former board chairman for the chamber and CEO of DNA Studios, has helped the chamber in the process of going fully virtual.

Just being able to utilize his services has made it extremely easy for us, Armstrong said.

The chamber has welcomed representatives like Congressman Kevin Brady and Houston councilmember Dave Martin to speak at their virtual Lunch-In meetings this month.

By using virtual meetings, the chamber has had a greater reach than ever before  there have been over 1,500 views on some videos. They are also able to maintain their sponsorship benefits by putting slides or short videos to their virtual meetings.

Although its not in person, which we like the in-person contact for our events, its enabled us to actually be able to get some other really great speakers to participate because they dont have to be there in person, Armstrong said. And if theyre in D.C. or in another location they can virtually log in and talk to the group of people here.

One of the struggles they have had to deal with is access to reliable WiFi. Armstrong said the residential WiFi can be a problem as more people are relying on those systems. She has also noticed a trend of Zoom fatigue, as people use the service during this time.

Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox

Armstrong is unsure how long they will continue the virtual workplace until the CDC produces guidance and allows larger groups of people, but there is a very strong possibility that they will continue the virtual Lunch-Ins and BizComs for the remainder of the year.

However, when we get the opportunity to meet again in person with large groups we are going to take that opportunity because you cant replace that one-on-one contact that youre able to make and the conversations youre able to have and the relationships youre able to develop when youre in person, Armstrong said. The in-person meetings for us, when it is safe to do it again, we will start resuming those but youll definitely see a hybrid as we move forward and as things become a little more normalized.

Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe said the most noticeable change he has seen is moving the city council meetings to a video platform, which he expects to continue for at least one more meeting. This is the first time cameras have been allowed in meetings.

The biggest change was we never had a camera in the council chamber, so bringing that aspect of making council meetings available for recording and broadcast out, it was different, Stuebe said. It required some getting used to at first but I think everybody, again, has adapted pretty well to it.

While he finds there are benefits and disadvantages to such technologies, Stuebe said that what he expects to see from the public sector is that there will likely be a hybrid of in-person and electronic meetings. He has not received any complaints or concerns from the way they have been using technology, but he thinks everyone is looking forward to when they can open their building back up and holding in-person council meetings again. While many cities have a robust online presence, Stuebe said there was a learning curve for the city of Humble to move to a virtual setting.

MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR: Humble ISD examines outdoor graduation at Turner Stadium, reopening in August

We were pretty nimble in being able to adapt, (but) it wasnt without its challenges at first, Stuebe said.

They have been holding staff meetings and external meetings by teleconference and Zoom, especially for development meetings.

All of our development and predevelopment meetings that we have ongoing with commercial developers as theyre still looking to build or rebuild or do [renovations] in the city, were relying on Zoom, Stuebe said. Even down to building inspections, were now doing those kind of by phone and by video conference as well with the inspectors. So its been a lifeboat for us.

However, not everyone is accepting of the virtual platforms. Allen Brown spoke in the public comment time period of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 conference meeting on May 14. He said the Northpark Drive Project is too big to discuss on a conference call.

You can go to restaurants now, and this is not the way to do it, Brown said.

According to Harris County Public Health, the coronavirus the virus seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (community spread) in some affected geographic areas. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority said the virtual meetings are necessary while the coronavirus rages on in a statement in their board packet.

As a result of the current COVID-19 virus epidemic emergency, the convening at one location of a quorum of the Board is difficult or impossible. Therefore, the Board will conduct this meeting by telephone conference call rather than by physical quorum pursuant to Texas Government Code Sec. 551.125 and guidance of the Governor of the State of Texas. Members of the public are entitled to participate and address the Board during the telephonic meeting. In all respects, this meeting will be open to the public and compliant with applicable law and guidance of the Governor of the State of Texas. An electronic copy of the agenda packet can be found at: https://www.districtdirectory.org/agendapackets/Ihra.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com
As of 12 p.m. May 18, 2020, the Pa. Department of Health reports that there are 63,056 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. There are at least 4,505 reported deaths from the virus.

Click the image to see a data page including an interactive maps for the state. (Please click the link in the previous sentence if you cant see the image)

Click here for a ZIP code breakdown of cases provided by the Pa. Department of Health.

Of these cases, 13,626 cases are among residents in 561 of the states nursing and personal care homes. At least 3,086 of those residents have died from the virus. A map of these cases is below. Please click here if you cannot see that map.

The state is also providing detailed hospital and respirator data here for desktop users and here for mobile users.

PennLive is monitoring the new cases over a two-week period, part of the Wolf administrations criteria for reopening the state. A map and a database for these are below. If you cannot see either embed, please click here for the map and here for the database.

Below is a map of the current reopening status of Pennsylvania counties. Please click here if you cannot see that map.

Adams County

194 positive cases and 2,196 negative results with 5 deaths. 25 cases are among residents and 4 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 4 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Allegheny County

1,641 positive cases and 22,819 negative results with 143 deaths. 408 cases are among residents and 113 cases are among employees at 37 nursing home and personal care facilities. 112 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Armstrong County

58 positive cases and 973 negative results with 2 deaths. 6 cases are among residents and 6 cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 3 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Beaver County

533 positive cases and 2,781 negative results with 70 deaths. 351 cases are among residents and 26 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 76 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Bedford County

32 positive cases and 484 negative results with 2 deaths.

Berks County

3,719 positive cases and 8,786 negative results with 248 deaths. 743 cases are among residents and 107 cases are among employees at 25 facilities. 152 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Blair County

38 positive cases and 1,899 negative results with 1 death. 1 case is among residents and 0 cases are among employees at 1 facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Bradford County

41 positive cases and 1,048 negative results with 3 deaths.

Bucks County

4,516 positive cases and 14,366 negative results with 417 deaths. 1442 cases are among residents and 326 cases are among employees at 52 facilities. 344 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Butler County

203 positive cases and 3,034 negative results with 12 deaths. 13 cases are among residents and 10 cases are among employees at 6 nursing home and personal care facilities. 2 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Cambria County

54 positive cases and 2,549 negative results with 2 deaths. 1 cases are among residents and . cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Cameron County

2 positive cases and 86 negative results.

Carbon County

214 positive cases and 1,707 negative results with 22 deaths. 58 cases are among residents and 5 cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 13 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Centre County

133 positive cases and 1,512 negative results with 5 deaths. 18 cases are among residents and 13 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 5 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Chester County

2,153 positive cases and 8,706 negative results with 227 deaths. 691 cases are among residents and 133 cases are among employees at 39 nursing home and personal care facilities. 187 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Clarion County

24 positive cases and 587 negative results with 2 deaths. 1 cases are among residents and 1 cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Clearfield County

33 positive cases and 799 negative results. 2 cases are among residents and . cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Clinton County

44 positive cases and 440 negative results.

Columbia County

337 positive cases and 1,045 negative results with 29 deaths. 98 cases are among residents and 34 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 29 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Crawford County

21 positive cases and 858 negative results.

Cumberland County

525 positive cases and 3,056 negative results with 41 deaths. 256 cases are among residents and 57 cases are among employees at 9 nursing home and personal care facilities. 41 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Dauphin County

978 positive cases and 7,531 negative results with 50 deaths. 258 cases are among residents and 51 cases are among employees at 4 nursing home and personal care facilities. 27 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Delaware County

5,689 positive cases and 15,036 negative results with 436 deaths. 1600 cases are among residents and 284 cases are among employees at 40 nursing home and personal care facilities. 394 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Elk County

6 positive cases and 238 negative results.

Erie County

145 positive cases and 3,151 negative results with 4 deaths. 3 cases are among residents and 2 cases are among employees at 4 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Fayette County

91 positive cases and 2,544 negative results with 4 deaths. 4 cases are among residents and . cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 1 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Forest County

7 positive cases and 57 negative results.

Franklin County

631 positive cases and 4,106 negative results with 25 deaths. 100 cases are among residents and 14 cases are among employees at 4 nursing home and personal care facilities. 8 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Fulton County

11 positive cases and 151 negative results with 1 death.

Greene County

27 positive cases and 604 negative results.

Huntingdon County

214 positive cases and 631 negative results. 0 cases are among residents and 1 cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Indiana County

84 positive cases and 1,019 negative results with 4 deaths. 14 cases are among residents and 2 cases are among employees at 4 nursing home and personal care facilities. 4 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Jefferson County

7 positive cases and 416 negative results.

Juniata County

94 positive cases and 270 negative results with 2 deaths.

Lackawanna County

1,363 positive cases and 4,249 negative results with 125 deaths. 609 cases are among residents and 102 cases are among employees at 17 nursing home and personal care facilities. 128 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Lancaster County

2,552 positive cases and 11,807 negative results with 252 deaths. 658 cases are among residents and 178 cases are among employees at 33 nursing home and personal care facilities. 169 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Lawrence County

72 positive cases and 1,004 negative results with 8 deaths. 0 cases are among residents and 2 cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Lebanon County

877 positive cases and 3,663 negative results with 21 deaths. 88 cases are among residents and 14 cases are among employees at 4 nursing home and personal care facilities. 13 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Lehigh County

3,491 positive cases and 10,865 negative results with 173 deaths. 659 cases are among residents and 133 cases are among employees at 26 nursing home and personal care facilities. 110 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Luzerne County

2,532 positive cases and 8,005 negative results with 122 deaths. 407 cases are among residents and 75 cases are among employees at 20 nursing home and personal care facilities. 96 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Lycoming County

149 positive cases and 1,732 negative results with 8 deaths. 72 cases are among residents and 14 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 8 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

McKean County

11 positive cases and 372 negative results with 1 death.

Mercer County

94 positive cases and 1,156 negative results with 4 deaths. 1 cases are among residents and . cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Mifflin County

57 positive cases and 997 negative results with 1 death. 1 cases are among residents and 1 cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Monroe County

1,259 positive cases and 4,203 negative results with 88 deaths. 148 cases are among residents and 44 cases are among employees at 8 nursing home and personal care facilities. 35 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Montgomery County

6,012 positive cases and 25,655 negative results with 566 deaths. 2256 cases are among residents and 112 cases are among employees at 88 nursing home and personal care facilities. 522 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Montour County

50 positive cases and 3,015 negative results.

Northampton County

2,727 positive cases and 9,941 negative results with 171 deaths. 670 cases are among residents and 154 cases are among employees at 14 nursing home and personal care facilities. 128 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Northumberland County

143 positive cases and 1,065 negative results with 2 deaths. 1 cases are among residents and . cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Perry County

41 positive cases and 491 negative results with 1 death.

Philadelphia County

16,340 positive cases and 43,031 negative results with 1080 deaths. 1646 cases are among residents and 8 cases are among employees at 58 nursing home and personal care facilities. 415 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Pike County

461 positive cases and 1,681 negative results with 15 deaths. 31 cases are among residents and 5 cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 10 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Potter County

4 positive cases and 117 negative results.

Schuylkill County

529 positive cases and 3,282 negative results with 20 deaths. 85 cases are among residents and 21 cases are among employees at 10 nursing home and personal care facilities. 4 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Snyder County

33 positive cases and 312 negative results with 1 death.

Somerset County

36 positive cases and 1,249 negative results.

Sullivan County

2 positive cases and 69 negative results.

Susquehanna County

85 positive cases and 519 negative results with 15 deaths. 42 cases are among residents and 16 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 14 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Tioga County

16 positive cases and 417 negative results with 2 deaths.

Union County

51 positive cases and 806 negative results with 1 death. 0 cases are among residents and 2 cases are among employees at 2 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Venango County

8 positive cases and 374 negative results.

Warren County

2 positive cases and 256 negative results.

Washington County

133 positive cases and 3,170 negative results with 4 deaths. 6 cases are among residents and 2 cases are among employees at 3 nursing home and personal care facilities. 1 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Wayne County

108 positive cases and 753 negative results with 7 deaths. 0 cases are among residents and 1 cases are among employees at 1 nursing home and personal care facilities. 0 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Westmoreland County

432 positive cases and 7,258 negative results with 38 deaths. 138 cases are among residents and 34 cases are among employees at 9 nursing home and personal care facilities. 27 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

Wyoming County

30 positive cases and 333 negative results with 4 deaths.

York County

857 positive cases and 10,221 negative results with 18 deaths. 15 cases are among residents and 4 cases are among employees at 7 nursing home and personal care facilities. 4 of the countys deaths were in those facilities.

This data is compiled from the Pa. Department of Health. The state will not be providing recovery data at this time.

Several counties have released their own data maps. Information reported at the county level may not be consistent with the state numbers. Those counties include:

Some medical systems have begun releasing discharge data. Those medical systems include:

Text PennLive to 717-745-7532 to sign up to have breaking news and essential updates about the coronavirus delivered right to your mobile device. Data and messaging rates may apply.

-- Follow Ed Sutelan on Twitter, @EdwardSutelan

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.
COVID-19 infections force Thai Union to close fish canning factory in Ghana

by Toan Dao

May 18,2020 | Source: SeafoodSource

Thai Union has closed its cannery in Ghana after one of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus.



The Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) in Tema, Ghana, was shut immediately for disinfection and cleaning on 17 April, when the company received results of the positive test. It has also collaborated with local authorities to undertake quarantining and tracing measures to mitigate potential risks, Thai Union said in a 12 May statement.



A spokesman for Thai Union told SeafoodSource via email on 13 May that the cannery was partially re-opened on 11 May on a trial basis with limited capacity to carry out maintenance and clear certain backlogs."



In consultation with the authorities, we have decided to remain closed, but have been making every effort to reopen in phases as workers are cleared to return to work following negative tests, he said, adding that the factory will run with limited capacity for an undefined period before resuming full operations.



Thai Union said it is working closely with the government of Ghana and health authorities to carry out testing for the workers. The company is also maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene to both protect our staff and to maintain the safety and high quality of our products."



Although the company has not revealed the number of confirmed cases at PFC, Abraham Koomson, head of the Ghana Federation of Labor, said a total of 533 cases positive tests for coronavirus were conducted at PFC, according to Reuters.



As has been the case with many seafood producers, Bangkok, Thailand-based Thai Union has had to deal with rapidly changing business conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, the company said in a public statement accompanying the release of its first quarter results that the global restaurant chain Red Lobster, in which it holds a minority stake, has been hit by the lockdowns in the U.S., with all dining halls being shut down and 60 percent being open for take-out service only.

 2020 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 14:39 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8cce2d 1 City COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,Jakarta-COVID-19,death,hermina-hospital Free

A 72-year-old patient under surveillance (PDP) for COVID-19, identified as MR, has died after reportedly jumping from the fourth floor of the Hermina Hospital in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, on Sunday morning.

East Jakarta Police crime unit head Sr. Adj. Comr. Hery Purnomo said the police had questioned two people in relation to this case, one of whom testified that MR had asked to go home the night before the incident.

The witness, who was in the same room as the victim, saw the victim open the window and jumped out from the fourth floor of Hermina Hospital, Hery said in a statement on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Read also: Family moves to forest to avoid stigma after being examined for COVID-19

Another witness named Ismail, who was on duty at Hermina Hospital, heard a crashing sound. Upon learning there was a dead body at the entrance to the parking lot, Ismail immediately contacted the police.

The police are still investigating whether MR intended to flee, commit suicide or had another motive.

The handling of the victims body was carried out in accordance with COVID-19 protocols, Hery added. (syk)
Monday, May 18, 2020 at 10:30AM

Huawei's latest flagship is expected to arrive this summer through Canadian carriers. But as MobileSyrup reports, it isn't clear which carriers will be carrying the device and how much it will cost. When companies like Huawei bring phones into the country, one of the biggest challenges is pricing. Without telecom partners to subsidize phone prices, the premium handsets get steep prices, which might be said for Mate 30 Pro. With the P40 Pro coming in through carriers, it might help ease the financial burden a bit. Although we still need to remind you that this new Huawei flagship doesn't have Google services. Huawei tries to make up for this with apps and services like App Gallery, Phone Clone, and MoreApps to help you access the apps you need.
CANTON, Mass., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Massachusetts Nurses Association is encouraged to learn some of the steps the Baker Administration and its Reopening Advisory Board have taken regarding the resumption of normal healthcare services, while remaining vigilant about the re-institution of science-based personal protective equipment (PPE) standards, the application of consistent return-to-work rules for healthcare workers, and the need for an advisory group of caregivers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As healthcare facilities begin to resume normal operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative the voices of frontline nurses and healthcare professionals are heard," said RN and MNA President Donna Kelly-Williams. "Healthcare operations must resume in a way that protects and supports staff, with clear standards across facilities, so that all patients are safe, and the outbreak does not resurge."

"We are pleased the administration has reinstated the ICU safe patient limits law that protects the health and safety of our most vulnerable patients," Kelly-Williams said. "Because healthcare facilities are under pressure to recoup lost revenue and quickly ramp-up elective and other non-emergency procedures, it is critical the state closely monitors their adherence to safety standards and heeds the advice of frontline healthcare workers."

The MNA has called for an advisory group of nurses and healthcare professionals on the frontlines of COVID-19 to provide insight and recommendations on how best to organize patient care across the state as healthcare facilities seek to resume normal operations and prepare to confront a potential second wave of infections.

"We have seen health systems in this state close ICUs for entire communities and withhold or provide substandard PPE that has increased the spread of the virus," Kelly-Williams said. "We recently saw hospitals like Cape Cod Hospital furlough hundreds of staff. Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have advocated for rigorous standards to protect the safety of patients and the health of frontline staff. Far too many of these standards have been ignored or undermined by hospital administrators who do not have cohesive plans of their own, and who are making decisions based on revenue and profits rather than best practices."

Gov. Charlie Baker and his administration officials on Monday announced details of a phased re-opening plan for the Massachusetts healthcare and other industries. A 22-page document pertaining to Health and Human Services includes a multi-phase approach for resuming healthcare facility operations that have been closed during the pandemic. The document includes some of the recommendations the MNA proposed to Gov. Baker in a letter earlier this month, including the reinstatement of the ICU safe patient limits law and the screening of all patients entering the facility.

MNA nurses and healthcare professionals continue to advocate for additional measures, including:

A return to science-based PPE standards. The CDC weakened its PPE standards at the beginning of the pandemic, allowing healthcare facilities to force staff to re-use masks manufactured for one-time use numerous times. The newly issued state standards refer facilities to the current, weaker CDC PPE guidelines. The MNA has also called for a halt to mask decontamination because of the lack of long-term studies of the efficacy and safety of the processes.

The CDC weakened its PPE standards at the beginning of the pandemic, allowing healthcare facilities to force staff to re-use masks manufactured for one-time use numerous times. The newly issued state standards refer facilities to the current, weaker CDC PPE guidelines. The MNA has also called for a halt to mask decontamination because of the lack of long-term studies of the efficacy and safety of the processes. Consistent return-to-work standards. Healthcare facilities have employed vastly different approaches and rules for staff returning to work. Some have required two negative COVID-19 tests, while others have not required tests at all. For the resumption of normal operations to be safe and successful, there needs to be a cohesive, science-driven approach.

Healthcare facilities have employed vastly different approaches and rules for staff returning to work. Some have required two negative COVID-19 tests, while others have not required tests at all. For the resumption of normal operations to be safe and successful, there needs to be a cohesive, science-driven approach. Universal testing . All staff and all patients should be tested for COVID-19. Read more about the MNA's proposed testing requirements here. Like with other measures, utilizing a coordinated approach, rather than confusion leading to problems and potential virus spread, will help us all safer.

. All staff and all patients should be tested for COVID-19. Read more about the MNA's proposed testing requirements here. Like with other measures, utilizing a coordinated approach, rather than confusion leading to problems and potential virus spread, will help us all safer. Presumption of workplace exposure. The MNA is advocating at the State House for legislation that will presume work exposure for all healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 or who were exposed and quarantined. Nurses and other healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line every shift caring for patients with the coronavirus. They have been on the front lines of this pandemic in trash bags, wearing makeshift face shields, placing their N95 masks in crumpled paper bags and riding in crowded shuttles. There are countless reasons why we must consider any healthcare worker who has been exposed to have acquired the virus at work.

Read the full MNA proposed re-opening standards here (PDF will open).

More MNA information about COVID-19 at

www.massnurses.org/COVID-19.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


Apple is making clearer signals in the production of components and products in Vietnam, opening up opportunities for Vietnam to participate more deeply in the global value chain.

Apple plans to increase its orders for component suppliers in Vietnam.

In recent days, the information that Apple produces wireless earphones (Airpods) in Vietnam has been a cause for happiness. This is the result of a long collaborative journey between Vietnamese agencies and this globally renowned maker of smart devices.

With little information about Apples upcoming investment in Vietnam revealed, many people mistakenly believe that Apple will set up a factory in Vietnam like Samsung did. However, Apple's operating model in Vietnam is different from that of Samsung. Apple does not directly manage any manufacturing plant. Instead, it cooperates with suppliers around the world to produce and assemble Apple products. These suppliers are called Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

Apple has more than 1,200 suppliers worldwide, mainly in Asia. Surprisingly, according to a source of VietNamNet, there have been dozens of such suppliers in Vietnam for a long time, including "familiar names like Foxconn and Samsung. In particular, Samsung Display produces screens for Apple.

Therefore, the increasing presence of Apple in Vietnam may be the increase in orders placed for suppliers in Vietnam or calling for foreign suppliers to open factories in Vietnam.

That is why in March 2019, Apple opened an executive office to manage the supply chain in Vietnam.

In any case, Apples increasing interest in the supply chain from Vietnam is good news, demonstrating Vietnam's efforts over the years to be on the world technology map, to become a "base of electronics production" of many big brands such as Samsung, LG, Intel ... That is an achievement, a spectacular shift of Vietnam in attracting quality FDI inflows, even though Vietnam can in fact do better and make better use of the pervasive value of this capital inflow.

But it is not easy for Apple to enter the Vietnamese market. Apple also has many considerations, calculations and concerns, most notably in the matter of procedures, and business investment environment.

When senior leaders of Apple worked with Vietnam, they expressed great concern about customs procedures when it takes more hours in Vietnam than in international practice to fulfil more procedures to clear goods. Apple has proposed being designated a special priority enterprise regime under the official program of the Vietnam Customs that many other businesses are enjoying. Apple has made this proposal several times and it was rejected by the customs agency for many reasons.

Apple's story shows that the opportunity for Vietnam to receive large capital flows from multinational corporations is getting closer. In this global trade movement trend, Vietnam can become an important link.

Four major economies including Australia, Japan, India and the United States have officially resumed four-party dialogue after 10 years of interruption and upgraded it to a dialogue of foreign ministers. On March 20, the "Diamond Quartet" invited three other countries including Vietnam, South Korea and New Zealand to join the dialogue. This new group was called by the Indian Times as the "QUAD Plus. This group is fueling international media with the possibility that the US is trying to move the supply chain out of China as soon as possible.

Vietnam has been named in the "QUAD Plus. The opportunity for Vietnam to contribute more to the global value chain is closer than ever. The problem is whether we can change to seize that opportunity or not. This needs a change in mindset and changes to create a more favorable and more open investment environment for businesses and partners.

The concerns of Apple in discussions with Vietnamese government agencies are probably also the concerns of many other businesses. In many conferences and seminars at all levels, many businesses and associations have called for that change. Vietnam has also listened to and changed, but the change is still beyond expectation.

Vietnam will have to do a lot of work to take a long step into the global value chain. After Samsung, LG, Intel ..., Apple will set a new era for capital inflows into Vietnam. If Apple successfully enters Vietnam, large corporations will also choose Vietnam as a destination, from which "made in Vietnam" products will go to the world.

Luong Bang

Future Apple Store may fail to bite into retailers Rumours of Apple setting up a manufacturing base and opening its first Apple Store in Vietnam have sent consumers into frenzy, but local tech retailers and parallel importers do not seem particularly worried
A doctor charged with causing the death of a motorcyclist by careless driving has become the first defendant to go on trial at the Old Bailey since the Covid-19 lockdown.

Some jurors donned face masks and were sat six feet apart as the trial of Dr Mohammad Tahir got under way in the largest courtroom at the historic central London venue.

The 40-year-old is charged with causing the death by careless driving of a motorcyclist on the Embankment at Chelsea, west London, in 2017.

Dr Mohammad Tahir arrived at the Old Bailey on Monday as it reopened for the first time after the coronavirus lockdown

The Old Bailey is one of four courts earmarked to begin new cases on Monday since the Lord Chief Justice called a halt to trials on March 23.

Before being sworn in, Judge Richard Marks QC broke with tradition and used a microphone to address 27 potential jurors in the hallway outside the court.

The judge, who is Common Serjeant of London, told them: 'We are living, are we not, in very challenging times and it would be remiss of me not to address your concerns during the pandemic.'

Jurors heard how social distancing measures had been put in place, and the building had been thoroughly cleaned and inspected before they arrived.

Fences outside the Old Bailey have been put up as part of new social distancing measures to protect jurors, barristers and other court visitors

Jurors were ushered to seats in the courtroom spaced two metres apart which are normally reserved for barristers, who swapped places and sat in the jury box.

The victims family, police officers and three members of the press were also able to sit in the large court, and an overflow court was provided for anyone else to watch by live video-link.

Judge Marks said: 'Please do not be shy about this. If you have concerns then I really do want to know about it.'

None of the jurors raised any objections.

Tahir, 45, of Slough, has denied causing the death by careless driving of Thomas Bailey on the morning of October 4, 2017.

Mr Bailey was riding a motorcycle which collided with the defendants Toyota Prius at the junction between Cheyne Walk and Battersea Bridge Road.

Prosecutor James Brown QC said: 'The defendant turned across Mr Baileys path as the defendant tried to make a right turn onto Battersea Bridge. Their vehicles collided and Mr Bailey sustained fatal injuries.

'The Crowns case is that the defendant was careless in executing the right turn.

'In other words, he was not paying sufficient care and attention. Such a turn against the traffic always requires the driver to be satisfied as to whether there is any oncoming traffic.

Iconic statue of Justice atop the Old Bailey, where trials began again today with new social distancing measures to protect jurors

'Mr Bailey was there to be seen, riding a motorcycle along a straight road with the headlight and at least one sidelight illuminated.

'The prosecution case is that the defendant simply didnt look properly at the road ahead before he turned.'

The case is due to go on for up to two weeks.

Two other ongoing trials at the Old Bailey restarted last week with staggered sitting hours.

Other preliminary, plea and sentencing hearings have continued to be heard by Skype and telephone conference, despite the crisis.

Other new trials began at Cardiff, Bristol and Manchester Minshull Street Crown Courts.
In response to the current need brought about by COVID-19, the Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana has decided that all 2020 Mercy Fund grant monies will be awarded to support the immediate needs of the hungry within the four-county Diocese of Gary.

The foundations grants committee redesigned the 2020 grant cycle so the organization can provide resources where they are most needed. Rather than postpone the grant cycle, the committee, in conjunction with the foundations board of directors, has selected a creative way that is aligned with the mission of the Mercy Fund during this crisis.

Diana Murray, who chairs the grant committee, explained that under normal circumstances, her group would accept grant applications from April 15 to June 1. The committee reviews the applications and, based on funds available in the Mercy Fund at the conclusion of the fiscal year, would award grants in July or August.

Typically, Murray said, four or five different organizations would receive grant money, based on such criteria as unique or start-up projects. Food pantries traditionally did not meet those criteria, Murray explained, but the committee deemed the normal grant process unrealistic during the coronavirus quarantine.
Pastor John Gray on church gathering bans: Takes more faith to keep your doors closed

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Pastor John Gray, who leads Relentless Church in South Carolina, said he believes keeping churches closed during the pandemic is not a sign of lack of faith, but it takes more faith to do that.

Asked how holding online services changed things for him, Gray told Fox2 Detroit, Aw man, we are more creative, I get to be more free. I get to have conversations. Im more conversational in my approach. I also think [of] other ways to express myself, so its great, its been a great opportunity for me to try some new things.

He said this is the time to have faith. Faith is not for the good times; faith is for the times that make no sense, faith is for the moments we dont understand. Faith is for the moments when its darkest.

About the numerous lawsuits that are being filed by churches to stop enforcement of restrictions on churches to hold in-person services in various states, Gray said he supports efforts to flatten the curve.

I am very practical in this regard. My faith is not confined to a building. I have no comment on what pastors desire to do or how they navigate their own congregations, but if I have an 80-year-old church mother, I am not going to bring her to a building to sit her next to a stranger who could be asymptomatic, who coughs once, and now, there is a disease in her lungs that ends her life prematurely just so I can say that I joined, Gray said.

Some might say, You lack faith, he noted. But it takes more faith to keep your doors closed as a nonprofit than to keep them open ... The faith that I have also informs me to make the wisest decision for most people. I dont think the church should be the control group on how this virus transmits.

On Saturday, a federal judge in North Carolina issued an order to allow indoor worship services, blocking Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers enforcement of restrictions on churches during the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge James C. Dever III noted that Gov. Cooper appears to trust citizens to perform non-religious activities indoors (such as shopping or working or selling merchandise) but does not trust them to do the same when they worship together indoors, according to The Associated Press.

The Orders are not neutral laws of general applicability because they target Constitutionally protected activity, significantly burdening the Plaintiffs right to freedom of religion and assembly, establishing an orthodox form of religious exercise approved by the State, all the while providing broad exemptions for many other gatherings of more than 10 people that are not constitutionally protected, read the lawsuit filed by the Rev. Ronnie Baity, founder and pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem and president of nonprofit organization Return America.

A new poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 51% of Americans think in-person religious services should be allowed in some form. Only 34% say banning in-person religious services violates religious freedom.

Pastor Gray said in the interview that his church has seen growth in their online audience as well as uncommon kindness and generosity.

We have been able to feed people in our community, we have been able to drop off groceries to the elderly. We are doing things that a church should do, so we are not confined to a building, he said.
Cutthroat global competition, large supply chains and the almighty dollar have created an environment where the highest bidder might win shipments of personal protective equipment  regardless of contractual obligations.

Worldwide demand for PPE is leading to disruptions in the global supply chain, according to two suppliers of PPE in Canada.

Ron Pecchioli founded Ronco, an Ontario-based company with PPE manufacturing facilities overseas in China and Malaysia. He says staff there reported seeing people from various countries standing outside the facilities with briefcases full of cash to bid for available PPE.

"The loyalty of the companies in China doesn't exist anymore," said Pecchioli.

"Since COVID-19 started  in order to speed up and prioritize [orders], people arrived with cash, or cash arrived to China, allowing them to do the auction purchasing."

States in the U.S. are competing with themselves and foreign countries to acquire PPE. Meanwhile, in Canada, governments at the federal and provincial levels have centralized their procurement efforts to lessen the competition and ensure that everyone at least gets some of what's needed.

Daniel Thomas/Radio-Canada

But even that doesn't stop ordered products from disappearing somewhere between the manufacturing plant and the commercial boat or flight, and not arriving at the intended destination, suppliers in Canada say.

The circumstances have turned PPE procurement into a 24/7 job for Levitt Safety.

What's happening overseas is kind of like the Wild, Wild West of global supply chain right now. - Julie McFater, Levitt Safety

The PPE supplier, which has branches from British Columbia to New Brunswick, formed a procurement task force and split it into two teams, said director of marketing Julie McFater.

One team works days and the other works nights to track orders, stay updated on ever-changing export regulations, and file updated paperwork required by those new regulations.

Story continues

"We've been somewhat fortunate in sourcing some materials, but what's happening overseas is kind of like the Wild, Wild West of global supply chain right now," said McFater.

Levitt Safety has lost orders at the last minute because another company swoops in and offers three times more for the items; some shipments went missing "out of thin air," and some suppliers have disappeared because of the demand, she said.

The company has gone so far as chartering Air Canada planes to ensure its orders land on Canadian soil.

"There have been moments of elation when we secure something," said McFater. "I would be lying if I said there have been no tears along the way. A lot of sleepless nights."

Trevor Brine/CBC

'Invisible' supply chains

The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a light on how North American companies rely heavily on sourcing goods in foreign countries, where costs are cheaper, but supply chains become "invisible," said Mahesh Nagarjan, an expert on supply chain management at the University of British Columbia.

"If I go to the person who's buying in Manitoba and I ask them, 'Do you know where this PPE was made?' I highly doubt if they're going to be able to track it down to a factory in [China]," said Nagarjan, who has experience with the U.S. and Canadian health systems.

North American companies often deal with distributors, who deal with manufacturers, who work with a number of suppliers  making the supply chain "not transparent, which makes it much harder to get things," he said.

This is different from a supply chain, where an organization deals directly with a manufacturer, he said.

The muddiness and influx of demand has allowed foreign companies to give orders to whoever is willing to pay the most, regardless of contractual agreements, said Nagarjan, and it's hard to enforce these contractual obligations.

Mike Segar/File Photo/Reuters

If this happened in Canada, he said, an entity could sue, or ultimately just choose not to do business with that company. But "these supply chains are so long, neither of these exist," he said.

Supply chain experts interviewed by CBC News, including Nagarjan, all said there will be systems analyzed once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and supply chains especially. It is very likely there will be a shift toward relying less on making things in foreign countries, experts say.

"I think they're already asking  these questions at the government level," said Nagarjan.

Public Services and Procurement Canada, the agency acquiring PPE at the federal level, is continuing to assess the situation and get supplies from where it can.

"We have reached a consistent pace of deliveries, however there continue to be challenges at multiple points of supply chains and distribution networks," a PSPC spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

"We have set up an A to Z procurement approach, with flights at a pace of about one per day now arriving in Canada, delivering supplies that we need for the short and long term."

PSPC has partnered with a few companies to ensure their cargo has eyes on it "from the point of pick up" in China until it touches down in Canada, the spokesperson said.

The federal government is also working with its foreign embassies "to leverage diplomatic channels," the spokesperson said, and trying to find ways to increase PPE production capacity here at home.

All PPE companies on deck

In late March, the Manitoba government called on local businesses to help supply the province's PPE stock.

Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer of Shared Health, which co-ordinates health care in Manitoba, said PPE levels were adequate, but procurement was becoming more difficult. She said the organization went from working with 60 PPE vendors to 600.

On May 7, CBC News reported that ABC Fire & Safety had started taking orders from Manitoba dentists, who were recently allowed to reopen.

"Our phones have been blowing up off the hook" said president Dave Jeanson. The company has received inquiries from emergency services workers, doctors and dentists from British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.

Holly Caruk/CBC

To navigate that type of competition, the Manitoba government turned over procurement responsibilities to Manitoba Central Services on March 31. Centralization allows the province to manage all PPE procurement activities and costs, a spokesperson said.

The province said it is now "working with more than 80 unique vendors."

By mid-April, the province had already budgeted $400 million for PPE procurement, but earlier this month Finance Minister Scott Fielding said PPE spending could reach one billion dollars  the original amount the province earmarked for its pandemic response.
More confusion as Phuket officials officials report zero new cases, Bangkok reports one

PHUKET: The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee today (May 18) reported zero new cases of people infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus, as such the total number of people in Phuket officially confirmed as infected with the virus since the outbreak began as recognised by Phuket officials remains at 224

COVID-19Coronavirushealth

By The Phuket News

Monday 18 May 2020, 02:05PM

Image: PR Phuket

UPDATE: Phuket officials on Tuesday (May 19) decided to revise their report for May 18 to include the woman in their totals, and posted an "updated" version for their report for today. See story here.

The report of zero new confirmed cases by Phuket officials today comes as Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the governments Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), announced at a regular briefing this morning that a woman in Phuket was one of the countrys three new confirmed cases today.

The confirmed case in Phuket was a resident of Phuket who recently returned from Prachinburi. The woman, 27 years old, worked as a staffer at a grocery store, Mr Taweesilp in his broadcast address.

She had contact with a person confirmed as infected with the virus, but herself remained asymptomatic, he said.

The woman was confirmed as infected with COVID-19 after she returned to Phuket on Friday (May 15), Mr Taweesilp added.

No explanation so far has been given for the discrepancy between the cases reported by Phuket officials and national-level officials in Bangkok, though the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department has informed The Phuket News that this issue will be discussed at a meeting later today.

Of note, four new cases reported on May 10, including a police officer in Patong, were dismissed by Deputy Public Health Minister Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha last Thursday.

However, Phuket officials have yet to deduct those four cases from the islands total of confirmed cases, and the four cases also have yet to be deducted from the tally of infections for the country.

Meanwhile, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) announced through a post on its official Facebook page this morning that the total number of confirmed cases for the island since the outbreak began remains 224.

According to the PR Phuket post this morning, so far 10,357 people had been classified as at risk of contracting COVID-19, an increase of 44 on the 10,313 reported yesterday.

Of those, 10,089 were found not infected with the virus.

The PR Phuket report also noted 6,322 people had so far been classified as Persons Under Investigation. Of those, 6,269 had been cleared.

PR Phuket this morning also reported that 53 people were receiving hospital care, comprising 18 people already confirmed as infected, and 35 people still waiting for test results, down 22 from the 75 reported yesterday.

So far three people in Phuket have died as a direct result of being infected with COVID-19, including an Australian hotel manager from Khao Lak whose family lived in Nai Harn.

All confirmed COVID-19 cases are receiving hospital treatment, the Phuket Provincial Health Office, which serves as the Phuket Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incident Command Center, noted in their report today.

Regarding specified businesses, including malls, markets and restaurants, being allowed to re-open, the PPHO warned that each venue must strictly follow the health guidelines set out. Such businesses must make sure each venue has adequate ventilation, that no buffets are served, and no food service stations are to allow common use utensils that cannot be cleaned immediately after use.

The drinking of alcoholic beverages at all food distribution locations is still prohibited, the PPHO also cautioned.

People providing food and business services and their customers are to wear a face mask at all times, and maintain a distance of at least one to two metres from other people, the PPHO noted

Do not touch fresh food directly, such as meat, seafood. If paying with cash, people must not touch hands with the merchant directly. For example, put money in a basket.

Also, people must frequently wash their hands with alcohol gel, and children and grandchildren are strictly prohibited from entering market areas, the PPHO said.
Pirates launched an attack on a UK-flagged chemical tanker this weekend in the Gulf of Aden, off the Yemeni coast. The guards on the vessel managed to repulse the attack without any injuries and only minor damage to the tanker, the AP reported, quoting a statement from Stolt Tankers, the owner of the vessel.

According to the company, the tanker, Stolt Apal, was about 75 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen when six armed men in two skiffs approached it. The guards and the attackers exchange fire and the guards of the Stolt Apal managed to disable one of the pirates skiffs, which effectively ended the attack.

The AP notes this was the ninth pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden since the start of the year. Data from the World Economic Forum shows a 24-percent increase in overall piracy so far this year, compared with the same period of last year. The WEF warned the coronavirus pandemic could worsen the situation further because Poorer governments are less able to battle piracy as the coronavirus pandemic weakens economies.

The Gulf of Aden contains one of the worlds biggest oil chokepoints, Bab el-Mandeb. Some 3.8 million bpd passed through it as of 2016. This made it the fourth-largest channel for oil in the world, after the Strait of Hormuz, which sees 17 million bpd pass through it, the Strait of Malacca between Indonesia and Malaysia, which sees daily traffic of 15.2 million bpd, and the Suez Canal, with daily traffic of some 4.6 million bpd as of 2016.

Since it passes between war-torn Yemen on the one side, and Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia on the other, shipments of crude oil via Bab el-Mandeb are under constant threat from pirates and other militant groups operating in the area.

For a long time the Gulf of Aden was considered the most dangerous of the oil chokepoints because of piracy but this year, another Gulf took the crown: the Gulf of Guinea. In the first quarter of this year, the oil production hub on the Western African coast was home to 21 of the total 47 pirate attacks for the world.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Elon Musk is always interesting. If you ignore the fact that electric cars probably aren't that much greener than regular cars (depending on the source of electricity, many electric vehicles merely shift pollution from the roads to the power stations), his Teslas are brilliant. They are elegant and imaginative, and they handle beautifully. They make rich greenies very, very happy.

In some ways, the South Africanborn Musk is a throwback to 18th- or 19th-century visionaries who came from faraway countries and made their mark in America, whether Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, Baron Johann de Kalb, Andrew Carnegie, or even Irving Berlin. Certainly, Musk is a visionary. In addition to the Tesla, Musk dreams about space travel and superfast underground transportation.

Like those others visionaries, having tasted freedom, Musk likes it  especially because he's got a factory that, to survive, must be able to open. To that end, Musk fought the law...and he won. Now, flush with success, he has tweeted that it's time for others to join him by taking a "red pill."

Musk set up his Tesla factory in Fremont, California, which is located on the southeastern side of the uber-liberal San Francisco Bay Area. Because electric cars are "green," nobody minded a big new manufacturing plant. Recently, however, Musk's relationship with California went flipsy-wopsy when the total lockdown, complete with mandatory "shelter in place" orders, went into effect.

By the end of April, Musk was tweeting out the damage that the lockdowns were doing and the falsity of the panic:

FREE AMERICA NOW  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020

Hospitals in California have been half empty this whole time pic.twitter.com/8GL2BLypqV  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2020

In an earnings call, Musk expressed concern about the Tesla factory's continued closing. After talking about the shutdown's effect on Tesla, he went ballistic:

The extension of shelter-in-place  or as I would call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes, against all constitutional right, and in my opinion infringing on people's freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong, and not why people came to America or pulled this country  what the f---?

He eventually called the orders "fascist," stating, "This is not freedom  give people back their g------ freedom!"

California did not budge. A couple of days later, Musk reminded people of America's promise by reciting in tweets the end of the first verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner," only he concluded with a question mark, not a full stop:

And the rocket's red glare,

The bomb's bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On May 9, Musk announced that he was suing Alameda County, and he threatened to move his headquarters to Texas or Nevada. Two days later, he went rogue:

Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020

Alameda County officials were the first to blink, authorizing a re-opening.

Musk could have subsided at that point. Instead, he went full Matrix. For those unfamiliar with the iconic 1999 movie, it tells what happens when Neo (Keanu Reeves) swallows a red pill, one that opens his eyes to the fact that people are being fed a fake reality so that the real powers can literally feed off them. With that realization, Neo discovers his true powers and begins the process of destroying the Matrix computer program that strangles humanity. Musk encourages us all to be Neos:

Take the red pill   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 17, 2020

Ivanka Trump enthusiastically supported Elon's recommendation. Ironically, Andrew Wachowski, one of the two brothers who created the movie, was deeply offended at the reference:

Fuck both of you  Lilly Wachowski (@lilly_wachowski) May 17, 2020

If you're wondering why the "eff-you" tweet comes from someone named Lilly, it's because Andrew thinks he's a woman. His brother, co-creator Laurence, has made the same choice for himself and now thinks he's Lana. Apparently, genius and madness sometimes walk side by side. And of course, having joined the LGBT etc. contingent, Andrew/Lilly, at least, is another fabulously wealthy leftist Trump-hater.

As of this writing, close to 375,000 people have liked Musk's exhortation to break free from government bondage. Showing the schism in America, over 130,000 have liked "Lilly's" less than articulate response. This year continues to be too interesting for comfort.
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Linkedin Sini-Petriina Klasto and Allan C Simpson (The Jakarta Post) -  Mon, May 18, 2020 14:11 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8c8dd6 3 Lifestyle homosexual,gay,South-Korea,COVID-19,gay-rights Free

The Korean LGBTQ+ community knew to prepare for an anti-gay onslaught after it emerged that a person with an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection had been partying in Itaewon, a gay nightlife district in the South Korean capital, Seoul. The community is used to being shamed for just living their lives or blamed for spreading disease.

While Seouls Jongno district caters particularly for gay men in the form of restaurants and bars, Itaewon offers a convenient concentration of gay clubs and dancehalls. The story of COVID-19 infections in Itaewon originated from King Club, which posted on social media on May 7 that a customer had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and that the venue had been disinfected.

News of at least 100 other infections linked to the nightclub then sparked a homophobic backlash against the LGBTQ+ community, feeding into a long history of stigma driven by the countrys Protestant right.

Queer Seoul

Being a sexual minority in Korea is not illegal, and transgender people are able to transition. But there is no recognition of same-sex partnerships (marriage or otherwise) and the absence of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation means that the rights of sexual minorities are largely unprotected.

Both gay men and trans-people continue to experience discrimination in the military, and anal sex between military personnel can be prosecuted and lead up to two years in prison. This is a big problem in a country with mandatory conscription.

Still, in many respects LGBTQ+ people are able to live with relative freedom. Locations and events all over Seoul cater for the community. There are queer theatre groups and bookstores, queer sex-toy shops, restaurants and cafes  some of them officially gay, others unofficially so.

Seoul holds an annual Queer Pride parade and two queer-themed film festivals. All of this is possible thanks to the numerous activist groups and organisations, the oldest of which date back to the late 1980s.

There are dating apps, websites and online cafes that are extremely popular and not as censored or dangerous to use as in some other parts of the world. As a result, while some LGBTQ+ individuals choose not to come out to their families, others do. Simultaneously there is a sentiment among the community that a western practice of coming out might be unnecessary, that queerness and family can be negotiated differently.

Outside of the Korean LGBTQ+ bubble, there is a widespread belief, embedded into the understanding of the heterosexual general public that homosexuality does not exist in Korea. Or if it does, not in large numbers. LGBTQ+ activists work relentlessly to change this view and fight for their rights. However, achieving tangible results is slow. Mainly because they are fighting against a formidable force of conservative Christians.

Role of the Protestant right

Koreas LGBTQ+ community is still actively being accused of spreading AIDS and endangering the Korean nation. This toxic narrative is propagated by the Korean Protestant right, a subset of Protestant Christianity that combines conservative evangelical theology with social and political conservatism.

An estimation of the Protestant rights size can be seen in the Christian Council of Korea, the largest Protestant Christian alliance with reportedly more than 12 million members. Since 2015, it has organised large anti-gay rallies all over the country and succeeded in blocking proposals for anti-discrimination legislation in 2007, 2011 and 2013.

Blamed for coronavirus

In this context, its not surprising that the Protestant right would replace HIV with COVID-19, when presented with the opportunity.

When the King Club announced on social media that one of its customers had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the news was picked up by Kukmin Daily, a local paper with links to Protestant churches. Soon after its publication, Kukmin Dailys article was distributed by other media, sparking a homophobic backlash online against the queer community.

As it stands, for gay men in particular, getting tested for COVID-19 in Seoul risks being outed. To be outed risks losing jobs, friends, even family.

Despite South Koreas conservative values, under normal circumstances sexual minorities would be able to access healthcare like any other citizen. Now, due to the media frenzy, they face a choice between risking their health versus everything else.

---

Sini-Petriina Klasto, PhD Candidate, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield and Allan C Simpson, PhD Candidate, Department of East Asian Languages & Culture, SOAS, University of London

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.
 Flash

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his new power-sharing government to the parliament on Sunday, breaking one and a half year of political stalemate.

Under the power-sharing deal agreed in April, the right-wing leader will remain prime minister for 18 months before being replaced by his former rival Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party.

During the 18 months, Gantz, Israel's former military chief, will serve as defense minister and alternate prime minister, a title that has never existed before in Israeli politics.

"This is a national unity and emergency government," Netanyahu told parliament during his speech, citing the COVID-19 crisis and its economic impact.

"The public wants unity, and that is what it got," Netanyahu said, referring to widespread calls to avoid a fourth election after three rounds of inconclusive ones in about a year.

Reiterating his campaign promise to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, he said the Israeli law should be imposed on the West Bank, an area seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and where the Palestinians wish to build their future state.

The new unity deal opens the way for Netanyahu to proceed with his annexation plan, which is almost certain to irk the Palestinians as well as most of Israel's European allies.

It is worth noting that the government's swearing-in comes just a week before Netanyahu's criminal trial over his suspected corruption.

Speaking after Netanyahu, Gantz said the inauguration of the government ends the "worst political crisis in its history."

Repeatedly interrupted by his former allies, now in the opposition, Gantz warned that the alternative to the government was "the brink of civil war."

With 36 ministers and 16 deputy ones, the new power-sharing government will be the largest one in Israel's history, a result of weeks of negotiation in an effort to please Netanyahu's coalition partners.

Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist party of Yesh Atid and leader of the opposition, slammed the size of the government, labelling the ongoing coronavirus epidemic "an excuse for a corrupt party at the expense of the taxpayers."

"There are fewer than 50 coronavirus patients on ventilators in Israel, but we have more ministers and deputy ministers than patients on life support," Lapid, Gantz's alley during the elections, told the parliament.

Netanyahu, 70, is Israel's longest-serving leader. He was first elected as prime minister in 1996 and has served three consecutive terms since 2009.

Netanyahu's trial on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud will start on May 27, but he denies any wrong-doing, slamming the allegations as part of "a witch hunt."
One mans jackfruit... Our humble jackfruit has found its place under the sun.

With fear for meat rising worldwide, Kerala has reported a spike in demand of the backyard regular among people in the West. There had been some demand for it among vegans and vegetarians in the West as a meat substitute but now many are said to be switching to vegetarian food  because of the suspicion over animal products in the aftermath of Covid-19  and in some places due to a shortage of vegetables because of movement restrictions. India is the world's biggest producer of ...
Businessman Vijay Mallyas return to India from the UK, inevitable now that he has exhausted his legal options against Indias extradition request, is set to provide impetus to a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of a larger conspiracy involving public sector bankers who lent him money, two CBI officials said.

Bankers cleared loans worth Rs.6,027 crore to Mallyas Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), ignoring false representations and the fact that the airline was in the red, said the officials, who requested anonymity. Mallya fled to the UK in March 2016 as banks closed in on him to recover loans given to the company, which was grounded in 2012.

CBI registered a separate case against Mallya and unknown others in August 2016 to probe the alleged conspiracy in the loans extended to Kingfisher by a consortium of 17 banks led by State Bank of India between 2005 and 2010. A chargesheet is yet to be filed in the case because Mallya hasnt yet been questioned in connection with the suspected conspiracy.

On his return from the UK, the CBI may take Mallya into custody and interrogate him about the role played by senior bank executives who may have influenced the decision by banks to extend loans to Kingfisher Airlines, the two CBI officials cited above said. Several managing directors and executive directors of the public sector banks, who approved these loans could face the heat, one of the officials said.

Some of the MDs and senior officials from top banks  including SBI, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Central Bank of India  were questioned by a CBI special investigation team (SIT) in mid-2018. Kingfisher Airlines total outstanding loans, including interest that piled up, amounted to a little over Rs 10,000 crore.The first official cited above said Mallya had met one bank MD on a Sunday. As banks are closed on Sundays, this is being seen as a move to influence the decision of loan approval.

Talking about the role of bankers, judge Emma Arbuthnot of the Westminster Magistrates Court in London, ordering Mallyas extradition to India on December 11, 2018, said:Conspiracies are very rarely proved with direct evidence and there is none in this case but there is evidence that the GOI [government of India] relies on from which it says the court can draw inferences that the bankers were involved in a conspiracy with KFA.

If the criteria for lending to KFA had been applied, if the background checks had been carried out, the loans should not have been granted. If the end-use certificates and all the other post sanction conditions applied, the loans would not have been misapplied in the way they were, the judge noted.

The UK high court on Thursday rejected Mallyas plea to approach the UK Supreme Court for appealing against the extradition.

Mallya extradition to India is based on a first information report filed by the CBI in July 2015 in connection with a Rs 900 crore loan sanctioned by IDBI Bank to KFA. The Enforcement Directorate has charge-sheeted Mallya in both cases, alleging that he diverted most of the money into foreign assets, the Indian Premier League (IPL) team and F1 motorsport firm Formula One. Mallyas assets worth Rs 13,000 crore have already been attached by ED.

The second CBI officer cited above said documents pertaining to loans given by 17 banks have already been scrutinized and several bank officials have been examined in last four years. A chargesheet will be filed soon.

Mallya has repeatedly said that he is ready to pay his creditors in full for the loans he owes.

He tweeted on Thursday - Congratulations to the government for a Covid-19 relief package. They can print as much currency as they want BUT should a small contributor like me who offers 100 percent payback of state-owned bank loans be constantly ignored? Please take my money unconditionally and close.
North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread has issued a bulletin addressing coverage for COVID-19 testing in response to an executive order from Gov. Doug Burgum. The new bulletin builds an a previous bulletin in which health carriers and travel insurers were asked to identify and remove barriers to testing and treatment for COVID-19.

The latest bulletin encourages insurance carriers to continue doing their part by covering the expense of medically necessary testing for insured individuals. Health insurance will continue to support medically necessary treatments and testing, however health insurance should not be expected to cover public health surveillance or employment screening programs, according to Godfread.

At present, the Insurance Department is aware of three types of COVID-19 tests:

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests look for the presence of the unique DNA of COVID-19 in a patient.

Antigen tests look for a unique part of COVID-19, such as a specific protein on one of the unique COVID-19 spikes.

Antibody tests (also known as serology tests) look for the presence of antibodies in a patients immune system that may fight off COVID-19.

The bulletin places the expectation that carriers cover PCR and antigen tests designed to detect the presence of COVID-19 when a patients symptoms indicate the medical need to conduct a test.

In addition, the insurance department expects carriers to cover antibody tests only when such tests are medically necessary in order to support diagnosis or treatment for COVID-19 or for treatment of another disease when information about COVID- 19 antibodies may impact the future outcome of that treatment for an individual. It was further clarified that public health surveillance testing or employee screening are not considered to medically necessary.

Topics COVID-19 North Dakota
A Taliban car-bomb attack targeting an intelligence base in eastern Afghanistan with a stolen military Humvee killed at least nine people and wounded dozens on May 18.

Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor in eastern Ghazni Province, said two suicide bombers detonated the stolen vehicle filled with explosives near the entrance to the base.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the incident killed or wounded "tens" of special forces.

An official in the Ghazni Province administration, Wahidullah Jumazada, said the attack "targeted the National Directorate of Security unit in Ghazni city."

Jumazada put the death total at nine, saying both of the attackers were among the dead.

He and other officials put the number of injured at at least 40.

"Most of the victims are intelligence personnel," Jumazada added.

The attack comes a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, reached a power-sharing agreement ending a months-long political feud following disputed elections in September 2019.

The political deal overcomes one hurdle preventing Kabul from launching direct talks with the Taliban as part of a fragile U.S.-brokered peace effort.

The Taliban has ramped up attacks in recent weeks despite a pledge to reduce violence, while Islamic State militants also continue targeting Afghan security forces and civilians.

On May 14, the Taliban detonated a truck close to a military building in Gardez city in southeastern Paktia Province, leaving five dead and 20 injured, including military personnel and civilians.

Last week, the Taliban attacked a military checkpoint in the Alishang district of eastern Laghman Province that left dozens dead or wounded.

The Taliban has said the attacks are a response to Ghani's ordering Afghan forces to go on the offensive against the militant group.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Rampukar Pandit, whose mournful face became emblematic of the tragedy faced by poor migrants currently, has been hankering to reunite with his family, but due to social-distancing norms in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, the reunion, too, meant separation.

Labourer Rampukar Pandit, whose mournful face became emblematic of the tragedy faced by poor migrants currently, has been shifted to a hospital in Begusarai, Bihar, where he met his wife and nine-year-old daughter from a distance.



The 38-year-old man, who recently reached Bihar by a Shramik Special train, was quarantined in a school near Begusarai town after his arrival. He said on Sunday that officials took him to a hospital and conducted a test.

A despondent Rampukar, who took a long and arduous journey from Delhi to reach his hometown amid the nationwide lockdown after learning of his infant son's death, broke down when PTI contacted him over phone.

"My head spins when I open my eyes and I feel very weak. They brought me to a hospital in a car from the quarantine centre yesterday afternoon," he said in a very feeble voice. "They also did tests on

me, by taking swabs from throat and nose. The result has not come yet."



The father, who lost his nearly one-year-old son, has been hankering to reunite with his family, but due to social-distancing norms in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, the reunion, too, meant

separation.



Rampukar said his wife and daughter Poonam visited him at the hospital in Khodawandpur block of the district, but doctors allowed them to meet him briefly, only from a distance.



They had come around 4 pm yesterday, both wearing masks and doctors told them to stand a bit far from my bed, according to Rampukar.



"We were all crying, we wanted to hug each other. I wanted to hold my daughter, but a few metres of closeness and 10 minutes with them is all I could get," he said.



"My wife and daughter brought me 'sattu', 'chura' and cucumber. But, I am too weak to eat by myself," Rampukar said.



Later, a hospital staff served dal-rice, which he ate in the afternoon.



"One friend also came from Bariarpur, my native place, and met me today," he said.



"I feel very weak. My children are also not eating because of my condition," Rampukar said.



"I am the breadwinner of the family and I am down. I need help," he said. "I appeal to the government to help me and people like me in this tragic time. We poor will just die otherwise."



Rampukar became a snapshot of India's migrant tragedy with his photograph speaking on the phone on a Delhi roadside, touching a chord in the hearts of millions of people across the country.



After his pictures and subsequently his story were put out, many people took to social media, offering to help him.



The powerful image of the distraught man, struggling to reach home in Begusarai, almost 1,200 km away during the nationwide lockdown, was widely shared across all media, becoming a defining image of the trauma and struggles of lakhs of migrant labourers stranded away from home.

This resulted in immediate help being provided to him to reach his home in Bihar.



The construction labourer, who worked at a cinema hall site in Delhi, was spotted weeping uncontrollably as he talked on the phone by the side of the Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi by PTI photographer Atul Yadav, who tried to help him.



Rampukar was helped eventually by a good Samaritan woman who have him food, Rs 5,500 and also booked his train ticket from Delhi to Begusarai.



He had been stuck at the Nizamuddin Bridge for three days before help arrived. A vehicle came and took him to a hospital in Delhi where he was tested for COVID-19. It was negative, Rampukar said on

Saturday.



While his image were splashed across front pages of many national and local dailies and online portals a week ago, Rampukar himself has not seen the picture that shook the nation's conscience.



All that he's awaiting, is to reach his home, a journey that seems far longer than he had imagined.
File Photo

Ahmedabad: A major negligence has come to light at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Gujarat. A 70-year-old man was admitted here on May 10 for treatment of corona but his body was recovered from the BRTC bus stand two days ago.

PhotoPolice were not previously aware that the deceased had a corona infection. So he took the body to the BS Hospital in Ahmedabad. A letter and a phone were found in his pocket. The police then conducted an interrogation at the house.

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During interrogation, the police came to know that the deceased was a resident of Rohit Park Society in Danilimda area of ??Ahmedabad and his Corona report was positive. Not only that, the police was told that his entire family is home quarantine.

PhotoHis father was admitted to the hospital after he had difficulty in breathing where he was found to be corona positive. He was later treated at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

The hospital administration said the family would be informed when the patient recovers. In view of the matter and the public outcry, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has directed to submit an inquiry report within 24 hours.
By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will mark the 11th anniversary of its victory over the LTTE with a low key state ceremony on Tuesday, amidst the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Tamil separatist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which led an armed rebellion for over three decades against the Sri Lankan government to set up a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern province of the island nation was defeated by the Army in May 2009.

"This year the celebrations will be held at a simple scale. The main ceremony is to take place near Parliament tomorrow and the occasion is to be graced by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa," Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, the Army Commander told reporters here.

The Sri Lankan government would be holding a restricted state commemoration ceremony on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would be graced by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. A large number of war heroes would be commemorated during the occasion.

On May 19, 2009, the formal end to the bloody separatist war was signalled with the discovery of the body of the feared LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakaran.

Lt Gen. Silva headed one of the Army divisions which cornered the LTTE in Army's final victory and President Rajapaksa was the top defense bureaucrat under his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa's then presidency.

Silva said the close relatives of war heroes will attend the restricted commemoration ceremony in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka has so far reported 981 infections of coronavirus with 9 deaths. Silva said that the Army is to give its biggest share of promotions to the lower rankers to coincide with the Hero's Day on Tuesday. Some 14,617 of them are to be elevated to their next rank.

The Army chief said that 23,962 soldiers, 1,160 sailors, 440 Air Force men, 2,598 policemen and 456 civil defense force cadres, who were killed during the three decades old conflict, would be commemorated at tomorrow's ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Tamil groups claimed that the military was keeping a close watch on the organisers of commemorations marked for the Tamils who died in the final battle. They would light candles in their remembrance.

The LTTE was fighting the government troops since the mid 1970s to set up a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern regions of the island nation. Sri Lanka's human rights record, particularly over the impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been the subject of international condemnation.

The UN Human Rights Council has called for an international probe into the alleged war crimes during the military conflict with the LTTE. According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts, including the war with Lankan Tamils which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
New Jersey, May 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- May 20/2020  New Jersey  COVID-19 will be a defining moment in global history. In a new video, experts from Camfil USA address how the pandemic will change certain aspects of the healthcare industry down to the air we breathe in our hospitals.



Across the board, well undoubtedly be seeing a shift in behaviors and practices. Ordinary people are learning to be more attentive to hygiene and sanitation, and hospitals are having to redistribute resources to fill the gaps.

Perhaps more than any other industry, the healthcare industry is going to experience the biggest challenges in a post-COVID pandemic world, says Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials at Camfil USA. Camfil has been researching, developing, and distributing air filtration solutions to healthcare facilities and other industries for over fifty years.

Why is Air Filtration So Important During COVID-19?

Many people dont realize it, but air filtration plays a crucial role in effective medical care. Now, thats even more true than ever. The highly communicable nature of SARS-CoV2 through respiratory droplets makes efficient air filtration solutions even more important.

Elective surgeries may have been postponed for the duration of the pandemic, but the need for normal hospital and emergency care hasnt ceased. Babies are still being born, accidents are still occurring, and other illnesses still remain at large. Ineffective air filtration in hospitals puts these non-COVID-19 patients at great risk. Were seeing hospitals and networks upgrade from MERV-14A filters to MERV-16A filters in an attempt to reduce infection rates and ultimately save lives, observes Dave Blackwell, Camfil USAs Director of Healthcare.

What does MERV mean?

MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a test standard developed by the ASHRAE 52.2 committee and defines the particle capture efficiency of a filter at its minimum performance level. To label a filter with a MERV value, manufacturers are required to test their filters against the entire standard which evaluates performance on three size ranges of particles. Filter manufacturers should make their testing reports available upon request.

How is COVID-19 Changing Hospital Air Filtration?

At the end of the day, paying a higher initial price for a better product can help hospitals cut costs over time. The costs saved by a quality high-efficiency air-filtration system go beyond energy savings and fewer filter changes. Improved air quality has been linked to better cognitive function, increased productivity, and overall, higher well-being and health.

Traditionally, we see healthcare networks and hospitals procuring filters based on a commodity mentality, notes Blackwell, who has over a decade of experience working with air filtration in the healthcare industry. When low first costs are the most important factor in a purchase decision, quality suffers. In a world after the COVID-19 pandemic, that all changes. This crisis shines a light on the fact that filters shouldnt be considered commodities.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment.

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

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via KISS PR Story Newswire - News Distribution for Air Filtration Industry




A suicide bomber in a stolen military Humvee targeted a base in eastern Afghanistan belonging to the country's intelligence service early on Monday, killing at least nine members of the force, Afghan officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

At least 40 members of the force were wounded in the attack near the city of Ghazni, the provincial capital of Ghazni, according to Arif Noori, the spokesman for the provincial governor. Eight of the wounded were in critical condition and were transferred to the capital, Kabul, for further treatment, Noori added.

Earlier reports had seven dead but Tariq Arian, spokesman for the Afghan interior minister, confirmed the latest casualty tolls.

According to Noori, the bomber used a stolen military Humvee full of explosives, detonating it as he approached the main entrance gate to the base.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents were behind the attack in Ghazni province, where the Taliban control most of the countryside and the rural areas.

The provincial capital, also called Ghazni, briefly fell to Taliban control twice in recent years. The province has in the past been the scene of many large-scale attacks against both Afghan and NATO forces.

The attack came a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing agreement, two months after both declared themselves the winner of last September's presidential election.

The political deal would see Ghani remain president of the war-torn nation while Abdullah would lead the country's National Reconciliation High Council.

Ghani and Abdullah held parallel inauguration ceremonies in March. They have been locked in a power struggle since the vote. The discord prompted the Trump administration to announce it would cut $1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan if the two Afghan leaders did not work out their differences.

A peace agreement between the US and the Taliban, signed on February 29, calls for American and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan. It was seen at the time as Afghanistan's best chance at peace, following decades of war.

Since the signing, the US has been trying to get the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin intra-Afghan negotiations, but the political turmoil and personal acrimony between Ghani and Abdullah impeded talks.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with the two leaders on Sunday, saying he was pleased by their willingness to move toward intra-Afghan negotiations but "regretted the time lost".

At a press conference Monday, head of Afghan national security directorate Ahmad Zia Saraj slammed the Taliban, saying they have never welcomed peace and are committed to continuing violence.

Violence has continued unabated in Afghanistan.

On Sunday in Ghazni, gunmen opened fire, killing five people - three civilians and two police officers - as they were traveling in the district of Jaghatu, according to Arian, the interior minister's spokesman. He blamed the Taliban for the attack.

Last Tuesday, militants stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul, killing 24 people, including mothers, nurses and two babies. The attack set off an hours-long shootout with police; the attack also left 16 wounded in the hospital, which is supported by international aid group Doctors Without Borders.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the clinic in Dashti Barchi, a mostly Shiite neighborhood in Kabul.

Also on Tuesday, a suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a pro-government militia commander and former warlord in the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing 32 people and wounding 133 others. That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.

In a televised speech hours after the attacks, Ghani called on security forces to attack Taliban insurgents, a turn from the defensive posture the government said it maintained since the US-Taliban deal.

The Taliban have not given up fighting and killing Afghans, instead they have increased their attacks on our countrymen and public places, Ghani said.

The Taliban said Monday's attack in Ghazni was a response to the government's recent declaration of war.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The new electorate of Kaipara ki Mahurangi is about 85km from north to south and 2183.4km2 (excluding sea areas). It has an estimated population of 65,280 and the entire electorate is in the Te Tai Tokerau Maori electorate.



Marja Lubeck, Chris Penk, and Jenny Marcroft.

Voters in the former electorate of Rodney will go to the polls in the September General Election and vote in either Kaipara ki Mahurangi or Whangaparaoa.

The Representation Commission last month released its final report on the electorate boundary review, which started last October.

The name Rodney has disappeared and voters on the Hibiscus Coast and Dairy Flat (from Hatfields Beach south to around Paremoremo) will move to the Whangaparaoa electorate.

The remainder of Rodney and the southern part of the Northland electorate (Te Arai, Tapora, Wellsford) will form part of the new electorate of Kaipara ki Mahurangi, which also takes in the former Helensville electorate. The new electorate stretches south almost to Waitakere.

Originally, the commission recommended that this new electorate be called Helensville, but the name was changed after strong public opposition.

National MP Chris Penk, who entered Parliament in 2017 replacing John Key as the Member for Helensville, says he has taken advantage of the Covid-19 lockdown to talk over Rodney and Northland issues with fellow National MPs Mark Mitchell and Matt King.

It was obvious during visits prior to lockdown that considerable investment is needed to get the area moving from a transport perspective and enabling local jobs and growth more generally, he says. Ill be getting out and about to see issues first-hand and meeting everyone once lockdown is over.

It seems many of the main local issues can be grouped together under the heading of infrastructure investment needed.

Mr Penk says he will most likely have regular days based in areas such as Warkworth and Wellsford.

Ill be able to hold constituent meetings in my mobile office  a converted horse float nicknamed Natty.

Labours Marja Lubeck, who is serving her first term in Parliament as a list-MP, was confirmed as the Kaipara ki Mahurangi candidate in early March.

She says the new electorate, which is larger than Rodney, will involve a lot more travel, but she is looking forward to getting to know the southern parts of the electorate around Helensville and Kumeu.

Marja says from early discussions, some of the main issues in the south include trains to Huapai, the north-west rapid transit link and a secondary school in Helensville area.

Health and public transport are the main issues across the whole of Kaipara ki Mahurangi and, very likely, even more so influenced by the current Covid-19 developments.

Clearly, however, these priorities are likely to change as the impact of the pandemic will make employment and housing issues more important to residents, due to the flow-on effects of changes to employment and businesses.

The issues of climate change and environment will continue to be ones we need to ensure are also on the top of the list. In particular, the local Fight the Tip, Save the Dome campaign has had my support from very early on and it was a privilege to present the petition to Parliament last year.

NZ First list MP Jenny Marcroft, who is also based in Rodney, is considering standing again, but due to the Covid-19 situation, the process of announcing candidates has been delayed.

She says one of the biggest campaign challenges will be getting to see people face-to-face, whether its door-knocking or debates at local community centres.

It may be necessary to set up virtual town hall meetings as an example of how we can engage with the community, she says. Holding normal debates just may not be possible unless we have eliminated the virus and although September 19 is only four months away, its too early to say what the protocols of the campaign trail will be.

Ms Marcroft says the impacts from Covid-19 will be the main focus of the election campaign. The NZ First focus will be on getting people back to work as quickly as possible and for those who need it, transitioning them into new opportunities.

One of the foundation principles of NZ First is to regain the economic ownership of our country. What this means post-Covid is that if we can grow it or make it at near competitive prices, then we will grow it or make it, use it or export it.

It is a policy of localism, supporting our local businesses and workers, local industry and adding value to our raw products. Its in the partys name  NZ First  which is about far greater autonomy for New Zealand.

The final electorates can be viewed at vote.nz where people can also check which electorate they are in.

The General Election is set down for September 19.
A man has been arrested for allegedly sharing a morphed and offensive picture of Delhi BJP IT cell co-convener Apurva Singh on social media, the Delhi police said on Monday.

The arrest was made after Singh took to Twitter on Sunday to express her disappointment over the police inaction on her complaint lodged on March 19 over her morphed pictured flooding the social media.

Is it wrong to be a woman BJP supporter? Then why these Congress, SP and particularly minority community people are making viral my photo with the flag by morphing it with obscene photo? Don't they have mothers and sisters? asked Singh on her Twitter handle.

Two months have passed since lodging the FIR but the photo was neither removed nor any action taken, she added in her tweet.

Reacting to her tweet, the Delhi police on Sunday said it has arrested a 33-year- old man for sharing Singh's morphed pictures on Facebook and is probing the matter to identify who morphed the picture and who all forwarded it on social media.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Anyesh Roy said a case was registered on the complaint of Apurva Singh and all offensive posts made on social medial platforms were removed.

"In case, FIR registered on the complaint of @isinghapurva, all offensive posts made on Twitter and 26 posts made on Facebook have been removed till date through concerned platforms. One accused person, Md Aasim, who had shared the offensive content, has been arrested, he tweeted.

Accused Aasim Sayaad, 33, is a resident of Delhi's of Tuglakabad Extension. He is working as cloth merchant. The accused had shared the offensive posts on Facebook. He has been arrested and his device has also been seized, added police.

The police said it registered the case under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

Other account holders who posted the offensive content are being identified through technical investigation for further legal action, the police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Appreciations View(s):

A life well lived and a part well played

Sellathurai Sivarasa PC

S. Sivarasa to his countless clients, Siva to pals and Chitta to his near and dear passed away peacefully in his sleep in Melbourne, Australia on April 30, at the age of 88. Though death is one certain inevitability of life and with advancing age, one accepts that inevitability, a sense of melancholy reverberated among those who knew him with the realisation that this gallant personality will no longer be with them.

Mr. Sivarasa was born in 1932 in Inuvil in the Jaffna peninsula to a traditional Hindu family. His early education was at Drieberg College, Chavakachcheri and he completed his schooling at Royal College, Colombo. Perhaps inspired by James Steward Drieberg, the Magistrate whose philanthropy was instrumental in the establishment of Drieberg College, the alma mater of his childhood, Mr. Sivarasa entered the faculty of law, University of Ceylon and graduated with an Legum Baccalaureus (LLB) degree, and thereafter pursued postgraduate studies in the field of shipping and admiralty laws.

Mr. Sivarasa was admitted to the bar in 1957 and soon joined the Attorney Generals Department as Crown Counsel rising to the position of Director of Public Prosecutions. He retired from the Attorney Generals Department in 1980 to pursue an impressive career in private practice, a challenge he relished.

While there must be innumerable cherished memories of him at the Attorney Generals Department, the hallmark of his professional persona was his tremendous ability to be flexible, think outside the box and not succumb to the herd instinct. To pursue or to settle for the conventional was not in his genetic composition. Heuristic by nature, Mr. Sivarasa had the courage and intrepidity to challenge the norm. These qualities were amply demonstrated when he chose to concentrate on his private practice in the civil side of the law predominantly in Colombo despite the fierce competition with the well-settled giants of the bar.

His innate competency and skill enabled him to succeed against all odds and soon he was a much sought after leader of the bar on civil matters. Mr. Sivarasa was the lead counsel in many contested, prolonged, episodic and wrangled legal disputes such as the privatisation of the Oils and Fats Corporation now known as Ceylon Agro Industries Limited, the famous Hilton cases and the Ceylon Grain Elevators Limited dispute with the Sri Lanka Customs. He was also appointed as Presidents Counsel.

Mr. Sivarasa endured personal tragedy very early in his life with the passing of his parents. With the untimely demise of his brother, he took on the responsibility of nurturing and caring for his nephews and nieces, which he did with great love.

The large heart, the magnanimous nature and the benevolent personality were the most discerning facets of his character. Despite setbacks endured over the years including being directly affected by the 1983 communal violence, Mr. Sivarasa looked at life with great equanimity and a degree of indulgence. He never permitted the ugliness and turmoil of communal violence to erode his liberal and inclusive worldview nor did he falter to help those in need or stand up against injustice or prejudice. His generosity and largesse had no mean measurement and often went way beyond his kith and kin.

In his professional work, he never vacillated to take up a cause that was abandoned for dead. The series of Hilton cases were an excellent example where he represented the underdog disregarding and challenging assumed premises.

Mr. Sivarasa was also never shy of providing assistance to his colleagues. When four lawyers were denied due recognition and obstacles were placed denying them taking their seats in the inner bar and when even the Bar Association of Sri Lanka with the best intentions could not find resolution, Mr. Sivarasa rendered assistance in his inimitable style. Having considered the constitutional provisions and together with the Chief Justice at the time Asoka de Silva, he found a solution which proved to be a silver lining in the lawyers future career progression. One of them was subsequently elected as the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. They will always carry in their hearts a deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Sivarasa and the then Chief Justice Asoka de Silva for their support at a much-needed time.

Mr. Sivarasa was not one for ostentation or exorbitance although he enjoyed a good tipple with friends and relished his visits to the glorious Goodwood Races. Here was a man who did not come into this world with a silver spoon but with a story that swings from triumph to bitter disappointment, from unadulterated joy to tragedy and loss. However none of these vicissitudes of life affected his philanthropy, empathy or understanding. His devotion, care and love to his family and friends will be much treasured and sorely missed. His life will forever be epitomised by his unfailing belief in honour, trust in his friendships and abiding loyalty that came without a price.

No doubt we can all take solace when reminiscing the good times of his life and say, farewell Sir, yours was a life well lived and a part well played.

May he attain Moksha!

Anil Tittawella

It was a privilege to have known such a man

DR. CHRIS URAGODA

Dr. Chris Uragoda was a medical luminary, erudite scholar and above all, an unassuming gentleman par excellence. He was blessed with an unparalled richness of precious human qualities.

My close association with Dr. Uragoda was in early 1990, when the General Committee of the Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS) asked him to compile the history of the Society, as its centenary year was close at hand. This comprehensive book titled, Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka was presented to then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was Chief Guest at the Societys wildlife photographic exhibition at the National Art Gallery Colombo during the centenary celebrations of the Society in 1994. The book was also presented to President J. R. Jayewardene, at the formal dinner held at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.

In the centenary year, Dr. Uragoda and family joined the many tours I organized as the General Secretary of the Society to the world heritage sites such as the Sinharaja Rainforest and Horton Plains. We also saw the destruction done to the environment by the prawn farms in Puttalam, did a study of sea birds in Chilaw, visited the turtle hatchery project in Rekawa and watched the migrant flamingos in Hambantota.

Dr. Uragoda was also editor of the Societys scientific journal LORIS in 2012. The Societys 125th anniversary issue of LORIS of May 2019 carried his article Some doctors who helped the Society.

Dr. Uragoda and I shared many common interests such as wildlife, books and travel to places of interest. We made many visits together to the National Parks of Wilpattu, Uda Walawe and Yala. Dr. Uragoda was so knowledgeable not only about the fauna and flora of the country, but about the people and places we visited. His many journeys to the wilds with his family are narrated in his books, Jungle journeys in Sri Lanka and Camping and jungle trips.

On our visit to Jaffna at the height of the civil war with the LTTE we were guests of the Sri Lanka Army. The highlights of that trip were our visits to the Dambakola Patuna beach, where the sacred Bo-tree was bought to Sri Lanka; a trip to Kadurugoda where there are Buddhist stupas of different sizes; and a boat trip in the open seas to the Nagadeepa Temple visited by Lord Buddha. We were in Jaffn, on September 22  Dr. Uragodas birthday, and we celebrated with the commanding officer of the Jaffna Army camp Brigadier Roshan de Silva and his assistant Colonel Indika Karunanayake joining us. We went to Delft Island with its numerous wild ponies on a subsequent visit.

Our visit to Thoppigala was during the height of the separatist war. Thoppigala was devastated by LTTE artillery and funds were collected to replace the shattered roofs with asbestos sheets. It was suggested to have a medical camp and Dr. Uragoda and Dr. Walter Gooneratne volunteered. The nearby Army camp in Thoppigala appreciated our efforts, by taking all of us to Maduru Oya National Park. We visited the ancient anicut built by the kings of yore, preserved and not destroyed with development, where water flows out from the Maduru Oya with a two inch gradient. After our return the villagers and the Army personnel, when in Colombo would visit Dr. Uragoda for their medical needs. The kind and gracious doctor attended to them taking no fees.

Dr. Uragodas book, Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka has on its cover, a picture of Bakers Falls drawn by Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando. Dr Uragoda wanted to visit the falls again. The Conservator of Forests and I, as the President of the WNPS were members of the governments Fauna and Flora Advisory Committee and he permitted me the use of the Forest Department circuit bungalow at Pattipola. We hiked to Horton Place at dawn and after seeing Worlds End and Bakers Falls which were magnificent, stopped at Farr Inn for refreshments. Farr Inn was famous as a hunting lodge of Sir Thomas Baker and Governor Horton. It was a moonlit night and on our return we could see the sambhur. It was a memorable visit.

Dr. Uragoda had a unique collection of Sri Lankan books in his private library. He also submitted many articles to prestigious journals. His reprint of the History of Medicine in Sri Lanka was presented in 2014 to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a ceremony held at the BMICH. The book is now translated into Sinhala. Dr. Uragodas presidential address to the council of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1990 prompted the book, Traditions of Sri Lanka printed in 2000 and reprinted in 2008. His memoirs Sri Lanka Then and Now was published in 2008 followed by his book on Traditional Appliances and Practices in 2009. His three books Authors of Books in Sri Lanka  Book one from 1796 to 1948, Book two from 1949 to 1975 and Book three from 1976 to 1990 contain short biographies of authors.

Dr. Uragoda co-edited with G.P.S.H. de Silva, the sesquicentennial commemorative volume of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka published in 1995. With Kamalika Peiris he co-edited, Biblography of medical publications relating to Sri Lanka 1811  1976 and A bibliography on health in Sri Lanka 1977  1980 published in 1983. In 2017, he published a personal tribute to his intimate friend of over 50 years Dr. Malinga Fernando and distributed the hard cover book free. In 2017 Dr. Uragoda also wrote the book Little known wonders of Sri Lanka. His last book published in 2018 was A history of Sri Lankan Elephants. Two more books Medical Professionals in Sri Lanka and Elephant Kraals are with the printers.

Dr. Uragoda won many awards in his lifetime. He had the distinction of being elected President of the Royal Asiatic Society for two separate terms. He was presented with the Sir S.C. Obeyesekere award donated by Lady Hilda Obesekere, wife of Sir Paul E. Pieris Deraniyagala, in recognition of five decades of distinguished service as a Life Member of the Society. His medical research was recognised by the conferment of the Guinness Award of the Commonwealth Science Council. He was the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association and joint-editor of the Ceylon Medical Journal for 20 years. In 1985 he joined the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London  so far the only Sri Lankan to serve this prestigious faculty. In 1994, he was conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) of the University of Colombo. Dr. Uragoda received the Rev. Peter Pillai Award, the Sarvodaya Award and the Presidents Award of the Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority of Sri Lanka.

Born on September 22, 1928 at his ancestral home Sandfield in Hikkaduwa, his father was a reputed surveyor. Of his two elder brothers, one was a medical professional and the other a lawyer. Dr. Uragoda studied at Richmond College, Galle and later at Mahinda College, Galle and Ananda College, Colombo. Entering the medical profession in 1953, he first served at the Galle Hospital.

In 1959, Dr. Uragoda was selected to specialize in respiratory diseases in the U.K. On his return from London in 1962, he was transferred, as physician to the Chest Clinic in Kandy and worked in Kandy for eleven years. He was elected as President of the Kandy Society of Medicine 1971 / 1972. Dr. Uragoda was transferred in 1973 as physician-in-charge of the Central Chest Clinic in Colombo.

He married Padma Rambukpotha from Badulla and they had four children, living a loving and harmonious family life. The children are Dianthie, Lalith (who is a doctor married to a doctor and practising in USA), Neluka, (married to a doctor and practising in the USA) and youngest son Dishana who is employed in Australia.

Dr. Uragodas healing touch was legendary. He was a repository of knowledge and wisdom and a gentleman par excellence in his manners and speech. He carved a niche in society not only by what he achieved, but also by the noble and righteous way he lived. He spurned ostentation, vanity and showmanship and lived and led by precept and example.

His integrity and graceful life, and his many publications have been a beacon light to many. He was 91 years old when on March 28, 2020, he finished his earthly pilgrimage. His name and services will be remembered by us. The fragrance of his memory remains fresh, to those who had the privilege of knowing him.

Ravi Deraniyagala

We all felt bereft of a father, companion, mentor and preacher

LT. COL. (RETD) ANANDA ARTHUR DE ALWIS

On a warm Monday morning, in the salubrious climes of Diyatalawa in early January 1995, the English Department of the Sri Lanka Military Academy was awaiting the arrival of retired Lieutenant Colonel Ananda Arthur de Alwis who had just returned to Sri Lanka after a long spell of 18 years in Canada where he headed a College. The officers of the English Department had mixed feelings not knowing much about him. As he arrived, they inquisitively watched him getting down from his Japanese-made blue hatchback car dressed immaculately in European coat and tie.

As he walked in, these junior officers were to introduce themselves in keeping with military traditions. Good morning gentlemen, Im Ananda de Alwis! he straightaway greeted them, introducing himself. Then, he went on to the officers  one by one, from table to table, and spoke to them cheerfully. The officers were surprised beyond words to have received an officer and gentleman in the best sense of the phrase.

Thus, dawned the renaissance of the English Department of the Sri Lanka Military Academy and the Sri Lanka Army, as most officers say with the highest respect to him. The officer cadets whom he first taught at SLMA are now senior officers in the Army and all of them speak highly of him whenever they reminisce about the good old days. His immense knowledge on diverse subjects was passed on to cadets and officers in his innovative English classes. All those cadets were so fortunate to be his students.

He loved teaching and could be considered the best English teacher the Sri Lanka Army ever had. His sense of humour was unmatched and he used attractive teaching methods, and praise and rewards to motivate his students. Often, cadets were found singing songs that all teenagers ought to know and narrating stories from different continents of the world. They not only enjoyed these sessions but also improved their vocabulary and grammar through these songs and stories.

At the end of each successful term, the cadets put on a delightful show comprising various songs and stories to an audience full of officers, students and teachers from neighbouring schools. These events were happy occasions and all who performed on stage and sat in the audience would be ever grateful to Col. Ananda de Alwis for his efforts to introduce a novel, innovative student  friendly teaching methodology promoting happy learning.

One day, he was speaking to a high ranking officer about a transfer of a young officer, whose wife was away and pregnant, Kumar (not the real name) youre not married and I have no children, but we have to understand the sentiments of our subordinates These words were a classic example of his humanness in uniform and his empathy.

Everyone who came in contact with Col. de Alwis virtually fell in love with his vast knowledge, unparalleled human qualities and remarkable sense of humour. It was so pleasant to be with him and listen to his anecdotes.

His respect and love for nature was also amazing. While coming to work from Nuwara Eliya, he used to bring flowering plants to beautify the camp. A beautiful bushy flower plant (Buddleia Pugster Blue commonly known as Butterfly Bush Flower) that he had brought from Canada is seen to date in the Diyatalawa area.

Though an Anglican Christian he had a high respect for other religions and his knowledge on Buddhism was surprisingly high. Often he would draw parallels from Buddhism in his conversations. He believed in giving rather than being attached to and craving for material things.

He began life as a planter in the 1950s and was the first Sinhalese Manager of Mahaberiatenna Farm/Estate, Teldeniya when he succeeded Captain Willox, a retired officer of the British Royal Navy. Whilst a planter he had enlisted as a Second Lieutenant with the 2 (V)SR in Kandy which was under the command of Late Col. Stanley Ratwatte. He served with great pride as a volunteer officer in the Army where he commanded a battalion in the late 60s. He is credited with raising the 3rd Battalion of the Sri Lanka Singha Regiment in Nuwara Eliya during the JVP uprising of 1971.

After some years of service in the ceremonial Army he left for Canada where he earned his Bachelors degree and thereafter a Masters in education. He attended McGill University of which he used to be very proud. Afterwards he worked as the principal of a college in Canada, before leaving for Sri Lanka in 1995.

The greatest among all the good work done by Col. de Alwis was the introduction of the degree programme at SLMA. He was the first officer to foresee that the war was going to be over. Brigadier, when the war is over, what are you going to do with these yakko fellows? (Yakko fellows was used to refer to young cadets in a humorous way) he asked the then Commandant and in the dialogue that ensued he proposed to introduce the degree programme, which currently runs under a fully-fledged teaching faculty with two departments.

In 1999, the officer cadets of regular intake 51 became the first batch to receive the Bachelors Degree in Military Studies. To date, the Academy has produced over 1,000 graduates to the Sri Lanka Army and each time a graduate is commissioned, the institute blesses and remembers Col. de Alwis.

The former Bishop of Kurunegala Shantha Francis appointed Col. de Alwis from 2004  2016 to the dual roles of member of the Board of Governors of Hillwood College, Kandy as well as Manager of this famous private Anglican girls school. He did yeoman service to this school where his elder sister Barbara de Alwis had been the Principal until April 1977. New classrooms were constructed, heritage buildings were renovated to pristine condition and it today boasts of one of the best school kitchens in the country.

Col. de Alwis passed away on February 26, 2019 at the age of 89 years after a brief illness at a private hospital in Colombo. We all felt as if we were left sans a father, companion, mentor and preacher. In flashback, we see how he influenced our lives for the better, advised us on all important matters and helped us whenever help was necessary. Together, we all wish and invoke our blessings on Col. de Alwis to rest peacefully in heaven. We will remember him forever for all the good work he has done and left behind for his successors to carry forward. God bless him.

At the going down of the sun, and in the evening we will remember him

Lieutenant Colonel Kelum Wickramasinghe
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denied taking any sort of retaliatory action against the inspector general revealed to be probing his conduct  saying he doesn't get told in advance what subjects are being investigated.

He said it was 'not possible' because he doesn't get briefed on ongoing investigations  although CNN reported back in July about a whistleblower who claimed Pompeo had a Diplomatic Security agents pick up his dog and get Chinese food for the top diplomat.

'It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation rather, to the president rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on or is currently going on,' Pompeo said.

'Because I simply don't know. I'm not briefed on it. I usually see these investigations in final draft form 24 hours, 48 hours before the IG is prepared to release them,' he told the Washington Post.

'So it's simply not possible for this to be an act of retaliation. End of story,' he said.

NO RETALIATION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday State Department IG Steve Linick was fired because he was 'trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do.' He said he doesn't know what the IG is working on in advance

The issue of retaliation is central to the matter, because although the president has the authority to fire executive branch employees, IGs are protected by statute from illegal firing as a retaliatory measure.

Pompeo made the comments as the president's firing of the IG  which Trump and Pompeo said Monday was Pompeo's idea  caused an uproar and had the White House and Foggy Bottom doing damage control while top Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation.

'I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he's supposed to be doing,' Pompeo said. 'The kinds of activities he's supposed to undertake to make us better, to improve us.'

'The president obviously has the right to have an inspector general,' he said. 'Just like every presidentially confirmed position, I can terminate them. They serve at his pleasure for any reason or no reason,' Pompeo said. He also said Linick 'wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him.'

The Post separately reported Monday that State Department staff had been briefed on an investigation into the sale of $8 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia.

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee said the IG had been investigating the sales.

Trump on Monday defended his own right to fire the IG as well as Pompeo having government employees walk his dog or even wash dishes.

Pompeo himself would not comment on the issue Monday.

'I'm not going to answer the host of unsubstantiated allegations about any of that,' he said.

'He's a high quality person, Mike. He's a very brilliant guy,' Trump said at the White House. 'And now I have you telling me about dog walking, washing dishes and you know what, I'd rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isn't there or his kids aren't  you know.' Trump said.

'What are you telling me it's terrible. It's so stupid. You know how stupid that sounds to the world? Unbelievable,' Trump said.

'I was happy to do it. Mike requested that I do it,' President Trump said of the decision to fire the State Department inspector general who was revealed to be probing Mike Pompeo as well as an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia

Trump said it was Pompeo's idea to axe the IG, career government official Steve Linick. 'He asked me if that would be possible. I said I'll do that, sure,' Trump said.

Trump repeatedly defended Pompeo on the dog walking charge, ridiculing the idea that it would become a major story in the media.

'You mean he's under investigation because he had somebody walk his dog from the government? I don't know,' Trump said. 'I don't think it sounds like that important.'

'You have a man that's supposed to be  and he's a brilliant guy He was Number One at West Point. Number One at Harvard, I believe, Harvard Law school  or close. Number One at Harvard Law School, or very close to number one,' Trump said, although Harvard does not have class rankings like West Point does.

'I'd rather have him on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isn't there or his kids aren't  you know,' President Trump said, defending Mike Pompeo from allegations he had government employees do chores for him

'And they're bothered because he's having somebody walk his dog as you're telling me? I didn't know that. I didn't hear that. I didn't know about an investigation. But this is what you get with the Democrats,' the president continued.

'Here's a man supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major countries,' Trump said.

'And maybe he's busy, and maybe he's negotiating with [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong un, okay, about nuclear weapons. So he says please can you walk my dog. You mind walking my dog  I'm talking to Kim Jong un?' Trump said.

'Please walk my dog, to who, a Secret Service person or somebody? I don't know,' Trump said.

'And they're bothered because he's having somebody walk his dog as you're telling me?' Trump said when a reporter asked him about it.

'I didn't know that. I didn't hear that. I didn't know about an investigation. But this is what you get with the Democrats,' he said.

It was not immediately clear why Trump said Pompeo had aides wash dishes. He was responding to questions about an investigation into reports Pompeo had aides walk his dog and do other chores, as well as about an investigation into arms sales to the Saudis amid the brutal war in Yemen.

Trump said he encouraged top aides to fire Obama appointees  even though inspectors general are career employees who generally are former prosecutors or other investigators who root out corruption within their own agencies.

MEET STEVE LINICK THE IG DONALD TRUMP FIRED FOR MIKE POMPEO Steve Linick's government career was ended abruptly by Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo in another Friday night firing of an inspector general. It was the end of a 26-year government career which had taken Linick from working as a federal prosecutor in California to one of the key roles in government. Linick, 57, a graduate of George Washington University was first a prosecutor in Philadelphia, then joined government service in 1994 as an assistant U.S. attorney in California, then rose in the Department of Justice. In 2010, he became inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, after it was part of the 2008 financial crisis, and was highly critical of rewards for executives there. In 2013 he was nominated to be the State Department inspector general, and was passed by the Senate on a voice vote. At the time IG appointments were not seen as being partisan nominations. Linick has no public political affiliation and lives in Virginia, which does not require political party affiliation to be registered. Public records do not show any political donations, although his wife Mary Britton - general counsel of science conglomerate Denaher - twice donated to Barack Obama's re-election campaign. And far from having a partisan record he was slammed by the Hillary Clinton campaign for a report in May 2016 on her private email server which was critical of her handling of official information and called using her personal email 'not appropriate.' Advertisement

'I did suggest in pretty much all cases you get rid of the attorney generals because it happens to be very political whether you like it or not and many of these people were Obama appointments and so I just got rid of him,' Trump said  momentarily mixing up 'attorney general' and 'inspector general.'

'I was happy to do it. Mike requested that I do it,' Trump said.

'He should have done it a long time ago, in my opinion.' Trump repeatedly put distance between himself and the IG, although he signed a letter delivered to the House speaker Friday firing him.

'I don't know him. Never heard of him,' Trump said.

Pompeo said Monday the agency's independent inspector general who was abruptly fired Friday night was 'trying to undermine what it was that we were trying to do'  in a statement acknowledging there was a substantive reason behind the act.

Amid new blowback for the swift action  including a link to a probe of Pompeo's alleged use of government staff to do personal errands  the nation's top diplomat told the Washington Post fired IG Steve Linick 'wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him.'

President Trump on Friday provided only a vague reason for the extraordinary firing  saying he didn't have the 'fullest confidence' Linick, who was confirmed by the Senate on a voice vote and appointed by President Barack Obama.

Pompeo's claims that the IG was fired for cause came after new information that Linick was investigating a controversial multi-billion U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee said Monday the State Department IG fired by President Trump late Friday had been investigating administration arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Rep. Eliot Engel's statement connects the sudden termination of the independent auditor to a controversial $8 billion sale of high-tech military hardware that Trump approved despite fierce opposition in Congress.

His claim came after Democrats revealed Linick had probed allegations Pompeo had a politically-appointed staffer walk his dog and perform other errands.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump's firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog 'could be unlawful,' and Democratic committees have launched a probe.

'I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linicks firing. His office was investigating - at my request - Trumps phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,' House Foreign Affairs chairman Rep. Eliot Engel told the Washington Post.

'We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed,' Engel continued. The paper reported that the State Department had recently been briefed on the IG's findings  which could provide a circumstantial connection to the sudden firing  amid an apparent purge of four inspectors general officials.

Trump announced Linick's removal in a letter to Pelosi late on Friday night, making him the latest government inspector general that the Republican president has ousted over the last several weeks.

Trump wrote Pelosi that he 'no longer' has 'the fullest confidence' in Linick.

Engel and Senator Robert Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Republican-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced on Saturday they were launching an investigation.

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on February 12, 2019, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approaching to kiss the Hajar al-Aswad ('Black Stone'), believed to be the only piece remaining from an altar built by the patriarch Abraham, as he visits Islam's holiest shrine of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, during his inspections of expansion at the site. The Trump administration approved $8 billion in arms sales to Saudis despite congressional opposition

Trump infuriated many members of Congress last year, including some of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, by declaring an emergency in order to sidestep Congressional review of $8 billion in military sales, mostly to Saudi Arabia.

The powerful weapons included F-15 fighter aircraft and potent javelin missiles. The president was able to circumvent congressional opposition by invoking an 'emergency' pegged to attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq by Iranian proxies.

The IG fired by Trump was also said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning.

Donald Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Steve Linick in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday night. That made him the fourth government inspector general to be ousted in recent weeks.

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife and walking Sherman, their pet dog.

Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, suggesting Pompeo was responsible, in what 'may be an illegal act of retaliation'.

One White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: 'Secretary Pompeo recommended the move and President Trump agreed.'

Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees questioned the timing and motivation of what they called an 'unprecedented removal.'

The ousted State Department inspector general was said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo, pictured, made a staffer walk his dog Sherman and pick up his dry cleaning

Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, pictured, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department's management

In a letter to Congress, Trump, pictured Sunday, 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

'We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions,' House panel chairman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement announcing the probe.

The two Democrats said it was their understanding that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally recommended Linick's firing because the inspector general 'had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself.'

A State Department spokesperson confirmed Linick had been fired but did not comment on the Democratic investigation or Pompeo's role in the dismissal.

The agency said Stephen Akard, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, would take over the watchdog job.

Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration, is the fourth inspector general fired by Trump since early April following the president's February acquittal by the Republican-led Senate in an impeachment trial.

Pelosi called the ousting an acceleration of a 'dangerous pattern of retaliation.'

Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife Susan, pictured in September 2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan Pompeo, pictured in February

Dems investigate Trump's dismissal of State Department IG 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.' Advertisement

In April, Trump removed a top coronavirus watchdog, Glenn Fine, who was to oversee the government's COVID-19 financial relief response.

Trump also notified Congress that he was firing the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, who was involved in triggering the impeachment investigation.

Earlier in May, Trump ousted Christi Grimm, who led the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, after accusing her of having produced a 'fake dossier' on American hospitals suffering shortages on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

'Trump is methodically eliminating anyone who would bring wrongdoing to light,' Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel, tweeted.

Engel and Menendez called on the Trump administration to turn over any related documents by May 22.

Trump and his administration have repeatedly balked at Congress' power to check the executive branch, refusing to turn over records in multiple probes and triggering lawsuits over its oversight power. It was not immediately clear what, if any, other action lawmakers would take outside the probe.

Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, who exited after clashing with Trump, said the 30-day notice gave lawmakers a window to act, if they wanted to, including calling Pompeo to testify.

'It is part of a purge to remove legitimate watchdogs and replace them with loyalists,' he tweeted.

Representatives for Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump's letter provided 30-days' notice as required and said he no longer had confidence in Linick's ability to serve as inspector general, but gave no specific reasons.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement that citing 'a general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.'

Top Trump adviser Peter Navarro suggests ousted State Dept inspector general was part of the 'deep state'

President Donald Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go.

Trump fired Inspector General Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee, late on Friday but gave no reason for the move.

Linick is the fourth inspector general to be fired by Trump in the past two months, following his acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate in his impeachment trial.

Navarro, the Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, reacted to the ouster during an interview with ABC's This Week on Sunday morning.

'We've had tremendous problems with, some people call it the 'Deep State'. And I think that's apt. So I don't mourn the loss,' Navarro said.

'There's a bureaucracy out there. And there's a lot of people in that bureaucracy who think they got elected president and not Donald J Trump.'

Trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested that ousted State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was a member of the 'deep state' during an ABC News interview on Sunday morning

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that Trump's firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog 'could be unlawful' if it was intended to retaliate against one of his investigations.

'The president has the right to fire any federal employee, but the fact is if it looks like it's in retaliation for something the IG, the inspector general, was investigating, that could be unlawful,' Pelosi said on CNN's 'State of the Union.'

Navarro's comments are only likely to further inflame tensions with Democrats, who on Saturday launched an investigation into Trump's late-night ouster of Linick, the latest in an escalating pattern by Trump of firing watchdogs whom he views as a threat to his presidency.
Even if you're staying at home right now, you can still pamper yourself and feel rejuvenated thanks to homemade facial masks.

Besides the nourishment they provide your skin, the best part about DIY face masks is that theyre easy to whip up using items found in your kitchen.

When youre under stress, you start lacking hydration and nutrients, and we want to keep skin well hydrated and well fed, said Deborah Burnes, CEO and co-founder of Sumbody skin care and author of "Natural Beauty Skin Care: 110 Organic Formulas for a Radiant You!"

While professional beauty treatments and products can help do that, the remedy might also be in your fridge. At home, we have a lot of ingredients at the ready, she told TODAY Style.

Bio Bee honey with wooden dipper - Honey's dessert concept image (Getty Images)

Pick the right mask for your needs

Certain ingredients can give your skin different benefits. Honey, for example, helps dry skin retain moisture and naturally relieves redness, inflammation and irritation, Burnes said.

Another great ingredient that most people have on hand is apple cider vinegar, which can help fight acne by dissolving dead skin to fight bacteria and prevent buildup.

And if youre looking for a way to get an all-natural peel, Burnes suggested trying a face mask that includes fruit, which is a natural form of alpha hydroxy acids.

Related: Looking to find the best skin care routine? Learn the definition of skin care terms, including blackheads, hyaluronic acid, retinol, microdermabrasion and more.

Prep your skin

Once youve found the right recipe for your skin troubles (we've included seven below!), its time to prep your skin by washing your face with cleanser. Get pores clean and circulation moving, Burnes said.

Woman in the bathroom (Getty Images)

Hydrolyze

After youve prepared the mask and applied it to your face, its important to hydrolyze or, in other words, Dont let it dry or cake on, according to Burnes. You can do this by leaving the mask on while you shower, letting the steam take over. Or place a warm damp hand towel across your face, leaving your mouth and nose uncovered. The moist heat will keep things active, Burnes explained.

Story continues

Ready to turn your home into a day spa? Below, Burnes and other skin care experts share their favorite homemade facial mask recipes:

Blemish-busting mask

Got acne? Burnes suggests this mask recipe to help fight breakouts. Each ingredient has its own role in creating clearer skin.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/16 teaspoon activated charcoal

1/4 teaspoon kaolin, green or deep sea clay

1/8 teaspoon bee pollen, ground

1/16 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Apply to your face and leave on for 5-15 minutes. Remove with warm water on a soft moistened washcloth and gently wipe or pat off.

Avocado and banana over brown wooden background. (Getty Images)

Hydrating mask

If youve got dry skin, consider whipping up this face mask that calls for bananas, which are filled with nutrients and vitamins to help keep your skin properly moisturized, Burnes said.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon banana, mashed

1 teaspoon avocado, mashed

1/4 teaspoon maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon brewers yeast

1/8 teaspoon coconut milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Apply to your face and leave on for 5-15 minutes. Remove with warm water on a soft moistened washcloth and gently wipe or pat off.

group of almonds from wood bowl on wood background (Getty Images)

Hydrating facial scrub

Another way to combat dry skin is with a facial scrub that exfoliates like this one from Stephanie Gerber, founder of natural beauty blog Hello Glow and author of "Hello Glow: 150+ Easy Natural Beauty Recipes For a Fresh New You." The ground flaxseeds gently exfoliate while almonds provide vitamins A and E to your skin.

Ingredients:

3 almonds

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1 teaspoon dry milk powder

Directions:

Combine almonds and flax seeds in a coffee grinder and grind until you have a really fine powder. Stir in the milk powder. Keep dry ingredients in a container with a lid beside the sink. Combine a pinch of powder in your hand with water or rose water and make a paste. Apply scrub to clean, damp skin with clean hands. Gently massage into skin for about a minute, starting with the jaw and working upward, but always avoiding your eyes. Rinse with lukewarm water. Apply toner, then serum and moisturizer.

Greek yogurt in a glass jars (Getty Images)

Brightening yogurt facial mask

Heres a fun mask that Gerber recommends applying to brighten dull skin and even out skin tone. The secret is blueberries, which are incredibly rich in vitamin C.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of plain organic yogurt

1 to 2 teaspoons of honey

Squeeze of lemon juice

Small handful of blueberries, organic preferably

Directions:

Blend ingredients together until you get a creamy paste. Liberally apply to your face and neck with a brush or your fingers. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

Note: Gerber recommends this mask be applied at night time since the lemon will make you photosensitive to the sun.

Skin-soothing mask

Charlotte Cho, founder of Korean beauty and lifestyle website Soko Glam and author of "The Little Book of Skin Care," suggests this concoction for treating and soothing acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons of oatmeal powder

4 teaspoons green tea powder

Water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl for a thick paste. Apply it over your skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Oatmeal can help unclog pores and prevent acne. (Getty Images)

Oatmeal mask

Molly Sims, author of The Everyday Supermodel, shares her secret to getting the dewy glow look with this oatmeal face mask recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup finely ground oats

2 tablespoons whole-milk plain yogurt, preferably organic

1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until it becomes a paste. Spread over your face with both hands. Rinse with warm water. Pat your face dry.

Strawberry background. Strawberries. (Getty Images)

Three-ingredient face mask

Brighten your face and cleanse oily, acne-prone skin with this face mask recipe from Veronica Barton Schwartz, owner of Veronica Skin & Body Care Center in Malibu, California. The best part about this recipe is it only requires three simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 extra ripe strawberries

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 teaspoon of plain unsweetened probiotic yogurt

Directions:
[May 18, 2020] Palomar Display Products, Inc. awarded $89.2M US Army Contract

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Palomar Display Products, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded an $89.2M firm-fixed-price, IDIQ contract to produce Biocular Image Control Unit (BICU) gunner displays for M1A2 Abrams tanks. This award by the US Army Contracting Command also includes associated spares, repairs and engineering services. These high resolution, optically coupled BICU displays have been designed and qualified for the M1A2 Abrams tank and will be delivered to the US Army over a period of five years, through 2025. The contract also allows for an up to two year optional extension for ordering and delivering these displays and services. "This award is a follow on to the previous $78M five year contract that has been recently fulfilled," stated Palomr Display Products President Paul Bell. "We are proud to retain, for the fourth time, our sole source supplier position in supplying critical hardware to the most advanced fighting vehicle in the world. It's truly an honor to have participated on the Abrams program for such an extended period of time."



Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Palomar Display Products, Inc. is a proven world leader in the development and manufacture and support of high-resolution tactical targeting displays that are installed on tens of thousands of armored vehicles worldwide. http://www.palomardisplays.com/

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12822628 Press release distributed by PRLog. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/palomar-display-products-inc-awarded-89-2m-us-army-contract-301060531.html SOURCE Palomar Display Products, Inc.

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New York City without tourists is something many New Yorkers crammed onto crowded subway cars  or avoiding overrun attractions like Museum of Modern Art  may fantasize about now and then. This summer, its likely to be a reality, but it will probably hurt more New Yorkers than it helps.

International flights to the United States have been largely restricted and reduced in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, while huge numbers of domestic flights have been canceled over the past two months. Anyone who has been reading the news or watching Gov. Andrew Cuomos daily press briefings knows that the New York City area  thanks in part to its status as a tourist hub  has had by far the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

So tourism is unlikely to pick up in the coming summer months, resulting in untold lost income for New Yorkers and tax revenue for the city.

Still, those who work in and study the tourism industry say that the pandemic isnt the end of the tourism in New York. The question is not whether visitors will eventually return to New York, but how and when they can start to do so safely. I'm pretty bullish on New York, and I think there are going to be some bright spots and you might have some glimmers of hope, said Cristyne Nicholas, co-founder of Nicholas & Lence Communications and former chief executive and president of NYC & Company, the citys official tourism arm. But I think it's going to be a very slow turnaround.

Tourism has been rising in New York for roughly a decade, since the end of the last recession, and during good economic times, it has been going up for several decades. NYC & Company reported 65 million visitors in 2018, and said last summer that the city was on track for nearly 67 million visitors in 2019, though official numbers have yet to be released. Naturally, spending by tourists has increased too. In 2018, direct spending by visitors to New York reached $46 billion.

The citys tourism agency has not released any research on the impact of the pandemic on tourism this summer, saying its too soon to forecast. But Nicholas said June, July and August typically bring a lot of tourists, adding that many domestic tourists typically come in the summer. One study by the personal finance website WalletHub put New York as the ninth most-affected state for coronavirus-related decreases in tourism, just below Washington, D.C., and just above California. (Number one is Hawaii.)

Virtually all businesses in New York City are hurting right now because of the pandemic-inflicted shutdown. The restaurants that tourists spend money in are closed or running only limited take-out and delivery service. Theaters, museums and other cultural attractions are entirely closed. Book stores, restaurants and even the Tenement Museum are closing permanently or at risk of doing so because of their sudden revenue drop. Four-star hotels, lacking customers, have turned into housing for exhausted health care workers. NYC & Company tracks monthly hotel occupancy, and the most recent data available is from March of this year. That month, just as the coronavirus outbreak intensified in New York, there was only 30.6% occupancy in city hotels. In March of 2019, hotels were at 84.4% capacity.

I'm pretty bullish on New York.  But I think it's going to be a very slow turnaround.  Cristyne Nicholas, former chief executive and president of NYC & Company

Tourism accounts directly for over 300,000 jobs in New York City, according to research from NYC & Company. Visitor-dependent businesses like tour guides or sightseeing companies have now had to lay off or furlough their employees. In late April, half of the staff of NYC & Company itself were furloughed for three months.

But interest in visiting New York in the long term doesnt appear to be waning. Lori Pennington-Gray, the director of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative at the University of Florida, has been surveying Americans on their anxieties about travel due to the coronavirus, and how the pandemic will affect future travel plans. The surveys have shown a few promising results for New York. The state is still a top-three destination for respondents, alongside California and Florida. And perhaps most surprisingly, when respondents were asked where they plan to visit first after travel restrictions are lifted, the fourth most popular category was big cities. (The most popular was the beach; the least popular was cruises.)

Pennington-Gray noted that the survey asks respondents how soon after the coronavirus is contained they expect to travel, and most said two to six months, or six months to one year. But containing the virus is not a simple goal. Will a testing-and-tracing system contain outbreaks? Or does nothing short of a vaccine ensure true containment? We asked a question about how far away would things be back to normal, and most people are saying 2021  and that's the new normal, not what we were used to, Pennington-Gray said. But people aren't expecting it to come back anytime soon.

Without knowing when the coronavirus will be contained, theres no telling exactly when tourism returns. Pennington-Gray said that when visitors do come back, it will likely be drive tourism. As soon as it's contained, there should be some influx of tourism, she said. That's what we're finding nationally, that people are most likely going to stay closer to home and they're going to drive, it's going to be domestic. They're going to do things that are not in large crowds  open spaces, outdoors.

Nicholas, who ran NYC & Company after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, is optimistic that some tourism can return sooner, depending on the type of visitor. There are a lot of people in the tri-state area that can certainly come back and help. What we did right after 9/11, we weren't marketing right away to international visitors. We were first going to domestic (visitors), she said, echoing Pennington-Grays prediction that in the early days, drive tourism will be predominant. I don't see people rushing to the airports to go on flights right now.

When talking about the return of tourism, it matters what kinds of tourists youre talking about. Nicholas split potential travelers into three groups: first, younger Millennials who may feel less at risk from the virus; second, middle-aged people with families who will be cautious but want to continue to travel; and finally, older travelers. The thing that in my opinion will take the biggest hit will be the Baby Boomer, older traveler, Nicholas said. That was very, very big and important because they had disposable income and they were also intrepid travelers. In light of the higher risk of mortality from COVID-19 for people more than 60 years old, Nicholas said, I think that group in particular is going to be super cautious.

As Nicholas notes, the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus may inhibit travel even after the pandemic itself is over. There are multiple factors that influence travel and one of them is discretionary income. We know that people have been hit hard, Pennington-Gray said, adding that in a recent survey, the majority of respondents said their financial situation would impact future travel plans.

This summer, with movie theaters, amusement parks, and concerts all closed or canceled for the foreseeable future, well-heeled New Yorkers might be especially eager to get out of town. Some New Yorkers have already left the city, or plan to do so later this summer, leaving for vacation homes in coastal beach towns or for states whose economies are already reopening. Georgia, for example, has seen an influx in out-of-state visitors since businesses began reopening in late April. I think they're already doing it, Nicholas said of New Yorkers leaving the city for vacation, despite stay-at-home orders. I think some of them already started to venture out, and out of the city, especially knowing that school is out.

Other New Yorkers may want to get out of New York City for the summer, but lack the means to do so. Now, with the citys public pools closed, summer camps canceled and the opening of public beaches up in the air, its likely that the only people who will be able to cool off in a pool or catch a breeze by the water are those who can afford to vacation outside of New York City.

But as travel does start to pick up again, public health experts say that people moving about  including the people traveling out of New York City this summer  risk carrying the virus elsewhere and infecting other people. Eleanor Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, told City & State that its not yet clear how many New Yorkers have been or are currently infected with COVID-19, but it is known that people can be infectious even if they dont yet have symptoms. Its very likely that at least some New Yorkers who travel out of state or city will be infectious and carry the virus with them, and this is very likely to spread the outbreak, Murray wrote over email.

Its not surprising then, that well-off New Yorkers leaving the city for a second home in regions like the Catskills and the Hamptons have provoked outrage from locals who worry about their communitys resources to fight an outbreak. The best evidence suggests that on average each person with SARS-CoV-2 infects between two and five other people, which means that even one person who is infectious can potentially start an outbreak in an area that hasnt had one yet, Murray wrote.

One group of upstaters that isnt unhappy, though, is real estate agents. Some New Yorkers, sick of cramped quarantine situations and desperate for a backyard, are now searching for homes in areas such as the Hudson Valley  and some suburban and upstate real estate brokers have been flooded with business.

If visitors did come to New York City in the medium-term future for a trip or vacation, they too would be in danger of contracting the virus and bringing it home with them. Tourists or visitors to New York are absolutely at risk of infection. We dont yet have a very reliable test to tell who has been infected in the past, and we dont know how long immunity might last for those who were previously infected, largely because this virus is very new, Murray said.

So how can tourism safely return to New York? Pennington-Gray and Nicholas said businesses in each sector of the tourism industry are already talking about the new normal. It will involve reduced capacity at hotels, social distancing at all the businesses that tourists frequent. There's different phases that people will come back, but they're not going to come back until they know that they've done what they need to do to keep the visitor safe as well, Pennington-Gray said.

Nicholas suggested that businesses will want to open, even if theyre doing less business. I think tourism businesses are just going to try to survive with whoever they can, she said. I believe that if they can open, they will. And even if they will only get 35% to 50% of the business, the market will meet the demand.

As for public health measures short of a vaccine that could help make travel safer, Murray said that more robust testing  along with fastidious hygiene and distancing measures  could help. Over the next few months, I expect that we will get better antibody tests and a better understanding of COVID immunity, she wrote over email. These, combined with testing for active infection and contact tracing will make travel safer for people coming into and out of New York  but only if people obey any quarantine and isolation orders they may be given.
The devastating long-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet fully materialized, but the growing budgetary crisis in every state in the US has already resulted in massive cuts for the current fiscal year, with plans for far greater austerity in the near future. This poses an existential threat to public education, with the jobs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and other school employees at risk and untold consequences for an entire generation of youth.

Leaders of major school districts across the United States have recently warned that if they do not receive emergency funding to offset the impacts of declining tax revenues during the pandemic, at least 275,000 teachers in major US cities will permanently lose their jobs. The Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) warns that districts will have to cut 15-25 percent from their budgets for the 2021 fiscal school year, which begins July 1 for most states.

On May 12, Mike Casserly, the head of the CGCS, told Education Week, If Congress and the administration do not approve substantial additional funding, state and local revenue losses will result in teacher layoffs and cuts to other supports and services that will take a generation to recover from in terms of restoring district instructional and operational capacity.

An empty classroom

Another recent analysis by the public education advocacy group Learning Policy Institute provides several estimates of teacher job losses based on the extent of the budget shortfalls. With a 15 percent loss in funding, they project 319,000 teacher jobs would be destroyed. With a 30 percent loss in fundingwhich is entirely plausible for the coming yearan estimated 697,675 teaching positions would be cut.

Given variations in the proportion of education funds going to teacher salaries, the impact on each state varies widely. The most severely impacted proportionally would be Minnesota and Hawaii, which would face the loss of 20.5 and 20 percent of their teacher workforces respectively. A 15 percent cut in education funding in Michigan would mean the loss of 12,561 teaching positions, while in California that number nearly quadruples to 49,197 jobs.

As brutal as these cuts are, these estimates do not include hundreds of thousands of support staff workers, including school bus drivers, teacher aides, food service workers and custodians, whose jobs would also be eliminated.

States across the US are revising their current spending on education and preparing for deeper cuts and teacher job losses in the fall. Michigans Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference report came out last week with estimates revised down by $3.2 billion for the 2020 fiscal year, a 12.85 percent decrease in funding. Billions of dollars in cuts for the current fiscal year have already been announced in numerous states.

Last week, the Detroit Free Press cited Wayne Schmidt, chair of the Michigan Senates Appropriations Committee, projecting a 20-25 percent cut in per-pupil funding based on state revenue losses from the pandemic. The projected cuts would reduce per-pupil spending from $8,000 per child to $6,000 in the coming school year. New Jersey has already frozen $1 billion in current spending due to budget pressures arising from the pandemic.

Pressure is mounting for schools to reopen in the fall so that workers whose children are in school can get back to work. Broad sections of the political establishment, led by the Trump administration, are promoting the reactionary and scientifically invalid policy of herd immunity to encourage the rapid reopening of the economy despite the immense dangers posed to the working class.

This homicidal policy acquires a particularly sociopathic character in Trumps demands that teachers, students, and other personnel return to school buildings without adequate programs in place for testing, contact tracing and isolating confirmed cases. This takes place under conditions in which a growing number of children have been diagnosed with Pediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome, which is linked to COVID-19.

Of Americas 3.2 million public school teachers, 29 percent are above 50 years old. As part of the CARES Act, school districts were barred from receiving payroll tax credits for staff retention or providing emergency paid family and sick leave for employees who are sick with COVID-19. Thus, those who do return when schools reopen will be at risk of dire health consequences or death from COVID-19, with no financial redress.

While additional federal funding is desperately needed, the $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES) Act passed by the House Democrats Friday stands no chance of passing in the Senate, and Trump has already declared it dead on arrival. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly stressed that his objective is to enable states to declare bankruptcy, which will facilitate the slashing of pensions and a massive restructuring of all state services, including education.

In her weekly online forum last Tuesday, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Randi Weingarten provided more political cover for Trumps plan to reopen schools. In addition, she issued a press release Tuesday to try to add credibility to the HEROES Act charade, knowing full well that it stands no chance of passing the Senate.

For decades before the pandemic, there has been a bipartisan assault on public education. In 1995, the Clinton administration adopted the reactionary slogan of school choice and provided federal money to privately run and publicly funded charter schools for the first time. In 2001, the Bush administrations No Child Left Behind policy tied school funding to test performance, with low test scores leading to school closures.

In 2009, under the Obama administrations Race to The Top, funding was further tied to accountability. The 2008 financial crash was exploited to demand that cash strapped districts compete for a smaller pool of money based on whether they lifted caps on charter schools, merit pay, and vouchers.

In the wake of 2008-09 recession, at least 120,000 teaching positions were permanently lost, and hundreds of schools were closed. All told roughly 200,000 school employees were cut and in many states school funding levels and salaries never returned to pre-recession levels. This was the objective foundation that impelled the nationwide wave of strikes, beginning with the 2018 statewide wildcat strike by West Virginia teachers and involving over 700,000 US teachers since then.

The shutting down of these bitter struggles became the sole preoccupation of the AFT and NEA. The potential for a nationwide revolt struck fear in the union bureaucracies and among those who aided and abetted them, the union activists of the now defunct International Socialist Organization (ISO), along with Socialist Alternative, and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

The new context of the COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the essential lesson from these struggles, that teachers and workers must take the fight into their own hands by building new organizations of struggle, independent of the unions, to mobilize teachers and every section of workers in a common struggle against the dictatorship of the banks and giant corporations. In opposition to both corporate-controlled parties, all educators must base their fight on a genuine socialist program, which asserts the universal right to a fully funded, high quality public education for all.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:44:41|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has started building a center for the development and innovation of high-end scientific instruments.

The center, located in the northern Huairou District of Beijing, will focus on the investment, research and manufacturing of high-end scientific instruments, and provide services for large-scale scientific facilities located in the district.

Lei Ming, vice director of the project, said 26 major science and technology infrastructures are being constructed in Huairou District, which calls for a large number of high-end scientific instruments, such as multi-modal trans-dimensional biomedical imaging facilities.

The center will facilitate the development of scientific instruments, medical instruments and industrial instruments through cooperation with international instrument companies, universities and research institutions.

The center will be put into service in 2025 and is expected to grow into an international research base and industrial center for scientific instruments in 2030. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 16:18:04|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday warned that cyclone Amphan, which has turned into an extremely severe storm overnight, is likely to intensify further into a super cyclone in the next six hours.

The cyclonic storm will hit West Bengal and Odisha coastal areas.

"It is very likely to move nearly northwards for some time and then north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20," read the information released in the bulletin by IMD.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with officials of the federal ministry of home affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Monday evening to review the preparedness.

Coastal Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places from Monday evening. Coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal are also likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to IMD, both the areas will be experiencing squally winds from Monday evening.

Authorities have advised fishermen not to venture into north Bay of Bengal along and off West Bengal-Odisha coasts until Thursday.

Officials said 17 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal in anticipation of the cyclonic storm.

The severe cyclonic storm comes at a time when India is fighting against COVID-19, which has infected 96,169 people in the country and killed 3,029. Enditem
South Africa: Over 15 000 farmers approved for COVID-19 fund

More than 15 000 small-scale farmers have been approved for the COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund, says Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza.

The Minister briefed the media on the outcome of the Agricultural Disaster Fund application process on Sunday.

Didiza said that 55 155 applications were received from smallholder and communal farmers, with the highest number of applications received from the Eastern Cape Province, followed by the Northern Cape and North West.

The R1.2 billion fund intervention aims to address the effects of Coronavirus and ensure sustainable food production post the pandemic.

To date, 15 036 applications have been approved, valued at just over R500 million in favour of smallholder and communal farmers. Of the 15 036 approved applications, 5 494 are women, 2 493 youth and 224 people living with disability and males at 9 542, said the Minister.

Speaking at the virtual briefing, Didiza said livestock has been the most requested commodity by farmers, followed by vegetables, poultry and fruits.

Each of the approved farmers will receive inputs in line with the size of their farming operations up to a maximum of R50 000, said the Minister.

The application process opened on 8 April and closed on 22 April 2020, with 33 000 manual application forms distributed through the departments provincial and district offices, commodity and civil society organisations.

She added that the department will finalise its decision on the remaining applications.

R400 million allocation

The Minister said a further R400 million is being channelled to farmers within the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS), who were already approved for the departments Stimulus Package.

This had initially been budgeted for in the 2019/2020 financial year.

It must be noted that an amount of R600 million had to be reprioritised from the Stimulus Package on PLAS farms in the 2019/2020 budget to assist the other smallholder and communal farmers in terms of this COVID-19 intervention.

The issuance of vouchers to provinces will commence on 18 May 2020. The department engaged the services of different suppliers through an open Supply Chain Management (SCM) process to avoid any delay in the delivery of these inputs, she said.

Didiza highlighted that there was a number of lessons learnt from the process, which will require government and the sectors, especially commodity groups working with small-scale and subsistence farmers, to build on.

Among others, the department has noted the lack of proper documentation or filing of documents by famers.

It saddens me that during this process many of them fell by the sideway because they could not provide proof that they are farmers or farming. The registration of farmers on the Producer Farmer Register will enable government to locate farmers so that targeted support can be provided, the Minister said.

She also urged farmer organisations to assist farmers in formalising their operations, especially insofar as record keeping is concerned.

The Minister emphasised that monitoring and evaluation of this programme is important to ensure value for money and food production.

Therefore, the department will work with various non-government organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations to monitor and evaluate the implementation of this intervention on the ground.

Through this intervention, we want to ensure that agricultural production continues to ensure food security for the country. Food is being produced at farm level and deliveries are made to wholesalers, retailers, fresh produce markets and other critical distribution points.

We urge the food value chain role players to strictly comply and adhere to strict health regulations to contain and arrest the spread of COVID-19 as we strive to supply food to the nation, Didiza said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The current pandemic of COVID-19 seems to be slowing down in various parts of the world, but is far from controlled, as incidence rates rise in new regions. In the absence of an effective vaccine or therapeutic drug, scientists have relied on supportive medical care to treat the sick.

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 deals with a new modality of treatment, the use of convalescent plasma, which could help speed up recovery and perhaps pull back critically sick patients from the edge. The study by researchers at Mayo Clinic, Michigan State University, and Johns Hopkins University is focused on assessing the safety of this therapy.

Study: Early Safety Indicators of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in 5,000 Patients. Image Credit: Roman Zaiets / Shutterstock

Making Passive Antibody Therapy A Reality For COVID-19

Overall, COVID-19 has been reported to have a case fatality rate of about 4%, but for those sick enough to require hospitalization, it is 14%, according to Wuhan reports. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit who are critically or severely sick have a fatality of 57%.

The U.S. has, by far, the most significant burden of COVID-19 disease in the world, with a fatality rate of over 20% in New York City. This led to the launch of the Expanded Access Program (EAP) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), partnering with the Mayo Clinic and a national network of blood banks.

The EAP aims to collect and disburse convalescent plasma from people who have successfully recovered from the viral illness. This is called passive antibody therapy and is not a new strategy.

Passive Antibody Therapy

First described in the last years of the 19th century, it was the sole hope of recovery from certain infections before the discovery of antibiotics and antimicrobial chemotherapy. It was successful in reducing the mortality rate in the 1918 flu pandemic.

Though its biological basis is plausible, the safety of using convalescent plasma is unverified as yet. The current study looks at key parameters to identify the risks of this therapy.

How Was the Study Done?

The study analyzed safety parameters after the transfusion of human COVID-19 convalescent plasma in 5,000 adults with severe or critical COVID-19 illness. Two-thirds of them were in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The patients included over 2,100 men and 1,800 women, from a variety of ethnicities, almost half being whites. The median age was 62 years. Over 80% of them were severely or critically ill, the rest being at high risk of progressing to such a condition.

Among the 80% with severe illness, 72% could not breathe on their own, 63% had breathlessness, the same number had poor oxygen saturation. Over 40% had evidence of pneumonia involving more than half the lung area, and over a third were having difficulty in oxygenating their blood. Almost a fifth were in multi-organ dysfunction, with 15% in septic shock.

Safety Assured

The investigators found that the transfusion was linked to less than 1% of serious adverse events (SAEs) in the first four hours. The death rate associated with convalescent plasma transfusion was 0.3%. There were 36 SAEs reported, with 15 deaths, which accounted for 0.3% of transfusions. Only one death was probably related, and three possibly related to the transfusions. Overall, only 2 SAEs were definitely linked to the transfusions.

Among the 21 other SAEs that were not fatal, transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) and transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) in 7% and 11% respectively were predominant. It is important to note that these are very likely to be the result of the inflammatory process in COVID-19. The terminal stages of the viral illness closely resemble these SAEs, so that, according to the paper, making an unequivocal determination of plasma-related toxicity in critically ill individuals is difficult.

Again, TRALI and TACO may occur at a rate of almost 10% in critically ill patients who are treated by transfusion. Still, the current study shows a rate of SAEs even possibly related to transfusion, which is below 1%. The researchers comment, The low rates of TRALI and TACO along with the possibly related attribution of most cases are reassuring.

High Efficacy, Low Mortality

In short, among them, only 25 were thought to be possibly related to the transfusion by the treating doctor. In fact, only 2 of them were definitely the result of the convalescent plasma transfusion.

The mortality rate in seven days was 14.9%. This is low, considering the more typical rate of 15% to 20% among those who are hospitalized, and even higher rates among those admitted to the ICU. When it is remembered that over 80% of them were severely ill, and almost a fifth were in multi-organ dysfunction, it must be admitted that this is not an unacceptably high rate.

The researchers note that the efficacy of convalescent plasma cannot be judged from this study. Notwithstanding, it appears that the recovery rate is significantly improved in this cohort of patients.

In view of the fatality rate of severe COVID-19, and the large sample size, the researchers conclude that the transfusion of convalescent plasma appears to be a safe step in the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 18, 2020 | 08:50 AM | BALLARD COUNTY

Two adults and two juveniles face drug charges in Ballard County.

The Ballard County Sheriff's Office says two juveniles attempted to purchase marijuana from 18-year-old Chance Gray and 18-year-old Daquion Donlow at a La Center motel early Sunday morning. All four were detained by police.

Gray and Donlow were each charged with trafficking marijuana, unlawful transaction with a minor under the age of 16, engaging in organized crime, possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. Both were released with citation.

The juveniles were released to their parents after being cited for trafficking in marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. One of the juveniles was additionally charged with possession of marijuana.
The Zongo Development Fund (ZoDF) has engaged the Ayawaso Zongo Chiefs of the Greater Accra Council of Zongo Chiefs to solicit their support in the education on COVID-19.



The main objectives of the engagement was to collaborate with the Chiefs to ensure that their following adhered to the COVID-19 safety measures and observed the social distancing protocols.



The meeting was also to ensure that the chiefs facilitated the education through their youth leaders who are on the ground in their various communities to the populace.



Addressing the Chiefs, Real Admiral (Rtd) Muniru Tahiru, Board Chairman of the ZoDF explained that the Fund was well positioned to collaborate with Chiefs, Imams and opinion leaders to fight the COVID-19 with a well-structured, informative and professional lines.



He said the ZoDF will use the Chiefs who are the symbols of Authority in their various communities to enforce the safety measures such as regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizers, the wearing of nose masks and avoidance of handshakes.



Real Admiral Tahiru said the ZoDF was producing 200,000 pieces of hand sanitizers and liquid soaps and one million nose masks to be distributed to 40,000 households in Zongo Communities, adding, "ZoDF had already distributed some essentials and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the people of Kasoa and Accra in the Central and Greater Accra Regions respectively.



Chief Imoro Baba Issah, Chairman of the Ayawaso Zongo Chiefs expressed their resolve to collaborate with the ZoDF to achieving their goal of fighting the COVID-19 in zongo communities.



He said Chiefs were in a better position to enforce the safety protocols with the support of government and its agencies like the ZoDF.



He gave the assurance that the chiefs would shoulder the responsibility to achieve the needed results.

Source: GNA









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FLINT, MI  A 3-year-old boy was fatally shot Sunday inside a Flint home, police confirmed.

Officers with the Flint Police Department responded on Sunday, May 17 to Hurley Medical Center after the boy was brought in with a gunshot wound.

The shooting occurred in the 2200 block of Cadillac Street where the child lived with his family.

Michigan State Police Lt. David Kaiser said it appears the shooting was self-inflicted and accidental.

Flint police Detective Sgt. Tyrone Booth noted law enforcement is not looking for any suspects connected to the incident, but he declined any further comment.

The investigation is ongoing.
Imperial Valley News Center

Former Veterans Affairs Doctor Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights Charges

Beckley, West Virginia - A federal grand jury in Charleston, West Virginia, Tuesday returned a seven-count indictment charging Dr. Jonathan Yates, 51, with federal civil rights and abusive sexual contact offenses. Yates, a doctor of osteopathic medicine who formerly worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, is charged with five counts of depriving veterans of their civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and two counts of abusive sexual contact, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(b). He was previously charged in a criminal complaint with depriving a veteran of his civil rights under color of law.

The indictment alleges that between September 2018 and February 2019, while working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dr. Yates examined six male patients, identified in the indictment as Veterans One through Six, and sexually molested them during their appointments. The indictment alleges that Yates temporarily immobilized two of the veterans  one by cracking his neck, and the other with the use of acupuncture needles  and sexually molested them while they were incapacitated. The indictment also alleges that his abuses caused five of the veterans to suffer bodily injury. This conduct, performed while Dr. Yates was acting under color of law in his capacity as a federal employee at the VAMC, deprived Veterans One through Five of their constitutional right to bodily integrity. The indictment also alleges that Yates knowingly engaged in sexual contact with Veterans Two and Six without their consent.

This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5342).

An indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, Yates faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband and U.S. Attorney Michael B. Stuart for the Southern District of West Virginia commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department in this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McVey of the Southern District of West Virginia.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday (May 18) summoned a senior diplomat from the Indian High Commission here and registered its protest over the alleged ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control.

The Foreign Office claimed that the ?indiscriminate and unprovoked firing" by the Indian forces on Sunday in Khuiratta Sector resulted in serious injuries to a 37-year-old civilian.

The Indian security forces "along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting the civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons," the FO alleged.

In 2020, India has so far committed 1,081 ceasefire violations, it claimed.

It said that the Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami SEO professionals, Web Daytona, have confirmed they will be providing uninterrupted services to help businesses thrive, online, in spite of global uncertainties. As one of the leading names in full-service digital marketing, their experience with both local SEO and national SEO has put them on the map in recent years. And, as recent shakeups in the global business landscape change the way companies operate, digital marketing is becoming more relevant than ever before.

Web Daytona is a Florida based Miami SEO agency well known for its full-service digital marketing and web design services.

CEO and Web Daytona founder, Gary Vela, spoke about the company's decision to stay open, both during the initial outbreak and now, as companies begin to reopen: "This is a crucial time for many businesses. Nobody expected this, and it's been difficult to see companies struggling. But, we're moving into a new era of business, with purchasing, conferencing, and advertising all moving online. There's never been a better time to put your marketing budget into SEO and digital marketing. That's why we stayed open  because digital is a lifeline to so many businesses right now."

Web Daytona works with clients to create and maintain their online presence, in a process that involves everything from search-optimized site design, digital strategy, and paid ads to social media marketing and branding. As an agency, they combine cutting edge services with first-rate customer support to create a value-driven product.

SEO has only become more valuable during these uncertain times. 75% of consumers currently use social media every day. Of those, fewer than 5% actually want brands to stop advertising. Similar numbers can be found in organic searches, with users looking for value-driven content. As social distancing continues and the world tries to find new ways to live normally, businesses are turning to digital strategists to create content. Social ads, newsletters, local listings, and blogs are suddenly more important than ever for companies trying to stay afloat, online. And the best way to take advantage of those is through daily management, ongoing strategy, and a complete SEO audit.

"Digital marketing is helping businesses and their clients find each other, right now," said Vela. "It's a difficult time for everyone, but there is light at the end of the tunnel if we can collaborate and create marketing that matters. That's what Web Daytona is doing, by keeping our doors open during this difficult time. We know what's possible with Internet marketing, and we're excited to make it a reality for everyone involved."

For further details, contact Duncan Reyneke at [email protected]

About Web Daytona

Web Daytona is a leading Miami SEO and digital marketing agency, in operation for more than a decade. Providing comprehensive marketing and a wide range of digital services, Web Daytona combines cutting-edge marketing with a team full of industry experts to give clients a commanding lead on their competition. Get in touch, today, to unlock the power of digital marketing for your online presence.

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In addition to Ms. Bardot and Ms. Deneuve, Mr. Piccolis list of co-stars included Anouk Aimee, Stephane Audran, Leslie Caron, Jeanne Moreau, Natasha Parry, Dominique Sanda and Romy Schneider.

He occasionally appeared in American films, albeit in projects in which he played characters with French accents. He was a Soviet spy in France who commits suicide in Alfred Hitchcocks Topaz (1969), and an opera-loving croupier in Louis Malles Atlantic City (1980).

The urbane Michel Piccoli appears in a tiny role that he turns into a memorable cameo, that of a casino manager who, on the side, runs the croupier school, Vincent Canby wrote in his review in The New York Times.

Mr. Piccolis career barely slowed in later life. Even as the likes of Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo  French actors a decade younger than he  began to work less, Mr. Piccoli seemed to pick up his pace. He appeared in three films and a mini-series in 2012, when he was 86, and he was named best actor at the 2012 David di Donatello awards, the Italian equivalent of the Oscars, for his performance in Nanni Morettis We Have a Pope (Habemus Papam), in which he portrayed a cardinal reluctant to accept the ultimate promotion.

That award joined his numerous film festival honors, including best actor awards at Cannes for Salto nel Vuoto (Leap Into the Void, 1980), in which he played a judge inconvenienced by his mentally disturbed sister; and at Berlin for Une Etrange Affaire (Strange Affair, 1981), for his role as a department store manager who leads an employee astray. He also received a 1997 best film award at Venice for Alors Voila, a black comedy about a dysfunctional family, which he wrote with Thomas Cheysson and directed.

Mr. Piccoli was nominated four times for the Cesar Award, the French equivalent of the Oscars, for his performances in Strange Affair; Dangerous Moves (1984), the story of an aging chess master; May Fools (1990), about a widowed vineyard manager at the time of the Paris student riots; and La Belle Noiseuse (1991), playing a painter with a creative block, in which he stars alongside Emmanuelle Beart.
Fighting broke out in Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Monday after a pro-Beijing lawmaker was elected to chair the committee that oversees the presentation of proposed laws. The election ended a protracted struggle for control with pro-democracy council members.

The Legislative Council's House Committee, which vets bills and decides when to present them for a final vote, had been without a chairperson for over six months. The central government in Beijing criticised deputy chairperson and pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok, founder of the Civic Party, for deliberately delaying matters and causing a backlog of bills to the detriment of public interest.

Kwok was replaced on Friday by Chan Kin-por, who was appointed by the legislature's president to preside over Monday's election. After scuffles and shouting matches, leading to Chan ejecting most of the pro-democracy lawmakers, the election took place with pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king winning easily.

Beijing's Xinhua News Agency reported that Lee's election had ended the prolonged filibusters of the opposition lawmakers led by Dennis Kwok Wing-hang to obstruct the election during 17 meetings since October last year, noting that some opposition lawmakers shouted slogans and repeatedly stormed the podium defended by security guards. The meeting was once suspended because of the disturbances.

The guards subsequently expelled the lawmakers from the ruling council's premises.

National anthem

Lee's election is likely to accelerate the adoption of a controversial bill that would criminalise abuse of the Chinese national anthem.

Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam said last week that passing the bill was a priority for the government, and the bill will be presented to the committee on 27 May.

At Monday's meeting, pro-democracy lawmakers held up placards that read Abuse of Power and CCP tramples HK legislature, referring to the China's ruling Communist Party.

Within minutes, at least five lawmakers were ejected for disorderly behavior, with at least one lying injured on the ground as the meeting was briefly suspended.

Towards one country, one system?

Hong Kong is marching towards the beginning of the end of 'one country, two systems', said pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo Nan-ching after the meeting ended.

The former British colony was returned to China in 1997 under the hybrid one country, two systems framework that formally let Hong Kong retain its own legal system while Beijing takes care of diplomacy and military issues involving the territory.

But in practice, critics say, Beijing has been systematically undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. Mo urged the Hong Kong people to vote out those who don't care about Hong Kong's future in legislative elections scheduled for September.

Pro-democracy protest trials continue

Also on Monday, 15 pro-democracy figures, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, appeared in court to face charges relating to anti-government protests last year over a controversial extradition bill that has since been withdrawn.

The bill would have allowed residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to be sent to the mainland to stand trial. Pro-democracy reaction against the proposed legislation sparked months of violent protests.
In another blow to the police department, two men arrested in separate cases tested positive for Covid-19.

The accused in the first case has been identified as Baljinder Singh aka Rahu Sap. He was arrested on May 14 for sodomising a 23 -year-old man.

According to the additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sachin Gupta, the nodal officer for Covid-19, five cops, including a sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), has been advised to remain in home quarantine for a period of 14 days.

He said that in another case, Sikander Verma, who was arrested for kidnapping and raping a girl on the pretext of marriage, tested positive today. He was also arrested on May 14. Three cops who came in the contact with the accused have also tested positive.

The samples of both the accused were collected as per protocol and both were tested positive.

The development comes three days after as many as 17 personnel, including high-ranking police officials, in Ludhiana were sent into isolation after two bodies recovered in crime cases were found positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

FOUR MORE EMPLOYEES OF CIVIL HOSPITAL PLACED UNDER QUARANTINE

A day after two employees of the civil hospital tested positive for Covid-19, the civil hospital authorities isolated four staff employees, who had been in direct touch with the positive patients.

Confirming this, Dr Rajesh Bagga said that the four paramedical staff employees, who were their primary contacts have been placed under quarantine. Their samples have been sent for test.

PROTEST BY NURSES

As many 15 nurses working on contract, deployed at isolation centre and flu corner of the civil hospital, staged a protest against the hospital authorities for not conducting their Covid-19 tests. The protesting nurses said that they had come in contact with the Class-4 employees tested positive for the virus.
British teenagers are among the most-likely in Europe to binge drink and suffer sleep problems, while many are hooked on social media, a major report warns.

The number failing to get a proper night's rest has risen significantly, a World Health Organisation study into child mental health found.

But in more positive news, they are at the top of the league for brushing their teeth twice a day.

Young people from England, Scotland and Wales came in the top third for sleep difficulties.

They were also among the worst to suffer from school pressure and problems with social media.

Young people in Englamd, Scotland and Wales came in the top third for sleep difficulties in Europe

Four in ten girls in England, aged 13 to 15, admitted they had trouble sleeping at least once a week.

Boys were not far behind, with three in ten of the same age reporting problems, up from 20 per cent just four years ago.

More than a quarter of 11-year-olds also said they had issues getting a full night's rest, data shows.

Scotland had the highest levels of 15-year-old girls with problems  at 41 per cent compared to 28 per cent of boys. Wales was 37 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

Many teens spend most of the day chatting to friends on social media, and glued to their phones and tablets, researchers found.

And enjoying a family meal is becoming a thing of the past, with fewer than four in ten sitting down to eat with parents once a day.

Study leader Dr Jo Inchley, of the University of Glasgow, said: 'It is worrying to see adolescents are telling us that all is not well with their mental well-being, and we must take this message seriously.

'Sleep difficulties are on the rise, and we're also seeing an increase in social and emotional difficulties such as feeling low and nervous. Compared with other countries, young people in the UK are also more likely to think they're too fat.'

The study, called the International Health Behaviour in School-aged Children and led by the University of Glasgow and University of St Andrews, examined data from 227,441 young people in 44 European countries plus Canada.

Children in France and Greenland appeared to have the worst sleep problems.

Three in ten boys aged 13 to 15 reported having problems sleeping, up from 20 per cent just four years ago

Youngsters in England, Scotland and Wales were generally satisfied with their lives.

They were less likely to drink alcohol, smoke or eat sugary snacks than in previous surveys.

But since 2014, data suggests there had been a significant decline in eating breakfast in almost half of the countries involved.

Children aged 15 in England suffered among the worst pressure at school, with 74 per cent of girls reporting high stress from schoolwork and 62 per cent of boys.

Fiona Brooks, a public health expert at the University of Technology in Sydney, said: 'Young people in the UK spend much more time on social media than comparable peers across Europe.

'Excessive use is problematic and warrants attention.'

It wasn't all bad news, though. Aged 11, British children are among those most-likely to brush their teeth twice every day. England's youths came seventh, Scotland 13th and Wales two places further back.
In February, just days after Blagojevichs prison term was commuted by President Donald Trump, a three-member panel for the ARDC heard evidence of Blagojevichs worst hits as governor, including his convictions for attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat, shaking down the CEO of a childrens hospital for campaign cash and lying to the FBI.
Maharashtra: COVID-19 pandemic takes the wind out of fisherfolks sails

May 18,2020 | Source: The Hindu

Sarita Koli and her mother have been selling fish at Lalbaug market all their lives, each bringing in Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 a day. Ever since the COVID-19 lockdown began, their entire family in Worli Koliwada is at home with no income. Her son Sunil is worried about the uncertainty. We dont even know if fishing will resume after the monsoon. If this goes on, some fisherfolk might commit suicide, he says.



Two cyclones ravaged the beginning of their season, followed by a slack winter, COVID-19, the economic slowdown. And now, with the approaching monsoon, Maharashtras fishermen stare at the loss of an entire years business. Even though fishing has been exempted from the lockdown, unions and marine research institute scientists estimate only about 30% to 40% fishing has taken place in the State. In Mumbai,koliwadas in Worli, Juhu and Khar are under the grip of COVID-19. As the monsoon approaches, fisherfolk are staring at a period of another three months of no income.



Dry season



The fishing year typically starts in August. In October 2019, Maharashtras fishermen could not venture into the sea due to Cyclone Kyarr and in November, due to Cyclone Maha. With the beginning of their season ruined, fishermen headed into the slack season of December and January when the catch diminishes due to the cold. They were hoping to salvage the year in the February to May period, when COVID-19 hit them harder than both these cyclones combined.



My family has been in the fishing business for generations and I have never seen such a year, says Devendra Kale, member of Vesava Koli Nakhwa Machhimar Mandal. In Versova, for every fishing boat, the owner has suffered losses of Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh this year. In April, a month after the lockdown took effect, the Central government exempted the fishing and marine aquaculture industry, on condition that maintain physical distancing and hygiene norms. Soon after, the Maharashtra government issued rules for fishing activities wherein roadside stalls were banned but home delivery was allowed. Despite the order, little to no fishing has taken place off the coast of Maharashtra in April or May.



Soon after the lockdown, social media was abuzz with images of fishermen dumping their catch back into the sea. Hundreds of fisherfolk remained stranded at sea after the lockdown and had to be brought back to safety. Once that happened, a majority of fisherfolk have not ventured into the sea, be it in Mumbai or anywhere in the rest of the State. Kiran Koli, secretary of the Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti (MMKS), pegged the losses at Rs. 1,000 crore in Mumbai alone. Even though fishing has been exempted, where do we take the catch? The market, cold storage and export is shut, said Mr. Koli.



China, he said, imports 80% of the fish, and small fishermen have suffered the most as they live hand to mouth. People have loans from fishermens societies and banks, why arent these being waived? If farmers are given aid after a failed season, why doesnt anyone talk about fishermen? If this persists, fishermen might starve to death.



On May 14, the MMKS wrote the CM demanding the State compensate boat owners and workers for their losses, provide rations to all fishermen for the next few months, release the pending diesel subsidy and provide Rs. 5 lakh in loans to every boat owner for the next season as well. Parshuram Meher, a fisherman from Cuffe Parade and the Mumbai unit head of MMKS said while the government has allowed fishing, the 43 conditions imposed on them are so stringent that nobody can follow them. If we buy diesel on the open market, we will get no subsidy. We have a large outstanding in terms of the earlier diesel subsidy. Exporters have suffered terrible losses as well. Fishermen have taken loans from fishing societies or banks which they cannot repay this year. Besides, they also have no capital for the next season.



The COVID-19 scourge



In Mumbai, the problem has been compounded by the fact that most Koliwadas or fishing villages had COVID-19 cases. The first case in Mumbai was reported in Worli Koliwada in March, and the G South ward that consists of Worli, has more than 1,000 cases so far. The fishing villages architecture and the congested shanties made containment of the virus impossible, resulting in the compounding of cases. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation recently declared large portions of the fishing village decontained, and even allowed fishing in small numbers.



The new order to allow fishing is too little, too late. In Koliwada, most people are dependent entirely on fishing. We are being provided dal or rice as part of our rations or khichdi as cooked food, but that is not all one can live on. People have rent, loans, pending fees to pay. And who is to say fishing will resume after the monsoon? Even if it does, will people come to fish markets? asked Mr. Koli from Worli Koliwada. Several COVID-19 cases have also emerged from Juhu Koliwada, Versova, Khar Danda, Uttan, Gorai and Madh  all of them traditional fishing villages.



Narendra Patil, a fisherman from Satpati (Palghar) and President of National Fishworkers Forum said the government needs to at least waive interest on earlier loans, and give zero interest loans for the coming year. There are 22,000 mechanised and non-mechanised fishing boats in Maharashtra and on an average, 10 people work on each boat, he said. There has been no fishing this season. Among the last boats that came to Satpati, we had around 10-12 tonnes of fish, which we struggled to sell. This year, only 30% fishing has happened at best, he said.



A fishing drought, he said, can be declared only if there is less than 50% fishing for three years in a row. There could be at least four lakh beneficiaries of relief in the State, said Rajendra Jadhav, joint commissioner (fisheries) in Maharashtra. Fishing is less than usual, but we dont have the exact loss figures. For the next season, we have started issuing the Kisan Credit Card and they will get loans through these.



Dr. Akhilesh K.V., a scientist from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mumbai pegged the reduction in fishing activities since January at more than 60%. Generally speaking, he said, there has been a significant dip in fishing during the lockdown, which has impacted mainly small fisherfolk and women vendors. The sectors running depends not only on fishing but an entire chain of activities, and for this, there is need for labour, ice, transport and so on, which is limited during a lockdown. This is expected to be a tough year, he said. For the fisherfolk, it looks like an uncertain future.
For every one lakh population, there are 7.1 coronavirus cases in India so far as against 60 globally, the Union health ministry said on Monday as the death toll due to COVID-19 in the country rose to 3,029 and the number of cases climbed to 96,169.

IMAGE: Medics prepare to conduct tests at a locality after emergence of a COVID-19 positive patient, in Sikar district, on Monday, May 18, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

It also said the recovery rate of coronavirus cases in India stood at 38.39 per cent.

Referring to data from World Health Organisation situation report, the ministry said 45,25,497 COVID-19 cases have been reported till Monday which is about 60 cases per lakh population.

Among the countries with very high load of coronavirus cases, the United States, with 14,09,452 instances of the infection so far, has around 431 cases per lakh population. Russia has reported 2,81,752 cases and has around 195 cases per lakh population, it said.

The United Kingdom has so far reported 2,40,165 cases which is 361 cases per lakh population while Spain with 2,30,698 instances of the disease has about 494 cases per lakh.

In Italy has 2,24,760 total cases and about 372 cases per lakh population and Brazil with 2,18,223 cases has 104 cases per lakh population.

Germany which has registered 1,74,355 instances of the infection has around 210 cases per lakh population, Turkey with 1,48,067 cases has 180 cases per lakh population, France with 1,40,008 cases has around 209 cases per lakh population and Iran with 1,18,392 cases has 145 cases per lakh population.

The Union health ministry, in a statement, said, 'Aggressive and early measures so far have shown encouraging results.'

India registered 157 deaths and a record 5,242 cases in 24 hours till Monday 8 am. The number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 56,316 with 36,824 being cured of the disease.

A total of 2,715 patients are reported to have recovered in the last 24 hours.

"We presently have a recovery rate of 38.29 per cent," the ministry said.

It had on Sunday issued guidelines to the states for categorising areas into red, orange and green zones on the basis of parameters such as total active cases, cases per lakh population, doubling rate calculated over a seven-day period, case fatality rate, testing ratio (number of tests per lakh population) and sample positivity rate.

This comes after the ministry of home affairs issued guidelines for the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, giving power to states and union territories to delineate red, green and orange zones as per the COVID-19 situation taking into consideration the parameters shared by the union health ministry.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) Two policemen involved in the alleged mauling incident in General Trias in Cavite were relieved from their posts pending investigation on the case, the city's police chief said Monday.

"Doon sa dalawang pulis na alleged niya na iyon po ang nanakit sa kaniya, nag-issue na rin ako ng order, nirelieve ko na sila from their assignments... pending the investigation being conducted," General Trias Police Chief Lt Col Marlo Solero told CNN Philippines' The Source, pertaining to the police personnel accused of beating a supposed quarantine violator black and blue.

[Translation: For the two policemen who were alleged to have beaten him up, I have already issued an order, I relieved them from their assignments... pending the investigation being conducted.]

Ronald Campo, a 30-year-old factory worker, was arrested on May 12 in Tropical Village, Barangay San Francisco over alleged quarantine violations, including liquor ban and curfew rules.

Photos of Campo at a hospital bed showing bruises and wounds all over his body surfaced online, with the factory worker narrating his encounter with the policemen. His brother also said Campo sustained a fracture on his skull following the incident.

The Cavite provincial police, however, earlier denied the mauling claims, saying that Campo's injuries were self-inflicted. In a police report obtained by CNN Philippines, authorities said Campo, who was said to be "under the influence of alcohol," tried to escape by running away, and supposedly led the police officers to a chase.

Solero said Campo sustained the injuries by jumping through wired fences and falling into an empty swimming pool while trying to evade authorities.

"Marami ho siyang pinuntahan. Umakyat ho siya sa bakod... merong barbed wire sa taas. Mataas 'yun, tinalon niya 'yun. And then nalaglag din siya sa swimming pool. Nalaglag ho siya doon na walang tubig 'yun. Then nung hinahabol siya, tumawid ulit siya sa kabilang bahay, and then nakarating siya sa bubong naman ng kapitbahay. From there, nalaglag ho siya, kasi 'yung bubong ho ay may kalumaan na. Nalaglag siya sa ground," he added.

[Translation: He went to a lot of places. He jumped on a fence, there was a barbed wire on top. That was high, but he jumped through it. And then he also fell into a swimming pool, without water. Then when he was being chased, he went to another house, and got to the roof. From there, he fell again, since the roof was dated.]

Forensic pathology expert Dr. Raquel Fortun, however, earlier said that based on the injuries, Campo may have experienced multiple blows to the head. The gushes and wounds on his forearm could be defense injuries, Fortun added.

The General Trias police has filed complaints of resistance and disobedience, as well as enhanced community quarantine violations against Campo. A private complainant has also lodged a trespassing case against the 30-year-old, Solero noted.

Philippine National Police Spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac, meanwhile, expressed confidence that "truth will be told" in the case, as the regional PNP launches a probe into the matter.
The police said Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members were placed under home quarantine after they reached Budhana town in Muzzafarnagar from Mumbai, police said on Monday.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

Siddiqui, along with his family members, reached his hometown on Saturday after getting necessary permission for travel from the authorities in Maharashtra, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Nepal Singh said.

He said the actor and the family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative.

However, they have been placed under mandatory 14-day home quarantine, Singh said.

Nawazuddin's brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui said the actor came to his ancestral place to celebrate Eid with his family. He, however, said the actor will not meet anyone outside the family in the wake of the situation arising out of coronavirus.

The actor was last seen in 2019's Motichoor Chaknachoor opposite Athiya Shetty. His upcoming projects include Ghoomketu, directed by Pushpendra Nath Mishra. It is slated to premiere on ZEE5 on 22 May and stars Anurag Kashyap, Ila Arun, Raghubir Yadav.

Nawazuddin will also share screen space with Tamannaah Bhatia in his brother Shamas' directorial debut Bole Chudiyan.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
Setting the stage for debate over how city government should navigate the coronavirus era, Philadelphia City Council members on Monday questioned Mayor Jim Kenneys plan to raise taxes to help plug a $649 million budget hole caused by the pandemic.

Im not in favor of having a tax increase across the board coming out of this pandemic when people can barely afford food, Councilmember Allan Domb said at Councils first-ever virtual budget hearing.

The proposed revenue increases  primarily a wage tax hike for suburban commuters and a property tax increase that would benefit the School District  amount to $107 million. But they are shaping up as a point of contention as Council and the Kenney administration begin finalizing the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Raising the political stakes, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart have released their own plans to weather the coronavirus economic fall without raising taxes or laying off hundreds of city workers, as the mayor has proposed. Their plans include redirecting money from the sugary beverage tax  Kenneys signature legislative accomplishment that funds pre-K, community schools, and a program to improve parks and recreation centers.

While I recognize these decisions are not easy, raising taxes, employee layoffs, and making significant cuts to city departments should always be a last resort, Rhynhart said in a statement.

Like state and municipal governments nationwide, Philadelphias bottom line has been devastated by the pandemic, which led Kenney and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf in March to issue orders shutting down all but essential businesses. Through Monday, 19,953 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with the illness and 1,040 have died.

Kenney on Monday said his budget proposal is designed to prioritize core services" and fiscal stability.

We must transform our priorities to best meet the needs of Philadelphians, particularly our most vulnerable residents, he said at a virtual news conference.

Council President Darrell L. Clarke, while not taking a stance on whether to increase taxes, questioned the administrations reasoning for each of the proposed hikes. And Councilmember Kendra Brooks asked why the city, instead of raising real estate taxes that will impact longtime homeowners, would not instead curtail the property-tax abatement program, which gives a break to property owners for new construction and improvements.

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Kenney is proposing to raise the rate for the portion of the real estate tax that goes to the School District, which would result in residents paying just under 4% more in property taxes next year. For the owner of a home assessed at $150,000, that would mean about $58 more a year.

The parking tax would also go up, from 22.5% to 27%.

The nonresident wage tax rate would increase from 3.4481% to 3.5019%, while the rate for residents would remain at 3.8712%. For a worker who commutes to Philadelphia and makes $50,000 per year, the hike would mean about $26 more in wage taxes per year.

Before the coronavirus came to Philadelphia, Kenney in early March had proposed a $5.2 billion budget with no tax increases and some modest decreases in line with the citys long-term strategy of reducing its wage and business taxes.

But the pandemic scuttled those plans. So Kenney on May 1 submitted a revised $4.9 billion budget proposal that, in addition to the tax and fee increases, included tapping reserves, laying off hundreds of city workers, freezing planned tax cuts, postponing new priorities like bringing street sweeping to every neighborhood, and eliminating funding for arts programs.

Jim Engler, Kenneys chief of staff, said Monday that the administration was aiming for a balanced approach to the pandemics burden on city government. Raising the portion of the real estate tax that goes to the School District, he said, was designed to prevent a repeat of the education cuts that followed the 2008 global financial crisis, which led to lasting ramifications that impacted a full generation of kids in city schools.

The tax increases, he said, amount to only a small part of Kenneys plan. The vast majority of our balancing act was around cuts or reductions, Engler said. The city has not finalized its plans for layoffs, but Managing Director Brian Abernathy said Monday that about 400 city workers are likely to lose their jobs.

The administration proposed raising the wage and real estate taxes, Engler said, in part because of the immediacy of the cash crunch: Adjusting those taxes can be accomplished unilaterally by the city and doesnt require approval from Harrisburg.

We have this immediate crisis that were dealing with for the next fiscal year, he said. Theres a number of things that we can do that require other governments to approve.

Kenney last week objected to Thomas suggestion that the city could redirect soda tax revenue, saying the education programs it funds are especially vital during an economic crisis, and taking a shot at the freshman Council member.

Ive been through probably 27 or 28 budgets in my career. I appreciate the councilmans effort on his first budget, but well have those conversations going forward, Kenney, who served on Council before becoming mayor, said Thursday. But Im not going to redirect soda tax money, beverage tax money, away from our 4- and 5-year-old children to other purposes.

At Mondays hearing, Thomas doubled down on his proposal.

I already believe that we are already asking people to pay too much money right now in taxes, he said.
The U.S. Commerce Departments move to expand sanctions against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei threatens to delay the rollout of 5G technology globally, Paul Scanlan, the companys chief technology officer said.

Speaking to Yahoo Finances On The Move, Scanlan did not specify the extent of the delays, but acknowledged Washingtons move to effectively shut down Huaweis supply chains will further complicate 5G ambitions for the largest equipment maker in the space. It has already been delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is a thing that's very difficult to understand, Scanlan said. This type of action, instead of trying to fix the world and collaborate and make improvements, prevents collaboration and the development of the use-cases that everybody had, that 5G hoped to be able to deploy, Scanlan said.

Last week, the Commerce Department moved to expand export restrictions against Huawei by requiring foreign semiconductor makers using American software and equipment to obtain licenses to continue selling to the worlds second largest smartphone maker. The tighter sanctions came nearly a year after the department added Huawei to the entity list, citing national security concerns.

Survival is the key word

Huawei has repeatedly denied allegations of spying and intellectual property theft.

A media statement released overnight, characterized Washingtons actions as arbitrary and pernicious, accusing the U.S. of leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders.

This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in U.S. technology and supply chains. Ultimately, this will harm U.S. interests, the statement said.

On Monday, rotating chairman Guo Ping said U.S. actions would inevitably affect the companys outlook. Speaking at the companys annual analyst day, Ping struck a notably downbeat tone when asked about the impact expanded restrictions will have, saying We still havent figured it out.

Survival is the key word for us at present, he said.

Story continues

Beijing has vowed to take all necessary measures to respond to the latest restrictions, calling Washingtons actions an abuse of power and violation of market principals.

A statement posted by Chinas Commerce Ministry said the regulations threatened the security of the global industrial and supply chain, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. uses state power, under the so-called excuse of national security, and abuses export control measures to continuously oppress and contain specific enterprises of other countries, the statement said, adding China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

A delivery man hands over drinks near a Huawei retail store in Beijing on Monday, May 18, 2020. China's commerce ministry says it will take "all necessary measures" in response to new U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei's ability to use American technology, calling the measures an abuse of state power and a violation of market principles. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Tightening export controls has prompted Huawei to increase expenditures dramatically to diversify its supply chains. The company increased its R&D spend by 29.8% last year, while its inventory rose by 73.4%, according to figures provided by Huawei.

Scanlan said the company had ninety-one 5G commercial contracts signed as of February, with roughly 700,000 5G base stations in store globally.

You know the U.S. always stood for trust and different collaboration and innovation. Now you are systematically going after a company because ... we are the leader in 5G, Scanlan said. We are going to evaluate and study exactly what the U.S. department has stated is going to become the new law. We will figure out and see how we play in accordance with that law. 

Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita
Science 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.
A major trial using coronavirus survivors' blood to treat other patients has now received enough donations to help 500 people.

The trial, run by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), sees those who have recovered from Covid-19 donate their antibody-rich blood to be given to other patients.

Some 500 survivors have now donated their blood - enough to treat the same number of patients newly arrived in hospital with the virus.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) photos show former patients making the donation in a process known as plasmapheresis. Pictured: Laura Martin at Tooting Blood Donor Centre, south west London

The use of 'convalescent plasma' rests on the theory that people who survive coronavirus have developed antibodies against the virus which helps patients struggling to produce their own.

Some 50 survivors are donating their blood every day - and in time the NHS hopes to have enough to treat 5,000 people.

Fourteen NHS hospitals are already taking part in the trial, administering plasma extracted from the blood to people suffering badly with Covid-19 symptoms, While transfusions have begun, the effectiveness of plasma treatment will not be known until the trial ends, with results expected in the late summer.

The NHS is aiming to be in a position to roll out the treatment widely if it proves successful.

Professor David Roberts, NHSBT associate medical director for blood donation, said: 'We thank everyone who is donating convalescent plasma.

'We know many people who can donate will have been through a difficult experience and we are grateful for their help in reaching this milestone.

'There is still much more to do. We can reassure people that convalescent plasma donation is safe and easy.

'You'll also be taking part in groundbreaking research. If you get the call, please donate.' People in Manchester, London and Birmingham are invited to register to donate on the NHSBT website if they have had a positive test result for Covid-19 or if they have experienced symptoms.

Convalescent plasma is pictured being collected from Tooting Blood Donor Centre in London

Blood is collected at least 28 days after someone has recovered.

Donors can give blood at one of NHSBT's 23 donor centres, its six regional operations centres or three community venues in London.

Some 200 new staff have been hired to collect blood for the programme.

In parallel to the trial, NHSBT is rapidly building up capacity to collect plasma so that it can deliver at a large scale, if transfusions are shown to help patients.
During the event moderated by Strategic Cooperation Office at the School of Economics Peking University deputy director and Peking University China Brand Value Evaluation Research Platform secretary general Liu Xueming, several industry professionals shared their insights into the new measures in their opening speeches, including School of Economics Peking University vice dean Zhang Yaguang, Strategic Cooperation Office at the School of Economics Peking University director and School Of Economics Peking University (Southwest Campus) executive vice dean Yan Yu, Beijing Shenzhou Boya Medical Research Center director and NewMargin Capital senior partner Li Xiaoqiang, M.D., China Chengxin Credit Management Co., Ltd. vice president and China Business Integrity Research Institute president Zhang Yingjie, and huanqiu.com editor-in-chief Zhu Yan.

Zhang Yaguang expressed the opinion that Wenjiang District is well positioned to set a new benchmark in China with an exemplary business environment. He said, "The overall approach to the effort focuses on further defining the relationship between the local government and the market, alongside designing a science-based, effective and efficient mechanism within the inclusivity framework."

Zhang Yingjie added, "The district should move forward with ongoing innovation in policies and measures, improvement in the government service environment, reduction in the costs of doing business for companies located in the district, enhancement in the sharing of credit information and evaluation of the digitalized business environment with the goal of creating an international business-friendly environment."

Zhu Yan shared her experience when visiting Wenjiang. She said, "WuXi AppTec, among other leading Chinese companies taking the lead in establishing facilities in Wenjiang, recognizes the district's unique advantages when it comes to building a quality-based health industry ecosystem that brings together the three branches of healthcare -- the study of medicine, the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and the application of medical therapies, as well as the two branches that focus on longevity  health maintenance and elder care. Five years ago, the district made a forward-looking decision to invest in the innovative integration of the various branches, opening up unlimited possibilities for the future of the health industry overall."

Yan Yu shared his insights into the Wenjiang District Business Environment White Paper, "In 2019, the district focused on responding to the needs of market players and consumers by testing 20 of the proposed measures, all of which were specifically designed to accelerate the transformation of the healthcare sector, providing the country and beyond with an effective solution for building a business-friendly environment."

Li Xiaoqiang said, "The healthcare-first health industry ecosystem enhanced by a science-based approach is an essential component of an industry-specific business environment."

During the online event, the Office of Wenjiang District Business Environment Steering Group executive deputy director and Wenjiang District Administrative Examination and Approval Department director Silang Wangxiu reviewed the 28 new measures, "The Office has optimized the 2.0 version of the Goals and Programs for Building a Business-friendly Environment in Wenjiang by benchmarking against Beijing and Shanghai, among other top-tier cities across China in terms of the endeavor. In addition, the district will pay special attention to improving some underperforming sectors by leveraging extensive partnerships in terms of developing actionable policies and measures backed by ongoing innovation."

SOURCE Huanqiu.com

Related Links

http://www.huanqiu.com


VIENNA - Austrias economy minister has become the symbolic godmother of a young elephant, in a nod of thanks after the government used a cartoon of the large mammal as a reference to help people put pandemic distancing recommendations into perspective.

Margarete Schramboeck was named godmother to Kibali the elephant in a ceremony at Viennas Schoenbrunn Zoo on Monday. In order to help Austrians envision keeping the recommended one-meter (3.28 feet) apart, Schramboeck said authorities had spread the message it was the length of a baby elephant.

A government video had showed a cartoon of a baby elephant to drive the point home.

Schramboeck said most people, and certainly myself, thought of Kibali.

Now one year old, Kibali has grown past the Austrian coronavirus distance guidance to 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) long, but zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck noted her trunk is now exactly a half-meter (1.64 feet) long.

He says: maybe from now on we can say you have to keep as much distance as two Kibali trunks.

Schramboeck was given a watercolour of the elephant, and Kibali was given a cake of hay, fruit and vegetables to celebrate the occasion.
Everyone knows that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved across the pond to create more space for their son Archie to grow up out of the spotlight. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry have been clear that their priorities in life have been drastically swayed by their young son.

Before his birth, the former actress and her princely husband were very involved in their roles in the royal family and often were spotted in the public forum. Now that they are parents, their behavior has changed, even prompting them to decline their positions in the royal family to best protect their son.

Prince Harry has always been excited to start a family

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Quarantine Meals Are More Civilian Than Celebrity Chef

The couple has often been interviewed about their future family. In fact, over the years Prince Harry has noted several times how excited he is to one day be a dad.

It is that same excitement he shared after the long-awaited birth of his son last May. Prince Harry stood beaming in front of the hospital to announce the birth of his son.

Meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning. the Prince told members of the press. Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. This has been the most amazing experience I could possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we are both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everyone out there. Its been amazing.

In 2017, Prince Harry shed more insight about parenting.

Im a godfather to quite a few of my friends kids  Actually only five or six. Id like to think [Im a good godfather], Prince Harry said on The Telegraphs Mad World podcast. But I think the key to that is growing up, but also to be able to stay in touch with your childhood side. If that means going to someones house and sitting there and playing PlayStation and kicking the ass of their son on whatever it is, then Ill try and do that. Ive actually had a lot of practice for that.

Meghan Markle previously revealed her desire to be a parent as well

RELATED: Meghan Markles Cruel Royal Nicknames Went Beyond Me-Gain and Duchess Difficult, Says Staffer

Meghan dished about her future plans during a September 2016 interview with Lifestyle magazine. She revealed to reporters that she cant wait to take on the role of mom.

I also dream to have a family, the duchess admitted. Its all about balance and I have so much happiness in my career and am fortunate to travel the world and see so many amazing things[but] It will also be nice to be anchored to something grounded and in the same place. Raising a family will be a wonderful part of that.



Meghan has made true on her promise to find something grounded and in the same place with her move away from the U.K.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have strict parenting goals

After the pair formally stepped down from their royal duties in March, they moved away from the U.K. to relocate to Canada. The move has made some waves in their royal circles, but they made the decision based on their goals as parents.

Prince Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down in an effort to focus on their family and gather their resources to launch a new non-profit endeavor that they have named Archwell. This, of course, was the inspiration for their sons name.

The couple has moved again, and now apparently reside in Meghans former hometown, LA.



They want to raise Baby Archie as normally as possible

In an effort to shield Archie from the press, the royal spotlight, and the negativity often surrounding that lifestyle, Prince Harry and Meghan have made some serious changes to their life. Their priority is to give Archie a happy, normal childhood.

Sources close to the couple confirm that Archie is the priorityIts very much still about taking care of him and putting the family first. Hes a happy kidhe loves to laugh. Archie and Harry have such a good time together. And Meghan is a great mom. Shes very much about tending to him. They are trying to live their life as regular parents.

Their priorities were clear from the start. Meghan and Prince Harry famously didnt appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace because she was breastfeeding Baby Archie.

The reason Harry and Meghan didnt appear on the balcony when Queen [Elizabeh II] returned back to Buckingham Palace was because she was breast-feeding, an insider told Us Magazine in June 2019. Meghan loved seeing all the other royal children and was doting on them.

Meghan is also reportedly a hands-on mom. Even though [Meghan] has an amazing nanny, she hates leaving him at home for more than a couple of days, a source told US Weekly.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor | Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Like most parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are focusing on making sure their son is well taken care of. When they went on the royal tour, they ensured Baby Archie was well-equipped.

[They] brought all his home comforts with him, royal reporter Omid Scobie said during in October 2019 in an episode of The Heir Pod podcast, reports Elle. I heard there were a lot of toys that they brought with him. Just all the things that make him feel like he hasnt gone anywhere, because you want to keep him comfortable the whole time. Thats why Meghan stayed with him in South Africa rather than join Harry on his travels.

An insider shared with the Daily Mail that Meghan and Prince Harry will raise Archie to be a well-rounded person that has a global perspective.

Its about their children being aware of and understanding the wider world and their place in it, the source told Daily Mail. They want them to take an active interest in the global community, working towards a fairer society and more sustainable way of living.

Prince Harry and Meghans parenting style may be drastically different than that of Prince Harrys brother, Prince William, in that they are keeping Archie out of the public eye. But, that only indicates that the two are doing their best to keep Archie happy, healthy and safe.
Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, airman accused of killing three people at a US Navy base in Pensacola, Florida: Reuters

The FBI has found links between al Qaeda and the Saudi terrorist who killed three US sailors in Florida after cracking the military trainee's iPhones, according to reports.

Quoting a person familiar with the investigation, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported on Monday that US investigators broke through the security protocols of two iPhones and found "links" between Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, and a suspected al-Qaeda operative.

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force on the Pensacola base as part of a US Navy training program when he killed three and wounded several others in December last year.

He was killed following the 15-minute shooting spree, in which he shot at a photo of Donald Trump and made statements critical of American soldiers overseas.

In February, the Islamist militant group, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attack but the links would provide the first direct evidence of the connection.

The decryption heads off a confrontation between Apple and the Justice Department, which had been critical of the company for not comprising its customers' privacy in the interests of national security.

Attorney General William Barr and the FBI are expected to announce the findings in a Monday news conference, CNN reported.

The Justice Department has previously claimed the attack was motivated by "jihadist ideology", and Alshamrani had posted on social media various anti-American and anti-Israel messages, including on the anniversary of 9/11 that "the countdown has begun".
Falling gasoline prices, weakening supply chains and stalling economic growth are putting the brakes on road projects and electric vehicle sales, but these headwinds will only delay, not stop, the necessary overhaul of the U.S. transportation system.

As the Coronavirus Recession drags on, governments will boost infrastructure spending to put Americans back to work. We should make roads and rail our top priorities because the inexpensive movement of people and goods is what underpins economic strength.

In regular times, more than 100 million Americans drove to work, 26 million children rode 500,000 school buses, and 30 million trucks traveled 800 million miles a day. We spend a lot of time, fuel and cash getting around, and there are plenty of opportunities to become more efficient.

For years, automakers have summed up the future of transportation with the acronym ACES: autonomous, connected, electric and shared. Over the next 20 years, we will transition to electric taxis that drive themselves using 5G networks to communicate with other cars and the roads themselves.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Range anxiety all too real when driving electric car from Austin to Corpus

While that may sound like science fiction, companies and governments are spending billions of dollars every year to make ACES a reality. The nation whose businesses perfect ACES tools the quickest will dominate the transportation industry for decades.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra reiterated the companys commitment to electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles on this months earnings conference call. She is prioritizing the Cruise autonomous vehicle as part of our vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

Our EV and AV work also continues uninterrupted even as many of our engineers work remotely, she said. That means the production timing of key entries like the GMC Hummer EV, the Cadillac Lyriq crossover EV and the Cruise Origin AV remained fully on track.

GM and other Western automakers face fierce competition from the Chinese government, which is pouring billions into EV and AV development. Chinese-owned Volvo will roll out a new XC-90 that self-drives on the highway in 2022. Chinese electric cars are already commonplace in Asia.

Barra is old enough to remember the 1970s when Japanese automakers anticipated changes in the U.S. market and flooded the country with compact cars. Ford may be willing to fall behind by cutting EV and AV investments, but GM, Tesla and other U.S. brands are smarter.

New cars and SUVs with cool features get most of the attention, but the secret to a smart cars success will be smart roads. Highways will tell cars how to ease congestion and avoid accidents.

German highways already close lanes, adjust speed limits, and change tolls throughout the day to ease congestion. If the inner loop gets jammed up, these systems slow the number of cars heading onto it. Ive driven them and they are remarkable.

Roads will soon detect accidents and predict jams using artificial intelligence and then use 5G networks to send signals instructing other vehicles to take another route. Traffic lights can time themselves to match the number of cars at the intersection.

More futuristic technologies will equip roads with wireless charging for electric vehicles passing over them. Humans will gladly give up the steering wheel when the computer network is more efficient than any driver.

China and Europe are spending billions on developing and testing these new technologies. China has 300 smart city experiments alone. If the United States does not act quickly to encourage innovation, we will find ourselves yet again dependent on foreign manufacturers for the latest tech.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Trains and rail make more sense than cars and roads

For too long, and especially now, U.S. policy has propped up yesterdays industries rather than encouraging companies to become global leaders. The Coronavirus Recession offers an opportunity to look forward, not back.

Securing Americas Future Energy, a lobbying group of retired generals and business leaders, has laid out a plan for speeding the U.S. transportation transformation called Get America Moving Again. The group calls for less reliance on foreign energy and the development of American-made technology.

In periods of economic hardship, there is a tendency to pull back on forward-looking investments to focus on the preservation of - or a return to - the status quo, the group said. In the case of the U.S. transportation sector, acting on this reflex and withdrawing from investments in emerging technologies would pose an existential threat to the nations competitiveness vis-a-vis foreign competition.

COVID-19 should make us reevaluate how we have always done things. The drop in air pollution and drop in traffic from everyone staying home should inspire us to work doubly hard to electrify and automate transportation.

We can save energy, boost good-paying jobs and help the environment, if we play our ACES.

Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy.

twitter.com/cltomlinson

chris.tomlinson@chron.com
LA DEFENSE (dpa-AFX) - Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) announced Monday that Total S.A. (TOT) has informed Occidental that it is not interested in purchasing Anadarko Petroleum Corp.'s (APC) interests in Ghana in the current circumstances. The Ghana assets sale was conditional upon the completion of the Algeria assets' sale. Occidental would not be in a position to sell its interests in Algeria to Total. This was part of a Purchase and Sale Agreement entered into between Total and Occidental in August 2019 for Total to acquire Anadarko's assets in Africa. Total and Occidental have since completed the sale and purchase of the Mozambique and South Africa assets. On May 5, 2019, Occidental entered into a binding agreement to sell Anadarko's Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa assets to Total for $8.8 billion. The sale is contingent upon Occidental completing its acquisition of Anadarko. On May 9, Occidental agreed to buy Anadarko in a transaction valued at $57 billion, including the assumption of Anadarko's debt. 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.
Kyaw Lin, a journalist who reported for online independent news outlets, Myanmar Now and Development Media Group was assaulted and threatened by two unknown perpetrators on May 13. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemn the incident and call on authorities to investigate the incident.

In Kyaws hometown of Sittwe, Rakhine state, two people on a motorcycle approached him and fired a rock using a slingshot while shouting death threats at the journalist. After hitting Kyaw, the men drove off. Kyaw sustained minor injuries to his chest.

In the past, Kyaw Lin has reported on the conflict between the Rakhine Arakan army and Myanmars military. In 2017, an unknown attacked stabbed Kyaw in Sittwe after publishing an article on local land prices. Police are yet to arrest anyone for the 2017 attack.

The IFJ said: The culture of impunity that allows attacks on journalists in Myanmar to go unpunished must end. The IFJ condemns the attack and urges authorities to investigate the incident immediately.
A number of Maharashtra districts



have expressed concern over the state Home departments decision to issue travel passes to those who wish to return home during lockdown, saying the influx in rural areas from cities could spread COVID-19 if guidelines are not followed.

Administrations of districts like Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Solapur, Nanded, among others, are worried about such a situation.

Kolhapur Collector Daulat Desai, in a video conference with Pune divisional commissioner on Sunday, said if people coming in large numbers do not follow the institutional or home quarantine orders and skip COVID-19 testing, it could harm the local population.

"The influx could spread the coronavirus. There should be strict instructions to people leaving cities like Mumbai and Pune that they will have to comply with the mandatory procedures," he said.

Minister of State for Home Satej Patil has also expressed similar concern.

"A number of people carried the coronavirus infection to Kolhapur in last some days. We need to take extra precautions while dealing with the arrival of people and contain spread of the disease," he said on Sunday.

The state Home department on Sunday said it has issued around 3.69 lakh passes to residents of Maharashtra so far to allow them to travel to their hometowns.

"People are desperate and there is nothing wrong if they want to go back home. Many of them are either unemployed or students who can no longer live in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur which are severely affected by the coronavirus," a state Home department official said.

There have been cases of people taking roads, where there is not much police security, to reach their native villages. This has made locals suspicious of the returnees, the official said.

"Instead of that, if we ask people to travel after taking proper precautions and medical tests, they will not be ill-treated in their native villages," he said.

In several villages of Solapur, Ahmednagar and Ratnagiri, locals have blocked the roads for outsiders.

"In some cases, returnees are asked to stay at some school or temporary shed. It is very difficult in the current summer heat to spend over a week sitting idle in those schools or temporary shelters. Even the local administration is clueless about how to deal with the influx, said a social worker from Ratnagiri.

The entry point of Sindhudurg district saw a nearly two-km-long queue of vehicles on Sunday evening. Authorities deployed there do not know how to handle so many people who are anxious to return home, and the fear that may carry the infection has increased the worry of local administration, the activist said.

Senior officials of Solapur and Nanded districts have held meetings at the local level to address the issue, but are yet to find a concrete solution.

"It is a chaotic situation as families request us to let their members come back home. But, their neighbours are anxious about it. When we tried coming up with the mandatory quarantine solution, the families were not very keen on it. This has increased our as well as people's concerns," said a senior official from Solapur.

The official said they doubt home quarantine will be strictly followed in such families.

"Even if we manage to keep the returnees in institutional quarantine, we do not have proper facilities there for water, electricity and other basic amenities for a large number of returnees. We don't know what is the right step in this situation, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
May 18, 2020 / 11:17 PM IST

Today is the fifty-fifth day of Indias nationwide lockdown, meant to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown has been extended till May 31. Many restrictions have been eased, especially in non-containment zones, according to the new guidelines.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in India stand at 96,169. The death toll from the outbreak in India is at 3,029. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil

Nadu and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases.Globally, there have been over 47.2 lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19. At least 3.15 lakh people have died so far. The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Spain are the most-affected countries. Catch the latest updates here:
Mel Gibson appears to be enjoying his time self-isolating with his family.

On Sunday, the 64-year-old actor was pictured getting groceries with his girlfriend Rosalind Ross, 29, and their three-year-old son Lars Gerard Gibson, in Calabasas, Los Angeles.

The trio seemed to be in good spirits as they popped to an organic food store to stock up on essentials amid the current pandemic.

Trip: Mel Gibson, 64, was pictured getting groceries with his girlfriend Rosalind Ross, 29, and their three-year-old son Lars Gerard Gibson on Sunday in Calabasas, California.

The Mad Max star was seen wearing a precautionary face mask, which have become a mandatory accessory for anyone visiting essential businesses in LA now.

Mel and his girlfriend Rosalind were dressed down in matching blue tops and sneakers as they stepped out for their casual grocery run.

The actor is currently enjoying some downtime with his family, despite having four films currently in production, as Hollywood continues to be on lockdown.

Family time: The actor is currently enjoying some downtime with his family, despite having four films currently in production, as Hollywood continues to be on lockdown.

Going strong: The pair have been together since 2014 and welcomed their first child in 2017

The pair have been together since 2014 and welcomed their first child in 2017.

Their son, Lars Gerard, is the acclaimed director and actor's ninth child and Ross' first.

Ross was Gibson's first serious relationship since his very public split with Oksana Grigorieva in 2011 that was marred with accusations of alcoholism and domestic abuse allegations.

Scrubbing up well: Mel and Rosalind at the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center in 2017

Gibson shares a daughter with Grigorieva and seven children with his ex-wife Robyn Gibson.

Residents in Los Angeles County are required to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth while inside essential businesses.

They are optional when people go out on solitary runs or walks, so long as they keep a proper social distance from any passer-byes.
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Huawei's business will "inevitably be impacted" by a new U.S. rule that aims to limit chip exports to the Chinese technology company, a top executive said on Monday. Washington's latest rule requires foreign manufacturers using U.S. chipmaking gear to get a license before being allowed to sell semiconductors to Huawei. Experts told CNBC that Washington's latest regulation could deal a "big blow" to the Chinese technology giant as it would hit Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, Huawei's main source of chips for products such as smartphones and its networking gear. In addition, Huawei will struggle to find an alternative to TSMC to make the chips it requires, putting billions of dollars of revenue at risk.

The U.S. is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders. This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in U.S. technology and supply chains. Guo Ping Huawei's current rotating chairman

"Our business will inevitably be impacted. In spite of that, as the challenges over the past year have helped us develop a thicker skin, we are confident about finding solutions soon," said Guo Ping, Huawei's current rotating chairman, without giving specific figures around the potential hit. His comments, in Mandarin and translated by Huawei, were the first public comments from the Chinese technology giant since the ruling was announced Friday. Guo said the company still hasn't figured out a potential solution to the chip export rule and declined to give any financial forecasts. "Survival is the key word for us at present," he said.

In a media statement released Monday, Huawei said it "categorically opposes" the new U.S. rule. "The U.S. is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders. This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in US technology and supply chains. Ultimately, this will harm US interests," the statement read.
In New York, former elected officials have to wait at least two years before they can enter the lobbying business  and many do. The ranks of New York lobbying firms are stuffed with former elected officials and high-ranking members of their staffs. You go down the list, and everybody worked for government, said George Arzt, who runs his own communications firm and formerly served as press secretary to then-New York City Mayor Ed Koch.

But the other way around  a trajectory from government relations into public service  isnt so common. Heres a list of elected officials who were already familiar with the other side of the table by the time they were first elected, or left public service and gave lobbying a shot before running for office again.

Corey Johnson

Jeff Reed

Elected position: New York City Council Speaker, District 3 (Manhattan)

Government relations experience: Johnson has sought to distance himself from real estate interests as an elected official, but a decade ago the mayoral hopeful was working for them. From 2008 to 2010, Johnson was the government relations director at GFI Development, a Manhattan-based real estate developer.

Keith Powers

John McCarten

Elected position: New York City Councilman, District 4 (Manhattan)

Lobbying experience: Before he was elected to the City Council in 2017, Powers was a vice president at Constantinople & Vallone. He worked at the firm for six years, beginning in 2011. During that time, the firm represented a wide variety of clients, including the Patrolmens Benevolent Association and the College Board.

Barry Grodenchik

Emil Cohen

Elected position: New York City Councilman, District 23 (Queens)

Lobbying experience: Grodenchik spent a few years working for The Parkside Group, an influential lobbying firm with ties to Queens Democrats, between two stints in public service. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2002, but was defeated in his 2004 reelection bid. He was with the Parkside Group from 2005 to 2009, before being elected to the New York City Council in 2015.

Robert Jackson

NY Senate Photo

Elected position: State Senator, District 31 (Manhattan)

Lobbying experience: Jackson lobbied the New York City Council on behalf of the Dart Container Corporation before he ran for state Senate in 2018. The styrofoam company was one of many fighting city attempts to regulate the use of polystyrene foam. Jackson previously served in the New York City Council.

Melinda Katz

Queens Borough President's Office

Elected position: Queens District Attorney

Lobbying experience: Katz was a shareholder at the law and lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig after leaving the New York City Council in 2009, and before a successful run for Queens borough president in 2013. Now the boroughs district attorney, she has held several elected posts, including assemblywoman and member of the New York City Council.

Ron Kim

New York State Assembly

Elected position: Assemblyman, District 40 (Queens)

Lobbying experience: After working for a long list of city and state elected officials,Kim was also a lobbyist with The Parkside Group before being elected as the first Korean American in the state Legislature in 2012.

John Sabini

NY Racing & Gaming Commission

Elected Position: Former New York City Councilman and State Senator, Jackson Heights, Queens

Lobbying experience: Before long tenures in the New York City Council and the state Senate in the 1990s and early 2000s, Sabini was a vice president at MWW Strategic Communications, a public relations and lobbying firm, from 1989 to 1991. He has returned to lobbying, founding his own Queens-based firm and recently joining Fontas Advisors.

Domenic Recchia

Official NYC Council Photo by William Alatriste

Elected Position: Former New York City Councilman representing District 47 (Southern Brooklyn), reportedly considering another run

Lobbying experience: After being term limited out of the City Council in 2013 and a failed congressional campaign the next year, Recchia began lobbying the city and state governments on behalf of clients including The Guild for Exceptional Children and Community Health Project Inc. Laws limit council members to two consecutive four-year terms, but after a break, another run is allowed, and is reportedly on the former lawmakers mind.
It was all going so well for the three parties engaged in government talks.

Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party conspired to allow as little information as possible emerge from their deliberations, aside from dire economic warnings that emerged last week.

But now a row has erupted over planning for a hypothetical pandemic election that suddenly sees Fine Gael and Fianna Fail seemingly at each other's throats and the whole process apparently thrown into jeopardy.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's party claims the talks have been "damaged", while Micheal Martin's says that speculation about an election during this time of crisis is "deeply unhelpful".

It all started when it emerged on Saturday that logistical planning is taking place by government officials for the holding of elections during the Covid-19 crisis.

This prompted criticism from senior Fianna Fail TDs Barry Cowen and Thomas Byrne.

Mr Cowen claimed the emergence of the plan "smacks of bad faith, selfishness and putting party before country". Mr Byrne branded the suggestion of polling in nursing homes as "utterly sick".

Last night, Fine Gael released a statement saying talks had been "going well", but they are now "damaged". It said the contingency plans for elections and referendums are being put in place because the constitution is clear there are certain timeframes within which they must be held.

It added: "The fact that this prompted an attack on Fine Gael by two senior Fianna Fail spokespeople was unwarranted and has damaged the talks process."

Fine Gael said Mr Varadkar will be in touch with Mr Martin "to discuss the matter".

Fianna Fail responded, saying it was surprised to read about scenario-planning for a general election in the 'Irish Times' on Saturday. "This was never mentioned during the talks," they said. Their statement added: "The country needs a government in place as it plans to exit from the Covid-19 pandemic. Speculation about a general election during this time of crisis is deeply unhelpful."

There has been growing annoyance in Fine Gael at Fianna Fail TDs taking pot-shots even as the two parties seek to form a government. Mr Byrne's criticism of Leaving Cert planning and call for its cancellation is one such example.

Fine Gael sources say the party is "deadly serious" about forming a government and has not been rising to "provocations" from Fianna Fail TDs. In fairness to Fianna Fail, it is not hard to see why their hackles were raised when talk of contingency planning for elections just happened to emerge as it languished at 14pc in a recent opinion poll. And they are not even in government yet.

Big talk from both sides notwithstanding, it's unlikely this spat will scupper talks. Major decisions loom on restoring Ireland's economic fortunes after the crisis, including what is to become of the emergency welfare payments to those who lost their jobs.

Green leader Eamon Ryan perhaps spoke the most sense yesterday when he told Newstalk that the talks "need to ramp up". They all have bigger fish to fry.
The smell of fresh coffee and churros returned to pavements and squares around Malaga on Monday morning as the province moved in to Phase One of Spain's plan to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

Numerous cafeterias began serving coffee for the first time in 64 days, observing the regulations imposed by the authorities.

Breakfast merged into beer, wine and tapas as lunchtime approached while some customers headed straight for the beach bars to satisfy their craving for traditional fried fish and sardines by the sea.

In Phase One bars, restaurants and cafeterias are only able to serve customers at tables on terraces outside the premises, reducing previous capacity by 50 per cent. Tables must be arranged to allow a distance of two metres between them.

fotogaleria Traditional commerce - Vela watch shop in Marbella. / CHARO MARQUEZ

Customers from now on will also have to get used to new health and safety requirements. Staff waiting on tables are equipped with gloves, masks and in many cases face shields. Traditional elements previously shared by customers, such as paper napkin holders and olive oil bottles, can no longer be found on the tables. And after customers leave, the tables and chairs are thoroughly cleaned before the next customers can sit down.

Despite the easing of restrictions on Monday, many bars and shops decided to keep their shutters down, at least for the initial few days of Phase One.

In Malaga city only around 20 per cent of establishments opened their terraces, but the one that did open were full by lunchtime.

The owner of Casa Lola in the city's Plaza Uncibay, Daniel Gumpert, said he was happy with the day's business despite having lost ten tables compared to the bar's previous capacity. "The important thing is that customers feel safe and want to come back," he said.

fotogaleria Garum Motor car showroom back in action. / IGNACIO LILLO

There was little activity on Monday morning in Marbella's normally bustling Plaza de los Naranjos, as bars and shops remained closed with no tourists to serve. This was in contrast to other more residential neighbourhoods in the Costa town, where pavement terraces and restaurants were open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This pattern was repeated in other tourist resorts.

Small shops and businesses were also been able to open this week without customers being obliged to make an appointment first. Large businesses, such as car showrooms and stores, have reopened but with just a section of their space open to the public.

High street names such as Mango, Zara, Decathlon and Pull&Bear opened their doors, the larger premises cordoning off an area of 400 metres to comply with regulations.
Representatives of the Crimean Tatar people should be represented at the highest diplomatic level, president believes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted First Deputy Minister of Information Policy Emine Dzhaparova as candidate for the post of First Deputy Foreign Minister, the press service of the Presidents Office reports.

Meeting with the Crimean Tatar community on Monday, May 18, when Ukraine marks the 76 anniversary of the Crimean Tatar people's deportation by the Soviet regime, Zelensky noted that representatives of the Crimean Tatar people should represent Ukraine at the highest diplomatic level.

"Therefore, the head of state agreed on the candidacy of Emina Dzhaparova for the post of first deputy minister of foreign affairs," the statement reads.

Emine Dzhaparova earlier worked for four years at the Ministry of Information Policy before resigning last fall.

Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have expressed support to the Crimean Tatars in their struggle for rights, having issued a joint statement on the 76th anniversary of the Crimean Tatar people deportation.

Read alsoDuring Kyiv visit, Pompeo never said Crimea "lost to Ukraine"  participant in meeting

"We honour the memory of numerous innocent victims of [Joseph] Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. We express our support to the Crimean Tatar people in their struggle for their rights," they said in the statement posted by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website on May 18.

Seventy-six years ago, on May 18, 1944, the Soviet regime criminally deported the Crimean Tatar people from the territory of their historic residence  Crimea  to distant areas of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation.

Just in the first years of exile almost half of all deported Crimean Tatars died. The period of the ban on return to their homeland, Crimea, lasted until 1989 and was accompanied by purposeful linguistic and cultural assimilation.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Gov. Mike DeWine said again Monday that the state will not be testing all patients in nursing homes for coronavirus, even as it is recommended by federal authorities, citing a continued shortage of testing supplies.

The state has increased its testing capabilities in recent weeks as it reopens the economy, but DeWine said they arent at a level where nursing home patients  one of the most vulnerable populations to the coronavirus  can be tested en masse. Instead, the state will continue performing targeted testing if a suspected case shows up in a nursing home patient or staff member.

Its not enough just to raise the testing and go out and test willy nilly, DeWine said. Its important to take whatever capacity that is and to target that in the place where we can save the most lives. Im not satisfied with where we are. Weve got to do more. Weve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.

On May 11, Vice President Mike Pence recommended states test all nursing home patients within two weeks. DeWine said later that day that it was unlikely the state would do so.

Instead, DeWine said Monday the state will continue to test nursing homes only if a patient or staff member shows symptoms. If that patient or staff member tests positive, more testing will be done in the facility as part of contact tracing.

Such was the case at the states two nursing homes for veterans in Sandusky and Georgetown overseen by the Department of Veterans Services. DeWine said Monday that all 500 residents and 700 staff members at both sites were tested after several residents in Sandusky tested positive last week.

As of Monday, 24 residents and three staff members have tested positive. A total of 508 staff and residents have tested negative, with the remaining results still pending.

Our goal is to get as much testing in this state as we can, DeWine said. Were working on it every single day. The other thing were doing is to deploy that. My charge to my team is deploy the testing we have in a targeted way, a most effective way.

Nursing homes in particular present a challenge to combating coronavirus. Residents live in a congregate setting and, being elderly, are at more of a risk of death caused by the virus.

According to figures released last week by the Ohio Department of Health, 674 patients of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes have died, making up 44% of all coronavirus-related deaths in the state.

Ohio, like other states, has struggled to increase its coronavirus testing capacity, caused by a shortage of supplies including swabs and reagents. In April, DeWine tasked former Govs. Dick Celeste and Bob Taft with increasing the supply of tests in the state.

Read more cleveland.com politics coverage:

DeWine: Ohio will use all the resources at our disposal to enforce social distancing at bars and restaurants

Ohio tennis courts can reopen May 26, but players must follow these coronavirus rules

U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman nominated by Trump for top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.

MetroHealth projects rise in coronavirus cases as Ohio reopens, but that social distancing will keep uptick from overwhelming hospitals
Ministry cancels controversial air-purification deal By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane & Meleeza Rathnayake View(s): View(s):

The purchase of 300 air-purification systems by the Health Ministry under a controversial COVID-19 deal is to be cancelled after a top-level meeting this week, two weeks after the Sunday Times exposed alleged irregularities in the proposed transaction.

The meetings minutes which were circulated later to several stakeholders had stated that the committee has decided to cancel the purchase, the Sunday Times reliably understands.

Chaired by a Health Ministry Additional Secretary, the meeting, held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday (May 13) at the ministry, had discussed and debated the pros and cons and technical aspects of such air-purification systems for state hospitals as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The meeting was attended by a large number of people including officials from the ministrys Medical Services, Planning, Bio-medical Engineering Services and Laboratory Services and representatives from the College of Anaesthesiologists & Intensivists and the College of Microbiologists, a ministry source said.

There were many differing views on the suitability of these air-purification systems, the source said, while another pointed out that such systems are not stand-alone units but should be part of a complex system which includes a sucking and duct system. Another source said they also focused on the adverse and harmful impacts of these air-purification systems.

The question which remained unanswered by many ministry officials and which the Sunday Times has highlighted is how a request for these air-purification systems originated from the ministry on April 3 and bids were invited and even sent for evaluation to the ministry by the procurement agency, UNICEF, long before state hospitals requested them. That is the normal process.

This means that due processes have not been followed, specs and technical aspects have not been thrashed out, indicating that there wasnt full transparency and something was not right with regard to this deal, many sources alleged.

In-depth details about the proposed procurement and how numerous ministry officials remained tightlipped were reported by the Sunday Times in two exposes headlined Air purifiers for hospitals: Alls not clean on May 10 and Queries over Health Ministry purchase of 300 air-purification systems on May 3.

These 300 air-purification systems/air sterilisers said to cost in total more than Rs. 300 million were part of a list of items due to be bought through a World Bank loan of US$ 128.6 million under Sri Lankas COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project.

Box please

The air-purification systems have been removed from the list, said Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, the Director of Sri Lankas COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project, who readily agreed to meet the Sunday Times on Thursday.

I cannot accept that list as it is, because it needs approval, he said, explaining that he wants the Secretary and some experts from the Health Ministry to take the final decision after getting expert opinion. The final decision is expected next week.

When the Sunday Times queried as to who wanted these air-purification systems, Dr. Bandara said: I dont quite know exactly who wanted these air purifiers. When I asked, they said that anaesthetists have requested them. Then I contacted the microbiologists and they sent me their reports and they are saying that microbiologically they have not recommended. In the original list, there was a request for 300 systems, they have not given me the amended list yet, but I heard that they are removing them (air-purification systems).

For equipment such as this, we said we would provide the information but the decision should be taken by a top team who can really make policy decisions and be held accountable. This hadnt been done yet, but with the new Secretary it will be done soon. We will await the Secretarys recommendation.

Dr. Bandara stressed that they have not confirmed anything. This is not just a shopping list we can spend on. We said earlier that we cannot make any hurried decisions so we are still evaluating and have asked the Secretary to appoint a committee. The project will not rush into purchases, but let the ministry evaluate the dire need and what should be the delivery time. Accordingly we will take the decision.

When asked how the procurement agency, UNICEF, sent a list of bids after inviting such bids, he said that there were two  the local market survey and the availability globally.

The local market survey list which collects the local bidders went directly to the Medical Supply and Biomedical Divisions. Then only did I ask for the list, said Dr. Bandara, adding that it is thereafter that those two lists would be evaluated.
Fashion has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Retailers like Neiman Marcus and J.Crew have declared bankruptcy, major designers have canceled fashion shows for the foreseeable future, and fast fashion brands like Uniqlo, and H&M have halted some production of sellable products to make PPE to be donated instead. Its a harsh reality that is impacting every layer of the industry  but its the most vulnerable employees who are bearing the brunt of both the health and safety crisis, and the economic fallout.

In factories from Bangladesh to Los Angeles, garment workers are facing unprecedented difficulties. Some factories and mills have closed completely, leaving many of the workers  a majority of whom are women  without pay. Moreover, in the open factories, workers are reporting that they have been creating PPE (like masks and gowns) in places still operating under sweatshop conditions, i.e. not cleaned, or regulated for safety in any meaningful way.

According to a recent story by Buzzfeed News, some workers at Myanmar factories that are reportedly part of the supply chain for Inditex, the company that owns Zara, were let go. They're reporting claimed that more than 500 workers at the two factories were laid off when they asked to be supplied with durable masks and for social distancing to be introduced to protect them from the coronavirus.

Inditex has said that Zara did not cancel any orders, has paid bills for placed orders and that the layoffs in those factories had nothing to do with their brand. A spokesperson told the outlet that, Inditex has worked tirelessly over many years to ensure the standards set out in its supplier code of conduct are followed, including through its global partnership with the IndustriALL Global Union  the first agreement of its kind in the industry  and its membership of the ACT platform on living wages."

Theres a problem with fashions shift to PPE production.

On top of retaliatory issues, the pay-per-piece model where a workers' wages are based on the number of garments they make ensures that many are paid far below the minimum wage. Marissa Nuncio, the director of the Garment Worker Center, an activist organization in Los Angeles representing many seamstresses, explains, The fact that garment workers are earning as little as $.05 per mask, which leads to wages as low as $190 per week, is unacceptable. This is life-saving equipment in these times, and the workers making them are risking infection themselves in cramped, dirty factories.

Story continues

She continues, One would think the fact that garment workers are now essential workers would lead to positive changes in their wages and working conditions. But no, she says. This reality is also, unfortunately, business as usual in the garment industry. Annie Shaw, the outreach coordinator at GWC, adds, This industry didnt change overnight. There is such a long history of sweatshop labor, and the pandemic only perpetuates it. There is no access to protective items like hand sanitizer or gloves. In normal times, garment workers have to bring their own supplies like toilet paper, even though you would think that would be provided. Its not as though this is changing now.

RELATED: Meet Amanda Nguyen, the Founder Fighting for Survivors of Abuse in Quarantine

Maribelia Quiroz, an LA-based garment worker and organizer for GWC told us about her first-hand experience. "Since COVID-19, I have been stuck at home, feeling desperate with anxiety. There has been work in my factory, but I'm afraid to go because its all [paid] under the table, and people are working in close proximity without six-foot distancing. The pay is the same as before the pandemic: 12-hour days, $280 a week, she explained. She also said that she had not received a stimulus check and has been relying on an emergency relief fund set up by the organization. The problem is that many workers are already being paid under minimum wage, so these unexpected changes can be catastrophic.

A garment factory in Cambodia. | Courtesy ReMake

In other major fashion production hubs like Bangladesh, where a garment factory collapsed killing more than 1,000 people in 2014, workers have reportedly been sent home without pay for work that has been completed. According to Ayesha Barenblat, the founder of Remake, an activist organization that investigates sweatshop labor, some companies like Gap Inc. have canceled orders from factories but are not paying for the production that's been done prior to the cancelation.

As the pandemic spread globally, retail stores closed across the US and Europe, and online sales plummeted, she explains. Subsequently, brands and retailers pushed the risk down to suppliers, en masse invoking force majeure clauses in their contract to cancel orders already produced, where suppliers had fronted the materials and labor cost. The clause Barenblat refers to is common in many contracts and essentially frees both parties of liability if something catastrophic happens like, say, a pandemic. So while this convenient legalese certainly helped some major brands when sales plummeted on seasonal items, it does not protect the workers who have no severance protection, or healthcare provided by their employers, the third-party production sites the brands do business with.

Activists are stepping in to make changes now.

To address the issues, Remake started a Change.org petition in March which asks brands to support the garment workers down their supply chain. Brands must pay for in-production and canceled orders, rather than abandon their supply chain partners and the women who have kept their businesses profitable for decades, the petition demands. While some, like H&M, Zara, Target, and most recently Under Armour, have signed on to pay for their canceled orders despite not needing them, others like Gap, are still listed as having not agreed to make these payments. A spokesperson for Gap told InStyle that the brand made the very difficult decision to furlough the majority of our store employees and continue to monitor staffing levels at each of our fulfillment centers.

They added that they are working closely with vendors and have shifted capacity in some factories toward making PPE and are prototyping to develop PPE supplies, including masks and gowns, using our excess materials. While it appears that Gap Inc., which owns Old Navy, is hiring workers to make masks that will be sold online, Remake claims the back pay on other orders still leaves many without compensation.

Activists supporting the #PayUp campaign on social media. | Courtesy Remake

The pandemic is a magnifying glass on already existing problems.

Amy Blyth, Director of Partnerships and Program Development for FairTradeUSA, works with suppliers to address labor issues. According to her, many fashion brands have shifted to a production model called the just in time supply chain. While this model seeks to hold less inventory by only making clothing based on orders already placed, it also assumes that customers are measured in their purchases and does not account for any volatility. This means that when orders stop, there is no safety net for the factories and the workers. She explains, There are still many critical questions about who bears the majority of the risk in the supply chain; while this pandemic is hitting everyone hard, suppliers and production workers have less resilience to financial and health emergencies.

RELATED: Doctors Are Begging Designers to Make Reusable Hospital Gowns for Them

Of course, while the weakness of the systems in place seem to be glaring at this moment, its certainly not new. In fact, the Global Slavery Index, which tracks the presence of modern slavery across several different industries, estimated that in 2018, $127.7 billion worth of garments could have been made via unsafe or abusive manufacturing processes. These figures are based on the amount of clothing that was estimated to come from factories where labor abuse was reported.

And thats not limited to fast fashion as we commonly hear it. Even companies with the most ethical values in their mission statements can fall apart if you look too closely at their production practices. Ethics and sustainability can, unfortunately, be a public relations win for brands that dont have the infrastructure to maintain it as they grow. I have found a tension between growth and keeping up with a brands founding ethical ethos, Barenblat says referring to Remakes research.

Can COVID-19 be a catalyst for labor changes in the fashion industry?

Though its clear these problems are not going to be solved overnight, there are certainly signs of hope. The Garment Workers Center raised over $32,000 to give to 80-100 workers in Los Angeles displaced by the pandemic. Some designers, like Brooklyn-based Kelsey Randall, are even creating masks themselves and donating the proceeds to workers who have been laid off because of factory closures. The #PayUp petition garnered over 12,000 signatures and pushed many brands to make a difference, especially for workers who are facing major losses. And Fair Trade started a fund that will go directly to workers.

Garment workers in Cambodia, captured for Remake. | Courtesy Remake

While the pandemic has caused so much destruction and uncertainty in the fashion industry, many activists see it as an opportunity to change. In Los Angeles, activists at the Garment Workers Center feel the solution is to make garment workers a part of the decision-making process, allowing them to speak up about safety without fear of retaliation. Barenblat adds that consumers and designers can play a role in this too. My hope is that some of these smaller sustainable players build resilience by relying on US cotton and energy-efficient yarn, sourcing from co-operative worker-owned factories and distributing from unionized warehouses. And, as consumers, we can raise awareness and simply buy less. She adds, Our wallets and the planet cannot sustain the pace at which we have been buying. We had seen consumers already shifting toward sustainability, wanting experiences over cheap mounds of clothes. My hope is COVID-19 exacerbates this shift.

After 30 years working as a sewer, Quiroz agrees. "Nothing will change until workers are paid at least minimum wage, she said. Fashionistas need to pressure brands and companies to do more so that factories will protect us and pay workers minimum wage."

This story was updated to include a statement and information about factory layoffs from Inditex, the company that owns Zara.
After winding down his role in the museum in the early 2000s, Weaver became the director of the Organ Historical Society. He also spent nearly eight years working with the Federal City Council, an influential nonprofit that promotes development in Washington, to push for the creation of a museum of music. It was one of his rare efforts that did not pan out.
The Marine Products Export



Development Authority has developed a testing protocol for formaldehyde adulteration in seafood, MPEDA Chairman K S Srinivas said here on Monday.

He expressed concern over the repeated incidents of the presence of formaldehyde for preserving seafood in various domestic markets in recent times and said that it poses serious challenges on food safety and has potential to become an irritant in Indias seafood exports to various markets.

To address this, the Quality Control (QC) laboratory of Marine Products Export Development Authority has developed a testing protocol for formaldehyde adulteration in seafood, he said in a statement here.

The (QC) lab is now equipped to detect presence of formaldehyde, which is wrongly used for preserving seafood and the chemical substance has been categorized by the WHO as a potential health hazard for human beings, he said.

The lab is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and approved by the Export Inspection Council.

The High Performance Liquid Chromatography method used is able to quantify formaldehyde in fish and fishery products and meets the national requirement as per Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).

This parameter has been brought under the scope of accreditation of MPEDAs QC lab at Kochi.

In addition, the Kochi lab has facilities for screening of farmed shrimp samples for banned antibiotics under Pre-Harvest Test (PHT) certification programme, the statement said.

In another major step, MPEDA has started formally extending testing services in the field of Microbiology from its state-of-the-art Microbiology laboratory to seafood exporters and other stakeholders of the industry, it said.

The lab is capable of testing various microbiological parameters in water, fish and fishery products and spices.

It has also got a molecular biology section that can handle testing of pathogenic viruses in shrimps.

The statement said that in the wake of gradual lockdown relaxations, it has been decided to extend operations at the QC and microbiology lab in Kochi to stakeholders.

"All the guidelines and protocols charted out by the government, such as social distancing, wearing of masks and use of sanitizers, are being strictly followed at the offices and laboratories of MPEDA," Srinivas said.

MPEDAA said the need for such a laboratory has become imperative because the USA, the EU and other major seafood importers are tightening their quality norms to safeguard the health of their consumers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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.
As a co-host and correspondent for Extra, Renee Bargh has met her fair share of big name celebrities.

But there is just one who left the normally calm and collected reporter quivering in her boots, she revealed in an interview on Monday.

The 33-year-old says she was so intimidated by Oprah Winfrey that she could not stop shaking.

Scared! As a co-host for Extra, Renee Bargh (pictured) has met her fair share of big name celebrities. But there is just one who left her shaking, she revealed in an interview on Monday

She tells Woman's Day: 'I was incredibly nervous to interview Oprah for the first time. I remember my hands were shaking so much I could barely hold the microphone.

'She grabbed my other hand during the interview and all I could think about was how sweaty it was. Didn't play it cool at all.'

Renee added: 'But she's the queen of interviewing, so it felt like a lot of pressure!'

Renee admitted: 'I was incredibly nervous to interview Oprah for the first time. My hands were shaking so much I could barely hold the microphone. She grabbed my other hand during the interview and all I could think about was how sweaty it was'. Pictured: Oprah Winfrey

The TV host added: 'But she's the queen of interviewing, so it felt like a lot of pressure!' Pictured with Brad Pitt

The former Channel V reporter has been announced as the new co-host of The Voice Australia, replacing former host Sonia Kruger.

She recently told Weekend Today that's she beyond excited at the opportunity to return home after living in the U.S. for the past decade.

'I'm so elated, honestly, I've been wanting to come home for a very long time,' Renee admitted.

Local girl: The beauty from Byron Bay has been living in Los Angeles since 2010, covering ritzy red carpet events and interviewing celebrities for Extra

The beauty from Byron Bay has been living in Los Angeles since 2010, covering ritzy red carpet events and interviewing celebrities for Extra.

Renee's new hosting gig on The Voice Australia will mean she'll be splitting her time between the U.S. and Australia.

'This feels like the perfect job to be doing that. I couldn't be happier,' she said.
New Delhi, May 18 : The Sharia Council of the Jamaat Islami Hind (JIH), here on Monday, urged the government to exempt the places of worship from the lockdown and allow people to do their religious practices by maintaining social distancing.

In a statement, the JIH said under the present circumstances, the Eid ul Fitr prayer should be allowed at Eidgahs, Jama Masjid and the local mosques (depending on number of people permitted). Otherwise, prayers be offered at home.

It also appealed against crowding market in the last days of Ramadan. On the day of Eid, dress in whatever clothes, old or new, are available, and avoid meeting and greeting people. "Please remember the poor, the needy on the day of Eid along with Muslim prisoners and their relatives," said Jalaluddin Umri.

The council said last Friday of Ramadan was like other Fridays and didn't have any special significance. "Under the present circumstances, if there are 4 people in the house, then they may offer the Friday prayer or the Zohar (Midday) prayer. If one is alone, he should offer the Friday prayer individually," it said.
Police have registered 60 First-Information Reports (FIRs) against farmers for burning stubble in the district, Gurdaspur chief agricultural officer (CAO) Dr Raminder Singh said on Monday.

He added that this year 243 cases of stubble burning had been reported in the district, against 491 such instances in the corresponding period last year.

Farmers must stop this practice immediately. On Sunday, a stubble fire started at Gunnopur village, 10 km from Gurdaspur, spread in around 150 acre, causing a loss to crops of other farmers, said the CAO.

A farmer Balwinder Singh, of the village, said this stubble fire spread and gutted his sugarcane crop grown over 4 acre, leading to a loss of Rs lakh. Gurdaspur SDM Skattar Singh Bal said he had provided assistance to the agriculture department to identify the loss in such fires and bring all culprits to book.

The CAO added farmers were being booked for burning stubble, as per the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal.
An NHS hospital in Wales may soon trial giving COVID-19 patients nicotine patches amid mounting evidence smokers are at less risk of the infection.

Doctors at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, South Wales have said nicotine patches must urgently be considered as a potential COVID-19 treatment and are waiting for the go-ahead for a trial.

Studies of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in China, the US, Italy, UK and elsewhere have shown a surprisingly low prevalence of smokers. It suggests smokers are less likely to catch the disease - a theory that scientists have admitted is 'weird'.

But once smokers are in hospital, they may be more likely to see their disease rapidly progress and lead to death, according to some evidence.

It's been suggested that withdrawal from the addictive chemical nicotine while in hospital may exacerbate lung damage among smokers, raising their risk of suffering severe complications.

Nicotine has been shown to prevent lung damage in animals with acute respiratory syndrome, a life-threatening condition the coronavirus can lead to. And studies have shown it may prevent a severe over-reaction of the immune system called a cytokine storm - a phenomenon found to be killing many COVID-19 patients.

Doctors in France have called for trials of nicotine patches to see if they could have any protective effects. But medics emphasise it is likely to be nicotine, not cigarettes themselves, that may be beneficial for smokers.

A theory flouted by scientists is that nicotine reduces ACE-2 receptors, which are proteins in the body the virus binds to in order to infect cells.

Nicotine has been shown to prevent lung damage in animals with acute respiratory syndrome, which the coronavirus leads to in most severe cases. It also prevents severe inflammation called a cytokine storm - a phenomenon killing a high number of COVID-19 patients

Doctors at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, South Wales, have said nicotine patches must urgently be considered as a potential COVID-19 treatment

Studies of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in China, the US, Italy, UK and elsewhere have shown a surprisingly low prevalence of smokers. University of College London reviewed 28 studies and found smoking rates were lower than expected among COVID-19 patients: The graph shows the smoking rate of each country against the percentage of smokers among COVID-19 patients. The lowest figure has been chosen for each country to show the stark comparison discovered by some studies

A recent study in Italy showed that less than five per cent of 441 hospitalised COVID-19 patients in an Italian study were smokers - compared with 24 per cent in the population

Once smokers are in hospital, they may be more likely to see their disease rapidly progress and lead to death, according to some evidence. The Italian study found more smokers succumbed to the disease - almost half compared to 35 per cent of those who had never touched a cigarette

Doctors at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital published a letter in March suggesting nicotine patches could be therapeutic against COVID-19.

They wrote in the British Medical Journal: 'In this new disease smokers seem to have particularly poor outcomes.

'We suggest that the simple use of nicotine patches should be urgently considered and discussed.'

Jonathan Davies, a consultant trauma surgeon at the hospital, told MailOnline: 'We are looking at a number of possible points at which nicotine might be a valid intervention from prevention to treatment.

'Of course none are proven at present and the idea of any trials would be to investigate further.

'Whether or not we can proceed will depend up approval and funding which we are looking at urgently at present.

'In a nutshell the question is, are people who smoke see to be less likely to catch it So does nicotine given to people who dont smoker offer some sort of protection?

'I would like to get a cohort of people in the general population and give half a nicotine patch for six week and the other half a placebo path and then see if there is a difference in antibodies [which indicate coronavirus infection]. That would be my mainstream preference.'

FRANCE LIMITS SALES OF NICOTINE PATCHES France limited the sale of nicotine substitutes to avoid stockpiling after research suggested the addictive substance could have the potential to protect people from contracting the coronavirus. Pharmacies were only able to sell a maximum of one month's worth of products treating nicotine dependence, such as patches, chewing gum or lozenges, until May 11. The sale of such products online was suspended entirely. The move was to 'firstly prevent the health risks from excessive consumption or misuse linked to media coverage of the possible protective effect of nicotine against COVID-19,' the government said in a statement. 'Secondly it guarantees continuous and appropriate supply to people requiring medical support to stop smoking.' It came after French researchers said they were planning to trial whether nicotine patches will help prevent - or lessen the effects of - the deadly coronavirus. Doctors at a major hospital in Paris - who also found low rates of smoking among the infected - are now planning to give nicotine patches to COVID-19 patients. They will also give them to frontline workers to see if the stimulant has any effect on preventing the spread of the virus, according to reports. The French study, performed at Pitie Salpetriere - part of the Hopitaux de Paris, used data from 480 patients who tested positive for the virus. Three hundred and fifty were hospitalized and the remainder recovered at home. Results showed that of the patients hospitalized, with a median age of 65, only 4.4 percent were regular smokers. But among those at home, with a median age of 44, 5.3 percent smoked. By comparison, among the general population, 40 percent of those between ages 44 and 53 smoke, and around 11 percent of those aged 65 to 75 smoke. The researchers determined that far fewer smokers appear to have contracted the virus or, if they have, their symptoms are less serious. Advertisement

The suggestion led to conversations with Professor Judith Hall, an intensive care expert at Cardiff University, who has said she will approach British funding bodies for support to trial.

She told The Guardian the idea was 'an interesting one', though its value would be difficult to prove.

'Getting trials under way is of course time-consuming and complicated business, but we must try and advance new ideas as quickly as possible in this crisis,' she said.

Researchers in France were the first to announce a planned trial of nicotine patches at a major hospital in Paris - after a review of patients at the hospital also found low rates of smoking among the infected.

Dr Davies said nicotine patches are cheap, do not have side effects, and could offer an alternative while scientists race to find a vaccine - if proven effective.

Interest in the topic has peaked following swathes of studies that showed a low prevalence of smokers in hospitals with COVID-19.

A review of 28 studies by University College London in April found a 'lower than expected' rate of smokers among COVID-19 patients.

One of the studies showed that in the UK the proportion of smokers among COVID-19 patients was just five per cent, a third of the national rate of 14.4 per cent.

Another found in France the rate was four times lower. In China, a study noted 3.8 per cent of patients were smokers - despite more than half of the population regularly smoking cigarettes.

When smokers do get diagnosed with the virus, however, they appear to be more likely to get so sick that they need ventilation, two studies in the review showed.

More recently Italian researchers found fewer than five per cent of 441 COVID-19 patients who needed to be admitted to an Italian hospital were smokers.

The scientists described it as a 'very low' number, given that a quarter of the general population are known to be hooked on cigarettes.

Researchers have noted that low prevalence of smokers may just be because doctors are just too busy to be accurately noting down everyone's smoking habits, or patients are too unwell to speak.

Considering elderly people are more likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19, low smoking rates may be explained by differences in smoking rates in different age groups, with middle-aged people more likely to have the habit.

There is often data missing in these studies too, which could skew results.

If the findings are proven, scientists say it's likely that it is not cigarettes - filled with thousands of harmful chemicals - that would offer a potential protection, but the nicotine that is beneficial.

A theory flouted by scientists is that nicotine reduces ACE-2 receptors, which are proteins in the body the virus binds to in order to infect cells.

WHAT HAVE STUDIES IN EACH COUNTRY SHOWN? Italy A recent Italian study found fewer than five per cent of 441 COVID-19 patients who needed to be admitted to an Italian hospital were smokers. The scientists described it as a 'very low' number, given that a quarter of the general population are known to be hooked on cigarettes. The Italian study led by Dr Nicola Gaibazzi looked at patients admitted to hospital in Parma, Northern Italy. It means the findings can only be applied to those with symptoms severe enough to seek medical attention - thousands of patients escape suffering any symptoms. Information about smoking was taken from medical records, and efforts were made to directly contact the patients or their relatives for confirmation. Previous research on the topic has been full of holes because researchers admit data had been missing. But in this study, a total of 423 out of 441 patients or their relatives were spoken to on the phone, which strengthens the data. Non-smokers made up 85 per cent of deaths, smokers 6 per cent and ex-smokers 9 per cent - which was not significantly different to the total cohort. However, active smokers had a 50/50 chance of survival once hospitalised - 47 per cent of those admitted died. In comparison, just over a third of non-smokers died. China The UCL review included 22 studies conducted in hospitals in China, which showed that 3.8 to 17.6 per cent of COVID-19 patients were current smokers and fewer than five per cent were former smokers. However, 2018 data shows more than half the population of the country are current smokers (50.5 per cent of men and 2.1 per cent of women). And almost one in 10 of non-smokers in China are former smokers (8.4 per cent of men and 0.8 per of women). A separate study published in early April by scientists in New York and Athens looked at 13 Chinese studies that had registered smoking as a precondition and found that the number of smokers across the whole sample of 5,300 patients was 6.5 per cent. It's an astonishingly small number in country where half of all men still smoke. South Korea In one South Korean study looked at by UCL, 18.5 per cent were current smokers, which almost matches the smoking prevalence of 19.3 per cent in 2016. France In a study conducted in France, 7.1 per cent were current smokers, 6.1 per cent of whom were hospitalised. But much higher smoking rates are recorded in the population - 32 per cent. However the results were different for former smokers, of which there are 31.4 per cent in France. A much higher 59.1 per cent of COVID-19 patients were former smokers. UK In the international study with participants predominantly from the UK in a hospital setting, five per cent were current or former smokers. This compares with a current and former smoking prevalence of 14.4 and 25.8 per cent in England in 2018, 'suggesting a lower than expected proportion of current and former smokers in the included study'. US One study conducted by America's Centers for Disease Control of over 7,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus, found that just 1.3 per cent of them were smokers - against the 14 per cent of all Americans that the CDC says smoke. The study also found that the smokers stood no greater chance of ending up in hospital or an ICU. In US studies reviewed by UCL, 1.3 to 27.2 per cent were current smokers, in contrast to a smoking prevalence of 13.8 per cent in 2018. And 2.3 to 30.6 per cent were former smokers, compared with the 20.9 per cent of former smokers across the states. Similarly, data published in the The New England Journal of Medicine from New York City, the epicentre of the US epidemic, shows just 5.1 per cent of patients are smokers. Advertisement

The coronavirus enters cells inside the body via the structures, which coat the surface of some cells, including in the airways and lungs.

If nicotine does lowers ACE-2 expression, it makes it harder for viral particles to gain entry into cells and therefore cause an infection.

On the other hand, other studies show that nicotine enhances the action of the ACE-2 receptor, which in theory, puts smokers at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.

However, it seems that up-regulation of ACE2 may in fact be protective against disease severity.

The virus is known to cause lung damage by depleting the numbers of ACE-2 receptors. So if smoking increases them, it could reverse the effect and prevent harm to the lungs.

Dr Davies said in the BMJ letter that COVID-19 patients who smoked were suffering acute lung injury, which he and colleagues believe is a result of nicotine withdrawal.

Other scientists say low levels of ACE-2 expression as a result of nicotine may prevent worse damage from viral infection, and there is no evidence that says higher quantities of ACE-2 receptors increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first place.

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, from the University of West Attica, Greece, who queried whether nicotine could be a cure for COVID-19 in a paper published on May 9, said: 'Up-regulation of ACE2, though seemingly paradoxical, may in fact protect patients from severe disease and lung injury.'

A 2008 study in mice found that getting rid of ACE-2 made the animals more likely to suffer severe breathing difficulties when infected with the SARS virus, which is almost identical to COVID-19.

There is a high degree of uncertainty around the links between ACE-2 receptors and nicotine.

Other scientists have turned their head towards nicotine's ability to prevent inflammation, where evidence is more robust.

Nicotine has been shown inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF, IL-1 and IL-6, which are involved in promoting an inflammatory response.

A 'cytokine storm' is a phenomenon in which an abundance of cytokines are released in response to infection.

Doctors have previously said that it's often the body's response to the virus, rather than the virus itself, that plays a major role in how sick a person gets.

A cytokine storm can lead to respiratory failure and the attack of healthy tissues, causing multi-organ failure.

Therefore, the cytokine storm is being looked at as a target for COVID-19 treatment.

Drugs like the arthritis medication tocilizumab, which doctors say has the potential to stop the cytokine storm, is part of three major trials involving British patients - with the first results expected by June or July.

Tocilizumab blocks the effects of the IL-6, and has become a go-to for inflammatory disease treatment for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

'Nicotine has effects on the immune system that could be beneficial in reducing the intensity of the cytokine storm,' Dr Farsalinos wrote in Internal and Emergency Medicine.

'The potential benefits of nicotine.... could explain, at least in part, the increased severity or adverse outcome among smokers hospitalized for COVID-19 since these patients inevitably experience abrupt cessation of nicotine intake during hospitalization.

'This may be feasible through repurposing already approved pharmaceutical nicotine products such as nicotine patches.'

Dr Nicola Gaibazzi, who recently published findings on MedRxiv of 'very low' numbers of smokers in Italian COVID-19 patients, speculates smoke exposure may bolster the immune system.

He said exposure to cigarette smoke reduces the body's immune system over time, measured by lower inflammatory markers.

Therefore, when smokers are infected with a virus like SARS-CoV-2, their immune system is more 'tolerant' and does not overreact.

On the other hand, non-smokers may be more prone to having the sudden and deadly cytokine storm when they are infected with the virus.

Dr Gaibazzi and authors wrote: 'Patients admitted with COVID-19 to an Italian hospital heavily involved in the recent outbreak showed a disproportionately low prevalence of active smokers compared with the general population.

'The current study is useful since it suggests that smokers may carry some type of protective mechanism from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.'

Scientists have stressed that the evidence supporting nicotine as a medicine does not mean everyone should take up smoking

This could backfire because there is a well established link between smoking and comorbidities like heart disease and cancer, which in themselves are risks for severe COVID-19 or death.

What evidence is there that smokers may be protected from the coronavirus?

WHAT IS AN ACE-2 RECEPTOR AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH COVID-19? ACE-2 receptors are structures found on the surface of cells in the lungs and airways which work with an enyzme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) to regulate blood pressure. Its exact function in the lungs is not well understood but studies suggest it is protective against lung damage and low levels of it can worsen the impact of viral infections. Scientists say that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 enters the body through the ACE-2 receptor, which the shape of it allows it to latch on to. This means that someone with more ACE-2 receptors may be more susceptible to a large viral load - first infectious dose of a virus - entering their bloodstream. ACE-2 receptors have a shape which matches the outside of the coronavirus, effectively providing it with a doorway into the bloodstream, scientists say People who have higher than usual numbers of ACE-2 receptors may include those with diabetes or high blood pressure because they have genetic defects which make them produce more. Emerging evidence shows that smokers may also produce more. High levels of ACE-2 receptors may also be protective, however. They are thought to be able to protect the lungs during infection and a study on mice in 2008 found that mice which had ACE-2 blocked in their bodies suffered more damage when they were infected with SARS, which is almost identical to COVID-19. Smoking has in the past been repeatedly linked to lower than normal levels of ACE-2 receptors, potentially increasing the risk of lung damage from COVID-19. Advertisement

Researchers have repeatedly uncovered evidence that smokers could be protected from the deadly coronavirus.

Experts are struggling to knock down mounting evidence that suggests an apparent protective effect from cigarettes.

Typically, smokers are at a heightened risk of infection because the tiny hairs inside the airways and lungs, which help move pathogens and mucus away, are often damaged by the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke.

In theory, this would put smokers at a disadvantage if they catch coronavirus, considering the disease leaves patients unable to get enough oxygen into the bloodstream due to lung inflammation.

But data from across the world is showing otherwise - that smokers are protected from infection in some way.

Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, has admitted 'there's something weird going on with smoking and coronavirus'.

She told Good Morning Britain on April 28: 'We know for decades that smoking is linked to a higher risk of developing respiratory conditions and also people who smoke have poorer outcomes.'

And a leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, has also previously said there is 'bizarrely strong' evidence smoking may be protective.

University College London academics looked at 28 papers and found the proportions of smokers among hospital patients were 'lower than expected'.

Their paper was titled 'The association of smoking status with SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalisation and mortality from COVID-19: A living rapid evidence review' and was published on the study-sharing website Qeios.

David Simons and colleagues looked at 28 studies involving more than 23,000 people.

Twenty-two of the studies were conducted in China, three in the US, one in South Korea, one in France and one was an international study using mostly UK data.

The study from the US suggested that smokers appear to be less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with never smokers.

Rather than this reflecting likelihood of catching the virus in the first place, it is more likely to point to someone's risk of becoming so ill they have to go to hospital. Most of the countries involved in the studies did almost all of their testing in hospitals.

But the researchers noted that smokers were more likely to be tested, possibly because their symptoms, like a cough, are more obvious due to their habit.

Two high quality studies provided zero evidence that the 657 current or former smokers with the virus were at a higher risk of ending up in hospital.

But when smokers do get diagnosed with the virus, however, they appear to be more likely to get so sick that they need ventilation.

That's according to two other studies, involving 1,370 people hospitalised people. Smokers were 43 per cent more likely to see their disease progress to become severe than those who had never smoked.

Three studies reported death rates from COVID-19 but there 'did not appear to be a notable difference' between smokers and non-smokers.

However, the studies 'did not explicitly state never smoking status', the authors said. They implied that patients who died may have smoked in the past, but this was not clearly recorded by a doctor.

The authors concluded there is a lack of evidence that meets a high standard to definitely say whether or not smokers are at higher risk of catching the coronavirus, or having poor outcomes.

'Notwithstanding these uncertainties, compared with national prevalence estimates, recorded current and former smoking rates in the included studies were generally lower than expected,' the study authors wrote.

Data from the US suggests that smokers appear to be less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with never smokers. But the researchers noted that smokers were more likely to be tested - possibly because their symptoms are more obvious

Three studies looked at hospitalisation for COVID-19 by smoking status. An analysis of two of these studies provided zero evidence that the 657 current or former smokers with the virus were at a higher risk of ending up in hospital

Among 1,370 people hospitalised across two other studies, smokers were 43 per cent more likely to see their disease progress than those who had never smoked

Three studies reported death rates from COVID-19 but there 'did not appear to be a notable difference' between smokers and non-smokers

The first review of evidence on smoking was conducted in March, when there were very few studies.

But still, the team led by Harvard's Dr Constantine Vardavas came to the conclusion that smokers do face a greater risk of suffering complications - but are less likely to be infected in the first place.

They reviewed five studies, publishing their findings the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases, and said so far say the proof smoking raises the risk of coronavirus is limited, after finding as little as 1.4 per cent of hospitalised patients were smokers.

All of the five studies reviewed looked at either the risk of infection, disease progression or death among smokers in Chinese patients.

The largest of them all, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February, involved 1,099 patients.

Of the 173 patients who had severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent of them were current smokers and 5.2 per cent had previously smoked.

In comparison, of the patients with less-severe symptoms, 11.8 per cent were current smokers and 1.3 per cent were former smokers.

In a group of patients that either needed mechanical ventilation, admission to an intensive care unit, or ultimately died, a quarter were current smokers  more than twice the rate than in patients who did not have such adverse outcomes.

It confirmed the findings of a smaller study in Wuhan which showed more than ten per cent of COVID-19 patients who were severely ill were either smokers or former smokers.

A large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that of 173 patients who had severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent of them were current smokers and 5.2 per cent had previously smoked. In comparison, of the patients with less-severe symptoms, 11.8 per cent were current smokers and 1.3 per cent were former smokers

In comparison, of those with milder symptoms, none we current smokers. Just under four per cent had smoked previously, the findings in Allergy show.

Another study of 191 patients, published in The Lancet, showed a higher proportion of smokers among victims (nine per cent) than survivors (four per cent).

But not all the evidence suggests a negative prognosis for smokers. A study published in The Lancet made no connection between serious COVID-19 illness and smokers.

Among 41 patients, none of the 13 who needed to be admitted to intensive care were current smokers, the team in Wuhan said. But there were smokers in the group who fared better.

Similarly, researchers at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University - whose work was not included in the meta-analysis - were mystified after finding smokers were less likely to catch the deadly virus in the first place.

They made the conclusion that only 1.4 per cent of 140 hospitalised patients were smokers.

Writing in the journal The Lancet, the researchers added: 'The exact underlying causes of the lower incidence of COVID19 in current smokers are still unknown.'

But they admitted: 'The outcome of SARSCoV2 infection in smokers may be more severe.'

A study of 41 patients found that none of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers

Researchers at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University made the conclusion that only 1.4 per cent of 140 hospitalised patients were smokers

One study of 140 coronavirus patients found that among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers

Although further research is warranted, smoking is 'most likely associated with the negative progression and adverse outcomes of COVID-19', the Harvard team concluded in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases.

The experts admitted warnings made by health chiefs were based mainly on assumptions, given the known infection risks of smoking.

It came as Public Health England urged against smoking amid the coronavirus pandemic. The body said in early April to kick the habit because the virus attacks the respiratory system, 'which explains why smokers are at greater risk'.

It pointed to one 'small but highly impactful survey' which took place at The Central Hospital of Wuhan, China. Wuhan is the city where the pandemic began in December.

Doctors followed 78 COVID-19 patients with pneumonia for two weeks, to assess how their health profile affected their outcomes. The findings were published in the Chinese Medical Journal.

The patients whose conditions worsened had a 'significantly' higher number smokers compared to the patients who got better  27 per cent compared three per cent.

Researchers who led the study also concluded that a history of smoking was a risk factor for disease progression, increasing the odds by 14 times.
Enemys enemy is a friend of convenience By Tassie Seneviratne Policing the Police View(s): View(s):

The saying that an enemys enemy is a friend of convenience is a truism especially in the political arena. For example, if A, B, and C are enemies of each other, then A and B may become friends of convenience against C, or A and C against B, or B and C against A.

This happened in reality when the former Minister of National Security Lalith Athulathmudali (LA) and President R. Premadasa (RP) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were tripartite enemies.

The LTTE befriended RP against LA, and the RP governments policies paved the way for the LTTE to assassinate LA. This was done after his security detail was withdrawn, with his expulsion from the government. He was assassinated at a political meeting at Kirullapone on April 23, 1993 in spite of credible information of a threat to his life.

Having achieved the first objective, the LTTE assassinated RP using a suicide bomber on May 1, 1993.

In the present political setting the country has been governed in turns by

1.) The United National Party (UNP), UNP coalitions and offshoots of the UNP have also come to the fore.

2.) The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), SLFP coalitions and offshoots of the SLFP.

Antagonism between these two groups has been strong. But the funny thing is that many politicians of either group have been crossing and crisscrossing from one group to the other for political expediency of seeking positions and perks. Many have been partners in crime and know each others involvements. Although one may shout levelling allegations such as the Central Bank bond Scam, irregular tenders, commissions on contracts, and ill-gotten wealth from underworld drug barons and so forth, he is silenced by the other who threatens to open the first allegers can of worms. Then they agree on a truce.

Since elimination of the LTTE, politicians have neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies. They just fool the people. The fault is in the system  the one-man show. It has been there since the introduction of the Executive Presidency, and will be there as long as the system lasts.

What the people want is to have back their democratic rights. Then we can revert to grouping of friends and enemies, and politicians can remain and bolster their respective political parties either in government or in the opposition, as in the good old days.

As for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa he has inherited the one-man show and authoritarian governance has to be expected. In investigations into large scale crimes and frauds, the investigating officers are held on a leash by President Rajapaksa, the Constitutional Council and the so-called Independent Police Commission notwithstanding. Sacking of investigating officers who had uncovered implicating evidence in big crime, and the sudden departure of Police Inspector Nishantha de Silva of the Criminal Investigations Department seeking haven in Switzerland, are veritable tell tales.

It being a numbers game for President Rajapaksa, he is exploiting his position by threatening to investigate politicians, as the stick and dropping the investigation as the carrot.

It is reminiscent of the school childrens game: When OGrady says, Do this and you do it, you are in and not counted out. In the context of the present government, you are in with position and perks.

(The writer is a Retired Senior Superintendent of Police.

He can be contacted at seneviratnetz@gmail.com)
Shortages All Over

Quarantine Question

(TNS)  The city of St. Louis, Mo., needs more help identifying people potentially infected with the new coronavirus  and, in the interest of public health in the region, St. Louis County should step up, local public health advocates and some city leaders say.The countys health system is robust, so they are in a different position to move forward, said Dr. LJ Punch, an assistant professor of surgery at the School of Medicine at Washington University, an anti-violence activist and St. Louis County police commissioner. Does the county recognize the vulnerability will directly impact the county or does the county simply want to move forward and its taking a posture that says well work with the city but the city has what the city has?The disparity between the efforts being mounted by the two governments has taken on new urgency as both begin the process of lifting stay-at-home orders, and allowing more businesses to reopen this week.Familiar commuting patterns will return. City residents will go into the county and county residents will go into the city. As more people across the region interact, opportunities for the virus to spread are likely to increase.But the city  which has had a higher rate of infection than the county  is ill-equipped to address the need. While the county is in the process of hiring 100 contact tracers  the people who interview those who test positive for COVID-19 and track down their contacts to get them tested, too  the city has just 10 to 13.That reflects, in part, the disparity in resources available to the two governments. The county, because of its size, was able to get some $173.5 million in direct aid from the federal government under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.The city, which has less than a third of the population of the county, is getting just $35 million in assistance through the state.At a meeting of the citys Joint Boards of Health and Hospitals on May 7, chairman Dr. Will Ross noted that a critical step toward opening businesses in the city was the health departments ability to interview people who test positive for the coronavirus and track down and test their contacts.But Ross and Dr. Fredrick Echols, the citys health director, agreed the city didnt have millions of dollars to spend on that task like its well-funded neighbor.We cant sit back and say woe is us, we dont have all the funding, Ross said. We have to make it happen with the resources we have.At the city hearing, Echols explained the city didnt need more staff members, because it has software to automate much of the process. Rather than having a contact tracer call a person twice a day for temperature checks, he said, the person being monitored could respond to automatic notifications. He reiterated in an interview on Friday that the citys technology  which cost $12,000  is saving hundreds of staff hours.A national organization of city and county health officials recently recommended that health departments have 30 tracers per 100,000 residents. In St. Louis, that would mean 90 contact tracers. There are no immediate plans to hire more, but Jacob Long, a spokesman for Mayor Lyda Krewson, said on Friday the city would hire more if it needed them.A review by the Associated Press found states are often hundreds  even thousands  of people short of targets for their contact tracing programs. Public health experts have consistently said robust programs to test more people and trace their contacts are needed for states to safely reboot their economies and prevent a resurgence of the virus.Cook County, Illinois, has just 29 contact tracers serving 2.5 million people living in suburban communities around Chicago. Los Angeles County, which at more than 10 million people has a population slightly greater than Michigan, has just 400 of the estimated 6,000 contact tracers it will need under Californias criteria for a broader reopening.Some areas of the country have used aggressive contact tracing to root out cases of asymptomatic carriers of the disease. A team of 12 contact tracers in Fremont County, Wyoming, for example has found 180 cases, the most in the state.The state of Illinois is hiring 3,800 contact tracers. But Missouri is offering no help to local governments with hiring tracers.Many are worried the city cant make it happen, and that will make it difficult for the region to emerge from the pandemic. Because of that concern, they say, St. Louis County should have an interest in lending a hand.Alderman Cara Spencer, D-20th Ward, last week scheduled an aldermanic hearing to look into the citys readiness for contact tracing. She said on Saturday that Echols had initially agreed to attend but had backed out.There is no excuse right now for not having a regional approach to contact tracing and testing, Spencer said. And by regional approach, I mean collaborating, sharing resources, recognizing that the city doesnt have the level of funding per capita that the county has. And recognizing that we have a higher infection rate in the city.Spencer, who is running for mayor, added, We should never under any circumstances be out of step with each other on at least those issues.  We cannot continue to operate in these silos.Alderman Megan Green, D-15th Ward, said that on the calls that the aldermen have with the mayor and Dr. Echols, probably once a week somebody asks, Do you have enough contact tracers? We have constituents of ours who seem to be pretty knowledgeable who are willing to volunteer their time to help with this, and, what weve been told is that theres not a need for volunteers, that we have everything covered.I dont know that thats true. I dont know that its not true. But when we see what the county is doing versus what the citys doing, you know, it has to give us pause about whether we do have the mechanisms in place to be able to do this.Across the state, Jackson County is weighing a $5 million investment in contact tracing, including renting a building for its staff, although the board chairman wants to include some firefighters already on fire district payrolls. Jackson County includes most of the states biggest city, Kansas City.Bridgette Shaffer, the Jackson County health director, told the county legislators that her existing staff has been handling contact tracing but she needed them to get back to their regular duties providing immunizations and preventing other diseases that will spread when the economy resumes.We need a lot of resources to do this and do this smartly, she said.Quarantine data posted on the citys online portal raise questions about whether the city is identifying close contacts of COVID-19 patients.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that any person who had contact with a positive person should stay home for 14 days and maintain a six-foot distance from others at all times.There were 451 city residents who tested positive for COVID-19 from May 1 through May 14. But, on Thursday, the city had just 61 people under quarantine due to exposure. Echols said the low number was a reflection of people being isolated during the stay-at-home order.By comparison, between May 1 and 14, St. Louis County had 900 positive cases, and had 393 people under quarantine on Thursday. St. Charles County added 88 cases over that time and had 370 in quarantine.Some St. Louis officials are saying the county should do more to help the city make it happen  or else.It does St. Louis County no good to have all the contact tracers just focusing on St. Louis County, Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen, said in an interview. A virus that has traveled the globe, he said, isnt going to have any problem going between St. Louis city and St. Louis County.St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said Friday that county officials were regularly working with and talking to city health officials, but the county would not be sharing any of its federal relief funds.Humanitarian relief is coordinated regionally, he said. Our public health departments work regionally. So Im sure theres some overlap and resources, but as a general rule, the requirements from the federal government for the funds that were given directly to St. Louis County is that they should be spent within St. Louis County.As for contact tracing, he said, I am familiar with whats happening in St. Louis County. Were working very vigorously to set up our contact tracing program. I would expect that the city, St. Louis, would have a responsible program as well. I just dont know the details of it.Punch said the result of any failure to trace contacts in St. Louis would be that the virus spreads, and that black and brown people across the region would continue to suffer inordinate harm.This is a financial and manpower issue, and the question I have for the city is, how are you appropriating funds to properly support the hard workers that are doing their best in the city health department? Its clear to me that it just doesnt have the staff it needs to be able to do this enormous job.
Five doctors, including four who treated a woman who died of COVID-19, have tested positive for coronavirus in Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

They said five doctors tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday night, taking the number of healthcare workers affected by the deadly virus in the valley to 16.

A senior doctor at the Chest Diseases Hospital, a designated COVID-19 hospital, said four of the doctors who tested positive for the disease were treating a COVID-19 positive woman who died of comorbidities on Sunday.

The 29-year-old woman from Habbakadal was suffering from Ludwig's angina and operated upon at the SMHS hospital here, before testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

Three doctors from the SMHS, one from SKIMS Medical College Hospital and one from Dental College tested positive for the disease on Sunday.

"No one is immune to the infection. Please take precautions. The entire health department is at the service of all," leading pulmonologist Dr Naveed Shah said while urging people to follow the COVID-19 advisories.

The total number of coronavirus cases stands at 1,188 in Jammu and Kashmir, including 13 deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As America reopens for business, you might expect Jeff Bezos, the richest man in America, and his Amazon corporation, one of the most profitable corporations in America, to set the corporate standard for how to protect the health of American workers.

Think again.

Amazons warehouses have become COVID-19 hotspots, yet Amazon has repeatedly fired workers who sound the alarm  including, just recently, a warehouse worker in Minnesota who spoke out against unsafe conditions, and, earlier in the pandemic, a worker who led a walkout Amazons huge JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island after several employees tested positive for COVID-19.

A few weeks ago, Amazon fired two white-collar employees after they criticized the companys treatment of warehouse workers. I talked with one of them, Maren Costa, at a virtual rally. (The event didnt go off quite as planned. After thousands of employees had RSVPed, Amazon deleted all invitations and emails regarding the event, according to organizers.)

Why is Amazon so scared of workers talking with each other? Costa wondered. Were all in this together. No company should punish their employees for showing concern for one another, especially during a pandemic.

At Amazons AVP1 fulfillment center near Hazleton, Pennsylvania  under federal investigation because of an early spike in cases  workers say Amazon stopped sharing information about COVID-19 cases, so they started their own unofficial tally, which at last count was 64 and rising.

Plain truth: No one cares about us, one of them told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Another pointed to lack of enforcement of health and safety regulations. Believe me  weve complained and complained and complained, the worker said.

Only recently did Amazon start offering two weeks paid sick leave to workers afflicted with the virus, but some sick workers say theyve had trouble collecting their pay despite the new policy.

The company now says anyone who doesnt return to work will be terminated, and its about to eliminate an extra $2-per-hour hazard pay it had given warehouse workers.

Why has Bezos set the bar so low for the rest of Corporate America? It cant be the cost. Amazon can afford the highest safety standards in the world. Last quarter, its revenue surged 26 percent and its profits soared to $75.5 billion. Since March, Bezos net worth has jumped nearly $24 billion.

So, what is it? Perhaps the arrogance and indifference that comes with extraordinary power.

Consider billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who last week reopened his Tesla plant despite public-health orders from Alameda County, California, to keep it shut. After Musk threatened to sue the county and move the factory and jobs to another state, officials finally caved.

Tesla promptly notified workers that, Once you are called back, you will no longer be on furlough so if you choose not to work, it may impact your unemployment benefits ...

So Tesla workers are now being forced to choose between their livelihoods or, possibly, their lives. Musk says his factory is safe, but a worker who returned to the production line told the New York Times that little has changed, and its hard to avoid coming within 6 feet of others.

Why is Musk so intent on risking lives? It cant be the money. Musk is rolling in it. Teslas stock closed at $790.96 a share on May 13, which put the companys value at about $146 billion, according to the New York Times. (By contrast, GM, which produces far more cars, is valued at less than $31 billion.)

Its that, like Bezos, Musk wants to impose his will on the world. The pandemic is an obstacle, so it must be ignored.

In January, Musk said COVID-19 would be nothing worse than the common cold. In March, he tweeted that coronavirus panic is dumb. By late April he was calling shelter-in-place orders fascist and asserting that health officials were breaking peoples freedoms.

If all this reminds you of someone who now occupies the Oval Office, thats no coincidence. Musks thin-skinned, petulant narcissism bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Donald Trump, who last week tweeted, California should let Tesla and @elonmusk open the plant, NOW.

I once oversaw the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and can attest that Trumps OSHA is doing squat about worker safety in this pandemic. Trump is fine with this. All he cares about is being re-elected.

Trump despises Bezos, presumably because Bezos also owns the Washington Post, which has been critical of Trump. But its easy to see in Bezos the same public-be-damned bullying that emanates from the White House.

Enough! Those in power must stop viewing the pandemic as an obstacle to personal ambition. More than 300,000 people around the world have lost their lives in just four months, including about 90,000 Americans.

Bezos, Musk, Trump, and all others in positions to help contain this disaster are morally bound to do so, their own ambitions be damned.

Robert Reichs new book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, came out in March.

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CHICAGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on MarketsandMarkets report, "COVID-19 Impact on Gas Sensors Market By Technology (Electrochemical, MOS, IR, Catalytic, Laser), End-use Industry, and Region - Global Forecast To 2021", the global Gas Sensors Market size is projected to decline from USD 1,025 million in 2020 to USD 1,016 million by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of -0.9% during the forecast period.





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Electrochemical gas sensing technology segment is projected to lead the gas sensors market during the forecast period.

Based on technology, the electrochemical gas sensing technology segment is expected to lead the gas sensors industry during the forecast period. Electrochemical gas sensors measure the concentration of a target gas by oxidizing or reducing the target gas at an electrode and measuring the resulting current. These sensors use less power and are less affected by changes in temperature and pressure than others. In addition, these sensors are resistant to interference.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical & healthcare segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on end-use industry, the medical & healthcare segment is expected to register the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2021. The use of gas sensors is increasing due to their versatility, necessity in the detection of harmful gases, and proper functioning of establishments. In the medical & healthcare sector, gas sensors are used in the manufacturing of critical care equipment such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and other respiratory systems. Increasing demand for these types of equipment in this current situation is also a driver for gas sensors in the industry.

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APAC is projected to register highest demand between 2020 and 2021 owing to presence of large medical equipment manufacturing base.

The gas sensors market in APAC is estimated to be the largest in the world. APAC has a large manufacturing base for medical instruments, equipment, and devices. Increasing requirement of these medical supplies from other COVID effected economies is boosting the production of gas sensors in the region. In addition, APAC has a broad base for oil refining, petrochemical processing, chemical processing, food & beverage processing, and others, which further supports the growth of gas sensors in the region.

Honeywell Analytics (US), MSA Safety (US), Amphenol (US), Figaro (Japan), and Alphasense (UK) are some of the leading gas sensors market players benefitting due to rise in demand in this COVID-19 scenario. Donations, increased production, supply chain remodeling, and new product development were the major growth strategies adopted by the market players during this period to enhance their regional presence and meet the growing demand for gas sensors in the affected regions.

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YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The cheapest option for Qatar Airways flights from now until September 2020 from the US is a round-trip flight from Washington, DC to Yerevan, Armenia for $494, according to the Business Insider report citing Google Flights data.

Qatar Airways has unveiled its newest booking policy intended to instill confidence in travelers eager to explore after over two months of the coronavirus-related lockdown.

Customers booking new flights on Qatar Airways, according to an airline press release, will be able to make unlimited changes with no fees. Date changes and even destination and origin changes, the policy states, will be allowed free of charge, as long as the booking is made before September 30 and the destination is within 5,000 miles of the original destination.

A Google Flights search at the time of writing shows the cheapest option for Qatar Airways flights from now until September from the US is a round-trip flight from Washington, DC to Yerevan, Armenia for $494. Under Qatar Airways rules, both the origin and departure cities can be changed, the former must be in the same country but the latter can be within 5,000 miles of the original destination city, the Business Insider reported.

Flights to Yerevan are yet to be re-launched and a travel ban for non-nationals is still in force amid a state of emergency.
University lecturer leading team of healthcare professional during coronavirus pandemic

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

A lecturer at Wrexham Glyndwr University is leading a team of healthcare professionals as they help hospital patients during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lauren Porter, an acute team lead for occupational therapy at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, combines her hospital duties with a secondment to Wrexham Glyndwr University.

She has praised the way her staff have coped with the unprecedented pressures of the Co-vid 19 outbreak.

Theyve been amazing. They are a group of incredibly adaptive and resilient people. Weve started working 12 hour shifts, seven days a week so they are now working from 8am to 8pm, said Lauren.

Theyve taken that in their stride and when we asked if they were prepared to go on shifts, everybody in the team said yes.

Thats absolutely amazing  its just showing their dedication and willingness to do whatever is needed.

The team continues its vital work of providing the best possible standard of rehabilitation for patients while theyre in the hospital, and helping them to leave hospital and return home as soon as they can.

She said: At a basic level our core work hasnt changed in that were delivering an occupational therapy service to people in hospital  and that might be people who are presenting with Co-vid or with other conditions that people require hospital care for.

But obviously the differences at the moment are that staff have to wear PPE when theyre doing that, which can make communication more difficult.

Were also having to work around new processes for discharge in terms of access to support services when people are ready to leave hospital; whether theyre Co-vid positive or negative.

On a couple of occasions our team have completed twice daily visits to discharged patients to provide support whilst awaiting other services to commence.

I think thats the challenge, certainly as acute team lead, is to digest new guidance and information, disseminate that to staff and to try to facilitate them to keep doing their jobs every day.

Lauren, who is from Australia originally but has lived in Wales since 2005, highlighted the efforts of the team to provide discharge packs with essential items.

More than 1,000 was raised for the project, which was devised by team member Alana Macpherson, with Tesco in Prestatyn also donating items for the packs.

The team has also put together an isolation pack with useful information as well as activities to keep people occupied during the lockdown.

Theyre things that we can do for people going home from hospital to help them transition more smoothly which is more important than ever right now, Lauren added.
ABUJA, May 17 (Reuters) - Nigeria impounded a plane operated by a British company for allegedly contravening a flight ban imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the aviation minister said on Sunday.

Passenger flights into the country, with the exception of ones to evacuate people or repatriate Nigerian citizens, have been banned for weeks. The ban will remain in place until at least June 4.

Flights for essential services, such as the delivery of food supplies and items for humanitarian use, are permitted.

Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said in a tweet on Sunday that a plane had been impounded after the rules were broken.

Sirika said a UK company "was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably we caught them conducting commercial flights."

The message added: "The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty."

James Oduadu, an aviation ministry spokesman, told Reuters later in a telephone interview that the plane was operated by a company called FlairJet.

Representatives of FlairJet, a British private charter company that is an affiliate of Flexjet, did not respond to emails and a phone call seeking comment.

(Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja; Additional reporting and writing by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; and Peter Cooney)
18.05.2020 LISTEN

A High Court in Kumasi has reinstated the Chief of Mehame Nana Duodu Bene Nkansah after his wrongful destoolment.

Per the ruling of His Lordship Justice Frederick Tetteh, the action taken by the respondents the Offinsohene Nana Wiafe Akenten III and seven others  to yank the complainant off his stool was arbitrary.

The Mehame palace in the Offinso District of the Ashanti Region was invaded in June 2019 by persons purporting to have been sent by the Offinso Traditional Council to perform destoolment rituals.

Nana Duodu Bene Nkansah who prayed the court challenging his wrongful distoolment, Argued that news of the action, came to him as a shock as no official charges of misconduct was served him.

Led by his counsel Lawyer Obiri Yeboah, The complainant contended that he was not invited before any committee, to be properly heard and charged breaching the Laws of Natural Justice, which is upheld by customary law.

Lawyer for the respondents Franklin Asamoah was unable to produce evidence of any documentary proof of proceedings of meetings properly held to arrive at the decision to destool the Chief of Mehame.

The court ruled that per the provisions of the Chieftaincy Act, Act 759, the Respondents have no power or authority to destool the applicant in the manner in which they did, no matter how reprehensible his 'sins' against the Respondent was.

The court also upheld evidence adduced to the effect that the Omanhene of the Offinso traditional council, Nana Wiafe Akenten acted unfairly as a complainant and a judge in meetings held at his instance to reach the discision to destool the chief of Mehame.

The court further gave immediate orders prohibiting the Offinso Traditional Council led by Nana Wiafe Akenten III from preventing the Applicant from performing his duties and functions both statutorily and customarily as the Chief of Mehame.

HIS Lordship Justice Frederick Tetteh however refrained from awarding a cost on grounds that the Complainant and the Respondent held hierarchical positions as a member and a President of the Offinso Traditional Council respectively.

He however asked that the two parties to show good will to each other and find amicable means of settling differences in the interest of the peace and development of the Offinso traditional area.

The other respondents aside the Offinso Traditional Council were

The Abusuapanin of Mehame-Asona Royal Family, Kwabena Yeboah (Mehamej; Kwaku Takyi (Namoj, Abontendonhene; Dickson Opoku; Kwabena Amponsah Of Asamankama

The others were Kwadwo Akumi (Mehame); Okyeame Kwaku Wiafe and Okyeame Kwabena Owusu.
Curfew will continue in Himachal Pradesh till May 31, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Sunday after the Centre decided to extend the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The state government had imposed the curfew on March 24.

In a video statement, Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had decided to extend the lockdown beyond May 17 after talking to chief ministers of various states.

The fourth phase of the lockdown will continue till May 31, the chief minister said.

Noting that coronavirus cases had increased after the return of stranded people from other states, the chief minister said that the number of cases may rise further as about 60,000 more people had expressed their wish to come back to Himachal Pradesh.

At the same time, he said there is no need to worry.

Himachal Pradesh is still better than other states, he said and urged the returnees to follow quarantine norms whether they were being kept in any institution or at home. He said the curfew will remain imposed till May 31 to check the spread of coronavirus.

Thakur said the nation is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked the PM for announcing a Rs 20-lakh-crore package for the revival of economy.

Stating that two corona warriors also tested positive for COVID-19 in Kangra a few days ago, he wished them speedy recovery. Himachal Pradesh has reported 81 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to President Trump on Monday requesting an explanation for his move to fire State Department inspector general Steve Linick, who is the fourth federal watchdog that Trump has sought to remove in the last six weeks.

The big picture: Grassley, who says he has long considered himself a "strong supporter" of the IG community during his time in Congress, wrote that firing independent watchdogs "could create a chilling effect in the oversight community." He said that Trump's explanation that he "lost confidence" in Linick is not sufficient without further details.

A group of bipartisan senators led by Grassley wrote a similar letter to Trump after he fired Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community's inspector general, in April. They have yet to hear back, Grassley said in his latest letter.

What he's saying: "Removal of IGs without explanation could create a chilling effect in the oversight community, and risks decreasing the quantity, quality, fidelity, and veracity of their reports," Grassley wrote.

"As mentioned in previous letters, Congresss intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the IG Reform Act. This is in large part because Congress intended that inspectors general only be removed when there is clear evidence of unfitness, wrongdoing, or failure to perform the duties of the office."

"I want to work with you to ensure that the enemy here is wasteful government spending, not the government watchdogs charged with protecting the taxpayer."

Worth noting: Democrats led by House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) have already launched an investigation into the removal of Linick, who was probing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's alleged misuse of agency staff for personal errands. Engel said Monday that Linick was also investigating the administration's effort to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia without approval from Congress.
Avi Satt, 31, of Long Island, N.Y., owner of Allegria at the Fountains in Atco, in front of tables filled with food and supplies his company gave to health-care workers. The company gave out more than 1,000 bags. Read more

The leaders of three Camden County retirement communities  places that offer independent living, assisted living, and memory and nursing-home care  say they were doing everything they could to keep the coronavirus away from their residents.

They followed federal and state guidelines and more, they said. They stopped allowing visitors, activities and communal dining. Residents were largely quarantined in their rooms. Facilities screened staff members for exposure. They took temperatures. Staff wore masks everywhere.

And yet the virus got in anyway, with markedly different results. Allegria at the Fountains in Atco has had five cases among residents and four among staff. One resident died, having tested positive five days after entering the hospital for something else. At United Methodist Communities at Collingswood, 33 residents and 13 staff members have tested positive. Thirteen residents have died. At Lions Gate in Voorhees, 54 residents and 19 employees have tested positive. Twelve have died.

There may be lessons among them about preparedness, especially in the value of efficient testing. But even Avi Satt, the owner of Allegria at the Fountains, which held off the respiratory virus longer than many, said he sees no way to keep it out. On April 24, his community had its first positive case, in an assisted-living staff member.

The weakest link when youre trying to shut down a building like this is the staff, because theyre going home after each shift, Satt said.

Satt thought infection with the virus, which can spread without symptoms, was inevitable. You dream about having zero cases, but the reality of how this travels, it was a matter of when, not if , he said. When it gets into your building, it hits hard. It doesnt matter if youre the nicest or the ugliest. Its a vicious disease. It doesnt give up for a second.

The retirement community in the county with the most cases, Premier Cadbury of Cherry Hill, did not make an official available for an interview. According to the state, which lumps residents and staff cases together, that facility has had 93 cases and 20 deaths. It separately lists 13 more cases in Premier Cadbury assisted living.

Two assessments of Premier conducted for the county in April found that it was understaffed and did not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE).

Earlier this month, the county Board of Freeholders asked the state to assign a monitor to Premier Cadbury, United Methodist Communities and Lions Gate, along with two freestanding nursing facilities, Avista Healthcare in Cherry Hill (60 cases, 18 deaths) and Voorhees Center (160 cases, 30 deaths). It has since withdrawn that request for Lions Gate and Methodist because of improvements.

In a letter to freeholders, Premier Cadburys executive director, Meredith Becker, said the community is following all state-mandated protocols. Its first case was on April 6. By May 8, there were just eight positive cases remaining and 40 residents had recovered. The staff, she said, was working day and night through this crisis to ensure we have proper staffing and adequate protective supplies.

Community cases add to the risk

Coronavirus is especially deadly for the oldest adults and those with chronic health conditions. While those in assisted living usually have their own apartments and need limited hands-on care, people in nursing homes often have roommates and need close, personal attention, such as help with brushing teeth and bathing. Social distancing is not an option. People in independent living typically have less contact with medical staff. Resident leaders in two facilities said they had little contact with people in medical units.

 READ MORE: When will it be safe to visit your mom in a nursing home?

Coronavirus has raged in nursing homes across the nation, accounting for a high percentage of deaths, including in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Pennsylvania has not released information detailing the virus course through specific long-term care providers. Although officials and experts acknowledge that some facilities had staffing, training and infection-control problems long before COVID-19, they also often agree with Satts assessment that high-quality nursing homes also are vulnerable.

Two recent studies tied cases in nursing homes to larger size, urban location and cases in their surrounding communities. One study found that the number of cases in a nursing home correlated with community cases, possibly because staff members were infected outside work.

A facilitys government quality rating, whether it was a for-profit business, and how much of its budget came from Medicaid, did not predict whether it had cases, said David Grabowski, a health-care policy professor at Harvard University whose study looked at whether nursing homes had any cases, not how many. He said facilities with more staff, PPE and ability to group patients with similar disease status together might have better odds of avoiding major outbreaks.

Cases in nursing homes, he said, are kind of an across-the-board crisis.

According to the government website Nursing Home Compare, which rates homes on a scale of one to five stars, nursing homes at Allegria and Methodist had overall ratings of five stars, Lions Gate had four, and Premier Cadbury had two. Allegria and Methodist have about half as many beds as Lions Gate and Premier Cadbury.

As for payer mix, Medicaid covered 27% of patient-days at Allegria, 30 percent at Methodist, 39% at Lions Gate, and 56% at Premier Cadbury. Medicaid is less generous than other payers.

The virus arrived in many nursing homes before testing was readily available. Testing was usually restricted to people with serious symptoms and it could take days to get results  days in which the virus could spread.

Many facilities have since learned that symptoms can be subtle in the elderly: lethargy, low appetite, mild fevers. Wider testing revealed that many residents and staff members with the disease had no symptoms. Many nursing homes also struggled to buy masks, especially high-quality N95s, along with other protective clothing.

 READ MORE: 'Tinder boxes': Secret data reveal how COVID-19 swept through Philadelphia nursing homes

She thought she was ahead of the curve

Satt said that he became alarmed in February after seeing reports of double-digit mortality rates from the new coronavirus in the oldest seniors in other countries. It scared us to no end, he said.

Before the rush, his company bought three months worth of food, PPE and janitorial supplies. By mid-March, hed contracted with a lab that could give him test results in 24 hours.

Like Lions Gate and Methodist, Allegria stopped allowing visitors. Staff wore masks. They had their temperature taken and so did residents. Satt insisted that employees wear shoe covers and put their cell phones in plastic bags. He warned them about how easily the virus could get on their cigarettes. Cleaning was stepped up.

And still the virus came. Unlike in many facilities, all of Allegrias cases have been in assisted living, where residents tend to be healthier than those in nursing homes. All residents who tested positive were sent to hospitals, an option often not available in nursing homes. Many nursing-home residents do not want to be hospitalized.

So far, there have been no positive cases in independent living or the nursing home. Allegria has been testing residents only if they had symptoms. A new state mandate will change that.

Lions Gate CEO Susan Love said she thought her community was ahead of the curve all along, enacting some restrictions before government recommendations. She said they had enough PPE, including face shields, although she asked for community donations in March to give masks and gloves to all their 330 residents. Love said staffing has been adequate.

 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.

Im confident weve had everything in place since the beginning, she said.

Early on, though, their lab limited testing, so Lions Gate could test only people with symptoms. Theyd get five test kits every few days. Only in the last two weeks have tests become more available, allowing the community to test everyone in assisted living and skilled nursing. If we had appropriate testing, it definitely would have helped and slowed things down, Love said.

Most of Lions Gates cases have been in its nursing home, but there have been 18 in assisted living and one in independent living.

Their first case was on March 30, again in a staff member. As the numbers mounted, Lions Gate started testing more widely and found cases among people without symptoms. Love does not know how the first employee got it or how it spread. The community tried to confine sick patients to one floor of the nursing home and to assign specific employees to care only for them. Some assisted-living residents were also seen by outside private aides and hospice workers.

The average age of the 12 residents who died was 93, Love said. Four were on hospice care. Only five residents who tested positive went to the hospital. Most did not want to go.

He needed better testing

Jim Clancy, Methodists executive director, bristled last week after reading a news story that compared two facilities in Oregon, one with no cases and one 20 miles away that had many. The article praised the one with no cases for the steps it had taken.

Methodist had taken all those steps and more, Clancy thought. It "really, really jumped on this early and we had so many things in place going back to late February, early March, he said. Methodist asked staff members who worked at more than one facility  a possible source of viral spread  to work in only one place. Employees were assigned to work in only one level of care to prevent spread within the community. Masks were hard to get, so they saved their N95s for positive cases, but they stocked up on KN95s, which are more effective than standard surgical masks. All employees started wearing surgical masks in mid-March and stepped up protection as the virus spread. The communitys respiratory therapist moved in.

Testing, though, was a problem. Staff members went to outside testing sites that lost samples or took a long time to report back. Methodist used its usual lab for resident testing. In April, it found a lab that could supply more kits and give faster results. That allowed it to test everyone.

It would have been good if wed had the ability to do universal testing on everyone to have a baseline, Clancy said.

Methodist learned of its first case, a nursing-home staffer Clancy said had been diligent about wearing PPE, on April 11. The next day, Easter, brought the first resident case. The average age in the communitys nursing home was 92. Clancys mother, who has tested negative, lives there. Four nursing-home residents who tested positive, all in their 90s, never developed symptoms.

Seven of the 13 residents who died were on hospice. None wanted aggressive medical care, Clancy said. He takes comfort in knowing that "we abided by the wishes of every single one of them who passed away.

Early last week, Love said Lions Gate had not had a case since May 2. Im beginning to have my fingers crossed," she said. "I think that were seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Clancy was feeling hopeful, too. Methodist hadnt seen a new positive case since April 29. I believe weve definitely turned a corner, and things are starting to calm down, he said Thursday morning.

But, after Lions Gate tested everyone in long-term care later in the week, an assisted-living resident without symptoms tested positive Thursday and an employee tested positive on Friday. Clancy, meanwhile, learned Thursday that another Methodist nursing-home resident had tested positive.

Staff writer Harold Brubaker contributed to this article.
Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on May 17 that Americans will be expelled from Iraq and Syria, renewing its call for the United States to withdraw its troops from the region. The US-Iran relations had hit the nadir when American forces killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone attack in early January which was followed by Tehrans attack on military bases in Iraq that housed US troops.

The Americans wont stay in Iraq and Syria; theyll be expelled, said Khamenei during a meeting with representatives of political, scientific, cultural and student groups.

The Iranian Supreme Leader accused the US government of warmongering, helping notorious regimes, training terrorists, and unconditional support for oppression. Khamenei said that the US has failed to create global public opinion in its favour despite spending a large sum of money and thats why the American flag is burnt in many countries including the United States.

The 81-year-old cleric claimed that even the allies of the United States detest and distrust the American government and politicians. Referring to the Trump administration, Khamenei said that a part of this hatred towards the US is due to the presence of current leadership heading the government.

On one side theres Physician Trump!! On the other side is lowly, ranting Secretary of State who keeps making illogical, nonsensical comments here and there, said Irans Supreme Leader.

Read: Five Iran Tankers Sailing To Venezuela Amid US Pressure Tactics

Attempt to extend arms embargo

The United States has publicly threatened to trigger all UN sanctions on Iran if the Security Council fails to extend the arms embargo which is due to expire in October. US special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Washington will ensure the extension of the arms embargo one way or other.

In order to get the Security Council resolution adopted, the US would need nine votes in favour and no vetoes from permanent members including Russia and China. While Russia has already signalled to veto the resolution drafted by the US, Hook said that it will press ahead with diplomacy and build support.

Read: Iran Stock Market Booms, But Analysts Fear A Growing Bubble
China on Monday gave in to mounting international pressure for a probe into the origin of Covid-19 and a review of the World Health Organisations response to the pandemic. President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly that China had acted with openness, transparency and responsibility when the disease, which has impacted billions of people across the world, first broke out.

President Xi, who had been invited to speak at the opening ceremony after the European Union-drafted resolution to push for a probe was supported by more than a 100 countries, said Beijing supported calls for a comprehensive review of the global response but felt this exercise should be carried out after the world gets a grip on the situation. The worlds immediate priority should be saving people.

China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control to sum up experience and address deficiencies, President Xi told the assembly, the UN global health bodys policy making body.

China had previously opposed calls for such investigations from Washington and Canberra.

The health assembly is expected to formally take up the resolution backed by over 120 countries tomorrow. It is a formality now No one is objecting to it now, a diplomat in Geneva told Hindustan Times.

President Xis argument at the assembly mirrored the one presented by World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after a barrage of criticism, much of it emanating from the United States in the initial days.

Tedros has been blamed for backing Beijings narrative and showering praise on President Xi for his handling of the disease around the same time that there was growing evidence of efforts to play down the spread of the disease in January. He was seen standing with Beijing again when the United States restricted flights from China.

There is no need for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, the WHO chief said on February 3.

At Mondays World Health Assembly, President Xi reciprocated, telling the 194-member body that the WHOs contribution under Dr Tedros had been applauded by the international community.

At this crucial juncture, to support WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle for saving lives as well, President Xi said.

The draft resolution that had been pushed by Australia and the European Union had proposed an inquiry into the animal to human transmission of the Sars-CoV-2

President Xis comments, made during a video speech to the World Health Assembly, come as a resolution pushed by the European Union and Australia calling for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus disease picked up momentum.

By the time the truncated virtual meet started, the 54-nation Africa Group also extended support. This includes Ethiopia, home to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who made history in 2017 when he was elected WHO chief.

Tedros was not just the first African to hold the post but also the first WHO chief not to be a medical doctor. The former Ethiopian minister holds a masters in immunology of infectious diseases and a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in community health.

Tedros, who spoke minutes after President Xi, said the inquiry would come at the earliest appropriate moment and provide recommendations for future preparedness.

We all have lessons to learn from the pandemic. Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience. WHO is committed to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, Tedros said.

The review must encompass responsibility of all actors in good faith, he said.

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In a bizarre incident, two shoplifters were spotted wearing watermelon skin to cover their face while "committing larceny" a store in Virginia, United States.

According to a Facebook post by the Louisa Police Department- Virginia, the theft happened on May 6 at 11:35 pm when the two men arrived at the Sheetz in a LIFTED 2006 Black Toyota Tacoma. The watermelons had two holes cut out for the eyes.

The thieves were also spotted posing for the camera and the images went viral.

Later, the police department put out an update saying that both the men have been arrested under the larceny investigation.

The post went on to read, "The Town of Louisa Police Department is conducting a larceny investigation and is requesting the public's assistance with identifying and locating the subjects of the photos attached to this request."

A Facebook user also revealed that the two "melon heads" had posed for a photograph for him.

Earlier, in an alarming incident of racism, a customer in one of San Diego's supermarkets in the Unites States was blasted for wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood to conform to the need of wearing face masks in public.
Germany was lucky to be late in line, most experts agree. The distress in Italy, and before that in China, was sobering: German citizens knew the stakes and adapted accordingly. And crucially, both the countrys politics and the health care system proved to be up to the task. I was surprised to see how very flexibly Germanys health care system reacted to the crisis, Wolfgang Greiner, a professor of health care economics at the University of Bielefeld, told me. Both the market  most labs are private companies, as are many hospitals  and the political steering worked.

On May 6, the countrys 16 states agreed to ease the lockdown. The guiding principle is regional autonomy, with each state pretty much in charge of its own way out, following only rough common guidelines. Theres one condition: If the number of new cases rises above 50 in 100,000 inhabitants across seven days in an area, the local authorities must reinstall restrictions.

Experts disagree on the wisdom of the strategy. Instead of knocking the whole country out with a nationwide lockdown, said Professor Greiner, who supports the approach, we now have better monitoring in place and can react regionally. But Karl Lauterbach, a lawmaker from the Social Democratic Party and an epidemiologist, disagrees. The way were easing the lockdown is unsystematic, he told me. Hes afraid that states may outbid each other as they try to jump-start regional economies and cater to voters hunger for life.

The real trouble, however, goes much deeper. The economy is in disarray: 10.1 million Germans have applied for wage subsidies; many have lost their jobs, particularly those in precarious work and the service sector. Projections suggest that the economy, which has officially entered recession, will shrink somewhere between 6 to 20 percent. The loss in tax revenues will be substantial  nearly 100 billion euros, or $108 billion, by one estimate. And the countrys debt burden will soar.

The question is: Who will pay? That quandary is likely to define the next months and years, setting off a dirty lobbying war  as companies vie for concessions, support and contracts  and political turmoil. The Social Democratic Party wants to tax the rich, while the Christian Democrats are expected to retable their age-old idea of cutting corporate taxes. Their governing coalition could fracture. More difficulties lie ahead.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said countries need to work together to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

In a video address to the annual World Health Assembly, Merkel said, No country can solve this problem alone.

She backed the World Health Organisation's efforts to combat the outbreak but added that countries should work to improve procedures at the global body and ensure its funding is sustainable.

Merkel made no direct reference to US President Donald Trump's decision to cut funding for WHO over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. DCPH announced that the FDA has approved its kinase inhibitor Qinlock (ripretinib) for treating patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who were already treated with three or more kinase inhibitors including Novartis NVS Gleevec (imatinib).

In February 2020, the FDA accepted the new drug application (NDA) for Qinlock to treat patients with fourth-line GIST. In December 2019, the NDA application was filed for the same.

In August last year, the company announced encouraging data from the INVICTUS study evaluating Qinlock in GIST patients, previously treated with at least Novartis Gleevec, Pfizers PFE Sutent (sunitinib) and Bayers BAYRY Stivarga (regorafenib).

Shares of Deciphera have declined 10.4% so far this year against the industrys increase of 7.7%.



We note that the approval comes three months before the scheduled Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of Aug 13, 2020. The NDA for Qinlock was also granted Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations as well as a priority review under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program of the FDA.

Per the company, this approval was based on the efficacy data from the pivotal phase III INVICTUS study as well as the combined safety results from INVICTUS and the phase I study on Qinlock in patients with advanced GIST. Outcomes of the study showed that treatment with Qinlock led to a median progression-free survival of 6.3 months compared to one month in the placebo arm. Findings also reflect a significant reduction in the risk of disease progression or death by 85%.

Moreover, Qinlock demonstrated a median overall survival of 15.1 months compared to 6.6 months in the placebo arm, thereby reducing the risk of death by 64%.

The company plans to launch the drug shortly in the United States.

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(Natural News) Preliminary data from a clinical trial involving more than 100 covid-19 patients in Ecuador has resulted in a claimed 100 cure rate within four days, according to Andreas Kalcker who is closely following the results of the effort. The tests were carried out by the Asociacion Ecuatoriana de Medicos Expertos en Medicina Integrativa, a group of integrative medicine practitioners.

Ecuador has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus, and the current standard of care promoted by Western medicine  largely based on the use of ventilators  has been killing the vast majority of critical patients while utterly failing to address the real root of the problem.

Covid-19 isnt an Acute Respiratory Disease (ARD), it turns out. Rather, it often presents as an inflammation and blood clotting condition (see The Lancet research, below) which causes the blood to be unable to carry oxygen, resulting in patient hypoxia and eventual asphyxiation.

This is why intravenous chlorine dioxide  which immediately delivers a high dose of oxygen to blood cells  is believed to work so effectively against covid-19. It reportedly restores the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin and clears the clotting in the lungs, all while destroying pathogens.

Chlorine dioxide researcher and advocate Andreas Kalcker has posted a video (in Spanish) where he explains the findings. That video, entitled, Mas de 100 Casos de Covid-19 recuperados con CDS por medicos de Aememi, is found at this link on Lbry.tv.

A video embed is offered here:

In the video, Andreas explains that researchers were able to achieve a complete cure in just four days through the use of intravenous chlorine dioxide (ClO2). Heres a photo of some of the researchers holding syringes of chlorine dioxide, which is then infused into the patients blood, where it releases a wave of oxygen that researchers believe saturates the blood with O2 while killing pathogens:

Another clinical trial involving chlorine dioxide is currently under way, documented by the US National Library of Medicine at ClinicalTrials.gov. The study uses oral chlorine dioxide (rather than intravenous) and is entitled, Determination of the Effectiveness of Oral Chlorine Dioxide in the Treatment of COVID 19. The trial is being conducted by the Genesis Foundation and involves 20 patients.

The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for that trial is NCT04343742.

Andreas Kalcker explains in his video that chlorine dioxide is a powerful disinfectant that destroys viruses and bacteria. The substance has long been used in water purification processes and is approved by various US government agencies for as a water treatment and purification agent.

This video frame shows blood cells being flooded with oxygen from ClO2, instantly reducing clotting / coagulation:

Covid-19 is not an acute respiratory disease

In another bombshell science paper published May 7, 2020, in The Lancet, researchers Dennis McGonagle and others determined that covid-19 is not a respiratory disease but rather diffuse pulmonary intravascular coagulopathy, a kind of blood clotting that presents in lung tissue.

This explains why patients with covid-19 are dying from hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and are frequently killed by the use of ventilators. As an ICU doctor from New York warned months ago, doctors are treating the wrong disease. (That doctors YouTube channel was deleted and all his videos were censored, of course. No one is allowed to question medical orthodoxy in the medical police state known as the United States of America.)

Study authors also found the inflammation triggers a worsening of the condition, which implies that anti-inflammatory interventions might be the key to saving lives and ending the pandemic. From the study:

The immune mechanism underlying diffuse alveolar and pulmonary interstitial inflammation in COVID-19 involves a MAS-like state that triggers extensive immunothrombosis

MAS stands for Macrophage Activation Syndrome, and it is an inflammatory response stemming from an over-reactive immune response, similar to the cytokine storm thats being widely discussed (which vitamin C helps prevent, according to published research). As the study explains:

The severity of systemic inflammation in response to human coronavirus family members has features reminiscent of a cytokine storm or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), also known as secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis (sHLH).

Figure 1 from the study:

To simplify these findings, covid-19 is not acute viral pneumonia impacting the respiratory system but rather an inflammation-based immunological response that leads to thrombosis (clotting in the lungs) which kills the patient. The use of ventilators only makes the problem worse, which is why previous observational studies have found that 88% of patients put on ventilators end up dying. They are dying because the ventilator treatment is the wrong treatment.

Chlorine dioxide is reportedly saving 100 percent of the patients studied so far because chlorine dioxide floods the blood with instantly usable oxygen while killing the pathogens responsible for clotting. There is also anecdotal evidence that some people are beating covid-19 infections with high doses of aspirin, a blood thinner, although this information should not be taken as advice for treatment, and far more research is needed on blood thinners and anti-inflammatory interventions.

This may also help explain why turmeric and vitamin D are associated with strong reductions in inflammation in the body, which may prove useful in balancing the immune response and preventing the kind of imbalance that can lead to immune system overreactions.

The criminal medical cartels are censoring all treatments and cures that work to save lives

Notably, the criminal Big Pharma cartels and corrupt government regulators (like the FDA, FTC, CDC) are going out of their way to try to criminalize or suppress any non-vaccine, non-pharma solutions that might save lives. Over the last month, weve all witnessed an astonishing level of aggression and mafia-style tactics used by the FDA and FTC against pioneering researchers offering a variety of possible solutions, from colloidal silver to chlorine dioxide and even intravenous vitamin C.

Theyve even declared war on hydroxychloroquine and the medical establishment has been engineering clinical trials which are designed to fail from the start in order to discredit the off-patent, affordable drug.

There is no doubt that Big Pharmas obedient government lackeys are at war with truth and are desperately trying to suppress information about natural cures and integrative treatments that might eliminate covid-19 before vaccines can be made available.

The techno-fascist tech giants like Facebook, Google, Vimeo, YouTube and Twitter are all-in with Big Pharma, going out of their way to censor and destroy all information that criticizes vaccines or offers wisdom about natural treatments or integrative medicine interventions. This criminal cabal of Big Tech and Big Pharma is the enemy of humanity, as they are deliberately working to worsen the pandemic, increase suffering and death and extend the punishing lockdowns for as long as possible in order to cause several economic damage while preparing the masses for mandatory vaccines.

We are all witnessing a powerful criminal gang of corporations and regulators who are deliberately seeking to destroy human society as we know it today, and they are the gatekeepers of information on the net (and in the news). This is why we are repeating our call for the CEOs of all the top tech giants to be arrested and charged with crimes against humanity, then prosecuted in a court of law. Over the weekend, a member of Italys Parliament gave a rousing speech in which she labeled Bill Gates a vaccine criminal and demanded he be arrested and charged with crimes against humanity.

Such efforts should not be limited to Bill Gates, however. They must include the criminals of other tech giants as well as the corrupt, anti-human criminals running the FDA, FTC and CDC, among others. Their crimes against humanity must not go unanswered, and they must be held accountable in a court of law.

The destructive, anti-human agendas of Big Pharma and Big Tech are incompatible with human freedom and a sustainable human civilization. These anti-human institutions must be permanently dismantled, and humanity must rise up against this threat in the same way we once awakened against the Third Reich and the rise of Nazi fascism and the Holocaust.

Right now, Big Pharma, Big Tech, the FDA and the CDC are plotting to kill billions of human beings with an engineered bioweapon, a risky vaccine, and high-fatality prescription drugs that make people more vulnerable to covid-19. These enemies of humanity must be stopped, and the truth about chlorine dioxide must be set free so that human beings can be saved from suffering and death.

To learn more about the establishments war on truth (and war on humanity), watch my recent interview with Dr. Judy Mikovits, who has also been subjected to extreme censorship for raising the alarm about how vaccines are spreading infectious disease.

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US MERCENARIES BOTCHED VENEZUELA RAID MAY BE PRELUDE TO BIGGER INVASION, ANALYST WARNS

On 3rd May, the Venezuelan military thwarted Silvercorp USAs covert naval Operation Gideon, capturing two US citizens, Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, together with eleven other militants. Venezuelan analysts have discussed whether the White House was behind the botched raid and why it was doomed to failure.

President Nicolas Maduro accuses opposition leader Juan Guaido of being behind a military raid designed to oust him, as he holds a copy of a written agreement that allegedly bears Guaidos signature as evidence, during an online press conference in Caracas, Venezuela.

[The following] Wednesday, Venezuelan media broadcast the confession of Silvercorp USA mercenary Luke Alexander Denman. According to Denman, the militant group planned to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and bring him to the US.

Earlier, Silvercorp USA CEO Jordan Goudreau, a retired Green Beret and three-time Bronze Star recipient for bravery in Iraq and Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the raid speaking alongside Javier Nieto, a retired Venezuelan Army captain in a video released on social media on Sunday. The two men said that they had kicked off Operation Gideon from Colombia aimed at instigating a rebellion against Maduro and capturing high-level Venezuelan officials.

WERE GUAIDO & WHITE HOUSE INVOLVED IN THE BOTCHED RAID?

It has turned out that Goudreau allegedly signed a $213 million contract with self-declared interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido in October 2019, something that Guaido has vehemently denied. A copy of the supposed contract was published by Miami-based Venezuelan journalist Patricia Poleo, who interviewed Goudreau on Sunday. She also released recordings of an alleged phone call between Guiado, Goudreau, and senior Guaido envoy Sergio Vergara concerning the matter. However, according to the retired Green Beret, Guaido did not pay a dime for the job.

Washington has also rejected any involvement in the botched naval raid. However, The American Conservatives (TAC) Barbara Boland suggested that at least some present and former White House officials could have known about the operation, citing John Boltons tweet posted on the eve of the seaborne invasion as well as TACs interview with Roger Francisco Noriega, an American diplomat who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the administration of George W Bush.

The mercenary raid was organised by US political forces and their allies, insists Dr Angel Rafael Tortolero Leal, a professor at the Universidad Nacional Experimental de los Llanos Centrales Romulo Gallegos, diplomat, and former ambassador. According to him, the incursion falls into the pattern of Washingtons economic blockade and political attacks against Venezuela amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, that we are financially and commercially blocked by the [US], that has not prevented the countrys social and health policies from giving tangible results in the fight against the pandemic and for survival. And the maximum level of alert of the patriots organised in defence of the homeland has not decreased either, Dr Tortolero emphasises.

The attack came on the heels of a large-scale US naval operation near Venezuelas shores and an indictment of President Maduro on alleged narco-terrorism charges along with other fourteen present and former Venezuelan officials by Washington.

Venezuela has faced a new aggression from the United States, echoes Miguel Jaimes, a Venezuelan political scientist, analyst, and expert in oil geopolitics.

It is not something new for the US to use private mercenary organisations to do the dirty work, the political analyst highlights, referring to Blackwater, a notorious private military company which worked in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WHY OPERATION GIDEON FAILED

The political scientist opines that the US interference in Venezuela could have had two reasons: first, the Venezuelan opposition has so far failed to make any tangible progress in taking power; second, those behind the operation apparently believed that the Venezuelan military and population would support the rebellion against Maduro. According to him, the mercenaries and their backers in Colombia, the US, and the Venezuelan opposition deluded themselves into thinking that Venezuela is a failed state and an easy nut to crack.

Venezuela has long been on maximum alert, he underscores. Venezuela has studied all the [possible] scenarios and including an attempted violation of our sovereignty by a group of mercenaries which took place on Sunday. It was expected that this would not take the Venezuelan security forces by surprise and here we have analysed all the possibilities of foreign interference in a very violent way to bring down the government. Many things have happened here since the assassination attempt against the President of the Republic, acts of sabotage, purchases of high officials and other military personnel by the CIA and the State Department.

The coordinated work between all the components of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, intelligence services, and inhabitants of small population centres (poblados) located on the countrys coastline ensured a rapid and efficient response to the mercenary invasion, he points out.

Certainly, the northern coastal zone of Venezuela is very large and the coastal area, more than 2,300 kilometres in a straight line, is strewed with many settlements, many population centres most of them very small. Settlers and fishermen who live in these areas have a very direct relationship with each other, the analyst says, explaining why the covert operation could not go unnoticed.

Jaimes does not rule out that the botched naval raid was a prelude for larger operations against Venezuela. Still, the way it played out has put the US and the Venezuelan opposition at a huge disadvantage as the country is now mobilising around Maduro with the moderate opposition openly defying any sort of foreign military intervention against Venezuela, according to the political scientist.

No country in its right mind can accept that it would be used as a centre of destabilisation for the entire region, Jaimes notes. From Central America to South America: Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia, now have very destabilised governments with no popular support; unfortunately the armed forces [of these countries] have been at the service of very powerful economic groups [there].

Now the government is giving instructions to the people, community councils, members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and the countys whole patriotic pole which is ready to defend Venezuelas sovereignty, the political analyst emphasises.

Sputnik News
T he spread of coronavirus has placed a renewed emphasis on the role endangered animals play in the world.

When it was thought that the virus spread from Pangolins, the most endangered mammal in the world as its meat and scales are thought to cure diseases, China banned the sale of the animals. This helped to bring some much-needed respite to the animal.

Whilst we may still not know the true source of the coronavirus, it demonstrates that there is a need to understand endangered animals more than ever. In Australia, the University of Sydney has been working on vital genomics research into the Tasmanian Devil as part of a cross-governmental programme to save the threatened species.

As well as being the inspiration for one of the greatest video games, in real life the Tasmanian Devil is a rare marsupial that is only found on the island state of Tasmania. The species is threatened by extreme climate events, such as the Australian bushfires, which causes habitat destruction as well as a contagious cancer that causes face tumours and has reduced its population by more than 80 per cent.

Dr Carolyn Hogg, senior research manager for the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group in the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney, has been leading the research into the Tasmanian devil. By focusing on the genome of the animals, the team aims to provide conversation managers with the necessary scientific information and insights on how best to protect them.

We are interested in how we can improve breeding and translocation recommendations to ensure that threatened species maintain genetic diversity, explains Hogg. The more genetic diversity a species has, the greater the ability it will have to adapt to future changes. Our global objective is to proactively promote species resilience in the face of a changing world.

In order to power this research, the University has been using Amazon Web Services Cloud tech to speed up research and allow the team to more effectively manage funding. Before using this tech, Hogg said the research was like working with more than a billion pieces of a jigsaw and no guide.

Dr Carolyn Hogg with a Tasmanian devil / Dr Carolyn Hogg

Since 2019, the team has been using AWS tools and computing power with the RONIN interface. This is a simple web application that allows anyone to launch complex computer resources. The tech helps to team to process, analyse and categorise all the data to build a complete picture of what they need to. Analysis that used to take months can be done in a matter of hours.

Conservation managers on the ground can access this data in real time. We can provide conservation managers with answers to their questions in a timelier manner. This is particularly important for Australias threatened species that tend to have short lifespans and where genetic changes can occur rapidly."

Hoggs team is able to use AWSs tech in this way thanks to the companys Public Dataset Program. This covers the cost of storage for publicly available scientific data for institutions such as Nasa, the UK Meteorological Office and the Hubble Space Telescope. As all this data is stored in the cloud, researchers can work on them without needing to download and store their own copies, so theyre not limited by their local storage space or computing capacity.

The University of Sydneys Tasmanian Devil Genome project is a great example of how Australian researchers are using cloud technology and open data, to share insights with the global academic community to accelerate research outcomes, said Ian Rouse who heads up AWSs public sector work in Australia and New Zealand. We are committed to working with our customers and partners to accelerate innovation, and help organisations like the University of Sydney preserve our native wildlife and environment.

Dr Hogg and wildlife biologist Phil Wise work together as part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil programme / STDP

Mapping genomes is particularly important for scientific research, beyond the Tasmanian devil project, explains Hogg. "Genomes allow us to develop new analysis methods for species, understand differences between populations, provide information on anti-microbial peptides, which are important for future drug discoveries, provide us with knowledge on basic species biology and how species have reacted in the past to catastrophic declines.

"By working with new technologies and tech experts we can accelerate our research and through the AWS Public Dataset Program we can make our research easily accessible to other researchers at a global scale."

AWS isnt the only tech company that uses the cloud to help with conservation efforts. Google Cloud, the tech giants cloud arm, has been running a project for a few years with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to power its wildlife conservation projects across the world.

ZSL uses Google Clouds AutoML tech to automatically identify species in the tens of thousands of images its cameras take in the wild every day. The automated machine learning can identify species or work out blanks in ZSLs data in order to help the organisation know where to focus its conservation work. The automated machine learning can identify species or work out blanks in ZSLs data in order to help the organisation know where to focus its conservation work.

"As a researcher, AutoML has put some very clever machine learning algorithms, and Google Cloud computing power, at my fingertips," said Oliver Warn, AXA research fellow at ZSL. "For the first time, this has allowed us to really start investigating the power of this technology for clearing the backlog of wildlife imagery we have in conservation."
GREENWICH - The Greenwich Police Department partnered with Neighbor to Neighbor to conduct a Community Food Drive on Saturday at the public safety complex in town.

A volunteer group of about a half-dozen members of the Community Emergency Response Team assisted police officers in collecting over seven truckloads of nonperishable food items donated by residents to the local food pantry.

The food pantry is operating out of the Arch Street Teen Center during the coronavirus pandemic. The larger space was needed because demand has grown because of the economic impact of businesses closures during the crisis.

In exchange for nonperishable items, face masks were given as a thank you for helping out those in need.
A Chinese envoy to Israel Du Wei was discovered lifeless at their home located at the coastal town of Herzliya. An investigation will done to get more information about his death.

The Chinese ambassador to Israel was dead on Sunday, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry who reported that Dai Yuming, China's deputy chief of mission confirmed Du's death, and it will be investigated by officials and concerned agencies.

Based on official reports, he was found in his domicile at the coastal town of Herzliya. His death was reported by Newsweek and the Times of Israel. But, inquiries about Du Wie from the Chinese embassy in Washington has not been answered.

Prior to getting assigned in Israel, Du, 58, was placed in Ukraine as a diplomat representing China. Du arrived as the Chinese ambassador to Israel in the middle of February, but due to the coronavirus, he had to quarantine about two weeks upon arriving.

Du is well known as he often argued that China is a scapegoat based on its flawed response that is alleged to have worsened the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that at the start of the pandemic, the voices were patronizing and self-satisfied but the tone changed to making China give an apology, for all the trouble it has caused the world. China getting all the blame for the coronavirus and the misery, death that is blamed on any minority, and their utter condemnation. The virus is the enemy, and everyone must fight it. This was the gist of an interview that he gave to the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom.

Also read: Coronavirus Effects: How it Harms Human Body Organs

Remarks made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were attacked by the Chinese Embassy in Israel last Friday. The Chinese were adamant they had nothing to do with accusations that was made by Pompeo and the Trump administration as the one who is solely responsible for the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

The Chinese Embassy said that Pompeo is not correct about the comments about China saying that China is the one and the only origin of the coronavirus. Also, China kept information that endangered the world. Beijing is using investments as a tool for leverage, mentioned the embassy of the exchanges to clear their position. Later the Chinese response was on Israel's English-language newspaper The Jerusalem Post.

Furthermore, the Chinese cited that scientists have no proof where the COVID-19 did come from. It is not always the case that was a virus is reported is always where it began. Even mentioning that China was not guilty of hiding anything, which is one of the charges of the Five Eyes Alliance Report.

Chinese official argued that China targeted by a scapegoat mentality and Israel knows what is happening. Citing a demand that China should be paying for damaging is very ludicrous, and a political attack which is to blame someone else for their inadequacies.

Ynet News confirmed that Du was discovered lifeless in bed by one of his staff. Another news outfit Channel 12 news said the cause of death is unknown. It is also said that he might have died from cardiac arrest when he was sleeping.

The death of one of China's ambassador is raising eyebrows, and add the charges during the pandemic that will add more rumples to Beijing's troubles. Both the US and China are at necks during this crisis.

But, the big question is why did Du Wei die? Is there any foul play involved?

Related article: Second Wave After Lockdown Will Hit Hard, US Will Run Out of Resources

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By PTI

LONDON: Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, the National Hydrographer to the government of India, has been honoured with the 2019 Alexander Dalrymple Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian hydrography and across the wider Indian Ocean region, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) said in a statement on Monday.

The award, first presented by the UK Ministry of Defence-sponsored UKHO in 2006, is named after the first Hydrographer of the Admiralty, Alexander Dalrymple.

Recipients of the award are selected by the Executive Committee of the UKHO for their efforts in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world.

"Vice Admiral Badhwar is a true champion of the hydrographic profession. He has helped to unlock the economic potential of marine geospatial data and further hydrographic science in both India and the wider Indian Ocean region," said Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, the UK's National Hydrographer at the UKHO.

"The important capacity building contribution of our friends and partners at the Indian Naval Hydrographic Office, who work in concert with the IHO (International Hydrographic Organisation), is helping to usher in a safer, more prosperous and more sustainable world.

"We look forward to continuing to work with Vice Admiral Badhwar and his team as we help all nations unlock the power of their blue economies," he said.

Having joined the Indian Navy in 1982, Vice Admiral Badhwar has extensive hydrographic surveying experience.

This includes work in the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands  widely recognised as some of the most challenging environments to survey in the world.

In his capacity as National Hydrographer, Vice Admiral Badhwar has been a pivotal member of the IHO's Capacity Building Sub-Committee since its creation.

He also leads the Indian Naval Hydrographic Office's own regional Capacity Building programmes.

In this role, Badhwar coordinates efforts to help Indian Ocean coastal states to develop their hydrographic and cartographic capabilities an important step to unlocking each of these states' blue economies.

"This recognition would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues in the National Hydrographic Department, who worked tirelessly towards achieving the goals set forth by the United Nations and IHO.

"Last but not the least, I am also grateful to all my fellow hydrographers worldwide for acknowledging our work," said Badhwar, in reference to his UK award.

His contribution to the sustainable development of Indian Ocean coastal economies was also recognised last year, when he received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for "distinguished service of an exceptional order during peacetime".
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, said the buses were stopped at Bahej village in Bharatpur's Deeg area in Rajasthan close to the border between the two states.

After making the buses wait for almost the entire day, they were asked to return to Rajasthan, said Singh. Bahej village falls under the minister's assembly constituency. We had been waiting for permission from the UP government to enter cross the border for nearly seven hours, Singh alleged.

"It is really quite sad that the UP government is not accepting and the busses are still sitting at the border. 10.20pm. My SDM has been busy arranging for meals for the bus drivers and conducters. Was an emotional moment for me to see her begging the UP officials to allow buses," he said in a tweet later.

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. The decision was taken purely on humanitarian grounds and there is no question of politcising the issue since neither UP nor Rajasthan are going to polls anytime soon, said Singh.

Moreover, none of the buses had any Congress symbol like a sticker or flag on them, he added. Priyanka Gandhi had earlier in the day, Adityanath to allow the party ferry migrant labourers back home in buses arranged by it and kept ready at the state border. The minister said, the episode has exposed the inhuman side of the Uttar Pradesh government which in the first place, failed to provide transport to migrant labours wanting to return to the state and thus, forcing them to walks hundreds of miles on foot.

According to Pradeep Mathur, former Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, the state government was informed about the arrival of buses via a WhatsApp message sent to Additional Chief secretary Avanish Awasthi and S K Goel Principal secretary to the chief minister. However, no response was received from them, he claimed.

Also read: Relief for stranded migrants! Inter-state movement of buses finally allowed

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: It's Delhi vs Bihar on who pays the train fare for migrant workers
Cambodia has launched a new campaign to reduce backlogs and pending cases in provincial and municipal courts as a first step in a reform of the countrys judicial system, Cambodias justice minister said on Monday.



The campaign, which will run from six to nine months, is aimed at clearing the cases of up to 40,000 detainees now packed into overcrowded cells so that new cases can be brought, Minister of Justice Kouet Rith told reporters at a press conference in Phnom Penh.



The Justice Ministry will only provide logistical help and support to the courts, and will not interfere in the work of prosecutors and judges in conducting the trials, Kouet Rith said.



The Ministry will provide whatever technical and legal support and supplies that it can to assist in the campaign, but will leave work procedures up to the judges discretion, he said, adding that the new campaign will be followed by further reforms.



Cases of corruption uncovered in the course of the campaign will be met with zero tolerance, Kouet Rith said.



If any judge or court clerk recklessly violates the law of takes advantage of this campaign to further his own interests, their wrongdoing will be documented, and they will be firmly and absolutely held responsible for their actions, he said.



The Ministry wishes to declare that this is its absolute position, he added, calling on local and international NGOs to support the Ministry and help the campaign succeed by not interfering with the courts work.



'Transparency will be important'



Civil society groups in Cambodia never interfere in the countrys judicial affairs, though, Am Sam Ath of the Cambodia-based human rights group Licadho told RFAs Khmer Service.



We only wish to see detainees case files expedited so that backlogs do not occur and their rights are not affected, he said. Transparency will be very important in this process so that justice can be served.



The Ministry of Justice should look more closely into cases of unlawful arrest and detention by the police and in the courts, said Ny Sokha, an officer of the human rights group Adhoc and a former political prisoner himself.



[All of this] should be properly and lawfully enforced so that detainees are treated fairly, he said.



Cambodia placed 15th out of 15 countries surveyed in the East Asia and Pacific region for adherence to rule of law, according to a report released on March 11 by the World Justice Project, which also ranked the autocratic Southeast Asian state near the very bottom of its list of countries examined worldwide.



Examining constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, and the integrity of courts, among other factors, the WJP Rule of Law Index measures the rule-of-law performance of 128 countries around the world, the WJP said in its report.



Rights groups in Cambodia and around the world have widely condemned the use by Cambodias ruling Cambodian Peoples Party of the countrys courts to jail and harass journalists and members of political opposition groups.



They have also accused top government figures and their family members of profiting from illegal logging and the seizure of land for commercial development.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Richard Finney.
(Natural News) Mouthwash may soon become another possible weapon against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new research says.

Conducted by a team of scientists and clinicians from the Cardiff University School of Medicine, the study, published in the Function journal, looked into the possibility that the active ingredients that give commercially available mouthwashes their potent antimicrobial properties could also be effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The research team decided to investigate mouthwashes since these have been proven effective against the bacteria that trigger specific oral health issues.

According to an earlier study, mouthwashes  also known as oral rinses  destroy bacteria by disrupting and dissolving the lipid membrane or shell that surrounds them.

Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, possess a similar lipid shell.

The researchers, led by Valerie ODonnell, argued that gargling with mouthwash could possibly neutralize viruses and other pathogens present in the throat, thus preventing them from spreading through coughing.

In test-tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar viruses, ODonnell said.

ODonnell added, however, that because there is still no evidence if existing mouthwash formulations would work against the lipid shell of SARS-COV-2, clinical trials must be done in order to test their effectiveness.

Our review of the literature suggests research is needed as a matter of urgency to determine its potential for use against this new virus, ODonnell said.

According to the researchers, the ingredients of commercially available dental mouthwashes, such as chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine, all have the potential to prevent infection, adding that several of them deserve clinical evaluation.

One of the ingredients, ethanol, has been shown to kill at least two other viruses in the coronavirus family, the researchers said, noting that previous data published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases offers evidence that ethanol kills viruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

As per the researchers, this indicates that relatively diluted ethanol may be highly effective against enveloped viruses.

In addition, the researchers pointed to essential oils as being particularly effective against pathogens, noting that an ethanol solution containing both eucalyptus oil and thymol  a compound extracted from the thyme plant  possessed significant antiviral properties toward the herpes simplex virus.

A 30-second rinse reduced infectious virions of herpes simplex types I and II to effectively zero, the researchers said, citing a previous study published in Phytotherapy Research.

According to the researchers, these studies provide proof-of-concept that mouthwashes containing essential oils with 21 to 27 percent ethanol can inactivate enveloped viruses, both in the lab and in humans, and damage the lipid surrounding them.

Ethanol in combination with essential oils may provide a more effective formulation, the researchers said, adding that these types of mouthwash may be effective against SARS-CoV-2, although no studies have been conducted on the matter. (Related: Survival 101: How to prep for the next coronavirus lockdown.)

The researchers, however, made no mention of other natural treatments such as colloidal silver, another proven antimicrobial agent, in their study.

We highlight that already published research on other enveloped viruses, including [other strains of] coronaviruses, directly supports the idea that further research is needed on whether oral rinsing could be considered as a potential way to reduce transmission of [the coronavirus], the research team wrote in their study.

The team stressed, however, that several other factors, such as safety and length of exposure to the antimicrobial agents, also need to be investigated.

The researchers further noted that the public should continue adhering to official guidance on how to ward off potential COVID-19 infections while they wait for the clinical studies to be conducted.

People should continue to follow the preventive measures issued by the UK government, including washing hands frequently and maintaining social distance, ODonnell said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) previously debunked theories that mouthwash can stave off potential COVID-19 infections.

https://twitter.com/whowpro/status/1224506134100230144?lang=en

Some brands of mouthwash can eliminate certain microbes for a few minutes in the saliva in your mouth. However, this does not mean they protect you from 2019-nCoV infection, the WHO said in a social media post earlier this year.

As of press time, over 4.8 million individuals have been infected, while 317,000 have been killed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Academic.OUP.com

Scielo.br

Newswise.com

TheSun.co.uk

Inquisitr.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 1

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 2

Yahoo.com
18.05.2020 LISTEN

A 55-year-old man, Osmanu Mumuni has been picked up by the Weija Division of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) for cutting off part of his son's ear with a razor blade.

The boy stays with his father at Obuom-Domeabra.

According to police, they received information from the mother of the child that the suspect, who is her ex-husband had chopped off part of the boys ear and placed the boys fingers in an open fire for allegedly stealing 250.

Police say they met the victim in severe pains with marks of assault all over his body, took him to the Amanfrom Polyclinic and have since been released to his mother for home care.

The suspect, Mumuni Osmanu, who is currently in police custody admitted the offence but claimed the victim is stubborn.

The Weija Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) has arrested a 55-year-old father for cutting off part of his sons ears and also attempted to burn his fingers until the boy was rescued by some neighbours. The father suspected the boy of stealing an amount of GH250 hence the punishment, DSP Effia Tenge, the PRO of the Accra Regional Police Command said.

She said the 10-year-old boy was seen in severe pains and marks of assault all over his body was sent to the Amanfrom polyclinic for medical attention. He has since been released to his mother as police continue with investigations.

DSP Tenge further appealed to parents and caregivers to avoid physically assaulting children in their care as a form of punishment.

She said such actions have dire consequences on the children.

We appeal to guardians, child caregivers, and parents not to transfer their anger to the children as the harm that is usually caused leaves a lasting effect on them physically, psychologically, mentally and emotionally. We will appeal to parents to desist from abusing their children especially these times that they are home.

Osmanu Mumuni is being processed for court.

---citinewsroom
(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. said its reopening more than 25 stores across the U.S. and 12 stores in Canada this week, adding to nearly 100 global locations that have reopened to customers after the novel coronavirus outbreak forced them to close. Some stores will offer only curbside or storefront service, the company added in an emailed statement.

In a letter to customers by Deirdre OBrien, Apples senior vice president for retail and people, the company said its focused on limiting occupancy and giving everybody lots of room, with a renewed emphasis on one-to-one service throughout each store. Therell be temperature checks conducted at the door and face coverings will be required for all employees and provided to any shoppers without one.

A store opening in no way means that we wont take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant, OBrien wrote.

The U.S. Apple stores set to reopen are in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Washington state.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is in the process of reopening most of its retail sales network across Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. It plans to reopen 10 of its 17 stores in Italy this week, it said on Friday.

Read more: Apple to Reopen 10 of 17 Retail Stores in Italy Next Week

Apple closed all of its stores in mainland China early on in the novel coronavirus outbreak, which it was able to reopen a few weeks later as the pandemic was reined in across the country. It then closed all of its stores outside greater China until it started a gradual reopening with its Seoul, South Korea location recently.

(Updates with additional store reopening plans from first 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.
Luxembourg's flag carrier Luxair has unveiled more details about its relaunch of activities. The airline will fly to five European cities from 29 May.

The Pentecost holidays traditionally mark the beginning of the summer season. Luxair was forced to temporarily suspend flight operations due to the pandemic. The airline is set to partially resume its activities on 29 May.

Passengers will be able to fly to five destinations in Europe in a first phase of the relaunch: Stockholm, Lisbon, Porto, Hamburg (via Saarbrucken), and Munich.

Luxair emphasised that they would implement the directives of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the WHO to guarantee the safety of its customers.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympusat, Inc., one of the largest independent media corporations specializing in the ownership, distribution, production and technical services of Spanish- and English-language networks, announced that Free TV Application, the top Ad-Supported, On-Demand Video Service, is now available in the Latin-American market including Mexico, through Google Play Store, Apple Store, via Web Browser (at freetv.com), and mobile apps for Apple's iOS as well as Google's Android.

The on-demand content available on Free TV, comprises an array of top-rated multicultural productions from around the world, including between 800 and 1000 hours per month dubbed into Spanish combined with 200 hours of content from Mexico, Spain, and the rest of Latin America. The initial offering included action, drama, thriller, and crime genres, which are split into 30% movies and 70% series with an average duration of 90 minutes for movies and 45 minutes per series episode.

"We're excited to offer Free TV in South America and Mexico, as the first of many launch initiatives to advance our global footprint," says Tom Mohler, CEO of Olympusat. "We look forward to entertaining viewers who will discover the growing value of free video on demand with a large number of titles which will continue to expand in the coming months."

Some of the international super productions available now on Free TV are the following films and series:

Battle for Sevastopol: The action story of the most successful female sniper in history.

The Stronghold: The fantasy tale about a schoolboy who goes a thousand years into the past through a mysterious portal.

The Red Queen: The mystery and drama chronicles of the famous USSR model known as the most beautiful Kremlin weapon.

All in one AVOD service, Free TV uniquely caters to the undeserved Hispanic community offering a way to stream free, ad-supported, Spanish-language programming. Another demonstration of how Olympusat continues to work with creative teams to drive innovation and quality in the media landscape, where enhancing the customer's experience is paramount.

To learn more about Olympusat and Free TV, please visit olympusat.com and freetv.com



Olympusat - Editorial Contact:

Jesus Pinango

Senior Director of News

561-249-5228

[email protected]

SOURCE Olympusat, Inc.
TOKYO - Japan launched its new space defence unit Monday to monitor and counter threats to the countrys satellites.

The Space Operations Squadron, part of Japans Air Self-Defence Force, starts with 20 members and is expected to grow to about 100 members once the unit is fully operational in 2023.

The role of the unit is mainly to monitor and protect Japanese satellites from enemy attacks or space debris. It will also conduct satellite-based navigation and communications for other troops in the field.

The launch of the new unit comes amid growing Japanese concern that China and Russia are seeking ways to interfere, disable or destroy satellites.

The unit will co-operate with U.S. Space Command that President Donald Trump established last year, as well as Japans space exploration agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Defence Minister Taro Kono said.

It is important that we gain superiority in the space domain as well, Kono said Monday at a launch ceremony. We must adapt to the new security environment as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed for Japans Self-Defence Force to expand its international role and capability by bolstering co-operation and weapons compatibility with the U.S., as it increasingly works alongside American troops and as it grows concerned about the increasing capabilities of China and North Korea.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi
Tori Spelling turned 47-years-old with her five kids and a gelato cake that called her a 'queen.'

The Beverly Hills, 90210 vet thanked the Gelato Festival in West Hollywood for the special treat.

'My birthday weekend kept going yesterday! An amazing gelato strawberry and lemon cake from @gelatofestival (best weve ever tasted!),' she said on Instagram.

Yummy! Tori Spelling turned 47-years-old with her five kids and a gelato cake. The Beverly Hills, 90210 vet thanked the Gelato Festival in West Hollywood for the special treat

So beautiful! The cake was nicely decorated and called the actress and author a 'queen'

'Can we keep celebrating? #birthdayinquarantine by self timer ( how did we do? Ha ha) xoxo,' she added.

She also seemed grateful as she shared several photos from Saturday.

'I reflect on the amazing day I had with my family and just some of the amazing bdays Ive celebrated over the years,' said the blonde pinup. 'Love all the people that have been on the journey with me so far.'

A nice note from the shop: The Gelato Festival is a gelato shop on Melrose Avenue where the creamy delight is made

The Inn Love star added: 'Its been an incredible empowering and humbling ride.

'From my 18th bday party in the last pic ( keep swiping left till last pic)) and my bday tonight with my kiddos.

'Cant wait for many more adventures with the ones I love.'

Then she shared a special note for her five little ones: 'And, my kiddos. I am so grateful for all of you. Thanks for all the presents and Birthday wishes today. Grateful. Xoxo #birthday.'

A celebration: The Beverly Hills, 90210 vet seemed grateful as she shared photos to Instagram

So 90210: Here she is with Jenny Garth and Jason Priestley as the celebrate her birthday

The past: 'I reflect on the amazing day I had with my family and just some of the amazing bdays Ive celebrated over the years,' said the blonde pinup. 'Love all the people that have been on the journey with me so far'

Tori married Dean, 53, in 2006 and are parents to Liam, 13, Stella, 11, Hattie, eight, Finn, seven, and Beau, three.

The star has been holed up in her five-bedroom, five-bathroom 3,500 square foot home in Hidden Hills, California.

The cover girl has also said that she stays busy cooking for her kids and she tries to include them when she makes snacks or bakes.

Posing away: An older image with her husband and four of her five kids. Tori married Dean, 53, in 2006 and are parents to Liam, 13, Stella, 11, Hattie, eight, Finn, seven, and Beau, three

Earlier this month she shared two new pinup images for her 1.5M Instagram followers.

The wife of Dean McDermott was in a dusty pink satin top and a pair of jeans made by Khloe Kardashian's company Good American. The Mystery Girls actress said the jeans were 'comfy' and 'suck me in in all the right places.'

The Hollywood vet was in the living room of her roomy Hidden Hills, California mansion she and Dean share with their five children.

When she turned 21: With Jennie as well as her mother Candy on her 21st celebration

The good ole 90210 days: In the top left, she is seen with Luke Perry who passes away in 2019

The blonde beauty was nicely made up for the image with her hair down and a vampy mauve lip.

The top was low-cut and came in at the waist while the jeans hugged her curves.

And a large Chanel necklace stood out against her tan chest. She added peep-toe heels.

Next to her was a brass tray with a small plant, a candle and several quart crystals creating a Zen atmosphere.

Fancy: The 80s vet shared two new pinup images for her 1.5M Instagram followers in a dusty pink satin top and a pair of jeans made by Khloe Kardashian's company Good American

Nice digs: The Beverly Hills, 90210 vet was in the living room of her roomy Hidden Hills, California mansion she and Dean share with their five children

'Finally, having a date night IN during Quarantine with the hubby,' said the Inn Love star in her caption.

'Feeling SO confident in my @GOODAMERICAN The Good Boy jeans and top!

'The fit is so comfy and soft, & sucks me in in all the right places. I love that they are inclusive to all body types, ranging from XS-4X and so many washes and designs.'

Partners: 'The fit is so comfy and soft, & sucks me in in all the right places. I love that they are inclusive to all body types, ranging from XS-4X and so many washes and designs,' said Tori as she did a sponsorship for Koko

She then did a plug for Khloe adding this was a 'sponsorship': 'Excited to offer 20% off at goodamerican.com/torispelling and free shipping on orders over $75 !'

It is not known if Khloe and Tori are pals though they live only 10 minutes away from each other - Tori in Hidden Hills (near Kim and Kylie) and Khloe in Calabasas (near Kourtney).

She added a hashtag for 'body positivity.'

Tori seems to be dealing well during LA's coronavirus lockdown. Last month the star told DailyMail.com how she is coping.

'Everyone in our house was fighting over what to watch on TV, so we just downloaded this new app and got the kids settled Now, we can figure our what we wanna watch!' the Inn Love star said.

Nice backyard: Here Spelling is seen in April on the patio of her mansion which also has a swimming pool

She then explained what her new app is.

'Have you heard of the app Watchworhy? Its personalized TV, so you can personalize it to your watch list,' the LA native explained.

'You can connect it to your Netflix or Disney+! we just downloaded two episodes of the Muppets, so they are set.'

This comes after Spelling passed some time by participating in the pillow challenge that's been doing the rounds on social media since earlier in the month.

She posed wearing a pillow made into a dress for a photo taken by daughter Stella, 11, then posted it to Instagram with the caption 'Pillow Talk.'

Tori explained her look, sharing: 'Im a vintage girl. So, mixed vintage fashion with a wink to Donna Martin.'

The star wore a pink and black polka dot blouse and attached the white pillow to her body with a black ribbed camisole top and fastened with a black leather belt.

She added black fishnet tights and black cork-wedge shoes and accessorized with a shiny gold clutch purse and a statement necklace.

And the pinup completed the look by styling her long hair in a high ponytail with pink scrunchie.
Education technology company Enuma, best known for its childrens app Todo Math and as a winner of the Global Learning XPRIZE competition, closed its $9 million Series B round financing.

Enuma is an education technology company that has drawn attention in the online education market, which has been a boon to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its founding in Berkeley, California in 2012, Enuma has developed game-based self-directed applications for children to help them acquire foundational math and literacy skills even without adult support. What distinguishes Enumas products is the accessibility and inclusivity to enable all children, including children who find learning more challenging or have learning differences, to engage in learning together joyfully.

Enumas flagship product, Todo Math, which has recorded over 8 million downloads worldwide since its launch in 2014, has continued to be loved, ranking number 1 on the App Store education category in Korea and Japan recently. Last month, Enuma launched a new app, Todo English, in Korea. Combining game-based learning activities, worksheets and videos while sharing progress reports with parents through chatbots, Todo English has quickly gone viral, with rapid revenue growth, as a substitute to English kindergartens and afterschool programs for young learners who are at home due to COVID-19.

Enuma is also active in addressing the inequities in education through its apps like Kitkit School, which was a co-winner of the Global Learning XPRIZE competition to tackle illiteracy of out-of-school children in developing countries, and Enuma Geulbang, which was developed to teach Korean literacy to children from multi-cultural families. Enumas digital solutions have recently received a lot of attention from both the private and public education markets. We are going to to lead the transformation of the education market worldwide by bringing innovative digital-based solutions, and not let it become a short-lived trend triggered by COVID-19, said Sooinn Lee, CEO of Enuma while sharing her aspiration.

With this round of financing, Enumas cumulative investment surpassed $18 million. YellowDogs Director, Hyunjoo Je, who has led this Series B round and the previous financing round in 2018 said, In this era of COVID-19 where distance learning solution is needed, Enuma offers products that teaches early learners basic English reading, writing, and numeracy through apps only. As a company that is on the forefront of the online self-directed learning trend, I look forward to Enumas remarkable growth. This rounds investors include YellowDog, SKS PE, SK Holdings, Kakao Ventures, and Shinhan Alternative Investment from Korea, the Kuok Group from Malaysia, and the HEAD Foundation from Singapore.

About Enuma

Enuma creates exceptional learning apps that allow all children to gain confidence and independence while building foundational skills. The name Enuma comes from the word enumerate, or to name one by one, which underscores our commitment to every childs individual success.

Enumas notable products include Todo Math and Todo English with over 8 million downloads worldwide, along with Kitkit School, which was named a winner of the Global Learning XPRIZE competition in 2019. Enuma was founded in 2012, and is headquartered in Berkeley, California with offices in Seoul and Beijing.
The research on coronavirus vaccine has thrown up some questions on the time frame as well as on the efficacy of the cure once it is found. While many researchers and leaders believe that it will be a while before the COVID vaccine is found, many also believe that its potency might also be in question. Additionally, if the virus mutates, then the coronavirus vaccine in itself might be rendered powerless and would set the world back in its research. Recently Chief Executive Officer of Novartis said that a vaccine for coronavirus would not be ready before two years. "If everything goes as we hope, it will take 24 months before we have a vaccine," said Vas Narasimhan. Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that a vaccine could take 12-18 months.

Nevertheless, a host of pharma companies from across the world have set forth to find a cure. Moderna, University of Oxford, Novavax, Pfizer, Sinovac, CanSino, Sanofi Pasteur, Inovio and Johnson and Johnson are some of the leading companies/universities with leading corona vaccine candidates.

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine update: PM-CARES funds India's efforts; Oxford sees some positive results

The University of Oxford is conducting human trials for its vaccine candidate called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or Chaddox One. Researchers have already recruited up to 1,102 participants across labs in London, Bristol. Oxford and Southampton. A smaller group of volunteers would also receive two doses of the vaccine four weeks apart. All volunteers are between 18 and 55 years of age and have not been tested positive for coronavirus. They also need to not have taken part in an earlier adenoviral vaccine or any other coronavirus vaccine.

UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma said that if the vaccine is found, then 30 million people would receive it. However, he warned that there is no certainty that a vaccine would be developed.

In what might appear to be a drastic measure, World Health Organisation has said that well-designed human challenge studies could go far in finding a COVID vaccine. In human challenge studies, subjects are administered the vaccine and then are deliberately exposed to the virus. This, WHO said, is a "substantially faster" way of testing the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine. While a controversial method, human challenge studies have been conducted successfully in the past.

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine update: Moderna, Novavax lead race; Chinese firm builds largest vaccine plant

Meanwhile in Canada, Justin Trudeau said that approval to conduct the first clinical trials has been given. The Canadian Center for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University has received the nod from Health Canada to begin clinical trials of the vaccine candidate. "If these vaccine trials are successful we could produce and distribute it here at home. Research and development take time, and must be done right, but this is encouraging news," said Trudeau. The National Research Council of Canada would work with the manufacturers of the vaccine so that it can be produced domestically.

In Israel, a Defence Ministry-run laboratory has successfully completed coronavirus vaccine trials on rodents. The Israel Institute for Biological Research would conduct more tests on other animals before moving on to human trials stage.

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine update: More companies join the race as experts remain cautious

Moreover, tobacco company, British American Company, known for their cigarette Lucky Strike, claims to have developed a vaccine for coronavirus. It said that their candidate has shown positive immune response in pre-clinical trials. "We have committed funds to conduct these clinical trials, which could start as early as late June, pending the responses from relevant health bodies," said BAT. It is in touch with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government agencies across the world.

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: Here's what's brewing in India and globally

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: List of 5 COVID-19 treatment frontrunners
The Maharashtra government on



Monday appointed controversial IPS officer Amitabh Gupta as the head of a committee tasked with issuing passes for inter- state movement of vehicles carrying migrant workers, two days after he resumed duty.

Gupta hit headlines when he was sent on compulsory leave by the Maharashtra government last month for allegedly allowing tainted businessmen-brothers Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to travel during the lockdown.

He resumed work two days ago after a panel probing the matter exonerated him, a senior official had said.

In an order issued by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Monday, Gupta, who is principal secretary (special) in the home department, was named as the head of the committee.

Gupta will be assisted by Vinay Chaube, Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, and Rahul Kulkarni, deputy secretary in the general administration, the order said.

The panel will assist police authorities in compiling the list of migrants who wants to return to their home states and issuing passes to vehicles ferrying them, it said.

Gupta was sent on compulsory leave for allegedly allowing DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to travel from Khandala near Pune to Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in Satara district, despite the lockdown.

The Wadhawans are under the scanner of probe agencies in Yes Bank and Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scams.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Burundians will vote Wednesday in a tense general election, despite a largely-ignored outbreak of coronavirus which is set to be the first major challenge for the new president.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005, shocked observers by deciding to step aside, five years after a controversial third-term run plunged his country into political and economic crisis.

While Ethiopia decided to delay its election this year due to the pandemic, Burundi has pushed forward with the vote at all costs, with heaving crowds of thousands attending political rallies, with only buckets of water and soap available as a nod to the virus.

Burundi has so far officially recorded only 42 cases and one death from the virus, but doctors and the opposition accuse the government of hiding the true extent of the outbreak.

The government has expelled the four top World Health Organization (WHO) officials steering the response to the epidemic, with no explanation. They left the country on Saturday.

Officials in Burundi have cited divine protection for the countrys ostensibly low infection rate and urged citizens to go about their daily lives without fear.

Burundi has not taken any measures to confine or limit the movement of the population, unlike most other countries in the region with the exception of Tanzania  where many fear the virus is also spreading out of control.

Do not be afraid. God loves Burundi and if there are people who have tested positive, it is so that God may manifest his power in Burundi, said General Evariste Ndayishimiye, the presidential candidate for the ruling CNDD-FDD party.

 The heir 

With a possible major health crisis looming, the nation with a population estimated at roughly 11 million people is preparing to turn the page on Nkurunzizas long rule, marked by widespread human rights violations.

At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 400,000 displaced in violence between April 2015 and May 2017 that the UN says was mostly carried out by state security forces. Less than a quarter of those displaced have returned to their homes.

No official death toll has been released since, but UN investigators have said crimes against humanity in the country were ongoing, citing summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence.

The UN and rights organisations attribute much of the violence to the Imbonerakure, members of the ruling partys youth wing which the UN describes as a militia, as well as the feared national intelligence agency which answers directly to the president, the police, and to a lesser extent the army.

Nkurunziza had been widely expected to run for office again, after a constitutional change would have allowed the move. However internal party sources say he came under pressure from an influential group of generals to step aside.

At the end of January the party unveiled Ndayishimiye as his successor  a veteran party operator nevertheless seen as softer than Nkurunziza.

While Ndayishimiye is seen as the frontrunner, his main rival among six other candidates, Agathon Rwasa, has mobilised large crowds at his rallies.

 A legitimate rival 

Rwasa comes from the countrys oldest ethnic Hutu rebel movement Palipehutu-FNL which he led in the early 2000s. It was one of the two main rebel groups during Burundis 1993-2006 civil war, which pitted Hutu rebels against the minority Tutsi-dominated army. The war left more than 300,000 dead.

In the eyes of the Hutu, who make up 85 percent of the population, Rwasa has as much legitimacy as a presidential candidate as the leaders of the other rebel group, now the ruling party.

The people wont let their victory be stolen, warned Rwasa, after the ruling party made clear it expects no other outcome than a resounding win.

The campaign was marked by violence such as clashes between the members of rival parties and the arrests of opposition members.

The election will take place far from the eyes of the world  the government has refused any observers from the UN or the African Union, accusing the latter of being too close to the opposition.

The East African Community was meant to send a team of observers, but Burundi announced they would have to spend 14 days in quarantine due to the coronavirus, meaning they would be unable to do their job on the day of the election.

The victor of the election has a tough job ahead to stabilise the economy, already battered by the years of turmoil, and flagging further under the impact of the coronavirus.

The World Bank lists Burundi as among the three poorest countries in the world, with 75 percent of the country living in extreme poverty and six out of 10 children suffering growth stunting due to malnutrition.

Burundis 5.1 million registered voters will vote from 0400 GMT to 1400 GMT, for a new president as well as members of parliament and local officials.
ST. LOUIS  A federal judge says a St. Louis County doctor whos facing child pornography charges should remain in jail for violating orders not to contact the teenage mother of his son.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David Noce on Friday wrote that Dr. Ashu Joshi repeatedly violated an order not to contact the teen by giving her money, clothes and a cellphone via an intermediary.

The teen is also the alleged victim in Joshis child porn case.

Noce wrote that Joshi also had contact with the girl via his lawyer in Kentucky, who had successfully sought a judges order legitimizing a marriage between Joshi and the teen. Joshi further had contact with the teen through her lawyer in Clayton, Noce wrote.

Scott Rosenblum, one of the lawyers representing Joshi, declined to comment Monday on Noces ruling. I think the parties are moving toward a global disposition, he said.

On April 3, Joshis lawyers wrote that they were withdrawing all previously filed motions challenging the prosecution and evidence in the case.

Prosecutors have been trying to have Joshi jailed since December, when they first accused him of violating the no-contact order. They also say the marriage never happened and was only concocted to give him a defense to the child porn charges.

After the wedding was formalized by a Kentucky state court, Joshis lawyers said the marriage raised constitutional issues for the prosecution, namely the monitoring of private Facebook Messenger conversations between a married couple and the lack of a marriage exception for child porn laws.

The teen, Madison Dole, told the Post-Dispatch in December, Theres nothing illegal about a husband and a wife sharing intimate photos.

She and her lawyer, Tory Bernsen, echoed Joshis lawyers in their constitutional questions about the prosecution. Dole said the pair were married in a private Hindu ceremony at a Bowling Green, Kentucky, hotel, three months after meeting and three weeks before Kentucky law changed, outlawing marriage for anyone under 17. Dole was 16 at the time. Joshi is about 30 years older.

Although the Post-Dispatch does not normally identify juvenile victims in such cases, Dole and her lawyer consented to the use of her name due to their concerns about the prosecution of Joshi and in a bid to bring attention to the case. She had also turned 18 by the time she spoke with the Post-Dispatch.

Dole and Bernsen successfully sought child support and visitation between Joshi and their son, born in April 2019. But on March 10, Bernsen wrote in a court filing that Dole no longer wanted Joshi to have contact with the boy.

Joshi has been in jail since March 9, after prosecutors lodged new allegations about Joshi violating the no-contact order.

Joshi pleaded not guilty in 2018 to charges of receiving and producing child porn, and transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In December, he rejected a plea deal that could have meant five years in prison. He could face decades in prison if convicted.

Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A Community Health Nurse (CHN) with the Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) Hospital in Nsuta in the Western Region, who tested positive for COVID-19, has died, a statement from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives' Association (GRNMA) has confirmed.



The statement dated 16 May named the deceased as Sophia Addo who was 54 years old and had been assigned to the pre-triage area of GMC Hospital to actively participate in screening clients who attended the medical facility.



The statement noted that the first two confirmed cases Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality recorded passed through the GMC Hospital.



It explained that on May 6, 2020, Sophia reported sick and returned home after treatment. She returned the following day with worsening health conditions and started exhibiting signs of COVID-19.



After her samples were taken for testing, Sophia was admitted and sadly passed away on the night of May 8, 2020, when the test results had not yet been released.



The result came out positive for COVID-19, the statement read further.



The deceased had underlying conditions such as asthma and hypertension.



A private burial has been fixed for the deceased.



Please read the GRNMA statement below.







Source: ghanaweb









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New Delhi: Fans were waiting with bated breath to see the first look of superstar Jr NTR in the much-anticipated RRR, but as per the latest update, no special video will be released on the occasion as the work could not be completed.

In a statement released on Monday by team RRR, the makers clarified that due to extension of lockdown, the could not finish the work on Jr NTRs look as planned previously and were to release it on May 20.

As the lockdown gets extended time and again, work has come to a dead stop. And though we tried our best, we couldnt finish work on a glimpse of NTR to give you all a treat on his birthday. And so, we will not be releasing either a first look or a video on the occasion, the tweet read.

Team RRR further said that they wont release just anything for the sake of it and asked fans to wait as it would be worth it.

We don't want to release something just for the sake of it and we promise that the wait will absolutely be worth it! Whenever it comes to you, be sure it will be the biggest festival for all of us, they stated.

We don't want to release something just for the sake of it and we promise that the wait will absolutely be worth it! Whenever it comes to you, be sure it will be the biggest festival for all of us! #RRRMovie  RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) May 18, 2020

RRR is directed by SS Rajamouli. It is his first film after the two-part epic fantasy Baahubali. Apart from Jr NTR, RRR also stars Ram Charan. Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn will also make their Telugu debut with the film.

In March, on the occasion of Ram Charans birthday, the makers of RRR had treated the audience to his first look as Ramaraju in the film. A special video featuring the two superstars was also unveiled.

RRR stands for Roudram Ranam Rudhiram in Telugu, Raththam Ranam Rowthiram in Tamil and Rise Roar Revolt in Hindi. It will simultaneously release in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil languages.

It is a fictional story set in the pre-independence era (1920) and based on the lives of two well-known revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.

RRR is slated to hit the screens on January 8, 2021.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A businessman-turned-drug peddler, carrying 2.8 kg of charas worth Rs 18 lakh, was caught at Secunderabad railway station after he alighted a special train that arrived from Delhi. Srisai Venkat was caught in a joint operation by the Hyderabad Excise Enforcement wing and the Secunderabad Excise team. According to the officials, he had gone to Himachal Pradesh in February to procure the contraband, but was stranded due to the lockdown.

Venkat, a resident of Yousufguda, completed his graduation and got into the real estate business in Hyderabad.

After making it big here, he moved to Malaysia, where he started another business. He travelled to other countries too on work, but incurred losses and returned to Hyderabad a few years ago. Here, Venkat started some other business, but failed again and eventually got addicted to ganja. He later took to charas and became a peddler.

The accused used to purchase the contraband from Kullu and Kharol in Himachal Pradesh, and sell it in Hyderabad. As the government announced special trains for those stranded due to the lockdown, Venkat booked a ticket and arrived in Hyderabad on May 15 night. Also, his friend, Imran Chisti, who claims to be a doctor, had transferred around Rs 49,000, which he earned by selling charas, to Venkat last week. Assistant Superintendent, Excise Enforcement, N Anji Reddy confirmed the arrest.
A global inquiry into the coronavirus will be established on Tuesday after negotiators raced to secure the last-minute support of rival superpowers, the United States and China.

In a major strategic victory for Australia, at least 120 countries are expected to co-sponsor a motion at the World Health Assembly calling for an independent review into the global pandemic.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the motion will be supported by more than two-thirds of the 194 member states. But countries backing the motion want total consensus and are working on convincing all the remaining countries to support the "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the handling of the pandemic.

Negotiators are racing to secure the last-minute support of rival superpowers, the United States and China, to an inquiry into coronavirus. Credit:AP

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne hailed the imminent passage of the inquiry motion as "a win for the international community and Australia".
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian Life) unveiled a new feature of its Guardian Level Term life insurance, a built-in charitable benefit rider1. The term insurance product offers level pricing for the duration of the policy that helps create protection for families and the ability to create a charitable giving legacy.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans have donated to charity over the last year2. Yet, being able to bequeath a donation to a charity is often perceived as reserved for the wealthy. Guardian Life's Level Term with the built-in Charitable Benefit allows those who are charitable-minded to support their charity of choice upon their death. Term life provides a tax free payout for beneficiaries, while the charitable benefit feature provides a donation, 1% of the policy face amount (subject to a $100,000 maximum charitable donation), to the policy owner's charity at no additional cost.

There are three methods that are commonly suggested for charitable giving through insurance: naming the charity as a beneficiary, transferring dividends to a charity or donating an existing policy to a charity. Guardian Life's Level Term life insurance introduces a new option - utilizing the built-in charitable giving feature to make a charitable contribution while also providing a payout to beneficiaries. Any charity the owner chooses must be a qualified 501 (c) (3) charity.

"Guardian Level Term offers a unique opportunity that resonates with today's charity-conscious client," stated Andy Gordon, Head of Life Insurance, Annuity and Underwriting Solutions for Guardian Life. "Policy owners will have the ability to give to the charity of their choice without taking anything away from their beneficiaries."

Guardian Level Term also offers the ability and flexibility to convert to permanent protection. It's fully convertible to whole life insurance. Additional optional benefits include the disability waiver of premium rider3, terminal illness rider, and an extended conversion rider, which provides the policy owner flexibility on when to convert to a whole life policy.

To learn more about Guardian Level Term and associated costs please visit: https://www.guardianlife.com/life-insurance/term/calculator-quote.

About Guardian

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of over 9,000 employees and our network of over 2,500 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2019 included $9.3 billion in capital and $1.7 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter and YouTube .

For media inquiries, please contact:

[email protected]

Guardian Level Term is issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC), a Delaware corporation whose principal place of business is 10 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001. 1 888 Guardian (1 888 482 7342). GIAC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Policy form numbers: GLT 10, 15, 20, 30: 20-GLT.

GUARDIAN and the Guardian Logo are registered trademarks of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Copyright 2020 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, N.Y. 2020-101358 (Exp 5/2022)

1 Subject to state availability

2 71% of Americans Say Debt Keeps Them from Donating More to Charity

3 A Waiver of Premium rider waives the obligation for the policyholder to pay further premiums should he or she become totally disabled continuously for at least six months. This rider will incur an additional cost. See policy contract for additional details and requirements

SOURCE Guardian

Related Links

www.guardianlife.com


Iran has warned the United States against conducting piracy in the Caribbean as five Iranian tankers laden with fuel sail toward Venezuela.

The tankers voyage comes as a senior U.S. official told Reuters on May 14 that the United States was considering what action it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela.

In a letter to United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on May 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned the United States about sending troops to the Caribbean Sea with the aim of interfering with the transfer of Irans fuel to Venezuela.

Zarif wrote that the United States must give up bullying on the world stage and respect international maritime law, calling any U.S. move piracy and a major peril to international peace and security, according to a statement on the Foreign Ministry website.

Abbas Araqchi, Irans deputy foreign minister, summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran and issued a similar warning. He told the Swiss, who represent U.S. interests in Iran, that any U.S. threat against the tankers will be met with an immediate and firm response.

Unilateral U.S. sanctions have targeted Iran and Venezuelas oil industry and other sectors, depriving Tehran of much-needed cash and adding pressure on Venezuelas badly managed economy.

Tehran has already helped President Nicolas Maduro by flying planes with chemicals for refineries amid a gasoline shortage, a symptom of economic and political chaos in Latin America's one-time largest oil producer.

With both countries under U.S. sanctions, there is little to stop them from directly trading or bartering with each other outside international financial channels.

Elliot Abrams, the U.S. State Department's Venezuela envoy, last month alleged that Venezuela is paying Iran in gold to help its troubled energy sector and denounced growing cooperation between Washington's two adversaries.

The five Iranian tankers are estimated to be carrying at least $45.5 million in fuel.

Four of the vessels -- Petunia, Fortune, Forest, and Faxon -- are already in the Atlantic after passing through the Suez Canal and Mediterranean, according to ship tracking service MarineTraffic.

One of the vessels, the Clavel, is still in the Mediterranean as of May 18.

The latest tensions come after the U.S. Navy in April accused Iran of harassing its ships in Persian Gulf.

Iran last year seized ships off its waters and Britain briefly seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar to prevent it from shipping oil and fuel to Syria in violation of sanctions.

The United States has accused Tehran of attacking several vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Tensions between the two countries escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
Mask makers: Residents living in Direct Provision Clonakilty Lodge joined with Friends of Clonakilty and Cork Migrant Centre at Nano Nagle Place. Pictured are Tracey Mahlangu, Busi Matwali, Doria Sibana, Rita OBrien, Olive Walsh, Kitty Sisson, Dona Treya and Siobhan Allen, with Bob Allen, of St Vincent De Paul.

A group of seamstresses spread across five Direct Provision centres is making almost 1,400 face masks a week to help protect the vulnerable from Covid-19.

The Sanctuary Mask Initiative (SMI) sees the cotton masks being distributed across Ireland's Direct Provision network and also to vulnerable groups identified within the wider Irish community.

SMI is a collaborative initiative between Better Together, the Cork Migrant Centre, the Cork Feminist Society and the Failte Refugee Society.

Under the initiative, seamstresses at the Clonakilty Lodge, Kinsale Road, Ashbourne House, Riverside Park/Macroom and Drishane Castle/Millstreet centres have made 5,854 masks in just four weeks as their contribution towards helping Ireland battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul has also got involved in helping to direct the cotton masks towards those who need them most.

An SMI spokesperson said the campaign was further proof of how the pandemic had sparked kindness and compassion within Irish society.

The campaign has also been backed by a GoFundMe campaign which raised vital cash to help with the supply of vital raw materials.

"At a time of the current gloomy characteristic of the current crisis, these women in their own way have brought on a little sunshine with their style of fighting Covid-19 in colour, love and care for the people," an SMI official said.

Face masks are set to prove a crucial part of Ireland's attempt to 'normalise' society as the lockdown restrictions over the Covid-19 virus are eased from today.

Masks are now a mandatory part of daily life in parts of France, Spain and Italy.

Last Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that the Government was recommending people wear face coverings on public transport and in shops.

The SMI campaign will see the provision of face masks to all those living at Direct Provision centres.
A mother who allowed a TV documentary crew to film her journey to have twin babies through surrogacy has spoken of her distress at a call to have the practice outlawed here.

The birth of twins Ted and Elsie six months ago in Ukraine was the culmination of a painful near decade-long path for Cathy and Keith Wheatley.

Watching TV reports in recent days of parents unable to get to their babies born through surrogacy in Ukraine due to coronavirus restrictions, the Wicklow-based mother said she knows the parents will be doing everything in their power to get to their children.

"My heart goes out to them. I know that no matter what the parents have to do to get there, they will get there. That's their baby. If they have to crawl, they will crawl there," she said.

The Wheatleys agreed to appear on Virgin Media's You, Me And Surrogacy last year to shine a light on the lifeline for parents who have reached the end of the road with fertility treatments.

They lost baby daughter Helen to stillbirth nearly six years ago when Ms Wheatley was seven months pregnant, and endured gruelling years of IVF disappointment.

Expand Close Professor Patricia Casey called for a ban on surrogacy / Facebook

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Whatsapp Professor Patricia Casey called for a ban on surrogacy

"Baby Helen died, she was our little miracle baby and she died when my uterus ruptured. It was a one in a million chance my uterus would rupture," said Ms Wheatley.

"Nobody, absolutely nobody, starts to do surrogacy until it is absolutely the last option for them and we were told that it was the final option for us.

"And Ukraine was the place we could afford to do it and that's the reality of it.

Protection

"I had friends, people who had lost babies as well, and they wanted to carry a baby for me because they knew how much it meant to us to have a family.

"But we couldn't do that because under Irish law we would have no protection for either party."

Over the past six months she has been overjoyed to finally become a mother. However, she was dismayed this week when Patricia Casey, consultant psychiatrist at the Mater Hospital, called for a ban on surrogacy.

She argued that surrogacy is exploitation and that many regard surrogacy as "a rent-a-womb business, accessible only to the rich".

Ms Wheatley said one of the reasons she allowed the cameras to film her very personal journey was to dispel this notion.

"We had to re-mortgage our house to do surrogacy, all our savings went on IVF and all of those things and we literally didn't have a penny. We went to the ends of the earth to get the money for surrogacy because it was our only way," she said.

She stresses that she formed a friendship for life with her gestational surrogate, Ivana, who had no biological link to their baby twins, and has two children of her own.

"Ivana is an amazing woman, and there is no denying that by being a surrogate she does get to help her family and she does get financially paid for it," she said.

"It's not a life-changing amount of money and it's not the only reason. With Ivana, she comes from a big family, and she had two children and she heard our story and decided she wanted to carry a baby for us because of how we were affected by infertility and the death of baby Helen."

Cathy is campaigning to have surrogacy recognised under Irish law and will be at Ireland's first surrogacy webinar this Saturday on nisig.com, hosted by the National Infertility Support and Information Group (NISG).

"The way that I see us is we are just ordinary people who had to go on an extraordinary road to have our family," she said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

Trend:

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 18, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

During the conversation, the presidents highlighted the work done in combating the coronavirus pandemic and exchanged views on measures taken in this regard at the border checkpoints between the two countries on the conditions of mutual coordination.

Emphasizing the successful development of strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia in all areas, the presidents also discussed prospects for developing bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic period.
Huawei held its 17th annual Global Analyst Summit in Shenzhen, both onsite and online. At the event, Huawei was joined by over 2,000 analysts, key opinion leaders, and media representatives from a range of industries, including telecoms, the Internet, and finance. Together, they discussed how the industry can work together to weather the difficult times, achieve win-win outcomes, and accelerate the arrival of the intelligent world.

At the opening of the event, Huaweis Rotating Chairman Guo Ping delivered a keynote speech titled Huawei: A Year and Beyond. Guo Ping started by sharing Huaweis experience and business results of the past year. He said, Over the past year, many technologies became unavailable to us. Despite this, Huawei struggled to survive and is striving to move forward.

Huawei has long been an active contributor to the ICT industry. Since it was founded, Huawei has been committed to bringing digital to more people, homes, and organizations, in order to move the world forward. In the past 30-plus years, Huawei has deployed over 1,500 networks in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over 3 billion people worldwide. We also provide smart devices to 600 million consumers. US actions against Huawei will not only harm Huawei, but also harm the experiences of customers and consumers that use Huaweis products and services.

ICT infrastructure is the foundation of the intelligent world. By 2025, the digital economy will represent an industry worth 23 trillion US dollars. The ICT industry still has great potential. Standing at the threshold of the intelligent world, we can see more opportunities than challenges for the ICT industry.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue investing and innovating in three domains: connectivity, computing, and smart devices. We will work with customers, partners, standards organizations, and all other industry players in domains like supply chain, standards, and talent cultivation, to encourage open collaboration, promote inclusive industry development, and explore the future together.

Guo Ping stated, Today the world is an integrated collaborative system. The trend of globalization shouldnt and will not likely be reversed. Fragmented standards and supply chains benefit no one, and further fragmentation will have a severe impact on the entire industry. The industry as a whole should work together to strengthen IPR protection, safeguard fair competition, protect unified global standards, and promote a collaborative global supply chain.

The first Huawei Global Analyst Summit took place in 2004, and has been held annually ever since. This years summit runs from May 18 to 20, with a series of parallel sessions. Attendees include industry experts from around the world, who discuss and share their insights into industry trends, tech trends, and global collaboration.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Attorney Generals Department on a Legislative Instrument (LI) to allow Soya Bean exporters to obtain a permit from the sector Ministry.



Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture announced it when he recently paid a working visit to Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region to interact with some poultry farmers in the area.



A letter to that effect has been written to the Minister of Trade and Industry who has also requested the Attorney-General to draft an LI for people to get permits from the MoFA before exporting Soya Beans, Dr. Akoto stated.



He said the LI would also seek to check capital flight of the export of that non-traditional crop because it would ensure proceeds earned by exporters could be invested in the local economy to contribute to national economic growth.



Dr. Akoto gave the assurance of the governments commitment to give much attention to the poultry industry to prevent it from collapsing.



Soya Beans are mixed with maize in the production of poultry feed but its production to maize availability was lower when the Akufo-Addos government assumed power, he said.



This is because just 50,000 metric tons were being produced domestically, but now with the Planting for Food and Jobs (PfFJs) intervention, production has moved up to 200,000 metric tons as at last year, and Ghana was now able to export the commodity, Dr. Akoto added.



He, therefore, indicated there was the need to diagnose and address the fundamentals in the poultry sector to make the industry vibrant and expressed the hope that achieving that dream could make the enclave of Dormaa Municipal and the Dormaa East to producers of poultry products to feed the West African sub-regional market.



Dr. Akoto said the countrys potential to produce soya beans led the government to include it among the first six crops for the PfFJs initiative to generate enough feed locally for the production of poultry feed at a much cheaper rate.



Touching on the poultry laboratory at Dormaa-Ahenkro which was put up during ex-President John Agyekum Kufours administration but had suffered years of neglect, he gave the assurance he would ensure it would be factored into the 2021 budget for the provision of requisite equipment and resources to revamp it to boost the progress of the poultry industry in the area.

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.

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US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar speaks on protecting Americas seniors from the COVID-19 pandemic in the East Room of the White House on April 30, 2020. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

US Slams Beijing, WHOs Pandemic Response at UN Agencys Annual Meeting

The United States decried Beijings coverup of the CCP virus outbreak and criticized the World Health Organizations (WHO) pandemic response at the international bodys annual meeting.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, at the virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on May 18, denounced an apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak by at least one member state, without directly naming China. The WHA is the WHOs decision-making body.

He also called out the WHOs complicity in the viruss spread, by repeating Chinese talking points.

We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control, Azar said. There was a failure by this organization to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives.

Trump, told reporters later on Monday, that he chose not to speak at the meeting, saying that the WHO had done a very sad job in handling the crisis, adding that it was a puppet of China.

Earlier in the meeting, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus vowed to begin an independent evaluation into how the organization responded to the outbreak at the earliest appropriate moment.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a video speech at the opening of the meeting, said the Chinese regime would support a comprehensive review of the global response to the pandemic, provided it was led by the WHO.

Azar said the United States supports an independent review of every aspect of WHOs response and Chinas conduct also should be on the table for review.

Separate from talks of the independent review, a resolution drafted by the European Union that calls for an independent evaluation of the WHOs performance appeared to have won consensus backing among the WHOs 194 states. It was expected to be debated and adopted on May 19. The draft motion doesnt specifically refer to China or Wuhan, the outbreak epicenter, but does call on the body to work with the World Organization for Animal Health to investigate the source of the virus, according to Australian media outlet ABC.

Xi, in his remarks, sought to emphasize the regimes efforts in combating the pandemic, and pledged $2 billion to the United Nations to help the global response. He also defended the regimes handling of the outbreak, saying, All along, we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.

Speaking hours after Xi, Azar said the United States had allocated $9 billion to virus containment efforts around the world. The United States, WHOs largest contributor, last month halted funds to the WHO pending a review, slamming the body as being too deferential to Beijing.

Beijings pledged contribution forms part of its campaign to shift the narrative from China being the source of the novel coronavirus towards leading global assistance, I-wei Jennifer Chang, research fellow at Washington-based think tank Global Taiwan Institute told The Epoch Times in an email.

China seeks to play a key role in facilitating and coordinating global responses to the pandemic, one-upping Washington on the most pressing global governance issue at the present time, Chang said.

The body has come under intense scrutiny for repeating the Chinese regimes official statements that there was little or no risk of human-to-human transmission of the virus during the early stages of the outbreak in China. Mounting evidence, including from leaked internal documents, however, shows that the regime knew about the outbreaks severity and hid it from the public.

Top WHO officials have also repeatedly praised Chinese officials and claimed Chinas response set an example for other countries to follow.

Ghebreyesus defended the bodys response, saying, We sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often.

Earlier on May 18, the WHOs seven-member internal oversight body published a report examining the groups response to COVID-19, saying the WHO demonstrated leadership in handling the pandemic between January and April.

Initial information on case fatality rate, severity, and transmissibility furnished by China in early January reflected an incomplete picture of the virus, but were updated by the WHO Secretariat following a country office mission to Wuhan from 20 to 21 January, it said.

An imperfect and evolving understanding is not unusual during the early phase of a novel disease emergence.

Committee members said an independent assessment of WHOs performance may be useful but warned that conducting a review during the heat of the response, even in a limited manner, could disrupt WHOs ability to respond effectively.

Chang said the regime is likely to reject, or seek to complicate, a potential WHO investigation into the virus origins in order to deflect global criticism over the pandemics outbreak within its borders.

Taiwan

At the start of the WHA meeting, member states unanimously agreed to defer a decision on granting observer status to Taiwan until later this year to avoid diverting attention from the pandemic.

The United States, along with a group of countries, started a campaign ahead of the meeting to push for the self-ruled islands inclusion, saying its exclusion hampered global efforts to fight the disease. The Chinese regime, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has blocked the islands participation in the WHA since President Tsai Ing-wen was elected in Taiwan in 2016.

WHO barred Taiwan from participation in 2016, just a few months after Taiwans free and fair elections, Azar said at the meeting. The 23 million Taiwanese people should never be sacrificed to send a political message.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a statement on May 18, said Ghebreyesus had every legal power and precedent to include Taiwan in the conference.

Yet, he instead chose not to invite Taiwan, under pressure from the Peoples Republic of China, he said.

The director-generals lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwans renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease, and further damages the WHOs credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most.

Reuters and Zachary Steiber contributed to this report.
Alia Bhatt is spreading smiles and sweetness amid the coronavirus pandemic. She appears to have sent snacks and goodies to health care workers on the frontlines in the fight against Covid-19.

Dr Shripad Gangapurkar of KEM Hospital in Mumbai shared a picture of the gifts sent by Alia. It included a large bar of chocolate, a sweet bun, an apple drink and more snacks. It also had a note from Alia: Thank you for all you are doing to keep the community healthy and safe. You are the real heroes.

Thank you @aliaa08 for such a sweet surprise..much appreciated in these bitter times of pandemic..!! pic.twitter.com/6eBP1Czf9r  Dr. Shripad Gangapurkar (@Shripad97) May 17, 2020

Dr Gangapurkar wrote in his tweet, Thank you @aliaa08 for such a sweet surprise..much appreciated in these bitter times of pandemic..!! When asked what his tweet was about, he replied, Aliaa sent Chocolates as a token of gratitude to all the doctors and health care workers out there fighting the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai.

Alias fans loved her gifts for health workers. Awww Thank you @aliaa08, Our highest appreciation for ur kindness, Proud fan love you  #AliaBhatt from Philippines, wrote one. Wow we are Proud of Alia, wrote another.

Alis is currently in lockdown with her boyfriend and actor Ranbir Kapoor. On Sunday, she shared a new picture on Instagram from her at-home gym and mentioned that she was putting health and fitness first amid the lockdown.

Also read: When Karan Johar talked of negativity on K3G sets as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Kajol were distant with Hrithik Roshan

60 days later -- stronger, fitter, better at burpees, much better at skips, much, much better at pushups, obsessed with running, super obsessed with eating right and waiting to get back onto the next challenge, she wrote with her post. Alia also mentioned that she got a haircut by her multi-talented loved one. Yes I cut my hair at home -- thanks to my multi-talented loved one who rose to the occasion when I was in need of a chop-chop, Alia wrote on Instagram. It left her fans wondering if its Ranbir Kapoor who cut her hair.

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Linkedin Kirsty Needham (Reuters) Sydney, Australia  Mon, May 18, 2020 14:17 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8ca1f9 2 World Australia,WHO,coronavirus,COVID-19,Origins,virus-corona,SARS-CoV-2,novel-coronavirus,pandemic Free

A draft resolution pushed by the European Union and Australia calling for an independent review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus has support from 116 nations at the World Health Assembly, almost enough for it to pass, a document showed.

The resolution on COVID-19 will be put forward on Tuesday if it gains backing from two-thirds of the 194 members of the assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization. China had strongly opposed Australia's call last month for an international investigation into the pandemic.

Names on a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Monday showed support from 116 members was locked in, although Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said negotiations were ongoing and she did not want to pre-empt the outcome.

The resolution was "an important part of the conversation we started, and I am very grateful to the efforts of those in the European Union and those many drafters who have been part of the negotiations for the past few weeks," she told reporters.

The resolution was comprehensive and included a call for "an examination of the zoonotic origins of the coronavirus", she added.

More than 4.64 million people are reported to have been infected globally and 310,236 have died from the flu-like virus that emerged from China late last year.

Australia - which has reported only 99 deaths from the novel coronavirus - says it wants to prevent a repeat of the pandemic that has paralyzed economic activity around the world, and is not looking to cast blame.

"I hope that China will participate," Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Monday as he welcomed building support for an inquiry.

Among the co-sponsors of the resolution are India, Japan, South Korea, the African group of 47 member nations, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Britain and Canada.

The resolution calls for "scientific and collaborative field missions" to trace the path of transmission, saying this will reduce the risk of similar events.

It also says a review should start at the "earliest appropriate moment". Some countries still suffering high daily death tolls from COVID-19 have said it is too soon for an investigation.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a media conference it was "natural that after such a significant event, we would want to take a look at what we should all have learned from this experience".

Trade tensions

Birmingham said he has been unable to schedule a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Zhong Shan, to discuss trade friction, including China's suspension of Australian beef imports and a dumping investigation into Australian barley that could see an 80% tariff imposed on Tuesday.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said he had not had a reply to his request for a call with his Chinese counterpart.

In Beijing, Zhong said the two countries were in communication.

Last month, China's ambassador to Australia warned of a boycott by Chinese consumers if Australia pursued an investigation, prompting Australian ministers to accuse China of "economic coercion".
Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahene, has insisted that persons planning to disrupt the compilation of the new voters register by the Electoral Commission (EC) will indeed receive the beating of their lives.



He explained that some (including himself) cannot look on unconcern for others to mar the exercise which will cost the nation huge sums of monies.



Lets behave like normal human beings and not angels. This is common sense and common knowledge. Why would someone want to disrupt a national exercise? If you behave like an abnormal person, what do you expect? he quizzed in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie'.



We Wont Tolerate Nonsense



Last week, the NPP guru courted controversy when he warned of more grievous punishment for persons who attempt to foment trouble during the pending new voters registration exercise.



He was reported to have said that what transpired during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election will pale in comparison to the violence that will be unleashed on such vigilante characters.



Stay home if you dont agree to the compilation of the new register because anyone who tries to disrupt the exercise will be beaten. We will beat you mercilessly. What happened in Ayawaso is just a tip of the iceberg," he warned.



While some have slammed him for his comments, the NPP Deputy General appears unmoved and reiterated same remarks on Monday.



He told host Kwesi Aboagye that people must stop being stupid. We will not tolerate such nonsense anymore.



New Voters Register



With about 6 months to the December 7, the Electoral Commission (EC) has served notice it will still go ahead with the compilation of the new voters' register despite protests from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some political parties.



Nana Obiri Boahen explained that as soon as the new Constitutional Instrument (CI) by the Electoral Commission comes into force, the current voters' register becomes invalid hence new register must be compiled to conduct the December 7, 2020, general election.



"Regulation 32 of the CI 91 saved the life of voters register because when CI,72 was repealed by CI91 regulation 33(D) succinctly explained that if there is no new register the old register is used. But The CI that is about to come into existence will not save the life of the current registry. As soon as the new CI matures the current register becomes dead.so if you dont compile a new register you can't use the old one," he stated.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Part 2 of The Real Housewives of Atlantas reunion aired on May 17, and while fans were busy getting comfy to take in the next round of bickering and kumbayas, there was a celebration. Aye! May 17 was also Kandi Burruss 44th birthday.

In the words of Kool and the Gang, there was a party going on and some folks were having a good time ringing in the occasion with Burrussand it wasnt on Zoom. The festivities have fans divided.

Kandi Burruss of RHOA | Marcus Ingram/Getty Images

Burruss party videos hit the web

Dressed in a red jumper, Burruss arrived at her outdoor gathering in a party van with husband Todd Tucker in tow. As she stepped out, a crowd of family and friends was there to surprise her with birthday wishes. From the looks of the video, not everyone had their faces covered the entire time.

Friends Tameka Tiny Harris, Shamea Morton-Mwangi, Shekinah Anderson, and Love & Hip Hop: Atlantas Rasheeda Frost were among the attendees, and the event included music, dancing, and a birthday cake.

Burruss celebrated in front of a photo backdrop that read, Kandis Mask On BDay and it was evident she had fun. Online, RHOA castmates gave her birthday shout-outs, including Nene Leakes.

Fans sent Kandi lots of love on social media too and complimented her birthday party glow, but not everyone is feeling the vibes.

Fans criticize Burruss and her crew for partying

Burruss, who lives in Atlanta, is being scolded for participating in a group event when millions of people are social distancing.

On Instagram, some commenters are saying, Social distancing out the window huh, These are the same people that will tell you to social distance LOL, and I dont understand how yall wont just sit out one birthday for safety.

This led to a heap of questions about quarantine rules, and there were those who called the event irresponsible and a horrible example. Many comments said that coronavirus could show up to the block party and wondered if the partygoers forgot about the pandemic.

Others wanted to know why everyone didnt keep their masks on and jokingly asked where the masks were when the theme calls for them.

RELATED: Vanderpump Rules: Scheana Shay Is Slammed on Twitter for Inviting Friends Over During Pandemic

Some fans defend Burruss

COVID-19 put Georgia on lockdown back in March, but with the governor easing restrictions, a number of residents all over the state are venturing places without worrying about masks, groups, or staying six feet apart.

Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms continues to advise those who live or do business in the city to stay indoors, but some are doing what they want.

Citing Governor Brian Kemps decision to lift some lockdown rules, a handful of fans are coming to Burruss defense. One person wrote, Why yall mad cause people are out? If you dont wanna be out, stay in. Its simple.

Another added, Like I said Kandis unbothered, living her best life. Cynthia Bailey popped into The Shade Room to say she was bummed she missed the soiree.

Burruss may not address the backlash about social distancing, but fans can check her out on May 24 for the final installment of the RHOA reunion.

RELATED: Fans Slam Kylie Jenner and BFF Stassie Karanikolaou for Breaking Social Distancing Rules During Quarantine: Its a Bad Look
A 60-year-old man from



Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh on Monday became the first victim from the tribal-dominated district to succumb to the coronavirus infection during treatment in Indore, a Health official said.

This is the first COVID-19 fatality from Jhabua district bordering Gujarat and Rajasthan, chief medical and health officer (CM&HO) Dr BS Baria told PTI.

He said the number of cases in Jhabua mounted to 11 with four more people testing positive for the viral infection earlier in the day.

The deceased, a resident of Maruti Nagar, was working as a driver with vaccination wing of the Health department, sources said, adding that he had gone to Indore, which is worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, on May6 to bring some official consignment.

He might have contracted the deadly infection in Indore, they said.

"He tested positive for coronavirus on May 11 and was rushed to a hospital in Indore where he died early this morning. His two sons have already been tested positive for the infection.

"A house maid of one of his sons andher daughter too have found carrying the virus. Besides, a friend of another son of the deceased also tested positive," they said.

Meanwhile, the number of the affected patients in the district rose to 11 on Monday, with four more people, including two minor girls, testing positive for coronavirus, Dr Baria said, adding thaat one of the patients was recovered and discharged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hamster tests show masks reduce coronavirus spread scientists

WORLD: Tests on hamsters reveal the widespread use of facemasks reduces transmission of the deadly coronavirus, a team of leading experts in Hong Kong said yesterday (May 17).

CoronavirusCOVID-19health

By AFP

Monday 18 May 2020, 10:16AM

Hong Kong researchers found coronavirus transmission can be reduced by over 60% when surgical masks are used. Photo: AFP

The research by the University of Hong Kong is some of the first to specifically investigate whether masks can stop symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers from infecting others.

Led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, one of the worlds top coronavirus experts, the team placed hamsters that were artificially infected with the disease next to healthy animals.

Surgical masks were placed between the two cages with air flow travelling from the infected animals to the healthy ones.

The researchers found non-contact transmission of the virus could be reduced by more than 60% when the masks were used.

Two thirds of the healthy hamsters were infected within a week if no masks were applied.

The infection rate plunged to just over 15% when surgical masks were put on the cage of the infected animals and by about 35% when placed on the cage with the healthy hamsters.

Those that did become infected were also found to have less of the virus within their bodies than those infected without a mask.

Its very clear that the effect of masking the infected, especially when they are asymptomatic - or symptomatic - its much more important than anything else, Yuen told reporters yesterday.

It also explained why universal masking is important because we now have known that a large number of those infected have no symptom.

Yuen was one of the microbiologists who discovered the SARS virus - a predecessor of the current coronavirus - when it emerged in 2003, killing some 300 people in Hong Kong.

Armed with knowledge from that fight, he advised Hong Kongers early in the current pandemic to adopt universal masking, something embraced by the citys residents.

At the time the World Health Organisation and many other foreign health authorities dismissed using masks widely among the public, saying they should instead go to frontline medical workers.

Four months after its first COVID-19 case was detected, Hong Kong has largely managed to contain the disease with just over 1,000 infections and four deaths.

Experts have credited widespread mask use as well as efficient testing, tracing and treatment in the city of 7.5 million for the relatively low numbers.
Will Americas anti-China verbal overkill continue? Will China come clean and disclose facts?





by K Natwar Singh





For the last few months humankind has had only one item on its agenda, coronavirus. It is global and deadly. Hospitals, doctors and nurses, the media and governments have given almost all their time to this pandemic. Patients with heart, kidney, liver, cancer and other fatal diseases have not received the attention and care they do. To some extent this is understandable, but is no comfort or consolation to non Covid-19 patients. So far the priority has been to cope with coronavirus. Now that governments and institutions have concluded that Covid-19 is not going away, the world now must turn to major international problems which can no longer be set aside.





Forever foes?

I shall name five.





One. In which direction will US and China relations proceed? Will existing tensions continue, ease, or increase? Will Americas anti-China verbal overkill continue? Secondly, will China come clean and disclose facts? The two sides must resort to diplomacy. Also, China shall not bend. It is a great nation and will never bow. It is used to coping with crises. The real worry is that in the White House a steady hand is not visible.





Two. The growing rift between the United States and Iran. Sanctions have been imposed on Iran by the US and there is the UN. Embargo under which countries are prevented from selling advanced weapons to Iran. Irans economic situation is dire. The US President threatening Iran will be counterproductive. Its European allies are not with the US, when it comes to Iran. Regardless of the arms embargo, Iran has not changed its regional policies. Russia will be only too willing to supply arms to Tehran. One reality that is costing Iran dear is the dramatic fall in the price of oil.





Three. The Israel-Palestine problem continues to simmer. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not win the recent national election. He did not even scrape through. His hold over power is tenacious. Yet, he wants to annex the West Bank permanently. What will keep Prime Minister Netanyahu in office is his warm friendship with President Trump. The two-state solution is all but dead.





Four. What about Britain and the European Union? The UK cannot do without the European Union and the EU needs the UK. Brexit has not disappeared. The real tragedy for the UK and the European Union is weak and uninspiring leadership on both sides of the channel. Additionally, coronavirus has caused havoc in the UK. The transition period following the UK leaving the European Union expires on 31 December. The future of UK-EU relations remains cloudy. This is worrying.





Five. Climate change. This is the greatest problem facing the world. Yet, the most powerful countrys President takes no interest in this issue. This is not only abdication of duty, it is utterly irresponsible. He walked out of the Paris climate change conference. Such indifference to so vital an issue is unfortunate. The US has always led in times of crisis. It is now left to former President Barack Obama to give the people hope and succour.





President Trumps priority now is to get re-elected in November. His calling his Democratic opponents names shows the President in poor light and shows a lack in manners. His initial reaction to the pandemic was not serious. Even now he is blaming doctors working for him in the White House. What an extraordinary way to function. His chances of getting re-elected have apparently decreased mainly due to his erratic handling of the crisis produced by the virus.





* * *





The Narendra Modi government needs to be commended for the efficient and caring manner in which he has kept the Chief Ministers and public at large of the progress that has been made in checking the spread of the virus. Exceptions are four states. The worst-hit are Gujarat and Maharashtra. In these states there is no let up. However, there is no room for complacency.





Serious concerns are being expressed that in a few months a second wave may be coming to hit the US and the UK. Deaths are on the rise.

The worst sufferers are pregnant mothers and their newborn babies. This is painful beyond words. Let me quote the English poet Tennyson:





I sometimes hold it half a sin

To put in words the grief I feel

For words like nature

Half reveal and half

Conceal the soul within.





The writer is former Minister of Externa Affairs, Government of India
Gold Mining Stocks Fundamentals

The major gold miners stocks have rallied dramatically out of mid-Marchs stock-panic lows, soaring to new bull-market highs. Their just-reported Q120 operational and financial results reveal whether todays higher gold-stock prices are fundamentally justified. They also illuminate whether this gold-stock upleg is likely to continue powering higher, despite the catastrophic economic damage from governments lockdowns.

With officials around the world waging a scorched-earth war against this COVID-19 pandemic, the gold miners latest quarterly results are more important than ever. While this earnings season covered Q120, most gold companies didnt release their quarterly reports until the last couple weeks. In them they had to disclose the ongoing impact of governments COVID-19 lockdowns current to those quarterlies release dates.

US securities regulations require American companies to report quarterly results by 40 calendar days after quarter-ends, a deadline that just passed this week. In Canada where the majority of the worlds gold stocks trade, that deadline is looser at 45 days. Unfortunately this year Canadian companies were granted the ability to extend their reporting by an additional 45 days to help cope with COVID-19s impacts.

After many years of doing deep quarterly analyses of major gold miners latest results, Ive found there are always some Canadian stragglers that push their reporting right to the legal limit. This is seriously disrespectful to their shareholders, who deserve timely quarterly results released as early as possible. Theres no excuse for delaying quarterlies which dont require independent CPAs auditing and signing off.

While the great majority of gold miners Q120 results had been released as of this essays data cutoff of Wednesday evening, not all of them had. But it didnt make sense to delay this critical quarterly analysis since the usefulness of results for trading quickly decays the deeper we get into the subsequent quarter. So I went through everything available from the major gold miners mid-week, and boy was Q1 fascinating!

The definitive list of major gold-mining stocks to analyze comes from the worlds most-popular gold-stock investment vehicle, the GDX VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF. Launched way back in May 2006, it has an insurmountable first-mover lead. GDXs net assets running $14.2b this week were a staggering 32.9x larger than the next-biggest 1x-long major-gold-miners ETF! GDX is effectively this sectors blue-chip index.

While GDXs holdings were running an excessively-big 50 stocks this week, every quarter I delve into the latest results from the top 34. Thats simply an arbitrary number that fits neatly into the tables below. And it is a commanding sample, as these worlds largest gold miners accounted for fully 94.0% of GDXs total weighting this week. They trade in stock markets across the globe, with differing reporting requirements.

That makes amassing this valuable dataset for analysis rather challenging. In different countries, major gold miners report different data in different ways. Every individual gold miner also has its own unique reporting peculiarities, taking time to understand. Some gold miners have excellent reporting formats that are easy to understand and digest, while others seem to intentionally obscure their results complicating analysis.

Half-year reporting instead of the superior quarterly reporting found in the US and Canada is common around the world too. That necessitates splitting some numbers in half for quarterly approximations. The GDX-top-34 gold miners data available mid-week is summarized into highlights shown in these tables. Blank fields indicate a company hadnt reported that particular data by this essays late-Wednesday cutoff.

Each companys symbol and weighting within GDX is followed by its quarterly gold production in Q120. Not all of these stocks trade in the US, as GDX also hosts sizable Australian and Canadian contingents. The year-over-year change in miners gold outputs from Q119 to Q120 reveals whether they are growing or shrinking. Cash costs and all-in sustaining costs per ounce show how much is spent producing that gold.

Next the YoY changes are shown in the major gold miners key financial data including operating cash flows generated, accounting earnings, revenues, and cash on hand. Percentage changes arent recorded if they would be misleading or not meaningful. That includes data shifting from positive to negative or vice versa from Q119, or if derived from two negative numbers. Then raw underlying data is included instead.

While four GDX-top-34 gold miners dragged their feet so much they hadnt reported Q1 results by 43 days after quarter-end, they collectively account for just 2.9% of GDXs weight. So this is an essentially-complete picture of how the major gold miners are faring despite governments draconian lockdowns to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation is so radically unprecedented I didnt know what Id find.

While reading through the GDX top 34s quarterlies, there were definitely some common recurring themes on COVID-19. The great majority of the major gold miners cited the extreme uncertainty to withdraw their 2020 production and cost guidance. That is certainly understandable and justified with the capriciousness of government officials decisions to force businesses to shutter. Those heavy-handed edicts change by the day.

While COVID-19 outbreaks are generally localized within countries, most governments have taken a shotgun approach of issuing blanket restrictions. So even though most gold mines are largely self-contained remote operations far from civilization, theyve been hammered by countrywide orders to stop work. Gold miners still operating today may be forced to suspend operations tomorrow, and vice versa.

The Canadian province of Quebec has been a great example of the inherent unpredictability of all these lockdowns. In late March its government mandated a province-wide COVID-19 shutdown which forced Quebecs major gold-mining industry offline. But just a few weeks later in mid-April, provincial officials changed their minds and reclassified mining as essential businesses! So Quebecs gold mines spun back up.

Quebec claimed it exempted miners from its lockdown because their commodities are critical in medical-equipment supply chains. That may be true, but I suspect the real reason was restarting the big lost tax revenue from mining. Unlike the US Federal Reserve, most governments simply cant print the equivalent of trillions of dollars to paper over their lockdown-imposed economic catastrophes. So they are reopening mines.

Gold-mining operations are ideally suited for social distancing to retard COVID-19s spread. Being way out in the sticks, mining employees are relatively isolated. They either live in small local towns near the mines or in man camps working for multi-week shifts onsite. One thing Quebec ordered is that fly-in shifts be extended from 14 days to 28 days to minimize infection exposure. Gold mines wont stay closed for long.

While wading through the GDX top 34s quarterly results, it was interesting to see the managers of gold-mining companies are as angry as everyone else about governments killing their businesses by decree. But they have to be politically-correct, trying not to make local officials mad who could hinder their return to operational status. First Majestic Silver exemplified this, even though it hadnt reported Q1 by Wednesday.

On April 3rd AG issued a news release explaining how it was trying to convince Mexican officials to support silver mining as an essential business. It was working with other mining companies to make the case to the Federal Government that mining, especially silver mining, is essential and critical to the medical industry given silvers antibacterial properties which is proven to reduce the spread of viruses.

When reporting on Q1 production results alone in mid-April, AGs CEO wrote While we support the actions being taken, we continue to engage in discussions with Federal and State authorities to raise awareness on the importance of silver mining as an essential business. I saw this kind of thing in lots of quarterly reports, managers saying they supported governments COVID-19 actions but wanted to be exempt.

The major gold miners are also trying to be good corporate citizens, with most of the GDX top 34 declaring they were donating sizable sums of money to help local communities fight this pandemic. This included supporting medical workers and people who had lost their jobs due to the lockdowns. The great majority of these elite gold companies also declared they had identified no COVID-19 infections at their mines.

With most of the government-imposed economic lockdowns starting in the second half of March, for a lot of the major gold miners their impact was limited. Yet in addition to nearly-universally pulling their 2020 output forecasts, there was also an industrywide move to tap credit lines and build cash balances. That certainly seems prudent given the epic uncertainties ahead with governments frantic and flailing decrees.

But despite plenty of disruptions with Canada, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia including gold mines in their countrywide lockdown orders, the GDX top 34 still achieved impressive results in Q120. And they are even better than the following analysis suggests, as last quarters new totals dont include most of the results from those four companies that hadnt reported yet as of mid-week. They will further boost all this.

The elite GDX-top-34 gold miners collectively produced 9.3m ounces of gold in Q1, which still climbed a strong 5.7% year-over-year! Thats super-impressive, as the largest gold miners have struggled in recent years to grow their outputs. They are already enormous, operating at scales where materially upping their gold production is exceedingly difficult with big gold deposits ever-harder to discover and develop into mines.

The GDX top 34s stunning output growth last quarter also bucked the broader gold trend of declining mine supply. The World Gold Council researches and publishes the best-available data on global gold supply and demand quarterly in its outstanding Gold Demand Trends reports. The new Q120 edition released early this month showed worldwide gold-mine output actually fell 2.6% YoY last quarter to 25.6m ounces!

One reason the GDX top 34 did so well may be high-grading, when mine managers choose to run better ore grades through their fixed-capacity mills. That increases their quarterly gold outputs, at the expense of leaving less high-grade ore available for future quarters. At least one company explicitly reported that is what they were doing, Australias Saracen Mineral. Its been a long time since Ive seen high-grading admitted.

In its quarterly report Saracen disclosed Saracen has large ore stockpiles exceeding 1.7Moz at 31 March; These will help insulate the business should mining be restricted from any COVID-19 impacts; Pro-active milling of higher-grade stockpiles underway at Carosue Dam and Thunderbox to bring forward production ounces and cash flow into FY20. That high-grading strategy couldve been used more widely in Q120.

Interestingly silver production among the GDX top 34 fell sharply, plunging 9.9% YoY to 25.6m ounces. That reflected the ongoing shift of the precious-metals-mining industry to a more-gold-centric focus. That has been fueled by silvers relatively-poor economics compared to gold. Silver prices have languished for years, and the white metal hit an all-time low relative to the yellow one during mid-Marchs stock panic!

With the major gold miners greatly ramping their total gold output last quarter, their unit costs shouldve fallen proportionally. Gold-mining costs are largely fixed quarter after quarter, with production requiring roughly the same levels of infrastructure, equipment and employees. The better the ore grades chewed through by the fixed-capacity mills, the more gold ounces yielded to spread minings big fixed costs across.

These fixed costs are largely determined during mine-planning stages, when engineers and geologists decide which gold-bearing ores to mine, how to dig to them, and how to process them to recover their gold. But that usual inverse relationship between output and per-ounce costs broke down last quarter. COVID-19 definitely played a role, as the gold miners had to implement costly procedures to protect their people.

Social distancing to minimize infection risks reduces efficiency while increasing costs. A big part of checking COVID-19s spread is cleaning everything relentlessly, which requires lots of expensive labor. And medical staff had to be hired to test and look for symptoms. Surprisingly to me, First Majestic Silver reported in early April its staff consists of 17 full-time physicians and several health care professionals.

Expenses for travel and procuring supplies increased too with borders being closed. Endeavour Mining, which was rare in reaffirming its 2020 guidance despite the COVID-19 disruptions, had an example of that. In its Q1 results it said, Key expatriates returned to site before suspension of commercial airline flights and closure of borders, with shift rosters modified to ensure continuity of staffing for several months.

COVID-19 definitely pushed up costs. Cash costs are the classic measure of gold-mining costs, including all cash expenses necessary to mine each ounce of gold. They are misleading as a true cost measure though, excluding big capital needed to explore for gold deposits and build mines. Cash costs are best viewed as an acid test of survivability for the gold miners, revealing necessary gold prices to keep mines running.

In Q120 the GDX-top-34 gold miners averaged cash costs of $653 per ounce. That was up 6.0% YoY, and on the high side of the 16-quarter range from $591 to $679. But obviously thats far below prevailing gold prices, proving miners have no problem keeping the lights on. Q1s impressive $1582 average gold price soared a massive 21.4% YoY from Q119s $1303! So it sure wasnt a quarter where gold miners struggled.

All-in sustaining costs are far superior than cash costs, and were introduced by the World Gold Council in June 2013. They add on to cash costs everything else that is necessary to maintain and replenish gold-mining operations at current output tempos. AISCs give a much-better understanding of what it really costs to maintain gold mines as ongoing concerns, and reveal the major gold miners true operating profitability.

The elite major gold miners dominating GDXs ranks reported average AISCs in Q120 of $932 per ounce. That was 4.4% higher than a year earlier, which seems reasonable given the increased costs involved in safely and responsibly operating in this COVID-19-stricken world. And that number was skewed higher by the new GDX inclusion of South Africas Harmony Gold in this past year, which had outlying $1336 AISCs.

Like the rest of the new gold stocks in GDXs top-34 ranks, HMYs symbol is highlighted in light-blue in these tables. Without Harmony, the rest of these major gold miners averaged $915 AISCs. Thats way under prevailing gold prices, and still within the past 16 quarters GDX-top-34 AISC range of $855 to $942 per ounce. Naturally seeing golds massive Q120 gains far exceed gold-mining cost growth fueled huge profits.

This industrys overall profitability can be inferred based on the difference between a quarters gold price levels and the major gold miners all-in sustaining costs. Last quarters $1582 average gold less those $932 GDX-top-34 AISCs yields hefty earnings of $650 per ounce! That continues the incredible stock-market-leading profits growth in this small contrarian sector, trouncing the general stock markets falling earnings.

Sequentially from Q419, the major gold miners profits surged a colossal 20.1% quarter-on-quarter! That would be awesome anytime, but is particularly impressive given the COVID-19 impacts on plenty of gold miners into the end of Q1. And the year-over-year profits growth from Q119 is utterly breathtaking. Back then the GDX top 34 averaged better $893 AISCs but average gold prices that quarter were far lower at $1303.

The $650 per ounce they just earned in Q120 soared 58.5% YoY from Q119s $410! Putting up huge results like that should get the major gold stocks on all institutional investors radars. And this colossal stock-market-leading earnings growth is likely to persist into Q2 and beyond. With investors flooding into gold as the disastrous economic impact of governments lockdown orders becomes more apparent, it is surging.

With Q220 halfway over, gold has already averaged a fantastic $1692! Thats another 7.0% higher than Q1 at this point. The major gold miners stock prices tend to amplify material gold moves by 2x to 3x because of their similar profits leverage to higher gold prices. Assuming the GDX top 34s Q2 AISCs are in line with their trailing-four-quarter average of $920, that implies they are earning $772 per ounce in Q2!

If that holds into the end of this quarter, it would make for another awesome 18.8% sequential gain in the major gold miners earnings. Unfortunately it probably wont, as Q2 has seen more gold mines forced into care and maintenance for countrywide government lockdowns than the end of Q1 did. But even if the GDX top 34 see modest single-digit quarterly-profits growth, thats far better than other sectors deep bleeding.

The major gold miners collective hard accounting results reported to securities regulators proved Q120 was very strong. The following numbers totally justify the powerful gold-stock upleg since mid-Marchs stock-panic lows. And realize these are even understated, as financial results from those four straggling GDX-top-34 components that hadnt reported Q1 as of mid-week arent included. The gold miners are thriving!

The GDX top 34s total sales soared 31.1% YoY to $12.1b! That makes sense given their 5.7%-higher gold output with 21.4%-higher average gold prices. Top-line revenues growth of that magnitude even dwarfs that seen last quarter by the market-darling mega-cap tech stocks. As discussed last week in my essay on big US stocks Q120 results, the top 5 tech stocks dominating US markets saw 14.0% sales growth.

Operating cash flows generated by the GDX top 34s gold mining rocketed 68.7% higher YoY to $4.7b! Gold mining is spinning off lots of cash at these gold levels, helping dramatically boost treasuries. These elite major gold miners total cash balances soared 52.3% YoY to $17.0b, the highest seen by far in the 16 quarters Ive been doing this research! Their collective cash war chests normally run $11b to $14b.

Surging cash hoards give the gold miners much more flexibility in adjusting to the more-expensive reality of mitigating COVID-19, giving them more survivability as heavy-handed governments temporarily shutter their mines. They also leave gold miners better resourced to fund future production growth fueled by mine expansions, buying new mines, and acquiring entire companies. Investors prize higher output above all else!

A big contributor to this swelling cash was the GDX top 34 drawing down credit lines to ensure maximum liquidity through this COVID-19 crisis. Kinross Gold offered a great example in its Q1 results, On March 20, 2020, Kinross drew down $750 million from its $1.5 billion revolving credit facility as a precautionary measure to protect against economic and business uncertainties related to the pandemic. That seems prudent.

Finally the GDX top 34s actual hard accounting profits under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the US or other countries rules required by securities regulators skyrocketed. In Q120, the major gold miners total accounting earnings soared an epic 163.6% YoY to $1.9b! Sector earnings growth like that is unheard of in normal markets, and absolutely astounding in this one where lockdowns slaughter profitability.

But this is overstated due to some big noncash gains flowing through to bottom lines. The worlds two largest gold miners dominating GDXs ranks with a 30.1% total weighting are Newmont and Barrick. They respectively reported a $593m gain on asset sales and $336m impairment reversal in Q1, which both greatly boosted their net incomes. Those were partially offset by Franco-Nevadas $272m impairment charge.

Even adjusting for these big unusual items, the GDX top 34s total profits still soared 73.9% YoY last quarter! The gold miners are making money hand over fist in this higher-gold-price environment, despite their higher costs for mitigating COVID-19 risks. Theres no doubt the gold miners are the most-attractive sector in these dangerous stock markets as national economies plunge into government-imposed depressions.

From its brutal mid-March stock-panic low to last week, GDX has already rocketed 84.4% higher out of that extreme anomaly! That included a major bull-market breakout for the gold stocks in late April, with GDXs first new bull highs achieved in 3.7 years. Yet this massive upleg still has a long ways to run yet given the major gold miners colossal earnings growth and resulting super-low valuations even this week.

Plenty of fundamentally-superior major and mid-tier gold miners included in the GDX top 34 now have trailing-twelve-month price-to-earnings ratios between 11x to 15x! That would be plenty cheap for normal stocks, but is incredibly low for the high-flying gold stocks. And these cheap valuations are set to fall even farther as gold-mining earnings continue growing. The COVID-19 disruptions will prove a speed bump.

Q2 is going to be tougher than Q1 for the major gold miners suffering shutdowns under governments draconian lockdowns. But all that gold production is merely delayed a month or two, not lost forever like sales in many other industries! As governments increasingly struggle with lower tax revenues, they will rush to bring gold mining back online. So this sectors ultimate COVID-19 impact should prove relatively modest.

At Zeal we started aggressively buying and recommending fundamentally-superior gold and silver miners in our weekly and monthly subscription newsletters back in mid-March right after the stock-panic lows. Weve been layering into new positions ever since, with unrealized gains already growing huge. And they will likely get much bigger in coming months as this gold-stock upleg keeps powering higher on big gold investment.

To profitably trade high-potential gold stocks, you need to stay informed about the broader market cycles that drive gold. Our newsletters are a great way, easy to read and affordable. They draw on my vast experience, knowledge, wisdom, and ongoing research to explain whats going on in the markets, why, and how to trade them with specific stocks. Subscribe today and take advantage of our 20%-off sale! Get onboard now and mirror our many winning trades before big buying catapults this sector way higher.

The bottom line is the major gold miners just reported awesome Q1 results despite COVID-19 impacts. They achieved outsized gold production growth bucking the global trend. And the much-higher prevailing gold prices dwarfed the modest cost increases partially driven by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. That fueled huge increases in revenues, operating cash flows, cash in treasuries, and hard accounting earnings!

While gold-mine shutdowns have lasted longer in Q2, plenty of major gold miners remain unaffected due to where their mines are located. And once governments green-light those shuttered mines, miners will rush to make up for lost production. With gold still powering higher on mounting investment demand, the resulting better prevailing gold prices this quarter should make for solid Q2 results despite this crazy pandemic.

Adam Hamilton, CPA

So how can you profit from this information? We publish an acclaimed monthly newsletter, Zeal Intelligence , that details exactly what we are doing in terms of actual stock and options trading based on all the lessons we have learned in our market research. Please consider joining us each month for tactical trading details and more in our premium Zeal Intelligence service at  www.zealllc.com/subscribe.htm

Questions for Adam? I would be more than happy to address them through my private consulting business. Please visit www.zealllc.com/adam.htm for more information.

Thoughts, comments, or flames? Fire away at zelotes@zealllc.com . Due to my staggering and perpetually increasing e-mail load, I regret that I am not able to respond to comments personally. I will read all messages though and really appreciate your feedback!

Copyright 2000 - 2019 Zeal Research ( www.ZealLLC.com )

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Altria Group (NYSE:MO) is having a tough few weeks. After reporting tepid first-quarter earnings results April 30, the tobacco giant is now facing an investigation from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

Along with Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM), Altria is facing an inquiry after three business units of British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) filed a complaint with the ITC regarding an alleged infringement of patents pertaining to the technology of heated tobacco products.

For you newbies, a heated tobacco product, at times known as a heat-not-burn (HnB) device, is a smoke-free answer to traditional tobacco cigarettes.

These devices heat the substance inside until it evaporates, distributing an aerosol that is considered less harmful than smoke. HnB devices are similar to e-cigarettes and vaping products, which vaporize a water-based liquid laced with preservatives and nicotine. However, HnB products are used with specially designed tobacco sticks that respond to the heating and evaporation process that's built in.

Problems over patents

Hands down, one of the world's most popular heat-not-burn products is PMI's iQOS system, which was only recently approved for sale in a few select local markets in the United States through an arrangement with Altria under the latter's Marlboro brand.

Given the shrinking market for traditional cigarettes in the U.S., iQOS could be a massive boon for PMI and Altria. But British American Tobacco alleges that the product infringes on its patents and intellectual property.

In response to the filing, the ITC said it found grounds to scrutinize PMI and Altria's import and patent activities. Its investigation, to determine whether PMI and Altria violated section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, will be carried out by the commission's Office of Unfair Import Investigations. Section 337 prohibits imports from companies that could likely infringe upon the authority of a U.S. patent owned by another person or entity.

In addition to the complaint filed with the ITC and another put forth in Germany, British American Tobacco filed a lawsuit in a federal district court in Virginia to take on the alleged infringement. BAT and its tobacco and e-vapor units want iQOS products banned in the U.S. unless PMI and Altria agree to pay out on a license to use the patents in question to maintain iQOS sales.

Poor news for investors?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PMI and Altria's premarket tobacco applications for iQOS in 2019, affirming that the companies could begin selling iQOS devices and heat sticks (the tobacco) in select cities late in the year. If the ITC ends up enacting a ban on imports of the product for patent infringement reasons, it could be an embarrassment for two of the world's largest tobacco companies.

From an investing standpoint, the investigation may be worrisome for investors of Altria and PMI. Again, Altria's first-quarter earnings were tepid; sales of the iconic Marlboro brand were down more than 1% this quarter compared with last year. PMI's first-quarter earnings, meanwhile, showed a slight decline in shares for the retail cigarette segment, while iQOS was a bright spot.

Criminal investigations

British American Tobacco is itself the subject of a criminal investigation led by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Treasury Department, alleging that the company breached international sanctions by doing business with nations including Cuba and Iran.

That said, of all the companies involved in this dispute, British American Tobacco and its units look the most like a buy. That's especially true given BAT's coronavirus vaccine candidate, which is poised to enter human trials. Investors interested in the tobacco space will want to look closely at the moves each company is making beyond traditional cigarettes.
"The goal upfront was to create a long-life, rugged mini PC in the smallest space possible while keeping cost at the forefront," said Michael Bowling, CEO of Trenton Systems. "Trenton's engineering and production groups stepped up to the challenge. They knocked it out of the park with the ION, and I'm proud of the teams here at Trenton."

Features

The rugged ION Mini PC, a blazingly fast, high-performance computer weighing just 3.2 pounds, supports 8th and 9th generation Intel Coffee Lake / Coffee Lake-R CPUs - up to 8 cores and 16 threads for super-fast processing - as well as up to 32GB of unbuffered DDR4-2666 RAM across two SODIMM slots. These features are ideal for compute-intensive tasks, whether on or off the front lines.

Customers can also expect:

ECC-registered and non-registered options to reduce cost and increase performance

35W TDP to ensure minimal thermal output

An onboard TPM 2.0 and configurable BIOS settings for added protection

Strict revision control for consistent, long-term support

Programs and applications placing great emphasis on storage options will be satisfied with the ION Mini PC's internal 2.5" SATA SSD and M.2 NVMe PCIe card, which offer plenty of drive space and super-swift read-and-write speeds for a comfortable, efficient storage experience.

In terms of input and output, the ION is equipped with six USB 3.0 ports, 1 DisplayPort, 1 VGA port, 2 RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and 1 RJ-45 dedicated IPMI LAN port, providing users with necessary audiovisual, internet and system expansion capabilities.

A robust, embedded juggernaut, the ION Mini PC has a truly rugged design that ensures system survival in some of the planet's harshest conditions.

"Trenton's customers expect long-life, high-quality, durable, hardened and secured hardware by a trusted manufacturer with full control of the supply chain and an in-house team that's backed by an engineering arm ready to tackle the most complex specifications," Bowling said.

Before release, our test engineers pushed the ION Mini PC to its functional limits with a series of computer stress tests at our in-house testing facility. You can rest assured that this system is built to last.

Give your program or application the power, grit and support it deserves with your very own customizable ION Mini PC today.

"Don't be shy about asking for customization," Bowling said. "We would love to discuss how the product could be modified to fit your specific needs."

Support

The rugged ION Mini PC comes with an industry-leading five-year warranty, as well as limited lifetime support at no additional cost.

It's also available through our Loaner Program, which allows customers to borrow Trenton Systems' products free for 45 days. Feel free to contact Trenton Systems at any time with questions, comments or concerns.

Lastly, Trenton Systems is proud to say that every ION Mini PC component, from the internal board to the case, is designed, manufactured, assembled and supported in the United States of America.

"If you're looking for a rugged, hardened, truly made-in-the-USA mini-ITX form factor PC for your program or application, the ION Mini PC is the newest in the industry," said Yazz Krdzalic, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Trenton Systems. "Team Trenton has spent months taking in customer feedback of wants and needs, and we've prioritized the list accordingly. Our ION Mini PC addresses security concerns, ruggedization that withstands harsh environments and is backed by a support team ready to tackle your most technical questions."

Take a look at Trenton's full product line to learn more about its 30 years of experience in the rugged computing industry, and be sure to subscribe to our blog. You won't want to miss a thing.

About Trenton Systems, Inc.

Trenton Systems, Inc. is a ruggedized computer hardware manufacturer specializing in the design, manufacture, assembly, integration and support of rugged servers and workstations, processor boards, PCIe backplanes, storage servers, blade servers, PCIe expansion, mini PCs and customized high-performance computers for environmentally extreme applications worldwide.

Founded in 1989, Trenton Systems provides the defense/military, government, industrial and commercial markets with in-house engineering, testing and support services, computer life cycle planning, revision control, warranty support and customization/configuration support.

Trenton Systems' rugged computers meet or exceed UL, CE, FCC and military standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-S-901, DO-160), are backed by a five-year warranty and in-house limited lifetime support and manufactured in the company's Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA facility, which is certified to ISO 9001:2015 quality management standards.

Learn more about how we're changing the rugged computing industry at trentonsystems.com.

 2020 Trenton Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All marks are the property of their respective owners. Design and specifications are subject to change.

CONTACT: Yazz Krdzalic, (678) 971-5518, [email protected]

SOURCE Trenton Systems, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.trentonsystems.com


Infamous Israeli malware developer NSO Group is currently being sued by Facebook for using WhatsApp as its preferred attack vector. Malicious links and malware payloads are sent to targets, allowing government agencies -- including those in countries with horrendous human rights records -- to intercept communications and otherwise exploit compromised phones.

NSO has argued it cant be sued for the things done by its customers, all of which appear to be government agencies. The company says those actions are protected by sovereign immunity. NSO insists it only sells the malware. It does not assist its customers with target acquisition or malware deployment. Documents filed by Facebook say otherwise. NSO appears to deploy malware through servers it owns or rents in the United States, suggesting it is actually more involved in its customers actions than it has sworn in court.

Like any business, NSO Group wants more customers. Its not content to sell exploits to questionable governments that have used its offerings to target journalists, lawyers, activists, and dissidents. It wants to do business in the United States, where there are thousands of potential law enforcement customers.

Some details of NSOs stateside push emerged a few years ago, when reports showed the DEA had met with NSO to discuss its offerings. Motherboard has obtained additional documents indicating NSO is courting local law enforcement as well.

NSO Group, the surveillance vendor best known for selling hacking technology to authoritarian governments, including Saudi Arabia, also tried to sell its products to local U.S. police, according to documents obtained by Motherboard. [...] "Turn your targets smartphone into an intelligence gold mine," a brochure for the hacking product, called Phantom, reads. The brochure was made by Westbridge Technologies, "the North American branch of NSO Group," it says. Motherboard obtained the document and related emails through a public records act request.

"Phantom" is just US branding for NSOs "Pegasus" -- the hacking tool sold to foreign governments thats at the center of Facebooks lawsuit. According to the marketing documents sent to the San Diego Police Department, Phantom turns targeted phones into a steady stream of intercepted communications. The software allows police to grab emails, text messages, contact lists, track the devices location, and surreptitiously activate the phones camera and microphone. Once a phone is compromised, encryption is no longer a problem, as NSOs sales materials point out.

Pitching a tool this powerful to the San Diego PD had a predictable response:

After talking to the company in a phone call, SDPD Sergeant David Meyer told Westbridge in an email that the hacking system "sounds awesome."

The PDs statement says the department is always looking at products that could aid them in investigations. But as tempting as this one was, it was out of the PDs price range.

In his email, Sergeant Meyer added, "we simply do not have the kind of funds to move forward on such a large scale project."

That the NSO Group is seeking US law enforcement customers isnt a surprise. But the nations police agencies should try to be selective about who they purchase from. NSO has sold malware to serial human rights abusers and one would hope US agencies would voluntarily choose not to buy from a company with such shady clientele. Unfortunately, this single sampling of law enforcement documents shows at least one cop shop showed interest in buying what NSO was selling, and was only held back by budgetary constraints.
Coronavirus has put everyone in trouble. People are being advised to stay locked in their homes and due to this the lockdown has also increased. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has reached his old age (Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh) with permission from the Maharashtra government from Mumbai to celebrate Eid with the family. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui took permission from the Maharashtra government to visit his house with his four family members a few days ago.

Akshay Oberoi wants this from audience

SP Dehat Nepal Singh told, "On Friday, Nawazuddin reached home with his four family members." On getting information about this, the police have quarantined him at home. According to reports, during this time, the team of doctors had taken samples for corona examination of him and family. According to a report, the investigation report of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family sample has come negative.

Stop complaining in lockdown: Kubbra Sait

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is going to appear in the web series once again. Their web series Ghoomketu is going to be released on Zee5 and Anurag Kashyap has also acted in this film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a great actor and people give him a lot of love.

PM Modi also praises song 'Jayatu Jayatu Bharatam'
UP Election 2022: BJP panel meet today to decide candidates for first phase

UP CM Yogi Adityanath likely to contest from Ayodhya

UP Election 2022: BJP announces first list of candidates, Yogi Adityanath to contest from Gorakhpur

UP polls 2022: Yogi Adityanath the 2nd CM to contest assembly elections from Gorakhpur

With Yogi to fight from Gorakhpur Urban seat, Akhilesh offers SP ticket to BJP MLA

Yogi Adityanath okays Priyanka Gandhi's request to run 1,000 migrant buses

India

oi-Deepika S

Lucknow, May 18: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday accepted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's request to run 1,000 buses for migrants.

The Yogi Adityanath government has written to the Congress leader's office for details of the buses, their numbers and names of their drivers.

In a video message on May 16, Priyanka Gandhi had appealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Her appeal came a day after 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed a stationary truck, both carrying migrants, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh.

Over 100 nations seek probe into coronavirus origin

"Respected Chief Minister, I am requesting you, this is not the time for politics. Our buses are standing at the border. Thousands of labourers and migrants are walking towards their homes without food or water and after fighting all troubles. Let us help them. Give permission to our buses," she said.

"Our buses are standing at the border. Thousands of nation-builders workers and migrants are walking in the sun. Give permission Yogi Adityanath ji. Let us help our brothers and sisters," she added.

She also tagged a video of buses waiting at the Uttar Pradesh border.
But the auto break-ins arent only happening at Lake County Forest Preserves. Other prime targets for break-ins during the coronavirus pandemic are parking lots of hospitals and grocery stores. Also, according to incident reports across the county, residents are also seeing attempted and actual break-ins in their own neighborhoods.
By Akbar Mammadov

Twenty-eight years have passed since Armenias occupation of Azerbaijans strategically-important Lachyn district as part of Yerevan military aggression against the country.

A brief historical background of the occupation

Armenian forces started shelling the center of Lachyn with heavy artillery following the occupation of Shusha on May 8, 1992.

Launching an attack from the Turshsu area of Shusha and the direction of the Gorus region of Armenia, the Armenian armed forces occupied Lachyn on the night leading to May 18. Thus, most of the adversary forces occupying the district entered through the Lachyn corridor that a mountain pass within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, forming the shortest route between Armenia and Karabakh.

Harsh consequences of the occupation of Lachyn

As a result of the occupation, the population of Lachyn district was subjected to ethnic cleansing. Thus, more than 300 military and civilian people were killed and went missing. Currently, 77.700 Lachyn residents live as internally displaced persons (IDP) across different regions of Azerbaijan

Furthermore, Armenia seriously damaged public and private property in the region. Thus, 217 cultural, 101 educational, 142 healthcare, 462 trade, 30 communications, 2 motor vehicles enterprises and various production facilities were looted and destroyed.

Cultural and demographic damage to Lachyn by Armenia

As a result of the occupation, 54 world-famous historical monuments and more than 200 significant historical monuments were subjected to vandalism. Among them is the 6th century Alban Agoghlan temple, the fourteenth century Malik Ajdar tomb, the mosque in Garagishlag village, and the ancient cemetery in Zabukh village. The Lachyn History Museum and its ancient collection of gold, silver and bronze coins were looted. In addition, a silver handbag, an exhibit of the looted Lachyn History Museum, was sold at Sotheby's auction in London for $ 80,000.

Like in the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Armenia continues its illegal activities in Lachyn district as well, grossly violating international humanitarian law, as well as its commitments under the Geneva Conventions. Geographic names of the region are changed, natural resources are exploited, illegal infrastructural changes are carried out, and deliberate resettlement policy with the aim of altering the regions demographic situation is implemented.

Recognition of Armenias vandalism by European Court

As it is known, a decision has been adopted in favour of the Azerbaijani nationals who were forcibly displaced from the occupied Lachyn district of Azerbaijan on June 16, 2015, on the case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia of European Court of Human Rights, identified violations by Armenia of a number of their rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, namely, those relating to the protection of property, the right to respect for private and family life.

In addition, paragraphs 19 and 20 of the decision also refer to the military attack on the Lachin region, especially the city of Lachin, the airstrikes on Lachin in mid-May 1992. As a result, it has been confirmed that a large number of houses were destroyed, the city was looted and burned, and Lachin and surrounding villages were completely destroyed during the military conflict.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel while on duty.

Pc Rudvelle Walters, 47, had been charged with sexual assault on a female and attempted sexual assault on a female, Scotland Yard said.

The charges relate to an incident that allegedly took place at a hotel in High Road, Wembley, at about 5am on February 5, 2019.

The officer was on duty at the time, the force added.

The Met said that its Directorate of Professional Standards was informed and the officer was arrested on February 6.

He was then charged on May 15.

Pc Walters, who is attached to the North West Command Unit, will appear at Willesden Magistrates Court on August 11, police said.

He is currently on restricted duties and his status is being reviewed, it added.
'Yet, in J&K even if you are not involved in active combat, you can come under enemy fire.'

'However young a soldier is, he is not immune to action.'

'He may face challenges during the course of discharging his military duties.'

IMAGE: The Indian Army's Corps of Signals contingent, led by Captain Tania Shergill, marches during the Republic Day Parade, January 26, 2020. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

In what is being hailed as a bold move, the Indian Army plans to permit civilian youth and professionals to join the organisation for a tenure of three years.

100 officers and 1,000 jawans will be initially inducted.

Captain Neil Shaji -- reportedly to be the youngest to be awarded a Vishisht Seva Medal -- is a Territorial Army Officer who straddles both the civilian and military worlds.

As part of the Territorial Army, it is mandatory for him to serve a minimum of two months every year in the army. His employment as a strategy consultant remains his primary job.

Captain Shaji joined the Territorial Army in 2015 and has also served with the Special Forces. He is a rare Territorial Army officer to be awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service in the armed forces.

"When you put yourself through military training, you compete with yourself, test yourself, challenge yourself, be a team player and overall become a better citizen," Captain Shaji tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com.

How will the induction of civilians into the Indian Army for three years influence the youth of the country?

It will inculcate leadership skills and create a disciplined youth force.

In any area of life -- personal or professional -- it is very difficult to move ahead without discipline and the ability to handle challenging situations. That is what army training teaches you as a soldier and officer.

It will not be compulsory like conscription in Israel, but voluntary.

It is a bold and welcome move and should be tried out. It will have a long implication as far as benefitting the country is concerned.

The world may see this as increasing your military strength which other countries and adversaries may find difficult to digest, but we are not a war-mongering nation.

At the end of the day, we are creating a youth force which can be called upon when there is a need -- and of course, create a youth full of motivation, energy and discipline to eventually benefit civil society.

IMAGE: Captain Neil Shaji in his civilian avatar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Captain Neil Shaji

How different will this be from the Territorial Army which gives an opportunity to people pursuing civilian careers to give a minimum of two months military service every year?

In this route a youngster will be serving the army continuously for three years.

S/he will be involved in military training and discharging national duties just like any other member of the armed forces.

Those who join the Territorial Army are also involved in a civil profession.

For example, I lead a strategy consulting firm advising various multinational companies.

As a Territorial Army officer, I have the versatility to work with the army for two months and concentrate on my civil employment for the rest of the time.

Though we have the option to serve for a longer time too, a minimum of two months is the mandatory requirement.

The Territorial Army is not a permanent job. The Territorial Army is an option for a civilian to don the uniform after training.

Territorial Army officers retire as any other officer of the armed forces according to their rank, but in this proposed tour of duty, those who are inducted will complete their tenure after three years.

As a civilian who has undergone training to serve the Indian Army, what do you think the selection process should be for this bunch of youngsters?

The present selection is based on a candidate clearing the UPSC exam and Service Selection Board interview.

In the SSB interview, the candidate is tested for 15 officer-like qualities to gauge the leadership and other dynamic qualities of a candidate in the role of a defence officer operating in the battlefield and in times of crisis.

There is no discussion at this point about selection methodology -- SSB or no SSB.

It is important to have these 15 qualities to be an officer, but if the engagement is only for three years, maybe there will be a relaxation on those strict criteria.

Motivation and physical traits will be an important factor if we are looking to employ a larger group of people.

How is this likely to affect the current makeup of the army? How will officers adjust to this new lot of youngsters who have not undergone the same rigours of military training?

I am sure the army leadership has thought well of this. The armed forces as an organisation can be conservative, but the army is also an organisation which knows how to effectively use its manpower.

My assumption is that this youth will be utilised for roles that suit their maturity and experience. I don't think a youth with six months of service will be thrown into hard core anti-terrorist operations.

The aim is to create a force level which can be mobilised, if need be in any situation. But for that they need to have the basic knowledge of how to fire a weapon, tactics and basic drill.

The first three years for officers are the budding years when they learn to conduct operations.

Those 5-6 initial years is when they learn aspects of training, motivating their men, basics of ground combat and how to deal with emergencies.

Definitely there will be a lot of youngsters bubbling with energy to be a part of military activities.

When you have youth full of energy that vibe passes down to all the soldiers.

Army leadership is all about morale and motivation.

The army will know how to employ them, they will give them some exposure, but it will be a tamed exposure suiting their training and capability.

I don't think they will be involved in active combat.

Yet, in J&K even if you are not involved in active combat, you can come under enemy fire.

However young a soldier is, he is not immune to action. He may face challenges during the course of discharging his military duties.

There is a shortage of roughly 30,000 officers in the army. These youth might fill in those gaps in some aspects.

The idea is also to induct jawans for three years, how will that help?

The bulk of army jawans come from the rural community and are not graduates. They might get a Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 job outside, but here it increases the employment option with a better salary.

It will provide huge employment, and after three years they will have acquired skill sets which will help them perform better in the civil world. Apart from qualities of physical courage and confidence.

How will this impact the overall health of the Republic? Will the youth be better equipped when they re-enter civil life after three years?

It will have imbibed in them military discipline, physical fitness, training and all over physical and mental health.

The more important thing I would say is that when you put yourself through military training, you compete with yourself, test yourself, challenge yourself and overall become a citizen who is a team player.

They will come out becoming better citizens.

Personally, my training in the Special Forces has taught me that you are more than what you think you are. There is no limit to what can you do.
They arrive by email, cellphone or the old-fashioned landline.

Regardless of the technology, the purpose is the same: to con people  particularly the elderly  out of their money.

Scams know no seasons and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good enough to ensnare even the most critical minds.

And, not wanting to waste an opportunity, fraudsters have ramped up their game during the past few weeks.

The ripe fruit this time? Those $1,200 economic stimulus checks that have been hitting peoples mailboxes and Direct Deposit accounts the past few weeks.

The Federal Trade Commission said $13.4 million also has been lost to con games in the 18,235 reports it is investigating. Those are just the ones with victims, too.

Internet behemoth Google has reported it is blocking 18 million fraudulent emails every single day.

Even more frightening is that there are any estimated 150,000 pages online designed to look like official stimulus check websites.

Verification site SocialCatfish.com said a little caution can help avoid falling prey. It said there are five major categories being used to try to rip people off:

Robocall check scams

A caller pretends to be from the IRS and asks for personal financial information. Usually, they claim the information is needed to deposit a stimulus check and sometimes will go so far as to ask for a fee to handle the deposit.

The numbers they want, though, can be used to claim a check and even drain the bank account.

 How to avoid: Do not give out any personal information. Without getting too tin foil-hattish, the government already knows what it needs to know about you.

Email and text scams

These can be tough to spot. A link is provided in an official-looking government communication. But its a ruse and clicking the link can install whats known as malware on a device, allowing it to capture all kinds of information without your knowledge.

 How to avoid: Dont click links that are emailed or sent by text.

Identity theft scams

If your stimulus check hasnt arrived but the official IRS site at IRS.gov says it has, someone might have stolen your identity  and your check.

 How to avoid: Identity theft is one of the toughest frauds to avoid and millions fall victim each year. Report concerns immediately to local police or to the official Federal Trade Commission site at identitytheft.gov/.

Search engine scams

Remember those 150,000 web pages from earlier? Scam artists use them  particularly sites that can look almost identical to the IRSs Get My Payment site  and know how to work search engines so people can easily find them, go to them and provide personal financial details.

 How to avoid: If a sites address doesnt end in .gov and instead has .com, .net or even .us, dont trust it.

Third-party scams

Unscrupulous scammers are prepresenting themselves as representatives of large companies or charitable groups and claiming to want to help its customers by sending official-looking checks of their own.

The con artist gets a cut, usually by requiring some sort of processing or other fee, and leaving the recipient with a useless piece of paper.

 How to avoid: Listen to the voice in your head saying something is too good to be true.

Usually, thats the case.
A lawn mower man waged a nighttime campaign of sexual terror against women and children across northern New South Wales for six years without once being caught.

Dean Anthony Sellenthin stalked dozens of victims of all ages and both sexes - filming them naked in bedrooms and bathrooms and stealing underwear from their homes.

Among his victims was a blind 91-year-old woman who Sellenthin indecently assaulted while she slept on at least ten separate nights over more than a year.

He also raped three dogs 19 times in a spate of unchecked sexual offending which a judge described as covering a 'staggering' range of crimes.

Sellethin, now 44, filmed all his offences and carefully catalogued the recordings so he could watch them again later to satisfy his perverted desires.

His crime wave stretched through Byron Bay, Bangalow, Suffolk Park, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, Upper Coopers Creek and Main Arm from 2011 to 2017.

Dean Anthony Sellenthin has been jailed for 16 years over more than 80 offences including the aggravated sexual assault of a 91-year-old woman and having sex with dogs. He appeared in court last Friday via audio-visual link from the Cessnock Correctional Complex

Dean Sellenthin's crime wave stretched through Byron Bay, Bangalow, Suffolk Park, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, Upper Coopers Creek and Main Arm in northern NSW from 2011 to 2017

Sellenthin repeatedly broke into the home of blind 91-year-old woman and sexually and indecently assaulted her while she slept. The woman did not wake during the attacks. Stock image

Some of his victims were clients of his lawn mowing and handyman business but most were strangers he found by chance while out prowling.

Detectives were able to identify 33 addresses where Sellenthin had filmed naked women and children or stolen underwear but there were at least a dozen more premises they could not locate precisely.

He stole more than 300 items of underwear from clotheslines, washing machines, laundry baskets and bedroom drawers. He even raided clothing bags left out for charities and lost and found baskets at three north coast laundromats.

Sellenthin, who was jailed for 16 years last Friday, had previously been imprisoned in 2007 for 16 months over 87 similar offences and was on the child sex offender's register after his release.

It was during a compliance check on those registry conditions that police finally discovered Sellenthin had not only returned to offending but escalated his crimes.

In November 2017 police attended Sellenthin's Bangalow home and found child abuse material on a Lenevo laptop.

Upon that discovery Sellenthin pulled out the bottom drawer of his bedside table and removed another HP laptop, hard drives and numerous USBs and memory cards, telling police: 'You're going to find it anyway'.

Lawn mower man Dean Sellenthin broke into homes and stole hundreds of pairs of women's and children's underwear for his sexual gratification. Stock image

Dean Sellenthin waged a campaign of bizarre sexual offending in Byron Bay Shire from 2011 to 2017, stalking victims, having sex with dogs, and photographing naked boys and girls. Pictured is Main Beach at Byron Bay

Further searches on Sellenthin's home revealed women's underwear - some still in its packaging - as well as three digital cameras and more electronic storage devices.

Among the files detectives located was a document titled 'candid forums 1' which Sellenthin had submitted to an online group for men interested in voyeurism and stealing women's underwear.

The catalogued files of videos and still images had names such as 'daughter_just washed_still wet', 'eldest daughter_babe' and and 'gran_91years_3'.

'The images and video files displayed largely females of all ages in various stages of undress,' an agreed statement of police facts said.

'Some were engaged in intimate or private acts such as sexual intercourse, using the toilet, showering etc.

'It was clear these images had been taken covertly by the offender through uncovered windows and the like.

'On many of the video files there is audio of the offender making comments to himself consistent with sexual arousal from what he is filming.'

DEAN SELLENTHIN'S ONLINE ADVICE FOR OTHER VOYEURS Sellenthin posted this testimonial to an online forum for men with sexual fetishes including stealing women's underwear: A few years back I had a serious problem with voyeurism and women's panties so serious it was all I could think of 24-7. It became so bad I would visit the same houses every night for my sexual needs. I would watch and film women showering, towelling off, getting dress and undressed [he then details graphic sex acts]. You could say after 4 years of doing it... I had seen it all. But with all addictions, I couldn't control it. It grew and grew. What was a once a week thing became every night and people started to notice. I lied to my girlfriend so many times. She thought I was having an affair because I was never home at night. I made up lies to my boss because I was so tired at work after walking around town for 6-7 hours every night to get my fix. I knew it was only a matter of time before it all fell apart. I was getting sloppy. I didn't care if people knew I was there filming. I didn't care if I stole 10 pairs of panties off a clothes line or if the neighbours saw me and chased me two blocks. The risk was part of the reward. I had so many close calls with the public and the law. I knew they were onto me but I couldn't stop. I am not here to tell you guys what to do and what not to do. That is a choice only YOU can make. But I will say this, before you commit the crime think of what is really at stake an ask yourself one question... is it worth it? Advertisement

While filming two naked girls aged ten and 12 through a window Sellenthin was recorded saying, 'oh my god', 'that's beautiful', and 'that's the oldest - whoa'.

While filming another woman and her daughters he said, 'there's mumma', 'phew, she's hot - even without the makeup' and 'here we f***ing go'.

Sellenthin's worst offending was against an elderly woman whose home he repeatedly invaded over 14 months to film himself sexually assaulting her.

'In a separate category there were numerous images and videos of the offender committing sexual offences on at least 10 separate occasions on a frail 91-year-old blind woman who, whilst heavily medicated at night, was asleep at these times,' the statement of facts said.

Sellenthin had told the court he was 'deeply sorry' for the attacks on the 91-year-old woman, who has since died. 'I had no right to invade her home, to assault her,' he said. 'I had no right to make her feel unsafe.' Stock image

WHY DEAN SELLENTHIN SEXUALLY ABUSED A 91-YEAR-OLD WOMAN 'I remember seeing her in the house a couple of times and took some images of her. One night I remember just leaning on the door handle on the back door. I was trying to lean in the window and the door opened and I went in. On that particular night, I think she went into her bedroom or something, I went back out of the house and just continued to walk around the neighbourhood. For some reason I ended up back there, no lights or anything on, and I guess my main purpose was to grab some underwear. But then realised she was still in the house and sort of freaked me out at first, but then I thought, hang on, she's asleep. When I went in there she was asleep and things just sort of escalated from there. I was in two minds whether to get out or not, but not being in the right frame of mind. She was asleep, there was no blanket on her. I could see her underwear and I was aroused by that. [Sellenthin then describes performing a sex act]. I was concerned that she would wake up and my heart was going a million mile an hour. I left the home house through the same door, the back door that I came in.' Source: Sellenthin's interview with police Advertisement

'In another separate category were numerous images and video of the offender committing penetrative sexual acts upon three different dogs.'

Sellenthin raped the animals in his car, on a bed and outdoors. He closed one dog's jaws with gaffer tape and sometimes wore a condom.

During one act of bestiality he recorded himself telling the animal, 'Good boy'.

The names of the dogs Sellenthin raped at Byron Bay, Suffolk Park and Bangalow were suppressed to protect the identities of their owners.

'The offender recalled committing the acts of bestiality upon [two dogs] on multiple occasions,' the statement of facts said.

'However he stated that he only committed one act of bestiality upon [another dog] as he offended against this dog when it unexpectedly wandered into his backyard.'

Further videos showed Sellenthin wearing the underwear he had stolen from women and girls.

Sellenthin's recorded interview with police had to cover so much offending it took more than two days to complete.

'The offender explained that he targeted residential homes in Byron Bay and surrounding suburbs at night,' the statement of facts said.

The names of the dogs Sellenthin raped at Byron Bay, Suffolk Park and Bangalow were supressed to protect the identities of their owners. Byron Bay is pictured

'On occasion he targeted female customers from his general maintenance/lawn mowing business, however more often than not the victims were unknown to him.

'His objective was to covertly photograph and film unsuspecting females through uncovered windows involved in intimate acts, using the toilet or getting dressed.'

Sellenthin would usually position himself in the backyard of the target premises or in the yard of an adjoining home.

If an opportunity presented itself he would steal women's underwear from the clothes line. If he found an unlocked door or window he would enter the home.

Some of Sellenthin's nocturnal covert filming was conducted at holiday rental accommodation and many of the women he preyed upon have never been identified.

'The offender conceded that his victims would have been horrified and felt extremely violated should they have been aware of his offending,' the statement of facts said.

Sellenthin was a lawn mower in Bangalow (pictured) on the NSW north coast. Some of his victims were customers but most were strangers he found while out prowling

Last Friday in the NSW District Court Judge John North sentenced Sellenthin to a maximum 16 years with a non-parole period of 12 years.

'The catalogue of criminality is staggering,' Judge North said. 'All of these offences are motivated by the offender's deviant sexual arousal.'

Sellenthin said he was 'disgusted' by his crimes.

Judge North described the assaults on the 'extremely frail' 91-year-old woman as callous, brazen, gratuitous and 'committed for deviant sexual pleasure'.

'For each of the victims the circumstances would have been traumatic and frightening and for many very embarrassing,' Judge North said.

Judge North found Sellenthin's filming of children while they were naked particularly abhorrent.

'These children were meant to enjoy the safety and privacy of their own homes,' he said.

Sellenthin has been bashed in custody and is now under protection. He is being held at Shortland Correctional Centre within the Cessnock prison complex in the Hunter Valley

Sellenthin pleaded guilty to 83 offences including five counts of bestiality, one of aggravated sexual assault and ten counts of aggravated indecent assault. A further 82 offences were taken into account.

DEAN SELLENTHIN'S SICK CRIME SPREE Dean Sellenthin has been jailed for 16 years for 83 offences on indictment: - One count of aggravated sexual assault - Ten counts of aggravated indecent assault - Ten counts of aggravated break and enter to commit a serious indictable offence - Five counts of bestiality - Seventeen counts of produce child abuse material - One count of possess child abuse material - Two counts of fail to comply with reporting obligations - Twenty counts of stalking - Eleven counts of steal from dwelling - Three counts of break enter to commit serious indictable offence - One count of enter dwelling with intent to commit a serious indictable offence - Two counts of larceny A further 82 offences were taken into account in sentencing Advertisement

The pervert could not explain his sexual interest in animals but said drug use had contributed to his behaviour.

'I'm disgusted just thinking about how my life got to that point,' he said. 'I think with the right services and programs I will not re-offend. I want it to stop.'

Judge North described Sellenthin's voyeuristic offending as habitual, determined and disturbing.

'I cannot accept the defence submission that the offences over this many years did not involve planning,' he found.

'It is difficult to accept he has real insight into remorse.'

Sellenthin had told the court he was 'deeply sorry' for the attacks on the 91-year-old woman, who has since died.

'I had no right to invade her home, to assault her,' he said. 'I had no right to make her feel unsafe.'

Crown prosecutor Joshua Hanna had said Sellenthin was 'impulsive' and that 'no one' was safe from him even when inside their own homes.

'He's spent 12 years of his adult life involved in sexual offending,' Mr Hanna said. 'During this time, no woman or child in his area was safe.

'He will potentially be a lifelong risk to the community. Children of both sexes, animals, the elderly there is such a wide range of aberrant desires here.'

Sellenthin, who wept during his sentencing, has been in prison since his arrest in November 2017 and is in protective custody. His earliest possible release date is November 21, 2029.
Coronavirus poll: Most US believers say God is telling them to change how theyre living

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More than 60% of American believers of all faiths feel that the novel coronavirus pandemic is a sign that God is telling humanity to change how it is living, according to a new study.

Thirty-one percent of Americans who believe in God feel "strongly" that the virus is a sign of God telling humanity to change, according to the study by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The nationwide survey, conducted April 30-May 4, 2020, found that evangelical Protestants (43%) are more likely than others to believe that strongly. And black Americans, regardless of education, income or gender, are more likely than those of other racial backgrounds to say they feel the COVID-19 disease is a sign God wants humanity to change. Forty-seven percent of African-Americans say they feel that strongly, compared with 37% of Latino and 27% of white Americans, the survey adds.

White evangelical Christians (67%), are more likely than other American believers (53%), to feel that God will protect them from being infected. White evangelical Christians (7%), are less likely than others (15%) to doubt Gods existence or feel God has abandoned humanity (3% vs. 10%) because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

There were more than 1.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States with 89,564 deaths as of early Monday, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys Coronavirus Resource Center.

The study shows that Americans are more likely to say that foreign governments' actions or policies (43%) are the cause of the current coronavirus situation in the U.S.; 37% blame it on the U.S. government; 28% say "other things in nature" caused the current situation; 21% blame it on global trade; and 11% blame it on "human sinfulness."

The survey reveals that Americans overall have a nuanced view on keeping a balance between religious freedom and public health.

While 51% of Americans think in-person religious services should restart in some form, only 9% think services should be allowed without any restrictions. There is more support for drive-thru services in some form (87%). By comparison, 76% say people should be allowed to visit outdoor spaces like parks or beaches at least in some form, and 49% say the same about a protest, rally, or march in public.

Among Republicans, the support for drive-thru services stands at 38%, while only 18% of Democrats are in favor of it. And 15% of Republicans support in-person religious services compared to 7% of Democrats.

The study also indicates that Americans are more likely to say that restrictions on religious activities do not violate freedom of religion. Forty-two percent say banning drive-thru religious services violates religious freedom; 34% say the same for in-person religious service bans; and 17% say the same for in-person or drive-thru services that have restrictions such as crowd size.
Hollywood power couple Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have struggled homeschooling their three children during the coronavirus pandemic.

And on Friday, Elsa appeared in good spirits as she took her twin boys back to school in Byron Bay.

The Spanish actress, 43, walked her barefoot children to the gate while slinging one of her son's backpacks over her shoulder.

Hemsworth homeschooling is nearly over! Makeup-free Elsa Pataky (right) took her barefoot twin sons back to school in Byron Bay on Friday as classes begin to resume one day per week in NSW after coronavirus shutdown

Chris and Elsa share daughter India, eight, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, six.

From mid-May, as per New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian's directives, students returned to school one day a week.

Students will head back to school full time from July under a plan to gradually return children to classrooms.

Elsa, who starred in The Fast and Furious franchise, dressed down for the casual school run with her children.

The blonde bombshell left her hair down and appeared to embrace her natural beauty by stepping out without any makeup on.

She wore a striped jumper, loose-fit trackpants and sneakers.

All smiles! Elsa and her sons looked happy that school was back in session

Last month, Australian actor Chris, 36, revealed he was struggling to get the their children to concentrate on their studies at home.

'Home schooling them is an absolute challenge. It's three hours of negotiation and maybe 20 minutes of actual work,' he said in a promotional video for Netflix.

The star, who was self-isolating with his family in their $20million Byron Bay mansion, added: '[My children] just crave interaction with other kids so much, obviously, and that's a challenge.'

She's glowing! The blonde bombshell left her hair down and appeared to embrace her natural beauty by stepping out without any makeup on

Despite being Hollywood megastars, doting parents Elsa and Chris are very hands-on with their children and are regulars at the school gate.

The couple relocated to New South Wales from Los Angeles in 2014, and haven't looked back since.

Elsa previously told Stellar in 2017 that she enjoyed the more laid-back lifestyle in Byron Bay and was happy to be treated more like 'a local' than a celebrity.
Healthcare workers are dying for want of a $1 mask. (Ana B. Ibarra / California Healthline)

In the hospital emergency department where I work, we were starting to get used to our new normal, the regular flow of COVID-19 patients along with the everyday emergencies  heart attacks, strokes and trauma.

And then, one of our own came into the emergency room sick. With COVID-19.

My drive home that night pulled dread and sadness along from the hospital like a wake.

The next morning, I woke to the front-page story about the death of Celia Marcos, a nurse wearing only a surgical mask who ran to treat a COVID-19 patient who had stopped breathing. Because seconds count, she chose not to try to get a proper mask before entering the room, her colleagues told the paper.

Her medical training and the drive to save a patient launched her on a suicide mission.

It was a gut punch, this unnecessary death over a one-dollar N95 mask, this loss of an experienced nurse just when we need nurses most.

We run the plays  the tasks we perform to pull patients back from the edge of death  over and over in our heads. We spend years training, repeating and perfecting techniques.

But we never thought we would have to worry about PPE.

Now, staffs at every hospital in America cant be sure they will have enough equipment to see us through the crisis. Three months into the pandemic, the problem is still unsolved.

There is a lot we dont know about Marcos death, but nurses who worked with her told this newspaper that she wasnt issued an N95 mask at the start of her shift. The hospital wasnt giving us appropriate PPE  the N95s were locked, one nurse said. The nurses union has filed a complaint with the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration, saying her death was the result of inadequate PPE provided to staff.

Tom Brady wont even go out on the field without his favorite helmet, and refs stop play the instant one pops off a players head. Its too dangerous.

At least half a dozen doctors, nurses and staff have died in the U.S., including some who warned they did not have the equipment they needed.

Story continues

I know I am taking a calculated risk every time I go to work. It is what I signed up to do.

But I wont take the chance treating COVID-19 patients without proper PPE. To honor Marcos memory, no nurse or doctor should. The Hippocratic oath doesn't include a suicide clause.

If our nation doesnt quickly nationalize the manufacture and distribution of PPE, ensuring that every hospital treating COVID-19 patients has enough high-quality protection, then who will be there to treat the next big spike in cases?

You can help.

First, protect yourself. Keep social distancing. Minimize going out, and wear your mask when you do.

Then urge your local and national leaders to nationalize PPE production and stop the profiteering, middlemen and state-against-state competition.

Call Fox News, tweet the president until he blocks you, stand up in your home office and make your voice heard.

When they ask for a name, tell them you are Celia Marcos.

Mark Morocco is a Los Angeles physician and professor of emergency medicine.
Houston: Critically ill COVID-19 patients face a high risk of developing kidney failure, stroke, and other complications associated with blood clot formation, according to a study which suggests that early tests may help save those severely affected by the disease.

The study, published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons, builds on growing evidence that COVID-19-infected patients are highly predisposed to developing blood clots.

In the study, the scientists, including those from the University of Colorado in the US, linked blood clotting measurements with actual patient outcomes.

The researchers said they are also currently conducting a randomised clinical trial of a drug that breaks down blood clots in COVID-19-infected patients.

"This is an early step on the road to discovering treatments to prevent some of the complications that come with this disease," said Franklin Wright, lead author of the study from the University of Colorado.

According to the study, patients who are critically ill, regardless of cause, can develop a condition known as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

In this condition, the blood of these patients initially forms many clots in small blood vessels, the scientists said.

The body's natural clotting factors can form too much clot, or eventually not be able to effectively form any clot, leading to issues of both excessive clotting and excessive bleeding, they explained.

However, in patients with COVID-19, the researchers said, the clotting appears to be particularly severe.

Citing COVID-19 case studies in China and from different parts of the world, they said the clots in these patients do not appear to dissipate.

Assessing the condition further among patients, the scientists saw the potential of using a specialised coagulation test to examine clotting issues in COVID-19 patients.

One such test they mentioned is the thromboelastography (TEG), which is a whole blood assay that provides a broad picture of how an individual patient's blood forms clots.

This test, according to the researchers, also reveals how long clotting takes in a patient, how strong these are, and how soon the clots break down.

TEG is highly specialised and used primarily by surgeons and anesthesiologists to evaluate the efficiency of blood clotting, but is not widely used in other clinical settings, the study noted.

"The COVID pandemic is opening doors for multidisciplinary collaboration so trauma acute care surgeons and intensivists can bring the tools they use in their day-to-day lives and apply them in the critical care setting to new problems," Wright said.

In the study, the researchers analysed 44 patients treated for COVID-19 infection between March 22 and April 20.

They assessed the outcomes for all patients who had a TEG assay as part of their treatment.

The scientists also evaluated the outcomes of the COVID-19 patients who were tested with other conventional coagulation assays such as the ones that measure the levels of the molecule D-dimer in their bodies.

D-dimer, they explained, is a protein fragment that is produced when a blood clot dissolves, whose levels are elevated when large numbers of clots are breaking down.

Those whose bodies were not breaking down clots most often required hemodialysis, and had a higher rate of clots in the veins, the study noted.

These patients, according to the researchers, could be identified by TEG assays showing no clot breakdown after 30 minutes, and a D-dimer level greater than 2600 nanogramme per millilitre (ng/mL).

Eighty percent of patients with both affirmative test findings were placed on dialysis, compared with 14 per cent who tested for neither finding, the scientists said.

According to the study, patients with positive test findings also had a 50 per cent rate of venous blood clots.

This was compared with zero per cent for those patients with neither finding, the scientists said.

"These study results suggest there may be a benefit to early TEG testing in institutions that have the technology to identify COVID-19 patients who may need more aggressive anticoagulation therapy to prevent complications from clot formation," Wright said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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Puerto Rican cement sales decline 61% in April

ICR Newsroom By 18 May 2020

Sales of cement in Puerto Rico fell 55.1 and 60.6 per cent in March and April 2020, respectively, according to the countrys Instituto de Estadisticas.



In March 2020 526,500 bags of 94lb, or 22,496t were sold while in April the offtake reached 451,300 bags or 19,283t. The drop in sales was attributed to the lockdown and the production stop due to the coronavirus.



Cement production fell 59.2 per cent to 493,300 bags (21,077t) in March and 49.5 per cent to 377,200 bags (16,117t) in April.

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SitusAMC today announced that the firm has launched a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Support Offering to aid PPP lenders. The offering brings together staffing solutions and a proprietary technology system  SitusAMC's Loan Forgiveness Portal  to help lenders, both large and small, release operational pressure and improve their customer's experience across the PPP loan lifecycle.

The SitusAMC offering combines the expertise gathered by aiding in the processing, underwriting, and quality control review of over 125,000 PPP loan applications and loans to date, with (a) leading technology to implement the forgiveness component of the PPP program, (b) consulting and advisory services to aid borrowers in understanding the PPP and its requirements, (c) due diligence and loan quality control services to audit loans already originated, (d) a loan forgiveness application complete with supporting documentation capture, (e) loan forgiveness processing systems and staffing capabilities, and (f) SBA servicing solutions.

"System limitations and a lack of available and trained staff are leaving many financial institutions' ability to fulfill and manage PPP loans at risk," stated Michael Franco, Chief Executive Officer of SitusAMC. "These risks are only further heightened by the political scrutiny on the PPP program, class action lawsuits, and potential false claim act damages on government lending. Through data and documentation review, operational assessment and readiness planning, debt forgiveness decisioning and support, and the implementation of our Loan Forgiveness Portal, our goal is to help lenders create efficiencies, mitigate risk, and ultimately deliver on their PPP customer's needs."

Chris Consoli, Chief Technology Officer of SitusAMC added, "We see one of the major challenges of the PPP being data fidelity. We built our Loan Forgiveness Portal knowing that with shifting government guidance in terms of what is considered forgivable, lenders and their borrowers would need an easy-to-use hub where they could properly capture, manage and submit supporting documentation. Additionally, the system leverages data-driven intelligence to perform calculations that are consistent and repeatable despite the evolving nature of the program."

To learn more about SitusAMC's PPP Support Offering visit https://www.situsamc.com/paycheck-protection-program-support-solutions or connect with an expert at [email protected]

About SitusAMC

SitusAMC (www.SitusAMC.com) is a leading provider of consulting, strategic outsourcing and technology solutions to participants in lending and capital markets. In 2019, SitusAMC supported the origination, valuation, diligence, and servicing of approximately $7T in financial assets. As a trusted solutions provider, SitusAMC has (i) aided a number of institutions with the processing of PPP loans, (ii) conducted due diligence and brokered secondary market sales of PPP loans, (iii) created technology and staffing solutions grounded in a consistent data driven, rules driven, automated process to facilitate borrower outreach, workflow management, and evaluation of PPP loans for debt forgiveness.

Media Contact: Andy Garrett, [email protected]

SOURCE SitusAMC

Related Links

https://www.situsamc.com


The Ludhiana police on Sunday seized two trucks illegally ferrying labourers to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The truck drivers had allegedly charged Rs 3,500 from each labourer for taking them to their native places. According to the police, none of the labourers were wearing masks and social distancing norms were being flouted.

While one case was registered at the Basti Jodhewal police station, the other was at Focal point station. A truck driver and a middleman were arrested.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gurbachan Singh, who is investigating the case, said that he was on patrolling duty, when he noticed a truck ferrying labourers. When he signalled the truck to stop, the driver fled from the spot leaving the vehicle behind.

Following this, the labourers started walking towards Jalandhar Bypass. The ASI managed to stop five labourers, who told him that the truck driver was ferrying them to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in his truck. There were more 45 labourers in the truck apart from them.

The middleman had charged Rs 3,500 from each labourer for taking them to their native palaces. Following the information provided by the labourers, police have arrested Rajiv Kumar of Dhandhari Kalan. A case under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused at Basti Jodhewal police station. The driver of the truck in thus case is yet to be arrested.

He added that the government has made arrangements to send labourers to their native places in trains and buses, but fraudsters are fleecing labourers in the name of ferrying them to their homes.

In the second case, the Focal Point police arrested truck driver Amar Singh of Prem Nagar of Lohara road. ASI Rajinderpal Singh, who is investigating the case, said that the truck was stopped for checking near Ganpati Chowk following a tip-off. It was covered with tarpaulin sheets at the time. Upon checking, police found 35 migrant labourers in the truck. The labourers told police that the truck driver was ferrying them to their native places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The labourers also told that the driver had charged Rs. 3,500 from each passenger.

The ASI added that a case under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act has been registered against the driver at the Focal Point police station.
Deputy Commissioners of a few districts have been shuffled as Haryana government on Monday issued transfer and posting orders of 11 IAS officers with immediate effect.

Anshaj Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Sonipat has been posted as Director, 'Housing for All', Chief Administrator, Housing Board, Special Secretary, Housing Department, an official statement said here.

Ravi Prakash Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad has been posted as Director General Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management.

Hema Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Panipat has been posted as Special Secretary, Finance Department, Managing Director, Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam.

Shiv Prasad, Special Secretary, Finance Department and Managing Director CONFED has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Charkhi Dadri.

Shyam Lal Poonia, Deputy Commissioner, Charkhi Dadri has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Sonipat.

Narhari Singh Banger, Managing Director, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation, Additional Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad.

Dharmender Singh, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Panipat.

Vikas Gupta, Director General, Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management and Nodal Officer for Monitoring of Budget Announcements, 2020-21 has been posted as Director, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Nodal Officer for Monitoring of Budget Announcements 2020-21.

Sanjeev Verma, Managing Director, Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation and Managing Director, Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam has been posted as Managing Director, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation.

Rippudaman Singh Dhillon, Director Haryana Governance Reforms Authority has been posted as Managing Director CONFED, in addition to his present duties.

Shaleen, Chief Administrator, Housing Board, Additional Secretary, Finance and Housing Departments has been posted as Additional Secretary, Finance Department, Managing Director Haryana Scheduled Castes, Finance and Development Corporation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Bangkok, Thailand  Mon, May 18, 2020 07:45 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8aed3d 2 SE Asia Thailand,shopping-mall,reopening,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,virus-corona,SARS-CoV-2 Free

Shoppers flocked to Thailand's top-end malls on Sunday, eager for retail therapy as shopping centers reopened in a gradual easing of restrictions to revive the virus-ravaged economy.

Hundreds of masked customers passed through temperature checks, disinfection stations, and had their photos taken before they were allowed into plush malls in Bangkok.

In the main downtown shopping district, Central World touted a "new normal" of doing business on posters, while screens on the mall's exterior declared "We are open".

The shopping center relaunch comes with Thailand's infection numbers slowing in recent weeks -- authorities announced three new cases Sunday, with the total at just over 3,000.

Shopper Taewich Penpattakul said he was "not really worried" about contracting COVID-19 because of Thailand's low caseload.

"Mentally, it makes me feel better that all the malls are now opened," the 23-year-old told AFP.

Customers and businesses were advised to adhere to restrictions, which include limits on the number of people allowed in retail spaces and a ban on alcohol sales in restaurants. Cinemas, however, remain closed.

The food court -- often the most popular part of Thai shopping centers -- filled up quickly, and a mobile robot roamed around monitoring people's temperatures.

Tables had plastic dividers set up to encourage social distancing, while one restaurant placed cardboard dinosaurs opposite customers to indicate the place was not to be used.

The government is also urging retailers and shoppers to check in on a digital platform when entering malls -- it will send a message if a coronavirus case is discovered in a specific store.

"We would have to wait until a few weeks to see if this is a good idea and if they [the government] can still control COVID-19," said Jason Noel, 25, who was eyeing up some purchases.

Shopping centers -- along with other public spaces like stadiums, gyms and parks -- were ordered to close in mid-March as Thailand entered a state of emergency to curb the spread of infections.

But retailers have felt the slump since January when an economic malaise settled over a kingdom heavily dependent on spending from Chinese tourists.

Thailand on Saturday extended a ban on inbound international flights until June 30.

Its economy is forecast to contract by more than 6 percent -- the sharpest plunge since the crisis of 1997.
BAGHDAD  Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi received a phone call from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani May 11 asking him to accelerate the procedures for reopening the border between the two countries for trade.

"We are looking forward to opening the borders between the two countries for commercial purposes," Rouhani said.

Some border crossings between the two countries had already reopened despite concerns over the coronavirus threat. On May 4, an Iranian official announced that two border crossings with Iraq  Shushmi and Sheikh Saleh  had officially reopened after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, out of the five official border crossings.

The Iranian official indicated that these two crossings are important to the Iranian economy, since about half of non-oil Iranian exports go through Iraq, and approximately 200 trucks pass through the Sheikh Saleh crossing daily to transport Iranian goods; 567,000 tons of non-oil goods worth about $25 million were exported last year.

The Iraqi Border Ports Authority decided March 8 to close and halt trade at five land crossings with Iran  Shalamcheh (Basra), al-Shayeb (Maysan), Zurbatiya (Wasit), al-Mundhiriyah and Mandali (Diyala)  in order to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The authority stressed April 25 that all crossings with neighboring countries are completely closed, with no decision at the time to reopen them.

Some analysts suggest that Iran is trying to impose its control on the crossings, as Iraq loses $6 billion annually through authorized trade with Iran, due to corruption involving armed parties and groups, oil smuggling activities and trade in corrupt goods.

Head of the Iraqi Border Ports Authority Omar al-Waeli told Al-Monitor, There is no decision to open the crossings [permanently]. These are exceptional and temporary measures in terms of the trade of food and agricultural materials necessary to boost local markets, prevent prices from skyrocketing and avoid a food crisis.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Alaa ad-Din al-Qaisi, a spokesman for the Iraqi Border Ports Authority, denied that some parties or unofficial groups control the crossings.

In an attempt to regulate activity at the crossings, the Iraqi Cabinet issued decisions April 8 making the Border Ports Authority in charge of controlling, supervising, monitoring and maintaining security at crossings.

Fadel Abu Raghif, a security expert and researcher at Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor, There are border crossings with Iran where traffic and commercial exchange are unofficially active.

He noted, Decisions to open crossings are in principle subject to an assessment of the health situation caused by the pandemic, pointing out the local and regional pressure to open eastern and southern Iranian border crossings.

Abu Raghif added, There is no urgent need to open the crossings because Iraq is a rentier state and is more negatively affected by any closing of the shipping ports, which are now continuing to operate according to the OPEC decisions.

Ahmed al-Sharifi, a military analyst and former member of the United Iraqi Alliance, told Al-Monitor about the political aspects of these ports. The ports are linked to the sovereignty of the state and the independent political decision guaranteeing the achievement of sovereignty and supreme interests; something that is yet to be present in Iraq, he said.

He added, The Iranian-US understandings over Iraq outline the political scene and influence decisions related to interrelations between countries neighboring Iraq.

Another factor influencing the opening or closing of crossings, Sharifi noted, is the fact that they are still controlled by entities and parties with regional rather than national affiliations.

Iraqi member of parliament Abdel Hadi Saadoun told Al-Monitor, The crisis cell decided to allow commercial traffic for two days only through the border crossings and this does not include the movement of travelers. This step serves the Iraqi economy.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Iraqi parliamentarian Hussein al-Asadi warned that Iraq is still not in control of a number of its crossings in the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG]. In addition, there are informal crossings between Iraq and neighboring countries through the KRG  such as Kelly, Tawila, Bishtah, Shushmi and Siranban  which are unofficial crossings with Iran.

Asadi added, This is due to political courtesies between Baghdad and Erbil. So on April 30, the KRG announced that it had opened its crossings with Iran despite the ban and the outbreak of the pandemic in Iran, without referring to the federal government.

In light of the sanctions imposed on Iran, controlling the border crossings to sustain trade exchanges is of the utmost importance to reviving its economy, with the possibility that the drop in oil prices also pushes the Iraqi side to condone informal opening of the crossings to alleviate the financial hardship.

Meanwhile, both armed Iraqi forces and Kurdish parties find it beneficial to reopen crossings with Iran and resume trade exchange.
Highlights Nokia 6.3 specifications have been leaked again.

A new report suggests a 24-megapixel main sensor on the back.

The smartphone is also said to have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

HMD Global refreshed its Nokia-branded smartphone portfolio at an online event in March but some of the rumoured smartphones did not see the light of day back then. Nokia 6.3 is one of those rumoured smartphones that HMD Global is reportedly still working on. A fresh report has revealed some major specifications of the Nokia 6.3 that include its processor details, camera information, and more. The Nokia 6.3 will likely be the successor of the Nokia 6.2 smartphone that was launched last year by the company.

Per a NokiaPowerUser report, a Nokia 6.3 prototype has been spotted by an unknown source who has claimed the smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor. Interestingly, the Nokia 6.3 was earlier rumoured to feature a Snapdragon 6 series chipset (Snapdragon 670 or Snapdragon 675). Going by the latest information, the Nokia 6.3 will settle for the mid-range, much like its predecessor. The Snapdragon 730 processor was announced last year by Qualcomm for smartphones that can support for up to 8GB of RAM with a maximum clock speed of 2.2GHz.

Nokia 6.3 camera setup, according to the report, will have four shooters - a 24-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel secondary ultrawide sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a macro sensor. The report further suggests there will be a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the smartphone's power button and that the Nokia 6.3 will be best suited for one-hand use. The report does not say anything about the front-facing camera but a previous report said there will be a 16-megapixel selfie shooter on Nokia 6.3.

It was also previously reported that the Nokia 6.3 will have a 3GB/64GB storage variant that will be priced at EUR 249 (approximately Rs 20,400). There is also another storage variant expected for the Nokia 6.3. But its pricing and availability details are not clear as of now.

The Nokia 6.2, on the other hand, was launched last year with a Snapdragon 636 processor. It came with a 6.3-inch FHD+ display with HDR10+ support. The smartphone packed a set-up of three rear cameras - a 16-megapixel main sensor, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It was launched in a single storage variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which cost Rs 15,999 originally. However, HMD Global doled out several price cuts on the smartphone subsequently.
Arbela Technologies Corp. (Arbela) and Cyclotron, Inc. (Cyclotron) announced a strategic partnership to jointly deliver Microsoft-based business and collaboration solutions to enterprise and mid-size companies in North America.

Using the Microsoft Cloud platforms (Microsoft Dynamics 365, Azure and Microsoft 365), this partnership is intended to provide significantly enhanced collaboration experiences to companies in the Manufacturing, Financial Services, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical industries for remote and in-office workforces. Expected outcomes are to help customers thrive and realize their growth plans through enhanced security and compliance requirements and improving enterprise collaboration. These improvements are expected to deliver critical financial, operational and customer experience data across roles in the organization, and to collaborate in a scalable and secure environment, both internally with employees and externally with customers and vendors. Ultimately, these improvements are expected to decrease operational cost, increase customer experience, improve revenues, and increase employee productivity.

There is an enormous opportunity for us to help our customers to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives and drive higher levels of insights and innovation. said Nima Bakhtiary, CEO of Arbela. Our Alliance with Cyclotron can accelerate delivery of secure and optimized collaboration and ultimately increase profitable growth using Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Apps, Power BI, and Azure Cloud platforms.

This partnership allows us to serve the full breadth of our customers Microsoft cloud security, workplace and business application solution needs to provide a fully integrated service offering, said Amber Bahl, Cyclotrons CEO. We couldnt be happier to round out our Dynamics 365 services portfolio through this partnership with Arbela. It is a natural partnership of both our services and our cultures.

This partnership expands Arbelas and Cyclotrons existing relationship, established in 2019. As leading Microsoft partner organizations and technology solution delivery firms, Arbela and Cyclotron make it easier for customers to integrate and optimize Microsoft Cloud solutions to support growth strategies.

About Arbela

Arbela Technologies is a global consulting firm and top-rated Dynamics 365 gold certified partner that empowers organizations around the world to digitally transform and grow their businesses. Our expert consultants offer strategic consulting, implementation services, support and managed services as well as pre-built software solutions that help our clients innovate using Microsoft Dynamics 365, ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence/Analytics and related Microsoft cloud solutions.

We specialize in global implementations, often with complex business processes  including engineer-to-order, make-to-order and configure-to-order manufacturing, distribution, aerospace, building materials, life sciences, high tech, food, and retail. Our long history serving these industries enables us to align with clients to help them re-engineer and redefine themselves to be more responsive to market dynamics, deliver outstanding customer experiences, break down organizational silos, and streamline processes. For more information, visit http://www.arbelatech.com.

 2020 Arbela Technologies Corp. All rights reserved.

About Cyclotron

Cyclotron was proudly founded in San Francisco in 2014 with the sole intent of accelerating the success of our clients by solving mission-critical business and technology challenges, through a proven network of industry-specific frameworks. Were a trusted strategic partner to many innovative organizations in the financial, health and life sciences, public, retail, and technology sectors. Our solutions combined with your investment with us boosts productivity, enhances collaboration, and integrates intelligence across your entire enterprise. For more information, visit http://www.cyclotrongroup.com

 2020 Cyclotron, Inc. All rights reserved.

For more information, press only:

Arbela, Marketing: (949) 291-4777, marketing@arbelatech.com

Cyclotron, Sales: (415) 742-8420, sales@cyclotrongroup.com
We are not at war  and it is dangerous to believe we are By Sanjit Dias View(s): View(s):

Consider the COVID-19 as a bomb-threat and keep it away all the time.

These words, reportedly by the Army Chief and Head of Sri Lankas Task Force on COVID-19, are only the latest in the national narrative that we are at war against the novel coronavirus. This rhetoric is not unique to Sri Lanka. President Donald Trump speaks of himself as a wartime President, while across the pond, Boris Johnson talks of being the head of a wartime government, before himself becoming a casualty in this war.

The Sri Lankan government has likewise fed this narrative of being at war against an invisible enemy. The media has jumped on the bandwagon. Much has already been written about why governments are keen to employ this rhetoric, and whose interests are served thereby. In this piece, my aim is to suggest some reasons why the fight against COVID-19 is quite distinct from war, and why employing such rhetoric might be counterproductive to combatting COVID-19, and dangerous for our democracy.

The parallels to war are lazy, but compelling at face value: there is loss of life, the disruption of national life, and the mobilisation of various groups to meet the threat. But to hang this analogy on the fact that the way in which the state responds to the two scenarios looks the same is to grossly downplay how society should feel about the two, and to mischaracterise the ground realities.

First, in war, the nature of the threat is existential. The probability of this coming to fruition may vary from conflict to conflict. In civil wars, for example, the aim of those taking up arms is typically to defeat or overthrow the government in an extra-constitutional manner, or to secede or break away from the rest of the country. This represents an existential threat to the state. The coronavirus does not present such an existential threat. There is no doubt that it has left a trail of destruction in its wake; over 300,000 deaths worldwide, millions left unemployed and struggling to meet their daily needs, and entire economies reeling from the sudden halt in daily activity. Nevertheless, nowhere is there a suggestion that the organs of government themselves are at risk of being destroyed or overthrown. To the contrary, the only governance concerns raised are to do with abuses of power during this time  but more on that later. Thus, in this respect, the fight against COVID-19 is not a war  the stakes just arent the same.

Second, you cannot have a war without an enemy. In conventional war, this enemy is visible and tangible  someone you can look out for, keep at bay, and  if necessary  kill. Perhaps there is something in our nature that makes it difficult for us to wage wars on abstract ideas or invisible enemies; the war on terror is quickly reduced to a war on terrorists. Similarly, a war on COVID-19 can easily descend into a war on those infected with COVID-19; a little farfetched  you may say  but we need look no further than our own experience.

It seems the Sri Lankan government could not keep the messaging of fighting an invisible enemy up for long  the public at war needed someone (read: enemies) to blame. Social media was happy to oblige. We began to see fake news targeting the Muslim community; news organisations followed health inspectors into Muslim homes, clips intended to paint the community in a negative light were aired on national television. Then we began to rationalise this  its because of their large families living in close quarters. The Muslim population even made it into a GMOA report as one of the factors to be considered in its COVID-19 response. When it faced heavy criticism, it was removed quietly.

Then the enemies changed  it became people living in low-income and high-density communities in the city. Already, various institutional guidelines are beginning to caution employing people from these communities. Unofficial reports speak of abuse in the way these communities were policed, but at the very least, there has been a stripping away of their dignity  something were quite comfortable doing to our enemies.

The government did not seem too concerned with these developments, barring some appeals from health experts not to demonise patients. However, it then emerged that some naval officers had been infected, and that the virus had spread rapidly within their camp; this cluster is now the biggest in Sri Lanka. There were reports of these officers and their families being vilified in their villages  and it was only then that the government stepped in. The Defense Secretary, among others, called on the public to acknowledge that these officers had made sacrifices for the sake of the country, and should not be mistreated for becoming victims of the virus. No word on why they were not given adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for their safety.

Some may argue that painting the pandemic response as a war is helpful because it unites the country against a common enemy. But this is not what has happened  Sri Lanka has instead fallen to pinning the blame on different groups, with the powerless and marginalised becoming easy targets. The distrust and suspicion that this can breed is perhaps captured in the story of the soldier who had a seizure in Dambulla, and was left unattended for a full half-hour before any assistance was rendered. Reports suggest that the bystanders thought he had COVID-19.

Third, during war, a country puts its military men front and center. The politicians and civil servants have their say, but it is the forces that call the shots. As if the war rhetoric were not enough, the President put the Army Chief in charge of Sri Lankas COVID-19 Task Force. It is his visage we see at the daily briefings. Is this the best approach to take? There is no doubt that the forces have certain useful traits  rapid mobilisation, a clear chain of command, and the training and discipline to adapt to changing instructions. But one crucial weakness I would suggest, is that forces (by their design) are not adept at taking criticism. Orders are meant to be followed down the line (Ours not to reason why), not questioned and challenged. But challenge and criticism are vital in a pandemic response, because it allows feedback to flow from bottom to top, and allows the authorities to adapt to meet those needs.

We are seeing an increased number of military officers taking leadership roles in the public service, most recently, at the Ministry of Health. With the heightened rhetoric about being at war, and the allegedly flawless and efficient mission carried out by the forces, the public is being primed to accept these changes submissively. Sri Lanka has been without a Parliament since March 2, but we have seen consistent messaging on social media telling us that we dont need these self-serving representatives when the disciplined forces and their leaders are keeping us safe just fine. We also saw attempts to take action against those who criticise public officers on their response to COVID-19. All these are signs of a creeping militarisation  a process which now has added legitimacy because of the war rhetoric.

If this isnt a war, then how should we look at it? I suggest we treat it as it is  a natural disaster. Sri Lanka has experiences of natural disasters, and in such times of crisis, we have demonstrated a remarkable capacity to show solidarity, and to come to the aid of those affected. After the tsunami of 2004, we saw a temporary cessation of hostilities between the government and the LTTE, as both sides prioritised the humanitarian effort. Whenever we experience serious flooding, there is an outpouring of support. Recall the difference in the tone of the response: no one blames the victims who have lost their homes to floods or landslides  they are seen as victims. There is a sense that we must share our resources, and share their burdens. Can such an approach be successful with a pandemic?

War rhetoric in response to a pandemic is not only dangerous for democracy, it is also counter-productive to combatting the virus. If minorities feel they will be vilified, they may not report symptoms of COVID-19; this is a growing concern among the Muslim population, as they now face the prospect of cremation if they die while suspected of COVID-19. If low-income workers are not reassured that their jobs are safe even if they dont turn up for work  because they suspect they have been infected  they will come to their workplaces regardless, and risk infecting many more. War rhetoric will not create this atmosphere of reassurance  it breeds an us versus them mentality, the desperation to do anything to survive. Instead, we need the language of solidarity and compassion  those who fall ill are victims, and we will share their struggles and take care of them. It is only by securing the health and well-being of all that we can secure our own.

I will end on a facetious note. If this is in fact a war  will there be decorations handed out when this is all over? Will the military chiefs get medals for their decisive leadership, and the soldiers for falling ill in the line of battle? If they find this notion outrageous, it is only because they know that this is nothing like an actual war. This is not a war; we should stop treating it like one.
Srinagar, May 18 : Security forces on Monday started a massive cordon and search operation in two villages in J&K's Pulwama district following intelligence reports about the presence of militants there, police said.

The operation is connected to the murder of police Head Constable, Muhammad Amin, who was killed by terrorists in Frisal village of Kulgam district on Saturday. Amin belonged to Sangarwani village of Pulwama district.

Police sources said a large number of security forces, including Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) of police surrounded Murran and Ashmander villages in the morning for door-to-door searches.

"The operation was launched after intelligence reports said that militants are hiding in these areas. So far, there has been no contact (firing exchanges) with the militants. The operation is on," police sources said.

Security forces have since Saturday intensified operations to hunt down the murderers of the policeman.
The fourth phase of the lockdown, announced by the government on Sunday, represents a departure from the past three phases. While relaxations were gradually introduced in each phase, India is now substantially opening up. Inter-state travel is allowed; markets  excluding malls  will resume business; there will be more vehicular movement, including of taxi aggregators; more people will now go back to offices; and the everyday rhythm of life, interrupted since March 25, will be restored to some extent. States have been given the authority to demarcate red, orange and green zones, and will have more liberty in determining the extent of activity permitted in them. To be sure, there will be strict control in containment zones, but the big picture in lockdown 4.0 is of an India getting back on its feet.

Here is the paradox. India is opening up on the very day that it neared 100,000 positive cases. Delhi has crossed 10,000 cases, the fourth state to have hit the number after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In the last fortnight, the coronavirus disease also hit 180 additional districts, taking the total affected districts to over 550. Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh witnessed the sharpest increase in the number of districts  which is primarily being attributed to the return of migrant workers home, who are now testing positive. This is the case at a time when most migrant workers have not yet returned home, or been tested. So with more relaxations and travel, expect a further spike in numbers.

Remember that India imposed the lockdown when there were just a little less than 500 cases. It is opening up when there is a clear surge. The lockdown, as this newspaper has argued, was yielding diminishing returns on the health front and was causing economic devastation of an unprecedented scale. The relaxations are, therefore, legitimate. This period has also been used to ramp up health infrastructure to a limited extent  with more dedicated hospitals, testing kits, personal protective equipment, the evolution of a health protocol around testing-tracing-isolation-treatment, and consistent messaging on social distancing. India will now have to learn to live with this contradiction  between the rising number of cases and relaxations and resumption of economic activity. Adjusting to this new normal will not be easy. Government systems will come under stress. There will be more panic as more and more people test positive. But there is no choice. Citizens can do their bit by abiding by social distancing norms, wearing masks and taking precautions, while the State must ensure that gains on the health front are not squandered, and the balance between lives and livelihoods is managed as well as possible.
HICKORY, N.C.  Catawba Valley Community College has been selected to host the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) regional office in a partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College, according to a release from the Hickory community college. This regional office will serve a dual role in helping to provide business development services to North Carolina companies while also expanding funding for the NCMBC provided by the General Assembly and State leadership to grow North Carolinas defense economy. CVCC and Fayetteville Tech have established a strong partnership over the years, said CVCC President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw. Being selected as the western region host for the North Carolina Military Business Center will be another great asset for our community through the provision of direct support for our business and industry partners. Hickory native Mark Mills has been selected to lead the regional office as the Business Development Manager and Business Development Professional. In these positions, Mills will provide one-on-one assistance to help businesses in the region compete for, win and grow jobs through federal contracts. His work will include businesses in Catawba, Alexander, Ashe, Alleghany, Burke, Caldwell, Watauga and Wilkes counties. The North Carolina Military Business Center continues to grow, and Catawba Valley Community College was the perfect location for an office, Mills said. I look forward to working with the North Carolina business community. Federal opportunities come out every day, and the businesses need to be ready to win and perform on those contracts. The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, and businesses should consider selling to the federal government and Department of Defense. Mills professional background includes time working with the North Carolina Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), where he directed a team of 10 procurement counselors at eight different universities within the UNC system. A 27-year military veteran, including 13 in uniformed service in the United States Air Force and Army National Guard, Mills has more than 19 years of experience providing procurement assistance to North Carolina businesses who sought contracting opportunities with local, state and federal governments. NCMBC Executive Director Scott Dorney said Mills role will be extremely vital. The business development team is the heart of the NCMBC, Dorney said. Marks extensive leadership experience as Program Director for the North Carolina Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) will ensure his success in managing the NCMBCs statewide business development team. His federal contracting expertise will prove invaluable to businesses in the CVCC service area and surrounding counties in competing for, winning and successfully executing federal contracts  and growing jobs in our state. For more information about the NCMBCs Regional office at CVCC and Mills, please visit www.ncmbc.us.
Netflix. Peloton. Charmin. These are well-known brands benefiting from the quarantine lifestyle. Heres one youve never heard of: Globe. Its target customer is all of us who are really annoyed with the people we live with.

Founded in June 2019 by Emmanuel Bamfo, 30, and Eric Xu, 36, Globe may be thought of as a daytime, by-the-hour version of Airbnb. Say you are in New York, San Francisco, Miami or London and you simply cannot abide for another second listening to your wifes work humor on her Zoom calls to clients, or the sound of your roommate slurping cereal.

You need a break. Going to your office, a co-working space or a coffee shop are not currently options. So you flip to your Globe app and look for a nearby empty apartment to rent for a few hours. No overnight stays are permitted, and you have to send a photo of a thermometer showing you dont have a fever to get access to the check-in instructions.

At a time when people are hanging on to the fringe of their sanity because we are not meant to be cooped up like this, Mr. Bamfo said, we give people a reprieve.
India is among 62 countries backing a joint effort by Australia and European Union calling for an independent inquiry into the World Health Organisation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a draft resolution proposed for 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting beginning today.

Geneva: India is among 62 countries backing a joint effort by Australia and European Union calling for an independent inquiry into the WHO's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a draft resolution proposed for 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting beginning today.

The draft calls for "impartial, independent and comprehensive" probe into the coronavirus crisis. Besides, an inquiry into the actions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and "their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with the member states a step-wise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing mechanisms, as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19," the draft report reads.

European nations and Australia have been gathering support for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of "the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19".

Last month, Australia was the first country to call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said allowing the WHO to investigate the outbreak "strikes me as a bit poacher and gamekeeper," ABC reported.

"This is about collaborating to equip the international community to better prevent or counter the next pandemic and keep our citizens safe," Payne was quoted as saying by ABC. Other major countries named in the EU-backed draft include Japan, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, Brazil, and Canada.
Prominent among those attending the event were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The programme aims to highlight remarkable contributions by President Ho Chi Minh to the national revolutionary cause, as well as promote the effective implementation of the campaign on studying and following the late Presidents ideology, morality and style.

The songs performed in the programme included those by both Vietnamese and foreign composers, popular among various generations of Vietnamese people, praising the late leader. The audience also had a chance to enjoy songs of ethnic minority groups expressing their gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh's for his great devotion to the nation.

A performance at the art programme. (Photo: VGP)



President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the north-central province of Nghe An. He devoted his whole life to the national liberation cause, while tirelessly striving for peace and progress in the world.

He also led the struggle for national independence to success and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945. The President passed away in 1969.
UPDATE: Gym reopens in defiance of N.J. coronavirus lockdown with crowd of supporters waving flags, police nearby

A Camden County gym owner said he still plans to reopen his business Monday in defiance of a state order to shutdown nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.

This is much bigger than opening a gym, Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr said Sunday. I have no doubt that were on the right side of this. Small businesses and individuals in this state are being absolutely strangled. The help is not there. We are absolutely decimating our economy doing this and we are destroying peoples lives.

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered fitness centers, movie theaters and casinos closed on March 16 in an effort to fight the pandemic. Murphy last week discussed Smith following the gym owners national TV interview on Fox News.

"The gym owner is out of compliance, Murphy said. Theyre out of compliance and thats not going to be tolerated.

Smith was featured on a five-minute segment on Tucker Carlson Tonight last Wednesday. He told Carlson he thought his Constitutional rights were being infringed upon by Murphys order. Smith also appeared on a segment of Fox & Friends on Sunday morning.

Re-Opening His Gym No Matter What New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is keeping his state under indefinite shutdown. But one business owner says he's fed up with the power grab. Ian Smith plans to re-open his gym and he has a plan for keeping patrons safe. Posted by Tucker Carlson Tonight on Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Were here trying to get our rights back, Smith told N.J. Advance Media on Sunday. Hundreds of people are reaching out, driving by and saying they support us and theyre here for us. The vessel is the gym but its much bigger than the gym.

Last week, Smith said he thought thousands of people might show up Monday to offer support when he unlocked the door to his gym on West Browning Road.

He said portable police cameras and barricades were already in the parking lot Sunday of the strip shopping center where he is located. He said hes not sure what may happen Monday but whatever happens people will be watching.

"This is not a middle finger to the man, Smith said. "This is us standing up for what we truly believe in. That can be really scary, especially when youre being threatened with fines and imprisonment.

In late April and early May, the owner of a gym in Point Pleasant Borough was charged twice in less than 10 days with violating New Jerseys coronavirus restrictions for allegedly operating the business, police said.

New Jersey has lost 10,356 residents to the coronavirus outbreak with 146,334 total cases confirmed Sunday as the state slowly starts to reopen from the stay-at-home restrictions.

The latest numbers include 107 new deaths and 1,272 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, though officials have warned of lags in getting results over the weekend.

Staff writers Matt Arco and Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.

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Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Recently, a new Realme phone this OEM had dubbed "Blade Runner" surfaced in some official leaks. Other rumors pointed to its being called the X50 Pro Player Edition on its launch. Its maker has confirmed that this is the case, and that it will be one of several new devices that will make their debut soon.

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For some time, Realme has been projected to have 3 new phones in the works: the RMX2142, RMX2086, and RMX2072. It was possible that this last model number corresponded to a new X3 Pro model. However, it is now much more likely to be the X50 Pro Player Edition.

The OEM has just confirmed that this phone does in fact exist, and is one of the products to launch during a May 25, 2020 event. This phone (presuming it really is the RMX2072) has also reportedly been certified by the Chinese bodies TENAA and MIIT, showing that, like the rest of the X50 series, it is to be a 5G phone.

Besides this, not much is known about "Blade Runner's" specs. However, it is abundantly clear from its name that it is to be a gaming-focused variant of the original X50 Pro. Therefore, goodies such as a high display refresh rate, top-end RAM and fast flash storage may be in the offing for this device.

Realme has stoked this line of speculation by announcing (through the medium of Google Translate, at least) that the X50 Pro Player Edition is set to be a "speed king" and a "performance leapfrog". Then again, a new leak asserts it will have more or less the same specs as the existing model, 90 hertz refresh rate included.

It is also apparently to start at 3299 yuan (~US$465) for an 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage SKU, despite the fact the X50 Pro has a 12GB RAM option. This leak also points to a depreciated 48+8+2+2MP rear camera set-up in the Player Edition. It will, at least, get a new and shiny metallic silver back panel, rather than the atypical and muted shades of red or green found in its template.

This new version of the X50 Pro is set to launch alongside a raft of accessories that may range from wireless earbuds to TVs.
The Netherlands supports Costa Rica's initiative for a pool that would bring together patents, test data and other information about the coronavirus, Hugo de Jonge, the Dutch minister of health, welfare and sport, said Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2020) The Netherlands supports Costa Rica's initiative for a pool that would bring together patents, test data and other information about the coronavirus, Hugo de Jonge, the Dutch minister of health, welfare and sport, said Monday.

"We welcome the patent pool initiative of Costa Rica and WHO, strengthening the implementation of international health regulations and of health systems remain of vital importance," de Jonge said told the World Health Assembly.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, endorsed the proposal in April.

There have been more than 4.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world, according to the statistics collected by the Johns Hopkins University.
Today, the Journal endorses candidates for U.S. Congressional District 3 and Public Regulation Commission District 3. For information, including candidate Q&As, district maps and news stories as they are published, go to ABQJournal.com/election2020.

Congressional District 3

Democratic primary, Joseph Sanchez

In the Albuquerque Journal/KOAT-TV Action 7 News candidate forum Sunday, Sanchez said he had been sounding the alarm on the basic needs of Indian Country at least a year before the coronavirus. Growing up in Alcalde and working 20 years at Los Alamos National Lab as an electrical engineer before becoming CEO of Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative, he understands challenges facing Indian Country and northern New Mexico.

He is also a member of the state House and is forgoing re-election in HD 40 to run for Congress.

Sanchez has shown himself to be the most pragmatic candidate in a crowded field of high-profile Democrats seeking to succeed U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, who is running for U.S. Senate. Sanchezs focus is fully supporting the Affordable Care Act while tackling poverty, addiction, job creation and training, and access to water, electricity and broadband internet.

Unlike many of his opponents, Sanchez has been in the political arena a short time, although hes already had an impact. In his current term in the New Mexico House he secured funding for the first homeless shelter in Espanola and a rural health care clinic in Colfax County, while bringing the building trades program back to Northern New Mexico College. Im not a politician, but Ive always been a leader, he told the Editorial Board.

The soft-spoken Sanchez is the best fit for northern New Mexico. He has the potential to be a quiet, yet effective, congressman and a leader on energy policy. He seeks to get things done, not to garner headlines, which is what the 3rd District needs.

Republican primary, Harry Montoya

Montoya has dedicated his professional career to substance abuse and mental health treatment, both pressing issues in northern New Mexico, which has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. The Nambe resident has worked as a prevention coordinator for the state and also founded Hands Across Cultures, an Espanola-based nonprofit dedicated to disease prevention and health promotion efforts.

Montoya served on the Pojoaque Valley school board for over eight years and was elected twice to the Santa Fe County Commission, both when he was a Democrat. He says his heartfelt conviction against abortion put him over the top in his decision to switch to the Republican Party.

Montoya opposes the federal Green New Deal and state Energy Transition Act because he thinks both initiatives will worsen poverty. He hopes to bring Republicans and moderate Democrats together after the primary to represent the 3rd District, which covers northern New Mexico, including Santa Fe, part of Northwest Albuquerque and much of Sandoval County, and which runs down the states eastern border through Curry County.

PRC District 3, Democratic primary, Brian Harris

Harris, who has 25 years of experience regulating utilities including 13 at the PRC as a ratepayer advocate, has the background to hit the ground running at the regulatory authority without being dependent on staff. He says hes running for the PRC to implement the states Energy Transition Act and to make New Mexico a national leader in clean energy.

Harris says the states electrical grid needs to be retooled into a two-way network to better accommodate renewable energy. He says the PRC is dysfunctional because of politics and he supports a proposed state constitutional amendment to change the five-member PRC to a three-member body appointed by the governor.

We must replace politicians on the PRC with professionals, he wrote in his Journal candidate questionnaire. New Mexico is just one of 12 states that has politicians overseeing utilities.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Libertarian Christopher Luchini in the general election to represent District 3, which covers north central New Mexico.

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.
Kathmandu, May 17

The government on Sunday decided to extend the nationwide lockdown imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak until June 2.

A cabinet meeting held this evening made the decision to extend the lockdown by 15 days. As per the previous decision, the lockdown was going to end on Monday.

The country is on a complete lockdown since March 24 after the second Covid-19 case was confirmed in the country. Since then, the lockdown has been extended multiple times as the number of Covid-19 cases is increasing. Of late, the number is soaring. As of Sunday evening, the country has confirmed 295 cases so far.

The extension was quite expected this time as the country also reported two deaths related to the disease on Saturday and Sunday.

A meeting of the high-level committee on coronavirus control had recommended a two-week extension of the lockdown.
Following weeks of protests, Council President Jason Williams on Sunday said he has set up a meeting between striking sanitation workers and one of the city's major contractors to discuss hazard pay and other concerns brought up amid the coronovirus pandemic.

The group of workers went on strike May 5, Williams noted in a press release, forming picket lines outside the New Orleans East headquarters of the waste disposal company Metro Service Group. They are demanding increased pay, equipment, and other protections.

Williams' announcement didn't provide the date for the meeting and his office could not be reached to clarify. But the release said both parties have agreed and it should happen later this week.

"This is the first step to resolving any conflict, talking and truly listening to one another," Williams said.

Metro has been one of the city's main trash collectors since 2006.

The company has a $10.7 million annual contract to collect trash in much of New Orleans. Company officials have said they've stockpiled protective equipment for the workers to keep them safe, but the workers, called "hoppers," have said the availability of such gear has been inconsistent.

They have also complained that they continue to get paid poorly, even as COVID-19 brings new threats.

The contract calls for the company to pay workers at least $10.55 an hour, according to Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration.

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The hoppers are now asking for $15 an hour and $150 a week in hazard pay during the pandemic.

They are employed through PeopleReady, a staffing agency, and don't have a collective bargaining agreement.

While the regular workers were on strike, Metro Service Group hired inmate laborers approved for work-release to fill the positions.

In a statement, Metro Service Group said it never received complaints from the workers before they went off the job, that the company bought masks and gloves at its own expense, and that the hoppers could return to their jobs at any time. But it didn't commit to paying them more.

Williams added that support from the state or federal level is likely needed to fully address all concerns held by both parties, but that sitting down at the same table was an important first step.

"Now more than ever, we all understand just how critical professional waste collection and disposal really are to our collective health and well-being," Williams said. "It's very difficult work, and these professionals take pride in what they do. It's in everyone's interest that the parties agree on a workable path forward."
In the days before his death, an Iowa meatpacking worker twice warned that the coronavirus was spreading through his plant because of its crowded spaces and lack of personal protective equipment, his nephew said.

Husen Jagir, 56, died May 1, about a week after he fell ill following a shift at the Seaboard Triumph Foods plant in Sioux City.

The plant, which is one of the nations largest pork processing facilities, announced this week that 59 of its workers had tested positive for COVID-19. But testing of its 2,400 workers appears to have been limited, as the company said that only 108 other workers tested negative.

The company acknowledged Jagirs death earlier this month, without identifying him by name.

Jagir told his nephew, Shila Dide, 30, twice in April that conditions at the bustling plant were helping spread the highly contagious disease. Jagir complained that hundreds of people would gather in the cafeteria without masks or face shields, Dide said.

My uncle told me, Hey, this place is not safe. This virus is everywhere, said Dide, of Carroll. He talked to me twice and said the same thing. Then, after a few days, he got sick.

Workplace safety regulators and meat processors have been faulted by labor activists for not doing enough to protect employees during the pandemics early stages.

Seaboard Triumph Foods said on May 12 that it has now supplied face masks and shields to its workers and required them to wear them. The company said it has installed Plexiglas dividers on cafeteria tables and slowed production to allow for social distancing.

It wasnt clear when those steps were taken. A spokeswoman didnt immediately reply to messages seeking further information.

Sioux City and surrounding Woodbury County is one of the nations coronavirus hot spots, and its hospitals have reported a surge in patients. The county of 103,000 people has more than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths.

Local officials have blamed much of the outbreak on the nearby Tyson Foods plant in Dakota City, Nebraska, where more than 300 workers who live in Iowa tested positive. While acknowledging the serious situation, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds nonetheless allowed restaurants, barbershops, salons and gyms to reopen Friday in Woodbury County.

Jagir was a native of Eritrea in Africa and fled across the border to Sudan in his 20s to get away from war and seek a better life, Dide said. He later fled genocide in Sudan and lived in a refugee camp in Ethopia in the 2000s.

Jagir came to the U.S. in 2010 as a refugee, first to Missouri and then to Iowa after a friend told him the state has got a lot of money and opportunity, Dide said. For years, he worked at the now-shuttered Tyson plant in Denison, Iowa, and later worked at the Smithfield Foods pork plant there.

Dide said his uncle quit Smithfield after clashing with a supervisor and started working months ago at Triumph Seaboard Foods, which opened in 2017 and can process 20,000 hogs per day.

Dide said he told his uncle to quit last month after hearing his alarm about the coronavirus, but Jagir needed money to pay rent. Dide told him to just keep praying to God that you will be protected.

After leaving work April 23, Jagir reported that he was cold, shaky and nauseous, Dide said. His condition worsened as he didnt eat over the next few days. Jagir eventually called 911 and was taken to a hospital but sent home that day, Dide said.

Jagir was readmitted days later when he had trouble breathing and died within 48 hours. Dide said that he was unable to reach Jagir in his final days after his uncles cellphone battery died.

I was very saddened, Dide said. I was like wow.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics COVID-19 Iowa
On Sunday, the United States' health secretary Alex Azar said the country has yet to see spikes in COVID-19 cases in areas that have reopened. He later clarified that it is still too early to determine the coronavirus trend. During CNN's State of the Union program, Azar said the health officials haven't reported a spike in cases in places that are opening. However, he revealed authorities recorded spikes in areas that have stayed closed.

Identifying and reporting COVID-19 cases takes time. Azar urged local governments to observe residents for flu-like symptoms in the general population as well as in the hospital data. He also encouraged health officials to conduct tests on asymptomatic individuals. He cautioned states that reopened early-including Georgia and Florida-to take caution as "it's still early days."

During the interview, the Health and Human Services Secretary also explained Trump's recent statement, where he claims the U.S. would return to normal with or without a COVID-19 vaccine. Azar said the government is committed to producing and delivering a vaccine to the nation's residents. He claims the vaccine is part of the administration's multi-factorial response program. Other steps would include testing symptomatic cases, finding possible cases and surges, and containing the virus.

The interview came after the President of the United States, Donald Trump unveiled the government's efforts to finish developing a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.

Only a few of the nation's 50 states still observe the strict COVID-19 lockdown measures. Most began allowing some of the businesses and establishments to restart operations. Residents have also been allowed to move more freely. However, only 14 states met the guidelines released by the federal government.

Texas, one of the first to start reopening its economy, recorded its highest increase in new coronavirus cases on Saturday. According to reports, the Lone Star State reported a total of 1,801 new cases in a single day after the state government lifted the virus restrictions at the end of April. However, it is unclear whether the rapid increase in cases is due to more testing or if the virus is spreading quickly once again.

In Washington, 53 people displayed symptoms, and two died after they attended a choir rehearsal with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 87 percent of the choir later tested positive for COVID-19.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said more aggressive testing will allow the health officials to predict the trajectory of the virus. During an interview with CBS, she claims the country has not performed sufficient tests, making it impossible to know the full scope of the challenge the virus has brought to the country.

The House of Representatives passed the coronavirus bill on Friday. The legislation would provide states with a guide to a successful reopening, including testing, tracing, and treatment.

The United States has been lagging behind other industrialized nations in testing residents for the virus-a factor many public health officials believe is vital in preventing further outbreaks.

As of Monday, The United States has reported more than 1,527,600 cases and over 90,978 fatalities.

Read the latest news from the Americas:




Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 14:31:15|Editor: huaxia

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Military vehicles drive towards the site of a car bomb blast in Ghazni city, Afghanistan, May 18, 2020. Seven people were killed and 40 others wounded in a Taliban car bomb blast outside an intelligence agency military camp in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province on Monday, the provincial government said. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua)

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were killed and 40 others wounded in a Taliban car bomb blast outside an intelligence agency military camp in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province on Monday, the provincial government said.

The incident occurred after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a hijacked explosive-laden military vehicle outside a National Directorate for Security (NDS) camp at 4:40 a.m. local time, where a special unit of NDS, the country's national intelligence agency, stationed, the government said in a statement.

"As a result of the blast, seven people were martyred and 40 others wounded," the statement said, adding eight of the wounded were in critical condition.

The force of the blast smashed windowpane and glasses of houses in a 2 km radius but civilians were not hurt in the incident, according to the statement.

Taliban militants claimed the attack shortly after the incident, in the province 125 km south of the country's capital Kabul.

It is the latest in a spate of such attacks when the Afghans are observing the fasting month of Ramadan.

On Thursday, five civilians were killed and 46 people, including six soldiers, were wounded in a Taliban truck bomb blast against an army office in Gardez city, capital of neighboring Paktia province.
Passenger aircraft operated by Ryanair stand on the tarmac at London Stansted Airport on May 1, 2020.

Ryanair on Monday reported a profit after tax of 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) for the year to March 31, but said it was unable to provide a forecast for the current year due to Covid-19 and cut its annual passenger traffic target by a further 20%.

The Irish low-cost carrier, Europe's largest, said it expected to post a loss of 200 million euros in the three months to the end of June but said a forecast for the full-year was impossible as it had "no visibility" on customer behavior and demand once it reopens much of its network on July 1.

It cut its passenger target for the year to end-March 2021 to 80 million, down from a target of 100 million given last week and from an original target of 154 million.

The airline last week has said it expects a surge in bookings in the coming weeks from people who have been cooped up at home for months.

Ryanair shares closed on Friday at 8.45 euros, down 45% in three months compared to a fall of 69% at rival easyJet and 73% at British Airways owner IAG.

Ryanair has a current cash balance of 4.1 billion euros, while the airline's weekly cash burn has dropped from around 200 million euros in March to just over 60 million in May, it said.


Curbs on shorting specific stocks have not been renewed by authorities in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria and Greece. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)

Financial regulators have scrapped temporary curbs on short selling in several European countries introduced in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Watchdogs in six EU states had sought to rein in the freefall on stock markets in March through emergency curbs on attempts to profit from falls. EU regulations allow such bans on short-selling where necessary to prevent a serious threat to financial stability or to market confidence.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said on Monday the curbs on shorting specific stocks had not been renewed by authorities in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria and Greece.

Short selling or shorting involves betting against a stock or bond, and can prove controversial, particularly in times of crisis. An investor borrows shares and sells them on in the expectation they can rebuy them at a lower price, keeping the difference when returning them to the lender.

Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com, said the ban had aimed to stem some of the bloodletting seen in March, and its reversal was a positive sign for stocks. This move signals greater confidence among regulators that the bottom is in for equities.

READ MORE: Looser lockdown rules lift stocks after worst week since mid-March

The AMF, the French financial markets authority, said it had seen a progressive normalisation since its one-month ban was introduced on 17 March.

In a uniformly declining market, with considerable uncertainties about the future extent of the decline, an increase in short selling could have had a procyclical influence that the AMF wanted to avoid by implementing this exceptional measure.

The UK and Germany are among the countries which opted not to ban short-selling. Britains Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said at the height of market turbulence in March that net short selling was low as a share of all market activity. There is no evidence that short selling has been the driver of recent market falls, said the regulator at the time.

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The bans had frustrated many investors, with different countries divergent responses running against the grain of the EUs drive for bloc-wide consistency.

The World Federation of Exchanges, hedge funds industry associations AIMA and Managed Funds Association, and the European Principal Traders Association wrote to French authorities last month demanding an end to the ban, according to Reuters.

READ MORE: Italy and Spain impose shorting bans after global sell-off

Over the longer term, the bans risk undermining confidence in key European financial markets and hampering the goal of a capital markets union, something that will be vital to European recovery from the profound economic shock caused by COVID-19, said the letter.

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TEHRAN, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian officials on Sunday warned the United States against any attempt to block the fuel delivery by Iranian tankers to Venezuela.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday that "the illegal, dangerous and provocative U.S. threats" against the Iranian tankers is a form of piracy and a big threat to international peace and security.

"The United States must stop acting as a bully at the international level and respect the rule of international laws, in particular the right to free shipping in free waters," he said in his letter.

Zarif noted that the U.S. administration would be responsible for the consequences of any "illegal move" in this regard.

Iran preserves the right to adopt appropriate and necessary measures in the face of such threats, he added.

In the day, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi summoned the Swiss ambassador, whose country represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to voice Iran's strong protest at what he called U.S. "provocations."

Araqchi urged the Swiss ambassador to convey "the Islamic Republic's serious warnings to the American officials against any possible threat posed by the U.S. to the Iranian oil tankers."

Iran and Venezuela enjoy "completely legitimate and legal trade relations," Araqchi said.

Araqchi also said that any threat against his country's tankers will elicit Iran's "immediate and categorical reaction, and the U.S. administration will be responsible for their consequences."

On Saturday, Hamid Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Association of Exports of Crude Products, said that the United States would be practically unable to block shipments of fuel from Iran to Venezuela at a time when the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors.

Washington is extremely angry about Iran's delivery of fuel to a location near its borders despite various sanctions it has imposed on Tehran's shipping and energy sectors, Hosseini was quoted as saying by Press TV.

"Gasoline shipment is not one that could be intercepted or attacked," Hosseini said. "It would be a remote possibility for the U.S. to block the gasoline export shipment," he added.

He described Iran's decision to ship large consignments of gasoline to Venezuela as a right move which is meant to help Caracas tackle its fuel shortage.

He also said Iran should continue to export more of such shipments in the future to offset a reduction in domestic demand for the fuel which has come as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, Western media reported that "at least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela ... which could help ease an acute scarcity of gasoline in the South American country."

Accordingly, the White House announced on Thursday the United States was considering measures it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela.

Earlier, western reports also said that the Venezuelan government officials piled large sum of gold, an amount equal to about 500 million U.S. dollars, on Tehran-bound jets in April as payment for Iran's assistance in reviving Venezuela's gasoline refineries.

On May 11, the Iranian ambassador to Caracas, Hojjatollah Soltani, denied that his country had received gold bars from Venezuela in return for its services to the restoration of Venezuelan gasoline refinery.

The news claiming that Venezuela is raiding its gold vaults and handing tonnes of bars to Iran through recent Mahan Air flights is a "big lie" and "baseless" claims, said Soltani.

In recent days, commercial flights had been made from Iran to Venezuela for the transfer of equipment to reactivate the Paraguana Refinery Complex, Soltani said.

"The Iranian government's cooperation with Venezuela has expanded in the time of novel coronavirus crisis, and our relations, especially in the area of trade cooperation, are stronger than ever," the Iranian ambassador stressed.
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

ICMR revises strategy for Covid-19 testing in country

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday updated its strategy for testing coronavirus disease Covid-19 as the number of infected people crossed 90,000-mark. The revised strategy proposes all symptomatic individuals with history of international travel in the last 14 days to be tested. It also says that all symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, healthcare workers at the frontline of battle against Covid-19 and patients of Severe Acute Respiatory Infection or SARI to be tested. Read more

NDRF preps for rescue ops as super cyclone Amphan heads for Odisha, Bengal

As Odisha and West Bengal brace for cyclone Amphan, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said Monday it has boosted its strength to face the twin challenge of the storm and the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 37 teams have been deployed by NDRF in West Bengal and Odisha, out of which 20 teams are actively deployed and 17 are on standby in the two states, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said in a video message. Read more

China accuses Indian troops of trespass in Galwan Valley region in Aksai Chin

China on Monday accused India of building illegal defence facilities in the Galwan Valley region of the disputed Aksai Chin area, which is controlled by Beijing but claimed by New Delhi. Chinese border troops enhanced control measures in the area, a state media report said quoting an anonymous military source. Read more

On NREGA outlay, Rahul Gandhi tweets thank you to PM Modi. Then takes a dig

Former congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving a 66% jump in the allocated budget for the flagship rural job guarantee scheme initiated during the Congress rule. However, he ended his congratulatory note by taking a dig at the PM for one of his statements regarding the scheme in parliament. Read more

Uttar Pradesh okays Priyanka Gandhis request for Congress to run 1,000 buses for migrants

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday accepted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhis request to allow the Congress to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrant workers to their home in the state. Additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi in a response to the letter wrote that the state government accepts the proposal. He asked the Congress leader to submit details of 1,000 buses, their drivers and conductors so that they could serve the migrant workers. Read more

Japan braces for worst postwar slump as pandemic tips economy into recession

Japans economy slipped into recession for the first time in 4-1/2 years in the last quarter, putting the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the coronavirus crisis ravages businesses and consumers. Read more

World AIDS Vaccine Day 2020: All you need to know

AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) is one of the most serious health conditions to have affected people globally, and there are 2.1 million people living with the condition in India alone. It is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)which affects the T lymphocytes in the body. The infection can spread from one person to another through sharing of needles, blood, or from unprotected sex. It can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Read more

CISCE introduces Project work in ISC 2021 exams for maths, English papers

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has decided to introduce a 20-mark project work for subjects English and Mathematics for students who will be taking the Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination in 2021. Earlier the plan was to introduce the project work from ISC year 2022 examination, said a notice issued by the Council. Read more

Satyajit Rays sleuth Feluda detects coronavirus disease in an hour. Watch

An accurate and low-cost strip test that can detect the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) within one hour is expected to be available for the first phase of testing in four weeks. Called Feluda, the test is named after a fictional detective created by the late Satyajit Ray, although it is also an acronym for FNCAS9 Editor-Linked Uniform Detection Assay. The test uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to identify and target the genetic material of Sars-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Watch the video for more details. Read more

Cats fight each other on live TV, their journalist mom tries hard to steal focus

Who doesnt remember having fake wrestling matches with their siblings? These pretend-fights usually ended with someone getting actually hurt, physically or emotionally. They also had an added side effect of causing much grief to mom who either had to break the fight, act as a mediator or on some rare occasions pretend she didnt notice the fight at all. This viral video will remind you of that whole scenario. Only, the fight is between two kitty siblings and the pretending has to be done by their hooman - who just happens to be live on TV at the time. Read more
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is considering returning Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Thursday, a move that would mark another major blow to increasingly tense relations between Washington and Havana.

There is a convincing case that Cuba should be placed back on the U.S. blacklist, in part because of its continued backing for socialist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the refuge it gives to leaders of Colombias ELN rebel group, the official said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official did not rule out that a decision on Cubas re-listing could come by the end of the year.

In what was possibly a preliminary step, the Trump administration said on Wednesday it had put the Communist-ruled island back on a separate list of countries that do not cooperate fully with its efforts to counter terrorism.

Havana, which has long denied any link to terrorism, dismissed Wednesdays State Department announcement as spurious.

Returning Cuba to the blacklist would be a further rollback of the detente that former President Barack Obama orchestrated between the old Cold War foes. His decision to formally remove Cuba from the terrorism list in 2015 was an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties that year.

Trumps toughened stance on Cuba, as well as Venezuela, has gone down well in the large Cuban-American community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a key political swing state as he seeks re-election in November.

Designation by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, which carries the potential for sanctions and trade restrictions, would put Cuba in the company of Iran, North Korea, Syria and Sudan.

CUBAS ROLE IN VENEZUELA

Any decision to put Cuba back on the list would take into account Havanas support for Maduro, whose 2018 re-election was considered a sham by most Western countries. The U.S. government indicted him and much of his inner circle in March on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, corruption and drug trafficking.

The United States and dozens of other nations recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president last year. But Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S. puppet, remains in power, backed by Venezuelas military as well as Russia, China, Cuba and Iran.

Some U.S. officials have said privately that this has been a growing source of frustration for Trump.

The senior official said the U.S. government was also considering designating several of Venezuelas security services as terrorist organizations, in part for alleged links to drug trafficking. Those include the national intelligence service, the military counterintelligence agency and elite police unit, in addition to paramilitary groups loyal to Maduro.

The deliberations on whether to re-list Cuba are focused heavily on legal questions required to justify naming a country a sponsor of terrorism, the official said.

Also figuring into the discussions is Cubas refusal of Colombias request to extradite ELN leaders after the group claimed responsibility for an attack at a Bogota police academy in January 2019 that killed 22, the official said.

The leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN), the largest active guerrilla group in Colombia, traveled to Havana as part of peace negotiations that collapsed last year after the car bomb attack.

Cuba has received broad plaudits in the past for hosting the successful peace talks between the Colombian government and the former FARC rebel army.

Another issue expected to weigh on Washingtons decision is Cubas harboring of several U.S. fugitives, some of whom have lived on the island for decades.

A re-listing of Cuba would have heavy symbolic meaning for Havana, which had chafed for decades under the U.S. designation.

It is unclear, however, how much practical impact there would be.

The designation carries a prohibition on U.S. economic aid, a ban on U.S. arms exports, controls on dual-use items with military and civilian applications, and a requirement that the United States oppose loans to Cuba by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

But many of those restrictions are already in place - or have even been tightened by Trump - and a decades-old U.S. economic embargo remains and can only be lifted by Congress.
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Linkedin Ramadani Saputra (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 19, 2020 11:09 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8dd4e4 1 National Non-Believers,Faith,ramadan,Muslims Free

The presence of agnostics and atheists is not often felt in conservative Indonesia, where society largely defines itself along religious lines.

Widespread belief in traditional family values stokes fear in nonbelievers that they will be rejected by close relatives for their perspectives and often prevents them from speaking their minds.

As Muslims across the Indonesian archipelago celebrate Ramadan, nonbelievers are having a hard time blending in, feeling the weight of familial and social expectations amid a lack of space and mobility under COVID-19 social restrictions.

Read also: Living a double life: Indonesia's atheists fear jail or worse

Fate led Jefry  who asked to be referred to with a pseudonym to protect his privacy  to spend Ramadan with his family in Riau this year. Jefry describes himself as an agnostic and has been living away from his family for the past couple of years attending university in Jakarta.

Days before [Jakarta] implemented PSBB [large-scale social restrictions], I was asked to go back to attend a relatives wedding. When the situation got worse, my parents wouldnt let me go back to Jakarta, he told The Jakarta Post last week.

Living with his extended family has been stressful for Jefry, especially as there are more than five other people under the same roof.

Because no one in the family knows that he is agnostic, he has participated in religious rituals, mainly out of fear that his parents would scold him if he refused.

I performed the rituals just like a robot. Its just a formality for me. I do it because I still have respect for my parents, said the 26-year-old with a chuckle.

Even though I am like this, I still care about them.

Coming from a conservative religious family, Jefry said he had been secretly exploring the limits of his belief since junior high school. After he left his hometown for university, he was exposed to a number of diverse experiences and religious attitudes.

He eventually reached a point where he no longer believed in the teachings he was raised with. He stopped praying soon thereafter.

I studied a lot until I was able to come to the conclusion that there is a higher being or power that governs us, but I also believe that religion is a man-made construct created with a certain agenda in mind, he said.

No one knows how many nonbelievers there are in Indonesia, but some estimates have put the figures in the extreme minority. Many remain closeted for most of their lives.

In Muslim-majority Indonesia, where freedom of religious belief is supposed to be guaranteed and the state is officially pluralist, Indonesians are still expected to officially subscribe to one of six approved religions (and more recently to native faiths), while other religious minorities still regularly face discrimination.

Read also: Native faith believers in North Sulawesi celebrate freedom of religion

Nonbelievers, who dont fit any of the governments categories, can end up in prison or face persecution, as any rejection of religion is frowned upon.

But not all nonbelievers choose to abandon their religious identities completely.

In a 2017 interview with Vox about his book The Atheist Muslim, Pakistan-born author Ali Rizvi said that many nonbelievers still retained an element of religion in their lives, noting how he himself, a self-professed free thinker, still enjoyed Idul Fitri and breaking fast during Ramadan with his family.

I think all of us have the right to believe what we want, and we must respect that right, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to respect the beliefs themselves, Rizvi said.

I think we should be able to enjoy some of these rituals without the burden of belief.

For Doni, who also asked to use a pseudonym, there is much more leeway when it comes to dealing with his religious duties during Ramadan.

His bedroom has become a safe place for him to create the illusion that he is fasting and praying to appease his family.

I store some food in my bedroom, which I eat in the afternoon. And since everyone prays in their own rooms, I just pretend to have performed ablutions and then go back inside [my room] without actually praying, said the 32-year-old social media manager.

He said he left behind all religious practices three years ago.

His family, however, has become increasingly religious over the past few years, especially after being introduced to the Salafi movement, an ultra-conservative Sunni group, many of whose adherents consider more moderate Muslims infidels.

Read also: Study highlights vulnerability of Salafi pesantren to radicalism

Doni said it would be almost impossible to admit to his family that he was a nonbeliever.

To keep his secret safe, Doni tries to mind his attitude at home. The real challenge, he said, was to keep his mouth shut when the topic of belief was raised in family discussions.

I am naturally a debater. Whenever it comes up, I avoid it like the plague because Im afraid I might say something that will reveal how I dont believe in religion anymore, he said.
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Shares of KNR Constructions gained 6.4 percent intraday on May 18 following two big orders from the Telangana Government.

Hyderabad-based infrastructure development company KNR Constructions in its BSE filing said it had received two work order for Rs 2,309.23 from Irrigation & CAD Department, Government of Telangana.

KNR-HES joint venture has bagged order worth of Rs 695.54 crore towards Kaleshwaram Project, Package No.3, to carry 333 cubic metres per second (cumecs) discharge of water from delivery cistern at Chinnagundevelly to Fore Bay at Thukkapur including CM&CD works, company said.

Its KNR-NAVAYUGA-NCC joint venture has received order worth of Rs 1,613.69 crore towards 11 Kaleshwaram Project - Parallel Conveyor System - Package No.4 for lifting of 333 cumecs of water from Forebay at Thukkapur to Sri Komuravelli Mallanna Sagar comprising construction of forebay, open pump house, pressure main and delivery cistern etc at Tukkapur, it added.

Company said both projects work would be executed in 2 years from the agreement date.

The stock was trading at Rs 196.25, up 0.87 percent on the BSE at 13:07 hours IST.
The line was at least 50 people deep and stretched more than a block.

People stood in clusters  some wearing masks, some not  on the boardwalk in Belmar, a bustling Jersey Shore town that can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors on a summer day.

Saturday marked the first day Belmars seasonal beach passes were being sold. Eager beachgoers, cramped in their homes for more than two months, flocked to the Taylor Pavilion to slap down $70 ($30 for seniors) for a tiny piece of plastic that will bring some semblance of normalcy in the coming months.

But the image of the crowded line, plastered on social media and featured on TV newscasts, now has some asking: Is social distancing really possible at the Jersey Shore?

Went to Belmar this morning, tweeted one brave soul who waited in line. After 3 hours on line got our season passes. The beach itself was sparsely populated. People exercised social distancing. Got in line at 9:15. Got badges ~ 12:15pm.

After seeing the beach badge line in Belmar, another person tweeted at Gov. Phil Murphy. What were you thinking opening the beaches?

Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer conceded that adjustments needed to be made in anticipation of Memorial Day weekend.

Borough Hall, where seasonal passes are normally sold, has been closed since the shutdown. And officials suspended online purchases after lackluster sales. So what happened when the badges went up for sale on the boardwalk?

It just opened the floodgates for everyone to come down and buy seasonal beach badges, Walsifer said Sunday in a phone interview with NJ Advance Media. Its not that were selling more than last year. It just happened all at one time.

The people waiting to buy badges, he said, were practicing social distancing. But when clustered with the normal passersby on the boardwalk, it created a little problem for us, Walsifer said.

We made some adjustments, he said. Its fine today.

This weekend was the test run for Memorial Day weekend, which is next weekend and typically billed as the unofficial start to the summer season at the Jersey Shore.

Murphy has signaled in recent weeks that the Shore is open for business  albeit with restrictions.

The Jersey Shore, after all, is where memories are made, Murphy said Thursday during his daily coronavirus media briefing. The last thing any of us wanted was for a summertime down the Shore to be a memory.

Murphy said every beach town needs to implement social-distancing mandates, but that local officials will make the call on what methods work best for their communities. Face coverings are not a requirement, but the governor has implored people to wear them, especially in areas where social distancing can be a challenge.

The boardwalk is one of those places.

In Belmar, officials took out the benches to prevent people from congregating and to provide more space to walk. Walsifer said police placed orange traffic cones in the middle of the boardwalk with signs to direct pedestrian traffic.

Im really surprised with how good thats working, he said.

Officials noticed that the food stands and beachfront restaurants had some issues with enforcing social distancing, Walsifer said. He said representatives with the Office of Emergency Management will have a meeting with restaurant owners this week to give them a stern warning.

Were prepared to shut them down if they dont comply, he said. I would say 95% of the people are really conscious of it. Younger adults havent seen their friends in a while. Thats the issues were seeing.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Officials are searching for Shad Gaspard after the former WWE star went missing while swimming in the ocean with his 10-year-old son.

On Sunday, Gaspard and his son were pulled into a strong rip current at Venice Beach, according to TMZ.

In a statement, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed it received a call on Sunday for two reported missing swimmers, a 39-year-old man and his son, a 10-year-old boy.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the child was rescued the same day and did not require transport to the hospital.

The fire department also said the Los Angeles County lifeguard division was leading the continued search.

Recommended TikTok influencer nearly drowns after getting trapped under ice

We had one of our lifeguards go out to make a double rescue of a father and a son, Kenichi Haskett, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, told the DailyMail. The father unfortunately got pushed down by a wave as they were getting pulled out of the current.

The lifeguard rescued and grabbed the boy, the son, and tried to grab the father as well. He ended up getting pushed down by a wave and we couldnt find him and we immediately started with our rescue boats, called in additional lifeguards to search that location [for] his dad.

According to a message posted to Gaspards Instagram Story, he was last seen wearing swim shorts.

If you have seen Shad, please message me, the post reads. Please dont flood me asking what happened. We want to know if hes been seen and where. Thank you.

A second post shared to Instagram informed Gaspards more than 67,000 followers that the wrestling star, a former member of tag team Cryme Tyme, was last seen at Marina Del Rey Beach.

Posts shared to Shad Gaspard's Instagram confirm he is still missing (Instagram)

Post says Gaspard was last seen at Marina Del Rey Beach (Instagram)

The posts prompted an outpouring of support on Instagram, where Gaspards followers have shared their well-wishes for his safe return.

Praying for you and your family right now, one person wrote.

Another commented: Hope youre okay. The world isnt done with you yet

The Independent has contacted the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Division for comment.
Cats kill millions of smaller animals (Getty)

Pet cats take a staggering toll on local wildlife, killing up to 230 million native animals in Australia each year, a study has found.

Researchers behind the project have said that pet cats are a problem and advised that they should be kept indoors.

On average, each pet cat killed 186 reptiles, birds and mammals per year, ScienceAlert reported.

The researchers found that while pet cats kill 25% less than feral cats, the animals live at much higher densities, so the predation rate per square kilometre from pet cats is 28-52 times higher.

Read more: Cats from self-isolating households should stay indoors

Dr Sarah Legge, professor at the University of Queensland, told The Guardian: If we want native wildlife in our towns and cities  rather than introduced rodents and birds  then there are choices to be made.

All we need to do is keep pet cats contained.

If we accept that feral cats in the bush are a problem, then we have to accept that pet cats in town are also a problem.

In the UK, the Mammal Society estimates that cats kill up to 100 million prey items every spring and summer, of which 27 million are birds.

The most commonly caught birds are house sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds and starlings.

But Britains RSPB says theres no evidence that the animals are responsible for declines in bird numbers in the UK.

Read more: Cats spread the virus to other felines

Many pet owners believe that their cats dont kill animals, but research has shown that many cats dont bring home all of their prey.

Studies using video collars found that cats bring home only 15% of their kills, Science Alert reported.

The findings were based on a review of 66 studies on predation by pet cats worldwide, including 24 Australian studies.

The researchers wrote: Pet cats kill introduced species more often than do feral cats living in natural environments, but, nonetheless, the toll of native animals killed per square kilometre by pet cats in residential areas is still much higher than the toll per square kilometre by feral cats.

The high predation toll of pet cats in residential areas, the documented examples of declines and extirpations in populations of native species caused by pet cats, and potential pathways for other, indirect effects (e.g. from disease, landscapes of fear, ecological footprints), and the context of extraordinary impacts from feral cats on Australian fauna, together support a default position that pet cat impacts are serious and should be reduced.
Barr has in the past sought to publicly warn Trump about getting too involved in Justice Department business. In February, for example, he went on ABC News to declare Trumps tweets about Justice Department business make it impossible for me to do my job, and the attorney general privately told people close to Trump he had considered resigning over the matter. Barr also issued formal guidance to the Justice Department earlier this year that any investigations of presidential candidates first need his approval.
By Laura Rodriguez Presa and Jessica Villagomez | Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO  Met by protesters and defying the stay-at-home order, Michael Valentine, 24, went to church Sunday at Metro Praise International church in Belmont Cragin, one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods by COVID-19 in Chicago.

There is something great about praising the Lord when youre with other brothers and sisters, he said. Its powerful, and it strengthens your faith and encourages you, especially during times like these.

Valentine joined at least 100 other members of the congregation who also decided to attend the in-person service, according to Pastor Joseph Wyrostek, one of the religious leaders advocating for local and state government to allow all churches to open as soon as possible.

At Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Albany Park, senior Pastor Cristian Ionescu, said that nearly 115 people attended the churchs morning service and the same number was expected for the evening service. Ionescu said he has not received any complaints from neighbors.

Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city was prepared to enforce stay-at-home orders against houses of worship that hold in-person services. Chicago Police said there were no arrests made or citations issued Sunday.

Valentine said he was thankful for services through Zoom and Facebook live the past couple of weeks, but he said he believes it is safe to congregate in the church as long as social distancing guidelines are followed.

He added that, like Wyrostek, he believes there is enough scientific research and resources in the state to deal with those who will be inevitably infected by the virus.

Some members of the community dont agree with Valentine and Wyrostek and say the congregation could potentially be contributing to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the predominantly Latino neighborhood.

On a rainy Sunday morning before the services, a group of people gathered in front of the church in a silent protest, organized by leaders of the Belmont Cragin United group.

Church attendees and protesters agreed that the protests were peaceful, and there were no altercations.

While Katarzyna Estrada, 33, said she understands the protesters fears and their attempts to protect their community, congregating in a church is no different than going to Walmart, she said.

If I wear a mask to Walmart and follow social distancing rules, I should be able to do the same at church, said Estrada, a teacher who lives in Albany Park. She has been a member of the Metro Praise congregation for three years.

I dont believe the virus discriminates from a Walmart or a church.

When Metro Praise held its first in-person services last week, it did not require its attendees to wear masks. However, after the pastor was approached by city and state government officials, the church established social distancing rules, including requiring attendees to wear masks and stay home if they felt sick.

Eric Ramos from Belmont Cragin was among the protesters that gathered at Metro Praise on Sunday morning. Ramos estimated about 50 protesters joined the crowd with many sitting in parked cars with signs in their vehicles.

Its not like we are against churches, we have a lot of churches that help the community and work with us, he said. Ramos said there have been several aid efforts across the neighborhood to collect donations of PPE, food and other supplies.

Sunday morning, members going to the church for services were given face masks by church officials, he said.

I understand that no matter what my opinion is, a lot of people feel they have the right to open up and go along with their beliefs. But at the same time, they have to understand that doesnt mean they couldnt endanger the community around them, he said. Theres no reason we cant be smart about it.

Ramos suggested churches schedule several Masses throughout the day or limit the number of churchgoers.
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Linkedin Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18 2020

The classics: Timeless works of literature are displayed at the 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. The panel contains (clockwise from top left) images of literature journals, an illustration of classic novel Sitti Nurbaya, a photo of the '45 Generation prominent writers and a book kiosk of state-run publishing company Balai Pustaka. (JP/Stevie Emilia)

The Indonesian book industry is among the worst hit by the pandemic, and the lack of incentives as well as support from the government may further drag down the already low literacy rate.

Why would we care about the No. 48 necessity at this time?



This sarcastic comment posted on a social media account of author Maman Suherman along with the poster for a virtual panel discussion on the need to save the book industry in this difficult time precisely describes the problems faced by the industry.



As most households are financially strapped as a result of the economic slowdown, buying books  whether physical or digital  has moved further down the priority list, a situation that has undone the many years of efforts by the industry to improve the countrys literacy rate.



In 2018, Indonesias adult literacy rate was 95.7 percent, an increase from 81.5 percent in 1990, or about 1.8 percent annual growth on average, mostly thanks to the intensive campaign and promotion by the industry.



According to publisher Laura Bangun Prinsloo, who chaired the National Book Committee until its disbandment in February, the government had yet to take heed of the need to ensure public access to books.

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Senior aides to Donald Trump increasingly are trying to shift blame for the coronavirus pandemic onto government scientists and American citizens with pre-existing health problems.

The president and some of his closest Covid-19 advisers have begun shifting into re-election mode in recent weeks, handing responsibility for future pandemic-related decisions to state and local officials while also trying to shift blame to China, Democratic governors and legislators  and even parts of the administration itself.

Fireworks were all but guaranteed when Peter Navarro, Mr Trump's top trade adviser, was deployed to two Sunday morning political talk shows. The conservative economist if one of the most blunt members of the administration, and he did not hold back, blasting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, further alienating its director, Robert Redfield.

"Early on in this crisis, the CDC, which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space  really let the country down with the testing," Navarro, told NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy," he added, "they had a bad test and that set us back."

An agency official fired back later as the White House-CDC feud leaked into public telling CNN the Trump administration has a "problem with science."

The CDC and the White House that oversees it have received criticism for a lack of a national testing plan, with even some Republican legislators in recent weeks breaking with Mr Trump in calling for a wider availability of tests. More testing, they say, is the only way to safely reopen parts of the country.

But Mr Trump has time and again flashed his skepticism about testing, saying Thursday it is "overrated" because more tests will drive up the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths. His comment was yet another example of how the president views his own political fate while contemplating the pandemic; he has complained about the number of deaths and cases since the respiratory disease arrived in the United States.

Mr Navarro, however, was not the only senior Trump administration official trying to shift blame for the outbreak from the shoulders of the president.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who had faded from public view in April but has returned as a sharp-tongued defender of Mr Trump, noted on Sunday during a CNN interview that the United States has "significantly disproportionate burden of comorbidities ... (including) obesity, hypertension, diabetes."

"These are demonstrated facts that do make us at risk for any type of disease burden," Mr Azar said.

"Unfortunately the American population is ... very diverse," the HHS secretary said. "It is a population with significant unhealthy comorbidities that do make many individuals in our communities, in particular African American, minority communities particularly at risk here because of significant underlying disease health disparities and disease comorbidities. And that is an unfortunate legacy in our health care system that we certainly do need to address.
Meerut : , May 18 (IANS) Caught loitering amid lockdown restrictions, a youth in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut city pasted a Rs 10 note on his mouth to avoid consequences, police said. The youth, a contractual worker, even justified it saying a mask costs at least Rs 30 more, which he did not have.

Amit was caught moving around 'aimlessly' with his friend Mehboob, who quickly covered his face with a handkerchief when he saw the policemen approaching, but Amit did not have a handkerchief so he quickly pasted a ten-rupee note on his mouth.

Circle officer, Civil Lines, Sanjeev Deshwal, said: "I was on lockdown duty on Sunday when a bike carrying two youths crossed by. The one driving the motorcycle was wearing a handkerchief and the pillion rider quickly pasted a ten-rupee note on his face. When questioned the pillion rider, Amit, admitted that he did not have a mask. We gave him two masks and warned him not to move around without wearing one." Amit later told reporters: "A mask costs Rs 40 and I had only Rs 10. So, I used it as a mask. We live in Parikshitgarh area of the district and had come to the city to collect payment from our employer." An FIR has been registered against them under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and relevant sections of Epidemic Diseases Act.

The two youths, Mehboob and Amit work as contractual workers in Meerut.
Houstonians are expressing a deeper sense of mutual trust, compassion, and solidarity than ever before, with many also calling for policies that will reduce inequalities and improve public schools, according to a recent Rice survey.

Were a different population. We see the world differently than we did five to 10 years ago, said Stephen Klineberg, founding director of the Rices Kinder Institute for Urban Research and an emeritus professor of sociology.

The Kinder Houston Area Survey, which was conducted between Jan. 28 and March 12, got responses from 1,001 Harris County residents, and results were released Monday during the Kinder Institutes annual luncheon which was held virtually for the first time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Klineberg, who has conducted the survey for the past 39 years, said this years survey has been one of the most remarkable  coming just days before the novel coronavirus jolted the Houston community and the world, and showing that Houston residents were hopeful for their city, but ready for a change.

Economy and community

Houstonians were particularly confident in the economy, with nearly 70 percent of those surveyed having favorable views about local job opportunities. Residents still, however, said there is still work to do.

Traffic was considered the areas biggest issue by 30 percent of respondents, followed by the economy with 13 percent, and flood and crime, which was both listed by 11 percent of participants.

Many respondents said they had issues when it comes to accessing health care or economic opportunities, with a quarter of respondents saying they lacked health insurance and more than one-third had difficulty paying for groceries.

More Houstonians than ever are also calling for government programs to address inequality, according to the survey. Sixty-one percent said government should take action to reduce income differences, 72 percent favored federal health insurance for all Americans, and 79 percent said the government should ensure residents who want to work can find employment. The numbers have increased from a decade ago, when they stood at 45 percent on income differences, 60 percent on healthcare for all, and 64 percent on employment.

Klineberg said the responses indicated the growing inequalities when it comes to health care and economic opportunities, which disproportionately affect the citys black and Hispanic communities.

Houstonians are also more trusting of those around them, less fearful of crime and have shifted their views on what constitutes a crime. Seventy percent rejected the suggestion that possession of small amounts of marijuana should be treated as a crime  up from 44 percent in 2003 and 34 percent in 1995.

Forty-two percent of those who responded said most people can be trusted, which is up from 37 percent in 2016 and 31 percent in 2014.

Education

Klineberg said he was most struck by Houstons support and concerns regarding education.

More than half of Houstonians, or 55 percent, said schools need significantly more money to provide a quality education, whereas 39 percent said schools have enough money to provide a quality education if used wisely. Two decades ago, the responses were reversed, with a majority of participants believing schools had enough money, according to Rice data.

Seventy percent were also in favor of increasing local taxes in order to provide universal preschool education for Houston students.

Klineberg said this significant shift in views on education likely relates to the citys history, where residents once relied more on natural resources and skills within oil and agriculture to make money rather than education.

Now, Klineberg says the economy will likely rely more on human resources, which is laid bare by the pandemic and growing inequalities, which leave African-American and Latino communities less educated.

Diversity

Participants in the survey were also more supportive of marginalized groups, calling for policies that welcome refugees and expressing more positive feelings toward Muslims, undocumented immigrants and the LGBTQ community.

Opinions on gay rights have changed dramatically, Klineberg said  with 62 percent of people in favor of legal adoption rights for gay parents in 2020 versus the 49 percent in 2020 and 17 percent in 1991.

But some things havent changed.

Consistently, Houstonians are anti-abortion, but pro-choice, Klineberg said.

More than 50 percent of respondents deemed abortion morally wrong, but 63 percent said they were opposed to laws making it difficult to abort a pregnancy.

Flooding, global warming

The understanding and concerns about global warming and climate change have also shifted, with more people believing that its caused by human activity and that storms and flooding will be a long-term reality in Houston, the survey found.

Houstons vulnerability is real. Its a real normal and new conditional that we need to deal with, Klineberg said.

Almost 80 percent of respondents said severe storms are a guarantee in the next decade and 65 percent called to stop construction or building in areas that are known to flood. Just over half consider climate change or global warming a very serious problem, with an increasing amount of people believing that human activities  not normal climate cycles  are to blame. This year, 69 percent blamed humans for climate change, an increase from the 48 percent in 2011.

Ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Houston, residents were hopeful about the economy and jobs, but two months later, the regions oil industry collapsed and people were unemployed. Similarly, residents are facing unemployment and economic uncertainty after the coronavirus has forced businesses and operations to close all over the city.

Its a sad consequence that will make next years survey particularly interesting, but hard to predict, said Klineberg who analyzes nearly 40 years of Kinder Houston Area Surveys in his latest book Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America.

We will have a rare opportunity to measure systematically the actual impact on area residents attitudes and beliefs of their experience in coping with the health and economic consequences of the pandemic.

brittany.britto@chron.com
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The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce verdict on Tuesday on plea by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, seeking to quash multiple FIRs lodged against him in various states over his alleged defamatory statements against Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi in a show relating to Palghar mob-lynching case.

A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud will also deliver its judgement on another plea of Goswami seeking to quash the FIR lodged on May 2, against him by Mumbai Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by making some remarks during his show.

The top court on May 11 had directed that no coercive action should be taken against Goswami in the fresh FIR lodged by Mumbai police and had reserved its verdict on both of his petitions.

Goswami had claimed in the top court that he was interrogated by Mumbai Police for over 12 hours with regard to FIR on alleged defamatory statements and one of the two investigating officers probing the case against him has tested positive for Covid-19.

Maharashtra government had also moved the apex court alleging that Goswami has been misusing protection granted by the top court and has been "browbeating" the police by "creating fear psychosis".

During the hearing on May 11, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Goswami, had argued that this case is all about a political party targeting a journalist as the complainants are members of one particular party.

"This will have a chilling effect on freedom of press," he had said, adding that press is not institutionalized but other institutions are protected and there are safeguards, wherein judges, MPs and bureaucrats are protected.

The top court had told Salve that points raised by him could be argued before the Bombay High Court either in an anticipatory bail plea or petition for quashing of the case.

It had said the court can give liberty to Goswami to approach the High Court after the expiry of interim protection already given to him by the apex court earlier in the cases related to Palghar incident.

The top court had said if Goswami wanted quashing of the FIRs lodged in Bombay, including the fresh one, he can move the high court.

It had added that the court had earlier intervened in the matter due to multiplicity of FIRs arising out of the same cause of action.

"We must ensure somebody is not subject to harassment but we should not create an environment where anybody in particular is exempted from the normal course of proceedings," the bench had observed.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, had told the bench that this is a peculiar case as the accused is saying that police is pressurizing him and interrogating him for 12 hours whereas the police has also come to the court to insulate it from any pressure and threat.

He said that since the accused has made allegations against the police, which too has made certain accusations, then the court must look at the possibility of having an independent investigation agency like CBI to probe it.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Maharashtra government, had said that this is a clear violation of Article 19 and Goswami cannot stigmatise people by way of sensationalising things.

At the fag end of the hearing, the bench had pointed out that the multiple FIRs are word-to-word same.

Sibal had contended that if they (FIRs) are same, then court can quash them as it is quite possible that Congress workers may have placed copy of the first FIR, when they went ahead with lodging of complaints.

The top court on April 24 had granted 3-week protection to Goswami against any coercive steps in connection with some FIRs lodged against him in various states for alleged defamatory statements made during shows on Palghar mob-lynching of three persons, including two saints in Maharashtra.

The May 2 FIR was lodged in Mumbai against him and two others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by making derogatory remark regarding a mosque located in suburban Bandra, a Mumbai Police officer had said.

Hundreds of migrant workers had gathered in Bandra on April 14 demanding transport arrangements to go back to their native places, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced extension of the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 till May 3.

The FIR was lodged in Pydhonie police station in south Mumbai on May 2 by Irfan Abubakar Sheikh, secretary of Raza Education Welfare Society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 31-year-old man, who was kept under institutional quarantine after returning from Faridabad two days ago, died on Monday in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, officials said.

A patient of asthama, he fell ill on Monday morning and was rushed to a nearby public heath clinic, Pauri's District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal said.

He had been quarantined at Birgana panchayat bhawan after returning from Faridabad on Saturday.

The body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of his death, the district magistrate said.

This is the second death of a person at a quarantine centre in the district, he said.

A woman recently died after vomiting blood at a quarantine facility in Rikhnikhal area of the district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Approximately 11,000 UC students with financial need who were enrolled at least half-time in the spring semester will receive $500, and another 11,000 or so students  those with Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that demonstrate more financial security  will receive a total of $250, explained David Peterson, assistant vice provost for enrollment management.

The first round of funds will begin showing up in student accounts this week and as early as Tuesday, May 19. Once spring distributions are complete, Peterson said the university will use the same standards to distribute a second round of funds to students enrolled in summer semester.

We know all students had expenses created by this coronavirus situation, said Peterson. We wanted to give help to as many students as possible, and we figured certain students had a harder time dealing with the extra expenses or loss of income based on financial situations.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Yellow Leaf Hammocks co-founders, and husband and wife duo, Joe Demin and Rachel Connors closed the 11th season finale of ABC's Shark Tank with an eye-opening look into how they plan to take a vacation commodity and turn it into a homeware staple, all while breaking the cycle of poverty for families in Thailand.

On Friday night's episode, the social-impact startup shocked the Sharks with how their brand is empowering Thai mothers previously trapped in extreme poverty and debt to become artisan weavers for Yellow Leaf Hammocks, providing them a stable economy system. Yellow Leaf Hammocks' sustainable job creation paired with its 100% handwoven, high-quality product caught the attention of Sharks Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec, along with guest Shark Daniel Lubetzky, founder and Executive Chairman of KIND Snacks.

Demin and Connors came in asking $400K for 7% equity stake in their modern relaxation brand. Before they could finish their pitch, Herjavec offered the duo $400K for 15% equity, and shortly after Greiner jumped in with an offer of $200K for 7% equity, with a promise to fund purchase orders. Ultimately, it was Lubetzky, with a proven track record in social entrepreneurship, who came to a deal with Demin and Connors. Lubetzky originally offered $1M for a 33% equity stake but Demin and Connors were unwilling to give up more than 25%, countering for $600K for 14%. Lubetzky was so passionate about the brand, he continued to negotiate, landing on an agreement of $1M for 25% of the brand.

"We didn't just want an investor; we wanted a partner who had been in our shoes and built a business from scratch. People had told us that we would need to choose between profit and impact if we wanted to raise investment, but Daniel is aligned with our belief that we don't need to make these tradeoffs," said Yellow Leaf Co-founder and Chief Relaxation Officer, Joe Demin. "Hammocks are not just for vacation. Especially when our world is facing both enormous stress and lockdown, Yellow Leaf Hammocks can play a daily role in helping people to unwind, be present, and care for themselves in a healthy way," added Yellow Leaf Co-founder and Chief Enthusiasm Officer, Rachel Connors.

"I have always felt that hammocks are magical, because they deliver the relaxation we all need but rarely make time for," said Lubetzky. "Not only am I thrilled to work alongside Yellow Leaf's team to scale their impact on families in developing economies; but I'm also looking forward to making hammocks an accessible treat for people to enjoy in their daily lives."

Yellow Leaf Hammocks launched in 2012 with its Signature Collection of hammocks woven by women in the Mlabri Tribe, an ethnic group who previously battled exploitation, slavery and malnourishment. Through Yellow Leaf, hammock weaving has established these women in safe, dignified jobs. The financially-stable employment that Yellow Leaf supplies has enabled weavers to vault from extreme poverty to the middle class, allowing their families to have a brighter future without risk of sliding back down the economic ladder. Yellow Leaf's hammocks and hanging chairs are available for purchase in the United States on yellowleafhammocks.com . Hammocks retail $179-$299 USD and are appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use. Each hammock comes with a tag personally signed by the woman who wove it by hand.

ABOUT YELLOW LEAF HAMMOCKS

Founded by husband and wife Joe Demin and Rachel Connors, Yellow Leaf Hammocks is a lifestyle brand focused on relaxation and driven by positive impact. Yellow Leaf Hammocks makes products that empower people to practice daily relaxation and to live their best, most stress-free lives. The brand's first product is a line of hammocks that are impeccably handwoven, shockingly soft, and technically engineered for extreme comfort. Best of all, Yellow Leaf is committed to creating high-wage jobs for moms in rural Thailand who weave each hammock by hand. The team's goal is to empower artisans to lift their families from poverty to the middle class. Learn more at yellowleafhammocks.com.

SOURCE Yellow Leaf Hammocks

Related Links

http://yellowleafhammocks.com


A dad and his wife have been charged with murdering his two-year-old son - a month after he was arrested for punching another of his children in the face.

Demetric Hampton Snr, 26, and Terrica Harris, 24, claimed Demetric Hampton Jr choked to death while eating - but alarm bells were triggered when doctors found multiple and suspicious injuries on the boy's body.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to Hampton's Center Point home in Birmingham, Alabama, following a 911 call that a child was not breathing.

When they arrived at the scene Hampton Snr told emergency services his son had started to choke while eating.

Hampton Snr (above) has been charged with murder and aggravated child abuse and is being held without bond at Jefferson County Jail

He claims to have removed food from Demetric Jr's airway and tried to resuscitate him.

Hampton also said his wife - who is not the child's mother - was not at home when his son began to choke, and arrived moments before paramedics.

The two-year-old was rushed to Children's of Alabama hospital but doctors were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead.

While in the hospital medics discovered the infant had multiple injuries and burns that were inconsistent with Hampton Senior and Harris' stories, Sgt Joni Money said.

Child protective services were later sent to the home - where other young children including Demetric Jr's twin were living - and the couple was arrested.

Hampton Snr has been charged with murder and aggravated child abuse and is being held without bond at Jefferson County Jail.

A month earlier officers were called to the couple's home Harris (above) holding the couple's nine-month-old son, who she refused to hand over to enforcement

Harris was also charged with child abuse but was released on a $60,000 bond.

The news of the boy's death comes just a month after the couple was accused of endangering another child's life, Al.com reported.

Court records show officers were called to their home after a worried neighbor rang 911 and claimed they were fighting and that Hampton Snr had a gun.

Officers discovered the pair in a violent altercation, with Harris holding the couple's nine-month-old son, who she refused to hand over to enforcement.

The two-year-old was rushed to Children's of Alabama's hospital (above) but doctors were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead

Documents show Hampton asked Harris to give him the baby, but she refused.

The report said Hampton Snr then punched her in the face, with the blow hitting the baby at the same time and causing his lip to bleed.

Hampton was Tasered by officers but continued to resist, the report added, and that one officer was knocked over in the fight.

Court records show the couple was arrested and each charged with disturbing the peace, child endangerment, and resisting arrest.

Five children were released into the custody of a grandmother that night, and court records indicate the ordeal was captured on body camera.

It is unclear when or how many of the children were later returned to the couple.

The couple was scheduled to appear in court in June on those charges.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday updated its strategy for testing coronavirus disease Covid-19 as the number of infected people crossed 90,000-mark.

The revised strategy proposes all symptomatic individuals with history of international travel in the last 14 days to be tested. It also says that all symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases, healthcare workers at the frontline of battle against Covid-19 and patients of Severe Acute Respiatory Infection or SARI to be tested.

The asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact, the new ICMR testing strategy says.

All symptomatic patients with Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and patients who develop ILI symptoms should also be tested, it further says.

The guideline makes it clear that no emergency procedure should be delayed for lack of test.

The ICMR had said on Friday that the number of RT-PCR tests for detection of Covid-19 crossed the two million-mark in India.

A total of 20,39,952 samples were tested in the country as on Friday 9 am, with 92,911 tests being conducted since Thursday 9 am, Dr Rajnikant Srivastava, the head of the Department of Research Management, Policy Planning and Communication at ICMR said.

The testing for Covid-19 has been scaled up significantly over the last two months and the capacity has increased to around one lakh tests per day.

Starting with one laboratory at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and 100 laboratories at the beginning of the lockdown, the RT-PCR tests are now available at 360 government and 147 private testing facilities across the country, said ICMR.
Biden says Putin will pay 'dear price' if he invades Ukraine
E lderly residents in Wales who are self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic are having essential groceries delivered by a llama.

Max the llama, from Pembrokeshire, in Wales, has been helping to deliver basic food supplies to local families and pensioners in the Welsh valley.

Pembrokeshire Llamas said that local roads can be "difficult" to reach by vehicle, so "llama delivery makes an excellent eco-friendly alternative."

The company, which offers a range of llama-based activities for families, said some local roads are private, are poorly-maintained or are difficult to use without a 4x4 vehicle.

During the pandemic, Max, who was born in 2017, has carried food deliveries on his back while his carer directs him to the houses in the village.

The food is dropped off on the doorstep for residents to collect, with one pictured beaming as he collected the delivery from Max.

Local residents have hailed the llama food deliveries as a "huge improvement to traditional food shopping."

Speaking to the Standard, Matthew Yorke, the director of Pembrokeshire Llamas, said: "Max has been delivering the food to our local neighbours since the lockdown started.

"We know that a lot of them are elderly and they probably wouldn't be able to go out and get what they needed so we thought it would be a great way to help.

"Everyone loves them, they all know what we do as a company but now more than ever I think everyone's enjoying their company."
Lithuanian English

Lithuanian electricity transmission operator LITGRID AB (business ID 302564383, registered office address Virsuliskiu skg. 99B 13, Vilnius, Lithuania), informs that on 15th May 2020 the opinion of The Audit Committee of the holding company UAB EPSO-G was received on these transactions with related parties:

Electricity transmission service agreement with AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius, dated 23 rd of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Transmission Service Agreement);

of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Transmission Service Agreement); Tertiary active power reserve purchase and sale agreement with AB Ignitis Gamyba, dated 12 th of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Tertiary Reserve Agreement);

of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Tertiary Reserve Agreement); Agreement on purchase and sale of additional services and balancing energy supplied after activation of the secondary active power reserve with AB Ignitis Gamyba dated 31 th of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Additional Services Agreement);

of December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Additional Services Agreement); Isolated electricity system work service purchase-sale agreement with AB Ignitis Gamyba dated 30th December 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Isolated Operation Service Agreement) (hereinafter all together to as the Transactions with related parties).

On 4th May 2020 the Audit Committee of EPSO-G UAB considered the Transactions with related parties and stated that:

1.1. Transmission Service Agreement is in line with market conditions as the maximum price paid by network users for the service received under the Transmission Service Agreement is approved by a resolution of the National Energy Regulatory Council;

1.2. Transmission Service Agreement is fair and reasonable in relation to all shareholders of LITGRID AB taking into account the objective necessity of concluding the Transmission Service Agreement.

2.1. The conclusion of the Tertiary Reserve Agreement is in line with market conditions as a public auction was held prior to the conclusion of the Tertiary Reserve Agreement and the winner (AB Ignitis Gamyba) was capped by the resolution of the National Energy Regulatory Council;

2.2. Tertiary Reserve Agreement is fair and reasonable to all shareholders of LITGRID AB taking into account the objective necessity of concluding the Tertiary Reserve Agreement and the reasonableness of the pricing of the Tertiary Reserve Agreement.

3.1. The conclusion of the Additional Services Agreement is in line with market conditions, as a public auction was held prior to the conclusion of the Additional Services Agreement, and the price caps for reserve power services in 2020 were set for the providers of additional services by a resolution of the National Energy Regulatory Council;

3.2. The Additional Services Agreement is fair and reasonable in relation to all shareholders of LITGRID AB taking into account the objective necessity of concluding the Additional Services Agreement and the reasonableness of the pricing of the Additional Services Agreement.

4.1. The conclusion of the Isolated Operation Service Agreement is in line with market conditions, as the price caps for the Isolated operation services for 2020 have been set for the providers of the isolated operation by the resolution of the National Energy Regulatory Council;

4.2. The Isolated Operation Service Agreement is fair and reasonable with respect to all shareholders of LITGRID AB taking into account the objective necessity of concluding the Isolated Operational Service Agreement and the reasonableness of the pricing of the Isolated Operation Service Agreement.

The individual authorized by LITGRID AB to provide additional information:

Jurga Eivaite

Communication Division project manager

phone: +370 613 19977

e-mail: jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu
NEW ORLEANS - On a typical Saturday night, snagging a coveted balcony table overlooking Bourbon Street in the French Quarter would be nearly impossible. But here were Mariah Castille and Tyler Labiche, sharing chips and dip, somewhat stunned by almost everything about this evening.

It was Day 1 of Phase 1 - when the stay-home order was lifted and New Orleans was supposed to begin coming back to life. For the first time in two months, most businesses were allowed to open. Restaurants and food-serving bars could seat customers at 25% capacity.

After a miserable season of canceled music festivals, social isolation, sickness and death, it was time to get the party started again. Labiche, 30, and Castille, had made a weekend getaway from their Lafayette, Louisiana, home a two-hour drive away.

"We thought the first day back, this place would be packed," Labiche said. "It's one of the biggest party places on the planet."

Castille peered over the elegant wrought-iron balcony of the Cornet restaurant down to barren Bourbon Street.

"It feels like a ghost town," she said. "Like we're not supposed to be here."

Across New Orleans, it was the same story: Residents were hesitant to venture back out in a city that once was an epicenter of the novel coronavirus, even though social distancing has paid off with sharply decreased rates of infection.

Tourists were scarce, too. On Bourbon Street alone, three huge hotels with many hundreds of rooms between them sat shuttered.

The streets of the French Quarter were empty enough for six young women on bicycles to ride down the center of Bourbon Street with glow sticks on their spokes. Their shrieks briefly animated the night.

"For a minute, it sounds like New Orleans," said one seafood employee standing on the sidewalk, before he resumed his futile call to the few passersby: "Free appetizer or free cocktail with the purchase of an entree!"

Three of the restaurant's 147 seats were filled at that moment - "We never got close to 25%," the manager said.

Labiche and Castille had mixed feelings about the unnatural tranquility of the Quarter: "It's nice to know that people are being cautious," Labiche said. "But it's still a little terrifying to see nobody coming out and spending money to keep the economy going."

In announcing the move to a restricted reopening for Phase 1 last week, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said she was balancing public health with economic needs. A similar set of Phase 1 guidelines were set by Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, for the rest of Louisiana, taking effect a day earlier.

"We're about to turn the faucet on, but not high stream," Cantrell said of the limited reopening. "We're just going to get a little bit of this water, and we're going to test it, and we're going to be able to respond should we need to turn that faucet off."

Many businesses are thirsty for that water. Food and beer trucks started appearing around town last week as some restaurants and bars laid in supplies.

But in a sign of the ambivalent nature of this reopening, several business owners said they were going to pass up the opportunity for now. To them, it's still too soon to bring customers in safely and make employees cook in cramped kitchens. And it doesn't make economic sense to operate at 25% capacity, they said, which all but guarantees that they will lose money.

"We want to stay relevant, we want people not to forget about us - but we also need to preserve our capital, because this is going to be a long-run kind of deal," said Archie Casbarian, co-owner of Arnaud's, a thousand-seat restaurant just off Bourbon Street, which is joining several of the city's fancier restaurants in staying shut.

"I'm not going to let people inside; I don't feel comfortable doing it," said Howie Kaplan, owner of the Howlin' Wolf music club in the warehouse district. While Kaplan cannot present live music under the rules of Phase 1, he could serve food indoors to enhance his daily takeout business. "I don't think it's safe for my customers; I don't think it's safe for my staff. . . . The reality is, people are still afraid."

For many others, opening day dawned with high hopes. At Estrella Steak & Lobster House near the waterfront, owner Amer Bader assembled a skeleton staff of four for a pep talk ahead of the 11 a.m. opening. On a pre-pandemic Saturday, the 75-seat restaurant could take in at least $5,000. Bader requires $2,000 per day to break even.

"I need everybody wearing a mask," Bader told his crew. "Be as courteous as possible - customers are going to be on edge."

Staff members took their positions - and waited two hours for the first customer, who was John Simpson, 37, an oil company employee who drove an hour to be on hand for New Orleans' reawakening. He ordered the red fish.

"I want to support New Orleans and the French Quarter," he said. "I think it's time for more people to come out of their homes."

Dequrez and Michelle Gulley felt the same way as they emerged from an otherwise empty bar on Bourbon Street carrying plastic cups filled with Blueberry Hill cocktails - active ingredient: berry-infused vodka. Tired of being cooped up in the Tampa, Florida, area the day before, they found a cheap, spur-of-the-moment flight to the Big Easy.

"If you're going to get it, you're going to get it," said Dequrez Gulley, 37, an account manager for a soft drink company. "My big thing is: God is still in charge."

A few familiar characters also ventured back: There was a lone tarot card reader in Jackson Square, where dozens of street performers, musicians and artists ordinarily cater to tourists.

Lucky Dog vendor Nathan Neal set up his hot dog-shaped cart, made famous by the novel "A Confederacy of Dunces," outside a Walgreen's on Royal Street. He had sold three hot dogs by early evening compared with a typical night when he would sell at least 60. But, he said, he'd "rather be here doing nothing than sitting at home doing nothing."

Adam Harlow sat on his pedicab at a corner in the heart of the Quarter. He had one ride in three hours - two women who drove from Dallas. He charged them $20 for a one-hour trip that would normally cost $60.

"I didn't expect anyone. I just came out to stretch my legs and get a feel for the Quarter," he said. "The most rewarding thing for me today was the first people who came up and said, 'Welcome back. It's good to see you.' "

Even for those who ventured out, it wasn't a return to normal.

At Buffa's Lounge on the edge of the Quarter, Mark Cecil, 51, a credit union employee, raised his beer bottle for a sip and found an unexpected obstruction: "It's not the first time today I've tried to shove a beer bottle through my mask," he said.

He and his friend Natalie Greene, 48, who live in the neighborhood, had scanned the lounge to be sure Buffa's was following all the safety rules - masks, separated tables, hand sanitizer and so on - before feeling comfortable coming in for dinner. As required, Buffa's was also taking down the names and phone numbers of customers, in case someone tests positive and contact tracing is needed.

"I need to face my fear and go," Greene said of her decision to come out. And yet, "As much as I want to come back to normal, I worry about other people [being infected] and having then to go backwards" to more restrictions.

"I think it's necessary that things begin to reopen," Cecil said. "We're kind of reaching the point where the economic impact becomes a public health impact."

Most of the Quarter was quiet by 10 p.m., except for a bluesy guitar serenading one block on Bourbon Street. The musician had set up his amplifier and microphone on a balcony above one of the last open bars.

He started playing a French Quarter favorite, a mournful anthem called "Hurricane." As the tale unfolded of the terrible calamity that couldn't conquer New Orleans, a few staggering partyers stopped and stood transfixed in the middle of Bourbon Street.

The evening ended early, but there's always a morning after in New Orleans - and this Sunday morning was the first time church could resume in person. Houses of worship are allowed to reopen at 25% capacity or 100 worshipers, whichever is fewer.

Just before 10 a.m., Catherine Tate stood near the entrance of St. Augustine Church in Treme, just outside the Quarter, and welcomed parishioners. Tate, an usher, was exultant. She raised her hands toward the heavens and jumped up and down.

"My heart is full," she said.

Rev. Emmanuel Mulenga mentioned the virus only briefly in his sermon, but its presence was everywhere. Like the restaurant crowd the night before, attendance was underwhelming: 17 people in a church that is often standing-room only. Most chose to stay home and watch the service online. Those present all wore masks. And St. Augustine's famous choir was also missing, since choirs are not permitted under the city's guidelines.

The collection basket was placed on the floor for people to donate as they wished. The moment in the service when neighbors shake hands and wish peace upon one another was replaced with friendly waving. For the first post-pandemic communion, Mulenga put on his mask, washed his hands with sanitizer, and placed a wafer in the outstretched hands of his parishioners. Wine was not offered.

This was not the St. Augustine Tate is used to, but hardly anything is the same. Her brother is in the hospital after contracting covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. His condition is improving, but the family has yet to tell him that while he was on a ventilator, his son died from the disease.

And yet, Tate said she took comfort that her second family, the St. Augustine congregation, can come together again - slowly at first, in phases, like the rest of the city.

But that was enough reason to rejoice, she said, and to believe that better days lie ahead.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:46:36|Editor: huaxia

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ABUJA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Two pirates were killed in a gunfight with troops when the Nigerian military recently launched a major operation in the country's delta region, said a spokesman for the military on Monday.

The operation launched last week in the Bonny local government area of the oil-rich state of Rivers also led to the raiding and demolition of a major hideout of pirates in Arugbanama, a community in the same area, said John Enenche, the military's spokesman.

The operation was extended to the Bonny Island, located near Port Harcourt, Nigeria's oil hub, which is home to thousands of expatriates and oil multinationals. Ferries are the main form of transport to and from the island.

Enenche said the operation was mainly to rid the Nigerian delta region of pirates and criminals mostly targeting expatriates and foreign vessels.

Several arms and ammunition, and a speed boat belonging to the pirates, were recovered by troops during the operation, the defense spokesman said.

A number of ships have been attacked by pirates around the area in recent years. The criminal groups have shifted from stealing cargo to holding crew members for ransom. Enditem
People applying to be contact-tracers as part of the Governments track and trace app scheme have been told hiring has been frozen due to delays with the app.

Applicants were informed that hiring was paused while ministers considered an alternative app, despite there being more jobs to fill before the programme can be rolled out.

However the agency behind the recruitment drive has said that applicants were given the wrong information.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said yesterday that the track and trace programme - considered the next step towards easing lockdown - had already hired more than 17,000 contract-tracers and would be ready to launch by the end of the month.

Michael Gove (pictured), the Cabinet Office minister, said yesterday that the track and trace programme - considered the next step towards easing lockdown - had already hired more than 17,000 contract-tracers and would be ready to launch by the end of the month

The new June target is about two weeks later than the government's original mid-May target.

However one company handling the recruitment process, HR Go, told applicants that recruitment had been paused, The Guardian reported.

Applicants were told in an email: Unfortunately earlier today the roles were put on hold. This is due to a delay in the launch of the Track and Trace app itself while the government considers an alternative app.

As and when the app (or an alternative) goes live, we will reconsider those applications already received, however please be aware that we have received an unprecedented number of applications for this role and therefore not all suitable candidates will be able to be put forward. But the Department of Health and Social Care said the email was wrong and could cause confusion. It added that recruitment for both the online and phone-based contact-tracing service was continuing at pace.

The track and trace scheme will encourage people to use an app to inform the NHS if they develop symptoms and other people they have come in to contact with will receive an alert.

Thousands of contact tracers, many of them working from home, will help with tracking down contacts.

The track and trace scheme will encourage people to use an app (pictured) to inform the NHS if they develop symptoms and other people they have come in to contact with will receive an alert

The shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said the mistake was another misstep in the Governments handling of the crisis.

Test, trace and isolate is fundamental to managing and controlling this virus and safely easing lockdown - yet the Governments approach has been increasingly chaotic, with misstep after misstep, he said.

HR Go confirmed it had sent the emails but said: What has been said is a miscommunication and false. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: The NHS contact-tracing app is not on hold and it would be completely wrong to suggest otherwise.

There is no alternative app and the NHS continues to work constructively with many other organisations that are helping to develop and test the NHS Covid-19 app.

Millions of elderly Britons without smartphones 'risk becoming second-class citizens' because they can't use NHS coronavirus tracing app, campaigners warn

Millions of Britons without smartphones risk being treated as second-class citizens because they won't be able to use an app to limit the spread of coronavirus, campaigners warn.

Ministers will this week set out the details of how the new contact-tracing app will be deployed nationwide as part of their 'test, track and trace' strategy.

But campaigners representing older people last night urged the Government to take steps to include those without the latest technology.

Britons will be encouraged to download the NHS app, currently being tested on the Isle of Wight, when it is launched across the country within the next fortnight.

Britons will be encouraged to download the NHS contact tracing app, currently being tested on the Isle of Wight, when it is launched across the country within the next fortnight

It uses Bluetooth to detect when a person's phone has been near another owned by someone reporting symptoms of coronavirus, and sends a notification to the user.

Those without smartphones will be able to benefit from the army of 18,000 contact tracers who will manually gather information about the places infected people have visited and anyone they have been in contact with.

But ministers have been asked to look at the possibility of giving those without smartphones simple Bluetooth-enabled bracelets, which other countries including Germany have been developing, so they can benefit from the new technology.

Figures from Ofcom show that while 80 per cent of adults owned a smartphone in 2018, the figure dropped to 47 per cent of 65 to 74-year-olds, and 26 per cent of over-75s.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: 'Any new technology that may help tackle the outbreak is welcomed by us, but we must ensure that no one is disadvantaged or locked out of services simply because they don't have a smartphone.

'We hope [the Government] will find a way to develop the app so that the millions of people without smartphones can participate too, to avoid them being treated like second-class citizens.'

Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded the Silver Line helpline for older people, added: 'A lot of us now rely on Facetime or WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, but many of our callers are not comfortable with mobile phones or the internet and that is a concern.'

During the pilot, users have complained that they have been unable to use the app on some new Huawei phones as well as some older smartphones

Dame Esther agreed that Bluetooth-enabled bracelets could be a solution.

She said: 'A lot of older people already do wear a special pendant if they live alone in case they fall or get into some sort of problem, so they can ask for help.'

Bob Seely, the Tory MP for the Isle of Wight, said: 'On the island, about two thirds of people who can download the app have done so, which is a massive figure and absolutely enables us to begin work suppressing the virus here.'

He said people without smartphones had been able to benefit from manual contact tracing.

During the pilot, users have complained that they have been unable to use the app on some new Huawei phones as well as some older smartphones.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove yesterday said the Government had recruited 17,200 contact tracers for its test, track and trace programme.

Mr Gove told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday that officials were on course to achieve their target of 18,000 this week, adding that the programme would be running by the end of the month.

Hours later, it was claimed that the hiring drive had been paused due to problems with the NHS app.

In an email published by The Guardian, recruitment firm HR Go told contact tracing applicants: 'Unfortunately earlier today the roles were put on hold.

This is due to a delay in the launch of the 'Track and Trace' app itself while the government considers an alternative app.'

A spokesman for the Department of Healthand Social Care said the email was 'wrong' and 'could cause confusion'.

They stressed that recruitment for both online and phone-based contact-tracing services was continuing 'at pace'.

HR Go confirmed it had sent the email but added: 'What has been said is a miscommunication and false.'
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the Centre's decision to link increased borrowing limits for states under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to the fulfilment of conditions, saying it is against the basic tenets of the federal structure and an "eyewash to befool people".

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, terming the entire economic package a "big zero".

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said on Sunday that the Centre is increasing the borrowing limit under the FRBM Act from three per cent to five per cent.

"But it's only 0.5 per cent. The other 1.5 per cent I will get if I agree to certain conditions which go against the federal system. So it's a big zero. It is an eyewash to befool people," she said.

Terming the conditions put forth in the fifth and final tranche of the economic stimulus package of the Centre an "assault on the federal structure", Banerjee, who is among the most strident critics of the BJP, said for the 1.5 per cent states have to do away with the federal structure.

"We have decided not to bow down and to protect the federal structure. We will protect our government and its rights. We are not like them (BJP) that once the election is over we will forget the poll promises," she said.

The Centre on Sunday raised the borrowing limit of states from three per cent of gross state domestic product (GSDP) to five per cent in 2020-21, which will make available an additional Rs 4.28 lakh crore.

However, part of the increased borrowing limit would be linked to specific reforms -- universalisation of One Nation-One Ration Card, ease of doing business, power distribution and urban local body revenues, Sitharaman said.
There will be more empty seats in theatres and extra space in museums and galleries for a long time to come, a new survey predicts, as almost one in six respondents said they would go to fewer arts or cultural activities after the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey, by a group of researchers in collaboration with state and federal governments, found just 7 per cent expected to attend more events.

A "ghost light" keeps vigil at an empty Hamer Hall while the Arts Centre remains closed.

The Audience Outlook Monitor also found limited appetite for new art that reflects on the crisis. A third of respondents hoped to leave the whole sorry saga behind them, though a quarter wanted work to help them make sense of it all.

Arts organisations are worried that audiences will be loath to return to crowded auditoriums while virus fears linger - and even afterwards, if a depressed economy means people have less money for non-essentials.
The opposition party is now accusing the Cuban government of supporting Maduro's administration through sending intelligence agents. Cuba-Venezuela ties are bolstered by oil trade and the export of doctors.

Juan Guaido, opposition-controlled legislature leader, was also widely recognized as Venezuela's president. Guaido called Maduro's election undemocratic, and the had the support of the United States in removing Maduro from office.

Political agenda in medical missions

During his campaign, Maduro was proposing subsidies to vulnerable groups in Venezuela to win their support for the elections.

Free healthcare is now provided to even the poor in Venezuela by Cuban doctors, who are the nation's most valuable export. In turn, Venezuela paid Cuba with oil.

This was a regular program that started with former President Hugo Chavez in 200 called Barrio Adentro.

Cuban doctors who were frequently sent to medical missions in Venezuela explained in interviews how Maduro's administration used their services to coerce the majority of the voting population to support the Socialist Party.

They need only show IDs called the "homeland card" for rations at the poll spots. Another way Maduro maintained control over Venezuelans was through Cuba's international medical corporations.

These political tactics involved the Cuban doctors having to remind the voters about the upcoming elections, and telling patients to refuse treatment from supporters of the opposition.

They added that part of their job was to visit voters' houses offering medicine, and then cautioning them to vote for Maduro, or else they would no longer receive treatment. Most of the residents were either impoverished or elderly, and so the management of the operation was easy.

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Maduro's regime

Director of the Americas program at Human Rights Watch Jose Miguel Vivanco believed that the Cuban government was contributing to the regime of the Venezuelan government.

Maduro won by the narrowest margin in years, with 50.6 percent of the Venezuelan population on April 14, 2013.

The opposition, Henrique Capriles Radonski, garnered almost as much as Maduro. He, among other candidates like Leopoldo Lopez, was removed from the elections either by imprisonment and mass boycott.

Oil production was low back in 2015, and so there were shortages of resources like food and water. Venezuelans were stacked with bills to pay on top of the taxes. Criminality was surging as the economy plummeted.

Healthcare systems in the country were not able to import essential medicines, and the water cuts were so bad that surgeons had to wash their hands with bottled water. These provided candidates for the 2018 election the opportunity to give the nation the basic resources.

Maduro was proposing to the voters left and right large subsidies using the homeland card to compensate for the shortages. This promised the Venezuelans many essentials, but Maduro's administration was withholding more than they initially bargained for.

Medical supplies were apparently run out at the time before the elections because they were hoarded. It was suspected that Maduro's party could have been behind this, since he soon "fixed" the shortages of the resources by flooding hospitals with provisions.
With the recent lifting of quarantine restrictions around the world, many citizens immediately ventured out after weeks of being kept indoors. American and European officials have been contemplating the balance between the risk of letting people roam free amid the coronavirus, knowing that a vaccine could take several years to be developed.

Two prominent European leaders warned their nation that everyone around the world needs to start adapting to life with the coronavirus and cannot stop and wait for a vaccine to come and save them.

What to expect going forward with the coronavirus

Italian official Giuseppe Conte said, "We are confronting this risk, and we need to accept it. Otherwise, we would never be able to relaunch," as he succumbs to the pressure of regional leaders to allow the reopening of several establishments on Monday, weeks ahead of an earlier planned date.

According to AP News, the stern warnings from Conte and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came at a time when governments from around the world, along with many American states, were challenged with the struggles of reopening the entire economy.

Recent photographs of newly reopened areas and establishments show the apparent lack of compliance with safety protocols to ensure sufficient avoidance of the infection while exercising the newfound freedom.

Johnson was tested positive for the coronavirus and hospitalized last month with serious complications. The official worries that a vaccine may not come at all despite the global efforts for its development.

In the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Johnson wrote: "There remains a very long way to go, and I must be frank that a vaccine might not come to fruition."

On Monday, a virtual meeting is set to take place. It will have 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss how best to tackle the coronavirus pandemic going into the future.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has been adamant about his nation's position with regards to the pandemic, will also be speaking in the opening ceremony, as reported by BBC.

Also Read: Qatar Imposes Mandatory Wearing of Masks in Public, 3 Years Jail Time Awaits Violators

The foreign ministry of China repeated Beijing's disinterest in an investigation aiming to reveal the origin and spread of the virus. He said that the effort was taken in the rush as the COVID-19 pandemic is still being endured around the world.

The two-day congregation is a yearly event that reviews the efforts of the UN's health agency has come at a time of arguments between the US and China regarding the pandemic.

Standing strong in the face of adversary

Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve Chair, shared his optimistic views on Sunday that the American economy will begin regaining itself in the second half of the year. In the fortunate outcome, a second wave of the coronavirus does not hit.

He also stated that a full recovery would likely not be possible before developing a vaccine for the virus. Powell, in an interview CBS's "60 Minutes," said that that economy will be able to gather itself and bounce back "substantially," although with warnings that the recovery will take much longer than the downfall.

A retired attorney, Paula Walborsky, 74 years of age and hails from Tallahassee, Florida, endured the urge to get her hair done and declined invitations from friends. This decision, however, came with the irony of when a public swimming pool in her city reopened and was taking appointments, she immediately decided to go out.

Walborsky shared her excitement over the reopening as she said that the water felt wonderful.

Andrew Cuomo, a New York governor, was revealed to have tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday on live television. Cuomo said that any New Yorker who has or is experiencing flu-like symptoms or going back to work could get tested.

Cuomo added, "We're all talking about what is the spread of the virus when you increase economic activity. Well, how do you know what the spread of the virus is? Testing, testing, testing."

Related Article: New Yorker Nabbed in Hawaii After Violating Quarantine, Posting Beach Photos on Social Media

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SHANGHAI, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 21st China International Lubricants and Applications Technology Exhibition (Inter Lubric China 2020), hosted by Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd., will be held at Shanghai's Hongqiao National Exhibition and Convention Center from August 18th to 20th, 2020.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has now spread around the world. Though many industries have been hit by the pandemic, most companies are expecting to start seeing improved sales moving forward. According to China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA) estimates, aside from Chinese companies, international companies from Japan, the United States, Sweden and Germany all have high expectations about China's stimulus packages in the second half of the year.

These are mainly from new policy measures to boost infrastructure and related industries. China is continuing to reopen its economy in a gradual, sequential manner, prioritizing essential sectors, specific industries, regions and population groups based on continuous risk assessments and the use of digitalization, big data and technology to support contact tracing.

Therefore, in accordance with industry expectations and to ensure the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors from home and abroad alike, as well as to preserve the overall impact and effectiveness of the show, InterLubric China 2020 now due to take place from August 18th to 20th 2020, at the same venue, the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center.

These are extraordinary times and the epidemic presents us all with a unique challenge. Every institution, enterprise and organization is facing this crisis together, with the lubricant industry facing the mounting fall-out from the global pandemic and the international oil price slump. However, we have full confidence that lubricant production and demand will soon recover alongside imminent industry revitalization in China's domestic markets.

Therefore, Inter Lubric China's Organizing Committee has stated that preparatory work for the exhibition is proceeding in an orderly manner, while also abiding by necessary epidemic prevention and control measures.

Organized by Shanghai INTEX Exhibition, Inter Lubric China has been successfully held in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou over 20 shows since 2000. The exhibition covers automotive lubricating grease and automotive chemical maintenance products, industrial lubricating grease, metal processing and antirust materials, lubricating systems and equipment, and a wide variety of other related equipment, technology and services. As the recognized weather vane of China's lubricating oil industry, the exhibition is unique in its field, with a strong reputation in providing a comprehensive industry platform for product releases, technical exchange, industry dialogue, business development, industry training, and much more.

In addition to the exhibition, Inter Lubric China has created a series of engaging activities over the same period in continuing to lead the industry forward and meet market demand. Three of these activities deserve special attention:

1. The China International Lubricant Industry Development Forum  August 16th-17th 2020. This headlining forum brings authoritative analysis of the latest global lubricant industry trends, as well as eye-catching product launches, new technology briefings and industry experience sharing. This year's forum will focus on "Exploring Technological Innovation and the Green Lubrication Revolution", with two days of presentation and discussion covering the hottest topics, including: new power systems, new emission controls and standards, new heat management systems, and new low-viscosity and long-oil-change mileage lubricant technology.

2. The Lubricant OEM Brand Development Conference & Production Capacity Showcase  August 18th 2020. The OEM Conference will be held during the second day of the exhibition and will cover the following topics: how to select reliable OEM; product line planning and packaging design; competitive price system formulation; low-cost and rapid investment promotion; and dealer sales promotion. There will also be a demonstration area for OEM capacity, where lubricant OEM enterprises can showcase their own qualifications and advantages in lubricant production, technology, logistics, storage, marketing services and in all other aspects of OEM.

3. The National Lubricant Distributors and Dealers Program  August 18th-20th 2020. This program is a bespoke industry activity for lubricant distribution agents. Leading lubricant distributors from all over the country are invited to participate, with the program aiming to meet distributors' overarching needs to collect industry trends, secure brand cooperation and learn from one another. The organizers will provide free accommodation, catering, transport and other one-stop services for agents participating in the event.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, alongside all of our exhibitors, professional visitors, media partners and our wider networks for your support. Together, we will overcome the challenges of these times, and in overcoming the epidemic, we will emerge all the stronger. We look forward to seeing you again in August, ready to embrace a renewal emergent business following this critical time.

For more detailed information about Inter Lubric China, exhibitors and visitors can visit our official website www.interlubric.com to learn more. Please also pay attention to our WeChat public platform "Lubricant Focus" to keep abreast of the relevant developments in the lubricant industry and our events.

For any queries, please contact Dora or Lina on +86(0)21-6295-1239 or +86(0)21-6295-2132, or via email on [email protected] or [email protected].

For media queries please contact Lin Qingqing on +86(0)21-6295-2022 or via [email protected].

SOURCE Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd.
When COVID-19 patients are critically ill, the biggest threat to their lives is lung dysfunction. If their lungs don't work, their blood can't circulate enough oxygen to the brain, the liver and other organs.

A new cohort study out of West Virginia University suggests one piece of life-support equipment--an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine--can be especially useful for treating some of these COVID-19 patients. But ECMO may be less helpful for COVID-19 patients who are older, who have preexisting conditions and whose heart function has deteriorated.

The findings appeared in ASAIO Journal.

An ECMO machine works by pumping someone's blood outside of their body, oxygenating it and returning it to the body. In this way, the ECMO machine gives the lungs--and sometimes the heart--time to rest and heal.

It can keep some patients alive when ventilators alone aren't enough.

The research team analyzed 32 COVID-19 patients with severely compromised lung function who were supported with ECMO.

At the time of the researchers' analysis, 22 of the patients--or 68 percent--had survived. Of those 22 patients, 17 were still on ECMO. Only five had been removed from ECMO and lived.

Those five patients had something interesting in common: they all received a kind of ECMO that supports the lungs but not the heart. None of the patients who had lung and heart ECMO support had been removed from ECMO successfully yet.

This disparity probably exists because patients who got ECMO support for both their heart and lungs were sicker to begin with, and their heart function was more compromised.

Insights like these help clinicians to "counsel patients and family members about the individualized risks and benefits of ECMO," said Jeremiah Hayanga, WVU's director of ECMO and a member of the research team.

The team also included Vinay Badhwar, the executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, and Jeffrey Jacobs, a consultant to HVI and a non-faculty collaborator with the School of Medicine's Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.

"Patients whose disease is restricted to the lung have been shown to have better survival, and this is indeed true for all indications of ECMO," Hayanga said. "When both heart and lung function are impaired, however, there is a reduction in survival, and selection in these patients warrants even greater scrutiny."

The researchers also discovered that patients who were under 65 and had fewer preexisting conditions--such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease--also fared better on ECMO than their older counterparts who had more medical issues.

"Our previously published research on national ECMO use has highlighted that patients over age 70 have drastically reduced survival," Hayanga said. "This may likely be a function of their coexisting illnesses and a lack of reserve. Indeed, the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization that provides oversight for ECMO programs around the world considers age 65 as a relative contraindication. As such, patients with advanced age require careful evaluation to ensure the benefit outweighs the risk."

Besides being relatively young, what else might improve COVID-19 patients' outcomes from ECMO?

Steroids.

Of the five patients who were successfully removed from ECMO, four had been receiving steroids through an IV. This discovery contradicts earlier findings out of China, which suggested steroids might do more harm than good.

"It is a fact that any given treatment is a single instrument in an orchestra of other treatments," Jacobs said. "The role of multiple medications in the treatment of COVID-19 remains unclear, including intravenous steroids while on ECMO, antiviral medications--like remdesivir--and antimalarial medications--like hydroxychloroquine. Ongoing research is necessary to determine the role of these medications in the treatment of patients with COVID-19, both in patients treated with ECMO and in patients not treated with ECMO."

But just because the data suggest younger, healthier COVID-19 patients--especially those prescribed steroids--may be more likely to respond well to ECMO, that doesn't mean other patients should never receive ECMO support.

"At the WVU HVI, we pride ourselves in offering individualized, patient-centric care to all patients," Hayanga said. "Our multidisciplinary team takes a very individualized approach to all patients who may benefit from ECMO support, and we fully assess the potential benefits and risks of supporting any patient with this advanced method of life support."

###

Citation

Title: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in the Treatment of Severe Pulmonary and Cardiac Compromise in COVID-19: Experience with 32 patients

DOI: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000001185

Link: https://journals.lww.com/asaiojournal/Abstract/9000/Extracorporeal_Membrane_Oxygenation_in_the.98533.aspx
Chandigarh: More than two decades ago after he arrived in the United States on a visitor visa, never to depart, the American dream of Susai Manickam Francis, 57, an Indian national from Mumbai, has come to an end.

Francis is among the 161 illegal migrants aboard a high-risk deportation flight from the United States arriving at Amritsar on Tuesday evening, according to information shared by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with New Delhi.

The story of this illegal migrant and many other deportees on board the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chartered flight is a grim reminder for thousands from India who put their lives and resources at stake to illegally cross over into the US every year. ICE records showed that Francis was in custody at Buffalo federal detention facility in Batavia, New York, before boarding the flight to India.

Arrived in US in 1996, raised family

Francis entered the United States in New York in 1996, on a B-2 visitor visa, which allowed him to remain in the United States for a period not to exceed six months. However, he did not leave the US as required by the visa and resided on Long Island in New York for more than two decades.

As per documents of the appellate division of Supreme Court of New York state, Francis has two children, one of whom is a citizen of the United States. On March 25, 2015, Francis was served with a notice to appear in an immigration court, and he became the subject of removal proceedings.

Ironical piece of US history

But before he was packed into an ICE detention facility in the state of New York, Francis had become an ironic part of the US jurisprudence.

In 2017, he challenged his detention by a local sheriffs department for civil immigration violations in the appellate division of the New York Supreme Court. Francis had been detained on the purported authority of a detainer request issued by ICE and an accompanying administrative (not judicial) warrant.

Though the court sustained the writ filed by Francis in 2018, he could not get relief as he was no longer in the sheriffs detention.

Determining only the narrow issue before us, we conclude that the sheriffs policy of December 2, 2016, directing the retention of prisoners, who would otherwise be released, pursuant to ICE detainers and administrative warrants is unlawful, and that Franciss detention by the sheriff on December 11, 2017, which commenced after the termination of Franciss court proceeding that day, was thus unlawful, the court ruled.

The second department of the NY Supreme Court ruled that New York law does not authorise state and local authorities to arrest persons whose sole alleged infraction is being in the United States without documentation, conduct that federal immigration law treats as a civil violation. In fact, New Yorks criminal procedure law permitted police officers to arrest a person only in response to a judicially issued warrant or for a misdemeanor or felony or a crime or any other conduct punishable by imprisonment or a fine, the court said, said a communication from New York attorney general Letitia James.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) who had rendered legal assistance to Francis in the case termed the court judgment as a victory.

His former NYCLU attorney Jordan Wells, when asked about his deportation, said that he hasnt worked on his case in a long time. Wells has left the NYCLU and now works for American Civil Liberties Union in California.

As for Francis, he will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on his arrival on Tuesday and then probably head to Sion, a Mumbai neighbourhood where his near and dear ones live.

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Press Release

18 May 2020

In October 2019, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic, across its portfolio of luxury hotels, by the end of March 2021.

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While the original timing for completion is likely to be impacted by the global effects of COVID-19, this first progress report highlights both the achievements made to date and some of the challenges encountered.

The Group has committed to eliminating single-use plastic across all areas of the hotels, including rooms, spa, transport, restaurants and bars as well as in those areas unseen by the guest, such as offices, kitchens and back of house.

The Group has initially focused on 60 of the most commonly used single-use items identified by hotels which are estimated to make up 95% of the total number of single-use plastic items used at our hotels. These items have either been eliminated or are in the process of being phased out as current plastic stock is depleted.

An example of one of the most commonly used items is plastic water bottles. On-site water bottling has been introduced at the Group's hotels in Hong Kong, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Geneva, London, Miami and New York, with the view to rolling this initiative out groupwide. Current figures are encouraging; for example, Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, has been able to eliminate almost half a million plastic water bottles from rooms and food and beverage facilities in a year.

Many of the other most commonly used plastic items have been replaced with eco-alternative materials - examples of which are sanitised, re-usable cloth laundry bags and shoe mitts, paper, metal or bamboo straws, natural loofahs, wooden spatulas and metal tasting spoons in the kitchens. Many bathroom amenities have been replaced with sustainably certified non-plastic alternatives, including cotton pads, razors, earbuds, shower caps and shaving foam.

Hotels are also experimenting with wall mounted dispensers to replace small plastic shower gel, shampoo and conditioner containers, and are working with luxury brands such as Fig & Yarrow, and Diptyque to ensure they can be filled and re-filled with appropriate, chemical free produce.

Challenges remain as some materials, such as cling film and waste bags, are both difficult to eliminate or find truly sustainable alternatives for. Trials are currently underway to replace cling film with re-usable items that can be easily sanitised, including containers, silicone and beeswax wraps, and waste bags with water soluble toxin-free options. While it has been possible to obtain toothbrushes that are 97% plastic-free, 100% plant-based toothbrush bristles are not currently available. However, on-going research in this area means that we remain hopeful that a complete eco-solution will be available soon.

Alternatives for toothpaste tubes have also proved difficult to locate, but after many months of supplier research, the Group is now offering toothpaste bites. These small tablets of toothpaste are packaged in FSC-certified paper and are currently being rolled out across the Group.

The Group is now widening the scope of its work to identify viable eco-alternatives for the remaining single-use plastic items within its properties. Hotels are encouraged to choose reusable or unprocessed plant-fibre based eco-alternatives where possible and any eco-alternative materials that prove to be successful will then be introduced across the portfolio.

The next challenge, that was not included in our initial timeline, is an external one - namely the continued use of single-use plastic packaging used to deliver goods into our hotels. We recognise that elimination here may take much longer to achieve, as this is an area that is proving hard to influence. We will continue in our efforts to resolve this through our own Supplier Code of Conduct and ongoing supplier engagement.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has already had some impact on our efforts. The depletion of our existing stock of plastic products across our portfolio has slowed, and new hygiene protocols and requirements arising from the pandemic pose challenges that may well affect our timeline. However, we remain committed to our original objective of 100% elimination while recognising the potential for delay in the removal of some items. Work is ongoing to achieve the very best results possible across the portfolio and within our timeframe.

"We set ourselves an ambitious goal of eliminating all single-use plastic from our premises by the end of March 2021. Whilst our timeline is likely to be adjusted as a consequence of the pandemic, we remain focused on achieving our goals and we believe we can provide valuable leadership to our industry and to the world at large," said James Riley, Group Chief Executive. "I am delighted at how our colleagues have wholly embraced this challenge as part of our joint commitment to deliver on the Group's sustainability responsibilities," he added.

Colleagues from every hotel have been working hard to find solutions which can be shared as best practice. Mandarin Oriental is collaborating with its suppliers to drive responsible procurement and provide alternative products that are both viable and suitable for the luxury hotel environment.

The Group will issue the next progress report in October 2020.

Mandarin Oriental's Sustainability Objectives

Mandarin Oriental is well recognised for delivering service excellence across its portfolio of luxury hotels and for operating its hotels and residences in a responsible and sustainable way. As a supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Group is committed to contributing to the communities in which it operates and responsibly managing its environmental impact and social commitment. The elimination of single-use plastic is only one part of the Group's wider enterprises. The Group's other initiatives are outlined in the company's latest Sustainability Report, and are supported by the dedication and hard work of Mandarin Oriental's 12,500 colleagues who continue to identify impactful ways to respond to local community and environmental needs.
Police have been using drones to help search bushland east of Melbourne as part of a homicide investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Dalibor "Dale" Pantic, as fresh CCTV footage is released of the fathers car taken days after he vanished with a mystery driver behind the wheel.

The 38-year-old Lakes Entrance man, a "fairly significant player" in the East Gippsland and Latrobe Valley drug scene, was last seen leaving a friends farm in Perry Bridge, in the states east, on April 10, 2019.

Two days later his silver Ford Falcon was captured on CCTV leaving a Sale property at 10.58pm. But it wasnt Mr Pantic behind the wheel.

On Monday, mounted police began scouring the Bunyip State Forest at Labertouche, 135 kilometres away, in the hope of finding Mr Pantic's vehicle or his remains.
At a time when Andhra Pradesh has been conducting an average of 9,000 tests for Covid-19 every day, the number of samples being tested in the neighbouring Telugu state of Telangana has been abysmally low  an average of 225 samples a day.

This figure came to light on Sunday night when the Telangana medical and health department officials disclosed the data analytics of testing as on May 16 to explain the gender and age distribution among the positive cases for Covid-19.

According to G Srinivasa Rao, director of medical and health, Telangana government, the cumulative number of samples tested as on May 16 was 23,388. Out of that figure, 947 males tested positive and 14,256 tested negative, 566 females tested positive and 7,619 tested negative.

Among the positive cases including both male and female, 218 cases belong to the age group of 0-15 years, 434 are from the age group of 16-30 years, 406 are from age group of 31-45 years, 301 cases are from the age group of 46-60 and 151 cases are of above 60 years of age.

The last time the department released the figures of cumulative number of tests done in the state was on April 28, when Telangana health minister Eatala Rajender addressed a press conference and disclosed that 19,303 tests were conducted till that date.

Taking into account the latest figures of 23,388 samples tested, the total number of tests conducted between April 28 and May 16 was 4085  an average of 226 cases per day.

Interestingly, a statement from the office of the health minister said the total number of tests conducted in the state as on May 14 was 22,842. It meant 546 tests were done in a span of 48 hours  an average of 273 per day, showing that the testing has slightly improved in the last three days.

The first Covid-19 cases was reported in Telangana on March 2 and it was only after March 15 that the government released figures about the number of samples tested  22 samples on March 15 and the figure went up to 764 on March 24, when Tablighi Jamaat episode came to light. After that the Telangana government stopped releasing the data of samples tested for Covid-19.

The health minister has been refusing to divulge the data stating that the number of samples being tested was not a parameter for the spread of the virus, but the number of positive cases that were detected in the testing.

Till Sunday evening, Telangana had 1,551 Covid-19 cases 34 deaths. The number of active cases is 525 cases while the others have recovered.

We do not want to do indiscriminate testing of people just for the sake of figures. We have been conducting tests as per the ICMR guidelines only on those having genuine symptoms and also with co-morbid conditions, apart from those who had been the primary contacts of the positive cases, Rajender said.

He further said thought there are private labs that have got permission from ICMR to conduct the tests for Covid-19, the state government did not give the clearance because it would lead to these labs fleecing of people even if they had mild symptoms. Each test costs around Rs 5,000 and we do not want the people to be fleeced, he said.

In Andhra Pradesh, however, the testing of samples for Covid-19 has been stepped up in the last one month, after the state health department began using Trunat rapid testing kits, besides RT-PCR testing. The AP government has also imported two lakh rapid test kits from South Korea, which are also being used for random testing during a door-to-door survey.

According to state nodal officer for Covid-19 Arja Sreekanth, 2,48,711 samples have been tested as on Monday. Andhra Pradesh has reported 2,432 Covid-19 cases so far, including 150 migrant labourers. There have been 50 Covid-19 casualties.

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Communities in northern Michigan will start the slow and careful process of opening back up this week.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the signing of Executive Order 2020-92, which allows for the reopening of retail businesses, office work that cannot be done remotely and restaurants and bars with limited seating, in Michigan Employment Relations Commission regions 6 and 8 -- or the Greater Traverse City area and Upper Peninsula, respectively.

The partial reopening will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday.

"We want to encourage everyone to stay smart, and to stay safe," Whitmer said.

Local governments in that area can choose to take a more cautious course if they wish, Whitmer said. The order does not abridge the authority of cities, villages and townships to restrict the operations of restaurants and bars, such as limiting establishments to outdoor-only seating.

"If we keep doing what we have been, in protecting ourselves and our families from this virus, we can begin thinking about reengaging sectors in the lower parts of our state," Whitmer said. "We're hopeful that we can announce even more reengagement later this week, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend."

All businesses reopening in these regions must adopt the safety measures outlined in the recently passed Executive Order 2020-91, meaning they will need to provide COVID-19 training to workers covering workplace infection-control practices and proper use of PPE, among other things. The training will also cover steps workers must take to notify the business of any symptoms of COVID-19, or a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, along with how to report unsafe working conditions.

Restaurants and bars will have to limit capacity to 50% of their normal seating, Whitmer said, and will need to keep groups at least six feet from one another, require servers to wear face-coverings and to follow rigorous disinfection protocols.
WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Monday called on President Donald Trump to detail the reasons behind his removal of Steve Linick as the State Department's inspector general, as most Republicans remained silent about the firing.

"Inspectors General help ensure transparency and accountability, both of which are critical for taxpayers to have confidence in their government," Grassley said in a letter to Trump. "They should be free from partisan political interference, from either the Executive or Legislative branch."

The letter from Grassley came amid criticism from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who accused the Iowa Republican and other GOP senators of staying quiet out of fear of Trump.

"Where are my Republican colleagues in the Senate?" Schumer said in Senate floor remarks "My friends on the other side, especially the senior senator from Iowa, have long defended and even sought to pass legislation to further empower inspectors general."

"What are my Republican colleagues are going to do about it?" he added. "Nothing, it seems. Nothing. They are so afraid of President Trump they ... cling, almost, to his ankles."

The president, meanwhile, told reporters at the White House Monday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had asked him to fire Linick.

"I don't know the gentleman," Trump said of Linick. "I was happy to do it. Mike requested that I do it."

Trump abruptly terminated Linick late Friday night and replaced him with Stephen Akard, a trusted ally of Vice President Mike Pence and the diplomat who directs the Office of Foreign Missions.

The reason for Linick's removal remains unclear. A congressional official familiar with the matter told The Washington Post Sunday that Linick had been investigating allegations that a staffer for Pompeo was performing domestic errands and chores such as handling dry cleaning, walking the family dog and making restaurant reservations.

But House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said in a statement Monday that "there may be another reason for IG Linick's firing," The Post's Greg Sargent reported.

"His office was investigating - at my request - Trump's phony emergency declaration so he could send Saudi Arabia weapons," Engel said. "We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Linick pushed out."

Democrats have launched an investigation into Linick's ouster, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sent a letter to Trump Monday asking for more information on the grounds for Linick's removal.

"It is alarming to see news reports that your action may have been in response to Inspector General Linick nearing completion of an investigation into the approval of billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia," she said in the letter.

Grassley, a longtime champion of the independence of inspectors general, initially issued a tepid response to Linick's firing, saying in a statement Saturday that Trump should further justify his decision beyond citing "a general lack of confidence."

In his letter to Trump Monday, Grassley went further, arguing that Trump's claim that he lost confidence in Linick "is not sufficient" to fulfill the requirements of the 2008 Inspector General Reform Act.

Grassley also noted that he and other senators "still have received no official response" to their concerns about the president's recent firing of the intelligence community's inspector general, Michael Atkinson.

He called on Trump to provide a "detailed reasoning" for Linick's removal by June 1 and a written response to his and other senators' concerns about Atkinson "as soon as possible."

"I want to work with you to ensure that the enemy here is wasteful government spending, not the government watchdogs charged with protecting the taxpayer," Grassley said.

Asked later Monday by reporters at the Capitol whether any other Republicans were supporting the letter, Grassley declined to say.

"I wanted to get it out so fast that I'm not asking anybody to support it," he said.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also mildly critiqued Trump for not giving a full explanation of his reasons for removing Linick.

"As the co-author of the 2008 law, it's very clear that the president has to provide a justification 30 days prior to the removal of an inspector general," Collins told reporters at the Capitol. "It is not a sufficient justification to say that he simply lost confidence."

- - -

The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis and Philip Rucker contributed to this report.
TEL AVIV - Israel's new foreign minister said Monday that US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal offered an "historic opportunity".



Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who became Israel's top diplomat when a new unity government was sworn in Sunday, made the comments at a transition ceremony in Jerusalem.



''The plan will be promoted responsibly and in coordination with the United States, while maintaining peace agreements and the strategic interests of Israel," Ashkenazi said.



Ashkenazi said "peace with our neighbors is also a strategic asset and we must safeguard it'', hinting at greater cooperation with Egypt and Jordan. Ashkenazi then said he was pleased with Trump's position alongside Israel to stop Iran's nuclear plans and its ''attempt to put bases along our border''.


The Nepal government decided on Monday to publish new maps showing Lipulekh and Kalapani, the subject of disputes with India, as part of Nepalese territory amid an escalating border row between the two countries.

The decision to show Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani was made at a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Nepals foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali tweeted in Nepali that the council of ministers had decided to publish a new map of the country showing the seven provinces, 77 districts and 753 local administrative divisions, including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani.

The official map will be published soon by the land management ministry, he said.

Culture and tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai, in a tweet, thanked Oli and said the council of ministers decision will be written in golden letters in the pages of history.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials. The external affairs ministry has already said Lipulekh, at the centre of a border row over the construction of a road to the border with China, is completely within the territory of India.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh recently opened the 80-km road that ends at Lipulekh Pass. It was built so that pilgrims going to Kailash-Mansarovar can avoid dangerous high-altitude routes through Sikkim and Nepal.

Nepal has also been irked by Indian Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravanes remarks last week that Nepals protest against the border road was at the behest of someone else  a veiled reference to China. The Indian Army chief is also the honorary chief of the Nepal Army.

Mondays development came barely a day after Gyawali thanked the Indian government for providing medical logistics and kits for 30,000 tests as part of cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kathmandu has contending the new road passes through Nepali territory and the government summoned the Indian envoy last week to lodge a protest. The border row erupted months after Nepal was irked by the depiction of Kalapani as part of Uttarakhand in new Indian maps showing the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

India has said both sides can resolve such boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue, though such talks would be held after they have dealt with the Covid-19 crisis.
TEHRAN, Iran, May 18

Trend:

Iran Minister of Labor announced the payment of $47 to $142 in cash to three million households.

"According to the information available in the Iranian welfare information system, the government financial support was paid to 3 million low income families, the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Mohammad Shariatmadari said, Trend reports citing IRNA.

"These people have not been insured, they have not received any loan from banking system or have not bought car, Shariatmadari explained the conditions under which the three million households received the governments financial support.

These families were paid between $47 to $142 each in cash within four months, and this amount was doubled during Ramadan, he said.

He went on to say that the coronavirus outbreak had damaged 13 groups of job across the country and seriously threatened about one million industrial units.

About 700,000 people are registered in the unemployment insurance system, he added. In addition to those, who are covered by the Welfare Organization and the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, those families who are not related to these two institutions, but are considered having low income, have also been supported by the government.
The entire meat industry will be shut down should it be deemed necessary by public health experts, the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said.

It comes as an investigation is underway into whether paracetamol and ibuprofen products taken by workers at a number of factories may inadvertently have skewed the results of precautionary temperature checks aimed at protecting the workforce from Covid-19.

Speaking on RTE Radio yesterday, Minister Creed said "should it be deemed a necessary step that any one or all of these (meat plants) should close. Then that is what will happen".

However, he stressed that such a decision would be taken by public health experts on the HSE's local and national outbreak teams.

He further said that less than one in four of the meat plants have an 'issue' with coronavirus.

"This is a global phenomenon, and we are probably more proactive in terms of what's been done," Minister Creed.

He also reiterated comments by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan who said on Friday that at this point in time closure of plants is not a recommendation that is being considered.

His comments come despite a serious escalation in the number of confirmed cases in Irish meat plants in recent weeks with multiple plants understood to have hundreds of employees infected with Covid-19.

Health chiefs are concerned at how at a number of Covid-19 clusters have emerged at major factories despite the facilities having introduced precautionary temperature checks each morning in a bid to protect their large workforces and operations.

Some of the plants have had temperature screening in place since mid March.

These temperature checks were introduced in a bid to identify any worker displaying the symptoms of the new coronavirus - including a high temperature.

Once having displayed a high temperature, the worker would be asked to self-isolate for 14 days as a precautionary measure to protect other staff.

However, a number of such facilities including several meat plants found themselves dealing with a large number of Covid-19 cases despite such extensive precautionary testing regimes - a development which has baffled public health experts.

While it was initially thought the viral source may have been asymptomatic patients, contact tracing has now unearthed a suggestion that at least one worker had been taking paracetamol or ibuprofen in the days before they fell ill and tested positive for Covid-19.

It was suggested that the worker, and possibly a number of his friends, routinely took such products in the morning due to a combination of heavy drinking lifestyles as well as aches and pains associated with the physical demands of their work.

All the workers involved had been attending the plant at which they were employed on a daily basis before testing positive for the virus.

However, none displayed signs of a high temperature during the screening process - raising fears the paracetamol or ibuprofen may have inadvertently masked their temperature during the scanning procedure.

One worker, who is based in south, later had to be removed to hospital by paramedics from his flat after being ill for several days.

There is no suggestion that masking the temperature was deliberate, but a side-effect of taking painkillers which are commonly used for headaches and joint pain.

The investigation now aims to clarify just how many of those who tested positive may have been taking such products which are renowned for lowering temperature and easing joint pain.

"The issue arose as part of the contact tracing and public health review process. One person mentioned that a worker was a regular user of paracetamol," a contact tracing centre source confirmed.

"The person had also gone through screening on a number of occasions without displaying any sign of a high temperature."

Health chiefs are concerned with ensuring the maximum accuracy of such thermal scanning procedures given how critical they will be as Ireland eases pandemic restrictions and attempts to kick-start the economy.

If the paracetamol/ibuprofen link is verified, employers may now have to query workers if they are using such products during the screening process.

It also emerged that gardai were forced to intervene on two occasions - in the south and in the west - when employees of major factories did not adhere to strict social-distancing measures.

In one case, this involved a noisy house party being staged a short distance from a town off-license.

In the second case, management at the plant where the staff worked had to be notified by gardai of their social distancing concerns which included car sharing and workers routinely staying outside their own residences.

Employers have also been urged to take into account that English is not the primary language for some employees with a need for detailed instructions on Covid-19 controls and restrictions in the languages of all nationalities employed at premises.
Forward-looking: Microsoft will be rolling out the Windows 10 May 2020 update soon, with rumors suggesting itll start arriving sometime next week. If youre curious to know what changes itll bring, heres a rundown of the highlights.

Windows Latest writes that the May update, which was supposed to roll out on May 12 but got delayed due to a zero-day vulnerability, will start rolling out between May 26  28. Lets hope it doesnt cause the kind of issues were used to seeing in Windows updates.

Reserve Space now optional

You might remember that back in January last year, Microsoft added a feature that reserved 7GB or more for updates. It meant that users no longer risk running out of storage space in the middle of a large update, and they shouldnt see their free disk space decrease during the download process.

Microsoft might have thought the feature would be welcomed by users, by many didnt appreciate Windows 10 consuming an additional 10GB of space. Thankfully, Reserved Storage can now be disabled using the DISM tool in Windows 10 version 2004 or newer.

New Logos

December saw Microsoft reveal plans to revamp over 100 of its icons for the companys various services, tools, and apps. The change affects the Windows logo, File Explorer, Notepad, Paint, and many others, bringing them in line with the Fluent Design philosophy.

The May update brings the new icons to Microsofts first-party apps, adding more uniformity with Windows 10X.

Cloud Downloads

Another feature we first heard about via an Insider Preview Build last year was a cloud recovery system. Most of us have ran into problems with Windows 10, and some of these are serious enough to require a system recovery, restoring a PC back to its default state. That usually means digging out the original Windows installation media, which many of us will admit to having lost.

With the Cloud Recovery button, you can reinstall Windows 10 from a system image directly from Microsofts servers, so no need to hunt down that USB drive/CD.

Other changes

Elsewhere, Windows Search will only index files when the PC isnt being actively used, thereby increasing the overall performance. Theres also the introduction of the Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.7, which is good news for those who use multiple monitors as it improves video output, performance, and refresh rates on these setups. Finally, support for 10th generation Intel Comet Lake processors and AMD's Ryzen 4000-series processors has been added, and on new PCs, Microsoft is ending support for 32-bit versions of Windows 10.
Residents of Weija are calling on water authorities and the government to fix the cracks on the Weija Dam as the rainy season begins.



Residents at Tetegu all the way to parts of Dansonman and its environs have been victims of perennial flooding as a result of spillage from the water treatment plant. Hundreds of locals are either displaced or lose properties running into millions of Cedis every year when there is a spillage.



We are appealing to the water authorities to step in quickly because the rains are coming and we cant endure any flood. Ive stayed here for close to 10 years and every year I go through this problem. It will be worse with the Covid-19 now spreading when we encounter another flood. We know the president is a listening father and we are appealing to him to do something about the Weija Dam else catastrophe awaits the nation, Nii Boye Adama told the media.



We have a lot of issues but the flooding is the issue. Now we hear there are cracks all over the dam and this is terrible. Do they want us to die? Anytime they spill the dam everything comes to a standstill in this part of the capital. Are we not part of Ghana. Our children have to virtually swim before they get to school or schools dont open at all. Its not easy, the Ghana Water Company Limited and the government must hear our cry this year, Roselyn Amoah, a trader who has been in the area for about two decades lamented.





Isabella Gyan, a student said: Im scared. Every year this is what we go through. Last year my little sister nearly lost her life when the flood came. A friend was also nearly electrocuted when he stepped into the water with an electric wire in it. Our lives are in danger. We are appealing to our MP and officials to save us this time because we cant fight flood and coronavirus at the same time.

A disaster is waiting to happen as the Dam has structural cracks. The Weija Dam was built by the Kutu Acheampong regime in 1978 for water treatment and supply to about 80% of households in Accra at the time. It has, since, remained a major national asset, even if it now supplies only a third of Accras population.



The five concrete water channels of the dam have visible cracks which are quite frightening It has not received any major renovation since it was built.



Additional damage is found in one of the gates of the five concrete water channels of the dam that water spills through; the gate is faulty and malfunctioning.



According to some of the neighborhood residents, they fear that, if the Weija Dam is left to deteriorate further, the facility structure will soon collapse, swamping hundreds of homes and carrying away incalculable lives and property.



The inhabitants, therefore, called on the government to renovate the structure, or, construct new water channels.



We dont have anywhere to relocate to and this is our only place. We cant be struggling to rescue our children all the time around this time of the year. Government must hear our cry. We are begging them. Its even scary with coronavirus here with us, Nii Obodai, a resident said.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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It has been a very intense three months responding to this fast moving pandemic and all of the changing requirements which evolved during that time.

The gains made have been significant and I would like to thank all our staff for what has been a very considered and immediate response in what could only be described as unprecedented time for our health services.

I would also like to thank all our GPs, statutory, voluntary and community organisations who responded quickly and in a coordinated manner to support some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

That support was very much appreciated and proved invaluable in so many ways in the planning of our response to Covid 19.

Moving on to the next stage, following the easing of some of the restrictions, we now have to plan to move to a more sustainable structure which will focus on how we will deliver services in a safe environment both for our service users and our staff still in a Covid-19 unpredictable environment.

That process in line with the governments return to work guidelines will be the focus of our planning and engagement over the next number of weeks.

This deadly virus is still with us and we all have a duty of care to protect our loved ones.

This will prove challenging for all involved. Engagement with staff and the Learning from the Covid-19 response will obviously feed into this process as will new working guidelines, telemedicine, technology, public heath advice, and the good will of all involved.

Also read: Further restrictions eased on partners attending delivery of new born babies in Regional Hospital Mullingar

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit our Testing Centres in Portlaoise and Tullamore and to meet with the Public Health Medicine team who are leading out on contact tracing in the Midlands.

To see at first hand the planning and organisation that went in to getting those facilities up and running in such a short space of time was certainly very impressive and no doubt bodes well for our ability to plan and organise as we move into a new way of working and providing services in our community.

I wish to welcome and support the new phase of the public health advice campaign which supports our move through those coming phases, under the overall theme Stay safe, protect each other, #Hold Firm .

Over the last weeks and months, we have worked together and have reduced the impact of COVID-19 on the country and our health service. Now we need to motivate and inspire people to hold firm and to keep going with those actions that help us to stay safe and protect each other. The Hold Firm campaign takes inspiration from the words of President Michael D Higgins, and reminds people why we have to keep up our efforts and keep that curve flat. Stay safe, Protect each other, #Hold Firm

Trevor OCallaghan, CEO of Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said, We were very pleased last week to see the discharge of the first ventilated Covid-19 patient from the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. On behalf of all healthcare staff we wish this patient and every patient that has spent time in our hospitals in these recent times, the very best in their continuing journey in recovery.

"It is very encouraging to hear the positive news and it compounds within us all the reserve to keep going and again hold firm in their challenging times. We also acknowledge those patients and families who have lost loved ones. Our health service is working for everyone - and our staff are taking every precaution to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"So, if youre worried about a health problem, dont let fear of coronavirus stop you from getting help. Your GP is just a phone call away. And if you have urgent symptoms like chest pain - or signs of a stroke, like slurred speech, or weakness in your face or arms, - go to your Emergency Department, or call 999 or 112, immediately.

"Finally, thank you to all our staff for their continued commitment to delivering health services and supporting colleagues in these difficult times. We are still dealing with a very deadly virus. It is a very important week for the government as we approach another stage of easing the restrictions. We would ask our community to please continue to practice the essential elements of hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and adhering to the social distancing measures. You have heard it time and time again but it is in our hands, please stay safe and hold firm."

Stay Safe - and visit hse.ie for more information.

Also read: Longford ICA members sewing scrubs for frontline workers
Group Eleven Resources (CVE:ZNG) said today it has entered into a subscription agreement with Glencore Canada Corporation on a private placement basis.

The offering consists of 15,000,000 units at a price of $0.05 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $750,000, to be completed in two tranches. All currency amounts in this news release are denominated in Canadian dollars.

Glencore is the owner of the Pallas Green project in Ireland, which hosts the Pallas Green deposit. Group Elevens adjacent Stonepark project hosts the Stonepark zinc deposit with an estimated mineral resource of 5.1 million tonnes grading 8.7% zinc and 2.6% lead in the inferred category.
States around the country, including Massachusetts, have started to creep toward reopening businesses and industries that were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. How and when schools will reopen remains unclear, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines last week.

The guidelines appear through a flowchart based on three basic questions with more specific questions within each category. The document pertains to K-12 schools and doesnt provide guidance for colleges and universities.

The three overarching questions include:

Should schools consider reopening? Are recommended health and safety actions in place? Is ongoing monitoring in place?

If school administrations can answer yes to all three questions as well as the 13 questions within each category, the CDC recommends a school can open while continually monitoring the situation.

The first stage of questions involve schools being able to comply with state and local orders. Schools must also be ready to protect children and employees who have a higher risk for severe illness, the CDC said. The final guidelines from the first category call for schools to be able to screen students and employees upon arrival and dive into a history of exposure.

If schools cant comply with any of these standards, the CDC said they should not open.

If schools can follow those guidelines, the follow-up questions include promoting healthy hygiene and handwashing, sanitizing the facilities, encouraging social distancing and limit groups if possible and train employees on safety protocols.

The CDC recommended a school meets these standards before reopening.

The final category includes six more guidelines schools should meet before reopening.

The CDC said schools should develop and implement procedures to check for signs and symptoms of students and employees upon daily arrival, while encouraging anyone who is sick to remain home.

The CDC also said schools need a plan for if students or employees develop a sickness. Even after reopening, schools must stay in contact with local officials to comply with changing protocols.

The CDC also said schools much have flexible student and employee leave policies and practices.

If a school can meet all the protocols, the CDC recommended it can open and should continue to monitor the situation.

Schools in Massachusetts were closed for the remainder of the year at the end of last month.

Related Content:
It is arguably the most remarkable flight of an accused person before contemporary international criminal tribunals. For nearly a quarter of a century, five international prosecutors have succeeded one another, thinking, fighting or dreaming about the arrest of Felicien Kabuga. This son of modest peasants, who started out from nothing to build Rwandas biggest fortune in the early 1990s, has been taunting officials at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) since 1997. Relying on his connections and wealth, moving around under false identities, residing in different countries in Africa and Europe, he became known as the elusive one among Rwandansuntil the early morning of 16 May 2020, when the French police picked him up in an apartment in a Parisian suburb.

Aged 84 and in an apparently fragile state of physical health, Kabuga was arrested in Asnieres-sur-Seine, according to a joint statement by the Paris Public Prosecutors Office and the Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity (OCLCH). He has since been held in a prison in the French capital.

The operation came as a huge surprise. Nobody really expected that this former paymaster of a Rwandan regime that had presided over the genocide of the Tutsis between April and July 1994 would be arrested.

The mystery of Kabugas arrival in France

This major arrest may first shed some light on how Kabuga was able to evade his hunters for so long. It is established that Kabuga went to Switzerland in the aftermath of the genocide, quickly left that country in 1995, and notoriously settled in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. In 1996, he resided there openly, confident of the protection then afforded by the Kenyan authorities to many former Rwandan leaders now accused of genocide. In July 1997, the ICTR organized its first major dragnet in Kenya. Kabuga was one of the targets of the operation. He narrowly escaped. Since then, he has been the elusive one. Over the years and with the authorities failures to apprehend him, he became a cold case, one that officials from the ICTR, and the UN body that succeeded itthe International Residual Mechanism for International Tribunals (IRMCT)regularly brandish. However, without much hope of his capture, he no longer represented a priority for the national police forces on which the UN tribunal depends in its hunt.

Many questions remain about the formidable Kabuga escapade. The most burning one is: how and when did he enter French territory? We dont know how long hes been in France, OCLCH head Eric Emeraux told Justice Info a few hours after he and his men arrested the Rwandan. Our mission was to find him, execute the arrest warrant and hand him over to the authorities of the Mechanism. We are not in charge of the investigation. My personal intuition is that he has been there for a while, added the French gendarmerie colonel. Olivier Olsen, the managing agent of the building where the fugitive resided, told AFP that the old man, very discreet, had been living there for three or four years.

Trapped by modern technology

No reward for Kabugas arrest: the Rwandan was captured on the basis of technological evidence and not thanks to an informant.

According to Emeraux, the hunt for Kabuga was relaunched a year ago at a meeting in The Hague under the aegis of the Mechanism. Family members of the runaway were then placed under surveillance by the Belgian, British and French police, depending on where they resided. It is this exchange of information between European countries that made it possible, explains Emeraux, to trace the Rwandans whereabouts. Two months ago, before the French population was subjected to strict confinement in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new meeting was held, under the aegis of Europol and with the cooperation of the Mechanism. There, we were aware that there was a good chance that he was, in fact, in Europe, says Emeraux.

The attention of the French services was focused on an apartment that Kabugas family members often visited. Electronic surveillance allowed them to see that, over 365 days, one of Kabugas children (he has had eleven) was always present in the apartment. Even though the authorities were not certain that the fugitive was there, [w]e had good reason and a lot of evidence to think he was [inside], but until we pushed open the door to his room, we werent sure. We would have been sure if wed seen him come out. He was very discreet. And he was confined. He was living under a false identity with a passport from an African country Id rather not name. He had 28 aliases anyway, in 26 years, says Emeraux.

When the police finally entered the apartment, indeed the old man was there, with one of his children. Nobody sold him. No one will get the 5 million dollar reward that the American government has been promising for 20 years, adds Emeraux. In the end, once the cold case was brought to light, Kabuga was apprehended quickly with technological investigative methods that are routine today.

The Rwandan government welcomes the arrest

It is difficult, at this stage, to assess the impact of the stormy political relationship between France and Rwanda on the outcome of the Kabuga case. Since 1994, the French authorities have been accused by Rwanda of sheltering or protecting those allegedly responsible for the genocide. But after Emmanuel Macron came to power in France three years ago the relationship between the two countries clearly improved. The capture of Kabuga obviously fits into this new period of pragmatic appeasement, even if it may not be directly linked to it.

In Kigali, the tone is suddenly no longer one of recriminations against France. We welcome Kabugas arrest and the fact that he will be brought to justice. Its an act that reflects good relations and collaboration. It should make the other fugitives understand that they will eventually be arrested, said Rwandas Justice Minister Johnston Busingye in an interview with Justice Info. Earlier, on government television, the minister hailed another level of cooperation [with France], a commitment to justice, a new momentum, a message to the world, a new wake-up call.

There was a similar sense of satisfaction among genocide survivors, although they would have liked to see Kabuga tried in Rwanda. We are grateful to all those who contributed [to his arrest], such as the French judiciary and the IRMCT, which has never ceased to hunt him down. The fact that he has been arrested and will be brought to justice is a good thing, but for us it would be justice twice over if Kabuga were extradited and tried here at home. It would be a good lesson for the other genocidaires, especially those who killed with the weapons he made available to them, those he personally incited to commit the crime, Naphtal Ahishakiye, secretary general of Ibuka (remember in Kinyarwanda), the main survivors organization, told Justice Info.

Recommended reading Rwanda: The most judged genocide in history

A strategic success for Prosecutor Brammertz

However, such a prospect is unlikely. When the ICTR officially closed its doors, it decided to transfer the files of several fugitives to the Rwandan justice system. But it retained jurisdiction over three prominent suspects, the former head of the presidential guard, Protais Mpiranya, former Defence minister Augustin Bizimana, and Felicien Kabuga. (Mpiranya and Bizimana were never arrested and were reported dead many years ago without official confirmation.)

It is therefore to the Mechanism, the IRMCT, that Kabuga must be surrendered for trial. As a result, one of the great beneficiaries of Kabugas arrest is undoubtedly the IRMCT prosecutor, the Belgian Serge Brammertz. He can claim to have succeeded where all his predecessors have failed. Appointed to the Mechanism in 2016, Brammertz is among the leading candidates for the post of prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is due to be filled in December. There is no doubt that this success serves his candidacy. For international justice, Kabugas arrest demonstrates that we can succeed when we have the international communitys support, Brammertz said in a statement, thanking no less than 10 countries for their essential contribution.

But there are great unknowns in the proceedings that lie ahead. First, it was announced that Kabuga would be transferred to The Hague. But the Mechanism has a large and expensive headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, where Kabuga is supposed to be tried. For the IRMCT and its UN staff, the arrival of Kabuga sounds both like the end of a quiet and undemanding work routine, and the promise of new hires and an increased budget for several years, if the health of the accused permits. How long will this trial take, given the difficulty of such an unprecedented restart of an international court and the proverbial slowness of its proceedings? And at what cost?

Seven counts

The indictment against Kabuga, on the basis of which the French police acted, originated in 1997. It has undergone several amendments over years of investigations. The last amended indictment dates from 14 April 2011. Kabuga is charged with seven counts: genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and the crimes against humanity of persecution and extermination.

It is thus summarized by the IRMCT in the information sheet published on its website: According to the indictment,  Felicien Kabuga, together with certain other persons, agreed to plan, create and fund a militant group known as Kabugas interahamwe in Kimironko sector, Kigali, the purpose of which was to further ethnic hatred between the Hutus and Tutsis in Kimironko sector with the goal of committing genocide against persons identified as Tutsis. Kabuga is accused of having planned or intended the killings of persons identified as Tutsis by his Interahamwe, or he knew that they were committing these killings between April and July 1994 in different locations. The indictment also mentions that he did not take any measures to prevent these killings although he had the power to use his influence and financial means to do so. It further alleges that the radio station RTLM, founded by Kabuga, directly and publicly incited the commission of genocide through broadcasts that expressly identified persons as Tutsis, provided their locations, described them as the enemy, and called for their elimination.

From 2011 to 2012, the ICTR collected special statements in the case of the former businessman. As part of this procedure to preserve evidence, the Prosecutor and the court-appointed Defence counsel interviewed witnesses. Their statements may be used in the upcoming trial.

What to expect from a trial?

There is doubt, however, that the future trial will shed more light on the history of the genocide in Rwanda. For French sociologist Andre Guichaoua, a specialist on Rwanda and expert witness for the prosecutor in most ICTR cases, only a guilty plea procedure could both benefit the elderly accused and shed light on dark sides of the genocide. Justice is also, and above all, about telling the truth. In this case, while lengthy proceedings are to be expected and it is doubtful that there is any other outcome than life imprisonment, that is the only issue at stake in the old Felicien Kabuga case, he said. All the parties have an interest in giving themselves the means to achieve this through demanding confrontations, likely to erase the criticisms and even contempt that many States and individuals have for the ICTR. With the arrest of Felicien Kabuga, this objective must take precedence. In this case, the guilty plea procedure would save the institution, concludes the expert.

Such a prospect is highly uncertain. But it would then make Kabuga go down in legal history for something other than his spectacular and long escape.

Recommended reading Rwanda, 25 years after the genocide
Washington: Skin doctors are suddenly looking at a lot of toes - whether by emailed picture or video visit - as concern grows that, for some people, a sign of COVID-19 may pop up in an unusual spot.

Discolouration on a teenage patient's toes at the onset of the condition informally called "COVID toes". Credit:AP

Boston dermatologist Esther Freeman expected to see skin complaints as the pandemic unfolded as various kinds of rashes occur when people get very ill from other viruses.

"But I was not anticipating those would be toes," said Freeman, of Massachusetts General Hospital, who has viewed via telemedicine more toes in the past several weeks than in her entire career.

They're being called "COVID toes", red, sore and sometimes itchy swellings on toes that look like chilblains, something doctors normally see on the feet and hands of people who have spent a long time outdoors in the cold.
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
Tropical holiday island Bali is set to reopen in July as Indonesians express growing frustration towards the government's COVID-19 response.

Officials said they plan to have the island opened in three months as the tourist hotspot has successfully controlled its outbreak compared to other regions in the country.

'Most of the cases in Bali have been imported, those who returned to Bali  mostly workers who worked on cruise ships around the world,' Bali Government official I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya told ABC News.

The revised date comes days after Tourism Ministry secretary Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani said Bali could be open as early as October.

Officials have announced Bali is set to reopen by July as it has successful controlled the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured is Bachelor Australia star Anna Heinrich during a holiday on the popular island

As of Monday, Bali had reported 348 coronavirus cases and four deaths, a much lower fatality rate compared with 17,514 cases and 1,148 deaths in the whole archipelago.

Of Indonesia's total, 489 new cases were reported on Sunday alone, however, observers fear the figure is far higher as the nation's testing rate is low.

The decision to reopen Bali has sparked frustration amid allegations the government has ignored scientific advice and been inconsistent in the handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Many Indonesians, including medical workers, have taken to social media to vent their frustration, using the trending hashtag #IndonesiaTerserah (Whatever, Indonesia).

Others have decried sections of the community that have caused widespread outrage by breaching large-scale social gathering restrictions.

Last week, long queues and crowds were pictured in Jarkarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport as masses flocked to their hometowns prior to Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Many Indonesians, including medical workers, have taken to social media to vent frustration with their government over its inconsistent handling of the COVID-19 crisis using the hashtag medical workers, have taken to social media to vent their frustration, using the hashtag #IndonesiaTerserah (Whatever, Indonesia) (pictured)

Long queues and crowds were pictured in Jarkarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport as masses flocked to their hometowns prior to Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on May 14

The annual exodus had been banned by the national government, with travel exemptions granted only to those needing to return home for economic reasons.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, hundreds of people gathered at Indonesia's first McDonald's for an event as it permanently closed its doors.

Photos shared online showed people bunched together, breaching social distancing rules.

Management was later fined 10 million rupiahs ($1,050) by the Jarkarta government for the violation.

Several medical researchers said they warned officials early in the outbreak the death toll could reach 240,000 without proper intervention, but the government chose to listen to advisers rather than academics.

Advisers are usually former military personnel rather than public health experts.

One scientist said when they presented their COVID-19 model to officials, the data was dismissed.

'When they saw my numbers, they protested that 'the numbers aren't suitable',' the researcher, who wished to remain anonymous said.

'I got confused, this number is not a matter of being suitable  this is a scientific count.'

Indonesia is one of more than 100 countries that have backed Australia's push for an independent inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

A woman takes in the view at Nusa Penida, Indonesia. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said on Friday that travel restrictions for Australians could be lifted as early as August or September

The city of Yogyakarta and Riau islands province are also high on the list for the tourism ministry to at least partially reopen by October.

Bali's economy depends largely on visitors. Its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.14 per cent on-year in January-March, compared with a 2.97 per cent GDP expansion nationally.

Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia plunged more than 60 per cent in March, compared to the year-earlier month, with Chinese arrivals sliding more than 97 per cent.

Last year, 1.23 million Australians visited Bali - a rise of 5.24 per cent on 2018 figures.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said travel restrictions could be lifted after three to four months on Friday, meaning that people may be able to travel come August or September.

'I think we are thinking of a planning framework of three to four months in terms of our next steps,' he said.

'We're looking at, potentially, whether we can relax some distancing with very strong compensation by even stronger public health measures.

'But I wouldn't be envisaging any material changes to border measures in that three to four-month period.'

Australian citizens and permanent residents currently cannot travel overseas for holiday purposes due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Exemptions are granted if travel is for provision of aid, essential business, medical treatment that is unavailable in Australia, compassionate or humanitarian grounds and national interest.
BLOOMINGTON  The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in McLean County continued Monday, as the McLean County Health Department announced 17 additional people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

That means 187 people have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March 19.

Two of the 17 new cases  one resident and one staff member  are associated with Bloomington Rehabilitation & Health Center, 1925 S. Main St., Bloomington, health department Administrator Jessica McKnight said.

Of the 187 cases, 45 are associated with that long-term care facility, McKnight said. Twenty-nine have been residents and 16 have been staff, McKnight said. But one of the 16 staff members lives outside McLean County so is counted in their county of residence, she said.

McKnight identified the outbreak at Bloomington Rehab & Health Center last week and said then that the long-term care facility was responsible for a recent surge in cases.

Three of the six people who have died of COVID-19 in McLean County had been residents at Bloomington Rehab & Health Center.

Of the 181 other people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in McLean County, nine are hospitalized (two in intensive care units), 65 are at home in isolation and 107 have recovered, McKnight said.

The number of deaths and number of people isolated have doubled in the past week in McLean County.

McKnight said there was no connection among the 15 other COVID-19 positive cases announced Monday but said increased COVID testing and "relaxed social distancing" may be contributing factors.

McKnight said last week that she was not aware of "red flags" at Bloomington Rehab & Health Center, and when the health department reached out to the facility, they found that many infection control protocols already were in place. A representatives for Petersen Health Care, which owns Bloomington Rehab, detailed last week steps that the facility had taken.

"The facility is complying," McKnight said Monday. "There were opportunities for improvement taken (by Bloomington Rehab) at the beginning."

She said the health department is continuing contact tracing  identifying and working with close contacts of people from the nursing home who have tested positive.

As the number of COVID cases rises in McLean County, McKnight said "our current staff is still managing cases" but is looking to increase contact tracing capacity by training other existing staff and working with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

The number of people who underwent testing at the site dropped on Sunday to 72, when the site limited hours because of bad weather, said Dion McNeal, the county's communications specialist.

That means that 5,767 people have been tested there since the site opened on March 28, IDPH said Monday.

McKnight said the health department is working with community partners to make sure testing is accessible in McLean County after that site closes.

Livingston County Health Department announced Monday that one more resident had tested positive for COVID, a woman in her 50s who is asymptomatic and at home in isolation. Twenty-eight Livingston County residents have tested positive for the virus.

Statewide, IDPH announced 2,294 new cases of coronavirus and 59 additional deaths, bringing the number of cases to 96,485 and the number of deaths to 4,234 since the virus hit Illinois.

Contact Paul Swiech at 309-820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech.

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CEDAR REALTY TRUST, INC. (NYSE: CDR) announced today that, due to the public health impact of COVID-19, the Company will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in a virtual meeting format only, via audio webcast. The previously announced date and time of the meeting, May 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EST, will not change.

As described in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting, shareholders are entitled to participate in the Annual Meeting if they were a shareholder as of the close of business on April 20, 2020, the record date. Regardless of whether you plan to participate in the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote and submit your proxy in advance of the meeting by one of the methods described in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting.

To participate in the virtual 2020 Annual Meeting, you will need to access www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CDR2020 and enter the 16-digit control number found on your proxy card, voting instruction form, Notice of Annual Meeting or email transmitting proxy materials, unless otherwise instructed. The proxy card, voting instruction form, Notice of Annual Meeting and email transmitting proxy materials that were previously distributed will not be updated to reflect the change in meeting format. Additional details regarding how to participate in the Annual Meeting can be accessed at the Company's website, www.cedarrealtytrust.com.

About Cedar Realty Trust

Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust which focuses on the ownership, operation and redevelopment of grocery-anchored shopping centers in high-density urban markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston. The Company's portfolio (excluding properties treated as "held for sale") comprises 55 properties, with approximately 8.3 million square feet of gross leasable area.

For additional financial and descriptive information on the Company, its operations and its portfolio, please refer to the Company's website at www.cedarrealtytrust.com .

SOURCE Cedar Realty Trust, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cedarrealtytrust.com


Iran's OPEC Governor, A Key Oil Strategist, Dies At 68

05/18/20

By RFE/RL

Iran's longtime OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, has died from a brain hemorrhage two weeks after falling into a coma. The Iranian Oil Ministry's Shana news agency reported on May 16 that Ardebili died in a Tehran hospital. He was 68.



Hossein Kazempour Ardebili

Ardebili served as Iran's 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 country's main strategists in conducting global oil policy.



Ardebili had been Iran's 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.
Agency Revolution Logo With so many of our captive Nationwide members transitioning to an independent model this summer, the timing is perfect for this partnership. We are proud to offer our members value-added benefits like these industry-leading marketing tools by Agency Revolution," said FCAA President Keith Captain.

Agency Revolution, an insurtech company serving independent insurance agents, today announced a new partnership with First Choice Agents Alliance (FCAA), an insurance aggregator founded to help independent insurance agents grow their businesses.

The agreement gives FCAA members a retail discount on Agency Revolution solutions. With significant savings on websites, email and social tools, and marketing automation software, Agency Revolution will enable powerful marketing capabilities for FCAA members at a highly competitive price point. Additional services, including copywriting, branding and design, search engine optimization, and paid advertising, are also eligible for the FCAA member discount.

With decades of experience serving the independent channel, Agency Revolution designs marketing solutions at every price point that cater to a variety of needsfrom individuals just starting out to multi-office, multi-producer teams. By designating Agency Revolution a preferred vendor, FCAA members can access their carriers co-op funds to offset the cost of the Agency Revolution platform.

With so many of our captive Nationwide members transitioning to an independent model this summer, the timing is perfect for this partnership, said FCAA President Keith Captain. We are proud to offer our members value-added benefits like these industry-leading marketing tools by Agency Revolution.

Were eager to help FCAA members build a strong digital presence and personalize their communications strategies, said Scott White, CEO of Agency Revolution, an FMG Suite company. The partnership works because we share the same goals: to help agencies grow their businesses in a highly competitive independent landscape.

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Tens of thousands of Lava-like structures on the surface of Mars may actually be mudflows and could hold the key to finding signs of Martian life, study shows.

While these structures look like pahoehoes - lava flows seen in Hawaii and Iceland - scientists believe they are actually a result of sedimentary volcanism.

Researchers from the Open University recreated this geological phenomenon that causes mud to erupt from underground in their 'Mars Chamber' in Milton Keynes.

The chamber is designed to simulate conditions on the surface of the Red Planet and they found the subsurface sedimentary material could be the perfect spot for life.

While these structures look like pahoehoes - lava flows seen in Hawaii and Iceland - scientists believe they are actually a result of sedimentary volcanism

This image was captured by the NASA MArs Reconnaissance Orbiter and shows a hill with a central crater that has been suggested could be a mud volcano

Researchers from the Open University recreated this geological phenomenon that causes mud to erupt from underground in their 'Mars Chamber' in Milton Keynes

The hills made by the mudflows will be sites of future interest for Mars robots exploring the Red Planet, says study co-author Dr Manish Patel.

'The implication of this type of sedimentary volcanism is that there is or was a reservoir of mud in the subsurface - which implies a liquid water reservoir at some point,' he said.

'Such an environment - water-rich sedimentary material, below the surface and thus protected from the low temperature, low pressure atmosphere and sterilising UV radiation - could be a potential habitat for life.'

The findings, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience, have been described as 'unexpected' and 'very exciting' by lead author Dr Petr Broz, from the Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

'We have a tendency to expect that geological processes, like mud movement, would be operating elsewhere in the Solar System in a similar fashion as on Earth. This is based on our everyday experiences.

'However, our experiments clearly show that in reality, this simple process which we all know from our childhood would be very different on Mars,' said Broz.

The Martian landscape is dotted with tens of thousands of these flow-like structures, some of which are hundreds of miles long and dozens of miles wide.

NASA's Perseverance rover due for launch this summer is to dig for alien fossils at an ancient river delta next year

These channels were thought to have been a result of huge ancient floods but very little is known about these Martian landforms.

Tests in the Mars Chamber were carried out in low temperatures of around -4F, and low atmospheric pressure of around 7 millibars, to mimic the Martian environment.

They found that free flowing mud under Martian conditions would behave differently from on Earth because of 'rapid freezing and the formation of an icy crust'.

According to the researchers, this is because the atmosphere in Mars is very thin, about 150 times thinner than Earth's and its atmospheric pressure is less than 1 per cent of the sea level pressure on Earth.

They said experiments under Martian conditions showed liquid mud 'spilling from ruptures in the frozen crust, and then refreezing to form a new flow lobe', resembling 'mini versions' of pahoehoes.

The collapsed circular crater of a mud volcano in Azerbaijan. The Martian flows could be happening and produced from a similar type of activity. They found that free flowing mud under Martian conditions would behave differently from on Earth because of 'rapid freezing and the formation of an icy crust'

The findings, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience, have been described as 'unexpected' and 'very exciting' by lead author Dr Petr Broz, from the Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Dr Patel, a senior lecturer in planetary sciences at The Open University, said the findings present a 'potentially different geological history for Mars in terms of assumed volcanic activity'.

Dr Susan Conway, a research scientist at CNRS in France, added: 'Mars is always surprising us, I was amazed to see the experimental results with the mud forming lobes like mini-versions of the lava flows in Hawaii.

'These observations revolutionise the interpretation of many surface features mapped on the Martian surface.'

NASA's Perseverance rover due for launch this summer is to dig for alien fossils at an ancient river delta next year.

'If we could pick a place for a future mission free of engineering constraints, then sedimentary volcanic features could be an interesting target to look for signs of ancient microbial life,' said Patel.

'You could almost think of then as a window into what was happening below the surface of Mars millions of years ago.'

He added: 'Even if Mars never had life on it, these sedimentary features would be a fascinating insight into the subsurface composition of Mars from a long long time ago.'

The research has been published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a warning of heavy rainfall for six states till May 21 in the light of extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan.

The weather bureau said Odisha, West Bengal and its sub-Himalayan parts, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya will receive heavy rainfall till May 21.

Cyclonic storm Amphan is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185km per hour on Wednesday.

Union home minister Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the officials of his ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at 4pm. The Prime Minister is NDMAs chairperson.

The coastal districts in West Bengal and Odisha are bracing for heavy rains and wind speed up to 185kmph as cyclonic storm Amphan is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening.

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha as teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed at several places to carry out evacuation process of almost 11 lakh people in the coastal areas of these states.

IMD has said extremely severe cyclonic storm AMPHAN (pronounced UM-PUN) is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm during the next six hours.

It is very likely to move nearly northwards for some time and then north-northeastwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or the evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165kmph gusting to 185kmph.

Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by high-speed winds and tidal waves are expected in the region.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkeys export of cement to Azerbaijan increased by 6.3 percent from January through April 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, exceeding $10.9 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on May 14.

In April 2020, Turkeys export of cement to Azerbaijan declined by 13.4 percent compared to April of last year, and amounted to $2.7 million.

Turkeys export of cement to international markets from January through April 2020 made up over $1.1 billion, which equals to the indicator in the same period of 2019.

The cement export from Turkey amounted to 2.2 percent of the countrys total export from Jan. through Apr. 2020.

"Turkeys export of cement to international markets amounted to $231.7 million in April 2020, which is 25.5 percent less compared to the same month of 2019," the ministry said.

In April of this year, Turkeys export of cement to international markets amounted to 2.6 percent of the countrys total export.

"During the last twelve months (from April 2019 through April 2020), Turkey exported cement worth $3.5 billion," added the ministry.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 19)  The Philippine Navy announced on Monday the countrys first missile-capable warship has started to sail to the country shortly after a send-off ceremony in South Korea on May 18. It is expected to arrive home on May 23.

The Philippine Navy, through its strategic sail plan, has identified this 2020 as its banner year for being a strong and credible Navy manifested through the arrival of its brand new and first ever multi-mission capable warship that, truly, our maritime nation can be proud of, said the Philippine Navy in a statement.

The ship, which will be named BRP Jose Rizal in its commissioning, was sent off in a ceremony yesterday at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

Delegates from the Philippine Navy, HHIs Special and Naval Shipbuilding Division, and Hanwha Systems graced the simple sail-off ceremony for the frigate.

The two South Korean companies also donated COVID-19 relief supplies to the Philippine Navy.

When it arrives in the country, the future BRP Jose Rizal is expected to dock in the Subic Anchorage Area, Zambales where its crew will first undergo the 14-day mandatory quarantine period prior the ships technical inspection and low-key acceptance ceremony.

The vessel will be focused in conducting anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and electronic warfare operations.

The warship possesses a maximum designed speed of 25 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles.

This ship was supposed to be delivered by end of April, but this was delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The future BRP Jose Rizal is the first of the two frigates contracted by the Philippine Navy under HHI. The second warship, to be named BRP Antonio Luna upon commissioning, is expected to be delivered to the country by year-end.

The new frigate is a welcome addition to the Philippine Navy as the country is currently embroiled in a territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.
Farmers are now looking to the House of Lords to put pressure on the government to adopt proposals to safeguard British farming standards in trade deals.

An amendment put forward by MP Neil Parish for the Agriculture Bill legally required equivalence of standards for imported foods.

However, the clause was voted down by a majority of 51 on Wednesday (13 May).

The Bill is now likely to go to the House of Lords by the 1st week of June and then back to the Commons in early July.

The government has a manifesto commitment to protect and not compromise on environmental and animal welfare standard in trade deals.

But the National Sheep Association said it is 'highly concerning' that this pledge is not cemented into legislation.

"The pledge, after all, is one that stands for the term of this government, however, this commitment needs to be far more permanent that that," NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said.

"This amendment is at the top of the list that NSA, and no doubt a good number of peers within the House of Lords will be keen to examine in more detail as the Bill begins its journey in the Lords.

"We are firmly behind calls for a standards commission to take responsibility for standards equivalence decisions."

The amendment was defeated by 328 to 277 votes during the third reading of the Bill, having failed to receive the support of the UK government.

Peers in the House of Lords have now been urged by industry groups to work together to introduce changes in the legislation to protect UK food security and maintain standards.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) said it believed the government had made a 'grave error' in opposing the amendment.

President Glyn Roberts said: With the Bill now due to be considered by the House of Lords it is essential that they do all they can to correct this position before the Bill returns to the House of Commons.

"I truly hope that the government will support rather than obstruct this."

It comes as media reports suggest that the UK government is preparing to offer a 'big concession package' to the US which includes a plan to cuts tariffs on agri imports.

International trade secretary Liz Truss is offering incentives to help finalise a trade deal with the United States, according to the Financial Times.
GENEVA -- Health ministers from around the world are expected to call for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organizations handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during a WHO meeting on Monday.

Though they have opposing views of the WHOs performance, China and the United States are likely to join the consensus for an independent evaluation during a virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the WHOs decision-making body, diplomats said.

The call will be made in a resolution being presented by the European Union (EU) at the Geneva-based WHOs annual two-day meeting, starting at 1000 gmt.

The text also calls for timely and equitable access to safe and efficacious diagnostics, medicines and vaccines against the disease which has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide.

A fragile consensus emerged after more than a week of intense negotiations on the EU text, which could still change, the diplomats said.

It looks like the resolution will be adopted. Politically speaking, there is agreement for now on an evaluation of the whole system and an investigation into the origin (of the virus), but not immediately, a European diplomat told Reuters.

It is important we were able to agree to the resolution, everybody, he said.

The EU resolution is supported by a host of countries including Australia - a vocal critic of WHO and of China - as well as Britain, Canada, India, Japan and Russia.

Names on a draft resolution seen by Reuters showed support from 116 of the 194 countries in the WHO.

The text calls on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to initiate an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19, including the effectiveness of existing mechanisms at the earliest appropriate moment.

It backs continued work, including through scientific field missions, to identify the zoonotic or animal source of the virus and how it crossed the species barrier to reach humans.

Xi to address meeting via video

The EU resolution does not refer to China. The WHO and most experts say the virus is believed to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central city of Wuhan late last year. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this month there is a significant amount of evidence the virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge China refutes.

Chinas foreign ministry said it was premature to launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus, and the ministry said President Xi Jinping would give a video speech during WHO meetings opening ceremony.

U.S. Ambassador Andrew Bremberg said in a brief statement: My hope is that we will be able to join consensus.

But diplomats said that they expected the U.S. delegation, led by Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to dissociate itself from at least two passages in the resolution, while stopping short of blocking consensus.

These sections involved reference to intellectual property rights for drugs and vaccines, and to continued provision of services for sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic, they said.

The contentious issue of Taiwans participation in the assembly has been deferred to when the session resumes later this year, diplomats said.

Despite strong efforts, Taiwan did not get invited to this weeks meeting following Chinese pressure, its foreign minister said on Monday, adding they had agreed to put the issue off until later this year.
Regarding Burr steps aside as Senate intelligence chair amid FBI probe (Nation, May 14): Especially in a time of despair, our leaders should be supporting the public, serving the public and advancing the public good, not their own. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is not the only senator who had dumped stocks before the outbreak, but he is the only one who used classified information to advance his personal wealth.

Although he has not been charged or convicted yet, when we see a senator dump stocks worth up to $1.7 million on the same day as his brother-in-law, we know the truth. Insider trading is not a controversial issue. It is an American issue. When one American takes advantage of the privilege of serving, we must condemn their action no matter what. In this pandemic, it is more important than ever to stand together, and I hope the FBIs search and seizure and Burrs resignation as chairman will set an example that serving America should be every leaders No. 1 priority.

Bennie Chang, San Jose

Letter writer is spot-on

I read a lot of fact and opinion pieces on COVID-19, and I think the writers Qualities of a hero (Letters, May 14) letter is one of the best relative to the lack of leadership we are experiencing during this crisis.

Paul Fagin, San Francisco

Show COVID-19 curves

Regarding Coronavirus update (Front Page, May 15): The Chronicle is doing an excellent job of posting COVID-19 cases and deaths on the front page of every issue. Can your publication also please post the more important data of the curves that everyone is working to flatten? Can you please post these curves so that we can see what effect the government policies are having? These curves should also be posted at every news conference from the president and governors to local officials so the public can see the results of the mandates by which we are now living. How do we know what is happening if the man behind the curtain (President Trump) does not put the curves up on the big screen at the start of every press conference, and place them clearly (and accurately) on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website? A picture is worth a thousand words, and hundreds of thousands of lives at this terrible time. The great leaders are the ones who make the best decisions at the worst of times.

Curtis Panasuk, Santa Cruz

Trump should resign

Growing up in the shadow of World War II, I never could understand how a civil society could descend into such barbarity. How could its citizens witness the raids in plain sight, the trains stuffed with their neighbors bodies, and not stop it? Now I understand because it is happening to us. Day after day, President Trumps lies, his grift, his lawlessness, his racism, his utter incompetence wash over us, and we are shocked, we are stunned, we say it is unprecedented, but we endure it. He is not stopped. We were told it was wrong to impeach when the election was only months away. How much damage could he do? Now we know. The longer he remains in power, the more norms he defies, the more sycophants and enablers he appoints, the fewer are left to resist him and the more power he amasses. Now the dead bodies are piling up. Wait for the election? Will we even have one? If our elected officials will not remove him, the people must demand it. We cant amass on the streets anymore, but we still have our voices. By the tens of millions we must demand he resign.

Patricia Fontana, Berkeley

Selfish desires

Its funny how the people who tout the current sufficiency of hospital beds and ventilators to support their insistence on opening up cant seem to visualize themselves or their loved ones occupying these intensive care units. It is always someone else that is going to get seriously ill and help along the inevitable progress to herd immunity.

The fact that the majority of these sacrificial people are going to be health workers or other essential personnel, many of them people of color, doesnt seem to phase them somehow. Its all about their rights and desires. I think I can recognize selfishness when I see it, not to mention shortsightedness.
Active, retired and veteran military members can save $500 on the purchase of a new Honda model at Honda of Victoria

As a modest extension of support and gratitude to the U.S. military personnel for their service to the country, Honda dealerships nationwide have implemented the Military Appreciation Offer. Eligible military members and their families can save $500* on the purchase or lease of any 2019 or newer Honda vehicle at Honda of Victoria. The vehicle must be new, unregistered and not previously reported sold.

To qualify for the Military Appreciation Offer, drivers must fall under one of the following categories:



Active-Duty U.S. military personnel, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Coast Guard and Active Reserve, and their spouses.

U.S. Military Ready Reserve and Retirees including their spouses. Spouses of Military Retirees are only eligible within one year of their spouses' separation from active service.

U.S. military veterans within one year of separation from active service, and their spouses.

To take advantage of this offer, eligible customers need to prove military status by providing a valid Military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) at the time of the purchase or lease. Additionally, all spouses must present a Military ID and spouses LES as proof of relationship.

The Honda Military Appreciation Offer can be combined with all other Honda Financial Services programs excluding the Zero Due at Signing Lease Program. The current terms of this offer are valid through March 31, 2021.

Those interested in taking advantage of the Military Appreciation Offer are encouraged to visit the dealerships website, https://www.hondaofvictoria.com/. For a more personal interaction, interested parties can also speak to a sales representative directly via phone at 361-575-0495 or in person by visiting the dealership at 116 Huvar St, Victoria, TX 77904. The Honda of Victoria sales department is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

*The Honda Military Appreciation Offer is limited to the 48 U.S. contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii. For well-qualified clients who meet the Military Appreciation Offer criteria, subject to approval by Honda Financial Services (HFS). Bonus offer applies toward any 2019 or newer model year Honda that are eligible for new vehicle rates when financed or leased through HFS. Vehicle must be new, unregistered and not previously reported sold. Only offered at participating dealerships. One $500 Military Appreciation Offer per vehicle. LEASE: $500 applied toward the cap cost of vehicle. Monthly payment and total due at lease signing are calculated after $500 reduction. Cannot be combined with Zero Due at Lease Signing program. PURCHASE: $500 applied toward down payment. This offer applies to active duty and ready reserve personnel and their spouses. This offer also applies to eligible U.S. Military Veterans and their spouses within two years of separation from active service. U.S. Military Retirees are also eligible regardless of the date of separation from active service. Spouses of U.S. Military Retirees are only eligible within one year of their spouses' separation from service. All spouses must present proof of relationship. Gold Star Family members must provide official military service documentation supporting Gold Star Status. Please see dealer for list of accepted documents. A valid Military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) is required as proof of eligibility. During the term of a retail installment finance contract or lease with HFS, the Buyers may not take their vehicle outside of the United States without the prior written consent of HFS. During the term of the retail installment finance contract or lease, Buyers must notify HFS immediately of any change in Buyer's address. Offer valid through March 31, 2021, unless terminated earlier by HFS.


They are dynamic, they are ingenious, they are open-minded and above all, they are handy to perform any given task. The 12 under training (UT) officers of the 2018 batch of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) are playing a significant role in fighting the war against coronavirus in 10 districts of Rajasthan.

These officers under training are not in news. They are not supposed to be. They must work behind the scenes to tackle the public health crisis. But the district collectors where they are working are happy with their performance even after their probation period got over on April 24.

Sriganganagar collector Shiv Prasad M Nakate said this crisis is something that no one has faced before. Many of the officers under training are at the frontline, fighting the pandemic. As the most of officers are from engineering background they have been assigned some difficult but important tasks such as data analysis, contact tracing, management of camps and quarantine facilities, logistics and interstate coordination for migrant labours, he said.

Sriganganagar is a coronavirus-free district.

Nakate said that the young and energetic officers are always a great human resource in such a pandemic. They are very handy in every situation. The trainee here has worked as an SDO and now he is dealing with the grievances. He performed as an asset in our war room as well, he said.

Abhishek Surana, who got the 10th rank in 2017 civil services examination, is posted as sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Bajju in Bikaner. He said, There are certain disasters that need an immediate response, such as floods and earthquakes. But a pandemic require a standardised response. We learnt how to make relief camps, ensure sanitation and ensure no discrimination happens. These are the best practices needed to help reduce infections.

We can extend these to tackle the present migrant worker crisis, he added.

The role of assistant collectors under training depends on their supervisors - the district collectors (DCs). This is the time they spend learning about the different departments they will be in charge of as DCs, said an official.

In this pandemic, they are being used to collect data and help the administration. They have no legal powers. So their roles are ancillary - they can effectively act as helping hands as long as their training is not hampered, he added.

Jodhpur collector Prakash Rajpurohit said what can be better than a practical learning and that these officers achieved a lot in this pandemic situation. The officers here were very helpful in tasks like contact tracing, enforcement of laws, maintaining supplies and other assignments. They developed specific software to perform several operations smoothly, he said.

According to the order issued by the department of personal, officers under training deputed as assistant collectors in their respective districts are Atul Prakash (Kota), Abhishek Surana (Bikaner), Deshal Dan (Pali), Utsah Choudhary and Shilpa Singh (Jaipur), T Shubhmangala (Udaipur), Ram Prakash (Banswara), Mohammad Junaid (Sriganganagar), Mayank Manish and Aparna Gupta (Jodhpur), Nithya K (Ajmer) and Abhishek Khanna (Alwar).

Interestingly, two married couples are also there in this team who are posted in Jaipur and Jodhpur. Utsah Choudhary (mechanical engineer) working as assistant collector in Jaipur said: It happens once in a life time and we learnt how to implement the Epidemic Act, the Disaster Management Act, and other government directives so that preventive actions are enforced will be important.

He said normally the officers would not have gone into an in-depth study of these acts. But this year is different and fortunately during our studies at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, our batch attended a health module based on encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain and a viral infection) conducted by senior IAS Arti Ahuja, additional secretary of health ministry. That was a great help.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had described the Indian Administrative Service as the steel frame upon which the rest of the bureaucracy would rest and the much-needed transformation is rolling in due to dynamic and dedicated IAS officers who are bringing in fresher ideas.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

A retired lawyer is trying to unseat fellow Democrat Steven Michael Quezada as District 2 Bernalillo County Commissioner, contending that the position  which many people do in addition to other jobs  requires full-time commitment.

Frank Baca, 64, said he believes Quezada has accessibility problems with his constituents.

Quezada, 57, an actor, comedian and producer, best known for his role on the hit TV series Breaking Bad, said he is thoroughly engaged with the community, previously as a member of the Albuquerque Public Schools board, and now as a county commissioner.

For Baca, at this point in my life, my strongest attribute is that Im retired and have had a lot of experiences from my professional work and time to devote to the job, he said.

The winner of the June 2 primary will have no Republican opposition in Novembers general election.

District 2 covers the southernmost portion of Bernalillo County. Its boundaries run from Interstate 25 west to the county line and east along Kirtland Air Force Base and the Isleta Pueblo; and from Central Avenue/Interstate-40 south. Included in the district are portions of Downtown, from Rio Grande to Broadway, the far South Valley, and the area west of Coors to the Rio Puerco.

Quezada said he is seeking a second term because weve done so much during my first term, from jobs to agricultural projects to save the South Valley, to buying open space, to fixing a lot of broken infrastructure, as well as bringing water to the Las Padillas neighborhood.

There are also many projects coming up that Quezada said he wants to see through to completion, such as the reconstruction of Bridge Boulevard, the construction of the West Central Route 66 Visitors Center, and the creation of a food processing facility for South Valley farmers so they have a place to take what they grow and have it processed so it can be sold or stored or used by APS, charter schools, senior centers.

Baca, who ran unsuccessfully for county commission in the 1980s, said his last job as a prosecutor in the 13th Judicial District, gave me a huge insight into how crime, homelessness, substance abuse, alcohol issues and mental health problems are all interrelated.

Consequently, he said, his No. 1 priority will be advocating for immediate and aggressive utilization of the Bernalillo County behavioral health tax fund.

The way to attack that is at the ground level through inpatient programs, outpatient programs, programs while a person is incarcerated and programs so when a person gets out of jail theres follow up care, Baca said.

Quezada said his first priority for the district will be creating jobs, particularly coming out of the COVID pandemic, and for people in the South Valley, its going to be agricultural jobs. Jobs are also a way to provide opportunity for people who might otherwise get involved in criminal activity.

Asked about the controversial Santolina project on the Southwest Mesa, Quezada said he voted against the project when he was on the APS board because at the time, they didnt have a plan for schools. He subsequently voted for it as a county commissioner, he said, because Im pro-planned development.

The Santolina project would eventually spread out over 21 square miles and at its projected build-out in 50 years have a population of more about 96,000 residents  roughly Rio Ranchos current population. Critics say there isnt enough water to accommodate a community that dense.

Quezada, who also sits on the governing board of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, said the authority put together a $600 million plan that requires, among other things, that Santolina install water and sewer lines, build a water and waste water treatment plant and do a lot of reuse of gray water, Quezada said.

Theyre going to have to be the best stewards of water in the history of any development in New Mexico, he said.
[May 18, 2020] Safeguard Online Payments With Fraudulent Charges Cover From Bajaj Finserv

PUNE, India, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With a steep rise in the number of people making digital payments amid the lockdown, incidents of glitches in payment processing, hacking and data breaches have also increased tremendously. India has witnessed not only a surge in the number of transactions but the number of downloads of digital payment platforms have also almost doubled. According to a research report published by CLSA, these numbers had already jumped three-fold over the last two years to 3 billion transactions a month. This is because of many first-time users, who were earlier not very keen on making digital payments are now due to social distancing measures, have to pay online for buying essentials. Although most forms of digital payments have now become relatively secure, but the risk of online frauds still remain high. To ensure customers are financially covered in case their payment information is compromised, Bajaj Finserv is offering an affordable solution called Fraudulent Charges Cover. Offering a coverage of up to Rs. 75,000 at a nominal premium of Rs. 299 per year, the Fraudulent Charges Cover offered by Bajaj Finance Ltd., the lending and investment arm of Bajaj Finserv, provides customers with a safety net if they ever fall prey to an incident of unauthorised charges made on their credit or debit card or an payment card.



Fraudulent Charges Cover offered under Pocket Insurance & Subscriptions, offers a host of benefits to the customers such as: Reimbursement claim:

Customers can get reimbursement of unauthorised charges done on their bank or credit card account, using their information through in-store purchases, telephone purchases, ATM withdrawals or online purchase.

They can also get reimbursement of unauthorized charges made on their stolen card, 24 hours prior to their first reporting the event to card issuer, and up to 7 days post reporting the same. Hassle-free application process: Applying for this plan is an all-online and hassle-free process. All one needs to do is fill up the online application form and make payment for the premium. Customers can pay their premiums easily via multiple options such as UPI, Mobile Wallets, Credit/Debit cards. Including Fraudulent Charges Cover, Bajaj Finserv is offering 85 plans that cover every day risks under their Pocket Insurance and Subscription product portfolio. It covers categories like wellness, travel, health and lifestyle. Customers can pick policies which best suit their requirement with pocket-friendly premiums starting at just Rs. 79. About Bajaj Finance Limited Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending company of Bajaj Finserv group, is one of the most diversified NBFCs in the Indian market catering to more than 40 million customers across the country. Headquartered in Pune, the company's product offering includes Consumer Durable Loans, Lifestyle Finance, Digital Product Finance, Personal Loans, Loan against Property, Small Business Loans, Home loans, Credit Cards, Two-wheeler and Three-wheeler Loans, Commercial lending/SME Loans, Loan against Securities and Rural Finance which includes Gold Loans and Vehicle Refinancing Loans along with Fixed Deposits. Bajaj Finance Limited prides itself on holding the highest credit rating of FAAA/Stable for any NBFC in the country today. It is also the only NBFC in India with the international 'BBB' with stable outlook for long-term, by S&P Global Rating. To know more, please visit: https://www.bajajfinserv.in Media Contact :

Violet Vaz

[email protected]

+91-99755-18938

Corporate Communication

Bajaj Finserv

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The offer was made by the Congress general secretary in-charge of UP East through a letter which was given to the Chief Minister's Office by the state unit leaders of the party.

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has accepted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's proposal to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers back home to the state and sought the list of buses along with the names and other details of the drivers and conductors.

"The offer made to the chief minister through the letter on 16 May in connection with the migrant labourers has been accepted," Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi said in a letter sent to the private secretary of Priyanka Gandhi.

"Therefore, the list of 1,000 buses, names and other details of its drivers and conductors be provided without delay so that these can be used for the migrant labourers," the letter said.

The offer was made by the Congress general secretary in-charge of UP East through a letter which was given to the Chief Minister's Office by the state unit leaders of the party.

Follow Live Updates on Coronavirus Outbreak

Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) hit back at the Uttar Pradesh government saying it was ready with the list of buses, as desired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but was not getting time to meet him since the past three days.

"This is the list and name of buses that the Congress is seeking permission to run for ensuring the safe return of the migrant labourers. We had been seeking time to meet the chief minister since the past three days but he has no time for it. How will you know sitting in AC rooms the condition of poor labourers,", UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu said, showing a list to the media.

"These poor people have been forced to walk home without food," Lallu said, adding he had gone to the CM's Office with Priyanaka Gandhi's letter for running the buses but got no reply from there.

Speaking to a news channel, Adityanath had sought the list of buses and the names of migrant workers.

To allegations that Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan and Punjab have not made proper arrangements for the migrant workers, Lallu said, governments of these states have sought permission to send migrants back who have got themselves registered and are waiting.

"If the UP government has buses and wants to bring the migrants back, then they should be used for thousands who have gathered at Ghaziabad, Noida and Rajasthan borders with UP. We are not making this offer with politics in mind but with sense of service," Lallu said. Our leaders have clearly stated that we are with the government in this hour of crisis and want to help it with a sense of service, the UPCC president said

Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Misra, who was also present at the press conference, said the government "failed" to bring the migrants back safely and they were forced to walk home or take to unsafe modes of transport.

"If the labourers or workers of Uttar Pradesh have entered the state, whose responsibility is it to ensure their safe return to their homes? The Congress made this proposal when the chief minister failed to discharge his duty. We discharged the duty of a responsible party," she said.

Misra accused the Uttar Pradesh government of betraying labourers after promising to bring them back. The migrant labourers walking back their homes are being baton-charged at differen places including Mathura, Jhansi and Yamunanagar border, she alleged.
Muslim community leaders in Jalna



in Maharashtra on Monday said they have requested the administration to not allow shops to open for Eid festivities as it could dilute the lockdown in place for the coronavirus outbreak.

The month of Ramzan is currently on and Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to fall on May 24-25, they said.

"On behalf of the Muslim community here, we have submitted a memorandum to the district collector to not allow the opening of shops. The Muslim community has decided to celebrate Eid with simplicity during this tough time by helping the poor and needy," said Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind state unit secretary Shaikh Mujeeb.

Jamiat Ulema Marathwada unit vice president Maulana Nasrullah Hussaini said the administration, doctors, and thousands of frontline workers are fighting to contain the outbreak, and it was the duty of all people to cooperate.

"Eid shopping and crowding may lead to violation of social distancing norms and could result in the spread of the disease," he said.

City Kazi Mufti Abdul Rahman said Eid namaaz can be offered at home, while social activist Nazim Sarkar said people should use the festival to help others during these distressing times.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The COVID-19 death toll rose to 3,029 and the number of cases climbed to 96,169 on Monday, registering an increase of 157 fatalities and a record jump of 5,242 cases in 24 hours, even as the government asserted that India was faring better than others with 7.1 cases per one lakh population as against 60 globally.

Amid spurt in cases, the ICMR revised its testing strategy stating the returnees from abroad and migrants who show symptoms for influenza-like illness will be tested for COVID-19 within seven days of ailment and stressed that no emergency clinical procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of testing.

It also added that all hospitalised patients who develop symptoms for influenza-like illness (ILI) and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 having such signs will also be tested for coronavirus infection through RT-PCR test.

Besides, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case are to be tested once between day five and day 10 of coming in contact, the revised test strategy document stated.

With relaxation in lockdown measures, the Health Ministry issued guidelines on preventive steps to contain the spread of the virus in workplaces, outlining that the entire office building need not be closed if one or two cases of COVID-19 are reported there and work can resume after it is disinfected as per protocol.

However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours. All staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation, it said.

The ministry the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 56,316 till Monday morning while 36,824 people have recovered. In the last 24 hours, a total of2,715patients have been cured, taking the recovery rate to 38.39 per cent, it said in a statement.

However, a PTI tally of figures announced by different states and UTs as of 9.40 PM put the number of those having tested positive for the infection at 1,00,096, with a death toll of 3,078 and recoveries at 38,596 across the country.

To substantiating its point that the spread of the infection in the country has been slow, the health ministry referred to data from WHO situation report, saying 45,25,497 COVID-19 cases have been reported globally till Monday which is about 60 cases per lakh population.

Among the countries with very high load of coronavirus cases, the USA, with 14,09,452 instances of the infection so far, has around 431 cases per lakh population. Russia has reported 2,81,752 cases and has around 195 cases per lakh population, it said.

The UK has so far reported 2,40,165 cases which is 361 cases per lakh population while Spain with 2,30,698 instances of the disease has about 494 cases per lakh. In Italy has 2,24,760 total cases and about 372 cases per lakh population and Brazil with 2,18,223 cases has 104 cases per lakh population.

Germany which has registered 1,74,355 instances of the infection has around 210 cases per lakh population, Turkey with 1,48,067 cases has 180 cases per lakh population, France with 1,40,008 cases has around 209 cases per lakh population and Iran with 1,18,392 cases has 145 cases per lakh population.

"Aggressive and early measures so far have shown encouraging results," the ministry said.

In its guidelines for workplace settings, it said, "There is a need to prevent importation of infection in workplace settings and to respond in a timely and effective manner in case a suspect case of COVID-19 is detected in these settings so as to limit the spread of infection."



The basic preventive measures include maintaining physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks, practising frequent hand-washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Respiratory etiquettes such as covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue, handkerchief or flexed elbow and disposing of used tissues properly should be strictly followed besides self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest, the guidelines state.

As for offices, guidelines with respect to preventive measures specific to offices issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) should be followed, it said.

The ministry, however, stated that, despite taking the measures, occurrence COVID-19 infection among the employees working in the office cannot be ruled out.

It stated that any staff reportedly suffering from a flu-like illness should not attend office and seek medical advice from local health authorities. Such persons, if diagnosed as a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19 should immediately inform office authorities, it said.

high-risk exposure contacts will be quarantined for 14 days and they will follow the guidelines on home quarantine and undergo testing as per ICMR protocol while low-risk contacts shall continue to work and closely monitor their health for next 14 days, the ministry stated.

According to the health ministry data, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 33,053 followed by Gujarat at 11,379, Tamil Nadu at 11,224, Delhi at 10,054 Rajasthan at 5,202, Madhya Pradesh at 4,977 and Uttar Pradesh at 4,259.

India has been under a lockdown since March 25, which was first supposed to be for 21 days or toll April 14, but was later extended till May 3, then further till May 17 and now for another two weeks till May 31.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Advertisement

A beautiful, sunny day at the newly reopened Venice Beach turned tragic for one family when a father and son were pulled out with the rip current while swimming late Sunday afternoon.

The 10-year-old boy was rescued, however his father, former WWE star Shad Gaspard 39, is still missing.

DailyMail.com was there as multiple lifeguards were on the scene, along with divers, rescue boats, paramedics on standby, the coast guard flying back and forth and helicopters hovering over the crowded beach for nearly three hours.

'I saw the young boy who was inconsolable and his mother who had her arms wrapped around him,' said one onlooker. 'The whole thing was just heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking to see this mother and child in complete despair.'

On Monday afternoon Gaspard's wife Siliana Gaspard was seen on the beach being consoled by close friends as the search continued for her husband.

Former WWE star Shad Gaspard, 39, is missing after being pulled into sea while swimming at California's Venice Beach Sunday afternoon with his son

Shad Gaspard's wife, Siliana Gaspard, was seen leaving Venice Beach being comforted by close friends after a tragic incident Sunday

The boy's mother Siliana Gaspard remained on the beach Sunday evening and was seen staring out into the ocean while the coast guard conducted a search

Gaspard's wife posted this missing flyer to his social media accounts and hers asking the public for help in finding her husband

People can be seen consoling one another on the beach as the search for Shad Gaspard continues

Siliana was seen flanked by close friends as they left Venice Beach while divers continue their search for Shad Gaspard

A tent has been set up by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in the search for Shad Gaspard

Helicopters can still be heard hovering over the beach and many locals are asking the question why the beach wasn't closed off if the rip currents were so strong

Gaspard is best known as a member of the wrestling team Cryme Tyme with fellow WWE star JTG

The boy was unharmed and later walked off the beach with an adult friend for about fifteen minutes, while his mother Siliana Gaspard remained on the beach painstakingly staring out into the ocean.

'We had one of our lifeguards go out to make a double rescue of a father and a son,' Kenichi Haskett, Los Angeles County Fire Dept Lifeguard Division told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

'The father unfortunately got pushed down by a wave as they were getting pulled out of the current. The lifeguard rescued and grabbed the boy, the son, and tried to grab the father as well.

'He ended up getting pushed down by a wave and we couldn't find him and we immediately started with our rescue boats, called in additional lifeguards to search that location of his dad.'

Gaspard is best known as a member of the wrestling team Cryme Tyme with fellow WWE star JTG.

Since leaving the wrestling world in 2010, Gaspard pursued an acting career starring in several movies including Think Like A Man Too.

He married wife Siliana Gaspard in 2009 and they share one son together.

The mother and a few friends left the beach at about 12:30pm. The rescue station was also shut down at the same time.

Prior to leaving, Siliana was seen sitting on the beach with some friends and possible family members who were consoling her and rubbing her back.

Their son had left about 30 minutes prior with an adult and another young boy. Officials wouldn't confirm whether or not the body had been found.

Helicopters can still be heard hovering over the beach and many locals are asking the question why the beach wasn't closed off if the rip currents were so strong.

'There were unusually strong rip currents the day before this happened. Two girls were pulled out because of the riptide. I am not sure why swimmers weren't warned,' Daisy Godfrey tells DailyMail.com. 'Lifeguards were there immediately but the helicopter took almost an hour to get there.' 'If you feel a strong pull, that's the time to get out of the water. But many swimmers may not think anything of the pull, especially if they don't go to the beach a lot.'

Gaspard was swimming with his 10-year-old son when he was pulled out to sea. His son was rescued and unharmed

'We had one of our lifeguards go out to make a double rescue of a father and a son,' Kenichi Haskett, Los Angeles County Fire Dept Lifeguard Division told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview

'The father unfortunately got pushed down by a wave as they were getting pulled out of the current. The lifeguard rescued and grabbed the boy, the son, and tried to grab the father as well'

Multiple lifeguards were on the scene, along with divers, rescue boats, and paramedics on standby

Haskett encourages people to swim in front of an open lifeguard tower and to always check in with the lifeguard about the swimming conditions

One local resident said she was brought to tears just the other day when her daughters were in harm's way while swimming at the same beach

Gaspard married wife Siliana Gaspard in 2009 and they share one son together. Gaspard had launched an acting career since leaving the wrestling world in 2010

Haskett encourages people to swim in front of an open lifeguard tower and to always check in with the lifeguard about the swimming conditions.

'Stay knee deep, you don't need to out and get pounded by the shore. Know your abilities and stay within your abilities,' Haskett advises.

Local resident Lisa Thompson said she was brought to tears just the other day when her daughters were in harm's way while swimming at the same beach.

'Yesterday my two girls got pulled in by lifeguards. It was upsetting, I was crying. My daughters didn't even know realize they were getting pulled out.'

'I have been doing this for 33 years, and this is only the second time this has ever happened,' a Venice Beach lifeguard told DailyMail.com.

The mother and son were seen sitting under the tent as the rescue mission continues in raining weather and choppy waters Monday morning

As of 7am, the search for the missing dad continued with his wife and young son on site

The search was suspended Sunday evening and picked up again Monday morning

To make the search more challenging, it has been raining since early Monday morning

As of 7am, the search for the missing dad continued with his wife and young son on site.

'The mother and son have remained on the beach at the same location since yesterday. Neighbors have provided them with water and blankets and chairs.

'And one neighbor who lives right on the beach just steps away from the incident has opened his doors for them in case they need a bathroom or a place to rest,' Venice local Patricia Powell tells DailyMail.com.

To make matters more challenging, it has been raining since early morning.
By Trend

With the support of the government of Uzbekistan and thanks to the efforts of the automotive industry on the whole, production has been maintained and, as a result, job losses have been avoided, a spokesperson of Uzavtosanoat JSC told Trend in an interview.

"According to the statistics, in total, at the end of the first quarter of 2020, the production of Uzavtosanoat cars has increased by 27.1 percent to 73 500 units compared to the first quarter of 2019. In April this year, as of April 22, more than 15 600 cars were produced", the spokesperson noted.

According to the company's representative, necessary measures have been taken at all enterprises of the industry to protect the health of employees, prevent the spread of coronavirus and organize the work. All employees are provided with individual protective equipment, medical workers are on duty at the enterprises, and disinfection with the help of special sprayers and quartz lamps is carried out.

Furthermore, another priority task of Uzavtosanoat is to minimize the need for people to leave home. For these purposes, online lending, installments and home delivery of cars and other conditions for the customers were introduced.

"In the current economic situation, taking into account the forecast of a 30-40 percent decline in the automotive industry worldwide, it is important to maintain production at the same level. The government of Uzbekistan has provided additional 1.5 trillion soum ($147.2 million) to support the production of the automotive industry, the banks have been given recommendations on the allocation of additional resources for car loans and the financing of the projects on renewal of the car fleet of state organizations is resumed," said the representative.

According to the spokesperson, in 2020, Uzavtosanoat begins preparations for the launch of the project to produce other new models on a single platform.

"By 2023, it is planned to stop production of Chevrolet Spark, Nexia, Cobalt and Gentra cars. These models will be replaced by a new global platform, on the basis of which several models, including Chevrolet Onix, will be produced. Withdrawal of old models will occur not at once, this process will be gradual," she said.

"The production of cars under the Ravon brand will gradually shift to the Chevrolet brand by the end of 2020. The first models that have become available since April in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus under Chevrolet brand name are Spark, Nexia and Cobalt," said the representative.

In addition, according to her, by the end of 2020, company plans to use additional tools to increase and stimulate demand both in the domestic and foreign markets.

---

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Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Detroit. Detroit priest goes viral for blessing churchgoers with squirt gun Read the full story on Today. FAA investigating Detroit drone flight that came 'dangerously close' to Blue Angels Read the full story on www.thenewsherald.com. Man found fatally shot in vehicle Read the full story on Graham Media: ClickOnDetroit. Man shot, injured at friends birthday party on west side Read the full story on Graham Media: ClickOnDetroit. Man robbed at gunpoint while filming in Detroit Read the full story on Graham Media: ClickOnDetroit. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

Photos of a priest using a squirt gun filled with holy water to bless churchgoers during a socially distant service are going viral.

A remotely piloted camera drone took footage of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aircraft over Detroit during the May 12 "America Strong" flyover.

A 30-year-old man was found unresponsive in the drivers seat of a Dodge Challenger in the rear of 14000 Telegraph Road around 11 p.m. Saturday. He died from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.

According to authorities, a 24-year-old man was shot at about 1 a.m. Sunday in the 18900 block of Santa Rosa Drive, just south of Seven Mile Road. Police said an unknown person fired a shot from a porch into a birthday gathering, entered a black sedan and fled south.
Twenty-eight years have passed since the occupation of Azerbaijans Lachin district by Armenia.

On the night of May 17, 1992, the occupants began their raid on Lachin district, entering the territory of Azerbaijan through the so-called Lachin corridor. More than 300 servicemen and civilians were killed or missing during the occupation of the Lachin district. More than 77,000 citizens of Lachin became the internally displaced persons and live in other Azerbaijani regions,



The occupation of Lachin, a region of great geostrategic significance, caused serious damage to Azerbaijans economy. The invaders destroyed hundreds of cultural objects, historical monuments, settlements, and villages in Lachin. As many as 217 cultural, 101 educational and 142 health institutions, 462 trade objects and dozens of other facilities were plundered and demolished.



More than 200 local historical monuments and 54 monuments of world importance became the object of Armenian vandalism. These included the Agoglan Albanian monastery of the 6th century, the Malik Ajdar tomb of the 14th century, a mosque in the Garagishlag village and an ancient cemetery in the Zabukh village.



The Lachin Historical Museum and an old collection of gold, silver and bronze coins were also looted. The exhibit of the museum  a bag of silver  was later sold for $80,000 at Sotheby's auction in London.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued the statement: "As a result of the occupation of the Lachin district, which was not part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of Azerbaijan, 237 people were killed and 67 people went missing. Inhabitants of the region were subjected to ethnic cleansing and currently 77.700 Lachin residents live as internally displaced persons (IDP) in different regions of Azerbaijan. The occupation of Lachin, as a continuation of the aggression policy of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan, has also inflicted serious damage to state and private property of the district," the statement reads.
The national flags of China and the United States [PhotoXinhua]

Two sessions likely to unveil policies for development, deliberate on bilateral ties

The divide between Beijing and Washington amid the COVID-19 pandemic could be a hot topic at the upcoming two sessionsChina's biggest annual political eventwhen lawmakers and political advisers discuss how the country responds to external environment, experts said.

The United States should stop the blame game and work along with the international community, including China, to jointly combat the novel coronavirus outbreak in a bid to save more lives in the US and protect the safety and health of all mankind, they said.

Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, told China Daily that by repeatedly blaming China for COVID-19, the US administration is trying to avoid accepting responsibility for its own gross mismanagement of this tragic pandemic.

"As such, it distorts the Chinese role in this global pandemic while ducking the moral equivalence of three months of denial and misrepresentation of fact and scientific analysis by America's own leadership," Roach said. "This is a political ploy, aimed at the upcoming presidential election in November."

Deputies to the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, and the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, will gather in Beijing later this week. It is likely China will use the event to unveil key policies for its socioeconomic development amid the pandemic.

As the pandemic still rages globally, the changing external environment has posed challenges for China to secure the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and shaking off absolute poverty before the end of this year.

On the top of various complicated factors is the China-US relationship, which became tense due to the months-old trade disputes and has been exacerbated following the outbreak of the epidemic.

Experts attributed the deterioration of ties between the world's two largest economies to the "political virus" in the US administration coupled with the mounting number of confirmed infections and deaths due to the disease. The US has reported more than 1.45 million COVID-19 cases and over 88,000 fatalities.

US politicians and officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have recently ramped up their anti-China rhetoric, spared no effort to connect the virus with China and want to hold China accountable for the contagion.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently issued a 57-page document as part of an aggressive campaign attacking China for the US' coronavirus crisis.

In an article published by the Washington Post on May 6, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said that behind the mindset of "always blame China "is a kind of dirty politics, championed by a few people who shift the spotlight for political gain.

"Blaming China will not end this pandemic. On the contrary, the mindset risks decoupling China and the United States and hurting our efforts to fight the disease, our coordination to reignite the global economy, our ability to conquer other challenges and our prospects of a better future," Cui said.

Noting that the US would not emerge as a winner from this scenario, the ambassador said: "It is time to end the blame game. It is time to focus on the disease and rebuild trust between our two countries".

Roach also expressed his worries about the ongoing China-US relations and said "I have never been more pessimistic than I am today" during his analysis of US-China relations over the past 25 years. "An unnecessary trade war has morphed into the blame game of a coronavirus war."

He said the COVID-19 pandemic needs to be addressed as a global problem requiring collaborative solutions between nations. "As the two largest economies in the world, the US and China have the moral obligation to work togethernot just for their own citizens but for all of humankind."

In a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on March 27, President Xi Jinping said that the China-US relationship has reached an important juncture. Xi expressed the hope that the US will take substantive steps to improve the relationship and work with China to strengthen cooperation in epidemic response to build a relationship that is non-confrontational and based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Despite his pessimism about the current state of China-US relations, Roach said he is unwilling to concede that all is lost. Saying the US and China are deeply intertwined in a codependent economic relationship, he added that both countries would need to make efforts to convert distrust back into trust.

"The chances are increasingly slim, but I have not given up hope that the leaders of the two countries can ultimately comprehend what's at stake and seize this opportunitybefore it is too late," Roach said.

He suggested that the two countries need to collaborate to end the trade war as a mutual act of good faith, restore tariffs to pre-trade war levels and share epidemic-related information by constructing an international database on COVID-19 infections, mortality and demographic incidence.

They should also come together for joint scientific research on anti-viral medication and vaccines and work through existing international organizations to build a true global coalition to address the global pandemic, Roach added.

China has made it clear to the world that it upholds multilateralism and international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. The country has taken real actions to share disease-related information with international organizations, including the World Health Organization, and other countries including the US, and to provide aid and expertise to epidemic-hit nations, the Foreign Ministry has said on various occasions.

In response to a question about Trump's recent remarks that he might cut the relationship with China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that a steady and growing China-US relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and is conducive to world peace and stability.

"At present, China and the US should strengthen cooperation to prevail over the pandemic at an early date, and focus on saving lives and resuming economic development and production," Zhao said at a news conference. "This, of course, calls for the US and China working together toward the same goal."

In a letter recently published by The New York Times, more than 70 US and Chinese public health scholars urged the US and China to cooperate in tackling COVID-19.

"Diseases know no borders; supply chains are internationally embedded; and crisis management necessitates intergovernmental collaboration and data sharing among scientists," the letter said.

Fu Ying, vice-chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, said that both China and the US are facing a difficult and challenging moment in their relations.

From a long-term perspective, they should return to the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and make joint efforts to build a relationship based on stability, coordination and cooperation, Fu said in a recent interview with the Beijing-based newspaper Reference News.
National Australia Bank is hiring 1,000 new employees to work in coronavirus customer service.

The recruitment drive is occurring as 80,000 home borrowers defer their loan repayments for up to six months because of the COVID-19 crisis.

NAB's chief customer experience officer, Rachel Slade, said the new recruits would be tasked with calling as many distressed borrowers as possible.

'The past few months have been incredibly difficult for so many Australians and this is an opportunity for us to speak to customers who have requested a payment pause and check how they are doing,' she said.

National Australia Bank is hiring 1,000 new employees to work in customer service. Pictured is NAB's Melbourne headquarters in Melbourne

NAB's new recruits will also be trained to talk through a customer's home loan situation, explaining the consequences of deferring monthly mortgage repayments and how they can resume repaying their loan.

How COVID-19 has affected house prices Melbourne: DOWN 0.4 per cent to $818,806 Sydney: UP 0.3 per cent to $1,026,418 Brisbane: UP 0.3 per cent to $558,372 Adelaide: UP 0.4 per cent to $476,249 Perth: UP 0.3 per cent to $465,521 Hobart: DOWN 0.2 per cent to $512,688 Darwin: UP 1.1 per cent to $473,984 Canberra: UP 0.1 per cent to $702,861 Source: CoreLogic Home Value Index for April based on median house price changes Advertisement

'We know many of our customers will continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 for a long time and our expanded team will mean we can be available to support them through this,' Ms Slade said.

Like the other major banks, NAB is worried about the effect forced sales from distressed borrowers would have on real estate values.

Earlier this month, NAB predicted capital city property prices would fall by 10 to 15 per cent during the next 12 to 18 months, as unemployment hit levels unseen since the 1930s Great Depression.

Sydney's median unit price was expected to plummet by 8.8 per cent in 2020 followed by another four per cent next year.

That would see mid-point prices for an apartment dive by 12.8 per cent, or $99,576, to $678,364, going by CoreLogic data.

Melbourne was expected to take even more of a hit, with its median apartment prices tipped to plummet this year by 10 per cent, and by four per next year.

NAB's new recruits (stock image) will be tasked with talking through a customer's home loan situation, explaining the consequences of deferring monthly mortgage repayments and how they can resume repaying their loan (Sydney homes at Maroubra in the city's south-east, left)

A 14 per cent dive by 2021 would see a typical apartment lose $82,349, compared with April 2020 median prices, to hit $505,855.

COVID-19 labour market at a glance Unemployment: it surged from 5.2 per cent in March to 6.2 per cent in April - the highest since September 2015 Number unemployed climbed by 104,500 to 823,300 In April, 489,800 people left the labour force, which meant 594,300 either lost their job or gave up looking for one Underemployment soared by 4.9 percentage points to record 13.7 per cent Tally of underemployed Australians surged by 603,300 to 1.8million Participation rate plunged by an unprecedented 2.4 percentage points to 63.5 per cent Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Advertisement

Brisbane unit prices were tipped to dive by 5.5 per cent in 2020 and by another 8.6 per cent next year.

A 14.1 per cent plunge by 2021 would see median apartment prices fall to just $333,918.

Adelaide was also in for a beating, with NAB expecting a 2.7 per cent drop in 2020 followed by a seven per cent fall in 2021.

A 9.7 per cent fall by next year would see median unit prices fall to $301,819.

In another ominous sign, NAB is expecting Australia's jobless rate to hit 11.7 per cent by the end of June - a level unseen since the 1930s Great Depression.

Australia's employment rate climbed to a five-year high of 6.2 per cent in April, up from 5.2 per cent in March.

Almost 600,000 jobs were lost, with 104,500 of them becoming officially unemployed as 489,800 left the labour market in despair.

Working hours also plunged by 9.2 per cent in April with the underemployment rate rising by 4.9 percentage points to a record high of 13.7 per cent.
 Flash

The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 22 to reach 16,337, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Sunday.

The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 769, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the cruise ship.

In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased by five to reach 5,055, followed by Osaka Prefecture with 1,770 infections.

Kanagawa Prefecture, meanwhile, has recorded 1,266 infections, Hokkaido 1,014 cases, Saitama 985, Chiba 892, while Hyogo Prefecture has recorded 700 cases of COVID-19, according to the latest figures on Sunday.

The health ministry said there are currently a total of 236 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators or in intensive care units.

The ministry also said that in total, 11,806 people, including 653 from the cruise ship, have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.
Kabul, May 18 : At least seven people were killed and 25 others injured in a Taliban attack and an ensuing gunfight outside an intelligence agency camp in Afghanistan's Ghazni province on Monday, a security source said.

The incident occurred when a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a massive car bomb at around 5.30 a.m. outside a National Directorate for Security (NDS) camp in the provincial capital of Ghazni city, the source told Xinhua news agency The blast enabled a second group of militants to engage with security force members before trying to enter the camp.

The explosion also damaged a nearby Islamic affairs office, the source added.

Security forces have cordoned off the area where sporadic clashes between attackers and security forces continued.

Thick gray smoke was seen rising above the site.

On Saturday, the Afghan government's Office of National Security Council (ONSC) said that over 120 Afghan civilians were killed and 350 others injured in Taliban attacks over the past three weeks despite an agreement signed between the militants and the US for peace in Afghanistan.

On May 13, President Ashraf Ghani ordered the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces to return to "offence mode" against the insurgents due to the increasing number of attacks.

He made the statement in the wake of deadly attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar a day ago which killed over 50 people.

On April 25, ONSC figures provided indicated that the Taliban had conducted an average of 55 attacks per day since the signing of the peace deal with the US in Doha on February 29.

It said that the Taliban conducted 2,804 attacks from the beginning of March to April 19, adding the group "does not remain committed to the reconciliation process that will help the country to end decades of war".
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- The KWS said the plan was meant to improve the customer experience at Nairobi National Park

- However, Kenyans castigated the wildlife service and said building such facilities would interfere with wildlife's ecosystem and natural habitat

- Wildlife conservationists said the park was already buffeted by other projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway

A proposal by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to build hotels and swimming pools inside the Nairobi National Park has sparked outrage across the nation.

The wildlife service said it was building the facilities to enhance customer experience at the national park since there were no eateries at the facility but wildlife conservationists argued this would endanger the animals in the habitat, Citizen TV reported.

READ ALSO: President Magufuli says countries on lockdown will soon start buying food from Tanzania

KWS headquarters. The agency plans to build a hotel at the Nairobi National Park. Photo: KWS.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Moses Kuria says plan to ouster senator Kindiki meant to pave way for Ruto impeachment

In a thread on Twitter, Kenyans said the proposed plan would interfere with the wildlife's ecosystem and its natural habitat which was already in jeopardy due to other projects.

One tweep, Patricia Kombo, said the hotel would not benefit wildlife but keeping a good natural habitat would help them instead.

READ ALSO: Magazeti ya Jumatatu, Mei 18: DP Ruto awashauri Duale na Kindiki kujiuzulu joto likiwazidi

Paula Kahumbu, a wildlife conservationist, said Kenyans needed to come together and save the national park which was a huge asset to the country.

"We need more people to get involved and to recognise the crucial role that our protected areas play. Saving our parks requires your support," she said.

Ken Mwathe said building an eco-lodge inside the part was a bad idea since the area was already buffeted by the Standard Gauge Railway.

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The CFTC has issued an advisory on risk management and market integrity under the current market conditions in the wake of the unusually high volatility and negative pricing experienced in the May 2020 West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light sweet crude oil futures contract on April 20 (the penultimate day of trading and expiration of the contract).

Washington: The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has warned market participants to be prepared that certain commodity contracts may see possibly negative pricing and extreme volatility in the light the negative pricing of crude oil seen last month.

The Commission has emphasised that the subject of this advisory applies equally to trading in other commodities and the registrants should remain vigilant.

The CFTA said that the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic has adversely affected the economies of the US and other major countries.

Global markets, including those regulated by the CFTC, have been affected by both fundamental and global factors this year as economies and industries have slowed down dramatically or shut down completely, resulting in unprecedented market impacts.

This economic downturn has coincided with substantially increased market volatility in key agricultural, energy and financial sectors, including the futures and options on futures markets regulated by the Commission, it said.

The impact of fundamental and technical factors has been particularly acute for contracts that call for physical delivery of the underlying commodity as demonstrated by the unprecedented price movements in certain commodities, the Commission said.


With Churches still closed in Zambia, Livingstone Diocesan Bishop, Valentine Kalumba, OMI, has encouraged the faithful of the diocese to continue supporting their parishes and priests even during the COVID-19 crisis.

English Africa Service - Vatican City

The Bishop made the plea, recently, reminding the faithful that their priests and parishes still had electricity bills and other needs that depend on their generosity.

In addition to our faith-based responsibilities, we should not forget to help our parishes in the payment of bills, electricity, water, etc, where applicable. Your parish responsibilities must continue despite the (coronavirus crisis). I therefore, strongly encourage each parish to strategise and find an appropriate mode of contributing, in cash or in kind, towards the upkeep of their priests. Please let us be generous in this regard, Bishop Kalumba appealed in a letter circulated to the faithful of Livingstone Diocese.

Bishop commends pastoral initiatives during COVID-19

The Bishop commended the clergy in the diocese for their pastoral initiatives in staying close to parishioners even though most Churches are still closed nationwide. He praised the local Catholic radio station, Musi-O-Tunya FM, for making space to air liturgical programmes.

It is now more than a month since we stopped meeting at our parishes for worship and other services due to the COVID-19 closedown. You have, missed Mass, Sacraments and shared prayer at the parish. In this context, we cry to God together with the Psalmist: As the deer longs for streams of water so my soul longs for you, O God  (Ps 42: 1-4) The Bishop added, In town parishes, the use of Radio Musi-O-Tunya has helped a lot as people in the areas covered by the radio can, at least, follow Mass and other spiritual programs on radio. We thank the priests who have availed themselves for this work of evangelization through radio and other electronic means of communication. We can even do more in this regard. I encourage everyone to be more creative, exhorted the Bishop of Livingstone.

Pastoral challenges of ministering to rural areas

The Bishop however acknowledged pastoral challenges of ministering to rural areas in a time of COVID-19.

However, the question is how can we remain in touch spiritually despite the social distance and the geographical distance between us? How can priests and the lay leaders remain in touch with the rest of the faithful (in rural areas), use their phones, where there is network, and traditional ways of communication in the villages to still share the Word of God and other faith-nourishing information and materials? Bishop Kalumba challenged.

Everyday priests in the diocese are praying for you

The Bishop assured parishioners that though Churches may be closed, the Bishop and priests remain at the service of everyone in the diocese. Everyday Mass is said for all the faithful in the diocese. We continue praying to the Almighty and Loving God to deliver us from this pandemic as we take care of ourselves and our dear ones. He said.
Injecting people with a new, experimental drug every eight weeks provides better protection against HIV than daily pills that have revolutionized the fight against AIDS, US government researchers reported Monday. The National Institutes of Health released the preliminary results of a major clinical trial involving a drug called cabotegravir. The testing began more than three years ago in seven countries -- including the United States, Brazil, Thailand and South Africa -- and looked at men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women, most of them under age 30. Those are the two groups at highest risk of contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. Another clinical trial focusing on women is under way. For now, the only medication approved for HIV prevention is a drug cocktail called PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. In the US, it has been marketed under the brand names Truvada and Descovy. HIV-free people who take PrEP daily see their risk of infection from unprotected sex reduced by 99 percent, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the fact that these pills must be taken every day is seen as an obstacle, so researchers are looking for less unwieldy alternatives. The results released Monday stem from a trial involving more than 4,500 people. Half were injected with cabotegravir and took PrEP placebos, while the other half received a placebo injection and real PrEP pills. So everybody taking part in the trial was treated with either cabotegravir or PrEP. Fifty contracted the AIDS virus, but the breakdown was lopsided: only 12 among those who received shots of cabotegravir and 38 among those who took Truvada became infected. This means the injections were 69 percent more effective than the Truvada pills, which are already at the heart of the US strategy to end the HIV epidemic. In the US, at least 200,000 at-risk people take Truvada, according to the drug's maker Gilead. Since the injection test results were so good, the people running the clinical trial halted the blind phase prematurely to allow all participants to benefit from the injections. We are thrilled with the results not only because of the high efficacy of cabotegravir but also because we have demonstrated high efficacy in a study that adequately represents some of the populations most disproportionately impacted by HIV," said Kimberly Smith, head of research and development at ViiV Healthcare, a unit of the GSK group. These population groups are black men having sex with men in the US, young MSM globally and transgender women, she said
Local stocks drifted lower in early trade as market reacted to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of a slew of policy measures to support the economy amid the coronavirus-led disruption. Extension of the nationwide lockdown also hurt sentiment.

At 9:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 211.65 points or 0.68% at 30,886.08. The Nifty 50 index was down 63.90 points or 0.7% at 9,072.95.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.59%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.29%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On the BSE, 562 shares rose and 682 shares fell. A total of 76 shares were unchanged.

Finance Minister provides details of package:

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided the details of the fifth tranche of economic package on 17 May 2020. The FM announced a hike in the allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) by Rs 40,000 crore. The FM also said there will be a maximum of four PSUs in strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised. The FM also announced the suspension of new bankruptcy filings on loan defaults for one year and raised the threshold for insolvency under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to Rs 1 crore from the current Rs 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs from IBC proceedings. The Centre has also increased the borrowing limit for States by an additional Rs 4.28 lakh crore for FY21.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (16 May) unveiled structural reforms in eight sectors while announcing the fourth tranche of government's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package. The FM focussed eight sectors in this tranchecoal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation, power distribution, social infrastructure, space and atomic energy. An easing of limits on foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing, privatisation of six more airports, opening up of more airspace and allowing private sector in commercial coal mining were among key announcements.

Macroeconomic data:

India's merchandise exports dipped 60.3% to US$ 10.36 billion in April 2020 over a year ago. Meanwhile, merchandise imports also declined 58.6% to US$ 17.12 billion. The trade deficit fell 55.9% to US$ 6.76 billion in April 2020 from US$ 15.33 billion in April 2019.

Merchandise exports in rupees plunged 56.4% to Rs 78951 crore, while imports declined 54.6% to Rs 130525 crore in April 2020 over April 2019. The trade deficit eased to Rs 51574 crore in April 2020 compared with Rs 106412 crore in April 2019.

As per the data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India's services exports increased 1.2% to US$ 18.16 billion in March 2020 over March 2019. Meanwhile, India's services imports declined 2.2% to US$ 11.11 billion in March 2020.

Lockdown extended:

Meanwhile, in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centre on May 17 extended the nationwide lockdown till May 31. According to the new guidelines, the delineation of red, orange and green zones will be decided by respective states and Union Territory governments after taking into consideration the parameters shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Stocks in news:

Reliance Industries (RIL) rose 0.99%. RIL and Jio Platforms announced an investment of Rs 6,598.38 crore by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm. This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. General Atlantic's investment will translate into a 1.34% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis.

Seperately, RIL informed that the rights issue committee of the board of directors, has approved issue opening date of 20 May 2020 and closing date of 3 June 2020.

ITC rose 0.76%. ITC said the company has resumed operations at its factories and plant locations manufacturing non-essential items with limited workforce; the factories and plant locations manufacturing essential items continue to operate, as advised earlier. The company's hotels, however, continue to remain closed, except for those travellers who were stranded due to lockdown or for accommodating identified persons, based on the directions of the respective State Governments and local bodies.

Cipla advanced 2.12%. Cipla's consolidated net profit fell 33.02% to Rs 245.95 crore on 0.67% fall in total income to Rs 4,469.37 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019.

Cipla's board of directors approved raising funds upto Rs 3000 crores by issue of equity shares or American depository receipts or global depository receipts or foreign currency convertible bonds or other securities / financial instruments convertible into equity shares, whether denominated in Indian Rupee and/or foreign currency(ies), though a public issue or a private placement.

Nippon Life India Asset Management dropped 4.86% after consolidated net profit fell 97.54% to Rs 3.72 crore on 62.37% fall in total income to Rs 149.56 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019.

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services lost 6.11% after consolidated net profit fell 65.79% to Rs 234.82 crore on 8.05% rise in total income to Rs 3,148.47 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019.

Eveready Industries India rose 2.22% after the company said its battery manufacturing facility at Kolkata is partially operational in a gradual and phased manner.

Global Markets:

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading little changed as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy stateside may need a coronavirus vaccine to fully recover.

On the economic data front, Japan's economy shrank at an annualized rate of 3.4% in January-March, government data showed. That marked the country's second straight quarter of contraction, meeting the technical definition of a recession.

In US, stocks recovered from steep losses early Friday to close higher, despite data showing U.S. April retail sales plunged more than forecasts and news the Trump administration will block shipments of semiconductors to China's Huawei Technologies, stoking fears of renewed trade tensions.

However, sentiment was improved by news the House of Representatives was set to vote on another $3 trillion coronavirus package that could be the opening bid in another round of fiscal stimulus.

In economic data, U.S. retail sales fell 16.4% in April, the Commerce Department reported, as businesses remained all but shut down. Excluding autos, sales still dropped 16.2%.

Industrial production collapsed in April, the Federal Reserve said Friday. Industrial output fell a record 11.2%, pulled down by a record drop in manufacturing. Capacity utilization slumped to a record low 64.9% from 72.7% in March.

The University of Michigan said its preliminary consumer sentiment index for May rose to 73.7 from 71.8 in April.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two men were caught on camera stealing from a convenience store, while wearing watermelons on their heads as disguises.

The men robbed alcohol from convenience store, Sheetz, in the town of Louisa, Virginia, on 6 May, while wearing watermelons on their heads.

One of the suspects, Justin Rogers, was arrested on Saturday, but police are still searching for his unidentified accomplice.

Mr Rogers was arrested on a felony prohibition of not wearing a face covering in public, as is the requirement in his area, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He was also charged with misdemeanour possession of alcohol by an underage person and misdemeanour larceny of alcohol.

The suspects documented the incident in a series of TikTok clips, that showed them preparing the watermelons, before they left to go to the store.

In the videos, they are shown cutting holes out of the watermelons for eyes, and walking around local shops.

Over the weekend, the Louisa Police Department put out an appeal on Facebook to help identify the suspects.

Local residents immediately replied to the post, informing the police where they had seen the suspects, which led to the arrest of Mr Rogers.

The department ask that anyone who has any information about the two suspects to contact officer Taylor of the Town of Louisa Police Department at 540-967-1234 or Crime Solvers at 1-800-346-1466.
One of the critical challenges confronting Teaching Hospitals in the country has to do with the unavailability of land for future expansion, President Akufo-Addo noted.

The government, consequently, had tasked the Health and Defence Ministries to hasten ongoing discussions between the Asantehene and the Board of Directors, KATH, for the possible release of the military land, and also relocate the barracks.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was addressing a ground-breaking ceremony in Kumasi, to reactivate works on the KATH Maternity and children's Block, said the authorities should put in more effort to ensure the conclusion and implementation of the ongoing discussions.

They have to strive to finalize all outstanding issues regarding the release of the adjoining military land, as well as the relocation of the barracks adjacent to the Hospital.

KATH, which is currently sited on a total landmass of 35, 000 square metres, is considered to have the least land size amongst the Teaching Hospitals in the country.

In an earlier address, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso, had said the Hospital, Ghana's second-largest health referral facility, was in dire need of land for pending projects.

We lack the requisite land resources for pending projects such as Cardiovascular Centre, Renal Transplant Centre, Infectious Diseases Centre and a Central Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, amongst others, he stated.

The hospital records on the average 1, 450 Out-Patient-Department attendances per day, with a staff strength of 4, 430.

The Maternity and Children's Block, whose initial sod-cutting was done in 1976, had been abandoned all these years due to the unavailability of the needed funds to complete the 800-bed facility.

In 2004, under the government of former President John Agyekum Kufour, the project was redesigned and expanded after a piece of the adjoining military land was released, following the intervention of the Asantehene.

The three-year project, being executed by Messrs. Contracta Construction (UK) Limited, is expected to revolutionize maternal and paediatric care when completed.

Facilities include 10 theatres and intensive care units, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) unit, emergency reception for children and pregnant women, dedicated medical oxygen plant, lecture halls and paediatric surgery unit.

The others are pharmacy, breastfeeding centre and other specialist facilities.

---GNA
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New Delhi:

Water level of the Yamuna, which swelled through the night breaching the danger mark around 4 AM, has started receding but is still above the warning mark, officials said today.

The Yamuna bridge (Loha Pul) has been closed as a precautionary measure leading to the cancellation of 15 trains and 100 diversions. Also, a few trains have been short terminated, a railway spokesperson said.

We are monitoring the situation closely and the staff concerned have been put on alert. Once the water level recedes, the bridge will be opened to rail traffic, the official said.

According to the Central Flood Control room, the water level at 2 PM was at 204.76 metres, mainly due to discharge of water from Haryanas Palla barrage. The corresponding danger and water levels are 204 m and 204.83 m, respectively.

Water Minister Kapil Mishra said disaster and flood management teams of the Delhi government rescued one family and around 60 people overnight.

The situation is improving and the water level will further go down from around 6 PM. Around 4 AM, it had crossed the danger mark at 204.9 m, Mishra said.
FILE PHOTO: File photo of the Tata company logo seen outside the Tata steelworks near Rotherham in Britain

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Labour representatives at Tata Steel's <TATS.NS> Dutch operations said on Monday that the company plans to cut 1,000 jobs in the Netherlands and that the subsidiary's chairman will step down after opposing the layoffs.

A spokesman for Tata Steel Europe confirmed that Chairman Theo Henrar will leave Tata Steel Netherlands in a decision agreed by "mutual consultation."

Tata Steel Europe began talks with workers in November over a "transformation programme" that would lead to 1,250 job cuts in Europe, following a decision by European Union competition regulators to block a joint venture with Germanys Thyssenkrupp.

Tata Steel Netherlands' Central Works Council (CWC) said in a statement on Monday that Tata Steel Europe aimed to cut its Dutch operations in order to save its loss-making British operations.

"The CWC does not agree to the scrapping of 1,000 jobs in the Netherlands," the CWC said.

Tata Steel Europe spokesman Damien Brooks said there was no conflict between the British and Dutch subsidiaries, though both are in restructuring talks.

Tata Steel Europe employs 21,500 people, including 9,000 people at Ijmuiden in the Netherlands and 8,500 in Britain.

Brooks said that talks over job cuts in Europe that began in November were continuing.

Labour Union FNV Steel said that Henrar had tried to preserve the Dutch operations.

"The owners of Tata Steel in India are keen to downsize Ijmuiden," Roel Berghuis of FNV Steel said in a statement. "Henrar had been able to convince them time after time of the large importance of the subsidiary for Tata Steel and the Netherlands."

The CWC said that Henrar had been "dismissed" in what they described as an "incomprehensible and ill-considered" decision made in the interests of Tata Steel UK at the expense of the Dutch arm.

"Both the shareholders in India and the European leadership of Tata Steel have been failing to solve problems in Britain for years," it said. "Billions of pounds and euros have not been able to make Tata Steel UK profitable."

Story continues

Tata Steel Europe said last month that it had delayed reorganisation plans until after July 1, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Steelmakers around Europe are operating at reduced capacity due to a drop in demand from the auto industry following the pandemic.

Brooks confirmed that Tata Steel is making use of government support programmes in both Britain and the Netherlands, but the company is not worried that will create political barriers to a restructuring.

"I don't think so," he said. "We need to restructure to survive."

(Reporting by Toby Sterling, editing by Susan Fenton)
SIOUX CITY -- The percentage of people in Woodbury County whose COVID-19 tests came back positive has been on the decline since a peak in April.

The Siouxland District Health Department in its daily report Sunday indicated that 58 more people had tested positive for the virus on Sunday, out of a total of 418 people tested -- a positive rate of about 14 percent.

The week of April 20, the positive rate was closer to 52 percent of people tested. Tyler Brock, Siouxland District Health's deputy director, said the number of positive tests declined the following week to about 35 percent, and to about 22 percent the week after that.

"You can see things are trending in the right direction," Brock said at a press conference last week. "We like to see the percentage of folks that are positive going down."

As of Sunday, 2,215 people in Woodbury County have tested positive for the virus, of whom 913 are considered recovered. In Dakota County, 1,511 people have tested positive, and the number of recoveries is not known.

Woodbury County went two days without recording a single death this weekend, though a fatality was reported in neighboring Dakota County on Saturday. To date, 17 Woodbury County residents have died of the virus, and 14 in Dakota County.

The number of people hospitalized in Sioux City increased by five on Sunday, to a total of 84, according to data provided by MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and UnityPoint Health -- St. Luke's.

An outbreak of the virus among workers and residents at Sioux City's Holy Spirit Retirement Home continued to expand Sunday -- 16 of the retirement home's residents and employees have tested positive to date, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. It is the only long-term care facility in Northwest Iowa experiencing a known outbreak of the virus.

Buena Vista County saw its number of COVID-19 infections jump by 20 on Sunday, to a total of 102. The number of cases there was expected to increase after a Test Iowa drive-thru testing site opened in Storm Lake this weekend and Tyson tested its 3,000 workers there.

Outside of Woodbury and Dakota counties, Crawford County has the highest number of COVID-19 infections -- 380 as of Sunday, 32 more infections than were reported Saturday. Sioux County, meanwhile, has 135 infections, while Plymouth has 83. In southeastern South Dakota, Union and Yankton counties remained steady at 60 and 40 infections, respectively.

Other counties in the area have fewer infections, some less than 10.

Across Northwest Iowa, some 33 COVID-19 patients are in the ICU, while 25 are on ventilators, according to data from Region 3 of Iowa's Regional Medical Coordination Centers (RMCC). This number has remained largely stable for several days.

More than 100,000 Iowans have been tested for the virus to date -- a total of 100,241 as of Sunday. A total of 14,651 have tested positive; of those, 7,154 have recovered and 351 have died, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

In South Dakota, 3,987 people have tested positive for the virus, but only 1,219 are thought to be currently infected. The state has the lowest overall death toll of the tri-state area -- 44 South Dakotans have died of the virus, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday recorded 128 new infections, for a total of 10,348. The death toll, 123, did not increase.

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By Express News Service

KOLKATA: The Bengal government has started taking measures after the Centre warned the state that cyclonic storm Amphan could hit Bengal in the next couple of days.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting to review preparedness. A special control room has also been set up at the state secretariat from where the chief minister is likely to monitor the situation.

"More than one lakh people will be evacuated from the coastal areas of Sunderbans. The National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have been stationed at various places in Suderbans and East Midnapore district. We have set up more than 300 multi-purpose cyclone centres for people who will be shifted from coastal and low lying areas in Sunderbans," said Sunderbans affairs minister Manturam Pakhira.

IMD director (Kolkata) GC Das said the landfall will be severe. "The cyclone is expected to hit anytime between afternoon and evening of May 20. As of now, it will hit Sunderbans delta region with a wind speed of 150 kmph. The next 24 hours is very crucial as Amphan is expected to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm," he said.

Fishermen have been asked not to venture into Bay of Bengal. While seven teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in six districts.

The state government has started making arrangements like keeping cyclone centres ready, preparing to evacuate people from low-lying areas and arranging for dry food packets and water pouches in the coastal districts.

"We have kept our arrangements ready. We request the fishermen not to venture into sea or rivers for the next few days. Social distancing will be maintained at the cyclone centres," said home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay.
Cork County Council has unveiled a number of measures to support communities, businesses and industry as they look to recover from the impact of COVID-19.

Project ACT, or Activating County Towns, will see newly formed Town Teams working on individual plans for 23 towns in County Cork designed to stimulate and support the economy.

Project ACT is being run across Cork County Councils eight Municipal Districts with the support of Elected Members, and will see the creation of multi-sectoral teams with a targeted focus on rebuilding the economy and community life in their areas.

As a first step, a fund worth 6 million has been committed to support community, festival, events and town enhancement works. The council say this will be used to build upon the remarkable community resilience that has been sustained since restrictions were introduced in mid-March.

The 23 new Town Teams have been working to introduce specific enhanced physical distancing and pedestrian friendly zones in each location. This will include the inclusion of additional footpath space, some changes to traffic flow and outdoor supports for businesses requiring socially distanced queueing.

Project ACT will also see funding released through a mix of capital investment and business supports designed to help stimulate the Cork economy during the phased lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Commenting on the initiative, County Mayor Councillor, Ian Doyle said, "Cork County Council will work closely with communities and businesses as we manage our way out of the current crisis. Our message is simple - Cork County Council will walk with you on every step of the road to recovery."

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added, "There are many challenges that lie ahead, but by taking this action now and investing in our communities and our businesses, we can plan with a degree of confidence. From making public spaces suitable for social distancing, to supporting businesses through various initiatives, Cork County Council will do everything it can to support the entire community."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
We may be in lockdown and staying home but thats not stopping the ICA ladies.

Some of our ladies have been busy sewing scrubs for frontline workers.

The material was sent down from ICA head office as part of the sew scrubs for Ireland organised by Sinead Lawlor and our volunteers got sewing straight away. On Friday last, May 8, nine designer scrubs were handed over to the Longford Palliative

Care nurses and they were over the moon to receive same, another eight will be handed over when finished.

Thanks to the ladies who volunteered their time and skills to help out our frontline staff.

We hope you are all keeping safe during these unprecedented times and remember we are all just a phone call away, so ladies keep in touch and continue to stay home if you can and stay safe .
Imperial Valley News Center

Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Pakistani Doctor with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Minneapolis, Minnesota - Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Erica H. MacDonald today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, returned a single-count indictment against Muhammad Masood, 28, charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood, who was initially charged in a criminal complaint on March 19, 2020, 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 2020 and 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 United States. On Feb. 21, 2020, 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 pandemic. Masood 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, 2020, Masood traveled 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.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Timothy C. Rank, with assistance from Trial Attorney Katie Sweeten of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section.

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rouhani Aide Defends Iran's Trade With Venezuela

Radio Farda May 17, 2020

A senior Iranian official has defended shipping fuel to Venezuela, saying two independent countries are free to conduct trade and it is no one's business.

Reports emerged May 14 that at least one Iranian tanker was loaded with fuel and sailing towards Venezuela. Both countries are under U.S. sanctions and Washington has said it is monitoring the situation.

Ali Rabiei who is President Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff told a gathering of government executives on Saturday that Iran has trade relations with many countries including Venezuela, and this is not anyone else's concern, the official news agency IRNA reported.

In April, Iran's Mahan airlines conducted many flights to Venezuela in what was said to be shipping equipment and material to revive the country's refineries that are in disrepair to the long political turmoil gripping the government of Nicholas Maduro.

Later, U.S. envoy Elliot Abrams told a Spanish-language publication that Venezuela has shipped $500 million of gold to Iran in compensation for the assistance it receives.

"Our assumption is that those planes that come from Iran are bringing things for the oil industry, and they return full of gold as a form of payment," El Politico quoted Abrams as saying.

Now with the shipment of fuel, thought to be gasoline, the possibility emerges that Iran is actually selling refined oil products to the Maduro government, which is hard pressed by lack of transportation fuel.

Rabiei referring to "rumor mongering" said Iran and Venezuela exchange goods as two independent countries. He added that the two countries do not sit idle amid U.S. sanctions and try to sell their oil.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/rouhani- aide-defends-iran-s-trade-with- venezuela/30616621.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.

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(Natural News) After previously backing away from vaccines as the cure all for Americas pandemic woes, President Trump is now back to pushing a coronavirus vaccine being created by Moderna, and he now absurdly claims this vaccine will save the U.S. economy.

Even more disturbingly, Trumps own vaccine czar, a former executive of the criminal felon corporation GlaxoSmithKline  which admitted to high-level felony crimes and a massive, nationwide bribery scheme  is now cashing in with millions of dollars in stock valuation profits after Moderna released some public relations propaganda about its vaccine trials, which are only in phase 1 and only involved 8 participants. (We previously reported the trial involved 45 patients but have since learned it was only 8.)

Since none of those 8 people died yet, Trump is now convinced Modernas vaccine will save the world.

Breitbart.com added to the propaganda, absurdly claiming the vaccine, was also shown to be safe and well-tolerated. Breitbart doesnt seem to realize that phase 1 trials involving only 8 people cannot possibly establish that the vaccine is safe. So since 8 people didnt die in a few days, Breitbart thinks the vaccine is ready to inject into billions of people with unknown long-term consequences? This is why you have to be careful following reporting from pro-Trump publishers who are desperate to catapult good news but dont know how medicine works. By Breitbarts standards, crack cocaine also works great because it gives you incredible energy during the phase 1 trials, and all the trial subjects reported feeling awesome. Anyone who thinks the economy is going to bounce back from 36 million people being unemployed  most of whom are being paid to stay unemployed  is smoking crack, by the way.

The phase 1 trial has only sought to determine whether the vaccine injection produces antibodies. It hasnt subjected people to real-world exposure to the rapidly mutating Wuhan coronavirus, which alters its genetic structure so frequently that it might render all vaccines obsolete the day they are approved. There might never be a vaccine that works against the Wuhan coronavirus, just like there was never a vaccine that could be developed against SAR-CoV-1.

Trumps vaccine czar rakes in millions as the propaganda push is unleashed

Following the propaganda release, the stock price of Moderna soared 34% on Monday, pouring $3.4 million into the pockets of Moncef Slaoui, Trumps vaccine czar, reports NY Daily News:

The stock spike temporarily added at least $3.4 million to the bottom line of Moncef Slaoui, the just-named vaccine czar who was on the board of Moderna until his appointment.

Slaoui, a veteran Big Pharma exec, holds 156,000 stock options that increased in value by more than $3 million on the Monday morning news.

Talk about corruption why does Trump have a former Moderna board member and GSK executive running his vaccine czar operation that looks set to try to push mandatory vaccines across America in order to enrich Big Pharma and keep the coronavirus pandemic going?

Trump has now characterized the Moderna vaccine trial results as staggeringly good. His exact quote:

Youre seeing it maybe today for the first time where not only are the markets up tremendously, but weve had tremendous, tremendously good and positive information on therapeutics, on cures and on vaccines I think youre going to have the v I think its going to be terrific.

Yes, Trump is still clinging to the delusion of a v-shaped recovery for the economy, and hes now convinced that Big Pharmas toxic vaccines are going to save America (and perhaps his presidency).

It is a fact that vaccine manufacturers have spiked human blood samples with animal antibodies in order to win FDA approval for vaccines that didnt work. Two virologists from Merck filed a False Claims Act document with the federal government several years ago, claiming they were ordered by Merck management to falsify antibodies tests for mumps vaccines. The FDA does not conduct its own testing on vaccines and relies entirely on vaccine manufacturers to run their own tests  obviously a gross conflict of interest and a complete abandonment of anything resembling real science.

In fact, Moderna and the vaccine industry are rushing this coronavirus vaccine in exactly the same way Boeing rushed the 737-max airplane, resulting in catastrophic consequences for passengers and the company. But now, Trump is betting the entire US population and the US economy on an unproven, fast-tracked vaccine produced by an industry that has a long, repeated history of science fraud, felony crimes and totally dishonest clinical trials. Is this really the broken race horse upon which Trump is betting his presidency?

Trumps vaccine czar could make biased, self-serving decisions that could kill millions of innocent people

Peter Maybarduk of Public Citizen warned that Slaouis biased decisions due to his conflicts of interest with Big Pharma could hurt or kill millions of people.

Of course, thats the whole point. If these coronavirus vaccines were actually intended to be safe and effective, the would have to go through at least 2-3 years of long-term clinical trials. The fact that theyre being frantically rushed into production via Operation Warp Speed tells you they arent even intended to be safe or effective.

The whole charade is a total junk. This isnt science, and it isnt medicine. Its immunization smoke and mirrors and the consequences could be catastrophic.

According to some critics, these vaccines are actually intended to spread the coronavirus pandemic and cause mass fatalities from the cytokine storm effect caused by a secondary exposure to a new infectious strain after being vaccinated against the coronavirus. This is explained in detail by Dr. Judy Mikovits in this new interview, below:

Trumps apparent priorities, explained

It seems that Trump and all his advisors currently have the following hierarchy of priorities:

Priority #1: Make more money for the vaccine companies and Big Pharma.

Priority #2: Pump up the inflated stock market and pretend the economy is good even as real production is falling off a cliff.

Priority #3: Protect Big Tech to keep the stock market propped up even higher, regardless of the fact that Big Tech is clearly run by communist China and is censoring all speech about the coronavirus that exposes China or the WHO.

Priority #4: Protect the American people (the last priority).

Its sad. And it increasingly looks like Trump has sold out America to the vaccine companies, all while the FDA, FTC, CDC and tech giants censor natural solutions that are saving lives and curing patients right now. All treatments that work are being suppressed, while all vaccines that have never been proven to work are being pumped up as cure-alls for the entire world. Talk about quackery, you cant get deeper into the world of quacksterism than what Trump and the vaccine companies are pushing right now.

Its sick, and it ought to be criminal. Correct me if Im wrong, but it sure looks like we are all being betrayed by Trump who has obviously sold out to Big Pharma and Big Tech.
In a bid to help flatten the COVID-19 transmission curve and in order to prevent a sharp spike in cases - several simpler methods apart from nasopharyngeal swab techniques are being used to conduct coronavirus testing. One such test is the at-Home COVID-19 Saliva Test which is simpler as well as for those who may not be able to go to one of the drive-up testing sites.

While the conventional testing procedure follows the procedure of nasopharyngeal swabs, the new test developed by Andrew Brooks requires the suspect to only spit inside a cup.

According to the Washington Post, Brooks holds the position of a chief operating officer and director of technology development in RUCDR Infinite Biologics that has received emergency use authorization for saliva tests from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Unlike the conventional testing procedures, the saliva tests can be performed by people at home and sent them to Rutgers clinical genomics laboratory via mail.

The results of the test can be ascertained within 48 hours, reports Washington Post.

Rutgers blazed the path for home collection . . . Saliva is a big leap forward relative to swabs, and it is likely to play a major role in getting America back to work, Washington Post quoted the chief executive of DxTerity, Bob Terbrueggen as saying.

For the spit test, patients from Rutgers are made to spit into a 2-millilitre cup that comes with a chemical solution that preserves the genetic material of the coronavirus for making it easy to ship to the laboratory.We scoured what was already commercially available so as not to create more problems, Washington Post quoted Brooks as saying.

Another simpler measure for conducting coronavirus test is the SickStick device which is developed by a researcher from the University of Colorados firm Darwin Biosciences.

Our device acts at the earliest stage of infection. It knows youre sick before you do, Washington Post quoted chief executive of Darwin Biosciences Nicholas Meyerson as saying.

Similarly, Oklahoma State University which is awaiting approval from FDA is also currently using saliva for testing nursing home patients.

Studies are currently taking place for the development of an instant test strip that confirms about infection by the virus just like the home pregnancy tests.

This is exciting. The world is plagued by a scarcity of swabs, so having an alternative is a great thing, said Bob Kocher, physician, and member of Californias testing task force.

Also, no patient likes the feeling of having a swab pushed nearly into your brain to collect COVID-19 samples. It is much easier to spit into a tube, Kocher added.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. )

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<! The COVID-Organics made in Madagascar not for free >

Contrary to wide impressions, Madagascar is not playing Father Christmas with its COVID-Organics herbal drink.

According to reports, the island nation has asked Nigeria to pay 170,000 Euros for the consignment delivered by Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

Embalo, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja on Saturday, brought the drugs allocated to Nigeria.

President Buhari said Nigeria would take the drug through intensive test to determine its suitability.

The Nation reported that an invoice was delivered along with the drug.

 Madagascar has asked Nigeria to pay over 170,000 (N78, 200,000). We have received the invoice because the African country has made us to realise that the drugs are not being given out free, The Nation quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, Madagascar has registered its first coronavirus death.

It was a 57-year-old medical worker who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, the national COVID-19 taskforce said on Sunday.

Taskforce spokeswoman Hanta Danielle Vololontiana said in a televised statement that the man died on Saturday night.

A man died from COVID-19 in Madagascar  he is 57 years old and a member of the medical staff, she said.
The pioneer Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, has been named Thinkers Magazines 2019 Man of the Year.

Dr Dikwa was picked among numerous nominees following a rigorous selection process, Editor-In-Chief of the Magazine, Mr Yahaya Eneji Musa, said in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT

THE IMMEDIATE PAST PERMANENT SECRETARY (SPECIAL DUTIES), FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING, DR MOHAMMED KYARI DIKWA, IS THINKERS MAGAZINES 2019 MAN OF THE YEAR

When Thinkers Magazine was being conceived ahead of its subsequent emergence as a bold, fearless and innovative magazine, among the ideals embedded in our noble vision were high ethical standards, editorial standards of the loftiest level, and so forth. Next on the list was the need to institute an annual award to be known as Man of the Year Award as has been the practice globally.

Our Man of the Year Award is a unique recognition which is reserved for a person who has sparkled beyond expectations in his or her field of endeavour within a given year. Such areas include academics, art, science, sports, politics, philanthropy, law, leadership, community service, business, diplomacy, and so forth. In fact, the list is quite lengthy; suffice it to say that as long as a typical compatriot must have made exceptional contributions to the society in one field or the other of human endeavour, he or she qualifies to be considered for the critical award.

Accordingly, we have remained faithful to this tradition year-after-year since the Magazine made its debut some years ago. Beginning with the first edition through each and every subsequent version down to the latest edition, Thinkers Magazines Man of the Year has carved a niche for itself as a highly competitive and universally coveted award that is prized for being uncompromisingly impartial, transparent, incorruptible, and independent.

Little wonder, Nigerians from different walks of life have found it expedient to step forward every now and then to shower encomiums on the highly acclaimed annual award for its quality and uniqueness in giving recognition to whom it is due. Indeed, one of the refreshingly different things about the Magazines humble effort is that rather than being a run-of-the-mill, we deliberately decided to make it veritably fresh and unique. So much so that even the unheralded, little-known chap out there making his own contribution to his or her community or nation knows that he too stands a reasonably good chance of being recognised like the well-known or well-to-do fellow.

In view of the foregoing, the nomination of Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, among numerous others, for consideration for our Man of the Year would hardly come as a surprise to discerning minds. Starting from 1985 when he set out to serve the land of his birth by joining the Borno State Civil Service as an Internal Auditor through the period he transferred his services to the Federal Civil Service to the moment he bowed out of the service, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa epitomised all the qualities and virtues of selfless contribution to ones country and its people.

Granted, anyone can assert with the due justification that each and every civil servant is contributing his or her small quota to the progress and development of our beloved nation. In Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwas case, however, he didnt just contribute his modest quota. Instead, he went the extra mile to serve his fatherland beyond the call of duty in different capacities and in addition his primary duties and responsibilities.

For instance, even as a Permanent Secretary, he ventured to undertake a number of challenging obligations, including being an examiner, part-time lecturer, public speaker (at seminars, workshops, in-house training, etc.) and author of an impressive array of seminal books. As a real craftsman intent on remaining faithful to his vocation, this uncommon public servant continued to be hardworking and patriotic even as his retirement moment inched closer. In a clime where it is taken for granted that someone who is in the twilight of his career would be forgiven for taking it easy with his or her job so as to prepare well for post-retirement life, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa made it a point of duty to put into his daily chores the same passion, dedication and commitment that has characterised his performance over the years. As many of his colleagues aptly put it, the gentleman remained a workaholic to the end of his tour of duty.

For being such an exemplary public servant, for being an evergreen mentor to generations of civil servants on the one hand and students on the other throughout Nigeria, for being an uncommon legion of professional and trade unions and associations, for being a peerless compatriot in his public and private life to the admiration of all and sundry, Thinkers Magazine is proud to present Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, mni, as its Man of the Year 2019. We join his friends, family and other well-wishers in congratulating him for this well-deserved honour.

The Man, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa

The pioneer Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa.

Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa is a blessed man from a community with abundant historical antecedents who was brought up by responsible parents in a sane clime with strong ethical, religious and cultural values spanning centuries. He had a sound primary, secondary and post-secondary education in quality institutions in and outside Nigeria that broaden his perception about life and the embedded in him the unbending resolve to render selfless service to the country and its people.

His Ancestral Roots

There is a saying that when men and women of timber and calibre are born, no comets are seen nor special stars visible or the heavens quake. If any confirmation for this timeless truism is needed, one of the places to go for that is the town and traditional emirate in Borno state which bears this distinct name and which, incidentally, is the birthplace of Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, a son of the soil who would eventually rise to prominence as an accomplished civil servant, examiner, lecturer, author and philanthropist.

Dikwa, which is also known as Dikoa, nestles next to the Yedseram River, which flows into Lake Chad, and has road connections to Maiduguri, Bama, Ngala, and Kukawa. Historical records have not established precise date the town was founded and when its famous strong walls were built; but it had undoubtedly become a significant centre of the Borno Kingdom of the Kunuri people by the 1850s.

The Sudanese warrior, Rabeh Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah, captured Dikwa among other parts of Borno Empire, fortified the town and made it his capital between 1893 and 1900. Although Rabeh Zubayr ibn Fadl Allah was killed by the French in 1900 and the region came under French control, Dikwa remained the Shehus seat until 1902. Dikwa was occupied by the British during World War I, and in 1922, Dikwa Emirate became part of the League of Nations mandate of British Cameroons. In 1942, the emirate headquarters was moved from Dikwa town to Bama, south-southwest.

Although administered by Nigerias Borno province during British rules, the emirate became part of the United Nations Trust Territory of northern Cameroons in 1946. After rejecting union with Nigeria in 1959, its people, mostly Kanuri and Shuwa Arab peoples, voted to join a new province in northern Nigeria in the 1961 plebiscite. A year later, however, they were able to secede from Sardauna and unite with their kinsmen in Bornu province. Dikwa was part of North-eastern state from 1967 to 1976.

Most of the areas population is engaged in herding and in farming, chiefly cotton, groundnuts, millet, sorghum, corn (maize), and indigo. Fishing is essential, both along the shore of Lake Chad and the Yesseram. Cotton weaving and dyeing are significant local activities, as is the tanning of leather.

Birth and Early Education

Back then in the Northern part of Nigeria and elsewhere, western education was hardly reckoned with by the average family. To the credit of the Malam Kyari and Hajiya Amina, however, Mohammed was enrolled at Central Primary School, Dikwa in the early 1970s and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1977. And this began an educational sojourn that subsequently took him to Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Gushua, where he acquired his General Certificate of Education (GCE) in 1982.

Quest for Higher Knowledge

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His next port of call was Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, the capital city of his home state of Borno, a cosmopolitan society with diverse ethnic groups like Kanuri, Shuwa Arab, Lamang, Babur/Bura and Marghi, among others. Borno state was created in 1976 by the then military regime in Nigeria and was initially part of the North-Eastern state. Despite its colonial heritage dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, Maiduguri remains the capital of Borno state since 1907 when Borno was incorporated into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate by the British.

By the standard of that era, attending school up to the polytechnic level was adjudged by many as a feat. But to Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa, who bagged his National Diploma (ND) in Accounting from the Ramat Polytechnic in 1985, this was more or less a herald of greater things to come. And thus, even as he was still savouring that significant step forward, he bettered at the University of Maiduguri for a course in his chosen profession.

Even with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree which he obtained from the University of Maiduguri in 1991 in his kitty, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa soldiered on steadily in his quest for higher knowledge. Hence, he soon returned to the University of Maiduguri for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance, a credential he gleaned in 1996. This was followed by a sojourn at the National Institute for Policies and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, leading to the conferment on him of the prestigious Member of the National Institute, mni, in 2012.

This remarkable scholar took his seemingly insatiable quest for knowledge beyond the shores of the nation. First, he ventured to the University of Bakht Al- Ruda in the Republic of Sudan for his Doctorate Degree in Accounting and Finance, which he successfully completed in 2017. Just when some were convinced that Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa had bagged enough educational garlands to last him for a lifetime, he accelerated further, this time to other continents of the world.

The famed Oxford University in England beckoned, and Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa responded in the affirmative. Here, he enrolled at the Business School, earning a Certificate in High-Performance Leadership Programme in 2014. The no less renowned university of Cambridge was the next to host him at its Judge Business School, where he was awarded a Certificate in Leadership and Governance, also in 2014.

Like a man determined not to relent until he has successfully accomplished every inch of his mission, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa proceeded to Harvard University with a stint at the Kennedy School of Governance in 2014. The fruit of this endeavour came in the form of a glittering Certificate in Public Financial Management Reforms. He also attended the Business School of World, INSEAD-FONTAINEBLEU, France, where he was awarded a Certificate in Advanced International Corporate Finance in 2018. All these pieces of training are aside from the following foreign programmes which he attended at one time or the other: XVII World Congress of Accountants organized jointly by International Federation of Accountants and Hong Kong Society of Accountants in November 2002 at Hong Kong;

Certificate Course in Senior International Banking and Finance/Treasury Management Business School at the Themes Valley University London, in August 2002; International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) Implementation and Project Management Field trip to USA organised for the Federal Government of Nigeria, IPSAS Implementation Committee by Periscope Consulting Nigeria Limited in May 2014; Financial Management of Development Projects Training Course by the Crown Agent London in August 2005; The Management and Policy Development for Senior Managers Course at Royal Institute of Public Administration (RIPA) London in October 2005.

The International Gas Business Management Certificate Programme at IHRDC Boston, USA, in May, 2006; Project Financial Management Course organized by Crown Agent London in 2007; The Public Sector Accounting and Budgeting Training Course organized by Crown Agent London in December 2007; Combating Corruption in Procurement Training Workshop organized by Crown Agent London in November 2008; Senior Executive Course on Management of Oil and Gas Operation by the Global Training Consulting London in September 2009; Governance Programme (A Board Retreat) organized by FITC Consulting London in September 2010; Oil and Gas International Study Tour on Global Best Practices & Comparison of Petroleum and other Extractive Industries Resources Management in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March 2013; International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) Seminar for Senior Executives organized by PWC in London, May 2013; and a Study Tour Programme on Development Financing Institutions and SME Agencies in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in July, 2013. And so on, and so forth.

Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa also attended various local courses and trainings. These include the following: A Certificate Course in Computer Appreciation at Kwari Computer Academy in 1996; Senior Executive Course Number 34/2012 of the National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos; IFRS Executive Briefing/Training Programme organized for Shareholders Committee Members of Bank of Industry Limited in March 2013; Leadership and Good Governance Training Course organised by the Global Training Consulting, Lagos, Nigeria, in April 2010; Plan and Budget Management Workshop organised the Centre for Management Development (CMD) Lagos in April 2008; National Training Workshop on Effective Financial Management in the Public Sector organized by the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) in conjunction with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in October 2007; Training Workshop on Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 Issues and Challenges in Reformed Economy organized by the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) in conjunction with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAG) in November 2006; National Conference for Women in Public Administration organised by the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria in April 2003; A Two-Day Workshop on the Sanitization of Public and Private Sector Finance organized by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN) in June 2002; Certificate Course in Internal Auditing and Investigation at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Ilorin in August 1988; A Two-Day Seminar/Workshop on Accountability in Government: The Role of Civil Servants in Maiduguri in October, 1995; and the Maiden Edition of the Accountants-General Conference in May 2001 in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Professional Bodies

A recipient of the prestigious Nelson Mandela Award and Ambassador of Peace by the United Nations (UN), Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa is an all-round professional in his field of endeavour. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is also a fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and distinguished member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Study (NIPSS) since 2012 as well as the following bodies: Institute of Corporate Administration (ICA), Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors (AFIA), Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Institute of Certificate Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIOIA), Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (FCMA), Institute of Credit Administration (FICA), Nigeria Economic Society (NES), Life Member LMNES), Nigeria Institute of Management (MNIM), Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN) and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), among others.

From the foregoing, it is evident that even though no comet was sighted on the day Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa was born in the first month of 1960, he has shown by his one-of-its-kind exploits in the educational arena and related fields that he is a purposeful gentleman who, once he has put his hands on the plough, doesnt waiver until he reaches the Promised Land. Little wonder, he enjoyed fairytale-like progress at every stage of his career, culminating in his being selected as this magazines outstanding personality of the year 2019.

YAHAYA ENEJI MUSA

Editor-In-Chief
A medical staff works with samples for Covid-19 testing in the central province of Nghe An, April 17, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Van Hai.

Two flight attendants on board a repatriation flight from Russia were among four new Covid-19 patients in Vietnam, the Health Ministry confirmed Monday evening.

The other two patients were passengers on board a repatriation flight from the U.S.

The latest additions have taken the number of active infections in Vietnam to 61.

"Patient 321," 44, and "Patient 322," 39, are residents of Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. They worked on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0062 from Russia that landed May 13 at the Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh Province. After completing their medical clearance and migration procedures, the entire cabin crew flew to Hanoi. At 10 a.m. the same day, the crew departed on flight VN7485 with no passengers from Hanoi to HCMC.

They were isolated at Vietnam Airlines premises on Hong Ha Street in Tan Binh District after landing. The two attendants shared a room. The following day, both were tested for the first time and the results came out negative. Two days later, "Patient 321" had a fever of 38.2 degrees Celsius. On May 17, the results of his second test came out positive.

After "Patient 321" had a fever, "Patient 322" was isolated in another room. His samples tested positive a day later.

The two are currently being treated at the Cu Chi field hospital in HCMC.

"Patient 323" is a 19-year-old woman and "Patient 324" a 18-year-old man. Both are residents of HCMCs Tan Binh District and students in the U.S. who returned to Vietnam on flight VN001 that landed May 16 at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. The woman occupied seat 41D and the man 27K.

The two were quarantined on arrival at the National Center for Security and Security Education in the Hanoi National University in Thach That District. They tested positive Sunday and are currently under treatment at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in the capital city.

Also Monday, three Vietnamese patients were confirmed free of the novel coronavirus in Hanoi.

Vietnam has recorded 324 Covid-19 cases to date, 184 of them imported. Of these 263 have recovered after treatment. No deaths have been recorded so far and no community transmission recorded for over a month.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said late last week that the country will focus on preventing transmission sources from abroad. It will continue to close its doors to international commercial flights and foreign tourists, he said.

Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, said Sunday that Vietnam has done well in detecting and curbing Covid-19 infections.

The pandemic has affected 213 countries and territories, with reported deaths are close to 315,000.
* Singapore posts biggest intraday pct gain since May 6 * Thailand's economy slips into recession * Philippine stocks fall to near 3-week low By Pranav A K May 18 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday, as risk appetite was boosted after countries such as Thailand, Italy and Spain eased lockdown restrictions and reopened their economies. Centres of the outbreak from New York to Italy and Spain gradually lift restrictions that have kept millions cooped up for months. Vietnam's index rose 1.2%, the most among countries in the region, lifted by financial companies. "As lockdowns lift, attention will increasingly turn to the speed of normalisation in output and employment," said Brian Martin, Senior International Economist at ANZ. "History suggests that V-shaped recoveries are rare. The deeper the recession, the longer it takes to recover." Singapore stocks closed 0.9% higher and marked their biggest intraday percentage gain since May 6, after data showed the country's annual exports rose for the third straight month in April. Non-oil domestic exports in the city-state, a bellwether for global trade, rose 9.7% in April, supported by a sharp rise in pharmaceutical shipments. "The numbers, while welcome, flatter to deceive. Outsized gains in the medical sector are boosting exports," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. Capitaland Mall Trust, up 5.2%, was the top gainer. Its gains were closely followed by Mapletree Commercial Trust and transport services provider SATS Ltd , which rose 3.8% and 4.4%, respectively. Thai shares rose 0.5%, its biggest percentage gain in a week, as energy stocks were lifted by higher oil prices. Bangkok on Sunday opened malls and department stores for the first time since March as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed. That helped investors looked past data showing Thailand's economy contracted at its sharpest pace in eight years in the first quarter, pushing Southeast Asia's second largest economy into recession sooner than expected. [nL4N2CV2J7 Vietnam's Petrolimex Insurance Corp gained 6.8%, while Ca Mau Trading Joint Stock Company, a marketer of oil-based products, rose 7%. Philippines was the region's sole loser, down 1.1%, and closed at its lowest level in nearly three weeks. Index heavyweight Ayala Corp lost 4.5%, while Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co fell 4.1%. Indonesia's benchmark index traded sideways ahead of the central bank's monetary policy decision on Tuesday. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 2539.28 2523.55 0.62 Bangkok 1286.76 1280.76 0.45 Manila 5479.35 5541.95 -1.13 Jakarta 4511.058 4507.607 0.08 Kuala Lumpur 1410.16 1403.44 0.48 Ho Chi Minh 837.01 827.03 1.21 Change so far in 2020 Market Current End 2019 Pct Move Singapore 2539.28 3222.83 -21.21 Bangkok 1286.76 1579.84 -18.55 Manila 5479.35 7,815.26 -29.89 Jakarta 4511.058 6,299.54 -28.39 Kuala Lumpur 1410.16 1588.76 -11.24 Ho Chi Minh 837.01 960.99 -12.90 (Reporting by A K Pranav in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
Oh, you people.

Im old enough to remember the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, when finding toilet paper was our biggest gripe, and staying home a few weeks seemed a burdensome but bearable staycation.

Sure, we could do that, briefly. We could do without, briefly. We could be kind to others in need, bake bread for neighbors, make masks for the masses. We could come together.

But nine weeks into this shutdown, and virulent people armed for war and demanding haircuts and hugging are swarming in the streets. Being required to wear a mask is a civil rights violation to some, a push deeper into socialism to others.

People are still dying, front-line workers are still risking their lives, but lets fight over how Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams hair remains neatly coiffed even as salons remain closed.

But heres the good news: Good people are still doing good things. Id like to think there are more good people out there than disgruntled ones. That includes many of you.

So thank goodness.

Let me remind you of some goodness.

On May 1, staff at the University of New Mexico Hospital asked you dear readers to send get-well cards to the patients they are treating for COVID-19.

Those patients are very sick and very much alone, we were told. They are not allowed visitors. Sending cards would be like sending hope in an envelope.

It lets our patients know that people care about them, said James Underhill, a nurse in the UNMH intensive care unit. Its something to remind them that they are not forgotten, that there is a world they can look forward to being a part of again.

You all didnt forget.

As of this week, more than 2,800 cards have poured into UNMH, hospital spokesman Mark Rudi said.

The cards range from handmade to Hallmark, sweet to silly, and from the young and the old(er).

People all over this city are sending you love, encouragement and prayers for your healing, a card from a woman named Vicki reads. You are not alone and not forgotten!

Funny how a simple act like sending a card makes the sender feel less alone and forgotten, too.

The folks at UNMH are requesting that those cards keep coming. In addition, the Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho is also requesting get-well cards for its COVID-19 patients. As before, please add kind words of encouragement, cheer and comments about your life on the outside. Address details can be found in the box attached to this column.

But wait  theres more good news, thanks to you.

On April 22, I introduced you to Baby Superman, a 2-year-old Albuquerque boy born with a devastating combination of heart defects.

Next month, the dinosaur-loving, Raiders-adoring superhero otherwise known as Antonio Vasquez Jr. is scheduled to undergo his fourth and most critical open heart surgery at Childrens Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

It is the last thing his doctors can do to repair what is essentially half a heart that beats on the right side of his tiny body, not the left, thats twisted backward, that has two right ventricles that work against each other and a severely narrow pulmonary valve.

As if a risky surgery during a pandemic werent stressful enough, Tony Vasquez, Antonios dad and the family breadwinner, was laid off from his managerial job at Buca di Beppo. That left him and partner Shelby Santillan scrambling for enough money to pay bills both at home and their stay in Colorado, which is expected to last weeks.

But goodness was coming.

They started a GoFundMe account and set a goal of $15,000, and you folks donated enough to exceed that goal.

Thats not even counting the money that came in through a curbside dining fundraiser April 23 at Bubbas 33 restaurant and other various ways for donating  including many of you who called me asking where to send your good old-fashioned checks.

There has been overwhelming, immense support, and there is no way to say thank you enough, Superdad Vasquez said last week. We cannot do this without all of you. This has renewed my faith in humanity.

In addition to the monetary donations, Vasquez has also received a job offer, available to him once his son heals and restaurants reopen.

Goodness.

Antonios surgery has been pushed back to June 5, with an exploratory surgery on June 2. The family plans to drive to Colorado on May 30, possibly with a socially distanced send-off of family and friends and folks like you who saw the goodness in a little boys face and let that goodness reflect on you.

Oh, you people.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Reach Joline at 730-2793, jkrueger@abqjournal.com, Facebook or @jolinegkg on Twitter.
What happened

Shares of mall-focused real estate investment trust Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) rose as much as 12% in the first half hour of the trading day on May 18. Following closely behind was Macerich (NYSE:MAC), which was up 11%, and factory outlet specialist Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (NYSE:SKT). Trailing a little behind this trio was Pennsylvania REIT (NYSE:PEI), which was up in the high single digits.

Although the entire market was higher during early trading, and that was a clear help to this group, the big market-moving news that came out before the day's trading began was extra beneficial for mall owners.

So what

Malls ended up shuttered because of the government's efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Non-essential business closures and social distancing pretty much dictated this outcome. Malls are built specifically to get large numbers of people into one central area to shop for things they may or may not really need. That doesn't combine well with an illness to which nobody has any immunity, and that happens to spread easily in group settings.

Malls have started to reopen again, with Simon leading the way for the broader group. It is taking a number of steps to assure consumers that its malls are safe. That includes making an extra effort to keep its facilities clean, handing out face masks, and limiting the number of customers that can enter a mall at a given time. These steps make complete sense given the nature of COVID-19, but they will add costs and reduce shopping at Simon's malls. All of the mall REITs are taking similar steps as they, too, look to reopen for business.

Tanger stands out from the pack here because the vast majority of its malls are outdoor facilities. It doesn't need to do quite as much to reassure customers as indoor mall operators like Simon, Macerich, and Penn REIT.

Reopening is great news in general, but the overhang from COVID-19 remains a very big issue. Medical professionals, the Federal Reserve, and government officials have all said that it could be impossible to return to a pre-coronavirus "normal" until there's a vaccine. That means that owning a mall will remain a difficult business for the foreseeable future, since there is no vaccine just yet. It's a notable headwind for mall owners like Penn REIT and Macerich, which have elevated debt levels.

But all of this could change at some point, and the market jumped on an early indication that there's progress being made. Biotechnology company Moderna announced on May 18 that it has seen early success with a vaccine that it has in phase 1 trials. However, it's important not to get too caught up in the news. Phase 1 trials, as the name implies, are still early in the approval process. The pharmaceutical industry is littered with candidates that passed phase 1 and never became a viable drug. Moreover, the numbers involved with this early study are quite small, with only 45 people in the trial. There's a lot more work to be done before Moderna brings a vaccine to market.

Now what

Malls reopening is good news. A vaccine that would make consumers feel safe in a mall (and eliminate or at least reduce social distancing requirements and safety protocols) would be even better. Thus, it's not surprising that Wall Street got super excited about Moderna's news and pushed the mall REITs sharply higher. Only it's too soon to really know if there's anything worthwhile that will come from this. Mall REITs remain a highly volatile sector and news like this only highlights that volatility, which will often be driven by nothing more than investors' emotional swings.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed four teams each in Odisha and West Bengal as the agency prepares for the landfall of cyclonic storm 'Amphan'. Cyclone Amphan which formed as a deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal later intensified into a cyclonic storm on Saturday.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Amphan is expected to re-curve north-northwestwards across northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha coasts on Monday and Tuesday.

BCCL

In the next 12 hours, roughly by Monday morning, it is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and into a very severe cyclonic storm.

"Cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN' over Southeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood moved northwestwards slowly during past 6 hours & lay centred over the same region at 2030 hrs on May 16. It's likely to intensify further into Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hrs," Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar warned.

"And into a very severe cyclonic storm by May 18 morning. It's very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till May 17 & then re-curve north-northeastwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal towards WB & adjoining North Odisha from May 18 to 20," it added.

BCCL

The cyclone is very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till May 17 and then re-curve towards West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coasts during May 18-20, the weather department added. IMD warned fishermen not to venture into the north Bay of Bengal along & off West BengalNorth Odisha coasts from May 18 to 21. It advised those already out at deep sea to return to coasts by Sunday.

According to the forecast squall wind speed of 65 to 75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph prevailing over the southeast southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas is likely to increase becoming 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph over east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal by Sunday evening. By May 18 morning, southern parts of Bay of Bengal likely to witness wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.

Wind speed of 160-170 kmph gusting to 190 kmph likely to be witnessed over northern parts of central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Bay of Bengal on May 19 and with speeds of 155-165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph over north Bay of Bengal by May 20 morning.

12 districts in Odisah, Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh have been put on alert and state chief minister Naveen Patnaik has put a target of zero casualty before administration.
Statement on Afghanistan by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

17 May. 2020

Press Release (2020) 046

Issued on 17 May. 2020

I welcome the decision taken by Afghanistan's political leaders to resolve their differences and join efforts to form an inclusive government.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued Taliban violence against their fellow Afghans, it is more important than ever that all Afghan leaders unite and work towards enduring peace in Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban to live up to their commitments, reduce violence now, take part in intra-Afghan negotiations, and make real compromises for lasting peace and the benefit of all Afghans.

All parties should seize this unprecedented opportunity for peace. We need to see a comprehensive agreement which ends violence; safeguards the human rights of all Afghans, including women; upholds the rule of law; and eliminates terrorist safe havens once and for all.

NATO Allies and partners remain firmly committed to Afghanistan's long-term security and stability, through our Resolute Support training mission, and with funding.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on the world Monday to rally behind the World Health Organization and support developing countries as he opened a WHO annual assembly after weeks of acrimony between China and the United States over a proposal to investigate the origins of covid-19.

Xi's speech, delivered via video at the invitation of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, signaled a growing sense of assurance on China's part. Xi pledged $2 billion in aid over two years to help other countries respond to the pandemic and, in a turnaround, agreed to an independent evaluation of the coronavirus response - once the pandemic is over.

For weeks China had been anticipating, and bitterly opposing, a proposal from Western countries to conduct an international probe into the pandemic's origins.

But China's opposition has melted in recent days as international support for an inquiry grew to include Russia, Turkey and European and African countries, and as drafts of the proposed resolution showed a focus on international collaboration to manage the pandemic, with relatively limited emphasis on questioning its source.

President Donald Trump was also invited to speak at the assembly, but declined the invitation, according to two officials, one at the WHO and one at the White House.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, who represented the United States at the virtual meeting, used his speech to accuse the WHO of allowing China to cover up the outbreak.

"We must be frank about one of the primary reasons that this outbreak spun out of control," he said. "There was a failure by this organization to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives."

Later Monday, Trump echoed his remarks, calling the WHO "a puppet of China."

Another prospect that China vehemently opposed - a Taiwanese presence at the World Health Assembly - also dissolved Monday after Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said the territory would withdraw its bid for observer status, which Beijing had resisted.

In a statement published Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced Taiwan's exclusion from the meeting and accused Tedros of undermining the U.N. agency by siding with Beijing.

"WHO's Director-General Tedros had every legal power and precedent to include Taiwan in WHA's proceedings. Yet, he instead chose not to invite Taiwan under pressure from the People's Republic of China," the statement said. "The Director-General's lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwan's renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease, and further damages the WHO's credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most."

In an address that contained repeated references to China's support for multilateral institutions and developing countries, particularly in Africa, Xi appeared to be differentiating himself from Trump at a time when China and the United States are dueling over economic primacy and global influence.

Any vaccines produced by China would also be considered a global public good and shared, Xi said. He called on countries to support the critical work of the WHO and Tedros after both were accused by Trump of deferring to the Chinese government. Trump ordered a temporary freeze on WHO funding in April and said on Twitter this weekend that he is weighing how to proceed.

Although Xi did not specify a recipient for his $2 billion pledge, that amount would overshadow the amount of WHO funding that the United States promised before it was frozen last month. During the 2018-19 two-year period, the United States committed to contributing about $893 million to the WHO budget, which totaled $5.6 billion, according to funding data published by the agency.

"At this critical juncture, to support the WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle to save lives," Xi said. "China takes as its responsibility not only the lives and health of its citizens but global public health."

John Ullyot, a spokesman for the National Security Council, dismissed Xi's $2 billion pledge as "a token" being used to divert attention from China's actions.

"As the source of the outbreak, China has a special responsibility to pay more and to give more," he said in a statement.

The Chinese government has repeatedly characterized the pandemic as a crisis that is global in nature and called any targeted inquiry that draws undue attention to covid-19's roots in Wuhan a ploy by Washington and its allies to make it a scapegoat. Chinese officials and state media responded furiously last month after Australian officials suggested that agencies such as the WHO, which have relatively limited powers, should be able to swiftly dispatch investigators to the site of emergencies.

Following the Australian comments, China threatened to boycott Australian products. Last week, it effectively cut imports of Australian beef on technical grounds; on Monday, its Commerce Ministry announced it would impose 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley as part of a long-standing anti-dumping investigation.

But Xi reversed course on the proposal in his speech Monday, saying he supports efforts to improve response times for future public health emergencies and would back a review as long as it was "objective and impartial" - and held after the pandemic was under control.

The draft resolution, submitted by the European Union on Monday and supported by more than 100 nations, does not mention Wuhan or China. It asks the WHO to work with other U.N. agencies to "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts."

The document does not propose a review to identify missteps in how countries handled the outbreak and is instead forward-looking. It calls on the WHO to arrange "scientific and collaborative field missions" to help prevent similar future outbreaks. It also appears to rule out the possibility that the virus was man-made or experimented upon - a possibility that U.S. officials have raised but that is considered unlikely by most epidemiologists.

On Monday, Trump retweeted an Australian news report about 116 countries uniting behind an Australian call for an investigation, writing "We are with them!"
Aden, May 18 : Yemen's pro-government coast guard forces confirmed that a UK vessel came under an attempted piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden.

Captain Nasser Awlaki, with the Yemeni Coast Guard forces, told Xinhua news agency that "a British vessel was subjected to an attempt of piracy attack (80 miles) from the nearest land point off the country's southern coast".

He said that "the ship was subjected to an attempted piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden offshore of Yemen's port of Mukalla, east of the country".

According to Awlaki, "the incident occurred in an area far from the jurisdiction of the Yemeni Coast Guard".

Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said that a vessel came under attack in the Gulf of Aden at 12.30 p.m. on Sunday.

The organization advised extreme caution to any vessels transiting the area.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 after Houthi rebels forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.
Some L.A. restaurants don't support capping delivery app fees at 15%. Sichuan Impression is one of the restaurants that signed a petition in opposition to the fee cap. Pictured is an order of boiled fish with rattan pepper and dumplings from the location in Alhambra. (Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)

In an unexpected move, more than 20 Los Angeles restaurants, including Canters, Sichuan Impression and Sweetfin, have signed a petition opposing a City Council proposal to cap third-party delivery app fees.

Its a stance thats in direct opposition to many other restaurant owners, who have slammed the delivery apps for gouging them with commission fees that can reach as high as 30%. Its especially shameful, theyve said, during a time when restaurants are being crippled by the forced shutdown of their dining rooms.

The petition comes a few weeks after Los Angeles Councilman Mitch OFarrell proposed an ordinance that would set a 15% delivery fee cap per order during the COVID-19 pandemic; San Francisco and New York have already adopted similar measures. The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at an L.A. City Council meeting on Wednesday.

Restaurant owners against the proposal say theyre worried that commission caps would actually be detrimental to their businesses. Thats because, with reduced revenue from fees, delivery app companies have warned that they might be forced to compensate by cutting services, their drivers pay or increasing the fees paid by diners. In the latter case, diners might then choose not to place orders, which would in turn negatively affect restaurants.

In some cases, the delivery apps might choose to pull out of the Los Angeles market altogether.

I am writing today to strongly oppose any measure that places caps on the commissions agreed on by the on-demand delivery network companies and my restaurant, reads the petition, which also includes signatures from Namsan in Koreatown, El Indio Mexicano in Yorba Linda, Fat Sals Deli in Hollywood and Hollywood Pizza Cafe. These companies have been a lifeline to customers during the COVID-19 response, and altering a system that is working increases uncertainty and concern during a time when each day I am fighting for my businesss survival.

The petition was facilitated by Postmates after business owners reached out to us to see what they could do to support us, a Postmates spokesman said. The petition was sent to Los Angeles City Council members and officials on Friday, and underscored the complicated nature of the delivery app industry: Restaurant owners feel taken advantage of, diners complain of delivery prices that are too high and the app companies contend that they too are barely making any money .

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Canters Deli owner Marc Canter said he doesnt see how its possible to lower the fees without the money coming out of someone elses pocket, and expressed concern about the government getting involved in how companies set their prices.

Of course everyone wants a discount, but how? he said. Where are they going to get the money that provides their platform and hires drivers? It would be the same thing as the government telling Ford Motors they have to start producing cars and make all cars $3,000 from now on.

Canter said he would only support the rate cap during the pandemic if the government supplemented the difference for the delivery app companies. He suggested that the apps should track if a customer was referred to an app through a restaurant website and reduce fees on those occasions.

Sichuan Impression co-owner Kelly Xiao worried that delivery drivers would see their wages cut, or fewer orders to pick up, if fees were capped at 15%.

A 15% fee is definitely helpful to restaurants during this difficult time, however I do not know whats the cost and profit margin for these delivery app companies, she said. I appreciate they offered lots of job opportunities recently to the people who lost their jobs.

If the rate cap is approved, Postmates, the most popular third-party ordering app in the city according to the data collection site Second Share , hinted that it may stop offering delivery as well as many of the other restaurant services it provides, including data analytics and marketing.

We would have to turn off the ability to even partner with these restaurants, said Vikrum Aiyer, the companys vice president for public policy and strategic communications.

Postmates, which negotiates fees individually with restaurants, has more than 35,000 Los Angeles businesses on its platform and pays its gig workers $30 an hour, according to Aiyer. It brought in a reported $400 million in revenue in 2018. Aiyer declined to comment on the San Francisco companys profit margin.

In 2019 we facilitated sales on behalf of local businesses of about $500 million, and a third of that went to gig worker pay, Aiyer said. The costs will have to get recouped somewhere. Customer fees could go up or worker pay could get cut.

Timesha Philips, who owns the Phatdaddys burger restaurant in South L.A., has an exclusive delivery contract with Postmates. Last week she reported $1,289 in sales and paid Postmates $315, a commission fee of nearly 25%. Still, Philips signed the petition.

Lowering commissions would help me, but Im already a small business and I dont have enough revenue coming in to be able to contract out my own delivery people, she said. I get so many orders from the app, especially during COVID-19. If I didnt have a delivery platform to be able to offer my products, I probably wouldnt even be able to be in business.

Postmates is proposing a restaurant resiliency fund as an alternative to the 15% fee cap. It would require a transaction fee that would either be a fixed charge or a percentage on each transaction. The city would decide on the amount of the fixed charge or percentage, and determine whether customers or the delivery apps would be responsible to pay it.

In our vision, it would be what gets tacked onto the customer side, Aiyer said.

The money from the fee would then be given to restaurants, although Aiyer did not specify how. Postmates is also proposing a model that would allow the city to prioritize certain geographical areas over others when distributing the money based on need. Aiyer said he has been in talks with the mayor of West Hollywood regarding the proposal.

I would be in favor of this if there was a real system to determine who needed the funds and who didnt need the funds, Sweetfin co-founder Seth Cohen said. If theres an option for a customer to spend an extra 2.5% or 3% its really a negligible amount.

The poke bowl chain, which also has an exclusive delivery contract with Postmates, has 10 locations in Southern California. Cohen believes the cost of having to hire and manage his own delivery fleet will be just as, if not more, expensive than using the third-party apps.

Xiao said there are other ways the apps could be helping restaurants.

They could improve the delivery speed, quality of service and system security, she said.

Georgette Powell, who owns Mels Fish Shack in West Adams, has seen orders surge recently at her restaurant. She offers delivery through several apps including Uber Eats, Postmates and DoorDash and sent a separate letter to Councilman Herb Wesson on May 5 opposing the fee cap.

We pay a fair rate to those who have kept us viable during these difficult times, it said. In 38 years of operations we have not needed nor asked for any such governmental intervention."




New Delhi:

Against the backdrop of attacks on Dalits and minorities, President Pranab Mukherjee today said these incidents should be dealt with firmly, calling the violence against weaker sections that militate against the national ethos as aberrations.

Coming down heavily on forces of intolerance, Mukherjee cautioned against unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda and polarising debates by groups and individuals, saying they lead to institutional travesty and constitutional subversion.

The President also made it clear that democracy was not just about exercising choice to elect government periodically.

In his address to the nation on the eve of Indias 70th Independence Dayhis fifth since assuming office, the President asked authorities and Institutions of State Power to adhere to the Maryada(dignity) in discharge of their duties as established in this ancient Indian ethos.

In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly, he said.

The President said the collective wisdom of our society and our polity gave him the confidence that such forces will remain marginalised and Indias remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted.

The great tree of liberty requires constant nourishment through the institutions of democracy. Disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion. Polarising debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse, he said.

Mukherjee said the Constitution has clearly defined the duties and responsibilities of every organ of the state.

It has established the ancient Indian ethos of Maryada as far as Authorities and Institutions of State power are concerned. The spirit of the Constitution has to be upheld by adherence to this Maryada by the functionaries in the discharge of their duties, he said.

The President said India will grow, only when all of India grows.

The excluded ones have to be included in the development process. The hurt and the alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream, he added.

The President said for all the challenges faced by the country, he has a great belief in our innate and inherent capacity as an ancient country whose soul and jijivisha- the will to live and excel can never be suppressed.

Various forces external as well as internal have tried to smother this soul of India over millennia but every time this soul has emerged more powerful and more glorious having neutralised, assimilated and incorporated every challenge that it faced, he said.

Making a plea for promoting scientific temper and questioning unscientific beliefs, the President said, We must learn to challenge the status quo and refuse to accept inefficiency and slipshod work. In a competitive environment, a sense of immediacy and some impatience is a necessary virtue.

We often celebrate the achievements of our ancient past but it would be wrong to rest on our laurels. It is much more important to look to the future. It is time to join hands to cooperate, innovate and advance, the President said.

Mukherjee said Indias focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development.

Recent initiatives have enhanced energy security, promoted food security, and created international partnerships to take our flagship development programmes forward, he said.

The President said rhere will be no stepping back on our neighbourhood first policy. Close bonds of history, culture, civilisation and geography provide the people of South Asia with an extraordinary opportunity to carve out a common destiny and to march together towards prosperity. This opportunity must be seized without delay, he said.

Expressing concerns over global terror activities and radicalisation in the name of religion, the President said,these forces apart from killing innocent people in the name of religion also threaten to disturb geopolitical divides, which could prove disastrous for world peace.

The inhuman, mindless and barbaric modus operandi of such groups have been visible in France, Belgium, United States, Nigeria, Kenya and closer home in Afghanistan and Bangladesh recently, Mukherjee said.

He said these forces now pose a danger to the entire comity of nations and the world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice.

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Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom says it has launched feasibility studies for the construction of a second gas pipeline to China that would more than double the volumes it could deliver there.

Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller said on May 18 that a Power of Siberia 2 pipeline might carry up to 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to energy-hungry China.

The pipeline might pass through Mongolia, Miller said, without mentioning a potential date for construction.

Russia has been looking for years to diversify its export markets away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China.

A number of European states have meanwhile taken a hard look at their own energy dependence on Russia, particularly with political fallout from Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 complicating the West's relations with Moscow.

In December 2019, Gazprom started pumping gas to northeastern China via its 2,000-kilometer-plus Power of Siberia pipeline in eastern Siberia.

Gazprom in 2014 signed a $400 billion contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to supply 38 billion cubic meters per year through the Power of Siberia over 30 years.

But while the first pipeline taps gas fields in eastern Russia, a second project would link up to fields in western Russia such as the ones on the Yamal Peninsula.

The Yamal Peninsula, which holds Russias largest gas reserves, already feeds Gazproms EU customers.

Power of Siberia 2 would also connect Russias key production centers in western and eastern Siberia.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
American billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has denied media reports that he offered a $10 million bribe to the Nigerian House of Representatives to pass the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill being considered by the House.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation registered the denial in a memorandum submitted to an ad-hoc committee of the House investigating the allegations on Monday.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had alleged that it intercepted a human intelligence report that the House leadership was poised to forcefully pass the compulsory vaccine bill without subjecting it to the traditions of legislative proceedings.

The body in the statement by its spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, alleged that $10 million was offered by Mr Gates to influence the speedy passage of the bill without recourse to legislative public hearing, adding that the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, should be impeached if he forces the bill on members.

But the speaker defended his promotion of the bill, arguing that its content and timing were appropriate.

He also pledged that there would be a public hearing where Nigerians would have the opportunity to contribute to the draft law.

SPURIOUS ALLEGATIONS

Speaking for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation before the House Adhoc committee, Mr Gates who was represented by the country representative of his Foundation, Paulin Basinga, said there was no interaction whatsoever between himself or his Foundation and the House.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has recently been made aware of an allegation circulating in certain elements of the Nigerian media that the Foundation was involved in a payment purportedly made to the Nigeria House of Representatives. Any such allegations are entirely false and without merit, he said.

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To be clear, the Foundation has not offered any financial incentives to any member of Nigerias legislative branch for the passage of legislation nor has it offered any grants to organisations in Nigeria in connection with the same.

He said the Foundation adheres to strict ethical and legal guidelines across all areas of its operations.

APPEAR OR GO TO JAIL

Related to the development, the ad-hoc committee investigating the allegation has given Mr Ugochinyere till Thursday to appear before it with evidence of inducement as alleged by him or face a charge of contempt of parliament.

Chairman of the investigative panel, Henry Nwawuoba (PDP, Imo), made this known to the legal representative to CUPP spokesperson, Tochukwu Uhazurike.

Mr Uhazurike told the panel that his client did not attend the hearing because he had filed a lawsuit challenging the legal ground of the committee to summon him for investigation, adding that in line with the principles of natural justice, the speaker cannot be a judge in his own case.

But the committee told the lawyer that the committee invited Mr Ugochinyere and not his lawyer, as he personally made the allegation and not through any lawyer.

As a result, the lawmakers said they would not allow any lawyer or legal representative to speak to them on his behalf, insisting that the man who alleged must come forward to prove his allegation.

The lawmakers challenged the veracity of the court document said to have been served the House in an attempt to halt the investigation.

They also advised the lawyer to advise his client to come forward with the proof of his allegation as that will also help the House to expose any of its members who must have taken the said bribe thereby bringing it to disrepute.

We have a mandate to investigate the allegation by your client, and any attempt in whatever manner to derail it will be met with the full weight of the parliament.

You cannot bring a letter to the House on the day of an investigation in an attempt to stop it. What we do here is constitutional, and just like the procedures read out to you, he must be here present, accompanied by you, if he so wishes.

But we wont listen to you on this matter, so you tell your principal to make himself available by Thursday, failure of which we are will turn in our recommendation to the House.

On media houses who carried the said story, Mr Nwawuba said the Nigerian Media and the National Assembly remain partners in progress on the task of nation-building, adding that care must be taken at all times to vet and verify potentially libellous materials before publication.
The Germany Travel Mart (GTM) is going virtual this year in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, with plans to return in 2021.

Said to be the biggest incoming workshop for Destination Germany, the virtual event is set to take place from June 22-24 in close cooperation with the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which has been confirmed to host the 2021 GTM from April 25-27.

Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) Executive Board, explained: In order to foster and further enhance the key contacts of our partners of Germany tourism with international buyers and multipliers, we are going to offer the GTM in the form of a digital event this year. With this we are building a bridge for the recovery programs for 2020/2021 and the next physical GTM.

Tobias Woitendorf, director of the TMV, further elaborated: We are already looking forward to welcome the key accounts of the international travel industry to the physical GTM from April 25 to April 27, 2021 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The preparations for 2021 have already begun. We will use the virtual GTM 2020 to present our federal state with a webinar on the destination.

In additiona to live meetings between suppliers and hosted buyers within the established networking tool, the GNTB has integrated further digital communication possibilities, such as webinars and on-demand content.

The participation in the Virtual GTM 2020 costs 79 ($85.4) for German suppliers. Prospective suppliers can now register online. Suppliers which have been listed on the GTM distribution list will be contacted automatically.

The GTM has established itself as an exceptionally efficient platform for business contacts and contract conclusions between more than 500 key accounts of the international travel industry and about 350 German suppliers in the last 46 years. International participants from more than 45 countries worldwide complete up to 20,000 face to face client meetings. - TradeArabia News Service
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Monday received a phone call from his Norwegian counterpart Ine Marie Eriksen Soreid.

During the call, Shoukry expressed Egypt's eagerness to develop the distinguished relations with Norway, asserting Egypt's appreciation to the path of cooperation between the two friendly nations, according to Foreign Minister Spokesman Ahmed Hafez.

He called for building on the progress achieved in promoting bilateral relations over the past years in various political, economic and development domains.

Shoukry and Soreid tackled regional situations of mutual concern, a top of which is the developments of the Palestinian cause in light of the necessity of reaching a comprehensive and just solution through backing efforts meant to restoring momentum to the political process.

The ministers reviewed the underway preparations for holding the upcoming meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which serves as the principal policy-level coordination mechanism for international assistance offered to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Slate for June 2, the meeting is set to be held via the video conference.

Meanwhile, the top-diplomats reviewed efforts meant to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and agreed on the importance of continuing coordination and cooperation to ease the impact of the crisis at all levels.

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Cinematic Battle against Covid-19 By Susitha Fernando We Are One: A Global Film Festival View(s): View(s):

This first ever online film festival is co-curated by over 20 film festivals from across the world and the funds will be given to the World Health Organisations COVID-19 relief work.

The renowned festivals that are taking part in the Global Film Festival are Locarno Film Festival,

Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival, International Film Festival and Awards Macao (IFFAM), Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR), San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.

The ad-free programming is to include movies, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy and discussions related to cinema.

Issuing a statement on this novel concept Tribeca Enterprises Chief Executive Jane Rosenthal said, We Are One: A Global Film Festival unites curators, artists and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide.

In working with our extraordinary festival partners and YouTube, we hope that everyone gets a taste of what makes each festival so unique and appreciates the art and power of film she added.

We often talk about films uniquely powerful role in inspiring and uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world. All of the world needs healing right now, said Rosenthal.

Its an event thats never been done before and were proud to be the home for this fantastic content that is free to fans around the world YouTubes chief business officer Robert Kyncl has told the media.

One of the most unique and inspiring aspects of the world staying home is our ability to come together and experience an event as one, and We Are One: A Global Film Festival is just that, he has said.

Prestigious Cannes Film Festivals President Pierre Lescure has said We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival,.

Joining the festival Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland stated, We Are One: A Global Film Festival will allow the audience to see the world at a time when even going to ones backyard seems like a journey. Through YouTube and the festivals offerings, it will be possible to peek at cultures, get acquainted with new artists, investigate art forms, share new perspectives and listen to new reflections, courtesy of the feature films, shorts, documentaries, music, conversations and everything else the various festivals, including the Locarno Film Festival, will contribute with in the weeks to come.

We are Locarno, and We Are One. Locarno is one of festivals that immediately said yes to the Global Film Festival, an initiative by Tribeca Entrerprise and YouTube that aims to create one big online event to ideally and cinematically shatter down the barriers imposed by COVID-19 all over the world the statement noted.

It is a one-of-a-kind event, spawned by the spirit that brings together all those entities that, like the Locarno Film Festival does, believe in cinema and all arts. Such a spirit comes with the belief that authors, artists and their work are bridges connecting audiences and cultures, even when distance prevents it, it added.
A British art teacher has painted a lockdown map to poke fun at how the UK is dealing with coronavirus.

The picture, by Annalisa Morrocco, is titled 'The Official Map of Lockdown Island' and highlights the country's preoccupation with stockpiling food, binge watching Netflix and even features covidiots.

It is split into seven sections including Sillycone Valley, Mount Panic, the Defence Base of Pandemia and the State of Nirvana.

In the top corner, lies 'The Commune of Quarantini' with a girl dressed in pyjamas and waving a phone and cocktail in her hand.

Mount Panic, Sillycone Valley and the Commune of Quarantini: Artist creates map of 'Lockdown Island' to poke fun at how Britain is handling coronavirus crisis

Annalisa Morrocco (pictured) is from Dundee but has lived in Brittany, France for the last 30 years

It is the destination 'where staying in is the new going out' and the home-owner is guzzling house wine.

Underneath is a drawing of a cruise liner with the caption, 'This Super Spreader goes to VACINOPOLIS.'

Heading further inland is 'Mount Panic' which mocks Brits stockpiling of essentials which also features someone going to work on an exercise bike in their 'Easter bunny jammies.'

Adjacent to the hoarding of cupboard staples is 'Pencilvania' - 'where you want to erase 2020 and draw it differently', she explains.

Annalisa Morrocco initially assigned her college class to draw a 'Lockdown Island' before giving it a go herself.

Annalisa, who is from Dundee, left the UK for France around 30 years ago and said the art piece has allowed her to reconnect with home.

The 58-year-old, who is daughter to Scotland's renowned artist Alberto Morrocco has sketched a 'Sillycone Valley' to the right - and says 'here you can create multiple innovative items of the highest technology out of toilet roll inners'.

Annalisa, now of Brittany, France, displays some of the 'popular designs' of bats, phone holders and beaks made from bog roll.

It lies below mountainous terrain dubbed the 'peaks of paranoia', according to the artist. Here people are checking their temperature every half an hour.

In the top corner, lies 'The Commune of Quarantini' with a girl dressed in pyjamas and waving a phone and cocktail in her hand

More mindful Brits might find themselves in the 'Zen Den' - indulging in self-care and yoga.

'Step into the divine state of Nirvana and feel blessed to be synchronized with the whole world - become ultra spiritual', the map reads.

Residents might expect to find meaning to important questions like 'is that a hole in my sock? Did I put the bins out? Where did 2020 go?'

The Town of Procrastinatia includes, the Sloth Museum, Sky Scrapers of Feeble Excuses, 'Coughfee Pot,' Netflix Row and Bingewatchers Bay

Annalisa suggests there's a thin line between the inner-zen and procrastination - as it lies eerily close to the fictional 'Distraction Point'.

The Town of Procrastinatia includes, the Sloth Museum, Sky Scrapers of Feeble Excuses, Netflix Row and Bingewatchers Bay.

Another area is The Outlands which features the slogan, 'where you can scuttle around like a covidiot.'

The map even features The Kingdom of Corona where there is a virus refinery and a Pangolino Park

People can grab their brew from the 'coughee pot' in the Unemployed Colony while overlooking the 'Sea of Despair'.

Over the Channel of the Unknown is the Kingdom of Corona - characterised with pumping factories, Pangolinos, and City of Microbia - the hotbed for breeding bacteria and microbes, along with Batsville Brook.

The map contains a scroll that says, 'By appointment to the evil serial killer King Covid 19th.'
This article is in three parts. Part 1 discusses the meaning, target and sources of stigma with emphasis on physique, social group membership, cognitive and neurological factors and life style preferences. Part 2 looked at the manifestations and effects of stigmatization such as labelling, discrimination, anxiety, with special attention to Ghana specific cases. The final part (3) deliberates on the way forward to stigma reduction through awareness creation and sensitization. Others are community involvement and the role of faith-based institutions as well as work place policies and the critical role of the media.





What is stigma?



Stigma is derived from a Greek word which originally referred to a type of mark or tattoo that was cut or burned into the skin of criminals, slaves, or traitors in order to visibly identify them as blemished and therefore to be avoided. It is a label attached to a person with a set of unwanted and unwelcome characteristics which is socially undesirable, discrediting and must therefore not be entertained. Put differently, stigma or stigmatization is a negative labeling and/or emotional reaction(s) to an individual or a group mainly because something about that individual or the group (his/her likes as the case may be) is perceived to be different or negatively out of the ordinary; and as a result, such individual and/or his/her group members are tagged by a cross-section of society as dangerous, unusual, weird, mystical, peculiar, bizarre, strange and odd.



In some instances, the condition(s) which makes someone looks different and unwelcome seems incomprehensible to those who stigmatize and that in itself may create anxiety and induce fear and other negative emotions towards the stigmatized person(s). These perceptions and their associated emotions are the main reasons why certain individuals and groups are regrettably placed in a different category and labelled in ways that are humiliating and degrading. As a consequence of these perceptions and categorizations, most invariably and automatically, the individual or the group is branded as an outcast and treated differently in ways that embarrass, demean and disadvantage them in many ways.



Who is a target of stigma [tization] in Ghana?



Everyone can be a subject or target of stigma depending on where one finds him/herself. Stigma predominantly applies to humans but it can also be tagged to inanimate objects such as an institution, a house, settlement, and in some cases, a town or a city, a country or a whole continent. Stigma applies to both groups and individuals of all age brackets and sexes/gender, race, and socio-economic background but minorities, the poor and the vulnerable, are more susceptible to stigma than the rich and those highly placed in society. In Ghana, persons with condition of albinism, the physically challenged, persons with squinted eyes, the visually and auditory impaired and those with some form of psychologically challenges popularly referred to as mental illness, are among individuals who are the unfortunate targets of stigmatization.



Others are those with certain levels of cognitive limitations and therefore cannot benefit from formal academic education beyond certain level, persons with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and in recent times, contact persons who have been quarantined for observation and testing, those tested positive for COVID-19 and even those who have recovered. In addition, persons with conditions of epilepsy, ex-convict and spouses (especially the women) who do not have children or perceived to be unable to give birth even if it is by choice are also target of stigma. Most of the targets listed above are applicable in other societies.



Stigma is contagious



Stigma tend to be contagious in the sense that it does not affect only the person whose condition has led to the labelling and emotional reactions, but members of his/her family, friends and even in some instances co-workers, neighbours, community and social group members. Based on the ostensible fear and other negative emotion attached to stigma, the stigmatizers tend to extend those perceptions to anyone who is associated with the stigmatized. This is the main reason why families and those close (e.g. friends, co-workers, etc.) to the stigmatized are also sometime stigmatized and avoided. By extension, the stigmatized is usually avoided by others not only because of the perception of possessing undesirable features/characteristics but also, the fear of being associated with him/her - the stigmatized person.



By implication, in the minds of stigmatizers, stigma is an contagious/infectious disease hence the source must be avoided to prevent contracting it- by analogy with COVID-19 recommended protocols, the avoidance is a form of hand-washing with soup, the use of sanitizers, wearing of face mask or even staying at home to avoid infection. Indeed, it can be argued forcefully that apart from the fear of contracting the covid-19, the fear of potential stigma by association - located in their neighbourhood - is one of the main reasons why some residents in parts of the country have resisted the attempt by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to use certain state facilities in their communities as quarantine centres. The other angle of stigma being contagious is that as others learn (observe, hear, etc.) about how persons with certain features are categorized and treated, there is the tendency for some of those who heard and/or observed the behaviour to also do same given the opportunity - spread by imitating others.



This suggest that stigma is not necessary the result of direct possession of any or some of the apparent undesirable and unwelcome physical, social, cognitive, neurological or life style characteristics (to be elaborated later under sources of stigma), but also by association. In effect, depending on ones place of residence, the environment or society one finds him/herself in, ones demographic characteristics and many other variables, individually and vicariously, almost every person in one way or the other, is at risk of stigma. On the basis of everyone as a potentially susceptible to one form of stigma or the other, I want you to ask yourself how you would have felt if anything about you or associated with you had been used to stigmatize you. If your response is negative, then make conscious efforts not to stigmatize anyone.



Sources of stigma [Why stigmatization?]: Physique



Stigmatization may arise from several sources including physique - ones body types, physical appearance -, social group membership, cognitive and neurological impairment, health condition - illness or disease and personal choices and preferences. Unfortunately in many societies including Ghana, physical looks or appearance which deviates from the known and the expected range of standards whether as a result of congenital disease or otherwise is one of the attributes or characteristics use to stigmatize individuals and groups. In essence, persons who are physically challenged, visually impaired, have squinted eye(s), certain facial marks, of different skin colour such as condition of albinism, black, yellow, etc., persons who are very fleshy/flabby/plump, those who are very lanky/skinny, women with masculine body type or physique and excess hair on the face (beard-like and side facial hair), men with feminine body type or physique such as bigger than average male breast or stomach, lager than average male buttocks, or have any visible physical feature perceived to be undesirable in one way or the other, are unfortunately, the main basis for perceiving others differently and consequently stigmatized and treated in ways that tend to dehumanize them. It must be emphasized that some of these features or sources tend to attract more stigma than others.



Social group membership, cognitive and neurological



Another set of features/characteristics used as reference point when it comes to stigma are social group membership, certain health condition and personal preferences. Social group membership includes race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status and profession. In the context of social groups, minorities of all categories tend to suffer most. Skin colour and other more visible features as in clothing as well as hair style, Islamic head gear - Hijab - are typical examples of outward appearances used to identify group membership for the purpose of stigma and other social categorizations. The social group membership which are not very conspicuous are mostly used by persons who are close to, know the target of stigma or find out through other means such public records.



Cognitive, neurological and related impairments include psychological ones usually referred to as mental illness; others are epileptic condition, hearing impairment, learning difficulties and the associated challenges and the inability to derived maximum benefits from formal education beyond certain academic level are other instances which are sources of stigma. Stuttering which is popularly referred to stammering and other speech difficulties also fall under characteristics which are sometimes used as a source of stigma. The above are some of the reasons which account for why some parents and families keep their children who suffer from certain conditions away from the public eye - an attempt to avoid stigmatization over one or more of the above sources.



Other health conditions and personal preferences



Traditionally, among almost all the sub-cultures in Ghana (especially among the Akans which I am reasonable well vest in), frowns upon the use a persons health condition (especially the ones that arise from natural causes and accident) to degrade him/her under any situation and for any reason either directly or in a subtle way. Ironically, illness such as leprosy, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and in recent times, the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 are unfortunately perceived negatively and frown upon by a significant number of persons in many societies as sources of stigma. The interesting issue is that society does not even seem to draw a fine line between illness that may be associated with an apparent reckless life style and those that the individual may have very little or no control over. In effect, the moment an illness is tagged as dangerous, strange and therefore unwelcome, whoever becomes a victim automatically suffers the accompanying stigma and all the negativities associated with it.



Personal preferences and life style



Another interesting feature which is a target of stigma is personal choices in terms of lifestyles, manifested in personal appearances and other preference such as visible body tattoos, multiple piecing of the ears, males who plait their hair or wear dreadlocks, women who deliberately exposure their under-pant and beads are among those who are usually stigmatized. In Ghana persons of certain age bracket who are not married either by choice or otherwise are also sometimes stigmatized. Certain type of apparel and the way they are worn are also part of the category. Until recently females who prefer to dress like men and men who dress as women were all frown upon and indeed stigmatized. One other issue which is very sensitive and controversial in Ghana but seen as personal or individual choices and life style preferences in other countries is sexual orientation. Put differently, whereas any known gay or lesbian may be a subject of stigmatization in the country, that may not be the case in other countries especially where the practice has been legalized and also perceived as individuals choice. Indeed, it will be against the law is such jurisdictions to stigmatize any person on the basis of his/her sexual preferences. In other words, whereas there are some commonalities in the sources of stigma across the globe, there are also differences from one society or country to the other and sometimes variations within the same country.



Purposive stigmatization



In addition to these major categories, stigma may also emerge as a result of a deliberate attempt by an individual or a group to tag others with negativities and convert the stigmatized into special purpose vehicles. For instance, it has been argued forcefully that the tagging of blacks during the slave trade and colonization periods as lazy, unintelligent, backward looking and many other derogatory terms and phrases were all deliberately orchestrated by the slave beneficiaries and the colonizers to consign our great grandparents into slavery and menial jobs. In order to do so successfully, convince others and themselves and save their conscience, they constant catchphrase were blacks are lazy, blacks are not good intellectually, they do not have the ability for academic and intellectually related program and professions.



That is, through the lens of stigma the merchants, slave owners and colonial government were able to shrewdly kept blacks in certain socio-economic positions for a very long time. Similar arguments are sometimes advanced to justify the treatment meted out to some domestic assistants popularly referred to as house helps. Ironically, as is the case with the slaves and colonization, domestic assistants are very much used to achieve a lot for those they work for, but some of them are despised - their end product is liked and cherished but not their person - a form of approach-avoidance.



Wiafe-Akenten, C. Brenya, PhD



Social Psychologist and a Senior Lecturer



Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Ghana.









Source: Wiafe-Akenten, C. Brenya, PhD









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Turkish and Azerbaijani developers have created and commissioned Paym.es companys online platform worth $10 million, Tariyel Aghazade, Program Manager for SUP.VC (intensive accelerator program), told local media.

According to the companys Azerbaijani representative Hasan Jabbarov, the COVID-19 pandemic globally reduced offline sales, and online sales began to grow rapidly.

He noted that the service is already working in Azerbaijan, as well. To start making any sales on this platform, the status of an individual entrepreneur is not mandatory. The service can be used by both individuals and legal entities.

As Aghazade noted, entrepreneurs not having an online store conduct sales through social networks.

During this period, we see that the financial turnover of entrepreneurs has decreased significantly; e-commerce is forcing entrepreneurs to meet the needs of people by introducing know-how, he said.

This startup project exempts potential customers from using POS terminals or banking services to make payments to the seller. The Paym.es project acts as a guarantor between the buyer and the seller in making payments, that is, the buyers money is not immediately transferred to the sellers account, but reserved before the seller fulfills his obligations. After confirmation of satisfaction by the buyer, the funds are transferred to the seller, " said Jabbarov.

Aghazade added that for corporate users of Azerbaijan the opportunity has been created to receive payment for goods / services through the Paym.es panel via a link, by SMS, and also by e-mail.

Moreover, modern technologies made it possible to introduce the function of saving all the processes of goods delivery, sales, customer tracking through the panel, as well as the function of adding the required number of employees, he said.

"We plan to introduce a payment solution for individuals in Azerbaijan through the WhatsApp mobile application, so that this project would be preferable on the domestic market, Jabbarov noted. We also intend to carry out our activities in the Arab countries, offering a wide range of products and services in accordance with local requirements.

"Well take the best efforts to develop payment services in Azerbaijan, to overcome the crisis with minimal losses and make sure our customers can benefit," Aghazade said.
The U.S. is currently the WHO's biggest financial supporter, covering almost 15% of its $4.8 billion budget.

There are two types of contributions that each country makes to the WHO, those are assessed contributions and voluntary supplementary assessed contributions.

Assessed contributions are payments that countries have to make for them to become a member of the organization. The amount paid depends on the country's wealth and the size of the population. The latter is a voluntary amount but the organization encourages countries to contribute so that those less well funded activities can benefit from it.

As of March 31, 2020, the U.S. is the world's top contributor followed by China in second and Japan and Germany, at the third and fourth spot respectively.

Freezing of WHO funding

It's been a month since President Trump said he's decided to halt the U.S funding for WHO. The President has stressed that the organization has failed in slowing down the coronavirus pandemic and has been negligent in the first few months of the outbreak.

A month later, the President has expressed in a tweet that restoration of funding is currently being reviewed but the country would only pay around 10% of the usual contribution matching that of China's. The WHO funding was already slashed last February in the country's most recent budget proposal. But even with the cuts executed, the U.S. still remains the highest contributor paying $115.8 million in assessed contributions. China comes in second with $57.4 million

The President believes that the World Health Organization was proving to be too "China-centric" as they have rejected travel restrictions for citizens in China back in January even after they have declared the coronavirus an international emergency. Non-WHO member, Taiwan has applied to take part in a virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly which is a WHO decision making body after they are considered to have one of the most efficient responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was rejected as Beijing claimed that they can only earn a seat at the WHO if they accept that their country is a province of China.

Check these out:

Political criticism of WHO

This is not the first time that the World Health Organization has received flak. During the swine flu pandemic in 2009, the organization was accused of acting out too early stating that they have received too much pressure from pharmaceutical companies to declare the influenza A/H1N1 a pandemic.

Five years after, the West African Ebola outbreak shocked the world. This was considered as the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus in history and lasted from December 2013 up until June 2016 claiming over 11,000 deaths. The WHO was deemed to be negligent and was accused of acting out too late.

The WHO has been in operation for more than 70 years and the U.S. was not the first to pull out funding from the organization. Before the Soviet Union rejoined the organization in 1955, it once announced that has decided to withdraw from the WHO and refused to pay their fees for several years. Several countries have also failed to pay their assessed contributions on time.
Since the shutdown apologists seem to be losing their argument  because the vast majority of us are in little to no more danger from the Wuhan virus than we are from other such illnesses, because the number of Wuhan virus infections is a near useless metric, because "social-distancing" is pseudo-science quackery, because more and more of us are getting the proper context on Wuhan virus numbers, and because the handshake police really are out there  Democrats are now resorting to their favorite political fallback: "Racism!"

No doubt you've probably heard of the death of Ahmaud Arbery that took place recently in a small South Georgia town near Brunswick. Mr. Arbery, a black man, was shot and killed after suspicious behavior in a neighborhood and a 911 call led two armed citizens  Gregory and Travis McMichael, both white  to give chase. According to multiple reports and video evidence, at the time of the shooting, Arbery was not armed and was in possession of no stolen property.

After a brief investigation, the McMichaels were initially not charged. Several weeks after the shooting, video of the event went viral, and charges of vigilante murder, an unjust cover-up, and racism ensued. The McMichaels have since been arrested. I'm not going to argue here the guilt or innocence of anyone involved in this ugly incident. I'm praying and hoping for truth and justice for all those involved.

However, as is often the case when someone white (or "white Hispanic") kills someone of color, many others are not content with mere justice. Some folks want to make political hay out of such events. As often happens when we go down this foolish road, truth and justice are getting set aside for ugly politics.

A few days after the McMichaels were arrested, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms  whose jurisdiction lies about 300 miles north of the Arbery, McMichael incident  called the shooting "a lynching" and laid blame at the feet of President Trump. On CNN's State of the Union, Bottoms said, "With the rhetoric we hear coming out of the White House in so many ways, I think that many who are prone to being racist are given permission to do it in an overt way that we otherwise would not see in 2020." Left-wing pundits galore have been using similar ignorant, inflammatory, and deceptive rhetoric.

In addition to such foolishness, Arbery's death has led to rampant calls for hate crime legislation in Georgia. This is unsurprising from the left, but many on the right in Georgia have signaled that they are at least open to the possibility of such legislation, and some have even directly called for it.

The most notable individual in the latter group is no less than Georgia's speaker of the House, republican David Ralston. Just days ago, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), Ralston said that once Georgia's legislative session resumes in June, he will "challenge and implore" the Georgia Senate to pass the hate crimes bill already adopted by his chamber, House Bill 426, "with no delay and no amendments." Ralston added:

The time for being silent ended last week. It's time to do what's right. It's going to take some leadership and some courage, but I think it's time to act[.] ... It's a shame that it took a video of this to engage many leaders, but our responsibility is threefold: to demonstrate that Georgia and Glynn County will not be tarnished by this act of evil. It's time that we bring our law into the 21st century and make it more just, and it's time to do what's right.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp has indicated that he's open to signing a hate crime law. Georgia is one of four U.S. states that don't have hate crime legislation, and for good reason. Hate crime laws are unnecessary, and they do nothing to deter hate.

According to FBI data, in 2018, there were only 7,120 hate crime incidents involving 8,496 offenses in all of the U.S. More than half of the offenses (52.2%) involved property damage or "intimidation." About two-thirds of the offenses (5,566) were crimes against persons. Of these, 80% were crimes of intimidation or simple assault. In 2018, there were 24 murders that were classified as a hate crime.

One murder is too many, but if you take just three U.S. cities  say, Chicago, Baltimore, and St. Louis  there are around 24 murders nearly every week of the year. Most of these murder victims are black Americans. Shockingly, the CDC reveals that for U.S. black males, from birth to the age of 44, the leading cause of death is homicide. As has been often reported (but also often ignored), the vast majority (over 90%) of these homicides are the result of black-on-black violence.

Using the latest Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of criminal victimization (2018), Manhattan Institute researcher Heather Mac Donald reveals: "There were 593,598 interracial violent victimizations ... between blacks and whites last year, including white-on-black and black-on-white attacks. Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies, or 90 percent, and whites committed 56,394 of them, or less than 10 percent."

Mac Donald adds, "Blacks are also overrepresented among perpetrators of hate crimes  by 50 percent  according to the most recent Justice Department data from 2017; whites are underrepresented by 24 percent. This is particularly true for anti-gay and anti-Semitic hate crimes." In other words, in spite of the narrative so often perpetuated by hate crime apologists, America does not have a problem with white-on-black hate crime.

In spite of its lack of hate crime legislation, this is true for the state of Georgia as well. North Carolina and Michigan both have a total population that's almost exactly equal to Georgia's  about 10 million. In addition, both North Carolina and Michigan have hate crime laws. According to the FBI, in 2018, North Carolina had 142 hate crime incidents. Michigan had 431. Georgia had 35. And despite having half the number of black Americans as does Georgia, Michigan had 10 times more incidents of racially based hate crimes than Georgia. North Carolina has two-thirds the number of black Americans as does Georgia yet had three times the number of racially based hate crimes.

What's more, hate crime laws are predicated upon someone's idea of what is "hate." As they have done with most everything else they have had their hands in, modern leftists have perverted even hate. Sadly, in today's America, a "hate crime" is often nothing more than the "heinous" act of disagreeing with a leftist.

This is especially true when it comes to anything or anyone who runs afoul of the evil LGBT agenda. For example, many on the left today consider it an act of "hate" to declare that marriage is only the union of one man and one woman, to note that biology determines sex, or to refer to acts of homosexuality as sin. More than half of Democrats want to criminalize such "hate speech."

Last year, The Washington Post ran an editorial (from the former editor of Time magazine!) that declared "Why America needs a hate speech law." America doesn't need a "hate speech" law. America doesn't need hate crime laws, and neither does Georgia. Most violent crime is motivated by some sort of "hate." The effort to get hate crime legislation passed in Georgia is nothing more than the Georgia left trying to elevate themselves politically "Because we support 'hate' crime legislation, we 'hate' crime like this more than those who don't support 'hate' crime legislation, thus vote for us!" Shame on Georgia conservatives for not realizing such.

Trevor Grant Thomas: At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America.

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

Image: connor.carey via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
China says it will send a delegation to Israel after its ambassador to Tel Aviv, Du Wei, was found dead in his home on Sunday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

They are sending a delegation to help with the arrangements of sending the body back to China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat told dpa.

He would not confirm a report in the Israeli Haaretz daily that the delegation would examine the circumstances of the ambassadors death, noting Beijing had no jurisdiction to investigate in Israel.

Israels Magen David Adom ambulance service said on Sunday that Mr Wei, 58, appeared to have died of a cardiac arrest.

Embassy staff found him dead in bed in his home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv.

He had arrived in the country in February after having served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019.

His wife and son were not with him in Israel.

Police spokesperson, Micky Rosenfeld, said Israel was not investigating the death of apparent natural causes.

The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv issued a statement saying it was devastated by this tragic loss and would like to offer the most sincere sympathies to his family.

In another statement, the Chinese embassy angrily rejected accusations by U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Israel last week that Beijing had hidden information about the novel Covid-19 virus.

China has never covered up the outbreak, said the statement, calling Pompeos accusations, including a warning that Chinese investments in Israel were a threat to Israeli security, absurd.

(dpa/NAN)
OKLAHOMA CITY, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SandRidge Energy, Inc. (the "Company" or "SandRidge") (NYSE:SD) today announced financial and operational results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Results and highlights during the quarter:

Produced 28.2 MBoepd for the quarter

Incurred a net loss of $13 million , or $0.36 per share, driven largely by a non-cash ceiling test write down, and adjusted net loss of $7 million , or $0.21 per share

Generated Adjusted EBITDA of $20 million for the quarter

Decreased G&A and Adjusted G&A year-over-year by 45% and 40%, respectively, to $5.5 million , or $2.14 per boe, and $5.4 million , or $2.09 per boe

Decreased LOE year-over-year by 31% to $15.6 million , or $6.09 per boe

Reduced borrowings under the Company's credit facility to $46 million at quarter end from $57.5 million at 2019 year end

Subsequent Key Events

Initiatives Related to COVID-19 and Oil Price Movements

Due to the uncertainties presented by COVID-19 and recent steep downdraft in commodity prices, the Company implemented several proactive initiatives to optimize its cash flow, including:

Corporate personnel reductions and other cost management efforts that will lower Adjusted G&A expense to the new 2020 guidance of $11 - $15 million (down from the 2019 actual of $29 million and the prior 2020 guidance of $18 - $20 million provided in February 2020 )

- (down from the 2019 actual of and the prior 2020 guidance of - provided in ) Field personnel reductions and other operational measures that will lower LOE to the new 2020 guidance of $48 - $54 million (down from the 2019 actual of $91 million and the prior 2020 guidance of $72 - $78 million provided in February 2020 )

- (down from the 2019 actual of and the prior 2020 guidance of - provided in ) Reduced planned capital expenditures for 2020 to $4 - $9 million (down from the 2019 actual of $162 million and the prior 2020 guidance of $25 - $30 million provided in February 2020 )

- (down from the 2019 actual of and the prior 2020 guidance of - provided in ) A comprehensive well review to optimize cash flow in the current low commodity price environment

The execution of 30,000 MMBtu/d gas hedges for May through October, 2020 at $2.11 per MMBtu and a further 10,000 MMBtu/d gas hedges for July through October of this year at $2.23 per MMBtu

Initiatives Related to Liquidity

The Company completed its semi-annual borrowing base redetermination at $75 million under its revolving credit facility in April 2020. It also signed an agreement to sell its corporate headquarters for $35.5 million in May 2020.

Given the anticipated third quarter proceeds from the May 2020 agreement to sell its corporate headquarters for $35.5 million as well as the expected increased cash flow from the recently implemented cost and capex initiatives, together with other levers available to the Company, management believes the Company will have sufficient funds or access to other capital to operate as a going concern in the current challenging commodity price environment.

Initiatives Related to Management

The Company appointed Carl F. Giesler, Jr. President and CEO in April 2020. It also announced a reduction in the size of its executive team that will occur in July 2020.

Carl Giesler, President and CEO, commented, "With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we initiated work-from-home policies and other best practices, in line with federal, state and local guidelines, to ensure the health and continued productivity of our employees. Additionally, with the sharp downturn in commodity prices, we took swift measures to maximize the cash flow and liquidity of our business. We implemented steep decreases in personnel and other savings measures, and we sharply curtailed planned capex for the year. We will only spend capital required for safety or mechanical integrity or for low spend, quick payback cash flow enhancing "small ball" workovers and other projects. We believe our cost savings initiatives coupled with our restricted planned capex should enable us to generate positive operational free cash flow even in this historically challenged commodity price environment.

"We would be remiss not to highlight the truly remarkable effort of our employees. We anticipate production for 2020 to remain close to prior guidance despite substantial reductions to our expected G&A, LOE and capex for the year. Additionally, we have continued our streak of no recordable incidents for 21 months. These feats would not be possible without their hard work, focus and professionalism in spite of the hardships and challenges from COVID-19 and the recent significant changes to our organization."

Financial Results

For the first quarter, the Company reported a net loss of $13 million, or $0.36 per share, and net cash provided by operating activities of $18 million. After adjusting for certain items, the Company's adjusted net loss amounted to $7 million, or $0.21 per share, operating cash flow totaled $17 million and adjusted EBITDA was $20 million for the quarter. The Company defines and reconciles adjusted net income, adjusted EBITDA and other non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure in supporting tables at the conclusion of this press release beginning on page 11.

Operational Results and Activity

Production totaled 2.6 MMBoe (27% oil, 30% NGLs and 43% natural gas) for the quarter.

North Park Basin Asset in Jackson County, Colorado

Net production for North Park Basin totaled 328 MBo (3.6 MBopd) during the quarter.

Mid-Continent Assets in Oklahoma and Kansas

Production in the Mississippian totaled 2.1 MMBoe (22.9 MBoepd, 14% oil) and 178 MBoe (2.0 MBoepd, 34% oil) in the Northwest STACK during the quarter.

Building Sale

On May 15, 2020, the Company signed an agreement to sell its corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City for $35.5 million. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020.

2020 Revised Capital Expenditures and Operational Guidance

In 2020, the Company plans to spend $4 - $9 million in total capital expenditures. Total production for 2020 is projected to be 7.1 - 8.2 MMBoe given current commodity prices and the outlook for prices for the remainder of the year. The year over year production decline is expected to primarily be driven by natural decline rates and permanent well shut-ins, as well as temporary well shut-ins that can be quickly reactivated as prices justify. Other operational guidance detail can be found on the "Revised 2020 Operational and Capital Expenditure Guidance" table below. With this plan, the Company intends to reduce debt and maintain a manageable balance sheet.

Liquidity and Capital Structure

As of May 12, 2020, the Company's total liquidity was $26 million, based on $2 million of cash and $24 million available under its credit facility, net of outstanding letters of credit. The Company currently has $48 million drawn on the facility. Additionally, on that date, the Company's oil and gas hedges had a mark-to-market value of $5 million.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 10:00 am CT. The telephone number to access the conference call from within the U.S. is (833) 245-9650 and from outside the U.S. is (647) 689-4222. The passcode for the call is 8675415. An audio replay of the call will be available from May 19, 2020 until 11:59 pm CT on May 26, 2020. The number to access the conference call replay is (800) 585-8367 or (416) 621-4642. The passcode for the replay is 8675415.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available via SandRidge's website, www.sandridgeenergy.com, under Investor Relations/Presentation & Events. The webcast will be archived for replay on the Company's website for 30 days.

Revised 2020 Operational and Capital Expenditure Guidance

Presented below is the Company's updated operational and capital expenditure guidance for 2020.















Revised

Guidance

Previous

Guidance

Delta from

Midpoint

As of

As of





May 18, 2020

February 26, 2020



Production (1)









Oil (MMBbls) 1.8 - 2.0

1.9 - 2.2

-7% Natural Gas Liquids (MMBbls) 2.0 - 2.4

1.7 - 2.0

19% Total Liquids (MMBbls) 3.8 - 4.4

3.6 - 4.2

5% Natural Gas (Bcf) 20.0 - 23.0

24.5 - 26.5

-16% Total (MMBoe) 7.1 - 8.2

7.7 - 8.6

-6%











Price Differentials to NYMEX (1)









Oil (per Bbl) ($4.25)

($3.85)

-10% Natural Gas (per MMBtu) ($1.25)

($1.30)

4%











Expenses









LOE $48 - $54 million

$72 - $78 million

-32% Adjusted G&A Expense (2) $11 - $15 million

$18 - $20 million

-32%











% of Revenue









Severance and Ad Valorem Taxes 7.0% - 7.5%

7.0% - 7.5%













Capital Expenditures









Capital Expenditures

(excluding acquisitions and plugging and abandonment) $4 - $9 million

$25 - $30 million

-76%





1. Given current commodity prices and the outlook for prices for the reminder of the year. 2. Adjusted G&A expense is a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company has defined this measure at the conclusion of this press release under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" beginning on page 11. Information to reconcile this non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is not available at this time, as management is unable to forecast the excluded items for future periods.

Operational and Financial Statistics

Information regarding the Company's production, pricing, costs and earnings is presented below:



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020

2019 Production - Total





Oil (MBbl) 682



849

NGL (MBbl) 769



875

Natural Gas (MMcf) 6,695



8,620

Oil equivalent (MBoe) 2,567



3,161

Daily production (MBoed) 28.2



35.1









Average price per unit





Realized oil price per barrel - as reported $ 42.01



$ 50.84

Realized impact of derivatives per barrel 6.00





Net realized price per barrel $ 48.01



$ 50.84









Realized NGL price per barrel - as reported $ 7.72



$ 14.98

Realized impact of derivatives per barrel 





Net realized price per barrel $ 7.72



$ 14.98









Realized natural gas price per Mcf - as reported $ 0.83



$ 1.95

Realized impact of derivatives per Mcf 



0.59

Net realized price per Mcf $ 0.83



$ 2.54









Realized price per Boe - as reported $ 15.64



$ 23.11

Net realized price per Boe - including impact of derivatives $ 17.23



$ 24.72









Average cost per Boe





Lease operating $ 6.09



$ 7.21

Production, ad valorem, and other taxes $ 1.25



$ 1.61

Depletion (1) $ 9.68



$ 11.54









Loss per share





Loss per share applicable to common stockholders





Basic $ (0.36)



$ (0.15)

Diluted $ (0.36)



$ (0.15)









Adjusted net loss per share available to common stockholders





Basic $ (0.21)



$ 

Diluted $ (0.21)



$ 









Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in thousands)





Basic 35,551



35,322

Diluted 35,551



35,322









(1) Includes accretion of asset retirement obligation.

Capital Expenditures

The table below presents actual results of the Company's capital expenditures for the three months ended March 31, 2020.



Three Months Ended

March 31, 2020

(In thousands)



Total Capital Expenditures $ 1,927 (excluding acquisitions and plugging and abandonment)



Derivative Contracts

The table below sets forth the Company's hedge position for 2020 as of May 18, 2020:





Quarter Ending





























3/31/2020

6/30/2020

9/30/2020

12/31/2020

FY 2020 WTI Swaps:



















Total Volume (MBbls)

273.0

182.0

-

-

455.0 Swap Price ($/Bbl)

$61.05

$60.00

-

-

$60.63

























3/31/2020

6/30/2020

9/30/2020

12/31/2020

FY 2020 Natural Gas Swaps:



















Total Volume (Bcf)

-

1.83

3.68

1.24

6.75 Swap Price ($/MMBtu)

-

$2.11

$2.14

$2.14

$2.13

Capitalization

The Company's capital structure as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 is presented below:



March 31, 2020

December 31, 2019









(In thousands)







Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 7,741



$ 5,968









Credit facility $ 46,000



$ 57,500

Total debt 46,000



57,500









Stockholders' equity





Common stock 36



36

Warrants 88,520



88,520

Additional paid-in capital 1,059,437



1,059,253

Accumulated deficit (758,027)



(745,357)

Total SandRidge Energy, Inc. stockholders' equity 389,966



402,452









Total capitalization $ 435,966



$ 459,952



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (In thousands, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020

2019 Revenues





Oil, natural gas and NGL $ 40,139



$ 73,048

Other 190



188

Total revenues 40,329



73,236

Expenses





Lease operating expenses 15,642



22,779

Production, ad valorem, and other taxes 3,199



5,080

Depreciation and depletionoil and natural gas 24,855



36,465

Depreciation and amortizationother 2,634



2,943

Impairment 7,970





General and administrative 5,483



9,939

Employee termination benefits 3,254





(Gain) loss on derivative contracts (10,226)



209

Other operating expense 277



82

Total expenses 53,088



77,497

(Loss) income from operations (12,759)



(4,261)

Other (expense) income





Interest expense, net (637)



(585)

Other income (expense), net 76



(431)

Total other expense (561)



(1,016)

Loss before income taxes (13,320)



(5,277)

Income tax benefit (650)





Net loss $ (12,670)



$ (5,277)

Loss per share





Basic $ (0.36)



$ (0.15)

Diluted $ (0.36)



$ (0.15)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding





Basic 35,551



35,322

Diluted 35,551



35,322



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In thousands)



March 31, 2020

December 31, 2019 ASSETS





Current assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,287



$ 4,275

Restricted cash - other 1,454



1,693

Accounts receivable, net 21,039



28,644

Derivative contracts 6,253



114

Prepaid expenses 3,096



3,342

Other current assets 527



538

Total current assets 38,656



38,606

Oil and natural gas properties, using full cost method of accounting





Proved 1,487,721



1,484,359

Unproved 24,298



24,603

Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and impairment (1,160,486)



(1,129,622)



351,533



379,340

Other property, plant and equipment, net 181,851



188,603

Other assets 953



1,140

Total assets $ 572,993



$ 607,689









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities





Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 55,033



$ 64,937

Asset retirement obligation 21,728



22,119

Other current liabilities 1,252



1,367

Total current liabilities 78,013



88,423

Long-term debt 46,000



57,500

Asset retirement obligation 52,115



52,897

Other long-term obligations 6,899



6,417

Total liabilities 183,027



205,237

Stockholders' Equity





C Common stock, $0.001 par value; 250,000 shares authorized; 35,810 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2020 and 35,772 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019 36



36

Warrants 88,520



88,520

Additional paid-in capital 1,059,437



1,059,253

Accumulated deficit (758,027)



(745,357)

Total stockholders' equity 389,966



402,452

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 572,993



$ 607,689



SandRidge Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows (Unaudited) (In thousands)



Three Months Ended March 31,



2020

2019 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES







Net loss

$ (12,670)



$ (5,277)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities







Provision for doubtful accounts

283



72

Depreciation, depletion, and amortization

27,489



39,408

Impairment

7,970





Debt issuance costs amortization

159



117

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts

(10,226)



209

Cash received on settlement of derivative contracts

4,087



5,078

Stock-based compensation

169



996

Other

156



(35)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

686



(8,998)

Net cash provided by operating activities

18,103



31,570

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES







Capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment

(5,452)



(62,254)

Acquisition of assets





326

Proceeds from sale of assets

989



341

Net cash used in investing activities

(4,463)



(61,587)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES







Proceeds from borrowings

21,000



39,596

Repayments of borrowings

(32,500)



(19,596)

Reduction of financing lease liability

(366)



(293)

Cash paid for tax withholdings on vested stock awards

(1)





Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

(11,867)



19,707

NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH

1,773



(10,310)

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH, beginning of year

5,968



19,645

CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS and RESTRICTED CASH, end of period

$ 7,741



$ 9,335











Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information







Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized

$ (540)



$ (408)

Cash received for income taxes

$ 616



$ 

Supplemental Disclosure of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities







Purchase of PP&E in accounts payable

$ 1,066



$ 43,425

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for financing lease obligations

$ 67



$ 1,992













Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP measures are not alternatives to GAAP measures, and you should not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Below is additional disclosure regarding each of the non-GAAP measures used in this press release, including reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Operating Cash Flow

The Company defines operating cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities as shown in the following table. Operating cash flow is a supplemental financial measure used by the Company's management and by securities analysts, investors, lenders, rating agencies and others who follow the industry as an indicator of the Company's ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur additional debt. The Company also uses this measure because operating cash flow relates to the timing of cash receipts and disbursements that the Company may not control and may not relate to the period in which the operating activities occurred. Further, operating cash flow allows the Company to compare its operating performance and return on capital with those of other companies without regard to financing methods and capital structure. This measure should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net cash provided by operating activities prepared in accordance with GAAP.



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020

2019









(In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 18,103



$ 31,570

Changes in operating assets and liabilities (686)



8,998

Operating cash flow $ 17,417



$ 40,568



Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

The Company defines EBITDA as net loss before income tax benefit, interest expense, depreciation and amortization - other and depreciation and depletion - oil and natural gas. Adjusted EBITDA, as presented herein, is EBITDA excluding items that the Company believes affect the comparability of operating results such as items whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated or are non-recurring, as shown in the following tables.

Adjusted EBITDA is presented because management believes it provides useful additional information used by the Company's management and by securities analysts, investors, lenders, ratings agencies and others who follow the industry for analysis of the Company's financial and operating performance on a recurring basis and the Company's ability to internally fund exploration and development and to service or incur additional debt. In addition, management believes that adjusted EBITDA is widely used by professional research analysts and others in the valuation, comparison and investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. The Company's adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020

2019









(In thousands) Net loss $ (12,670)



$ (5,277)









Adjusted for





Income tax (benefit) expense (650)





Interest expense 644



612

Depreciation and amortization - other 2,634



2,943

Depreciation and depletion - oil and natural gas 24,855



36,465

EBITDA 14,813



34,743









Asset impairment 7,970





Stock-based compensation (1) 128



996

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts (10,226)



209

Cash received upon settlement of derivative contracts 4,087



5,078

Employee termination benefits 3,254





Other 107



(91)









Adjusted EBITDA $ 20,133



$ 40,935







1. Excludes non-cash stock-based compensation included in employee termination benefits.

Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted EBITDA



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020

2019









(In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 18,103



$ 31,570









Changes in operating assets and liabilities (686)



8,998

Interest expense 644



612

Employee termination benefits (1) 3,214





Income tax (benefit) expense (650)





Other (492)



(245)









Adjusted EBITDA $ 20,133



$ 40,935















1. Excludes associated stock-based compensation.

Reconciliation of Net Loss Available to Common Stockholders to Adjusted Net Loss Available to Common Stockholders

The Company defines adjusted net loss as net loss excluding items that the Company believes affect the comparability of operating results and are typically excluded from published estimates by the investment community, including items whose timing and/or amount cannot be reasonably estimated or are non-recurring, as shown in the following tables.

Management uses the supplemental measure of adjusted net loss as an indicator of the Company's operational trends and performance relative to other oil and natural gas companies and believes it is more comparable to earnings estimates provided by securities analysts. Adjusted net loss is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for net loss available to common stockholders.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

$

$/Diluted Share

$

$/Diluted Share

















(In thousands, except per share amounts) Net loss available to common stockholders $ (12,670)



$ (0.35)



$ (5,277)



$ (0.15)

















Asset impairment 7,970



0.22









(Gain) loss on derivative contracts (10,226)



(0.29)



209



0.01

Cash received upon settlement of derivative contracts 4,087



0.11



5,078



0.14

Employee termination benefits 3,254



0.09









Other 113



0.01



(64)





















Adjusted net loss available to common stockholders $ (7,472)



$ (0.21)



$ (54)



$ 



































Basic

Diluted

Basic

Diluted Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 35,551



35,551



35,322



35,322

















Total adjusted net loss per share $ (0.21)



$ (0.21)



$ 



$ 



Reconciliation of G&A to Adjusted G&A

The Company reports and provides guidance on Adjusted G&A per Boe because it believes this measure is commonly used by management, analysts and investors as an indicator of cost management and operating efficiency on a comparable basis from period to period and to compare and make investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas industry. This non-GAAP measure allows for the analysis of general and administrative spend without regard to stock-based compensation programs and other non-recurring cash items, if any, which can vary significantly between companies. Adjusted G&A per Boe is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for general and administrative expense per Boe. Therefore, the Company's Adjusted G&A per Boe may not be comparable to other companies' similarly titled measures.

The Company defines adjusted G&A as general and administrative expense adjusted for certain non-cash stock-based compensation and other non-recurring items, if any, as shown in the following tables.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

$

$/Boe

$

$/Boe

















(In thousands, except per Boe amounts) General and administrative $ 5,483



$ 2.14



$ 9,939



$ 3.14

Stock-based compensation (1) (128)



(0.05)



(996)



(0.31)

Adjusted G&A $ 5,355



$ 2.09



$ 8,943



$ 2.83























1. Excludes non-cash stock-based compensation included in employee termination benefits.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

SandRidge Energy, Inc.

123 Robert S. Kerr Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406

(405) 429-5515

Cautionary Note to Investors - This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to, the information appearing under the heading "Revised 2020 Operational and Capital Expenditure Guidance." These forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance and reflect SandRidge's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events and operating performance. The forward-looking statements include projections and estimates of the Company's corporate strategies, future operations, development plans and appraisal programs, drilling inventory and locations, estimated oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids production, price realizations and differentials, hedging program, projected operating, general and administrative and other costs, projected capital expenditures, tax rates, efficiency and cost reduction initiative outcomes, liquidity and capital structure. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the volatility of oil and natural gas prices, our success in discovering, estimating, developing and replacing oil and natural gas reserves, actual decline curves and the actual effect of adding compression to natural gas wells, the availability and terms of capital, the ability of counterparties to transactions with us to meet their obligations, our timely execution of hedge transactions, credit conditions of global capital markets, changes in economic conditions, the amount and timing of future development costs, the availability and demand for alternative energy sources, regulatory changes, including those related to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. We refer you to the discussion of risk factors in Part I, Item 1A - "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in comparable "Risk Factor" sections of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed after such form 10-K. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The actual results or developments anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on our Company or our business or operations. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SandRidge Energy, Inc. (NYSE: SD) is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the development and acquisition of oil and gas properties. Its primary areas of operation are the Mid-Continent in Oklahoma and Kansas and the North Park Basin in Colorado. Further information can be found at www.sandridgeenergy.com.

SOURCE SandRidge Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sandridgeenergy.com


ROANOKE  On April 10, Gov. Ralph Northam announced he had assembled a task force to protect frail, elderly Virginians after 32 of them had died while in long-term care and a Richmond-area home was in the grips of one of the nations deadliest outbreaks.

The virus has since swept through 170 nursing homes and assisted living centers in the state, killing 589 people and infecting nearly 4,000 workers and residents.

As of Saturday, their deaths accounted for nearly 60% of the 1,002 Virginians claimed by the virus.

During all this time, Northam has held regular COVID-19 briefings that begin with points he wishes to address. Not once since announcing the task force has he used his opening statements to specifically address the plight of long-term care residents and their families who hunger for information.

Northams administration has refused to name the homes where cases have been identified, or even to say where they are located.

Dr. Norman Oliver, the states health commissioner, said he has relied on the attorney generals staff for advice on this. He said government lawyers told him that state code extends the same health privacy rights to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other group homes as it does to human beings  meaning state agencies cannot disclose health-related information about them.

Virginia posts to its website totals for outbreaks.

You can see there is an outbreak almost everywhere in Virginia. But you dont know if they have two cases, or if they have dozens of bodies. There is absolutely no idea of the extent, said Patricia Williams of Virginia Beach.

The nursing home where her sister lives lets Williams know how she is doing, but Williams said she is frustrated with the lack of transparency in Virginia. Families feed on rumor rather than facts, she said.

Because of the code interpretation, Virginia is an outlier among its neighbors. North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and West Virginia all routinely publish the names and locations of facilities with the virus, along with the number of residents and staff infected, and the number who have died.

Virginia lists the number of outbreaks  defined as at least one person becoming infected by another without any other means of contracting the illness  that have occurred in local health districts. But most districts include multiple cities and counties.

When asked if the department could publish the numbers by locality, spokeswoman Julie Grimes said, If VDH determines that we can share additional information about these individuals, without compromising their protected health information, we will include the data on our website.

Individuals means the homes.

Salem attorney Ross Hart, who practices elder law and serves as a guardian for a number of people living in long-term care, said Virginia code treats businesses as individuals throughout the code.

If it is capable of a tax identification number, it is a person, he said.

Some lawmakers said they want to change the state code, but the earliest that could happen is August.

Joani Latimer, director of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said the governor should immediately ask the attorney general to reconsider his interpretation of the code. After all, the code was relaxed to allow absentee ballots without witness signatures, and for hospitals and nursing homes to add beds without going through a lengthy regulatory process.

I think its in the public interest to look really carefully again at that, she said. Part of what is concerning here, and a legitimate question is, there have been lots of flexibilities created in this COVID-19 situation in terms of how our regulations and standards are being implemented. This seems so clearly one that needs some flexing to serve the overarching interest of the commonwealth.

Why are so many dying?

The Kaiser Family Foundation has been gathering information reported by the states about cases and deaths in long-term care. Five states do not report this data, and not all provide the numbers of deaths.

In 36 states that report deaths, an average of 41% of their deaths were linked to long-term care. Virginias percentage was 59.

We did what we were supposed to do. We locked the facilities down in terms of visitors. We already had infection-control measures in place, but we put in additional measures, said Keith Hare, CEO of the Virginia Health Care Association and Virginia Center for Assisted Living. We knew that once the virus entered a facility, we really had lost half the battle.

Hare said the majority of the people living in Virginias nursing homes are very poor and frail and have multiple illnesses.

From the beginning we have paid a fair amount of attention, as I think we should have, to hospitals and their ability to have supplies and testing and the support they need to meet the crisis. Meanwhile, the clear epicenter has been nursing homes, Latimer said.

These homes arent hospitals and did not have stockpiles of masks, gowns and other protection needed to keep staff and residents from contaminating each other. They are often understaffed, relying heavily on certified nursing assistants, who are among the lowest-paid health care workers. Many CNAs work multiple jobs to make ends meet, increasing the likelihood for cross-contamination across homes.

At the beginning of the outbreaks, Virginias health department, again citing privacy, did not allow homes to be notified when any of their staff was exposed to the virus at another facility. That restriction has since been lifted.

We started in this virus without the level of personal protective equipment we needed. We tried to obtain additional supply lines. We were cut off, Hare said. Then, on top of that, there had been significant lack of testing.

Virginia has lagged nearly all states in testing per capita. Until mid-April, its testing strategy did not place long-term care residents on the priority list. A month before, the first residents of Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare in Henrico County were infected with the coronavirus. More than four dozen residents have died in that outbreak.

When the virus first appeared in the state, Virginia shipped its tests to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Slowly the state initiated its own testing in the states consolidated laboratory, but found that swabs, reagents and other supplies were difficult to get.

On April 20, Northam brought in Dr. Karen Remley, a former health commissioner, to coordinate the testing being done by the state, its universities, hospitals and commercial labs. Since then, capacity has grown from about 2,000 tests a day to about 7,000 a day.

The additional capacity permitted homes with outbreaks to ask local health departments to do so-called point prevalence surveys, when all residents and staff are swabbed on the same day in order to determine how many are affected.

South Roanoke Nursing Home was one of the first in the state to ask for this survey after three staff members and a resident developed symptoms. The tests were administered April 23, but results were not known for nearly a week, and even then some were inconclusive.

By then, seven residents who tested positive had died. Three more were in a hospital and 33 others had tested positive. At least 10 residents have died.

Earlier this month, Northam said Virginia now has the capacity to do more of these surveys and is using the National Guard to help administer them. The health department said that it had identified 100 facilities that should be tested, but that they could do only a handful of surveys each week.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the department reported that it conducted 42 point prevalence surveys from April 21 through May 10. Of these, 29 were in long-term care facilities. The others were in prisons, schools and workplaces.

The agency said that it had results for 13 of the surveys, and that an average of 230 tests were given for each survey. It did not provide information as to the total number of tests or the number of positive results, as it said that information is still being analyzed.

When asked last week if Virginia would test all nursing home residents in two weeks as recommended by the White House, Northam said, That perhaps is a bit of an ambitious goal.

West Virginia began on April 20 testing every resident and every staff member at every long-term care facility and posting the results. As of Friday, the state had reported 335 cases of COVID-19 in the homes that resulted in 32 deaths.

While South Roanoke waited for its results, it faced an additional problem: Dozens of its staff members were also infected, and the facility said it was advised not to bring in workers from other homes until it understood fully who was contagious.

Some family members praised the staff who continued to show up but expressed fear that there werent enough people to care for their relatives.

Hare said Virginias hospital association and the states volunteer Medical Reserve Corps are helping with staffing across Virginia.

The state also has helped to provide personal protective equipment and training staff on how to use it.

I think the state has been frustrated that they couldnt provide enough PPE because it could have prevented the spread, Hare said.

About 50,000 Virginians work in long-term care.

I am amazed at the courage of these individuals on the front lines. They went in to fight the battle. Take a step back and think about that. Its one thing to know I have all the protection I need and weve got testing, Hare said.

We dont have the PPE. They knew it. We dont have the tests. They knew it. We were learning how to isolate individuals after they contract the virus. They still went in, did their jobs and protected these residents and patients. Thats heroic.

Latimer said that many of the homes have been overwhelmed and that communicating with families who cannot physically check on their relatives might have taken a back seat. Thats why its important for the state to provide the information from the homes.

They are truly under siege. No one wants to be attacking them. They are at the battle lines and in many cases just heroically supporting the needs of the residents as best they can. They are in a tough situation, too, she said. We are all caught in this legal bind here that doesnt seem to be serving the health interests of individuals.

The code

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has mandated that starting this month, all nursing homes must report cases of COVID-19 to the CDC. They are also to report on staffing and supplies of personal protective equipment, and to notify families about new cases and clusters of cases.

The CDC will then forward the information to Medicare, where it will be posted online. The first batch that is now being submitted is expected to be public by the end of May.

Nursing homes are already required to report infections to the health departments licensing division.

Assisted living facilities and group homes are not considered health care providers. They are overseen by the Department of Social Services and will not be required to report COVID-19 information publicly.

Thats why its important to address this at the state level, because the federal opening of data for nursing homes is good, but it doesnt help out assisted living at all, Latimer said.

Hares association has called for its members to be transparent, but there are no laws prompting them to do so.

The Alzheimers Association, Virginia Chapters, last week called on policymakers to implement necessary reporting.

It starts with, we are trying to ensure people in assisted living and nursing facilities are in a safe environment, said Carter Harrison, the associations senior director of government affairs. We need to know where the baseline is and where there are infections so we can then respond appropriately. Reporting is part of that for the public transparency and so we can find these hot spots and we can get the resources to them.

Oliver, the health commissioner, has cited several sections of state code that define person as businesses and say the health department cannot disclose health information about a person.

Attorney General Mark Herrings spokeswoman cited attorney-client privilege in declining to provide the opinion or offer more of an explanation.

Oliver said in an phone interview Friday that he had not talked directly with Herring but has had ongoing discussions with members of Herrings staff who are assigned to the assist the health department.

If the attorney general were to issue some decision around this that instructed us to act otherwise, I would certainly abide by that, Oliver said.

Lawmakers interviewed last week either disagree with the interpretation or acknowledge that its a correct reading of the code  but a code in need of amending.

Theres no reason this information shouldnt be made available to the public, said Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke.

There has been a bipartisan consensus that this critical information can and should be released to the public. The governors opinion has been an outlier, said Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said he suspects the Northam administration is taking a conservative approach to its reading of the law, but he doesnt agree with it.

The more information the public has, the better government we get and the better operation of these institutions we get. If these institutions knew this data was releasable and would be released, I would think they would take better measures to ensure their customers dont get infections and die, Surovell said.

Northam plans to call the General Assembly back to Richmond in August for a special session to address the upheaval that the pandemic has had on the state budget.

It is possible they could allow other bills to be discussed. If not, the issue would need to wait until the regular session in January.

We need to take a good long look at that to ensure that we protect people, said Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke. The system should be serving people, not these institutions.

Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, chairman of the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, said he is drafting legislation.

I take Northams people at their word that they believe their interpretation is the law, so if thats the case, we need to change the law, Sickles said. I think at this point, anybody considering using a nursing home would want to know the history of it and what theyre doing about it now.

Northam has said he could support amending the code to allow for naming the homes, but it would depend on the bills language.

The nursing home and assisted living industry has donated a substantial amount of money in recent years  more than $1 million each year, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project  to lawmakers and political action committees.

Northams PAC, The Way Ahead, has accepted $48,000 from the nursing home industry since 2018. Other legislators have accepted tens of thousands of dollars each from the industry in the past few years.

Legislators who have been vocal about wanting to change the law said they arent anticipating immense pushback from the nursing home industry. A few of them said they havent heard from anyone in the nursing home industry asking them to reconsider their position.

I dont expect  and I could be naive here  but I dont expect a lot of debate on the big picture of whether we should be more open with information with this situation we have, Sickles said.

Roanoke Times staff writer Amy Friedenberger contributed to this story. This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from the Gerontological Society of America, Journalists Network on Generations and the Retirement Research Foundation.
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After being shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced recreational marijuana stores can reopen on May 25 for curbside delivery only as part of a comprehensive statewide reopening plan unveiled Monday.

Massachusetts is the only state with legal marijuana that ordered adult-use stores to close during the pandemic. Shops have been shut down since March 24, when Baker issued an order requiring businesses considered non-essential to cease operations in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Even though theyll be able to sell marijuana again, the financial losses are significant for the states small cannabis companies. Many of the states marijuana businesses have laid off or furloughed workers during the pandemic.

Baker said in March that he believed recreational stores staying open would attract customers from outside of Massachusetts to drive in and purchase marijuana. Though stores were already implementing social distancing and other health and safety measures, and though some argued that the majority of customers come from within miles of the store, Baker did not budge.

While the reopening of stores will bring a sigh of relief, marijuana businesses have struggled during the pandemic like just about every other industry. But, unlike many other industries, cannabis businesses are not eligible for federal relief through the Paycheck Protection Program because marijuana remains illegal on the federal level.

Through the pandemic, Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman has said the recreational market could be operated safely, pointing to the continued operation of the medical market as an example.

Earlier this month, a group of cannabis industry representatives met with the 17-member advisory board appointed by Baker to compile a report on reopening the state and pitched the safe reopening of the recreational market. Representatives at the meeting were the Commonwealth Dispensary Association, Joseph Lusardi, the CEO of Curaleaf, Amanda Rositano, the president of NETA, Jay Youmans, a principal at Smith, Costello & Crawford and Kobie Evans, a co-founder of Pure Oasis in Boston, the first economic empowerment applicant to open in the state.

Unlike recreational businesses, medical marijuana dispensaries were considered essential by Baker and have been open. The state Cannabis Control Commission has allowed medical marijuana businesses to offer curbside pickup to patients and has said patient renewal certifications can be submitted after a phone consultation.

With the closure of adult-use businesses came a spike in the number of medical marijuana patients.

There were 72,502 certified, active patients in April, reported Cannabis Control Commission Executive Director Shawn Collins during the commissions monthly meeting on May 7. That number of certified, active patients is up from 63,720 in March, which is roughly a 14% increase. The increase indicated what many had already believed: that many people who use marijuana as medication were relying on the recreational market and had not previously registered with the states medical program.

The CCC in April allowed the recreational market to support the medical market with wholesale transfers, addressing concerns about the medical supply chain considering all the new patients.

An attempt to reopen recreational stores earlier in the pandemic was unsuccessful. A group of recreational pot shops and an advocate launched a lawsuit against the governor in an effort to be considered essential business during the pandemic, arguing that Baker allowing medical marijuana centers and liquor stores to operate, but not adult-use businesses, was unconstitutional.

A Massachusetts judge did not reverse Baker's order, but did say he saw a clear path to how recreational stores could open with safety in mind.

The full impact of the recreational closure remains to be seen. The state and municipalities are going to see a significant decrease in tax collections from nearly two months without recreational sales. Recreational marijuana is subject to sales tax at 6.25%, excise tax at 10.75% at the state level, and up to 3% tax at the local level. The local level tax is distributed to towns and cities that are home to recreational marijuana stores. Marijuana purchased by medical patients is not subject to tax.

With thousands more medical patients than before the pandemic who may not return to the taxed recreational market, the state could see a drop in tax collections even as sales ramp back up.

And then theres the effect on businesses. Some industry representatives have feared financial losses during the pandemic could mean some stores will not survive.

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By Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Monday an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible and it received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic.

But the WHO's chief critic, the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, decried an "apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak by at least one member state".

Trump said later in Washington that the WHO, which he called a "puppet of China", had "done a very sad job" in its handling of the coronavirus and he would make a decision about U.S. funding to the body soon.

"The United States pays them $450 million a year; China pays them $38 million a year. And they're a puppet of China. They're China-centric, to put it nicer, but they're a puppet of China," Trump told reporters at a White House event.

Trump has already suspended U.S. funding for the WHO after accusing it of being too China-centric, and at the same time led international criticism of Beijing's perceived lack of transparency in the early stages of the crisis.

Health Secretary Alex Azar did not mention China by name, but made clear Washington considered the WHO jointly responsible.

"We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control," he said. "There was a failure by this organization to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives."

Speaking after Azar, Chinese Health Minister Ma Xiaowei said Beijing had been timely and open in announcing the outbreak and sharing the virus's full gene sequence, and urged countries to "oppose rumours, stigmatisation and discrimination".

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $2 billion over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially in developing countries.

The amount almost matches the WHO's entire annual programme budget for last year, and more than compensates for Trump's freeze of U.S. payments worth about $400 million a year.

Story continues

But White House National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot called it "a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese governments failure to ... warn the world of what was coming".

'LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE'

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. body had "sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often".

When it declared a global emergency on Jan. 30, there were fewer than 100 cases outside China, and no deaths, he said.

He was addressing a virtual meeting of the WHO's decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, at which Xi said China had acted with "openness and transparency and responsibility".

Tedros, who has always promised a review, told the forum it would come "at the earliest appropriate moment" and make recommendations for the future. He received robust backing from the WHO's independent oversight panel.

"Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience," he said, adding that the review must cover "all actors in good faith".

In its first report on the handling of the pandemic, the oversight committee said the WHO had "demonstrated leadership and made important progress in its COVID-19 response".

The panel endorsed a review but said conducting it now could hamper the WHO's response to the pandemic.

It also said "an imperfect and evolving understanding" was not unusual when a new disease emerged and, in an apparent rejoinder to Trump, said a "rising politicization of pandemic response" was hindering the effort to defeat the virus.

Azar said the United States supported "an independent review of every aspect of WHOs response" and that China's conduct should be "on the table" too.

A resolution drafted by the European Union calling for an independent evaluation of the WHO's performance appeared to have won consensus backing among the WHO's 194 states. It was expected to be debated and adopted on Tuesday.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the WHO must become "more independent from external interference" and that its role in "leading and coordination" must be strengthened.

'OPPOSE RUMOURS AND STIGMATISATION'

China has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but Xi signalled that Beijing would accept an impartial evaluation of the global response, once the pandemic is brought under control.

"This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO," he told the meeting via video.

The WHO and most experts say the virus is likely to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central city of Wuhan late last year. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this month there was "significant" evidence that it had come from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge China rejects.

Australian health minister Gregory Hunt said the planned review could look at strengthening the WHO's mandate and powers of inspection, and also how to protect against "the global threat posed by wildlife and wet markets".

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Cate Cadell, Gabriel Crossley and Se Young Lee in Beijing and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; and by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Tim Ahmann, David Brunnstrom and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Timothy Heritage and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Mark Heinrich and Lisa Shumaker)
History is written by the winners, William Barr, the attorney general, said when asked how he thought future generations would assess his decision to drop all criminal charges against Michael Flynn, President Trumps former national security adviser, who had pleaded guilty twice to breaking the law. So it largely depends on whos writing the history.

In service to Trump, Barr is abusing his power not to write, but to erase, some of the most important lessons of American history.

The Watergate scandal, with its revelations of how dangerous a renegade a White House could be, led to reforms meant to ensure an independent Justice Department, one faithful to the law rather than to the Oval Office.

The nation had seen firsthand how much harm a president with no respect for the rule of law could do  particularly when he used the Justice Department, under a compliant attorney general, to protect allies, punish adversaries and cover up wrongdoing.
Ronn Torossian

As businesses begin to open up and more industries relax regulations, many are wondering openly about the future of air travel, both domestically and internationally. Slowly, brand-by-brand, companies are making announcements.

One of the most recent came from Southwest Airlines, which reportedly told flight crews not to stop passengers from boarding if they refuse to wear a mask, according to CNN. In a memo released to the media by Southwest, executives at the airline said: We will not deny boarding solely based on a customers refusal to wear a face covering 

That report describes this position as more lax than other airlines, which have made stricter statements. American, according to CNN, currently has a policy that customers may be denied boarding if theyre not wearing a face mask. CNN added that Americans position is: There could be an isolated situation where a customer may be denied boarding as a last resort  Look for more coming from American on this question.

JetBlues position statement on the issue is more restrictive: Customers who refuse to comply with our policy will be denied boarding. Their reasoning was to help keep us all safe.

Again, all of these positions are subject to change based on consumer and regulatory response. The different standards underscore the challenge faced by all businesses related to how theyll open up and what processes they feel are best for their customers. Where to draw the line is a difficult question for these companies, especially as theyre all desperate to get people flying again.

However, Southwests statement specifically included an aspect that all companies are hoping to exhibit empathy and respect. Instructions to Southwest employees, which were released to the press, said: You are expected to inform customers of our face covering requirement but are not expected to be the enforcers. Respectfully request customers to comply with wearing a face covering if they are able.

Southwest, then, appears to be hoping that customers will comply with their requests rather than make an issue of the mask requirement. This position appears to be fairly common across most major U.S. airlines. They plan to request cooperation but dont plan to harshly enforce the policy.

Theres no doubt this approach is informed both by the overall tension many are already experiencing, as well as the mixed feelings among passengers about masks, and certainly in no small part to the series of serious PR issues related to airline customer service in recent years.

From forcibly ejecting customers alongside misguided PR statements related to that issue, to blowups on social media following the barring of women from wearing leggings on flights, to complaints about legroom, reduced seat space and the ongoing debate about emotional support animals on flights, the U.S. airline industry has faced a near-constant state of consumer PR tension. While each of these issues have been specific to certain brands, airlines have been faced with the choice of whether or not to make public statements on these topics.

With this latest announcement from Southwest, the bar has been set, and U.S. airlines will be releasing statements related to it, either to explain their position or to set a new standard. This will be an interesting consumer PR situation to watch.

***

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading NY PR firm.
Reliance Jio Receives Another Investment; General Atlantic Plans To Buy 1.34% Stake News oi-Priyanka Dua

Reliance Industries has announced that it is selling its stake in Jio platforms. This is the fourth time in a month that Jio has sold its stake to a US firm. The company is selling its 1.34 percent stake to General Atlantic for Rs. 6,598.38 crore.

"This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs. 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs. 5.16 lakh crore," Reliance Jio said. However, this transaction will go through regulatory approvals. This investment will help the Jio to raise Rs. 67,194.75 crore from all investors.

For the unaware, General Atlantic has invested in many big companies, such as Alibaba, Ant Financial, Box, ByteDance, Facebook, Slack, Snapchat, Uber, Airbnb, and many more.

Saudi Arabia Might Invest In Jio Platforms

If reports are to be believed, then Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is likely to invest around $850 million to $950 million in Reliance Jio platforms. In addition, the company is expected to invest $15 billion in RIL. Notably, there is no confirmation from Reliance Jio and Saudi Arabia yet, but industry sources believe that the former is likely to make an official announcement soon.

List Of All Companies That Have Invested In Jio Platforms In Less Than Four Weeks

Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partner, and General Atlantic have invested in the platform. Surprisingly all investors are from one country. If we talk about Facebook, then it is buying a 9.99 percent stake in Jio. The company is investing Rs. 43, 574 crore. Then, Jio announced that Silver Lake Partners is buying a 1.15 percent stake for Rs. 5,655 crore.

After that, Vista Equity Partners has announced that it is also investing in Jio platforms. The company plans to buy a 2.3 percent stake for Rs. 11, 367 crore. Lastly, General Atlantic again equity firm from the US is investing in Jio platforms. The company is buying only a 1.34 percent stake. So far, RIL has sold its 14.8 percent stake of Jio platforms. But, still, industry sources believe that the company might sell more stakes to several companies in the coming days to reduce its debt.

Best Mobiles in India
President Muhammadu Buhari will not address Nigerians today on the COVID-19 pandemic, his office has said.

The spokesperson to the president, Femi Adesina, in a brief Twitter post, on Monday, said no presidential broadcast was planned contrary to a statement made by a health official.

He said rather, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 will bring Nigerians up to speed on the next steps.

No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps, Mr Adesina said.

No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.  Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) May 18, 2020

The national coordinator of the PTF, Sani Aliyu, had reportedly told Channels Television, on Sunday, that Mr Buhari would brief Nigerians.

Before Mr Aliyus statement, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, told journalists that Nigerians should expect new directives on Monday as the movement restriction put in place to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus ends.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Mustapha, who chairs the PTF, led the task force members to a meeting with Mr Buhari.

We have supplied him (President Buhari) with all the materials that is required to look at the issues. Because we are in for the long haul.

But remember on the 27th of April, he addressed the nation and in place the easing down of the lockdown effective from the 4th of May.

From the 4th of May to date is about 13 days, tomorrow we should expect new processes to be put in place, Mr Mustapha said.

With Mr Adesinas clarification, it is now clear that it is the PTF that will outline the new processes approved by the president.

Buhari advises Governors

In a separate statement, Mr Adesina said President Buhari advised governors to work closely with the PTF, to engender better harmony in the daunting task of checking the pandemic.

The president spoke during an online meeting Monday with the Governors Forum, disclosing that the PTF had briefed him on next steps in the national response to the pandemic, and I have directed that they work very closely with the governors.

President Buhari said the pandemic was beyond technology, power, and resources, noting that the countries that had all those were recording the highest casualties round the world.

We have to be very careful. We need to continue to educate and persuade the people to accept the reality of the situation, and do all that is necessary to stay safe, the president was quoted as saying.

The meeting also discussed economic and security issues, among others, with the governors commending the president on the leadership and direction he has given the country in combating COVID-19, Mr Adesina wrote.
Pragmatic economic policies vital for economic development View(s):

Much of Sri Lankas economic revival and economic development from now onwards would depend on the willingness and capacity of the Government to adopt pragmatic economic policies. The need for pragmatic policies is especially important now when an economic recovery is needed in an inhospitable global economic environment.

Wrong policies

Regrettably, the current economic crisis has resulted in wrong prognoses and prescriptions that could aggravate the problems and result in continued underperformance of the economy. The dominant and influential thinking at the helm appears to be the adoption of impractical ideological policies that failed in the past.

Economic policies

In the past the countrys economic development has been hampered by successive governments being unable to adopt pragmatic economic policies. Political expediency, ideological biases, vested interests and corruption have been among the reasons why governments have failed to be pragmatic.

The pace of economic development of the country from now on will depend very much on pursuing pragmatic economic policies.

Pragmatism

Pragmatic economic policies are policies that are suitable to the particular economic situation and are effective in generating economic growth.

The best definition of pragmatic economic policies has been given by Deng Xiaoping, the successor to Mao, who was the architect of the opening of the Chinese economy. He was the Chinese leader behind the Chinese economic reforms. Deng Xiaoping was the ultimate pragmatist who said,  I dont care if the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice.

China

Much of Chinas economic prosperity has been due to its pragmatism. Despite being a communist country and ideologically committed to the state playing the lead role in the economy and private enterprise relegated to a few less important activities, Chinese leaders realised that the countrys development depended on a revolutionary change in economic policies. Consequently Chinas leaders deviated from communist economic policies to liberal trade and investment policies that welcomed foreign investment.

Other Communist countries

The same could be told of Russias economic changes. Similarly, Vietnam encouraged private investment, liberalised its trade and attracted large amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI). This accounts for Vietnams robust and rapid economic growth.

East Asia

The rapid development of East Asian countries was undoubtedly due to their pragmatic economic policies. They figured out that rapid economic growth needed the adoption of liberal and open economic policies. They invited foreign capital and foreign industries to be established in their countries and adopted an export-led economic growth strategy.

NICs

These newly industrialised countries (NICs) developed owing to their adoption of policies that enabled them to export more and generate economic growth based on liberal economic and trade policies. They were not hampered by ideological policies that they had in the past.

Others

Other countries too have adopted pragmatic economic policies and benefited by them. Bangladesh, has become a fast growing economy owing to the adoption of liberal trading and economic policies. Last year Bangladesh was the fastest growing economy in South Asia, which in turn was the fastest growing region in the world.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankas economic policies have often been determined not by their efficacy, but ideological considerations. A good example is the nationalisation or state takeover of the plantations. This resulted in the country killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

Losses

The plantations that were profitable ventures contributing to the state coffers became financial liabilities. Production on the state owned plantations decreased. They ran at a loss like other state enterprises and had to be financed by government revenue.

Political courage

Although later governments realised the need to privatise, they did not have the political courage to do so as it was politically unpopular. So the government continued to bear the losses that distorted public expenditure priorities and increased public debt.

State enterprises

That over 300 state owned enterprises are running at a loss is a clear example of ideological factors and vested interests not allowing some of these to be privatised. Instead year-in-year-out these enterprises are a huge drain on the economy.

For many years there has been talk of reforming state owned enterprises but little has been achieved. On the other hand, there is a prospect of more state enterprises being established or private enterprises being taken over by the state.

Reasons

The reason why governments are unable to privatise state owned enterprises are manifold. There is a popular notion that privatisation of state enterprises is a selling of family silver. The masses have been indoctrinated to think that privatisation is a process of selling government wealth.

Former efforts

Former President Ranasinghe Premadasa realised the need for privatisation, but also recognised that it was an unpopular move. He even coined the word peoplisation to substitute for privatisation. His efforts to reform state enterprises was however limited.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike privatised a few enterprises and reduced the burden of the government. These included, telecommunications, Sri Lankan Airlines andthe gas company. The privatisation of telecommunications revolutionised telecommunications in the country. Sri Lankan Airlines was re-vested in the government and continues to incur huge losses.

Vested interests

One of the foremost reasons for the inability of governments to implement privatisation is the vested interest within the government. This is illustrated by a former finance minister telling me that all his cabinet colleagues were for privatisation, but that none of the enterprises within their ministries should be privatised. Why?

Why

State ownership of businesses provides politicians an opportunity for corruption, providing employment to gain popular support and various means of earning money.

Other policies

There are many areas of economic policies other than those cited above that are guided by ideology or vested interests, rather than pragmatism. These include trading policies. Although the country liberalised trade in 1977, over time some of the trade liberalisation has been blunted.

It is estimated that the country, which was a pioneer in trade linearisation in South Asia in 1977, is one of the most protected economies in Asia. This is owing to several charges on imports that have been placed from time to time. Para-tariffs have made the country a protected one.

Import costs

It is not easily realised that when import costs are high, the cost of manufactured exports also rise and make the countrys exports less competitive as the import content of our exports is high.Although pragmatic trade policies are vital, obsolete ideas on trade policies are likely to hamper the further liberalisation of trade that is vitally important for the countrys economic development.

Summary

The unwillingness or inability to deviate from ideological policies have been a root cause for the countrys economic underperformance. In contrast, the success of other Asian countries rapid economic development was due to their adoption of pragmatic economic policies that enabled them to expand exports.

Sri Lanka has bee unable to adopt effective economic policies owing to ideological commitments and lack of pragmatism in economic policies. In contrast, former communist countries and those that were inward looking, liberalised their economic and trading policies.

Conclusion

Sri Lankas economic revival in 2020 and long term economic development would depend on the willingness and capacity to adopt pragmatic economic policies. Will we have the wisdom and political courage to be pragmatic?
A new HIV drug injected every two months effectively reduces the rate of infection, and provides longer and stronger protection than taking pills, a global trial published Monday revealed.

The four-year trial, conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the U.S. and six other countries, injected a drug called cabotegravir every two months into 4,570 men and transgender women who have sex with men and are at high risk of contracting HIV.

Among 50 people who became infected with HIV during the trial, 12 received the injected drug, and 38 got daily oral pills with different drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine  the only Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs to prevent HIV.

The finding  in which a third as many people became infected on cabotegravir compared with the other drugs  marks the first time a large-scale clinical trial has shown a systemic, long-acting form of HIV prevention to be highly effective, the study report said.

Because of the encouraging results, an independent safety monitoring board recommended that the study, which was scheduled to end in 2021, stop early and the investigators share the results. All participants will be offered long-acting cabotegravir as soon as it can be made available.

Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at NIAID, which sponsored and funded the trial, told The Chronicle that he was pleased by the studys outcome.

We want there to be an effective prevention method that works with people, he said, so that through education, they can be aware that you can love any way you want and avoid HIV.

Thousands of men and transgender women received injections at 43 sites in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States, beginning in 2016. Two-thirds of study participants were under 30 and 12% were transgender women. Half of the U.S. participants were black.

Two of the study sites were in the Bay Area: dozens of people participated through Bridge HIV, a research organization in San Francisco affiliated with the Department of Public Health, and the East Bay AIDS Center, affiliated with Sutter Healths Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Each volunteer was paid up to $75.

The studys investigators said they cannot yet explain why cabotegravir was more effective in reducing rates of infection than the pills. Hall hypothesized that not all participants took the pills every day or that their bodies may have been exposed to virus that was resistant to the oral or injectable drugs.

Dr. Robert Grant, a professor of medicine at UCSF, said that if people take fewer than four doses a week, the pills are ineffective.

He and others said that for many people whose lives are chaotic, taking an injection every other month is easier than taking a pill every day.

The Achilles heel of (HIV prevention) to date is taking a pill, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, director of San Francisco General Hospitals Ward 86 HIV clinic, who has 300 patients taking the pills. There are about 5,000 patients taking the pills across San Franciscos public health system, she said.

Its exciting, this idea that you could give someone an injection, they can forget about it, and they are (largely) protected from HIV infection, 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.

NIAID and the HIV Prevention Trials Network, funded by the National Institutes of Health, conducted the study. ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company based in North Carolina that makes cabotegravir, co-funded it but did not influence how the study was designed or conducted and didnt have access to the results, Dieffenbach said. Gilead Sciences in Foster City makes the oral pills.

Participants received either injections of cabotegravir and placebo pills containing no drugs, or they received placebo injections and pills containing the other drugs. Neither the participants nor the doctors administering the drugs knew which was which.

Most of those in the injected group  80%  reported pain or tenderness at the injection site, compared to 31% of those who received placebo injections. About 2% of study participants worldwide dropped out of the study because of pain, Dieffenbach said.

Meanwhile, taking drugs doesnt replace the need for practicing safe sex and using condoms, Gandhi said.

Reina Hernandez, HIV benefits and navigation manager at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, started taking pills to prevent the virus five years ago. Hernandez said that remembering to take medication is difficult and an injection would be preferable.

It just means we have yet another tool in the fight against HIV, Hernandez said.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have published a pair of studies in a COVID-19 special issue of the Harvard Data Science Review, freely available via open access, describing new methods for accelerating drug approvals during pandemics and for providing more accurate measures of the probabilities of success for clinical trials of vaccines and other anti-infective therapies.

"Randomized clinical trialswhere patients are assigned randomly to two groups, one receiving a new treatment and the other receiving a placebo or reference treatmentare the gold standard for determining the safety and effectiveness of a treatment," says Andrew Lo, Ph.D., the study's senior author and the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. "Only when the treatment group shows significant improvement over the control group, will regulators approve the therapy." He adds, "the current process is designed to protect the public by minimizing the chances of 'false positives' (approving ineffective and unsafe therapies), and by and large, it's been very successful."

But there is a trade-off between false positives and false negatives (not approving a safe and effective therapy), and Lo and his collaborators have developed a framework that uses an epidemiological model of COVID-19 to calculate the optimal statistical threshold for approving a drug during a pandemic. "In the midst of an outbreak, many lives are at stake so we need to be less concerned about false positives and more concerned about false negatives than during normal times," says Lo, "In response, we've developed an analytic framework that allows regulators to make this trade-off systematically, transparently, and rationally."

At the core of this new frameworkwhich was jointly developed in collaboration with MIT students Qingyang Xu and Danying Xiao, and former MIT student Shomesh Chaudhuri, Ph.D. (now at QLS Advisors)is an explicit optimization algorithm designed to minimize the expected loss of life across various scenarios generated by a statistical model of an infectious disease. This algorithm, says Xu, will lead to more drug approvals during outbreaks, not unlike the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) program. "Our framework complements the EUA, allowing regulators to incorporate loss-of-life considerations quantitatively during periods of extraordinary stress," explains Xu, the lead investigator of the study.

In a companion study authored by Lo and MIT Ph.D. students Kien Wei Siah and Chi Heem Wong, the MIT researchers estimated the probabilities of success (PoSs) of clinical trials for vaccines and other anti-infective therapies using the Citeline dataset provided by Informa Pharma Intelligence, part of UK-based publishing company, Informa. This dataset includes 43,414 unique triplets of clinical trial, drug, and disease over the past 20 years, yielding over 2,500 vaccine programs and more than 6,800 nonvaccine, anti-infective programs, the largest dataset of its kind.

"The PoS is a key input into each major decision of every biopharma company about which disease to tackle and how much resources to devote to it," observes Lo.

Because a successful clinical trial can mean billions of dollars in revenues, small changes in PoS can lead to very different business decisions. Therefore, having timely and accurate measures of PoS is criticaland often, these better measures of risk and reward allow investors to put more capital to work.

The overall estimated PoS for industry-sponsored vaccine programs is about 40%, which is the highest among all disease groups (by comparison, the PoS of cancer trials is, historically, less than 5%), and 16.3% for industry-sponsored nonvaccine, anti-infective programs. Viruses involved in recent outbreaksMiddle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Ebola, and Zikahave had 45 nonvaccine and 35 vaccine development programs initiated over the past two decades, and there have been only two approved vaccines to date (for Ebola). This points to a clear need for new policies to address this gap.

"As governments around the world begin to formulate a more systematic strategy for dealing with pandemics beyond COVID-19, these estimates can be used by policymakers to identify areas most likely to be underserved by private sector engagement and in need of public sector support," said Wong, the study's lead author. These results are part of Project ALPHA (Analytics for Life-sciences Professionals and Healthcare Advocates)an ongoing initiative at the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering (LFE) where Lo is directorto help make the biomedical funding ecosystem more efficient. "We now provide this information on a regular basis, it's not just a one-shot deal," Lo says. Users can obtain the most current PoS estimates at https://projectalpha.mit.edu.

About MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan School of Management is where smart, independent leaders come together to solve problems, create new organizations, and improve the world. Learn more at mitsloan.mit.edu

About the Harvard Data Science Review

The Harvard Data Science Review is the open access platform of the Harvard Data Science Initiative. Published by the MIT Press. HDSR publishes high quality content that helps to define and shape data science as a rigorous field of study with global impact. Established in 1962, the MIT Press (Cambridge, MA and London) is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. MIT Press books and journals are known for their intellectual daring, scholarly standards, interdisciplinary focus, and distinctive design. For almost 50 years, the MIT Press journals division has been publishing journals that are at the leading edge of their field and launching new journals that have nurtured burgeoning areas of scholarship.

For further information, please contact:

Paul Denning Director of Media Relations MIT Sloan School of Management 617-253-0576 [email protected] Patricia Favreau Associate Director of Media Relations MIT Sloan School of Management 617-253-3492 [email protected] Amy Harris Senior Manager, Institutional Marketing and Partnerships The MIT Press 857-331-4265 [email protected]

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The gunman in a deadly rampage late last year at a military base in Florida communicated with al-Qaida operatives about the attacks in the months leading up to it, U.S. officials said Monday as they laid out new details of a shooting that killed three American sailors.

The FBI learned of the contacts between Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani and operatives of al-Qaida after breaking the encryption on cellphones that had previously been locked and that the shooter, a Saudi Air Force officer, had tried to destroy before being killed by law enforcement.

We now have a clearer understanding of Alshamrani's associations in the years, months and days leading up to his attack, Attorney General William Barr said at a news conference in which he sharply chastised Apple for not providing help in unlocking the phones.

Once unlocked by the FBI, the phones revealed contact between Alshamrani and dangerous" operatives from al-Qaida in the Arabian Pensinsula, or AQAP, and also showed how he had been radicalized overseas for at least the last five years, officials said. He also was meticulous in his planning, including saving a will on his phone that sought to explain himself  the same document AQAP later released in taking responsibility for the attack.

It is certainly more than just inspired," FBI Director Chris Wray said of Alshamrani's contacts with al-Qaida. We know, for example, that he was sharing plans and tactics with them. We know that he was coordinating with them and providing an opportunity for them to take credit for the attack.

Alshamrani was killed by a sheriffs deputy during the Dec. 6 rampage at a classroom building at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He had been undergoing flight training at Pensacola, where members of foreign militaries routinely receive instruction. In addition to the three sailors who died, eight other people were injured.

RELATED: How a statue defined a town and remembered an American hero

The Justice Department had previously asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement. Wray said FBI agents were able to break the encryption without the help of Apple.

Law enforcement officials left no doubt that Alshamrani was motivated by jihadist ideology, saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting.

Separately, al-Qaidas branch in Yemen, released a video claiming the attack. The branch, AQAP, has long been considered the global networks most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.

In January, U.S. officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had had jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had contact with child pornography."

Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the U.S. later determines should face charges.

Note: This story was updated after William Barr press conference
What happened

Shares of General Motors (NYSE:GM) were trading higher on Monday amid a broad market rally, as the company reopened several U.S. factories that had been idled since March.

As of 10:45 a.m. EDT today, GM's shares were up about 8.4% from Friday's closing price.

So what

After weeks of planning, today's the day: Several of GM's U.S. factories, including truck plants in Flint, Michigan, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, restarted production this morning. Early reports suggested that worker attendance was at or above expectations, and that operations were running smoothly amid extensive changes to protect workers from the COVID-19 virus.

GM and other automakers shut down their factories in North America in March amid calls for social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus. GM, like most of its rivals, books revenue when vehicles are shipped to dealers, so idling its factories has been costly.

Restarting will be a costly exercise, too, as supply chains are reactivated and working capital reinstated. But auto investors cheered the resumption of production on Monday, and rightly so.

Now what

For GM, resuming production in North America will be a process that unfolds over several weeks. The company's first priority is to get pickup trucks to its dealers to avoid tight supplies as America reopens; GM is tentatively planning to reopen its third pickup factory, in the Mexican city of Silao, later this week, according to a Reuters report.

For now, GM's factories will be running on just one shift, versus the usual two or three, as it's not yet clear what demand for new vehicles will be like in the next few months. But if GM (and its rivals and suppliers) can avoid virus outbreaks at reopened factories, and if consumers resume buying vehicles, then auto investors will be able to breathe a little easier.
The research has not been through the standard peer-review process, Liljedahl said, because the scientists felt they needed to get the information to the public swiftly. Peer review can take months, and they didnt want to wait. One of the researchers involved is writing a manuscript that they plan on submitting in about a month.
By Joseph Surman

As a former prosecutor, I am writing on a public safety crisis hidden in plain sight: the spread of COVID-19 within the walls of prisons, jails, and detention centers. These facilities are placing entire communities at risk. New Jerseys facilities have the highest death rates in the nation. Unfortunately, many incarcerated people are looking at the prospect of a short prison sentence turning into a death sentence with exposure to COVID-19. As an attorney who represents the interests of police and corrections officers, the safety of these heroes must also take priority. All of these goals can be achieved by the release of low-risk prisoners and detainees.

Serving as an assistant prosecutor in Middlesex County, my focus was on public safety. I prosecuted sex offenders in the Special Victims Unit. I strapped on bullet-proof vests and provided on-scene legal assistance to SWAT teams. Yet today, the COVID-19 crisis is forcing me to look at public safety in a different way.

The worst outbreaks in the nation are happening in prisons and jails, where social distancing is impossible. Staff members bring the virus home and into the community. Research shows that these facilities can significantly accelerate the spread through surrounding communities. Marion County, Ohio is experiencing this crisis right now.

I cannot justify keeping people in conditions that will spread COVID-19 if releasing them poses little public safety threat. More than 1,000 people are detained by ICE for civil immigration violations in our state. They are held at county jails and a privately-run detention center. Extremely limited testing has already found dozens of confirmed COVID cases, including several among officers. With crime already down significantly amidst our stay at home orders, we can release some detainees without jeopardizing our public safety.

While Gov. Phil Murphy and other state and local officials cannot directly release people from ICE detention, they can still take an important action. They can immediately stop transfers from jails and prisons to ICE facilities. They can pressure ICE to stop new admissions and to release people from custody. Now is a crucial time, as ICE has indicated that it has no plans to release any more people in detention at this time.

We have already mourned the loss of several law enforcement officers from COVID-19 exposures. A new modeling study from the ACLU estimates that if we fail to reduce the jail population, it can cost our nation nearly 100,000 avoidable deaths.

In this crisis, protecting public safety means scaling up our response. To their credit, New Jerseys leaders have begun to take steps to reduce the incarcerated population. On March 23, we were the first state to approve a 700-person reduction in local jail populations. On April 10, Governor Murphy signed an executive order to allow the Department of Corrections to furlough up to 1,100 people in state prison who were found to be a high medical risk and low public safety risk. Yet almost a month later, only 83 people have been approved for release under the order. The DOC must follow through with the order immediately.

Furthermore, by placing a hold on parolee travel and transfers to other states, families have been separated indefinitely. Without family support, parolees, like the rest of us, are struggling to survive in an uncertain future. Parole officers should be allowed to exercise their discretion for appropriate furloughs and transfers.

But this is not enough. We need access to widespread testing and public health oversight of prison conditions. We also need comprehensive reentry support services for people who are removed from facilities. These are significant changes, but they will be critical to saving as many lives as possible.

We know this is a watershed moment in our history. Our children will judge us on how quickly and effectively we came together to act when it counted. Our states jails, prisons, and detention centers are putting everyones health and safety at risk. I believe that our local and state leaders can adapt swiftly to keep us safe.

Joseph Surman served as an Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor from 2008 to 2016. He is the owner of Surman Law LLC and a speaker for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a nonprofit group of police, prosecutors, judges, and other law enforcement officials working to improve the criminal justice system.

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Tears blurring her vision, Raji Devi watched the bus carrying migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh drive into the distance and turned to her son to say she just wants to be home and never wants to see a big city again.

IMAGE: A injured girl waits along with other migrants at a government school to get screened before boarding a bus for the Anand Vihar Railway Station to leave for his native place, during ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in east Delhi, on Monday, May 18, 2020. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

She couldn't get a seat on the bus and neither could her son Sahab Lal, who worked as a construction labourer, and the rest of the family, all waiting to return to their village in Bhadohi.

The disappointment was almost too much to handle for the elderly woman, perhaps in her 70s, who had come to Gurgaon a few months ago from the village and is now desperate to leave.

She held her son's hands and told him she won't be back to bother him and it's okay if he's not there for her last rites either.

The family of seven -- Raji Devi, Sahab Lal, his wife and two children, his nephew and his wife -- were among the hundreds of people waiting at the community centre in Sector 9A Gurgaon from where state transport buses were taking stranded migrants to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

But the seats were allotted on a first-come-first-served basis and the family missed their turn.

This is the first time she came out of her village, and it will be the last, Raji Devi vowed.

The big city lights have lost their lustre, she said.

As the buses started leaving, she told her son in the Hindi dialect from her region, 'Betua ab hum kabhi nahi aiyai tu beshak humka kandha den bhi mat aiyai. Humka nahi dekhna shehar (Son, I won't come back. It's okay if you are not there to shoulder my bier. I don't want to see the city again).'

The family would have walked to their village Dara Patti in Bhadohi, almost 850 km away, but Raji Devi could not have survived the journey, Lal said.

"God knows how we will go home now... we didn't try to walk because it would not have been possible for my mother to have walked for so long. I brought her here few months back to give her more comfort," Lal, who is a daily wage construction worker, said.

The lockdown, which began on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, scuttled all his plans to give his mother a glimpse of his life in the city. He lost his job and so did his nephew.

"Sir, you know how much a daily wage labourer gets... my nephew and I earned to feed our family of seven We didn't earn much. And for the last two months, almost all construction activity has shut down. Now we just want to go home," he said.

He added that he had exhausted all his money and had to borrow to keep his family going.

Lal, who lived in old Gurgaon, was a construction worker at a real estate project in new Gurgaon, one of the faceless millions who helped build the glass facade high-rises that dot the skyline of the city.

Hearing her son narrate his pain, his mother broke into fresh tears, saying she was happy in her village and will live and die there.

But there are always slivers of hope and humanity in the darkest clouds of human suffering.

Lal was all praise for his landlord who didn't ask for a rent from him and also helped him with rations.

Haryana police personnel at the community centre coordinating the transportation of the migrant labourers also consoled the family, assuring them that in a day or two in next round of the buses to Uttar Pradesh family will get the seat.
(Newser)  President Trump has been pushing the "Obamagate" theme of late, but his attorney general just dampened expectations about what Trump and his supporters can expect out of it. William Barr said Monday he doesn't think President Obama or Joe Biden will be investigated over the origins of the Russia investigation, reports Fox News. Barr referenced an inquiry being led by US Attorney John Durham. "Based on the information I have today, I dont expect Mr. Durhams work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Barr told reporters. Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others. Barr did not elaborate on that. Trump has accused the Obama administration of unspecified crimes related to the Russia probe and encouraged investigations, notes the Hill.

story continues below

Barr did provide Trump with some ammunition, however. What happened to the president in the 2016 election and throughout the first two years of his administration was abhorrent, said the attorney general. "It was a grave injustice and it was unprecedented in American history." But, he added, "not every abuse of power, no matter how outrageous, is necessarily a federal crime." He said he would not be pressured into opening an investigation into Trump's political enemies, per the AP. "The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by ones political opponents based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr said. "This is not a good development." (Read more William Barr stories.)
Agra, May 18 : The Agra administration on Monday said movement between villages and urban centres will remain suspended in the Taj city till May 31 as the Covid-19 tally reached 807, with four more cases reported in the past 24 hours.

On Sunday, the police had a tough time pushing the hordes of migrant back, while the agitated mob displayed lack of patience, protested, set fire to garbage dumps and blocked the highway.

Social activist Sonvir Singh who was there alongwith several villagers on Gwalior road, told IANS "Most are youths. They are desperate to reach their homes at any cost. Some one has told them that Covid-19 was essentially an urban disease and the rural areas were safer. Many have categorically stated they would never return to urban ghettoes, come what may. In our villages MANREGA cards were being issued to the migrants and free rations being supplied." District Magistrate P.N. Singh said though the recovery rate had considerably improved, with 42 returning home on Sunday, but there could be no let up or complacency in efforts to combat Covid-19.

Those who were expecting some relief and respite from harsh lockdown conditions in the 44 hot zones of the Taj city, were disheartened. The police has been directed to strictly enforce the Lockdown4.0 to cut off the chain of infections.

A lot of good samaritans have been making additional arrangements for food packets, water bottles, at the Agra Cantt railway station and ISBT bus stand. A senior police official lso provided shoes and chappals free to the migrants while another organised free food service.

A lot of work on broad basing the health infrastructure remains to be done. The number of L-1 and L-2 level hospitals has to be increased, Singh said, adding all helpline numbers were operational and people could easily access medical facilities or consultations with doctors.

Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar said the administration would provide better health services and streamline supply of essentials in the fourth phase of the lockdown period.

SSP Babloo Kumar clarified that only one person would be allowed to use a two-wheeler. Policing in hot spots will be intensified to ensure there was no breach.

The number of cured cases are 547, and the total number of deaths from Covid-19 in Agra is 27 till May 18.

Even as conditions were turning favourable, the influx of migrant workers from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, has put additional pressure on the district administration. Thousands are still waiting to enter Agra at the Mathura border.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged a "complicated" situation in Russia's southern republic of Daghestan after a local mufti described the region's battle against COVID-19 as a "catastrophe."

In a virtual conference with Daghestani officials on May 18, Putin said the "danger of coronavirus infection remains throughout the country, and the situation in Daghestan is not easy now."

He said that "experts" suggested that "the late treatment of patients for medical care, as well as self-medication at home" were exacerbating the problem in the republic, which is home to about 3 million people.

More than 3,400 people in Daghestan had been infected with the coronavirus, 29 of them fatally, according to official figures early on May 18.

But many observers, and some Russian officials, question the veracity of the country's official tallies.

The Daghestani health minister, Dzhamaludin Gadzhiibragimov, has acknowledged that more than 650 more people not counted as COVID-19 victims have died from "community-acquired pneumonia."

They include around 40 doctors and nurses.

Putin said that Daghestan's health-care system was under a "heavy burden" and added that "people also say that the necessary medical care is not always and not everywhere can be received on time and in full."

"We need to further analyze how the recommendations of sanitary doctors on the regime of self-isolation, on the limitation of mass events, are also being implemented," the Russian leader added.

The head of a patient-monitoring group told RFE/RL's Current Time recently that "all hospitals are overcrowded" in Daghestan and cited acute shortages of protective equipment and problems diagnosing COVID-19.

Daghestan's top mufti, Akhmad Abdulayev, told Putin via video link on May 18 that "the scope of the catastrophe is forcing us to appeal to you," according to AFP. "Please devote your attention to Daghestan."

Putin repeated Islamic leaders' calls for people in the heavily Muslim republic to celebrate at home Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Russia has been accused of lowering its coronavirus mortality rates by ascribing deaths to pneumonia.

The country has more than 290,000 registered cases of COVID-19 but only 2,722 deaths by May 18, placing it fairly low in terms of death rates around the world.

Doctors have reported being overwhelmed and frustrated at the lack of medical supplies.

Republican head Vladimir Vasiliev on May 18 reportedly defended Daghestan's official coronavirus statistics but pledged to "clarify" the death toll among medical professionals.

With reporting by AFP
Zalmay Khalilzad leaves for Kabul and Doha after Afghan President Ghani and rival Abdullah sign power-sharing deal.

A senior United States envoy has left for Doha and Kabul to press Taliban and Afghan government officials to begin peace talks, the US State Department has said.

The US special representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, left Washington on Sunday shortly after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal that could help lead to peace talks to end the countrys long-running war.

The three main impediments to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, which were to begin March 10, have been a rise in violence, the pace of prisoner releases and the failure of Ghani and Abdullah to resolve a power struggle.

While in Doha, Khalilzad will meet with Taliban officials to discuss carrying out a February 29 US-Taliban agreement that called for prisoner releases by both sides and to press for steps necessary to commence intra-Afghan negotiations, including a significant reduction of violence, the State Department said.

In Kabul, Khalilzad will meet with senior government officials to explore steps the Afghan government needs to take to make intra-Afghan negotiations begin as soon as possible, it added.

The key provisions of the February 29 agreement, to which the Afghan government was not a party, involved a US commitment to reduce its presence in Afghanistan to 8,600 troops by mid-July and, conditions permitting, to zero by May 2021.

Prisoner exchange

A prisoner exchange was also agreed under the US-Taliban deal. The Taliban wants 5,000 of its prisoners released in one go, a demand the Ghani administration has refused to meet.

So far, Kabul has released about 1,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban claims to have freed 263 government captives.

Earlier on Monday, Taliban warned that intra-Afghan talks could not open until the prisoner swap is completed.

That which is taking place in Kabul is only a repetition of the past failed experiences, Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter in what was the groups first reaction to the Ghani-Abdullah deal.

Afghan sides should focus on real and sincere solution to the issue  The prisoners release process should be completed and the intra-Afghan negotiations should start.

Last week, Ghani ordered security forces to switch to an offensive position against the Taliban after two deadly attacks in a day killed dozens of people.

A daylight raid on a Kabul hospital on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, including mothers and infants.

That attack, which triggered international outrage, was followed by a suicide bombing at a funeral which killed at least 32 mourners.

Though the Taliban denied involvement in both the earlier attacks, it killed at least seven intelligence personnel in a car bomb attack in the eastern province of Ghazni on Monday.
Afghan President Ghani and Opposition Leader Abdullah Strike Deal

Sputnik News

10:33 GMT 17.05.2020(updated 16:00 GMT 17.05.2020)

The politicians have been engaged in a dispute since September, as Abdullah refused to recognise the results of the presidential elections in the country. Both Ghani and Abdullah held inauguration ceremonies in March.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political opponent Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief executive, signed a deal on Sunday, agreeing to share power and form a unity government. According to reports, Dr Abdullah will lead the National Reconciliation High Council and some members of his team will hold government positions.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has congratulated the Afghan leaders on reaching an agreement on inclusive governance for Afghanistan, the official statement said.

The agreement puts an end to the political stalemate that began after the September elections, as Abdullah stated that he had been deprived of victory by vote-rigging and formed his own parallel government.

The news comes as Kabul is trying to launch a peace process with the Taliban after the United States brokered a deal with the movement in a bid to end the almost 19-year-long campaign and withdraw American forces from the country.

However, relations between the government and the militants remain tense despite a prisoner swap, as the Taliban and Afghan forces continue to clash in various parts of the country.

 Sputnik

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Supreme Court has overturned an order by the Ministry Home Affairs which asked industries to pay full wages to their employees for the lockdown period. The apex court has ordered government not to take any coercive action against private companies unable to pay the full salaries to their workers.

The judgement came against a writ petition filed by Karnataka-based company Ficus Pax Private Limited, which had challenged the constitutional validity of a March 20 notification by the Labour Secretary and clause III of the March 29 notification by the Home Ministry, both of which compelled payment of full wages to workers and employees during the period of lockdown.

ALSO READ: Moderna shares spike 39% after COVID-19 vaccine shows positive results in early trial

The company had argued that government orders mandating full salary payment to workers violated Articles 14 and 19 (1)(g) of the Constitution of India, which refer to equality before law and right to practise any profession, occupation or trade, respectively. It had further said that the order was in contravention of the principles of 'Equal Work, Equal Pay' and 'No Work, No Pay', as it doesn't differentiate between the workers who are working during lockdown

"How long can the government expect companies to pay?" a three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who sought further time to respond to the petition.

ALSO READ: Delhi coronavirus: Number of containment zones remains constant despite rise in cases

The bench said there may be small industries, which are affected due to the lockdown as they can sustain for say 15 odd days but not more and if they cannot earn, how are they going to pay their workers. It further added that the Centre can't persecute firms if they are unable to pay salaries.

"It is implicit in the fundamental right of an employer to trade or business that there is an obligation to pay when work is actually done and there is no obligation if no work is done," the Supreme Court bench said.

ALSO READ: Gujarat coronavirus hotspots: Check complete list of containment zones as cases reach 2,178
Exact date of Laylat al-Qadr is unspecified, but is believed to have occurred on one of the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Laylat al-Qadr, or the night of power, is considered by Muslims to be the holiest night of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

The exact date of Laylat al-Qadr is unspecified, but it is believed to occur on one of the last 10 days of the month.

Many Muslims believe it is either the night of the 27th day of Ramadan, or one of the odd-numbered nights during the final 10 days of the month.

Since no one knows exactly which night marks Laylat al-Qadr, most Muslims observe all of the last 10 evenings of Ramadan by offering extra prayers and reciting the Quran, Islams holy book.

The night commemorates when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. According to Islamic tradition, the prophet used to retreat for a month every year to the cave of Hira, which was located in a mountain outside of the city of Mecca.

It is believed that Angel Gabriel visited the prophet at the cave one night and inspired him to recite the first verses of the Quran to be revealed to him.

After that night, the prophet is believed to have continued to receive revelations of the Quran over a 23-year period.

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Every year, this night witnesses hundreds of thousands of Muslims headed towards mosques to attend congregational prayers.

In Palestine, tens of thousands of Muslims visit Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islams third-holiest site, to pray during Laylat al-Qadr amid tight security.

For several years, the Israeli military has allowed Palestinian women over 30 years old and men over 50 years old to enter Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank to observe the prayers.

In the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attend the congregational prayers at the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the Prophets Mosque in Medina  the two holiest sites for Muslims.

But this year, most mosques around the world have been shut for several months after governments imposed lockdowns, curfews and other coronavirus-related restrictions to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic. The virus has killed more than 310,000 people and infected 4.6 million others.

Like Friday sermons and the five daily prayers that have been banned for weeks, congregational prayers on Laylat al-Qadr will also be barred. Most people are expected to observe the night from their homes.

But in Iran, where prayer gatherings resumed last week in as many as 180 cities and towns seen as being at low risk of the contagion, Laylat al-Qadr was observed by many Iranians on Sunday night by attending prayers at mosques and reciting the Quran.
Iraqs judiciary ordered courts on Sunday to release anti-government protesters, carrying out one of the first decisions of the recently inaugurated prime minister just as dozens of demonstrators burned tyres in renewed protests against the new leadership.

Premier Mustafa al-Kadhimi also promoted a well-respected Iraqi general, who played a key role in the military campaign against the Islamic State, to lead counter-terrorism operations.

Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saadi was mysteriously demoted last year by former prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, prompting outrage and sparking popular protests in northern Iraq and Baghdad.

The Supreme Judiciary Council said in a statement that it had ordered the release of protesters detained since those demonstrations erupted, in line with the new prime ministers call.

The council released detainees based on Article 38 of the constitution which guarantees the right to protest, provided that it is not accompanied by an act contrary to the law, the statement said.

Anti-government protesters gather in front of barriers (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

In a press briefing on Saturday night following his first Cabinet meeting as premier, Mr al-Kadhimi said demonstrators should be protected and that all protesters should be released, except those involved in violence.

Protests erupted in Baghdad and across the countrys south on October 1, when frustrated Iraqis took to the streets to decry rampant government corruption, unemployment and poor services.

Human rights groups say at least 600 people died in the following three months at the hands of Iraqi security forces who used live fire and tear gas to disperse the crowds.

The demonstrations petered out with the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, though dozens of protesters are still camped out in Baghdads Tahrir Square determined not to let the movement die.

Mr al-Kadhimi also said he was promoting Mr al-Saadi to become head of Iraqs elite counter-terrorism service, just as the country was experiencing an upsurge in attacks by the Islamic State group in the north.

Story continues

Previously, the general was a force commander in the the service before Mr Abdul-Mahdi demoted him in September to a post in the defence ministry.

The Iraqi public considered his sudden demotion a sign of corrupt government practices and took to the streets in outrage.

Mr al-Saadi, 56, was one of the leading commanders in the fight against IS and the battle to retake Mosul, taking the lead in many operations.

An injured anti-government protester is rushed to a hospital (Hadi Mizban/AP)

In a recent briefing with reporters, American Lieutenant General Pat White, head of the Combined Joint Task Force responsible for fighting IS, said the group was failing miserably in a renewed campaign to launch more attacks.

IS leadership has stated what their intent is, and they do this every year.

They put out what is generally described as a military campaign, he said.

To date, they have failed miserably at achieving those goals.

Still, plumes of acrid smoke choked the air Sunday as protesters, unpersuaded by Mr al-Kadhimis decisions, returned to the streets and burned tyres on a key bridge leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraqs government.

Protesters said they rejected Mr al-Kadhimi and any candidate chosen by the political establishment and gathered by the dozens near Jumhuriya Bridge, closed off since late last year in a standoff with riot police.
The Afghan government on Monday rejected a senior Taliban leaders remarks that India has been playing a negative role in Afghanistan, saying India has been cooperating in development and is expected to contribute to the peace process.

Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Talibans chief negotiator and head of its political office in Qatar, had been quoted by the media on Sunday as saying that India has been playing a negative role in Afghanistan for the past 40 years.

Stanikzai, a former military officer who once trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, also said India should reconsider its policy on Afghanistan. If the Indian government reconsiders its policy and wants an active role in peace, reconciliation and reconstruction, the Taliban will welcome it and look at it positively, he said.

The Afghan foreign ministry said on Monday that Afghanistans ties with India are within international frameworks and based on mutual respect. India has very good relations with Afghanistan and is one of the biggest donor countries, the ministry said.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Gran Hewad told the US-backed Radio Azadi: India one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation. We expect India and other neighbouring counties [will] play a significant role in [the] Afghan peace process.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials to Stanikzais remarks.

Stanikzai had also claimed that India has only cooperated with those who are corrupt and have been put in power by foreigners not elected by Afghan people.

These developments have come days after the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, discussed the Afghan peace process with external affairs minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval during a trip to New Delhi. He also said India should directly engage with the Taliban.

People familiar with developments have said India is yet to take a call on engaging with the Taliban in any way.

Khalid Sadaat, a political analyst, told Radio Azadi that the Taliban are making such assertions on Pakistans demand. He said, The Taliban should not give themselves this liberty to make county and state-level remarks, as it will have negative consequences for Afghanistan in future.

The other thing is that India and Pakistan are having historical enmity and Pakistan is playing a proxy role in Afghanistan, and Taliban are being accused of playing Pakistans proxy role in Afghanistan and are backed by Pakistan. I believe Taliban [are making] these assertions on Pakistans demand.

The US has also stepped up efforts to implement its troubled deal with the Taliban, which has run into problems because of several issues, including the release of prisoners. India has also called for a cessation of hostilities so that authorities can focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over the past few days, a fake document about the Taliban calling for the launch of jihad in India went viral on social media. The Taliban denied the reports and a spokesman clarified the groups policy does not allow interference in the affairs of any other country.

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Bans on short-selling in a host of major European countries were lifted Monday, with regulators citing less turbulent market conditions.

The bans came into force in mid-March after stock markets worldwide suffered a historic string of losses, as the spread of the coronavirus in Europe began to force countries across the continent to shut down their economies.

Short selling involves an investor borrowing a security and selling it on the open market, with a view to buying it back later at a reduced price, capitalizing on the expected depreciation in its value. It is a common, albeit controversial, practice at times of great market distress in particular.

The move to temporarily ban the practice came after the pan-European Stoxx 600 index plunged 34% over the course of the month to mid-March, including notching its biggest single-day percentage decline in history on March 12.

The European blue chip index climbed 6.24% over the month of April but remains down more than 19% for the year to date.

On Monday, Austrian, Belgian, Greek, French, Italian and Spanish securities regulators took a joint decision to lift the restrictions. The U.K. and Germany did not impose bans.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:26:51|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces backed by Southwestern State Army on Monday killed 7 members of al-Shabab fighters in an operation in Awdinle town in the southern region of Bay, a local official confirmed.

Ibrahim Mohamed Nur, governor of Awdinle town said that a joint offensive conducted by Somali National Army (SNA) and local army inflicted severe casualties on the militants and drove them out of many villages.

"It was a planned operation, we have captured Dambal Aran and Galdid villages during the offensive, our forces killed seven of the militants," Nur said, adding that the army will intensify operations against the militants until they drive al-Shabab fighters out of the whole region.

Residents said heavily armed government forces attacked the town targeting bases used by al-Shabab militants.

The latest offensive came barely a day after al-Shabab militants conducted an explosive attack in Galkayo town in the north-central region of Mudug which left four people dead.

Somali army backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) forced al-Shabab extremists out of the capital Mogadishu in August 2011, but the militants still hold swathes of rural areas in southern and central Somalia conducting ambushes and planting land mines. Enditem
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Civil rights groups sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Monday, saying the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility is failing to impose social distancing rules to protect individuals held on civil immigration charges during the coronavirus outbreak.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York made their complaints known in a federal lawsuit in Buffalo that seeks class action status to protect individuals held at the Batavia, New York, lockup who are vulnerable to COVID-19.

The lawsuit demands that authorities comply with Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as they treat medically at-risk people in the facility.

According to the lawsuit, at least 49 of 319 people detained at the lockup on April 25 had tested positive for COVID-19, representing a 1,200% growth in infections since April 9 and making it one of the worst hit ICE detention centres nationwide.

A message for comment was left with the Justice Department in Washington.

The lawsuit claims that the federal government has failed to obey a federal court order requiring it to implement protective measures for over a dozen detainees who were identified as being vulnerable to the coronavirus. It included a lawsuit filed in March on behalf of 23 detainees that resulted in the judges order as Exhibit A for its lawsuit.

The new lawsuit estimates that over 100 individuals detained at the facility are medically vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The lawsuit asked a judge to force ICE to fix the unlawful and dangerously incomplete COVID-19 policy at the Buffalo facility.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will lead the influential Senate Intelligence Committee as its acting chairman, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Monday.

Rubio is replacing Sen. Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican, who stepped down on Thursday amid a federal probe of stock trades he made in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The senior senator for Florida is a talented and experienced Senate leader with expertise in foreign affairs and national security matters," McConnell said in a statement, calling the position a "temporary assignment."

Rubio, 48, ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 and has been considered a rising star in Republican politics. He is the chairman of the Senate's small business and entrepreneurship committee.

Burr has denied wrongdoing and said he is cooperating with FBI investigators who are examining stock sales that he made in mid-February.

Burr sold shares worth between $630,000 and $1.7 million on Feb. 13 after receiving a number of briefings on Covid-19 and shortly before stocks sank on fears of a global slowdown.

Federal agents seized Burr's phone on Wednesday as part of a criminal investigation into those sales, according to NBC News.

FBI agents had previously served a warrant on Apple to get information from Burr's iCloud account, according to The Los Angeles Times, which first reported on the investigative steps.

Burr has said the sales were inspired by public reporting out of Asia, including by CNBC.

"I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision regarding the sale of stocks," the senator said in a March statement. "Specifically, I closely followed CNBC's daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus at the time."

Burr's brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, also sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of shares that day, ProPublica reported. Burr's attorney Alice Fisher said that the two did not coordinate the sales.

On Thursday, when Burr stepped down as intelligence committee chairman, he said the investigation was "a distraction to the hard work of the committee, and the members and I think that the security of the country is too important to have a distraction."

The intelligence committee, which is co-chaired by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, is currently finishing the final report on its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement, Rubio said he was grateful to McConnell "for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr's absence from the Chairmanship."

"The Committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously, and I look forward to continuing that tradition," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:43:52|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Monday by 20 cases to 931 while the death toll remained unchanged at 26, the National News Agency reported.

Businesses in Lebanon were reopened on Monday after four days of shutdown while the health ministry urged people to take precautionary measures to avoid further spread of the virus.

The country is conducting COVID-19 tests randomly.

Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said on May 11 that China will continue to support Lebanon in its fight against COVID-19. Enditem
NEW HAVEN  More coronavirus testing sites need to be opened in the citys African-American neighborhoods, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic, the Rev. Boise Kimber said Monday in an online press conference.

Kimber, president of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association and senior pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church, also said the churches should wait to reopen until COVID-19 infections in the city are well under control.

This is not the time for us to go back until we receive more testing, until the positive count has dropped, Kimber said.

In New Haven, as elsewhere, African Americans have recorded a higher percentage of COVID cases and deaths than their share of the population.

As of Monday, 10,040 people had been tested for the coronavirus in New Haven, with 2,271 positive cases, Mayor Justin Elicker said. Of that 2,271, 636 are black or African American, 636 are Hispanic or Latinx, 299 are white, while 674 are of unknown race.

New Havens population is 32 percent black, 30 percent white and 30 percent Hispanic, according to DataHavens Greater New Haven Community Index 2019.

Kimber called for adding to the five testing sites in the city, specifically in the Newhallville, West Rock and West Hills neighborhoods. I am raising the issue  saying to the mayor of this city, the governor, churches can be used as testing sites, he said.

He also asked for the city to provide masks, gloves and thermometers for churches to use when they do reopen. At this point I am asking that we not reopen at the present time  until there is evidence that this virus has gone down, Kimber said.

He said the pressure to reopen the churches is not coming from parishioners as much as clergy feeling the financial strain because people are not bringing offerings to church.

People are used to bringing their money when they come on Sunday, Kimber said. Some of them are not as committed to sending their money rather than bringing it. But he said its not worth the risk to open the churches. Im asking that we not put our parishioners in harms way, he said.

Kimber also said its not clear whether people are being charged by their insurance for the testing, though insurance companies have said they would not charge for tests. He said someone told him they were going to be charged for lab work.

There are too many conflicting stories that are out there, Kimber said. We have to be clear about that.

Kimber said he had not spoken to Elicker, with whom he said he is not on the same wavelength about the coronavirus. He said he had spoken with Alders Delphine Clyburn, D-20, and Steve Winter, D-21, and to Gov. Ned Lamonts chief of staff, Paul Mounds.

I said, why cant we use our churches just like Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo is using churches in New York to be a part of testing, Kimber said.

Elicker said there are five sites in New Haven and the city is discussing opening up more. We are, compared to our peers, very, very fortunate that we have so much testing available and we have eliminated every barrier to people accessing testing, he said.

Were in active conversations with Yale New Haven Hospital, which has contracted with the state to expand their testing, Elicker said. Also, the city is looking to open additional sites on our own to make sure the locations are easily accessible, in particular to communities that are suffering disproportionate impact due to COVID-19.

Were open to doing testing wherever its going to get a lot of people participating, he said. That may be churches, that may be schools or even parking lots.

A prescription is only needed at Yale New Haven Hospitals testing site, which a person can get by calling the New Haven Health Department at 203-946-6999. Other sites are at Fair Haven Community Health Care, 374 Grand Ave., Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center at 226 Dixwell Ave., the CVS-run site at 60 Sargent Drive, and at Chapel and Day streets.

If they need a ride, the can call 211 and a taxi service will come and pick them up, Elicker said.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com
A man has been arrested and charged for allegedly having sex with a dead woman outside a homeless shelter in Georgia.

Bibb County officers responding to a 911 call were dispatched to the 100 block of Walnut Street on Sunday morning, following reports that two people were having sex on the front steps of the property.

Deputies say they discovered 55-year-old Kenny Obryn Whitehead outside the Daybreak Resource Center having sex with the woman.

After instructing Whitehead to put his clothes they realised the woman was dead.

Deputies say they discovered 55-year-old Kenny Obryn Whitehead (above) outside the Daybrake Resource Center having sex with a dead woman

Emergency services say she 'had been deceased for some time', according to officials.

Officers are investigating the woman's cause of death though they do not suspect foul play, Fox5 Atlanta reported.

They are not releasing her identity until next of kin have been informed of her death.

Whitehead has been charged with necrophilia and is being held without bond.

The crime carries a maximum prison sentence of up to two years behind bars.

The Daybreak Day Resource Center provides support to around 100 homeless people a day, according to its website.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that he is taking the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in a bid to prevent contracting COVID-19, even though his own health authorities have cautioned Americans against using the drug as a coronavirus treatment.

Trump stunned White House reporters on Monday (Tuesday AEST) by saying he has taken hydroxychloroquine and a zinc supplement daily "for about a week and a half now."

US President Donald Trump is taking an unproven drug with potentially dangerous side-effects. Credit:Bloomberg

Trump spent weeks pushing the drug, which is also used to treat ailments such as lupus, as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administration's top medical professionals.

The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the new coronavirus.
COSTA MESA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / Charlie's Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK:CHUC) ("Charlie's" or the "Company), an industry leader in both the premium, nicotine-only, e-cigarette space and the hemp-derived, CBD wellness space, announced today the Company's financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Key Highlights for Q1 2020

Partnered with Blackbriar Regulatory Services to direct submission of Premarket Tobacco Product Application ("PMTA")

CBD wellness products contributed revenue of $877,000

Ramping direct-to-consumer e-commerce efforts

Management Commentary

"This month marks our one-year anniversary of being a publicly-traded company, and over that time we have been on a rollercoaster witnessing some highs and lows. Unforeseen industry headwinds from the nationwide vaping concerns and the uncertainty brought on from the global COVID-19 pandemic have produced challenges that have prompted us to transition and streamline operations to become more efficient," commented Brandon Stump, Chief Executive Officer of Charlie's.

Stump, continued, "we have witnessed a stabilization in our nicotine-based e-liquid products and have focused more of our attention on differentiating ourselves by being an early mover with our preparation for submission of our PMTA. While the deadline to the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has been pushed back to September 2020, we continue to compile more data and remain on track thanks to our partnership with Blackbriar Regulatory Services. We strongly believe our commitment to the highest standards of regulatory compliance, coupled with our hemp-derived CBD wellness products and our international vaping distribution network are huge differentiating factors for our Company. Our team has transitioned well over the past several months and we remain confident and enthusiastic on our future growth prospects."

Growth Initiatives

Charlie's products produced domestically through contract manufacturers for sale through select distributors, specialty retailers and third-party online resellers throughout the United States, as well as more than 80 countries worldwide. Charlie's primary international markets include the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In June 2019, the Company launched distribution, through Don Polly, of certain premium vapor, tincture and topical wellness products containing hemp-derived cannabidiol ("CBD") and currently intends to develop and launch additional products containing hemp-derived CBD in the future.

Story continues

First, we plan to focus on increasing the sales of our CBD related products, including topicals, tinctures and vaping liquids. We feel there is a significant upside in the CBD space, and we have begun to focus on numerous vertical markets for the sale of our isolate, full and broad-spectrum products. These vertical markets include, but aren't limited to the medical and wellness markets. In addition, we have begun conversations with various companies and organizations that, if successful, will allow us to significantly expand our marketing and distribution reach.

Secondly, we see a significant opportunity for sales growth in international markets for nicotine e-liquids. Presently, approximately 25% of our e-liquid product sales come from the international market and we are well positioned to increase those sales in the countries that we presently sell, and in additional overseas markets, as we have already built an international distribution platform.

Lastly, we feel that the nicotine based flavored vaping products will continue to be a significant growth opportunity, once all the rightful regulatory changes have been made. We will continue with our plan to obtain marketing authorization for certain of our products through the submission of a PMTA, which is due in September 2020. We expect the cost associated with the preparation and submission of these PMTAs will be approximately $4.4 million in total. In addition, we are evaluating the potential returns associated with obtaining marketing authorization for our other nicotine based vaping products after the September 2020 deadline. We feel that a significant amount of our competitors will not have the resources and/or expertise to complete the extensive and costly PMTA process and that once complete, we will be able to benefit from being one of only a select group of companies operating in the flavored nicotine product space.

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $4,405,000, a decrease of $2,243,000, or 34%, as compared to $6,648,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a $3,120,000 decrease in sales of our nicotine-based products, offset by $877,000 of sales from our CBD based products, which were introduced in June of 2019.

The decrease in sales in our nicotine-based e-liquid flavor sales is directly related to the current regulatory and health related news stories surrounding the vaping industry. The nicotine-based e-liquid sales decline began late in the quarter ended September 30, 2019 and we expect sales in future quarters to be affected until the regulatory environment becomes clear. In addition, in late February 2020, sales of our CBD wellness products began to experience a decrease as the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the global economy, however, we did not see a material decrease in our nicotine-based e-liquid products.

Gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $2,442,000, a decrease of $1,456,000, or 37%, compared to $3,898,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The resulting gross margin was 55.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to 58.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

The 3.2% decrease in gross profit is primarily due to an increase in the sales mix to distributors and retailers participating in volume incentive programs, a higher provision for returns and lower fixed cost absorption, but was slightly offset by relatively stable manufacturing costs.

General and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $4,151,000, an increase of $3,148,000, or 314%, as compared to $1,003,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Costs relating to the completion of our share exchange on April 26, 2019 accounted for part of the increase, including $1,853,000 of non-cash stock-based compensation expense. The remaining increase is primarily due to professional fees and increased salaries associated with conducting business as a public company and certain step-up costs related to new business activities, including the launch of our CBD business.

Sales and marketing expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $419,000, an increase of $5,000, or 1%, as compared to $414,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Sales and marketing shifted to higher commissions paid for new customer acquisition and enhanced marketing efforts for our CBD business.

Research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $2,223,000, an increase of $2,218,000, as compared to $5,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to costs incurred with the PMTA registration process.

Operating loss for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $4,351,000, as compared to operating income of $2,476,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Operating results have primarily been affected by a $3,148,000 million increase in general and administrative expense as we grow the business, a $2,218,000 increase in research and development expense related to the PMTA registration of some of our products and a decline in our nicotine-based product sales of $3,120,000 as compared to the same period in 2019, offset by an increase in sales from our CBD products business of $877,000.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the gain in fair value of derivative liabilities was $430,000, as compared to $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The derivative liability is associated with the issuance of the Investor Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrants in connection with the Share Exchange and the gain for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 reflects the effect of the change in stock price on the liability associated with the issuance of these warrants. There were no warrants outstanding on March 31, 2019.

Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $3,916,000, as compared to net income of $2,476,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2020 includes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $1,853,000 offset by a non-cash gain in fair value of derivative liabilities of $430,000. In addition, the Company expensed $2,223,000 of consulting fees for the three months ended March 31, 2020 as a result of the PMTA registration process.

About Charlie's Holdings, Inc.

Charlie's Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: CHUC) is an industry leader in both the premium, nicotine-only, e-cigarette space and the hemp-derived, CBD wellness space through its subsidiary companies Charlie's Chalk Dust, LLC and Don Polly, LLC. Charlie's Chalk Dust produces high quality vapor products currently distributed in more than over 90 countries around the world. Charlie's Chalk Dust has developed an extensive portfolio of brand styles, flavor profiles and innovative product formats. Launched in June of 2019, Don Polly, LLC formulates innovative hemp-derived CBD wellness products. Don Polly's high quality CBD products derive from single-strain-sourced hemp extract and high purity CBD isolate crystals.

For additional information, please visit our corporate website at: CharliesHoldings.com and our branded online websites: CharliesChalkDust .com and EnjoyPachamama.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements regarding the Company's overall business, existing and anticipated markets and expectations regarding future sales and expenses. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "believe," "target," "project," "goals," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "may," "will," "could," "intend," variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company's control. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the Company's ability to successful increase sales and enter new markets; the Company's ability to manufacture and produce product for its customers; the Company's ability to formulate new products; the acceptance of existing and future products; the complexity, expense and time associated with compliance with government rules and regulations affecting nicotine and products containing cannabidiol; litigation risks from the use of the Company's products; risks of government regulations; the impact of competitive products; and the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors included in the Company's most recent quarterly report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

Investors Contact:

IR@charliesholdings.com

p949-418-4020

SOURCE: Charlie's Holdings, Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/590292/Charlies-Holdings-Reports-First-Quarter-2020-Results




In addition to selling hammocks, which range from $179 to $299, the company sells a standalone piece of furniture called "The Throne," which now costs $1,499, according to its website.

"We conquered every obstacle, from creating a cocoon-like, no wobble design, to a shockingly soft yarn, so you won't get a rope burn when you're trying to relax," Demin said. "And, they are completely weather safe."

"At Yellow Leaf Hammocks, we perfected the hammock for the modern consumer," Connors said.

Demin and Connors, co-founders of Yellow Leaf Hammocks, pitched their line of hammocks and hanging chairs to the Sharks.

And it was all for a hammock company.

"It's never happened before in 'Shark Tank' history where someone came in here for $400,000 and walked out with a million," Shark Kevin O'Leary said during the episode.

But on Friday's episode, co-founders Joe Demin and Rachel Connors left the Tank with a $1 million deal, even though they only asked for $400,000 in return for a 7% stake in their company.

For entrepreneurs on ABC's "Shark Tank," a million-dollar investment is difficult to get.

"The Hammock Throne is an indoor-outdoor hammock chair ... that you could put out in your living room, on your tiny balcony or even in your office," Demin said, adding that the hammock extends back, so that it can fit someone as tall as 7 feet. It has a diameter of three-and-a-half feet.

The company is a social enterprise and employs moms in rural Thailand to create high-wage jobs, with each hammock signed by the woman who made it, Connors said.

"I like that," Mark Cuban said.

The idea behind Yellow Leaf Hammocks came after Demin went on a backpacking trip across southeast Asia, he said.

"I stumbled across a hammock on a remote island and was immediately struck by how soft it was. I was really impressed with the quality, and I started asking some questions," he told the Sharks.

"I learned that it was woven by this hill tribe community. It was part of this economic development program to help this hill tribe group out of poverty in Thailand."

Demin met with some of the weavers and learned that the community was previously in debt slavery.

"The thing that really struck me was that a lot of people kept coming to this community, asking to join the program, but they were being turned away because there weren't enough sales. And I thought, 'Well, we could start a little hammock company and [bring in] jobs in this region.'"

Demin decided to quit his job in finance and start Yellow Leaf Hammocks with his wife, Connors.

"Our inspiration to start this was to literally end poverty in really vulnerable communities in the developing world," Demin said.

In 2018, the company generated $860,000 in sales, Demin said during the episode, and projected to make $1.3 million at the end of 2019. The co-founders said as of 2018, Yellow Leaf Hammocks is profitable.

Immediately, guest Shark and Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky made an offer.

"Out of the five Sharks here, I probably have the most credentials about building socially impactful businesses," he said, referring to his "not just for profit" companies, like PeaceWorks, which sold tapenades, spreads, and sauces made by people who live in conflict regions in the Middle East.

"So, I understand the challenges you're facing. I really love a lot of what you stand for, but you have a crazy $5.7 million valuation," Lubetzky said.

"So, my offer is as follows: I want 33% of the company and I will give you $1 million."

Sharks Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner also jumped in with offers, but the co-founders decided to negotiate with Lubetzky instead.

"If you take the million dollars from me, you won't have to dilute yourselves again.

'You know how much money Kind has raised in its entire lifetime in business? The total we ever raised in our entire history was $5.2 million, and we sell over a billion dollars in sales," Lubetzky told Demin and Connors.

"I'll teach you and help you to run the business in an efficient way."

Demin countered Lubetzky, asking for $1 million for a 25% stake, and the Kind founder accepted.

"We're gonna make a huge difference," Lubetzky said.

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank."

Correction: This article has been corrected to reflect that Daniel Lubetzky is the executive chairman of Kind snacks.

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White House Adviser: Fourth Stimulus Bill Might Not Be Necessary

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said a fourth stimulus package, including direct payments to Americans, might not be necessary to deal with the economic fallout caused by the pandemic.

I think its possible that we will see a strong enough economy that we dont need a phase four, Hassett told reporters at the White House on May 18. The Trump administration and some Republicans in Congress have said they are waiting to see how far the economy can rebound before resuming talks on a fourth stimulus package.

Last week, the Democratic-controlled House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which would pay individuals $1,200, provide more funds for essential workers, provide funding to state and local governments, extend unemployment benefits, and more. Top Republicans and President Donald Trump have signaled that theyre unwilling to sign the measure, saying there are too many unnecessary additions in the legislation.

Hassett, meanwhile, noted there has been encouraging data showing an increase in retail visits and business openings.

There are a lot of indicators that appear to be really turning around quickly, like retail visits, percentages of business open, he told reporters. If the economy continues the momentum that were beginning to see over the last couple of weeks of data, then I think that one might conclude that the stimulus weve already passed is enough, he said. But if that doesnt happen, were really learning every day a little bit more about how the economy responds to this.

Shoppers at Eastern Market in Washington on May 17, 2020. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

In March, Congress passed the third stimulus package, worth $2 trillion, which directly sent each American up to $1,200, established a small-business safeguardthe Paycheck Protection Programand bolstered unemployment insurance. Congress later passed a bill that infused the Paycheck Protection Program with more cash, while also providing more funding to hospitals.

The economy is already beginning to recover, Hassett told CNBC on May 18, adding that activity bottomed out about the 11th or 12th of April.

The question is not really When does the recovery start, because absent a second wave of the disease, its kind of already begun.

Hassett said the federal government might have to provide relief to some sectors, such as the travel industry and restaurants.

We need to watch things develop, see what happens, and then have a plan for whatever happens, he said.

Despite the current Republican opposition to the HEROES Act, Trump is open to signing another COVID-19 measure, said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany last week.

People wait in line to have their hair cut in front of the shop of barber Karl Manke, who faces two misdemeanor charges for reopening his business despite state shutdown orders, in Owosso, Mich., on May 12, 2020. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

When asked on CNBC about whether the government should send more money to state and local governments to deal with budget shortfalls, Hassett said the Trump administration is in a wait-and-see mode.

We stand ready to take very strong action if we need to, he said. I just doubt that, in the end, the product is going to look much like Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi put out last week.

Pelosi, a Democrat from California, urged lawmakers in the Senate to pass the HEROES Act with haste.

Time is very important. We have lost time. But, again, setting aside how we got here, we cannot take a pause, Pelosi said May 17 on CBS Newss Face the Nation.
The medic is sure that it is necessary to observe all precautionary measures before the creation of the vaccine

There is a threat of the second wave of coronavirus in China. That is why the authorities should not relax, as CNN reported citing senior medical adviser of Chinese government Zhong Nanshan.

The doctor confirmed that Wuhans authorities understate the number of infected until the end of January when the government of China got involved in the situation. According to him, the incidence statistics in China is veracious since the end of January.

Currently, the lockdown is lifted in Chinese cities; however, the number of measures is held for prevention of the spread of the virus and wave of the disease.

Wuhan authorities ordered to hold mass testing for Covid-19 for all 11 million citizens as the new outbreak was determined in the beginning of May.

According to Zhong, the Chinese authorities should not stay calm as the risk of the second wave of the disease becomes more serious.

In recent weeks, new groups of coronavirus incidence occur in China: Wuhan and the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin.

The majority of... Chinese at the moment are still susceptible to the Covid-19 infection, because (of) a lack of immunity," Zhong said. "We are facing (a) big challenge, it's not better than the foreign countries I think at the moment."

Related: 2,321 Covid-19 cases observed in Kyiv

Zhong headed the team of doctors who were sent by the government to study the situation with coronavirus in China.

As we reported, for a long time, the Chinese authorities have been concealing and destroyed data on the outbreak of the coronavirus Covid-19 in Wuhan, which has already taken more than 243,800 people in the world.
Czech police have likely found no evidence to conclude that media reports about a Russian plot to poison Prague officials is correct, Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek admitted.



"You can only expel him if there is concrete evidence that something has been going on. Unfortunately, police and intelligence apparently have no such proof," Hamacek told the national television.

The Respekt weekly reported in April that a Russian diplomat had brought ricin poison to Prague to murder Czech officials behind the dismantling of a Soviet war memorial. Czech TV disclosed the man's name, prompting calls for his expulsion and threats of violence, Sputnik reported.



The Russian embassy has condemned the accusations against the diplomat as "revolting and heinous" and demanded that he receive personal protection. Hamacek, who is also vice prime minister, said that Czech authorities were considering this request.
A West Shore man who pleaded guilty to robbing a bank at knifepoint has been sentenced to 7 years in federal prison.

U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo also ordered Brandon Black, 35, of Etters, to serve 3 years on probation after his prison term.

U.S. Attorney David Freed said Black stole more than $2,800 during the Aug. 31, 2018 holdup of an S&T Bank in Camp Hill.

His arrest stemmed from and investigation by Camp Hill police and the FBI.
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were moving higher on Monday amid hopes for an early economic recovery as Italy, New York and Spain moved to ease quarantine restrictions. Rising oil prices and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell also helped underpin investor sentiment. In remarks aired on CBS's 'Face the Nation', Powell said the United States would have a slow recovery from what he called the 'biggest shock that the economy's had in living memory. The pan European Stoxx 600 jumped nearly 2 percent to 334.76 after gaining half a percent on Friday. The German DAX rallied 2.7 percent, while France's CAC 40 index and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were up around 2.1 percent. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shares jumped 4 percent. The company confirmed that it is in talks with the Italian government to obtain a state guarantee on a 6.3 billion euros loan facility. Ryanair Holdings jumped more than 9 percent. The budget airline said it has received a 600 million-pound ($726 million) loan backed by the U.K. government. Easyjet climbed over 6 percent and British Airways parent IAG soared 6.8 percent. Energy majors BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc surged around 4 percent, while mining giant Anglo American soared 6.2 percent, Antofagasta rallied 3.3 percent and Glencore advanced 5.1 percent. AstraZeneca gained 1.7 percent. The company said it would make up to 30 million doses of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine by September if the vaccine is successful. Gold mining company Centamin jumped 5 percent. The company maintained its 2020 production outlook after reporting a rise in FY19 underlying EBITDA. Vodafone shares rose about 1 percent. The telecommunications firm has partnered with Oppo to bring a range of handsets made by the Chinese smartphone brand, including 5G-ready devices, to Vodafone's European markets starting from May. Hotel company Accor advanced 2.4 percent after it secured a new banking credit facility and said it is seeing some 'initial signs of business improvement.' Total SA surged 4 percent as it called off plans to acquire Occidental Petroleum Corp's assets in Ghana, and agreed to buy up assets from Energias de Portugal. German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp added 5 percent on a Reuters report that it was in talks with international peers about consolidating its loss-making steel business. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
A nurse of Emergency Rescue Service (SAMU) transports a patient from a basic heath unit to a hospital during the spread of the coronavirus disease - REUTERS

The health system in Brazil's biggest city is on the brink of collapse, as its mayor says some residents are playing "Russian roulette" with their lives by ignoring social distancing measures and sending the city towards a full-blown lockdown.

On Sunday, the municipal health secretary reported that 91 per cent of Sao Paulo's intensive care beds were currently filled by Covid-19 patients, and that the entire system would collapse within the next 15 days.

Sao Paulo's municipal and state governments say they have a full-scale lockdown protocol ready to deploy if the city's social isolation rates do not increase. All non-essential businesses in the city are already closed, but adhesion to isolation measures hovers around 45 to 50 per cent, considerably below the 70 per cent target.

Brazil overtook Spain and Italy to become the country with the fourth-largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world this weekend.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters during a protest against social distancing measures - REUTERS/Adriano Machado

With over 38,000 confirmed cases and 2,832 deaths, the city of Sao Paulo alone makes up 17.5 per cent of Brazil's entire death toll, and the surrounding state of Sao Paulo has already recorded more Covid-19 deaths than China.

Speaking in an impromptu press conference on Sunday, Sao Paulo mayor Bruno Covas said that people ignoring isolation rules were "playing a game of Russian Roulette" with their own lives and that of the entire population.

"Indifference to the death of others is unseemly", he said. "There's no other way out at this time, there is no better vaccine. Before we can think about opening [businesses], we have to stop."

Another proposal put forward by Sao Paulo's city government is to bring forward a series of public holidays scheduled between now and the end of the year, in an effort to keep people at home.

On a national level, Brazil's coronavirus response continues in tatters, with Health Minister Nelson Teich resigning last week, making him the second man to leave the job in less than a month. His predecessor Luiz Henrique Mandetta was pushed out by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Mr Bolsonaro continues to deny the severity of the virus, dismissing it as "a little flu", despite it having killed 16,118 Brazilians.

Both health ministers disagreed with his approach, refusing to join him in opposing social isolation measures, or advocating for the clinical use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19, which Mr Bolsonaro has touted as a potential cure.
The UK's "historic" new strategy for visas and immigration, which is pitched as a points-based system established on skills rather than the country of origin, returned to the House of Commons on Monday.

The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020, which was tabled in March but had its progress slowed down due to the coronavirus crisis, forms the basis for the UK's post-Brexit plans once the European Union (EU) free movement rules come to a close at the end of the year.

This historic piece of legislation gives the UK full control of our immigration system for the first time in decades and the power to determine who comes to this country, said UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is leading the charge on the new strategy.

Our new points-based system is firmer, fairer, and simpler. It will attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy, the Indian-origin minister said.

Under the new system, to be enforced from January 1 next year, the magic number of points required to apply to work and stay in the UK will be 70. These will accrue in increments of 20 or 10 based on professional skills, English language proficiency, a job offer from an approved sponsor and salary levels between GBP 20,480 and GBP 25,600 or above.

The changes have previously been largely welcomed by the Indian industry and student groups, who have called for flexibility for employers and visa sponsors to be able to attract the right kind of skills.

Patel has described the bill, which will have its second reading in Parliament this week, as a once in a generation opportunity to build a future that works for the whole of the UK and for employers to focus on upskilling and investing in the workforce this country has.

This bill gives the UK flexibility and control over its borders so it can attract top talent from around the world to complement the skills already here, the Home Office said.

Talented doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are currently playing a leading role in the NHS' efforts to fight the coronavirus and save lives and we thank them and all our NHS [National Health Service] staff for the work they are doing. Our new immigration system will make it easier and quicker for medical professionals around the world to work in the NHS through a new fast-track NHS visa, the Home Office statement added.

However, Opposition parties and critics of the Conservative government's changes have expressed concerns over the timing of the bill, given that a large group of care workers on the coronavirus frontlines come from within the EU.

The Labour Party's Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said the plans were "not fair and not in the national interest".

The devolved Scottish government's immigration minister, Ben Macpherson, has also written to Patel, asking her to "pause and reconsider" the plans.

The pandemic has shown beyond doubt that jobs which the UK Government has previously described as lower-skilled' are in fact a whole range of absolutely vital roles, filled by dedicated people with valuable skills and knowledge, he said.

The free movement of people within the EU was seen as a key factor behind the UK's vote to exit the 27-member European economic bloc in the June 2016 referendum, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's landslide general election win in December last year viewed as a vote in favour of his skills-based immigration system manifesto pledge.

However, a latest YouGov opinion poll commissioned by the UK's Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) found a shift in perceptions over immigration, with 54 per cent of people now shown as supportive of looser immigration controls for workers regarded as essential during the pandemic.

JCWI Chief Executive Satbir Singh said that such workers on the frontline, including carers and supermarket workers, "are not 'unskilled' or unwelcome, they are the backbone of our country and they deserve the security of knowing that this place can be their home too".

A group of small businesses based in the UK have also issued a joint letter to Priti Patel to put off the changes beyond the January 2021 deadline in order for businesses to cope with the coronavirus pandemic fallout.

Preparing for the new system was already a huge challenge for employers, even before we were also facing the coronavirus pandemic, reads the letter signed by nearly 30 small businesses in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police arrest stolen vehicle suspect who fled, entered occupied home

The homeowner was able to get out of the home safely, but Aberdeen police are now negotiating the surrender of the suspect.
Pompeo warns ICC of 'consequences' if it probes Israeli war crimes

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 6:10 AM

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened that Washington will "exact consequences" if the International Criminal Court (ICC) moves ahead with a potential war crimes investigation into Israel.

Pompeo's warning came after the ICC prosecutor decided to consider Palestine a state with the ability to submit complaints that could trigger probes into war crimes it says Israel committed in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.

In December, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced that a five-year preliminary examination of the "situation in the state of Palestine" had provided her with "reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed" by Israel.

Before launching an investigation, Bensouda had asked the Hague-based court's pre-trial chamber to confirm whether the ICC had jurisdiction over alleged offenses committed there.

In a critical statement on Friday, Pompeo described the ICC's investigations "illegitimate" and deemed the international tribunal a "political body, not a judicial institution".

"This unfortunate reality has been confirmed yet again by the ICC Prosecutor's attempt to assert jurisdiction over Israel, which like the United States, is not a party to the Rome Statute that created the Court," the statement read.

Pompeo said the US does not "believe the Palestinians qualify as a sovereign state".

"The United States reiterates its longstanding objection to any illegitimate ICC investigations," he said, adding, "If the ICC continues down its current course, we will exact consequences."

Pompeo's statement came two days after his trip to Israel for a meeting with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Tel Aviv's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The US and Israel have previously claimed that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel and Palestine, that Tel Aviv is being "targeted unfairly" and that Palestine does not qualify as a state.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of US House and Senate legislators sent separate letters to Pompeo urging him to defend Israel, a firm US ally, against ICC investigations, saying the tribunal's assertion amounted to a "politicization" of the court's mission.

Palestine was accepted as an ICC member in 2015, three years after signing the court's founding Rome Statute, based on its "observer state" status at the United Nations.

Both Israel and the US have refused to sign up to the ICC, which was set up in 2002 to be the only global tribunal trying the world's worst crimes, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Both have claimed they have credible legal systems that can properly adjudicate human rights violations which make ICC intervention dispensable.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's administration has backed Israel in its battle against the court.

The Trump administration maintains a tense relationship with the ICC, having previously revoked Bensouda's visa when she intended to investigate potential war crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan.

Bensouda previously dismissed Australia's demand that the tribunal halt an investigation into war crimes committed by the Israeli regime in Palestine.

She affirmed that negative speculations surrounding the probe would not influence the ICC's work and that the Palestine case would be conducted with "utmost professionalism, independence and objectivity in strict conformity with the Rome Statute".

"Any insinuation or assertion to the contrary is simply misled and unfounded," Bensouda said.

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By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said that eliminating the consequences of Armenian occupation is Bakus unconditional right as well as the international communitys commitment, the ministry stated in a press release published on 18 May.

The ministry's statement is timed to the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijan's Lachyn district by Armenian armed forces on 18 May 1992.

"The military occupation of the Azerbaijani territories will never yield the political results pursued by Armenia. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders has not been and cannot be a subject of negotiations", the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that the aim of the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, thus ending the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and restoring the fundamental human rights of the internally displaced persons.

"Armenia's speculative attempt to delay the negotiation process, thus the political settlement of the conflict by falsehood and deception, is unacceptable and poses a major obstacle to peace in the region," the ministry stated.

"However, there is an unchanging truth that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, including its Nagorno-Karabakh region and other adjacent districts, are recognized, as well as the consequences of the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories are unequivocally rejected by the international community", the ministry said.

The ministry stressed that Armenia under the cover of peaceful settlement of the conflict seeks to strengthen the dangerous status quo regime based on the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts of Azerbaijan and pursues the policy of annexation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The ministry reminded that Armenia has been ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993, which reaffirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan and demand immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Authorities arrest 10 Cozumel fishermen for poaching

Cozumel, Q.R.  Elements of the Mexican Navy report the arrest of 10 fishermen for poaching in Cozumel waters.

In a statement, the Secretary of the Navy explained that they were carrying out surveillance tours when they observed two small boats in the vicinity of Punta Venado. Upon inspection, officials were provided with a permit allegedly from the the Movement de Regeneracion Nacional saying they were authorized to sustenance fish, however, Navy personnel found both vessels were unregistered and those aboard were without fishing permits.

The Secretary of the Navy noted that each boat was carrying five crew, were without fishing permits, safety and navigation equipment. They were also without radio communication and approved dispatch from the Port Captaincy.

The fishermen attempted to flee however, the National Guard were successful in capturing them

The Secretary said the 10 were escorted to shore for poaching and violating the current state and municipal health restrictions due to the coronavirus epidemic. When the two boats reached shore, the group allegedly attempted to flee, however, elements of the National Guard were on site and able to catch and arrest all 10 men.
Its ironic, because even before this crisis, modern dating sometimes seemed endless. We live in an era of unlimited swipes, rare gems and punted decisions. The more people we meet, the more we struggle to connect to any, let alone commit to one. The Kinsey Institutes Justin Garcia assured me this is a common dating side effect. Experts call it cognitive overload. We preserve option-value over valuing the person standing in front of us.

The coronavirus hasnt changed this paradox of choice. In fact, data from The League suggests were chatting simultaneously with more matches than ever before. Face to face, it would be a recipe for mass contagion. Eventually, well want to split an appetizer, brush a knee, share a first kiss.

That first kiss feels urgent. Research suggests over 60 percent of people have lost interest in someone after locking lips for the first time. Imagine spending months virtually dating someone through a pandemic, only to discover theres zero chemistry. Thats my (lesser) Covid nightmare.

And while kissing is the most effective way to gauge chemistry, its also the most efficient way to contract the coronavirus. So as we move off the screen, well need to start dating differently.

How do you even broach meeting up right now? The people who suggest an IRL date are the ones you worry might not be safe enough to meet. Maybe dating apps will start letting us filter for coronavirus vigilance, which at the moment seems more relevant than height, religion or party affiliation.

If you do decide to meet, what do you actually do? A socially distant stroll is the new second base after Zoom, but its unclear what comes next. One single man (notably, a doctor) told me that even when restaurants and bars reopen, hell feel safer setting dates at his apartment. He realized women may be skeptical given Netflix and chill stereotypes (not to mention serial killers).

Finally, theres the question of how, and how many, we date. In a pre-coronavirus world, it would be an option to keep seeing Saturdays Englishman and Thursdays cinematographer. Soon, I could maybe put on a mask and take a socially distant walk with one and then the other. But at some point  when a mask comes off and the sparks of a first kiss fly  there has to be a choice. No more cognitive overload. Locking lips suddenly means forsaking all others, or at least keeping others six feet away for 14 days.
Started by the South Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics in 2012, C-Lab Inside supports employees innovative ideas while instilling a corporate culture in which creativity is at the fore. The program supports the development of ideas from all areas of the business.

Since 2015, Samsung has been supporting successful projects that come out of C-Lab demonstrating the great market potential and facilitating its launch as startups under the C-Lab spin-off policy.

Recently, Samsung has announced the name of five startups that it will support as a part of the companys C-Lab Inside in-house incubation program. The startups are Blockbuster, Hyler, Haxby, SunnyFive, and RootSensor.

Blockbuster  A video editing application that allows content creators to easily apply computer graphics(CG) and 3D effects to videos with their smartphones and that utilizes the patented Blockbuster algorithm to generate realistic 3D CG effects by converting 2D scenes into 3D layers.

 A video editing application that allows content creators to easily apply computer graphics(CG) and 3D effects to videos with their smartphones and that utilizes the patented Blockbuster algorithm to generate realistic 3D CG effects by converting 2D scenes into 3D layers. Hyler  A smart highlighter that allows analog text to be digitized and transferred to mobile devices. By highlighting with Hyler, users can easily collect information and interact with it through the Hyler app. For instance, the apps extensive search mode provides word information from a range of search engines and dictionaries that are directly linked to the app.

 A smart highlighter that allows analog text to be digitized and transferred to mobile devices. By highlighting with Hyler, users can easily collect information and interact with it through the Hyler app. For instance, the apps extensive search mode provides word information from a range of search engines and dictionaries that are directly linked to the app. Haxby  A smart study note service that records incorrect answers from workbooks and recommends worksheets based on the learners ability level. Features an AI algorithm that identifies the users competence level for each subject and provides customized worksheets to improve learning.

 A smart study note service that records incorrect answers from workbooks and recommends worksheets based on the learners ability level. Features an AI algorithm that identifies the users competence level for each subject and provides customized worksheets to improve learning. SunnyFive  A window-shaped lighting device that produces artificial sunlight, allowing the user to enjoy the full spectrum of light produced by the suns natural passage through the sky during the day. Helps users synthesize vitamin D while they are indoors or in low-lit places without having to worry about skin aging or sunburn, and allows for brightness and color adjustment via the app.

 A window-shaped lighting device that produces artificial sunlight, allowing the user to enjoy the full spectrum of light produced by the suns natural passage through the sky during the day. Helps users synthesize vitamin D while they are indoors or in low-lit places without having to worry about skin aging or sunburn, and allows for brightness and color adjustment via the app. RootSensor  A new type of sensor that records daily UV exposure and utilizes its wide incident angle to minimize detection loss. Can be integrated into wearable devices, smart cars and smart buildings, where it provides a UV monitoring system that records accumulated UV exposure and provides information on skin condition and vitamin D production.

How Samsung support these startups?

The C-Lab spin-off program provides startups with the investment and business consulting needed to help them grow. Samsung also provides a five-year window during which employees who launch startups can return to their jobs if their endeavors prove unsuccessful, meaning that individuals can embark on their entrepreneurial projects without having to fear that they are risking their careers. As a result, 163 employees have established 45 startups since the inception of the C-Lab program.

Inkuk Hahn, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics, said:

Including these five companies, a total of 45 C-Lab alumni startups have been created as a result of the C-Lab program. These results illustrate Samsungs commitment to investing in employee-driven innovation and promoting the South Korean startup ecosystem. Going forward, we will continue working to unlock Samsung employees potential for creative innovation while encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit.

As a result, 163 employees have established 45 startups since the inception of the C-Lab program. Not only have these companies raised $45 million in funding over the years, but their value has more than tripled compared to the time at which they were spun off.

Source
Toto Wolff has admitted signing German Sebastian Vettel for 2021 would be a "good marketing story" for Mercedes.

Many believe the quadruple world champion, having decided to leave Ferrari, will not settle for a midfield seat like Renault.

"There are still some interesting places for him," Mercedes team boss told the Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"But he will decide for himself whether he wants to stop or go to another team. Sebastian has everything in his hands.

"Of course, a German driver in a German car is a good marketing story. We are focused exclusively on success," Wolff insisted.

"Sebastian is of course someone who is really good," he added.

Wolff also told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that it is "a shame that a bit of an era is coming to an end" with Vettel's Ferrari exit.

"His word has weight in Formula 1," the Austrian added. "He is also a bit of an antithesis to the generation of young guys who have been coming into sport for a few years now.

"No good team will simply ignore a four-time world champion suddenly appearing on the market."

But Wolff denied that Mercedes is poised to make a decision about 2021.

"We certainly won't get ourselves into this situation," he said, referring to McLaren and Ferrari's early calls about who will drive for them in 2021.

"How do you deal with innovation and development when you know that your driver can use it against you the next year? We don't want to put ourselves in the same situation."

However, Wolff acknowledged that the contracts of both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas run out at the end of 2020.

"That's why we think about what to do with George Russell and then there's the Vettel scenario. But that's not first on the agenda right now because we want to focus on our own team first."

(GMM)
A baby boy born prematurely at 32 weeks who then caught COVID-19 has become one of the UK's youngest survivors of the disease after being treated with the experimental drug Ebola drug remdesivir

Charlie Little weighed just 4lb 10oz at birth and spent a month in two different hospitals in March before being released - only to contract the coronavirus.

At one stage, his heart rate rapidly dropped, he stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated before he was taken to Great Ormond Street in London where doctors treated him with remdesivir.

The drug was first developed to treat the killer disease Ebola in Africa and is being trialled at 15 NHS centres across the UK for coronavirus. Its only been used on 46 adults and a 'handful' of children.

Charlie is now fully recovered and his mother Ellyse Jerome, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, today described her son's 'hour by hour' battle to survive while she and her partner Charlie Little Sr were warned he might not pull through.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, 21-year-old Ellyse said: 'It does feel like he has been in the wars and we are so grateful that he had the fight to survive. He is our miracle.

Charlie Little, born prematurely at 32 weeks, had to be resuscitated twice after contracting Covid-19 and is believed to be one of the UK's youngest survivors of the deadly disease. Pictured on a ventilator

He weighed just 4lb 10oz at birth and spent a month in hospital (above, holding his mother's finger) before being released - only to catch coronavirus. He was taken to Great Ormond Street in London and spent a further two weeks fighting for his life

Now fully recovered, his mother Ellyse Jerome, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, described her son's hour by hour battle to survive while she and her partner Charlie Little (senior, both pictured above) were warned he might not pull through

Remdesivir was developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola, the deadly hemorrhagic fever that emerged in West Africa in 2014

Speaking in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the 21-year-old said: 'It does feel like he has been in the wars and we are so grateful that he had the fight to survive.

Ellyse said: I cannot tell you how happy we were. We are just so grateful to have him home with us.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street treated the newborn with the experimental drug remdesivir which has been used with success in the US to treat coronavirus victims.

He spent two weeks in an isolation ward and Ellyse, who is diabetic, was not allowed to hold him for fear of infection unless she wore full PPE.

Finally, on April 28 - on what should have been his due date - he was allowed home.

Ellyse said: I cannot tell you how happy we were. We are just so grateful to have him home with us.

It is so nice to be able to hold him and give him cuddles. Seeing him lying in a cot in hospital with a mask on his face was just unbearable.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street treated the new-born with the experimental drug remdesivir which has been used with success in the US. He spent two weeks in an isolation ward and Ellyse, who is diabetic, was not allowed to hold him for fear of infection unless she wore PPE

The first time mums ordeal began when she was rushed into University College Hospital London on March 7 for an emergency caesarean operation. As a diabetic, her sugar levels had dropped alarmingly and doctors could not risk prolonging the pregnancy

Born 8 weeks early, Charlie was initially kept on a neonatal unit at UCL Hospital until his condition stabilised. He was then transferred to the North Middlesex Hospital in Edmonton, North London, where he spent over two weeks

WHAT IS REMDESIVIR AND DOES IT WORK AGAINST CORONAVIRUS? Remdesivir, an anti-viral drug first made to try and treat Ebola, has been used experimentally on COVID-19 patients since the outbreak's early days. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the drug on May 1, in response to the preliminary results of a notable study that was released at the end of April. According to Hackensack Meridian Health, initially only severely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients were eligible to be treated with remdesivir, otherwise known as Veklury. On August 28, the FDA extended its authorization to all hospitalized adult and pediatric patients with suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, irrespective of their severity of disease. 'The FDA continues to make safe and potentially helpful treatments for COVID-19 available as quickly as possible in order to help patients. The data to support todays action are encouraging. The data show that this treatment has the potential to help even more hospitalized patients who are suffering from the effects of this devastating virus,' said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. 'We are working with drug developers to conduct randomized clinical trials to further study the safety and effectiveness of a number of potential therapies for COVID-19.' However in August, a report from the drug's California-based maker, Gilead Sciences Inc found that the effects of the medication may only be seen in those with severe infections. There are claims of miraculous recovery, improved survival odds and shorter illness, but other studies have found it makes no difference to patients in hospital with Covid-19. Remdesivir produced encouraging results earlier this year when it showed promise for both preventing and treating MERS - another coronavirus - in macaque monkeys. The drug appears to help stop the replication of viruses like coronavirus and Ebola alike. It's not entirely clear how the drug accomplishes this feat, but it seems to stop the genetic material of the virus, RNA, from being able to copy itself. That, in turn, stops the virus from being able to proliferate further inside the patient's body. Advertisement

The first time mums ordeal began when she was rushed into University College Hospital London on March 7 for an emergency caesarean operation.

As a diabetic, her sugar levels had dropped alarmingly and doctors could not risk prolonging the pregnancy.

Born 8 weeks early, Charlie was initially kept on a neonatal unit at UCL Hospital until his condition stabilised.

He was then transferred to the North Middlesex Hospital in Edmonton, North London, where he spent over two weeks.

She said: 'Charlie came home at the end of March and I was breast feeding. Everything seemed okay. As a diabetic I was not going out because of the lockdown and as I am diabetic considered in the category most at risk.

We were having our food delivered and thought we were safe as we had taken all precautions.

But Charlie stopped feeding properly and was listless. He just wasnt the same and we were advised to call paramedics.

At that time he was not showing any of the usual signs of coronavirus. He did not have a cough or fever so we did not think he had caught the virus.

The month-old baby was taken to Harlow Hospital in Essex where his condition suddenly deteriorated.

His heart rate just dropped and they had to resuscitate him. It was just agony not knowing if he was going to survive.

'My partner and I were terrified we were going to lose him, but there was nothing we could do. The doctors told us they were taking it hour by hour.'

While at Harlow Hospital, Ellyse and her partner Charlie, 23, were told that their son would be tested for coronavirus.

But before they were given the result he was transferred by ambulance to Great Ormond Street Hospital for further specialist treatment.

He had another test and within an hour or so it came back positive for coronavirus.

Having been allowed home at the end of March, he was taken to Harlow Hospital in Essex where his condition deteriorated. His heart rate just dropped and they had to resuscitate him. It was just agony not knowing if he was going to survive'. Pictured: Ellyse and Charlie

While at Harlow Hospital, Ellyse and Charlie,23, were told that their son would be tested for coronavirus. But before they were given the result he was transferred by ambulance to Great Ormond Street Hospital for further specialist treatment

Doctors at Great Ormond Street advised Ellyse and Charlie that they should agree to let them use the experimental drug remdesivir on their son in the hope it would help in his battle to overcome the virus

WHAT HAVE THREE STUDIES SHOWN OF REMDESIVIR? 1. The Adaptive Covid-19 Treatment Trial How many people? 1,063, including 46 from the UK, over 70 hospitals globally. What did it trial? The placebo controlled study compared outcomes for hospitalised patients. What did it find? Patients given remdesivir had a recovery time that was almost a third (31 per cent) faster than those given a placebo. Preliminary results also suggested a survival benefit, with a lower mortality rate of 8 per cent for the group receiving the drug, compared with 11.6 per cent for the placebo group. But this is not deemed a significant difference. Is it published? No. You can find the preliminary findings on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD) website. 2. Gilead Sciences' Phase 3 SIMPLE trial How many people? 397 hospitalised patients What did it trial? The study compared a five-day course of the drug with a 10-day course treatment. It looked at rates of patients recovering to the point where they no longer needed oxygen support and medical care or were sent home from hospital. It was not a placebo controlled study. What did it find? The pharmaceutical company reported that almost two-thirds of patients, or 129 out of 200 patients, recovered by day 14 after a five-day course of treatment. The longer treatment time didn't appear to provide any additional benefit, the company said. Is it published? No. Gilead plans to publish the full data in a peer-reviewed journal in the coming weeks. A summary of the findings were published on its website. 3. The Chinese study, led by Professor Bin Cao, from China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University in China. How many people? 237 hospital COVID-19 patients at ten hospitals in Hubei, China. The study was supposed to recruit 400, but the trial was halted because not enough patients were available due to the epidemic being curbed in Wuhan. What did it trial? It was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - the golden standard - comparing recovery rates in patients either given remdesivir or a dummy drug. What did it find? Those on the placebo drug had similar outcomes to those given remdesivir. It took a shorter time for the remdesivir-treated patients to get better, 21 days compared with 23, but this is not statistically significant. There was a one per cent difference in mortality rate between the two groups, which again, it's not clear if this means anything important. Is it published? Yes, in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet. Advertisement

Charlie was put on an oscillator machine (a small ventilator) and sedated. He was later given CPAP machine that pumped air through a mask.

I so much wanted to pick him and give him a cuddle but I wasnt allowed.

The doctors said I was high risk of getting coronavirus due to my diabetes. But I just wanted to see my son so put on the full PPE and was allowed to go into see him.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street advised Ellyse and Charlie that they should agree to let them use the experimental drug remdesivir on their son in the hope it would help in his battle to overcome the virus.

The drug was first used in US hospitals where it results showed it had helped in the recovery time of patients suffering from the virus.

Charlie (senior) said: They explained that it was an experimental drug and it was too early to know if it would be a success.

We had to sign a consent form for it to be used but by then we would have done anything to keep our baby alive.

'The final decision to use it was ours and it was a very difficult one to make because while we wanted to save our son we didn't know if the drug would actually work because it was not scientifically proven at the time.'

Ellyse would travel everyday from her home in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, to see her son who was initially kept in isolation but then moved to a ward with other coronavirus victims.

Charlie remained at home and was only able to see Ellyse and their son via Face Time calls.

Seeing little Charlie lying there so helpless just left me in tears all the time, she said.

I would come home and just cry. There was nothing we could really do but just hope he pulled through. We had to prepare for the worst which even now does not bear thinking about.

Charlie added: 'It was very frustrating for me because I could not see my partner and son.

'I felt totally helpless, I wasn't able to eat or sleep because I was so worried about them so much. It was the worst time of my life because I was so scared about what might happen.'

Baby Charlie was given a 10 day course of the drug and tested everyday for the virus. After a week the results were negative and he was discharged from hospital weighing 5lbs.

He now weighs 7lbs and his parents describe him as a 'healthy, happy and chubby baby.'

Ellyse said: That was just a great feeling and we knew he had turned the corner. The relief knowing he had beaten the virus was overwhelming.

He really is doing very well now and putting on weight. Hes quite a little chubby thing which is just wonderful.'

Charlie's middle name is Ocean, on account of his blue eyes, which his parents say are sparkling once again, thanks to the NHS.

Ellyse said: 'There are no words to express how we feel about the medical staff that helped us.

'Harlow hospital were incredible because they stablised Charlie. Great Ormond Street Hospital then continued the good work.'

Charlie senior added: 'These brilliant doctors and nurses saved our son's life. We will forever to be grateful to them.'

Dr Karyn Moshal, consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at Great Ormond Street Hospital said: 'While clinical trials studying the effects of remdesivir in adults are ongoing, the drug is currently not used widely to treat COVID-19 and is only available on a compassionate use basis.

'In Charlie's case, we sought use of remdesivir on a compassionate use basis after a multidisciplinary team meeting at GOSH and approval from the hospital's Ethical Committee, as well as informed consent from the family.

'We were pleased to see a decrease in his viral load after treatment, but formal research studies in children are needed.'

Charlie (senior) said: They explained that it was an experimental drug and it was too early to know if it would be a success. We had to sign a consent form for it to be used but by then we would have done anything to keep our baby alive

Ellyse would travel everyday from her home in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, while Charlie senior remained at home and was only able to see Ellyse and their son via Face Time calls

Baby Charlie was given a 10 day course of the drug and tested everyday for the virus. After a week the results were negative and he was discharged from hospital weighing 5lbs
YEREVAN, 18 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 18 May, USD exchange rate down by 2.01 drams to 485.88 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.37 drams to 525.04 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 6.67 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 6.48 drams to 588.89 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 53.32 drams to 27108.6 drams. Silver price up by 10.25 drams to 253.85 drams. Platinum price up by 107.23 drams to 11997.24 drams.
Gaia Herbs pivots to manufacture hand sanitizer

BREVARD  Gaia Herbs, a leading natural herbal products brand in the United States, has increased production and is using its alcohol-based operations to manufacture CDC-approved hand sanitizer in response to the covid-19 situation.

The sanitizer will be donated to local community first responders including health care workers, farmworkers, government officials and other essential employees.



The first batch of donations will comprise a total of 217 one-gallon bottles and 3,000 two-ounce bottles. Donation deliveries were recently made to Transylvania County Public Safety, SAFE Inc. of Transylvania County, Sharing House Transylvania Christian Ministry, Safelight Hendersonville and Pardee Hospital. Additional hand sanitizer donations will be made over the next few weeks to other area organizations.



Designated as an essential business in North Carolina, Gaia Herbs recently shifted many aspects of its operations in order to best support the changing needs of its customers, employees, and community while continuing to manufacture trusted herbal products.

These are unprecedented times, and its more important than ever for businesses to support their local communities, said Angela McElwee, president and CEO of Gaia Herbs. Gaia Herbs has a long history of working with food-grade alcohol as part of our herbal extraction process, so when the critical need for and shortage of hand sanitizer became clear, it was an easy decision to create a product that meets all CDC requirements. We are donating our entire first production run to help protect those who are helping others, as we appreciate and recognize their hard work and dedication to selflessly serving our community.



We began seeing inflated prices as we worked to source hand sanitizer for our own employees and recognized that we were uniquely suited to help address this need  not just for our own team, but for other businesses and community members as well, said McElwee. As a Certified B Corporation, Gaia Herbs is committed to using business as a force for good. This hand sanitizer donation represented an additional way to use our capabilities to make a positive impact and help to protect the health of our local community.



Gaia Herbs produced a one-gallon, peppermint antiseptic hand rub and a two-ounce, peppermint hand sanitizer spray. Both products help reduce bacteria, are for use when soap and water are not available, and contain alcohol antiseptic of 80 percent, meeting all CDC requirements. Like all of Gaia Herbs products, the herbal hand sanitizers are brought to life without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or genetically modified ingredients.



While this initial batch of herbal sanitizers was produced solely for donation purposes, Gaia Herbs will also be producing a CDC-approved lemon herbal hand sanitizer to sell, providing a stable source of this critically needed product from a trusted company. The lemon herbal hand sanitizer will utilize organic ingredients and is expected to be available on the gaiaherbs.com website in early July. It will initially be sold in six-packs of two-ounce bottles for $29.99. Gaia Herbs will also feature a free gift with purchase promotion in July on their website in which all orders will receive a free two-ounce bottle of lemon hand sanitizer for a limited time, while supplies last.



All of Gaia Herbs products are sold through natural and independently owned health food stores across the nation as well as through gaiaherbs.com and other trusted online retail sites. To find a store, visit gaiaherbs.com/stores. Based in Brevard, Gaia Herbs opened a production and distribution facility in Mills River last year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Azerbaijans support for global effort to fight COVID-19 is extremely welcome, UK Prime Ministers Trade Envoy, Baroness Emma Nicholson told Trend.

The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated that disease outbreaks do not respect borders, therefore we need a fully coordinated international response. It is only by working together that we will prevent future waves of infection and end this pandemic as quickly as possible, she said.

Baroness Nicholson said shes proud that the UK is taking a leading role globally, and has committed up to 744 million (AZN 1.5bn) for the international response to coronavirus, including pledge of 388 million (AZN 800mn) for the vital research and development of vaccines, treatments and tests.

In addition, the UK will be hosting the Global Vaccine Summit in June, which will focus on how to continue to ensure Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has the funds needed to deliver vaccines against diseases in the worlds poorest countries, and how we ensure fair access for all new coronavirus vaccines, she added.

Azerbaijans support for the global effort, such as your financial contributions to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is extremely welcome, and I hope that you will also support this vaccines initiative. Were also working closely with Azerbaijan on the health response in the country. Last month, together with the WHO, the UK co-funded the development of www.azercovid19.org, an online training platform enabling hospital personnel to access new training resources and interact with fellow professionals. This is helping medical staff quickly acquire the essential skills needed in the fight against coronavirus in Azerbaijan, noted Baroness Nicholson.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
In 1997, while investigating what makes a great public high school, I stumbled across an interesting - I would say disturbing - situation on a pleasant cul-de-sac called Summit Avenue in suburban New York. Two nearly identical Dutch colonials sat side by side, yet one was valued at $540,000 and the other $350,000.

Everyone on that block knew why. Anyone who has ever shopped for a home can guess the reason. The two houses shared a prestigious line on their return address stickers: Bronxville, New York 10708. But the lower-priced was in the Tuckahoe school district, where about a quarter of the students were from low-income families. The higher-priced was in the Bronxville school district, with the number of low-income families close to zero.

This situation has not changed much since. The richest communities have the most desirable schools, thus the most valuable real estate. Tim DeRoche's new book "A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools" makes that clear.

But DeRoche and other experts have begun to illuminate ways that those with average or below-average incomes might enroll their children in such prized institutions, if policymakers used their imaginations.

DeRoche cited a 1992 concurring opinion by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in the Freeman v. Pitts desegregation case. Scalia imagined an education system "in which parents are free to disregard neighborhood-school assignment, and to send their children (with transportation paid) to whichever school they choose."

The justice made the suggestion just before the charter school movement began to blossom into what is now 3 million children attending public schools their parents choose. They may have to win a randomized lottery to get into an oversubscribed charter, but DeRoche said that was an improvement over the past. So why not have lotteries for all schools in a district, charter or otherwise?

"All the residents of a district deserve an equal opportunity to enroll in the best schools in the district," DeRoche said. "The results may seem frustrating or even tragic. But a lottery gives every district family a fair chance - an equal opportunity - to enroll their child in a coveted school that could dramatically change her life trajectory."

Such ideas are often unpopular with teachers unions, who oppose nonunion charters. Some school boards see lotteries as hard to administer. Also, DeRoche's idea would not have equalized the two houses on Summit Avenue, since each was in a different district.

DeRoche proposed that states adopt the language of a 1987 California law that ended geographic assignment for one kind of school. It mandated "the unrestricted enrollment and attendance of students in community colleges, thereby providing each resident of the state an equal opportunity to attend the community college of his or her choice."

Richard D. Kahlenberg is a senior fellow at the Century Foundation in Washington and a leading advocate of increasing racial and economic diversity in public schools. He said random lotteries don't do enough to give low-income children more access to good schools.

He favors programs like the system for elementary and middle school choice in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which weights a lottery to provide a more even mix of low-income and middle-class children in each school. He also likes the enrollment system he helped design for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, magnet schools. It seeks a mix of low, medium and high socioeconomic status families on each campus.

An approach that has impressed many advocates of school choice, including me, is the My School D.C. enrollment system, which is used to match family preferences with nearly all public traditional and charter schools in Washington. Thomas Toch, director of FutureEd, an independent think tank at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, explained in The Washington Post Magazine in 2019 how the system grew from discussions between D.C. schools chancellor Kaya Henderson, D.C. Public Charter School Board Scott Pearson and a Nobel-winning economist named Alvin Roth.

In 1995, Roth wrote a mathematical algorithm that improved the efficiency of the system for matching medical school graduates with hospital residencies. Roth similarly helped New York City rewrite its dysfunctional high school enrollment system. Henderson was rare among school district leaders in supporting charter schools. So she endorsed, along with deputy mayor for education Abigail Smith, throwing both regular and charter schools into a big bowl and letting Roth match family preferences and school slots for nearly everybody.

Toch said he was surprised that the D.C. scramble for seats before Roth got involved vexed charter schools as much as regular ones, and their parents. "Common lotteries greatly reduce the problem," he told me.

Realtors still print colorful brochures noting how many more students attend the Ivy League from one high school compared to others. Big price differences still characterize neighborhoods like Summit Avenue. But the rise of charters, nonselective magnet schools and clever algorithms have scrambled preferences enough to give families more freedom of choice, if the politicians in charge will let them have it.
New Delhi: Taliban on Monday (May 17, 2020) clarified that Kashmir is India's internal matter and they don't support any Pakistani style "Ghazwa-E-Hind" or Holy war against India, after fake tweets attributed to the group circulated on social media.

In a tweet, Suhail Shaheen spokesperson Taliban Political Office, Doha, said, "The statement that has been circulated in certain media regarding India does not belong to Islamic emirate. The policy of Islamic Emirate regarding neighbour states is very obvious that we don't interfere in the domestic issues of them."

Fake tweets attributed to Suhail Shaheen and Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid have been doing rounds saying "friendship between Islamic Emirate and India is impossible" and "Islamic Emirate will capture Kashmir from infidels".

But Taliban has refused to get into Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir and Muslims in India.

The group also sees a positive role for India for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month speaking exclusively to WION from Doha, Suhail Shaheen had said, "Based on our national interest and mutual respect, we would like to have positive relations with neighbouring countries including India and welcome their contribution and cooperation in the reconstruction of future Afghanistan."

He added, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a national Islamic movement of Afghanistan which has been struggling for the emancipation of the country from occupation. We dont have any agenda beyond our border."

Meanwhile, Afghan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Gran Hewad lauded India's role in his country. "India one of the biggest donor countries and has helped Afghanistan in development and reconstruction areas, we appreciate their cooperation."

Explaining that the Afghan government would like India to play an important role, Gran said, "We expect India and other neighbouring countries play a significant role in the Afghan peace process."

India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat and the Afghan Parliament in capital Kabul.

The development partnership is premised on five pillars - Infrastructure, Capacity Building, Humanitarian Assistance, Economic Development and Connectivity.

New Delhi also offers 500 Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) slots to Afghanistan annually for capacity building.
YEREVAN.  At the moment, the matter of one important person remains, who has until the 4th of the month [of June] to participate in the work of the April committee of inquiry; he is Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov [the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces]. Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Inquiry Committee for Examining the Circumstances of the Military Activities of April 2016, told this to reporters Monday after the meeting of this committee.

"Obviously, inviting Mr. Karapetyan for the second time is also connected with Mr. Khachaturov's not coming," he said, referring to the fact that the committee today had a meeting for the second time with Arshak Karapetyan, who held the post of Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia during the April 2016 events and now is an adviser to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

"We will no longer send an invite, I say through you, and Mr. Khachaturov knows he has to come. Not only does he know, but also his family members, friends, and comrades-in-arms who have been on the committee. They also find that it would be right for Khachaturov to take part in the work of the committee, especially since he freely tells episodes in the [documentary] film (). He should come, tell the same episodes in the committee that if we had any questions, we would give. And I think after that film, we have more questions," Kocharyan added.
Scotlands bid to eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea from cattle takes another step forward on Monday when all animals identified as being persistently infected must be housed separately.

Latest figures show that under Phase Five of the Scottish BVD scheme significant progress in eradicating the costly disease from Scottish cattle continues to be made.

Across 10,691 holdings, 535,000 cattle are in Scotland are being tested and screened for BVD.

Figures for May suggest that 48 Scottish holdings currently retain 122 PI cattle and, if these animals remain on farm, then they will be required to meet the new rules.

From Monday (18 May), any animals that are suspected to be persistently infected (PI) must be housed separately from the rest of the herd.

This means any animal that has tested positive for BVD, or has a presumed positive status, must be housed away from the rest of the herd.

In the interests of animal welfare, those choosing to retain high risk animals may be allowed to house a low risk non-PI animal with them.

Good biosecurity must be practiced between the PI animal(s) and the rest of the herd, with proper cleaning and disinfection of outerwear and equipment between the different groups.

Although inspections are currently suspended due to Covid-19, those herds retaining PI animals will be subjected to unannounced visits from APHA in the future to ensure that suitable isolation facilities and protocols are place.

NFU Scotlands animal health policy manager, Penny Middleton said 'great strides' have been made by Scottish cattle keepers in eradicating the disease from the herd.

However, persistently infected animals are the 'biggest cause' of spreading BVD and best practice involves removing them from a herd as soon as they are identified, she added.

Where herds choose to retain these high-risk animals, then housing and isolation can prevent further spread of infection within the herd, but more importantly can help protect neighbouring herds from infection.

Many of those neighbours will have invested significant time and money in BVD eradication plans that risk being undone through any contact with PI animals," Ms Middleton said.

The expectation is that the rules requiring any suspected PI animal to be housed and isolated will not only serve to protect the national herd against further infection, but it will also serve as a deterrent against keeping PI animals.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) are expected to move the Supreme Court in the next two days against the Bombay High Court order that quashed prosecution against Deloitte Haskin and Sells and BSR and Associates, the former auditors of IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN).

The High Court ruling on April 20 was a relief for the two audit firms that moved court against the governments decision to ban them from auditing activities for five years and initiate criminal proceedings against them.

The court observed that the provisions under which the government sought to ban the two firms can only be applied to existing auditors of a company. The government received eight weeks time to challenge the order in the apex court.

"We have completed our preparations and might challenge this order in the Supreme Court on Monday or Tuesday," a source privy to the matter told Moneycontrol.

The High Court observed that the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), a part of MCA, cannot ban the audit firms. The tribunal had earlier argued that it had jurisdiction to remove and ban the auditors even if they had rotated out or resigned.

The case pertains to a series of defaults by IL&FS in 2018, sparking a liquidity crisis in Indias non-banking financial companies sector. Eventually, the government took over the troubled infrastructure lending conglomerate to avoid contagion. On June 10, the government moved the NCLT seeking a five-year ban on the auditors under Section 140 (5) of the Companies Act for their alleged role in concealing bad loans at IL&FS and its group firms including IFIN.

Though the High Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 140 (5), the bench stated that the rule would not apply to auditors who have already resigned.

The High Court also rejected the criminal complaint by the SFIO filed before a special court, terming it bad in law and non-application of mind. According to sources, the SFIO is also getting ready to challenge this order in the top court in the next two days.

BSR and Associates, a part of KPMG India, became an auditor to IFIN in November 2017, and jointly audited the company with Deloitte till March 2018. BSR was the sole auditor for IFIN till June 2019, after which it resigned.

Law firm Veritas Legal was representing Deloitte in the case, while BSR was being represented by AZB and Partners.

The audit firms argued that the NCLT can only ban existing auditors and lacks the jurisdiction to ban them as they are no longer auditors of IFIN.

IL&FS went bust in September 2018. The infrastructure lending major with more than 100 subsidiaries owes more than Rs 1 lakh crore to the financial system.

The SFIO has filed a criminal complaint against IFIN and now will file a complaint against ITNL too. The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating this case and has filed the charge sheet.
An inspector ended her 30-year career in the police force by going on patrol with her daughter.

PCSO Charlotte Carter, 19, was inspired by her mother, Chief Inspector Nicky Carter, 48, to join the police six months ago and joined her for her final shift on the streets of Lampeter, mid-Wales.

The pair both work for Dyfed-Powys Police and finally achieved their dream of patrolling in uniform together before Chief Insp Carter's retirement after three decades as an officer.

PSCO Charlotte Carter, 19, (L) with mother Chief Inspector Nicky Carter on her final patrol

PCSO Charlotte admitted she had wanted to join the police ever since she could remember

PCSO Charlotte said: 'I joined in September 2019, and have wanted to be a part of Dyfed-Powys Police since I can remember.

'I was inspired by my mum working in the force, and thought it would be a great career.

'I'm really glad I joined before she retired, as it gave us the opportunity to go out on foot patrol in the town where mum had been the local inspector. It was really lovely.

'Mum has told me to always treat people as I would wish to be treated. That's something I'll take forward with me.

'I'm six months in now, and I enjoy dealing with the public and offering reassurance to people in the communities of Lampeter town and surrounding areas.'

Chief Inspector Carter served in police for 30 years while her daughter joined six months ago

Chief Insp Carter started her career at North Wales Police before moving forces and taking up an inspector post at Dyfed-Powys in 2006.

Chief Insp Carter said: 'I was very proud of Charlotte wishing to join Dyfed-Powys. As I retire I still consider that policing offers tremendous job satisfaction and I know that the organisation looks after and cares for its staff.

'As a parent and a former officer, it is natural to be concerned about what may occur when Charlotte is at work.

'However, the training, mentoring and support from staff and supervisors is second to none, so that offers me reassurance.'



Chief Insp Carter admitted she was concerned for her daughter but her training reassured her

CI Carter was a committee member of the British Association of Women in Policing and also represented chief officers at the International Association of Women Police awards in Alaska in 2019.

She added: 'The most important advice I have given Charlotte is to look after herself and her wellbeing as whilst policing is a very rewarding role, it is one that can be both challenging and stressful at times.'
Many join call for independent probe into pandemic, as world health body faces questions over Taiwans participation.

More than 100 countries, including 50 African nations and all European Union member states, are backing a resolution calling for an independent probe into the coronavirus pandemic, Australia said in the run-up to a key meeting of the World Health Assembly (WHA).

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt was quoted by news reports as saying the motion was expected to be endorsed at the assembly as early as Tuesday. Hunt is representing his country in the virtual WHA meeting, which is set to begin later on Monday.

At least 116 countries have now signed up as co-sponsors of the draft motion calling for an investigation, according to Australias TV network ABC news.

Britain, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and Russia have also indicated their support.

While the coronavirus motion does not single-out China by name, it has angered officials with Beijing threatening economic countermeasures against Australia, which first pushed for an investigation.





Aside from the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) officials are also expected to raise the question of Taiwans participation as an observer at the WHA  a move that is also expected to anger China.

Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of China, is one of the few places to have successfully contained the spread of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December. It has since spread around the world with some 4.7 million cases confirmed by Monday and at least 315,000 deaths.

Although Taiwan lost its place at the United Nations and on many UN bodies when countries began to normalise relations the Peoples Republic of China in the early 1970s, it remained an observer at the WHA until 2016 when Tsai Ing-wen was elected the islands president. China claims Tsai, who was returned for a second term in a landslide in January is a separatist.

The US has given its backing to Taiwans campaign to participate in the assembly, while China has been stepping up its attacks on the self-ruled island and countries that support it.

Genesis of the virus

Australia called for an independent investigation into the global response to the pandemic last month.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said countries around the world needed to know the genesis of the virus, about the approaches to dealing with it (and) addressing the openness with which information was shared.

The move drew threats from Beijing, with Chinas ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, calling it dangerous.





The Chinese public is frustrated, dismayed and disappointed with what Australia is doing now, Cheng said in an interview with the Australian Financial Review magazine last month, as he hinted at a possible trade boycott.

Since then, China has moved to suspend imports from four large Australian beef suppliers.

China has also threatened the flow of Chinese students to Australian universities, a key source of revenue that is already under threat from pandemic travel restrictions.

Australia, however, insisted that it was treating the trade issues as unrelated to discussions around a virus probe.

I want to offer my utmost thanks to our diplomatic allies for standing up for #Taiwans participation in the @WHO. We are an integral link in the global health network, & with more access to the WHO, Taiwan would be able to offer more help in the global fight against #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/XJ5glvKEMI   Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) May 14, 2020

Australia has so far succeeded in containing the pandemic with social-distancing measures and aggressive testing.

The country, with a population of 25 million, has recorded 7,036 COVID-19 cases and 98 deaths, significantly below the levels reported in North America and Europe. As of Saturday, the government said it had tested more than one million people for the virus.

With new daily cases falling, Australia has begun easing its lockdown.
Moderna, the Massachusetts biotechnology company behind a leading effort to create a coronavirus vaccine, announced promising early results from its first human safety tests Monday.

The eagerly-awaited data provide a preliminary look at one of the eight vaccines worldwide that have begun human testing. The data have not been published in a scientific journal and are only a first step toward showing the experimental vaccine is safe and effective.

The company's stock soared on the report that eight participants who received low and medium doses of Moderna's vaccine had blood levels of virus-fighting antibodies that were similar or greater than those in patients who recovered. That would suggest, but doesn't prove, that it triggers some level of immunity.

Moderna's announcement comes days after one of its directors, Moncef Slaoui, stepped down from the board to become chief scientist for Operation Warp Speed, a White House initiative to speed up vaccine development. Watchdogs called out Slaoui's apparent conflict of interest. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show Slaoui's stock options in Moderna are worth more than $10 million with the company's share price at $66.69. In regular trading Monday, Moderna's stock soared about 25% to more than $83.

Slaoui will divest his Moderna stock holdings, effective Tuesday morning, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services. He will donate the value the Moderna stock gained since Thursday, before the announcement of his position leading Operation Warp Speed, to cancer research.

Moderna also received $483 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a federal agency. Moderna has also partnered with a contract development and manufacturing firm, Lonza, and Slaoui stepped down from that company's board on Monday.

"Slaoui's blatant financial conflicts of interest disqualify him for the role of vaccine czar, unless he commits immediately to global vaccine access conditions over the obvious profit interests of the corporations he serves," said Peter Maybarduk, director of the Access to Medicines Program at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called for Slaoui to divest his stock options, tweeting it is "a huge conflict of interest for the White House's new vaccine czar to own $10 million of stock in a company receiving government funding to develop a covid-19 vaccine."

Companies and countries are racing to create a coronavirus vaccine and taking on financial risk to manufacture doses in large quantities before they even know if the products are safe and effective. The U.S. is aiming to have hundreds of millions of doses of a vaccine broadly available by the end of the year.

An effort led by the University of Oxford, in partnership with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, plans to have millions of doses of vaccine available by fall. Last week, those researchers disclosed that more than 1,000 patients had already enrolled in the initial trial of its vaccine, which began in late April.

A Chinese company, Sinovac Biotech, recently published a study in the journal Science showing that its vaccine protected rhesus monkeys against infection and is currently being tested in 144 people. Two other safety trials are ongoing in the U.S., led by Pfizer and Inovio Pharmaceuticals.

Vaccine experts have said that these accelerated development timelines are theoretically possible, but extremely optimistic - and depend on everything going right. They stress that it will be crucial to gather convincing data the vaccines are safe and effective before using them broadly - and the new data are promising but preliminary, from the earliest phase one trials that test safety in healthy people.

"I would certainly take this as good news, and it's certainly worth moving forward" into later stage trials, said Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "There's just historically, if you look at vaccine development, lots of vaccines that look good out of phase one that don't turn out to be good products."

The data released Monday by Moderna is encouraging, but represents only a first step in a long process to bring a vaccine to market. It comes from an interim report on dozens of patients followed over weeks, whereas vaccine approval requires broad testing in thousands of patients followed over many months or years.

Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said the data looked promising and it made sense to proceed to a large trial this summer.

"The fact that the vaccine elicited neutralizing antibody amounts comparable or higher to those found in convalescent sera [plasma] is very encouraging," said Arturo Casadevall, chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who is spearheading the initiative to test plasma as a treatment.

Peter Jay Hotez, who is working on developing a coronavirus vaccine at the Baylor College of Medicine, said it would be important to understand the level of antibodies detected in the patients beyond the information provided in a company news release. He pointed to emerging evidence that many recovered patients do not muster high levels after they recover - and that high levels of antibodies may be needed to neutralize the virus.

The vaccine showed few safety signals, aside from redness at the injection site for one patient and some transient "systemic" symptoms in three patients given the highest dose - which the company will not be using in future trials.

The interim data comes from a clinical trial aimed at showing the safety of its experimental vaccine and helping the company select the correct dose. The company has not yet picked the final dose, or announced the size or length of the large trial that it will start in July, which will be the key one that regulators consider to decide whether the vaccine is safe and effective.

This month, the company received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin a 600-person, phase two trial to begin to test the effectiveness of the vaccine.

"We are very, very happy because first the vaccine was generally safe," Stephane Bancel, chief executive of Moderna said in an interview. "The piece that was really exciting and was the big question, of course, was can you find antibodies in people in enough quantities" to prevent disease.

Moderna also reported that the vaccine protected mice who were vaccinated and then exposed to the virus, preventing it from multiplying in their lungs.

Moderna's vaccine uses a genetic material called messenger RNA that codes for the distinctive spike protein that studs the outside of the novel coronavirus. The vaccine delivers the messenger RNA to cells, which then follows the genetic instructions to create the virus protein - allowing the body to learn to recognize and neutralize the pathogen.
Qantas Airways' decision not to let its stood-down workers take paid sick leave has been upheld by the Federal Court in a test case that clarifies the rights of tens of thousands of other workers across the country.

Qantas, which has grounded almost all its planes and stood down about 25,000 staff due to coronavirus travel restrictions, put its workers onto the government's $1500-a-fortnight JobKeeper wage subsidy and told them in March they could not take paid sick leave if they fell ill because they were not at work.

Stood-down Qantas workers have lost their Federal Court claim for paid sick leave. Credit:Getty

A coalition of unions representing Qantas workers challenged the decision in the Federal Court, arguing sick leave was a basic workplace right available to all workers, regardless of whether they were stood down or not.

The unions also argued that since Qantas was allowing workers to use their annual leave while stood down and paying for it through JobKeeper  as the government intended  those workers should also be allowed to take sick leave.
Afghan President Ghani, rival Abdullah strike power-sharing deal after feuding for months

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 1:44 PM

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, a former official and a rival to the incumbent President, have signed a power-sharing deal in a bid to put an end to a months-long feud that plunged the country into political crisis.

When, after delays over disputed votes, the results of the September 2019 contested Presidential election was announced in February by Afghanistan's Election Commission and Ghani was declared the winner, Abdullah rejected the results, proclaiming himself to be the President-elect.

The 59-year-old politician, who served as the chief executive officer of the outgoing administration under an earlier power-sharing deal, then held a parallel swearing-in ceremony in the same day that Ghani held his back in March, at a time when the US was trying to hammer out a peace deal with the Taliban militant group to end the 19-year Afghan war.

"The Political Agreement between President Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has just been signed. Dr. Abdullah will lead the National Reconciliation High Council and members of his team will be included in the cabinet," said Sediq Sediqqi, Ghani's spokesman, on Twitter on Sunday.

He did not say which ministerial positions Abdullah's camp will secure but added that details of the deal would be aired by Afghanistan National Television.

The breakthrough comes as the war-torn country combats a range of crises, including a swift spread of COVID-19 contagious disease and an escalation in terrorists' violence that claimed the lives of dozens of people in brutal attacks last week.

Under the power-sharing deal, Abdullah will lead future peace talks with the Taliban group, which has already signed a landmark accord with Washington to pave the way for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan after years of occupation.

In the election last year, Abdullah was seeking the presidency for the third time, after losing in 2009 and 2014.

Following the 2014 Presidential election, Afghanistan was struck by a similar power crisis. Back then, Ghani and Abdullah fought a close and angry race that sparked widespread allegations of fraud and saw the United States step in to broker an awkward power-sharing agreement between the rivals under which Ghani became President and Abdullah became "chief executive."

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Israel deals with existential threats on a daily basis, and is especially well-placed to handle a crisis of the magnitude that COVID-19 has brought on.

It made the tough choices early on by taking major precautionary steps, closing its borders and schools, shuttering businesses, and limiting all non-essential activities.



From respirators, start-ups and vaccines, through to drive-through testing centers and telemedicine, Israel is leading the global fight against coronavirus. In this regard, we are partnering our friends in Ghana in order to maximise the Ghanaian capability to cope with this pandemic.



The Israel Institute for Biological Research announced last week (5 May) a major breakthrough in finding an effective treatment for COVID-19.



The Institute, run by the Defence Ministry, has successfully isolated a monoclonal antibody that effectively neutralises the virus using blood samples taken from coronavirus patients, making it the first lab in the world to have achieved this major milestone.



The Institute is now seeking a biological manufacturer to mass produce the treatment for clinical use, while it continues to characterise this antibody and others.



Developing a vaccine



Israel has already set to work on developing a vaccine against COVID-19, and the same Institute for Biological Research has already made significant progress in developing its vaccine prototype, and is now preparing to commence animal trials.



Another Israeli research organisation, the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, had already developed an effective vaccine against an avian coronavirus found in poultry, which has a high genetic similarity to COVID-19, before the global coronavirus crisis took hold.



With four years of research behind it, MIGAL is now on track to be able to rapidly produce a vaccine against COVID-19, and is developing an oral vaccine that will be ready for in-vivo testing in 90 days. The United States recently granted a patent to Tel Aviv Universitys Prof. Jonathan Gershoni for his innovative vaccine design against the corona family of viruses.



Confronting a global pandemic requires global partnership, and to this end, Prime Minister Netanyahu last two weeks participated in the Coronavirus Global Response, an international videoconference attended by dozens of world leaders at the initiative of the European Union, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged $60 million USD to the conferences fundraising efforts. Israels contribution will be distributed to the World Health Organisation and various partner organisations for the purposes of developing and distributing treatments and vaccinations against coronavirus across the world.



MASHAV



In Ghana, the Israeli Aid and Cooperation Agency MASHAV, donated masks and medical gowns to the Ministry of Health and cooperating with high technology centers to transfer the aid into sustainable cooperation, by printing medical head shields for medical staff with 3D printers.



In Israel, Magen David Adom  Israels national emergency response service  has truly been at the forefront of managing the coronavirus crisis. From the outset, theyve been sending emergency response staff to test potential coronavirus patients in their homes. Theyve also set up drive-through testing centres across the country, enabling thousands of Israelis to be tested every day, and offer special ambulances to residents without private vehicles to transport them from their homes to the testing centres.



Israels Air Force has joined forces with Microsoft Israel, Magen David Adom, and others to come up with a solution to the ventilator shortage the world is grappling with. Their innovative product uses a manual respiration balloon, but operates it automatically. Their respirator is open source, meaning that its design and assembly information is available to the Israeli and global public, and has the potential to be mass produced at a low cost.



Israeli start-ups



Israeli start-ups are also spearheading innovative ways to prevent the spread of the virus, and an innovation community geared specifically towards COVID-19 quickly formed in response to the coronavirus crisis. Soapy Care, a smart hygiene start-up that produces innovative hand-washing stations, has developed an anti-viral soap that can effectively kill coronavirus on hands. Facense is developing lightweight smartglasses, whose tiny sensors can detect COVID-19 symptoms and measure vital signs from afar.



Israels hospitals are also on the front lines of combatting the virus, and have led the way by sharing their best practises with global partners, several of them are Ghanaian. Sheba Hospital has implemented a first-of-its-kind telemedicine program to minimize contact between medical staff and coronavirus patients, treating not only inpatients, but also patients who are quarantined at home.



Israel Aerospace Industries have also teamed up with the Ministry of Defence and the Technion University to develop a remote monitoring system that effectively minimizes contact between carers and patients. Using advanced optical sensor technology, radar and AI, this new system can record patients vital signs from afar, diminishing the risk of exposure for medical staff.



International cooperation



In these days, we recognise the importance of international cooperation, thus initiated together with Ghana as the joint chair countries of the Science, Technology and Innovation forum in ECOSOC an international conference on the role of science, technology and innovation in the era of COVID-19.



The on-line conference on May 14-15 sought to analyse and review the current scientific knowledge and understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic, explore both existing and innovative measures to effectively respond the disease, discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by STI to advance the SDGs given major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and look toward the future of STI cooperation in the post-COVID-19 world in way that can enhance global pandemic preparedness



These initiatives and breakthroughs represent the innovative spirit and decisiveness with which Israel has responded to, and managed, the coronavirus crisis. As the world continues to confront the many challenges that COVID-19 presents us with, we wish our friends in Ghana and around the world good health, and a quick return to routine.



The writer is the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The number of active COVID-19 cases in Goa rose to 36 after 10 more people tested positive for the disease on Monday, officials said.

The new patients included nine who reached Goa in a train from Mumbai on Sunday, and another woman who travelled to the coastal state in her car and was quarantined at Vasco, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

Samples of all the 10 people came out positive in TrueNat (rapid) tests, he said.

Nearly 456 passengers who arrived here in the Mumbai- Goa train were tested since Sunday at a lab set up at Hospicio Hospital in Margao town of South Goa district, according to a health department bulletin.

Till Sunday, there were 26 active COVID-19 cases in the state, but since Monday morning 10 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 36.

"All the 36 patients have been admitted to a specially-designated COVID-19 hospital in Margao town," Rane said.

So far, 12 passengers of the Mumbai-Goa train have tested positive for coronavirus, he said.

Earlier, six passengers, who travelled to Goa in the Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, had tested positive for the infection.

On May 1, Goa was declared a green zone after all the seven COVID-19 patients previously found in the state recovered.

However, the coastal state has witnessed a rise in the number of cases over the last few days.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday claimed there was no community transmission of the infection in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Many poll workers in Northampton and Monroe counties are at high risk of becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus and have opted to sit out of working this year, the Northampton County Elections Office said Thursday.

Thats why officials in both counties said they are looking for volunteers to work the polls during the Pennsylvania primary election on June 2.

To protect our poll workers on Election Day, the county will be supplying each precinct with the supplies needed to stay safe including face masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, floor tape, etc," both county elections offices said in a news release. "We will also be encouraging all voters to wear a mask, gloves, and practice social distancing.

There are two requirements to become a poll worker: you must be registered to vote in Pennsylvania and you have to complete a training session, according to officials. Poll workers are expected to work the entire day.

Poll workers are paid $200-$225 for the day, based on the position they work, the release said.

These are the people who do the important work of checking in voters at polling places and setting them up with a ballot, officials said. At the end of the night, poll workers deliver the returns to county election officials.

Gov. Tom Wolf in March signed legislation that delayed the April 28 primary to June 2 due to overriding concerns about the health and safety of voters, poll workers and election workers amid the coronavirus outbreak. Pennsylvania registered voters will be able to vote by mail for any reason under the Act 77 election reform law of 2019. Lehigh Valley voters can find the candidates on the 2020 primary ballot here.

Tennyson Donnie Coleman may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The House of Representatives has recalled the approval on second reading of a bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise until October this year as some members said it was unconstitutional.

Deputy Majority Leader Wilter Wee Palma proposed the move on Monday, arguing that some lawmakers also wanted to debate the issue further.

The lower house convened as a Committee of the Whole and the plenary passed the measure on second reading last Wednesday. Some lawmakers, however, noted that this could be unconstitutional as the charter requires that bills be passed after three readings on separate days.

No amount of purported or actual passage of some bills in the past on first and second readings on the same day will constitute an unassailable precedent in violation of the Constitution, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said.

But the sponsor of the bill, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, insisted that there was nothing wrong with the initial passage of the bill, saying that that approval of the measure on second reading was a prerogative of the chamber.

He also cited previous bills that had been passed on first and second reading on the same day.

It does not mean that [if] we are reverting to second reading that we believe that we have made a constitutional defect, Villafuerte stressed.

ABS-CBN is banking on the grant of a provisional franchise, citing the push for it in Congress as among the reasons why the National Telecommunications Commission should not recall its assigned frequencies.

The grant of a legislative franchise to ABS-CBN is forthcoming, the company said in its 14-page answer to the NTC. The recall of the assigned frequencies would thus be a useless and costly exercise, in contravention of the intent and desire of Congress.

But Villafuerte could not directly answer when pressed by fellow lawmakers as to when the provisional franchise bill could pass their chamber.

Once the measure is passed on second and third readings, the House-approved bill would be sent to the Senate for its consideration. The Senate Public Services Committee is expected to hold a hearing on the proposed law on Tuesday.

ABS-CBN was forced to shut down on May 5 to comply with a cease and desist order from the NTC as its franchise had expired on May 4.

The media giant has since appealed to the Supreme Court to temporarily stop the implementation of the NTC order, citing income losses ranging from 30 million to 35 million every day that it is off the air as well as possible loss of job for its 11,000 workers.

ABS-CBN Corporations shares slid 7.2 percent after it resumed trading almost two weeks after the shutdown.

The NTC had earlier committed before the House Legislative Franchises Committee to issue the media giant a provisional authority to operate pending the grant of a new 25-year legislative franchise.

However, the regulatory body walked back on this commitment after the Office of the Solicitor General threatened to file graft charges against NTC commissioners if they granted ABS-CBN a provisional permit.

Media groups have condemned the NTC order, saying it was an affront to freedom of speech in a democracy.
The congressional official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the matter remains highly sensitive, said that the State Department staffer was a political appointee and that at least one congressional committee learned of the allegations around the time of Linicks firing.
Learn why this royalty company believes it is the best way to play commodities and inflation. on 06/08/2021. Learn More
Guwahati, May 19 : Two Covid-19 patients died in Assam on Monday taking the state's death toll to four, while 18 more tested coronavirus positive in the past 24 hours raising the state's tally to 115, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

According to Sarma, a 71-year-old cancer patient, who had returned from Mumbai recently, died at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

Sarma said that another person had died at GMCH on Monday night prior to detection of coronavirus.

Of the 18 fresh cases, 10 people tested positive in Guwahati followed by four in Golaghat district, two in Cachar district and one each in Nagaon and Jorhat districts. Of the 18 new cases, two had come from Mumbai and one from Bihar.

Out of the 115 positive cases found so far in Assam, 68 are active cases, 41 people have been discharged from hospitals and two cases migrated to other states.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and the FBI said Monday that data from the cellphones of a Saudi Air Force student who opened fire last year at a U.S. military base in Pensacola, Florida, led back to the terror group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, leading to a counterterrorism operation against one of the gunman's associates in Yemen.

In addressing the latest developments in the terrorism case, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray both sharply criticized Apple - the maker of the dead gunman's phones - for not helping them unlock the devices.

"Apple's decision has dangerous consequences for public safety and the national security," said Barr, who said the company's refusal to change its encryption software meant FBI agents spent four months getting into the gunman's phones.

"We received effectively no help from Apple," said Wray, who said the time it took FBI agents to crack into the phones on their own "seriously hampered this investigation." While the FBI did eventually get critical evidence, he added, "we really needed it months ago."

Officials declined to say how the FBI was able to access the phones, but a person familiar with the investigation said agents used a passcode-guessing machine - a process that took months. An Apple spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The officials' remarks marked a significant escalation in the on-and-off battle between the Justice Department and Silicon Valley over the issue of encrypted phones. The debate has been at something of a stalemate since 2016, when the Justice Department abandoned a court case that might have settled the issue. That case also involved a dead terrorist's phone which the FBI first said it could not access, then later did.

In a statement, Apple said Justice Department and FBI leaders were not telling the truth about the company's role in the investigation.

"We provided every piece of information available to us, including iCloud backups, account information and transactional data for multiple accounts, and we lent continuous and ongoing technical and investigative support to FBI offices in Jacksonville, Pensacola and New York over the months since," the company statement said. "The false claims made about our company are an excuse to weaken encryption and other security measures that protect millions of users and our national security."

Privacy advocates said the Justice Department had wrongly claimed that its only way to get into a device was for the manufacturer to make it easier.

"The boy who cried wolf has nothing on the agency that cried encryption," said ACLU lawyer Brett Max Kaufman.

Barr took his critique of Apple further, saying the company is "facilitating censorship and oppression" by Russia and China while frustrating U.S. law enforcement efforts to pursue terrorists, child molesters and other criminals.

Officials declined to offer any more details about the counterterror operation that arose from the Pensacola case, other than to say it targeted Abdullah al-Maliki, whom they had connected to the Pensacola gunman through the phone data.

"The al-Maliki group has been seriously degraded and I'm very pleased with the results," the attorney general said.

Authorities have previously said the gunman, Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani, a Royal Saudi Air Force member who was training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, was motivated by "jihadist ideology," including a prominent al-Qaida figure, and had posted anti-American messages on social media about two hours before his attack.

New evidence taken from the suspect's phone indicates his path toward radicalization began around 2015, predating his arrival in the United States.

The new information suggests that the government's own immigration vetting failed to pick up warning signs about al-Shamrani before he came to the United States.

The Pentagon had already begun an overhaul of its screening process for such military training programs. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that based on the FBI findings, the Pentagon "will take further prudent measures to safeguard our people."

FBI officials said that during the attack, Shamrani fired shots at pictures of President Donald Trump and a past U.S. president, and witnesses at the scene said he made statements critical of American military actions overseas.

A senior FBI official said in January that while Shamrani did not seem to be inspired by one specific terrorist group, he harbored anti-American and anti-Israeli views and felt "violence was necessary." His social media comments, the FBI said, echoed those of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Yemeni American cleric with an al-Qaida offshoot who was killed in a drone strike in 2011.

Shamrani was part of a contingent of Saudi air force personnel training at U.S. military bases. After the attack, investigators found evidence that 17 fellow students had shared Islamic militant or anti-American material on social media, and others had possessed or shared child pornography. As a result, 21 cadets from Saudi Arabia were disenrolled from the training program and sent home.

- - -

The Washington Post's Souad Mekhennet contributed to this report.
The billionaire investors company also slashed its Goldman Sachs holdings by 84%, from about 12 million shares at the end of last year to fewer than two million on March 31, shrinking the value down from about $2.8 billion to less than $300 million.

Goldmans stock price fell by a third in the first quarter.

Berkshire also exited its position in energy company Phillips 66, worth more than $25 million at the end of last year, and trimmed several holdings, including those in Amazon, Liberty Global, Sirius XM, Synchrony Financial, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Verisign.

The company cut investments in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 3%, but its stakes in Wells Fargo & Co remained unchanged despite the stock price falling 47%.

In one of its few swoops in the first quarter, Berkshire boosted its stake in regional bank PNC Financial Services Group Inc. by 6%. Berkshire has been a big investor in banks with major shares in American Express, Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon and US Bancorp.

From January to March, the value of Berkshires stock portfolio decreased by 27%, from about to $242 billion to $176 billion.

Buffett said at Berkshires annual meeting this month that the company has been relatively inactive. The recent SEC filing confirmed his comments.

Berkshire made just $1.8 billion in earnings from net stock purchases in the first quarter, perplexing many investors who anticipated Buffett using the companys huge cash pile to buy stocks during the market meltdown.
Nigeria impounded a plane operated by a British company for allegedly contravening a flight ban imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the aviation minister said on Sunday.



Passenger flights into the country, with the exception of ones to evacuate people or repatriate Nigerian citizens, have been banned for weeks. The ban will remain in place until at least June 4.



Flights for essential services, such as the delivery of food supplies and items for humanitarian use, are permitted.



Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said on Twitter on Sunday that a plane had been impounded after the rules were broken.



Sirika said a UK company was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably we caught them conducting commercial flights.



The message added: The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty.

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.

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Have an unforgettable book adventure By Yomal Senerath-Yapa This week on Lockdown Reading, harness the swashbuckling adventure novel View(s): View(s):

Theres nothing like a rush of adrenaline to spike a novel. Here are some adventure books for you to relish online this week.

J. M. Falkner

Falkners novels (unfortunately he wrote only three) are romantic adventures of the kind that set boys running away to sea. Moonfleet, the most famous, is set in Dorset of the 18th Century- a tale of smugglers coves, buried treasure and an ancient mystery. The Lost Stradivarius concerns a violin that has evil invested in it- in the form of its last dead owner. The Nebuly Coat is a mystery about a coat of arms encountered by a young architect who goes to a rural town to restore an old cathedral.

Read all three on gutenberg.org

H. Rider Haggard

The call of wild Africa could be as intoxicating as a primitive drumbeat and just as mysterious. Stationed in towns like Pretoria in the 19th Century Haggard must have found it intriguing to dream of travelling into the unknown interior of the Dark Continent- beyond the mountains like his hero Alan Quartermain. With his strong interest for psychic phenomena, he invented many a lost land in the heart of Africa, where lost races and queer beings, creatures and legends survived for millennia unknown to the outer world. Though the plot sometimes seems to be roughly the same, Haggards imagination comes up trumps with evil witches and tribes worshipping apes.

Read on manybooks.net and gutenberg.org

John Buchan

Almost all books by John Buchan can be read online for free- including the much filmed The Thirty-Nine Steps, one of the UKs best loved novels ever. He invented the fellow Scotsman Richard Hannay to feature in a series of secret service thrillers.

Visit gutenberg.org and for later

novels gutenberg.net.au

Rudyard Kipling

A mishmash from childrens stories (read equally greedily by adults) to collections of short stories from the British Raj- each with a clever twist. In the first category are Puck of Pooks Hill and Rewards and Fairies- where two children meet Robin Goodfellow who takes them to meet characters from Britains chequered history- from a Stone Age man to Queen Elizabeth- passing through knights and Roman soldiers. Each tale, with Kiplings knack for historical mimicry, is sandwiched between those delightful ditties in the style of The Jungle Book and Just So Stories. Of the Raj tales, there are many  but make note especially of Under the Deodars and Indian Tales.

Explore these and many more Kipling

titles on gutenberg.org
The pain and suffering of lakhs of migrant labourers  marching hundreds of miles to reach their native places with scant belongings and scanter provisions  are heartrending by any reckoning.

The images in the media and social media, the scenes I witnessed first-hand, the stories we all heard about the hardships and misery of the walking masses, the odyssey of a moving humanity  these will remain etched in my memory. Whodunit?

It is easy to blame the Narendra Modi government for the lockdown decision with a four-hour notice, and the manner of its implementation. But at that time, almost every expert was clamouring for shutting down the country. Besides, there was a lot of scaremongering. Any other government, too, is likely to have taken the same decision.

I believe that the lockdown decision was bad and it has done more damage than good, but my view is beside the point. The question we need to ask here is: did the people who were the worst-affected by the decision  migrant labourers and casual workers  have any say in it? The answer is a big no.

And this answer raises several, more fundamental questions. Why didnt anybody from or representing the unorganised sector have anything to contribute to one of the most important decisions taken in independent India? Is this how a democracy, the worlds largest to boot, work? Whatever happened to responsiveness? And, more importantly, representativeness?

All questions have one answer: most segments of civil society have been captured by political parties. Whether it is trade unions, farmers bodies, students and teachers associations, or womens groups, the leadership is in the hands of people who are affiliated to major political parties. Consequently, such organisations tend to promote the interests of their parties rather than of those they claim to represent.

Trade unions, for instance, are expected to represent employees, whose concerns are the quantum of salary increments, working conditions, healthcare facilities, social security benefits, etc. But, more often than not, unions agitate against disinvestment in public sector undertakings and foreign direct investment (FDI) in railways, defence, and insurance sectors.

When they oppose FDI, do they represent their employees, who are usually middle class people and not doctrinaire intellectuals? Middle class persons are not against multinational corporations; in fact, they would like to work in MNCs, and would do anything to ensure their kids join such companies. For MNCs, give higher salaries and provide better working conditions.

The same goes with the representativeness of womens groups and other civil society bodies. For example, the leading light of womens groups are feminists who are obsessed with concepts like objectification and patriarchal mindset; they routinely slam beauty contests and the world of glamour. But girls, excepting activist-types, go to beauty parlours and follow the fashions of film actresses and models. Evidently, the leaders of womens groups dont represent women; the concerns of the former are ideological.

The only civil society bodies that remain apolitical are residents welfare associations (RWAs), parent-teachers associations, clubs, chambers of business and industry. All of these are generally ignored by politicians and policy makers; business chambers, contemptuously described as lobbies, are not even considered part of civil society. Unsurprisingly, they have little impact on policy.

The way RWAs have been empowered in the lockdown period opens up the possibility of their politicisation though, but thats another story.

It is an indisputable fact that today political action and even social change are mandated and supervised by ideologically-affiliated groups  by pinkish radicals and saffron front organisations. Emphasis is on dogma, not on genuine improvement.

But the march of human civilisation is predicated upon constant improvements in all spheres of life, upon reforms in politics, economy, society, culture, everywhere. So, it is as astonishing as it is disheartening that there has been no social reform movement in our country for over a century.

This is not to say that there has been no social progress. We find a sea change in the conditions of women, but this has been the result of political, economic, technological progress rather than of any conscious social reform movement. The socio-religious movements, which flowered in Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, and other parts in the 19th century, died down in the 20th century. There has hardly been a 20th century descendant of Raja Ram Mohan Roy or Swamy Dayanand Saraswati of Arya Samaj.

Over seven decades of independence and democracy should have made governance and social change more representative and vibrant. Politicisation, however, didnt let that happen.

Politicisation took place because the size and scope of government have increased manifold since 1947, centralisation of powers being the concomitant development. In this scheme of things, migrant labourers  indeed few from the bottom of the pyramid  have nothing to say or do anything.
Obamas fingerprints cover the coup crime scene

By Mark Alexander



In my recent column, "Beyond Flynn: Indict Comey and Brennan," I wrote: "The Flynn case is a microcosm of the entire Russia-collusion setup, and it represents the most disgraceful episode of government abuse of power since J. Edgar Hoover was the FBI director. It reflects a far more dangerous chapter in American political history  a more egregious assault on our Constitution and Rule of Law  than any aspect of the Watergate break-in during Richard Nixon's administration. Any civil libertarian of any political stripe with an ounce of integrity should be denouncing this government corruption from the mountaintops."

I argued that assessment was "not hyperbole." Let's review.

In 1972, a group of black-bag spooks known as the "White House Plumbers," under the direction of Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt, were funded by the Committee to Re-Elect the President (Richard Nixon). On 17 June, they hired some inept burglars to break into the Democrat National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Office Building. Their plan was to plant some surveillance devices, but they were arrested upon being discovered by a security guard.

A week later, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman advised Nixon of the break-in, and Nixon approved (as heard on Nixon's Oval Office taping system) Haldeman's plan to call off the federal investigators. But it was too late. Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, with a little help from "Deep Throat" (then-FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt), connected the burglary to Nixon's reelection fund and The Plumbers, and three months later the key conspirators were indicted by a federal grand jury.

Two months after that, on 7 November, Nixon defeated George McGovern and was reelected to a second term with the largest plurality of votes and the fourth-largest margin (23.15%) in American history. But the Watergate investigation continued, and Nixon lied about his effort to cover up the break-in once he was told about it. The evidence of this lie was the 18 and a half minutes of conversation with Haldeman that Nixon had erased from more than 3,700 hours of Oval Office conversations. On 9 August 1974, Nixon, having two days earlier been told by Republican leaders of his dwindling support in Congress, resigned rather than put the nation through an impeachment.

In this respect, Nixon demonstrated more integrity than President Bill Clinton, who in 1999 successfully dodged a conviction on articles for lying and obstruction of justice  despite clear evidence of his guilt and despite having lied to a grand jury about an illicit sexual affair with a 22-year-old White House intern. Recall that he claimed, "It depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."

And speaking of the Clinton crime syndicate, it should be noted that Nixon's erasure of 18 and a half minutes of incriminating audiotape pales in comparison to Hillary Clinton's deliberate BleachBit destruction of 33,000 subpoenaed emails in order to conceal, among other things, her role in Barack Obama's cover-up of the 2012 Benghazi embassy attack. (It's no small irony that in 1974, a young attorney named Hillary Rodham was hired by the House Judiciary Committee to work on the Nixon impeachment case, where she apparently learned a lot about how to not be caught in a cover-up.)

Notably, Republicans aggressively investigated Nixon and insisted he resign. In 1974, former Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN) was the ranking minority member of the Senate committee investigating the Watergate cover-up conspiracy. He and his then-young understudy, chief counsel and fellow Tennessean Fred Thompson, aggressively pursued the truth regarding their party's president. "I'll dig for the facts," said Baker, "and I'll follow wherever they lead." Indeed, he and Thompson did just that.

At a critical juncture in that investigation, Baker (who later served as Ronald Reagan's chief of staff) asked a now-famous question: "What did the president know and when did he know it?"

That brings us back to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and their co-conspirators: What did they know and when did they know it?

To be clear, Nixon wasn't facing impeachment for having orchestrated the Watergate break-in but for having tried to cover it up after the fact.

However, it's now clear that Obama and Clinton were in charge of the conspiracy against her 2016 presidential election opponent, Donald Trump, and when that attempt failed and Clinton lost the election, they and their ilk conspired to take down President Trump by orchestrating a phony "Russia collusion" investigation.

Instead of employing an inept band of low-level operatives, as was the case with Watergate, Obama and Clinton coordinated a brazen cabal of deep-state operatives at the highest levels of the most powerful government agencies. These operatives include former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI Chief of Counterespionage Peter Strzok, FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Their fingerprints are all over this crime scene  starting with the setup of former Trump National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn.

Of course, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the current House Intelligence Committee chairman, was their legislative lapdog for the Trump takedown. Despite his claims about having "ample evidence of collusion," the only actual evidence of collusion is between the aforementioned Obama operatives.

Schiff and his Leftmedia propagandists spent every waking hour of Trump's first two years in office advancing the fake Russia-collusion narrative based on the fake Russian dossier. This was ultimately determined by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to be totally fabricated. (Schiff's second coup attempt, the fake Ukraine-collusion impeachment charade, also failed.)

But Schiff's ruse is backfiring.

The beginning of the end for the Obama conspirators began in earnest last week, when Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell informed Schiff that 6,000 pages of transcripts from all 53 interviews his House Intelligence Committee conducted in its Russia probe "can be released to the public without any concerns of disclosing classified material." Schiff had refused to release those transcripts since becoming chairman of the House Intel Committee but couldn't keep that lid sealed any longer.

On the basis of those transcripts, it is clear that Schiff knew all along that there was no collusion between Russia and Trump  but he used his committee, in tandem with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), to peddle that false narrative for two years.

As the Wall Street Journal editorial board notes: "From the earliest days of the collusion narrative, Mr. Schiff insisted that he had evidence proving the plot. ... None of this was true, and Mr. Schiff knew it. In July 2017, here's what former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Mr. Schiff and his colleagues: 'I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election.' ... The same goes for the FBI agents who started the collusion probe in 2016. ... On it went, a parade of former Obama officials who declared under oath they'd seen no evidence of collusion or conspiracy."

So, we now know that Obama was involved in the FBI's fake FISA warrants and the use of the fake dossier funded by Clinton and the DNC to launch the investigation into Trump. We also know that Obama was involved in the FBI's setup of Michael Flynn, and late last week tried desperately to get out in front of his crumbling conspiracy by suggesting, laughably, that the DoJ's dropping charges against Flynn constituted a threat to Rule of Law. Lastly, we know that Obama helped plan the events that would lead to Robert Mueller's appointment and Adam Schiff's impeachment charade.

As the walls close in, Obama is looking for a rat hole to scurry down. He knows his role in this scheme to dispose of Trump is now, finally, becoming a matter of record.

Grenell added insult to Obama's injury by declassifying the Obama operatives who "unmasked" Michael Flynn.

The evidence of illegality mounts, and U.S. Attorney John Durham is quietly convening grand juries to continue building his case. The path to Comey and Brennan starts with indictments of their primary FBI water boys, McCabe, Strzok, and Clinesmith. (Throw in a few yet-to-be outed CIA co-conspirators for good measure.)

Those indictments should then lead to Comey and Brennan indictments as co-conspirators for their roles in the illegal Trump wiretaps and the fake FISA warrants.

Of course, either open or sealed indictments against Comey and Brennan pave the path to Obama and Clinton. None of these illegal activities occurred without their knowledge and complicity.

To get there, all of Obama's co-conspirators need to be asked under oath about the Flynn setup and the Russia collusion charade. Specifically, they need to be asked, "What did the president know and when did he know it?"

Memo to the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee: What are you waiting for? Start by putting the heat to FBI lawyer Clinesmith, who altered official documents in order to paint Trump campaign official Carter Page as a Russian operative  and then to go after Trump. Somebody conspired with Clinesmith to set up Page.

I remind you that when FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer made public last December the outrageous warrant abuses described in IG Michael Horowitz's report, she stated: "FBI personnel provided information to [the Department of Justice's National Security Division] which was unsupported or contradicted by information in their possession. It also describes several instances in which FBI personnel withheld from NSD information in their possession which was detrimental to their case for believing that Mr. Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power. ... An attorney in the FBI's Office of General Counsel (OGC) engaged in conduct that apparently was intended to mislead the FBI agent who ultimately swore to the facts in that application about whether Mr. Page had been a source of another government agency." Go after Clinesmith!

Finally, for decades, every emerging political scandal has included "gate" as a reference to Watergate. But of all the "gates" we've seen in recent years, one emerged this past weekend that is actually most akin to Watergate. President Trump penned it in a recent social-media post: "OBAMAGATE!"

In the weeks and months ahead, if justice will be served, Obama, Clinton, and their co-conspirators will prove to be, by orders of magnitude, a much greater threat to our constitutional republic than Nixon and his Watergate plumbing crew.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Billionaire Sir Fredrick Barclay has released extraordinary footage of his own nephew allegedly installing a bugging device at the Ritz hotel that he claims was used to listen in to his private business meetings as part of his bitter on-going feud with his brother's family.

Sir Frederick, 85, released the video which he claims was part of a 'deliberate and premeditated invasion' of his privacy.

The businessman is involved in a bitter High Court battle with three of his twin brother Sir David's sons over 94 hours' worth of secret recordings made over a number of months as part of what his lawyers describe as 'commercial espionage on a vast scale'.

Billionaire media mogul Sir Frederick Barclay (right) was secretly recorded by his identical twin brother Sir David's son who had bugged the conservatory of The Ritz hotel, a court has heard

CCTV footage from January is alleged to show Alistair Barclay placing a bugging device in the conservatory of the Ritz hotel in London. Alistair is being sued, along with his brothers Aidan and Howard, by their uncle Sir Frederick Barclay over 94 hours of secret recording they're alleged to have made

The footage, which was released on Monday morning, appears to show Sir Frederick's nephew Alistair just after 11pm on January 13 this year handling a listening device, which is said to have been used to capture more than 1,000 separate conversations.

In a statement, Sir Frederick said: 'I do not want anyone else to go through the awful experience of having their personal and private conversations listened to by scores of strangers.

'It is surely in everyone's interests for the law to be changed to prevent people, outside the authorities, using sophisticated spying devices that have such an intrusive impact.'

He added: 'I am putting this video evidence forward as a graphic demonstration of how easy it is to spy on people in public places and to help bring about legislation to prevent such damaging intrusion.'

Sir Frederick and his daughter Amanda are suing Alistair, Aidan and Howard Barclay, Aidan's son Andrew and Philip Peters - a director of a number of family companies - after the 'elaborate system of covert recording' came to light in January.

Sir Frederick described footage released today as a 'graphic demonstration of how easy it is to spy on people in public places'. The billionaire alleges his nephews Alistair, accused of placing a recording device in the hotel, Howard and Aidan committed 'commercial espionage on a vast scale'

It's claimed the alleged recordings were made when there were number of commercial disputes within the family, including the potential sale of the Ritz

A formal defence to the High Court claim has not yet been filed, but Sir Frederick and his daughter Amanda claim more than 1,000 conversations were secretly recorded at the London landmark, accusing Sir David's sons of listening in to commit 'commercial espionage'

At a High Court hearing earlier in May, the pair's lawyers claimed that the Ritz had been sold for 'half the market price' after conversations between Sir Frederick and a Saudi investor, who was offering 1.3 billion for the London landmark, were secretly recorded.

Footage shared by Sir Frederick Barclay allegedly shows his nephew Alistair Barclay (above) with a bugging device at The Ritz in London

Hefin Rees QC, representing Sir Frederick and Amanda, said the recordings 'captured over 1,000 separate conversations over a period of months', including conversations with their lawyers as well as 'bankers and business people'.

He said that 'a separate Wi-Fi bug was also used' which was supplied by private investigations firm Quest, which 'invoiced for 405 hours of their time to listen and transcribe the recordings', with transcripts later 'shared amongst the defendants and others'.

The court was told that Sir Frederick, who had 'placed great trust' in Aidan and Howard Barclay to run his and his brother's business empire, is 'now left to contemplate his nephews' betrayal'.

Mr Rees said the defendants heard 'Sir Frederick's conversations with Sidra Capital, which at the time had made an initial offer of some 1.3 billion for the acquisition of the Ritz hotel.'

He added: 'Despite this, the defendants sold the Ritz hotel to another buyer from Qatar at a price that appears to be for half the market price. One is left to speculate why.'

Sir David Barclay's sons Howard and Aidan are alleged to have listened to private conversations of their uncle Sir Frederick receiving a 1.3bn offer for the Ritz Hotel. The brothers later sold the hotel for less than half the market value, a court heard

Sir Frederick Barclay and his daughter Amanda claim a bugging device was played at the Ritz hotel in London

A High Court judge sitting in London was told in January that the 'elaborate system of covert recording' only came to light when Alistair was filmed 'handling the bug placed in the conservatory at the Ritz'.

At the start of May Mr Rees submitted that material previously disclosed to his clients 'reveals beyond doubt that the defendants derived significant financial and commercial advantage from the unlawful use of the recordings'.

He added that they were made at a time 'when there were significant ongoing commercial disputes between the parties concerning, among other things, the sale of the Ritz hotel, the financial performance and management of the group, (Amanda Barclay's) continuing financial interests in the group, and Sir Frederick's divorce proceedings'.

Sir Frederick and his daughter Amanda, above, are suing Alistair, Aidan and Howard Barclay, Aidan's son Andrew and Philip Peters

Desmond Browne QC, representing Sir Frederick and Amanda, said: 'We all remember Tolstoy saying 'each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way'.

'Here, the children of Sir Frederick and Sir David have been at odds ... concerning the family trusts, and cousin, sadly, has been pitched against cousin.'

He told Mr Justice Warby: 'It is alleged that the defendants have surreptitiously recorded the conversations of Sir Frederick and his daughter Amanda, both between themselves and with others, over a period of months.'

Mr Rees argued that the recordings allowed the defendants 'to anticipate the claimants' every move in advance, plan their business strategy aroaund that, including knowing what legal advice the claimants were seeking and getting at this crucial time when their business and personal relationships had broken down, and the respective interests of the claimants and the defendants were in conflict.'

Heather Rogers QC, representing all five defendants, accepted that 'the claimants have been recorded without their consent or knowledge,' adding: 'It is correct that the defendants shared some of the transcripts between themselves.

But Ms Rogers said: 'This is not a case in which private information has been obtained and then widely disseminated to the press - it is not that kind of case at all.'

A formal defence to the High Court claim has not yet been filed and a trial is due to take place at a later date.
Prime Minister Scott Morrisons Approval Rating Record High Due to Virus Response

Prime Minister Scott Morrisons management of the CCP virus outbreak response has kept his personal approval rating near a record high, especially as the government now works to revitalise the economy following Australias loss of 600,000 jobs.

According to the latest Newspoll poll conducted on May 17, the Morrison governments ratings are the highest since September 2019.

Morrisons personal approval rating as preferred prime minister dipped two points to 66 percent, but he exceeds Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese 56-29 percent.

The Coalitions primary vote lifted two-points to 43 percent after winning over voters that support Labor, the Greens, and One Nation.

The poll attributed the shift of voters to the Coalitions management of the response to the virus outbreak.

Labors primary vote slid one point to 35 percent, while the Greens fell two points to 10 percent, and One Nation dipped one point to 3 percent.

On a two-party preferred basis, the Coalition leads Labor by 51-49 percent.

The poll comes as campaigning for the Eden-Monaro by-election heats up, with Labor ahead of the Coalition 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent, on a two-party preferred basis, according to an Australian Institute poll of almost 1,000 residents. The economy was considered the biggest issue among local voters.

Voters in the electorate of Eden-Monaro on July 2, 2016 in Canberra, Australia (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

The nationwide support for Morrison mirrors the result of a recent Lowy Institute poll that found 9 out of 10 Australians think the federal government has handled the response to the virus very well or fairly well.

Australians said they were more confident in their local health authorities than the World Health Organisation (WHO), with 49 percent saying they were very confident in the chief medical officer, compared to 18 percent who said they were very confident in the WHO.

The poll also found 59 percent of Australians preferred to receive information on the virus from the prime minister and government officials, compared to 20 percent who used social media.

The prime minister has focused his attention on reviving the economy after virus restrictions are lifted. Chair of the National Coordination Commission Nev Power warned on May 17 that parts of the economy would take longer to recover than others, particularly businesses associated with international travel.

He said the crisis had shown Australia had become very reliant on international supply chains to the detriment of its own industry.

We have an opportunity with a relatively low Australian dollar, disruptive global supply chains, and the low cost of capital to do something about that as we come out of the crisis and to generate a lot of jobs for Australians, he told Sky News on May 17.

We can produce more product here and become more self sufficient, then we dont rely as heavily on international supply chains to support our country and provide that sovereign capability that we need.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

An office with a history of making headlines is once again attracting attention  this time from a crowd of people looking to run it.

Four Democrats are competing to spend the next four years as Bernalillo County treasurer, a field that includes two people who have held the job already, one who previously worked inside the Treasurers Office and a former state legislator.

In her bid for a second term, incumbent Treasurer Nancy Bearce is facing former County Treasurer Patrick Padilla, longtime county employee Donny Daniels and retired educator and former state Sen. Bernadette Sanchez.

There are no Republicans running for the job.

The county treasurer collects and distributes property taxes  over $700 million per year  and manages, with the help of outside advisers, a county investment portfolio worth about $400 million.

Investigations, audits and lawsuits have brought attention to the office.

The state Securities Division and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched investigations under Bearces predecessor, Manny Ortiz.

Bernalillo County commissioners and auditors also blasted the investment strategy in place under Ortiz and Padilla, who was treasurer from 2005 to 2012 and stayed on temporarily as Ortizs investment officer. Critics alleged the office put too much money in long-term investments and left little for immediate needs, forcing a 2014 portfolio restructuring that included selling investments at a $17 million loss to avoid possible additional damage.

Padilla said at the time that the county made $86 million in investment income during his two consecutive terms.

He contends that the sale was an unnecessary and costly mistake and that the county could have earned money by holding off.

He is now pursuing what would be his fifth term as treasurer. He also served two two-year terms from 1989 to 1992, after which he was indicted  but acquitted by a jury on all charges  over allegations of falsifying investment records and misusing public money.

Padilla told the Journal he feels compelled to run again for treasurer because the county is facing immense economic challenges.

Im not done trying to help taxpayers, he said in written answers to Journal questions.

Padilla  who tried to reclaim the office in 2016 and was disqualified from a 2014 state treasurer bid because he didnt collect enough petition signatures  said one of his goals is pushing state lawmakers for a property tax credit for those who live in their homes for more than 15 years.

Padilla, who has previously advocated for restoring independence to the county treasurer, said he also wants to end the countys contract with the outside investment adviser brought on to advise the office and the countys Board of Finance.

This county has a no mindset, he said. My mindset is Lets see how we can get it done. 

Bearce said she has welcomed input from various sources, such as the investment advisory committee, which has members from county government and the public.

She said she believes that since taking office in 2017, she has restored public trust in a position that has frequently drawn criticism. The treasurers website lists the banks and advisers the office is using, the office is routinely passing audits and Bearce works to educate the public about her role, she said.

I really had to, like they say, turn on that light and open the door and let that light in so we could really look at what the Treasurers Office does, and thats been really fun, she said.

Bearce said she has tried to approach tax collection fairly and follow up on delinquent accounts across the spectrum  such as on livestock and business equipment  instead of focusing only on those tied to buildings and land.

There were millions (of dollars) that was sitting there like that, and I thought, Thats not fair. Thats not fair to the people who are paying, and its not fair to the people who arent,  she said.

Although the races two other candidates have not been treasurer before, they say they have applicable experience.

Sanchez, who served in the state Senate from 2001 to -2012, has been responsible for making decisions about public money; as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, she said, she was involved in balancing the states then-$6 billion operating budget.

While in the Legislature, Sanchez sponsored legislation that allowed New Mexicans to choose a monthly property tax prepayment option instead of making the typical larger semiannual payments. She said the option helps people on fixed income.

She said she wants to do more to promote that option and that she would also use the Treasurers Office as a platform to educate the public, including financial literacy classes for high schoolers.

She said she would bring greater transparency to the Treasurers Office and make information more accessible.

I think most of all for the Treasurers Office you want somebody thats ethical and trustworthy and honest, because what youre doing is handling taxpayers money, distributing it and investing it and protecting it, she said.

Daniels would not have to move far if elected. He works for the countys Information Technology Department, but he said he is particularly interested in getting back to the Treasurers Office, where he spent 14 years. He worked his way up from mail processor to taxpayer services manager before taking a different county position in 2009.

He has no professional investment management experience, but he said he brings a customer service background and some technical expertise, because he did the initial configuration for the treasurers cashiering system.

He sees potential efficiencies for the county, he said, such as using the treasurers staff to accept payments for other county departments, such as planning and zoning.

Daniels has never run for public office before but said he decided to seize this opportunity.

Im at the end of my work period; Im getting ready to retire within the next four to five years, and I had some employees and co-workers who have encouraged me over the last few years to run as treasurer, he said. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get back in.
The Government of Liberia (GoL) has begun disbursement of over US$1.2 million to over 2,000 retired employees of 14 state-run entities.

The fund which is branded as handshake package is consistent with the New Social Security Law of 2017 as well as section 60 and 2(d) of the Civil Service Human Resource Policy Manual.

Mama J. Kamara 67, one of the beneficiaries was ecstatic that her 27 years of service to country as a Midwife is being appreciated by the Government of the Republic of Liberia.

I am happy that I worked all these years with passion and professionalism without ethical breach recorded in my file - and today I am being rewarded for dedicated service. This is evident of good governance exhibited by the George Weah led Government", Mama Kamara asserted.

As a Midwife, Mrs. Kamara was employed by the Ministry of Health and subsequently upsurged to the position of County Health Supervisor of Margibi -where she provided antenatal care, family planning counselling & services, and performed normal deliveries of pregnant women. Midwife Kamara is a seasoned sexual reproductive health practitioner.

Mama Kamara expressed that though she appreciates the US$420.00 as handshake package for her outstanding service but what thrilled her most is the recognition on the part of the Liberian Government to look back and say thank you to more than 2,000 of her colleagues that honorably retired.

In a conveyed message, the Liberian Leader His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah extended thanks and appreciation to the retired employees for the many years of dedicated service to the Government and people of Liberia. We are grateful for your indelible contributions to country and wish you all the best in your restful retirement. For those of you that will go on to serve your country in new roles, we also wish you a rewarding experience the President averred.

The payment which varies based on years of service kicked off April 29, 2020 and expected to climax May 2020. Already Margibi and Montserrado counties are nearing completion.

The Civil Service Agency (CSA) noted that the Handshake Payment Team will endeavor to reach all retirees in person as the payments will be accompanied by the signing of their C1 Forms for pension processing with the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP). Therefore, all beneficiaries are advised to make themselves available to receive their payments. NASSCORP is currently processing all C1 Forms received and would like to speed up the completion of the enrollment of this batch of retirees as quickly as possible.

"We count on the cooperation of all involved, particularly Human Resource Directors of the entities from which the retirees are drawn, to ensure that the handshake payment to all the retirees are completed by the middle of May 2020. This is particularly important for the retirees, given the havoc coronavirus pandemic has ensnared", the Civil Service Agency cautioned.
A presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari is rarely seen wearing a face mask, even while receiving guests at the State House.

Onochie, who is Buharis special assistant on social media, said the president was not flouting protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) by not using masks.

She said that expert medical protocols demand that when a person is in his/her domain, theyre not required to wear face masks.

Onochie said it is those visiting Buhari at the State House that are required to put on face masks.

She tweeted on Saturday: President @MBuhari is NOT BREAKING RULES!

Expert Medical Protocol is that if you are in your safe environment, you dont need to wear a mask

Those visiting you MUST wear masks to ensure they leave no droplets in your environment. Wearing of masks is mostly to protect people around us.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has discouraged the routine use of face masks for healthy people.

The global public health agency said it, does not recommend that asymptomatic individuals (i.e., who do not have respiratory symptoms) in the community should wear medical masks, as currently there is no evidence that routine use of medical masks by healthy individuals prevents 2019-nCoV transmission.
- A 54-year-old Ghanaian nurse in the Western Region is reported to have died from the novel coronavirus

- The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives indicates that Sophia Addo worked with Ghana Manganese Company Hospital in Tarkwa Nsuta

- The late nurse had both hypertension and asthma which made her very susceptible to the disease

Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Sophia Addo, a 54-year-old Ghanaian nurse who worked with the Ghana Manganese Company Hospital in Tarkwa Nsuta has been reported dead after contracting the novel coronavirus.

In a statement from the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives sighted by YEN.com.gh, the rather sad incident actually occurred on May 8, 2020.

It is indicated that the woman took ill on May 6, 2020, after which her condition worsened the very next day with signs of COVID-19.

READ ALSO: Video of Kuami Eugene snubbing fans after they begged for attention shows he's a great actor

See the statement below:

Source: UGC

Source: UGC

Everything possible was done to stabilize the richly experienced Ghanaian nurse but on May 8, 2020, she sadly gave up the ghost.

Sophia Addo was said to have been asthmatic and hypertensive, which served as underlying health conditions that made her more vulnerable to the disease.

Ghana Manganese Company Hospital, the hospital where she worked, was where the first two cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the Western Region of Ghana.

READ ALSO: Man in emotional pain after discovering one of his twins isn't his

In another report, a skit of Kuami Eugene starring Comedian Waris, Stonzy and Ohene Yaw Wiafe Anim has shown that the Ghanaian Rockstar musician could actually be a great actor.

In the video, Eugene Kwame Marfo as his real name goes, was in his car with his pals when he was besieged by a group of bypassers he appeared to have nearly hit with his car.

When the near-collision occurred, the group of young men came to the driver's side to complain about the incident only for the glass to be rolled down for them to realize was Kuami Eugene.

Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news!

President Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings till the end of May | #Yencomgh

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Source: YEN.com.gh
(Newser)  You may want to take the blue pill and forget this ever happened. Without any context, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Sunday, "Take the red pill," a reference to The Matrix, the sci-fi film in which people take said red pill if they want to know more about the fake reality they're living in (the blue pill is if you want to remain in blissful ignorance). Then, as people online debated Musk's meaningespecially since the term "red pill" has been appropriated by many in conservative and men's rights circlesa surprise response emerged, from Ivanka Trump, per Variety. "Taken!" the president's daughter enthusiastically replied as she retweeted Musk's original.

story continues below

Then, a second surprise response, this time from Matrix co-creator Lilly Wachowski, who didn't appear happy at the duo's references to her movie. "F--- both of you," she tweeted. Wachowski, who's a transgender woman, followed that initial tweet with one asking for support for the Brave Space Alliance, a trans-led LGBTQ organization in Chicago. Deadline notes that the Trump administration isn't exactly known for its pro-LGBTQ policies, including its ban on transgender people serving in the military. The Hollywood Reporter notes Musk followed his first tweet up with a second Matrix-themed tweet, this one featuring a meme with the character played by Laurence Fishburne asking, "Did you seriously just take both pills? WTF is wrong with you?" Musk's accompanying caption: "When u take DayQuil & NyQuil at same time." (Read more Elon Musk stories.)
A Laois student has been elected as President of the National Student Executive

Reuban Murray, a 6th year student in Mountrath Community School has been elected to the National Student Executive of the Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU). Reuban will serve in the role of President, a mandate which will last for the next year.

Reuban said that he ran for the role because he wants to open up the union.

I want to motivate and mobilise students into realising that they too can lead change. I want to empower students to come together, locally, regionally, nationally even internationally and say 'okay, let's solve this'," Reuban said.

The ISSU is the national representative body for second-level student councils, and has been particularly active and involved in the ongoing talks regarding State Exams in recent weeks.

There are 425 member schools of the ISSU, and student officers aim to represent the students of these schools in all matters regarding education. Reuban will be a part of a team of 12, leading the organisation and its work until summer 2021.

The ISSU Annual Assembly is always an amazing event. With so many candidates, each with strong motivation and drive, the bar has been set high. It goes to show how many students in Ireland want to be part of the ISSU, take action and deliver change.

Over 300 students joined in the online Annual Assembly, which is traditionally held in Liberty Hall, Dublin.

He had a whirlwind campaign and jam-packed few weeks for the union and Reuban is excited about his new role.

The year ahead will be incredible; it may be hard, there will be challenges, but this year I believe we can bring a stronger change for students. I'm excited to see what we will do and how the Student body will rise to meet the challenge. In the oncoming year I'm looking forward to fostering stronger relationships with other educational stake-holders, working to get students involved at our grassroots and undertaking campaigns to work towards a stronger and cohesive education system, where students are recognised as the key stakeholder that we are he said.

Reuban will take up office for his 12-month term in June.
LANSING, MI  Elk have returned to Potter Park Zoo.

Male elk were among the first species to find a home in the early days of the Lansing zoo in 1920. 100 years later, zoo staff is celebrating the return of the historically significant species.

One male elk named Emmett and two females named Sage and Belle arrived at the zoo this spring. When the zoo reopens to the public, the elk will be visible in the exhibit where moose were previously viewed.

Potter Park Zoo planned to acquire orphaned moose from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, but no calves were available in 2019. Meeko, a popular moose at the facility, died from cancer in July 2019.

Elk, the second largest member of the cervidae family (moose are the largest) were chosen as an alternative species because the three-acre exhibit is well suited for their needs. They were acquired from Amber Elk Ranch, a reputable Michigan elk farm.

How to see the magnificent elk of Michigans Big Wild forest

Elk live primarily in western North America and northern Asia. They spend their time in open woodlands, coniferous forests, and open mountainous areas, where they feed on grasses, shrubs, and tree bark.

Elk are known for their many vocalizations, including the bulls signature bugling, which can be heard for miles during fall rut. Male elk can easily be spotted by their antlers, which can extend 4 feet above their head and weigh up to 40 pounds. Antlers are used to attract cows and spar with competitive males.

The elk join Potter Park Zoos nearly 500 animals, which includes critically endangered black rhinos, Amur tigers, endangered red pandas, Massasauga rattlesnake and spider monkeys.

Naming contest for 2 otter pups born at Michigan zoo raises $5,735
One Democratic candidate running to be the states top elections official has raised more than the other two combined, according to campaign finance data.

Sen. Shemia Fagan, a Portland Democrat who entered the secretary of states race less than three months ago, reported raising more than $764,000 as of Monday morning.

Sen. Mark Hass, a Beaverton Democrat who decided to run last summer, reported $393,000 in contributions so far this election cycle. Jamie McLeod-Skinner, a Democrat and former 2nd Congressional District candidate, also announced her candidacy for secretary of state last summer. She reported $311,000 in fundraising as of Monday morning.

Those figures are likely out of date because Oregon law allows candidates to wait 30 days to report contributions and spending during most of the year and seven days in the 42 days before primary and general elections.

The most recent contributions Fagan reported were given to her campaign on May 8 and Hass most recent reported contribution came on May 11. McLeod-Skinner has already reported several contributions that she received on Friday.

So have Fagan and Hass received any large contributions in recent days?

Fagans campaign manager Autumn Carter declined to disclose any, writing in an email that people who want to know can keep an eye on the states campaign finance database to see when she reports new information.

Hass campaign told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he received a $10,000 contribution Friday from Erika Miller of Lake Oswego.

Oregon has long operated with no limits on political money, although the state Supreme Court recently reversed decades of precedent and ruled that such caps do not violate the state Constitution. However, the current Secretary of State Bev Clarno said that contribution limits voters approved in 2006 are not in effect; she cited a verbal opinion from lawyers in the administration of Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Fagan has only reported spending around $440,000, with $246,000 on broadcast ads and roughly $102,000 spent on social media and other online ads, according to state campaign finance records.

Fagan was able to raise so much cash in a tight time frame because she locked down support from the states powerful public employee unions, which poured money into her campaign. The percentage of Fagans fundraising from public employee unions has hovered around 80 percent, and shes also received significant support from private sector unions. Hass was endorsed by the Joint Council of Teamsters No. 37.

In the Republican primary, Sen. Kim Thatcher of Keizer does not face any serious challenger.

 Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | @hborrud

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI  Police are investigating the death of a Michigan tattoo artist in Clinton Township.

The Clinton Township Police Department says Jari Jua Jaafar, 42, was found dead with a gunshot wound in his apartment on Hickory Lane south of Joy Boulevard at 1:57 a.m. on May 16.

Jaafar operated a tattoo business out of the apartment, which was unlocked and smelled like gunpower when police arrived. Police believe there are potential witnesses who were in the apartment who fled right after the shooting.

There are no suspects in custody. Clinton Township police are hoping to talk with witnesses. Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact Det. Jay Anderson by calling 586-493-7854, Det. Karl Simon at 586-493-7886 or the main line at 586-493-7840.

Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (800-773-2587).
Bengaluru, May 18 : Ninety-nine new Covid-19 cases, majority of them with travel history to Mumbai, emerged in Karnataka, marking the highest single day rise taking the state's tally to 1,246, said an official said here on Monday.

In addition to 58 patients who visited Mumbai, two each had travelled to Solapur and Raigad and three others to Pune in Maharashtra. Total cases with the Maharashtra contact were 64 out of 99. Of all the cases, 65 were men and 34 women.

Of the 1,246 cases, 678 were active, 530 got discharged and 37 died from Covid-19 while 12 patients are in ICU.

Nowadays, Karnataka is regularly posting the highest single-day rises, beating earlier maximums. On Monday, cases spiked in Raichur, Bengaluru Urban, Gadag, Yadagiri, Uttara Kannada, Kalaburagi and Mandya.

Until Sunday, Raichur was a green zone without a case.

Among the new cases, Bengaluru Urban contributed 24, Mandya (17), Kalaburagi (10), Uttar]a Kannada (9), Raichuru and Yadagiri (6 each), Vijayapura and Gadag (5 each), Hassan (4), Koppal (3), Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada (2 each) and Ballari, Bidar, Kodagu, Udupi, Mysuru and Davangre (1 each).

Except three patients from Benglauru Urban with travel history to Dabaspete in Nelamangla, Chennai and Vellore in Tamil Nadu, and five cases from a containment zone all others were secondary contacts of 653rd case.

All Mandya, Hassan, Udupi, nine Kalaburagi cases, Vijayapura, Uttara Kannada, two Koppal cases, one Belagavi case and seven Raichuru cases had travel history to Mumbai.

A 20-year-old man from Raichuru had travelled to Solapur. A 30-year-old man from Dakshina Kannada had travel history to Raigadh.

Of the Gadag cases, two were contacts of 913th case, two emerged from the Gadag containment zone and one had a travel history to Chennai. A 25-year-old man from Koppal had inter-state travel history to Chennai.

A 23-year-old man from Belagavi was secondary contact of 575th case.

The lone Ballari case, a 61-year-old man, and another 55-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada were also suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). Only 29 of the 84 cases were contacts of earlier cases.

Meanwhile, green zones in Karnataka have diminished to just three -- Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara and Chamarajanagar. In the past 24 hours, Kodagu, Mysuru, Raichur and Koppal lost their green zone status with new cases.

Five top cities in Karnataka with respect to active cases are Bengaluru Urban with 110, Davangere (84), Mandya (68), Kalaburagi (54) and Belagavi (53).

Of the 37 deaths, Bengaluru Urban and Kalaburagi accounted for seven each, Dakshina Kannada (5) and Davangere (4), while the remaining were reported from other districts.

Among the 1,246 cases, 11 per cent patients were senior citizens, 65 per cent men and 35 per cent women with a discharge rate of 43 per cent.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)




Haiti - FLASH : Almost 100 new cases in 24 hours





The Ministry of Public Health informs that 98 new cases have been confirmed, for a total of 456 cases in Haiti (19.7% women and 60.3% men) since the first case (March 19, 2020) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html . This is the largest number of cases recorded in 24 hours since the first case in Haiti.



2 new healings have been reported bringing the total to 21.



The number of active cases in Haiti (excluding death and recovery) now stands at 415 cases (+ 30.0%) or +96 since the last report from the Ministry https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30797-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-may-17-2020.html



Number of suspected cases followed : 1,893 cases (+ 9.23%) or +160 (the day before +64) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30791-haiti-flash-more-than-35-of-new-cases-in-24-hours-in-port-au-prince.html



People hospitalized 253 (+ 6.0%) or +7 (the day before: +14) and 1,257 (+ 3.43%) in quarantine at home +171 (the day before: + 36)



All the details in our daily report of 11:00 am



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30797-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-may-17-2020.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30791-haiti-flash-more-than-35-of-new-cases-in-24-hours-in-port-au-prince.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Belgium Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes received a cold reception from the medical staff at Saint Peter hospital in Brussels during her official visit to the hospital. A video of the medics turning their back to the convoy has gone viral online.

Twitter/@Ozkok_A

Doctors and nurses at Saint-Pierre hospital turned their backs in protest against the government's approach to healthcare amid the pandemic.

Protest against Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, hospital St. Pierre in Brussels, tweeted a journalist while sharing a video of the incident. According to a Brussels Times report, the cold reception was in response to the governments approach towards the medical health care workers amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

#BELGIUM - Protest against the Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, hospital St. Pierre in Brussels.#coronavirus pic.twitter.com/fFsfgtfHKd  Ali Ozkok (@Ozkok_A) May 16, 2020





Their main complaint was against under-resourcing and official decrees that could force them back to work, Belgian media reported.

Reports state that 100 people, including nurses, doctors, logistical helpers as well as cleaning and administrative staff, staged the silent protests dubbed as the guard of dishonor.



They were also disappointed with reported budget cuts and low salaries, and miffed by the government trying to recruit unqualified staff to provide support to nursing personnel instead of hiring trained professionals, the report stated.



Source/Digi24

Prime Minister Wilmes later took to Twitter and spoke about her visit to Saint-Pierre hospital saying health situation, personal protection, mental load as well as healthcare funding, adding that no subject was excluded.



Les visites des hopitaux Chirec-Delta et Saint-Pierre furent un moment de rencontres, dialogue important pour personnel soignant comme pour moi. Situation sanitaire, protections, charge mentale, valorisation du metier, financement des soins de sante, aucun sujet na ete ecarte. pic.twitter.com/8uJAuhn99V  Sophie Wilmes (@Sophie_Wilmes) May 16, 2020

Some government officials slammed the hospital staff for the protest, the Belgium Minister of Energy Marie-Christine Marghem called it a politicised protest.

According to a Brussels Times report, Federal Minister Marie-Christine Marghem wrote on a since deleted Facebook post, Some of the hospital staff evidently wished to ruin the sympathy and admiration built up over the past few months with ridiculous actions  like children who have not had what they wanted  that reflect a politicised trade union opposition guided by the left, which has had to be silent until now but aims to exploit this crisis as much as possible, the minister wrote in her post which, however, was no longer visible by midday.



The nation of 12 million has the highest mortality rate among confirmed cases, at 16.4 per cent. And it has the most deaths in terms of its population: 78 deaths per 100,000 people, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University.


WE FLEW THROUGH the thin, light-suffused mist of a December afternoon in north India before landing among open fields outside the paramount site of Hindu pilgrimage: Varanasi, a temple town that curls around the Ganges, the equivalent of Rome or Jerusalem in the Hindu imagination. But the pilgrims on my flight from South Korea had an altogether different purpose. It was here, scarcely 15 miles from the airport, among fields now yellow with mustard flowers, that a renunciant prince had, upon gaining enlightenment some 25 centuries ago, given his first sermon, setting what Buddhists call the Wheel of Dharma into motion. At a deer park once called Isipatana, now Sarnath, a 35-year-old Gautama Buddha, hardly older than Christ when he climbed the hill of Calvary, revealed the eightfold path to liberation from suffering, his four noble truths and the doctrine of the impermanence of everything, including the Self. It was to the remains of the monastery and shrine at Sarnath that the pilgrims from East and Southeast Asia came, as pilgrims had for well over 1,500 years, along a subsidiary branch of the Great Silk Road, which ran through the high snowy mountains that girdle the Indian subcontinent into a riverine plain that stretches across what is today Pakistan and north India. The pilgrims took an exit off that highway of goods and ideas that ran from China to Rome in order to honor what may well have been the most influential doctrine to travel along its lines of transmission  the word of the Buddha, and the art made in his name.
Each June, the next generation of investment bankers, research analysts and fund managers from across the world flock to Hong Kong for on-the-job training that could lead to highly lucrative roles at some of the biggest investment banks globally.

But, the coronavirus pandemic " and the need for people to continue to social distance from each other " has forced the world's banks to shake up the well-honed structures of their internship programmes and dramatically curtail the amount of face time university students and postgraduates have with top bankers.

The length of the programmes at several global banks in Hong Kong have been cut in half and are expected to be delayed until late June, or early July. Interns will also not be grabbing lunches for trading desks, or soaking up small talk around the water cooler this year, as most banks are taking their entire programmes online.

One solace for aspiring future finance executives " most will be paid for the full 10 weeks the programmes normally run, and Citigroup, for one, has promised full-time jobs when they graduate.

"Having this promise definitely makes me feel more secure. It gives me a sense of certainty," said Elly Leung, a 21-year-old double major in business administration and law at the University of Hong Kong and soon-to-be intern with Citigroup's corporate bank. "It's certainty in these uncertain times."

The coronavirus, which causes the Covid-19 disease, has infected more than 4.6 million people and forced businesses to temporarily close offices and stores and limit contact between teams of employees to help stem the spread.

At Citigroup, the American bank has accepted 1,500 interns to its summer programme globally this year, with 130 of them in the Hong Kong programme.

But, none will be in the lender's offices worldwide.

Like many of its banking rivals, Citi's summer programme will start on July 6, nearly a month later than normal, and only last for five weeks. The bank plans to pay its summer interns for the full 10 weeks the programme normally runs for, and to offer full-time positions to all of its interns in Hong Kong, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo, if they complete the minimum requirements of the programme " a first for the bank.

Story continues

Last year, only about 70 per cent of Citi's interns received offers to return after completing their education, but the rate of those receiving job offers can vary by year, or line of business.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and UBS have also committed to paying their interns for the full period despite shortening their programmes this year.

"What will be missing " and we are trying very hard to think of new tricks and new ways to do it " is the networking part, the get to know each other part of it," Ng said. "[The summer interns] get together after work and have a drink. They have access to different senior colleagues. We want to give them that opportunity, but we have to think about how to do it virtually."

The bank has made it possible for 90 per cent of its staff to work remotely during the pandemic and will apply those lessons to its internship programme, Ng said. That has ranged from virtual road shows for initial public offerings to team-building exercises such as virtual happy hours internally, she said.

Christy So, a 20-year-old global business major at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said she has been communicating with friends and classmates through the video conferencing app Zoom, after the pandemic disrupted classes and cut short her exchange programme at the University of Southern California this spring.

"Even before this Covid-19 new reality happened, in school, we had projects working with universities from America. We were having these virtual meetings already," So, who will intern in Citi's investment bank this summer, said. "For work, I believe this kind of mindset, this [comfort level] can be easily transferred."

Citi is not the only bank going virtual this year. Other banks in Asia, including Goldman Sachs and UBS, are working on plans for interns to work remotely, or engage in virtual gatherings depending on their location, as travel restrictions for non-residents remain in place in Hong Kong, and some cities, such as Singapore, remain under lockdown because of health concerns.

HSBC said it will continue its internship programme in Hong Kong across different business lines between late June and August. "Currently, we are looking at all options in terms of formats, which can include a combination of virtual and in-office interactions," a HSBC spokeswoman said.

Deutsche Bank, which has shortened its programme to four weeks, plans to host all of its interns in Asia virtually this summer.

At JPMorgan Chase, the bank has already moved several of its in-person student programmes, such as its Sophomore Edge and Financial Services Institute for under-represented portions of the population in financial services, to virtual settings amid the pandemic.

Ryan Holsheimer, JPMorgan's head of cash equities and equity distribution for Asia-Pacific, said the bank had about 300 students in its shortened, fully virtual summer programme in Asia this year.

"One of the most significant parts of our role is to help identify the next wave of talent, the next group of young people to come in and join the business to take us forward," Holsheimer said. "No matter the challenges, we're very determined to not only run the internship really well, [but] to ensure it is a great experience for the kids and that it's a great experience for my colleagues as well."

In addition to virtual meetings with their teams, the interns have the opportunity to engage in online networking and well-being sessions, such as the company's popular flexing and stretching programme, Holsheimer said. The change will allow interns from Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo to interact more than they would in the past, he said.

"You miss a little bit from [not] doing it in person, but what you gain is people are interacting with a broader group across geographies," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Iranian-French Academic Fariba Adelkhah Sentenced To Six Years In Prison In Iran

05/18/20

By RFE/RL

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.



Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah (file photo)

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 Tehran's 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.



Free Fariba Support video

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
It is alarming to see news reports that your action may have been in response to Inspector General Linick nearing completion of an investigation into the approval of billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, she said in the letter.
Shopping centre operator Intu has warned that it could default on its debt payments at the end of June due to the coronavirus pandemic causing severe damage to its rental income.

The Trafford Centre owner said the virus had created 'significant market uncertainty' on their operations with the ability to obtain rent payments severely curtailed along with an inability to sell any of their British shopping centres.

It is now asking lenders to arrange some standstill agreements, which would halt testing and repayments of its debt facilities until no later than December 2021.

Before Covid-19, Intu had debts of 4.6billion. It lost 2billion alone in 2019

Intu said this would 'provide a stable environment' for them until the time markets begin to recover, though they admit there is 'no certainty' about whether standstill agreements can be reached.

The real estate investment trust was already severely struggling before the government imposed lockdown measures in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Its debts amounted to 4.6billion; it lost 2billion alone in 2019, and an attempted 1.3billion equity raise from investors failed to materialise, which the company blamed on 'extreme' market conditions.

Earlier this month, Intu secured debt waivers until June 26 but said it still expects to breach its debt commitments by this deadline.

Analysts at broker Peel Hunt argued that the company could gain a standstill agreement, though not necessarily on all the terms it desires.

They wrote: 'Whilst the banks may well agree to such terms, partly in order to be seen helping companies through the Covid-19 crisis, we believe they might push for a shorter standstill agreement.

Intu owns the Trafford Centre, seen here virtually deserted in late-March

'There is also no guarantee that bondholders, some of whom are reportedly distressed debt hedge funds, will agree.'

Like other shopping centre owners, Intu had suffered for years from declining footfall and the growing popularity of online retailers and out-of-town retail parks.

Brexit uncertainty and rising business rates costs have also been identified as significant causes for the rising problems affecting shopping centres and high street chains.

Analysts recently predicted that Hammerson, which owns Birmingham's Bullring Centre, could ask investors for up to half a billion pounds in cash to help see it through the coronavirus crisis.

This came after an attempt to sell seven retail parks for 400million to the Orion European Real Estate fund faltered after the private equity firm pulled out. Hammerson did walk away with a 21million bidder deposit though.

Intu, by contrast, successfully offloaded its three Spanish outlets: intu Asturias in Oviedo, intu Xanadu in Madrid, and Puerto Venecia in Zaragoza, the latter of which was finalised last week in a deal worth 405million.

'We are pleased to have successfully concluded this transaction which is another important step in our ultimate strategic objective to fix the balance sheet over the medium term,' Intu stated on Wednesday.

Shares in Intu were down 0.8 per cent by midday at 4.30p following the update.
CHICAGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brennan Investment Group, a private real estate investment firm that acquires, develops, and operates industrial real estate facilities throughout the United States has announced its corporate real estate initiative, under the Corporate Real Estate Solutions (CRES) brand. Under CRES, Brennan will help companies improve supply chain efficiency by purchasing surplus industrial real estate, providing customized build-to-suits, and entering into both long- and short-term sale leasebacks. With a nationwide portfolio of 44 million square feet and nine offices, Brennan's national platform is uniquely positioned to provide integrated industrial solutions for Corporate America.

"Corporations, not investors, own the majority of our nation's industrial land and buildings," remarked Michael Brennan, Chairman and Co-Founder of Brennan Investment Group. "Further, more than at any time in history, supply chain designs are rapidly evolving with the goal of minimizing disruptions. Whether caused by port-of-call labor disputes, geopolitical uncertainties, or supply disruptions from pandemics, Corporate America has begun a supply chain reconfiguration process that will require a decade to complete. Brennan will offer its platform, its capital, and its expertise to rebuild the backbone of our nation's industrial infrastructure."

Beyond geopolitics or pandemics, advances in technology have also accelerated supply chain reconfigurations. "For years, the United States lost much of its manufacturing base to low cost labor countries," observed Brennan, "but technology, such as robotics, removed the comparative advantage of cheap labor, allowing companies to repatriate back to U.S. shores. The technology catalysts that drove e-commerce will do the same for the manufacturing sector."

Brennan's CRES initiative will continue to serve the traditional needs of corporations, including sale leasebacks. Through its single-tenant net lease division, Brennan has acquired over 20 million square feet of mission critical buildings. Robert Vanecko, Managing Principal and head of Brennan's single-tenant net lease division observed, "the desire to be 'asset light' is a key driver. This liberates new capital for our tenant and also increases the value of the tenant's operating business. The presence of private equity firms purchasing operating companies has accelerated the 'asset light' operating model."

Organized to provide customized solutions, CRES will undertake both single transactions and multi-property, multi-location portfolio acquisitions. "The essence of CRES is quite simple: to help corporations. If that means purchasing a single surplus asset, we'll do it. If it's a build-to-suit, an expansion of an existing facility, a portfolio of assets, or any combination of that, we'll do it. We want to say 'yes' as often as we can," explained Scott McKibben, Brennan's Chief Investment Officer and Managing Principal. The criteria for the new CRES program is as follows:

Size: $3 million up to $500 million

up to Locations: Top 100 MSA's

Property Types: distribution, manufacturing, light industrial, R and D

Transaction Types: surplus assets, long- and short-term sale leasebacks, build-to-suits, expansions, single assets or portfolios

Credit: investment grade or non-investment grade

"Our CRES program is well suited for this environment," commented McKibben. "Its broad reach can help both large and smaller corporations, in up to 100 MSA's, with an ability to undertake the simplest to the most complex transactions."

About Brennan Investment Group

Brennan Investment Group, a Chicago-based private real estate investment firm, acquires, develops, and operates industrial properties in select major metropolitan markets throughout the United States. Since 2010, Brennan Investment Group has acquired over $4 billion in industrial real estate. The company's current portfolio spans 29 states and encompasses 44 million square feet.

Brennan Investment Group co-invests with private and institutional capital to achieve outstanding risk-adjusted returns. The firm's management team is among the most accomplished in its industry, having invested in over 4,000 properties covering more than 60 cities throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

For more information on Brennan Investment Group, go to brennanllc.com

Contact:

Anna Mandarino

(847) 443-2716

[email protected]

SOURCE Brennan Investment Group

Related Links

http://brennanllc.com


Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who along with his mother and two other family members reached his ancestral house in Budhana in western Uttar Pradeshs (UP) Muzaffarnagar district on Friday afternoon, has said he that travelled to his hometown, as his mother wasnt keeping well.

The actor said he took necessary permission from the authorities in Maharashtra before driving down to Budhana and also followed all lockdown restrictions enforced by the UP government.

The actors mother Mehrunnisha, younger brother Fayazuddin, and the latters wife Saba came back with him from Mumbai.

Dr Praveen Chopra, chief medical officer (CMO), Muzaffarnagar, said they collected swab samples of the actor and three of his family members upon their arrival from Mumbai on Friday and sent for tests.

The report that was made available to us on Sunday. The results showed that all four tested negative. However, theyve been placed under home quarantine for 14 days, as a precautionary measure, the CMO added.

Officials in the actors hometown were concerned as Maharashtra, and particularly Mumbai, has emerged as Covid-19 hotspot.

My mother, who is 71, suffered a panic attack twice because of the recent loss of our younger sister. We have followed all the state governments guidelines. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana. Please #StaySafe #StayHome, the 45-year-old actor tweeted on Monday.

Ayazuddin, one of his younger brothers, said the actor decided to travel home because he could not visit Budhana when their younger sister, Syama Tamshi Siddiqui, died of cancer last year due to prior work commitment.

He also clarified that the family would not celebrate Eid this year because of the younger sisters death.

Muslims dont celebrate festivals at least for a year after a death in a family. But my elder brothers presence was essential and he fulfilled his responsibility towards the family, said Ayazuddin.

His fans have not been able to throng to his ancestral residence, as they are still unaware of his visit amid the lockdown restrictions. Ayazuddin said that he, too, has not met his elderr brother for the last two days.
Will Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman really die in 'Death of the Justice League'?

Are the world's most iconic superheroes really going to die in 'Death of the Justice League'? Depends on how you mean
A 30-year-old woman and her two minor daughters were killed by her sister-in-law following a dispute over their ancestral land in the district, police said on Monday.

Asha Tyagi and her daughters Pari, 5, and Ananya, 3, were first served poisoned milk and then smothered on Sunday, the police said.

The incident was reported to police by Asha's husband Rameshwer. He alleged that her elder sister Geeta, her son Vikrant and daughter Priyanka killed his wife and daughters, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said.

The bodies had strangulation marks, the SSP said, adding that the police have recovered a steal utensil in which milk was boiled and tablet of sulfas from the victims' room.

Vikrant has been arrested, while her mother and sister are at large, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After decades of non-stop fighting, which has forced thousands of innocent residents to flee El Salvador, the Central American nation's deadliest gangs are now learning how to coexist in prison.

The shocking news comes after President Nayib Bukele was slammed in late April when photos were presented to the press that showed inmates at one prison kneeling next to each other in a yard dressed only in their underwear.

The move came after El Salvador experienced four days of gang violence which contributed to 85 homicides, which were attributed to the leaders of the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs.

Ariel Alexander Avila Gomez, a member of the Barrio 18 Surenos, told Noticias Telemundo that his group has gotten used to coexisting with jailed members of the MS-13 inside the cells that that now have to share

Notorious rival gang members find a way to coexist inside an overpopulated cell at the Centro Barrios prison in San Salvador, El Salvador. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele cracked down on prisons where gang leaders reportedly transmitted murder hits to members in the outside world

MS-13 and Barrio 18 gang members share a prison cell at a jail in El Salvador

Prison officials were pressed into action by remodeling the cells, tacking a metal sheet onto the cell gates, thus blocking the inmates from communicating by hand signals with other jailed leaders.

As a result, no fights, injuries and killings related to the gangs have been reported over the first two full weeks that followed after the government stepped up its preventive, but criticized, measure, at six prisons.

Barrio-18 Surenos member Ariel Alexander Avila Gomez told Noticias Telemundo that the rival gangs had no other choice but to learn how to live with its archival.

'Now we are already living together with the Letters [MS-13] comrades, right?' said Avila Gomez from the Ciudad Barrios prison in San Salvador.

Human rights groups bashed El Salvador President Nayib Bukele after his prison officials started grouping rival gang members in the same jail cells

A prison guard shuts down a jail cell door that as late April has been covered with a metal sheet to prevent gang members from relaying signs to other fellow members in other cells who could then transmit them to members on the outside

'It's something we may never have thought about long ago, right? But we have been clicking together,' he added.

Avila Gomez is one of 44 Barrio Surenos members who share a cell - which has a capacity of 30 people - with 46 members of the vicious MS-13 organization.

All of the cells are represented by two gang members, according to Telemundo.

'We are trying to live together ...' said Francisco Arturo Quintero, who represents the MS-13 in the cell that is shared with Avila Gomez's gang.

'We did not expect this. It has been a surprise for us to be here, but we have coordinated between both gangs so that everything goes well.'
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Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand children returned to lesson on Monday as schools around the world continue to reopen as coronavirus lockdowns ease.

Excited youngsters greeted classmates for the first time in eight weeks in cities such as Wellington and Auckland after parents dropped them off at 'kiss and go zones' at the gate as part of strict social distancing measures.

Schools in Austria, Belgium and Portugal also reopened their doors for the first time in weeks on Monday, while more children were allowed to return to lessons in Greece.

Lessons have already resumed for pupils in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Australia, parts of Canada and China as the global spread of disease slowed.

Schools have remained open throughout the pandemic in places such as Iceland and Sweden.

But Spain, Italy and the UK are taking a more cautious approach - with a majority of children unlikely to see the inside of a classroom before September, amid warnings their education will be permanently damaged.

NEW ZEALAND: School reopened on Monday as coronavirus lockdown measures eased across the country - though parents were banned from coming on to school grounds and told to 'kiss and go' at the gate instead (pictured)

NEW ZEALAND: A mother says goodbye to her daughter at the gate of a school in Auckland after parents were forbidden from walking their children to class as part of coronavirus social distancing measures

BELGIUM: Teenagers raise their hands to a teacher wearing a protective mask after the re-opening of the Institut Saint Boniface Parnasse highschool in Brussels

AUSTRIA: A pupil in a protective face mask watches his class mate washing her hands at an elementary school in Brunn am Gebirge after the government loosened its coronavirus lockdown

Where lessons have resumed, pupils have been taught about social distancing in order to slow the spread of the virus, with class sizes cut in half and teachers using sports stadiums and parks for lessons to maintain distancing.

Parents have also been barred from entering schools grounds - told to wave goodbye to their children at the gate and leave quickly to avoid crowds forming.

Here is how countries have been getting youngsters back into classes throughout the world...

NEW ZEALAND

Education Minister Chris Hipkins encouraged pupils to return to classrooms on Monday as schools reopened after the country dropped down to 'Level 2' of its coronavirus alert system.

'Our message is it's safe to send kids back to school, we want kids back at school and catching up with any learning that they've lost during the lockdown,' he told reporters.

He cautioned that a return to a noisy, bustling environment would be a 'culture shock' after a challenging period for both children and parents - but insisted it was the right thing to do.

Hundreds of thousands of children in New Zealand have been home-schooled since March 24, the first full day of the country's coronavirus lockdown, but have now been allowed to return to the classroom as measures eased

Parents across New Zealand have been encouraged to send their children back to school by ministers in order to catch up on lost lesson time during the pandemic (pictured, a mother walks her daughter to school in Wellington)

Teachers attach a 'welcome back' banner to school gates in Auckland, New Zealand, as classes resumed on Monday

New Zealand, with a population of five million, has recorded 1,149 coronavirus cases and just 21 deaths, with its success largely attributed to a strict lockdown imposed in late March.

Most domestic lockdown restrictions ended last Thursday but schools were given extra time because of the difficulty in implementing health protocols among the very young.

That has translated into a poll boost for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, with new data revealing that she is now the country's most popular leader for a century - with an election due to take place in September this year.

Poll data gathered by the NZ Herald showed 59.5 per cent of people want her to continue as leader, up a huge 20.8 points since the last poll was conducted in February - as coronavirus was spreading but before the country went into lockdown.

Instead of escorting their children to class, parents dropped them at 'kiss and go' zones, while early childhood centres recorded personal details needed for contact tracing.

Pupils' first lessons after getting back into the classroom were on social distancing and hand washing as teachers attempt to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections

A teacher instructs one of her students about the importance of using hand sanitizer at a school in Auckland on Monday

BELGIUM

Belgium took the next step in its relaxation of the country's coronavirus lockdown on Monday, with more students going to school, and markets and museums reopening.

Schools were permitted to go through a dry run on Friday, but primary and secondary classes resumed for real Monday with a limited amount of pupils to make sure social distancing was fully respected.

In many cases, though, distance learning on laptops remained the order of the day.

A teacher wearing a protective mask calls to students at the re-opening of Institut Saint Boniface Parnasse highschool in Ixelles, Belgium this morning

Students and teachers wearing protective face masks stand on social distancing marks outside a francophone primary school during its reopening in Jumet, as a small part of Belgian children head back to their schools today

Teenagers listen to a teacher wearing a protective mask after the re-opening of the Institut Saint Boniface Parnasse highschool in Ixelles this morning

Barbers can also resume work, even though Monday used to be their traditional day off. Both barber and client will have to wear protective masks.

Hoping to make the most of the sunny weather, open-air markets can start selling the plentiful spring fruits and vegetables.

And zoo animals, bereft of visitors since March, will have eyes on them again as parks can reopen. Museums will reopen as well and, like zoos, will have a strict reservation system to avoid overcrowding.

AUSTRIA

A majority of Austrian schoolchildren returned to their classrooms on Monday, after pupils facing exams returned to classrooms early on May 4.

Most classes will be split in half with some children being taught Monday to Wednesday, and the rest taught Thursday and Friday. The classes will then swap around each week.

Austria acted early in its outbreak to shut schools, bars, restaurants, non-essential shops and other gathering places more than a month ago. The public has been told to stay at home and work from there if possible.

The country has reported 16,296 cases of the virus and 629 deaths, with the rate of infection slowing in recent weeks which has led to calls for the reopening.

It has already reopened DIY and garden centers as well as smaller shops, along with cafes and restaurants.

Children wearing protective face masks walk along a corridor in a primary school in Brunn am Gebirge, Austria, this morning as the country's schools reopen for pupils aged roughly six to 14

Back to work: Children wearing protective face masks sit in a classroom at a school in Brunn am Gebirge, Austria

A majority of Austrian schoolchildren returned to their classrooms on Monday, after pupils facing exams returned to classrooms early on May 4

Most classes will be split in half with some children being taught Monday to Wednesday, and the rest taught Thursday and Friday. The classes will then swap around each week. This was the scene at a school in Brunn am Gebirge this morning

GREECE

Greece reopened the Acropolis in Athens and other ancient sites Monday, along with high schools, shopping malls and mainland travel in the latest round of easing pandemic restrictions imposed in late March.

Paving stickers were used as markers to keep visitors apart outside the Acropolis, while students were placed on rotation with online teaching to keep classes below 50% capacity.

Public compliance with strict lockdown measures helped keep the COVID-19 death toll to 166 while the total number of confirmed cases stood at 2,834 on Sunday.

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis enters a classroom during his visit to a secondary school in Athens this morning. Greece reopened the Acropolis in Athens and other ancient sites Monday, along with high schools, shopping malls, and mainland travel in the latest round of easing pandemic restrictions imposed in late March

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks with a pupil during his visit to a secondary school in Athens

But authorities are keen to reopen the vital tourism sector, following a warning by the EU Commission that Greece is likely to suffer the worst recession in the bloc this year.

Public beaches reopened over the weekend amid heatwave temperatures, with strict distancing rules imposed by the government, but crowding did occur on buses from Athens to the nearby coast.

Travel to the Greek islands remains broadly restricted.

PORTUGAL

High schools and nurseries were allowed to reopen on Monday along with restaurant, bar and cafe terraces as the country continues to relax its coronavirus lockdown.

It comes as Portugal transitioned to its second phase of scaling back confinement measures following the positive government assessment of the evolution of its COVID-19 outbreak.

The first stage of the reopening process began with small shops and businesses such as hairdressers last month.

Students wearing protective face masks sit in a classroom at D. Pedro V High School this morning, as grade 11 and 12 high school students return to schools under strict restrictions, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Lisbon, Portugal

High schools and nurseries were allowed to reopen on Monday along with restaurant, bar and cafe terraces as the country continues to relax its coronavirus lockdown. Pictured: Students in Lisbon use hand sanitizer this morning

As with other European countries, the reopening is contingent on social distancing measures remaining in place.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa also unveiled the plan for the reopening of beaches on June 6. Social distancing restrictions will have to be in place, with a maximum capacity for each beach.

The government announced that citizens will be able to check online or via a mobile phone application the current capacity of each beach.

FRANCE

Children continued returning to schools on Monday as middle schools in regions with low virus transmission rates were allowed to return to classes.

It comes after nurseries and kindergartens were allowed to reopen last week with social distancing in place after the spread of coronavirus slowed.

Class sizes have been capped at 15 pupils in middle schools and 10 students in younger classes, with teachers told to prioritise learning for children ages 5, 6 and 10.

However, school attendance is not yet compulsory meaning only around a third of pupils in permitted age groups have returned to classes. The remainder continue to be schooled at home.

Schoolchildren wearing protective mouth masks and face shields attend a course in their classroom at Claude Debussy college in Angers, western France, this morning

French children continued returning to schools on Monday (pictured) as middle schools in regions with low virus transmission rates were allowed to return to classes

This was the scene in the French city of Angers this morning as schoolchildren and teachers wore wearing protective face masks and queued to enter Claude Debussy college

A teacher checks the body temperature of a schoolgirl wearing a protective face mask before entering Claude Debussy college in Angers, western France, this morning

Just one week after a third of French schoolchildren went back to school in an easing ofthe coronavirus lockdown, there's been a worrying flareup of about 70 COVID-19 cases linked to schools.

Eight school close in one French city Eight schools have been closed in one city in northern France after a child tested positive for coronavirus. Seven public schools and one private institution were shuttered in the city of Roubaix, on the Belgian border, on Monday morning. It comes after a child in a reception class - which went back to school last week - was confirmed to be carrying the virus. The schools were closed 'as a precaution' while investigators try to determine who the child has been in contact with, local officials said. Authorities said that most of the affected schools will be able to reopen by May 25. Advertisement

Some schools were opened last week and a further 150,000 junior high students went back to the classroom Monday as further restrictions were loosened by the government.

The move initially spelled relief: the end of homeschooling for many hundreds of thousands of exhausted French parents, many whom were also working from home.

But French Education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer sounded the alarm Monday, telling French radio RTL that the return has put some children in new danger of contamination.

He said the affected schools are being closed immediately. French media reported that seven schools in northern France were closed.

The situation highlights the precarious situation the French government is finding itself in as it seeks both to reassure the public that the country is moving forward past coronavirus and to react prudently to safeguard public health.

Blanquer did not specify if the 70 cases of COVID-19 were among students or teachers.

Given that the incubation period for the virus is several days, people are 'likely' to have been infected before the reopening of the schools, he said.

France reopened about 40,000 preschools and primary schools last week, with classes capped at 15 students.

RUSSIA

Some classes have resumed for pupil's in Russia's far east despite the country now having one of the fastest-growing infection rates of any country.

Moscow health officials said 77 people with coronavirus have died in the city in the past 24 hours, the highest daily number for the Russian capital so far.

Some classes have resumed for pupil's in Russia's far east today (pictured) despite the country now having one of the fastest-growing infection rates of any country

11th grade students attend a Social Sciences class at a Russian high school today. The students are required to keep social distancing and wear face masks and gloves

Moscow health officials said 77 people with coronavirus have died in the city in the past 24 hours, the highest daily number for the Russian capital so far. Pictured a student wearing a face mask during a school break

With a total of more than 146,000 confirmed infections and 1,580 deaths, Russia's capital currently accounts for more than half of the country's virus cases and 58% of all reported deaths.

Russia's caseload surpassed 290,000 on Monday, with the death toll exceeding 2,700. The country's comparatively low death rate has raised questions in the West, with experts suggesting Russia may be under-reporting deaths.

Russian officials vehemently deny these allegations and attribute the relatively low number of Covid-19 deaths to measures the country has taken to curb the spread of the virus.

DENMARK

Upper school classes resumed on Monday as the country continued to relax its lockdown measures, including allowing cafes and restaurants to reopen their outdoor seating areas.

It comes after some pupils were allowed to return to lessons last month with social distancing. Denmark has encouraged teachers to use outdoor spaces like stadiums and parks to reduce the risk of infection.

Children were pictured taking part in lessons at Telia Parken, one of Denmark's main football stadiums in Copenhagen, as more classes got underway on Monday.

Teachers sing a song as part of a morning ritual as pupils return to school but not necessarily to their classrooms in Denmark. This lesson is taking place in Telia Parken, Copenhagen's main football stadium, to reduce the risk of infection

Children attend a class held in the high class tribune at the Telia Parken stadium in order to keep social distancing as more pupils are allowed to return to school in Denmark

Meanwhile, at French bistro L'education nationale in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, Eric Poezevara had filled his fridges and was impatient to welcome back lunch clients outdoors on a terrace as well as indoors.

"The ambiance is going to be a little strange. People go to restaurants to enjoy themselves, but now, people are going to be a little tense, looking around and thinking 'Do you have corona, or don't you?," he said prior to Monday's lunch rush.

The restaurant can welcome only half as many guests as usual, in order to respect social distancing rules.

"We'll see if it's worth it," Poezevara said.

Under new rules, Danish restaurants must respect social distancing regulations, offer guests hand sanitiser, and pay particular attention to hygiene.
That defiance led Lightfoot to tweet, It doesnt matter who you are or what youre doing. When you gather like this, you are putting yourself and your loved ones in serious danger.
With coronavirus restrictions starting to be lifted, many people are getting ready for a return to a more normal style of working at their usual workplace.

And while some people might be excited about the prospect of no longer working from home, one expert says its not unusual for others to feel anxiety around the return to the office.

With office workers starting to return to their workplaces, they're being assured it's OK to feel nervous about returning. Credit:Michelle Smith

Psychology expert Professor Gavin Beccaria from the University of Southern Queensland says for some people there could be just as much disruption in returning to working at an office as there was transitioning to working from home.

"Most peoples base level of anxiety is already a bit higher than it would have been previous to COVID-19," Professor Beccaria said.
JACKSON, MI  A man convicted and sent to prison for attacking a pair of sisters with a hammer during an apparent road rage incident may have his prison sentence reduced.

The Michigan Court of Appeals issued a ruling Thursday, May 14, ordering Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain to resentence Jonathan McPherson to either a sentence that falls within his lighter sentencing guidelines or adequately explain why his original sentence merits going above the guidelines.

McPherson, 32, was convicted by a jury in October 2018 on two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm for a road rage incident that occurred in February that year near Territorial and Peacock roads in Rives Township.

Man who attacked women with hammer during road rage going to prison

His sentencing guidelines recommended he receive a prison sentence of 29 to 57 months. McBain sentenced him to five to 10 years.

While the court affirmed McPhersons conviction, it found McBain did not provide adequate reasoning for above the guidelines in his presentence report.

None of the statements made by the trial court at sentencing sufficiently explained why the departure sentence was more proportionate to the offense and defendant than a sentence within his guidelines range, the court wrote in the resentencing order.

During his trial, jurors heard from investigators and the sisters how McPherson was tailgating the women for a while before pulling up beside them and yelling at them to pull over, records show.

McPherson then sped up, got in front of them and hit the brakes, forcing the sisters to stop.

He exited his car armed with a claw hammer and smashed the cars headlight before approaching the passenger-side window and yelled Youre dead, bitch. Im going to kill you., court records show.

At first confused about why McPherson was threatening them, the passenger eventually recognized the McPherson as being an acquaintance of her daughter who had threatened to kill her a month prior, records show.

The driver, who had a valid concealed pistol license, stepped out of the car with her handgun and yelled at McPherson to get back, firing a single shot as McPherson got back into his car, records show.

Before fleeing, McPherson put his car in reverse and hit the womans vehicle, knocking the driver to the ground causing serious injuries, records show.

McPherson was later arrested and charged two felony counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and one count each of failure to stop at the scene of a personal injury crash and malicious destruction of property.

During his trial, McPherson took the stand and testified he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and receiving 100 percent disability compensation after serving eight years in the U.S. Army with two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

He was unable to provide and paperwork to prove his claim at trial, court records show.

A resentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. As McPhersons sentence stands currently, he is eligible for parole 2023.
F ormer City minister Lord Myners has called for the Government to set up several independent agencies to handle stakes in bailed out companies.

The Treasury is considering plans which range from setting up a bad bank to recoup value for the taxpayer to a sovereign wealth fund, according to the Sunday Times.

Myners aided the Labour government in its response to the 2008 financial crisis, when it established UK Financial Investments to manage the mortgage books of collapsed lenders Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley.

UK Government Investments, an offshoot of the Treasury, is said to be discussing the plans with City bankers. It handles the banks stake in NatWest which with Lloyds was bailed out during the financial crisis.

Myners said this time the state had loaned to smaller and more varied businesses, making managing them directly impossible. He predicted those loans would soon be converted to equity.

The government is going to end up as a shareholder in lots of companies and theyre going to be much smaller and much more varied than the stakes that we took in 2009, he told the BBC.

Its not within the means and capability of government to own 8% of that brewery, 15% of this dry cleaning company, 40% of this pub.

Myners said the state would like set up independent agencies to oversee the investments and aid the appointment of directors to the companies board.

He added: The governments going to need to set up a vehicle or, I suspect, several vehicles so it will be co-owned by hedge funds and private equity which will take over the ownership of these stakes in private businesses on behalf of the taxpayer.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose more than 2% on Monday, tracking gains in crude and rival soybean oil, while signs of growing demand as more countries ease coronavirus-led restrictions further boosted sentiment.

The benchmark palm oil contract for August delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was up 47 ringgit, or 2.2%, at 2,135 ringgit ($491.37) per tonne by 0246 GMT.

Palm oil climbed 2.95% in the previous session to clock in a 3.5% weekly rise after Malaysia, the world's second-largest producer, slashed its crude palm oil export duty to zero for June.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Malaysia is set to meet petroleum companies on Tuesday to discuss the postponement of its B20 biodiesel mandate, the Commodities Ministry said on Monday.

* Oil prices jumped by more than $1 a barrel to their highest in more than a month, supported by ongoing output cuts and signs of gradual recovery in fuel demand.

* Stronger crude oil futures make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock.

* Malaysia's palm oil exports in May 1-15 rose between 6% and 7% from the month before, cargo surveyors said on Friday.

* Dalian's most-active soyoil contract rose 1.08%, its palm oil contract jumped 2.47%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were also trading up 0.87%.

* Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market.

* Palm oil may break a resistance at 2,107 ringgit per tonne, and rise towards a range of 2,129 ringgit to 2,165 ringgit, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

MARKET NEWS

* Asian shares crept ahead on Monday and oil prices hit a five-week high as more countries re-opened their economies, stirring hopes the world was nearer to emerging from recession.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

1400 US NAHB Housing Market Indx May

($1 = 4.3450 ringgit)

(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
Hochschild Mining said today it has met all the requirements established by the Peruvian government to restart operations at the Inmaculada and Pallancata mines.

The company said it should achieve full production in "the coming weeks."

Hochschild Mining said it is still measuring the impact of shutdowns on full-year guidance.

Hochschild Mining operates two mines in Peru and one in Argentina. In 2018 the company produced 19.7 million attributable ounces of silver and 260 thousand attributable ounces of gold.
(Alliance News) - Bagir Group Ltd on Monday said Ilan Shavit-Stricks, head of firm & senior partner of Haim Zadok & Co in Tel-Aviv, Israel has been appointed as sole liquidator.

The tailoring firm said the District Court of Beer Sheva, Israel recommended that that the company be liquidated in light of the state of the company and the Covid-19 pandemic. It added that its operations are now restricted to the collection of debts, ad hoc transactions of finished products and products in its inventory.

Its assets will be sold through a public tender which was published last Thursday.

In February, Bagir said it had begun legal action to recover USD13.2 million owed by textiles manufacturer Shandong Ruyi Technology Group Co Ltd as it reported "challenging" trading conditions for 2019.

In March, the company said said majority of its orders were placed on hold as it closed its sites in Egypt and Ethiopia ,and cut production and staff in Vietnam in efforts to save cash. In April, it said most of its order book was out on hold or cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Bagir shares have been suspended from trading since April

By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Jerusalem: Iran has begun withdrawing its forces from Syria, Israel's outgoing defence minister said on Monday, without offering any evidence to support his assertion.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, wears a mask to help protect from the coronavirus, as he speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who also wore a mask and gloves, in Damascus, Syria. Credit:AP

Naftali Bennett also urged his successor, Benny Gantz, to maintain pressure on Iran, adding that the trend might otherwise reverse.

Iran, Israels arch-enemy in the Middle East, has been a key supporter, along with Russia, of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's civil war, sending military advisers as well as material and regional Shiite militias that it backs.

Israel, which monitors neighbouring Syria intensively, has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria targeting suspected arms and troop movements by Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas it sponsors.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said the economic package announced by the government is "nothing but a recipe for large scale privatisation, enriching the rich and impoverishing the poor.

The economic stimulus package announced by the finance minister did not address either the current challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic or the sufferings caused by the extended lockdown, the Left leader said at a press conference.

The Union government has announced an overall package of Rs 20 lakh crore to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

"This economic package has nothing to do with self reliance. It's a recipe for large scale privatisation, enriching the rich and impoverishing the poor, Yechury said and called upon all like-minded parties to come together to put pressure on the government to extend financial help to states, which are the frontline fighters in thisbattle.

Yechury noted that the basic problem with the economy is dip in demand and unless the purchasing power of the people is increased, it cannot be revived.

"Now that can be increased only if there is massive dose of public investment to build our much needed infrastructure which in turn will generate jobs, he said.

"Instead, the government is trying to delegate it to the private sector. With a high gestational lag in such projects, private entities would not want to invest. The economic package did not have any announcements in this direction," he added.

The Left leader also said that the additional Rs 40,000 crores under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act doesn't suffice and pointed out that there is Rs 11,000 crore of pending arrears of the last year's payment.

"If you take that away, then that allocation is far too little to meet the needs of eight crore migrants who are on the streets as per the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he said.

"This too is a demand generated allocation, which means it will be released only when there is a demand. Often, in the past we have seen that money allocated has not been released because of their claim that there was no demand. It's a false claim, which they have been getting away with," Yechury said.

He noted that during the last two months, NPA worth Rs 68,600 crore has been written off by the government when it fails to provide one-time loan waiver for the farmers. Instead of providing monetary help, he said, the government has put the entire onus on the banks by taking the loan route.

"Which bank is going to give loan when they have been told to cut down on NPAs? he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Goa rose to 37 after 11 more people, including an industrial worker and a woman, tested positive for the disease on Monday, officials said.

The new patients included nine who reached Goa by a train from Mumbai on Sunday and a woman who travelled to the coastal state in her car and was quarantined at Vasco, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

An industrial worker also tested positive for the infection, he said.

The worker was brought to the state from outside under licence of the Goa State Industries Association (GSAI) and quarantined at a hotel in Verna in South Goa along with others, officials said.

Samples of all the 11 people came out positive in TrueNat (rapid) tests, he said.

The worker has been shifted to a COVID hospital in Margao town of South Goa, Rane said.

He is the fourth industrial worker to be found infected with the virus in Goa in the last three days. Two workers were found positive for coronavirus on Sunday and one on Saturday.

As a part of process to resume industrial activity, GSIA has brought workers from outside Goa and kept them in quarantine facilities as a precaution before sending them at different sites, a senior official of the health department said.

Nearly 456 passengers who arrived here by the Mumbai- Goa train were tested since Sunday at a lab set up at Hospicio Hospital in Margao, according to a health department bulletin.

Till Sunday, there were 26 active COVID-19 cases in the state, but since Monday morning 11 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 37.

"All these patients have been admitted to a specially-designated COVID-19 hospital in Margao," Rane said.

So far, 12 passengers of the Mumbai-Goa train have tested positive for coronavirus, he said.

Earlier, six passengers, who travelled to Goa in the Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram special AC train on Saturday, had tested positive for the infection.

On May 1, Goa was declared a green zone after all the seven COVID-19 patients previously found in the state recovered.

However, the coastal state has witnessed a rise in the number of cases over the last few days.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday claimed there was no community transmission of the infection in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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There are fears Britain could be dragged into a global trade war with China after Beijing slapped an 80 per cent tariff on Australian exports as punishment for demanding an independent coronavirus inquiry - which 100 nations including the UK supported.

On Monday, the World Health Organization bowed to calls from most of its member states to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the US and China.

The 'comprehensive evaluation' over coronavirus, sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review 'lessons learned' from WHO's coordination of the global response to the virus outbreak.

Donald Trump took the row with China further last night when he threatened to permanently cut off funding for the WHO, which he has accused of bias towards Beijing.

The president has raged at the WHO's 'political correctness' and blames it for facilitating the spread of the virus with a 'disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China' in the early weeks of the outbreak.

Trump suspended US funds last month and has now threatened to quit the body altogether if it does not make 'major substantive improvements within the next 30 days'.

'The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,' Trump said in a letter to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The UK has also supported the call for an inquiry, though the one announced by the WHO is expected to stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the virus.

Last month, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China faces 'hard questions' about the source of the coronavirus pandemic, adding there would have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak.

He also said it wouldn't go back to 'business as usual' between the UK and China after the pandemic eases.

Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country's response to the crisis, saying China had acted 'with openness and transparency'

In April, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China faces 'hard questions' about the source of the coronavirus pandemic

A Foreign Office spokesman said yesterday: 'There will need to be a review into the pandemic, not least so that we can ensure we are better prepared for future global pandemics. The resolution at the World Health Assembly is an important step towards this.'

EU spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson said several key questions needed to be answered as part of a review: 'How did this pandemic spread? What is the epidemiology behind it? All this is absolutely crucial for us going forward to avoid another pandemic of this kind.'

In April, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent probe into the deadly virus and the World Health Organisation's handling of the crisis.

In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135billion from the Australian economy.

After weeks of threatening to boycott the meat and barley industries and restrict travel and foreign education opportunities, China on Monday announced an 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports starting on Tuesday.

Beijing claims Australia subsidised its farmers and dumped barley in China. The tax will remain in place for five years, China's Ministry of Commerce said.

The bitter battle between China and Australia has now exploded onto the world stage, after 100 nations joined Canberra in calling for an independent inquiry, with fears Beijing's harsh punishments could be repeated worldwide.

Pictured: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He has faced pressure to reign over the WHO's handing of the pandemic

Several Tory MPs have called on China to face questions over its handling of the crisis, while a poll revealed last month that an overwhelming majority of Britons believe Boris Johnson should demand an international investigation into China's actions in the early stages of the outbreak.

Over 80 per cent of people in the UK want Beijing to face a global inquiry into what happened, according to a poll commissioned by the Henry Jackson Society think tank.

Meanwhile, seven in ten people believe ministers should try to take legal action against the Chinese government if it is found to have broken international law in relation to its outbreak response.

At the end of last month, the government stopped publishing China's coronavirus death figures alongside its own, in a nod to claims that Beijing was covering up the true extent of the outbreak in the country.

However, China hit back at the UK last week, with Beijing's state-controlled Global Times claiming that Britain would need a 'miracle' to get out of the health crisis as it condemned London's response to COVID-19 as 'flippant' and 'ill-prepared'.

The Communist newspaper slammed Boris Johnson for telling people to go back to work before setting up a track-and-tracing system. It accused the Prime Minister of prioritising the economy over virus control.

China's brutal tariffs on Australia were revealed just hours before President Xi Jinping told a virtual session of the World Health Assembly his country would support an independent probe into the origins of the outbreak - but only when the pandemic is over.

He defended his country's response to the crisis, saying China had acted 'with openness and transparency'.

US President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from animals.

There have also been calls for WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign over the body's handing of the crisis.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation 'at the earliest appropriate moment' - alluding to findings published Monday in a first report by a body commissioned to look into WHO's response to the virus.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO's warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to 'reassess' WHO's role in providing travel advice to countries.

China announced a whopping 80.5% levy on Australian barley exports starting May 19. Pictured is a barley farmer in central west NSW

A coalition of more than 100 nations have supported Australia's call for an independent probe into the origins of coronavirus

Australia's Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham on Monday night denied Australia had subsidised or dumped barley in China.

'Australia is deeply disappointed with China's decision to impose duties on Australian barley,' Mr Birmingham said in a statement.

AMBASSADOR'S ECONOMIC THREAT TO AUSTRALIA In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Ambassador Cheng slammed Australia's push for a global inquiry as 'political' and warned Chinese consumers could boycott the country. Answering a question about whether China could boycott Australian iron ore or gas, Mr Cheng instead focused on China's contribution to Australia's agriculture, tourism and education sectors. Mr Cheng said: 'I think if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think why we should go to such a country while it's not so friendly to China. 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to. 'So it's up to the public, the people to decide. And also, maybe the ordinary people will think why they should drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef.' Advertisement

China's Ministry of Commerce released their own statement saying: 'There was a subsidy for imported barley originating in Australia, the domestic barley industry was substantially damaged, and there was a causal relationship between the subsidy and the actual damage.'

Mr Birmingham responded by stating: 'We reject the basis of this decision and will be assessing the details of the findings while we consider next steps.

'We reserve all rights to appeal this matter further and are confident that Australian farmers are among the most productive in the world, who operate without government subsidy of prices.'

Australia may now look toward supplying the produce to Saudi Arabia, a government source said.

'There aren't many alternative markets. It could be sold to Saudi Arabia, but it will be heavily discounted to what Australian farmers could have received by selling to China,' said the source, who didn't want to be named.

Mr Birmingham also confirmed Australia had expanded a trade agreement with Indonesia recently and had other potential buyers for produce.

The tariffs come amid deteriorating relations between Canberra and Beijing, which have been exacerbated by the push for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

But the Chinese foreign ministry insisted the new policies are not related to the inquiry, and are instead a reflection of an 18-month anti-dumping investigation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to the coronavirus probe on Monday night, hours before the tariffs were imposed.

He said he would only support the inquiry after the pandemic has been brought under control globally.

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review.

'China supports a comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the epidemic after the global epidemic is under control, to sum up experiences and remedy deficiencies,' the Communist leader said during a virtual meeting.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent inquiry into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis

The World Health Assembly (pictured: 2019) meets once a year where health ministers from 194 member states set WHO policy. This year more than 100 nations will back Australia's call for a probe

'This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO; and the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld.'

Mr Jinping reiterated Beijing's defence of its actions when the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in the country.

It is widely accepted that the virus first spread from a wet food market in Wuhan, though some people believe the virus may have leaked from a nearby science lab.

Calling the pandemic 'the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two', Mr Jinping said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.

'We have turned the tide on the virus,' he said.

He also pledged $2 billion in financial support over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries.

The shock announcement comes after the nation threatened to cripple Australia's economy while Mr Morrison demanded a probe.

China's state-controlled media and trade experts warned Beijing's boycott could extend beyond beef and barley, with iron ore - worth $63billion a year to Australia's economy - potentially next in line.

But more than 100 nations on Sunday pledged their support to the inquiry, including the entire 27-member European Union along with New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, India, Canada, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday it was time to be frank about why COVID-19 has '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,' Azar said.

Speaking hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout, Azar said the U.S. had allocated $9 billion to coronavirus containment efforts around the world.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:52:19|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Australian state leaders are at odds over when to reopen domestic borders, with the heads of several states resisting pressure to allow visitors from elsewhere in the country.

On Monday, Australia recorded nine new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of positive tests to at least 7,060, while virus related deaths increased by one to 99.

Despite the reduction in active cases, the States of Queensland and Western Australia (WA) maintained strict closed border policies, while Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory applied more relaxed travel restrictions.

The more populous States of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria -- which have recorded dramatically higher numbers of COVID-19 -- remained open and over the weekend took part in a nationwide easing of social distancing regulations.

On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian renewed calls for her counterparts to allow interstate travel, noting that a closed-border policy no longer makes sense given the low number of new transmissions.

"I think closing borders doesn't help Australia, it doesn't help any of the states and it doesn't help our population. It doesn't help economic activity," Berejiklian said.

"This notion that you're going to eradicate the virus from Australia completely is a little beyond reality."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk earlier made light of Berejiklian's stance, and on Monday said that while the policy would be periodically reviewed, the State's borders could remain closed until September.

"We'll be reviewing those border restrictions at the end of each month and fingers crossed towards the end of the year we will be seeing southerners return to our glorious sunshine state," Palaszczuk said.

In 2019, around 24 million domestic tourists pumped more than 11.5 billion U.S. dollars into the State of Queensland, which boasts world-class natural attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays.

WA Premier Mark McGowan sided with Palaszczuk in saying that the time was not right to ease border restrictions and that the decision would be made on the advice of health experts.

"We had very low rates of infection here. They had higher rates in the eastern states, so we will keep the border up until we think it is the right time for the health of Western Australians." Enditem
By PTI

MUMBAI: Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui on Monday said he travelled to his hometown Budhana, Uttar Pradesh, with his family members as his mother wasn't keeping well and followed the necessary guidelines set by the state government.

Nawazuddin, along with his family members, reached his hometown on May 12 after getting the necessary permission for travel from the authorities in Maharashtra.

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"Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother, who is 71 years old, got anxiety attack twice. We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana. Please #StaySafe #StayHome," the actor wrote on Twitter.

The Scared Games star and his family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative.

Nawazuddin's bother, filmmaker Shamas N Siddiqui, shared a letter issued by the Mumbai police which granted the family the permission to travel to UP on May 10, with return date of August 18 for "medical reasons."

The actor, along with his family members, is currently placed under home quarantine.
The officials of Pune regional transport office (RTO) intercepted a truck carrying 63 people across Maharashtra border to Bihar at Shikrapur area of Pune.

The truck was intercepted along the Ahmednagar road near Shikrapur where one of our three squads are keeping a watch. The passengers were disembarked, truck seized and a memo was issued against the truck owner, said Ashwini Sawant, assistant regional transport officer (RTO) who is heading the initiative in Pune.

Each passenger had given Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 to the truck driver, according to Sawant.

While some transactions were made online, most were in cash and the money was returned to each passenger before they were let go, he said.

RTO officials have not lodged a police complaint against the truck owner. However, the vehicles permit will be cancelled once the case is presented in a court post-lockdown, Sawant said.

The squads also keep a track of Satara road and other exists across the city. The squads from Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO also keep a track of possible truck movement carrying people illegally through Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation.

We have filed 10 cases on Sunday (May 17) alone. Most trucks were either heading to Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan. Every truck carried 40-50 passengers. Some passengers are made to sit behind tin separations, said Vinod Sagre, ARTO.

A truck carrying 50 people heading to Uttar Pradesh was intercepted by ARTO Sagre-led squad in Chakan on Sunday.

We provide further travel arrangements through state transport bus or train to passengers found in seized trucks, said Ajit Shinde, regional transport officer (RTO), Pune.

In the past three days, RTO squads have intercepted at least 17 vehicles carrying passengers across Maharashtra border. While 10 of these were in Pimpri-Chinchwad, seven were from Pune. The trucks were found heading towards Nagpur, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Bihar.

The trucks found in Pune were brought to Wagheshwar parking lot while vehicles found in Pimpri-Chinchwad were either taken to state bus depots or police stations.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Adrian Jules Ltd, an established bespoke design house and tailoring outfit based in Rochester, NY, has transformed their 55-year-old business offering the finest hand-made garments in America through a deep and personal partnership with Gerber Technology, the industry leader in the apparel and textile technology space, by digitizing their entire process -- from design to cutting -- by integrating Gerber Technology's AccuMark 3D & 2D CAD software , Gerber's AccuNest , and the GERBERcutter Z1 for production-ready, made-to-measure garments .

Darren Beaman, Senior Director of Technical Design and Production Director, outlined how they transformed their business and found the ultimate balance between old-world tradition and cutting-edge technology including 3D. With a 10% savings in material utilization and 75% time savings for faster manufacturing productivity, Adrian Jules sees embracing technology as a no-brainer. Mr. Beaman added, "we've gone from 20 samples per year, down to 5," representing a significant cost savings for the company.

3D has not only been instrumental in bringing the business into a brand-new technological era, but it has also been crucial to operations due to the present day geopolitical challenges of COVID-19 . In a matter of days, Adrian Jules was able to convert to mask and PPE production -- all with the aid of AccuMark 3D. Thanks to embracing Gerber's end-to-end technology, Beaman was able to bring Adrian Jules to the front lines of the important fight against the current pandemic.

"55 years ago we used paper, pencil and old wooden rulers...now, we're using the most innovative technology available to the industry. For someone who is a technical director, this is very exciting for me" said Beaman, commenting on their success in adopting Gerber's suite of end-to-end solutions. "We've been working with Gerber for over five years. I feel privileged to be part of the Gerber family and am excited to see AccuMark 3D and it is so easy to use."

Adrian Jules now attributes their success to being a tech-forward company, while still maintaining the core values put in place by its founder generations ago.

Gerber Technology offers end-to-end solutions for soft goods and apparel manufacturers looking to save money, time, and the environment. With over 50 years of experience, Gerber has come to be known as the go-to-market leader for companies looking to effectively digitize and connect the entire supply chain, all the way from design, product development and production to retail. Mary McFadden, Vice President, CAD Product Management at Gerber Technology noted that "Gerber and Adian Jules are the perfect pairing of talent, as well as tradition, with over 100 years of combined industry experience and backgrounds in traditional manufacturing."

Speaking to the tradition of excellence at Adrian Jules, Alexa Roberti, Director of Sales, explained: "My grandfather started this company with the dream of delivering the finest hand made garment in America, and that's actually our mission statement today." Roberti also stated that "we are proponents of technology here at Adrian Jules, and we really see Gerber's AccuMark 3D assisting not only in sustainability but giving us flexibility when we need to develop patterns."

About Adrian Jules

Adrian Jules Ltd., Rochester, NY, was founded in 1964 by Adriano Roberti, master tailor and designer from Brescia, Italy and has been manufacturing high quality hand tailored men's custom clothing providing "The Best Worn Secret in America" to their affluent clientele.

Today, under the guidance of brothers Arnald and Peter Roberti, Adrian Jules is expanding by promoting the brand to a select group of the best merchants across the country.

About Gerber Technology

Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. Gerber serves 78,000 customers in 134 countries, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies in apparel and accessories, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign and graphics.

Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by AIP, a New York based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and has more than $3.0 billion assets under management. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com and www.gerbersoftware.com for more information.

Contact: Ketty Pillet

Tel: +1 860-896-6036

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Gerber Technology

Related Links

http://www.gerbertechnology.com


David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital. When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited (HKG:315) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings

How Much Debt Does SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Carry?

As you can see below, SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings had HK$2.23b of debt at December 2019, down from HK$2.37b a year prior. But it also has HK$2.40b in cash to offset that, meaning it has HK$171.1m net cash.

SEHK:315 Historical Debt May 18th 2020

How Strong Is SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings had liabilities of HK$2.96b falling due within a year, and liabilities of HK$2.54b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of HK$2.40b and HK$919.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by HK$2.18b.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings has a market capitalization of HK$4.90b, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

Story continues

On the other hand, SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings's EBIT dived 11%, over the last year. We think hat kind of performance, if repeated frequently, could well lead to difficulties for the stock. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the last three years, SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.

Summing up

While SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of HK$171.1m. The cherry on top was that in converted 134% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in HK$1.3b. So we don't have any problem with SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings's use of debt. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Take risks, for example - SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings has 4 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
A worker examines steel rolls at a factory in the southern province of An Giang. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Dong.

The U.S. is investigating if Chinese steel sheets and strips were completed and exported from Vietnam to circumvent its duties.

Its Department of Commerce suspects that Vietnamese steel producers imported stainless flat-rolled steel from China, processed them and exported sheets and strips to the U.S., according to a release by the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam.

The alleged move was to circumvent U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties of 139-267 percent imposed on China since 2016, the release said.

Shipments of steel sheets and strips from Vietnam to the U.S. increased by $122 million, or 180 percent, in the 40-month period before and after the initiation of duties on China in March 2016, according to U.S. data.

The Department of Commerce will gather information from Vietnamese steel producers via questionnaire about the sources of materials, and Vietnamese authorities have advised them to cooperate.

If the department makes a preliminary determination that there has been circumvention, it will instruct customs authorities to collect cash deposits on imports completed in Vietnam using Chinese-origin steel.

The Trade Remedies Authority said Vietnams stainless steel exports to the U.S. decreased from 32,000 tons in 2017 to 23,000 tons last year.

Vietnam last year slapped antidumping duties of 17.94 - 31.85 percent on stainless flat steel imports from China.
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Taipei, May 18, 2020  Chinese authorities must immediately release journalist Zhang Zhan, drop any charges against her, and ensure that the media can cover the coronavirus pandemic without fear of arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Zhang, an independent video journalist who had been posting reports from Wuhan on Twitter and YouTube since early February, went missing in the city on May 14, one day after she published a video critical of the governments countermeasures to contain the virus, according to news reports.

On May 15, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a notice stating that Zhang had been arrested and detained for picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and was being held at the Pudong Xinqu Detention Center, according to those reports.

If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison, according to the Chinese criminal code.

China professes pride in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but appears deathly afraid of allowing independent journalists like Zhang Zhan to freely tell the story of what is happening, said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, in Washington, D.C. Chinese authorities should free Zhang immediately and allow her to continue the important work of documenting the impact of the disease.

Since arriving in Wuhan in early February, Zhang posted videos including interviews with local business owners who were severely impacted by the pandemic, and with workers who struggled to find work in the city.

CPJ called the Wuhan Public Security Bureau for comment, but no one answered. An officer at the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau told CPJ to call the Pudong Xinqu Detention Center for information about Zhangs arrest. CPJ called the center, but no one answered.

Video journalist Chen Quishi, who traveled to Wuhan to report on the pandemic in late January, went missing after telling his family that he planned to visit a temporary hospital on February 6, as CPJ documented at the time.

Freelance journalist Li Zehua, who also went missing in the city after posting two live-stream videos claiming that state security agents were pursuing him on February 26, reappeared two months later claiming that he was quarantined by police because he had been to sensitive epidemic areas, according to news reports.
Cynthia Joyner, a competitive body builder, couldnt wait to get back into her gym and resume her strength training with the leg press and other weight machines at Golds Gym in Bulverde.

I was totally in love with the gym again, she said. She was among the first to return, getting there before sunrise Monday, as gyms and fitness centers reopened following a two-month closure in response to COVID-19.

Under a May 6 executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, exercise facilities may resume operations at 25 percent capacity, with social distancing measures and other precautions aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus. Restrooms may be open, but locker rooms and showers must remain closed for now.

Some fitness centers are going beyond the governors requirements this week, closing for a midday cleaning or requiring members to wear face coverings. Several are prohibiting backpacks or mandating that members wear gloves. Although health officials have voiced concern about the spread of COVID-19 in gyms through the air or contaminated surfaces, they also have said exercise can promote healthy lifestyles and improved immune systems.

Bob Owen /Staff photographer

On ExpressNews.com: Homebound San Antonio turning to exercise to ease anxiety

Joyner was satisfied that the gym staff was doing everything it needed to protect the health and safety of members and employees. After exercising in her home gym since mid-March, Joyner said she relished getting back into her routine, using equipment at Golds and Lifetime Fitness, where she also has a membership, to reach her full potential.

It was a great experience for me, said Joyner, 46. They followed social distancing precautions, and gently enforced them when needed. The number of people at the gym was normal. I went at 5 a.m., and it thinned out by 6 am. I didnt have to wait more than normal for a machine.

Under the governors health protocols, gyms must train employees and contractors on hygeine and sanitation, and screen them for symptoms of COVID-19. Non-medical-grade face masks are recommended for employees but not required. Gyms must have equipment spaced 6 feet apart and provide hand sanitizer, along with disinfecting wipes and other products for employees and members to clean barbells, machines and other equipment.

Jacqueline Mata, owner of Body Gym, an 1,800-square-foot boutique gym in Castle Hills with blue lighting and art on the walls to calm and engage members, was relieved to see some of them back after the facility had been closed for weeks.

They definitely were not in the mood for small talk, Mata said. They wanted to get their workout in, which was completely understandable.

The gym did not charge monthly fees of members or collect rent from its personal trainers while it was closed. In reopening, it has lowered its fees, while assuring members were taking all the precautions that we can to to keep everyone as safe as possible, Mata said. Body Gym requires members to wear masks and gloves, although she said it may eliminate the rule on gloves.

I know that having to work out with the mask on is really, really hard, Mata said. But people are managing it with little to no complaints. I think everyones just happy to be back.

Mike Martinez, owner of CrossFit Optimistic, with locations in Alamo Heights and near Stone Oak, said hes had to downsize his fitness classes from up to 30 people to 10 and is u sing a new reservation system rather than allowing walk-ins. Classes also have been shortened from an hour to 40 minutes, to allow for 20 minutes of cleaning between each class.

CrossFit Optimistic does not require face masks, but welcomes them if an athlete wants to wear one. Through its rules of etiquette, the gym discourages people from shaming one another for having different approaches to dealing with COVID-19, Martinez said.

Bob Owen /Staff photographer

On ExpressNews.com: Golds Gym permanently closing three locations

I wanted to make it very clear to our members that everybody has a different feeling about this, he said. I make it very clear that we have cleaning procedures, but if you want to go beyond that for your comfort level, then by all means do so.

If Monday was any indicator, Martinez said his business may bounce back pretty well.

Because CrossFit is a group activity, people were glad to see each other again, he said. Athletes in the 5 a.m. class sat in chairs outside afterward, 6 feet apart, and talked for an hour.

Part of our gym is community. Working out is the icing on the cake, but its the people that bring us all together, Martinez said. People come in; theyre excited to move their bodies and just really work on their physical capacity, which absolutely affects their mental state.

Mata said had mixed feeling on the governors protocol for exercise facilities. A more complete checklist of rules for reopening might have eliminated a lot of petty competition between gyms, by setting policy as to whether or not members wear masks, she said.

But Abbotts protocols, which set minimum legal standards, are forcing gyms to set their own priorities  their members safety, or more revenue, Mata said.

Now Playing: The mayor met with the Express-News Editorial Board to discuss the reopening of San Antonio after Governor Abbott announced reopening Texas. You can watch the full video of the 1-hour session on https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/ Video: mySA

Any concerns about social distancing or possible violations of local and statewide emergency orders can be reported to the San Antonio Police Department at 210-207-SAPD.

Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Scott, become a subscriber. shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
Ryanair has further lowered the number of people it expects to carry on its planes this year and has attacked international passenger quarantine laws as it continues to burn through cash and seek some kind of return to the skies.

The airline group said its current financial year  which is less than two months old  will be difficult with losses likely in the first two quarters and less than 80 million passengers expected to travel over the entire 12 months.

Just last week, Ryanair said it was eyeing 100 million passengers for its new financial year. That figure, itself, was down from an original target of 154 million people.

The group reported after-tax profits of just over 1bn for the 12 months to the end of March; up 13% on the previous year. Revenues rose 10% to 8.5bn and a passenger toll of nearly 149 million people represented 4% growth.

However, this year will be different. While the group has not given a full-year guidance, it expects to suffer a loss of over 200m in the first quarter to the end of June, and see a smaller loss in the peak summer second quarter.

Ryanair said it has a current cash balance of 4.1bn, but is still burning through 60m of cash each week; although this figure is down from 200m two months ago. That pleased investors and helped boost Ryanairs share price by nearly 16%. The company is negotiating with unions over pay reductions and up to 3,000 job cuts as it continues to cut costs. That right-sizing of the business will also see Ryanair withdraw from numerous non-core airport bases across Europe.

Between July and September, Ryanair plans some return to flying, but will carry  at most  50% of the 44.6 million passengers it had planned for the second quarter, with bookings to be impacted by public health restrictions and quarantine requirements.

Ryanairs group boss Michael OLeary has taken specific aim at the UK in this regard, saying the countrys government has mismanaged Britains response to the Covid-19 crisis for many weeks and branding its 14-day quarantine rule for in-bound travellers to the UK as idiotic and unimplementable.

Ryanair also said its planned return to flying will be made more competitive by the European landscape being distorted by state aid-backed carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM.

"Ryanairs return to scheduled flying will be rendered significantly more difficult by competing with flag carrier airlines who will be financing below cost selling with the benefit of over 30bn in unlawful state aid, in breach of both EU state aid and competition rules," the company said.

Ryanair also said it remains committed to Boeings controversial 737-Max jet, with first delivery of new orders due now in October. Ryanair said the aircraft will transform its cost base for the next decade.

Elsewhere, Finnish flag carrier Finnair plans to start to operate flights to its key Asian destinations in China, Japan and elsewhere from July as it starts to reopen routes. Finnair expects to lose around 2m each day this quarter as about 90% of its flights are grounded. It also plans to raise 500m through a rights issue larger than its market cap and to re-launch additional flights on its European routes in July.
His adoption of Sally Rooneys novel Normal People has got the nation talking, but now hell be teaching.

Lenny Abrahamson is swapping his directing cap for a teaching one on RTEs Home School Hub.

The Oscar-nominee will talk to Seamus on the show about directing and film making.

The Home School Hub is celebrating Film Week and they will also be looking at animation.

This week is Film Week on #RTEHomeSchool!! @lennyabrahamson will be giving us a film class  Seamus the dog auditions for a part in his next film! @CartoonSaloon give a behind the scenes look at their work...And we show some films that kids have made!! Not to be missed... pic.twitter.com/Sn04QVvDer  RTEjr (@RTEjr) May 17, 2020

Cartoon Saloon will be giving a behind the scenes look at what jobs people do who work in an animation studio and what goes into creating animated film and TV series.

Across the week, there will be four lessons that deal with aspects of the film industry.

Muinteoir Ray will look at critical thinking and writing movie reviews; John will be discussing music score and storyboarding; and Cliona will talk about Lotte Reiniger, a German director who was the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation.

You can watch Home School Hub today from 11am on RTE2 and RTE Player.
The setting sun reflects off One World Trade Center and the skyline of lower Manhattan in New York City as the moon rises on March 7, 2020 as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.

Rental prices in New York City could be heading lower as landlords try to get prospective tenants to sign new leases, the CEO of real estate appraiser Miller Samuel told CNBC.

"It's already in process," said Jonathan Miller. "It's happening on the renewals side," too.

Hal Gavzie, executive manager of leasing for property group Douglas Elliman, told CNBC that landlords are offering concessions, such as waiving security deposits, and they're being more flexible with renewals to try to keep people from leaving the city, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest monthly report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel showed a 71% plunge in Manhattan new leases in April from a year earlier.

Those massive declines in new leases stem from factors including quarantines that prevent people from seeing new apartments or because they have lost their jobs.

Gavzie said the environment looks like it could be similar to the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, though he cautioned that it's too early to be sure. The vacancy rate in April climbed to its highest level in 14 years, according to the data.

The drop in new leases, however, is only part of the picture, Miller said. "In a building, about two-thirds of apartments are renewals, and a third are new leases."

"When you have a drop in new leases, you have a surge in renewals," he added. "So the action is here, but it's not public-facing. Landlords are negotiating with their tenants [and] they're maintaining occupancy."

The high number of renewals could be why, at the same time, Manhattan saw the highest rental prices ever: The average rental price in Manhattan was up over 7% from April 2019, according to Douglas Elliman-Miller Samuel data. Rental price per square foot also rose 9% to a record high of $72.02. Those rental prices are tied to the public-facing information from new leases, not the private renewals.

"Rents have been rising strongly for the past year, that's nothing new," Miller said. "What is new is that there are far fewer public-facing transactions happening right now."

"As a result, we're seeing an uptick in vacancy."

The number of open apartments in Manhattan is nearing a high, according to the report, which may be partly due to the pandemic accelerating the trend of city-dwellers fleeing for the suburbs.

The activity in suburban markets outside New York City is not yet showing an increase in movement from city, but there's been an uptick in inquiries, said Miller.

Gavzie said he's seen some relocation companies extending their employees' stay-at-home policies until September, meaning agents won't be showing apartments in person for a while.

However, he said, "I'm optimistic that once agents are able to show apartments, rental agents will be very busy." He added, "I would expect to see a decent surge in rental activity, but still well below last year's same period."
With 18 new cases, mostly with Delhi links, the Covid-19 count climbed to 928 in Haryana on Monday.

The state health department bulletin said while seven positive cases were reported from Gurugram, three each were detected in Faridabad, Sonepat and Hisar, and one each in Karnal and Mahendergarh. All infected persons in Gurugram and Faridabad have travel history to Delhi, senior doctors said.

PREGNANT WOMAN TESTS POSITIVE

Though the health bulletin did not mention her case, a pregnant woman was tested positive at PGIMS, Rohtak. Doctors said the woman hailed from Gurugram, who was admitted to the hospitals labour room. 21 staffers, including doctors and nurses, have been quarantined. The labour room has been sanitised, the PGIMS spokesman said.

In Sonepat, among the three confirmed patients are a 36-year-old man from Mayur Vihar area and a 30-year-old man from Mohana village, both working with the Delhi government. Son of an infected man also tested positive for the virus in Sonepat.

KARNAL GIRL FOUND INFECTED

A day after her father was tested positive for coronavirus, a 21-year-old girl was also found to be infected in Chogawan village of Karnal, taking the number of active cases in the district to eight.

Karnal DC Nishant Kumar Yadav said Chogawan village has already been sealed and declared as a containment zone. Karnal has so far seen 19 patients, of whom one has died and 10 have recovered.

In Hisar, three persons, including a Mumbai-returnee and two members of a family, tested positive. The man found infected in Mahendergarh is said have a travel history to Delhi. A father-son duo, who had returned from Mumbai on May 9, also tested positive in Mahendergarhs Nangal Chaudhary area, district health official said. Their case has not been added to the states bulletin.

RECOVERY RATE 64.44%

With 36 more patients getting discharged, the number of those cured in the state reached 598, which took the recovery rate to 64.44%. The bulletin stated that while 18 patients were discharged from Sonepat, 10 walked out of hospital in Gurugram, four in Mahendergarh and two each in Rohtak and Nuh.
Press Release

May 18, 2020 Allow OFWs stranded in UAE to come home: Gordon urges Empathizing with the plight of hundreds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United Arab Emirates, most of whom are already unemployed and stranded there for months, Senator Richard J. Gordon proposed to allow more passenger flights carrying OFWs to come in. Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross, wrote to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to propose opening the airports in Clark, Subic and Mactan to be able to accommodate more flights carrying OFWs. He pointed out that while the need for precautions prompted the government to impose a limitation of 400 arrivals a day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport due to the coronavirus disease 2010 or COVID-19 pandemic, the predicament of the OFWs should also be taken into consideration and their suffering should be alleviated. "I'm aware that we have to take precautions, but I think it would not be a problem, if we allow more flights to come in and distribute them to other airports such as Clark, Subic, and Mactan," the PRC chairman said in a letter to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., IATF's chief implementer and his deputy, Vivencio Dizon, who is also President and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. Gordon assured that diverting flights to the airports in Clark, Subic and Mactan would pose little risk to efforts to combat the spread of the disease since PRC testing centers will be operational within the week in the said areas. They have hotel capabilities as well. "I'm sure your prompt action would be greatly appreciated by our kababayans in the Middle East whose suffering would be alleviated because they will be able to come home to their families. It must be very hard, being stranded and jobless in a foreign land, far away from your loved ones and unsure of where to get money for your next meal and other daily needs. I have also received emails pleading for help about their situation," he stressed. The Philippine Embassy in the UAE earlier wrote to the IATF seeking assistance for the hundreds of OFWs who are unable to return to Manila. They have been stranded because Emirates and Etihad cancelled several repatriation flights from Dubai to Manila after airports in the Philippines were temporarily closed to passenger flights due to the pandemic.
Asia Philippines Urges Coronavirus Vigilance as Shoppers Ignore Safety Protocols

A village officer dressed as the Star Wars character Darth Vader rides a small boat to deliver relief goods amid the COVID-19 outbreak to residents of the flooded Artex Compound in Manila, the Philippines, on May 4, 2020. / REUTERS

MANILAThe Philippine government on Sunday called for vigilance against the coronavirus, a day after hordes of people trooped to shopping malls and ignored safety protocols, as authorities began loosening a two-month lockdown.

Photos and videos showing shoppers in some malls in the capital Manila violating physical distancing rules went viral on Saturday, drawing widespread public criticism and alarm, prompting the government to issue fresh health warnings.

We advise the public not to be complacent and to follow health protocols set by authorities after we received reports of people who trooped to the malls with complete disregard of social/physical distancing measures, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

The government warned malls would be closed again if they do not strictly implement physical distancing and crowd control measures.

The Southeast Asian country has reported 12,513 cases of coronavirus infections and a death toll of 824.

Fears linger over the possibility of a new wave of novel coronavirus cases following reports of infections accelerating again in Germany, new cases in the city of Wuhan in central China, the origin of the outbreak, and in South Korea.

The Philippines has joined a growing number of countries gradually reopening economies shut down by restrictions aimed at containing the pandemic, although its biggest citiesManila and Ceburemain in lockdown.

We must understand that we have started to slowly ease restrictions in order to revitalize the economy, and not because we are safe, Roque said in a statement. We must continue to be vigilant of the risks of COVID-19.

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China Reports Seven New Coronavirus Infections

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Image Credit: Butterfly Network

The beauty of Butterfly's approach to telemedicine is that you don't have to know a thing about ultrasound systems to use it. If a patient is given one to use, they can connect the iQ to their iPhones and have a professional guide them through the process, complete with on-screen cues to help them orient the probe correctly. (Thanks to a little augmented reality help, the doctor(s) on the other end of the call can see exactly which way the patient is holding the probe.) The same goes for nurses or orderlies in hospitals who don't necessarily have the training to use ultrasound equipment -- they can don their full PPE, meet with a patient, and help a physically remote physician or team of physicians find exactly what they're looking for.

"I thought initially I would use it in the ER getting images for teaching," said Dr. Stone, who also serves as Butterfly's director of education. "Now it's the only device I use. I carry with me the ability to not have to push a big cart into a room, and the ability to wipe it down immediately after use."

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to flourish, the telltale signs doctors look for are areas of irregular opacity and thickness around the pleura, or the membranes that surround the lungs. If spotted, a doctor virtually instructing someone with a Butterfly wand can remotely control the probe's gain and depth to zero in on potential trouble spots, and record images and short video clips for further inspection. And just like that, a process that typically required multiple people in a room with a patient now requires just one, or even zero if the patient is wielding the wand while recovering at home.

The act of embracing telemedicine was always on Butterfly's roadmap, and the company quietly made its teleguidance feature available to users as a beta a few weeks ago. This new push to put Butterfly iQs into the hands of novices and into homes, however, was only possible because of new policy guidelines recently put into place by the US Food and Drug Administration to expand the "availability, functional capability, and portability of imaging systems to help address these urgent public health concerns. Prior to this, the company's remote guidance tools were mostly being used for research, including one noteworthy partnership with a heart failure lab at NYU. That FDA guidance, however, has a time limit: These updated policies will only last until the COVID-19 outbreak is brought under control.

Butterfly Network

That (perhaps unfortunately) means there's a built-in expiration date for Butterfly's early efforts to make ultrasound available to neophytes. By then, though, Butterfly hopes it will have made its mark. There will always be a need for expensive, high-resolution ultrasound machines -- you wouldn't want to try and conduct a comprehensive cardiogram or search for subtle fetal anomalies with something that plugs into a phone.

Even in hospitals beset by COVID-19 patients, though, the normal business of tending to other maladies has to continue. Butterfly's teleguidance tools are meant to help with that, too, and the iQ produce results that the company says are on-par with a more traditional, mid-range $70,000 ultrasound machine. And with the right kind of remote guidance, it's not hard to imagine that a device like the Butterfly iQ could become a crucial part of a patient's prolonged, in-home care, be it for COVID-19 recovery or other illnesses.



That kind of case, where the ill can be sent home with a scanner and can regularly provide new diagnostic information to their medical practitioners, is a big area of focus for Butterfly Network. de Jonge said the company drew some inspiration from the glucose meter, a now-common bit of diagnostic tech that seemed equally unlikely to see personal use when the first model was introduced in 1971. (The biggest difference: Even with a $2,000 ultrasound wand at your disposal, you cannot and should not try to interpret your own results.) But that's the long game. For now, though, in an age where the thought of venturing to a hospital can be almost as fraught as the treatments involved, Butterfly's priority is helping doctors -- wherever they might be -- make sure patients get the right kind of treatment right now.
U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo flew to Israel last Wednesday to personally talk to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his developing ties with the international thug, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Pompeo expressed concern that Israel is permitting China the rights to build the largest water desalination plant in the world off Israel's southern border  the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Water International is one of two companies to have reached the final stage of the tender to build the Sorek 2 water desalination plant.



Pompeo arrives in Israel, May 13, 2020 (YouTube screen grab).

As reported by the Middle East online journal Al-Monitor, the facility, known as Sorek 2, will produce 200 million cubic meters of drinking water per year, raising the total water processed in Israeli desalination plants to 786 million cubic meters per year. This amounts to some 85% of all domestic and municipal consumption per year. The tender is worth an estimated $1.5 billion. Whichever company wins it will operate the facility for 25 years.

The U.S. has asked Jerusalem to reconsider Hutchison's participation in the bidding, even though it has already reached the final stage of the tender. Yet the Trump administration should not be surprised that Israel seeks only to profit from the tyrannical Chinese regime, despite the latter's human rights violations.

Previous Israeli-Chinese Transactions

This is not be the first would-be business deal the Israelis do with Beijing as it has grown to become Israel's second-largest trading partner, after the U.S. Chinese firms. In fact, the CCP has been responsible for expanding the Mediterranean port in Ashdod and constructing major transportation systems, including the Tel Aviv light rail system and the Carmel tunnels.

 In April, the Foreign Ministry said it had signed a deal with Chinese company BGI to have the firm send lab equipment to Israel, allowing for conducting some 12,000 tests per day for the coronavirus.

 In 2018, China imported more than $4.6 billion of Israeli goods while exporting to Israel goods worth more than $10.9 billion. These numbers are up dramatically from 1992, when Chinese goods imports totaled $38.7 million and exports $12.8 million.

 In 2017, Netanyahu told General Secretary Xi Jinping that the Jewish state is a "perfect partner" for China as it seeks to grow its high-tech sector. He even called Chinese-Israeli relations "a marriage made in heaven" after signing certain bilateral agreements identifying areas for increased cooperation in air pollution control, waste management, environmental monitoring, water conservation and purification, and hi-tech fields.

 Also in 2017, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel exported to China 11.4 billion shekels ($3.1 billion at current exchange rates) of goods, not counting diamonds. Imports from Beijing were over double that.

American Apprehension

The Chinese regime has amassed a portfolio from mines and farmland in Africa, Australia, and Latin America to ports and infrastructure in Europe to insurance, hi-tech, chemicals, and agribusiness companies wherever it can. Logically, the last thing Washington wants is for its superpower rival to have such an immense and booming presence in the Middle East that would potentially lessen American influence in the region.

A key worry is the location of the planned desalination facility. It is situated next to the Palmahim Airbase  an Israeli military facility and spaceport located near the cities of Rishon LeZion and Yavne  where American troops are stationed, and not far from the Nahal Sorek Nuclear Research Center. Amos Harel of Haaretz claimed in 2019 that the head of the Defense Ministry's security authority, Nir Ben-Moshe, sent a letter to the Finance and Energy Ministries in which he expressed sharp opposition to the decision to allow Hutchison to participate in the tender.

Another point of concern, according to Lee Branstetter, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, is "that artificial intelligence capabilities acquired by Chinese firms through civilian investments or licensing deals could find their way into a new generation of Chinese weapons that would threaten American troops and American allies."

It is no wonder why Pompeo also raised "security concerns" about the China-Israel business cooperation.

Israel Today reported that while President Trump is presently making very public gestures bolstering the historical and religious Jewish claims to the Holy Land the likes of which we have not seen since the Balfour Declaration, he does not want the Israeli government chumming up to America's adversary during a time of mounting tension. U.S. officials explained that the Trump administration "doesn't have a problem with people having relationships with China, but the corona crisis sort of highlights the dangers of dealing with states that are not transparent, that don't have fair trade practices."

Last year the U.S. issued the two warnings to Israel when:

 Secretary Pompeo said that unless Israel reduces cooperation with China, the U.S. might reduce "intelligence sharing and co-location of security facilities."

 Then-National Security Advisor John Bolton encouraged Israeli officials to take a tougher stance against Chinese electronics manufacturers ZTE and Huawei.

The Risks

The Trump Administration is presently engaged in a new war of words with China. Trump has already accused the CCP of concealing the coronavirus outbreak until it was too late. Early this month Pompeo, speaking on the ABC program This Week, backed President Donald Trump's assertion "that there is a significant amount of evidence that [the coronavirus] came from that laboratory in Wuhan." And this past Friday an official with the Chinese National Health Commission, corroborated Pompeo's allegation, saying that the COVID-19 samples were destroyed in line with public health laws and to "prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety."

It is obvious that Israel has no intentions in getting caught in the crossfire between the U.S. and China. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu's own Foreign Ministry has issued a widely reported assessment to the security cabinet that Israel will probably not be able to enjoy the fruits of Chinese infrastructure investments without losing a significant degree of American support.
According to a study by Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, the northern Italian city of Nembro recorded more deaths during March 2020 than between January and December 2019. However, only approximately half of all deaths recorded this spring were classified as confirmed COVID-19 deaths. The study shows that the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may go far beyond official COVID-19 death counts. It also shows the important role of all-cause mortality in quantifying the full impact of the pandemic. The study's findings have been published in The BMJ*.

During the current pandemic, the northern Italian region of Lombardy has been one of the most severely affected areas in Europe. Despite high death counts officially attributed to COVID-19 during the worst part of the pandemic, doubts were soon raised over the accuracy of these data. Official figures did not appear to reflect actual, observable pressures on the health care system. This was also the case in Nembro, a small town in the Bergamo province of Lombardy, which has a population of 11,500. In order to quantify the true impact of the pandemic on the local health care system, a team of researchers led by Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, Director of Charite's Institute of Public Health (IPH), studied overall mortality figures, looking at all deaths regardless of their cause. Working alongside colleagues from the Centro Medico Santagostino in Milan, the researchers found the following: During the height of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, the number of all-cause deaths was approximately double that of confirmed COVID-19-related deaths.

In order to accurately quantify mortality rate regardless of cause of death - known as all-cause mortality - the researchers used data for the period between January 2012 and mid-April 2020. They obtained data from several sources: the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), Nembro's registration office, and the Lombardy region COVID-19 dashboard. "Nembro is a small town with a very stable population and very little immigration and emigration over time," explains Prof. Kurth. He adds: "Given its size and the availability of quality data sources, this town provided the ideal conditions for a robust, descriptive epidemiological study to quantify the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as its impact on the health of this local community."

According to the researchers' analyses, in recent years the town typically recorded all-cause death counts just over 100 per year. In 2018 and 2019, for instance, the town recorded 128 and 121 deaths, respectively. This contrasts sharply with the 194 deaths seen during the three-and-a-half-month period between 1 January 2020 and 11 April 2020; of these, 151 occurred in March 2020 alone. This corresponds to a monthly all-cause mortality of 154 deaths per 1,000 person years for March 2020, nearly eleven times the rate recorded for the same month of the previous year (14 deaths per 1,000 person years). The largest increase in mortality recorded during the pandemic was seen among people aged 65 and over, with men disproportionately affected. 14 deaths involved people younger than 65.

"In the light of Nembro's otherwise extremely stable all-cause mortality figures, the massive increase in mortality seen during March 2020 can only be interpreted as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic", says the study's first author, Marco Piccininni, who is a researcher at the IPH. Out of a total of 166 deaths recorded during the pandemic (late February to early April 2020), only 85 had tested positive and were subsequently recorded as deaths from COVID-19. "This represents an enormous discrepancy and shows that the pandemic's impact on the health of the population was significantly more pronounced than the official COVID-19 death count would suggest," explains Piccininni. The study's authors believe there are two main reasons for this discrepancy. Firstly, it is likely that not all infected people were identified as such. This is probably attributable to a shortage of materials needed for testing and the fact that not all suspected cases were tested. Secondly, this could be due to people with non-COVID-related conditions having impaired access to health care, either because health system capacities had been exhausted by COVID-19 cases or because of individuals' reluctance to visit the hospital for fear of infection.

"If we are to accurately quantify the health impact of the pandemic, we must not rely on confirmed COVID-19 deaths as the sole metric," emphasizes Prof. Kurth. "To better adapt containment measures to the local situation, consideration should also be given to current data on all-cause mortality from within the relevant region. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to access up-to-date all-cause mortality data. I am pleased that Germany has recently started to make preliminary figures available."

###

*Piccininni M, Rohmann JL et al., Use of all cause mortality to quantify the consequences of covid-19 in Nembro, Lombardy: descriptive study. BMJ 2020;369:m1835. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m1835

The pandemic in Nembro

Nembro reported its first coronavirus cases towards the end of February 2020. This was soon followed by the introduction of the town's first social distancing measures. On 8 March, Nembro became part of one of Italy's 'red zones' - strict quarantine areas which people were neither permitted to enter nor leave. Residents were only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons, such as shopping for food or essential types of work. By 11 April, the number of confirmed cases had increased to 218. By 16 April 2020, 85 of these had died. Monthly all-cause mortality decreased during the month of April, which is likely a consequence of the strict community isolation measures.
Uber's logo is pictured at its office in Bogota

By Tina Bellon and Supantha Mukherjee

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc <UBER.N> will concentrate on its core businesses in ride-hailing and food delivery and cut 23% of its workforce in an attempt to become profitable despite the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in an email to employees on Monday.

Uber will cut a total of 6,700 jobs, including the 3,700 it had announced earlier this month, Khosrowshahi said, adding that the company plans to reduce investments in several "non-core projects."

Shares in Uber were up 6.9% to $34.69 following the announcement.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Uber said the layoffs and restructuring measures will result in one-time, mostly cash-based charges of between $210 million and $260 million in the second quarter. Overall, the measures are expected to generate $1 billion in annual cost savings compared with pre-pandemic budget plans.

Uber employed 28,600 people before the pandemic crippled its business, according to a regulatory filing at the end of the first quarter. The company's initial wave of 3,700 layoffs affected less-costly customer support and recruiting teams, while Monday's announcement affects 3,000 employees across nearly all departments.

Smaller U.S. rival Lyft Inc <LYFT.O> said late last month it would cut about 17% of its workforce.

Khosrowshahi said Uber must establish itself as a self-sustaining enterprise no longer in need of outside capital, calling the company's food delivery business Uber Eats the "next enormous growth opportunity."

Before the pandemic struck, Uber said it would become profitable on the basis of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by the end of this year. The company withdrew that guidance as global stay-at-home orders to curb the virus pummeled its ride-hailing business.

Ride-hailing trips, which generate the bulk of Uber's revenue, dropped 80% globally in April, but the company said demand was slowly recovering.

Uber on May 7 said it was now aiming to become profitable on an adjusted basis at some point in 2021, partially thanks to an uptick in restaurant food order deliveries.

Story continues

Khosrowshahi on Monday called Uber Eats a silver lining during the crisis and said be believes the currently loss-making unit would one day be profitable.

Demand for Uber Eats jumped 50% in the first quarter, but the unit still lost $313 million on an adjusted EBITDA basis.

Uber is currently in talks to buy food delivery rival GrubHub Inc <GRUB.N> to expand its market share.

Uber has been working on various other businesses, including the development of self-driving cars and a freight logistics network. Khosrowshahi did not directly mention these businesses in his email and a spokesman declined to comment beyond the email.

His email said Uber would close its startup incubator program and artificial intelligence research lab. Uber was also looking at strategic alternatives for Uber Works, a platform Uber launched in October to help companies fill staffing gaps with temporary workers during peak demand.

Khosrowshahi also said the company was closing or consolidating some 45 office locations globally as part of the restructuring.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru and Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Marguerita Choy and Steve Orlofsky)
Kenalls Indigo-Clean: safe, proven disinfection lighting. Patrick Marry, President of Kenall, stated, Kenall is moving into our next phase of championing disinfection using safe wavelengths of visible light. Sublicensing Strathclydes core patents using the Indigo-Clean brand will further expand the use of this unique, life-saving technology.

Kenall Manufacturing has licensed visible light disinfection patents to Pinnacle Architectural Lighting of Denver, Colorado. Both lighting companies are part of Legrand North and Central America.

The patent licenses will allow Pinnacle to provide Indigo-Clean visible light disinfection across a broad range of their product line, using the core disinfection patents from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Indigo-Clean employs visible light to disinfect and is safe for continuous human exposure.

Patrick Marry, President of Kenall, stated, Kenall is moving into our next phase of championing disinfection using safe wavelengths of visible light. Sublicensing Strathclydes core patents using the Indigo-Clean brand will further expand the use of this unique, life-saving technology.

Cameron Cole, President of Pinnacle, stated, Pinnacle is pleased to be at the forefront of bringing disinfection lighting to a broader market. This is a natural benefit of both lighting companies being part of Legrand.

Kenall and Pinnacle are leading manufacturers of specialized solid-state lighting equipment and controls as part of Legrands Lighting Sector. The companies focus on architectural and specification-grade lighting for offices, education, healthcare, laboratories and many other critical environments. To learn more about Legrand North and Central America, visit http://www.legrand.us.

Indigo-Clean is a registered trademark of Kenall Manufacturing, Inc.
My PFP: a wise and persuasive guide to more righteous and Godly living. My PFP is the creation of published author, Franklin L. Elmore, a theology graduate of Trinity International Divinity School and former member of the United States Air Force.

My PFP is written so every confessed believer can become a functional member of the body of Christ. It will help pastors and lay persons affectively communicate the original content of Scripture to their local congregants. My PFP answers the question: Is a new membership class necessary?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Franklin L. Elmores new book is a wise, practical, and informative guide that details how believers may utilize the lessons found in the bible and harness the power of their own faith to change both their own lives and those of others for the better.

By teaching readers how to live the word of God more fully and to heed the messages of the Holy Spirit in the world at large, this book provides a blueprint for the Christian journey that enables converts, congregants, and pastors alike to begin the process of showing their faith through their works and deeds.

View a synopsis of My PFP on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase My PFP at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about My PFP, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.


The federal government says it has quarantined the pilots of a British airline that flouted Nigerias ban on commercial flights. A...





The federal government says it has quarantined the pilots of a British airline that flouted Nigerias ban on commercial flights.





At the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, said the airline would be dealt with.





Recall Flairjet was caught operating commercial flights despite Nigerias ban on commercial flights.





The airline has not made any official comment on the incident.

Sirika said the airline had applied to operate humanitarian flights but was charging money to fly people in and out.





We believe that the whole essence of lockdown is to ensure there is no movement of persons freely, because this COVID-19 happened because someone travelled and brought it in. If you want to catch fish, empty the water. So, this shouldnt happen, he said.





We are investigating the matter right now. It will finish very soon. The pilots will be subjected to 14-day quarantine while investigation goes on. The aircraft is impounded in Lagos. And the crew are British nationals,





Whatever is there in our laws will be applied to the fullest.





The federal government barred international flights into the country on March 23 as part of efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak. Only essential flights are allowed to operate at the airports.




The Matrix Co-Creator Lilly Wachowski responded to Elon Musk and Ivanka Trump's reference to her film, on Twitter, Sunday.

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Musk originally wrote "Take the red pill," to which Trump responded "Taken!" Both were referencing the reopening of America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Fuck both of you," Wachowski curtly replied. After her post went viral, she added, "Support @BSAllianceChi if you can."

Musk has been openly in support of reopening American businesses, and has already attempted to reopen his Tesla factory, going against state orders.

"I think we're rapidly moving towards opening up the country," Musk explained during an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan. "It's going to happen extremely fast over the next few weeks."

"Where do civil liberties fit in this picture? What can the government make you do? What can they make you not do, and what's okay?" Musk asked. "I think we went too far."

Musk was even harsher on a conference call following the Telsa's first-quarter profit: "Frankly, I would call it forcible imprisoning of people in their homes against all of, their constitutional rights, in my opinion," he said. "It's breaking people's freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong and not why they came to America or built this country. What the f---. Excuse me. Outrage. Outrage."

[Via]
BOULDER, Colo., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bolder Industries, a Boulder, Colorado-based recovered carbon black and petrochemical extraction pioneer that perfected the recovery of carbon black and petrochemicals from end-of-life tires at commercial scale, announces investment in infrastructure and team. Investments expand opportunities for rubber, plastics, and oil markets to use responsibly sourced alternative materials without sacrificing performance while reducing cost.

Bolder Industries employee updating the economic impact board to celebrate BolderBlack rCB performance and remind the team about the mission.

Bolder Industries increased investment in technical expertise, physical lab space, and its leadership team based on the success of its pilot programs. The Maryville, Missouri, Bolder Industries plant fully commercialized the solution, accepting end-of-life tires at the gate and extracting steel, BolderBlack (Bolder Industries' recovered carbon black brand), gas, and petrochemicals with a 98% recovery rate and a net-positive energy facility. The net effect is a ~90% reduction of environmental impact across the board when considering greenhouse gas emissions, electricity, and water usage, and at a lower price. Bolder Industries' patent-pending manufacturing process offers all of the petroleum-based products inside of a tire another life, revealing re-use savings.

Ginger Glidewell, Technical Director at Elite Elastomers Inc., an Applicative Compounder in the U.S. Custom Mix market, commented, "Their steady production, consistent product-quality numbers, and increasing sales are the foundation for the next step. And the next step is here since the production trials were a success. Adding Bolder Industries' expertise to ours so we could successfully compound a consistent product using BolderBlack rCB was the gateway customers were looking for. We're excited to see Bolder Industries and their BolderBlack moving forward and reaching growth goals. As a result, Elite Elastomers is able to check our own sustainability 'boxes' and provide that platform for customers," she added, "Both BolderBlack and Elite Elastomers initiatives bring the U.S. rubber market design options that were never before available."

Bolder Industries CTO Nate Murphy explained the tipping point. "We have been able to prove our uptime, quality, consistency, operational costs, and sales of all products over the past 18 months at full commercial scale. What has been a critical step for us is to have a clear definition around our charter product, BolderBlack. Customers can reliably use BolderBlack rCB in their formulas."

BolderBlack has made its way into more than 300 products ranging from tires to construction materials to waste containers. The learning experience has led Bolder Industries to a product-driven, customer-centric approach that helps companies achieve their margin, quality, and sustainability goals.

Bolder Industries' CEO Tony Wibbeler said, "Demand for custom formulas has been increasing. We expected that things would level-off during COVID-19. Instead, the casualness and quick connectivity of video-chat-meetings have accelerated conversations with brands looking to innovate and tell a new story. The new story focuses on responsible resources. The new dialog isn't about 'eco' and 'sustainable' as much as it is about the thoughtful use of what we've rediscovered as the resourceful use of the materials we already have."

Nearly anything that is black plastic or rubber can use BolderBlack as a sustainable alternative to virgin carbon black, the commercialization of BolderBlack rCB makes it easier for companies to commit to a sustainable impact.

INDUSTRIAL RUBBER

Bolder Industries has built a full-scale rubber development laboratory in Punta Gorda, Florida, led by Mike Kumbalek. He has more than 45 years of industrial rubber compounding and executive leadership and was Bolder Industries' first customer.

TIRES

Adding leadership and strategy by hiring Dave Abdallah, who spent 21 years at Bridgestone and whose experience includes tire compounding, process engineering, technology acquisition, and two years of selling and marketing recovered carbon black. He is responsible for one of the most successful implementations of recovered carbon black in tires to date.

PLASTICS

Adding Giovanni Michetti as a retained consultant who brings more than 30 years of black masterbatch experience to add plastics expertise.

DISTRIBUTION

Thomas Swan Ltd, North America, a well-known industrial rubber specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor, increases U.S. coverage and customer interaction.

About Bolder Industries

Bolder Industries partners with global brands and manufactures the most sustainable rubber and plastic ingredient on the market, BolderBlack rCB, from its Innovation Lab. Bolder Industries converts end-of-life tires into desirable carbon black and petroleum -- with minimal waste. Its mission is to solve a growing tire-waste problem while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and the use of electricity while creating manufacturing jobs in the USA. The passion for the mission has created a series of technological developments and patents focused on the waste tire problem and its custom compounding lab to help customers accelerate time to market. www.bolderindustries.com

Contact: Rachael Shayne, [email protected]

Related Images

inside-bolder-industries-maryville.jpeg

Inside Bolder Industries | Maryville Production Facility

Bolder Industries employee updating the economic impact board to celebrate BolderBlack rCB performance and remind the team about the mission.

SOURCE Bolder Industries

Related Links

http://www.bolderindustries.com


By PTI

MEXICO CITY: State officials in northern Mexico say gunmen killed the owner of a newspaper and one of the policemen who had been assigned to protect him following earlier threats.

Sonora state prosecutor office said Jorge Miguel Armenta Avalos was attacked while leaving a restaurant Saturday afternoon in downtown Ciudad Obregon.

Municipal police officer Orlando Antonio Ruvalcaba Flores also was killed and a fellow officer was wounded.

Armenda Avalos was the director of Medios Obson and El Tiempo, which publish both in print and online.

State prosecutor Claudia Indira Contreras vowed to pursue all possible angles, but there were apparently no suspects,
Married At First Sight's Jessika Power has hit back at Miriam Margolyes after the Harry Potter star made controversial comments about living in Australia.

The 79-year-old actress offended many Queenslanders on Monday by saying people should be 'ashamed' to live in high-rise buildings in Surfers Paradise.

English-born Margolyes, who became an Australian citizen in 2013, described the vast development of the Gold Coast tourist hotspot 'brutal' and 'greedy'.

Feud: Married At First Sight's Jessika Power (left) has hit back at Miriam Margolyes (right) after the 79-year-old Harry Potter star said people should be 'ashamed' to live in 'greedy' and 'overdeveloped' Surfers Paradise

Jessika, 28, who has called the Gold Coast home for years, told Daily Mail Australia she strongly disagreed with Margolyes' 'privileged' comments.

'Its easy for someone with money to say something like that,' she said.

'Those type of apartments are all that some people can afford, and it gives people a bit of luxury, too. The hotels bring in so many tourists that Australia needs.'

Rebuttal: Jessika, 28, who has called the Gold Coast home for years, told Daily Mail Australia she strongly disagreed with Margolyes' 'privileged' comments

'She probably cares more about nature': Ines Basic, who fled war-torn Bosnia with her family as a child and emigrated to Australia, said the Gold Coast was 'a great place to live'

Jessika's co-star Ines Basic, 29, who fled Bosnia with her family and emigrated to Australia as a child, said the Gold Coast was 'a great place to live'.

'I grew up on the Gold Coast and I'm back here again and honestly I don't want to live anywhere else. I love it,' she said.

But Ines did say Margolyes was 'entitled to her opinion'.

'Surfers Paradise isn't too bad. She probably just cares about nature more than the developments. She's been around since before the 1980s so probably knows it better than I do,' she said.

Miriam's controversial remarks have divided Queenslanders on Facebook.

Some said they would be boycotting any shows she appears in, while others agreed there were too many developers and investors in the state.

Whingeing Pom: The expat British actress said on Monday she was horrified by the 'brutality' and 'greed' of her adopted home country

Margolyes, who is best known for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series, said on Monday she was horrified by the 'brutality' and 'greed' of her adopted home country.

She recently travelled from coast to coast filming ABC documentary series Almost Australian, and came to the realisation the country was 'much more complicated' than she had first thought when she arrived in the 1980s.

'We think we know what [Australia is] like, but we don't. It's quite complicated. It's layered. Lots of things happen. I do think I was right that it's harsher than it was. Maybe that's true in the world,' she told TV Tonight.

'There's a harshness about it, which I didn't expect.'

'Those horrible structures along the coast': She said the most confronting part of filming ABC documentary series Almost Australian was having to visit Surfers Paradise, a highly developed stretch of coastline on Queensland's Gold Coast popular with holidaymakers (pictured)

Margolyes lives in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales with her longtime partner, Heather Sutherland, a retired Australian professor of Indonesian studies.

She said the most confronting part of the documentary was having to visit Surfers Paradise, a highly developed stretch of coastline on Queensland's Gold Coast.

'There is a brutality there and a greed in Australia, which I don't like,' she said.

'You know, the developers. Those horrible structures along the coast, that people should be ashamed of living in. Surfers Paradise, it's disgusting. I think that actually shocked me because I don't go there. It's not my world and I don't want to go there.'

Adopted Aussie: The BAFTA-winning actress became a naturalised citizen in January 2013 after years of dividing her time between London and Australia
It is like having a lung expert by your side: the software designed by the University of Trento in collaboration with the University of Eindhoven provides support for the diagnosing of Covid-19.

The knowhow from the world's top experts in lung ultrasound were collected and organized in the software application. Their expertise is now quickly available to the medical community, in a functional way, free of charge, just a few clicks away. You just have to load the patient's scans and the software automatically compares them with data available, providing an accurate analysis that can help doctors make a diagnosis.

Artificial intelligence provides speed and accuracy, showing and grading abnormalities due to changes at the lung surface. This will support doctors in making faster and accurate diagnosis. In fact, lung ultrasound imaging (ultrasonography) reveals specific patterns that enable doctors to understand patients' conditions and choose the best possible treatment. Ultrasound waves, in other words, are used to 'take a picture' of the lungs and reveal any alteration.

"It is up to doctors to make a diagnosis. But these algorithms can be of great help. They keep on improving as we acquire, process and analyse more data" commented Libertario Demi, coordinator of the ICLUS project of the University of Trento. "These algorithms are used in hospitals and emergency rooms as we speak. We have started a collaboration with the Provincial Health Care Service, which is about to define a test phase in Trentino, and the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven is already on board. The technology is being used in hospitals across Italy in Brescia, Valle del Serchio-Lucca, at Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli and at Policlinico Universitario San Matteo. The collaboration between medical doctors, physicists and computer engineers is crucial for its development. We are available to train health care workers and to further develop algorithms that can help them manage the pandemic. This solution is easily implemented: it is already available through a web application thanks to which doctors from all over the world can have algorithms examine their ultrasound data in real time. Doctors will be able to monitor the evolution of the disease at the patients' site as this technology is also available through wireless ultrasound systems".

These diagnostic improvements could also make triage more efficient: "The algorithms give a response in a matter of seconds - explained Demi. You can examine five or more patients per hour with one machine. If you multiply this for all the available machines, the testing and monitoring capacity is significantly increased".

This solution also offers various advantages over alternative imaging technologies such as CT or MRI. It is cost-effective, can be installed on highly portable devices that can be utilized at patients' site, does not use ionizing radiation (as with CT), and can help minimizing the risk of contamination since it strongly reduces patients' mobility.

###

The algorithms are already available online for medical personnel: https://iclus-web.bluetensor.ai/

For further general information about the project: https://www.disi.unitn.it/iclus
Over 3,400 people, who were stranded in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, have been brought back to Himachal Pradesh in five special trains since May 13, officials said.

The state government through its nodal officers arranged one train from Benguluru and two trains each from Goa and Maharashtra to bring back stranded residents of Himachal Pradesh. Of the two trains from Maharashtra, one departed from Mumbai and the other from Nagpur.

The officials said as many as 3,491 people were brought back in five trains from Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra since May 13.

They said 2,074 people were brought back from Goa to Una, 78 from Nagpur to Pathankot, 697 from Mumbai to Una and 642 came from Karnataka's Bengaluru.

Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said a total of 3,413 people stranded in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown returned to Una in four special trains since May 13.

While 642 people came from Bengaluru on May 13, 1,486 people returned from Goa on May 15, 697 residents returned from Mumbai and 588 people came back from Goa on May 18, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
They've been pretty much inseparable since they were spotted vacationing together in Havana, Cuba, in March.

So perhaps it's not a huge surprise to see that Ben Affleck, 47, is now sharing clothes with his girlfriend Ana de Armas, 32.

On Sunday, a fan account for the Knives Out actress pointed out that both Ben and Ana have been spotted out wearing the same green button-up shirt from designer Frank & Eileen.

'Who wore it best?' Ben Affleck and his girlfriend Ana de Armas have been seen sharing the same button-up shirt

'Who wore this green shirt best?' Ana de Armas Updates tweeted on Sunday, prompting much discussion on the social media platform.

Fans replied in jest to the tweet, with one user questioning: 'Did they wear it on the same day? Because that is very unsanitary,' while another said: 'Guys... its called a man blouse.'

It comes after the pair have been seen wearing matching heart necklaces earlier this month, proving just how giddy in love the couple seem to be.

Ben and Ana went Instagram official last month, when the actress posted getaway pics of them celebrating her 32nd birthday.

Eagle-eyed: A fan account spotted Ben and Ana wearing the same shirt

Popular choice: The pair seem to be fighting over who gets to wear the green shirt

Matchy matchy: The couple have been inseparable since they began dating in March

Styling it out: Ben is making no secret of the fact he's smitten with his new gal

The lovebirds met in the fall while filming Deep Water in New Orleans, in which Affleck plays a man suspected of murdering his wife's (de Arma) lovers.

They've since been isolating together at the Gone Girl actor's house in Los Angeles since returning from Costa Rica.

A source told People: 'They seem to have a great time together. They order delivery food and groceries and only leave the house for walks around the neighborhood with their dogs.

Instagram official: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas made their relationship Instagram official Thursday with some gorgeous Polaroids as they enjoyed a romantic desert retreat to celebrate her 32nd birthday

'Ben looks incredible happy. They are flirty and goofy. Ana always has a huge smile around him.'

Recently, they've become well-known for the public displays of affection in public.

Meanwhile in February earlier this year, Ben grabbed headlines when he called his divorce from wife Jennifer Garner was his 'biggest regret' in a candid interview which explored his struggle with alcoholism, and the devastating impact his addiction had on his marriage and career.

The actor actor opened up to the New York Times about the pain he felt amid the breakdown of his marriage to Jen with the pair announcing their separation in June 2015.

'The biggest regret of my life is this divorce,' he told the publication. 'Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It's just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing.'
A snap review of the government's childcare relief package has found the measures have helped keep the vast majority of services open through the COVID-19 crisis but acknowledged some are not satisfied with the arrangements and are operating at a loss.

The package, which has provided fee-free childcare for families, was introduced from the start of April after a mass exodus of enrolments put thousands of services on the brink of collapse. The package aimed to stabilise revenue by providing operators with half their ordinary government funding on top of JobKeeper wage subsidy payments.

Education Minister Dan Tehan. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In a survey of thousands of operators as part of the scheduled one-month review of the package, 86 per cent said it had helped them stay open, 76 per cent said it had helped them remain financially viable, 86 per cent said it helped them retain staff and 80 per cent said it helped them keep children enrolled.

The relief package succeeded in these goals, according to a summary report released by the government on Tuesday.
Sri Lankans spent fifty-two (52) days in a government enforced curfew and lockdown to protect its citizens from the global Covid-19 pandemic. This proved to be an extremely difficult time for people across the country; made more acute by constant news of the virus spreading and extensions of lockdown to ensure the safety of the society at large.

Dentsu Grant Group, Sri Lanka (the local Dentsu Aegis Network office and largest integrated communication group in the country) approached the popular local TV channel Swarnavahini on Live@8 (their main news bulletin) to counter this negativity by disrupting local Covid-19 news stories with stories of positivity and hope. Together, they launched Happy News, a special two-minute news segment that broadcasted stories of optimism and moments of joy; to bring a smile to the face of the viewers during their newscast. This local industry-first media innovation has been crafted to counterbalance the surge of negative stories related to the ongoing global pandemic and encourage Sri Lankans to share their positive moments at home, with the rest of the country.

Being one of the leaders in the communications industry in the country, we decided to do our part, said Neela Marikkar, Chairperson and MD, Dentsu Grant Group, we wanted this to be an authentic segment to uplift people with some happy moments during these dark times devoid of any commercialism. Swarnavahini also bought into this platform with enthusiasm and partnered us on this journey.

Some of Sri Lankas biggest celebrities and influencers were featured on this two-minute segment which was aired for the first time on April 25th. Swarnavahinis Live@8 news program averages a daily reach of over 1.6 million. Rarely shown to the public, an intimate, stripped back look into these personalities lives were featured on national television; their individual take of how to keep positive during the lockdown; some writing songs of their experiences; others introducing their own family members who have shied away from the public - were unique Happy News stories that were featured on this segment.

A total of eight (8) Happy News segments have been aired during a span of 2 weeks. All segments were turned around in under 2 days each, produced from script to final film internally at the agency, who have been working from home since the 16th March 2020 as per the Sri Lankan pandemic regulations. All the team members worked remotely from their homes and were able to deliver live news TV segments under trying working conditions. Over 15 local artists, sporting celebrities and social influencers were engaged to share their uplifting stories of COVID-19 solidarity and featured on Happy News. Viewers were encouraged to send in their own videos and moments from home too, many that were incorporated into the segments that aired.

In the special Vesak day segment of Happy News legendary Kumar Sangakkara former Captain of the national team and the current President of the MCC asked the public to join him and his family in celebrating Vesak to pay homage and to pray for the protection of those people on the frontline to keep people safe by lighting four oil lampseach dedicated with a blessing for key workers. One for the health workers, one for the tri-forces and police, the other for those who did delivery and essential food services and the final lamp for the health and wellbeing of citizens of Sri Lanka and all over the world.

The Dentsu Grant Group launched a multi-platform social campaign to support the news broadcast and to share Happy News stories as well as crowd source content. Due to the nature of the project, the teams embarked on the digital campaign with very little media budget allocated to it and achieved some extraordinary results to date. On Facebook, Happy News generated over 1.2 Million user reach. And in the last 28 days, Happy News has engaged with over 80,000 users on multiple platforms. During Vesak, Kumar Sangakkaras video received 17,000 views on YouTube and a staggering 160,000 views on Facebook.

To learn more about the Happy News campaign, visit www.happynews.lk or Happy News on below social media platforms;
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Linkedin Siti Rahmayanti (The Jakarta Post) Boston, Massachusetts  Mon, May 18, 2020 08:01 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8af0be 3 Opinion healthcare,mental-health,burn-out,Physician-burnout,COVID-19 Free

On the last Sunday of April, a top-notch emergency room doctor in Manhattan, New York City, the United States, decided to end her own life. The tragic death of Lorna Breen was fueled by a series of traumatic events she had to face amid this pandemic.



While relentlessly battling on the frontline, her family members said that the sight of dying patients left and right, many of whom could not even be transferred from the ambulance, had left her broken. At the time of her death, Breen was in recovery and had just returned to practice after contracting COVID-19 the previous week.



This story could happen to any healthcare provider who puts their life on the line today. Suicidal thoughts are not uncommon among depressed individuals, as burnout is not new among physicians.



Physician burnout is defined as a work-related syndrome that leads to emotional exhaustion, signs of depersonalization and reduced self-accomplishment. Assessment of physician burnout is conducted through a validated survey tool called the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI). In the US where physician-burnout phenomena are more widely studied, identified contributors include total working time, administrative workload and individual factors such as work-home conflicts.

Read also: `I'm never going to be the same': Medics grapple with mental trauma on COVID-19 front line

Adding COVID-19 to the cocktail creates unprecedented stress among the physician community. A shortage of medical supplies, unfamiliarity with the crisscrossing new evidence, uncertainty about the extent of disease spread and fear of contaminating their loved ones are a few of the many potential triggers.



Since personal protective equipment (PPE) is scarce, medical staff often have to endure wearing such equipment for their entire shift. Apart from the general discomfort from layering, reports on COVID-19 PPE-related skin damage are increasing. Collectively, burnout leads to an increased risk of major medical errors, low productivity and depression that are detrimental to the physicians and the patients they serve.



The deaths of at least 25 Indonesian doctors so far have been attributed to COVID-19 and many have to self-isolate because of the exposure or as a result of showing symptoms. Apart from the high risk of falling ill from direct exposure to the coronavirus, some of the often-overlooked burden for the doctors is the psychological frailty from burning out. In the pre-pandemic era, the Indonesian healthcare system was already overburdened by the patient load, overstretched medical infrastructure and a flawed national payment scheme.



The doctor-to-patient ratio in Indonesia is approximately 0.4 per 1,000 population in 2017, among the lowest in Southeast Asia according to the World Health Organization. As the pandemic accelerates without yet reaching its peak, Indonesias health system will continuously be overwhelmed by infectious individuals needing testing and care.



Resident physicians are among the most vulnerable to developing burnout. Published studies on physician burnout in Indonesia have been conducted among residency training programs. For instance, pediatrics and anesthesiology programs in two different centers in Bandung, West Java, were found to have depression and burnout rates as high as 23.9 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

Read also: Over 22,000 healthcare workers infected by COVID-19: WHO

However, the percentage of burnout during this pandemic is predictably beyond baseline. As juniors who are default volunteers during COVID-19 era, the resident doctors often must work long hours in order to meet patient needs, carrying academic responsibilities, dealing with administrative paperwork and reporting to their supervisors.



Unlike fellow residents from other countries such as the US and Australia, and even our closest neighbors such as Singapore and Malaysia, Indonesian resident physicians are the only ones who must pay their own tuition and are essentially unpaid. This situation creates insecurities and is psychologically far from ideal to begin with. Without safeguards from potential health and economic impacts, it is also unclear whether financial relief offered by the Indonesian government includes compensation for resident doctors.

______



Many healthcare providers are still facing difficulties in accessing their right to get tested whenever indicated.

______



The need to address this issue is urgent since any hope of an end to the war remains bleak. Scientists recommend measures at all levels. At the individual level, physicians must remind themselves that practicing self-care is part of medical professionalism. At the institutional level, the length and number of shifts should be adjusted accordingly to allow adequate recovery time for each member of medical staff.



Since many elective surgeries and non-urgent medical appointments are being put on hold, repurposing the personnel to COVID-19 posts should be considered. Unnecessary administrative work should be cut out, and when possible, those working from home could help remotely through encrypted electronic medical records to reduce hospital time. Importantly, evaluating burnout should be done to provide supportive care before it becomes too late.



The government needs to be engaged in different facets. Transparency is key to instilling trust among the public and healthcare workers. Prioritizing an adequacy of medical supplies and protective equipment will provide a sense of safety.



Many healthcare providers are still facing difficulties in accessing their right to get tested whenever indicated, an alarm call that means the government needs to ramp up the gold-standard testing on an even bigger scale.



Some local governments have offered support to medical practitioners through local initiatives. In Jakarta, hotels near hospitals are provided to minimize commuting and to reduce the risk of infection for family members. In West Java, Governor Ridwan Kamil has shown his progressiveness in increasing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing capacity, updating real-time mapping and pushing industries to produce locally made PPE.



More importantly, the authorities have to prepare adequate infrastructure and public health preparedness for the next wave of the pandemic. For all we know, this will not be the last.



People can also help as social pillars to take care of the caregivers within their capacities.



Obeying the policy on social distancing is vital to contain the virus spread and to prevent the overwhelming of hospitals. Many social movements have shown positive signs of solidarity toward physicians and their teams. Fundraising to distribute PPE, new production of ventilators for intensive care units, bulk supplies of vitamins and food supplies from local businesses are directly and indirectly helpful in supporting physician wellbeing.



We cannot afford to lose another Dr. Breen before our eyes. The increased degree of physician burnout has now emerged as a global crisis that we need to address and intervene to stop. In the case of a prolonged pandemic, having dysfunctional frontline staff will certainly obstruct any economic and public health endeavor that we pursue in the long run.

***

Graduate student researcher at Boston Childrens Hospital and masters in medical sciences in immunology candidate at Harvard Medical School. The views expressed are personal.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
The Duggar family is continuing their quest to shore up their image, despite former employees and even family members coming forward with family gossip. One of the familys most recent Instagram posts was a birthday message to Jill Duggar. Until recently, Jill was not seen on the familys Instagram page in years, and the patriarch and matriarch of the family missed at least two birthday shoutout opportunities. Family critics, however, dug into the most recent message and noticed something strange. The caption appears to be written by only Michelle. Many followers believe the caption is a clear message that Jim Bob Duggar has nothing to do with this second oldest daughter.

Family insiders seem to confirm a familial rift

A family insider sat down with The Hollywood Gossip and spilled some serious family dirt. Not only did the reported former employee claim that Jim Bob has a horrid temper, but they also alleged that he has no problem excommunicating kids when he sees fit. The insider claimed that Jinger Duggar was briefly cut off from the Duggar clan when she moved to Los Angeles, and its clear that Jim Bob has some serious issues with Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard.

RELATED: Why Fans Thinks Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Have Disowned Jinger Duggar

Jim Bob has also been accused of hoarding earnings from the familys show, and marrying off his children when they dont follow his rules. It has been rumored that Josiah Duggar, for example, was basically forced to marry Lauren Swanson when a secular Facebook page was discovered. A different family insider alleges that Josiah is only sticking around because Jim Bob currently pays his bills.

Jill has been popping up on the Duggar family Instagram

Family critics think the Duggar family is following fan reactions and news articles. Shortly after the media began chronicling the apparent rift between Jill and Derick and her family, she started popping up on the familys Instagram page. Jill was invited to a family event with all of her sisters. Her presence was documented on the familys feed.

RELATED: Counting On: Jill Duggar Follows Her Brothers Ex on Instagram

The family also took to Instagram to wish Derick a happy birthday and shared photos of a visit to Israel Dillard on his birthday. There appears to be one common theme on any post that includes the Dillard family, though. Jim Bob seems to be completely absent. While Dericks birthday shoutout used the term we, family critics mainly believe Michelle is behind the post. Jim Bob was also absent for the drive-by birthday visit for Israel.

Family critics notice that Michelle Duggar seems to be behind the birthday post for Jill Duggar

Jill Duggar received a birthday shoutout on Instagram from her family. That, usually, wouldnt seem notable, but the Duggar family failed to acknowledge Jills birthday for several years. Family critics, however, noticed that the post doesnt seem to be coming from the whole family, or even Jim Bob and Michelle together. Instead, the caption reads as if the caption was written by only Michelle.

The snapshots used for the post dont feature Jim Bob. Michelle, however, is front and center. The caption also states, I remember the day you were born before it goes into characteristics that Jill embodies.

RELATED: Counting On: Does Jill Duggar Really Want Derick Dillard to Stop Spilling The Family Tea?

Family critics believe that the birthday shoutout is pretty telling. Jim Bob doesnt appear to want anything to do with Jill and her husband, and that would make sense. Jim Bob is apparently in damage control mode after Derick started spilling family tea on Instagram. He has also stated that he plans to pen a tell-all book about the Duggar clan.
UN says at least 108 civilians killed in Tigray since new year began as it warns aid distributions at an all-time low.
Labourer Rampukar Pandit, whose mournful face became emblematic of the tragedy faced by poor migrants currently, has been shifted to a hospital in Begusarai, Bihar, where he met his wife and nine-year-old daughter from a distance.

The 38-year-old man, who recently reached Bihar by a Shramik Special train, was quarantined in a school near Begusarai town after his arrival. He said on Sunday that officials took him to a hospital and conducted a test.

A despondent Rampukar, who took a long and arduous journey from Delhi to reach his hometown amid the nationwide lockdown after learning of his infant son's death, broke down when PTI contacted him over phone.

"My head spins when I open my eyes and I feel very weak. They brought me to a hospital in a car from the quarantine centre yesterday afternoon," he said in a very feeble voice. "They also did tests on me, by taking swabs from throat and nose. The result has not come yet."



The father, who lost his nearly one-year-old son, has been hankering to reunite with his family, but due to social-distancing norms in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, the reunion, too, meant separation.

Rampukar said his wife and daughter Poonam visited him at the hospital in Khodawandpur block of the district, but doctors allowed them to meet him briefly, only from a distance.

They had come around 4 pm yesterday, both wearing masks and doctors told them to stand a bit far from my bed, according to Rampukar.

"We were all crying, we wanted to hug each other. I wanted to hold my daughter, but a few metres of closeness and 10 minutes with them is all I could get," he told PTI.

"My wife and daughter brought me 'sattu', 'chura' and cucumber. But, I am too weak to eat by myself," Rampukar said.

Later, a hospital staff served dal-rice, which he ate in the afternoon.

"One friend also came from Bariarpur, my native place, and met me today," he said.

"I feel very weak. My children are also not eating because of my condition," Rampukar said.

"I am the breadwinner of the family and I am down. I need help," he said. "I appeal to the government to help me and people like me in this tragic time. We poor will just die otherwise."



Rampukar became a snapshot of India's migrant tragedy with his photograph speaking on the phone on a Delhi roadside, touching a chord in the hearts of millions of people across the country.

After, PTI put out his pictures and subsequently his story, many people are taking to social media, offering to help him.

The powerful image of the distraught man, struggling to reach home in Begusarai, almost 1,200 km away during the nationwide lockdown, was widely shared across all media, becoming a defining image of the trauma and struggles of lakhs of migrant labourers stranded away from home. This resulted in immediate help being provided to him to reach his home in Bihar.

The construction labourer, who worked at a cinema hall site in Delhi, was spotted weeping uncontrollably as he talked on the phone by the side of the Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi by PTI photographer Atul Yadav, who tried to help him.

Rampukar was helped eventually by a good Samaritan woman who have him food, Rs 5,500 and also booked his train ticket from Delhi to Begusarai.

He had been stuck at the Nizamuddin Bridge for three days before help arrived. A vehicle came and took him to a hospital in Delhi where he was tested for COVID-19. It was negative, Rampukar said on Saturday.

While his image were splashed across front pages of many national and local dailies and online portals a week ago, Rampukar himself has not seen the picture that shook the nation's conscience.

All that he's awaiting, is to reach his home, a journey that seems far longer than he had imagined.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The federal government on Monday said it was deliberately misled by the managements of some Nigerian universities into paying salaries to some deceased members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) through the Integrated Personnel Payroll system (IPPIS).

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was reacting to ASUUs criticism of the IPPIS and accusations that the government ended up paying dead members of the union.

The official said the affected university managements were to be blamed as they sent in lists containing deceased personnel for payment.

He also said ASUU was engaging in cheap propaganda to denigrate IPPIS for obvious reasons.

The official equally gave reasons why some lecturers did not receive salaries paid to them recently through the banks.

ASUU has been opposed to the implementation of the IPPIS as it argues it does not take into consideration its unique operations. This has led to confrontations between it and the Nigerian government over the last few months.

Deliberately Misled?

Mr Idris, in a statement, on Monday, said the government was misled into paying deceased ASUU staff.

He then accused the authorities of the unnamed universities of fraud.

On the alleged payment to dead university staff, it means the Institutions deliberately forwarded to IPPIS the list containing dead ASUU members as being part of their personnel, to get more personnel fund, Mr Idris said.

When President directed that ASUU be paid, the OAGF sent a letter, through NUC Executive Secretary, requesting for the list of ASUU members through their VCs. We run BVN (Bank Verification Number) test on the list forwarded to us as we are aware that we cannot use the old nominal roll because of changes that might have likely taken place.

It is the responsibility of the Institutions or Agencies to inform the IPPIS office about death, resignation or exit from service before due date. We sent payroll analysis to the tertiary institution Bursars for review of any omission or names to be excluded.

This issue is a cheap propaganda by ASUU to denigrate IPPIS for obvious reasons, Mr Idris added.

The statement did not add what the government was doing to rectify the payment errors or if there would be sanctions for managements of such universities.

Non-receipt of paid salaries

On why some lecturers did not receive their salaries,Mr Idris blamed it on lack of uniformity between the names in banks databases and on the payrolls sent by the institutions.

He said since salary payment through the IPPIS platform was personal and does not recognise joint accounts operated by two or more persons, about 1,180 Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) sent for validation and confirmation of account details failed the test and were rejected.

Those not paid, he said, were lecturers who failed to update their bank details to conform with their names on the payroll, including those who got married.

On the request by ASUU for tertiary institution workers unions to be exempted from certain taxes through IPPIS, Mr Idris said granting such a request would violate the extant laws on tax.

Recently, some university workers lamented what they said were huge deductions from their salaries when the salaries were paid using the IPPIS.

But, the accountant general said the deductions were statutory taxes paid by all salary earners.

He said the IPPIS applied the correct rate in computing the taxes in compliance with Section 34 of the 6th schedule on personal income tax (Amendment) Act of 2011.

Further insight

Giving more insight to the issue, Mr Idris said prior to the migration to IPPIS, the rate of tax applied by tertiary institutions was not correct, leading to underpayment of PAYE Tax.

As a result, he said, all state governments filed claims to the federal government to pay the differential that arose from the underpayment of tax by those institutions.

He said the federal government has since paid several billions on behalf of those institutions to the state governments.

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Also, he said the deduction of 2.5 per cent of basic salary for the National Housing Fund (NHF) is another statutory contribution backed by the Act of National Assembly, which the lecturers cannot be exempted from.

The Fund, he said, is a saving contribution by all federal employees to enable them have access to short life loans to own their personal houses.

These savings contributions, he said, are refundable with interest either at retirement or exit from service as an employee of the federal government.

Jabs

Mr Idris said it was unlawful for ASUU to request that those laws should not be applicable to its members, or the deductions made optional for them.

The request for breach of Act of Parliament is not within the ambit of the IPPIS or the OAGF, Mr Idris said. .

He said ASUU has already been advised to approach the National Assembly for amendment of the Act before their request could be considered.

On the 7.5 per cent deduction for employees pension contributions, Mr Idris faulted ASUUs claims that it should be based on basic salary and not on consolidated salary.

He said the consolidated salary was applicable when determining the contributions of all federal employees by the Salaries Income and Wages Commission (SIWC).

The actual amount contributed by the employee, he explained, determines what the government also contributes in line with the Pension Contributory Act.

Allowances

On payment of allowances, Mr Idris said it is based on the salary structure approved by the SIWC.

Consequently, Mr Idris said the university unions have been advised to approach the commission to formalise any agreement approved for them on salaries and allowances.

This is because the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (SIWC) is the only body authorised by law to prescribe salary structure and issue circulars for all federal government employees in Nigeria.

Besides, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation And Fiscal Commission is the sister body authorised by law to issue circular on payment of salary and allowances to political office holders, he said.

He said any other salaries and allowances approved by any other agency in Nigeria which are not formalised by these two agencies will amount to illegal payments.

On payment to sabbatical and adjunct lecturers, the official said these categories of lecturers are duly recognised by IPPIS.

However, he said this was dependent on the submission of the particulars of the affected lecturers, including their IPPIS number, primary institution, the start date of the sabbatical or the visiting and the end date.

While all staff on sabbatical are entitled to 100 per cent of their salaries as sabbatical allowances, he said visiting and adjunct lecturers would get 50 per cent of their salaries as visiting allowance.

He said the government would no longer incur unnecessary expenditure on pension, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), or such allowances that are not part of universities pensionable salaries.

On the 2 per cent deduction from consolidated salary as union dues, Mr Idris said this was done to save the government from being accused of denying ASUU their dues.

He, however, said the remittance of union deductions could only be legally made when the tertiary institutions and their union members forward the list of their members and their IPPIS numbers.

Unfair accusation

Describing as unfair, the accusation that IPPIS was withholding funds deducted from lecturers salaries, Mr Idris said until January 2020, the tertiary institutions were in charge of the payment of their salaries.

He said considering that the IPPIS commenced the payment of salaries to tertiary institution in February 2020, the

tertiary institutions owed their staff explanations why they refused to pay them up to January 2020.

Their refusal, he noted, contravened the presidential directive that all consequential arrears due to federal employees be paid on or before December 31, 2019.
The Arunachal Pradesh



government on Monday extended night curfew from 7 pm to 5 am till May 31 to contain COVID-19 pandemic, an official said here.

The state government also urged the business community to cooperate with the administration and ensures strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SoPs) like compulsory wearing of masks, use of sanitizer and social distancing while running their business.

Talking to reporters, Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Komkar Dulom said that the earlier order of opening of shops alternately on left and right sides of the NH-415 would continue to be in force in the state capital till the end of the lockdown.

Highlighting about the quarantine facilities in the capital region, the DC informed that the Police Training Centre (PTC) quarantine facility at Banderdewa has the capacity to accommodate 444 persons and at present 119 people are staying in the centre.

The state government has also set up paid quarantine centres in the capital by requisitioning 34 hotels at Itanagar and Naharlagun having a total of 608 rooms, the DC said.

Moreover, Dulom added, the BPL complex at Lekhi, near here, would start functioning as quarantine facility in a few days which would be able to accommodate 200 persons initially and a total of 570 persons once the whole complex is made ready.

We are expecting around 350 stranded students coming from various states to the capital region, the DC added.

Dulom appealed to all not to venture out of their homes unless very urgent especially, senior citizens above 65 years of age, children below 10 yrs of age and pregnant women.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Natural News) Social media companies are currently allowed to censor any term, idea, or discussion that they dont want on their platform. Big Tech has the power to ban anyone and any business they dont like, whose ideas they dont want to be heard. This censorship can be disguised as stopping misinformation or halting hate speech. Social media companies are allowed unlimited power to censor, block and ban people based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996.

Section 230 is outdated and does not provide protections for people who are censored for political or profit-driven reasons

According to Section 230: No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

Furthermore, no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of: any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected; or any action taken to enable or make available to information content providers or others the technical means to restrict access to material described in paragraph (1).

Under this act, the government gives social media companies the legal liability to act as judge and jury over the content that is shared through their platforms and services. Content reviewers and algorithms can filter out controversial subject matter, interpreting it as hate speech. Dissent toward vaccination, for example, can be perceived as harmful to certain industries and social media companies can have this information removed from the platform.

Because social media companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Twitter facilitate most of the information that is shared online, these entities have monopolistic control over civil discourse, the spread of ideas, and scientific debate. This power has given these Big Tech companies extraordinary control over the United States democracy and the free enterprise system. Because Big Tech does not charge its users, they monetize their business through targeted advertising. These financial incentives accelerate Big Tech to put their profit and business and political aspirations over peoples privacy and their ability to speak freely.

No social media user is guaranteed their First or Fourth Amendment rights while using these platforms  no right to privacy, no right speak freely. Social media companies have the power to favor the industries and political organizations that they profit from. Any dissent, competition, or political debate may be quashed. For these reasons, social media companies are incentivized to trample individual rights to further their interests and those who advertise with them.

Today, online platforms are essential to Americans lives, often serving as the primary conduit for how people receive and share information. Tech companies are no longer the startup companies that they once were. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996, is no longer relevant today. Social media companies are now monopolies, controlling the flow of information. Americans who have been restricted or banned by these platforms have no effective alternatives to speak out and reach other people. People who have been banned have no way to contest their case.

US Attorney General William Barr is currently challenging section 230 and the monopolistic control that Big Tech possesses. Barr understands that antitrust laws alone cannot address these complex issues that threaten free speech on the internet today.

For more on this important topic, visit Censorship.News.

Sources include:

Law.Cornell.edu
The number of COVID-19 cases in



Chhattisgarh reached to 93 on Monday, with a middle-aged man testing positive for the coronavirus infection, a Health official said.

The man had recently returned to Delhi and was kept in a quarantine facility in Surajpur, he said.

"His sample was sent for testing to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College in Raipur on May 15 which came out positive for the infection today," the official said.

The COVID-19 case count in the state now stands at 93 but the number of active cases is 34 as 59 people have been discharged after recovery, he said.

Of the active cases, 20 are undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Raipur, six at COVID hospital in Mana Raipur, five at COVID hospital Bilaspur and two at Medical College Hospital Ambikapur, he said.

Chhattisgarh COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 93, new cases 1, deaths 0, discharged people59, active cases 34, people tested so far 36,606.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This is the adorable moment the first baby pygmy hippo to be born at San Diego Zoo in 30 years explored its home for the first time.

In a heartwarming video posted to Facebook by the zoo the baby hippo, that is yet to be named, swims around its enclosure and nibbles its mother playfully.

The video of four-year-old Mabel and her baby boy has been liked 50,000 times and shared 8,500 times since being posted on May 16.

New pygmy on the block: This yet unnamed baby pygmy hippo is the first to be born at San Diego Zoo in 30 years

The footage shows the baby pygmy swimming around and nuzzling its mother.

It is also seen munching on some grass.

In a statement San Diego Zoo said: Mom and calf are doing very well and the calf is nursing and getting lots of attention from the first-time mother.

Mabel the pygmy hippo gave birth on April 9 at around 9am, the first successful birth of a pygmy hippo at San Diego Zoo in 30 years.

In footage shared by San Diego Zoo to celebrate Endangered Species Day, the baby boy swims with its mother and munches on some grass

Pygmy hippos are an endangered species and there are only around 2,500 left in their native Africa. Four-year-old Mable (right) gave birth on April 9 around 9am

The video of the long-awaited birth was released to celebrate Endangered Species Day.

The pygmy hippo is a relative of the river hippopotamus but weighs ten times less and is half the size.

They are also listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

There are only around 2,500 pygmy hippos left in Africa and though traditionally they were spread across the continent, they can now only be found in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote dIvoire.
Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

Few people understand the terrible cost of the coronavirus like Lee Snover, a Republican party chair in one of the key swing counties that could determine whether Donald Trump is reelected as president in November.

Snover, who helped deliver an upset victory for Trump in 2016 in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, lost her father to the virus this spring. Her husband fell critically ill, too, spending 17 days in an intensive care unit before recovering. Her mother, a cancer survivor, was also in intensive care for eight days before emerging.

It spread through my entire family, Snover said.

Trump stands accused of driving up the coronavirus death toll by downplaying the public health threat and urging the country to reopen too quickly. But Snover does not see the president as having failed her family.

I dont think people give him enough credit, she said. If you think about what a businessman he was, and how much he loved that booming economy, do you know how hard it was for him to shut the country down? That was hard. So I give him credit for that.

At times it has appeared that the pandemic, which has already taken at least 90,000 lives in the United States and wreaked havoc with the economy, would also destroy support for Trump, and his chances for reelection. But interviews with longtime Trump supporters in Northampton county indicate the extraordinary durability of backing for the president among his base.

The state that decides Trumps win

As part of his nascent return to the campaign trail during the pandemic, Trump made a trip to Snovers backyard, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, last week. He visited a medical equipment distributor and blasted Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, for not easing virus mitigation measures sooner.

Next year is going to be through the roof, Trump said. We have to get your governor of Pennsylvania to start opening up a little bit. You have areas of Pennsylvania that are barely affected, and they have  they want to keep them closed. Cant do that.

Story continues

Supporters gather to welcome Donald Trumps motorcade in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Matt Smith/REX/Shutterstock

It was only Trumps second outing since the pandemic hit, and the venue was carefully chosen. Northampton, which borders Allentown and is the subject of an ongoing Guardian series, was one of only three counties statewide to vote twice for Barack Obama before falling for Trump in 2016; handing him the massive electoral prize of Pennsylvania  and the presidency.

If Trump can win here again, political analysts say, he has a good chance of holding the White House.

Christopher Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, said that the pandemic does not appear to have changed the race for Trump much in the Lehigh Valley.

Despite this enormous thing happening, I dont see clear indicators that the race itself has changed here, in the sense that theres been only some modest movement in polls in recent months, Borick said. While the world has changed since the onset of the pandemic, the political calculus hasnt.

Were lucky to get a president like him

Joe DAmbrosio, 79, who has cut hair in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for more than 50 years, was also struck by tragedy this spring, when one of his best friends died from the virus.

He and his wife caught a cold, DAmbrosio said. He was perfectly healthy, this was six weeks ago. She caught a cold, he caught a cold, so he said to his wife, I just cant breathe right. So they go to the hospital.

His friend fought for a week. When you talk about two people from Minnesota that died from it, theyre just statistics, DAmbrosio said. But when theyre close to you, then you realize how real this thing is.

Like a lot of older Democrats in a town that was once home to the legendary  and heavily unionized  Bethlehem Steel, DAmbrosio voted for both parties over the years before coming out as an early and enthusiastic Trump supporter. That support has not changed.

Ill tell you what, I think were so lucky that at this time in our life, we were able to get a president like him, at the right time, DAmbrosio said.

A protester wears a Trump face mask while rallying against the coronavirus restrictions in Pennsylvania. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

He dismissed criticism that Trump had made the country complacent by advising that the virus would disappear.

What he did was damage control, DAmbrosio said. People were starting to panic, buying everything, emptying the stores. He got it to calm down.

Pennsylvania has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-19 deaths, mostly in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Last week Wolf announced an additional $16m in funding for food banks, where people have queued up before dawn, after the state shed about 2m jobs from mid-March onwards.

Bruce Haines, a former steel executive who runs the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, a crown jewel of the local tourism industry, said business had plunged.

It was like you turned off a lightbulb, Haines said on the phone from Florida. The cancellation calls the week of 9 March were incredible. And it hit us blindly, because we were coming off our best year ever in 2019.

Haines praised Trumps move to reopen the economy. I think its right on target, and its necessary, Haines said. And anybody whos a businessman knows that Trumps the right guy there, to bring us out of this downturn. Because hes a businessman.

A downward trend

Peg Ferraro, a Republican official popular with Democrats who for years was the only woman on the county council, retired last year and also spoke on the phone from Florida.

I think hes doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances, where youve never been through it really before, she said of Trump. I think he was absolutely correct in leaving it up to the governors  they know their states better than making blanket statements for everybody.

Trumps visit to Pennsylvania last Thursday represented a headache for Wolf, who is in an escalating war with Republican officials over reopening the state county by county. True to a national pattern, Republicans from more rural districts in the state are less likely to see the pandemic as dangerous than Democrats, Borick said.

Trump supporters hold signs highlighting their displeasure with Pennsylvanias governor. Photograph: Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Trump could still lose in the Lehigh Valley. Public approval of his handling of the coronavirus crisis has plunged nationally from about 50% in late March to just over 40% now, with about 55% disapproving, according to polling averages. While there is plenty of time before the election to reverse that slide, polling in Pennsylvania shows a similar trend.

Trumps margin of victory in 2016 in Northampton county was narrow, spurred by record turnout. And his opponent in that race, Hillary Clinton, was disliked by voters in a way that Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee, who grew up in Pennsylvania, does not appear to be.

The unique logistics of the fall election could also go a long way in deciding the victor here, Borick said. Just last year, Pennsylvania for the first time approved absentee voting for everyone, potentially throwing the advantage in November to the party that shows better organization at standing up vote-by-mail and at getting people to the polls amid a potential second pandemic wave.

And for all the presidents support in the region, there is a resistance to Trump that is as galvanized as his base.

He couldnt run a one-car funeral, said Frank Behum, a former unionized steelworker and vocal Trump critic.

Even my Republican friends, theyre telling me theyre not voting for that clown again. But you dont know  remember in the 1980s, people said theyre not voting for Reagan either.

So you dont know what theyre going to do.
Sri Lanka becomes a Republic By D. C. Ranatunga View(s): View(s):

For nearly 50 years  48 to be exact  Sri Lanka has been a Republic with its official name as the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

It was on May 22, 1972 that the country became a Republic changing its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka  a name that had been used from the days of the ancient Sinhalese kings but changed after foreign powers took over the country after 1505. In fact, the name used earlier was Sri Lankadvipa, meaning the Island of

Sri Lanka.

Ceylon  as Sri Lanka was then known  gained Independence on February 4, 1948. Till then it was a Crown Colony in the British Empire for a little over 150 years after the British took over administering the country from the Dutch in 1796, who in turn had taken over from the Portuguese.

With the formation of the Republic, a President took the place of the Governor-General, ceremonial Head of State who was appointed by the British monarch (Queen Elizabeth II)

on the recommendation of the Government of Ceylon. The incumbent Governor-General William Gopallawa continued

to be the Head of State as the first Non-Executive President under the new constitution.

He was a nominee of the

Prime Minister and not an elected President.

Looking back on how the Republic was born, it was the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government (she was the

Prime Minister) that decided

to draft a new constitution.

On a resolution by the

Prime Minister, the members

of the House of Representatives formed themselves into a Constituent Assembly at a meeting held at the Navarangahala in Colombo

on July 19, 1970. The Speaker, Stanley Tillekeratne was

elected as Chairman. Minister

of Plantation Industry,

Dr. Colvin R. de Silva was given the additional portfolio of Constitutional Affairs.

The signs of a new constitution started in June 1968 when the main Opposition parties in Parliament  the

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and the Communist

Party (CP)  formed a United Front and agreed to establish

a socialist democracy.

The United Front won the general election held on

May 27, 1970 and a government was formed with Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Prime Minister.

At that time the country had a bicameral legislature with two lawmaking institutions  the House of Representatives and the Senate. The former referred to as the Lower House comprised of 95 members,

was elected by the people and six were appointed by the

Governor to represent minority communities. The Senate 

the Upper House  with

30 members was a mix of nominated and elected members. Fifteen of them

were elected by the House of Representatives and the other 15 appointed by the Governor on the advice of the ruling party.

After the 1970 general election a National State Assembly (NSA) was created in place of the House of Representatives. The same elected members at the 1970 general election continued as members of the NSA. On a decision made by the Government, the Senate was abolished in October 1971.

The bicameral legislature

(two law-making institutions) became a unicameral (single law-making body) thereafter.

On May 22, 1972, after prolonged discussions, a new Republican Constitution  the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka  was adopted paving the way for the establishment of a Republic. Thereafter the Parliamentary system of government based on the British system  generally known as the Westminster model  which had been introduced just before Independence, ended.
President Trump tweeted 'REOPEN OUR COUNTRY' Monday morning in fresh encouragement of the lockdown rebels who have been protesting in spurts across the U.S.

He also shared a video of a local news reporter being verbally harassed at a protest on Long Island.

'This love of Country went all over,' Trump wrote. 'They hate Fake News, and so do I!'

President Trump tweeted encouragement to lockdown protesters Monday, including a video of a reporter being verbally abused by demonstrators

President Trump tweeted 'REOPEN OUR COUNTRY' Monday morning in fresh encouragement of the lockdown rebels who have been holding protests across the country

This woman yelled at Kevin Vesey, a reporter for News 12, accusing his station of airing briefings by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but not the White House briefings President Trump was holding on a daily basis

This woman also got in the face of Kevin Vesey, a local news reporter on Long Island, who said he was disturbed by the anti-media sentiment

This man gave reporter Kevin Vesey the middle finger

The video was shot by Kevin Vesey, a reporter for News 12, who shows a number of protesters approaching him and saying Trumpian slogans.

'You shouldn't be here, you're fake news. You stopped airing the Trump briefings and you keep airing Cuomo briefings. Go home,' one woman said to the reporter.

New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, is a Democrat.

'You are the enemy of the people,' another protester told the reporter.

This is a phrase the president has tweeted about the media.

'You are the virus,' several people yell at Vesey.

A chant of 'fake news is not essential' breaks out near the end of the video.

A man also gave Vesey the middle finger.

'The level of anger directed at the media from these protesters was alarming,' Vesey tweeted when he shared the video. 'As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today.'

Trump had previously shared the clip on his Twitter feed.

'People cant get enough of this,' Trump wrote on Saturday. 'Great people!'

For weeks the president has been egging on protesters who have shown up at state capitals to protest lockdown orders, despite those mandates being what the president's coronavirus taskforce has advised to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

On April 17, Trump tweeted that he wanted to see Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia 'LIBERATE[d].'

All three states have Democratic governors - and are potentially swing states in the November general election.
Grains by the lb can generally be had for a reasonable price. They also generally qualify for free and flat rate shipping when a retailer offers that. Full 50 or 55 lb sacks of malt are another story altogether. The per lb price of sacks can be tempting, but shipping charges can be confiscatory.

Bulk Malt Deal Tips and Tricks

Look at Total Cost

Price per lb delivered to your door is the most important thing when it comes to value. Biting on a low cost sack of grain with high shipping is equally as bad as biting on a high cost sack of grain with free shipping. Compare total cost. If free or flat rate shipping is an option always makes sure to put together an order that qualifies for discounted shipping.

Deals can periodically found on Amazon

Offerings and prices can vary wildly, but its worth a quick look when it comes time to buying grain.

Buy Local-ish

Look for a shop in the same general geographic location. It makes sense that shipping from one state away would cost less than shipping across the country. This isnt always the case, but its a good place to start.

Try the following shops, each has general geographic area to help

Wunder Grain

AIHs Wunder grain offering is a mix and match of grains. Wunder = I wonder what it is. Availability is touch and go, but when its available its one of the best deals out there if youre not picky and just wanting to brew. Its sold in 10 lb bags and typically qualifies for free shipping to many US addresses. Buy 5 to get the equivalent of a sack and qualify for free shipping.

Wunder Grain  10 lb bag

10 lb Bags at Williams Brewing

Williams Brewing has select malt available in 10 lb bags. These qualify for their free or flat shipping. Buy 5 x 10 lb bags and you have the equivalent of a sack of grain.

Base Malt in 10 Pound Bags

Deal on All Grain Kits

Adventures in Homebrewing discounts seasonal homebrew beer recipe kits by 20%. Selections include both all grain and extract options. Shipping is free to many US addresses with a qualifying order.

20% Off Seasonal All Grain Kits | 20% Off Seasonal Extract Kits

Make a Friend, Get a Great Deal on Grain

Make friends with your local brewery or brew pub and they just might let you purchase grain from them a great price.

Bulk Grain Storage Options

Vittles Vault Review!

Grain Mill Reviews

All Grain-Related Reviews:

A collection of reviews that weve tagged as directly or indirectly related to all grain brewing





Hands on Review: Vittles Vault Stackable Storage Bins for Homebrew Grain Storage!





Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application. Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application. Always read and follow manufacturer directions. top:bulkgrain tag:itsapage tag:tpr
Time has come today, barks the first trailer for the latest movie from Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods, a war film that tells the story of the soul brothers who fought in the Vietnam War.

Da 5 Bloods is Lees follow-up to his Oscar-winning film BlackKklansman, and this first look, all scored to the Chambers Brothers song Time Has Come Today, has the energy, color and political spark of any Spike Lee joint.

Its an original story about how four African American veterans return to Vietnam in search of their fallen squad leaders remains, played by Chadwick Boseman, as well as a chest full of buried gold treasure left there during the war. But along the way they battle the forces of man and nature and confront the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War.

Weve been dying for this country from the very beginning, Boseman says in the trailer. We give this gold, to our people.

Also Read: Spike Lee, Pedro Almodovar to Curate Inaugural Academy Museum Exhibitions

Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr. play the four Vietnam vets who team up with their squad leaders son (The Last Black Man in San Francisco breakout Jonathan Majors), while Boseman appears in flashbacks to the war. Lee has also assembled an impressive supporting cast that includes Melanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Paakkonen, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Van Veronica Ngo with Jean Reno.

Lee is directing the film from a screenplay written by him and collaborator Kevin Willmott, based on an original screenplay by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo and a rewrite by Matthew Billingsly.

Da 5 Bloods drops on Netflix on June 12. Check out the first trailer for the film above.

Read original story Spike Lees Da 5 Bloods Trailer Shows Vietnam War Vets Searching for Hidden Treasure (Video) At TheWrap
TDT | Manama

The Bahrain Chamber is holding a virtual forum themed Exploiting Social Media and Digital Marketing during Crises. It is scheduled for tomorrow from 10 pm to 11 pm. The forum will be held via the Zoom platform and will be conducted in Arabic.

In this regard, Bahrain Chamber CEO Shaker Al Shater commented: Speaking at the forum will be Social Media Club global chairman Ali Sabkar, who will shed light on social media statistics of concern to the business community, the importance of social media to businesses during crises, and the optimal use of social media for business purposes.

Digital marketing and smart solutions will also be discussed during the forum, he added. Al Shater encouraged all interested business owners, particularly owners of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to take part in the forum and enrich it with their input.

He also reinstated the Chambers keenness on liaising with its members and keeping them informed and updated with latest information and trends.
State officials in northern Mexico say gunmen killed the owner of a newspaper and one of the policemen who had been assigned to protect him following earlier threats.

Sonora state prosecutor office said Jorge Miguel Armenta Avalos was attacked while leaving a restaurant Saturday afternoon in downtown Ciudad Obregon. Municipal police officer Orlando Antonio Ruvalcaba Flores also was killed and a fellow officer was wounded.

Armenda Avalos was the director of Medios Obson and El Tiempo, which publish both in print and online.

State prosecutor Claudia Indira Contreras vowed to pursue all possible angles, but there were apparently no suspects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Entrepreneurs are optimistic.

They devote immense time, effort and money to launch their business ventures because theyre focused on the many rewards, intrinsic as well as material.

Lawyers, by contrast, are trained to anticipate problems. Its a different mindset.

As businesses gradually arouse from the enforced slumber of the governors lockdown order, entrepreneurs will need to learn to think, just a little, like lawyers. Nervousness about potential legal liability seems universal in the business community. But for everyone not engaged in the operation of high-speed meat processing plants, the risk should be manageable.

Guidelines from the FDC and CDC dont have legal force as safe harbors (although there are proposals floating about to give them that legal status). But it would be sensible for any business owner to think of them as establishing the mandatory baseline rules for reopening. The law requires reasonableness, and following the advice of the federal governments public health agencies is reasonable.

Stores are responsible for the safety of their customers, just as employers are responsible for the safety of their workers. But infallibility is not demanded of ordinary storekeepers. By now, we all know how to reduce the risk of the viruss spread. Use your sense.

A few weeks ago, the chairman of the planning commission for Antioch, California, caused a stir when he pointed out on social media all the advantages of allowing the coronavirus to kill vast numbers of Americans. It would alleviate the Bay Areas chronic housing shortage, for one, bringing down sky-high prices. (And think of the bargains at all the estate sales!) It would relieve pressure on Social Security, as survivors get to spend other peoples forced savings. The pandemic is like a forest fire, he argued, burning up societys deadwood.

The moral blankness of the man, the negative value he placed on other peoples lives, drew widespread condemnation. Probably he had no idea he was paraphrasing thoughts first expressed by the 19th-century English thinker Herbert Spencer. Spencers book Social Statics, published in the wake of the Irish famine, was revered by some Victorians the way Ayn Rands novels are treasured by some today. Purporting to apply the then-novel concept of natural selection to human society, Spencer lauded the beneficence that singles out the low-spirited, the intemperate, and the debilitated as the victims of an epidemic.

He deplored charity, which stops the purifying process. Those that seek to relieve the really salutary sufferings of the poor, he contended, are sigh-wise and groan-foolish.

Spencer was the father of social Darwinism. Although largely forgotten today except among libertarians of a scholarly bent, his name may ring a bell with lawyers. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes mentioned him in Lochner v. New York, an epochal 1905 labor law case. Writing in dissent, Holmes protested  futilely  that the Constitution does not enact Mr. Herbert Spencers Social Statics.

The majority disagreed. It held that the people of New York, acting through their elected representatives, were constitutionally forbidden from limiting the working week of bakers to 60 hours a week and ten hours a day.

The evidence showed that bakers of the era, laboring in atrocious heat in clouds of flour dust, seldom live over their fiftieth year, most of them dying between the ages of forty and fifty. During periods of epidemic diseases, one justice noted in an observation that strikes with special force today, the bakers are generally the first to succumb to the disease.

But that, the five justices in the majority said, made no difference. The Constitution prevented the government from infringing on the contract rights of business owners merely to protect the health of workers.

Law students are taught that the Lochner Era ended with the New Deal, which is certainly true with regard to work week regulations. But todays judges remain congenitally skeptical of any measure that infringes on personal liberty to promote public health, as any environmental lawyer can tell you.

I keep hearing public health officials talk about test and trace as if it were a simple matter of obtaining the necessary resources. But we have a whole body of law, developed in DWI cases, limiting the states ability to perform invasive tests on an unwilling persons body. Another well-developed body of law restricts the states authority to demand answers to questions, as contemplated by contact tracing. As for ordering a person into quarantine, thats house arrest.

So far as I can tell, test and trace is the only realistic path between the extremes of endless lockdown and the mass die-off euphemistically known as herd immunity.

But public health officials need to be prepared for Lochner-style efforts to shut it down.

Joel Jacobsen is an author who in 2015 retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com
BUFFALO, N.Y., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB)("M&T") will participate in the Wells Fargo Virtual Financial Services Investor Forum. M&T's Chairman and CEO, Rene Jones, and Chief Financial Officer, Darren King, are scheduled to address investors and analysts on May 21, 2020 at 8:35 a.m. (ET).

A live audio-webcast of the event will be available via the Internet at: https://ir.mtb.com/events-presentations. The discussion and webcast may contain forward-looking statements and other material information. A replay will also be made available following the event.

M&T is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

CONTACT:

Donald J. MacLeod

(716) 842-5138

SOURCE M&T Bank Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mandtbank.com


She's a blonde bombshell and former Playboy Bunny who exudes intelligence and dry humor thanks to her fun Instagram presence.

Girls Next Door star Holly Madison was seen out on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, California, rocking shredded Daisy Duke shorts and a cropped white sweatshirt which read, 'Disco Nap'.

The reality star, 40, wore a ruffled grey top underneath her sweatshirt, which still revealed the beauty's toned midriff.

California Gurl: Holly Madison was seen out on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, rocking shredded Daisy Duke shorts and a cropped white sweatshirt

The mother-of-two and ex of the late Hugh Hefner also wore white hi-tops with no socks, and she wore black heart-shaped sunglasses that were reminiscent of the film Lolita.

Holly carried a black handbag and wore her lustrous blond hair down.

The focus was clearly on her toned legs while she exited her vehicle, looking as though she were heading to a friend's house to hang for the evening.

One hot momma: The focus was clearly on Holly's toned legs while she exited her vehicle

Holly shares two children with her ex-husband Pasquale Rotella  a seven-year-old daughter named Rainbow Aurora, and a son named Forest Leonardo Antonio, three.

Madison and Rotella were married from 2013 until last year.

Before that, Holly was in a much-publicized polyamorous relationship from 2001 to 2008 with Playboy maestro Hefner, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91.

She's a huge Star Wars fan: Holly shares two children with her ex-husband Pasquale Rotella  a seven-year-old daughter, Rainbow Aurora, and a son named Forest Leonardo Antonio, three

Before that: Holly was in a much-publicized polyamorous relationship from 2001 to 2008 with late Playboy maestro Hugh Hefner

The course of the relationship was covered on E! reality hit The Girls Next Door, which ran from 2005 until 2010 and documented the lives of Hefner's girlfriends who all lived with him at the Playboy Mansion: Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt, Crystal Harris and Kristina Shannon.

Holly scored a spin-off series after Girls Next Door, which ran from 2009 until 2011: Holly's World, which followed the starlet to Las Vegas where she starred as the lead dancer in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.

Madison is a self-affirmed geek and superfan, often posing in selfies on social media in Star Wars, Disney, or Harry Potter garb.
Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he did not expect the prosecutor he handpicked to review the 2016 FBI investigation into President Donald Trump's campaign would investigate former President Barack Obama or former Vice president Joe Biden - an assertion likely to dismay Trump and his conservative allies.

Barr's comment came at a news conference to discuss last year's shooting at a U.S. military base in Pensacola, Florida. A reporter asked about Trump suggesting publicly in recent weeks that top officials in the Obama administration, including the former president, had committed crimes.

While noting he was not taking aim at Trump's comments specifically, Barr lambasted what he called the "increasing attempts to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon."

"The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one's political opponents based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr said. "This is not a good development."

He then specifically dismissed the idea that Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham - who has been examining how the FBI handled the 2016 investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election - would look at Obama or Biden.

"As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," Barr said. "Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others."

He declined to say who Durham was focused on.

Trump and his allies have begun suggesting Obama and other top officials in his administration broke the law during the Russia investigation - a conspiracy theory they have dubbed "Obamagate" - particularly in their treatment of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. Barr's comments seem to suggest, though, that he does not want the U.S. law enforcement apparatus to be drawn in to another political squabble.

"We cannot allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate," Barr said, referring to Trump and Biden, Trump's presumptive Democratic opponent.

Barr has in the past sought to publicly warn Trump about getting too involved in Justice Department business. In February, for example, he went on ABC News to declare Trump's tweets about Justice Department business "make it impossible for me to do my job," and the attorney general privately told people close to Trump he had considered resigning over the matter. Barr also issued formal guidance to the Justice Department earlier this year that any investigations of presidential candidates first need his approval.

But Barr's words have sometimes outstripped his actions. His ABC News interview came after Trump had tweeted about the criminal case against his longtime friend Roger Stone, just before Barr personally intervened in the case to reduce the sentencing recommendation that career prosecutors had given to a judge. Despite Barr's warning, Trump has continued to tweet and talk about Justice Department cases, and Barr has remained attorney general.

The attorney general also has given several U.S. attorneys special commissions to look into matters of interest to Trump.

Durham, for example, is broadly exploring the Russia investigation. Jeff Jensen, the U.S. attorney in St. Louis, is examining the prosecution of Flynn. Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, was tasked with taking information from Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and others wanting to provide the Justice Department with material alleging wrongdoing related to Biden, his family and their dealings in Ukraine.

Trump has long wanted criminal charges against those he considers political rivals - especially former FBI director James Comey and former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe - and has been frustrated that Barr's Justice Department has been unwilling to bring such cases.

In recent weeks, Trump has seized on developments in the Flynn case to turn his attention to Obama and Biden. At Jensen's recommendation, the Justice Department moved to undo Flynn's guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his conversations with a Russian diplomat.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is considering that matter and has appointed a retired federal judge to oppose the Justice Department's position. Trump told Fox News that he had "read legal scholars" and they "can't believe" what Sullivan was doing to Flynn.

On the same day of the Justice Department's move to drop Flynn's case, Trump's top intelligence adviser, Richard Grenell, visited the Justice Department to deliver a list - which he had just declassified - of former Obama administration officials including Biden, who made requests during the presidential transition that would ultimately "unmask" Flynn's name in National Security Agency files.

There is nothing wrong with such requests: Unmasking is a routine practice used to identify U.S. individuals who are referred to anonymously in intelligence documents, and it is meant to help government officials better understand what they are reading. But Trump and his supporters seized on the documents to allege wrongdoing.

Trump last week urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to call Obama to testify about what he dubbed "the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA." Graham cast doubt on whether that would be a good idea.

Trump has been unable to articulate what crime he thinks has been committed.

"You know what the crime is," he told a reporter who pressed him for details last week.

More recently, Trump suggested to Fox News, without evidence, that "treason" had been committed, and more forcefully reiterated his calls to prosecute those he considers political foes.

"People should be going to jail for this stuff," he said, adding later, "This was all Obama. This was all Biden. These people were corrupt. The whole thing was corrupt. And we caught them. We caught them."

Even as Barr said Durham would not likely investigate Obama and Biden, he seemed to add fuel to some of Trump's long-standing attacks on the Russia investigation, asserting that law enforcement and intelligence officials were involved in "a false and utterly baseless Russian collusion narrative against the president."

"It was a grave injustice, and it was unprecedented in American history," Barr said.

But, referencing the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn the convictions of two of former New Jersey governor Chris Christie's political allies in the "Bridgegate" case, Barr asserted, "there's a difference between an abuse of power and a federal crime."

"It cannot be and it will not be a tit-for-tat exercise," Barr said.
What we have been feeling over the last few weeks is an experience that's once in a lifetime. By staying in their homes and practicing social distance, everyone has shown sense and patience. But the lockout surely seems relentless for the youth, yet they have overcome it in their own special and imaginative ways. Motivating everyone to stay put, The Visual House, New Delhi, an award-winning production house and integrated communication agency launched Create @ Home, a cultural fest that allows submission of artistic expression in different mediums like photography, creatives/posters, film making, writing and videos, as the current lockdown has given us all the opportunity and time to explore our creative penchant.

Creativity provides an outlet for us to express how we feel and helps us deal with the realities of testing times. Create@Home, the TVH Cultural Fest is a celebration of creativity that has sprouted during these testing times of global pandemic.

Over a thousand people from all over the country sent in their entries for the fest, expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings during the lockdown. Most of these submissions are from the youth and focused a lot on COVID-19 and extended their support to healthcare workers and frontline workers in todays times.

Commenting on the fest, Deepmala, Founder/CEO of The Visual House says With everyone locked in their home and social distancing becoming the new norm, it is important to stay calm, meditate, bring out your creative side and stay optimistic. We want to help bring positivity in these difficult times. Launching Create @ Home is one such fest and we are extremely delighted about it. Through this cultural fest we wish to inspire people to look inward and discover their creative sides through Click Photo @ Home, Shoot video @ Home, Design @ Home or Pen Down @ Home.
Shares of multiplex and hotel operators were under pressure, hitting their respective 52-week lows on the BSE on Monday after the government on Sunday extended the nationwide lockdown by another two weeks, until May 31, to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Chalet Hotels, EIH, Indian Hotels, Lemon Tree Hotels and Wonderla Holidays from the hotel sector and the multiplex operators - PVR and Inox Leisure  touched their respective 52-week lows on the BSE today.

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A woman who passed away in a care home with a lack of PPE 'shouldn't have died' after contracting coronavirus, said her daughters.

Susan Marsten, 68, was living in a specialist care home in Manchester after being diagnosed with Huntington's disease, and contracted Covid-19 when a patient who tested positive for the virus returned from hospital.

Her daughters Ruth and Sarah appeared on Good Morning Britain today were they said their mother was not 'frail or unwell', and claim her death could have been prevented if the care home had different policies in place.

Susan died while staying in a 'shared unit with a lack of PPE'.

They think the care home was 'at the bottom of the pile' during the crisis, and say the home was having to phone up Public Health England to try to get information on how to best handle the crisis.

Susan Marsten, 68, who passed away in a care home with a lack of PPE 'shouldn't have died' after contracting coronavirus, said her daughters Ruth and Sarah (pictured) on Good Morning Britain today

Susan (pictured with her daughter's as children) was living in a specialist care home in Manchester after being diagnosed with Huntington's disease, and contracted Covid-19 when a patient who tested positive for the virus returned from hospital

'Its utterly heart-breaking, said Ruth. 'It shouldnt have happened to her, they should hang their heads in shame.'

She went on: 'I think the hard thing is when you lose somebody you love, if you feel there is nothing that could have been done to prevent their death, you're able to grieve. But for us, we know that mum wasnt close to death.

'She wasnt frail or unwell and she shouldnt have died. There are things the government could have done to prevent Covid [going into the home].

'I know the home and the staff in the home felt they were the bottom of the pile, they were having to ring Public Health England to get information about what they were doing, and that's the hardest thing, feeling angry.'

Her daughter's told their mother was not 'frail or unwell' and claim her death could have been prevented should the care home have had different policies in place

Susan died two weeks after contracting coronavirus , and Ruth told that there was 'no thought' about sending patients who may have been carrying the virus into care homes

Susan died two weeks after contracting coronavirus, and Ruth said that there was 'no thought' about sending patients who may have been carrying the virus into care homes.

She told: 'You're sending a deadly virus into a place where vulnerable people live together and it's the perfect storm.

'Words fail me, the lady who lived alongside mum that was diagnosed with Covid-19 was sent back home.

'Whoever does the modelling and comes up with the great plans, that we can build a hospital in nine days, hasnt thought about care homes.'

She added: 'From a testing point of view as well, because the people who worked in the care home none of them were being tested.

Sarah went on to insist she was 'so angry' and 'let down' by the government, claiming there was 'never any shielding in place' for care home residents

'Many were going off sick and people from agencies were coming in and bringing in the virus'.

Sarah went on to insist she was 'so angry' and 'let down' by the government, claiming there was 'never any shielding in place' for care home residents.

When asked how she felt about claims that care homes had been placed into lockdown earlier than the rest of the country, Sarah said: 'I'm just so angry.

'We feel completely let down by the system. There was never any shielding in place, they were the bottom of the pile from the beginning of this crisis.

'We feel so desperately sad, but so angry. She should not have died. If the right shielding was in place, she would not have died of this virus.'
TORRANCE, Calif., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tara Chand, CEO of Internet Promise Group, has secured patents in the mobile and wireless technology space for GPS Smart, a small footprint firmware feature in the smartphone that stops up to 80 percent or more of unnecessary RF radiation by dynamically calibrating the device's radiated RF energy to the user's own movements.

The GPS Smart technology does this through the elimination of frequent location transmissions when the device is stationary, utilizing GPS technology to only send location transmissions to cell towers when the device has moved more than 100 feet.

The GPS Smart technology does this through the elimination of frequent location transmissions when the device is stationary, utilizing GPS technology to only send location transmissions to cell towers when the device has moved more than 100 feet.

This feature maximizes battery life - extending it by up to 80 percent (400% in idle mode) while also cutting down on the amount of RF radiation spikes emitted by the device while stationary, which are typically frequent and ongoing regardless of the devices' movements1, thus making these smartphones ecological.

"We realized that phones don't need to be constantly signaling - or pinging - cell towers with their location when stationary," says Chand. "As such, I worked to invent a new firmware feature in the smartphones that utilizes GPS technology so smartphones only send location registration transmissions when they have moved beyond 100 feet. This capability not only maximizes the device's efficiency, but also saves on battery life and data transmission while reducing the amount of potentially harmful RF radiation that is emitted with each transmission."

Chand states, "Everyone in the world has a smartphone. Just imagine, if each smartphone around you, including yours, reduces unnecessary and harmful RF radiation by about 80% that would make for a truly radiation free ecological environment. Public is encouraged to demand and clamor for GPS Smart feature in their smart phones from their wireless carriers as well as their elected leaders."

RF radiation is a non-ionizing type of radiation which is used in microwaves, radars and other communication applications. The only officially recognized biologic effect of this radiation type on the human body is heating, with the National Cancer Institute stating that cell phone use causes heating to the area of the body where a smartphone or other device is held, such as the ear, head or thigh. While both the National Cancer Institute and the FDA state that there is no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation types cause cancer2, a number of independent studies have surfaced that state the contrary3, with test subjects developing tumors in both the brain and heart.

In light of this, Chand is currently urging the European, US, Canadian, Indian and Chinese government to facilitate the implementation of this GPS Smart technology to preserve human health, while also inviting handset manufacturers and wireless telco providers to partner with Internet Promise Group to assist in rolling out GPS Smart technology around the world.

About Internet Promise Group

Internet Promise Group develops and markets advanced technology products and system-based applications for smartphones, cybersecurity, ID theft, mobile payments, medical devices, and natural health across a wide range of industries that increase revenues and help save lives. Founded in 2000, IPG is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Tara Chand is founder and managing director of Internet Promise Group LLC  a high stakes innovation enterprise. With a vision to build successful bridges between humanity and technology through practical, reliable solutions and rapid market deployment, the mission of IPG is to provide safety, security and health and wellness applications and solutions for business, government, and consumers.

Media Contact

Amy Flores

Firecracker PR

(888) 317-4687 ext. 706

[email protected]

___________________________________

1 https://www.vesttech.com/how-to-reduce-smartphone-radiation-the-smart-way/

2 https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet#why-is-there-concern-that-cell-phones-may-cause-cancer-or-other-health-problems

3 http://biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2016/05/26/055699.full.pdf

SOURCE Internet Promise Group
So maybe his Obama obsession is not even tactical, but instead purely personal. Maybe Trump just cannot abide the fact that Obama is a Nobel laureate, respected around the world, while he has had to endure being snickered at by world leaders and portrayed as hapless and ignorant by the fake news media he claims to hate yet compulsively devours. Increasingly, his imagined victimizer is Obama himself. Trump even tries to blame Obama for his own administrations botched response to a disease that did not exist when Obama was in office.
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.
Candidate author Marianne Williamson blows a kiss before the first night of the second 2020 Democratic debate: Reuters

Former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson has endorsed Nancy Pelosis congressional rival in this years elections, arguing that the speaker of the House deserves a strong challenge from the left as the Democratic Party becomes estranged from progressive ideals.

In a video posted on Instagram, Ms Williamson made clear that she respects Ms Pelosis achievements, which she said have really paved the way in profound ways for women such as myself  but that she has become very, very concerned with the corporatist direction of the party.

We need to take a strong stand for the progressive vision that many of us feel is absolutely essential, not only for the future of our country but also for this next election, said Ms Williamson. And as a consequence, I am now endorsing Shahid Buttar for the congressional seat in the San Francisco district where Nancy Pelosi now serves.

Ms Pelosi, who represents Californias solidly Democratic 25th district, has not faced serious electoral opposition in years. However, because California holds open primaries in which the top two contenders face off in the November election, she is now being challenged by another Democrat in the form of Mr Buttar, a constitutional lawyer and staunch progressive.

Ms Pelosi scored 74 per cent of the vote in the 3 March primary to Mr Buttars 13, hardly foretelling a competitive race. However, the left-wing challenger will be able to ride a wave of progressive discontent with the party establishment following Bernie Sanderss loss to Joe Biden in the state.

Ms Williamson, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary before the Iowa caucuses, became something of a political sensation for a brief moment in the summer of 2017 after her appearances at two presidential debates with the other candidates.

While she failed to get out of the low single digits in polling, she gained a national political profile for her love-themed campaign, her by-turns strange and surprisingly direct debate style, and her supposed sympathy with anti-vaccination activists  an association she has vigorously denied. After ending her campaign, she endorsed Mr Sanders, as well as calling fellow candidate Pete Buttigieg a corporate tool. In a now-deleted tweet, she described Mr Bidens victory over Mr Sanders as a democratic coup.

Story continues

As she did throughout her campaign, she used her endorsement video to argue for a progressive politics that goes right to the heart of things rather than preoccupying itself with the art of the possible.

The Nancy Pelosis of this world  and I say this with all due respect for Nancy Pelosi  have got to hear us that we are serious. Have got to understand that yes, we on the left will challenge you.

She then listed a slate of left-wing policies as espoused by the Sanders campaign and others, including Medicare for All, as well as a $2,000-per-month basic income until the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic starts to ease.

Calling Mr Buttar worthy of our support and a perfect challenger, Ms Williamson said I think this is good for Nancy. Its definitely taking a stand for something.

Progressives cant just be sidelined all the time. Or pandered to. Suppressed. Its gotta stop. Lets stop it now.
PITTSBURGH, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "I realized the time and fatigue required to remove braids from hair while I was working on my granddaughter's hair," said an inventor from Wadley, Alabama. "This inspired me to develop a tool to more easily loosen braids, extensions and dreads."

She developed the BRAID LOOSENER to ease the task of unraveling hair braids to save users valuable time and energy. This tool may eliminate the use of the fingers to separate and remove braids to ease fatigue in the hands and possibly reduce the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, this lightweight and compact invention could simplify hairstyling routines.

The original design was submitted to the Birmingham sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 18-BRK-2442, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp

Related Links

http://www.inventhelp.com


Editors note: This guide will be regularly updated throughout the week to include newer events.

Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  This week, go on a week-long virtual art tour; attend art classes; join discussions on Filipino culture, womens rights, and the future of the creative industry; and share a breather (and a 10-minutes performance) with strangers on the Internet  all in the comfort of your own home.

"Stay Home of NU Rock: '00s Rock Down Reunion"

Former DJs of the legendary NU 107, a now-defunct local radio station focused on Filipino rock music, are coming together for a virtual reunion via Facebook Live. Catch the station's DJs from the '00s  Francis Brew, Russ Davis, Dylan, Kim, Monica, Cyrus the Virus, Roanna, Jay Tish, Andee Banandee, April, Shannen, Quark, and Diego Castillo  with special guests Ebe Dancel, The Itchyworms, Gabby Alipe, Miggy Chavez, and Rico Blanco.

"Stay Home of NU Rock: '00s Rock Down Reunion" is happening on May 23, Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Check the official Facebook page for more updates.

Poster from KWAGO/FACEBOOK

"Bad Connection (or Subtitles to Silence)"

With the global pandemic far from being over even after two months of strict quarantine, we all badly need a break. Bad Connection aims to offer exactly that: a 20-minute pause from all the chaos and stress. A project by Makati City-based bookstore Kwago, Bad Connection is described as a call to pause and just be. To log out from information overload and constant disembodied communications. The event consists of two parts: 10 minutes for introspection, and another 10 for performance. If you are curious to see how Bad Connection would play out, and if interested to take a quick breather with other folks from the Internet, sign-up for the event or check out the event page to learn more.

Poster from STUDIO CANTERO/FACEBOOK

"Creative Conversations: ANO NA?"

Join renowned artists from different industries as they talk about how creatives should move forward in the new normal. Moderated by Gabbie Tatad, the Creative Conversations: ANO NA? panel discussion will feature commercial photographer Gabby Cantero, celebrity stylist David Milan, fashion photographer BJ Pascual, director Judd Figuerres, and interior designer Martina Bautista. Catch it live via Studio Canteros Facebook page on May 20, Wednesday, at 5 p.m.

Poster from AYALA MUSEUM/FACEBOOK

Ayala Museums International Museum Day Virtual Visits

While its physical address remains closed due to the quarantine, Ayala Museum has prepared a week-long celebration of International Museum Day  and its all online. Watch a free screening of their gallery film Millenium of Contact: Chinese & Southeast Asian Ceramics in the Philippines, which will be available for 48 hours starting on May 18, Monday.

From May 20, Wednesday, to May 22, Friday, catch Ayala Museums virtual exhibition in the video game Animal Crossing featuring work by artists Damian Domingo, Jose Honorato Lozano, and Juan Luna. Also happening on Friday is Kids Curate, where children can make their own art exhibitions. Wrapping up the week is a virtual tour of Fernando Zobels Toward Abstraction on May 23, Saturday.

Visit Ayala Museum on Facebook for updates.

Poster from PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION/FACEBOOK

Lets Get Creative art classes

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) continues to bring free art classes online. On May 18, Monday, join Dudz Terana and learn how to create a character through make-up. On May 20, Wednesday, John Moran will be teaching a do-it-yourself shadow theater and puppeteering for kids. End the week by learning techniques on storytelling through masks with Ian Segarra on Friday, May 22. All classes will be streamed via Facebook Live from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Poster from PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION/FACEBOOK

"Pasaway Culture"

Aside from their usual art classes, PETA is also holding an online discussion to answer a question weve been hearing more frequently nowadays: Pasaway nga ba ang mga Pilipino? Speakers Dr. Elizabeth de Castro from the Psychosocial Support and Childrens Rights Resource Center (PST-CRRC) and John Andrew Evangelista from the Sociology Department of the University of the Philippines Diliman will be leading the discussion, with moderators Erik dela Cruz and Cris Gonzales.

Catch Pasaway Culture on May 19, Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit PETAs Facebook page for more details.

Poster from GABRIELA: AN ALLIANCE OF WOMEN/FACEBOOK

"Pandemic Tales: Untold Stories of Women During the Lockdown"

Since the lockdown, there has been an increase of domestic abuse cases not just in the Philippines, but in many other countries as well. The Center for Women's Resources, GABRIELA, and Voices of Women for Justice and Peace are partnering to host another installment of their online discussion entitled Pandemic Tales: Untold Stories of Women During the Lockdown. The discussion will platform stories of frontline workers, indigenous women, artists, and small food producers amid the pandemic, with Dr. Reginald Pamugas, psychiatrist and vice chair of Health Action for Human Rights, as the main speaker. To join the discussion on May 20, Wednesday, at 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., register here.
Patients infected with either severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) or SARS-CoV-2 produce antibodies that bind to the other coronavirus, but the cross-reactive antibodies are not cross protective, at least in cell-culture experiments, researchers report May 17 in the journal Cell Reports. It remains unclear whether such antibodies offer cross protection in the human body or potentiate disease. The findings suggest that more research is needed to identify parts of the virus that are critical for inducing a cross-protective immune response.

"Since coronavirus outbreaks are likely to continue to pose global health risks in the future, the possibility of developing a cross-protective vaccine against multiple coronaviruses has been considered," says co-senior study author Chris Mok of the University of Hong Kong. "Our findings, albeit limited at present, would suggest that broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies to coronaviruses might not be commonly produced by the human immune repertoire. Moving forward, monoclonal antibody discovery and characterization will be crucial to the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the short-term, as well as a cross-protective coronavirus vaccine in the long term."

From late 2002 to 2003, more than 8,000 people worldwide became sick with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), resulting in more than 700 deaths. The virus responsible for this outbreak, known as SARS-CoV, shares approximately 80% of its genomic nucleotide sequence identity with that of SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The two coronaviruses also enter and infect cells the same way. During this process, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein, which is located on the surface of the coronavirus, binds to a human cell receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, triggering viral fusion with the host cell.

Past studies have shown that protective antibodies against SARS-CoV bind to the RBD. But relatively little is known about the antibody response induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is also unclear how infection with SARS-CoV influences the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2, and vice versa. Gaining insight into these questions could guide the development of an effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 and shed light on whether such a vaccine would also cross-protect against similar viruses.

"There are related viruses still circulating in bats, and it is unclear whether any of these may also threaten human health in future," says co-senior study author Malik Peiris of the University of Hong Kong. "As such, whether infection by one of these viruses cross-protects against another is an important question."

To address this gap in knowledge, the researchers analyzed blood samples collected from 15 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients in Hong Kong between 2 and 22 days after the onset of symptoms. Compared to blood samples from healthy controls, the five samples collected from patients 11 days after symptom onset or later had antibodies capable of binding to the RBD and other parts of the S protein on both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV.

The researchers also analyzed blood samples collected from seven patients 3 to 6 months after infection with SARS-CoV. Compared to blood samples from healthy controls, those collected from patients had antibodies capable of binding to the RBD and other parts of the S protein on SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, these findings show that infection with one coronavirus induces the production of antibodies that can bind to both RBD and non-RBD regions of the S protein on the other coronavirus.

Using cell-culture experiments, the researchers next tested whether infection with SARS-CoV-2 induces SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies, which protect host cells by preventing the virus from interacting with them. All 11 blood samples collected 12 days or later after the onset of symptoms had neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. But only one blood sample had cross-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV, and this response was very weak. Similarly, five blood samples from patients infected with SARS-CoV had neutralizing antibodies against this virus, but none could cross-neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Additional experiments in mice supported the findings from patients.

For now, the clinical implications remain unclear. One possibility is that cross-reactive, non-neutralizing antibodies offer cross protection against viruses in the body, even though they don't protect cultured cells. This phenomenon has been observed for other types of viruses. On the other hand, non-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 could enhance viral entry into cells and viral replication through a process called antibody-dependent enhancement of infection, which has been previously reported for SARS-CoV.

"Whether antibody-dependent enhancement plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection needs to be carefully examined in the future," says co-senior study author Ian Wilson of the Scripps Research Institute. "Addressing this question will be critical for developing a safe and effective universal coronavirus vaccine."

###

This work was supported by the Pasteur International Network Association, the US National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Guangzhou Medical University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.

Cell Reports, Lv, Wu, and Tsang et al.: "Cross-reactive antibody response between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infections" https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(20)30702-6

Cell Press Coronavirus Resource Hub: https://www.cell.com/COVID-19

Cell Reports (@CellReports), published by Cell Press, is a weekly open-access journal that publishes high-quality papers across the entire life sciences spectrum. The journal features reports, articles, and resources that provide new biological insights, are thought-provoking, and/or are examples of cutting-edge research. Visit: http://www.cell.com/cell-reports. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Why would a migrant labourer who is being given his daily meals still want to risk his and his familys life by walking hundreds of kilometres in the scorching sun? Dhurv Goswami, a business strategy consultant based in Goa, wanted to find out.

Volunteering with the Goa Covid-19 Outreach, a network of volunteers that provides food relief to around 4,000 stranded migrant labourers in the state, Goswami got talking to some and realised that distributing ration was not of enough help. Many needed psychological counselling after the traumatic events of the past few weeks, he realised.

Around the world, mental health experts are beginning to see the effects of what they are referring to as quarantine fatigue. According to them, people with existing mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, are prone to face an even deeper trauma on account of the lockdown and its socio-economic implications.

Also read: Visually impaired civic staffer builds volunteer network

So many of them were asked to vacate their premises, their water connections were cut off. In some cases, the landlords removed tiles from their roofs to force them out of their rooms. A lot of them were subjected to humiliation before they ended up hitting the streets to return home, Goswami said.

Goswami recalled a conversation with a migrant worker, in particular. After talking for some time he eased up a bit and started saying that people are getting very restless and if the situation is allowed to continue people will start killing themselves. Then as the conversations continued, he stopped speaking in general terms, and we realised that he was talking about himself.

I realised that there will be more people like him and that our job does not end at giving rations. We have to check on their mental state, Goswami said.

Also read: India sees biggest one-day spike in Covid-19 cases with 5,242 new patients

With the help of Caritas Goa, a church-run charity, a few trained counsellors began to reach out to the migrant workers. Several people came forward to talk their heart out and explained their issues, Goswami said.

A lot of the workers I spoke to talked of the frustration of not being allowed to travel home and even speaking of willingness to walk home all the way to MP (Madhya Pradesh). I tried to reassure them that the government was working on some plans but even I couldnt say so confidently, Divya Raphael, one of the counsellors, said.

Around 51 workers came forward to speak to counsellors, who visited them in the hutments where they lived  mostly around construction sites in Alto Betim and Ramnagar, Pilerne on the outskirts of Panjim  during the second and third week of the lockdown. One of the primary grouses was not being allowed to go home.

Nobody is happy to be getting free food, nobody is happy to be standing in line. People are leaving their homes and coming to work just to get by. They are not at all proud to get ration for free. Dignity is very important and it is very humiliating for them to come out and stand in line to receive free food. Everyone wants to earn their money with dignity. They are lining up for government help because they are helpless, he added.

To address their economic distress, the volunteer group has further created a database of the workers on their website.

I started by delivering rations for around 200 migrant labourers who were building the new high court complex opposite the Secretariat and were left abandoned by the contractor. The idea to do some relief work and then let the government take over, said Miriam Koshy, an artist and former business student, who started the volunteer network.

However, as the scale of the operations grew, the volunteers realised that their database could be put to better use. Now that the lockdown is partially lifted and the monsoon is approaching, many people are looking to repair the roofs of their houses or are looking to grow their own food or even doing rainwater harvesting. So our idea was to connect the labourers to the community, she explained.

In Goa, which is a Covid-19 green zone, industries have reopened, including pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing units. But in the absence of public transportation, full-scale economic activity is yet to start. Three Shramik Special trains  two to Udhampur (Jammu) and one to Gwalior (MP)  have already departed ferrying 2,000 migrant labourers; around 80,000 migrant labourers have registered with the state government to be allowed to travel home.

If they are away from home, they are unable to help those who are at home because they are not earning anything. If they were back home, at least they would have fields to work on. Many have aged or ailing parents. Nobody knows when the crisis is going to end, Goswami said.
It was a miracle that no residents at a Rockhampton aged care home tested positive for COVID-19 after a nurse continued to work there while showing symptoms, Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said.

The North Rockhampton Nursing Centre was locked down on Friday as hundreds of staff and residents were tested for the virus.

Authorities initially feared an outbreak similar to that at Newmarch House, an aged care home west of Sydney where 71 residents were infected and 16 lost their lives.

The thought of a confirmed case in one of Queenslands aged care facilities is something thats kept me up at night for months, Mr Miles wrote on Facebook.
Staff and residents at Anchor's Millfield care home in, Greater Manchester, celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Downing Street said today that 5,889 care homes had seen a suspected outbreak of symptomatic or confirmed COVID-19 as of 17 May. (PA Images)

More than a third of care homes in England have reported outbreaks of coronavirus, Downing Street confirmed on Monday.

The prime ministers official spokesman said 5,889 care homes had seen a suspected outbreak of symptomatic or confirmed COVID-19 as of 17 May.

The number amounts to 38% of care homes in England.

Some 12,526 care home residents have died from COVID-19, according to the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

From 2 March to 1 May, there were 45,899 deaths of care home residents (in care homes, hospitals, or elsewhere).



Of these,12,526 involved #coronavirus  27.3% of all deaths of care home residents https://t.co/VNp1sMfPE3  Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 15, 2020

According to the ONS report, between 2 March and 1 May 2020, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in male care home residents, accounting for 30.3% deaths.

It was the second leading cause of death in female care home residents, after Dementia and Alzheimer disease, accounting for 23.5% of deaths.

The government is coming under growing pressure over the coronavirus crisis in care homes, with accusations of a lack of support for the sector increasing.

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

Ministers are accused of failing to supply sufficient PPE or tests for the sector, and for allowing infected patients to be released from hospitals into care homes.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Sunday the government had big lessons to learn on the issue.

He said significant steps had been taken to improve the situation, but the it remained a challenge.

Story continues

We are still living through this pandemic and there will be lessons to be learned, he said.

There will be a point in the future when all of us can look back and reflect and make sure we have learned the appropriate lessons.

Health secretary Matt Hancock came under fire last week after claiming the government had tried to throw a protective ring around care homes right from the start of the pandemic.

Director of research at The Alzheimer's Society, Fiona Carragher, said last week there is a 'tragically high' number of people dying in care homes.

She said: Sadly, devastation continues in care homes with more than three times the usual number of deaths than average reported clearly showing the cost of not putting social care on an equal footing with the NHS.

We need to know why the death toll in care homes remains so high in addition to coronavirus-reported deaths. 70 per cent of care home residents have dementia and were deeply concerned that this indicates an increase in deaths due to dementia, caused by isolation and reduction in care workers.

Downing Street has confirmed that four in ten care homes in England now have reported cases of coronavirus (Lindsey Parnaby / AFP)

Each of these deaths is a heart-breaking loss to their friends, families and carers which is why the Government must honour their commitment to ensure care homes get testing for all residents and staff and the protective equipment they need.

We now approach our third month of lockdown, still with a tragically high number of care home deaths.

Care UK, which operates 122 private care homes, said on Monday it was dealing with at least one Covid-19 case in 71% of its facilities and had lost 586 residents to the disease so far.

The death toll in English care homes from coronavirus is 12,409 up to 1 May, according to the Office of National Statistics, but an additional 10,000 deaths above the five-year average are unaccounted for, leading to concern the actual Covid-19 death toll among the most vulnerable could be far higher.

Following criticism at Prime Minister's Questions of the government's care home response, Boris Johnson pledged 600 million to help care homes with coronavirus "infection control".
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on the world Monday to rally behind the World Health Organization (WHO) and support developing countries as he opened a WHO annual assembly after weeks of acrimonious jostling between China and the United States and its allies over a proposal to investigate the origins of covid-19.



Xis speech, delivered over video at the invitation of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, signaled a growing sense of assuredness from China.



For weeks it had been anticipating  and bitterly opposing  a proposal from Western countries to conduct an international probe into the pandemics beginnings, generally believed by scientists to be in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.



Chinas opposition has melted in recent days as international support for an inquiry grew to include Russia, Turkey and European and African countries, and as drafts of the proposed resolution showed a focus on international collaboration to manage the pandemic, with relatively limited emphasis on questioning its source.



Another prospect that China opposed vehemently  a Taiwanese presence at the World Health Assembly  also dissolved Monday after Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Taiwan would withdraw its bid for observer status, which Beijing had resisted.



Xi used his speaking platform on Monday to not only support the mooted international review once the pandemic was over but to air his own initiatives.



Framing China as a defender of the international community and particularly the developing world, Xi announced a $2 billion donation to the international fight against covid-19 and offered to help set up hospitals and health infrastructure in Africa.



In an address that contained repeated references to Chinas support for multilateral institutions and developing countries, particularly in Africa, Xi appeared to be differentiating himself from Trump at a time when the two countries are locked in a duel over economic primacy and global influence.



Any vaccines produced by China would also be considered a global public good and shared, Xi said.



He called on countries to lend their support to the critical work of the WHO and Tedros after both were accused by President Trump of deference to the Chinese government.



Trump ordered a temporary freeze on WHO funding in April and said on Twitter this weekend he is weighing how to proceed.



Although Xi did not specify a recipient for his $2 billion pledge, that amount would overshadow the amount of WHO funding that the United States promised before it was frozen last month.



During the 2018-2019 two-year period, the United States committed to contributing about $893 million to the WHO budget, which came to $5.6 billion in total, according to funding data published by the agency.



At this critical juncture, to support the WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle to save lives, Xi said. China takes as its responsibility not only the lives and health of its citizens but global public health.



Rather than address criticisms that Chinese officials covered up early signs of the outbreak in Wuhan, Xi called on the world to step up information sharing. China provided information to the WHO and other countries in a timely fashion and released the genome sequence of the coronavirus at the earliest time, he said.



All along we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility, Xi said. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need.



The Chinese government has repeatedly characterized the pandemic as a crisis that is global in nature and called any targeted inquiry that draws undue attention to covid-19s roots in Wuhan as a ploy by Washington and its allies to make it a scapegoat.



Chinese officials and state media responded furiously last month after Australian officials suggested that agencies like the WHO, which have relatively limited powers, should be able to swiftly dispatch investigators to the site of emergencies.



Following the Australian comments, China threatened to boycott Australian products. Last week, it effectively cut imports of Australian beef on technical grounds; on Monday, its Commerce Ministry announced it would impose 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley as part of a long-standing anti-dumping investigation.



But Xi reversed course on the proposal during his speech, saying he supports efforts to improve response times for future public health emergencies and would back a review as long as it were objective and impartial  and held after the pandemic was under control.



The draft resolution, submitted by the European Union on Monday and supported by more than 100 nations, does not mention Wuhan or China. It asks the World Health Organization to work with other United Nations agencies to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts.



The document does not propose a review to identify missteps in how countries handled the outbreak and is instead forward-looking. It calls on the WHO to potentially arrange scientific and collaborative field missions to help prevent similar future outbreaks. It also appears to rule out the possibility that the virus was man-made or experimented upon  a possibility that U.S. officials have raised but that is considered unlikely by most epidemiologists.



It is not clear whether the Trump administration will also back the resolution.



Speaking to reporters Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China supported an international inquiry all along. A review that focused on combating discrimination, finding the zoonotic source of the virus and assessing the performance of the WHO response was consistent with the Chinese position, he said.



Before Xi's speech, official Communist Party media outlets warned the United States against politicizing the assembly or turning the WHO into a tool for geopolitical games.



A politicized appeal wont be supported at the assembly, the Global Times said in an editorial. The U.S. has messed up its covid-19 fight but intends to shift the responsibility to China. Such a plan is bound to backfire.

Source: Washington Post









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Determined to ride out Hurricane Dorian inside their homes, some of the residents of Marsh Harbour covered their windows with plywood and metal shutters, hoping such stopgap efforts would be enough to save their dwellings from the powerful storms wrath.

Tragically, it wasnt. When the monster storm hit the town, the largest on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, it toppled structures like matchsticks and generated a catastrophic storm surge that swept some townsfolk out to sea.

But what if Marsh Harbour had a building designed specifically as an emergency shelter, giving residents a place to go before the cyclone made landfall? It could be a structure capable of not only surviving the rage of a Category 5 storm but also serving as a year-round community center.

Building concepts designed by University of Miami School of Architecture students could one day help make it a reality.

Larah Biondo and Alexia Lohken's Marsh Harbour Resiliency Center design

Unveiled recently during a series of design studio presentations conducted via Zoom because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the concepts include such features as cisterns that could store up to a thousand gallons of water, rooftop solar panels that could provide power should a storm cripple the towns electrical grid, and an elevated ground floor that would protect inhabitants from crashing waves.

We wanted to design a building that would be fully open as an activity center with louver systems to provide shade and comfort, but one that could completely close and become the fortress a shelter needs to be during a hurricane, third-year architecture student Larah Biondo said of her project.

It is one of many that are the culmination of a series of design studios that focused exclusively on post-Hurricane Dorian recovery efforts. Students in more than half of the School of Architectures design classes took to the drawing board last semester, crafting plans for what is being called the Marsh Harbour Resiliency Center, which would occupy a parcel of land located in a commercial district just south of a government port on Abaco Island and adjacent to the Mudd and Pigeon Peas shantytowns.

For her project, Biondo partnered with classmate Alexia Lohken, designing a structure that would also have a farmers market, a playground, and a system of interior movable walls and Murphy beds. A retractable main staircaseinspired by one at a factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the two are fromwould provide access to the building.

In all, the structure would accommodate a thousand people, serving as a model that could be replicated throughout the Bahamas, as the island nation ramps up its infrastructure of storm-protection sites.

Dorian, the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Bahamas, reduced most of Marsh Harbor to rubble last September, and the region is just beginning to bounce backthough a full recovery is still months, if not years, away.

Within hours after Dorian devastated the town, School of Architecture Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury sent an urgent text message to Sonia Chao, asking the research associate professor how the Center for Urban and Community Design, which she leads, could help.

The center started in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew; and since its founding, it has inspired design studio projects aimed at helping regions devastated by natural disasters. These included southern Miami-Dade County, where Andrew destroyed tens of thousands of homes when it ripped through the area in 1992; New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta, where Hurricane Katrina spawned massive flooding and caused billions of dollars in damage; and Haiti, where a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 2010 killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Given those past experiences, it was clear that once again we had an opportunity to assist other communities, Chao said. So, the school followed a model it implemented after Katrina, dedicating more than half of its design studios for the spring semester to postDorian recovery projects.

But before the projects could begin, a site on Marsh Harbour where a resiliency center could be built had to be identified. Edgar Sarli, lecturer and coordinator of the schools integrated design studio, and associate professor Eric Firley flew to the small Bahamian town in early January, surveying the area before eventually identifying a site.

We found a still-devastated area, Sarli recalled. Houses were still completely destroyed. The streets had been cleared, but debris was piled up on the side of the road.

The two returned to Miami, and with assistance from Maria Lourdes Dieck-Assad, the University of Miamis vice president for hemispheric and global affairs, the school launched a design initiative to help the Bahamas but keep the objectives of its design studios intact. Our strategic focus for educational programs and research is on urban resilience, and this initiative is precisely aligned with that. This is exactly the kind of problem we want to tackle and the community of partners wed like to build, said el-Khoury.

This University was born in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane and then reborn after Hurricane Andrew, said Jorge Hernandez, professor and associate dean who, as interim dean of the architecture school when Andrew hit, worked with Tad Foote, then president, and others on post-storm recovery projects. When we saw what happened in the Bahamas, we knew we had to take action, Hernandez said.

Architecture students of all academic classifications, from freshmen to graduate students, designed concepts for a range of building designs, including housing and a resiliency center, and presented their work during a virtual presentation and review process. Faculty members from the University of the Bahamas participated in the exercise, critiquing the students work and making sound recommendations.

A radial open-floor plan that allows for a multitude of auxiliary uses, solar panels atop a centralized area, and water tanks to sustain occupants for extended periods are just some of the features Cooper Kaplan incorporated in his design. There arent many projects that are designed specifically as shelters, Kaplan said. This project was quite challenging and exciting because it required us to create a whole new archetype of a building, and it also taught us how important architecture can be to a community.

According to Chao, the school plans to send a portfolio of all the student designs to the Bahamas in the hope that they can serve as templates for future recovery projects on Marsh Harbour.

Architecture originated out of the human necessity of being protected from the elements and external threats, Sarli said. This project is relevant for its contribution to University-wide efforts to help in the reconstruction of the Bahamas and also because it puts human existence in the foreground of our students design considerations.
BBC's Normal People has become the TV sensation of the coronavirus crisis, winning millions of fans around the world.

And now the Irish government is cashing in on the global success of the show to promote COVID-19 holidays to the country.

Tourism Ireland released a 90-second video using behind-the-scenes shots to shine a spotlight on filming locations like University College Dublin and the town of Tobercurry, Co. Sligo, which stood in for the fictional town of Carricklea.

However Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin told Dail Eireann, the lower house of parliament, this month that the team behind the promotional clip had to be 'selective' in order to avoid airing any raunchy scenes that might offend viewers.

Tourism Ireland released a 90-second video using behind-the-scenes shots to shine a spotlight on filming locations featured in BBC's Normal People (pictured)

The romantic beach scenes were shot at Streedagh Beach, pictured, a two-mile stretch of sand dunes in north-west Sligo. It features in a new promotional film released to attract tourists

It comes after it was revealed there are a total of 41 minutes of sex scenes across the 10-episode series.

'Tourism Ireland has been very active online in promoting Ireland and imagery from Ireland,' Mr Griffin said, according to AirMail. 'Very recently, that imagery included Sligo and some of the cinematography in Normal People, which was partly filmed there.'

'They had to be selective with the cinematography as not everything is suitable for worldwide distribution from a tourism perspective.'

The aim is to encourage people to think about Ireland as a holiday destination once coronavirus travel restrictions have lifted, he explained.

Fans have been left feeling hot under the collar over scenes of full-frontal nudity which certainly would have caused a stir had they been featured.

Over five days last autumn, the crew took over venues such as pubs to shoot scenes from the characters' school days and the times they return home from university. Pictured, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) in a pub on New Year's Eve

The scene was shot at Brennan's, pictured, which director Lenny Abrahamson described as a 'gorgeous pub'. 'It's a particularly special experience to go to a genuine Irish pub,' he said

Instead Tourism Ireland chose chaste shots of Marianne and Connell walking through the countryside, embracing in a pub and strolling through the university campus.

The pair fall in love in a fictional town called Carricklea in County Sligo. In reality, the scenes were shot in the town of Tobercurry in the same area.

Over five days last autumn, the crew took over venues such as pubs to shoot scenes from the characters' school days and the times they return home from university.

Among the locations chosen was Brennan's, which served as the venue for the characters' New Year's Eve party.

Director Lenny Abrahamson told Tourism Ireland: 'We shot in this absolutely gorgeous pub, run by a brother and sister, really unchanged, I would say for decades. That was very magical. It's a particularly special experience to go to a genuine Irish pub, and I'm glad we got to put that one on film.'

Most of the action takes place at Trinity College Dublin, pictured, where director Lenny Abrahamson also studied. Students will recognise the university's Ussher Library

Trinity College Dublin, pictured, features in the promotional film released by Tourism Ireland

The romantic beach scenes were shot at Streedagh Beach, a two-mile stretch of sand dunes in north-west Sligo.

Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Marianne, said of the area: 'One of my favourite places to film would probably have been Sligo.

'It was just the most jaw-dropping entrance to any place Ive ever experienced. When you see Ben Bulben in the distance, its just immense.

Marianne is described in the book as living in a white mansion at the end of a driveway. Scenes taking place in her home were shot in a Georgian hunting lodge in Wicklow, south of Dublin.

Connell, by comparison, lives with his single mother in a tiny terraced house. For the production, these scenes were shot on a 1970s housing estate in Shankill, on the outskirts of Dublin.

Most of the action takes place at Trinity College Dublin, where director Lenny Abrahamson also studied. Students will recognise the university's Ussher Library, as well as the Blackbird pub.

Watch Normal People on BBC Three, or on Stan in Australia.
As Scott Morrison contemplates returning to politics as usual, theres something he should keep front-of-mind: governments that preside over severe recessions usually get tossed out.

Voters gratitude for being saved from the virus will fade, leaving them staring at that triumphs horrendous price tag  its opportunity cost: the huge number of people still waiting to get a job back as we approach the federal election in early 2022. It follows that Morrisons best chance of pulling off two election miracles in succession rests in doing all in his power to get the rate of unemployment back down to the 5 per cent it was at before the virus hit.

To Morrison, returning to politics as usual means returning to what he calls ideology and I call governing not for all Australians but for the Liberal tribe  team Lifters  the base and its big business donors. What he means by ideology is fighting for less government, lower taxes and the protection of tax breaks. Which, in turn, means shifting the balance in favour of the Lifters and against the rival Leaners tribe, aka Labor.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is open to adjusting JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Liberal grandee John Howard sanctioned Morrisons huge increase in government spending by telling him that, in a crisis, theres no ideology. True. Any Liberal government would have done the same, as the big spending of Britains Conservatives and Americas Republicans suggests.
Loading The position, which is largely consistent with that of China's Foreign Ministry to date, is in contrast to the motion sponsored by Australia and more than 120 other countries, which explicitly calls for an independent inquiry into the WHO's responses "at the earliest appropriate moment". WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the assembly that the organisation welcomed the proposed resolution because everyone had lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience, he said. I will initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned.

To be truly comprehensive, such an evaluation must encompass the entirety of the response by all actors, in good faith. The EU-Australian backed motion contains more than 50 other clauses and is expected to pass with the support of at least two thirds of the 197 member nations of the World Health Assembly on Tuesday. Australia, the European Union and other sponsors remain hopeful of obtaining unanimous support when the motion is put to a vote. The United States, which has pushed for an inquiry focused on China, has also yet to declare if it will support the motion. Xi said China had acted transparently since the beginning of the outbreak. "We have provided information in a most timely fashion," he said. "After making painstaking sacrifices and enormous efforts we have turned the tide on the virus and protected the life and health of our people." The Chinese Communist Party has been criticised for suppressing local concerns about the spread of the disease in December. WHO has also been accused of failing to act quickly enough after it pushed back against global travel restrictions and did not declare a pandemic until March 11, more than two weeks after Australia.

The United States, which is not co-sponsoring the resolution, blasted WHO and China, claimed that a "cover-up" had "cost many lives." US President Donald Trump retweeted Australia's SBS news, and said America backed the probe. Trump's Health Secretary Alex Azar said the US supported an independent review of WHO's response to the pandemic, saying the status quo was intolerable and slamming WHO's response to the crisis. "We must be frank about why one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control," Azar said.

"There was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed and that failure cost many lives. "We saw that WHO failed at its core mission of information sharing and transparency when member states do not act in good faith. This cannot ever happen again. "WHO must change and it must become far more transparent and far more accountable." The US also condemned Taiwan's exclusion from the assembly, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemning what he claimed was a "spiteful move" from China. COVID-19 has now infected more than 4.7 million people and killed 315,000 around the world.

Xi urged more international co-operation and warned medical supplies still needed to be deployed to areas where they are needed most. The Chinese President on Monday pledged $US2 billion to develop medical infrastructure to help battle the coronavirus in Africa. "It must be our top priority in the global health response," he said. A bloc of African countries that rely on medical aid from China on Monday said they would back the EU-Australian motion, raising hopes China may vote with the majority on the motion. South Koreas President Moon Jae-in said infection-related data needed to be shared more transparently among countries and called for an early-warning system to be established.

He also called for international health rules to be updated and made legally binding amid calls for China to be held accountable for the pandemic. "We must update the WHO international health regulations and relevant norms and augment them with binding legal force," he said. European leaders backed an inquiry, but also called for WHO to be funded sustainably, an implied criticism of Trump's decision to halt funding for WHO. French President Emmanuel Macron said France would increase its funding for WHO, but backed an inquiry into what went wrong. "We need to look at the situation clearly and head-on and carry out an honest and rigorous assessment of whats worked and what hasnt worked in the way this international crisis has been managed," he said.

"Here we have an opportunity to provide a single, united response to the pandemic, free of complacency and unfounded accusations. "We need to be united, demanding and clear-headed, that is our duty." Loading Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel told the assembly that WHO was the "legitimate world organisation for the area of health." "And so we should continue to work to improve procedures within the WHO and we also need to look at the financing to ensure it is sustainable," she said.
The Founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr. Percival Kofi Akpaloo, has chided former President John Mahama saying he has no campaign message for the 2020 elections.

He said his campaign message lacks the kind of focus that the citizenry is looking for, hence he must rejected again in the upcoming elections.

John Mahamas message lacks the reassuring ingredients during his consistent Facebook live encounters, which has left many of Ghanaians disappointed and disarmed of the fervour that is needed for the 2020 election, Mr. Percival Kofi Akpaloo told Okoyeabour Ocran on Medo Ghana on Accra-based Kingdom FM107.7

During his tenure, Ghana retrogressed in every sector. We shall not allow him to draw us back again. We are going forward, he added

He said what was more worrying was the fact that the former President lacks vision and must not be given the chance to govern the country again, he added

He disclosed that Mr. Mahama, who is staging a comeback on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after being defeated massively in 2016, has no campaign message to convince Ghanaians in the upcoming polls.

---KingdomfmOnline.com
By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kongs legislature plunged into chaotic scuffles for a second time this month, as pro-Beijing lawmakers on Monday took control of a key committee, paving the way for a debate on a bill that would criminalise abuse of China's national anthem.

Pro-democracy legislators charged at security guards surrounding pro-establishment lawmaker Chan Kin-Por, who had taken the chairmans seat in the meeting against procedural objections by the opposition.

Guards hauled several legislators out of the chamber, some kicking and shouting. Some tried leaping over the guards from benchtops to take back the chairmans seat only to be forced back. The Democrats chanted "foul play" and held a placard reading "CCP (China Communist Party) tramples HK legislature."

Opposition lawmaker Ted Hui shouted at Chan that the meeting was "illegal." Even as the protests continued, Chan called a vote for a chairperson of the committee that was won by pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee.

Lee's camp condemned the violence and pledged to push ahead with the anthem bill.

"Its painful to watch and its saddening to see a legislative assembly degenerate into this level of behaviour, pro-Beijing lawmaker Martin Liao said.

Beijing has accused the former British colony's pro-democracy lawmakers of "malicious" filibustering to prevent some proposed bills from going to a final vote, effectively paralysing the legislature.

It was the second time in 10 days that have legislators pushed and shoved each other over the procedures of electing a chairperson.

Last May, scuffles broke out in the legislature over a proposed extradition bill that if passed could have seen people stand trial in courts in mainland China. The bill sparked often-violent protests in the Hong Kong and was later scrapped.

They can take away the rules of procedures today but I am sure the Hong Kong people wont forget today, said Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kwok.

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ONLINE CALLS FOR PROTESTS

The house committee's role is to scrutinise bills before a second reading in the legislative council and has built up a backlog after failing to elect a chairperson since late last year. The backlog includes the China national anthem bill, which is expected to be given a second reading on May 27 despite the procedural chaos.

Protesters have been calling on social media for city-wide demonstrations on that day.

Liao acknowledged the bill could spark social unrest.

"We cannot shun our legislative duty because we think theres a risk, he said.

Social distancing amid the pandemic has largely put a brake on protests since January, but demonstrations are expected to resume later this year with the outbreak coming under control.

The arrest of 15 activists in April, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior barristers, thrust the protest movement back into the spotlight and drew condemnation from Washington and international rights groups.

China's Hong Kong affairs office warned this month that the city would never be calm unless "black-clad violent protesters" were all removed, describing them as a "political virus" that seeks independence from Beijing.

Beijing blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest and says protesters are undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday he believed China had threatened to interfere with the work of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong, and warned Beijing that any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy could affect the U.S. assessment of Hong Kong's status.

Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, and the territory was promised a "high degree of autonomy" for 50 years.

The "one country, two systems" deal formed the basis of the territory's special status under U.S. law, which has helped it thrive as a world financial centre.

(Reporting by Jessie Pang and James Pomfret; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Michael Perry)
The signatures on the will and power of attorney of Carole Baskins long-missing second husband Don Lewis appears to be a forgery, experts believe, after it emerged that Baskin helped author the legal documents to 'save on lawyer fees'.

Made famous by the Netflix documentary series Tiger King, multi-millionaire Lewis, who co-owned a Florida wildlife sanctuary with Baskin, vanished without a trace in August 1997 aged 59.

Lewis has never been found, nor has any evidence to suggest he was murdered, though authorities have previously stated they dont believe he disappeared on his own volition.

Shortly after his disappearance, Baskin - his wife at the time and the last known person to see him alive  produced his will and his power of attorney that gave her control of his $5 million estate.

However, two handwriting experts now believe Lewis signatures on both of the documents are actually forgeries.

Its not a difficult call, handwriting expert Thomas Vastrick told the Clarion Ledger. His conclusions mirror those previously made by fellow field specialist Willa Smith, who said the signatures appeared to be the product of tracing.

Made famous by the Netflix documentary series Tiger King, multi-millionaire Don Lewis (left), who co-owned a Tampa, Florida wildlife sanctuary with Baskin, vanished without a trace in August 1997.

Shortly afterward his disappearance, Baskin - his wife at the time and the last known person to see him alive  produced his will and his power of attorney that gave her control of his estate and $5 million in assets

However, two handwriting experts now believe Lewis signatures on both of the documents were actually forgeries

Vastrick believes Lewis signature for both documents were traced from his marriage record, noting that the witnesses signatures and the notary on both documents are also 'identical', suggesting that at least one  and possibly both  of the documents may have been forged.

It's unclear if Vastrick has reviewed a physical copy of the will and power of attorney or just pictures of the documents.

Baskin was never charged in relation to Lewis August 18, 1997 disappearance, but the case remains open and gained global notoriety following the release of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness in March.

The series focuses on the long-running feud shared between self-proclaimed animal activist Baskin and Joe Exotic, a flamboyant polygamist owner of a private zoo in Oklahoma.

Amid the heated fallout that later saw Exotic arrested in a murder-for-hire plot for an alleged hit he took out on Baskin, Exotic repeatedly accused the sanctuary owner of killing Lewis and discarding of his body by feeding it to one of her tigers.

After Lewis was reported missing, deputies found his van abandoned at a nearby airport, where he had allegedly planned to take a trip to Costa Rica. Police found no signs of a struggle or blood inside  nor did they find proof that Lewis ever left the country. Lewis was pronounced legally dead in 2002.

In 2004, Baskin refused to take a polygraph test related to the investigation on the advice of her attorney.

The discovery of the apparent forgeries could be powerful evidence in a potential criminal case if one is ever brought forward by prosecutors, Matt Steffey, professor of law at Mississippi College of Law told the Ledger.

She has motive anyway, but this ups the stakes, Steffey added, pointing out that Baskin was given total control of Lewis affairs and said it ties a bow on what could be her scheme to get him out of the picture.

Baskin was never charged in relation to Lewis August 18, 1997 disappearance, but the case remains open and has grown ever more notorious since the release of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness in March

The series focused on the long-running feud shared between self-proclaimed animal activist Baskin and Joe Exotic (left), a flamboyant polygamist owner of a private zoo in Oklahoma.

One of the other signatures that appears both on the will and power of attorney is that of Susan Aronoff, who has since told deputies she previously testified she was there for the will signing when actually she wasnt.

Susan Aronoff has not yet responded to a DailyMail.com request for comment.

Anne McQueen, who served as Lewis longtime executive assistant, said the only will and power of attorney she was aware of was one that was under her desk.

McQueen said the will that Lewis had signed and given to her for safekeeping 'in case anything happened to him', the documentary highlighted.

In McQueens version of the documents, she claims she was named as the executor of Lewis will, power of attorney and life insurance.

However, in the version presented after his disappearance, Baskin is listed for executor, power of attorney, and life insurance.

In 2004, Baskin refused to take a polygraph test related to the investigation on the advice of her attorney. She later married to Howard Baskin (left)

After Lewis was reported missing, deputies found his van abandoned at a nearby airport, where he had allegedly planned to take a trip to Costa Rica. Police found no signs of a struggle or blood inside  nor did they find proof that Lewis ever left the country

The attorney for Lewis family first hired Willa Smith in 1997 to conduct handwriting analysis when they challenged the will and power of attorney presented by Baskin.

Lewis daughter, Donna Pettis, told the Ledger her family opted not to contest the handwriting analysis any further on the advice of their legal counsel.

Our attorney was afraid that if Carole continued serving as conservator over the entire estate, then we were risking that our trust fund would be depleted by the end of the five-year term, Donna said of the reason behind the decision.

Under the power of attorney unearthed by Baskin, she was given full control over her husbands estate in the event of his disability or disappearance.

Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Amanda Granit confirmed to DailyMail.com that the department previously investigated the allegations of forgery in 2011.

The Sheriff's Office turned the case over to the Florida attorney generals office, which later said the five-year statute of limitations on forgeries had expired and the matter was pressed no further.

DailyMail.com were told 'Sorry no comment' when approaching Carole Basking's organisation with questions regarding the matter. She has previously stated she authored the legal documents because Don wanted to save money on lawyers fees.

In a post published to BigCatRescue.org that has since been altered, Baskin originally wrote: Some people made a fuss about using the word disappearance, but Don had told me about people going to Costa Rica and disappearing, and he was dealing with the mob down there, so I thought that seemed like a potential threat and included the word.

I also included disability because of Dons increasingly strange behavior. Our Costa Rican attorney, Roger Petersen, said the Helicopter Brothers were their version of the mob, and Don was loaning them money, Baskin continued.

Lewis daughter, Donna Pettis (left), said her family followed the advice of their lawyer and chose not to contest the conflict over the handwriting analysis any further

Baskin, the owner of Big Cat Rescue, has also slammed Tiger King as salacious and sensational, saying on her website that it has a segment devoted to suggesting, with lies and innuendos from people who are not credible, that I had a role in the disappearance of my husband Don in 1997.

In response to the claims made by McQueen that Lewis handed her a will to keep in the event that 'anything should happen to him', Baskin wrote: 'Anne McQueen is referred to as Dons trusted assistant [in Tiger King].

'A few months before his disappearance we caught her embezzling roughly $600,000 in properties by buying them with our funds and putting them in her name. A court ordered her to return them. Not the best sign of integrity, credibility, someone to believe,' she continued.

Last month, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said he believed Lewis was murdered.

Chronister said Baskin is not a suspect at this time, adding the department doesn't even had a 'shred of evidence to even call her a person of interest.

The police department has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment.
Stocks in the news today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Monday's trading session based on latest developments. Companies set to announce their earnings are Bharti Airtel, Torrent Power, Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca Pharma, Maharashtra Scooters, Dr. Lal PathLabs among others. Investors will also be taking cues from the latest released March quarter earnings.

Share Market LIVE: Sensex drops 800 points, Nifty at 8,900; Airtel, Glaxo Pharma, Torrent Power in focus

Key highlights on share market; check the latest stock market news

- The government has extended the lockdown till May 31, 2020

- Sensex closed 25 points lower to 31,097, while Nifty ended 5 points lower at 9,136.

- Rupee traded in a narrow range and later closed flat at 75.56 per dollar

- On a net basis, FIIs sold Rs 2,388.04 crore while DIIs bought Rs 1,225.53 crore in equities on Friday

Reliance Industries: The company announced that US-based PE firm, General Atlantic will invest Rs 6,598.4 crore for a 1.34% stake in Reliance Jio Platforms.

Sterling and Wilson: The company announced that it has signed an EPC contract of approx Rs 2,600 crore as well as the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) contract of approx Rs 415 crore, which is its largest order in Australia. The duration of the O&M contract is for a maximum period of 20 years, the filing added.

KNR Constructions: The company has received two work orders for Rs. 2309.23 from Irrigation & CAD Department, Govt. of Telangana.

ITC: The company has resumed operations at its factories and plant locations manufacturing non-essential items with limited workforce.

Trident: Company's board of Directors has approved the resolution for raising of funds for amounts not exceeding Rs 600 Crore by issue of Non-Convertible Debentures by way of public or private offering, in one or more tranches.

Dilip Buildcon: Company has incorporated a new special purpose vehicle (SPV) for a new HAM Project viz 4 lane with paved shoulder configuration of Patrapali-Katghora Pkg-II of Bilaspur-Katghora section of NH-111 in the State of Chhattisgarh under Bharatmala on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

Monnet Ispat & Energy: Company has announced the restart of the integrated steel manufacturing operations of the plant located at Raigarh, Chhattisgarh effective 2 May, 2020.

Cadila: Zydus Cadila has received tentative approval from USFDA for Droxidopa Capsules, 100 mg, 200 mg, and 300 mg

Future Consumer: Company board has considered and approved, raising of funds, up to Rs 300 crore, by way of issuing equity shares having face value of Rs 6 each on a rights basis to the eligible equity shareholders.

Polycab India: The company has announced the opening of a manufacturing plant at Roorkee.

Zuari Agro Chemicals: Company has shut down NPK-A plant for non-availability of bagging material.

InterGlobe Aviation: Company clarified that it has not formulated any indicative proposal or expressed any interest in the sale of Virgin Australia.

Adani Enterprises: Company along with Navayuga Engineering has incorporated a new company namely, "Vijayawada Bypass Project Private Limited '' (VBPPL) on 15th May, 2020 in the ratio of 74:26.

Tata Chemicals: The company reported rise (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 6421.45 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 408.71 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income fell 8.51% (YoY) to Rs 2453.64 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 2681.98 crore in the same period last financial year.

Cipla: The company reported 33% fall(YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 245.95 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 367.20 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income came at (YoY) Rs 4469.37 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 4499.34 crore in the same period last financial year.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals: The company reported 27% fall(YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 102 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 140 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income fell 15% (YoY) to Rs 1038.30 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 1223.84 crore in the same period last financial year.

L&T Finance Holdings: The company reported 34% fall (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 386.15 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 591.03 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose 15% (YoY) to Rs 3427.22 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 3734.05 crore in the same period last financial year.

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services: The company reported 41% fall (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 1075.14 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 1827.29 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose 15% (YoY) to Rs 11996.45 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 10430.85 crore in the same period last financial year.

Nippon Life Asset Management: The company reported 97% fall (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 3.7 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 149 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income fell 58% (YoY) to Rs 149.56 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 360.64 crore in the same period last financial year.

Trident: The company reported 36% rise (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 5.8 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 4.2 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose 17% (YoY) to Rs 61 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 52.52 crore in the same period last financial year.

NELCO: The company reported 56% fall (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 40 crore during the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as against profit of Rs 92 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income fell 29% (YoY) to Rs 997.55 crore in the January-March quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 1418.31 crore in the same period last financial year.

DLF: Company said ICRA has revised outlook of Long Term Rating as A+, to stable from positive.

Q4 Earnings Today: Bharti Airtel, Torrent Power, Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca Pharma, Maharashtra Scooters, Dr. Lal PathLabs, Gujarat Themis Biosyn, Delta Corp, Deccan Gold Mines, Allsec Technologies are among the top companies that will be reporting their March quarterly earnings.

Latest result date announcements

Grindwell Norton: May 20, 2020

JSW Energy: May 20, 2020

Tata Steel Bsl: May 20, 2020

Birla Corporation: May 21, 2020

Colgate-Palmolive India: May 21, 2020

Apcotex Industries: May 21, 2020

Godrej Industries: May 22, 2020

Avenue Supermarts: May 23, 2020
New Delhi:

The water level in Yamuna has breached the warning level due to discharge of water from a barrage in Haryana, prompting the Delhi government to deploy disaster and flood management teams.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said due to the water level nearing the danger mark, few people had to be shifted from north Delhis Burari.

Water level increasing in Yamuna. Nearing danger mark. No need to panic. Team on alert. Few people evacuated from Burari. Disaster management and flood department teams on night duty. Announcements done, he tweeted.

Mishra said water may recede after 3 AM and that the government has five district teams on standby. The warning level for Yamuna is 204 m and the danger level 204.83 m. The highest water level of 207.49 m in Yamuna was recorded in 1978.
A medic works with a machine during the process of testing samples for Covid-19 at a laboratory of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, April 10, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Vietnam has done well in detecting and curbing Covid-19 infection, and its health sector is coping easily, a senior public health official said.

Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, said the country has not let down its guard since it recorded the first cases of new coronavirus infection in January.

Later on, as more cases were recorded, it is always prompt in quarantining Covid-19 suspects and identifying infected areas to isolate or even lock them down.

Its healthcare system, military and the public have acquired experience in preventing the spread of infection and are aware of the rules for fighting the pandemic.

"Covid-19 is still under control in Vietnam," he said at a meeting held in Hanoi on Sunday.

The nation of 95 million people has so far had only 320 cases of Covid-19. Of them, 260 patients have recovered. It has avoided community transmission since April 16 and there have been no deaths to date.

Imported cases not a concern

Now Vietnam has shifted its focus to containing transmission by people coming from overseas. All its recent cases have been people arriving from abroad on special flights from stricken areas.

But Phu said this should not be a public concern because all arrivals are immediately quarantined. In quarantine, they are tested and monitored for 14 days, and there is no chance they can spread the virus even if they have it, he said.

He warned about people entering the country through unmonitored trails and avoiding quarantines and health checks.

Recently a 39-year-old man illegally returned to the southern province of Tay Ninh from Cambodia and was quarantined the next day. He was confirmed infected on Saturday evening, and 17 people who had come into close contact with him have been isolated.

Addressing fears about the increasing number of imported cases -- more than 30 have been diagnosed since Friday morning -- Phu said the health sector is capable of handling them, and its experience in fighting severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) at the turn of the century is useful even today.

Vietnam was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the first country to successfully contain SARS.

"It can be guaranteed that Vietnam is still capable of quarantining arrivals from abroad and testing them to detect infection. And, we have been doing a good job of treatment, keeping patients at local hospitals and only transferring critical cases to city- and central-level hospitals to avoid overload and pressure."

Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh.

Reiterating that there is no need to worry about imported cases, he said community transmission should be the biggest concern.

Once it happens and spreads quickly, the medical system would be overwhelmed, he warned. But with what Vietnam has been doing, he said that scenario is unlikely to happen.

"What is important is that we do not become complacent. If we keep up our good work, we will not have to face the second wave of community infection, but even if that happens, it would remain a small outbreak that we can bring under control.

"Once infections are detected early, we can quickly locate the affected areas and do contact tracing. In that case, the outbreak will be like a small fire and we can easily put it out."

It might not end

Speaking about what the future holds, Phu said the pandemic might never disappear just like the flu or HIV.

"The pandemic could last one or two more years. Many experts have said it will not end like SARS but is here to stay."

Unlike SARS patients, who usually show symptoms and need to be hospitalized and treated immediately, Covid-19 patients do not have symptoms, which makes it easy to spread the virus in the community and difficult to detect.

"Patient 315," the man who came back from Cambodia to Tay Ninh, was one such case. He did not have symptoms like fever, cough or sore throat when entering Vietnam on May 2, and authorities had the arduous task of tracking down everyone who had come into contact with him.

WHO also said on Wednesday that the new coronavirus might never go away, and populations around the world have to learn to live with it.
Last December, a Saudi Arabian cadet training with the US military opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, killing three soldiers and wounding eight others. The FBI recovered two iPhones, and after failing to access their data, asked Apple to unlock them. The company refused, but eventually the FBI unlocked at least one of them without Apples help, and discovered substantial ties between the shooter and terrorist group al Qaeda. US Attorney General Barr suggests forcing Apple to take action in the future, saying ...if not for our FBIs ingenuity, some luck, and hours upon hours of time and resources, this information would have remained undiscovered. The bottom line: our national security cannot remain in the hands of big corporations who put dollars over lawful access and public safety. The time has come for a legislative solution.

Its not clear if the shooting was an order from al Qaeda, but the data shows that the shooter was in touch for an extended period of time with the organization, including its leadership. During the attack, he shot both phones in an attempt to destroy them, and he had been using apps with end-to-end encryption in order to communicate with the terrorist group. The FBI was able to access the data regardless, though Attorney General Barr and FBI Director Chris Wray suggest that results would have come much quicker if Apple had helped to unlock the phones.

ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Brett Max Kaufman responded to Barrs comments, saying "Every time theres a traumatic event requiring investigation into digital devices, the Justice Department loudly claims that it needs backdoors to encryption, and then quietly announces it actually found a way to access information without threatening the security and privacy of the entire world. The boy who cried wolf has nothing on the agency that cried encryption." While Barrs push for backdoors and cooperation from phone manufacturers raises concerns, Kaufmans response doesnt address that the DoJ isnt seeking the ability to unlock phones, but to do so as quickly as possible.

Apples refusal to work with law enforcement has been an issue for years. The company wants to ensure its users feel confident in trusting Apple with their data, yet police and the FBI say that the refusals to cooperate hinder investigations and put lives at risk. It sounds like Barr wants to put a system into law that would oblige Apple to comply in future cases. How realistic this plan is -- or how much buy-in from politicians it will get -- remains to be seen, though it would force Apple to rethink how it approaches user privacy.
For Tamyah Beck, listening to former President Barack Obamas graduation message of hope and inspiration over the weekend was also a bit nerve-wracking.

Its scary because some of my friends who graduated with me arent sure what they are going to do about starting their career because of the coronavirus, said Beck, who earned a degree in rehabilitation psychology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

She got a job in her chosen profession at a private school in Maryland after interning there.

Im fortunate, Beck told NBC News. But because of the coronavirus I didnt even pursue other opportunities.

Beck isnt alone.

Image: Tamyah Beck, who graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore last week, said she cried over not having a traditional ceremony, but the virtual graduation featuring former President Obama was a sufficient substitute. (Courtesy of Tamyah Beck)

Obama delivered a virtual graduation speech for 27,000 students of historically black colleges on Saturday, a stirring message of optimism for graduates entering the most unstable workforce since the Great Depression.

He was the comforter-in-chief, delivering an address that served as a warm blanket and clarion call for the 2020 class of HBCUs to embrace the challenge of influencing a world that seems at the moment to not have a place for them.

"These arent normal times, Obama said. 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.

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; that our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other, Obama said.

The comedian/actor Kevin Hart hosted the two-hour graduation that aired on the YouTube and Twitter channels of JP Morgan Chase, a sponsor of the event. Leaders and celebrities from various industries  music, film, business, finance, politics, etc.  contributed video messages.

Story continues

The movie producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Girls Trip), a Florida A&M graduate, told the viewers: You have the relationships, the skill set and the network. Dont let any situation hold you back.

Some dreams may be deferred. More than 30 million workers have filed for unemployment since the pandemic began, and many of the jobs some students had hoped to land this summer no longer exist.

There are also fears among black educators, parents and students that some black colleges that are already struggling financially could close permanently as a result of the pandemic.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 6,000 fewer students attended the 101 HBCUs during the 2018-19 school year than the previous year. The most recent total of 291,767 students was the lowest since 2001.

Schools like Bethune Cookman and Cheney University, among others, are in financial quagmires. Prairie View A&M University recently received a $110,000 emergency grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to provide relief for graduating seniors who have suffered economic hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

We know that students and their families will face enormous hurdles because of this global health crisis. We are grateful that the Mellon Foundation has stepped in to assist those students who are nearing graduation yet are desperately in need of assistance to complete their studies, James M. Palmer, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said in a statement.

Despite those enrollment and financial concerns, speakers during the virtual graduation pointed out that HBCUs produce 70 percent of African American doctors and dentists, 50 percent of black lawyers and 80 percent of black judges. HBCU graduates in 2014 could be expected to earn $130 billion over their lifetimes  56 percent more than they could expect to earn without their HBCU degrees or certificates, according to the United Negro College Fund.

Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, said that black colleges are being hit especially hard because of a lack of technical infrastructure and staff relocation.

This is an unprecedented situation for all of us, but we are up to the challenge, Lomax said in a statement on the funds website. UNCF is working rapidly to help address the critical emergency needs of our students and HBCUs particularly because the needs of these institutions are especially acute.

The UNCF funds scholarships for 37 private historically black colleges and universities.

We at UNCF know that foundational HBCU legacies, dreams of a college education and brighter futures, and the important work of UNCF must not be washed away by such turbulent times, he said.

And Obamas message of HBCU support resounded in his speech.

As young African Americans, youve been exposed, earlier than some, to the world as it is, Obama said. But as young HBCU grads, your education has also shown you the world as it ought to be. . . And Im here to tell you, you made a great choice (going to an HBCU). 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.

Meanwhile, Beck sees herself as one of Obama's graduating warriors.

To hear President Obama say we can still make a difference, can still change the world, Beck said, that was uplifting for everyone.
The Centre on Saturday rolled out the biggest reform in coal sector by allowing private players to start commercial mining. It also enhanced foreign direct investment cap in defence production, freed up more air space for civilian flights and encouraged further private participation in the space sector, including satellites and launches -- all aimed at making post-Covid economy more self-reliant.

At present, private sector firms in India are only allowed to mine coal for their own use in cement, steel, power and aluminum plants. Coal India is the sole commercial miner in the country with 80% market share.

In her fourth consecutive announcement on reform and relief measures amid the pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the foreign direct investment limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route will be raised from 49% to 74%.

India will also stop importing weapons that can be manufactured indigenously. The government will notify a list of weapons for ban on import with year-wise timelines. Every year this list will be increased.

"The move will improve self-reliance in defence manufacturing and reduce a huge defence import bill," she said.

She also proposed easing of restrictions on Indian airspace, of which only 60% is freely available for commercial use, to reduce travel time and save fuel. The easing of airspace translates to benefits of about Rs 1,000 crore a year for the aviation sector, the minister said and gave details of six airports to be auctioned to private players.

Aviation experts, however, questioned her move, wondering who would invest when the future of airlines was uncertain in these times. Prominent carriers also demanded a stimulus package for grounded airlines to start flying.

Seeking to end the monopoly of Coal India, the minister said mining of coal will be commercialised and nearly 50 blocks will be offered immediately. Any party could bid for coal blocks and sell in the open market as opposed to the prevailing norm where only captive consumers with end-use ownership can bid. She also announced an investment of Rs 50,000 crore for developing infrastructure to evacuate mined coal.

In order to encourage private participation in space exploration and related activities, the minister said Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in Indias space sector journey.

The private sector will be allowed to use Isro's facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities. The future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel will be open for private sector.

To boost growth and job prospects, the government will enhance private investments in the mineral sector. It will also introduce joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks to enhance the aluminum industrys competitiveness. The move will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs.

Sitharaman said the structural reforms announced on Saturday will impact those sectors which are new horizons of growth, unleashing new investment, boosting production and creating jobs.
American brokerage Goldman Sachs expects the Indian economy to contract by 5 per cent in FY21, making it the worst performance by the country ever.

The brokerage said the GDP will contract by a mind-boggling 45 per cent in the June quarter as compared to the January-March period on an annualised basis, because of the continuing lockdown which is chilling economic activity, before recovering later.

A slew of watchers are expecting a contraction in the Indian economy in FY21, some even after the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus announced by the government. Goldman was earlier expecting a 0.4 per cent contraction before revising it down to a level it shares with Japanese brokerage Nomura.

"The -5 per cent growth we forecast for FY21 would be deeper compared to all 'recessions' India has ever experienced," its analysts wrote in the note.

The virus continues to spread in India, resulting in the pushing of the nationwide lockdown with gradual relaxation of restrictions, while concerns among consumers and businesses continue, it said.

The rebound from a quarterly perspective will be very strong in the September quarter, it said, expecting a 20 per cent growth in GDP over the level of June-end, but added that the same will be gradual from then on.

Joining its peers, the brokerage also said that the reform measures announced by the government will help growth only over the medium term and are not expected to have any benefit in the near-term.

In line with its peers, the brokerage also said that the fiscal impact of the stimulus measures announced by the government is very small at 1.3 per cent of GDP.

The brokerage said while the slow growth may result in calls for even more stimulus from the government, the likely help will be smaller as compared with the post 2008 crisis as well because of the fiscal situation in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the United States inches closer to what is shaping up to be a watershed federal election, there is a new favourite buzzword being touted by incumbent president Donald Trump: Obamagate.

You can be forgiven for not understanding what it means, because its hard to know if Mr Trump even knows what he means by it.

Adding the suffix gate to the name of his predecessor Barack Obama, the president is ascribing some sort of scandal or malfeasance to the former Democratic president.

Despite tweeting about it and being quick to allude to 'Obamagate', Mr Trump won't be drawn on the details. Source: Getty

But when asked last week by reporters to define Obamas misdeeds in the alleged Obamagate, Mr Trump failed to articulate one.

You know what the crime is, he said. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours, he said before quickly moving on.

Despite being quick to allude to it, Mr Trump continually refuses to be drawn on any specifics, or articulate exactly what he means by the term.

What is Obamagate really about?

The term has come to refer to a legal case of former national security adviser Michael Flynn who was briefly the National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump and was charged with lying to the FBI, before the charges were later dropped.

By vaguely dubbing his allegations Obamagate, Mr Trump is pointing to unspecified conspiracies purportedly perpetrated against him in 2016 and suggesting the disclosure of Michael Flynns name as part of legal US surveillance of foreign targets was criminal and motivated by partisan politics.

Mr Flynns name came up in an investigation about sharing sensitive information with foreign nationals, implicating Trumps campaign with potential collusion with Russia.

There is evidence that Obama knew about the investigation but no evidence to suggest he authorised it on partisan grounds.

The Obama Administration is turning out to be one of the most corrupt and incompetent in U.S. history. Remember, he and Sleepy Joe are the reasons I am in the White House!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2020

Known as unmasking, Mr Flynns name was only revealed because of what he said in recordings collected by US intelligence agencies during routine surveillance of foreign targets.

Story continues

US officials can ask the agency that collected the intelligence to unmask the name if they think it is vital to understanding the intelligence.

However, those who champion the so-called Obamagate conspiracy, say it proves the Obama administration unfairly and illegally targeted Mr Flynn and other associates of Donald Trump in 2016.

For Trump, conspiracy is the weapon of choice

Mr Trump, who was one of the main drivers behind the Obama birther conspiracy years ago which questioned the birthplace of the former president, has a history of throwing petrol on the fire of baseless conspiracy theories in order to redirect media attention, attack rivals and excite his supporters.

While the latest conspiracy alludes to the investigation in the finals days of the Obama presidency, for Mr Trump, the beauty of so-called Obamagate is that it lets supporters and the broader public fill in their own meaning and suspicions.

The vaguer the innuendo, the easier it is for supporters to inject their own prejudices and amid all the controversy and chaos, the truth is harder to see.

Jennifer Mercieca, the author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump, says this constant muddying of the waters with conspiracies allows the president to throw suspicion at whoever he likes. In this case, the administration in which his now rival Joe Biden was Vice President.

Conspiracy is a self-sealing narrative  it can never be disproven, Ms Mercieca told Politico in a piece on why Mr Trump has seemingly stepped up his peddling of conspiracies lately.

The logics of conspiracy cover up the lack of proof (they are hiding the proof) or disconfirming proof (they cant be trusted to tell the truth). He who wields conspiracy is very powerful because he can point suspicion in any direction he likes.

In a separate piece published on the same day last week, The Atlantic tried to wade through the topic by offering its readers a suggestion on How to Understand Obamagate.

Precisely what Trump is alleging against Obama is obscure, and probably beside the point, it said.

Trump isnt really interested in alleging any particular crime. The point of Obamagate is to try to recapture the force that propelled Trump to political prominence.

That force is painting himself as a political outsider fighting against the corruption of the established elite in Washington by weaponising whatever crazy idea is floating around the internet  and we can likely expect much more of it before the US presidential election in November.

with AP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:45:42|Editor: huaxia

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NANJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors to Chinese museums across China increased by over 100 million visitors year on year to reach 1.23 billion in 2019, said Liu Yuzhu, head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), at the opening ceremony of the International Museum Day celebrations in China on Monday.

The number of museums in China increased by 181 year on year to 5,535 in 2019 and they held about 28,600 exhibitions and 334,600 educational events in 2019, Liu said in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, the main venue for the celebrations.

"Equality has become a distinctive characteristic of the development of Chinese museums, while innovation has accelerated their modernization and intellectualization," Liu said.

Themed "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion," this year's campaign for International Museum Day will include special activities held across China to boost interactions between museums and the public, according to the NCHA.

In collaboration with Xinhua News Agency, the NCHA launched a platform to show the best of the online exhibitions of China's museums at the opening ceremony.

A special exhibition with a selection of over 200 cultural relics dating from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) to the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) were jointly launched by eight cultural institutions as the first livestream project under the cooperation.

In a tribute to medics, a batch of materials demonstrating China's collective efforts in the combat against the epidemic was donated to Nanjing Museum at the opening ceremony of the main event.

Online activities will be intertwined with offline events for the first time due to the epidemic, and activities at the main event venue will be livestreamed via the 5G network.

A total of 11 Chinese cities including Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Changsha have hosted the main event in turn since 2009. Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The Department of Science and Technology has been in talks with six Chinese and Taiwanese organizations and research groups for possible clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed in his eight weekly report to Congress on his administrations efforts against the disease.

Duterte said the DOST has conducted exploratory talks for possible involvement in the clinical trials with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and SinoPharm in China, Academia Sinica, the National Health Research Institute, Chang Gung University and Adimmune Corporation in Taiwan.

The vaccine being developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sinopharm and the Wuhan Institute of Virology has entered the second phase of clinical trials, with 96 people being given the experimental vaccine, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

The DOST said in March that it is eyeing to launch clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in the country, with four foreign partners being contacted for the testing of the potential vaccine.

The World Health Organization expects that a vaccine for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, may be available in 18 months. Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines executive director Teodoro Padilla expects it to come even earlier, with a vaccine likely to be developed by year-end.

By comparison, researchers took about 20 months to start human tests for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome vaccine, CNN reported.

COVID-19, a disease spread through droplets when a person who has it coughs or sneezes, has infected 12,718 in the Philippines. Of them, 831 have died while 2,729 have recovered.

Globally, over 4.7 million have been infected and over 315,000 have died due to the disease, while 1,739,003 have recovered, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University based on data reported by governments.

CNN Philippines Xave Gregorio contributed to this report.
Quantum Hall effect 'reincarnated' in 3D topological materials

HOUSTON -- (May 18, 2020) -- U.S. and German physicists have found surprising evidence that one of the most famous phenomena in modern physics -- the quantum Hall effect -- is "reincarnated" in topological superconductors that could be used to build fault-tolerant quantum computers.

The 1980 discovery of the quantum Hall effect kicked off the study of topological orders, electronic states with "protected" patterns of long-range quantum entanglement that are remarkably robust. The stability of these protected states is extremely attractive for quantum computing, which uses quantum entanglement to store and process information.

In a study published online this month in Physical Review X (PRX), theoretical physicists from Rice University, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany, presented strong numerical evidence for a surprising link between 2D and 3D phases of topological matter. The quantum Hall effect was discovered in 2D materials, and laboratories worldwide are in a race to make 3D topological superconductors for quantum computing.

"In this work we've shown that a particular class of 3D topological superconductors should exhibit 'energy stacks' of 2D electronic states at their surfaces," said Rice co-author Matthew Foster, an associate professor of physics and astronomy and member of the Rice Center for Quantum Materials (RCQM). "Each of these stacked states is a robust 'reincarnation' of a single, very special state that occurs in the 2D quantum Hall effect."

The quantum Hall effect was first measured in two-dimensional materials. Foster uses a "percolation" analogy to help visualize the strange similarities between what occurs in 2D quantum Hall experiments and the study's 3D computational models.

"Picture a sheet of paper with a map of rugged peaks and valleys, and then imagine what happens as you fill that landscape with water," he said. "The water is our electrons, and when the level of fluid is low, you just have isolated lakes of electrons. The lakes are disconnected from one another, and the electrons can't conduct across the bulk. If water level is high, you have isolated islands, and in this case the islands are like the electrons, and you also don't get bulk conduction."

In Foster's analogy the rugged landscape is the electric potential of the 2D material, and the level of ruggedness corresponds to amount of impurities in the system. The water level represents the "Fermi energy," a concept in physics that refers to the filling level of electrons in a system. The edges of the paper map are analogous to the 1D edges that surround the 2D material.

"If you add water and tune the fluid level precisely to the point where you have little bridges of water connecting the lakes and little bridges of land connecting the islands, then it's as easy to travel by water or land," Foster said. "That is the percolation threshold, which corresponds to the transition between topological states in quantum Hall. This is the special 2D state in quantum Hall.

"If you increase the fluid level more, now the electrons are trapped in isolated islands, and you'd think, 'Well, I have the same situation I had before, with no conduction.' But, at the special transition, one of the electronic states has peeled away to the edge. Adding more fluid doesn't remove the edge state, which can go around the whole sample, and nothing can stop it."

The analogy describes the relationship between robust edge conduction and bulk fine-tuning through the special transition in the quantum Hall effect. In the PRX study, Foster and co-authors Bjo?rn Sbierski of UC Berkeley and Jonas Karcher of KIT studied 3D topological systems that are similar to the 2D landscapes in the analogy.

"The interesting stuff in these 3D systems is also only happening at the boundary," Foster said. "But now our boundaries aren't 1D edge states, they are 2D surfaces."

Using "brute-force numerical calculations of the surface states," Sbierski, Karcher and Foster found a link between the critical 2D quantum Hall state and the 3D systems. Like the 1D edge state that persists above the transition energy in 2D quantum Hall materials, the calculations revealed a persistent 2D boundary state in the 3D systems. And not just any 2D state; it is exactly the same 2D percolation state that gives rise to 1D quantum Hall edge states.

"What was a fine-tuned topological quantum phase transition in 2D has been 'reincarnated' as the generic surface state for a higher dimensional bulk," Foster said. "In 2018 study, my group identified an analogous connection between a different, more exotic type of 2D quantum Hall effect and the surface states of another class of 3D topological superconductors. With this new evidence, we are now confident there is a deep topological reason for these connections, but at the moment the mathematics remain obscure."

Topological superconductors have yet to be realized experimentally, but physicists are trying to create them by adding impurities to topological insulators. This process, known as doping, has been widely used to make other types of unconventional superconductors from bulk insulators.

"We now have evidence that three of the five 3D topological phases are tied to 2D phases that are versions of the quantum Hall effect, and all three 3D phases could be realized in 'topological superconductors,'" Foster said.

Foster said conventional wisdom in condensed matter physics has been that topological superconductors would each host only one protected 2D surface state and all other states would be adversely affected by unavoidable imperfections in the solid-state materials used to make the superconductors.

But Sbierski, Karcher and Foster's calculations suggest that isn't the case.

"In quantum Hall, you can tune anywhere and still get this robust plateau in conductance, due to the 1D edge states," Foster said. "Our work suggests that is also the case in 3D. We see stacks of critical states at different energy levels, and all of them are protected by this strange reincarnation of the 2D quantum Hall transition state."

The authors also set the stage for experimental work to verify their findings, working out details of how the surface states of the 3D phases should appear in various experimental probes.

"We provide precise statistical 'fingerprints' for the surface states of the topological phases," Foster said. "The actual wave functions are random, due to disorder, but their distributions are universal and match the quantum Hall transition."

###

The research was supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant (1552327), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (LPDS 2018-12), a KIT research travel grant, German state graduate funding and the UC Berkeley Library's Berkeley Research Impact Initiative.

RCQM leverages global partnerships and the strengths of more than 20 Rice research groups to address questions related to quantum materials. RCQM is supported by Rice's offices of the provost and the vice provost for research, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, the Brown School of Engineering, the Smalley-Curl Institute and the departments of Physics and Astronomy, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Materials Science and NanoEngineering.

Links and resources:

The DOI of the Physical Review X paper is: 10.1103/PhysRevX.10.021025

A copy of the PRX paper is available at: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1103/ PhysRevX. 10. 021025 .

High-resolution IMAGES are available for download at:

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2016/ 01/ 0125_FOSTER-024-lg-15p6ur1. jpg

CAPTION: Matthew Foster (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2020/ 05/ 0518_ENERGYSTACK-fig-lg. jpg

CAPTION: The rugged landscapes in these illustrations depict the electric potential on the surface of 2D materials that exhibit the quantum Hall effect. The level of ruggedness corresponds to impurities in the system, and the water level represents the "Fermi energy," or filling level of electrons. In the quantum Hall effect (left), the percolation threshold (middle) is a fine-tuned energy state that marks the transition to topological order. New research by physicists at Rice University, the University of California Berkeley and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has found "stacks" of this special 2D state that protect patterns of quantum entanglement (right) throughout the surface energy spectrum of 3D topological materials. (Graphic courtesy of M. Foster/Rice University)

This release can be found online at news.rice.edu.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 4 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has provided cash support of Ghc8,000 to two ailing nurses to undergo medical treatment for various conditions.

The assistance was in response to urgent calls made on the association by the two.

Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the GRNMA, Prince Opuni Frimpong who made the cheque presentation pledged the associations commitment to supporting them to ensure their full recovery.

You must not lose hope as a result of the ailment but rather trust in God for healing mercies and also know that the association will always support you in any way within our jurisdiction to recover early.

He said although the donation would not be able to cater for the entire cost of the treatment, it is substantial enough to ease the burden on the nurses who have remained in active service prior to taking ill.

Prince Opuni Frimpong said the regional association intends to carry out similar activities across the region to ensure the welfare of members who are in various difficulties.

The beneficiaries, who expressed appreciation for the gesture pledged to fully continue in service after their full recovery.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association is the oldest and largest association of nurses and midwives in Ghana.

The association is seeking to introduce more welfare packages for its members.

At the recent 60th anniversary, the association launched new welfare packages including Education fund, Auto-Loans, Mortgage for houses and Credit mall.

---citinewsroom
Shafiqul Islam, a migrant labourer, had arrived in Delhi from Jammu on a special train on Saturday. The 26-year-old helplessly wandered around the city for two days in search of a bus to his village near Bihars Katihar city. He reached the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur on Monday, deciding to walk home.

Islam had gone to Jammu with a group of 36 migrants in search of work three days before the nationwide lockdown was announced in March. We could not earn a penny. We exhausted all our savings in the last two months. Some of us had to ask our families to send money. When we got to know that trains are going to Delhi, we decided to book tickets and leave. We arranged for 1,300 each for the tickets to come here. Now, we dont know what to do since buses are not available, he said.

The group has walked for two days continuously, climbing flyovers and bridges, in the scorching heat. We heard today (Monday) that buses are ferrying people to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from Ghazipur. We walked for four hours from the inter-state bus terminal (ISBT) to Ghazipur, only to get disappointed further. We are ready to go home on foot, if the police allow us, he said.

Migrant workers arriving in Delhi on trains from other states have been stranded at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur, as they try to make their way back home to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar.

With trains from several states operating only up to Delhi, those who had made reservations on other trains till their home towns are waiting at the railway station, while many, who have run out of money, have decided to walk home.

Deepak Kumar, chief public relations officer of the Northern Railways, said, Those who are arriving in special trains, and are not from Delhi, are arranging for their travel home on their own. We are only facilitating their travel in trains.

A spokesperson for the Delhi government said that the parent states of the migrants should arrange for their transport home, since the Delhi government has no role in this process.

A senior official in Delhi governments transport department said, The Delhi government is not mandated to arrange inter-state transport. We are have already arranged the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses to drop them at the borders. From tomorrow, all our state-run buses will start plying within the city. Also, cabs, autos and para-transit modes will be available. So, things will further smoothen out.

Scores of migrants have been rendered helpless upon reaching the national Capital, in the absence of inter-state transportation facilities. A majority of such migrants present at Delhi-UP border on Monday said they cannot afford to pay hefty fares to travel home.

Ram Bahadur, 53, who worked as a welder in Jammu, arrived in Delhi on Monday morning. He has been trying to reach his home town in UPs Faizabad since April 24  the day his 28-year-old daughter died. After trying for a month, I got a ticket confirmation on Saturday. The DTC bus outside the railway station dropped us at the Delhi-Noida border. Where do I go now? I could not see my dead daughter, but I at least want to go home to be with my inconsolable wife. She will die of grief, said Bahadur.

A senior police official said that the majority of the migrant workers gathered at Delhi-UP border in Ghazipur in the last two days had arrived in New Delhi on special trains operated from other states, with their final destinations in Uttar Pradesh. These people were dropped up to the Ghazipur border in DTC buses. Many even walked up to the border, trying to cross over into UP, but were not allowed by the UP police. As a result, they were stranded here, said the official.

Gangesh (who goes by his first name), 26, a migrant worker from UPs Unnao said that the state government should not have started the trains before arranging for inter-state buses. He said that his group of five had booked bus tickets to Unnao with a travel agency. The five of us had paid 14,000 together. We had to ask our parents to send money. We were told that the buses will be available here, but when we reached, there was no bus operating. We dont even have money to buy food. Why doesnt the government think about people like us before taking these decisions? he said.

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May 18, 2020

Chris Cole, Kasiska Division Marketing Assistant

Master of Counseling student earns Idaho Mental Health Counseling scholarship

POCATELLO  To call Idaho State University student Erin Miller a free spirit would be an understatement. Originally from Texas, she did not grow up wanting to be a counselor. She considered wildlife biology and physical therapy, but ultimately got her undergraduate degree in exercise physiology.

It wasnt until she did a semester abroad in Romania, volunteering for an orphanage, that she found a marked interest in counseling.

That opened my eyes to the range of human experiences and emotions, Miller said. It was pretty impactful, seeing the family dynamics of mental health.

When Miller, currently a second-year student in the ISU counseling masters program, encountered an experiential therapy known as wilderness therapy, it lit a fire in her.

I ended up working at a wilderness therapy program in Arizona for a year. That was incredible, she said. It was life-changing, and it was my first exposure to experiential therapy as well.

In wilderness therapy, clients spend seven to nine weeks backpacking through a specific area, meeting with licensed counselors regularly.

Every night wed have a fire circle, and somebody would pick a deep topic wed all speak on, Miller said. Wed have individual sittings with clients and ask about their journey and see how we could help them.

From there, she continued to travel, living in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. That was when she decided to give counseling a go and enrolled at Idaho State University.

I have a passion for personal growth and healing. I also love sharing in the journey with other people and helping people on that kind of journey, she said. I also love finding metaphors and parallels between life and the activities youre involved in, and gleaning lessons from that.

Christian Chan, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, says he thinks Miller was a good fit to an already established program.

Erin has demonstrated an exceptional level of depth and growth as a student within our program, Chan said. Aside from her accolades, she outlined an important vision for her career by merging her studies together with best practices, theory, experiential interventions, and adventure-based modalities. She is capitalizing on her previous professional experiences to culminate in a broader range of contributions to the community as a professional counselor.

Millers passion helped her as she applied for and was awarded the 2020 Idaho Mental Health Counseling Association Scholarship. The topic for the scholarship application was about integrating technology into a therapeutic relationship, something that will be helpful to Miller as she continues to explore how she will help future clients.

Miller wrote about the importance of technology in her education. She says its been important in connecting the Idaho State campuses, and has been especially helpful during social distancing due to COVID-19, as they have been able to meet via Zoom. She also discussed the privileges to having access to technology in the program.

This is another way Chan says their department encourages students to learn and grow.

My colleagues and I, as faculty in the Department of Counseling, prioritize student-centered and community-centered perspectives to ultimately create an engaging learning experience, to form strong mentoring relationships, and to richen the training of professional counselors for their service to a myriad of communities, he said.

I dont know if I have a specific population I want to work with, but I definitely would lean toward the adult or older adolescent population, and incorporate experiential therapy, Miller said. A big chunk of my heart is in the wilderness, but Id love to branch out to art therapy or animal-assisted therapy. Every couple years, something catches my eye and I go after it. Someday, it would be really cool to have my own little business doing shorter wilderness retreats.

Chan says Miller is a wonderful addition to the program.

I am so proud of the efforts cultivated by the Department of Counseling and how we intentionally train students, Chan said. Through our core dispositions of mindfulness, empathy, engagement, integrity, curiosity, reflexivity and cultural humility, students cohesively connect their learning on best practices, ethical standards, and culturally responsive practices. Collectively, the Department of Counseling has carried a legacy of success and leadership within the counseling profession, which amplifies an impact on the state of Idaho, nationally, and globally.

Chan also said Miller is looking at many successes in her career if she continues on this path.

I feel incredibly honored to work with her as her advisor, instructor and university clinical supervisor, he said. Although I can speak about Erin's high level of performance in the department, I want to highlight Erin's ability to create strong relationships with colleagues, community members, and clients. A combination of these factors leaves Erin with a promising career ahead of her.

Miller says she has grown during her time at Idaho State University, and learned more about herself in the process while still being able to utilize her life experience into her education.

We have to practice counseling on each other and practice being a client, and be vulnerable with each other, which I think helped me, she said.

Miller also says she has enjoyed the diversity shes experienced in the masters of counseling program.

Im kind of a little tree-hugging hippie on the inside, and when I came to the program I thought everyone would be like me, Miller said. Counseling is about life, and I think everybody whos come to the counseling program has a wealth of knowledge from their own life to draw upon.
American Business Awards winners will be celebrated at a virtual ceremony on August 5.

The Stevie Awards, organizers of the worlds premier business awards programs, today announced the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie winners in The 18th Annual American Business Awards.

All organizations operating in the U.S.A.  large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit - are eligible to submit nominations to the ABAs in a wide range of categories, honoring achievement in every aspect of work life, from customer service and management to public relations and product development. More than 3,600 nominations were reviewed in the judging process this year by 230 professionals worldwide, whose average scores determined the winners.

Winners of three or more Gold Stevie Awards include:

Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA), CitizenNet & Magnitude Digital (New York, NY), Comcast Business (Philadelphia, PA), Crocs (Niwot, CO), Fazoli's Italian Restaurants (Lexington, KY), George P Johnson Experiential Marketing (Auburn Hills, MI), Harman International (Stamford, CT), Hearts & Science (New York, NY), Hilton Grand Vacations (Orlando, FL), Humana (Louisville, KY), Jeunesse Global (Orlando, FL), John Hancock (Boston, MA), London Computer System (Cincinnati, OH), Mastercard (Purchase, NY), National Association of REALTORS (Chicago, IL), Newberry Tanks and Equipment (West Memphis, AR), Nexxt Gen Corporation (Irving, TX), POWERHOME (Mooresville, NC), Red Hat (Raleigh, NC), State Farm (Bloomington, IL), Toft Group (San Francisco, CA), and United Imaging (Houston, TX).

Among other winners, organizations with five or more Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie wins include:

Bank of America (Charlotte, NC), BMO Financial Group (Chicago, IL), Curion (Deerfield, IL), Fannie Mae (Washington, DC), LifeVantage (Sandy UT), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (San Diego, CA), Merkle (Columbia, MD), Metro Development Group (Tampa, FL), MONAT Global (Miami, FL), Pareto Intelligence (Chicago, IL), Passageways (Lafayette, IN), SoftPro (Raleigh, NC), TBI (Chicago, IL), Tek Leaders Inc (Plano, TX), Tinuiti (New York, NY), United Imaging (Houston, TX), and Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. (New York, NY).

For a complete list of the Stevie Award winners announced today, visit http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

2020 Stevie winners will be celebrated and presented their awards during a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, August 5 at 2pm ET. Details of the event are available on the website.

The categories that recognize outstanding new products and services introduced in the USA are among the most heavily subscribed in the ABAs, and every new product or service nominated in The 2020 American Business Awards is included in voting for the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, a worldwide public vote. Voting opened today at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com and will conclude on July 15. Peoples Choice Stevie winners will be announced the week of July 20 and will be honored during the August 5 virtual presentations.

Despite the toughest business conditions in memory, American organizations continue to demonstrate their commitment to innovation, creativity, and bottom-line results, said Stevie Awards President Maggie Gallagher. This years Stevie-winning nominations are full of inspiring stories of persistence, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and compassion. We celebrate all of their stories and look forward to showcasing them during our virtual awards ceremony on August 5.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of The 2020 American Business Awards include John Hancock Financial Services, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro.
This historic newspaper  one of only three confirmed to still exist  sold at auction in June 2020 for $325,000

The United States national anthem was written at a low point for the new nation during the War of 1812. Two years in, by August 1814, the British had captured Washington, D.C., and burned the White House (then the Presidential Building) and the Capitol. They turned next to attack Baltimore  a hotbed of American pro-war sentiment.

On 13 September, the British began a 27-hour bombardment of the city. One eyewitness was Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old attorney from Maryland, who happened to be on board a British naval ship negotiating a prisoner exchange at the time.

Captive on the boat, and an opponent of the conflict, Key anxiously watched the shelling from eight miles away at sea.

It seemed that the city was surely going to fall, explains Christies Books and Manuscripts specialist Peter Klarnet in the short film above. That it didnt, was such a miraculous event.

The following morning, filled with jubilation at seeing the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry, Key immediately began a rough draft of what would become The Star Spangled Banner on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket.

Over the next few days, the British abandoned their assault and on 16 September, Key was released. He finished the composition that night in a room at Baltimores Indian Queen Hotel.
When COVID-19 began tearing through Detroit's county jail system in March, authorities had no diagnostic tests to gauge its spread. But the toll became clear as deaths mounted. First, one of the sheriff's jail commanders died; then, a deputy in a medical unit.

"Working in the Wayne County Jail has now become a DEATH sentence the head of the deputy sheriffs' union, Randall Crawford, wrote on Facebook as the losses mounted.

By mid-April, the jail system's medical director and one of its doctors also had died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The virus was everywhere, but jail officials had little sense of who was infected and spreading it.

Testing of inmates and staff needed to determine who should be quarantined to slow transmission was just getting started. In the weeks since, more than 200 staff and inmates have tested positive.

COVID-19 has spread rapidly behind bars in Detroit and across the nation, according to an analysis of data gathered by Reuters from 20 county jail systems, 10 state prison systems and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which runs federal penitentiaries.

But scant testing and inconsistent reporting from state and local authorities have frustrated efforts to track or contain its spread, particularly in local jails. And figures compiled by the U.S. government appear to undercount the number of infections dramatically in correctional settings, Reuters found.

In a May 6 report, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 54 state and territorial health departments for data on confirmed COVID-19 infections in all correctional facilities local jails, state prisons and federal prisons and detention centers. Thirty-seven of those agencies provided data between April 22-28, reporting just under 5,000 inmate cases.

Reuters documented well over three times the CDC's tally of COVID-19 infections about 17,300 in its far more modest survey of local, state and federal corrections facilities conducted about two weeks later. The Reuters survey encompassed jails and prisons holding only 13% of the more than 2 million people behind bars nationwide. Among state prisons doing mass testing of all inmates, Reuters found, some are seeing infection rates up to 65%.

The CDC tally is dramatically low, said Aaron Littman, a teaching fellow specializing in prison law and policy at the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. We don't have a particularly good handlea on COVID-19 infections in many correctional and detention facilities, aand in some places we have no handle at all.

Problems with unreliable data aren't unique to corrections. Epidemiologists say the incidence of COVID-19 in the general U.S. population also is unclear due to limited testing, especially in the pandemic's early days. And the CDC acknowledged in its report that its infection count for jails and prisons was similarly hampered by spotty data and not representative of the disease's true prevalence in those facilities.

But uneven testing for COVID-19 in correctional settings and erratic reporting of confirmed cases have profound implications for health officials and policy makers tracking its spread, because epidemiologists see jails and prisons as key pathways of transmission.

EVIDENCE OF CRISIS

The United States has more people behind bars than any other nation, a total incarcerated population of more than 2.2 million as of 2018, including nearly 1.5 million in state and federal prisons and just under 740,000 in local jails, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Jails generally keep inmates for short stays: arrestees awaiting trial or people serving short sentences. The churn of these inmates raises the risk of infections among both the inmates themselves and jail staff, who can carry the virus to and from the community.

Prisons, which hold convicted criminals on longer sentences, also are fertile ground for the virus. While inmates come and go far less frequently, the pathogen can be carried in from the community by a single contagious staffer, spread quickly in crowded cell blocks, and be re-introduced to the community by other, newly infected workers.

Reuters collected data from 37 state prison facilities across the country that have done mass testing for COVID-19 among all inmates, including those with no symptoms, and found more than 10,000 confirmed cases among the 44,000 tested. There were 91 deaths from the disease at those facilities, which span 10 states.

In contrast, federal prisons, which typically limit testing to inmates with obvious symptoms, reported confirmed infections in fewer than 4,200 of their total inmate population of about 150,000, with 52 deaths.

The situation in the nation's 2,800 local jails is even more opaque. Many don't report their COVID-19 cases publicly, and there is no national tracking of their infection numbers.

Reuters surveyed the 20 U.S. counties with the largest jails, holding an average total of about 73,000 inmates, and found nearly 2,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases a figure that has risen nearly 30-fold over the past six weeks. While some of that increase is a result of increased testing during that time, it still reflects an almost certain undercount, because testing remains limited in many of those facilities.

The surge in jail infections comes amid a chorus of concerns from judges, oversight agencies, corrections officers, defense lawyers and civil rights groups that most local lockups are ill-equipped to control the virus, which has killed at least 310,600 people worldwide. Unlike state and federal prisons, typically equipped to provide health care for long-term inmates, jails often have little medical capacity.

In health care, jail inmates are the last and the least and the lost,a said Dr. Thomas Pangburn, chief medical officer for Wellpath LLC, the medical contractor in Wayne County's jails and hundreds of others nationwide. Many jails have been overlooked in the race to secure COVID-19 test kits and medical supplies for hospitals and nursing homes, he said, but awe have the most vulnerable population in a very confined space meant for correctional housing and not for medical care.

In many jails and prisons, the toll of COVID-19 on corrections officers and other staff approaches that of inmates and here, too, the numbers reported to the CDC by state and local authorities appear to be a vast undercount.

The CDC report documented nearly 2,800 COVID-19 cases among staff across all U.S. correctional facilities. But Reuters found more than 80% of that number upwards of 2,300 infected jail and prison workers in its far less comprehensive survey of just the federal prison system, a few dozen state prisons and the 20 counties with the biggest local jails.

In an effort to curb infection rates, many jails and prisons are releasing inmates to create more distance among those remaining behind bars. That has raised concerns about whether inmates, particularly in jails, are being screened for COVID-19 before returning to the community, where many can't get medical care.

More than 37,000 state and federal prisoners have been released since March 31, according to U.S. government data and records collected from 41 state prison systems by the Vera Institute of Justice, a research group that seeks to reduce incarcerated populations. There is no national tracking of local jail releases, but in just the 20 counties surveyed by Reuters, at least 14,000 jail inmates have been let go.

Releasing inmates is critical both in jails and surrounding communities, because of the role jails serve as vectors for spreading the virus, said Udi Ofer, justice division director at the American Civil Liberties Union, which has filed dozens of decarceration suits and legal petitions. It's a crisis.

Some groups have pushed back. Victims' rights group Marsy's Law, named after the murdered sister of billionaire Henry Nicholas, has criticized the releases, expressing concern that crime victims aren't always notified when inmates are let out.

NO TESTS, NO PROTECTION

U.S. President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency on March 13. By that time, officials in the Wayne County Sheriff's Office already were scrambling to address a looming outbreak in their three jails.

Days earlier, Sheriff Benny Napoleon and Chief Robert Dunlap, the jails supervisor, had laid plans to keep inmates more separated, cut public visits and quarantine new arrivals rules that took effect just after Trump's announcement. On March 19, the jail also began releasing low-level offenders, for the most part inmates with risky medical conditions.

Staff and inmates were already falling ill across the jail system, which typically houses a population of about 1,400. Donafay Collins, 63, a jail commander, was hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection that would kill him less than two weeks later the first death among the four staffers claimed by the virus.

It's like a bad dream, Chief Dunlap said in an interview with Reuters.

Meanwhile, getting diagnostic tests and protective equipment to track and manage the virus proved challenging, Dunlap said. Suppliers had little to offer, and just about everything they had was going to hospitals and emergency medical services.

Hunting for face masks, the sheriff's office turned to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who had been pressing the federal government to give states more supplies from federal stockpiles. On March 20, state officials sent the sheriff 7,500 N-95 masks provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The highly protective masks are used by staff handling sick inmates, Dunlap said. Basic surgical masks became available later for more routine use by both staff and inmates, he added.

Getting test kits proved even harder. As COVID-19 raced through Wayne County's jails in March, corrections officers needing tests had to visit a local testing center or hospital, where they often were refused if they did not show specific symptoms, Dunlap said. It wasn't until April 6 the day the virus killed the jails' medical director, Dr. Angelo Patsalis that officers began getting regular tests through the Wayne State University Physician Group.

Getting the tests was a matter of life and death, said Crawford, the head of the deputy sheriffs' union, in an interview.

For inmates, however, testing remained elusive.

In late March, the sheriff directed the jail's medical contractor, Wellpath, to obtain test kits for inmates, but the company couldn't get enough due to heavy demand, Dunlap said. Wellpath, like every other provider around this county, couldn't get them. So, COVID-19 testing was limited to inmates with symptoms.

By April 30, the jail's population had dropped to just 834 inmates about 500 had been released and only 89 had been tested for the new coronavirus. Of those tested, 29 were positive, just over 30%, according to the sheriff's office. Among the sheriff's 810-member staff, 196 had tested positive, or 23% of whom 89 have returned to work.

On May 7, the jail expanded testing to all inmates under a grant from the Hudson Webber Foundation. That should afurther mitigate the spread of the virusa inside and outside the jail, Dunlap said, and help identify infected inmates before release.

As in many states, Michigan's prison system began universal testing earlier than the jails.

On April 21, Michigan's Department of Corrections began testing for coronavirus infections in large numbers of inmates even if they showed no sign of illness, said department spokesman Chris Gautz.

Demands for mass testing are growing. The ACLU and the Council of Prison Locals, representing 30,000 federal prison employees, called earlier this month for universal testing in all federal lockups.

But some public health experts are ambivalent on that approach. The CDC's guidance for correctional facilities calls for quick COVID-19 testing of inmates who appear symptomatic, but it takes no position on universal testing.

The guidance reflects a belief among some public health experts that testing only symptomatic inmates and, in some scenarios, a sample of the rest may suffice for assessing the virus overall prevalence in a jail or prison, said Marc Stern, former medical director for the Washington State prison system and a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health. Testing every asymptomatic inmate may not make sense if a jail lacks the capacity to isolate and trace the contacts of those who test positive and also because not everyone who tests positive may be contagious.

In Michigan's prison system, however, officials say mass testing has been valuable.

If you don't know where the problem is, you can't fix it, spokesman Gautz said.

IT'S CRAZY IN THERE

Charles Peterson, 78, began showing symptoms of COVID-19 a week after a parole violation landed him in Colorado's Weld County Jail on March 11. By the time he was released on March 30, he was on the verge of dying from it.

Peterson declined quickly, two fellow inmates told Reuters. Coughing and disoriented, they said, he eventually struggled to stand and began losing control of his bladder and bowels.

Donovan Birch said he and other inmates alerted jail staff, but Peterson was left in the general population. Birch also became ill with COVID-19 symptoms after his exposure to Peterson, he said, but never was tested.

Peterson aneeded help, said Birch, who was jailed on a parole violation for trespassing charges. I knew he was going to die if he didn't get it.

Instead, Peterson was released; two days later, he was dead. Official cause: acute respiratory failure, viral pneumonia and COVID-19 infection.

Peterson likely was a superspreader, according to an infectious disease expert who inspected the jail on behalf of inmates for a lawsuit they filed seeking better sanitary and safety measures. By early May, at least 10 of the jail's roughly 480 inmates had tested positive for the virus but just 22 had been tested. Eighteen deputies had also been infected, the jail said.

The inmates lawsuit claims Weld County Sheriff Steven Reams willfully disregarded public health guidelines by leaving three to four inmates to a cell, sharing sinks and toilets, as the virus spread. Failing to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 endangers not only those within the institution, the suit says, but the entire community. Reams declined to comment.

The case is among more than 100 lawsuits nationwide, many of them class-action cases, seeking mass releases of inmates or other measures to reduce overcrowding and infection risks in jails hit by the new coronavirus, according to the UCLA law school's COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project. Many of those cases, as well as hundreds more filed by individual inmates, argue that confinement in facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks violates the U.S. Constitution's protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Inmates have been issued masks since early April and have access to soap, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, said Weld County Sheriff's spokesman Joe Moylan. He noted the jail has been on lockdown since April 1 the day Peterson died and inmates are rotated out of their cells in small groups to common areas that allow for social distancing. He declined to comment on the litigation and the specific cases of Peterson and Birch.

Peterson was released after Colorado's Department of Corrections decided not to hold him for his parole violation, part of the effort to slow COVID-19 transmission in local jails by reducing inmate populations. Since March 1, the jail has reduced its population by more than 300 inmates; fewer than half its 954 beds are occupied.

Peterson's parole violation involved failing to renew his sex offender registration while living at Rock Found, a re-entry home for convicts returning to the community. When he was let out of jail, a former Rock Found roommate brought him back to the home, cold, shivering, barely able to walk.

The program director called paramedics.

I honestly could not believe that not a single person from the Weld County Jail had told anyone at Rock Found that they were releasing a seriously sick person into our care, the director, Cheryl Cook, said in a statement filed in the inmates lawsuit.

Moylan, the sheriff's spokesman, said Peterson was not tested for COVID-19 because he was not overtly symptomatic.

The conditions at the jail violated the constitutional rights of medically vulnerable inmates, a federal judge ruled May 11. He ordered the sheriff to socially distance those at risk, provide single cells when possible, and improve cleaning of communal spaces.

Many of the problems addressed by the judge were identified by the plaintiffs expert witness during two visits to the jail in April. He reported to the court that he found most inmates confined to group cells more than 22 hours a day with no handwashing options unless they were let out to a bathroom. Many complained of unsanitary conditions and said shared sinks and toilets were not cleaned between uses, the expert reported.

Ralph Brewer, 41, jailed for violating a restraining order, told Reuters he was directed to continue working in the kitchen after developing nausea and a bad cough. Staffing was short, he was told, so he had to work unless he had a fever.

aIt really concerned me. We had no masks, just gloves,a Brewer said. He requested a doctor to check his lungs, he said, but nurses only gave him Tylenol, cough medicine and instructions to stay hydrated.

Brewer was released on April 3 and his daughter took him straight to an urgent care clinic. The doctor said he had COVID-19 symptoms no tests were available and told him to quarantine for 14 days, Brewer said. He recovered at his mother's house.

I was lucky to get out, but I'm worried about the people still in jail, Brewer said. It's crazy in there.
Another study concludes that just one sugary drink a day can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Last year, researchers in France found even one small glass of soda or sugary juice can increase your chances of getting cancer or having heart problems.

Now, in a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, California researchers have found one serving daily of a sugary soft drink is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sugar-sweetened beverages were defined as "caloric soft drinks, sweetened bottled waters or teas, and fruit drinks."

For their study, the scientists questioned 106.178 women free from cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus in the California Teachers Study, a cohort of female teachers and administrators who have been followed since 1995.

The women were questioned for 20 years to determine beverage consumption and whether they had been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke or diabetes. during those two decades, many of the women began showing signs of those conditions.

The study found that women who daily consumed fruit drinks with sugar added -- "fruit drink" excluded fruit juices and included only flavored fruity drinks with added sugar -- were 42% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared with those who drank no sugary beverages. Frequent soda drinkers had less risk, with a 23% greater likelihood for cardiovascular disease overall.

The American Heart Association advises no added sugar for children younger than age 2, no more than 100 calories from added sugar a day for children older than age 2 and most women, and no more than 150 calories from added sugar a day for most men.

That's about 6 teaspoons, or 24 grams, of sugar for children older than age 2 and women, and 9 teaspoons or, 36 grams, of sugar for men.

According to the Mayo Clinic, 1 teaspoon of sugar (which equals about 4 grams) has about 16 calories. A 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 160 calories -- about 10 teaspoons, or 40 grams, of sugar.

"We hypothesize that sugar may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in several ways," said lead author Cheryl Anderson, a professor of family and public health at University of California San Diego.

"It raises glucose levels and insulin concentrations in the blood, which may increase appetite and lead to obesity, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease."

In addition, she said, excessive sugar is associated with inflammation, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

To avoid consuming too much added sugar, the American Heart Association recommends reading labels. Many foods -- not just beverages -- have sugar added, so checking labels can help keep amounts in check.
A family friend of a Bethany man killed in a car accident over the weekend described him as the most happy loving kind soul.

Luke Smith, of Bethany was killed Saturday after his vehicle left the eastbound roadway and collided with a tree near Milhaven Road. Police said he was the only occupant of the vehicle.

He was known to have like an old soul, (he) had lots of friends, loved his family his grandparents and his cousins, said Kim DiMatteo, reached by phone Monday evening.

Police said the 20-year-old was taken to Yale New Haven hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

DiMatteo described Smith as a huge sports fan and athlete who played wide receiver and corner positions on the Amity Regional High School football team and on the school lacrosse team.

She said Smith was attending Franklin Pierce University where he was studying business management.

In a statement posted to Twitter, the school said Smith was an incredible soul who will be remembered by friends as loving, funny, and energetic.

A gofundme page organized by Smiths team mates to help pay for funeral costs had raised more than $22,000 as of Monday evening.

Luke was a son, a brother, a teammate, a friend, and someone who was always a pleasure to be around. As if times could not get harder, we must come together to celebrate the time that we had with him, the post on the gofundme page said.

The accident occurred around 1 a.m., according to a press release. Police said the crash remains under investigation and are reconstructing the scene.

Anyone with more information is asked to call Woodbridge police at (203) 387-2511.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  A homeless man was charged with two counts of attempted murder Sunday after he attacked a husband and wife with a machete because he was angry over shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, according to police.

Metro Nashville Police said in a release that Kelvin Edwards, 35, randomly attacked the couple as they waited as customers inside the office of a Public Storage warehouse.

He told police that he was frustrated by the coronavirus pandemic and that he could not enter the Nashville Rescue Mission, so he demonstrated his anger in a violent act on people he did not know. Rescue Mission, an organization that serves homeless people, has remained open to individuals without shelter during the pandemic, according to its website.

Kevin Craft, 55, and Leanne Craft, 50, were in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after six police officers applied multiple tourniquets. Police said Edwards continued to strike the victims, even after they were on the floor badly bleeding.

Kelvin Edwards

According to the release, Edwards had a bin at the storage facility, which apparently contained the machete. Police received the emergency call at 2:47 p.m. After the attack, Edwards walked out of the storage facility, tossed the machete down and stood in the street with his hands raised.

Police said Edwards carried an Arkansas driver's license with a Little Rock address. But he has been in Nashville since at least 2016, when he was arrested.

In 2017, he was convicted of felony vandalism. While in jail, Edwards was charged with deliberately spitting on two Davidson County sheriffs deputies, for which he was convicted on two counts of assault.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville machete attack: Man was angry about coronavirus, police say
A total of 169 Indians will be brought back to Kolkata from Dhaka in an Air India flight on Monday under the government's mega evacuation mission, official sources said.

West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee last week accused the Centre of discrimination, wondering why no repatriation flight has been planned to evacuate people from the state who are stranded abroad.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava rejected the charges.

The government is bringing back over 32,000 stranded Indians from 31 countries under the second phase of the mega evacuation mission from May 16 to 22.

The government launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' on May 7 to evacuate Indians stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

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

Under the phase one of the mission, the government has evacuated over 13,000 Indians.

The sources said the passengers on the first flight to Kolkata from Dhaka include 73 students, 16 elderly people, 45 stranded tourists, 16 people having medical emergencies, and one pregnant woman.

"Since a large number of residents from West Bengal are in Bangladesh, special efforts were undertaken by the High Commission of India in Dhaka to identify those who have compelling reasons to return," said a source.

The people returning to Kolkata in the first flight were staying in 18 different districts of Bangladesh, sources said.

In West Bengal, they will have to undergo mandatory quarantine period following which they will travel to their homes spread across more than 20 districts, they said.
Night Curfew in Maharashtra: Check guidelines, rules; what is allowed, what is not allowed

Maharashtra likely to see rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations by Jan-end or early Feb

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray takes oath as legislator

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Mumbai, May 18: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray will on Monday took oath as a Member of Legislative Council. This is the first time a Sena chief will become a member of the state legislature.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister was accompanied by his wife Rashmi and his son Aditya Thackeray to the oath ceremony that was held in Vidhan Bhavan.

CM Thackeray was one of the nine candidates belonging to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress, and the opposition BJP who were declared elected unopposed to the council last week.

Maharashtra extends lockdown till May 31

The eight new members of the council are Shiv Sena's Neelam Gorhe, NCP's Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari, Congress's Rajesh Rathod and BJP's Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Pravin Datke and Ramesh Karad.

As many as fourteen candidates were on the fray for the elections to the council, but subsequently four candidates, two each from the BJP and NCP, withdrew their nominations and an independent candidate's nomination was rejected in scrutiny.

Also, it was seen that the election of Shiv Sena Chief was crucial for him to continue as Maharashtra Chief Minister as he had to fulfil the constitutional requirement of becoming a member of either of the houses before May 27, six months from the day he took the oath as the Chief Minister.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

If youre looking for a low-cost way to extend the life of your smartphone, try replacing the battery. For $70 or less, you can end up with a full days power from each charge, deftly squeezing another year of use from the device.



The replacement process used to be a pretty simple, too, butas with many thingsthe coronavirus pandemic has made it more complicated, limiting access to the authorized repair services at retailers such as the Apple Store and Best Buy.

For Kristen Veneziano, a nurse from Hamden, Conn., thats a real headache. As the mother of a 2-year-old, she needs to be reachable at all times, and the battery in her iPhone 7 just isnt reliable.

So she went looking for a replacement service, requesting quotes from local repair shops via Yelp. When no one responded, she and her husband ordered a do-it-yourself kit online for about $12. Its not something I would normally try to do, she says. But buying a phone is not ideal, either.

Apples latest offering, the iPhone SE, starts at $400. And thats less than half the cost of a new iPhone 11 Pro. By comparison, the Apple Store charges $50 to replace the battery in an iPhone 7.

Best Buys Geek Squad will perform the same task on a Samsung phone for the same price.

The problem is you cant count on those services to be open for businesses these days.



And while Venezianos self-repair solution is an option, it may be more of a challenge than most people want, especially if it requires you to pry open a waterproof phone.

Want some more options? Take a look.

Finding a Pro to Replace the Battery

Apple Stores remain closed, but you can still find Apple-authorized shops that are open for repairs, and theyll generally charge you the same $50 to do the work.

For an iPhone X or later, the price is $70.

To find a spot, sign in to Apples support website with your Apple ID and password, just like you would to get an appointment at an Apple Store. You can then search for stores with your current location and sort the results by distance or availability.

Story continues

The range of options may depend a lot on where you live. While I found a handful of businesses within 10 miles of my home in New York City, none could repair my phone within a week. The closest store with next-day availability was 152 miles away in Brattleboro, Vt.

With Android phones, the process is a bit more complicated.

Like Apple, Samsung offers help through its website. You can use it to set up a service appointment at an authorized repair location. But, once again, availability may be limited.

Best Buy, which is authorized to repair Apple and Samsung phones, also offers service appointments at select stores via the company website.

Google directs people to uBreakiFixa service with 565 locations across the U.S. and Canadafor repairs on its Pixel phones. Many of those locations currently offer curbside service. The company repairs phones from other manufacturers, too, including Apple, LG, and Samsung.

If you do manage to snag a battery replacement slot in this way, call the store to confirm it before you get in the car. Online systems are not always up to date when it comes to store hours and closings.

With phones that have outlived the manufacturers standard one-year warranty, you can turn to an unauthorized repair shop as well. But make sure it uses certified replacement parts. Knockoff batteries have been linked to explosions and fires.

Send Back Your Phone

Before COVID-19, this might have seemed inconvenient. But these days, it might be your easiest option, assuming you can go without your phone for a stretch.

If you send your phone to an Apple repair center, the company will replace the battery and ship the device back to you within five business days.

You simply drop the phone off at a UPS store or have Apple send you a box, which takes one to three business days. The charge for the repair is the same, but Apple adds a $7 fee for mailing the phone back.

Samsung offers a similar service through its website, with a five- to seven-day turnaround, but it applies only to in-warranty devices.

uBreakiFix lists mail-in options on its website, too. Better yet, the shipping is free.

Replace the Battery Yourself

As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Normally, I wouldnt recommend this route. For an iPhone 7, a decent repair kit with a warranty-backed battery and the required tools costs $35 at reputable company such as iFixit. Thats only $15 cheaper than the cost to have the Apple Store do the job for you.

iFixit provides a nice video tutorial to go with it.

The main challenge appears to be getting the phone open. Starting with the iPhone 7, Apple made its models watertight, and significantly harder to breach.

You have to melt the seal that holds the front and back panels together. iFixit sells a tool called the iOpener, which you heat in the microwave, to help with this, but its going to cost you another $13.

By contrast, the repair kit for the Samsung Galaxy S7 costs $33 and includes the opener. If you want a battery replacement kit for a Google, Huawei, LG, or OnePlus phone, iFixit has those, too.

Ive experimented with DIY repair kits before, but only to replace smashed displays. And both of the phones I fixed were permanently damaged in the process.

After screening iFixits video tutorial, Id say replacing an iPhone battery is far simpler. You dont have to remove as many tiny screws or worry about transferring cameras and other hardware onto a new part.

But when I did those screen repairs, I made a point of using older, iPhone 6 phones that werent watertight, which made them a lot easier to open. Im not sure I could crack one of the latest models, then put it back together properly. At the very least, I wouldnt bank on it being watertight anymore.

Suffice to say, you may want to watch an online tutorial to see whats involved in replacing the battery on your specific phone before electing to go down this path. For an LG phone, for example, it can be relatively simple.

The iFixit website is a big help here. It offers a wide selection of video guides.

As for Veneziano, she says shes not normally this brave when it comes to electronics.

But, out of necessity, well try.





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2020, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Foreign investors are considering relocating their production bases out of China, and many of them are heading for Vietnam.

Wistron, one of the partners that make products for Apple, has announced a plan to relocate 50 percent of its production capacity out of China within one year.



The move by Wistron and many other manufacturers shows that more and more foreign investors want to leave China in a movement which began when the US-China trade war broke out.



A report of the US Chamber of Commerce released in 2019 showed that one-third of US companies plan to cancel or postpone investments in China, and 40 percent said they would relocate a part or entire production capacity out of China. The new destinations under consideration are Southeast Asia and Mexico.



Why Vietnam?

The General Statistics Office (GSO) earlier this year predicted that if Covid-19 did not break out, Vietnam would attract $39.6 billion worth of FDI. However, things have been upset by the epidemic.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) earlier this year predicted that if Covid-19 did not break out, Vietnam would attract $39.6 billion worth of FDI. However, things have been upset by the epidemic.



The agency believed that if the epidemic ended in. Q1, Vietnam would attract $38.6 billion worth of FDI. The figure would be $38.2 billion if the epidemic ends in Q2.



In the scenario, Vietnams FDI would be higher than the $38.02 gained in 2019. In Q1 2020, Vietnam attracted $5.3 billion worth of FDI capital.



Vietnam tops the list of new destinations chosen by 42.3 percent of 122 polled Japanese enterprises. The others include Thailand (20.6 percent), the Philippines (18.6 percent) and Indonesia (16.5 percent), according to Chief Representative of Jetro Hanoi Takeo Nakjima.



He said Japanese left China not just because they want to avoid the trade war, but also to avoid increasingly high costs in the country.



Covid-19 is expected to help Vietnam receive more FDI projects because the fear of coronavirus will prompt investors to consider shifting capital flows.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has been praised by the international community in fighting against the epidemic.



The positive influences will occur in medium term. In general, FDI to Vietnam would still increase by 5 percent this year, or 2.2 percent lower than the last year, said Can Van Luc, chief economist of BIDV.



In the long term, KBS Vietnam believes that Vietnam will still be attractive to foreign investors thanks to low-cost labor force, stable macroeconomy and improved business environment.



The operation costs in Vietnam are cheaper than in other ASEAN countries. The stable local currency is also a plus factor which helps Vietnam be more attractive in the eyes of foreign investors. The investors are always interested in the exchange rate because they want to transfer profits abroad.

Le Ha

Harnessing further FDI to Vietnam Since national reunification in 1975, Vietnams economy has grown from strength to strength. Senior economist Nguyen Mai writes about how the economy has developed in that time, with foreign direct investment serving as one of the key driving forces.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 16:40 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8d7f4e 1 National Tanoto-Foundation,The-Jakarta-Post-Foundation,COVID-19,coronavirus,disabled-people Free

The Tanoto Foundation has donated food packages to support people with disabilities in Greater Jakarta, as they are commonly among the people most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The charity organization, founded in 1981 by one of the countrys wealthiest men, Sukanto Tanoto, handed the packages to the chief editor of The Jakarta Post, Nezar Patria, on Monday.

The Posts philanthropic arm, The Jakarta Post Foundation, would distribute the food to people with disabilities in Tangerang, Banten and Bekasi in West Java.

We understand that people with disabilities are among those who are bearing the brunt of the outbreak. Some rely on jobs that require them to have direct interaction with their customers, such as massage therapists and barbers. They have definitely lost income as they could not do their jobs owing to the social distancing policy during the PSBB, Tanoto Foundation communications director Haviez Gautama said, referring to the governments large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

In our view, they are in dire need of a helping hand, Haviez said.

So far, at least 20 regencies, municipalities and provinces have imposed the mobility restrictions since their inception in Jakarta on April 10.

Last month, the foundation donated millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to support medical workers handling patients with COVID-19 in response to a shortage of such gear.

Read also: Tanoto Foundation donates protective gear for health workers

The Post's chief editor lauded the donation, saying it came at a time when the government and local administrations had also been providing aid in the form of cash and staple food.

The donation is important to fill gaps in the distribution of social aid amid reports of some problems, Nezar said.

The Post reported early last week that some citizens who have lost their jobs could not access government aid, while others were receiving double.

Meanwhile, The Jakarta Post Foundation chairman Bambang Trisno Sejati said part of the donation would be distributed to disabled people living at the leper colony near the Sitanala Hospital in Neglasari, Tangerang, Banten. The hospital used to solely treat leprosy, as its outpatients chose to settle in the area since the 1980s rather than return to their hometowns, either for the sake of treatment or to avoid discrimination.

Another part of the donation would be handed to people with disabilities in Bekasi, West Java.

Apparently, people with disabilities need extra support from the government and community during this pandemic, as we dont know when it will end, Bambang asserted.

In a statement released on May 6 in support of a UN study on people with disabilities, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on governments around the world to specifically take into account the billions of people with disabilities in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read also: Public donations for COVID-19 task force in Indonesia top Rp 66.5b

"Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are less likely to access education, health care and income opportunities or participate in the community," Guterres said. "The pandemic is intensifying these inequalities -- and producing new threats," he said.

On Sunday, the Health Ministry announced 59 more COVID-19 deaths, the highest one-day figure in over a month following weeks of relatively low official numbers of daily deaths. The previous highest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths was recorded on April 14, with 60 deaths.

The number of COVID-19 positive cases rose by 489 to 17,514. The number of recoveries increased by 218 cases to 4,129 patients, while deaths jumped by 59 cases to 1,148, according to the ministrys disease control and prevention director general, Achmad Yurianto. (dmr)
(Photo : Edgar Su on Reuters ) COVID-19 App: Older People With No Smartphones Might be a Problem, Says Report (Photo : Issei Kato on Reuters ) COVID-19 App: Older People With No Smartphones Might be a Problem, Says Report

Coronavirus contact tracing apps are one of the main programs that each government formulates to prevent the further spread of the virus. Different companies have already made partnerships, including Apple and Google, that introduced their developed app. However, not all people are still convinced to use these apps. Most of the worries about privacy, but some worries about their capability to use the app, especially if you don't have a smartphone, to begin with.

COVID-19 app won't work, especially for older people without phones

A lot of people are not yet part of the latest technology, even having a smartphone. Generally, the older population in a community tend to be the ones that have no access to using any devices.

When will a COVID-19 contact tracing app be required and introduced by law to download and use, what will happen to those people that don't have any gadgets?

Daily Mail UK reports that an organization representing the older population in the United Kingdom wishes to speak with the government due to the app's non-accessibility to older people.

80% of adults have smartphones in 2018. Ofcom, however, reports that the figure suddenly dropped to 47% from ages 65 to 74-year-olds, and only 26% to those over-75s that have smartphones. This means that the population wherein Coronavirus is more evident than usual have lower chances of using the app for their health protection.

"Any new technology that may help tackle the outbreak is welcomed by us, but we must ensure that no one is disadvantaged or locked out of services simply because they don't have a smartphone," said Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK. "We hope [the Government] will find a way to develop the app so that the millions of people without smartphones can participate too, to avoid them being treated like second-class citizens."

These statements were also supported by Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded the Silver Line helpline for older people.

"A lot of us now rely on Facetime or WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, but many of our callers are not comfortable with mobile phones or the internet, and that is a concern," she said.

People without smartphones may use Bluetooth-enabled bracelets

One suggestion that the group said is to make a Bluetooth-enabled bracelet to those people without smartphones like older ages.

"A lot of older people already do wear a special pendant if they live alone in case they fall or get into some sort of problem, so they can ask for help," said Rantzen.

How to use the app?

Only a small percentage worldwide already uses a COVID-19 contact tracing app. For example, Australia required all its citizens to download their own version of the app and already reached more than 4 million downloads at the start of May.

The contact tracing app is quite easy to use, no matter which app it is or where you're located. The app uses Bluetooth to identify when a person had contact with another person within the past days. If you're positive COVID-19 patient, the app will notify all the people you've been in contact with and tell them to self-isolate to prevent the risks of further spread.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Photo credit: Getty Images

Cinemas will start to reopen in the UK next Monday (May 17) so we can finally see new releases again on the big screen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on May 10 that the plans for the next stage of lifting lockdown in England could go ahead as planned, so that means cinemas can finally reopen in the country.

Scotland and Wales have set the same May 17 reopening date and Northern Ireland is a week later on May 24.

Vue has announced it'll be reopening all 88 of its UK sites on May 17, with tickets available to pre-book now for the opening week. As before, there will be physically distanced seating, enhanced cleaning and ventilation systems, and reduced touchpoints.

During this latest lockdown, Vue has added nearly 5,000 luxury recliner seats across its cinemas, as well as snack and seat self-order screeners in seven of its venues.

ODEON was the first of the three major chains in the UK to confirm their reopening for the "vast majority" of their sites on May 17, including their flagship ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, ODEON Trafford Centre and ODEON Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza.



As expected, the plan for reopening is similar to when they reopened in late summer last year, so there will be staggered start times, limits on the number of seats sold, enhanced cleaning and you'll need to wear a suitable face covering.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Cineworld has also confirmed that it will be reopening all of its cinemas in England on May 19, with the reopening of their remaining cinemas to be announced "in due course".

As with the other chains, the company has confirmed that safety measures such as face coverings, social distancing, staggered film times and contactless payment are in place for the reopening.

BFI Southbank has also confirmed its plans to reopen on May 17 with health and safety measures, such as social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, to continue until government guidance advises otherwise.

During this lockdown, the BFI Southbank's largest cinema, NFT1, has undergone improvements such as a new projector and sound system. Screenings once they reopen include extended runs of awards favourites First Cow, Nomadland and Ammonite.

Story continues

Curzon and Everyman has also confirmed plans to reopen their cinemas come May 17, but it may not apply to all sites, while independent cinemas such as HOME in Manchester and London's Prince Charles Cinema are also set to reopen on the same date.

Photo credit: Neon

This year, we've seen a lot of major releases skip cinemas and receive a digital release in the UK, such Godzilla vs Kong and Chaos Walking.

However, there will still be an exciting crop of new releases awaiting you when cinemas reopen on May 17, including big-screen outings for some movies that have been released digitally in the past weeks.

This is subject to change, but here's what is currently set for release on May 17 and the opening week of cinemas:

Peter Rabbit 2

Spiral: From the Book of Saw

Those Who Wish Me Dead

The Unholy

Nomadland

Sound of Metal

Minari

Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb

A Space in Time

Undergods

The Lady in the Portrait

Rare Beasts (May 21)

The United Way (May 21)

My New York Year (May 21)

The Human Factor (May 21)

State Funeral (May 21)

Photo credit: Lionsgate

Drive-in cinemas are also now open in England as they were part of the previous set of changes, which came into effect on April 12.

It's not quite the dark of the cinema, but at least there's only a week to wait until they can open on May 17 in England, Scotland and Wales, with Northern Ireland following soon after that too.

The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Screen grab taken from video issued by Britain's Oxford University, showing a person being injected as part of the first human trials in the UK to test a potential coronavirus vaccine. (Oxford University Pool via AP)

FTSE 100 drug giant AstraZeneca (AZN.L) is lined up to make as many as 30 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine if ongoing trials prove the drug to be effective.

UK business secretary Alok Sharma said on Sunday that AstraZeneca would make up to 30 million doses of an Oxford University-developed drug by September. The drugs giant has agreed to make 100 million doses in total.

The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is being developed by the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford. Clinical trials began in April with early results coming as soon as this month.

Details of the production partnership between AstraZeneca and Oxford University had previously been announced but Sunday marked the first time production goals had been shared.

Our scientists are at the forefront of vaccine development, business secretary Sharma said in a statement. This deal with AstraZeneca means that if the Oxford University vaccine works, people in the UK will get the first access to it, helping to protect thousands of lives.

The business secretary announced 65.5m in new funding for the Oxford trials, alongside 18.5m for researchers at Imperial College London.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot thanked the government for its support in a statement and said he was proud to be working with Oxford on vaccine development.

Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, said in a statement: We now have a partner in AstraZeneca who are ideally positioned to help us evaluate the vaccine, manufacture it and distribute it to UK citizens as well as to the rest of the world.

They share our commitment to true global access to end this pandemic.

Soriot said: Our company is working hard to establish parallel supply agreements with other nations and multilateral organisations to ensure fair and equitable access around the world.

Shares in AstraZeneca rose 1.8% on Monday morning in London.

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by Oswald Gracias

Let us pray to Pope John Paul II in this moment of pandemic that intercedes for us. Pope John Paul II knows our pain, our sufferings, let us ask him to strengthen our faith, our trust that God takes care of us.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Cardinal Oswald Gracias celebrated mass in memory of the centenary of the birth of Pope John Paul II. The cardinal who was a close friend of Mother Teresa said that John Paul II was like Mother Teresa, firm in her faith, fearless and full of mercy. The cardinal who had a special friendship with both saints, both pilgrims of peace, deeply in love with God and full of love for the poorest of the poor and marginalized, ardent supporters of the unborn child and the dignity of the person, recalls Pope Wojtyla.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias celebrated Mass commemorating the Birth Centenary of Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Gracias who was in Rome for the most important moments of Pope John Paul II Pontificate, said, I was a student in Rome, studying Canon law, I was in St Peters square, and I will never forget in my life, one of the sermons/words which made a distinct impact on me even today, was the address that John Paul Ii made when he was made Pope. The First words of Pope John Paull II on 16th October, will forever remain etched in my memory, Non abbiate paura! Aprite, anzi, spalancate le porte a Cristo! Be not afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.

Deep Faith fully trusting God, very devoted to Our Lady and fearless because of His Faith, which motivated his Courage and everything he did, his constancy, His effectiveness Pope John Paul II transformed the World.

A pope fearless in dealing with the World, in dealing with the Chuch, the new enthusiasm, the New Evangelization . has a particular message to us in this Pandemic, in our loneliness, in our pain, the whole world is in disarray, the economic situation, the social situation, the political situation but Pope has great faith.

Time Magazine analysing the Fall of Communism said, that the two persons responsible for the fall of communism was The President of United States of America and Pope John Paul II . Pope John Paul II transformed Poland, Europe and the Whole World

Cardinal Gracias who was a very close friend of Mother Teresa, said, that Pope John Paul Ii was like Mother Teresa, firm in his faith, fearless and filled with Mercy. There was a special friendship with both the Saints- Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, were pilgrims of peace, deeply in love with God and love for the poorest of the poor and the marginalized, ardent advocates of the unborn and dignity of the person.

I want to pray to him in a special way, a Great Pope and remember and honor him. I grew to love him so much. He was a Hero to me, because of his greatness

We are united with the Mass being offered in Poland by the Nuncio ( who was our former Nuncio) with the whole church and Poland, and I communicated to the Nuncio, that we too are united with him.

In 1986 Pope John Paul II during his ten-day visit to India, together with Mother Teresa visited Nirmal Hriday and at the end of his visit he said: Nirmal Hriday is a place of hope, a house built on courage and faith, a home where love reigns.

During this Pandemic, we pray to Pope John Paul II, who had followed the Holy Week in health had steadily deteriorated and on Easter Sunday, appeared at the window to bless the crowd in silence, with his right hand and blessed the city and the world,"

Pope John Paul was unafraid, his deep faith made him Fearless, knowing that God is in command Confidence that God with with us.

We pray to Pope John Paul II in this time of pandemic that he intercedes for us Pope John Paul II knows our pain, our sufferings, we pray to him to strengthen our faith, our confidence, strengthen our faith that God cares for us.
The federal government has dispatched a ministerial team of experts to Cross River to determine material and technical needs on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, made this known during the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 daily press briefing on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Mamora said the team would also access the level of preparedness by the state to fight the pandemic.

He said the ministry in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had developed a Sub-National Risk-Based Decision Making Matrix for risk assessments at the 36 states of the federation and Local Government Area levels.

The NCDC has trained first aid workers in Gombe state and have also supported the screening of Almajirai coming into Jigawa, he said.

The minister also said a high level technical meeting on the output of the National Response COVID-19 Mid-Action Review had been held.

The agreement reached at this meeting will help to strengthen our response and development strategies to reach more communities, he stated.

He, however, said in Kano state, the response had been restructured to be more responsive and positioned to effectively tackle the pandemic.

Mr Mamora said mortality in Sokoto and Kano states had significantly reduced.

He stated that Lagos, Kano and Borno accounted for 52 per cent of COVID-19 related deaths in the country.

The minister stated that Nigerians must be responsible for others by adhering to the guidelines.

The National Coordinator, PTF, Sani Aliyu, said that fake news was damaging the credibility of COVID-19 response in the country and Nigerians must do more to verify the messages they received.

Promoting the ideas that COVID-19 is not real is not helpful, he said.

He said that allowances for security agents were currently being processed, but they would need to purchase Personal Protective Equipment from their budget lines.

The coordinator stated that meetings had been held with security chiefs to discuss human rights abuses.

He added that this was not new to the COVID-19 alone, as it had been lingering for a while, but the PTF team would continue to engage with security chiefs to tackle this issue.

Mr Aliyu said security agencies needed to be mindful of respecting the rights of citizens and citizens also needed to be respectful of officers.

He noted that compliance had been very low and compliance was necessary.

As of May 17, 2020, 338 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

The NCDC said no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours.

Till date, the centre said 5,959 cases had been confirmed, 1, 594 have been discharged while 182 deaths were recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

(NAN)
Opportunistic criminals are taking advantage of the use of face masks by the public.

Business owners are concerned about crime during Covid-19 after an attempted raid on a shop saw a robber donning a mask while brandishing a knife.

The store owner, who witnessed the attempted robbery last week, is highlighting the issue to warn business owners that some criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic and the wearing of masks to disguise themselves.

"An individual came into the shop wearing a full facial mask," the shop owner told the Herald.

"He was carrying a knife, demanding the till be opened. The worker handled the situation really well. I was in the office. The staff member wouldn't do what he was told to do.

"He was very brave. There's a Perspex barrier and that helped but it was still very scary."

The raider was scared off when staff members came to their colleague's aid. However, the shop owner, who was too afraid to be identified, is concerned about the issue of criminals using masks to carry out crimes.

On Friday, the Government urged the public to start wearing masks in shops and on public transport.

Concerned

Now both the shop owner and Independent Dublin city councillor Mannix Flynn are concerned there will be more criminals using the pandemic as a backdrop for crime.

"A lot of people could be wearing face masks from now on, which is a big problem," the shop owner said.

They are also concerned about prisoners released from jail during the pandemic.

It has been claimed some of these have been placed into accommodation into the city centre.

The shop owner said: "Dublin city is like a zombie land at night. There's no one around but these people are looking for drugs.

"We're dealing with an increase in shoplifting and the face masks are now being used as disguises to commit crimes."

Mr Flynn said he's been contacted about a "serious volume of robberies" in the city centre, north and south.

"These have included robberies being carried out by perpetrators in masks," Mr Flynn said.

"The Government hasn't thought about the situation we're in where some criminals are using the masks to commit crime. I know a lot of people are wearing the masks to stop the spread of the virus but there are a minority doing so for villainous reasons."

The councillor said he's actually witnessed people "selling and taking" drugs in the city centre during the pandemic.

He claimed drugs are a particular problem among those living in hostels.

"There's a greater sense of hostility in the city centre since the pandemic," Mr Flynn said.

"While we're being restricted in movement, there's not much policing and management of this issue. Communities are having to face hostility never faced before, together. The mask issue has to be addressed.

"There's a lot of fear from businesses and city centre residents right now."

Gardai confirmed the robbery at a shop on Thursday afternoon, saying: "A male armed with a weapon entered the shop and demanded the contents of the till."
Ghaziabad, May 18 : Large crowds of migrant workers who had reached Ghaziabad from Delhi via trains from states across the country gathered at the local Ramlila ground here on Monday morning en route to their hometowns.

A majority of the crowd were workers headed for far flung areas in Uttar Pradesh. All of them had to reach the destination through trains and buses. After several hours of effort, the district and police administration could control the crowds and direct them towards their destinations.

Most of the people were those who arrived in Ghaziabad from Delhi. The Ghaziabad administration gathered all of them in Ramlila ground here with the help of the police. The crowd became massive as hundreds of people gathered. Hundreds of people had to be sent via bus to other districts of the state.

In such a situation, the district and police administration was busy in controlling the crowds till noon even as chaos prevailed at Ramlila ground with no social distancing observed.

Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanithi Naithani said, "Yes, there was a lot of rush for some time. But it was not so much that the situation had become uncontrollable. The people were being dispatched by train as and when their train arrived. Gradually, as people boarded vehicles to their respective destinations, the crowd at Ramlila ground began to ebb."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Chinese government may 'nuke bomb' US companies including Apple with relentless investigations as the Huawei trading row escalates.

Huge American companies that include Apple, Cisco and Qualcomm - all highly dependent on the Chinese market - could be added to China's 'unreliable entity' list.

They will have restrictions imposed and investigations launched against them, a source told state media The Global Times.

The countermeasures come in retaliation to the Trump administration's plans to crack down on shipping critical electronics to Huawei.

China will 'launch rounds of endless investigations on those firms, just like swords hanging over their head' that 'will dampen investors' confidence and squeeze their income in the Chinese market', the source added.

Analysts described the measures as a 'nuke bomb'.

Large US companies including Apple could be added to China's 'unreliable entity' list and will have restrictions imposed and investigations launched against them, the source added

The Chinese government is also looking to suspend purchases of Boeing planes, Newsweek reported.

'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.

The possible measures come after the US Department of Commerce announced new regulations to strengthen the ban on exporting electronics, including semiconductors, to Huawei.

Huawei is more than just China's most successful private company. It is a national champion among industries the ruling Communist Party is pushing to develop in hopes of transforming China into a global competitor in profitable technologies

The action is intended to stop Huawei - one of the world's biggest smartphone producers - dominating the market.

It marks the latest move from President Donald Trump's administration to curb China's ability to trade.

A statement on its website said it was amending an export rule to 'strategically target Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology'.

Analysts also noted that if chips made by firms like Apple, Cisco and Qualcomm can't be sold to the Chinese market - one of their most important sources of revenue - it will be extremely difficult for US tech companies to recoup investment.

Apple has already made multiple compromises to do business in China, an editorial in The Washington Post revealed.

This includes hiding an emoji of the Taiwanese flag from its keyboard amid the Hong Kong protests and deleting Quartz from the Chinese version of its app store due to the news outlet's coverage of the protests.

'Apple justifies acceding to despotic demands by arguing that it is the cost of operating in China, and that the Chinese people are better off with a big U.S. firm around than without,' the editorial said.

Analysts noted that if chips made by firms like Apple, Cisco and Qualcomm can't be sold to the Chinese market - one of their most important sources of revenue - it will be extremely difficult for US tech companies to recoup investment

The potential chip sales ban may cost US chip makers around $35 billion in lost revenue, but could also devastate Huawei - which has historically relied on US tech firms to support its operations - too.

The latest sanctions are escalating a feud with Beijing that could disrupt technology industries worldwide.

The conflict is politically fraught because Huawei is more than just China's most successful private company.

It is a national champion among industries the ruling Communist Party is pushing to develop in hopes of transforming China into a global competitor in profitable technologies.

Huawei has few alternatives if Washington refuses to allow its suppliers of processor chips to use American technology.

The company has developed some of its own chips but the chipmakers that it contracts to manufacture them use American equipment.

Even non-US producers such as Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC need American components or manufacturing processes.

'Every electronics system that Huawei produces could be negatively impacted,' said Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst for Objective Analysis, in an email.

'Most China-based alternatives haven't yet been established.'

Huawei has few options to turn to for high-end chipsets as China's largest semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, is currently only able to produce chips that are two generations behind TSMC's.

Huawei has few alternatives if Washington refuses to allow its suppliers of processor chips to use American technology

'Huawei had already begun to shift some production from TSMC to SMIC, although SMIC cannot yet produce Huawei's latest Kirin 980 chipset,' said Neil Thomas, a research associate at U.S. think tank Paulson Institute.

'But SMIC can probably manufacture earlier-generation Huawei chipsets.'

To ramp up the homegrown semiconductor industry, China has invested tens of billions into a national chip fund and has given local semiconductor and software development firms tax breaks.

But catching up could take years, analysts say.

China's commerce ministry said on Monday it would 'take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.'

It accused the U.S. of abusing state power and violating market principles with the new measures.

In March, Huawei's rotating chairman Eric Xu said more US moves to increase pressure on the company might trigger retaliation by Beijing that could damage its worldwide industry.

Huawei has few options to turn to for high-end chipsets as China's largest semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, is currently only able to produce chips that are two generations behind TSMC's

Xu said 2020 will be its 'most difficult year' as Huawei struggles with previously-imposed sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.

Since Huawei was put on the trade blacklist in May last year, demand overseas for its smartphone devices has slowed as its new smartphones no longer have access to Google mobile services.

'I think the Chinese government will not just stand by and watch Huawei be slaughtered,' Xu said in March, adding that US pressure on foreign technology suppliers 'will be destructive to the global technology ecosystem.'

'If the Chinese government followed through with countermeasures, the impact on the global industry would be astonishing,' Xu said.

'It's not only going to be one company, Huawei, that could be destroyed.'

Apple, the Commerce Department and the Chinese Foreign Ministry were contacted for comment.
Mangaluru, May 19 : An Air India Express evacuation flight from Dubai landed safely in this port city with 178 returnees, an official said on Monday.

"The IX 0814 Boeing 737-8HG from Dubai landed at the Bajpe airport at 7:38 p.m., with 178 passengers, including 99 men, 67 women, 11 children and an infant," an Air India Express official told IANS.

Mangaluru is about 360 km southwest of Bengaluru.

The flight was over an hour behind schedule due to a snag in the aircraft, which took as much time to be rectified for clearance to take-off.

"Though only asymptomatic passengers were flown in, they were screened and tested on landing and have been quarantined for 14 days before going home as per the mandatory guidelines of the Union Health Ministry to ensure that the virus is contained," added the official.

The Dakshina Kannada district administration officials and the AI subsidiary staff received the returnees after they entered the arrival lounge.

"All the passengers were given santiser to wash their hands and were told to wear masks and maintain physical distancing as per the protocols," said the official.

As per the standard operating procedure to be observed by all foreign returnees, the passengers were screened and tested to ensure they were asymptomatic and free from the Covid-19 virus.

After completing the formalities, including immigration check and filling the self-declaration forms, the returnees were taken in state-run buses in batches for 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels and other places in the city.

Passengers were told to download the mandatory quarantine apps, the Aroygya Sethu and Apthamitra, before leaving the airport for contact tracing later.

The state government has booked star hotels, resorts, guest houses and hostels across the city to quarantine the overseas returnees for 14 days.

The service was the first in the state in the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission to bring back stranded Indians from overseas locations.

The remaining 17 flights will land in Bengaluru over the next 16 days till June 3 from 14 destinations across the world.

In the first phase of the mission from May 7-17, Air India and Air India Express flew six flights to Karnataka, bringing in 800 passengers, including 623 to Bengaluru and 177 to Mangaluru from London, Singapore, San Francisco and Dubai.
PITTSBURGH, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After Pennsylvania adopted a new law allowing online notarization during the COVID-19 crisis, attorneys struggled to adopt the new technology.

Now at least one attorney has successfully signed his own will, power of attorney, and health care directives online  officially witnessed and notarized  with technology approved for use by Pennsylvania Act 15, which was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on April 20.

Sykes Elder Law, LLC

Andrew G. Sykes, Managing Attorney of Sykes Elder Law in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, decided to try the novel process to update his own estate plan before using it with clients. "I 'signed' my estate plan documents and had them officially witnessed and notarized without leaving home," Sykes said. "This may be the beginning of a new way lawyers serve their clients."

Prior to the new law, such documents could be notarized only if signed in the physical presence of a notary public. Act 15 authorizes temporary use of "remote online notarization" during the COVID-19 emergency and for 60 days after it ends.

But having that authorization didn't solve the problem of getting vital documents signed by clients confined to a nursing home, or who fear contact with others during the emergency. Few if any attorneys had notaries on staff that had the required "e-notary" approval and were signed up to work with a vendor authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of State.

"Demand is so high with vendors right now that it can be hard to get through to a sales representative," Sykes said, "and the process for getting approved by the Department of State is time-consuming. But I found a Pennsylvania notary who was already approved and signed up with an authorized vendor before the crisis began."

That notary, Samantha Payne of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, had the required DOS approval to perform remote online notarizations and had signed up to work with DocVerify, a service based in Irvine, California that is on DOS' Approved Remote Online Notarization (RON) Vendors list.

Even though Payne was equipped to perform remote online notarizations, she had not yet had an occasion to do so. Working with Sykes gave her the chance to put the audio-visual technology through its paces. "It was a great learning experience," Payne said.

Sykes feels relieved to have his will, power of attorney, and health care directives in place during the pandemic crisis. "On a personal level, it's nice to know these documents are fully up to date in case something happens to me. On a professional level, I'm glad to know I can use the technology to help clients who are unable to meet with me in person."

Sykes wrote a blog post on this topic. He also posted a video to YouTube describing how he got his estate plan signed online, and showing two brief clips from the actual signing.

Media Contact:

Andrew G. Sykes

Phone: 412.531.7123

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Sykes Elder Law, LLC
The latest looks and techniques in beautiful eyes, lashes, brows and lips are now available in Warkworth at The Beauty Den in Lilburn Street, thanks to ex-New York hair and makeup artist Suz DeNeen. Having opened the Bardot and Brando hair salon nearly two years ago, Suz is now working solo and has added a wide range of permanent makeup and beauty enhancement techniques to her already extensive hair and and makeup repertoire.

Over the last two years, Ive built up a loyal and awesome clientele, and am now doing more on the beauty side, she says. Originally, I was just doing hair styling here and doing the Beauty Den from home in Matakana, but now have moved everything into one place.

Every year, Suz has been heading back to the United States to train with some of the best in the business in Los Angeles, to keep her skills up-to-date with the latest beauty trends and techniques.

She says this gives her the opportunity to learn about and practice her craft on a huge range of different people and skin types, which means she can offer a broader range of personalised looks to suit everyones requirements.

There is so much variation in the customisation of permanent make-up, she says. With eyebrows for instance, some people are wanting a higher arch or a change of colour, and some just want minor adjustments to fill in any gaps.

As well as permanent eyebrow enhancement, Suz offers permanent eyeliner; eyebrow sculpting and tinting; eyelash lifting and tinting; and the latest lip blush tattoo enhancements, which define the outer lip edge and add permanent subtle colour. She can also do tattoo removal, wedding and event hair and makeup and, of course, hair cutting, colour and styling.

The Beauty Den is a warm and intimate space, featuring a wall full of lush, green houseplants. Suz says her aim is to make people feel comfortable and at ease, with relaxing background music to suit all ages and tastes.

I have clients aged from seven up to their seventies, and I play something they can all enjoy. I love music and hope to open some ears to some pretty cool beats.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, May 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump revealed on Monday he is taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that he has touted despite medical warnings about its use, as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus.

"I've been taking it for the last week and a half. A pill every day," Trump told reporters.

He said he has been having "zero symptoms" from it.

Trump made the disclosure during a question-and-answer session with reporters during a meeting with restaurant executives about the impact of the virus.

Weeks ago Trump had promoted the drug as a potential treatment for the virus but subsequent studies found that it was not helpful.

Trump, 73, who is tested daily for the virus, said he had asked the White House physician if it was OK to take the drug, and the doctor told him, "well, if you'd like it."

Patients given the malaria drug touted did not improve significantly over those who did not, according to two new studies published in the medical journal BMJ last week.

Neither trial was placebo controlled, generally considered the gold standard for clinical data.

Read More

In a randomised, 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 hospitalised 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 authorised its emergency use for coronavirus patients.

But the drug has not been proven effective against the disease. Moreover, the US 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 phased reopening of US business and social life gained traction on Monday with more Americans emerging from coronavirus lockdowns and stock markets rising on early test results of a potential vaccine.

Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, the first tested in the United States, produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, boosting company shares 20pc in mid-morning trade and pushing the stock market up 3pc.

Although nearly all 50 states are reopening, only 13 had met federal government guidelines for lifting measures as of Sunday, according to a Reuters analysis, raising concerns that infections and deaths could surge anew.

The pandemic has afflicted the United States more than any other country, with more than 1.5 million infections and nearly 90,000 deaths.

New York, the US state with the most deaths at 27,400, was showing more signs of containing the spread. The three-day rolling average of hospitalisations declined and the number of fatalities dropped to 106 on Sunday versus 139 on Saturday.
This was not the St. Augustine Tate is used to, but hardly anything is the same. Her brother is in the hospital after contracting covid-19. His condition is improving, but the family has yet to tell him that while he was on a ventilator, his son died from the disease.
Macomb County recently surpassed an important milestone when it clearly passed the number of people who completed filling out their census forms in the last census in 2010.

In 2010, 75.4% of residents in the county were able to successfully respond to the census. So far this year, 76.8% of the population has finished its paperwork with several months to go before the October deadline.

Were on track to clearly exceed our 2010 decennial numbers and we have a great path forward, Ernest Cawvey, who is spearheading Macombs census efforts, told the county Board of Commissioners this past Thursday.

Commissioner Don Brown, who chaired the boards government oversight committee, was pleased to hear the achievement.

We look forward to a big number when all is said and done, Brown said.

Cawvey, director of Macomb Community Action, said some promotional events designed to publicize the census had to be revised due to the coronavirus pandemic such as drive-through picnics, where attendees driving through a parking lot would receive a packaged lunch and information on the U.S. Census.

According to the 2020Census.gov website, Michigan is now tied with Nebraska for fourth place in the country for census response rates. The national average of responses is 59%, but Michigan is at 65.8%

Within the state, Macomb County is in second place behind Livingston County.

The census is considered critical to funding for counties, cities, townships and villages.

The decennial federal count is used to determine the funding each state receives for essential services such as public safety, health care, education and infrastructure. In 2016, Michigan received almost $30 billion in federal funding, including $16 billion for health programs, $5 billion for education, $2.3 billion for food assistance programs, $1.5 billion for housing assistance and $1.1 billion for highway planning and construction.

During the coronavirus emergency, residents now realize the importance of government and public service, Cawvey said.

County officials say they are planning a full-court press to moving forward getting as many residents as possible to fill out the census forms, which takes less than 15 minutes and doesnt require the submission of any personal information.

One promotional event includes walkable outreach visits to various mobile home communities, traditionally areas that have lower than average response rates, to urge residents to respond.

Participants will receive some type of gift such as home goods or hygiene packs along with the forms. Working in conjunction with the census Macomb Regional Field Office, computer gift cards will be distributed for families that dont have computers in their homes.

There also is a targeted digital advertisement campaign aimed at residents in communities that have lower responses, Cawvey said. For example, people in cities with lower response rates may see ads about the census pop up when they log onto Youtube or Google.

Were in a really good position leading the pack and were not done yet, Cawvey said.

Among Macomb County communities, Macomb Township is now the clear leader, overtaking Armada Township, the former top responder.

Here are county communities and their response rates as of Friday:

* Macomb Township  85

* Richmond Township  84.3

* Sterling Heights  80.8

* Armada Township  80.5

* Ray Township  81.1

* New Baltimore  80.3

* Fraser  81

* St. Clair Shores  79.7

* Washington Township  79.7

* Chesterfield Township  78.9

* Bruce Township  78.4

* Richmond  78

* Romeo  76.6

* Shelby Township  76.4

* Armada  75.7

* Center Line  75.4

* Clinton Township  74.2

* Warren  73.9

* Roseville  73.9

* Eastpointe  73.8

* Lenox Township  73.1

* New Haven  71.6

* Utica  70.1

* Harrison Township  68.9

* Mount Clemens  67.8

For more information, visit 2020census.gov or macombgov.org
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 19)  The Commission on Higher Education asked the National Telecommunications Commission to provide free access of online educational resources to students amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The CHED request was incorporated in the eighth report of President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress , published in compliance with Section 5 of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act .

The law mandates the President to submit a weekly report to Congress in relation to government efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic.

CHED said in the report that such provision of free internet access for online educational materials will enable around three million college students to adjust to a flexible method of learning, where they can access the resources on their own time.

The Higher Education Commission added its proposal stems from its observation of the challenges of the traditional face-to-face learning, given the current COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

For this reason, CHED tapped leading universities to share their experience and expertise with other public and private higher educational institutions (HEIs) in promoting flexible learning among college students in the upcoming school year.

The universities selected by CHED in this program are De La Salle University, Mapua University, and the University of the Philippines Open University.

The commission is also assessing the existing information technology infrastructure of colleges and universities in the country to determine connectivity preparedness, requirements in enhancing flexible learning, and implementation of learning management systems and online educational resources.

Under the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines created by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, recommendations from CHED are adopted to ensure the implementation of Academic Year 2020-2021 amid the relaxed quarantine measures in the country.

HEIs utilizing full online education are allowed to open their school year anytime, while those using flexible learning can begin anytime in August 2020.

The IATF-EID has ordered public and private colleges and universities which use significant face-to-face mode of learning to not open their academic year not earlier than September 1, 2020.

The IATF-EID also encouraged private HEIs to change their academic calendar and open their classes on August this year.
Lloyds of London are among a host of firms involved (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

A new fund to support some of the people hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis has been launched by the UKs insurance and long-term savings industry.

The Covid-19 Support Fund aims to raise 100 million, with 82.5 million already having been pledged.

It is being supported by members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba), Lloyds, and the London Market Group (LMG).

Firms are being encouraged to make voluntary contributions to the fund, which aims to help community-based charities and those helping the most vulnerable people.

There will be a focus on helping families and children living in the greatest poverty, older people living in isolation and support for initiatives which promote wellbeing and mental health across society.

The fund has been set up in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation, and a network of partners, including the National Emergencies Trust.

Today the UK insurance and long-term savings industry launches a new fund to help support some of the people hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis @C19SupportFund #Covid19SupportFund

Find out more https://t.co/BkXI2nmGic pic.twitter.com/YDVToyPxWY  Allianz Insurance (@allianzuknews) May 18, 2020

Sir John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation said: We know it will make a huge difference to many people in need of support at this time.

Of the donations pledged so far, 20 million is going to the National Emergencies Trust to help it continue work to support community-based charities on the front line tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Lord Dannatt, Chairman of the National Emergencies Trust, said: Since the launch of our coronavirus appeal, generous pledges have meant we have been able to distribute more than 30 million and make more than 4,000 grants to charities across the UK.

We are hugely appreciative of the support from the insurance and long-term savings community and will work to ensure the funds raised are quickly distributed to those who are most in need.

Firms that have already pledged donations include Aviva, Zurich UK, RSA, AXA UK and XL, Allianz Insurance, Lloyds, Hiscox, Direct Line Group, Admiral, Pension Insurance Corporation, Rothesay Life, American International Group UK Limited, Ageas Insurance, LV= General Insurance, Phoenix Group, Chubb, Ecclesiastical, Aon, Just Group, NFU Mutual, PIB Group, Brokerbility, Canada Life, Chesnara, Sabre, Standard Life Aberdeen, Unum, Ardonagh, and Esure.
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.
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members have been placed under 14-day home quarantine after they reached Uttar Pradesh's Budhana town on Saturday.

The actor came along with his mother, brother and sister-in-law in their private vehicle from Mumbai to Budhana to celebrate Eid. Budhana is a hometown of Siddiqui. The actor reached his home on May 15 after taking a travel pass. The actor said that he underwent medical screenings at 25 points during his journey.

The family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative. However, they have been placed under mandatory 14-day home quarantine till May 25.

Nawazuddin's brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui said the actor came to his ancestral place to celebrate Eid with his family.

He, however, said the actor will not meet anyone outside the family.

Also read: CBSE releases date sheet for Class 12 board exams; to start on July 1

Also read: 'Langar in New York': Sikh community distributes pizzas to coronavirus frontline workers
Healthcare for the Homeless  Houston introduced a COVID-19 testing cubicle to ramp up their efforts with the help of a group of engineers.

Last month the City of Houston deemed HHH the official COVID-19 testing site for those living on the streets of downtown Houston or in shelters.

TEXAS REPORTS RISE IN COVID-19 CASES: Texas reports massive jump in COVID-19 cases in single day

Houston-based Oceaneering International partnered with HHH to design and build a portable enclosed cubicle to provide protection during their walkup COVID-19 testing, said a press release.

Rod Larson, President, and CEO of Oceaneering International, Inc., stated: Safety is our highest value, which is why a project like this, where there is both a charitable need and a safety challenge was a task we felt we could solve.

The cubicle was designed and created in-house at Oceaneering's global machine shop in a week.

The testing booth is easy to use and provides an added layer of safety for our clinical staff. Our friends at Oceaneering really listened to our goals for how to safely do testing and helped bring them to life, says Mary Ellen McEvoy, HHH director of clinic operations.

HHH has plans to gear up asymptomatic screening and surveillance sample screening at homeless service sites throughout the area into the fall.

Oceaneering is always looking for ways to give back to the local community, especially during these times of uncertainty. The cubicle prototype was donated to HHH at no charge," said Shaun Roedel, senior vice president, Subsea Manufactured Products at Oceaneering International, Inc.

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The leaders of Germany and France proposed Monday a 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund for European economies hit by pandemic.

In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the proposed fund would see European Union budget expenditure used to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the outbreak.

Macron said that under the proposal, the 27 EU countries would borrow together on financial markets and use the 500 billion euros to bring financing to hardest-hit economic sectors and regions.

"We are proposing to do real transfers (of money) ... that's a major step," he said Monday.

The two leaders said they will seek a "swift agreement" on the EU budget and the proposed recovery fund, which is likely to run into resistance from fiscal hawks in the bloc such as the Netherlands. Merkel said that "because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she welcomed the proposal: "It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core."
DEAR ABBY: My 53-year-old daughter is an addict. First it was alcohol, then hard drugs and opioids. This has been going off and on for 40 years.

She hit bottom recently. She became homeless and ended up in a women's shelter in another state. She says she's been clean about six months. The shelter helped her find a place to live, and she draws a disability check, so she has everything she needs.

She constantly contacts me and her father saying she wants to come home. We have helped her to the point of mental, physical and financial exhaustion, and we just can't go there again. It's the most difficult thing we've ever gone through. We know we shouldn't continue to enable her, but if we don't, we feel like terrible parents. Any advice would be much appreciated. -- TERRIBLE PARENTS IN INDIANA

DEAR PARENTS: You already know what will happen if you cave in to your daughter's begging to "come home." From now on, when she asks, remind her that she already IS home, in the place the people from the shelter helped her to find. Her troubles have nothing to do with you. They are the result of the life she created for herself. You already know that enabling her hasn't worked. The time has come for you and your husband to take better care of yourselves.

** ** **

DEAR ABBY: My ex-wife and I separated after 56 years of marriage. I recently found out she had been raped. Twice. The first was somebody I worked around at the air base. The second was by her father to "teach her a lesson" for getting raped the first time.

When I asked her about it, she said it was none of my business because it happened before we met, but I think she should have told me. I worked around the first guy. Who knows what he told the other airmen behind my back? I also asked very personal questions of her dad, which I now regret. My question is, was she right or should she have told me? -- UPSET PERSON IN THE EAST

DEAR UPSET PERSON: I doubt that the person who worked with you on the air base would have spent much time bragging about having raped, so please, stop obsessing about what the person might have said. That your wife was raped later by her own father must have been devastating. Both of the animals who abused her belonged in jail.

That said, although your wife probably should have told you what happened to her, she was NOT OBLIGATED to do so. Your marriage is over. Let it go!

** ** **

DEAR ABBY: With the stay-at-home order still in place in many states, take-out or delivery is the only option for nights when we don't want to cook. How much should we be tipping the people who deliver our food? With sites like Grubhub, which offer free delivery, do these drivers/deliverers get paid? I feel bad for someone coming to my house and leaving a bag of food on my doorstep, and I want to make sure they are compensated. How much would be a reasonable tip? -- LIKES MY DELIVERY

DEAR LIKES: The Grubhub website recommends a $5 or 20% tip -- whichever is greater. When you tip, the money goes straight to the delivery drivers, as it should. Some orders may include an ADDITIONAL delivery fee, but it is not a tip, and drivers don't receive that money, so make sure not to deduct it from the amount you tip.

** ** **

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

** ** **

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

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The economist who chaired Australia's minimum wage panel the last time it decided to freeze the pay of Australia's poorest workers has warned any increase this year risks higher unemployment and lower spending.

Professor Ian Harper, now dean of the Melbourne Business School and a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, faced down the global financial crisis in his final year as chair of the Howard government's independent Australian Fair Pay Commission.

Professor Ian Harper argues any rise in the minimum wage would put jobs at risk. Credit:Elke Meitzel

That year, 2009, the commission gave minimum wage workers no pay rise as experts forecast unemployment would reach about 8 per cent.

The coronavirus is expected to push unemployment above 10 per cent this year, leaving business groups urging the independent pay umpire not to increase their costs as they recover from the pandemic.
A Roman Catholic priest in Detriot, Michigan, U.S., has vowed to solemnly follow the social distancing rule while conducting religious rituals.

Father Tim Pelc has become an overnight Internet sensation after he employed a quirky method to spray holy water. He used a water pistol or what Indians call, a pichkari to squirt holy water.

Facebook/St. Ambrose Parish

The photos, which were taken by parishioner Larry Peplin, received little popularity when they were first posted by St. Ambrose Parish on Facebook in April.

Blessing of the Easter Foods, April 11, 2020 Adapting to the need for social distancing, St. Ambrose continued it's... Posted by St. Ambrose Parish on Sunday, April 12, 2020

The priest was snapped at the church in Grosse Pointe Park were taken at Easter but have recently gone viral and have inspired memes online.



One shows the 70-year-old priest amid the fires of hell directing the squirt gun at devil-like figures.

Facebook/St. Ambrose Parish

Pelc told BuzzFeed News that he was a little concerned about how the Vatican might react when the photos of him squirting holy water began circulating widely on the internet. But, he said, I havent heard anything yet.

"The original idea was to do something for the kids of the parish," Pelc told BuzzFeed News. "They were about ready to have an Easter unlike any of their past, so I thought, what can we still do that would observe all the protocols of social distancing?"

He consulted with his friend who is an emergency doctor and carried out the stunt after accessing the safety factors.

Facebook/St. Ambrose Parish

"The original idea was to do something for the kids of the parish," Pelc told BuzzFeed News. "They were about ready to have an Easter unlike any of their past, so I thought, what can we still do that would observe all the protocols of social distancing?"

Parishioners have tied blue ribbons on trees at the church for each person who has died of COVID-19 in Michigan.


Far-right and neo-Nazi groups are spreading racist and false information about a black jogger who was fatally shot in Georgia to promote their agendas on social media platforms, according to organizations that monitor online extremist activity.

The campaigns gained traction after the release this month of a video showing the moments before Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot dead in February. Two white men were arrested and charged in the shooting after the video drew widespread attention to the incident.

Some of the online posts, which include racist language, memes and graphics, claim that Arbery was carrying a hammer and wearing boots when he was killed, as the groups try to create false narratives about his death, analysts said.

In the video, Arbery is wearing a white T-shirt, shorts and running shoes. Security footage shows a man in similar clothing who is believed to be Arbery entering a house under construction just before the shooting. The owner of the property has said nothing was stolen from the site.

"The most remarkable finding is that an alternate narrative was created, most notably that Arbery was carrying a hammer and wearing Timberland boots - two claims which CCTV footage and mainstream media reporting does not support," said a senior terrorism analyst for the Middle East Media Research Institute, which is collecting information related to the case. The analyst spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

The groups portray the two arrested men, Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, as victims, the analysts said. Both men have been charged with murder and aggravated assault.

Gregory McMichael, a former police detective, told authorities that he believed Arbery was responsible for burglaries in the area.

Members of the far right say the arrests are an example of alleged anti-white bias in the mainstream media and perceived injustice against white people.

"White-nationalist groups have long pushed a narrative that there is an epidemic of black-on-white crime in the U.S. that has gone unreported, and that black men in particular are inherently violent and represent an especial threat to white women," said Cassie Miller, senior research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"White nationalists are using the murder of Ahmaud Arbery to further prop up this narrative," Miller said.

Some supporters of the groups have also attacked President Donald Trump for calling the killing "horrible" and saying Arbery looked like a "wonderful young guy." A video clip of the president speaking about the incident was posted on a far-right channel with nearly 3,000 users on the messaging app Telegram. Using racist language, the poster said the reaction to the killing was a reminder that the United States "is the Great Satan."

"Although initially we saw white supremacists embrace some of his rhetoric, this particular incident brings to light the criticism they have for his comments condemning this attack. Largely they are concerned that he is not representing the white race," said Joanna Mendelson, associate director of the center on extremism for the Anti-Defamation League.

More expressions of anger toward Trump and conservatives appeared on the same channel after the Justice Department said it would review the case and determine whether federal hate crime charges should be pursued. The post, which includes a story about the announcement, ends by saying that the coronavirus is the plague the United States deserves.

The posts are not limited to users in the United States. A Norwegian neo-Nazi posted a graphic showing a black man whose face is covered by a racist illustration jogging and carrying a hammer. Other neo-Nazis based in Europe have discussed the killing on social media as well, the analysts said.

A private Facebook group called Justice for Gregory and Travis McMichael and several GoFundMe pages created in support of the two men were infiltrated and shut down, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

The video of the final moments of Arbery's life show him jogging on a road on Feb. 23 in a neighborhood about two miles from his home in the city of Brunswick. Two armed white men approach in a truck, and the younger man and Arbery struggle. Gunshots can be heard, and Arbery staggers and collapses.
Tulum police arrest 3 out-of-state males for attempted murder

Tulum, Q.R.  Through an operation based on field investigations, Municipal Police were able to arrest three alleged hitmen over the weekend, two of whom are from the state of Yucatan and the other, from Guerrero.

The Director General of Public Security Nesguer Ignacio Vicencio Mendez, reported that the alleged criminals are 23-year-old Armando N, 31-year-old Rodolfo N and 32-year-old Felipe Javier N, the first two originating from the municipality of Chemax, Yucatan and the last from Acapulco, Guerrero.

The trio are presumed to have participated in the shooting of a male that took place Saturday in front of a convenience store in the Tumben Kah neighborhood of Tulum. They were taken into police custody on Centauro Street. Upon their arrest, police found a Beretta pistol in their possession.

The three were placed at the disposal of the FGE accused of attempted murder.
Gardai are investigating the unexplained death of a man that occurred at a house in Co Dublin.

Gardai and Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene following reports of a fire at a house in the Bluebell Avenue area of Dublin 12 today at approximately 11:20am.

The body of the man, believed to be in his 40s, was discovered at the scene.

The man's body has now been removed for a post mortem, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation.

The scene remains preserved for examination.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to contact Clondalkin Garda Station on 01 666 7600 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
The Zamfara State government on Monday received 45 Islamic education pupils (almajiris) comprising 28 females and 17 males, deported from Zaria, Kaduna State.

The state Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Development, Zainab Lawal, received the almajiris from Kaduna State Government officials on behalf of Zamfara government at Gusau Hajj Camp on Monday.

Ms Lawal said the measure was in line with the state governments efforts to partner with neighbouring states to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

You know, Gov. Bello Matawalle has established a Committee for Protection, Repatriation and Resettlement of all almajiris in the state, she said.

Ms Lawal, who is the Chairperson, Data Collection Sub-committee on Protection, Repatriation and Resettlement Committee, cautioned parents against sending their children for begging in the name of seeking knowledge.

READ ALSO:

Meanwhile, Sulaiman Tunau, the Commissioner of Information and Chairman, Medical and Screening sub-committee, has said that all the 45 almajiris have tested negative to COVID-19.

Mr Tunau told the News Agency of Nigeria that one of the almajiris was from Bakura Local Government Area while 44 were from Falale village in Gummi Local Government Area of the state.

We have handed them over to the Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Hassan, to reunite them with their parents, the commissioner said.

(NAN)
LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dominguez Firm surprised unsuspecting local shoppers at Superior Grocers' South Central location on Vermont and Slauson Avenues on Monday morning. The California-based law firm paid for shoppers' grocery expenses during the first hour when doors opened at 7 AM for seniors and the disabled. Superior Grocers graciously hosted and helped coordinate the event.

The Dominguez Firm, LLP

Attorney J.J. Dominguez, CEO, and Founder of The Dominguez Firm, LLP came up with the idea as a way to help vulnerable families in South Central Los Angeles coping with the pandemic. The area has been particularly hard hit by the current crisis. He also wanted to give back to the community during this unprecedented time. He stated, "The Dominguez Firm is glad to provide this courtesy, and to be an example for other businesses to give back. We are all in this together."

Prioritizing the needs of the elderly, those with health issues and the disabled were of paramount importance to J.J. Dominguez. The President of the supermarket chain, Richard Wardwell added, "Superior Grocers is proud to partner with the Dominguez Firm to provide food and essentials to those in our community who need it most."

Over 30 years ago, J.J. Dominguez founded The Dominguez Firm based on the principles of compassion, service and results. The Dominguez Firm has held true to those principles by championing the rights of thousands injured in accidents and in its extensive philanthropy over decades of community involvement. This includes scholarships for deserving students, homeless outreach, aid to orphanages and health related charitable causes. Paying for the groceries of elderly and disabled local shoppers' during this pandemic continues the firm's long tradition of community involvement and giving back.

The Dominguez Firm is one of the most recognized and successful personal injury law firms in California. Call 24 Hours/7 days a week: 1-800-818-1818 for a free consultation.

Media contact:

Rosalia Rodriguez

[email protected]

1-800-818-1818

SOURCE The Dominguez Firm, LLP
Never been a big fan of politicians or politics although I follow both with much interest. I have admired and appreciated the excellent leadership we have enjoyed in Elmore County. For all the candidates who promise to fight for our interests, to my knowledge Senator Steen did literally fight in the Idaho Senate. Blessed with a different temperament Senator Wetherall was just the best. She represented all of us regardless of our party and consistently did what was best for Elmore County. Senator Wetherall was gracious and kind, even to my mother who had attempted very unsuccessfully to unseat the good senator. I have great respect for the work of Senator Corder and Senator Brackett. Today we live in a world where extremists fake hate crimes, viciously attack those with alternate views and stage confrontations with police at childrens playgrounds. We can debate the amount of government we need, but we do have a government and someone needs to make it work. That requires the ability to work with everyone and find solutions. We need representatives who will study all of the issues and work with all parties to find answers. Leaders dont have the luxury to choose their challenges they have to adapt to the challenges that arise. No other district in Idaho has a military base which contributes so much to our local economy and our national security. We have a chance this year to send a team to Boise who will be respected across the state of Idaho, who will lead on all issues that present themselves. Their skills will gain them the confidence of their peers which will help them advocate for the issues, including the air base that impact those of us in this district. They will carry on the great.
Donald Trump provoked a controversy midway through the 2020 COVID-19 crisis by asserting that he, the president, set national pandemic policy. If the truth be told, he stepped onto a political minefield, the predictable push/pull of state versus national control on any matter. Most of the "local control" sentiment on pandemic policy comes from the urban American left.

True to form, Trump took a prudent step back and allowed that state governors were free to make local medical decisions and set local economic recovery schedules. Unlike many Democrat governors, Trump would be happy to provide counsel, assistance, and guidance  but no local mandates.

The politics of the shutdown crowd was clear from the start. The national Deep State and the urban creep states sought to extend the shutdown through the fall and the November general election. After all, politicians and technical bureaucrats get paid whether the economy is open or closed. Doctor Fauci takes a bow here.

The hope is that that Trump and Republicans will not survive the anticipated COVID economic fallout.

Trump was savvy enough to recognize the no-win game. Like most issues since 2016, COVID-19 politics is on a fast track to be weaponized for November. In short, urban state governors wanted control and the Wuflu tar baby. Trump, prudently, let them have both.

In any pandemic postmortem, country-by-country, state-by-state, and red-blue comparisons are inevitable.

Alas, the early "science," the early facts and analysis of COVID-19 suggests that those states controlled by the urban left are flunking by any fair mark up. A New York (D) versus Florida (R) comparison, blue versus red, provides an early template for judging who gets high marks for crisis management.

The New York Fail

By any measure New York is not just the national Covid hot spot, it is an international disaster area. Andrew Cuomo's (D) state leads the nation in all statistical categories from infection to morbidity rates.

New York City (D) is now the toxic nexus for the nation. The Big Apple is hands down the necrotic 2020 spoiler in the larger American barrel.

Badgering Washington for more of everything from the start, it turns out that team Mario miscalculated the need for damn near everything, including beds, hospitals, rescue ships, and respirators. Mario Cuomo pushed city mayor de Blasio (D) aside and seized control of metro policy with hype and bombast, if not hysteria.

Incredibly, Cuomo was lionized by the media as "the only adult" in the room as he presided over the worst state or city medical crisis in America, if not the world. Lately, Cuomo is the self-anointed spokesman for the Tri-State region. Albeit, it's not clear that anyone in Connecticut or New Jersey ever voted for Andrew Cuomo.

NYC didn't begin nightly COVID decontamination of the subway system until early May in spite of high transit worker casualties. Several stations, however, were treated for bed bugs in January.

If you can get past the irony, inertia, propaganda, and press fawning, New York City (D) is an epic fail. Whilst the media looked the other way, or fretted about impacts on racial minorities; New York's elderly were condemned to a soft euthanasia. Buoyed by media fawning, Andrew Cuomo came to believe that he could decide who lived or died in New York.

Sixty-four percent of state deaths are over 70 years of age. Men are more than twice as likely as women to die in New York from COVID-19. More than a fourth of all American COVID cases are now found in Cuomo's front and back yard.

A deliberate written state policy consigned COVID-positive aged to New York's "care" ghettoes.

Why not enable the deaths of the most vulnerable? They're going to die anyway, right? The American left has long argued, with a boost from public radio and television, for "death with dignity," a horrid euphemism for assisted suicide.

With an "assist" from the Cuomo clan, as with abortion, color the latest New York body count a bright "progressive" blue.

Somehow, progressive doesn't mean progress anymore.

The Florida (R) Success

Florida has the highest per capita senior demographic in the nation and four major urban complexes. At the moment, Florida has under two thousand fatalities and 23,000 COVID-positive cases in a population of 22 million.

New York State, with a smaller population, has 23,000 deaths and counting, and 348,000 COVID-positive cases and counting, in a population of 19 million.

Governor Ron DeSantis (R) of Florida was the first to resist panic and draconian COVID measures  and the first now to reopen his state for business. DeSantis is routinely excoriated by the media for both policies. If the "science," facts, or truth matters in these things, then DeSantis ought to be canonized as a model crisis governor.

The Cuomo brothers are the heirs of Mario Cuomo (D), erstwhile governor in New York. Brother Christopher (AKA Fredo) is the ex-officio minister of propaganda for the American left over at CNN. If Trump is on his game, he should be tagging Andrew as "Benito" Cuomo any day now.

With Benito in the bully pulpit in Albany and Fredo on airwaves in New York City over at CNN, the Cuomo clan might manage to make the lower reaches of the Hudson look like the upper reaches of the Limpopo before the year is out. If truth is justice, we should pray the wisdom of crowds prevails in November.

God save upstate New York and all of suburban America from progressive, political, urban family dynasties.

G. Murphy Donovan is a Bronx native who writes about the politics of national security.
But safe reopening requires further measures. The strength of public health is surveillance  testing to find those infected. Once identified, those testing positive should be isolated and close contacts quarantined. Its important to target surveillance in the highest-risk communities. Currently, cases in Chicago occur disproportionately in minority communities, especially in Hispanic and African American neighborhoods. The city should make concerted efforts to test widely in these communities and test as many people as possible, regardless of whether they are exhibiting symptoms. Unfortunately, in large urban areas such as Chicago, contact tracing may be quite difficult.
Illinois Businesses That Defy Stay-at-Home Order Could Face Fine up to $2,500

Businesses in Illinois that violate the states stay-at-home order could face fines of up to $2,500, according to a lawyer for Gov. J.B. Pritzkers office.

The new penalty level was implemented on May 15 when the emergency rule was filed by Pritzker, lawyer Ann Spillane told WTTW. The rule change is codified under the Illinois Department of Public Health regulations, meaning that violators will face a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by a $75 to $2,500 fine.

Spillane said the misdemeanor charge is aimed at businesses, not workers there. Also, there is no threat of jail time and is a less dramatic step, she said.

The charge is very mild, like a traffic ticket  nobodys getting arrested or handcuffed. But they are getting a citation where they would have to go to court, she said.

Its not a dramatic increase, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly told the news outlet. Its a re-articulation.

The move was criticized by state Republicans.

These rules are a legal overreach and beyond the scope of the governors authority, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin wrote in a statement on May 17, according to ABC7. It will be a dark day in Illinois when we charge small businesses with a jailable crime for salvaging their livelihoods.

State Rep. Keith Wheeler, a Republican, said the governor didnt mention the rule change during his CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus briefing on May 15.

Were making a lot of crimes here out of a single rule with no oversight, Wheeler said.

Pritzker extended the states stay-at-home order until the end of May, while allowing retail stores to offer curbside deliveries.

More than 96,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, and more than 4,200 deaths have been reported in Illinois as of May 18.

The measures come as President Donald Trump pushes for states to start reopening.

Will some people be affected badly? Yes, Trump told reporters on May 5. But we have to get our country open, and we have to get it open soon.

For most people, the CCP virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

One of the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus is by washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails before rinsing off.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Credit: Webb ChappellDropkick Murphys will be playing an empty Fenway Park later this month, with a virtual assist from none other than Bruce Springsteen.

The concert, dubbed Streaming Outta Fenway, will find the Boston punk heroes playing an audience-free show on the infield dirt of the famous ballpark, with The Boss himself joining remotely. They'll play two songs: one Dropkick tune, and one Bruce track.

You can watch the socially distant show streaming live online via Dropkick's Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch pages next Friday, May 29, at 6 p.m. ET.

The stream will also benefit the COVID-19 relief efforts of a number of charities, including the Boston Resiliency Fund, Feeding America, and Habitat for Humanity.

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
The Nigerian government said it has placed crew members of Flairjet, a British airline company under a 14-day quarantine.

Following the ban on commercial flights in the country, Flairjet was given the approval to operate only humanitarian flights during the lockdown.

The airline, however, flouted the licence, according to the federal government.

The minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced on Sunday via his verified Twitter handle, @hadisirika, that the aircraft belonging to the airline was impounded for operating commercial flights into Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Approval

Mr Sirika, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the airline was granted permission to operate only humanitarian flights.

They however turned to become commercial in their service by charging money to fly people in and out, he said. This company applied and asked to operate humanitarian flight which we did approve, and it was obvious at the beginning of this lockdown; we defined essential flights which include; cargo, medical evacuation, medical supplies, and others.

But unfortunately, this company turned to become commercial in their service and they were charging money to fly people in and out, he said.

Quarantined

Mr Sirika said the pilot and crew will be subjected to 14-day quarantine.

He also said the federal government would apply everything in the law to ensure a speedy and accurate investigation of the matter.

In the first place, we believe that the whole essence of the lockdown is to ensure that there is no movement of persons freely because the outbreak of COVID-19.

So this should not happen.The pilot (and crew) will be subjected to 14-day quarantine while the investigation is on, he said.

He also said the aircraft has been impounded in Lagos.

Demurrage

The minister also hinted that plans are ongoing to get 100 per cent demurrage waivers for businesses in the aviation sector.

He said the demurrage applicable in the maritime sector would be applicable in the aviation sector soon to reduce the financial loss experienced in the aviation sector.

SAHCOL and NAHCO are private clearing agencies. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) does not share in the revenue from demurrage, nothing goes to them at all, he explained. As regulators of the industry, we thought that we should intervene and try to see what we can do to bring peace and to promote both businesses.

That resulted in the two companies giving 80 per cent waiver on demurrage charges but we are still negotiating on the (remaining) 20 per cent, he said.
An Indian working in a mining company in the UAE has become the latest expatriate to have lost his job for "Islamophobic" social media posts, a media report said on Monday.

Brajkishore Gupta was fired without notice for calling Indian Muslims 'coronavirus spreaders' and hailing the Delhi riots as 'divine justice' in his Facebook posts, the Gulf reported.

Gupta, who is from Chapra, Bihar, was employed by Stevin Rock, a mining company headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah city.

"This isolated incident involving a junior employee was investigated and dealt with immediately resulting in the termination without notice of this person's employment with Stevin Rock," said the company's business development and exploration manager Jean-Francois Milian.

"Our company policy supports the direction of the UAE government in promoting tolerance and equality and strongly renouncing racism and discrimination and we have sent communications to all of our employees irrespective of their religious or ethnic background reminding them that any such behaviour is unacceptable and will lead to immediate dismissal," Milian was quoted as saying in the report.

Three Indians based in the UAE were either fired or suspended from their jobs for "Islamophobic" posts on social media early this month.

On April 20, India's ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor had warned Indian expatriates against such behaviour.

"India and UAE share the value of non-discrimination on any grounds. Discrimination is against our moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in the UAE should always remember this," he said in a tweet.

Last month, Sharjah-based businessman Sohan Roy had to apologise for "unintentionally hurting religious sentiments" through his poem, which alluded to a Muslim religious group.

In March, chef Trilok Singh was fired from a restaurant in Dubai for an online threat against a student in Delhi over her views on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Patrick Schwarzenegger took a dip as some Southern California beaches slowly start to re-open amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 26-year-old actor and son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, was spotted at Laguna Beach with his girlfriend Abby Champion on Sunday.

The happy couple were spotted taking a walk around their Pacific Palisades neighborhood earlier in the day, before heading to Laguna Beach.

Taking a dip: Patrick Schwarzenegger took a dip as some Southern California beaches slowly start to re-open amid the coronavirus pandemic

Schwarzenegger was seen wearing a pair of pink octopus swim trunks as he showed off his toned frame in the water.

Laguna Beach is one of several Orange County beaches that re-opened this weekend, though Los Angeles County beaches still remain closed.

As temperatures started to rise over the weekend, the Daniel Isn't Real star set aside part of his Sunday to cool off a bit.

Cooling off: Schwarzenegger was seen wearing a pair of pink octopus swim trunks as he showed off his toned frame in the water

Much like his outing with Abby Champion earlier in the day, Schwarzenegger was not seen wearing any sort of face protection while out at the beach.

Both Patrick and his mother Maria Shriver opened up earlier this month to ET about the new addition to their family, the child Katherine Schwarzenegger is expecting with Chris Pratt.

When Shriver said she was going to come up with a new name for herself besides 'grandma,' Patrick admitted it was 'weird' he was going to be an uncle.

Outing: Much like his outing with Abby Champion earlier in the day, Schwarzenegger was not seen wearing any sort of face protection while out at the beach

'I never think of it like that. I always forget you're going to be a grandma. I guess I'm gonna be an uncle. That's weird too,' Patrick said.

Patrick also added that he is constantly telling his mother, 'how great she is and how much I love her.'

'My mom and I hang out probably way, way, way more than the average mother-son,' the son added.

Uncle: 'I never think of it like that. I always forget you're going to be a grandma. I guess I'm gonna be an uncle. That's weird too,' Patrick said

Schwarzenegger has three films in post-production, though there is no indication when any of them may be released.

He stars in Echo Boomers, which is currently in post-production, and stars Michael Shannon, Leslie Ann Warren and Alex Pettyfer.

The actor also has Warning with Alice Eve, Annabelle Wallis and Thomas Jane, and Moxie with Marcia Gay Harden from director Amy Poehler in post-production.


The Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Casiel Ato Forson, has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party should be voted out because of the growing public sector debt under their watch.



Ghanas total public debt increased by US$300 million in March 2020 to US$43.4 billion, the latest March 2020 Bank of Ghana Summary of Economic and Financial Data has revealed.



This debt is more than half the total size of the country's economy. In cedi terms, the nations debt jumped from GHS228.4 billion in February 2020 to GHS236.1 billion in March 2020, about 59.3% of Gross Domestic Product.



The external debt component was US$22.9 billion (GHS124.8 billion), representing 31.4% of the total debt. The domestic debt component was GHS111.3 billion, representing 28% of GDP. In December 2016, Ghanas debt was GHS122, representing about 62% of GDP. This was based on the old economic value of the country.



However, at the end of September 2019, Ghanas public debt had risen to about GHS208.6 billion, representing 60.3% of GDP due to the rebasing of the Ghanaian economy.



Comparatively, Ghanas debt stood at GHS42 billion in 2012. In 2008, Ghana had borrowed only GHS9 billion.



Reacting to this development, Mr Ato Forson noted in a statement on Monday that President Akufo-Addo's debt accumulation is almost akin to Ghana's entire public debt since independence.



It is even more troubling to note that if the public debt is shared among all Ghanaians, each of us owe a whopping GHS7,836.00. I have been looking at the Summary of Economic and Financial Data for May 2020 as put out by the Bank of Ghana. It is intriguing to observe that Ghana's total debt stock as of March 2020 stands at GHS236.1 billion, he said.



He added: The data further reveals that Ghanas debt increased from GHS120.3 billion in December 2016 to GHS236.1 billion by 31st March 2020.



Despite his vociferous public debt politics in opposition, President Akufo-Addo has added some GhC116 billion to our public debt in just 3 years and a few months. Indeed, we have to #KickNanaOut, adding: Analysed closely, President Akufo-Addo's debt accumulation is almost akin to Ghana's entire public debt since independence. It is even more troubling to note that if the public debt is shared among all Ghanaians, each of us owes a whopping GHS7,836.00.



Below is Mr Forsons full statement:



I have been looking at the Summary of Economic and Financial Data for May 2020 put out by the Bank of Ghana. It is intriguing to observe that Ghana's total debt stock as of March 2020 stood at GHS236.1 billion. The data further reveals that Ghanas debt increased from GHS120.3 billion in December 2016 to GHS236.1 billion by 31st March 2020. Despite his vociferous public debt politics in opposition, President Akufo-Addo has added some GHS116 billion to our public debt in just 3 years and a few months.



Indeed, we have to #KickNanaOut



Analyzed closely, President Akufo-Addo's debt accumulation is almost akin to Ghana's entire public debt since independence. It is even more troubling to note that if the public debt is shared among all Ghanaians, each of us owe a whopping GHS7,836.00.



There are other observations I must proceed to highlight:



First, it is wrong for the Bank of Ghana to express the actual public debt as at 31st March 2020 as a percentage of the projected GDP for end of the year, that is December 2020 which creates an obvious erroneous impression.



Secondly, BoG is using December 2020 projected nominal GDP of GSH398,048 billion instead of the official projected nominal GDP of GHS385,251 billion which the government shared with the IMF in April 2020.



In effect, the Bank of Ghana is deliberately using a higher Nominal GDP to create the false impression that government's nominal debt as percentage of GDP is low. This is intellectual dishonesty and dangerous not only to Ghanaians but to the investor community. This is not only shameful but goes a long way to damage the otherwise reputable image of the BoG.



Bank of Ghana should be reminded that it is not a political institution but an important technical and professional institution of State whose reputation is very crucial to Ghana's economic progress.



I, therefore, call on the BoG to as a matter of urgency come clean and rectify what is now an exposed plot to deceive Ghanaians and the investor community.



Thirdly, I wish to draw the attention of the Governor and the Minister of Finance to Section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612) as amended by the Bank of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 918) regarding the breach of the ceiling for central bank financing that has occurred.



The 2019 Domestic Revenue was GHS51,988.01m and 5 per cent of this is about GHS2,599.40m



Regrettably, the Bank of Ghana has already disbursed GHS5.5bn to finance Government of Ghana's operations without recourse to the laws of Ghana.



In clear terms, the Bank of Ghana has printed GHS5.5bn to finance GoGs operations and is planning to print even more. This is a flagrant breach of the Bank of Ghana Act.



The Minority in Parliament, therefore, cautions the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, that there are consequences for his actions.



In any case, why has the Bank of Ghana become an extension of the Ministry of Finance? Instead of government aggressively embarking on fiscally austere measures such as pruning down the size of government by cutting down the number of government appointees to make savings, government is rather stampeding the resources of the Bank of Ghana at will.



It is time to end the financial recklessness and give way to prudent and credible management of the economy to avoid this #TotalFailure







Source: BoGs Summary of Economic and Financial Data









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The Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) on Sunday criticised the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government holding it responsible for the plight of stranded migrants thousands of whom were walking hundreds of kilometres to reach their towns and villages as only limited inter-state transport is allowed in the wake of the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

After 1947, maybe this is the first time when India is witnessing such a huge exodus of the poor migrant labourers. Lakhs of migrant labourers are leaving big cities and travelling thousands of kilometres to reach their home states. The recent situation has devastated their lives, ruined their livelihood and they are left with nothing, said AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha in a press statement.

He added, The picture is the same across the country as lakhs of poor migrant labourers are trying to reach their home states. Every day they are facing atrocities, their rights are violated and the BJP is responsible for this situation.

Today, the BJP government has sent luxury flights to bring back the rich people who were stuck abroad. The same treatment was given to various rich businessmen. It is good that they have done such things but it is unfortunate that the BJP has done nothing for these poor migrant labourers, said Chadha.

He further said, These poor migrant labourers are the real makers of India. They leave their home states and travel to the metro cities to earn bread and butter. The kind of atrocities they are facing along with the negligence from the BJP government is unacceptable, said Chadha, who is also the MLA from Rajendra Nagar.

BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, also the leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly, hit back at the AAPs allegations,.

The Centres decision to announce lockdown was critical to contain the spread of Covid-19, which even Delhi CM had welcomed. It is the state governments responsibility to provide food and shelter to the migrant population. People want to move out of Delhi as the state government is unable to ensure proper distribution of ration to them. Their web portal where migrants could register was not working for a few days. The Centre has said it will provide trains. The government should say when their request for trains was denied by the Centre before levelling such allegations.
South Indian actor Meena Sagar has shared a major throwback picture from almost two decades ago. On Sunday, she took to Instagram to share a photo from the day she met Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan as his wedding celebrations in Bangalore in 2000.

The day my heart broke. met my all time favorite in Bangalore on his post wedding get together, she captioned her post. The photo shows Meena shaking hands with Hrithik at the party. Meena is seen in a blue suit while Hrithik is dressed in a black suit. Next to Hrithik, veteran actor Feroz Khan can be seen with a walkie-talkie in his hand.

Fans loved seeing Meena with Hrithik. My favorite Greek god Hrithik, wrote one fan. We all did maam, wrote another about their broken heart. One comment about Feroz read, That person who holds a walkie talkie looks like Hank from Breaking Bad.

Hrithik got married to Sussanne Khan in December 2000. She is the daughter of veteran actor Sanjay Khan and Ferozs niece. The couple have two sons together, Hrehaan and Hridhaan. They got divorced in 2014.

Hrithik and Sussanne are currently living together at his Mumbai home to co-parent their sons amid the coronavirus lockdown. The actor had thanked his ex-wife for moving back in with them in an Instagram post. He said that as the two share the custody of their children, it would have been difficult for both of them to stay separated from their children amid lockdown.

Also read: When Karan Johar talked of negativity on K3G sets as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Kajol were distant with Hrithik Roshan

It is unimaginable for me, as a parent, to think of having to be separated from my children at a time when the country is practising lockdowns, he wrote. While the world talks about humanity coming together, I think it represents more than just an idea especially for parents sharing custody of their kids. How to keep their kids close to them without infringing on the right of the other who also has an equal right to be with his/her children, he added.

Revealing their decision to move in together during the lockdown, he wrote, This is a picture of dear Sussanne (my ex wife), who has graciously volunteered to temporarily move out of her home so that our children are not disconnected indefinitely from either one of us.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Israeli Law Should Apply to West Bank Settlements, Netanyahu Says

Sputnik News

11:03 GMT 17.05.2020(updated 11:36 GMT 17.05.2020)

The new unity government of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Benny Gantz's Blue and White alliance is set to be sworn in, ending more than a year of political deadlock.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commented on the issue of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory at the start of a parliamentary session.

"It's time to apply Israeli law and write another glorified chapter in the history of Zionism", Netanyahu said.

In his address to the country's parliament, Netanyahu said that anything other than a vote of confidence for the new government will put a dent in the nation's efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that a fourth election cycle may cost the country upwards of two billion shekels ($565 million).

The prime minister's speech was met with heckles, as rival lawmakers brought up Netanyahu's legal troubles and Arab lawmakers protested his comments on Israel's ambitions to "annex" parts of the West Bank.

The PM officially laid out the conditions agreed upon with his electoral rival Benny Gantz, who Netanyahu failed to beat outright in three consecutive general elections.

Gantz will act as defence minister until he takes on the role of head of government from Netanyahu on 17 November 2021, a live blog by The Jerusalem Post read.

The Blue and White alliance's leader took the podium after Netanyahu and called on lawmakers to approve the 35th Israeli cabinet's formation to put an end to the worst political crisis in the country's history which nearly brought the Jewish state to the brink of civil war.

Three general elections beginning from April 2019 failed to nominate a clear winner, with both Netanyahu and Gantz at different times failing to form parliamentary coalitions of more than 61 lawmakers needed to pass the hurdle.

 Sputnik

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LANSING  School administrators throughout the state had a pretty good indication of what was coming in terms of school funding prior to Friday's Revenue Estimating Conference, but it didn't still didn't stop them from flinching when they heard the news.

Revenue shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic are leaving the state in a dramatic funding deficit. Net fiscal year 2020 School Aid Fund (SAF) revenue is now estimated at $12.7 billion, down $1.2 billion from January and that is translating into per pupil funding cuts for public schools across the state. A similar gloomy picture was was laid out for the 2021 fiscal year budget as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis unlike any we have seen before, State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said. This public health emergency is the root of the revenue shortfalls we are experiencing. With the state income tax deadline now in July, we will have a better revenue picture after an additional conference later this summer.

State Budget director Chris Kolb noted that given the unprecedented health crisis the state of Michigan is facing right now, flexibility and additional funding from the federal government is crucial to ensure Michigan and states across the country can continue working on behalf of the people.

We know we have difficult choices ahead on the budget, and we need support from the federal government to help backfill revenue losses to support existing state costs, Kolb said. This is an issue that every state in the country is grappling with. We expect that our leaders in Congress and the White House will work together on this to protect the people of Michigan."

Under the current language, federal CARES Act funding cannot be used to backfill revenue losses or support existing state costs, meaning the state is pretty much on its own in this area.

Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA) issued the following statement over the weekend in reference to Friday's Revenue Estimating Conference.

Todays Revenue Estimating Conference principals found that the School Aid Fund is down $1.2 billion for the current year and $1.1 billion for next year. These findings will create more challenges for our state, and especially, for our schools. Projections show that districts could face a $700 per pupil cut during the current year. It is important, now more than ever for lawmakers in Washington to work to fill the shortfalls in funding to ensure that all students continue to have access to an equitable, high-quality education that will prepare our future leaders for future success.

LOCAL REACTION

The news was not unexpected for Manistee County school administrators who have been following the developments for the past several months. The extent of the revenue loss is something they all agreed can be absorbed for the 2020-21 school year, but beyond that there could be major implications on their ability to have enough funds to meet expenses.

Bear Lake/Kaleva Norman Dickson superintendent Marlen Cordes said he was expecting the news.

"It was kind of where they had been projecting things, so what it is going to do to our budget isn't pretty," said Cordes. "We don't know in terms of if there is any kinds of federal aid that might fill in the gaps for us, but if there is no federal aid it isn't going to be pretty for any of us," said Cordes.

For now the final dollar amount of per pupil funding cuts are unknown for the remainder of this budget year and next. However, in the MASA news release they were calling for a possible $700 per pupil reduction this year.

"The $700 this year would not be good since they kind of assured us that if we kept our people employed we would be fully funded," said Cordes.

On the positive side, Cordes said he feels both of his districts will be able to get through it.

"Whenever you have more kids like we do at KND it is easier to get through it than at Bear Lake as there is less margin for error in the budget," said Cordes. "I think the board has done enough to create a rainy day fund and the teachers have been good about working with us contractually over the years. So, it will not be pretty, but we will be able to get through it at both districts."

He said now the process shifts into the legislative branch to determine what will actually be available for the schools.

"We created some preliminary budgets like a flat base line one and then a $500 per pupil and a $1,000 per pupil reduction to see," he said. "If our student count falls at KND as we anticipate it might as parents are concerned about sending kids back (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) until we can get face-to-face it would give us declining enrollment, and we would get to use a three-year student count average. Bear Lake is not large enough in terms of geographic size to qualify for that."

CASMAN Academy director Shelly VanVoorst said the estimating conference came out terrible, but it wasn't a surprise.

"We have to do a closing budget this week and we did some pro-rating of pulling back some of that money for this year," said VanVoorst. "Even though they haven't made those decisions yet, I would rather plan for that than all of a sudden have this big hole in the budget. Because we already know that going into fall, we are going to be losing money per student."

VanVoorst said if the economy does rebound, experts are predicting it will take about three years for school funding to return to the level it is currently at right now.

"These are just estimates right now as they don't even have the numbers yet," said VanVoorst. "We still have to plan for the coming school year and we don't know if that is going to cost us more money because of the restrictions we are under will that mean rotation of days, extra bus routes, different lunch hours to get kids through distancing. It is a lot of things to think about if we go to face-to-face."

VanVoorst said they are 100 days out from starting the new school year, and they don't have any information of how they can do it. She said the state is suggesting multiple plans, but she would prefer having a set plan to work with in order to make it the best possible scenario.

The Manistee Area Public Schools and Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy are in the same situation right now, but Onekama Consolidated Schools is different this year with its Out-of-Formula status. The district's funding will come directly from the local tax revenue because of that situation.

SEE ALSO:

Coronavirus impact: Manistee Co. schools may see fewer state dollars

State superintendent says governor's budget sets positive direction
Delaware County on Monday moved to dissolve the countys public wastewater authority and take over its responsibilities, escalating its efforts to block the $276.5 million sale of the sprawling public sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania.

The county council introduced an ordinance to terminate the Delaware County Regional Water Authority, which it created in 1971, and to have the county assume responsibilities for its operations. The matter is set for a final vote on June 3.

The action to terminate DELCORA, which serves 165,000 customers in 42 towns in Delaware and Chester Counties, is the second time in a week that the councils new Democratic majority has moved to stymie the sale to Aqua proposed last year by outgoing Republicans. The sale has not yet closed and is pending approval by Pennsylvania utility regulators.

This week, we are taking another step to reverse an overtly political and backhanded deal orchestrated by the former Republican majority," Brian Zidek, council chairman, said in a statement. The council had said the sale was designed to prevent an important patronage stronghold from falling into Democratic hands when political control of the county changed.

The county said it has the power under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act to terminate the agency, whose headquarters are in Chester.

DELCORA decried the action, which it said it first learned about after the council posted a news release following a meeting that was held by teleconference because of the coronavirus pandemic.

DELCORA has a legally binding agreement with Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater and it intends to carry out the agreement, the authority said in a statement. It said the countys actions would harm ratepayers because the county, rather than the private company, would need to cover the cost of future capital costs, which the authority estimates at $1.2 billion.

Aqua Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Bryn Mawr based Essential Utilities, said it has a sales agreement with DELCORA that Delaware County cannot break. We intend to enforce the contract and proceed with the sale, the company said in a statement.

The proposed ordinance requires DELCORA to cooperate with the county in an orderly windup of its activities, and take all steps necessary to effectuate the transfer of all of its assets, funds and other property, including, as applicable, any regulatory permits, to the county, and the assumption of all of its liabilities by the county.

The county last week filed suit challenging the creation of a trust that was set up to hold the proceeds from the sale to Aqua, which would amount to about $210 million after payment of expenses and retirement of DELCORAs debt. The trust proceeds would be used to reduce expected rate increases the system plans to pay for upgrades that DELCORA says it needs to make to comply with federal clean-water regulations.

Aqua said the sale was not motivated by politics but by DELCORAs need to either build new treatment capacity or commit itself to continuing to send its wastewater to the city of Philadelphia for treatment. DELCORA had complained that Philadelphia intended to impose onerous increases in fees for treatment services.

Aqua, which in its statement assumes the sale to the private utility will move forward, asked if the county is ready to assume DELCORAs union contracts, employee pensions and $150 million in debt if it takes ownership prior to the sale to Aqua, and to file for regulatory clearance to provide services outside the county.

"We question if Delaware County has thoroughly considered all that is involved if it were to dissolve DELCORA and temporarily assume the obligations of a public utility, the company said in its statement.

This article was updated to include a statement from Aqua Pennsylvania.
Critics warned health risks were too high for a vote opposition insisted should not be happening in the first place.

Benin has held local elections without leading opposition parties as authorities pushed ahead with the vote despite concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and calls for a delay.

The country this week lifted a series of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, which has so far sickened 339 people and caused two deaths.

However, voter turnout on Sunday appeared to have suffered, observers noted after the closure of the polls for control of 77 councils across the country.

Benin has been mired in a political crisis since a disputed parliamentary poll in April last year sparked 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 vote because they were unable to meet strict criteria under a new election law to field candidates. Turnout was only 25 percent.

Key opposition parties again found themselves barred from Sundays vote and the exclusion drew a legal challenge from Talon opponent Sebastien Ajavon, a businessman living in exile after he was sentenced to prison on drug charges in Benin.

The regional African Court of Human and Peoples Rights said the vote should be suspended as it was not inclusive. But the government disregarded the ruling and severed some ties with the court in protest at the decision.

President Patrice Talon casts his ballot at a public school in Cotonou [Yanick Folly/AFP]

Voters few and far between

Opponents called on voters to boycott the poll over the political situation and the risks from coronavirus.

Campaigning was limited to posters and media appearances as candidates were forced to call off rallies due to a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

The autonomous national election commission made face masks mandatory for voters and enforced physical-distancing measures at polling stations.

We have received a lot of hydro-alcohol gels and masks for all voters, returning officer Mathieu Daki told AFP news agency at Ndali in the north of the country.

In the economic capital, Cotonou, election officials ensured voters were more than a metre (3.3 feet) apart.

However, not everyone appeared to have been reassured. In the citys 5th district election agent Dimitri Assani admitted voters were few and far between.

Donatien Sagbo Hounga wore a mask to enter the polling station but said he was waiting till there were no other voters in front of the election agents to move forward to cast his vote.

It may seem excessive but its necessary, Hounga said.

Final results are expected within a week.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Monday hailed the global support for a comprehensive investigation into the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak and expressed confidence of a positive outcome for the motion for an independent probe at the WHO virtual meeting.

China has come under increasing global pressure over lack of transparency in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Ever since the virus came to light in Wuhan in December last year, speculation has been rife on whether the viral strain originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or from its nearby Huanan Seafood Market.

Beijing has been vehemently opposing the allegations, claiming it to be "politically motivated" in an election year in the US.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is all set to conduct its first ever virtual assembly in Geneva on Monday. The meeting is expected to focus entirely on the coronavirus, which has claimed over 315,280 lives globally and infected more than 4,716,960 people.

The European Union has drafted a resolution -- co-sponsored by several countries, including Australia, the UK, Russia and Canada -- calling on the WHO to initiate an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and global responses to it.

The motion is expected to be approved in a vote at the WHO Assembly in Geneva.

"We're very encouraged by the growing levels of support for the comprehensive World Health Assembly motion. We look forward to seeing hopefully a positive outcome later this week," foreign minister Payne told a press conference.

"What it illustrates is a broad view that given the experience of COVID-19 -- over 300,000 deaths, millions of people around the world losing their jobs, including in Australia...the impact on economies from one corner of the globe to the other...There is a strong view that it is appropriate to engage in a review of what has happened in the pandemic, the impact it has had to ensure...that it does not happen again," she said.

Payne said Australia has specifically sought for an impartial, comprehensive and independent review on the COVID-19.

The deadly virus has claimed 99 lives and infected 7,060 people in Australia.

"The draft of the resolution has almost 50 clauses and it is a very comprehensive piece of work...it sets out a whole range of steps that needs to be taken in relation to COVID-19," Payne said.

Beijing has accused Canberra of parroting the US in its call for an inquiry to determine the origins of COVID-19 and warned that pursuing the investigation could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia as well as of sales of major exports, including beef and wine.

Downplaying the growing trade tensions between Australia and China, Payne said the government will deal with issues on merits.

The trade tensions between the two countries escalated further after China banned beef from four Australian abattoirs last week and threatened to impose 80 per cent import tariff on Australian barley.

According to media reports, the efforts of Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham to discuss the issue of increasing the tariff on barley with his Chinese counterpart has been ignored.

"We've made a request for me to be able to have discussions with my Chinese counterpart. That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted the trade minister as saying on Sunday.

Birmingham on Monday said the global inquiry was in favour of China as well the rest of the world.

"See the extent of global support for an independent inquiry into COVID-19...Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives and died, millions of people have lost their jobs, billions of lives have been disrupted. The least we can do as a globe is work together to make sure we learn the lessons from it, and try to avoid a repeat of it again in the future," he told a TV channel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China amounted to $3.2 billion in 1Q2020 compared to $2.9 billion during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

The share of China in total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover was 15.5 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 14.3 percent during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export to China amounted to $2.2 billion over the period from January through March 2020 compared to $1.8 billion during the same period of 2019.

Chinas share in total volume of Kazakhstans export amounted to 15.8 percent during the reporting period of 2020, compared to 13.7 percent during the same period of 2019.

In turn, Kazakhstans import from China amounted to $1.06 billion over 1Q2020 compared to $1.1 billion during the same period of 2019.

Chinas total share in Kazakhstans import was 15 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 15.5 percent during the same period of 2019.

Total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $21 billion in 1Q2020 which indicates an increase from $20.4 billion during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export amounted to $13.9 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($13.3 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $7.09 billion ($7.1 billion in 2019).

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Amid the nationwide lockdown, supply of medicines may be disrupted as pharmaceutical companies continue to face issues related to distribution and logistics.

Units in the pharmaceutical industry were operating at 50-60 percent capacity at the end of the third phase of the lockdown, The Times of India reported.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

India is dependent on imports of raw materials, especially from China, to manufacture generic drugs. Congestion at crucial ports, such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), may lead to a shortage of raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the report said.

Movement of air cargo at Mumbai airport has been affected, the report added.

"Not only is the cargo not being cleared, shipment costs have nearly doubled from $750 per container. There is also an increase in air freight costs to about four times. There are containers with medicines/insulins requiring a cool chain, which could be affected. We could face a shortfall in raw materials, and disruption in production as our inventory is also over," a source told the publication.

Exports of generic drugs to countries such as the US could also take a hit, since manufacturing has seen a dip at hubs like Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) and Pithampur(Madhya Pradesh).

"We continue to operate our Nashik factory at 100 percent capacity, and our contract manufacturing factories are now operating at 60-65 percent capacity up from 30-35 percent a couple of weeks ago. In some states, we face some minor last-mile logistics and distribution challenges on account of interstate transfer of medicines. But overall, the situation has improved significantly," a GSK spokesperson told the paper.
Under mounting global pressure, China has relented on its opposition for an inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus, expressing its backing for an EU draft resolution tabled at the World Health Assembly (WHA) calling for a probe into the source of the vicious virus that has killed over three lakh people.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the Geneva-based World Health Organisation. The annual meeting, being held virtually on Monday and Tuesday, is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.

The meeting is being held amid the global anger and concerns over the COVID-19 which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and criticism over the role of the WHO and its Director General Dr General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

India is among 120 countries which backed the draft resolution put forward by the European Union and several other countries. India is expected to be elected Chair of the Executive Board of the WHA replacing Japan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has expressed Beijing's backing for the EU resolution.

"Recently, the EU submitted a draft resolution on COVID-19 response to the 73rd WHA. All parties have reached consensus on the text," Zhao told a media briefing here on Monday while fending off a spate of questions.

"On the issue of the origin of the virus, all parties have agreed to International Health Regulation emergency committee suggested wording and ask the WHO chief to work in close collaboration with World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agricultural Organisation, and all countries to find out the animal source and the transmission routes of the virus through field investigations and find out the possible intermediary host," Zhao said.

"The purpose is to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future, he said.

To persistent questions whether China which earlier dismissed US and Australia's calls for an independent inquiry into the origin of the virus has finally agreed for the probe, Zhao said, "China participated in the consultation on the draft resolution all along."



"In the draft resolution, all parties agreed that WHO should conduct an assessment over the response to COVID-19. The content is in line with China's consistent position," he said, answering questions about 120 countries including India backing the draft resolution conceived by Australia and the European Union.

Zhao said consensus has also been reached about evaluating the role of the WHO which has come under sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump who alleged that it is biased towards China and suspended over USD 400 million funding for it.

As per WHO's assessment, "the Director General will ask at an appropriate time after consultations with the member states and gradually initiate an independent and through process to review the lessons learnt in the WHO coordination and propose suggestions for future work, Zhao said.

"This is a customary practice," he said.

"In the consultations, the vast majority of the countries believe that the pandemic is not over yet and cooperation to fight against is the most urgent task at the moment so it is not mature to start immediately the assessment, Zhao said.

China hopes all parties will in science based and cooperative spirit focus on enhancing cooperation and engage in constructive dialogue in improving the global public health system," he added.

The novel coronavirus has claimed 315,185 lives and infected over 4.7 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 02:04:42|Editor: huaxia

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Anthony Neoh (4th R), chairman of Hong Kong's Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), speaks during a press briefing in Hong Kong, south China, May 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A report in regard to the social unrest in Hong Kong released on Friday by Hong Kong's police watchdog concluded that Hong Kong police killing protesters at a metro station on Aug. 31 last year was a rumor.

The unrest, sparked by the now-withdrawn bill regarding fugitives' transfers, began in June last year, then the initial peaceful demonstrations were degenerated into violent protests, according to the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) report.

The report, consists of 16 chapters, collected a large number of facts from large-scale public events from June 9, 2019 to March 2020.

The report found that violent protests happened more frequently after marches and demonstrations, violence has been escalated, early stages of terrorism sprouted, and there had been widespread destruction of public and private property, causing long-term damage to the economy.

Furthermore, a number of people were beaten because of different opinions, and one person was killed amid theses violent acts.

"The protests of the last 10 months have metamorphasised from initial peaceful processions and public meetings to extreme forms of violent protests in the streets," Anthony Neoh, chairman of IPCC said.

While the protests have been characterized by some media and scholars to be "leaderless", there were visible signs of various forms of organization at every violent protest, according to the report.

The report said that the internet was the driving force behind the continuing and escalating demonstrations, where publicity materials, hateful messages against the police and other unfounded rumors being disseminated. The internet has also been used to mobilize people to participate in demonstrations, violent acts and doxxing of police officers and their families.

The report covered incidents of high public concern and with many complaints, including the Yuen Long incident on July 21, 2019 and Prince Edward station incident on Aug. 31, 2019.

For the Yuen Long incident, there has been no evidence of police officers colluding with triads. It was a rumor that police killed protesters at Prince Edward station last August, the report said.

The report also suggested that the use of force by the police in handling protests over the past few months was in response to the illegal actions of protesters and to the protection of themselves and others when attacked by violent protesters.

"It is plain for all to see that the violence accompanying the protests of the last 10 months had brought Hong Kong's economy to a precipitous state. The COVID-19 epidemic has deepened our economic woes...Hong Kong has lost its hard-earned reputation as a peaceful city," Neoh said.

"With the outbreak of COVID-19, acts of kindness and community co-operation, conspicuously absent during the months of violence, have resurfaced. Hong Kong remains a community that cares and together we can create a brighter, better future for all," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 16:22:09|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli court convicted on Monday an Israeli settler of three counts of murder over an arson attack that killed a Palestinian baby and his parents in a West Bank village in 2015.

The Central District Court ruled that Amiram Ben-Uliel, an Israeli settler, hurled a firebomb that torched the house of Dawabshe family in the village of Duma.

The fire killed 18-month Ali Dawabshe, his mother, Riham, 27, and his father, Sa'ad, 32. His brother, four-year-old Ahmad survived but sustained serious injuries.

The judges said the attack was "an act of terror" driven by racist motives.

Israel's Shin Bet security service said that Ben-Uliel, 25, had admitted of planning and carrying out the attack to "avenge" a Palestinian attack a month earlier in which an Israeli was killed. He had two other friends who were complicit in the murder, according to the Shin Bet.

Ben-Uliel's lawyer, Itzhak Bam, denied the allegations, saying Ben-Uliel's confession was taken under "tortures."

"I don't want even one more child to be in Ahmad's position, I don't want any other family to suffer such a trauma," said Hussein Dawabshe, Ali and Ahmad's grandfather.

Over the past years, ultra-nationalist Israelis have increasingly been carrying out attacks against Palestinians, including harassments of Palestinian farmers, and vandalizing Palestinian property, cemeteries, mosques, and churches.

Most of these non-lethal attacks go unpunished, according to human rights groups that monitor this violence. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 10:51:54|Editor: huaxia

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CAPE TOWN, May 17 (Xinhua) -- South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday voiced concern over the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the Western Cape province, the epicenter of the epidemic in the country.

"We remain concerned about the developments in the Western Cape," where a total of 9,294 cases were reported, comprising almost 60 percent of the national cumulative cases, Mkhize said.

The province's new cases in the past 24 hours stood at 890, accounting for 76 percent of the total new cases in the country, he said.

Nationwide, new cases topped 1,160 in the past 24 hours, the highest daily infections so far, bringing the national tally to 15,515.

"Regrettably, we report further three COVID-19 related deaths -- this brings the total national deaths to 264," Mkhize said.

Of all fatalities, 156 were reported in the Western Cape.

Also on Sunday, Western Cape Governor Allan Winde said the majority of infected people in the province have only experienced mild symptoms and 90 percent of them will not need to be hospitalized.

"While many will recover without complications, we must not underestimate the impact of COVID-19, especially on the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions," Winde said.

The overwhelming majority of COVID-19 positive people who have died in the province had one or more comorbidities, according to Winde.

"The infection curve in the Western Cape is moving faster, and we are seeing higher rates of community transmission," he added. Enditem
WASHINGTON  Attorney General William Barr said Monday that former President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are not under investigation, despite President Donald Trumps assertions that his predecessors administration committed criminal offenses.

Trump has repeatedly accused Obama of unjustly targeting his associates in what he calls "Obamagate," and has called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to call his predecessor to testify in hearings about the origins of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump, however, has yet to explain what crime he thinks Obama committed.

Barr, during an unrelated briefing on the continuing inquiry into Decembers deadly shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, said he would not allow the criminal justice system to be used as a political weapon.

Neither Joe Biden, left, nor Barack Obama, seen in a 2017 file photo, is under criminal investigation, the U.S. attorney general said Monday.

The criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends, Barr said, before launching a blistering critique of the Russia investigation.

The attorney general has tapped John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to lead a parallel inquiry into the origins of the Russia probe. Barr said the Russia inquiry, led by special counsel Robert Mueller, promoted an utterly false theory that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Russian government.

"What happened to the president in the 2016 election and throughout the first two years of his presidency was abhorrent. It was a grave injustice and it was unprecedented in American history," Barr said. "The Durham investigation is trying to get to the bottom of what happened. And it will determine whether there are federal laws broken. Those who broke the laws will be held to account."

While Barr said Monday that he does not expect Durham's work to lead to a criminal investigation of either Obama or Biden, he suggested that "others" could be vulnerable in the criminal inquiry.

Story continues

In a tweet last week, Trump urged Sen. Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to call Obama to testify "about the biggest political crime and scandal" in the country's history. Pressed later by a reporter to say what crime his predecessor had committed and whether the Justice Department should investigate, Trump did not answer.

Graham, R-S.C., pushed back against the president's request to call Obama to testify. "I am greatly concerned about the precedent that would be set by calling a former president for oversight," he said in a statement.

Trump and his allies have seized on the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, one of the first targets of Mueller's inquiry, saying that the retired lieutenant general was entrapped by FBI agents into lying about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

"Obamagate. It's been going on for a long time. It's been going on from before I even got elected," Trump told reporters this month. "And if you look at what's gone on, and if you look at, now, all of this information that's being released ... some terrible things happened, and it should never be allowed to happen in our country again."

When pressed about the criminal accusations by a Washington Post reporter, Trump added: "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours."

Earlier this month, the Barr Justice Department announced that it intended to abandon the Flynn case, asserting that the prosecution was "unjustified."

A federal judge, who will ultimately decide Flynn's fate, has since appointed a retired judge to challenge the Justice effort to drop the case and explore whether Flynn had committed perjury.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Courtney Subramanian

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Obama, Biden not under criminal investigation despite Trump's claims
Students from Colaiste Naomh Cormac and Tullamore College have taken part in the final of the 18th AIB Build A Bank Challenge, one of the longest-running schools programmes for Transition and 5th Year students across Ireland.

Over 70 schools from across Ireland took part in the virtual final which was held through video conferencing, with each team presenting their project to a panel of judges.

St. Mary's Secondary School, Mallow, Cork were awarded the title of National Champions 2020 as well as 5,000 for their school. Buzzy Bank (St. Mary's Secondary School Mallow) chose Backing Your Community as their specialism. In their presentation to the judging panel, the team from St Marys Secondary School highlighted how they raised funds for their chosen charity Bumbleance, the Childrens National Ambulance service, their experience in supporting Nazareth Nursing Home, Mallow, and the organisation of a talk from the Irish Heart Foundation in their school.

The AIB Build a Bank Challenge is a year-long programme for Transition and 5th Year students, giving them the opportunity to set up and run an operational bank within their school while exploring innovation, creativity and business management. The programme also encourages students to give back to their school and community, with participating teams engaging with their local communities and a variety of charities.

Normally, the year-long programme culminates at a National Final in Dublin where students present their projects to the judging panel before the winners are announced at a prize giving ceremony. Due to current Covid-19 restrictions this was not possible this year, so AIB transformed the physical event into a web-based experience, allowing the students to present their Build A Bank projects through video conferencing.

Mark Doyle, Chief Marketing Officer, AIB said, Since the AIB Build A Bank Challenge was introduced in 2002, it has continued to steadily grow and evolve as a programme which engages with thousands of students across Ireland. We are of course disappointed that we couldnt host the annual final in Dublin this year. However, we were delighted to progress with digital presentations and judging, and still recognise the incredible amount of work that has gone in to each project. Every year we are amazed by the creativity and hard work demonstrated by all the students, and this year has been no exception."

The AIB Build A Bank Challenge runs throughout the full curriculum year and enables its participants to develop business management tools, using their creativity and innovation in establishing their bank. An extremely popular programme with both teachers and students, over 18,000 students have taken part in the AIB Build A Bank Challenge since it started in 2002.

For more details, please visit www.aib.ie/build-a-bank
Amitabh Bachchan has credited his granddaughter Navya Naveli Nandas graduation ceremony for bringing his family together amid the coronavirus pandemic. As the convocation took place on May 16, the entire family tuned in from different parts of the globe to celebrate the achievements of the 22-year-old.

In a blog post dated May 16/17, Amitabh wrote that the ceremony took place on the premises of Fordham University in New York, but the family joined in online. He wrote, ...broadcast on a TV link it gathered the entire family together as Navyas name was read out to celebratory cheer and celebration .. family that was in different parts of the world were all simultaneously connected , and neer was it felt that we were hundreds of miles apart.

The actor said that the family did not feel separated by physical distance as it became a moment of great achievement for the girl in the house .. the pride of educating her .. the lessons to learn of schooling the girl child.

Amitabh said that the evening went wonderfully well. He added, emotions ran high .. as brothers sisters mothers fathers grand fathers and grand mothers cousins and aunts , all toasted to the little one , who was just born the other day here in this very house as a baby in a cot.. time has flown by .. this one perhaps more speedily than any other.

Also read | When Robert Downey Jrs Iron Man co-star Terrence Howard called him to repay $100M favour: Never heard from him

Earlier this month, Amitabh shared glimpses from a DIY graduation ceremony that they organised for Navya at their bungalow in Mumbai. Shweta Bachchan Nanda revealed that her daughter wore a chart paper cap and a gown hand stitched from scraps of black tenting for the evening. She, herself, threw on a Fordham sweatshirt over her pyjamas to cheer her daughter on.

Meanwhile, Navya has launched her own healthcare platform, Aara Health. According to its Instagram page, it is a virtual healthcare platform for women that aims to empower, educate and diagnose in a confidential, safe and reliable manner.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
An Aldi store in Marsh Lane Bootle, Liverpool, England. (Peter Byrne/PA via Getty Images)

German discount supermarket Aldi has teamed with food delivery service Deliveroo to offer online grocery ordering in the UK for the first time.

Aldi said on Monday it would trial home delivery from its Daleside Road store in Nottingham from today and would expand the trial to the East Midlands from June if successful.

Customers can chose from 150 essential items, such as bread and milk, which will be picked by Aldi workers in-store then delivered by Deliveroo drivers.

Aldi, Britains fifth biggest supermarket, said the trial was in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left many people self-isolating at home. Aldi has already launched food parcels of essential items that vulnerable customers and those self-isolating could order online.

We hope the new trial with Deliveroo will provide more customers with access to great quality, affordable food at Aldi, said Giles Hurley, chief executive officer of Aldi UK & Ireland.



This is a new and exciting venture for Aldi and we will be constantly reviewing how we can best serve our customers and continue to provide them with the high quality products they are used to in store.

If successful, Aldi said it hoped to roll out its partnership with Deliveroo nationwide by the end of 2020.

At Deliveroo, we are doing everything we can to make sure that people get the food they need and want during this unprecedented time, said Ajay Lakhwani, vice president of new business at Deliveroo.

We are pleased to partner with Aldi and deliver even more choice to our customers as they continue to keep safe at home.

Last month, Deliveroo signed similar grocery deals with Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) and Morrisons (MRW.L), while the on-demand delivery app also has a pre-existing deal with supermarket Co-op.

The pandemic has caused huge disruption for supermarkets, which have been forced to put in place strict new safety rules that limit the number of people who can go in any one time.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 05:58:20|Editor: huaxia

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SARAJEVO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Ji Ping has said that China wants more cooperation in various fields and closer ties with BiH, as the two countries marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

"We want to intensify economic and trade cooperation with BiH, tap more cooperation potentials in transport infrastructure, energy and tourism, and have more cultural exchanges," Ji said in an interview with BiH magazine Start. The Chinese version of the interview was published on Monday on the Chinese embassy's website.

The ambassador said the two countries have been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic side by side. China immediately provided support after the COVID-19 outbreak in BiH, he said.

China has shared knowledge and experience in combating COVID-19 with BiH by hosting two video conferences -- one in March and the other in April -- between China and countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), he said.

The ambassador also said that China remained committed to the implementation of the Belt and Road projects in BiH despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
Prisoners with coronavirus symptoms were locked in cells for up to two weeks without being allowed out to shower, according to a report.

The findings emerged following inspections of conditions in three jails - Wandsworth in south London, Altcourse in Liverpool, and Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey.

In a report published on Monday, chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said: 'The vast majority were locked up for nearly the whole day with usually no more than half an hour out of their cells.

'We found some examples of even greater restrictions.

'In one prison, a small number of symptomatic prisoners had been isolated in their cells without any opportunity to come out for a shower or exercise for up to 14 days.'

The jail in question, Wandsworth, had made the decision 'in consultation with Public Health England, and as a result of the lack of space for a protective isolation unit.'

The jail in question, Wandsworth, had made the decision 'in consultation with Public Health England, and as a result of the lack of space for a protective isolation unit'

The Victorian prison's 'physical limitations' had a 'severe impact', the report said.

The inmates in question were among more than 100 who had symptoms at the jail and had to self-isolate.

The inspection overall found most prisoners still had daily access to a shower.

Narrowing landings and cramped accommodation had made social distancing 'extremely difficult' in some parts of each prison despite efforts to make the buildings safer, like rigorous cleaning.

Mr Clarke added: 'We also saw too many staff were unnecessarily crowding into small offices in some prisons.

'It was obvious that important messages were not always fully understood or practised.'

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: 'The Government's strategy to restrict the spread of coronavirus in prisons relies on tens of thousands of people being held in either overcrowded conditions or prolonged solitary confinement. This is neither humane nor sustainable.

'Ministers must take decisive action to reduce the prison population, to provide more purposeful regimes and save lives. With the courts beginning to hear cases again, prisons risk becoming engulfed unless we see more urgency to release people safely.'

Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, gives evidence to a Commons justice committee on prisons reform at the Palace of Westminster in central London

Peter Dawson, director for Prison Reform Trust, prison managers, staff and inmates should be praised for working together 'to make the best of an impossible situation', but accused ministers of not doing 'all they could to help'.

He added: 'This important report shows why there is absolutely no room for complacency about the crisis in our prisons.'

Cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in 74 prisons so far, and 21 inmates have died.

Last week, it emerged just 55 prisoners had been released early under emergency measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in England and Wales jails.

Up to 4,000 prisoners who were within two months of their release date and had passed a risk assessment were eligible. Pregnant prisoners - considered among people who could be most at risk from the virus - or inmates with children behind bars have also been considered for temporary release.

While numbers had fallen slightly in all three prisons, very few inmates had been released under the scheme - but each had received 'large numbers' of recalled prisoners, the inspection found.

Overall, the report praised staff and prisoners at all three jails for adapting to the challenges of the crisis, but warned 'greater challenges' lied ahead when rehabilitation programmes and activities resume.

Mr Clarke added: 'We were impressed by the way that prison managers, staff and prisoners had adapted to the challenges presented by the current crisis.

'We were also struck by the support that staff had so far received from prisoners who understood the reasons for the extreme restrictions to which they were subject.'

The news comes as the prison service revealed plans to offer inmates video calls with relatives during the pandemic after visits were suspended in March.

The technology is being installed at 10 jails before being rolled out to others in the coming weeks.

Calls will be monitored by prison staff and participants vetted in advance with time limits and other restrictions in place.

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.
However, the users are able to access their social media account using the Virtual Private Network (VPN). "Disruption to Twitter and Periscope registered across Pakistan with impact to multiple networks; incident ongoing," said NetBlocks.org, an internet's observatory which tracks disruptions and shutdowns across the world. "So lots in Pakistan saying Twitter has stopped working for them and they are having to use it via VPN. I'm using it without VPN right now but its ...

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MTN Ghana has reopened all of its service centers across the country some of which were closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the increasing number of customers who visit the service centers and as a result of the lifting of movement restrictions, MTN has also revised its operating hours to 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday with the exception of service centers located at the various shopping malls which will open from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The service centers will continue to remain closed during the weekends and holidays.

Commenting on the reopening of the service centers, the Customer Relations Executive of MTN Ghana, Mrs. Jemima Kotei Walsh expressed her appreciation to all customers for adjusting to the previous arrangements and for patronizing the digital channels.

She said, We continue to review our operations to make decisions that will help us deliver our services whilst also protecting our customers and employees.

MTN Ghana continues to encourage all Ghanaians to stay safe and observe the appropriate health protocols outlined by the Government, Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization (WHO). These include regular washing of hands with soap and water and the mandatory wearing of masks at the service centers.

From the beginning of the COVID 19 infection in Ghana, MTN deployed temperature guns and hand sanitizers in all its offices. MTN has also implemented social distancing and the wearing of masks by its employees amongst others.

MTN still believes that using the enhanced digital channels is still the best way of minimizing the risk of infections during this period. MTN therefore continues to encourage customers to use its digital channels such as twitter @MTNGhana/@AskMTNGhana; Facebook: MTNGhana, MyMTN App or Email via [email protected] m. MTNs call center with toll free number 100 continues to operate 24hours a day.

About MTN Ghana

MTN Ghana is the market leader in the increasingly competitive mobile telecommunications industry in Ghana, offering subscribers a range of exciting options under Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go Services and Mobile Financial Services. The company has committed itself to delivering reliable and innovative services that provide value for subscribers in Ghanas telecommunications market. Since its entry into Ghana in 2006, MTN has continuously invested in expanding and modernizing its network in order to offer superior services to a broad expanse of the nation.
Cyclone Amphan has gathered strength and is expected to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours, the Indian Meteorological Body (IMD) said in its latest bulletin on Monday (May 18). According to IMD, cyclone Amphan would cross the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on May 20 and before making a landfall, the intensity of Amphan would be of a Super Cyclone.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and move fast across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands during 09:00-12:00 pm of 20th May, 2020, as a very severe cyclonic storm, the bulletin read.

According to IMD, coastal Odisha would receive light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places from Monday evening. Odisha government has advised the fishermen not to venture into north Bay of Bengal along and off West Bengal-Odisha coasts from May 18 to 21.

"Cyclone Amphan in Bay of Bengal, intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm at 2:30 AM today. It is expected to further intensify into a super cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours. It will move towards north-northeast direction and cross Digha (West Bengal)-Hathiya island (Bangladesh) on the afternoon/evening of 20th May with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph," Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, IMD director general told ANI.

In West Bengal's East Midnapore district, NDRF was seen making announcements asking people to stay indoors. Digha is the place which falls between the spot of the landfall that will take place on May 20, between Digha in Bengal and Hatiya in Bangladesh. Similar action is taking place in Sagar Island and Kakdwip.

NDRF making announcements asking people in West Bengal's Digha to stay indoors in wake of Cyclone Amphanhttps://t.co/EuUL677yqS#CycloneAmphan#WestBengal pic.twitter.com/gNUMhdlGOz  Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) May 18, 2020

A total of 17 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha. While seven teams have been deployed in six districts of West BengalSouth 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly, 10 teams have been deployed in seven districts of OdishaPuri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high level meeting with MHA and NDMA on Monday at 4 pm to review the arising cyclone situation in various parts of the country.
In the ever-changing landscape of coronavirus testing, just who is being tested, how many people are tested and how many results are still pending will affect daily numbers.

For instance, the percent of positive cases in Lancaster County for the week ending Saturday dropped to 6.6%, down significantly from the 14.4% the week before.

Part of that drop can be attributed to 608 lab results from Test Nebraska with a low positivity rate, said Pat Lopez, interim director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

The week before, Bryan Healths mobile unit was collecting samples from the outbreak at the Smithfield meatpacking plant in Crete, which contributed to a higher rate of positive cases, she said.

A backlog of test results also affects daily totals and positive percentage rates, she said.

Bryan officials said last week it's taking three days or more to get results from the commercial lab, and the hospital had 916 test results pending as of Thursday.

The health department looks at the positive rates, as well as the number of new positive cases, along with testing capacity, said Diane Gonzolas, city communications manager for Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.

Although city officials dont know how many tests Test Nebraska is conducting, generally the total number of tests in the county has steadily increased, from 1,300 for the week ending May 2 to 3,000 last week.

Its hard to take any one of those factors and say thats what people should look at, she said. I think you need to take a look at the big picture.

Contact tracing is key to seeing the number of positive cases begin to drop, Gonzolas said.

On Sunday, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported 13 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the community total to 799.

Douglas County, with the most cases in the state, reported 203 new cases Sunday, bringing its total to 2,414, according to the Douglas County Health Department.

The positivity rate in Douglas County for last week was 14%, according to a news release. That number was almost 22% the prior week.

Statewide, 128 new cases were reported Sunday, bringing the total number of positive cases to 10,348. There have been at least 125 deaths in the state, including 5 in Lancaster County.

The positive-test rate statewide has also seen a dip, from about 20% the previous week to 10% last week, as the state saw a significant increase in the number of test results (more than 20,000 results were reported last week, compared to 14,600 the week before). That included a daily high of 5,700 test results Saturday, but that number dropped back down to 1,900 results Sunday, again highlighting the day-to-day fluctuations.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist
A sign hanging from the ceiling inside a public market in Dagupan City, northern Philippines, reminds shoppers to maintain social distancing and wear face masks, May 18, 2020.

A spokesman for the Philippine government on Monday warned of a potential new surge in coronavirus cases after shoppers appeared to ignore social distancing rules as the capital region gradually opened up for business.

Photos posted on social media showed Filipinos thronging to malls on Saturday, the first day of a government move to ease strict quarantine rules and allow some stores and economic sectors to reopen after they were shuttered for two months.

Across Luzon Island, home to Manila and about 60 million people, officials had loosened quarantine protocols little by little, and slowly, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. The government lifted the modified enhanced community quarantine for the region, starting on Saturday and running through May 31.

But what happened last Saturday? The public stormed the malls as if COVID-19 is already gone, Roque told reporters. There was no longer physical distancing, there was pushing. If we continue like that, we wont get government assistance but rather COVID-19.

He said the entire nation remained under community quarantine and that the virus was still present in the country.

Until there is a vaccine, we are not safe from COVID-19, Roque said.

The national task force on COVID-19 agreed last week to relax the quarantine rules gradually because numbers pointed to a downward trend, Roque said. But after Saturday, that will surely skyrocket because we disregarded social distancing and other health protocols, he added.

Malls that fail to impose strict rules would be shut down, he said.

Anthony Leachon, a leading public health reform advocate and a consultant to the governments anti-COVID19 campaign, described the failure of malls to control crowd size and enforce social distancing as a setback to efforts to contain the highly contagious virus.

We have just lost gains of our two-month lockdown, he told BenarNews. Where are local government unit leaders and responsible mall owners?

Leachon said business owners had failed to increase system capacity during the two-month lockdown.

The business sector should have prepared manpower processes, and infrastructure for the modified enhanced community quarantine during the lockdown for a smooth transition, he said.

A security guard wearing a face mask monitors social distancing protocols of people waiting to enter a department store in Dagupan City, northern Philippines, May 18, 2020. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews]

On Monday, mall chain operator SM Supermalls, said it had decided on its own to again shut seven malls it operates in Cavite province south of Manila until further notice. In its message, it said the decision was simply made because your safety matters.

Roque said that while the government was aware of public sentiment, it could be forced to re-impose strict lockdown rules.

If the number continues to rise and we can no longer give critical care to the sick, we will all be back to ECQ again, he said, referring to the enhanced community quarantine.

Roque said Manilas hospital bed capacity likely could be overwhelmed, adding there were only about 30 government-approved testing facilities.

On Monday, the health department reported seven new deaths from the coronavirus disease, raising the national toll to 831. Officials also recorded 205 new cases, bringing the total number to 12,718.

Globally, more than 4.7 million people have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 315,000 have died as of Monday, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Metro Manilas top cop in hot water

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police faced an increasing public outcry after saying it would retain a senior officer who had allegedly flouted quarantine rules by taking part in a birthday bash in his honor despite an order from President Rodrigo Duterte to have him charged.

National police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa told reporters that he could not dismiss Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, the chief of police for Metro Manila, because his service was indispensable, especially at a time of crisis.

He said Sinas also was at the forefront of governments campaign against illegal gambling and drugs, crimes that are on top of President Dutertes list of priorities.

I hope the public would understand because were in an emergency situation, if we replace him, we will never know. Hes hard to replace because he has so many COVID-19 programs, Gamboa said.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 18 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here on Monday, said 29 new coronavirus cases in the state had raised the number of people under treatment to 130. "Of these, 21 came from abroad, 7 from other states," Vijayan said.

Stating that 630 people have tested coronavirus positive in the state, the Chief Minister said 67,316 people were under observation in homes and 473 in hospitals.

The total hotspot areas have risen to 29.

On lockdown easing, Vijayan said, "The public transport will be allowed within the district and in buses only 50 per cent seating capacity will be permitted. No standing travel is allowed. The same applies to water transport.

"Private vehicles and taxi can take three persons, including the driver, if with family then 4. Auto-rickshaws will be allowed but with only one commuter. In case of family, it can be three, including the driver. People above 65 years and children below 10 years should stay indoors as much as possible." He said malls would not be allowed, but the shopping complexes could function with only 50 per cent shops opened. Salons could do only hair cutting and only 2 persons would be allowed in the shop. "Restaurants can open till 9 pm but only for parcel service," said Vijayan.

He said all government offices should function with only 50 per cent employees. The rest should work from home, he added.

"If required by the head of the office, such people should come to office. Saturday's will not be working day until further notice," said Vijayan and added the government employees stranded elsewhere must report to the District Collector concerned and work from there only.

For marriages only 50 people will be allowed, and for funeral services 20.

With more NRKs and Keralites stranded in other states arriving every day, the number of Covid-19 cases is rising.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
President Akufo-Addo, impressed by progress of work at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) said it was good for the nation's future given the crucial role scientists played in any society's development and growth.

It is very encouraging that many scientists are emerging and having the opportunity to put their knowledge to a practical and concrete use, the President remarked, when he paid a working visit to the facility at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi.

The visit was to enable him assess at first hand operations of the Centre, an international platform for biomedical research, mandated to carry out tests on and validate COVID-19 blood samples.

KCCR had since March 12, this year, processed more than 49, 920 blood samples presented to the facility from health facilities, especially in the northern sector of the country.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that 913 of the samples tested positive.

Facilities inspected by the President at the Centre included; the COVID evaluation, negative pressure (biosafety level three) and DNA isolation laboratories, as well as other testing laboratories.

President Nana Akufo-Addo commended scientists and other staff at the KCCR for the excellent job they were doing in Ghana's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Richard Odame Phillips, Scientific Director at the KCCR, disclosed that the Centre had received a specialized DNA robot, which could extract 48 samples within 17 minutes.

This had replaced the manual extraction method, which were used for isolating DNA of the samples presented to the facility.

Professor Philips appealed to the government for more of such specialized robots in order to facilitate work of the scientists.

Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, assured the President of the University's commitment to training more local scientists to spearhead the nation's quest for sustainable growth through research and cutting-edge technology.

---GNA
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko greets U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Feb. 1, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/Reuters)

US Sends Oil to Belarus, Seeking to Reduce Energy Dependence on Russia

The United States dispatched the first shipment of U.S. crude oil to Belarus last week, according to the State Department. Belarus has been seeking to diversify its oil supplies after Russia stopped shipping oil there when both countries failed to renegotiate the oil price for 2020.

The competitive deal is led by U.S. energy trader United Energy Trading which partnered with U.S. logistics company Getka Energy and UNIMOT, a Polish importer of fuel, gas, and electricity.

The 80,000-ton shipment is expected to arrive at the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda in June and from there will be sent by rail to Belarus.

The deal 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, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on May 15.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said cooperation with the United States on oil is an element of energy security, according to The Associated Press.

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 [World Trade Organization] accession process, Pompeo said in the statement.

Pompeo visited Belarus in February where he met with President Alexander Lukashenko and Makei, and offered for the United States to supply Belarus with all of its oil and gas needs at competitive prices.

A line handler helps dock the oil tanker, Texas Voyager, as it pulls into its mooring to offload its crude oil at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 21, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Belarus Reduces Energy Dependence on Russia

In 2019, Belarus requested Russia to pay an increased tariff on Russian oil transit but Russia agreed only to a much smaller increase in tariff rates.

Belarus purchases crude oil from Russia, processes it in its two refineries, and sells refined products to Europe. In April 2019 Russia shipped contaminated oil which caused damage to Belarusian refineries, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War. The tariff increase requested by Belarus was supposed to partially cover the costs of the damage.

Both countries were not able to reach an agreement on the tariff rate in 2019 and Russia stopped all oil deliveries to Belarus on Jan. 1.

Belarus then sought alternative oil sources and secured shipments from Norway, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia.

Russia and Belarus later reached a compromise agreement and Russian state oil company Rosneft said on May 15 it expected to ship about 9 million tons to Belarus this yearabout half the amount Belarus had bought in previous years.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Belarusian President Lukashenko tried to reduce the countrys dependence on Russian oil to escape Russias intensified pressure on integrating Belarus into Russia-dominated structures.

In 1999 Russia and Belarus signed a supranational treaty to form a union state and integrate the economies of both countries, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By PTI

JAIPUR: All Rajasthan natives returning back to the state from abroad will have to stay in quarantine for 14 days before proceeding to their homes, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Monday.

He said due to COVID-19 pandemic, students, tourists and NRIs stranded abroad are also coming to the state for which airports in Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur have been earmarked.

He said as per the government guidelines, passengers coming from abroad will be quarantined wherever they will land.

For this, nearby hotels have been identified, he said, adding that people can stay in the quarantine for 14 days in a hotel as per their paying capacity.

Medical checkup of every person coming from abroad will be done, he said, adding they can go home only after spending the quarantine period.

He said better quarantine facilities will be provided for migrant Rajasthanis.
The government of western Myanmars Rakhine state capital has issued an order requiring ethnic Rakhine Buddhist families to vacate more than 1,250 shelters erected on top of a former Rohingya Muslim area of the township that was razed eight years ago during a flare up of sectarian violence.

Thein Hlaing, administrator of the Seyton Su Muslim quarter in Sittwe township, said the order, which went into effect late last week, requires the Rakhine squatters to leave the properties that belong to Rohingyas within three months or face eviction.

We were asked to post the announcement on the notice board, but you should ask the township administrators about the issue if you want to know more, as they are the ones who issued the order, he told RFAs Myanmar Service on Monday.

We posted it on the notice board on May 14, he added.

A wave of brutal slayings and attacks across Rakhine state in June 2012 left more than 200 people dead and displaced about 120,000 Rohingya, who were later forced to live in squalid camps scattered around the region.

Many of those in the camps recently told RFA that the prospects for improving their living standards are bleak and that they continue to live in near-apartheid conditions. Because racial tensions have not subsided, it is nearly impossible for any Rohingya who has permission to travel the 10-minute drive from the camps to Sittwe even with security guards, some say.

Meanwhile, over the past eight years, Rakhine families from rural areas of the state have gradually moved to areas formerly occupied by Rohingyas in Sittwe to claim the jobs they used to do, including Seyton Su, where there are now some 4,000 Rakhine shelters that have been built in the quarter, according to residents.

Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya leader who has taken refuge in Thetkal Pyin village outside of the township since the 2012 riots, welcomed the plan to evict the Seyton Su squatters.

The government has received blame and accusation internationally because they havent evicted these squatters, he said.

This action can provide the government with some reliefthats why they should have done it even earlier and stopped the squatters once they started moving into the area.

While applauding the order, Kyaw Hla Aung said it would only benefit the government if it can continue these kinds of affirmative actions.

A Rakhine squatter in Seyton Su who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity out of fear for his security said that he is willing to follow the order if the government allots new land to those who are to be evicted.

They have to give us new land as a replacementthis land belongs to the state and if there is no proper land for us to relocate to, we will remain here, he said.

State counselor Aung San Suu Kyi promised that citizens will enjoy the full rights of citizenship. We are entitled to the right to stay in the city. If we dont have land to live on, we wont be able to work and earn a living. Many other occupants of the area say they will not leave without replacement land.

Sittwe township administrator Aung Zaw Oo was not immediately available for comment.

Origin of orders unclear

Win Myint, Rakhine state government spokesperson and municipal minister said he was unaware of the order to evict the Seyton Su squatters.

I havent heard any talk about the issue in any meetings, so I cant tell you anything about it and Im not clear where this order came from, he said.

This decision was not made during the state government meeting. You should ask the township administrator who gave the order.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson with the central government in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw about the order went unanswered Monday.

The order to evict the squatters comes days ahead of a deadline for Myanmar to submit its first compliance report to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The country faces a trial on genocide charges at the international tribunal for the alleged military-led expulsion of more than 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown on Muslim communities in northern Rakhine state beginning in August 2017. Myanmar has denied the genocide charges, largely without addressing the evidence or specific accusations.

In January, the ICJ ordered Myanmar to implement provisional measures to protect the Rohingya from genocide, preserve evidence of alleged crimes that could be used in later hearings, and report on its compliance with the measures until the court issued a final decision on the case.

The first report is due by May 23, with follow-up reports required every six months until the ICJ issues a final ruling.

Village burned

Meanwhile, residents of Rakhine states Mrauk-U township accused the Myanmar military of burning down nearly 200 houses in Let Kar village over the weekend, which the military denied and blamed on the ethnic Rakhine rebel Arakan Army (AA).

A villager who declined to be named, citing security concerns, told RFA that 194 of the villages 301 homes and a middle school were set alight but the military on Saturday.

The military burned all of the [equipment] which had been gathered to plow for the rainy season, the villager said.

You can see how they treat people unfairly and bully them.

On Sunday, the office of the military chief issued a statement saying that as troops patrolled near Let Kar, the AA attacked, burned around 20 homes, and fled the area.

Khine Thuka, AA spokesperson, told RFA that the military is trying to cover up its war crimes in Rakhine state and that if the government is unable to rein it in, his rebel army would enlist the help of international organizations to investigate the situation there.

Last year, the military arrested 27 youths from nearby Let Kar village and forced them to admit connections with the AA while under duress, according to fellow residents. Three of the young men died during their interrogation.

Last week, Myanmars military said that some of its troops used unlawful and improper interrogation techniques while detaining five Rakhine men from Rakhines Ponnagyun township suspected of having links to the AA, a rare admission offered a day after a video published by RFA showed soldiers beating the men on board a naval vessel.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Maung Maung Nyo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
With 299 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) being reported in Delhi on Monday, the states tally crossed the 10,000 mark within two-and-a-half months of the first case being detected on March 2.

Delhi has now reported 10,054 Covid-19 cases and 160 deaths, with 12 deaths recorded in the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Monday. This puts the mortality rate of Covid-19 in Delhi at 1.6%, which is roughly half the national average of 3.09%.

Even with the three-member death audit committee adding backlog of deaths to the cumulative total after reviewing hospital case sheets since May 12, Delhi has the second lowest mortality among the five states with the highest number of Covid-19 cases  Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Rajasthan. Only Tamil Nadu, with a mortality rate of 0.69%, has reported fewer deaths than Delhi.

Delhi has one of the highest testing rates in the country, with 7,147 tests per million population. The national testing rate for India is 1,671 tests per million population.

Around 45% of the people infected have already recovered from the viral infection, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. So far, 4,485 people of the 10,054 infected have recovered from Covid-19 in Delhi. In Delhi, there are 10,054 cases till date. This is large in number. However, a total of 4,485 persons have been cured/discharged, which is 45% of the total cases, Kejriwal said during a press conference.

So far, 100,311 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the country and Delhi accounts for 10.02% of them. From housing the nations busiest airport to Southeast Delhis Nizamuddin area emerging as the biggest cluster of cases following a religious congregation at the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in March, there are several reasons for the high caseload in the city.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi handled about 180,000 passengers daily, on an average, pre-Covid lockdown, before commercial passenger flights were suspended.

Then in later March, Delhi discovered that 2300 people of the thousands who attended a week-long meeting of the Tablighi Jamaat at a hostel-like complex called the Markaz near the Nizamuddin Dargah remained there. When the authorities started the evacuation process on March 31, around 2,300 people were still there. Of them, 1,080 tested positive for the infection. Across the country at least 4,000 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the Delhi gathering.

This led to a spike in the number of cases in the first half of Apri.

The number of cases started shooting up again in May with over 400 cases being recorded on several days. Delhi breached the highest single-day spike in numbers four times in May -- 427 cases had been recorded on May 3, 428 on May 6, 448 on May 7, and 472 cases on May 21.

This corresponds with an increase in the number of tests conducted in the city and laboratories across the capital rushing to deliver Covid-19 test reports with 24 hours of collecting the samples, complying with Delhi government and high court orders.

Delhi has tested 139,727 samples since mid-January when the screening for the disease first began. From just one collection centre and no testing laboratory in the city in January, Delhi now has almost 60 sample collection centres and 28 laboratories that test the samples.

During the second spike of the cases in Delhi, district authorities pointed out that hospitals were becoming hotspots for the infection, with several health care workers, their family members, and patients visiting hospitals also testing positive. So far, over 500 healthcare workers across the city have tested positive for Covid-19. This includes 106 healthcare workers from Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital, around 90 from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and 75 from Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital.

Many of the cases are coming from hospitals, BSF (Border Security Force), and CISF (Central Industrial Security Force). There have been many cases from the police department, and healthcare workers. Right now, most of the cases are coming from the existing containment zones, we will increase the containment zones as and when needed, said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain, in an interaction with journalists on Sunday.

Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung hospital, said, The number of infections is higher in places with busy airports, along highways that a lot of people travel on, and in commercial hubs because that is where the infections were first imported by those who had travelled from abroad. Now, the problem areas are the slum populations in the major cities like Delhi and Mumbai as there are many people living in close quarters leading to easy transmission.

I would have said that the number of cases (across India) would start coming down by June but the travel of migrant workers may take the infections to villages and small town now prolonging the infections for a little longer. However, the good thing is that viruses tend to kill fewer people after every mutation and our population is young so even if there are cases, the mortality will remain low, said Dr Kishore.

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- A hilarious moment recently transpired on the online show entitled Tutok to Win

- Willie Revillame was suddenly cursed by a winner while talking on the phone

- The lady thought that she was being pranked by someone so she reacted funnily

- The epic reaction of the prominent TV host, meanwhile, was caught on camera

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Willie Revillame was recently cursed by a lucky person on his popular online show entitled Tutok to Win.

KAMI learned that the hilarious reaction of the said television host was caught on camera.

The viral incident began when the celebrity host called a woman to announce that she won 10 thousand pesos.

However, to claim the prize, the winner must say a phrase to express gratitude to the sponsor of the online show.

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The lady thought that she was being pranked by a stranger that was why she suddenly cursed at the TV host.

Wag niyo kong murahin! Si Willie Revillame to! Willie quipped.

Alam mo, sandali makinig kayo, alam mo kung anong sinabi mo? Nadinig ko. Sasabihin ko ulit, isisigaw ko sa mundo. Ang sabi mo, gwapo, he added.

Watch the video below:

In a previous article by , Willie gave a huge amount of money to a fresh graduate who is trying to get through the crisis in the country.

Willie Revillame is one of the most well-known and seasoned game show hosts in the Philippines. He stayed for how many years in the Kapamilya network but later on transferred to GMA-7.

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Isa ka ba sa may ka-quaranFLING? Sa quaranFLING, may leveling daw ang landian. True kaya 'to? Dahil sa ECQ, usong-uso ito. Kung sayo ba to nangyari, aasa ka ba dapat o hanggang May 15 lang kayo? Ano masasabi nyo?  on HumanMeter!

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In a bid to allay fears of OCI cardholders over the temporary suspension of their long-term visas, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, said his government will soon take an appropriate decision on it.

He also invited members of the Indian diaspora to invest in the country in view of the recent economic reforms announced by the government.

Participating in a virtual panel discussion with Indian-Americans on COVID-19, organised jointly by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) and the Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BAJNA), Muraleedharan was flooded with queries over the OCI card issue.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of it and will take an appropriate decision soon.

A large number of Indian citizens whose children are OCI (overseas citizen of India) cardholders and several people of Indian origin having the card are unable to travel to India, even for emergency reasons, because of the temporarily suspension of their long-term visa.

This is step-motherly treatment with people of Indian origin and against the very ethos and spirit behind it, said Jaipur Foot USA chairman Prem Bhandari.

India's top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Home Minister Amit Shah, are personally aware about it and they have no doubt whatsoever about the Indianness of the overseas Indian community, Muraleedharan said in response to a question.

I understand the agony of the OCI card holders. Please do not have any ill will, he said, assuring the participants that the prime minister will take appropriate decision on this issue soon.

Muraleedharan urged the diaspora to invest in India given the opportunity being offered by the major economic reforms announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Perhaps, India has never had such an economic reform. This is a great opportunity for the Indian diaspora to come and invest in India, he said.

The announcements by Sitharaman in the last five days are a clear indication of how and what the Indian diaspora should look for, he said.
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Linkedin Ben Simon (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem  Mon, May 18, 2020 10:00 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8bb571 2 World Israel,unity,BenjaminNetanyahu,Benny-Gantz,West-Bank,politics Free

Israel's parliament swore in a new unity government on Sunday led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz, ending the longest political crisis in the nation's history.

After more than 500 days without a stable government and three inconclusive elections, lawmakers in the 120-seat parliament approved a three-year coalition, with 73 voting for and 46 against. One member was absent.

The new government was set to confront serious crises in its first weeks, including the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus and a looming battle over Israel's possible annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank.

Addressing the parliament, or Knesset, before the vote, Netanyahu said his incoming government should apply Israeli sovereignty over Jewish West Bank settlements.

"It's time to apply the Israeli law and write another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism," Netanyahu said.

Such a move is seen as likely to cause international uproar and inflame tensions in the West Bank, home to nearly three million Palestinians and some 400,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.

Netanyahu told the chamber that annexation "won't distance us from peace, it will bring us closer".

The coalition government was agreed last month between veteran right-wing leader Netanyahu and the centrist Gantz, a former army chief.

Plans had been set for an inauguration last Thursday, but Netanyahu asked for three more days to decide on cabinet assignments among his Likud party loyalists.

West Bank annexations?

Under the coalition deal, Netanyahu will serve as prime minister for the coming 18 months -- a major victory for a leader due to stand trial in a week on corruption charges, which he denies.

Gantz will be alternate prime minister, a new position in Israeli governance, for the first half of the deal. He and Netanyahu will swap roles on November 17, 2021.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Israel on its new government, saying he hoped for a continued "policy of strengthening friendly ties and mutually beneficial cooperation" between the countries.

US top diplomat Mike Pompeo welcomed the swearing-in announcement in a tweet.

"We are extremely fortunate to have such strong and experienced partners in Jerusalem," he said.

The Netanyahu-Gantz deal says the government can from July 1 initiate moves to implement US President Donald Trump's controversial peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan, rejected by the Palestinians, gives the green light from Washington for Israel to annex Jewish settlements and other territory in the West Bank.

Some experts warn that Jordan may back away from its historic 1994 peace deal with Israel if the Jewish state tries to annex the strategically crucial Jordan Valley border region.

Speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel days ago, Jordan's King Abdullah II said: "If Israel really annexes the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."

'Bloated and wasteful'

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday that the bloc would use "all our diplomatic capacities" to try to dissuade Israel's incoming government from going ahead with annexations.

Gantz and incoming Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi are both known to have reservations about annexation and the international backlash.

Gantz did not mention the issue in his Knesset speech on Sunday.

He addressed criticism of his decision to join forces with Netanyahu, which split his Blue and White coalition, arguing that Israel needed unity after a year of bitter division.

"My friends and I chose unity to defend Israeli citizens, not just from the challenges from outside our borders but also from the hatred eating away at us from within and harming our resilience," he said.

The 35th government since Israel's creation in 1948 includes representatives from across the political spectrum, with a record 34 to 36 cabinet seats.

Cabinet posts have been assigned to the left-wing Labor party, Blue and White, Likud and leaders from conservative ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.

The large cabinet and additional funds for the new position of alternate prime minister have prompted criticism as Israel seeks to address the economic fallout from coronavirus, which has infected more than 16,500 Israelis and caused more than 260 deaths, according to official figures.

Unemployment has soared from 3.4 percent before the crisis to 27 percent.

New opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party, an ex-Blue and White head who broke with Gantz over his decision to seek an alliance with Netanyahu, condemned the government as "the most expensive in the history of Israel".

"Israelis deserve better," he told the Knesset on Sunday.
In a war of words on Monday, the ruling AAP in Delhi and the BJP blamed one another for the plight of migrant workers moving en mass to their home states due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the currentsituation pertaining to migrants had "exposed" the BJP and it had become clear that they are an anti-poor and pro-rich party.

"BJP is blind towards the massive exodus of poor migrant labourers which is happening across India. These poor migrant labourers are grieving from trauma, hunger, poverty and unemployment," Singh said in a statement.

Singh said the only way to solve this issue was by running more trains. Indian Railways can carry 2,30,00,000 people per day, but the BJP government is not at all serious about the issue, he claimed.

"The BJP government can provide luxury flights for the people who were stuck in other countries but they cannot arrange trains or buses for these poor people," he said.

BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Bidhuri, however, blamed the AAP for being responsible for the exodus of migrant workers from Delhi.

Bidhuri alleged that the AAP government had failed to stop migrant workers from leaving Delhi and could not distribute free ration provided by the Centre among the poor.

"Delhi government could not provide the ration to the poor.Union Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan himself said that only 1 per cent of the ration issued by the Centre for April was given by the Delhi government to the poor people," he claimed.

Bidhuri also blamed the AAP government in Delhi for failing to arrange transport for migrant workers to go back to their home states. He claimed that the Central government was paying 85 per cent of the cost for operating the trains for migrants and remaining 15 per cent was borneby concerned states.

"Delhi government has been proved complete failure in sending migrant workers home. Its website for registration of migrant workers was stopped, forcing them to leave for their home states on foot," he said.

Bidhuri also alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government had failed in tackling the coronavirus epidemic, which he said was one reason for large number of migrant labourers leaving for their homes in different states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A simmering dispute between the states electric grid manager and the Public Utility Commission has burst into view over a request by Tesla to make it easier to develop battery storage systems in Texas.

The electric carmakers request before a committee of Electric Reliability Council of Texas, wouldnt normally attract much attention. But Texas regulators and ERCOT have been struggling for more than two years over how to accommodate developing battery storage technology that experts predict could accelerate demand for renewable energy sources and ultimately reduce electricity prices.

Large batteries can be charged from solar units or other forms of energy at night when power is cheapest and the stored energy sold when prices peak during midday. But Texas has been slow to adopt the technology, treating battery storage as a form of power generation and retail consumption with big cooling systems instead of just one integrated network.

One Texas regulator said hes embarrassed by the time it has taken for the state to nimbly embrace new technology.

SEEKING SOLUTIONS: How will batteries plug into Texas power grid?

This is the kind of thing Texas should be able to adopt to, Commissioner Arthur C. DAndrea said. When there is a new technology, a new way of doing things, we embrace it and pull it into the market and we make it work.

Integrated battery storage systems  essentially self-contained ready-to-go units that sit on concrete slabs  are becoming more sophisticated sources of low-cost and resilient power for manufacturing sites, office buildings and homes. They also are competing with fossil-fuel and other sources of electricity and and the retail providers that sell it.

Tesla filed an urgent request last month with ERCOT, asking the grid manager to make it clear that integrated battery systems are considered wholesale storage. Without that clarity, battery developers are prevented from using advanced and more efficient technology to provide new capacity to the ERCOT system as early as next year, according to Teslas application.

Tesla did not return a call for comment.

The staff of the Public Utility Commission took the unusual step of filing comments in Teslas ERCOT case, saying Texas already has rules in place to accommodate new integrated battery technology.

PLUGGING IN: Battery storage on verge of changing Texas power grid

But ERCOT questioned the validity of the comments because staff members didnt sign their individual names to the comments, commission Chairman DeAnn Walker said during a recent public meeting.

I find that offensive, Walker said during the meeting Thursday.

She said the commission staff is doing what its supposed to do and that ERCOTs reaction reflects a long-standing disagreement among staffers at ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission. She didnt elaborate.

Technology is going to change and we have to be nimble to be able to change and do things with it, Walker said.

ERCOT would not comment.

The dispute illustrates the ongoing power struggle in Texas between those at companies like Tesla who are pushing new technology such as the self-contained battery system and an electricity grid manager overseen by a board dominated by the power industry.

Generators dont want to see a new source of competition which battery storage would be, said Ed Hirs, an energy economist at the University of Houston, and ERCOT is essentially acting as the gatekeeper to keep storage companies out.

If you want a free market, said Hirs, Texas needs to allow battery entrepreneurs on to the grid.

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In March, when fears about the dearth of medical grade masks for health care professionals were dominating social media discussions, I asked my friend  a physicians assistant in a big East Coast hospital emergency department  if I should put my paltry sewing skills to work making cloth face coverings.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, she replied, but well all end up with COVID-19 if we wear cloth masks.

She directed me to a study from 2015 in which researchers tested surgical and cloth masks in clinical settings involving high-risk exposure to respiratory infections in Vietnam. Cloth masks, they found, not only resulted in higher rates of infection than surgical masks but also showed higher rates of infection than the control group (which followed standard hospital procedures, including use of surgical, cloth or no masks at all).

It would have made sense if this type of finding was what motivated the surgeon general in February, to tweet, that masks are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus; Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to suggest that improper mask use could actually spread the virus; and Dr. Anthony Fauci to confidently declare on 60 Minutes, that a mask is not the perfect protection that people think that it is, and that unless you are sick, right now, there is no reason to be walking around with a mask.

But it wasnt.

Public health officials later conceded that their initial guidance to the public regarding masks was not motivated by cutting edge research so much as the need to dissuade the public from siphoning them away from healthcare workers, which, of course, was a legitimate need.

So when those officials abruptly did an about-face just weeks later and began encouraging the public to wear homemade cloth face coverings, even those made from a variety of common household items  T-shirts, bandannas, rubber bands  for their safety and that of others, they had to assume the public would suffer from cognitive dissonance or even begin to question their credibility.

In fairness, understanding of the virus is quickly evolving.

Because doctors and scientists now suspect that people infected but not exhibiting symptoms may be responsible for as much as half of new cases, there is reason to believe that increased mask usage might reduce the spread.

Researchers and academics are pointing to countries such as South Korea and Japan, where mask use is nearly universal and the outbreaks have been more controlled, as evidence that mask culture could have similar quantifiable value in the U.S.

A study from Yale University estimates each additional cloth mask worn by the public has an economic value of at least $3,000-$6,000.

Another very aspirational model argues that just 60 percent of people wearing masks that are 60 percent effective could, by itself, stop the epidemic. That would be something.

Of course, nearly every study that promotes masks acknowledges that they must be used properly to be effective (fit correctly, washed frequently, removed the right way), and emphasizes that mask-wearing is only one strategy, not a solution in and of itself.

Unfortunately, failure to clearly and honestly communicate the benefits and limitations of masks early on  to instead use mask guidance as an opportunity to manipulate peoples behavior  has had the outcome one might expect: Masks have become a cultural flashpoint. They are a symbol of either independence from or obsequiousness to the government. And its getting harder to stake out a position beyond those extremes.

Theres compelling evidence on both sides of the debate: Models that suggest masking at 80-90 percent of the population could eventually help eliminate the disease; and research that indicates how COVID-19 breaks through to the external surface of masks when infected patients cough into them. Both deserve consideration and sound assessment from a reliable arbiter.

But when it comes to discussions of mask policies and behavior in the U.S., the opportunity to have reasonable debate seems to have eluded us. People are dug in. And frankly, we have our trusted public officials and their muddled messages on masks, to thank for that.

As they say on Twitter, great job everyone.

Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Readers may send her email at cmallen@star-telegram.com.
In a gut punch to Bay Area sandwich and cookie lovers, Specialtys Cafe & Bakery announced this weekend that it will close for good Tuesday after 33 years in business.

The Pleasanton restaurant chain, whose offerings included homemade sandwiches and giant cookies, said on its website that the financial pain of the coronavirus pandemic had left it no choice but to close all 50 locations in three states.

Current market conditions attributed to COVID-19 and shelter-in-place policies have decimated company revenues, said the company statement, setting Tuesday as the final day of operation. We sincerely thank you for your business and support over the years.

The chain, founded by entrepreneurs Dawn Sandnes and Craig Saxton in San Francisco in 1987, is now owned by FEMSA Comercio, based in Mexico. Specialtys employs more than 1,400 people in California, Illinois and Washington state.

The company, which also did a brisk catering business, was popular in San Franciscos Financial District and in downtown Oakland for work lunches. But with offices closed, that customer base dried up.

It means no more hot morning muffins, sandwiches on homemade bread or fresh-baked cookies once the coronavirus scare is over.

Thanks Specialtys Cafe & Bakery for being there when I first started working in the financial district in SF, tweeted Tony Wang. Your chocolate chip peanut butter cookies were the perfect guilty pleasure and the best prize in any conference room leftover catering stash.

Oh noooo-will miss those giant cookies! tweeted Cecily Joseph.

Others, like James Raybould, said they expect many other businesses will follow.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

If you work in the Bay Area, Im sure youve enjoyed a cookie (or 100) from Specialtys, tweeted Raybould, saying it is sadly, I suspect the first of several staple local businesses that wont reopen.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
China still faces risk of second wave of COVID-19: Expert

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 5:10 PM

China's leading respiratory expert has warned that the country still faces the danger of a second wave of COVID-19 infections due to a lack of immunity among the population.

Zhong Nanshan, China's senior medical adviser and the public face of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic made the comments in an exclusive interview with CNN on Saturday.

"The majority of... Chinese at the moment are still susceptible of the Covid-19 infection, because (of) a lack of immunity," Zhong said.

"We are facing (a) big challenge, it's not better than the foreign countries I think at the moment," he added.

The new coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19, emerged in the city of Wuhan in December last year, incrementally affecting the rest of the world.

The virus has so far infected 4,753,943 people worldwide, and over 313,896 have died, according to a running count by worldometers.info.

China is believed to have brought the country's coronavirus outbreak under control, but there is now growing anxiety about an influx of new infections as fresh clusters of cases have emerged across China in recent weeks.

China has reported more than 82,000 coronavirus cases, with at least 4,634 deaths, according to data from the country's National Health Commission (NHC).

Zhong, who has also led Chinese medical workers to beat the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SARS) back in 2003, further cautioned that finding a "perfect" vaccine for the novel coronavirus could take "years".

"We have to test again and again and again ... by using different kinds of vaccines. It's too early to draw any conclusion which kind of vaccine is available for this kind of coronavirus ... that's why I suggest that the final approval of vaccine (will) take much longer," he said.

Scientists are working at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

The search for a vaccine became even more urgent after the World Health Organization said the disease many never go away and the world would have to learn to live with it for good.

The prospect of the disease lingering leaves governments facing a delicate balancing act between suppressing the pathogen and getting their economies up and running.

Children 'seem less capable of spreading virus': WHO's chief scientist

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that children are less capable of spreading COVID-19 and are at low risk of getting ill from the disease itself.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that there are reports of children getting admitted with a strange syndrome that causes inflammation of the blood vessels.

She added that it's not clear what links are between COVID-19 and this syndrome. "There are some children who tested positive for the virus and some who haven't."

Several cases of this syndrome have now been reported from Spain, Italy, UK, US and other countries.

The WHO on Friday urged clinicians to be alert to the rare syndrome, but cautioned that links to COVID-19 were still unclear.

The condition, known as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation.

Qatar imposes mandatory masks on pain of prison

Qatar has begun enforcing the world's toughest penalties of up to three years' imprisonment for failing to wear masks in public, as it battles one of the world's highest coronavirus infection rates.

More than 30,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the tiny Gulf country -- 1.1 percent of the 2.75 million population -- although just 15 people have died.

Only the micro-states of San Marino and the Vatican had higher per-capita infection rates, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Violators of Qatar's new rules will face up to three years in jail and fines of as much as $55,000.

Drivers alone in their vehicles are exempt from the requirement, but several expats told AFP that police were stopping cars at checkpoints to warn them of the new rules before they came into force.

Most of the customers who gathered outside money lenders on Doha's Banks Street on Sunday wore masks, while those that didn't produced a face covering when asked.

Wearing a mask is currently mandatory in around 50 countries, although scientists are divided on their effectiveness.

Authorities in Chad have made it an offence to be unmasked in public, on pain of 15 days in prison. In Morocco similar rules can see violators jailed for three months and fined up to 1,300 dirhams ($130).

India's NDMA seeks lockdown extension to May 31

India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked the government to extend a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus to May 31, as cases exceeded 90,000 and further clashes erupted between police and stranded migrants.

The NDMA, responsible for setting policy on the lockdown, made its request in a letter to India's interior ministry, which is expected to issue detailed guidelines later on Sunday.

India has now reported more cases than China, where the virus first emerged late last year, although its number of deaths so far, at 2,872, is much lower than China's 4,600. The death toll in the United States and some European countries is much higher.

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About 33% of Gracedale nursing home residents have contracted COVID-19 while the virus has now killed 46 residents of the Upper Nazareth Township facility.

The Northampton County-run nursing home is Pennsylvanias largest operating under one roof with about 600 residents and 700 employees.

As of Monday, 195 of the 325 Gracedale residents whove been tested were positive for the virus. And 44 employees have contracted the virus.

Almost all of the employees have recovered and returned to work.

We are very proud of the work the staff at Gracedale is doing during this unprecedented pandemic, county Executive Lamont McClure said in a news release. Our county healthcare workers are heroes, performing the backbreaking work to protect some of our most vulnerable residents.

Currently, 95 residents are still battling COVID-19 -- with 15 hospitalized -- and 38 recovered.

Seven more residents have died in the last week, bringing the death toll to 46 residents.

(Cant see the map? Click here.)

More than 63,000 Pennsylvanians have contracted the coronavirus and 4,505 have died, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported in its Monday daily report. More than two-thirds of the states COVID-19 deaths have been residents of long-term care facilities, like nursing homes.

A total of 128 nursing home residents across 14 Northampton County facilities have died since the pandemic began, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

McClure released the figures Monday afternoon. He has typically been providing updates on the number of Gracedale cases once a week.

People aged 65 and older have been identified as one of the groups most susceptible to serious complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, and nursing homes across the country have been hit particularly hard in the pandemic.

Pennsylvania has about 75,000 nursing home residents in 695 facilities. Another 45,000 live in roughly 1,200 personal care homes.

Nearly three dozen members of the National Guard were deployed to Gracedale on April 27, where they helped aid with the coronavirus response. The Guard was called in to help deal with staffing shortages before ending its deployment May 10.

Lehigh Countys Cedarbrook nursing homes also released its latest COVID-19 numbers on Monday. It reported 123 residents who have tested positive and 28 deaths at its two facilities. The county says in a statement that this is the second week in a row that deaths have decreased at its nursing home, which are in Allentown and Fountain Hill.

Cedarbrook cannot report that this a trend at this point, but it is worth noting that the numbers of new deaths of residents with COVID-19 related diagnoses (actual + presumed) have proceeded from 16 to 12 to 6 in the last 3 weekly reports, the statement says.

Gov. Tom Wolf held a media briefing Monday where he highlighted the work of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard, especially their work assisting the states nursing homes.

Wolf and state health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine last week called for all nursing home residents and workers to be tested once a week.

The state has also contracted with the Plymouth Meeting-based nonprofit ECRI to help nursing homes combat the virus.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
Five more persons on Monday tested



positive for novel coronavirus in Jharkhand, taking the total number of cases to 228 in the state.

Out of the total cases, 98 are active cases while 127 recovered and three died, according to a government bulletin.

The total cases include 93 migrants who were found infected with the virus, it said.

One each person from Hazaribag, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Garhwa and Dhanbad districts tested positive to the infection during the day, health officials said.

Thirteen of the 24 districts in the state have COVID-19 cases, the government bulletin said.

Ranchi, which is in the Red Zone, has only 13 active cases out of the total 105 cases in the state capital, it said.

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said that seven more infected patients recovered in the state capital, reducing active cases to only thirteen out of a total 105 positive cases.

"Again Ranchi, which has become a role model for the country on recovery rate, has good Seven persons recovered on Monday," a release said quoting Ray.

"The success is due to team work," he said and expressed optimism that the good work would continue to contain the spread of the infection.

Ninety persons have recovered in Ranchi so far with the help of the doctors, health workers and administrative officials, he said.

Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh said that a 40-year-old person, who reached Shankarpur, about five km from Hazaribag town, from Mumbai on May 13, tested positive to COVID-19 on Monday.

He was in a quarantine centre soon after he reached the village, the DC said, adding now he has been shifted to the isolation ward of Hazaribag Medical College Hospital.

All the of 22 patients from Barkatha, Bishnugarh, Hazaribag Sadar and Katkumsandi area of the district are under treatment.

With 26 cases, Garhwa has the highest number of active cases followed by Hazaribag (23), the bulletin said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The Bible is universal.The Bible is available in 426 languages and the New Testament is available in 1,115 languages, but there is more work to be done according to christianresearch.org. There are "Over 4,500 languages still wait for even one book of the Bible. This means millions either have no access to the Bible at all or can only encounter it in something other than their heart language." There are 17 historical books.There are 17 historical books of the Bible. There is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The oldest men in the Bible.The oldest man in the Bible was Methuselah, a descendant of Adam and Noah's grandfather. According to Genesis 5:27 he "Lived 969 years and then he died." The second oldest man of the Bible was a sixth-generation descendant of Adam and Eve named Jared. He at the age of 962, making him the second-oldest person mentioned in the Bible. There are specific ways to approach prayer.Did you know there are 9 ways to approach prayer according to the Bible? They can be found in the New and Old Testament. There is the act of praise, confession, thanksgiving, petition, commitment, intercession, benediction, confidence and forgiveness. God miraculously helped Hezekiah.Hezekiah was struggling on how he would be able to defeat the king of Assyria. He cried out to the Lord at the temple. Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God." The Lord answered by sending an angel to put 185,000 Assyrian soldiers to death overnight. Jesus and John the Baptist were second cousins.Jesus' mother, Mary and John's mother, Elizabeth were second cousins. However, the word "cousin" can mean "relative" as it was interpreted by 17th Century scholars for the King James Bible published in 1611. John the Baptist and Jesus could be second cousins as indicated in Luke 1:36. "What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her 6th month." The sun moved backward.Hezekiah had great moments with God for sure. He witnessed another miracle in Isaiah 38:8, "I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the 10 steps it has gone down on the stairway on Ahaz." So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down." The sun stopped.The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down for about a full day when Joshua asked the Lord for help as he needed aid against his attackers. "The sun stood still, and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded a voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." There was a really tall man.Okay, did you know that there was a man so tall that he needed a 13-foot bed? According to Deuteronomy 3:11, King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. "His bed was made of iron and was more than 13-feet long and 6-feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah." A talking donkey.According to Numbers 22, Balaam was paid by King Balak to curse the Israelites. But God had other plans and it was through his talking donkey. The angel of the Lord said: "What have I done to make you beat me these 3 times?" Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." But the donkey responded "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," Balaam answered. Then Balaam saw the angel of the Lord and bowed to him and said, I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back. Balaam never got to curse the Israelites and repented.



The Bible is enthralling whether it's on the pages or how it has impacted the world. No wonder it endures as a best-seller.

The word "Bible" comes from the Greek and Latin words which mean "the book" and it's the hottest book ever to be sold and it remains true today. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, and it is estimated that the Bible has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. According to Pew, "Christianity is the world's largest religion , with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31 percent) of all 6.9 billion people on Earth." If this is true we should know everything about the Bible, correct? Let's be straightforward, most of us never read the entire Bible and we just scan over it for the most part. There are things we don't know about the Good Book inside and outside the pages, however. Here are 10 intriguing facts about the Bible.
A collection of colorized photos capturing Ho Chi Minh City in the previous century has drawn attention from online citizens for showcasing the citys abundant green coverage back then.

The photos feature famous landmarks in the southern metropolis 100 years ago, including the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Norodom Palace  the former name of the current-day Reunification Palace  Ben Thanh Market, and the old Saigon Railway Station.

The majority of the original black-and-white photos, which date back to 1920, are believed to have been taken by Leon Ropion, a French official responsible for public works in Saigon at that time.

Only the identity of the photographer who took a photo of the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica remains unknown.

The original photos were found on image hosting site Flickr by the team behind Saigon Viewers  a Facebook page founded in February this year to introduce the public to the urban landscape and economic, cultural, and tourist themes of Saigon in the past and present.

Nguyen Quang Bao, a member of Saigon Viewers, had colorized the monochrome photos using graphics software Adobe Illustrator before they were uploaded to the teams Facebook page on Friday last week, team leader Truong Chi Minh told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The photos have since received more than 4,100 likes and reactions and over 3,000 shares on Facebook.

In the comment section, many Facebook users expressed their suprise at the thick coverage of trees in the city during the old time and remarked on how the southern metropolis has changed over the years.

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica captured in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, in 1920

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of the old Saigon Railway Station captured in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, in 1920

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of the Norodom Palace, the former name of the current-day Reunification Palace, captured in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, in 1920

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of Saigons City Hall, which is currently the headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, captured in 1920

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of the Tau Hu Canal captured in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, in 1920

The black-and-white (top) and colorized (bottom) photos of the Tau Hu Canal captured in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, in 1920

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The cracked main highway between Las Vegas and Reno reopened Friday, 10 hours after a predawn magnitude 6.5 earthquake that a researcher called the largest to strike the remote area of western Nevada in 65 years.

No injuries were reported, but officials said goods tumbled from market shelves, sidewalks heaved and storefront windows cracked shortly after 4 a.m. People from Salt Lake City to Californias Central Valley tweeted that they felt shaking.

Lights swayed at the governors mansion in Carson City, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak told reporters. It woke me up, so it definitely had an impact, he said.

Nevada Highway Patrol photos showed cracks on U.S. 95 before crews repaired them about 35 miles west of Tonopah. A detour to State Route 360 had added more than 20 miles to motorists trips.

The vast open range east of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada is seismically active, said Graham Kent, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno. He ranked Fridays event with twin December 1954 earthquakes at Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley. Kent said those temblors were magnitudes 7.1 and 6.8, respectively.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported Fridays temblor struck just east of the Sierra Nevada. It was initially reported at 6.4-magnitude.

It was centered about 4.7 miles deep, the agency said, and dozens of aftershocks were recorded. Kent said a 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck about 30 minutes after the initial quake.

State troopers and sheriffs patrols from Esmeralda and surrounding Mineral and Nye counties checked highways for possible damage. A sheriffs dispatcher in the historic mining boom town of Goldfield said the 112-year-old Esmeralda County Courthouse escaped damage.

Nye County sheriffs Capt. David Boruchowitz reported no damage at the Mizpah Hotel and Clown Motel, two landmark businesses in Tonopah, a mining hub about halfway between Las Vegas and Reno.

Keith Hasty, a Tonopah gas station employee, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that groceries were shaken off shelves and that residents said their televisions shook.

Nye County spokesman Arnold Knightly reported broken storefront glass, stress cracks on asphalt streets, loose hanging signs, items knocked off shelves and minor lifting of sidewalks.

Overall, everything appears to be sound at this point, Knightly said. However, we have learned that other than obvious earthquake damage some damage is discovered later.

Last July, a 56-year-old backyard mechanic was found dead in Pahrump four days after strong quakes struck near Ridgecrest, California, about 150 miles away. Investigators said it appeared a Jeep he was repairing wobbled off its support jacks.

State seismic network manager Ken Smith noted that Fridays earthquake happened a few miles east of the site of a magnitude 6.2 temblor in July 1986 in Californias Chalfant Valley.

Larger earthquakes in the region in the last century included a 6.5-magnitude temblor in 1934 and a magnitude 6.8 quake in 1932, the state seismology lab said.

A 6-magnitude earthquake in February 2008 damaged hundreds of structures in the northeast Nevada town of Wells, including its historic El Rancho Hotel and Casino. Officials recently announced plans to restore the hotel.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Earthquake Nevada
Actress Florence Pugh has made a big splash in Hollywood lately. Although she had snagged parts in some smaller movies prior to 2019, Pugh really started making a name for herself recently by starring in blockbuster hits like Black Widow and Little Women alongside superstars Scarlett Johansson and Meryl Streep.

At only 24 years old, she already has two huge movies to her name and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Amy March in Little Women. Needless to say, shes one of the most talented new actors on the scene and lives much of her life in the spotlight.

Living in the spotlight has caused Pugh to make headlines for her romantic relationship with another famous actor, Zach Braff, who is most famous for starring on nine seasons of popular show Scrubs. Some fans have been hypercritical of her choice in partner, but Pugh wont stand for hate and had a strong message for her critics in a recent interview.

The history of Pugh and Braffs relationship

RELATED: Black Widow Star Scarlett Johannson Wishes She Was More Like Marvel Co-Star Florence Pugh

Pugh and Braff are pretty hush-hush about their romance, but theyre thought to have gotten together sometime around 2019 when they were first photographed being affectionate together in New York City. They reportedly were introduced to each other when Pugh starred in a short film directed by Braff called The Time it Takes to Get There; the rest, as they say, is history.

Pugh took to Instagram on April 6 to post a sweet photo of Braff with a caption wishing him a happy 45th birthday, one of the rare occasions in which either of them have referred to the relationship personally. Happy Birthday wishes, boogies and cheers for this special person. Raise those bubbles and jiggle!, she wrote as a special message for her man.

Braff, for his part, posted a picture of Pugh in pink socks on his Instagram Story on the same day. It even seems that the couple may have adopted a puppy together, so it seems like things are getting serious.

Pugh fights back against the haters

RELATED: Who is Little Women Actress Florence Pughs Boyfriend? Everything To Know About Scrubs Actor Zach Braff

Some fans arent pleased about the match, to say the least, because of Pugh and Braffs 21-year age gap. One hateful commenter wrote, in response to Pughs birthday post for Braff: Just dont date someone like 20 years older than you? Thats disgusting.

Much more vitriol followed, much of it has to do with the couples age difference. At the time, Pugh immediately shut down the hatred and bullying by posting a video on Instagram addressing these types of comments.

Within about 8 minutes of the photo being posted, I had about 70 percent of the comments hurling abuse and being horrid and basically bullying someone on my page, Pugh can be heard saying in the video.

She warns firmly against these sorts of comments being posted on her Instagram: I will not allow that behavior on my page. Im not about that. It makes me upset.

She continues to her life choices, stating: I am 24 years old. I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love It is not your place and really has nothing to do with you.

What Pugh said in her interview with Elle UK

Florence Pugh attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party | Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

In a recent interview with Elle UK, Pugh made her position on the matter even clearer. Although she understands that the fact that her partner is another famous actor brings much more (perhaps unwanted) attention to the relationship, she doesnt understand or condone the hatred that is spewed onto her and Braffs romance.

I know that part of being in the spotlight is that people might invade your privacy and have opinions on it, but its bizarre that normal folk are allowed to display such hate and opinions on a part of my life that Im not putting out there. Its a strange side of fame that youre allowed to be torn apart by thousands of people even though you didnt put that piece of you out there, Pugh states in the interview. She is crystal-clear on how she feels about the matter: she asserts, People have no right to educate me on my private life.  [M]y point to all this is that isnt it odd that a stranger can totally tear apart someones relationship and its allowed?

It seems like Pugh is not going to let the haters bring her relationship down any time soon.
Focusing on connected vehicles, UK-based Morris Garage has launched My MG App for its Indian customers. The app will be easy, smart access to MG world.

With this easy-to-use, safe, and contactless application, MG Motor believes that customers can enjoy a host of services right from the comfort of their homes. Designed for both existing and new users, the app has regular features such as service reminders and vehicle wellness updates, to even booking a new car. It can also be used for tracking and tracing new car bookings for the MG ZS EV model, right from the production to the final delivery.

For existing users, the know your car section on the app will have details such as warranty coverage, protect plans and digital manual about car features. The app even shows service cost estimates, service history along with total expenses and next service due appointment. This comprehensive app facilitates the booking of service appointment including pick and drop locations, live tracking service, connecting with service advisor while the car is getting serviced and clearing payment right through the app. An e-invoice for service jobs will be accessible from the app itself.

Available all round the clock, there is a feature in the app that locates and navigates to the nearest MG Dealers, call for one-tap roadside assistance. The app can be controlled using voice commands too. Customers can even receive the latest news from the company. Lastly, this app can be used as a document wallet for storing PAN card, Aadhaar Card, Driving License and PUC.

MG entered the Indian market in 2017, had launched MG Hector in June last year and ZS EV in January this year. The company has been assembling the cars at its manufacturing plant at Halol in Gujrat. For the ZS EV, MG Motor has invested in setting up charging stations across five cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Last year, the company had launched an augmented reality-based digital studio showroom in Bengaluru. At Auto Expo in January this year, MG Motor India unveiled its luxury SUV Gloster and the luxury MPV G10.
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Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock arrives for the weekly Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on 21 May, 2019 in London, England.

There's been a lot of confusion about what's going on with the coronavirus contact-tracer jobs in the U.K., which have been described as a crucial pillar in the government's lockdown-lifting "test, track and trace" initiative.



On April 28, U.K. Health Minister Matt Hancock pledged to recruit 18,000 human contract tracers by mid-May to keep tabs on Covid-19 patients and their contacts.

That included about 15,000 call handlers and 3,000 health professionals.

They are expected to work alongside a new National Health Service app, which is being tested on the Isle of Wight and is expected to go nationwide at the end of this month. The expectation is that if you have symptoms of Covid-19, you tell the app and contact tracers then reach out to people you've been close to and warn them they may be at risk on infection.

However, despite the large number of jobs apparently available in this area, it wasn't immediately clear how members of the public should go about applying for either type of role. Weeks went by and online job listings remained elusive, leading to concerns that the government was going to miss its target by some margin.

It looked like those fears had come true on Friday when Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said only 1,500 of the 18,000 roles  or about 8%  had been filled.

"I don't think we've got to 18,000 just yet, I think there's about 15,000 applications, we're looking to as you say get up to 18,000," Lewis told Sky News.

When pressed for a more specific answer, Lewis said: "As of this morning, I'm not sure of exactly how many of the 15,000 have been hired, earlier in the week it was about 1,500, it would have gone up since then."

On Sunday, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove looked to provide some clarity on the matter, telling Sky News that the government had in fact hired more than 17,000 contact tracers  a big jump on the 1,500 figure given by Lewis just two days earlier.



A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told CNBC on Monday that the figures provided by Lewis were out of date.

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson said Monday the government was "very confident" all 18,000 "trackers" will be in place this week as planned.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, not one contact tracer has been hired.
CEO Ali Rafi co-founded the bgX app with Paria Ghorashi

A delivery app, initially created to service the beauty industry, has been adapted to deliver essential pharmaceuticals during lockdown and to help the most vulnerable.

The founder of bgX claims the app - which he describes as the 'Deliveroo of medicine' - could also be part of the solution to the distribution of Covid-19 testing kits and face masks, although it doesn't offer to fulfil prescriptions.

It cannot do prescriptions yet, however.

The app aims to help independent pharmacies survive - many are struggling due the reduction in footfall and the higher demand for deliveries, which some reports say have doubled since lockdown.

Ali Rafi, who co-founded the bgX app with Paria Ghorashi, says: 'We want to help the elderly and those with underlying health issues to get their pharmacy products safely and quickly without having to go to their local chemist and potentially mixing with other people.'

'This way we can help pharmacies do their amazing job keeping the UK public healthy, and also take away some of the pressure on local pharmacy staff who currently do not have adequate PPE equipment.

'By using the bgX app they can still provide their amazing service but also maintain social distancing.'

BgX origins

BgX  an acronym adapted from the name 'Blowout&Go'  changed its business model after Ali personally struggled to help his vulnerable mother during the Covid-19 outbreak.

'Our business was focused on beauty, make up and skincare but my mum had a bypass in December, which I was there for. She sits in that dangerous category where she's old with pre-existing conditions.'

When Covid-19 struck, his mother went into self-isolation at home but Ali couldn't help as he'd since returned to where he lives in Dubai.

The app initially started out catering to the beauty industry but when the CEOs mother needed medication while in self isolation the app was quickly adapted to accommodate pharmacies as well

'She was later self-isolating at home but there's no flights and I'm stuck out here.

'I knew she didn't have face masks, sanitiser and she didn't know what to do. We very quickly adapted our platform to get pharmacies to deliver.

'That was the main reason to adapt the platform to cater to pharmacies. We reached out to pharmacies in her area and they jumped on it.

'In the space of a day or two we had two pharmacies in her area listed and I was able to go on the app, order her what she needed, and it was dropped outside her house.'

Now the app, available on the app store or Android, sources pharmacies within a five-mile radius and shows what products they have available in various categories within Greater London and the M25.

However, it is soon set to serve more people.

This month the service will be available in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham and Bristol and it's expected to provide a nationwide service by the end of June this year.

Ali has ensured that his pricing structure does not affect pharmacies that are struggling financially.

Customers are charged a flat 5 fee on top of the normal in-store cost of the items and in certain areas the business has absorbed the costs of paying the various delivery companies for their services.

I knew she didn't have face masks, sanitizer and she didn't know what to do. We very quickly adapted our platform to get pharmacies to deliver. Ali Rafi - co-founder at bgX Ali Rafi - co-founder at bgX

Customers are able to order a variety of products including pain management, hygiene and protection products like sanitisers and protective gloves and masks, immune support and wellness supplements, skincare, haircare and eye care, allergy relief, inhalers, thermometers and other diagnostic devices.

Most deliveries are made within 30 minutes but can take up to an hour, depending on the order and distance covered.

Deliveries are trackable so customers can see when their products are arriving at their doorstep. Payment for the goods and delivery cost is all in the app so no human contact is necessary.

People can also order online for elderly friends and family who may not be that tech savvy, and can select 'contactless delivery', whereby the rider will just ring the doorbell on arrival and then leave the package in safe place.

Will bgX deliver prescriptions? Currently, bgX doesn't deliver prescriptions and this is where its business model currently falls short. A spokesperson for the business, however, adds: 'They have applied to do this but it's not an option as yet.' If you require products from bigger chains or need to make use of a repeat prescription delivery service, these companies are an option and offer it: Pharmacy2U: Launched in 1999, this online pharmacy supports over 300,000 patients each year with their NHS repeat prescriptions. Lloyds Pharmacy: It offers a repeat prescription delivery service to patients' homes, work or to a designated carer or neighbour. Boots Online Prescription Service: GP Online Services, which is offered by GP surgeries in England allows you to connect to your GP record through your Boots account. This means you can get your list of repeat medicines delivered to your home. There's no delivery charge for NHS repeat prescriptions ordered online.

We're ready to deliver kits

Customers can track their pharmarcy deliveries through the app

The founders of the app are also in discussions about deliveries of Covid-19 antibody home testing kits.

So far it has been reported that the government has only outlined plans for how Britons can conduct the tests at home and it is expected that Amazon and Boots will be used as the main distributors.

But Ali says his business has the infrastructure in place to provide the delivery of kits from local pharmacies, who may struggle to cater to the demand amid social distancing restrictions.

He says: 'We are actually ready and have done the homework.

'We've been in discussions with a number of medical companies in the UK to distribute 250,000 anti-body kits.

'The issue is actually waiting for the government to approve one as there are so many different products to hit the market and none have been certified as safe yet.

'The moment they announce that we are good to go and distribute them.'

Joining the scheme

Over 50 pharmacies in central London have already signed up including Go Go Pharmacy and various independent high street chemists.

Inventory is listed in real time so there's little chance of customers ordering something that's not in stock.

The service has already been well received by a few chains and saved some pharmacies from having to close their doors.

Dr Omid Masoud superintendent pharmacist at Go Go Chemist Ltd says: 'The bgX platform has enabled me flexibility during these tough times to continue serving my local community with the vital products that they need.

'I have also been able to reach new local customers and offer them the full range of essential Covid-19, health and personal care products.'

The service is completely contactless and the delivery items can be left in a safe place outside your front door

Sonal Davda, managing director at Chel Pharmacy Ltd adds: 'We were considering closing for the safety of our staff because we lack the necessary PPE equipment and have relatively small outlets which make social distancing almost impossible.

We are ready and have done the homework. We've been in discussions with a number of medical companies in the UK to distribute 250,000 anti-body kits. Ali Rafi - co-founder at bgX Ali Rafi - co-founder at bgX

'We are of course extremely reluctant to do this as there is currently unprecedented need for essential Covid-19 health, hygiene and personal care products and we want to continue to care for the communities that we serve.

'The bgX platform has enabled us the flexibility during these tough times to continue serving our local communities with the vital products that they need.'

Ali says the app has been designed so that pharmacies can join the scheme quickly and easily, even if they only have a rudimentary way of listing their inventory.

He explains: 'We made it a plug and play offering and any high street business can sign up. We can also give them an option in drag and drop from their inventory list.'

The app and its services are also available in Paris, Dubai, New York, Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles.

More businesses need to become digital

Ali believes that even in a post-pandemic world the need for digital services will remain high and that smaller businesses will need to become more digital to survive and compete with the likes of Amazon and other major retailers that have gone online.

'We believe in the future of e-commerce and we are here to help the little ones - supporting local.

'Footfall will go down so we will help the high street store that wants to deliver.'

He warns that the pandemic is set to change the way we live and purchase goods: 'This is not a pause, it's a reset. We will have to wear a face mask.

'It's become normal in large parts of Asia where I have travelled.

'This virus is not going to disappear, and I think people's lives will change and the faster you adapt your business to this, the better. The businesses that will survive are the ones that preparing for digital.'
The Founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr. Percival Kofi Akpaloo, has disclosed that it is impossible for the commission to rig any election in favor of a political party.

He said that, contrary to the allegations of rigging levelled against the commission, the electoral body has no power to determine which political party will win the election.

When I hear some statements from political parties trying to paint the picture that the EC is favouring a particular party so that the party can win an election, I ask myself how that is even possible when the entire process of election is so transparent to the public, Kofi Akpaloo told Okoyeabour Ocran on Medo Ghana on Accra-based Kingdom FM107.7

Kofi Akpaloo assured Ghanaians of the Commissions neutrality, and that it would continue to be transparent in the execution of its constitutional mandate.

The controversial politician stated that the existing voters register is full of inconsistencies and errors, for which reason there is the urgent need to get a new electoral roll so that the upcoming elections would be successful.

---Kingdomfmonline.com
Former executive director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Ara Vardanyan, who is charged under a corruption case, addressed the government and posted the following on his Facebook page:

Youre criminalizing hate propaganda, but you all are the ones who laid the foundation for hate propaganda.

Im not going to talk about the fakes or laying people down on asphalt or the phony criminal cases because all this concerns specific people. You hate Armenia, Armenians, our national history, and finally, you even hate the future.

You have lifted restrictions and have put the lives of an entire nation at risk in order to save yourself from social upheaval. You could care less how many people will die. You only care about staying in power. You hate the Armenian soldiers who died as heroes and whose parents are asking you for help. Instead of helping them, you are distributing unprecedented amounts and ensuring the participation of people who have nothing to do with the trial over the events of March 1, 2008 in the trials. Why? Once again, its because its only necessary for you.

Yes, this government is a government of hatred, and you hate everyone.

It's based on this hatred that you are delegating responsibility to each person.

P.S.: The number of people infected with COVID-19 is growing sharply, but you are holding pointless and meaningless press conferences.
The World Health Organization received praise from many countries but fierce criticism from the United States at its virtual assembly, as members sought to agree a joint response to COVID-19 -- and assurances that any vaccine would be available to all. "COVID-19 must be a wake-up call. It is time for an end to the hubris," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the virtual assembly. "Either we get through this pandemic together, or we fail." The annual World Health Assembly (WHA) has this year been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, and is focusing solely on the pandemic, which has killed over 315,000 people globally. Speaking by video-link, a wide range of country leaders and health ministers hailed the WHO's efforts to coordinate the response, and urged more funding and stronger support for the UN agency. But US health secretary Alex Azar blamed the WHO for not obtaining or providing the information needed to stem the pandemic. - WHO 'failure' - "We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control: there was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives," he said. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile reiterated to the assembly that his organisation had "sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often". And Guterres noted: "Many countries have ignored the recommendations of the World Health Organization." The world was "paying a heavy price" for the sometimes contradictory strategies, he added. Washington is locked in an increasingly bitter spat with Beijing, where the pandemic began late last year. But it has also increasingly taken aim at the WHO. US President Donald Trump announced last month that Washington, the WHO's largest donor, would suspend its funding to the organisation. Despite the growing tensions between the world's two largest economies, member states hope the WHA would adopt a resolution aimed at fashioning a joint response, including commitments on equitable access to potential treatments and vaccines. - 'Global public good' - Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced support for a joint approach, vowing in his address to make any vaccine his country developed available for all. "After the research and development of China's coronavirus vaccine is completed and it is put into use, it will be made a global public good," said Xi, whose country currently has five potential vaccines in clinical trials. French President Emmanuel Macron said any vaccine must "be a global public good". German Chancellor Angela Merkel also insisted it "should of course be available and affordable to all". A WHA resolution tabled by the European Union also calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the international response to the coronavirus crisis. An EU source hailed the draft as "ambitious", pointing out that if it passed by consensus as expected, it would mark the first time a global forum had achieved unanimous support for a text on the COVID-19 response. Countries had not shied away from thorny topics, said the source -- including a call for more WHO reform after determining that its capacities had "proven insufficient to prevent a crisis of this magnitude". Azar called for an independent review of "every aspect" of the UN health agency's response to the pandemic. While Tedros welcomed that call, he stressed there was no need to dramatically overhaul the WHO. The immediate need was to "strengthen, implement and finance the systems and organisations it has -- including WHO." Xi also said Beijing would support a "comprehensive evaluation" of the global response to the pandemic -- once the virus had been brought under control. While diplomats have agreed in principle on the draft resolution, observers voiced concern that in the current politicised atmosphere, some countries might still choose to break the consensus. - Taiwan decision delayed - Member states meanwhile steered clear of a controversial discussion on whether to grant Taiwan observer status, a move vehemently opposed by Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory. Nearly 15 states, including Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, wanted the question of Taiwan's participation to be added to the WHA agenda. Washington has also been increasingly vocal, with demands that Taiwan be allowed in as an observer. But amid fears the row would overshadow the global health body's work to address the COVID-19 crisis, members unanimously agreed Monday to postpone the discussion until later in the year. Although Washington did not object to the postponement during the session, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed "Taiwan's exclusion". The move "further damages the WHO's credibility and effectiveness", he said.
Just as it has the rest of society, the coronavirus has put the idea of celebrating a normal high school graduation on hold for the foreseeable future.

When schools shut down for a brief period in March, it was only supposed to be a brief period, but that brief period got longer and longer, and eventually, school districts in the Lehigh Valley were shut down for the remainder of the year.

For freshman, sophomores and juniors, that meant a bizarre story to reminisce for the remainder of their high school career. For seniors, much worse. The last two months, and arguably the most important, of their high school experience was ripped away from them, having to be lived through Zoom classes and group FaceTimes with friends.

And while no one will be walking across any stages in the next couple of weeks, area schools are coming up with alternatives. Some will happen in cars, some will wait until the end of July and some will just be online. But Lehigh Valley high schools are determined to honor their graduates in one way or another.

Heres a list of area high schools that currently have plans for celebrating graduation.

Allen High School: Virtual commencement  June 27; Tentative in-person commencement  1:30 p.m., Aug. 1 at PPL Center

Building 21 High School: Virtual commencement  June 28; Tentative in-person commencement  Aug. 3 at Allentown Symphony Hall (Time TBD)

Dieruff High School: Virtual commencement  June 26; Tentative in-person commencement  6:30 p.m., Aug. 1 at PPL Center

Easton Area High School: Graduation vehicle procession and conferral of diplomas  6 p.m., June 10, starting at EAHS.

Freedom High School: Commencement ceremony  7 p.m., July 23 at BASD Stadium

Liberty High School: Commencement ceremony  7 p.m., July 24 at BASD Stadium

Nazareth Area High School: Parade of graduates  6:30 p.m., June 1, starting in Mitchell Lot; Commencement ceremony  7:30 p.m., July 31 at Andrew S. Leh Stadium

Parkland High School: Virtual graduation ceremony  7 p.m., June 9 on YouTube and Parkland TV

Whitehall High School: Virtual graduation ceremony  June 4

If your school is not featured on the list but has alternative graduation plans in place, please reach out to newsroom@lehighvalleylive.com.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com.

Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
[May 18, 2020] Chex Mix Unveils Chex Quest HD: A Highly Anticipated Upgrade to the Cult-Classic '90s Video Game

Ready, aim, ZORCH! Back by popular demand, Chex Mix is launching Chex Quest HD, a new, high-definition version of the fan-favorite video game, Chex Quest, available to play on the online gaming platform, STEAM, for free. Fully remastered in all its original 1996 glory, Chex Quest now features modern additions, including local split-screen multiplayer mode, five new playable members of the mighty Chex Mix Squadron and high-definition graphics. Unlock new multiplayer mode and playable Chex Mix characters through unique codes found on specially marked bags of Chex Mix, Chex Mix Instagram or at ChexQuest.com. "Chex Quest originated as a CD-ROM game found in select Chex cereal boxes back in the '90s and since then, countless fans have reached out begging for its return," says Kaylee Pohlmeyer, Marketing Communications Manager at General Mills. "The Chex cereal piece was the hero of the original Chex Quest. All the different pieces that make up Chex Mix, made it the perfect General Mills brand to step in and launch this classic video game as a free, downloadable version with new multiplayer capabilities and new characters to join the Chex Warrior." Developed as the first non-violent first-person shooter game built in Doom, Chex Quest has maintained a cult following and devoted fan base since its inception. To meet deand for this game in the interim of an official relaunch, a community of volunteers worked together for more than 20 years to make updates to the originals and develop a new version in a contemporary game engine. The passion and commitment of Chex Quest fans inspired Chex Mix to reconnect with one of the original creators to finish the current iteration in Unreal and add four-player "Chexmatch" mode, either locally or via STEAM's Remote Play Together feature, while ensuring it kept the same, beloved characteristics that made it so popular originally. The new single player Chex Quest game was built by Chuck Jacobi and the volunteer developers. Andrew Benson, who wrote music for the original games, also contributed music. The cinematics and multiplayer capabilities of Chex Quest were built by the talented team at the indie game studio, Flight School.



"Working on Chex Quest has always been a fun hobby for me," said Chuck Jacobi, Lead Designer of the original Chex Quest. "I am grateful to all the volunteers who have been working to remaster this game for some time. It is amazing to see all of this come to life with multiplayer and new characters. The new Chex Quest definitely exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to hear what players think once they experience the new edition firsthand." In the new release of Chex Quest, the Intergalactic Federation of Snacks' outpost on the remote planet of Bazoik has been overrun by the evil, slimy "Flemoid" menace trying to turn the planet's snacktacular way of life into total chaos. It is up to one member of the Chex Mix Squadron to rescue the planet of Bazoik and the other missing Chex Squadron characters by zorching the Flemoids back to their own dimension. This band of highly trained playable characters includes the original Fred Chexter and new playable characters: Wheatney Chexworth (Wheat Chex), Shane "The Dread" McBread (Breadstick), NaCI-96 (Round Pretzel), Dr. O Ryen (Rye Chip) and P.R.E.T.Z.L. (Square Pretzel), each with a unique ending and in-game dialogue. Join now and learn to zorch and bootspork, find keys, open doors and don't forget about the secret rooms on every level to help with the rescue mission.

For more information about Chex Quest, visit ChexQuest.com and check out the official trailer. For a behind-the-scenes look, visit A Taste of General Mills blog. Download and play new multiplayer Chex Quest for free on STEAM. About General Mills General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Haagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, BLUE and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2019 net sales of U.S. $16.9 billion. In addition, General Mills' share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.0 billion. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005647/en/

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The adoptive father of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared 31 years ago without a trace has been charged in her death after her remains were found buried on his property.

Dennis Bowman, 71, was charged with open murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse and disinterment and mutilation of a dead body on Friday for killing his adoptive daughter Aundria Michelle Bowman, according to court records.

Aundria disappeared on March 11, 1989 from her familys rural home in Hamilton, Michigan and Bowman was the last person to have seen her.

Prior to her disappearance she accused Bowman of sexually abusing her. She was listed as a runaway for many years following her disappearance.

Michigan man Dennis Bowman, 71, has been charged with murder for killing his 14-year-old adoptive daughter Aundria Bowman who went missing in 1989. Mugshot from Norfolk Virginia Sheriff's Office pictured left

In February 2019 Bowman led police to Bowman's remains on his Hamilton, Michigan property while in jail for the murder of Kathleen Doyle. Scene of that investigation above

Investigators found skeletal remains belonging to Bowman buried in a shallow grave under cement on the property. Investigators at the scene above

In January 2020 Dennis confessed to Aundrias murder while he was already in custody pending trial on charges of murder for the unrelated killing of 25-year-old Virginia woman Kathleen Doyle in 1980.

Aundria's birth mother Cathy Terkanian said Bowman confessed the murder to her and directed authorities to where he buried the body.

In February her remains were found in a shallow grave under cement on Bowman's property at 136th Avenue and 32nd Street in Monterey Township, east of Hamilton.

Aundria's birth mother began to suspect Bowman shortly after her disappearance. When Aundria reported that Bowman was molesting her, he denied it, saying she was having problems after discovering she was adopted.

A short time later he moved the family to a trailer in an isolated, rural area where Aundria later disappeared. He claimed she stole money from the family and ran away.

Bowman (left) was arrested in November 2019 for the 1980 killing of Kathleen Doyle, 25 (right). She was found stabbed and strangled in her Norfolk, Virginia home

He was arrested in November 2019 for the murder Kathleen Doyle who was found stabbed and strangled in her Norfolk, Virginia home in 1980. She was the daughter of a naval officer and wife of a U.S. Navy pilot who was deployed at the time.

Police said at the time of his arrest that forensic testing provided the breakthrough, but didn't give details.

Hes currently in jail in Virginia. He told a judge during his initial court appearance that he planned to plead guilty in the Doyle case, according to WVEC-TV.

'I also want to assure Aundria's family and friends that even though this has been a very long road, this is the first step to seeking justice for her,' Allegan County prosecutor Myrene Koch said.

'Its staggering, its daunting and Im reeling. This is a dark story. This is a dark world, and these are hard issues to deal with,' Aundria's birth mother Cathy Terkanian said. She gave her daughter up for adoption in 1975 when she was nine months old

Aundrias mother was 17 when she gave her daughter, originally named Alexis Badger, up for adoption in 1975 when she was just nine months old.

Bowman has a long history with crime. Pictured in 1980 mugshot when he was 31 for sexually assaulting 19-year-old woman on her bike

Bowman adopted her and renamed her Aundria Michelle Bowman.

Terkanian says the charges have left her with a sense of peace.

'Its staggering, its daunting and Im reeling. This is a dark story. This is a dark world, and these are hard issues to deal with,' she said to WWMT.

Bowman has a lengthy criminal record that goes back to 1980 and includes assault, burglary, and sexual assault.

In 1980 he was convicted of sexual assault for attacking a 19-year-old woman on her bike.

In June 1998 he was charged with breaking and entering into a female coworkers home to steal her lingerie, among other things.
As longtime resident users of San Francisco parks, and directors of community programs that utilize Golden Gate Park and other parks in the city, we are in full support of the proposal to explore Safe Sleeping Sites on San Francisco Rec and Parks managed lands.

Supervisors Sandra Fewer and Gordon Mar have proposed legislation that would 1) make it allowable to use Rec and Parks land for Safe Sleeping Sites and 2) would require the Rec and Parks department to develop an inventory of sites that meet the requirements of such a site from the Department of Public Health. This legislation does not actually propose a site but rather opens up a conversation about how we all must come together to work on solutions to an incredible challenge made even more so challenging by a pandemic.

We are two San Francisco residents, long-term users of city parks including Golden Gate Park, and each of us runs programs in the parks designed to nurture creativity, imagination and engagement with nature and our beautiful open space. We understand that our neighbors want to protect that open space, particularly during this time of sheltering-in-place. We understand because we are each committed to a mission of public access to nature, which is more important than ever during this moment. And yet, we have been profoundly disappointed in the response of some of our neighbors to the safe sleeping sites legislation. In our quest to preserve open space, do we no longer prioritize human life? Or is it that the lives of those without a home are perceived as somehow less human?

In this moment, it is our moral imperative to be creative, compassionate and act quickly to help all San Franciscans, including our homeless residents, weather the COVID-19 storm  for their health and for the health of all around them. We firmly believe in the principles of social equity and helping our fellow citizens when they are hurting. We have an extreme homelessness crisis in this city, in the midst of a public health pandemic. We cannot look the other way. We cannot sweep this problem under the rug. We must act fast, to save lives.

We thank Supervisors Fewer and Mar for putting forth this proposal to explore the use of Rec and Parks lands (which include parks as well as parking lots and other facilities) to help us together identify possible sites for safe sleeping. It is the right thing to do, and as people who are deeply invested in the park system, you have our strong support.

Chris Giorni is director of Tree Frog Treks, a program that began over 20 years ago with the goal of creating a lasting connection between students and the natural world, through hands-on experiments and outdoor adventures. Nancy H. DeStefanis is founder and executive director of San Francisco Nature Education, a non-profit organization that has educated students, adults and families about nature in SF since 2000.
The police in Oyo State on Monday paraded seven suspects as the kidnappers of the two-year-old twins of a popular Ibadan Islamic cleric, Taofek Azeez, better known as Akewugbagold.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Shina Olukolu, paraded the suspects at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday.

The suspects include six men and a woman.

Following the consistent and concerted efforts put in place by the Commands Special Anti-robbery Squad, (SARS), Anti-kidnapping Squad (AKS) and other Police Tactical teams and the unflinching supports of the good people of Oyo State through credible information supplied to the Police, all suspect connected to the case of the kidnapping of the 2-year old twins of Alhaji Taofeek Azeez Akewugbagold on the 25th April, 2020, have been arrested and substantial parts of the ransom collected with the gun used for the operation, and the two operational vehicles, with one motorcycle were recovered from suspects, he said.

Mr Olukolu recalled that the Ojoo Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibadan, received a report on April 25 that some criminals had invaded the residence of the Islamic cleric with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

The notorious criminals attacked his wife and subsequently abducted his two-year old twins to an unknown destination. The criminal assailants later demanded for ransom of fifty million Naira before the two abducted babies would be released life, the police boss said.

As soon as the incident was reported at Ojoo Police Station and later transferred to AKS Eleyele/SARS office Dugbe, Ibadan, a team of AKS/SARS operatives swung into action while concerted efforts were intensified to rescue the abducted babies and arrest the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

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The abducted babies were released unhurt eight days later after their father had parted with an alleged sum of four million naira only as ransom to the hoodlums, Mr Olukolu said.

Consequent upon this, the investigating team embarked on a painstaking detailed discreet investigation that traversed several states, including Adamawa and Sokoto and in the process, the following members of the notorious armed robbery cum kidnapping syndicate who later identified themselves as Rildwan Taiwo m, Rafiu Mutiu m, Olumide Ajala m, Fatai Akanji m, Bashiru Mohammed m, Opeyemi Oyeleye m and one Rafiu Modinat f, a female member of the gang who was detailed to take care of the babies while in captivity, were all arrested in their respective hideouts in connection with the crime.

Exhibits recovered are: one locally made cut to size single barrel gun, eight live cartridges, one Nissan MICRA Car with REG NO. JJJ 703 BJ which was used for the criminal activity and another Nissan MICRA Car with REG NO NRK 864 YR partly paid for from part of the ransom, the sum of Two million, eight hundred and sixty-three thousand naira only, (N2, 863,000.00) being part of the ransom, an unregistered TVS Motorcycle which was equally used to monitor, execute the operation and buy food for the abducted babies were all recovered from the hoodlums.

The commissioner said the suspects have confessed to the crime and given details of their individual roles in it. He said the police will continue to investigate the incident, and urged members of the public to always support the police with credible, timely and useful information that will enable them to combat crimes and criminalities in the state.

Speaking at the event, the father of the abducted twins, Mr Azeez, denied a report that he was not taking care of his domestic staff which led to some of them planning the abduction of the infant twins.

I am taking a proper care of my staff but it is just that someone who is not contented can never be satisfied in this life.

He said the two suspected masterminds of the kidnapping, identified as Opeyemi and Basir, were his casual workers.

They are casual workers introduced to me by Oriyomi Hamsat when I need social media handlers. They were just casual workers to me because I employed them based on some agreement which I fulfilled.

The cleric thanked the commissioner of police, saying the Nigeria police is not as bad as what people used to think they are.

One of the suspects, Mohammed Bashir, while speaking with journalists, said he and his friend masterminded the kidnapping of the twins.

I dont have much to say than for God to forgives us for what we have done. Ive been working with him as one of his media team for the past two years. It is not that he is not paying us, but all I can say that it was the work of devil.

The female suspect, Ms Modinat, was alleged to have provided custody for the abducted twins.

I was given N20,000 for keeping custody of the children. I collected the money and used it to buy some goods I am selling. I asked them the purpose of the money but they told me they just gave me the money, the suspect said.
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Nicolas Aznavour, the Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aznavour Foundation, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan regarding the discussions around renaming of the Zvartnots International Airport.

Responding to the active public discussions in the media on the subject of Zvartnots International Airports renaming starting from 2018, as well as todays publication by the Public Council of Armenia, Nicolas Aznavour expressed his position on the matter.

ARMENPRESS reports the letter runs s follows,

In 2018, after my fathers passing, we were informed about a campaign to rename the airport after him and the Foundation also received some requests. Our family was in mourning at that time and we did not react to those letters and announcements. But recently we found out that starting from January 11th a new wave of the same initiative has appeared in different media outlets and social media, including polls meant to evaluate the publics reaction to naming the airport after Charles Aznavour.

The biggest takeover from the media and the discussions was that people are very positive about renaming the airport after my father, but they also have a strong attachment to the name Zvartnots. This leads us to believe that the best option would be to keep the same name by adding Charles Azavours name to it: Zvartnots International Airport after Charles Aznavour.

There is a widespread practice in the world and here are some examples: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport, RomeFiumicino International Airport "Leonardo da Vinci", Rio de JaneiroAntonio Carlos Jobim/Galeao International Airport, Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport, Lisbon International Airport after Humberto Delgado, BarcelonaEl Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport, etc.

I am aware that for naming purposes the Government requires permission from families and the right holders. With this letter, I would like to express our willingness and encouragement to add Charles Aznavours name to the name of the Zvartnots Airport. We are certain that the new name will bring more international attention towards our country and help us in promoting Armenia to the world.

The Aznavour Foundation considers it important to note the fact that Nicolas Aznavour did not call for renaming of the airport, but expressed the family's positive attitude on the subject. The Aznavour family attaches great importance to public opinion and wants to emphasize that the best solution would be to incorporate the new name, while preserving the old one, following the international experience.
The Comancheros, Mongrel Mob, Black Power, Nomads, Headhunters, Rebels, King Cobras, Tribesmen, and Mongols have all been in the police's cross-hairs, as officers continued to target organised crime during lockdown.

Police have executed more than 100 search warrants, seized nearly 50 firearms, and arrested more than 90 people across the country since lockdown in March.

"New Zealand Police continues to hold organised criminals accountable even through this challenging time," says Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, National Manager: National Organised Crime Group.

"The illicit activities these groups take part in cause immeasurable harm in our communities."

"Since March 26, when New Zealand went into Alert Level 4, operations to dismantle organised crime groups operating in our cities and town have continued."

While New Zealanders have been changing their lifestyles to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Greg says police have been disrupting the lifestyles of offenders who bring social harm to our communities.

The search warrants executed have resulted in 93 arrests on more than 250 charges.

Police have seized 43 firearms, 25kg of methamphetamine, 30kg of cannabis, and small amounts of cocaine, MDMA, GBL, and LSD.

There were 14 clandestine labs located and a substantial amount of chemicals and equipment relating to methamphetamine manufacture seized, along with more than $1.2 million in cash.

Gangs targeted include Comancheros, Mongrel Mob, Black Power, Nomads, Headhunters, Rebels, King Cobras, Tribesmen, and Mongols, says Greg.

Charges laid relate mainly to the manufacture and supply of methamphetamine, supply of cannabis and MDMA, possession of firearms and ammunition, and breaching court bail.

The most recent major operation - Operation Nestegg - was terminated on Friday, May 8, and saw five arrests, hundreds of thousands in cash, methamphetamine and rifles seized following search warrants in Auckland and Tokoroa.

"Throughout these operations staff have been policing in a changed environment and observing all health and safety requirements.

"The recovery of criminal proceeds has also continued throughout Alert Levels 3 and 4."

More than $4.4 million has been forfeited, most of which related to drug crime.

"In addition, over $2 million has been restrained and will be subject to further investigation pending forfeiture."
Two-time world surfing champion Tyler Wright has opened up on her battle with a mysterious virus that left her unable to walk for more than a year.

The 26-year-old was hit with influenza A and a fever before a World Surf League event in South Africa in July 2018 before her health began to rapidly deteriorate.

The NSW south coast native was taken to a local hospital in incredible agony, where she took pain medication for the first time before being sent home to Australia, where her condition continued to worsen.

'Everything that was going on just kept getting worse,' she told 60 Minutes. 'I couldn't have a conversation and I couldn't get out of bed and there was no relief.'

Tyler Wright has opened up on her battle with post-viral syndrome which left her bedridden for more than a year

Wright in action in the third round of the Sydney Surf Pro at Manly Beach in March 2020

The virus sparked a string of neurological problems known as post-viral syndrome which often leaves the body feeling weak after battling an infection.

In Ms Wright's case it left her bedridden for 14 months, frequently in tears, suffering from painful headaches and unable to deal with sunlight or loud noises.

She went from reigning WSL world champion to requiring full-time care from her former partner Alex Lynn, suffering night terrors, six emotional break downs per day, memory loss and limited brain function.

'I had to tell Alex, the state of which my mind is getting to, I cant keep going with this anymore,' Ms Wright said.

Doctors struggled to diagnose Ms Wright's condition in the months after falling ill, leaving her frustrated as her condition continued to slide, leading to being diagnosed with pots syndrome from spending so much time in bed.

Professional surfing and debilitating injuries are no stranger to the Wright family, with Ms Wright's brothers Owen and Mikey both representing on the men's WSL tour and both suffering major injuries in the past few years.

Ms Wright pictured with former partner Alex Lynn, who she credits for nursing her back to health from her illness

Ms Wright went from reigning WSL world champion to requiring full-time care at home, suffering night terrors, six emotional break downs per day, memory loss and limited brain function

WHAT IS POST-VIRAL SYNDROME? Post-viral syndrome makes people feel tired and weak after fighting off a viral infection. It can arise after the flu and other common infections and causes fatigue for weeks or months after. Symptoms: Confusion

Trouble focusing

Headaches

Aches and pain in muscles

Stiff joints

Sore Throat

Swollen lymph nodes Source: Medical News Today Advertisement

Owen suffered a traumatic brain injury and minor brain bleed before the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii in December 2015, which kept him out of competition for 15 months, while Mikey has recently returned from a chronic back injury after nearly two years of therapy.

Ms Wright was recommended by brother Owen to see neuro-orthopaedic rehab specialist Brett Jarosz, who helped Owen back onto the world stage after his injury.

Mr Jarosz was shocked at Ms Wright's state, with the pair taking on an intense rehabilitation program to get her back on her feet.

'It's tough to see another human like that,' Mr Jarosz said. 'The first thing here, for us, is how do we make you human again.'

The pair worked to align Ms Wright's brain function with her coordination and spatial awareness, while working to steady her nervous system and biomechanics.

Ms Wright at the 2016 Oi Rio Women's Pro in Brazil where she defeated fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons in the final

Seven weeks after beginning her training with Mr Jarosz, Ms Wright returned to the water in August for her first session back on her board.

Three months after her first surf, she returned to the WSL for the final stop on the women's world tour at the Maui Pro at Honolua Bay in Hawaii, where she finished second in an emphatic return to competition.

Ms Wright credits her former partner Alex for nursing her back to health and posted a heartfelt Instagram tribute on Monday.

'Alex is the only person that saw it all,' Ms Wright posted.

'Even though Alex and I have gone our separate, individual healing ways now, my gratitude and respect for this incredible, compassionate, smart, kind and emotionally intelligent women is unparalleled.

Ms Wright returned to competition at the Maui Pro at Honolua Bay in Hawaii, where she finished second to Stephanie Gilmore in classic conditions

'For a little over a year, we had no answers or end in sight and the not knowing was rough.

'It may shock you that I was not an easy patient. I pride myself as being an independent woman, and learning to accept help was a challenge.

'I also had some questionable athlete, "push through pain" mentalities that took their toll - and then I also had to deal with the impact that it had on Alex.

'Alex stood by me while post viral broke me to my core everyday, first mentally then physically. The physical was never what broke me and caused me to stop - it was always mental. Through every break down and every break through Alex was there.

'Alex is a true Queen, with strength and courage complemented by a beautiful grace that she took everything that happened and was able to navigate with love and kindness.

'Without Alexs love and support I would not be where I am today. I am truly blessed and humbled to have had Alex by my side.'
With no evidence, some American politicians continue to concoct and fuel conspiracy theories of COVID-19. Claiming that the novel coronavirus was made by and originated in China, they have accused China of covering up the pandemic, held China accountable for the global outbreak and incited other countries to demand compensation from China.

According to some U.S. officials, they look to claim compensation from China because the latter failed to prevent the spread of the epidemic and caused the loss of life and property in other countries.

As research suggests that none of the imported cases in Russia came from China, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan announced that, while COVID-19 has spread rapidly in Japan since March, it also wasn't brought from China.

Data from Canadas largest provinces show that the countrys early COVID-19 cases were introduced by American tourists. The travelers that carried the virus to New York in February mainly came from Europe, instead of Asia, as the New York Times quoted from American experts.

Clearly, as China has made great efforts to combat the pandemic, the groundless accusations of some U.S. politicians reaching for someone else to blame are nowhere near the facts.

The three major non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) taken by China, i.e. intercity travel restrictions, early testing and monitoring of possible patients, and actively practicing social distancing and personal preventive actions, proved very effective, according to a report published by the authoritative science journal Nature on May 4.

Without the strong combination of NPIs, the number of COVID-19 cases in China could have increased 67 fold, said the report composed by research teams from several countries such as China, Britain and America.

It is likely the incompetence of some American politicians has caused more damage to other countries, especially those in Latin America.

U.S President Donald Trump has intensified the efforts to repatriate illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central American countries for the sake of epidemic prevention and controlso he said.

However, many illegal immigrants either werent given the nucleic acid test or hadn't been kept in quarantine for enough time before being sent back, posing great risks to their home countries.

From March 15 to April 24, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent 21 flights of immigrants back to Guatemala, 18 to Honduras and 12 to El Salvador.

By May 14, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Hondurasmajor source countries of the illegal immigrantshad reported a total of over 45,000 confirmed pneumonia cases.

An average 50 to 75 percent of migrants deported by the U.S. confirmed positive with COVID-19, according to Guatemala's Health Minister Hugo Monroy, with data showing that the repatriates infected account for about 19 percent of the total cases in the country.

Most of the immigrants from Central America were children, as pointed out by an article of The Guardian on May 13. The American law specifies that the migrant children are allowed to live with their relatives before their cases are submitted to the immigration courts. Trump, however, has issued an emergency statement to expel them on the excuse of the pandemic, with 600 underage youths being deported in April.

On April 8, 60 organizations in the U.S. released a joint statement denouncing the Trump Administration's total ban on asylum seekers and its continuation of deportations during the global pandemic.

The U.S., which currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world, is putting the globe at risk by continuing to deport migrants during this pandemic, the statement said.


By Dr. Jeffrey I. Kim





The First Industrial Revolution began in the U.K. and spread to Europe and the U.S. during the period 1760s to 1840s. Every industrial revolution is identified by revolutionary innovations in industrial technology. During the first revolution, hand production methods were replaced by machine tools.



The Luddite movement occurred during 1811-1816 against fast industrialization. The Luddites were a secret oath-based organization of English textile workers. They feared machines would soon eliminate their job.



Lower-skilled workers strongly opposed to mechanization and automation. They became violent, breaking the new machines and even attacking the managers and factory owners. The Luddite movement was suppressed by the British Parliament's harsh punishment.



The Second Industrial Revolution started from the end of the 19th century and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. During this period people made massive technological advancements. They got access to new sources of energy such as electricity, gas, and oil. In addition, the automobile, airplane, telegraph, and telephone were invented.



The Third Industrial Revolution began from the second half of the 20th century. Scientists invented nuclear energy. This revolution brought forth the rise of electronics, telecommunications and computers. Robotics is the symbol of this period. From 1980 industrial robots began to be made in large numbers.



These robots are microprocessor-controlled and smarter. Industrial robots are increasingly becoming more intelligent and versatile. In the future, they are expected to be capable of working without human intervention and take over most of the manufacturing processes.



Now people are experiencing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Global economies are based on the internet. With the development of digital technology, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are taking the increasing role in moving the economy forward fast. With the trend of globalization, the role of AI seems to be ever increasing.



Richard Baldwin, one of the world's leading experts and professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, published an eye-catching book titled, "The Globotics Upheaval" in 2019. "Globotics" is the combination of globalization and robotics.



He argued that AI-trained computers will threaten the lives of millions of white-collar workers much faster than automation, industrialization, and globalization disrupted the lives of blue-collar workers in previous centuries. He also argued that digital technology allows talented foreigners to telecommute into any workplaces and compete for service and professional jobs.



Actually robotics and AI are two different concepts. Robotics is a branch of technology that deals with physical robots. Robots are programmable machines that are usually able to carry out a series of actions autonomously. Robotics involves designing, building and programming physical robots which are able to interact with the physical world.



By contrast, AI is a branch of computer science. It involves developing computer programs to complete tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence.



AI algorithms can tackle learning, perception, problem-solving, language-understanding and logical reasoning. Most AI programs are not used to control robots. AI techniques help to solve many challenging problems in dealing with big data.



Big data includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture and process data. It can be described by four "Vs"  (1) volume, (2) variety, (3) velocity, and (4) veracity (data quality).



Although Prof. Baldwin had envisaged more interactive economic activities in the world, the future global economic environment does not seem to be much favorable in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic disaster.



First of all, globalization may slow down. Multilateralism in trade may be replaced by bilateralism or unilateralism. Global supply chains may collapse and trade protectionism would bounce back. So it is not clear if the white-collar workers will lose their job by the power of globotics.



However, those who work in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly in cloud computing, may be safe. Regardless of whether the world is continually globalizing or not, those companies providing big-data management service will remain internationally competitive.



As artificial intelligence further progresses, it will take over large sectors of workforce and inevitably bring about some scale of unemployment and social unrest by substitution effect. But in the medium or long run, it creates new opportunities for workers and managers by the market-expansion effects through productivity increases and overall cost-savings.





Dr. Jeffrey I. Kim (ickim@skku.ac.kr), former foreign investment ombudsman, is a professor emeritus at Sungkyunkwan University. He earned a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Chicago and taught at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the American University, Washington, D.C.








In his recent article, Life in the era of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the poor are often beneficiaries of the transformational impact of technology. He said that technology demolishes bureaucratic hierarchies, eliminates middlemen, and accelerates welfare measures. He spoke of technology as being transformative for education.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of measures for the education sector as a part of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package, which is intended to get the economy back on track. The key principles behind the education sector reforms are equity and access for students. She dwelt on adopting innovative curricula and pedagogies, concentrating energies in gap areas, being more inclusive and integrating technology at every stage to push human capital.

Let us look at access. When I assumed charge, I focused on the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education. Of the total population in the age group of 18-23, which is around 150 million, only 26.3% (37 million) are enrolled in the education system. China, which had the same GER of India in the 1990s, has brought it up to 48%. The United States is at 88% and the United Kingdom is at 60%. This calls for deep introspection. Though we have made rapid strides to increase access in the past six years, I feel that the tipping point has arrived. To create a new India, and face the immediate challenge to education posed by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), we need a paradigm shift in the manner of in which youth can access the education system.

The other bedrock on which the announcements were based on is equity. In a diverse country like India, we need to look at how to provide equal opportunities for learning so that a student in a rural setting gets the same education material as that of a student in an urban one. How can we ensure that the learning outcomes of students in a certain age group or even a certain grade across society are the same?

We have tried to find solutions to improve equity and access during and after the Covid-19 crisis. The PM has been firmly behind Indias trajectory of progress and development from an information society to a creative one. The Digital India campaign launched by the government has led to a digital revolution. Today, India has 504 million active Internet users, more than the population of the United States. Riding on the success of Digital India, the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has launched a comprehensive initiative called PM e-Vidya which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education for further expansion of e-learning in higher education. In other words, we are liberalising the open, distance and online education regulatory framework.

Digital learning through the PM e- Vidya and Open Distance Learning (ODL) in higher education will create equal access to teachers in integrating technology into their curriculum for students of varied geographies and backgrounds. This will ensure that no child is left untouched by the power of technology and education. We envision technology as a catalyst in bringing equity to society.

The new education paradigm will take the best of the traditional classroom and digital learning to empower students and teachers as outlined in the new education policy. Equity is the cornerstone of all educational decisions, ensuring all students can thrive in the education system. The approach to equity and inclusion will be kept common across schools and higher education. The ministry of human resource development will continue to ensure equitable access to quality education, with special emphasis on socioeconomic disadvantaged groups across schools and higher education, providing each student with access to the best in learning resources, and teachers across the world. The policys vision includes the following key changes to the current system. One, moving towards a higher educational system consisting of large, multidisciplinary universities and colleges, with at least one in or near every district. Two, the building of free boarding facilities in the form of hostels. Three, revamping curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and student support for enhanced student experiences across schools and higher education. Four, strengthening of open schooling. Five, a substantial increase in scholarships at private/philanthropic universities for disadvantaged and underprivileged students. Six, the creation of a gender-inclusion fund. Seven, and most important, creating a cohort of highly motivated and rigorously trained teachers for all learners.

The pandemic has presented new challenges and also opportunities for our education system. India is ready and equipped to reimagine the future of digital education through PM e-Vidya while addressing the needs and rights to education for every child. This will mark an era of progress where school and higher education institutes will be enabled to foster constant innovation and become more resilient.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is the Union minister of human resource development

The views expressed are personal
The Road to 270 is a weekly column leading up to the presidential election. Each installment is dedicated to understanding one states political landscape and how that might influence which party will win its electoral votes in 2020. Well do these roughly in order of expected competitiveness, moving toward the most intensely contested battlegrounds as election day nears.

The Road to 270 will be published every Monday. The column is written by Drew Savicki, a 270toWin elections and politics contributor. Contact Drew via email or on Twitter @DrewSav.

Straddling the Mason-Dixon line, Delaware is quite a curiosity. With just three counties, it is the second smallest state by area in the United States. Home to affluent whites and a sizable African-American population, there's no state quite like the First State. Delaware gets to know its politicians and expects to see them. Voters get to know their representatives and, in Congress, that means they pretty much stay there as long as they want.

2000: A legend falls

In 2000, longtime Senator Bill Roth (R) faced a spirited challenge from Governor Tom Carper (D). This was a watershed election. Roth had never faced a competitive reelection bid as Senator but with Delaware's shift to the Democratic Party, he was viewed as being on shaky ground. A two term Governor, Carper was by 2000 a fixture of Delaware politics. Having served six years as State Treasurer, 12 years as Delaware's Congressman, and then eight years as Governor, Carper was the ultimate Democratic candidate to take on Bill Roth.

Roth, 79 at the time, was a political legend in Delaware. A two term Congressman before he entered the Senate in 1971, he was known for his expertise on taxes and other financial issues. Per the Almanac of American Politics, Carper had been mentioned as a candidate against Roth in the 1988 and 1994 cycles. Carper opted to run for reelection in 1988 and then successfully ran for Governor in 1992. Bill Roth was not in the best of shape by 2000, having collapsed twice during the campaign including during an interview. Carper won by 12 points and has easily won reelection ever since, having garnered at least 60% of vote in his three races since then.

Carper's performance was about 1% worse than Al Gore's that year. Looking beneath the surface, Carper was weaker than Gore in the Wilmington suburbs and around the state capital of Dover. Tom Carper really showed much stronger appeal with rural voters than Al Gore did.

Geography

Delaware's geography is relatively simple. The state has three counties, each of them unique in their own way.

New Castle County: Home to Wilmington, New Castle County comprises about 60% of the state's population and is the heart of Democratic support in the state. The once Republican suburbs are now almost all blue.

Kent County: A mixture of suburban and rural areas, Kent is home to Delaware's capital - Dover. Kent is the only swingy county in the state, frequently alternating between Democrats and Republicans.

Sussex County: Southern Delaware is the most rural part of the state and home to a number of poultry plants. Dominated by Republicans at all levels of government, Sussex last voted Democratic for President in 1996.

Congressional politics

During his long tenure in the Senate, Joe Biden participated in a number of significant events. By 1987, Biden had risen through the ranks to chair the Senate's powerful Judiciary Committee. Biden faced enormous pressure from outside liberal groups to derail the nomination of Robert Bork to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. President Reagan had nominated Bork in July 1987, a month after Biden declared his intention to run for President in 1988. According to the Almanac of American Politics, Biden helped sway wavering Senators Howell Heflin (D-AL), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), and Arlen Specter (R-PA) from breaking ranks and advancing Bork's nomination to the full Senate.

Joe Biden's 1988 bid for President ultimately fell apart after plagiarism allegations surfaced. Biden would try again 20 years to no avail, though it did result in him becoming Barack Obama's running mate that year. After eight years as Vice President, Joe Biden considered running for President again in 2016 but ultimately decided against it - following the death of his son Beau. Biden would make his third bid for the Presidency in 2020 and after a long slog, ended up rather easily defeating his main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders.

In his three presidential bids, Joe Biden's biggest opponent has always been himself. Known for his off the cuff speaking style, Biden has demonstrated an ability to connect with voters of all stripes. Frequently gaffe prone, Biden has a habit of sticking his foot in his mouth - having on a number of occasions over the years told people not to vote for him.

Since November 2010, Delaware's junior Senator has been Chris Coons. A moderate Democrat, Coons was elected in a 2010 special election against Republican nominee Christine O'Donnell. In response to a resurfaced 1999 clip of her on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect which featured her admitting to having dabbled in witchcraft, O'Donnell produced an iconic video where she addressed her comments by saying "I'm not a witch". In a stunning upset, O'Donnell had defeated Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican primary earlier that year. Castle, a moderate Republican was enormously popular in the state, had won reelection in 2008 with 61% of the vote -- in fact, before that 2010 primary defeat, he had never lost an election.

Castle would have been the clear favorite to win the Senate seat amidst the national Republican wave of 2010. Despite the national environment, Democrats flipped Castles open House seat with former Lt. Governor John Carney  it was one of just three seats that flipped from red to blue that year. Democrats have held the seat since. Castle also remains the last Republican elected Governor of Delaware, with his reelection in 1988.

Coons often rankles the left, drawing a primary challenger this cycle just as his senior colleague did in 2018. According to Morning Consult's most recent poll from Quarter 4 of last year, Coons had a net approval of +56 among Democrats so he should be in little trouble. The general election is not expected to be much of a race either with it rated as 'Safe Democratic' by the three major political forecasters.

Serving as Delaware's sole representative in the House is Lisa Blunt Rochester (D). A former staffer to Tom Carper during his governorship, Blunt Rochester is well versed in Delaware politics. A member of the center to center-left New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blunt Rochester is the most liberal member of Delaware's congressional delegation. Her committee assignments - Agriculture and Education - reflect her state's priorities well. A prominent African-American female politician in the state, Blunt Rochester is often mentioned as a successor to Tom Carper should he retire in 2024. To date, only two black women have been elected to the U.S. Senate and should Blunt Rochester run, she would be heavily favored to win in this solidly Democratic state.

State level politics

At the state level, Delaware is increasingly dominated by Democrats. The party has controlled the Governorship since 1993 and maintained a trifecta since 2009. 2018 marked a turning point for Republicans in the state. Two members of GOP leadership were defeated for reelection. Senate Minority Whip Greg Lavelle and House Minority Deborah Watson were defeated in upsets. Treasurer Ken Simpler, a moderate Republican was defeated and State Auditor Tom Wagner retired, resulting in the office flipping to Democrats.

At the gubernatorial level, Democrats have won six of the last seven races by double digits. Governor John Carney was elected in 2016, defeating State Senator Colin Bonini (R). Carney was elected Congressman in 2010 when Rep. Mike Castle (R) ran for the Senate seat vacated by then Vice President Joe Biden. Prior to his three terms in the House, Carney served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware - under Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D). As Governor, Carney has generally posted high approval ratings (even pre-pandemic) and none of the major elections forecasters consider the race competitive. Republicans are likely to nominate a replacement level candidate against him.

Joe Biden's son Beau, a former National Guardsman and Attorney served two terms as Delaware's Attorney General. Beau Biden was a popular figure in the state, facing no Republican opponent for his second term in 2010. Biden declined to run for a third term in 2014 and instead announced a bid for Governor to succeed term limited Governor Jack Markell. Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn ran for the open Attorney General's office and won. After several years of battling brain cancer, Beau sadly died in 2015. Attorney General Matthew Denn surprisingly announced his retirement in August 2017, after twelve years of holding statewide office.

In the 2016 elections, Republicans gained one seat in the Delaware Senate. In addition, Senator Bethany Hall-Long (D) resigned to become Lieutenant Governor, meaning the chamber was deadlocked. In Delaware, the Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate and Hall-Long broke the tie in favor of her party, thus giving them the control of the chamber. Democrats successfully defended Hall-Long's district in a special election in 2017, giving them 11 seats to Republicans 10. The party picked up an additional seat in 2018, giving them the current 12-9 majority.

Presidential outlook

Hillary Clinton only carried the First State by 11% in 2016 but with Joe Biden likely atop the ticket, Delaware's three electoral votes are solidly in the Democratic corner this year. Its been a long time since Joe Biden was on the ballot in his home state. A lot has changed in the intervening years and Delaware's urban/rural divide has only grown stronger. However given the former Vice President's popularity in his home state, it stands to reason there will be a number of voters who cast their ballots for Trump in 2016 but will vote for their former Senator this time around.

Next Week: Mississippi


The American University of Bahrain (AUBH), an official Cambridge Assessment Centre for English language testing, has opened proficiency testing online to the kingdom.

The announcement has come as a response to the widespread cancellation of English proficiency tests. The testing will take place on Proctor-U, AUBHs online AI-enabled, proctoring platform. Proctor-U, solely adopted by AUBH in the kingdom and used by respected institutions worldwide, protects the integrity and credibility of high-stakes exams.

Dr. Mark D. Shermis, AUBH Provost, commented: Amidst the widespread cancellation of international English proficiency tests; students, employers and institutions in Bahrain still urgently need these assessments. Being a recognised Linguaskill testing centre, it was important for us to bridge our capabilities with the technology we already have in place: namely AI-enabled ProctorU. This globally recognised technology will ensure the continuation of English language asssessment while also garunteeing the integrity of results.

Drawing on over 100 years of research, Cambridge Assessment exams are trusted as secure English tests by governments worldwide. Linguaskill results are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the international standard for describing language ability. Cambridge qualifications are internationally accepted as the highest quality mark in English language assessment.

AUBH offers programmes in Colleges of Business and Management, Engineering, and Architecture and Design. AUBHs purpose-built campus in Riffa is a second home to a new calibre of students, nurtured and mentored by hand-picked faculty with the best international and local expertise. As the first American-style University in Bahrain, AUBH takes a unique approach to learning, going beyond imparting knowledge to giving students access to real world scenarios and practical case-based learning. - TradeArabia News Service
Licensing concerns and difficulties can deter bakers from capitalising on the use of popular TV or film characters on their celebration cakes and baked goods. However, there are ways to satisfy customer demand for these characters and keep them coming back for more

TV and movie characters will always be popular for children, influencing consumer decisions in all aspects of our life. Pester power is not a new phenomenon and we hear it every day, across all shopping situations  and perhaps even more so currently with our children at home and likely spending more time watching TV and online. As a parent, it can be repetitive and draining, but as a business, there is significant value in being able to tap into a world of super-heroes, talking animals and fairy tales.

When considering a childs birthday cake purchase, research indicates that 45% of mums head to the supermarket to buy a ready-made celebration cake1 and this is primarily because they want their childs favourite character on the cake. Supermarkets are undoubtedly extremely well serviced with impressive licensed cakes. At least in normal trading circumstances, without lengthy queues and consumer confidence in what theyll find on-shelf, they get another tick in the box for convenience  this being cited as the next most important factor influencing the buying decision.

However, arguably more so now than ever, opportunity exists for smaller bakeries and food-to-go outlets to meet the demands of the significant number of consumers who are actively seeking more bespoke solutions, featuring licensed characters.

As a bakery or food-to-go outlet, consumers are looking for something in your counter that captures their eye at that moment. Instantly recognisable and emotive, popular characters will bring success in the grab and go market too.

Consider, for example, selling themed cupcakes that tap into the enormous success of the recently released Trolls World Tour film, streaming to millions of living rooms across the nation. Or how about banana muffins to coincide with the launch of Minions 2: The Rise of Gru, or putting that iconic black and yellow emblem on a biscuit ahead of upcoming movie release, The Batman?

However, the licensing world is complex. As British Baker recently reported regarding the use of brand names such as Mars or Nutella, similar rules apply around reproducing a character image2. Intellectual property specialist Lucy Gray, Partner at Hay & Kilner LLP confirms It can be an infringement of copyright to copy and print character images without express permission from the brand and image owner. You can be pursued for copyright, and potentially trade mark, infringement for doing so, and disclaimer terminology does not protect the producer, or the customer.

So whats the solution?

Graham Broadbent runs a thriving tearoom in Gravesend. Baking on-site, he saw the potential of servicing the growing demand for character cakes and that, often, customers cant get exactly what they want in a ready-made solution. We were going through a stage of having lots of customers coming in and asking, in particular, for PAW Patrol. There might have been one in a supermarket, but they werent happy with it; it wasnt big enough, it wasnt one of our cakes  they love our cakes  and we werent able to offer something until PhotoCake came along.

PhotoCake is a print-on-demand decorating tool which produces an exceptionally high quality Edible Image quickly and simply. Content is built in, so Graham has grown his business through being able to meet demand for a variety of occasions, trends and themes, including character cakes, without complex and time-consuming modelling.

The business model that Graham adopts is simple: keep stock of a selection of cakes in popular shapes, sizes and flavours, then customers choose their preferred cake construction, colours and theme for a set price and turnaround.

In this way, inventory challenges that come as popularity ebbs and flows can be mitigated with print on-demand. So, it is possible to introduce a character product into your business at a very low risk. Variety and uniqueness keep customers coming back for whats new today.

PhotoCake content is officially licensed and approved by the copyright and trade mark owners to be used on cake decorations, so the system presents a great opportunity to those who seek to build their business and take a slice of the lucrative opportunities that licensed characters attract.

The PhotoCake system is now being rolled out in the UK following huge success in the US, where it services to more than 24,000 outlets via DecoPac Inc.

To find out more about PhotoCake, click here.

To view a video on PhotoCake, see below.

Sources

1 iProspect 2018

2 British Baker, Nov 2019
The arrest of Felicien Kabuga, one of the last key fugitives wanted over the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in a suburb of Paris has raised some difficult questions for France. Those committed to getting justice for the genocide victims want to know how fugitives such as Kabuga find refuge in France -- and why it took so long to track him down. Kabuga, now 84, faces trial at an international tribunal after his arrest on Saturday. He is accused of being one of the organisers and financiers of the genocide carried out by ethnic Hutu extremists against Tutsis but also moderate Hutus between April and July 1994, in which at leasIntt 800,000 people were slaughtered. According to the UN indictment filed against him, Kabuga -- once one of Rwanda's richest men -- used his fortune and business empire to facilitate the killings. "Kabuga arrested, and arrested in France! It's a thunderbolt, quite extraordinary!" said Alain Gauthier, co-founder of the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR). For 23 years, Gauthier and his Franco-Rwandan wife Dafroza -- who lost several members of her family in the genocide -- have been gathering evidence against those they say are responsible. In 2001, they founded the CPCR to bring before the French courts anyone suspected of having taken part in the genocide and who, they say, often found refuge in France all too easily. The Gauthiers have given the courts information on some 30 suspects who have taken refuge in France, but only three cases have led to convictions, with the investigations often interminably slow to reach court. - France's dispute role in Rwanda - France's role before, during and after the genocide remains a matter of substantial controversy. One of the most fiercely disputed issues has been the military aid France gave to the regime of Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, who ruled from 1973 until his April 1994 assassination, which triggered the genocide. In April last year, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to open the state archives on Rwanda from 1990 to 1994 to a committee of experts in a bid to help track down any suspects living in France. The committee is currently working on its report. For Rwanda, one such person is Habyarimana's widow, Agathe. She has been accused of being a member of the inner circle of Hutus who planned and carried out the genocide. For Pierre Nsanzimana, who runs Ibuka France, a support group for survivors of the genocide, Kabuga's arrest is "really massive news". But that did not, he said, stop them asking questions about what protection Kabuga might have enjoyed -- and how he could have been hiding out in France for so long. Florent Piton, a researcher at the University of Paris who specialises in Rwanda, has studied just this question. "I don't know if we can say that France has been a country of asylum, but it has been a sought-after country for genocide suspects, as has Belgium, because of previously existing institutional links," he said. At the time of the genocide, France took in figures already identified as suspects -- such as Agathe Habyarimana, who left on the first flight out of Kigali a few days after the violence started, he said. Piton added that the long wait for justice was not necessarily down to political interference, but could be due to lack of resources. A crimes against humanity unit set up by France in 2012 made a difference in "speeding up investigations," he said, as did smoother relations between Paris and Kigali. - A 17-year-old photo - But Alain Gauthier still has questions. "How come we have had to wait until 2018 for the prosecutor's office, on its own initiative, to finally arrest a person suspected of having taken part in genocide?," he asked. "It's not normal that it took 25 years, and that until last year all the files on the judges' desks are the files that we brought them." One former investigator with France's paramilitary gendarmerie explained why such cases were so difficult. "We were looking for suspects on the run, who had changed their identity, who were moving around all the time and some of whom had a lot of resources," the investigator told AFP on condition of anonymity. For Kabuga, who was been wanted since 1997, "we had a 17-year-old photo," he said. Kabuga's wife lived in Belgium around six years ago, while he had been traced first to the Democratic Republic of Congo and then Kenya, the investigator added. "Several times we had information putting him in France. We tried to arrest him in Paris one Christmas night, several years ago, but without success." Francois Graner of the anti-colonial activist group Survie asked: "Why doesn't the criminal justice system take more of an interest in Agathe Kanziga?" The French administrative system had established that her role in the genocide was sufficiently serious to justify denying her asylum, he argued. Habyarimana's widow, who lives in a small house in the region of Paris, is "undocumented but not deportable," said her lawyer, who has taken her case to the European Court of Human Rights. France has never extradited a single person suspected of involvement in the Rwandan genocide.
Open source

The number of Kyiv citizens diagnosed with coronavirus increased by 41 persons in 24 hours. One person died. As for May 18, there are 2,321 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as 112 Ukraine TV channel reported citing Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

The number of Kyiv citizens confirmed to be infected with coronavirus increased by 41 people during the past 24 hours. Five medics are among them. In the past 24 hours, one person died. Totally, 49 cases were observed. As for today, there are 2,321 confirmed cases of infection with Covid-19, Klitschko said.

Thus, 26 women at the age of 18 up to 82 and two five and 15-year-old girls are among infected. Besides, 11 men at the age of 29 up to 65 and two nine-year-old boys are infected. Four patients were hospitalized; while others receive treatment in self-isolation under the observation of doctors.

The majority of the cases were registered in Darnytsia district  11 cases. Svytoshynsky district  nine cases. Six cases were observed in Desnyansky and Obolonsky district, the mayor underlined.

As of 9 a.m. May 18, Ukraine reports the overall number of 18,616 cases of infection with Covid-19. 535 people succumbed to the disease. Another 5,276 recovered from coronavirus.
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf spoke about the coronavirus crisis in Pennsylvania.

In a news conference Monday, Wolf was joined by Randy Padfield, director of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and Col. Frank Montgomery, director of Military Support for the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The governor highlighted the work of PEMA and the National Guard in responding to the coronavirus crisis, including their work to assist nursing homes. Wolf said PEMA has been monitoring the virus since January.

PEMA is quietly effective, Wolf said.

Padfield said the crisis has had impacts beyond the public health system. PEMA has helped coordinate response efforts across state and federal agencies. PEMA helped push for mass testing sites in Philadelphia, Montgomery County and Luzerne County, Padfield said.

More than 63,000 people in Pennsylvania have contracted the coronavirus and more than 4,500 have died, according to the state Department of Health. More than two-thirds of the states COVID-19 deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.

You can watch it here.

The Guard has aided some nursing homes that have needed more assistance. The guard has assisted 10 nursing homes in the state, including Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, according to the Wolf administration. The guard is actively supporting five long-term care facilities, Montgomery said.

Montgomery said 1,200 Guard members are supplementing coronavirus efforts. The guard has helped with testing and aided a food bank in Pittsburgh.

We live here, we train here, we serve here, Montgomery said.

Padfield was asked if he had seen improvements in nursing homes.

He said it was difficult to answer. He said some facilities are improving, but the outbreak continues to grow in some others, including new cases reported in some facilities.

Questions for Wolf

The governor was asked about possible penalties for gyms that reopen against state guidelines.

Wolf said the real penalty involves customers getting sick.

Even in counties that have moved to the yellow phase in Wolfs reopening plan, gyms are to remain closed.

Wolf said he couldnt give a timeline for when gyms and fitness centers would be allowed to reopen.

The governor was asked about a planned race in the Poconos scheduled to take place in June. If Monroe County goes to the yellow phase, Wolf said he would be OK if NASCAR wanted to run the race.

Monroe County, like all of eastern Pennsylvania, remains in the red zone.

The governor was asked about residents who wanted to go to the beach. New Jersey and Maryland have moved to reopen their beaches.

I wouldnt go to the beach, Wolf said. The governor said going to the beach could lead to exposure to the virus, noting that some may not be wearing masks.

The governor said, Im not sure why the governors of Maryland and New Jersey have reopened their beaches but they have.

Wolf said Pennsylvanians who have stayed home and reduced contact has saved lives.

The governor was asked about U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-York County, who called for a federal investigation surrounding the deaths in nursing homes.

Wolf said he welcomes questions and criticisms about the states response to the crisis.

Reopening Pennsylvania

On Friday, 12 counties, including some in central Pennsylvania, move into the yellow phase. These are the counties: Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne and York.

Currently, 37 counties in northern and western Pennsylvania are in the yellow phase of the Wolfs administration reopening process. Those counties include the Pittsburgh area, along with western and northern Pennsylvania.

In the yellow phase, businesses can resume operations with more restrictions. Companies can reopen but are still encouraged to allow employees to work remotely. Retailers can reopen but are urged to offer curbside pickup or delivery service and child care centers can reopen.

Even in yellow counties, restaurants and bars are limited to delivery and takeout services. Movie theaters, gyms, casinos, barber shops and nail salons remain closed in the yellow counties.

More coronavirus coverage:
Apple to Shift 20% of Its Production to India

The CCP virus has prompted the manufacturing industry to consider diversifying its supply chains. According to reports from the Indian newspaper The Economic Times, Apple is planning to shift nearly a fifth of its production from China to India. Experts say the scale of investment, around $40 billion over the next five years, could also make India the largest exporter of Apple products, the report said.

Apples CEO Tim Cook said in an interview: We are really doing that, so as a part of this trip, the maps facility will be several hundred million dollars. And so all of these things add up to a significant amount of economic activity.

Cook started investing in India four years ago. As the pandemic takes a toll on the global economy, supply chains are shifting away from China. Apple is accelerating its plans to open factories in India. According to The Economic Times, the Indian government in March approved the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for large-scale electronics manufacturing. The goal of the PLI is to increase the production of electronic components, semiconductors, and mobile phone components, creating 200,000 new jobs over five years. Indian officials revealed that Apple is considering shifting 20 percent of its production capacity out of China, which sums up to around $40 billion in investment over the next five years, The Economic Times reported.

Vice President of Taishin Securities Investment Advisory, Huang Wenqing said: (The U.S. block on Chinas) technology, as well as the tariff trade barrier, are issues that might heat up again in the future. Therefore, it is likely that China-based production bases, such as Honghai [Foxconn], will start to shift their production capacity outwards.

Although 90 percent of Apples products are currently assembled in China, its main supplierTaiwanese manufacturer Foxconnhas long begun laying out strategies (to build factories) in India. Foxconn signed a pact with India in August 2015 to invest $5 billion over five years. In fact, Foxconn manufactured and assembled the iPhone XR in India last year.

Wistron Corp has long begun producing affordable versions of the iPhone SE, as well as the subsequent iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 related products in South India since 2017.

Some experts say that Apple has not only focused on the domestic market, but has also gone further to make India a major production and export hub.

Industry Analyst of Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Qiu Shifang said (during a phone interview): In the past, Apples main production capacity was highly concentrated in China, which made it difficult to shift its production elsewhere. The supply chain of Taiwanese manufacturers may also be required to match the needs of downstream original brand manufacturers (OBM). For component manufacturers, the apparent overall elongation in the supply chain will make them face a certain degree of challenge.

According to The Nikkei, Apple plans to transfer up to 30 percent of the production of its popular Airpods from China to Vietnam, amounting to about 3 to 4 million pairs. Apples plan to shift its production capacity away from China in the medium to long term has clearly become an irreversible trend.
- Heart Evangelista clapped back at a basher who made a rude comment about her husband, Chiz Escudero

- The basher said that the face of Chiz was "bokbok" without further elaborating on it

- The actress didn't think twice and immediately responded to the basher

- The actress has been the subject of a lot of bashing, and there was even one before where the basher commented about Heart being guillotined

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Heart Evangelista was apparently irked by the comment of a basher against her husband Chiz Escudero, wherein the rude netizen described the face of the governor using inappropriate words.

KAMI learned that the basher, @f0xyann commented on a photo of the couple posted by Heart on IG.

The basher said, "Bokbok" mukha ni Chiz."

Heart didn't think twice about responding and immediately hit back at the rude netizen.

She said, "@f0xyann you jsut gave yourself away."

Heart Evangelista claps back at basher who called her husband 'bokbok'

Source: Instagram

There were also netizens who supported Heart and said that there are simply a lot of people who are very opinionated. Here are some of the comments of netizens:

"That is a one shallow comment coming from a follower of such an amazing couple. Regardless of your outside view how Senator Chris Escudero is, youre inside heart is already full of wholes. Please choose your comments wisely."

"Masyadong opinionated ang generation nowadays. Sad world we are in and sadder with this generation."

"Walang salamin si basher."

"Paki nyu ba sa taste ni heart. Mukha naman xang masaya. Madami dyan gwapo/magabda nga jowa. Luhaan naman o napeperahan lang.. Hahaha."

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In a previous report by KAMI, Heart Evangelista receives a very nice Mother's Day gift from the children of Chiz Escudero.

Heart Evangelista is one of the famous showbiz personalities in the Philippines. She is also a fashion icon and is known for her impeccable taste when it comes to clothing. She is currently married to Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero.

Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters!

Isa Ka Ba Sa May Ka- QuaranFLING? Sa quaranFLING may leveling daw ang landian. True kaya to. Dahil sa ECQ usong uso ito. Kung sayo ba to nangyari, aasa ka ba dapat o hanggang MAY 15 lang kayo? Ano masasabi nyo? Check out all of the exciting videos on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

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Albion College, one of the top-ranked liberal arts colleges in the country, announced on May 14 that the deadline to apply to its new and substantial Michigan 2020 Promise scholarship initiative has been extended to Monday, June 1. This is the second and final extension in response to the overwhelming interest throughout the state and the unprecedented amount of applications being processed.

The Michigan 2020 Promise scholarship program will assist Michigan families who have college affordability concerns due to the COVID-19 crisis. Exclusive to graduating high school seniors and transfer students, the Michigan 2020 Promise will cover 100% of tuition and fees for Michigan students' whose families make under $65,000 annually, after the Michigan Tuition and Federal Pell grants are applied. Families making over $65,000 at minimum will receive $92,000, or as high as $136,000 in Albion College scholarships over the course of four years.
Reducing cows intervals between calving is one of the key improvements that Welsh beef farmers are aiming for in order to increase the efficiency of their herds.

The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) has recently released calving interval data for beef cattle in Wales for 2019.

The data shows that beef cattle on average calved at 1,013 days old in 2019  a figure which has fluctuated in recent years, and is up 12 days from the figure in 2018.

The BCMS report for 2019 shows that beef cattle in Wales produced a new offspring every 426.1 days, up from 422.7 days in 2018 but similar to the average calving interval in 2017.

Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) is working with a number of farmers who are working towards improving their herd fertility and lowering calving intervals through the Stoc+ project.

The scheme is a flock and herd health project which is one strand of the Red Meat Development Programme (RMDP), a five-year Welsh government and European Union-funded initiative aiming to enhance the red meat sector in Wales.

Leading the project is HCC Flock and Herd Health Executive, Dr Rebekah Stuart, who said breeding and fertility is one of the most important aspects of running an efficient suckler system.

She said poor herd fertility can have a major impact on farm output and income: "Its important to have a defined calving period, and setting clear objectives in terms of calving intervals.

"Through the project, the team will work with participating farmers to try and improve their calving intervals," Dr Stuart said.

There remains scope for improvement in Wales. Producers should strive for a shorter calving interval period in order to improve their beef herd efficiency and therefore increase their likelihood of improved profitability.

One farmer whose calving interval is lower than the average is David Burnhill, whos the head stockman at the Hean Castle Estate in Pembrokeshire.

The Hean Castle Estate has a herd of 90 pedigree Hereford cattle with the hope of increasing to 130 breeding females split between spring and autumn calving periods.

At the moment, the herds calving interval is 369 days per animal: "The management of the heifers in the spring is quite straightforward as they are selected from the previous years calves, selecting the more well grown, judging both by eye and weight," Mr Burnhill said.

These heifers are then synchronised and served for easy calving: "The second group of females are allowed to graze and grow and are then served during the winter period to calve in the autumn.

Prior to serving, the management of the perspective autumn calving heifers with regard to feeding and health treatments becomes quite focused, with routine vaccinations and dosing needing to be planned and implemented in advance."

Mr Burnhill explained that feeding is introduced on a rising plain with an aim to achieving maximum conception rates possible for both groups.
For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here.

Its been two months since mandatory shelter in place orders limited Bay Area restaurants to takeout or delivery only, and while these services continue for the foreseeable future, the financial burden on San Francisco restaurants has been felt across the board.

A survey conducted by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association revealed that more than half of SF restaurants open for takeout are losing money by remaining open amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 5, the GGRA spoke to 216 San Francisco restaurants to determine that 73% of them, or about 158 businesses, have remained open for takeout or delivery. Of the 158 restaurants open, 60% of businesses said that theyre losing revenue by just offering takeout.

In other words, about 95 of those 158 businesses indicate that theyre in a financial struggle.

ALSO: 'We've never seen anything like this': First drive-thru food pantry opens in SF

Only offering delivery and takeout is not a financially viable solution for the majority of restaurants, the GGRA said in a memo. They will need to be able to reopen on-site dining to help them survive.

The survey went further to show that 87% of the 158 businesses open for takeout, or 137 of businesses, responded by saying that they could not survive with takeout or delivery alone.

In an interview with David Barzelay, chef-owner of Michelin star restaurant Lazy Bear, earlier this month, Barzelay told SFGATE that while he felt fortunate to reopen for takeout, his business was making much less than before shelter in place orders.

We're not gonna make any money, Barzelay said. Barzelay added that his priority was to pay his staff and to keep a sense of community.

Recently, the GGRA championed the use of San Francisco sidewalks, parking lots, alleyways and commercial corridors for outdoor seating as Gov. Gavin Newsoms guidelines to reopen the state would limit restaurant seating.

ALSO: Will Oakland and San Francisco permit sidewalk use for open-air dining?

While the overall capacity of restaurants is being limited, the majority of restaurants reported that using public outdoor space to seat guests would help them survive, The GGRA memo read. We recommend waiving the Table and Chair permit fee, as well as creating a quick, easy process to allow restaurants to apply for and utilize public space for outdoor seating.

In the past two months, the ongoing pandemic has resulted in the closure of multiple businesses around the Bay Area. Most recently, Specialty's Cafe & Bakery, founded in the Bay Area, announced it would close all its California locations in May.

Susana Guerrero is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com | Twitter: @SusyGuerrero3

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

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Coronavirus does not spread widely in schools, according to new research being considered by government advisers.

The study looked at 18 infected students and teachers in 15 schools, and found that despite them being in close contact with 863 people at the schools, only two caught the virus, according to The Telegraph.

It shows that the virus's spread is 'limited' in classrooms, after previous studies suggested young children are likely to only get a mild form of Covid-19.

The latest research, which took place in Australia, is being analysed by government advisers as they consider how to get children back into schools safely.

Coronavirus does not spread widely in schools, according to new research being considered by government advisers (file image)

A senior member of the Sage subcommittee on schools confirmed to The Telegraph that the Australian study had been looked at by Government scientific advisers, saying it was a 'very useful and interesting piece of research'.

The Australian study was cited by the country's officials when they announced that children should return to school.

Its authors concluded that the data 'suggests that children are not the primary drivers of Covid-19 spread in schools or in the community'.

Amid growing tensions between ministers and union leaders, Mr Gove yesterday insisted it was 'absolutely safe' for teachers and children to return to schools

The news comes after the Church of England warned children will suffer if they are not able to return to the classroom, as pressure mounted on teachers' unions to end their boycott of back-to-school plans.

The warning followed a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests that the pandemic risks widening the educational gap between rich and poor children. It found that pupils from better-off households are spending an extra 75 minutes a day on educational activities.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove yesterday escalated the row by telling union leaders: 'If you really care about children, you will want them to be in school.'

Mental health charities have also raised concerns that time spent away from friends will be damaging to childrens' mental health.

Schools across the UK have now been shut to the vast majority of pupils for more than six weeks

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 as early as June 1.

Pupils will be placed in smaller classes with staggered start times and lunch breaks to limit the spread of the virus.

Some teaching unions are blocking the move and have said they will only budge once they are persuaded it is totally safe for teachers and children to go back to the classroom. But others have said they will recommend reopening after talks with Government experts.

Meanwhile, a number of local authorities have said they will not comply with Boris Johnson's lockdown strategy and will exercise caution when it comes to reopening schools.

The ongoing row over the reopening of schools came as:

Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the daily Downing Street press conference that there had been 170 more coronavirus deaths in the UK today, taking the overall toll to 34,636.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organisation, said world data on the return of schools is 'very reassuring'.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said she supported councils which are not planning to reopen schools to all pupils on June 1 for safety reasons.

Mr Gove has said there are 'big lessons' to be learned from the treatment of care homes during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office revealed 17,000 contact tracers have now been recruited, putting the Government on track to hit its 18,000 target.

Mr Johnson told Tory MPs he wants to return to 'near-normality' in July.

The PM announced 93m to bring forward the opening of a research centre to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine.

Mr Johnson and Sir Mark Sedwill, the UK's top civil servant, were said to have had a 'tense' stand off over who is responsible for implementing the lockdown exit strategy.

Britons flocked to parks and beaches as temperatures moved towards 70F in the nation's first Sunday since lockdown measures were loosened.

The Church of England, which runs a quarter of primary schools, yesterday warned about the impact on the wellbeing of children if they are not able to go back.

Reverend Nigel Genders, the Church's chief education officer, said: 'Remaining at home for a prolonged period will affect the mental, spiritual, physical and social wellbeing of children. We are particularly concerned about the impact on children from the most disadvantaged families and the potential this has for a widening in the attainment gap.'

Paul Farmer, of mental health charity Mind, told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'Young people are missing their friends, they're missing the peer contact that they have. I think that the quicker we can get [them] back into their normal cycle of activity, the better that will be for their mental health.'

Amid growing tensions between ministers and union leaders, Mr Gove yesterday insisted it was 'absolutely safe' for teachers and children to return to schools.

Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street on Mat 15, is facing a growing backlash over his plans for the phased reopening of primary schools from June 1

The latest Downing Street statistics showed there had been a further 170 coronavirus deaths in the UK today, taking the total to 34,636

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is one of eight former education secretaries who has now backed the re-opening of classrooms, including Labour's Lord Blunkett, Alan Johnson and Charles Clarke. Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'Over the course of the last decade we've made significant strides in closing the gap between the richest and the poorest in our schools.

'This lockdown has put that backwards.' In a pointed message to the teaching unions, he added: 'If you really care about children you will want them to be in school, you will want them to be learning, you'll want them to have new opportunities, so you know look to your responsibilities.'

A chief scientist with the World Health Organisation said countries that kept schools open had not seen a major virus outbreak as a result. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, a specialist in child respiratory diseases, told Mr Marr: 'I do believe society has to restart. What we have seen in countries where schools have remained open is that there have not been big outbreaks in schools.

Boris Johnson tells Tory MPs he wants return to 'near normality' in July Boris Johnson has told Tory MPs he wants to return to 'near-normality' in July as he hails British 'good sense' over the lockdown and announces 93million to bring forward the opening of a research centre to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine. Speaking to 100 of his colleagues via video link, the Prime Minister said he would take 'grandmother steps' to ease the rules, but only if Britons comply with the current lockdown measures. He also confirmed that Commons discussions will resume on June 2. It comes as Mr Johnson declares British people's 'fortitude' will enable them to survive the Covid-19 crisis and regain 'the freedoms they hold dear'. He says that the epidemic has brought out 'the best in humanity' and that the public's 'perseverance' and 'good common sense' will enable the country to 'inch forwards' out of lockdown and towards 'much-missed normality'. Writing in today's Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson also announces that an Oxfordshire research centre will be opening a year ahead of schedule in an attempt to fast-track a vaccine against the coronavirus. An MP listening in on the video call told The Sun: 'Boris told us he is determined that the country should be as close to normality again before the end of July. 'But he was clear that it all depends on the country meeting the conditions that have been set for tackling the virus. 'Most importantly that means bringing down the infection rate  and that can only be achieved if we continue to obey the rules on social distancing to help stop it spreading.' Mr Johnson's exclusive article will be seen as an attempt to draw a line under the chaotic days in Westminster which followed his televised address to the nation last Sunday, which left many people confused about the rules about meeting friends and family. The Prime Minister clarifies today: 'You can now spend as much time as you like outdoors, for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking, or sunbathing. You can meet one other person from a different household outdoors, provided you maintain social distancing.' Advertisement

'And where there have been it's been associated with events where a lot of people gather, not in regular classrooms, and it's often been associated with an adult who has had the infection and has spread it... It does seem from what we know now that children are less capable of spreading it, even if they get the infection, and certainly are at very low risk of getting ill from the disease.'

Michael Gove today guaranteed teachers and pupils will be safe when schools are reopened before swiftly backtracking as he said 'you can never eliminate risk'.

Mr Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, today tried to assuage concerns as he insisted it will be safe for teachers and students before then performing a screeching U-turn and admitting there will be at least some level of risk.

It came as the Government saw its approval rating take a sharp dip in the week after the Prime Minister set out his strategy for lifting lockdown measures.

A new Opinium survey showed that disapproval for the PM's response to the outbreak is now higher than approval for the very first time.

Some 39 per cent of the nation are supportive of the Government's handling of the crisis, down nine points on the 48 per cent recorded last week, while disapproval rose from 36 per cent to 42 per cent.

The Government's schools plan will see reception, year one and year six pupils return in June with other year groups returning later.

Secondary schools are not due to reopen before the summer holidays but pupils in year 10 and year 12 will be offered time with teachers ahead of them entering their exam year.

Mr Gove was asked this morning during an appearance on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if teachers should be safe when returning to work.

He replied: 'Yes, teachers will be safe in schools. The programme that has been outlined is a staged and careful return with children in reception, year one and year six of primary coming back to school we hope in the week beginning June 1.

'It is the case that some of the best leaders in current education have said that it is absolutely safe for children to return, absolutely safe for teachers and other staff to return as well.'

Asked if he could guarantee that teachers will be safe, he said: 'Yes. It is the case, as I say, I talked to the chief scientific adviser yesterday for the government Patrick Vallance and running through the figures, the R number, the rate of infection in the community overall, we are confident that children and teachers will be safe.'

However, when asked directly if he could guarantee that no returning teacher will catch coronavirus at school, Mr Gove said: 'The only way ever to ensure that you never catch coronavirus is to stay at home completely.

'There is always, always, always in any loosening of these restrictions a risk of people catching the coronavirus.'

He continued: 'The key thing is that we can make these workplaces safe. You can never eliminate risk but as we know, as we have heard, it is the case that it is extremely unlikely that any school is likely to be the source of a Covid outbreak and if for any reason there are risks then we can take steps to mitigate them.'

Hartlepool Council has now joined Liverpool in saying its schools will remain shut on June 1 as local coronavirus cases continue to rise.

Countries including Denmark (pictured) have already begun reopening schools with social distancing measures in place

Hartlepool 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 reopen on Monday 1st June.

'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.'

Michael Gove reveals more than 17,000 contact tracers have now been recruited Michael Gove today revealed the Government has recruited more than 17,000 coronavirus contact tracers putting ministers on track to hit their 18,000 target. The staff will play a key role in efforts to prevent a second wave of the deadly disease as they are tasked with figuring out where people who test positive have been and who they may have come into contact with. Mr Gove's announcement came just days after his fellow Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis said the Government had only managed to recruit people for 1,500 of the roles. However, there are concerns about the long term future of the 'test, track and trace' programme after it was claimed staff are only being hired on initial three month contracts. Health experts believe such a scheme will need to be in place for as long as 18 months. Advertisement

Liverpool has confirmed that its schools will only be open to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers on June 1.

Asked for his message to councils blocking the return of schools, Mr Gove said children 'only have one chance at education'.

'Over the course of the last decade we have made significant strides in closing the gap between the richest and the poorest in our schools,' he said.

'This lockdown has put that backwards. If you really care about children you will want them to be in school, you will want them to be learning, you will want them to have new opportunities so look to your responsibilities.'

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said she supported councils in trying to ensure their residents are safe when asked about local authorities which are refusing to reopen schools on the Government's timetable.

She told the BBC: 'If you look at what Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, said in the Guardian last night, the communication from the Government - in terms of the safety measures for areas like Greater Manchester, Liverpool, like the north east - has been patchy so the information hasn't been there.

'We believe the R rate is higher in those areas, in those regions, so therefore we want the Government to publish the science behind it and provide the support.'

Pressed on Labour's support for councils not wanting to reopen schools to all pupils, Ms Rayner said: 'I urge the Government to publish the science and to ensure testing and tracing is in place to safeguard.

'Councils want to make sure their citizens are safe. I support them in trying to do that.'

Many teaching unions have resisted the reopening plans but some have said they will urge their members to go back to work on June 1.

Boris Johnson and Sir Mark Sedwill clash over lockdown exit plan Boris Johnson and the UK's top civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill clashed over who is responsible for rolling out the Government's lockdown exit strategy, it was claimed today. The Prime Minister and Sir Mark are said to have had a 'tense' standoff when the plans to ease restrictions were being discussed at a meeting last week. Mr Johnson apparently asked the room who was responsible for actually implementing the measures contained within the blueprint. He asked Sir Mark if it was him, but the head of the Civil Service replied it was up to the PM to make sure things happen. The claims came amid reports of growing splits between ministers and senior civil servants. Mandarins fear they are being lined as coronavirus 'fall guys' ahead of an inevitable public inquiry into the Government's handling of the crisis. Meanwhile, a plan to quarantine travellers returning to the UK has prompted a Cabinet split over who it should apply to with aides concerned it is rapidly becoming a 'sh**show'. Advertisement

The Association of School and College Leaders said it would advise in favour of reopening after talks with government experts on Friday.

The National Association of Head Teachers suggested it would do the same as long as it is given the full expert advice held by the government.

But the British Medical Association has said it is against reopening schools on June 1 on the grounds that 'we cannot risk a second spike' of infections.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has appealed to every teaching union to work with the Government to find 'practical solutions' to enable schools in England to re-open.

He told the daily Downing Street press conference yesterday that his 'door is always open' as he lavished praise on teachers and pledged that school children and their families would be tested for coronavirus if they get symptoms.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, welcomed Mr Williamson's commitment to talk, saying it was essential ministers provided the reassurance teachers were seeking.

Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, welcomed a commitment by Mr Williamson to monitor the effects of this week's loosening of the lockdown before going ahead with other measures.

'This is sensible. We will take up Mr Williamson's statement that his door is open in order to seek to engage in discussions about a safe way forward,' he said.

Mr Johnson said he hoped schools could start re-opening from June 1 when he set out his plans last Sunday for easing the lockdown in England.

A new survey conducted by Opinium found more people now disapprove of the Government's handling of the crisis than approve for the first time since the outbreak started

However the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have refused to follow suit.

The UK Government's school reopening plans will see a 'hierarchy of controls' put in place to ensure proper hand-washing, hygiene and cleaning systems within schools while class sizes will be reduced to a maximum of 15.

Expert: World data on reopening schools is 'very reassuring' Data from countries which have reopened schools has been 'very reassuring' but governments need to consider what checks are needed to avoid a spread of Covid-19, a senior global health official has said. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said decisions on whether to allow schools to open are often being done at a community or city level, based on factors such as whether the virus is under control. She also told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show she believes that 'society has to restart' but that there will be a new normal. Asked about the reopening of schools, and evidence from countries that have done so, Dr Swaminathan said: 'Overall, the data has been very reassuring, though of course it's only a few countries that have done that. 'The guidance that has been put out by WHO clearly lays out the criteria you would use when you consider whether to reopen a school or not.' Dr Swaminathan said this is based on factors such as the progress of the disease - whether it is on the rise or under control and going down, as well as whether there has been time to put measures into place such as rearranging classrooms and ensuring there are handwashing facilities. Advertisement

The Children's Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has voiced her 'despair' at the continued 'squabbling' between ministers and unions which she said is impacting on children's life chances.

'My worry within all that is that the needs of children and the best interests of children are disappearing from view,' she told the BBC.

It came as Mr Johnson was warned he risks fracturing national unity if he fails to listen to regional concerns about the easing of lockdown.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the Prime Minister did not inform civic leaders of his easing of restrictions in advance and said the dropping of the Government's 'stay at home' message felt 'premature'.

While cases of coronavirus have been easing in the South East, Mr Burnham believes the loosening of restrictions came too quickly for the North.

'On the eve of a new working week, the PM was on TV 'actively encouraging' a return to work,' Mr Burnham wrote in the Observer.

'Even though that would clearly put more cars on roads and people on trams, no-one in Government thought it important to tell the cities that would have to cope with that.'

The manner in which the lockdown easing was announced appears to have hit the Government's approval ratings amid claims the PM's three phase plan was 'confusing'.

There is also disquiet over the decision to replace the 'stay at home' slogan with the 'stay alert' message with more than half people believing the latter is not clear.

Adam Drummond, the head of political polling at Opinium, said: '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.

'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.'

As well as pressure over his lockdown exit plan, Mr Johnson is also facing growing pressure from his rival, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

More than a third of people (35 per cent) said they approved of Sir Keir's response to the crisis as opposed to 20 per cent who disapproved.

Opinium conducted the survey of 2,005 UK adults online between May 13 and 14.

PROFESSOR ALAN SMITHERS: Damage that may last for a generation

Over the weekend, amid all the sniping and political score settling between the teachers' unions and the Government over how and when to open schools, a shamefully neglected issue burst into the open.

It was nothing less than the future of this country's children  something which I regret to say is now hanging by a thread.

The reality is this: if our schools are not swiftly reopened, the inequality gap that scars the British education system will become a chasm. The damage inflicted will be, quite literally, beyond repair for a generation of children.

We already know from a range of studies that the children of affluent parents do much better without formal education than those born into disadvantage or poverty.

Michael Gove admits 'big lessons' must be learned from care home crisis Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said there are 'big lessons' to be learned from the treatment of care homes during the coronavirus outbreak. Mr Gove said the Government had taken 'significant steps' to improve the situation of those in care homes. However, amid growing criticism that they had failed to provide adequate support to the sector, he acknowledged the situation remained a 'challenge'. 'There are big lessons to be learned,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. 'We are still living through this pandemic and there will be lessons to be learned. We have taken significant steps to improve the care of people in care homes. 'There will be a point in the future when all of us can look back and reflect and make sure we have learned the appropriate lessons.' Advertisement

Today's shocking study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which finds that children from wealthy families will have done the equivalent of a week and half's more learning hours than poorer children by June 1, is only the most recent in a string of deeply concerning reports.

One survey of primary and secondary heads and governors over the weekend even warned that 700,000 state school pupils are not being given any lockdown lessons.

I shudder to think how far behind these children will be if, as it now seems likely, they don't return to lessons until September.

After all, aptitude tests of children on their return from the long summer holiday have repeatedly shown how poorer children from less regulated, less educated households often need special coaching to get them back to pre-holiday levels.

It is a truly desperate situation, one made all the more humiliating by the fact that we are now lagging behind Western Europe in seeking to reopen our schools.

Danish primary schools have already been open for a month, and its infection rate continues to fall.

In Germany, Holland, and France, children began to return last week.

And yet for some bizarre reason, Britain is not contemplating even a partial reopening until the beginning of June  and even then only for a few year groups at primary level.

Of course, I accept that there are major challenges to getting children back in the classroom. It is right that the Government proves it is properly committed to reducing any risk faced by children and teachers, and it is reasonable for the teaching unions to be involved in that process.

But that is no excuse for the National Education Union to withdraw all cooperation in this process and set a spurious list of unreasonable and vague demands  such as for schools to open only when there is 'confidence that new cases are known and counted promptly'. Such imprecise ultimatums suggest to me a highly political attempt by a traditionally militant, Left-wing union to create obstacles to thwart the ambitions of a Conservative government.

Indeed, I suspect that many who claim to be fearful of a return to schools are wilfully missing the point.

First, there is no settled scientific consensus on when it would be absolutely safe to return, and you cannot hide from the virus indefinitely. Second, the tracking of the pandemic thus far has shown that children are the least likely to catch or transmit Covid-19.

But even if there is a risk, that still does not justify the debilitating repercussions of keeping children cooped up at home.

For the dreadful consequences of six months away from school are not just educational, but also medical and psychological. One hates to think how many children are currently confined to homes where abuse and domestic violence are widespread, and without any chance to speak to adults outside the home.

It is also alarming to see wide discrepancies in the way different schools have adapted to online teaching methods.

Most private schools, and the better performing state schools, seem broadly to be doing well. But schools in deprived areas are struggling desperately.

I make no apologies for expressing myself in strong terms when it comes to educational equality. I want everyone to have the opportunities I did. I grew up in the East End of London, the son of a Billingsgate market porter and a factory worker, both of whom had left school at 14.

I was lucky to have good, caring teachers and parents committed to getting the best out of me. Thanks to the excellent start they gave me, I have been able to fulfil my ambitions. And, that, ultimately, is the key purpose of a well-run school: it is a great social leveller, a fair environment where every pupil has the chance to develop their talents to the full.

That is why we must let our children back into the classroom to learn, play and thrive. For their sakes, and for the future of our country.

Professor Smithers is director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham.
Pacific Gas & Electric said Monday that thousands of homeowners and businesses had overwhelmingly approved a $13.5 billion settlement for wildfires caused by the utilitys equipment, an important victory in its effort to resolve its bankruptcy.

The deal requires the power company to begin compensating, as early as August, those who lost homes, businesses and other property. About 70,000 wildfire victims filed claims. For the deal to win approval, at least two-thirds of those voting had to support it.

The vote helps clear one of the last major hurdles PG&E faces in restructuring its debts. The company is trying to resolve its bankruptcy by June 30 to qualify for a $20 billion wildfire fund created by California lawmakers. That fund will help cover the cost of future fires caused by utility equipment.

PG&E believes that it remains on track to meet the deadline, the company said Monday.

Facing an estimated $30 billion in wildfire liabilities, PG&E sought bankruptcy protection last year. Its equipment has set scores of fires in recent years, including the most devastating wildfire in California history, the Camp Fire in 2018, which killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. PG&E has agreed to plead guilty to unlawfully causing a fire and involuntary manslaughter in that case and will be sentenced on June 16.
An increased transport police presence at Birmingham New Street station in on Monday. (PA Images via Getty Images)

There was an increased police presence at train stations on Monday morning as rail companies ramped up their services amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Network Rail warned it will close stations if there are too many commuters and safe social distancing isnt possible.

As well as extra police, security guards trained in crowd control have been put on duty at major railway stations in England, where more frequent trains have started running.

A sign advising passengers to wear face masks at Clapham Junction station. (PA Images via Getty Images)

A member of staff in a protective face mask cleans ticket machines at London Bridge station on Monday. (PA Images via Getty Images)

The increase in services follows the easing of lockdown restrictions in England last week by Boris Johnson.

The Rail Delivery Group said services this week will increase from about 50% of the standard timetable to 70%.

However, capacity will be reduced to as little as 10% of normal levels to ensure social distancing, while passengers are being urged to avoid non-essential travel.

In London, there were more British Transport Police officers at stations on Monday morning.

Passengers have been asked to wear face coverings and keep two metres apart from others.

Transport operators have been urged by the government to rearrange, remove or limit seating to try and ensure social distancing is observed.

This may include blocking off seats in close proximity to others and removing face-to-face seating.

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Rail services have been slashed for weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic causing a collapse in demand and a rise in staff sickness.

But the government is now urging people in England to go to work if they cannot work from home.

Advice in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales remains that people should stay at home.

Passengers wear face masks at Leeds station on Monday. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Network Rail, which manages Britain's 20 busiest stations, said passenger numbers were "very similar" to last week, when they were around 93% below average.

Its chief executive Sir Peter Hendy told BBC Breakfast on Monday: "We have processes to close stations if they become too full.

Story continues

"My railway colleagues have rehearsed those processes on the national railway network if that becomes necessary."

He said face masks are not mandatory for passengers but "we are all very keen in the rail industry" for people to wear them.

"We are relying on people to be sensible. We are doing our best too, he said.

"We want people to stay apart if they humanly can and if they can't, then a face covering is a quite sensible thing to do for the brief moments when you might be getting on or off a train or moving through a station."

He said a number of stations have been given one-way systems and a "huge" amount of work has been done on signage.

Watch the video below

On Monday, extra police officers and security personnel were deployed to deal with any overcrowding, but many major stations such as London Euston, Birmingham New Street and Reading were quiet during the morning peak.

Staff at Clapham Junction in south-west London said its crowd control barriers were not required as there was no noticeable increase in travel.

Commuter Daniel Croft, 37, who travels twice a week from his home in Darlington to London King's Cross, said: "The trains have been completely empty."

Victor Stringer, 69, who was returning to his home in Peterborough after finishing work in the capital, commented: "It's been so quiet, I could almost have realised my boyhood dream of riding up front with the driver."

King's Cross station, one of London's busiest transport hubs, was almost deserted on Monday morning.

Its concourse was dotted with stickers reading "Protect your NHS, stay 2m apart", while regular announcements urged people to stick to social distancing measures.

There were many more staff on duty than travellers, as well as several police officers on patrol around the station and neighbouring St Pancras.

The RMT union described the increase in train services as a "high-risk strategy" and expressed concern that "rushed political considerations could well override the safety issues for staff and passengers".

It called for new compulsory protections for passengers and rail workers, including the enforcement of two-metre social distancing on trains and the compulsory wearing of face masks by passengers.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We have asked operators to increase the number of services from today to help reduce pressure on the transport network, providing more space for social distancing as well as delivering increased reliability and extra capacity for the future."

Coronavirus: what happened today
REDDING  A local woman is facing animal cruelty and obstruction charges after her goat was hit by a vehicle last month.

Nancy Burton, 70, was arrested on a warrant Friday following an investigation into a motor vehicle accident in front of her Cross Highway residence last month.

Burtons goat was struck after running into the path of a vehicle heading east on Cross Highway on April 30. Police said the injured animal then ran off into the yard of Burtons home.

A warrant was obtained for Burtons arrest following a police investigation, which involved the towns animal control officer due to the animals injuries.

The goat survived but now has a limp, said Police Chief Mark ODonnell.

Burton  who has raised goats on her property for years  is charged with animal cruelty for failing to provide proper fencing, according to authorities.

ODonnell said the goats have been allowed to roam by her for years without proper fencing, and its animal cruelty because the animals cant fence themselves.

Burton has also been charged with obstruction of an animal control officer in the scope of duties because she refused to let the animal control officer on her property to check the injured goat, ODonnell said.

She was released on a promise to appear in court following her arrest.
A total of 62 countries including India have backed a joint effort by Australia and European Union (EU) calling for an independent inquiry into the World Health Organization's response to the Coronavirus pandemic, according to a draft resolution proposed for 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting beginning on Monday.

'Impartial, independent and comprehensive' probe

The draft calls for "impartial, independent and comprehensive" probe into the COVID-19 crisis. Besides, an inquiry into the actions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and "their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with the Member States a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing Mechanisms, as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19," the draft report reads.

European nations and Australia have been gathering support for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of "the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19". Last month, Australia was the first country to call for an independent inquiry into how the coronavirus started. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said allowing the WHO to investigate the outbreak "strikes me as a bit poacher and gamekeeper," ABC reported.

"This is about collaborating to equip the international community to better prevent or counter the next pandemic and keep our citizens safe," Payne was quoted as saying by ABC. However, the motion has not found the mention of China or the city of Wuhan where the outbreak is believed to have started.

The relevant portion of the draft resolution accessed by Republic TV calls for the initiation of an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation to review a lot of things related to the Covid outbreak, including what amounts to complete scrutiny of the WHO's actions and timelines, which would certainly have a bearing on China.

READ | Health Ministry writes to states on parameters while categorising COVID-19 zones

The draft resolution includes member nations like Albania, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, San Marino, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Zambia.

READ | Centre extends nationwide Coronavirus lockdown till May 31 as cases soar to 90927

What is the WHA 2020?

The WHA is the World Health Organization (WHO)s plenary body whose member states approve the organizations budget, fill vacancies in its executive board, and vote on agenda items, as per reports. The two-day meeting will address a resolution, proposed by the EU to jointly develop affordable diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines for Covid-19. The Assembly is also set to vote on whether Taiwan should be invited to join as a WHO member amid its excellent COVID-19 response, in spite of China's strong opposition as it claims Taiwan as its territory- under the one-China policy.

READ | COVID-19 cases in Mumbai surge close to 20,000 mark with 1571 new patients

READ | Vizag Police allege doctor raising N95 masks shortage caused nuisance; drag him on road

(With agency inputs)
The mail ballots Montgomery County sent to thousands of voters came with clear instructions for how to fill them out.

But those instructions were wrong.

Completely fill in the oval to the left of each candidate or selection you wish to vote, the instruction sheet for Pennsylvanias June 2 primary reads.

The correct ovals to fill out are actually to the right. But because the ballot is laid out in two columns, some candidates do have ovals to the left. In fact, those bubbles, which pertain to candidates on the first column, are closer to the candidate names than the correct bubbles are.

Its unclear how many voters received the wrong instructions and how many have already filled out ballots incorrectly. County officials said its likely that tens of thousands of voters were sent ballots with the incorrect directions. The error was made on the instruction sheet that accompanied the ballots, not on the ballots themselves.

Although we regret there was confusion created by this error on the supplemental instructions, we have been able to explain the issue to voters who have reached out with questions, Lee A. Soltysiak, Montgomery Countys chief operating officer and clerk of its election board, said in a statement.

Since the instructions are correct on the ballot itself, and many candidates do not have an oval to their left on the ballot, he said, we do not believe this will have an impact on how people will mark their ballots or our ability [to] accurately count their vote.

Many voters and elections officials are particularly sensitive to issues of ballot design and instruction because of high-profile instances when the ballot itself may have swayed voters and swung elections. That includes 2018 in Broward County, Fla. and, most famously, the butterfly ballot and hanging chads of Palm Beach County, Fla., in the 2000 presidential election.

This is the first election in which any Pennsylvania voter can vote by mail. That change, coupled with the coronavirus pandemic, has led to a massive increase in the number of absentee ballots being requested. Montgomery County has received about 115,000 mail ballot requests this year, compared with about 8,000 in 2016.

Voters who reached out to The Inquirer said they quickly recognized the mistakes, but worried others wont.

I was surprised it would have been missed, but it was obvious to me that it was a mistake and I should fill in the ovals to the right, not to the left, said Rick Fletcher, a voter in Upper Salford who opened his ballot Friday. I still thought it might not be obvious to everyone, especially given the two-column ballot layout.

The instruction sheet also tells voters to use blue or black ink, contradicting the ballot itself, which warns voters to use only a black pen or marker. Soltysiak said blue ink is fine and can be read by ballot scanners. If theres a problem, he said, the scanner will flag the ballot to be counted by hand.

In another apparent error, the instructions say to place the completed ballot in a small secure envelope labeled Official Absentee Ballot or Official Mail-in Ballot. That envelope should then be placed into a larger envelope with the same language on it.

But when Linda Sobon looked at her envelopes, one was labeled Official Election Ballot. The other said Official Mail Ballot.

Neither read Official Absentee Ballot or Official Mail-in Ballot.

This is confusing to people, she said. The terminology should be precise. Youre explaining to people how to do this, from older folks, people who have trouble reading, and people who have never voted by mail before.

 READ MORE: Philly will have way fewer polling places for next months primary because of coronavirus

The county learned about the problems with the instructions Thursday and fixed the sheets that day, Soltysiak said. All ballots sent out since have come with correct directions.

Soltysiak emphasized all ballots themselves have accurate instructions. But Fletcher, who tried to raise the issue with the state, didnt actually read those until a reporter asked about them.

Voting by mail is a new experience for a lot of Pennsylvanians, myself included, he said. If you have a question about the process, the obvious place to look is the enclosed instructions. Unfortunately, this time they might give you the wrong answer.

Like other voters, Fletcher worried about people who might try to follow the instructions and fill out the ballot incorrectly or become confused.

Weve got to get it right, Sobon said. This is really unacceptable to have this not be clear, precise, and beyond reproach. It has to be.
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 19-year-old law student - who witnesses said was gunned down by mistake by a drive-by shooter aiming for a car wash.

Aya Hachem, 19, died shortly after she was hit by a stray bullet from a car window in Blackburn, Lancashire as she walked to a Lidl supermarket at 3pm yesterday.

Witnesses to the tragedy claim the gunman was firing at the Quick Tyre and Quick Shine car wash, but missed and instead shot the University of Salford student.

Ms Hachem, who was a young trustee with the Children's Society, had been close to her home when she was shot and killed on King Street.

Lancashire Police today said detectives have arrested three men aged 33, 36 and 39, from Blackburn, on suspicion of murder. They are currently in police custody.

A spokesperson said: 'The arrests come following an appeal by detectives today, who urged anyone with information to search their consciences and come forward.

'Their appeal continues.'

Ms Hachem's father Ismail Hachem today paid tribute in heartfelt Facebook post. 'My strong daughter lawyer Aya Ismail Hashem God's mercy on your pure soul,' he wrote.

One witness to the tragedy said online that Ms Hachem had been 'shot to the floor from a car window' as she walked down the street.

'A woman casually walking down the street gets shot to the floor from a car window,' they said. 'Get me out of this place. Shaken to f***. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

University of Salford student Aya Hachem (pictured) died shortly after she was shot from a car window in Blackburn, Lancashire at around 3pm yesterday

Pictured: Police forensics officers look at a car wash and valet inside the cordon on King Street in Blackburn

Another added: 'The aim, I believe, was to shoot out the glass in the big main window of the tyre place near Lidl. He missed and shot the lady.'

A passerby on King Street also today suggested the car wash was the target of the attack, following a previous dispute between the two parties.

'It is some sort of dispute regarding the car wash,' he said. 'There had been a fall out and this was a revenge attack.'

Detectives from Lancashire Police's Major Force Incident Unit were seen around the car wash today in protective suits as the investigation into Ms Hachem's death continued.

The murder investigation centres around a car 'with a number of occupants' which was spotted leaving the scene shortly after Ms Hachem was shot.

Ms Hachem (pictured), who was a trustee with the Children's Society, had been just 100 metres from her home when she was shot and killed on King Street

A vehicle matching its description - a light-coloured, possibly metallic green Toyota Avensis - was found abandoned on Wellington Road, a short distance away from the scene.

Police added there is 'no evidence to suggest Aya was the intended target of this attack and every indication is that she was an innocent passerby.'

Ms Hachem had recently passed her second-year law exams at the University of Salford and was the Vice Chairperson of the university's law society.

Her father, Ismail Hachem, paid tribute to his 'strong' daughter in a Facebook post.

'My strong daughter lawyer Aya Ismail Hashem God's mercy on your pure soul,' he said.

'They who broke our back with your horizon you were all dream, science and morals. Oh Allah, inspire us with patience and solace.'

In another touching tribute, Noreen Hussain added: 'Aya Hachem was exactly the type of young woman I'd love for her to aspire to be like. I therefore write this with a very heavy heart.

'As at no point would her parents have imagined she would be taken away during a turbulent time for the world in such a tragic way.

'A mindless gunman has robbed Aya of her life and her family and friends and all those in society, of the good she was doing for others.

Pictured: The Toyota Avensis police believe was involved in the shooting of Ms Hachem

Ms Hachem (pictured), who was a young trustee with the Children's Society, had been close to her home when she was shot and killed on King Street

'Such a noble and caring soul and intelligent and bright young person.'

The teenager, whose family had fled war-torn Lebanon, was found 'unresponsive' on the ground after gunshots were heard in the area around King Street on Sunday.

Armed officers, along with as many as seven squad cars and a helicopter, attended the scene and the victim was rushed to hospital, where she sadly died a short while later.

While a post mortem is yet to take place, it is believed the cause of death was a gunshot wound, a Lancashire Police spokesman confirmed.

The Asylum and Refugee Community (ARC) Project in Blackburn paid tribute to the 'beautiful' and 'much loved' Ms Hachem in a Facebook post today.

'With great sadness and heartache we have to share with you that we have lost Aya, beloved eldest daughter of Samar and Ismael from Lebanon,' a statement said.

Pictured: Forensics officers on King Street, Blackburn after the shooting of Aya Hachem

Her father, Ismail Hachem, paid tribute to his 'strong' daughter in a Facebook post today (Pictured: Police on the scene)

'Aya, one of our own, lost her life in a horrific senseless attack, randomly caught up in a shooting outside Lidl, King Street, Blackburn as she walked past at around 3pm on Sunday.

'Aya, a beautiful 19 year old young woman from Lebanon, had just passed her 2nd year law exams at Salford University and had a dream and ambition to study international law.

'Aya and her family are much loved in our ARC community. Our hearts and prayers are with them at this painful time especially during this holy month of Ramadam when Aya and her family were fasting.'

The Children's Society Chief Executive, Mark Russell, said: 'We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our young trustees, Aya Hachem.

'She was a truly remarkable young woman, and an inspiring voice for children and young people. Our thoughts are with her family at this awful time.'

Pictured: An armed police officer at the scene on King Street, Blackburn, today following the death of a woman from a suspected gunshot wound on Sunday

Armed officers, along with as many as seven squad cars and a helicopter, attended the scene and the victim was rushed to hospital

Friends of the 'beloved' teenager have raised more than 25,000 in just 12 hours to build a Masjid - a mosque - in her honour in west Africa.

In a JustGiving post, Hannan Qazi wrote: 'I urge you all to share and donate and grant this beautiful reward to our late sister.

'The Masjid will be built in association with Muslim Hands and built in Niger, West Africa.'

In an urgent appeal for witnesses, Terry Woods, of Lancashire Police, said: 'This was an appalling and senseless attack on an innocent young woman, whose life was cut short while she was simply out doing some shopping.

'First and foremost our condolences are with her family, who have lost their daughter during the holy month of Ramadan. For her life to have been cut short like this is unthinkable and her family are understandably utterly distraught.

Police are seen on King Street today where a woman, 19, was shot and later rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead

'We are now asking anybody information to come forward. We know King Street was reasonably busy at the time of the attack and there will have been witnesses in the areas of King Street and Whalley Banks, near Lidl and the A674, who may have seen something or who may know who is responsible.

;We believe a green-coloured Toyota Avensis was used to commit the offence, and this car was later recovered nearby. If you saw the car in the area of King Street and Whalley Banks, or if you saw it being abandoned on Wellington Road, again we would urge you to get in touch.

'Similarly if you have information about who had been using this vehicle either on the day of the attack or in the weeks preceding, please tell us.

'We are also still appealing for anybody with mobile phone, CCTV or dashcam footage taken in the area between 10am and 4pm yesterday to send it to us.

'We appreciate people may not want to get involved and may be reluctant to come forward, but an innocent young woman has been killed in broad daylight and we are asking anybody with any information at all to search their consciences and get in touch to tell us what they know.'

No arrests have been made and a critical incident has been declared, police confirmed.

Lancashire Police later confirmed that a murder investigation had been launched following the 19-year-old's death

The force is appealing for any information from people who were near the murder scene on King Street - even if they were flouting lockdown rules.

DS Holmes said: 'We understand people may be reluctant to come forward during this time, especially if they have not been following the government guidelines about staying at home, but we would reassure them that our immediate concern is to find out what happened.

'We urge anyone who has any information, no matter how insignificant they may feel it to be, to come forward and speak to us as a matter of urgency.'

He added: 'We appreciate this will have caused a lot of worry in the community, but we have deployed significant additional resources, including armed officers, to carry out high visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance to residents.

'Anyone with concerns or questions is welcome to speak to those officers.'

Anyone with information is asked to get contact the police on 101, quoting log number 817.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Studies of genetic material from thousands of samples of the novel coronavirus show that it is changing. Experts say those findings might affect the current pandemic and efforts to develop vaccines and treatments.

The GISAID Initiative is a partnership between a not-for-profit group and the governments of Germany, Singapore, and the United States. The initiative was formerly called the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data. It collects records of genetic information on influenza viruses and releases them to the public.

Researchers in the United States used GISAID data to follow genetic changes, or mutations, in the spike of the new coronavirus. The spike is the part of the coronavirus that gives it its unusual shape.

The researchers said they discovered 14 such mutations early in their investigation at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. They noted that one, called D614G, was of urgent concern because it may make the disease more infectious.

Using the same GISAID records, a team in Britain studied genetic material from more than 7,500 virus samples from infected patients around the world.

The team is from University College London. They reported finding 198 mutations in the coronavirus genomes they examined, but none appeared to be of special concern.

Scientists at Britains Glasgow University also studied mutations in the samples of the genomes. But they found these changes did not confirm the existence of different strains of the virus.

That finding disproved an earlier study by Chinese researchers. Their study suggested there had been two strains in patients at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. One of the strains had been noted as more aggressive, the researchers said.

Eric Topol is a heart specialist and geneticist. He established the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California. He told the Reuters news agency the idea that there are several strains of the virus must be rejected.

We know there is only one strain, Topol said.

Jonathan Stoye is head of virology at Britains Francis Crick Institute. He said that taken together, the studies offer an interesting look at the coronavirus, and show that it is a moving target.

The virus is evolving and is changing. And we dont yet know what the consequences of those changes are, Stoye said.

This coronavirus mutates just like any good RNA virus should, added Mark Schleiss, a molecular genetics expert. He is with the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Genetics and biology experts say it is still too early to know whether any of the mutations are meaningful.

Lawrence Young is a professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick in Britain. He said that while there have been many predictions about the rise of more aggressive strains, studies so far show that is not the case.

Eric Topol noted scientists will have to examine exactly how a given genetic mutation affects the behavior of the virus to find out more.

Im Pete Musto.

Kate Kelland reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sample(s)  n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

pandemic  n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

strain(s)  n. a group of closely related plants, animals or other organisms

outbreak  n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

target  n. a place, thing, or person at which an attack is aimed

consequence(s)  n. something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions

RNA  n. a substance in the cells of plants and animals that helps make proteins

oncology  n. the study and treatment of cancer and tumors
Representative image

The Retailers Association of India (RAI) is disappointed with the Atmanirbhar Bharat economic stimulus package as it has failed to address emergent issues faced by the retail industry.

The retail industry contributes around 40 percent to Indias consumption and 10 percent to Indias GDP. What retailers needed was wage support, a moratorium for payment of principal and interests and support in the form of working capital. This is critical for retail to survive, said Kumar Rajagopalan, Chief Executive Officer, RAI.

Some of the earlier measures like reduction in TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) rates for payments or 2 percent reduction each in the EPF contribution of both the employer and employee are minor measures that fail to provide the monetary support needed to keep a business functioning.

Even the relief measures offered to MSMEs by the government do not help retailers as retail is not covered under the MSME sector, Kumar added.

He pointed out that retailers need working capital in their hands to retain employment, lack of support will result in the closure of businesses, and jeopardise livelihoods and jobs of 46 million direct employees out of which 20 million work in non-essential retail.

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

With no income and zero support from the government, the (retail) industry does not have the ability to support them. This will lead to a massive slowdown in consumption that will further harm the economy and the country, Rajagopalan said.

In five tranches, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus measures for various sectors and industries.

The focus was on agriculture, small farmers, migrant workers, street vendors, small traders mining, aviation, defence, space, MSMEs(micro, small and medium enterprises, NBFCs and MFIs (microfinance institutions), discoms, real estate sector, and tax measures.

The economic stimulus is intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent nationwide lockdown.

The financial stimulus announced by PM Modi on May 12 is almost 10 percent of Indias gross domestic product (GDP) and comes as the country battles the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Today (May 18) is a historic day for India as we are observing the 46th anniversary of our first nuclear test in Rajasthans Pokhran. The peaceful nuclear test codenamed the Smiling Buddha was conducted on May 18, 1974 under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The test made India a nuclear power.

The test was named Smiling Buddha because it was conducted on Budda Purnima that year, and after the successful conduct of the test, Raja Ramanna, the director of Indias premier nuclear research institute Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), called PM Gandhi and said, The Budda has finally smiled.

The test grabbed international attention because India had become the first non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to conduct a nuclear test.

The BARC never said anything about the yield of the device detonated at Pokhran, but experts maintained that the actual yield was around 8-12 Kilotons of TNT. The most significant achievement was that India succeeded in conducting the test without being detected by the US and other international intelligence agencies.

The device was of the implosion-type design and was pretty similar to the American nuclear bomb called the Fat Man. The implosion system was assembled at DRDO's Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh, while the detonation system was developed at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) of the DRDO in Pune. The plutonium used in the test came from the CIRUS reactor at BARC. The neutron initiator was of the poloniumberyllium type and code-named Flower.

The US, however, imposed certain tough sanctions on India after the tests claiming that these tests can lead to nuclear proliferation.

The plan was 'Smiling Buddha' was set in motion on September 7, 1972 when then PM Gandhi gave her permission to the BARC scientists to detonate an indigenously designed nuclear device.

After the 1974 tests, India conducted five tests - three on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998 - again at the Pokhran test range. The tests codenamed Operation Shakti were carried out under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees regime.
BONN, Germany, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Deutsche Telekom AG announces that its wholly owned subsidiary Deutsche Telekom International Finance B.V. (the "Company") today announced offers (the "Offers") to purchase any and all of the Company's outstanding 1.950% Fixed Rate Notes due 2021 (the "2021 Notes") and 2.820% Fixed Rate Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Notes" and together with the 2021 Notes, the "Notes") guaranteed by Deutsche Telekom AG. The terms and conditions of the Offers are described in an offer to purchase dated today (the "Offer to Purchase"). Terms not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase.

The purpose of the Offers is, amongst other things, to proactively manage the Company's cost of carry. The Offers also provide holders with the opportunity to sell their current holdings in the Notes ahead of the maturity date. Notes purchased by the Company pursuant to the Offers are expected to be cancelled and will not be reissued or re-sold.

The Offers

The following table sets forth certain information relating to the pricing for the Offers.

Title of Security(1) CUSIP/ISIN (144A)/ CUSIP/ISIN (Reg S) Outstanding Principal Amount Reference Treasury Security Bloomberg Page Reference Fixed Spread 1.950% Fixed Rate Notes due 2021 25156PAU7/US25156PAU75 N27915AJ1/USN27915AJ12 $1,000,000,000 0.125% UST due April 30, 2022 FIT1 50 bps 2.820% Fixed Rate Notes due 2022 25156PAY9/US25156PAY97 N27915AQ5/USN27915AQ54 $1,000,000,000 0.125% UST due April 30, 2022 FIT1 65 bps

1The Tender Consideration will be determined taking into account the par call date for such series of Notes, as described in the Offer to Purchase.

The Offers are being made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, which is available to holders on https://www.gbsc-usa.com/telekom/ and through the information agent, Global Bondholder Services Corporation, by calling +1 (866) 470-3900 (toll free) or +1 212-430-3774 (for banks and brokers). The Offers will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 22, 2020, unless extended (such date and time, as may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). Tenders of Notes may be withdrawn on or prior to the Expiration Time, but, except as otherwise provided in the Offer to Purchase, not thereafter.

Holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) or deliver a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery for their Notes at or before the Expiration Time in order to be eligible to receive the Tender Consideration (as defined below). Holders of Notes that are validly tendered and not withdrawn on or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase will receive a tender consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes that would reflect a yield to the applicable par call or maturity date of such series of Notes equal to the sum of (i) the Reference Yield (as defined below) for such series, determined at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on May 22, 2020, plus (ii) the fixed spread applicable to such series, as set forth in the table above (the "Fixed Spread"), minus accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes from, and including, the most recent interest payment date up to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (as defined below) (the "Tender Consideration"). The "Reference Yield" means the bid-side yield to maturity of the applicable reference security listed in the table above (the "Reference Security") for such series as calculated by the Dealer Managers.

In addition, holders who tender Notes that are accepted for purchase by the Company pursuant to the Offers will receive a cash payment representing the accrued and unpaid interest on the relevant Notes from, and including, the immediately preceding interest payment date applicable to such Notes to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (the "Accrued Interest"). The Company expects to pay the Tender Consideration, together with any Accrued Interest, to the holders of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time and not validly withdrawn on May 26, 2020 (such date the "Settlement Date") and to the holders of Notes tendered through guaranteed delivery procedures on May 28, 2020 (such date the "Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date"). No tenders submitted after the Expiration Time will be valid. Notes purchased pursuant to the Offers are expected to be cancelled.

The Offers are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, as specified in the Offer to Purchase. The Company reserves the right to terminate the Offers and, if any of the conditions are not satisfied, the Company will not be obligated to accept for payment, purchase or pay for, and may delay the acceptance for payment of, any tendered notes, in each event subject to applicable laws. The Offers are not conditioned on the tender of a minimum principal amount of Notes.

Further Information

Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the Offers may be directed to the Dealer Managers for the Offers:

The Dealer Managers for the Offers are:

RBC Capital Markets, LLC 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10281 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group U.S. Toll Free: (877) 381-2099 U.S. Collect: (212) 618-7843 London: +44 20 7029 0386 Email: [email protected] TD Securities (USA) LLC 31 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 United States of America Attn: Transaction Management Group U.S. Toll-Free: 1-855-495-9846 U.S. Collect: 1-212-827-7381 E-mail: [email protected]

Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the tender of Notes including requests for a copy of the Offer to Purchase may be directed to:

THE INFORMATION AND TENDER AGENT

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/telekom/

By Facsimile (for Eligible Institutions only): +1 (212) 430-3775 or +1 (212) 430-3779

By Mail or Hand:

65 BroadwaySuite 404

New York, New York 10006



Banks and Brokers Call Collect: +1 (212) 430-3774 All Others, Please Call Toll-Free: +1 (866) 470-3900

Each Holder is solely responsible for making its own independent appraisal of all matters as such Holder deems appropriate (including those relating to the Offers) and each Holder must make its own decision as to whether to tender any or all of its Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers.

None of the Dealer Managers, the Information and Tender Agent, Citibank, N.A. (the "Fiscal Agent") or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information concerning the Company, Deutsche Telekom AG, the Notes or the Offers contained in this announcement or in the Offer to Purchase. None of the Dealer Managers, the Information and Tender Agent, the Fiscal Agent or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates is acting for any Holder, or will be responsible to any Holder for providing any protections which would be afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Offers, and accordingly none of the Dealer Managers, the Information and Tender Agent or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates assumes any responsibility for any failure by the Company to disclose information with regard to itself, Deutsche Telekom AG, or the Notes which is material in the context of the Offers and which is not otherwise publicly available.

None of the Company, the Fiscal Agent, the Information and Tender Agent or the Dealer Managers makes any recommendation as to whether holders should tender all or any portion of their Notes pursuant to the Offers or, if they wish to submit a tender, as to the principal amount of Notes to tender. Each Holder must make his, her or its own decision as to whether to tender Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender.

The Company will fund the Offers with cash resources available to the Company.

Disclaimer

This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase contain important information which should be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Offers. If any Holder is in any doubt as to the contents of this announcement or the Offer to Purchase or the action it should take, it is recommended to seek its own financial and legal advice, including in respect of any tax consequences, immediately from its stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial, tax or legal adviser.

Offer and Distribution Restrictions

Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes an invitation to participate in the Offers in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession either this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required by each of the Company, Deutsche Telekom AG, the Fiscal Agent, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions.

United Kingdom

The communication of the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to, and may only be acted upon by, those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Financial Promotion Order")) or persons who are within Article 43 of the Financial Promotion Order or any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (together, for the purpose of the paragraph, "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which the Offer to Purchase relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons (and is subject to other restrictions referred to in the Financial Promotion Order).

France

The Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in the Republic of France ("France"). Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other document or material relating to the Offers have been or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), other than individuals, acting for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code monetaire et financier, are eligible to participate in the Offers. The Offer to Purchase has not been and will not be submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers.

Italy

None of the Offers, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offers have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. The Offers are being carried out in the Republic of Italy ("Italy") as exempted offers pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended. Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are located in Italy may tender their Notes in the Offers through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February 13, 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.

Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-a-vis its clients in connection with the Notes and/or the Offers.

Belgium

Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit voor financiele diensten en markten / Autorite des services et marches financiers) and, accordingly, the Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offers may not be advertised and the Offers will not be extended, and neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of June 16, 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account. Insofar as Belgium is concerned, the Offer to Purchase has been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.

General

The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Notes (and tenders of Notes in the Offers will not be accepted from Holders) in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and the Dealer Managers or any of their respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in any such jurisdiction, the Offers shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate, as the case may be, on behalf of the Company in such jurisdiction.

Each Holder participating in the Offers will also be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in the Offer to Purchase. Any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers from a Holder that is unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers, whether any such representation given by a Holder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Company determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender shall not be accepted.

About Deutsche Telekom International Finance B.V.

The Company is a Dutch limited liability company whose registered address is Stationsplein 8-K, 6221 BT Maastricht, the Netherlands. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG.

Forward-looking statements

This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and the documents incorporated by reference therein contain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views of Deutsche Telekom AG's management with respect to future events. They are generally identified by the words "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "aim," "goal," "plan," "will," "seek," "outlook," or similar expressions and include generally any information that relates to expectations or targets for revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA AL or other performance measures. Forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates, and projections. You should consider them with caution. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond Deutsche Telekom AG's control. They include, for instance, the progress of Deutsche Telekom AG's staff-related restructuring measures and the impact of other significant strategic or business initiatives, including acquisitions, dispositions, and business combinations. In addition, movements in exchange rates and interest rates, regulatory rulings, stronger than expected competition, technological change, litigation, and regulatory developments, among other factors, may have a material adverse effect on costs and revenue development. If these or other risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of these statements prove incorrect, Deutsche Telekom AG's actual results may be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Deutsche Telekom AG can offer no assurance that its expectations or targets will be achieved. Without prejudice to existing obligations under capital market law, Deutsche Telekom AG does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to account for new information or future events or anything else.

SOURCE Deutsche Telekom AG
On May 05, 2020, Central Power Real Estate Joint Stock Company sent an Official Document to the Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) to ask the cancellation of record date (March 27, 2020) for holding the Annual General Meeting 2020 due to the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
President Ho Chi Minh (VNA File Photo)

Chairman of the VGCL Nguyen Dinh Khang said the late President is a great leader of the working class and the Vietnamese nation.

The President left a precious spiritual legacy for the country, especially his ideology, Khang added.

President Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district, the north-central province of Nghe An. He devoted his whole life to the national liberation cause, while tirelessly striving for peace and progress in the world.

He also led the struggle for national independence to success and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945. The President passed away in 1969.
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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 08:23 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b1739 1 Editorial economic-cost,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,SOEs,new-normal Free

State-owned firms will resume operations in a new normal and a guideline is being prepared, which State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir says will need the consent of the national COVID-19 taskforce.



SOE employees are among those specifically banned from participating in the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus) because of the COVID-19 outbreak. One of the possible scenarios of the new normal is that only those under 45 years old will be expected to show up for work  unless the employees live in areas where large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) are in effect.



But the scale of the outbreak in the country remains deeply uncertain. Official numbers may systematically understate its severity, and people continue to head home ahead of the holidays as new clusters of suspected cases emerge with little hope of sufficient contact tracing. The responsible measure for the government would be to prepare for the resumption of businesses without risking further infection.



Businesses have said they are not at all enthusiastic about returning to normalcy soon, having witnessed too many violations of physical distancing rules. As Shinta Kamdani, deputy head of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has said, the risk of further contagion and deaths brought about by easing restrictions on travel, even for essential business purposes, will prevent market confidence in Indonesia from recovering as easily and will make it more difficult to allow the economy to run as usual.



Thats the key word: confidence. We must feel confident that the government is properly addressing public health before focusing on the economy.



As it stands, we are not if sure if we have reached the peak of COVID-19 cases in the country as the government claims. Record daily increases in confirmed cases were seen last week, and a significant lack of testing has fueled doubts in business circles and citizens.



The government is ramping up the number of daily swab tests to better determine the spread of the outbreak, but scenes of large groups ignoring physical distancing, such as at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport recently, are disheartening.



On May 15, the SOEs Ministry proposed protocols to safeguard employees, customers, suppliers, partners and other stakeholders during the reopening of business. In addition to requiring hygiene maintenance and safe interpersonal distances, the protocols restrict the number of company branches allowed to operate in certain industries, as well as the number of employees allowed to return and the hours they can work.



In a bid to keep the economy running and minimize layoffs, certain services, including restaurants and retail outlets, will resume on June 2, reports have said, followed by tourism and education on June 8  all with strict protocols depending on local restrictions. On June 29, all economic sectors are slated to reopen, and the scope of business will be widened in in mid-July, followed by evaluations.



Official data shows that those under 45 make up a small portion of confirmed cases, especially compared to those over 60. But rather than being forced to march into the unknown, our young people deserve incentives and support to continue working from home.
On Sunday night, the family of a 61-year-old Christian woman from Mahim who had died of Covid-19, was forced to cremate her body because the cemetery refused to allow her burial. While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified 20 Muslim cemeteries where Covid-19 victims may be buried, no Christian cemeteries have been listed.

With Christian cemeteries not accepting bodies of Covid-19 victims, families are being forced to abandon funeral customs. After the 61-year-old passed away on Sunday, her family spent agonising hours trying to get directions from the hospital, the municipal corporation and the police that would let her be buried. Ultimately, her body was cremated on Sunday night.

According to the Bible, it is said that we are born out of dust and we go back to dust. When we arent given an option to bury the body, it hurts our sentiments. We were literally left with no option but to let the body be put in electric crematorium along with the coffin, said Noah Christian, a relative of the Covid-19 victim.

Activist Cyril Dara said that in the last week, he had heard of three other Christians who had succumbed to Covid-19 and had to be cremated. When there are provisions for burial of other communities, why not for our community members? In countries like USA, Italy, Iran and many other countries, respectful burial is been given, said Dara.

Last month, BMC allowed burials within city limits, provided the ground is large enough to ensure there is no threat of transmission to residents. When we were discussing the issue, we had called representatives of Christian and Parsi communities. They had assured us that they will look into the practice on a case to case basis. If there is a demand, we can provide for a burial space for Christians, said a senior official from BMC.

Explaining the 20 Muslim cemeteries where Covid-19 victims may be buried, he said, Among Muslims, there are lot of sects and each of them have different burial grounds. A demand had come in from them to allot space in cemeteries which were large, said the official. He added that since the Christian community was scattered, there wasnt a particular area that was allotted.

Father Nigel Barett, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay, which has around five lakh members, said When it comes to burials [of Covid-19 victims], the respective family needs to take permission from BMC, and they will allot a space for burials to take place. We are not the authority here to take a call on this.
GRAND HAVEN, MI -- Several residents at an assisted living facility in Grand Haven have just tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Monday, May 18 news release from the Ottawa County Department of Health.

Christian Haven Home, 704 Pennoyer Ave., has 52 residents. The specific number of residents that tested positive and exactly when that was has not been released.

"Throughout this whole process, we have been keeping our families up to date and weve been very transparent with them,'' Administrator Sue Wilson told MLive about their families having the details that havent been widely shared.

Wilson did not have any further comment on the situation at this time.

According to the news release, one employee also tested positive for COVID-19 three and half weeks ago. The facility is awaiting the results for a second employee who was tested Thursday, May 17.

Officials say the employee that tested positive notified them immediately of their symptoms and was not working when symptomatic and has not yet returned to work.

On Sunday, May 17, the facility started testing on all residents and staff. Repeat tests are planned for those who initially test negative.

Our hearts go out to those affected and to their families, Wilson said in the statement released.

The staff remains deeply committed to doing all they can for each of our residents. Every day, Im touched by the way our staff is working together to do their best to help our residents not only stay healthy but continue to feel valued and cared for.

Weve always felt a strong sense of community at Christian Haven Home, and that is felt now more than ever.

According to the news release, the facility has been in close contact with the health department, working to follow their guidance on prevention and treatment since the arrival of COVID-19.

Dr. Paul Heidel, medical director with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, said hes thankful for the partnership with the leadership and staff at Christian Haven Home as they work through this difficult time.

The effects this pandemic has had on the senior community is a reminder of how we need to work to protect others and keep this virus from spreading, Heidel said in a statement

All of MLives coronavirus coverage can be found 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.

More on MLive:

Michigans coronavirus crisis creates epidemic of mental-health issues

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 NYC

Let MI people go: Beach-goers protest Whitmers stay-home order
STOCKHOLM, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii Dynavox, the global leader in assistive technology for communication, today made the world's most popular online platforms more accessible for people with disabilities. Social media and streaming platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Netflix can now be easily accessed with eye tracking.

Tobii Dynavox, together with d-bur, a company specializing in the development of assistive technologies, has made some of the world's most popular apps easier to access and use with eye tracking, touch or switches. This enables individuals with conditions, such as cerebral palsy and ALS, to fully enjoy and access social media, streaming and communication apps.

"As an influencer with my own lifestyle brand these accessible apps have improved my daily productivity, my channels of communicating personally and for business, and my overall independence," said Delaina Parrish, born with Cerebral Palsy and recently graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in marketing.

"Until now, accessing popular apps and websites has been a challenge for individuals using eye tracking. With this new suite, we have developed an innovative new way for our software Communicator 5 to interface with these apps making them easy to use and enjoy. Together with d-bur, we will continue making even more apps accessible for our community of users," said Fredrik Ruben, CEO of Tobii Dynavox.

The current COVID-19 global pandemic has heavily impacted how we interact with one another, and individuals with disabilities, who often have serious underlying medical conditions, need to take even more precautions in these situations. With the accessible apps, Tobii Dynavox has given people with conditions like ALS and cerebral palsy the ability to conveniently communicate with their loved ones and stay in touch with society.

The apps are currently only available on Tobii Dynavox's new communication devices, the I-13 and the I-16 with the software Communicator 5, and can be accessed and controlled with eye tracking, touch and switches.

The full suite includes Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Spotify, Netflix, YouTube, WhatsApp, Android Messages, MSN and Google Calendar.

For more information, please contact:

Europe

Lina Perdius

Corporate Communications Manager

Tobii Group

Phone: +46(0)70-018-78-75

E-mail: [email protected]

United States

Kristen Cook

Marketing Director

Tobii Dynavox

Phone: +1-412-222-7753

E-mail: [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/tobii-dynavox-launches-suite-of-accessible-apps,c3113131

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/2874/3113131/8a773026ddf7266e.pdf Tobii Dynavox launches suite of accessible apps - press release - 18May2020 https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/netflix-on-i-series,c2785886 Netflix on I-Series https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/jeff-netflix,c2785887 Jeff Netflix https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/netflix,c2785888 Netflix https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/whatsapp,c2785889 WhatsApp https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/angie-instagram,c2785890 Angie Instagram https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/angie-facebook,c2785891 Angie Facebook https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/i/delaina-parrish,c2786612 Delaina Parrish

SOURCE Tobii AB
Thirteen people were wounded during a shooting this weekend in Louisiana  during a memorial service for a homicide victim.

The gunfire broke out around 9 p.m. Saturday in Bogalusa, Louisiana, about 70 miles north of New Orleans, according to the Bogalusa Police Department.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 19:38:54|Editor: huaxia

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GENEVA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge of our age and it must be a wake-up call for all nations.

Delivering a speech through a video link to the 73rd World Health Assembly, the UN chief said that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated our global fragility, and despite the enormous scientific and technological advances of recent decades, "a microscopic virus has brought us to our knees."

"Deadly global threats require a new unity and solidarity," he stressed.

Guterres reiterated a three-point response he and the UN have advocated for since the beginning of the pandemic: a large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive health response; policies to address the devastating social and economic dimensions of the crisis; more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.

"Instead of going back to systems that were unsustainable, we need to make a leap into a future of clean energy, inclusivity and equality, and stronger social safety nets, including universal health coverage," he said, adding that multilateral efforts will be needed in this regard.

In his speech, Guterres also highlighted the importance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and paid tribute to the front-line health workers.

Saying that the WHO is irreplaceable, the UN chief told the conference that the entire UN family stands with the WHO and its staff working worldwide to support member states in saving lives and protecting the vulnerable.

"Either we get through this pandemic together, or we fail. Either we stand together, or we fall apart," he said. Enditem
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari will today address the nation on the progress the country have made on the fight against COVID19. This will be the first time the President will be addressing Nigerians after his last broadcast on the April 27, 2020.

At the last address, Buhari on the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID19 relaxed the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja and kept Kano on total lockdown.

Looking closely at the progress the nation has made on COVID19 and statistics from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on the virus. Here are four things the President is likely to announce:

1. Re-activation of Lockdown in Lagos: As at the end of May 3rd, 2020, the NCDC announced a total number of 2558 confirmed cases with Lagos having 1107 cases. Sadly, just two weeks down the line, there has been 100% increase in the confirmed cases both nationwide and in Lagos. The latest statistics from the NCDC puts total confirmed cases at 5959 and the in Lagos at 2550.

This indicates that the relaxation of the lockdown in Lagos was premature and as experts have opined, maybe Lagos wasnt ready for the relaxation. Therefore, it is logical to assume the President will order another lockdown in Lagos.

2. Order Distribution of Fresh Palliatives: The Government itself at thee last broadcast acknowledged one of the reasons they relaxed the lockdown was because Government palliatives could not go round and Nigerians need to go about their daily business to be able to feed. Obviously, this has done more harm than good as the economy has suffered irreparable damage and will take more than just weeks for things to return to normal.

Yet, the virus continues to spread and the death cases have increased from 87 to 182. Therefore, it is necessary that the Government arranges new set of palliatives to get people to continue to stay home.

3. Increase Security at Interstate Borders: Last week , the Presidential Task Force opined that one of the problems they are facing is being sabotaged by security men at the border.

It is not surprising that despite the interstate border closure, people still travel everyday from one state to the order because security officers are taking bribes from travellers. It is important that the President gives an order to sanction security personnel who are caught doing this.

4. Enforce the Use of Face Masks: One of the COVID19 guidelines that have been continually violated in most states is the use of face masks.

Despite the glaring dangers and risks people face for not using the masks, people have went about their business without using masks. It is important that President emphasizes on this issue and announce a penalty for people found violating the rule.

These are likely things President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to concentrate on as he addresses the nation today.

If you have contrary opinion or other things you think Nigerians should expect, kindly drop in the comment section.

Dont forget to share.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  One of the big mall operators in the country revealed on Monday they sought the help of the police and military in enforcing strict crowd control measures in their malls.

Ayala Malls President Jennylle Tupaz noted that crowd control is part of the transition roadmap they drafted to achieve safety protocols in their malls operations amid the relaxed quarantine measures in most areas of the country.

The military and police, Tupaz said, will help their own security and operations teams in implementing crowd control and other safety measures.

Were lucky they were there and were very thankful that today has been quite uneventful actually, said Tupaz.

Tupaz added the military and police will specifically assist in entry protocols inside the malls and physical distancing guidelines.

Tupaz also emphasized they are strictly following the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Emerging Infectious Diseases and local government units, especially in implementing strict physical distancing and health sanitation measures in their malls.

We have signages and markers on the ground to guide them, told Tupaz on how their shoppers will be guided in following their physical distancing rules inside the mall.

As their malls officially opened today, Tupaz assured the malls management will be vigilant in implementing safety measures as they are expecting the rise of people going to malls in the following days.

The preparation worked well for us. People are excited, yes. But the number of shoppers is really not that many as yet. But we expect foot traffic to improve as occupancy increases. Well just continue to be vigilant in implementing these social distancing and health and safety protocols, said Tupaz.

Under their portfolio, Ayala Malls has 38 shopping centers around the country.

Effective last Saturday, shopping malls in the country are allowed to reopen after two months of the enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19.

The IATF-EID decided to reopen non-leisure shops in malls at 50-percent capacity so the public can avail of essential goods and services.

The Department of Interior and Local Government gave a warning yesterday to close down malls that are not implementing physical distancing and other health and safety protocols. The pronouncement came after photos in social media went viral that show a huge number of people inside the malls, despite the still present danger of COVID-19.

The Cavite provincial government ordered all malls in their province to close today for failing to follow health and safety guidelines set by the national government.
Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet

Missionaries of Charity itself requested SBI to freeze all bank accounts: Govt

Mamata Banerjee on PM Modi's virtual hospital launch: We inaugurated it last year

Proposal to change rules for central deputation of IAS officers affects states' administration: Mamata to PM

West Bengal govt guidelines on lockdown 4.0

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, May 18: The West Bengal government on Monday extended COVID-19 lockdown till May 31.

Making the announcement, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the state government will try to arrange for 115 more special trains in a few days for those stranded and will also pay the train fare.

"No official night curfew in West Bengal, but people are requested not to venture out after 7 PM, she said.

"Hawkers will be allowed to reopen shops in non-containment zones in West Bengal from May 27," she further said.

Over 100 nations seek probe into coronavirus origin

Hotels can resume operations maintaining social distancing norms from May 21. However, restaurants will remain shut. Salons and beauty parlours can also resume operations while maintaining social distancing norms.

Government and private offices in West Bengal can start operations with only 50 per cent of their workforce. Auto rickshaws in the state can also start plying from May 27, but with not more than 2 passengers at a time.

Inter-district bus services will start operating in West Bengal from May 21 onwards, with 50% passenger capacity only. Standalone big shops and establishments can also open from May 21.

Containment zones in West Bengal have been divided into three different zones - the division has been done booth-wise and ward-wise.

Affected zone: Activities, except emergency, will not be permitted.

Buffer zone: Selected activities to be permitted.

Clean zone: Maximum relaxation for activities.

Earlier, the state government said it will come out with a notification on the modalities of the fourth phase of the lockdown in the state by evening.
New Delhi: Migrant workers from different parts of the country gather at Delhi's East Vinod Nagar for registration ahead of returning home via Shramik Special trains during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronaviru Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Migrant workers from different parts of the country gather at Delhi's East Vinod Nagar for registration ahead of returning home via Shramik Special trains during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronaviru Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, May 18 : The Delhi government on Monday called several people for medical screening at a school in East Delhi before they were to board trains to go to their native places, with migrant workers and students accusing the authorities of mismanagement.

The students told IANS that people have been standing in the queue since late night, but were later told that their trains have already left.

Durgesh Pandey, who came to the school to get his medical screening done before boarding the train for Gonda, told IANS that he received a message around midnight that people have to come for a medical screening.

"So many people were already here when we came at around 7 a.m. There were no arrangements to deal with the crowd. There was no food, water or sitting arrangements for us. Also, there were so many people that even social distancing could not be followed," Pandey told IANS.

He said along with him, around 15-20 students also came for medical screening.

"We have already registered for going home. After we sat here since morning without food or water, they told us at around 4.30 p.m. that the train has already left," he said.

The students and migrants were stuck here due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

The messages were received by those who registered themselves for going to Lucknow, Gonda and nearby districts.

Another student said that no announcement has been made as to when the next train would depart.

"Now suddenly they are saying that you can go back to wherever you came from. I walked so long to reach here. Firstly, only a limited number of people should have been called, and those who have come here should have been sent. But now they have closed the gates and there is no one to reply to our queries," said 26-year-old Mayank.

The migrants and students were called at the Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya at 8 a.m. for the train having stoppages at different districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Mou, Azamgarh, Faizabad and Lucknow.

"They sent the message at 12.17 a.m. on Monday. There was no time given for preparation. The authorities were aware that there was no public transport. Somehow people managed to come, some with small children as well. But there were no arrangements," Mayank said.

The timing of the train was not mentioned in the message.

When contacted, Delhi government officials said that medical screening was part of the procedure.

"We made all the necessary arrangements for their medical screening and travel to the railway station on DTC buses," an official said. However, he didn't comment on the students' accusations.

Indian Railways has been running 'Shramik Special trains' since May 1 and has ferried over 15 lakh migrant workers in 1,074 trains till Saturday.

Medical certificate from the state is necessary for boarding these trains.

Due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown, thousands of migrants got stuck in the national capital and other parts of the country.
OWOSSO, MI -- A Dallas salon owner whod been jailed after she defied an order to close her business is set to meet with Owosso barber Karl Manke.

Mankes license was suspended after he reopened his business along West Main Street on May 4, despite an executive order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that called for barber shops and salons to close amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shelley Luther posted May 15 on her Facebook page that shed be at Mankes shop at 2 p.m. Monday, May 18.

Bringing some Texas SASS to Michigan to help 77 yo barber, Karl Manke," the post reads. "See you at his shop on Monday @ 2pm!

Messages left by MLive-The Flint Journal with Luther and Manke seeking additional information about the meeting were not immediately returned Sunday night.

Luther was jailed for two days but released after an emergency order by the Texas Supreme Court, per a Dallas Morning News story. She reportedly defied city, county and state orders on COVID-19, prompting a local judge to take action.

Bringing some Texas SASS to Michigan to help 77 yo barber, Karl Manke. See you at his shop on Monday @ 2pm! #COURAGETOSTAND.COM Posted by Shelley Luther on Friday, May 15, 2020

Some follow-up posts show Luther and her companion in Frankenmuth over the weekend.

A summary suspension order was issued Wednesday, May 13, by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs against the Mankes shop.

Related: State agency suspends license of Owosso barber who defied coronavirus order closing non-essential businesses

Manke closed his doors Friday, May 15 after he was received papers for the suspension in the mail, per a WNEM-TV report.

The summary suspension order came two days after Shiawassee County Circuit Court Judge Matthew J. Stewart turned down a request by the Michigan Attorney Generals Office, filed on behalf of the state Department of Health and Human Services, for a temporary restraining order to close the business.

MDHHS issued a Health Protection Order on May 8 and made the move for the temporary restraining order in court -- filed by the Michigan Attorney Generals Office on behalf of MDHHS -- after he did not close.

Related: Judge denies attorney generals demand to shut down Owosso barber shop

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement after the suspension order that Mankes actions were in violation of the governors executive orders as well as other health orders put the public at risk for contracting COVID-19.

Anytime you have a barber or other professional providing services to numerous citizens in close proximity to each other and those citizens are then returning to their various residences, there is a risk of contracting and spreading the virus," she added.

"It is paramount that we take action to protect the public and do our part to help save lives.

David A. Kallman, Mankes attorney, previously told MLive-The Flint Journal that the summary suspension order comes without notice.

Ive never seen it used this way, ever, said Kallman. Its usually saved for situations if you have doctors doing bogus cancer treatments or you have a sex offender living at a daycare center. We dont have that here.

Related: Owosso barber says shop will stay open 'until Jesus walks in or until they arrest me

Kallman argued the two points made by LARA for the summary suspension order -- violation of the executive order and criminal charges -- are those which have been created of late by Whitmer. He has called them illegal and unlawful as they come without the backing of state lawmakers who declined to extend the state of emergency beyond April 30.

Whitmer has extended until May 28. Those who violate the governors executive order are subject to a $1,000 civil fine, a $500 criminal fine and 90 days in jail.

Kallman has said he would file motions to dismiss a citation given to Manke by Owosso police with two misdemeanors for violation of the order.

Owosso barber confirms he was ticketed by police for opening shop

What kind of banana republic are we in here? he said. I guess theyve never hear of the fact there is this thing in the Constitution -- innocent until proven guilty. I guess thats one more thing they are trampling under their feet.

Manke grew emotional at a May 11 press conference as he talked about the about the outpouring of support hes received.

I came into this last Monday alone, thinking Im going to swing in the wind alone, he said, calling the governors order to keep non-essential businesses closed oppressive and he doesnt need to be mothered by lawmakers. I cannot believe the support that Ive got. Its overwhelming."

The Michigan Conservative Coalition has said they have plan to have volunteer barbers set to offer free haircuts at a May 20 protest outside the state Capitol in Lansing, with the move inspired by Manke.

Operation Haircut is designed to demonstrate the insanity still rampant in Lansing, said Marian Sheridan, a co-founder of the Michigan Conservative Coalition in a press release. Michigan needs to be reopened now to end the reign of Michigans power hungry bureaucrats."

The owner of another barbershop in Cadillac has also reopened her doors in recent days as well as a Holland salon owner.

Related:

Barbers giving away free haircuts on Capitol lawn at next weeks protest

Its about the principle of everything, says Holland salon owner defying Whitmers coronavirus order closures

Another Michigan barbershop reopens, defying governors order

State seeks new court hearing after judge rules in favor of Owosso barber shop

State orders Owosso barber to shut shop or face court if he continues to defy governors coronavirus order

Michigan salons left in the dark as pressure to reopen mounts
Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused its Houthi foes of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas they hold and the United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic.

The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with the coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, divided between the government in the south and the Iran-aligned Houthi group based in the north.

The conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis has already caused what the United Nations describes as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with about 80% of Yemen's population reliant on aid and millions facing hunger.

The government has reported 128 infections and 20 deaths linked to the coronavirus across nine of Yemen's 21 provinces. The Houthis, who hold most large population centres, have only announced four cases with one death, all in the capital Sanaa.

"Reports on the ground indicate a large number of coronavirus cases in areas under the Houthis' control and hiding this information is completely unacceptable," Minister of Local Administration Abdul Raqib Fath told a news conference on Sunday.

He urged the WHO and the international community to pressure the Houthis about declaring cases.

The Houthi movement, which ousted the internationally recognised government from Sanaa in late 2014, denies the charges. On Saturday, its health minister announced two more infections and said the ministry was following all suspected cases, without providing a number.

The WHO says it has been advising local authorities throughout Yemen, where testing capacity is limited, to report cases in order to secure resources, but that the decision to do so rests with a country's leaders.

Sources had told Reuters that both sides have not fully disclosed the extent of the pandemic in a country already plagued by other diseases.

The Aden-based government's health minister said Yemen urgently needed financial assistance and protective gear for health workers in addition to ventilators, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and swab test equipment.

Yemen has been mired in violence since the Western-backed coalition intervened in March 2015 against the Houthis, who say they are fighting a corrupt system.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Monday hunger could spread drastically due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"That situation could be really catastrophic if all the elements of worst case scenarios come to be but let's hope not and the U.N. are working on avoiding that," senior FAO regional official Abdessalam Ould Ahmed told Reuters.

The United States said on May 6 it would provide $225 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for Yemen, including for reduced operations in the north.

The WFP had said it would halve aid in Houthi-held areas from mid-April over donor concerns that the group is hindering aid deliveries, a charge it denies.

The U.N. envoy to Yemen said on Thursday that significant progress has been made toward cementing a temporary truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic and to pave the way for a resumption of stalled peace talks.

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The man who is wise, therefore, will see his life as more like a reservoir than a canal. The canal simultaneously pours out what it receives; the reservoir retains the water till it is filled, then discharges the overflow without loss to itself.  You too must learn to await this fullness before pouring out your gifts, do not try to be more generous than God.

 Bernard of Clairvaux, from The Two Operations of the Holy Spirit

I was exhausted. I poured myself out all week, every week: preaching on Sunday, meetings on Monday, ministry groups on Tuesday, teaching Bible study on Wednesday, visiting the sick on Thursday, and sermon prep on Friday. By Saturday I had nothing left to give.

As a staff member at a large church, I knew what I had signed up for. I had degrees that prepared me for the rigor of a vocational life dedicated to Christ. I had friends in ministry, a supportive community, and books galore, and I knew enough to take retreats every few months. I loved ...

You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe to Christianity Today magazine. Subscribers have full digital access to CT Pastors articles.

1
Sona Koyo Steering Systems has been granted conditional permission by the concerned government authorities to resume operations for its Plant located at Chennai and RHQ Office located at Gurugram.

Accordingly, the Company will be resuming operations gradually based on customer demand after complying all requisite guidelines to adhere to the National Directives for COVID-19 management, following the Standard Operating Procedure of social distancing, taking preventive measures for health, hygiene, sanitation etc. at workplace to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all workers and employees.

The company has already resumed partial operations at plants located at Gurugram, Dharuhera, Bawal and Sanand.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president J P Nadda on Monday accused opposition parties of "unfairly" targeting his party's workers and independent voices on social media for criticising the handling of the COVID-19 crisis in states where they are in power.

Nadda said this is "unacceptable" in a vibrant democracy and asserted that his party stands with every BJP worker, supporter and well-wisher, who are being targeted by those "scared of their unprincipled getting exposed".

"In the last few days, it has been observed that in opposition-ruled states, the state machinery has been used unfairly to target BJP workers and independent voices on social media, critical of the local government's handling of COVID. In a vibrant democracy, this is unacceptable," he tweeted.

"We will defend your right to free speech and resist these tyrannical forces in the democratic framework," Nadda assured BJP workers and well-wishers.

Culture of debate and criticism of those in public life is an integral part of a democratic process, the BJP chief said, adding that using state agencies to silence dissent is unbecoming of those in power.

"The opposition should adhere to political arguments, when questioned on their failing," he said.

There have been incidents of police cases in states like Maharashtra and West Bengal, both ruled by opposition parties, over alleged "fake" reports related to coronavirus developments.

The Opposition has said that criminal cases have been registered in BJP-ruled states as well, including in Gujarat, over media reports that did not go down well with governments there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency

By Olivia Laing

W.W. Norton. 353 pp. $26.95

---

It was more than a year ago, when things were merely bad, that the British critic Olivia Laing wrote the foreword to "Funny Weather," her new collection of nonfiction pieces. The question she asks there - "Can art do anything, especially during periods of crisis?" - has taken on greater urgency.

This book is not meant to lay out a comprehensive answer to that question. It's a gathering of Laing's reviews, artist profiles and essays, originally published in various newspapers, magazines, exhibition catalogues and other venues. But from these it's fair to say she believes that art can do quite a bit - among other things, she writes, "it shapes our ethical landscapes; it opens us up to the interior lives of others" - and she champions the very attempt on the part of artists to make a dent in the collective consciousness.

Laing's previous books have been smart hybrids of memoir, biography and cultural history. In her first, "To the River," she walked the length of the Ouse - the river in which Virginia Woolf drowned herself - blending Woolf's story with a larger meditation on landscape. "The Trip to Echo Spring" considered her family's history of alcoholism alongside that of several infamously inebriate writers, and "The Lonely City" took on her own solitude by examining isolation in the lives of artists. Even "Crudo," the novel she reeled off during the summer of 2017, operates along these lines. For that, in response to the distressing events of the day (the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the violence in Charlottesville, President Trump's tweets about bombing North Korea), Laing found herself channeling the persona of the late post-punk writer Kathy Acker to tell her story.

Most of the pieces in this volume fit more cleanly into one category or another, and in general the separation is well received. A dozen or so serve as wonderful little biographies of creative figures - writers and visual artists mainly, as well as filmmakers, performers and others.

Laing's arts writing is sharp-minded, and her manner is generous toward both subject and reader. The paintings of Agnes Martin "aren't made to be read, but rather responded to, enigmatic triggers for a spontaneous upwelling of pure emotion." The work of novelist Hilary Mantel is "bleakly comic; her dominant subject the oppression of the weak by the strong, the claustrophobia with which circumstance can close around a person." What can yet be said about the artist Robert Rauschenberg? "Nothing was beneath his regard."

In one essay, Laing writes that her friend, the painter Chantal Joffe, "allows her sitters to possess themselves, to be lovely, idiosyncratic, intelligent, mortal, their eyes wide, wrapped in a daydream or looking boldly back." And that might be a good description of Laing's approach, too. She sees another similarity between them: "We both use portraiture as a way of getting at something deeper."

Before she turned to literary and arts writing, Laing was an environmental activist. ("We were dirty, we smelled of wood smoke, we slept in treehouses and washed in buckets," she remembers in one essay here. "We wanted to protect the world, specifically forests, and so we put our bodies in the way of machines.") It follows that she would care most about art that is "concerned with resistance and repair," and that she would become profoundly interested in how artists interact with the world: how they choose to, or need to, live their lives; how they deal with the social and political circumstances they were born into; how their work asks questions about what matters and what is supposed to.

That comes across throughout this collection, but especially in portraits of people like artist David Wojnarowicz, the creative polymath who painted, filmed, photographed, wrote and spoke out through the AIDS crisis until his death from complications related to the disease in 1992 at the age of 37. "Wojnarowicz was driven to document the undocumented, to record and bear witness to scenes that most people never encounter," writes Laing, who later adds: "His struggle has lost none of its relevance."

The title of this volume comes from the name of the column Laing wrote for four years, starting in 2015, for the contemporary art magazine Frieze. She chose "Funny Weather," she writes, "because I had a feeling that the political weather, already erratic, was only going to get weirder." She was right. In her columns, the toxic flow of current events is filtered through thoughts and insights about films, exhibitions and productions she has seen.

These more personal, more poetical pieces may certainly persuade readers that the creative work she highlights, the product of open and tolerant minds, is on the side of right. Of course, getting through to people on the other side is a challenge that neither artwork nor rational argument can always meet. Still, Laing has faith in the role that art can play.

"The question was what would happen now, how to live on alongside loss and rage, how to not be destroyed by what are manifestly destructive forces," Laing wrote in one 2017 column. She had recently seen "Planes," a performance by Richard Porter, who stands onstage and revisits a personal tragedy that occurred at the same time as a very public one. "It felt like the room got bigger as he talked, until we were all sitting in an enormous space, a cathedral of potential, in which the future was as yet unsketched."

---

Glassie is the author of "A Man of Misconceptions: The Life of an Eccentric in an Age of Change."
U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals in the U.S. are able to immigrate to Canada even during the pandemic, however, in order to cross the border they must prove that the reason for their travel is essential.

Tips to cross the Canada-U.S. border for immigration U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals in the U.S. are able to immigrate to Canada even during the pandemic, however, in order to cross the border they must prove that the reason for their travel is essential.

Tips to cross the Canada-U.S. border for immigration U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals in the U.S. are able to immigrate to Canada even during the pandemic, however, in order to cross the border they must prove that the reason for their travel is essential.

Tips to cross the Canada-U.S. border for immigration U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals in the U.S. are able to immigrate to Canada even during the pandemic, however, in order to cross the border they must prove that the reason for their travel is essential. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the U.S. have options to immigrate to Canada even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Canada is still processing permanent and temporary immigration applications. For U.S. nationals, and visa holders, this means it is still possible to come to Canada to work, or reunite with family.

Rules for travelling to Canada from the U.S. are not as stringent as other countries, however, U.S. travellers must demonstrate that they are coming to Canada for essential reasons.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lists the following as some examples of what could be considered essential travel:

work and study;

critical infrastructure support, which includes services that are essential to the health, safety, and security of Canadians and the government of Canada;

economic services and supply chains; and

purposes of family reunification, though a family visit would not be considered essential.

Learn more about Canadian family sponsorship

The Canada-U.S. border travel restrictions are currently in place until May 21, although the Globe and Mail is reporting restrictions could be extended until June 21.

Despite federal government rules, at the end of the day, the agents at Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) determine whether or not the reason travellers give for coming to Canada is considered essential. CBSA has its own set of criteria for assessing whether or not travellers may be admitted into Canada, according to the Toronto Star.

On the immigration front, U.S. citizens benefit from a couple of initiatives that have been fast-tracking the work permit process since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilitated temporary immigration for U.S. citizens

NAFTA

U.S. citizens may be eligible for facilitated processing when applying for a work permit under the North American Fair Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which will soon be changed to Canada United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). These work permits do not usually require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). There are three categories under NAFTA:

NAFTA Professional: for people who are qualified to work in one of nearly 60 targeted professions, such as teaching, science, medicine, finance, law, and others.

NAFTA Intra-Company Transfer: for people who had worked for a U.S.-based branch of a company for at least one year in a managerial, executive, or other position involving specialized knowledge.

NAFTA Traders and Investors: for people who want to trade goods or services between Canada and the U.S., or investors who have made a substantial investment in a Canadian business.

Intra-Company Transfer

Companies with locations in both Canada and the U.S. can send employees to work in Canada. The Intra-Company Transfer Program allows employees who are working in the U.S. to work at a companys Canadian location without a LMIA.

Global Talent Stream

This fast-track process is normally available to all foreign nationals, but given that biometric centres are closed only U.S. citizens may use this option at this time. The Global Talent Stream is for people with eligible job offers in Canadas tech industry. This stream allows work permits to be processed in as little as two weeks.

Again, in all cases, a workers reason for travel must be considered essential for the benefit of Canadian residents and the economy.

Get help with Canadian work permits

General guidelines for crossing the border

If your trip is essential, some of the following tips might help make the process easier for you and the CBSA agent:

Do not attempt entry if you are symptomatic.

You will be turned away. Stay home and get better.

Make sure your application is well documented.

For workers, establish clearly that you have a job waiting for you in Canada and that your employment is an essential service. It is also important to make it clear that your entry is non-discretionary and non-optional. For example, if your duties can be performed remotely, it might be considered optional to travel to Canada for work.

For family, have documented proof of your relationship with the immediate family member, their status in Canada, and the reason you must cross the border to see them. The reason should be related to reunite permanently or to care for someone who cannot otherwise get care in Canada.

Have a detailed plan as to how you will quarantine yourself for two weeks.

Make sure you have an ironclad plan for isolating yourself upon entry to Canada, or prove that you are exempt. If you cannot adequately prove that you will be able to self-isolate for two weeks, away from vulnerable people, and with access to the necessities of life, you will have to quarantine in a government-approved facility.

Call CBSA ahead of time.

In some cases, it may be beneficial to call the border crossing ahead of time and ask in advance if they will be willing to process your work permit, though a positive answer over the phone does not guarantee entry will be granted once you arrive.

Phone numbers for border crossings can be found on the CBSA website.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

Need assistance with the Temporary Work Permit application process? Contact wp@canadavisa.com.

 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved
The old adage about the cover-up being worse than the crime is about to be tested again in President Trump's Washington.

The White House says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recommended Friday night's ouster of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, and congressional officials tell NBC News, The Washington Post, and The New York Times that Linick was investigating Pompeo's use of a government staffer to perform domestic errands for him and his wife, including walking their dog, picking up dry cleaning, and making restaurant reservations. Linick was the fourth inspector general Trump has fired this spring.

House Democrats, who reportedly learned details about Linick's Pompeo investigation around the same time Trump said he's firing him, launched an investigation on Saturday to determine if the move was an act of retaliation. "What I've learned about Inspector General Stephen Linick's removal is deeply troubling," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

Some Senate Republicans said they're fine with the ouster while others asked for more information. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that despite Linick's "shortcomings" in failing to sufficiently investigate the origins of the Russia investigation, the "general lack of confidence" cited by Trump "simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress." Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) made a broader point: "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."

The allegations that Pompeo was misusing public resources aren't new, the Times reports. Democrats began investigating complains about Pompeo's use of security personnel to run his domestic errands last summer, and he also faced scrutiny for his use of State Department aircraft for frequent visits to Kansas for what appeared to be reconnaissance for a possible Senate run. Pompeo's wife, Susan, has also played an unusually prominent role at the State Department and at the CIA before that, reportedly leading meetings and using office space as well as accompanying her husband on extended official visits abroad.

In all previous cases, "Pompeo or other department officials denied wrongdoing, and the secretary moved on unscathed," the Times notes. "But the maelstrom of questions that began over the weekend could present a formidable challenge" to his "political instincts and career ambitions," including a potential run for president in 2024.

More stories from theweek.com

Trump spent hours retweeting, slamming Fox News, including profane attacks on host Neil Cavuto

Florida COVID-19 data chief says she was removed from post after refusing to censor data

Researchers are learning to predict your chances of surviving COVID-19


Los Angeles, May 18 : Actress Eva Mendes just got a wild makeover, thanks to her daughters.

This weekend, the 46-year-old actress took to Instagram to share a selfie of her make-up done by her daughters Esmeralda Amada Gosling and Amanda Lee Gosling.

Her daughters gave her one colourful and wild makeover perfect for the spring season. "They've won," Mendes captioned her selfie, reports eonline.com.

While Mendes doesn't publicise her life with her daughters and her husband Ryan Gosling, she does share snippets of their life together.

In April, the actress spoke about why she keeps her family life private.

"During these times, I'm so confused about what to post so I'm going to post things that move me in hopes that they move you as well. Since I don't post my about immediate family, and it feels so wrong to post about work, here you go," she shared on Instagram, alongside a photo of a painting.

"One of my favorite pieces of art from one of my favorite artist Rene Magritte. I've always loved this one and it feels especially relevant right now. Sending lots of love out there." In the comments, however, a fan asked why she doesn't post about her family and husband Gosling.

"hi! I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids," the mother-of-two responded.

"I'll talk about them of course, with limits, but I won't post pictures of our daily life. And since my children are still so little and don't understand what posting their image really means, I don't have their consent. And I won't post their image until they're old enough to give me consent."
MBABANE  A businessman feels unfairly treated by officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade after police officers closed his shop despite that he has a permit to operate.

The businessman operates a general dealer shop that sells groceries and other non-essential items. The store, Reliable General Dealers, is situated adjacent to First National Bank (FNB).

Operation

Mohsim Bhagubhai said to comply with the ministrys regulations of allowing shops which sold essential items to operate, he demarcated and closed the section of the non-essential items and only opened the grocery part. The businessman narrated that he was surprised when a male police officer came to close his shop last Saturday, and informed him that he was not supposed to operate. He said he did not understand why he was ordered to close as the minister said general dealers, selling groceries, could operate. He validated his claim by showing the permit from the Commerce Ministry, dated April 4, 2020, which allowed him to continue operating. I went to the ministrys offices to enquire why I was made to close, and I was given an updated stamp which indicted that I can operate but to my surprise, police still closed my store. For what reason? he wondered.

The businessman went on to narrate that, having resumed operations in his shop, the same police officer showed up and ordered him to close again. He said the police officer claimed to have got the directive from the ministry. When the police officer was called on the issue, he said he received a call from the ministry to close the shop. The police officer said what was communicated to him was that the shop was operating as a general dealer, as per the trading licence and was not allowed to operate. He said the shop had items which were not essential.

We do not just go around closing shops, we get a directive from the relevant people, he said.

Comment

When Registrar of Companies Msebe Malinga, who works at the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade, was called for comment, he said there were many factors leading to the closure of a shop that had been previously allowed to operate, among which was non-compliance.
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PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN  Peggy Ndubisi was never one to ask for help no matter how many obstacles life threw at her. To the very end, her family says, she was determined to stand on her own, especially over the past eight years as she survived the streets of New York, having already survived the perils of Hurricane Sandy, which she did sheltered only by the overhang of the womens bathroom at Fort Greene Park.

Ndubisi died April 24 from the coronavirus at age 59 following a life that included nearly 30 years as a social worker. Her family is now seeking help on behalf of their beloved Peggy, the naturalized citizen who arrived in New York City as a foreign exchange student in Nigeria in 1980 and who made it her lifes work to help others  no matter the hardships she endured herself.

Its that determination that Ndubisis sister, Elizabeth Ndubisi-Ukandu, chooses to remember most about Peggy, whose family could not get to her as she lived out her final days in a nursing home because of the pandemic. Yet as much as Peggys family continues to grieve her death, they also feel the irony that lies in the realization that a woman who helped so many was ultimately unable to find assistance herself when she needed it most.

She died a very lonely death, Ndubisi-Ukandu told Patch on Sunday. Its so heartbreaking for me. This is one of the things I will regret, because if we knew this was going to be her end, she didnt need to come here (to the United States). I dont know how she could have helped so many people for so many years and die such a pitiful death. Its just unbelievable.

I just want people to remember her," Ndubisi-Ukandu continued, her voice trailing off, interrupted by tears and emotion.

As friends and neighbors remember Peggy  known by many as Peggy Casby  for her years of living in Brooklyn and Queens, her family has created a GatheringUs memorial fund to help with the cost of cremation and returning Peggys returns to Atlanta, where the family hopes to hold a gathering once the pandemic slows down. As of Monday morning, the fundraising effort has raised more than $1,100 of the $7,000 goal. But for now, with her family hindered by the shelter-in-place order and a lack of funding, Peggys body remains in a New York morgue, a ward of the city.

Story continues

Its a tragic end to a story that started with so much promise, Ndubisi-Ukandu said.

Just four years after arriving in New York, Ndubisi  who graduated from Pace University, later attended Lehman College in the Bronx and worked as a social worker for nearly 30 years  moved into an apartment in Fort Greene, where she lived for 27 years. But starting in 2011, Ndubisi began to experience difficulty, both personally and professionally. As a 2012 Patch story stated, Ndubisi lost everything in an apartment fire that took place in a building that her sister says was once owned by the parents of film director Spike Lee, before she endured subsequent legal battles and the loss of jobs that led eventually to homelessness.

That was the beginning of the end for Peggy, her sister said Sunday of the fire that her family maintains was intentionally set. "She got lost in the cracks."

Despite lifes tribulations, Ndubisi did her best to face obstacles  never getting angry, friends said, but instead doing her best to live life the best way she knew how and to continue to improve herself despite her circumstances. But after any documentation of who she was or what she had achieved were lost in the apartment fire, life just continued to get harder for Ndubisi. Without any paperwork or a Social Security card or passport, Ndubisis family, said Peggy was unable to find temporary housing in shelters across the city, which forced her to take to the streets and the obstacles that come with that life.



"I just want to get my life back together," Ndubisi told Patch in 2012, while her eyes filled with tears. "But right now, I'm just tired."

Ndubisis sister says Peggy eventually lost her ability to speak, a condition that doctors at the facility where she was hospitalized and later in a nursing home couldn't explain. Now, just weeks after her death, her family wants Peggy to be remembered for the way she spent the majority of the time she spent in New York  not for the years that ended up being her last.

While they wait, her sister knows  as she wrote in an online obituary on the GatheringUs page  that Peggy is finally living at perfect peace with the Lord.

I want people to remember that Peggy was a social worker who helped people and assisted people, Elizabeth Ndubisi-Ukandu said Sunday. If anyone would have seen her, they would have said, Oh, shes just another homeless black lady, but I dont like that moniker on her. This was a responsible, educated young woman who just happened to end up on the wrong end of difficulty who ended up getting kicked out (of her home) because someone needed to make more money.

If she wasnt homeless, she would not have died this miserable death.

This article originally appeared on the Park Slope Patch
New Delhi: A small group of migrant labourers from Bihar duped by a travel agent in Delhi, a young woman from Chhattisgarh walking to the New Delhi Railway station to go back to her native place from Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and another group of migrants from UP working in Haryana trying to cross the Yamuna are just some of the stories which have come in as India entered Lockdown 4 on May 18 (Monday).

Three workers in Delhi booked online bus tickets worth Rs 8,000 to go to their native places in Bihar. The travel agent assured them that they will get their buses from Anand Vihar but didn't pick the calls when they reached the Inter-State Bus Terminal.

A photo of a woman with a child on her back in Greater Noida who was seen walking towards the New Delhi Railway Station to look for a train to her home in Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh). She said she couldn't get any help from either state or central government and decided to walk around 28 km to reach the NDLS railway station.

Another photo of a group of migrant labourers seen crossing the Yamuna river in Haryana to reach their homes also went viral on social media.

Similarly, several large groups of migrant labourers were seen walking bare-foot on roads, crying on the phone because they couldn't attend the funerals of their closed ones and were also seen sleeping on highways/railway tracks.

There are an estimated more than 4 crore migrant labourers across the country, mostly working in Maharashtra (close to 80 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (over 37.3 lakh), Tamil Nadu (around 34.8 lakh), and Uttar Pradesh (31.5lakh).

The central and state governments are trying their best to provide these labourers with food and shelter, and have also started transporting them through special trains and buses, but the numbers are so high, that there are thousands out there who are not able to avail these services.

The COVID-19 crisis in the country has led to various problems for these daily-wage labourers, from not getting any work amid the lockdown to not being able to reach to their homes and families.

Earlier, there was a train mishap in Aurangabad, where 16 migrant workers were killed because of sleeping on railway tracks, and 24 migrant labourers were killed in Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh) in a road accident.
The law allows the involvement of interns in counteracting the spread of COVID-19.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill into law that introduces mandatory testing for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms, persons who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases, as well as healthcare workers.

This is stipulated in law No. 587-IX on amendments to some laws of Ukraine to strengthen the Ukrainian healthcare sector's response to COVID-19, the presidential press service said.

The new changes will be in effect for the period of the coronavirus-related quarantine and two months after it is lifted.

Read alsoUkraine to coordinate its actions with European partners while opening borders  MFA Ukraine

The law foresees mandatory testing for all individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms and potential patients. What is more, subject to mandatory tests are healthcare workers who work at hospitals with coronavirus patients, as well as police officers, guardsmen and other workers involved in the war on the coronavirus irrespectively whether they have been in contact with coronavirus patients or not. Ukraine's Health Ministry was instructed to regularly update an algorithm used in COVID-9 tests in line with recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The law allows the involvement of interns and residents on a voluntary basis in counteracting the spread of COVID-19.

To ensure citizens' social protection, the government will pay temporary disability benefits worth 50% of the average salary (income) to patients who are in hospital or self-isolating irrespective of their pension insurance period. Healthcare workers' temporary disability benefits will be 100% of the average salary.

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers and the Health Ministry were tasked to draw up a list of designated hospitals for the first, second and third waves of the epidemic and temporary, specialized hospitals in the order of their priority to admit COVID-19 patients.

They should also develop instructions for training of healthcare workers and other personnel involved in the fight against COVID-19 how to prevent infection contamination and handle the situation when the number of coronavirus patients dramatically increases.

The government and the Health Ministry are obliged to publish updates on the official website to inform the public about the results of COVID-19 testing and the number of tests performed at outpatient and inpatient facilities; availability of medicines and equipment in hospitals; the number and qualifications of medical personnel involved in the fight against COVID-19; as well as on procurements, delivery and distribution of medicines.

The law should become effective from the day of its publication.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada on May 7, 2020, passed bill No. 3380 amending certain laws in order to increase the ability of the Ukrainian healthcare system to counteract the spread of coronavirus disease COVID-19.
The death of a pregnant Algerian doctor from the Coronavirus disease after she was denied maternity leave has sparked an uproar and prompted the dismissal Sunday of a hospital director.



Health Minister Abderrahman Benbouzid sacked the director of the Ras El Oued hospital in eastern Algeria after Wafa Boudissa succumbed to COVID-19, a source close to the case told AFP.



The 28-year-old doctor was eight months pregnant and worked at the IC surgery unit of the hospital when she died on Friday.



She had asked the hospital chief, who was not named, for early maternity leave, but he refused to let her take any time off.



Colleagues of the victim had backed her request and signed a petition in solidarity, one of them said.



Benbouzid on Saturday ordered an investigation into the death of Boudissa and, in an unprecedented move, tasked the inspector general of the health ministry to head the probe.



The source close to the case said that anyone found directly responsible for her death could face trial for negligent homicide.



State television meanwhile broadcast footage showing Benbouzid visiting the hospital and then Boudissas family home to offer his condolences.



In the footage, Benbouzid said he could not comprehend why a pregnant woman was forced to work, while Boudissas co-workers denounced those behind her death.



A presidential decree released at the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic had stated that pregnant women and those raising children were among individuals allowed to take exceptional leave from work.



According to officially declared figures, Algeria has registered 6,821 cases of coronavirus, including 542 deaths, since February.

Source: AFP









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Climate change, not early humans, was likely responsible for the extinction of Australias megafauna, according to groundbreaking research that has rewritten the ancient history of our continent.

Over a decade of excavation at a fossil site in central Queensland by a team of Australian researchers has thrown the giant creatures that crawled and loped across the area more than 60,000 years ago into sharp focus.

An artist's impression of several of the species whose fossils were discovered at the South Walker Creek site, including giant kangaroos, lizards and crocodiles. Credit:Queensland Museum

Queensland Museum palaeontologist Dr Scott Hocknull led the research, along with colleagues from across the country, painstakingly excavating the South Walker Creek site south-west of Mackay.

Dr Hocknull said they uncovered fossils of 16 different species of ancient megafauna, at least one of which, a massive kangaroo, was previously undiscovered.
A tax surprise could be around the corner for business owners who participate in the federal government's forgivable loan program  unless Congress intervenes.

The Paycheck Protection Program offers small businesses a lifeline in the form of a forgivable loan they can use to cover expenses including eight weeks of payroll costs and mortgage interest.

Demand for the aid was so high that the government rolled out a second round of funding on April 27, to the tune of $310 billion.

There's a catch, however.

More from Smart Tax Planning:

Firms that took a PPP loan under $2 million get a break

House Democrats' stimulus bill rolls back $10,000 SALT cap

What Trump's tax return may reveal as Supreme Court weighs access

Business owners who take the loan won't be able to write off expenses that would otherwise be deductible if they use the PPP proceeds to cover the cost and get forgiveness, according to the IRS.

That could result in higher tax bills as entrepreneurs prepare to pay the first and second quarters' estimated taxes on July 15.

"When you're looking at the first quarters of the year and you're planning estimated tax payments, if you don't get the deductions for salaries and wages, it could create more income that you need to pay taxes on," said Dan Herron, CPA and principal of Elemental Wealth Advisors in San Luis Obispo, California.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members have been placed under home quarantine after they travelled to their hometown Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh from Mumbai amid the COVID-19 driven nationwide lockdown.

The move came keeping in view the isolation protocol.

As per sources, the actor had reached his ancestral place on May 11 to celebrate Eid. Taking its cognizance, the authorities directed him and his family to remain under home quarantine for 14 days till May 25. It is reported that Nawazuddin obtained permission from authorities in Mumbai for travelling to Muzaffarnagar. He was accompanied by his mother, brother, and sister-in-law on the homeward journey.

The sources claimed that his and his familys samples were also collected and sent for testing. The results showed all of them negative for coronavirus.
In Vietnam, Cargill is providing financial support to the government through its Cargill Cares Council with the value of more than VND1.5 billion ($65,220). Sources of the support include Cargill Cares Councils annual fund for natural disaster relief, contribution from employees, and a matching fund from Cargill businesses operating in Vietnam. The fund was transferred to the Vietnam Fatherland Front which is assigned by the government to manage its COVID-19 relief fund.

Cargill has been supporting Vietnam in purchasing medical equipment and supplies against COVID-19

The companys preliminary COVID-19 support worth VND600 million ($26,090) was handed over to the Vietnam Fatherland Front on April 13 to support government procurement of medical equipment and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

As the situation continued to evolve in Vietnam and there was a high need to support frontline doctors and nurses with safety equipment, medical tools, and supplies to safely administer care and slow the spread of coronavirus in the long term, Cargill Vietnam employees and businesses continued to send an additional financial support of nearly VND924.5 million (nearly $40,200) on May 14.

In doing this, Cargill is strongly demonstrating its corporate responsibilities in Vietnam when the country is in need of individuals and businesses joining forces to fight the common battle against COVID-19.

At Cargill, it is our purpose to nourish the world and all our employees in Vietnam are doing their best to ensure our customers and farmers can get the feed they need for the animals they are raising. This is important to keep our food systems running to serve people in this critical time. This is also the time to extend our care to the community as we believe collective efforts will help save lives. Our appreciation to the Vietnamese government, medical squads, and all Vietnamese people for your extraordinary efforts in controlling COVID-19 and helping businesses like Cargill protect our people and business, said Luan Nguyen, Cargill Vietnam country president.

These local activities are part of Cargills global effort to work with nonprofit and NGO partners to help address food security, health, and safety needs and agriculture and food industry challenges due to the spread of COVID-19. By today, Cargill has committed $35 million for COVID-19 relief and recovery to help address food security and emergency medical response for vulnerable children and families, and support agricultural producers and food industry workers. Cargill has also donated more than three million pounds of food to food shelves and hunger relief organisations in local communities where its employees live and work.
Elevated highway: Govt. accepts unsolicited proposal from Chinese company By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s):

The Government has accepted an unsolicited proposal from China Harbour Engineering Company (Ltd) for the elevated expressway from Athurugiriya to New Kelani Bridge via Rajagiriya  a project for which bid documents had already been finalised to call an open tender.

The CHEC bid was directed via the Board of Investment (BOI) and discussions are underway, the Highways Ministry Secretary has told media. However, a three-volume Request for Proposals comprising at least 300 pages each was earlier drawn up with the aim of attracting prospective bidders on a level playing field.

It was not immediately clear how a single bid was entertained when Cabinet approval was granted for talks to be conducted with prospective contractors who are willing to provide an acceptable proposal for finance, construction and transfer the project at the end of a mutually agreed period to the Government without burdening the Government budget. A question sent via text message to Highway Ministry Secretary R.W.R. Pemasiri went unanswered.

It is also not clear how any such project will not burden the Government budget because the money will eventually have to be paid off on terms agreed with the contractor.

The Highways Ministry and the Road Development Authority (RDA) in recent weeks have been steaming ahead with road construction initiatives but keeping many of them under wraps. This includes the elevated highway and a bridge that is to span from School Avenue to Angampitiya Road in Kotte.

Projects are now mushrooming. The latest Cabinet memorandum to be approved even mentions two flyovers  one near Sri Uttarananda Mawatha in Colombo 3 and another near Komapannaveediya station over the railway lines. Last week, Cabinet Spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said the Highways Ministry would borrow Rs 15bn from China Development Bank (CDB) to develop 105km of roads in the Matara and Hambantota districts.

The Cabinet has agreed, too, that negotiations can proceed with a consultancy company called M/s Roughton International (Pvt) Ltd for construction of a section of the Central Expressway with financing purportedly from United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF).

For Section III of the Central Expressway, the Highway Ministry wants a financier who can provide his own financing to start the project with US$ 170 million until total financing is ensured. This is a new mechanism to be included in Cabinet papers, surfacing under the current administration.

The financier would require arranging the total loan amount without burdening the Government of Sri Lanka for next 5 years, the relevant Cabinet memorandum states.

Meanwhile, the Highways Ministry is negotiating with M/s China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC) for the construction of Section I of the Ruwanpura Expressway from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya. A Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee has requested the contractor to arrange its own financing, again to start the project with US$ 110 million until total financing is ensured.

The latest Cabinet paper does not mention CEP I, for which Cabinet earlier approved borrowing Rs 31.7bn as counterpart funds. The Chinese party that won the contract  M/s Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC)  has since agreed to foot 7.5 percent of this bill. But that still leaves the Government with substantial borrowings at a time when the global economy is racked by uncertainty.
KOCAELI, Turkey, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Polin Waterparks, industry leader in waterslide innovation and technology integration, is proud to extend their expertise to full amusement parks with the launch of their brand-new waterpark image recognition technology; AIPIX.

For ages, waterparks and amusement parks have been family favorite destinations and it's not just because of the thrilling rides or amazing food, it's because of the overall experience and the memories it creates. And that's exactly what keeps guests returning to the same parks! That's why capturing those memories and making them long-lasting is so invaluable. With AIPIX, it's easier than ever for guests and owners to capture more experiences in action than ever before.

AIPIX is a next-level image recognition technology that is much more complicated and advanced than the common face recognitions systems that need a clear portrait shot to properly detect the individual. With its specially developed artificial intelligence architecture, AIPIX can detect the individual even if their eyes are closed, face is partially blocked or if they are widely screaming. With the strategically placed cameras, owners can capture these memories in real time, live videos, stills and from the best points of view.

Unique Benefits

VISITOR'S ENGAGEMENT: Very easy, extremely smart and user-friendly interface that allows visitors to explore, buy, and share by using only their 'selfie'.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: Visitors can instantly share their experiences in their social media posts which provides parks with instant, natural and free social media marketing.

INSTANT AND LONG LASTING MEMORIES: With the instant uploads to the visitors phone, it allows them to spend more time, and money, in the park rather than standing in long lines at the end of the ride waiting for their photos to upload for purchase. These instant images can be purchased now, or later which provides long lasting memories and revenue.

INCREASE BUSINESS INSIGHTS: AIPIX can provide personalised and general insight and data analytics to owners including usages, gender, age, locations, time and even relations.

NO CAPITAL EXPENSES: This unique business model provides park owners with a cutting-edge image recognition technology, professional installation and an instant revenue stream without any up front costs.

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Mexico has been seeing a steep climb in new infections, with nearly 50,000 cases and some 5,000 deaths.

Local governments across Mexico pushed back on Monday against President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors call to reopen the economy in some 300 townships that do not have active cases of coronavirus, with leaders saying they preferred to wait until June before resuming normal activities.

Mexico, which has reported nearly 50,000 total cases and some 5,000 deaths, has seen a steep climb in new infections. Front-line doctors fear that a premature reopening could lead to a second wave of infections  a scenario that recently played out in Chile and Guatemala, where governments had to roll back reopening plans.

But Lopez Obrador has been pushing to reactivate the economy. In addition to opening virus-free communities, his health advisers have said that the mining, construction and automotive industries could resume operations as early as Monday.

The countrys lockdown, which began in March, will remain in place, but those industries will be allowed to return to production because Mexicos top advisory body on the pandemic, the General Health Council, had decided to classify them as essential activities.

Today, productive social activity has already started to open where it was agreed, and they can start classes, Lopez Obrador said. We are talking about around 300 townships where there are no infections.

But in most approved areas, the presidents words did not result in any changes.

In the southern state of Oaxaca, which has more than 200 of the infection-free townships, Governor Alejandro Murat said in a video address Sunday that after consultations with other communities, officials decided to wait until June 1 to begin evaluating whether to resume economic activity.

Murat said students would not return to class Monday even in communities without confirmed cases of the virus.

In neighbouring Guerrero, Governor Hector Astudillo said it remained unclear when students could return to classes.

We are not going to return to classes on the 18th in any township, and there arent conditions to do it June 1 either, he said. Guerrero had 12 townships on the federal governments approved list, but Astudillo said that really it was 10, because two were adjacent to communities in Oaxaca with confirmed cases.

The states mining and construction sectors were also preparing for a June 1 start, Astudillo said.

The western state of Jalisco was keeping schools closed in its approved communities, but allowing work to resume in some sectors of the economy.

Governor Enrique Alfaro, who has publicly disagreed with some moves by federal health officials, announced that some non-essential businesses that do not generate crowds, as well as services such as plumbing and landscaping and beauty salons would be allowed to reopen.

Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Mexicos Undersecretary of Health Prevention and Promotion, speaking at a news conference with Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City, Mexico [Henry Romero/Reuters]

Here, there are not townships that open and others that dont, Alfaro said, noting that the issue should not be for a Mexico City bureaucrat to decide. Its a serious mistake this idea of opening some townships and not others. That decision isnt going to happen in Jalisco, nor be followed.

The precariousness of the endeavour was displayed Sunday night, when Lopez Obradors point man on the virus, Health Under-secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said in the middle of his daily COVID-19 news conference that he was removing a township from the list.

During the presentation, he had received word from Guerreros health secretary that one of the approved communities now had an infection case, he said.

By the end of his news conference, a reporter alerted him to another community in Oaxaca that may have to be removed from the list. He said it was going to be a dynamic situation.

If this happens tomorrow, it will be suspended where cases are detected, Lopez-Gatell said.
By PTI

KOLKATA: The first repatriation flight to Kolkata, carrying 169 people from Bangladesh, arrived at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport here on Monday afternoon, officials said.

The flight from Dhaka reached Kolkata around 12.30 pm, airport officials said.

"The passengers are now going through health check-ups and screening. The state health department officials are monitoring the entire process," they added.

Passengers on the flight include 73 students, 16 elderly people, 45 stranded tourists, 16 people with medical emergencies and one pregnant woman, sources said.

The passengers will be placed under institutional quarantine for a stipulated period, following which they will be allowed to go to their homes, the officials added.
ProfitSword, the senior living industrys premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has announced the release of a white paper detailing vital guidance on how community operators can benefit from advanced data management strategies to successfully navigate and address suddenly arising business needs within a shifting market environment. Entitled, Making Healthy Decisions for Senior Living Operations Begins with Healthy Business Intelligence and Effective Data Management, the white paper is now available to senior living community operators by visiting the ProfitSword website.

As the senior living industry faces unprecedented challenges due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the ProfitSword white paper demonstrates how similar to preserving ones physical health, the financial and operational well-being of a community and its residents is best achieved by limiting exposure to unforeseen risk factors and being able to act decisively should business or market anomalies arise. In order to accomplish this goal, the white paper focuses on how ensuring access to an organizations real-time performance data can provide uncertain community operators with the immediate insight needed to fully understand where their business currently stands, what opportunities or threats may be materializing and how to best proceed to protect both business and resident interests. Community operators can also learn how to quickly determine which business efforts are performing successfully, which require re-strategizing and which should be eliminated to ensure the efficient use of available resources.

Senior living professionals are among the most overwhelmed by the current crisis due to having to ensure the wellbeing of one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals, but with the publishing of this white paper we hope to provide each of them with the reassurance that they are able to quickly and effectively make decisions in a way that always best serves the needs of their residents and business, says John Crutchfield, Chief Operating Officerat ProfitSword.By implementing the strategies and best practices outlined within the white paper, community operators can not only better understand how they can identify and implement the most appropriate responses to the ongoing situation, but can also learn how such an effective business intelligence infrastructure can ensure their ability to fully recover and become a more successful business far into the long-term future.

To download a copy of the ProfitSword white paper on how senior living operators can leverage performance data management best practices to ensure the wellbeing of their residents and business, please visit: http://www.profitsword.com/case-studies/making-healthy-decisions-for-senior-living-operations-begins-with-healthy-business-intelligence-and-effective-data-management/.

For additional details about ProfitSword and its full range of business intelligence solutions, please visit http://www.profitsword.com.

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Founded in 2001, ProfitSword is an innovator in business intelligence software and applications. ProfitSword solutions provide seamless integration of data and real-time information to enhance decision-making process and improve profitability. ProfitSword is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and serves nearly 100 corporations and ownership groups representing more than 3,500 businesses worldwide. For additional information on ProfitSword and its customized products and software solutions, contact Michele Mott at (407) 909-8822, mmott@profitsword.com, or go to http://www.profitsword.com.
In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections held in the sweltering heat of April-May, Lalu Prasad was at the peak of his popularity, a crowd-charmer without match in the state he ruled as chief minister.

I was on the campaign trail with him. As the chopper in which we flew from Patna circled over Samastipur, Prasad soaked his hand towel with Bisleri water to rinse his face. Seeing his starched, white-kurta drenched in sweat, I asked, Politics is a lot of hard work; it isnt an easy call. What keeps you going? He pointed to the crowds below, gyrating to the choppers chuffs, amid clouds of dust: Ye hai hamara indhan (thats what fuels me on).

The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader is in jail now in the fodder scam. The vignettes from his past juxtapose starkly with the social distancing norms likely to be in force in November in Bihar during the countrys first post-Covid-19 polls.

If the pandemic sustains, Bihars poll template may be replicated in the April-May elections next year in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. A noiseless, crowd-less celebration of democracys biggest festival will, if it so pans out, mark a paradigm shift in these provinces with a history of mass agitations and gigantic election-time rallies.

The organisational muscle of Tamil Nadus Dravidian parties has been nurtured since the late 1940s by such iconic leaders as CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. When marching to their call, their cadres havent ever brooked barriers.

In contrast, the 1998-born Trinamool is a party much younger and more impetuous, taking after the temperament of its founder, the redoubtable Mamata Banerjee, serving a second term as chief minister in the state she wrested from the then mighty Communist Party of India (Marxist), which in turn, remains in power in Kerala.

These parties have a mastery over stirring up street power. Their workers are trained to draw out crowds, not observe protocols for social distancing. They will need a veritable personality transplant to follow the inhibitory rules.

If sent to polls in October-November, Bihar will be the benchmark for other states, said Dr V Maitreyan of the AIADMK. He foresaw, in the event of the pandemic persisting, transformative changes in campaigning patterns. The elections will be party and leader-centric, rather than candidate centric, given the inevitably greater reliance on the social and electronic media.

Maitreyan may well be right. His prognosis? The assembly polls in which local candidates traditionally got higher weightage could acquire the characteristics of parliamentary or presidential form of elections  for the public rallies or street-corner meetings where the voter got to see candidates up close may not be permitted.

Conscious of the dynamic situation, the Election Commission is studying various possibilities which include the conduct of campaign and polling as per health guidelines, said Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa. He agreed that contestants might have to devise their campaigns differently if the threat lasted longer.

Overwhelmed as they are by the social, clinical and administrative odds on account of the health emergency, politicians in Bihar havent yet applied their minds to the November elections. One among them, the Janata Dal (United)s KC Tyagi succinctly summed up the mood: currently, religion and electoral politics are on the backburner: Dharm band, rajniti band.

There hasnt been any substantial stock-taking in the Opposition ranks barring informal suggestions of a video conference, said Sharad Yadav of the RJD. He thought the prospects of timely polls in Bihar would hinge on the Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalitions handling of the return and rehabilitation of natives from other states.

From wider conversations this writer had with leaders across party lines, it was evident that they were unsettled the most by the possible political implications of the human cost of Covid-19. Assembly elections arent on anybodys mind as theyre some distance away, noted the Trinamools Derek OBrien. From what he said, it seemed the Trinamool regimes immediate concern was to have in place a mechanism to run the 100-odd civic bodies  that are crucial for fighting the virus and where elections couldnt be held because of it.

In democracies across the world, leaders have been graded, mandated and assigned their places in history on their ability to move the masses  in death and in life. So WhatsApp cannot substitute for what exists on the ground. The hope nevertheless is that Corona too would go the way past pandemics did, returning to us the way weve practiced democracy.
As a result of todays global health and economic crisis, people are turning to art to understand their past, present, and future, and their place in the world now that so much of their old life has changed.

Robert Berry Gallery, a premier New York City-based art gallery dedicated to world-changing art, announced its new show Impressionable, featuring new works by Chicago-based artist John Ruby, will open on Monday, May 18. The show will go live at http://www.robertberrygallery.com.

We are proud to offer John Rubys inspirational new works blending photography, illustration, and technology influences with legendary rock icons like Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, and Amy Winehouse, stated Robert Berry, founder and CEO of Robert Berry Gallery. Impressionable will give viewers and participants the opportunity to experience a new perspective on these familiar yet otherworldly faces, and a shift in perspective on time. As a result of todays global health and economic crisis, people are turning to art to understand their past, present, and future, and their place in the world now that so much of their old life has changed. John Rubys show highlights the clarity in distance and the murkiness in closeness, cutting through the cacophony of digital noise we are all experiencing in quarantine, and presenting a fresh new voice.

Ruby, a native of Illinois, attended the American Academy of Art, specializing in Photography and Illustration. At the age of 23, he combined his talents to become a digital photo re-toucher, and began exploring the giclee process. He has taken his life experiences and influences  the good and the bad  and turned them into expressive and colorful works of digital and analog art. Today, by combining his conventional art along with digital art and photography, the result is highly expressive, emotional, and hugely compelling works.

Impressionable is about life, new perspectives, and hindsight, said John Ruby, the artist. When you get closer, these works become more abstract. When you step away, they become clearer. Like people from the past, the more you get to know them, and the closer you get, the more abstract they become. As much as you want to know more, you can only know so much. My paintings are a reflection of the distance between us and them, and the unknowable spaces between the past, present, and future.

Impressionable will feature nine new works from Ruby, utilizing acrylic, photographic, and 3D-printing elements, sized from 24 x 30 to 40 x 30. Each piece features a close-up portrait of an iconic musician, from John Lennon to David Bowie, so well-known in their own right, that they are just as famous to Rubys generationgrowing up in the 1970sas well as every generation thereafter. These dazzling portraits, printed on swirly, colorful, and textured palettes, are highly collectible, work well in sets as part of a larger collection, and are completely unique in the marketplace.

Art has always kept me even-keeled; its a healer for me, Ruby stated. Theres not a piece Ive worked on that I dont remember the music I was listening to. For Impressionable, I was listening to the artists when I made this. I wanted to delve into the soul of these people. I wanted their music to influence the detail-oriented, multilayered process of making these works. My joy comes from the surprise of my own work, and to surprise others with its nuances, layers, and mysteries.

Robert Berry Gallery hosts several shows a year, representing early to mid-career contemporary artists including Machiko Edmondson, David Kastner, Yibai Liao, Ned Martin, Taney Roniger, John Ruby, and Leonardo Silaghi.

About Robert Berry Gallery

Robert Berry Gallery was founded in 2014 with a focus on world-changing art. Our specialty is identifying and working collaboratively with emerging 21st century artists whose work has the ability to positively and powerfully influence society. We work with art industry professionals, galleries, museums as well as advanced and beginning art collectors to establish award-winning collections that are both meaningful and hold long-term value. Our mission is to find and promote the best artists of the post-digital world we live in. We secure the best artists across every medium from all over the world: painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, digital art, sound art, video art, and everything in between. All the artists we exhibit offer the public the highest quality in their respective style. In 2020, the gallery has migrated from pop-up project spaces to digitally-based exhibitions that can showcase new works of art that provoke the emotions of the viewer, without the rigidity and high overhead that the brick-and-mortar model the art world has historically held onto. With a focus on service and excellence, we help clients find the perfect pieces for their diverse spaces. We will even help you figure out where to put it, and show you how it will look. Robert Berry Gallery offers incredible art you wont find anywhere else, viewable and clickable in a virtual gallery. For more information, please visit http://www.robertberrygallery.com.
The Sciences Po researcher was convicted of conspiracy against national security. She also got a year for "propaganda against the state. For Paris, her conviction is of a political nature. Human rights groups and her colleagues have called for her release. Kylie Moore-Gilbert's family members deny claims she tried to commit suicide.

Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies)  An Iranian court sentenced French-Iranian anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah to five years in prison. For more than a year, she has been at the centre of a political and humanitarian controversy between France and Iran.

Fariba Adelkhah was convicted for conspiracy against national security. She also got one year for propaganda [against the state], her lawyer Saeid Dehghan said. French authorities reacted immediately, and "firmly condemned" the court ruling.

According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, This conviction is not based on any serious element or established fact and is therefore of a political nature. He called on Iranian authorities to release her unconditionally.

Fariba Adelkhah, 61, was arrested in June 2019 and taken to Evin prison, on the outskirts of the capital Tehran. She is a researcher on Shia Islam at the Centre for International Studies (Centre de recherches internationals, CERI), a facility affiliated with the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po).

In an email sent to its students, the institute said that this terrible news, as revolting as it is unacceptable, arouses in us anger, sadness and indignation; however, we shall not give up.

Her lawyer has already announced plans to appeal the decision. In the months leading up to the trial, which began in March, the prosecutor dropped spying charges, which would have resulted in an even longer sentence.

Adelkhah was arrested by the Guardians of the Revolution, together with her companion, Africanist Roland Marchal (who came to visit her on a private visit), on 5 June 2019, at Tehran International Airport.

Adelkhahs friends and colleagues are particularly worried because the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Iran hard, and Evin Prison is one of its hotspots. In addition, She has kidney problems caused by her hunger strike, her lawyer said.

In recent years, especially since the United States withdrew unilaterally from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and imposed new sanctions, more and more Iranians with dual nationality have detained, usually on charges of espionage on behalf of foreign powers.

Iran does not recognise dual citizenship. Human rights groups activists complain that Iranian authorities use psychological torture" and is responsible for "human rights violations" of people in jail.

Whilst in prison waiting for her trial, the scholar went on a hunger strike as did Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a British-Australian lecturer in Islamic studies, who was sentenced to ten years in prison and is also held at Evin Prison.

According to some reports, Moore-Gilbert earlier this month tried to kill herself several times. She is said to be upset with the Australian governments response to her detention

In a statement released by Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, her family said that they had spoken a number of times" with her in recent weeks.

She has strongly denied reports that she has attempted suicide or that she is being tortured, the family said. She seems to be in good health considering her situation.

Moore-Gilberts arrest was confirmed in September 2019 but her family at the time noted that she had been detained for months before that. Since her detention, she has spent ten months in solitary confinement.
RTHK: EU fund planned to help weak economies recover

France and Germany proposed Monday a 500 billion euro fund to finance the recovery of the European Union's economy from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus crisis.

Putting aside past differences and seeking to prove that the Franco-German core of Europe remains intact, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the unprecedented package after talks by video conference.

With the European economy facing its biggest challenge since World War II, Macron also acknowledged that the EU had fallen short in its initial response to the virus and needed to coordinate more closely on health.

Financed by "borrowing from the market in the name of the EU," the money will flow to the "worst-hit sectors and regions" in the 27-member bloc, the two countries said in a joint statement.

"We are convinced that it is not only fair but also necessary to now make available the funds... that we will then gradually repay through several future European budgets," Merkel said.

Countries benefiting from the financing would not have to repay the money, Macron added, emphasising that the funds "were not loans."

The borrowing marks a major shift by Germany, which has until now rebuffed calls by Spain and Italy for so-called "coronabonds" for joint borrowing on financial markets to provide stimulus cash.

Germany, the Netherlands and other rich countries had seen them as an attempt by the indebted south to unfairly take advantage of the north's fiscal discipline.

But Merkel said the seriousness of the crisis meant that "solidarity" must be the order of the day.

"The aim is to ensure that Europe comes out of the crisis more cohesive and with more solidarity," she said, calling the proposal "courageous."

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who would have to help implement the package, hailed the plan as a "constructive proposal."

"It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces," she said.

European sources told AFP last week the Commission would lay out its plan toward the end of May, hoping both to reconcile the opposing objectives while proving that European solidarity is more than just a lofty slogan.

Macron said stronger European coordination on health issues must be a priority, admitting that the EU fell short in its initial response to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Europe was without doubt put at fault at the beginning of this crisis," Macron said.

He added that unilateral steps by some EU countries to close borders -- without consulting their neighbours -- had given a "sad image" of Europe.

He said Europe needed "very concrete capacities" to handle health crises with shared stocks of masks and tests, and prevention plans to combat epidemics.

"A Europe of health -- which has never existed -- has to be our priority," he said. "We need to learn all the lessons from this pandemic."

In a sign of how the pandemic has changed global diplomacy, their joint press conference saw them stand at lecterns in cities hundreds of kilometres apart, with Merkel in Berlin and Macron in Paris.

Europe is just beginning to emerge from the lockdowns to halt the outbreak, which has taken a huge bite out of national economies and raised the prospects of damaging recessions that could last for months or even longer.

But despite widespread recognition that the hardest-hit countries will be unable to repair the economic damage on their own, divisions among EU members on how to craft an overall response have hampered comprehensive action so far.

The eurozone economy overall is forecast to contract a whopping 7.7 percent this year, but the damage could be worse in Italy and Greece, which could see their economies shrink by nearly 10 percent, prompting a cascade of bankruptcies and job losses. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese authorities have enforced further lockdown measures on its north-eastern cities after a local infection cluster continues to spread as officials conduct mass-testing on citizens to prevent a possible second outbreak.

Shulan, a city of 700,000 people located in Jilin province of north-western China, has tightened quarantine measures today by banning residents from leaving their homes in compounds with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.

Jilin, the second-largest city of Jilin province, also sealed off one of its districts yesterday after changing the area's emergency level to 'high-risk'.

Shulan, a city of 600,000 people located in Jilin province of north-western China, has tightened quarantine measures today by banning residents from leaving their homes in compounds with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. The picture taken on May 17 shows an entrance of a market is blocked in Jilin province

For the past three days, provincial officials have screened more than 40,000 residents in its cities of city and Shulan to prevent a second wave of the outbreak, authorities said today

For the past three days, provincial officials have screened more than 40,000 residents in the cities of Jilin and Shulan to prevent a second wave of the outbreak, authorities said today.

Six officials - one from Shulan and five from Jilin city - have been removed from their posts following the emergence of local infection clusters, Chinese media report.

It comes as the province of Jilin reported two new infections today, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 34. All cases have been linked to a cluster of infections emerged in Shulan earlier this month.

The city of Shulan has been under lockdown since May 9 after registering 12 COVID-19 cases in the space of two days.

Four days later, the former provincial capital city Jilin, with a population of more than four million, shut down its borders and suspended public transport after reporting six new confirmed cases last Wednesday, all linked to the infection cluster in Shulan.

From Sunday, officials in Jilin city have sealed off one of its district, Fengman, where 12 infections were detected. The area's emergency level has also been changed from 'medium-risk' to 'high-risk'.

Shulan officials decided to implement further restrictions on its residents after the cluster of infections continue to spread across the province, according to an official notice issued today.

The city of Shulan has been under lockdown since May 9 after registering 12 COVID-19 cases in the space of two days, all linked to the same source. Pictured, medical workers wait to be disinfected as they line up to submit the COVID-19 samples in Jilin yesterday

Shulan, a city of 600,000 people located in Jilin province of north-western China, has been a COVID-19 hotspot after reporting a cluster of infections earlier this month

The directive, billed as Shulans most strict measures, said that residential compounds with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases have been sealed off from Monday, with no citizen allowed to enter or leave. Volunteers in Jilin are pictured guarding at a residential complex

The directive, billed as Shulans most strict measures, said that residential compounds with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases have been sealed off from Monday, with no citizen allowed to enter or leave. Daily supplies will be delivered to residents front doors by local supermarkets.

Households from areas with no infections can appoint only one family member to go out to purchase essentials once every two days for a maximum of two hours. Residents who break such rules will be banned from leaving their homes completely, according to the notice.

The cities of Jilin and Shulan are located in the eponymous province of Jilin, which borders Russia and North Korea.

Households from areas with no infections can appoint only one family member to go out to purchase essentials once every two days for a maximum of two hours. A volunteer wearing a protective suit is seen scanning a woman's health QR code at the temperature checkpoint at the entrance of a residential community in Jilin city on May 17

Jilin city reported six new confirmed cases last Wednesday, all linked to the Shulan cluster. Police officers clad in protective suits stand guard outside Jilin city's railway station on May 13

A cluster of infections was reported in the suburb of Shulan in early May, with Jilin's vice mayor warning last Wednesday that the situation was 'extremely severe and complicated' and 'there is major risk of further spread'

As of today, Jilin province has reported a total of 34 confirmed COVID-19 infections, of which 19 were recorded in Shulan and 15 were detected in the city of Jilin.

All of the cases were linked to a local laundry worker, a 45-year-old woman who tested positive on May 7 and was reported as the first confirmed infection. But it remains unclear how the patient contracted the virus.

Eight patients from the cluster of infections have recovered, according to the Jilin Health Commission today. No deaths have yet been reported.

Local authorities have been conducting mass-testing in the two cities in a move to prevent a possible second wave of the outbreak, said Wang Bin, an official from the National Health Commission told the press Monday.

A total of 40,101 Jilin residents have been screened for COVID-19 in the past three days, Chinese media report.

It comes as Wuhan, the city where the pandemic began, has kicked off its 10-day coronavirus testing on its 11 million residents as seeing an emergence of new cases in Wuhan in recent days, after weeks without fresh infections.

China has largely brought the virus under control, but it has been on edge about a potential second wave as it has lifted lockdowns and restrictions across the country.

Wuhan, the city where the pandemic began, has kicked off its city-wide coronavirus testing on its 11 million residents as seeing an emergence of new cases in Wuhan in recent days. Pictured, a medical worker takes a swab sample from a Wuhan resident on May 15
(CNN) -- SoftBank on Monday said that Jack Ma has resigned from its board, while also revealing a big round of share buybacks. The announcements come ahead of what is widely expected to be an historically terrible earnings report for the Japanese tech conglomerate.

Ma, the founder and director of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, is the latest noteworthy member to leave SoftBank's board. Billionaire and Fast Retailing founder Tadashi Yanai left at the end of last year.

Ma, who had been on the board for nearly 13 years, is also close with SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son. Son invested $20 million in Alibaba in 2000  a bet that turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public in 2014. SoftBank has since sold some shares, but its 25.1% stake in Alibaba was still worth more than $133 billion as of Monday.

Ma's departure comes at a tumultuous time for SoftBank. The company, which is expected to report earnings after market close in Tokyo, has warned of historic losses to come. Son's investment portfolio has been walloped by sweeping, worldwide restrictions on work and travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, SoftBank forecast a net loss of 900 billion yen ($8.4 billion) for its fiscal year. The company also forecast it would post a record annual operating loss of 1.35 trillion yen ($12.6 billion)  the worst in at least 20 years, according to the data provider Refinitiv.

Even before the outbreak, some of Son's major tech bets were turning sour. Two of SoftBank's biggest investments  Uber and WeWork  both faced rough receptions on Wall Street in large part due to concerns about their steep losses. SoftBank said last month that it expects to lose 700 billion yen ($6.5 billion) on a portion of its investment in WeWork that it holds outside of its $100 billion Vision Fund.

Aside from Ma's departure, three new board members were announced, including two external directors: Lip-Bu Tan, the founder of venture capital firm Walden International and CEO of a software and engineering services company, and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor with Waseda Business School. SoftBank's financial chief Yoshimitsu Goto was the third board appointment.

SoftBank also said it is buying back up to 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) worth of shares over the next year, the second tranche of share purchases of this size. The company had in mid-March announced plans to buy up to 500 billion yen worth of shares over the next year.

And there will be more share buybacks to come.

SoftBank said in late March that it planned to sell $41 billion worth of assets, which it would use to pay down debt and repurchase even more of its stock, up to 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) worth.

Monday's share purchase announcement is the first chunk of that multi-trillion yen plan, according to Bernstein analyst Chris Lane.

Remaining tranches will be approved by SoftBank's board "as and when appropriate," Lane said, citing a company spokesperson.

Shares in SoftBank rose about 1.7% in Tokyo, outperforming the broader Nikkei 225, which was trading about 0.5% higher.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "SoftBank announces that Jack Ma will leave its board ahead of earnings report."
Halton Region police have identified two men who died in a shooting in Oakville early Saturday.

Shortly after 3 a.m., police were called to the area of Iroquois Shore Road and Eighth Line. One victim was pronounced dead the scene, and the other died at hospital. They have been identified as Afheed (Al) Rehmtulla, 43, and Kareem Wade, 34.

Police added that two other victims of the shooting are expected to recover.

At this time, the motive for the shooting remains unknown, police said in a news release on Sunday. It is believed that the shooting was targeted.

No one has been arrested.

Ilya Banares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas

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Ben Ungermann disappeared from MasterChef: Back to Win last week without any real explanation, only for it to be later revealed he had been charged with two sex offences allegedly committed while he was in Melbourne filming the show.

And before details of his arrest were made public on Tuesday, the 33-year-old had resurfaced in Queensland, where he is employed as a chef at a country retreat.

He is currently working at the Tommy Smith Cafe at Woodlands of Marburg, and has already created a special Indonesian menu for the venue.

New opportunity: MasterChef's Ben Ungermann has resurfaced with a major announcement after being eliminated from the show following his arrest during filming

The heritage-listed resort shared a photo of Ben standing outside the front of the building, alongside the caption: 'Woodlands of Marburg is proud to introduce new Gourmet Chef Ben Ungermann to the Woodlands family.

'Many new exciting adventures ahead.'

Ben was charged by Victorian sexual crime squad detectives on March 6 with two counts of sexual assault following an alleged incident on February 23 when MasterChef was in production in Melbourne.

He is listed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on June 25.

Victoria Police confirmed Ungermann's arrest on Tuesday but refused to comment on the circumstances.

The news ends months of speculation among MasterChef fans, who have been left in the dark by the show's producers as to why he left the show.

New position: Ben (centre) is now employed as a gourmet chef at the Tommy Smith Cafe at Woodlands of Marburg, where he has created a special Indonesian menu

It comes after Ben's co-star Hayden Quinn revealed what was going through the contestants' minds as they processed the news of his departure, which was briefly addressed by judge Jock Zonfrillo on Sunday's episode.

He told HuffPost Australia that Jock's statement was the first and only time the matter was formally discussed on set - and the remaining chefs were completely blindsided.

'It was a real shock for us because we had no idea, obviously,' said the 34-year-old cookbook author.

'We turned up and Ben wasn't there and there was a bit of confusion, and then we heard exactly what you heard on TV last night and that's pretty much it, that he's not coming in.

'I don't really know much more than that, to be honest.'

'It was a real shock... we had no idea': It comes after Ben's co-star Hayden Quinn (pictured) revealed what was going through the contestants' minds as they processed the news of his departure, which was briefly addressed by judge Jock Zonfrillo on Sunday's episode

He also explained why the contestants hadn't got wind of Ben's departure before it was addressed by Jock in the gantry.

'It's different this season because we don't all live in the one big house like [before]. We've got our own apartments we share with one other person. It's private,' he told Now To Love.

'So there could be times when you don't see anyone for a number of days. You might only see someone in the kitchen.

'Basically we turned up and Ben wasn't there and Jock said what he said. That was it. I haven't seen or heard from Ben since, so I know as much as you.'

Gone to ground: Hayden also told Now To Love that he had not 'seen or heard from' Ben (left) since he left the competition

On Sunday's episode of MasterChef, Scottish-born restaurateur Jock announced to the group that Ben had left the competition.

He said: 'So, before we get to today's challenge, we've got some news. You're probably wondering where Ben is, yeah?

'Due to a personal matter, Ben has had to leave the competition and he will not be returning.'

The contestants looked shocked, but the episode moved on with no further mention of the issue.

Gone! On Sunday's episode of MasterChef, Scottish-born restaurateur Jock Zonfrillo (pictured) announced to the group that Ben had left the competition

Silence: The contestants looked shocked, but the episode moved on with no further mention of the issue

Viewers had concluded on Thursday that Ben's arrest must have happened before pop star Katy Perry filmed her guest appearance in March.

This is because he was noticeably absent from that episode, despite every other contestant being summoned to the kitchen.

MasterChef producers reportedly held crisis talks that month following the incident.

Executives called the show's editors into an 'emergency meeting' and told them to 'cut him out the best you can', according to New Idea.

Timeline: Viewers had concluded on Thursday that Ben's arrest must have happened before Katy Perry (centre right) filmed her guest appearance in March. Pictured with judges Andy Allen (left), Melissa Leong (centre left) and Jock Zonfrillo (right)

The incident apparently came as a shock to network bosses, with a source saying: 'No one could have imagined something like that would ever happen.'

Ben himself has acknowledged his infrequent appearances on screen, saying in an Instagram post that 'it's up to MasterChef' what happens in the editing suite.

News of Ben's arrest surfaced on March 20, prompting a spokesperson for Endemol Shine to issue a brief statement to the media.

'We can confirm Ben Ungermann has left the MasterChef Australia competition. As this is a police matter, we will not be making further comment.'

MasterChef continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10

Edited out: It comes after MasterChef producers reportedly held crisis talks in March following Ben's arrest over a personal matter during filming. Executives called the show's editors into an 'emergency meeting' and told them to 'cut him out the best you can'
Later that day, Cruz added two more names: Mitchell Rosenwasser, a 28-year veteran of the system who worked out of the Casey Stengel Depot, and Cuong Luu, an immigrant from Vietnam who worked for the transit system for 23 years. Luu was a very quiet guy, but if you ever had an issue or a problem on the job he was the first one to come over and give you a hand, one of his co-workers wrote.
Suicide Bomb Kills Somali Governor

By Harun Maruf May 17, 2020

A suicide bomb explosion in central Somalia has killed at least five people including a regional governor on Sunday, officials told VOA Somali.

The governor of Puntland administration's Mudug region, Ahmed Muse Nur, his brother, and two bodyguards, were killed after a suicide bomber driving a rickshaw rammed into his vehicle in the town of Galkayo, 600 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

Mayor Sahid Mohamud Ali told VOA Somali that the governor died at the scene along with his bodyguards and driver.

"It was a suicide vehicle filled with explosives that hit the governor's car," Ali said.

Nur was appointed to his post in May of last year. He previously served as deputy governor and was described a veteran of the region's politics.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Nur is the second governor from Puntland administration assassinated by suicide bombers within two months. On March 29, the governor of Nugal region Abdisalam Hassan Hersi was killed after he was fatally injured in a suicide bombing in the town of Garowe.

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Business figures in Derry have welcomed the news that the Northern Ireland Executive has given the go-ahead for a new Graduate Entry Medical School at Magee.

The announcement was made this afternoon at Stormont by the Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill.

The first entry of students is planned for September 2021.

The new medical school has been welcomed by Londonderry Chamber of Commerce President, Redmond McFadden.

This is excellent news, not just for the North West region but also for Northern Ireland," said Mr McFadden.

"The hard work starts now to recover from the impact of Covid-19 both on the health of our population and on our economy.

"A Graduate Entry Medical School will have a hugely positive impact on our regional economy and will provide a significant boost to Northern Irelands healthcare workforce.

"By training and retaining new doctors, nurses and other vital health professionals locally, we can significantly bolster our health service, especially at a time when it is under extreme strain."

Mr McFadden said that the necessary work was done to ensure that the first students can start at the medical school next year.

Everything must now be done to ensure the school is open and ready for its first intake of students in September 2021.

"The Covid-19 emergency has highlighted the importance of our health service.

"Finally delivering the Medical School would be a lasting legacy to the efforts of our frontline healthcare staff during this crisis.

I am very pleased that we will finally have a Graduate Entry Medical School at Magee.

"It is testament to the combined efforts of those across business, education, healthcare and politics, who have worked together on this campaign.

"As part of the wider City Deal for Derry City and Strabane, the Medical School will drive real economic and social change across the North West and help address years of underfunding and underinvestment in the region.
Police believe a 15-year-old girl who disappeared last week from her home in Rohnert Park may have run away with a secret adult boyfriend, an investigator told The Chronicle on Monday.

Veronica Elizabeth Prado was last seen around 10 p.m. Thursday at home in her room in the citys A Section neighborhood, said Keith Astley, a detective sergeant with the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety. She left her family a note that said: Im leaving. I will come back. Dont call the police.

Some of Prados friends said the teen had started seeing a male who was older, Astley said. Police believe that person is an adult, but they dont have an exact age or many identifying details.

Investigators believe Veronica met the man over social media.

We are just assuming that she left with him, but no one saw her leave with him, Astley said. Im concerned, because if this was my daughter and shed gone off with an adult, I would be scared crazy.

Veronica is described as having brown hair, brown eyes and stands approximately 5-foot-1 and weighs 116 pounds. She was last seen wearing red, black and white Air Jordan sneakers and was carrying a black Tommy Hilfiger bag, according to a police report.

No connection was found between Veronicas disappearance and two other Rohnert Park teenagers who were reported missing but found unharmed over the weekend, Astley said. Police located the other teens, Angela Velez, 14, and her 16-year-old boyfriend, Justin Frazier, Sunday in an undisclosed location.

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.

Police initially described Veronica as at risk, because they believed she may have been a danger to herself.

Investigators are urging the public to call 707-584-2600 if they have information on Veronicas immediate whereabouts. Anyone who might have seen her on an earlier occasion, or has other information on the case, should call 707-584-2630.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
ALBANY, New York, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare practitioners lay optimal emphasis on proper precautionary measures during the process of treatment. In the event of an orthopaedic surgery, it becomes absolutely essential for the patient to follow post-surgical directives and prescriptions. Use of various types of splint that give support to the recovering body part has emerged as a prominent trend in recent times. Several medical practitioners concede to the idea of following preventive measures during the process of recovery. Therefore, the healthcare industry has become more responsive and swifter in adopting new wearable aids. Over the course of the past decade, splints have attracted the attention of several healthcare professionals. The design and mechanism used to develop splints helps in offering strength to recovering bones and muscles. Finger splints have become particularly popular amongst several people.

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Advancements in Orthopaedic Surgeries and Treatments

Investments in orthopaedic research have borne fruits as the success rate of bone surgeries has increased by a noticeable margin. The collective efforts of the healthcare and medical industries have helped in achieving an improved success rate.

Orthopaedic surgeons have followed a multifaceted approach to ensure optimal success rates for bone restoration surgeries. They have used a combination of techniques including prolonged use of splints by recovering patients.

There has been a rise in the number of surgeries conducted per surgeon per day across several hospitals. For injuries related to fingers or the larger limb, patients are discharged much earlier with proper instruction on post-surgical measures. Use of finger splints is an important instruction given to patients who are in the phase of recovery.

The use of finger splints by people subjected to harsh working conditions has emerged as a prominent trend that could aid market growth.

Get research-based insights and factual information about the growth of the Finger Splint Market (Type: Frog Splints, Finger Extension Splints, Finger Cot Splints, Thumb Spica Splints, and Others; Material: Aluminum, Neoprene, Plastic & Thermoplastic, Aluminum/Foam, and Others; Type & Material: Frog Splints, Finger Extension Splints, Finger Cot Splints, Thumb Spica Splints, and Others; Price: Under US$ 10, US$ 10  US$ 50, and Above US$ 50; and Distribution Channel: Online and Offline) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2019  2027 at: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/finger-splint-market.html

Global Finger Splint Market: Growth Drivers

Advancements in orthopaedic treatments have been at the forefront of growth within the global finger splint market. Some of the other factors responsible for market growth and maturity are:

Need for orthopaedic precision that breeds out of the use of effective aids, splints, and technologies.

Vulnerability of fingers to suffering injuries as most of the chores involve the use of the limbs.

Sports injuries and oversights in weightlifting can be severely damage a person's fingers. In a lot of cases, damage to the fingers is due to prolonged adherence to wrong forms.

The geriatric population is extremely prone to suffering from injuries in the fingers, mainly due to weaker bones.

Hairline fractures can be treated with the use of finger splints alone.

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Global Finger Splint Market: Limitations to Growth

The use of finger splints cannot be of any use to patients who have broken their bone or ligament. These patients are required to undergo more rigorous treatments such as surgeries and timely therapies. This factor takes away a large share of the consumer base away from the vendors. Besides, quality of materials used for manufacturing splints is also a matter of debate in the medical circles.

View Detailed Table of Contents at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/76855

Global Finger Splint Market: Key Vendors

Alimed, Inc.

Tynor Orthotics Private Limited

Zimmer Biomet

Bird & Cronin Inc. (Dynatronics Corporation)

Corflex, Inc.

DJO Global, Inc. (Colfax Corporation)

DeRoyal Industries, Inc.

ORFIT INDUSTRIES NV

Silver Ring Splint

Ortholife Global

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The global finger splints market is segmented on the basis of:

Finger Splint Market- By Type

Frog Splints

Finger Extension Splints

Finger Cot Splints

Thumb Spica Splints

Others (Mallet Finger Splints, Trigger finger Splint, etc.)

Finger Splint Market- By Material

Aluminum

Neoprene

Plastic & Thermoplastic

Aluminum/Foam

Others (Fabric & Rubber, Foam, etc.)

Finger Splint Market- By Price

Under US$ 10

US$ 10  US$ 50

 Above US$ 50

Finger Splint Market- By Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

& South America

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Mattress and Mattress Component Market  Increasing obese population, growing prevalence of pressure ulcers, and rising awareness among consumers regarding health is propelling the demand for specially designed medical mattresses such as gel filled mattress, water bed mattress, and air filled mattresses. However, despite all these driving factors, high manufacturing cost of mattresses is anticipated to restrain the global mattress market.

Self-service Kiosk Market  Self-service kiosks have emerged as one of the most advanced and user-friendly self delivery services due to which, the demand curve is expected to ascend during the forecast period. At the back of these factors, the global self-service kiosk market is expected to attain a market value of ~US$ 9 Bn by the end of 2030.

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A lawsuit filed Monday accuses four white suburban St. Louis police officers of brutalizing a 68-year-old black woman and her adult son after wrongly accusing them of stealing a television.

Marvia Gray alleges she was 'violently and physically seized', thrown on the floor, beaten and handcuffed during her arrest at a Sam's Club store in Des Peres, Missouri, on March 23.

She suffered serious and permanent injuries to her tailbone, back, shoulder, knees and arms.

Her son Derek Gray, 43, suffered a concussion, three shattered teeth, an open head wound that required stitches, and metal staples, the lawsuit said.

A lawyer said Marvia Gray was especially traumatized by how her son was treated given other high-profile incidents involving white officers and black men, including the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, another St. Louis suburb, in 2014.

'Mrs. Gray thought her son was about to be another black man unjustifiably shot and killed by the police,' Andrew M. Stroth of the Chicago-based Action Injury Law Group, said in a phone interview with the Associated Press. 'You can see in the video that she is terrified with respect to what they're doing to her son.'

In this March 23, 2020 frame grab taken from video, Marvia Gray, is seen on her knees, while her son Derek Gray is seen face down as they are arrested at a Sam's Club store in Des Peres, Missouri

A lawsuit filed Monday, accuses four white suburban St. Louis police officers of brutalizing Gray and her adult son. It states she was 'violently and physically seized'

Gray (left) is frail with osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma and other ailments. She alleges she suffered serious and permanent injuries during her arrest. Her 43-year-old son, Derek (right), suffered a concussion, three shattered teeth and other injuries, according to the lawsuit

Onlookers in the store captured cellphone video. Two videos that Stroth provided to The Associated Press begin with Gray and her son already on the ground.

At one point, Derek Gray tries to sit up but two officers forcefully push him back down. He can be heard yelling, 'Get off me,' 'Please let me go,' and, 'Im humiliated.' His mother screams throughout the approximate four-minute videos, several times imploring officers, 'Please leave me alone!'

Police Capt. Sean Quinn declined comment on the lawsuit, citing the pending litigation. Phone and email messages left with city administrators have not been returned.

The lawsuit filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court names the city and four police officers. The officers are names as Maull, Summers, Righesisen, and Claybourne. It seeks unspecified damages.

Derek Gray lives in Virginia and works in security. His mother is in frail health with osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma and other ailments, Stroth said, so Derek Gray took leave from his job to care for her at her home in Creve Coeur, Missouri, another St. Louis suburb.

At the Sam's Club, Derek Gray purchased a 65-inch Sony Bravia flat-screen TV for his mother, along with other items, Stroth said. When they got to his SUV they realized everything wouldn't fit, so Derek Gray asked the store to hold the TV until he could return later and pick it up.

Derek had been wrongly accused of stealing from Sam's Club so returned to the store with his mother to get a refund

The lawsuit said Marvia Gray suffered injuries to her tailbone, back, shoulder, knees and arms. Derek Grays injuries included an open head wound that required stitches and metal staples, the lawsuit said

The trouble began when he went back to the store. At first, the lawsuit said, someone at the store expressed suspicion that Gray was trying to steal the TV. A store employee interceded and confirmed that Gray had paid for the TV and was there to pick it up.

Still, a Des Peres officer who was in the store followed Gray to the SUV and accused him of theft before being told by an employee that Gray had bought the TV, the lawsuit said.

Gray returned to his mothers home and told her about the false accusations. They decided, based on how he was treated, to return the TV and get their money back.

The lawsuit said that while the Grays were at the store seeking a refund, four officers 'violently and physically seized Marvia Gray and Derek Gray, throwing them to the floor, beating them, handcuffing them, then arresting them.'

Marvia Gray said at a news conference that she watched in terror as the officers attacked her son.

'I said, "Theyre going to kill him,"' Gray said. 'I could see my son dying before my eyes.'

John Bowman, president of the St. Louis County chapter of the NAACP, accused the officers of 'bullying.'

'In St. Louis and in the United States, when a black person interacts with a white police officer, the immediate concern is: Will he be treated with respect, or will they be allowed to make a call safely, or will they be harassed, beaten and killed because of the color of our skin?' Bowman said.

Marvia Gray was charged with municipal crimes of interfering with an officer and resisting arrest. Derek Gray was not charged.

Marvia Gray told the St. Louis Post Dispatch: 'I have no faith in the police any more. They tried to take my only child.'
WASHINGTON - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will serve as the acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, replacing Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who stepped aside last week after FBI agents seized his cellphone while investigating stock sales he made before the coronavirus pandemic crashed global markets.

"The senior senator for Florida is a talented and experienced Senate leader with expertise in foreign affairs and national security matters," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. "Senator Rubio was the natural choice for this temporary assignment on the basis of accumulated committee service. His proven leadership on pertinent issues only made the decision easier."

McConnell said Rubio accepted his invitation to lead the panel.

Among the first tasks for Rubio will be a committee vote Tuesday on President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence, Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas. The vote is expected to be along party lines, which would favor his confirmation in the Republican-led Senate.

Rubio, a member of the Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees, is a national security hawk who had been widely expected to take over the committee once Burr retires. The senator from Florida unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Under normal circumstances, Rubio would have to give up his gavel at the Small Business Committee, which is usually a sleepy panel with little profile but has been transformed into the leading overseer of the $650 billion Paycheck Protection Program created in the wake of the pandemic.

Since his appointment to run the Intelligence Committee is technically only temporary, Rubio may seek a waiver from GOP rules and ask to retain his chairmanship of the Small Business Committee. Normally, the odds of such a waiver would be slim, but the seniority ladder would put Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a libertarian, in line to replace Rubio at a critical point in the committee's history. Some Republicans may be reluctant to put Paul in that position. Any attempt at a waiver would be dealt with Tuesday at the weekly GOP policy lunch.

Burr stepped down from the panel amid the investigation of his stock deals. He has denied wrongdoing and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate.

FBI agents, acting with approval from the "highest levels" of the Justice Department, served a search warrant for Burr's cellphone and took the device from his Washington-area home, according to people familiar with the matter, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to examine data in the senator's cloud storage for his iPhone, people familiar with the case said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Paul Kane contributed to this report.
Help India!

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Indian Muslims always get bad press and the blame is put on the community for not doing anything spectacular that may give them positive coverage. This is a hackneyed narrative that is going on since independence where the largest minority of the country has been on the receiving end, searching souls, looking for faults which arent there and the fault lies with the media that has tarred them with a black brush.

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Why does Indian media detest Muslims so much? Before getting into the Muslims media coverage, one needs to understand the nature and character of Indian media and the role it plays in Indian society.

One needs to begin this story from the 1990s when the media got out of government control and the corporate cartels started controlling the communication network. There were a plethora of media outlets that emerged very thick and fast and were controlled by business establishments.

These corporate media establishments had twin objectives  one to make profit and second to be on the government side to protect their own larger business interests.

On the profit side media has two sources of revenue, one subscription and another advertisement. The advertisement is dependent on the subscription and subscription is nothing but the readership or viewership. So if the profit has to be made, advertisement has to be solicited and this can be done only if the subscription is increased.

And thats when content became the king and it became the deciding factor thats based on the impact value that can fetch large subscription and the corresponding advertisement. Its here the negative news contents have a huge role to play to enlist subscription and advertisements.

Thats where negative content related to Islam, Muslims, Islamic Jihad, Kashmir and Pakistan are the most selling news item because it generates a large number of readership and viewership among the Hindu majority community and since it pertains to Muslims, they willy-nilly sucked into such devilish media designs.

Such malpractice in the media has now become a widespread feature and most of them are subscribing to this journalistic model to get good financial returns. The negative Muslim profiling in media by running stories on; Islamic Jihad, love-jihad, nikah halala, triple talaq, beef eaters, Tablighi Jamaat, besides usual stuff of Muslim personal law, anti- Kashmir and anti-Pakistan stories fetch huge subscription and advertisements.

There are other reasons why Muslims get a bad press in India.

Ever since the incumbent government has come to power in 2014, there is a well-planned and finely crafted political project to increase anti-Muslim environment to gain political benefit and where medias help is sought to execute this game plan.

As a result, Indian media is now reduced to government propaganda machinery that has complete apathy towards journalistic ethics. Anything that a devious mind can conjure against Muslims is fabricated and blown up out of proportion by the media to create a panic among the majority community and lead them to hate Muslims and at the same time instil fear among the minority community.

The basic criteria of the media is to search stories that can have an impact factor to get large readership/viewership and that can translate into revenue generation and as well toe the governments narrative of Muslim bashing to consolidate the Hindu vote bank.

The anti-Muslim narrative has all the juice and pulp fiction to regiment the majority community and that is the reason majority of media outlets have teamed up together with an open display of bigotry, abuse and hatred against the Indian Muslims. This is also to be in the good books of the ruling current government and helps in promoting its agenda where its political survival is based on communal polarization.

The Cobrapost.com expose in 2018, brings a true picture of media and Hindutva collaboration to communalize the society for political gains. The undercover agents of the cobra-post website approached the top media houses and offered them a huge sum of money to publish/ broadcast Hindutva contents for communal polarization so that mileage can be made by the ruling party. The expose revealed that all the media houses agreed to engage in campaigns to induce communal discord in the society and were a willing party in the polarization of the Indian electorate on communal lines.

The media coverage of Tablighi Jamaat members stuck at Delhis Nizamuddin Markaz in the last week of the March is another example of media and government participation in building hate Muslim campaign. Instead of lambasting the government for not testing the foreign Tablighi members at the airport, the media went hammer and tongs attacking the Tablighi Jamaat and Muslims  holding them accountable for bringing the coronavirus in the country.

What could have been a story directed against the governments inefficiency to make efforts to contain the virus at the entry point, a slander campaign against a particular community was started in the media? The media instead of showing any sympathy towards the Tablighi Jamaat members ignorance of the presence of Coronavirus around them, attacked them for hiding as terrorists in the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in New Delhi.

The media did not question the government why it did not evacuate the Markaz members when it knew its Corona linkage as early as March 18, why it prolonged the evacuation to March 29. The media did not ask the government why it allowed congregation at the Hindu temples till March 20 and why it questioned the Markaz for having the congregation on an earlier date.

The media instead of standing by its journalistic ethics chose to demonize the Muslim community for the congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat as it was a well thought out plan where subscription, advertisements and building of governments vote bank were involved. There was a pathological preoccupation and obsession with bigotry against Islam and Muslims in the India media in coverage of Tablighi Jamaat news.

It led to a vociferous tirade against Muslims. The media made the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in New Delhi synonym to Akal Takht in Golden Temple in Amritsar and Maulana Saad with Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

The media bashing of the Muslims leads to a huge fall out at the societal level. For the acts of the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, Muslims were targeted, abused and assaulted on streets at several places in the country. Many BJP legislators openly asked Hindus to boycott Muslim vegetable vendors and not allow them to enter their locality stoking communal polarization. All this happened due to media attacks on the Muslims that conveniently ignored all the injustices being done to the Muslims.

The negative profiling of Muslims is assiduously done to create a sense of unity within the Hindu community for the political millage. It is being done to create maximum impact on the readers and viewers minds. These were done with an eye on us vs them elixir as the magical political formula. The media is a party to the execution to this well thought out political plan. This plan is to develop a common enemy in the name of Muslims to foment a feeling of unity among the Hindu elements so that the ruling partys vote bank is protected.

In doing so, the media knew it well the impact factor of the anti-Muslim news story and how such negative reportage can make their cash register ringing. The media in doing so, also knew very well that Muslim side do not possess the wherewithal to resist them because the organs of government that can come to the Muslims rescue and condone the anti-Muslim propaganda for the political benefit of the ruling government.

This is a wake-up call for the Muslims in India. In this age of TV, social media, and WhatsApp networking; the battle with the media has to be fought with the media. But so far Muslims have miserably failed to set up any strong media platform to counter such humiliation. It is high time for the Indian Muslims to come forward, sit in conjugation, and confabulate how to increase their share in the media market of India.

The need of the hour is that Indian Muslims must stand up, unite and forge an alliance to launch media projects in the country. There is a need to create an elite group of likeminded people who can respond to the anti-Muslim propaganda being done from different media platforms.

Muslims with resources can join hand to set up a major media house and respond to the anti-Muslim hate mongers media outlets. There are problems in doing so, but there is a space in which Muslim-owed media can still operate in the country. If its professionally run by the trailblazers of truth and investigative journalists, then such a media platform can make an honest and meaningful impact on Indian society.

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at [email protected] com
A 22-year-old man was shot dead over a land dispute in Maluwal village, 15 km from the district headquarter, on Sunday night.

The deceased has been identified as Harkirat Singh of the same village. Police have also booked nine persons, including six by name  Karaj Singh, his wife Ranjit Kaur, Harjit Kaur, Ranjit Kaur (namesake of Karajs wife) of Maluwal village, and Rashpal Singh of Bhuchar village, and a migrant labourer Raju. Police, however, are yet to make an arrest.

The case was registered on the complaint of the deceaseds father Navjot Singh (45). He said, We had a written agreement with Karaj Singh to sell our 6.5 acres of agriculture land in the village in 2016. Karaj had been increasing the date of registration of the land and due to this, we had given our land to Karaj on contract-basis. However, neither Karaj had been getting the lands registration done nor he had been giving us the lands rent. Karaj had sown wheat on the land and we had been resisting its harvesting. Karaj, however, harvested the crop on Saturday.

He said, On Sunday, my brother Upkar Singh, my elder son Harkirat Singh and my wife Manjit Kaur had gone to see our fields. In the meantime, the accused also reached the spot in a Mahindra Bolero SUV. Karaj had a .12 bore riffle while Rashpal had a pistol. Karaj opened fire from his riffle. One of the shots hit my son and he succumbed to the injuries.

Chabhal station house officer (SHO) Harwinder Singh said they have registered a case under sections 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian penal code (IPC) and section 25-27 of the Arms Act against the accused.
The new details, including that Alshamrani had been radicalized abroad before he arrived in the U.S., raise fresh questions about the vetting of Saudi military members and trainees who spend time at American bases. The announcement also comes amid tension with the U.S. over instability in the oil market during the coronavirus pandemic and as the Trump administration faces criticism that it has not done enough to hold the kingdom, which has been trying to improve its international image, accountable for human rights violations.
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.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2020) One of the three launches of Russia's Soyuz-ST rocket from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana, slated for 2020, has been postponed for 2021, while two other launches have been delayed for one month, a source in the rocket and space industry told Sputnik.

In March, it was reported that the launch of a Soyuz rocket with the UAE satellite Falcon Eye-2 was scheduled for April 14 from Kourou and the blastoff with the French CSO-2 satellite was slated for the second half of May. Both launches were earlier delayed for a month due to a problem with the Fregat upper stage and later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. France's Arianespace space transportation company said in late April that launches from he Kourou Space Center, which was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will resume in mid-June.

Another source in the rocket and space industry told Sputnik in April that the launch of the Falcon Eye-2 satellite was scheduled for September 15, and CSO-2 for October 15; the blastoff of two European Galileo navigation satellites was preliminarily scheduled for December 15.

"The December launch of Soyuz with two Galileo satellites was postponed for the next year," the source said without mentioning the reason for the postponement.

The source added that the launches of Falcon Eye-2 and CSO-2 satellites by the Soyuz rocket had been postponed for October 1 and November 6 respectively.

Russian state space corporation Roscosmos refused to comment on this information.

Since 2011, there have been 23 Soyuz launches from the Guiana Space Center.
A school principal dyed his hair pink after losing a bet that none of his students would achieve a perfect 99.95 score in their final exams.

The principal of Melbourne's Nossal High School, Roger Page, honoured his promise at a high achievers' assembly back in February.

He sported the bright pink hairdo after the school dux, Ruby Bai, was among one of the 37 students in Victoria to reach the perfect score, the Herald Sun reported.

Principal Roger Page, from Melbourne's Nossal High School, dyed his hair bright pink (pictured) after losing a bet that no student would score 99.95 in their Year 12 exams

Mr Page, the founding principal of the selective school, said he felt obliged to honour the bet as it was the first time a Nossal High student had achieved 99.95.

Hilarious footage showed the principal walk through the school hallway in a suit and tie with neon pink hair.

Staff members giggled as Mr Page walked past them and into the school-leavers' assembly.

The students were visibly surprised at the bright hairdo and whispered and laughed as their principal led the academic procession through hall.

One girl smiled and said hello to the teachers as they walked past.

Her fellow students giggled and craned their necks to get a better view of their principal.

Eventually someone quietened the students and Mr Page took to the stage to conduct the assembly.

Pictured: Hilarious footage showed how the students giggled at their principal's new look

Mr Page said: 'After I delivered my speech I acknowledged the pink hair at the end.'

'The hair did lighten the mood.'

Mr Page noted that he stopped for petrol on the way home from the assembly and received some odd looks for his bright hair colour.

'The pink came out after a fair bit of scrubbing,' he said.

Mr Page said he was proud of the schools accomplishments and that the 2019 cohort all received their first or second preferences for university.

Over half of the students achieved an ATAR score over 90 and the median ATAR was 90.3.
- WHO's regional office for Africa said the meeting with experts across Africa focused on the role of traditional medicine in response against the coronavirus pandemic

- The UN health agency had warned against the use of untested remedies but called for clinical trials of herbal medicine following the meeting

- The announcement came a day after Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina criticised it after it failed to endorse its medicine named Covid Organics

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has held a virtual meeting with 70 African traditional medicine experts as its search for coronavirus cure continues.

The United Nations (UN) health agency said clinical trials of traditional medicine would start following an agreement with the experts.

READ ALSO: Anne Waiguru in celebratory mood after Uhuru ejected Murkomen, Kihika from Senate leadership: "We need loyalty"

The novel coronavirus has spread to over 210 countries across the world. Photo: CDC.

Source: UGC

In a tweet on Tuesday, May 12, WHO's regional office for Africa said the meeting with experts across Africa focused on the role of traditional herbal medicine in the COVID-19 response.

"Seventy traditional medicine experts from countries across Africa held a virtual meeting with WHO on the role of traditional medicine in the COVID-19 response. They unanimously agreed that clinical trials must be conducted for all medicines in the region, without exception," it said.

The announcement came a day after Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina criticised the UN agency after it failed to endorse its medicine named Covid Organics (CVO) - a herbal concoction, which he claimed could cure COVID-19 patients.

"If it were a European country which discovered this remedy, there would be no doubts. The problem is that it comes from Africa and they cannot accept a country like Madagascar, one of the poorest in the world but has discovered a formula," Rajoelina said.

The WHO had cautioned against the use of untested remedies but called for clinical trials of the same following the meeting.

"We are advising the government of Madagascar to take this product through a clinical trial and we are prepared to collaborate with them," Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, said last week.

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The neglected heating sector

Heating accounts for over 50 per cent of final energy consumption. So reducing the emissions that result from heating buildings would make a huge difference to the climate. What strategies are being pursued to realise this potential in Germany and the UK? A study by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) finds that both countries could do a lot more to mitigate climate change in the heating sector.

In recent years, energy transition policies have focussed on reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation. The heating sector has played only a minor role, despite the fact that thermal energy accounts for over half of final energy consumption - and electricity for only a quarter. Reducing carbon emissions in building heating would therefore be an important contribution to climate change mitigation. For a study published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, a team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) analysed the transformative potential of German and British heating sector decarbonisation policies.

According to the authors, achieving emissions reductions in this sector depends not only on improving the efficiency of existing technologies. It requires a fundamental transformation of heating systems, including technological, social and institutional changes. Government policy plays a critical role in inducing this transformation process . Drawing on the concept of Transformative Environmental Policy (TEP) as an analytical framework, the authors assess the transformative ambition of government policy in the heating sector in both countries.

"As the two largest economies in Europe with broadly similar heating requirements, Germany and the UK lend themselves to a comparison of heating sector governance," explains Leonard Frank, the study's lead author. Both countries are also subject to the common framework of the European Energy Efficiency Directive, which places great emphasis on building heating.

Change of course hasn't happened yet

"Our analysis of both countries' policy strategies shows that neither government is coming close to unleashing all of the transformative potentials implied in the concept of TEP, which served as a benchmark for our assessment," explained Frank, who is currently based at the University of Freiburg. Neither country has sufficient instruments in place - laws, support programmes, or regulatory measures - that would allow it to systematically create and exploit windows of opportunity for investments in low-carbon heating infrastructure.

As Frank explains, although policy instruments for phasing out fossil fuels are, unlike zero-carbon building standards, largely inflexible, "such strategy elements are necessary to reorient actors away from established fossil-fuel technology."

Authors in favour of more strategic incentives

That's why the authors recommend that governments introduce a commitment to phasing out high-carbon heating, possibly coupled with building stock refurbishment targets. These measures need to be embedded in a sequence of planned policy interventions. This may make it possible to open up the current heat market and advance the transformation to a low-carbon heating sector in the process. "In the stimulus packages to aid economic recovery after the corona crisis, grants to cover the cost of installing heat pumps and carrying out energy refurbishments could add significant impetus to this process," says Rainer Quitzow, who led the study at the IASS.

Germany would do well to adopt the British approach of deploying instruments according to transition phases. In the UK, social innovations such as a systematic deployment of advisory services should be taken up in the strategy (it currently exists in only Scotland), possibly drawing on German experiences. In a similar vein, professional training should be geared towards decarbonisation as one element of a reorientation of the strategy.

Also in the UK, phase-out commitments for oil and gas heating need to be strengthened in order to achieve heating sector decarbonisation. Reinstating building stock refurbishment targets could be a step in this direction.

###

Publication:

Leonard Frank, Klaus Jacob, Rainer Quitzow: Transforming or tinkering at the margins? Assessing policy strategies for heating decarbonisation in Germany and the United Kingdom, Energy Research & Social Science 67/ 2020. DOI: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. erss. 2020. 101513

Scientific contact:

Rainer Quitzow

Telephone: +49 331 28822 374

E-Mail: rainer.quitzow@iass-potsdam.de

Leonard Frank

Telefon: +49 (0)761 203 96833

E-Mail: leonard.frank@envgov.uni-freiburg.de

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Marcus Abery via Reuters

Video footage from the Brunswick, Georgia, neighbourhood where Ahmaud Arbery was killed in February shows that several people trespassed on the construction site that Mr Arbery visited prior to his death.

Mr Arbery was killed when Gregory McMichael and his adult son Travis  a pair of white men who live in the neighbourhood  chased him down under the pretence that he looked like a suspect in a series of local break-ins. Later, it would be revealed that it had been seven weeks since the last break-ins.

During the confrontation, Travis McMichael and Mr Arbery began to struggle. Travis McMichael shot Mr Arbery three times with a shotgun, twice in the chest while at close range.

After footage of the murder was released to the press, the McMichaels were arrested and are awaiting trial. Shortly after their arrest, footage of Mr Arbery entering and looking around the site of a new construction project emerged, which prompted defenders of the McMichaels to suggest Mr Arberys killing was justified.

The truth will reveal that this is not just another act of violent racism. Greg McMichael did not commit murder, said Frank Hogue, the McMichaels attorney.

Additional footage released by the homeowner, Larry English, shows that other people had trespassed on the construction site, but Mr Arbery is the only one who was killed as a result.

CNN obtained 11 clips of surveillance videos which showed people of varying ages entering the property on separate occasions between 25 October and 23 February.

The homeowner said he did not know any of the people in the video clips.

We do not know who any of the individuals in the nighttime videos are and never have, J Elizabeth Graddy, Mr Englishs attorney, said. The reason that Larry English sent the video to his neighbour ... in the first place was to ask Do you know any of these people?

Of the individuals caught on the security camera, there are several instances of an unidentified black male approaching and entering the site. Mr Arbery appeared in one clip. The lawyer for Mr Arberys family, S Lee Merritt, told CNN he would not ask the family to confirm or deny whether the man in the other clips was Mr Arbery.

Read more

Neo-Nazis spread racist, false claims about Ahmaud Arbery shooting
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:59:19|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A 5-magnitude earthquake hit Qiaojia County in southwest China's Yunnan Province at 9:47 p.m. Monday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

One house collapsed and trapping people inside, according to local police.

No casualties have been reported yet. Local residents said the earthquake could be obviously felt.

Deng Conghui, who lives on the third floor, told Xinhua on the phone that she felt the tremor. Her furniture was shaking but nothing fell off shelves. "The quake lasted several seconds," she added.

The epicenter, with a depth of 8 km, was monitored at 27.18 degrees north latitude and 103.16 degrees east longitude, said CENC in a statement.

The provincial seismological administration is studying earthquake response. Enditem
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump accused Attorney General William Barr on Monday of following a "double standard" by not following through with a criminal investigation into former President Barack Obama or Vice President Joe Biden.

"I have no doubt that they [Obama and Biden] were involved in this hoax," Trump said during a White House event with restaurant industry executives. Earlier Monday, Barr said he didn't expect that Obama or Biden would face charges stemming from a probe into the origins of the Russia investigation.

"I think it's just a continuation of a double standard. I'm surprised by it," Trump said, referring to Barr's remarks. He did, however, stress that he entered the event with restaurant owners around the time Barr was making the statement, and he praised the attorney general as "honorable."

Trump, without evidence, has accused the Obama administration of framing top officials in order to derail his presidency. He has called for the prosecution of those involved in the "biggest political crime and scandal" in U.S. history. Trump often uses the term "Obamagate" to reference the matter.

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately comment when asked about Trump's remark.

Trump's comments came hours after Barr said he would not let U.S. Attorney John Durham's review of the Russian probe, be used as a weapon to "drum up" illegitimate investigations.

"The legal tactic has been to gin up allegations of criminality by one's political opponents, based on the flimsiest of legal theories," Barr told reporters Monday during a news conference focused on the 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

"I have a general idea of how Mr. Durham's investigation is going, and as I have indicated some aspects of the matter are being examined as potential crimes," Barr explained. "Now, as to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," he said.
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New York, May 18, 2020  The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the detention of at least eight Kurdish Iraqi journalists covering a protest in Duhok on May 16 and called on the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan to drop all charges pending against four of them.

On May 16, Kurdish security forces arrested at least eight journalists working for media outlets affiliated with the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) opposition parties while they were covering a protest by public officials against unpaid salaries in Duhok, a city in western Iraqi Kurdistan, according to the local press freedom organization Metro Center for Journalists Rights and Advocacy, the Iraqi press freedom group Press Freedom Advocacy Organization in Iraq, and Abdulkareeem Ahmed, general manager of the KIU-affiliated broadcaster Speda TV, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app yesterday and today.

Those arrested were Speda TV reporters Azad Mukhtar, Ali Shali, and Akram Guli; Speda TV cameraman Hajar Salman; director of the KIU-affiliated broadcaster Khabir TV, Maher Sakfan; director of the KIU-affiliated Khabir Radio, Ahmad Sharnakhi; reporter for KIU-affiliated news website PRS Media, Omed Haji; and Karwan Sadiq, a reporter for the PUK-affiliated broadcaster Gali Kurdistan, according to the Metro Center and Abdulkareem Ahmed.

The same sources and Ramadhan Artesey, the lawyer representing the journalists, said the security forces also seized the journalists equipment; held Mukhtar, Salman, Sadiq, and Sali for several hours; and held the remaining four until today, when they were released on 2 million Iraqi dinars ($1,680) bail after being charged under Law 11 regulating the organization of demonstrations. Artesey spoke to CPJ via messaging app today.

Once again the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq have used the laws at their convenience to stamp out news coverage that makes the government uncomfortable, said CPJs Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado. We call on the Kurdistan Regional Government to drop the charges against Akram Guli, Maher Sakfan, Omed Haji, and Ahmed Sharnakhi, and allow all journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of reprisal.

Azad Mukhtar told CPJ on the phone yesterday that security forces seized their equipment as soon as they got out of the car, accusing them of being troublemakers and saboteurs.

Initially they didnt arrest the Speda TV crew. We were waiting for them to give us back our equipment, when they arrested us and took us to a police station, where we were held from 3:30 to 9 p.m. At the station they asked us to sign a testimony, but we refused and requested to see our lawyers before signing anything. They tried to intimidate us by saying that they could force us to sign 10 testimonies and not see our lawyers. We eventually signed it. When we were released, they returned our equipment and the lens cap of the camera was broken, Mukhtar said.

Ahmed, general manager of Speda TV, told CPJ yesterday that his staff was arrested while they were covering the protest organized by teachers who have not been paid their salaries in months.

They didnt engage in activism. They were reporting on the protest, he said.

The lawyer Artesey told CPJ that Akram Guli, Maher Sakfan, Omed Haji, and Ahmed Sharnakhi appeared before a court today along with teachers and activists under Law 11 regulating the organization of protests. That law requires advance permission for protests from the Interior Ministry, according to Human Rights Watch.

The journalists were not tried under the Kurdistan Press Law and they were released today on bail of 2 million Iraqi dinar. The case isnt over yet and the journalists will have to attend future trials, he said.

Ahmed told CPJ today that the journalists were given back their cell phones upon being released.

In an email sent to CPJ on May 19, Dindar Zebari, the Kurdistan Regional Governments deputy minister for international advocacy coordination, told CPJ that the request for permission submitted by the Teachers Union to hold the protest was rejected to avoid the spread of COVID-19. He added that the main reason for the arrests were the violation of government regulations concerning COVID-19, since none of the protesters was wearing face masks or gloves or adopting social distancing measures.

According to Zebari, one journalist was arrested during the protest, but he was released without charges or bail when he said that he was a journalist conducting an investigation. He added that, according to the Duhok Appeals Court, the protesters were arrested for violating government regulations as stated by article 240 of the Iraqi Penal Code. Zebari did not respond to CPJs question about the eight journalists who were arrested or why the press law was not applied in their cases.

The Metro Center cited the Duhok Governorate Security Council as saying that protesters did not have permission to demonstrate in the city and would be held responsible in accordance with the law.

[Editors note: The text in the 13th paragraph has been updated to include a response from Zebari.]


(Photo : 5 Smart Ways to Generate More Business Leads)

Owning a business can create a lot of stress. Though the rewards of being your own boss are immense, so too are the burdens that come with that responsibility. One of those burdens is creating business leads to increase revenue and maintain commercial and professional networks. Generating new business leads doesn't have to be a headache; business owners have enough of those already. With the right know-ho and some practical advice, getting more businesses leads at low local movers cost is easier than most people realize.

Search Engine Optimization

Though some might consider it a cheap trick to grab clicks while undermining the overall quality of the content, SEO is just one of many tricks of the trade for lead generation. Of course, creating SEO content is easier said than done. In order to ensure quality SEO content, the keywords should be well researched and inserted naturally into the works being used to generate leads. As long as the content is written naturally to allow SEO within it, then that writing should help generate leads through natural flow. Stilted SEO content is not only awkward to read, it's likely to turn people away with how ham-fisted and obvious the SEO effort looks. Researching what works when it comes to SEO for your field is a good first step to ensuring the content is SEO to being with. From there, it's up to the writers to make sure the content is properly designed for lead generation.

Direct Engagement

A lot of companies follow leads indirectly through the use of Frequently Asked Questions pages or other generic information on their sites. A better way to create leads is to directly engage your audience with material such as emails, forums, or chat rooms. Such venues allow for direct communication and can even be used to personalize contact to ensure a more meaningful impact.

For example, while FAQ's only provide generic responses to generic questions, emails allow direct, personal engagement. Forums are useful because they allow group engagement. This means that not only can you communicate with potential leads, the leads can interact with each other for greater collaborative efforts. Chats can do the same thing, except without the delay for forums. Chats are also great for group or one-on-one conversations in real time. In this regard, chats are basically the digital equivalent of an interview or meeting. This makes them useful for following business leads, especially if someone's expressed interest on the forums and wants to discus potentially sensitive or confidential materials. Going from the forum to the chats is usually a good sign that a potential lead is going to become future business. Direct engagement is one of the best ways to generate leads and add a personal touch to your marketing strategy.

Technological Investment

Staying up to date on technology might rub some the wrong way, but you should at least be aware of new tech related to your business and what it can do. In fact, just looking into new tech is a way to engage in business leads by communicating with potential customers doing the same thing with their own tech. As for technology use in your business, utilizing the latest can allow for easier connecting with customers who stay up to date as well. The latest in cloud services, Smartphone apps, and whatever tech and equipment coming out in your respective fields makes communication easier, but can also generate conversations. Conversations are leads, and leads can become customers.

Creating Content

This one goes hand-in-hand with SEO content creation, since you need to be creating content in the first place in order to have SEO. A blog, Twitter, or some other form of regular content creation gets the word out about your business. Creating and engaging an audience about your business is a great way not only to generate business leads, but to also to connect with people in the same or similar fields. Business leads aren't just about customers. Part of lead follow-up is also about professional networking with fellow companies and businesses.

Don't just create content for the sake of content, though. Make sure any content you create or have created for your business is meaningful and impactful. This will ensure genuine interest in your business. Half-hearted content efforts will likely just attract bots and spam rather than legitimate leads.

Have a Good Site

Naturally, lead generation efforts will be a bust without a good website. A properly laid out, interactive, functional website is key to pretty much any business or enterprise with an online presence. A good website for any business should be clear without being generic, informative without being too involved, and, above all, easy for people to utilize for business as well as reaching out for more direct content. It might sound like a lot of work to create such a site, and it can be. Fortunately there are experts whose entire job is making such sites.

Between the writing, forum and chat moderation, and website design, it might sound expensive to create business leads with the previous methods. A professional look requires professional input, and while you might be able to do some or even all of it yourself, it never hurts to get a second opinion. Besides, one of the cornerstones of a business is its ability to carry on without the owner. No matter the size of the business or where it's located, having the right resources to generate leads and keep business going is key.

Running a business doesn't have to be as stressful as you think. Generating leads and professional contacts doesn't have to be, either. It might seem daunting to go through the work to get such leads, but it's a lot more proactive than just hoping people will stumble onto your business and become a customer. If you want to succeed in business, you need to be proactive. Only by giving it your all and knowing when you need outside help will your business become what it was meant to be. Generating leads isn't hard as long as you go about it the right way.
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.
Premier Doug Ford routinely talks about the financial challenges of the pandemic and how the provincial government, with Ottawas support, will be there to help. Thats been true for renters and landlords, families and seniors, workers and business owners.

But what about the cities where all those people live and work?

As Toronto has been reminded of in brutal ways in the past, municipalities in this country are nothing but creatures of the province.

And yet theres been no real acknowledgement from Ford, or most other premiers for that matter, of the scope of the problem cities are facing, let alone a commitment to provide the financial assistance thats so clearly needed.

The fiscal situation is dire.

More than three weeks ago, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities called on Ottawa to provide at least $10 billion in emergency aid to municipalities struggling with pandemic-related costs and revenue loses.

And last week Toronto Mayor John Tory joined with other mayors in the Greater Toronto Area to ramp up the plea for assistance from Queens Park and the federal government.

We need their joint financial support and we need it now, Tory said.

The pandemic is costing Toronto, Canadas largest city, $65 million a week and the city estimates it will have a shortfall of at least $1.5 billion this year.

Ford likes to say hes a numbers guy, so he knows those are bills the city cant possibly pay through property taxes and user fees. Cities are not allowed to run annual deficits the way the provincial and federal governments can. And even if they could, the problem remains the same: municipal revenue tools just arent big enough to handle big deficits.

So why hasnt Ford, or Finance Minister Rod Phillips or Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark, put forward a concrete assistance plan by now?

When Ford was asked about the Toronto Transit Commissions looming financial crisis  which is just a portion of the citys $1.5-billion budget hole  Ford said the province couldnt possibly help without Ottawa stepping up to help first.

We will be at the table for the municipalities, Ford said last week. To what degree? Well have to wait and see what the federal government comes up with because its going to be a big, big ticket.

When Trudeau was asked about the transit crisis in cities he basically flipped Fords answer around noting that operating transit and municipalities in general are provincial responsibilities.

The federal government will be there to work with the provinces, including supporting them in their areas of jurisdiction, Trudeau said.

This you-go-first approach risks leaving cities twisting in the wind without access to the timely emergency aid they need to keep vital services and programs operating. And if federal-provincial jurisdictional tensions reassert themselves, as they seem to be in some areas, aid for cities could be delayed even longer.

That does no one any good.

We need cities to survive the pandemic without slashing the services people rely on or resorting to massive property tax and user fee increases that residents and businesses struggling to get back on their feet wont be able to afford.

Cities drive Canadas economy and Toronto drives Ontarios economy.

As we take our first tentative steps towards reopening that economy, its vital that the pandemics financial burden on cities is not forgotten.

If Toronto and other cities dont receive a major funding package from senior governments soon theyll be forced to cut back on the many programs and services they provide to residents and businesses. And that will make our economic recovery even harder than its already going to be.
Some years ago, I was in San Francisco  I cannot recall when or why  and wanted to see Alcatraz, maybe the most famous and legendary prison ever. Only when I got to the ticket window did I learn there is no way to get a walk-up ticket  the place is always sold out because of its immense allure. You have to order tickets about two weeks in advance. Bummed, I found a convenient bar for a burger and a beer and because it was late morning, it was just before the tourist crowd would create yet another wait list. So, I struck up a conversation with the cute lady behind the bar and mentioned my hope to see The Rock had just been dashed.

At that, she looked to her left and right, then leaned inches from my face and stage-whispered, There is a Greyline (Tour) office about two blocks from here.

Go in and buy the half-day package for the wharf district. There is a todays ticket for Alcatraz in it. Chunk the rest of the package  Youve got about 45 minutes left for todays tour. Itll cost about $40 or $50 but its worth every penny  not only did I add to my gratuity but afterwards returned to slack my thirst and to thank her once more. Yes, in that order.

Alcatraz is beautifully run by the National Park Service. For a very nominal fee, you can rent a tape player that you hang around your neck. On the tape are easy walking directions, a pause button so you can stay at different locations as long as you like, a rewind key, and a small hand map to lead you from one start spot to the next. But the only voices on the tape are either those of ex-prisoners or former guards. It is absolutely wonderful, and thats why tickets are sold so far in advance.

In my Sunday story, A Hallowed Day Forgotten, I mentioned how eager I am to see our new Charles Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center and, better yet, be escorted by General B.B. Bell, who has a lifetime of military history and knowledge to share. In the same column, I told how a Buffalo Soldier - Lt. John Fox - was awarded the Medal of Honor after ordering his own death by friendly fire. He knew his ultimate sacrifice would give sufficient time for the American troops to muster, then blister the Germans and - as it soon would become apparent - Lt. Fox played a very significant role in the Allies victory in northern Italy.

Sunday morning as I basked in the solitude and watched the birds and squirrels, I suddenly remembered the Alcatraz tape. It was the audio that made the experience magical. So, how about this: we ask General Bell if he would consider wearing a headset as we tour the museum? Can you imagine the rich history that could be shared with a visitor? How about Mr. Coolidge in his own words? We could tape other Medal of Honor recipients, throw in a little musical America The Beautiful track, and get some wizard to create an app where anyone with a cell phone could listen. Who doesnt have a cell phone? And while cell phones have become the horror at every school, entire classes could get fabulous lessons in courage, selflessness, valor, and every other trait on display at the Heritage Center.

First, as I explained on Sunday, among those in the stunning museum who I want to know about is Lt. John R. Fox, a member of the famed Buffalo Soldiers in World War II. When the war first began, American blacks enlisted in droves but were mostly assigned to menial jobs  construction workers, cooks, sanitation  but as the war took its toll, they were allowed into combat and, much like the Tuskegee Airmen, the ever-valiant Buffalo Soldiers became heroes galore. The Buffalo Soldiers were thus named during the Indian Wars of the 1870s - with absolutely no racial overtones - because of their dark bodies and curly hair, the Indians likened African American troops to their favorite animal - the buffalo, far more of a tribute than not.

During a hospital stay last year I read of the fascinating valor that John Fox displayed in Italy. Just look at his citation:

* * *

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY 

 at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: First Lieutenant John R. Fox distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life on 26 December 1944 in the Serchio River Valley Sector, in vicinity of Sommocolonia, Italy. Lieutenant Fox was a member of Cannon Company, 366th Infantry, 92nd Infantry Division, acting as a forward observer, while attached to the 598th Field Artillery Battalion. Christmas Day in the Serchio Valley was spent in positions which had been occupied for some weeks. During Christmas night, there was a gradual influx of enemy soldiers in civilian clothes and by early morning the town was largely in enemy hands. An organized attack by uniformed German formations was launched around 0400 hours, 26 December 1944. Reports were received that the area was being heavily shelled by everything the Germans had, and although most of the U.S. infantry forces withdrew from the town, Lieutenant Fox and members of his observation party remained behind on the second floor of a house, directing defensive fires. Lieutenant Fox reported at 0800 hours that the Germans were in the streets and attacking in strength, He called for artillery fire increasingly close to his own position. He told his battalion commander, "That was just where I wanted it. Bring it 60 yards! His commander protested that there was a heavy barrage in the area and bombardment would be too close. Lieutenant Fox gave his adjustment, requesting that the barrage be fired. The distance was cut in half. The Germans continued to press forward in large numbers, surrounding the position. Lieutenant Fox again called for artillery fire with the commander protesting again stating, "Fox, that will be on you!" The last communication from Lieutenant Fox was. "Fire it! There's more of them than there are of us. Give them hell!" The bodies of Lieutenant Fox and his party were found in the vicinity of his position when his position was taken. This action, by Lieutenant Fox, at the cost of his own life, inflicted heavy casualties, causing deaths of approximately 100 Germans, thereby delaying the advance of the enemy until infantry and artillery units could be reorganized to meet the attack. Lieutenant Fox's extraordinary valorous actions exemplify the highest traditions of the military service.

* * *

Believe it or not, this story gets even better.

General Bell happened across my Sunday story and sent me an email, that as I share it, will profoundly illustrate why a taped tour of the Heritage Center should be shared for generations:

Roy, you unwittingly touched my heart today and it wasn't the comment about my being a tank commander. My most memorable and formative time in the Army was when I had the honor as a lieutenant colonel of commanding 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment from 1985 to 1987. This was the 24th Mechanized Division's Reconnaissance and Security Squadron but, more importantly, the Squadron's heritage and lineage was as an original Buffalo Soldier outfit. As we tour the Coolidge Heritage Center and get to the Buffalo Soldier section, I will spend a fair amount of time talking about the Ninth Cavalry's storming of the Blockhouse at Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Indeed, the 9th's distinctive unit insignia is that of an overhead view of the Blockhouse. There's a lot said in history that Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders took that block house but it just ain't the case. More to follow when we'd take our tour. With head bowed in great pride, I am forever a Buffalo Soldier. (motto) "We Can, We Will." B. B.

- - -

Oh. My. Mercy. The Buffalo Soldiers were almost exclusively black but, after World War II, the United States Army did away with color: Blacks, whites, Hispanics and all the hyphens; black, Hispanic, Asian, whatever, became simply soldier. Do you think that might be something we can teach? That we are really just part of the whole  the sum of all the parts, Just us. In the same army.

So help me, I believe with someone good asking the questions to General Bell, Admiral Vance Fry, Major General Bill Raines, Brig. General Carl Levi and others, that we could create a professionally-edited tape that would become not just a local teaching resource but nationally as well, this for our offspring 100 years from today. There are but a few children who will listen to a tape on the Medal of Honor, but if you can guide their eyes to many a visual display, then there will be not a child who will not yearn to know more about it.

Again, I can hardly wait for the Heritage Center to open so I can tour with General Bell  because without him I would never know of the Blockhouse at Santiago, Cuba or its story. Wouldnt you love to hear General Bell tell that tale? I swear I could sell tickets and return a handsome profit.

royexum@aol.com
Karol Wojtya was born 100 years ago today.

Pope Francis will offer Mass at the altar of the tomb of St John Paul II in St Peters Basilica on 18 May, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Polish pontiff, born Karol Wojtya in Wadowice, Poland.

Francis said that his predecessor is remembered with much affection and gratitude, saying: From heaven may he continue to intercede for the People of God and peace in the world.

The pope's Mass in St Peter's coincides with the reopening to the public of the papal basilica, following a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Born on 18 May 1920, Wojtya was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005, and was canonised by Pope Francis in 2014.

More than 15 years after the death of JPII, postcards and calendars of the popular figure are still on sale in tourist shops across Rome.
Maharashtra government will announce on Monday its own set of guidelines for easing lockdown restrictions, which were imposed since end-March, to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The state government will make the announcement after the Centre decided to impose lockdown 4:0 from Monday, which will be enforced till May 31 in Covid-19 hotspots.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

The Centre has directed the state government to take a call on the delineation of the existing zones  red, orange, and green  for better monitoring and prevent the spread of the viral outbreak.

The state government is expected to direct the municipal commissioners and district collectors to limit the containment zones and open up the rest of the area.

State chief secretary Ajoy Mehta held a meeting with the Union cabinet secretary after the Centre issued its notification on Sunday evening. A new set of guidelines will be announced on Monday. The state government is in favour of opening up more commercial activities in all three zones. The local authorities have been asked to restructure containment zones, where lockdown restrictions will be strictly followed, said an official privy to the developments.

The state government, however, may not allow public transport for inter or intrastate movements, despite the Centres order.

District boundaries will remain closed across the zones while allowing more activities within districts. Though public transport has been allowed by the Centre, the movements between districts or outside the state could lead to a surge in Covid-19 positive cases, the official said.

The state government is also planning to deploy the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the containment zones for better monitoring of the restrictions. Of the 20 companies of CAPF approved by the Centre, nine have been deployed in Mumbai, Pune, Amravati, Malegaon, and Aurangabad.

Commercial and other activities outside containment zones need to be allowed for the economic revival. At present, the containment zones are spread over a few kilometres, which could be brought down to smaller areas and the curbs can be lifted in the rest. However, restrictions within the containment zones will become stricter, said former chief minister Ashok Chavan.
Major Boakye Gyan (rtd) has declined an invitation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to answer questions regarding his threat of civil war over a new voters' register.

A source at the CID Headquarters said the former army officer did not show up on Friday as specified by the invitation which reached him before the date of appointment.

However, the self-proclaimed coup planner said he could not turn up at the CID Headquarters in Accra due to ill health.

The retired soldier is pleading ill health after being invited by the police but was able to make war declarations in spite of his purported sickness.

He said on radio that a team of police investigators came to his house over the weekend to interrogate him on his inflammatory language.

A team (of security officers) was dispatched to my house this morning, and I have answered a few questions. The police had earlier invited me but I told the officers, who came to my house, that I couldn't go to the headquarters because of my condition of inferior health, he said.

Caution statement

Boakye Gyan disclosed that the police took a 'caution statement' from him after the interrogations, and put up a defence that he was misunderstood by the public.

According to him, while he talked about a probability of a civil war should the Electoral Commission go ahead with the planned compilation of a new voters register, the public misconstrued that to mean a military takeover.

I still stand by what I said. Members of the public don't seem to understand me. I was only talking of a likely civil war and not a military takeover. I even do not have what it takes to organize a coup as it has been portrayed by some people, he insisted.

Background

The police service invited Boakye Gyan, who escaped a court martial and treason charge for his role in the indiscipline which rocked the Ghana Armed Forces and the coup of 1979, after he had issued an open civil war threat on radio over a new voters' register.

In the past week or so, he has embarked on a campaign of fear-mongering on radio stations, with his actions bearing semblance of doing the bidding of others.

On one of the radio stations, he said the NPP had 'cooked up figures' already which the party seeks to legitimize.

That, he said, had accounted for the EC's insistence on compiling a new voters' register.

He declared that Ghana would be spared a civil war only if the EC desisted from toeing the line of its paymasters.

He alleged the former EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, was removed from office as a result of 'political motivation,' adding they want to beef up the numbers so they can win simply because they don't have confidence in their winning numbers

---Daily Guide
Afghan President Ghani, Political Rival Abdullah Agree On Power-Sharing Deal

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan May 17, 2020

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom claimed to have won Afghanistan's presidential election in September, have reached a power-sharing agreement under which Abdullah will lead the government's efforts to reach a peace deal with the Taliban.

The deal also installs a controversial former vice president, who has been accused of human rights abuses, in a senior military position.

Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi tweeted an image of Ghani and Abdullah signing off on the agreement in Kabul on May 17.

The United Nations and United States said in statements that they welcomed the agreement.

Sediqqi wrote that Abdullah will lead the newly formed National Reconciliation High Council and that members of his team would be included in the government.

Former Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostum,an Abdullah team member who once spent nearly four years in exile after being accused of rape and kidnapping, will become marshal of the Afghan armed forces, according to a copy of the agreement.

The agreement ends a political crisis that led to a parallel government and hampered efforts to broker a peace deal ending more than 18 years of war with the Taliban.

Ahead of the signing, a source told the Reuters news agency that the two leaders would each have a 50 percent share in the government. In his tweet, Sidiqqi said that more information regarding the deal would be forthcoming.

Abdullah served as Afghanistan's chief executive alongside Ghani for six years under a U.S.-brokered power-sharing deal that followed a disputed presidential election in 2014.

Abdullah refused to recognize the results of the poll in September, which was marred by low voter turnout and allegations of fraud.

After election officials in December declared Ghani the winner by a large enough margin to avoid a runoff vote, Abdullah declared himself president, although the international community recognized Ghani's victory.

Disagreements over the composition of the government have contributed to the delay in negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban to end fighting. The talks were to begin on March 10 under a deal signed in February between the United States and the militant group.

U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on May 15 that a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks was under discussion.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo spoke with Ghani and Abdullah later in the day to congradulate them on the deal, but expressed regret for the "time lost" during the political squabble over the election results, the State Department said in a statement.

Pompeo said he welcomed their commitement to enter intra-Afghan negotiations, adding a settlement to end to the war was a U.S. priority.

With reporting by Reuters and The Guardian

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-president -ghani-political-rival-abdullah-agree-power -sharing-deal/30616951.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.

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Book Cover A man who is famously remembered for his expedition to the Blue Nile, Reeve peels back layers of history to reveal Jamess role in British government and his efforts to change the course of history.

Author Jane Aptekar Reeve learned about the historical figure, James Bruce and his exploits after her travels to Ethiopia. Fascinated by his compelling life, Reeve conducted extensive research of his life and compiled it into her deeply intriguing biography, Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade: James Bruce and his Secret Mission to Africa. A man who is famously remembered for his expedition to the Blue Nile, Reeve peels back layers of history to reveal Jamess role in British government and his efforts to change the course of history.

Bruces work as an espionage agent seeking to eradicate slavery across the Mediterranean and Red Seas is uncovered from Reeves research of Britains National Archives. The focus of this book is to not only educate readers about the life of James Bruce but to discuss the historic background of the Mediterranean and Atlantic slave-trading habits at the time.

A book that provides a portrait of a complex man whose life in 18th century Ethiopia and North Africa was filled with adventure and exploration; fans of history will find Reeves biography to be filled with fascinating insights.

Bruces story touches on a great many, very different, places, peoples and topics, Reeve says. I believe it is essential that we open our minds to different cultures and aspects of history to learn about their true impact on the world.

Those who are interested in learning about Bruces life and history of Ethiopia will thoroughly enjoy

Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade and its focus on the religious and political climate during this remarkable time in history.

Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade: James Bruce and his Secret Mission to Africa

By Jane Aptekar Reeve

ISBN: 9781728396248 (softcover); 9781728396255 (hardcover)

Available at the AuthorHouse Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Jane Aptekar Reeve was born in Scotland and traveled frequently throughout her life. She received her M.A. in English Literature and Language from St Hildas College at the University of Oxford. She was a Fulbright Scholar studying American Literature at Indiana University and received her Ph.D in Comparative Literature from Columbia University in New York City. Her first published work, Icons of Justice in Spensers Faerie Queene, was published in 1976 by Columbia University Press after it won a Best Dissertation Award. Working as an English teacher, she later became an editor at the United Nations Secretariat in New York City. When she retired, she relocated to Oxford, England where she compiled her comprehensive findings of James Bruces life into this book. To learn more, please visit https://www.janeaptekarreeve.com/

Contact:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Courtney Vasquez

480-306-7065

cvasquez(at)lavidge(dot)com

###
An EgyptAir flight from Washington bringing back home 340 Egyptian nationals landed in Marsa Alam on Monday, state run MENA news agency reported.

According to the agency, Marsa Alam airports quarantine and preventive health team conducted medical checkups and swabs to ensure that the passengers are coronavirus free.

The passengers were then transferred to designated hotels in the Red Sea resort city under full medical supervision, where they will stay in a 14-day quarantine.

The government requires returnees to sign a written acknowledgement that they agree to be quarantined before boarding the flights.

Egypt began repatriating its nationals in March after many countries, including Egypt itself, started to shut their airspace to commercial flights.

The country is keeping its airspace open to inbound charter flights and special flights to transport outbound passengers, and to cargo and domestic flights.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said last week that authorities are hoping to repatriate all nationals stuck abroad before the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, which is set to begin on 23 May.

Egypt has repatriated around 12,000 stranded Egyptians from different countries since late April, an aviation ministry source told Al-Ahram last week.

Seventy flights arranged by EgyptAir and Air Cairo airlines brought Egyptian nationals back to their country amid the coronavirus pandemic, the source said, adding that flights will not stop until the last Egyptian stranded abroad is repatriated.

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Amber Rose welcomed her second child back in October with boyfriend Alexander Edwards.

And the Philly-born model, who used to date Kanye West, wasted no time getting back into her iconic curvaceous figure.

She put on a busty display Monday as she took to Instagram with a sexy selfie of her sporting a fuzzy teddy hoodie with bear ears, unzipped for a plunging neckline.

Teddy bear chic: Amber Rose put on a busty display Monday as she took to Instagram with a sexy selfie of her sporting a fuzzy teddy hoodie with bear ears, unzipped for a plunging neckline

The 36-year-old sat on the floor, showing off her bare legs and a blush manicure, matching the hoodie.

She served face with contoured cheeks, a matte pout and her new forehead tattoo, writing: 'Love me?'

Amber debuted her face ink back in February, displaying the names of her sons Slash and Bash.

She said during One on One with Keyshia Cole: 'I don't want this to sound corny or anything but kinda after Kobe [Bryant] died, it made me reflect on my life.

Serving face: Amber debuted her face ink back in February, displaying the names of her sons Slash and Bash

Baby weight: The SlutWalk activist previously went under the knife, having full-body liposuction six weeks after giving birth

Under the knife: She said in an Instagram video from her hospital bed: 'So I'm here at Dr. Matlock's office, and I'm about to get my whole body done after the baby'

'I don't want people to be like, "Oh Kobe died and you went and got a tattoo," but it was kinda like that...I was like, life is too short. Just do it. Just live your best life.'

The SlutWalk activist previously went under the knife, having full-body liposuction six weeks after giving birth.

She said in an Instagram video from her hospital bed: 'So I'm here at Dr. Matlock's office, and I'm about to get my whole body done after the baby.

'He's gonna take out some of my jowls that are just hereditary. It just runs in my family, so he's gonna fix that and he's gonna suck all the baby fat out of my stomach.'

Amber welcomed Slash Electric, seven months, in October with Alexander 'AE' Edwards, 32, and she shares Sebastian 'Bash' Taylor, seven, with ex Wiz Khalifa, 32.
Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications Plc, has asked the African Independent Television (AIT) not to air comments made by him and his son regarding their COVID-19 experience at an isolation centre in Abuja.

Dokpesi and his son were diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to Gwagwalada isolation centre.

However, when Raymond Dokpesi jnr was discharged, he complained that although he no longer feels sick, he didnt get any documentary evidence of his COVID-19 status.

His father in a memo dated May 17 and addressed to the chairman (his son), general managing director (GMD), managing director (MD) AIT and other top members of the management team, said the comments should not be aired as it would be seen as though they are using the platform to promote a personal agenda.

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I write to kindly request you to discontinue referencing the comments and views expressed by both the founder  high chief Engr. A.A Dokpesi, OFR and the chairman  chief Raymond Paul Dokpesi Jnr in all your news bulletins and in fact bring them down from all your official websites for now, he said.

Read Also: I Still Have Doubts, Whats The Difference Between COVID-19 And Malaria?: Dokpesi

Very senior citizens and elders have argued and [i] agree with them that I should have addressed a private letter to the PTF and the presidency rather than cast aspersions on their methods thereby creating doubt in the minds of the public. I also agreed to an immediate truce.

We must never be construed to be using ownership of the platform to promoting our personal agenda or settling some scores with perceived opponents.

I thank you all for your support and loyalty, but like gallant soldiers, let us leave this fight for another day. Kindly keep all the original footages, Dokpesi said.
The NDC Diaspora Supporters Union has vowed to halt what it described as the EC boss plan to disenfranchise qualified voters ahead of the 2020 elections.



According to them, Madam Jean Mensah is planning to maximize the chances of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming elections.



The group in a press statement also alleged that the NPP, knowing very well it cannot win a legitimate election, has conspired with the electoral commission to rig the 2020 elections.



As it's turning out, the Electoral Commission headed by Partisan Mrs. Jean Mensah is anxious to disenfranchise many qualified voters ahead of the 2020 elections to maximize the chances of their paymasters. It appears Akufo-Addo cannot win any legitimate election. Lets brace up to resist and defend the 1992 constitution for the future of Ghana, the statement read.



Read the full statement below



WE WILL RESIST PARTISAN JEAN MENSAHS PLAN TO DISENFRANCHISE QUALIFIED VOTERS TO FAVOR HER PAYMASTER



As it's turning out, the Electoral Commission headed by Partisan Mrs. Jean Mensah is anxious to disenfranchise many qualified voters ahead of the 2020 elections to maximize the chances of their paymasters.



The difference between the voters roll that elected President Akufo ADDO and the roll of persons who will qualify as per the CI 126 to vote in 2020 is very striking and leads to only one conclusion: there will be no level playing field, democracy would be traversed and election is to be rigged.



The 1992 constitution frowns upon moves by politicians to secure power through the back door or steal the mandate of the people. In 2008, the NPP set to rig the presidential and parliamentary elections but were woefully embarrassed leading to the first failed attempt by Nana Akufo Addo to win the Presidency of Ghana.



Those who played front-line roles in that election for the NPP do not wish to remember what happened. the 2016 election has yet to be gazetted almost four years after the election.



It appears Akufo Addo cannot win any legitimate election. Let's brace up to resist and defend the 1992 constitution for the future of Ghana.



Long Live NDC, Long Live Ghana. Eye Zu! Eye Za!



Signed:



Amoah Kwaku Addi- Crimea Russia Federation Nana Yaw Asamoah- France (004917666006833) (0033621725273) Mr. Prince Barfi- Germany Mr.Felix Kwao- Belgium



(Tel: 004915217134328) (Tel:0032467708180)









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The efforts are bolstered by a 2018 federal court ruling that for the first time in nearly four decades allows the national Republican Party to mount campaigns against purported voter fraud without court approval. The court ban on Republican Party voter-fraud operations was imposed in 1982, and then modified in 1986 and again in 1990, each time after courts found instances of Republicans intimidating or working to exclude minority voters in the name of preventing fraud. The party was found to have violated it yet again in 2004.
Spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church Bolis Halim asserted that no new decisions have been taken so far concerning opening churches for prayers.

In statements to MENA on Monday, Halim said the churches are committed to the decisions on suspending prayers and all church activities within the framework of the precautionary measures against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Halim said the churches will be ready for any decision on resuming congregational prayers and if this happens, all needed precautionary measures will be taken. Worshippers will be committed to wearing masks.

Any new instructions will be published on the Church's official website.

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Insight Homes plants 1200 trees to celebrate 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Insight Homes partnered with One Tree Planted to plant 1200 trees. Our company is known for our "Green Homes" and this partnership is our way to give back, not only to the environment, and our customers, but to make a difference in the 1 million trees reforestation project in Australia. The 2019-2020 forest fires burned over 18 million hectares (46 million acres).

One Tree Planted is a 501 charity with a mission to help global reforestation efforts. The organization is built on a network of individuals, businesses, and schools who either donate monetarily or volunteer to help plant trees around the world. Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. To find out more about One Tree Planted and how you can make a difference visit https://onetreeplanted.org.
(Reuters) - Chelsea and England forward Callum Hudson-Odoi was arrested on Sunday following an argument with a woman, The Sun newspaper reported.

The Metropolitan Police told The Sun that officers and London Ambulance Service were called in the early hours of Sunday morning "to a report of an unwell woman".

The report added that the woman was taken to hospital and a man was arrested at the scene and remained in police custody.

Chelsea declined to comment on The Sun's report.

Hudson-Odoi, 19, had made 17 Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season until the COVID-19 pandemic halted the campaign. He made his England debut last year and has a total of three caps for his country.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

UK wants to take energy cooperation with Azerbaijan to next level, UK Prime Ministers Trade Envoy, Baroness Emma Nicholson told Trend.

The UK and Azerbaijan have strong existing ties in the energy sector and we want to take this cooperation to the next level as we work in partnership to develop renewable energy opportunities. The UK-Azerbaijan trade and investment partnership remains strong, in particular the UKs continued commitment to Azerbaijans energy sector and wider economy, with BP continuing to invest in new exploration and development activities during this difficult time, she said.

Baroness Nicholson said working together will ensure that countries can return more resilient, innovative and economically dynamic.

Our diplomatic engagement will also continue and we look forward to the next round of the UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue and the Joint Inter-government Commission happening at the earliest opportunity, she said. As Trade Envoy, I look forward to exploring what opportunities there are to achieve this together.

She went on to add that relations between the two countries are strong and will continue to grow.

Just this month, the UK Deputy Foreign Minister Morton and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Mammadyarov discussed a number of key areas for cooperation in the coming months and years, including securing a UK-Azerbaijan bilateral agreement which will further strengthen the excellent ties between our two countries. As hosts of COP26 next year, the UK will also be working closely with Azerbaijan to find solutions to climate change, noted Baroness Nicholson.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari has said there would be no nationwide address by the president today.

Recall that Aliyu Sani, the national coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19, had disclosed that President Buhari will address Nigerians on Monday (today) when he appeared on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics.

According to him, the president is to decide on whether or not the country should go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

But in a tweet on Monday afternoon, Mr Adesina said the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next step.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is still waiting to learn whether she will be sent back to prison on Wednesday - family handout/PA

The family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe have called on Dominic Raab to order Britains ambassador to Iran to visit her on furlough amid growing fears that Iranian authorities plan to return her to prison.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been living at her parents home in Tehran since being granted temporary release in March, will have to return to prison on Wednesday if her furlough is not extended.

She telephoned the Tehran prosecutors office to ask for information on her furlough on Saturday, but was told to call back on Wednesday - the day her furlough expires.

The family had previously hoped that the furlough could herald an easing of tensions around her case that would eventually lead to release.

They say that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has refused their requests for an ambassadorial visit during her temporary release, despite extending her special diplomatic protection more than a year ago.

Her husband Richard Ratcliffe said he had called on Mr Raab, the foreign secretary, to make a personal decision about whether Rob Macaire, the UKs ambassador in Tehran, should visit her at home in a signal of solidarity.

This seems like brinksmanship. I fear an escalation for sure, said Mr Ratcliffe. Nazanins return [to prison] is the next step. Next step [after that] will be someone else getting convicted, he added.

The Foreign and Commonwealth office granted Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection in March 2019, a status that formally escalated the case from a consular matter to a dispute between Britain and Iran.

An FCO spokesperson said: "We are in contact with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family and will continue to make decisions in line with what we believe will produce the best outcome.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British mother of one from Hampstead, was arrested at Tehran airport in 2016 as she prepared to fly home after a holiday with her parents. She was jailed for five years for plotting to overthrow the government, a charge she denies.

She was released from prison on temporary furlough in March as part of Irans efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19 in its prison system. Her furlough was extended for another month in April.

She is obliged to wear an electronic tag and banned from travelling more than 300 metres from her parents home.
One America Works, an organization that bridges the divide between high-growth Silicon Valley companies and emerging tech hubs across the U.S., is holding its first in a series of virtual job fairs on May 21st, with a virtual event convening 15 of the top technology employers in Pittsburgh.

While thousands of skilled and experienced technology workers are being laid off across Silicon Valley, there is a bright spot amid the global pandemic and massive economic recession with technology job hiring taking place in Pittsburgh, a city well known for its innovation in artificial intelligence and robotics. One America Works, an organization that bridges the divide between high-growth Silicon Valley companies and emerging tech hubs across the U.S., is holding its first in a series of virtual job fairs on May 21st, with a virtual event convening 15 of the top technology employers in Pittsburgh to help fill more than 60 available jobs. With positions available across programming, product, sales and many other disciplines, this job fair is a perfect opportunity for tech talent based in high cost cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Boston and New York City to make a move.

What: Virtual Job Fair for Pittsburgh-Based Tech Positions

When: May 21st from 11am-4pm PST/2pm-7pm EST

Participants will be assigned a specific time slot to meet companies one-on-one.

Where: oneamericaworks.org/people/job-fair-tech/

With tens of thousands of tech workers displaced due to the global pandemic and the embrace of a new work-from-anywhere culture, tech companies and tech workers are looking for new ways to operate and innovate. Recent trends of technology workers and employers moving away from costly, congested cities in favor of cities with emerging tech scenes - like Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville and Indianapolis - are accelerating, said Patrick McKenna, founder of One America Works. We are seeing an opportunity for regional technology companies located across the Heartland to attract highly skilled technology talent to cities like Pittsburgh.

Founded by Patrick McKenna - an entrepreneur and investor with experience co-founding, operating and investing in several highly successful technology companies - One America Works is bridging the divide in America by spearheading connections between high-growth companies looking to expand and emerging regions across the U.S. that provide high-quality talent and investment opportunities. And this concept is gaining momentum as it creates hundreds of jobs in emerging hubs around the country. Through a successful 2019 pilot program in Pittsburgh, One America Works is responsible for creating over 250 jobs and filling nearly 80 positions over the course of six months. The 501c3 non-profit is leveraging a grant from RK Mellon Foundation to expand into new emerging tech cities this year. As such, this is the first in a series of job fairs One America Works is coordinating to showcase well-paying innovation jobs across the Heartland.

"Astrobotic is headquartered in Pittsburgh for its exceptional homegrown talent, vibrant culture and affordable areas to live and work, said John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO. Its more critical than ever that we hire great talent to support our growth and our upcoming missions. We look forward to meeting high quality talent - whether from Pittsburgh or other cities."

Employers attending the fair to hire for Pittsburgh-based talent include Niche, Roadrunner, Gridwise, Fifth Season, Abridge AI, Maven Machines, BlueSpace, Locomation, Blastpoint and many other technology companies. Attendees can connect with hiring managers at these companies between 11am-4pm PDT/2pm-7pm EDT on May 21st through the following link: https://oneamericaworks.org/people/job-fair-tech/

About One America Works

One America Works is a non-profit organization that connects growth companies and talented people across the country, bringing the country together around common goals and values. Founded by entrepreneur and investor Patrick McKenna in 2018, One America Works addresses the geographic economic divide across America by introducing innovative technology companies to new sources of talent located in middle American cities, to bring more people in more places into the modern economy. For more about One America Works, visit oneamericaworks.org or follow the organization on LinkedIn or Twitter.
The Health Service was there for them in their hour of need.

Now more Mail readers than ever have pledged to support our hardworking doctors and nurses with generous donations to Mail Force.

Already more than 44,000 of you have donated to the charity  backed by the Mail  which is leading a campaign to make sure NHS and care staff on the coronavirus front line have enough personal protective equipment (PPE).

Yesterday another 1,400 cheques arrived, adding more than 133,000 to the fund and taking the total donated by readers to nearly 2.5million.

Mail Force PPE Delivery to Hankham Lodge Residential Care Home, Eastbourne, East Sussex

Pledges from philanthropists and corporate partners have helped the fund soar to almost 8million.

The drive prompted praise from Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who told MPs in the Commons: 'I pay tribute to the [Mail Force] PPE campaign, they have raised an enormous amount of money to bring in PPE from China.'

Many readers sending cheques included letters saying why they were donating and praising the NHS.

Allan Mason, 74, of South Cave, East Yorkshire, told how he had suffered a heart attack recently.

He called 999 and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary then to Castle Hill Hospital for emergency surgery.

'Words alone cannot express the thanks to the vast number of people (I estimate between 40 and 50) who in their own individual way, gave love, devotion and dedication to saving my life,' he said.

David Leader sent a generous donation in memory of Vera, his wife of 56 years who died in January, as he was unable to buy her a present for her birthday on May 6.

'A grateful thank you to all NHS staff in Guy's, St Thomas', Maidstone Hospital and especially Tunbridge Wells Hospital for the care and love shown in her last three weeks.

'I know she would have appreciated this somewhat unusual birthday present,' he said. Barry Owen, 83, also thanked the NHS for his treatment since 2010.

'The surgeons and nurses have been outstanding. So often I lay watching them run off their feet. Nothing but praise for them  hope this small gift will help,' he wrote.

Another letter signed simply 'Great grandma' read: 'Over my life (84 years) I have had so many reasons to be grateful.'

The latest time was for the care given to her great-grandson, born 12 weeks early at just 2lbs in November.

He is now back home weighting 11lbs. Shirley Liddell, of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, and her mother Penelope Oldham, 95, both sent generous donations.

Mrs Oldham suffered a stroke this year and was looked after by the NHS in High Wycombe.

Mrs Liddell wrote: 'She was given the very best of care on the stroke unit. She is back home being cared for 24/7 by a wonderful carer who, to keep her safe, is isolated with her.

'This PPE is so necessary to keep everyone safe. 'Long may Mail Force keep up its good work.

'It is truly heart-warming to see red tape being sidelined and to feel that someone is doing something.'

PPE has already been delivered to hospitals, care homes and ambulance stations across the country. Plans are underway to bring in further consignments.

HERE'S HOW TO DONATE Mail Force Charity has been launched with one aim to help support NHS staff, volunteers and care workers fight back against Covid-1 in the UK. Mail Force is a separate charity established and supported by the Daily Mail and General Trust. The money raised will fund essential equipment required by the NHS and care workers. This equipment is vital in protecting the heroic staff whilst they perform their fantastic work in helping the UK overcome this pandemic. If we raise more money than is needed for vital Covid-1 equipment, we will apply all funds to support the work of the NHS in other ways. Click the button below to make a donation: DONATE NOW If the button is not visible, click here Advertisement

Care home gets first kit delivery for two months

By Jaya Narain

A care home which has successfully battled to keep Covid-19 at bay has had its first delivery of PPE in more than two months.

Hankham Lodge received just a single box of medical face masks at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

Since then it has had nothing despite pleas to health agencies  with desperate bosses even ordering fancy dress medical gowns as an emergency back-up.

Now, thanks to Mail Force, the home  which looks after 17 elderly residents in Eastbourne, East Sussex  has received two boxes of protective coveralls.

Luckily, they have not had a single virus case due to a strict social distancing and disinfection routine.

Owner Peter Sims, who has 20 part-time and 12 full-time staff, said: 'It has been impossible trying to find PPE so this is a huge boost for us, so thank you.

'I have to say the local agencies have been pretty rubbish. I didn't even get a reply when I twice reached out to the local resilience forum.

'I've sent numerous emails to multiple agencies without much joy.

'We had a single box of 300 masks delivered at the start of this pandemic and nothing after that.

'We managed to source our own gloves and a volunteer group gave us some visors they had made.'

Mr Sims, who lives on the premises with his wife and children, added: 'Luckily we haven't had anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 but we've been holding our breath. It's quite stressful.'

The two boxes of 40 coveralls were accepted by staff, who said they now feel safer. Fran Weston added: 'They're exactly what we've been looking for. Thank you.'
From Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.: "To Cherokee Nation, I know it's been a difficult few weeks as we've dealt with #COVID19 and there will be difficult times ahead, but there's hope in the hard work going on..." From distance learning, telemedicine, food distribution and working from home, here are messages of hope from Cherokee citizens. Wado, FireThief Productions for this great PSA.

Cherokee Nation

After much debate, media scrutiny and a national lawsuit, the U.S. Treasury Department is finally distributing CARES Act coronavirus relief funds to tribal governments, but it is far from payment in full, as promised.

The money was initially held up when tribal governments rightly challenged Treasury's plan to give private sector, for-profit Alaska Native Corporations a large portion of the relief funds that were meant for tribal governments. A federal judge stopped those payments to corporations, at least for now. But as Treasury continues to fight this in court, tribes are receiving only about 60% of the $8 billion in CARES Act funding approved by Congress.

It is critical that the federal government distribute the rest. Partial funding creates too much uncertainty, and the 574 federally recognized tribes will have a difficult time making decisions for their people. Cherokee Nations economic and leadership footprint in northeast Oklahoma makes it in the entire regions best interest that tribes are able to access the full allocation of federal funds as soon as possible.

Cherokee Nation's emergency elder food distribution program continued today in Locust Grove, with the tribe providing... Posted by Cherokee Nation on Thursday, May 14, 2020

We are also asking Treasury to issue more flexible guidelines in how we can expend these funds. This pandemic has impacted each tribal government in unique ways and has far reaching consequences beyond the immediate relief efforts. It is crucial that tribal governments are afforded the opportunity to use these funds in a way that best fits our needs and accelerates the recovery from this crisis. It is also incumbent upon Congress to extend the timelines for use of this funding because we all know that the repercussions of this pandemic will reverberate for years to come.

Our hope is that Congress, the Treasury and federal agencies become quicker about distributing dollars to tribes, as well as giving guidance to tribes regarding pandemic measures. Tribal governments, including Cherokee Nation, have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 public health response just as state and local governments have. Weve suffered crippling economic effects, and we deserve to join states and other governments in the timely and fair distribution of COVID-19 recovery funds.

This delay has left tribes in limbo, even as we struggle to retain employees and provide essential services such as health care, food, housing and small business assistance to citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

.@CherokeeNation Hopes Further Federal Virus Aid Can Be Used To Cover Lost Revenue https://t.co/cJCh4sptDD  Chuck Hoskin, Jr. (@ChuckHoskin_Jr) May 18, 2020

This fight for tribal nations to receive what Congress intended should not have been necessary. To restore trust from Indian Country, Treasury and the Department of Interior must promptly distribute the balance of CARES Act funds to tribal governments.

We will continue to speak out, fight for our citizens and seek the funding tribal governments deserve in this national disaster response.

I have asked our team at Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses to continue generating innovative ideas to take care of our citizens and employees. Our portion of the stimulus relief funding will help mitigate some of the financial loss of our businesses being shuttered since March. We pray that we are soon living in a post-pandemic world, and we must have the ability to rebuild what we have lost.

Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the 18th elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Indian tribe in the United States. He is only the second elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from Vinita, the first being Thomas Buffington, who served from 1899-1903. Prior to being elected Principal Chief, Hoskin served as the tribes Secretary of State. He also formerly served as a member of the Council of the Cherokee Nation, representing District 11 for six years.

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When I first moved to rural New Hampshire from Brooklyn, my husband and I rented a house on a gravel road in a town that somehow didnt feel like a town. You couldnt walk around downtown, and there was barely anywhere to go anyway. It had no cohesive center. The nearby town of Warner was different. It was about the same size, but it felt much warmer, with a Main Street that bloomed to life on the weekends with shoppers at an independent bookstore, a farmers market, and two restaurants, one with an actual bar. At the center of town was a new coffee shop called Schoodacs Coffee House, with a big porch and a well-maintained lawn out front that functioned as the town green. We decided to move to Warner six months after Schoodacs opened in 2015.

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Last week, Schoodacs owner, Darryl Parker, announced on Facebook that he will permanently close the coffee shop, unable to recover from coronavirus closure losses. Parker had decided to close the shop temporarily on March 15, the day before the governor closed bars and restaurants except for takeout and delivery. As the state has eased open again, Parker reopened May 9 for a few hours in the morning. But in the following days, he realized the math just wouldnt work. We were constantly on the bubble, and hitting something like this, the bubble just burst, he told me on Thursday.

Parker had been spending $3,000 a month to keep the shop closed as the pandemic spread. Selling a few cups of no touch takeout coffee on weekends would not be enough to make up those costs, let alone the additional expense of rehiring employees and buying supplies. Anyway, he could only find one trained barista to hire back, he told me. He guesses this is largely due to the fact that unemployed workers are now receiving an extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits, in addition to state benefits. Parker doesnt begrudge his workers that calculation; he closed before he was forced to in part to ensure that his workers would be at the front of the line for benefits. But he cant compete, and he doesnt have the budget to wait until the extra benefits expire. He also cant cover shifts himself, because his primary business is a small website maintenance firm where he already works full time.

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Beloved local institutions are shuttering all over the country right now. More than 100,000 small businesses have shut permanently since March, according to a working paper published this month. In New York, the casualties include Pegu Club, a pioneering craft cocktail bar, the Keith McNally bistro Lucky Strike, and two shops owned by the coffee roaster Gimme Coffee. Chicago is losing the 24-hour diner Jeris Grill in Lincoln Square (open 57 years); the 15-year-old Restaurante Cuetzala wont reopen after its owner died of the virus last month. In Atlanta, a family-owned meat and three restaurant that had been open for 46 years closed this week. This virus has taken everything I have worked so hard to hold on to, the owner wrote on Facebook.

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Small businesses are at risk, of course, because they typically operate on much narrower profit margins than big companies. The same is true for what you might call the culture margin in a small town compared with a big city. However deeply New Yorkers will mourn a particular shuttered restaurant or bar, they will not run out of places to eat or drink or gather with friends.

Fewer than 3,000 people live in Warner. For this community, losing Schoodacs is shattering. My family and I saw someone we knew at the coffee shop every time we stopped in. Our next-door neighbor worked on his novel there; a close friend hosted a reading series. We bought our Christmas tree on the coffee shops front lawn, and visited the jack-o-lanterns lined up on the front steps in October. On Saturday mornings, my daughter and I made what we called the Warner rounds: Schoodacs, library, farmers market. In warm weather we sat in the sun on the porch, and in the winter we chose a game from the communal board game cabinet or chipped away at the jigsaw puzzle on a big table in the center of the room. The banner image for the private Facebook group for local parents (121 members) is a photo of Schoodacs on a sunny summer day.

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And businesses like this one have a ripple effect. Schoodacsnamed for a local brook with a spelling that is apparently only found in Warnerpurchased hundreds of gallons of maple syrup a year from a family farm up the mountain; who will that farm sell to now? It provided a place for local realtors and other professionals to hold meetings; theres nowhere else in town that can fill that role. What will happen to foot traffic at the outdoor farmers market without a coffee shop next door?

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Some of the shops influence on the community will outlive it. A few years ago, Parker offered space on the front porch to a small collective of local farmers, in exchange for five gallons of syrup. Customers paid on the honor system, tucking dollar bills into a box in exchange for paper bags of onions and tomatoes on their way into the coffee shop. That was the start of what is now a flourishing public market down the street from Schoodacs. The indoor grocery has fresh produce and local meats and dairy, along with cute tote bags and lovely art. The first time I wandered in, I surreptitiously took a photograph to send to a friend: This place exists! In Warner!

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On Saturday mornings, my daughter and I made what we called the Warner rounds: Schoodacs, library, farmers market.

I dont know what downtown Warner will look like when all this is over. The public market hastily set up an online shopping portal at the beginning of the pandemic, and now offers curbside pickup and home delivery. The bookstore, too, offers online ordering and curbside pickup. The restaurant across the street from Schoodacs is offering takeout and beer. The pizza place is hiring. But the loss of Schoodacs feels ominous.

Meanwhile, the McDonalds and gas station Dunkin Donuts out by the highway exit will probably be fine. Parker, like other industry experts, predicts the pandemic will accelerate the homogenization of the food and restaurant landscape. National chains will be able to ride out the losses. Many independent entities like Parkers wont.

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In cities, people described as the pillar of the community are often more like celebrities who show up at the right events. Parker, who moved here just five years ago, is an actual pillar. Hes on the board of the Warner Fall Foliage Festival, the biggest event in town. (If this years event takes place, it will be the 73rd annual.) He helped launch a local project turning a 34-mile stretch of a former railroad line into a walking trail. He has served on the town planning board, and a few years ago was elected town almoner, a welfare officer who administers emergency rent and food aid to people in town. When he and his girlfriend traveled to watch the Iditarod race in Alaska in early Marcha lifelong dreamhe took a stuffed husky dog with him and sent photo dispatches to the kindergarten class in the little brick school building up the hill from Schoodacs.

Now, Parker is thinking about leaving Warner. He moved here from North Carolina because his now-ex-wife had family ties in town. He lives in an apartment behind the coffee shop, but he doesnt have much reason to stay now that the shop is closing. His daughter is heading off to college, and he can work for his other business from anywhere. Schoodacs was my anchor, he said. And that was true for the town itself, too.

For more of Slates news coverage, listen to What Next.
In a significant development, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday (May 17) scaled down its earlier directive on Aarogya Setu aap that had made it compulsory for several categories of people to download the app which has been designed to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

The latest order released by MHA on Sunday regarding Aarogya Setu highlighted the change in stand of the Centre when it comes to downloading the app.

With a view to ensuring safety in offices and workplaces, employers on best effort basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones. District authorities may advise individuals to install the Aarogya Setu application on compatible mobile phones and regularly update their health status on the app, said the MHA.

In its May 1 guidelines, the MHA had said "use of Aarogya Setu app shall be mandatory for all employees, both private and public. It shall be the responsibility of the head of the respective organisation to ensure 100 per cent coverage of the app among the employees".

The last guidelines said that the local authority "shall ensure 100 per cent coverage of Aarogya Setu app among the residents of containment zones", a point which was not mentioned in Sunday's order.

It may be recalled that a French hacker who goes by the name Elliot Alderson had claimed few days ago that "a security issue has been found" in the app and that "privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake".

The government rejected Alderson's claim saying Aarogya Setu is free from any data or security breach and "no personal information of any user has been proven to be at risk by this ethical hacker".

"We are continuously testing and upgrading our systems. Team Aarogya Setu assures everyone that no data or security breach has been identified," the government had said through the app's Twitter handle.
Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark joins Princess Beatrice and countless other couples, royal or not, that have had to reschedule their weddings. Theodora planned on having her ceremony this month, but the event had to be postponed due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic. Her fiance is Los Angeles-based attorney Matthew Kumar, People notes.

"Unfortunately, it has been canceled due to COVID-19 and we do not have a new date scheduled at this time," a palace communications officer told Her & Nu, Hola! reports. "However, we are analyzing the situation in detail to see when the wedding could take place."

Milos Bicanski/Getty Images

RELATED: Princess Beatrice Has Reportedly Canceled Her Wedding

The Greek monarchy was "formally abolished in 1974," People adds, though Theodora maintains her title, Her Royal Highness Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. Royal die-hard will note that she's also in line for the British throne, thanks to being the great-great-granddaughter of Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria's son. Theodora was raised in England, though she later moved to America to pursue a career in acting. Her most notable credit includes a role on The Bold and the Beautiful under her stage name, Theodora Greece.

Though Theodora's royal office didn't release the exact date for her original ceremony, Beatrice did release information for her big day. She was set to marry her fiance, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at St. Jamess Palace on May 29.
Joe Creations and Spring Preparatory School in the Volta Region have received approval from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to produce facial masks for commercial purposes.



A total of 114 companies have been licensed to produce the commodity across the country.



Mr Gordon Akurugu, the Volta Regional Director of the FDA, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency, said a total of 22 entities were also licensed to produce hand sanitizers in the Region.



He said the FDA, as a regulatory body under the Ministry of Health, was mandated to ensure the safety, efficacy of drugs, household chemicals and food products in the country.



Mr Akurugu said FDA's direct contribution to the control of COVID-19 was the licensing of nose masks and hand sanitizers for quality assurance and safety of the population.



The Regional Director warned individuals and companies who were producing or wishing to produce such items to seek approval from the regional offices of the FDA or face the rigours of the law.



"Such entities who will pass the criteria or licensing parameters will receive approval to regulate safety of the products," he said.



Mr Akurugu said the FDA had stepped up vigilance at the country's borders and would ensure that smugglers who brought in sub-standard or counterfeited drugs were arrested.



He said there were designated ports of entry for all delicate medications and that with the collaboration of border control agencies the FDA would not allow 'nation-wreckers' to take advantage of an already precarious global health emergency situation to cause more havoc.



Mr Akurugu called on all to maintain the safety protocols including the vigorous hand washing with soap under running water, physical distancing and wearing of facial masks.

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.

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PR-Inside.com: 2020-05-18 17:47:03





Q1 2020 REVENUES: +41 %

APPOINTMENT OF A MANAGERIAL

TEAM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM









London, 18 May 2020 - INVIBES ADVERTISING, a company specializing in integrated advertising at the heart of editorial content for media sites (in-feed), has announced its Q1 2020 revenue.

Unaudited consolidated data, in k Q1 2020 Q1 2019  Total consolidated revenue 1,738 1,224 +41%

In the 1st quarter of 2020, INVIBES ADVERTISING recorded consolidated revenue of  1.7 million, i.e. an organic growth of + 41%.

The commercial dynamic continued over the period despite the start of the health crisis linked to the Covid-19 epidemic.

Although the performances recorded during the first months of the year are satisfactory, the advertising market as a whole has been affected throughout Europe by this crisis and INVIBES ADVERTISING will remain very attentive to its development in the coming months.

Its strong European geographic footprint, and its ability to deploy campaign throughout Europe, will be decisive assets to fully benefit from the rebound when the situation has normalized and the advertising market has been reactivated.

Appointment of a managerial team in the United Kingdom

To pursue its European expansion, INVIBES ADVERTISING recruited a managerial team in the United Kingdom with the appointment of Caroline Lidington as Country Director UK and Joy Dean as Partnership

Director UK.

Caroline Lidington has more than 25 years of experience in the field of digital advertising. Before joining Invibes Advertising, she was Sales Director for Northern Europe for lastminute.com Group. Previously, Caroline held management positions within global groups in the advertising industry such as Hearst Magazines, Hachette Filipacchi Media, Bauer Media, Yahoo! and Universal McCann.

Joy Dean has developed over 12 years of robust expertise in digital advertising acquired from specialists in mobile advertising like Widespace and Ogury, and experts in data driven marketing like Exponential, in which she alternately held two managerial positions; advertising and partnership manager.

I am very happy that Caroline and Joy are joining our teams. The United Kingdom is a market with great potential in which we have strong ambitions. Their substantial experience and expertise in the digital advertising sector should allow us to quickly accelerate our development throughout the region" said Nicolas Pollet, CEO and co-founder of INVIBES ADVERTISING, welcoming these appointments





About INVIBES ADVERTISING





Founded in 2011, INVIBES ADVERTISING is an advanced technology company specialized in digital advertising. It has developed advertising solutions using an in-feed format built into media content. The principle is similar to social networks and it is optimized for dissemination in a closed network of media websites. Our clientele includes a large number of acclaimed companies: advertisers and media agencies.

INVIBES ADVERTISING is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Ticker: ALINV  ISIN: BE0974299316), and in 2019 achieved a place in FT1000 ranking, published each year by the Financial Times. For more information, please visit www.invibes.com .

Read our latest press releases at:

https://www.invibes.com/investors.html

Follow the latest news about INVIBES ADVERTISING on:

Linkedin: @Invibes advertising Twitter: @Invibes_adv Facebook: @Invibes advertising





Financial & Corporate Contacts







INVIBES ADVERTISING

Kris VLAEMYNCK, CFO

kris.vlaemynck@invibes.com



ACTIFIN, Investor Relations

Alexandre COMMEROT

acommerot@actifin.fr

+33 (0)1 56 88 11 11 ATOUT CAPITAL, Listing Sponsor

Rodolphe OSSOLA

rodolphe.ossola@atoutcapital.com

+33 (0)1 56 69 61 80 ACTIFIN, Financial Media Relations

Jennifer Jullia

jjullia@actifin.fr



+33 (0)1 56 88 11 19





Attachment
This is the moment Belgium's Prime Minister was shamed by 'outraged' medics as they turned their back on her in a protest over her handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Footage shows Sophie Wilmes receiving the cold reception as she made an unofficial visit to the Saint-Pierre Hospital in Marollen, Brussels on Saturday.

Nurses and doctors can be seen turning their backs one by one as the Prime Minister arrived in a Mercedes Benz.

The medical profession has been left furious after a royal decree, prepared by health minister Maggie De Block and signed into law on May 4, allowed untrained staff to work as nurses.

A video of the poignant protest shows nurses and doctors lining up in rows either side of the hospital entrance, before pivoting on the spot to turn their backs on Wilmes as her car approaches the hospital.

Wilmes, surrounded by security, can be seen leaving the car and quickly entering the building without speaking to the medics, as an aide from the car behind rushes to catch up with her.

The silent protest, which has been widely viewed online, was made in response to the Prime Minister's handling the covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of the untrained nursing staff decree earlier this month.

The protest was made by medics in Saint-Pierre Hospital in Marollen, Brussels, on Saturday, in response to the Prime Minister's handling of the covid-19 pandemic

Earlier this month the General Union of Belgian Nurses called the decree 'a real slap in the face', as it suggested that nurses were not highly trained and their skills were transferable, reports The Independent.

Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes

Doctors and nurses from twelve hospitals in the country have written to government calling for the decree to be repealed, reports The Brussels Times.

Wilmes was reportedly making the visit to ease tensions following the decree.

Speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTBF on the day of the visit Wilmes said she had wanted to share a 'message of appeasement' and did not want to see the nursing sector 'reduced to what it was before' after coronavirus has passed.

Coronavirus has so far claimed 9,000 lives in Belgium, with 55,000 confirmed cases.

Belgium Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes received a cold reception from the medical staff at Saint Peter hospital in Brussels during her official visit to the hospital

Medics turned their back towards the politician on her arrival. The country has reported over 9,000 Covid-19 deaths. May 16 2020

Workers at the hospital, who feel the decree to employee unqualified staff as nurses has undermined their efforts during the pandemic

The country has the highest mortality rate in the world with 66 deaths in every 100,000 cases of the virus - in the US the death rate stands at 19 in 100,000.

The Prime Minister went on to visit a second hospital on Saturday, where she was not met by protest, say reports.

Belgium is expected to reopen schools, markets and other cultural activities this week after spending two-months in lockdown.
An at-home coronavirus testing project backed in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been suspended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) was offering at-home testing kits to residents in the region, but has been ordered to discontinue indefinitely until it gets additional FDA-approval.

SCAN was sharing test results with patients, but had only been approved by the FDA for surveillance testing, which does not allow researchers to return test results to patients or doctors.

Officials insist the suspension has nothing to do with the safety or accuracy of tests.

Before it was paused, the system was testing about 300 people per day for COVID-19, the highly-infectious disease caused by the virus.

Bill Gates partially funds The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN), which was offering at-home coronavirus testing kits to residents in the region to track how widespread the virus is

The FDA ordered the program suspended because SCAN was sharing test results with individuals as opposed to a traditional surveillance system

'The FDA has not raised any concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of SCAN's test, but we have been asked to pause testing until we receive that additional authorization,' SCAN said in a statement.

In March, the Gates Foundation said it was providing technical assistance for SCAN, which had been approved by regulators in Washington.

At the time, the state had one of the highest case totals in the US and was facing an outbreak at the Life Care Center nursing home in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle

Gates himself has also privately funded SCAN, according to the foundation.

In a blog post on May 12, the Microsoft billion said SCAN was not mean to replace widespread testing but rather 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.'

Gates also said that SCAN is an extension of the 2018 Seattle Flu Study, which tracked influenza during the 2018-19 season.

On Thursday, SCAN said in a statement that it has been in talks with the FDA since March 1 and initiated its request for emergency use authorization (EUA) on March 23, submitting data on April 13.

'We have been notified that a separate federal emergency use authorization is required to return results for self-collected tests,' SCAN said.

Representatives for the FDA did not have an immediate comment on SCAN's status and representatives of King County Health Department referred questions to SCAN.

However, an FDA spokesperson did tell FOX Business: 'FDA is supportive of at-home testing for COVID-19, provided there is data and science to support consumer safety and test accuracy.

'We had previously understood that SCAN was being conducted as a surveillance study.'

This is in reference to the fact that surveillance studies do not tell patients the results of testing.

SCAN said it did not have an update on specific timing for when testing would restart.

Separately, the FDA on Saturday approved a standalone at-home sample collection kit for Everlywell Inc, a health and wellness company, which launched its kit in March.

In the US, there are more than 1.5 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 90,000 deaths.
The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown is facing serious backlash after sharing video of herself singing the N-word. And now, members of Bachelor Nation are weighing in.

During an Instagram live yesterday, the 25-year-old reality star dropped the slur while rapping along to DaBaby song "Rockstar."

As time progressed through the live broadcast, Brown began to notice criticism for using the word from fans in the comments. "I did? I'm so sorry..." Brown said. "I was singing the I'm so sorry."

At one point, she even suggested it may have been her brother, Patrick Brown. When viewers continued to confront her, Brown addressed it again.

"I really don't think I said that word," she said. "I don't think I said that word, but now I'm like, oh god. I'd never use that word. I've never called anybody that. We don't say that word....So, you know what, I'm going to stay here, and y'all can think I said whatever I did or think I'm something I'm not, but I'm not that."

Behind the Scenes of Hannah Brown's Season of The Bachelorette

Former The Bachelor contestent Bekah Martinez took to her Instagram stories to address her anger with the situation.

"How are celebs still gonna defend CELEBS with access to SOOO much privilege, knowledge and education saying the N-word...even if it's "just the lyrics to a song?" 25-year-old Martinez wrote in a statement.

She continued: "Especially when that person had the wherewithal to skip over the F-word lyric first. We've GOT to hold people accountable to do better otherwise we're continuing to prioritize the feeling of white people (and some we "stan") over ending our country's loooong history of casual racism and flippant anti-blackness."

Martinez then gave a bit of a history lesson, explaining the implications of the word.

Story continues

Raven Gates, Bekah Martinez

"And no. you can't say the N-word just because black people say it," she said. "Black people reclaimed the use of a word that was used for centuries to oppress and dehumanize them. It's a word that holds so much historical weight that the black community is still healing from, and part of the white community are STILL weaponizing for dehumanization, particularly in the south."

"So no, it's not cool to just sing along the lyrics of a song," Martinez added. "Especially not ON YOUR PLATFORM WITH MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS?!! smh. it's 2020. at least make a legitimate apology and acknowledge your behavior."

Following her written statement, Martinez posted a follow-up video, saying, in part: "It's also just upsetting to me when people don't take the weight of their responsibility as someone with a lot of privilege and a lot of influence seriously and don't take the time to care and acknowledge when they f**k up."

While he hasn't addressed the controversy directly, fans believe that Matt James, Tyler Cameron's best friend and member of the "Quarantine Crew," has indirectly addressed the situation on Instagram.

Matt James

For starters, James posted an Instagram story of himself getting ready for a run, with the text, "Let's spread love today." The photo also featured the text, "John 8:7," a reference to a bible verse, positioned next to a bee emoji.

The bible verse in question, reads, in part, "So when they continued asking [Jesus], he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

At one point, Brown was partying with the Quarantine Crew down in Florida, but has since relocated back to Alabama.

The Bachelor alum Nick Viall also chimed in on the situation. On Instagram Stories, Viall said he plans to process Hannah's actions before truly giving a statement, but shares his "initial thought is that it's deeply disappointing to see."

Following the backlash and criticism surrounding her actions on social media, Brown took to her Instagram Stories to address the situation.

"I owe you all a major apology," the reality TV personality's statement on Instagram Stories began. "There is no excuse and I will not justify what I said. I have read your messages and seen the hurt I have caused. I own it all. I am terribly sorry and know that whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable. I promise to do better."

Bachelorette's Rachel Lindsay ''Directly'' Spoke to Hannah Brown About Saying the N-Word

Rachel Lindsay

Later on Sunday afternoon, former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay took to Instagram to share a "word" on why non-black people should not be using the slur.

"You guys have to excuse my appearance, I just got off the Peloton because I needed to release some tension, I needed to release some stress," Lindsay said on a video posted on Instagram TV. "I honestly... didn't want to have to do this. To be honest, I'm tired. I'm so tired of feeling like I have to be the one to say something."

"I never wanted to speak on this, I never wanted to say anything, I'm honestly tired of feeling like I have to speak because other people won't [...] I'm personally offended by what was done... to start from the beginning, last night when everything popped off, I didn't see it but I woke up to a bunch of messages today, basically telling me what happened, so I tried to do something a little different. I thought instead of me dragging her [Hannah Brown], which is what people wanted me to do, and I'm not necessarily in the business of doing that.. I thought, let me just pull out a verse from the Bible. The Bible says in Matthew 18:15 that when you feel offended, you should go to that person and let them know that they offended. So I did that, I thought, you know what, let me just speak to the person directly and let them know how I'm feeling."

Aside from Lindsay, Reality Steve and Ashley Spivey also addressed Brown's use of the N-word from Saturday's Instagram Live video. Spivey said that there is "no one less able to address it" than she and Reality Steve but hopes that Bachelor Nation fans were able to watch Lindsay's video on why it's not okay.

Further, the two agreed that Brown should have never said the N-word and "should have given a better apology last night." It shouldn't have taken her "over 12 hours to address [her mistake]," said Reality Steve.

The two went on to discuss the fact that in saying the slur, Brown wasn't using her platform for good and ultimately "doesn't understand the power behind her platform." Spivey added, "It's not black people's jobs to explain why you can't use that word."

Hannah Brown, Tyler Cameron, 2019 PCAs, People's Choice Awards

Tyler Cameron, who was previously linked romantically to Brown, also shared his two cents on the situation on Sunday evening.

"Rachel hit the nail on the head," he wrote, after reposting Lindsay's video to his Instagram Story. "Y'all need to look at the comments. We have long ways to go on this issue and a lot to learn. If you find yourself getting defensive, you are part of the problem."

He added, in a different Instagram Story, that this wasn't about "dragging" Brown.

"This is about using your platform for reasons like this," he wrote, sharing a screenshot of someone who sent him a DM sounding shocked that not "everyone" can use the N-word. "So we can educate those who don't get it. This is bigger than HB. This is a societal problem."

He proceeded to share another screenshot of a direct message that read: "I can't believe you would go against Hannah. Hannah sang words words to a song. She did nothing wrong. If they want to blame someone blame the rap artist. She is not racist and Rachel would mind her own business."

In response to that, he wrote, "Those that say that it's part of the song and that they can sing it are so out of touch. HB is not racist. I know. But blaming the rap artist is not the answer. Educate yourself and listen to what Rachel has to say about the word Bitch and hopefully it'll start to click for you."
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

SC directs states to reach out to 10,000 kids orphaned due to Covid-19, pay compensation

Kerala govt guidelines on lockdown 4.0

India

oi-Deepika S

Kocchi, May 18: The Kerala Government on Monday decided to allow public transport in a restricted manner with an increased travel fare to compensate the shortage of passengers due to implementation of social distancing norms in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the following guidelines to be followed in the state during the fourth phase of the Covid-19 Lockdown.

Intra-district public transport will be allowed, with only 50 per cent of the seating capacity.

For inter-district movement, private vehicles will be allowed to ply without any need of special passes. Only carrying ID cards will suffice.

Taxi services will be allowed but with two passengers in the vehicle only.

Auto rickshaws will also be allowed to move with only 1 passenger. However, in case of families, upto 3 passengers are permitted.

Pillion riding will be allowed on motorcycles, only if family member.

Pregnant women, elderly, kids and people under treatment should try and refrain from coming outside their houses.

In shopping complexes, 50 per cent of the shops will be allowed to open on alternate days only.

Barber shops will be permitted to function but without Air-Conditioning. Only hair cutting and hair dressing will be allowed in these shops and not more than two people will be allowed to wait outside.

The shop owners have been asked to encourage customers to bring their own towel with them. Booking an appointment should be encouraged through mobile phones.

Beverages outlets and liquor shops are allowed to function for delivery as and when online registration is enabled.

Clubs can also function in similar manner with limited number of members.

Government offices can remain open with only 50 per cent of their workforce. Rest of the staff can work from home. Saturday shall be holiday for government offices until further orders.

Those staff members who have not been able to report to their offices so far due to the lockdown should reach the office in 2 days. If they are unable to travel, they shall report the same to the District Collector.

The Collector may appoint them for Covid-19 combat activities in appropriate departments.

The centre has issued guidelines easing certain restrictions even as it extended the lockdown till May 31.
The Bombay High Court on Monday



permitted a 24-week pregnant minor victim of sexual assault to medically terminate her pregnancy.

Justice SJ Kathawalla permitted the 17-year-old to undergo the procedure at JJ hospital in the city after a medical board of the hospital submitted that the victim was fit to undergo the procedure.

On May 15, Justice Kathawalla had directed the board to assess the victim's condition and report back to the court.

He had passed the direction after the victim told him over video conferencing that she was undergoing mental trauma due to the pregnancy and that she wanted to terminate it in order to "concentrate on her studies and build a future" for herself.

On Monday, the board of doctors told HC that while the fetus did not have any medical anomalies, the victim ran the risk of developing pregnancy related complications such as anemia, and complications during labour.

Besides, since she had said that she did not wish to carry the pregnancy to term, forcing her to give birth might result in a "psychological impact" and result in an uncertain future for her, the medical board submitted.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the minor's mother seeking that the girl be permitted to terminate the pregnancy since it was the result of a sexual assault that she had endured last year.

The mother told HC that the police had already filed a case of sexual assault against the minor's perpetrator.

As per the plea, the girl, who is 17 years old now, eloped from her parents' home in the city in November last year.

She returned in January this year and in May realised she was pregnant.

As per the girl, she left her parent's house and got a job at a factory near Navi Mumbai, where the accused also worked.

"Considering the desire the petitioner and her minor daughter expressed before this court as well as the specific opinion of the Medical Board, it is imperative to permit the petitioner's daughter to undergo medical termination of pregnancy," HC said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tibets India-based exile government and supporters in the United States called on Beijing on Monday to free Tibets second-best-known religious leader the Panchen Lama, who disappeared as a young boy into Chinese custody on 25 years ago on May 17 and is believed to be languishing under house arrest in an undisclosed location.



The Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was recognized on May 14, 1995 at the age of six as the 11th Panchen Lama, the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 10th Panchen Lama.



The recognition by the Dalai Lama angered Chinese authorities, who three days later took the boy and his family into custody and then installed another boy, Gyaincain Norbu, as their own candidate in his place.



Tibetan tradition holds that senior Buddhist monks are reincarnated in the body of a child after they die.



The whereabouts of the Dalai Lamas choice of Panchen Lama remain unknown and he has not been seen in public since his disappearance.



The Panchen Lama installed by Beijing meanwhile remains unpopular with Tibetans both in exile and at home.



Speaking on Sunday in a video conference hosted by Tibets exile government, the Central Tibetan Administration, in Dharamsala, India, CTA President Lobsang Sangay said China has failed in what he called Beijings politically driven effort to undermine and control Tibetan Buddhism.



For Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, and for Tibetan Buddhist followers around the world, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the six-year-old boy recognized by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, will always be the true Panchen Lama, Sangay said.



The Panchen Lamas continued disappearance in Chinese custody represents an injustice not only to himself but to the Tibetan people and their right to religious freedom, Sangay added.



International support

Also speaking via video link on Sunday, Zeekyab Rinpocheabbot of the Indian exile branch of the Panchen Lamas historic Tashilhunpo monastery in Tibetthanked international human rights groups, U.S. members of Congress, and parliamentarians across Europe for their help in pressing China for answers on the Panchen Lamas whereabouts.



I take this opportunity to deeply thank all of you for your unwavering support for the immediate release of the 11th Panchen Lama. And I urge you to continue your support until the issue is resolved, he said.

In a May 17 statement, U.S. Congressman James McGovern and Senator Marco Rubio, chair and cochair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, called on China to immediately free the Panchen Lama and his family, calling them among the worlds longest detained prisoners of conscience.



We call for their immediate and unconditional release and remain deeply concerned about official restrictions on the practice of Tibetan Buddhism [in Tibet and Tibetan regions of China], the two U.S. lawmakers said.



The world still has no idea of the Panchen Lamas whereabouts, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedoms Sam Brownback said in a May 14 teleconference.

And this takes on, I think, an increased interest and focus and importance as the Chinese Communist Party continues to assert their right to appoint the next Dalai Lama  which they do not have the right to do.



"Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all faith communities, must be able to select, educate, and venerate their religious leaders according to their traditions and without government interference," U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo noted in a May 18 statement.

"We call on the [People's Republic of China] government to immediately make public the Panchen Lama's whereabouts and to uphold its own constitution and international commitments to promote religious freedom for all persons," Pompeo said, calling the Panchen Lama second in spiritual authority only to the Dalai Lama.



Major point of friction



The current, 14th, Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a Chinese crackdown on an uprising in the formerly independent Tibet. India granted him political asylum and the Tibetan government-in-exile has been based in Dharamsala ever since.



The question of the successor to the Dalai Lama is a major point of friction between Beijing, which insists on its right to select the next top Tibetan religious leader, and Tibetans inside their homeland and around the world.



Chinese authorities meanwhile maintain a tight grip on the Tibetan region, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of ethnic and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.



Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Capt. Jenn Casey of Nova Scotia was being remembered Monday as a gifted storyteller, a kind and generous friend and a proud member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team.

Casey, a public affairs officer for the Snowbirds, died on Sunday when the jet she was in crashed shortly after takeoff and burst into flames in the front yard of a house in Kamloops, B.C.

The pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall, was still listed in serious condition in hospital.

The Snowbirds have been on a cross-country tour to raise people's spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil offered his "deepest condolences" to Casey's family, friends, fellow Snowbirds team and service members, on behalf of the entire province on Monday.

"Nova Scotians stand with you and send our love, thoughts and prayers," he said via Twitter.

Doing 'exactly what she loved'

One of Casey's former colleagues from Halifax radio station News 95.7, Jordi Morgan, said just looking at a picture of Casey tells you so much about her.

"That really positive energy, that great smile that she had that would just absolutely light up a room," Morgan said Monday.

"She was somebody who was doing absolutely exactly what she loved doing, and she was doing it at a very high level."

Around 2010, Casey helped develop the Rick Howe show, now one of the flagship talk shows on News 95.7, and was the show's on-air producer for about two years.

Howe said she was a dedicated journalist, but he knew she had some other calling. He says he kept in touch with her after she left the show, and could tell she loved her time in the military.

Casey was on board one of the Snowbirds on May 3, the day they flew over Halifax, her hometown, and Howe said she would have been "in her glory," that day.

Morgan said Casey was warm and outgoing with a "terrific" sense of humour and didn't take herself too seriously, but was also very professional and great at her job.

Story continues

Casey left behind very good friends in Halifax, Morgan said, but he's not surprised to see she connected with so many people across the country during her "dream job" with the Snowbirds.

Before he got a call from a mutual friend telling him about Casey's death, Morgan said his heart "sunk" when he heard the crash victim had been a woman.

"You kind of think, 'OK, that is probably going to be Jenn,' and it was just absolutely dreadful," he said.

"There's a hole in the sky."

Morgan said Casey is yet another "exemplary service woman" from Nova Scotia who has lost her life within recent weeks, referring to RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson, one of 22 people killed in the mass shooting April 18 and 19, and naval officer Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough who died when a Cyclone helicopter crashed in international waters between Greece and Italy on April 29.

"I think people are crushed by it," Morgan said.

"I don't know how many more hits we can take here. It's been a dumpster fire of a year in Nova Scotia, obviously for a whole lot of reasons, and I just hope things turn around."

'It's a great loss'

Casey, from Halifax, joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 2014 after several years working as a journalist, according to her biography on the Royal Canadian Air Force website.

Her first assignment was at 8 Wing Trenton, in Ontario, the RCAF's home of air mobility.

Sean Costello, an Ottawa photojournalist who worked with Casey, said she was a bright person who had a smile that "would light not only the room that you were in but I'm sure two rooms over."

"It's a great loss. She was a wonderful person, very energetic  and I'm going to miss her," Costello said.

"The nation has been very well served by her."

_jenncasey/Instagram

He got to know Casey when she spent the 2018 season with the CF-18 Demo Team, travelling North America and the United Kingdom with the NORAD 60 jet.

Costello said that while Casey was busy and had a lot of details to keep track of in her job, she always took time to respond to people personally. She also had a great sense of humour and was "quick to laugh."

He said he can still remember her voice carrying over the crowd during shows with the CF-18 Demo Team, where she acted as narrator.

"She was just such a natural fit, with the positivity and the energy in her voice," Costello said. "It was just simply infectious. You couldn't have a bad day if you were listening to Jenn Casey."

'Determination' to finish what she started

Prior to joining the military, she worked in broadcast radio as a reporter, anchor and producer in both Halifax and Belleville, Ont.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Dalhousie University, a bachelor of journalism from the University of King's College and a masters of interdisciplinary studies from Royal Roads University in B.C., according to her RCAF biography.

Stephen Kimber, a journalism professor at King's, said Monday she was a "memorable" student in the program even before he taught her personally.

Casey completed her journalism degree in two parts, Kimber said. She took the first part of the one-year program in the fall of 2008 and left after that to get a job in the field.

She returned a couple years later to finish her courses, one of them taught by Kimber, and graduate while still working full-time.

"I think it was just part of who she was, her determination to do things, to finish things what she had started," Kimber said.

Over the years, Kimber said, he would catch up with Casey in her producer role whenever he would appear on Rick Howe's talk show on News 95.7, where he was a regular guest.

He said Casey was so enthusiastic when she told him she'd decided to enter the military that he couldn't help but be excited for her even though he'd hoped she would stay in journalism since she "had the smarts" to do it.

Kimber said he knows Nova Scotia's journalism community is a small one, and many members are trying to process Casey's death while reporting on it themselves.

It has to be "very, very hard" in the wake of other recent tragedies like the mass shooting and the Cyclone crash, he said.

He said he been following the social media posts and photos from friends and colleagues who knew Casey best.

"You just get the sense of how much she was loved, and clearly she was."

Joined Snowbirds in 2018

Casey joined the Snowbirds in November 2018.

The heads of all three universities where Casey attended tweeted their condolences on Sunday.

"With gratitude and admiration for her service, we mourn with her family, friends and colleagues," tweeted King's president Bill Lahey.

The mayor of Moose Jaw, Sask., where the Snowbirds' home base 15 Wing is located, said Monday he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Casey's death.

"The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are an integral part of our community, and we send our deepest condolences to the Casey family and to the entire Snowbirds team," Fraser Tolmie said in a news release.

At a news conference Sunday, Lt.-Col. Mike French, the commanding officer of the Snowbirds, said the jet took off at about 11:47 a.m. PT Saturday from the Kamloops Airport, and crashed into a nearby neighbourhood "shortly after takeoff."

Video of the event shows two jets taking off in unison and flying together briefly before one veers upward before going into a nosedive.

French said the pilot, MacDougall, and passenger, Casey, both ejected prior to the crash. MacDougall's injuries were not life-threatening, French said.

The CAF Flight Safety team planned to leave Ottawa Sunday night to begin its investigation into the circumstances of the crash, the CAF said.

French said the cause of the crash was unknown, and an investigation could take up to a year to complete.
Boral announces new measures to control inventory levels

18 May 2020

The chief executive of Australias Boral Ltd, Mike Kane, has commented on the reduction of new orders in the Australian and US construction industries, and also announced new measures to stop the build-up of inventory levels in this environment.

The company will now close its Berrima cement kiln in New South Wales (NSW) for three weeks in June, as Mr Kane noted it was not possible to run a kiln at partial strength. "You need to turn the kiln on or off,'' he said.

The company is now expected to use its inventory levels as a gauge to determine whether further plant shutdowns are necessary.

In April the company also temporarily shut its Dunmore quarry in the Illawarra region, NSW. Concrete volumes declined 16 per cent in the first four months of 2020, partly due to the impact of bushfires, while the full effects of COVID-19 are yet to come, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Boral also announced that David Mariner, CEO of Boral North America, will step down from the role at the end of May and leave the company in June.

Published under
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday announced to partially resume the train services and its apex court ordered that shopping malls and markets should be allowed to operate throughout the week across the country even as the coronavirus cases crossed 43,000.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that the government has decided to allow the railways to start its limited operations from May 20.

"Pakistan Railways will resume partial services on 30 trains, 15 up and 15 down, from May 20," said a press release by the Pakistan Railways.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given the permission to partially resume train services from Wednesday on the condition that standard operation procedures (SOPs) were adhered to as the country battles the novel coronavirus.

"If the situation [of the coronavirus pandemic] remains stable during the current month, then all train services will be resumed across the country from June 1," Rashid said.

Thousands of people have made advance bookings to travel home ahead of Eid, which would be celebrated later this month.

ALSO READ | COVID-19 lockdown: Pakistan SC orders shopping malls, markets to remain open all days

Pakistan has already made partially operational the domestic air services as the nation continues to lift its nation-wide lockdown.

Prime Minister Khan in his effort to reach out to the vulnerable groups launched cash support program for the jobless workers.

He said at the launch in Islamabad that over Rs 3 billion were so far collected in the Corona Relief Fund, which would be used to provide support to the people who lost jobs.

Meanwhile, a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed ordered that shopping malls and markets should be allowed to operate throughout the week across the country.

Markets and shopping malls in Pakistan were shut down during the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Hearing a suo moto case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak, the chief justice questioned the "logic" behind keeping malls closed and ordered that shopping malls and markets should remain open seven days a week.

"Provinces should not create hurdles in opening shopping malls after getting permission (from the health ministry).

The court expects that the health ministry will not create any unimportant hurdles and will (allow) businesses to open," the chief justice observed.

The apex court also expressed displeasure at the way the money is being spent to deal with the coronavirus crisis and grilled the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) over the expenditure.

ALSO READ | Pakistan resumes domestic flights partially as nation-wide lockdown eased

The NDMA had submitted a report over the amount spent on medical equipment and quarantine centres for suspected patients.

In his press briefing, Faraz said the directives of the Supreme Court to open businesses was a proof that the government's plan of action for tackling the outbreak and easing lockdown was correct.

The minister asked the people to adopt precautionary measures as the virus had not gone away, only shops were opened.

"Corona has not disappeared. It is here and no one knows how long it will stay for.

"But we appeal to the public, that just because things are opening back up they can't continue on with the lives they lead before the virus," he said.

The nationwide tally of coronavirus cases has soared to 43,158.

Out of total 43,158 patients, 17,241 cases have so far been detected in Sindh, 15,346 in Punjab, 6,230 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,692 in Balochistan, 997 in Islamabad, 540 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 112 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

A total of 11,922 patients have so far recovered from the virus whilst the death toll stands at 923 with 50 new deaths reported.

So far 387,335 tests had been conducted, including 13,925 in the last 24 hours.

In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the authorities have announced to revoke relaxations in the lockdown from Tuesday after a "dangerous" surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"In view of the tendency of rapid outbreak of COVID-19 and increase of patients to a dangerous level, the government is suspending relaxations in the lockdown from Monday-Tuesday midnight," according to a notification issued on Sunday.

"There will be complete lockdown that had been imposed earlier on March 23 under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1958," the notification added.

Only pharmacies and grocery stores were allowed to open for specified hours during the lockdown.

Earlier, Planning Minister Asad Umar said that a capacity of 30,000 tests per day would be sufficient for Pakistan to control the spread of the deadly virus.

"Currently, we are in a position to hold over 25,000 tests per day and with every passing day our capacity to conduct tests is increasing.

"We hope that by the end of the month or at the start of next month we will be able to hold 30,000 tests per day," he told Dawn.
Microsoft stunned the gaming industry when it announced this week it would buy game publisher Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, a deal that would immediately make it a larger video-game company than Nintendo.
Two groups, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and the International Press Council (IPC), Lagos, have called on the authorities of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation to rescind its suspension of a female journalist.

Vivian Ottih, a lawyer and a senior editor with the Imo state government-owned IBC Orient FM radio station, was suspended indefinitely from her job a few days ago for taking to Facebook to request her three months unpaid salary and the wages of her co-workers.

The suspended journalist is also the chairperson of NAWOJ in Imo State.

Officials of the Imo State government said Mrs Ottih should have used other channels instead of Facebook to pass on the request for her salary, and that her action was an embarrassment to the government.

NAWOJ, South-East zone, said Mrs Ottihs Facebook post was innocuous and that the action taken against her was hasty, high-handed and against all known labour laws.

Apart from the ill-timing, which came shortly after Mrs Ottih gave birth, her claim on the outstanding wages has not been disputed by her station management, the association said in a statement on Saturday from the NAWOJ Vice President, South-East zone, Chibota Edozie.

We are persuaded to think that this action does not have the blessings of Governor Hope Uzodinma because he wont sanction such high-handed action.

The IPC in a statement on Sunday described the suspension of Mrs Ottih as unjust and inhuman.

It said the action taken against the journalist is a violation of her fundamental right under the constitution and international instruments, including Article 23 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The IPC statement, signed by its Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, said anti-labour practise of non- payment of salaries especially during the current pandemic is subjecting journalists to economic hardship, pains and penury.

Mr Arogundade said, The state governments, who ordinarily should be the most protective of their workers welfare, are now the biggest culprits needlessly owing salaries for periods up to three months thus threatening their workers welfare.

He said the reaction of the state government to Mrs Ottihs request for her salary should have been one of sobriety and not anger leading to the victmisation of an innocent soul who dared to speak for others.

He called on the state government to unconditionally recall the journalist and pay all salaries owed journalists in its employment.

The Commissioner for Information in Imo state, Declan 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).

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.

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Du Wei

The Chinese ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, was found dead at his residence on the outskirts of Tel Aviv on Sunday, police said.

The envoy, who had arrived in Israel in mid-February, was found dead in his Herzliya home, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, adding that police were investigating.

Dus wife and son were not with him in Israel.

Members of the police gather at the entrance of the residence of Israels Chinese ambassador.

Du, 57, had previously served as ambassador to Ukraine, according to his biography on the embassys website.

The Haaretz daily said initial reports said staff had found Du dead in his bed and that there were no signs of violence.

It quoted a first aid service as saying the cause of death appeared to be a cardiac incident.
India on Monday joined nearly 120 countries at a crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for a probe into the origin of coronavirus as also comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the pandemic that has killed over 3.17 lakh people and afflicted nearly 48 lakh besides wrecking the world economy.

During the two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) which is taking place in Geneva amid growing calls, including by US President Donald Trump, to investigate how the virus originated in China's Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing, Chinese president Xi Jinping said his country had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus' genetic sequence, "in a most timely fashion."



Announcing that China will provide USD 2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Xi also asserted that We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation.....done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need."



Representing India at the meet, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said the country took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and asserted that the country has done well in dealing with the disease till now and is confident of doing better in months to come.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally monitored the situation and ensured a preemptive, proactive and graded response, leaving no stones unturned to contain the deadly virus from spreading, Vardhan said.

"India took all necessary steps well in time, including surveillance at points of entry, evacuation of nationals stranded overseas, massive community surveillance through robust disease surveillance network, strengthening of health infrastructure, capacity building of over two million frontline human resources, risk communication and community involvement," he said.

"I think we did our best and we did well. We are learning and we are confident of doing better in the months to come," Vardhan added.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who had asserted that the event would be "one of the most important (WHAs) since we were founded in 1948", pledged that he will begin an independent evaluation of the UN health agency's response to the coronavirus pandemic "at the earliest appropriate moment."



The WHA's assembly, which is curtailed from the usual three weeks to two days and held for the first time through video conferencing, is expected to delve into pooling in additional resources to deal with the pandemic.

However, there are concerns that US-China tensions could derail the strong action needed to address the coronavirus pandemic.

Another flash point between China and the US has been over the Trump administration's push for inclusion of Taiwan in the WHO. China has been strongly opposed to the move as it considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.

A draft resolution pushed by the 27-nation European Union and supported by a large number of countries for deliberations at the WHA called for a step-wise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the WHO-coordinated international response to COVID-19.

It, however, did not mention China. The coronavirus pandemic was first reported in Wuhan, a port city in China in December last year. Since then, it has spread to over 180 countries.

While the US is not the signatory of the draft resolution, Trump has accused China of covering up, and the European Union have called for more transparency in China's COVID-19 control efforts including an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus.

The resolution sought scientific and collaborative field missions to trace the origin of the coronavirus, saying such an exercise will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events in future.

It also called for continuing to work closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other countries as part of the one-health approach to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population.

The resolution says possible role of intermediate hosts should also be evaluated. It has been uploaded on the website of the WHO.

Besides India, the countries which supported the draft resolution included Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives and Mexico.

Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK and Northern Ireland are also backing the resolution, according to the WHO.

The African Group comprising around 50 countries are also supporting the resolution.

Without referring to the global calls for an inquiry, Xi said, "China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control to sum up the experience and address deficiencies. This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by the WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner."



Thedraft resolution also pitched for making recommendations to improve global pandemic prevention mechanisms including through strengthening the WHO's health emergencies programme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SHANGHAI, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China Rapid Finance Limited (NYSE: XRF) (the "Company") today announced the closing of the asset injection and private placement transactions on May 15, 2020. Upon closing of the transactions, Yong Bao Two Ltd. ("YBT"), a holding company that controls SOS Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("SOS") via contractual arrangements now becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

YBT, through its consolidated subsidiaries, is a significant player in the emergency rescue business providing emergency healthcare services, emergency roadside assistance, emergency living assistance, and other rescue services in China. XRF's fin-tech business will drive cross-sell opportunities and leverage funding sources from SOS' portfolio. The Company now has significant growth potential with the combination of SOS' emergency rescue services and XRF's fin-tech services' member base, which represents over 55 million members combined. SOS' year over year revenue growth rate accelerated again in Q1-20 to 52%(unaudited).

Mr. Yandai Wang, CEO of SOS, has been appointed as the Executive Chairman and CEO of the Company. Mr. Wang has over 20 years of industrial experience in emergency rescue, telecom and call center services. He has been a visionary leader in the emergency rescue industry in China which has experienced explosive growth in the past decade.

Mr. Douglas Brown, an independent director of the Company, founder of DLB Capital and former Vice Chairman-Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of XRF.

The XRF Board has also appointed two new independent directors nominated by YBT, Mr. Jonathan Zhang who serves as the Chairman of 5C Group International Asset Management and Mr. Wenbin Wu who serves as the Chairman of Shenzhen Rongde Investments Ltd. and Shenzhen Rongde Enterprise Management Advisory Company. Both new directors will join the Company's Audit and Compensation Committees. This brings the Company's board to seven members, three of which are independent directors.

The Company will be holding an investor call to introduce the new management and discuss strategic plans and expectations.

Thursday, May 21 at 4:30pm EST.

To join the conference: +1 (435) 777-2200 Conference ID 05212020

Additional information about the Company's post-closing business will be made available in a subsequent 6-K filing.

About China Rapid Finance

China Rapid Finance (NYSE: XRF) is a holding company operating in fin-tech and emergency rescue services business. Its fin-tech business offers award-winning decisioning technology and marketing services that addresses China's growing consumer credit market. The Company's newly acquired subsidiary, Yong Bao Two Ltd. ("YBT"), provides wide range of emergency rescue services to its corporate and individual members in China. YBT's operating subsidiary, SOS Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("SOS"), provides various types of membership cards to individual members in large corporations as part of employee benefits. Its products include SOS Medical Rescue Card, SOS Auto Rescue Card, SOS Financial Rescue Card, and SOS Life Rescue Card. SOS utilizes cloud and other cutting-edge technologies to provide emergency rescue services in a new fashion, including its app based mobile platform, cloud call centers and large data centers. SOS has contractual service agreements with major banks, insurance companies, internet companies, and telecom providers in China.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "outlook," and "project" and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward-looking statements include timing of the proposed transaction; the business plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of the parties once the transaction is complete, and XRF's estimated and future results of operations, business strategies, competitive position, industry environment and potential growth opportunities. These forward-looking statements reflect the current analysis of existing information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. As a result, caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. Due to known and unknown risks, our actual results may differ materially from our expectations or projections. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been, or will be, instituted against XRF or other parties to the Agreements following the consummation of the transactions described therein; the ability of XRF to meet the NYSE listing standards following the closing of the transactions; the inability to integrate the YBT business with the current business; risks that the integration disrupts current plans and operations and the potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the consummation of the transactions; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the ability of the combined company to meet its financial and strategic goals, due to, among other things, competition; the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitability, maintain relationships with customers and retain its key employees; the possibility that the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties described herein, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in other reports and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") by XRF.

Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact our expectations and projections can be found in our periodic filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. XRF's SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. XRF disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE China Rapid Finance

Related Links

www.crfchina.com


Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Monday rewarded 230 of his personnel with commendation certificates and cash rewards to boost their morale for their efforts to contain COVID-19 and also on the counter-insurgency front.

Those awarded include eight inspectors, 13 sub-inspectors, 18 assistant sub-inspectors, 36 head constables, 63 selection grade constables, 42 constables and 27 special police officers, a police spokesperson said.

A pharmacist and four nursing orderlies were among the awardees, he said.

He said the rewards have been given to these officers and personnel for their dedication and devotion towards their assigned duties.

Complementing the awardees, the DGP expressed hope that they would continue to work with the same zeal and dedication in the future as well.

Singh appreciated the work of the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with other security forces in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also complimented police officers and jawans for working day and night in assisting the civil administration and health department in combating the COVID-19 spread and ensuring implementation of lockdown across Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh also expressed happiness for success on the counter-insurgency front and said that the efforts of police and other security personnel would help in eradicating terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Bloomberg) -- A group of state officials has an idea to expand the availability of ventilators and other equipment hospitals need to treat coronavirus patients: let more medical facilities fix the ones they have.

In a letter to equipment manufacturers, the state treasurers of Pennsylvania, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, and Rhode Island said hospitals sometimes had to wait longer than a week for technicians under their maintenance contracts to fix equipment. Manufacturers have refused to supply parts to anyone who hasnt undergone the expensive company training.

In a global pandemic with this kind of urgency and this kind of devastation, where every second counts, there shouldnt be a single ventilator in any hospital that cant be used because of these restrictions, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella said in an interview.

Torsella led the group calling on manufacturers to release all repair manuals and service keys and to allow hospitals to use technicians of their choice instead of those required under maintenance contracts. The effort also turned a spotlight on an issue that some consumer rights groups are hoping could lead to a more permanent change.

Twenty states are considering legislation that would give consumers more rights to repair, resell and modify products they buy, whether its more access to the software on John Deere farm tractors, going outside Apple Inc.s Genius Bar to fix a broken iPhone, or selling digital books after theyve been read. Some, but not all, also include provisions that would cover medical equipment, which are tightly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The pandemic may give the movement a boost because of the outcry over reports of broken or unavailable ventilators. In April, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group sent a petition with 43,000 signatures calling on manufacturers to release repair information.

Hundreds of biomedical engineers, also known as biomeds, signed a letter to be released Monday by PIRG that calls for greater access to service materials and for making product-specific training on fair and reasonable terms.

Story continues

As the outbreak spread over the past month, some medical equipment makers such as Medtronic Plc and General Electric Co. agreed to turn over manuals and other information to ensure hospitals have what they need.

The companies, along with Draegerwerk AG, sell medical equipment for as much as $1 million or more for each machine. Draegerwerk, which biomeds said has particularly strict rules, is projecting an increase in sales as hospitals need more devices to treat coronavirus patients. Even more profitable are the required service contracts to keep complicated equipment like ventilators, patient monitors, and MRI machines working.

We provide 24/7 technical support to the hospitals we supply as well as rapid on-site service, said Marion Varec, a spokeswoman for Draegerwerk. In fact, we provide manuals, to the extent consistent with FDA quality standards. We listen to our customers and support their needs.

Legislative proposals have been strongly fought by the industries affected, and the medical device industry has been among the most vocal. Its trying to get Congress to pass legislation that would impose more stringent requirements on hospital and independent biomedical technicians, or biomeds. Instead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was told to investigate whether there was a difference in the quality of service -- the agency determined in 2018 that there was no fall off in quality of repairs when it was done by in-house hospital technicians or trained independent biomeds.

Among those weighing in on behalf of the biomeds was the Defense Department, which called the profit margins on maintenance astounding and said the markup for parts could be more than 1000%.

Leticia Reynolds, president of the Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, said theres a big difference in what you can do at military hospitals and at civilian ones.

In the military, you can work on pretty much anything, said Reynolds. In the civilian sector, If you havent been to their school, they say We wont help you, or You cant buy parts.

The industry said its employees are held to a higher standard than those working for hospitals or with third-party repair firms, known collectively as independent servicing organizations, and its efforts were to put all technicians on the same level.

Currently, only servicing activities performed by medical device manufacturers are held to any quality, safety, or regulatory requirements by the FDA, said Peter Weems, Director of Policy & Strategy at the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance. Independent servicing organizations are not required to register with the FDA, report deaths or serious injuries, or adopt quality management systems.

Some hospital officials are critical of the medical equipment industry.

Its not about safety, its about maintaining a business advantage, said Patrick Flaherty, vice president of supplier performance at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, a group of more than 40 hospitals, who called the manufacturers monopolists and cartels. Its absolutely repulsive if you try to cloak it under patient safety.

Hacking Threat

Others say that the additional protections are needed with regard to complicated medical equipment -- especially as more systems become networked and vulnerable to hacking.

This is life-saving and life-sustaining equipment, said Nick Lewis, systems director of environmental safety management and compliance at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tennessee. Having tight controls -- whether that be passwords, or when they update software -- they have to be pretty tight with that stuff or we could potentially put ourselves at risk with cyber issues.

Amid a dire shortage of personal protective gear for doctors, nurses and other first responders through the country when the Covid-19 virus migrated from Asia and Europe, U.S. hospitals also found ventilators in short supply and some delivered from the National Stockpile broken. Hospitals and critical care facilities had to adapt other equipment, such as reconfiguring anesthesia machines and transport ventilators.

Hospitals Prepared

Massachusetts General Hospital sent a team to inspect and repair the entire contingent of ventilators the state received from the National Stockpile, knowing smaller hospitals wouldnt have the trained technicians, said Paul Biddinger, director of emergency preparedness at the Boston hospital.

Early on, as we saw the coronavirus emerging as a threat, we tried very hard to anticipate what the impact on our system could be, Biddinger said.

At the Johnson Memorial Health in Johnson, Indiana, the hospital found powered air-purifying respirators needed by health-care professionals in the Covid unit that were so old there was no way to buy the connector hoses that pump fresh air, said marketing director Jeff Dutton.

Someone knew a small business in Franklin that had a 3D printer and was able to replicate the part perfectly, Dutton said.

Manufacturers initially kept to their long-standing policies when it came to access to manuals, software codes and parts. But as the scope of the crisis grew, many began easing restrictions, posting their closely kept service manuals on their websites, or dropping objections to having them posted on sites such as iFixit.com, which crowd sources manuals.

Its unknown whether they will try to pull them back once the pandemic is over. Jared Wilson, co-founder of Insight HTM LLC, which does repairs and maintenance at ambulatory surgical centers, said he is bizarrely grateful for the pandemic.

Typically were in what was the morgue, the bottommost corner of the hospital, Wilson said. This really has brought to light the issue of maintenance of equipment. Weve been striving for this for so long.

Flaherty said the work being done at hospitals and critical care centers around the world spotlight that some of the rules are unnecessary.

If Covid did not create a learning platform for people, then its a missed opportunity, Flaherty said.

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Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare says Ghanaians should brace up for more COVID-19 recoveries as some 1500 patients are on the waiting list to be declared free from the disease.



Ghanaians were thrown into a state of shock when the countrys COVID-19 recoveries recorded massive jump 670 to 1,754 on Saturday with 1,084 new recoveries.



This massive increase of recoveries set tongue wagging with cynics calling for further and better particulars.



Former President John Mahamas aide, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, expressed doubts about the figures calling for probe.



She posted on Twitter: How the hell did 790 more people recover overnight. We need to put these numbers to strict proof.



Ghana currently has 5,735 confirmed cases and 1,754 recoveries with 29 deaths according to latest update.



Last Friday, May 15, 2020, Ghana recorded some1,460 recoveries from an initial figure of 670; raising eyebrow with Mahama aide questioning the figures.



But Dr Nsiah-Asare, a former Director-General of Ghana Health Service said the Covid-19 recoveries recorded on Friday and Saturday were just a tip of the iceberg as more good news is in the offing.



He said the recovery is a process and not an event.



Speaking on TV3 news, the Presidential Advisor noted that some 1,500 infected are waiting to be tested for the second time, after which they can also go home as recovered persons.



He said if two consecutive tests are carried out and its negative, the person is discharged.



He expressed the hope that Ghanaians will have something to smile about when the figures come out.



If you are isolated for two weeks and you pass your two negative tests we discharge you to go home and pronounce you as recovered. If you remember, people were complaining about our rate being very low but now we thank God that our recovery rate has gone up over 1,000. We still have about 1,500 more patients who are awaiting their second tests so we can declare them as recovered. I have the confidence that over 1,000 people will recover soon, he said.

Source: Daily Guide









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IBC Cancels Due to COVID-19

IBC, Europe's biggest broadcast and OTT event, will not go forward in Amsterdam in September as planned. "Right now, despite the best work of the IBC team and our Dutch colleagues, there are still many unknowns," said IBC CEO Michael Criimp in a statement. "Therefore, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to deliver a safe and valuable event to the quality expected of IBC."

Crimp said that IBC has been focused on developing plans and procedures for holding a safe event, but that it was preferrable for all involved to make a final decision sooner rather than later, adding that "a return to (a new) normal is unlikely to be achieved by September.

"Right now, despite the best work of the IBC team and our Dutch colleagues, there are still many unknowns. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to deliver a safe and valuable event to the quality expected of IBC," Crimp said.

Last year's event drew a record attendance of 56,390, and conference organizers said that even if the show had gone forward, it would have been impossible to maintain its usual format. "It is also evident that important aspects of a large-scale event such as IBC will be greatly altered by social distancing, travel restrictions, masks etc. so much so that the spirit of IBC will be compromised," Crimp said.

IBC and IABM had conducted surveys of attendees and exhibitors, and the feedback they received indicated that most supported canceling the event.

Crimp said the organization will continue to engage with the broadcast and OTT industry via its digital platform, IBC365, and said more details will be announced soon.

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New Delhi: The Nepali Cabinet on Monday (May 18) endorsed a new controversial map of the country that includes Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani, Limpiyadhura as its own. The Nepal government intent to publicise the new political map incorporating these territories.

Last week Nepali President addressing the joint session of the Parliament said new maps of the country will be published that will show all areas it considers as its own.

Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari stated that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani region are Nepal's territory and concrete diplomatic efforts will be taken towards reclaiming these territories. "An official map of Nepal will be published accordingly incorporating all the territories of Nepal," he said.

Elaborating Nepali government approach, Bhandari explained that the government of Nepal is committed to safeguarding the international borders of Nepal and outstanding border disputes with India will be resolved through diplomatic medium relying on available historical treaties, maps, facts and evidence.

Kathmandu raised the chorus over the issue earlier this month when Indian Defence Ninister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new road from Dharchula to Lipulekh so as to reduce the time taken for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Following the development, Indian envoy to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra was called by Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to raise the matter.

India has clarified to Nepal on Lipulekh that the recently inaugurated road section in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand lies completely within the territory of India.

New Delhi sees increased Chinese role in Nepal as a reason for current comments by Kathmandu. On May 15, Army Chief General MM Naravane had stated that Nepals protest against a newly built Indian road in Uttarakhand, up to Lipu Lekh pass on the China border, was at 'someone elses behest'. His statement has been widely taken to mean that Nepal was acting as a proxy for China, at a time when tensions have spiked sharply on the LAC between the Chinese PLA and and the Indian Army at Ladakh.

The ongoing dispute is not new and dates back to 1816 when under the Treaty of Sugauli, King of Nepal lost parts of its territory to British including Kalapani and Lipulekh.
Technavio has been monitoring the cardiac rehabilitation market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.63 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200517005080/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., Cedars-Sinai Health System, Fortis Healthcare Ltd., Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, National Jewish Health, St. Mary Medical Center, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospitals, and University of Ottawa Heart Institute are some of the major market participants. The increasing adoption of telerehabilitation will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increasing adoption of telerehabilitation has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market is segmented as below:

Phase Phase I Phase II Phase III

Geography North America Europe Asia ROW



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43106

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cardiac rehabilitation market report covers the following areas:

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market Size

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market Trends

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies increasing cardiovascular diseases as one of the prime reasons driving the cardiac rehabilitation market growth during the next few years.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the cardiac rehabilitation market, including some of the vendors such as Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., Cedars-Sinai Health System, Fortis Healthcare Ltd., Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, National Jewish Health, St. Mary Medical Center, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospitals, and University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cardiac rehabilitation market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Cardiac Rehabilitation Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist cardiac rehabilitation market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the cardiac rehabilitation market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the cardiac rehabilitation market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cardiac rehabilitation market vendors

Table Of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five Force Summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Phase

Market segments

Comparison by Phase

Phase I Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Phase II Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Phase III Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Phase

Customer landscape

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Asia Market size and forecast 2019-2024

ROW Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

Cedars-Sinai Health System

Fortis Healthcare Ltd.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

National Jewish Health

St. Mary Medical Center

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

University Hospitals

University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

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People walk outside Dubai mall after the UAE government eased a curfew and allowed stores to open, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Dubai

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will extend a nightly curfew by two hours from this week after reporting an increase in daily cases of the coronavirus, an official said on Monday.

Separately, the country, which had suspended entry of non-Emirati residents on March 19, said it would next month start receiving those with valid residencies stranded abroad whose families are in the UAE, state media reported.

The nationwide curfew, which currently runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., would start at 8 p.m. on Wednesday until further notice, Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, told a news conference.

The UAE on Monday reported 832 infections and four deaths from the virus to take its count to 24,190 with 224 deaths.

The country halted regular passenger flights and closed most public venues to combat the disease but like other Gulf Arab states saw the virus spread among low-income migrant workers living in overcrowded quarters, leading to an increase in testing.

Authorities have arranged repatriation flights for citizens and a limited number of residents and to evacuate foreigners.

The state news agency said residents with relatives in the UAE could start returning as of June 1 to reunite with family.

Some emirates, including business and tourism hub Dubai, allowed malls to reopen at limited capacity during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that began on April 24. Dubai has also allowed dine-in restaurants and cafes to resume business at 30% capacity and public parks to reopen with restrictions.

Dhaheri urged those celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of Ramadan to avoid family gatherings. He said malls could operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during Eid with shoppers allowed to be there for a maximum of two hours.

Another official detailed an updated list of penalties for violation of containment measures, including a fine of 50,000 dirhams ($13,000) for not heeding quarantine orders and 3,000 dirhams for not wearing a face mask or practicing physical distancing in public, or breaking curfew.

The official said the public prosecutor would impose penalties of up to six months in prison or a fine of no less than 100,000 dirhams for repeat offenders.

(Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Giles Elgood and Lisa Shumaker)
New Delhi, May 18 : In the wake of the threat posted by cyclone Amphan, the Indian Railways on Monday said that the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar special train will run on a diverted route for the next four days.

A senior Railway Ministry official said that the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar AC Special Train starting from Bhubaneswar from May 19 to 22 and from New Delhi from May 18 to 21 will run on the Bhubaneswar-Angul-Sambalpur City-Jharsuguda-Rourkela-Tata route and bypass the Bhadrak-Balasore-Hijli route.

He said the step was taken to ensure the safety and security of both passengers and trains.

The official said that passengers going from and coming to Baleswar/Hijli (Kharagpur) will not get to avail of the services of this train for four days due to route diversion.

The official said that the East Coast Railway is keeping a close watch on the cyclone development in Odisha.

On Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a cyclone alert for West Bengal and north Odisha coasts as an extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' was looming over the central parts of the south Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

Besides Odisha, a warning has also been issued for West Bengal, Sikkim, and Meghalaya till Thursday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked for an emergency meeting on Amphan this evening with representatives from West Bengal and Odisha.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A cell, in greenish brown, heavily infected with the coronavirus, officially called SARS-CoV-2, that causes the COVID-19 disease. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesIntegrated Research Facility)

A Butte County pastor who defied public health officials and held an in-person Mother's Day service that potentially exposed 180 congregants to the coronavirus has spoken out about his decision on social media.

In a Facebook post on Friday, pastor Mike Jacobsen of Palermo Bible Family Church said that an asymptomatic congregant who attended the May 11 service woke up the next morning "needing medical attention" and was tested for the coronavirus that day. The congregant received positive test results for COVID-19 two days later.

Jacobsen, who with his wife has led the pentecostal church since 2008, said in the post that he would "never with knowledge put anyone in harms [sic] way."

"For 7 weeks we have been kept out of our church and away from our church family," Jacobsen wrote in the post, which has since been deleted. "I am fully aware that some people may not understand that for our church it is essential to be together in fellowship."

Reached by phone Sunday night, Jacobsen confirmed that his church was the site of possible contagion, but declined to immediately comment on the situation, saying he needed some time to think about it before making a statement.

Without naming the church, Butte County health officials on Friday issued a warning to residents, asking them to not speed through the reopening process. The officials said it had come to their attention that nearly 200 people could have been exposed to the coronavirus through the Mother's Day service.

At this time, organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations, the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk, Danette York, county public health director, said in a statement that urged residents to follow stay-at-home orders.

Local health officials are attempting to notify every person who attended the service and instruct them to self-quarantine. They are also are working with healthcare partners to obtain testing for all attendees, the news release said.

Story continues

Butte County is one of 22 counties that has certified to the state that it meets the conditions for additional businesses to reopen. But gatherings of any size remain prohibited, even in counties that are reopening more quickly than the rest of California.

Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures, York said.

On Wednesday, Jacobsen spoke of his decision to open the church on Mothers Day during a Facebook Live Bible study.

Jacobsen said it's important for Palermo Bible's many young, new believers to be supported in their fledgling faith  and part of that is being able to attend church in person. He compared the act of depriving these congregants of in-person worship to taking an infant out of the arms of its mother."

"We've really tried to raise the bar and do a good job with what we've been given," Jacobsen said of virtual services, "but it's not the same as being together in fellowship with one another."
Kamdhenu Paints, a leading manufacturer of high-quality paints in the country has launch a new social media campaign to amplify PM Modi's message of being Vocal For Local and self-reliability as the country emerges from the shadows of COVID-19. The extended lockdown conditions have forced shops and factories to close their business which has impacted the economy adversely.

The campaign "Be Indian Buy Indian" will encourage all Indians to buy "Made in India" products by using only some specially curated creatives on the social media platforms. The campaign will also encourage citizens to look for Made in India tags just as they check manufacturing date and MRP of items before buying any product. This simple principle, if followed, will help the country as to re-build its economy and become self-reliant.

Kamdhenu had also run a successful social media campaign previously in support of the Janta Curfew called by the Honorable Prime Minister on 22nd March. Kamdhenu had also launch a social media campaign - India Mil Kar Fight Karo Na: Together we will defeat Corona, to spread awareness on COVID-19.

Talking about the campaign, Mr. Saurabh Agarwal, Director, Kamdhenu Limited said, The fight against the pandemic COVID-19 is a joint effort by the government and citizens of the country. Kamdhenu Paints, as a responsible Indian Company has been doing its bit in contributing to the fight. By leveraging social media platforms to promote awareness and by standing firmly behind the government in its effort, we hope to have played our part and we will continue with our initiatives to reach out to registered painters and other needy in help.

As lockdown guidelines are being relaxed incrementally, we must continue to co-operate with the government and care for each other as a society. With the economy suffering because of the lockdown, this is the time for us, as citizens to listen to the appeal made by PM Modi and buy locally produced goods and services only. Kamdhenu Paints encourages everyone to follow all safety guidelines issued by the government and we will continue to stand with the government in its initiatives.
Five-day auction sets new company record, registering 23,500+ people from 58 countries

EDMONTON, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Last week Ritchie Bros. sold a staggering 10,700+ equipment items for CA$184+ million (US$131+ million) in its first-ever online-only auction in Edmonton, AB. The company, which has been conducting auctions in Alberta for close to six decades, has temporarily converted to online bidding only to maintain the safety of its customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The May 11  15, 2020, Edmonton auction welcomed more than 23,500 online bidders from 58 countries, setting a new company attendance record. Approximately 87% of the assets in the auction were sold to Canadian buyers, including 47% purchased by Albertans, while international bidders purchased 13%. One hundred percent of the equipment in the auction was sold to online buyers, including 20% purchased through Ritchie Bros.' mobile application.

"With an online-only auction we are able to maintain the safety of our customers and employees while still providing our consignors the liquidity they need during these uncertain times," said Brian Glenn, Chief Sales Officer (Canada), Ritchie Bros. "Bidding online is nothing new to most of our customers. In fact, our last Edmonton auction in February saw 70% of our total auction volume sell to online bidders. With this sale we hit 100%, which is amazing, but it's important to remember that during the weeks leading up to the sale we safely welcomed thousands of buyers visiting our auction yard to inspect items before they bid. We really are bringing together the best of both worlds."

There were several big sales highlights in the five-day online event, including a 2014 Hitachi ZX870LC-5B hydraulic excavator that sold for CA$690,000 to a buyer from Maryland, two Caterpillar PL83 pipelayers that sold for CA$640,000 each to a buyer from the United Kingdom, and a 2018 Caterpillar 765 6x6 articulated dump truck that sold for CA$410,000 to a buyer from Alberta.

"The strength of the construction market, especially in Western Canada, combined with record-setting attendance and participation from the United States and international markets, helped us achieve solid pricing on the majority of the equipment categories in the auction," added Mr. Glenn. "We did see some pricing pressure on oilfield-specific transportation assetswhich didn't surprise us or customersbut this was a tremendous auction. We would like to thank all of our consignors for putting their trust in Ritchie Bros. during this difficult time."

More than 1,000 companies sold equipment in Ritchie Bros.' Edmonton auction, including a complete dispersal for Oil-Berta Cats Ltd., an earthmoving and gravel company based in Barrhead, AB.

"Our equipment was sold to buyers from all over, including buyers from across Canada, Washington State, and Texas," said consignor Wilmer Thompson, who ran Oil-Berta Cats. Ltd. with his sons Shane and Clint. "We are ecstatic with the results we achieved this week. Ritchie Bros. has the biggest reach and the best auctioneers in the world. I would never sell through anyone else."

AUCTION QUICK FACTS: EDMONTON, AB (May 2020)

Total gross transactional value  CA$184+ million (US$131+ million) * 100% sold online!

CA$184+ million (US$131+ million) * Total registered bidders (online only)  23,500+ * New company record!

23,500+ * Total lots sold  10,700+

10,700+ Number of consignors  1,000+

For more details on the pricing achieved in this and other recent Ritchie Bros. auctions, sign up for Ritchie Bros.' monthly Market Trend reports, available at ritchiebros.com/market-trends-report. Ritchie Bros. currently has more than 50,000 equipment items, trucks, and other assets listed for sale through its auctions and marketplaces. For a complete list of upcoming auctions and equipment available, visit rbauction.com and ironplanet.com

About Ritchie Bros.:

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company's suite of multichannel sales solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions, a complete end-to-end asset management and disposition system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros.
Anwar Raslan says he neither beat nor tortured prisoners at the Al-Khatib detention centre in Damascus.

A former Syrian intelligence officer has denied that he was involved in beating and torturing detainees in prison as he faced trial in a German court for crimes against humanity.

In a written statement, read by his lawyers on Monday, Anwar Raslan, 57, said he had neither beaten nor tortured prisoners at the Al-Khatib detention centre in Damascus, where he is charged with overseeing the murder of 58 people and the torture of 4,000 others.

Sitting behind a plexiglass screen because of the coronavirus pandemic, Raslan appeared deep in concentration as his lawyers Michael Boecker and Yorck Fratzky took about 90 minutes to read his statement.

Rather than torturing prisoners, Raslan said, he had helped to free many detainees arrested in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from March 2011.

The trial in Koblenz, which began on April 23, is the first court case worldwide over state-sponsored torture by the al-Assad government.

His co-defendant, 43-year-old Eyad al-Gharib, is accused of being part of a police squad that detained protesters and brought them back to Branch 251, where they were then mistreated.

Raslan and Gharib are being tried on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity.

As he entered the court, wearing glasses and a dark jacket and sweater, Raslan greeted his two lawyers with a smile and a hand over his heart, a common greeting in the Middle East.

It is the first time he has spoken publicly about the crimes he is charged with, allegedly committed at the prison between April 29, 2011, and September 7, 2012.

Distance myself

At the opening of the trial, prosecutors said Raslan had overseen rape and sexual abuse, electric shocks, beatings with fists, wires and whips and sleep deprivation at the prison.

Referring to accusations made by witnesses, he repeatedly denied any responsibility, particularly in the case of an alleged rape. It is against our morals, against our religion, he said.

I distance myself from such acts if they have been committed, he added.

Raslan worked for 18 years in the Syrian intelligence services, where he rose through the ranks to become head of the domestic intelligence investigation service, according to a German investigator who testified on the second day of the trial.

Raslan defected and fled Syria at the end of 2012 before arriving in Germany in July 2014 under a programme for Syrian refugees in need of special protection.

The trial could last up to two years, according to observers, with the victims due to begin testifying in July.

Wolfgang Kaleck, secretary-general of the German NGO European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, which is supporting 17 victims in the proceedings, said Raslan had issued, not merely received and followed, orders in his department.

We do not believe he played a minor role, Kaleck said.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, at least 60,000 people have been killed under torture or as a result of the terrible conditions in al-Assads detention centres.
The Centre on Sunday raised borrowing limits for states from 3% to 5% of gross state domestic product (GSDP) for the current fiscal year, subject to their carrying out specific reforms. The move will allow states to get a fiscal headroom of Rs 4.28 trillion.

While both the central and state governments are struggling with cash flows with economic activity coming to a near standstill following the nationwide lockdown, states are facing a more acute cash crunch as they are at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19.

State governments had been urging the Centre to allow them to borrow more from the market to finance these expenses.



Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the extra borrowing will be linked to specific reforms, including some recommendations by the 15th Finance Commission. States must not only ensure sustainability of additional debt through higher future GSDP growth and lower deficits, they must also promote welfare of migrants and reduce leakage in food distribution, increase job creation through more investments, and safeguard the interests of farmers.

Also Read: India pulls back state control in many sectors to boost economy

Out of the 200 basis points increase, 50 basis points will be unconditional, while the next 100 basis points will be divided into four tranches, with each tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable and feasible reform actions. These include reforms in universalization of one nation one ration card, ease of doing business, power distribution and urban local body revenues. The remaining 50 basis points of extra borrowing will be allowed if milestones were achieved in at least three out of the four reform areas.

Sitharaman said the Centre has been assisting states to mitigate the revenue shortfall and RBI in March had allowed them to front load 75% of their borrowing for the June quarter. States have so far borrowed only 14% of the limit authorised. 86% of the authorised borrowing remains unutilized, she added.

Also Read: Govt allocates additional Rs 40k-cr for MGNREGS

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa welcomed the move. The increased borrowing limit will benefit the states. The states which are distressed due to Covid will be able to revive their economic system, he said.

While welcoming the overall package announced by Sitaraman, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said he would be able to comment on the relief for the states only after studying the details. Telangana finance minister, T Harish Rao, was not immediately available for a comment.

Kerala finance minister Thomas Issac welcomed the Centres decision to raise the borrowing limit, which was a long-pending demand of the state, asking the centre to do away with some of the riders prescribed for this.

He, however, criticised the move not to give any direct payment to the millions of migrant workers and the move to privatise some of the key sectors.

DK Srivastava, chief policy advisor, EY India, said, With the enhanced borrowing programme of the Centre and states, and the borrowing requirement of the public sector enterprises, we consider the total PSRB to be about 14% of GDP for FY21, against available resources of about 9.5% of GDP. States have already experienced a sharp increase in their costs of borrowing as the 10-year state government bond yield auctioned on 7 April rose by nearly 100 basis points, as compared to what prevailed a month before.

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At least 14 killed as UAE, Saudi mercenaries clash in south Yemen

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 9:20 AM

At least 14 UAE-backed southern separatists and Saudi-led militants have been killed as clashes between the two sides entered a sixth day in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan.

Separatist forces of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC) are resisting an offensive by Saudi-sponsored militants loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, launched on the outskirts of Zinjibar, some 60 km from the main southern city of Aden.

A military official of Yemen's former government told AFP news agency that 14 militants, including 10 pro-Hadi mercenaries, were killed on Saturday as fighting between the two sides entered a sixth day.

A separatist military source confirmed the death toll, claiming the capture of 40 pro-Hadi militants and the seizure of military equipment.

The fighting is the first major confrontation since the separatists declared self-rule in southern Yemen on April 26, accusing Hadi's loyalists of failing to perform their duties and of "conspiring" against their cause.

At least 10 militants were killed and many were wounded on both sides in fighting on Monday.

Both the UAE-sponsored separatists and the Saudi-backed militants loyal to Hadi serve the Riyadh-led military coalition and have been engaged, since March 2015, in a bloody war on Yemeni people.

Ties between the two sides have soured over a number of issues, including what the Yemenis view as the UAE's intention to occupy Yemen's strategic Socotra Island and gain dominance over major waterways in the region.

Southern Yemen was a separate country until it merged with the north in 1990.

The US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than 100,000 lives over the past five years.

More than half of Yemen's hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or closed during the war by the Saudi-led coalition, which is supported militarily by the UK, US and other Western nations.

At least 80 percent of the 28 million-strong population is also reliant on aid to survive in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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Coronavirus lockdown: CBSE announces date sheet for pending board exams

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, May 18: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced the date sheet for the pending class 10 and 12 board exams, which will be scheduled to be held from July 1 to July 15. The exams were postponed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

The class 10 board exams are pending only in the North East Delhi. "The class 10 exams will be staggered on four dates, starting July 1. The first paper will be of Social Sciences, while the next day students will be required to appear for Science exam," Sanyam Bhardwaj, the Controller of Examination, CBSE said.

Explained: Will India face West Africa's situation in closure of schools amid coronavirus outbreak?

"On July 10, exams will be conducted for both courses of Hindi and on July 15 for both courses of English," he said. On health guidelines for students, Bhardwaj said, they will be required to carry own sanitiser bottles and wear masks to their examination centres. "Parents will have to ensure their ward is not sick and candidates will have to strictly follow physical-distancing norms," he said.

For class 12, the Home Science exam would be held on July 1, followed by both courses of Hindi the next day. The class 12 Business Studies exam has been scheduled for July 9, followed by Biotechnology on July 10, and Geography on July 11.
DETROIT - A Grosse Pointe priest recently took social distancing to a creative new level when he used a toy squirt gun to shoot holy water on parishioners Easter food and flowers outside St. Ambrose Church.

The Rev. Tim Pelc was geared up in a mask, face shield and rubber gloves as a precaution against the coronavirus as he greeted each car full of people as they stopped by the steps of the Roman Catholic parish on the day before Easter for the traditional blessing. The photos were posted by the church on social media, according to the Associated Press.

Blessing of the Easter Foods, April 11, 2020 Adapting to the need for social distancing, St. Ambrose continued it's... Posted by St. Ambrose Parish on Sunday, April 12, 2020

Adapting to the need for social distancing, St. Ambrose continued its tradition of Blessing of Easter Food Baskets, drive-thru style. Yes, thats Fr. Tim using a squirt gun full of Holy Water!, the church wrote on its Facebook post.

Blessing of the Easter foods is an tradition at many churches. Typically, parishioners can bring their baskets or boxes of Easter foods and flowers inside the church for a special blessing with a sprinkle of holy water. In some parishes, they are lined up on the steps to the altar. In others, they line the aisle by each pew.

Since photos of Pelcs squirt gun took off on social media, theyve inspired memes, including one of the 70-year-old priest shooting a stream of holy water at the devil, according to the AP.

The priest told BuzzFeed recently he was a bit unsure how the Vatican might take all the attention. I havent heard anything yet," he said.

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.
Photo: Contributed Alzheimer Society of BC urges Okanagan residents to participate in online Alzheimer's Walk.

Okanagan residents are being urged to support the annual Alzheimer Society of BC Walk for Alzheimer's, being held virtually province-wide during this unusual year.

Dementia doesnt stop and neither do we, said CEO Maria Howard.

Even though the ways we are delivering our programs and services have needed to change, we are still committed to helping British Columbians affected by dementia. I invite all of you to help us do this by registering and fundraising for the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimers online.

On Sunday, May 31, the online event will start at 9 a.m. and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

Participants will hear from people across Canada who are affected by dementia, and will be encouraged to engage in some safely socially distanced physical activity that works for them  be it laps around the yard, a living room dance party or jumping jacks on a balcony.

"We know that due to physical distancing, many people are feeling isolated, Howard said. We hope that by joining us at the online event, Canadians affected by dementia can connect with each other and honour and remember people in their lives affected by the disease. Now, more than ever, connection is important.

Create a fundraising page here and share with friends and family. Proceeds will go to local programs and services specific to the participant's community.
The Huawei P40 Lite 5G is finally official. WinFuture shared this phones details, including its renders, before the weekend. Well, the device has been made official, silently.

The phone launched in Europe, and it is currently up for pre-order. It will go on sale on May 29. The device will be priced at 400, for those of you who are interested.

The source does not mention where exactly is the device available to pre-order, in which part of Europe. In any case, chances are that youll be able to get it no matter where you live, as it will roll out across the continent.

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The Huawei P40 Lite 5G is a rebranded Nova 7 SE

This smartphone is essentially a rebranded Nova 7 SE, but for the European market. It is somewhat different than the Huawei P40 Lite (4G) which launched quite a while back.

This phone is made out of metal and glass, as you can see. It included a display camera hole in the top-left corner of its display. Its bezels are quite thin, while its bottom bezel is a bit thicker than the rest.

The back side of the phone is curved, while there are four cameras back there. Those cameras are vertically-aligned, and the phone includes a side-facing fingerprint scanner. The volume up and down buttons are placed right above it.

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The phone features a 6.5-inch fullHD+ IPS LCD display. It is fueled by the Kirin 820 64-bit octa-core processor. That is a very capable processor from Huawei, though its a mid-range chip.

The Huawei P40 Lite 5G, as its name says, does come with support for 5G connectivity. The device includes 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You can expand that storage, though, through Huaweis NM memory cards.

A 4,000mAh battery is included in this package, and it does support fast charging. Youre getting 40W fast wired charging here, and also 5W reverse charging, but not wireless.

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Android 10 comes pre-installed without Google services

Android 10 comes pre-installed on the device, along with EMUI 10.1 on top of it. Do note that Google services are not supported on this phone, as expected.

On the back, you will find a 64-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture, PDAF). Along with it, Huawei included an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. Two 2-megapixel units are also included, macro and depth cameras. A 16-megapixel camera sits on the front-side of the device. It is placed in the top-left corner of the phones display, as already mentioned. That is also a wide-angle camera.

This smartphone does include a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also comes with two SIM card slots, and Bluetooth 5.1 LE. The phone measures 162.3 x 75 x 8.6mm, and weighs 189 grams. It was announced in Crush Green, Space Silver, and Midnight Black color variants.
Italy's shoppers may be digging out their wallets as retail businesses reopen on Monday, but many of the country's 2.7 million merchants say there's little to celebrate.

"My creditors will be all over me as soon as I raise my portcullis," said Giulio Anticoli, referring to the heavy medieval-style grates used to protect some storefronts in Rome. "There's no money in the till."

Anticoli, whose family has sold clothing in Rome for over a century, said too much economic damage has already been done by Italy's coronavirus lockdown. His store on Via Somalia, near the city's elegant Villa Chigi, will remain closed.

"How could I reopen without any guarantee my debts will be frozen and at least some of my tax payments suspended?" said the 57-year-old Anticoli, who's leading a protest by shop owners who say the government has failed to support small businesses.

Amid criticism that promised aid wasn't reaching small businesses, coalition allies and local politicians pushed Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to speed up the relaxation of a nationwide lockdown running into in its third month.

Regional governors persuaded the premier to move up the opening date for bars, restaurants and hair salons to Monday, rather than the original date of June 1.

Andrea De Marco is one of the small business owners waiting for help from the state. Despite applying for a loan and redundancy support, "I have got nothing, zero," he said. He calculates that his shoe store on Via Frattina, one of Rome's busiest shopping streets, lost 80,000 euros ($86,500) during the lockdown. "I am sure I will never get this money back," he said.

Still, he's reopening on Monday. "I am an entrepreneur and I will try to be resilient," said De Marco, 44. "But let's be honest, for many people, families, buying new shoes won't be a priority for awhile."

Conte over the weekend acknowledged the possible downside of an accelerated easing of the national lockdown from Monday, but pledged to move ahead.

"We're taking a calculated risk, aware that the contagion curve could rise again," Conte told reporters Saturday in Rome. "We have to accept it, otherwise we could not restart." Italy on Sunday reported its lowest number of coronavirus-related deaths since March 9.

An earlier government decision to allow only the construction and manufacturing sectors to restart in early May outraged some retail business owners, who argued an additional two weeks without revenue could push them over the edge.

They may have a point. One in 10 Italian retail businesses - some 270,000 - is at risk of failing, according to the Confcommercio business lobby.

The situation is particularly dire in the North, the epicenter of the Italian outbreak. About half of all small businesses in Lombardy, the normally bustling region around Milan, are at risk of collapsing, Confcommercio says.

Retailers in the region will see their full-year sales fall 40% after losing some 8 billion euros ($8.6 billion) in revenue during the lockdown, according to the business lobby's forecasts. As many as a third of shops in Milan may fail to reopen, Confcommercio said, citing a survey conducted last week.

"Before the virus outbreak, Milan was living in a dream world," said local entrepreneur Gabriel Meghnagi. "Hotels and restaurants were fully booked, trade was flourishing," said the 62-year-old, who started out hawking jeans in the 1970s and now manages five clothing stores in Milan and nearby Monza.

Though Meghnagi will reopen his business, he said merchants won't be able to go on paying the traditional high rents in some of Milan's more prestigious shopping areas, like the 19th Century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II near the city's Duomo cathedral.

Three million euros a year for 600 square meters (6,458 square feet) "won't be acceptable any longer, at least in the short-to-medium term," Meghnagi said.

Trade will also be lighter on Milan's Corso Buenos Aires, usually one of the city's busiest commercial streets. Moleskine, a Belgian-owned maker of trendy notebooks and agendas, will likely close its shop, following in the wake of Sweden's H&M, which said April 29 it won't reopen at the location.

For some retailers the decision to stay closed is more about uncertainties in the post-lockdown era than a lack of cash. David Sermoneta, 57, said he has doubts he can meet the requirements to reopen his boutique in Rome. "It's not clear how many times I'm supposed to sanitize the clothes I sell," he said.

But like many store owners, the question that weighs most on Sermoneta is what to expect from customers. "Will anyone be in the mood to browse, try on clothes, chat with a sales person, that's what clients are looking for when they come here," he said at his boutique near the Spanish Steps. "Masks, gloves, social distance -- that could all kill the pleasure of buying."
Drive-thru flu vaccinations are under consideration as GPs prepare for a potential second wave of coronavirus this winter.

One of Northern Ireland's top GPs explained that community pharmacists could also be used during the flu season, while help may be needed from the Department of Health to administer the jabs.

Dr George O'Neill said the flu season is just months away and plans must be in place to deliver flu jabs sooner rather than later.

Outlining the looming danger that could be realised this winter, Dr O'Neill compared Covid-19 to the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918.

The second wave of that virus hit during the winter months and claimed more lives than the first.

"If you combine the normal natural flu - if you can call it normal - plus Covid-19, a double whammy will hit us towards the end of this year so the flu jab is going to be crucially important," he said.

"Towards the beginning of the winter we're going to have to administer the flu jabs and if there's still ongoing problems, which I'm sure there will be, we're going to have to think of a new way of doing this.

"We're throwing ideas around about the flu jabs. Drive-thrus could be a possibility and maybe working with community pharmacists. We have to think of different ways of doing this.

"Rather than putting it off, it should be faced up to now and we should have some idea about where we're going to be.

"We're halfway through May and it's in September and October when we start to consider giving flu jabs."

GPs have already recommenced baby vaccinations and immunisations but the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) - mainly face masks - is an ongoing concern.

Dr O'Neill, who is the joint chair of the West Belfast GP Federation, believes that the mother of the child should also be wearing face masks.

"We need so many face masks because if you have maybe 12 babies a week coming in with the mother, the mother should, in my view, wear a face mask," he said.

"Everybody should be treated as a suspected Covid-19 carrier.

"These are things GPs are thinking about at the moment and certainly in both the North and West Belfast GP Federations, we have set up a small sub-group to look at how we can start moving back into the normal world again."

Dr O'Neill said changes in the healthcare system that have occurred since the outbreak of the virus would normally have "taken years".

One of the main positives to have come from the crisis is the increased use of video and telephone consultations with patients. Dr O'Neill has called this development a "major game changer".

He explained that in some areas, hospitals can carry out 70% of their post-operation consultations through telephone calls or online video conferencing with a patient.

As part of that effort, patients have been encouraged to buy their own blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters so they can pass on the results to their GP.

"With video and telephone consultations there is no going back," said Dr O'Neill. "This is here to stay and patients like it because it's quicker.

"If you ring up you'll have a response with you within a day.

"It saves the patient a visit to the hospital, it means we can deal with patients quicker and it's better all round for everybody concerned.

"It's a win-win situation and it's a major game changer.

"There's a positive that will come out this and also new ways of working.

"What has happened in the last seven to eight weeks has been incredible.

"The changes that have occurred would have taken years but things have happened quickly and rapidly.

"Everybody has been working together and towards the same aim. Everyone is looking for the same outcome.

"There are positives to this, it's not all doom and gloom."
Sydney's bus drivers are being told to accept all passengers, even if they're at capacity, in spite of the Berejiklian government's new social distancing measures on public transport.

The State Transit directive also told the drivers that no school children should be left at a bus stop "under any circumstances".

On Monday Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the slashing of capacity on trains, buses and ferries and the setting up of temporary car parks at Moore Park and six pop-up cycleways.

Just 12 people will be allowed on a bus and 32 in a train carriage as the government works to maintain strict physical distancing of 1.5 metres on the network. Green stickers will be plastered to seats on public transport, indicating where commuters can sit at a safe distance.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) congratulated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on successfully forming a new coalition government in Israel. The government, sworn in yesterday, is the result of an agreement between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White Party, to create a national unity government. Netanyahu will serve as prime minister for the first 18 months, and Gantz is slated to become prime minister in November 2021.

"On behalf of AJC, we extend to you our heartfelt congratulations on the inauguration of a new Israeli Government under your leadership," wrote AJC President Harriet Schleifer and CEO David Harris in a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu. "As Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, you have proven, time and again, your remarkable leadership skills, maintaining your country's security in a volatile region, and leading it to exceptional achievements in the areas of science, technology, education, medicine, and more."

Formation of the national unity government came after Israelis went to the polls on March 2, for the third time in a year.

"We wish you and your coalition partners every success in your endeavors to assure Israel the progress your countrymen deserve toward enduring peace, security, and prosperity  as well as a swift recovery from the health and economic effects of the pandemic. In these endeavors, you will continue to have the full and active support of AJC," Schleifer and Harris wrote.

AJC, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, has maintained an office in Jerusalem since 1960, and in 2018 held its annual Global Forum in Israel, bringing to Jerusalem thousands of members and supporters. Prime Minister Netanyahu memorably addressed the AJC Global Forum during the opening session, as he has on other occasions both before and since 2018.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee
Natural gas, the poster child of the fossil fuel industry and the bridge fuel to a renewable future, has suffered its fair share of problems amid the coronavirus pandemic. And it may suffer the same fate as oil, at least when it comes to storage. It may also suffer the same fate with regards to negative prices.

For now, natural gas is faring better than oil in terms of prices and loss of demand. According to an analysis from Wood Mackenzies Kristy Kramer, Head of Global Gas Market Research, gas demand has fallen by just 2 percent since the start of the crisis, compared with 6 percent for oil. Thats thanks to sustainable demand from several industry sectors, notably power generation and heating. However, prices have plummeted because the outbreak came amid an already oversupplied gas market, pretty much the same as the oil market. Besides, Kramer notes, gas storage was already getting full because of the mild winter. Now it is likely to get fuller.

In the United States, withdrawals this winter were the lowest since 2015/2016, with the total amount in storage 19 percent above the five-year seasonal average, the Energy Information Administration said in April. The agency forecast that gas in storage will remain at elevated levels throughout the summer period as well.

Meanwhile, in Europe, storage is also filling up fast. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that as traders look for places to stash their unsold gas, storage facilities across the continent may get topped by July, especially since they were already half full before refilling season began. For Europe, it was a combination of mild weather, a rising share of renewables in the power generation mix, and a crash in industrial demand for gas amid the pandemic that did natural gas in.

Related: Oil Jumps 11% On Signs Of Demand Recovery

Wood Mackenzies Kramer expects that some 15 to 20 metric tons of liquefied natural gas will be wiped out from demand during this summer season. Thats about 5 percent of the global total, with a lot of the reduction in supply coming from U.S. producers whose production costs are higher than selling prices.

However, that wont be enough to erase the gas market glut as new supply comes in later this year and next, Kramer noted in her analysis.

Rystad Energy earlier this year forecast that global liquefied natural gas supply this year could rise by 17 million tons to a total 380 million tons. Demand, on the other hand, was seen to increase by just 6 million tons to 359 million tons. And while under normal circumstances markets have been able to soak in excess gas, the circumstanced this year are anything but normal.

In 2020, when ample LNG supply is coupled with demand destruction, prices have already hit record lows and storages have already filled faster than usual. Production shut-ins are becoming a realistic possibility, Rystad Energy said earlier this month.

In the U.S., these have already begun: a lot of U.S. natural gas comes from oil wells as associated gas. Now that producers are shutting these wells in, natural gas supply is falling alongside the production of crude oil. This has served to prop up U.S. prices, Wood Macs Kramer said, although it has been bad news for exporters looking for a competitive edge in an oversupplied market.

With storage filling fast, demand slow to pick upeven if it never stopped growing in Chinaand prices depressed, whats next? Negative prices are a possibility, according to a senior executive with one of Chinas largest gas distributors, ENN Energy Holdings.

Related: U.S. Fracking Activity To Hit Rock Bottom In May



For natural gas, I have heard about the possibility of negative prices. I also think it could happen, Wang Yusuo, chairman of the company, told Bloomberg earlier this month. Thats because natural gas has even more limited storage capacity and its production is also more rigid. So it may happen. But I dont think it will be a dominant or long-lasting scenario.

And the outlook? According to Wood Mackenzies experts, its a bit brighter than that of oil. While in oil there is talk about permanent damage to demand, the prospects of natural gas demand are better, thanks to Asia, once again. According to Kramer, the recovery would be slow and gradual, but demand will rebound and continue growing at a rate forecast before the pandemic.

The industry is optimistic, too. The CEO of Texas-based gas pipeline operator Williams, for example, said this month that demand for natural gas was a lot more robust than demand for oil, thanks largely to the power generation industry, which meant that sooner or later it would recover, while the outlook for oil remained doubtful.

There is a risk, however, and its called green recovery. For now, the main push for a green recovery is focused in Europe, which happens to be a major gas market. A green recovery would certainly affect oil demand on the continent. It could also affect gas demand if the more extreme voices insisting on maximum renewable pressure are heard over the moderates who see natural gas as an indispensable part of the post-crisis future.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
SoftBank said it will propose three new appointments to the board, including group CFO Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on 25 June.

Tokyo: SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son.

SoftBank said it will propose three new appointments to the board, including group CFO Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on 25 June.

The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibabas executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy.

SoftBank will also propose the election of Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of chip design software firm Cadence Design Systems, and Yuko Kawamoto, professor at Waseda Business School, to the board.
Volunteer Andrew Matzen receives a trial Ebola vaccine at the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine in Oxford.

In April, Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), said a coronavirus vaccine was on track to be distributed to the public in 12 to 18 months.

Compared to typical vaccine timelines, that estimate looks laughable. The rotavirus vaccine was approved after 26 years of testing, offers Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and co-creator of that vaccine. Did it feel like a long time? No, he says. I thought we were going through the process as you should go through it.

Even after a company submits evidence from years of clinical trials, it usually takes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about a year to approve a vaccine. So to meet Faucis timeline, a vaccine would likely have to be released to the general public before it is formally approved.

The FDAs approval process has already been circumvented in the rush to combat coronavirus. Both treatments and tests for Covid-19 have been granted emergency use authorization (EUA), which allow companies to distribute their products to patients based on the submission of limited validation data. And the FDA tells Quartz it would consider this authorization process for a coronavirus vaccine, too.

Offit, who is on the FDA vaccine advisory committee, is unequivocal: He does not expect a coronavirus vaccine to go through a traditional approval process before its widely used. But in order to balance safety with speed, an emergency-authorized vaccine will have to be deployed carefully. For guidance, researchers can look to another unapproved vaccine that was deployed in an emergency.

Emergency use

In 2014, as Ebola killed thousands of people across West Africa, an experimental vaccine was given to healthcare workers and their families in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea as part of phase two and three studies. In other words, the vaccine was being tested for efficacy as it was used in an emergency situation. On the basis of those studies, the vaccine was formally approved five years later, in 2019.

Story continues

That strategy was considered a success. And some of the challenges faced in the Ebola trials execution could inform the deployment of an unapproved coronavirus vaccine.

Most of the Ebola vaccine studies were abandoned along the way: The epidemic died out before researchers could recruit enough participants. The one trial that did finish, in Guinea, used contact tracing among healthcare workers to identify people who were exposed, which allowed researchers to quickly recruit participants who were at high risk of infection. This allowed them to compare infection rates between those who got the vaccine versus placebo.

It is not clear that we could use this strategy for Covid-19, says Alex John London, director of the Center for Ethics and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, since so many people with coronavirus are asymptomatic and spread it unknowingly. But several researchers believe a related strategy could work to test a coronavirus vaccine.

Stanley Plotkin, whose research contributed to the development of vaccines for rubella, rabies, and polio, says the FDA could allow a vaccine to be tested in the field among groups at high risk of exposure. Emergency use authorization could allow a vaccine to be distributed to healthcare workers, for example, and the use of vaccines within this population could be studied as part of a phase three trial.

This real-world testing could allow researchers to continue building up data as the vaccine is used. As evidence strengthens, the FDA could authorize the vaccine to be used on larger populations, until theres eventually enough evidence for formal approval.

Unintended harms

Still, there are many differences between the response to the coronavirus crisis and the Ebola outbreak. Researchers already had evidence that the Ebola vaccine was protective in humans, says London, and there was considerable safety data from phase one studies. Ebola vaccines had been in development for decades, whereas scientists first saw SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, last year.

Thats why, before a coronavirus vaccine can be distributed to at-risk populations, it first has to go through safety trialsalbeit, much faster than normal.

Most vaccine trials would start with testing on animals, but standard lab mice arent susceptible to coronavirus. So several Covid-19 studies have proceeded straight to human trials, occasionally running mice studies in parallel. The first coronavirus vaccine study to start human testing injected the vaccine into mice on the same day it began enrolling human subjects.

Boston biotech company Moderna, which created the first coronavirus vaccine to begin human testing, doesnt even have full phase one safety results yet, but today the FDA granted approval to move ahead to a phase two efficacy trial. Moderna now aims to start a phase three trial this summer. Everything as a company were able to do, weve tried to do at lightning speed while keeping safety in mind, says Ray Jordan, head of corporate affairs at Moderna.

Meanwhile, Oxford University researchers in the UK have launched an unusually huge phase one safety trial with 1,000 participants. They plan to launch a combined phase two and phase three trial next month with 5,000 participants. The scientists say their vaccine could be available by September, as long as it gets emergency authorization from British regulators.

These accelerated safety trials will be critical to control the distribution of a vaccine thats given emergency authorization. The FDA has already authorized the use of Covid-19 treatments, but the tradeoffs are different when talking about someone whos infected versus someone whos never been infected, says Holly Fernandez Lynch, a medical ethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Its one thing to give a dying patient an unapproved drug to try and save them, and very different to give an unapproved vaccine to a healthy person.

History provides plenty of reasons to be wary. In 1955, a hastily-approved polio vaccine contained live polio virus, which killed 10 children and created 200 cases of paralysis. In 1976, a swine flu vaccine created 10 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome per million people vaccinated, killing 25 people. And occasionally, vaccines can create a more intense form of the illness theyre intended to protect against: In 2017, a vaccine against dengue fever was suspended in the Philippines, after it was discovered that, in rare cases, it increased the risk of severe infection among those who hadnt been previously infected.

Catch and release

But compared to the death toll of Covid-19, those risks may be acceptable to regulators.

The FDA will only issue an emergency use authorization if several statutory requirements are met, including an assessment that the known and potential benefits of a product outweigh the known and potential risks, FDA spokesperson Michael Felberbaum wrote in an email to Quartz. In the case of investigational vaccines being developed for the prevention of Covid-19, this assessment will be made on a case by case basis depending on the characteristics of the product, the preclinical and human clinical study data on the product, and the totality of the available scientific evidence relevant to the product.

Jordan says Moderna knows its vaccine could be released under EUA. Thats a tool within the regulatory framework, he says. We expect the FDA to look at risk-benefit tradeoffs. We have confidence that the regulators are very aware of the urgency and risks.

Even after a vaccine has been formally approved, it still carries risks. Theres no such thing as something thats objectively safe, says Lynch. I challenge you to find any FDA product that doesnt have warnings on its label. Instead, she says, regulators have to decide whether a vaccine is safe enough.

Now, safe enough is relative to the thousands of people dying from the virus every week. Given that trend, Offit says it makes sense to distribute a vaccine ahead of approval. As long as people are aware theyre now taking a product that has not been tested in the typical way, he says.

In the Ebola trial in Guinea, participants signed informed consent documents after the researchers explained the vaccines potential risks, benefits, or lack thereof. Any distribution of an unapproved coronavirus vaccine would have to include similar transparency.

Then, the only thing to do is wait and hope for the best. As the father of modern vaccination Maurice Hilleman, who created dozens of vaccines for viruses including measles, mumps, meningitis, pneumonia, and rubella, used to say, I never breathe a sigh of relief until the first 3 million doses are out there.

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Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc said on Friday it has sold much of its stake in Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), despite the billionaires assurance that the banking sector was not a primary worry for him during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a regulatory filing detailing its U.S.-listed investments as of March 31, Berkshire said its Goldman stake fell 84% to 1.9 million shares, from 12 million at year-end, with the stakes market value dropping to $297 million from $2.76 billion.

Goldmans stock price fell about 33% during the quarter, and some of Berkshires selling appears to have occurred after the slide began.

Berkshire sold its remaining small stakes in the insurer Travelers Cos and oil refiner Phillips 66, and tweaked several holdings. Its stake in Wells Fargo & Co was unchanged, though the stocks price fell 47%.

A request for comment to Buffetts assistant was not immediately returned. Berkshire has more than 90 operating units including Geico, the BNSF railroad, Dairy Queen ice cream and its namesake energy business.

Investors monitor Berkshires quarterly filings to see where Buffett and his portfolio managers Ted Weschler and Todd Combs see value. Buffett normally directs larger investments such as Apple Inc.

The Goldman stake originated in a $5 billion preferred stock investment at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, in a vote of confidence by Buffett for the Wall Street bank.

Berkshires selling was disclosed after Buffett said at the May 2 annual shareholders meeting of his Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate that banks were now well-capitalized and capable of weathering economic distress from the pandemic.
Illinois congressional Republicans have reached out to legislative leaders in Washington asking that Gov. J.B. Pritzker be prevented from withholding federal aid from localities that dont follow his executive edicts.

Pritzker has been pushed on how he will enforce his extended stay-at-home orders that have seen businesses closed and hundreds of thousands out of work since mid-March with no definitive end in sight.

Were using our ability to make sure that the towns that are following (closure orders) get funded properly and those that dont, dont, Pritzker said last week. Towns and leaders, elected leaders; do your job. Lead.

In reaction, Illinois federal GOP delegation sent U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Senate President Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer letters asking that any aid package sent to President Donald Trump contain a provision protecting aid meant for local governments from Pritzkers retaliatory threats.

On top of Governor Pritzkers ongoing campaign to persuade Illinois voters to raise the state income tax on small businesses in November, the governors latest threat to withhold federal assistance from communities in need is unconscionable, they said. Now more than ever, its critical that resources allocated by Congress and the White House be delivered to everyday Illinoisans, small businesses, and healthcare workers.

They also sent a copy to the Trump administration.

The letter, written by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, is not intended to be political because he said Democrats and Republicans alike would suffer should Pritzker withhold federal aid.

This isnt a partisan issue, he said.

We need to stop this governor from retaliating against folks that are trying to pursue their livelihood and prosper.

Several county sheriffs have announced they would not enforce Pritzkers orders. County-level prosecutors also have said they would not pursue charges against residents and business owners who are arrested for acting against one or more of the executive orders.

LaHood said the unreasonably long timelines in Pritzkers reopening phases reflect a lack of trust in Illinoisans to act responsibly while they continue to earn a living.

In Illinois, the people I represent are resourceful, responsible individuals, but youve got to give them freedom, he said.

The letter also asked for a contingency that would withhold federal aid if the state hiked taxes on businesses.
Srinagar, May 18 : J&K's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested the Chairman of the non-existent Jhelum Cooperative House Building Society in connection with a multi-crore land scam unearthed in the state cooperative bank.

A statement issued by the ACB said that a preliminary enquiry was conducted on the allegations that the Chairman of J&K state cooperative bank in connivance with the officials/beneficiaries of a non-existent cooperative house building society had sanctioned Rs 223 crore fraudulently in favour of the said society run by Hilal Mir, son of Sanaullah Mir of Magarmal Bagh, Srinagar.

It was further revealed that the so-called Chairman of the society had moved an application to the Secretary, Cooperatives where under he sought directions to the cooperative bank for grant of financial assistance to the tune of Rs 300 crore for taking over the possession of 300 kanals of land for construction of a satellite township in the outskirts of Srinagar city.

The bank sanctioned Rs 223 crores without adhering to any formalities. No balance sheet, profit and loss statement, income tax return or even the PAN Card of the beneficiary is on record with the loan documents.

The statement added that the ACB has been successful in unearthing the siphoned-off funds to the tune of Rs 223 crores and an amount of Rs 187 crores has been frozen by the ACB.

The coperative bank's Chairman Mohammad Shafi Dar, who was sacked last week by the government, has also booked by the ACB.
The Justice Party of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which had endorsed Vitaly Balasanyan during the presidential elections in Artsakh, has issued a statement stating the following:

When Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan declared that he is not entitled to also represent the authorities of Artsakh in the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since he has not been granted the power by the authorities of Artsakh, it seemed to the Justice Party of Artsakh and many others that this statement was not populist at all and was a serious political statement to call things by their names.

However, later, to everyones surprise, Nikol Pashinyan started making mutually exclusive statements that werent in the interests of the Armenian side at all. Last year and during his recent news conference, Nikol Pashinyan used the term selected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, which directly deals a blow to the fact that the self-determined Republic of Artsakh is an entity and to the security of the Republic of Artsakh.

All this becomes even more dangerous when Azerbaijan actively states the idea of representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Karabakh. Some Gyanjaliyev, who represents that community, has phone calls and meetings with representatives and ambassadors of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, the community takes part in the elections of the Mejlis of Azerbaijan, Gyanjaliyev is a deputy, and today, he is a delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. For years, the official Baku had been making efforts to turn the community into a side of the negotiations and a factor.

The termless agreement on ceasefire in the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict zone entered into force on May 12, 1994 and was signed by the representatives of the Republic of Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

To this day, the desire of the Azerbaijani authorities to engage representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict hasnt become a reality, but the current position of the Armenian authorities is paving the way for implementation of the Azerbaijani authorities goal.

The process of negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the final battle of the Armenian nation in which we will pay a high price for the mistakes, and the losses will be irreversible. The authorities of Armenia and Artsakh need to be maximally responsible and discreet and serve the entire potential of the nation.

The political leaderships of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh must always remember that the Armenian people have already solved the Karabakh issue and that there is only one issue on the negotiating table, and that is international recognition. Karabakh will always be the Republic of Artsakh, a self-determined state.
The Christian community in



Arunachal Pradesh has extended its help to the state government to fight COVID-19 pandemic by offering various assets under them including, schools and churches for use as quarantine centres.

Several schools run by the Catholic churches across the state have been given to the government to be used as quarantine centres.

The schools under the diocese of Itanagar located at Seppa, Daporijo, Basar, Kaying, Aalo, Tato, Yingkiong and Mebo have already been taken over by the government to serve as quarantine centers.

Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) president Toko Teki said the diocese is willing to place other schools too at the service of the government if situation demand.

He said that in eastern Arunachal, the Catholic schools at Khonsa, Miao, Changlang, Kheti, Diyun, Chongkham and a few more are also being used by the government in the battle against Coronavirus.

The ACF president added that if the need arises the churches are ready to extend all kind of cooperation to the government in the battle against the virus.

Teki urged the people to strictly follow the social distancing norms and the directives issued by the government in the best interest of the state and nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Nigeria has recorded 338 new cases of the novel coronavirus, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

In a tweet on its official handle late Sunday, the NCDC said Lagos had recorded 177 new cases, while Kano posted 64 cases.

Other regions with new cases include the FCT with 21, Rivers with 16, Plateau with 14, Oyo 11, Katsina nine, Jigawa and Kaduna with four each, and three cases from the trio of Abia, Bauchi, and Borno.

Gombe, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states also recorded two new cases each, while Kebbi and Sokoto shared two cases between them.

338 new cases of #COVID19; 177-Lagos

64-Kano

21-FCT

16-Rivers

14-Plateau

11-Oyo

9-Katsina

4-Jigawa

4-Kaduna

3-Abia

3-Bauchi

3-Borno

2-Gombe

2-Akwa Ibom

2-Delta

1-Ondo

1-Kebbi

1-Sokoto 5959 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria

Discharged: 1594

Deaths: 182 pic.twitter.com/1nC9HjskN3  NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 17, 2020

Earlier on Sunday, national coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, said President Muhammadu Buhari is set to address Nigerians on Monday over the pandemic.

While some expect the President to further relax lockdown measures precipitated by the virus, COVID-19 cases have continued to rise across the country.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 313,611 people since the outbreak first emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Sunday.

At least 4,680,700 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 1,670,100 are now considered recovered.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

Many countries are testing only the most serious cases.

The United States has the highest number of deaths overall with 89,207 from 1,478,241 cases. At least 268,376 people have been declared recovered.

Britain has the second-highest toll, with 34,636 deaths from 243,303 cases.

It is followed by Italy with 31,908 deaths and 225,435 cases, France with 28,108 deaths and 179,569 cases, and Spain with 27,650 fatalities for 231,350 infections.

China  excluding Hong Kong and Macau  has to date declared 4,634 deaths and 82,947 cases. It has also declared 78,227 recovered cases.

Since Saturday 1900 GMT, Madagascar and Nepal have announced their first virus-related deaths.

Europe has a total of 166,647 deaths from 1,890,453 cases, the United States and Canada have 95,077 deaths and 1,555,185 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean have 28,715 deaths and 508,623 cases, Asia has 12,176 deaths and 355,378 cases, the Middle East has 8,135 deaths and 279,994 cases, Africa has 2,735 deaths from 82,684 cases, and Oceania 126 deaths from 8,391 cases.

Corrections by national authorities or late publication of data mean the figures updated over the past 24 hours might not correspond exactly to the previous days tallies.
Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party and its candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Natasha Akpoti.

SDP and its candidate challenged the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello at the last poll.

Also Read: Yahaya Bello Asks NCDC Officials To Go On 14-Day Isolation Or Leave Kogi Immediately

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kashim Kaigama, awarded the cost of N100,000 to be paid by each of the two petitioners to each of the three respondents  the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC and Bello.

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The total costs to be paid by the petitioners amount to N600,000.

The three-man panel has yet to fix a date for the judgment of the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Musa Wada.
For six first-year students at Olin College of Engineering, the mid-March news of the campus closing and classes going online was more than troubling. It was so problematic as to require a solution.

Which led four of them to cram into an orange Subaru and drive about 1,400 miles from Olin's campus in Needham, Massachusetts, to Duluth, Minnesota - two flew - to where one student's family had a vacant rental house. It would become, in parent parlance, "Satellite Olin."

Armed with laptops, Legos (with no shops to build mechanical structures, the school sent kits) and pads of Post-it Notes, along with their social rituals - meals together, Friday craft nights, a running notebook of their funny quotes - they created a quarantine campus.

Even at school, "we don't have a clear line between our academic and our social lives," said Nicola van Moon, who is from Oakland, California. When news of Olin's closing hit, she said, "I remember thinking, 'I cannot imagine doing everything I am doing right now, working as hard as I am working, without these people.' "

It's not just about empathy and socializing, said another group member, Julia Chomowicz, from Stonington, Connecticut. While studying, it matters to be able to say, "Hey, I have a quick question, can you help me out?" Arranging a conversation via video or texting a peer is not the same, she said, as "those little moments of in-person contact."

The disrupted spring term has offered many lessons to college leaders trying to plan for the fall. But one unheralded takeaway: The powerful role incidental and impromptu interactions play in the college experience - and how hard it is to replace them.

Yet students have been trying. As soon as courses jumped online, students began DIY-ing campus life. They set up satellite dorms (some right near campuses), downloaded apps like "Beer With Me" (just what it sounds like) and planned Zoom parties, trivia nights and club meetings. At Dartmouth, a 135-year-old secret society engaged young alumni across the country for rush, having them visit recruits' homes to tap in person.

"It was the next best thing they could have done to make it feel special," said a member of the Class of 2019, a teacher in Boston who drove to the home of a current student in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and delivered the invitation in his yard.

Campus leaders and advisory committees are working to upgrade and diversify their technology and ramp up training for struggling professors. But even as they evaluate new tools and platforms, there is a deepening recognition that putting courses online - even when well-executed - is far different from going to college.

That difference is not just about the course content. Time away has dramatically highlighted how a thousand incidental experiences - from joking about the odd food inventions of dining hall cooks to absorbing the jovial welcome of a professor during office hours - shape what it feels like and means to be a college student.

Yes, campuses provide essentials such as food, housing and health services, which are of growing importance as jobless rates rise. But residential colleges also bring together a crucial community of peers and invested adults.

A survey of college students last month by Top Hat, a higher education technology company based in Toronto, found that 85% said they missed face-to-face interactions with faculty members, and 86% missed socializing with other students.

That probably would not surprise Vincent Tinto, professor emeritus at Syracuse University, whose theories about student persistence recognize the value of both formal academic and informal social interactions and activities.

Students, he said, are "moving from being a teenager to slowly becoming adults," and seemingly minor interactions matter in building relationships that help them thrive.

"These subtle engagements are very powerful for students," he said. While they can happen virtually, "there is nothing that replaces the meanings that come about through face-to-face interaction" because so much of the communication is colored by "the posture, the look, the way it is phrased."

Yet, having taught extensively in hybrid environments, which are partly in-person and partly online, Tinto said the mix can help more students to be "vocal." Some, he said, "would be very quiet in class, and online they would be very different."

He wonders whether what students discover in this DIY moment might lead to more opportunities for them to "design their own learning environments."

The crisis became a natural experiment for a group of seniors at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, forced to leave campus as they were trying to complete capstone projects. The group, which reached 16, gathered at a summer cottage and boat rental property owned by one of the students' families that was not yet open for the season.

They dubbed themselves "The Boothbay Commune," set up an Instagram account to reassure parents and created a version of campus life at the harborside camp. They made and submitted videos for a class in contemporary dance, worked through an online statistics textbook and held study sessions. Several said they pulled all-nighters.

The DIY campus offered non-college, learning, too. The group organized food purchases, cooking and cleaning. It did yard work (trimming brush and raking up thousands of acorns) and brought kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards, a sailboat and a motorboat out of storage and down to the dock.

To keep some feel of their old social life, the students replicated trivia nights and, with several members of the ultimate Frisbee team present (including co-captain Bennett Allen, whose family owns the property), played a four-day Frisbee golf tournament with a green jacket from Ethan VanderWilden's car as the prize.

Still, trying to be a student away from school was disorienting, said VanderWilden, who is majoring in physics and government. On campus, while working on his senior thesis on the rise of the far right in Spain, he had relied on "going into my adviser's office on a pretty daily basis to keep myself accountable."

At the camp, it was hard to focus at first. Having another government major there also working on a thesis "pushed me to get on track," he said, adding that "being in an environment where other people are working is helpful to stay motivated."

The issue of motivation has been a major theme on social media this spring among students across the country suddenly unmoored from campus. Lynette Long, a senior at Dartmouth College from Norman, Oklahoma, found housing in an alumni couple's New Hampshire home through an emergency list when her senior dorm became a facility for those on campus required to self-quarantine.

She said the absence of "the little things, like your informal assigned seats, who you walk to and from classes with," has hit hard. "Something I have noticed is how much space matters."

Nonacademic interactions provide a rhythm to daily life that students lean on, said Sanat Mohapatra, Long's classmate, who built an app, Unmasked, to facilitate anonymous mental health peer support. (Only Dartmouth students may download it.)

Created before the coronavirus crisis, the app, which has 1,125 downloads and 220 daily users, has since become a kind of virtual campus gathering spot, Mohapatra said.

While students still seek help with dating and school stress, he said recent posts have "focused a lot more on open-ended questions such as 'What do you miss?' " Students, Mohapatra said, "have tried to re-create those conversations you can't have on regular social media or with your family."

At Dartmouth - where the spring term ends June 9 and the summer term, attended mostly by sophomores, will be online only - the Collis Center for Student Involvement has tried to help campus groups operate virtually, including offering 20 Dartmouth-specific Zoom backgrounds.

Long said there are virtual teas, meditation, yoga, public-policy broadcasts, home-brewing workshops, "QuaranTEAM" trivia. But it's hard to stay involved, she said. "I went to my sorority meetings for a few weeks, then called it quits."

Such waning interest concerns Luke Cuomo, the campus Student Assembly president, who, like Long, is among a group of undergraduates who regularly "meet" with administrators. Even Friday night Zoom sessions with his group of friends have petered out "because you run out of new experiences to bond around," he said. "We are just sitting there in our bedrooms. You start talking about how your Zoom classes are going."

College social life, he said, "has a degree of organic-ness" that is hard to replicate virtually. For those who are "expecting a residential college experience," said Cuomo, who is finishing the term at home in East Williston, New York, "I don't think there is a way to satisfy students in an online setting."

This worries campus leaders everywhere. Which is why many, like Richard Kessler, executive dean at The New School's college of performing arts in New York City, are trying new approaches to keep students connected to the cultural life of the school.

When students left in March, Kessler, who is also dean of the Mannes School of Music, said the school shipped keyboards, electronic drum kits and USB microphones to those needing them. Faculty members tested online music collaboration platforms, picked Soundtrap, then planned virtual jam sessions that (unlike on campus) let faculty members and students share a virtual stage.

With schedules disrupted, artists began dropping into online classes. When jazz legend Sonny Rollins was to call into a course taught by Reggie Workman, another jazz great, Kessler said the school reached out. "People signed on from all over the world," which "maxed out" the 300-person online capacity, said Kessler. "The provost couldn't get in."

The crisis has led campuses to innovate. "We're learning a lot," said Kessler. "These special things are not going away." Colleges all over are now streaming virtual concerts and speakers, hosting open mic nights and offering museum tours.

But students, it turns out, also crave what technology cannot deliver. "People," said Mohapatra, the Dartmouth app creator, "are used to joking around about nothing."

- - -

This report is a product of The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
The EU is ready to back down from its hard line position on fishing rights next month, according to senior sources in Brussels.

Under the EU's current demands, supported by France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, Britain would be effectively required to offer European fishermen the same access to UK waters as required by EU membership.

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has previously described the body's position on fisheries as 'maximalist'.

However, with European leaders busy in the battle against coronavirus, he has been unable to discuss any changes to the position.

Now, senior European diplomats have admitted they need to get 'realistic' about their position on fishing.

Yesterday, minister Michael Gove suggested the UK will never give in to the bloc's demands to keep its existing access to Britain's fishing waters.

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has previously described the body's position on fisheries as 'maximalist'

Barnier's struggles to get 'attention' from EU leaders amid the coronavirus pandemic is reflected on the other side, with David Frost, Boris Johnson's chief negotiator, unable to discuss 'trade-offs' on key trade and economy areas.

However, as lockdowns are easing and countries are beginning to emerge from coronavirus management, both sides are preparing for a renewed diplomatic focus on Brexit to begin next month

A senior European diplomat told the Times: 'We should probably get more realistic about our fishing position.

'These are the things that have to be decided at a much higher level than Frost or Barnier.

'The pandemic is destroying everything in the sense that everybody's mind is focused on something totally different to Brexit, which is the recovery in the exit strategy.'

Mr Frost will publish British negotiating texts and legal drafts this week so that EU governments are aware of possible trade offs on fishing and 'level playing field' demands on other regulations.

UK officials have claimed Mr Barnier has 'a problem' as he is unable to discuss Brexit strategy with EU leaders amid the virus outbreak.

Mr Frost said last Friday: 'He's doing a good job with the hand he's been given.

'He must know that the mandate is unnegotiable in at least some important areas.'

Michael Gove, pictured in Downing Street on February 11, today said he remains 'confident' a Brexit trade deal with the EU can be done by the end of the year

Michael Gove yesterday insisted he remains 'confident' the UK and EU can strike a post- Brexit trade deal by the end of the year but warned Brussels it needs to show more 'flexibility' during negotiations.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office said the bloc needed to accept Britain is now 'outside their club' and as a result will not agree to bind itself to EU rules.

The two sides are currently in a 'standstill' transition period which gives them until the end of the year to agree a comprehensive trade deal.

But with talks stalling there are growing calls for the Government to seek an extension to the transition period - something Downing Street has categorically ruled out.

Yesterday, Labour insisted ministers must seek a delay if they are unable to secure a 'good deal' by the close of 2020 in order to avoid the 'further shock' of a No Deal split after the current coronavirus disruption.

Mr Gove told Sky News: 'There is a difference of course between the UK's position and the EU's position.

'The EU want us to accept their rules even though we are outside their club and they want to have access to our fish even though we have left.

'We are making it clear to the EU that we can't do a deal on those terms but I am confident that a deal is there to be done, it just requires a degree of flexibility on the EU's side which I am sure that they will appreciate that they need to show.'
A man has died following a road collision with a tractor and a motorcycle in Leicestershire, police have said.

The incident happened shortly after 12pm on Saturday 16 May on the A444 Church Street, in Twycross.

Leicestershire Police confirmed that the collision involved a blue tractor pulling an orange trailer and a black Suzuki GSXR motorcycle.

The motorcyclist, a man aged in his fifties, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services.

The tractor driver was not injured in the incident.

An appeal has now been made to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or saw the motorcyclist or tractor beforehand to get in touch on 101.

Detective Constable John Borlase said: "The tractor and the motorcyclist, who was travelling with two other riders, were all travelling towards Twycross at the time of the collision.

Anyone who has dashcam footage relating to the collision is asked to make contact with the police.

It comes just days after a mother and her young daughter were killed in a crash involving a tractor and a quad bike in County Antrim.
Anti-lockdown protests taking place around the United States could potentially spread the coronavirus as people are travelling to them far and areas not relatively unaffected by the epidemic, according to an analysis of data gleaned from location tracking of cellphones of the protestors.

But the analysis, which was reported first by The Guardian news publication, does not directly link the protests to new infections or surges. It only flags the possibility of these protestors carrying back the virus from high-infection areas.

These anonymized location data collected from in-phone apps and analyzed by VoteMap showed people traveling more than 150 miles to these protests, some were seen crossing state lines on their way back. Devices from the armed protests in Madison, Michigan, which caught the worlds attention, were seen returning to remote areas of the state.

Dr Rob Davidson, of the Committee to Protect Medicare that provided the data to the Guardian, told the publication, its hard to draw a straight line between devices, individuals at these protests, and cases.

President Donald Trump has backed these protests as he continues to press states to reopen, allow businesses to resume operations and let people return to work, arguing the lockdown may be causing more damage to the country than the epidemic. His eyes, here, are on his re-elections prospects in the face record unemployment and a severe downturn.

The White House has sought to shift the blame thus, mostly on to China, through increasing public attacks and on the World Health Organization and, internally, its own federal agencies. Peter Navarro, a senior adviser to the president, said Sunday the country was let down by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the premier federal body charged with monitoring and preventing health crises such as the Covid-19 epidemic.

Early on in this virus, the CDC, which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space, really let the country down with the testing because not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test. And that did set us back, he told NBC news.

Testing has continued to be an issues. The federal government says every American who needs to be tested, according to CDC checklist of symptoms, can be tested and critics say more kits are needed to scale up surveillance in view of the reopening. New governor Andrew Cuomo took Covid-19 test at his daily briefing on Sunday to make the point. This is a very big advantage for us, because testing originally was used to control the virus, Cuomo said. Now testing is going to be helpful in monitoring the virus.

The number of US fatalities from Covid-19 went up by 808 over the past 24 hours to 89,567 and reported infections went up by 18,937 to 1.48 million.
At least 50 residents in Arunachal Pradeshs remote Longding town took out a peace rally on Monday amid the lockdown restrictions, which have been imposed since end-March to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in protest against the alleged killing of a Wancho tribesman by an Indian Army patrolling party two days ago.

Wancho Council, an apex body of Wancho, a Naga sub-tribe, took out the peace march that ended at the Longding district deputy commissioners (DC) office, where the council members submitted a memorandum demanding justice for the slain and compensation for his next of kin.

No untoward incident was reported during the rally. All lockdown norms were followed. The participants submitted a memorandum, which will be forwarded to the competent authority for necessary action, said Chesta Yadav, DC, Longding.

The district administration made an exception to hold the peace rally, as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) prevailing lockdown restrictions prohibit any public gatherings and congregations except for weddings and funerals.

There was a public demand to hold the peace rally in protests against the firing incidents at Pumao village on Saturday. The district administration allowed the rally to be held by Wancho Council in a peaceful manner, said an order issued by Longing DC on Sunday.

The order asked all rally participants to maintain social distancing, wear masks and only 50 people were allowed to take part in the march. This rally is a one-time exception. No other gathering will be allowed after the rally is over. The violation of Covid-19 guidelines will attract legal action, it added.

On Saturday, Lamdaan Lukham (60) was killed when personnel from the 19th Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army fired at villagers in Pumao during a combing operation against the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN I-M) cadres. Several others, including villagers and the army personnel, reportedly sustained injuries in the incident.

On Saturday night, the army issued a statement, which stated that a search operation was launched at Pumao based on intelligence inputs about the presence of NSCN (I-M) cadres in the village.

Villagers started protesting against security forces and resorted to stone-pelting. Troops identified suspicious movement and started moving towards a house, which drew two to three bursts of fire on the patrolling party, the statement said.

Civilians were told to disperse and to safeguard their lives and property. Eight single shots were fired as controlled retaliation. In this melee, insurgents managed to escape. However, in this crossfire, it is believed few villagers have got hurt and one died, it added.

However, local residents, student bodies and human rights organisations in Arunachal have alleged that the army personnel deliberately opened fire in a bid to retaliate to settle a dispute that occurred a day earlier, when security forces thrashed a villager in Pumao.

Though there was a bid to settle the dispute, trouble broke out when the meeting ended inconclusively, and the army team left the deliberations midway amid stone-pelting by irate villagers. But before leaving the spot, the army personnel purportedly opened fire at the protesters, where one Wancho tribesman was killed.

The heinous crime purported by the Indian Army has severely contradicted the very underlying purpose for which they have been deployed for in the region which is to maintain law and order and to guard against external aggression, said a release, issued by the North East Students Organisation (NESO), on Sunday.

The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and a separate police probe is also being conducted. The North East Human Rights Organisation (NEHRO) has filed two complaints with the National Human Rights Commission against the Indian Army for alleged human rights violations.

Longding is one of the three districts in Arunachal, along with Tirap and Changlang, where rebels groups from Nagaland and Assam, such as the NSCN (I-M) and the United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), are still active.

The three districts are the only ones in the north-east largest state, where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, (AFSPA), which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces, is operational.

Usually the army informs the local police before conducting any operation. But since Longding is under the AFSPA, were not informed, Arunachal Police director-general of police (DGP) RP Upadhyaya said on Sunday.

In a press release issued on Monday, NSCN (I-M) condemned Saturdays firing incident and blamed the Indian Army for targeting innocent Naga villagers in Arunachal as a ruse to flushing out holed up insurgents.

The rebel outfit termed the armys version of the incident as a hilarious statement to absolve itself from the criminal assault of innocent villagers.

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She was working as a waitress at Muralts Truck Plaza in the 1990s when Charlene Bundys world changed. She just didnt realize it at the time.

A couple of decades later, on May 1, 2020, to be exact, Bundy worked her initial 24-hour shift as the first female fire captain at the Missoula Fire Department. Eleanor, Evelyn and Ruby Jane Bundy, who range in age from 10 to 3, have been all smiles since.

My girls are so proud of me, it just makes me happy, Bundy said last week on the phone from her home near Stevensville. They know enough to understand the promotion, the attention, the fact I wear a new shiny red helmet, and the fact that Im a boss and I get to make the decisions now.

They should be proud, assistant fire chief Gordy Hughes said. Their mom is a pioneer.

One of 20 captains dispersed equally across the departments five stations, Bundy will spend the first 16 weeks at Station 1 headquarters on East Pine Street. A 19-year veteran in the department, she tested and was certified for the promotion a couple of years ago.

I was ranked No. 4, so it took about two years for four men to move on in their careers, she said.

Tony Cate, a huge mentor for Bundy and one of the departments four battalion chiefs, retired on April 30. Capt. Jeff Kroll took Cates place and Bundy moved into his captains seat. Shes in charge of a crew of three that includes veteran Erin Wilmarth, one of two other women on the rigs in the Missoula department.

Bundy figures it was 1996, just after the deadly train chlorine spill near Alberton, when she had that life-changing conversation in Muralts cafe at the Wye between Missoula and her hometown of Frenchtown.

Among her regular customers were Frenchtown Fire chief Scott Waldron and his wife.

I had, I guess, a meager background, she said. I grew up with a lot of volunteerism given to our family, so as I came to be an adult I volunteered a lot in different venues, kind of to give back. It was just a normal thing in my life.

As she got to know the Waldrons, and they her, the fire chief suggested she volunteer at his department. Bundy agreed. With no designs of becoming a firefighter, she found she was interested in more and more parts of the program at Frenchtown.

Waldron gave her the next push, too, suggesting she enter the Firefighter 1 program to see if she could handle it.

I had been supporting the men on the ground, so I kind of knew what he was talking about, Bundy said. But I also knew it was a physical challenge, and I wasnt overly physical at the time. I wasnt a natural athlete by any means.

Her admiration for Waldron spurred her. She didnt want to let him down, so she agreed to give firefighting a try.

I found that between my build and my desire and my kind of no-give-up attitude I was thriving in the little things they would throw at me, she said. And pretty soon I was really being successful in the Firefighter 1 program. I kind of got hooked on that."

Ultimately, some of the veterans suggested she could make firefighting her profession.

That was kind of an aha moment, like, really? she remembered. Yeah, actually I probably could.

Career firefighting is a highly competitive field, but again Bundy thrived. After taking the statewide Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) in Great Falls, she was offered an entry-level position at Missoula Fire. She was 24 when she started in September 2001.

There are several paths you can take along the way, Hughes said. They may enter the fire prevention bureau, or do fire investigations or fire code enforcement. Charlene chose not to do that. She spent all 19 years in operations, which are the folks that are the boots-on-the-ground firefighters.

She was the third woman in the department to achieve that level. The first arrived in 1994 and both her predecessors ultimately left for bigger departments, Hughes said. But they'd left their marks.

There were concerns, of course, from spouses of firefighters, and from the chiefs, so they held sensitivity training for all individuals, just to prepare us for that new era, Hughes said. Weve instilled that tradition and that heritage in our new hires, but I think the world has changed since then. Seeing women in those so-called male-dominated careers is more commonplace now. There isnt that stigma that just because shes a woman she cant do the job.

They come wholly qualified or we wouldnt hire them. We hire for character and train for qualities.

Bundy received paramedic certification in her second year and has long been on the fire rescue squad.

"I don't know if it was necessarily the female thing that motivated me as much as it was the challenge and that they believed in me," she said. "There are definitely plenty of naysayers in the world that are surprised and maybe doubtful that a young girl was going to be able to succeed" as a firefighter.

At least two women preceded her as captains in Class 1 cities in Montana. Lydia Juhnke assumed the position at Livingston Fire and Rescue in the fall of 2018. Chelsea Thompson became Billings first female fire captain a month or two later.

Nineteen years is a long time to spend earning your captain stripes.

Ive been ready for this for a long time and anticipating it, Bundy said. Its really another challenge in my long career of challenges so Im really looking forward to making a name. I also recognize this whole female thing carries a responsibility to do it well, not just get through it. Thats a lot of responsibility, because my name will always be attached to it.

And she knows Eleanor, Evelyn and Ruby Jane Bundy will be watching closely, even if they dont fully recognize what theyre seeing.

For me thats really the biggest thing, Bundy said. I dont care if the girls end up stay-at-home moms or firefighters or president of the United States. I just want them to know whatever their dreams are, they can achieve them.

If this job fulfills those dreams, fine. But it doesnt necessarily have to be this kind of public role or this nontraditional role. It allows them to see that, hey, my mom did something big professionally.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 08:25:03|Editor: huaxia

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NEW YORK, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew Cuomo on Sunday encouraged all individuals eligible for a COVID-19 test to receive one, as the state's daily testing capacity reached 40,000.

The appeal came three weeks after Cuomo announced an agreement to work with the federal government to grow the state's daily testing capacity from 20,000 to 40,000 tests.

People now eligible for a test include those who experienced flu-like symptoms, those who had contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, health care workers, nursing home workers and first responders, as well as those who are subject to a precautionary or mandatory quarantine.

Meanwhile, essential workers who directly interact with the public and those who are returning to their workplace in phase one of the state's reopening plan can get a test, said Cuomo.

"The more New Yorkers get tested, the better -- and we are going to ensure to all individuals who will return to the workplace in phase one of our reopening plan have access to testing," he said.

The state now has over 700 testing sites, and a new website has been launched for people to find a nearby location, according to the governor.

To encourage those who feel reluctant to get tested, the governor acted as a model patient at his briefing and received a nasal swab test from a doctor on live TV, in order to show how quick and easy the test is.

"I'm not in pain. I'm not in discomfort," he said after the test. "There is no reason why you should not get the test."

The governor also confirmed 1,889 additional COVID-19 cases statewide, bringing the total to 350,121 in New York state. Enditem
B ali, the Indonesian island beloved by yogis, surfers and Australian tourists, is looking to reopen its doors to visitors in October, its government has said.

As of Friday, the island had reported just 343 cases of coronavirus and four deaths - a small percentage of Indonesias total of 17,514 cases and 1,148 confirmed deaths.

If Bali manages to keep its infection rate low, the tourism ministry is looking to reopen Bali to international tourists from October.

The first destinations to open would be Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, as well as the Riau islands province.

Tourism plays a significant part in the Balinese economy - in April, the ABC reported the islands economy was crashing due to tourism bans.

I Ketut Ardana, head of Bali's branch of the Indonesian National Organisation for Tours and Travel (ASITA), told the ABC: 80 per cent of people in Bali rely on tourism whether directly or indirectly.

In March, foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia plummeted more than 60 percent compared to March 2019 and Chinese arrivals dropped by 97 per cent.

Bali isnt the only reopening to get excited about - Greece has said it plans to open its borders to foreign tourists from June 1 without imposing quarantine regulations and Slovakia's joint borders with the Czech Republic and Austria are expected to open this summer.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Government pushes MSMEs for producing coronavirus related items such as sanitiser and PPE kits for export

MSME Ministry to take up industry demand to extend moratorium on all loans for another 3-6 months

Guidelines for Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loans to MSMEs announced by FM Nirmala Sitharaman last week would be finalised in 1-2 days

The government has asked micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to produce medical devices, especially COVID-19 related items for exports as there is a readymade export market available.

Speaking at a webinar organised by SME Chamber of India, MSME Secretary AK Sharma said that government was willing to help those who come forward and start manufacturing of these items.

"Today there is a readymade market available to us. It is waiting for us. Medical equipment and COVID related medical items like sanitisers, PPE kits, masks and there are so many other items. As you would be aware that government has lifted curbs on export of masks. So, from this point of view we don't need to go anywhere as the platform is ready for all of you. We just need to produce them and supply," the MSME Secretary said.

Sharma emphasised that there was a specific query for pipes of santiser bottle as it is being imported from China and hence need to be produced locally.

He also told participants that guidelines for the Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loans for MSME sector would be finalised in the next 1-2 days by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under Ministry of Finance.

On demands by various small firms to extend the moratorium on loan repayment for another 3-6 months, Sharma said that the issue would need to be taken up with the Finance Ministry.

"Perhaps, you and me will have to take this up with the government separately. You write to us and also write to Ministry of Finance. Let's see what stand they take," the MSME Secretary said.

In the wake of crisis faced by industry and individuals due to coronavirus-afflicted lockdown, the RBI had on March 27 allowed banks and financial institutions to offer a 3-month moratorium on all term loans. Since the lockdown has been extended till May 31, industry has demanded extension of the moratorium at least for another three months.

They have contended that RBI had directed banks to offer 3-month moratorium when the lockdown had been imposed for 21 days but now the lockdown has been in place for more than two months so the repayment relief should also be extended.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) announces an update on issuing its 2019 Financial Statements and the publication and dispatch of the 2019 Annual Report.



Reference is made to the Companys announcements dated April 27 and May 12, 2020 (collectively, the Announcements). Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this announcement shall have the same respective meanings as defined in the Announcements.

As disclosed in the announcement dated May 12, 2020, the Company has been advised by its Auditors that they have not been able to render an unmodified opinion on the 2019 Financial Statements prior to the filing deadline of May 14, 2020, as they have not had sufficient evidence to support managements going concern assumptions due in part to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia imposed travel restriction of non-Mongolian passengers to enter Mongolia since February 2020. On April 28, 2020, the State Emergency Commission of Mongolia decided to extend the suspension of international passenger flights till the end of May 2020. As a result, the Company was not able to file the 2019 Financial Statements by the filing deadline of May 14, 2020.

On May 13, 2020 the Company made an application to the BCSC, the Companys principal securities regulator in Canada, requesting that a MCTO be granted in respect of the late filing of the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings. On May 15, 2020, the BCSC granted the Company a MCTO which will be effective until June 15, 2020. Pursuant to the MCTO, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company will not be permitted to trade any securities of the Company unless and until such time as the Company files the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings. While the MCTO is in effect, the Company expects that shareholders of the Company will continue to be able to trade the Companys common shares on the TSX. Until the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings are filed, the Company will be required to comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines specified in NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of press releases for so long as the MCTO remains in effect.

Meanwhile, an application was made by the Company to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for further extension of time for the publication of the 2019 Annual Report (the Further Extension) as provided for under the Further Guidance on Joint Statement in relation to Results Announcements in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic issued by the Securities and Future Commission in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 16, 2020. The Company anticipates trading of the Companys common shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will be permitted to continue if the Further Extension is granted by Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

During the effective period of MCTO, and if the Further Extension is granted, the Company will use the additional time so granted to obtain relevant evidence so as to support managements going concern assumptions, and to obtain an unmodified opinion from the Auditors on the 2019 Financial Statements or pursue another appropriate resolution to this matter. If the Company is successful in obtaining an unmodified opinion from the Auditors on the 2019 Financial Statements, the Company will file the 2019 Financial Statements and 2019 Annual Report as soon as possible following the receipt thereof. There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will be able to provide sufficient evidence to the Auditors and obtain an unmodified opinion on the 2019 Financial Statements prior to the expiry of the MCTO or Further Extension. If the Company is unable to file the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings prior to the expiry of the MCTO, it is anticipated that the BCSC will issue a general failure to file cease trade order (CTO) prohibiting the trading by any person of any securities of the Company, including trades in the Companys common shares made through the TSX. The Company anticipates that the CTO would take effect shortly after the expiry of the MCTO and would remain in place until such time as the 2019 Annual Filings and 2020 Interim Filings have been filed.

The Company will make further announcement(s) in relation to the updates on status of the Further Extension application with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the 2019 Financial Statements, and the publication and the dispatch of the 2019 Annual Report as and when appropriate.

Shareholders of the Company and potential investors are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company.

About SouthGobi

SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.
Beijing continues strict anti-epidemic measures amid upcoming two sessions

Global Times

Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/5/17 23:30:02

Beijing continues strict anti-epidemic measures amid upcoming two sessions.

Zhang Ge, an official from the Beijing epidemic prevention and control team, told a press conference on Sunday that given the upcoming two sessions and the epidemic rebound in some other areas in the country, the capital will continue strict management including sealing off communities and villages and properly manage people returning to Beijing.

There are more than 10,000 communities and 3,000 villages with 3.65 million people returning from outside the city, according to Zhang.

The Global Times learned that the majority of the communities in Beijing still continue strict management launched since January when the COVID-19 epidemic situation was severe in the country.

Residents have to provide proof of residency to get in and out of communities they live in. Outsiders have to register and conduct temperature tests to get in. Some communities will not even let outsiders in, the Global Times reporter learned from a resident in Haidian district.

When the Global Times reporter tried to enter Tsinghua University on Saturday, the reporter had to provide an identification card, a green code, a QR code on WeChat issued by Beijing authorities and accept a temperature before being allowed in.

A resident named Zhao Youting who returned from Wuhan on May 3 said he was required to undergo a 14-day quarantine and report his temperature twice daily during quarantine.

He had to provide two negative test results - within an interval of seven days between the two tests - before Beijing health authorities turned his health code green and allowed him to move freely.

"My door is sealed with a paper strip telling my neighbors that I am in quarantine and a surveillance camera is installed outside my door," Zhao told the Global Times on Sunday.

The State Bureau for Letters and Calls also announced that acceptance of complaints in central and national departments will continue to be suspended due to rebounding epidemics in some places. The service has been suspended since January 28, according to a media report.

Beijing officials also call for enhanced management in hospitals given the experiences of clustering infections in the Fuxing Hospital in February.

A total of 36 novel coronavirus cases have been reported in the hospital in Xicheng district, including eight medical workers, nine cleaning staff and 19 patients along with their families.

Lin Xiangyang, an official from the Beijing government on Sunday noted that Beijing applies the most strict emergency response standards given the special status of the capital. He called for complete functioning of supervision points and reporting systems as well as enhancement of interior management in hospitals.

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It's a sadness, I said, a longing for what might have been. It borders on depression, but that's not quite it.

And then she gave me a name for it.

"What you're experiencing," she told me, "is grief."

My first reaction was embarrassment. I mean, yes, we're all sad - but grief? That's the emotion when you lose a loved one. Isn't it wrong to compare what I'm going through to what the relatives of the dead and dying are going through?

"Obviously, many people are dealing with the grief that comes with loss of life," she told me. "But grief looks a lot of different ways."

We're grieving the loss of anticipated events, of human touch, of the chance to be productive, she told me. Loss of the simple pleasures of getting the kids out the door in the morning and going for a Starbucks. Loss of meaning. Of purpose.

And so, she says, we need to begin the long, difficult process of learning how to grieve.

It's a lesson I failed to learn once before, long, long ago.
A former Syrian intelligence officer on Monday denied beating and torturing detainees in prison as he faced trial in a German court for crimes against humanity.

In a written statement read by his lawyers, Anwar Raslan, 57, said he had neither beaten nor tortured prisoners at the Al-Khatib detention centre in Damascus, where he is charged with overseeing the murder of 58 people and the torture of 4,000 others.

Sitting behind a plexiglass screen because of the coronavirus pandemic, Raslan appeared deep in concentration as his lawyers Michael Boecker and Yorck Fratzky took about 90 minutes to read his statement.

Rather than torturing prisoners, Raslan said he had helped to free many detainees arrested in the uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from March 2011.

The trial in Koblenz, which began on April 23, is the first court case worldwide over state-sponsored torture by the Assad regime.

Raslan and fellow defendant Eyad al-Gharib, 43, are being tried on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows a foreign country to prosecute crimes against humanity.

As he entered the courtroom, wearing glasses and a dark jacket and sweater, Raslan greeted his two lawyers with a smile and a hand over his heart, a common greeting in the Middle East.

It is the first time he has spoken publicly about the crimes he is charged with, allegedly committed at the prison between April 29, 2011 and September 7, 2012.

 Distance myself 

At the opening of the trial, prosecutors said Raslan had overseen rape and sexual abuse, electric shocks, beatings with fists, wires and whips and sleep deprivation at the prison.

Referring to accusations made by witnesses, he repeatedly denied any responsibility, particularly in the case of an alleged rape. It is against our morals, against our religion, he said.

I distance myself from such acts if they have been committed, he added.

Raslan worked for 18 years in the Syrian intelligence services, where he rose through the ranks to become head of the domestic intelligence investigation service, according to a German investigator who testified on the second day of the trial.

Raslan defected and fled Syria at the end of 2012 before arriving in Germany in July 2014 under a programme for Syrian refugees in need of special protection.

The trial could last up to two years, according to observers, with the victims due to begin testifying in July.

Wolfgang Kaleck, secretary general of the German NGO European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, which is supporting 17 victims in the proceedings, said Raslan had issued, not merely received and followed, orders in his department.

We do not believe he played a minor role, Kaleck said.

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, at least 60,000 people have been killed under torture or as a result of the terrible conditions in Assads detention centres.
LOS ANGELES  The Walt Disney Companys top streaming executive, Kevin Mayer, resigned on Monday to become the chief executive of TikTok, the app for making and sharing short videos that has exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Mayer, 58, will also serve as chief operating officer of ByteDance, the Chinese conglomerate that owns TikTok. I was happy with my job at Disney, Mr. Mayer said by phone. The magnitude of this opportunity was just something I couldnt pass up. He cited gaming and music as two expansion possibilities. (He sounded considerably less eager to post TikToks of himself.)

TikToks app has been downloaded about 1.9 billion times worldwide, including 172 million downloads in the United States, according to Sensor Tower, an app data firm. And its surging popularity has increased during the pandemic. In the first quarter of this year, it was downloaded 307 million times, more than any other app in the world, according to Sensor Tower data.

That popularity has made TikTok by far the biggest digital success for a Chinese-owned company in the Western world. As a result, it has faced deep distrust across the U.S. government. Several government agencies, including nearly all branches of the military, have barred employees from downloading or using the app. In March, Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, proposed legislation to bar any federal employee from using the app.
New York  Julissa Mago buried her mother May 6 in the least-expensive casket under an unmarked patch of dirt at a New Jersey cemetery.

The spare service culminated weeks of panic. From Syracuse, she had battled funeral homes, cemeteries and hospitals. She slept in her car and wept behind a mask.

Lourdes Mago, 59, is one of 291 people who died April 22 in New York City of Covid-19. She is one of 15,888 killed by the disease so far in that city.

She was also everything to her daughter: the street-smart matriarch who reigned over her block on 37th Street in Brooklyn near Sunset Park, who loved fiercely, and who helped raise Julissas baby when she became pregnant at age 14.

And, as a Catholic woman from the Dominican Republic, Lourdes Mago made it clear to her daughter: She, upon her death, wanted to be buried. Preferably alongside her parents in Staten Island.

Lourdes Mago and Julissa's youngest daughter around 2007.

When Julissas grandmother died in 2014, Julissa and Lourdes got ready for the services in the kitchen of her mothers apartment, Julissa remembers. The burial plot was not ideal, but all that matters is that youre buried, Lourdes said then  to free your soul. So Julissa made the promise.

That pledge became Julissas all-consuming mission.

The day after her mothers death, Julissa made the first of dozens of phone calls to overwhelmed and sometimes dishonest funeral directors in Brooklyn and Staten Island. She couldnt shake the feeling that she was being lied to or rushed into buying more than she needed.

They were just top-dollaring every aspect of it, she said.

Like thousands of other grieving people suddenly making funeral arrangements in New York City, she had little information and less help.

In each phone call, Julissa made a similar plea: Please work with me. I dont have the money yet, but I will get it.

One of those calls was to the Andrew J. Cleckley Funeral Home in Brooklyn. Two days later, the home made international headlines when it was discovered April 29 to have between 40 and 60 bodies stacked in an unrefrigerated U-Haul and tractor-trailer, The New York Times reported.

Julissa Mago outside her Syracuse apartment April 23, the day after her mother's death from Covid-19 in Brookyln.

Despite the backlog, the funeral home employee accepted her business  at a price she couldnt pay, Mago told syracuse.com. (The funeral home declined to comment.)

So, she kept calling. She asked for more time from the New York University Langone Hospital, whose staff politely but repeatedly asked where they should send her mothers body.

Mago, 33, had no money. When the economy shut down, she lost her job March 20 at a Syracuse jewelry store, where she worked for 12 years. She has yet to see an unemployment insurance check. She was already living paycheck to paycheck, she said.

Five days after losing her job, her brother called Mago to tell her that her mother had become disoriented. It was a complication from her diabetes. She was admitted to Langone Hospital, where Lourdes Mago gave birth to Julissa and Julissa gave birth to her oldest daughter.

Because her mom was high-risk, hospital staff gave her a coronavirus test. Positive. Magos best guess is that her brother brought the virus home when delivering groceries to their apartment.

The last time mom and daughter spoke was March 25. After her blood sugar went down, Lourdes Mago asked about Julissas daughters, and Julissa told her not to worry.

Within days, Lourdes oxygen levels plummeted, so she was intubated. By April 12, hospital staff asked whether Mago would sign a do not resuscitate order. At 12:45 a.m. on April 22, Lourdes Mago died.

The burden of funeral logistics fell to Julissa, so she started a GoFundMe page to help pay for it. She refreshed the page over and over, seeing donations of $5 or $10 trickle in.

My mom who was Catholic believed in being buried in the ground from which we came from, and Id only want to fulfill that wish if its the last thing I can do for her, Mago wrote.

Julissa Mago's tattoo of her mother's name. Lourdes loved butterflies, Julissa said.

Magos is one of hundreds of similar posts on GoFundMe from families of Covid-19 victims.

There is no funeral assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has helped pay for funerals in past disasters. Last week, members of New Yorks congressional delegation called on President Donald Trump to allow FEMA money to be spent on funerals. At the moment, FEMA aid cannot be spent on anything apart from crisis counseling, SILive.com reported.

Meanwhile, two state agencies that oversee funeral homes  the state attorney generals office and the Bureau of Funeral Directing  have seen upticks in funeral-related complaints, they say.

Also, chapters of a national consumer advocacy group, the Funeral Consumers Alliance, has fielded increased calls from consumers, especially in New York and New Jersey. The alliance offers guidance and surveys funeral homes to compile an online price list.

Last year, however, the New York City and Long Island chapter shut down because of a lack of volunteers, according to the executive director, so there is nowhere online to find a list of funeral home prices that could help people like Mago.

On May 1 she found a funeral home that she could afford, with about $4,200 from the GoFundMe campaign. She raised the $2,000 for the burial in New Jersey and another $3,300 for the funeral home.

She avoided the fate that kept her up at night: That her mother would be buried in a mass grave at Hart Island, where unclaimed bodies are sent.

Julissa Mago stands in front of her mom's casket May 6 in Brookyln.

On May 4, she and her 13-year-old loaded her Honda CRV with supplies and disinfectants. They slept in the car to avoid Lourdes apartment. They did their best to dress up for the funeral.

The five-hour viewing Wednesday evening drew six people: Mago, her 13-year-old daughter, her brother and three uncles who took a train from Florida. They wore masks, touched elbows when they greeted and signed a guestbook with gloved hands.

My sister, I love you and I will always love you, Magos uncle Adony Bare Mago scrawled in the margin in Spanish. His was one of three signatures.

The service took place at the Jurek Park Slope Funeral Home. The owner, Doris Amen, is doing 23 funerals a week these days, she said. Normally, its two a week. She has turned down business and frustrated hospitals trying to clear their morgues, she said.

Its been overwhelming, she said.

The home offered Mago the least-expensive casket. Amen chipped in a free bouquet and dressed Lourdes Mago herself. She said the family could stay as long as they wanted. Other funeral homes limited viewings to 30 minutes.

In an interview, Amen offered harsh words in a Brooklyn accent for the greedy sons-of-bitches in the industry, who continue accepting business, offering unfair prices and warehousing bodies.

The hospitals have been screaming at me, she said. But Im not putting them in a truck. Im not putting them in a backyard under a tarp.

Lourdes Mago was buried 40 miles away at Forest Green Park Cemetery in New Jersey. It was a brief service on a sunny day. Her daughter carried with her a canvas photo she printed at Walgreens.

Lourdes Mago came to the United States in 1976 from the Dominican Republic in her early teens. This photo taken shortly after her arrival was the first photo ever taken of her.

The photo is of her mother when she first came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1976. She is a teenager. Back home, her family was so poor that theyd never had a picture taken of her.

At the grave, there is no tombstone. Julissa couldnt afford it.

Lourdes Mago deserved more of a goodbye. Her daughter imagined dozens of neighbors from the block she lived on for decades. Family would come from the Dominican Republic and Florida.

They would reminisce about growing up in that Brooklyn apartment and laugh about the woman who somehow knew immediately whether the new boyfriend was a bad fit.

I just wish that this thing would never have happened, that this virus had not touched everybodys lives the way it has, Julissa said. But weve got to do the best we can with the situation.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Hair stylists could reopen in Central New York in 2 weeks

NY clears up a chronic coronavirus question: Yes, almost every doctor is free to open

Pride and despair in a CNY food line for first time: Im telling you that I am afraid

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact reporter Patrick Lohmann at (315)766-6670 or via email at PLohmann@Syracuse.com.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, new floor leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), pays tribute to the victims of the May 18 Gwangju pro-democracy movement with other UFP members at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju, Monday, the 40th anniversary of the 1980 uprising. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is seeking "reconciliation" with the people of Gwangju, trying to make up for the distorted and disparaging remarks made by some of its far-right members about the history of the city where hundreds of citizens were killed by Korean military forces.



The UFP's new floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young and other prominent members of the party visited the city, Monday, to attend a ceremony at the May 18 Democracy Square to mark the 40th anniversary of the May 18 pro-democracy movement of 1980. President Moon Jae-in and leaders of other political parties, including the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, also participated in the commemoration.



Following the ceremony, Joo and other UFP members also visited the May 18th National Cemetery to pay tribute to victims of the crackdown on the pro-democracy uprising against then-Army General Chun Doo-hwan, who had seized power in a military coup in late 1979. Chun officially became the president of Korea on the 1st September 1980, just months after the massacre.






Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, on April 29, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/File/AP Photo)

Pompeo Warns China Over Interference With US Journalists in Hong Kong

WASHINGTONU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday it had come to his attention that China had threatened to interfere with the work of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong, and warned Beijing that any decision impinging on Hong Kongs autonomy could affect the U.S. assessment of Hong Kongs status.

These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world, Pompeo said in a statement.

Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, and the territory was promised a high degree of autonomy under the rule of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) for 50 years. The system, supposedly independent of the communist regime in mainland China, formed the basis of the territorys special status under U.S. law, which has helped it thrive as a world financial center.

Pompeo announced on May 6 that the State Department was delaying a report to Congress assessing whether Hong Kong enjoyed sufficient autonomy from China to continue receiving special treatment from the United States.

He said at the time the delay was to allow the report to account for any actions Beijing might contemplate in the run-up to Chinas May 22 National Peoples Congress.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have spiked in recent weeks, as Pompeo and President Donald Trump have complained about the PRCs early handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The United States and China have also clashed over journalists working in each others countries.

In February, the Trump administration said it would begin treating five major Chinese state-run media entities with U.S. operations the same as foreign embassies, requiring them to register their employees and U.S. properties with the State Department.

Beijing then expelled three Wall Street Journal correspondentstwo Americans and an Australianfollowing an opinion column by the newspaper that called China the real sick man of Asia.

In early March, the United States slashed the number of journalists allowed to work there at four major Chinese state-owned media outlets to 100, from 160 previously.

In retaliation, China said it was revoking the accreditations of American correspondents with the New York Times, News Corps Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post whose credentials expire by the end of 2020.

Beijing said the expelled journalists would not be permitted to work in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau. The expulsion is expected to affect at least 13 journalists, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club of China.
At the best of times, the job of a constitutional court judge is largely a thankless one. There has been an exponential explosion in the litigation cases and we simply dont have enough judges. For quite a while, there have been demands from the judiciary itself to appoint specialist court managers. With the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, cases have backed up in courts like never before. The case for court managers should be revisited now.

Judgments which had been reserved but not delivered have piled up. No doubt the fact that courts cannot function as normal during the pandemic but by remote control is not helping the situation.

Going through the portals of the Madras High Court, I came across a circular from 2014 vintage, issued by then chief justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul (now with the Supreme Court). In that circular, court officers before the principal bench in Chennai and Madurai were directed to mention the dates on which orders were reserved and the dates of their pronouncement. We are still awaiting the verdicts in those cases.

In a move to deal with these delays, then Supreme Court judges KT Thomas and RP Sethi had said in Anil Rai vs State of Bihar (2001), that chief justices of all high courts could direct their registry to print the two crucial dates on the judgements. The other remedial measures suggested by the court included a directive by the chief justices to make it mandatory for the court officers to furnish them a monthly list of cases in which judgements were not pronounced within a month from the date on which they were reserved.

The order said, The Chief Justice may also see the desirability of circulating among the judges of the High Court for their information the state of such cases in which judgements have not been pronounced, within six weeks from the date of conclusion of arguments. Such communication should be conveyed as confidential and in a sealed cover. If the judges do not pronounce judgement even after three months, the parties in the case could be permitted to file an application with a prayer for an early order, and such an application should be listed before the judges within two days. If the judgement, for any reason, is not pronounced within six months, any of the parties shall be entitled to move an application before the Chief Justice with a prayer to withdraw the case and make it over to any other Bench for fresh arguments. It is open to the Chief Justice to grant the prayer or pass any other order as he deems fit.

The delays are not merely an issue of logistics. The present Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, AP Sahi, has issued a circular making available personal staff to the judges at all times. And papers which may be logically within the heritage building are available for transit, if required. This means there will be ready access to the relevant papers and personal assistance in the case of video conferencing. The virus may have delayed things, but the problem will not go away with the end of the pandemic.

In July, 2019, then Chief Justice Vijaya Tahilramani, had said that the E-Courts website and National Judicial Data Grid are the most accessed websites and that the proceedings of all cases are being uploaded on this. She indicated that parties concerned were sending petitions/letters over the delay in pronouncement of orders, after reserving the cases. Hence she felt that it was expedient to proceed with the cases without any delay. When causes are reserved for judgments/orders, she felt that the same has to be pronounced at the earliest by keeping in mind the directions of the Supreme Court.

We have seen how the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has by an ordinance suspended 35 labour legislations for three calendar years to boost the economy. It has been a matter of debate among advisors to policymakers that in the face of inordinate judicial delays and the institutions inability to clear the backlog of reserved judgments, it may be required for the Centre or state to take the ordinance route to bring closure to some litigations in which national interest may be at stake. This does not augur well for the judiciary. It is better for the judiciary to set its own house in order when it comes to delays and use the technology that is available to it today to speed things along.

Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan is an advocate in the Madras High Court

The views expressed are personal
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The Multimedia Group journalist, Mr. Stephen Kwettey Nartey, who is the first defendant in a suit brought against him and his employer by Mr. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, Political Director at the Office of the Chief of Staff, made a quick dash to Accra High Court GJ3 within the Accra Courts Complex last Wednesday after hearing that processes for substituted service against him was going to be initiated.

This was after he had succeeded in running away from court bailiffs who are to serve him with the suit for several months.

His presence in court made the counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. Gary Nimako, to withdraw the intended application for the substituted service.

Shockingly, Kwettey Nartey and myjoyonline.com were quick in twisting what actually transpired at court, claiming that the court threw out the application for substituted service.

As if the matter was a trial on Facebook, the Multimedia journalist had also twisted events at court in a Facebook post, forcing the plaintiff to question the calibre of journalists Multimedia Group engages.

Mr. Bekoe sued Mr. Nartey, a broadcast journalist, working with Joy TV and the Multimedia Group, for publishing a false documentary against him.

Mr. Nartey and the Multimedia Group ran a documentary to the effect that Mr. Bekoe allocated and auctioned seized vehicles to politically connected cronies of the government without the beneficiaries paying the required assessed duties.

Mr. Bekoe says that the documentary was defamatory and therefore claiming compensatory damages in the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHC10, 000,000.00) from Mr. Nartey and the Multimedia Group.

Apart from that, Mr. Bekoe wants a declaration from the court that the publication on Joy TV against him in connection with the auction vehicles was defamatory and was made without any basis.

The plaintiff wants an order of injunction directed at the defendants, agents, assigns and privies from continuing to air the said defamatory documentary.

Again, Mr. Bekoe wants an order of the court directed at Mr. Nartey and the Multimedia Group to retract and render an unqualified apology in the same prominence on Joy TV and four publications in the Daily Graphic.

In addition, Mr. Bekoe is asking the court for general damages and costs, including legal fees.

A statement of claim in a suit filed by Mr. Gary Nimako of Safo & Marfo @ Law on March 4, 2020, said that the publication by the defendants which was widely circulated has damaged the plaintiffs (Mr. Bekoe) image as a public officer.

Mr. Bekoe avers that by the standards of journalistic practice, Mr. Nartey and the Multimedia Group ought to have also cross-checked with relevant facts with him before putting the documentary out, which they woefully failed to do so.

It is clear that the defendants sought to embark on a one-sided piece of work that was carefully calculated, designed, crafted to malign and destroy the reputation of the Plaintiff in the eyes of right-thinking members of society, the statement said.

It said: The publication of the Defendants has seriously affected Mr. Bekoes reputation in the public space, including social and print media.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police arrested two men for allegedly punching and stabbing a man in their home community of Clifton.

Carmelo Adorno, 56, and Michael Martinez, 24, who both live at the same address on the 300 block of Vanderbilt Avenue, are accused in the assault on May 4 at about 4:40 p.m. inside of 220 Osgood Ave. Both men were arrested on May 11, according to the criminal complaint and police.

An argument between the suspects and the victim escalated when Adorno and Martinez punched the victim repeatedly in his face, the complaint alleges.

Adorno then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim twice in his left thigh, according to the complaint.

The victim suffered puncture wounds in his thigh, pain, swelling and redness on his face and he was taken to Staten Island University Hospital, police said.

Adorno was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in August 2017 and sentenced to a conditional discharge, according to the complaint.

The suspects have been charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment.

The defendants are innocent, according to their attorneys.

Like every American, Mr. Adorno is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence," said his attorney, Louis Gelormino. "He completely denies these allegations and looks forwarded to being completely vindicated in the near future.

Mr. Martinez, who has no criminal record, is being blamed for someone elses actions," said his attorney, Stephanie Pope. "I am confident he will be exonerated.

Bond has been set at $25,000/$7,500 cash for Adorno and $3,000/$1,500 for Martinez.

Both are scheduled to appear in Criminal Court on June 12, according to public records.
Any vaccines produced by China would also be considered a global public good and shared, Xi said. He called on countries to support the critical work of the WHO and Tedros after both were accused by Trump of deferring to the Chinese government. Trump ordered a temporary freeze on WHO funding in April and said on Twitter this weekend that he is weighing how to proceed.
- Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States surged to nearly 1.4 million, with fatalities exceeding 80,000, in just over 100 days since the country reported its first case on Jan. 21;

- Critics have attributed the crisis partly to the White House's failure to act in a timely way, even as alarm bells were ringing from late December onward;

- While battling the unknown virus, the White House, critics say, has constantly diminished the role of scientists in its decision-making, ignoring their suggestions about enhancing testing capacity.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Having been blocked from testifying to a House committee examining the White House's controversial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as being absent at the daily COVID-19 task force briefings for days, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, along with three other medical experts on Tuesday testified remotely to the Senate, the Republican-controlled chamber of the Congress.

Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Fauci rebuked the White House, but "even so, the totality of his testimony undermined talking points (President Donald) Trump has used to downplay the pandemic," commented U.S. media outlet Vox.

Washington's early neglect toward the virus, ill-preparedness, indifference to science and facts, and its recklessness of only serving political interests may partially explain why respected experts including Fauci preferred to speak less of the "absolute chaotic disaster," a harsh phrase used by former President Barack Obama to blast his successor's handling of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington D.C. May 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

BARRED FROM TESTIFYING

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States surged to nearly 1.4 million, with fatalities exceeding 80,000, in just over 100 days since the country reported its first case on Jan. 21.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in the Senate hearing that he suggested states pump the brakes on reopening until the number of new cases per day starts to decline -- a viewpoint totally contradicted by Trump, who has urged states to relax COVID-19 restrictions and even encouraged protests in states that have rejected his advice.

On Trump's remarks that the coronavirus would "disappear miraculously," Fauci noted "that is just not gonna happen, because it's such a highly transmissible virus."

"Most of us (experts) feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number, because ... there may have been people who died at home who did have COVID-19 who were not counting as COVID-19, because they never really got to the hospital," said Fauci.

The 79-year-old expert who has served under six presidents pushed back on the claim that schools should be reopened because the coronavirus does not appear to be as lethal to young children.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a teleconference hearing hosted by a Senate panel on the White House's response to the coronavirus in Washington D.C., the United States, May 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

It would be "a bridge too far" to expect a vaccine or treatment to be available by fall to facilitate students returning to college campuses, he said.

Trump was quick to oppose Fauci's comments. "I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back, and it's got to get back as soon as possible," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

A month ago, Trump made headlines for sharing a tweet with the hashtag "#FireFauci" after a series of reports detailed his administration's slow response to the pandemic, though the president has denied wanting to fire Fauci.

Earlier this month, Trump's administration barred Fauci from testifying at a hearing on the U.S. coronavirus response in the Democratic-held House, claiming that the key health official was too busy.

It was "easy to foresee the presidential eruption" because the esteemed health care scientist told senators what "Donald Trump did not want them to hear," and "they conflict with the president's insistence that we set the virus aside, get back to normal and accept the alarming number of deaths that will continue to occur," wrote observer Oren Spiegler in a letter to The New York Times.

"Most of the American people are not gullible. That is why we trust Dr. Fauci and distrust what we are told by the president," Spiegler said.

Medical workers transport a patient from an ambulance to George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C., the United States, May 13, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

WHISTLE-BLOWER OUSTED

At a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on Thursday, Rick Bright, a whistle-blower who had been ousted as head of a federal medical research agency, further underscored the gulf between the Trump administration's approach and scientific rationality on handling the COVID-19 crisis.

The former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told the panel that his warning about the nation's shortages of masks and other personal protective equipment had been ignored multiple times by top officials in January and early February.

"I was met with indifference, saying they were either too busy, they didn't have a plan, they didn't know who was responsible for procuring those," said Bright, adding that there were "a number of excuses, but never any action."

In a whistleblower complaint filed earlier this month, Bright alleged he was forced out of his job in April, a post key to vaccine development, for opposing the broad use of chloroquine, a drug which has been frequently touted by the White House as a coronavirus treatment but has been cautioned against by the Food and Drug Administration due to a risk of heart rhythm problems in use outside of a hospital setting or clinical trial.

People walk near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the United States, April 26, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

"When I spoke with the government and shared my concerns for the American public, that, I believe, was the straw that broke the camel's back and escalated my removal," he said, urging the leadership to allow scientists to "speak without fear of retribution."

"We need to be truthful with the American people. Americans deserve the truth. The truth must be based on science," the official said.

"If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged. There will be likely a resurgence of COVID-19 this fall that will be greatly compounded by the challenges of seasonal influenza," he said. "Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history."

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump again reiterated his claim that Bright was a "disgruntled" employee, U.S. political news outlet Politico reported Thursday.

A man walks past an electronic screen showing COVID-19 prevention guidance in Brooklyn of New York, the United States, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

DIMINISHED ROLE OF SCIENTISTS

As the world's most powerful country that leads in medical and biological fields and boasts a well-equipped and accomplished public health system, what went wrong with the U.S.' handling of the pandemic?

Critics have attributed the crisis partly to the White House's failure to act in a timely way, even as alarm bells were ringing from late December onward.

On Dec. 31, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Chinese health officials had reported a cluster of cases of acute respiratory illness in China's central city of Wuhan.

The Chinese and U.S. CDCs talked over the phone about the outbreak on Jan. 3 and since then, the U.S. side has received information on the disease from China on a regular basis.

As early as January, the White House received advice from experts and intelligence services about the need for urgent mitigation measures against the spread of the virus. However, the federal government decided to engage in petty political feuds and over-optimistic predictions, minimizing the significance of the outbreak, according to The Washington Post.

People wait at a COVID-19 community testing center during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, May 14, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

It was not until March 16 that the White House reversed its previously dismissive stance and announced anti-epidemic guidelines.

Fauci argued that had the guidelines been implemented earlier, a crucial period in the exponential spread of the virus would have been mitigated and American lives saved.

"Leading epidemiologists have put a finer point on this, estimating that 50 to 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths in New York and approximately 90 percent of all American COVID-19 deaths can now be attributed to the administration's delay between March 2 and 16," he was quoted by The Washington Post as saying.

While battling the unknown virus, the White House, critics say, has constantly diminished the role of scientists in its decision-making, ignoring their suggestions about enhancing testing capacity.

It removed Nancy Messonnier, a top CDC official, from overseeing the agency's COVID-19 response in February, after he urged preparation for a "significant disruption." Later in April, Bright was ousted.
Health continued to be No.1 concern among Vietnamese consumers, with the highest level globally.

With the Consumer Confidence Index of 126, Vietnam continued to rank fourth in the world for having the most positive consumers, after India, the Philippines and Indonesia, according to a latest survey.

Source: the Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Survey in collaboration with Nielsen

Compared to the last quarter of 2019, Vietnamese consumer confidence remains stable with one-point increase, from 125 to 126, according to the Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Survey in collaboration with Nielsen, a global measurement company.

The main reasons for this slight increase are consumer optimism about job prospects improved, while optimism about personal finances and spending intentions remained stable.

However, consumer confidence index seemed to decrease compared to the same quarter of last year (down 3pp) which is largely predictable due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other measures from the survey suggest that, prior to the slump in demand, consumers primarily saw the spread of Covid-19 as a health crisis rather than an economic one. As a result, health replaced the economy as the top concern in many markets, with the high percentage of consumers identifying health as their biggest concern over the next six months, including Vietnam.

In Q1, 49% of the Vietnamese consumers (up 4% vs Q4 2019) continued to rank health as their top concern, the highest level globally, followed by Pakistan (47%), Latvia (40%) and Singapore (39%). Health had been the top concern for four consecutive quarters.

As job security was ranked in the top two concern in Q1, there was a jump in the number of those concerned about job security (up 3% vs Q4 2019) while the percentage of consumers who were care about work/life balance decreased sharply, from 27% to 22%.

Source: Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Survey in collaboration with Nielsen

With people increasingly aware of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on jobs, even part way through quarter one, their spending intentions reflected this uncertainty. On the other hand, as companies began to experiment with working from home, the blurring between home and work life has its challenges but also represents a real-time time saving for many employees said Louise Hawley, managing director of Nielsen Vietnam.

In this quarter, there was a new factor that came back into the top 6 concerns of Vietnamese consumers: Parents welfare and happiness, with 10% of respondents indicating that theyre worried about it. With schools closed since the Tet break, many parents have struggled with having children at home all day while worrying about their education. This comes alongside the demands of working, for many also working from home, so its natural that this has come to the surface as a worry for parents, Hawley added. Hanoitimes

Nhat Minh

Will the VN Index recover after Covid-19? Experts all think the appearance of a new cash flow for bottom fishing will help the stock market recover after a strong correction during Covid-19.
The Dutch have criticised their government for a lack of sex advice for singles during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the critics have since been answered with some startling new guidance.

The Netherlands, home to capital Amsterdam's Red Light district, has been more relaxed than their European neighbours when it comes to social distancing, allowing small gatherings as long as distancing was observed.

Now, the Dutch government has issued new advice to single people keen to get intimate during the pandemic, recommending they find a sex buddy.

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) says an arrangement with one other person should be made. RIVM says, it makes sense that as a single [person] you also want to have physical contact.

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.

Sex with yourself or with others at a distance is possible, it adds.

Last week the Netherlands began their five-phase lockdown exit plan, starting by allowing the reopening of libraries, hairdressers, nail bars, beauticians, massage salons and places providing occupational therapy.
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Dutch labour unions and the works council of Tata Steel in the Netherlands on Monday disclosed that the chairman of the subsidiary has been dismissed and vowed to fight against 1,000 proposed job cuts.

In a statement, the company's works council said that Theo Henrar has been dismissed in what they described as "incomprehensible and ill-considered" decisions made in the interests of Tata Steel UK at the expense of the Dutch arm.

"Both the shareholders in India and the European leadership of Tata Steel have been failing to solve problems in Britain for years," it said. "Millions of pounds and euros have not been able to make Tata Steel UK profitable."
Apple will require facemasks and temperature checks for customers coming into its stores as it plans to reopen in more locations around the world.

The company says it will also implement deeper cleaning, health questions and change the layout to allow more room between customers in the stores.

All Apple Stores outside of China were closed 'until further notice' mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has put much of the world in lockdown.

Almost 100 stores have already opened under the new control measures, according to the company, with dozens more opening in the next few weeks.

Apple has already opened all but one store in Australia and all stores in mainland China where customers had their temperatures checked, kept 6ft apart and only a small number were allowed in the store at one time

Apple will require facemasks and temperature checks for customers coming into its stores as it plans to reopen in more locations around the world

All Apple Stores outside of China were closed 'until further notice' mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic that has put much of the world in lockdown.

Apple said closing all of its retail stores was an 'unprecedented step' required to protect the health and wellbeing of customers and staff.

According to 9to5Mac 99 of Apple's 510 stores are open or opening soon - including 25 due to open in the US next week, 12 in Canada and 10 in Italy.

There are currently no plans in place to reopen the 38 UK Apple stores.

'In Greater China, we saw the importance of swift action - and the critical importance of social distance - to slow the virus spread,' said Retail SVP Deirdre O'Brien.

'As time has gone on, weve continued to refine and expand our instore health and safety measures, which have proven so effective in places like Greater China, where our stores have been safely open for months.'

O'Brien said they would only move forward in opening other stores when they can confidently keep customers and staff safe.

The company are studying local cases, long-term trends and guidance from national and local health officials before deciding whether to reopen a store.

'A store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant,' said O'Brien.

Apple said they are focusing on 'limiting occupancy' and giving customers and employees plenty of room - with a focus on one-to-one appointments.

Global CEO Tim Cook has said Apple stores across the world will be focusing on physical distancing and reduced operating hours to help reduce the spread of the virus

The company says it will also implement deeper cleaning, health questions and change the layout to allow more room between customers in the stores

'Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers, and we will provide them to customers who dont bring their own,' said O'Brien.

Apple has opened 99 of its 510 stores so far Country (open stores) Australia (21)

Austria (1)

Belgium (0)

Brazil (0)

Canada (0)

China mainland (42)

France (0)

Germany (15)

Hong Kong (6)

Italy (0)

Japan (0)

Macao (2)

Mexico (0)

Netherlands (0)

Singapore (0)

South Korea (1)

Spain (0)

Sweden (0)

Switzerland (4)

Taiwan (2)

Thailand (0)

Turkey (0)

UAE (0)

UK (0)

US (5) Source: 9to5Mac Advertisement

'Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms  like cough or fever  or who have had recent exposure to someone infected with COVID19.'

Apple said it would also deep clean surfaces, displays and products in high traffic areas through the day.

They are also looking at different ways of serving customer needs more effectively - both online and in the stores.

'The response to COVID19 is still ongoing, and we recognize that the road back will have its twists and turns,' O'Brien said in a blog post.

'But whatever challenges lie ahead, COVID19 has only reinforced our faith in people - in our teams, in our customers, in our communities.

'Down the road, when we reflect on COVID19, we should always remember how so many people around the world put the wellbeing of others at the center of their daily lives.'

Only 5 of the 271 US stores are open and none of Apple's 38 UK stores are currently open and there are no plans in place to reopen them in this round.

In Australia all but the Sydney Apple Store has already reopened and the Sydney store is closed for refurbishment.

All stores on the Chinese mainland, Germany and Hong Kong have already reopened but most countries have no open stores due to COVID-19 lockdown measures.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he is taking a malaria drug to lessen symptoms should he get the new coronavirus, even though the drug is unproven for fighting COVID-19.

Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement daily for about a week and a half now. Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administrations top medical professionals. The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the new coronavirus.

Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.

Trump repeatedly has pushed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, but no large, rigorous studies have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19. They can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combo and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.

Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. Two new ones published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.

MORE:

Study finds more deaths, no benefit from malaria drug Trump touted as coronavirus cure

50-expert panel recommends against controversial drug combination for coronavirus illness

Gresham man accused of smuggling misbranded chloroquine from China to resell for coronavirus treatment
Pound Sterling exchange rates remained notably bearish in currency markets with further under-performance relative to other major currencies as markets continue to fret over UK fundamentals with the Pound-to-Euro exchange rate below 1.1200 and at the lowest level since the end of March.

There are strong expectations that 1.20 in Sterling/dollar will be tested and potentially broken, although hopes for a global recovery could provide a Pound Sterling lifeline.

Bank of England prepared for more aggressive action

In comments over the weekend, Bank of England chief economist Haldane stated; The economy is weaker than a year ago and we are now at the effective lower bound, so in that sense its something well need to look at  are looking at  with somewhat greater immediacy. How could we not be?

He also stated that there was potential room to expand bond purchases into more risky areas.

With QE there is more we can do there on the gilt side and the corporate bond side in principle, Haldane said. As weve found from other central banks, you could purchase assets further down the risk spectrum.

Haldane was clear in stating that the bank was not poised to act on any of these measures, but all options will be under review.

Haldane also expressed notable concerns over the labour market given that over 10 million workers are furloughed or unemployed while millions more are working shorter hours.

He stated that the UK would need to find a way to reabsorb the large numbers of workers who will lose their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This commentary suggests boosting unemployment over the longer term will be seen as a greater priority than bringing the budget deficit under control.

Speculation over a dovish BoE stance has continued to undermine Sterling support.

Image: GBP to EUR exchange rate chart

UK/EU trade tensions also damage Pound Sterling

The latest round of EU/UK trade talks concluded on Friday and comments from both sides were generally negative with no significant shift in tone from the previous round last month. There was further disagreement over the key issue of a level playing field under a new trade agreement.

UK Chief negotiator Frost stated that little progress had been made and that the potential for a wide-ranging free-trade agreement was being held up by unreasonable the EU demands in the area of a access to UK markets and fishing.

EU chief negotiator Barnier stated that the UK demands were unrealistic and warned over potential stalemate.

Diplomatic sources indicated that they believe both sides will "continue to play tough and offer little ground" and that genuine compromise may come in a month, for the fourth and final scheduled round before the summer.

In comments over the weekend, political pressure intensified with government sources indicating that the UK has increased planning for a no-deal Brexit with the UK preparing to walk away from trade talks unless the EU makes concessions.

Cabinet Minister Gove was slightly more constructive on Sunday; Were making it clear to the EU we cant do a deal on those terms, but I am confident that there is a deal to be done. It just requires a degree of flexibility on the EU side which Im sure that they will appreciate they need to show.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, however, stated that Britain had to move on the level playing field issue to break the deadlock.

Some positive coronavirus news.

There were some positive coronavirus developments over the weekend. The number of coronavirus-linked deaths dropped to 170 on Sunday, the lowest reading since March 24th.

AstraZeneca also signed a licence agreement to make 30 million vaccine does available by September, although there is no certainty that the immunisation currently under trial is effective.

Image: UK coronavirus deaths chart

.but bad time to be dependent on capital inflows

The UK continues to run a substantial current account deficit, maintaining the need to attract capital inflows.

MUFG remains bearish on Sterling with an increased risk that investors view the UK outlook more negatively than elsewhere which will encourage increased speculative selling. According to MUFG, the latest economic data is consistent with an overall GDP contraction of around 20%.

It adds, "On top of this the UK is in the unique position of having a considerable risk on the horizon in relation to the EU trade negotiations. We see a test and breach of the 1.2000 level in GBP/USD as a likely prospect over the short-term.

Image: GBP to USD exchange rate chart

Global recovery, Fed policies could provide a lifeline

The UK economy is also dependent on the global trade outlook and a cautious recovery in demand elsewhere would provide an element of relief, especially if commodity prices continue to make gains. US monetary policy will also remain extremely accommodative.

Fed Chair Powell commented over the weekend; Theres a lot more we can do. Weve done what we can as we go. But I will say that were not out of ammunition by a long shot, Powell noted that emergency lending programs can be increased while monetary policy can be made more supportive through forward guidance and by adjusting the Feds asset-purchase strategy.

Any positive developments, however, risk being overshadowed by US-China trade tensions. Further deterioration would undermine the global economy and also undermine risk appetite. From Sterlings perspective any increase in defensive dollar demand on US China fears would also be an important negative factor.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia FX analyst Kim Mundy commented, At the fore of market participants minds is that we are seeing those (China) tensions just ratcheting higher, so there has been support for the U.S. dollar on the back of that.

Commerzbank reported; GBP/USD trades in one month lows and nears the 50% retracement of the March-to-April advance at 1.2030 as well as the minor psychological 1.2000 mark. Below it lie the September low at 1.1958 and the March 20 high at 1.1935.

Credit Suisse analysts implie further losses for Sterling/Euro exchange rate in near-term forecast

With daily MACD momentum having turned higher we look for a clear break above here to see a base complete to mark a more important and sustained turn higher, with resistance them seen next at .8976/94 (around 1.1130 for Sterling/Euro)  the 38.2% retracement and neckline to the March top.

Whilst we would expect this to cap at first, we would look for a break in due course with the measured base objective seen at .9057. (1.1040 for Sterling/Euro).
Financial District, North Beach

Photo: Mark Hogan/Flickr

Here are some notable crime incidents in SFPD's Central District since our last biweekly recap. The district encompasses Chinatown; the Financial District; the Embarcadero; Russian, Telegraph and Nob Hills; North Beach and Union Square.

Interior of car set on fire in public garage

On May 12, a 30-year-old man broke the passenger window of a car parked in a public garage on the 700 block of Pacific Avenue (between Grant and Stockton) at 5:17 a.m. He then used an aerosol can and lighter to burn the front and rear interior of the vehicle. Officers arrived at the scene and the man was taken into custody.

Clothes set on fire in alley

Another arson investigation occurred on the same day around 8:44 a.m., after a 29-year-old man set clothing items on fire at Cosmo Place (between Jones and Taylor). Officers responded and put out the fire, and the suspect was arrested.

Bicycles, backpack taken in garage burglary

On May 8 around 4:30 a.m., an unknown suspect entered the garage of a home on the 1100 block of Greenwich Street (between Leavenworth and Hyde). The The intruder took bicycles and a backpack as the victim, a 36-year-old man, slept. No arrest was made.

Newspapers lit on fire in alley

A 40-year-old woman set newspapers on fire in Ils Lane (a small side street near Columbus Avenue and Jackson Street) on May 5 at 5 p.m. The fire was lit adjacent to a building, but the blaze didn't cause any damage. The woman was arrested.

Man awakens, finds belongings missing

Also on May 5, a 51-year-old man awoke in his home on Grenard Terrace (near Greenwich and Polk streets) around 7:45 a.m., and found his back door open. A search revealed that a laptop, tablets, purses and cash were missing. The victim did not witness a suspect entering the home; no arrests were made.

Anyone who has information about any of these incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via the department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message.

Heres why we usually dont include suspect descriptions in crime reports.
 Flash

Nigel Adams, Britain's minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, said it is important for Britain and China to cooperate closely in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Friday. The two exchanged views on China-Britain relationship and joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the talks, Adams gave an update of the latest situation regarding COVID-19 in Britain. He also thanked China for facilitating Britain's procurement of medical supplies in China, which played a significant role in Britain's fight against the pandemic.

For his part, Liu said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had two telephone conversations in February and March, in which they reached important agreement on promoting China-Britain relationship and enhancing bilateral cooperation on fighting COVID-19 pandemic.

Liu mentioned the webinar that took place earlier Friday between senior public health experts from both countries. Ma Xiaowei, minister in charge of China's National Health Commission, and Matt Hancock, Britain's secretary of state for health and social care addressed the event, emphasizing that China and Britain should actively implement the consensus between the two leaders, deepen bilateral and international anti-epidemic cooperation and work closely to safeguard global public health.

During the webinar, health officials and experts of the two countries had in-depth discussions on a range of topics including epidemic prevention and control, trend prediction and lockdown easing strategy, among others.

A closer and stronger cooperation between China and Britain, which is mutually complementary and beneficial, is not only the consensus between the leaders of the two countries but also a common aspiration of all sectors from both sides, Liu said.

Liu expressed the hope that China and Britain can work together to continuously increase mutual trust, resist disruptions and deepen cooperation so as to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Attaching high importance to the Britain-China relations, Britain is committed to developing a constructive and friendly relationship with China and is ready to work together with China to implement the key consensus reached between the two leaders and further expand cooperation with China in various sectors, Adams said.

The conversation was joined by Menna Rawlings, director-general economic and global issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
A Bristol couple is back in court to challenge the states decision to release school-by-school immunization data.

Last year, a Superior Court judge tossed their challenge to the states release of the immunization data because the plaintiffs, Brian and Kristen Festa, had not personally exhausted their administrative remedies with Connecticuts Department of Public Health. They had acted as members of a group called Informed Choice CT.

The Festas went back to the DPH in the fall to exhaust their administrative remedies. By March 25, the department had concluded that it had acted properly in releasing the immunization information, as well as the religious and medical exemption rates for each school with a minimum of 30 students.

The data, according to the DPH decision, included no personally identifiable information.

In their new complaint filed last week, the Festas claim that the information was released in response to political pressure after state Rep. Josh Elliott filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the information.

Elliott had requested the school-level data in early 2019 as the state of New York, which shares a border and an enormous amount of daily interstate commuter traffic with Connecticut, struggled to contain a measles outbreak in Brooklyn.

The Festas, who have a son who attends Meliora Academy in Meriden, had used a religious exemption to avoid vaccination requirements during both school years for which the data was released - 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Specifically, the state released the school-by-school percentages of children in kindergarten and seventh grade who were vaccinated against measles and other diseases as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The DPH also included the percentage of children in any grade who claimed an immunization exemption. All the immunization data released by the DPH was based on what the schools reported to the state.

The data for the 2017-18 school year was released in May 2019, followed by the data for the 2018-19 school year in October 2019.

In 2017-18, there were 109 school buildings in Connecticut where the immunization rate for MMR was below the CDC-recommended herd immunity rate of 95 percent. In the following school year, 2018-19, the total number of schools falling below 95 percent had jumped by 40 to 149.

Earlier this year, before the state legislature shut itself down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, lawmakers had sought to pass legislation to phase in the removal of the religious exemption to vaccinations. The Public Health Committee voted in February to grandfather any child who currently had a religious exemption, but to remove the exemption as an option going forward.

House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said they plan to move forward with legislation at some point in the future.

I think COVID-19 is a shocking reminder of what happens when we dont have a vaccine available or herd immunity, Ritter said last week.

He said when theres a vaccine for COVID-19, he doesnt believe there will be a large number of lawmakers who would condone an opt-out for the vaccination.

I think you would be in the minority, Ritter said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 12:54:58|Editor: huaxia

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A man passes by a placard that says "Prevent against coronavirus" in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

SAO PAULO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The healthcare system of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, is in danger of collapsing from the weight of mounting COVID-19 cases, its mayor warned on Sunday.

Hospital intensive care units have been overrun with patients, Bruno Covas told a press conference.

"We are nearing the most difficult time. Our intensive care beds are at 90 percent capacity," and the regular hospital beds are at 76 percent capacity, said Covas.

With the healthcare infrastructure already stretched to the limit, the infection rate continued to run high and new cases continue to rise, he said.

As of Sunday, Sao Paulo state, home to 20 million residents, has reported 62,345 cases and 4,782 deaths from COVID-19. Brazil's total caseload is 241,080, with 16,118 deaths.

The mayor suspended one of the region's lockdown measures -- banning cars from circulating one day a week -- because data showed drivers who couldn't circulate took public transportation, leading to overcrowding in mass transit.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:09:36|Editor: huaxia

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RAMALLAH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement on Monday called on the Palestinians to be well-prepared to resist an Israeli plan of annexing parts of the West Bank's territories.

Israel Radio had reported that Israel plans to annex the Jordan Valley and some settlements in the West Bank on July, according to a coalition deal reached between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his competitor Benny Gantz.

The Central Committee of the leading Fatah Movement, which held a meeting earlier on Monday in Ramallah, said in an emailed press statement that the new Israeli coalition "is adopting destructive policies and positions."

"The committee debated and studied the details on how will be the response to the Israeli annexation plan," said the statement, adding that "the response will be approved by the Palestinian leadership which will convene on Tuesday."

The statement of Fatah's Central Committee called on the Palestinian people to get ready and be on alert to confront the upcoming events that will be the result of implementing the Israeli annexation plan.

The statement called on the European Union "to make its position clear in line with its legal obligations and commitments and its political goals in facing the Israeli annexation plan."

Netanyahu had earlier stated during the ceremony of the formation of the new coalition government that "it's time for imposing the Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank," according to Israel Radio. Enditem
Captain Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday launched a telemedicine programme, as part of a groundbreaking partnership forged between Christian Medical College (CMC) Ludhiana and IMAS Healthcare Private Limited (IMAS), the official facilitator of physician-to-physician video consultations for Cleveland Clinic (USA) in India on a host of medical problems, including Covid-19.

CoronavirusCleveland Clinic is an internationally recognized and trusted 6,026-bed adult and paediatric health system that includes a 165-acre main campus in Cleveland, Ohio, with 18 hospitals and more than 220 outpatient facilities. Some of the areas of telemedicine services through this initiative would include Cancer, Cardiology, Neurology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology and general medicine.

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Lauding the contribution of CMC Ludhiana in the north western region over the past 125 years, Captain Amarinder said, during the launch Video Conference, that he was confident that the people of Punjab would benefit immensely from the venture.

He expressed pride that CMC, under the leadership of its Director Dr. William Bhatti, will be the first academic institution to partner with IMAS for the Cleveland Clinic video consultations in India.

On the occasion, Chairman of International Operations, Cleveland Clinic Curtis Rimmerman extended full support and alignment with their Indian counterparts for the success of the initiative.

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Capt Amarinder Singh He thanked Chairman of Trident Group Rajinder Gupta for his visionary leadership and generous support to make this venture possible, besides collaborating with Cleveland Clinic and spearheading IMAS in India, currently led by Deepika Gandhi.

Principal and Professor of Neurology Dr. Jeyaraj D Pandian, who is in charge of the programme, stated that this partnership would provide the citizens of the state, through a licensed Indian physician at CMC, the opportunity to explore complex health queries and novel treatment options for rare diseases.

Most importantly, it will empower the people of India to make informed medical decisions by seeking medical advice from two esteemed organizations, CMC and Cleveland Clinic, without having to travel outside Punjab.

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Executive Director, Cleveland Clinic International Operations, Rob Stall said, We look forward to this collaboration with Mr. Gupta and CMC. Now more than ever weve seen the importance of digital health, now we can bring this service to India.

Although there are several organizations that offer telemedicine today, Cleveland Clinic is an ideal partner for collaborating with Punjab and with CMC on this first-of-its-kind initiative in India, for several reasons.

Newsweek has ranked Cleveland Clinic the No. 2 hospital in the world, as part of its Worlds Best Hospitals 2020 analysis and stated Cleveland Clinic has always made patient care its centerpiece, and it takes to heart its motto: Care for the patient as if they are your own family.
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Today, on the third anniversary of the murder of her husband, Mexican reporter Javier Valdez Cardenas, journalist Griselda Triana wrote an open letter calling for justice and describing the ordeal of her family in the wake of his killing. The letter was published in several Mexican news outlets and by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Valdez was murdered on May 15, 2017, in Culiacan, the capital of the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa. He was the co-founder of investigative weekly Riodoce and the correspondent in Sinaloa for national newspaper La Jornada. Valdez was a 2011 recipient of CPJs International Press Freedom Award.

Three years after the killing, only one suspect has been convicted. On February 27, Heriberto Picos Barraza, who drove the getaway car used for the murder, was sentenced to 14 years and 8 months in prison for his role in the attack. Another suspect, Juan Francisco Picos Barrueta, is awaiting trial.

In January 2020, Mexican federal authorities issued an arrest warrant for Damaso Lopez Sererrano, a Sinaloan former drug lord currently imprisoned in the United States, who they believe masterminded Valdezs murder.

The letter, which CPJ translated to English, can be read here. The original version in Spanish can be read here.
Clashes broke out in Hong Kongs legislature Monday for a second time this month as a pro-establishment lawmaker bypassed election process to be appointed as chair of a key committee that scrutinizes bills, ending a prolonged six-month struggle for control with the pro-democracy camp.

The legislatures House Committee, which vets bills and decides when to present them for a final vote, had been without an elected chairperson since October, with the deputy chairperson standing in. The same pro-establishment, pro-Beijing majority committee was to vote on the controversial extradition bill that saw millions of Hong Kongers take to the streets in protest of growing control from Beijing in August last year.

But the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing criticized deputy chairperson and pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok for deliberately delaying the vote for a chairperson, causing a backlog on bills that the pro-democracy camp feels will continue to increase Beijings control over the territory, like the controversial bill to criminalize the abuse of the national anthem of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

Beijing accused the pro-democracy lawmakers of malicious filibustering to prevent some proposed bills from going to a final vote, effectively paralysing the legislature.

Read More Hong Kong to Prioritize Passing of Contentious Anthem Bill

Kwok was replaced on Friday by Chan Kin-por, who was appointed by the legislatures pro-establishment president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen to preside over Mondays election in an attempt to break the deadlock with the minority pro-democracy camp. The pro-democracy camp has questioned the constitutionality of the appointment.

Leung said his appointing of Chan was based on external legal advice from the governments senior counsels.

When Chan took the chairpersons seat on Monday, pro-democracy lawmakers launched a protest in the Legislative Council. They chanted foul play and held a placard reading CCP tramples HK legislature.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Tanya Chan accused security guards of Hong Kongs legislature of losing their impartiality, after the security guards surrounded the bench where Chan Kin-por was seated against procedural objections by the opposition.

Some pro-democracy lawmakers tried leaping over the guards from benchtops to take back the chairmans seat from Chan, only to be forced back, resulting in another scuffle and shouting match.

Pan-democratic legislator Lam Cheuk-ting tears the paper of Rule of Procedure during Legislative Councils House Committee meeting, in Hong Kong, China, on May 18, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

As long as the pro-establishment camp doesnt like something, they will do whatever it takes, including breaking the system we have and the rules we have, Democratic lawmaker Dennis Kwok said. The price of freedom is constant vigilance.

They can take away the rules of procedures today but I am sure the Hong Kong people wont forget today, he added.

Another democratic lawmaker Ted Hui shouted at Chan that the meeting was illegal.

Pan-democratic legislator Hui Chi-fung is being taken away by security during Legislative Councils House Committee meeting, in Hong Kong, China, on May 18, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Even as the protests continued, Chan ordered guards to haul several legislators out of the chambersome kicking and shoutingand went ahead with the chairperson vote, which former chairperson Starry Lee easily won re-election with the support of the pro-establishment majority.
The administration has evacuated 57,648 residents of J&K, stranded in various other states and UTs in the wake of coronavirus enforced lockdown, through Lakhanpur besides bringing back about 12,825 people through special trains at Jammu and Udhampur railway stations.

As per the detailed break-up, 2,782 stranded passengers have entered through Lakhanpur from May 17 to May 18, while 850 passengers have reached today in the fifth special train in Jammu besides 519 passengers have reached Udhampur railway station from Tamil Nadu.

So far, five trains have reached Jammu with a total of 4,618 stranded passengers belonging to different districts while 8,207 passengers have reached Udhampur in nine special trains, so far.

As per the official communique, of 57,648 returnees evacuated through Lakhanpur till May 18, including 12,734 from Punjab; 19,308 from Himachal Pradesh, 21 from Andhra Pardesh, 5,370 from Delhi, 1,205 from Gujarat, 2,147 from Rajasthan, 3,428 from Haryana, 110 from Chattisgarh, 2,955 from Uttarakhand, 462 from Maharashtra, 3,719 from Uttar Pradesh, 42 from Odisha, 100 from Assam and 892 from Madhya Pradesh, 88 from Dehradun, 865 from Chandigarh, 635 from Telangana, 7 from Karnataka, 32 from Chennai, 236 from Bihar, 19 from West Bengal, 26 from Jharkhand and 3,247 from other states and UTs.

Meanwhile, the government has also arranged Covid special train for residents stranded in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, the train service from Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan is at its advanced stage while for North East and states in East the process is on. Also, the train service from J&K to different parts of the country would start from May 19.
President Bukele sparked controversy over the weekend after extending coronavirus measures without approval by congress.

El Salvadors Supreme Court said on Monday that it had ordered the immediate suspension of the state of emergency declared by President Nayib Bukele over the coronavirus.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday night declared a state of emergency to extend coronavirus measures without approval by congress, touching off a torrent of criticism that the move had been unconstitutional.

Salvadoran legislators and prosecutors said Bukeles Saturday announcement had overstepped his powers.

Less than a year into his administration, Bukele, a brash 38-year-old leader, has repeatedly angered rights groups, who say he has shown authoritarian tendencies. In February, Bukele and a group of soldiers armed with automatic weapons briefly occupied congress. Last month, he released startling photos of hundreds of jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together in formation, horrifying advocates.

Inmates lined up during a security operation under the watch of police at the Izalco prison in San Salvador, El Salvador [Handout/El Salvador President Press Office/AP Photo]

Congress approved an emergency declaration in March to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, but after an extension in April, the measure was due to expire on Sunday. Legislators planned to discuss an extension when they reconvened on Monday.

Shortly after Bukele issued his decree on Saturday, the Salvadoran attorney general said in a statement that it would file a suit alleging that the move was unconstitutional with the countrys top court. But Bukele, who swept to the presidency last year with an outsider candidacy, maintained he was well within his rights.

All presidents in the democratic history of our country have had the power to declare a state of emergency and have exercised it, without legislative approval, he wrote in a post on Twitter on Sunday. Will a president be prevented for the first time from exercising that vital power?

Bukeles administration maintains that a civil protection law authorises the president to declare a state of emergency if congress cannot hold a session.

They contend that the risk of the coronavirus spreading further in El Salvador justifies the measures. The country has 1,413 confirmed cases of the virus and 30 deaths. Health experts say the countrys health system is not equipped to handle a surge in cases.

Serious setback

Legislators and civil society groups urged an investigation to determine whether Bukele had exceeded his powers.

What would an autocrat do if Congress did not pass a law on his behalf? I would issue a decree. This has just been done by the young Salvadoran leader (Nayib Bukele) with the state of emergency. Another serious setback, Jose Vivanco, executive director for the Americas for US-based Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter.

In recent days, Salvadorans in the capital have protested measures taken during the quarantine, which they say have led to job losses and hunger. To avoid breaking social distancing rules, they voice their discontent by banging pots, honking the horns of their vehicles and playing loud music.

Fabricio Benitez, a 26-year-old musician who lives with his parents and sister on the outskirts of San Salvador, said that his father, a soil engineer, lost his job a month ago after his companys operations were affected by the pandemic.

We are subsisting on fairly scarce funds, and we have not benefitted in any way from government programmes, Benitez said on Friday as he played the Salvadoran national anthem on his viola.
What do a land use attorney, a campaign consultant and the leader of an advocacy organization all have in common?

In New York, theres a good chance theyre all lobbyists.

Lobbying plays a key role in city and state government, but it isnt limited to the stereotypical operator working out deals in smoke-filled back rooms. Thats because the scope of actions that require individuals to register as lobbyists is especially broad in New York.

According to both New York City and state law, a lobbyist is every person or organization retained, employed or designated by any client to engage in lobbying. That seems straightforward enough, but the key is defining what is considered to be lobbying. The definition includes any attempt to influence the passage or defeat of legislation, the adoption or rejection of rules or regulations by a state or city agency, ratemaking determinations and procurement decisions. That covers a wide array of avenues through which someone may attempt to influence just about any decision that requires some form of action by a government body or agency.

Any lobbyist or firm that expects to spend or receive over $5,000 related to lobbying must register with the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, known as JCOPE, or the City Clerks Office for any activity in New York City. The same is required for any organization that does not hire an outside lobbyist, but expects to spend money lobbying on its own behalf. All registered lobbyists have to file reports on their activities every two months. Organizations that hire lobbyists and expect to spend over $5,000 must file reports as well. All of that information is available to the public in searchable databases.

There are any number of traditional government relations firms that openly advertise their lobbying services, including top New York City lobbyists Kasirer, Capalino+Company and Bolton-St. Johns. These kinds of firms engage in activities that one generally thinks of when one thinks of lobbyists. Private companies, advocacy organizations and nonprofits employ them to go directly to lawmakers and other government decision-makers to get favored legislation passed, a project approved or a valuable contract procured.

There are also law firms with government relations practices, like Greenberg Traurig, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron and Cozen OConnor, which also includes the adjacent Cozen OConnor Public Strategies. Lawyers in the government relations practices of these firms provide many of the same services of lobbying and public affairs firms not staffed by attorneys. On its website, Greenberg Traurig says that its New York Government Law & Policy practice can create a strong on the ground presence for clients thanks to the relationships its lawyers and lobbyists have with decision-makers.

Although some lawyers may not consider themselves lobbyists, the two occupations often overlap. Ken Fisher, a real estate attorney with Cozen O'Connor, said he considers himself to be both. If a lawyer representing a client engages in activity that state or city law considers lobbying, that person is a lobbyist. Fisher said that while there may be negative stereotypes associated with the word lobbyist, it doesnt change the reality of the work.

This is also true for law firms that file as lobbyists not because of government relations work, but because of their real estate or land use practice. Many major development projects in New York City first go through a lengthy process in order to get a rezoning approved. Traditional lobbyists often represent real estate companies to advocate for individual projects, but so do lawyers.

Law firms specializing in real estate and land use, such as Kramer Levin and Fried Frank, which are both listed among the citys top lobbyists based on annual revenue, may hire outside lobbyists to handle public relations and direct contact with elected officials, but their lawyers still engage in what the law considers lobbying. When they stand up at a public hearing, they are advocating for their client in the same way that a third-party lobbyist may be in some elected officials office, Fisher said.

Fisher, who as counsel to the New York Advocacy Association considers himself the lobbyists lobbyist, said that lawyers working on land use decisions have been required to register as lobbyists for decades because influencing such decisions legally constituted lobbying. But until fairly recently, many didnt comply because of lax enforcement. He said that changed in 2013 when the city expanded its lobbying law, bringing attention to the requirement.

There are also firms, thanks to a fairly expansive definition of lobbying in the state, that need to register even when they engage in activities that may not be considered lobbying elsewhere. One example is Tusk Strategies, which develops and runs public campaigns for its clients and does not consider itself a lobbying firm. Although lobbying is one aspect of the campaigns the firm runs, along with social media and opposition research, Tusk Strategies CEO Bradley Tusk told City & State his firm typically relies on third-party lobbyists to complete such work if it's required. And even though employees engage in some in-person advocacy if they happen to have a connection with the right lawmakers, its a minor part of our overall work (and) there's no allergy whatsoever to doing traditional lobbying, Tusk said.

Tusk referred to a 2018 decision by the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics to expand the definition of lobbying beyond physically meeting with elected officials or personally calling them. He said it makes his company fall into a weird category after the new rules went into effect in 2019. People hire us to design and run really big campaigns, Tusk said. In most states, that isn't lobbying. But he said that thanks to the 2018 changes, which were meant to cover politically connected consultants that technically did not fall under the lobbying law before, made anything legislatively focused count as lobbying.

Many advocacy organizations also register as lobbyists because their employees engage in direct lobbying of lawmakers. Some also hire the same lobbyists that major corporations do. Although these organizations generally dont have a financial interest in what they are lobbying for in the way that private companies do, they are still considered lobbyists.

The same goes for human services nonprofits, whether their own employees lobby or they hire an outside lobbyist. And while these organizations may have the public interest in mind, they also stand to benefit financially if, for example, they are allocated funding in a budget or are awarded a government contract. The credibility between a mission-driven organization and a profit-driven organization may be different  one may be more suspect than the other, Fisher said. But the technique of lobbying, the objectives of the lobbying is the same.

The line may be drawn, though, for private citizens like Kat Sullivan. For months, JCOPE demanded that Sullivan, an alleged rape survivor, register as a lobbyist because she spent over $5,000 advocating for the passage of the Child Victims Act, including the purchase of billboards. Sullivan independently used some of her settlement money from a lawsuit over the alleged rape to support the legislation. She maintained that she was simply expressing her First Amendment right to free speech. While JCOPE maintained that it was in the right, it eventually dropped the issue.

While Sullivan may have been attempting to influence public policy, which could be considered lobbying, she was not employed by anyone to do so, which is part of the state definition of a lobbyist. If she had taken a bus to Albany and knocked on doors in the Capitol, no one would have questioned whether she had to report the bus fare, Fisher said. At the end of the day, the statute requires you to be engaged in compensation for somebody  but nobody hired her to do it.
Gov. Tony Evers is joined by state Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm and Missy Hughes, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., to share updates on the state response to COVID-19.

The update comes less than one week after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Evers' statewide "safer-at-home" order. Dane, Milwaukee and a handful of other counties across the state instituted stay-home orders that included many components of Evers' order.

Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer of the Bureau of Communicable Diseases, and Ryan Nilsestuen, the governor's legal counsel, will also join the call.
Holiday hotspot Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, their government says.

Bali had reported 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths as of last week, a significantly lower fatality rate than the rest of Indonesian archipelago.

Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, said Friday that if the infection curve continues to improve, the tourism ministry is hoping to revitalise destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October.

Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia fell more than 60 percent in March when compared to the same month last year.


Uber on Monday announced it is cutting a quarter of its global workforce and trimming investment to survive the financial hit to its business from the coronavirus pandemic. The San Francisco-based company is laying off about 3,000 people and stopping some investments unrelated to its core ride-share and delivery businesses, according to chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi. "Given the dramatic impact of the pandemic, and the unpredictable nature of any eventual recovery, we are concentrating our efforts on our core mobility and delivery platforms and resizing our company to match the realities of our business," Khosrowshahi said. Overall staff cuts include layoffs earlier this month at Uber recruiting and customer support teams, and are part of a reorganization keeping ride-share and Eats restaurant-meal delivery services priorities at the company. "We are making these hard choices now so that we can move forward and begin to build again with confidence, Khosrowshahi said. Job cuts are to be spread across Uber operations around the world. Uber planned to provide laid-off workers with at least 10 weeks pay and continue providing health benefits through the end of this year. The company did not respond to an inquiry whether layoff news was delivered to employees via video-conferencing. Uber is closing or consolidating offices at various locations, including merging two facilities in its home base of San Francisco. The company also planned to close its office in Singapore in the coming year and relocate its Asia-Pacific base of operations. - Mobility and Delivery - Teams at Uber are being reorganized, with Andrew Macdonald to head a "mobility" team that will include transit and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty taking charge of a "delivery" team. Uber is closing its AI Labs special projects team. "We are taking a hard look at our overall cost structure and our other bets to ensure our core business of Rides and Eats emerges stronger than ever," Khosrowshahi said on Uber's recent quarterly earnings call. Uber said in its quarterly update that it lost nearly $3 billion and its rides business was down some 80 percent in April. The rideshare giant noted, however, that it was seeing strong revenue growth for its Eats food delivery operation. Uber reported 53 percent revenue growth in its Eats restaurant take-away delivery service in the first three months of this year, as more people ordered in to avoid the coronavirus. Eats revenues rose to $819 million, about one-third of the total for Uber in the quarter. "There's been a tremendous increase in restaurant sign-ups," Khosrowshahi during an earnings call with analysts. "We believe these trends are here to stay." With a network of app-summoned drivers, Uber is in position to expand into delivering groceries, medicine, retail purchases and more with minimal investment, Khosrowshahi added. An IBM survey released this month found more than half of those who used ridesharing apps planned to reduce or stop using these services completely. Meanwhile, some analysts felt ride-share services or bicycle and scooter options such as those offered by Uber might benefit from people wanting to avoid mass transit while getting around. It said earlier this month it was leading a $170 million investment in Lime as part of a plan to merge its Jump electric bike and scooter operations into the rival service. The tie-up will free Uber to concentrate on its core rideshare and delivery services while Lime -- which operates in some two dozen countries -- will manage scooters and bikes including the Uber Jump fleet. "The reality is the world has changed, so we don't know when the recovery is going to be," Khosrowshahi said during the earnings call. "We are going to take the actions that we think are necessary."
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County Council President Dan Brady on Monday took public aim at County Executive Armond Budishs projection of a 10% drop in property tax collections due to the coronavirus pandemic, calling it pure conjecture.

Addressing Budish during a council hearing, Brady dismissed the executives reference to a Wall Street Journal story about soaring property tax delinquencies during the Great Depression, saying the county should not be relying on comparisons to what happened during the 1930s.

I think were out of line considering health and human services cuts based on projections that we have no idea whether theyre correct or not, he said.

Bradys comments came five days after cleveland.com reported that property tax collections in the county never dropped 10% in any of the last 20 years, including during the years of the so-called Great Recession of more than a decade ago.

During the hearing, Budish also cited soaring unemployment, saying that at no time in the past 20 years have unemployment levels been as high as they are today.

Council held the hearing to review county finances for the first quarter of the year, but discussions largely centered on Budishs plans for offsetting anticipated losses in revenues, including both property taxes and sales taxes. Budish is considering 15% cuts at all county departments, including health and human services agencies which are primarily funded through property taxes.

The council president said the county shouldnt ignore voters support for health and human services. Voters this year overwhelmingly approved an increase in one of two property taxes that support health and human services.

I believe we can find a way through this without any serious cuts in health and human services, Brady said.

Budish acknowledged that the county doesnt yet know for sure how property taxes will be impacted, but he said it would be a mistake to take no action now, as that could require more drastic action later.

Brady wasnt the only council member to weigh in on the administrations projections. Councilman Dale Miller said hed be surprised if property tax collections are anywhere close to the projections. Councilwoman Sunny Simon asked for a plan that actually reflects a realistic projection.

The county wont learn how much property tax collections are down until August or September, once property owners pay their bills for the second half of the year. Of all the property taxes expected to be collected this year, about 48 percent has already been paid, said Walter Parfejewiec, director of the Office of Budget and Management.

The county will receive $19.1 million in sales taxes from purchases made in March, which included one week of Gov. Mike DeWines closure of many businesses. Thats 4.6% more than taxes collected in the same period last year, Parfejewiec said. County officials dont expect to see large declines in sales tax revenues until June, when they receive taxes from purchases made in April.
In a gruesome case, a 22-year-old Dalit youth was beheaded in broad daylight on Sunday in his farmland with the killers also chopping off his three fingers, police said.

After the discovery of the body, three men have been arrested for their suspected roles in the murder, Malwa Station House Officer Sher Singh Rajput said on Monday.

Rajput said three persons Rajol Lodhi, Vikram and Sanjay Paswan have been arrested in connection with the murder.

He said the body of Pramod Kumar was found on Sunday in a field at the Chakki village.

He said Kumar on Sunday had gone to his vegetable farm around 12 noon.

"And around 2.30 pm, the beheaded body of the Dalit youth was found in the farm," he said.

Kumar's mobile phone is also missing, he said.

"It appeared that he was beheaded after his neck having been put on a brick. A blood-stained brick too has been found from the spot," the officer said.

The SHO added that three fingers of Kumar's right hand were also chopped off.

Citing family members, police said his father is a teacher in a school in Agra, but he was here because of the lockdown.

The family members claimed they had no enmity with anyone in the village.

Rajol suspected that his wife had illicit relationship with Pramod due to which he committed the crime, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
PITTSBURGH, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) (the "Company" or "U. S. Steel") today announced a four-year agreement to sell substantial volumes of quality iron ore pellets to Ontario, Canada based Algoma Steel Inc. (Algoma). The purchase agreement, which runs from 2021 through 2024, provides incremental volume and a new long-term iron ore customer for U. S. Steels Minnesota mines.



As a top North American iron ore producer, U. S. Steel is pleased to partner with Algoma to ensure they have the substantial supply of iron ore pellets they need to run their business, said U. S. Steel President and Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt. This new supply agreement further verifies the value of our iron ore operations. We are proud of Algomas confidence in U. S. Steels quality and reliability in satisfying their important long-term needs.

This is the second significant iron ore purchase agreement U. S. Steel has finalized in 2020. The other agreement announced on April 30, 2020 included another partys option to acquire a 25 percent interest in the Companys Minntac iron ore operation for an implied enterprise value of $2.4 billion for the Minntac operation. The contracts advance U. S. Steels commitment to extract incremental value from the companys iron ore assets as part the Companys best of both strategy which was announced October 1, 2019.

Todays announcement is another example of the continued execution of our best of both integrated and mini mill strategy. The asset revitalization investments we made across our critical steel making assets over the past few years are resulting in enhanced safety, quality, delivery and cost performance as we build on the cost and capability benefits of being an integrated producer, said Burritt. As we complete our electric arc furnace in Alabama and ultimately continue with our investments in endless casting and rolling at Mon Valley Works and the upgrades to the hot strip mill at Gary Works, we will have fundamentally repositioned our footprint to be the only best of both steel producer for the multiple stakeholders that count on U. S. Steel. We look forward to continuing to serve current customers while gaining market share in strategic end markets, like we have done today with our newest iron ore customer.



United States Steel Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading integrated steel producer and Fortune 250 company with major operations in the United States and Central Europe. For more information about U. S. Steel, please visit www.ussteel.com.
Chandigarh, May 18 : The Haryana government has decided to provide superior quality PPE kits, N-95 masks and hand sanitizers to private doctors at the government rates.

The decision was taken at a virtual meeting on Monday, chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and attended by district representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and civil surgeons.

It was also decided that private health clinics, nursing homes and dental clinics would be included in the special economic package announced by the central government micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).

If a private doctor gets infected with Covid-19, his treatment will be carried out at the government expense.

The Chief Minister said Arogya Setu app could be effective in dealing with the pandemic. Over 50 lakh people in Haryana have downloaded the app.

Health Minister Anij Vij said with the cooperation of all private doctors, the state would soon become a coronavirus free state. The corona warriors had done remarkable job in providing security cover to 2.5 crore people of the state, he added.
California Republican Mike Garcia will take his seat in Congress on Tuesday, even though the ballots in his runoff election are still being counted.

Theres nothing sinister about the move. Garcia, a businessman and former Navy pilot, won an easy 55% to 45% victory last week in the states 25th Congressional District, which covers parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. No one disputes the result, including Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), who conceded the morning after the election.

But officially, the election isnt over yet. Ballots postmarked by the May 12 election day could arrive as late as last Friday and still be tallied. And that doesnt even include provisional and contested ballots, which take longer to process.

There are still outstanding ballots left to be counted and were still scheduled to certify on June 1, said Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County registrar.

Both counties have until June 12 to send their final results to the state, which means Garcias victory probably wont be official until mid-June.

That will be little more than a footnote to Garcia or the people in his district, who havent had a representative in the House since Democratic Rep. Katie Hill resigned late last year in the wake of a scandal over a sexual relationship with a campaign worker. Garcia was elected to fill out Hills term.

Generally, institutions have their own rules about seating members, said Sam Mahood, a spokesman for Californias secretary of state, and they dont necessarily rely on the dates set down by the state.

That applies even to the state Legislature. Republican Melissa Melendez, who also was an easy winner in last weeks runoff for a Riverside County state Senate seat, was sworn into her seat on Monday.

Although November winners of state Senate and Assembly seats are sworn in en masse in December, its standard practice for victors in special elections to take office soon after a winner is determined.

In Garcias case, the speakers office reached out to us about the timing, said Lance Trover, a spokesman for the campaign.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, will hold a ceremonial swearing-in for Garcia and Wisconsin Republican Tom Tiffany on Tuesday in the Capitol.

Garcia and Smith will meet again in November in a contest for a full, two-year term.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Alex Azar received widespread backlash after he blamed Americans, especially those in minority communities, Sunday for their poor health contributing to the high number of deaths from coronavirus in the U.S.

'Unfortunately the American population is a (sic) very diverse  and it is a population with significant unhealthy comorbidities that do make many individuals in our communities  in particular African American, minority communities  particularly at risk here because of significant underlying disease, health disparities and disease comorbidities,' the Health and Human Services secretary told CNN's State of the Union Sunday morning.

'And that is an unfortunate legacy in our health care system that we certainly do need to address,' Azar continued.

Social media users did not take the HHS secretary's comments lightly, airing their grievances with Donald Trump's administration on Twitter.

'Blaming the 80,000+ human beings who have been killed by Covid-19 for their fate is the most disgusting deflection yet from an administration that was asleep at the switch,' Laurence Tribe, a legal scholar and Harvard Law professor, tweeted. 'This whole Trump team is worse than worthless.'

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (right) blamed Americans for their poor health contributing to the high number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S.

'Unfortunately the American population is a (sic) very diverse  and it is a population with significant unhealthy comorbidities that do make many individuals in our communities  in particular African American, minority communities  particularly at risk here because of significant underlying disease, health disparities and disease comorbidities,' Azar said

Twitter world did not take kindly to the comments. Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe claimed Trump's administration 'is worse than worthless'

One of Hillary Clinton's former aides sarcastically quipped: 'Classy'

Another user wrote that the 'racism is non-stop,' calling Azar and the Trump administration 'white supremacists'

African Americans disproportionately contribute to the coronavirus death toll. This map shows that counties with higher African American populations are much more affected by coronavirus. U.S. counties with higher African American populations contribute to 52 per cent of total U.S. infections and 58 per cent of nation-wide COVID-19 deaths

The percentage of African Americans who have died from coronavirus compared to the total deaths in their respective states far outweigh the per cent of the population that is black overall

Counties with higher black populations experienced roughly the same increase over time of deaths, but at a higher rate than counties with a lesser African American population

Another Twitter user posted: 'The racism is non-stop this mornin'. In pure White Supremacist fashion, the Trump administration blames black people for the high death rates.'

Sergio Grant, a former aide to Hillary Clinton, also bashed Trump and Azar.

'So I see the @realDonaldTrump administration, represented here by Alex Azar, has moved from blaming China for American coronavirus deaths, to blaming the American people for their own deaths. Classy,' he tweeted.

Several reports have indicated that minority communities have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus  so much so that states have begun reporting death tolls by race.

A report revealed that as of May 1, African Americans made up 32 per cent of the coronavirus deaths in Wisconsin, even though they only make up 6.7 per cent of the population there.

Michigan and Missouri, where African Americans account for roughly 40 per cent of coronavirus deaths, comprise just 14 per cent and 12 per cent of the population, respectively.

As of Monday, more than 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with coronavirus and more than 90,000 people have died in the U.S.  while immunocompromised and already ill individuals are more likely to fall fatal after contracting the disease.

Even though Azar laid the blame on unhealthy Americans contributing to the death rates, he flipped the switch on his view with ending social distancing guidelines and lockdowns.

Azar claimed Sunday that reports of people crowding in bars across the country as some states and localities begin to lift restrictions is 'part of the freedom' Americans have.

Azar insists the U.S. contributes to 30 per cent of the worldwide cases of coronavirus because testing capabilities and availability are much more advanced than in other countries

The U.S. surpassed 1.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus this month and more than 90,000 Americans have now died from the disease

Azar also claimed it is 'part of the freedom' Americans have to gather in groups at restaurants and bars as they begin open in some states

During his interview with Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor confronted Azar about the high number of cases and deaths in the U.S. as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Azar, however, asserted the reason America makes up nearly 30 per cent of the reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world, is because of the high level of testing in the U.S. compared to other countries.

'So first just in terms of the actual case counts, we are testing more than other countries, or that (sic) other major countries  so we're seeing a tremendous number of cases,' Azar said.

He was echoing the reasoning given by President Trump, who said if the U.S. did less testing or had a smaller testing capability, then it would have just as little cases as other countries.

'Remember, we're actually flushing out significant asymptomatic individuals in the United States. Other countries are not testing asymptomatic individuals in any way like we're doing,' Azar continued, adding that there are low case counts in other countries because there are low testing.
Beas Dev Ralhan

COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the entire world by now. Countries all across the globe are in a state of lockdown as an immediate measure to fight the global pandemic. With the situation getting worse with each passing day, what is more disturbing is the uncertainty about when things will get back to normal.

The schools and colleges in India have been temporarily shut down as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The step, though taken as a safety measure, has come without a deadline. The situation is crucial for the entire education sector. Board examinations, admissions to new sessions, entrance tests of different universities, as well as competitive exams have been postponed for an indefinite period. This unprecedented situation has thrown unexpected challenges to teachers, parents, students, and administrators, all across the country.

With so many challenges in place, the question that now arises is how the educational institutions can cope with it.

E-Learning: A step to cope with the unforeseen scenario

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 unforeseen disruption in the education of students has left teachers, parents, and educators to think more proactively about adopting alternative ways of teaching. As Heraclitus said, The only constant in life is change. The current situation of havoc has led to big changes in every sphere of life, including the ways of imparting education. To ensure the continuity of learning for millions of learners in the country, schools and universities have shifted to online teaching methods. While diversifying to different e-learning methods, what needs to be taken care of is that the measures should be all-inclusive and should be able to counter the digital divide prevailing in society.

Digital learning solutions should be adopted with effective and practical strategies to reach out to less developed areas of the society as well. For ensuring open-digital learning, various other factors need to be taken care of by the educational institutions in advance.

Robust connectivity tops the list of these factors. To prepare themselves for emergencies like these, educational institutions should look for a successful collaboration with telecom service providers. The optimum utilization of network capacity and a reduction in transmission bit rate will help provide a real-time learning experience for students, making online sessions more interactive and engaging.

To further sustain the e-learning environment, tie-ups with EdTech startups help institutions prepare themselves for such unforeseen circumstances. The EdTech firms provide cloud-based solutions that enable shifting from traditional brick and mortar classrooms to online classes. They provide a simple user interface with personalised quality solutions and innovative tools, depending on the specific needs of the institutions.

For successful implementation of these EdTech startups, there should also be seamless integration of technology. The integration of classroom learning with various e-learning methods will ensure the development of a unified system of education. Various EdTech firms provide hardware and software solutions for minimizing the error rate, thereby enhancing the overall user-experience.

Apart from technology and software, what needs to be taken care of is the creativity of the educators and teachers. The content for e-learning platforms not only needs to be captivating but should be able to meet the diverse needs of the students. EdTech firms help institutions by providing them an AI-driven assessment platform. These AI-driven platforms customize the practice questions keeping in mind students learning needs. The integration of AI in the e-learning platform helps in discovering each students unique learning graph and customizes their learning and assessment based on their capabilities.

Though e-learning needs to be adopted by schools and universities in advance to keep themselves prepared for unforeseen situations, it comes with its own set of challenges.

E-learning challenges and weaknesses

Though remote learning seems to be an appropriate solution in times of national emergencies, it comes with its own set of challenges. The first question that arises in our minds when talking about online learning is whether everyone can afford it? The biggest challenge in a country like India is the fact that most of the students do not have access to adequate facilities. There still are quite a number of students who lack reliable internet access, making online education a struggle for them. Lack of innovative thinking, lack of creativity, untrained teachers, and lack of proper infrastructure are some other reasons why switching to e-learning does not appear to be as simple as it looks. Such challenges need to be addressed in advance by educational institutions to prepare themselves well for any unprecedented situations in the future.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - After state officials have announced plans to accept inmates from county jails, which had been put on hold during the pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine is updating the public on the states response to the outbreak Monday afternoon.

With over 4,500 Ohio prison inmates positive for COVID-19 -- about one in 10 -- Ohio is only second after Tennessee in coronavirus per-prisoner. But Tennessee is universally testing all inmates, according to the Associated Press and The Marshall Project, which Ohio is not doing -- meaning Ohis rates could be higher.

Watch DeWines 2 p.m. Ohio Channel broadcast below.

As usual, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will join DeWine in the briefing.

As of Sunday, 27,923 Ohioans had been infected by the novel coronavirus, and 1,625 had died.

Other coronavirus coverage:

Strike force studying coronavirus among racial minorities yet to provide report nearly one month into its work

Gov. Mike DeWine drops daycare reopening details: Capitol Letter

Kids have been out of school since March 16. Heres how teachers, parents say its going.

Ohio Medicaid rolls now increasing, a reverse from the downward trend

Ohio reconsiders policy of kicking workers off unemployment, after hackers release code to overwhelm state system
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:25:27|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that the Islamic republic will continue supports for the sovereignty and independence of neighboring Iraq, official IRNA News Agency reported.

Iran will stand with Iraqi government and nation and opposes intervention of foreign powers in Iraq's internal affairs, Rouhani made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Iraqi President Barham Salih on Monday.

He expressed satisfaction with the formation of new cabinet in Iraq, saying that political stability is of importance for the country as it would help revival of Iraq's significant role in the region.

Rouhani described relations between two countries as brotherly and historic, stressing strengthening of all-out ties particularly in economic sector.

He urged normalizing trade interactions at all common borders by observing health protocols amid COVID-19 pandemic.

For his part, the Iraqi president highlighted the significance of political ties between Iran and Iraq, saying that stability and security of Iraq needs maintaining cooperation with its neighboring states.

Sovereignty of Iraq should be respected by foreign countries, and foreign powers should avoid interference in the affairs of his country, he said. Enditem
Financial regulators and central banks around the world are allocating hundreds of billions of dollars to businesses and lenders, in an effort to boost the deteriorating global economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Corporations flush with excess cash sometimes opt for share buybacks, which involves a company repurchasing its own shares at market value, and reducing the number of shares that are being traded. This can result in driving up the price of its stock and may increase overall demand for it. Others, however, may shelve their plans to repurchase their stocks  so as to ensure they have sufficient cash for emergencies, for example.

To buy back shares or not?

Detractors have long argued the case against buybacks. They say that companies that engage in the practice are inflating their stock prices artificially. Critics also highlight the fact that companies using their excess cash for stock buybacks would be diverting cash from other important investments, such as higher employee wages, building more factories, creating more jobs, and innovation. Earlier in March, President Donald Trump said he was not happy with companies using money from the 2018 tax cut to buy back shares. He said he would not oppose placing restrictions on companies that benefit from the coronavirus stimulus, and bar them from conducting stock buybacks.

Stock buybacks do not help workers and they do not help with the unemployment. Emir Hrnjic National University of Singapore Business School

On the other hand, buyback supporters maintain that the money gained by shareholders is usually reinvested in other companies, and thus, stimulating economic growth. However, this is also contentious. "Stock buybacks do not invest in the economy and create positive externalities and additional benefits," Emir Hrnjic, an adjunct assistant professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, told CNBC in an interview. "They only help maximize shareholders' wealth and perhaps, they may help with the market sentiment." Externalities are a cost or benefit that impacts a third party when an economic transaction takes place  the third party has no control over that transaction. The general debate surrounding stock buybacks has always been present. During a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ruling in 1982, rules were established to ensure that stock buybacks were only done by companies if they fulfilled certain conditions. The need for these conditions in the first place, meant that the risk of market manipulation on the part of the companies existed.

Buyback activity outside the U.S.
CINCINNATI, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Institute & University has announced that there will be no tuition increases for bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs for the 2020-2021 academic year, starting with the Fall Term on August 31, 2020. In addition, the Ph.D. residency fee has been waived for the upcoming academic year.

Easing the financial impact of COVID-19

The tuition freeze comes at a time when many Union students are struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. "While Union's model and legacy of distance, low-residency and online learning has served our students and the university well during this time, we fully understand and acknowledge that our students' lives have been impacted in countless ways. This is something we can do to ease their stress and their financial obligations," said Union President Karen Schuster Webb.

"This decision comes after listening to our students and understanding the challenges many families are facing due to the global pandemic," Dr. Webb continued. "Working closely with staff, administration and Union's Board of Trustees, we have committed to finding ways to continue operations without increasing the financial burden for our students."

Helping through scholarships

Union helps students afford the cost of higher education in other ways. The university contributes about 10 percent of its annual budget to offer institutional scholarships across many programs. These scholarships impact hundreds of students each year, reducing tuition charges by more than $100 per credit hour in some cases. Community college students, military personnel and their dependents, law enforcement officers, as well as first responders are just a few examples of those who benefit from available scholarships.

Transfer-friendly programs and online convenience

Union's transfer-friendly programs also help make education more affordable  allowing students to transfer up to 90 credits for a bachelor's degree and up to nine credits for graduate programs. This helps students reduce the amount of time and money required to complete their education. Most courses are delivered 100 percent online, which allows students to pursue their studies anytime, anywhere.

Now enrolling

Union Institute & University offers a wide variety of programs at the certificate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. It's free and easy to apply  no test scores are required and there's no application fee. To learn more about degree programs, financial aid and transferring credits, visit www.myunion.edu or call 800-861-6400.

About Union Institute & University

Union Institute & University offers educational programs for adults who wish to achieve their professional goals and pursue a lifetime of learning, service and social responsibility. Since its founding in 1964, Union has been a leader in the development and delivery of high-quality undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs designed for busy adults. Students can choose to complete their studies online, in the classroom or through a blend of the two, depending on the program and location.

A private nonprofit institution, Union is a regionally accredited international university with academic centers located in Ohio, Florida and California.

To learn more about Union Institute & University, visit www.myunion.edu or call 800-861-6400.

SOURCE Union Institute & University

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Shares of ABS-CBN Corporation slid 7.2 percent on Monday as it resumed trading almost two weeks after the government ordered its broadcast operations to be shut.

ABS-CBN shares ended at 16.24 apiece, down from the 17.50 closing rate when these were last traded on May 5. The Philippine Stock Exchange imposed a trading suspension on the stock as well as ABS-CBN Holdings Corporation, the network's investor and issuer of depositary receipts, the next day following the news that the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order against the company's TV and radio broadcasts due to an expired franchise.

ABS-CBN Holdings also saw its value slide by 4.67 percent to 14.70 by the closing bell. Trading of these stocks resumed 9 a.m. of Monday since being suspended on May 6.

Investors have clearly been spooked by NTC's order and the subsequent decision of the network to halt its broadcasts for the time being.

"Well the fact it is down, more investors are worried about the long-term outcome of ABSCBN's franchise. Although price has in fact recovered, there are many of speculators who believe that in the end, the franchise will be granted," Luis Limlingan, managing director o stock brokerage firm Regina Capital, told CNN Philippines.

He added that the performance of these shares will likely depend on every development relating to the network's franchise.

The country's biggest and longest-running media network had been lobbying for a franchise renewal as its 25-year authority expired May 4. The House of Representatives and Senate earlier asked NTC to issue a provisional authority that will keep the media giant on air while they tackle bills granting another 25 years to the network. The NTC committed to issue the provisional authority in March, only to rescind that decision this May.

TIMELINE: ABS-CBN franchise

The network has since appealed the NTC order before the Supreme Court, and has revealed that the company is losing 30 million to 35 million every day that it is off the air, and that some 11,000 employees may be forced out of their jobs if the shutdown continues. It claimed that the regulator violated the media company's right to due process and that the network's closure "will cause serious and irreparable damage" to the public interest and the people's right to know.

ABS-CBN lawyers again prodded the high court on Monday and made a fresh appeal for the immediate issuance of a halt order that will nullify NTC's directive and allow the network to return to air.

The network also sought a writ of preliminary injunction against NTC and its personnel to stop them from enforcing the cease and desist order, citing the "grave injustice and irreparable injury" it has brought to the media conglomerate and its workforce.

Last week, the House passed on second reading a new bill granting ABS-CBN a franchise until October 31 to allow continued operations while discussions on the grant of the usual 25-year mandate remains pending. This still needs to be affirmed on third reading and then sent to the Senate for their own deliberations before getting passed as law.

"The Company is confident that it has not committed any violation of the terms of its franchise, permits and licenses or any applicable law or regulations as to merit the non-renewal of its franchise or suspension of its broadcast operations as a consequence," the Lopez-owned network told the local bourse in a May 15 disclosure.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, who lost during the 2019 senatorial elections, went to the Senate on Monday morning to deliver a letter to Senate President Tito Sotto III asking that all senators who signed a resolution urging NTC to revoke its shutdown order against ABS-CBN to inhibit from further deliberations and voting on bills tackling the broadcast firm's franchise.

Last week, twelve senators signed a resolution telling the broadcast regulator to reconsider the cease and desist order it issued against ABS-CBN, citing the need to provide access to news and save the jobs of thousands of workers.

Media groups have condemned the NTC order, saying it was an affront to freedom of speech in a democracy.
By Tong Kim





Perhaps Sino-American relations are at their lowest since Nixon's opening of China in 1972. The bitter recriminations on the handling of the coronavirus between Washington and Beijing, with neither party backing down as it aggravates the deterioration of their relations, are raising the specter of a new Cold War. This danger comes at the wrong time and for the wrong reason.







This comes at a time when all countries should work together to defeat COVID-19. It comes at a time when the world economy is expected to decline the most since the Great Depression. It comes at a time when countries should be racing to develop an effective vaccine, a proper treatment, and start easing lockdowns to find a new normal life and an economic recovery.







An impartial investigation on the origin and spread of the novel coronavirus would be justified to learn the scientific cause of the origin and to prevent or deal more efficiently with any possible, future outbreak of a similar pandemic. However, blaming China for the coronavirus at this point does not help resolve or mitigate the pains from the outbreak.







We know that the first coronavirus case was found in Wuhan, China. Nevertheless, we have not seen a body of evidence of how the first patient was infected by what the WHO termed COVID-19 with no stigmatizing reference to any people, place, or animal associated with the coronavirus.







Washington's talk of China's accountability might be useful for a domestic political campaign, but the practicality of suing China for a remedy for the human and economic costs of the coronavirus sounds like a hollow long shot with legal flaws. There is no established international mechanism to adjudicate such cases, and U.S. courts would grant foreign states immunity to any potential defendant, unless Congress changes the law.







Trade retaliation would be an available tool. But, if this tool is used rashly, it would be mutually damaging. On May 13, Trump blamed China for the coronavirus, tweeting, "We just made a great trade deal, the ink was barely dry, and the world was hit by the plague from China. 100 trade deals wouldn't make up the difference -- and all those innocent lives lost!"







The next day, he said on Fox Business, "We could cut off the whole relationship" with China, adding, "that would save $500 billion", roughly the amount of U.S. imports from China in 2018.







Trump's harsh words should not be taken literally. Washington is simply not ready to cut off all ties with China, including trade relations. It also has other vital national interests in world affairs involving China, while the Trump administration is imposing more restrictions and sanctions on Chinese companies doing business in the U.S.







Trump's words were maybe an expression of frustration on his part. He is accused of having mishandled the virus spread at an early stage. The U.S. is the world's largest victim of the pandemic. Every day the death toll goes up, and the economy goes down. He is facing a tough election in November. China bashing is not new in U.S. elections. Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also bashes China.







Any effort to mend relations with China is unlikely to surface until after the November election. In the meantime, a tough exchange of harsh rhetoric is likely to continue. Yet, both sides are expected to keep the January trade deal alive, even reluctantly. It was the best deal that resulted from many months of hard work.







Trump has been operating under the notion of "America First," to take care of American economic interests. He is yet to present a comprehensive policy doctrine with respect to what the U.S. wants to do in the world, and what changes it wants to make to the existing systems.







The Global Times in Beijing has been reacting aggressively to Trump, who often speaks what's on his mind. The Chinese are saying they will not tolerate the U.S. maneuver to link the coronavirus to trade. Beijing is ready to retaliate any U.S. move against China with "countermeasures."







If the U.S. blocks shipments of semiconductors to Chinese firm Huawei, China would designate U.S. companies including Apple, Qualcomm, and Cisco as "unreliable entities", to investigate and impose restrictions on their operations. China will also cancel the planned purchases of Boeing airplanes.







A renewed trade war on top of the prospect of a new cold war between two superpowers will neither be helpful to the global fight against the pandemic nor to the stability of the region. It would put countries like South Korea in a bad position  back as "a shrimp between two whales."







) is a visiting professor with the University of North Korean Studies, a visiting scholar with Korea University, a fellow at the Institute of Corean-American Studies, and a columnist for The Korea Times.



Tong Kim ( tong.kim8@yahoo.com
OSAGE  Mary E. Stibal said she fondly remembers the Osage Public Library of the 1950s and 60s and the warm smell of its rooms full of books.

Oh, I was in love with that building, she said. And I can still remember the librarians  Mrs. Nagy and Mrs. Leonard.

Stibal checked out countless books from the library stacks; so consuming was her love of the printed word that her mom, the late Marian Stibal, told me that I could not read more than one book a day, she recalled with a laugh.

Stibal, 70, still loves to read books  but she is also doing her best to stock the library shelves these days.

Her first novel, A Widow in Pearls, a mystery set in the world of old Boston money and dark family secrets, was released last month by Level Best Books, and is available on Amazon. And she has two more in the works.

Stibal, who lives in Boston, is no stranger to writing fiction. She found time during her long career as a marketing partnership specialist to write short stories for Yankee Magazine and mystery anthologies, with two of them nominated for national awards.

Stibal recalls that her love of the mystery genre began early.

I can distinctly remember being so proud of reading my first book that didnt have pictures, she said with a chuckle. The book? A Nancy Drew mystery. The series featuring the young detective  the first of several ghost-written by Iowa native Mildred Wirt Benson, and others, beginning in 1930  spanned over 50 novels.

Oh, how I admired her, she said of the young detective. One of the things about Nancy Drew I loved was that she was a woman who acted on her decisions. Bravely.

She later had the same passion for mystery novels written by Agatha Christie, who Stibal called masterful  the queen of the mystery genre.

The early seeds of hard work and focus were planted by her mother who, despite the death of her husband at an early age, was resolute in her intention to raise her 11 children by herself. Thanks to Marian  who earned her teaching license so she could get a job as a teacher  the family unit remained strong and all the children earned college degrees. The family today remains close and Stibal visits Osage regularly.

Ill be back in July, she said. The first thing Ill do is visit my mom and dads graves; the second thing Ill do is visit the farm near New Haven where she and her siblings were raised.

Her mother, she said, was one of her best early influences  even when she or her siblings were misbehaving.

My mom never raised her voice, Stibal. All she had to do was give us the look and we knew she meant business.

Stibal attended North Iowa Area Community College with the initial goal of earning a journalism degree. But her classes subsequently sparked an interest in history, a love she pursued when she later began classes at the University of Iowa as a history major.

Stibal attended college against the backdrop of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but quit her classes and decided to travel.

She became a hippie and traveled all over the world, she said. She eventually settled in Cambridge, Mass. She completed a degree at Harvard Extension School and then began work with a start-up company, building a career as a marketing partnership specialist. She continues to be a consultant in the field.

That first attempt at writing a novel did not attract a publisher. Although she loved writing the book, she also came to see its flaws with the help of online courses by writer and teacher Mary Buckham. She credits Buckham with helping her recognize the weaker areas of her plot structure.

It is like building a house, she said. You have to build it room by room or it doesnt work, she said. And I learned that  writing a book is like having a diamond in the rough; you polish, polish, polish.

Her next effort was The Widow in Pearls, which was immediately accepted by Level Best, who wanted not only her submission, but two more books as well. All three will feature a recurring character, Madeline Lane.

I was elated, she said, and not at all intimidated by the challenge of writing two more novels. I couldnt wait to get started.

Although successful at writing short stories, she dismisses the notion held by some that short stories are more difficult to write than novels.

Short stories are like a date; writing an entire book is like a marriage, she said. With short stories, you are just capturing a short period of time, while sustaining all elements throughout a book is far more challenging.

And if those books are mysteries, the challenge may be even greater. The genre has changed over the years, she said.

The action today has to be fast; there has to be a compelling reason for readers to continue reading past the first few pages, she added. You need to draw them in quickly or readers today wont read on. You cant take two chapters to give readers a reason to stay with the story.

Much of her time today is taken up with her writing. She has begun to write her second book and will follow that with a rewriting of her first novel that did not sell  A Duchess in Rubies.

Obviously, Ill be doing some things differently, she said, but is looking forward to that challenge, too.

This time, you could say, the Rubies will have more polish. A lot more.

This time, she said, I know what Im doing.

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Cafe Rouge restaurant, Cambridge City Centre. Photo credit should read: Doug Peters/EMPICS

Fears are growing for the future of thousands of workers at Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas, with the restaurants owner battling to survive.

Parent company Casual Dining Group confirmed it could go into administration, which would protect it from any threatened potential legal action from landlords as it looks for a path out of the crisis.

Around 6,000 staff are reported to work at more than 100 Bella Italia restaurants and dozens of Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas branches across the UK.

The company had said earlier on Monday it was working on a restructuring plan, with its revenue collapsing since the lockdown in March left restaurants empty.

Read more: Two million self-employed workers claim from UK government support scheme

Casual Dining Group confirmed to Yahoo Finance UK it had filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators with the High Court. It said the move gave it 10 days breathing space to consider all options, and it does not oblige the company to call administrators in.

A spokeswoman said: As is widely acknowledged, this is an unprecedented situation for our industry and, like many other companies across the UK, the directors of Casual Dining Group are working closely with our advisers as we consider our next steps.

These notifications will also protect the company from any threatened potential legal action from landlords while we review the detail of the government advice, and formulate a plan for the company in these difficult times.

Read more: Uber to lay off 3,000 workers in another round of cutbacks

The company is the latest in a line of high street names to run into serious trouble as the pandemic has blown a hole in their finances. Many have struggled

Many leading restaurant and retail chains were already struggling before the crisis, with Jamies Italian forced to close restaurants after falling into administration last year.

Trade body UKHospitality warned over the weekend many companies were being aggressively pursued by landlords over rent despite their income evaporating. It warned rent deferrals were no solution, and fears wide-scale job losses and business failures in the coming months.
NEW YORK  Accusations of a deep state conspiracy. Allegations of personal and family corruption. Painting an opponent as a Washington insider not to be trusted.

Its 2016 again. Or at least thats President Donald Trumps hope.

Trump and his allies are dusting off the playbook that helped defeat Hillary Clinton, reviving it in recent days as they try to frame 2020 as an election between a dishonest establishment politician and a political outsider being targeted for taking on the system. This time, however, the so-called outsider is the sitting president of the United States.

Eager to distract from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 89,000 Americans and crippled the economy, Trump and his advisers have started their fog machine again, amplified by conservative media as it was during the Russia probe and the impeachment investigation. Their latest target: the presidents likely general election foe, Joe Biden, in an urgent effort to drive up his negative approval ratings less than six months before the election.

The strategy already centered on playing up allegations that Bidens son, Hunter, profited off the vice presidency. Trump recently added Bidens ties to China, the country the White House now blames for the spread of COVID-19. And it kicked into overdrive last week when Trump seized upon revelations that Biden was informed of the investigation of ties between Russia and Michael Flynn, a senior Trump official, as evidence of a plot to undermine a presidency before it began.

Flynns so-called unmasking, a common request by a government official for an intelligence agency to identify someone in contact with a foreigner under surveillance, became the centerpiece of unprecedented attacks by Trump on his predecessor. Trump said, without evidence, that Barack Obama  and, by extension, his vice president  had perpetrated the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country.

This was all Obama. This was all Biden. These people were corrupt  the whole thing was corrupt  and we caught them, Trump said. People should be going to jail for this stuff.

The Biden campaign quickly pushed back, denying wrongdoing and noting the routine practice of unmasking to help officials understand intelligence. They paint Trumps reaction as a tired play that will have little effect on voters whove watched three years of a scattershot presidency now struggling to handle the pandemic.

We have a president who doesnt want to talk about the central issue in this campaign right now, said Mike Donilon, one of Bidens longest-serving advisers. This isnt new. Its not like Trump started attacking the vice president today or yesterday. Hes been at him all year long.

The president, Donilon asserted, falls back on an all-out effort to try to take people away from what theyre living through, describing a tactic that he acknowledged has succeeded in the past in terms of throwing up distractions and smokescreen.

Trumps ability to distract, deflect and dominate headlines remains peerless among politicians.

Four years ago, he claimed Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state endangered national security and alleged she used her government connections to enrich her family through the nonprofit Clinton Foundation. For many voters, the insinuations underscored doubts about the integrity of Clinton and her husband, the former president.

Polls suggest an uphill climb for a reprisal against Biden. Fewer voters dislike Biden than they did Clinton. And in 2016, voters who had negative views of both candidates overwhelmingly broke for Trump; for now, they favor Biden.

There are other inherent limitations to Trumps effort to repeat his 2016 strategy.

The FBI investigated Clintons use of the email server and, while it did not bring charges, the fallout was politically damaging. But while the optics of the younger Bidens lucrative work in China and with a Ukrainian gas company have frustrated some Democrats, no one has charged either father or son with any wrongdoing.

And it was Trumps push for Ukraine to find politically damaging dirt on the Bidens that led to the presidents impeachment.

But the storyline wont go away. Trumps Senate allies will hold hearings into the younger Bidens work overseas to portray the former vice president as a longtime Washington insider whose family benefited from his stature.

From his involvement in the unmasking of General Flynn to his son Hunter Biden repeatedly landing lucrative foreign business deals while his father was vice president, Joe Biden embodies the D.C. swamp, said Trump campaign spokeswoman Sarah Matthews.

Trumps attempts to turn the routine into the sinister has also fueled his latest effort to undermine special counsel Robert Muellers report, which identified substantial contacts between Trump associates and Russia but did not accuse him of a crime or allege a criminal conspiracy between his campaign and the Kremlin. Now the plan is to link the Democratic standard-bearer to the probe.

Biden allies display something approaching amusement as they tick through the attacks Trump has leveled against the former vice president, including calling him Sleepy Joe.

The campaign argues the attacks demonstrate Trumps own weaknesses. They point to the Trump familys ongoing business entanglements across the world while his daughter and son-in-law work in the White House to his weeks spent complimenting Chinese President Xi Jingping before blaming Beijing for the pandemic.

Bidens team doesnt believe a pervasive narrative like Hillarys emails will shadow this campaign.

People have a really good understanding of who Joe Biden is, Donilon said, arguing that Trumps handling of the pandemic plays into arguments about Bidens experience, competence and temperament.

Yet similar Trump smokescreens confused Americans about both the Russia and Ukraine investigations. And while the unmasking accusations may inspire the GOP base more than persuade swing voters, Trump allies believe it can prove a coordinated effort to thwart a duly elected president.

Its a reminder that Trump is the outsider trying to take on those who were entrenched in power for decades, said Jason Miller, a top aide on Trumps 2016 campaign. And if Trump is the outsider, Biden is the insider.

___

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Barrow at https://twitter.com/@BillBarrowAP.
The COVID-19 pandemic and various issues have impacted New Zealands property market  and the alert level 4 lockdown seems to be the final nail to the coffin as some areas in the country are now at risk from a property downturn in a post-lockdown recession.

CoreLogics latest report has ranked Queenstown, Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin, Palmerston North, and Rotorua as the most vulnerable markets after the lockdown  with Queenstowns market being the shakiest.

It based its rankings on four risk factors in each area: the contribution of the accommodation & food services sector to each centres economy, investors share of property purchases, percentage of dwellings listed on Airbnb, and total guest nights due to international visitors.
Beijing, May 18 : Chinese researchers have successfully identified multiple highly potent neutralizing antibodies against COVID-19 from convalescent plasma by high-throughput single-cell sequencing, according to a new study.

Generated by the human immune system, neutralizing antibodies can effectively prevent viruses from infecting cells, Xinhua news agency quoted the study as saying which was published on Sunday.

New results from animal studies showed that neutralizing antibodies provide a potential cure for COVID-19 as well as a means for short-term prevention, which marks a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic.

According to the research team, led by Sunney Xie, director of the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics at Peking University, antibody drugs, as a kind of biologics, have been successfully applied to treat viruses like AIDS, Ebola, and MERS.

However, it is often time-consuming to develop neutralizing antibodies suitable for clinical use, taking months or even years.

By using their expertise in single-cell genomics, the team collaborated with researchers at Beijing YouAn Hospital to collect blood samples from over 60 convalescent patients, among which 14 highly potent neutralizing antibodies were selected from 8,558 antigen-binding IgG1+ clonotypes.

Their animal experiments showed that the most potent antibody, BD-368-2, could provide strong therapeutic efficacy and prophylactic protection against COVID-19.

According to the study, when the BD-368-2 antibody was injected into infected mice, the virus load was decreased by 2,400 times, and when uninfected mice were injected with BD-368-2, they were protected from being infected by the virus.

The potent neutralizing antibody could be used to develop drugs for both therapeutic intervention and prophylactic protection against COVID-19, Xie told Xinhua in an email interview.

He said clinical trials were underway, and the research team have strong confidence in finding a cure.

"If the COVID-19 pandemic reappears in the winter, our neutralizing antibody might be available by that time," Xie added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Published on 2020/05/17 | Source

The Education Ministry said Thursday that it is not considering any further postponement of the opening of schools. The opening of schools had already been delayed for a week due to a resurgence of coronavirus traced to clubs in Seoul's party district of Itaewon.

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High school seniors will go back to school on May 20 and the rest in the following weeks as scheduled.

But kids with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius or with other suspected symptoms are not allowed to go to school.
Health official: Omicron cases 'just skyrocketing here in the community'

As of Jan. 18, McLaren Northern Michigan had 23 COVID-19 inpatients at the Petoskey-based hospital, which included 10 in critical care units and 13 in non-critical care units.
Iran FM: Threatening Iranian tankers by US amounts to piracy, jeopardizes intl. peace

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 4:39 PM

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has issued stern warning against the US provocative acts through dispatching its naval forces to the Caribbean Sea with the goal of disrupting the course of Iranian tankers carrying fuel for Venezuela.

In a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday, Zarif described "the illegal, dangerous and provocative US threats [against the Iranian tankers]" as a form of piracy and a big threat to international peace and security.

Iran's foreign minister added that the US must stop acting as a bully at international level and respect teh rule of international laws, in particular the right to free shipping in free waters.

The top Iranian then highlighted the responsibility of "the US administration with regard to the consequences of any illegal move, reiterating Iran's right right to adopt appropriate and necessary measures in the face of such threats.

Iran summons Swiss ambassador over US threat to tankers

Following Zarif's letter, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi summoned the Swiss envoy, whose country represents US interests in Tehran, to voice the country's vehement protest at US provocations.

He called on the Swiss diplomat to convey the Islamic Republic's serious warning to the American officials against any possible threat posed by the US to the Iranian oil tankers.

Araqchi noted that Iran and Venezuela enjoy "completely legitimate and legal trade relations," adding that the US recourse to forceful or other forces of bullying measures will be seen as a threat to "free shipping, international trade and the free flow of energy."

Such measures, the Iranian deputy foreign minister said, are blatant examples of piracy and explicit violation of international laws and, as such, contravene the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

The top Iranian diplomat also warned that any threat against the country's tankers will elicit Iran's immediate and categorical reaction, and the US administration will be responsible for their consequences.

The Swiss envoy, for his part, said he will immediately convey the Islamic Republic's message to the US administration and inform the Iranian government of the results as soon as possible.

Iran is shipping tons of gasoline to Venezuela in defiance of US sanctions on both countries in a symbolic move guaranteed by Tehran's missile prowess.

Unconfirmed reports and tanker monitoring groups suggest that at least five Iranian-flagged tankers are transporting fuel to Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean despite the US sanctions on both Tehran and Caracas.

Iran has intentionally hoisted its own flag over the huge tankers, which are navigating through the Atlantic Ocean before the eyes of the US Navy.

Iran is shipping large consignments of gasoline to Venezuela, defying the possibility that the US might want to intercept the shipments and seize the tankers.

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.

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.

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday apprised about the return of residents of Maharashtra who were stranded abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes after Maharashtra Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray on May 16 wrote a letter to Jiashankar, to assist Indian citizens from Maharashtra stranded abroad to be brought back in a phased manner but at the earliest, especially a lot of whom are in USA and Australia.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar stated that planes from the UK, USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Philippines, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Ethiopia & Oman have already come. He added that he looks forward to organising further flights from the US, Europe and Australia and appreciated the cooperation of the state government to make necessary arrangements.

Glad to facilitate return of Maharashtra residents from abroad.



Planes from UK, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Phillipines, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Ethiopia & Oman have already come. https://t.co/LoP2zDzkvK  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 18, 2020

READ: MHA gives nod to bring back 414 seafarers stranded in Italy through three special flights

SOP for returning back to India

According to the SOP, those who wish to return to India must register themselves with the Indian Missions in the country where they are stranded, along with necessary details as prescribed by the Ministry of External Affairs. They will have to travel to India by non-scheduled commercial flights that will be arranged by the Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA) and naval ships to be arranged by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). Only those crew/staff, who have tested negative for COVID-19, will be allowed to operate the flight/ship.

The MHA said priority will be given to compelling cases in distress including migrant workers/labourers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with the expiry of visa, persons with medical emergencies/ pregnant women/ elderly, those required to return to India due to death of family member and students. The cost of travel, as specified by the MoCA and DMA will be borne by such travellers.

READ: COVID-19: Stranded Indians in Israel excited to return home on May 25

Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 count reached 96,169. Of these 36,823 have been cured & 3,029 have died. The country has extended the nationwide lockdown till May 31 with a new set of guidelines issued by the MHA. Issuing a nine-page guideline, the Union Home Ministry listed the dos and don'ts during the lockdown 4.0. Ahead of the nationwide lockdown, five states - Punjab, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana had already extended their state lockdown as cases soared, while Karanataka had extended its lockdown till May 19.

READ: Last batch of 310 stranded pilgrims evacuated from Iran, return to Ladakh

READ: MHA launches 'National Migrant Information System' to track their movement across states

(Image credits: PTI)
'I remember when lockdown was announced, I thought, 'I am going to go insane!'" says Martina Collender, writer and playwright from Waterford. "I was seeing a counsellor for anxiety, depression, paranoia, and eating disorder issues," says the 29-year-old, who has been confined to her family home for the last few weeks. "I am so grateful my therapist could adapt his service and be there for me during this time."

Martina is just one of several persons accessing virtual support to manage her mental health. "Working online can be just as meaningful as face-to-face therapy" says Clinical Psychologist Dr Claire Hayes. "I am delivering online therapy for a number of years and I find it very effective".

Dr Hayes specialises in the treatment of anxiety and finds that her therapeutic methods lend well to online video sessions. "One of the key aspects of my work is psycho-education" says Dr Hayes, "in other words, explaining what anxiety actually is. Online therapy can also be used to deliver relaxation exercises or work on visualisations. To be honest, I sometimes forget that the person isn't physically in the room." Dr Hayes is dealing with the same issues as always in both old and new clients; primarily depression, anxiety, and stress. She acknowledges that online therapy may not be the best option for a person experiencing psychosis, or paranoia, for example, but it is still worth opening the conversation with someone online to find out the best option for help.

"I would think if someone is very fragile or vulnerable, it is important to meet someone face to face; in that case, it would be better to go to Accident and Emergency to have a psychiatric assessment. But an online therapist can help flag that. If I'm working with someone online, and my sense is that I'm not the right person to be working with them, then I will say that."

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Psychotherapist Belinda Kelly of Dun Laoghaire Psychotherapy Practice has been delivering her mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) over the internet. "Up until recently I worked with almost all my clients face to face" says Ms Kelly, "but for the last two years I have been working online with adults and adolescents who live abroad or far outside Dublin. I would say it can be used to treat a range of problems, such as anxiety disorders, work-related issues, loneliness and isolation, grief, parenting issues, existential loss or lack of meaning".

Much of Ms Kelly's work involves checking in with the client's body, something she still finds feasible over video. "Over the web I can still pay attention to their breathing and their gaze. I try to have them in the same room, and see as much of them as possible" she says. Ms Kelly also finds it is just as easy to use CBT methods to break down a problem on Skype or Zoom. "If someone has insomnia or sleeping problems for example, I can use CBT to break down what is happening and when it is happening".

Similar to Dr Hayes, Ms Kelly would not recommend virtual therapy for any client who is actively suicidal, or suffering from PTSD, bipolar disorder or a psychosis. That being said, she is keen to encourage people to explore online therapy as an option. "We know through research from search engine analytics that many people right now are feeling isolated and anxious. But they are not searching for online therapy. I wonder if there is a misconception that it's not beneficial, even though research shows online therapy can be highly effective," she says.

One area where people are especially seeking counsel is relationships, and Psychotherapist/Sex & Relationships Counsellor Natalya Price (mindandbodyworks.com) has had a steady surge in clientele seeking virtual help.

"I feared that online work without face-to-face contact might feel distant," says Ms Price, "but in fact I find it is the opposite." Ms Price works with both individuals and couples on a variety of issues relating to relationships, from romantic partnerships to parent-child relationships, friendships or work-based relations. "I feel there is a new energy and intensity to the online sessions. A lot of clients are more focused; a lot are taking notes and being more intentional about their work." In the intensity of lockdown, Ms Price emphasises that old relationship strife can resurface, and it is now more important than ever to learn to communicate and negotiate differences. "For some couples, old disagreements about sex are coming to the fore; they can't hide behind old excuses. I could work with a couple, in their 40s for example, who have kids and ageing parents, and a lot of pressures from different sides. In this lockdown, their old problems of desire discrepancy and different attitudes to sex become impossible to avoid. Through working with me, over video or the phone, they learn to listen to each other with curiosity and compassion. They put time into creating a new vision for their sex life, and deepen their overall intimacy."

Ms Price underlines that it is not only persons in difficulty seeking her help, but people are also using their downtime to create positive outcomes for the future. "I have people using this time just for personal development, just to explore and see how they can feel better in future. People used to be busy at weekends or evenings, and struggled to come to see me. Now they have the time." she says. "Lots of people are coming to me to explore what they want from relationships and creating a new vision for themselves, so it can be quite an exciting time for some."

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She mentions the main obstacle to beginning work with a client virtually is the issue of privacy. "Any situation where a client's privacy can be compromised (ie overheard by a controlling partner) would not be suitable, but you can be creative about privacy. I have clients who chat to me from their cars," she says.

Radio presenter, author and DJ, Nikki Hayes, has been working with a mental health team for the past decade to treat her borderline personality disorder (BPD), and acknowledges that virtual therapy has been a saving grace for her. "My mental health nurse is my lifeline" says Nikki, "without him, I'd be lost". Nikki is in contact with her psychiatrist and mental health nurse over the phone, and can use this time to revise the therapeutic methods which have previously helped her. "My whole crisis with BPD is mood swings. A lot of it is crisis management. Over the phone we try to re-instate the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills I've already learned".

To anyone considering accessing virtual therapy, Nikki would advise biting the bullet. "Just do it, just talk to somebody" she says. "When I had my breakdown I didn't talk and it got worse and worse. The kettle boiled and I couldn't take anymore. If you want to go online, there are services out there, just use them; because talking does help."

If you are experiencing ill mental health and need support: Speak to your GP. Your doctor will assess which supports would be most appropriate for you. When seeking a therapist, look to an accredited body. The Psychological Society of Ireland and the Irish Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (IACP) or the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy(IAHIP) will give you a directory of qualified, regulated therapists. Find a full list of free online, phone and text support services at www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/connecting-for-life/news/supports-and-services-during-covid-19.html or freephone Samaritans 116 123
A protestor wears a face mask reading "Give Gates (refering to Bill Gates) no Chance" as she attends a protest against restrictions implemented in order to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic, on May 16, 2020 near the Chancellery and the Reichstag building (reflected in her glasses) in Berlin. - From anger over lockdown measures to a purported vaccine plan by Bill Gates: a growing wave of demonstrations in Germany by conspiracy theorists, extremists and anti-vaxxers has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Photo | AFP)

Paris: False claims targeting billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates are gaining traction online since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, with experts warning they could hamper efforts to curb the virus.

Doctored photos and fabricated news articles crafted by conspiracy theoristsshared thousands of times on social media platforms and messaging apps, in various languageshave gone as far as accusing the Microsoft founder of creating the outbreak.

Gates, who has pledged $250 million to efforts to fight the pandemic, is the latest in a string of online targets despite the World Health Organizations efforts to fight what it called an infodemicmisinformation fanned by panic and confusion about the virus.

In recent months, 5G networks and Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros have also been blamed for creating COVID-19, which has killed more than 315,000 people around the world.

Bill Gates has always been a target of specific conspiracy communities, said Rory Smith, research manager at First Draft, a non-profit that provides research and training for journalists.

Gateswhose eponymous foundation has spent billions of dollars improving healthcare in developing countries over the past 20 yearshas become a kind of abstract boogeyman, said Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor at New Yorks Syracuse University, where she teaches digital ethics.

A video accusing Gates of wanting to eliminate 15 percent of the population through vaccination and electronic microchips has racked up nearly two million views on YouTube.

Similar allegations exploded between January and April, Smith told AFP.

Exploiting the crisis

Since the start of the crisis, AFP Fact Check has debunked dozens of anti-Gates rumours circulating on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in languages including English, French, Spanish, Polish and Czech.

A number of accusations, including posts claiming that the FBI arrested Gates for biological terrorism or that he supports a Western plot to poison Africans, share a common thread.

They accuse the tycoon of exploiting the crisis, whether it is to control people or make money from selling vaccines.

These conspiracies are powerful enough to drive down institutional trust around health organisations, and as a result, possibly drive down vaccination rates, which is worrying, Smith said.

Gates vocal criticism of US President Donald Trump and support for vaccine development made him the perfect scapegoat for a crisis that emerges on the intersection of technology and (medical) science, Kinga Polynczuk-Alenius, a social sciences researcher at Finlands University of Helsinki, wrote in a university blog post.

It is not the first time Gates has found himself at the mercy of conspiracy theorists. When Zika virus broke out in 2015 in Brazil, he was one of several powerful Western figures blamed for the disease.

Other rumours claim that he is secretly a lizard, an old favourite among online trolls.

He hasnt become conspiracists favourite target, he has been (their favourite target) for a long time, Sylvain Delouvee, a social psychology researcher at Frances University of Rennes, told AFP.

Predicted the pandemic

The recent explosion in false claims could be explained as a coping mechanism during the global crisis, Smith said.

People are constantly looking for information to make sense out of this reality, and having these conspiracies offers a convenient way of having power over your situation, he said.

The pandemic has also provided fertile breeding ground for attacks on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, particularly by anti-vaccine campaigners whose influential online presence was already brewing years before the virus emerged.

The charitys humanitarian work in Africa, where misinformation about Gates is particularly present, and financial support of the World Health Organisationit is the agencys second-largest donorhave fed rumours of dark secrets and ploys for power.

Several widely shared posts point to photographs of Gates attending a coronavirus conference in 2015. Conclusion? He predicted the pandemic.

In reality, he was meeting with a research institute that had filed for a patent to potentially be used for a vaccine against a different type of coronavirus that affects animals.

Like many scientists, Gates had already warned of an imminent pandemic in the years before the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Conspiracies creeping into mainstream

Gates has also come under attack from celebrities.

Conservative US television host Laura Ingraham claimed in an interview that Gates was developing tracking mechanisms. She was referring to a widely misinterpreted Reddit post by the billionaire about digital certificates to show who has recovered, been tested oreventuallyvaccinated.

Robert Kennedy Jr, the anti-Trump, anti-vaccine nephew of the former American president John F Kennedy, has accused the philanthropist of dictating global health policies.

Meanwhile, French Chocolat actress Juliette Binoche sparked controversy when she posted an Instagram post blasting Gates and calling for the rejection of a microchip implant for all.

Debunking misinformation is not about saying that everyone is a good guy, said Delouvee at Frances University of Rennes, pointing to privacy concerns around the race to build coronavirus tracking apps and governments use of medical data.

The Gates Foundation has come under fire in publications such as The Lancet medical journal, which accused it of a lack of transparency over its financial investments, but that is different from misguided beliefs that he orchestrated the whole pandemic.

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Mohammed Alshamrani in a photo released by the FBI. - (FBI)By ALEXANDER MALLIN, LUKE BARR, JACK DATE and ELIZABETH MCLAUGHLIN, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Monday that Pensacola Naval Air Station shooting suspect Mohammed Alshamrani communicated with an al-Qaeda operative based on evidence revealed from his iPhones.



Alshamrani made efforts to destroy his phones, even shooting a bullet through one of them, Barr said.



"The phones contained information previously unknown to us that definitively establishes Alshamrani's significant ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), not only before the attack, but before he even arrived in the United States. We now have a clearer understanding of Alshamrani's associations and activities in the years, months and days leading up to his attack," he said.



FBI technicians found a solution to unlock the phones, after months of efforts to defeat Apples security measures. The Justice Department requested Apples assistance in opening the phones, but to received none.



We needed some luck here, Barr said during a virtual press conference.



From the new evidence, the investigators now believe Alshamrani had been preparing for years after being radicalized in 2015 and joined the Royal Saudi Air Force in order to carry out a special operation. Alshamrani continued to communicate with AQAP right up until the attack, they said.



Alshamrani was killed by law enforcement during the attack.



Barr said that, because of the work of the FBI, a counterterrorism strike against one of the shooters overseas associates, Abdullah Almalki, was recently conducted in Yemen.



"We will not hesitate to act against those who harm, Americans," he said.



Barr said that President Donald Trump asked Apple for help, but it proved to be of no avail.



FBI Director Christopher Wray went into more detail about the shooter's alleged radicalization.



"The new evidence shows that Alshamrani had radicalized not after training here in the United States, but at least as far back as 2015. And then he had been connecting and associating with a number of dangerous AQAP operatives ever since," Wray said.



Wray also said that the technique they used is not a fix for the "broader Apple problem."



The FBI Director said they "effectively received no help from Apple."



The Defense Department, in a statement said that they are working with the FBI "s they uncover more information pertaining to the terrorist, his links with al-Qaida, and the methods he used to conceal this from us. At the same time, we continue to review our procedures to identify any additional vetting and security measures we can adopt."



The Department said that the information "underscores the threats to our nation posed by al-Qaida and its affiliates."



Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that they are working to secure military members around the country.



Based on the FBI findings, and in addition to already executed protective measures, the Department will take further prudent and effective measures to safeguard our people, he said.



The director said that FBI technology experts had taken valuable time to do this work, and it prevented them in some instances from other cases when they had court approval for search warrants.



"We should also be thinking about the cost of all that work, public servants, already swamped with important things to do to protect the American people, toiling through a pandemic and with all the risk and hardship that entails had to spend all that time, just to access evidence that we had court authorized search warrants four months ago," he said.



Wray said that the time it took to unlock the phones, "seriously hampered this investigation, finally getting our hands on the evidence extra money tried to keep from us, is great, but we really needed it months ago back in December, when the court issued its warrants."



The shooting at that Pensacola, Florida, naval base in December killed four people, including the suspect, and wounded eight.



In a news conference in January, the attorney general said an investigation of the shooter has determined he was "motivated by jihadist ideology," and called the attack an "act of terrorism."



The Justice Department has said that twelve of the 21 Saudi students identified were trainees at the Pensacola Naval Air Station while the other nine were receiving their training in military facilities across the U.S.



A review of the trainees computers and personal devices found that several of the students had possessed "derogatory material.



"Seventeen had social media containing some jihadi or anti-American content," Barr said. "However, there was no evidence of any affiliation or involvement with any terrorist activity or group. 15 individuals (including some of the 17 just mentioned) had had some kind of contact with child pornography."



The trainees were not prosecuted by the United States, but the Saudi armed forces had determined the cases "demonstrated conduct unbecoming an officer," and the students were subsequently dis-enrolled from service, Barr said.



On Sept. 11, the shooter posted a message on social media the countdown has begun." Investigators also learned that he visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City over Thanksgiving weekend, and posted anti-American messages as recently as two hours before carrying out the attack at the base.



FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said at the time, the FBI interviewed more than 500 people. The shooting itself lasted 15 minutes, Bowdich said, he was engaged by law enforcement about eight minutes in. He was killed by responding law enforcement and found to have possessed 180 rounds of ammunition.



The FBI also determined that the shooter had studied al-Qaedas U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, whose propaganda campaign may have inspired more radicals than anyone outside of Osama Bin Laden before he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011.



The shooting also exposed a rift between U.S. law enforcement and Apple.



At the time, Barr and Bowdich criticized Apple for its lack of cooperation, saying that the company has has not given us any substantive assistance.



Apple, in a statement, rebutted the characterization.



"The characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation. Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing."



"Within hours of the FBIs first request on December 6th, we produced a wide variety of information associated with the investigation. From December 7th through the 14th, we received six additional legal requests and in response provided information including iCloud backups, account information and transactional data for multiple accounts," the company said.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin Liga.net

Over 230,000 Ukrainians have been evacuated to the motherland since the lockdown limitations began worldwide. Yevhen Yenin, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, said that in an interview for Radio Liberty.

According to the Ukrainian diplomat, the procedure carries on, in spite of certain difficulties that are due to peculiar circumstances in various countries.

On May 13, Boryspil airport hosted two flights from Amsterdam and Athens; the aircraft brought 287 Ukrainian citizens back home.

Ukraine resumed the practice of evacuation of citizens from abroad with special flights in late April.

The level of infection with coronavirus in Ukraine is lower than in Europe and the United States, but the statistics are real. The speaker of the parliament Dmytro Razumkov stated this on the air of 112 Ukraine TV channel.



"In Ukraine, no one is adding anything (to this data). Fortunately, we have lower rates than in European countries, in the USA. The fact that a state of emergency has been declared in all US states is an indicator. What we saw in Europe is unfortunately not a horror film, this is reality. The fact that we see the spread of this disease throughout the world is also true," said Razumkov.



The new disease affects not only people but also economies, the global structure of the world as a whole. The consequences of this process, according to Razumkov, are unpredictable.
Mumbai, May 18 : Maharashtra on Monday recorded its second highest surge of 2,033 Covid-19 cases - after Monday's 2,347 - and notched 51 deaths on the first day of lockdown 4.0, officials said here.

This comes to a staggering surge of around 85 new cases every hour and a death rate of roughly two fatalities every hour in the state.

With 51 fatalities - down from the previous high of 63 notched on May 17 -- the state death toll now stands at 1,249 and the total number of coronavirus patients increased from 33,053 to 35,058 on Monday, after the previous steepest single-day jump of 2,347 recorded on Sunday.

The Health Department said of the total number of cases, 25,392 were active cases, up by 1,231 over Sunday's figures.

Of the total deaths, 23 were recorded in Mumbai alone, besides one from Bihar, while the city's toll increased from Sunday's 734 to 757, and the number of Covid-19 positive patients here shot up by 1,185 cases to touch 22,335.

Mumbai's Dharavi slum alone continued to be a major hotspot and a headache for the health authorities, notching 85 new cases, taking the total number of patients to 1,327, and 56 deaths to date.

Besides Mumbai's 23 deaths, there were 9 in Thane (Navi Mumbai-Bhiwandi), eight in Pune, three in Jalgaon, two each in Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Nagpur, and one in Palghar.

They comprised 35 men and 16 women, and nearly 68 per cent of them suffered from other serious ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, heart problems and asthma.

In a setback, Gadchiroli district which was in the green zone, suddenly moved into the orange zone with the detection of 5 infected persons.

According to officials, they had reportedly gone from Mumbai to Gadchiroli and were in quarantine when their test reports came as Covid-19 positive.

On the positive side, the highest number of 749 fully cured patients returned home on Monday, taking the number of those discharged to 8,437.

Sounding relief for the state police, around 10 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) reached the state, including five for Mumbai and the rest for Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Amravati, said Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The state had last week had sought 20 companies of CAPF to give the state police some rest and also to ensure there are no law and order problems during the upcoming Eid festival next week.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Thane Division) continued to cause huge concerns with 844 Covid-19 deaths and cases shooting to 26,646, with Thane district notching 57 deaths, Palghar 14 and Raigad 16 fatalities so far.

Though trailing a distant second after Mumbai, Pune Division fatalities touched 232, besides 4,640 patients.

The next major area of concern is Nashik Division with 83 deaths and 1,341 positive cases, followed by Aurangabad Division with 34 fatalities and 1,121 cases, and finally Akola Division with 29 deaths and 522 cases.

There's also Latur Division with 6 deaths and 142 cases, Kolhapur Division with 5 deaths and 216 patients, and finally Nagpur Division with 5 deaths and 387 patients.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home quarantine increased from 348,508 to 366,242, and those in institutional quarantine went up from 17,638 to 18,678, while the state's containment zones decreased from 1,688 on Sunday to 1,681 on Monday.

As many as 14,041 teams have carried out a survey of a population of around 60.4 lakhs in the state to date as the state started into Lockdown 4.0 till May 31.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Metro Line 5 has completed its pre-feasibility study and is waiting for approval to proceed (Image: Metro Line 1)

The Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee asked the Department of Planning and Investment to co-operate with relevant agencies to consider the pre-feasibility study of Metro Line 5.

According to the latest data from Transport Engineering Design Inc. based on a study from Spain-based ICOM consulting firm, Metro Line 5 will include a 7.46-kilometer-long underground section and a 1.43km elevated section, with eight stations.

The project has a total investment capital of $1.69 billion, which will be sponsored by the Spanish Government, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and German development bank KfW.

The construction work is planned to last from 2025 to 2029 and is slated for operation in 2030.

MAUR is working with Import-Export Bank of Korea (KEXIM) and some South Korean investors to prepare for the signing of an MoU for the projects second phase (connecting Bay Hien Crossroad and New Can Giuoc Station), under the public-private partnership (PPP) format.

According to the approved planning, Ho Chi Minh City will have eight metro lines with the total length of 220km and cost of $25 billion. As of now, Line 1 (connecting Ben Thanh with Suoi Tien) and LIne 2 (connecting Ben Thanh and Tham Luong) have begun construction works funded by Japanese official development assistance and preferential loans.

Ho Chi Minh City is seeking the prime minister's approval for the project to build Metro Line 3A connecting Ben Thanh and Tan Kien with the total investment capital of VND68 trillion ($2.96 billion). According to a study conducted by JICA, the project will span 20km with 18 stations through eight districts.

The construction is designed in two phases. The first one spans 9.9km and the construction is expected to be implemented in 2025-2031. The construction of the second phase is expected to last from 2028 to 2034.
Ed Broking, the London-based reinsurance, wholesale and specialty broker, announced the external launch of its TradEd portals for carriers and clients in Bermuda.

TradEd, the e-trading platform that is used in-house by BGC insurance companies* globally, is now available to clients and carriers on the island, enabling placement of risk for all parties.

The application is data first, and  unusually for this type of system  offers up to 700 structured data items via an application program interface (API).

TradEd enables carriers to view large and complex risk submissions and associated risk details for all classes on re/insurance, make queries, see material information updates in real time, edit deal documents online while simultaneously updating the underlying data model, and quote / reject / offer / negotiate and bind electronically.

Prior attempts at electronic trading of complex risk have been focused on either attachments and comparison, or an expectation that the deal be underwritten offline but priced online. For the last two years TradEd has focused on data and workflow to enable both process and execution efficiency. The entire underwriting and broking process is digitally enabled and fundamentally changes the way we think about placing risk, commented Jonathan Prinn, managing director, BGC Partners.

From day one, bringing TradEd to Bermuda has been a fundamental part of our plan. We have been working very hard over the last few months to make this next step in TradEds development a reality, said Chris Bonard, CEO of Ed Bermuda.

We have always said that investment in technology is a vital part of BGCIs strategic growth plans. The advanced application of technology is an important component in our offering, as we believe that improving efficiency in the re/insurance placement and purchase process offers benefits to all market participants, according to Steve Hearn, CEO of BGC Insurance.

* BGC Insurance Group provides global wholesale specialty insurance and reinsurance broking solutions, operating a group of specialist brands: Besso, Cooper Gay France, Ed, Junge and PiiQ. The groups underwriting operations  Epsilon, Globe Underwriting and Cooper Gay France  provide specialist insurance products and services in the U.K., France and Australia. BGC Insurance Group is the insurance division of BGC Partners, a New York and London-based global financial brokerage and technology company.

Source: Ed

Topics Reinsurance France
Stay home? Wash hands? But 1.8 billion remain homeless, 3 billion have no access to water By Thalif Deen View(s): View(s):

UNITED NATIONS (IPS)  The relentless battle against the devastating coronavirus pandemic has been underlined by several widespread advisories from health experts  STAY HOME. WASH YOUR HANDS. WEAR MASK. KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCE.

But the UK-based WaterAid and UN Habitat in Nairobi point out the paradox in at least two of the warnings: a staggering 3.0 billion people worldwide have no water to wash their hands and over 1.8 billion people have no adequate shelteror homes to go to.

The deadly coronavirus pandemic has undermined the UNs battle against extreme poverty and hunger, and upended its longstanding campaign for water and sanitation for all and shelter for the homeless - all of which are an integral part of the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The poorest people in the world are being left to face the COVID-19 pandemic alone, says WaterAid, with not even the most basic defence  clean water and a bar of soap, one way to prevent the spread of the disease.

And worse still, in over 50 recent financial commitments made by donor agencies to developing countries, only 6 of them have any mention of hygiene, complains WaterAid, an international non-governmental organisation, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene.

Meanwhile, in terms of homelessness, even the worlds rich nations have not been spared.

In 2018, says Habitat, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless reported that homelessness had skyrocketed across the continent.

And in the United States, 500,000 people are currently homeless, 40 per cent of whom are unsheltered.

In a locked-down New York city, the homeless have virtually taken over empty subway cars while turning train stations into homeless shelters  even as City authorities are physically driving them onto the streets, with no homes to go to.

Kathryn Tobin, Advocacy Coordinator at WaterAid, told IPS the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail the focus of the international community away from the SDGs, especially with crises at home that may fuel anti-aid sentiment in industrialised countries.

But what should actually happen is the opposite: COVID-19 should be a wake-up call to the world that our current trajectory is not only unsustainable but destructive, especially for those already living in poverty and facing discrimination, she added.

The pandemic should inspire a global turning point, towards a massive increase in public spending for health, water and sanitation, housing and infrastructure required to tamp the flow of the virus, but also for social protection, education, living wages, and the rest of the SDGs, to address the economic impact of the pandemic through major economic stimulus as weve seen in the richer countries, Tobin argued.

Pedro Conceicao, Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP, told IPS that UNDP recently published two dashboards with data for 189 countries and territories that revealed significant disparities on countriesI abilities to cope with and recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

And these differences, he pointed out, include but also go beyond the capacity of their health systems.

He pointed out that more than 40 percent of the global population does not have any social protection and more than 6.5 billion people around the globe  85 percent of the global population  still dont have access to reliable broadband internet, which limits their ability to work and continue their education.

It is important to ensure the response to COVID-19 comes with an equity lens. Countries, communities and groups that were already lagging behind will be particularly affected by the fallout from COVID-19.

If they are left further behind, he warned, the consequences could have long-term impacts in advancing human development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) mid-2020 report, released May 13, the pandemic will likely cause an estimated 34.3 million people to fall below the extreme poverty line in 2020, with 56% of this increase occurring in African countries,

An additional 130 million people may join to the ranks of people living in extreme poverty by 2030, dealing a huge blow to global efforts for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

The pandemic, which is disproportionately hurting low-skilled, low-wage jobs, while leaving higher-skilled jobs less affected  will further widen income inequality within and between countries, the report noted.

In an joint op-ed piece for IPS, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat & Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, call on governments to take steps to protect people who are the most vulnerable to the pandemic by providing adequate shelter where it is lacking and ensuring the housed do not become homeless because of the economic consequences of the pandemic.

These crucial measures include stopping all evictions, postponing eviction court proceedings, prohibiting utility shut-offs and ensuring renters and mortgage payers do not accrue insurmountable debt during lockdowns.

In addition, vacant housing and hotel rooms should be allocated to people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. Basic health care should be provided to people living in homelessness regardless of citizenship status and cash transfers should be established for people in urgent need.

WaterAids Tobin said for those with historical obligations to provide development assistance and climate finance, COVID-19 should inject an urgency to provide unconditional and immediate financing (through debt cancellation, a new allocation of SDRs, global taxation, all the measures we outline in our blog) to enable developing countries to fund their COVID-19 response.

But these should not be temporary relief measures.

COVID, she said, should inspire a new social contract between states and their people (regardless of citizenship), and reignite multilateralism to redirect the world towards climate justice, economic justice, gender justice, etc.

The pandemic should not be used as an excuse to postpone the fulfilment of the SDGs (kicking the can down the road and leaving the world even less prepared for the next pandemic or manifestation of climate crisis) but should be the moment in which governments band together to fulfil their duty of care for both people and the planet, she declared.

Meanwhile, the World Health Assembly is scheduled to meet next week, but current drafts of the resolution have failed to put any emphasis on how vital hygiene is and there is no plan as to how to close the huge access gap.

Vaccines and therapeutics are obviously vital, but equal emphasis needs to be put on prevention, especially in countries with such weak health systems, a statement from WaterAid.

The draft World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on COVID-19, which will be discussed at a virtual WHA next week, has no mention of water and hygiene access as fundamental preventative and protective measures, and fails to put in place any sort of plan to tackle the huge gaps in access to this first line of defence.

WaterAid believes this is a dereliction of duty from both donor countries and national governments of countries where access is low, and flies in the face of WHOs advice to Member States which calls for urgent provision of hygiene services in communities and health centres.

(The writer can be contacted

at thalifdeen@ips.org)
Announcement by Tripoli-based administration comes after month-long offensive against forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar.

Libyas internationally-recognised government says it has captured the strategic al-Watiya airbase from fighters loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar.

Military spokesman Mohamed Gnunu said in a Twitter post on Monday the forces of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) had taken over the entirety of the base near the Tunisian border.

The announcement by the administration of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj came after a month-long counteroffensive that has seen forces allied to it drive Haftars troops out of much of Libyas western coast.

Haftar launched an offensive in April 2019 to seize control of Tripoli, resulting in a stalemated conflict that has killed more than 1,000 people.

Analysts say the GNAs capture of al-Watiya, located some 25km (16 miles) from the Tunisia border, will allow its forces to fully focus on repelling Haftars fighters in southern Tripoli.

After a withdrawal of #LAAF-aligned forces, the capture of #Wutiya by #GNA-aligned forces is confirmed. The base has been a strategic asset for #Haftar for over half a decade. Though its capture is by & large symbolic militarily, strategically & morale-wise, it is significant. https://t.co/2uIMmtToOu pic.twitter.com/xbY1zpkWyv  Emadeddin Badi (@emad_badi) May 18, 2020

This will change the balance of power in favour of the GNA. It is a major setback for Haftar as it is the last stronghold for his forces in western Libya, said Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli.

Haftars forces have launched air strikes from that base to target government troops in several locations in western Libya, especially in the confrontation axes in southern Tripoli.

Anas el Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute think-tank, told Al Jazeera the GNAs capture of the base has altered the military calculus in western Libya.

Its a major development because it really alters the way in which Haftar can continue his offensive on Tripoli, the way he can use logistics to supply his troops, to provide them munitions and provide them a platform to circumvent the GNAs troops, he said.

This frees up the GNA troops capacity now, to move down towards the south of Tripoli, towards Tarhuna, which is the last line of Haftars offensive. It signifies that Haftars forces are on the retreat, he added.

The North African country, a major oil producer, has been mired in chaos since 2011 when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in a NATO-backed uprising.

It is now split between two rival administrations: The GNA in Tripoli and the eastern-based House of Representatives allied with Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army.
A nine-year-old boy has been hailed a hero for saving his family from fire as their home south of Perth went up in flames.

A smart doorbell captured the moment Cassius Pickett escaped the fire and rushed to nearby neighbours on the Kewdale street frantically raising the alarm late at night on May 10.

Cassius Pickett has been hailed a hero after saving his family from a house fire. Credit:Nine News Perth

But its what the boy did inside the burning home thats even more impressive.

As the blaze erupted, the roof began collapsing above his helpless 13-month-old brother lying on the bed.
Geneva, May 18 : The World Health Organization (WHO), which has been at the forefront of the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, was preparing to launch one of its most complex assemblies since its inception.

On Monday, representatives of the UN's 194 member states will gather for the 73rd Assembly devoted almost entirely to strengthen global coordination against the pandemic, reports Efe news.

The assembly will last two days and will be held in a virtual format due to restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December.

The annual meeting comes at a time when WHO has attracted unprecedented global attention for its coordinating and advisory role during the pandemic which has infected a total of 4,713,620 people globally and killed 315,185 others.

But the organization has not escaped criticism nor controversy during its handling of the crisis, with the bulk of accusations of mismanagement coming from the US government, but also Australia and Germany.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has weathered much of the criticism and has been accused by US President Donald Trump of being biased towards Chinese information in the first weeks of the outbreak at the beginning of the year.

Ghebreyesus famously said that China had set "a new standard for outbreak control" and that the country's actions had "bought the world time".

This did not stop Trump from freezing US funding of WHO in April, which amounts to around 15 per cent of the organization's entire budget.

Up until then, the US had traditionally been the organization's main donor.

There will be another thorny issue on the agenda: whether to include Taiwan as an observer of the Assembly.

Taiwan became the first country in the world to deploy prevention measures against the coronavirus which resulted in only 440 cases and seven deaths, despite being just 180 km from China.

Diplomatic allies of the island, including Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Paraguay, have formally requested to invite Taiwan to the meeting.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also publicly requested for the island-state to be present.

Member states will vote on whether to invite Taiwan into the assembly at the beginning but a unanimous result is necessary and the many think it is unlikely the Chinese government will allow it.

Ever since pro-independence President Tsao Ing-wen was sworn into office in 2016, China has vetoed the country's inclusion in the UN.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
More than 500 students representing three schools  the College of Arts and Science, Atkinson Graduate School of Management and the College of Law  graduated from Willamette University on Sunday.

The university held virtual ceremonies and celebrations during this unprecedented time of stay-home orders. Each event was highlighted an invocation by Chaplain Karen Wood, a guest speaker and a presentation of the class.

Separate events recognized Distinguished Senior Awards, a Phi Beta Kappa induction, a multi-faith celebration and graduating LGBTQ students and students of color. An online meet and greet with faculty was also available.

Willamette celebrated about 349 undergraduates and featured speaker Alexandra Binder 20.

AGSM recognized 119 graduates, including those in the new Data Science for Professionals program, and featured speaker Melissa Joe 20, president of the Atkinson Student Association.

The College of Law honored about 108 graduates and featured speaker Meagan A. Flynn 89, associate justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.

Willamette Academy recognized 28 graduates and about 10 have so far committed to the university this fall.

Emeriti Faculty

Director of Choral Activities Wallace Long, Jr.  36 years of service

Professor and Director of the Debate Union Robert Trapp  29 years of service

Professor of Law Vincent Chiappetta  22 years of service

Maynard and Bertha Wilson Professor of Law David S. Clark  18 years of service
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Linkedin Chantal Valery (Agence France-Presse) Mykonos, Greece  Mon, May 18, 2020 14:01 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8c7fca 2 News Mykonos,greece,tourism,travel,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic Free

Seated on stone steps beside his Mykonos souvenir shop, Nikos Degaitis has for decades watched round-the-clock tourist crowds snake through the iconic Greek island town's labyrinthine alleys.

Until now.

"I've never seen such desolation," the 86-year-old told AFP.

The lodestone of Greece's travel season alongside Santorini, Mykonos has paid the price of the coronavirus lockdown like the rest of the tourism-dependent country.

"We feel like in a ghost town. No one is walking around, it's very scary now," says Lorraine McDermott, an Irishwoman who has lived on the island for nearly three decades.

"Usually it's crowded, there are sounds, music, traffic is tremendous," says McDermott, who rents rooms in the picturesque port town with her Greek husband.

The island depends on tourism for 80 percent of its livelihood, she notes.

Most Greek businesses were shut down in March after the country recorded its first COVID-19 death, and travel to the islands was restricted in a six-week clampdown that has only recently begun to be eased.

Greek officials have announced that normally year-round hotels and restaurants are to resume operation on June 1 with strict distancing rules.

Other tourist resorts are expected to open on June 8, Greek Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Thursday.

But many operators here, like in the rest of the country, are wondering whether it is worth resuming business at all under such strict rules.

Read also: Greece to reopen museums mid-June: Minister

'Scared to serve'

"Even if I open up, I will be scared to serve and help customers," says Degaitis, who has run his souvenir shop for 65 years.

"I can't stand this sort of thing, wear a mask, keep two meters (apart), it's better that the shop is closed and for me to go to bed," he adds.

"The rules are too tough, all the routines will change, how does one respect the rules in such a tiny street?" wonders his grandson George Dasouras.

In April, the Hellenic chamber of hotels said the sector calculated a 4.46-billion-euro ($4.9-billion) loss of revenue because of the virus this year, with over 45,000 jobs at risk.

Last year, some 700,000 people were employed in the Greek tourism sector overall between June and September.

On Paradise, one of Mykonos' world-renowned beaches, turtledoves have replaced the dusk-to-dawn scrum of tanning bodies.

"Last year, we had 600 to 700 sunbeds. As far as things stand today, we don't even have one," says Damianos Daktilidis, owner of the Tropicana beach club.

"I have not calculated the percentage of losses, we don't want to calculate, we hope that the year will be salvaged from July (onward)," he adds.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that the "best-case scenario" is for Greece to "open for business" from foreign travelers on July 1.

Read also: Booking apps and electronic tags? Italy's beaches seek to salvage summer

'Bring people safely'

"We will find a way to bring people over safely. I estimate it will be a totally different story from late July," the premier told store owners in Athens on Thursday.

Greece wants to capitalize on its relatively slow spread of the virus compared to other European countries.

As of Thursday, the death toll stood at 156 in the country of 11 million. Out of over 2,700 cases, just two were on Mykonos.

"We are at a better starting point than other countries to receive a large number of tourists... nobody knows how many. Naturally, this summer will not be like the previous one," government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Thursday.

The EU this week said holidaymakers could be asked to wear face masks on planes, respect social distancing on the beach and even book slots to use hotel pools.

"A lot will depend on how many customers we have. What if there's a (virus) incident inside the hotel?" says hotelier Vassilis Theodoropoulos, noting that it will hardly be worth reopening his business only to shut it down every time there is an outbreak.

The Greek government has announced a support package of around 24 billion euros, including EU funds, to help shore up the economy.

With tourism accounting for 12 percent of national output, Greece is expected to sink into a 10 percent recession this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The Greek finance ministry says the downturn can be limited to 4.7 percent, but the jobless rate will approach 20 percent.

"We're living day by day, I believe we'll only have August, September, October. July will be very slow," says McDermott.

"I'm afraid Greece is going to go back 10 years (in economic terms). It will take a few years before we come back on our feet," she says.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, has disclosed that the 533 workers of a fish-processing factory in Tema who came in contact with the virus through a colleague are fast responding to treatment.



He told NEAT FM in an interview on Ghana Montie programme that majority of them have now tested negative for the deadly virus and will soon be discharged.



If I tell you the number of recoveries in Tema, you will not believe. More than 80% of the factory workers have tested negative now, he told host Kwesi Aboagye.



Unions call for Covid-19 mass testing in Tema companies



The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) and the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) have called for mass Covid-19 testing at industries and companies in Tema to identify and isolate asymptomatic patients.



This, they noted, would prevent the recurrence of mass infection in companies operating in the industrial cum harbour city.



The unions called for the mass testing in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after 533 out of 1,300 workers of a well-known international fish processing company located in the Tema Fishing harbour enclave tested positive to Covid-19.



Background



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a state address on Sunday, May 10 disclosed that it is important to stress that 533 out of the 921 new cases recorded between last Wednesday and Thursday are factory workers from a fish processing factory located in Tema. All 533 persons were infected by one person.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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After going his separate ways with his 'secret' girlfriend of more than two years earlier this month, Matthew Perry is ready to start dating again.

The Friends star, 50, 'is back on' the dating app Raya  an invite-only service that tends to be more exclusive than Tinder  a source confirmed to Us Weekly.

The update comes after Perry split from girlfriend Molly Hurwitz, a 29-year-old Hollywood talent agent, which was confirmed on May 1.

Matthew Perry is ready to start dating again: The Friends star, 50, 'is back on' the dating app Raya  an invite-only service  a source has confirmed; seen here in 2017

The source said Perry is 'messaging girls and getting back into online dating again.'

According to the insider, the Fools Rush In actor had apparently deleted his Raya dating profile while he and Hurwitz were dating.

Just over two weeks ago, InTouch Weekly reported that Perry and Hurwitz ended their relationship, with a source saying: 'It happened very recently.

'It was very amicable, but they have both decided to go their separate ways.'

Ex: The update comes after Perry split from girlfriend Molly Hurwitz, a 29-year-old Hollywood talent agent, which was confirmed on May 1; Molly seen on YouTube

DailyMail.com had reached out to Perry's representatives for comment at the time.

News of their relationship had come as a shock to many fans, as the Friends actor was believed to have been single for years.

However back in December, The Sun reported that he and Hurwitz had been 'secretly dating' for a while.

Insta newbie: The Fools Rush In actor had apparently deleted his Raya dating profile while he and Hurwitz were dating, and he joined Instagram at her urging

And in February, Hurwitz reportedly gushed over Perry in a Valentines Day post on her Instagram account, captioning a picture with, 'Second year being my valentine, but his first as an Instagram influencer. HVD to my favorite,' as told by People magazine.

Now, news of their split may have come as somewhat of a disappointment to Perry's inner circle of friends, including costar Courteney Cox, who Us reports was rooting for the relationship and hoping to see her onscreen love interest Chandler settle down.

Before dating Molly, Matthew had been single since he ended his 6-year relationship with Masters of Sex actress Lizzy Caplan in 2012.

Around the end: Just over two weeks ago, InTouch Weekly reported that Perry and Hurwitz ended their relationship, with a source saying: 'It happened very recently'; seen on April 26
Ever hear the term, The Great Lakes of the South in reference to TVAs reservoirs? Most folks relate TVA to power generation or, for the last couple of years of record rainfall, to river management. While TVA does provide electricity, flood control and navigation, and has done so for 87 years now, it also provides a great deal of recreational opportunities on 293,000 acres of public lands and 650,000 surface acres of reservoir water.

In fact, you could look at Sept. 2, 1940 as a turning point for outdoor recreation in our seven state region. On that morning, a great deal of excitement radiated across the city of Chattanooga. Bunting decked the streets along with thousands of people hoping for a glimpse of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose car was making its way from the train station to Chickamauga Dam. A crowd of 50,000 gathered at the dam to hear FDRs speech dedicating Chickamauga, which he noted was the sixth in the series of mammoth structures built by the Tennessee Valley Authority for the people of the United States. He went on to state that the chain of man-made inland seas may well be named The Great Lakes of the South. Through them we are celebrating the opening of a new artery of commerce, new opportunities for recreation, relief from the desolation of floods, and new low-cost energy which has begun to flow to the homes and farms and industries in seven American states.

Later that afternoon, FDR would travel to Newfound Gap to dedicate The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, another federal resource that would lend itself to outdoor recreation. Both of FDRs activities on this day are indicative of the changing role of recreation in American life.

Programmatic recreation also began to play a larger part at TVA. In fact, in 1940, Roosevelt transmitted to Congress a TVA report entitled Recreation Development of the Tennessee River System. In this report, besides stating that recreation has emerged rather suddenly as an important factor in the cultural and economic life of the nation. It ranks with education as a social force and with agriculture, industry and commerce as an economic enterprise. This report went on to acknowledge that only a generation ago outdoor recreation was widely regarded as a polite form of indolence, and its economic importance was recognized only in well-established resort areas. Yet the emphasis that it is now receiving is the natural outgrowth of conditions and trends long in the making.

This uptick in recreation continued as a trend in American life. After World War II, as forty-hour work weeks and time-saving electric appliances became commonplace in most homes, growth in the recreational and tourism industries followed. TVA, with its many reservoirs, was able to take advantage of this national trend. All types of water sports, as well as picnicking and camping, became popular activities for many families in the region. To demonstrate recreation potential, TVA built five parks with overnight accommodations on its lakes shorelines--some of the first such parks in the nation. It turned these parks over to the states, which used them, in later years, as a springboard for developing their on park systems.

Today, recreational opportunities afforded by TVA continue to be favorable to our region, both in a pay and play way. While there are myriads of things to do, a May 2017 University of Tennessees Institute of Agriculture released a study estimating the economic value of the recreation made possible by the 49 reservoirs that TVA operates throughout the Valley. The study found that property owners on or near all of TVAs reservoirs, and those who use the reservoirs for aquatic recreation, account for an estimated $11.9 billion in economic benefit to our region each year. That averages out to about a million dollars a mile of economic impact along the nearly 11,000 miles of shoreline that comprise the Tennessee River system.

Last week we reopened most recreation areas including trails and boat ramps. As we continue to focus on health and safety during the pandemic, we hope you will take time to enjoy recreation on TVA lakes.
TDT | Manama

One hundred twenty-seven Indian expatriates, all of whom have pardoned inmates, including 56 Keralites, were repatriated to Cochin in the Indian state of Kerala yesterday on a Gulf Air chartered flight.

They were among the 901 inmates pardoned last March following a Royal decree issued by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Upon their arrival at Cochin International Airport, the Indian nationals were quarantined at School for Naval Airmen: Indian Navy, where they underwent screening for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Bahraini government has extended tremendous cooperation towards the Indian community in the country through this noble gesture, said Indian Embassy second secretary PK Chowdhury.

He expressed his tremendous gratitude towards the constant support of HM the King and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to the Indian migrant population in the Kingdom. Elaborating on the renewed cooperation with India since the maiden visit to Bahrain of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019, Choudhury especially thanked HM the King and the entire Royal Family for their compassion.

The released inmates were identified through a thorough review of their commitment to reform and rehabilitation measures placed by the authorities, said Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

The Interior Minister added that the review was based on the provisions and principles of the international human rights agreement.

Unable to arrange for the settlement of fines and return to their homelands, most inmates would have faced many years in prison, the Interior Minister said, adding that their pardoning highlights the compassion of the Royal Family especially as COVID-19 fears spread.
Australians have shared the shocking family secrets they've discovered by chance, including a woman who discovered her 'favourite' uncle is her father and a man who never knew about his girlfriend's extreme debt.

In a radio segment on Ash London Live with Angus and Dylan on Hit FM, the trio asked listeners to share their secrets on air after co-host Angus O'Loughlin said he dated a woman but never knew she was drowning in 'mountains of debt'.

'She had HECS from a degree she never finished, she had a credit card loan that was maxed out at $20,000 and she had personal loans with different lenders,' he said.

'And it was all because she wanted to keep up with a facade of a lifestyle she couldn't afford... Ironically, I paid for everything.'

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Australians have shared the shocking family secrets they've discovered by chance, including a woman who discovered her 'favourite' uncle is her father and a man who never knew about his girlfriend's extreme debt (stock image)

A caller, Sharon, revealed she found out her uncle is actually her biological dad, while her 'step father' is her uncle.

'I grew up with a father and then I found out he was my step father. But when I was 15, my mum turned around and said to me "oh your favourite uncle is actually your father and your step father is actually your uncle",' she said.

'So basically father to step father to uncle. I thought he was my step dad, found out that my step dad was my uncle and my favourite uncle is actually my father.

'My mother fell pregnant to one brother, he took off and married someone else so she married the other brother and had a kid.'

Another caller, John, said he never plucked up the courage to tell his wife he used to work in the sex industry as a male escort.

'So in my 20s, I worked as a male escort and then I met my wife but I never told her that part,' he explained.

'A few years later we were having a conversation and she said "well whatever was in the past, stays in the past... I'd never be angry at anything" but I still decided to keep that part to myself.'

Angus O'Loughlin (pictured with Ash London) revealed he dated a woman but never knew she was drowning in 'mountains of debt'

Meanwhile, Alicia revealed how her ex-partner was secretly spying on her after he gained access into her laptop and computer.

'My ex used to make out that I was crazy. He used to say that it's all in my head that my laptop and computer have been hacked,' she said.

'But he had gone into my settings and had the record button on so he could hear what was going on in my house. He didn't care what was happening with the kids, he didn't even see them because he knew what was happening.'

It wasn't until Alicia stumbled across a file titled 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', she discovered a 23-hour recording.

'I told him, I said "I've got you, I'm taking my computer to the cops and I'm going to get it forensically looked over". Four days later, my house burnt down.'
A police officer died Friday during a quarrel with his wife in Panama area of Timau Township, Meru County.

Michael Siwalo, 31, a Police Constable attached to Timau police station, sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his chest. Neighbours called the police after hearing gunshots emanating from the couples rented house at around 6.15 pm.

Police officers who arrived at the scene found the officers wife sitting on the floor leaning against a wall. She was bleeding from a stomach wound and was unable to explain what had transpired.

The officers found Siwalo lying on the bedroom floor which had items strewn all over, indicating a physical struggle prior to the shooting. The woman was rushed to Nanyuki Level Four hospital in critical condition.

Investigations are ongoing as we try to ascertain whether her injury was caused by a gunshot or if it is a knife wound. We have not yet established whether the officer shot himself or if he was shot, said Buuri OCPD Joseph Asugo.

Detectives also recovered an AK 47 rifle issued to Siwalo for curfew duty that evening as well as two spent cartridges.
Gerald and Claudio Chacon continue a tradition their family started in the late-1800s  raising herds of cattle in rural Rio Arriba County.

Both men had careers outside agriculture, but now spend their retirement maintaining a herd of a little over 200 cows and calves.

Rugged northern New Mexico is not easy on cattle ranchers. Mountainous terrain, harsh winters, cattle thieves and an extended drought make it difficult to squeeze out a profit in an extremely tight market.

That was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, prices for beef in grocery stores have skyrocketed as many packing plants across the country  almost all of which are managed by such large corporations as Tyson Foods  attempt to manage outbreaks that infect employees and reduce production.

But while consumers pay more for beef, corporations are paying ranchers around 30% less for calves, New Mexico ranchers main product. The sudden drop in prices has left many unsure how they will finance the massive costs of running a cattle operation in New Mexico.

Most ranchers in New Mexico sell the bulk of their calves in the fall, one paycheck for a years worth of work.

Gerald Chacon said his family has seen plenty of years where profits werent as good, but that this year is something different.

This one may be one of the worst, because of the prices and the uncertainty of it, he said.

Gerald Chacons nephew, Matt Reitzel, works for his uncle on the ranch year-round and guides herds across 20,000 acres of the Carson National Forest, just north of Ojo Caliente. Its not yet summer, but the ground is already bone dry and the dirt feels like sand.

This is shaping up to be a nasty summer, Reitzel said. Wed still be in the mud, usually.

A man then drove up to the cowboys in an all-terrain vehicle and told them a mountain lion had killed one of their calves. A look of tempered frustration swept over their faces.

Weve always had something difficult to face, Gerald Chacon said. Thats just the nature of living here and being in this industry.

That experience shows in how they maintain their herd. They manage to find their cattle across a vast landscape, guiding them to various wells and pastures, using only memory and tracks. So far, the virus has not impacted their work.

But Gerald Chacon fears that if prices dont rise by October, he may not be able to pass on the herd to his nephew and their operation wont continue.

Nobody really knows where its going to end up, he said.

Not the whole story

Few essential businesses have been as affected by the coronavirus as the meatpacking industry.

Several outbreaks have popped up in larger packing plants across the country. One Tyson Foods plant in Iowa saw 60% of its workers get infected.

Tyson, along with fellow meat corporations Smithfield and JBS, closed some of their packing plants in response, before President Donald Trump ordered them on April 28 to remain open. However, USA Today reported on May 6, that plants continue to close despite the order.

As a result, production at meatpacking plants has slowed to a crawl, leading to a backup of cattle waiting to be processed. The price has, therefore, increased for consumers and declined for producers.

However, ranchers say prices for their cattle, which have dipped to around 90 cents per pound, dont justify the soaring meat prices at the store.

Thats not the whole story, said Tom Spindle, who runs a large ranch near Stanley. When our cattle are selling for 30% less than they were, but then the meat is marked up 30% at the store, somebodys getting really rich there and its not us.

Most ranchers make only around a 1% profit on their cattle. Even before the pandemic, many ranchers lived on slim amounts of money or got second jobs.

A rancher, Spindle said, can have millions of dollars worth of land and still be broke.

Most guys stay poor and keep their ranches, he said.

Spindle takes pride in his cattle  he wears a belt buckle he won for having the best heifer at the New Mexico State Fair  but even his comparatively large operation is facing its share of pandemic-induced challenges.

We sold some cattle in January that we made some money on.  then COVID-19 came in and we lost money on the next 10 loads of calves, Spindle said.

While farmers growing fruits and vegetables can negotiate prices, cattle farmers have to sell their stock at certain times of the year, meaning they have to take whatever price corporate-run feed lots offer them.

This situation, Spindle said, puts ranchers in the difficult position of accepting prices they cant live on.

If somebody came to me and wanted to buy a bunch of cows, Id dang sure sell them, but theres not a market for them, he said.

The federal CARES Act, meant to assist economically struggling businesses, reserved $9.5 billion for those raising livestock and specialty crops. But Spindle said most ranchers havent seen that money yet, and many will receive $100,000 when it arrives.

In the grand scheme of things, thats not a whole lot of money, he said, adding a new tractor alone costs $160,000.

Meanwhile, Tyson Foods secured $1.5 billion in loans from such large banks as Morgan Stanley.

Tyson maintains it offers reasonable prices for its products, despite the notable increases in store-bought meat prices.

Although some raw material costs have decreased, many operational costs have risen significantly, Tyson spokeswoman Liz Croston wrote May 7. In some cases, this has meant idling our plants, which has resulted in a reduction in production volume.

Lowering production has resulted in a smaller amount of meat entering supermarkets and restaurants, fueling fears of a nationwide meat shortage and driving up prices.

In Springer, a small town in the states northeast corner, Mayor Boe Lopez said the local grocery store is receiving only around one-third of the meat it orders.

Himself a cattle rancher, Lopez said many ranchers believe the handful of meatpacking corporations are intentionally lowering payments to producers to make a larger profit and that plants have been taking less beef to drive up prices for years.

Thats how theyre trying to justify the price, he said.

Lopez said that if beef prices do not increase, it could devastate the local economy in Springer and Colfax County, which relies heavily on property taxes paid by ranchers.

For now, most ranchers are continuing operations as normal, hoping production and prices increase before the fall, where the vast majority of money is made.

Some health experts have, however, warned of a potential second outbreak in the fall even more deadly than the first, right as cattle producers get ready to sell their calves to feed lots.

Ranchers in the state agree that a second outbreak, along with a coinciding tumble in prices, would be almost too much to bear.

That could be the demise of ranching in New Mexico, Spindle said.
China has accused of Australia of being a 'frustrating' and 'un-friendly' trading partner, hours after it slapped a crippling 80 per cent tariff on barely exports from Australian farmers.

The Global Times, a mouthpiece for the communist government, accused Australia of 'exploiting' China and presenting itself 'as a victim'.

On Monday, China announced the 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports would start on Tuesday, after weeks of threatening to boycott Australian industries.

Australia sends between half and two-thirds of all its barley to China, making the tariff decision a massive blow to the $600 million a year industry.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham revealed the government was given no advanced notice of China's decision and called it 'deeply disappointing'.

'From China's perspective, Australia has never been a friendly trading partner,' a piece in the state-run Global Times said.

'And consultations with the country on trade issues have always been frustrating, which has apparently weakened its motivation to promote bilateral trade.

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A barley farmer is seen in central NSW (pictured) with the industry hit by drought and now by China' crippling tariff

The extraordinary tariff on Australian barley exports is an apparent punishment for Scott Morrison's push for a coronavirus inquiry (pictured, a wet market in Guangzhou on May 4)

'The Australian government seems more interested in exploiting China's suspension of some beef imports and its potential imposition of tariffs on Australian barley to describe itself as a victim of trade sanctions.'

The extraordinary tariff on Australian barley exports is an apparent punishment for Scott Morrison's push for a coronavirus inquiry.

The Australian prime minister in April demanded an independent probe into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation's handling of the crisis.

In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135 billion from the Australian economy.

The COVID-19 outbreak is thought to have begun at a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan (pictured, a similar market reopened in Guangzhou on May 4)

China claimed Australia was dumping barley and subsidising farmers, insisting the tariffs are nothing to do with coronavirus.

AUSTRALIAN BARLEY: IN NUMBERS Between half and two-thirds of all Australian barley is sold to China. Barley is grown across 4,035,000 hectares, with the largest amount being grown in Western Australia. Australias grains industry accounts for more than 170,000 jobs across Australia from farm to export dock. About 65 per cent of Australias overall grain produced is exported. This includes up to 90 per cent of that grown per in Western Australia and South Australia. Source: National Farmers Federation Advertisement

'We learnt through the official notification that the Chinese Government made. It's a deeply disappointing decision particularly for Australian barley farmers,' Mr Birmingham told Today on Tuesday morning.

'This is a decision that reflects on the Chinese Government. We'll look at the details of it carefully and closely. It is a deeply disappointing decision.

'We'll analyse all the details of it thoroughly and reserve all our rights in terms of how we appeal, how we respond.'

The tariff, to remain in place for five years, is set to cripple Australia's drought-affected grain farmers.

Australia is the biggest barley supplier to China, exporting between $1.5 billion and $2 billion worth a year, which is more than half its exports.

The move came just hours after Chinese president Xi Jinping told a virtual session of the World Health Assembly his country would support an independent probe into the origins of the outbreak - but only when the pandemic is over.

Scott Morrison (pictured in 2019 at the G20 summit) has pushed for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak

Chinese commuters are seen wearing face masks a they cross the road in Beijing on May 18 (pictured) after restrictions were lifted

Australia's Minister for Trade Mr Birmingham on Monday night denied Australia had subsidised or dumped barley in China.

'We reject the basis of this decision and will be assessing the details of the findings while we consider next steps,' he said.

'Australia is deeply disappointed with China's decision to impose duties on Australian barley.

'We reserve all rights to appeal this matter further and are confident that Australian farmers are among the most productive in the world, who operate without government subsidy of prices.'

A barley farmer is seen in central NSW (pictured) with the industry hit by drought and now by China' crippling tariff

A man wearing protective gear walks past shops in Wuhan, where the virus began in December, on May 18 (pictured) after restrictions were lifted

China's Ministry of Commerce released their own statement saying: 'There was a subsidy for imported barley originating in Australia, the domestic barley industry was substantially damaged, and there was a causal relationship between the subsidy and the actual damage.'

The anti-dumping duties are set at 73.6 per cent on Australian exporters, including the Iluka Trust, Kalgan Nominees Pty. Ltd, JW&JI Mcdonald & Sons and Haycroft Enterprises.

An additional anti-subsidy duty of 6.9 per cent is also in place, with both effective from Tuesday for five years.

But Australia could now look toward supplying the produce to Saudi Arabia, a government source said.

'There aren't many alternative markets. It could be sold to Saudi Arabia, but it will be heavily discounted to what Australian farmers could have received by selling to China,' said the source, who didn't want to be named.

Mr Birmingham also confirmed Australia had expanded a trade agreement with Indonesia recently and had other potential buyers for produce.

Australia's call for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic has prompted veiled trade threats from China's ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye (pictured)

By contrast, China - the world's top barley importer - will simply shift purchasing to other key producers, including France, Canada, Argentina and some smaller European exporters.

'It's very replaceable,' said Andries De Groen, managing director at German headquartered barley trader Evergrain.

The tariffs come amid deteriorating relations between Canberra and Beijing, which have been exacerbated by the push for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

But the Chinese foreign ministry insisted the new policies are not related to the inquiry, and are instead a reflection of an 18-month anti-dumping investigation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to the coronavirus probe on Monday night, hours before the tariffs were imposed.

A worker in protective suit takes body temperature measurement of a woman in the Chinese city of Jilin on May 17 (pictured) as the country recovers from coronavirus

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison (pictured) demanded an independent inquiry into the deadly respiratory virus

He said he would only support the inquiry after the pandemic has been brought under control globally.

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review.

Australia's export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement

'China supports a comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the epidemic after the global epidemic is under control, to sum up experiences and remedy deficiencies,' the leader said.

'This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO; and the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld.'

Mr Jinping reiterated Beijing's defence of its actions when the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in the country.

It is widely accepted that the virus first spread from a wet food market in Wuhan, but there are questions about how quickly China responded and reported the outbreak.

Two farmers in the bushfire-ravaged town of Cobargo are seen in January (pictured), with businesses now hit by an 80 per cent export tarriff

Calling the pandemic 'the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two', Mr Jinping said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.

'We have turned the tide on the virus,' he said.

He also said China would stump up $3.1 billion over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries.

The shock announcement came after the nation threatened to cripple Australia's economy while Mr Morrison demanded the coronavirus probe.

China's state-controlled media and trade experts warned Beijing's boycott could extend beyond beef and barley, with iron ore - worth $63 billion a year to Australia's economy - potentially next in line.

But 62 nations on Sunday pledged their support to the inquiry, including the entire 27-member European Union along with New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, India, Canada, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

China previously opposed calls for such investigations (pictured, US President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, China's President Xi Jinping, WTO director-general Roberto Azevedo and Mr Morrison at a G20 Summit meeting in 2019

There are currently 4.8 million known coronavirus cases worldwide, of which 317,215 are dead, 2.6 million sick and 1.8 million recovered.

The Global Times newspaper suggested China could easily turn to Brazil for iron ore and other commodities - and did not need Australian exports.

INDUSTRY HITS BACK AT CHINA FOLLOWING TARRIFFS The chief executive of Grain Producers Australia, Andrew Weidermann, says farmers are not scared to cut ties with China. He said while he hopes the two nations will come to a dually beneficial agreement, the industry will always find a way to survive. 'We want to negotiate on this with China and continue to do business,' he told The Australian. 'But if they slam the door in our face, we have to consider not doing business in China.' Advertisement

Earlier in the week China hinted at the tariff on Australian barley - and suspended imports of Australian beef from four major suppliers.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce told the Seven Network last Monday 'this is a case of payback.'

But Mr Morrison said China had not linked barley tariffs to a COVID-19 inquiry and said it would be 'extremely disappointing' if they were used as an act of retribution.

'It's an anti-dumping issue from their perspective. They certainly haven't raised it as connected to other issues. I would be extremely disappointed if it was,' he told reporters in Canberra.

'There's no reason for me to think based on the way that they're approaching it that I could draw that conclusion.'

Dumping is when a country exports a product unfairly cheaply to permeate a foreign market, with producers often subsidised by the government.

Australian relations with China have been heavily strained since Scott Morrison began pushing for a global inquiry into coronavirus (pictured, Chinese president Xi Jinping)

Australia contests the claims and is prepared to take China to the World Trade Organisation to fight against the tariffs.

'That's what the umpire is there for and that's what we would test if we feel aggrieved that our position hasn't been properly accepted or understood,' Agriculture Minister David Littleproud previously said.

One third of Australia's exports - including iron ore, gas, coal and food - go to China, bringing in around $135 billion per year.

The four meatworks which have been impacted account for more than a third of Australian beef exports.

China had up until this point ignored Australia's attempts to discuss trade tensions over beef and barley imports.

AMBASSADOR'S ECONOMIC THREAT TO AUSTRALIA In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Ambassador Cheng slammed Australia's push for a global inquiry as 'political' and warned Chinese consumers could boycott the country. Answering a question about whether China could boycott Australian iron ore or gas, Mr Cheng instead focused on China's contribution to Australia's agriculture, tourism and education sectors. Mr Cheng said: 'I think if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think why we should go to such a country while it's not so friendly to China. 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to. 'So it's up to the public, the people to decide. And also, maybe the ordinary people will think why they should drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef.' Advertisement

Mr Birmingham confirmed his Chinese counterpart had not responded to requests for talks to end the diplomatic row.

'We have not secured said meeting yet. I would hope that would be forthcoming,' he told parliament last week.

A separate article in the Global Times discouraged Chinese citizens from doing business with Australia.

'It now seems necessary to advise Chinese people and companies to watch out for potential risks when it comes to doing business with or studying in Australia,' the opinion article said.

Last month the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started.

The World Health Assembly (pictured in 2019) meets once a year where health ministers from 194 member states set WHO policy. This year 62 nations will back Australia's call for a probe
He also announced the resumption of ground transportation services in Kyiv from May 22.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has said the municipal authorities are ready to relaunch the subway from May 25 and are waiting for the relevant decision from the government.

"Kyiv is ready to relaunch the subway from May 25. We are waiting for the relevant government decision," he said during an online briefing on Monday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Read alsoUkraine's Health Minister: Kyiv subway may reopen on May 25 if quarantine rules observed

Klitschko also announced the resumption of ground transport services in Kyiv from May 22.

"Also, as I said, we plan to resume the operation of ground public transport in usual mode. Now we are gradually increasing the number of vehicles and the number of routes," he added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Klitschko on May 13 called on the government to greenlight the relaunch of the subway in the capital city from May 25. According to him, the city has been facing massive traffic jams as more people have started commuting after some lockdown-related curbs were lifted on May 11.
BOSTON, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Mutual Insurance's commercial property claims unit has added to the technology it uses to quickly and accurately inspect and estimate commercial property claims remotely, reflecting today's need for physical distancing and in anticipation of what is predicted to be a greater than normal Atlantic hurricane season.

The unit introduced two new technologies that enable claims to be inspected and estimated virtually. The first enables customers to stream video from the damaged property to Liberty Mutual's commercial property claims specialists, allowing them to better and more quickly understand the damage. The second, a Liberty Mutual app, lets customers provide images of the damage from a smart phone or tablet, which claims managers use to accurately measure the impacted area, speeding claims estimating and adjustment.

These new technologies join other investments Liberty Mutual has made to improve responsiveness while also limiting in-person contact by its property claims professionals. For example, the insurer regularly uses updated aerial photography to understand the size and location of property losses. In the event of weather catastrophes, such photography can quickly evaluate damage to commercial property policyholders across an affected area. In addition, commercial property claims teams across the United States already photograph the exteriors of sites after a claim is reported without having to physically connect with a customer or broker.

However, there are times when in-person damage evaluation is the best approach to helping a policyholder quickly rebound from a loss. In these cases, which often involve large losses, claims specialists work with customers to make sure they are comfortable with timing, protections, social distance, state rules, and any other considerations around in-person inspections.

"When commercial property is damaged, every minute counts," said Liberty Mutual Manager of Commercial Property Claims Taylor Archambault. "Liberty Mutual has invested in technology, infrastructure and processes to quickly, accurately and safely adjust property claims remotely. Our customers can rest assured that our expert resources will leverage the right resources based upon the complexity and severity of the claim."

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow.



In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, today we are the sixth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2019 gross written premium. We also rank 77th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2019 revenue. As of December 31, 2019, we had $43.2 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

We employ over 45,000 people in 29 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property.



For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com.

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BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping extended welcome to excellent youth from all countries in the world to study in China in his Sunday reply to a letter from all Pakistani students studying in the University of Science and Technology Beijing.

In his letter, Xi encouraged the students to communicate more with their Chinese peers and join hands with youth from all countries to contribute to promoting people-to-people connectivity and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Learning that the students have enriched their knowledge and made quite a few Chinese friends while studying in China, Xi said he felt happy for the achievements they have made.

"As you have felt, since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the Chinese government and schools have always cared for the lives and health of foreign students studying in China, providing all-round help for them," Xi noted.

The Chinese government and people put people's lives first and treat foreigners in the country the same as Chinese nationals, making no exception in offering them care, Xi wrote.

Xi said he learned that many foreign students have expressed their support to the Chinese people in various ways during China's fight against COVID-19.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," he said, adding that China will continue providing various help to all foreign students studying in the country.

While welcoming excellent youth from other countries to study in China, Xi encouraged them to learn more about the country, communicate more with their Chinese peers and tell the world more about the China they see.

The USTB currently has 52 Pakistani students. They recently wrote about their experiences and feelings of studying in China in a letter to Xi and expressed their gratitude to the university for providing care and help for them after the COVID-19 outbreak.

They also expressed their aspirations to join in building the Belt and Road after graduation and contribute to enhancing China-Pakistan friendship.
WOOD RIVER  Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said the states new emergency rule gives more latitude to law enforcement to issue misdemeanor citations against businesses that violate his coronavirus executive order.

Pritzker said the citations would be less harsh and easier to come back from than other enforcement options, such as revoking liquor or business licenses.

He said that, although the ability to issue such citations was already in the law, he wanted to provide some additional guidance. Pritzker said local law enforcement and county states attorneys are tasked with enforcing the regulations, but had a limited ability when businesses violate the protocols.

Pritzker also said that, especially with warmer weather on the way in the coming months, more people would likely be tempted to gather throughout the state.

We just want them to do everything they can to keep themselves safe, he said. Well keep monitoring. We hope people will follow the rules and I think well be able to make it through to the fall.

And then, I must say, Im concerned about all the warnings that have been given by epidemiologists about the potential for a surge in the fall, he said. Because if people dont learn the lessons over the summer that weve learned over the last couple of months  and then we hit a fall surge  were going to be in big trouble.

Locally, the Madison County Board of Health last week approved a resolution setting up its own guidelines for reopening. Many mayors in the county said they will continue to follow Pritzkers five-phase Restore Illinois plan. But they added any business planning to open should consult with insurance providers and attorneys.

Since the county action on May 12, no enforcement activity has been reported.

More Information COVID-19 cases by county St. Clair - 815 (66 deaths) Madison - 498 (44 deaths) Clinton - 161 (14 deaths) Monroe - 89 (11 deaths) Macoupin - 41 (1 death) Montgomery - 39 (1 death) Jersey - 19 (1 death) Bond - 11 (1 death) Washington - 17 Greene - 4 Calhoun - 1 Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department. See More Collapse

In its most recent update, the Madison County Health Department reported no new deaths on Monday but the addition of six new COVID-19 cases. So far the county has recorded virus-related 44 deaths and 498 cases. and 44, respectively.

Also on Monday, the Madison County Health Department unveiled a new format for its data showing a number of factors such as 3,902 tests recorded in the county by the Illinois Department of Public Health, as well as 707 people quarantined so far with 480 already released from quarantine.

The new data is available online at www.madisonchd.org and the departments Facebook page.

IDPH data by ZIP code on Monday showed additional cases in the Godfrey, Wood River, Granite City/Pontoon Beach areas. The most cases, 106, were reported in 62025 (Edwardsville) with 82 in 62002 (Alton), 70 in 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach), 56 in 62034 (Glen Carbon) and 49 in 62234 (Collinsville).

Nineteen cases were reported in 62035 (Godfrey) and 62060 (Madison) with 18 in 62095 (Wood River); 17 in 62294 (Troy); 13 in 62010 (Bethalto), 62052 (Jerseyville) and 62056 (Litchfield); 11 in 62249 (Highland); 10 in 62090 (Venice); eight in 62069 (Mt. Olive); seven in 62018 (Cottage Hills), 62024 (East Alton) and 62062 (Maryville); 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.

Additional cases also were reported Monday in Jersey, Montgomery, St. Clair and Monroe counties in the Metro Eastm with an additional death noted in St. Clair County.

Statewide there were 2,294 new cases and 59 deaths reported in the past 24 hours. IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said there were now 96,485 cases statewide, and 4,234 deaths.

She also noted the state had received 21,297 completed tests in the past 24 hours, with a total of 603,241 tests performed to date. Statewide, she said, there were 4,120 people hospitalized with COVID-19; 1,096 were in intensive care units and 636 were on ventilators.

Ezike said that, while the emphasis has been COVID-19, people also need to prioritize well-care visits, especially childrens immunization, mammograms and other screenings.

These are important, and they cant be put off indefinitely, she said.

She advised people with concerns about visiting doctors offices to contact their healthcare provider to find out what kind of practices theyve put into place to keep both patients and workers safe.

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 Center Square contributed to this story.
Justice Learned Hand is reported to have said once, one does not always have to side with the majority opinion because, by sheer definition, there are many others to voice it. Why am I recalling it now? Indias government has finished announcing its much-awaited economic revival package. Most commentaries take the view that it has not provided adequate support. You can read an alternative perspective here.

The government has tried to do a high-wire balancing act. The conclusion that it has done too little is not entirely true, since the full arithmetic is subject to assumptions, especially with the 100% guarantee for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) loans. If the guarantee were to be offered by Credit Guarantee Trusts, they would need to be capitalized, and that would be an explicit commitment. That apart, it is true that the Centre has erred on the side of caution. But no one should be fully certain that it has therefore made a big mistake. We simply do not know.

We express, often loosely, the view that politicians and bureaucrats do not think beyond the short-term, and that they lack long-term vision. That may be true, but it is also true that they work against tremendous odds, especially in situations like this. Second, if they can be wrong, so can we.

In the Indian context, I remember reading a commentary about how the Golden Quadrilateral project would be a disaster. It was a spectacular success. I remember reading, and I wrote too, that Resurgent India Bonds, issued in 1998 or thereabout, would be a failure as they were subject to exchange- and interest-rate risks. As it turned out, the government came out smelling of roses.

In the case of the covid economic package, ironically, the government has displayed vision, kept the medium to long term in view and has used the crisis to usher in some long-pending and much needed reforms, instead of focusing too hard on short-term palliatives.

One, the redefinition of criteria for MSMEs to include the book value of investment (now enhanced) and sales turnover removes a disincentive for their growth. This is transformational and its impact could last decades.

Two, farmers are being empowered to sell their produce to whomsoever they want at market prices. This empowerment is true farmer emancipation. As a consequence, down the road, the government may be able to remove the dysfunctional and often counterproductive supply of free electricity to farmers and end the exemption of farm income from income tax. That would truly integrate the Indian farming community into the economic mainstream.

In the context of immediate support to the economy, the government has conserved some firepower, just in case the pandemic does not go away in six months or so. This is prudent. Also, let us take a moment to imagine a counterfactual. If the Centre had splurged and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had to finance its spending, the bond market might have reacted badly, and the rise in bond yields may have negated much of the stimulus. Which analyst can offer a guarantee that it would not have?

Both the Union and state governments now have the option of increasing their borrowings by 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) each . In total, this provision adds up to about 4% of Indias GDP of around 210 trillion. Technically, some may not count this as a stimulus because the enhanced borrowing limits of states might just be sufficient to compensate for their lost revenues. But, that is a quibble, because if these lost revenues are not replaced, they would have to curb their spending. Now, to the extent that they avail of additional borrowings, governments would not have to crimp expenditure that boosts economic activity.

It is also important to bear in mind that some short-term measures that other countries have announced have had unintended negative consequences. In the US, the unemployment benefits announced in the wake of the pandemic are seen to be incentivizing the jobless to stay jobless. Many are making more than what they made when they were employed (Many Americans Are Getting More Money From Unemployment Than They Were From Their Jobs, 15 May 2020, fivethirtyeight.com). That will have serious consequences for productivity, output and inflation in the years ahead.

Now that India has announced its covid package, the focus of governance should be on its immediate implementation. Instructions should be clearly worded, progress should be monitored, and reports issued to the public. That would enhance policy and governance credibility and boost sentiment, which in itself could act as a stimulus.

Amid such uncertainty, neither the government nor commentators can be sure that they got it right. Lots of luck and external factors need to go their way for any of them to say I told you so" a few years down the line.

In 1909, four years after the Wright Brothers had successfully tested their flying contraption, the Washington Post wrote: There will never be such a thing as commercial aerial freighters. Freight will continue to drag its slow weight across the patient earth." The first cargo plane took off five months later.

V. Anantha Nageswaran is member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. These are the authors personal views.

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With over 4 million people infected by coronavirus across the world, and more than 3 lakh people dead, the need for Covid-19 vaccine grows more urgent by the day.

According to the World Health Organization, 8 candidate vaccines are currently in the clinical evaluation phase for Covid-19.

China-based CanSino Biologics, American biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., the University of Oxford, US-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals are some of the top contenders in the race to developing coronavirus vaccines.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 110 candidates are in the preclinical evaluation phase.

Cansino Biologics has received clinical trial application approval for recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine, news agency Reuters reported. CanSino will develop the vaccine in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

Moderna Inc.s experimental candidate vaccine, mRNA-1273, recently received approval from the US FDA to conduct the phase II of its clinical trial.

Also read: What did eight weeks and $3 trillion buy the Covid-19 in the fight against coronavirus?

The University of Oxford has come to positive results with its Covid-19 vaccine candidate which involves six rhesus macaque monkeys. Experts at the university exposed the monkeys to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The trial showed improvement and offered hope as the vaccinated monkeys had less virus in their lungs and airways. Rhesus macaque monkeys have immune systems similar to humans

Inovio Pharmaceuticals is currently testing INO-4800 (a DNA plasmid vaccine with electroporation) as a vaccine against coronavirus. The trial aims to test the vaccines ability to trigger an immune response in the body to fight coronavirus.

Besides these, clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine by three other contenders are under the clinical evaluation phase. These include trials led by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm, Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm and Sinovac. Sinopharm Group is a Chinese pharmaceutical giant.

Also read: Chinas Wuhan nearly doubles number of Covid-19 tests per day

These trials are on inactivated type of vaccine candidate wherein non-living pathogens are used to develop an immune response in the body against the target.

Last week, Jubilant Life Sciences Limited, an integrated global pharmaceutical and life sciences company, said that its subsidiary, Jubilant Generics Limited, has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences that will grant Jubilant the right to register, manufacture and sell Gileads investigational drug remdesivir, a potential therapy for Covid-19 in 127 countries including India. Remdesivir is only allowed for emergency usage by the US FDA to treat Covid-19.

Indias spot

Indian multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Cipla Limited is reported to have been working on various multiple therapies for treating coronavirus.

The Mumbai-based company is working out the finer details of its pact with Gilead Sciences Inc on the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, chief financial officer Kedar Upadhye told HTs business publication Mint in an interview.

Meanwhile, experts at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal have said that the institute has been conducting drug trials for coronavirus treatment which have shown promising results.

The trials of the drug Mycobacterium W (Mw) were conducted on Covid-19 patients at AIIMS Bhopal for the last few days, an 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 said.

Singh said that the institute will soon use Favipiravir, a drug agent used in Japan for Covid-19, news agency PTI reported.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned China against interfering with the work of U.S. journalists in Hong Kong, and said actions impinging on freedoms there could damage diplomatic relations.

"These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world," Pompeo said a statement.
A SsangYong Motor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of SsangYong Motor



By Nam Hyun-woo



Mahindra & Mahindra is facing pressure to possibly initiate an "exit strategy" from SsangYong Motor because the government here remains mum on providing additional financial assistance to the ailing Korean car manufacturer despite the Indian parent company's repeated requests to do so.



As SsangYong has been continuing its losing streak in terms of profitability, doubts have been raised on whether Mahindra has a "possible next move," while enduring its own sales and profit contractions.



"With its business at home suffering, there is no reason for Mahindra to keep the lossmaking SsangYong in its portfolio," an automobile industry official said asking for anonymity. "As the state-run bank is remaining tepid, the possibility of Mahindra unloading some of its stake in SsangYong is growing, as it will inject the new capital into the carmaker." Currently, Mahindra has a 74.65 percent stake in the local automaker.



SsangYong Motor reported 649.2 billion won ($527.8 million) in sales during the first quarter of 2020, down 30.4 percent from last year. During the same period, its operating losses widened to 98.6 billion won from 27.8 billion won, year-on-year, with net losses also rising to 193.5 billion won from 26.1 billion won.



The company's auditor and financial advisor, Samjong KPMG, refused to deliver an opinion on the carmaker's ability to run normally, which will put it on the "watch list" of the country's main bourse operator, the Korea Exchange.



"The financial status of SsangYong Motor raises meaningful doubts about its sustainability," the accounting firm said. "There are signs showing the company's ability to create cash flow has been impaired due to weakening competitiveness and the spread of COVID-19."



This deals a blow to even a glimmer of hope that SsangYong would receive financial support from state-run lenders, including the Korea Development Bank (KDB), to overcome its liquidity crisis. Currently, SsangYong has 254 billion won of liabilities due this year  90 billion won of which was borrowed from the KDB and is payable in July.



However, the KDB has yet to say whether it will help the carmaker by extending the due date, with an official at the bank noting, "SsangYong has not requested an extension." The carmaker said it will begin talks with the KDB on the 90 billion won debt in July.



The KDB has been showing a tepid stance on offering further support to SsangYong.



In January, SsangYong Motor Board Chairman and Mahindra Managing Director Pawan Goenka said the company would need 500 billion won over the next three years to normalize operations. At the time, Mahindra said it would inject 230 billion won of this, expressing the hope that the KDB would cover the remainder. However, in April Mahindra said it would only invest 40 billion won and urged SsangYong to "find alternate sources of funding," citing its difficulties in the Indian automobile industry.



SsangYong Motor said the promise to inject 40 billion won shows Mahindra's intention to stay committed to the Korean market, adding half of the 40 billion won had been invested as promised, and the remainder will be paid this month.



But Mahindra isn't in good in shape in terms of its finances. According to a regulatory filing by Mahindra & Mahindra and Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers Limited, the company posted RS12,120 crores ($1.59 billion) in net sales from October to December last year, down 6 percent from a year earlier. Though the companies are yet to announce earnings for the first quarter of this year, they are expected to see a downtrend given the COVID-19 impact on the global automobile industry.


Hospitals in the capital of Peru have been tasked with what may be seen as an unethical decision by determining which COVID-19 patient is placed in the overcrowded intensive care unit wards.

The former head of the Peruvian Intensive Medicine Society shocked the country Sunday when he told local newspaper Diario Correo that senior adults infected with the coronavirus would no longer be accepted into the ICUs because the prospects of them beating the deadly bug were slim.

'What we are no longer allowing is for older adults to enter the ICU, because their prognosis for recovery is quite low compared to a young adult, and also because of the risk of morbidity they have,' Dr. Jesus Valverde said in an interview published Sunday.

Nurses wearing protective gear tend to residents at the Mas Vida home for senior citizens, in Lima, Peru. Hospitals in Lima have stopped admitting elderly patients who have been sickened by the coronavirus, according to the former head of the Peruvian Intensive Medicine Society, Dr. Jesus Valverde

Nurses at the Mas Vida senior citizen home in Lima, Peru, help an elderly woman walk. Several residents of the home have tested positive for the coronavirus, with one reported death so far

Dr. Valverde came out in support of the elderly patients in Lima who have contracted the ravaging coronavirus after he resigned from his post last Friday.

The health expert blasted the practice that was taking place at Dos de Mayo Hospital.

Recent government data, Dr. Valverde said, showed that there were 196 ICU beds available to treat patients who were severely sickened with COVID-19.

'If you tell me that there is a free bed because the patient was discharged or died, I will have to define that bed in front of a set of 10 patients, who can be middle-aged adults or older adults,' the health expert added.

A health worker joined others last Thursday in protesting over the lack of security equipment and demanding the resignation of Peruvian Health Minister Victor Zamora. The signs reads: 'No to the abandonment of healthcare'

A woman protested last Thursday outside Dos de Mayo Hospital in Lima, Peru, where her husband was not admitted to the ICU. The sign reads: 'My husband is dying. He needs to enter the ICU'

Doctors and nurses listen to a union leader during a protest outside Dos de Mayo Hospital in Lima, Peru, last Thursday. Doctors and nurses are demanding better salaries and the purchase of more personal protection equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic

'It is not that each patient has the opportunity to come to the ICU, we no longer have that availability, we are now more selective. We are looking for patients who are potentially more recuperable than others.'

According to Dr. Valverde, Lima's hospital system has collapsed due to the amount of patients it has been forced to treat. But some medical facilities in the southern part of the country have ICU beds that could be used to provide care for those in serious condition.

'There are ethical dilemmas, but international regulations give the doctor the power to select which critical recoverable patient can enter intensive care and which cannot,' he said.

Karina Batthyany, executive secretary of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, said such a decision essentially comes down to who has the right to bet on preservation of lives.

'When it reaches extreme levels, as in the case of Peru, when it is necessary to decide who is going to use these health resources and who is not, what is in question are two elements which are what determine cohesion in any society: solidarity and interdependence between people,' Batthyany told Deutsche Welle.

The latest COVID-19 stats released by Peru's Health Ministry on Monday registered 2,648 deaths and 92,273 confirmed cases.

The Health Ministry reported that there were 850 patients hospitalized in intensive care units as of Sunday.
J.C. Penneys bankruptcy proceedings will include closing almost 250 of its locations.

Reuters reported the chain will close about 200 stores this year and almost 50 more next year as it looks to navigate bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The chain has about 850 stores in the U.S., including 15 locations in Alabama.

J.C. Penney has not identified which of the stores would close or how many of its 85,000 employees could lose their jobs.

According to CNN, about 95 percent of J.C. Penney locations are currently closed during the coronavirus pandemic. About 115 store openings are expected to be announced Wednesday, the company said.

J.C. Penney is the latest chain to file for bankruptcy amid dismal retail numbers. Luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and Stage Stores have all recently filed for reorganization.

The chain opened its first store in Wyoming in 1902.
WASHINGTON - With the daily coronavirus death counts relatively flat or declining in Washington, Virginia and Maryland, local leaders announced further efforts to inch back toward normalcy on Monday.

D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said that if current trends hold, she could announce a date for reopening sectors of the city's economy as soon as Thursday. She intends to describe her plan in greater detail later this week and said the city is six days away from meeting the goals she set to safely reopen.

In Virginia, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced the first beaches in the state will be open for swimming and sunbathing on Friday, just in time for Memorial Day weekend and welcome news to the merchants who urged the governor to let them compete with newly reopened beachfront businesses in North Carolina and Maryland.

The incremental step follows signs the pandemic's toll might be slightly easing in the District, Maryland and Virginia.

The three jurisdictions collectively counted 45 new deaths on Monday, the lowest number since mid-April.They also reported a downward trend in new infections: The seven-day rolling average of new cases, a statistical measurement of the trend, now has dropped to 1,906 a day, down from a peak of 2,100 daily cases in early May.

While most of the beaches in Virginia will remain open only for fishing and exercise, as they have throughout the crisis, "beach ambassadors" will enforce social distancing requirements at Virginia Beach's beaches, and no group sports, alcohol, tents or large groups will be allowed.

"Clean teams" will sanitize high-touch surfaces and educate guests about social distancing rules.

Northam encouraged other beach communities in Virginia to come up with their own plans to reopen. But he warned that any steps toward reopening could be reversed if beachgoers don't follow social distancing guidelines.

"If people swarm the beaches . . . I will not hesitate to reinstate Phase One restrictions or even close the beaches outright if necessary," Northam said. "You must be responsible."

Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday said his state's contact tracing operation is now able to identify 1,000 patients per day. In the absence of a vaccine, public health experts say expanded contact tracing is one of the most effective tools for limiting the virus's spread. Also starting Monday, workers in hard-hit Prince George's County have access to the state's new dashboard for tracking novel coronavirus patients and their interactions.

Prince George's, the D.C. suburb home to the largest share of Maryland's coronavirus cases, reported Monday that the number of hospitalized patients declined last week, from an average of 244 to 208.Local leaders harshly criticized Hogan on Sunday for not sending enough resources to the jurisdiction, a characterization the governor called inaccurate. Leading state Democrats, who hold super majorities in the legislature, have questioned whether Maryland has sufficient testing capacity to begin reopening.

In an acknowledgment of the sometimes thin resources available, a top Virginia health official announced Monday it would conduct a patient lottery to distribute its limited doses of the experimental drug remdesivir, which has shown some promise as a coronavirus treatment.

"It's an important medication, and it's an extremely scarce resource," said Norman Oliver, the state health commissioner. "Everyone's name goes into that hat."

Virginia has received 5,160 doses so far. Maryland has received 6,760 doses, which are being distributed to hospitals in proportion to the number of coronavirus patients being treated at each facility - mostly in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said.

The District also has ramped up its contact tracing operation, with 130 new hires as of this week. That brings the city to the 200 contact tracers needed for the first phase of reopening; the city eventually wants to grow the force to 900. Bowser last week extended the city's stay-at-home order, nonessential business closures and mass gathering ban through June 8 but suggested she might lift the restrictions earlier.

But both the city and its surrounding populous suburbs have yet to log a sustained-enough decline in key metrics for officials to consider reopening.

Residents in the Washington metro area have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. While the region makes up 35% of the population of the District, Maryland and Virginia, it accounts for 60% of the average daily infections.

The higher caseload has prompted leaders in the city and its suburbs to keep social distancing measures in place longer than outlying areas of Maryland and Virginia that partially reopened for commerce this weekend.

Monday also marked the first day all Metro riders were required to wear masks on the system.

Not only did transit workers request the change, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has said, but customers indicated they would be more likely to use public transit again if passengers were required to cover their faces.

The District added 147 new infections to its tally Monday, along with nine new deaths. So far, 392 people have died of covid-19 in the city and 7,270 have tested positive.

While the nation's capital has met some criteria necessary to reopen - including a hospital capacity below 80% and an ability to test certain high-risk groups - officials also want to see a two-week decline in what Bowser calls the "community spread" of the virus. City officials calculate that by examining when patients first experienced covid-19 symptoms and excluding cases in nursing homes and other institutions where people are not likely to spread the infection outside their facilities.

The city does not publicly release its calculation of "community spread," but Bowser said Monday that it has been on the decline and the city needs six more days of that decline for it to reopen.

Virginia reported 752 new coronavirus infections and five new deaths Monday, four of them in northern Virginia. Statewide, 1,014 people have died of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus and 31,140 have been confirmed sick.

Virginia also has detected its first case of the inflammatory syndrome that has afflicted some children who have covid-19, said Oliver, the state's health commissioner. He said the case involved someone younger than 18 but did not have further details Monday.

Regardless of Northam's decision to keep restrictions in place in northern Virginia, some businesses that had voluntarily shuttered for weeks there decided now was the time to reopen, as permitted under state guidelines.

Lights flickered on Monday throughout Tysons Corner Center, a sprawling mall in Fairfax County.

"We had our safety measures in place so we decided it was time to reopen," said Barbara Noe, store manager at the mall's newly reopened L.L. Bean. "Plus, the state had planned on opening around now so it made sense."

In Maryland, one local leader who had opted out of Hogan's reopening plan was building out his own plans for when to reopen. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, a Democrat, announced an advisory panel to help him decide.

Maryland reported 958 new infections and 31 new deaths on Monday, including seven in Prince George's County and five in Montgomery County. Statewide, 39,762 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 2,023 people have died of it.

The outbreak among inmates in the Maryland prison system expanded to more than 100 confirmed cases and five deaths, state corrections officials said Monday. The fifth inmate to die was a man in his 60s who had been serving time at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup, officials said. He had been transferred to a hospital recently.

Earlier, inmates from Dorsey Run Correctional Facility, Roxbury Correctional Institution and Jessup Correctional Institution had died of covid-19.

Citing privacy laws, officials have not identified the inmates.

- - -

The Washington Post's Rebecca Tan, Dan Morse, Ovetta Wiggins and Emily Davies contributed to this report.
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So should Oventus Medical (ASX:OVN) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

Check out our latest analysis for Oventus Medical

When Might Oventus Medical Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In December 2019, Oventus Medical had AU$6.2m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$9.0m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from December 2019 it had roughly 8 months of cash runway. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

ASX:OVN Historical Debt May 18th 2020

How Is Oventus Medical's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Whilst it's great to see that Oventus Medical has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced AU$368k, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. With the cash burn rate up 44% in the last year, it seems that the company is ratcheting up investment in the business over time. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Oventus Medical makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

Story continues

How Easily Can Oventus Medical Raise Cash?

Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, Oventus Medical shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Oventus Medical's cash burn of AU$9.0m is about 25% of its AU$37m market capitalisation. That's not insignificant, and if the company had to sell enough shares to fund another year's growth at the current share price, you'd likely witness fairly costly dilution.

How Risky Is Oventus Medical's Cash Burn Situation?

Oventus Medical is not in a great position when it comes to its cash burn situation. While its cash burn relative to its market cap wasn't too bad, its cash runway does leave us rather nervous. After looking at that range of measures, we think shareholders should be extremely attentive to how the company is using its cash, as the cash burn makes us uncomfortable. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 7 warning signs for Oventus Medical (3 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 12:11:21|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Four Chinese-Filipino siblings have been delivering free packs of home-cooked meals to nurses and other health workers for weeks at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 in the Philippine capital.

The siblings, aged from 13 to 19, said they thought of donating food parcels to express their gratitude to the doctors and nurses who cared for their 70-year-old grandmother, Teresita. She was diagnosed of coronavirus on March 28.

The siblings' mother, Stella, said her children cooked meals for their sick grandmother while she was confined at the Metropolitan Medical Center in Manila City for 15 days. The family delivered home-cooked meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner to her every day.

"My mother prefers home-cooked meals so we regularly send her food. But it has to be in plastic containers because you cannot bring home things from the hospital," Stella told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

While delivering food to the elderly, she said the family also made sure to share bread and coffee with the nursing staff in the coronavirus ward.

Simone Alexa Sy, 13, said her family is grateful for the healthcare workers especially the team that took care of her grandmother. To Simone and her three siblings, the healthcare workers are heroes, she said.

"We want to give back to the people who helped our amah because during those times we had a hard time," Sofia said.

The Metropolitan Medical Center and its staff are special to the Sy family, as it was the only hospital that admitted her coronavirus-positive grandmother after seven other hospitals turned them away due to lack of vacancy.

After their grandmother was discharged from the hospital on April 13, Simone and her siblings decided to "convert" the Sys kitchen into a production line for packed home-cooked meals for frontline medical workers.

To show their appreciation for the healthcare workers, Simone and her siblings decided to cook more meals for the healthcare workers not only in Metropolitan Medical Center but also to other hospitals and coronavirus facilities in Metro Manila.

Sophia cooks while Joff and Josh help prepare the ingredients and pack the ready-to-eat meals for distribution to the health workers in different hospitals.

Since April, the Sys have distributed nearly 8,000 food packs to around 15 hospitals and coronavirus facilities.

Their good deed has also garnered support from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.

Last week, the Chinese Embassy handed over 10 bags of rice, 100,000 pesos (roughly 2,000 U.S. dollars) cash, 400 pieces face masks and Ambassador Huang Xilian's personal letter to the Sys to show his appreciation for their volunteering.

In his letter to the Sy siblings, Huang "expressed his appreciation for their spontaneous and warm-hearted actions to provide meals for the medical frontliners."

Stella said the family will continue to do so to the frontline medical workers while classes are still suspended due to the coronavirus lockdown imposed since mid-March to stop the spread of the virus.

Asked what lessons she learned from the coronavirus crisis, Stella said, "It was a humbling experience. Coronavirus does not discriminate. It deepens your perspective on things."

The Philippines now has 12,513 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,635 recoveries and 824 deaths. Enditem
[May 18, 2020]

More than 2.2 Million View AJC Advocacy Anywhere Programs

NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 2.2 million people have watched AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs since the leading global Jewish advocacy organization launched the online series of programs on March 20. The first eight weeks have featured conversations with diplomats, political figures, policy analysts, religious leaders, and AJC staff experts on timely, topical issues.

"Our ever-expanding audience is logging on for probing discussions with decision-makers and thought-leaders, consistent with AJC's mission as the front-line global Jewish advocacy group," said AJC CEO David Harris. "Notably, AJC is honored this week to host Uruguay President Luis Lacalle Pou, the first head of state to participate in an AJC Advocacy Anywhere program, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the first incumbent mayor in our series. Both are alumni of AJC's Project Interchange seminars in Israel."

Registration for AJC Advocacy Anywhere is free and programs can be viewed via Zoom and Facebook. Previous programs are available for viewing on the AJC Facebook page.

Programs last week included:

Transatlantic Dialogues: Rep. Brian Mast and MEP Anna Michelle Asimakopolou, May 11, has garnered more than 31,000 views on Facebook. U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism, and European Parliament member Anna Michelle Asimakopolou, representative from Greece and Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI), discussed with Daniel Schwammenthal, Director, AJC Transatlantic Institute, issues that the United States and the European Union must tackle together, including support for Israel and opposition to Iran's expansionist policies.

Fighting Antisemitism while Protecting Free Speech on Campus, May 11, has gained more than 28,000 views on Facebook. Holly Huffnagle, AJC Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Marc Stern, AJC Chief Legal Officer, were the featured speakers. Moderated by Zev Hurwitz, AJC Director, Campus Affairs.

Identity Politics, Polarization, and the Collapse of the Center: The Changing Political Landscape of the United States and What's At Stake for American Jews, May 12, has been seen by more than 28,000 on Facebook. Seth Mandel, Washington Examiner Executive Editor, and Batya Ungar Sargon, Forward Opinion Editor, discussed the issues in conversation with Seffi Kogen, AJC Global Director of Young Leadership.

Einat Wilf: Updates from Israel and the Path to Israeli-Palestinian Peace, May 14, has been seen by more than 27,000 on Facebook. She discussed her acclaimed new book, The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructe the Path to Peace, and the formation of the new unity government in Israel. Einat Wilf and co-author Adi Schwartz argue that for the Israel-Palestinian conflict to end with a durable peace agreement, Palestinians must finally come to terms with the reality that there will be no "right of return." Wilf, a Member of Knesset (2010-2013), has addressed numerous AJC audiences in Israel and the U.S.







The Resurgence of Antisemitism: A Frontline Perspective 2000-2020, May 15, has been viewed by more than 32,000 on Facebook. In 2000-1, AJC CEO David Harris spent a year in Europe as Chair of UN Watch, in Geneva, and a Visiting Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, in Bologna. He was the first American Jewish leader to alert the world to the resurgence of antisemitism in Europe, and to identify its multiple sources. Harris discussed the front-line battle against antisemitism over the past two decades, especially in Europe and, more recently, the U.S.  the strategies, successes, failures, and frustrations.

AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs for this week include:

Monday, May 18, 1:00 PM (ET)  Religion During and After Coronavirus: Will We Ever Be the Same? Rabbi David Wolpe, named "America's Most Influential Rabbi" by Newsweek, and Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, the first woman to head the venerable 184-year-old Union Theological Seminary (UTS), discuss the experiences of loss during the pandemic and the ability of religious institutions to adapt. Will our houses of worship and faith communities be transformed by this crisis? The conversation will be moderated by Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations.

Monday, May 18, 2:00 PM (ET)  Challenges to Democracy and Stories of Jewish Communal Resilience in Latin America. As countries adapt to changing political dynamics against the backdrop of COVID-19, what is at stake for the Jewish communities in Latin America? Mariana Salem, AMIA, Argentina; Heni Ozi Cukier, Sao Paulo State legislator; and Adela Smeke, Founder, Mexican Federation of Young Jews (FeMeJJ), will discuss challenges to democracy in Latin America before and during the current crisis, and the differences between pandemic-induced antisemitism in the U.S. and Latin America. Moderated by Muriel Asseraf, AJC Representative, Sao Paulo.

Wednesday, May 20, 11:00 AM (ET)  Europe, Iran, and the Transatlantic Partnership, featuring Anna Fotyqa, Member of the European Parliament; Omir Nouripour, Member of the German Federal Parliament; and Mark Dubowitz, CEO, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Moderated by Daniel Schwammenthal, Director, AJC Transatlantic Institute, and Remko Leemhuis, Acting Director, AJC Berlin. While Europeans and the U.S. still don't see eye to eye on the merits of the 2015 nuclear deal, both sides recognize the need to contain the regime's regional aggression and global terror network. With the arms embargo on Tehran expiring this October, and actors like Russia and China poised to supply Iran with advanced weaponry, forging a unified transatlantic strategy to counter Iran's quest for the bomb and regional hegemony is as urgent as ever.

Wednesday, May 20, 12:00 PM (ET)  A Conversation with H.E. Luis Lacalle Pou, President of Uruguay. As a country committed to human rights and democracy, Uruguay is a longstanding partner of the United States and Israel. In fact, Uruguay was one of the first nations to recognize the newly-formed Jewish state in 1948. In February 2019, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. President Pou, an AJC Project Interchange alumnus, took office on March 1, just before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Uruguay. Moderated by Dina Siegel Vann, Director, AJC Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs.

Thursday, May 21, 12:00 PM (ET)  On the Frontlines of America's Cities: A Conversation with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Moderated by Melanie Maron Pell, AJC Managing Director, Regional Offices.

Friday, May 22, 11:00 AM (ET)  YomYerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) with Yossi Klein Halevi, Author of several widely-praised books, including Like Dreamers and Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor; Senior Fellow, The Shalom Hartman Institute. Moderated by Myra Clark Siegel, Director of Communications and Senior Strategic Counsel, AJC Project Interchange.

To date, the three most viewed programs in AJC's Advocacy Anywhere series are:

AJC CEO David Harris: An Improbable Jewish Journey, with more than 196,000 Facebook views.

David Harris on the Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 1), with more than 136,000 views on Facebook.

Coronavirus on the Eve of Easter and Passover: A Catholic-Jewish Conversation on Faith and Interreligious Cooperation in Trying Times, with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and more than 89,000 views on Facebook.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-2-2-million-view-ajc-advocacy-anywhere-programs-301060892.html

SOURCE American Jewish Committee
Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Minister of Communication has donated food items, veronica buckets, sanitary items and cash of GhC5,000.00 to the Birim Central Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region to support the needy in the municipality.



The items included 80 special packed parcels each containing packed sugar, a half litre of cooking oil, five kilograms of rice, two tins of milk and two tins of fish, two big boxes of tomato paste, three packets of tissue papers, face masks and 14 boxes of hand sanitizers.



Ms Owusu-Ekuful was born in Akim Oda where she spent part of her early life and has some relations there.



The items were presented on behalf of the Minister by Papa Yaw Amoah Nyarko, Assembly Member for Aseneya Electoral Area in the Municipality, and a relative of the Minister for Communication.



Ms Victoria Adu, the Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive received the items on behalf of the needy in the municipality and expressed her gratitude for the donation and gave the assurance that, she would ensure that the food items are given to the vulnerable in the various communities.



She urged the people to comply with all the precautionary measures on COVID-19 to avoid contracting the coronavirus.

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.

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Ken Osmond, who played the duplicitous teenager Eddie Haskell on the long-running sitcom Leave It to Beaver, one moment a smarmy young man when talking to parents, the next moment a devilish troublemaker when the adults were out of sight, died on Monday at his home in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 76.

His son Eric said the cause was complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and peripheral arterial disease.

Mr. Osmond appeared in all six seasons of Leave It to Beaver, 1957 to 1963, one of the most-watched television sitcoms of the era, then reprised the role as an adult version of Eddie in the Disney Channel revival series The New Leave It to Beaver in the 1980s.

He also guest-starred on other popular television series of the 50s and 60s, including Lassie, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wagon Train and The Loretta Young Show.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 13:57:25|Editor: huaxia

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SHIJIAZHUANG, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A cluster of civilian tombs dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D.-907 A.D.) have been unearthed in Fucheng County, north China's Hebei Province, after the ruins were discovered at a construction site.

The tomb chambers each measuring 2.4 meters long, 1.2 meters wide and 0.8 meter high are built with carved bricks.

Qi Hongxia, director of the Cultural Relic Preservation Institute in Fucheng, said the rope-patterned carvings on tomb bricks, the tomb building design and structure, red pottery items and copper coins with marks of Kaiyuan all indicate the Middle Tang Dynasty, dating back more than 1,200 years.

The Kaiyuan Era (713-741) of the Tang Dynasty was one of the golden ages of Chinese history.

Qi said archeologists found building tiles, ancient wells and pottery fragments near the cemetery, implying the place was a civilian residential area, with production workshops and graveyards.

In one of the tombs, archeologists found lacquer bowls, white porcelain bowls, Kaiyuan Tongbao copper coins, red pottery jars and other buried objects. Some coins were found in the mouth of the tomb owner. Remains of small animals were found in the red pottery jars, which were placed in the upper right corner over the head of the tomb owner.

Qi said the tombs provide historical evidence of the civilian lifestyle and funeral customs in the central Hebei plain area during the Tang Dynasty. Enditem




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I've learned that finding discarded vehicles with astronomical figures showing on their odometers can be very difficult. Most manufacturers stuck with five-digit odometers well into the 1980s and even the 1990s, which rules out a majority of potential high-mile candidates right off the bat. With more recent vehicles, electronic digital odometers won't display unless you power up the main ECU theoretically possible in a junkyard, but a real hassle. The most likely old cars to rack up interstellar mileage (Mercedes-Benz diesels) are also among the first to have their instrument clusters harvested by boneyard-prowling eBay sellers. Fortunately, Honda began installing six-digit odometers around 1981, and so today's Junkyard Gem (found last winter in a Denver car graveyard) can share its very impressive final odo reading with us.

I find junked 1980s Hondas with better than 300,000 miles on a regular basis, and most of that era's Hondas made it well past the 200k mark before reaching their final parking spots. My all-time junkyard-odometer high reading was 930,013 miles on a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit, but I don't quite trust the integrity of the mechanism in that case; this 601,173-mile 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E holds the non-asterisked record, with this 1985 diesel S-Class coming in second place with 535,971 miles. I've found a handful of 400k-plus-mile cars recently, including this '88 Toyota Tercel 4WD wagon and this 1990 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon, and now here's a bulletproof second-generation Accord that traveled the equivalent of 16-1/2 trips around the world during its 37-year career.

These cars rusted with great eagerness in the red-powdery parts of the land, but this one took quite a while to get to this level of corrosion.

Colorado cars can rust to a certain extent, though most counties here don't use road salt and the single-digit humidity helps keep the Rust Monster at bay. This car lived in not-so-oxidey Texas as of 2011.

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The factory emissions sticker shows that this Accord began life as a California-spec car, not a "49-state" federal machine. That doesn't mean it was sold new in California, but that's the way to bet; the cars meant for sale in the Golden State had more expensive underhood hardware. Honda's then-new plant in Marysville, Ohio, was making Accords by 1983, but this car came from Japan.

The vacuum-line diagram for Honda CVCC engines started to get intimidatingly complex about this time, but by 1985 it had become the Map of the Universe, so complicated that it had to be represented in isometric view. Amazingly, this system worked very well, though the failure of a single sensor or solenoid could make you fail the draconian California smog check.

The EK1 1.8-liter four-cylinder, rated at 75 horsepower in 1983.

From what I've seen of early-to-mid-1980s Accords in junkyards, the 5-speed/automatic split was about 50/50 on these cars. A few years later, it was more like 10/90 in favor of automatics.

Trunk lid won't stay closed? Home Depot to the rescue!

This appears to be a vintage yoga-related sticker, perhaps more appropriate to California than Texas or Colorado.

One thing I've seen with high-mile cars in junkyards is signs of owners who cared. Here's a bottle of touch-up paint still in the car, not something you see in most decades-old vehicles.

The interior looks all right, considering. Did the head gasket finally let go? We may never know.

This car isn't the luxurious LX, but it still came with some pretty good features for an affordable sedan in 1983.

This Japanese-market ad was in English, for added class.

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Monday, May 18, 2020 at 12:25PM

Apple has devised a system to reopen its various retail stores including 12 stores in Canada. The often packed retail stores were shut down as part of social-distancing efforts to help negate the spread of COVID-19 months ago. Apple Stores are more than just retail hubs for picking up the latest computers, iPhones, and accessories. They are the key point of interaction between Apple and customers, the latter flock to their local Apple stores for service and support, as well as to partake of ongoing training and demos.

Deidre OBrien, Apple's retail head, outlined the company's careful next steps in reopening its retail hubs. Our commitment is to only move forward with a reopening once were confident we can safely return to serving customers from our stores, OBrien writes. We look at every available piece of data  including local cases, near and longterm trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. These are not decisions we rush into  and a store opening in no way means that we wont take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant.

Apple has 510 retail stores around the world, 80 per cent of these remained shut. Apple is gearing up to soft-open 25 more stores in the US, 12 in Canada, and 10 in Italy over the next week. The company will likely see how those pilot stores manage before deciding on the protocols to adopt towards a wider store opening.
Post-Brexit Opportunities: How Companies Can Set Up Office Hubs in the Euro Zone and Britain

Posted by Publisher Internet

Brexit has been, and will continue to be, a source of great uncertainty and challenge for both UK and EU based companies. However, by harnessing the range and expertise of the Ecovis network, we can help our clients successfully navigate the post-Brexit minefield.

More than 1,400 banks, asset management firms, payments companies and insurers from the European Union have applied to operate in the UK post-Brexit, with over 1,000 of these planning to establish their first UK office. These new offices will seek to mitigate the loss of business as the current unrestricted two-way access between Britain and the EU comes to an end in December 2020, following a Brexit transition period. The figures, taken from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, are seen as evidence that the UK will continue to operate as a leading player on the global financial stage after Britain leaves the EU.

The FOI request revealed that by October 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had received a total of 1,441 applications from firms to use the Temporary Permission Regime (TPR), which will come into force when current passporting permissions between the UK and EU become defunct. The TPR will allow European Economic Area firms and funds to operate in the UK while they seek full permission from the FCA.

Likewise, there is research which suggests that UK-based firms had implemented plans enabling them to continue operating in the EU after Brexit, estimating that around 7,000 positions would be relocated from London to the continent and a further 2,400 jobs created and hired for locally at the new EU hubs.

In addition to the growth of the financial sector, recent research suggests that the UK is establishing itself as a leading tech hub, with figures released last month by Tech Nation showing that investment into the UK?s tech start-up scene topped ?10bn in 2019 ? the fastest growth of anywhere in the world. This growth was mirrored in tech salary increases, with the UK?s average increase of 13% outstripping Toronto, New York and San Francisco. Such an increase reinforces the UK?s status as a global growth hub and indicates that the UK will continue to attract top talent worldwide.

UK Digitalisation Sector Growing Rapidly

The UK?s Digital Minister, Matt Warman, states that the government intends to continue this momentum by strengthening regional tech clusters, supporting digital business and investing in people?s digital skills. The UK?s commitment to championing the digital sectors is also evident in the strength of the digital marketing industry, having experienced its eighth consecutive year of growth. This growth has seen the UK become the largest digital advertising centre in Europe, according to recent research. The report by advertising think-tank, Credos and Enders Analysis discovered that this growth is expected to continue, with UK advertisers set to spend almost two-thirds (62%) of their budgets online in 2020.

With just a few months left for the UK to negotiate its future relationship with the EU, the Ecovis Network is perfectly positioned to advise clients on possible future trading environments and assist in making the most of the post-Brexit opportunities. The strength and breadth of the Ecovis Network and its local knowledge provide a significant competitive advantage for companies and clients.

For further information please contact:

Gerry Collins, Partner, Chartered Accountant & Auditor, ECOVIS Wingrave Yeats, London, UK

www.ecovis.com/en

Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has over 7,500 people operating in over 75 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, accounting, auditing and legal advice.

The particular strength of Ecovis is the combination of personal advice at a local level with the general expertise of an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals. Every Ecovis office can rely on qualified specialists in the back offices as well as on the specific industrial or national know-how of all the Ecovis experts worldwide. This diversified expertise provides clients with effective support, especially in the fields of international transactions and investments ? from preparation in the client?s home country to support in the target country.

In its consulting work Ecovis concentrates mainly on mid-sized firms. Both nationally and internationally, its one-stop-shop concept ensures all-round support in legal, fiscal, managerial and administrative issues.

The name Ecovis, a combination of the terms economy and vision, expresses both its international character and its focus on the future and growth.
Warning issued after reports of scam emails claiming to offer Council Tax refunds

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

Households across Wrexham are being warned of a scam Council Tax email currently doing the rounds.

Wrexham Council say the official-looking emails claim to offer refunds on Council Tax.

The email claims to be from GOV.UK and states that you are getting a Council Tax Reduction (this used to be called Council Tax Benefit) considering youre on a low income or get benefits.

The amount youre supposedly being refunded is likely to be in the hundreds of pounds, with a council spokesperson stating that an email seen by the local authority claims to be 385.50.

Underneath this is a clickable link Claim your Council Tax Reduction Now. Dont click this link.

The council spokesperson said: We know anything telling you that you might have paid too much Council Tax might seem very attractive, and it can be very tempting to follow such messages up, but doing so will leave you vulnerable to having your information stolen.

Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently created the Suspicious Email Reporting Service which makes it easy for people to forward suspicious emails to them.

The NCSC will then analyse the suspect email and any websites it links to.

If you think you might be in credit on your Council Tax account, theres a very simple way to find out.

Just call up our finance helpline on 01978 298992 or e-mail counciltax@wrexham.gov.uk. Theyll be very happy to check your account and give you any help you need.

If you think you may have been the victim of fraud or cyber-crime, you should report this to Action Fraud via their website or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Action Fraud is the UKs National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson said she meant no harm by sharing on social media photos of personal protective equipment that carried misleading information.

Uson was summoned to appear at the National Bureau of Investigation on Monday, after she posted photos of the PPEs allegedly bought by the government. One of the photos turned out to be of PPEs donated by SM Foundation.

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin last week said Uson "is being investigated by our Cybercrime Division for fake news"

The OWWA official spoke briefly to media after her appearance, saying she was there to comply with the subpoena and to explain her post. She said the photo was from the Philippine Star.

"Ang intensyon ko, i-inform yung ating mga kababayan na hindi pinababayaan ng gobyerno ang ating mga health workers, mga frontliners. Kaya nga dun sa post ko naishare ko yung good news na mayroong ginagawang aksyon ang gobyerno na mag-provide ng PPEs sa ating mga frontliners. Eh, nagamit ko yung photo na yun mula sa Philippine Star na respetadong mainstream media, broadsheet, 'yun pala mali din sila ng nagamit na larawan. So 'yung impormasyon na gusto kong i-share sa publiko, may ginagawa ang gobyerno, para pangalagaan yung frontliners natin. Nagkamali lang, honest mistake yung sa photo," she said.

[Translation: My intention was to show people that the government is taking care of health workers, frontliners. So what I shared was good news of the government taking action and providing frontliners with PPEs. The photo I shared was from the Philippine Star, a respected broadsheet, but it seems they made a mistake, too. So the information I wanted to share with the public was the government is doing something for the frontliners. I made a mistake, an honest mistake with the photo.]

NBI Cyber Crime Division Chief Victor Lorenzo said Uson, who appeared with her lawyer, submitted the pictures and explained where she got them. She, however, did not submit an affidavit.

"Pero wala pa siyang affidavit eh, mga pictures lang pinakita niya muna, sinubmit niya," he said.

[Translation: But she does not have an affidavit, she only showed, submitted photos.]

Lorenzo said they would still determine when the affidavit would be given, saying it was a "legal strategy" of Uson and her lawyer.

"Inexplain niya lang yung sequence nung pinost, kinuha lang sa ganito yung newspaper tapos tinakedown namin ganun lang. Dapat yung mga pictures na yun should be supported by an affidavit to explain kung ano yung sequence na 'yun na hindi verbal para I-integrate namin doon sa case folder. Atsaka namin ipapa-evauate yun kung talagang may violation na-commit as it is," Lorenzo said.

[Translation: She just explained the sequence of the posts, that it was taken from a newspaper, and we took down all of that. Those pictures should have been supported by an affidavit to explain the sequence of events and nit just a verbal explanation so we can integrate it with the case folder. And then we can have it evaluated whether a violation was committed as it is.]

Lorenzo added Uson is not required to be present when the affidavit is submitted and that it could be done electronically. He said it should be done "as soon as possible."

"Dapat by next week meron na yun, by Monday by Tuesday," he said.

[Translation: It must be here by next week, by Monday or by Tuesday.]

Should she decide not to submit the affidavit, Lorenzo said it would mean Uson waives her right to explain her side.
Kabul, May 18 : At least nine people were killed and around 40 injured on Monday in a Taliban suicide attack near a security base in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, officials said..

"Taliban terrorists today morning, in a series of their crimes in this holy month of Ramadan, carried out a truck bombing against the Islamic Cultural Centre in Ghazni city (situated next to the military base), in which nine persons were killed," Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian said in a statement.

According to a statement by the Ghazni governor's office, the attacker detonated a stolen explosives-laden truck near the base of the National Directorate of Security - the country's main intelligence agency - at around 4.40 a.m.

An aide to the governor confirmed to Efe news that nearly all of the casualties were security forces members.

Eight of those injured were in a critical condition while the rest were stable.

The impact of the "powerful blast" shattered window panes of houses even as far as 2 km from the attack site.

In a statement, the Taliban said "tens" of security forces members were killed and injured in the attack.

In this attack, "tens of security personnel of the stooge enemy were killed and injured, while several of their military vehicles also destroyed", Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in the statement.

Mujahid claimed the attack was a part of a fresh campaign in response to "offensive operations" carried out by the security forces on the orders of President Ashraf Ghani.

Last week, Ghani ordered Afghan forces to end their defensive posture and go on the offensive against militants, after 56 civilians were killed in two separate attacks by insurgents in Kabul and Nangarhar province.

The government had blamed the Taliban for the incidents, but the group denied any involvement.

Moreover, the latest suicide attack comes a day after Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the runner-up in last September's presidential elections, reached an agreement to end months of stalemate over the outcome of the polls.

The deal, whose details were yet to be revealed, was struck after Ghani suggested Abdullah should lead peace negotiations with the Taliban, aimed at ending a two-decade old war.

The political crisis sparked fears that the intra-Afghan peace process could fail even after a historic deal was reached on February 29 between the US and the Taliban, guaranteeing the departure of foreign troops from the country within 14 months.
Under mounting global pressure, China has relented on its opposition for an inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus, expressing its backing for an European Union draft resolution tabled at the World Health Assembly calling for a probe into the source of the vicious virus that has killed over three lakh people.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the Geneva-based World Health Organisation.

The annual meeting, being held virtually on Monday and Tuesday, is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the executive board.

The meeting is being held amid the global anger and concerns over the COVID-19 which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and criticism over the role of the WHO and its director general Dr General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

India is among 120 countries which backed the draft resolution put forward by the European Union and several other countries.

India is expected to be elected Chair of the Executive Board of the WHA replacing Japan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has expressed Beijing's backing for the EU resolution.

"Recently, the EU submitted a draft resolution on COVID-19 response to the 73rd WHA. All parties have reached consensus on the text," Zhao told a media briefing on Monday while fending off a spate of questions.

"On the issue of the origin of the virus, all parties have agreed to International Health Regulation emergency committee suggested wording and ask the WHO chief to work in close collaboration with World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agricultural Organisation, and all countries to find out the animal source and the transmission routes of the virus through field investigations and find out the possible intermediary host," Zhao said.

"The purpose is to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future, he said.

To persistent questions whether China which earlier dismissed United States and Australia's calls for an independent inquiry into the origin of the virus has finally agreed for the probe, Zhao said, "China participated in the consultation on the draft resolution all along."

"In the draft resolution, all parties agreed that the WHO should conduct an assessment over the response to COVID-19. The content is in line with China's consistent position," he said, answering questions about 120 countries including India backing the draft resolution conceived by Australia and the European Union.

Zhao said consensus has also been reached about evaluating the role of the WHO which has come under sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump who alleged that it is biased towards China and suspended over USD 400 million funding for it.

As per WHO's assessment, "the director general will ask at an appropriate time after consultations with the member states and gradually initiate an independent and through process to review the lessons learnt in the WHO coordination and propose suggestions for future work, Zhao said.

"This is a customary practice," he said.

"In the consultations, the vast majority of the countries believe that the pandemic is not over yet and cooperation to fight against is the most urgent task at the moment so it is not mature to start immediately the assessment, Zhao said.

China hopes all parties will in science based and cooperative spirit focus on enhancing cooperation and engage in constructive dialogue in improving the global public health system," he added.

The novel coronavirus has claimed 315,185 lives and infected over 4.7 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed appointment of Emine Dzhaparova as First Deputy Head of Ukraine's Foreign Minister.

"President said that the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people should be represented at the highest diplomatic level. Therefore, the head of state confirmed the nomination of Emine Dzhaparova for the post of first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs," he said at a meeting with the representatives of Crimean Tatar people on Monday as quoted by its press service.
Japan's economy slipped into recession for the first time in 4-1/2 years, putting the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the coronavirus crisis ravages businesses and consumers. Monday's first-quarter GDP data underlined the broadening impact of the outbreak, with exports plunging the most since the devastating March 2011 earthquake as global lockdowns and supply chain disruptions hit shipments of Japanese goods.

Analysts warn of an even bleaker picture for the current quarter as consumption crumbled after the government in April requested citizens to stay home and businesses to close, intensifying the challenge for policymakers battling a once-in-a-century pandemic. "It's near certainty the economy suffered an even deeper decline in the current quarter," said Yuichi Kodama, chief economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute. "Japan has entered a full-blown recession."

The world's third-largest economy contracted an annualised 3.4% in the first quarter, preliminary official gross domestic product (GDP) data showed, less than a median market forecast for a 4.6% drop. The slump came on top of an even steeper 7.3% decline in the October-December period, with the consecutive quarters of contraction meeting the technical definition of a recession. The last time Japan suffered recession was in the second half of 2015.

The coronavirus, which first emerged in China late last year, has ravaged the global economy as many nations went into strict lockdowns to curb the outbreak that has so far killed over 310,000 people worldwide. The pandemic has been massively disruptive on supply chains and businesses, particularly in trade-reliant nations such as Japan. Indeed, the fallout of the virus on corporate Japan was telling with exports diving 6.0% in the first quarter, the biggest decline since April-June 2011.

DEEPER SLUMP, SLOWER RECOVERY

The shakeout in global trade was underlined in recent March data, with exports shrinking the most in nearly four years due to plunging U.S.-bound shipments.

Even the nation's major globe-trotting manufacturers weren't spared the pandemic's sweeping impact. Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday it will cut domestic vehicle production by 122,000 units in June due to a lack of demand. The automaker expects an 80% drop in full-year operating profit, its lowest in nine years.

The gloom in Japan is expected to deepen over coming months. Analysts polled by Reuters estimate Japan's economy will shrink an annualised 22.0% in the current quarter, which would be the biggest decline on record, with pressure on output intensifying after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in April declared a nationwide state of emergency amid a rise in coronavirus infections.

The emergency was lifted for most regions on Thursday, but remained in effect for some big cities including Tokyo. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's $5 trillion economy, slipped 0.7% in January-March, less than a market forecast for a 1.6% drop, as robust demand for food and daily necessities partially offset the impact on services spending.

Still, it marked the second straight quarter of decline, as households were hit by the double-whammy of the coronavirus and a sales tax hike to 10% from 8% in October last year. Capital expenditure fell 0.5% in the first quarter after plummeting 4.8% in October-December last year, the GDP data showed, suggesting that uncertainty over the outlook is discouraging companies from boosting spending.

Taken together, domestic demand knocked 0.7 percentage point off GDP growth, while external demand shed 0.2 point. All of this has put a strain on the labour market. The jobless rate in March rose to its highest in a year, while job availability slipped to a more than three-year low.

The government has already announced a record $1.1 trillion stimulus package, and the Bank of Japan expanded stimulus for the second straight month in April. Abe has pledged a second supplementary budget later this month to fund fresh spending measures to cushion the economic blow from the outbreak. Still, many analysts warn that government support will come too little, too late due to slow implementation of spending plans.

"As always in Japan,the implementation is very slow. It will take the later half of the second quarter (and) the third quarter" for government stimulus to kick in, said Martin Schulz, chief economist at Fujitsu. "The recovery will be slower than many are hoping for ... To recover from this crisis, it will take about two years at least."

Also read: Lockdown 4.0 Live Updates: Biggest ever spike of 5,242 COVID-19 cases, 157 deaths in 24 hours; tally 96,169

Also read: India among 62 nations to seek 'impartial' probe into coronavirus
A citizen of Georgia, who goes by the name of Al-Bara Shishani, was one of the Islamic State top commanders.

Ukrainian authorities have extradited to Georgia one of the members of the Islamic State terrorist organization, whom Ukraine's security operatives detained outside Kyiv in November 2019.

The terrorist was handed over to Georgian law enforcement, reads the statement published by the SBU security service.

"A citizen of Georgia, who goes by the name of, was on the international wanted list according to records of the Interpol General Secretariat. The perpetrator was a member of IS top leadership," the statement says.

Read alsoRussia reviving ISIS threat in Europe  OSINT group

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian authorities, in coordination with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Georgia's Interior Ministry, apprehended Al Bara Shishani in November 2019.

The Georgian national had served as a deputy to Abu Omar al-Shishani, the man the Pentagon has described as the militant group's "minister of war."

After the latter was killed in 2016, Al-Bara Shishani fled to Turkey and in 2018 used a fake passport to enter Ukraine, where he continued to coordinate IS activities, Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) said.

He was detained in Kyiv region outside the house where he temporarily resided, hiding from arrest on murder charges, the SBU said.
New York has been by far the worst center of Wuhan virus infection in the U.S., and it seems clear that New Yorks governor, Andy Cuomo, has done a terrible job. Among other things, he went out of his way to force New Yorks nursing homes to accept residents who had tested positive for COVID-19, an absolutely irrational act that killed thousands, which he has since rescinded.

Nevertheless, even as his incompetence cost thousands of lives, Cuomo has adopted a pose of moral superiority, aided and abetted by the press: If it saves just one life, Cuomo notoriously said, damaging and, in many cases, destroying the lives of millions of New Yorkers was worth it.

But facts are inexorable, and Cuomo has now changed his tune. In a press conference today, he urged universal forgiveness:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday addressed the states early response to the coronavirus outbreak and said nobody should be prosecuted for the those who died, noting that older people were most vulnerable. The governor has been criticized for a decision in March, which has since been reversed, to send patients back to nursing homes after they tested positive for COVID-19. More than 4,800 people died from COVID-19 in nursing homes in the state between March 1 and May 1, according to a tally released by the Cuomo administration on May 1. Cuomo has called nursing homes a feeding frenzy for the coronavirus. Despite whatever you do, because with all our progress as a society, we cant keep everyone alive, Cuomo said.

Huh. Interesting that Andy If it saves one life Cuomo should finally figure that out.

How do we get justice for those families of those 139 deaths? Cuomo said. Who can we prosecute for those 139 deaths? Nobody. Mother Nature, God, where did this virus come from? People are going to die by this virus, that is the truth.

Of course it is, but todays fatalism is a far cry from Cuomos early claim that even though his shutdown might devastate the lives of millions, it would be worth it because not a single life would be sacrificed to the Wuhan flu.

When pressed further about how some people thought their loved ones would be safe because of Matildas Law, Cuomo continued to stress the point that older and more vulnerable people were always going to die from this virus. He said when talking [about] who is accountable for deaths, the most important thing was to make sure you can have a situation where everyone did the right thing and everyone tried their best.

Whether Cuomo tried his best is debatable; many would say that his policies intentionally imposed unacceptable risks on elderly people in nursing homes. A reader writes:

If we can save one life Does he have blood on his hands? When does he apologize to Trump? So we killed grandma anyway. We never had a real risk of swamping the hospitals, had a lockdown that his brother proved was bogus, but just bad enough to destroy the economyand still had 20,000 deaths, highest per capita in the world. Heckuva job! Oh, and nice haircut, governor!

Hypocrisy, thy name is Democratic Party Governor.
Combined profit before tax of 81 firms down 37.5% y-o-y, worst show in at least 3 years.

As expected, COVID-induced lockdown has begun to hit corporate earnings even though economic activity was shut for only seven days during the January-March 2020 quarter (Q4FY20).

The combined profit before tax of 81 early bird firms that have declared Q4 results is down 37.5 per cent year-on-year against 48 per cent y-o-y growth a year ago.

The blow to bottom line was, however, cushioned by a cut in corporation tax rate cut announced in September last year.

Combined net profit was down 36.8 per cent y-o-y in Q4 compared to 49.5 per cent y-o-y growth a year ago and 18.3 per cent y-o-y growth reported by the sample during Q3FY20.

Adjusted for exceptional gains and losses such as inventory losses, as reported by Reliance Industries, net profit was down 21 per cent y-o-y during Q4 against 47.2 per cent y-o-y growth a year ago.

The real pain is, however, on the revenue side, with the combined net sales (including net interest income of lenders) of early bird companies down 0.9 per cent y-o-y during Q4, their worst show in at least 12 quarters.

In comparison, combined net sales were up 23.2 per cent y-o-y a year ago and 4.1 per cent y-o-y in Q3.

Total revenues including other income and lenders fee income was, however, down nearly 7 per cent during Q4 - the first revenue contraction for the sample in at least 12 quarters.

In all, they reported combined revenues of Rs 4.32 trillion and net profit of around Rs 30,800 crore during Q4.

Early bird revenues were around one-fifth of listed companies combined revenue, while their net profit were around a quarter during Q3.

Analysts, however, say Q4 results are not a true barometer of the economic pain induced by Covid-19.

We should not give too much credence to Q4 earnings. It was a normal quarter, except the disruption in the second half of the month of March.

"However, the numbers of individual companies do give a peek in their readiness or resilience to face the really painful earnings compression during the April-June 2020 quarter (Q1FY21), said Dhananjay Sinha, director research, Systematix Group.

Nearly fourth-fifth (80 per cent) early bird revenues and most of the net profits are accounted for private sector banks, insurance companies, tech companies, and Reliance Industries.

These firms operate in sectors least affected by the lockdown, leading to underreporting of the economic pain.

The rest of the sample hints at a sharp fall in revenues and profits growth despite few days of lockdown in Q4.

The combined net sales of early bird companies - excluding lenders, insurance, IT, and Reliance Industries - was down 23.4 per cent y-o-y in Q4 - their worst show in at least 12 quarters.

In comparison, these companies combined net sales was up 54 per cent y-o-y during Q4FY19 and 3.9 per cent in Q3FY20.

However, it must be noted that net profit figure has been skewed a bit by the numbers of chronically sick companies such as Reliance Power, Reliance Capital, and Reliance Infra.

YES Bank had big swing in its numbers across quarters and was excluded from the sample.

Manufacturers such as Hindustan Unilever, Marico, ACC, and Ambuja Cement, however, reported y-o-y decline in volumes and revenues during Q4, though a hit to their bottom line was cushioned by lower raw material prices and gains from tax cut.

Analysts and companies management have hinted at a sharp decline in revenues and losses at net levels for scores of manufacturers during the first quarter of FY21.
JOHANNESBURG  The leader of Lesotho, accused of being behind the murder of his estranged wife, announced his resignation on Tuesday, possibly paving the way for him to be formally charged in the killing.

Prime Minister Thomas Thabane said in a televised address that his time to retire and withdraw from public life had finally arrived, after clinging to Lesothos highest political office for months.

Mr. Thabane, 80, a wily political survivor who has served in every administration since the tiny southern African nation gained independence in 1966, had tried to remain in power despite mounting pressure from his own camp to leave.

Evidence links the prime minister to the assailants who killed his estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane, in June 2017, the authorities say. Mr. Thabanes current wife has already been charged in the death, and investigators say phone records show ties between the prime minister and the gunmen.
William Barr signals that he does not expect Obama, Biden to be investigated in review of Russia probe now underway.

Attorney General William Barr has said he did not expect investigations into the origins of the FBIs Russia investigation to lead to criminal probes into either President Donald Trumps Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, or former President Barack Obama.

Whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I dont expect Mr Durhams work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Barr said.

Federal prosecutor John Durham is reviewing the origins of the investigation of Russias 2016 election interference.

Trump has stated without evidence that he believes Obama had committed unspecified crimes, and some of Trumps supporters have encouraged criminal inquiries into Obama and Biden for what they say are unspecified abuses during the investigation into ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump has taken to calling the conspiracy OBAMAGATE in recent days, and said it was the biggest political crime in American history without offering any details or evidence. Trump stepped up those claims as he faced criticism for the administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and prepares to face Biden in the November election.

Thank you to @foxandfriends for covering, supremely, the greatest political scandal in the history of the United States, OBAMAGATE. Fake News @CNN and Concasts own MSDNC are only trying to make their 3 year Con Job just go away. They are embarrassed and dont know what to do.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2020

Barr signalled on Monday, however, that he would not be swayed by political pressure to investigate the presidents opponents, and did not believe that a criminal investigation into the early days of the Russia probe being conducted by Durham would lead to investigations into either Obama or Biden.

More broadly, Barr said, We cannot allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate.

Barr did not rule out the possibility of others being criminally investigated, without offering specifics.

Former Reagan/Bush official: "Barrs belief in an all-powerful chief executive and a president who thinks that he can do anything he desires has resulted in many actions that have severely undermined trust in an evenhanded and independent rule of law."https://t.co/6NZwkaXzFP  Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) May 17, 2020

Trump said on Monday that the attorney generals statement surprised him.

Im a little surprised by that statement, Trump told reporters at the White House, while calling Barr very honourable and saying he would leave any such decision up to Barr.

Barr has faced scathing criticism from Democrats and former career prosecutors in recent months who say he is the one who has politicised the justice system in favour of allies of Trump.

Earlier this month, Barr moved to dismiss the criminal charges against Trumps former NSA Michael Flynn, who had already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

In February he intervened to recommend a lighter sentence for Trumps longtime friend Roger Stone.
BERLIN  In a normal season, as many as 300,000 migrant workers from Eastern Europe make their way to Germany to harvest asparagus, pick strawberries and plant late-season crops.

This season has been anything but normal.

Just as the first harvest was to begin, Germany and its neighbors to the east slammed shut their borders to contain the coronavirus, cutting off a crucial supply of farm labor and putting crops at risk. Farmers pleaded with the government to find a solution to the resulting labor shortage, arguing that the nations food security was in jeopardy.

The German government responded by allowing farmers to airlift workers from Romania and Bulgaria  another example of the sort of improvised solutions countries around the world have taken during the pandemic. The move has eased the labor shortage, but not solved it. It has also raised concerns about importing new infections.

Under the agreement with the government in Berlin, German farmers were allowed to organize and pay for charter flights for up to 40,000 migrant workers a month in April and May. Yet the cost and logistical challenges have meant that only about 28,000 workers have been flown in so far, well short of the number needed.
SIAM said it had several engagements with the government at various levels and was looking forward to some direct fiscal measures for the auto industry from the Centre in the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package.

New Delhi: Auto industry body SIAM on Monday said the "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat" economic package has left out the auto industry, which is in need of an immediate stimulus to "boost demand and stop job losses".

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said it had several engagements with the government at various levels and was looking forward to some direct fiscal measures for the auto industry from the Centre in the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package.

While welcoming the focus towards MSMEs, NBFCs and the agri-sector in the "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat" package, SIAM President Rajan Wadhera said, "The agri sector package may benefit the auto sector indirectly in the medium term but the Indian automotive industry needed an immediate stimulus to boost demand, which has not happened".

He said the Indian automotive industry supports employment of more than 3.7 crore people and contributes to 15 percent of GST amounting to Rs 1.50 lakh crore every year.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

The sector was already "facing an unprecedented challenge with 18 percent degrowth last year" and as per an assessment made by SIAM on the impact of COVID-19 on demand for vehicles in the current financial year, the sector could have a decline between 22 percent and 35 percent in various industry segments, if the overall Indian GDP growth is at 0-1 percent for FY 21, Wadhera added.

"It is against this background that the industry was keenly looking forward to some direct fiscal measures which could have boosted demand for the auto sector and stop job losses," he said.

Stating that SIAM had several engagements with Centre at various levels, where specific suggestions were made for demand stimulus, including reduction in base GST rates from 28 percent to 18 percent for a limited period and an incentive based vehicle scrappage policy, he said these measures "would have made it a less painful revival and kick started the industry".

"There is also an urgent need to support the dealers in terms of improving their liquidity and including them under MSME Act by changing its definition. The industry would continue to engage with the government and seek direct interventions for revival," Wadhera said.
COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have had kind of a magnifying effect on relationships. Couples who still have jobs and who generally enjoyed each other in the before times might be stronger than ever with more time together at home. But many others arent faring quite so well in the pandemic, particularly if they have young children.

Now that weve been experiencing lockdown, a picture is starting to unfold. Two very different dynamics seem to be emerging among couples social distancing at home, says Carla Manly, a psychologist in Santa Rosa, California. One set of couples she sees is taking advantage of the quarantine to focus on their relationship issues, shoring up weak spots and working on problems previously allowed to fester. The other set is couples who appear to be deteriorating during the pandemic.

In this set, one or both partners are giving way to the effects of stress, built-up anxiety, and unresolved issues, she says.

Cincinnati psychologist Nikki Winchester, Psy.D., is seeing some negative relationship effects of COVID-19 as well. Just the other day she got a call from a client on his way to the hospital after he cut his finger slamming it down during an argument with his partner.

Theyve been having constant arguments compounded by having six bored and restless children at home full time on top of dealing with unemployment, Winchester says.

Although quarantining isnt likely to create new problems in a relationship, it can bring underlying ones bubbling to the surface. Financial stress can worsen irritability, and couples, like their children, might get restless stuck in close quarters. Most couples have been stripped of their usual coping and distancing mechanisms, such as breaking for the gym to cool off after a fight, notes psychiatrist Catherine Saxbe. In addition, the unexpected lockdown can make life seem stagnant and mundane, feelings that arent generally a boon to relationships.

Days and weeks at home bring out the inner slob in most of us, Saxbe says. Its hard to appreciate whats in your face every day, and there is certainly less to talk about since our adventures outside the home are at an all time nil.

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Even among those who didnt take a financial hit and are generally doing okay, the spread of COVID-19 and accompanying social distancing restrictions can take an emotional and psychological toll. Having little to look forward to can be depressing. People are worried about loved ones health, first responders safety, whether local businesses will survive, when their kids will be able to enjoy normal social interaction again. Constant heightened stress can stretch and strain the elastic holding everything together, including marital relationships.

Chronic stress without our usual ways of finding relief brings out the worst in people, says Brad Robinson, a marriage and family therapist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Amid the pandemic, he says, were shorter tempered, depressed, and dont have a full cup to be as supportive as wed normally be.

What many people are experiencing now, although they might not realize it, is grief, says Dena M. DiNardo, Psy.D., a psychologist and marriage and family therapist in Philadelphia. The experience of actually leaving the house every day puts you in a number of different social circumstances that contribute to how you feel about yourself overall, she explains. The sudden disappearance of social gatherings, celebrations, and in-person support from family and friends, therefore, can affect a persons sense of self.

Unless youre a virologist following the predictions of pandemics, this was totally off your radar, DiNardo says. The loss is unimaginable and the grief is pronounced.

One phase of grief is anger, which can be leveled at your partner if youre not aware of the grieving process you might be experiencing, she says: It creates a perfect storm for the anger to be displaced onto your partner because theyre there.

DiNardos examples are likely to resonate: Trapped at home together 24-7, suddenly, the way your partner chews their food is enraging. The lack of attention to detail in cleaning around the house is infuriating, as is how often theyre on their phones and engaging with social media.

The spotlight is out and the magnifying glass is ready, DiNardo says. Your partner and their behavior is [one of few] things you have to observe in real life. The couples who understand the process of grief associated with the pandemic are having more compassion towards themselves and towards one another.

How to Survive Marriage During a Pandemic

Showing compassion when youre up to your ears in frustrated, whiny children, sticky surfaces, and have neither the room nor the time to yourself is easier said than done. But there are some strategies that can help keep your sanity and marriage intact.

Although parents pandemic to-do list is extra-long right now, its well worth penciling in a refresher course on communication while in social distancing jail together.

Its always helpful to practice essential communication skills, which are to reduce criticism and give and receive compliments and positive attention, says Menije Boduryan-Turner, Psy.D., a psychologist in Woodland Hills, California.

One trick to improve communication is to ask each other, What did you hear me say when I said take out the trash? for example, says Thomas McDonagh, Psy.D., founder of Good Therapy SF.

Often we misinterpret or twist what our partners are saying, and in an overly negative way, McDonagh says. This trick, he adds, helps to correct the issue if a partner hears instead, continuing the example, Youre lazy and I have to do everything around here.

Mapping out a schedule and a routine while being at home together with children is incredibly helpful for parents.

The couples who took the early recommendation to come up with a schedule are doing much better much more quickly than parents who took longer to do so, says DiNardo. There was a lot of resistance to creating schedules at first, which I think was a result of the sheer shock of what happened to life [as we knew it].

The schedule needs to delineate how you each accomplish your own work tasks along with kids online learning if theyre in school or care if theyre not. Partners also need to plan individual time, couple time, and family time.

I saw a lot of couples starting to nitpick about who did more and when, DiNardo says. As they created schedules and wrote down their list of regular household duties, it became much more difficult to argue about who does more or less because it was written down and able to be seen.

Self-Care: An Annoying Buzz-Term But Nevertheless Important

This is obvious, but bears repeating: Dont forget to consider your own needs as an individual in addition to the needs of your family.

I suggest my clients take a mental inventory and ask themselves what need was not being met when they were most frustrated with their partners, McDonagh says. Often there is a pattern to these things, and once we become aware of the pattern, we can assess if its possible or reasonable for this person to fulfill this need.

Although the basics might seem obvious, healthy habits can fly out the window when were in crisis mode as normal life is upended. Make sure youre getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and exercising. Generally, Robinson says, junk food tends to increase depression and exercise can boost mood.

People are pretty grumpy if they dont get the chance to get away from caring for others and focus on caring for themselves for a little bit each day, he says. Exercise allows us to be more mellow, which is what everyone whos stuck at home right now needs.

Robinson also recommends an exercise he uses himself to cope with anxiety: First, ask yourself how youre experiencing anxiety in your body; is it in your gut, shoulders or chest, for example?

Most of the time we stop ourselves from feeling our physical sensations, but they are the key to finding calm and relief, Robinson says.

Next, physically push against a wall, he says.

While Im pushing against the wall I see myself moving that ball of anxiety out of my gut, or chest or shoulders, out through my arms and hands into the wall, he says. I just stay pushing against the wall until I feel a full sense of relief. When Im done, Ill have a fuller sense of optimism about what Im facing, and will be more sure of my ability to handle it.

Its an exercise to consider. Also, a fine metaphor for what it feels like going against what seems like an immovable object.

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The post There Are Two Types of Coronavirus Couples appeared first on Fatherly.
Captain Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh: Even as the state gets ready to utilise the additional allocation to MNREGS to help the rural poor by creating livelihoods and assets, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday said that Punjab had undertaken significant labour-intensive works in the villages to effectively leverage the scheme even during the curfew/lockdown.

The state government also plans to undertaken a special drive this year, to enrol more workers and make new job cards to bring more families under the ambit of the programme. This initiative is aimed at creating a sustainable response to address rural distress arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, announced the Chief Minister.

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Punjab Chief Minister Captain AmarinderThe lockdown works included engagement of two persons per village as Van Mitras to nurture the 550 saplings planted in each by the Forest Department to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak dev ji. The state government, on May 12, also launched a massive village ponds cleaning and rejuvenation drive to cover more than 15,000 village ponds, which will not only help alleviate rural distress but also combat Covid-19 by enhancing cleanliness and hygiene in villages.

These unique initiatives are helping to address the rural distress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic by directly transferring wages in the hands of rural poor, many of whom are women, said the Chief Minister, adding that these programmes are in addition to the plethora of measures undertaken by the state to secure the interests of the poor in these difficult times.

Since last year, the procedure of identification, estimation, technical and administrative approval of works is being done online in the state, by means of a web based software called SECURE. From April 1, 2020, all MNREGS works estimates are being made only through SECURE software, thus ensuring that the curfew/lockdown restrictions did not obstruct the process in any way.

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LockdownIncidentally, during FY 2019-20, an amount of Rs.767 crore was spent under MNREGS, which is the highest ever expenditure in the state. With this, a record total of 2.35 crore mandays were generated during the year, of which 1.38 crore were for women and 1.57 lakh for elderly (over 60 years). During the year, a total of 7.53 lac households were provided employment and a total of 1.27 lac new job cards were made, covering needy families. The state government has now set a target of 2.50 crore mandays for FY 2020-21.

Giving details of the new initiatives, the Chief Minister said that the ponds renovation work, launched in mission mode by the Rural Development and Panchayats department, is covering all the 13,000 villages of the state for the cleanliness and sanitation of the villages, along with generation of employment opportunities for workers.

A Task Force has been set up to implement this drive in a time-bound manner. Daily Progress Status is taken online, and the department will be working on identifying and rewarding the Champion sarpanches of these drive, and will also compile the Success Stories of this drive.

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According to an official spokesperson, the Department has identified around 15,000 ponds in the State, and is targeting the Dewatering and Desilting (if required) of all these ponds. The Department will be working on creating Thapar Based Model /Seechewal Model for these ponds so as to provide a permanent solution to the problem of overflowing in these ponds. Launching the drive, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, while addressing all field officers via Video Conferencing, had encouraged all officers to undertake the work of renovation and rejuvenation of ponds  the lifeline of rural Punjab.

Tript Rajinder Singh BajwaGiving details of the works undertaken in FY 2019-20, the spokesperson said that a total of 89,333 works of different categories had been taken up under the scheme. Panchayats have been provided with 905 playfields, 8,006 rural roads, 78 Anganwadi Centers, and work is ongoing in 355 Anganwadis. Also under the 550th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, 550 plants have been planted in every panchayat of the State.

The bulk of the 89333 works undertaken during the year related to Rural Connectivity (22540), while works on Individual Lands (Category IV) were 19,346, followed by Drought Proofing (16,785) and Land Development (10,984). There were 7706 works on renovation of traditional water bodies, 5178 Micro Irrigation Works, 2611 of Rural Infrastructure, 1428 in Water Conservation & Water Harvesting, 1303 Flood Control & Protection, 984 Rural Sanitation, 142 Bharat Nirman Rajeev Gandhi Sewa Kendra, 90 Rural Drinking Water, 81 Playgrounds, 79 Fisheries and 76 Other Works.

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For construction of sheds for livestock and other individual works for MGNREGS beneficiaries, the state government, as a policy response, has waived off the condition of 40% matching share to be paid by the beneficiary. Now the entire 100% cost of the Shed shall be borne by the Government itself. The maximum benefit provided under this project will be Rs. 97,000 per beneficiary. In 2019-20 a total of 19,346 works on Individual lands were taken up.
COVID-19 AUSTERITY

As Australians battle on through severe health and economic crises, there is a great deal of speculation about when we will return to normal and even talk of a new normal.

But until theres a vaccine, then there isnt the possibility of us getting fully back to normal, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as if Australia would go back to how it was pre-pandemic. It wont. The Coalition government and its big business mates have plans for a new normal, to be executed under cover of COVID-19.

Its focus has always been and remains one of profits before people and corporate rights before peoples rights. It will use the economic crisis to strengthen the grip of transnational corporations and take Australia in a more authoritarian direction.

The government did not double unemployment benefits (JobSeeker) or pay other unemployed/stood down workers JobKeeper out of altruistic motives. While these payments undeniably assist their recipients, their main purpose is to serve as an economic stimulus to boost domestic consumption of goods and services and hence keep businesses afloat. This is in addition to their other, direct subsidies to business.

That the private sector is the governments priority was confirmed in Treasurer Josh Frydenbergs economic statement to Parliament on Tuesday 12th May.

Unleashing the power of dynamic, innovative, and open markets must be central to the recovery, with the private sector leading job creation, not government, he told Parliament.

SOBERING ECONOMIC CRISIS

Apart from boasting what a good job the government is doing, the statement provided a mass of statistics for the month of March, illustrating how sobering the economic crisis is  an understatement if ever there were one.

The ASX200* lost more than a third of its value in just over four weeks 

New motor vehicle sales fell by forty-eight per cent through the year, their largest ever fall, Frydenberg said.

House sales fell by forty per cent  .

During this period, accommodation and food services saw the largest fall in jobs at 33.4 percent, followed by the arts and recreation sector at twenty-seven per cent, Frydenberg said.

These figures, as alarming as they are, understate the human toll the crisis is taking on millions of working people and their families. The economic crisis is a major setback for the many regional and rural communities that are still reeling from years of drought and the horrendous bushfires.

FIVE-POINT PLAN

The governments economic statement included a five-point plan to address the economic crisis. The points provided no detail whatsoever; they were general feel-good statements. For example, the third point in the plan referred to a clear plan and framework mapping out the road ahead. A plan with a plan!

Despite the lack of detail, some aspects were clear. These centred around balancing the budget, an offensive on workers and trade unions, and boosting the profits of the big end of town.

Australians know there is no money tree, the Treasurer said. What we borrow today, we must repay in the future.

The second we are the most vulnerable  recipients of social security payments, workers, youth, sole parents, and others who will be on the receiving end of austerity measures. It does not include the big end of town. Quite the opposite; they stand to benefit from more tax cuts.

RORTING THE SYSTEM

A survey of 550 hospitality workers by Hospo Voice, the hospitality arm of the United Workers Union (UWU), revealed an alarming extent of exclusions. Almost seventy per cent of surveyed workers are ineligible for JobKeeper.

Of the casual and temporary migrant workers surveyed, just eleven per cent are currently working, and only five per cent are working enough to cover their living expenses. The survey also revealed that some employers were carrying out illegal practices such as requiring workers to sign non-ATO documents, entitling the employer to some of the payment. (See unitedworkers.org.au for more details.)

There is a growing practice where employers are taking the $1,500 per fortnight JobKeeper payment and then forcing workers to take accrued annual leave at the same time. The Fair Work Commission has given its blessing to such practices.

The government talks about targeting its JobKeeper scheme, referring to the eligibility rules which exclude around two million workers. It should be extended to ALL casual, gig and visa workers, and students who have lost their job or been stood down.

L CURVE

Forget about the V or U curve. It will take years to emerge from this economic crisis which is shaping up to be as bad or worse than the Great Depression.

As workers are allowed to return to work, bosses will cherry pick who gets a job. They will try to exploit the vulnerability of desperate, unemployed workers to slash wages, undermine working conditions and cut staffing levels.

It is the largest monopolies and financial institutions that emerge from such crises bigger and more powerful than ever, in particular the finance sector.

When the six-month moratorium on mortgage repayments comes to an end, even more families will face poverty and homelessness. It will be many years, if ever that unemployment levels return to their pre-crisis level. For youth and older workers the picture is extremely bleak.

The closure of so many businesses, bankruptcies and job losses are taking their toll. Many families are drawing on their lifelong savings, including superannuation  the latter made possible by the government. Charities and foodbanks cannot keep up with demand. Poverty is on the rise. Millions are desperate and afraid of what tomorrow holds for them.

So many workers are more vulnerable than ever, whether employed or not.

NEOLIBERALISM ON STEROIDS

The sacred budget surplus has taken a hit with the cost of the multi-billion dollar COVID-19 packages and the considerable reduction in personal and company income tax to come as a result of a shrinking economy and high rate of unemployment.

The government has plans for a full neoliberal agenda of balancing the budget, corporate tax cuts, deregulation, further privatisation, union-bashing and wage cuts. Restoration of corporate profits for the big end of town is their number one priority.

The governments concept of a recovery is a recovery in profits, not one for people.

The budget deficit will be used as an excuse for further privatisations and a host of austerity measures including savage cuts to social security and the public sector. The ABC, SBS, Medicare, and the administration of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are among the targets for privatisation, along with other areas of government such as the Department of Human Services, that have not already been privatised.

Public sector wages are being frozen, and thousands of sackings can be expected at state and federal levels.

Such austerity measures prolong the crisis, shrink the real economy as the businesses that survived grow bigger and more powerful at the expense of the people.

Frydenberg, in his economic statement to Parliament, repeated previous statements that the recovery (read for the private sector) will be based on cutting red tape to reduce the cost burden on businesses and the economy and tax and industrial relations reform as a means of increasing our competitiveness.

The cutting of red tape refers to deregulation  removing restrictions on businesses and what remains of labour regulations that protect workers. The tax reforms include corporate tax cuts and possibly an expansion or increase in the goods and services tax (GST).

Industrial relations reform includes the Ensuring Integrity Bill, individual employment contracts and an attempt to abolish awards. The latter would leave workers with just the minimal safety net of the National Employment Standards (NES) to fall back on.

This is the new normal that the Coalition government and their business mates have in mind for Australian workers and their families.

STRUGGLE AHEAD

The struggle for workers rights continues. The conditions and forms of this struggle may be different under COVID-19 restrictions, but as the May Day and other cavalcades have proved, it is possible to fight back.

Social media has become even more important for dissemination of information, organising and lobbying. Parliamentarians remain sensitive to public pressure.

There is another way out of the economic crisis. First and foremost is job creation and higher incomes, with a public-sector lead recovery. This means:

no wage freezes

an increase in the minimum wage

keeping the unemployment benefit at $1,100 per fortnight

30-hour working week

public infrastructure program to build housing, hospitals and schools and expand public transport

conversion of military industry to build solar panels and wind turbines

increase the number of apprenticeships

increase funding for research, education and training.

Trade union rights are essential, in particular the right to strike. Awards need expanding and the minimum wage increased. Industry agreements should be made legal. All of this will take a struggle involving the unity of the trade union movement and community.

There is another new normal  a peoples normal  to be fought for and won.
Schools are re-opening across Australia following a relentless campaign by the Morrison government, including its extraordinary claims that social distancing in schools is not required and inappropriate.

Australian teachers unions, in collaboration with state and territory governments, Liberal-National and Labor alike, have endorsed the school re-openings and suggested various measures to ensure an orderly transition. Like the return-to-work agendas being pushed by governments around the world, this has nothing to do with the education and well-being of students. Its purpose is to impose a full resumption of all workplaces and corporate profit-making.

Teachers have voiced their anger about the government indifference to the health and safety of teachers and students and the lack of protective measures in schools. Teachers have signed petitions, threatened walkouts, resignations from the union, passed resolutions and taken to social media to voice their opposition. Yesterday a survey of 10,000 New South Wales (NSW) teachers revealed that fewer than one in four felt safe working at schools at the end of term one and 60 percent reported high levels of anxiety about returning to work.

The Committee for Public Education was sent the following comment from a South Australian (SA) teacher about the new working conditions at her school.

After being driven to exhaustion at the end of term one, producing online learning ready for week one this term, imagine our despair when we were advised on the Thursday before term two commenced that no, actually we will be going back to business as usual, fully open on day one!

School is safe! decreed the Prime Minister, who up until May 11 wasnt sending his own children to school. Social distancing? Not necessary in school. You teach 17-year olds? Still ok! But no, of course they cant stay at school after the bell as a groupthat would be dangerous. Except of course unless its an official learning program run after hours, then it is safe.

Playground? Safe between 8.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. but not if used by the public outside of school hours. And outside of school hours not safe for anyone.

Can I see my grandchildren? No, absolutely not! Unless of course you happen to be their teacher, then yes, totally safe. But only between 8.30 a.m. and 3.30p.m and only on school grounds.

Can my daughter have a birthday party at home with 10 friends? Nope. But she can celebrate with her 25 friends at school. And they wonder why were confused, angry and reluctant to obey.

The Premier of SA, the Minister for Education and chief executive of the Department all got plenty of airplay encouraging parents to send their children to school on mass on Monday because schools are proven to be safe.

Meanwhile, they were hiding a report by our independent health and research facility SAHMRI (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute) that says its way too early to make this claim. Apparently, the real scientists say theres not enough data yet to make assertions about how safe schools are.

Week 1 was a nightmare. We didnt know which students were coming on which days. We babysat large groups of students (no social distancing here) while they attempted to complete the online learning tasks. We asked the students to bring in the hard-copy work we sent home to them in the holidays but about a third of them hadnt received it yet. So, we printed it all again. Most of us gave up and tried to teach something meaningful and relevant utilising our expertise in face to face teaching skills. But!! We still had to guarantee online learning for the first two weeks because thats what we promised the families of SA. Never mind what school staff were promised.

Week 2 at our school saw a return to over 90 percent attendance. The Premier, the Minister and the Chief again used their airplay time to let everyone know it was all back to normal. No more online learning after week two unless your child has to stay away for some (?) reason.

Note the subtle shiftwe didnt have to provide online learning to every absent student four weeks ago. But our school has other ideas. It likes the idea of providing face to face AND online learning simultaneously. We have a plan to implement about half of our curriculum in dual online and face to face modes by week 5.

When concerns were raised about workload, we were told to use the online lessons in our face to face classes. Seriously, have these people ever actually taught a class?

This reminded me about a friends daughter who lives in the UK. Having only completed year 12 in Australia, she found herself working in a school (pre Covid-19) that has trouble finding teachers. Her job, with no qualifications in teaching or education at all, was to supervise a class of students who work through lessons that have been prepared by a teacher who is not actually present. Perhaps thats the way we are heading. After all, it would be much cheaper to have me write formulaic lessons for 100 students from my home and pay someone a lot less per hour to watch students complete them.

I wonder how long it will take the Edu-business companies to realise they cant afford to keep offering free online education platforms. That theyll wait until millions of students are entrenched in their platform, when thousands of teachers have uploaded complete units of curriculum and then theyll start charging schools to use their services.

Another angry teacher voiced her concerns about impossible new workloads on a primary-school teachers Facebook page. Her comments have received over 100 replies and likes from other teachers and widely shared.

I lost it. Lost my passion, love, motivation, drive to teach. I am exhausted. I am burnt out. I cant even cry anymore, I am exhausted from crying, I have no more energy to spend on tears. The idea of school and teaching right now fills me with anxiety, dread and stress... it usually fuels me with joy, excitement and happiness.

Surely, we can do better than this. Yes, I know a lot of it is due to COVID-19. But the reality is, when school goes back to normal, I worry I will still feel the same way, because many issues will still be there.

I am sick of spending so much of my home life working. Missing time with my own children while Im tapping away on my laptop. Time I can never get back. I am very, very resentful for that fact. I would love a 95 job, where I can walk out of the door, go home and be a mum and wife, and not think about work until I walk back in the door the next day.

With Covid-19 I am supervising students learning at school for most of the day, even though they are doing online work, they still require active supervision, they are still learning how to use a computer. I am then coming home after school to start round 2, to check in and support my students who are learning online at home, because I literally dont have enough time in the school day to go through their learning. Then after checking home schooling, its round 3, responding to emails, planning etc., feel like every waking minute of my life is consumed by teaching at the moment.

Every time I open the news there are negative comments about teachers Staff morale is so low, so sad it just adds layers to the gloominess surrounding me. School is not a nice place to be. Am I alone in feeling like this? Should I just throw it all in?

I just wish teaching could feel the way it used to. Without all the red tape, compliance (tokenistic) paperwork and documentation, pressure, stress and not to mention the ever-increasing behavioural issues with students.

Teaching was once a well-respected profession, it was rewarding and we had freedom, flexibility and were trusted as professionals to do our job. We collected data too, to inform our teaching though, not to serve as a tool to rank performances and compete against other schools. Will it ever be like this again?

Teachers and education workers can contact the CFPE via email or via our Facebook page. The CFPE Twitter account is @CFPE_Australia .

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Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members have been placed under home quarantine after they reached their hometown Budhana in Muzaffarnagar from Mumbai. The actor has now shared a statement on Twitter citing the reason for his travel.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, the actor wrote, Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother who is 71yrs old got anxiety attack twice. We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana. Please #StaySafe #StayHome.

Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother who is 71yrs old got anxiety attack twice.

We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government.

We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana.

Please #StaySafe #StayHome  Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) May 18, 2020

Siddiqui, along with his family members, reached his hometown on Saturday after getting necessary permission for travel from the authorities in Maharashtra, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Nepal Singh said. He said the actor and the family members were tested for COVID-19 but their reports came negative. However, he added that they have been placed under mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

Nawazuddins brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui said the actor came to his ancestral place for Eid with his family. He made it clear that the actor will not meet anyone outside the family in the wake of the situation arising out of coronavirus.

Also read: Nushrat Bharuchas mother says actor is going to get married very soon: We given her enough time and now she has to listen

Nawazuddins younger sister Syama Tamshi Siddiqui, 26, died in December last year after an eight-year battle with cancer. According to report in Amar Ujala, his brother Ayazuddin Siddiqui had revealed that the actor was in the US and couldnt attend her funeral. Nawazuddin had shared the news of her cancer diagnosis in a social media post on her 25th birthday. Hed written, My sister ws diagnosed of advanced stage #breastcancer @ 18 bt it ws her will power & courage dat made her stand agnst all d odds she turns 25 2day & still fighting M thankful 2 Dr.@koppiker & @Lalehbusheri13 fr motivating her & m rly grateful 2 @resulpSir fr introducng me 2 dem, he had written.

Nawazuddin is all set to witness the release of his film, Ghoomketu on Zee5. He plays the titular role and will be seen sharing the screen space with director Anurag Kashyap, who plays a cop in the film.

(With PTI inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Fear has gripped the heart of Nigerians as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Sunday, May 17 confirmed three hundred and thirty-eight new cases of Coronavirus in the country.

The new update by the NCDC on Sunday night brings the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria to 5959.

Naija News understands that figures COVID-19 cases reported by the NCDC in the last week were relieving compare to the new update which had Lagos State alone top the list with 177 cases.

The official Twitter handle of the NCDC has, however, been filled with a thread of reactions as concerned Nigerians expressed their fears and opinion.

See some of the reactions below.

where are we heading to for God sake whats happening to Madagascar cure?? I follow the likes though  . su  (@Originalshegzy) May 17, 2020

Highest score so far. Follow me I follow back immediately.  Mayor-Of-Ikorodu (@PrinceOworu) May 17, 2020

But Lagos is a bit much today again God help us  ABDULSAMAD (@samadious3) May 17, 2020

I Don kukuma give up on sex this year with the rate the numbers in Lagos is getting higher. We should brace ourselves for season 2 of staying at home  King Zyno (@iKingzyno) May 17, 2020

Its time for @PTFCOVID19 embrace and find #Covid19CureNigeria before the number of infections get out of control. Drop your Twitter Handles Follow everyone who Retweet Im following Back  A . O PRISTINE LIMITED (@PristineLimited) May 17, 2020

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Latest News First major rate move of 2022 as ANZ cuts variable Despite expectations that rates will rise, the first big move of the year is a cut

70% of Aussies pessimistic about their chances of getting on the property ladder Mortgage franchise giant releases data suggesting that Aussie Dream is out of reach for young people

Australian banks have deferred the repayments of one in fourteen mortgages to assist home borrowers through the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 16 May 2020, 429,000 mortgages had been deferred totalling $153.5bn, according to the Australian Banking Association (ABA).

Overall, the total number of loans deferred within Australia rests at 703,000, worth a value of $211bn.

Banks are here to support customers throughout the crisis and help the economy on the other side as we recover from the devastating effects of this pandemic," said ABA CEO Anna Bligh.

As part of this effort, banks across Australia have hired 1,500 new recruits and redeployed over 2,200 staff to frontline areas such as call centres, in order to help meet the surge in demand for support over the last few months.

NAB alone has just added 500 employees to its customer support team, bringing the total number of people brought on to directly support customers during the crisis to over 1,000.

According to NAB chief customer experience officer, Rachel Slade, the group's bankers have begun the process of checking in with customers who secured a repayment pause on their home loan to get a firsthand understanding of their situation.

The past few months have been incredibly difficult for so many Australians, and this is an opportunity for us to speak to customers who have requested a payment pause and check how they are doing, Slade said.

The deferral has provided some immediate and much-needed relief, but if customers are able to make payments again, we will be encouraging them to do so. We dont want our customers to be in debt any longer than they need. We want our customers to choose whats best for them.

Already in the past week, weve had hundreds of customers proactively contact us to reverse their home loan deferrals and resume making payments because they felt ready to do so.

In its calls to customers, NAB will outline the current position of the customers home loan, the future impact of the repayment pause on their loan balance, and discuss possible plans for the months ahead.

We know many of our customers will continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 for a long time and our expanded team will mean we can be available to support them through this, Slade said.
New Delhi, May 18 : Food delivery platform Swiggy on Monday announced to lay off 1,100 employees spanning across grades and functions in the cities and head office over the next few days as Covid-19 continues to hurt its business.

All impacted employees will receive at least three months of salary, irrespective of their notice period or tenure, Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and CEO, Swiggy, told employees in a virtual town hall meeting.

"For every year they have spent with us, we will be offering an extra month of ex-gratia in addition to their notice period pay, working out to between 3-8 months of salary depending on the tenure," said Majety.

Swiggy said if someone's notice period is three months and they've spent five years with the company, they will get eight months of salary.

The company will inform those being laid off in one-to-one video calls.

Swiggy said it is also going to scale down or shut down adjacent businesses that are either going to be highly volatile or will not be highly relevant for the next 18 months.

"The biggest impact here is on the Cloud kitchens business, with many unknowns about volumes through the year. Since the onset of Covid-19, we have already begun the process of shutting down our kitchen facilities temporarily or permanently, depending on their outlook and profitability profile," Majety told the employees.

"We are already operating at significantly lower levels on our staffing and physical infra than our earlier footprint, and will continue to optimize before we get more clarity on order volumes for food delivery".

Last week, Swiggy's closest rival Zomato announced to lay off nearly 13 per cent of its workforce -- over 600 employees -- via Zoom calls, along with salary cuts for the rest of the employees for at least the next six months starting June, with higher cuts going up to 50 per cent for people in senior roles.

"The core food delivery business has been severely impacted and will stay impacted over the short term," said Swiggy.

The food delivery platform is extending ESOP vesting for those impacted to the nearest quarter (including the months of notice period) and waive off the 1-year cliff for those who have not completed 1 year.

It will also provide medical insurance cover for those impacted and nominated family members till December 31 2020.

"Additionally, we will also be providing insurance cover for their parents," said the company.

Majety said he needs to build a much leaner organisation and reduce costs to be able to withstand any further risks from the uncertainty.

"We will have to reduce our expenses such that we can achieve profitability with a smaller order volume than hitherto planned. This will be done keeping in mind already identified efficiencies, along with additional reductions in teams and initiatives that will have lower activity because of Covid," he added.

Swiggy said it will also help those impacted with smooth career transition.

"We will have a dedicated and fully-trained talent acquisition team assisting impacted employees round the clock in identifying suitable opportunities and providing necessary career support for the next 3 months," said the Swiggy CEO.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The true impact of allowing the first wave of Massachusetts businesses to reopen may not be clear until at least two weeks, and as many as four weeks, after they get the green to resume operations.

Doctors are keeping an eye on the reopening process as people prepare to leave their homes and re-enter the workplace with the expectation that they will have to wear masks and stay six feet apart. Any potential spike in cases will likely take weeks to appear, said Dr. Richard Ellison, an epidemiologist at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Were still going to have to watch very carefully because this will be a slow process, he said. If we begin to see a slow uptick in cases, thats going to be a worrisome sign.

When exactly phase one takes effect remains unclear. Gov. Charlie Baker extended the non-essential business closures until at least May 18, but he also set that date as the deadline for the newly formed reopening advisory board to release its report outlining the states plans for reopening.

Massachusetts has recorded 86,010 coronavirus cases since officials first became aware of the outbreak. As of Sunday, the virus had claimed a reported 5,797 lives in Massachusetts. While thousands of COVID-19 patients have landed in the hospital, a much larger portion of the population has experienced mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

Massachusetts has performed 460,826 COVID-19 tests as of Sunday, covering a fraction of the 6.9 million people who live in the state. Of those tests, 374,816 came back negative, but its unclear how many false negatives there may have been.

Because universal testing is not available and some tests reportedly had false-negative results, public health officials do not truly know how many people have contracted COVID-19  or how many people were spared. Nor do they know yet how long someone who survives the virus the first time can remain immune.

Thats another coronavirus question thats still being researched and debated," Baker told reporters Friday during his daily briefing at the Massachusetts State House. "It also doesnt tell you that much about whos going to get it. I worry, people get very binary about some of this stuff.

One example Baker noted Friday is the idea of circulating an immunity card. He cautioned against relying on an immunity card when public health experts still know little about how long or how strong someones immunity is after surviving the coronavirus the first time.

Its not like 50 years of studying the flu where you can tell people with a certain degree of certainty where if you have it, youre not going to get it again, he said.

Those who contract the coronavirus typically do not show symptoms until five days after exposure, Ellison said. They may spend another five days battling symptoms before their condition worsens and they end up in the hospital.

Doctors have seen the coronavirus affect the human body in various ways, from causing pneumonia to major blood clots to the recently discovered syndrome in children. But they all take several days to manifest.

UMass Memorial Health Care and St. Vincent Hospital had a combined total of 238 patients admitted with the coronavirus on Thursday, 12 fewer than Wednesday. Of those patients, 94 are in the intensive care unit, four people fewer than Wednesday, city officials said.

The two hospital systems have recorded 201 deaths from coronavirus-related complications, eight more since Wednesday. The field hospital at the DCU Center had 10 patients on Thursday, the same number Wednesday.

Ellison said patients have suffered pulmonary embolisms, where a blood clot moves from another part of the body to the lungs, and have worn out dialysis filters twice as fast as normal.

A number of other infectious diseases can affect multiple different parts of the body, Ellison said, citing syphilis and tuberculosis as examples. This one, though, has characteristics weve not seen before. The impact on changes in the blood clotting is something which is really surprising. Its only been seen with a few other viruses, and nothing quite like this.

Depending on when businesses resume operations and how well people follow safety guidelines, it could take at least weeks for doctors to see the true impact of a reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. Ellison projects the state will need at least four to five weeks to truly understand whether there is a rise in cases and, so, whether reopening businesses are the reason.

Continuing to wear face masks can play a crucial role in keeping community spread to a minimum as businesses reopen, Ellison said.

There is much more information has come out abut wearing masks in the last couple of months, he said. By wearing a mask, were protecting everyone else around us. It helps protect you, but it also helps protect everyone else in your community.

The rapid, even furtive nature of COVID-19s community spread, as patients took days to develop symptoms, became clear when federal researchers found that the virus could have spread in Washington weeks earlier than expected.

In Wisconsin, at least 52 people who voted in the April 7 primary contracted COVID-19. However, those who tested positive reported others way they may have contracted the virus, so it is unclear how many could have been exposed at the polls, according to the Associated Press.

A handful of states are planning to reopen businesses in their state despite recording new coronavirus cases. Tennessee, which let its Safer At Home order expire April 30, recorded a record high of 1,156 new cases on May 1, but the state has recorded between 200 and 600 new cases on most days over the past two weeks, according to the state Department of Health.

On Thursday, Tennessee had 329 new cases, bringing the states total number of coronavirus cases to 16,999.

Massachusetts, which has been harder hit than most states, wont see a fast reopening, Gov. Charlie Baker said. With more than 5,000 deaths, the states advisory board is drafting a four-phase reopening plan that will allow for a partial reopening of select businesses on the condition that they implement a series of workplace safety standards. Those standards include social distancing requirements and mask mandates in the workplace.

It is unclear how long the four-phase reopening could take, though Baker suggested the state could space each phase out four weeks apart like other states. However it rolls out, the plan will likely disappoint restaurant owners and retailers who are pushing for a swifter reopening.

Obviously safety is of paramount concern with everything thats going on. At the same time, you know, as restaurant owners strongly feel we need to make sure we can protect jobs and make sure we can find a way to have restaurants survive in the face of all this, said Erik Hynes, who with his father runs Hynes Restaurant Group in the South Shore.

Dozens of restaurant owners in Massachusetts have said the industry should be trusted to reopen sooner than later as workers are trained in safe food handling. Hynes said if he would like to see his business open to 50% capacity, though grocery stores and pharmacies that are open to sell essential items are capped at 25% capacity. Hynes said he could see tying the reopening process to a metric such as hospitalizations.

Another concern has emerged as public health experts learn more about the coronavirus level of transmission indoors, where some buildings may have better air circulation than others.

A study published last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that airflow played a major role in community spread of COVID-19 indoors. The study analyzed the spread of the virus on Jan. 23 in a five-floor, air-conditioned restaurant in China, where a person with the coronavirus ate lunch with three other family members. Two weeks later, his three family members, three members of a second family and three members of a third family in the restaurant had tested positive for the coronavirus.

We conclude that in this outbreak, droplet transmission was prompted by air-conditioned ventilation. The key factor for infection was the direction of the airflow, the researchers wrote, recommending temperature-monitoring surveillance, increasing the distance between tables and improving ventilation indoors.

If theres not a lot of air turnover, bacteria and everything that can get into the air may sit there for several minutes, Ellison said. When youre outdoors, any kind of breeze is going to spread, the amount of air turnover is very constant.

Bakers reopening plan comes with requirements for businesses to follow, including the rollout of safety worker guidelines. Those standards, combined with robust, targeted testing and contact tracing should help Massachusetts root out any possible community transmissions, Ellison said.

I absolutely support what the governor is doing 100% in this regard, Ellison said. I think we have to open up very slowly, and very carefully. We cant open up and a week later, say things are looking great, one week. Were going to have to wait.

The impact of the change of social distancing is not really going to show up for four to five weeks, so we need to do this very cautiously.

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Recently, the scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft signed with one of the largest natural research associations in Germany: the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, to publish three journals: Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny, Vertebrate Zoology and Geologica Saxonica on behalf of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, one of the oldest natural-science museums in the world.

Expected to move to the Pensoft-developed technologically advanced scholarly publishing platform ARPHA later in 2020, the three academic outlets will not only acquire their own glossy and user-friendly websites, but will also take advantage from ARPHA's signature fast-track, end-to-end publishing system, which is to benefit all journal users: authors, reviewers and editors alike. In addition, the journals will use all unique services offered by ARPHA, such as data publishing, linked data tables, semantic markup and enhancements, automated export of sub-article elements and data to aggregators, web-service integrations with more than 40 world-class indexing and archiving databases, sub-article-level usage metrics, and more.

Thereby, each submitted manuscript will be carried through the review, editing, publication, dissemination and archiving stages without leaving ARPHA's collaboration-centred online environment. The articles are to be available in PDF, machine-readable JATS XML formats, and semantically enriched HTML for better reader experience to ensure they are easy to discover, access, cite and reuse.

Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny succeeded the historical Entomologische Abhandlungen, formerly published by the Museum of Zoology, Dresden, in 2006. Its scope covers the taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, phylogeny, historical biogeography and palaeontology of arthropod taxa.

Similarly, Vertebrate Zoology was preceded by Zoologische Abhandlungen, also formerly published by the Museum of Zoology, Dresden. It deals with research on the taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, phylogeny, historical biogeography and palaeontology of vertebrates.

Meanwhile, Geologica Saxonica - Journal of Central European Geology, began its life in distant 1876, when it was founded under the name Mitteilungen aus dem Koniglichen Mineralogisch-Geologischen und Prahistorischen Museum by German geologist Hanns Bruno Geinitz, renowned for his work on the Carboniferous and Cretaceous rocks and fossils of Saxony.

"At Pensoft, we take pride in our latest partnership with the world-renowned natural history association of Senckenberg," comments Pensoft and ARPHA's founder and CEO Prof. Lyubomir Penev. "We are certain that our collaboration will bring many advantages to the research community: readers, authors and their affiliates alike."

Senckenberg is not the first prestigious German research institution to enter into an agreement with Pensoft. Since 2014, the Natural History Museum Berlin has trusted the publisher with its own historical titles in the Biology domain: Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift and Zoosystematics and Evolution. In 2017, Evolutionary Systematics, another prominent journal with a legacy in the field of Zoology by the University of Hamburg followed suit. Zitteliana, a historical scholarly journal covering all fields of paleontology and geobiology by the State Natural History Collection of Bavaria (SNSB) is to also join the journal portfolio of Pensoft and ARPHA Platform in the next months.

###

Additional information:

About Senckenberg:

Senckenberg, Research Institutes and Natural History Museums, conduct research in bio- and geoscience. Major research fields are biodiversity and ecosystem research and the research on the entire Earth-Human-Earth system. Senckenberg headquarters are located in Frankfurt am Main, but research on marine, terrestrial and climate systems is also housed at additional nine locations throughout Germany: in Dresden, Gelnhausen, Gorlitz, Hamburg, Messel, Muncheberg, Tubingen, Weimar and Wilhelmshaven. Senckenberg employs about 1,000 people, including 300 scientists. Senckenberg scientists are active in projects worldwide, most of which are international collaborations with universities and other research institutions. Senckenberg hosts biological and geological research collections with more than 35 million series.

About Pensoft:

Pensoft is an independent academic publishing company, well-known worldwide for its innovations in the field of semantic publishing, as well as for its cutting-edge publishing tools and workflows. In 2013, Pensoft launched the first ever end to end XML-based authoring, reviewing and publishing workflow, as demonstrated by the Pensoft Writing Tool (PWT) and the Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ), now upgraded to the ARPHA Publishing Platform. Flagship titles include: Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO), One Ecosystem, ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys and many more.

About ARPHA:

ARPHA is the first end-to-end, narrative- and data-integrated publishing solution that supports the full life cycle of a manuscript, from authoring to reviewing, publishing and dissemination. ARPHA provides accomplished and streamlined production workflows that can be customized according to the journal's needs. The platform enables a variety of publishing models through a number of options for branding, production and revenue models to choose from.
Heating accounts for over 50 per cent of final energy consumption. So reducing the emissions that result from heating buildings would make a huge difference to the climate. What strategies are being pursued to realise this potential in Germany and the UK? A study by researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) finds that both countries could do a lot more to mitigate climate change in the heating sector.

In recent years, energy transition policies have focussed on reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation. The heating sector has played only a minor role, despite the fact that thermal energy accounts for over half of final energy consumption - and electricity for only a quarter. Reducing carbon emissions in building heating would therefore be an important contribution to climate change mitigation. For a study published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, a team of researchers from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) analysed the transformative potential of German and British heating sector decarbonisation policies.

According to the authors, achieving emissions reductions in this sector depends not only on improving the efficiency of existing technologies. It requires a fundamental transformation of heating systems, including technological, social and institutional changes. Government policy plays a critical role in inducing this transformation process . Drawing on the concept of Transformative Environmental Policy (TEP) as an analytical framework, the authors assess the transformative ambition of government policy in the heating sector in both countries.

"As the two largest economies in Europe with broadly similar heating requirements, Germany and the UK lend themselves to a comparison of heating sector governance," explains Leonard Frank, the study's lead author. Both countries are also subject to the common framework of the European Energy Efficiency Directive, which places great emphasis on building heating.

Change of course hasn't happened yet

"Our analysis of both countries' policy strategies shows that neither government is coming close to unleashing all of the transformative potentials implied in the concept of TEP, which served as a benchmark for our assessment," explained Frank, who is currently based at the University of Freiburg. Neither country has sufficient instruments in place - laws, support programmes, or regulatory measures - that would allow it to systematically create and exploit windows of opportunity for investments in low-carbon heating infrastructure.

As Frank explains, although policy instruments for phasing out fossil fuels are, unlike zero-carbon building standards, largely inflexible, "such strategy elements are necessary to reorient actors away from established fossil-fuel technology."

Authors in favour of more strategic incentives

That's why the authors recommend that governments introduce a commitment to phasing out high-carbon heating, possibly coupled with building stock refurbishment targets. These measures need to be embedded in a sequence of planned policy interventions. This may make it possible to open up the current heat market and advance the transformation to a low-carbon heating sector in the process. "In the stimulus packages to aid economic recovery after the corona crisis, grants to cover the cost of installing heat pumps and carrying out energy refurbishments could add significant impetus to this process," says Rainer Quitzow, who led the study at the IASS.

Germany would do well to adopt the British approach of deploying instruments according to transition phases. In the UK, social innovations such as a systematic deployment of advisory services should be taken up in the strategy (it currently exists in only Scotland), possibly drawing on German experiences. In a similar vein, professional training should be geared towards decarbonisation as one element of a reorientation of the strategy.

Also in the UK, phase-out commitments for oil and gas heating need to be strengthened in order to achieve heating sector decarbonisation. Reinstating building stock refurbishment targets could be a step in this direction.

###

Publication:

Leonard Frank, Klaus Jacob, Rainer Quitzow: Transforming or tinkering at the margins? Assessing policy strategies for heating decarbonisation in Germany and the United Kingdom, Energy Research & Social Science 67/ 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101513

Scientific contact:

Rainer Quitzow

Telephone: +49 331 28822 374

E-Mail: rainer.quitzow@iass-potsdam.de

Leonard Frank

Telefon: +49 (0)761 203 96833

E-Mail: leonard.frank@envgov.uni-freiburg.de
After achieving remarkable success with two of harness racing's iconic pacers in their four-year-old seasons in the 1990s, trainer Bob McIntosh finds himself with another pair of promising four-year-olds as the bulk of the 2020 racing season looms.

McIntosh's success with four-year-olds in particular is notable, especially given that no trainer has swept Horse of the Year honours in both Canada and the United States in back-to-back years since he did so with Artsplace in 1992 and Staying Together in 1993  both in their respective four-year-old seasons against tough older company.

This summer, McIntosh will look for distaffers Sunny Dee and Only Take Cash to build on solid foundations established during their 2019 sophomore campaigns, which saw them combine for over $1 million in seasonal earnings.

Injured at two, Sunny Dee made a big splash as a three-year-old in 2019, posting a 23-13-5-3 resume with $601,617 in earnings for breeders-owners Robert McIntosh Stables, CSX Stables and Al McIntosh Holdings.



Sunny Dee, pictured in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold win at Flamboro Downs, will look to build on a 13-win sophomore campaign. Sunny Dee, pictured in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold win at Flamboro Downs, will look to build on a 13-win sophomore campaign.

Voted the OBrien Award winner as Canadas Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year, Sunny Dees victories included several Ontario Sires Stakes, the USS Indianapolis at Harrahs Hoosier Park, and a pair of 1:49.4 career-best efforts at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

She kicked a wall and broke a coffin bone, McIntosh explained of Sunny Dees absence as a freshman. I was really high on her too and was sick about it. But she made up for it last year.

McIntosh said Sunny Dee, who is out of the Western Hanover mare West Of LA and thus a half-sister to millionaires L A Delight and Somewhere In L A, was being pointed toward the Roses Are Red at Mohawk Park, which had eliminations scheduled for June 13 and final on June 20.

I went in 2:02 last week and I trained her back in 1:59 on our farm track here (on May 4), said McIntosh, a member of both the U.S. and Canadian Hall of Fames. Around the first of June, shell be ready to roll. I have a good farm track, so Ill probably train her in 1:55 or 1:56 before I qualify her.

McIntosh said having raced six horses already in 2020, he had to alter schedules with the shutdown.

I had half a dozen racing when they shut things down, so I just backed off of them and am training them a decent mile every two weeks.

McIntosh also has the four-year-old trotting mare Only Take Cash in his stable based on his farm just outside of Windsor, Ont. The daughter of Cash Hall is a two-time Ohio Sires Stakes champion, and with her seven wins last year including a Casual Breeze division, she was voted a co-winner of the 2019 OBrien Award as the Three-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year, sharing honours with the retired Evident Beauty.

Only Take Cashs sophomore resume also included a runner-up finish in the $376,000 Elegantimage final and a fourth-place finish in the $649,351 Breeders Crown final at Woodbine Mohawk Park, along with second place in the $176,150 Matron at Dover Downs.

McIntosh said he trained Only Take Cash in 1:59 on his farm track on May 4. He said Only Take Cash was being pointed toward the opening leg of the Miss Versatility Series on May 29 at Mohawk and then the Armbro Flight eliminations (originally scheduled for June 12) at Mohawk. McIntosh said there was a bigger prize at the end of the calendar.

She has some starts at Mohawk in June, but I am going to pick my spots, he said. My ultimate goal is the Breeders Crown (in late October at Harrahs Hoosier Park).

(with files from Harness Racing Weekend Preview)
Disney's Head of Streaming, Kevin Mayer, is set to become TikTok's chief executive, TikTok announced Monday.

Mayer will also serve as chief operating officer of ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, effective June 1. Disney's stock fell nearly 1% in after-hours trading Monday following the announcement after closing the trading day up 7.15%.

It's a huge score for TikTok, a social media platform that hosts short form videos. Mayer was considered one of the top candidates to replace former Disney CEO Bob Iger, before Bob Chapek was ultimately named chief executive.

Mayer told CNBC's Julia Boorstin Monday the move has nothing to do with being passed over for the job, but because he saw this as a good opportunity.

"I enjoy my job, I admire Bob Chapek, and Disney's a fabulous company," he said. "When you have an opportunity like this you don't turn it down. I'm not getting any younger and it's such a good opportunity. But I love Disney and had no desire to leave."

Mayer is also leaving Disney after the successful launch of its streaming platform, Disney+, which rolled out in November and had 54.5 million subscribers as of May 4.

Mayer earned a reputation at Disney as being the company's top deal maker. He spearheaded the company's acquisition of BAMTech, which makes the streaming technology that powers the company's online video services.

He was also instrumental in Disney's acquisitions of Lucasfilm (and the Star Wars franchise), Pixar, Marvel and 21st Century Fox over the last decade and a half.

All of those properties have given Disney's content portfolio a huge boost, and resulted in several blockbuster films, helping Disney dominate the box office in recent years.

Disney veteran Rebecca Campbell will take over as Disney's head of streaming, the company announced in a news release. Campbell is a 23-year veteran of the Disney company and has held leadership roles across Disney's media, international and parks businesses. Most recently she served as president of Disneyland Resort.

"I wouldn't have left Disney if I didn't think it was in great hands," said Mayer. "Rebecca  I've known her for years -- she was a big part of the team as head of Europe for Disney+. She's wonderful and will do a great job. She's a great leader and she's going to pick up the reins and move forward seamlessly."

TikTok has been facing heightened scrutiny over its privacy and censorship of content in Asia, and U.S. politicians have raised national security concerns. Mayer told CNBC that he has experience with digital privacy and security at Disney, and is able to deal with privacy and data challenges facing TikTok.

"I know how to deal with those challenges and digital platforms almost universally face these challenges. At Disney we had privacy considerations we handled well," he said.

TikTok's parent company ByteDance is said to have a private valuation of about $78 billion.

--CNBC's Sarah Whitten contributed to this report.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the response preparedness against cyclone Amphan, developing in the Bay of Bengal.

The prime minister took full stock of the situation and reviewed the measures as well as the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

During a presentation on the response plan, the NDRF director general informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground, while 12 others are ready in reserve.

Twenty-four other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country, the force chief told the meeting, the statement said.

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD has said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




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Ford Europe announced today the launch of the Ford Ranger Thunder, a limited-edition variant of the popular midsize pickup truck. Scheduled to release strictly in Europe, the Thunder will feature distinct visual accents and a power upgrade and will be held to less than 5,000 units.

The Ford Ranger was launched in Europe in 1998, and in that time, the Thunder moniker popped up twice before. The first Ranger Thunder debuted in 2003, and the second-generation Thunder debuted in 2009. For 2020, the third-gen Thunder is more aggressive than ever.

The new Thunder starts out as a Ranger Wildtrak Double Cab, one step down from the top-of-the-line Raptor, but its heart is not the same. Rather than the 197-horsepower 3.2 L Duratorq five-cylinder diesel paired with a six-speed manual transmission, the Thunder has the Raptor's powertrain, a 210-horsepower twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel engine that makes 369 lb-ft of torque and pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

As far as looks go, the Thunder is available only in Sea Gray paint. Red accents are seen on the grille nostrils, the rear bed sport bar, and the Thunder badges on the side of the truck and on the tailgate. Several parts of the exterior have been blacked out, as well, including the darkened taillight bezels, darkened headlight bezels, grille, rear bumper, skid plates, fog light surroundings, door handles, and 18-inch wheels. Also available is an optional black Mountain Top roller shutter with a bedliner divider.

Inside, Ebony black leather is broken up with "Thunder" red embroidery. Contrast red stitching has been added to the steering wheel, seats, and instrument panel, and the illuminated sill plates have a red theme.

Limited to just 4,500 units, 1,400 for the U.K., the Ranger Thunder is priced at $40,212 by current conversion rates.

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As an anesthesiologist, you are trained to not only perform but to thrive and act in emergency situations. Four years of residency builds psychological resilience, which is defined as the ability to mentally or emotionally cope or return to pre-crisis status quickly. These crises often occur when a patients heart stops beating, or a patient is unable to breathe. Anesthesiologists have seconds to respond to a crisis and prevent a bad outcome. A four-year anesthesiology residency program teaches skills to lead a clinical team and support other personnel (and families) to cope and persist in emergency situations, whether it be the anesthesiologist in a trauma case or the intensivist in a busy intensive care unit.

Being an African American in the United States forces you to build resilience. Many African Americans face racism, discrimination, and microaggressions on a daily basis. In fact, Kessler and colleagues reported that 91.2 percent of non-Hispanic blacks experience discrimination on a daily basis. For an African American to excel in highly regarded professions like medicine or engineering, they must meet the same expectations as their white peers, while simultaneously coping with daily microaggressions and the impact of unconscious biases that come from superiors, peers, patients, and the general public.

As an African American physician, the first few months of 2020 have been very troubling. Social media, print media, and most major news outlets have consistently drawn attention to the tremendous racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths. COVID-19 is ravaging through the African American community, resulting in the death of entire households in some cases. Further exacerbating the stress and trauma that African Americans face during this pandemic are cases like Ahmaud Arbery. We continue to witness extrajudicial killings in African American communities. The risk of police-involved death is three times higher among African Americans compared to whites; police officers are more likely to shoot African American suspects even after taking into account racial differences in community-level criminal activity.

Witnessing the excess mortality in our community, whether its due to COVID-19, the extrajudicial killing of African Americans, or the widening gap in healthcare access and associated mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, has added another layer of stress, frustration, and heartbreak. Although we have developed coping strategies as African American anesthesiologists, the unending activation of coping strategies takes a toll. Dr. Sherman James defined this coping phenomena as John Henryism, the prolonged, high-effort coping to chronic stressors like racism and discrimination. This high-energy coping combined with high perceived stress has been associated with a range of negative health outcomes in African Americans, including hypertension. Our frustration and the frustration of many of my African American physician peers stems from the helplessness we feel to honor the commitment that drew us to medicine in the first place, namely to improve the health and well-being of African American and underserved communities. Many African American physicians come from communities, much like the ones we seek to impact, and we feel helpless to do what we were called to do.

Where do we go from here? As minority physicians, we cannot fight this battle alone; we need support from our physician colleagues, despite their race, ethnicity, or national origin. We need professional societies and national organizations to rally with us. We have identified three actionable steps:

1. There needs to be strategies and programs to support African Americans who are unduly burdened by discrimination and microaggressions, simply because of their race or ethnicity.

2. Given the early evidence that implicit biases impact patient outcomes, medical school admission, and residency selection, we are calling on national organizations to require implicit bias testing and training for all academic faculty, physicians, and trainees. This could also be extended to include police departments and other human service agencies.

3. Professional organizations and medical centers must support and enhance pipeline programs to address existing barriers to medical school admission for minorities. Underrepresented minority physicians are more likely to practice in medically underserved areas, help improve learning outcomes, cultural sensitivity, and interpersonal skills for other clinicians, and are associated with improved patient care and satisfaction.

This collective of African American anesthesiologists is creating a call to action; the time to act is now.

Adam J. Milam, Steven Bradley, Nate Hughes, TomMario Davis, and Marcus Mitchell are anesthesiologists.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
I know my grandmas not there and some people tell me its not my fight anymore, she said. But it is my fight because I have two parents that are baby boomers, and if, God forbid, either of them ever had to go into a nursing home, I dont want any nursing home being like this.


Tonatiuh as Marcos Zamora in "Vida." In this Season 3 episode, Lyn (played by Melissa Barrera) throws Marcos a queer, gender-bending quinceanera for his 30th birthday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Tonatiuh was 5 years old when he locked the door of his aunts room and tried on his first dress.

On a Thursday evening in November, Tonatiuh, who plays the queer, flamboyant and gender nonconforming Marcos Zamora in Starzs Vida, was putting on another one. A much bigger, more special dress.

That tightness is good, Tonatiuh, 27, told costume designer Hannah Jacobs, who stood behind him adjusting the corset of the puffy, voluminous teal tulle dress.

You can do tighter lower but not any higher, he said, his hands pressed on his stomach, sucking in his belly.

He danced a quick run-through of the choreography he would perform on screen in a few hours: His silver high heels shuffled rhythmically to a song in his head. His arms sliced through the air. It felt just right. He could move and dance comfortably in the quinceanera dress.

Costumer designer Hannah Jacobs, right, helps Tonatiuh, center, get dressed before walking on set. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In the third and final season of Vida, Lyn Hernandez (Melissa Barrera) throws her best friend Marcos an epic, 80s-inspired, double "queerceanera": a 30th birthday celebration, but queer and gender-bending.

I always wanted Marcos to have a double quince and put him in a big quinceanera dress, said Vida showrunner Tanya Saracho, who directed the Queerceanera episode.

In Mexican and other Latino cultures, the quinceanera is a celebration of a girls 15th birthday. It carries religious overtones and is considered a rite of passage that marks a girl's transition from childhood to young womanhood. The celebration starts with a Mass and is followed by a party, where the quinceanera traditionally wears a tiara and wedding-gown-like dress. She has a father-daughter dance and is gifted a toy doll, a symbol of her last childhood gift.

Boys don't get quinces or anything akin to them.

Tonatiuh's quinceanera gloves. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Saracho didn't have one, either. Instead, she spent her 15th birthday in Europe, dancing the waltz in Vienna.

So when Saracho and the "Vida" team were brainstorming ideas for the quinces aesthetic, she looked back to her adolescence. She found inspiration from Quinceanera, the groundbreaking 1987 Mexican telenovela she grew up watching in Mexico that starred a very young Thalia and Adela Noriega.

Story continues

Theres this imagery in the opening segment that is iconic, said Saracho, describing the chambelanes in fake soldier outfits (Barrera wore a sexy one for her role as Marcos' chambelana) and the scene featuring Thalia in a giant white dress, swaying back and forth on a swing.

Remembering that, she said to herself excitedly: We have to go full on Quinceanera from the 80s, complete with the telenovela melodrama, the swing, the music. "All of it. But queer.

So they did.

Detail of the "Queerceanera" cake on the set of "Vida." (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

When reenacting a quinceanera, the first order of business is the dress.

"For me, it all originated in a little boy's fantasy and getting to bring that to life," Jacobs said of the concept for the dress' design.

She was thinking about what a young Marcos "wasn't allowed to participate in" as a boy and wanted to "give him all of his hopes and dreams. To give him this fantasy.

"It was a big fairy tale moment for me," she said. Chayanne's "Tiempo de Vals," a song often chosen for the quinceanera waltz, was also on her mind. She watched the music video dozens of times for inspiration.

Jacobs found the dress in downtown L.A.'s famed Santee Alley, the same flea market where teenage girls scout for their own giant, puffy dresses. Much of its skirt was recut and reworked, and some of the boning was removed so that Tonatiuh could move and dance freely.

Striking a balance between masculinity and femininity in the dress was tricky at first, but they soon realized they needn't force it: Tonatiuh's masculine body would take care of the former. "We really loved how the sweetheart neck of the dress was something so ultra femme, but against his pecs, shoulders, neck muscles and biceps, that was the moment that really melded those two worlds," said Jacobs, as did the juxtaposition between his high heels and hairy legs.

Actor Roberta Colindrez, center, on the set of "Vida." (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Capturing the tradition of the quinceanera dress was as important as emphasizing its fun, sexy, modern twist. "Quinceanera dresses are iconic, and so I think there was an element of honoring that but also an element of who he is now and how he chooses to present himself and giving him that power," Jacobs said.

After all, this wasn't a typical celebration. As Jacobs said: This was "a ratchet party."

But it's more than that too. For Esti Giordani, the episode's writer, the party is about visibility.

"Something so binary like, 'You're a woman now,' there's an inherent erasure" of queer, trans and gender nonconforming people in traditional celebrations like quinceaneras, she said. Instead, in true "Vida" fashion, the episode points the limelight on the LGBTQ community and allows Marcos to reclaim that rite of passage as a queer and non-binary person.

"I think the episode is so vibrant with that joyousness," she said.

Tonatiuh, center, walks on set for the "Queerceanera" episode as costume designer Hannah Jacobs carries the dress' train. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Back in November, Tonatiuh strutted onto the glittery pink set on a chilly L.A. night, his silver high heels clanking with every step on the pavement. Behind him, the train of his quinceanera dress extended like a wand.

"Heeey, la vida es desmadre!" he exclaimed to the cast and crew. "Life is a riot!"

Tonatiuh, who has Mexican and Nicaraguan heritage, is a self-described "femme-presenting male." Growing up, he was sensitive and emotional and enjoyed playing with dolls. He often fantasized about having a quinceanera, just like his female cousins.

At age 13, he came out to his father. "He said, 'OK. I love you and you're still my son,'" he recalled. The following year, he told his mom. "I called her at work and I was like, 'Mom, I have something to tell you.'" Her response was something like: "Oh. Do you want a cookie?"

Actors Monet Allen-Kemp, left, Adrian Paul Arroyo and Aris Rahim stand outside the makeup and hair tent before going on set. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Queer Latinx culture is very unique, he said. Our desires, our wants, our fantasies are unique," he said. "That's what the show is about. It's expressing something that hasn't been expressed in a mainstream form. It's allowing people to be witnessed.

That visibility is one reason why Tonatiuh pursued acting: so he could spark change in the world.

We have the ability to affect people in a really deep, powerful way," he said. "Thats why I became a storyteller, to change the way that humanity thinks, and how we reflect and see ourselves, and how we can treat each other to create a more empathetic and tolerant society.

"And so if it means putting on a quinceanera dress and a tiara and shablaming on the screen," he said, referring to a dance move, "so be it."
Berkshire Community College Holding Virtual Commencement

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire Community College will hold its 60th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 29, via broadcast on Pittsfield Community Television at 4:30 p.m.

During the ceremony, the college will award associate degrees and certificates to more than 200 students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and colleges around the world to rethink their graduation ceremonies. As such, institutions are finding ways to celebrate and honor their graduates  and BCC has decided to honor its graduates twice.

The virtual commencement will be broadcast on PCTV, on the PCTV Select app available on Roku and Apple TV, and on Facebook Live via PCTV. The broadcast also will be simulcast on Northern Berkshire Community Television and Community Television for the Southern Berkshires.

The 2020 graduates are also invited to participate in the 2021 commencement ceremony on June 4, 2021, at Tanglewood in Lenox.

In a letter to all graduates, wrote: "

"We know this is not what any of us anticipated celebrating the 60th Commencement of Berkshire Community College," President Ellen Kennedy wrote to graduates. "Each of us wants to make this event meaningful, and though we would prefer to be physically together, our goal is to ensure that you are recognized and honored with pride and joy by our entire community on commencement day.

"We promise to make this special for you, and look forward to celebrating you both virtually on May 29, and physically next year.

Graduates were asked to upload their photo that will be shown live on television when their name is read during the commencement program. There will also be remarks from the Kennnedy, from the college's valedictorian and provost, and the national anthem will be sung by a Monica Bliss, a BCC student.

The commencement program will be shared with all graduates the day before the ceremony and also mailed to their homes as a keepsake. Diplomas will also be delivered to the graduates via mail.

For more commencement details visit: www.berkshirecc.edu/commencement. Social media users are invited to be a part of the conversation by using #MyBCCGrads.
Goldman Sachs is anticipating that India will witness its worst recession yet as its data pointed out to the adverse economic impact of the lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Gross domestic product is expected to shrink by an annualized 45% in the second quarter from the past three months in contrast to Goldmans previous forecast of a 20% decline, Bloomberg reported.

A robust recovery of 20% is now likely in the third quarter. However, projections for the fourth and first of the next year remain unaffected at 14% and 6.5%.

Goldman economists Prachi Mishra and Andrew Tilton, in a note written on May 17, observed that these estimations indicate that the real GDP will drop by 5% in the 2021 fiscal year, which would be harsher than any recession India has seen before, the report added.

The Centre on Sunday extended the Covid-19 lockdown for two more weeks till May 31 while further easing of curbs in some sectors may help reboot the economy. The announcement came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the fifth and final tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to help the economy tide over the coronavirus pandemic.

There have been a series of structural reform announcements across several sectors over the past few days. These reforms are more medium-term in nature, and we, therefore, do not expect these to have an immediate impact on reviving growth," Bloomberg reported citing the economists' note.

The economists added that they would continue to monitor their implementation to gauge their effect on the medium-term outlook.

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases continued to surge across the country. Maharashtra on Sunday recorded the highest daily spike of 2,347 COVID-19 cases, taking the state tally to 33053 cases, a health official said. With 63 more deaths, the death toll in the state is now 1,198, the official said.
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The web-based Middle East Eye has revealed that the British government secretly funded an online movementSarkhasupposedly set up and run by Syrias Alawite community and targeting the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

A project commissioned by the UK to promote Britains strategic interests in Syria and the Middle East, its exposure gives a glimpse of the vast number of such fake news activities carried out by the intelligence arms of the US and European powers and their regional allies in Syria. They constitute, along with Britains military strikes, a blatant violation of Syrias sovereignty, while breaching UK domestic law. The outcry, had Russia, China or Iran been found to be carrying out similar activities in Britain would be deafening.

While the initiatives began in 2012, they took off after August 2013 when the UK parliament decisively rejected Prime Minister David Camerons efforts to join the US in a military venture to overthrow the Assad regime.

The MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London (Image Credit MOD Object Name: 011-073-014)

The revelations also expose the reactionary nature of all those unnamed revolutionary forces, whose economic and social programme was never explained, so beloved by the pseudo-left supporters of Western intervention in Syria.

Sarkha (The Cry) was part of a broader covert programme aimed at supporting Islamist forces as proxies to topple Assad in order to weaken Iran and prepare for a US-backed Israeli war against that country.

Claiming to be a grassroots movement from the same Alawite community as President Assad, Sarkha emerged in 2014 to protest against the high casualty rate of Alawite men serving in the Syrian army in the then three-year long war. It urged them to unite with other ethnic and religious communities in Syria, thereby undermining Assads support base.

According to official documents seen by Middle East Eye, Sarkha was created by an American company under contract to the UKs Military Strategic Effects, a unit within the Ministry of Defence, later handed over to the cross-government agency, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). According to the agencys website, the CSSF is an important driver in the governments Fusion Doctrine and supports and delivers activity to tackle instability and to prevent conflicts that threaten UK interests.

In February, Ian Cobain and Alice Ross, writing in the Middle East Eye, revealed how British contractors, with offices in Istanbul and Amman, recruited a network of Syrian citizen journalists to promote an anti-Assad agenda and build support for the armed opposition, while supposedly rejecting the violent extremist networks such as ISIS.

Most of the journalists were unaware that their media office was being run by a British company. Indeed, the governments own documents acknowledged that the journalists lives would be in danger if the source of the funding became known. It also suggests why so many journalists have been targeted, imprisoned or killed as spies by the Syrian regime and by opposition militias.

One of the people involved in the project said if their work were known to be linked in any way with the British government it would have undermined its effectiveness.

Not only was their output circulated in Syria, through what purported to be the press offices of Syrian opposition groups, but their video clips of fighters from moderate opposition groups were also distributed to the mainstream international Arabic TV and media outlets.

These citizen journalists offices also served to maintain an effective network of correspondents/stringers inside Syria to report on MAO [moderate armed opposition] activity, enabling the British government to control the conversations between the UK media and those presenting themselves as representatives of the Syrian opposition. That is, the program sought to influence not only reporting within Syria but also in Britain.

Despite their best efforts to depict the Free Syrian Army (FSA) as heroes, these citizen journalists could not disguise the corruption and mismanagement of opposition forces that had Western backing in the early years of the wars.

The Cameron government viewed this and other related projects, costing around $540,000 a month, as a means of maintaining a British presence in Syria until it could participate in a military assault on the country, with its mission statement saying it should have the capability to expand back into the strategic as and when the opportunity arises, to help build an effective opposition political-military interface.

The British government backed another project which involved the funding and training of police forces (the Free Syria Police) and civil defence teams (militias) in rebel-held areas. The scheme, Access to the Justice and Community Security Scheme (Ajacs), was managed by British consultants Adam Smith International (ASI).

This aid ended up in the hands of jihadi forces in Syria. The police officers were handpicked by extremists linked to al-Qaeda and were cooperating with courts run by the al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria, which handed out extreme punishments including summary executions. In one case, police officers even closed the road near Sarmin in December 2014 so that the execution of two women by stoning could take place.

At one point, according to ASIs own report, the police handed over cash, up to 20 percent of their funds at one point, to an extremist group, Nour al-Din al-Zinki, linked to human rights abuses and atrocities including the beheading of a young prisoner in 2016.

The funding for the project, ostensibly aimed at training a civilian police force in rebel-held Aleppo, Idlib and Daraa provinces, was only halted after a BBC Panorama investigation, Jihadis you pay for, exposed how officers from the force worked with courts carrying out brutal sentences. Early in 2019, the Free Syria Police disbanded, following the takeover of Idlib province by Turkish-backed Islamists.

The British government, along with the US, also set up the White Helmets, ostensibly a civil defence group dedicated to rescuing civilians caught in the fighting in Syria. The leading figure involved in setting up the outfit in 2013 was the former British army officer and MI6 agent James Le Mesurier. He went on to work as a mercenary for Gulf oil monarchies in conjunction with a company linked to the infamous former US military contractor, Blackwater, and after training Syrians in Turkey, sent them back into Syria to function as a logistical support and propaganda arm of the Western-backed rebels.

Operating principally in zones controlled by the Al Nusra Front, the White Helmets filmed staged rescues in areas hit by bombs dropped by Syrian government and Russian warplanes, passing on the videos to the Western corporate media, which aired them with no questions asked. The White Helmets have been accused of fabricating both attacks and rescues, most infamously in the case of an alleged gas attack in the city of Douma in April 2018.

At the same time parliament was explicitly rejecting any military action against Syria, the government was secretly loaning British pilots to the US, French and Canadian air forces and the Royal Air Force (RAF) was participating in air strikes in Syria as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq. This only became public knowledge after it had begun, and well before parliament voted in favour of air strikes in Syria in autumn 2015.

In December 2016, the government reported that RAF operations in Syria far outstripped the intensity of the UKs operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. By September 2017, more than 1,000 UK personnel, as well as special operations forces, were involved in operations in Syria, with the RAF having conducted around 900 airstrikes, at a cost of 265 million.
Ill. churches hold worship services despite stay-at-home order

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Several churches in the Chicago, Illinois, area held in-person worship services on Sunday, defying a statewide stay-at-home order prohibiting religious gatherings of more than 10 people.

As many as 100 churches held in-person services on Sunday, according to ABC Chicago, including Philadelphia Romanian Church of God in the Ravenswood neighborhood.

A church is a spiritual hospital, said Pastor Florin Cimpean Cimpean to ABC. "We have people who have spiritual needs. Emotional needs. And this church is much safer than any other open space, like Home Depot or any other store."

Metro Praise International Church, located in Chicagos Belmont Cragin neighborhood, held three 45-minute worship services, according to CBS Chicago.

Although the congregation said that they were practicing social distancing with their services, the church nevertheless garnered local protests for their decision to have in-person worship.

Nobodys denying them the right to meet. Were just wanting them to meet safely, said one protester, named Alonzo Zaragoza, in comments to CBS.

Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Albany Park reported more than 100 attendees for their morning service on Sunday, with Lead Pastor Cristian Ionescu telling the Chicago Tribune that he received no complaints from neighbors.

In addition to holding services despite the order, Elim Romanian has also taken legal action, having filed a lawsuit against Governor J.B. Pritzker earlier this month over the order.

Joined by Logos Baptist Ministries of Niles, Elim Romanian requested a temporary restraining order against the enforcement of the mass gathering restriction.

However, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman issued an opinion last week rejecting their request, arguing that the churches request for an injunction and blatant refusal to follow the mandates of the Order are both ill-founded and selfish.

An injunction would risk the lives of plaintiffs congregants, as well as the lives of their family members, friends, co-workers and other members of their communities with whom they come in contact, wrote Gettleman.

Gettleman also rejected the argument that in-person worship services pose no greater risk when it comes to spreading the coronavirus than secular venues such as grocery stores.

Gatherings at places of worship pose higher risks of infection than gatherings at businesses, he asserted. The congregants do not just stop by Elim Church. They congregate to sing, pray, and worship together. That takes more time than shopping for liquor or groceries.
(Newser)  Thirteen people were shot Saturday night as a large group gathered in a Louisiana city for an impromptu memorial service for a man whose body was found earlier this month, authorities said. No one was killed, but one person was in critical condition after the 9:15pm shooting in Bogalusa, police said. The crowd was gathered in a vacant lot to remember Dominique James, who was missing for several days before being found dead May 8 inside his vehicle in the woods by officers in a helicopter, investigators said. The best we can tell is a car drove by and shots were fired and it was pure chaos from there, Bogalusa Police Maj. Troy Tervalon told the AP. Police haven't had a witness come forward to give them a better description of the shooting and have made no arrests, Tervalon said.

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James' family had asked Bogalusa officials if they could have a regular memorial service for James, but were turned down because of stay-at-home orders with COVID-19, Tervalon said. The gathering of at least 150 people Saturday night was made up of mostly friends, Tervalon said. The scene was so chaotic, with wounded people being taken to several different hospitals, that investigators haven't been able to find and interview all the wounded people, Tervalon said. James was last heard from heading to an unknown location to pick up an all-terrain vehicle on May 2, police said. His death is considered a homicide, but Tervalon said he didn't want to release any additional details. No arrests have been made in that case. (Read more Louisiana stories.)
Amphan cyclone news live updates: The India Meteorological Department said on Monday that Cyclone Amphan has intensified. It has predicted that the severe cyclonic storm would make landfall by Wednesday. It had earlier warned that the cyclone would intensify by Monday. The Ministry of Home Affairs had said on Monday that West Bengal and Odisha coasts would be hit by wind speeds of up to 185 kmph on Wednesday. Fishermen in both the states have been asked to stay away from the coasts till Wednesday. Moreover, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in both the states. The teams are working with the states as well as with their respective disaster management teams. Heavy to extremely heavy rains, wind and tidal waves are expected in the region.

Also read: Cyclone Amphan turns 'extremely severe'; NDRF teams deployed in Bengal, Odisha

Follow the updates on Cyclone Amphan on the live blog on BusinessToday.In:

2:00 pm: Cyclone Amphan preparedness

Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that 37 teams have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal across seven and six districts respectively. Twenty teams have bee deployed and 17 are on standby he said.

1:20 pm: Cyclone Amphan damages

The IMD warned that the high-velocity winds might cause extensive damage to mud houses and partial damage to 'pucca' structures. Bending or uprooting of power and communication poles might also occur as well minor disruption of railways and impact on overhead power lines and signalling systems. There could be widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards too, the IMD said.

1:10 pm: Amit Shah talks about PM Modi's review meet



To review the arising cyclone situation in various parts of the country, PM @narendramodi ji will chair a high level meeting with MHA & NDMA, today at 4pm.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 18, 2020

12:55 pm: Rainfall warning in Assam and Meghalaya

The IMD has further issued heavy rainfall warning in Assam and Meghalaya till May 21. Most places would receive moderate rainfall while some would experience heavy rainfall.

12:45 pm: Rainfall warning in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim

The IMD has issued a warning regarding heavy rainfall in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim. It stated that most places would recieve moderate rainfall while some would experience heavy rainfall till May 21.

12:35 pm: Rainfall warning in West Bengal

The IMD has also issued heavy rainfall in West Bengal. East Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipure, Hooghly, Howrah and Kolkata are some of the districts that are likely to experience heavy rainfall till May 21.

12:30 pm: Rainfall warning in Odisha

The IMD has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in Odisha. Heavy rainfall is particularly expected at isolated places. Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara districts are likely to witness heavy rainfall from today up till May 20.

12:19 pm: PM Modi's review meeting at 4pm

PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today at 4 pm. The PM will review preparedness and the current situation in parts of the country that are likely to be affected by Amphan.

12:15 pm: Odisha to be heavily impacted

Umashankar Das, scientist at IMD Bhubaneswar said that North Odisha would face the strongest impact of Amphan cyclone when it makes landfall. With wind speeds of up to 130 kmph, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj districts of the state are likely to be heavily impacted on May 20.

12:07 pm: Cylone Amphan to turn super cyclonic

Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, IMD director general said that Amphan turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm at 2:30 am on Monday. He said that the cyclone is expected to become a super cyclone in the next 12 hours. It is predicted to move north-northeast direction on the afternoon or evening of May 20 with speeds of up to 165 kmph.

12:03 pm: Parts of Kerala see rainfall

The IMD warned the coastal areas of rainfall due to Cyclone Amphan. Thiruvananthapuram saw heavy rains on Monday.

Kerala: Several parts of Thiruvananthapuram city receive rainfall this morning. pic.twitter.com/4B3P8m4wg9  ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2020

12:00 pm: Rainfall warning issued by IMD

The IMD has issued rainfall warning for the next four days due to Amphan. Additionally, fishermen have been prohibited from venturing into the South Bay of Bengal region for the next 24 hours. Central Bay of Bengal also has been made out of limits up to May 18 and North Bay of Bengal up to May 20.

11:55 am: Amphan cyclone review meeting held to gauge preparedness

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) reviewed the preparedness for Amphan cyclone and directed immediate assistance to West Bengal and Odisha. The meeting was headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. The cabinet secretary looked into the preparedness for rescue and relief in the states and asked immediate assistance to be provided.

11:45 am: Amphan direction on May 20

Cyclone Amphan is very likely to move north-northeast across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya during the afternoon or evening of May 20. It is likely to have maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting upto 185 kmph.
(Newser)  Martin Shkreli is still serving the seven-year sentence handed down to him in 2017 for defrauding investors, but the convicted pharmaceuticals executive was hoping he'd found a temporary way out. Per the Washington Post, attorneys for the man best known as "Pharma Bro" filed a request last month to have him released for three months, "under strict supervision," to his fiancee's New York City apartment so he could research the coronavirus, as he feels that the pharmaceutical industry's quest for a treatment has so far been "inadequate." He also noted in his request that he is "one of the few executives experienced in ALL aspects of drug development," and therefore the perfect candidate to work on a treatment. US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ruled Saturday on Shkreli's request, and for her, it was a no, calling his reasoning a "delusional, self-aggrandizing" one.

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"The court does not find that releasing Mr. Shkreli will protect the public, even though Mr. Shkreli seeks to leverage his experience with pharmaceuticals to help develop a cure for COVID-19 that he would purportedly provide at no cost," Matsumoto wrote in her nine-page ruling, per NPR. Matsumoto noted there've been no reported cases of COVID-19 among either inmates or staff at the low-security Pennsylvania prison where Shkreli is incarcerated, and that there's no evidence he has any significant health concerns, the AP reports. There was one other issue Matsumoto had with Shkreli's ask. "Defendant requests to be released into, among other places, an apartment in New York City, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic," she wrote, per the Post. The official comment from Shkreli's camp on the ruling, via his own attorney: It was a "not unexpected" decision, but they're still "disappointed." (Read more Martin Shkreli stories.)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on the world Monday to rally behind the World Health Organization and support developing countries as he opened a WHO annual assembly after weeks of acrimonious jostling between China and the United States and its allies over a proposal to investigate the origins of COVID-19.

Xi's speech, delivered over video at the invitation of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, signaled a growing sense of assuredness from China. For weeks it had been anticipating  and bitterly opposing  a proposal from Western countries to conduct an international probe into the pandemic's beginnings, generally believed by scientists to be in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

China's opposition has melted in recent days as international support for an inquiry grew to include Russia, Turkey and European and African countries, and as drafts of the proposed resolution showed a focus on international collaboration to manage the pandemic, with relatively limited emphasis on questioning its source.

Another prospect that China opposed vehemently  a Taiwanese presence at the World Health Assembly  also dissolved Monday after Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Taiwan would withdraw its bid for observer status, which Beijing had resisted.

Xi used his speaking platform on Monday to not only support the mooted international review once the pandemic was over but to air his own initiatives. Framing China as a defender of the international community and particularly the developing world, Xi announced a $2 billion donation to the international fight against COVID-19 and offered to help set up hospitals and health infrastructure in Africa.

In an address that contained repeated references to China's support for multilateral institutions and developing countries, particularly in Africa, Xi appeared to be differentiating himself from President Donald Trump at a time when the two countries are locked in a duel over economic primacy and global influence.

Any vaccines produced by China would also be considered a global public good and shared, Xi said. He called on countries to lend their support to the critical work of the WHO and Tedros after both were accused by Trump of deference to the Chinese government. Trump ordered a temporary freeze on WHO funding in April and said on Twitter this weekend he is weighing how to proceed.

Although Xi did not specify a recipient for his $2 billion pledge, that amount would overshadow the amount of WHO funding that the United States promised before it was frozen last month. During the 2018-2019 two-year period, the United States committed to contributing about $893 million to the WHO budget, which came to $5.6 billion in total, according to funding data published by the agency.

"At this critical juncture, to support the WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle to save lives," Xi said. "China takes as its responsibility not only the lives and health of its citizens but global public health."

Rather than address criticisms that Chinese officials covered up early signs of the outbreak in Wuhan, Xi called on the world to "step up information sharing." China provided information to the WHO and other countries in a timely fashion and released the genome sequence of the coronavirus at the earliest time, he said.

"All along we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility," Xi said. "We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need."

The Chinese government has repeatedly characterized the pandemic as a crisis that is global in nature and called any targeted inquiry that draws undue attention to COVID-19 roots in Wuhan as a ploy by Washington and its allies to make it a scapegoat. Chinese officials and state media responded furiously last month after Australian officials suggested that agencies like the WHO, which have relatively limited powers, should be able to swiftly dispatch investigators to the site of emergencies.

Following the Australian comments, China threatened to boycott Australian products. Last week, it effectively cut imports of Australian beef on technical grounds; on Monday, its Commerce Ministry announced it would impose 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley as part of a long-standing anti-dumping investigation.

But Xi reversed course on the proposal during his speech, saying he supports efforts to improve response times for future public health emergencies and would back a review as long as it was "objective and impartial"  and held after the pandemic was under control.

The draft resolution, submitted by the European Union on Monday and supported by more than 100 nations, does not mention Wuhan or China. It asks the World Health Organization to work with other United Nations agencies to "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts."

The document does not propose a review to identify missteps in how countries handled the outbreak and is instead forward-looking. It calls on the WHO to potentially arrange "scientific and collaborative field missions" to help prevent similar future outbreaks. It also appears to rule out the possibility that the virus was man-made or experimented upon  a possibility that U.S. officials have raised but that is considered unlikely by most epidemiologists.

Responding Monday morning to a report of the broad international support for an inquiry, Trump tweeted, "We are with them!"

Speaking to reporters Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China supported an international inquiry all along. A review that focused on combating discrimination, finding the zoonotic source of the virus and assessing the performance of the WHO response was "consistent with the Chinese position," he said.

Before Xi's speech, official Communist Party media outlets warned the United States against politicizing the assembly or turning the WHO into a tool for "geopolitical games."

A politicized appeal wont be supported at the assembly, the Global Times said in an editorial. The U.S. has messed up its COVID-19 fight but intends to shift the responsibility to China. Such a plan is bound to backfire.
Two special trains from



Bengaluru and Haridwar arrived in West Bengal on Monday bringing back migrant workers and pilgrims, an Eastern Railway official said.

The Shramik Special from the Karnataka capital reached Malda Town station in Malda district at 5.30 pm carrying hundreds of migrant workers back home, the official said.

Another special train from Haridwar brought back pilgrims and workers to Krishnanagar in Nadia district who got stuck in Uttarakhand owing to the lockdown over the Covid-19 pandemic.

All the passengers were subjected to medical screening before being allowed to board buses arranged by the West Bengal government to reach their homes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Boris Johnson government on Monday included the loss of taste and smell to the core symptoms of coronavirus after a large number of people and ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctors reported the symptoms, as the number of cases in the UK approached 2.5 lakh.

Updating the symptoms list means such individuals would now be eligible for a test.

As of Sunday evening, 34,636 deaths and 243,303 cases were registered across the UK, retaining it on the top of the grim list in Europe. The number of deaths in a day was the lowest at 170, as some lockdown curbs were eased in England.

Health officials advised Britons that from Monday, all individuals should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or anosmia, which is the medical term for the loss of or a change in normal sense of smell; it can also affect sense of taste as the two are closely linked.

The four chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said: We have been closely monitoring the emerging data and evidence on Covid-19 and, after thorough consideration, we are now confident enough to recommend this new measure.

The individuals households should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines and the individual should stay at home for seven days, or longer if they still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell.

According to Tim Spector, head of the department of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, there are 50,000 to 70,000 people in the UK with coronavirus who are not being told to self-isolate, because so far only temperature and cough were considered the major symptoms.

Nearly 1.5 million people have logged on to an app developed at the college that tracks a wide range of symptoms and changes, he said.

Spector told BBC: It (the app) tells us that weve got at least 100,000 cases at the moment of people who are infected. And this is from our data, although the NHS would underestimate that because theyre not counting all the symptoms.

This country is missing the ball in underestimated cases but also putting people at risk, and continuing the epidemic. So we really do need to tell Public Health England to get in line with the rest of the world, and make people more aware. Theres no point telling people to be alert if they dont know the symptoms.

Business secretary Alok Sharma announced at the daily briefing in Downing Street that the clinical trial for a vaccine at the University of Oxford is progressing well, with all Phase 1 participants receiving their dose on schedule earlier this week.

He said: They are now being monitored closely by the clinical trial team. The speed at which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented.

Imperial College are also making good progress, and will be looking to move into clinical trials by mid-June, with larger scale trials planned to begin in October. So far the government has invested 47 million in the Oxford and Imperial vaccine programmes.

According to Johnson, the vaccine is a very long way off and may not come to fruition, but the government announced a 93 million investment for a new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre to produce it on a large scale if any of the trials succeed.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prasun Sonwalkar Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from Indias north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999. ...view detail
Today in history, May 18, 1565, one of the most symbolically important military encounters between Islam and Europe began: the Ottoman Turks besieged the tiny island of Malta, in what till then was considered the heaviest bombardment any locale had been subjected to.

Around the start of the sixteenth century, Muslim pirates from Algiers began to terrorize the Christian Mediterranean. Like their terrestrial counterparts, they too were indoctrinated in and emboldened by Muhammad's promises: "A campaign by sea is like ten campaigns by land," the prophet had said, "and he who loses his bearings at sea is like one who sheds his blood in the path of Allah." The piratical lust for booty was, predictably, heightened by dreams of "martyrdom."

When Suleiman "the Magnificent"better known among Muslims as Suleiman "the Ghazi" (jihadi/raider)became Ottoman sultan in 1520, he instantly took the most notorious of these Barbary pirates, Khair al-Din Barbarossa, into his service and helped him prosecute the sea jihad on Europe. The ensuing reign of terror forced Europeans along the Mediterranean coast to relive the days of their ancestors in the centuries before the Crusades, when the Middle Sea was first inundated with jihad and slave raiding. Over the following two decades, hundreds of thousands of Europeans were enslaved, so that, by 1541, "Algiers teemed with Christian captives, and it became a common saying that a Christian slave was scarce a fair barter for an onion."

Despite the seaborne jihad's successes, "You will do no good," a seasoned corsair counseled Suleiman, "until you have smoked out this nest of vipers." He was referring to the Knights Hospitaller, who came into being soon after the First Crusade and were now known as the Knights of Saint John, headquartered in Malta. Suleiman had evicted them from Rhodes in 1522whence for two hundred years they had frustrated all Ottoman naval attemptsand Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had bequeathed the island of Malta to the homeless Hospitallers in 1530. They were the emperor's response to the sultan's corsairsand, for more than three decades, a thorn in Suleiman's side.

Having finally decided to eliminate this "headquarters of infidels," in March 1565 Suleiman dispatched one of the largest fleets ever assembledcarrying some thirty thousand Ottomansto take the tiny island, which had a total fighting population of eight thousand. Pope Pius IV implored the kings of Europe to Malta's aid, to no avail: the king of Spain "has withdrawn into the woods," complained the pope, "and France, England and Scotland [are] ruled by women and boys." Only the viceroy of neighboring Sicily responded, but he needed time to raise recruits.

Jean Parisot de Valette (14941568), the Grand Master of the Knights"his disposition is rather sad," but "for his age [seventy-one], he is very robust" and "very devout"made preparations for the forthcoming siege, including by explaining to his men what was at stake: "A formidable army composed of audacious barbarians is descending on this island," he warned; "these persons, my brothers, are the enemies of Jesus Christ. Today it is a question of the defense of our Faith as to whether the book of the Evangelist [the Gospel] is to be superseded by that of the Koran? God on this occasion demands of us our lives, already vowed to His service. Happy will those be who first consummate this sacrifice."

On May 18, the Ottomans commenced nonstop bombardment, first targeting St. Elmo, one of Malta's key forts. "With the roar of the artillery and the arquebuses, the hair-raising screams, the smoke and fire and flame," a chronicler writes, "it seemed that the whole world was at the point of exploding." The vastly outnumbered and soon wearied defenders, who were ordered to "fight bravely and sell their lives to the barbarians as dearly as possible," did just that; and for every Christian killed defending the fort, numerous Muslim besiegers fell. After withstanding all that the Ottomans could throw against it for more than a month, on June 23, St. Elmo, by now a heap of rubble, was finally stormed and captured.

Virtually all 1,500 defenders were slaughtered. The same grisly fate Salah al-Din (Saladin) had centuries earlier consigned to Islam's staunchest enemiesthe Knights Templars and Hospitallers at the disastrous Battle of Hattin (1187)was now meted out to their heirs. The Knights of Saint John "were hung upside down from iron rings . . . and had their heads split, their chests open, and their hearts torn out." Ottoman commander Mustafa ordered their mutilated corpses (along with one Maltese priest) nailed to wooden crosses and set adrift in the Grand Harbor in order to deride and demoralize the onlooking defenders.

It failed: the seventy-one-year-old Valette delivered a thundering and defiant speech before the huddled Christians, beheaded all Muslim prisoners, and fired their heads from cannon at the Turkish besiegers. The Ottomans proceeded to subject the rest of the island to, at the time, history's most sustained bombardment (some 130,000 cannonballs were fired in total). "I don't know if the image of hell can describe the appalling battle," wrote a contemporary: "the fire, the heat, the continuous flames from the flamethrowers and fire hoops; the thick smoke, the stench, the disemboweled and mutilated corpses, the clash of arms, the groans, shouts, and cries, the roar of the guns . . . men wounding, killing, scrabbling, throwing one another back, falling and firing." Although the rest of the forts were reduced to rubble, much Muslim blood was spilled for each inch gained; for "when they got within arms' reach the scimitar was no match for the long two-handed sword of the Christians." Desperate fighting spilled into the streets, where even Maltese women and children participated.

It was now late August and the island was still not taken; that, and mass casualties led to mass demoralization in the Ottoman camp. Embarrassed talk of lifting the siege had already begun when Sicily's viceroy Garcia de Toledo finally arrived with nearly ten thousand soldiers at St. Paul's Bay. There, where the apostle was once shipwrecked, the final scene of this Armageddon played out as the fresh newcomers routed the retreating Ottomans, who finally fled on September 11a day which, wittingly or unwittingly, would be avenged by the jihadi descendants of the Ottomans in 2001.

"So great was the stench in the bay," which was awash with countless bloated Muslim corpses, "that no man could go near it." As many as twenty thousand Ottomans and five thousand defenders died. After forty years of successful campaigning against Europe, Suleiman finally suffered his first major defeat. One year later he succumbed to death, aged seventy-one.

More importantly for Europe, a chink in the Ottoman armor was first perceived thanks to Malta's spirited resistance; it showed that a tiny but dedicated force could hold out against what till then was deemed the unstoppable Ottoman war machine.

Accordingly, when in 1570 Ottoman forces invaded the island of Cyprus, the pope easily managed to form a "Holy League" of maritime Catholic nation-states, spearheaded by the Spanish Empire, in 1571. To everyone's dismayChristian and Muslimthe Holy League prevailed at the battle of Lepanto. As Miguel Cervantes, who was at the naval clash, has the colorful Don Quixote say: "That day . . . was so happy for Christendom, because all the world learned how mistaken it had been in believing that the Turks were invincible by sea."

But that sentiment was first learned six years earlier, by the heroic defense of Maltawhen the tide of war between Islam and Europe first turned to the latter's favor.

The above account was excerpted from the author's book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West. Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center; a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum; and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 17, 2020 | 05:59 PM | GRAVES COUNTY

Graves County Schools is inviting parents of young children to take advantage of its Early Eagle Academy childcare program.Early Eagle Academy is designed for children ages 3-5. The Graves County School District offers it to help families, as their young children develop school-readiness skills in a playful environment.The programs primary goal is to provide early learners and their families with knowledge, resources and materials to aid in kindergarten readiness. Thats according to early education consultant/community liaison Courtney Hayden. She says a closely-related goal is to encourage the educational and professional development of families to broaden each childs base of support.The program operates on a year-round basis and provides full-day, full-week childcare Monday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Part-time childcare for current Graves County preschool students is available as a wrap-around program to assist working families. In addition,drop-in/emergency care services are offered, as space allows. Early Eagle Academy childcare sites are located at Farmington Elementary School and Graves County Middle School.To learn more, call Courtney Hayden at 270-328-1555 or log on to the districts website at the link below.

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Emmy-winning producer Olivia Wilde and her daughter Daisy took a break from the confinement of quarantine and donned CDC-recommended masks for a Los Angeles stroll on Monday.

The 36-year-old native New Yorker wore a coral puff-sleeved midi-dress with $50 Vans 'Checkerboard Slip-On' shoes while her three-year-old tiny dancer wore a pink ballerina leotard and tutu.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti extended the stay-at home order 'beyond May 15' due to the 38,011 confirmed COVID-19 cases in LA County, which has led to 1,821 deaths as of Monday.

Break from confinement: Emmy-winning producer Olivia Wilde and her daughter Daisy donned CDC-recommended masks for a Los Angeles stroll on Monday

Beneath the yellow floral mask, Olivia revealed via Instastory that she was wearing natural make-up from vegan cosmetic/skincare company, Iris&Romeo.

Wilde (born Cockburn) also Instastoried a slow-motion video of little Daisy jumping up and down with a ferocious facial expression captioned: 'Coming for your Monday like.'

Last Friday, The Morning Show actress Mindy Kaling recommended the Booksmart director use Maine playground builder CedarWorks to keep 'my maniacs from tearing my house apart' in quarantine.

Ballet classes in session? The 36-year-old native New Yorker wore a coral puff-sleeved midi-dress with $50 Vans 'Checkerboard Slip-On' shoes while her three-year-old tiny dancer wore a pink ballerina leotard and tutu

'It's come a long way baby!' Beneath the yellow floral mask, Olivia revealed via Instastory that she was wearing natural make-up from vegan cosmetic/skincare company, Iris&Romeo

'Coming for your Monday like': Wilde (born Cockburn) also Instastoried a slow-motion video of little Daisy jumping up and down with a ferocious facial expression

Olivia was, of course, referring to Daisy and her six-year-old son Otis from her eight-year romance with fiance Jason Sudeikis, who popped the question way back in January 2013.

Four years ago, the 44-year-old SNL alum joked on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live that he and Wilde 'won't get married until weed is legal in every state.'

Jason ended his first marriage to writer-producer Kay Cannon in 2010, and the Richard Jewell actress ended her first marriage to Italian filmmaker Tao Ruspoli in 2011.

'Thank you my savior!' Last Friday, The Morning Show actress Mindy Kaling recommended the Booksmart director use Maine playground builder CedarWorks to keep 'my maniacs from tearing my house apart' in quarantine

'Lost a tooth. Found a guitar': Olivia was, of course, referring to Daisy and her six-year-old son Otis (pictured April 20) from her eight-year romance with fiance Jason Sudeikis, who popped the question way back in January 2013

They've both been through divorces: Four years ago, the 44-year-old SNL alum joked on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live that he and Wilde 'won't get married until weed is legal in every state' (pictured February 17)

The couple will both make appearances on The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, a new star-studded comedy show celebrating bedtime routines, which premieres May 27 on HBO Max.

Olivia is also in pre-production on her fifties-set psychological thriller titled Don't Worry, Darling starring Dakota Johnson, Florence Pugh, Shia LaBeouf, and Chris Pine.

According to THR, New Line Cinemas 'hopes to begin filming Darling as soon as coronavirus lockdown restrictions lift and it's safe to do so.'

Premieres May 27 on HBO Max! The couple will both make appearances on The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, a new star-studded comedy show celebrating bedtime routines
ANTIOCH (BCN)

An argument between roommates turned deadly in Antioch on Monday morning when one of the roommates shot the other, police said.

Officers responded around 8:30 a.m. to a report of a shooting at a home in the 1900 block of Iron Peak Court and found a 43-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released, according to police.

The other roommate, also a 43-year-old man, is being interviewed by police as of late Monday morning, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Antioch police non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441 or Detective Smith at (925) 779-6876.

The fatal shooting was the second Monday morning in Antioch. The first was reported at 1:33 a.m. at the Twin Creeks apartment complex at 1111 James Donlon Blvd. and left a 36-year-old dead and a 23-year-old man injured.

No arrest has been made in the earlier case, according to police.

Copyright  2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
The coronavirus has hit China and US ties immensely. The hostility between the two governments have been mostly confined to what the public call a "word war".

On March 27, President Trump announced that he had just finished a phone conversation with China's President Xi mentioning that the countries are working together to solve the pandemic and that China has indeed developed a strong understanding of the virus.

However, as the virus gravely affects US citizens and its economy, with almost 1.5 million positive cases and around 89,000 deaths, the relationship between the two countries have definitely turned sour.

Pompeo remains wary of China

In a recent radio station interview, Pompeo reiterates that while the world is busy battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party are ramping up efforts to gain influence and control among different countries around the world and that President Trump has included in his re-election campaign to put a halt to this madness.

Most of this anger comes from the fact that the COVID-19 death toll in the US has already surpassed the number of slain US soldiers during the nine-year Vietnam War.

Just recently President Trump has admitted that he was displeased at how Beijing was handling the COVID-19 outbreak and that he did not wish to speak with President Xi at the moment. The president has been pressing China to start an investigation on the origins of the virus, but his calls have yet to be answered.

Pompeo supported the president's statements by saying that faulty decision making by the Chinese Communist Party has resulted in an even wider transmission of the virus when it could have been avoided from the beginning. During the early stages of COVID-19, China was still allowing their citizens to travel around the world and conducted lockdowns only on major cities.

If these unnecessary travels were controlled by China, the entire world would be in a more positive situation at the moment.

China is experiencing continuous pressure from countries across the world due to alleged mishandling of the global pandemic affecting millions all over the world. Just last month, a leading newspaper in Berlin has issued a 130 billion invoice to China over COVID-19 damages. Chinese ambassadors from several countries have been called upon by their respective host countries to answer allegations of spreading misinformation as well the scandalous treatment of African nationals in the province of Guangzhou.

Check these out:

Protect the Chinese people, not the Chinese Communist Party

Pompeo expressed in the interview that the U.S. government only want the best for the Chinese people living in the U.S., and Chinese people in general. However, the Chinese Communist regime is something else and that they are clearly acting in ways that hamper the interests of the American people residing in the US and abroad.

The communist party is acting in ways that could cause harm to the citizens of the United States of America and Pompeo said that the president is doing everything in his power to make sure that Americans are protected.
Prior to the pandemic, Uber had aimed to reach EBITDA profitability by the end of the year , but it has since acknowledged current conditions have set back that timeline. With limited travel, Uber has seen slowing ridership for its core service, though Khosrowshahi told analysts earlier this month that ride volume was beginning to recover after an initial decline.

Uber's board of directors will forgo 100% of their cash retainers for the rest of the year, according to the filing. The company said the measures are expected to save at least $1 billion annually and that its key business functions wouldn't be impaired by the cuts.

The company said its last round of cuts would result in a charge of about $35 million to $40 million.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Uber estimated it would take a charge of $175 million to $220 million related to the cuts mostly in the second quarter of 2020, including approximately $110 million to $140 million connected to severance and termination benefits besides stock-based compensation. Site closures are also included in those expenses, which Uber expects to range from $65 million to $80 million, including about $25 million to $30 million in write-offs of leasehold improvements.

Khosrowshahi told employees in the email that Uber has "worked to provide strong severance benefits and other support for those leaving Uber, like healthcare coverage and an alumni talent directory." It is also taking special considerations to support people on U.S. visas or parental leaves, he said.

Uber's last round of cuts, on May 6, affected 3,700 employees , which was 14% of Uber's workforce at the time. This new round of cuts would leave Uber with about 20,000 employees, based on its latest available head-count figures.

"Our balance sheet is strong, Eats is doing great, Rides looks a little better, maybe we can wait this damn virus out...I wanted there to be a different answer," Khosrowshahi told employees in the email. "Let me talk to a few more CEOs...maybe one of them will tell me some good news, but there simply was no good news to hear. Ultimately, I realized that hoping the world would return to normal within any predictable timeframe, so we could pick up where we left off on our path to profitability, was not a viable option."

Uber shares were up as much as 9% on the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal . The stock ended the day up 3.5%.

In an email to employees Monday, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber would also be shutting or consolidating 45 offices around the world and it is considering cuts to other businesses, such as freight.

Gross bookings for Uber's food delivery service Eats were up 50% year over year as more people order in during stay-at-home mandates. Uber recently made a bid to buy food delivery rival GrubHub, though it's still unclear if that deal will come together. If Uber were to successfully acquire GrubHub, it would join the two largest food-delivery app services under one company. But even though Uber Eats has seen strong growth, it's still losing money.

Khosrowshahi refrained from making promises for the future in his memo, citing the ever-changing nature of the crisis.

"Having learned my own personal lesson about the unpredictability of the world from the punch-in-the-gut called COVID-19, I will not make any claims with absolute certainty regarding our future," Khosrowshahi wrote. "I will tell you, however, that we are making really, really hard choices now, so that we can say our goodbyes, have as much clarity as we can, move forward, and start to build again with confidence."

Here's the full message from Uber's CEO:

Team Uber:

These have been unprecedented and challenging times for everyoneour societies, our governments, our families, our economies, all around the world. They've also been challenging for Uber, and many of you, as you've waited for us to define the road ahead. I've said clearly that we had to take tough action to resize our company to the new reality of our business, and that I would come back to you this week with the specifics.

Today I have the specifics: we have made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce our workforce by around 3,000 people, and to reduce investments in several non-core projects. As a leadership team we had to take the time to make the right decisions, to ensure that we are treating our people well, and to make certain that we could walk you through our decision making in the sort of detailed and transparent manner you deserve.

Where we started and hard choices

We began 2020 on an accelerated path to total company profitability. Then the coronavirus hit us with a once-in-a-generation public health and economic crisis. People are rightfully staying home, and our Rides business, our main profit generator, is down around 80%. We're seeing some signs of a recovery, but it comes off of a deep hole, with limited visibility as to its speed and shape.

You've heard me say it before: hope is not a strategy. While that's easy to say, the truth is that this is a decision I struggled with. Our balance sheet is strong, Eats is doing great, Rides looks a little better, maybe we can wait this damn virus out...I wanted there to be a different answer. Let me talk to a few more CEOs...maybe one of them will tell me some good news, but there simply was no good news to hear. Ultimately, I realized that hoping the world would return to normal within any predictable timeframe, so we could pick up where we left off on our path to profitability, was not a viable option.

I knew that I had to make a hard decision, not because we are a public company, or to protect our stock price, or to please our Board or investors. I had to make this decision because our very future as an essential service for the cities of the worldour being there for millions of people and businesses who rely on usdemands it. We must establish ourselves as a self-sustaining enterprise that no longer relies on new capital or investors to keep growing, expanding, and innovating.

We have to take these hard actions to stand strong on our own two feet, to secure our future, and to continue on our mission.

I know that none of this will make it any easier for our friends and colleagues affected by the actions we are taking today. To those of you personally impacted, I am truly sorry. I know this will cause pain for you and your families, especially now. Many of you will be affected not because of the quality of your work, but because of strategic decisions we made to discontinue certain areas of activity, or projects that are no longer necessary, or simply because of the stark reality we face. You have been a huge part of this company and every day forward we will build on the foundations that you established, brick by brick.

Our decisions and the road forward

We have decided to re-focus our efforts on our core. If there is one silver lining regarding this crisis, it's that Eats has become an even more important resource for people at home and for restaurants; and delivery, whether of groceries or other local goods, is not only an increasing part of everyday life, it is here to stay. We no longer need to look far for the next enormous growth opportunity: we are sitting right on top of one. I will caution that while Eats growth is accelerating, the business today doesn't come close to covering our expenses. I have every belief that the moves we are making will get Eats to profitability, just as we did with Rides, but it's not going to happen overnight.

So we need to fundamentally change the way we operate. We need to make some really hard decisions about what we will and won't do going forward, based on a few principles:

We are organizing around our core: helping people move, and delivering things.

We are building a cost-efficient structure that avoids layers and duplication and can scale, at speed.

We are being intentional with our location strategy focused on key markets/hubs.

Mac will now lead a unified Mobility team, which will include Rides and, as of today, Transit. Mac will continue to manage our cross-cutting functions like Safety & Insurance, CommOps, U4B, and Business Development, the latter of which will be centralized across Rides, Eats, and Freight under Jen. Pierre will lead what we will call "Delivery" internally, encompassing Eats, Grocery and Direct.

Given the necessary cost cuts and the increased focus on core, we have decided to wind down the Incubator and AI Labs and pursue strategic alternatives for Uber Works. Due to these decisions, Zhenya has decided it makes sense to move on from Uber. Zhenya is customer-centric to her core, and I am deeply grateful for all of her hard work.

We are also looking at our geographic footprint. While it served us well for many years to cast a wide physical net, it's time to be more intentional about where we have employees on the ground. We are closing or consolidating around 45 office locations globally, including winding down Pier 70 in San Francisco and moving some of those colleagues to our new HQ in SF. And over the next 12 months we will begin the process of winding down our Singapore office and moving to a new APAC hub in a market where we operate our services.

Having learned my own personal lesson about the unpredictability of the world from the punch-in-the-gut called COVID-19, I will not make any claims with absolute certainty regarding our future. I will tell you, however, that we are making really, really hard choices now, so that we can say our goodbyes, have as much clarity as we can, move forward, and start to build again with confidence.

How we are helping departing employees

As we previewed last week, we have taken a lot of feedback and worked to provide strong severance benefits and other support for those leaving Uber, like healthcare coverage and an alumni talent directory. We're also taking care to support people in special situations a bit differently, like those on US visas or parental leaves. While the details will differ slightly by country, you can see a summary here [link removed]. Every departing employee will have a 1:1 to receive the details of their individual package.

If you are one of the many affected Uber teammates, I'll acknowledge right here that any package we offer, regardless of how thoughtful or generous, will never replace the opportunity to belong, to make a difference, to establish the kinds of bonds you establish with any important company or cause. We wouldn't be here without you. We will finish what you started, and we will be excited to see the great things that you will build next.

I am incredibly thankful to *everyone* reading this email, because the resilience and grit you've shown has made Uber the company it is and will continue to be. I've never had a harder day professionally than today, but Uber has consistently surprised me with the challenges it has thrown my way. But it's the toughest challenges that are worthwhile, and I know even more strongly in my heart than I ever have that Uber is worth it, and more.

Dara

WATCH: Delivery workers are risking their lives to bring people groceries during coronavirus  here's what it's like for them
Stamford Police Department / Contributed photo

STAMFORD  A Philadelphia man suspected of robbing a city resident last summer following a sexual encounter arranged over social media has been extradited to Stamford, police said.

Lt. Tom Scanlon said investigators were able to discover the identity of the man, who was a stranger to the victim, by tracking his digital footprint. After the discovery of the identity was made and a booking photo obtained through an unrelated arrest, the victim was able to confirm that the police had the right suspect, police said.
South Africas slow adoption of IPv6 will be bad news for the growth of Internet-based services locally.

This is according to South Africas Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), which has warned that South Africa is projected to run out of IPv4 addresses in the near future.

In October 2019, ISPA warned that South Africa was lagging many other countries in terms of IPv6 adoption.

IPv6 compliance needs to come out of the basement and into the light so that it can be made South Africas Internet issue of the day until it is resolved, ISPA said at the time.

IPv4 addresses have already run out in every global region except Africa, and service providers that dont support IPv6 are potentially threatening the countrys participation in the fourth industrial revolution, the organisation warned.

The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) announced that it had entered phase two of IPv4 exhaustion in January 2020, and had just under 2.1 million IPv4 addresses remaining.

While this may seem like a significant number, ISPA co-chair Guy Halse told MyBroadband it is not a lot at all, within the context of South Africa.

That is not a tremendous amount in the context of more than three devices per person in a country of 58 million on a continent of 1.2 billion, Halse said.

As of 11 May that had reduced to 2,035,456  which is slower than the trend that predicted addresses would run out in March.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic may have had an impact on the decline of these figures.

Significant costs

The net impact of exhaustion is that it will make it incredibly difficult for new players to enter the market, since theyll have to purchase addresses on the secondary market at a huge premium, Halse said.

It is also already leading to an increase in resource theft and squatting on address space, he said.

This comes at a significant cost to existing ISPs, who have to implement new and technically-complex precautions such as RPKI to secure their address resources.

Halse added that companies should begin to inspect their legacy IPv4 address space as addresses begin to run out.

The resource theft problem also affects large corporates who hold their own legacy address space.

ISPA encourages companies that hold their own IPv4 address space to ensure AFRINICs records of their allocation are up to date and to work with their ISP to ensure that this address space is correctly announced, even if it is not currently in use, Halse said.

South Africa far behind

South Africa is not only lagging global trends in IPv6 adoption, it is also losing out to other African countries.

Halse noted that while other African countries have seen relatively significant increases in IPv6 adoption over the past year, South Africa has remained mostly stagnant.

Googles data shows that global IPv6 adoption now stands at just under 30%, although South Africa has barely begun to adopt the new address type.

South Africas current IPv6 adoption is 0.19%, far behind the likes of Gabon (20.49%), Kenya (7.95%), and Congo (6.49%).

The map below shows IPv6 adoption around the world, with green areas denoting greater adoption.

Now read: Vodacom partners with Google for Internet balloons
A week after Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman announced she would resign because of health concerns, Commissioners Court on Tuesday debated whether to appoint an independent administrator to run county elections.

The move would put a single office in charge of running elections and managing the voter roll, both gargantuan tasks in the states largest county, which has 4.7 million residents. Voter registration is currently the responsibility of the tax assessor-collector, owing to the offices historic role collecting poll taxes. The county clerks office administers elections.

The county attorneys office last week prepared a four-page memorandum detailing how to switch to an elections administrator. Of the 10 most populous counties in Texas, only Harris and Travis have yet to adopt the elections administrator model.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who proposed the idea, said that a partisan elections administration can unfairly inject politics into what is supposed to be an apolitical process.

In more extreme cases, the politicization of decisions may paralyze the entire process, Ellis, a Democrat, said in a statement.

The nonpartisan model is successful because a centralized elections department can more efficiently update voting infrastructure, like machines and poll books, based on changes to the roll, said Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Yvonne Ramon.

I dont care how perfect our elections are running, how the machines and everyone is trained  if my voter registration database is not up to date  then were not as good as we should be, said Ramon, who is also president of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators.

The position of elections administrator is created by Commissioners Court. The body debated the idea Tuesday but took no action.

A majority of the county election commission, comprised of the county judge, county clerk, tax assessor-collector and the chairs of the county Republican and Democratic parties, is needed to appoint an individual to the administrator job.

None of those officials has outright endorsed the idea of creating an elections administration office. Trautman, whose last day as county clerk is May 31, said she was unaware of the proposal and had no comment. Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett said she had yet to review the idea.

Harris County Republican Party Chairman Paul Simpson panned the idea, since an appointed elections administrator would not be directly accountable to voters.

A move such as this would undermine the vital role of empowering Harris County citizens to have greater participation in government, as Judge Lina Hidalgo promised when she began her administration, Simpson said.

His Democratic counterpart, Lillie Schechter, encouraged Commissioners Court to explore how an an election administration office may be feasible.

Hidalgo and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, both Democrats, said they looked forward to evaluating the idea. Precinct 4 Republican Jack Cagle echoed Simpson, saying he was reluctant to take roles away from two elected officials, the county clerk and tax assessor-collector.

I like having voter accountability for what they do, said Cagle, who added a new elections office may prove to be too costly.

It is not the first time the idea has come up.

A proposal by former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett to appoint an elections administrator in 2010 failed following pushback, including from fellow Republicans.

Commissioners Court also Tuesday appointed Houston attorney Christopher Hollins to serve as interim county clerk until a new clerk can be elected in November.

Harris Countys sheer size  almost 1,800 square miles  and third-in-the-nation population long has made running elections challenging.

Trautman launched countywide voting, though both major elections she oversaw were marred by problems. Her office needed nearly 12 hours to report full results from the November municipal elections, a delay she blamed on unclear guidance from the secretary of state that forced a change in how votes were counted.

Some Democratic voters waited hours in line to cast ballots in the March primaries. Trautman signed off on a plan to place most voting machines in Republican commissioner precincts, despite accurate projections of far heavier Democratic turnout. Hidalgo and Ellis were particularly upset with Trautman over the incident because the county clerk never informed them of the change.

Voter registration has also tripped up the tax assessor-collector. Bennett mistakenly placed more than 1,700 voters on the offices suspension list in 2018 after a Republican Party official challenged some registrations.

Later that year, her office failed to incorporate changes to the city of Baytowns boundaries into its maps, resulting in about 300 voters receiving incorrect ballots for municipal elections.

zach.despart@chron.com
Despite the interstate travel ban imposed across Nigeria, the Amotekun Corps in Osun, on Sunday, caught at least 14 youth who sneaked into the state from the northern part of Nigeria.

They were caught at Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that although those caught hid themselves in a trailer, they were intercepted at checkpoints manned by Amotekun in Ikire.

Sources in the Amotekun team told our correspondent that many of those caught were seen sweating following the heat from loads packed on them in the trailer.

Confirming the incident to journalists, the Director- General of the Amotekun Corps, Amitolu Shittu, disclosed that his team led the youth back to the Osun-Oyo boundary.

They were subsequently asked to return to their originating state, he said as he commended his men for being proactive. Mr Shittu did not disclose the originating state.

Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the silence on the originating states cannot be disconnected from the controversy that followed the arrest of 11 Zamfara indigenes that sneaked into the Osun State on April 30.

The Zamfara government in retaliation said the action of the Osun government then was unlawful.

Osun is not the only state sending back travelling Nigerians, mainly from the northern part of Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES last week reported how about 70 northern youth were apprehended in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, last week.

They were caught by operatives of the Nigeria Civil Defense Corps (NCDC).

President Muhammadu Buhari imposed the interstate travel ban to check the spread of coronavirus in the country. Despite the ban, however, there have been several cases of violations.

Nigeria, on Sunday, recorded 338 new cases of COVID-19 as the total number of cases inched closer to 6,000. Six people were also confirmed dead from the virus on Thursday.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), with Sundays figure, the total tally of infected people in the country rose to 5,959, from 5,621 reported on Saturday evening.

There was an increase in the number of infections reported on Sunday as compared to figures reported daily in the past week when the highest daily figure was 288.

Also, cases in Kano, Oyo, Borno, Gombe and Katsina have been on a gradual increase in the last few days.

The public health agency in a tweet Sunday night said the new cases were reported in 18 states. These are Lagos, Kano, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Katsina, Jigawa. Kaduna, Abia, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ondo, Kebbi, and Sokoto states.

All the reporting states already had at least a case of the virus.
By Cui Yunsheng and Lan Shunzheng

Foreign media report that the USS Ronald Reagan recently began carrier landing training in waters off Iwo Jima that is expected to last till June 10 to get ready for the formal deployments later, indicating that Americas aircraft carriers that were stranded because of the COVID-19 pandemic are partially resuming their activities.

The US military announced that 6 of the 11 berthed aircraft carriers had sailed back to the sea, but some were only operating in littoral waters without resuming substantial military operations.

In a way, the US militarys high-profile announcement that over half of its carriers are back to the sea is to enhance its presence at this critical moment, eager to demonstrate its show of force in the Pacific Ocean.

Not being immune to the COVID-19 outbreak ravaging all over the world, the US military seems to think that the news about its carriers back to the sea at such a special time can restore its image.

Previously at least four of its aircraft carriers have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases, namely the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Nimitz, and USS Carl Vinson. In other words, all the carriers scheduled to be deployed in the Pacific Ocean in the first half of this year have reported confirmations.

The thorny thing is that its difficult to implement effective quarantine on the carriers due to the high crowd density, which makes virus transmission much easier and quicker, not to mention that there is a high probability of a relapse on board now that the carriers are dispatched out again.

The US military is also eager to invigorate the morale by getting the aircraft carriers on the move. Previously captain Brett Crozier of USS Theodore Roosevelt sent a letter to the navy leadership asking them to let confirmed sailors land and put them on quarantine as soon as possible.

He was deposed by Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after the letter went out in public, soon followed by Modlys resignation amid a whirlwind of public opinions.

While captain Crozier was punished for protecting his sailors, Modlys resignation was out of public opinion pressure, a string of events that undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow over the US navy.

Such negative news has inevitably put Americas allies, especially those in the Asia Pacific, on pins and needles. Washington knows perfectly well that its time to take some actions to win back the allies confidence in its military strength.

In addition to releasing the news about its reactivated carriers, the US military also staged last month an elephant walk of multiple B-52H strategic bombers at the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the important strategic pivot of its West Pacific combat system and a hub connecting the homeland and East Asia.

By demonstrating its strengths there, the US intended to tell the world that it is still capable of deterring the potential regional rivals and co-opting its allies while invigorating the morale thats been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.

But its uncertain to what extent the news about its aircraft carriers maneuvers and the elephant walk of strategic bombers are going to recover the US militarys image.

The cloud of the outbreak is still shrouding, and the health and security of American service members is the biggest test to its combat capabilities.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquaters in Geneva on March 11, 2020.

The World Health Organization said Monday it will initiate an independent review into its handling of the coronavirus pandemic "at the earliest appropriate moment" and urged countries to continue funding the agency.

Speaking at the World Health Assembly, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on all nations to "do everything it takes to ensure that the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is never repeated."

"The world doesn't need another plan, another system, another mechanism, another committee or another organization," he said. "It needs to strengthen, implement and finance the systems and organizations it has  including WHO."

More than 4.7 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University, including more than 315,000 deaths.

Tedros added that the world could no longer afford the "short-term amnesia" that had characterized the global response to health crises in the past, calling for a comprehensive framework to be established to facilitate pandemic preparedness around the globe.

"The world does not lack the tools, the science, or the resources to make it safer from pandemics," he told the conference. "What is has lacked is the sustained commitment to use the tools, the science and the resources it has. That must change, and it must change today."

Acknowledging that everyone had lessons to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic, Tedros said the WHO was committed to transparency and would therefore facilitate an independent review of its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

"I will initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned, and to make recommendations to improve national and global pandemic preparedness and response," he said.

World leaders are gathering virtually on Monday for the WHO's 73rd World Health Assembly.

Earlier at the conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $2 billion to support other countries' response to the pandemic. Xi also expressed support for a comprehensive review into the global response to Covid-19.

An EU-drafted resolution that called for an independent review into the WHO's performance amid the coronavirus crisis was backed by a majority of the health body's 194 member states on Monday.

The Trump administration has been particularly critical of the WHO's response, with President Donald Trump pulling U.S. funding from the organization in April. However, Trump said Saturday he was considering restoring some funding to the WHO.
The trick for Powell will be to make his case delicately, not overstepping his role as an unelected central banker and not appearing to take sides in the partisan battle over how much more Washington should do. Overplaying his hand could hurt the credibility of the Fed. Failing to argue persuasively may contribute to insufficient additional support and even deeper economic harm.
Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has disclosed that the government is expecting to commission more projects this year.



He says these projects when commissioned will provide more jobs for most Ghanaian unemployed youth.



The Subin Member of Parliament (MP) who disclosed this in an interview on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme explained that the NPP government work hard to fulfill its promises.



"We promised the people of Ghana and we are delivering. They did not vote for us to come and engage in unnecessary venture and always engaging the opposition, they voted us to improve the living standards of the ordinary," he said.



He added that one of such projects which the NPP Government is committed to seeing to its completion is the forty-four (44) year old Maternity and Childrens Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.



The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 15th May, 2020, cut the sod for the reactivation of work for the construction of the forty-four (44) year old Maternity and Childrens Block of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.



The project, which is being funded by German Bank, Deutsche Bank, will cost 155 million and is expected to be completed within 36 months, with the construction being undertaken by Contracta.



Once completed, President Akufo-Addo stated that the Maternity and Childrens Block will be a state-of-the-art, modern health edifice, with paediatrics, gynaecology, and obstetrics units.



It will serve as a referral center for twelve (12) of the sixteen (16) regions of our country. It will be a seven hundred and fifty (750)-bed building, with outpatient areas for adults and children, and it will have ten (10) operating theatres and diagnostic rooms, fully equipped with X-Ray, ultrasound, and mammography facilities, he said.



He was made to understand, at the time, that this project had begun in 1976, as part of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Expansion Project, but came to a standstill in 1979. It was reactivated in 1999, under the administration of the 1st President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, but again stalled shortly afterward.



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Huawei Technologies Co. warned the latest U.S. curbs on its business will inflict a terrible price on the global technology industry, inflaming tensions between Washington and Beijing while harming American interests.

Chinas largest technology company said it will be significantly affected by a Commerce Department decree barring any chipmaker using American equipment from supplying Huawei without U.S. government approval. That means companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its rivals will have to cut off the Chinese company unless they get waivers  effectively severing Huaweis access to cutting-edge silicon it needs for smartphones and networking gear.

Washingtons decision drew condemnation from Beijing, which regards Huawei as a national champion because of its success in dominating global networking technology. China and Huawei have threatened retaliation but Rotating Chairman Guo Ping on Monday refrained from commenting on a possible Beijing response  a departure from just two months ago when the company warned Washington risked opening a pandoras box and Chinese countermeasures if it chose to go ahead with additional restrictions.

Our business will significantly be impacted, Guo said at a company briefing with analysts in Shenzhen. Given the changes in the industry over the past year, it dawned on us more clearly that fragmented standards and supply chains benefit no one. If further fragmentation were to take place, the whole industry would pay a terrible price, he added.

Huawei is still assessing the potential fallout of the latest restrictions and couldnt predict the impact on revenue for now, Guo said. On Monday, a swathe of Huaweis suppliers from TSMC to AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. plunged in Asian trading.

Guo was far less vocal than colleague Richard Yu, who runs the consumer division responsible for smartphones. The outspoken executive said the restrictions that ostensibly aim to allay U.S. cybersecurity concerns are really designed to safeguard American dominance of global tech.

The so-called cybersecurity reasons are merely an excuse, Yu, head of the Chinese tech giants consumer electronics unit, wrote in a post to his account on messaging app WeChat earlier on Monday. The key is the threat to the technology hegemony of the U.S. posed by Huawei, he added.

Yu also posted a link to a Chinese article circulating on social media with part of its headline asking: Why Does America Want to Kill Huawei?

The U.S. is leveraging its own technological strengths to crush companies outside its own borders, spokesman Joe Kelly told analysts, reading from a prepared statement. This will only serve to undermine the trust international companies place in U.S. technology and supply chains, Kelly said. Ultimately, this will harm U.S. interests.

Now read: Huawei moving forward despite US restrictions
Judge rejects churches challenge to Ill. worship restrictions, calls exemption request selfish

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A judge has ruled in favor of an Illinois order that prohibits in-person religious gatherings of more than 10 people, rejecting the request of two churches for an exemption.

Earlier this month, Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church of Chicago and Logos Baptist Ministries of Niles filed a lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order against the enforcement of the state order.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman issued an opinion Wednesday rejecting the request, arguing that the churches request for an injunction and blatant refusal to follow the mandates of the Order are both ill-founded and selfish.

An injunction would risk the lives of plaintiffs congregants, as well as the lives of their family members, friends, co-workers and other members of their communities with whom they come in contact, wrote Gettleman.

Their interest in communal services cannot and does not outweigh the health and safety of the public.

Gettleman also rejected the argument that in-person worship services pose no greater risk when it comes to spreading the coronavirus than secular venues such as grocery stores.

Gatherings at places of worship pose higher risks of infection than gatherings at businesses, he asserted. The congregants do not just stop by Elim Church. They congregate to sing, pray, and worship together. That takes more time than shopping for liquor or groceries.

All public and private schools serving pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students have been closed under other Executive Orders. And under this Order, theaters and concert halls, which clearly resemble the layout of plaintiffs churches, are completely banned from hosting any gatherings.

Pastor Cristian Ionescu of Elim Romanian said he intends to continue to fight the order, posting a statement online Thursday in which he said his church plans to continue holding services.

We will have services this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and I invite you to come and see how we take temperatures, how we maintain 6 foot bubble and all other precautions, Ionescu said.

You say that your drastic measures are meant to save lives! We dont want anybody to die either! But if you wait until every place is to be 100% safe, theres no such place; your recovery scheme will last forever!

Earlier this month, a judge ruled against The Beloved Church of Lena, another Illinois church that has held in-person worship despite state restrictions that was suing the state over the restrictions.

U.S. District Court Judge John Lee argued in his decision that the foundational rights secured by the First Amendment are not without limits and that an April 30 order by Gov. Jay Pritzker did allow for in-person worship under certain circumstances.

The Court is mindful that the religious activities permitted by the April 30 Order are imperfect substitutes for an in-person service where all eighty members of Beloved Church can stand together, side-by-side, to sing, pray, and engage in communal fellowship, wrote Lee.

Still, given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the Order preserves relatively robust avenues for praise, prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster.
I think there will be a range of advisers who qualify with a 50% drop in revenue. Whether that falls within the period of time they can apply will depend on their business, Shanks told Good Returns, adding that adviser sector would most likely experience a decline in revenue later than other sectors because of its structure.

Read more: COVID-19: Reserve Bank predicts 150,000 job losses

Meanwhile, the government increased the Financial Markets Authority (FMA)s annual operational funding appropriation by $1.304 million and litigation fund by $3 million, and the Crown will provide 21% of FMA funding from 2020 to 2021.

A spokesperson for the FMA said they welcome the additional funding as the pandemic continues to increase market stress and conduct risks.

The need for an appropriately resourced conduct regulator at this time is clear. The increase will enable the FMA to continue its work and prepare for the new financial advice regime. No funding was previously allocated to enable the FMA to prepare for the new financial advice regime, said the FMA spokesperson, as reported by Good Returns.
Hyundai Heavy Industries released a photo of the future BRP Jose Rizal-class (FF-150), which is planned for delivery next week. The frigate would undergo technical and acceptance inspections once it arrives in Subic Bay.

Hyundai Heavy Industries released a photo of the future BRP Jose Rizal-class (FF-150), which is planned for delivery next week. The frigate would undergo technical and acceptance inspections once it arrives in Subic Bay.

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BRP Jose Rizal FF-150 multi-role frigate of the Philippine Navy (Picture source: Philippine Navy)

Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo announced on May 15, 2020, that the first of the Jose Rizal-Class frigates built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will be leaving the shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea on May 18 2020, and will arrive in Subic Bay in the Philippines by May 23 2020.

The announcement mentioned that the vessel, BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), would sail with 60 Philippine Navy crewmen, and 40 Korean personnel. The frigate would undergo technical and acceptance inspections once it arrives in Subic Bay.

For the record, the contract for the construction of two light frigates was signed between the Philippines and HHI in October 2016. The contract was signed following the victory of HHI in an international tender. The tender purchase value of the two ships was determined to be 15.744571584 billion Philippine pesos (about $ 311 million). This price point is for the ship only (weapons systems not included).

BRP Jose Rizal FF-150 multi-role frigate of the Philippine Navy (Picture source: Philippine Navy)

About the Jose Rizal Class Frigate:

These frigates are built based on the Incheon/FFX-I/HDF-3000-type multi-purpose frigate of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), which offers increased operational performance and enhanced survivability.

The armament of the BRP Jose Rizal includes one Oto Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun, one ASELSAN SMASH 30mm Secondary Gun, 4 S&T Motiv 12.7mm K6 Heavy Machine Guns and 1 Close-in weapon system (FFBNW). The frigate is also armed with two Twin MBDA Simbad RC with Mistral missiles, one single 8-cell Vertical Launching System (FFBNW) and two Twin LIGNex1 SSM-700K C-Star Anti Ship Missile. It also has two SEA Triple Trainable Torpedo Launchers.

The Philippine frigates have a standard displacement of about 2,600 tons and a length of 107 meters. The diesel main power plant under the CODAD scheme should provide full speed of 25 knots, a cruising range of 4500 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- A resident at the medical school in Kalamazoo has reimagined a popular Toby Keith song in the age of coronavirus, writing new lyrics that honor his fellow healthcare workers.

Dr. Jeffrey Laman, a resident at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, penned the lyrics and performed a music video of his rewritten American Doctor to honor the medical professionals saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a rewritten version of Toby Keiths American Soldier, a 2003 song honoring the sacrifices of members of the U.S. military.

Laman was inspired to honor his fellow healthcare workers after seeing heartbreaking images from the state of Washington, Detroit and New York City where doctors, nurses and other workers have stood bravely on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus.

My heart went out to them, and I was thinking about how hard that must be, said Laman, who is in the final month of his family medicine residency training at WMed. I was thinking that I wished there was a way to let those doctors in those hard-hit areas know that what theyre doing is being supported, that were behind them and what theyre doing is meaningful.

Driving home from work in May, Laman heard American Soldier on the radio and was inspired to rewrite Keiths song as an ode to healthcare workers.

It was very easy and it just seemed to flow and its about exactly what we do every day, he said. People are working like crazy and people are dying in front of them. I thought to myself, People need to hear this.

With the support of his wife, family and friends, Laman worked with the medical schools office of communications to bring the song to life.

Laman hopes that the words he wrote will help his fellow physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers feel supported and a little less alone.

I hope they feel a sense of pride in knowing that theyve taken a stand and done a lot and sacrificed a lot for the betterment and the lives of their patients, Laman said. I also hope that the song reminds them that they are not alone, that we are in this together and that we each have people working alongside us in this fight."

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By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

After weeks of voluntary national lockdown, some states are easing their social distancing requirements.

The new magical thinking for U.S. management of this pandemic: contact tracing.

Michael Bloomberg has made a significant investment in this strategy. According to Wired:

As with testing and acquiring personal protective equipment, the federal government has left the challenge of recruiting and training an army of new contact tracers up to state and local public health departments. Absent a national plan, epidemiologists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health stepped in to create a crash course that they hope will help public health departments rapidly expand their workforce. Their first remote students will be the thousands of people whove already applied to be contact tracers in New York state, the American epicenter of Covid-19. To be honest, weve never done contact tracing at this scale in our living memory, says Emily S. Gurley, an infectious disease epidemiologist who is leading the program. So a lot of this is brand new. In late April, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to hire as many as 17,000 tracers for the state. Bloombergs philanthropic organization donated $10.5 million to the effort. Some of that money went to funding the creation of the Johns Hopkins course, whichin addition to further trainingwill be a requirement for anyone hoping to be hired into the New York tracing corps. Cuomo told The Washington Post this week that the online course is a key component of our program that will provide tracers with the tools to effectively trace Covid-19 cases at the scale we need to fight this pandemic.

Incredibly, U.S. states are only now rolling out contact tracing programs, many months after places that have successfully managed the pandemic: Hong Kong (4 deaths, 1056 cases), South Korea (11,065 cases, 263 deaths), Taiwan (440 cases, 7 deaths), Thailand (3031 cases, 56 deaths), Vietnam (320 cases, 0 deaths)  have run test, trace, and isolate programs.

I have written three previous posts (see here, here, and here) on what has made Hong Kongs approach so successful. For each of these, Ive been able to draw on the wisdom of my old Oxford friend, Dr. Sarah Borwein, a Canadian who has practiced medicine in Hong Kong for fifteen years, and before that, in Beijing. Densely-populated Hong Kong has 7.5 million residents, and so far, has recorded four deaths, and just over 1000 cases, despite a slow and bungled initial response by chief executive Carrie Lam and by eschewing misplaced reliance on any techno-fix apps that carry significant risks to civil liberties (see here, where I discuss these points in detail; and this FT article discussing the limitations of contact tracing apps, Coronavirus contact tracing apps struggle to make an impact). And I turned to Sarah again to discuss some necessary conditions for successful contact tracing.

Flaws in U.S. Contact Tracing

Despite Cuomo and other US leaders waking up to the merits of a contact tracing strategy, there are at least three flaws inherent this late Damascene conversion.

First, the United States has simply left it too late to join the contact tracing party. Its botched testing strategy means COVID-19 had spread widely, throughout many communities, and public health authorities are blind as to what they were dealing with. According to the FT

Restrictions on testing narrow the options. Once you get to one per cent prevalence in any community, it is too late for non-pharmaceutical interventions to work, says Tom Bossert, who led the since-disbanded White House pandemic office before he was ejected in 2018 by John Bolton, Trumps then national security adviser.**

Second, there is too wide a gap between when the contact is identified, and then informed of the possible exposure. During that gap, the victim may be asymptomatic, and spreading the virus. According to Technology Review, in an article with a headline that minces no words Why contact tracing may be a mess in America:

A study published on May 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine, tracking the first 100 cases in Taiwan, found that people are most infectious before and within five days of the onset of symptoms. That adds to a growing body of evidence that people with minimal or no warning signs like fevers and coughs are a major vector of the disease. That underscores the critical importance of contact tracing. The very goal is to identify people who dont know theyre infected and encourage them to quarantine themselves before they unwittingly infect others. But its hard to identify and trace all the cases out there if people arent sick enough to know they should get tested, and it means contact tracers need to move incredibly fast to get to people before theyre already spreading the virus. I say you need to find people and isolate them within four days of exposure, if youre going to make a dent, says George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and principal investigator on Californias contact tracing program. Its probably even three.

And I find my third point to be incredible. The U.S. contact tracing programs trace, but once identified, they do not automatically test the contact to determine whether s/he has contracted the disease. S/he is told about the contact with a known COVID-19 victim, but then its left up to person to decide whether or not to submit to a test. And as to getting tested, tests remain in short supply in many areas. Compare this to Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan, which provide access to immediate results, including drive-through testing systems.

Over to Technology Review:

Successful contact tracing efforts also require people to accept calls and heed advice from complete strangers. Unfortunately, years of robocalls and telemarketing have conditioned many Americans to ignore calls from numbers they dont recognize. Jana De Brauwere, a program manager with the San Francisco Public Library who is working with the citys contact tracing task force, says that at least half the people she calls simply dont answer. Others hang up once she starts asking for personal information, like addresses and dates of birth. Even if contacts do take the call and stay on the line, theres the separate question of whether theyll follow the advice to get tested or voluntarily place themselves in quarantine. [Jerri-Lynn here: my emphasis]

To expand on that point, lets turn to Wired:

Once they have this list, tracers try to call every person or business on it, explaining that they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid-19. Theyll encourage those contacts to self-quarantine for 14 days to prevent any further spread. For the next 14 days, those tracers will stay in touchvia text, email or the phoneto see if anyone is developing symptoms and help them through any difficulties theyre having with staying isolated. Some localities are using apps to help people in isolation automate some of their symptom reporting, and others use virtual check-ins with the tracer. But phone calls and texts arent always enough. Officials from multiple public health agencies told me they hope to be able to send people out into the real world to track down hard-to-locate individuals once their agencies have acquired the appropriate masks and other protective gear to ensure the tracers can do it safely.

Yes, I realize the tests are not perfect. But they are the best tool we have. So, what should happen is that contacts are traced, quickly, and then tested immediately, and given quick results. Other countries can manage this task, some with far more meager resources than the United States currently spends on health care. So. why cant we?

Once identified, those that are positive must be quarantined, or strictly isolated. And that leads us to a larger problem.

Consequences of Testing

An even bigger flaw in these programs is that they fail to make anyone  either prospective patient, or the government/health authority  face up to the consequences of testing. Ive discussed this with Sarah, and we both agree in managing a pandemic of this type, with a highly contagious virus, there will be civil liberties implications. (Note these are different from the civil liberties implications of hoovering up data via an untested app, with no limits imposed on the use of that data, and thats not as useful to pandemic control as what Sarah describes as old shoe-leather epidemiology and which we discussed further here.)

Now, no one wants to be quarantined. Some people will not comply without being tracked or forced. But strict isolation is necessary to stem the spread of this highly infectious disease: you dont bullshit with this virus. And Sarah agrees, As you said, not a virus you can bullshit. It will find every chink in your armour.

She points out that testing alone isnt the answer  you need your population to accept the consequences of testing.

This is a key point. Americans can not even agree on the wearing of masks; how can we possibly get some to accept the consequences of testing?

Consequences are, however, a two way street. The person tested agrees to accept the consequences of testing. That means quarantine, at a safe, functioning, hygienic facility. I dont rule out that self-isolation could work. But it must be true isolation, perhaps enforced via a tracking bracelet. Backed up by threats of real penalties for people who jump quarantine or isolation: fines, prison terms? And with the delivery of food and medicines, and if necessary, assistance in locating shelter.

Sarah notes that the quarantine must be strict in order to work:

With a virus as transmissible as this one, that transmits well from asymptomatic and presymptomatic people, quarantine has to bestrictly enforced to work. Otherwise too many people exempt themselves. Quarantine is for the healthy exposed after all. So they feel fine, and many get fed up with it or wont accept it unless there are consequences  tracking bracelets, fines, prison terms.. And if you dont isolate every case, they end up very efficiently transmitting to their households and beyond. Thats why places like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, not to mention China, hospitalize every case. Singapore has temporary facilities for the isolation and monitoring of the large number of mild cases they have in their foreign domestic workers. Not home isolation.

Im just not sure of this point, but I dont know enough about the science or the medicine to offer an informed opinion as to how home isolation, well supported and strictly enforced, could be viable.

(I am not going to discuss the constitutionality of mandatory quarantines in this post; I refer interested readers to this Politico piece. I will just mention that it is an issue that will have to be addressed in future, especially as the U.S. has so mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic. Most countries that have successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic have done so by imposing strict self-isolation or quarantine requirements.)

Yet I now want to move onto another important point: the consequences dont stop there, with patients. The government/health care system has its own reciprocal consequences of testing that it must accept. The health authorities should monitor the quarantined/self isolated patient. At present, this is not done. Shockingly, according to the New York Times, I Wish I Could Do Something for You, My Doctor Said:

One thing I learned is how startlingly little care or advice is available to the millions of Americans managing symptoms at home. In Germany, the government sends teams of medical workers to do house calls. Here in the United States, where primary care is an afterthought, the only place most people suffering from Covid-19 can get in-person care is the emergency room. Thats a real problem given that it is a disease that can lead to months of serious symptoms and turn from mild to deadly in a matter of hours.

And crucially, when necessary, the government must see to it that the patient has access to medical care. Bernie Sanders has called for the existing Medicare system to cover the costs of COVID-19 care. I think it will be impossible to stem the pandemic as long as people are worried about the costs of their care. According to Common Dreams:

Countering a proposal from Democratic congressional leadership to subsidize private health insurers, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday led a group of progressive lawmakers in introducing a competing bill to leverage the existing Medicare payment infrastructure to cover all out-of pocket health costs for every person in the country during the coronavirus pandemic. During this public health crisis, we must make sure that everyone in America is able to receive all of the medical care they need, regardless of their income, immigration status, or insurance coverage. No one in this country should be afraid to go to the doctor because of the costespecially during a pandemic, Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement. The American people deserve an emergency healthcare response that is simple, straightforward, comprehensive, and cost-effective. We should empower Medicare to pay all of the medical bills of the uninsured and the underinsuredincluding prescription drugsfor the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, he added. When so many people in this country are struggling economically and terrified at the thought of becoming sick, the federal government has a responsibility to take the burden of healthcare costs off the backs of the American people. The legislation we are introducing today does just that.

Is it any wonder that the United States is showing the highest number of COVID-19 casualties  by a long shot  given our dysfunctional system for allocating and paying for medical care. Currently standing at over 1.5 million confirmed cases and nearly 90,000 deaths.

Now, let me pick up on a point Shamanic Fallout made in yesterdays comments on Links: some people are the sole caretaker for a child, or elderly or disabled person. Well, if we want to defeat this scourge, we need to provide care when the caretaker is isolated or taken into quarantine. Otherwise, the system just wont work.

Probably, in this country, why, if you had say a home test and tested positive, many would not disclose. Where are you going to go? Get dragged out of your house to some isolation unit? Go bankrupt even if you have insurance? And what about some one like me? I have a five year old daughter and her mom, my wife, died two years ago. I am her only potential care giver. If I were positive what do you think I should do? If I were isolated where would my daughter go? Is America full of these kinds of places? If they were I cant imagine what they would be like. Not going to happen.

So, contact tracing as it is currently practiced in the U.S.  starting too late, with too big a gap between victims infection and tracing of known contacts, without automatic testing of those contacts once identified, and neither patient nor government/health authority forced to accept the consequences of testing  is a Panglossian panacea to COVID-19 spread. Contact tracing could be made to work, but not as presently designed. Readers will no doubt pick up on reasons the United States will not, even at this late date in the course of the first wave of the spread of COVID-19, take necessary steps.

So when the history of this pandemic is written, failed contact tracing will join the litany of mistakes the United States has made. And as William Burns, who was the most senior US diplomat, and now heads the Carnegie Endowment, was quoted as saying in the FT:
The Trump administration is holding virtual public meetings during the coronavirus pandemic to move forward with long-standing plans to expand oil and gas development on public lands. Native American groups, many of whom lack consistent access to the Internet, are worried their voices will not be heard.

This is a big obstacle in their fight to stop projects set to take place on lands with cultural significance to them.

Tribal groups also say the government's effort to gather feedback, as required by law, on its efforts to expand drilling in both Alaska's North Slope and in northwest New Mexico has been plagued with technical issues. Since the hearings transitioned to Zoom with much of the nation on lockdown, tribal groups in both states and other opponents to the projects report that speakers were disconnected due to bad connections or even muted by moderators.

"How many North Slope members have access to WiFi?" Raymond Ipalook, vice president of the tribal council in the Alaska Native village of Nuiqsut, asked during one virtual hearing on April 21. "That's what I want to know. How many of them know that this webinar is going on?"

But officials at the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, which oversees federal oil and gas leasing, says these virtual town halls have allowed more people than ever to weigh in on drilling plans.

More than 300 people participated in the eight virtual public meetings in Alaska while 100 participated in the first in New Mexico on Thursday, with yet more viewing on Facebook, the BLM said. By contrast, 250 attendees showed up to six in-person meetings held in Anchorage, Fairbanks and other spots in Alaska last year.

"It is important to maintain a capable and functioning government during the COVID-19 outbreak," BLM spokesman Derrick Henry said in an email.

Gone are the gatherings in middle-school auditoriums or hotel conference rooms the BLM used to organize to get feedback on proposals changing the way it manages public lands, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Since mid-April, the agency has held a dozen virtual meetings - eight for an oil project in the Alaskan Arctic and four for a proposed plan that would govern oil and gas drilling across northwestern New Mexico. A 13th meeting is scheduled in New Mexico for Monday.

During the virtual hearing Thursday jointly held by the the Interior Department's BLM and Bureau of Indian Affairs, all but a handful of speakers asked the government to pause the public comment period. They want more time to weigh in before the government moves forward with a new resource management plan that would bring energy and other development closer to cultural sites considered sacred to New Mexico's Pueblos and other tribal groups within the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Marissa Naranjo, policy director with the All Pueblo Council of Governors, noted that the two counties surrounding the protected area have some the highest coronavirus infection rates in New Mexico.

Because the Pueblos have followed federal guidelines and closed nonessential operations, she said, the tribal government did not have the staff available to mount a full-throated response in opposition to the plan.

"Although I am participating in today's virtual public meeting, I want to make clear that APCG and our member Pueblos have not had the resources necessary to meaningfully comment," Naranjo said.

The coronavirus situation is even worse in the Navajo Nation, which claims ancestral ties to the Chaco Canyon area and has an infection rate that is among the highest in the world.

The tribes' concerns have caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington, with the entire New Mexico congressional delegation asking for an extension to the public comment period for at least 120 days. In a March 31 letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, several Democratic lawmakers wrote that "it is imperative that the public be given sufficient time to submit comments."

For Martha Itta, a tribal administrator for the Alaska Native village of Nuiqsut, the Trump administration's decision to forge ahead with the public comment period compounds the controversy around ConocoPhillips's plans to add an airstrip, pipelines and up to 250 new wells to its operations in Alaska's remote North Slope. While oil and gas taxes provide most of the North Slope's municipal funding, some residents worry how the increase in drilling will affect the caribou herd from which they hunt half their food.

Itta said she had to log on to a virtual meeting on April 23 while taking care of a sick grandson, whom she worried at the time had covid-19. "They've caused a lot more stress and more fear as we're trying to protect our families," said Itta, whose grandchild later tested negative.

At one point, Itta said, she was muted while giving an impassioned testimony asking the agency to put a pause on its oil and gas plans during the pandemic. Later during the virtual meeting, she was able to finish her comment, but the next day Itta wrote a letter to the agency saying she was "very frustrated and saddened" by the experience.

While not addressing Itta's letter specifically, BLM spokesman Henry said that at times "the mute function is necessary to avoid cross-talk so all participants can hear, or in rare instances to limit broadcasting offensive language."

Ipalook, the vice president of Nuiqsut's tribal council, complained during a webinar focused on North Slope communities that the federal government's move cut off critical input. Many North Slope residents have traditionally gathered in person or submitted handwritten comments, he said. While Ipalook added that he went to the tribal office to log onto the webinar, that's not an option for many residents in the region.

"This is improper. This goes way beyond the limitations of what the government can and cannot do when pertaining to receiving comments," Ipalook said during his five-minute statement, noting that an hour into the webinar few people had logged on. "Our comments here in Nuiqsut are not being heard enough. And I want everyone who's online on the North Slope to be aware of that, that our concerns are not being heard."

Later in a phone interview, Ipalook said that the switch to virtual consultations made it particularly hard for tribal elders to participate. When village residents gather in person for such hearings, he said, "We have elders that listen in and comment, and spark an idea or comment after that."

Members of the public can still weigh in by mail or fax, and the BLM is offering a telephone-only option to allow those with limited online access. About 10 percent of the participants during Thursday's virtual meeting for the resource plan for northwest New Mexico took advantage of that option, according to the agency.

"Conducting virtual public meetings to gather input ensures the safety of communities and provides interested citizens with an opportunity to get information more easily," Henry said.

The agency said it is still considering requests to delay the two comment periods, but has yet to make any decisions.

- - -

The Washington Post's Paulina Firozi contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:16:11|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts on Monday visited Marondera Provincial Hospital to exchange notes with their Zimbabwean counterparts on how best to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The main provincial hospital in Mashonaland East Province is about 80 km east of the capital Harare.

During the visit, the team met the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Appollonia Munzverengwi, Provincial Medical Director Simukai Zizhou and other senior health officials.

Munzverengwi hailed the cordial China-Zimbabwe ties, adding that Zimbabwe had a lot to learn from China in containing the outbreak of COVID-19.

Zimbabwe can have lessons on how it can appropriately respond to the pandemic, she said.

Zizhou, in a presentation, detailed the province's state of preparedness in dealing with the pandemic, saying the province had recorded six cases including four recoveries.

"Currently, we are closely following up on case number five from Murehwa and case number six, which was admitted at Marondera Provincial Hospital two days ago."

He added that all the 15 hospitals in the province are isolation centers, and are at various stages of meeting the required standards.

Zhu Yimin, head of the Chinese team, said there was need to scale up health screening at ports of entry, closely monitor inbound travelers and compulsorily quarantine them.

"The issue of transmissions that are inbound is affecting every country and there is need to ensure that people are thoroughly screened at ports of entry," he said.

The Chinese medical team, which arrived in the country last week, will visit isolation centers and meeting stakeholders responding to COVID-19 in the country.

The team is made up of experts from infectious diseases and respiratory illnesses, intensive medicine, infection control, Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as public health and nursing. Enditem
MANILA, Philippines  The Joint Task Force COVID Shield on Sunday warned mall-owners that it would facilitate the closure of their establishments if the rule on physical distancing will continue to be violated.

Task Force Commander, PLt.Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, made the statement amid reports and social media posts of mall security managers failure to implement physical distancing during the first day of their resumption of operations of some malls, especially in Metro Manila.

As per instruction of the SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Ano), we will not only facilitate the closure of these malls but will also initiate the filing of appropriate charges against the management, Eleazar said.

Eleazar added that Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa has instructed all police commanders to regularly monitor the movement of people inside the malls in their respective areas of responsibility.

This is to ensure that the basic rules on physical distancing and wearing of face masks are being observed.

Police commanders were also directed to get familiarized with other protocols issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the resumption of mall operations and other businesses.

The JTF COVID Shield, composed of the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), is the enforcement arm of the IATF-MEID.

Eleazar said they have already forwarded to the concerned police commanders the names of the malls and other business establishments where the physical distancing was violated.

These commanders were instructed to warn the management of these malls and make sure that the warning be personally relayed to the mall management and other similar establishments, he said.

Other police commanders should also initiate meeting with the mall management to remind them of the protocol and warn them of the consequences if they would fail to observe the protocols, he added.

Story continues

Photos and videos of mallgoers violating the physical distancing went viral on social media, with some netizens narrating about how the physical distancing are brazenly violated in malls.

Eleazar also urged the public to continue informing the JTF COVID Shield of the violations not only inside the malls but also in other business establishments for appropriate and immediate action.

Let us work together to make sure that all the measures aimed at protecting each and everyone of us are strictly observed, Eleazar concluded.  /mbmf

The post JTF COVID Shield to shut down malls not observing physical distancing appeared first on UNTV News.
Beijing officials yesterday announced that China wont be backing down from fighting what it sees as U.S. abuse of Huawei. The Chinese commerce ministry issued a statement accusing the U.S. of unfairly targeting the countrys telecom giant.

It also used the occasion to reiterate threats of direct economical retaliation against Washington. The move comes mere days after the Trump administration extended Huaweis ban on procuring stateside tech.

China remains adamant that allegations of Huawei posing a national security risk to the U.S. are entirely baseless. CCP officials and Huawei reps said as much on dozens of occasions over the last several years.

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The root of Washingtons concerns, however, is that CCP officals and Huawei reps tend to be one and the same. When a trillion-dollar business has an ownership structure as opaque as Huaweis, its hard to imagine a different turn of events.

The U.S. abuse of Huawei a gross mischaracterization

In the past, Huawei often argued China has no more control over its operations than Washington does over the Silicon Valley. Thats not a bad point in some respects, but its also a strawman of an argument. After all, its not like U.S. legislators are sitting on the boards of Alphabet, Apple, and the like.

And sure, the scandal-ridden Trump administration certainly makes the U.S. criticism of Huawei appear much more hypocritical. But banning Huawei from using American technologies has nothing to do with appearances and everything to do with risk management.

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The supposed U.S. abuse of Huawei is, therefore, more of a continuation of Trumps aggressively protectionist policies.

Huawei lost access to solutions like Qualcomms chips and Googles Android apps because its Western operations are a realistic threat to the U.S. The very concept of 5G espionage or the prospect of another Nortel are more than sufficiently large reasons for Washington to completely cordon off Huaweis stateside supply lines.

No amount of claims about unfair treatment will change that. Its also worth remembering that the domestic environment wherein Huawei thrived in the 90s was hardly fair toward foreign rivals either.

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Huawei hence cant even truly play the sympathy card here; as meaningless as it is for someone caught in a clash between two of the worlds largest economies.

Ultimately, you can expect a whole lot more of foul-play and abuse accusations from Huawei moving forward. Ditto for the Chinese government  especially now that the first coronavirus wave in the country is over.

Beijing can consequently redirect much of its attention back to Washingtons anti-Huawei agenda, further playing into the already drawn-out trade conflict with the U.S.
Nigerias Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has revealed that 57% of the Nigerian Populace supported the Ease of Lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja.

Mohammed revealed on Monday during the daily Presidential Taskforce COVID-19 briefing, quoted NOI polls stating that a larger percentage of Nigerians supported the Federal governments decision to ease the lockdown amidst the coronavirus Pandemic.

I want to bring to your attention the results of the latest NOI Poll on Covid-19, which was conducted this month. Please note that the last NOI Poll on Covid-19 was conducted in March.

57% support the Easing of the lockdown announced in April, while 29% did not support it. he said.

He also disclosed that The level of awareness across the country about Covid-19 is now above 99%, meaning nearly all Nigerians are aware of the disease.

On Immunity, 28% of respondents said they believe they are immune to Covid-19 in March, the figure has now dropped to 26%.

On Preventive Measures, 91% of respondents said they are aware of the different preventive measures, Hand washing is now at 87%, up by 10%, Use of face masks is at 85%, up by 22% and Social distancing is at 55%, up by 43%

On Stigmatization, this has remained a concern. In the March poll, 81% said they are willing to work with people who recover from Covid-19. That figure dropped to 78% in the current poll.

On Risk Communication, 95% said they have seen or heard advertising, publicity or any other types of information from government about Covid-19. 71% said they feel they are getting the information they need from

the government on Covid-19. he said.
Alice Bell was in a Zoom meeting with her colleagues, working on the upcoming Amazon drama The Expatriates, when she heard an almighty crash. Racing upstairs to investigate, Bell found her son standing beside a freshly-toppled bookshelf.

"I haven't had a single meeting without somebody being interrupted," says Bell, a screenwriter whose TV credits include Puberty Blues and The Slap. "I kind of enjoy the mess-ups where you see people's kids or their partners walking around naked."

Screenwriter Alice Bell (The Slap, Puberty Blues) is working on upcoming Amazon drama The Expatriates. Credit:Sally Flegg

Bell was in Los Angeles, developing the script for The Expatriates  based on a novel by Janice Y. K. Lee, with producer Nicole Kidman likely to take a lead role  when coronavirus infection rates began soaring. She and her husband returned to Sydney with their three children, self-isolating for a fortnight before settling into her mother's holiday home in coastal NSW.

But Bell has continued working on The Expatriates in a virtual writers' room, using Zoom to meet with her colleagues and Evernote to send and receive drafts. "Online meetings can be very draining," she says. "It's made me more focused because I don't want to use up everyone's energy."
The Brentwood, CA, estate of the late actor James Garner sold in mid-March for $10 million in an off-market transaction.

Built in 1966, the modern home features three bedrooms, five bathrooms, and over 4,300 square feet of living space. It sits on nearly an acre of land up in the hills above Brentwood.

In a neighborhood stuffed with high-priced properties, the home (and its large lot) seems a likely candidate for a drastic makeover.

On the other hand, the home's history could prove an obstacle that stands in the way of a total teardown. It was designed by the legendary Southern California architects Buff and Hensman and was cited in 2013 as a "excellent example of Late Modernism."

For context on neighborhood pricing, just up the street from Garner's home is a brand-new spec home on the market for $5.5 millionalbeit on a much smaller lot. The median price per square foot in the 90049 ZIP code is currently $895which means that the buyers of the Garner property paid a significant premium, at nearly $2,300 per square foot.

And while we aren't 100% sure this is the same house, Garner's daughter did share an interesting anecdote on Twitter about life growing up in Brentwood. There's a similar anecdote about the Brentwood neighborhood in the book "Steve McQueen: A Biography," shared by a friend of McQueen's.

Garner passed away at this residence at the age of 86 in 2014. The beloved actor was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards during his television career, and won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1977 for his starring role in "The Rockford Files." He starred in over 50 films, most notably "Victor/Victoria," "Murphy's Romance," and "The Great Escape."

The post Brentwood Home of the Late Actor James Garner Sells for $10M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
By Nigam Prusty and Sumit Khanna

NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - India on Sunday extended a nationwide lockdown to May 31, as cases exceeded 90,000 and further clashes erupted between police and stranded migrants.

Schools, malls and other public places will remain mostly closed, though rules will be relaxed in areas with low numbers of cases, according to an order from the interior ministry.

"New guidelines have permitted considerable relaxations in lockdown restrictions," the ministry said in a tweet accompanying the order.

Large gatherings are still prohibited, but outside of containment zones with high numbers of active cases "all other activities will be permitted", it said, potentially allowing commerce and industry to reopen across much of the country.

Decisions on where to set containment zones would be decided by district authorities, the order said.

Several Indian states, some of which had lobbied the federal government for a relaxation in the lockdown, immediately said they would allow many businesses to restart.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said all industries and offices would be allowed to operate, barring those in containment zones.

India also softened its stance on a contact tracing app, which it previously said was mandatory for all public and private sector employees returning to work.

While it once said that heads of companies and organizations needed "to ensure 100% coverage" of the Aarogya Setu app among employees, it now says employers should get employees to use the app on a "best effort basis".

India has now reported more cases than China, where the virus first emerged late last year, although deaths, at 2,872, remain much lower than China's 4,600. The death toll in the United States and some European countries is much higher.

India's lockdown, introduced on March 25 and extended several times, had been due to expire at midnight on Sunday.

The curbs have sparked a crisis for the hundreds of millions of Indians who 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 hitched rides in the back of trucks.

Story continues

In Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat, more than 1,500 migrant workers blocked roads, damaged more than a dozen vehicles and threw stones at police on Sunday, after two special trains that were supposed to take them home were cancelled.

A police official in Shapar told Reuters police baton-charged the migrants to disperse them, with several officers injured in the process.

"The workers had not gathered with the intention of violence. Two or three trains were rescheduled, but the workers misunderstood that the trains had been cancelled, and resorted to violence," Balram Meena, Rajkots superintendent of police, told local media.

"We are identifying the people who were involved in the violence," Meena added.

At least 23 migrants were killed trying to reach their homes on Saturday when a truck crashed in northern India. [L4N2CY02D]

Sixteen migrant workers died on May 8 after being struck by a train. They had fallen asleep on the tracks while walking back to their village after losing their jobs in the coronavirus lockdown, police said.

(Reporting by Nigam Prusty in New Delhi and Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Gareth Jones, Jason Neely and Jan Harvey)
World AIDS Vaccine Day | World AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed on May 18 across the world. It is primarily celebrated to emphasise upon the need for a vaccine for Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and recognises the efforts of health professionals and researchers who have been working towards this goal.

The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was observed on May 18, 1998. Exactly one year ago, on May 18, 1997, the then United States president Bill Clinton had asserted upon the importance of creating a vaccine for the deadly disease. During his speech at the Morgan State University, he had mentioned how a vaccine can curb the spread of the disease and eventually help in its eradication.

On World Aids Vaccine Day 2020, here are a few quotes that you can send to people who have been working towards the cause:

- Heres to encouraging and supporting you in your work to develop the vaccine. Happy World AIDS Vaccine Day!

- It is not a piece of cake to develop a vaccine to combat the disease that has taken away so many lives. We all are grateful to you and wish you a very World AIDS Vaccine Day 2020!

- Over two decades of work is a lot and it shows that we should never give up. You people inspire us and we thank you for your service. Happy World AIDS Vaccine Day!

- Heres to supporting all the people that are working to get a vaccine that will fight HIV. World AIDS Vaccine Day!

-There are millions of people out there who are waiting for the miracle and you are the only people who can give it to them. World Aids Vaccine Day 2020!
Chennai: Tamil Nadu lived down another day of highs on Sunday, as the total number of persons testing positive for Covid-19 breached the 11,000-mark to hit 11,224, even as the state's death toll shot up to 78 with the Health department confirming four more deaths due to the virus.

For a single day, there was a 33 per cent jump in Covid-19 positive cases to 639 from Saturday's 477, but this again includes 81 infections among returnees from other States into Tamil Nadu.

A maximum of 73 of those new positives came from people returning from Maharashtra, three from Telangana, two each from Karnataka and Rajasthan and one from Andhra Pradesh. Even discounting those numbers, Chennai alone still had 480 cases.

The overall death rate continues to be flat, partly because of a leap in the number of samples tested. Second, the discharge rate of cured patients is steadily moving up (4,172 as on Sunday), while there has been a drop in the number of "active" coronavirus cases from 7,365 on May 14, to 6,971 on May 17.

It is the Chennai hot-spots and rising positive cases among returnees from abroad and other states, which raises concern for now.

The Chennai picture continues to be truly grim for the Health department. The bulk of the 'active' corona cases (5,219 as on May 17) are in the metropolis, which also accounts for a maximum of 53 deaths of a total of 78 so far.

The corporation zones of Royapuram (1,112 positive cases), Kodambakkam (973), Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar (750) and Tyenampet (669 cases) are among the hot-spots in the city. Even among the four deaths confirmed today, two were from neighbouring Thiruvallur district and two cases from the city.

However, 46 of the areas declared 'containment zones' in greater Chennai were deleted from that list today and the barricades in those areas removed, official sources said.

Out of the 849 persons travelling by a special train from New Delhi to Chennai, who arrived here on May 14, only two travellers tested positive for the virus. This is the sort of tenuous balancing the city has been witnessing. The tests of another train load of 847 passengers from Delhi are under process, the Health department said.

Ten lakh PCR kits to come from South Korea

Meanwhile, Health department sources said that Tamil Nadu was awaiting the receipt of ten lakh PCR (the confirmatory test for novel coronavirus) test kits from South Korea, which the State has ordered.

The first batch of one lakh PCR kits reached here on Sunday and the remaining consignments will arrive over the next nine weeks, at the rate of one lakh PCR kits per week, the sources added. This may help Tamil Nadu meet its rising demand for testing samples for the virus, not just going for symptomatic persons.
Hyderabad, May 18 : The Telangana government on Monday extended the lockdown till May 31 but announced many relaxations from Tuesday including re-opening of shops, saloons, offices, factories, and plying of RTC buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws.

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will operate buses across the state from Tuesday. However, city services will not be operated in Hyderabad and similarly there will be no inter-state services. There will be no metro rail services in Hyderabad.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao announced after the state cabinet meeting that auto rickshaws and taxis can also ply across the state including in Hyderabad. Driver plus two passengers will be allowed in an auto-rickshaw while driver plus three passengers will be permitted in a taxi.

Declaring the entire state except containment zones as a green zone, the Chief Minister said all shops can open on alternate basis. Hair saloons can also reopen.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said all government and private offices can function with 100 per cent employees while following the social distancing and other precautions.

He announced that all industries, factories and manufacturing units can re-open.

He, however, said night curfew will continue in the state till May 31. The lockdown was to end on May 27 but the cabinet decided to extend it by four days.

KCR said places of worship, educational institutions, function halls, shopping malls and cinema halls will remain closed. Similarly, bars, pubs, clubs, stadia, gyms, swimming pools, parks and amusement parks will not be allowed to re-open.

The Chief Minister appealed to people to compulsorily wear face masks to avoid Rs 1,000 fine, abide by social distancing and take all precautions to check the spread of Covid-19. He said people should avoid unnecessarily coming on roads as any further spread could force the government to again impose total lockdown.
By Akbar Mammadov

The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh has said that Armenia is changing the demographics of the occupied Lachyn, thereby violating basic rights of over 77,000 Azerbaijanis expelled from the district.

The community made the remarks on the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Lachyn, in a statement published in its official Facebook page.

Following the occupation of Lachyn, natural resources were plundered in the district. As in other occupied territories, refugees of Armenian origin, especially from Syria, were illegally resettled in the Lachyn district. The steps taken by Armenia to change the demographic composition of the region, violating the most basic human rights of more than 77,000 Azerbaijanis who were subjected to ethnic cleansing as a result of the occupation of Lachyn, are a gross violation of international law", the statement reads.

On behalf of more than the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, numbering more than 80,000 people, including on behalf of more than 1 million Azerbaijanis subjected to ethnic cleansing in all occupied Azerbaijani territories, The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan called on the world community to put an end to the aggression by Armenia against the Azerbaijani people, the community said.

The community reminded that after Lachyn, the occupation of Kalbajar, Aghdam, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan, which are not included in the administrative borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, proved once again that the real aim of Armenia is to seize new territories by force and expand.

The Azerbaijani community further said that "statements by the Armenian side aimed at aggravating the situation and calls for the annexation of Azerbaijani territories continue to deal a serious blow to the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

"We, the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, once again invite the Armenian community of the region to dialogue", the community said, adding that they are ready to peacefully coexist with the Armenian community of the region within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Only in this case, sustainable and fair peace can be ensured in the region", the statement reads.

It should be noted that as a result of the occupation, the population of Lachyn district was subjected to ethnic cleansing. Thus, more than 300 military and civilian people were killed and went missing. Currently, 77.700 Lachyn residents live as internally displaced persons (IDP) across different regions of Azerbaijan

Armenia seriously damaged public and private property in the region. Thus, 217 cultural, 101 educational, 142 healthcare, 462 trade, 30 communications, 2 motor vehicles enterprises and various production facilities were looted and destroyed.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Ajay Dixit, CEO of Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited's oil and gas division Cairn, has quit at month-end after completing the contractual term. Dixit, 61, who was appointed as CEO in mid-April 2019 decided not to seek extension, news agency PTI reported citing unidentified sources. "Ajay Kumar Dixit moves on from his role as CEO, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd as he concludes his contract with the company on May 31, 2020," the company told PTI.

"He has led the company's oil business and digital transformation to drive production for the energy needs of the nation, including through recent oil price volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the management wishes him the best as he moves on to pursue his personal goals," the statement said. Dixit, the statement also said, "will retire from the company on May 31, 2020".

Dixit had the shortest tenure of just over a year as the head of the firm that operates the nation's biggest onland field in Barmer in Rajasthan. He was acting CEO of Vedanta's aluminum and power business before being elevated as CEO of Cairn Oil & Gas. His appointment had come after Sudhir Mathur resigned from the company. Dixit is the fifth CEO to have left the company since Vedanta completed the acquisition of Cairn India in December 2011. He is leaving the firm just when Anil Agarwal announced his intention to take Vedanta private by offering to buy out minority shareholders.

"Ajay has been leading the oil and gas business and digital transformation, driving production to serve the energy needs of the nation, including through recent oil price volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic. The management wishes him the very best," Sunil Duggal, Group CEO, Vedanta Ltd, said while thanking Dixit for his contribution.

Also read: India's GDP to contract 45% in June quarter, stimulus package 'strikingly smaller': Goldman Sachs

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: What activities will be allowed in red zones from today?
New York, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Stainless Steel market is forecast to reach USD 170.62 Billion by 2027, according to a new report by Reports and Data. The stainless steel market is witnessing a surge in demand, owing to the growth of end-user industries such as the automotive industry, in the developed, as well as developing economies across the globe. However, carbon fibers due to its lightweight, high strength, and load-bearing properties will hamper the demand of the market.

Rapid urbanization has changed the lifestyle of the people and, in turn, has increased the prevalence of secure infrastructure over a broad aspect, thus, augmenting the demand for the market product. The usage of the use of stainless steel is supported by the Ministry of Steel of the Indian government, as India contributes to the list of top manufacturers of the Stainless Steel across the globe, which is creating a demand in the market. Moreover, the government in nations such as China, Japan, and the United States are also supporting the sales of stainless steel, thereby driving the growth of the market. Resuming operations after taking control of the Covid-19 pandemic, China announced an increase in the export rebates for cold-rolled steel, stainless steel strip, and other products from present 10.0% to 13.0% for a variety of steel products. This may prompt Indian steelmakers to seek higher border tariffs on imports. The Asia Pacific region forecasted to grow with the highest growth rate owing to the increase in the use of stainless-steel.

Get FREE Sample Copy with TOC of the Report to understand the structure of the complete report@ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/3017

The COVID-19 impact:

As the COVID-19 crisis grows, manufacturers are quickly changing their practice and purchasing priorities to meet the required demand of a pandemic, which has cut the need for Stainless Steel in the market. Over a couple of months, there will be a series of both positive and negative shocks, as manufacturers and their suppliers respond to providers changing needs. With an unfortunate global situation, the export-dependent economies of many regions look vulnerable. Global stainless steel markets are reshaped by the effects of this pandemic, as some suppliers are either shutting down or reducing their output, due to a lack of stainless steel demand in the downstream market. Others are having their production suspended by their respective governments as a precautionary measure to combat the spread of the virus.

In certain regions, markets are focusing on becoming more localized, by looking at the severity of the outbreak, and the consequent actions by the individual national authorities. In Europe, for example, Outokumpus mills are noted to be heavily loaded, providing material to customers in the north of the continent. In many cases, this replaces supplies that are no longer available from Italy and Spain, where operations have been suspended, by government decree. Under these circumstances, market conditions in Asia Pacific regions have been very fluid, declining weekly, making it challenging to stabilize itself.

Further key findings from the report suggest

Based on grade, 400 Series is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6.5% owing to its fundamental characteristics, which are high carbon content that gives martensitic crystalline structure, thereby making it appropriate to use for a variety of applications.

Increasing demand for the product in infrastructure development and automotive production owing to properties, such as resistance to corrosion, strength, and low maintenance, is driving the demand for the Stainless Steel market. The automotive and transportation application is likely to grow at a significant rate of 6.5% in the forecast period.

The Consumer Goods sector is the major contributor to the Stainless Steel market, which was USD 31.38 billion in 2017 and is forecasted to grow at a rate of 5.4% in the forecast period. The Consumer Goods sector of the Asia Pacific region is the major shareholder of the Stainless Steel market holds around 33.0% of the market in the year 2019.

The Asia Pacific dominated the market for Stainless-Steel. The consistent focus of the region on cost-effective and innovative procedures adopted in the area is driving the market.

Key participants include Jindal Stainless, Acerinox S.A., Outokumpu, Aperam Stainless, ArcelorMittal, Baosteel Group, Nippon Steel Corporation, POSCO, ThyssenKrupp Stainless GmbH, and Yieh United Steel Corp, among others.

In March 2018, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) and ArcelorMittal (AM) agreed on the basic terms and conditions for jointly acquiring and managing Essar Steel India Limited (ESIL), which is currently undergoing the resolution proceedings under the Indian Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, through a joint venture to be formed by NSSMC and AM. NSSMC will proceed with AM to form the joint venture and acquire ESIL subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities.

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For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented into the global Stainless Steel market on the basis of grade, product, application, and region:

Grades Outlook (Volume, kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027)

200 Series

300 Series

400 Series

Duplex Series

Others

Product Outlook (Volume, kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027)

Flat

Long

Application Outlook (Volume, kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027)

Building & Construction

Heavy Industry

Automotive & Transportation

Consumer Goods

Others

To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/stainless-steel-market

Regional Outlook (Volume, kilo Tons; 2017-2027, Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027)

North America U.S

Europe U.K France

Asia Pacific China India Japan

MEA

Latin America Brazil



Take a Look at our Related Reports:

Steel Cord Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/steel-cord-market

Nitric Acid Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/nitric-acid-market

Aluminum Alloys Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/aluminum-alloys-market

About Reports and Data

Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise.
Derry City and Strabane District Council has lodged a planning application to construct a new 62-metre long cycle and footbridge.

As revealed by the Derry News earlier this month, the proposed bridge would span an intake of water near the Fort George site, expanding the Quay Trail into Bay Road park.

The planning application was received by Derry City and Strabane District Councils Planning Service on March 11 and is in the early stages of consideration.

The proposed bridge will provide a link from the city centre to Muff in County Donegal.

It is part of the wider North West Greenway Network project which aims to develop 46.5km of cross-border greenway, including: Derry-Buncrana, Derry-Muff, and Lifford-Strabane.

Funding for the project has been provided through the EUs INTERREG VA programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Match-funding has been provided by the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and the Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport in Ireland.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Michaela Boyle, welcomed the submission of the planning application. She said: I am delighted this key infrastructure project, which will complement the emerging City Deal riverfront regeneration plans, has reached this important milestone.

"Subject to planning approval, it will play a significant role in connecting people through our infrastructure, facilitating more people to get outdoors and choose sustainable travel options, whilst benefitting peoples health and wellbeing.

Paying tribute to everyone involved for advancing project development during this emergency period, Mayor Boyle continued: Now, more than ever, there is a real need for investment in projects which encourage a more active, healthy lifestyle. Once completed, the proposed new bridge will further enhance the City and Districts growing greenway network.

Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of SEUPB said: This bridge is an integral section of the North West Greenway Networks route 2, which will link Derry to Muff.

"It will encourage more people to choose an eco-friendly form of travel, one of the core objectives of the EUs INTERREG VA Programme, which has been designed to support more sustainable forms of transport, on both sides of the border.

She continued: It is also important, as we emerge from COVID-19 restrictions in the coming weeks and months, that we rebuild our society and the economy in a more environmentally-conscious way.

"This greenway will help support a more socially distanced recovery process, an approach that will pay real and tangible dividends for us all in the future.

Further details on the project can be found at www.nwgreenway.com. The full planning submission can be viewed on www.pDerry City and Strabane District Council seek planning permission to develop a new cycle and walk bridge
Drew Whalen starts every morning drinking a tea and reviewing lesson plans.

Hes not a teacher, hes a parent.

As Whalen and thousands of other parents across Hamilton move into week nine of at-home learning, theyre settling into a rhythm  finding a routine that keeps their kids engaged and themselves sane. What that looks like depends on the parent, the kid, the teacher and the day.

Whalen tries to keep his familys routine consistent.

At 10 a.m., when he finishes breakfast, its time to start the school day. His kids, one who is in senior kindergarten and the other in Grade 4 in the Catholic board, settle in at their desks  the kitchen table  and listen to the national anthem. Then its teaching time.

I do my best to do 20 to 30 minute learning blocks (over) about two to two-and-a-half hours, Whalen said, noting his kids are typically doing work assigned by their teachers.

Then its lunch. After lunch comes iPad time. His kids use their iPads to read assigned material, use school-approved apps and complete other work assigned by their teachers.

Hows it going so far?

Its not easy by any stretch of the imagination, Whalen said. Its a learning curve for them, us and the teachers, so patience is the real lesson here.

Joanne Munghen agrees.

Its OK. Its hard. Its a struggle, said the Hamilton mom, whose five-year-old son is in the public board. Were not teachers, right? So the struggle is just a reality. Were not trained to do this.

One of the biggest lessons shes learned is to give her son a break.

Were going along and going along and all of a sudden he just doesnt know (a word) and Im like, But you do know  you just read a word seven letters long and this one is only two, Munghen said. Its hard to realize when kids need a break.

Both Munghen and Whalen said their kids teachers are giving them regular school work, either in the form of written instruction or links to online videos  kids yoga is an example of a video Munghens junior kindergartener has received.

Neither said their kids get quality real-time video learning.

Whalen said his kids get minutes. Munghen said she was surprised her sons received none.

Drew Whalen is not a teacher, but every morning he puts together a lesson plan to help his two children with their school work. Barry Gray

Education Minister Stephen Lecce recently issued a directive to teachers: start offering real-time video conferencing.

In a memo to school boards, Lecce said he expected educators would embrace the use of synchronous (real-time) learning during the school closure period. There has been an inconsistent uptake of this mode of learning.

Education advocates and teachers unions have raised concerns about this style of learning, saying teachers are afraid of hacking and of students acting out. Theres concern students who cant get online at a set time will miss out on learning.

As for the amount of school work kids are meant to receive during the pandemic, it ranges from five hours a week for kindergarteners to 10 hours a week for Grade 8s. Those in high school receive three hours a week per course if they are on a semestered schedule and 1.5 hours a week per course if they are not.

But when it comes to teaching lessons, parents say that burden is falling on their shoulders.

I have to teach myself everything so I can teach her, said Kristena Lopez Arroyo, whose daughter is in Grade 4 at a Catholic school. This is so frustrating and exhausting. It's like our home is a war zone now. Crying, tears ... this is her home. And I will make it her home first and foremost.

Lopez Arroyo said she thought the teachers would be teaching lessons, not the parents.

But for some, theres been a silver lining.

Hes waking up excited to do school, said Kris Miha. Her son is in Grade 6 at a Catholic French school. Hes not as frustrated and emotional as he usually is after school, or as tired.

Her son usually has a 45-minute bus ride. Hes also been bullied at school, she said.

While Miha called her sons teachers wonderful, she is finding the schools online portal and resources difficult to navigate. But other teaching tools shes found online have been helpful. Miha is considering home-schooling her son in the future  though thats dependent on finances. She lost all her part-time jobs due to the pandemic.

If theres a message that resonates with all parents, its that at-home school is nothing like in-classroom school. Nor should it be.

I think that goes without saying  no ones replacing anything here and I hope other parents realize that, said dad/stand-in teacher Whalen. This is a bridge so our kids can gap the learning when they start in their new respective grades.
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More than 130,000 autoworkers returned to factories across the U.S. for the first time in nearly two months Monday in one of the biggest steps yet to restart American industry, but some worry the rush to reopen came too soon.

Detroit's Big Three - Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Ford - as well as Honda and Toyota all had screening procedures in place at the dozens of factories that reopened from the Great Lakes states south to Tennessee and Texas and out west at Teslas factory near the San Francisco Bay.

This comes as much of the US is till struggling to reenergize the work force, but nearly 36.5 million Americans have lost their jobs during the pandemic and almost three million filed for new unemployment claims during the last round.

More than 130,000 autoworkers returned to factories across the United States on Monday as several manufacturer companies restarted operations this week

Factories in the United States have been shuttered for nearly two months as the coronavirus pandemic forced lockdown orders on states and infections increased

Employees arriving back to work on Monday underwent temperature checks before their shifts started and were asked to answer a questionnaire

Pictured: United Auto Workers members leave the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Warren Truck Plant after the first work shift on Monday in Warren, Michigan

The reopening of automobile factories is seen as a strong step towards revitalizing America's economy after it took several hits in March because of the pandemic

United Auto Workers spokesperson Brian Rothenberg said there was a large turnout of UAW members returning to work on Monday with only a small absent rate.

Some plants even had high number than anticipated because plants called in extra workers in anticipation of a potential low turnout.

'The auto industry is Americas economic engine. Restarting the entire auto ecosystem is how we restart the economy,' said Jim Farley, Ford Motors chief operating officer, according to The Chicago Tribune.

At a Fiat Chrysler pickup truck assembly plant in Warren, outside Detroit, workers entered a giant white tent with a sign that read: 'Let's restart and keep each other safe.'

Inside they had their temperatures checked and answered a set of questions on whether they had symptoms of COVID-19.

Some felt the reopening of Detroits's Big Three was premature and the risk of contracting the coronavirus was all too real.

'I just think I should be home with my family, my wife, with my child,' Jay Peebles, who installs seats, told Detroit Free Press.

'I dont think building a truck is going to save lives right now, you know what I mean? But we've got to make money so...'

Some workers who returned to work on Monday feared that staffers were being called back too soon and the coronavirus could spread to not only workers, but their families

Jay Peebles: '(My wife) dont like that Im back here already this soon, when weve lost people at this exact plant. Multiple people. I knew a few of them' Pictured: Ford Motor Company F-150's are being moved to a storage area outside of their Dearborn Truck Assembly in Michigan

Peebles pointed to the loss of coworkers to the virus as part of his apprehension. He added that he's lost relatives during the pandemic as well.

'(My wife) dont like that Im back here already this soon, when weve lost people at this exact plant. Multiple people. I knew a few of them.'

Theresa Sengura, who arrived at FCA's Warren Truck plant, returned to her car after answering a questionnaire given to staffers about their contact with coronavirus.

Sengura's brother tested positive for coronavirus, but he's been feeling better and is under quarantine. She expects to receive a follow-up call from FCA within the next 24 hours and that she'd need to get tested.

'I could have it and I can go in there and get someone else sick, and I dont want to do that. You know there's a lot of people out here sick already.  You dont want another life to pass away,' she said.

Gary, who arrived on Monday with a face mask reading 'Detroit-vs-Everybody,' admitted he was nervous about the return.

'I believe its early to bring back a whole shift seems to be very soon. So Im eager to see how it goes and how long it lasts,' he said.

Others felt the safety precautions taken by autoworkers was adequate enough to return back to work.

Other employees felt the new health measures put in place, like thermal-imaging cameras at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, was more than enough to ensure worker safety

'I feel safer than being anywhere at any stores, because they got the screening and everything,' said Ann'alazia Moore, a janitor at the factory.

'I feel like that's amazing. That's smart. I like that. So, I feel more safe. I won't get sick.'

Cole Stevenson, who installs steering wheels at a Ford pickup truck plant in Dearborn, Michigan, said: 'The parts of the plant where people would be closer together, they've put up a lot of partitions.

'You can tell they've taken tape measures to just about any surface two people would need to be near each other.'

The Warren Truck scheduled 1,280 workers to work this week on one shift. Second shifts are expected to come in the upcoming weeks.

No one was immediately cranking out vehicles, because it will take time to get the plants restarted.

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

The waves of layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic continue with nearly 36.5 million Americans now thrown out of work in a US economy still paralyzed by business shutdowns

But being autoworkers being able to return to work, especially at a time when so many Americans are out of work, is a small step towards lowering the country's staggering unemployment rates.

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.

The latest jobless claims follow a devastating jobs report last week when the government said the unemployment rate soared to 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, and employers shed a stunning 20.5 million jobs.

A decade's worth of job growth was wiped out in a single month.

Additionally, a report said that 800,000 Americans could become homeless by the beginning of summer because of cuts.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell revealed in a 60 Minutes interview that the economy may not fully recover until the end of 2021.

Sengura: 'I could have it and I can go in there and get someone else sick, and I dont want to do that. You know there's a lot of people out here sick already.  You dont want another life to pass away'

Pictured: Ford Motor Company F-150's are being moved to a storage area outside of their Dearborn Truck Assembly on Monday in Dearborn, Michigan

Unemployment rates rose amid the coronavirus pandemic, with around 36.5 million Americans already out of work amid the pandemic.Pictured: An aerial photo made with a drone shows an employee parking lot next to the Ford Motor Company Chicago Assembly Plant

Automakers have implemented new health measures in an an effort to reduce the risk of infection among staff members, including manufacturing cars at a slower rate.

Many manufacturers planned to shorten shifts, as well as have employees stagger their arrival and departure during shift changes.

General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler asked staffers to fill out questionnaires and have their temperatures checked before work.

Once inside, workers will be required to wear eye protection, masks and gloves during their shifts.

Fiat Chrysler has installed thermal-imaging cameras in some entryways and hallways to check workers for fevers.

An alarm will sound off if a person has an elevated temperature and they will be redirected to another location to take a second test. If the high temperature persists, they will be sent for medical evaluation.

Assembly lines have been outfitted with transparent curtains to lessen worker contact. Some stations that involve two workers installing components under the hood now have screens that can be placed on engines.

At Ford, portable sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed around plants, while restrooms have been equipped with no-touch faucets and soap dispensers.

Workers at Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler will not be tested every day or weekly, despite encouragement from UAW. However, employees will have to be tested for coronavirus if they show symptoms.

Ford announced that it had contracts with local healthcare providers in Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri and Chicago to test staffers with symptoms and deliver results in 24 hours.

Workers at Detroit's Big Three will not be tested every day or weekly for the coronavirus, despite United Auto Workers members encouraging them to do so
Data base to navigate MSMEs through COVID-19 By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

As Sri Lanka resumes public and private sector activity amidst COVID-19 moving from a health crisis to an economic crisis, state authorities are now trying to ascertain how Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) will weather this storm and where they need to focus efforts.

MSMEs have been directed to take part in a major survey to shed light on how the coronavirus is affecting their businesses and submit a self assessment on the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the sustenance of institutions and employees.

The Ministry of Small and Medium Business and Enterprise Development (SMBED) will be conducting this survey to assess the level and nature of the negative impact on MSMEs and their expected immediate relief.

Another aim is to devise an intermediate remedy as well as to formulate long-term growth and development strategies.

The SMBED Ministry in collaboration with its relevant institutions will appoint a consultant to undertake remote and rapid national MSME surveys as a COVID-19 response in the coming months, a senior Ministry official told the Business Times,

This will be the first MSME study in Sri Lanka which will be implemented using the virtual platform for designing, execution, monitoring, report generation, and report submission, he added. It will also use virtual management techniques and remote data collection applications during the COVID-19 social distancing period providing a new experience for MSMEs to get involved with the latest ICT applications.

MSMEs are required to submit details on the total number of employees, present situation of the establishment whether it is closed or in partial operation, reasons for closure, if it is closed is there any intention to reopen and reasons not to reopen.

Among the other questions are details of retrenchment and layoffs of employees during this period and steps to pay salaries for employees even if the business has been closed, or will remain closed for the coming few months and how MSMEs expect to pay workers who have been made to stay at home.

The number of MSMEs exceeds 1.4 million and of them over 500,000 are unregistered, Founder President of the Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Industries (COSMI) Nawaz Rajabdeen told the Business Times.

SMEs account for more than 75 per cent of the total number of enterprises in Sri Lanka, provides 45 per cent of the employment and contributes 52 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

With the slowdown of economic activities due to the virus, SME activities have been affected and as a result, their employees too, he said adding that COSMI has already contacted over 70 foreign agencies seeking assistance to help the industry.

The Government should also provide assistance and opportunities for MSMEs to strengthen their base in agri-business sectors including spices, teas, specialty teas, herbal medicinal and beverage supplements, coconut and oils, and fruits and vegetables, he said. SMEs are also in ornamental fish and ocean fisheries including fishery cooperatives and processing.

These enterprises numbering over 1 million comprises employees, self-employed persons, employers, active partners and unpaid family workers who engage in economic activity.

There are three million people engaged in MSMEs related to industry, trade and services sectors of the country, Finance Ministry data showed.
Why the Largest Cyberattack in History Will Happen Within Six Months

The coronavirus is laying the groundwork for a massive cyberattack. In fact, Im on record today saying well see the largest cyberattack in HISTORY within the next six months .

Nobody is talking about this today. Fighting hackers is the last thing on most folks minds. But coronavirus practically guarantees largest cyberattack ever will soon be plastered all over the frontpages.

Ill explain why in a second. And Ill show you the proven pattern for making big money off cyberattacks. But first its important to understand the key to defending against hackers. Talk to any cyber expert and theyll tell you a big chunk of time and money is spent on reducing their attack surface.

Imagine Playing a Game Where You Have to Break into Two Buildings

The first is a Beverly Hills mansion. You can try to get in the front door. If that doesnt work, you can enter through the poolside bar, any one of twenty windows, or sneak in through the basement.

The second building is an underground concrete bunker. No windows. Only one door.

It would be a lot tougher to break into the concrete bunker, right? There is only one way in. Which means the owners can focus all their efforts on securing that one point.

This is also how it works in cyber-land. The more devices connected to a network, the larger its attack surface grows, making it easier for hackers to infiltrate the network. In short, each new device is a gateway where hackers can find vulnerabilities in and use it to wreak havoc on your system.

The Coronavirus Just Ripped Open Every Companys Virtual Defenses

Before the pandemic hit, employees who worked remotely were usually given special work laptops with beefed up security. For example, my friend works for the Irish tax authoritiesthe equivalent of the IRS. He often works from home, but under strict guidelines. He must use a dedicated work laptop and a separate, secure wi-fi connection.

He has to jump through multiple security hoops to even get past the welcome screen. For example, he must plug in a USB security stick to unlock work files. These measures make him difficultbut not impossibleto hack.

In short, this is the level of security needed to ward off hackers. The thing is, coronavirus has uprooted all our lives in many ways. And among the most visible disruptions is forcing hundreds of millions of Americans to work from home.

Every Companys Attack Surface Just Exploded

Practically every employee in every firm in America is working from a makeshift desk on their kitchen table. Firms only had days to cobble together remote work plans. So you can bet most didnt set up secure systems, like the one my friend is using. In fact, the vast majority of employees probably dont even have dedicated work laptops.

So hundreds of millions of folks are using personal laptopson unsecured home internet connectionsto access work files. Many of which likely contain confidential information and personal data.

This is a dream come true for cyber criminals . Hackers only need to gain access through one entry point to seize control of a whole network. Once theyre in they can steal data, secrets, and even lock you out of the network.

Hackers broke into the networks of Americas largest defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, by targeting remote workers. If they can infiltrate this system, you best believe remote workers with little security are easy pickings.

Its Only a Matter of Time Until The Largest Cyberattack in History Flashes Across Your Screen

In the past couple months, hackers have targeted the US Department of Health. And attacks against the World Health Organization have more than doubled.

These are only the hacks we know about. Cyber intelligence firm CYFIRMA revealed cyberthreats related to coronavirus shot up 600% from February to March. Its only a matter of time before we hear about a major cyber breach.

And That Means Now Is a Good Time to Bet on Cyber Stocks

Look, I hope Im dead wrong predicting that were about to see the biggest cyberattack in history. None of us want to see a big company or government taken down. Especially not when the world is fighting a deadly pandemic.

But remote workers are fertile ground for cyber criminals. The attack surface has never been wider, so a major cyberattack is baked in the cake. Fortunately, there is a proven pattern for making money from cyberattacks.

When major hacks hit the newswire, cyber stocks surge . Do you remember when news broke about the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal in early 2018? It sparked a huge run-up in cyber stocks. The largest cybersecurity ETF (CIBR) jumped 25% over the next six months:

This wasnt the first time a major hack sent cyber companies surging. In February 2015, US health insurer Anthem revealed 80-million personal records were stolen. Many cyber stocks jumped 30%+ over the next four months:

And we saw this same pattern again earlier this year. In January, the US military launched a missile attack that killed an Iranian general. Iran is a cyber superpower, and they vowed revenge by striking Americas digital networks. Some cyber stocks jumped as much as 30% in just six weeks!

In short, investors frantically buy cyber stocks after the major cyberattacks hit the headlines. But you want to be invested before the rest of the world piles in.

With the groundwork for the largest cyberattack in history being laid out as I type, I expect this pattern to repeat soon.

The Great Disruptors: 3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money"

Get my latest report where I reveal my three favorite stocks that will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries. Get your free copy here.

By Stephen McBride

http://www.riskhedge.com

 2020 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Governors should work closely with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, to engender better harmony in the daunting task of checking the pandemic, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

The President spoke during an online meeting Monday with the Governors Forum, a statement from a presidential media aide, Femi Adesina, on Monday, highlighted.

Mr Buhari, according to the statement, disclosing that the PTF had briefed him on next steps in the national response to the pandemic, said, and I have directed that they work very closely with the Governors.

The president said the pandemic was beyond technology, power, and resources, noting that countries that had all those, were recording highest casualties round the world.

We have to be very careful. We need to continue to educate and persuade the people to accept the reality of the situation, and do all that is necessary to stay safe, the president said.

The meeting also discussed economic and security issues, among others, with the governors commending the President on the leadership and direction he has given the country in combating COVID-19, the statement highlighted.

Mr Adesina, also in a short post via his verified twitter handle on Monday, said no presidential broadcast was planned.

He disclosed that rather than the expected broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.

No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.

No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.  Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) May 18, 2020

The latest developments negates the position of Aliyu Sani, the national coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Sunday.

READ ALSO:

Mr Aliyu while speaking on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics said Mr Buhari will address Nigerians on Monday.
In the article, author Hany Abdel Fattah reiterated that President Ho Chi Minh is among legendary historical figures in the 20th century, and under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the President, Vietnam has obtained great victories.

The Presidents leadership in the struggle for independence in Vietnam had a strong influence on revolutionary movements across the world, especially in Africa and Latin America, he remarked.

The Egyptian people have a great deal of respect and warm sentiments for the Vietnamese leader, the author wrote.
Police say a man went into a Wilkes-Barre convenience store on Sunday in an attempted robbery, held employees hostage and claimed to have a bomb strapped to himself, police told local media.

Police have identified 33-year-old Brandon Tracewski as the man who held up the Turkey Hill in the area of North Washington Street and George Avenue, the Citizens Voice reported. SWAT and the bomb squad swarmed the area, assisting for about an hour before Tracewski was taken into custody around 1 p.m. There were no injuries reported.

WBRE/WYOU-TV reported that Tracewski said he had a knife, with witnesses telling the station the suspect was in weird clothing, aggressively closed the door and locked it before taking the store over.

Tracewski barricaded himself inside the store, the Citizens Voice reported and told police he was strapped with a bomb.

Police negotiated with Tracewski until he surrendered himself, and the bomb squad cleared the building, the outlet reported.

The Citizens Voice reported Tracewski was charged with robbery, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats and theft. Online court dockets were not available with bail information late Sunday evening.

Read more on PennLive:
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Charitable and benevolent efforts of the Chinese community in Namibia are deepening people-to-people relations between the two countries.

At Shighuru village in Mashare constituency in Kavango east region, about 230 dwellers received household goods donated by the Chinese embassy and community in Namibia in the fight against COVID-19.

The donated items would avert the life challenges of locals, including food insecurity, mainly sparked by COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese businesswoman, Charlene Chen, who handed over the items on behalf of the Chinese embassy said that people in rural areas are also affected by the state of emergency regulations due to the outbreak of COVID-19; hence the donation.

"We aim to help the people in dire need during this period and ensure that they maintain good hygiene," she said.

"In that way, we also build and nurture relations," said Chen.

Augustinus Shifwaku, member of the Shighuru village development committee is a pleased man. For him, the Chinese philanthropic efforts generate significant interpersonal contact with Namibian people at the grassroots level that can further advance interactions and commercial activities.

"We also call on support towards the development of our agricultural activities such as fishing and horticulture in the areas," he said on Monday.

Bonifatius Wakudumo, governor of the Kavango East region said in times of need, the Chinese government never wavered, always willing to help.

According to Wakudumo, through aid, the presence of Chinese people amid locals breaks social barriers and create friendships.

"Beyond the items provided, efforts by the Chinese to engage with locals bring people of the two countries together, and embracing diversity and multiculturalism," he said.

Meanwhile, in the Oshikoto region in northern Namibia, China Jiangxi International in Namibia also contributed charitable efforts. The company donated 14 tons of food packages. Managing director of China Jiangxi in Namibia Zhuang Yan said that the aim is to give back to the local people and defeat COVID-19 through joint efforts.

The generosity of the Chinese company is seen as another milestone in strengthening ties between the people of China and Namibia. The donation is also seen as an unifier between the two parties.

Betty Kaula, the councillor for Guinas constituency in Oshikoto region commended China Jiangxi International for the donation.

"The donation heeds to unity and the goodwill of the Chinese people. Through such platforms, we get to know them and develop better relations. Not only is that, but united, we are bound to win together," she said.

Zhang Yiming, Chinese ambassador to Namibia, said that the Chinese government and people will continue to stand in solidarity with the Namibian brothers and sister in the fight against COVID-19.
Cornelia Street, Death By a Thousand Cuts and Cruel Summer are my top 3. The stripped down version of Cornelia Street she performed is sooo good and I wish the album version had less production.



Still cant believe Me exists. One of her worst songs, if not her worst song, of all time



Edited at 2020-05-18 07:41 pm (UTC)

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great taste! i cannot believe how good cruel summer is, still.

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Same. I pray it is the next single!

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Agreed! Also my 3 faves.

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Yes, these 3.

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Oh wow acoustic Cornelia Street really is so much better.

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Me! was just appalling lmao

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Cornelia Street sounds really good here, and I think her voice sounds a lot better than in the past.

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Agreed on your top 3! 

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replace Cornelia Street with Afterglow and I agree. but DBaTC is my favorite on the album period

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Worst song of all time? Change and Superman are right there?

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yas my favs also, but in different order: death by a thousand cuts, cruel summer, cornelia st. I also london boy lol oops

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Cornelia Street, Daylight, Cruel Summer are my top three, but I really relate to Soon Youll Get Better lately even though it makes me cry a lot.

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the acoustic versions of cornelia street and death by a thousand cuts are so good



still mad she never performed cruel summer cuz she was waiting to make it a single and now it probably won't be one

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ik it amazes me she can actually pull the dbatc bridge off lmao

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I had the same concern but also I have faith

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I haven't watch it yet but I guess they left out the older songs she performed at the concert and only aired the new ones? I wonder if it was her being spiteful or she wasn't allowed to.



Top 3 Lover songs are Cruel Summer, Afterglow, and The Archer which surprises me because I found it so boring when it came out. Most of the songs on the album just don't have that longevity that her older songs do.

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allegedly she wasn't allowed to use her old songs but who knows



the archer is so good!! i love how it builds and builds

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Me is such trash which is a shame because overall Lover is a good listen, imo.



My top 3 from the album are Cornelia Street, Paper Rings and Death By a Thousand Cuts.

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Me! could have been the Blank Space of the album if she'd done it right, it kills me.

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she has definitely performed it live at some point!

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Its soooooO cheesy but I love it, I play it all the time when Im alone in the car lol

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I like to sing to it because it makes you feel good when you get the lyrics right at the right beat, like the music just hits right sort of like rap music almost lol

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i love it too!

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I love that song too!

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i v embarrassedly like that song also lol

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and my top 4 are cruel summer, afterglow, dbatc, and cornelia street

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There were a few songs that I liked from this album but I really need her to answer for that Soros comment.

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I really need a live performance of cruel summer at some point!



I liked the show, I guess its the closest Ill get to Loverfest this year so its a nice holdover.

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i wish she'd do an online concert for charity but i guess this will have to do lol

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is there an acoustic/stripped down version of Cornelia Street without the audience singalong?



Edit: oh nvm I see they eventually lay off lol. I only made it like 20 seconds and they were singing along so I gave up.



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I still can't believe she released Me!

I honestly really enjoy Lover as a whole, but other than Lover I am not a fan of her single choices.



My favourites are Cruel Summer, Cornelia St, Afterglow, and DBATC.



I know it's cheesy as shit, but I also love to jam out to Paper Rings lmao

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mte to this entire comment. Paper Rings' pop rock sound makes it stand out. The MOON is hiiiigh like your friends were the night we met

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The Archer is nice and that's about it for me. This album overall was very mediocre. Red remains her best work.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RVwLR9tYNM there's this if you are strong enough!

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omg even Gorgeous from reputation was so much tolerable without the production

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My top 3 are

1. Cruel Summer (a St. Vincent co-write that shouldve been the lead single)

2. False God (I love her voice on this especially when she sings staring out the window like Im not your favorite town/Im New York City)

3. Its Nice To Have a Friend (it doesnt sound like anything shes done before and idk I really like it)



Also I was listening to my TS playlist and The Best Day and Soon Youll Get Better played back to back, so thats where Im at emotionally



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i loooove it's nice to have a friend, i wish she experimented with her music more

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yess i stan it's nice to have a friend so hard!

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A few Republican senators, notably Mitt Romney and Charles E. Grassley, have expressed varying degrees of disapproval of Mr. Trumps move. But on Sunday, Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, said: I understand it. I dont disagree with it.

He told CNN that he had spoken with White House and State Department officials about the matter. Im not crying big crocodile tears over this termination, lets put it that way, he said.

Since Mr. Pompeo took up his current post in April 2018, and for more than one year before that as the C.I.A. director, he has been peerless in his navigation of Mr. Trumps inner world of loyal advisers and domestic politics around foreign policy. While sticking close to Mr. Trump, he has weathered the impeachment process involving Ukraine, questions over the decision to kill a top Iranian general and the fraught diplomacy between the president and Kim Jong-un, the unpredictable leader of North Korea.

But the maelstrom of questions that began over the weekend could present a formidable challenge to Mr. Pompeos political instincts and career ambitions. People close to him say he is thinking of running for president in 2024. And more immediately, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has repeatedly urged him to run for an open Senate seat in Kansas  an important race given that the Republicans are at risk of losing control of the Senate in the November elections.

Mr. Pompeo knows the potential effect of a congressional investigation on a politicians career: As a Republican congressman, he helped lead the charge against Mrs. Clinton, then the secretary of state, over the deaths of four Americans at a mission in Benghazi, Libya, an issue that hounded her during the 2016 presidential campaign.

For Mr. Pompeo, the spotlight now falls on much more personal matters, including the role of his wife. Other secretaries of state have occasionally traveled with spouses, but some officials in the State Department say Mrs. Pompeo, a former bank executive, has played an unusually active role in running meetings and accompanying her husband on official business.

She has this quasi-official role, where my friends are called to meetings she is leading at the department, said Brett Bruen, a former career diplomat and director of global engagement on President Barack Obamas National Security Council. They know thats not supposed to happen, because she isnt in their chain of command. But what can they do?
Press Release

18 May 2020

Accor announces today that it has signed an agreement with a consortium of 5 banks for a new 560m Revolving Credit Facility (RCF). It complements the undrawn 1.2bn RCF signed in July 2018. It further reinforces Accor's liquidity position which today exceeds 4.0bn, i.e. more than 40 months under the current market conditions:

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2.5bn available cash at-hand as of end-March 2020

1.2bn RCF signed in July 2018 - undrawn

0.56bn as per the new RCF - undrawn

The new fully committed facility has a 12 months tenor, with two six-months extension options in the hands of Accor and has neither covenant nor restriction. It has been underwritten by the following 5 banks: BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole CIB, Credit Industriel et Commercial, Natixis and Societe Generale. This reflects the renewed trust of Accor's core banks its business profile and strong balance sheet.

As a reminder, Accor is implementing the cash preservation plan already announced, namely:

the suspension of share buyback programs;

the withdrawal of the dividend in respect of 2019;

the cost-saving measures implemented in end-March;

the reduction of recurring investments;

the suspension of external growth transactions.

In this context, while operations are still challenging, the Group sees initial signs of business improvement. In France, the lockdown relaxation and the measures announced by the government to support tourism in the country are favourable elements. RevPAR shows some recovery in China while the number of opened hotels in the world increases every day, in Asia and in Europe, notably in Germany. Accor has re-opened 250 hotels since end-April. To date, 42% of the Accor network is operating.
Dhaka, May 18 : The severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' may cross Bangladesh coast between late Tuesday night and Wednesday evening, the country's Met Department said on Monday.

The storm moved northwards and currently lies over the west central Bay and adjoining south Bay, The Daily Star newspaper quoted the latest special weather bulletin of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department as saying.

It was centred, at 6 a.m. on Monday, about 1,150 km south-southwest of Chattogram Port, 1,090 km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar Port, 1,070 km south-southwest of Mongla Port and 1,050 km south-southwest of Payra port, the bulletin said.

It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northwesterly direction and then re-curve north-northeast wards, it said.

Maximum sustained wind speed within 74 km of the storm centre is about 110 kph rising to 130 kph in gusts/squalls.

Sea will remain very high near the cyclone centre, the bulletin said.

Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local warning signal No. 4.

All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice, so that they can take shelter within a short notice.

They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea.

The India Meteorological Department on Monday issued a cyclone alert for West Bengal and north Odisha coasts as the extremely severe cyclonic storm was over the central parts of the South Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Everyones favorite hand sanitizer may have to stand trial for claiming it can stop you from getting sick.

A trio of lawsuits has hit Purells maker, Gojo Industries Inc., since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency on Jan. 30. The coveted alcohol gel doesnt live up to its promises, according to the suits.

The litigation is brewing as U.S. states begin to ease their social-distancing lockdowns  and as employers, preparing to greet anxious returning workers and customers, are desperate for the germ-killing liquid. Gojo, of Akron, Ohio, is already working round the clock to meet the demand for its star product, which has been a rare sight on store shelves in the past few months.

The consumers in the three suits Gojo faces are asking to represent nationwide classes of Purell purchasers who say they were misled by boasts that the product prevents illness by killing germs. The suits, filed in federal courts in Los Angeles and New York, seek orders barring the company from making unsubstantiated health claims, plus unspecified payments. A federal judge in Brooklyn is holding a status conference by phone on June 25.

Gojo said the complaints pending against it are without merit. Three other suits against the company were withdrawn without explanation.

The suits follow a warning letter to Gojo from the Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 17, days before the first coronavirus infection in the U.S. was announced. The letter faulted the company for saying on its websites that Purell is effective in preventing infection by Ebola, MRSA, norovirus, flu, the fungus Candida auris and VRE, a drug-resistant bacterium. The FDA also said Gojo made unsupported assertions that Purell can reduce student and teacher absenteeism due to contagious illnesses.

The FDA letter was not related to the safety or quality of our products, or our manufacturing processes, Gojo said in a statement in January. Our products can and should continue to be used as part of good hand hygiene practice, to reduce germs.

Gojo has made changes to its website and social media platforms in response to the warning, it said.

Companies are allowed to make general, even grandiose, promises about the superiority of their products, said John Sullivan, a lawyer with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. But a company cant make more specific claims unless theyre  well, true.

Sullivan pointed to the 2003 Christmas movie Elf, in which the naive Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, takes a sign that says Worlds Best Cup of Coffee literally.

You did it! Congratulations! the man-size elf shouts joyously at puzzled coffee shop employees. Worlds Best Cup of Coffee. Great job, everybody!

Thats legally permissible fluff, said Sullivan. What isnt legal is to claim, for example, that the coffee is 99.9% made from beans harvested in Colombia if it isnt.

Consumer demand for hand sanitizer has skyrocketed on fears of the virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people use sanitizers that are at least 60% alcohol, such as Purell and Vi-Jon Inc.s Germ-X, when soap and water arent available, and Americans have been furiously stockpiling the stuff.

Sales of hand sanitizer were up 239% in the week that ended March 28 from the same period a year earlier, and up 378% in the week that ended May 2, according to data from market research firm Nielsen.

The products are almost out of stock at many mass retailers, with rampant price-gouging on Amazon and EBay. In some cases, vendors raised the price of a two-pack of two-ounce Purell bottles, which normally sells for $10, to $400. Dwindling inventories have even prompted consumers to produce their own sanitizers from vodka or rubbing alcohol.

Now its up to the judges to decide whether one or more of the cases can go forward as class actions, on behalf of many consumers, rather than just for the handful of plaintiffs.

Kay Van Wey, a Dallas lawyer who represents people harmed by medical malpractice and defective drugs, called class actions a good consumer safety tool.

Individuals are able to band together to call out deceptive or fraudulent business practices, Van Wey said. Even though each individual consumer may not have incurred large damages, the collective damages usually amount to a figure that makes it unprofitable for corporations to profit off of their deceit.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Scores of medics turned their backs on Sophie Wilmes during a hospital visit in protest at the Belgian prime ministers handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Wilmes made an unofficial visit at Saint-Pierre Hospital in the Marollen district of Brussels on Saturday in an attempt to relieve tensions with healthcare workers, who are unhappy with how the government is dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

In a video widely shared online, Wilmess official motorcade can be seen approaching the hospital. The road leading up to the hospital is lined with doctors and nurses, with each one slowly turning their backs in silent protest as Wilmess black Mercedes passes by.

Workers at the hospital staged the protest to call for increased acknowledgement of their efforts during the pandemic, which has so far claimed over 9,000 lives in Belgium, with a further 55,000 confirmed cases, according to official figures.

Belgium has the worst coronavirus mortality rate in the world, having recorded 66 deaths per 100,000 people.

Recommended Why Belgium has the highest coronavirus death rate in the world

For comparison, the mortality rate in the US is thought to be about 19 in 100,000.

Ms Wilmes said on Saturday that she wanted to bring a message of appeasement to hospital staff, according to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, adding that she did not want to see a post-coronavirus period where the nursing sector was reduced to what it was before.

The Belgian premier visited a second hospital on Saturday although she didn't appear to face any opposition while there.

It came after the signing into law of a royal decree on 4 May that allowed unqualified staff to undertake nursing duties during the pandemic.

Medics from over a dozen hospitals in Brussels and Wallonia  a region in the south of the country  have written to the government to express their concerns over the decree, the Brussels Times reported.

Nurses said they were outraged by the decree which was prepared by federal health minister Maggie De Block. Nurses are calling for the decree to be repealed, saying that it disregards the skill and training needed to work as a nurse.

The General Union of Belgian Nurses (GUBN) backed the calls from its members, casting doubt on a claim in the decree suggesting that nurses skills were easily transferrable to other healthcare professionals.

The GUBN earlier this month said that the decree amounted to a real slap in the face for health professions, saying that it undermined the work taken on during the crisis.

Officials are set to reopen markets, museums and schools this week following a two-month lockdown aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Monday created a sand art on cyclone 'Amphan' which is going to hit the coast of Bay of Bengal on Monday evening. In his sand art, Sudarsan Pattnaik urged Indians to 'not panic and stay safe.' In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the Home Ministry has said that 'Amphan' was spotted on Monday morning over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal. It has been moving nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST on Monday. The storm is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm by Monday evening.

Read: Cyclone Amphan Forecast To Intensify Into 'super Cyclone'; PM Modi To Chair NDMA Meeting

My SandArt at Puri sea beach in #Odisha with message Stay safe & Dont panic  #CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/uhcQHQePi8  Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) May 18, 2020

Read: Mother's Day: Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Salutes All Mothers Working On Frontline

PM to hold review meeting with NDMA & MHA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to chair a high-level meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to review the situation around cyclone 'Amphan' on Monday. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the cyclonic storm 'Amphan' is likely to intensify into a super cyclone within the next 24 hours and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts. Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that the meeting will be held at 4 pm on Monday with the NDMA and the MHA. PM Modi is the chairman of the NDMA.

Read: COVID-19: Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Salutes Doctors, Nurses & All Health Workers

Read: Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik Pays Tribute To 'hero Of Million Hearts' Rishi Kapoor
China has imposed an extraordinary tariff on Australian barley exports as apparent punishment for Scott Morrison's push for a coronavirus inquiry.

The Australian Prime Minister in April demanded an independent probe into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation's handling of the crisis.

In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135billion from the Australian economy.

After weeks of threatening to boycott the meat and barley industries and restrict travel and foreign education opportunities, China on Monday announced an 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports starting on Tuesday.

Beijing claims Australia subsidised its farmers and dumped barley in China. The tax will remain in place for five years, China's Ministry of Commerce said.

The tariff is set to cripple Australia's drought-affected grain farmers.

Australia is the biggest barley supplier to China, exporting about A$1.5 billion to A$2 billion worth a year, which is more than half its exports.

The move came just hours after Chinese president Xi Jinping told a virtual session of the World Health Assembly his country would support an independent probe into the origins of the outbreak - but only when the pandemic is over.

China announced a whopping 80.5% levy on barley exports starting May 19. Pictured is a barley farmer in central west NSW

Australia's Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham on Monday night denied Australia had subsidised or dumped barley in China.

'Australia is deeply disappointed with China's decision to impose duties on Australian barley,' Mr Birmingham said in a statement.

China's Ministry of Commerce released their own statement saying: 'There was a subsidy for imported barley originating in Australia, the domestic barley industry was substantially damaged, and there was a causal relationship between the subsidy and the actual damage.'

Mr Birmingham responded by stating: 'We reject the basis of this decision and will be assessing the details of the findings while we consider next steps.

'We reserve all rights to appeal this matter further and are confident that Australian farmers are among the most productive in the world, who operate without government subsidy of prices.'

Australia may now look toward supplying the produce to Saudi Arabia, a government source said.

'There aren't many alternative markets. It could be sold to Saudi Arabia, but it will be heavily discounted to what Australian farmers could have received by selling to China,' said the source, who didn't want to be named.

Mr Birmingham also confirmed Australia had expanded a trade agreement with Indonesia recently and had other potential buyers for produce.

By contrast, China - the world's top barley importer - will simply shift purchasing to other key producers, including France, Canada, Argentina and some smaller European exporters.

'It's very replaceable,' said Andries De Groen, managing director at Germany headquartered barley trader Evergrain.

A coalition of 62 nations will support Australia's call for an independent probe into the origins of coronavirus

Australia was the first nation to call for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic, angering China, and prompting veiled trade threats from China's Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye (pictured)

The tariffs come amid deteriorating relations between Canberra and Beijing, which have been exacerbated by the push for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

But the Chinese foreign ministry insisted the new policies are not related to the inquiry, and are instead a reflection of an 18-month anti-dumping investigation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to the coronavirus probe on Monday night, hours before the tariffs were imposed.

He said he would only support the inquiry after the pandemic has been brought under control globally.

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review.

'China supports a comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the epidemic after the global epidemic is under control, to sum up experiences and remedy deficiencies,' the Communist leader said during a virtual meeting.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent inquiry into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis

'This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO; and the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld.'

Mr Jinping reiterated Beijing's defence of its actions when the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in the country.

It is widely accepted that the virus first spread from a wet food market in Wuhan, though some people believe the virus may have leaked from a nearby science lab.

Calling the pandemic 'the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two', Mr Jinping said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.

'We have turned the tide on the virus,' he said.

Australia's export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement

Xi also said China would stump up $US2 billion ($A3.1 billion) over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries.

The shock announcement comes after the nation threatened to cripple Australia's economy while Mr Morrison demanded a probe.

China's state-controlled media and trade experts warned Beijing's boycott could extend beyond beef and barley, with iron ore - worth $63billion a year to Australia's economy - potentially next in line.

But 62 nations on Sunday pledged their support to the inquiry, including the entire 27-member European Union along with New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, India, Canada, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

There are currently 4.8million known coronavirus cases worldwide, of which 317,215 are dead, 2.6million sick and 1.8million recovered.

A worker in protective suit takes body temperature measurement of a woman in China

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review. Pictured L-R US President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, China's President Xi Jinping, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a G20 Summit meeting in 2019

Industry hits back at China following tariffs The chief executive of Grain Producers Australia, Andrew Weidermann, says farmers are not scared to cut ties with China. He said while he hopes the two nations will come to a dually beneficial agreement, the industry will always find a way to survive. 'We want to negotiate on this with China and continue to do business,' he told The Australian. 'But if they slam the door in our face, we have to consider not doing business in China.' Advertisement

The Global Times newspaper, a mouthpiece for the communist government, suggested China could easily turn to Brazil for iron ore and other commodities - and did not need Australian exports.

This week China hinted at the tariff on Australian barley - and suspended imports of Australian beef from four major suppliers.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce told the Seven Network last Monday 'this is a case of payback.'

But Mr Morrison said China had not linked barley tariffs to a COVID-19 inquiry and said it would be 'extremely disappointing' if they were used as an act of retribution.

'It's an anti-dumping issue from their perspective. They certainly haven't raised it as connected to other issues. I would be extremely disappointed if it was,' he told reporters in Canberra.

'There's no reason for me to think based on the way that they're approaching it that I could draw that conclusion.'

Dumping is when a country exports a product unfairly cheaply to permeate a foreign market, with producers often subsidised by the government.

Australia contests the claims and is prepared to take China to the World Trade Organisation to fight against the tariffs.

'That's what the umpire is there for and that's what we would test if we feel aggrieved that our position hasn't been properly accepted or understood,' Agriculture Minister David Littleproud previously said.

One third of Australia's exports - including iron ore, gas, coal and food - go to China, bringing in around $135billion per year.

The four meatworks which have been impacted account for more than a third of Australian beef exports.

China had up until this point ignored Australia's attempts to discuss trade tensions over beef and barley imports.

Pictured: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Australian relations with China have been heavily strained since Scott Morrison - among with other world leaders - began pushing for a global inquiry into coronavirus. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

AMBASSADOR'S ECONOMIC THREAT TO AUSTRALIA In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Ambassador Cheng slammed Australia's push for a global inquiry as 'political' and warned Chinese consumers could boycott the country. Answering a question about whether China could boycott Australian iron ore or gas, Mr Cheng instead focused on China's contribution to Australia's agriculture, tourism and education sectors. Mr Cheng said: 'I think if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think why we should go to such a country while it's not so friendly to China. 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to. 'So it's up to the public, the people to decide. And also, maybe the ordinary people will think why they should drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef.' Advertisement

Mr Birmingham confirmed his Chinese counterpart had not responded to requests for talks to end the diplomatic row.

'We have not secured said meeting yet. I would hope that would be forthcoming,' he told parliament last week.

A separate article in the Global Times discouraged Chinese citizens from doing business with Australia.

'It now seems necessary to advise Chinese people and companies to watch out for potential risks when it comes to doing business with or studying in Australia,' the opinion article said.

Last month the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started.

The World Health Assembly (pictured: 2019) meets once a year where health ministers from 194 member states set WHO policy. This year 62 nations will back Australia's call for a probe
(TNS)  Oklahoma could launch a pilot program to conduct marijuana breathalyzer tests to determine if people are driving under the influence.Oklahomas Legislature passed legislation last week to require the Department of Public Safety use $300,000 to pay for a medical marijuana pilot program to test out marijuana breathalyzers.Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, said Oklahoma could be one of the first states in the nation to use this new technology.We have a lot of problems when it comes to medical marijuana and DUI laws and determining impairment, he said.There are few accurate roadside tools to determine marijuana impairment.Law enforcement can test for marijuana use using a blood, urine or hair sample, but the substance can be detected days after it was consumed.Right now, we don't really have a lot of roadside testing options for drug screening," said Joshua Smith, director of the Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence. Most of those things are going to fall into a blood test or drug recognition expert doing an evaluation and giving an opinion.Field sobriety tests can reliably detect drug impairment, Smith said.Yet for medical marijuana patients, who use frequently, it can be hard to pinpoint if that person is high or whether the cannabis in their system is from days earlier, Fetgatter said. Hound Labs in California has pioneered a breathalyzer test that can test a persons breath for THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana that gives the high feeling. The breathalyzers would be able to determine if a person had consumed cannabis in the past few hours, which many consider the peak impairment window.Under the pilot program, the results of a THC breathalyzer test would not be admissible in a court of law, Fetgatter said.The Department of Public Safety will be required to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the pilot program.Participation should be voluntary and test results should not be used in a punitive manner, Fetgatter said. He envisioned the breathalyzer units being spread among law enforcement in rural and urban areas and among local police, sheriffs and state troopers.Its kind of a trial program to make sure the system works," said Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow. Ideally, the state would be able to collect data from the program and then report the findings back to the Legislature, he said.A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety said it could take up to a year for the pilot program to get off the ground because the agency will want to see if other states have done similar pilot programs, come up with rules and may have to bid out the work.We have to research this and put together a program, said spokeswoman Sarah Stewart. House Bill 4161 awaits action from Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Tehran's Booming Stock Market Begins To Run Out Of Steam

Radio Farda May 17, 2020

Despite a drop of more than 90,000 points in the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) index in the past few days, the CEO of TSE announced that investors have not withdrawn funds from the stock market.

In early trading on May 16, the TSE's benchmark TEDPIX index lost more than 32,000 points, falling well below one million points. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, it also dropped and returned to below one million with a decrease of 30,000 points each day. In the last trading days, the market has lost close to 9 percent.

However, the Director-General of the TSE, Ali Sahraei, said investors were waiting to buy stocks at better prices.

"As the stock market index is booming, it is natural for some to identify opportunities to make profit, take advantage and sell their stocks after pocketing gains," Sahraei said.

Meanwhile, he denied reports that the TSE was experiencing a bubble. However, in the past one year, TSE index has risen close to 200 percent amid a deep economic recession and a grim outlook for the country's economy battered by U.S. sanctions and an almost total loss of oil exports.

One reason for the steady rise in Tehran's stock market is lack of other profit-making investments amid the recession and the governments discounted offering of state-owned companies.

Citing a capital market expert, Alireza Tajbar, the Islamic Republic's official news agency, IRNA, reports that the market's current negative trend will not continue much, and the stock market index soon will return to its original trend after a 10% correction.

The total index of the TSE registered 1.02 million points on May 9.

Nevertheless, in a note for Radio Farda, Paris-based Iranian economist Jamshid Asadi argued on May 8 that the current rise in the market has created a typical bubble.

"As long as the government increases the volume of trade by privatizing more public companies and raises the stock market index, it can postpone the bubble burst", Asadi wrote.

Another Paris-based Iranian economist Professor Fereydoun Khavand has also warned in a note that the current state of capital attraction in the TSE is a dangerous game played with government support.

Many more experts have warned in recent days of the consequences of "millions of people, often inexperienced" deciding to flock to the stock market.

Meanwhile, the head of Iran's Stock Exchange and Securities Organization called on the people to invest only their "surplus" money in the stock market and not to risk money they need for necessities.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/tehran-s- booming-stock-market-begins-to-run- out-of-steam/30616107.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.

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David Chance asks the questions that matter - and answers them - as Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron try to push through a deal to battle impact of pandemic.

Germany and France have struck a deal that aims to provide 500bn in funding for the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

It is hoped that the funding will contribute towards bridging the gap between hardline northern states, such as the Netherlands, and the demands for debt mutualisation from countries such as Italy, who have been hit hard.

The fund was agreed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. It will now be put to a full vote of the bloc's member states and to national parliaments, so there is a possibility that it could still fail.

Who will get the money and who will pay?

The funds will be paid on the basis of the financing needs of member states, so the likes of Italy and Spain will get more cash, while the payment ratio will be set according to the amounts each country pays into the EU budget.

It will borrow from capital markets on behalf of the entire EU and the fund will be managed by the Commission.

Irish Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, had previously backed Coronabonds, so the Government here will be happy to endorse the plan. The State's net contribution to the EU budget is around 700m.

Expand Close German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a joint video news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, Germany, May 18, 2020. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a joint video news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, Germany, May 18, 2020. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via REUTERS

Are we all on the hook for Italy's debt?

What sets this arrangement apart from other plans is that the debt will not count towards that of individual states. That is a major departure and it will provide real help to those countries that have been hit hardest.

However, it is still short of full mutualisation, it is time-limited and specific, and so does not represent a first move towards a "fiscal union", which is feared by some northern countries.

What is the market view? Will it work?

It took a virtual press briefing from Europe's most powerful duo to get the proposals out of the starting blocks. The hope is that, with the reputations of Merkel and Macron behind it, the plan can overcome objections on both sides.

If the reaction of financial markets are any guide, this deal came as a major surprise, and a positive one at that, with yields on Italian 10-year bonds falling by 20 basis points to 1.68pc.
The Tennessee-based Life Care has said that no amount of preparation could have kept the virus at bay and that administrators worked early and often with health authorities to contain the spread of infection.

Since the outbreak in Kirkland, Washington, the privately owned company with more than 200 nursing homes has seen at least 2,000 cases and 250 deaths among residents and staff, according to a Post tally of state data and local media accounts. Five Life Care nursing homes have experienced outbreaks of 100 or more cases.

There is no comprehensive national data available to determine whether the rate of infections and deaths at Life Care facilities is higher than at other chains  or how often other chains have been cited for violations after the pandemic began. Nursing homes across the country have been hit particularly hard: About 1 in 4 have reported at least one case of the coronavirus, according to a Post analysis.

Around the country, even nursing homes with strong track records have publicly reported cases of COVID-19, which is particularly lethal among the elderly.
The met office says Amphan could intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm within 12 hours over central parts of South Bay of Bengal.



Well, the comes at a time when the country is already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.



The said that it was ready to undertake massive evacuation of 1.1 million people likely to be hit by it.



Odisha Chief Minister has directed officials to prepare a plan for relocating people living in vulnerable areas to safer places along with an early restoration of water supply and power infrastructure. The state has set a zero casualty target.

As the storm rolls in towards the Indian shores ominously, the is likely to unleash heavy rain and high-velocity winds in large swathes of coastal Odisha, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.



Twelve coastal Odisha districts  Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khorda and Nayagarh  are on high alert



also warned that the high-velocity winds may cause extensive damage to mud houses and partial damage to 'pucca' structures.



The winds may also lead to bending or uprooting of power and communication poles, minor disruption of railways and may affect overhead power lines and signalling systems and also cause widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, the said.



To review arising cyclone situation, PM Narendra Modi to chair high-level meeting with MHA, NDMA at 4 pm Monday.



Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that northern parts of Odisha are likely to be more affected due to the cyclone.



Coastal districts like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore are likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds, particularly on May 19 and 20, he said.



Home Secretary Alapan Bandopdhyay said the entire state machinery was prepared to deal with the situation. management teams are being sent to cyclone shelters in coastal areas, and other places likely to be affected.

Around 50 boats of fishermen have been damaged in Rameswaram following the thunderstorm and rainfall which hit parts of the state last night.



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



The cyclone is likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands in Bengal and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh on May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm, Regional MeT Director in Kolkata G K Das said.



Seven teams have been deployed in six districts of - South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly. According to Ministry of Home Affairs, the cyclone will make a landfall in West Bengal on Wednesday.



Odisha has managed cyclonic storms better since a super cyclone in October 1999 killed almost ten thousand people.

In Odisha, 10 teams have been deployed in seven districts. 15 ODRAF units have also been pre-positioned in the coastal districts of the state. One team of NDRF consists of around 45 personnel.



About the large number of migrants returning to Odisha from other states, many of them on foot, personnel at border checkposts have been asked to take appropriate steps keeping the cyclone situation in mind.
Taxi and auto rickshaw drivers on Tuesday held a protest against the delay in the distribution of Rs 5,000 aid to driver communities nearly two weeks after the Karnataka state government announced the scheme.

Leaders of the various taxi and auto rickshaw drivers association sat in front of the the entrance to the office of the Tarnsport Commissioner in Shantinagar and held a mock 'pooja' as 'last rites' for the scheme.

"It has been 11 days since the state government announced that Rs 5,000 financial aid will be given to drivers but there are no indication that we will get it. We are protesting against the state government's false promise," said Tanveer Pasha, leader of an Ola and Uber drivers union.

Pasha alleged that though the state government announced that 7.75 lakh drivers in Karnataka will get the aid, only Rs 20 crore has been released as yet.

Though lockdown rules restrict protests and gatherings, drivers said lack of employment and earnings has pushed them to the edge.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  MetroHealth is projecting an uptick in new coronavirus cases as Ohio eases its stay-at-home order and reopens businesses, but that increase will not overwhelm hospitals if social distancing is maintained, according to data released Monday.

MetroHealths latest projections show COVID-19 infections will inevitably rise as Ohio residents increase person-to-person contact over the next several weeks, peaking near 900 new cases per day by the end May. Ohio reported more than 500 new COVID-19 cases during Mondays daily coronavirus briefing.

If businesses and the public take precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus, though, new cases will gradually decline to fewer than 200 per day by the end of June, according to MetroHealths modeling. Ohio residents must continue to maintain six feet of distance between themselves and others, wear cloth face masks and wash or sanitize their hands often, MetroHealth President and CEO Dr. Akram Boutros said.

What is clearly important is we must maintain the good lessons weve learned through this, Boutros said Monday. It would be foolhardy and a waste of everybodys efforts and time, and all the things weve gone through to control this virus, to go back to freewheeling contact with everyone else."

MetroHealths modeling says Ohio residents have reduced person-to-person contact by 65 to 80 percent over the last few months. Even after the stay-at-home order is lifted and businesses re-opened, MetroHealth projects Ohio residents will reduce person-to-person contact by 35 to 50 percent, Boutros said.

Social distancing has dramatically slowed the rate of new infections in Ohio, according to MetroHealth. One months ago, new infections were doubling every 9.6 days in Ohio and every 16.8 days in Cuyahoga County. New infections are now doubling every 30.6 days in Ohio and every 27.6 days in Cuyahoga County.

Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths are also trending down over the last three weeks, Boutros said.

MetroHealths model projects a series of peaks and valleys, resembling a mountain range instead of a traditional bell curve. Those peaks are not intended to be exact estimates; instead, they illustrate that clusters of cases, like an outbreak at a jail or nursing home.

Those clusters continue to be the driving force of new infections, Boutros said. Data released last month showed Ohios prisons accounted for nearly one of every four infections throughout the state. And last week, statistics showed nursing homes accounted for 44 percent of all coronavirus deaths in Ohio.

Last month, MetroHealths first projections for the coronavirus in Ohio predicted a peak near 2,500 new COVID-19 cases per day toward the end of April. Before then, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton had used models from the Cleveland Clinic and the Ohio State Universitys Infectious Diseases Institute to project the state could see as many as 10,000 new cases per day at the peak of the outbreak. The next day, the state revised its projections to a peak near 1,600 new cases per day.

Boutros said its too early for MetroHealths model to predict coronavirus cases in the fall. Many public health experts have predicted a second wave of infections later this year, coinciding with the start of the flu season. Boutros noted that models become less reliable after an initial 45-day outlook, but said MetroHealth is looking to Australia, which is currently experiencing its fall season, for guidance.

The more data we get from those countries and the more data we get from how our situation is progressing, the better we will be, Boutros said. But I think a six-week predictive model is sufficient for us to prepare [for a second peak]."

Read more cleveland.com stories:

MetroHealth projects coronavirus social-distancing measures have significantly lowered Ohios peak

Ohios latest projections for coronavirus outbreak shift dramatically to peak near 1,600 cases per day in April

Ohio has been better at social distancing than coronavirus models anticipated, Gov. Mike DeWine says
Paris: French nurses and doctors faced off with President Emmanuel Macron at a leading Paris hospital on Friday, demanding better pay and a rethink of a once-renowned public health system that found itself quickly overwhelmed by tens of thousands of coronavirus patients.

French President Macron on a visit to the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in February. Credit:AP

"We are desperate. We no longer believe in you," said a nurse who confronted Macron at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, saying she's using a long-expired surgical mask. "We are the shame of Europe."

"That's not true," the president countered - but he could barely get a word in as medics peppered him with grievances. Apparently anticipating such tensions and fearing they could further hurt Macron's image, the president's office didn't allow a single video, photo or radio reporter on the visit.

Macron acknowledged mistakes in reforming the national hospital system, which has faced decades of cost cuts, leaving medical facilities in one of the world's richest countries short of staff, masks and breathing machines needed to fight the virus crisis.
Popular social media commentator, Reno Omokri has come out to advise ladies that money doesnt make a suitor suitable.

According to the popular commentator, material gifts should never blind ladies to the warning signs about the suitors attitude.

Read Also: Youre A Complete Idiot  Ubi Franklins 4th Baby Mama Tells Omokri

Speaking via his official Twitter handle, he concluded by saying no amount of gifts can compensate for domestic abuse when they finally get married.

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He wrote, Dear ladies, Do not let the material gifts a suitor gives you to blind you to the warning signs about his attitude. Chocolates, perfumes, cars and even houses cant compensate for blows to your face and body. Money doesnt make a suitor suitable!
Travelling to Wales is still not an option  stay away, say police and Welsh ministers

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

North Wales Police and the Welsh Government are urging the public to stick to the stay-at-home coronavirus regulations that remain firmly in place in Wales.

Following the announcement that the Welsh Government-imposed restrictions will continue in Wales for a further three weeks, police forces across Wales are continuing to urge the public to follow government advice and remain committed to the national effort to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

Campsites, outdoor activities and tourist attractions, together with many popular footpaths and beauty spots, such as Snowdon, remain closed to the public to keep people safe and protect the NHS.

Changes made to the law in England, allowing people to go out for open-air recreation do not apply in Wales.

In Wales, the stay-at-home rules have been relaxed to remove the once-a-day restriction on exercise. All exercise must be done locally.

Residents outside of Wales are being reminded that the travel restrictions lifted in England do not apply here. This means travelling into Wales for leisure purposes is still not possible.

In Wales, the stay-at-home rules have been relaxed to remove the once-a-day restriction on exercise. However exercise must be done locally.

The Welsh Governments Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates is issuing this important reminder to anyone considering travelling to Wales.

Wherever we live, we are all facing the threat of coronavirus. Our message in Wales remains very clear. Please stay at home, he said.

This goes against our normal welcoming nature, but for now please dont visit.

We want nothing more than to welcome visitors to enjoy our wonderful scenery and attractions but to protect our NHS and keep people safe as we deal with coronavirus, please stay home and stay local.

Lifting restrictions now would risk increasing spread of the virus, which could endanger more lives and cause longer term disruption and hardship for our tourist industry.

If you travel a significant distance for leisure purposes into Wales or within Wales you risk being stopped by the police and fined under Welsh law. Dont put yourself and others at risk, and for now please dont visit.

I look forward to giving you all a very different message in the near future. I look forward to saying croeso  welcome  to you all, but not now  later.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: Whilst minor amendments were made to the legislation in Wales the message to our communities remains consistent.

The vast majority of people have followed the guidance to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives and I echo the plea of colleagues in Welsh Government and the health service for everyone to continue to do so.

We want to make it clear that Welsh Government legislation is applicable here and our local communities should be adhering to the rules outlined in them.

Over the bank holiday weekend officers dealt with several incidents whereby people had travelled unreasonable distances into north Wales.

T/ACC Harrison added: Our tourist attractions, parts of the national park, pubs, restaurants, cafes, caravan, holiday parks and campsites all remain closed.

Travelling into Wales for exercise or without a reasonable excuse is not permitted, and the sooner we can slow the spread of the virus the sooner we can welcome people back here.

Increasing the population of our area will place an unreasonable burden on our NHS and other key workers who are working hard to ensure the safety of everyone.

Those visiting the mountains of Snowdonia or our coastal areas also need to realise that they could potentially be risking the lives of our Mountain Rescue and RNLI volunteers should they get into difficulties.

T/ACC Harrison added: The restrictions in Wales remain and people should not think of ways of circumventing the law and the police should not be needed to reinforce common sense.

Focussing on what might result in a fine misses the point of why weve been asked to stay at home; to prevent the virus spreading and save peoples lives  including your own or those of your loved ones.

We also continue to urge holiday home owners not to travel to their properties for the time being. This is not essential travel. Please stay in your primary residence.

We will be operating in a very visible way on our road networks and in towns and villages ensuring that people are complying with the restrictions.

The mountains, beaches and countryside will be here when this is over for us all to enjoy and everyone will look forward to welcoming visitors back once it is safe again to do so. Until then please stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.

North Wales Police are also urging members of the public not to contact the control room to ask for guidance relating to the regulations. Further information and guidance is available via the Welsh Governments website.
A memorial for Const. Heidi Stevenson outside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Headquarters, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 20, 2020.

John Morris/Reuters

Misogyny could be investigated as a key aspect in the Nova Scotia mass shooting after a former neighbor revealed the gunman's history of domestic violence and weapon possession.

Brenda Forbes said that shooter Gabriel Wortman  who committed the worst mass shooting in Canada's history  had a reputation in the rural town of Portapique for being violent and intimidating.

Wortman had been seen on numerous occasions assaulting and beating his partner, who was too afraid to come forward to police as she feared repercussions.

But when Forbes went to police to report the domestic violence and Wortman's possession of illegal weapons, no firm action was taken.

A month after the mass shooting, activists are saying that police ignored "red flags" that could have prevented the killings and that they were fuelled by misogyny.

Research has shown that many male perpetrators of mass shootings have a history of hating women and domestic violence.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A former neighbor of the gunman who killed 22 people in Canada's worst mass shooting said she reported his violence against women and possession of illegal firearms to police years ago  but was ignored.

It's been four weeks since Gabriel Wortman went on a 12-hour shooting spree in the rural town of Portapique in Nova Scotia before he was shot dead by police, in what became the country's deadliest mass shooting in modern history.

According to police, Wortman restrained and beat his partner in the hours before his killing spree, but she managed to survive by fleeing into nearby woods.

Activists have since criticized public authorities for not taking the reports of domestic abuse seriously and have demanded the mass shooting be recognized as femicide.

Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, the founders of Persons against Non-State Torture who have worked closely with people involved in the case, believe that misogyny and domestic violence helped fuel Wortman's murderous rampage, yet officials overlooked the warning signs.

Story continues

"The science says that mass shootings are connected to male violence against women but the police are denying in a public press conference that there is misogyny in this case, even though there was a report that the shooter beat his partner...but what would you call it then?" MacDonald told Business Insider.

The new evidence emerged after Brenda Forbes, who used to live next to Wortman, told the Canadian Broadcasting Cooperation (CBC) that her 51-year-old neighbor was known in the community for being violent and intimidating.

Forbes, who is a veteran of the Canadian Forces, said she first became aware of Wortman's domestic violence in the early 2000s when his common-law partner approached her for help.

"She ran to my house and said Gabriel was beating on her and she had to get away. She was afraid," Forbes told CBC.

Forbes said that she advised her neighbor to report his violence to the police but recalled how Wortman's partner was terrified of repercussions.

She also described one particular incident in 2013, when Wortman was seen "strangling" and "beating" his girlfriend behind one of his properties.

Three male witnesses, who saw the attack unfold, did not want to come forward to the police, fearing Wortman would retaliate against them.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) pack up after the search for Gabriel Wortman in Great Village, Nova Scotia, Canada April 19, 2020.

John Morris/Reuters

Following the incident, Forbes called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) herself but said she was left feeling frustrated after no action was taken.

"From what I got from the RCMP, because [the partner] would not put in a complaint, as she was scared to death, they basically said, 'There's not much we can do. We can monitor him but there's not much else we can do,'" she added.

Forbes' husband, who also served in the Canadian Forces, told CBC that he remembers Wortman showing him his weapon collection, which included a pistol and a rifle. This was also reported to the police, though nothing was done.

"He knew I had weapons, being in the military, so he was always one of those guys who had to show others that whatever they had, he had something better," George Forbes said. Police later said that Wortman did not have a license for any of the weapons he used in the attack.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 20, 2020.

Blair Gable/Reuters

The couple moved away in 2014, mainly out of a growing fear of Wortman's violent and unpredictable behavior.

Six years later  on April 18  Wortman went on to kill 22 people in a 12-hour shooting rampage in which he impersonated a police officer, set fire to several homes, and attacked his victims randomly.

In the weeks following the attack, Candian police have been using "psychological autopsy" a method that involves in-depth interviews with friends, family, and witnesses  to investigate the motives of the gunman, according to the Guardian.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced on May 1 that he would be banning assault-style weapons in the country.

But activists in Nova Scotia are critical of how the case was handled by police, saying that Forbes' experience is "proof all the red flags were ignored."

Many mass shooters have a history of violence against women

Research has shown that while the motivation of men who commit mass shootings are often very complex, one common thread connects many of them  a history of hating women and domestic violence.

A 2018 Everytown for Gun Safety report revealed that in at least 54% of mass shootings, the perpetrator also shot a current or former intimate partner or family member.

Alek Minassian, who killed 10 people in 2018 by driving a rental van into a crowd in Toronto, admitted to police that he was a violent misogynist who was radicalized online, according to the Guardian.

In the US, the gunman of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando reportedly beat his wife and verbally abused her regularly. The perpetrator in Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay shooting also had a history of stalking or abusing women.

"They're not taking male violence against women seriously"

Sarson and MacDonald of Persons, which based in Nova Scotia, signed a recent statement calling for a closer look at the role misogyny played in the killings.

"We have good laws in this country but it's the practice that's the issue. They're not valuing women's voices, they're not taking male violence against women seriously," Sarson told Business Insider.

"If you start with addressing the private incidents, you start with the one-on-one violence that they perpetrate, then you can prevent femicide, and then you can prevent a mass shooting. It's not complex," she added

But the activists also believe that the problem goes far beyond the dismissal of the report by police and that it is also an issue that is "deeply rooted in society."

A man staples a heart to a utility pole at the the makeshift memorial for victims of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada April 23, 2020.

REUTERS/Tim Krochak

"You can't dismiss it. As a society, we can't turn away and look the other way. All indicators were ignored. There is social denial. That community didn't listen to Brenda's story that she tried to tell," MacDonald said.

While the police have not formally said they would investigate misogyny in the case, the activists were pleased to see that Canada's Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland publicly acknowledged the mass murder as femicide.

In a speech given on the same day assault-weapons were made illegal, Freeland said: "Tackling systemic violence is our collective responsibility. One that requires us to challenge our attitudes, strengthen community support, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and critically keep deadly weapons out of their hands."

"Femicide has long been a scourge in our society. It remains a scourge, we must stop it. In saying no to assault-style weapons, we are putting feminist ideas into our practice," she added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
World AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is observed on 18 May to spread awareness regarding the importance of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection.

World AIDS Vaccine Day or HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is observed on 18 May to spread awareness regarding the importance of a vaccine to prevent HIV.

World AIDS Vaccine Day was first celebrated in May 1998. Observed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), the day began being marked after then president Bill Clintons 1997 speech which underlined the need of a vaccine to curb the spread of HIV.

Clintons announcement of a comprehensive AIDS vaccine research also led to the Food and Drug Administration approving the US' first large-scale trial of an AIDS vaccine the following year.

What is AIDS?

As per the World Health Organisation, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a term that applies to the most advanced stages of HIV. It is caused by infections that result from a weakened immune system.

This year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, organisations are only carrying out online events and webinars to educate people about HIV.

Experts and doctors will be explaining how AIDS spreads and how people should be treating patients suffering from this disease.

In February, the National Institutes of Health stopped its HVTN 702 clinic trial of 5,000 people in South Africa as it found the jab did not prevent the disease. It was hoped that the vaccine would work and then adapted to cover the different strains of HIV circulating around the world.

Dr Anthony Fauci of the US-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said a vaccine is essential to end AIDS. We hoped this vaccine candidate would work. Regrettably, it does not. Research continues on other approaches to a safe and effective HIV vaccine, he was quoted as saying.

More recently, a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine and other institutions has shown that a new type of vaccination, tested on monkeys, can substantially enhance and sustain protection from HIV.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, saw the vaccine awaken a part of the immune system that leads to improved protection from the viral infection.

As per WHO data, approximately 37.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2018.
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Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has advised members of the party in the state to remain strong and steadfast.

The party leader gave the advice in a statement issued on Monday by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo.

The statement quoted Sylva as saying despite the troubling times in which we are all living in, APC members and supporters in the state must not to lose hope.

The minister observed that APCs commanding victory in the 16 November 2019 Governorship Election that was voided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on 13 February 2020 still hurts deeply. However, the party cannot allow itself to be destroyed by that unfortunate incident. It must survive it, reinvent and reposition itself for the great task of transforming Bayelsa State for the good of all its people and residents.

According to Sylva, APC remains the strongest party in the state and in the country. He implored people of the state to remain committed to party and its next level agenda of social and economic betterment.

Similarly, the party leader voiced his concern for the pains that the people are passing through in this season of Covid-19 pandemic. We are all in this together. I share your pains, Sylva said.

He praised all frontline health workers for their huge sacrifices in the service of humanity, and expressed optimism that like all previous pandemics; covid-19 too would be history soon.
Incriminating himself through social media posts, a New Yorker was arrested amid his supposed vacation in Hawaii due to negligence and failure to follow the coronavirus quarantine protocol set by the island state, Friday.

According to information released by the COVID-19 Joint Information Center of Hawaii, the tourist, identified as Tarique Peters who hailed from the Bronx, arrived in Honolulu on May 11.

The 23-year-old tourist was nabbed in the state after authorities found pictures of him on the beach in his Instagram account while he is supposed to be in quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

In a statement released by the office of Hawaii's governor, Peters was arrested on charges of violating the mandated 14-day quarantine rule in the state and also for "unsworn falsification to authority."

Moreover, the release stated that Peters allegedly left his hotel room immediately after he arrived in the state. He was also accused of traveling to many places and using public transportation despite the fact that he is supposed to be isolating. Social media posts from locals who saw photos of Peters on the beach carrying his surfboard, sunbathing, and strolling around Waikiki during the night alerted the local authorities of Peters' activities.

Read also: China's "SARS Hero" Says Lack of Immunity Makes the Country Vulnerable to COVID-19 Second Wave

After seeing the said posts, agents from the office of the state attorney general sought out Peters and arrested him on Friday morning. According to the staff of the hotel, he was checked in to, Peters was seen leaving the hotel premises a number of times since his arrival.

Peters was then detained and was assigned bail amounting to $4,000 dollars. The tourist, however, has not been available for comments since the arrest.

Quarantine in Paradise

The state government of Hawaii has imposed a mandatory quarantine on all travelers heading to the island state. For two weeks, tourists and travelers are not allowed to leave their hotel rooms with the exception of medical emergencies. Guests in hotels are also not allowed to receive any housekeeping services in the given period and they must arrange food delivery.

One of the struggles of Hawaiian legislators amid the coronavirus pandemic is the struggle to improve the enforcement of quarantine as travelers continue to land in the state. As of May 15, 252 visitors and at least 318 residents arrived in the island state, according to data provided by the Hawaii tourism authority.

Around the same time last year, the tourism-dependent state welcomed more than 30,000 passengers daily. However, the number has plummeted due to the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement by Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors, she expressed gratitude to the local people who report violations of the imposed emergency regulations through social media. She also thanked them for continuing to be vigilant and alerting the appropriate authorities.

As of the moment, the island state has reported 640 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Five hundred seventy-three (573) of which have already recovered, while 17 succumbed to the disease.

Aside from Peters, there have already been several quarantine violators who have been arrested in Hawaii.

Related article: CDC Guides and Procedures for Reopening Amid Coronavirus

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Actor Leslie Jordan is just fine with all of the attention to his pillow talk tales of working with more famous  and often much more highly paid  actors and performers. What was interesting to me was how offers started coming in to push products, he says. Im telling you, I did not know the word monetise. (He does now.)  BBC
A Zimbabwean state official says three members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who were seized by unknown assailants last Wednesday, tortured and dumped 80 kilometers outside Harare, are stage-managing their abductions in order for the international community to deploy troops in the country and topple the ruling Zanu PF government.

In an interview, Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi, who described Harare lawmaker Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova as comedians seeking the removal of President Emmerson Mnangagwas government through international military force, claimed that their abductions are nothing new in Zimbabwe as the opposition has failed to defeat Zanu PF in national elections.

He said,  It started with (late MDC founding president) Morgan Tsvangirai. He couldnt win an outright majority to form a government and that led to that GNU (government of national unity). That legacy has continued with (MDC Alliance leader Nelson) Chamisa as well. He has failed to win the hearts of the Zimbabwean people  Now the opposition and other enemies of the government, they are now coming up with something, some strategies that can entail the international community to fight the Zimbabwean government directly seeing that on the election front they cannot achieve regime change.

So, these abductions are being used by opposition leaders to ensure that government has a bad image, government is seen as torturing its citizens and breaking international law and they hope that this will trigger international powers or foreign powers like the U.S and other hostile countries into not only imposing more sanctions but also deciding on a military intervention. They are entertaining this hoping that one day there will be military intervention by some countries, something that we know is not going to happen.

He said the fake abductions started with some comedians, I dont still remember their names), we come to the doctors, that Magombeyi as well, they were all those stories and they continue, now with an MDC MP saying they have been abducted. What these people are doing is that they are faking these abductions.

Challenged to elaborate on his suggestions about fake abductions in the wake of the brutalization of Dr. Peter Magombeyi, who was leader of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association during the time he was seized by suspected state security agents, and the disappearance of some activists in independent Zimbabwe, Mutodi insisted that the opposition MDC led by Chamisa was playing dirty political tricks in order to unseat the ruling party while attempting to quell an uprising in his party.

He claimed that the three women, who were allegedly sexually abused and tortured by their captors that seized them at a Harare police station and then dumped them two days later in Bindura South, may have been abducted by some members of the MDC.

He further claimed that they may have self-inflicted wounds in order to get national and international sympathy.

 They take themselves around in the countryside, they put bruises on their bodies and then they start alleging that they have been abducted by the government so that the government has a bad image and criticized by international players. So, this is something that is now well known. There is rivalry in their party  They are fighting with each other. This is something that does not need a rocket scientist to explain. These people are fighting.

Pressed to explain on the abduction of the three woman, Magombeyi, Itai Dzamara and others, Mutodi said,  Do you think Magombey was abducted? His story was not convincing. He wanted a salary increase  All these people like Magombeyi, these are fake people who are trying to gain political mileage and recognition out of nothing.

He also claimed that it is difficult to arrest assailants as the abductions are fake.

Mutodi claimed that Mamombe and other MDC activists had suspicious injuries. If you check them, if you put them before a doctor they will tell you that these people were not tortured, these people have good faces, they are smiling, but they only cry when it comes to the camera, to portray a bad image against the government.

Questioned on these remarks, he said, Its very possible. These are comedians, Im telling you. These are comedians trying to create a bad image against the government and trying to remove a constitutionally-elected government through hook and crook. This is clear duplicity which they are doing.

But some MDC activists dismissed his remarks as senseless and directionless, saying Mutodi is singing for his super.

Edwin Ndlovu of the MDC Alliance led by Chamisa said, This guy does not know what he is talking about. He is clearly singing for his super. There is nothing like faking an abduction when we clearly know that some people in the MDC have gone missing. The government has failed to account for them and people like Itai Dzamara, Paul Chizuze, and others were also abducted. Does Mutodi mean that they abducted themselves? They disappeared without a trace. Where do you think they are right now? The government knows what is going on.

It is unbelievable that someone can talk about people inflicting injuries on themselves. That does not happen. Its senseless to say that. We have women who are seriously injured and Mutodi is talking nonsense like this. Clearly, the government has a hand in their disappearance. I have no doubt about it.

Henry Chimbiri, the father of one of the abducted MDC activists Cecilia Chimbiri, echoed the same sentiments, noting that indications are that state security agents have a hand in the brutalization of her daughter and the two other women.

 The question I asked the police (when he went to a hospital where Cecilia is hospitalized) is about who found the girls. They are not the ones (police) who found the girls. I found the girls with the help of the MDC and lawyers. They did not make any attempt to search for the girls, Joanna Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri. They did not make any single, minute effort to search for them. When we went to Harare Central Police Station the officer in charge said he does not know anything about the girls but these girls were arrested at a police roadblock at the Harare showgrounds and even myself I was also almost arrested there.

They said you old man we will call our bosses and tell them that you causing problems and take you away. I wanted to find out what happened to the girls. The whole thing has come out. These girls were under surveillance.

He claimed that police wanted to block him and his wife from entering the ward were his child was admitted at Park Hospital.

The international community has urged Zimbabwe to fully investigate the matter.






MILAN  Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday that Fiat Chrysler was entitled to apply for Italy's state-backed loans because the automaker employs thousands of people in the country, even though its legal base is located abroad.

The Italian-American group confirmed on Saturday its Italian unit was working with Rome to obtain state guarantees on a 6.3-billion-euro ($6.8 billion) loan facility designed to help Italy's automotive industry, comprised of approximately 10,000 small and medium-size businesses.

The coronavirus outbreak, which has hit Italy especially hard, slammed the brakes on demand for new vehicles and forced automakers to halt most production, burning cash.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said in a statement that talks were ongoing with lender Intesa Sanpaolo for a three-year credit facility exclusively dedicated to the group's activities in Italy.

Asked whether FCA, which has its legal headquarters in the Netherlands, could get a loan guaranteed by the Italian government, Conte said the group qualified.

"We're not talking about the parent company, we're talking about the group's companies in Italy, which employ thousands of people," the prime minister said.

FCA runs several plants and research and development centers in Italy, directly employing around 55,000 people.

In addition, over 200,000 people work in Italy's 5,500 parts suppliers and 120,000 people in car dealers and service companies, with the automotive industry accounting for 6.2% of Italy's domestic product, FCA said.

News that FCA was asking the Italian government for liquidity support had raised criticism.

The ruling party PD's deputy president, Andrea Orlando, earlier on Saturday said on Twitter that if a company asked the Italian government for sizable financing, it had to bring back its legal base to Italy.

The scheme is part of emergency measures the Italian government is making available to the country's businesses. It offers more than 400 billion euros' worth of liquidity and bank loans to companies hit by the pandemic.

Story continues

FCA said the state-backed credit facility it is seeking will have "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."

The group has gradually restarted operations in Italy since the end of April.

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Planting a sheesham (tahli in Punjabi) tree in our ancestral farm today in memory of my father, a flood of memories flashed past. Realization also dawned that Gurdas Singh Badal, fondly known as DasJi, is no more, and that the roof above my head no longer exists.

Gurdas Singh BadalHe was born in another era when politics was almost a hallowed profession and where entering politics meant sacrifices and struggles that often led to the emergence of the term political prisoners.

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For many in the power corridors of Chandigarh and Delhi, DasJi was a name that rang a bell. He was Manpreets father, and Parkash Singh Badals younger brother. But move into the heartland and you would comprehend his true impact.

The Akali Dal benefitted from his sagacity during many a turmoil that the party faced. So did his elder brother, the former Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. For the elder Badal, DasJi would be his eyes and ears  particularly in the erstwhile Firozpur Division, where he was once an uncrowned skipper. I can fairly claim that as a son (and as a friend), I have undoubtedly been the most prolific recipient of his counsel and advice.

A generation of political leadership in the Malwa belt of Punjab owes their career to him. He had a knack of spotting talent, and a farmer could truly separate wheat from chaff. He was the best listener that I have ever seen, and this helped him with developing an uncanny knack of sensing and sussing out and anticipating events even when they were still in their embryonic stage.

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Manpreet BadalWhat set him apart was his earthly wisdom, often described in Punjabi as (desi mutt) ???? ???, where his observations on politics, society, culture, and emerging scenarios were like pearls of wisdom distilled through decades of personal experience coupled with a keen eye for details.

Perhaps no Punjab politician could match him for his witticisms; and his wisecracks aptly conveyed the gravity of the issue in a manner, which at the same time having everybody in splits. He could couch it in the local language and idiom making it easier for everyone to appreciate and understand.

His continuous interactions with one and all made him a perfect sounding board. His health wasnt perfect, and this affected his mobility in his later years. He preferred staying in his village most of the time, and in recent times his visits to Chandigarh were rather restricted.

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At home in village Badal, access was easy and straightforward as he would love to meet with everyone  whether young or old. With him, conversations were never one-sided, but always interactive. He used to sit on his chair and encourage people to come up to him and talk, and once anyone had talked at length, DasJi would come up with a pithy one-liner that summed up the situation. The visitor would inevitably return a lot wiser.

PhotoIt is a conversational art form that is getting lost, and had Gurdas Singh Badal not been a politician, perhaps he would have been Punjabs best-known newspaper columnist. Conversations were his forte, and one only wishes that he had penned his experiences, along with the numerous idioms and proverbs that he came up with.

It was this ability to discern change, analyze events, and foresee the future that made him such a remarkable person. Friends and foes alike would treat him with respectful admiration. Associates enjoyed his friendship, while foes demurred. Detractors would be guarded and wary, but always considerate. He wielded considerable power for a considerable part of his life, but never sought a post or position. That, he left to his elder brother.

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He was truly a representative of the Silent Generation, and unfortunately subsequent generations have had fewer opportunities to gain from his experience.

Patience was his hallmark, earthly wisdom was his characteristic trait, and politics was his life.

The sheesham (tahli) that we planted in among the hardiest of trees. It is indigenous and grows unconstrained and unfettered, while providing us with numerous unfathomable benefits.

That was what DasJi epitomized.
Hizbul terrorist wanted in murder of RSS functionary shot dead

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 18: Tahir Bhat, a top terrorist of the Hizbul Mujahideen, has been killed in an encounter with the security forces.

Bhat was involved in the murder of RSS functionary, Chanderkant Sharma. It may be recalled that Sharma and his personal security officer were killed in 2019. In the encounter that took place at the Gundana area in Jammu and Kashmir, an army jawan was martyred, while another terrorist too was killed.

All set for the kill, why Armys hit-list has most terrorists from the Hizbul Mujahideen

The slain terrorists were hiding in the basement of a three storied building. Immediately an operation was launched based on a tip off about their location. The contact was established with the terrorists on Sunday morning, when they opened fire on the search party.

Bhat was active for over one year. It may be recalled that he had undertaken an unsuccessful operation in which he tried to blow up a CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in 2019.
Podcast guests include Callie Turk, Dr. Vikram Sengupta, Dr. Barry Stein, Dr. Robert Roteman and Debby Rowland. The response to COVID-19 is showing how important ambulatory infusion centers are.

Infusion software solution company WeInfuse is helping infusion center operators navigate the COVID-19 epidemic through a series of podcast episodes.

We want to help our clients and others in the infusion industry navigate the current health crisis anyway we can, said Reece Norris, COO of WeInfuse. In addition to guidelines published by NICA (National Infusion Center Association) and the CDC, some of the best resources right now are other infusion center operators on the ground.

Dr. Vikram Sengupta, Chief Medical Officer of Thrivewell Infusion in New York City, is one of the guests the WeInfuse podcast has spoken with.

The response to COVID-19 is showing how important ambulatory infusion centers are, said Dr. Sengupta. Were providing a high standard of care in a safe setting where we can better contain and prevent transmission.

In addition to upping standard cleaning procedures, Dr. Sengupta and his staff are also pre-screening patients via phone and before entering the infusion center.

Were calling every patient before their appointment, said Dr. Sengupta. Were also checking patient vital signs at the door. Its exhaustive, but were being thorough.

As many infusion patients are immunocompromised or considered at-risk, thorough pre-screening and emergency preparedness procedures are allowing ambulatory infusion centers to continue safely infusing.

There are patients who receive infusion therapy who are particularly vulnerable to these types of infections and viruses, said Dr. Robert Roteman of CIVIC Infusion Center in Wilton, CT. Were working to ensure patients who need infusion therapy are still able to receive it.

Infusion centers are also implementing other strategies to promote social distancing, helping keep patients and staff safe.

Were trying to limit visitors on a case-to-case basis, said Callie Turk, COO of FlexCare Infusion in Oklahoma City, OK. Many of our patients bring a caretaker or spouse with them to appointments. Right now, were trying to limit it to just patients, staff and delivery.

FlexCare is also maintaining the CDC recommended 6-foot distance between people by utilizing private rooms and limiting the number of patients in any semi-private space.

Their efforts to promote a safe environment are not going unnoticed.

Everyone feels better when they know why were doing what were doing, said Turk. Communication is key right now.

WeInfuses COVID-19 podcast series is available to listen to for free on their website and iTunes.
People receive cash compensation for their land at the office of People's Committee of Long Thanh District in the southern province of Dong Nai, May 18, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Thai Ha

Dong Nai Province Monday handed over VND70 billion ($3 million) in relocation compensation to 17 households for construction of Long Thanh International Airport.

It was the first compensation paid to households living in priority areas as part of land clearance for the airports first phase.

The highest compensation given Monday to a household was VND16.5 billion ($710,000) and the lowest, nearly VND600 million ($25,800).

"We have been waiting for this for many years. The compensation price is lower than the market price, but for the sake of the country and the locality, my family accepts it," said Doan Hung Dung, a resident of Binh Son Commune as he completed transfer procedures at the office of Long Thanh District People's Committee.

Dung received VND5 billion ($215,000) in compensation for 1.2 hectares of land. He said he plans to use the money to invest in business.

The highest compensation price per square meter given Monday was VND6.5 million ($280), and the lowest was VND161,000 ($7).

According to authorities, the first phase of construction covers 1,810 hectares, of which 630 hectares are home to more than 1,000 households and the remaining area belongs to Dong Nai Rubber Corporation Company Limited.

The province has paid compensation to the corporation, which is expected to hand over the site in the third quarter of 2020.

Long Thanh District authorities have completed compensation documents for 600 households, and are yet to do so for the remaining 407.

Of the 600 households, the compensation amount for 403 has been settled and they are sorting out issues with documentation and verifying area differences for the remaining, district officials said.

Dong Nai Province will have to reclaim 5,000 hectares in total for the whole project.

In April, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam had said that construction work on the first phase of the Long Thanh Airport could begin next May and be completed by late 2025 if it was assigned to be the project investor.

Also last month, Dong Nai began work on a 280-hectare resettlement area for relocated families. It is expected that the first 700 households will move to their new homes in August.

Last November, over 90 percent of lawmakers voted in approval of a resolution on a feasibility study report to build the first phase of the Long Thanh International Airport. After the first phase is complete, the airport will have one runway and one terminal with the capacity of handling 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year. Investment in the first phase is set to cost almost VND111.69 trillion ($4.8 billion).

After all three phases of the airport are completed by 2050 at a total estimated cost of VND336.63 trillion ($16 billion), it will be able to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo a year, picking up overflow from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, which is currently operating at far above its designed capacity.
The sudden disappearance of tourism, conference traffic and nonessential business travel has left hotels reeling.

Data analytics company STR is projecting a 58 percent decline in revenue-per-available room in 2020 from the year before -- and expects things will not fully recover in 2021.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE: Dire prospects for Houston's commercial real estate market as pressures mount

It forecast only a 48 percent increase in revenue-per-available room in 2021 compared to this year's dismal figures and anticipated that it could take until 2023 until hotels see the same demand they had in 2019.

"The rate of recovery will be slow even as distancing measures are eased and the country reopens," said Amanda Hite, STR's president, in a release. "Concerns around the safety of travel and leisure activity will dictate how long it takes the industry to regain its footing."

However, she said, weekly data suggest the industry has already hit rock bottom and has commenced a slow ascent. Hite said luxury travel would likely be the first to return, with business travel lagging behind. While local orders limiting social interactions are loosening, many businesses have already announced they will not return to their offices until 2021.
Twelve COVID-19 patients in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, who were discharged after a month at a quarantine treatment center, have been celebrated by residents of the Apegusu community as heroes for overcoming the deadly virus.



The community is also celebrating news that the 355 contact tracing tests have all been declared negative.



It was all joy at Apegusu, a community in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, when 3 out of the 12 Covid-19 patients who were discharged after a month in a quarantine center, were presented to the community. The 3 were part of 5 Ghanaians and 7 Indians, all workers of an Indian Company, who tested positive of the virus in the District a month ago.



NPP parliamentary candidate for the Asuogyaman Constituency, Paul Ansah organised the party for the survivors . The Mankrado of Apegusu, Nana Akwei Dedey II, warned against stigmatizing the 3 survivors who are residents of the community, and rather see the virus as the enemy



The 3 survivors were presented with 2 crates of eggs, cooking oil, bags of rice and an undisclosed amount of money by the NPP parliamentary candidate for the Asuogyaman Constituency Paul Asare Ansah, as a token to show their support to them. He urged residents to be vigilant and ensure persons who enters into the District are screened



Expressing their heartfelt gratitude to the chiefs and people of the area, Juliana Ntiamoah, spokesperson for the COVID-19 survivors, advised Ghanaians to be extra cautious in their daily activities since the virus is real.



Meanwhile all 355 contact tracing tests conducted in the district have all turned negative. District Health Director, Abdul Aziz Abdullah, sensitized residents to adhere to the various measures put in place by government to curtail the spread of the virus.

Source: atinkaonline.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.

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The Sikkim government has



allowed opening of restaurants and eateries but with strict condition that customers will be required to get their orders packed for consumption at home only as part of relaxation in lockdown 4.0.

Sikkim is a COVID-19 free state with all its four districts coming under green zone.

A notification issued by the chief secretary S C Gupta on Sunday said that inter-district movement of Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) buses too have been allowed with social distancing norms, while taxis, private vehicles and two wheelers will ply by following a new odd-even rule.

Those vehicles with registration numbers ending with even digit will ply on even dates, and those ending with odd numbers will ply on odd dates.

The chief secretary on Monday reviewed the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and directed all officials to strictly enforce the guidelines during lockdown 4.0 in the state.

He issued the direction while chairing a meeting of the state task force.

"It is incumbent on all officials to ensure that the new guidelines are implemented in totality during lockdown 4.0 till May 31 next," Gupta said.

The chief secretary also reviewed the progress of evacuation of the Sikkimese people from various parts of the country, and the logistical and medical arrangements in place for the returnees.

Rinzing C Bhutia, who is the secretary, coordination (COVID-19), said that the state coordination (evacuation) cell has successfully evacuated Sikkimese people from other parts of the country since beginning of this month.

He said that special trains would be plying from May 19 onwards to evacuate a relatively larger number of people belonging to Sikkim.

As per the latest figures, 1,841 stranded Sikkimese have returned by various modes of transportations, while a total of 7,356 persons have registered themselves for evacuation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alameda kids will get an extra six days of summer vacation following a unanimous school board vote Monday to end the academic year early, with officials saying the time would be better spent training teachers than instructing students.

The last day of school will now fall on May 29, instead of June 8 as originally stated on the district calendar.

The idea is to use those days to help the districts 600 teachers be better prepared for whatever school looks like in the fall, said Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi.

Its likely all or part of instruction for Alamedas 11,000 students will be online again in the fall, although so much remains uncertain, he said.

People are going to be expecting a lot more of us in the fall, Scuderi told The Chronicle after the vote. It just seemed those days would be more valuable to everybody  students, staff, teachers  to prepare for these big question marks in the fall.

The districts teachers voted on whether to revise the academic calendar Sunday night, with 80% supporting the early end of instruction.

The boards vote came after weeks of discussion about how to prepare for the fall, the superintendent said.

The six days will give teachers time to regroup and students some additional space to recognize the reality theyre in, said school board President Mia Bonta.

Parent Mary Ellen McMuldren said she was fine with instruction ending early given that distance learning wasnt going well for her high school freshman son.

Hes not motivated to do all the assigned work under the pass fail system, she said, adding he was still showing up for online classes. The teachers had lowered the amount of work and there was not going to be any acknowledgment for completing (it).

She said her son was happy about the early summer break and ready for it.

I think kids are lonely and worried, she said.

Other districts across the country, including some in Georgia, Nebraska and Texas, as well as Washington, D.C., have also opted to end instruction early by a week or more.

In California, education is a constitutional right as well as compulsory. State officials say it is an essential service, in the same category as hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations, among other services that were allowed during the states sheltering orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Critics questioned whether calling an end to instruction violates that status.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

Deciding to end early appears to be an admission that districts werent effectively teaching students anyway, so why not end early, said Paul Hill, University of Washington professor and founder of the Center on Reinventing Education, a nonpartisan education reform organization.

If you give up the last couple of weeks of school because you werent able to do anything effective, thats a terrible abdication, he said. It should be something you should be reluctant to admit.

While Alameda, which has 16 schools, plans to use the time to train teachers and prepare for the fall, Hill questioned whether that would be time well spent, especially because students have lost so much learning time already because of the coronavirus.

The idea that somehow youre going to train the teachers to do something you havent been able to do to this point, it doesnt make any sense at all, he said. At a minimum it begs for a clear statement of whats to be accomplished and how people will know whether it was.

Scuteri acknowledged that all concerns about student learning are valid. Its possible that the next school year will incorporate extra days or start earlier, although those are decisions that will have to be negotiated with the unions.

I would not say the concerns about losing six days are not legitimate, he said. The next 18 to 24 months will be a tricky situation where the ground is shifting under us a lot and were using the resource of time to be better prepared for that.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
ZIMBABWE is said to be highly rated in terms of literacy and education, but three events that recently occurred at the University of Zimbabwe threw into question the efficacy and completeness of our educational output. I am only using the University of Zimbabwe as an example.

The first alarming event was that the University administration (DACS) recently proposed a knocked down, unbalanced and bare survival meal plan because of financial challenges. Crisis is when the highest institution of learning cant find solutions to rudimentary challenges like feeding itself. How do we expect our graduates to come up with national solutions if they cant develop local ones? Imagine that our mission schools back then mastered the art of near self-sufficiency many years ago and they didnt have professors or specialists in their employ. They did the very basic.

Just a few years back, the Japanese also had to solve a water crisis and add pumping capacity at a university with final year engineering students and professors. The second disturbing event was when the university lecturers declared incapacity to continue reporting for duty due to economic realities and financial challenges. If the university has no ecosystem that attracts paid research, corporate sponsorship, value-creation collaboration and donations, it means it has no sequential and simultaneous attraction to industry, government and non-State actors. What needs to change to be relevant to stakeholders? Some universities have entire faculties adopted by commerce and lecturers fully sponsored.

During my study at a joint MIT and IMD programme, most professors had prefixes like Daimler Chrysler Professor of Innovation and so forth. Faculty building had names like Nestle Centre and so forth. Books and lecture notes were branded. Equipment, teas and lunches had sponsors. Why is it our corporate world is not seeing value in our tertiary education? The third challenge was violence in the preparation and conduct of student executive committee elections, reportedly sponsored by third forces. If students at the highest institute of learning are externally sponsored to cause chaos and buy votes, what future holds our national elections? I then questioned a few issues or events hereunder and hope to proffer my own view of the solution matrix in my next weeks op-ed. Those who visited or studied at the university in the late nineties would be familiar with the pungent smell that often greeted anyone on entry to some halls of residence.

The halls had broken cisterns, unflushed toilets, and broken windows, blocked shower rooms, leaking water pipes, doors without handles, naked electrical cables and dirty walls. These halls often had final-year engineering students who could not find it necessary to do a DIY.

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Some students would defecate in shower rooms and litter with reckless abandon. It bothers how these educated people have no sense of responsibility to their own living environment. Is it possible for them to be responsible for even a wider calling like taking care of their cities, villages and the nation?

This lack of a sense of care or belief that it is a government or politician problem manifests in how, as an example, residents of Harare treat their streets, bills, water bodies, wetlands, parks, lawns, alleyways and so forth. Why does our education not make us not care? Our revered academics, intellectual, thought leaders, subject matter experts who can propel and ventilate ideas to solve national challenges in the economy and society do not partake, are apprehensive and have general apathy in contributing in the political field. The country is often placed in the hands of those without ideas, but are great at chanting party slogans. Why do we have apprehensive and cowards as our educational system output? The few educated who dare participate are not equally voted for by the so-called educated nationals. Our councils, Parliament and Senate often end being lorded over by a pool of individuals with limited skills, knowledge and abilities required to deliver a remarkable standard of living to the people. Why is it that our education system promotes a country to be led by mediocrity and often complete failures? The sense of patriotism of our educational output seems really low and at times non-existent. We seem to be a  nation that still relies on archaic loyalties. It often gets to loyalty and totems.

Our educated people never willingly give back to society. It manifests in evasion of tax and municipal bills from village up to national contributions. Most of our engineers, agriculture experts, water management gurus and so forth have not contributed that expertise at even their village level. It bothers me why our education teaches us to rely on government and donors?

In fact, with the education we pollute the land, water and air, openly defecate, litter streets, hunt endangered species, randomly cut down trees, and fail to contribute in taking care of the elderly and the orphans and so many other vices. I would like to compare us with the children, as in real young school-going kids, of Israel. On their Independence Day they recite what each and every one of them has done to uplift the nation of Israel or uplift human spirit. All children would have done something like planting trees, painting a school, feeding old people and so forth.

We do often do nothing for our nation despite feigning our education credentials. What should be done to ensure a sense of patriotism? A university should be a centre of research and an ideas factory. It must demonstrate value innovation and be at the forefront of the commercialisation of the ideas loop. It should provide energy in the production of new products, services and solutions. It will be a miracle if for the past 40 years we have more than 20 inventions from our higher education institutions combined. I mean inventions registered with Intellectual Property offices. I wonder what should be done to foster a culture of innovation and building local solutions? We produce great employees and very few entrepreneurs, despite this fancied education 5.0 and innovation hubs that are being driven. Since the 1980s we have had most of our educated people inheriting old brands, old industries and at times old processes. In most instances, the inherited companies are on life support. As an example we had great banker employees working for world banking brands and we thought of them as leading lights. The bankers established their own banks, then peoples money disappeared, there were glaring corporate governance deficits, liquidity constraints and eventual collapse. Most of the indigenous banks collapsed despite the same bankers having a past of being stars as employees in international banks. The same applies to myriad industries. Why does our education produce people who perform wonders when they have payslips and fail when they have to get dividends?

The tertiary education outsiders are often the majority of our millionaires and our education outputs are struggling in a desire for payslips. The street millionaires seem to have mastered emphasis on creativity, collaboration and critical thinking than our system that seems to emphasise on stability. I think we are producing neurotics who memorise and regurgitate old theories rather than learn. In the faculty of commerce, one can easily pass by studying lecture notes of even a decade ago. And I must add that not so many graduates can pass an exam they wrote a decade ago without re-study. If one cannot re-write and pass an exam he wrote a decade ago, I doubt learning ever occurred. What exactly should be done to ensure we are actually learning? I have always thought universities should contribute in reinvention, ideation and innovation. Why is it that we are not producing absolute truths, but teaching students relevant things? We are repeating the same decade-old truths to students yet that, unfortunately, is now so widely and easily available. What is lacking is application of the knowledge and seeking new truths. Are we not risking being foisted other country truths yet it is ideal to obtain new truths ourselves. I opine that there is possibly a need to reinvent and remodel our tertiary education curriculum even further than the high-sounding education 5.0 the President recently launched. This often peddled issue of being the most educated nation is possibly a fallacy because education should come with being productive and civilised. The country faces new challenges and offers new opportunities, yet this post-1980 generation relies on adult knowledge, old models, old experiences and wisdom which is now of doubtful value and often irrelevant for solving modern challenges. There is a tendency to hold on to stability, identity and world view.

 Brian Sedze is strategy consultant and president of Free Enterprise Initiative. Free Enterprise Initiative advocates for less government, free enterprise, fiscal and public policy. He can be contacted on brian.sedze@gmail.com

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COLUMBUS, OhioResponding to reports of crowded patios around Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday the state is marshaling all the resources at our disposal to assemble law-enforcement and health officials to ensure bars and restaurants are following the states social-distancing rules.

The governor, speaking at his regular coronavirus briefing, said the state is assembling "a large contingent of law enforcement and health officials from across state agencies and from our local communities to conduct compliance checks and refer offenders for prosecution. Violators, among other potential penalties, could lose their liquor licenses.

DeWine said the people will be added to the Ohio Investigative Unit, under the state Department of Public Safety, which currently consists of about 70 people. The governor said he didnt yet know how many more people will be added to the unit.

The governors announcement follows reports and social-media posts about large numbers of people standing and milling around at establishments in Cleveland and elsewhere around the state this weekend, which reopened after the DeWine administration allowed bars and restaurants to resume outdoor service on Friday.

DeWine said the Ohio Investigative Unit handed out several citations to restaurants and bars over the weekend, including establishments in Columbus and Medway, in Clark County. Separately, local health departments can also issue warnings and citations, he said, noting particularly that Columbus so far has issued eight citations.

The governor noted that all restaurants and bars must keep employees and patrons at least six feet away from each other at all times to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,600 Ohioans as of Monday. Under the Ohio Department of Healths order, customers must remain seated when dining and/or drinking -- though that point was not mentioned in the list of mandatory requirements for restaurants that was posted to the states Restart Ohio website.

Asked why the rule wasnt included in the list, DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney stated in an email that it was, but in different terms. He pointed to a section stating The open congregate areas in restaurants and bars that are not necessary for the preparation and service of food or beverages (billiards, card playing, pinball games, video games, arcade games, dancing, entertainment) shall remain closed."

DeWine said while most restaurants and bars around the state have been doing an amazingly good job since reopening Friday, there are some outliers whose conduct jeopardizes our ability, frankly, to move forward as a state.

The governor continued: They have an obligation to control the environment. And if they cannot control the environment, they should make the wise judgment not to open  or if they get into a situation where they cant control it, they need to close.

The governor also said that individuals caught violating the six-foot distancing rule at bars and restaurants can also be personally cited. We would not rule that out at all, he said.

DeWine, repeating a comment he has said frequently, said Ohios economic recovery is tied directly to how successful the state is in reducing the transmission of the virus.

If were going to bring the economy back, people have to feel safe when they go out, he said. They have to feel that the rules are being followed when they go to a restaurant.

However, DeWine said he was not surprised that some patios were packed on a warm spring weekend.

Its nice outside," he said. People want to get out."

Read more Ohio coronavirus stories:

Ohio tennis courts can reopen May 26, but players must follow these coronavirus rules

Ohio golf courses, players must follow these health rules

Visitors to Ohio gyms, indoor sports facilities must follow lengthy list of health rules after reopening

When amateur baseball and softball games resume in Ohio, expect masks, social distancing, and no spitting

Here are the rules Ohio campgrounds must follow in reopening next week
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, May 6, 2020.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he was unaware the State Department's inspector general was investigating him at the time he recommended that President Donald Trump fire the internal watchdog, a new report said.

But Pompeo, in a phone interview with The Washington Post, would not provide any specific reasons why Inspector General Steve Linick was being removed from his post.

"It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation rather, to the president rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on, or is currently going on," Pompeo told the Post.

"Because I simply don't know. I'm not briefed on it. I usually see these investigations in final draft form 24 hours, 48 hours before the IG is prepared to release them," he said. "So it's simply not possible for this to be an act of retaliation. End of story."

When asked Monday about Linick's firing, Trump told reporters, "I don't know the guy at all, I never even heard of him, but I was asked to by the State Department, by Mike."

"I offered most of my people, almost all of them, I said, 'You know, these are [former President Barack] Obama appointees, if you'd like to let them go I think you should let them go, but that's up to you,'" Trump said.

Linick was appointed by Obama in 2013.

"They asked me to terminate him. I have the absolute right as president to terminate," Trump added. "I don't know what's going on other than that but you'd have to ask Mike Pompeo. But they did ask me to do it and I did it."

Pompeo in his interview with the Post confirmed that he had recommended Linick's removal to Trump.

"I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn't performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to, that was additive for the State Department, very consistent with what the statute says he's supposed to be doing," he said. "The kinds of activities he's supposed to undertake to make us better, to improve us."

Pompeo declined, however, to provide specific examples of Linick's failings, the Post reported.

Trump fired Linick in a surprise move Friday night. The president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday that he had lost confidence in Linick, without providing further explanation.

On Saturday, a Democratic aide told NBC News that Linick's removal might have been in response to an investigation into Pompeo's "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." Those tasks included walking his dog, picking up his dry cleaning and making dinner reservations, according to NBC.

Pompeo also declined to tell the Post whether he had ever asked government employees to run his or his wife's personal errands. "I'm not going to answer the host of unsubstantiated allegations about any of that," he said, the newspaper reported.

State Department Undersecretary for Management Brian Bulatao said a "pattern of unauthorized disclosures, or leaks" to the media about early-stage investigations had cast a pall over Linick's role, the Post reported. Bulatao noted in the Post's report that officials had no evidence Linick was personally responsible for the leaks.

Bulatao also reportedly said Linick had ignored then-deputy secretary of state John Sullivan's direction to refer the leaks to an outside council so that another agency's inspector general could be appointed to look into it.

"Our understanding is he picked another fed agency on his own, to pick the person he wanted to grade his own homework, which sets up a whole apparent conflict of interest," Bulatao reportedly said.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ranking member, have demanded that the Trump administration hand over all records related to Linick's firing by Friday.

In a statement over the weekend, Engel and Menendez said that they understood Pompeo recommended Linick be fired "because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself."

Some Republicans have also spoken out against Trump for firing Linick without providing a clear reason.

"Congress's intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the IG Reform Act," GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in a letter to Trump on Monday. "As you work toward filling IG roles, it is absolutely imperative than any acting leadership do not create obvious conflicts that unduly threaten the statutorily required independence of inspectors general."

NBC and other outlets reported Monday that Linick was also nearly done with another probe, this one dealing with Pompeo's approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration had issued an emergency declaration to push the deal through without requiring congressional approval. Resolutions to block the deal passed the Democrat-led House, but were vetoed by Trump. A Senate attempt to override the veto failed.

At the time this story was published, the Post's report on its interview with Pompeo did not mention Linick's probe of the administration's arms deal.

Engel in a statement Monday told CNBC: "I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr. Linick's firing. His office was investigating  at my request  Trump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia."

"We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed," Engel said.

Read the full report from The Washington Post.
In 2019, more than 3,000 Nigerian employees expressed their opinion, assisting Jobberman to create a list of the best Nigerian companies. The report covers brands and names with the best employment opportunities.

Top Companies

If you want to build a solid career and become a real professional, consider the following organizations, as they offer good training programs for students. The top list of companies in Nigeria includes:

#1 Shell

Shell is an international energy and petroleum company that has operated in Nigeria since 1937. It is engaged in the development and production of oil and gas onshore and offshore. About 10,000 Nigerians work for the company, and Shell creates new workplaces annually. The company has a targeted program for the development of youth business, which is known as LiveWIRE Nigeria. It provides training and funding for people aged 18 to 30 to help open startups.

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#2 Chevron

This is one of the largest oil production companies and also the biggest investor. Chevron offers various vacancies in Lagos and abroad, depending on a jobs specifications. Chevron looks for specialists in exploration, production, blending, manufacturing, and marketing. The company also provides internship programs for students and graduates to help them gain the skills they need for employment.

#3 Dangote

This is another major corporation headquartered in Lagos. This company covers various industries, namely:

production of building materials

Petrochemicals

food & beverages

real estate

telecommunications

fertilizer

steel, etc.

Due to its enormous range of industries, the company employs specialists of various qualifications and knowledge. Dangote company has fully equipped the internal market with cement.

#4 NNPC Oil & Gas

This is an oil corporation through which the federal government of Nigeria is involved in the oil industry. It was founded 43 years ago and currently recruits about 1,000 graduates per year.

#5 MTN Telecommunication Multinational

MTN is a South African international telecommunications company that covers more than 20 countries. The company offers extensive training programs for graduates, including blended learning experience and gaining skills in the field of telephone networks and communication. In order to leave your application, you need to register on the website and submit your resume.

#6 Nestle Nigeria

This is one of the largest public organizations in the field of food production. It has a head office in Lagos, 8 branches, and more than 2,000 employees. In 2019 it was included in the list of Top African Companies, published by African Business magazine.

#7 Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN)

This is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil that is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and gas. The company offers many employees the opportunity to build a career together, including engineers, lawyers, managers, financiers, accountants, analysts, and so on. ExxonMobil is also interested in recruiting students and discovering new talents. In order to contact the company, send an application on their website.

#8 Nigerian Breweries

It is the largest brewing company in the country and has more than 3,000 employees. It was founded in 1946 and now has production lines in different countries of Africa. The company allows each candidate to submit only one application for a position. They have a very transparent recruitment method and will sometimes test applicants during the selection process.

#9 Andela

Its an outsourcing company that identifies and develops software developers. It has operated in Nigeria since 2014, assisting information technology companies to overcome issues connected with a lack of professional staff. Andela is the best place to work in Nigeria for those who want to build an amazing career in the IT world.

#10 Unilever Nigeria Plc

This is a public company that manufactures consumer goods with a headquarter in Lagos. Currently, it offers fresh vacancies in accounting, marketing, engineering, management, and customer support sectors.

#11 British American Tobacco

This is a large British company occupying the lions share of the tobacco market which opened a branch in Nigeria. It creates thousands of jobs in the country. British American Tobacco is interested in experts in finance, marketing, sales, IT, law, human resources, etc. The company is also looking for ambitious graduates who are ready to undergo training and become part of the team. Leave a CV on their website to find your role.

#12 Google

Google is a tech company and its Nigerian office is believed to be one of the best in the country. It is also one of the most attractive employers with excellent working conditions and bonuses. Google hires experienced professionals and students without experience.

#13 Nigerian Bottling Company

This company is franchised by Coca Cola in Nigeria. Nigerian Bottling Company offers its employees worthy rewards, as well as advanced opportunities for the development of professional skills. In addition, the company listens to the views of employees and reinforces measures to improve working conditions.

#14 Jumia

In 2012, the e-commerce platform Jumia brought foreign capital to Nigeria. Since that time, its considered the biggest online marketplace in the country. The company provides its employees with comprehensive medical services, competitive salaries, and also offers courses where you can gain international experience! That is why Jumia is considered one of the most attractive companies for employment.

#15 Access Bank

This is one of the largest banks in Nigeria. Access Bank takes care of its subordinates, offering them solid cash compensation. As a result, the employee is interested in the continuous development of their professional abilities. You can find current job offers on the banks website.

#16 Zenith Bank

This is a big Nigerian bank founded in 1990 that now has more than 7,000 employees. In 2019, it took position #151 in the list of Worlds Best Employers published by Forbes. The bank offers trainee programs for graduates and entry-level employees. To apply, check their website and fill out the appropriate form.

#17 Deloitte

This is a large international company that provides services in the field of audit, consulting, taxation, and financial advice. They have an interest in hiring students and provide opportunities for employees to build a successful career. To join the team you have to fill out a form on their website.

#18 Guinness

Guinness Nigeria is a giant in the brewing industry and a member of the top companies in Nigeria. The firm is known for its strong corporate culture and care of its employees. It was recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute seven times.

#19 Oracle Nigeria

Oracle made a real cloud revolution. It offers students and graduates training programs to develop their strengths and gain professional experience. Subscribe to their website to get fresh updates about jobs in Nigeria.

#20 First Bank of Nigeria Banking

This is one of the biggest banks in Nigeria with 700 locations spread over the country. The Bank offers training programs for prospective students, which allows them to acquire significant knowledge in the industry within 3 months.

#21 Afrinvest

This is a private company founded in 1994 that engages in securities transactions, integrated research, analysis, and brokerage operations. It offers good career opportunities in various business sectors.

#22 Tek Experts Nigeria

This company is a global provider of different business services and IT support. It offers good career growth and paying opportunities. Currently, it has 30+ open vacancies for specialists of different roles.

How to Get a Job

Whether you are graduates or a professional who is looking for a new job, you have to take 5 general steps for successful employment.

Determine which industry you would like to work in and what your career should be related to. Check the list of the best online jobs for students in Nigeria . Do the research and make a list of companies looking for applicants with qualifications like yours. Prepare a strong resume and cover letter. Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds evaluating each candidate, so your profile must shine. A good resume will highlight your professional strengths. Also, compose a cover letter. This is a kind of advertisement of your best sides and talents. Get ready for an interview. Study the different types of interviews and the most relevant questions that could be asked. Prepare the answers and rehearse them. Take care of your appearance, and adhere to a business style. Many candidates fail due to incorrect behavior at the interview. Behave confidently and openly. Take the initiative by asking questions about the company and employment. Watch your facial expressions and gestures.

Author by Anna Hmara (Career Expert GCL)
Stilton is in danger of disappearing due to the coronavirus pandemic with restaurants closed and British shoppers opting for foreign produce instead, an industry body has warned.

The Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA), which represents the UK's Stilton producers, said sales have plunged 30% since Britain went into lockdown and export markets closed.

It has a protected designation of origin status, meaning it can only be labelled Stilton if produced in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with some dairy farms in the area stretching back five generations.

Robin Skailes, chairman of the SCMA and director of Cropwell Bishop Creamery, said: 'Like many British food producers, Stilton sales have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA), which represents the UK's Stilton producers, said sales have plunged 30% since Britain went into lockdown and export markets closed

'We hope that the British public will support us by buying Stilton instead of imported blue cheeses which, in turn, will support British dairy farmers.'

The cheese industry's most high-profile supporter during the pandemic has been Prince Charles, who is known to be keen dairy product.

He posted a step-by-step guide to creating Cheesy Baked Eggs on the @ClarenceHouse Instagram page last week to mark the British Cheese Weekender.

Alongside snaps and the recipe for the delicious meal, Prince Charles opened up about the importance of 'good food' during the crisis, saying: 'One thing that undoubtedly brings many of us great comfort is good food.'

He went on to urge amateur chefs to seek out organic ingredients for the bake 'where possible' and 'support British cheesemakers' and other small businesses who might be struggling during the coronavirus crisis.

The Instagram post read: 'On the final day of the #BritishCheeseWeekender, The Prince of Wales has released a message to encourage us all to support British cheesemakers.'

Prince Charles, 71, who is currently isolating with wife Camilla at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire, has shared one of his favourite recipes for Baked Cheesy Eggs online

The recipe, which was described as one of the royal's favourite, was shared on the @ClarenceHouse Instagram page alongside a step-by-step photo guide (right, the ingredients, and left, pouring the double cream onto the vegetables and egg)

Prince Charles added: 'It is deeply troubling to learn that this crisis risks destroying one of the most wonderful joys in life  British cheese.'

The royal was quoted as saying: 'British cheesemakers need our support during this time of great uncertainty, and we can all help in the simplest way.

'By sourcing British cheese from local shops and cheesemongers, and directly from producers online, you can make a vital contribution to keeping these small businesses afloat during the prevailing crisis.'

Stilton, which is the UK's most popular blue variety, is still being made but with demand down there are fears that the milk used could be wasted.

The SCMA said it is also concerned the current situation will discourage the next generation of cheesemakers, with businesses looking at new ways to sell their products directly to consumers.

Stilton was first given trademark status in 1966 and has also been awarded protected origin status - which also include UK favourites Gloucester Old Spot pigs and Jersey Royal potatoes.
In April, as the novelty of lockdown Netflix binges began wearing off, Meghana Venkataswamy was on the Internet when she came across a blog post that piqued her curiosity.

The Smithsonian Institution, which increasingly relies on the general public to transcribe historical documents, was looking for volunteers to work on astronaut Sally Ride's papers.

Venkataswamy, 28, a data engineer in Vancouver, signed up and quickly got sucked down the rabbit hole of history. Channeling her "inner Sherlock Holmes," as she put it, Venkataswamy cruised through Ride's letters, then moved on to World War II diaries, the field notes of biologists on remote expeditions, and 19th-century Japanese and Indian stereographs.

"There is a strange meditative aspect to it," Venkataswamy said. "It's enough to take one's mind off of whatever else is happening in their lives," including a pandemic. "A good respite from crazy times."

Worldwide, museums and research libraries are reporting huge spikes of do-it-yourself historians such as Venkataswamy. With so many staples of daily life out of reach, these digital stenographers are reaching into history to put their quarantine time to good use, soothing their psyches in the process.

"I think we all expected there would be an influx with so many people staying at home," said Victoria Van Hyning, who runs the transcription program at the Library of Congress.

But the number of new sign-ups has been staggering, officials said, and is growing exponentially. Teachers scrambling for engaging distance learning projects sign up their students, who in addition to learning about cool historical figures have also discovered something called cursive writing.

In Washington, the Library of Congress reports a fivefold jump in new transcriber accounts since mid-March. The Smithsonian has seen new transcribers jump from 100 to 200 per month in pre-pandemic times to more than 5,000 per month now. Organizations are scrambling to upload new documents to meet the insatiable demand.

With history being history, there's something for everyone. Recipes from Rosa Parks. Diaries of suffragists. Walt Whitman's poems. Slave letters. The papers of English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Depression-era menus. Whaling logs. Crop reports. Science-fiction fanzines. School yearbooks. The corporate files of Maidenform, the pioneering bra manufacturer.

"Maidenform advertising campaigns were enormously successful, and generated controversy as well as praise," the Smithsonian says in introducing the files. "Help transcribe some of the company's historical records, including advertisements and reports, to learn more about the history of the brassiere industry and female-centered marketing campaigns."

From a research perspective, crowdsourcing the transcription of historical records has been a cheap way for research organizations to make their vast holdings of materials searchable online for scholars and others interested in historical artifacts. Materials are uploaded to the Internet and then the volunteers type what they read into a digital notepad.

Up until the covid-19 pandemic, the volunteers generally skewed older, with retirees doing the heavy lifting. But now, with so few places to go and so much doom in the news, the ranks of younger transcribers is swelling, and their work ethic is prodigious.

Amanda Dillon, 36, signed up with the Smithsonian a couple years ago and had spent an hour every week or two on various projects. Stuck at home just outside Charlotte, Dillon is now transcribing four or five times a week for multiple hours.

A podcast junkie, Dillon used to spend her relaxing downtime listening to true crime shows and reading thrillers.

"Right now, I really don't want anything dark like that," said Dillon, who studied history in college and has worked in university fundraising roles. "There's enough bad things going on in the world right now."

So she has been getting to know John A. Meyer, a World War II Air Force photographer who kept a one-page daily diary during the war. One of the days Dillon picked was Feb. 11, her birthday. That day, in 1942, began early for Meyer.

"Up at 0230M," he wrote in cursive, as transcribed by Dillon. "Worked all day making copies with the C-1. Nutty loafed all day again and I did all the work. I don't care it gives me a lot of experience. Slept during the afternoon and wrote a letter home after supper. Bed 1930M."

His "sis" - presumably sister - was apparently in the hospital.

"Daddy took her over last week," Meyer wrote. "I hope she gets better soon."

Dillon enjoys transcribing so much that she has thought about pursuing a job doing the work full time after the pandemic subsides.

"Going down the research rabbit hole is fun for me," Dillon said. "I don't find it tedious at all."

Venkataswamy, the Vancouver data engineer, finds delight in the minutia.

"I think I approach transcribing with a mix of curiosity and as a way of practicing mindfulness," she said. "It can be a meditative exercise where all of one's attention is focused on a single task."

It is, she said, "like going through an old person's trunk. You'll never know what you find in there. Sometimes it's junk, but sometimes you find interesting things."

Venkataswamy and Dillon have never met. They do not know the other exists. But both of them have worked on Meyer's diaries.

In 1943, Meyer mentioned he had gone to see "Flight for Freedom," a film loosely based on Amelia Earhart. Venkataswamy didn't just transcribe his review: "very good." She watched the movie herself.

"I have never seen his photos or his face," she said, "but I feel like he and I could have been friends."

In his diaries, Venkataswamy found a way of thinking about our current times, when, as she put it, "we're at a global war with a virus."

"What I find unusual about his diary," she said, "is that he was living through one of the most brutal times in history, yet made no commentary on the war or his enemies. His diary mostly revolved around the people near him, how he spent his time - mostly flying, developing photographs, watching a movie a day, flirting with women, taking them to dances."

To Venkataswamy, there "is a lesson here somewhere about staying calm and carrying on."

This is the magic and mystery of history at its most intimate level that the Library of Congress and other organizations hope students will discover as the pandemic wears on - and beyond.

The library recently held an online event with the National Council of Teachers of English, where educators from across the country examined the poetry of Walt Whitman, discussing ways his works could be used in the classroom.

They even dissected some of his flowery cursive.

In a chat room discussing the poem on screen as it was being transcribed, a teacher wrote, "In the second line, Cap T."

"A comma after rapine," another teacher wrote.

They weren't done.

"The second rapine," a teacher wrote, "could use a comma as well!"
The government does not intend to privatise state-owned Coal India Ltd, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.

The statement comes in the wake of government opening up coal mining for the private sector and stating that the commercial mining will be done on revenue sharing mechanism instead of fixed rupee/tonne.

"The Government of India does not intend to privatise Coal India Ltd. Instead, the government is strengthening CIL and will continue to do so," the Coal Minister said.

The government, he said, has announced an investment of Rs 50,000 crores under 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' to create and develop infrastructure facilities for Coal India.

It will help Coal India achieve 1 billion tonnes coal production target by 2023-24, the minister said.

CIL accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.

"It's also an opportunity for CIL to open up new mines and increase coal production to reduce country's coal imports saving valuable forex," he said.

He said that CIL will substitute 100 million tonnes of coal import annually in near future.
The images in front of me on this Zoom call don't make much sense: There's a pie slice of noisy gray, punctuated by long, dark shadows that slide around laterally. And at the top sits a series of immobile, tightly packed layers. It's all gibberish to a layperson, but Dr. Mike Stone -- an emergency physician from Portland, Oregon -- can tell exactly what were looking at. It's a live ultrasound image of healthy lung tissue as seen through a ribcage. The thing is, he's not the one performing the ultrasound; instead, he's transmitting visual instructions through an app to a curly-haired Brooklynite pressing a wand to his chest.

Welcome to a new way to monitor COVID-19.

The microphone-sized wand in question is the Butterfly iQ, made by a company called Butterfly Network, and the New Yorker/good sport who peeled open his shirt on a Zoom call is Matt de Jonge, the company's VP of product. As de Jonge explained, this particular approach to medical imaging is nothing new; Butterfly Network has been squeezing its ultrasound-on-a-chip systems into $2,000 diagnostic wands that connect to iOS and Android devices for the better part of 18 months. They've gotten around, too -- in addition to being used in hospitals around the US (often by physicians who purchased the accessory personally), Butterfly iQs are also being used in over 20 countries, including a notable deployment in Uganda.

Historically, ultrasound machines have been unwieldy imaging devices that peered into the human body by beaming high-frequency sound waves into it. They also required trained medical professionals to operate them. With the fully handheld Butterfly iQ and this new, iOS-only teleguidance feature, neither of those things are strictly true anymore. And with COVID-19 reshaping the front lines of medicine, the company found itself fast-tracking its plans to help medical professionals more easily see patients, even from thousands of miles away.

Butterfly Network's ultrasound teleguidance

The beauty of Butterfly's approach to telemedicine is that you don't have to know a thing about ultrasound systems to use it. If a patient is given one to use, they can connect the iQ to their iPhones and have a professional guide them through the process, complete with on-screen cues to help them orient the probe correctly. (Thanks to a little augmented reality help, the doctor(s) on the other end of the call can see exactly which way the patient is holding the probe.) The same goes for nurses or orderlies in hospitals who don't necessarily have the training to use ultrasound equipment -- they can don their full PPE, meet with a patient, and help a physically remote physician or team of physicians find exactly what they're looking for.

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"I thought initially I would use it in the ER getting images for teaching," said Dr. Stone, who also serves as Butterfly's director of education. "Now it's the only device I use. I carry with me the ability to not have to push a big cart into a room, and the ability to wipe it down immediately after use."

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to flourish, the telltale signs doctors look for are areas of irregular opacity and thickness around the pleura, or the membranes that surround the lungs. If spotted, a doctor virtually instructing someone with a Butterfly wand can remotely control the probe's gain and depth to zero in on potential trouble spots, and record images and short video clips for further inspection. And just like that, a process that typically required multiple people in a room with a patient now requires just one, or even zero if the patient is wielding the wand while recovering at home.

The act of embracing telemedicine was always on Butterfly's roadmap, and the company quietly made its teleguidance feature available to users as a beta a few weeks ago. This new push to put Butterfly iQs into the hands of novices and into homes, however, was only possible because of new policy guidelines recently put into place by the US Food and Drug Administration to expand the "availability, functional capability, and portability of imaging systems to help address these urgent public health concerns. Prior to this, the company's remote guidance tools were mostly being used for research, including one noteworthy partnership with a heart failure lab at NYU. That FDA guidance, however, has a time limit: These updated policies will only last until the COVID-19 outbreak is brought under control.

Butterfly Network ultrasound teleguidance

That (perhaps unfortunately) means there's a built-in expiration date for Butterfly's early efforts to make ultrasound available to neophytes. By then, though, Butterfly hopes it will have made its mark. There will always be a need for expensive, high-resolution ultrasound machines -- you wouldn't want to try and conduct a comprehensive cardiogram or search for subtle fetal anomalies with something that plugs into a phone.

Even in hospitals beset by COVID-19 patients, though, the normal business of tending to other maladies has to continue. Butterfly's teleguidance tools are meant to help with that, too, and the iQ produce results that the company says are on-par with a more traditional, mid-range $70,000 ultrasound machine. And with the right kind of remote guidance, it's not hard to imagine that a device like the Butterfly iQ could become a crucial part of a patient's prolonged, in-home care, be it for COVID-19 recovery or other illnesses.



That kind of case, where the ill can be sent home with a scanner and can regularly provide new diagnostic information to their medical practitioners, is a big area of focus for Butterfly Network. de Jonge said the company drew some inspiration from the glucose meter, a now-common bit of diagnostic tech that seemed equally unlikely to see personal use when the first model was introduced in 1971. (The biggest difference: Even with a $2,000 ultrasound wand at your disposal, you cannot and should not try to interpret your own results.) But that's the long game. For now, though, in an age where the thought of venturing to a hospital can be almost as fraught as the treatments involved, Butterfly's priority is helping doctors -- wherever they might be -- make sure patients get the right kind of treatment right now.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 17, 2020, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The mission's primary payload is the X-37B spaceplane. (John Raoux/AP Photo)

US Air Force Launches X-37B Plane for Sixth Secretive Mission

The U.S. Air Force launched its high-tech reusable drone X-37B, also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle, from Cape Canaveral in Florida on May 17 for its sixth mission in space.

The solar-powered X-37B spacecraft, which is operated by remote control, lifted off following a 24-hour delay due to poor weather.

Congratulations on the 6th mission of the X-37B reusable spacecraft, Defense Secretary Mark Esper wrote on Twitter following the launch.

The mystery space plane will deploy a small research satellite dubbed FalconSAT-8, which will spend an extensive period in space conducting a number of experiments, Air Force Secretary and head of the newly established U.S. Space Force, Barbara Barrett, said earlier this month.

This X-37B mission will host more experiments than any prior mission, she said.

This May 5, 2020, photo made available by the United States Space Force shows an Atlas 5 rocket carrying the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (United Launch Alliance/USSF via AP)

Officials arent saying exactly how long the spacecraft will remain in orbit this time or the purpose of the mission. However, Jim Chilton, a senior vice president for X-37B developer Boeing, noted that each mission for the craft has been progressively longer; its previous mission lasted a record two years.

One of the experiments will test the effect of radiation on seeds and other materials, according to AFP. It will also test how solar power captured from space can be transformed into radio-frequency microwave energy that could be transmitted to Earth.

Today, the @SpaceForceDoD successfully launched the next mission of the X-37B space plane from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. American superiority in Space is vital to protect our way of life, and @SpaceForceDoD will meet emerging threats with American strength!  Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 17, 2020

Vice President Mike Pence wrote on Twitter shortly after the launch: Today, the @SpaceForceDoD successfully launched the next mission of the X-37B space plane from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. American superiority in space is vital to protect our way of life, and @SpaceForceDoD will meet emerging threats with American strength!

The winged spacecraft resembles NASAs old shuttles, but is just one-quarter the size at 29 feet (9 meters) long. The one just launched features an extra compartment for experiments, including several for NASA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, making it the biggest science payload yet for an X-37B.

Theres a lot more than pointy end up, fire end down required to successfully put a payload into orbit. Check out this video to learn more about how @ulalaunch plans to conduct this Saturdays #USSF-7 mission. #RocketScience #STEM #SpaceIsHard https://t.co/LYiak1QFUy  United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) May 13, 2020

The launch honors all front-line workers and responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who have been affected by the outbreak, the Air Force said in a statement.

Our invincible American spirit drives us to motivate, collaborate, and innovate together to overcome adversity, Barrett said in the statement. In dedicating this mission to the nations health care workers, first responders, and essential personnel, the department celebrates those who are keeping America strong.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PBKreviews has now completed a full teardown of the Motorola Edge+, showing that it should be fairly easy to repair.

Starting the teardown, the most immediate point to be made is that theres a lot of adhesive under the solid glass back panel. In fact, it requires a plastic pry tool and several plastic cards to cut through without adhering. Fortunately, there arent any cables attached to the back panel though. So that comes away cleanly enough, which isnt always the case with top smartphones.

Underneath, there are no fewer than 16 fasteners holding down covers but each is a T4 Torx fastener. So there wont be a lot of swapping out tools. The covers then slip off and away fairly easily. Making matters even more simple, all but one of the cables and wire connectors found below are lego-style connections. That includes the 5G radio antennas.

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So the battery and other components in the Motorola Edge+ should be relatively easy to remove and reattach, at the very least.

Motorola Edge+ repair is mostly straightforward but not easy

Of course, its not all straightforward and simple. Before those components can be removed, theres a copper heat transfer tape stuck across the assembly. That runs underneath the wireless charger and needs to be peeled off. It doesnt appear to come away easily and it doesnt hold its shape well either. So that could be tedious to reapply.

Now, the power and volume buttons are attached via a ribbon cable thats snapped down with a latch. That inconsistency will slow down the disassembly and repair process. After removing a few more lego-style connectors, there are two more of the above-mentioned fasteners to remove. Then the mainboard comes out in a single piece with cameras attached.

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Spattered throughout the process, there is additional copper tape on the underside of the mainboard and copper blocks under that. That aids in heat dissipation alongside the use of thermal paste and pads on each component.

To remove the screen, the entire phone would need to be disassembled because the screen cable runs through a slit in the internal frame. That would mean removing the mainboard, which seems straightforward enough, and then removing the battery and the speaker assembly. There arent any easy pull tabs on the battery and the adhesive needs to be heated. So that part of the process isnt going to be easy.

Then the secondary board needs to be removed, by unfastening the final T4 fastener. From there, the underlying vibrate motor needs to be removed.

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The next step would be to heat up the screens adhesive and prying it away.

The fingerprint reader follows a similar build design, with its cable running through the metal midframe. That means the screen would need to be removed entirely to get to that sensor if it ever needs to be replaced.

The biggest obstacle here was the adhesive

Now, this Motorola Edge+ teardown does seem to indicate that any repair should be fairly painless. But the adhesive used appears to be a major sticking point. The material is stronger than average and that likely comes down to both keeping the phone intact and adding to some of its splash-protection. The company did opt to utilize gaskets to keep water and dust out but theres no IP rating for this particular Motorola-branded flagship.
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New Delhi, May 18 : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday released the datesheet for class 10 and class 12 examinations. The exams will be held from July 1 to July 15.

"Dear students of class 12th of #CBSE Board here is the date sheet for your board exams," tweeted Union Human Resource Developement Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank attaching the exam datesheet with the tweet.

According to the datesheet, Physics paper of class 12 will be held on July 4 and the paper of Chemistry on July 6. These exams are only for the students of north east Delhi. The exams were postponed due to communal violence in north east Delhi.

Similarly, Exam for Home Science will be held on July 1 on all India basis and of Geography on July 11.

Along with the datesheet, the government has provided detailed guidelines for students to be followed strictly during the exams. These include carrying hand sanitizers, wearing masks and maintaining proper physical distancing at the exam centres.

Exams will be held from 10.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.

The exams were postponed due to the lockdown enforced to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
With more parts of the U.S. starting to reopen, many people will be tempted to look at the data this week and start proclaiming victory over the virus. But this weeks data wont tell us much. It will instead reflect the reality from early May and late April, when much of the country was still on lockdown.

The data are always two or three weeks old, Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania told me. And we have a hard time understanding that things are different from what were looking at. Crystal Watson of Johns Hopkins University told The Associated Press that we wouldnt really know how reopening had affected the viruss spread for five to six weeks.

Its possible that the reopenings wont cause the outbreaks that many epidemiologists fear  because many people will still stay home, or because they will venture out cautiously, or because the virus may spread more slowly in warmer air. But its also possible that the country will find itself suffering through a new wave of outbreaks in June.

Either way, Id encourage you not to leap to premature conclusions.

In other virus developments:

The World Health Organizations decision-making body will meet starting today and likely discuss whether to investigate Chinas response to the outbreak.

As more children survive a mysterious syndrome linked to the virus, their experiences are helping doctors understand what theyre up against. It was almost like someone injected you with straight-up fire, said one ninth grader in Queens.

Anna Sauerbrey, a contributing Opinion writer in Berlin, writes about the complications of reopening society, The way out is much harder than the way in.

THE MORNING FIVE

1. Scrutiny on Pompeos use of taxpayer funds
A cancer charity facing closure because of the coronavirus crisis has launched an emergency appeal for funds.

Cancer Focus Northern Ireland needs help to save its vital services for patients now and in the future. The charity fears it may not survive the Covid-19 crisis and has asked for donations to help keep its doors open.

Each year the charity supports 6,000 cancer patients, their families and carers.

It is 90% dependent on fundraising but has had to cancel all its fundraising events and close its charity shops due to Covid-19. As a result, it is facing an 80% loss of income over the next six months.

Roisin Foster, chief executive of Cancer Focus NI, said the charity is facing a crisis it has never faced before in its 50-year history.

"Our income has plummeted to a critically low level and we are worried that we will not be able to keep afloat," she said.

"We fear we might not be here to continue to support thousands of people at one of the toughest times of their lives.

"For each day of lockdown, another 36 local people get cancer, and cancer figures are rising year on year.

"We are still providing greatly reduced counselling and family support services to as many vulnerable people as possible.

"But we urgently need your help and we're appealing to everyone to make a donation, big or small, to save our services.

"Your donations are vital to us and every penny raised stays in Northern Ireland.

"Your support at this incredibly difficult time is extremely valuable and greatly appreciated. We can't do it without you."

Ms Foster explained that cancer screening and GP referrals for suspected cancer have dropped by 76% because of the lockdown.

The charity is now expecting a "wave" of patients facing late diagnosis and more complex treatment.

"Our hearts go out to people who are trying to cope with the anxiety of coronavirus on top of dealing with a cancer diagnosis and the impact of treatment," she added.

"Covid-19 is making life so much more difficult for them - treatments have been delayed and clinics cancelled.

"Not to mention the anxiety, stress and loneliness that patients and their families might feel right now.

"We desperately want to be able to support people facing cancer both now and in the future, but unfortunately we are facing a crisis unlike any other we have ever known in our 50-year history."

Support Cancer Focus NI by donating through its website on cancerfocusni.org/appeal Donations can also be made by texting FOCUS to 70660 to donate 5 or text FOCUS 10 to 70660 to donate 10.

'You realise you are not isolated... it was the light at the end of the tunnel'

Case study: Kathy Farrell, Dunmurry

Without the support of Cancer Focus NI, breast cancer survivor Kathy Farrell does not know where she would have been following her treatment.

The mother-of-three has used two of the charity's many services after she discovered she had the disease.

Kathy (44), from Dunmurry, lives with her husband Patrick and has three sons, Patrick, Jack and Aodhan.

She said Cancer Focus NI's services were a "light at the end of the tunnel".

During her treatment, she underwent eight operations including a double mastectomy, breast reconstruction and a hysterectomy.

Kathy's long-term health has been affected in other ways, too - she has depression and anxiety along with fibromyalgia, nerve damage in her hands and feet and chronic fatigue.

She is appealing for donations to help Cancer Focus NI support more people at one of the most difficult times of their lives.

"After getting breast cancer at the young age of 34 my whole world fell apart," said Kathy. "I had surgery to remove the tumour but it turned out to be much larger than anticipated.

"At the time I wasn't really prepared to talk about my diagnosis with anyone.

"Maybe, I thought, if I don't speak about it then it's not really real?

"I finally hit a brick wall.

"I felt I had nowhere to turn and my GP advised me to talk to someone and try and make some sense of everything.

"That's when I was introduced to a counsellor at Cancer Focus NI, who I referred to as my lifeline. I had no idea what experiences or feelings were going to surface at any time.

"My lifeline allowed me the space, the secure, safe setting and the confidence to share anything with her.

"I realised more than ever that I needed help."

Kathy said that having someone there to listen was a vital part of her recovery and that just because cancer treatment has finished doesn't mean the journey to recovery ends.

"For a lot of people their new journey is only beginning - an unsure, a bit frightening and a really confusing new journey," she continued.

"My lifeline helped me every step of the way and was a light at the end of the tunnel for me.

"I also joined the Cancer Focus NI writing group. I loved it because I found that writing things down helped process what I'd been through and helped me work through my own experience.

"When you're in a group with other people you realise that there are others worse off than you and you're not the only one having a bad time, and sometimes you can help them with bit of advice, which gives you a good feeling.

"Counselling and writing about my cancer journey with Cancer Focus NI have made a huge impact on my life. You realise you're not isolated and by yourself and that there is somebody there who can support you.

"I don't think Cancer Focus NI realise the positive impact they have on people's lives, it's life-changing."
In the economic aspect, The Egyptian Gazette noted Vietnam is viewed as an emerging tiger in Asia with a GDP growth rate of over 7% in 2019, annual per capita income approximating US$2,800, and household poverty rate brought down to 1.45%  which was recognised by the UNDP as an important attainment of the countrys poverty reduction efforts.

According to this daily, Vietnam is currently among the nations with the fastest growth in the Human Development Index. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment there rises 7.2% each year and exceeded US38 billion in 2019, the highest in a decade.

The newspapers shared that view that Vietnam is holding important dual roles in the region and the world as it is the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2020-2021.

The country excellently fulfilled the tasks in the UNSC presidency last January, they said, adding that this successful performance was an important initial result that will benefit its participation in the UNSC in the time ahead.

Regarding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the newspapers said the UN and many countries around the world have expressed their admiration for Vietnams accomplishments.

So far, the Southeast Asian nation hasnt recorded any deaths from the coronavirus disease and, like Egypt, it has sent medical supplies to the countries hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.

In terms of bilateral cooperation, the Egyptian media highlighted that the two countries have enjoyed new strides in their relations in multiple spheres and at different levels.

Bilateral trade has reached US$500 million, turning Egypt into the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in Africa, and they are working towards US$1 billion in trade turnover to help Egypt secure the No. 1 position.

Meanwhile, as the ASEAN Chair this year, Vietnam can act as an important bridge linking Egypt with other ASEAN members, thereby helping the Egyptian Government promote its Look East policy, the newspapers noted.
Firefighters battle a fire at the scene of an explosion and fire Saturday in the 300 block of Boyd Street in downtown Los Angeles. Twelve firefighters were injured in the blast. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

A criminal investigation is underway after a massive explosion in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse on Saturday injured 12 firefighters and left several buildings damaged, law enforcement sources told The Times.

Downtown was rocked Saturday night by the blast, which broke out in an older business district off East 3rd Street, known for its various smoke shops. Authorities referred to it as Bong Row.

We are in the early stages of an investigation. We are looking at every aspect at this stage. We havent determined a cause, Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Horace Frank said. The explosion was massive and those firefighters are very lucky to be alive."

Firefighters and other officials investigate a downtown scene were an explosion and fire injured 11 fire fighters yesterday in Little Tokyo during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, May 17, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

An initial investigation identified the business that caught fire as Smoke Tokes, a warehouse distributor with supplies for butane hash oil, said Capt. Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Authorities said carbon dioxide and butane canisters were found inside the building, and investigators are trying to determine whether oil stores on site might have sparked the blast. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

The owner of Smoke Tokes could not be reached for comment.

The explosion damaged several storefronts, melted fire helmets and left one firetruck burned and covered in debris. Officials said firefighters had to pass through a fireball to escape.

Firefighters were coming out with obvious damage and burns, Scott said. They ran straight through that ball of flame to get to safety across the street."

Eleven firefighters received treatment for burn injuries at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, according to the LAFD. A 12th firefighter was treated and released at an emergency room Saturday night for a minor extremity injury, said Nicholas Prange, an LAFD spokesman.

As of Sunday morning, three firefighters had been discharged from the hospital. Eight remained hospitalized, including two in critical but stable condition.

Story continues

All were expected to survive, officials said. Doctors at USC said one firefighter would probably need skin grafts.

Firefighters first received a call about 6:30 p.m. Saturday about a structure fire in the 300 block of Boyd Street south of Little Tokyo. The businesses were not open at the time.

This fire started off like any other bread-and-butter structure fire where we had a one-story commercial building with smoke showing, Scott said.

LAFD Station No. 9 responded. It is one of the busiest fire stations in the nation , serving one of Los Angeles most troubled spots: skid row. On top of the frequent calls that existed even before the pandemic, firefighters there in recent weeks also have been conducting COVID-19 tests on skid row.

When the fire broke out Saturday night, firefighters went to the roof to try to create ventilation, and firefighters used power saws to force entry, Scott said. Others went inside, attempting to find the source of the blaze.

It was routine until they heard a rumbling, high-pitched sound  they described it like a jet engine spinning up  along with pressurized smoke, Scott said. Firefighters started backing out, he said, but conditions drastically changed within moments.

The explosion, he said, created a 30-foot-wide fireball.

This is one of the worst incidents in recent history that we have been to, Scott said. Our firefighters were driven off the roof, frantically scurrying down the aerial ladder to safety through a blowtorch. Firefighters inside had to escape a massive explosion.

All of the injured firefighters work at Station 9, according to LAFD.

Initially, officials could not account for all the firefighters.

In an LAFD radio transmission, an official is heard screaming, Mayday! Explosion! I have two down firefighters.

This is a difficult time for our fire family, Scott said, his voice tired. Our number one concern is to take care of the injured as well as the mental health of the other firefighters on scene.

It took more than 230 firefighters an hour and 42 minutes after the call came in to extinguish the blaze, authorities said. Video at the scene captured a series of smaller explosions after the initial blast.

On Sunday, the heavily damaged warehouse still stood, Scott said. Nearby streets were cordoned off with yellow tape.

The scene left by the fire was apocalyptic. On Sunday, the yellow jackets of firefighters who had responded to the blaze still lay on the ground, with holes burned in them. Melted helmets were scattered about.

There was a charred firetruck, Scott said, and a blackened fire hose. There were discharged fire extinguishers possibly that were utilized to extinguish our own members, Scott said.

LAFD Chief Ralph M. Terrazas said the firefighters responding to the call sensed something was wrong inside the building but could not escape before the explosion.

When one of your own is injured ... you can imagine the amount of mental stress, Terrazas said. A lot of our firefighters were traumatized.

Along with LAFD arson investigators, the explosion is being investigated by the criminal conspiracy section of the LAPD's major crimes division and the gang and narcotics division, Assistant Chief Frank said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives national response team will arrive Monday to assist in the investigation, federal officials said Sunday.

The team brings together science and fire experts who can reconstruct scenes in detail. It assisted most recently in California on the Conception boat fire, which killed 34 people in the vessel off Santa Barbara in September. The team also assisted in the investigation of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, which killed 36 people in December 2016.

In 2016, there was another major fire at a downtown L.A. business called Smoke Tokes at an address nearby on 3rd Street. It was unclear whether that business and the one that burned Saturday were connected.

We are aware of a fire in September 2016, nearby on 3rd Street, with a building doing business as Smoke Tokes, Scott said Sunday. Our arson investigators are aware of that incident, and thats part of the active investigation.

It took more than 160 firefighters about two hours to put out the 2016 blaze, with the flames largely confined to the wholesaler and distributor of smoking paraphernalia, The Times reported at the time.

Firefighters encountered pressurized gas cylinders that exploded amid the inferno, but there were no injuries in the 2016 fire.

It was a tricky fire for us, LAFD Battalion Chief Mark Curry said at the time. We had multiple explosions going off inside the fire while it was burning due to the butane containers releasing.
Reportedly, Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family recently travelled to their hometown in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh from Mumbai amid the nationwide lockdown. As per government guidelines and procedure, they have all been placed under home quarantine due to the coronavirus scare.

Nawazuddin had reached his ancestral place on May 11 after which the authorities directed him and his family to remain under quarantine for 14 days till May 25. It is reported that Nawazuddin obtained permission from authorities in Mumbai for travelling. His mother, brother and sister-in-law also made the journey with him.

Nawazuddin's brother Shamas tweeted that the family travelled because Nawazuddin's sister recently died due to cancer, and his 71-year-old mother is ill. Nawazuddin also issued a short message on social media. He wrote, "Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother who is 71 yrs old got anxiety attack twice. We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana. Please #StaySafe #StayHome (sic)."

Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother who is 71yrs old got anxiety attack twice.We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana.Please #StaySafe #StayHome Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) May 18, 2020

As per media reports, the doctors had taken samples of Nawazuddin and his family members and all tested negative for coronavirus.

On the movies front, Nawazuddin features in Ghoomketu next. Directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra, the movie is a comedy- drama from the viewpoint of a budding writer (played by Nawazuddin), struggling to make it big in the film industry in Mumbai. The film also features filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actors Ila Arun, Raghubir Yadav, Swanand Kirkire and Ragini Khanna in pivotal roles.

Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha have made special appearances in the project. Produced by Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks (SPN), the movie will release on ZEE5 on May 22.

(With inputs from IANS)

Follow @News18Movies for more
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Laos reopened its schools on Monday and resumed interregional travel after nearly two months of the COVID-19 lockdown, the government said

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2020) Laos reopened its schools on Monday and resumed interregional travel after nearly two months of the COVID-19 lockdown, the government said.

Laos has confirmed a total of 19 cases, 14 of which have made a full recovery, while five others are still hospitalized. The country, in lockdown since April 1, has had no new cases for 36 days straight.

Schools will be open for classes and exams at Primary, lower and upper secondary levels. All other students will continue taking their classes remotely.

Trading and service businesses, including restaurants, shops, and beauty salons, have been permitted to resume their work.

Various types of transport services between the regions have resumed activity as well.

The authorities have also announced that foreign citizens can now return to their home countries provided their own lockdown regimes allowing that. At the same time, the country will remain closed to entry for everyone, except citizens returning from abroad, foreign diplomats, and international shipping crews.

On June 1, the government will either soften the restrictions further or strengthen them once again depending on the epidemiological situation.
Jaime King has filed for divorce and requested a restraining order against her husband of 12 years, Kyle Newman.

The actress, 41, filed the legal documents in Los Angeles on Monday, according to TMZ.

Jaime has been married to Kyle, 44, since 2007 after meeting on his film Fanboys, and together they share sons James, six, and Leo, four.

The nature of Jaime's restraining order is unknown at this time, as is whether it was granted or not.

Split: Jaime King has filed for divorce and requested a restraining order against her husband of 12 years, Kyle Newman (pictured 2019)

The couple's marriage had come under scrutiny lately after Jaime was seen out without her wedding band.

The duo were reportedly quarantining apart in recent days, with Jaime in California and Kyle in Pennsylvania with their children, according to Life & Style.

Jaime and Kyle are 'taking some time apart to focus on themselves,' a source told the site.

'He's [Kyle] been staying with his family for months and is leaning on them for support,' the source added.

As they were: Jaime has been married to Kyle since 2007 after meeting on his film Fanboys, and together they share sons James, six, and Leo, four (pictured 2019)

Jaime met her husband while working on the 2009 comedy Fanboys, which was directed by Kyle.

The couple had an instant connection that blew Jaime away.

'I don't know why, but some part of me was instantly connected to him, and I loved him so much,' Jaime told InStyle Weddings. 'It was intense. I never thought that would happen to me.'

Family life: The couple with their two sons at the farmers' market in West Hollywood in 2019

They moved in together three months after first meeting, and married in November 2007 at the place they had their first date, the Greystone Park and Manor in Los Angeles.

The couple endured several trials over the course of their nearly 13 year long marriage.

Jaime was in Beverly Hills in 2018 when a man jumped onto her car with her son James inside, wrecking the windshield and leaving the pair shaken.

'I've had five miscarriages': Jaime has also been open about her struggles to have a family (pictured 2018)

'Dad life': Newman has reportedly been quarantining in Pennsylvania with their sons, and has been documenting his time with them in self-isolation on Instagram

The man, Paul Francis Floyd, was jailed for one year as a result of the attack, and was again sentenced to over four years in prison in 2019 after allegedly sending Jaime threats and explicit images following his initial release.

Jaime has also been open about her own fertility struggles.

The actress revealed she had suffered five miscarriages and was even diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis before finally having her first child.

'I've had five miscarriages, gone through five rounds of IVF and 26 rounds of IUD,' she told People in 2015. 'I was in severe pain all the time, emotionally and physically.'

Going solo: The actress was photographed without her husband at the release of Abrachshoes in Los Angeles in January 2020

No ring: King pictured without her wedding ring on in September 2019

Jaime went through five years of fertility treatments but eventually wound up getting pregnant naturally.

The couple welcomed their son Leo in 2015, but Jaime learned he had a heart defect when she was still pregnant.

The child was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries when he was 20 weeks old, and subsequently underwent major heart surgery.

Describing the ordeal, she told People, 'I was wheel-chaired to him every three hours, so I could breastfeed him and take care of him before he went into this huge surgery. It was a terrifying experience. But thank God for the medicine that we have now ... I knew how traumatic the experience was, how much post-traumatic stress disorder I had afterwards, and the trauma that I was experiencing before it. It's because I didn't know anybody that had gone through it and I didn't have people to talk to.

'I have a voice and I want to use that voice on behalf of my son - and I know that my son would want that. I've gotten thousands of letters from people and now I have a real community of people to talk to.'

Missing accessory: King wasn't wearing her ring in January 2020
Appointment Scheduling Information

The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency is now accepting scheduled appointments for Hoosiers. Please see the information below on what transactions are available and how you can schedule an appointment. If you can conduct your business with the PLA via online services, phone, or mail, please continue to do so. The PLA will follow CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of customers and employees. Please review the requirements below to make an appointment and be sure to understand what is required before you arrive for your appointment.

The following services are available for appointment at the PLA offices:

Apply for a New License

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Change Personal Information

Compliance Inquiry

Individuals who utlize the scheduling tool will be given priority over customers who do not schedule an appointment.

Before Your Appointment

Before you schedule an appointment, visit the PLA Professions page to review what will be required to complete your transactions. If you do not bring the required documents and payment, you may be unable to complete your transaction. Common requirements include:

Payment - If your appointment requires paying a fee of any sort, it must be either exact cash (no change is available) or a check or money order made payable to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

Initial Application or License Renewal Form - These forms can be found and printed from their respective Professions page. Please print and complete the form prior to the appointment.

Supporting Documentation - Some license applications or renewals require additional documents to complete the transaction. Please review if your appointment will require any and bring copies.

Appointment Confirmation - Once you schedule your appointment, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided.

If you are unable to get your requirement documents and payment prior to your appointment, you must reschedule.

Arriving for Your Appointment

Customers are required wear a mask during their appointment and must bring their own to the Government Center. The day of your appointment, please review the following three questions prior to leaving for the Indiana Government Center. If you answer yes to any of these questions, please stay home and reschedule your appointment.

1. Have you had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days?

2. Are you currently ill? Do you have symptoms of a cold, cough, or shortness of breath? Have you temporarily lost your sense of taste or smell?

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Please arrive at Indiana Government Center South at least 15 minutes prior to your appointment to give time to make it through security. Please use the Public Entrance located at 10 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Scheduling Your Appointment

The PLA office will be available for appointment between 8:30am and 3:30pm. Each appointment will be scheduled for 30 minutes and cannot be extended. There will be time between each appointment to ensure that our staff can sanitize public spaces. Only the individual who scheduled the appointment will be allowed in the PLA offices, no other additional guests may accompany them.

To schedule an appointment, please use the PLA Appointment System.





If you are unable to finalize your appointment online, please contact a member of our staff by phone for assistance.

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South Africa: Northern Cape labour office remains closed

The Department of Employment and Labour has dismissed labour union allegations that its Kimberly office has not been observing occupational health and safety protocols.

In a statement issued on Monday, the department said the Northern Cape office has observed protocols in an effort to combat COVID-19 infections.

A limited number of officials who have been working since lockdown are still reporting for duty as per schedule and they have been issued with personal protective equipment like masks, latex gloves and sanitizers, said the department.

Face shields, said the department, will be provided to frontline officials and partitions are being installed to promote social distancing in the workplace.

The department denied that it has re-called additional officials back to work, saying it was finalising the Return to Work Plan for the Northern Cape.

The service provider has been appointed to perform industrial sanitising in line with the Provincial Risk Assessment Plan from 18  22 May 2020, it said.

The service will be performed at all seven offices in the province (Kimberley, De Aar, Calvinia, Springbok, Upington, Postmasburg and Kuruman).

This will include the deep cleaning of offices, disinfection (fogging with anti-viral chemicals) and cleaning of fabric office furniture including the interior of all vehicles.

The offices are currently not open to the public, therefore no walk-ins are permitted, and drop-off boxes are provided at main entrance for clients to submit new applications for services and to eliminate human contact.

The access to the office is strictly for limited number of officials who are rendering essential services and have been issued with permits. The body temperature scan, registers and health questionnaire are being utilised to manage and track these official while at the office, said the department.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Moments after the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 announced the extension of the total lockdown on Kano State for two weeks in order to further curb the spread of the virus, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje amended the conditions for the lockdown.

Mr Ganduje, on Monday, said Friday congregational and Eid prayers would be held in the state while physical distancing rules would be obeyed.

The Eid prayers are expected to be said Saturday or Sunday to mark the end of this years Ramadan fast.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, had earlier announced President Muhammadu Buharis decision at the daily COVID-19 briefing.

Mr Mustapha said President Buhari approved a two-weeks extension of the total lockdown in Kano, one of the states hardest hit by COVID-19.

The SGF did not mention the amendments later announced by the Kano government nor did he say if the Kano government requested such amendment from the president.

Mr Gandujes spokesperson, Salihu Tanko, in a brief statement posted on Facebook, said the governors decision is based on recommendations by 30 Islamic scholars in the state.

He also did not say whether Mr Ganduje sought the presidents permission before amending the lockdown.

In his statement, Mr Tanko said the scholars asked Mr Ganduje to allow Friday prayers to hold as well as Eid prayers.

He said the governor gave his directive after a lengthy consultation with the Islamic scholars and other government officials in the Government House.

As Nigeria battles the COVID-19, presidential directives especially on movement and gatherings have several times clashed with those put in place by some state governments.

The PTF has constantly said it is working with the Nigerian Governors Forum to reduce such clashes.

The federal governments directive presently bans social and religious gatherings while a nationwide dusk to dawn curfew was also imposed. Kano is currently the only state under a presidential lockdown due to the coronavirus cases there.

Further review

In the statement by his spokesperson, the Kano governor provided details of his directive to ease the lockdown announced by the president.

The partial lift on the lockdown will now be for three days, thats Monday, Wednesday and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Mr Ganduje said

Government also considered it convenient to allow the conduct of Eid prayers in all the five Emirates in the state under strict observance of safety and prevention protocols, he said.

He, however, said there would be no Sallah festivities in all the five emirates including the traditional Hawan Sallah, (Sallah Durbar).

Weve directed the state Hisbah Board to hold meetings with Imams and deploy its personnel to Friday Jumaah Mosques across the state to ensure that worshipers comply with personal hygiene through maintaining social distancing, hand washing and use of sanitisers.

The state would also continue to work toward ensuring that together we stand to fight the deadly disease, call on the residents to continue to support the government in this direction, Mr Ganduje said.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday announced 64 new infections in Kano bringing the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state to 825.

This is second to that of Lagos, the epicentre of coronavirus in the country.
A Canadian military plane crashed shortly after taking off during what was supposed to be a morale-boosting flyover in British Columbia, according to multiple media reports.

The plane, a Canadian Forces Snowbird, was one of two that took off at the same time. The Royal Canadian Air Force Twitter account posted about the crash, saying the aircraft landed in the vicinity of the city of Kamloops.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was still determining the status of their personnel at the time of the tweet, saying more information would be provided when appropriate.

The #RCAF has been made aware that a Canadian Forces Snowbirds aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Kamloops, BC. Our priority at this time is determining the status of our personnel and supporting emergency personnel. When appropriate, more information will be made available.  Royal Canadian Air Force (@RCAF_ARC) May 17, 2020

The AP reported that the Snowbirds are Canadas equivalent of the U.S. Navys Blue Angels.

The flyover was a part of Operation Inspiration which started in Nova Scotia earlier in the month, AP reported. It was aimed at boosting morale during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Videos and photos of the crash circulated on social media, including one where at least one person on the plane can be seen ejecting from the aircraft.

Canadian Forces Snowbirds jet crashes in Kamloops, B.C. (Video: supermario_47) https://t.co/wYttPgzcXd pic.twitter.com/aeud8Up9kB  Breaking Aviation News (@breakingavnews) May 17, 2020

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is reporting that the plane crashed in the front yard of a home in Kamloops, and witnesses saw a parachute land on a nearby house.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix tweeted that one person was taken to a hospital following the crash. No other information has been provided about injuries or deaths in the crash.

Late this morning @BC_EHS received multiple calls about a plane crash near the Kamloops airport. Paramedics and air ambulances were dispatched and one individual was transported to hospital. Our thoughts are with all affected during this difficult time.  Adrian Dix (@adriandix) May 17, 2020

AP reports this was the second crash within the last year involving the Snowbirds. The last one was when the Snowbirds were scheduled to do an airshow in the United States, in Georgia.

Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier sustained minor injuries when he ejected from the plane, which crashed into a farmers field. No one else was hurt.

Read more on PennLive:
The democratic government of Taiwan on Monday expressed dissatisfaction, protest and regret at the lack of an invitation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to take part in its annual World Health Assembly (WHA) amid the coronavirus pandemic.



Taiwans health minister Chen Shih-chung said Monday had passed with no invitation to this years online WHA conference forthcoming.



"We have yet to receive an invitation despite our efforts, right up until the last minute, Chen told reporters in Taipei on Monday. It seems that this will not now happen."



We must express our strong dissatisfaction, protest and regret, he said.



Chen said Taiwan had plenty to contribute to this years gathering of 187 countries, including its exemplary handling of its own coronavirus epidemic, which was controlled from the outset by stringent travel bans, testing, quarantining, and contact-tracing.



The island also began developing treatments for the coronavirus and repurposed production lines to manufacture enough face masks for everyone to wear when they leave their homes each day.



We wont be sharing the Taiwan model at the conference, which is the WHOs loss, but also means we cant learn from the experiences of other countries, Chen said.



Presidential spokesman Alex Huang called on the WHO to reject attempts at inappropriate intervention by Beijing, and to allow Taiwan to take part in all of its conferences, reporting mechanisms, and other activities.



Huang said the fact that Chinas president gave the opening address to the WHA wasnt exactly a surprise.



This is why the heads of other member states may be asking themselves whether the WHO has become the CHO, he quipped, in a reference to China.



Taiwan pushed aside



Since President Tsai Ing-wen swept to a landslide victory promising to stand up to Beijing and seek a more active role in world affairs, China has used its considerable influence at the WHO to ensure that the 1911 Republic of China on Taiwan, now ruled by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is excluded from the body it once participated in as an observer.



According to a May 15 report in Foreign Policy magazine, China recently penned a secret letter to the WHO to ensure Taiwan wasnt allowed to take part.



Chinese president Xi Jinping instead made the opening speech to the online WHA, following reports that Beijing had written to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calling on him to stand firm and not invite Taiwan, which Beijing has threatened to invade.



Washington also hit out at the decision not to invite Taiwan, saying it damaged the WHOs credibility at a crucial time for global public health.



[Chinas] spiteful action to silence Taiwan exposes the emptiness of its claims to want transparency and international cooperation to fight the pandemic, and makes the difference between China and Taiwan ever more stark, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday.



Taiwan is a model world citizen, while [China] continues to withhold vital information about the virus and its origins, deny access to their scientists and relevant facilities, censor discussion of the pandemic within China and on Chinese social media properties, and casts blame widely and recklessly, he said.



Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu Zhaoxie said there is nothing in the WHO to prevent it from allowing Taiwan to join.



"China says that it cares, but it has repeatedly deprived the people of Taiwan of their health and human rights, he said. The people of Taiwan are united in their aversion [China] and will not give up their desire to make a positive contribution to world affairs.



'This is a political issue'



A spokesman for Taiwans Kuomintang nationalist party, now in opposition, but which was a founding member of the WHO as the government of the 1911 Republic of China, said the views of the islands 23 million people shouldnt be ignored.



Taiwanese epidemiologist Ho Mei-hsiang said the government shouldnt waste time aiming for observer status any more.



This is a political issue  and the solution depends on the strength [of our leadership], Ho said.



Taiwan has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor has it ever formed part of the Peoples Republic of China. The KMT fled to the island in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedongs Soviet-backed communists.



Following a decades-long campaign by dissidents, pro-democracy and independence activists, many of whom were jailed and persecuted under the KMT one-party regime, the island made a transition to full democracy beginning in the late 1990s.



About two-thirds of Taiwanese dont identify as Chinese, according to a recent survey, instead selecting Taiwanese as their identity in a recent poll by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center.



Some 83 percent of respondents under 30 said they don't consider themselves Chinese.



Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFAs Mandarin Service, and by Chung Kuang-cheng for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Both Coteccons and Ricons are the two leading players in Vietnam's construction scene

Since the unsuccessful merger proposed at Coteccons annual general shareholders' meeting (AGM) in 2019, Ricons has been growing steadily, even despite the impacts of COVID-19. In contrast, Coteccons has suffered continuous blows, enduring negative cash flow for the ninth consecutive quarter. Rumours are circulating that Coteccons is losing customers to Ricons, and some senior management members on the Board of Directors (BoD) and Board of Management (BoM) are concurrently holding the same executive positions at Ricons. As this has not yet been made clear to the public, there is definitely a lack of transparency in the management of the two companies.

Can Ricons develop without support from Coteccons?

The parent company Coteccons Construction JSC's (ticker code CTD) financial statements in the first quarter of 2020 showed the lowest profit in the last five years. This is the companys ninth consecutive quarter of negative cash flow, with a bleak value of VND427 billion ($18.57 million)  four times lower than in the same period last year.

Along with this, Cotecconss net revenue was VND3.554 trillion ($154.5 million), down 16.4 per cent since 2019. Its gross profit also shed 29 per cent to VND194.4 billion ($8.45 million), causing gross profit margins to decline from 6.4 to 5.5 per cent.

Contrary to the gloomy financial state at Coteccons, Ricons Construction Investment JSC has seen spectacular growth in recent years.

The companys net revenue in the first quarter of 2020 was VND1.092 trillion ($47.48 million), a 21.2 per cent increase on-year. Riconss growth is attributed mainly to the growing number of construction deals, with revenue increasing from VND739.4 billion ($32.15 million) in 2019 to VND946 billion ($41.13 million).

These are not surprising figures. Since 2015, the first year after restructuring, Ricons revenue soared by 78 per cent to VND2.825 trillion ($122.83 million). After-tax profit rose to VND81 billion ($3.5 million), an increase of 97 per cent compared to 2014.

In the following years, Ricons entered a golden age with average revenue growth touching 50 per cent, and profit targets jumping 76 per cent from 2014 to 2018. Side-by-side, Coteccons after-tax profit increased by less than five times during the last five years, while Ricons net profit increased by over 10 times.

There arose questions of whether Ricons can maintain this steady growth amid market vulnerabilities, without support from its key management team who are also BoD members at Coteccons.

Rising above conflict of interest

According to trustworthy reports, the handful of BoD/BoM members shared by the two companies have much higher shares at Ricons than they do at Coteccons. It is important to note that Ricons was established in the backyard of Coteccons.

The significant difference in shareholder structure at both companies, however, must be taken into consideration. The merge may directly affect the benefits of shareholders in each respective party in very different ways.

Formerly known as Phu Hung Gia Co., Ltd., Ricons was established in 2004 as a member unit of Coteccons. The company went through management reconstruction from 2010 to 2014. Many key executives at Coteccons were appointed to manage Ricons during that time.

In fact, Nguyen Ba Duong (Coteccons BoD chairman and legal representative), Nguyen Sy Cong (Coteccons head of BoD, general director), and Tran Quang Quan (Cottecons deputy general director) are three of the five members on the Ricons BoD.

In addition, Quan is also the chairman and legal representative of Ricons. Ricons has five major shareholders, including Duongs wife, Huynh Thi Tuyet Ngoc. She has a significant 7.38 per cent ownership rate in the company, although Duong is not officially reported to have any shares himself.

As the relationship between the two companies  main contractor and subcontractor  is deemed sensitive, having overlapping management teams seems to pose a potential conflict of interest between the two firms that looks difficult to overcome. There is much speculation on the threshold of the AGM of these two companies.

The main concern for Coteccons is whether they can overcome difficulties in merging with Ricons in order to recover from their losses over recent years. Is it possible that merging the companies will result in an entity that is stronger than its individual parts used to be?

The significant difference in shareholder structure at both companies, however, must be taken into consideration. The merger may directly affect the benefits of shareholders of the respective parties in very different ways. This may be the biggest obstacle for senior executives at both companies, who receive the largest benefits from Ricons.

With Riconss trending financial growth, could they be trying to avoid being inspected by major shareholders at both companies in order to remain separate? If so, Ricons may have to replace key members who are concurrently managing Coteccons and Ricons, removing the existing link in order to ensure its independent development.

Regardless of which possibility is closer to reality, the course of Riconss actions during the last year indicates intentional efforts to avoid investigation. In the case this merger occurs, the influence of chairman Nguyen Ba Duong may grow exponentially stronger. The opposite outcome would be that Ricons continues to prosper while its founding company, Coteccons, will flounder on.

Industry observers await the AGM to see if these established industry leaders can reach a compromise or if they will remain separate and enforce another period of reconstruction.
DALLAS and FORT WORTH, Texas, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Witherite Law Group announced today they will use drone technology in accident investigations to improve how an insurance company and jury visualize a car or truck wreck and the accident scene.

Witherite Law Group Founding Partner and Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer, Amy Witherite described the importance of this technology and their partnership with Midwest UAS Technologies, a commercial drone services firm. When we talk about why expertise matters in car and truck accidents, this is what we mean, stated Witherite. Drones will extend, enhance and grow our accident investigation expertise. This expertise will be a major advantage for our clients in our battle to ensure they receive the insurance settlements they deserve.

A precise aerial perspective that includes up-to-date maps, video and images will enable Witherite Law Groups attorneys to recreate a highly accurate accident scene. Drones also allow the firm to reflect near real-time conditions at the time of the accident.

Jackie Reiser, Owner, Midwest UAS Technologies, said, This partnership will raise the bar in evidence gathering and accident reconstruction in Dallas and Fort Worth. The technology will enhance the firms ability to visualize and interact with a scene to the benefit of their clients. And the firm will benefit by completing inspections and data collection in a fraction of the time of manual methods. Easy access to difficult-to-reach areas will also increase the safety of their employees.

Witherite added, Drones offer our case team a birds-eye view of the accident location. This evidence enables us to recreate the scene with incredible accuracy, details and near real-time conditions. This will allow our accident attorneys to tell a better client story that improves situational awareness and understanding of the accident.

ABOUT WITHERITE LAW GROUP

Witherite Law Group is a Dallas-based personal injury law firm founded in 2001 with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth and Atlanta, GA. The firms attorneys specialize in helping those injured in a car or truck accident and can be reached by calling 1-800-TruckWreck or 1-800-CarWreck, 24 hours a day.

ABOUT MIDWEST UAS TECHNOLOGIES

Midwest UAS Technologies delivers actionable aerial intelligence services to help improve business processes and decision-making and provide maximum value for clients.

SOURCE Witherite Law Group

Related Links

http://www.witheritelaw.com


Travel to become a costly affair in future By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Globally people will be adverse to travel with most of the initial travel plans being more on moving around to meet friends and relatives amidst concerns of social distancing and new protocols in travelling around.

These issues were brought to the fore in discussing how the future of travel will be once the quarantine period ends and people return to what is to become not the new normal but the next normal at the webinar hosted by Cinnamon Future of Tourism Virtual Conference held on Monday on the theme Charting a course for Sri Lankas tourism future.

Purpose driven travel

UNWorld Tourism Organisation (WTO) Representative Secretary Generals Special Advisor Anita Mendiratta addressing the webinar from her location stated that with all of us being grounded the need to travel has become more important than ever.

But notably the desire to travel to visit ones close friends or relatives will initially take priority over leisure travel, she noted.

Though the recovery is likely to happen in the future, Ms. Mendriatta said the future of tourism would take into account not the new normal but its about the next normal.

People are nervous about travelling, she said adding that a key factor that would be considered when opting to travel out would be the protocols involved in flying into a destination and the protocols upon returning home.

Asian economies lack funding

Sri Lanka needs to employ strategic thought in ascertaining to drive yield and prioritise tourism in the country, Minor Hotels Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier said.

He pointed out that the damage and exposure of the pandemic has been significant and highlighted about the fact that travel and tourism causes much uncertainty.

Its going to be a very slow recovery and the measures which we have taken is our team members safety, he said adding that this was their main priority at the group of hotels. The next priority was how to keep the cash and liquidity intact, he said.

In the face of the fact that most countries were trying to come out of the lockdowns mainly due to the fact that this virus would not just only kill the people but also the economy some economies will open up quicker in view of the liquidity problems as well, Mr. Rajakarier explained.

In this respect he pointed out that in the wake of these developments in economies they were trying to raise funding before the banks dry up on their cash.

Some of the Western nations like Spain, the UK and Sweden were supporting the corporate sector but some of the Asian countries have been very slow because of the challenge they face from an economic perspective, he pointed out.

This is also due to the fact that they dont have funding for some of the businesses to support them and as a result these governments are trying to get them back on track, he noted. Recovery is likely to be a very slow process, he said adding that businesses need to ensure they are prepared for it.

Visit Sri Lanka 2022

Sri Lanka Tourism authorities are looking at increasing its attractiveness for high yielding tourists by looking at a theme of Visit Sri Lanka 2022.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said that they were looking at encouraging visitors to the country based on the theme of Visit Sri Lanka 2022.

In this respect, she is currently engaged in trying to support the SME sector as stakeholders of the industry for which the chairperson is said to have contacted the European Union in this regard.

Other measures to be adopted are the multiple entry five year visas for tourists without limiting it for a restricted period of a few months.

She pointed out that as they were observing the recovery rates of other countries it was notable that nations like Russia and Germany were recovering faster.

In addition, authorities are planning on establishing online booking to the various tourist sites around the country in a bid to avoid contact between persons.

Ms. Fernando also appealed to the stakeholders to work together without the cut-throat competition and believed that it would take about a year to get back on track.

In this respect, she noted that Sri Lanka had even in the past achieved only about 200,000 arrivals to the country and as a result this should not be hard to attract post-COVID.
The worst is about to get worse.

In Texas, where 5 million people already go without health insurance, nearly 1.2 million more are projected to join their ranks  far more than any other state.

That's the estimated collateral damage from the coronavirus recession, assuming the national unemployment rate hits 20%, according to a recent Urban Institute report. Some believe the real jobless number for April may already be that high.

In that scenario, 25 million adults and children in the U.S. are expected to lose employer-sponsored health insurance. The vast majority  7 in 10 nationwide  will get coverage elsewhere, the study estimated.

MICHAEL JORDAN MANIA: Hilarious memes celebrate final hours of 'The Last Dance' doc

But in Texas, just 1 in 2 are projected to be covered, which would be the lowest share among the states.

The surge in uninsured arrives while COVID-19 is still raging and states are struggling to restart their economies safely. Laid-off workers who lose health insurance generally have a 60-day window to sign up for replacement coverage, usually through their company plan or the federal health exchange.

It's a complicated decision that can be expensive, and unemployed Texans have a weak record of enrolling in such backup plans. That's why the report projects such a low take-up in the state.

Losing insurance will greatly compound the health and financial challenges for people, hospitals, doctors and the broader economy.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas reports massive surge in COVID-19 cases in single day

"It's devastating for the families that won't be able to get the care they need," said Vivian Ho, a Rice University economist who specializes in health issues. "Many are gonna try to tough it out on their own, and they could get really ill."

It's also devastating for health providers, she said. Their patient volumes have declined sharply amid coronavirus fears, and they've had to ramp up spending on supplies and preparation for COVID-19 cases.

"Providers are already running in the red," Ho said. "This is gonna turn it blood red."

Even before the pandemic, hospitals were struggling with a large number of uninsured and underinsured patients in the state, said John Hawkins, senior vice president for the Texas Hospital Association. Facilities in Texas provide billions in uncompensated care, and he said the costs are generally passed on to commercial customers and taxpayers in hospital districts.

Adding more uninsured now will amplify the strain.

"It's huge," Hawkins said. "It has a fiscal impact and a quality-of-life impact."

Every state will see an increase in uninsured, the study shows. But Texas stands apart in both the total number to be added and the share of workers projected to end up without coverage.

Why so bad? It's no coincidence.

For years, Texas' statewide elected leaders have rejected efforts to improve access to care. They turned down Medicaid expansion time and again, and resisted programs to help people enroll in the federal marketplace. Texas is leading the legal challenge to overthrow the Affordable Care Act, a case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thirty-six other states, including some led by Republican governors and legislatures, have expanded Medicaid, a key plank of the ACA. The federal government pays 90% of those costs, and expanding Medicaid would cover nearly 1.6 million working poor in Texas  that was the figure before the pandemic led to millions of layoffs and furloughs.

In Texas' existing Medicaid program, the state sets the lowest income threshold in the country. If a single mom with two kids earns more than $3,800 a year  or $317 a month  she makes too much to get Medicaid coverage in Texas, said one expert.

"We have the stingiest eligibility in the country," said Stacey Pogue, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin.

The income cap in Texas is 17% of the federal poverty level for a family of three, which is lower than in Alabama and Mississippi, said the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average income cutoff for the U.S. is 138% of poverty level, which is generally the level in states that expanded Medicaid.

In those states, over half of the people losing employer insurance will get Medicaid coverage.

"This is the purpose of the Medicaid program, to provide a safety net to people in financial distress," wrote Bowen Garrett and Anuj Gangopadhyaya of the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center.

Texas lags in another metric: Just 23% of those eligible for a marketplace plan enrolled in an ACA option. That's lower than in the U.S. (32%) and far lower than in Florida (47%)  even though Florida has a Republican governor and hasn't expanded Medicaid, either.

"In Texas, maybe there's less of a culture of coverage," said Katherine Hempstead, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which helped support the Urban Institute report.

That could be related to the type of households, family income, immigration status and other factors. All that's in addition to public policies from lawmakers, along with ideology and politics.

She believes the dynamic could change, perhaps with the new wave of workers who lose health plans during the pandemic. They're accustomed to having coverage and may prioritize it more highly than the uninsured in the past.

They could pressure elected leaders to expand Medicaid and push for other ways to help residents navigate the marketplace. Such efforts are underway in other states.

"Sometimes a catastrophe can reshape what's considered normal  and who's considered to be deserving," Hempstead said. "This experience could normalize other kinds of health coverage. There's so much financial strain right now, and Texas is passing on a huge source of federal money."

For years, Texas hospitals have fallen short in pushing for Medicaid expansion, which could be worth $100 billion in federal funding over a decade. The picture has changed, Hawkins said, because of the coronavirus and the energy bust.

"These are extraordinary times," he said, "and if there's a federal tool we can use, we ought to figure out how to access it."

___

(c)2020 The Dallas Morning News

Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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.
TDT | Manama

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) Board of Directors chairman Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani yesterday gave directives to remove all obstacles facing the implementation of the new Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sakhir, in order to ensure its completion within the two-year schedule.

This came as he paid a visit to the site of the project, whose stone-laying foundation ceremony was patronised by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, last January.

The minister was informed about the projects implementation phases through a presentation given by Tilke consultants and Cebarco Bahrain, the contractor of the project.

The minister expressed his delight at the beginning of the project, noting that the state-of-the-art exhibition centre will motivate all sectors that support tourism in order to diversify sources of income, in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The new exhibition and convention centre will be built on 309,000 square metres of land. The 149,000sqm main building will include 10 exhibition areas totalling 95,000sqm, along with dedicated areas for retail and events.

The facility will also include a 4,500sqm conference hall divided into three separate Hitech rooms, in addition to 27 small and medium-sized conference and meeting rooms.

The new facility will significantly strengthen the Kingdoms event infrastructure and enable it to host greater numbers of larger events in the future.
NEW ORLEANS - Three Gulf Coast states are getting more than $88 million in fisheries disaster funds for damage from last years flooding, which included an unprecedented two openings of a spillway west of New Orleans.

These funds will help industries and individuals recover from this disaster, and build resilience for the future, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who declared a fisheries disaster in September, said in a news release Monday.

The total includes $58.3 million for Louisiana, $21.3 million for Mississippi and $8.6 million for Alabama, Republican U.S. Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana said in a separate statement.

After waiting an entire year, we finally have a chance to right some of the wrongs caused by last years high river event, Graves said. South Louisianans know the disaster process all too well and for years they have been victimized by cumbersome bureaucracy.

A state report in November said Louisiana alone lost $256 million because heavy rains in the Midwest kept the Mississippi River at flood stage for extended periods and forced two openings of the Bonnet Carre spillway.

The spillway diverts polluted river water into brackish Lake Pontchartrain, which drains into the Mississippi Sound. The fresh water dramatically reduced the sounds salinity last year, affecting Alabama and Mississippi fisheries and causing toxic algae blooms that closed all of Mississippis beaches.

These funds are welcome news for the many fishermen who suffered through last years unprecedented opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, but our state deserves a long-term solution to disasters like these, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, said in a news release.

He and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, also a Republican, said they are working to change the way federal fisheries disasters are evaluated and approved.

I am also pushing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider alternatives to opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway so that we can minimize the risk of these disasters in the future, Wicker said.

Mississippi has been pushing to have the Morganza Floodway used as an alternative to the Bonnet Carre, which was created to protect New Orleans levees from damage caused by rushing water. The floodway, which starts west of Baton Rouge in Pointe Coupee Parish, sends water into farmland and campsites in the Atchafalaya Basin if floods threaten Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
The Christopher Guest Collaborations

Some of Willards greatest roles came in the improvised mockumentaries he did with the writer, director and actor Christopher Guest and a recurring company of players including Catherine OHara, Eugene Levy and Michael McKean.

In the first of these, Rob Reiners This Is Spinal Tap (1984; rent it on Fandango, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft, Vudu and YouTube), he had only a bit part as an Air Force lieutenant guiding the titular rock band around a military facility for an upcoming performance. In Waiting for Guffman (1997; stream it on Vudu), he played a more substantial role as one half of a wonderfully ridiculous husband-and-wife team (with OHara) who worked as small-town travel agents but harbored dreams of stardom. (One of Willards major laugh-lines came in describing his need for penis reduction surgery.)

In Best in Show (2000; rent it on Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube), Willard stole all his scenes as an oblivious dog-show color commentator. Willard modeled his voice beats after the Westminster Kennel Club announcer Joe Garagiola, but the inappropriate jokes  And to think that in some countries, these dogs are eaten  were all his.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 22:37:32|Editor: huaxia

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ISTANBUL, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the ways of closer cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic during a phone conversation on Monday, Turkey's presidential office said.

Both leaders also reviewed the possible steps that would be taken in the post-pandemic era, the presidency announced in a written statement.

The death toll from the coronavirus in Turkey climbed to 4,140, and the confirmed cases totaled 149,435, according to the latest figures of the Health Ministry.

Erdogan and Putin also discussed the regional issues, including the latest situation in Syria, and bilateral relations, according to the statement. Enditem
China's commerce ministry said on Sunday it is firmly opposed to the latest rules by the United States against Huawei and will take all necessary measures to safeguard Chinese firms' rights and interests. The ministry said in a statement that it urges the United States to immediately stop the wrong actions.

The Trump administration on Friday moved to block global chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment company Huawei Technologies, spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and hammering shares of U.S. producers of chipmaking equipment. The new rule went into effect on Friday but would have a 120-day grace period.

China's state-run newspaper Global Times, citing an unidentified source, reported that Beijing, in response to the new limits on Huawei, was ready to put U.S. companies on an "unreliable entity list" as part of the countermeasures.

Those countermeasures include launching investigations and imposing restrictions on U.S. companies such as Apple Inc, Cisco Systems Inc and Qualcomm Inc.

"The U.S. has utilized national power and used the so-called national security concern as an excuse, and abused export controls to continue to suppress some particular companies in other countries," China's commerce ministry said in today's statement.

Also read: China asks US to stop 'unreasonable suppression' of Huawei

Also read: Coronavirus impact: Trump to slap new taxes on companies manufacturing outside US
India should be open-minded about dealing with the Taliban: Yashwant Sinha

Yashwant Sinha has the following advise for PM Modi on Taliban and Afghan crisis

Yashwant Sinha arrested while on Dharna, demands Army be deployed to help migrants reach home

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 18: Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha sat on a dharna at the Rajghat here on Monday, demanding the armed forces be deployed to help migrant workers reach their homes.

Sinha was joined by AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey who demanded proper arrangements for moving stranded migrant workers back to their states.

They were, however, picked up Delhi Police later in the evening and taken to a nearby police station.

Govt to soon start pan-India helpline number for migrant workers

"We have just been arrested by the Delhi Police," Sinha tweeted.

There was no immediate comment from the police.

Sinha, a former BJP leader and a trenchant critic of the Narendra Modi government, said civilian authorities, be it central or state dispensations, have "failed" migrant workers who have been compelled to walk on roads, with some even dying in the process.

"Our simple demand is that the responsibility be given to the armed forces and paramilitary forces that they should, with all resources at their command and with whatever civilian resources they can commandeer, send these migrant workers to their homes with dignity," he said.

Before being taken into custody by the police, Sinha said he will continue with his dharma until his demands are met. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP just cares about the rich and it has left the poor to fend for themselves.

"The government has no strategy because it has no will to help the migrants. The BJP is an anti-poor government. You can call people from abroad but not help the migrants walking on the streets. The ongoing crisis has proved that," he said.

AAP MLA Dilip Pandey said the government should show some sensitivity towards the migrants.

UP migrant workers bus row: Rebel Congress leader Aditi Singh slams own party

"The government has capacity to run 20,000 trains daily and ferry 2.3 crore people daily across the country. It should use this capacity to help people," he said.

AAP leaders later protested against the police decision to break up their dharna and detain them.

Singh asked if it is a crime to protest for the rights of migrants. The politicians who spread hatred are not arrested by police but those who fight for the rights of poor migrants are taken into custody, Pandey said.
HOUSTON -- (May 18, 2020) -- U.S. and German physicists have found surprising evidence that one of the most famous phenomena in modern physics -- the quantum Hall effect -- is "reincarnated" in topological superconductors that could be used to build fault-tolerant quantum computers.

The 1980 discovery of the quantum Hall effect kicked off the study of topological orders, electronic states with "protected" patterns of long-range quantum entanglement that are remarkably robust. The stability of these protected states is extremely attractive for quantum computing, which uses quantum entanglement to store and process information.

In a study published online this month in Physical Review X (PRX), theoretical physicists from Rice University, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany, presented strong numerical evidence for a surprising link between 2D and 3D phases of topological matter. The quantum Hall effect was discovered in 2D materials, and laboratories worldwide are in a race to make 3D topological superconductors for quantum computing.

"In this work we've shown that a particular class of 3D topological superconductors should exhibit 'energy stacks' of 2D electronic states at their surfaces," said Rice co-author Matthew Foster, an associate professor of physics and astronomy and member of the Rice Center for Quantum Materials (RCQM). "Each of these stacked states is a robust 'reincarnation' of a single, very special state that occurs in the 2D quantum Hall effect."

The quantum Hall effect was first measured in two-dimensional materials. Foster uses a "percolation" analogy to help visualize the strange similarities between what occurs in 2D quantum Hall experiments and the study's 3D computational models.

"Picture a sheet of paper with a map of rugged peaks and valleys, and then imagine what happens as you fill that landscape with water," he said. "The water is our electrons, and when the level of fluid is low, you just have isolated lakes of electrons. The lakes are disconnected from one another, and the electrons can't conduct across the bulk. If water level is high, you have isolated islands, and in this case the islands are like the electrons, and you also don't get bulk conduction."

In Foster's analogy the rugged landscape is the electric potential of the 2D material, and the level of ruggedness corresponds to amount of impurities in the system. The water level represents the "Fermi energy," a concept in physics that refers to the filling level of electrons in a system. The edges of the paper map are analogous to the 1D edges that surround the 2D material.

"If you add water and tune the fluid level precisely to the point where you have little bridges of water connecting the lakes and little bridges of land connecting the islands, then it's as easy to travel by water or land," Foster said. "That is the percolation threshold, which corresponds to the transition between topological states in quantum Hall. This is the special 2D state in quantum Hall.

"If you increase the fluid level more, now the electrons are trapped in isolated islands, and you'd think, 'Well, I have the same situation I had before, with no conduction.' But, at the special transition, one of the electronic states has peeled away to the edge. Adding more fluid doesn't remove the edge state, which can go around the whole sample, and nothing can stop it."

The analogy describes the relationship between robust edge conduction and bulk fine-tuning through the special transition in the quantum Hall effect. In the PRX study, Foster and co-authors Bjo?rn Sbierski of UC Berkeley and Jonas Karcher of KIT studied 3D topological systems that are similar to the 2D landscapes in the analogy.

"The interesting stuff in these 3D systems is also only happening at the boundary," Foster said. "But now our boundaries aren't 1D edge states, they are 2D surfaces."

Using "brute-force numerical calculations of the surface states," Sbierski, Karcher and Foster found a link between the critical 2D quantum Hall state and the 3D systems. Like the 1D edge state that persists above the transition energy in 2D quantum Hall materials, the calculations revealed a persistent 2D boundary state in the 3D systems. And not just any 2D state; it is exactly the same 2D percolation state that gives rise to 1D quantum Hall edge states.

"What was a fine-tuned topological quantum phase transition in 2D has been 'reincarnated' as the generic surface state for a higher dimensional bulk," Foster said. "In 2018 study, my group identified an analogous connection between a different, more exotic type of 2D quantum Hall effect and the surface states of another class of 3D topological superconductors. With this new evidence, we are now confident there is a deep topological reason for these connections, but at the moment the mathematics remain obscure."

Topological superconductors have yet to be realized experimentally, but physicists are trying to create them by adding impurities to topological insulators. This process, known as doping, has been widely used to make other types of unconventional superconductors from bulk insulators.

"We now have evidence that three of the five 3D topological phases are tied to 2D phases that are versions of the quantum Hall effect, and all three 3D phases could be realized in 'topological superconductors,'" Foster said.

Foster said conventional wisdom in condensed matter physics has been that topological superconductors would each host only one protected 2D surface state and all other states would be adversely affected by unavoidable imperfections in the solid-state materials used to make the superconductors.

But Sbierski, Karcher and Foster's calculations suggest that isn't the case.

"In quantum Hall, you can tune anywhere and still get this robust plateau in conductance, due to the 1D edge states," Foster said. "Our work suggests that is also the case in 3D. We see stacks of critical states at different energy levels, and all of them are protected by this strange reincarnation of the 2D quantum Hall transition state."

The authors also set the stage for experimental work to verify their findings, working out details of how the surface states of the 3D phases should appear in various experimental probes.

"We provide precise statistical 'fingerprints' for the surface states of the topological phases," Foster said. "The actual wave functions are random, due to disorder, but their distributions are universal and match the quantum Hall transition."

###

The research was supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant (1552327), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (LPDS 2018-12), a KIT research travel grant, German state graduate funding and the UC Berkeley Library's Berkeley Research Impact Initiative.

RCQM leverages global partnerships and the strengths of more than 20 Rice research groups to address questions related to quantum materials. RCQM is supported by Rice's offices of the provost and the vice provost for research, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, the Brown School of Engineering, the Smalley-Curl Institute and the departments of Physics and Astronomy, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Materials Science and NanoEngineering.

Links and resources:

The DOI of the Physical Review X paper is: 10.1103/PhysRevX.10.021025

A copy of the PRX paper is available at: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.10.021025.

High-resolution IMAGES are available for download at:

https://news-network.rice.edu/news/files/2016/01/0125_FOSTER-024-lg-15p6ur1.jpg

CAPTION: Matthew Foster (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

https://news-network.rice.edu/news/files/2020/05/0518_ENERGYSTACK-fig-lg.jpg

CAPTION: The rugged landscapes in these illustrations depict the electric potential on the surface of 2D materials that exhibit the quantum Hall effect. The level of ruggedness corresponds to impurities in the system, and the water level represents the "Fermi energy," or filling level of electrons. In the quantum Hall effect (left), the percolation threshold (middle) is a fine-tuned energy state that marks the transition to topological order. New research by physicists at Rice University, the University of California Berkeley and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has found "stacks" of this special 2D state that protect patterns of quantum entanglement (right) throughout the surface energy spectrum of 3D topological materials. (Graphic courtesy of M. Foster/Rice University)

This release can be found online at news.rice.edu.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 4 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
Thirteen people were shot Saturday night as a crowd gathered for a memorial service for a murder victim in Bogalusa, La., according to local police. One individual was left in critical condition because of a gunshot wound.

The Bogalusa Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday morning that the agency started to receive reports of gun shots and victims needing medical attention just after 9 p.m. on Saturday.

When officers arrived, they observed an extremely large crowd of people gathered in the area for what was believed to be a memorial service for Dominique James, who was recently murdered. They also located several victims with gunshot wounds.

Police said James was found dead in his car May 8, two days after he was reported missing, and launched a homicide investigation in the case, according to WDSU-6 News.

As of Sunday morning, no eyewitnesses have come forward with any information and the police say they continue to pursue any leads on the case.

Related: Louisiana Officer Killed, Another Wounded in Shooting
Restarting the engines: The Ferrari Monza SP2 is among the supercars produced in Maranello and Modena in northern Italy.

With a top speed of 299kmh, it takes a lot to stop a Ferrari Monza SP2.

But production of the Monza and other supercars in Ferrari's stable came to a shuddering halt in March when coronavirus swept through Italy. The virus was most severe in the north of the country, including the region of Emilia-Romagna, where Ferrari has had its headquarters since 1943.

Like tens of thousands of other enterprises, its factories in Maranello and Modena had to be shut down.

But after lying idle for nearly two months, they have reopened and have resumed full production of the Monza SP2, which costs about 1.5m, as well as the similarly sinuous 812 GTS Spider and the F8 Tributo.

The relaunch of Italian industry, from car manufacturing to design, fashion, furniture and food, cannot come soon enough.

Italy's industrial production fell by 28pc in March due to lockdown - the steepest decline on record - and the overall economy is expected to contract by 9.5pc this year.

Ferrari has come up with innovative ways to stop the spread of Covid-19 at its plants. When its 4,500 employees turn up for work, they step on to mats impregnated with gel to disinfect their shoes. Temperature scanners check to see whether workers have a fever.

As part of a relaunch that Ferrari has named "Back on Track", doors have been adapted to open with elbows rather than hands, to minimise the risk of the virus spreading. Even the pens of visiting journalists are disinfected.

In the canteen, there are Plexiglass screens between tables and meal times are staggered. There are separate entry and exit points for changing rooms. Employees eat at the same spot at the same table each day to make contact tracing easier if someone contracts the virus.

"We've been trying to anticipate the virus - to predict what will happen in two months' time," said Michele Antoniazzi, Ferrari's chief of human resources and head of its anti-Covid-19 task force. "In one way, we were lucky. Colleagues who returned from our office in China in January were telling us about cities under lockdown and closed factories."

The measures have reassured employees as they return to work.

"After seven weeks of being stuck at home, I couldn't wait to get back," said Piero, a 35-year-old employee.

"If you are professional and well-organised, you can beat the virus."

Having lost production of 2,000 cars during the shutdown, Ferrari is eager to make up for lost time.

As part of a voluntary programme, 97pc of staff have submitted to blood tests. If positive, a swab test confirms whether they have the virus. For workers with Covid-19 who want to recover away from home - perhaps because they live with elderly parents - Ferrari provides free board and lodging, with medical assistance.

The blood tests have been extended beyond the bounds of the factories to encompass relatives, contractors and local residents - around 18,000 people in all. Ferrari will not say how much it has cost, but a spokesman said: "We don't see it as a cost but as an investment."

Thousands of restaurants, bars and hairdressers will also have to wrestle with social distancing rules when they reopen across the country today.

The government has decreed a two-metre gap between restaurant tables, but many owners say the rules spell ruin, drastically reducing the number of possible customers.

The owner of Harry's Bar, a celebrated watering hole on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, fears it may not be worth reopening.

"Our capacity will be reduced from 150 covers to 10. What am I going to do with my 75 employees?" Arrigo Cipriani (88) said. He is also opposed to waiters having to wear face masks. "Absolutely not. Clients want to see a person in front of them, not a robot." ( Daily Telegraph, London)
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swipe at the National Peace Council for their latest call on them to stop the needless attacks on the Electoral Commission.



According to the NDC, the Peace Council is refusing to take the bull by the horn and call a spade a spade when it comes to issues involving the EC and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).



Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Peter Boamah Otukonor explained that the call by the Peace Council has rather come late as nothing will stop the opposition party from impressing on the electoral body to do what is right.



"We have received a letter from the Peace Council but their call is rather late, they should engage the Electoral Commission rather than trying to engage us instead," he said.



He noted that they still stand by their earlier position and argument that the Electoral Commission is doing the bidding of the ruling NPP.



NDC's Claim



The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), last week, accused the EC and the National Identification Authority (NIA) of devising means to deny about 11 million Ghanaians the chance to vote in the upcoming 2020 general elections.



The plans, the National Chairman of the party, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo believes, were to rig the elections in favour of the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.



He explained that the decision by the EC to use only the Ghana Card and passport as the only required documents to get registered as a voter in the country was a calculated plan by the Akufo-Addo administration to rig the upcoming elections.



Stop Needless Attacks On EC



Following the barrage of attacks on the EC by the NDC after the state electoral body submitted a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to parliament to pass legislation that will enable citizens to use the Ghana Card and the passport for registration into the voters register, General Secretary of the National Peace Council, George Amoh, affirmed the Independence of the Electoral Commission.



He further admonished all stakeholders especially political parties to allow the state body to execute its constitutional mandate without let or hindrance.



The EC had scheduled the registration for 18th April, 2020 but was compelled to postpone the all-important exercise due to the lockdown measures instituted by the government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The EC added that a new date would be announced for the exercise when restrictions are eased.



Impossible to rig elections



Meanwhile, the EC released a statement on Friday, insisting that it is practically impossible to rig election these days.



The statement signed by Ag. Director of Public Affairs at the EC, Sylvia Annoh, said, the EC, as an independent body, 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.



She 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.



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Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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India's sugar export is expected to normalise in the coming days amid relaxation in the COVID-19 lockdown rules, industry body ISMA said on Monday.

The government has allowed export of 6 million tonne of sugar under maximum admissible export quota (MAEQ) during the 2019-20 marketing year (October-September) to liquidate surplus sugar in the global markets.

India has so far signed orders for shipment of 4.2 million tonnes for the 2019-20 marketing year.

Quoting market sources, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said that contracts for export of 4.2 million tonnes of sugar have been made till the beginning of May.

As per reports available from mills and ports, about 3.6 million tonnes of sugar has been moved/dispatched from the mills for export.

"Contracts for export of sugar are being signed for various destinations, with major quantities being signed for exports to Indonesia and Iran. Shipments are also happening and are expected to normalise in the days to come," ISMA said in a statement.

In February, ISMA had said that India's sugar export may cross 5 million tonnes in the current marketing year on higher demand.

The country had exported 3.8 million tonnes during the 2018-19 marketing year.

On domestic sugar production, ISMA said it has reached 26.46 million tonnes till May 15 of the 2019-20 marketing year, much lower than 32.61 million tonnes produced till the year-ago period.

Production in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest producer, has touched a new record of 12.22 million tonne till May 15 of the current marketing year, higher than 11.68 million tonne in the year-ago.

ISMA said mills are still operational in central and western parts of Uttar Pradesh, while some have closed crushing operations in eastern parts of the state. Most factories are expected to close by the end of this month, while few may continue till the first week of June.

The crushing season has got extended in Uttar Pradesh as most gur/khandsari units have shut operations prematurely due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Due to this, a significant quantity of cane has been diverted to mills.

Almost 80 per cent of the gur/khandsari units in the state are primarily located in western and central Uttar Pradesh.

Production in Maharashtra - the second largest producer of the sweetener - has dropped to 6.08 million tonnes so far this year, as against 10.71 million tonne in the year ago period.

Sugar output in Karnataka - the country's third largest producer - has reached 3.38 million tonnes so far this year. Mills in the state had close operations by April. However, few mills might operate in the special season commencing July 2020.

According to the food ministry, sugar production is estimated at 27.3 million tonnes in 2019-20 as against domestic consumption of 26 million tonnes.

In the previous year, sugar output was 33.1 million tonnes as compared to 25.9 million tonnes domestic demand.

On ethanol, ISMA said the centre has urged the mills for diversion of excess sugarcane and sugar for production of fuel ethanol as a long-term solution for addressing the problem of excess sugar stock.

The industry body said ethanol capacity augmentation for the upcoming years is at different stages of implementation.

"But, we believe that the three stakeholders - sugar mills, oil marketing companies and commercial banks - should enter into a tripartite agreement for optimum utilisation of the policies and incentives to increase the production of ethanol in the coming years," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Talal Barazi has been named as the Minister of Local Trade and Consumer Protection, but before that he was a highly contentious Governor of Homs, where he was disliked in equal measures by both sides.

In Brief

On May 11, 2020, the Syrian president dismissed Atef al-Nadaf, Minister of Local Trade and Consumer Protection, and replaced him with the Governor of Homs Talal al-Barazi.

Talal Barazi is unique in that he is reviled by both Syrian regime loyalists and the opposition. Despite this, he remained in his position as Governor of Homs for six years before Assad handed him the Local Trade Ministry. Barazis governorship of Homs saw the collapse of the citys opposition, the collapse of historic neighborhoods and the exit of fighters. But that has not made him a hero in the eyes of regime loyalists, who have gone out into the streets chanting: The people want the fall of the governor.

Background

Talal Barazi was born in Hama city in 1963. The two neighboring citiesHoms and Hamaare known for competing with one another, and it is rare for someone born in one to be appointed governor of the other. Barazi earned a BA in economics and a diploma in business administration at the University of Damascus.

He founded the Talal Barazi International Foundation in 1997, and serves as both general manager and a founding partner in the Bawadi Projects Company, in which he owns 250 shares. Barazi is a member of both the Damascus Chamber of Commerce and Damascus Chamber of Industry, in the cinematic and television sectors. He has also been a member of the Arab Management Association, in Cairo, since 2001.

Barazi served as Governor of Homs from 2013 to 2020, as well as board chairman of Damascus International for Technical Production. He is also an administrative consultant in the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone. Barazi was previously elected chairman of the Board of Directors of the Syrian Expatriates Association in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

The problematic governor

When the name Talal Barazi comes up in Syria, all that comes to mind is a persona that has been transformed over the past seven years into an example of how much criticism is allowed to loyalists. This circle belongs only to the Assad regimes government and its ministers, and is far from the president and his military institutions and security branches.

Yet despite criticism towards Barazi, he remained steadfast in his position as Homs governor. Indeed, Assad stood by Barazi in recent years despite voices calling for the latters ouster.

Loyalists loathe him

Chanting the people want the fall of the governor, residents of the generally pro-regime al-Zahraa neighborhood of Homs expelled Barazi from their streets in February 2016 as he visited the area following an explosion there that killed 50 people. It wasnt the first time this had happened. Similar incidents also occurred in 2014 and 2015.

The pro-regime street in Homs saw rising anger from 2014-2016 amid a series of explosions that riled their neighborhoods. Residents placed blame mainly on Barazi, as well as local heads of security branches. The Assad regime managed to isolate most of those accused of responsibility, while keeping Barazi as governora move that was mired in controversy and whose scope is still unclear.

It seems that Assad may have stood by Barazi to avoid caving to popular demands, which could have opened the doors to other protests on all kinds of other issues, such as corruption.

Expelling Old Homs

Barazis name circulated in 2014 as he expelled residents and fighters from the old districts of Homs to the citys rural northern countryside. It was the first displacement campaign of its kind in Syria since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011.

May 2014 saw the signing of an agreement stipulating the expulsion of residents and fighters in Old Homs to the northern Homs countryside. Barazi was the agreements godfather, with UN participation and Russian-Iranian presence. At the time, a group of opposition leaders, activists and notables in Homs met with a high-ranking Iranian officer in the presence of Muhammad Deeb Zeitoun, head of the Political Security Division, and Barazi. They agreed on a mechanism for expelling residents from the besieged neighborhoods.

Barazi didnt stop at Homs Old City. Three years later, in May 2017, he turned to the al-Waer district, whose residents and fighters were expelled to northern Syrias Idleb and rural Aleppo governorates.

Man of the stage

Barazi could be nicknamed the man of the stage, as his name crops up time and again at various pivotal stages in the history of Homs governorate: after 2011, the displacement of fighters and residents in both the old city districts and al-Waer, and even during the campaign to ease sectarian tensions in the city. Homs is considered one of Syrias most tense cities for sectarian conflict, amid Alawi-Sunni fighting tied to the demographic nature of the area.

Barazi began to work towards easing sectarian tensions under the banner of reconciliation, moving from neighborhood to neighborhood and village to village from 2016-2019, and calling for residents to stand with the Syrian state. He stressed a unified social fabric that distinguishes Homs governorate.

To this effect, Barazi played on local tribal dynamics and a number of religious figures in Homs, including Sheikh Issam al-Masri, Sheikh Ali Doum and Sheikh Muhsen al-Khudhur, as well as a main actor, the Russian Reconciliation Center in Hemeimeem.

Meanwhile, Barazi began talking about the reconstruction of Homs destroyed neighborhoods. He promoted the actual start of this campaign, holding a series of meetings with UN delegations, whose programs entered projects for rebuilding infrastructure in destroyed districts.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
A Pennsylvanian man doused gasoline and attempted to burn into fire a 4-ear-old boy, according to a recently published article.

Police officers received a report at around 1:15 in the afternoon on Wednesday from a resident reporting a domestic violence at 100 block of DuPont Street. The police department immediately sent officers to respond to the said incident.

When the police officers arrived at a home in Southmont Borough just outside Johnstown, they found the 4-year old boy and the suspect smelling gasoline. Moreover, the defendant was also found possessing a lighter.

The suspect was identified as Josiah James Mclntosh, 27 years old, who is now facing aggravated assault, aggravated assault of less than six, simple assault, simple assault of less than 12, arson, and endangering the welfare of children.

Moreover, the police officers also charged him with two counts of terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person after he punched a man who tried to stop him and hit him with a brick. Additionally, the man got injuries on his head and ear area.

According to the report, the suspect said that "If we can't get out the demon, I'll burn it out of him," It is not yet known the relationship of Mclntosh and the 4-year-old boy but in another news article it claimed that the suspect is the father of the victim.

Police officers also added that the boy was found naked when they arrived in the suspect's home. Police Officer Christopher Kesslak said: "He splashed gasoline on the little boy and made a reference to setting him on fire."

Josiah Mclntosh is now under the custody and being housed at the Cambria County Prison and is set for $75,000 bail. He was arraigned by on-call District Judge John Prebish and sent him into prison after he failed to post 10 percent of the bail bond.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled on May 27. Meanwhile, the lawyer of Josiah Mclntosh did not give any comments yet about the charges filed to his client. Many also questioned if the suspect has mental problems or really intended to bur the 4-year-old boy.

This is not the first time that a child had been a victim of a domestic violence. It can be recalled in a previous report by Latin Post, that a Florida woman after she locked a boy in a home filled with dog feces, urine, and fleas.

If the police did not receive a call from the concerned neighbor in the area, the 4-year-old boy could tragically die. It was a supposed to be one of the heinous crimes the country experienced. Meanwhile, it has been observed that domestic violence as been now making headlines as the country slowly reopens its economy.

This means that one of the factors seen in the increase of criminal activities in the country is depression and anxiety as many were furloughed and laid-off during the nationwide lockdown. Most of them might be suffering from mental problems which are brought by the global pandemic.

Read a related article:
Blanca Torres wears her face mask and uses an umbrella in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning as rain douses the Southland amid a cooling trend. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A mid-May shower will spritz Southern California on Monday, bringing a modest and unusual  bit of rain to the region.

"We've got a little torrential drizzle going on," joked David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Most parts of Los Angeles County can expect to see a quarter-inch or less of rain, forecasters said.

Still, any kind of rainfall is rare this time of year.

"This is atypical. Late in the year, but not unheard of," Sweet said.

Some parts of the state will get a more thorough soaking, however. Portions of San Luis Obispo County had received upward of half an inch of precipitation by 7 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

"Its basically associated with a weak cold front that is moving through the area, and theres just enough moisture, just enough lift in the atmosphere to produce some light rain," Sweet said.

Here's a look at the expected rain totals for #SoCal tonight-Tue.



Most areas 0.25" or less, but local amounts up to around 0.75" in upslope areas.



A nice light late-season rainfall. #CAWX #larain pic.twitter.com/KRQzt8Zzte  NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) May 17, 2020

The drizzle will be short-lived, with skies clearing up later Monday.

"Behind the cold front, well see some clearing skies later this afternoon, and well return to more of a typical weather regime starting tonight and into Tuesday, with partly cloudy skies and a gradual warming trend," Sweet said.

The latest sprinkle continues what has been a late-blooming rain year.

After a dismally dry January and February  when the bulk of the region's rain usually falls  record-breaking downpours in March and April pushed Los Angeles County back above its typical precipitation levels.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 06:12:43|Editor: huaxia

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WARSAW, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Polish national air carrier LOT announced on Monday that it will resume some of its domestic flights on June 1, as COVID-19 situation was easing in the country.

LOT will resume flights from Warsaw to other major Polish cities, as well as a flight between Krakow and Gdansk. The schedule allows for 30 flights a day.

The airline said in a statement that the resumed flights will constitute the first phase of its planned reopening.

"Our plan includes several stages for the coming months, which will be dependent on the epidemiological situation in Poland and across the world," it said.

The airline has ceased all passenger flights since March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen further to 18,885 cases, according to the Polish Health Ministry. The number of the deaths rose to 936 as of Monday evening. Enditem
New Delhi, May 18 : The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said it is disappointed that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ignored the F&B sector while announcing the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package by the Centre.

"We are very sad and extremely disappointed that the Hon'ble Finance Minister chose to completely ignore this sector in these five days of announcements of stimulus package," Anurag Katriar, President of NRAI, said in a statement.

The sector employs nearly 7.30 million people and is the second largest employer of human capital in India after agriculture. As the F&B industry is a big consumer of farming products, this will certainly cause a long-term impact on the farming sector, he added.

"It will also hurt the farming sector for whom we are significant consumers... These are inevitable consequences because none of us have the resources to continue keeping ourselves afloat without the support from the government. It is also clear that we will perhaps be one of the last sectors to open up, which means we perhaps need maximum support to stay alive." The NRAI also reiterated its primary demands which are:

Give us an option for Input tax credit on GST

Declare the pandemic as an incident of force majeure in line with the announcement made for the real estate sector

Better and equitable e-commerce policy to protect the interest of lakhs of small and large business as against protecting the interests of a handful of aggregators.

The industry body also urged the government to partially compensate wages for those employees who are covered under the ESIC act. It sought some working capital on easier terms and six month's moratoriums. This is also a loan and not a dole from the government, it said.

"We are an important sector and we once again request the Government to examine our requests closely and consider them favourably. We need support to stay alive and get some strong policy to fight post the lockdown. We need support so that we get a chance to fight and not die a silent death," Katriar urged.

On Saturday, the NRAI had announced its partnership with O2O commerce platform, Dotpe, to increase omni-channel sales, providing seamless B2B digital ordering solutions fully integrated with a payment gateway for its member restaurants and cloud kitchens.

NRAI members can avail these services at a low flat fee rather than a percentage based commission. Once the lockdown is lifted, the restaurants can use the Dotpe's QR based catalogue and e-commerce platform for digital ordering which ensures minimal human touch.

Post lockdown, NRAI and Dotpe's digital ordering solution will make the customers feel safe as it ensures minimal human touch while ordering and settling the bill. Guests can scan the QR code placed on the tables from their own mobile phones, and view the entire menu of the restaurant on the phone just like an e-commerce catalogue. Guests can order through the catalogue while remain seated and also make the payment through the phone. The order-related communication will further happen over guests' WhatsApp numbers.
The FBI has found cellphone evidence linking al Qaeda to Mohammed Alshamrani (pictured), the gunman behind a deadly attack at a Florida naval base last December

The FBI has found cellphone evidence linking al Qaeda to the deadly terror attack at a Florida naval base last December.

Investigators uncovered the ties by breaking through the encryption protecting two iPhones used by Mohammed Alshamrani, the Saudi military trainee who opened fire on the Naval Air Base Station in Pensacola, killing three US sailors and injuring eight other people before he was shot dead by law enforcement.

Attorney General Bill Barr and FBI Director Chris Wray announced the latest case developments at a news conference on Monday.

They said information obtained from the phones showed Alshamrani had been in contact with al Qaeda operatives for years prior to the attack.

Barr and Wray praised investigators' efforts to unlock Alshamrani's phones while accusing Apple of 'seriously hampering' the probe by refusing to help.

Investigators uncovered the ties by breaking through the encryption protecting iPhones used by Alshamrani, including one that authorities say he damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement

Attorney General William Barr announced the finding at a news conference on Monday. He said it was through 'the relentless efforts and ingenuity of FBI technicians' that the agency succeeded in cracking the encryption

The Justice Department had asked Apple in January to help extract data from Alshamrani's iPhones, including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement.

On Monday Barr said that Apple did not comply with that request, noting that the phones were 'deliberately designed so only the user, in this case the terrorist, could gain access to their contents'.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, it said that it was working with the FBI on the investigation.

Pensacola gunman shared anti-American sentiments in chilling social media posts In the days after Alshamrani's rampage on December 6, investigators uncovered a string of disturbing social media posts purportedly penned by the gunman. On the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Alshamrani posted: 'The countdown has started.' The 21-year-old Saudi national also defended jihad on social media and referred to non-Muslims as 'infidels', according to a Joint Intelligence Bulletin. Just prior to the attack, Alshamrani reportedly posted a manifesto praising 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. 'I'm against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil,' he wrote in the manifesto. 'I'm not against you for just being American, I don't hate you because [of] your freedoms, I hate you because every day you [are] supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims, but also humanity.' Days before the shooting, Alshamrani reportedly hosted three fellow Saudi military students at a dinner party where they watched videos of mass shootings. Also, investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center and the 9/11 museum, days before the shooting. Advertisement

'Today I am pleased to announce that thanks to the relentless efforts and ingenuity of FBI technicians, the FBI finally succeeded in unlocking Alshamrani's phones,' Barr said.

'The phones contained information previously unknown to us that definitively establishes Alshamrani's significant ties to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - not only before the attack, but before he even arrived in the United States.

'We now have a clearer understanding of Alshamrani's associations and activities in the years, months and days leading up to his attack.'

Barr said the information in the phone has 'already proved invaluable in protecting the American people', noting that the US recently conducted an attack targeting one of Alshamrani's associates in Yemen.

He then turned the podium over to Wray, who praised the 'vital' work of his investigators at the FBI.

'The evidence we've been able to develop in from the killer's devices shows the Pensacola attack was the brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation my a longtime AQAP associate,' Wray said.

Law enforcement officials had previously expressed certainty that Alshamrani was motivated by jihadist ideology, saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks of September 11, 2001, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting.

Separately, al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, released a video claiming responsibility for the attack in February.

The branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the US mainland.

In January, US officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had had jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had 'contact with child pornography.'

Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the US later determines should face charges.

Alshamrani opened fire on the Naval Air Base Station in Pensacola, killing three US sailors and injuring eight other people. The entrance to the base is seen in a file photo

FBI Director Chris Wray said Apple 'seriously hampered this investigation' by refusing to help agents crack Alshamrani's phones

Saudi Arabia's links to al Qaeda The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been accused of sponsoring Islamic terrorist groups - including al Qaeda - though it denies doing so. Some of the most notorious terrorists in American history are Saudi - including Osama Bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the 9/11 terror attacks. The government also funds madrassas - the general term for Islamic schools - where children are taught ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism. And last week, the FBI accidentally leaked the name of a former Saudi Embassy official who is suspected of helping two al Qaeda hijackers in the 9/11 terror attacks. According to Yahoo News, the mistake was made in a recent filing in response to a lawsuit from families of 9/11 victims who have accused the Saudi government of being complicit in the terrorist attacks. In the document, which was filed in April but unsealed this month, lawyers forgot to redact Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah's name. He was assigned to the Saudi embassy in Washington, DC, in 1999 and 2000. The document appeared to provide confirmation that FBI agents believed they had uncovered a link between the hijackers and the Saudi Embassy in DC. Though the FBI confirmed the disclosure of the official's name was made in error, the declaration will likely bring up questions regarding possible Saudi links to the terror attacks. The Saudi government has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. The 9/11 Commission report found 'no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded' the attacks that al-Qaida masterminded, but the commission also noted 'the likelihood' that Saudi government-sponsored charities did. Advertisement

DoJ and FBI accuse Apple of 'dangerously hampering investigation' by refusing to unlock Alshamrani's damaged devices

Barr and Wray took aim directly at Apple for not helping FBI investigators break the encryption during Monday's press conference.

Wray said that the challenge FBI technicians faced in unlocking the phones 'is hard to overstate'.

Apple's case against helping unlock devices Apple has long touted security as a major feature of its phones and in 2014 began building encryption into devices that can only be unlocked with a password or fingerprint reader. Apple has claimed that even the company is unable to bypass the security - noting that obtaining data would require building a backdoor, which would set a dangerous precedent for user privacy and security. Apple executives have warned that gaining access to one phone would compromise the security of all devices because law enforcement would demand to use the back door excessively. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have accused Apple of providing a safe haven for criminals. Advertisement

'We received effectively no help from Apple. We canvassed every partner and company out there that may have had a solution, but none did, so we did it ourselves,' he said.

'Unfortunately, the technique that we developed is not a fix for our broader Apple problem - but it has made a huge difference in this investigation.

'While we're thanking FBI technicians, we should also be thinking about the cost of all that work.

'Public servants already swamped with important things to do to protect the American people had to spend all that time just to access evidence that we had court-authorized search warrants for months ago.'

Wray went on to say that the delay in accessing the devices 'seriously hampered this investigation'.

'Finally getting our hands on the evidence Alshamrani tried to keep from us is great - but we really needed it months ago, back in December,' he said.

He noted that anyone Alshamrani spoke to before the attack has now had months to 'concoct and compare stories with co-conspirators, destroy evidence, and disappear'.

'As a result, there's a lot we can't do at this point that we could have done months ago,' Wray said.

Police tape is pictured at the Pensacola Naval Air Station after Alshamrani opened fire in a classroom on December 6, killing three American sailors and wounding eight others

Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham (left); Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson (center); and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters (right) were killed in the attack

Sailors carry the casket of Cameron Walters at Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgia on December 16

Barr renews calls to change tech companies' security policies

Barr then took back the microphone and again thanked Wray for the FBI's efforts.

'While their hard work has led to this important breakthrough in this case, and this should be celebrated, I also must express great disappointment that it took over four months and large sums of taxpayer dollars to obtain evidence that should have been easily and quickly accessible when we obtained court orders,' Barr said.

'Apple has made a business and marketing decision to design its phones in a way that only the user can unlock the contents, no matter the circumstances.

'In cases like this, when the user is a terrorist, or in other cases when the user is a violent criminal, a human trafficker or child predator, Apple's decision has dangerous consequences for public safety and national security, and is, in my judgment, unacceptable.

'Apple's desire to provide privacy for its customers is understandable - but not at all costs.

'Under our nation's long established Constitutional principles, where a court authorizes a search for evidence of a crime, an individual's privacy interests must yield to the broader public interest.

'There is no reason why companies like Apple cannot design their products for court-authorized access by law enforcement while maintaining very high standards for security.

'Striking this balance should not be left to corporate board rooms. it is a decision that must be made by the American people through their elected representatives.'

Apple has long touted security as a major feature of its phones and in 2014 began building encryption into devices that can only be unlocked with a password or fingerprint reader

DoJ's years-long fight with Apple intensifies with Barr's latest salvo

Barr's latest comments against Apple marked an escalation of the Justice Department's ongoing fight with the tech giant over the balance between personal privacy and public safety.

The attorney general had previously indicated that he intended to use the Alshamrani case to push for a solution to the DOJ's struggle to get around Apple security features.

Apple has long touted security as a major feature of its phones and in 2014 began building encryption into devices that can only be unlocked with a password or fingerprint reader.

Apple has claimed that even the company is unable to bypass the security - noting that obtaining data would require building a backdoor, which would set a dangerous precedent for user privacy and security.

Apple executives have warned that gaining access to one phone would compromise the security of all devices because law enforcement would demand to use the back door excessively.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have accused Apple of providing a safe haven for criminals.

Officials have managed to get around Apple's resistance in the past - most notably while investigating a terrorist attack that left 14 people dead in San Bernardino, California, in late 2015.

Apple defied a court order to assist the FBI in its efforts to search an iPhone belonging to the suspect - sparking the public safety vs user privacy debate.

The immediate dispute was resolved when the FBI found a private company to bypass the encryption.

The over-arching debate, however, was escalated as Apple worked to ensure that neither the government nor private contractors would be able to gain access to devices in the future.

However, their increased efforts appear to have failed once again in the Alshamrani case.
The federal and New South Wales governments are increasing pressure on other states to relax borders to generate tourism revenue and save jobs.

With international borders closed for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus, the federal government wants to re-boot Australia's tourism industry, which provides around 700,000 jobs, by encouraging domestic holidays.

But a major obstacle is that every state except New South Wales and Victoria are refusing to take down their border restrictions which ban inter-state visitors.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told ABC News Breakfast that the border with NSW (pictured) may not open until September

Today Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the border with NSW may not open until September, much to the fury of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian who says open borders benefit businesses in both states.

Asked when the border would open, Ms Palaszczuk told ABC News Breakfast: 'Things would look more positive towards September. Having said that, I don't want to rule anything out.'

Ms Berejiklian responded furiously, saying: 'Closing borders doesn't help Australia, it doesn't help any of the states, it doesn't help our population and it doesn't help economic activity.

'If we can open up our internal borders that will help everyone.'

Queensland recorded two new coronavirus cases on Sunday and New South Wales recorded just one. WA and SA recorded zero new cases while Victoria had six.

Ms Berejiklian said Queensland was wrong to target an elimination strategy and should open the borders as part of a plan to get back to normal.

New South Wales residents cannot take holidays in Noosa (pictured) due to border restrictions preventing them from getting to QLD

'This notion that you are somehow going to completely eradicate the virus from Australia is beyond reality. I can't forsee that happening in a population of 25 million people,' she said.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan also refused to set a time for removing his state's borders today.

Hitting back at Ms Berejiklian's demands, he said: 'She is persistent, but our advice to her is no, we will make these decisions when the time is right.

Poll Should all states relax their borders to boost the economy? Yes No Undecided Should all states relax their borders to boost the economy? Yes 219 votes

No 202 votes

Undecided 21 votes Now share your opinion





'There is clearly much greater levels of community transmission and infection in New South Wales and Victoria than here.'

On Monday afternoon, federal tourism minister Simon Birmingham weighed into the debate, saying that keeping borders closed would harm local businesses.

'If one or two states were to hold out they will be answerable to their tourism industry and will need to provide additional support to that industry,' he told Sky News.

Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, a senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at University of South Australia, said that local businesses in less populated states were very keen for inter-state travel to resume.

'In terms of tourism businesses there is more money coming from the wealthier states and the more money you've got circulating the better,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

She warned that intra-state travel alone may not be enough to keep businesses that depend on tourism alive.

'The sort of travel that's going to be easiest and that people feel comfortable with - such as camping and caravaning - isn't the best for the economy because people might not spend a lot.

'South Australia, for example, would love to attract wealthier tourists from inter-state and when the borders come down we're going to be competing for their custom.'

However, Dr Higgins-Desbiolles said state premiers are unlikely to relax the borders until community transmission is reduced in NSW and Victoria.

'Until then this puts our federal system in a bit of tension,' she said.
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Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 19, 2020 10:28 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8d5a07 1 Business Indonesia,e-commerce,cyber-security,information-communication-technology,cyber-attacks,Tokopedia,MSMEs Free

Communication and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate has urged digital companies to improve their cybersecurity systems following recent reports of data breaches on Indonesias largest e-commerce platforms.

The minister said on Friday that Indonesias digital economy was under attack and that companies needed to routinely increase their investments into cybersecurity.

There were large scale attacks on our digital industry recently. Im asking all companies to maintain their security systems to protect their applications and overall business, he said during online digital talent event Grab Ventures Velocity, held by ride-hailing giant Grab.

Indonesian e-commerce unicorn Tokopedia had its internal database breached by an unidentified party in March, resulting in a massive data leak of the personal information of more than 15 million users.

The full database  which includes the data of 91 million Tokopedia users  has now been put up for sale on the dark web for US$5,000 by a member of data-exchange platform Raid Forums, according to cybersecurity research collective Under the Breach.

Johnny said that cybersecurity had become even more important in recent days with e-commerce and financial technology usage spiking during the COVID-19 outbreak, as people avoid visiting physical stores.

The digital economy will play a greater role due to the pandemic and Indonesians will rely heavily on the industry to fulfill their daily needs, he said.

According to the ministrys data, user traffic on online marketplaces has increased 30 percent, while e-wallet payment usage has jumped 100 percent since the pandemic struck Indonesia in early March.

Johnny said the ministry aimed to expedite the digitization of Indonesias 64 million-strong micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to tap into the pandemics online boom.

Currently, there are only 8 million MSMEs that are connected to online marketplaces. We want more small companies to migrate from offline to online stores, he said.

The Grab Ventures Velocity initiative also puts MSME empowerment front and center, making it the main theme of this years startup talent development program.

The initiative is an annual 16-week mentoring program for digital startups chosen by Grab based on their performance and relevance to the theme.

Initially, we proposed restaurant value-added services as the programs theme for this year. However, we changed it to culinary MSMEs empowerment, as many of Indonesias food and beverage businesses have been affected by the pandemic, Grab Indonesias managing director Neneng Goenadi said.

Five startups were chosen by the ride-hailing company to join the training program while also being granted network access to Grabs 400,000 merchants.

Property cleaning service provider KliknClean, cloud accounting platform Luna POS, printing and packaging service provider Printerous, marketing and promotion platform GetCraft and human resources management application Workmate were selected by grab as this years finalists.
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Tina Rein, the director of the Denali Center, holds Dewley, a therapy dog that visits the residents of the Denali Center a couple days a week. Dewley can be seen visiting resident Bobbie Reinhardt. Courtesy foundation Health Partners
FENTON, MI  A Fenton pastor has been released from the hospital after being admitted for treatment of COVID-19 symptoms.

The Rev. Ryan Riley, an associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, previously tested positive for the virus.

By now, you have heard Fr. Ryan is back home at the rectory recuperating from Covid-19 and he will not be available for ministry until he has been cleared and tested negative for Covid-19, reads a Sunday, May 17 statement from Rev. Robert Copeland.

Dear St. John Parish Family, We are ending our two weeks of quarantine this week on Thursday, May 21st, with morning... Posted by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish on Sunday, May 17, 2020

The Diocese of Lansing previously issued a statement asking for prayers for Riley after he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor with hypoxia and severe dehydration.

Copeland noted the news has presented some challenge, as hes not able to return to the Rectory until its cleared and professionally cleaned.

Most of the staff at St. John were placed under a two-week quarantine and the parish offices were closed May 8.

Fenton Catholic Church pastor in ICU with coronavirus

The church is set to resume morning Mass on Thursday, May 21 and confessions the next day.

We will enforce everyone wearing a face mask and ask you not to come to Mass if you have symptoms of Covid-19 or any symptoms that would appear to others as possible Covid-19 (persistent cough or allergies included), said Copeland.

Those within any categories considered high risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being asked not to come.

Children may attend mass with family, but only those who are able to wear a mask and remain in their seats.

Seating capacity will be reduced to accommodate social distancing efforts, with assembly coordinators seating people as they arrive.

Those in attendance will only be allowed to sit with members of their own household and after allotted seats are filled in the main church.

The doors will be locked and others directed to the Grand Hall at the Activity Center for a live stream of the Mass until the space is filled.

We need to follow these rules, not only to keep people safe, but to also make sure we are not shut down again, said Copeland. Please pray for the safe, speedy development of a vaccine that will allow us to return to a more normal life.

Anyone with questions may email rcopeland@stjohnfenton.org.

Related:

Sunday, May 17: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Michigan coronavirus recoveries now exceed 28,000
Prudential Malaysias newest Special Covid-19 Coverage provides benefits to both policyholders and non-policyholders alike. Under the enhanced special coverage, Prudential offers a Covid-19 death benefit as well as cash relief upon diagnosis and hospitalisation for Covid-19 patients.

Prudential policyholders are automatically entitled to a RM1,000 cash relief upon diagnosis and hospitalisation, as well as a RM10,000 death benefit due to Covid-19. However, these amounts are doubled if you register for the special coverage via Prudentials mobile app, Pulse.

In other words, you will get RM2,000 cash relief and RM20,000 death benefit if you take the extra step of registering on the Pulse app. The special coverage is provided in addition to existing benefits offered by the medical insurance policies or certificates.

In an interesting move by the insurance company, Prudential is also offering a RM1,000 cash relief upon Covid-19 diagnosis and hospitalisation to non-Prudential customers who register on the Pulse app. The insurance provider has set aside RM300,000 for this purpose and the offer will continue until the total fund limit is reached.

In Malaysia, the severity level of Covid-19 has evolved with the emergence of death cases since mid-March. In response to the continuously evolving situation, we have enhanced this coverage so that we can provide the right level of benefits over a broader population and over a longer period of time to provide peace of mind, said the chief executive officer of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, Gan Leong Hin.

Chief executive officer of Prudential BSN Takaful Berhad, Wan Saifulrizal Wan Ismail, shared a similar opinion. Through our app Pulse, even non-Prudential customers can enjoy protection with our Special Covid-19 Coverage for free, as it is our goal to make healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone, he added.

Prior to this, Prudential offered a lump-sum payout of RM5,000 to its policyholders who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 until 30 April 2020. Taking its place, the ongoing Special Covid-19 Coverage began on 1 May and ends on 31 December 2020, but you must register on Pulse by 30 June 2020 in order to be eligible for the additional coverage provided via the app.

To find out more, head on over to the Special Covid-19 Coverage page on the Prudential website. You can also download Prudentials AI-driven app, Pulse, from Google Play and the App Store.

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Democrats Open Investigation into Trump's Firing of State Dept. Inspector General

By VOA News May 17, 2020

U.S. Democratic lawmakers are launching an investigation into President Donald Trump's firing of the State Department's inspector general, the fourth time in recent weeks that Trump has ousted a government watchdog.

Trump fired Steve Linick late Friday, reportedly after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally asked Trump to oust Linick after the watchdog had opened an investigation of Pompeo and wife Susan's reported use of a State Department aide to run personal errands for them.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday told CBS News's "Face the Nation" show that Linick's dismissal was "unsavory when you take out someone who is there to  stop waste, fraud, abuse or other violations of the law that ... they believed to be happening.

"So, again, let's take a look and see," Pelosi said. "The president has the right to fire any federal employee. But the fact is, if it looks like it's in retaliation for something that the attorney- the IG, the inspector general is doing, that could be unlawful."

Two other Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, said Saturday in a joint letter to the White House, "Reports indicate 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 wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself.

"Such an action . . . may be an illegal act of retaliation," said Menendez, the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

But key Republicans came to Trump's defense.

Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro told ABC News's "This Week" show, "I support whatever this president does in terms of his hiring and firing decisions.

"There is a bureaucracy out there and there's a lot of people in that bureaucracy who think they got elected president and not Donald J. Trump," Navarro said, "And we've had tremendous problem with what some people call the Deep State. I think that's apt. So, I don't mourn the loss."

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, told CNN that he felt that "not all inspector generals are created equal" and noted they "serve at the pleasure of the president."

Trump previously had dismissed Glenn Fine, who was overseeing the government's financial relief response to the coronavirus pandemic; Michael Atkinson, who as inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community played a role in triggering Trump's impeachment late last year, and Christi Grimm, the Health and Human Services inspector general Trump accused of producing a "fake dossier" on medical supply shortages at American hospitals dealing with the pandemic.

Menendez and Engel asked the White House to handover any documents related to Linick's firing to their committees.

Linick was appointed to the State Department inspector general post by former President Barack Obama, a Democrat Trump has often criticized.

Linick's participation in the impeachment process was limited to briefing several congressional committees and providing the lawmakers with documents from Rudy Giuliani, the president's lawyer.

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Two-time SAG Award winner Ryan Phillippe continued his ongoing search for 'a quaran-Queen' by sharing a shirtless snap of his chiseled chest and tattooed sleeve on Sunday.

The 45-year-old divorced father-of-three - who boasts 1M Instagram/Twitter followers - captioned his sweaty thirst trap 'OVER IT' likely referring to the COVID-19 quarantine.

Phillippe's sexy snap drew supportive comments from celebs like Hall & Oates guitarist John Oates, DJ Diplo, and Euphoria actor Will Peltz.

Hey girl: Two-time SAG Award winner Ryan Phillippe continued his ongoing search for 'a quaran-Queen' by sharing a shirtless snap of his chiseled chest and tattooed sleeve on Sunday

Referring to the COVID-19 quarantine? The 45-year-old divorced father-of-three captioned his sweaty thirst trap 'OVER IT'

Ryan (born Matthew) also took time to share a tribute to 'the only possession he gives two s***s about' - his cream-colored sixties-era Ford pickup truck.

'Ain't she pretty? You can honestly burn the rest,' the Delaware-born blond gushed over his vintage vehicle.

'We been together two decades.'

Inanimate objects don't sue - unlike Ryan's ex-flame Elsie Hewitt, with whom he settled a $1M assault case stemming from an alleged July 4, 2017 altercation at his home.

'Same': Phillippe's sexy snap drew supportive comments from celebs like Hall & Oates guitarist John Oates, DJ Diplo, and Euphoria actor Will Peltz

'Ain't she pretty?' Ryan (born Matthew) also took time to share a tribute to 'the only possession he gives two s***s about' - his cream-colored sixties-era Ford pickup truck

The Delaware-born blond gushed over his vintage vehicle: 'We been together two decades'

Also in 2017, Phillippe's former fiancee Paulina Slagter filed an 'annoying or harassing electronics communications harassment report' alleging he called her a 'whore' via 'angry' text, according to TMZ.

The Will & Grace guest star is rarely pictured with eight-year-old daughter Kailani 'Kai' Merizalde from his five-month fling with Pitch Perfect alum Alexis Knapp back in 2010.

Ryan also has two children - daughter Ava, 20; and son Deacon, 16 - from his seven-year marriage to Cruel Intentions leading lady-turned-ex Reese Witherspoon, which ended in 2007.

Threw her down the stairs? Inanimate objects don't sue - unlike Ryan's ex-flame Elsie Hewitt, with whom he settled a $1M assault case stemming from an alleged July 4, 2017 altercation at his home (pictured last Monday)

Yikes! Also in 2017, Phillippe's former fiancee Paulina Slagter filed an 'annoying or harassing electronics communications harassment report' alleging he called her a 'whore' via 'angry' text (pictured in 2015)

'We out here sand castlin': The Will & Grace guest star is rarely pictured with eight-year-old daughter Kailani 'Kai' Merizalde from his five-month fling with Pitch Perfect alum Alexis Knapp back in 2010 (pictured in 2018)

Divorced in 2008: Ryan also has two children - daughter Ava, 20; and son Deacon, 16 - from his seven-year marriage to Cruel Intentions leading lady Reese Witherspoon (pictured in 2018)

Last Friday, Phillippe tweeted that he's 'teaming up with Postmates to get some meals out to those in need' and he urged his fans to DM him requests to help him find 'some deserving folks.'

As of Sunday, there have been 1.5M confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States, which has lead to 89,498 deaths and over 36M citizens filing for unemployment.

Director Brian Skiba is 'in middle of isolation editing' for his film 2nd - due out in December - starring the former Barbizon model as Vic Davis opposite Casper Van Dien and Samaire Armstrong.

'Wish i could fix em all up!' Last Friday, Phillippe tweeted that he's 'teaming up with Postmates to get some meals out to those in need' and he urged his fans to DM him requests to help him find 'some deserving folks'
Anglo Asian Mining PLC, the gold, copper and silver producer focused in Azerbaijan, completed 2019 with profit worth $30.1 million, local media reported, siting the companys report.

Accordance to the report, the companys profit increased by 19 percent on a year-on-year basis compared to $25.2 million in 2018.

The total revenues increased by two percent year-on-year from $90.4 million in 2018 to $92.1 million in 2019.

Some 82,795 gold equivalent ounces were produced in 2019, calculated using budgeted metal prices compared to forecast of 82,000 to 84,000 gold equivalent ounces.

Gold production for 2019 decreased by four percent year-on-year to 70,098 ounces compared to 72,798 ounces in 2018.

Copper production for 2019 increased by 34 percent year-on-year to 2,210 tons compared to 1,645 tons.

Silver production for 2019 deceased up to 159,356 ounces compared to 210,184 ounces in 2018.

Some 53,992 ounces of gold bullion (59,481 ounces in 2018) were sold at an average price of $1,410 per ounce in 2019 ($1,265 per ounce in 2018).

The copper concentrate shipments to the customer totaled 10,281 dry metric tons with a sales value of $16.7 million in 2019 (excluding the Azerbaijani governments production share) compared to 7,675 dry metric tons with a sales value of $15.4 million in 2018.

The cost of gold production increased to $591 per ounce in 2019 ($541 per ounce in 2018). The total production target for 2020 is between 75,000 and 80,000 gold equivalent ounces.

I am very pleased to report on another year of excellent performance for Anglo Asian, non-executive chairman of the company Khosrow Zamani said. We continue to enjoy higher precious metal prices and the company increased both its turnover and profits in 2019 with production broadly similar to 2018.

The company is now debt free and has a robust balance sheet, Zamani added. Our geological exploration program made very good progress. We announced two new significant copper and gold discoveries at Avshancli and Gilar. The mineral reserves and life of our existing mines are being extended and several promising new mineral occurrences are under investigation.

The Group's financial position continued to strengthen in 2019, non-executive chairman of the company said. Cash from operations including cash in transit was $42.9 million and free cash flow was $25.5 million. The final installment of its bank debt was repaid in February 2020.

The Company had over $50 million of bank debt in 2015 and it was therefore a significant milestone to become debt free in early 2020, Zamani said. The company is committed to delivering returns to shareholders by dividends and has a target of distributing approximately 25 percent of free cash flow to its shareholders. I am therefore delighted to announce a final dividend for 2019 of 4.5 cents per share giving a total dividend for 2019 of 8.0 cents per share.
Spectrami, the regions primary cyber security value added distributor, has been able to post 25% growth in its previous financial year ending March 31, 2020, despite the adverse impact on business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company is bullish in its outlook for the future, and even after considering the impact of coronavirus on the business, Spectrami is going ahead full steam with its plans to make sure its growth journey continues in the coming years.

We are fortunate to clock an impressive growth even in the face of COVID-19, which has affected every single sphere of life and business. I would give full credit for this growth to the hard work of our team and all the support that we received from our vendors to help our partners and customers in the region, said Anand Choudha, CEO of Spectrami.

We are taking all the precautions to negate the impact of coronavirus on our business and clock similar growth even in the coming year. We have introduced several changes in the organisational structure and have also rejuvenated the management team with specialists in the ranks for a better outcome.

Spectrami has promoted Ilyas Mohammed to the new role of Chief Operating Officer, where he will be leading the company from the front and will be in charge of day-to-day operations. He has held key management roles since he joined Spectrami in 2013.

The company roped in, the erstwhile head of SonicWall in the region, Shahnawaz Sheikh to solidify its vendor relationships, and appointed Sheikh as the Director for Global Vendor Alliance. And, to beef up its marketing department, the distributor hired a seasoned marketeer Dharmendra Parmar with decades of experience in technology space as the Vice President for Marketing.

Parmar has worked in marketing with Etisalat, and FVC distribution among others.

Spectrami fortified its operations in Saudi Arabia with the appointment of an experienced hand in the industry, Boutros Frangieh as the General Manager for Saudi Arabia with the aim to increase its presence and market share in the country.

Choudha added: To propel the next level of growth in coming years, we needed a strong team to overcome the challenges and move in right direction. All the recent changes at organisation level are in line with the companys vision to excel in the markets and lead the industry from the front. We have grown consistently over the years and in past one year our employee strength has increased by 35% and today the company has over 75 employees spread across the region.

Spectrami became one of the first companies in the region to take a virtual route to hold its annual kick-off conference in the wake of COVID-19. The company experienced complete attendance of all its employees from various departments for this online annual kick-off conference and several presentations were made on the different aspects of the organisation.

The key highlight of the conference was the awards ceremony, where Spectrami presented the best performers for the company with digitally signed certificates to acknowledge their contribution to the companys success.

Spectrami intends to continue its focus on cyber security and even invest more resources in identifying the leading-edge technologies, which are relevant for the enterprises in region.

Recently, it has partnered with PhishRod, ColorTokens, Lookout and Axonius. With these new partnerships, Spectrami has more than 30 vendors in its portfolio. The company also joined hands with Hive Pro and Artemis Pro to strengthen its services and solutions arm.

As a 100% channel company, Spectrami has unveiled new partner programme, Elite Channel Plan. The distributor will work closely with these Elite Channel Partners and develop a joint go-to-market strategy, to boost the capabilities of partners and help them expand their reach with focused marketing initiatives.

The company will also provide set of collaborative tools, wider access to company resources, incentives and rebates that will help maximise business opportunities and profitability for partners.

Apart from growing business, Spectrami is also extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and the company has put together a campaign to serve the industry by offering them free Cyber security Assessments and Health Checks to enhance their cyber security capabilities and preparedness against the surge in pandemic themed cyber security attacks, phishing campaigns or remote working tools exploitation attacks. -- Tradearabia News Service
A Northern Ireland social enterprise chief has called for businesses to collaborate with the third sector during and following the coronavirus crisis.

Maeve Monaghan, chief executive of Now Group - an NI-wide social enterprise providing training, employment and support services to people with learning disabilities and autism - said she was "keen to raise awareness" of how her organisation supports vulnerable people and how the business community can help to continue that work when the aftermath of coronavirus is felt on the economy.

"Right now the third sector is facing a crisis; social enterprises even more so," she said.

"It is very challenging because there isn't a separate intervention for us, we fall between two stools. Every business is important but we have a social purpose and coming out of this we need to look at a different way of doing business. The private, public and third sector need to work together," she added.

Her plea follows on from "priceless" support the group has already received from business advisory firm Deloitte during lockdown when Now was forced to furlough the majority of its staff.

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The group, which includes Loaf Catering - a cafe and catering business with outlets at Belfast City Hall, Omagh's Ulster American Folk Park, Crawfordsburn and Grosvenor Road, Belfast - has continued offering takeaway and delivery from its Grosvenor Road site. It has also been donating food packages to vulnerable families and soup kitchens but all other support work and training has stopped.

"Now Group supports 1,000 people with learning difficulties throughout Northern Ireland. That can be anyone from a lecturer to a frontline worker," said Ms Monaghan.

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"We have been forced to close, like many businesses. We have 100 people in paid jobs who are furloughed and a further 30 at least furloughed with other hospitality businesses and I would be really concerned about what happens to people with disabilities as the market changes. We need to make sure they're not more disadvantaged when the unemployment rate rises.

"Lockdown for someone with a learning disability is a much harder period of time and we may have to look at retraining our catering and hospitality staff for roles in other sectors like retail and cleaning," she said.

With the support from Deloitte, the social enterprise has been able to continue to offer a delivery and collection service from its building Loaf Cafe, located directly facing Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, but it hasn't been enough to continue at the rate the 1m-turnover business was used to.

"We've been working with Deloitte for four years and when lockdown began they contacted us to see if they could help.

"Cash was a big issue as we lost over 100,000 a month with the closure of our cafes but they donated money to help us get our delivery service up and running, they assisted with that cash flow," added Ms Monaghan.

But she said business support for the third sector isn't just about financial aid.

"Deloitte also provides us with pro bono services that have helped us to deliver more impact, develop strategies and they are helping with an expansion plan which will come after an interim emergency plan.

"I think many businesses don't realise they can offer this kind of support to a third-sector organisation. Tapping into their resources and skills for an organisation like us is priceless."

Ms Monaghan described Deloitte's work with Now Group as "a good example of the future of business" in a post-lockdown world.

"I think business will need to change on the back of this crisis and we will have to look at a collaboration to get society up and running again.

"It will be less about driving profit, then feeling guilty and giving to the third sector as part of CSR and more about understanding how we can all do business together for the better," she added.

Now Group is hoping to deliver packed lunches to businesses when staff return to work. It's a service Ms Monaghan hopes many firms will avail of to welcome back employees.

"By putting someone like the Now Group in your supply chain, that's a sustainable model rather than a one-off cheque and it helps us support more vulnerable people who have been marginalised," she said.

Looking to life after lockdown, Ms Monaghan continued: "The calibre of a country can be determined by how well you treat your vulnerable. Northern Ireland was starting to make real inroads with equality but I would be concerned about the potential high levels of unemployment and where that puts people with disabilities.

"When we look at what we have with Deloitte, it's a marriage made in heaven and when businesses restart I would love to see them collaborate with social enterprises in a different way, using the tools they have. We can all get through this together."

This year alone Now Group has supported 745 vulnerable people through training. It has helped source employment for 81 people and supported a further 122 people in earning qualifications that will help them move into employment.
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Netflix's White Lines is a wild ride of violence, all-night parties, and falling in love with people you shouldn't fall in love with. The Ibiza-set story follows Zoe Walker (Laura Haddock) as she tries to figure out exactly what happened to her brother, Axel (Tom Rhys Harries), 20 years ago when he left home in Manchester, England, and set off for a new life in Ibiza. It takes all 10 episodes of the first (and perhaps only) season to get to the bottom of his disappearance, and the end is definitely not what we expected.

Axel is best friends with his younger sister, Zoe, and wants her to come along with him to Ibiza when their dad kicks him out. She stays behind, though, because she's still underage. She promises Axel that when she turns 18, she'll come join him and his friends in their lavish life. He disappears, though, and Zoe and her dad are told that he's gone to India. They never hear from him again. Two decades later, his body is found in the desert in Almeria, Spain, on the property of the very prominent Calafat family.

Kika Calafat (Zoe Mulheims and Marta Milans) dated Axel while she was a teenager, and her parents tried to pay him off to leave her alone. The family's patriarch, Andreu (Pedro Casablanc), quickly assumes after Axel's body is found that his son, Oriol (Juan Diego Botto), who hated Axel, or his wife, Conchita (Belen Lopez), murdered him and buried him on the property.

Zoe comes to Ibiza to try to figure out who killed her brother and traces his disappearance back to the night of his 24th birthday. That night, he and his closest friends, Marcus (Ceallach Spellman and Daniel Mays), Anna (Kassius Nelson and Angela Griffin), and David (Jonny Green and Laurence Fox), hosted an unbelievable 24-hour blowout party, complete with more drugs than you can ever imagine and 600 guests. In current day, Zoe keeps asking the trio, who are all still in Ibiza, to help her figure out if someone at the party knew something, but they keep insisting that there were too many people there who took too many drugs.

Story continues

During the final episode, we finally get the full picture of what happens at the party. In a flashback, Marcus and Anna get married. On that same day, Anna sleeps with Axel, then Axel calls Marcus a loser. At his birthday party, Axel sets a huge fire and tells his guests he's letting the past go and starting anew. While he and Anna are alone in the pool, he tells her he sold all the clubs they'd purchased together and all the music they'd made together and burned the money in the bonfire, leaving them all with nothing. In a fit of drug-fueled rage, she tries to drown him.

Marcus shows up and helps Anna put Axel in the trunk of Oriol's car (they stole his keys while he was passed out with David). As they're driving out to dump the body, Axel wakes up and busts out of the trunk of the car. As he's trying to get away, Marcus backs up the car and hits him. He tries to crawl away when Anna takes a screwdriver and stabs him, killing him.

Axel's body was buried on the Calafat's property and Zoe and her dad were fed a fake story. Though 20 years ago their dad came to Ibiza to try to figure out what happened, he was sent away and told to stop looking. For 20 years, Axel's friends kept their secret and Zoe struggled with thinking her best friend abandoned her. It was a tough road for Zoe in solving Axel's disappearance, and there are still several story holes that could benefit from a second season, so we'll just have to see if we ever get those answers.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on May 17, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidents press-service.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the Kazakh president on his birthday, and wished him the best of health and success in his activity for the development of Kazakhstan.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the attention and congratulations.

During the conversation, the presidents exchanged views on the measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Pointing to the recent Summit of the Turkic Council held through videoconferencing, the presidents hailed the importance of the event in terms of strengthening cooperation and consolidating solidarity between the countries.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed prospects for successfully developing bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields.
Scream 5 is officially on the way, Spyglass Media Group announced Monday.

The Hollywood Reporter reports Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct a new Scream movie, executive produced by original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, from a script by James Vanderbilt (Murdery Mystery," Zodiac) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not, Castle Rock). It will be the first film in the franchise not directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015.

David Arquette officially confirmed hed be returning to play Dewey Riley, who appeared in the original 1996 horror film as a sheriffs deputy and later became sheriff.

I am thrilled to be playing Dewey again and to reunite with my Scream family, old and new, Arquette said in a statement. Scream has been such a big part of my life, and for both the fans and myself, I look forward to honoring Wes Cravens legacy.

Who else could return? Neve Campbell confirmed last week that shes been having conversations about appearing in Scream 5 as Sidney Prescott.

I have been approached about it. The timings a bit challenging because of Covid. You know, we only started the conversation maybe a month and a half ago, so its going to take some time to figure out how its all going to work out  Were negotiating, so well see, she told Rotten Tomatoes.

Its unclear if Courtney Cox or any other past cast members have been approached. Matthew Lillard said hes available (though its unlikely his character could return in the present) and Scream 4 actress Hayden Panettiere sparked rumors in December when she showed off a new haircut that resembled her character in the 2011 slasher flick.

Additional details, including a plot, are expected to be announced at a later date.

According to THR, Scream 5 aims to begin shooting later this year in Wilmington, North Carolina, when coronavirus safety protocols are in place.

Scream," which revolves around killer(s) in a ghostface mask, was most recently revived as a television series that aired for three seasons on MTV and VH1 from 2015 to 2019.
Heads of State, senior government officials, and other stakeholders from 62 countries will convene this week to coordinate stronger regional responses in addressing the significant socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hard hit the Asia-Pacific region.

They will also review how these impacts may further affect the regions progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

For the first time in history, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will also be hosting its two key annual regional meetings - the 7th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) and the 76th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (CS76)  on a fully virtual platform.

Themed Accelerating action for and delivery of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific, delegates at the APFSD on 20 May will assess six entry points for the region to accelerate action to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely: 1. Human well-being and capabilities, 2. Sustainable and just economies, 3. Food systems and nutrition patterns, 4. Enhancing power grid connectivity to achieve affordable and clean energy for all, 5. Urban and peri-urban development and 6. Global environmental commons.

Meanwhile, high-level participants at CS76 on 21 May will delve into the theme Promoting economic, social and environmental cooperation on oceans for sustainable development as well as review proposals on coordinated regional action to contain and mitigate the effects of the global health crisis, and enable Asia-Pacific countries to build back better. The session is expected to culminate in two regional-level UN resolutions addressing both these areas.

Members of the media and public are invited to participate via the webcasts on https://www.youtube.com/unescap.

Highlights:

7th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

When: 20 May 2020, Wednesday, 0900  1530 (GMT+7)

Key speakers:

H.E. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

H.E. Fidelis Magalhaes, Minister for Legislative Reforms and Parliamentary Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

Ms. Amina J. Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP

Dr. David Nabarro, Professor of Global Health at Imperial College (London), and one of the Special Envoys to the World Health Organization on COVID-19

Professor Sohail Inayatullah, Inaugural UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies. Professor, Tamkang University, Associate at Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne and the Metafutures School

Launch of the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report Fast-tracking the SDGs: Driving Asia-Pacific Transformations

When: 20 May 2020, Wednesday, 1230  1325 (GMT+7)

Key speakers:

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP

Mr. Bambang Susantono, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, ADB

Ms. Valerie Cliff, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Deputy Regional Director for Asia & the Pacific and Director of the Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP

Professor Sohail Inayatullah, Inaugural UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies

76th Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

When: 21 May 2020, Thursday, 0900  1630 (GMT+7)

Key speakers:

H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand

H.E. Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia

H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh

H.E. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji

H.E. Kausea Natano, Prime Minister of Tuvalu as Chair of Pacific Islands Forum

Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP

Ms. Inger Andersen, United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
UAE dispatched mercenaries to help rebels in Libya: UN report

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 8:38 AM

A confidential report by the United Nations says two private military companies based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have sent foreign mercenaries to support Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar in his offensive to seize the country's capital Tripoli.

The report, which was prepared by a UN Panel of Experts and accessed by the American news outlet Bloomberg, said that the foreign mercenaries were affiliated with the Dubai-based firms of Lancaster 6 DMCC and Opus Capital Asset Limited FZE  both registered at free zones in the UAE.

The team of around 20 mercenaries, mostly holding British, American, French, Australian, and South African passports, arrived in Libya in June 2019 as part of a "well funded private military company operation" to support Haftar's offensive against the Libyan government, according to the UN report.

However, after arriving in Libya in late June, the group of mercenaries led by a South African national named Steve Lodge "abruptly pulled out." UN investigators said in the report that they were unable to determine the reason for the team's withdrawal.

Two diplomats who spoke to Bloomberg said the report was shared with the UN Security Council's (UNSC) sanctions committee in February and that the two military firms supplied "Haftar's forces with helicopters, drones, and cyber capabilities through a complex web of shell companies."

The diplomats said the mercenaries "promised a sophisticated operation that could interdict arms shipments from Turkey to the government of Tripoli using vessels and helicopters."

"The report found that six former military helicopters were acquired and sent to Libya for the project in what it described as non-compliance with a UN resolution for an arms embargo on Libya," Bloomberg said.

Al Jazeera revealed in a report last month that a high-ranking Emirati delegation had visited Sudan to recruit militants to fight against the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli.

Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebels.

The strongman, who is primarily supported by the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, launched a deadly offensive to capture Tripoli, the seat of the government, in April last year. His forces have been bogged down on the city's outskirts.

According to the UN, hundreds of people have been killed and more than 200,000 have been displaced as a result of the offensive.

Government forces, backed by Turkey, recently liberated several towns that had been occupied by the rebels in the northwest. Haftar's rebels have been intensifying a pushback by escalating attacks on civilians in the capital.

Libyan official calls for cutting UAE ties

Meanwhile, a member of Libya's Presidential Council has called for severing relations with Abu Dhabi.

In a letter to the Tripoli-based government on Friday, Mohamed Amaria Zayed censured the UAE as an "aggressor" and said "maintaining silence to the crimes of this state would mean abandoning the blood of the martyrs."

Zayed called on Libya's Presidential Council to "take the step to halt the Libyan bloodshed and violation of [Libya]'s border by this state."

The UAE has over the past months been conducting drone strikes against government positions and in support of the rebels.

Moreover, a flight-tracking data provider revealed last month that the UAE had sent more than 100 shipments of arms to Libya by air since mid-January, despite a UN arms embargo on the war-torn country.

Zayed also urged the Libyan authorities "to pursue the UAE at international courts" and to deal with the Persian Gulf state as an "enemy."

"It is proven beyond doubt that the UAE is involved in shedding Libyan blood, violating the country's sovereignty by occupying part of its land, establishing military bases, violating our airspace, and carrying out airstrikes with the aim of killing Libyan citizens," he said.

Shelling kills 2 at Tripoli

Separately, Tripoli's emergency services said on Saturday that shelling by rebel forces under the command of Haftar had killed two people at a displaced people's shelter in the Libyan capital.

"The shelling caused a fire at the shelter in Fornaj district, located near a frontline and home to people forced from their homes after earlier bouts of fighting," said Usama Ali, a spokesman for Tripoli's emergency and ambulance services.

Ali said the emergency services were attempting to evacuate the shelter and relocating people elsewhere.

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One of Australia's most senior police officers has been given a slap on the wrist after admitting he didn't lock his undercover cop car before it was stolen from outside his Sydney home.

New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Jeff Loy's unlocked four-wheel drive, which had police documents and uniforms inside, was stolen from his Sutherland Shire property in late April.

A Parliament report filed last week said 'articles of police uniform and documents were in the vehicle,' but Mr Loy had not left any guns inside.

The items were later found following a police investigation.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller was questioned by Shooters' Fishers and Farmers leader Robert Borsak about how the car's security system could have been breached, the ABC reported.

Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy's unlocked four-wheel drive, which had police documents and uniforms inside, was stolen from his Sutherland Shire property

A police spokesperson said Deputy Commissioner Loy (pictured) wasn't in breach of any road rules because the car was parked on his private property

It's illegal in NSW to leave a parked car unlocked on a public road, with fines reaching $2,200.

But a police spokesperson said Deputy Commissioner Loy wasn't in breach of any road rules because the car was parked on his private property.

The spokesperson said Mr Fuller had alerted his deputy to the security breach.

'Deputy Commissioner Loy has been officially spoken to by Commissioner Fuller in relation to the matter and obviously understands his obligations in respect to the security of his police vehicle,' the spokesperson said.

Police whistleblower and transparency campaigner Richard McDonald claimed NSW Police should have been more forthcoming about the theft.

'Certainly these days it's very hard to steal a motor vehicle unless the thief has the keys to that vehicle,' he said.

'If a rank-and-file police officer left a police vehicle unlocked and that car was stolen, I would certainly expect that that police officer would be subject to the full wrath of the professional standards command.'

Greens MP David Shoebridge said it's concerning that sensitive documents from the car could have fallen into the wrong hands.

NSW Police are continuing to investigate the car theft.

It's believed several other cars on Mr Loy's street were targeted on the same night.
Burma Myanmar Hands 22 Assam, Meitei Rebels Over to Indian Govt

Weapons seized from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) Headquarters during a military raid in 2019. / Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services.

NAYPYITAWThe Myanmar government handed 22 ethnic Assam and Meitei rebels over to the Indian government on Friday at Hkamti Airport in Sagaing Region, military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy, as the rebels belong to groups that are fighting the Indian government from bases along the Myanmar-India border.

According to the spokesman, the 22 rebels were among those who the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, arrested in a military operation last year.

They belong to different groups declared [by the Indian government] as insurgent groups, he told The Irrawaddy.

The Northwestern Command of the Myanmar military raided the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Region in January last year. The NSCN-K is an ethnic Naga armed group pushing to establish a sovereign Naga homeland. The military arrested 24 Assam and Meitei rebels in the raid, according to the military spokesperson.

Last May, the Hkamti District Court in Sagaing Division sentenced the detainees to two years in prison under Article 17 (1) of the Unlawful Associations Act.

Twenty-two of them were released in the presidential amnesty in April of this year. It remains unclear whether the other two are still in prison.

President U Win Myint granted the amnesty in response to the Naga Literature and Culture Associations appeal to the president and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said government spokesperson U Zaw Htay. The spokesman was not available for further comment regarding the amnesty on Monday.

Myanmar police handed all of them over to the acting consul general of India to Myanmar at 11:40 a.m. on May 15 at Hkamti Airport. It is not [true] that one of them died in prison. We handed over all 22, U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy during the weekend.

According to the Presidents Office, the government transferred custody of the detainees to the Indian government because the rebels are Indian citizens. The rebels belong to the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the Peoples Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA), it said. The ULFA and PLA are both allied with the NSCN-K.

The government also detained five NSCN-K leaders who harbored the Indian fighters for a short time but later released them.

The Myanmar government and military began to arrest Metei rebels after the Arakan Army (AA) launched military operations along the Indian border in 2019, according to political analyst U Maung Maung Soe.

By giving the Assam and Meitei rebels over to the Indian government, Myanmar wants to show that they do not accept those who are staging a rebellion against the Indian government, he said.

So we can assume that by doing this, Myanmar in return wants India to not help the AA. But the question is whether India will be satisfied with handover of just 20 rebels while the Meitei rebel force has increased to some 2,000 people since 2000 and has been active along the Tamu border area, said U Maung Maung Soe.

Some military sources told The Irrawaddy that the Myanmar government and military are trying to improve ties with India because the military has received some technical assistance from Delhi in its military operations in Rakhine State, where it is fighting the AA.

We have said that we wont accept those rebels in Myanmars territory. India has said the same. This is because of good bilateral relations, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.

According to Se Gin, chairman of local civil society group Kuki Youth Network (KYN), there are at least six Meitei rebel groups based in Myanmar: the Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), the Peoples Liberate Army of Manipur (PLA), the United National Liberation Front of Manipur (UNLF), the United Peoples Party of Kangleipak (UPPK), the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) and the Kanleipak Communist Party (KCP).

The groups are spread across Leshi, Homalin and the border town of Tamu in Sagaing, as well as Mandalay Region.

According to data collected by The Irrawaddy, the six groups have combined forces of over 2,000 fighters. The UNLF, the biggest of the groups, has a force of over 1,300 fighters. The PLA has nearly 1,000 fighters and the PREPAK, the smallest group, has around 40.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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The so-called newsy bit read: And while I am generally loathe [sic] to wish physical harm on those I disagree with, and while I do wish Katie a speedy recovery, Im comfortable shedding whatever objectivity I have here to say I desperately hope Stephen Miller contracts covid-19.

It was a piece entitled, just to hammer the bluntness, I Will Personally Be Thrilled If Stephen Miller Dies of Covid-19. It was written by Molly Osberg and published online at the feminist website Jezebel.

No need to read much more to get the gist. The writer, who is correctly critical of President Trumps senior policy advisers racist and nationalist ideas, welcomes the news that his wife, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, has contracted coronavirus, in hopes that her husband catches it. And dies.

At a time when the presidents frenemy news outlet, Fox News, is spreading baseless conspiracy theories about Obama and China, and media malfeasance across politics during a pandemic is having very dangerous consequences, these doltish thought experiments are the last thing we need.

They are none of the things that make journalism  even opinion journalism  particularly courageous or thought-provoking. It is neither brave nor controversial to merely blurt out a revenge fantasy against a much-maligned public figure from the comfort of your column. It is, in fact, the exact opposite: Its lazy and banal. Not to mention, childish and, if were really reaching for something of slightly more heft, distasteful and downright ghoulish.

Why are we in the media so interested in self-sabotaging like this?

Predictably, the Jezebel piece gave Trump and his supporters an orgy of outrage, and proof (or so they will claim) that the whole of media is sick and twisted and out to get them. Does that help the left? Does that help media? Is that good for America?

The very people asking if there is an adult in the White House might want to ask if there is an adult in the newsroom willing to say not every idea is a good one.

Of course, over on the far right, there are the same problems.

A recent piece produced for Fox Nation, the streaming service for Fox News super-fans, featured Tomi Lahren interviewing comedian Theo Von. Referring to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison, she asks, The Epstein  did he kill himself?

To which he responds, while she giggles: I wouldnt be shocked if Hillary [Clinton] went in there with a  sharp spoon and got him. I wouldnt be shocked if Bernie [Sanders] killed him and cut his body up and gave a little bit to every single person that he knew.

I simply cannot put myself in the mindset of a producer who says, This is fine, put it up!

Over at the right-wing Washington Times, a columnist offers up a paean to freedom by declaring, forced face masking is a civil rights offense. Yes, she evokes civil rights  also, impressively, Nazis (!) in this incoherent upchuck of patriot porn. Because this seems a blatant violation of an individuals right to choose  of an individuals right to self-govern. I guess no one was there to tell her that the right to choose refers to a very specific thing, and not, like, all the things, or that none of this makes any damn sense.

No matter your politics, these stories arent provocative, theyre pablum. And theyre antithetical to the cause of journalism, and at a time when the president is doing his best to undermine it every day. One presumes liberals would care deeply about this and take extra care not to needlessly feed into Trumps narrative. But so, too, should conservatives, even and especially those of us who are critical of liberal media bias. When conservative content is just hair-brained schlock to own the libs, its hard to argue the stereotypes are just fake news.

The media is far from perfect; we make mistakes every day that erode Americas trust. All the more reason we could sure live without unforced errors.

S.E. Cupp is the host of S.E. Cupp Unfiltered on CNN.
To make a civil code of Chinas own is a dream of generations of Chinese civil jurists, said Wang Liming, chairman of the Civil Law Division under the China Law Society.

The property law is approved at the 5th Session of the 10th National Peoples Congress, which concludes in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing on March 16, 2007. Photo by Wang Hui, Peoples Daily Online

Now, the dream is coming true as the upcoming 3rd Session of the 13th National Peoples Congress (NPC) is about to approve the draft of the Chinese civil code.

The civil code is a milestone in Chinas legislative history. It is the first law named with code since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, as well as a basic civil legal norm, Wang introduced.

Delegates of the Municipal and District Peoples Congress in Hefei, east Chinas Anhui province explain the draft general rules of the civil code to residents, March 9, 2017. Photo by Zhang Hongjin, Peoples Daily Online

It is divided into seven sections, namely the general rules, as well as provisions on property, contract, personality rights, marriage and family, inheritance, and torts. Established on Chinese practices and learning from the foreign legislative experiences, the civil code demonstrates the development level of Chinas civil legislation.

According to Wang, Chinas legislative departments have initiated the making of civil code for times, but had to adopt a retail after wholesale strategy restricted by the then social and economic development, which means the country planned to firstly make individual laws on property, contract and torts, etc., and then compile a civil code based on those.

However, the compilation of the civil code is not simply adding up the laws, but integrating the existing individual civil laws in a science-based and logical manner with intrinsic consistency, and filling legislative gaps in certain areas.

The civil code will make individual laws more comprehensive, systematic and coordinated, which helps better balance the problems in different individual laws, Wang said. It will also provide comprehensive, authoritative and systematic arbitration rules for jurisdiction departments, as well as guide and normalize different civil conducts for the public, he added.

A citizen reads the Contract Law of the Peoples Republic of China at a Xinhua Bookstroe in Wanzhou district, Chongqing municipality, March 5, 2010. Photo by Chen Jianhua, Peoples Daily Online

The section on personality rights is a major high light of the Chinese civil code, Wang noted, explaining the section answers to the need for personality rights protection in the era of internet and big data and responds to the challenges for personality rights protection. It has Chinese characteristic and showcases Chinese wisdom, Wang said.

The draft section on personality rights established a system of injunction which enables the courts to issue injunctions against the practices infringing upon personality rights, said Wang, adding that it helps offer timely assistance for victims.

Wang told Peoples Daily that legislative departments have done a huge amount of work, and the jurisprudential circle and legal profession have both made constructive contributions since the 4th Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) decided to compile the civil code.

Each draft section of the civil code has been deliberated and revised by the NPC Standing Committee, and now the draft civil code is generally in good shape. Wang said he hopes the code will be implemented soon, so as to offer strong support for comprehensively promoting law-based governance.
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Girls Nite In Online, the free platform launched last month to support women whose income has diminished from COVID-19 is shining the light on Teens and Tweens this week.

"As we develop this amazing community of women, we realize the value in supporting the next generation of leaders," says GNI founder Shelly Fisher. "The purpose of this free platform is to offer support. Why not empower teens and tweens and allow them to support their favorite charity?" The GNIO team works with them to help them to prepare and be "workshop ready."

The 3:00 pm EDT workshops kick off Monday with an 11-year old Margot leading a 30-minute online hair braiding workshop. During this session, she will teach viewers how to do a french braid, dutch braid, and a fishtail. Margot is leading this workshop to fundraise for The Fiaria Project.

Tuesday features high school sophomore Brinina for a 30-minute online origami class . She is will teach how to make DIY Origami Fireworks that actually transform. Brinina's workshop will fundraise for Bloom India.

Wednesday viewers join sisters Riley and Taylor for the 30-minute DIY String Art class, where they'll teach making a beautiful piece of art. Riley and Taylor's workshop is fundraising for Gladwyne Fire Company.

Finishing out Tween and Teen Week is Grace, aged 13. Grace's 30-minute workshop, GarageBand 101, teaches beginners how to compose music, and how to add fun using different themes. Grace will be fundraising for the St. James School Food Emergency Fund.

GIrls Nite In Online hosts workshops Monday through Friday beginning at 7:30am EDT. To see the complete list of workshops, more information or lead a workshop, visit www.GniOnline.com

Press Contact:

Patricia Bernstein

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 713.838.8400

Girls Nite In Online's free platform was developed and is supported by the PIF Group in Conshohocken, PA. The PIF (Pay it Forward) Group is built on a model of support and giving back. Whether through their online platforms, social media communities, or in person events, PIF Group strives to create and support a positive sense of community. PIF Group is proud to support GNI. Founded by Shelly Fisher, their initiatives include the Herb it Forward Foundation, (www.Herbie.com). The women empowerment brands: She Knew She Could (SheKnewSheCould.com) & One Tough B. (OneToughB.com), founded after a cancer diagnosis. Positivities.com, a platform that spreads happiness. Lastly Shelly co-authored with Jen Jones, Breaking Sad: What to Say After Loss, What Not to Say, and When to Just Show Up

SOURCE Girls Nite In Online

Related Links

https://www.gnionline.com


By Express News Service

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to implement the 'Kerala model' to contain coronavirus in Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia which has turned a COVID-19 epicentre with 1300 patients and 57 deaths so far.

The 'Kerala model', sources said, is likely to help the authorities to isolate all suspected people and do contact tracing effectively.

With 15 lakh people living in 550 acres, Dharavi is one of the most densely-populated areas in Mumbai. This largest segment of people (30%) in the slum are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

State minister and Congress MLA from Dharavi Varsha Gaikwad admitted that the corona positive cases and deaths are on the rise in the slum and the administration has been trying its best to control the situation.

Explaining the 'Kerala model' in Dharavi, she said: We are trying to set up large numbers of isolation centres so that the infected and suspected people from Dharavi will be relocated there. This decision was taken as the home quarantine strategy is not helping. We are also focusing on contact tracing. Our first task is to decongest Dharavi by asking migrants to go to their native states.

Varsha Gaikwad said that they have made a 1008-bed isolation centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex, a 500-bed transit camp in Dharavi and a 300-bed centre at Sport Complex in Dharavi with arrangements to accommodate another 1200 at Nature park.

The community toilet is a major issue at the quarantine centres. The BMC-appointed IIT engineers committee also feels that it is one of the major reasons behind the spread of COVID-19. To ensure the minimum movement of people, we are trying to provide mobile toilets, the minister said.

Social activist Rajendra Korde said the high density of the population is a major hurdle when it comes to containing the coronavirus in Dharavi.

In our area, the number of TB patients are also high as people get infected with the disease easily due to lack of space between houses. This also results in spreading of the coronavirus there, said Korde.
The fact is that if we create a new state in the region, it would make more sense for it to include not just the District, but the suburbs as well. Fairfax and Montgomery counties have a lot more in common with each other than Fairfax does with Virginia coal country, or Montgomery does with the Eastern Shore.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for his "U-turn" on the MGNREGA scheme, and thanked him for understanding its vision and allocating an additional budget of Rs 40,000 crore for it.

"The prime minister has approved an additional budget of Rs 40,000 crore for the MNREGA scheme created during the UPA era. We express our gratitude to him for understanding the vision of MNREGA and promoting it," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Gandhi also used the hashtag -- "ModiUturnOnMNREGA" -- while putting out a video clip of the prime minister's speech in Parliament after he assumed power in 2014.

"MGNREGA is a living monument of your failures," Modi had said about the scheme in his speech in Parliament, while noting that even after 60 years of the independence, the Congress had to send people to dig up ditches.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[May 18, 2020] Asperitas and maincubes Partner to Deliver Immersion Cooling Solutions in Dedicated Colocation Suites

Asperitas, a global immersion cooling scaleup with high-profile partners and clients including Dell (News - Alert) Technologies, Supermicro, Shell and Credit Agricole, announces a partnership with European data center owner and operator maincubes. The two companies are offering Immersion Cooling Solutions from dedicated immersion cooling colocation suites in the maincubes Amsterdam AMS01 data center. AMS01 is also home to the European Open Compute Project (OCP) Experience Center, which aligns well with the goals of Asperitas - a leading OCP (News - Alert) standards contributor in the field of immersion cooling. maincubes has its European colocation data centers located in Amsterdam (AMS01) as well as in Frankfurt (FRA01). These dedicated immersion cooling colocation suites in the maincubes Amsterdam AMS01 facility, which is located right next to Schiphol Airport, offer enterprise organizations, cloud service providers (CSPs) and telecom providers a fully aligned data center suite for unique cooling technology. Immersion cooling is especially ideal for high-density compute applications like AI (artificial intelligence), HPC (high-performance computing) and machine learning requirements. "These colocation suites are uniquely developed for housing Asperitas' immersion cooling technology," said Joris te Lintelo, Vice President of Sales at maincubes. "We're delighted to partner with Asperitas in their quest to empower world markets with their proven immersion cooling solutions. Our jointly offered Immersion Cooling Solutions also meet the expectations of OCP-associated data center users, as it may bring them high levels of additional efficiencies for OCP use cases." Clients Within Telecom, Automotive, Oil & Gas and Finance Asperitas' immersion cooling technology allows for high-density equipment setups to be operated in an energy efficient manner. This technology enables energy-intensive hardware deployments to continue to function at the highest possible utilization rate. At the same time, it reduces the data center space needed for AI, PC and machine learning workloads.



The European OCP Experience Center located in maincubes' Amsterdam AMS01 data center matches Asperitas' membership with the Open Compute Project and their efforts to drive global OCP data center standardization for immersion cooling by contributing technical specifications to the OCP community. "The presence of the European OCP Experience Center in the maincubes AMS01 data center is attracting quite a few organizations interested in OCP-associated innovation. This really matches our efforts within the OCP Advanced Cooling workgroup on immersion cooling," said Rolf Brink, Founder and CEO of Asperitas. "The type of customers maincubes is serving from its colocation data centers in Frankfurt and Amsterdam includes well-known DAX-listed companies active within the automotive and telecommunications sectors. This too is a perfect fit with our own client base of high-profile customers and the kind of companies we're partnering with. Asperitas is currently gaining interest from renowned companies within telecom, automotive, oil and gas and finance."

Dell Technologies and Shell Asperitas has announced an OEM partnership with Dell Technologies; and last month, Shell and Asperitas announced the launch of their co-developed Shell Immersion Cooling Fluid S5 X. The new fluid for immersion cooling is designed for high cooling efficiency, as well as excellent flow behavior and thermodynamic properties. "Backed by partnerships like those with Dell Technologies and Shell, Asperitas is successfully delivering its immersion cooling technology as a high-density compute and HPC-focused add-on to existing data center environments," said Oliver Menzel, CEO of maincubes. "The technology's advantages are not limited to OCP use cases alone though. For our wider client base, including cloud service providers and enterprises, Asperitas' immersion cooling technology might be a very interesting solution to consider." European OCP Experience Center Operated by data center vendor Rittal (News - Alert) and OCP Solutions Provider Circle B, the European OCP Experience Center located in the maincubes AMS01 data center in Amsterdam is intended to help CIOs, CTOs, IT managers and data center managers understand the impact of OCP designs on their facilities. The OCP Experience Center also allows for testing of OCP-based solutions relevant to specific IT environments. The Asperitas and maincubes partnership announcement follows the news of maincubes expanding its European presence with a new, highly modular and flexible 8,500-square-meter colocation facility in Frankfurt (FRA02) to be built on five floors. Offering 100% SLA availability and 100% carbon-neutral operations like other maincubes facilities, this new data center will feature state-of-the-art architecture, materials and technologies. About maincubes maincubes is part of German investor and real estate developer Art-Invest which is part of the German construction conglomerate Zech Group. maincubes has data centers in Frankfurt and Amsterdam, and a network of high-availability data centers of various sizes and types in Europe, enabling it to provide colocation services and secure ecosystems for the digital future of customers across various industries. Via the secureexchange digital platform customers and partners of maincubes can use IT services worldwide such as IoT, (cyber) security and connectivity as well as cloud services to expand their business opportunities. maincubes offers secure, efficient and user-friendly services - and a secure home for your data To learn more about maincubes, visit http://www.maincubes.com. About Asperitas Asperitas is a clean and high-tech company founded in 2014 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Asperitas launched their first Immersed Computing solution in 2017, after an extensive R&D phase with an ecosystem of cutting-edge partners. Immersed Computing is based on total liquid cooling also known as immersion cooling and is fully ready to support the highest global data center standards. Their solutions are used by cloud providers, research and global enterprises. Asperitas has won several European awards for the innovation level and potential impact of the solutions, including the Europas Greentech award, Global Changemaker Award and the New Energy Challenge organized by Shell. Asperitas is leading the workstream on immersion cooling as part of the advanced cooling subproject of the Open Compute Project. In 2019 Shell Ventures and PDENH joined Asperitas as investors. To learn more about https://www.asperitas.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005166/en/

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Lets be honest: Sofia Richie and Scott Disick have lasted longer than any of us expected. The pair raised plenty of eyebrows when they went public in 2017 due to their age difference and Disicks conflicting feelings over his relationship with Kourtney Kardashian. But they proved us wrong, establishing a loving romance that has lasted for nearly three years.

However, fans think there might be trouble in paradise after Richie was seen out with a man who is not her famous boyfriend. Heres a look at their relationship and the latest news surrounding the couple.

Scott Disick and Sofia Richie at an event in February 2020 | Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Rollas

A brief timeline of Sofia Richie and Scott Disicks relationship

Its unclear how these two met, but they were first linked in May 2017 when they posed for group photos at the Cannes Film Festival. Richie denied they were an item and continued to do so as speculation continued over the next few months. But by September 2017, they had made things official. The pair announced their relationship online, sharing a series of lovey-dovey photos to their respective Instagram accounts.

There was some initial push-back from the KarJenners due to the age gap between Richie, 21, and Scott Disick, 36, as well as Disicks decision to introduce Richie to his kids without telling Kardashian. But the family eventually seemed to come around. The Poosh founder even accompanied the couple on vacations, including a trip to Cabo in December 2018.

RELATED: Sofia Richie Says I Just Dont Care What People Think About Her Relationship With Scott Disick

As their relationship continued, reports emerged that the couple had even talked about settling down and getting married. But it seems to fans that there might now be trouble in paradise.

Did Sofia Richie and Scott Disick break up?

The speculation comes after Richie was seen at a mansion in Malibu, California that is owned by a mystery man. Sources told TMZ they believe she might be dating the man after allegedly splitting from Disick.

They mentioned that the rumored split could have something to do with Disicks recent stint in a Colorado rehab facility, where he was reportedly seeking emotional support following the deaths of his parents. (It was previously reported that he had checked in for cocaine and alcohol addiction, but sources denied that. Disick has, however, struggled with addiction in the past. His struggles were heavily documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.)

RELATED: Scott Disick Didnt Go to Rehab After Nearly Overdosing on Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons, According to Source

Amid his stay in rehab, sources told E! News that Richie was fully supporting Disick and was still with him.

They have been through a lot together and Sofia has seen Scott go through very rough patches with his mental state over the years, a source told the outlet. She was very proud of him when he agreed to get help and expressed that she would be there for him through every step of the way.

They have a solid relationship and Sofia wouldnt walk away from him when he is in a vulnerable state like this, the source continued.

Sofia Richie drops a hint about the status of her relationship with Scott Disick

Neither Richie or Disick has directly said anything about their rumored breakup. But amid the speculation, the model posted a photo of their dog, Hershula, to her Instagram Story on May 17, which could be her way of shutting it down.

Or maybe it means she got to keep the dog?

While we await more details, stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for updates.

Read more: Fans Think Travis Scott Raps About Kylie Jenner In New NSFW Song Solitaires
May 17 (Reuters) - Apple Inc will this week reopen more than 25 of its branded stores in the United States, a company spokesman said on Sunday, continuing a gradual process that has unlocked doors at nearly a fifth of its worldwide retail outlets.

The iPhone maker in March shut all its stores outside of Greater China in response to the spread of the coronavirus. It has 510 stores worldwide and 271 in the United States. Last week, it reopened its first five stores in the United States. (Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
During 800 days of deployment, the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 78) was one of the most versatile and clandestine platforms in the fleet of U.S. Navy. Guided-missile submarines are capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and host up to 66 Special Operation Forces.

During 800 days of deployment, the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 78) was one of the most versatile and clandestine platforms in the fleet of U.S. Navy. Guided-missile submarines are capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and host up to 66 Special Operation Forces.

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The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) returns to its homeport, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, May 9, 2020. (Picture source U.S. Navy)

The USS Florida (SSGN-728) Ohio-class cruise missile submarine, is the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 27th state. She was commissioned with the hull designation of SSBN-728 in June 1983. The USS Florida entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in July 2003 to undergo a refueling and conversion from an SSBN (Ballistic Missile Submarine) to an SSGN (Cruise Missile Submarine).

Florida is one of just four guided-missile submarines in the U.S. Navy's fleet and comprises half of the guided-missile submarine force in Kings Bay, home to all East Coast Ohio-class submarines to include five ballistic-missile and two guided-missile submarines. It has completed more than 50 patrols before its conversion to a guided-missile submarine. SSGNs are equipped with superior communications capabilities and have the ability to carry up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. The platform can also be configured to host up to 66 Special Operation Forces.

While forward deployed, the ship sailed more than 98,000 nautical miles, which is the equivalent to nearly four times around the world, and pinned 202 new submariners with their submarine warfare, or Dolphins.

As an Ohio-class submarine, Florida has two crews; blue and gold. These crews of roughly 160 Sailors alternate manning the submarine and typically deploy with the ship for three months before swapping. The blue crew brought the submarine back to its homeport. The crew that isnt deployed, trains at Trident Training Facility Kings Bay, conducting a rigorous training program including simulated missions and scenarios they could encounter while at sea. This constant training regimen helps ensure the crew is always tactically and operationally ready.

On 19 March 2011, in conjunction with other U.S. Navy and Royal Navy warships and submarines, Florida fired scores of Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defense targets as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn. Operation Odyssey Dawn was the U.S. code name for the American role in the international military operation in Libya to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 during the initial period of 1931 March 2011 The Tomahawk missile strikes allowed British, French, and allied warplanes to begin enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, preventing Muammar Gaddafi from using his air force to attack rebels in his country. This was the first combat action for the Florida or any other Ohio-class submarine. During Operation Odyssey Dawn, Florida launched 93 Tomahawk missiles, with 90 effective, out of her total magazine of about 160 missiles.



The Tomahawk is a long-range Land Attack Missile (TLAM), all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ships and submarine-based land-attack operations. At least six variants and multiple upgraded versions have been introduced since then, including air-, sub-, and ground-launched variants and conventional and nuclear-armed ones. As of 2019, only non-nuclear, sea-launched variants assembled by Raytheon are currently in service. It has an operational range of 2,500 km.
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The hedge fund industry felt the impact of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic in March as hedge fund redemptions jumped dramatically to $85.6 billion, a steep increase from Februarys $8.1 billion in industry outflows.

Marchs redemptions represented 2.7% of industry assets, according to the Barclay Fund Flow Indicator published by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.

A March trading loss of trading loss of $229.1 billion brought total hedge fund industry assets to $2.86 trillion as April ended, down from $3.21 trillion at the end of February.

Data from 7,100 funds (excluding CTAs) in the BarclayHedge database showed Continental Europe as the hardest hit region in Marchs redemption total with nearly $38.3 billion in outflows. U.S. hedge funds shed nearly $31.6 billion in assets, while funds in the U.K. experienced nearly $24.7 billion in redemptions.

As the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis became increasingly clear through January and February, equity market volatility increased, oil prices plunged and the economic fallout mounted, said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. Ultimately that volatility left investors with shrinking risk appetites and many decided it was time to hold cash. The result was hedge fund redemptions hitting their highest levels since the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Over the 12-month period through March the hedge fund industry experienced $159.2 billion in redemptions. A $142.8 billion trading loss over the period brought industry assets to nearly $2.86 trillion at the end of March, down from $3.01 trillion a year earlier.

A handful of hedge fund sectors finished the month with 12-month inflows. Among them, Event Driven funds set the pace with $27.8 billion in inflows, 19.7% of assets, while Sector Specific funds brought in $7.6 billion, 4.4% of assets. And Convertible Arbitrage funds  the only sector to experience inflows in March  added $2.6 billion, 13.7% of assets over the 12 months.

On the 12-month redemptions side of the ledger, among those experiencing the largest outflows were Equity Long/Short funds with $40.2 billion in redemptions, 19.2% of assets, over the period, Fixed Income funds which shed $38.4 billion, 6.6% of assets, Equity Long Bias funds with $24.6 billion in redemptions, 7.4% of assets, and Macro Funds with $15.1 billion in outflows, 8.1% of assets.

The managed futures industrys experience was similar to hedge funds in March with $19.0 billion in redemptions, up significantly from $1.7 billion in February outflows. A $9.3 billion monthly trading loss left industry assets at $278.0 billion as March ended, down from $307.9 billion at the end of February.

Managed futures funds in all regions of the world but one experienced redemptions in March. Funds in China and Hong Kong were the exception, bringing in $34.5 million, 8.1% of assets. The greatest redemptions were from CTAs in the U.S. and its offshore islands which shed $14.4 billion, 7.3% of assets. They were followed by managed futures funds in Continental Europe which experienced $3.3 billion in redemptions, 10.0% of assets, and the U.K. and its offshore islands with $2.2 billion in outflows, 3.5% of assets.

Over the 12-month period through March, CTAs experienced $32.4 billion in redemptions, 10.0% of assets. A $4.6 billion trading loss over the period contributed to the drop in total industry assets to the $278.0 billion level at the end of March from $322.9 billion a year earlier.

The monthly Barclay Fund Flow Indicator, published by BarclayHedge, can be found here.

About Backstop Solutions

Backstops mission is to help the institutional investment industry use time to its fullest potential. We develop technology to simplify and streamline otherwise time-consuming tasks and processes, enabling our clients to quickly and easily access, share and manage the knowledge thats critical to their day-to-day business success. Backstop provides its industry-leading cloud-based productivity suite to investment consultants, pensions, funds of funds, family offices, endowments, foundations, private equity, hedge funds and real estate investment firms.

BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop, currently maintains data on more than 7,100 hedge funds, funds of funds and CTAs. Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.
After a hiatus of over a decade, the



Stanely Reservoir, the lifeline of Cauvery delta farmers in Tamil Nadu, will be opened on June 12, the annual customary date, for the 'Kuruvai' (short-term) paddy crop in view of comfortable water storage.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday ordered the water release from June 12 following representation from farmers in the delta regions and in view of the present water level of 100.01 feet and storage of 64.85 TMC feet as against the dam's maximum of 120 feet and capacity of 93.4 tmc feet.

Farmers were asked to ensure individual distance and use masks to cover their nose and mouth while engaging in agriculture activities in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The present storage in the reservoir, popularly known as Mettur Dam since it is located in the town in Salem district in western Tamil Nadu, would be sufficient for release of water for 50 days, an official release said.

The scenario, brought about by bountiful rains last year, will bring cheers to lakhs of farmers, who had to forego the short-term crop several years in the past, owing to non-availability of water.

Barring 2011, when water was released on June 6, six days ahead of the schduled date, the dam, built across Cauvery river, has not been opened on the customary date of June 12 for the past 11 years.

In 2011, when late J Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, water was released from the dam on June 6, ahead of the customary date, officials said.

In subsequent years, they could not release water on June 12 in view of insufficient storage, they told PTI.

In the past two decades, the Mettur Dam was opened on the dot on June 12 in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2008, officials added.

Palaniswami also ordered uninterrupted, 12-hour, three- phase power supply and continuation of disbursal of interest- free crop loan through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies to the farmers, the release said.

Last year, delta districts, including Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, considered the rice bowl of the state, saw a yield of 4.99 lakh tons of paddy from cultivation in 2.90 lakh acres.

"This year, 5.60 lakh tons of paddy yield is expected after cultivation in 3.25 lakh plus acres," Palaniswami said and outlined several other measures to help farmers get a better yield.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Editor's note: Mark Barnes is a freelance journalist currently based in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this piece sent to Tuoi Tre News, he explores how the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the travel restrictions and school closures it entailed, has changed the landscape of English teaching jobs in Vietnam, nearly a month after the country emerged from weeks of social distancing in April.

When schools were given the all-clear to reopen at the end of April, it was clear that there would be a supply problem when it came to qualified English teachers.

Borders had been closed since the end of March to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and would not reopen for some time to come. As such, no new teachers were getting in, neither would teachers who had left during the school closure period be able to return.

At the same time, Vietnams 16 million or so students were returning to schools where English language classes are compulsory. Thats not to mention the hundreds of private English centers around Hanoi that had also been given permission to reopen.

This was greeted as welcome news for some English teachers in Hanoi.

Perceiving an obvious under-supply, many looked to take advantage of the situation.

The demand curve is higher than the supply. Guys, PLEASE be smart and don't accept lower than $1,200, one Filipino teacher posted in the Filipino English Teachers in Vietnam group on Facebook.

But is this a realistic assumption?

One industry insider, a recruiter based in Hanoi, who wished to remain anonymous, says no.

He has been approached by many teachers requesting higher salaries, he says, adding these requests are unreasonable."

He says the reality is schools and English centers are not yet desperate enough to pay higher salaries and that even if they were, they do not have the funds available to do so.

Another recruiter in Hanoi has also advised its staff that many public schools will be focusing on a Vietnamese curriculum for the remainder of the academic year. With reduced contact hours, English language lessons simply will not be a priority.

This situation is precarious and dynamic, but this may mean a number of previously employed English teachers will be looking for work in the coming weeks.

That said, the number of job ads on English teacher recruitment Facebook pages has exploded. Recruiters are looking for staff all over Vietnam, although many are specifically requesting native English speakers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand.

This may give teachers from these countries an edge. Native English speakers are generally paid higher wages, however, attitudes toward native versus non-native English teachers are changing.

Hong Tang, the founder of Coins For Change, an NGO that places volunteer English teachers in low socio-economic areas, says in many instances native English speakers are unnecessary.

But she points out that for older, more advanced learners, it is very difficult to develop further without the aid of a native speaker.

You teach academic English, you teach writing, you teach public speaking or presentation [skills]. You need more words and you need to be able to teach people to use the language how native speakers do.

For beginners, however, she says, it is a different story.

The kids are learning very basic English. So basically you just need to be good at pronunciation, understand that grammar clearly, and understand how to interact with the kids, she says.

She goes on to say this last point is crucial.

I know some people who come to teach and only teach for thirty minutes and then they have to run to another class. They don't even stay to say hi or goodbye to students. That is worse than someone who is not a native speaker.

That is not to say that local teachers can reasonably compete with foreign native English-speaking migrants.

Van Van Hoang, a professor at the University of Languages and International Studies at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in a paper published back in 2017, seriously questioned the ability of local teachers to meet learners requirements.

English language teaching in Vietnam, due to its low quality, has not met the demand for competent English-speaking people, he said.

He went on to say this is because many teachers are unqualified, many have never had the chance to study in an English-speaking country, and many do not normally communicate in English.

This is also partially due to a demand and supply imbalance that existed well before COVID-19.

The demand for English language teaching far outstrips the supply of native speaker and competent non-native speaker teachers, Hoang said back in 2017.

How that has been affected by the COVID-19 school closures and travel restrictions remains unclear.

That said, the advantages of being able to speak English proficiently do not appear to have been impacted.

As schools and English centers continue to forge ahead and reopen, there are grounds for major changes to how the market for English teachers functions.

Who this will advantage, if anyone, though opaque now, should become clearer in the not too distant future.
Ajay Kanth By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Chennai to Mangaluru is only 700 km, but for 21-year-old Malayali student Anantha Padmanabhan, Chennai seemed to be an isolated place halfway across the globe as he could not join his mother in Mangaluru despite his repeated attempts since lockdown was declared on March 25.

It was only on May 12 that he could finally make it to Mangaluru with the help of a retired CRPF jawan, who drove him up to Hosur in his car.

Getting stuck alone in a new city with no family members around during a crisis of this sort really tested the nerve of Anantha Padmanabhan and he feels that the government should have devised a plan to help the stranded before imposing the complete lockdown on one fine day. I have been staying alone in a single bedroom apartment in Chennai for my studies and have been fully dependent on restaurants for food. The closure of hotels, public transport and imposition of curfew threw life out of gear. Above all, the fear of rising number of Covid-19 cases in Chennai really frightened me.

READ| Centre gives charge to states on lockdown 4.0: Here's what's allowed, what's not

I rang up all my family members seeking support but they couldnt do any help due to strict enforcement of lockdown. With Tamil Nadu government enforcing lockdown strictly, my friends couldnt even visit me for days, Anantha told TNIE from his home at Mangaluru where he is undergoing 14 days mandatory quarantine. He said even his father Sreekumar K R , who is in Dubai, tried hard to bring him home by coordinating with various agencies. But he couldnt do much because of various obstacles. It was a few social organisations in Chennai that provided food and other essentials to him.

Though he visited Chennai Corporation office seeking a travel pass either to Kerala or Karnataka, they denied it saying that the pass could be issued only for three reasons - medical emergency, marriage and death of an immediate family member. Its not my case alone. Thousands of students from Kerala who were in Chennai had to undergo the same harrowing situation. When I tried for an online pass from Kerala government website, it got hung almost every time due to heavy rush. Finally when I got one, the dates were all messed up due to some software error, he said adding that he very happy to be home.
A week after a Colorado mom of two vanished on Mother's Day, her husband took to Facebook to say he would do "whatever it takes" to bring her back.

"We love you, we need you, your girls need you," Barry Morphew told his wife Suzanne in the video posted Sunday.

"If anyone is out there that can hear this that has you, please, well do whatever it takes to bring you back," Morphew said. "No questions asked  however much they want  I will do whatever it takes to get you back. Honey, I love you, I want you back so bad."

Suzanne Morphew. (GoFundMe)

Morphew of Maysville, Colorado, went for a bike ride on May 10 and never came back, her family told the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office.

The office said in a statement Sunday that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were helping to search for Morphew.

Members of the Pueblo County Sheriffs Office Dive Rescue Team also searched bodies of water in the area. The Chaffee County Sheriff's office said Friday that one of Morphew's personal items had been recovered, but didn't specify what it was.

The sheriff's office asked Chaffee County residents to keep all video footage from home security cameras. One of the most helpful ways the community can aid in the search of Suzanne Morphew is by preserving these recordings, said Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze.

Suzannes nephew, Trevor Noel told Dateline last week that people could help in the search for Morphew by pounding the keyboard. The family has set up a Find Suzanne Morphew Facebook page, tip line and a GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $30,000.

Everyone involved in this search, we just want her back so bad, Noel said. We want her back because she is just such a bright light in all of our lives.

Barry Morphew initially offered a $100,000 reward for his wife's safe return, but the reward amount has since been doubled to $200,000.

CORRECTION (May 19, 2020, 2:30 p.m. ET): The photo caption in an earlier version of this article misstated the first name of the missing woman. She is Suzanne Morphew, not Susan.
CHICAGO  Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Hollywood humanitarian Sean Penn Monday toured the first free coronavirus testing sites set up last week by the actor's charity Community Organized Relief Organization and Curative-Korva.

Since Wednesday, the first two testing locations at Saucedo Scholastic Academy in Little Village and Prieto Math and Science Academy in Belmont Craigin have conducted over 800 tests. Four additional testing sites are set to open in coming weeks at Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Senka Park in Gage Park and Gately Park in Pullman, along with testing for first responders at Sox Park in Bridgeport.

These new sites serve as the cornerstone of our effort to dramatically expand COVID-19 testing in Chicago through the rest of the month, with a special focus on our communities of color, which have been disproportionately impacted by this disease, Lightfoot said.

With the incredible support from our partners at CORE and Curative, our entire city will also be able to move that much closer to Phase Three of our reopening plan that will allow us to safely ease restrictions on many businesses, support our recovery from this crisis, and get Chicago back on track.



Curative-Korva is a start-up firm run by Fred Turner, a 25-year-old British wunderkind. The firm created a method to test for COVID-19 using a specimen collected by swabbing the inside of the mouth after coughing, eliminating the need for swabs in short supply.

Actor Sean Penn's charity CORE is opening six coronavirus testing sites in Chicago. (Mark Konkol/ Patch)

Penn stressed the importance of civilian organizations partnering with government to offer help during the coronavirus crisis.

"We cannot function without partners ... we can test and trace all we like but without food assistance, for example, and other areas of this holistic movement we are impotent," Penn said. "None of us are excited to be having a pandemic. But within that pandemic there is great excitement over the example we can be of the citizenry being a constituency of help that government needs. That partnership is needed now more than ever."



Story continues

In addition to the testing sites, Penn's team has joined with world-renowned chef and humanitarian Jose Andres's group, World Central Kitchen, to provide meals to medical workers and staff manning testing sites. Andres said his organization has tapped local restaurants closed under the stay-home order to prepare the meals.

Over the last month, World Central Kitchen has served 75,000 fresh meals to Chicagoans in need and the city's frontline workers at hospitals, testing sites, senior centers and other community sites.

World-renowned chef Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen organization has served 75,000 meals to Chicagoans in need and frontline workers this month. (Mark Konkol/ Patch)

"We partnered with the only people who I know how to partner with, my fellow chefs. ... All of the sudden the restaurant industry is closed across America. ... Are you telling me we are wasting food, throwing it away at farms and at the same time we have long lines of people going hungry," he said. "Let me tell you, we don't believe in long lines. We believe in long tables. Who better than cooks and restaurants to be of service of the system of making sure no one is hungry especially during an emergency."



Lightfoot said she hopes the new testing sites will increase the number of tests conducted in Chicago from its current average of about 3,500 a day to 10,000 daily.

"Because of this quick and effective work we will not only be able to identify new cases in our city, we will also be able to dramatically improve our knowledge of this virus and it's movement across communities, so we will be able to fine tune our response [in] those communities and neighborhoods most in need," the mayor said.





This article originally appeared on the Chicago Patch
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Four days after arriving at the Indore Airport from Kuwait, 19 of the 130-plus passengers have tested positive for the deadly COVID-19. Upon their arrival, the Indian nationals were quarantined at the Army's 3 EME Centre where 19 people tested positive on Saturday and Sunday night.

While the patients have been admitted at the Chirayu Medical College Hospital and the Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, the co-passengers have been quarantined at Army facility at Bairagarh in Bhopal. Samples of all other passengers are being tested.

"So far 19 of them have tested positive and are admitted at two hospitals in Bhopal. Seventy per cent of Kuwait returned persons have already been tested, while the process is underway to test samples of remaining passengers," said Bhopal district chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Prabhakar Tiwari on Monday.

Meanwhile, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who had handled the passports of these passengers on May 13 has been home quarantined in Indore. The personnel hasn't so far shown any symptoms of the deadly viral infection, informed sources in Indore said. Other staff at the Airport who in PPEs handled the passengers at Indore Airport on May 13 also asked to go on home quarantined.
By Reade Levinson and Melissa Fares

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans increased their visits to supermarkets far more than to Walmart Inc stores as panic-buying peaked in mid-March, a Reuters analysis of foot traffic to retailers in the United States shows.

Yet by early May, visits to Walmart had rebounded and were outpacing visits to supermarkets, according to the analysis.

The data offers a snapshot of some of the dramatic changes in Americans' shopping patterns in the weeks before and after the United States implemented lockdowns intended to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart gets more than half its U.S. revenue from grocery sales. The retailer on Tuesday will report its first-quarter revenue and earnings, providing a look at how it fared as COVID-19 hit a growing number of states.

Reuters compared foot traffic observed by SafeGraph from the first week of March through early May. SafeGraph compiles anonymized location data from mobile devices and compares it with building footprints to measure traffic. The number of mobile devices recorded by SafeGraph fluctuates, so Reuters adjusted the data based on the number of devices SafeGraph reported each day.

"During panic buying time, it was 'I want to get my groceries, and that's all I want to do. I want to do it safely, I want to get in and out,'" said Randy Hare, portfolio manager at Huntington Private Bank, which owns shares of Walmart, Costco Wholesale Corp and others. Some shoppers might have concluded that "Walmart is one of the worst places for lines," he said.

Walmart declined to comment.

Walmart saw an 18% increase in foot traffic from March 13 to March 17 compared to the first week of March, Reuters found. That's about half the 37% increase at supermarkets and other grocery stores during the same time period, when consumers stocked up on goods in advance of coronavirus lockdowns implemented around the United States.

Story continues

During the same period, Target Corp saw a 14% rise in foot traffic, less than half the increase at grocery stores. Major dollar store chains saw a 26% increase in foot traffic.

A Target spokeswoman referenced an April 23 press release, which said the company experienced a "surge in traffic and sales" in mid-March followed by a decline in in-store sales as "guests across the country began to shelter in place" and turned to online orders. She declined further comment.

For a graphic, see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2yaiau9

After that initial surge in visitors, traffic to Walmart and other big box and grocery stores fell in late March and early April, Reuters found. Walmart lost more traffic than most supermarkets, but it still performed better than Target and Amazon.com Inc's Whole Foods, which saw traffic drop by 26% and 33%, respectively, during the first two weeks of April.

An Amazon spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.

Walmart has announced that stores would allow no more than five customers per 1,000 square feet, or roughly 20 percent of store capacity. Despite this, as of May 6, foot traffic to Walmart stores had rebounded and was up 16% compared to the first week of March.

"They've made a lot of investments in grocery and they did it at the right time," said Huntington's Hare, highlighting Walmart's plans to have more than 2,000 stores where they can deliver groceries within two hours. "If COVID would have happened two years ago, they wouldn't have been ready."

The SafeGraph data does not include transaction size, and it is possible that some shoppers made fewer trips but purchased more items per trip. The foot-traffic data also includes traffic by retail employees and gig workers fulfilling shoppers orders placed online.

Analysts have forecast Walmart will post its best quarterly sales in at least three years on Tuesday, but that is likely to come at the cost of profits as the retailer, much like Amazon, has invested millions to tackle the pandemic.

(Reporting by Reade Levinson in London and Melissa Fares in New York; Additional reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Vanessa O'Connell, Ryan McNeill in London and Nick Zieminski in New York)
Jammu, May 18 : The Pakistan Army on Monday again resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing on the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday in J&K's Poonch district, an army official said.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Col Devender Anand said: "At about 7 p.m. Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Gulpur sector (of Poonch).

"Indian Army is retaliating befittingly." Since January this year, Pakistan has violated bilateral ceasefire on the LoC in J&K with impunity.

Army officers believe the same is done to provide fire cover to terrorists so that they are able to sneak into the Indian side.
World Family Doctor Day, which will be held this year under the theme Family doctors on the front line on May 19, has an additional relevance as it coincides with the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

In this respect, the UAE has been at the forefront of the countries worldwide, thanks to the rapid response of its government system response by harnessing all logistical and human resources.

Also, the efforts of the health authorities and sectors have been obvious, while family doctors teamed up with their fellows on the frontline of defence to provide the necessary healthcare.

Dr Hussein Abdel Rahman Al-Rand, Undersecretary of the Ministrys Health Assistant Sector, Health Centres and Clinics, pointed out that family medicine is one of the international quality standards, through which the cultural and health level of countries is measured and assessed, thanks to its pivotal role in health care systems around the world.

He commended the efforts of family doctors in supporting and assisting their fellow doctors on the frontline of defense to fight COVID-19 and to provide the necessary health care, which contributed to the increased recovery rates.

Al-Rand added: Although the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, are focused on fighting COVID-19 pandemic as a national health priority, it did not overlook the development of the operational plans to ensure the continuity of its various health services without interruption. One of the key services provided is the family doctor one, due to its pivotal role in preventive and curative healthcare and as a central point in the health system.

Dr Aisha Suhail, Director of the Primary Health Care Department, said: Family doctors are the mainstay of the holistic and patient-centered healthcare to achieve the goal of universal health coverage. Since the beginning of this year, the key role of family doctors in managing the COVID-19 pandemic has become more apparent, by supporting and assisting the frontline of defence and providing effective healthcare to the community.

She added: While the world is facing the challenges posed by COVID-19 in health, social, and economic fields, the contributions of family doctors were supportive and impactful on managing the health situation.

Suhail thanked family doctors for their dedication, commitment, courage, and relentless efforts in maintaining peoples health and saving patients lives, wishing them and the medical cadres good health and the speedy recovery for patients.-- Tradearabia News Service
St John Paul II was honoured on the centennial of his birth with special Masses at the Vatican and in his native Poland on Monday, an anniversary that comes as the Polish church finds itself shaken by new allegations of sexual abuse by clerics.

From the small town of Wadowice, Poland, where Karol Wojtya was born on May 18, 1920, to Warsaw and the Vatican, Catholic faithful gave prayers of thanks for the man who was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005.

Today we can say that 100 years ago the Lord visited his people," Pope Francis said in a morning Mass in St Peter's Basilica.

Celebrating the memory of Saint John Paul II let's remember this: the Lord loves his people, he visited his people, he sent a shepherd.

To Poles, John Paul is best remembered for using the papacy to shake the foundations of an oppressive communist system that was toppled across Eastern Europe 11 years into his papacy.

Karol Wojtyla was one of the most important figures of the 20th century, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a letter sent to worshippers at Poland's holiest site, the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa.

His teaching and testimony still touch the hearts and minds of millions of people.

Poland's Jewish community also remembered John Paul's efforts to seek reconciliation between Catholics and Jews.

No other Pope has done more to heal the painful wounds and did more than anyone else in history to effectively erase the scourge of anti-Semitism," Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, said in a statement on Sunday.

But John Paul's legacy has been stained by his failure to address the scourge of sex abuse in the church, which was well known at the Vatican during his papacy.

And that issue was also on people's minds in recent days because of a new documentary exposing alleged sex abuse in Poland's church.

The film, Playing Hide and Seek, by brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, was released Saturday online and had been viewed over 4 million times by Monday morning.

It tells the story of two brothers, now young adults, who decide to confront a priest who allegedly abused them in their childhood. In their pursuit of justice they discover other alleged victims of the priest, Arkadiusz Hajdasz, but face a lack of compassion and help from church officials.

The film follows a documentary expose on pedophilia in the powerful Polish Catholic church by the Sekielski brothers released last year.

That film, Tell No One, triggered soul searching in a country where there is no higher authority than the Catholic Church and its clergy. That film also elicited an apology from Archbishop Wojciech Polak, the Primate of Poland, and prompted at least one cleric to leave priestly life.

After this new film, Polak, Poland's top church official, again voiced his concern and said the matter would be taken to the Vatican for investigation.

The film 'Playing Hide and Seek,' which I watched, shows that the standards of protection of children and youth in force in the Church have not been observed, Polak said.

Film director Tomasz Sekielski said he believes that viewers of his film may even feel angry when the see how victims of clerical abuse are deprived of state and church support.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
EDITORS NOTE: This headline and post has been updated to include additional information about the father acknowledging his kids were using a closed playground within the park.

A father posted his frustrations to social media Sunday after he said a resident called police to a park where his two young children were playing.

Josh Duvall and his children, ages 5 and 2, went to the park in Cherry Hill midday Sunday. Duvall told NJ Advance Media he was picking up branches for nearly half an hour and playing with his children - they were the only three people there - when a nearby homeowner began yelling at him about how people were going to get sick and to get out of the park.

A little while later, a police officer arrived at the park, responding to the residents call. A report was taken, and no charges were issued.

Duvall, however, acknowledged to local website 70and73.com that his kids were using a playground that was closed and locked when the complaint was called in. He also omits that in the video he posted attempting to shame the person who he believed called in the complaint

Parks in Cherry Hill had been closed in April due to the coronavirus, but were reopened on May 2. Playgrounds remain off limits.

This is Cherry Hill New Jersey, and you have people calling the police on a dad and two kids because they want to play outside, Duvall said in a video posted on Facebook. Who is going to get sick? There is nobody here," he said, swinging the camera around an area of the park that does not include the playground.

It is crazy, Duvall later told NJ Advance Media.

Duvall, who has had two family members diagnosed with having the coronavirus, said he has no ill-will against the person who called the police, and the police officer was great.

The video he shared, however, has resulted against threats and harassment against the man who alerted police about people using the closed playground, according to the residents son, who supplied photos of signs indicating the playground is closed.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 22:54:43|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed 25 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 912.

Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Health of Kenya, said the latest cases involving 23 Kenyans and two Somalis were confirmed from 1,139 samples which were tested in the last 24 hours.

Aman said that some 53 truck drivers tested positive at various points of entry along the Kenya-Tanzania border.

He added that the drivers, 51 from Tanzania and two from Burundi, were all referred back to Tanzania where they had come from.

Aman said that during the period, 22 patients were discharged from the hospital having fully recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of people who have so far recovered from the respiratory disease to 336.

"We also have not lost any person to the disease in the last 24 hours, therefore our fatality still remains 50," Aman told a daily news briefing in Nairobi.

He observed that strict observance of cessation of movement across Kenya's border with Tanzania and Somalia is aimed at stemming the rising cases that have been witnessed in some of the counties bordering the two countries.

"I am therefore appealing to Kenyans to continue to support and cooperate with the government to ensure compliance of the directives," he added.

The official revealed that so far Kenya has tested 44,851 samples since the outbreak of the pandemic was reported in the country. Enditem
As the economic fallout from the coronavirus further decimates financially struggling small-town and city newspapers - still Americans' main source for original local journalism - a desperate search is underway for alternative models. Analysts are looking around the world and back through history for examples of news media that don't depend on advertising revenue - a collapsing business model that is unlikely to ever return. Ideas range from starting donor-funded nonprofit organizations to repurposing public broadcasting systems. But one intriguing experiment from American history has been almost entirely forgotten: the municipal newspaper.

During the Progressive era, public outrage grew over commercial excesses such as yellow journalism and propaganda - the "clickbait" and "fake news" of the early 20th century. A nonprofit, municipal-owned newspaper seemed like an idea whose time had come. George H. Dunlop, a "good government" progressive and former Hollywood mayor, conducted a successful petition, and Los Angeles became a test case for this experiment.

In a December 1911 vote, a majority supported the proposal to establish a taxpayer-funded paper, and the Los Angeles Municipal News launched in April 1912. With a government-guaranteed annual subsidy of $36,000 (worth nearly $1 million today), the city helped finance the distribution of up to 60,000 copies. To ensure accountability, the mayor appointed a commission of three citizen volunteers to govern the paper. They served four-year terms but were subject to recall by voters at any time. Dunlop, the newspaper's original architect, was chosen as one of the commissioners.

The newspaper sought to be nonpartisan and democratic by guaranteeing an equal amount of weekly column space to any political party that received more than 3 percent of the vote, including the Democratic, Republican, Socialist and Socialist Labor parties. Newspaper carriers delivered the weekly paper, which was usually eight to 12 pages, free of charge to homes. People could also subscribe via mail for one penny.

The inaugural editorial of this "people's newspaper" declared itself "the first municipal newspaper in the world . . . owned by the people of the community in which it is printed." It was described as "created by the people, for the people, and built for them under their control. It is in this sense unique." The newspaper's masthead read, simply and boldly: "A Newspaper Owned by the People."

The newspaper's editor and its 10 staffers covered local happenings such as government operations, the proceedings of various agencies and public school events. To maintain political neutrality, the paper provided equal space to arguments for or against specific city ordinances proposed to voters. Although the paper's emphasis was on high-quality, fact-based information about civic issues and responsibilities, reporters also covered popular culture, including music, fashion and new products coming into the market.

The paper offered free classified and help-wanted ads, as well as other important information, but it banned ads camouflaged as news stories - what we would call "native advertising" today. However, it did accept commercial ads from local businesses. This revenue helped defray costs but didn't generate enough money for the paper's expansion as originally hoped.

Nonetheless, Dunlop and his fellow reformers believed that public newspapers offered the last best hope for democracy, reflecting the growing conviction among social critics that a commercial press could never rise above profit pressures and class allegiances to serve democratic imperatives.

Given the national scourge of sensationalistic and unreliable news, press reformers across the country watched the Los Angeles experiment closely. One article published in La Follette's weekly magazine noted the public's "growing realization" that "the commercialization of the great daily newspapers of the country presents one of the most serious problems connected with the movement toward democracy." Therefore, it read, "the career of this newspaper owned by the taxpayers will be watched with interest everywhere."

Despite such initial fanfare and high hopes from the local community and beyond, the experiment was ultimately short-lived. Feeling threatened by the rise of a popular public alternative, local commercial newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, banded together to oppose the initiative, charging that the paper presented unfair competition in the marketplace and was an illegitimate expenditure of public money. This opposition may have combined with some public complaints that the paper's distribution, especially early on, was not always reliable.

When the question of public funding for the newspaper appeared on the ballot again in 1913 - written in a confusing, ambiguous way, according to some people - voters rejected it in a low-turnout election. Many supporters believed the paper fell victim to a misinformation campaign fueled by commercial publishers' opposition. The editor blamed an "antagonism, carefully and consistently fostered by the private press and its representatives" that impeded progress and discouraged erstwhile supporters.

One post-mortem report described the paper as a "successful experiment" brought down by "active determined opposition" from the city's local business community. The article concluded that more such newspapers were needed to fight political corruption with "civic service" and "impartial information" similar to that provided by schools and libraries.

Toward the end of its final run, the paper announced, at the top of its front page, "THE MUNICIPAL NEWSPAPER IDEA CANNOT BE KILLED." The paper urged reformers in other cities to continue agitating for public newspapers dedicated to providing diverse views on government policies and local affairs. Dunlop hoped the idea - that citizens deserved a public-service newspaper that wasn't simply the "private property of some millionaire" - would live on.

With the triumph of the commercial newspaper, this nonprofit experiment has receded into the past, forgotten by all save for a smattering of scholars over the years. Meanwhile, structural alternatives to profit-driven news outlets in the United States have remained relatively underfunded and pushed to the margins over the past century. Nonetheless, a publicly owned municipal newspaper that informs a community about local affairs remains a viable alternative to the dying commercial model.

Indeed, with local journalism's importance to democracy more evident and more at risk than ever before, it may be time to reconsider this model. Local news outlets cover stories and offer community-level information - potentially lifesaving during a global pandemic - that national outlets will never provide. Study after study shows that losing local journalism doesn't just come with political costs such as decreased voting and civic engagement, municipalities also pay significant economic costs when they lack a community news outlet that uncovers corruption and waste.

Instead of building something from scratch, municipalities could expand existing city information sites, build on public infrastructure or outright purchase their local paper. Given cities' budget shortfalls, a federally funded network of municipal newspapers might be more feasible. With the imminent collapse of many local news outlets - what's been called a "media extinction event" - today's journalism crisis presents a rare opportunity to introduce a "public option" to towns and cities across the country. The municipal newspaper is an idea whose time has returned.

- - -

Pickard is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication where he co-directs the Media, Inequality & Change Center. He is the author of the recent book "Democracy Without Journalism?"
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Correction appended



About one million Christian pilgrims, every year, come from all over the world to be baptized in the Jordan River. At the baptism site called Qaser el Yehud on the West Bank, and Al-Maghtas on the Jordanian east side of this holy river, Christian tradition teaches that John the Baptist baptized Jesus after which the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus.

Today, the Jordan River would not be recognizable to John the Baptist or Jesus.

When Jesus was baptized, this river was clean, fast-flowing and over a hundred yards wide. Throughout the centuries, the diaries of Christian pilgrims even expressed concern of drowning in the Jordan, should they be carried away by its strong waters. When U.S. Admiral William Lynch organized an expedition down the Jordan in 1848, he recorded in his diary the dangers of navigation  a waterfall had destroyed one of the four boats on his journey.

Today a hamster wheel would hardly turn in what is left of this river that now barely connects the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The river is barely four yards wide or less, and desperately polluted.

Over the last 50 years, much due to the Arab / Israeli conflict, 95 percent of the fresh water that used to flow down the river has been diverted by Israel, Syria and Jordan. The river border is mined and fenced, and rather than fresh water flowing, a combination of Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian raw or poorly treated sewage, fishpond waste, agricultural return flow and diverted saline springs, are what feed what is left of the once Mighty River Jordan.

Since 2005, EcoPeace Middle East, together with local residents and mayors, have led the call to rehabilitate the river, with success. Religious leaders representing Judaism, Christianity and Islam joined the effort, signing on to a new Jordan River Covenant that calls for the rivers rehabilitation. Efforts have been further assisted by a 2007 resolution unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate, calling on Israelis, Palestinian and Jordanians to work together towards river rehabilitation.

Despite continuing regional conflict, inspiring progress is being achieved. Over $100 million has been invested in the building of new sanitation infrastructure to remove some of the rivers sewage. The Israel Water Authority started releasing clean water into the river from the Sea of Galilee in 2014, the first time in 49 years. With European Union support, the first ever master plan for the river and the valley was prepared, uniquely bringing together Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian ministerial level participants. Under their peace treaty arrangements, Israel and Jordan even created a river rehabilitation working group.

However, all of this regional cooperation related to the Jordan River has come to a complete and sudden halt following the announcement of the Deal of the Century by the U.S. President. With broad support from the government of Israel, this deal proposes that Israel unilaterally annex the Jordan Valley areas of the West Bank to become part of Israel, despite the vocal objections made by the Jordanian King and the Palestinian President.

Some might argue that annexation would enable Israel to rehabilitate the Jordan River on its own. With the Jordan River as the border, however, all actions on the west side by Israel, are worthless if not coordinated with the Kingdom of Jordan on the east side. Further, over 60,000 Palestinians live in the Jordan Valley on the west side and irrespective of any new political lines drawn, their cooperation on water and sanitation issues remain a prerequisite for river rehabilitation.

No less important, the vast majority of Israels security experts, including the Institute for National Security Studies, Israels leading security think tank, all believe that unilateral annexation of the Jordan Valley would actually harm Israels security by weakening Peace Treaty arrangements between Israel and Jordan.

Cooperation on both sides of the Jordan River is the only way forward, and the only way for millions of Christians to be baptized in renewed, clean and healthy Jordan River waters, where Jesus once stood.



Correction: May 18, 2020:



An earlier version of this op-ed incorrectly stated that Qaser el Yehud is located in Israel. It is located in the West Bank.








And what is Russias role in the clash between the Assad and Makhlouf clans?

In April, a series of articles were published by a Russian media outlet criticising Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the corruption of his regime. One of them referred to a poll  supposedly conducted by the Foundation for Protection of National Values in Syria  in which only 32 percent of the respondents said they would vote for al-Assad in the 2021 presidential elections. The media outlet, RIA-FAN, and the foundation are both believed to be linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman close to the Kremlin.

Shortly afterwards, Syrias wealthiest man and cousin of the president, Rami Makhlouf, released a video complaining about an anti-corruption investigation against one of his companies, Syriatel. Over the past two weeks he has continued to post videos with veiled threats and criticisms of the Syrian political elite, of which he is an integral part.

These two developments provoked speculation about a rift between Moscow and Damascus. According to some observers, Russia is losing patience with al-Assad and his economic mismanagement, so it forced him to do a purge of his own cronies. Moscow wants Damascus to pay back $3bn in war loans, some have argued.

But, as always, the reality is a bit more complicated than that. Russian officials are hardly mulling anti-Assad moves or calling the shots in the campaign against Makhlouf. And while it is true that some Russian media criticised al-Assad, the Kremlin did not approve of these criticisms. Moscow does not have an Assad alternative and does not want to see his regime destabilised.

If not Assad, then who?

Although Russia made a risky move by intervening in 2015 in the Syrian war in support of al-Assad, the Kremlin has also demonstrated that it has no qualms about attempting to cut deals behind its allys back.

It has held talks with the opposition without representatives of Damascus present and has discussed the prospects of political reconciliation with the Americans in Amman, a move that caused much unease in Iran, Damascuss other backer. Moscow has also struck a number of deals with Ankara, enabling it to launch military operations on Syrian territory without al-Assads consent.

But while Moscow-Damascus relations have always been a bit bumpy, it is unlikely that the Kremlin would be launching an anti-Assad effort just now. And if it really wanted to communicate something to him and his inner circle, Prigozhins obscure media outlet would not be the medium of choice.

The Russian government has more reputable and established platforms at its disposal, including state TV channels and high-profile print media. Furthermore, critical opinions about al-Assad expressed by the likes of Alexander Aksenenok, a former Russian diplomat, are also personal and do not necessarily reflect the general mood in the Kremlin.

In fact, the spokesman of the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, denied that there is displeasure with the Syrian president and criticised the spread of fake news about Syria.

Unsurprisingly, RIA-FAN deleted the critical articles and instead ran a piece on fake news about al-Assad, including on the corruption of his inner circle, which was allegedly propagated by the Turkish intelligence.

The opinion poll was also deleted from the foundations website.

This short-lived media storm came amid speculation that Russia will force al-Assad not to run in the 2021 presidential elections. There are also claims that removing al-Assad would help Russia attract Western funds for Syrian reconstruction. But Russian diplomats I have spoken to say they do not count on Western help.

It is also important to point out that Russia does not really have a clear replacement for al-Assad. Since 2011, the Syrian president has managed to sideline or get rid of anyone who could pose any threat to his presidency.

Some have speculated that the Russians are grooming General Suhail al-Hassan, the head of the Tiger Forces part of the Russia-backed Fifth Corp, to replace al-Assad. But there have been recent reports of al-Hassans own economic activities being curtailed and an increasing distance between him and the Alawite community because of the Russian support he enjoys. Russia is unlikely to hedge its bets on a figure that would be unable to rally the support base of the regime.

The Syrian 2021 elections are an important political juncture for Moscow. While al-Assad is most likely planning to hold the same sham vote he set up in 2014, when he was re-elected without any semblance of electoral competition, Russia would like to see a different arrangement. This would entail al-Assad creating at least the appearance of real competition at the polls by making electoral procedures more transparent. Damascus could declare some constitutional reforms even if they are largely inconsequential.

This would help Russia better argue the case for regime legitimacy in an international arena that is rather hostile towards al-Assad.

What was all this media campaign about then? There are a few plausible explanations for it. First, it may have been ordered by parts of the Russian political elite critical of Damascus. Second, it could also have been used as a way to distract attention from reports by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper of Russian mercenaries torturing Syrians. Third, it could be linked to efforts by Russian businessmen to gain greater leverage over the Syrian regime and extract more lucrative contracts.

Given the threat of sanctions, the Russian government is not directly involved in economic matters in Syria. Instead, various oligarchs close to the Kremlin have embarked on searching for business opportunities in the Syrian war economy and deployed private military companies to protect their assets.

In 2017, Stroytransgaz, a company controlled by the Russian businessman Gennady Timchenko, who is known to have close links to the Kremlin, completed the Northern Gas Processing Plant near Raqqa and began works on the phosphate mines in Khunayfis and Al-Sharqiyah.

Another company formerly linked to Timchenko, STG Engineering, owns the harbour facilities in Tartus.

There are lesser-known firms operating in Syria, including Velada and Mercury, that are planning to start their oil and gas exploration works in the country. Both companies are linked to Prigozhin, the alleged owner of the private military company Wagner.

Assad giveth, Assad taketh away

Russia also does not seem to be directly involved in the Makhlouf affair. Speculation that Assad went after his wealthy cousin because Moscow wants its money back does not make sense. Neither do claims that while Syria was struggling to pay its Russian debt, the Makhloufs were spending liberally on luxurious properties in Moscow, which upset the Kremlin and prompted it to demand his money be used for the debt payments.

While Russia has made it clear that it is not willing (or able) to bankroll the Assad regime or pay for reconstruction, this does not mean that it has become really hard-pressed for the $3bn Damascus has to pay back. This was confirmed by Russian diplomats I spoke to who denied Moscow raised the loan repayment issues with the Syrian regime. They also said that it was certainly not in the Kremlins interest for information on the Makhloufs Moscow properties to be public.

The Russians very much perceive the clash between the Assad and Makhlouf clans as an internal matter, albeit a rather concerning one, given possible instability it can cause.

Tensions between the Assads and the Makhloufs started back in 2018 and have gradually intensified. One of the main reasons is that Rami Makhloufs power and wealth grew too much. Before the war, he was estimated to control as much as 60 percent of the Syrian economy. Aside from privatising state assets, Makhlouf also acted as a broker of business deals, earning himself the nickname Mr Five Percent.

The war allowed him to amass even more wealth, as it practically bankrupted the Sunni bourgeoisie, which along with the Alawites, formed the main backbone of al-Assads regime before 2011. The shakedown was only a matter of time, given Damascuss increasingly precarious financial situation, especially after US sanctions cut the flow of funds and oil from Iran.

The attacks on Makhlouf and his assets are part of al-Assads effort to consolidate the countrys financial resources under the guise of anti-corruption campaigns. Makhlouf is by far not the only one who has been targeted by anti-corruption efforts, which he began in 2019. Among those who fell victim to this supposed anti-corruption drive were not just the big fish like Makhlouf and Mohammed Hamsho, but also owners of smaller businesses, such as Francois Bonja, a well-known jewellery trader in Aleppo.

While so far al-Assad seems to be winning in his standoff with Makhlouf, there is a danger that attacking the Makhlouf clan could cause a rift among the Alawites whose loyalties are divided along different factions within the Syrian regime. This, in turn, could destabilise the regime  something Russia would rather avoid.

Thus, while it considers clashes within the Syrian ruling and business elite an internal matter, Moscow would certainly throw its weight around to prevent a major escalation, should the Makhlouf affair take such a dangerous turn.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump heads to Michigan on Thursday for the latest stop on his campaign to showcase companies that are producing equipment needed to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House said late Sunday that Trump will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., where he will tour a Ford Motor Co. plant that is making ventilators for the coronavirus crisis.

The automaker and GE Healthcare announced plans in March to produce 50,000 ventilators in the next 100 days. Ford projected producing 1,500 ventilators by the end of April, 12,000 by the end of May and 50,000 by July 4.

In the early days of the coronavirus, doctors often complained about a shortage of ventilators. But Trump, who has taken to calling himself the king of ventilators", now says that, after stepping up production, the U.S. has a surplus of the breathing machines and will send some of them to India and foreign countries in Africa to help fight the coronavirus.

Coronavirus supplies: Ford, GE Healthcare team up to produce 50,000 ventilators in Michigan

President Donald Trump

The trip to Michigan comes as Trump is urging states to reopen and has staged a number of events at the White House and elsewhere to project the image that life is returning to normal.

Last Thursday, Trump toured an Owens and Minor medical equipment factory in Allentown, Penn., that makes masks, gloves, and surgical gowns. Trump used the event to highlight federal efforts to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile of critical supplies needed to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Two weeks ago, he traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where he toured a Honeywell aerospace facility that makes respirator masks. But Trump made headlines for not wearing a face mask during the tour, despite a requirement that masks be worn on the site.

Three days later, Vice President Mike Pence went to Des Moines, Iowa, for a meeting with religious leaders and a roundtable discussion on the nations food supply.

Both events were overshadowed by the news that Pences press secretary, Katie Miller, had tested positive for the coronavirus. The announcement came just days after the White House had disclosed that a Navy valet to Trump also had tested positive for the disease.

Story continues

Michael Collins covers the White House. Reach him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

Ground zero: Where coronavirus isn't: What's kept cases officially at zero in these 200 counties?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Trump to tour Ford plant that makes ventilators
Uber has lurched from existential crisis to existential crisis in its 11-year corporate history.

Now it confronts the biggest one yet. With people sheltering at home, demand for rides has plunged 80%. At the same time, its battling a California law that could reshape how it does business in its home state. Once a darling of investors, Uber now faces harsh scrutiny from Wall Street after a disappointing initial public offering last year.

On Monday the ride-hailing company laid off 3,000 staff members, on top of 3,700 positions it cut earlier this month. It has now axed 25% of its worldwide staff in less than two weeks.

Uber also is closing some 40 offices  including its Pier 70 office in San Francisco, which focused on self-driving technology. That will be consolidated with its forthcoming Mission Bay headquarters next to Chase Center, Uber said. It will move its Asian headquarters out of Singapore to an unspecified new location.

The company is reconsidering non-core business units such as its freight service, which arranges big-rig truckloads, and self-driving technology, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Uber said it will close an artificial intelligence research lab and look at new options for Uber Works, which connected gig workers to jobs.

Mondays actions and the previous cuts will rein in Ubers spending by about $1 billion a year, it said.

Given the dramatic impact of the pandemic, and the unpredictable nature of any eventual recovery, we are concentrating our efforts on our core mobility and delivery platforms and resizing our company to match the realities of our business, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement Monday. Thats led us to some painful decisions today.

Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist and an early Uber investor who has since sold all his equity in the company, worries that Khosrowshahi may not be the right person for a massive crisis forcing Uber to reexamine its business model. Khosrowshahi took the helm in fall 2017 after founding CEO Travis Kalanick was ousted after a series of scandals that included workplace cases of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Dara was brought in to run a bureaucracy, Tusk said. Hes very good at that. Running a highly innovative, scrappy company fighting for its life is not really his personality. Uber needs to do some unconventional thinking to transform itself.

The company is already going full bore on its Uber Eats restaurant delivery business, which has seen business surge during the pandemic as consumers order takeout food  but not enough to compensate for the decline in rides.

Uber is reportedly seeking to buy rival restaurant delivery business Grubhub in an all-stock deal that would give it more than 50% market share in the U.S., which Tusk said he thinks is a good direction. But some lawmakers are hostile to the potential deal, which could face antitrust regulatory scrutiny.

Uber also led a $170 million investment round in scooter-rental company Lime this month. While consumers may be leery of taking rides with strangers, scooters are poised to do well because they dont require any interaction with anybody ever, just wipe off the handlebars, Tusk said.

In a new age of economic austerity with millions of people unemployed, Uber may need to pitch itself as a higher-end lifestyle product, a splurge for folks who still have discretionary income and want to move around in style and convenience, said Max Wolff, managing partner of Multivariate, a financial services consulting firm. That would be a return to its roots as a high-end black car service, a more expensive option that is still available for riders.

It can also focus on convincing businesses to offer it to their employees, he said, a marketing strategy both Uber and Lyft had been pursuing pre-pandemic.

A huge percentage of Uber rides were to and from airports, concerts, sporting events, nightclubs and bars. Such outings may not return for many months, if not years to come, Wolff said.

In many urban markets, the highly paid white-collar professionals who were frequent Uber riders may continue to work from home indefinitely.

When consumers return to moving around, its unclear how they will do so. People have deserted public transit and may not feel confident returning to it. But whether they will feel comfortable getting in the enclosed space of a car with a stranger is an open question.

Uber took steps last week to reassure customers, touting the $50 million it spent on masks, disinfectant and other sanitary supplies, and new rules that both drivers and passengers must wear masks and ideally keep windows open.

The company, which has never turned a profit, insists that it can still make money  and that the pandemic wont massively delay that goal.

We believe the disruption caused by COVID-19 will impact our timeline (to reach profitability) by a matter of quarters, not years, Khosrowshahi said on the companys earnings call this month.

Uber remains cash-rich, thanks to all the money investors have poured into it. It said it had about $9 billion in cash and other short-term investments as of March 31.

Drivers, whom Uber classifies as independent contractors, were not included in the job cuts, but most have seen their income nosedive since consumers are not taking rides.

Californias gig-work law, AB5, could result in drivers being reclassified as employees, which would cost Uber and Lyft hundreds of millions a year to cover unemployment, disability, workers comp, minimum wage, overtime and business expenses. The companies say it would also remove the flexibility that both they and drivers prefer.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

California, along with San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, this month sued Uber and Lyft, seeking to force them to treat drivers as employees.

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates are mounting a $110 million ballot measure for November, hoping to convince California voters to keep drivers and couriers as independent contractors, while allowing them to receive some earnings guarantees and some benefits.

The ballot campaign on Monday released a report it commissioned saying that about 1 million Californians had logged onto those five companies websites to earn money in 2018, generating $6 billion in earnings. Most were part-time.

The brief report said that 80% to 90% of those people would no longer have work under an employment model. Its reasons: Employment would increase costs, so rides would cost more, reducing demand; and the companies would have to discontinue flexibility, reducing driver supply.

Requiring drivers to be employees will significantly threaten the viability of the companies, the report said.

The union-backed coalition opposing the gig companies ballot measure released a survey it commissioned of 1,000 California Uber and Lyft drivers earlier this month showing that many were already financially struggling and now are turning to public assistance since earnings have plummeted.

Among its findings: Two-thirds of respondents said they may not be able to pay their May rent or mortgage. Nearly half will need food assistance this month. Almost half (49%) have already applied for unemployment benefits and another 15% plan to apply, it said. Such benefits are now available to gig workers under federal pandemic emergency measures.

At a Friday meeting of the San Francisco Local Agency Formation Commission, Bryan Goebel, executive officer, presented ways to address similar problems discussed in another, in-person survey of 643 gig workers, such as enforcing minimum wage and health coverage for gig workers and exploring a city-run, worker-owned ride-hail and delivery cooperative.

Ubers cuts earlier this month focused on customer service and recruiting, largely sparing the companys engineering teams. Only 52 of the layoffs were in San Francisco as of May 12, according to Ubers filing with the state Employment Development Department, which said those cuts were at 455 Market St.

Uber said laid-off workers would get at least 10 weeks pay, health benefits through year-end, additional equity vesting and outplacement support.

Rival Lyft last month cut 982 jobs, or 17% of its staff, furloughed hundreds of workers and implemented pay cuts.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said repatriation flights from several countries have already arrived and he was looking forward to organising more, responding to Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray's appeal to bring back people of the state stranded abroad.

Jaishankar said he appreciated the cooperation of the Maharashtra government in making necessary arrangements to bring back residents of the state stuck in other countries due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Thackeray wrote to Jaishankar on Saturday, asking him to assist stranded Maharashtra residents return home in a phased manner but at the earliest.

In his response, Jaishankar said planes from countries, including the UK and the US, have already come and he was looking forward to organising further flights.

"Glad to facilitate return of Maharashtra residents from abroad. Planes from UK, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Phillipines, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Oman have already come," he said in a tweet, tagging Thackeray's letter.

"Look forward to organising further flights from US, Europe and Australia. Appreciate the cooperation of State Govt to make necessary arrangements," he said in another tweet.

Jaishankar also said 169 Indians from Dhaka have landed in Kolkata.

"Pleased to welcome the first spl flight under #VBM to West Bengal. AI 0231 has landed in Kolkata, carrying 169 Indians frm Dhaka. Thank @airindiain @MoCA_GoI and WB Govt for support & coordination. Appreciate the effort by HC @rivagdas & Team @ihcdhaka #VandeBharatMission," Jaishankar said in another tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




The Suspects, Kehinde Elijah, Ezeh Frank Joseph

The Lagos state police command have arrested two deserted soldiers in connection with the murder of a police sergeant.

Bala Elkana, spokesperson of the state police command, says on May 16, detectives from Ilemba Hausa Police Station arrested one Kehinde Elijah m 45 years old of Ibiyeye Street, Whitehouse Bus Stop Okokomaiko.

Elijah is said to be among the three suspects on Police wanted list for violent crimes. Four pairs of military fatigues were recovered from his house. He claimed to have deserted the military in 2015 when he was deployed to the Northeast to fight insurgency. He has been in Ojo area since then, where he has been terrorizing members of the public.

The second suspect, Ezeh Frank Joseph was arrested in his apartment at Imude Pako Area, Era road, Ajangbadi on Sunday May 17. Joseph claimed to have deserted the military while undergoing basic military training.

Bala in his statement said both men were arrested over the shooting and killing of Police Sergeant, Onalaja Onajide, attached to Ilemba Hausa Division.

According to the statement, the shooting incident happened on May 10 at about 9.40pm when unknown gunmen fired gunshots at the Divisional Police Officer, Ilemba Hausa and the Station Guard, Sergeant Onalaja Onajide. The DPO survived the gunshots but the Station Guard died from the pellets wound.

Bala says the first suspect was earlier at the Station to solicit the release of his motorcycle which was impounded by the Police for violating the ban on the use of commercial Motorcycles. Not happy with the DPOs refusal to release the motorcycle to him, he decided to launch the deadly attack.

The police spokesperson says investigation is still ongoing while the suspects will soon be charged to Court.
Too much politics and not enough support for science has been the main cause for the inadequate response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Western countries, including the U.S., which places politics above science, pointed out Singaporean professor Cheng Yung-nien in a recent article.

Some remarks have been made aimed at passing the buck to various countries out of political motives, but no other country in the world has so many top officials who have spent so much energy shifting the blame to China like the U.S. has, said the article published in Singapores Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao on May 12.

Just imagine how many lives could have been saved had these officials and politicians used that energy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheng, professor and director of the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said in the article.

While the pandemic spreads around the world, the achievements made in fighting it have differed sharply among various countries, the article pointed out.

Compared to Western countries, especially the U.S. and the UK, East Asian countries have obviously made more achievements in fighting the pandemic, Cheng said, noting that the key to the success of these countries is that their governments managed to strike a balance between science and politics.

Although there are many factors that have led to the differences in efforts to fight the pandemic among various countries, how the conflict between politics and science has been handled is without doubt the most critical issue behind these differences, Cheng pointed out, stressing that if the issue is handled properly, countries will not only be able to bring the COVID-19 situation under control, but also avoid great social and economic losses.

So far, the story of the fight against COVID-19 in the U.S. seems to have been one that focuses on executive power, particularly the conflicts between the president on the one hand and scientists and experts on the other, Cheng said.

Politics has been placed above science in the U.S. on three levels, namely the U.S. president, interest groups, and internationally, said the article.

U.S. President Donald Trump has without doubt played the main role in putting politics above science, said Cheng, noting that Trump has even rejected experts scientific advice due to consideration of his personal power and election campaigns.

In order to expand his personal authority, Trump has frequently rejected authoritative voices and facts that have gone against his own standpoint or that were made in an effort to correct his errors, said Cheng.

Trump has pushed this situation to its extreme during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheng wrote, explaining that the president has on many occasions ignored the science-based suggestions put forward by officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and experts, played down the pandemic, and even come up with unsupported treatment methods.

Interest groups in the U.S. have placed politics above science in arguments over whether the economy is more important than life and in the decision-making process behind related policies, the article pointed out.

Many conservative politicians in the U.S. federal government and local governments have always placed the economy above life, and even openly suggested that peoples lives can be sacrificed for the economy, the article noted.

Although such arguments are inevitable, the idea that the economy is more important than life has had an impact on the effectiveness of the anti-epidemic policies of the U.S. federal government and local governments across the country, said the article.

Despite the fact that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise in the U.S., the White House recently announced that the country has made significant progress in bringing the pandemic under control, and as a result the COVID-19 task force led by the White House will be soon dissolved and the countrys anti-epidemic efforts will be coordinated by various departments of the federal government, the article noted.

However, several U.S. experts have all indicated that restarting the economy will lead to a dramatic surge in numbers of new cases and deaths, said the article, adding that various polls have also suggested that more than half of the U.S. population are worried about lifting the lockdown.

According to U.S. media, in April, the CDC drafted guidelines on reopening the U.S. step-by-step, but the guidelines were shelved by the Trump administration as they went against his plan to let state governors and local officials make their own decisions on reopening, Cheng said in the article.

The move by the White House has covertly shifted the onus for implementation of anti-epidemic measures to local officials and even enterprises, Cheng pointed out, noting that some Republican-controlled states are eager to reopen their economies, while states controlled by Democrats continue making efforts to fight the pandemic.

The U.S. president and political heavyweights have been trying their best to shift the blame for the spread of the novel coronavirus to China, the article noted.

Although scientific communities around the world, including those in the U.S., are still working on research to determine the origin of the virus, political circles and conservative media organizations in the U.S. have constantly fabricated various theories about the virus, Cheng said in the article.

By claiming that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab, that China should be held accountable for the spread of the virus, and that China should compensate for losses incurred during the pandemic, certain U.S. politicians and media have attempted to scapegoat China for the U.S.s inadequate response to the outbreak, Cheng said.

U.S. Republicans are attempting to use the card of Chinas responsibility to help Trump salvage his re-election campaign, Cheng pointed out, adding that the U.S. also intended to cook up conspiracy theories about COVID-19 through the Five Eyes alliance.

The U.S. has gone so far that even some members of the alliance are starting to distance themselves from it, Cheng wrote, adding that U.S. allies had previously made the huge mistake of believing the country when it falsely alleged that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

Politics exists objectively and is absolutely necessary in any country, Cheng said.

But if politics is placed above science, it will be difficult to find the most effective approach to saving peoples lives, Cheng stressed.

Finding a balance between politics and science is a common problem for various countries, Cheng said, adding that so far, East Asian society has performed far better in this regard than Western countries.
In an unexpected move from semi-retirement, Dame Susan Devoy added kiwifruit packing to her already colourful CV during the nations lockdown period.

Known to many for her previous roles in politics and renowned skills on the squash court, Susan has received an outstanding reference from her two-week stint packing kiwifruit at Apata Packhouse.

Apata Packhouse Managing Director Stuart Weston says it was a real thrill to work alongside Dame Susan or Sue as printed on her name tag.

She handled packing like a champ! She is hard core, a straight shooter with a real sense of humour, proving that fifties are the new twenties.

Susan was one of many kiwis and visitors impacted by COVID-19, taking up kiwifruit work for their own reasons.

Going into lockdown, Susan says she was keen to avoid growing lazy, and wanted to get outdoors and meet new people.

She also wanted a job to save some extra cash to support her family if needed and couldnt pass up the challenge to beat her sons previous record at their kiwifruit jobs.

Past experience picking kiwifruit was enough to point Susan in the direction of Apata Packhouse in Katikati, her place of employment for the first few weeks of the lockdown.

I could tell that people who recognised me were wondering what on earth I was doing there. Some thought I was doing undercover research, while some didnt know who I was at all and I didnt mind that, she says.

Thats the great thing about the industry, theres no special treatment.

After successfully completing 10 days of 12-hour shifts packing and grading kiwifruit, the 56-year-old dame is under no illusion that the job is easy.

While I am a hard worker, the days can be tough and long and by the end of your shift youre pretty knackered. In hindsight the work isnt as bad as I thought it was, she says.

It was definitely a learning experience for me and everyone else in the family; one of my sons learnt how to use the washing machine, for example, and dinner had to be ready by the time I got home from my shift.

Susan says she is surprised to have completed 110 hours of work and enjoyed her time in the kiwifruit industry a lot more than she expected. In her opinion, the little gestures of gratitude from the employer went a long way in the workplace, and meeting new people and hearing their stories was a clear highlight.

I met many ordinary New Zealanders working in extraordinary circumstances, she says.

One was a mature couple in their 70s who joined the harvest every year, my floor supervisor worked two jobs to support her family, there was a newly-wed tourist couple who were meant to work in the ski fields and a group from Taiwan whose plans were disrupted by coronavirus. I have great respect for people out there at Apata and elsewhere, working hard and doing what they have to do for themselves and their families.

Susan joked that she was surprised to not get promoted to a clipboard role but saw plenty of work opportunities available for staff who were willing to take it.

Theres always work available in the industry and I think flexibility and a stronger focus on mental health is key to getting more of the local workforce involved. I had a quick packing induction but most of the learning was done on the job. With packing you need to be fast and consistent, but when mistakes were made help wasnt too far away and there were plenty of old hands to help when needed.

Since finishing up at her kiwifruit job, Susan says she misses getting out and about.

My experience in the packhouse was a catalyst for getting my mojo back. Ive realised Im too young to retire and am now Im looking for my next challenge. What would I do if I got a call back to do kiwifruit work? Id have to cross that bridge when it comes, she says.

After taking an extended break from a hard days work however, she admits it would be hard to give up her days off again.
While the nations top infectious-disease expert is self-quarantined  always a great sign  President Trump charges ahead for reopening. Day after day, he pressures states to resume business as usual before they have a plan to keep infections and deaths under control, in some cases before they have even a plan for a plan. To the extent that there was a national plan for a plan  a 17-page document from the administrations own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  White House officials buried it. After that document leaked, the CDC released a new, White House-approved, watered-down version; and shortly thereafter, a senior Trump aide went on TV and attacked the CDCs credibility.
Delta College has signed new transfer agreements with 25 Michigan colleges and universities, making it easier for students to complete essential courses before transferring to a four-year institution.

Through the agreements, Delta students can transfer more credits in the areas of biology, business, criminal justice and psychology. The agreements outline major-specific courses that students should complete while enrolled at Delta.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi probed Monday the higher education and scientific research development process and contributions to efforts to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Sisi on Monday had a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar to consider improving the sectors of scientific research and higher education, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The meeting touched upon the application of electronic exam systems under the national project of digitization and the role of the scientific research and higher education sector to help the State counter the Covid-19 spread.

Sisi directed to prioritize building up a strong base of university students with excellent and top level skills in all avenues of knowledge especially in scientific areas such as physics, engineering, computer science and medicine to strengthen the State's efforts for achieving comprehensive development in all fields.

The president also ordered to provide further support for coronavirus-related clinical experiments and researches and the mechanisms of distance learning in universities under the digitization approach.

Sisi directed to stick to precautionary measures of social distancing and disinfection of all university facilities to protect the health and save the lives of all students and employees.

Abdel Ghaffar reviewed the efforts exerted by university hospitals to curb the pandemic outbreak.

The minister also shed light on the application of remote learning in universities and electronic exam systems, Rady added.

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In fact, no correlation exists between population density and rates of COVID-19 infection, according to recent studies examining the disease in China and Chicago. But if state and local governments still conclude that density itself is a problem, they are more likely to promote suburban sprawl as a matter of lawinstead of making the accommodations, in their housing stock and their streetscapes, that allow people to live in cities safely and move about them comfortably.  The Atlantic
More snow on the way in Pennsylvania; here's how much to expect
OWOSSO, Mich. (AP)  A Texas salon owner who was sent to jail for opening her business during the coronavirus outbreak called Michigan's governor a tyrant on Monday as she stood next to a barber whose license was suspended for cutting hair.

Gretchen, the state of Michigan will vote you out, Shelley Luther declared, referring to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Luther traveled to Owosso, a small Michigan town, to express support for Karl Manke, a 77-year-old barber who reopened his shop for more than a week before state regulators suspended his license.

Luther, the owner of Salon a la Mode in Dallas, was sentenced to a week in jail for flouting public health orders intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. She was released less than 48 hours later when Gov. Greg Abbott dropped jail as a possible punishment for violations.

One of her first customers after jail was U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Luther told the crowd that she reopened to pay bills, support her employees and offer much-needed services in a clean salon.

"Why does your governor think that it's OK to open up for marijuana, liquor sales? said Luther, whose boyfriend grew up an hour away in Frankenmuth. Can't you get an abortion? But you cannot get your hair cut. What is wrong?

Stop being a tyrant," Luther said of the governor. Open up. You dont get this control. We control you. We have the power."

Whitmer has defended the business restrictions as an important way to stop the virus. She relented a bit Monday by announcing plans to reopen bars and restaurants Friday in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, which havent been hit as hard as the rest of Michigan.

Protesters, some bearing guns, have repeatedly traveled to the Capitol to demand the governor loosen a one-size-fits-all strategy. Republican lawmakers are suing Whitmer over her emergency declarations.

Since March, Michigan has confirmed nearly 52,000 virus cases, although more than 28,000 people have recovered. There have been at least 4,900 deaths from COVID-19  the fourth-highest total in the nation  including 20 in Shiawassee County where Manke cuts hair.

Michigan is among many states that have enacted stay-home orders and imposed an array of restrictions on salons, bars and restaurants. Abbott on Monday lifted most restrictions in Texas as that state continues one of the nations fastest reboots.
A New Jersey father has shared his outrage after being confronted by a police officer while in an empty park where he'd taken his two young children to play.

Josh Duvall took his children, aged five and two, to the park to play in Cherry Hill on Sunday, but a homeowner nearby reported them to cops claiming they could make people sick.

He said they were the only ones there but were approached by a cop who told them that a homeowner nearby had called the police, claiming the family was putting lives at risk by going there.

Parks reopened in New Jersey on May 2.

In a video he posted on Facebook, Duvall fumed: 'Is there anybody here? No. I pay $8,000 a year in property taxes. My kids want to play in the park, they want to play on this hill.

Josh Duvall took his kids, aged five and seven, to the empty park in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on Sunday for them to play on a hill (right). A homeowner nearby called the cops on them claiming they would 'get people sick'

'The police officer was super nice, he said he had to come out and do a report, but this is nonsense.

'This is Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and you've got people calling the police on a dad and two kids because they want to play outside?

'Who's going to get sick? There's nobody here!'

He later told NJ.com: 'You are telling me I can go down to Ocean City and go on to the boardwalk and go on the beach, or I can stand in line at Home Depot with 100 people around the building, which I had to do two weeks ago. That is fine.

'But to be in a park by yourself with literally nobody there - it is just madness.

'I think common sense says stay away from people, get your kids outside, have fun, and get some fresh air. Nobody is around.

'Yes, this is really serious, but calling the police on our neighbors and locking everybody in their houses indefinitely is not the solution.'

A police officer arrived and told Duvall that the man had called police. No charges were filed

The neighbor who called the police has not been named. He is shown crouching down in his front yard

New Jersey is partially reopening by allowing people to enjoy open spaces again, including parks.

For weeks, playgrounds and parks were closed.

The state has seen more than 148,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 10,000 deaths.

As more states start to gradually soften rules, there is a growing divide between people who think it is too soon and who want to continue with various forms of lock down, and those who are eager to get back to work and not as nervous.

The disparity is manifesting itself in politics as well as among the general public, with some Democrat leaders taking longer to reopen than Republicans.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Churches and other houses of worship will be among the last things to reopen in New York state, along with concert halls and stadiums.

Religious institutions will be part of phase four of Gov. Andrew Cuomos four-phase reopening plan. Thats because they invite large gatherings, which are a big concern as health officials try to minimize the spread of Covid-19.

The earliest they could reopen, then, would be June 26.

During a briefing in Buffalo Monday, New York Budget Director Robert Mujica said the state is still considering whether to permit small gatherings at houses of worship. But large, regular services will be among the last types of gatherings to reopen.

Houses of worship, as if you were to just open them up regularly, with new guidelines, would fall in the last stage," Mujica said. "Thats a mass gathering. The same thing with a stadium; the same thing with any situation where you have a lot of people together.

Religious leaders have been searching for guidance on whether and when they can reopen. Cuomos executive orders have banned social gatherings, and a local edict from Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon criminalizes non-essential gatherings of any size.

A lobbying group in Albany called New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is urging pastors to sign a letter to Cuomo demanding he include churches as part of phase two of the reopening plan.

If it is safe to re-open retail establishments in a given region, it is safe to re-open churches in that region as well, the letter reads.

Cuomo has said the issue of reopening churches has nothing to do with religion, but rather with mass gatherings. Hes repeatedly cited an early outbreak in New Rochelle, where a super-spreader passed the coronavirus to dozens, maybe hundreds of people at a pair of religious ceremonies.

The last thing you want is 100, 200 people in close proximity," Cuomo said in Syracuse last week. It has nothing to do with religion. Its the gathering.

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There are international calls to examine "the source of the virus" - HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images/HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images

Britain is backing efforts to establish an World Health Organisation (WHO) investigation into the origins of coronavirus that has so far been blocked by China.

The push for an independent inquiry - led by Australia and the EU - is set to be tabled at a meeting of the World Health Assembly tomorrow.

The UK is a co-sponsor of the motion that calls for scientific and collaborative field missions with the aim of identifying the source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts.

The motion does not specifically mention China or Wuhan but calls for the WHO and World Organisation for Animal Health to investigate the origin of the virus.

While China is not sponsoring the motion, it is understood they will accept the adoption of the resolution.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: There will need to be a review into the pandemic, not least so that we can ensure we are better prepared for future global pandemics.

The resolution at the World Health Assembly is an important step towards this.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to deliver a video message to the assembly tomorrow.

Virginie Battu-Henriksson, the EU's spokeswoman for foreign affairs, said the organisation was focused on reaching a consensus for an inquiry.

Of course, we need to have the support of all the major players, and China is one of them, she said.

For us, it is not the moment for us to enter any kind of blame game as weve seen in narratives from one part or another of the world.

China has so far resisted calls for an independent international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus.

Diplomat Chen Wen, of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, previously said demands were politically motivated and would divert attention away from fighting the pandemic.

She said: "We are fighting the virus at the moment, we are concentrating all our efforts on fighting against the virus. Why talk about an investigation into this? This will divert not only attention, it will divert resources."

Story continues

It follows a recent study from biologists, which suggests coronavirus did not origin in a wet market as originally thought.

"The publicly available genetic data does not point to cross-species transmission of the virus at the market," said Alina Chan, a molecular biologist, and Shing Zhan, an evolutionary biologist.

The research suggests that the virus was taken into the market by someone already carrying the disease.

The scientists claim they were "surprised" to find the virus was "already pre-adapted to human transmission and call for all routes for animal to human transmission to be examined.
Military delegates leave the Great Hall of the People after a meeting ahead of National People's Congress (NPC), China's annual session of parliament, in Beijing, China, on March 4, 2019. (Aly Song/File Photo/Reuters)

Chinas Defense Spending Likely to Grow Despite Economic Cost of CCP Virus

BEIJINGChina, facing what it sees as increasing military pressure from the United States, is likely to shrug off the pall hanging over its economy from the CCP virus and increase its defense budget again this year.

Chinas military spending, due to be announced at the opening of the annual meeting of its rubber-stamp legislature on May 22, is closely watched as a barometer of how aggressively it will beef up its military capabilities.

China set a 7.5 percent rise for the defense budget in 2019, outpacing what ended up as full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.1 percent in the worlds second-largest economy.

Its economy shrank 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020 from a year earlier, as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus spread from the central city of Wuhan where it emerged late last year, and the government has said economic conditions remain challenging.

Despite the CCP virus outbreak, the armed forces of China and the United States have remained active in both the disputed South China Sea and around Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of Peoples Republic of China, on its National Day in Beijing, China, on Oct. 1, 2019. (Thomas Peter/File Photo/Reuters)

Xie Yue, a professor of political science at Shanghais Jiao Tong University and a security expert, said that while it is hard to predict if the defense budget would grow at a higher or lower rate than last year, it would definitely rise.

From the national security point of view, China needs to appear strong to the West, especially the United States, which has been putting more pressure on China on all fronts, he said.

The CCP virus has worsened already poor ties between Beijing and Washington, with accusations from the Trump administration of a Chinese coverup and delayed release of information about the outbreak.

The Ministry of State Security warned in a recent internal report that China faced a rising wave of hostility in the wake of the CCP virus outbreak that could tip relations with the United States into armed confrontation.

Even if the government cuts everything else, it wont cut defense, said Tang Renwu, dean of Beijing Normal Universitys school of public administration.

The Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. China routinely says spending is for defensive purposes only, is a comparatively low percentage of its GDP, and that critics just want to keep the country down.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) speaks after reviewing the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea on April 12, 2018. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

Unbearable Costs

China reports only a raw figure for military expenditure, with no breakdown. It is widely believed by diplomats and foreign experts to under-report the real number.

Taking the reported figure at face value, Chinas defense budget in 20191.19 trillion yuan ($167.52 billion)is about a quarter of the U.S. defense budget last year, which stood at $686 billion.

China has long argued that it needs much more investment to close the gap with the United States. China, for example, has only two aircraft carriers, compared with 12 for the United States.

Hu Xijin, editor of the state-run Global Times newspaper, wrote in a WeChat post on Monday that he anticipated the defense budget would rise.

The guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) (F) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) transit the South China Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas V. Huynh/Released)

China needs more military power as a deterrent, to ensure the U.S. will not act on its impulses because of unbearable costs, Hu said.

Hu had previously argued that China should expand its stock of nuclear warheads to 1,000, including at least 100 DF-41 strategic missiles, an intercontinental missile capable of striking the continental United States.

Chinas 2019 defense spending represented slightly over 5 percent of total government expenditure and about 1.2 percent of GDP for the year.

Xie said China could invest further in home-grown military technology research and development, as tightening sanctions meant it was increasingly hard for China to buy technology on the global market.

By Yew Lun Tian

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
In a move that will accelerate the privatization of education, Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Reimagine Education, a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which will also include Eric Schmidt, one of the founders of Google.

The new endeavor, announced last week, is intended to utilize the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic to vastly expand virtual learning for the 4.2 million public school students in the state. This initiative will place significant control of public education in the hands of Bill Gates, the second-richest man in the world with a net worth $105 billion. New York state, which includes the nations largest public school system in New York City, will then set the pace across the country.

Since the start of the pandemic, many of New Yorks K-12 students have been attending virtual classes with their teachers. This form of education, necessitated by the closing of schools on March 18 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, is widely viewed as a stop-gap measure to prevent students from falling too far behind in their education.

Bill Gates and Andrew Cuomo (Images from Wiki Media)

Reimagine Education was announced in tandem with massive cuts to state and local education budgets, including the loss of over $827 million from the New York Citys Department of Education alone.

Referring to Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, as a visionary and suggesting that we now have a moment in history where we can actually incorporate Gatess ideas on education, the governor told a press conference: Weve all been talking about tele-education, virtual education, remote education, and theres a lot that can be done. The old model of everybody goes and sits in a classroom and the teacher is in front of that classroom and teaches that class, and you do that all across the city, all across the state, all these buildings, all these physical classrooms. Why, with all the technology you have?

The effectivenessor ineffectivenessof remote learning from a teacher by an online platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams cannot yet be fully assessed, but it is already clear that it is not an adequate replacement for personal, face-to-face interactions with students.

Distance learning under conditions of the pandemic has been an enormous strain on working-class and middle-class families. A parent often must be present or nearby during a lesson, a condition that is impossible when parents are essential workers. Teachers with school-age children of their own have been under even greater pressure.

Many special education needs often cannot be met by remote education, a fact that New York Citys Department of Education admitted when it substantially relaxed its standards for special education students in March. Student attendance is low, particularly in the poorest areas of the state. Mental health and counseling services to students have been almost impossible with closed schools.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is a staunch supporter of charter schools, privately-owned but publicly-funded schools that are a drain on public education budgets. Through the promotion of charter schools, traditional public schools have been systematically defunded and, in New York City and cities across the US, physically displaced.

Cuomo enthusiastically embraced the Common Core curriculum after 2010, when it was a featured component of Barack Obamas Race To The Top education legislation and was heavily promoted by Gates. Common Core further tied school funding to students performance on standardized tests, a decades-long trend in education. After massive opposition to the program and the development of an #optout movement among teachers, parents and students, Cuomo abandoned the Common Core in 2015.

Gates has continued his efforts to privatize public education with various reform incursions. These have included a billion-dollar effort between 2009 and 2016 to increase teacher effectiveness, widely judged to be a failure, and a revamped attempt to develop new school curriculums in 2018.

The involvement of former Google executive Eric Schmidt is no less unsettling. Schmidt is chair of the Defense Innovation Board, an advisory board to the Department of Defense on the use of artificial intelligence. In 2014, Schmidt effectively attempted to clear the National Security Agency of illegal spying when he denied any knowledge of NSA access to Googles data.

Google has become one of the major purveyors of Internet censorship since 2017, when it systematically manipulated search results for content appearing on a number of left-wing and anti-war sites, in particular those for the World Socialist Web Site. Such censorship, which continues today, is inherently hostile to the democratic rights of the working class and the learning needs of students and educators.

Cuomo has so far not outlined the scope of Reimagine Education or the extent of its collaboration with the Gates Foundation and Schmidt, but it has set off alarm bells among teachers and education advocates.

One petition to the New York Board of Regents, which oversees education in the state, has gathered over 100,000 signatures. The petition states: Our kids need the right amount and kind of technology and then only as a tool, not the primary vehicle to learning. There are no shortcuts. NY students are not Bill Gates guinea pigs for his education experiments and agendas. Our governor doesnt utilize research into best learning practices.

An open letter from teachers to the Regents says, We ask that you urge the Governor to fund our schools sufficiently and equitably, to allow for the smaller classes, school counselors, and other critical services that our children will need more than ever before, given the myriad losses they have experienced this year.

These are heartfelt pleas by educators, but they are politically misled by the unions, and progressive education advocates in and around the Democratic Party. New York State United Teachers President Andrew Pallotta said in a statement on the Gates endeavor, If we want to reimagine education, lets start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state.

Lets secure the federal funding and new state revenues through taxes on the ultrawealthy that can go toward addressing these needs, he said, adding that educators should be involved in discussions about improving the system.

This is bluster designed to appeal to parents and educators by putting forward proposalsa tax on billionairesthat no union or Democratic Party politician will fight to implement. That party is committed to protecting the wealth of billionaire investors on Wall Street, not to redistributing it.

For its part, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which represents teachers in New York City, has not yet commented on the Cuomo-Gates plan, although last week it retweeted a research article that looks on distance learning favorably.

Education advocate Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters appealed to Cuomo and warned him that another #optout movement could arise, as it did with fierce opposition by parents, educators and students to Common Core.

Diane Ravitch, the education historian and opponent of charter schools, correctly noted on her blog of Gates and Schmidts involvement with public education in New York, The pandemic is turning into a grand opportunity for the foxes to raid the hen house under cover of darkness.

But the political core of her message is her endless campaign to pressure the Democratic Party, no matter its palpable failure. Ravitch twice endorsed Obama, but now characterizes his record as the ultimate privatization agenda. Nonetheless she plaintively asks, Why doesnt Gov. Cuomo listen to parents and teachers and students, who will tell him to reinvent schools by fully funding them? She suggested that an appeal to the Board of Regents was appropriate.

The 17 Regents, who oversee all education in the state from primary to university, are elected to terms of five years by the New York state legislature, one of the most corrupt institutions in the US whether dominated by Republicans or Democrats, who currently hold power.

The fact that Cuomos Reimagine Education plan is part of a right-wing juggernaut to privatize education is seen from even a cursory examination of the members of the committee he has appointed to advise him on the plan.

Katie Campos, for example, served in Cuomos cabinet as Assistant Secretary for Education in 2011. She worked on the 2008 Obama Campaign and for the pro-charter Democrats for Education Reform, and was Director of Public Affairs for the New York Charter Schools Association.

Another member is Dennis Walcott, the former Chancellor of Schools in New York City under billionaire Michael Bloomberg. In 2011, Walcott oversaw the co-location of 15 charter schools in New York City public school buildings in the face of massive protests by teachers and parents.

Most significant of all is the inclusion of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the committee. Weingarten is an expert at quashing teachers dissent and channeling it back into the Democratic Party. She has played a pivotal role in suppressing the nationwide wave of teachers strike since 2018.

More recently, Weingarten has put forward A Plan to Safely Reopen Americas Schools and Communities which is, as the WSWS noted, in line with the demands of Wall Street and the Trump administration to reopen business.

Distance learning in itself is not the problem; it can and should be used to enrich and expand knowledge and educational attainment universally. However, the aim of the billionaires is to use their private control of this socially-developed technology to vastly increase their wealth at the expense of students, educators and the population.

The technology industries must be turned into public utilities, made free and available to all through a massive investment in universal broadband. At the same time, teachers must be supported with ample time and resources to knowledgeably utilize these technologies. The plans of Gates, Schmidt, et al. have nothing to do with expanding educational access and everything to do with profiting from the pandemic-induced, chaotic adoption of online learning.

Educators must assert their right, with parents and the whole working class, to decide what role distance learning should play in education in schools, and when and under what conditions schools are reopened. These fundamental questions of education should have nothing to do with profit and should be decided by rank-and-file committees composed of representatives among educators, parents, students and scientists.
Analysts at the AM Best ratings firm say their initial stress tests of insurance companies globally to gauge the preliminary impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on their financial strength found good news: most insurers capital levels provided an adequate buffer against a potential shock to their balance sheets.

Sensitivity to the pandemic was greater for life/health insurers with high asset and mortality risks; insurers with material exposures to mortgage loans; carriers operating in domiciles in higher country-risk tiers; and companies with smaller capital bases.

AM Best believes that the initial negative impact on the P/C insurance industry will likely be in the form of a significant decline in earnings. Reputational risk may also be a problem, as any legal disputes become more visible.

Insurers are likely to see a significant hit to earnings in 2020, rather than a material decline in risk-adjusted capitalization, said Mahesh Mistry, senior director, AM Best Rating Services. Reputational risk in certain markets may also be a problem, as any legal disputes become more visible to consumers, policyholders, regulators and legislators.

The stress test focused on the impact of COVID-19 on underwriting and assets, as well as available capital. Since the stress test, market conditions have evolved rapidly, and AM Best said it recognizes that insurers need to be proactive in monitoring economic, regulatory, and industry developments.

Fitch Sees Little Stress on Insurer Ratings From Pandemic. Thus Far. Last week, Fitch Ratings released its initial stress test results. It found overall minimal effect on insurers ratings. After reviewing 70% of all of the North American insurers it rates for the effects of the coronavirus and economic downturn, Fitch Ratings affirmed the ratings of 72% of the carriers with stable outlooks. Only 4% have been downgraded. About 20% have been affirmed with negative outlooks, while 4% have been kept on ratings watch.

The AM Best stress test did not take into account a scenario in which contracts might be voided by legislation or the courts. But the report warns that if attempts to change contract language on business interruption are successful in forcing insurers to retroactively apply cover for losses from COVID-19 related business interruption despite specific exclusions in their policiesthese considerations would have grave impacts for the industry, specifically for commercial lines insurers.

Stress Test Results

As explained in its Bests Special Report, Stress Testing Rated Companies for COVID-19, the stress test analysis covered approximately 1,400 rating units worldwide, and focused on the impact of COVID-19 on underwriting and assets. Overall results showed that the median Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) score at VaR 99.6 of the rated population declined to 43% from an estimated year-end 2019 BCAR of 49%, demonstrating the resilience of the insurance industry.

Because the insurance market is well capitalized, most companies were able to comfortably withstand the stress test, with no change to the BCAR assessment for 75% of rating units (most of which remain in the Strongest category), while 14% moved down by one assessment category.

Property/casualty insurers in the U.S. and Canada performed relatively well, compared with life/annuity and U.S. health insurers. Most companies in the Asia-Pacific market generally performed well also, as did those in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and in Latin America.

Given the solid capitalization of the U.S. and Canadian P/C markets, most companies saw no change in their BCAR assessments in the stress test. AM Best considers the overall level of risky assets in P/C insurers portfolios is modest. The median P/C insurers BCAR score experienced a modest decline of three points.

The BCARs of most P/C companies in Europe remained largely in the Strongest category, similarly to their U.S. counterparts. However, there are concerns regarding business interruption and event cancellation. Reputational risk may also be a concern as insurers dispute claims.

Rated companies in the Middle East and Africa saw the greatest moves in BCAR scores, although most entities remain in the Strongest category owing to their substantial capital buffersparticularly companies that operate in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies.

The impact on companies operating in the Latin American markets in the stress test was limited. Many of the companies are composite writers (life and non-life), so they benefit from the diversification.

AM Best notes that companies that have performed well on AM Bests stress test could still face credit rating pressure if conditions deteriorate beyond the prescribed scenarios. According to AM Best, these include a second wave of mortality losses arising from a resurgence of the pandemic; a significant spike in claims experience for commercial lines segments, such as event cancellation, business interruption or trade credit insurance; rulings on contract clauses, results of litigation and government decisions; and further deterioration of financial markets resulting in material investment losses or writedowns of assets.

The property/casualty analysis assumed a moderate increase of 5% in the loss ratio for certain commercial lines. If there is any additional worsening experience for business interruption, event cancellation, workers compensation, travel insurance or trade credit insurance, these business lines will need to be addressed case by case as developments unfold.

AM Best said it will continue to monitor developments and adjust its analysis.

Topics Carriers COVID-19 USA Property Casualty Market AM Best
China firmly opposes the latest U.S. export controls targeting Chinese tech giant Huawei, said spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday that it will impose new restrictions on Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors.

The United States has used state power to persistently suppress and contain a specific foreign firm in the name of national security and abused export controls. It is a violation of market principles and fair competition, a disregard for basic international economic and trade rules, and a severe threat to the security of global industrial and supply chains, according to the spokesperson.

"The move not only undermines Chinese and U.S. firms' interests, but also hurts the interests of enterprises from other countries," the spokesperson said.

The Chinese side urges the U.S. side to immediately cease such actions and create conditions for normal trade and cooperation between enterprises, the spokesperson said, adding that China will take any necessary measures to defend Chinese firms' legitimate rights and interests.
Sky Atlantic's new crime drama Gangs of London has been rated the most violent show on British TV.

The gory series about warring gangs in the capital, starring Colm Meaney and Joe Cole, has shocked fans with its dramatic scenes and graphic depictions of violence.

The gritty drama has seen 113 deaths in the first season already as well as harrowing scenes of torture.

Gritty: Sky Atlantic's new drama Gangs of London has been rated as the most violent show on British TV

Game of Thrones previously held the title for the most violent show, but it pales in comparison with just 48 deaths in its first series, according to The Mirror.

The new show on Sky drew in 2.23 million viewers for its first episode, the channel's second biggest original drama launch, behind the 2019 hit Chernobyl.

In the first one-and-a-half-hour show, characters are punched 26 times, kicked seven times, four are shot and three are tortured.

Violent: The gritty drama has seen 113 deaths in the first season already as well as harrowing scenes of torture

During the bloody episode, viewers were subjected to a machete attack, a victim being chopped up in a bath and a man heavily bleeding.

Across the nine-episode series, 96 people are shot in total, most fatally, and there are also 30 stabbings and seven people strangled.

Among the 13 gruesome incidents of torture are a man being entombed in concrete and a mother having her nails and teeth removed with pliers.

Eye are gouged, tongues are cut off and a decapitated head is seen in the series not for the faint-hearted.

Critically-acclaimed: The new show on Sky drew in 2.23 million viewers for its first episode, the channel's second biggest original drama launch, behind the 2019 hit Chernobyl

The drama begins with the death of London gang kingpin, Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) who worked with the Dumani family, Ed (Lucian Msamati) and son Alex (Paapa Essiedu), to run crime in the city.

Finn is seen pleading for his life as he hangs upside down off the top of a tall building, before being burned alive, leaving his son Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) to step up and become the leader of the most notorious criminal gangs in London.

It also stars Lucian Msamati and Paapa Essiedu, who oversee the global property empire that washes the Wallaces' dirty money; Michelle Fairley as his Lady Macbeth of a mother, and Brian Vernel as his dope-addicted younger sibling.

Many viewers said they were forced to switch off due to the violence, including Countryfile's Julia Bradbury.

She said: 'I'm not squeamish but I find watching such extreme violence really disturbing at the moment... life is stressful enough.'

The team behind the drama said there is 'intent' to make a second series.

Actor Sope Dirisu who plays aspiring gangster Elliot Finch told The Sun Online: 'It really depends on viewing figures. We've already been out a couple of weeks so far and we haven't released internationally yet.

Hit drama: The team behind critically acclaimed Sky Atlantic crime drama Gangs of London have revealed there is 'intent' for a second series

'I think there's definitely the intent for it [a second series].'

Director and writer Gareth Evans added that Sky were 'figuring out' whether a second series would go ahead but said there was 'potential and space' for it.

He said: 'I think everyone's waiting to see what the reaction is to this first season. Naturally, there are certain story threads that are hanging in the air a little bit by the end of the first one.'
Five more people tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, taking the number of cases to 86 in the state, an official said.

All the five patients in Hamirpur district, four men and one woman, had returned from Mumbai recently.

The men, including a 60-year-old, had no symptoms of the disease, Special Secretary (Health) Nipun Jindal said.

Hamirpur chief medical officer Dr. Archana Soni said Nadaun's Booni, Galore's Fahal and Gwardu panchayat have reported one case each and two cases tested positive in Majhoul Sultani panchayat



Meanwhile, one patient recovered from the infection in Hamirpur district, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 38 and fatalities at four. A total of 45 patients have recovered.

Of the 37 active cases, 14 are in Kangra, eleven in Hamirpur, four each in Chamba and 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.)
Government officials have expressed mounting concerns for how the COVID-19 virus could diminish voter turnout during the 2020 presidential election.As a partial solution, a handful of states have turned to Internet voting pilot programs: New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia have all recently launched pilots, most of which are limited in scope and focus mainly on alleviating barriers for disabled and overseas voters.However, the computer science community  long critical of internet voting  sees the programs as a slippery slope towards a looming security risk.David Dill, a computer science professor at Stanford University, is one of the prolific naysayers. Having spent much of his career researching holes in software code, Dill said that there is just simply no way to ensure that devices and apps are free of malware that might manipulate a voter's choices. Similarly, a hacker from an adversarial foreign government could always theoretically hack their way into these systems and change or manipulate votes."Between your keyboard and your vote going into an electronic ballot box on the other end of the Internet, there are a lot of bad things that could happen," he said. "This problem is not fixable, at least not in practical terms."Cybersecurity and national security organizations tend to agree with that assessments. A joint statement provided toby the FBI, EAC, NIST and the Department of Homeland Security's CISA, all warn against the wholesale embrace of such technologies."While there are effective risk management controls to enable electronic ballot delivery and marking, we recommend paper ballot returns as electronic ballot return technologies are high-risk even with controls in place," the statement reads.Many Internet voting pilots use vendor products that company representatives say have been aptly tested, but being certain of such security can be difficult, experts warn.The Delaware program uses Democracy Live, a Seattle-based vendor that allows voters to mark and submit their vote from their own devices, including phones and laptops. Democracy Live could not be reached for comment at the writing of this article, but has argued in other media appearances that its cloud-based product had been through a rigorous process of security testing.Dill is less than impressed with claims like this."Doing a security evaluation is a hard process, and responsible companies don't make guarantees," he said. "They don't say, 'This is guaranteed to be secure software.' They will say, 'We did the following things, and we didn't find any problems in the software.' Or, more frequently, 'We found these problems with the software and you can mitigate them in the following ways.'""But I know without the security evaluation that it's not possible to make this stuff secure," he concluded.Marian Schneider, president of Verified Voting, agrees that such voting practices are simply not a risk worth taking because, "in general, the Internet is not a secure place," she said."There are threats to online transactions every day. Commercial retailers, online banking, all of those organizations that offer their services spend hundreds of millions of dollars protecting their networks and yet still have losses," she said. "Additionally, we are coming off the 2016 election in which the consensus of the security community is that a nation-state attacked us and attempted to interfere in our election."As a result, use of this technology could have serious implications for the democratic process and national security, she said."Any wholesale adoption of Internet voting is just an invitation to bad actors to attack our elections again," Schneider went on. "There would be two results of that: No. 1 is that they could potentially change the outcome of the election, but the second impact of that is that it would create serious doubt about the election results. And we don't need that right now."A little like a vampire, this idea has been around for a long time and refuses to die, said Barbara Simons, former president of the Association for Computing Machinery, who has been a longtime critic of Internet voting, as well as overly mechanized voting systems, generally."This [Internet voting] idea has been around for a very long time," Simons said, explaining that she was originally asked to sit on a study group on Internet voting way back in the 1990s, at which point she deduced that it was a "terrible idea."There are numerous secure alternatives to this idea, she added. The most straightforward alternative, even for the disabled community, is vote-by-mail, she said."Given the threat of the virus, vote-by-mail seems like the safest way for voters to cast their ballots in November," Simons said, while noting that not all states are going to be able to move to vote-by-mail due to the expense and preparation necessary."It's a major undertaking if it has not already been set up. So there also has to be a focus on making the polling places secure," she said. "That's going to require a lot of planning  we need to have large spaces, masks and gloves for poll workers and voters as well  and preparations so that people can go to the polls without fear of being sick.""I believe its doable, but it's going to require a lot of planning and money, and I'm not hearing a lot about that right now," she said.Government TechnologyGoverning
Almere, The Netherlands

May 18, 2020, 9 p.m. CET

International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today announces the voting results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 18, 2020, at its offices in Almere, the Netherlands.



The shareholders approved all resolutions as proposed to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

The main approved resolutions include the following:

Mr. Benjamin Loh was appointed member of the Management Board as successor of Mr. Chuck del Prado.

Mrs. Monica de Virgiliis and Mr. Didier Lamouche were appointed as Supervisory Board members for a term of four years. And Mr. Van Pernis was re-appointed for a period of two years. At the same time Mr. Ulrich Schumacher retired as member of the Supervisory Board having reached the end of his third term of appointment.

Furthermore the financial statements for the year 2019 were adopted, and the shareholders discharged the members of the Management Board and Supervisory Board from liability in relation to the exercise of their duties in the financial year 2019. In addition the shareholders approved the new remuneration policy and the remuneration report.

The shareholders also voted in favor of a regular dividend payment of 1.50 per common share and an extraordinary dividend 1.50 per common share. As 1.00 per common share was already paid as an interim dividend on November 12, 2019, the remaining dividends amount to 2.00 per common share, which will be paid on May 28, 2020. Finally the withdrawal of 1,500,000 common shares was also approved.

About ASM International

ASM International NV, headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, its subsidiaries and participations design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International, its subsidiaries and participations provide production solutions for wafer processing (Front-end segment) as well as for assembly & packaging and surface mount technology (Back-end segment) through facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASMI's website at www.asm.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, epidemics and other risks indicated in the Company's reports and financial statements. The Company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

CONTACT

Investor contact:



Victor Bareno

T: +31 88 100 8500

E: victor.bareno@asm.com

Media contact:

Ian Bickerton

T: +31 625 018 512





Attachment
Despite several pleas from the centre to state governments to give approvals for trains to bring stranded migrants home, many states including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have been laggard in allowing such trains to arrive from other parts of the country, official data has shown.

The railways has so far run 1,414 Shramik Special trains since May 1, of which 641 have terminated in Uttar Pradesh followed by 310 in Bihar.

On the other hand, even as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she has approved 105 trains, only 19 trains have run so far from different parts of the country to the state. While nine have completed their journeys, seven were in transit and only three more have been approved by the state government.

Similarly, while 25 trains have terminated in Rajasthan, six were on their way and only two more have been approved. Fourteen trains have ended their journeys in Chhattisgarh, two were running and three more are in the pipeline, data shows.

Jharkhand, which was among the few states that gave quick approvals for transporting their migrants back to the states initially, has fallen behind in approving trains now -- while 56 trains have terminated in the state, eight each were in transit and in the pipeline.

Odisha where so far 58 trains have terminated has no pending approvals probably due to the approaching cyclone, officials said.

The problem, officials say, is that the railways, while having the capacity to run around 300 trains per day, is operating half of that number because states are not sending an adequate number of approvals.

"Unfortunately, many states are not giving approvals for trains carrying their own migrants, resulting in migrants being forced to walk on roads or travel through unsafe vehicles like trucks, etc. and violating social distancing. Migrant heavy states have approved very less trains. Chhattisgarh (has approved) only 19 trains, Rajasthan only 33 trains and Jharkhand only 72 trains," the officials said.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal over the last two days has appealed to state governments to approve as many such trains as possible to ensure that migrants are not forced to walk home or take risky avenues to reach their destinations.

On Sunday, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba requested state officials through video conferencing to cooperate in running of more Shramik Special trains and facilitate the movement of migrant workers.

Since the trains for migrant workers began to ply, the issue has been embroiled in political mudslinging with the opposition accusing the railways of charging poor migrant workers for the travel.

Weeks into the operation of the special trains, Home Minister Amit Shah in a letter singled out West Bengal and accused it of not allowing migrant trains to operate to the state.

What followed was a political slugfest between the centre and states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh with the respective chief ministers taking to micro blogging site Twitter to deny holding back permission for any migrant special trains.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Mon, May 18, 2020 17:00 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8d98d4 2 SE Asia Malaysia,Wolf-of-Wall-Street,money-laundering,Hollywood,producer,riza-aziz Free

A deal to drop money-laundering charges linked to the 1MDB scandal against a producer of Hollywood hit "Wolf of Wall Street" is terrible for Malaysia, the country's former attorney-general said Monday.

Riza Aziz, who is also the stepson of the country's disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, was charged last year for allegedly receiving nearly $250 million from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

Billions of dollars were looted from the fund and spent on everything from a yacht to art in a huge fraud that purportedly involved Najib and his cronies.

But last week, Malaysian prosecutors unexpectedly dropped the charges against Riza after he agreed to a deal that will see him return about $107 million in assets to Malaysia. Officials insist Riza can still be prosecuted if he does not honour the agreement.

Many were angered he had avoided a jail term, however, and political rivals have suggested the move was linked to Najib's party's return to power following a political upheaval earlier this year.

Malaysia's former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, who had taken the decision to prosecute the film producer, said the agreement was a "sweetheart deal for Riza but terrible for Malaysia".

The US Department of Justice, which has been helping the Southeast Asian country claw back looted funds, "would have returned these monies in any event because it belongs to Malaysia and was stolen from Malaysia", he said in a statement.

His successor has insisted Thomas agreed to dropping the charges "in principle" -- but he rubbished this as "a fiction".

"I would have never sanctioned this deal," he said.

Riza had been accused of receiving $248.17 million in 2011 and 2012 in illegal proceeds that came from 1MDB.

The money was sent to bank accounts of Hollywood production company Red Granite Pictures, which Riza co-founded.

Aside from "The Wolf of Wall Street", which was about a huge financial scam and starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Red Granite also produced the Jim Carrey movie "Dumb and Dumber To" and "Daddy's Home".

Najib was voted out of power in 2018 in large part due to public anger at the 1MDB scandal, and has since been put on trial over the mammoth fraud. He denies any wrongdoing.

The alliance that ousted Najib, led by 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, collapsed in February amid intense infighting.
Jacksonville City Council is scheduled to meet in special session today no later than 7 p.m. The teleconference will follow a 6 p.m. workshop. The call-in number is 217-479-3599 and access code is 8004.

Among the items on the agenda are:
Members of cleaning staff in protective suits board an Emirates Airbus A380 to disinfected it against the coronavirus, in Dubai

(Reuters) - Emirates Group is planning to cut about 30,000 jobs to reduce costs amid the coronavirus outbreak, which will bring down its number of employees by about 30% from more than 105,000 at the end of March, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.

The company is also considering speeding up the planned retirement of its A380 fleet, the report added https://bloom.bg/3dZrqRb, citing people familiar with the matter.

An Emirates spokeswoman said that no public announcement has been made yet by the company regarding "redundancies at the airline", but that the company is conducting a review of "costs and resourcing against business projections".

"Any such decision will be communicated in an appropriate fashion. Like any responsible business would do, our executive team has directed all departments to conduct a thorough review of costs and resourcing against business projections," the spokeswoman said.

Emirates, one of the world's biggest long-haul airlines, said earlier this month that it will raise debt to help itself through the coronavirus pandemic, and may have to take tougher measures as it faces the most difficult months in its history.

The state-owned airline, which suspended regular passenger flights in March due to the virus outbreak that has shattered global travel demand, had said that a recovery in travel was at least 18 months away.

It reported a 21% rise in profit for its financial year ending March 31, but said the pandemic had hit its fourth-quarter performance.

It said it would tap banks to raise debt in its first quarter to lessen the impact of the virus on cash flows.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and Alexander Cornwell in Dubai; Editing by Catherine Evans and Jan Harvey)
When the pandemic first hit, countless private sector firms leaped in to help the government  here are just some of them.

Even when my husband couldn't respond, this gave me hope

Dr Joel There are now 1,046 tablets in 159 ICUs and theyve made over 15,000 video calls  many funded by donations from grateful patients.

When Dianes husband fell ill with coronavirus and spent more than two weeks on a ventilator in intensive care, she was understandably terrified.

Sitting alone at home, unable to visit him because of the hospitals strict cross-infection policy, was almost unbearable.

But then she was handed a lifeline.

Doctors let her see and talk to her husband virtually using a tablet app specially developed by medics distressed at the thought of families being ripped apart from their loved ones.

I spoke a lot to my husband, who was in hospital with Covid-19 for six weeks  15 days on a ventilator  and it was the most wonderful thing, says Diane.

I was so scared at home on my own  but seeing him, even when he couldnt respond, gave me hope. I just told him how much I loved him, how proud of him I was, and how much our kids and grandkids were missing him.

'The first time he was able to talk was when hed been off the ventilator for three days, and his first words to me were: I love you. I cried and cried. It was beautiful.

When he came home, I asked him whether hed heard my voice when he was so ill on the ventilator, fighting for his life. He said he remembered hearing me and that it had given him strength.

The Life Lines project is the brainchild of Louise Rose, professor of critical care nursing at Kings College London and Dr Joel Meyer, critical care consultant at Guys and St Thomas.

I was reading about Italian families very early on, and the distressing stories about patients dying in ICU and the families not being with them really moved me, says Louise. Its a basic human need, wanting to be by someones bedside at that time.

Working with BT, who donated 50 tablets, and app developers Aetonix, it took six weeks to turn the idea into reality and get the computers into hospitals.

There are now 1,046 tablets in 159 ICUs and theyve made over 15,000 video calls  many funded by donations from grateful patients.

Weve seen the saddest goodbyes, weve been able to connect people across continents, says Joel. Its quite common for patients to want to chat to their pets.

Weve had a marriage proposal  a man, who was just about able to speak having recently come off a ventilator, wanted to propose to his girlfriend. And she said yes! Scenes like that, they really brighten all our days.

For many relatives, just seeing their loved one wink or nod at them from ICU brings hope. And it also helps the sick.

Joel says: Ive spoken to patients, now discharged, who remember that wonderful sight of their family on the screen talking to them.

What would normally take years, we're doing in days

The target weve been working to is within 100 days to have designed, developed and supplied 10,000 ventilators, says Chris Spicer of Babcock International.

When the Prime Minister challenged companies to manufacture the thousands of ventilators needed to help beat coronavirus, Babcock International stepped up.

Normally the engineering company makes parts for submarines and aircraft carriers, but decided to devote its considerable expertise to saving lives instead.

And what it has achieved is quite astonishing.

Chris Spicer, who headed the project, said: On Monday, March 16, there was an email from our CEO asking if there was any way Babcock could provide support. By the Friday, we had a working prototype.

The past few weeks have seen the original design tweaked and changed, as it became clearer what was needed, but Babcocks design is set to begin clinical trials. It is hoped that the first machines will be in British hospitals next month.

The target weve been working to is within 100 days to have designed, developed and supplied 10,000 ventilators, says Chris.

Normally it would take between a year to two-and-a-half years of development.

Were doing things in days that would usually take weeks or months  if not years.

Knowing just how desperately needed the ventilators are has kept them going.

Everyone has been emotional about this. We all just want to help in any small way we can.

We all have relatives in vulnerable groups, and thats been a driver  thinking if it was your father or granny in that scenario. My grandmother is in hospital at the moment, potentially with coronavirus  shes 95, and came in from a care home.

For me its fantastic to be able to provide some support and to feel like were making a small difference to whats going on.

Feat: It makes me really proud to see how everybody has risen to the challenge, says Chris.

But it hasnt been easy.

Its been extremely challenging  everyone would say its the most difficult challenge theyve ever faced, but no one would have done it any other way.

Its day 58, and no ones had a day off yet, and everyones been working a minimum 12-hour day, if not 16, 18 or 20.

Ive never had to ask a single person to work an evening, a weekend or a bank holiday. In fact, its the opposite  Ive had to tell people to take time off for a sons birthday.

Staff have been driving all over Europe to pick up vital supplies, and one young graduate even managed to persuade a small airport to stay open until 2am so that they could fly out an important prototype.

It makes me really proud to see how everybody has risen to the challenge, says Chris.

Feeding our most vulnerable children Debbie Trickey with one of the hampers being delivered every week by the Waterton Academy Trust When Britains pupils were sent home from school in March, it left many of our most vulnerable children without a free hot, cooked lunch every day. Knowing what a crucial service it is for some of our poorest families, a school trust in Yorkshire and its catering company stepped in to provide hampers stuffed with delicious food for the needy. Now 550 children in the Wakefield area get a weekly box filled with essentials such as pasta, tuna, tomatoes and cheese, along with lovely recipe cards that they can colour in, suggesting ways to cook the goodies. Pam Knox of the Waterton Academy Trust, which runs 13 school in the area, explains: At first we provided packed lunches, but what that meant was that some of the children had to come to school to collect them. It simply wasnt working, and we had surplus food. People didnt feel comfortable coming to school every day just to pick up a sandwich and perhaps a yogurt. So we looked at other options. They hit on the idea of a hamper containing lots of essentials instead, delivering the first in the Easter holidays because they were so desperate to get good food to the children. We were delivering 130 packed lunches; were now delivering 550 hampers a week. The uptake of them has been fantastic, says Pam. Deliveries are made by Watertons CEO Dave Dickinson, and the trust is helped by its caterers ISS Education, whose chefs come up with recipe ideas for the hampers. Food services director Linda Cregan explains: Our teams helped us to pull that together into a really helpful little package, with a set of recipe cards that had on them activities, different things that the children could do, and colouring. The idea was that the recipes would use what was in the bag along with some store-cupboard staples that people generally have. Families would then be able to create some quite easy-to-make meals. Were trying to encourage more families to cook  but also enable children to cook with their families, too. The feedback theyve received for their creative hampers has been overwhelming. Its really been welcomed, says Linda. Weve had children on Twitter showing us what theyve been cooking with their recipe books. We had one local road that ran a competition for their children when they were colouring in the books and cooking their cakes. Weve had other parents showing off the colouring-in sheets that their children have done, so its been really nice. Its been lovely to see.

I took on this job because it's the right thing to do

Abdel Elaabdi and his team are responsible for ensuring the ambulances at NHS Nightingale North West are cleaned, decontaminated and supplied with fresh, working equipment within 30 minutes.

As the coronavirus pandemic worsened, the British government took steps to ensure the country was prepared. As part of these measures, it worked to set up seven NHS Nightingale hospitals, temporary critical care centres to help in the fight against Covid-19.

But it was no mean feat.

These huge buildings, some of which have capacity for 5,000 patients, were not immediately equipped to function as safe and effective hospitals.

Everything that a normal hospital depends on each day, from adequate bedding and catering to cleaning and maintenance, was needed to get these sites up and running fast.

Fortunately, the global construction and support-services company Interserve stepped up to the challenge.

The company already provides 11 NHS hospitals with a number of crucial services, including six healthcare centres, the London Ambulance Service and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, to name a few.

It also helps with the facilities that we all take for granted, such as providing security to NHS centres nationwide, cleaners, porters and a huge number of maintenance teams, who help keep everything from vehicles to life-saving equipment running smoothly.

But in the NHSs time of need, Interserve and its employees went one step further. Abdel Elaabdi is one of Interserves many unsung heroes, who joined this call to action to help build these critical care sites.

With the help of his tireless team, he worked around the clock to build Birminghams NHS Nightingale North West, complete with fully working facilities, in just 11 days.

Since helping set up the site, the father-of-two from Hackney, east London, now ensures the daily running of its ambulance service is both efficient and safe.

I took on this job because it was the right thing to do  its my legacy, says Abdel. In the future, when my children ask me, What did you do during the pandemic, Dad?, Ill be able to talk with pride about what I did.

Abdel and his team are responsible for ensuring the ambulances at NHS Nightingale North West are cleaned, decontaminated and supplied with fresh, working equipment within 30 minutes.

We are totally committed to ensuring every ambulance is in the best possible shape to save lives and protect the health of our wonderful medics. We have the right equipment, were all part of a team, and were here to do our best. Im immensely proud of my team and my colleagues.

STAYING SAFE FROM THE VIRUS Wash your hands frequently or use sanitiser if youve been outside. Here are a few ways that you can protect yourself from the virus:  Avoid crowds. When outside, try to keep around 2m from people outside of your household, and dont stand face-to-face with them  youre less likely to be infected.  Work from home if you can. Otherwise, consider travelling by foot or bicycle. Ask your employer if you can work with the same team each time, or split into smaller groups.  Wash your hands frequently or use sanitiser if youve been outside, and avoid touching your face. Wash your clothes regularly  theres some evidence the virus can linger on material.  Keep windows open in buildings where different households come into contact.  Wear a face covering in enclosed spaces such as shops and trains. You can find ways to make them at home online.

Tech helping GPs work from home

Many GPs are now able to work from home, after a new secure system that lets them access confidential patient records was developed by business consultants Capita.

CEO of Government Services Andy Start says: We came up with this solution in a couple of weeks  normally just the process of agreeing it would take months.

The desire to volunteer and respond to that war feeling was really palpable.

The technology is currently being trialled by 500 doctors and, if successful, will be rolled out across the UK.

'Their work has been remarkable'

The amazing role these organisations have played during lockdown has been lauded by Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew.

He says: The way we have seen many large organisations and their staff move from their normal day-to-day work into projects to help tackle coronavirus has been remarkable.
Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare is optimistic that the Electoral Commission (EC) can compile a new voters register while observing measures to control the spread of COVID-19.



Dr Nsiah-Asare who was speaking on UTVs 'Critical Issues' hosted by Afia Pokuaa, last Saturday said since people have been queuing at the banks to transact businesses and engaging in other activities, we can register while practising social distancing.



People have been going to the bank to withdraw money; its the same method. You control the crowd, and in Ghana, if you want to control the crowd its very simple, he argued.



Martin Kpebu objects



However, a private legal practitioner, lawyer Martin Kpebu speaking on the same platform, urged that we need to tread cautiously as a country.



Lawyer Kpebu disagreed insisting that by the time of elections, the nation would have had a firm grip of the movement of the disease or there will be a vaccine.



No vaccine by November



But Dr Nsiah-Asare insists that by November there will be no vaccine, vaccine takes a long time.



Lawyer Kpebu insists the EC can manage the old register for the December elections.



Life goes on



But according to Dr. Nsiah-Asare life should go on . . . corona will come, corona will go; there are some countries who have had their elections. If you have the will to do a credible transparent election, you can do it.



To him if people are having concerns with getting infected with the virus while registering for a new voters register; then we should not even vote.



Listen to their submissions in the video below







Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









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Durham, NC - The results of a clinical trial released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine demonstrate how a topical solution made up of stem cells leads to the regrowth of hair for people with a common type of baldness.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) - commonly known as male-pattern baldness (female-pattern baldness in women) -- is a condition caused by genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. It affects an estimated 50 percent of all men and almost as many women older than 50. While it is not a life-threatening condition, AGA can lower a person's self-esteem and psychological well-being. There are a few FDA-approved medications to treat hair loss, but the most effective can have side effects such as loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Therefore, the search continues for a safer, effective treatment.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) secrete several growth hormones that help cells develop and proliferate. According to laboratory and experimental studies, growth factors such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) increase the size of the hair follicle during hair development.

"Recent studies have shown that ADSCs promote hair growth in both men and women with alopecia. However, no randomized, placebo-controlled trial in humans has explored the effects and safety of adipose-derived stem cell constituent extract (ADSC-CE) in AGA. We aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of ADSC-CE in middle-aged patients with AGA in our study, hypothesizing that it is an effective and safe treatment agent," said Sang Yeoup Lee, M.D., Ph.D., of the Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in South Korea. He led the group of researchers, which also included colleagues from Pusan National University School of Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital and T-Stem Co., Ltd.

The team recruited 38 patients (29 men and nine women) with AGA and assigned half to an intervention group that received the ADSC-CE topical solution and half as a control group that received a placebo. Twice daily, each patient applied the ADSC-CE topical solution or placebo to their scalp using their fingers.

"At the end of 16 weeks, the group that received the ADSC-CEs had a significant increase in both hair count and follicle diameter," reported the study's senior author, Young Jin Tak, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Lee added, "Our findings suggest that the application of the ADSC-CE topical solution has enormous potential as an alternative therapeutic strategy for hair regrowth in patients with AGA, by increasing both hair density and thickness while maintaining adequate treatment safety. The next step should be to conduct similar studies with large and diverse populations in order to confirm the beneficial effects of ADSC-CE on hair growth and elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the action of ADSC-CE in humans."

"For the millions of people who suffer from male-pattern baldness, this small clinical trial offers hope of a future treatment for hair regrowth," said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "The topical solution created from proteins secreted by stem cells found in fat tissue proves to be both safe and effective. We look forward to further findings that support this work."

###

The full article, "A Randomized, Double-blind, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Study of Hair Regeneration Using Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Constituent Extract in Androgenetic Alopecia," can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sctm.19-0410.

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS, celebrating its 38th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist, also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 25th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives.
Tyler Lyson watched his parents financial collapse in the Great Recession, a decade ago. He vowed hed find the security they never had: He would get a college degree.

The 27-year-old won a full scholarship to the University of California-Berkeley and, on Monday, will become the first in his family to graduate from college. Im supposed to be doing great, he said.

Instead, he feels powerless and panicked, with a political science degree that he fears may prove worthless. He has a 7-month-old baby and his wife, a United Airlines flight attendant, fears losing her job. In the past several weeks, he has applied for about 35 jobs, all over the country.

Hes also considering the military. Unfortunately, they always need people, he said. And the benefits are so good.

Mere months ago, the graduates of the Class of 2020 seemed all but assured of success. The economy was booming. The stock market had closed the year strong. The unemployment rate, on the decline for years, had dropped to a 50-year low of 3.5% in February. Jobs outnumbered applicants, and fears of a recession had faded.

Then came the pandemic, shattering the economy. Last month, more than 20.5 million jobs vanished as the unemployment rate soared to 14.7%  the worst since the Great Depression. The high hopes of graduates crashed as corporations slashed budgets and rescinded offers of jobs and internships.

For working-class students who defied the odds to get a college education, its hard to be optimistic about the future. Theres a sense of an unending crisis, with loans due and family members laid off.

These graduates will be competing not just with experienced workers but with those in another Class of 2020  high school graduates who arent college-bound or have put their dreams on hold to join the job hunt, in some cases to help newly unemployed parents .

Others are opting for a two-year junior college instead of a four-year program or taking a gap year or have decided its not worth paying tuition for schooling that may be conducted only online.

In Californias agricultural Central Valley, the county of Merced has six high schools with about 2,500 graduating seniors, many from low-income or immigrant families. Typically, about 40% head to college and the rest go straight to jobs in mechanics, construction, agriculture and hospitality  industries that, for now, are wiped out or stagnant.

The future looks very, very grim, Merceds assistant superintendent Constantino Aguilar said. Where do these students go? A lot of doors have been closed. Were trying to plan for our students futures and there is nothing out there for them.

Still, some high school grads are determined to proceed with their college plans despite the economic chaos.

Mireya Benavides, 17, had considered a community college to save money, but instead chose the University of Texas-San Antonio. She knows it will be a financial squeeze. Her single mother, a school custodian, is the sole support for her and three siblings and was out of work part of this spring.

Benavides hopes a work-study program  and maybe eventual scholarships and loans, along with financial help from her mother  will be enough to make ends meet. She said shes confident something will work out. College has always been next on her agenda.

If I dont go to school, where would I be? she asked. Who would I become? I want to have a future. I just want to point myself in the right direction and move forward.

So does 22-year-old DJ Brooks, who finds himself in an uneasy limbo.

Just months ago, he thought hed be welcoming family for a June graduation celebration at Carleton College in Minnesota as the first in his family to earn a degree. Hed worked two jobs while in school, helping his mother pay her bills. He figured he would have a job lined up, likely as a counselor, having earned a psychology degree.

Instead, hes navigating what he calls a sea of unexpectedness, sending out resumes at a time of furloughs and hiring freezes. Hell probably return to Chicago to live with his mother.

I dont have a backup plan, he said. I had higher hopes.

It took just a few weeks for the pandemic to derail Tariq Murphys future.

In December and January, the Morehouse College senior was flying high, interviewing for internships. In March, it all fell apart.

The school was forced to close and Murphy, a marketing major, had no place to live. Morehouse put him and about 30 other students up in a hotel. Hes now plotting his next steps, with $88,000 in debt hanging over him.

I cant sugarcoat the fear, the 28-year-old New Jersey native said. Im someone who likes to have a plan. Its sometimes hard to sleep. I said to my dean its like a nightmare that never ends.

Some graduates have managed to find work despite the shrinking opportunities. After graduating from Morehouse, Grant Bennett will return to the high-tech firm in Silicon Valley where he interned last year.

I kind of have survivors guilt, he said. I see a lot of friends struggling and I feel very cozy knowing I have something.

Hes definitely one of the lucky ones. Historically, college graduates entering the work force during a recession have faced setbacks that can last a decade or longer.

Its a frightening time to be looking for a first job, said Jesse Rothstein, a senior economist in the Obama administration who teaches public policy and economics at Berkeley. If you dont get a good job when you start out, it hurts you not just now but for years to come.

In the short term, young graduates are more likely to be unemployed or settle for lower-paying work. They often miss out on valuable training that can set them on a career path and, once the economy recovers, they have permanently lower employment and earnings, Rothstein found in a study published last year on the impact of the 2008 recession on college grads.

Whether the Class of 2020 will face long-term setbacks depends on the severity of the recession and the speed of economic recovery, he said. The longer it lasts, the worse the damage.

As he struggles to find work, Tyler Lyson is considering leaving Berkeley to move back home to Post Falls, Idaho, where its cheaper, even though it would feel like giving up on his dreams.

As a teen, he watched his family lose everything in the recession. His fathers construction business collapsed and the family had to leave their foreclosed house so quickly that they dumped just about everything they owned into a pit and set it on fire.

I watched it all go up in smoke  everything we owned, Lyson said. Ever since then, I knew I needed to go to college and have something to fall back on.

___

Cohen reported from Chicago. Gecker reported from San Francisco.
Hassan Akkad, a BAFTA-winning filmmaker who was tortured in Syria, now cleans COVID-19 wards in a busy London hospital.

London, United Kingdom  Once a week, Hassan Akkad has a recurring nightmare.

He is in Syria. He is stuck. And he cannot leave.

My happy memories of Syria are overridden by nightmares, he tells Al Jazeera, in an interview on Skype. Its sad that this is how it seeps into my brain from my subconscious.

Those happy memories are road trips to Latakia, barbecues in Ghouta, the countryside that surrounds Damascus, gathering with friends and goofing around and sitting around the family dinner table with his loved ones, his grandparents.

The Damascus native, now 32, was in his early 20s just before the war broke out.

Hassan Akkad, a 32-year-old Syrian refugee, works on the UKs coronavirus front lines disinfecting Londons COVID-19 wards [Raymond Bobar/Al Jazeera]

When anti-government protests swelled on the streets, Akkad, then a high-school English teacher, took part and filmed the rallies.

He was detained twice, for two weeks each time.

The first time in prison was the worst, thats when I was tortured. I still have a scar on my wrist, it was smashed so I have a titanium pin in it.

On the second occasion, he was put in solitary confinement. When he got out, he was banned from working and lost his teaching job.

Although he had never wanted to leave, he did not feel safe.

He fled, at first staying in the Middle East. In September 2015, after a punishing 87-day journey across Europe, he arrived in London.

He filmed the dangerous voyage, including the moment everyone on board his packed dinghy, along with children, nearly drowned. His footage was included in a documentary series  Exodus: Our Journey to Europe  which went on to win a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award.

In England, he received legal asylum and kindness. Families in Brixton and Hitchin gave him a room in their homes.

For the past five years, he has worked in film and TV production and for Choose Love, a refugee advocacy organisation.

I think, to me, that is the worst part of this pandemic - that people are dying alone. Hassan Akkad, filmmaker, campaigner and hospital cleaner

But almost two months ago, his career path took a sharp turn.

He now works as a cleaner at Whipps Cross in Leytonstone, east London, one of the capitals busiest hospitals, in a COVID-19 ward.

Its not charity. Its minimum wage but Im still being paid, he says. I dont have a debt to pay. Refugees dont have a debt to pay because its our right to seek refuge.

But I have been treated very well by the public so far. When I showed up here, I was in a bad physical and mental state  they helped me on my feet. Leytonstone is my adopted home. Nationality doesnt dictate our kindness. Its what I want to do, I want to help my neighbours, the patients and the staff.

He signed up after googling urgent coronavirus front-line jobs.

It led me to a link. Five hospitals were urgently looking for cleaners and one of them was Whipps Cross, which is about a mile from his home.

He had read a study about how the virus was found on a cruise ship 17 days after infected passengers had left.

I connected the dots, I figured out they urgently need cleaners because of this  it survives on surfaces, and NHS staff and patients were contracting it. I didnt even think twice. I ran it by my fiancee, didnt tell my parents, and went to the induction. I only wanted to know if I would be provided with PPE. They said yes. The rest is history.

Before taking up the cleaning job, filled with a desire to help amid the pandemic, he had delivered groceries to people self-isolating and had volunteered to work on British farms amid fears of food shortages, but I never heard back.

Akkad, pictured in a selfie in personal protective equipment (PPE) [Courtesy: Hassan Akkad]

At the entrance of the ward he works in, there are three signs.

One warns staff not to enter unless they are wearing PPE, another says visitors are not allowed in and a third is a reminder  that you are about to enter a COVID-19 ward.

There are 18 beds. At the height of the epidemic, the ward was full  not a single empty bed for weeks amid a rush of coronavirus patients needing oxygen masks to survive.

Today we had 10 patients, instead of 18, says Akkad. [But] I think its too early to ease the lockdown. Everyone is worried about a second wave.

The UK  Europes worst and the worlds second most affected country in terms of deaths  is in the midst of easing its coronavirus lockdown.

COVID-19 has killed about 35,000 people in the country and infected more than 240,000, although these figures are widely understood to be lower than the actual toll.

For eight hours a day, wearing gloves, two masks and plastic aprons, Akkad disinfects toilets and mops floors with a powerful, chlorine-heavy detergent. He takes the rubbish out and places it in a special dumpster for virus-contaminated waste. He meticulously wipes down all the hotspots  light switches, door handles, windows, doors, sinks.

Anything you can touch with your hand has to be cleaned, he says.

We use disposable mops  every hospital now has changed all the procedures in terms of cleaning. You cant use the same mop twice  you use it for a bit and then it goes in the bin.

When a patient gets discharged or sadly passes away, we do a terminal cleaning, a thorough process to control the spread of infections.

We go to that bed, take out the mattress, and wipe and disinfect every inch of the bed frame. And then we clean that area, so when we have a new patient, they dont come to a contaminated bed.

The entire cleaning process takes place at least three times a day.

I cringe when I see government ministers clapping. Hassan Akkad, filmmaker, campaigner and hospital cleaner

In my first week, I was quite shocked. Its different from when you see it on the telly, to actually being there. And the reason why its called the front line  thats where you are face to face with the pandemic.

You do see dying patients, every week I would see dying patients. That was a shock to the system.

Several patients and at least one doctor at Whipps Cross University Hospital, Dr Habibhai Babu, known to colleagues as Babu, have died of coronavirus.

As in much of the rest of the world, strict measures to contain the spread of infection mean coronavirus patients die alone.

The pandemic has changed our rituals. Everything has changed. For me personally, I have always been distant from my family. Social distancing isnt a new thing to Syrians, due to the war and hard visa systems. My parents attended my engagement party on Skype. I attended my brothers wedding in Iraq on Skype. This is very familiar to me.

Holding back tears, he said: Ive witnessed two patients saying goodbye to their loved ones on Skype. It is one of the toughest things Ive ever experienced in my life.

The patients are not aware that they are dying, their loved ones are. They [the relatives] were informed by staff, so thats why they have arranged for this call.

We are around those patients, we dont leave their sides. But for them to pass away without their relatives, their daughters and husbands and children around them, its incredibly hard, a very hard thing to witness.

I think to me, that is the worst part of this pandemic  that people are dying alone.

As well as tens of thousands of patients, dozens of NHS workers have died from COVID-19, many of whom are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

In Akkads ward, he is one of the three male staff  two cleaners and a doctor. The rest are women, including grandmothers.

They come from more than 10 different countries.

We are united by a mission or goal to combat this unprecedented healthcare crisis and help these patients, Akkad says.

But as the national conversation focuses on the deaths of doctors and nurses, Akkad notes that hospital cleaners and others at the bottom of the pyramid often encounter even greater risk.

The people who slide under the radar are cleaners, porters, ward hosts and healthcare assistants. Ninety-nine percent are from an immigrant background and on minimum wage. They risk their lives. You cannot work from home if you are a cleaner or a porter.

While he appreciates the publics embrace of front-line NHS workers, which has seen Britons clap on their doorsteps each week to show their appreciation, he baulks at the UK governments handling of the crisis.

They have failed on every level, he says. The UK has the second-highest number of deaths [after the US]. They were very slow on implementing the lockdown, prioritising the economy over peoples lives.

I cringe when I see government ministers clapping.

Looking ahead, he says he will continue in the role for as long as he is needed, as long as I physically and emotionally can.

But he has already started to feel an effect on his body.

I have injuries in my wrists from prison in Syria. Physically I have started to hurt. There is a shooting pain in my wrists because of too much mopping.

I am going to try to recover. Emotionally, thank God, I have a therapist. Without one, I wouldnt be able to do this.

In the months before the pandemic took hold, much of the West was witnessing rising populism. There were reports of growing xenophobia and anti-migrant attacks in post-Brexit England, images on the news of crowded US-run immigration detention centres, and people fleeing war and persecution faced an increasingly hostile reception on Europes borders.

While the pandemic is often naively misinterpreted as a great leveller  self-isolating in Yorkshire isnt like self-isolating in Idlib or Moria, or Yemen or Gaza, says Akkad, there is some reason for hope.

I dont think we can go back to that, he says, of the atmosphere before the global health crisis.

There will be positive things coming out this pandemic and one of them could be that the world will be more open to migrants and refugees, and realise the value that they have in their host communities.

I hope that the world will be kinder.
Amid the rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases among BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) employees, the umbrella body of major BEST unions has called for a lockdown or strike from Monday (May 18). The decision is going to create a lot of trouble of coronavirus-hit Mumbai because BEST buses are the only mode of public transport presently operational in the city.

The BEST management has, however, said that the buses will operate for essential services personnel and there will not be any hindrance in the transport of essential workers. Shashank Rao-led BEST Sanyukt Kamgaar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), which has called for strike, has claimed that its staff was not provided enough safety measures during coronavirus outbreak.

The BBSKKS has, inter alia, demanded a separate quarantine facility and a hospital for BEST workers. The BSKKS has also demanded that the government must pay Rs 1 crore as compensation and job for the next of kin of deceased employees.

Notably, eight BEST workers have died due to the deadly virus and another 120 have tested positive so far. The BEST buses played an important role in movement of essential services employees across Mumbai after the suspension of suburban trains services due to the nationwide lockdown.

Some reports claimed that the Maharashtra government has decided to ply at least 1,200 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses in Mumbai to replace BEST buses.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in India continues to rise at a higher rate as more than 5000 cases were reported on Monday (May 18, 2020). India recorded the highest spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total tally to 96,169.
Jammu:

After a lull of over four months, the ceasefire on the Line of Control was violated again with Pakistan Army firing at two places and shelling mortars in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday morning. Indian troops retaliated to the firing which was still going on when last reports came in.

The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir," Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said here.

He said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in Poonch sector since 3 AM. Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in. The firing was still going on" the spokesman added.

Today's ceasefire violation comes after over four months as the last such incident took place on April 10, this year in Poonch sector. Earlier Pakistan had violated ceasefire on September 18, 2015 in Balakote sector of Poonch district. Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.

While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said. Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.

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(@FahadShabbir)

State-of-the-art 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project achieved yet another milestone, as its contribution to the National Grid crossed 8 billion units mark and earned Rs80 billion revenue

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2020 ) :State-of-the-art 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project achieved yet another milestone, as its contribution to the National Grid crossed 8 billion units mark and earned Rs80 billion revenue.

In terms of revenue, Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project has yielded more than Rs 80 billion of hydel electricity into the National Grid with efficient operation of the project by Neelum Jhelum and WAPDA engineers and staff under tiring conditions, said a press release.

The project, satisfactorily meeting the design capacity energy production, achieved this land mark despite the fact that the shelling by India from across the Line of Control during July and October 2019 interrupted the working at the project, which forced evacuation of the Chinese workers from the project site and continue to be afflicted by COVID-19 pandemic.

Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, one of the engineering marvels, has been constructed in a very difficult mountainous terrain and being 90 percent of the project underground.

The project is comprised of a weir (dam), underground water way system of 52-kilometer long tunnels, an underground power house and a switch yard. The project, having four generating units of 242.25 MW capacity each, started electricity generation with commissioning of its first unit in April 2018. The project attained its maximum installed generation of 969 MW on August 14, 2018 with commissioning of its all four units.

It is worth mentioning here that Neelum Jhelum generated up to 1040MW on April 9, 2019 beyond installed capacity of 969 MW, which reflects the efficiency of its electro-mechanical equipment, the turbines in particular. Now-a-days, the project has been running on full load i.e. 969MW because the required quantum of water is available due to high-flow season.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-17 22:18:54|Editor: huaxia

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Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani (R) speaks during the agreement signing event at Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 17, 2020. Afghanistan's President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claimed victory in the presidential election, inked an agreement on Sunday to end the political deadlock following last year's presidential election, presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter. (Afghan President Palace/Handout via Xinhua)

KABUL, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also claimed victory in the presidential election, inked an agreement on Sunday to end the political deadlock following last year's presidential election, presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

Under the agreement, Ghani remains as president and Abdullah heads the High Council for National Reconciliation to lead the peace talks with the Taliban.

President Ghani said in a short speech broadcast on local TV that Afghans are able to settle their differences without mediation of foreign friends, a reference to the 2014 political dispute over election results which was later resolved with the mediation of former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"I am hopeful the people of Afghanistan will see ceasefire in the coming days and then lasting peace in the country under the leadership of Abdullah," President Ghani said in his address.

For his part, Abdullah said, "Afghanistan has hugely suffered due to war, political instability and now COVID-19, and I am hopeful today's agreement will be the end of crisis."

Abdullah, who served as chief executive in the previous government and contested the presidential poll on Sept. 28, 2019, had challenged the outcome of the vote in which the election commission declared Ghani as winner.

Under the new agreement, Abdullah will introduce members of his team to the president to be included in the cabinet. Enditem
BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's inconsistency in his words and deeds really makes people wonder what the U.S. has been hiding from the world?

At a recent White House news briefing, Trump revealed that the U.S. started to develop the first COVID-19 vaccine candidate on January 11, "within hours of the virus's genetic code being posted online."

While he boasts about the speed of vaccine development, people have to wonder why the U.S. now has the world's largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases if he knew from the very beginning the severity of the virus?

An American netizen named "David Tam" wrote on twitter: "So he IS SAYING he knew January 11...and DIDN'T act for TWO MONTHS???"

Trump did not take the virus seriously until he declared a national emergency on March 13 to open up 50 billion U.S. dollars in federal aid to help combat the spread across the country.

Back on January 11, not a single confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in the U.S. Then, where did it get the data and information? Did the data and information come from China? If so, why do some U.S. politicians keep accusing China of not sharing information with America?

A netizen named "Bionca-Lori" demanded White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to explain: "how scientist(s) were working on vaccines on January 11, 2020 which requires specific information from China to do yet you claim China was hiding the information, then when you had Chinese Diplomats at White House January 15, 2020, you didn't ask anything."

If the U.S. vaccine development did not rely on data and information from China, then can the U.S. make public their source?

The date of January 11 is much earlier than the one when the U.S. reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.

People may well think coronavirus had already existed in the U.S. before it was found in China.

A Business Insider article titled "The U.S. probably had the coronavirus in December, but was too busy watching China to notice" suggested the coronavirus may have spread to the U.S. as early as December 2019.

According to U.S. media reports, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and believes he contracted the virus in November.

Did the coronavirus exist in U.S. earlier than people made to believe? Did Trump and his administration know about the virus before it broke out?

People have the right to ask such questions. And will the U.S. offer an explanation to the world?
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.
: The Madras High Court on Monday



dismissed as withdrawn a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the death of a 15-year-old girl after she was allegedly set ablaze by two AIADMK men over a property dispute with the elders in her family.

A special bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Pushpa Sathyanarayana dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) as the girl's parents had said they have faith in the police to conduct a fair probe.

Since the crime was allegedly committed by members of the ruling party, the petitioner H Sumathi wanted the court to transfer the investigation from the Tamil Nadu police to the CBI to instil confidence in the minds of public.

The petitioner said she learned through media reports that the girl died after being set afire by the two over a property dispute.

Following the incident, the AIADMK expelled the two from the party and Chief Minister K Palaniswami had promised tough action against the duo.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 58-year-old New Jersey woman, who was behind the wheel when her two grandchildren were fatally injured in a crash Sept. 14, 2016, on Interstate 78 East in Lower Saucon Township, pleaded no contest Monday morning to two of 20 charges she faced in web-based hearing.

Nadine Walton, of Newark, will serve her time on house arrest due to her injuries, according to an agreement announced between Northampton County First Assistant District Attorney Richard Pepper and defense attorney Philp Lauer.

The no contest plea to the involuntary manslaughter charges means Walton doesnt plead guilty, but it is treated as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes. She was then sentenced to 12 months minus two days to 24 months minus a day in custody, President Judge Michael J. Koury Jr. ruled. Pepper and Lauer had previously agreed to a sentencing recommendation that under different circumstances would have sent Walton to the county rather than state prison.

She faced up to 10 years in jail and a $25,000 fine on each charge, but with her lack of criminal record, she in actuality was only at risk for up to 32 months in prison, prior to the plea deal, Koury said.

The sentence is followed by 10 years of probation, Koury said. If violated, Walton could be jailed up to 20 years, Koury told her.

Lauer said Walton has no memory of the crash and suffered head injuries in the wreck that left her in a coma. She also had spinal and rib fractures, her attorney said. But even though she has no recollection of the crash, she accepts the responsibility for the deaths of her grandchildren, Lauer said.

Stefany Stephens, the mother of the two children and who was in the car, spoke Monday to Waltons ongoing health challenges and said Walton has a lot of emotional guilt and stress.

Shes not 100 percent what she once was physically or emotionally, Stephens said.

Walton, when asked several questions by the judge who was trying to confirm she read and agreed with the deal, gave several one-word answers that didnt call anything into question.

Lauer said a civil proceeding related to the crash is ongoing.

Walton was driving at 12:56 a.m. in the left lane when she went off the left side of the highway, Pennsylvania State Police said at the time. A 5-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl were in the 2011 Nissan Versa along with Stephens, who was 31 at the time, police said.

The car swerved back across the highway, as Walton attempted to correct, and hit a guard rail along the highways right shoulder, police said. A 2014 Kia Forte, driven in the left lane by David B. Getz Jr., 26, of Easton, then hit the car, as did a 1996 Dodge Caravan driven by Michael Gura, 49, of Warren, New Jersey, police said. Both of those drivers were injured, police said.

All three passengers were thrown from the car, police said. The boy, Ravon Xavier Robinson, died at the scene. His sister Brielle Javlyn Robinson died from her injuries Sept. 16 at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. The children were in safety seats, police said.

Police report they found several containers of alcohol, both full and empty in the car, a broken container lying on the highway outside of the car and a marijuana blunt on the driver's side floor.

A search of Walton's purse turned up marijuana in a bag along with a suspected marijuana blunt and 42 Oxycodone pills, court records state.

Pepper said during Mondays hearing that Walton was impaired at the time of the crash from either using marijuana or lack of sleep. A blood test showed the presence of marijuana, Pepper said.

Eighteen charges, including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, were withdrawn.

The online hearing was delayed for a time as Lauer and his client went from his office to a conference room in the nearby courthouse to ensure video would work.

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Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
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Linkedin Sam Nussey (Reuters) Tokyo  Mon, May 18, 2020 10:28 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8bcf3a 2 Business SoftBank-Group-Corp,board-members,Alibaba,jack-ma Free

SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday that Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma will resign from its board, in the latest departure by a high-profile ally of CEO Masayoshi Son.

The departure of Ma, who retired as Alibabas executive chairman in September, comes as he pulls back from formal business roles to focus on philanthropy.

SoftBank will propose three new appointments to the board, including group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13.

SoftBank will also propose the election of Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of chip design software firm Cadence Design Systems who is also chairman of venture capital firm Walden International, and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School as outside directors. Kawamoto will become its only female board member.

That meets a demand from activist investor Elliott Management, which has pressed SoftBank to improve board diversity, and also wants a new subcommittee to oversee the investment process at the US$100 billion Vision Fund.

The pressure comes as Sons top-down management style is under increased scrutiny with the fund expected to report its third consecutive quarterly operating loss later on Monday, plunging the group as a whole to a record loss.

The board is largely comprised of SoftBank insiders and confidants. It also includes Yasir al-Rumayyan, who heads the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that is the Vision Funds biggest outside backer.

Mas exit follows the departure of Tadashi Yanai, founder and CEO of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing, who resigned from the board late last year to focus on his fashion business.

Separately, SoftBank said the board had approve a second 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) tranche of share purchases, part of a 2.5 trillion yen buyback programme announced in March to prop up the groups share price as its tech bets flounder.

SoftBank has bought back more than 250 billion yen of its shares at the end of April. It has pledged to sell down or monetize $41 billion of assets to raise cash, with its stake in Alibaba - the portfolios most valuable asset - seen as a likely target.
The coronavirus crisis has stunted the prospects of hundreds of thousands of young people in Spain. While youth is frequently defined as the prime of ones life encompassing a career, getting a place to live, love and heartbreak, children  for those who choose to have them  studying, traveling, making mistakes, suffering and regret, around 6.5 million Spaniards who were between 20 and 29 in 2008 and are now between 32 and 41 might well focus only on the lists negatives.

This generation, which represents 14.2% of the population according to Spains National Statistics Institute (INE), is facing its second global economic crisis in only 12 years; the economic downturn of 2008 and now the pandemic. Ed e subito sera. And suddenly, the night, as the Italian poet and Nobel Prize winner Salvator Quasimodo put it. No one can deny the rapidly descending gloom.

In April, unemployment among those aged 25 to 29  the hardest-hit demographic  rose by 13.1%. And in the first quarter, unemployment for those under 25 was 33%, two-and-a-half points higher than the last quarter of 2019. The figures released in April paint a bleak picture. Half of job losses  around 460,000  since the start of this crisis have been among the under-35s.

Entering the labor market in times of recession has dire and persistent consequences on the wage trajectory of young Spaniards Nuria Rodriguez-Planas, professor at the City University of New York

Without doubt, instability has come at the worst possible moment. The youngsters who entered the labor market in the middle of the financial crisis between 2008 and 2013 are being hit just when they were starting to get on their feet. The impact will be huge because young people are starting out in an already very vulnerable situation, characterized by impermanence, and have not yet finished footing the bill of the previous crisis, says Maria Angeles Davia Rodriguez, professor at the University of Castile-La Mancha. The cost of this bill will depend largely on levels of job security in the face of the pandemic. That is, whether the person can continue to work from home or whether they will be faced with intense social contact when they go back to work.

The consulting firm CEPR Policy estimates that currently only 25.4% of jobs in Spain can safely be done from home  a percentage that could rise to 43% when restrictions are scaled back to a minimum. There is a divide between young people who are privileged to have jobs that can be done remotely, such as those working in finance or computer science, and those who work in catering or retail with face-to-face contact [with the public], says David Grusky, director of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality at Stanford University. These are new forces of injustice.

Every generation has been defined by traumatic events, which generally generate fear and uncertainty. They are events that change the way people understand the world, and affect the way in which they make decisions and take risks. Entering the labor market in times of recession has dire and persistent consequences on the wage trajectory of young Spaniards. Its repercussions can last up to a decade, says Nuria Rodriguez-Planas, professor at the City University of New York.

Along with her colleague Daniel Fernandez-Kranz, Rodriguez-Planas has laid out her research on this phenomenon in the article The Perfect Storm: Graduating during a Recession in Segmented Labor Market. Regarding university graduates, there is a 6.4% reduction [in wages] on average in the first 10 years if the person enters a labor market with 18% unemployment instead of 10%, she says.

In other demographics, the fallout is worse, with those who have completed high school being hit by a reduction in wages of 10% and those with vocational training, 12.5%.

In April, the number of people unemployed under the age of 25 rose by 31,262 compared to the previous month

Meanwhile, experts from CaixaBank Research say that between 2008 and 2016, the average salary for workers between the ages of 20 and 24 fell by 15%, while those aged 25 to 29 lost 9% of their income.

These figures meant life projects, such as independent living and starting a family, were put on hold; historically, it has been shown that economic insecurity reduces the birth rate and delays home-making.

Other reports such as Youth Unemployment in Spain, published by the journal Papeles de Economia Espanola (or, Papers on the Spanish Economy), analyzed the lives of young people who are now aged between 36 and 40  a demographic that, despite having gone through the initial stages of the recession between 2005 and 2012, should have had their lives on track by 2020. Instead, there was something akin to boomer envy  a concept coined by novelist Douglas Coupland in the book Generation X, which addresses inequality and the McJobs era of the 1990s in the United States.

According to Maria Angeles Davia, the study found that the probability of becoming unemployed was significantly higher among those who had lost their job before the age of 30. And the stigma was more intense the longer their experience of unemployment lasted during their youth.

It is reasonable to assume that the frustration of the millennials who are now in that age bracket will be even greater as they have also had to bear the burden of the wage cuts that followed the 2011 labor reforms. They must feel as though they will never see economic security in their lifetime, says Markus Gangl, professor of sociology at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.

According to Jason Dorsey, president of the consulting firm The Center for Generational Kinetics, theyre going to lose wages, jobs and career prospects while older workers try to keep going for longer, thereby limiting future job offers. They will also have to bear much of the tax burden that pays for older peoples benefits.

Generational comparisons

Deep down, thousands of young people feel that other generations have taken the best and placed barbed wire around the rest. Many envy their parents, who could retire at the age of 60. But that era has long gone. Now, around 60 million jobs in Europe are in jeopardy. The future, according to the McKinsey consultancy firm, will consist of a reduction in paid working hours, a flood of temporary contracts, and permanent lay-offs. And it is young people once more who will be in the eye of the storm as seven million jobs employing 15- to 24-year-olds could go.

It could be worse if European governments introduce new austerity measures in the coming years to cope with the budgetary pressure created by the crisis, says Michele Raitano, professor of political economy at the University of La Sapienza in Rome. And we already know what that means: worse conditions for workers and deep cuts to social spending.

There is an urgent need to protect jobs. Every job saved keeps productivity and consumption up, reduces dependence on the state and has a positive effect on health and wellbeing. The numbers of job losses must be brought down. It is not enough to flatten this curve. In April, the number of unemployed people under the age of 25 rose by 31,262 compared to the previous month. Thats close to an 11% hike in a country where youth unemployment has held at 40% in some areas, particularly the south, even during prosperity. The situation of young people was already difficult before the crisis and now they have begun to form part of structural unemployment; that is, chronic unemployment, says Raquel Llorente Heras, professor of Economics at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Threats

With thousands of young people on temporary contracts, the threat of whats around the corner is very real, particularly with regard to how things will play out after the state of alarm. At the end of the coronavirus lockdown, it is possible that there will be a significant loss of temporary employment, says Llorente.

So whats the answer? One option would be a minimum income that would act as a springboard to access the labor market, proposes Rafael Domenech, head of economic analysis at BBVA Research. But it should be designed so that the young person does not come to depend on it, and it should be temporary. No matter what its dimensions, almost everyone agrees with Llorente that it is necessary.

Younger sections of the population must be protected, especially in a world where health and economic crises will become more frequent. According to the International Labor Organization, youth unemployment increased by 7.8 million between 2007 and 2009, while the decade before it had grown on average by just 191,000 per year.

[Young people] are the least affected by the virus, but will be the most exposed to the economic fallout from the pandemic, says Stefano Scarpetta, director of employment, labor and social affairs at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In the second phase of the crisis and beyond, attention will have to be paid to how we tackle this inequality through policies that target its source  for example, loopholes in social protection systems and low-skilled youth. As Jordi Fabregat, a professor at Madrids Esade Business School, says, people between 30 and 35 without a good education are in for a hard time.

Young people are the ones who are suffering the lowest rates of infection and could be the group that returns to work first, making them part of the solution Josep Mestres, economist at CaixaBank Research

The Covid-19 crisis has interfered with the end of the school year in Spain and complicated access to the labor market for thousands of young people who should graduate or finish their studies this summer. Nobody knows for sure what impact this will have on their future. The situation brings to mind a line from Gabriel Garcia Marquezs One Hundred Years of Solitude: The world was so recent that many things lacked names.

But, according to Carlos Martin, head of the economic department for the CCOO labor union, shattering the expectations of Spains youth can be avoided. We must raise taxes to bring Spains fiscal contribution into line with the European average, eliminate the immense flexibility of temporary contracts, which leads to instability, and guarantee access to housing to end the postponed existences experienced by the young and the not-so-young, he says. His proposals include ceilings on rents, taxing empty properties, restricting tourist apartments and creating a protected pool of public housing for rent.

Meanwhile, lawyer Antonio Garrigues Walker believes that things have a way of working out. Sensationalism should be regarded as practically a crime at the moment, he says. I am an optimist. Human beings, particularly young ones, are very resilient and have always been able to adapt. There will have to be changes but not that many. Humanity has lived through other pandemics and got over them.

That resilience is also flagged up by Josep Mestres, an economist at CaixaBank Research. Young people are the ones who are suffering the lowest rates of infection and could be the group that returns to work first, making them part of the solution, he says. Besides, this is a generation that can adapt very well to the structural changes that are coming, such as teleworking and new technology.

There is also a chance that, in the current climate, countries will return to factory production, supply chains and certain basic industries, particularly those related to the health sector. No one in Europe wants China to continue manufacturing 80% of its antibiotics, for example. We are going to recoup our production network and this will give young people professional opportunities, says Roberto Scholtes, head of strategy at the global financial firm, UBS Spain. I am hopeful.

All generations rise and fall and in between, there is an unspoken pact that they will prosper  that each generation will enjoy a better life than the last. To break this pact is to return to the twilight years of the Middle Ages or the 19th centurys Old Order. If you cant promise people that their lives will be better, then why should they support the system? asks Grace Blakeley, a 26-year-old English economist, citing a view shared by millions of young people under 35, especially those in southern Europe, who are facing their second global recession in just 12 years.

The breakdown of this social pact leads to radicalization, populism and confrontation between generations. Economic misery leads to more economic misery. Low wages now lead to low wages later and, eventually, to tiny pensions. Meanwhile, unemployment is becoming structural in Spain.

Division

The confrontation [between generations] partly exists already, says Rafael Domenech of BBVA Research. Statistics are beginning to show that during the 2008 crisis the incomes that best evolved were those of older people while those of the young worsened, which has generated a divide.

According to Gonzalo Sanchez, president of accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), to address this generational tension, we need to create jobs. Nobody in society can be at peace without a job, especially young people.

Emilio Ontiveros, president of International Financial Analysts (AFI), disagrees: One of the consequences of the crisis is growing social tension. But I dont see a war happening between generations. What I do see is a more entrenched response to the system. Young people will not be against the system but they will strongly defend public sectors such as health and education.

According to Carlos Martin, from Spains CCOO union, there is a class conflict rather than a generational one. The economic elite has a vested interest in substituting one for the other to safeguard their status quo and avoid fiscal, labor or real estate readjustments that would cut their profits in a structural way. Thats why they propagate ideas such as, the old are robbing the young of their rights and to avoid this pensions need to be cut; or those on permanent contracts are robbing the rights of those on temporary contracts  mainly the young  and the solution is to reduce redundancy packages. No one should be in any doubt  the sons and daughters of the elite will not see their expectations diminished but redirected.

The same cannot be said for Spains less-privileged youth who were already suffering a 30% unemployment rate before the coronavirus crisis.

Nerea, 26: I feel forgotten Nerea Gomezs qualifications include a degree in Economics from the University of Valencia and a masters degree from the University of Alicante. She is only 26 and in the third year of her PhD at Valencia Polytechnic, researching the impact of information technology on academic performance in classrooms and homes. But she is far from happy. As a generation, I have the feeling that we have always had the word crisis rolling off our tongues, she says. Temporary contracts, difficulties in accessing affordable housing, precarious conditions all amount to a level of anxiety that the virus has reinforced. I feel forgotten about as a young person; other sections of the population are usually prioritized, she says. Nobody is talking about our future and what will be done with us now that we are entering the labor market.

Alvaro, 34: Ive got to start from scratch, as Ive been doing since I was 18 Alvaro Alcalde In 2010, when the economic crisis was bringing the Spanish economy to its knees, Alvaro Alcalde started work as a chef in a Japanese restaurant in Madrid after finishing his studies in the Basque city of San Sebastian. With a degree in catering, experience in London and elsewhere, he started on 1,200 a month, working 10 hours a day and six days a week. I lived in an apartment in my old neighborhood, Tetuan, paying 650 plus bills, which was more than half my salary, he explains. His circumstances soon became untenable and, in 2011, he decided to travel to Central America and Canada to work on agricultural projects. I returned to Spain in 2013 and went back to slaving in kitchens  more than 60 hours a week with one day off, he says. So, in 2019, he took the plunge and set up a wine bar in Madrid. A year later, the business was going reasonably well. Then the coronavirus crisis hit. His bar has been closed since the beginning of lockdown and he does not think he will not be able to reopen. So now Ive got to start from scratch, as Ive been doing since I was 18. By Maria Fernandez.

Pablo, 39: Its not a curse to leave Spain and Im not ruling out doing it again Pablo Sainz-Rosas. After studying Audiovisual Communication, Bilbao-born Pablo Rosado Sainz-Rosas realized his qualifications would not help him get ahead in the midst of the economic crisis, a period that saw him work in small production companies that struggled to survive. In 2011, he took a Masters in Business Administration, and several months after completing the course, was hired by a company in Mexico. It was a total change; I was working in sales in the technology and education sector, something I had never done before, he says. In retrospect, going to Mexico helped me a lot. Its not a curse to leave Spain and Im not ruling out doing that again. By Erika Rosete.

Belen, 34: "Coming back from this will be hard" Belen Amoraga For years, psychologist Belen Amoraga, 34, worked with addicts, migrants and HIV patients in Valencia. Her contracts were precarious and her salary often not paid on time. In 2018, she joined the NovaTerra Foundation, which promotes social inclusion, and began teaching at the University of Valencia. Eight hours a week for 326, she says. A year later, she opened her own practice. Then the virus struck and she discovered online therapy was complicated as patients struggle to open up in a virtual environment. The comeback will be hard, she says. By Miguel Angel Garcia Vega.

English version by Heather Galloway.
In this article 2330-TW

981-HK

The United States' latest move to restrict chip sales to Huawei could be a big blow to the Chinese technology giant, hitting its two biggest businesses and offering very little wriggle room for the firm to find alternative suppliers. Billions of dollars of revenue are at risk from Washington's latest rule which requires foreign manufacturers using U.S. chipmaking equipment to get a license before being able to sell semiconductors to Huawei. There is no indication that the U.S. will grant licenses either. Huawei said in its first comments on the issue that it "categorically opposes" the U.S.'s chip regulation. "Nevertheless, in its relentless pursuit to tighten its stranglehold on our company, the U.S. government has decided to proceed and completely ignore the concerns of many companies and industry associations," the company said in a statement. "This decision was arbitrary and pernicious, and threatens to undermine the entire industry worldwide. This new rule will impact the expansion, maintenance, and continuous operations of networks worth hundreds of billions of dollars that we have rolled out in more than 170 countries." It added that its business "will inevitably be affected."

Washington's latest rule will give it power in determining what semiconductors Huawei can get its hands on. "The US government will have full global authority in interpreting what chip items Huawei will be able to access going forward," China Renaissance said in a note published Monday. That's a big deal. Chips are critical for a huge swathe of Huawei's products from its base stations required for 5G networks to its smartphones. Huawei designs semiconductors for its products via a division of the company called HiSilicon. But the actual manufacturing of those chips is done by Taiwan's TSMC, one of the companies that stands to be most affected by the new U.S. rules. TSMC uses American-made equipment to manufacture those chips.

For its smartphones, Huawei has a series of processors under the brand name Kirin which goes into almost all of its smartphone models. The problem for Huawei is its huge reliance on TSMC with over 98% of smartphone-related chips manufactured by the Taiwanese firm, according to an estimate by Counterpoint Research. Huawei's consumer division accounted for over 50% of the company's total revenue in 2019 and brought in 467.3 billion yuan ($66.93 billion) in sales. There is a lot of money at stake if this business unit is hit.

Diversifying is a 'humongous ask'

So, what are Huawei's options? Well, it needs to find a way to diversify its supply chain, a task that could prove difficult given the wide-ranging impact of Washington's new rules. Huawei has been looking to do this over the past year. In March, Tim Danks, a U.S.-based Huawei executive told Bloomberg the company sold 50,000 5G base stations that did not contain U.S. technology. At the time, that number was only 8% of the total number of 5G base stations Huawei had sold globally. A base station is a piece of equipment critical to mobile networks. 5G refers to next-generation network infrastructure that promises super-fast download speeds and the ability to underpin key infrastructure.

Richard Yu (Yu Chengdong), head of Huawei's consumer business, speaks during the presentation of a Kirin 990 5G chip set at the international electronics and innovation fair IFA in Berlin on September 6, 2019. Tobias Schwarz | AFP | Getty Images

Meanwhile, Huawei has been looking at mainland Chinese chipmakers to produce its Kirin processors for smartphones. SMIC, China's largest contract chip manufacturer, is the number one contender. State-backed publication Global Times reported last week that SMIC had begun mass production of Huawei's Kirin 710A chip. This processor is designed for a lower tier phone under Huawei's budget Honor brand. This chip is only for one device and does not solve Huawei's problems for the rest of its product portfolio. Huawei declined to comment on the Global Times report. On top of that, "TSMC is miles ahead of SMIC in terms of leading edge technology prowess, capacity and scale," according to Neil Shah, research director at Counterpoint Research, who added the new U.S. rules could be a "big blow" for Huawei. Huawei's flagship chip, the Kirin 990, is based on so-called 7-nanometer technology. This essentially refers to the size of certain aspects of the chips. These 7nm chips are smaller and faster than predecessors. TSMC has been producing these for around two years. It's unclear when SMIC may introduce a 7nm production process at scale. So even if Huawei wanted to switch production to SMIC, the chipmaker might not be able to actually produce those parts. SMIC was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito explains the state's reopening plan on Monday. A slide in the report released on Monday shows how the commonwealth currently is performing in a color-coded scale of six public health metrics. PreviousNext

Analysis: Data Drives Plan, Pace for Reopening Massachusetts

BOSTON  The officials responsible for the Reopening Massachusetts plan were united in one message on Monday: Massachusetts residents are responsible for the actual reopening. BOSTON  The officials responsible for the Reopening Massachusetts plan were united in one message on Monday: Massachusetts residents are responsible for the actual reopening.

"Everyone must do their part," Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. "Following through on the measures we are developing in the private sector's responsibility and individuals'  everyone has to do their part.

"The next few weeks are really important to make sure, as the governor said, we are vigilant, we are cautious in doing our part."

Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy chaired Gov. Charlie Baker's Reopening Advisory Board. On Monday morning, Baker released its report on how to implement the phased strategy he previously announced for a return to what the administration is calling a "new normal" for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phase 1 began on Monday, and each of the four phases will see continued relaxing of the non-essential business closure order Baker made on March 23.

Each of the first three phases will last at least three weeks, Baker said, emphasizing the "at least" part of that sentiment.

"With respect to the time frame around this  at least three weeks between phases, but it could be more," Baker said. "That is going to be a function, folks, of the data.

"It says it right in the report: The move to a next phase is going to be a function of a review of how we're doing in the phase we're in. And that's going to be all about the public health data."

The public will be able to follow that data once a week when the commonwealth issues a green-yellow-red ranking of six key metrics laid out in the report: COVID-19 positive test rate, deaths from COVID-19, patients in hospitals with COVID-19, healthcare system readiness, testing capacity and contact tracing capabilities.

"Before and during reopening, these metrics must continue to show progress," the report reads.

As of Monday, two of those metrics were marked green for "positive trend": the COVID-19 positive test rate and testing capacity. The other four were marked yellow for "in progress." A red indicator would be used for a negative trend.

"Until we only have a handful or no deaths, we can never say we're trending positively in that area," Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said on Monday.

Baker said the state will evaluate the trends in all six areas in order to decide whether to move forward  or backward  in the phases.

"The reason there's not one and the reason there are six is they operate as a package," Baker said. "And we're going to rely on the guidance we get from these folks and from the medical advisory board at the Command Center with respect to how to interpret these numbers as we move forward."

Baker's COVID-19 Advisory Board of medical experts and infectious disease specialists was just one of the voices providing input to the Reopening Advisory Board.

"We've spent the last three weeks meeting and collaborating with more than 75 business associations, labor unions, non-profits and community coalitions that collectively represent more than 112,000 businesses and more than 2 million employees," Kennealy said. "We also considered more than 4,600 pieces of written feedback. We engaged stakeholders and analyzed information in over 45 hours of Zoom meetings.

"And we will continue to rely on your insights as we move through the four-phase reopening. We're so mindful always of the great sacrifices that businesses have made during this pandemic. As we reopen Massachusetts, we'll look to our companies, large and small, to be partners in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. And this commitment will be absolutely essential."

That includes a requirement that businesses self-certify that they have implemented general and industry-specific safety standards around things like social distancing, sanitation and personal protective equipment.

State and municipal authorities will not be required to do mandatory inspections before a business can reopen, under the plan outlined yesterday. Enforcement will come from responses to complaints that the standards are not being met, Polito said.

"We don't want to have to fine," she said.

"Compliance, in this, is a responsibility that an employer has. Who's going to hold them accountable? It will be a worker who doesn't feel that they're putting that practice in place or a customer who doesn't see that these safety standards are in place.

"When that happens, that person could call their local Board of Health. And then, the enforcement of that standard in that workplace will be done, in conjunction with local Boards of Health, our Department of Public Health and our Department of Labor and Standards. And if there are multiple check-ins with this workplace and they still haven't complied, that's where a fine associated with a disobeyance of the standard would come into play."

Baker said the rules for Massachusetts' phased reopening includes elements from other states and other countries that are reviving their economies during the pandemic. But he said the commonwealth is unique and requires a unique approach to recovery.

"We got a hit a lot harder by COVID-19 and the coronavirus than most other states," Baker said. "In fact, there are really only  depending upon how you do the math  only two or three that got hit harder than we did.  And I think that creates, for us, a different way of thinking about how we work our way out of this than you might see in places that didn't have the same seriously consequential hit that we have."

That is why Baker announced the Reopening Advisory Board, generating three weeks of anticipation as the release of Monday's report neared.

It probably was no accident that Baker, with the eyes of the commonwealth on him Monday morning, made residents wait just a little bit longer to hear the report's findings, which he delivered only after he made one more in a series of daily appeals to follow common sense safety guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19: maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet whenever possible; cover your nose and mouth when you can't socially distance; wash your hands and wash surfaces; and stay home if you are feeling symptoms of the disease.

"This [reopening] report lays out what individuals must do to enable us all to move through these phases," Baker said. "This effort will hinge, fundamentally, on personal responsibility. As everyone knows, we're not helpless in this fight. We all have roles to play. And you have proven time and time again that you can play them."
Marc Maron is grieving the loss of Lynn Shelton. The comedian and actor emotionally paid tribute to his late girlfriend on Mondays episode of his WTF podcast. Shelton, an acclaimed director, writer and producer, passed away on Saturday from a previously undisclosed blood disorder at age 54.

She was my partner, she was my girlfriend, she was my friend and I loved her, Maron emotionally began. I loved her a lot. And she loved me, and I knew that. I dont know that Id ever felt what I felt with her before. I do know, actually, I did not. I have not.

Maron said he was so comfortable with Shelton and it was unlike any other relationship.

I was able to exist in a state of self-acceptance because of her love for me, he explained. I made her laugh all the time and she made me laugh and we were happy. We laughed a lot. We played Crazy Eights. We cooked food together. We traveled. We wrote.

The 56-year-old had previously told listeners on his WTF with Marc Maron podcast that Shelton had strep throat  or so they thought.

We treated it as strep throat, he explained. I thought she had strep throat, she thought she had strep throat.

Shelton got tested for COVID-19 when she fell ill a week ago and it was negative. When her fever wasnt going down on Thursday she made an appointment the following day for blood tests. Sadly, she never made it.

In the middle of the night, I heard her collapse in the hallway on her way to the bathroom, Maron revealed. He found her on the floor conscious, but delirious and she couldnt move.

I called 911 and they got her. That was the last time I saw her alive was on the floor being taken away, he said. Over the course of the day, there was never any good news. She got [to the hospital] she was anemic. She had low blood pressure. She had internal bleeding. And I dont want to go into too many details about that day, but they tried very hard at two hospitals... They eventually had to let her go. They tried everything they could. They took her off life support and she passed away.

Story continues

Maron was allowed to go to the hospital after she died on Saturday.

I told her I loved her, I touched her forehead and I left, he said, through tears. And now, this process is happening.

Shelton was known for films like Humpday and Your Sisters Sister. Her directing credits include episodes of Little Fires Everywhere, The Morning Show, Fresh Off the Boat and Marons Netflix show, Glow. Maron also starred in Sheltons 2019 film Sword of Trust.

She was an amazing woman, she was an inspiration to so many people, Maron said. She was a determined artist she had tremendous love for people, for her friends, for her son Milo. My relationship with her  I cant even explain it.  No ones got anything bad to say about Lynn Shelton... Im so glad that Lynn was so well-loved because now everybodys saying I hope that guys OK. Hows the cranky guy doing?

Although he knew who Shelton was for years, Maron didnt meet her until she came on his podcast in 2015. They wouldnt become romantically involved until years later.

I didnt know her and she had been offered to be on the show before, but I was nervous, Maron said, explaining she had an affiliation to one of his ex-wives.

I didnt know what to expect. At the time she was married and I was with somebody, but at this point when I had this conversation, its undeniable that we connected. My connection with her is almost seamless, I have no self-consciousness when Im with her, he continued. I was definitely a better person when I was engaged with her, as a comic, as a guitar player, as a human, as a lover, as everything. I was better in Lynn Sheltons gaze.

In honor of Shelton, he replayed the episode from August 2015 when they met. After, he asked, Did you feel it? Did you feel it?

When she left that day I called up [my producer] and I said, I dont know what just happened man, but I can see some alternate reality that I was with her, he recalled. That alternate reality became the reality for the past year.

Maron continued, I lit her up, she lit me up. I loved talking to her. I loved everything about her The good things are there, but the bad things are too close right now. I dont even know if I should be out in public talking. But, this is what I do and this is where Im at and theres no right or wrong with grief. It comes in waves. I just know that this person has touched so many lives. Lynn Shelton is so important, so inspirational. She was so kind and so charismatic and full of joy and positivity.

Maron thanked people for the outpouring of love and support for me and for her family.

If theres anything she taught me, really, is that people do love me, that she loved me and that theres nothing I can do about that, he emotionally declared. I realize I was learning how to accept it and Im accepting it now. I accepted it from her and I love her and Im happy you all loved her Ive never felt grief like this or this bad.

He said her death is a horrendous loss for a lot of people.

My heart goes out to her family, her friends, anybody who knew her. I guess well get through this, he said.

Shelton was previously married to actor Kevin Seal. They share a son, Milo.

Maron opened up a bit about the start of their relationship, explaining she was already separated but he was seeing someone.

I was still struggling with feelings and I was trying to keep my feelings in, he admitted. Eventually, Maron told her, If I dont try to honor my feelings for you, Ill regret it for the rest of my life.

He continued, It was the greatest decision I ever made and I dont have any regrets about it. Im sorry other people got hurt, but now whatever she gave me its going to stick. Itll elevate me for the rest of my life once I get past this horrendous loss. I know that.

Many in Hollywood are reeling after Sheltons unexpected death. Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Mark Duplass and Mindy Kaling are among the stars who posted tributes on social media.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
The extremely severe Cyclone Amphan is likely to wreak havoc on the Sundarbans in West Bengals South 24-Parganas. However, its impact may be far worse on the stretch of the mangrove wetland falling in Bangladesh given the intensity and direction of the cyclone that will land on May 20.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarbans is a biosphere reserve area known for its famous Bengal Royal Tigers. In India, it stretches across southern West Bengal, while a large portion falls in Bangladesh.

Officials at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have expressed fears of Cyclone Amphan severely affecting the worlds largest mangrove wetland.

IMD Director (Kolkata) GC Das said the landfall will be very severe and going to affect the Sundarbans. We are keeping a close watch on its pattern. So far it seems that Bangladesh is likely to be impacted more, he said.

The cyclone will hit any time between afternoon and evening of May 20 and a clear picture of the scenario will be available by Tuesday.

As of now it seems Amphan will hit the Sundarbans with a wind speed of around 150 kmph. It is predicted to skirt Odisha and make a landfall in the Sundarbans. The next 24-hours is very critical as Amphan is expected to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, Das said.

The cyclone will move northwards and then re-curve north-northeastwards and move fast across north-west Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya Island in Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm, Das said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting to review preparedness and ensure that all required arrangements are in place.

More than 1 lakh people will be evacuated soon from Ghoramara Dweep, Kalinagar in Kakdwip, Naamkhana, Bakkhali, Frasergunj, Sagar Island and Pathor Pratima from Sundarbans.

A special control room has been set up at the state secretariat from where the CM is likely to monitor the situation. Rescue teams are on standby across the state.

Sundarbans Affairs Minister Manturam Pakhira said multiple teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force have been stationed at various places in Sundarbans.

We have set up more than 300 multi-purpose cyclone centres for people who will be shifted from coastal and low-lying areas in Sundarbans. We will follow all the guidelines of COVID-19 while shifting people from the vulnerable areas, Pakhira said.

A meeting with district officials and the Coast Guard will be held soon. We are expecting relief material will be in place by Monday night. A proper planning is in place under the guidance of the chief minister and we will ensure no life is lost due to the cyclone. We are taking all measures to tackle any contingency, he told News18.

Besides, community kitchens, mobile health centres, were also set up to provide food to affected people. The state government has said there is no need to panic and the authorities are prepared to take care of the crisis.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has also taken all necessary precautions in the wake of the cyclone alert.

Prabhat Mohapatra, state Joint Commissioner (Relief), said evacuation of people from low-lying and vulnerable areas of all coastal districts in Odisha is underway. Places like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, and Bhadrak are likely to be affected more. As of now, its seems that Bengal and Bangladesh is likely to affected more, he said.
According to intelligence data, two members of Russia-led forces were killed and another two were wounded on May 17.

Russia's hybrid military forces on May 17 mounted eight attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action.

"The Russian Federation's armed formations violated the ceasefire eight 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 18. "As a result, three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in enemy shelling."

Read also"LPR" representative at Minsk talks granted Russian citizenship (Photo, video)

Russian-led forces opened fire from proscribed 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, UAVs, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Slavne, Nevelske, Pisky, and Novo-Oleksandrivka.

The Joint Forces returned fire in response to each enemy attack. According to intelligence data, two members of Russia-led forces were killed and another two were wounded on May 17.

The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on May 18.

No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops on Monday.
A former Governor of Rivers State who is now the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has revealed why he joined politics in the country.

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During an interview with PUNCH over the weekend, Amaechi revealed that he did not become a politician to be a leader or to solve the problems in the country.

According to Amaechi who has held political office since the return to civil rule in 1999, unemployment pushed him into politics rather than the zeal to serve.

I didnt join politics because I wanted to be a leader or because I wanted to solve Nigerias problems. I joined because of unemployment. I also believe there is a part that grace played in it, he said.

Amaechi lamented the poor representation of the people by political officeholders.

According to him, the poor have never been properly represented by the government whether it is the current administration, which he is part of, or the ones before it.

The poor are still here and I doubt if they would ever go away. What happens is that the elite  whether the capitalists or socialists  must manage them in such a way that they can be provided for, he added

The transport minister highlighted some of his betrayals and the challenges of young people succeeding in Nigerian political terrain.

ALSO READ: I Know Politicians Whove Suddenly Become Billionaires With Public Fund  Rotimi Amaechi

He said to make headway in the gerontocratic Nigerian politics goes beyond prayer, fasting, and hard work.

They also need to be bullish. Dont just accept that its not your right. Rather, assert and protect your rights. Also, it is important to be at the right place at the right time, he said. One has to be a hard man to survive the betrayals in Nigerian politics. Imagine someone you used to sleep on the same bed with and have given both financial and political assistance to selling you out because of his ambition, he said in a seeming reference to his successor as governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

When asked about some of the greatest lessons he have learnt in politics, Amaechi said:

I used to be a very carefree person. Though Im still one, I have managed to keep people, no matter how close, away from my private life, because one could be betrayed at any time. I have learnt that from politicians. If I had let them (politicians) into my life, I am sure by now, they would have been claiming that I own one thing or the other. The politicians in Rivers State have betrayed people so badly that one cannot trust anybody.

ALSO READ: Women Are Manipulators, They Should Stop Begging For Government For Political Appointments  Rotimi Amaechi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting Monday afternoon to review the situation arising out of cyclone 'Amphan', which is likely to hit the eastern coast.

Union Minister Amit Shah said the Prime Minister's meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the National Disaster Management Authority will take place at 4 pm.

"To review the arising cyclone situation in various parts of the country, PM @narendramodi ji will chair a high level meeting with MHA & NDMA, today at 4pm," Shah tweeted.

The Prime Minister is the chairman of the NDMA.

Cyclonic storm 'Amphan' is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185 km per hour on Wednesday, the Home Ministry earlier said.

In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the ministry has said 'Amphan' (pronounced as UM-PUN) was spotted on Monday morning over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

It has been moving nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST on Monday.

The storm is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm by Monday evening.

It is very likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting up to 185 kmph, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Campus News

Center for Diversity Innovation announces inaugural cohort of scholars

UBNOW STAFF

The cutting-edge work these scholars bring with them to UB and the networks they help us create will be of tremendous value to our students and faculty. 

Applications were received from outstanding candidates from more than 20 academic disciplines and fields, and four different units at UB. Departments collaborated with the center to evaluate the applications, which then were forwarded to a university-wide committee that made the final selections. The selection committee, led by the center director, included nine accomplished and diverse UB faculty members whose work traversed the arts, humanities, social, physical, health and applied sciences.

The scholars were chosen from a highly competitive pool generated through the Center for Diversity Innovations extensive national outreach and recruitment efforts.

We are excited to welcome these distinguished scholars to UB, who I know will have broad impact on our campus and community, contributing individually and collectively to a dynamic interdisciplinary environment at UB  expanding opportunities for our students and faculty to innovate in their scholarly and creative endeavors, and ultimately, enhancing the success of our students and faculty, said Provost A. Scott Weber.

The fundamental objective of the program is to host an annual cohort of exceptionally accomplished individuals who, through their record of scholarship and/or creative endeavors, teaching, mentoring and service  as well as their skills, experiences, underrepresentation and areas of scholarly and creative expertise  can substantially advance diversity, equity and inclusion at UB.

Established with a $1.25 million annual commitment from UB, the Distinguished Visiting Scholars program may be the largest and most comprehensive diversity-themed visiting faculty program in the United States. The new program will launch as the university finalizes plans for the fall semester in response to the evolving coronavirus pandemic. It will provide opportunities for UB students and faculty to collaborate with and learn from leaders in their fields.

Outstanding and varied scholarly and creative work. A uniform commitment to students academic success, personal and professional development, and sense of belonging. An inaugural cohort of nine outstanding scholars who will spend the 2020-21 academic year at UB as part of a new, annual program led by UBs Center for Diversity Innovation.

The nine Distinguished Visiting Scholars are:

Victoria Udondian, an internationally recognized artist and 2020 Guggenheim Fellow who draws upon her experience as a West African immigrant to create large-scale art projects on global migration, repurposing clothing and other textiles to create visually stunning exhibits exploring Nigerian history and textile production.

Terri N. Watson, CUNY, a scholar who actualizes her own commitment to improving the educational outcomes and life chances of historically excluded and underserved children and families by examining parental engagement in urban schools and communities, in particular the motherwork of black women, empowering educators, administrators and activists across the U.S.

Patricia A. Matthew, Montclair State University, a scholar specializing in 19th-century British literature and culture whose work in progress on sugar, protest and British abolitionist culture is poised to alter the field of British literary studies, and whose edited volume on diversity and tenure illuminates how universities can achieve a more diverse and equitable professorate.

Vanessa M. Holden, University of Kentucky, a historian whose work on African American women and childrens places in African American strategies of resistance and survival reshapes the narrative of the Southampton Rebellion, and whose contributions as a public historian bring the topics of her influential scholarship to wider audiences.

Mishuana Goeman, UCLA, a scholar whose publishing has influenced the directions of literary studies and a turn to the spatial in American Indian studies, American studies, gender and feminist studies and other fields, and whose recent public work  a digital ArcGIS storytelling project, Mapping Indigenous Los Angeles  has had wide scholarly and public influence, including in tribal communities. In visiting UB, she returns to her home reservation territory as a Tonawanda Band of Seneca woman.

John Major Eason, University of Wisconsin, a former community organizer who, as a sociologist, examines race, punishment and spatial inequalities in the U.S. and whose first book  a study of the politics of prison building in a southern town received widespread praise, challenging existing models and developing new theories of community, health, race, punishment and rural/urban processes.

Waverly Duck, University of Pittsburgh, a scholar whose first book on poverty and drug dealing was acknowledged for its notable contribution to the sociological study of social problems, and whose current work on gentrification, displacement and food apartheid emphasizes how residents of marginalized communities identify problems and generate viable solutions.

Eli Clare, a queer/trans writer, activist and scholar, whose publishing and activism have been recognized with multiple awards within the LGBTQ community, and whose interdisciplinary collaborations promise to engage and inform faculty, student and community work in disability, gender and sexuality, and performance studies, elucidating the essential role of all forms of art in creating just places.

Nicholas K. Githuku, York College, CUNY, a historian whose current book project is a comprehensive and multilayered narrative of empire-building in East Africa, British imperial agents and the radical process of social change wrought by imperialism, adding to his contributions to understanding of East Africa and the contemporary political history of Kenya in particular.

More detailed bios are available on the programs website.

Maura Belliveau, director of the Center for Diversity Innovation and its Distinguished Visiting Scholars program, noted that the announcement of the visiting scholars caps an 18-month process that began with the centers launch in January 2019.

The center grew out of a collaborative effort involving the Office of the Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and faculty from across the university who proposed a university-level entity that could develop and deliver empirically based trainings, educational programs, consulting and events that would help the university, SUNY institutions and organizations in the community become more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Their proposal earned a SUNY Performance Improvement Fund grant for diversity  funding that enabled Belliveaus hiring as director and facilitated her work to design the visiting scholars program, conduct 57 events, programs and activities, collaborate with 28 different entities, and engage more than 2,700 participants in her first year.

This center has been  and this program will be  an exceptional resource to students and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, and across all of the university, said Robin Schulze, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The cutting-edge work these scholars bring with them to UB and the networks they help us create will be of tremendous value to our students and faculty.

The scholars visits, which will be hosted and coordinated by the center and co-hosted by academic departments, are scheduled to begin Sept. 1. Students will be invited to apply to join scholar mentoring circles for undergraduates and graduate students. To maximize the quality of scholar experiences and fulfill the mission for university-wide, coordinated engagement, interested faculty, students, staff and community groups should submit requests for presentations, meetings and events to Belliveau, who will work closely with the scholars and departmental co-hosts to prioritize activities of greatest interest and benefit to members of the cohort and UB. The entire UB community will be invited to join in welcoming the scholars, and can join the centers mailing list for updates on virtual and/or other events with the center and scholars.

It has been an honor to contribute to UBs diversity, equity and inclusion efforts  particularly to support our underrepresented students, Belliveau said. Having become acquainted with these nine amazing individuals throughout this process, I envision a very exciting year for the scholars and UB.
A 48-year-old doctor, who got



infected with coronavirus, has recovered and resumed work at his clinic in Mumbai, but with a caution by adopting a 'no touch, no direct contact' approach with patients.

Dr Abdul Khalique, a physician who contracted COVID-19 in March from a patient who returned from Italy, told PTI that he is now back at his clinic in suburban Kalina where he sees over 50 patients every day.

To maintain physical distance with patients, he has put up a curtain made of a transparent material at his clinic.

After assessing the patient's symptoms by speaking to him/her through the curtain barrier, he prescribes medicines.

If required, he examines the patient with a stethoscope only on his/her back and then advises medication.

According to Dr Khalique, one of his patients who returned from Italy tested positive for the coronavirus infection on March 24.

Later, the civic authorities tested samples of the doctor and his staff in which his result came out positive.

The doctor underwent treatment for 14 days at a hospital and was discharged after recovering. His family members were also quarantined as a precaution.

"After I was discharged, people started approaching me to resume work. Hence, I along with my colleague Ujjawala Hadpad re-started the clinic," he said.

The doctor has been advising people to stay at home, maintain social distancing, wear masks, wash hands multiple times and use sanitiser to stay protected against the coronavirus infection.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fear of contracting Covid-19 is keeping people from donating blood, which in turn is leading to critical medical situations and a shortage in blood banks, particularly of negative blood groups. The family of an unborn child, who has been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and urgently needs intrauterine blood transfusion, had to wait for five days until they found a donor on Monday.

Suwarna Pawar, who is seven months pregnant, was admitted to Wadia Maternity Hospital in Parel last week. The foetus has been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, is anaemic and to survive, requires intrauterine blood transfusion (a procedure by which blood transfusion is done through the umbilical cord). Pawar has A- (negative) blood, but the foetus needs O- blood.

I brought my wife to the hospital on Wednesday and since then we have been trying to find a donor. On Saturday, a person donated his blood, but due to some medical issues, doctors couldnt use the blood, said Pawars husband, Dadasaheb.

Wadia Maternity Hospital didnt have O- blood and were unable to arrange for the blood despite contacting their registered O- blood donors. We have over 100 registered O- blood donors but none of them are agreeing to come to the hospital to donate blood because of the fear of contracting Covid-19. We are helpless, said a doctor from Wadia Maternity Hospital.

Finally, on Monday, Wadia Maternity Hospital told the Pawars that if the transfusion could not be arranged within 24 hours, the foetus would develop further complications.

Following the intervention of this reporter, 39-year-old O- donor Prashant Sawant from Tilak Nagar agreed to donate the blood. With the help of a friend who drove Sawant to the hospital, Sawant was able to donate his blood.

It was my duty to save the life of the child who hasnt even seen the light of the day. Just like the Covid-19 pandemic, we are also facing another health crisis  shortage of blood. There is no supplement for blood so people need to come forward to donate blood, said Sawant, who works in an IT company.

The hospital is expected to perform the intrauterine transfusion today.

Two more O- donors have also been arranged through SBTC and the Twitter handle of Blood Donors India (@BloodDonorsIn).

Previously, HT had inquired with major blood banks like King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Tata Memorial Hospital and Sir JJ Mahanagar Raktapedhi, but none of them had O- blood. According to the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), only one unit of O- blood was available at Rajawadi Hospital and 44 units of O- blood components were available at different blood banks. However, these are not suitable for intrauterine transfusion since they are not freshly donated.

For intrauterine transfusion, we need freshly donated blood which cant be more than five days old. All the blood components that are available, are quite old, said a blood medical officer from Wadia Maternity Hospital, where two major surgeries had to be stalled due to unavailability of O- and A- blood.

Currently, we a crisis in [the supply of] A-, AB- AB+ and O-. We have taken enough precautionary measures to prevent any possible transmission of Covid during donation, said Dr Thorat. In Mumbai, there is not one whole unit of A- blood in any blood bank and there are only 14 units of blood component of A- in the city.

As HT had reported on Monday, fear of contracting Covid-19 has led to a 60% fall in blood donation in the city. Almost 80% of the blood banks in Mumbai have no supplies.
COVID-19 can cause serious cardiovascular complications including heart failure, heart attacks and blood clots that can lead to strokes, scientists have warned.

The researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) in the US also cautioned that COVID-19 treatments can interact with medicines used to manage patients' existing cardiovascular conditions.

The article, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, aims to serve as a guide for emergency-medicine doctors treating patients who may have or are known to have COVID-19.

The authors note that much attention has been paid to the breathing complications of COVID-19, but less has been said about the cardiovascular complications that can lead to death or lasting impairment.

"As we encounter more and more patients with COVID-19-related illness, we are increasing our understanding of its impact on the body in general and the cardiovascular system in particular," said William Brady, of UVA's Department of Emergency Medicine.

The researchers noted that heart failure is a particular concern in patients with COVID-19.

One study, the authors note, found that almost a quarter of COVID-19 patients -- 24 per cent -- were suffering acute heart failure when they were first diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The authors state that it remains unclear if the heart failure was the result of COVID-19 specifically or if the virus was worsening undiagnosed heart failure.

Of the patients with heart failure, nearly half were not known to have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, they said.

The report also noted that COVID-19, and other diseases that cause severe inflammation throughout the body, increase the risk that fatty plaque built up in the blood vessels will rupture, leading to heart attacks and stroke.

Influenza and certain other viruses have been associated with increased risk of plaque ruptures within the first week after the disease was diagnosed, the authors noted in their review of the available COVID-19 medical literature.

They also described potential drug interactions in COVID-19 patients.

For example, the highly publicised malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can interact with medications designed to regulate heart rhythm, in addition to causing heart damage and worsening cardiomyopathy, the authors said.

Remdesivir, an antiviral that is the only COVID-19 treatment authorised by the FDA, can cause low blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythm, they said.

It's important for doctors to bear these interactions in mind when treating patients with COVID-19, the authors noted.

"As we gain more experience with this new pathogen, we realise that its adverse impact extends beyond the respiratory system," Brady added.

(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 Monday shifted blame for the road accident in Auraiya, in which 26 migrant labourers were killed, on the Congress governments in Punjab and Rajasthan, saying the party is like the proverbial cat that seeks salvation after killing 100 rats.

Speaking to a news channel, Adityanath said, "In the unfortunate accident that took place in UP's Auraiya, the Congress leadership should understand that one truck (involved in the accident) was from Rajasthan, while the other was coming from Punjab. A hefty amount of money was taken from the migrant labourers, who were returning to Bihar and Jharkhand. What were they (Congress) doing then? You will exploit people and then put up an honest face.

"The (Hindi) idiom '100 chuhe khaakar, billi Haj ko chali (a cat seeking salvation after consuming 100 rats)' fits on the Congress today. This is the shameful face of the Congress. I condemn the Congress leadership for making fun of the migrant labourers.

Twenty-six migrant workers were declared dead on Saturday early morning, after a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime along with people rammed into a stationary truck with many migrant workers sitting in it near a roadside eatery on the national highway in Auraiya.
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Alfalfa is considered a nutrient-rich feed for cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and other animals. It contains 15%22% crude protein and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It provides energy and boosts the immunity of livestock. The increasing demand for meat and dairy products worldwide has created the need for high-quality feed to enhance the quality and production of animal products. Alfalfa is a proteinaceous and fiber-rich feed for animals that helps in improving the quality of milk and meat. Thus, dairy and livestock farmers are the main buyers of alfalfa. It is also used as horse feed and is in high demand in the equestrian industry. Pellets, cubes, and hay bales are the common alfalfa product types available in the market.

Alfalfa Industry is projected to be valued at USD 39.71 Billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 5.06% during the forecast period. However, the high cost of production as compared to other forage crops and the need for large amounts of water for irrigation may hinder the alfalfa market growth. Nonetheless, the growing demand in the Middle East in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where the production of forage crops is banned due to water scarcity, provides lucrative opportunities for the alfalfa market players.

Market USP

Availability of a wide range of alfalfa products

Growth Opportunities in the Market

Increasing demand for alfalfa in the form of pellets: Alfalfa pellets are highly nutritious as they a good source of digestible fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Pellets are also convenient and cost-effective as compared to hay bales and cubes, resulting in high demand by dairy and livestock farmers. The pellets segment is, therefore, expected to be the fastest-growing during the review period.

Alfalfa pellets are highly nutritious as they a good source of digestible fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Pellets are also convenient and cost-effective as compared to hay bales and cubes, resulting in high demand by dairy and livestock farmers. The pellets segment is, therefore, expected to be the fastest-growing during the review period. High consumption by ruminant rearers: The ruminant segment dominated the global alfalfa market in 2018 and it is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for meat, milk, and other dairy products is increasing rapidly across the globe. Thus, dairy and livestock farmers are focused on high yield from ruminants by increasing the use of high-quality fodder. Moreover, the introduction of advanced products such as dehydrated and organic alfalfa fodder for cattle is likely to augment the alfalfa market demand in the coming years.

Browse Full Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/alfalfa-market-8508

Key Players

Grupo Oses (Spain)

Al Dahra ACX Global, Inc. (US)

Alfalfa Monegros, S.L. (Spain)

Anderson Hay & Grain Inc. (US)

Bailey Farms (US)

Border Valley (US)

Cubeit Hay Company (Spain)

Green Prairie International (Canada)

Carli Group (Italy)

Hay USA Inc. (US)

Haykingdom Inc. (US)

M&C Hay (US)

McCracken Hay Company (US)

SL Follen Company (US)

Standlee Hay Co Ltd. (US)

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country-level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.
An unregistered beauty therapist who performed hundreds of risky cosmetic procedures without any training out of the back of a jewellery shop in a south-east Melbourne shopping centre has been slapped with a lifetime ban by the state's health watchdog.

The Sonoun Kimlee Salon, inside Springvale Shopping Centre, was shut down by authorities last May after customers noticed clients coming out of the jewellery shop with bloodied faces and wearing bandages.

The salon in Springvale Shopping Centre out the back of which the risky cosmetic procedures took place. Credit:Yan Zhuang

Lee Kim Tan, who ran the the illegal clinic, performed double eyelid procedures (an operation to create a crease in the upper eyelid), tattooing, mole removal and facial filler and Botox procedures on dozens of clients before being raided last year.

Following an almost year-long investigation, Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner Karen Cusack issued Ms Tan with a prohibition order on Monday, permanently banning her from providing any general health services involving cosmetic procedures, including Botox and dermal fillers.
The death toll in the road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya involving migrant workers returning home rose to 27 with another man succumbing to injuries on Monday, police said.

Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here

Auraiya District Magistrate (DM) Abhishek Singh said the bodies of all the victims were sent back in ambulances, adding that a video clip circulating on the social media showing bodies being sent by truck with migrants was fake.

A total of 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime and 43 people rammed into a stationary truck with a number of migrant workers sitting in it, near a roadside eatery on the national highway in Auraiya at 3.05 am on Saturday.

Two of the injured persons died subsequently.

The Auraiya police said the accident involving a trailer truck and a mini-truck occurred near the Shivji Dhaba in Tikauli village, with both the vehicles falling into a ditch by the roadside.

"A total of 27 migrant labourers have died in the accident, while 33 sustained injuries," a police officer said.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

A case has been registered against the drivers, owners and transporters of the vehicles under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Epidemic Act and Motor Vehicles Act at Auraiya's Kotwali police station.

On Sunday, Auraiya Superintendent of Police Suniti suspended a sub-inspector and seven constables for negligence in discharging duty in connection with the accident.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Saturday directed the suspension of the station house officers (SHOs) of two police stations -- Fatehpur Sikri (Agra) and Indirapuram (Ghaziabad) -- after the accident.

Meanwhile, the DM said the bodies of all the victims, who died either on the accident spot or in the hospital, were sent by ambulances according to the protocol.

Reacting to a video clip that has gone viral on the social media showing bodies being taken in a truck with some migrants sitting in it, he said it was fake.

Strict action would be taken against those behind it, the DM added.
TEHRAN, Iran, May.18

Trend:

Only basic goods and food are allowed to be exported to Pakistan through the Mirjaveh border, deputy chairman of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce said.

Our main problem with MirJaveh border is the lack of visa issuance at the border due to the closure of the Pakistan consulate, Amanullah Shahnavazi said, Trend reports citing ILNA.



Mirjaveh is Pakistan's official border with Iran which has been open for about 2 days and the border markets are gradually reopening, Amanullah Shahnavazi added referring to the latest situation at border with Pakistan.

"Currently, only 10 trucks with food are allowed to pass the border every day, which has caused severe traffic on this border," Shahnavazi said adding that the trucks also carry ceramics, tiles, gas and groceries.

"Since the reopening of the Mirjaveh border, 23 trucks that were registered in the customs system last year have been able to enter Pakistan," the deputy chairman of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Chamber added.

Noting that 50 tons of dates have been exported to this country from beginning of the current year (March 20, 2020), he said that 80 percent of Pakistan's dates are supplied from Iran.

In the same period last year, Iran's export goods were delivered by 300 trucks to Pakistan, said Shahnavazi.

The volume of our exports has decreased significantly compared to the previous year," he added.
Nearly 80,000 migrant workers and



other people have left Pune district in Maharashtra so far in trains and public transport for their home states amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown, a senior official said on Monday.

In the next two days, 18 special trains from the district are scheduled to leave for various districts in different states, said district collector Naval Kishore Ram.

"As on May 18, about 80,000 migrant labourers, stranded people from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand and other states were sent back through 30 trains and state transport buses," he said.

He reiterated his appeal to the labourers to stay back in view of permissions being given for resumption of industrial activities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A childhood picture of Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia dressed in full regalia as a lawyer during his primary school days at the Sakasaka Primary School in Tamale has popped up.



The picture was revealed by Konlanbik Jacob Duuti, a 75-year old former primary school tutor of the Vice President in the 1970s at the Sakasaka Primary School in Tamale.



Mr. Duuti revealed the picture when officials presented a brand new tractor to him from Vice President Dr. Bawumia on Sunday at his home in Nakpanduri.



The Vice President's former teacher explained that the picture, which shows young Bawumia dressed as a lawyer, was captured on the occasion of one of the primary school's speech and prize giving day in the late 60.



The former teacher revealed that Dr. Bawumia fancied becoming a lawyer as a pupil, adding that the Vice President actually acted in a play as a lawyer during the school's speech and prize giving day.



Meanwhile a family source of the Vice President has confirmed the Vice President's interest in law when he was growing up.



The family source revealed that after completing his secondary education at the Tamale Secondary School, Dr. Bawumia got admission to read law at the Univerisity of London, but he declined in favour of banking and economics because he wanted to do something different from his brother, who was also reading law at the time.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Syracuse, N.Y.  At least 278 Onondaga County businesses have submitted plans to New York in recent days as the state has begun allowing more people to go back to work, according to County Executive Ryan McMahon.

McMahon doesnt yet have a list of what those businesses are from the state. He expects that soon.

What it does mean is that at least 278 businesses are attesting they can operate in ways that aim to protect workers and customers from becoming infected with the coronavirus, McMahon said.

And it means they can open their doors, he added. Its possible that the county would, when needed, follow up with the businesses operation plan.

People who have gone through this process are probably the people who we wont coming knocking on their door, he said.

Some of those businesses may already have been operating. Under the states reopening guidelines, all essential businesses must also participate in the reopening registry through the NY Forward website.

We still need you to go through this process, he said.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

After mom dies of coronavirus in NYC, Syracuse woman takes on a final promise: a place to rest

Who can get a coronavirus test in NY? Cuomo widely expands eligibility for thousands

Cuomo: No more New York lockdowns planned, even as coronavirus is expected to slowly spread

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
The fourth tranche of announcements that talked about economic reforms from the fourth of 21 slides onwards, is more about packaging and repackaging than reforms. True, in her 16 May 2020 presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman  the minister facing the greatest challenges and stress in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet, and all respect to her for working round the clock to get the economy into shape  has embraced the dreaded R-Word. But labelling a policy change as reform may get accolades from supporters, it will not deliver outcomes. Every change in policy cannot be called a reform. The government needs to use the word sparingly, accurately and with conviction.

Reforms

The 15 May 2020 announcements in the third tranche of for ushering in agricultural reforms were real, and if pushed to completion, will deliver outcomes of greater flexibility for farmers. The fourth tranche straddles both, reforms and policy changes. On the reforms side are a few proposals. Raising the FDI (foreign direct investment) limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route to 74% from 49% is a reform. Privatisation of power distribution in Union Territories is also a reform that hopes for better service to consumers and greater efficiency in operations.

Opening up the space sector to Indias private sector is a reform too. It will allow private firms to launch satellites and space-based services. Giving access to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) facilities to private entrepreneurs could help leverage them better. Above all, allowing private ambitions for planetary exploration and outer space travel on the one side and a geospatial data policy on the other is a big door. But how far it will open remains to be seen. This is a reform. As is allowing private sector in atomic energy by establishing research reactors in PPP mode for the production of medical isotopes, use irradiation technology for food preservation, and technology development cum incubation centres for synergies between research facilities and tech-entrepreneurs.

...and policy changes

Upgradation of industrial infrastructure by making industrial land available is important, even crucial  but it is not a reform. It is good to know that the government has identified 3,376 industrial parks, estates and special economic zones across 500,000 hectares or about 1.2 million acres of land for new investments. These will certainly enable new investments. For context, this aggregate land is about 300 times more than what the South Korean steel giant Posco wanted in Orissa for its $20 billion project before it was unceremoniously thrown out, 12 years after it initiated a 12 million tonnes per annum steel plant. If such land is now made available, one big hurdle towards setting up factories is behind us, and the decision must be lauded.

Land is one of the two major hurdles before entrepreneurs. In an ORF-AMCHAM survey of US companies, three out of five CEOs said that land acquisition is an area that creates major hurdles and needs urgent attention from the Indian government. Delays in land acquisition and in securing environmental clearances alone, caused the stalling Rs 4.3 trillion worth of projects, of which 60% were government ones, the report stated.

But to label the availability of a land bank as reform is stretching the term. Modis attempt at land reform was through the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015. He tried hard to push the Ordinance thrice but failed and had to retrace his steps due to backlash from farmers and the Opposition.

Likewise, the decision to introduce commercial mining in the coal sector for self-reliance in its production through competition, transparency and private sector participation is a good step. As is the greater flexibility given to entrepreneurs. Offering 50 blocks immediately shows quick decision making by the government. But these are policy changes and their executive execution  not economic reforms.

Awarding three out of six airports for operation and maintenance on PPP (public-private partnership) basis is a good step. But its not reform  the policy is already in place. Further, removing restrictions on air space utilisation by airlines, reducing fuel use and through them creating a positive environmental impact are good decisions. That they will reduce the cost of flying by Rs 1,000 crore may be insignificant in the larger scheme of things, its impact may be marginal on flyers. But these are policy steps, not reforms. Reforms happened when the sector was opened up to private investments.

All proposals have their place, their importance. Many reforms are needed, some desperately. It is heartening to hear Modi-Sitharaman listening to voices crying for reforms. In a bid to assuage these concerns, they are attempting to modify policies, which is good. But as far as reforms go, the government needs to rethink its economic architecture, even ideology, from first principles upwards. The previous regimes were dominated by the Left. The laws, rules and regulations they made served those principles. If Modi wants to take the next big leap  and time is opportune for it through the ongoing COVID19 health-economic crisis  he will need to stand on stronger foundations from which to launch reforms.

Need to Shift Focus from Control to Decontrol

The most disappointing aspect of packaging routine government policy work as reforms is that the government is leaning on those who have benefited from the strangulation of the Indian economy to de-strangulate it. More than Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, what is being touted as economic reforms in the fourth tranche of announcements has the dominating signature of Indias bureaucrats. Not politics but the bureaucracy seems to be driving and executing economic policy.

For instance, on the one hand, the announcement says that there will be a liberalised regime in coal sector and ease of doing business measures, such as mining plan simplification, will be taken. But just two lines later, we are back to the command and control pattern of the 1970s that states the government will allow for automatic 40% increase in annual production. Why should an entrepreneur be bound to the whim of a bureaucrat to increase production beyond 40% if there is a sudden spurt of coal? Where has this number been cobbled up from  why not 25% or 80% or 3,813.27%? This is petty thinking, petty in in imagination, petty in execution.

The overarching and disappointing sense we get is that the government is thinking it is living in the past as far as policy actions go. It is attempting to micromanage an economy that has scaled up and moved on. This is not the era of shortages of the 1950s and 1960s. This is not the time of commanding heights and excessive controls of the 1970s. This is not even about the opening up of sectors and liberalisation of the 1990s. These conversations are behind us. This is a 21st century India. The arrogance of control has to give way to a focus on decontrol. The conversations have to respect entrepreneurs, job and wealth creators. Policy conversations with businesses and investments have to be more nuanced, more equal. Freedom has to be the reforms destination, light-touch regulation the policy path.
Google Meet crossed the 10 million mark back in March.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced people to stay inside their homes. Amid the circumstances people are turning to video conferencing apps, such as Zoom and Google Meet to catch up with their friends, family and colleagues, which in turn has boosted the user base of their video conferencing solutions significantly. Now, word is that Google Meet has crossed the 50 million mark on Play Store.

According to App Brain data, Googles enterprise video conferencing app which the company made free for all its users earlier this month, crossed the 5 million mark in the beginning of March this year. This number quickly rose to 10 million installs within 20 days. And as of May 17, the app has registered over 50 million installs.

As far as Meet is concerned, Google earlier this year made advanced features of the app, which includes having around 250 participants in a call, free to all G-Suite and G-Suite for Education customers. And earlier this month the company announced that Google Meet would be available for free to all users until September 30.

After September 30, the company will enforce a limit of 60 minute per call on the free tier of the video conferencing service. This limit, however, will not be applicable on the customers using the companys enterprise solution.
I have come to accept that my annual holiday in France will not be happening this year. No, it's not because of travel restrictions, it's because the Tour de France will not be on television this year.

For long I have argued that holidays can be taken more 'remotely', and now it seems that in many other areas, the world had finally caught up with me.

No longer do people automatically assume that they have to be physically present in an office every day, or physically travelling to that office, or physically doing many things that they used to do.

I had reached that conclusion in relation to leisure activities too, noting in particular that by watching the Tour de France on Eurosport every day, I was getting none of the drawbacks of an 'actual' holiday in France, and many unique advantages.

You didn't have to travel to France, for a start, with all the unpleasantness that entails. You had aerial photography to give a true perspective, and if you weren't enjoying it, you could go 'home' simply by changing the channel.

'Le Tour' even takes a different route every year, so that you get the broadest possible 'experience' of the country - often you will hear of people who go to the same little village in France every summer, which to me seems terribly limiting, next to the infinite variety to be found on Eurosport.

And by the way, they throw in an excellent bicycle race too. Not this year, though.

And yet I am pleased to say that I have been able to make other arrangements. Thanks to a new four-part series on TG4, An Bhoirinn, about a year in the life of the Burren, I am doing what you might call a 'staycation'. And it started very nicely last Wednesday with the 'spring' episode, which had many of the elements which are so attractive to the 'remote', or perhaps remote-control, holiday-maker.

For a start, I didn't have to go to Clare to be wandering, as it were, through the famous landscape. And even if I had gone to the trouble of going down there, I would have missed all the useful information being imparted about the flora and the fauna.

Hey, what do I know about flora and fauna? There I would have been, just thinking "this is very nice", without really knowing anything; whereas now I know loads of things which enhance my enjoyment of the scenery, without leaving my home on the east coast.

Video of the Day

But it's in our meetings with the people of the Burren that this series really gives us an edge. Generally in such programmes we are told about the botanical wonders of the area, but here we meet an actual botanist, Eugene Lambe, who also makes musical instruments; he plays the uilleann pipes, and sings.

If I had just gone down there, on spec, probably I'd never have encountered this excellent fellow.

I mean, I might have run into him by accident - but a good TV treatment takes all the anxiety away, and you get to know these people at their best.

Nor in all likelihood would I have met Rainer Krause, the fisherman originally from Germany who has been going out in his boat since the mid-1960s, catching fish in the sea. I mean, I might have spotted him in the distance, but I'd have known nothing of his interesting back-story.

And anyway I am quite a shy person, so it is a boon for me when I can be 'introduced' to such interesting people without actually going through the difficult rituals of meeting and greeting.

I can participate in 'conversations' with people in Lahinch or Kilfenora or in Kinvara, where Annie Nolan runs a vegetable stall; or in the Cheese Press in Ennistymon, which looks like the ideal establishment for anyone wanting to meet good people and drink good coffee - something I was able to glean from this TV visit without needing to go down there in person.

In Ennistymon too, there's a gallery run by the painter Sara Foust who came over here from San Francisco - and again, as a reserved sort of person, I wouldn't be going up to Sara Foust in her gallery and talking to her.

I'm happy to leave it to the TV people - in this case probably the director Martina Durac - to do the heavy lifting in this regard.

That's their job, I'm on my holidays.
YEREVAN.  Since all the questions about me are a bit classified, that's why its not that I don't want to communicate with you, but I just can't. Arshak Karapetyan, who held the post of Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia during the April 2016 events and now is an adviser to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, told reporters Monday after his meeting with the parliamentary inquiry committee examining the circumstances of the military actions in April 2016.

When asked why he was called to this committee for the second time, he said: "They had questions to clarify, they asked questions, I answered again."

"There is an issue of confidentiality in connection with all my information because it is important for Azerbaijan to know whether or not our intelligence had known," Karapetyan added, in particular.

And to the remark that PM Pashinyan had said that there was no lack of operative information, Arshak Karapetyan asked: "How can I discuss what the Prime Minister said?"
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP)  The main highway between Las Vegas and Reno was damaged and closed early Friday following a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in a remote area of Nevada.

Nevada Highway Patrol photos showed cracks on U.S. 95 that Trooper Hannah DeGoey said were caused by the temblor a little after 4 a.m. west of Tonopah.





. . .
[May 18, 2020] Grant Thornton names several new office managing partners and principals

Grant Thornton (News - Alert) LLP has named new office managing partners and principals in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Chicago; Columbia, South Carolina; Metropark, New Jersey; Orange (News - Alert) County, California; Phoenix; San Diego; San Francisco; Silicon Valley, California; South Florida; and Seattle. Grant Thornton appointed these office managing partners and principals to drive the firm's continued commitment to its people and culture, while also supporting its strategic objectives and growth initiatives in their respective markets. They include: Jason Perry has been named office managing partner of the firm's Atlanta office, effective August 1, 2020. Perry succeeds Wade Weeks, who is retiring on July 31, 2020, after more than 37 years serving in a range of leadership roles at major accounting firms.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Atlanta office, effective August 1, 2020. Perry succeeds Wade Weeks, who is retiring on July 31, 2020, after more than 37 years serving in a range of leadership roles at major accounting firms. Doreen Griffith has been named office managing partner of the firm's Dallas office, effective August 1, 2020. Griffith succeeds Wally Gruenes, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Gruenes concludes an impressive career at Grant Thornton, where he served as Central region managing partner and Dallas managing partner for the past 7 years. Prior to that, Gruenes led the firm's Consumer and Industrial Products industry practice and served on the Board of the National Association of Manufacturers.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Dallas office, effective August 1, 2020. Griffith succeeds Wally Gruenes, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Gruenes concludes an impressive career at Grant Thornton, where he served as Central region managing partner and Dallas managing partner for the past 7 years. Prior to that, Gruenes led the firm's Consumer and Industrial Products industry practice and served on the Board of the National Association of Manufacturers. Mike Desmond has been named office managing partner of the firm's Charlotte, North Carolina office, effective August 1, 2020. Desmond succeeds Dave Wedding, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2021 - his mandatory retirement date. During the one-year overlap with Desmond, Wedding will continue to focus on Grant Thornton's people-centric programs and support Desmond in the market with clients, strategic pursuits and overall growth initiatives. He will also serve as an experienced ambassador for Grant Thornton's people-first culture.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Charlotte, North Carolina office, effective August 1, 2020. Desmond succeeds Dave Wedding, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2021 - his mandatory retirement date. During the one-year overlap with Desmond, Wedding will continue to focus on Grant Thornton's people-centric programs and support Desmond in the market with clients, strategic pursuits and overall growth initiatives. He will also serve as an experienced ambassador for Grant Thornton's people-first culture. Mark Sullivan has been named office managing principal of the firm's Chicago office, effective immediately. Sullivan succeeds Vince Tomkinson, who accepted a new role as Grant Thornton's global account leader based in the United Kingdom.

has been named office managing principal of the firm's Chicago office, effective immediately. Sullivan succeeds Vince Tomkinson, who accepted a new role as Grant Thornton's global account leader based in the United Kingdom. Barbara Koosa Ryan has been named office managing partner of the firm's Columbia, South Carolina office, effective August 1, 2020. Ryan succeeds Mark Ballew, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Ballew caps an impressive 40-year career in accounting and served as Grant Thornton's Columbia office managing partner for the past 12 years.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Columbia, South Carolina office, effective August 1, 2020. Ryan succeeds Mark Ballew, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Ballew caps an impressive 40-year career in accounting and served as Grant Thornton's Columbia office managing partner for the past 12 years. Bryan Merrigan has been named office managing partner of the firm's Metropark, New Jersey office, effective immediately. Merrigan succeeds Matt DiDonato, who became the New York City office managing partner on January 22, 2020.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Metropark, New Jersey office, effective immediately. Merrigan succeeds Matt DiDonato, who became the New York City office managing partner on January 22, 2020. Brett Beightol has been named office managing partner of the firm's Orange County, California office, effective August 1, 2020. Beightol succeeds Alan Herrmann, who has been leading Grant Thornton's Orange County office. Hermann was promoted to lead Grant Thornton's West region Tax practice in 2019.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Orange County, California office, effective August 1, 2020. Beightol succeeds Alan Herrmann, who has been leading Grant Thornton's Orange County office. Hermann was promoted to lead Grant Thornton's West region Tax practice in 2019. David Gifford has been named office managing partner of the firm's Phoenix office, effective August 1, 2020. Gifford succeeds Tim Zingraf, who has been serving as interim Phoenix office managing partner since 2019, when the office managing partner, Brad Preber, became Grant Thornton's CEO.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Phoenix office, effective August 1, 2020. Gifford succeeds Tim Zingraf, who has been serving as interim Phoenix office managing partner since 2019, when the office managing partner, Brad Preber, became Grant Thornton's CEO. Adam Steinmetz has immediately assumed the role of office managing partner of the firm's San Diego office. He replaces Brett Beightol (see above) in the role, who relocated to the firm's Orange County, California office and will become that office's managing partner on August 1, 2020.

has immediately assumed the role of office managing partner of the firm's San Diego office. He replaces Brett Beightol (see above) in the role, who relocated to the firm's Orange County, California office and will become that office's managing partner on August 1, 2020. Rimma Tabakh has been named office managing partner of the firm's San Francisco office, effective August 1, 2020. Tabakh succeeds Tony Perazzo, who has been leading Grant Thornton's San Francisco office, as well as its Silicon Valley, California office. Perazzo is relinquishing the twin posts because he was promoted to the firm's West regional managing partner role in 2019.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's San Francisco office, effective August 1, 2020. Tabakh succeeds Tony Perazzo, who has been leading Grant Thornton's San Francisco office, as well as its Silicon Valley, California office. Perazzo is relinquishing the twin posts because he was promoted to the firm's West regional managing partner role in 2019. Amanda McCarty has been named office managing partner of the firm's Silicon Valley office, based in San Jose, California - effective August 1, 2020. McCarty succeeds Perazzo.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's Silicon Valley office, based in San Jose, California - effective August 1, 2020. McCarty succeeds Perazzo. Seth Siegel has been named office managing partner of the firm's South Florida offices, located in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Siegel replaces Doug Gawrych, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Gawrych concludes an 18-year career at Grant Thornton, where his leadership experience includes roles as the firm's Florida managing partner and as its national managing partner for Private Company Services and Private Equity Services.

has been named office managing partner of the firm's South Florida offices, located in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Siegel replaces Doug Gawrych, who is retiring from the firm on July 31, 2020 - his mandatory retirement date. Gawrych concludes an 18-year career at Grant Thornton, where his leadership experience includes roles as the firm's Florida managing partner and as its national managing partner for Private Company Services and Private Equity Services. Dan Powers has been named office managing partner of the firm's Seattle office, effective immediately. Powers has been serving as the interim office managing partner since July 2019. "Our new office managing partners and principals are the definition of servant leaders - professionals who are committe to our firm's people, clients and communities," said Brad Preber, CEO of Grant Thornton. "It is a privilege to name such a talented and accomplished slate of leaders to provide our clients with innovative, high-quality solutions during the challenging times ahead."



About Jason Perry Perry has spent almost 20 years at Grant Thornton providing audit services to public and large private companies primarily in the manufacturing, technology and life science industries. Additionally, he currently serves as the Atlanta Audit Services practice leader, a position he has served in since April 2012. Perry received a bachelor's degree in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology (News - Alert). He is a certified public accountant (CPA) in Georgia and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

About Doreen Griffith Griffith boasts more than 30 years of experience in the tax industry, including 17 years at Grant Thornton. For the past 3 years, she has been a member of Grant Thornton's Tax leadership team and the Financial Services Tax leader. Prior to that, she was the firm's California managing partner. Griffith has also held a range of other leadership roles, including national managing partner of Tax Services and West region Tax practice leader, as well as office managing partner in Honolulu. She received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Louisiana Tech University - and is a CPA in Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois and Texas. She is also a member of the AICPA. About Mike Desmond Desmond joined Grant Thornton in 2007 and currently serves as the firm's national Audit Industry and Growth leader. He previously led the firm's Carolinas Consumer and Industrial Products industry team. He has more than 30 years of public accounting and corporate industry experience focused primarily within the manufacturing and technology sectors. Desmond received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a CPA in North Carolina and a member of the AICPA. About Mark Sullivan Sullivan joined the firm in 2009 and has more than 25 years of experience in corporate investigations, fraud prevention and detection and litigation support. He previously served as the Advisory practice leader for the firm's Central region and the Chicago Forensic Advisory Services practice leader. Sullivan also served on the national and global leaderships teams for the firm's Forensics practice. Sullivan is currently a member of Grant Thornton's Partnership Board and is a certified fraud examiner. He received a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from Southern Illinois University. About Barbara Koosa Ryan Ryan joined the firm in 2002 and has more than 25 years of public accounting experience focused primarily in the transportation, real estate, manufacturing and distribution industries. She currently serves as the partner-in-charge of the firm's Carolinas Tax practice and is the national leader of the Privately Held Corporation Services practice. She received a master's degree in accountancy from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Furman University. Ryan is a CPA in South Carolina and North Carolina and is a member of the AICPA. About Bryan Merrigan Merrigan joined the firm in 2002 and has nearly 20 years of public accounting experience spanning a variety of industries, including professional services, technology and life sciences. As an Audit partner, he has significant experience working with initial public offerings (IPOs), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), debt offerings and other complex business transactions. Merrigan received a master's of business administration degree and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Rider University. He's a CPA in New York and New Jersey and a member of the AICPA. About Brett Beightol Beightol joined the firm in 1994 and has nearly 30 years of experience serving public and private companies in a broad range of industries, including technology, life sciences, transportation, logistics and manufacturing. He specializes in financial statement audit engagements and technical accounting guidance. He most recently served as the San Diego Audit partner-in-charge and San Diego office managing partner, a role that has been filled by Adam Steinmetz (see below). Beightol received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Northern Colorado. He is a CPA in California and a member of the AICPA. About David Gifford Gifford joined the firm in 2002 and has 30 years of public accounting experience in a wide array of industries, including real estate, integrated auto retail and finance, transportation, hospitality, agriculture and technology. He most recently served as the Audit practice leader in the firm's Phoenix office, a post he held since 2009. Gifford received a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in accounting with honors from the University of Florida. He is a CPA in Arizona and a member of the AICPA. About Adam Steinmetz Steinmetz boasts a 14-year career at Grant Thornton, which includes 2 years in Grant Thornton's Washington National Tax Office. He has consulted on a wide variety of corporate tax matters and specializes in corporate consulting, audit support over ASC (News - Alert) 740 and federal income tax provisions - as well as M&A support and tax structuring. Steinmetz has worked with a variety of enterprises, including closely-held businesses, emerging growth companies, pre-IPO companies, complex private companies and large public companies. He is a CPA in California and a member of the AICPA. About Rimma Tabakh Tabakh joined the firm in 2002 and has more than 20 years of experience providing audit and advisory services to publicly listed multi-national corporations. She has led initial and secondary public offerings, performed due diligence in acquisitions and supervised IFRS to U.S. GAAP conversions. She has also advised European, American and Asian companies on cross-border transactions. Tabakh most recently served as the firm's Greater Bay Area Audit practice leader. From 2014 to 2017, she was the U.S. resident partner for Grant Thornton China. She received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley and is a CPA in California and a member of the AICPA. About Amanda McCarty McCarty joined the firm in 2007 and has more than 15 years of experience providing audit and consulting services related to SEC (News - Alert) regulations and filings, IPOs, audits of internal control over financial reporting and M&A. She also has extensive experience working with private equity firms and complex public and private technology and healthcare companies in Silicon Valley, California. McCarty received a bachelor's of business administration degree in accountancy from Baruch College. She is a CPA in California and New York and a member of the AICPA. About Seth Siegel Siegel joined Grant Thornton in 1996 and boasts extensive experience in a variety of industries, including real estate, hospitality, private equity and financial services. He served as the firm's Florida Audit practice leader from 2012 until 2019, with operational responsibility for Grant Thornton's five offices in that state. Prior to that, Siegel led the firm's Florida Real Estate, Construction and Hospitality industry group, and served on Grant Thornton's Experience Leadership Council. Siegel is currently a member of Grant Thornton's Partnership Board and serves on the firm's Audit Quality Advisory Council. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. Siegel is a CPA in Florida and a member of the AICPA. About Dan Powers Powers joined the firm in 2004. He has 35 years of public accounting experience and has provided accounting, tax and advisory services to numerous large and mid-sized companies with both domestic and foreign operations. He continues to serve as the global head of Tax for Grant Thornton International Ltd, and helped establish the Grant Thornton Shared Services Center in Bangalore, India. He also served as Grant Thornton's Wichita, Kansas office managing partner and Tax practice leader of the Kansas City, Missouri office. Powers received a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Florida. He is a CPA in Washington, Kansas and Missouri and a member of the AICPA. About Grant Thornton LLP Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world's leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Grant Thornton, which has revenues in excess of $1.9 billion and operates more than 50 offices, works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations. "Grant Thornton" refers to Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another's acts or omissions. Please see grantthornton.com for further details. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005662/en/

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Burundi, which elects its president on May 20, has been mired in a political crisis since the last election in 2015, at the cost of 1,200 lives.

The violence, sparked by opposition to Pierre Nkurunzizas bid for a third presidential term, stoked fears of a return to civil war akin to the 1993-2006 conflict in which 300,000 people died.

Nkurunziza however surprised observers when he announced in 2018 that he would not seek another term in the election to take place this year, with the first round on May 20, despite a new constitution allowing him to do so.

Here is a recap of the past five years of unrest.

 Demonstrations erupt 

In April 2015, a day after Nkurunziza is declared candidate for a third term by his ruling CNDD-FDD party, thousands gather in the capital, defying a ban on demonstrations.

It is the start of six weeks of almost daily protests that the police clamp down on with force.

The opposition says the move to keep Nkurunziza in power as president, a position he has held for a decade, is unconstitutional and violates a peace deal that ended the civil war.

Nkurunziza says his first term, secured in 2005, does not count as he was elected by parliament  not the people  as part of the transition from war.

 Failed coup 

In May a coup attempt led by a former army chief fails. Nkurunziza fires his defence and foreign ministers.

In June parliament chief Pie Ntavyohanyuma goes into exile, on the eve of legislative elections boycotted by the opposition, joining a long list of opposition leaders, journalists, members of civil society and disillusioned ruling party members.

In July, Nkurunziza is re-elected.

 Spiral of attacks 

In August Nkurunzizas right-hand man, General Adolphe Nshimirimana, is killed in a rocket strike.

The former head of Burundis army during the civil war, Colonel Jean Bikomagu, is assassinated the same month.

In December at least 87 people are killed in coordinated attacks on military sites that trigger fierce reprisals from the security forces.

In April 2016, Tutsi general Athanase Kararuza and his wife are killed.

 Genocide risk 

In July 2016, the UN Security Council authorises the deployment of 228 UN police in Burundi. Bujumbura rejects the resolution.

A UN probe in September accuses the government of serious rights violations, warning of a risk of genocide.

The following month Burundi informs the UN that it will leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), quitting a year later.

In December, Nkurunziza hints he could stand for another term in the 2020 election.

In January 2017, Human Rights Watch accuses members of the ruling partys youth wing, the Imbonerakure, of having killed, tortured and beaten dozens of people. In April the UN accuses them of having encouraged the rape of opponents.

 Heightened repression 

In September the UN extends a rights probe for another year.

In November the ICC opens a full investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity in Burundi.

In May 2018, Burundi approves in a referendum constitutional reforms that would enable Nkurunziza to rule until 2034, after a campaign Human Rights Watch says was marked by increased repression and abuses.

 Nkurunziza not to stand 

In June, Nkurunziza announces that he will not stand in 2020.

In September, UN investigators warn that serious rights violations, including crimes against humanity, are continuing in Burundi, pointing to Nkurunzizas hate speech.

In January 2020, lawmakers agree a golden parachute for Nkurunziza. The ruling party picks General Evariste Ndayishimiye as its presidential candidate.

In February the key opposition party chooses Agathon Rwasa.

Nkurunziza is declared supreme guide for patriotism by lawmakers.
Iran Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Committee have approved a double-urgency motion that outlines the manner of confrontation on the national and international scale against the Israeli regime, Mehr reported.

MPs, according to Iranian media, have ordered the MFA to create a virtual embassy of Iran in Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. For this, the department is given six months from the moment of ratification of the law.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry is required to organize a 'referendum in Palestine' as well.

The provisions of the approved law also imply a ban on the movement of Israeli goods through Iran, as well as a ban on the participation of Israeli-related companies in exhibitions. MPs obliged the government to assist other states and peoples in the 'liberation' of Jerusalem.

Palestinians, as part of the peace process with Israel, which is currently suspended, demand that the future borders between the two sovereign states go along the lines that existed before the Six-Day War of 1967, with a possible exchange of territories. They hope to create their state on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem wants to make it the capital. Israel refuses to return to the borders of 1967, much less to share Jerusalem with the Arabs, which has already declared its eternal and indivisible capital.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav



Thackeray on Monday met with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan here after taking oath as an MLC.

Thackeray was accompanied by his wife Rashmi, son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray and chief secretary Ajoy Mehta, an official said.

Earlier in the day, Thackeray took oath as a member of the Legislative Council at a function held at Vidhan Bhawan in south Mumbai with eight others. They were administered the oath by Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar.

It can be recalled that the governor had earlier not acted on a recommendation made by the state cabinet on two occasions to nominate Thackeray, who was then not a member of either Houses, as an MLC.

After Thackeray flagged potential political uncertainty in Maharashtra with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the event of he not becoming a member of the legislature before May 27, the election commission ordered elections to nine vacant seats in the Legislative Council.

Thackeray and eight others were elected unopposed on May 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Julie Carle

For all of Coreisa Lees life when opportunity knocked, she answered.

Lee, a 2020 College of Musical Arts Master of Music Performance graduate who was born into a musical family, left behind her family and home state of Alabama to advance her musical career, first in New York City and then Bowling Green, Ohio.

Each adventure has provided new perspectives and shifted her long-term goals a bit. As an undergraduate student at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, surrounded by amazing musicians from all over the world, she affirmed her goal to become a professional flutist.

During her two years at Bowling Green State University, she never wavered from wanting to play professionally, but she broadened her career goals to consider becoming a teacher. She realized that becoming a professor could check off two personal goals: one, to teach the next generations of musicians and two, to support her financially allowing her to inspire others through her performances.

Thus, the next opportunity for her will be to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at West Virginia University this fall, where she earned a provost fellowship.

You see, I was destined for music, she said with a smile.

Her musical journal started early. She sang before she spoke, and played piano for a few years before she discovered her instrument of choice: the flute. Her father, Howard, whose life mission is to preach and his happiness to play saxophone and sing, enrolled fourth-grader Coreisa and her older brothers in a musical program at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. He hoped music would take hold for them as it had for him.
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) laboratory in Ho, a dedicated testing centre for covid-19 for Oti and Volta region has taken delivery of some equipment that have increased its testing capacity beyond 2000 tests daily.

The equipment, a full set PRC Real-time Machine with its accessories which is to also aid research and development in the health sector was part of the logistical support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna gave to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

The Commission in turn presented it to the Ministry of Health as support to the Ho COVID-19 Testing Centre at UHAS.

Minister for Health Kwaku Agyemang Manu, who presented the items to the team from the Volta region described the donation as timely and one that will consolidate Ghana's strategy of tracing, testing, treatment and containment.

The Volta regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa who is a public health professional said the equipment will allow UHAS to be able to test 2,300 samples within 24 hours.

Hitherto, the Centre could only run 100 to 300 samples within the same period, he noted.

The Vice Chancellor of UHAS, Professor John Owusu Gyapong noted that the testing capacity of the facility would be increased sevenfold and affords the centre to meet the testing demands from beyond the Volta and Oti Regions, especially parts of Greater Accra and Eastern Regions closer to Ho.

More Donations to UHAS Testing Centre

In a related development, UHAS has received a variety of donations and support from a number of organisations, including the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Defiat Construction Limited and the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.

The first to make donations in the past week was the COVID-19 National Trust Fund which presented a single cabin pick-up truck to the UHAS testing centre on May 11, 2020.

The Ghana Hotels Association-Volta also followed suit with a donation of assorted items to the UHAS testing to support the fight against the novel coronavirus disease.

The Chairman of the Association in the Region, Mack Hotor making the presentation said although they have been hard hit by COVID-19, it was necessary to support the fight.

Augustus Nketiah, Regional Director of Ghana Tourism Authority and his staff were also present to witness the ceremony.

Donations

The UHAS testing centre further received three Midea Air-Conditioners from the Defiate Construction Limited; represented by the Administrator, Dennis Fafa Fiator and Daniel Adoba, Chief Accountant of the company.

The last donation before the week ended came from GCB Bank Limited.

The Acting Regional Manager, Jerry John Hayibor and the Business Development Manager, Joseph Agyeman made the donation on the bank's behalf.

Mr. Agyeman said the gesture is to reiterate the bank's commitment to the fight against COVID-19 as well as a show of solidarity to the longstanding friendship the bank has with the University.

Prof. Owusu Gyapong described the donations as timely and purposeful as some of the benefactors responded to specific needs are requested by the centre.

He revealed that since the testing centre began operations, results of all samples submitted to the Laboratory are released within 24 hours.

---Daily Guide
Bengaluru, May 19 : One of the treasure hunters who survived, unlike his accomplices, a gold dust gathering adventure in Karnataka's Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) mine has tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Monday.

"Richard tested positive for COVID-19. He has been moved into a designated hospital," told KGF Superintendent of Police Mohammed Sujitha to IANS.

For his alleged attempt to steal gold dust from the deep defunct mines, Richard has also been arrested under IPC Section 304 and also for theft.

"We have arrested him but when we arrested, we have followed all due procedure," said Sujitha about the physical distancing and COVID-19 care taken in the modalities.

On Wednesday evening at around 7.30 p.m., Kanda (55), Joseph (45), and Richard went in search of gold dust in mines.

According to police, gold dust hunting has been happening stealthily for a while as the seekers aim to salvage gold flakes by sieving out the dust to sell the flakes.

"Kanda and Joseph went down into a pit with the help of a rope as Richard waited above. Both of them did not return, prompting Richard to go back home and inform Kanda's family," a police officer said.

Kanda's son Santosh (20), then went in search of his father and got down the pit where the trio had hoped they could find gold flakes mixed in dust.

"While Kanda and Joseph went inside the pit and died, Santosh went into a deeper place and died," said the officer.

After three days, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been roped in to retrieve Santosh's body from that deep pit as the other two bodies were found earlier.

"They had tried all day on Sunday. They had evacuated (blow out) all the gases from there and tried using a pulley. Because of space constraints and they have also estimated that there could be other gases, NDRF team could not retrieve," she said.

Though the team had spotted the corpse, Sujitha said they could not retrieve it as the pit is very deep, about 90-100 feet.

"His body is stuck up between multiple pipes. There is no direct path. We have tried to take out all the gases, lot of efforts went in that. We have to push in atmospheric pressure. We have done that technique yesterday. We have also used pulleys," explained Sujitha about the hardships they had undergone without success.

According to the SP, the rescuers are not certain if there is no oxygen or if there are any other noxious gases where the body is stuck.

"We are not too sure, actually it is lack of oxygen or the presence of other gases. We really don't know what is there inside," she observed.

The NDRF team has already left even as local efforts will continue to fish out the body, attempting to deploy other technologies.

Meanwhile, Sujitha is awaiting a detailed report from the NDRF.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Singapore, Singapore, South-East Asia, Asia

UPDATE: Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said the police are investigating the crowding at Robertson Quay

SINGAPORE  The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has ordered several restaurants in Robertson Quay to stop selling takeaway alcohol, after a social media post of crowds gathering in the area went viral over the weekend.

In response to queries from Yahoo News Singapore on Monday (18 May), URA stressed that the majority of operators and individuals in the area were found to be compliant with safe distancing measures by enforcement officers.

However, we observed that some restaurants in the area were selling takeaway alcohol to patrons, which had contributed to more individuals gathering around these premises.

To prevent such gatherings from taking place, we have issued a written direction to these restaurants to cease the sale of takeaway alcohol with immediate effect. Any contravention of such directions is an offence and we will not hesitate to take such parties to task.

URA also warned that enforcement action would be taken against business operators and individuals alike if they breach safe distancing measures.

In a post on his Facebook page, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said on Monday night that the police have traced a number of the individuals who had gathered in the area. These persons are non-Singaporeans, and are currently under police investigation.

Masagos advised members of the public that if they see any offenders, they shouldnt just take photos for a posting and instead, they should report through the #OneService app with specific details and photos.

On Saturday, Facebook user Lectress Pats post, which showed crowds congregating at Robertson Quay, was widely shared.

The post, which has been shared more than 2,100 times as of Monday morning, said, While there were two enforcers and one police officer along the Alexandra park connector, there was not a single enforcer in sight at Robertson Quay, which is like five minutes away.

Story continues

And it was observed that staff of these F&B establishments did nothing to stop these people from drinking at their premises nor did they remove the standing tables.

Singapore is currently in a partial lockdown, or circuit breaker. Among other measures, food and beverage outlets are only allowed to cater to takeaway or delivery orders, with dining-in prohibited.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 305 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing the total count to 28,343.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

Related stories:

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
Thailand's flag carrier Thai Airways International will file a plan for restructuring its business with the Central Bankruptcy Court, a government spokeswoman said on Monday.

Narumon Pinyosinwat said the plan submitted by the State Enterprise Policy Office to salvage the airline will be submitted Tuesday to for Cabinet approval. She said she had no details of the plan.

Thai Airways had been suffering financially even before the coronavirus crisis brought travel and tourism in the country to a near standstill.

The airline initially sought a 54 billion baht ($1.7 billion) bailout loan from the government. There is speculation that its reorganization under bankruptcy could take the government's ownership share below 50%, effecting a form of privatisation. All rescue options were likely to lead in cuts in staff, fleet and flights.

Thai Airways logged losses of 12 billion baht ($374.3 million) in 2019, 11.6 billion baht ($361.9 million) in 2018 and 2.11 billion baht ($65.8 million) in 2017.

Thai media reports say it is carrying a debt burden of almost 300 billion baht ($9.4 billion).

The airline stopped all its flights at the beginning of April as Thailand imposed strict precautions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Almost all its staff were put on leave at greatly reduced salaries.

The government last week extended to the end of June a ban on arrivals on international passenger flights, ruling out their immediate resumption.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, waves to residents who are quarantined at home and sends regards to them at a community in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 10, 2020. Pang Xinglei | Xinhua via Getty

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday his country will provide $2 billion over two years to help other countries respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The leader of the world's second-largest economy, where the disease known as Covid-19 emerged late last year, was speaking via video conferencing at the opening ceremony of a key World Health Organization meeting. "China will provide 2 billion U.S dollars over two years to help with Covid-19 response, and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries, Xi said, according to an official English translation. Xi added that when a vaccine for the disease is available, it "will be made a global public good." Some Chinese companies are at the forefront of development and testing for a Covid-19 vaccine. The 73rd World Health Assembly, whose annual gathering kicked off Monday, is a decision-making body of the WHO, which is the United Nations' specialized global health agency. The meeting of 194 members typically occurs in Geneva, Switzerland, where delegates agree upon the organization's leadership, priorities and budget. This year, due to the coronavirus, the shortened session is set to run virtually between Monday and Tuesday.

Covid-19 emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus has since spread to the rest of the world in a global pandemic that's killed more than 315,000 people and threatened economic recession as governments limit large gatherings in an effort to control the outbreak. Ahead of the assembly, at least 116 nations expressed support for a draft resolution led by the European Union and Australia calling for review of the origins and spread of the coronavirus, Reuters reported Monday. If two-thirds of the 194-member assembly back the resolution, it will be put forward on Tuesday, the newswire said. China has pushed back against calls for an international investigation into the origins of the virus. In his opening speech on Monday, Xi did not specifically mention the draft resolution or China's view on it. He insisted that China has been open, transparent and responsible all along in providing information to the WHO and other countries, and has shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus. "We also need to continue supporting global research by scientists on the source and transmission routes of the virus, Xi said. "China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to Covid-19 after it is brought under control, to sum up our experience and address deficiencies," he added. "This work should be led by science and professionalism, led by the WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner."
HMD Global Oy, the home of Nokia phones, announces that multiple Android One Nokia smartphones in India have received the call recording feature on Googles Phone app. The feature allows users to record voice calls so they can capture important information and go back to reference what was said later.

To activate the recording, simply press the Record button while on your call. A disclosure is played when recording begins and ends to notify all participants and ensure they are aware the feature is being used.

To access the call recording later, simply visit the Recents tab. If a call was recorded, the user will see a Recorded label below the contacts name or phone number. Once the user taps the call log entry, the call recording player will be shown with a play button. Call recordings are saved on your phone  not in the cloud  for convenient playback and privacy.

The call recording feature is now available on a number of Android One Nokia smartphones in India. To get the new feature, update to the latest version of the Phone app in the Play Store. Your Nokia smartphone must also support Android 10.

Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global Oy, said, For those without access to a second screen, this new call recording feature means the end of last minute rushes to write down important details. Whether you need to capture a number or address mentioned on a call, or listen back to recordings to re-familiarise yourself, the call recording feature on Googles Phone app can save you time and energy. This feature has been a top request from users in India and we are pleased to bring many Android One Nokia smartphone users this addition today.

Android One Nokia smartphones in India that have received this feature include Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7.2, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.2, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, Nokia 3.1 Plus, Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 2.2.
Roughly one day each week, every U.S. dairy cows milk production goes into making dairy products that will be exported to another country.

Without exports, which day of the week do you want to give your cows off? asked Cornell Universitys Andy Novakovic on the May 13 episode of DairyLivestream sponsored by Lallemand.

That complicated topic of dairy exports was the focus of the discussion on this weeks broadcast. Special panelists for the episode were Tom Vilsack, current CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and former USDA Secretary, and Butch Speth, Director of Dairy Market News. The recording of the webcast can be viewed now.

Gaining exposure

USDEC was first established in the interest of finding ways to move surplus dairy products. In the last 10 years, though, the group has worked toward developing deeper relationships with foreign customers to prove the U.S.s commitment to the international market. We want to send the message that were in it for the long haul, stated Vilsack.

As a result, over the last five years, the percentage of U.S. milk exported as cheese has continued to grow, up to nearly 6% now. Approximately 70% of milk powder is exported from this country.

He continued, USDEC has tried to increase our exposure in every market around the world. Vilsack shed some light on their work to open those markets up to American dairy products.

Southeast Asia

The heaviest efforts are being focused on these countries, such as Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Why? In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be 10 times as many middle-class consumers in Asia than there are people in the U.S., Vilsack noted.

U.S. dairy protein is extremely desirable in that part of the world, so a strong presence is needed to take advantage of the demand. USDEC has partnered with many retail stores, like Costco, and culinary institutions in the region to educate consumers and aspiring chefs about the functionality and versatility of U.S. dairy, particularly cheese. The organization also recently established a Center for Dairy Excellence in Singapore, fully staffed to educate about and promote U.S. dairy products.

One of the best messages we have in promoting American dairy is our sustainability accomplishments, Vilsack said. If we can convince the world that our milk is more sustainably produced, we will absolutely be able to sell our product.

Northern Asia

China, the most populous country in the world, is also the worlds largest dairy product importer. However, COVID-19 shutdowns have created doubt about the country fulfilling their contracted purchases of U.S. agricultural products under the Phase One agreement. Vilsack is hopeful that the U.S. will continue to see growth and that Phase One will continue to stand.

The number one importer of cheese in the world might come as more of a surprise  Japan. Per capita consumption is 5.3 pounds each year. This provides a rich market for U.S. dairy, even when Japan has a surplus of milk powder like they do now. Schools and gyms, though many remain closed, are major consumers of U.S. dairy protein and hopefully remain so when business returns. Plus, the 2020 Olympic games have been postponed until 2021. That has greatly impacted sales in Japan.

North America

Its likely no surprise that the U.S.s largest dairy export customer is Mexico; they imported nearly $1.5 billion worth of American dairy in 2019. Vilsack did express concern, though, for the Mexican market as the peso falls in value.

The long-anticipated U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will go into effect on July 1. Vilsack was at least positive that this will put the clock on removing Canadas Class 7 restrictions, likely increasing Canadian opportunities for American dairy products.

An ongoing series of events

The dairy farm finance pivot will be the topic for the May 20 DairyLivestream. Special guests will include Sam Miller, managing director of agriculture banking at BMO Harris Bank. In this role, Miller works with farmers and agribusinesses on credit structure and financial analysis. Roger Murray will also join the discussion; he serves as the executive vice president of Farm Credit East.

As always, the panel of experts will discuss over 30 minutes of audience questions. If you havent joined a DairyLivestream broadcast yet, register here. Registering once registers you for all future broadcasts.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2020

May 14, 2020
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Mon, May 18, 2020 11:04 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8bf204 2 Science & Tech united-states,drone,space,Science,defense Free

The US Air Force on Sunday successfully launched its high-tech drone X-37B, placing the reusable vehicle into orbit for its sixth secretive mission in space.

The drone, which resembles a smaller version of the manned space shuttles retired by the US space program in 2011, was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the Air Force said.

It will spend months in orbit, remotely conducting a series of experiments.

"Congratulations on the 6th mission of the X-37B reusable spacecraft," Defense Secretary Mark Esper tweeted shortly after the launch.

The huge Atlas V launch vehicle took off with an earth-shaking roar at 9:14 am (13:14 GMT) to loft the drone, also known as an Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), into space.

The drone in turn will deploy a small research satellite dubbed FalconSat-8, to carry out additional experiments, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett explained earlier this month, elaborating on what up to now has been a highly secretive project.

Read also: NASA will fly a drone to Titan to search for life

"This X-37B mission will host more experiments than any prior missions," said Barrett, who also heads the recently created US Space Force.

Among the experiments: testing the effect of radiation on seeds and other materials, and transforming solar power into radio-frequency microwave energy that could be transmitted to the ground.

The X-37B is 29 feet long (nine meters), with a wing span of 15 feet (4.5 meters).

The Pentagon has published photos of the drone, but up to now had revealed few details about its missions and capabilities.

On each of its successive flights -- the first took place in 2010 -- the solar-powered craft has remained in orbit for longer periods.

Its last flight ended in October 2019, after 780 days in orbit. That brought the craft's cumulative time in orbit to 2,865 days.
OFX Daily Market News





Posted by OFX



AUD  Australian Dollar

The Australian Dollar extended its reversal from last weeks high of 0.6560 to test one-week lows of 0.64 on Friday, ultimately opening this morning at 0.6415. Falling 0.72% for the day, the Aussie found itself under renewed selling pressure as risk sentiment soured on the back of reports of growing tensions between the worlds two largest economies and increasing concerns of a second wave of infections.

Friday was a relatively quiet day on the domestic economic calendar with little to digest at home. Nevertheless, COVID-19 headlines continued to dominate currency markets with the Aussie in particular susceptible to shifts in risk sentiments. Initially, reports of increased cases in countries that have relaxed lockdown restrictions undermined Aussie support but this was soon exacerbated by reports of the growing tensions between the US and China. The US Commerce Department announced on Friday that it was tightening restrictions on foreign companies supplying Huawei with semi-conductors. China responded rapidly, announcing that they were prepared to add companies such as Apple and Qualcomm to their unreliable entity list subjecting them to new restrictions. Australia, added fuel to the fire as well by suggesting an inquiry into the Coronavirus pandemic might be a prudent course of action. China, unimpressed with the request, has taken a hard-line approach with Australia, banning beef imports from four Australian facilities as well as threatening 80% tariffs on barley. Geo-political stoushes aside, economic data also continued to be of concern on Friday with US retail sales slumping by 16.4% and US Industrial Production falling to 36.1. Overall, with COVID-19 far from over, growing geo-political concerns and shaky domestic data, risk sentiment took an about turn last week which saw the Aussie succumb to four consecutive days of declines.

Moving into a new week, the Aussie continues to take cues from COVID-19 and trade tension headlines.

Story continues

Key Movers

The Great British Pound found itself in the ranks of the worst performing major currencies on Friday after it saw a precipitous 1.01% decline. The fresh, 7-week low comes on the back of Brexit bursting back onto the scene and dismal US data. Opening this morning at 1.2099, the Sterling came under pressure after reports that Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK have again reached a stalemate. With the transition period approaching expiration on the 31st of December, and the on-going concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great British Pound found itself wantonly sold off on Friday.

Across the pond, the United States Dollar consolidated gains on Friday which saw the US Dollar Index appreciate by 0.1%. Aided by the shift to risk aversion across global financial markets, the US Dollar, considered a safe haven currency, saw gains almost across the board. This comes despite a poor retail sales report, Industrial Production reading and fresh concerns over a deteriorating COVID-19 situation.

Expected Ranges

AUD/CAD: 0.8995  0.9102 

AUD/EUR: 0.5878  0.5983 

GBP/AUD: 1.8725  1.8914 

AUD/NZD: 1.0761  1.0859 

AUD/USD: 0.6352  0.6461 





Posted by OFX

The post Aussie extends losses to test 0.64 level appeared first on .
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 01:25:40|Editor: huaxia

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URUMQI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Hotan Museum officially opened to the public Monday in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The culture center converted museum is the first museum in Hotan Prefecture. More than 1,300 precious cultural relics are on display, many of which tell the history of the ancient Silk Road.

Hotan, located on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin, is a historical place where East met West along the ancient "Jade Road" and Silk Road.

Hotan Museum thus enjoys the privilege of having an admirable collection of cultural relics, ranging from bronze ware, pottery, jade and coins to ancient books and specimens.

The relics on display also irrefutably prove that Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times.

Among them, the one most appealing to visitors is a piece of brocade with eight Chinese characters that literally read "Five stars rise in the East, benefitting China."

In 1995, archaeologists discovered the brocade in a tomb of Niya ruins in Minfeng County, Hotan Prefecture. The brocade was designated as a national treasure shortly after it was unearthed.

"There are five-star patterns and auspicious birds and animals. The words 'Five stars rise in the East, benefitting China' were woven between the patterns," explained Wang Xinyu, a guide with the Hotan Museum.

Yu Zhiyong, curator of the Museum of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, gave a special lecture in the Hotan Museum on the excavation and protection of the brocade as well as progress in its study.

Monday marks this year's International Museum Day with the theme of "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion."

Hotan Museum was built with assistance from the Beijing Municipality, which is in pair with Hotan according to a pairing assistance program initiated in 2010 to support Xinjiang in building new infrastructure and promoting local development. Enditem
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Peru, N.Y.  A 17-year-old girl was killed and two others were injured following a UTV rollover crash Saturday afternoon in the town of Peru.

The crash happened around 4:58 p.m. Saturday.

State police said 13-year-old Emily Coons, of Peru, was driving the 2019 Mahindra Retriever UTV south on a dirt trail behind 659 Fuller Road in Peru.

After leaving the trail and heading into an adjacent field, Coons attempted to make a left-hand turn to head east, but failed to negotiate the curve, causing the vehicle to roll over.

The vehicle ultimately came to rest on the passenger side, state police said.

One of the passengers, 17-year-old Emily Hayden, of Brunswick, was partially ejected from the UTV and was pinned under the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both Coons and a second passenger, 12-year-old Madison Laporte, were taken University of Vermont Health Network at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Plattsburgh for evaluations.

None of the occupants were wearing helmets or seatbelts, state police said.
The world is anxious to know what's going on with Kim Jong-un. Last month, he was rumoured to be dead following a botched heart surgery. These rumours were put to rest when he appeared in public briefly to inaugurate a factory opening. This was followed by another rumour that suggested that North Korea may be using a body double for Kim Jong-Un.

 Reuters

Now, as everyone is still awaiting official confirmation on Kim Jong-un's current health situation, the massive portraits of the North Korean Supreme Leader's father and grandfather - Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong-il - have been removed from the main square of Pyongyang, according to recent reports.



 Reuters

In other news, apparently a statute of Kim Jong-il has also has been removed. According to NKNews' latest reports, satellite images show that a poignant observation structure used by Kim to overwatch military parades in Kim Il Sung Square has also been demolished.



"The last time that happened was when the place was being renovated following the death of the Dear Leader, the fact that portraits have been removed is very interesting. Kim Jong-un can't have any statues or portraits unless he's dead.I'm guessing (and only that) they are preparing to add a third statue and portrait, but who knows?" Journalist Roy Calley, the author of Look With Your Eyes and Tell the World, was quoted as saying, by the UK Express.

The last time something similar took place in North Korea was back in 2012 when the portrait area was altered to add Kim Jong Il's portrait.

But there are reports that also suggest that the main square may be altered to host an expanded celebration for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers Party of Korea.

 Reuters

And adding to that, US President Donald Trump had also claimed in the last few weeks that he's got a "very good idea" about the status of Kim's health but he "can't talk about it now".



Sounds like a political mystery that needs to be solved quickly.
Health assembly should not be diverted by political agenda: observers

Global Times

By Liu Xin and Yang Sheng Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 21:48:40

China welcomes WHO-led independent, fair investigation into all related nations

The World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to hold its 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Monday.

Experts called for participants to focus on effective international cooperation in battling the coronavirus pandemic rather than pushing other political agendas such as the US-led campaign to help Taiwan regain WHO observer status.

According to the assembly schedule seen on the WHO website, this year's assembly is expected to be accomplished within two days and to be held in the form of video conferences. The whole agenda is set to center on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Union will put forward a proposal to the WHA calling for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus, Bloomberg reported on May 5. The US has led calls for a probe into the origin of the virus and found support from Australia.

"Whether the draft for an international investigation would be approved at WHA is hard to say," Jin Canrong, associate dean of Renmin University of China's school of international studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"We [China] never object to an investigation but firmly oppose an investigation led by the US targeting China. A fair international investigation led by the WHO on the virus origins should be conducted in all relevant countries, including the US," Jin said.

Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Sunday that as a responsible country, China has always been willing to cooperate with the WHO, including having an independent, fair and transparent investigation.

"And China is also working with other countries on other scientific researches, including vaccine developments. China opposed a US-led investigation, which targets China," Zhu said.

The US had "deliberately overlooked scientific research and spread conspiracies of the virus coming from a Wuhan lab," he said.

The WHO, whose main responsibilities are dealing with global public health, has become a battlefield for diplomatic affairs and international relations.

Although the US and EU both made accusations against China over the coronavirus, they have some differences, Cui Hongjian, director of EU studies at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The EU wants to have an independent probe into the virus origins, mostly to avoid a second spike, but the US, from the very beginning, has alleged that China was guilty, Cui noted.

Independence attempt

All experts reached by the Global Times Sunday called for the international community to concentrate on dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and not let a political agenda divert attention at the WHA.

A diplomatic campaign led by the US to help Taiwan seek observer status at the health assembly worried Chinese mainland experts. They said such a political move may ruin international community's unity in fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As of press time on Sunday, more than 4,664,000 COVID-19 confirmed cases have been reported globally with the death toll reaching 312,327. The US has the largest number: 1,470,199 infections, according to data from John Hopkins University.

Backing the US, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and Japan issued a joint request to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to invite Taiwan to attend on Monday, Foreign Policy magazine reported.

Zhu Feng the Nanjing professor told the Global Times that led by the US, some Western countries were cooperating with Taiwan. This was "actually using the international avenue for political purpose."

Some Western countries used the excuse that Taiwan attended the WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016. But the then Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou did not object the one-China principle. However, the incumbent Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rejected the principle, Zhu said.

"This shows the intention of the pro-independence forces in the island has always been seeking Taiwan's independence by seeking to join the WHO," he said.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference on Thursday that Taiwan could participate only under the one-China principle. But the DPP has refused to do this, so the political foundation for Taiwan's WHO participation had "ceased to exist."

Some Western media outlets and media in Taiwan reported that the Chinese mainland was under pressure and might be isolated as some countries voiced their support for Taiwan.

But Li Haidong, a professor at the institute of international relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, told the Global Times Sunday that China would never be isolated by WHO members as most countries among the 194 member states "have no interest in discussing the political issue on the Taiwan region."

Some Western countries "have always considered they are representing the majority of the international community, but they might forget that the WHO has 194 member states in total," Li said. "Currently, only a handful of Western countries encouraged by the US support Taiwan, so who is the one being isolated?"

Some Taiwan-based analysts said that some Western countries have voiced their "supports" to Taiwan every year since 2017. But only a few of Taiwan's "diplomatic allies" made formal proposals to invite the island back to the health assembly, and almost no member states vote for these proposals, and some Taiwan's "diplomatic allies" even refused to made proposals at the request of the island's separatist authority because these countries want to build diplomatic ties with the Chinese mainland.

Foreign Policy reported Friday that there were signs that European governments which followed the US to voice support to Taiwan but were keen to avoid an ugly fight at the UN health agency in the midst of a pandemic were exploring the possibility of postponing consideration of Taiwan's status until the fall.

Although the island of Taiwan cannot attend the WHA as an observer, based on the one-China principle, the normal and necessary technical cooperation and information sharing between the island and the WHO have never been interrupted by political issue, said the mainland authorities.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In May 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has introduced a bill that will prove detrimental to affordable homeownership in the state of California. SB 950, authored by Senator Jackson, will strengthen the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a law that has been dangerously used as a tool to deny people of color access to homes in their communities. The Two Hundred, an assembly of veterans of the civil rights and social justice movements, headed by vice-chair, political activist John Gamboa, has tirelessly worked for years to mitigate the growing racial wealth gap in California. To oppose the bill, they have taken their campaigning to the people by launching a Change.org petition. The petition, "Help Make Homeownership Possible Again - Stop Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson from Passing SB950," has already garnered hundreds of support signatures.

The Two Hundred has documented and exposed how a group of predominately white activists have been able to effectively wield CEQA to halt home building in selected neighborhoods. By citing environmental concerns, these activists have systematically filed frivolous lawsuits that have effectively shut down construction sites throughout California. A Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) assisted study revealed that 14,000 housing units were opposed by CEQA lawsuits in the last several years!

"The Two Hundred has been waging an uphill battle in court," explains John Gamboa. "With the launch of our Change.org petition we are hoping to gain even more ground in our efforts to halt this ominous bill. While Senator Jackson is busy supporting these efforts under the guise of environmental concerns, the needs of people of color are being blatantly ignored."

The racial wealth gap divide, exacerbated by California's housing crisis, was created, in part, by the catastrophic economic impact of the Great Recession, when millions of Americans, especially households of color, lost what little equity they owned. The Two Hundred, who also advocate for millennials and students, believe that the shortage of affordable housing; the high cost of land; the mindset of developers and state policies that favor multi-family rentals; and ever increasing rents, continue to lock out marginalized communities from the wealth-building legacy opportunities that created affluence for white, middle class families.

The Two Hundred, under the direction of Gamboa, intend to send a letter with the petition signatures to all the legislators, including Senator Jackson, after they are scheduled to return to session in May. They are hoping to appeal to Senator Jackson to take into consideration the well-beingness of all Californians, particularly people of color and students, and not just the special interest of a selective and elite minority.

John Gamboa is a veteran community activist. His advocacy work began in 1968 when he became involved with the anti-Vietnam War and Civil Rights movements. While attending UC Berkeley, he started doing community activities around racial discrimination. He launched the Latino Issues Forum, which focused on the economic injustices that Latinx people faced, and then later The Greenlining Institute, a multi-ethnic coalition focused on combating redlining practices.

Since 2006, John has served as President of the Board of Directors of California Community Builders (CCB) alongside colleagues from Greenlining. The Two Hundred is an initiative of CCB and focuses primarily on mitigating the growing racial wealth gap through homeownership and home building in California. Prominent members include Elaine Brown, a former leader of the Black Panther Party; Joe Coto, former chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus; Herman Gallegos, the co-founder of National Council of La Raza, now known as UnidosUS, and attorney Jennifer Hernandez of the law firm Holland and Knight. The group's activism efforts include a groundbreaking civil rights lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is dealing a devastating blow to us all, but people of color will suffer from it the most," cites Gamboa. "An ongoing practice of blatant discrimination, namely redlining by government, financial institutions, realtors and brokers, has deeply impacted homeownership for non-white families. A decade ago, the wealth gap was such that white families were six times wealthier than minority families. Today, they're 10 times wealthier. We are hoping that our Change.org petition will help the people's voices be heard!"

To learn more about The Two Hundred, log on at http://www.thetwohundred.org. Follow them on Facebook @The Two Hundred and Twitter at @The 200 Leaders.

To sign the petition, go to Change.org at "Help Make Homeownership Possible Again - Stop Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson from Passing SB950.

Check out The Two Hundred video which shows how homeownership housing is being stopped in its tracks at https://vimeo.com/242696428.

Photo of John Gamboa: https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/eoRP8X.jpg

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Pieter-Louis Myburgh wins Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism

Journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh has been announced as this year's Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism winner for the Gangster State book. Daily Maverick journalist Pauli van Wyk took the second spot for her book on how the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) benefited from the VBS Bank.



The Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism award recognises and encourages watchdog journalism and has been around for 14 years. In the past years, the awards were dominated by mainstream publications, now the bulk of entries appeared first online, mainly from stand-alone investigative units amaBhungane and Viewfinder or online-only outlets such as Daily Maverick and Moneyweb.



The panel of judges paid a special tribute to journalists, editors and whistleblowers: "As always, we must pay special tribute to three groups of people, without whom the reporters could not do their work. First, there are those who support them, as audience, funders or partners. Second, are the editors who back the reporters and encourage them to do original, groundbreaking work. But perhaps most importantly, there are the whistleblowers, those who risk their lives and their livelihoods to speak out against wrongdoing, often with little reward or recognition. We give them a gigantic shout out," the judges panel said.
The Bombay high court (HC) administration held a meeting presided by the chief justice and senior judges, to decide on various presentations by senior advocates and lawyers. seeking resumption of regular court and conducting physical hearings. According to members of bar associations who attended the meeting, the administration was firm in its decision that till the Covid-19 pandemic continues, physical hearings cannot be held.

In light of the onset of monsoon and denial of physical hearings, the member said that the court administration observed that it should first work out the modalities of commencing court work in a phase-wise manner.

The meeting was attended by the additional solicitor general, advocate general, and representatives of various bar associations.

According to another member of a bar association who was in attendance, the meeting centered around two major issues  having physical hearings in the HC and physical hearing in courts other than the HC.

Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni apprised the attendees about the demarcation of red, orange and green zones by the government depending on the existence of infected cases, and said that a decision regarding physical hearings would be possible only after the state government updated the list later in the evening.

The member further said that the meeting also discussed improving the quality of video conferencing wherein it was suggested to permit call conferencing if video conferencing quality was not good. However, the administrative judges did not show any inclination towards this idea.

A request was also made to increase the number of days when the court worked and the number of judges assigned to hear cases on these days.

According to the bar association member, the administrative judges said that in the current pandemic situation, allowing physical hearings would not be possible but a decision on permitting the same in courts in green zones, and other issues, would be taken only after there was clarity from the government. The decision is likely to be announced on Tuesday.
NAFCUs 2020 Board of Directors election ended Wednesday and saw James Kenyon (President/CEO, Whitefish Credit Union, Montana) reelected to his at-large seat, announced NAFCU Board Secretary Gary Grinnell. In addition, Lisa Schlehuber (CEO, Elements Financial Federal Credit Union, Indiana) and Thomas DeWitt (President/CEO, State Farm Federal Credit Union, Illinois) had previously won their reelections outright for the at-large seat and Western Region Director, respectively.

Two new members will join the associations 2020 Board of Directors: Karen Harbin (President/CEO, Commonwealth Credit Union, Kentucky) won an at-large seat and Melanie Kennedy (President/CEO, Southwest Financial Federal Credit Union, Texas) was elected as Southern Region Director.

NAFCUs Board of Directors is comprised of outstanding credit unions leaders working tirelessly to strengthen the industry, and we are excited to welcome Karen Harbin and Melanie Kennedy to our board and welcome back those who continue to dedicate their time serving on our board, said NAFCU Board Chair Jeanne Kucey. Our duty as board members is to offer sound advice as NAFCU builds its strategic plan for bold advocacy, compliance assistance, and education opportunities, and I have no doubt the experience and points of view Harbin and Kennedy bring will benefit our mission.
In a recent address to the nation, the Prime Minister asked the country to work towards being atmya nirbhar or self-sufficient. The address came in the backdrop of a continuous lockdown which in turn has caused enormous economic losses. This would not be the first time a leadership within the country would have called for such an act.

Swadeshi Movement of 1905 began as a popular form of disobedience movement in lieu of reactionary policies of Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India. The Partition of Bengal, on both linguistic and religious lines to breakdown nationalistic sentiments of then undivided Bengal had created a large discontent amongst the masses. Swadeshi Movement emerged as a way of protest by refusing to use foreign imported goods and in turn hurt colonial government economically.

A century later, we are brought to the same fundamentals by the pandemic but under different circumstances. The country still amasses a large trade deficit with China, its manufacturing sector still lacks the robust structural strength and a spike in unemployment rate presents serious problems for the economy. But not all is a gloomy picture, with an estimated population of 1.3 Billion, India possesses huge human potential. With most of manufacturing hubs present in China, the same place mooted as origin of the virus, India must take an advantage of the lingering global crisis.

A boost to manufacturing sector and a push for MSMEs which are also regarded as engines of growth will help reduce the unemployment burden of the country. A 20 Lakh Crore fiscal stimulus package announced by the PM is a step in the right direction to achieve that. Growth of indigenous industries will provide employment, boost Indias exports helping reduce Current Account Deficit of the government and will provide a larger tax base for the Government in future for its outlay in welfare schemes.

However, the call for consumers to give a preference for swadeshi products has its own problems. Before the New Economic Policy of 1991, the country was closed for business to global brands. The domestic players abused this period with hardly any modernization in a monopolistic market. And when the country was open for business in era of liberalization, privatization and globalization, these companies fell short and out of competition. The domestic market was introduced to concepts such as reliability, exchange and discounts which provided an edge to global makers over the domestic ones. The buyers still look at domestic products with dubious eyes and instead choose to spend a little extra for the reliability that comes along with the foreign players.

With the Prime Ministers latest appeal, the government has helped secure a base for domestic manufacturers and has outlined a hint towards future government policies. Despite the gain, current scenario will largely differ for the domestic players as against 1991. They will still be competing with international manufacturers with a popular base in the country. However, with an aim to capture the void created by the pandemic, the domestic manufacturers will have the task to improve upon their quality and operations. They will need to evolve into leaders of globalized trade from mere domestic players. And all the work in these spheres will determine if Swadeshi of 2020 will be a short-lived phenomenon or will be here to stay.

Utkarsh Raj is a law student Campus Law Centre at University of Delhi.
Closure of CSE not a well-managed event View(s):

The prolonged closure of the CSE was from a foreign investor point of view certainly not a well managed event, with fund managers skeptical about putting cash into the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

It is difficult to understand why the market was not being operated remotely like many other exchanges in the region or in the world. Hopefully the management of the CSE has learned from this and will have a better contingency plan in the future, Thomas Hugger, CEO Asia Frontier Capital told the Business Times.

The CSE was shut down for seven weeks and when the government eased the lockdown on Monday the market reopened. As soon as it did, the prices fell by 10 per cent, creating a circuit breaker, which forced the exchange to shut trading just 38 seconds after opening. On Tuesday, the S&P SL 20 index fell below 5 per cent few minutes after the bourse opened and resumed after a 30-minute cooling off period. On Wednesday it was up with the CSE and SEC forming a committee to iron out issues and make recommendations. The market was mixed on Thursday but gained on Friday.

Although there was initially some understanding given the COVID-19 situation, Sri Lanka unfortunately was part of a group of only four exchanges (also Bangladesh, Jordan and Mauritius) which had closed their exchanges for a long time. This is a risk most foreign investors are not willing to take and thus it is important that the CSE implement changes in order to assure foreign investors it will not happen again, Mattias Martinsson, CEO and CIO of Tundra Fonder in Stockholm told the Business Times. Tundra Sustainable Frontier Fund, a part of Tundra Fonder, entered Sampath Banks top 20 shareholders during the first quarter. With 3,440,766 shares (0.90 per cent stake) it was in the 16th place as at March 31.

This closure will certainly hamper future investments into Sri Lanka from emerging market funds and the like. Foreign investors will require a higher risk premium and will be more careful on their allocation to the CSE, Mr. Martinsson added. The extent of how negative this is will depend on what assurances the CSE will make on how to make sure Sri Lanka does not end up in a similar situation again, he stressed. That said, the equity market is trading at a 10 year low on P/BV, foreign participation has been low for a long time and memory tends to be short when greed sets in.

An extended closure of a stock market can be devastating for funds/investors with a large holding in this particular market due to redemption/liquidity pressure. I could imagine that certain global or Asian emerging and frontier funds will be scared in future of investing/allocating large amounts in the Sri Lankan stock market due to liquidity concerns and fears that a long closure could happen again should there be a similar event in the future, Mr. Hugger elaborated. Mr. Martinsson added that almost all exchanges around the world (except for the four above) had no uninterrupted trading throughout this crisis. That is what investors should expect in a modern society, also in emerging markets. The CSE has not explained why Sri Lankas situation was that different from any other country that also had extensive curfews. Whether authorities are to blame for not allowing the CSE to open up, or whether it was technical inability does not matter. Communication is key when these events occur and in this case communication was very poor.

He said that already other emerging exchanges are back on their feet, but foreign investors will remain nervous as to the impact of the crisis. Fundamentally most emerging markets are already too cheap against their normalised long term earnings. We expect a cautious but gradual improvement during the second half of the year, he said.

(DEC)
Public scrutiny has long trailed a companys bid to build a new coal mine in northern Wyoming. For nearly a decade, coal technology firm Ramaco Carbon has fought to revive mining at a site just outside Sheridan to feed its future research facilities. But hiccups with a state permit application and opposition from several nearby landowners have hindered the project from breaking ground.

In March, the project appeared to be inching closer to reality when Wyomings Department of Environmental Quality declared the companys revised permit application to mine technically complete. The announcement opened up a 60-day public comment period. Over 100 comments flooded the agency, both for and against the new mine.

The Department of Environmental Qualitys director Todd Parfitt holds the authority to approve or reject the permit application for Ramaco Carbons dream coal mine. But before rendering a decision, state regulators hosted an informal conference online on the matter Wednesday, inviting both the company and public to speak.

The tenor of the daylong, virtual conference was starkly divided between opposing sides and underscored the tension surrounding the battle to bring the newest coal mine to fruition in Wyoming.

Brook Mining Company, a subsidiary of Ramaco, bought mineral rights in the Tongue River Valley near Sheridan to restart operations at an old coal mine to feed proximate research facilities.

For as long as the coal firm has battled to secure a green light to mine, Tongue River Valley residents living near the proposed mine site have been expressing their alarm over the potential environmental impacts and future financial liabilities associated with the Brook Mine for the county and state.

Those concerns were on full display during Wednesdays conference. In the morning, several Tongue River Valley residents spoke to their concerns over the potential disruption to the air, land and water, as well as recreational use and public access in the historic region of the state, if the mine was approved.

The proposed Brook Mine boundary overlaps and is directly adjacent to these popular recreational areas, said Bill Bensel, a resident who lives 2.6 miles south of the proposed mine. Blasting, hauling and the high intensity industrial activity associated with the mining project will compromise public safety, reduce water quality and degrade the high quality hunting, fishing and other recreational experiences that are so valued by the public.

The Powder River Basin Resource Council, a grassroots group representing landowners, called in a mining expert with four decades of experience to assess the companys subsidence analysis of the land where mining would occur. The risk for subsidence, or the buckling and caving of ground during mining, was not properly addressed in the application, according to the subsidence scientist Gennaro Marino.

The landowners group also invited hydrology expert Mike Wireman to testify on the risks the mine posed to ground and surface water supplies in the area. He called the baseline water testing and hydrology analysis deficient in the application. There is huge uncertainty here as to impacts to these water resources, Wireman said.

But in the afternoon, Brook Mining Company and an entourage of legal representatives, engineers and mining specialists vehemently defended the permit application and expressed an unwavering confidence in the project.

Some objectors are asking for a 100 percent guarantee that no hydrological, subsidence or blasting difficulties will ever arise, said Tom Sansonetti, an attorney representing the company. Now, that is an impossible standard to meet and it is not the standard embedded in the Wyoming statutes. And unfortunately, as we have also heard today from some other objectors, no amount of permit review will ever be sufficient. Those objectors just want no more coal mining, period.

According to Sansonetti, the Brook Mine revised permit application addressed each and every one of the deficiencies identified by Wyomings Environmental Quality Council in 2017, when another version of the application was filed but failed.

The project has also been reviewed by two outside engineering companies, Sansonetti added. Testimony from the company defended the integrity of the research behind the permit application.

We have heard and responded to your concerns, testified Jeff Barron, a licensed engineer in Wyoming and Montana. He prepared both the original and amended permit application for the proposed mine. He responded to other experts concerns, emphasizing the company has conducted significant groundwater research to understand the hydrologic effects of mining, developed a subsidence control plan and revised mining plans in sensitive areas.

Ramaco Carbon wants to erect several facilities to mine, research and transform Powder River Basin coal, not necessarily into electricity, but instead into commercial products, like carbon fiber and graphene. Though not present during Wednesdays informal conference, dozens of state officials, business owners and industry leaders expressed support for the new mine in Wyoming through written public comments.

Several starts and stops

Ramacos permit application underwent roughly a dozen technical reviews by state environmental regulators since the company submitted its original permit application in 2014. Several years ago, the Department of Environmental Quality concluded the Brook Mining Companys permit had no deficiencies. But the Environmental Quality Council, an independent regulatory body, concluded otherwise.

The council held a contested case hearing on the mine in 2017. After considering an array of expert testimony and public feedback about the proposed Brook Mine, the council declined to approve the companys permit application. Ramaco Carbon had failed to properly investigate how hydrology, subsidence and blasting could affect surrounding communities and land, the seven-member regulatory body concluded. In turn, the director of the state DEQ denied the company the permit to mine.

In response, the Brook Mining Company took the issue to court. Last year, the Laramie County District Court ruled in favor of the coal company. Judge Catherine Rogers remanded, or sent back, the application to the Department of Environmental Quality for a final review by Parfitt, the Department of Environmental Quality director.

The judge concluded state environmental regulators erred when rejecting the companys permit application to mine. The council cannot make the substantive, technical assessment required to approve a permit application, the court concluded. Instead, the ultimate authority over a permit application resides with the director of the Department of Environmental Quality.

The Powder River Basin Resource Council has long taken issue with state regulators approach to processing the coal firms permit application, alleging a procedural deficiency for rounds eight through 12 of the permit review.

We have ongoing concerns that since Brook (Mining Company) is still challenging the (Environmental Quality Council) order before the Wyoming Supreme Court, the authority of that order, as it applies to the permit application, before the agency remains in question, said Shannon Anderson, staff attorney for the group. And we ask the Department of Environmental Quality to clarify the agencys and the applicants position on the validity of the EQC order on the decision of the permit application.

Despite the pushback from local residents, Sansonetti, Ramaco Carbons attorney, remains confident in the companys coal-driven vision for Wyoming.

The company deserves an opportunity to succeed in developing its innovative firms, Sansonetti said. Its Ramacos risk to take.

Clarification: Ramaco Carbon bought the mineral rights at the site of its proposed mine, but does not own the surface property. This story has been updated accordingly.

Follow the latest on Wyomings energy industry @camillereports

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The Florida Bar is excited to be able to offer Florida Bar members the Indexed I/O electronic discovery member benefit as part of The Florida Bar Member Benefits Program, said Terry Hill, division director at The Florida Bar.

Indexed I/O, the fastest, easiest, and most affordable eDiscovery solution on the market, announced it has been approved as a member benefit provider for The Florida Bar, the organization of all lawyers licensed by the Supreme Court of Florida to practice law in the state. The relationship will accelerate the distribution and access of Indexed I/Os cloud-based eDiscovery solution to The Florida Bar members.

We are so excited to be partnering with The Florida Bar, said Brian McHughs, Chief Executive Officer at Indexed I/O. This strategic Member Benefit relationship will introduce and provide a real eDiscovery solution that meets TFB members electronic discovery needs.

Indexed I/O will provide a full end-to-end eDiscovery solution to The Florida Bar members via The Florida Bar Member Benefits program. The relationship includes special discounted pricing on all services and products. From one file to millions of files, Indexed I/O fits every case size (big and small) with ease, all while being cost-effective.

The Florida Bar is excited to be able to offer Florida Bar members the Indexed I/O electronic discovery member benefit as part of The Florida Bar Member Benefits Program, said Terry Hill, division director at The Florida Bar. Hill said, the Member Benefits Committee and the Board of Governors have embraced technology-related member benefits over the past several years, and the need for these benefits is greater now than ever before.

A true do-it-yourself platform, Indexed I/O typically has users up-and-running in a matter of minutes. From drag and drop interfaces to quick click searches, Indexed I/Os E-Discovery solution allows users to focus on their data, not on the technology.

With its adaptability, Indexed I/O has the ability to meet the needs of any sized organization, said McHughs. The platform is easy enough for a lawyer to use as a stand-alone discovery system and is sophisticated enough to work as the processing glue to enhance even the most complex in-house eDiscovery systems.

About Indexed I/O

Indexed I/O is a premium eDiscovery solution, without the expensive price tag. We help legal teams better collect, process, organize, review, and produce their data so they can make smarter decisions and take action faster. Unlike outdated, yet still pricey, eDiscovery software, Indexed I/O provides a scalable, cloud-based solution that is more accurate and more intuitive to use. Designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, Indexed I/O is the future of eDiscovery.

About The Florida Bar

Founded in 1949, The Florida Bar serves the legal profession for the protection and benefit of both the public and all Florida lawyers. As one of the nations largest mandatory bars with 108,000+ members, The Florida Bar fosters and upholds a high standard of integrity and competence within Floridas legal profession as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court. To learn more, visit FloridaBar.org.
ABC NewsBy ANGELINE JANE BERNABE and JENNA HARRISON, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- When Daniel Macias was suddenly hospitalized with COVID-19 in early April, doctors were running out of options for treatments as his condition quickly worsened.



The doctors told us my dad had a 20 percent chance of living, Macias daughter, Giselle Aguirre, told ABC News' Good Morning America. Knowing that this is where he was at, where his life could be coming to an end, we knew that he would fight with everything in him, because how much he loved us.



The family from Walnut, California, soon learned about an experimental treatment for COVID-19, taking plasma from someone who has recovered, rich with antibodies to fight the virus, and giving it to a person whos struggling to fight it. Recently, the Mayo Clinic released a study that found transfusions of convalescent plasma into sick patients is safe.



As news of the treatment option, first used to combat the Spanish flu in 1918, came to light, ABC News correspondent, Kaylee Hartung, who was diagnosed with the virus in March, wondered if shed be eligible.



Hartung described in a first-person account written last month how she was frustrated by the process of figuring out how to donate.



I filled out the American Red Cross online donor request form, a very simple questionnaire asking if you were diagnosed with a COVID-19 lab test, she wrote. And then I waited. Quarantined at home, I had nothing but time.



Three weeks after volunteering and more than 28 days symptom-free, she was finally able to donate.



In less than an hour, 650 milliliters of my 'golden' plasma filled a bag. It was a rather painless process, she wrote. The brief physical discomfort I felt was a small price to pay for the potential payoff.



The Red Cross informed Hartung her plasma was sent to help three critically ill patients. They tracked one unit to Pomona Valley Hospital where they learned the results for Macias were almost immediate.



It was just right away the next day, he started doing better, Macias nurse, Lisa Diaz told GMA.



Just three days after receiving the plasma transfusion, Macias was taken off the ventilator, according to Diaz. He was finally able to breathe on his own.



After 33 days in the hospital, Macias was released. Back home, his family organized a surprise of a lifetime -- a car parade of friends and family to welcome him, including Hartung.



Kaylee, you gave me something that only the Lord can do with you, Macias told Hartung. Thank you, I love you, Im here for you.



The greatest honor of my life is to be able to do this for you, Hartung replied.

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
ALBANY  In their second online hearing, members of the state Legislature met virtually Monday to evaluate the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities.

Sen. Robert Jackson, a Manhattan Democrat who chairs the Senate's cities committee, opened the hearing by noting the increased rate of coronavirus deaths among minority communities both statewide and in New York City. State officials have begun reporting preliminary mortality data by race and ethnicity; and in Albany County, data has shown that black residents are hospitalized from the coronavirus at a higher rate than their white counterparts.

"This hearing, I hope, will put both houses of our state Legislature, the Senate and the Assembly, on the same page about what has happened so far, where things went wrong and what we can do to support our minority communities and their healing," Jackson said, noting that the subject seems like "too large a topic to cover in one day, even in what might be a long, long, long hearing."

The concerns from leaders in minority communities were far-ranging: Officials discussed the blatant racism against Asian Americans that has emerged in the era of the coronavirus; others noted disproportionate access to health care in majority-minority areas. Some said the state shutdown has highlighted and exacerbated already-existing economic and educational disparities; and others said there hasn't been enough attention paid to the individual plights of specific communities, especially when it comes to language translation services.

Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of the Asian American Federation, said she has heard of "hundreds and hundreds" of hate crimes against Asian Americans, but the New York City Police Department has been "incredibly passive." Discrimination against Asian Americans has been documented and on the rise since initial reports of COVID-19 surfaced in China late last year.

She urged legislators to evaluate law enforcement's response to hate incidents reported during the pandemic. Going forward, the state will have the opportunity to establish a "new normal," which will decide "how we prioritize (and) who we prioritize," Yoo said.

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Lorraine Braithwaite-Harte, the health chair for the NAACP's New York conference, focused on nursing home care in her testimony, saying "many of these deaths could have been prevented." New York has seen thousands of deaths in nursing homes and has come under fire in recent weeks for a controversial  and now rescinded  policy that allowed COVID-positive, but asymptomatic, employees to continue working in the homes.

The state also recently revised widely criticized guidance that required nursing homes to accept patients who had tested positive for the virus.

"From our standpoint, we want to be involved moving forward in how these programs and these measures are put in place," Braithwaite-Harte said. "We want to be part of the solution."

Lance A. Gumbs, the vice chairman of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, said indigenous groups have largely been overlooked in New York's response to the coronavirus pandemic, even though the state "has a very, very large Native American population." The tribe is located on Long Island, where many New York City residents fled as the virus' threat grew larger.

"Our communities have pre-existing health conditions," he said. "We have great levels of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, which puts our people at great risk, so one of the solutions is to address this inadequate health care."

Monday's event is the second coronavirus hearing the Legislature has held, after elected officials discussed the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses last week.

It is still unclear when the state Legislature will return to session in Albany.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 20:06:47|Editor: huaxia

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RIGA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Latvian customs officers have seized a haul of around 8 million illegal cigarettes while checking a container cargo at the Freeport of Riga this month, the tax authority informed on Monday.

The confiscation of the contraband cigarettes prevented a loss of more than a million euros (1.08 U.S. dollars) to the Latvian government budget, according to the State Revenue Service's estimate.

The Latvian Tax and Customs Police have opened a criminal investigation into the smuggling case. Enditem
Stuti Johri

Before the lockdown, my grandmother was extremely resistant to technology. She had no patience for anything beyond WhatsApp, and would often become fed up with that too. Over the past few weeks, however, she is finally embracing other uses of her phone. Her TV serials got cancelled, so now she is discovering original content on OTT platforms. Her daily evening walks with friends got cancelled, so now she plays housie over video call.

From the sounds of it, this story isnt unique. According to certain lenders to the bottom of the pyramid, some of their customers have also begun to acquaint themselves with the features of smartphones. While some of the increased activity may be attributed to boredom, one investor relations manager suggested that some customers were motivated to experiment with online payments for the first time to avoid additional interest accruals during the moratorium.

Even after the moratorium period ends on May 31, restrictions on movement in some parts of the country may make it difficult for lenders to go about their collection activities as before. While there is a standstill on asset classification for standard accounts during the moratorium, this will no longer be permitted once the moratorium period is over. Many lenders have thus far been claiming that their micro borrowers are resilient and that a majority of such borrowers repayment capacity has not been impaired by this crisis, but once the moratorium ends, they will need to back up these claims.

The use of digital payments

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 pressure on lenders to demonstrate strong asset quality will resume in a few weeks. If it remains difficult for them to resume collection activities, they will need to adopt alternative approaches. Perhaps the most efficient approach might be to harness the capabilities of UPI and/or similar Aadhar-enabled payment services. A few lenders have already begun to work with such services and enter into tie-ups with various fintech companies.

MFIN Chief Executive Officer Harsh Shrivastava is optimistic about the opportunity to increase the use of digital payments. He says, Previously, many of the borrowers themselves were earning in cash and therefore found it easier to repay their loans in cash too. However, the spread of coronavirus has made people wary of exchanging currency notes and therefore even small essential goods providers such as milk vendors have begun accepting digital payments. This will likely result in more borrowers being willing to make their loan repayments through digital avenues as well.

To stay afloat, lenders will also need to continue disbursing new loans. Since many such loans are extended for livelihood purposes rather than discretionary consumption, it is likely that the demand for these loans is relatively inelastic. However, if lenders are unable to supply these loans on account of restrictions on movement, their business continuity is likely to be hampered. Shrivastava notes that while many lenders already disburse loans digitally into customers savings accounts and rely on online credit history checks as part of their underwriting processes, these processes have scope to be further digitised.

Regulatory facilitation for digitisation

As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat government response to the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the country to build technology-driven systems and processes. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that fintech would be used to enhance transaction-based lending using data generated by e-marketplace being instituted in place of trade fairs as part of the broader relief package. She also announced, in the context of relief for street vendors, that digital payments would be incentivised through monetary rewards. Indeed, regulatory facilitation for the digitisation of financial inclusion began even before the pandemic hit India  in January, the RBI amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to allow video KYC processes, which has made it possible for lenders to introduce digital onboarding processes for new customers.

The benefits of digitising financial inclusion have been known for some time now. Lenders would benefit from increased scale, reach, and efficiency. Borrowers would also benefit from increased efficiency and access to more financial services. Financial inclusion could be an incentive for people to engage in the digital economy, and more engagement in the digital economy could accelerate the impact of financial inclusion. A virtuous circle indeed; a win-win for all.

There are many studies and detailed analyses on the opportunity for growing digital payments in India in particular. In recent years, consultancy firms and the Indian government alike have conducted deep-dive research into this space to conclude that digital finance is a huge opportunity. The penetration of smartphones and the internet has increased greatly in the past few years, owing largely to the fall in their cost. This has propelled digital India forward, and made it possible for various businesses to scale up  e-commerce is perhaps the best example. The demonetisation crisis of 2016 also compelled people to embrace technology: digital payments and fintech companies grew, and the launch of PMJDY added to the digital infrastructure for financial inclusion.

A 2018 BCG-Google report concludes that digital lending in India would be a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2023. The same report also surveyed the internet using buyers to reveal that the key obstacle for digitising financial inclusion was the discomfort customers experienced in putting financial information online. Lenders interacting with the real India (outside mega-urban regions) have corroborated this in pre-COVID times: whether on analyst calls or at conferences, they have consistently maintained one thing  they are ready to digitise but their customers are not.

The tides are turning

If that is the case, it seems that the tides are turning. In the midst of this crisis, there is an opportunity. Millions of people and institutions around the world are being forced to adapt, and as we all know, digitisation is perhaps the biggest aspect of adapting to this crisis. Even courts have been forced to allow digital hearings, which would have seemed completely outrageous to even think about pre-pandemic.

The rise of online payment systems is extremely encouraging, and the regulatory landscape is likely to be unconditionally supportive in an endeavour to use them to further the provision of financial services. With the appetite for technology now growing even in poorer sections of society, whether out of boredom or necessity, everything is in place for lenders to seize this opportunity. NBFC-MFIs, in particular, may be hard-pressed for cash right now and hesitant to invest, but it really seems like those who work to build on the existing infrastructure will stand to emerge better positioned for an uncertain future, as much will depend on digital and analytics capabilities.

Stuti Johri is an investment analyst at Trivantage Capital Management India Private Limited. The views are personal.
Global insurers are well capitalized to absorb the hit from rising claims and costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, ratings agency AM Best said on Monday, citing a stress test it conducted to gauge the immediate impact of outbreak on insurers financial strength.

AM Best said most rated insurers and reinsurers performed well in its stress test and their capital levels provided an adequate buffer against a potential shock to their balance sheets.

Sensitivity to the COVID-19 pandemic was greater for life and health insurers with high asset and mortality risks, insurers with material exposures to mortgage loans, carriers operating in domiciles in higher country-risk tiers and companies with smaller capital bases.

Property and casualty insurers in the United States and Canada performed relatively well in the stress test, compared with life, annuity and health insurers.

Most companies in the Asia-Pacific market generally performed well, as did those in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, the test showed.

Insurers are likely to see a significant hit to earnings in 2020, rather than a material decline in risk-adjusted capitalization, said Mahesh Mistry, senior director, AM Best Rating Services.

Reputational risk in certain markets may also be a problem, as any legal disputes become more visible to consumers, policyholders, regulators and legislators, he added.

Unlike other disasters, the pandemic has been hitting businesses, individuals and markets throughout the world, all at once. Customers are filing claims across numerous policy types, for workers compensation to events cancellation to broader commercial liabilities.

The disputes over claims continue just as the United States is about to enter what meteorologists predict will be above-average Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, which could spur similar claims for insurers.

Executives, lawyers and analysts say the cost is sure to be in multiples of prior catastrophes including Hurricane Katrina, the Tohoku tsunami or the 9/11 attacks. That could be tens of billions to half a trillion dollars or more, depending on how long the pandemic lasts and other variables.

The stress test analysis covered about 1,400 rating units worldwide, and focused on the impact of COVID-19 on underwriting and assets. The procedure for the test included gathering information from companies through a questionnaire.

Questions ranged from the impact of the disease outbreak on operations and financial position, previous pandemic risk stress test scenarios a company may have previously modeled and any adjustments to 2020 financial expectations.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday set an ambitious target of overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic by the time the monsoon starts.

We want to get rid of this calamity by the beginning of monsoon, he said in a video address

Maharashtra with a tally of over 35,000 Covid-19 cases is the state with the highest numbers in India.

But Thackeray claimed that the government has managed to slow down the spread of the disease.

We have slowed down the spread of Covid-19. Now we can lift the restriction step by step, he said.

He ruled out relaxing restrictions in red zones during the fourth phase of the lockdown to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and that he was willing to face flak for it.

I am willing to face criticism but it would not be feasible to lift lockdown at this stage. We know what happened in the US and Europe.

Maharashtra had announced extending the lockdown till May 31 hours before the Centre made the announcement on Sunday.

Thackeray, who took oath as a legislator earlier in the day, also said that 50,000 industrial units have resumed operations.

Amid the continuing migration of stranded workers from Maharashtra, he appealed to migrant labourers not to travel on foot.

We have facilitated the return of five lakh migrants to their home states, he said in his address.
TEHRAN, Iran, May 18

Trend:

The number of 'white zones', free of coronavirus infection, has increased in Iran to 280 counties, said the Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei, Trend reports via IRNA.

Rabiei also said that Iran ranks third after China and Switzerland among countries that had the fastest recovery from COVID-19.

"The recovery of coronavirus patients in Iran is improving, and 94 percent of individuals who were treated, have recovered," said the official.

"The latest report of the National Headquarters for Fighting Coronavirus indicates that the transmission rate of the disease has slowed down in the past four weeks," he said.

"The reports show that we have passed the control stage and entered the curbing phase. This phase requires serious cooperation from all organizations and the Health Ministry as well," Rabiei said.

"Social distancing is the right strategy that should be followed," he said.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. 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.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.
LIMERICKs popular Milk Market will re-open this Saturday as restrictions around the coronavirus lockdown continue to be lifted.

Among the businesses allowed to open as part of the phase one loosening, which came into force today, are farmers markets.

And bosses at the Mungret Street facility have, as a result, confirmed they will re-open the covered market this weekend.

Although the news will come as a boost to Limerick, dont expect to see the normal weekend crowds at the facility, with strict physical distancing measures in place.

There will be a more streamlined offering of farmers market produce, a reduced number of market stalls and a new layout in line with the HSE guidelines.

Milk Market general manager, David Fitzgerald, said: In common with other essential food suppliers we have had to adapt to the new challenges presented by Covid-19. We have been working since early March on an altered lay-out of our stalls; increased sanitising; and reduced capacity both in stall numbers and customers. In line with Government and HSE protocols for a phased return of food producers providing an essential service, we now look forward to a phased reopening this Saturday with a range of protective measures in place.

Mr Fitzgerald said he hopes one positive change to come from the coronavirus will be more of a reliance on locally produced foods.

In addition to the health benefits, buying locally produced food supports the local economy, the Milk Market boss added.

Entry and exit to the Milk Market will be strictly controlled, while there will be a greater distance between stalls, as well as one way systems.

The upstairs seating area will remain closed and all market seating within the open air courtyard will remain stored during this phase.

Staff will wear protective masks in line with new government guidelines and other appropriate PPE and staff protocols.

We have increased the frequency of disinfecting, clean down and sanitising of areas within the market and we have installed automated hand sanitisers since March that will continue to be used. Toilets will be closed to the public during this phase as the market returns to a more traditional farmers market format of shopping for essential groceries only with the socialising/leisure element of the market temporarily suspended. We have also increased signage on HSE guidelines and hand wash reminders displayed within the market. Our staff are fully trained and aware of all protocols relating to Covid-19, Mr Fitzgerald said.

He also requested customers to only purchase essential items and maintain a distance of two metres from fellow customers, as well as only remaining inside the Milk Market for the time it takes to buy the produce.
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.
President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn upon return to the White House in Washington on May 17, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Says Hes Been Taking Anti-Malarial Drug Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc

President Donald Trump said Monday he has been taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and zinc to prevent being infected with COVID-19.

I happen to be taking it, Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House. A lot of good things have come out. Youd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers.

The president added, Im taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think its good, Ive heard a lot of good stories.

The drug has been touted by Trump as a possible treatment in fighting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged in China last year. Hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

There have been several clinical trials to see whether the drug is effective in fighting the virus. A recent study conducted by New York Universitys School of Medicine found that a combination of hydroxychloroquine and zinc has been effective in some virus patients.

And a new trial evaluating the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin against the virus started, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House pandemic task force, announced last week.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned against taking hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat the virus outside of a hospital setting or in a clinical trial. The agency said the drug can cause abnormal heart rhythms or create a rapid heart rate.

Trump told reporters that he has been taking the medication daily for about 10 days. The White House physician didnt recommend the drug but still offered it to him, the president remarked, adding that he has had no side-effects from the drug and zero symptoms of COVID-19.

Tablets on a blister pack of Plaquinol (Hydroxychloroquine) are displayed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 10, 2020. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Im not [going to] get hurt by it. Its been around for 40 years, Trump said, adding that youd be surprised at how many people are taking the drug. For malaria, for lupus, for other things. I take it. Front-line workers take it. A lot of doctors take it.

He doesnt own stock in the firm that produces the drug, Trump said, adding that he wants Americans to not get sick.

I dont want them feeling sick. And theres a very good chance that this has an impact, especially early on, he said. I take a pill every day. At some point, Ill stop. What Id like to is Id like to have the cure and or the vaccine and thatll happen I think very soon.

The president told reporters that aside from taking the drug, he is being tested for the CCP virus every day. So far, hes tested negative.
Amid ongoing critique over his response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at former President Barack Obama, describing his predecessor as grossly incompetent

Trump made the comments to reporters at the White House Saturday afternoon, Politico reported.

They came in response to Obamas virtual commencement address Saturday to historic black colleges and universities, in which he asserted that the pandemic had 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.

A week prior, in a conference call with thousands of his former administration officials, Obama blasted the Trump administrations pandemic response as an absolute chaotic disaster." He argued Joe Biden, his vice president and the likely 2020 Democratic nominee, could help unify the country in the wake of the crisis.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and the death toll is approaching 90,000 as of Sunday. Trump has faced criticism for statements downplaying the outbreak between January and early March, and Democrats and some governors argue the administration failed to implement a national testing strategy and waited too long to fully utilize the Defense Production Act.

But Trump maintains that his decision to cut off travel from China, where the outbreak originated, in late January saved tens of thousands of lives.

In mid-March, Trump banned travel from Europe and implemented federal stay-at-home and social distancing recommendations to help slow the spread of the virus, and signed the historic $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27. He recently announced $11 billion in funding to help states boost testing efforts, and has been pushing for the American economy to reopen despite concerns among some public health officials that opening too soon without robust testing available risks uncontrollable outbreaks.

The president has frequently defended his administration by lambasting the previous one, claiming the Obama team left with a broken system and broken tests, even though there was no way to test for the new coronavirus while Obama was in office, because the virus didnt exist until late 2019.

Trump on Sunday told reporters that administration and elected officials had a great weekend during a trip to Camp David, with " a lot of terrific meetings," Politico reported.

"Tremendous progress is being made on many fronts, including coming up with a cure for this horrible plague that has beset our country, he said.

Related Content:
The concept of an agricultural spelling bee  Agribee  was started by a local Farm Bureau group in Northern California 16 years ago. And, why not? Agriculture impacts everyones life and students should learn about where lifes essentials of food and clothing originate.

Two years ago, an Agribee debuted in Californias Tulare County. It was held in the Heritage Complex on the grounds of the International Agri-Center, home of World Ag Expo. Its logical to host it in Tulare, as it is the epicenter of dairy. There are more cows in that general area than anywhere in North America. Its located in Californias Central Valley, with some of the most productive soil. Agriculture is the foundation of so much in the community, and those living in the area should be knowledgeable about their surroundings.

The program promotes agriculture and gives students an opportunity to learn about farms, food, and fiber. Additionally, the contestants develop public speaking skills and confidence.

The words

Each school is provided the same list of 100 words and definitions. An example is farrow, and the definition they are given is the time when a sow gives birth to piglets. Drought, a long period with no rain, is also on the list. There is some flexibility in the definition, and an active farmer serves as one of the judges to evaluate their responses. Two other judges also provide expertise.

Each of the six rural schools in the area holds their own competition, and the top two fifth-grade students advance to the Tulare County Agribee. Students not only spell, but they also provide the definition of common agricultural words. There were 100 terms and definitions that students studied in preparation for local competition.

Those top 12 students are then given another 100 words and definitions for the next level of competition. All 200 words are fair game at the county Agribee. An extensive list of words used in the Butte County Farm Bureau Agribee can be found here.

Teachers, parents, and the media are invited to attend the competition and enjoy a reception of milk and cookies. Happy Cookers donates the cookies and the milk is provided by the local milk processor, Rosa Brothers Creamery. This shows the event has community support as well.

The reward

While the top three students receive a medal, there is great value in the exercise for each participant. While all the schools are considered rural, all of the students are not from farm families or children of farm employees. Learning ag words at an impressionable age may encourage students to pursue careers not initially considered, covering agronomy, animal science/veterinary science, plant scientist/botanist, technology, or equipment engineer. Additionally, students who were raised on a farm are getting exposed to other agricultural sectors in which they may not be familiar. So, everyone, including the students, teachers, and parents, are expanding their knowledge, and not just their spelling prowess.

To learn more about this and other ag education events hosted by the International Agri-Center, visit www.iacagventures.org.

The author is the online media manager and is responsible for the website, webinars, and social media. A graduate of Modesto Junior College and Fresno State, she was raised on a California dairy and frequently blogs on youth programs and consumer issues.
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The General Secretary of the National Peace Council, George Amoh, has affirmed the independent stance of the Electoral Commission, urging all stakeholders especially political parties to allow the state body to execute its constitutional mandate.

Mr Amoh's admonition follows a barrage of attacks on the EC by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the state electoral body submitted a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) to Parliament to pass legislation that will enable citizens to use the Ghana Card and the passport for registration into the voters' register.

The EC had scheduled the registration exercise on 18th April 2020 but was compelled to postpone the all-important exercise due to the lockdown measures instituted by the government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EC added that a new date would be announced for the exercise when restrictions are eased.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) claims that the use of the Ghana card in the registration process is a calculated attempt by the EC and its allies to suppress votes in its strongholds.

However, speaking in an interview on Friday, May 15, 2020, Mr Amoh advised political parties and other stakeholders to allow the Electoral Commission to do its work without fear or favour.

The Electoral Commission has the mandate to make decisions that will maintain the peace of the country. We have to allow the EC to work according to the laws of the country. When that happens, we have to keep an eye on them to know if they are working according to the law. If they are doing their job according to the law and they are not breaching the law then we will have to allow them do their job, he said.

Meanwhile, the EC released a statement on Friday, insisting that it is practically impossible to rig election these days.

The statement signed by Ag. Director of Public Affairs at the EC, Sylvia Annoh, said, the EC, as an independent body, 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.

She 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.

---Daily Guide
[May 18, 2020] Analysis on Impact of COVID19-Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024 | Growing Importance of STEM Education to Boost Growth | Technavio

Technavio has been monitoring the online tutoring market and it is poised to grow by USD 132.21 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 15% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005373/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Ambow Education Holding Ltd., ArborBridge Inc., Chegg Inc., China Distance Education Holdings Ltd., Club Z! Inc., iTutorGroup, New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Pearson Plc, TAL Education Group, and Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd. are some of the major market participants. The growing importance of STEM education will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing importance of stem education has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Online Tutoring Market is segmented as below: Geography APAC Europe North America Sout America MEA

Courses Stem Language Courses Other Courses





To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40595 Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our online tutoring market report covers the following areas: Online Tutoring Market Size

Online Tutoring Market Trends

Online Tutoring Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the availability of apps and wearables for online tutoring as one of the prime reasons driving the online tutoring market growth during the next few years. Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the online tutoring market, including some of the vendors such as Ambow Education Holding Ltd., ArborBridge Inc., Chegg Inc., China Distance Education Holdings Ltd., Club Z! Inc., iTutorGroup, New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Pearson Plc, TAL Education Group, and Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the online tutoring market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Online Tutoring Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist online tutoring market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the online tutoring market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the online tutoring market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of online tutoring market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Courses Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Vendor Landscape Vendor Analysis Appendix About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005373/en/

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A former top bureaucrat has warned the international race to develop a vaccine against the novel coronavirus could pit nations against each other if politicians bow to domestic pressures to put their own citizens at the front of the queue for a jab.

Jane Halton, a former secretary of the health and finance departments who now chairs the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation and sits on the board of the COVID-19 Coordination Commission, said "vaccine nationalism" was a threat to the global cooperation needed to fight the pandemic.

Jane Halton, chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, warns against 'vaccine nationalism'. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

As countries around the world pour billions of dollars into coronavirus vaccine research - including Australia, where researchers at the University of Queensland hope to begin human trials by July - Ms Halton urged political leaders to "think really carefully" about their obligations to vulnerable populations both locally and overseas.

"At the moment, we're all in it together. As soon as there is a vaccine, I fear that we will maybe not be quite all in it as together as we have been," she told the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday.
An antibody first identified in a blood sample from a patient who recovered from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 inhibits related coronaviruses, including the cause of COVID-19.

The antibody, called S309, is now on a fast-track development and testing path at Vir Biotechnology in the next step toward possible clinical trials.

Laboratory research findings on the S309 antibody are reported in the May 18 edition of Nature. The title of the paper is: "Cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV2 by a human monoclonal antibody".

The senior authors on the paper are David Veesler, assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Davide Corti of Humabs Biomed SA, a subsidiary of Vir.

The lead authors are Dora Pinto and Martina Beltramello of Humabs, as well as Young-Jun Park and Lexi Walls, research scientists in the Veesler lab, which for several years has been studying the structure and function of the infection mechanisms on a variety of coronaviruses.

"We still need to show that this antibody is protective in living systems, which has not yet been done," Veesler said.

"Right now there are no approved tools or licensed therapeutics proven to fight against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19," he added. If the antibody is shown to work against the novel coronavirus in people, it could become part of the pandemic armamentarium.

Veesler said that his lab is not the only one seeking neutralizing antibodies for COVID 19 treatment. What makes this antibody different is that its search did not take place in people who had COVID-19, but in someone who had been infected 17 years ago during a SARS epidemic.

"This is what allowed us to move so fast compared to other groups," Veesler said.

The scientists identified several monoclonal antibodies of interest from memory B cells of the SARS survivor. Memory B cells form following an infectious illness. Their lineage can last, sometimes for life. They usually remember a pathogen, or one similar to it, that the body has ousted in the past, and launch an antibody defense against a re-infection.

Several of the antibodies from the SARS survivor's memory B cells are directed at a protein structure on coronaviruses. This structure is critical to the coronaviruses' ability to recognize a receptor on a cell, fuse to it, and inject their genetic material into the cell. This infectivity machinery is located in the spikes that crown the coronavirus.

The S309 antibody is particularly potent at targeting and disabling the spike protein that promotes the coronavirus entry into cells. It was able to neutralize SARS CoV-2 by engaging with a section of the spike protein nearby the attachment site to the host cell.

Through their cryo-electronmicroscopy studies and binding assays, the researchers learned that the S309 antibody recognizes a binding site on the coronavirus that is conserved across many sarbocoviruses, not just the SARS and COVID-19 viruses. That is probably why this antibody, instead of being single-minded, is able to act against related coronaviruses.

Combining the S309 antibody with other, though weaker, antibodies identified in the recovered SARS patient enhanced the neutralization of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

This multiple antibody cocktail approach might help limit the coronavirus' ability to form mutants capable of escaping a single-ingredient antibody treatment, according to the researchers.

The scientists noted that they hope these initial results pave the way for using the S309 antibody, alone or in a mixture, as a preventive measure for people at high-risk of exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus or as post-exposure therapy to limit or treat severe illness.

###

Other research institutions participating in this research include Institut Pasteur in France, the Universita della Svizzera Italiana in Switzerland, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

This study was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Pew Biomedical Scholars Award, Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, University of Washington Arnold and Mabel Beckman cryoEM Center, the Pasteur Institute, and the beamline at the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory. The researchers obtained viral genomic sequences from GISAID's EpiFlu Database, hosted by the German government.
A massive memorial block party with 3,000 attendees in Florida over the weekend resulted in seven people arrested, one man tasered, one shot, and one deputy injured.

Shocking aerial and bodycam footage has been released showing thousands of locals in the streets in Southwest DeLand at a memorial block party for Kenya Alexander, a DeLand man who was murdered in 2008, from Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

Helicopter footage shows how the party spanned several blocks on West Lisbon Parkway with hundreds of cars parked along a corner of a park.

After the day event ended, the party took a violent turn where revelers threw bottles and bar stools at cops trying to break up the gathering around midnight, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.

While locals at the party said the gathering was peaceful and police incited the problems, the Volusia Sheriff's Office released body camera and helicopter footage in response to show just how the party had gotten out of hand.

A massive memorial block party of 3,000 in Florida over the weekend resulted in seven people arrested, one man being tasered and one deputy injured. Helicopter footage of the massive gathering above

Shocking aerial and bodycam footage has emerged showing thousands of locals in the streets in Southwest DeLand at a memorial block party for Kenya Alexander, a DeLand man who was murdered in 2008, from Saturday afternoon into Sunday

Officers reported seeing a person in a car pointing a long gun out of a window and a loaded gun handed from one convicted felon to another. Aerial view of the party that wrapped around a Spring Hill park above

Officers reported seeing a person in a car pointing a long gun out of a window and a loaded gun handed from one convicted felon to another.

Police reported that when they tried to break up the crowd the agitated bystanders used 'bottles, jars and bar stools against law enforcement as weapons or projectiles'.

Gov. Ron DeSantis orders advise against large gatherings but do not actually ban them, making the block party legal. Cops were on site for traffic control purposes.

Still, there were many attendees who cast blame on the police.

'This is what they do to black people. Have a block party Downtown and see what happens.  Its not fair; its not fair,' one party participant said to Beacon Online News.

'Can we enjoy ourselves? No. We are human too  black lives matter. Every life matters,' another attendee added.

Just after midnight deputies were walking in the 1200 block of South Delaware Avenue where there was a crowd of 1,500 people and officers saw two men exchanging a firearm.

Volusia Sheriff's County released bodycamera footage of the block party where seven people were arrested and bystanders threw items at police. An officer pictured detaining a party attendee on the ground

Cops pictured detaining someone at the block party with what appears to be a taser to his back

Deputies pictured walking through the crowd of partiers trying to make way for traffic

Just after midnight deputies were walking in the 1200 block of South Delaware Avenue where there was a crowd of 1,500 people and officers saw two men exchanging a firearm. They arrested two men in the exchange - Charles Turner and Alphonso Parker. A picture of the firearm exchanged, a Ruger 9mm, above

When a deputy approached them and told them to drop the gun one of the men, later identified as Charles Turner, 37, threw the weapon and ran away, deputies say.

Bodycamera footage shows a cop say 'put your hands up' and chase Turner to arrest him.

He was later found, tasered for resisting arrest, and taken into custody and the firearm, a Ruger 9mm with a round in the chamber and the hammer cocked, was recovered.

'Several other deputies responded to help with the subject on the ground, who was resisting. He was tasered and ultimately taken into custody on several charges, as was the other man involved in the gun exchange,' spokesman Andrew Gant said.

He was charged with two counts of possession of a weapon/ammunition by a felon, tampering with evidence, inciting a riot and resisting an officer without violence. Turner was out on bond for other charges, deputies said.

The other man in the incident, Alphonso Parker, 27, was also arrested and hit with the same charges except tampering with evidence.

When cops arrested the two men, two deputies were hit with a cup of alcohol.

'Overall, deputies conducted 12 traffic stops, issued five citations, towed five vehicles, made seven arrests, recovered two firearms, some narcotics and $3,840 in cash,' Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman said

As the person who threw the cup was taken into custody another male party attendee sucker punched one of the deputies.

Another deputy and DeLand PD officer were hit with a bar stool and mason jar by other members of the crowd who immediately fled. Glass bottles were also being thrown at patrol vehicles in the street while arrests were being made, the sheriff's office said.

As a result one deputy suffered a minor knee injury and a DeLand cop suffered a minor head injury from being hit with the jar.

Cops said on Sunday they learned that a 34-year-old Orlando man who attended the block party in DeLand was hospitalized for a gunshot wound to the foot.

He told Altamonte Springs police he 'was drinking with friends and pretty inebriated when someone started shooting', according to the incident report, but he was unsure of the exact location of the shooting.

'Overall, deputies conducted 12 traffic stops, issued five citations, towed five vehicles, made seven arrests, recovered two firearms, some narcotics and $3,840 in cash,' Gant said.

Cops said at the block party they saw two convicted felons passing a loaded handgun, a Ruger 9mm. Charles Turner, 37, (left) and Alphonso Parker, 27, (right) were arrested for having that gun. Turner was out on bond for other charges, deputies said

'The behavior that occurred here overnight was dangerous, senseless, unacceptable and an embarrassment to our community,' the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

'Where else in Volusia County does a mob of thousands of people pack the streets? Where else are people throwing glass bottles at law enforcement and sucker punching deputies? How are we supposed to turn a blind eye to someone pointing a gun at a crowd, or two convicted felons exchanging a loaded gun right in front of our face? Our response to last nights events in DeLand was not about race. Its about public safety,' Sheriff Chitwood said in a statement.
Baltasar Kormakur, the Icelandic director best known in the United States for Everest and Contraband, turned to a color-coded armband system to get his Netflix sci-fi series Katla back into production in Reykjavik after the coronavirus shut it down in mid-March.

Producer Lucas Foster made the difficult  and expensive  decision to isolate his entire cast and crew in a small town in Australia to make a reimagined horror film based on the Stephen King short story Children of the Corn.

The two filmmakers are among the few who have found their way back into production amid a pandemic. Armed with expansive medical staffs, stringent protocols and imposing security guards willing to yell Two meters! whenever anyone gets too close, Kormakur and Foster are the unlikely trailblazers at the dawn of a new era in film.

Everyone wants to know how they did it. In lengthy phone interviews, the two explained the steps they took to get cameras rolling again.

Color-coding on an Iceland soundstage

Kormakur has talked through his methods with Londons film commission, the American Society of Cinematographers, and his former partners at Working Title and Universal Pictures. Hes making a video for Netflix to share with other eager creators looking for a way back.

I will probably be more known for COVID than for any of my films, Kormakur said with a laugh. That is kind of sad.

In March, he began filming Katla, an eight-episode supernatural drama centered on a subglacial volcano that disturbs a tranquil small town. He owns the 50,000-square-foot soundstage where they were working for four days before the government shut the production down along with the rest of the country. Sheltering at home with his four children, Kormakur engineered a system he thought would allow the cast and crew to return once the virus had peaked.

His method involved a color-coded armband system: Those wearing yellow could be near the camera; the actors, and the makeup and costume professionals, wore black and spent most of their prep time in a cordoned-off area of the set; and the producers, script supervisors and visual effects people wore red and were sequestered near the monitors. A few lucky ones were given blue armbands, which allowed them access to all areas of the set. No group had more than 20 people in it.

This way we could monitor each other, he said. Its hard with crews. People have a tendency to roam, and its easy to lose control of it.

Kormakurs system was only possible because of Icelands rigorous testing policies. Netflix, too, was heavily involved, with executives testing Kormakurs methods. The streaming giant financed the extra costs associated with the safety protocols and paid the cast and crew salaries when they were shut down.

First, under the system, Kormakur and his entire 80-person cast and crew were tested. Then, each morning, the temperature of everyone entering the set was scanned. Catering was turned into individual boxed meals. Doorknobs, toilets and other surfaces were sanitized on the hour. Most everyone except the actors wore masks, and the makeup artists and production designers were gloved.

So much for protecting the environment, Kormakur quipped.

Production has been up and running now for four weeks. And though Kormakur and the other directors filming the series have yet to try a scene involving any close contact or intimacy, it has continued without incident. (Kormakur said they would address those scenes once restrictions loosen further. If that doesnt happen in time, they will retest actors before filming them. Iceland is currently reopening in phases.)

Two crew members who went to the set with elevated temperatures wound up testing positive for COVID-19. Both were sent home to self-isolate for two weeks, and no one else became infected.

Our methods worked, he added. We caught two people who in another case would have been working with this virus without knowing it. He added, I think if you can create filters in society then you can help find the virus and stop it. Whether its film companies or other companies.

When I spoke with Kormakur, only three COVID-19 patients remained hospitalized in Iceland. Now, Kormakur and Icelands government are looking at bringing foreign crews into the country to bolster production. He said they could isolate them in empty hotels and get them all tested so they could begin work, a scenario that he said could help restore Icelands struggling economy.

At a certain point, the support and financial packages are going to run dry, he said. I dont know if the Iceland government has much more to give.

Isolating in an Australian town

Foster, a Children of the Corn producer, was 10 days out from finishing his film when we spoke, and at the end, he said he would turn to the mountains of phone messages and emails from eager filmmakers looking for advice.

In a recent phone interview, he wondered whether his experience could be translated elsewhere: I finished my 24th day of photography, so I have 24 days of experience doing this and learning, he said. I think thats the valuable part. But what we did in Australia is not a direct crossover to, say, shooting in Los Angeles.

The need for a cornfield in November was what first brought Foster from his Los Angeles home to Richmond in New South Wales. The pandemic is what kept him there. And on May 28, he and writer-director Kurt Wimmer are to complete production on their horror film, shot entirely during the spread of the coronavirus.

Like Kormakurs set, this one was divided by job function. A nurse, a paramedic and a doctor were present daily. The cast and crew were required to fill out wellness questionnaires at the beginning and end of each day. Temperatures were checked. Surfaces were sanitized. During one particularly challenging sequence shot at night, the actors were dressed in neoprene suits both to keep them warm and to offer them another level of protection when they came in close contact during the scene. (According to Australias policies, the 2 meters rule did not have to be observed when the cameras were rolling.) Hand sanitizer was ubiquitous.

It was also crucial that most of the movie be filmed on an isolated farm in a small town. (The cast and crew have taken over hotels, Airbnbs and some cottages in and around Richmond.) Australia has also been successful in flattening the curve and has begun opening its economy.

But for Foster, who said that the extra precautions added at least 20% to the initial $10 million budget of his indie film, the most crucial decision he made was to house his entire cast and crew together, including the guardians for more than 25 child actors and one actors dog.

It was an uncomfortable decision but one that made this whole thing possible, said Foster, who has been isolating with his film family for close to 80 days. Its not an inexpensive way to operate a film.

He also contended with a shortened shooting schedule because of the usual restrictions placed on minors, navigated the stress levels of a disparate crew, and found replacement actors when a few dropped out at the last minute. One 12-year-old was too afraid to get on an airplane from Los Angeles. Another actor, based in Sydney, decided against making the trip to Richmond.

There is no cheat sheet for this, Foster said. Every single thing that everybody in every department has to do must be rethought, he added. Retraining on the job has been the most challenging thing.

He also said that he had underestimated the toll that filming during a pandemic would take on actors, who had to stay present while copious distractions swirled around them. In the initial days of production, he admitted, he didnt pay enough attention to his crews mental health, a situation he has rectified with more thorough monitoring and less news watching.

Yet Foster is comfortable with his plan to proceed.

We made the decision as a group that we were better off isolating in a small town with each other and continuing to do our work, keep our employment alive and our sanity, he said. Our creative output is a large part of our identity. I didnt want to kill that.

(Nicole Sperling c.2020 The New York Times Company)
WHOs decision-making body meets today and tomorrow. China opposes both requests. For many observers, the Chinese Communist Party does not want to lose face.

Geneva (AsiaNews)  The World Health Organisation (WHO) is holding its annual assembly today and tomorrow via videoconference.

The main issues on the agenda are a request by the United States, Australia and the European Union for an independent international inquiry into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for Taiwan to be granted observer status in the organisation.

China has blocked both requests. Western countries suspect China of lying about the outbreak in order to contain potential threats to its internal stability. China refuses any blame by the United States and its allies.

The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked Beijing for its handling of the pandemic crisis, as well as for trying to use the situation to boost its international prestige.

An inquiry has few changes to take place since China is backed by its trading partners; together they can block any action by WHO assembly.

Even the alternative solution proposed by Washington, namely an inquiry by the International Court of Justice, has little chance of success since China can block it with its veto at the United Nations Security Council.

Beijing has rejected decisions by the international court in the past. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China's territorial claims to nearly 90 per cent of the South China Sea.

For most observers, China does not want to lose face over the COVID-19 or Taiwan. The island is one of the countries that successfully tackled the pandemic crisis. To contain the virus, Taiwanese authorities intervened quickly and decisively, without waiting for the WHOs belated instructions.

WHO leaders claim to have kept channels of communication open with the island during the crisis. For Taiwan, its exclusion from the WHO does not encourage the sharing of experiences and information useful for the global fight against the pandemic.

Ultimately, the issue is political. Communist China sees Taiwan's presence in the WHO as an implicit recognition of its independence and as a repudiation of its one China principle.

For the Chinese, Taiwan is not a sovereign state, but a "rebel" province, to be reunited by force if necessary. From this perspective, Taiwanese demands to WHO must be submitted by the Chinese government.

The tensions between Taipei and Beijing took a turn for the worse in 2016, when the current Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen was elected for the first time.

Tsai heads the Democratic Progressive Party, which is in favour of the island's formal independence from mainland China.
FBI officials have allegedly managed to break into one of the two iPhones owned by Mohammed Saeed Aishamrani. In December last year, a mass shooting took place at Naval Air Station in Florida. The attack was carried out by Aishamrani and the FBI had found two iPhones protected with encryption.

It is not uncommon for government agencies to lock horns with Apple when it comes to security. Previously, the FBI has tried to persuade Apple to build a backdoor into its iPhones. Meanwhile, Apple has defended its position citing user privacy and security. However, in the Florida mass shooting case, the company had handed over iCloud data to the FBI. The shooter reportedly owned iPhone 7 and iPhone 5s.

Apple faced a similar situation way back in 2016 when the U.S Federal judge asked the company to unlock one of the phones belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Apple refused to build a backdoor and said that doing so will pose a national security risk. Meanwhile, the FBI somehow managed to gain access to the iPhone without needing Apples intervention. Earlier this year Apple released a statement that read as follows.

We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys. Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers. Today, law enforcement has access to more data than ever before in history, so Americans do not have to choose between weakening encryption and solving investigations. We feel strongly encryption is vital to protecting our country and our users data.

Our Take

Apple is opposed to the idea of creating a backdoor into iOS. However, one can easily find many tools to hack the iPhone. In fact, Cellebrites phone-hacking tool was selling on e-bay for as low as $100. As if that was not enough, earlier this year, Scotland Police posted a video of using Cellebrite to crack smartphones. Furthermore, the abundance of iOS exploits only makes the matters worse.

No matter how hard Apple resists building a backdoor into iOS, authorities can always turn to third-party tools for accessing the phones.

[via CNN
MBABANE  COMESA will develop an online platform for exchanging information on availability of essential products within the COMESA Member States as part of the response measures to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was among key decisions made by the extraordinary meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers, last week. The virtual meeting was convened to approve a harmonised set of regional guidelines developed to facilitate movement of goods and services across the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting brought together ministers in charge of coordination of COMESA activities at the national level. They underscored the need for an online platform for the exchange of information on availability of essential products within the COMESA Member States during and after the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Applied

The new guidelines provide common measures and practices to be applied across the 21 COMESA countries. In developing the guidelines, reference was made to those of the East African Community the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union to ensure a seamless application of trade facilitation measures in the region. In her statement to the Council, COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe, said the regional guidelines were now critical for a coordinated and harmonised response, to ensure that collective efforts served to reinforce and not undermine each other. The impact of COVID-19 has made it clear that as a region we need to strengthen and integrate regional policies to take into account the adverse social-economic and political impacts and to develop strategies to support and facilitate quick recovery of our economies, she said.

Disruption

The guidelines sees to address disruptions in the regional supply of essential goods, which have been attributed to the diverse COVID-19 measures being applied in member states.

Such disruptions have affected the flow of essential commodities including food and pharmaceuticals.
Asian stock markets rose on Monday after the chief US central banker expressed optimism the American economy might start to recover this year from the coronavirus pandemic.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Australia all advanced.

That came despite Japans announcement its economy contracted in the first quarter and the US governments decision to step up a technology conflict with Beijing by tightening restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Investors appear to be looking past the outbreak to a recovery despite rising infection numbers in the United States, Brazil and some other countries.

However forecasters warn the the latest market buoyancy might be premature and a return to normal could be some way off.

Market sentiment will likely remain fragile as investors weigh government stimulus plans against rising US-Chinese tension and poor economic data, said Riki Ogawa of Mizuho Bank in a report.

Global coronavirus cases and deaths (PA Graphics)

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.2% to 2,874.89 and Tokyos Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 20,105.84.

The Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 0.1% to 23,819.26.

The Kospi in Seoul was 0.5% higher at 1,935.73 and Australias S&P-ASX 200 gained 1.4% to 5,478.10.

Markets in New Zealand and Singapore also advanced.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expressed optimism Sunday that the US economy can begin to rebound in the second half, assuming the coronavirus does not erupt in a second wave.

But he said a full recovery will not likely be possible before the arrival of a vaccine.

That appeared to encourage investors who are looking for signs of when global economies might return to normal.

Meanwhile, Japans government reported on Monday that the worlds third-largest economy contracted by 0.9% in the three months ending in March compared with the previous quarter.
Apple Inc will this week reopen more than 25 of its branded stores in the United States, the company said on Sunday, continuing a gradual process that has unlocked doors at nearly a fifth of its worldwide retail outlets.

The iPhone maker in March shut all its stores outside of Greater China in response to the spread of the coronavirus. It started shutting its more than 50 Greater China stores in January and reopened them by mid-March.

"Our commitment is to reopen our stores when we are confident the environment is safe," Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's head of retail, wrote on Sunday in a note on the company's website.

The stores will impose social-distancing rules, limit occupancy and some will offer only curbside or storefront service, she said.

Apple does not disclose its retail store revenue. Direct sales, including retail stores, web and corporate sales, accounted for 31% of its $260 billion in 2019 revenue.

Chief Executive Tim Cook declined last month to provide an outlook for the June quarter, citing business uncertainty created by the virus. First-quarter sales in China, reflecting that country's store closings and lockdown, were $9.46 billion, about $1 billion less than for the same period a year earlier.

Last week, Apple reopened its first five stores in the United States, requiring customers and employees to undergo temperature checks and wear masks before entering the premises.

Apple has 510 stores worldwide and 271 in the United States.

The website 9to5Mac reported that the company would reopen 10 of its stores in Italy beginning on Tuesday.
A seven-month-old baby has died in suspicious circumstances.

The little boy was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital, in the New South Wales Hunter region, about 3pm on Sunday.

He was in unresponsive when he arrived, and hospital staff were unable to revive him.

Officers from the Hunter Valley Police District have launched an investigation into his death.

The little boy was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital, in the New South Wales Hunter region, about 3pm on Sunday

They cordoned off a nearby home and called in specialist forensic officers to examine the crime scene.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted to establish the cause of death.

It is currently being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000

More to come.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between The Alan Turing Institute in London and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin. This formally creates an ambitious agreement led by the Turing's data-centric engineering program, a major research initiative funded by the Lloyd's Register Foundation, a UK nonprofit seeking to protect life and property and support education, engineering-related research and public engagement.

This new collaboration aims to deliver research advances in a number of key impact areas: artificial intelligence for science and engineering, computational science and engineering (CSE), scientific machine learning, and data-centric engineering.

The agreement, signed by UT Austin President Greg Fenves and the Turing's Institute Director and Chief Executive, Adrian Smith, is expected to continue for five years and establishes plans to develop joint research projects and exchange academic materials and publications, as well as to jointly host meetings, research seminars, workshops and symposia. There are also plans for new opportunities for UT Austin faculty and students to conduct research in London and vice versa.

The Oden Institute is a world-leading interdisciplinary institute dedicated to CSE, which brings together faculty from across 23 different departments in engineering, medicine, the natural sciences, the geosciences, and business. The Oden Institute plays a central role in Texas Computing, a tight collaboration among the units that contribute to UT Austin's global leadership in computing research, education and technological innovation. It is so named to honor Dr J. Tinsley Oden, widely considered to be one of the founding fathers of the field of computational science and engineering.

Established in 2015, The Alan Turing Institute is a high-profile, vibrant and multidisciplinary national institute, bringing together 13 leading universities from England and Scotland, making it the UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. It is named in honor of Alan Turing, whose pioneering work in theoretical and applied mathematics, engineering and computing is considered to have laid the foundations for modern-day data science and AI. The Institute's goals are to undertake world-class research in data science and AI, apply its research to real-world problems, drive economic impact and societal good, lead the training of a new generation of scientists, and shape the public conversation around data.

"Forging closer ties with The Alan Turing Institute is the first step in what I expect to be a long and rewarding journey for UT Austin and our new UK partners," said Oden Institute director, Karen Willcox. "Both organizations share a deep commitment to research with real impact, research that can help bring about solutions to the toughest challenges we currently face as a global community. And, given the scope of priority areas identified, the benefits of working more closely with The Alan Turing Institute will be felt, not only by the Oden Institute community, but across UT campus."

Mark Girolami, Program Director of Data-Centric Engineering said: "This is an important and significant new collaboration for The Alan Turing Institute. The unique combination of the computational and data centric engineering expertise of the Oden and Turing Institutes will create exciting opportunities for innovative and impactful research outcomes. Indeed working with the Oden Institute will allow our research teams to effectively address a range of pressing global challenges, such as achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the quality of air we breathe in our major cities."

###
THEYRE BACK: Well, they will be starting June 1, but by appointment only as the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division enters Phase 1 of reopening in a coronavirus world.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the move during a news conference Friday afternoon. The appointments will be available at mvdonline.com or by calling 888-683-4636  and only for transactions that cannot be done online.

That includes getting your first drivers license, your first Real ID license (which requires providing documents proving identity, identity number and residency), renewing a license for someone age 79 and older (which requires a vision test), driving tests, title transfers and VIN inspections. MVD is encouraging all other customers to go online for transactions including renewing vehicle registrations and drivers licenses. (And many folks are; there were 91,806 online transactions in April, up 84% over April 2019.)

Drivers, especially those without computer access, can also just sit tight until the reopening expands for their transactions. Remember, the governors order from March 30 waive(s) late fees and penalties on licenses that expire during MVD office closures and for a reasonable period of time after our offices reopen. The order also directs State Police not to issue citations for registrations or licenses that expire while MVD field offices are closed. Local law enforcement agencies have been encouraged to do the same.

For those who get appointments with MVD, the governor also said all MVD employees and customers will be required to wear face coverings per her coronavirus safety protocol.

Charlie Moore, the public information officer for MVDs parent agency, the Taxation and Revenue Department, says the department is working to protect customers with measures such as reserving the 8-10 a.m. window on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at its larger offices for drivers over age 79. MVD is planning to post a list of senior-hour locations online as well.

ABOUT THOSE 90-DAY TEMPORARY LICENSES: Meanwhile, after last weeks column said drivers over 79 had been added to the print-a-temp-permit list, several called to report some drivers have had trouble getting their 90-day temporary licenses online.

Reasons to get one and not just wait until offices reopen include concerns about being able to buy alcohol (some sellers card all customers, apparently thinking kids stacked in a trenchcoat and mask are trying to buy that six-pack) and pick up prescriptions that require ID.

It turns out your license must be expired (that usually happens a month after your birthday and is listed on the license) for the system to accept your request.

MVD has emailed more that 32,000 90-day temporary licenses to people whose licenses expired during the pandemic  if it had their address. Everyone else can go to mvdonline.com, choose Online Services, then Eservices, then Drivers & Placards then Print Temporary License or ID.

But remember, after your license has expired.

EMAIL FOR INTERLOCK AND OTHER QUESTIONS: Meanwhile, if you are on track to graduate from a DWI interlock license to a regular one, Moore says, you should reach out to the DWI Unit at DWI.Reinstate@state.nm.us.

Other questions can be directed to MVD.closure@state.nm.us and, for drivers over 79, to MVD.forseniors@state.nm.us.

I-25 CLOSURES: And the New Mexico Department of Transportation will be closing alternating northbound and southbound lanes on Interstate 25 between Rio Bravo and Broadway this week for paving.

Expect closures between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. as crews tackle highway lanes and the entrance and exit ramps at the Broadway interchange. Drivers are asked to seek an alternate route.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M., 87109.
Editors note: Ronnie E. Baticulon is a physician at the Philippine General Hospital and an associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine.

Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  He was training to be a cardiologist. Checkered polo shirt, short-sleeved white coat, a stethoscope around his neck, eyes on the verge of disappearing as he tilts his head to the right and breaks into a gentle smile  his photos that circulated on social media ticked all the boxes. Before pursuing this career path, he had chosen to serve for two years as a doctor to a barrio in Occidental Mindoro; immediately one would have known that this cardiology fellows heart was in the right place. On March 21, the news of Dr. Israel Bactols death reverberated throughout the Filipino medical community, as everyone tried to make sense of what was happening, too fast, too soon. He was 34.

In the days that followed, it became difficult to keep track of how many doctors were admitted in hospitals where they worked, hooked to mechanical ventilators they used to manipulate. Their names were tentatively whispered during ward round, out of respect more than anything else. Our messaging apps were flooded with prayer requests and offerings. To most people who read the news, they were mere numbers. To us, they were our teachers in medical school, mentors in residency and fellowship training, juniors in the hospital, lifelong friends, colleagues, and loved ones. I have been a doctor for over a decade, and I deal with life and death on a fairly regular basis; it had never occurred to me that I could possibly die serving in this profession, until the coronavirus disease.

The spread of COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers in the country must be addressed. As of this writing, 2,067 Filipino health workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, leading to 35 deaths. Overall, that represents 19% of confirmed cases, or almost one in five patients. For comparison, Thailand has documented 103 healthcare worker infections among 3015 cases (3.4%) during the same time period. Singapores Ministry of Health reported 66 health workers among 13,624 patients (0.5%) in late April. The World Health Organization has already expressed concern over the Philippines infection rate, which is among the highest worldwide, approaching that of Wuhans at the start of the pandemic. The numbers do not account for Filipino health workers who have died from COVID-19 overseas.

The health workforce plays a central role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COVID-19. It includes not just doctors and nurses, but everyone at the frontlines providing direct and indirect care to patients: nursing assistants, midwives, medical technologists, radiation technologists, respiratory therapists, dentists, laboratory staff, administrative staff, barangay health workers, and even the cleaners who ensure that COVID wards are meticulously disinfected. Shortage in health personnel is bound to hamper any countrys response to the current pandemic.

Moreover, we have learned from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 that infected healthcare workers have the potential to significantly drive the spread of the virus. Uncontrolled disease transmission within healthcare facilities eventually leads to outbreaks in the community, which would be more difficult to contain and would affect a higher percentage of the vulnerable population.

Why have so many Filipino healthcare workers been infected with COVID-19? While the Department of Healths official data have shown a decrease in the number of new infections among Filipino healthcare workers in the last two weeks, it remains unclear how many of them acquired COVID-19 from the workplace.

Some argue that the higher numbers are due to the preferential testing of health workers in the country. This reasoning, however plausible, dangerously deflects from the root causes of the problem, which are lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and failure to adhere to infection control measures in the workplace. This has been consistently shown in studies that looked at health personnel infected with SARS in Hong Kong and Singapore, and COVID-19 in Wuhan.

At the start of the COVID-19 crisis in the country, when people were not yet fully aware of how the virus behaves, strict rules on wearing PPE during patient encounters had not yet been in place in most emergency departments and clinics. We screened the general public for fever and cough in hospitals, airports, and malls, when we know now that contagious patients can be completely asymptomatic. The Philippines limited testing capacity and failure to perform meticulous contact tracing had also prevented early identification and isolation of cases. Any combination of these factors would have resulted in occupational exposure among our health workers early on.

Many have blamed patients for not disclosing accurate medical and travel histories, but the holistic practice of medicine compels one to pause and ask, Why would a patient lie? If its fear of being refused hospital admission or the social stigma attached to the acronyms PUI (Person Under Investigation) and PUM (Person Under Monitoring), could you really blame the patient?

At present, the government keeps reiterating that there is no shortage of PPE, but the constant pleas from administrators, doctors, and nurses on social media tell a different story. In the last six weeks, I have been in charge of allocating PPE for the health personnel of Philippine General Hospital, and we have never had more than two weeks supply of N95 masks. We have been forced to create contingency plans, including the disinfection and reuse of N95 masks. The quality of PPE, whether from commercial sellers or donors, is also highly variable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain a list of respirators that are counterfeit or do not meet certification requirements, putting health workers at risk when they use them. The global supply chain for PPEs has become unpredictable, with some local distributors unconscionably demanding ridiculously high prices.

Providing adequate PPE is just one aspect of ensuring health workforce safety. Compliance to PPE guidelines must be compulsory, especially during high-risk procedures. Health workers have to be continually trained in the proper donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) of PPE. The latter is particularly tedious and poses a high risk of contamination, considering that health workers often work long hours under stressful conditions. This burden on the health worker is lifted, and the risk is minimized, when a trained observer is always present to supervise the process.

Social distancing has to be maintained, even during breaks or at the end of the day, when staff usually gather to have meals or engage in casual banter, inherent to Filipino culture. The hospital must have a defined pathway for immediate testing and treatment of health workers who manifest with symptoms. To prevent burnout and exhaustion, psychosocial support must be readily available, and assistance with housing and transportation provided to staff as necessary.

Failure to take care of our health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to long-term consequences in the Philippine healthcare system. It will only worsen the preexisting workforce shortages from geographic maldistribution, migration of health workers, and underemployment. The delivery of essential health services at all levels may be paralyzed, which is especially crucial as the country tries to recover from the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic.

During this global health crisis, we must not forget that health workers are people with their own families and loved ones. They are individuals who have been reminded of their sworn duty to serve when everybody else had been ordered to stay home. Entire hospitals can be built in a matter of weeks, but training a health worker takes years of commitment and sacrifice. If we truly believe that health workers are heroes, applause will never be enough. Let us act, and not just watch them die at the frontlines.
ATLANTA, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Hillside, Inc., a longstanding leader in the field of youth and family behavioral health services, announced the formation of Hillside Atlanta Foundation. This nonprofit will work to make sure every child at Hillside has all the time, treatment, and professional support they need to heal and flourish.

Behavioral health treatment for children and adolescents faces a myriad of obstacles. The Hillside Atlanta Foundation vows to help Hillside rise to these challenges by providing scholarships for children, and professional training for all doctors and staff of Hillside. Additionally, the Foundation will fund research and innovative new treatments, and expand access to quality treatment across the state and region.

"When a child needs adequate time in care to stabilize and be successful after discharge, and insurance or Medicaid won't pay for it, the Foundation's goal is to have the funds to help a family along," says Emily Acker, president and CEO of Hillside. "I'm highly concerned kids' treatment is unfunded before they are ready, and we want to make sure their needs are met."

These needs can include some therapies and supports not typically funded by insurance. Hillside Atlanta Foundation can assist in paying for effective treatments such as horticulture therapy, therapeutic drumming, and animal-assisted therapy.

Staying on top of the latest treatments requires ongoing training. Professional development and new treatment innovations are expensive, but they help keep Hillside at the forefront of child and adolescent behavioral health care. That's why the Hillside Atlanta Foundation supports these critical investments.

"These are developing practices that we need to be experts in," Acker explains, "and that takes lots of training dollars."

In turn, Hillside's professionals share services and knowledge with colleagues all over the world. Additionally, Hillside is expanding its in-home therapy services across Georgia, with ambitions to reach children and families throughout the Southeast, providing access to a level of specialized care that isn't currently available to them. The Hillside Atlanta Foundation is proud to support Hillside as it expands the reach of its lifesaving and life-changing expertise.

"The Hillside Foundation is all about breaking barriers," says Acker, "and ultimately allowing children, adolescents, and young adults to get the help they need to live their lives to the fullest."

Interviews available upon request.

The Hillside Atlanta Foundation supports Hillside in its mission to help children and families thrive by providing outstanding residential and community behavioral health services. With your support, we're helping children get the help they need to build lives worth living. To make a donation or learn more about our work, please visit https://hillsideatlantafoundation.org/support/

Contact: Jon Waterhouse | Lenz, Inc.

404.373.2021

[email protected]

SOURCE Hillside Atlanta Foundation

Related Links

https://hillsideatlantafoundation.org


GlaxoSmithKline hailed a major breakthrough after its revolutionary injection to prevent HIV thrashed the standard treatment in a clinical trial.

The company said an injection of its cabotegravir drug every other month had been 69 per cent more effective than rival Gilead's daily Truvada pill at preventing men from catching HIV.

The tests were so successful that researchers stopped the study three years early.

Boost: For GlaxoSmithKline CEO Emma Walmsley, HIV is a research priority

The 'game-changing' injections mean GSK could be poised to retake the lead in the 20 billion global HIV drugs market.

Glaxo previously dominated the sector but has since fallen behind Gilead. The apparent success of the drug will be a big boost to chief executive Emma Walmsley, who has made HIV one of her top research priorities alongside respiratory, oncology and immune-inflammation medicines.

The drug was developed at ViiV Healthcare, which is majority-owned by GSK. Kimberly Smith, ViiV's head of research, said a long-acting injection was a better treatment because users have been shown to struggle with a routine of daily pills. Some also say this adds to the stigma around the virus.

Smith said: 'If approved, this long-acting injectable has the potential to be a game-changer for HIV prevention by reducing the frequency of dosing from 365 days to six times per year.'

She added: 'Individuals have to show up every eight weeks in the clinic for the injection but in-between there is not a need to take a pill daily, so you really change the equation for adherence with a long-acting drug.'

Researchers opened the study of 4,600 men, who have sex with men and transgender women, in late 2016 in countries including the US, Brazil, South Africa and Thailand.

The randomised trial found that 50 men caught HIV during the period covered by the study  12 of whom had been receiving GSK's treatment and the other 38 of whom were taking daily pills.

Preventive therapies are seen as the key to controlling the spread of the disease, which can develop into AIDS, among at-risk populations.

The trial, which has not been peer-reviewed, has a sister study examining the effects of the injection treatment on women.

And GSK has a pipeline of other treatments that include combination pills for people living with HIV, which affects 38m worldwide. The virus was first identified in the 1980s and is thought to have crossed over into humans decades before when hunters ate an infected chimpanzee or got its blood into an open wound.

Jared Baeten, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington, Seattle, said the results were 'really exciting'.

Cambridge-based GSK is collaborating with firms and research groups across the world to work on promising potential coronavirus vaccines. It is working with Sanofi on a vaccine that is expected to enter clinical trials later this year.

GSK shares rose 2.4 per cent, or 39.4p, to 1687.2p last night.
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, located inside historic Hangar #1 at the former NAS Wildwood, now Cape May Airport, in Lower Township, New Jersey has established a marvelous collection of historic aviation artifacts over the past two decades. There are a number of important ex-military aircraft displayed there, including Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat Bu.66237 and TBM-3S Avenger Bu.86180. While the museum has had to shutter itself during the pandemic, they have just announced plans for re-opening, although in a slightly different manner. The press release below reveals the formal details

Cape May Airport, Lower Township, NJ  Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum has been eagerly awaiting the all clear to reopen following Governor Murphys March 21st Stay at Home order. In a recent interview with the museums online newsletter The Osprey, Director Bruce Fournier commented, We realized the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic early, and proactively closed on March 9th. Having a medical doctor as founder and chairman of the museum made it an easy decision. Fournier stated, Dr. Salvatore was very supportive of our decision to close and have personnel work remotely even before it was mandated. Fast forward eight weeks, and now the focus has become how the museum will re-emerge from this unprecedented crisis. Mr. Fournier noted that the museum has always been innovative and creative in its marketing. We are not on Beach Drive or the boardwalk, so we have always worked hard to let visitors know the history of NASW and where the building is actually located. Hangar #1 has hosted school graduations, proms, the Runway 5k, County Veterans Day Ceremony and dozens of weddings. In fact, NASW had five weddings planned for spring 2020, all of which have been cancelled or postponed.

It was following a video conference meeting with an engaged couple that staff realized the museum could use the buildings design as part of the reopening safety protocol. This particular couple was captivated with the 38 high hangar doors. With the doors in the open position, air flow is enhanced and visibility of sunsets on the west side is remarkable. Coincidentally, all 24 of the large hangar doors were recently restored, now operational with new steel wheels, wood siding and paint. And thus, the idea to have a 92,000 sq./ft. open air museum with a roof was introduced! As NASW continues to wait for approval to open to the public, plans are being put in place to ensure the health and safety of guests and staff. These steps include, opening the large hangar doors daily to allow fresh air flow, limiting guest capacity, hand sanitize stations, Plexiglas sneeze guards in gift shop and marking out 6 social distancing reminders on the floor. Chairman Joseph E. Salvatore, MD added, We anticipate face masks will be required as well for all guests and staff. Whatever the case, NASW will be ready to welcome the public.
Premier Mark McGowan confirmed another day of no new coronavirus cases in WA as the state took its first tentative steps under the new phase of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday.

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Its an exciting day for Western Australia, Mr McGowan said.

Today is a significant day: business is back in a COVID-safe way.

Speaking to media from a cafe in West Perth, the Premier said while intrastate boundaries had decreased from 13 to just four, there was no chance of WAs hard border closure being eased, despite calls from the NSW Premier to do so.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Marco Rubio has been named the acting chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, replacing North Carolina GOP Sen. Richard Burr, who stepped aside while he's under federal investigation for stock sales made ahead of a coronavirus-driven market crash.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., handed Rubio the gavel on Monday, calling the Florida Republican a "talented and experienced" leader and noted his work on subjects ranging from China and Iran to Russia and North Korea. McConnell noted Rubio's appointment was only temporarily and it's unclear whether it could become permanent or whether Burr may return to leading the panel.

"The senior senator for Florida is a talented and experienced Senate leader with expertise in foreign affairs and national security matters," McConnell said in a statement. "Senator Rubio was the natural choice for this temporary assignment on the basis of accumulated committee service. His proven leadership on pertinent issues only made the decision easier."

McConnell noted that the post is crucial because while the nation's intelligence officials are "dedicated, hard-working men and women" they also need oversight. "As recent years have made painfully clear with respect to federal law enforcement, we also need proactive leadership from within and thorough oversight from Congress to keep partisan bias and political interference out of these sensitive activities."

Rubio, in a statement, said he looked forward to leading the committee.

"I am grateful to Leader McConnell for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burrs absence from the Chairmanship," Rubio said. "The Committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously, and I look forward to continuing that tradition."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, arrives for a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing for Rep. John Ratcliffe.

The Florida Republican and 2016 presidential candidate serving his second term in the Senate has generally defended the work of U.S. intelligence agencies and has been a foreign policy hawk on Russia and China. Last year, he sponsored legislation requiring Chinese companies to provide certain financial information if they are publicly traded in U.S. markets.

Story continues

His ascension is not expected to alter the panel's bipartisan handling of security issues forged under Burr and the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. The panel receives classified briefings and oversees the activities of the nation's intelligence operations.

Over 11 months ago,I offered bill requiring all foreign companies,including from #CHINA,to provide audit information if they are listed on U.S. stock exchange



We still need this law



But happy to see @POTUS is looking at executive action on this as well https://t.co/l1oHuSvFN6  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 14, 2020

Sen. Richard Burr: Burr steps down as chairman of Intelligence Committee as FBI seizes phone in investigation

As a member of the Intelligence Committee, Rubio has forcefully countered President Donald Trumps claim that Russia did not meddle in the U.S. election. He also voted for a bill to make sure Trump could not dial back economic sanctions against Moscow without congressional approval. And hes publicly wished the president took a harder stance on global human rights, which Rubio has championed.

The post could give Rubio, 47, a more expansive Capitol Hill resume should he decide to run for president again as many expect he will.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., at a Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing.

Burr gave up the chairmanship of the Intelligence Commission Thursday, amid questions that he illegally sold the stocks after receiving information obtained as a member of the committee on the severity of the oncoming COVID-19 pandemic.

Burr and his wife sold up to $1.6 million in February, and said they did so based only on public news reports about the coronavirus. He called his decision to step side "necessary to allow the Committee to continue its essential work free of external distractions." He also has asked the Ethics Committee to review the matter.

Bromance: They insulted each other on the campaign trail, but now Trump and Rubio are chummy

With the investigation intensifying, McConnell, said in a statement Thursday that he and Burr agreed that it would be in "the bests interests" of the Intelligence Committee for the North Carolina Republican to step down as its chairman. He will remain on the panel.

Other senators including Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga. and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and their spouses or advisers sold stocks around the same time lawmakers received briefings about the severity of the coronavirus, financial disclosure forms showed. But none have been as scrutinized as Burr whose cellphone was seized by federal investigators as part of the probe.

Contributing: Kevin Johnson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marco Rubio to lead Senate Intelligence Committee amid Burr FBI probe
Disturbing new evidence has come to light of serious under-reporting of legal contraventions of particulate matter (PM) emission limits to the Regulator and the public, by South Africas national electricity utility, Eskom.

The under-reporting of PM emission contraventions has been identified by EE Business Intelligence at Kendal power station in Mpumalanga province. This has now prompted an internal forensic investigation by Eskom to establish the extent and duration of this malpractice at both Kendal and at other Eskom coal-fired power stations in South Africa.

About 80% of the electrical energy generated by Eskom has coal as its primary energy source, and the utility recently indicated that only one of Eskoms fifteen coal-fired power plants, namely Kusile (which is still under construction), will ever fully comply with the legally-required minimum emission standards (MES). The countys MES are one of the least onerous in the world today, and significantly less onerous than those of China and India.

Coincidentally, Eskoms stated intention to conduct an internal forensic investigation comes shortly after a ruling by DEFF Minister Barbara Creecy on 12 May 2020 that upholds, though relaxes, the terms of a damning Compliance Notice issued by DEFF to Eskoms Kendal power station. The Compliance Notice was issued on 10 December 2019 for Kendals failure to comply with the provisions of the law since 2015 in respect of its PM emissions.

In the Compliance Notice of 10 December 2019, DEFF identifies false emission claims by Eskom, and states that the data presented by Eskom in respect of Kendal Unit 5 is a gross misrepresentation of the facts, and that Eskom knowingly and deliberately applied wrong calculation methodology in its reports.

In response to this, Eskom has acknowledged that the gross misrepresentation referred to by DEFF in the Compliance Notice speaks to wrong monthly average emission figures submitted by the utility. These, says Eskom, were incorrectly calculated by its division of the total tonnages emitted, by the number of days in the month, as opposed to the number of days that each generator operated per month. According to Eskom, this has now been corrected.

When EE Business Intelligence first raised the matter of further and quite different under-reporting of PM emission contraventions at a meeting with Eskoms environmental compliance team on 5 May 2020, Eskom initially indicated that it would not respond to these allegations.

However, when confronted with the graph below, extracted from an Eskom emissions report to government authorities, as clear evidence of Eskoms failure to report any legal contraventions of PM emission limits incurred by Unit 6 at Kendal power station during November 2019, by wrongly classifying licence contraventions as so-called Section 30 exceedances, Eskom changed its tune.

A Section 30 exceedance refers to a short-term exceedance of the statutory emission limits that may occur in an incident or emergency situation. An incident is defined in Section 30(1)(a) of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) as an unexpected, sudden and uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance, including from a major emission, fire or explosion, that causes, has caused or may cause significant harm to the environment, human life or property.

The graph clearly shows that Kendal Unit 6 exceeded the statutory PM emission limit of 100 mg/Nm3 (which has since been reduced to 50 mg/Nm3 from 1 April 2020) every single day of its operation during November 2019. However, not a single day was recorded as a reportable legal contravention of the PM limit.

After the 2-day start-up grace period, the unit exceeded the then-applicable PM limit for the next 21 consecutive days, claiming that these were Section 30 exceedances. The unit was then apparently shut down on 24 November 2019 (even though the boiler load does not indicate a shut-down). After this, Eskom claimed another 2-day start-up grace period, followed by further Section 30 exceedances every day till the end of the month.

Asked by EE Business Intelligence for a clear explanation for its classification of legally-notifiable contraventions at Kendal Unit 6 in November 2019, as Section 30 exceedances in reports to the authorities, Eskom finally acknowledged the under-reporting on 7 May 2020, when it responded:

We have looked into this. The graphs incorrectly show exceedances as Section 30 exceedances. The graphs should show the exceedances as non-compliance. The power station will rectify this error in its annual report, which is due in the near future for submission to the authorities. The station will notify the authorities of the error in the annual report for the past year.

However, Eskom now apparently blames the system when it goes on further to state:

The graphs are system generated. The system will be rectified to ensure that these graphs in future reflect non-compliance and not Section 30 exceedances, except of course if there is a Section 30 exceedance.

Of course, this does not adequately explain why systematic misrepresentation and under-reporting of contraventions of PM emission limits in reports, documents and graphs prepared by officials at Kendal were not identified by responsible environmental experts, senior management and executives at Eskom.

These include officials such as the power station manager and executives at Eskoms head office responsible for environmental compliance and reporting to DEFF and municipal licensing authorities.

It is expected that the internal forensic investigation will establish the scope, extent and duration of under-reporting of environmental compliance within Eskom, and whether any identified false information provided by Eskom is the result of incompetence, negligence, or deliberate misrepresentation by the utility and/or the various officials involved.

It is further hoped that the forensic investigation will look into whether metrics for environmental compliance, such as the number of legal contraventions a year by Eskom power stations, form any part of a manager or executives performance appraisal in respect of meeting specific performance targets, and/or the calculation of any staff remuneration or bonuses.

It is specific criminal offence listed in Section 51(1)(g) of the Air Quality Act, if a person supplies false or misleading information to an air quality officer.

In this case, it would appear that false and misleading information has indeed been submitted by Eskom to the relevant authorities. Under-reporting by Eskom legal contraventions of emission limits to the regulators and the public is a very serious matter that affects the lives, health and safety of the public.

Despite Minister Creecy being provided with evidence of the severe health impacts that result from Eskoms emissions at Kendal power station, she has relaxed the December 2019 Compliance Notice in response to objections by Eskom.

The Compliance Notice initially instructed Eskom to shut down both Units 1 and 5 at Kendal by 10 January 2020, but Minister Creecys latest decision gives Eskom still further time to meet the PM emission limits.

She has stated that: within 30 days from 12 May 2020, Eskom must shut down either Unit 1 or Unit 5 at Kendal to perform the necessary rectification work on one unit at a time; and within 60 days from 12 May 2020, Eskom must submit a plan of action for Units 2, 3, 4, and 6 (prepared by a suitable independent expert) outlining measures and timeframes to ensure these units comply with the licence.

This reflects the fact that Eskom effectively holds the Minister and the country to ransom, through the threat of load shedding and associated damage to the economy if the environmental laws of South Africa are enforced.

This is despite the fact that Eskom was involved in the setting of the MES over several years, and that Eskom should have been preparing for their implementation since 31 March 2010, when they came into force.
Italian shops, restaurants and churches reopened their doors to the spring sun on Monday, Greece welcomed visitors back to the Acropolis, and Spain hoped for tourists to return in summer in cautious steps to ease coronavirus lockdowns.

Italians could once again sip their morning cappuccino at the bar, albeit at a distance from one another, in what Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte admitted at the weekend was a calculated risk in rolling back the curbs.

I havent worked for two and a half months. Its a beautiful, exciting day, said Valentino Casanova, a barman in Caffe Canova in Romes central Piazza del Popolo.

Countries across the world, at different stages in the pandemic, are wrangling with the decision on when to ease restrictions, weighing the threat to life and the threat to economic survival. Tourism is a major earner for Italy, Greece and Spain as the summer approaches.

More than 4.71 million people are reported to have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 312,826 have died, according to a Reuters tally, with Italy recording the third highest death toll below the United States and Britain.

In Greece, which has recorded only 156 COVID-19 deaths, people flocked to the seaside on Saturday and were allowed back in church the next day.

On Monday, tourists were allowed back at archeological sites, including the Acropolis in Athens, where workers wearing masks and plastic face shields reminded the few visitors of social distancing rules as they entered the turnstiles..

I visited the Acropolis today, a world monument that continues to inspire with its marbles shining under the sun, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said.

Spain aims to reopen its borders to tourists around the end of June, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Monday, after it surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travellers and effectively shutting its borders last week.

But the move was meant to be temporary and Abalos said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are all leaving lockdown at different phases.

From late June, well start the tourism activity, I hope, he said. We must make Spain an attractive country from the health point of view.

KISSING AND HUGGING

Four weeks into an early but gradual easing of their lockdown, Danes on Monday again enjoy a latte at their local cafe.

The quick shutdown and the fact that Danes actually listened to messages from authorities about good hygiene and social distancing are the main reasons weve come this far, said Hans Jorn Kolmos, a professor in clinical microbiology and University of Southern Denmark.

Danes being less prone to hugging and kissing as a form of greeting had also been a factor, he said.

Many people across England travelled to parks and beaches to enjoy the sun at the weekend after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson relaxed lockdown curbs. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland maintained tighter restrictions however, telling their people they should still stay at home.

Johnsons government has come under heavy criticism from the opposition Labour Party for its perceived slow response after suffering the worlds second highest death toll.

Irish airline Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary said Britain had mismanaged its response and he denounced a new 14-day quarantine for international travellers.

It is idiotic and it is unimplementable, OLeary told BBC radio. This the same government that has... mismanaged the crisis for many weeks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also faced criticism for a perceived haphazard approach to the crisis and his eagerness to reopen the economy despite the risks to health.

U.S. officials have pressed Mexico to get its factories open again because American operations depend heavily on parts from south of the border.

And General Motors Co is tentatively planning to restart operations at its auto assembly plant in the Mexican city of Silao on May 20, according to a message to workers seen by Reuters on Sunday.

In Brazil, which now has one of the worlds worst coronavirus outbreaks, President Jair Bolsonaro posed for photographs with children from a crowd of supporters on Sunday.

Bolsonaros latest flouting of public health advice came as the mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazils largest city, warned that its health system was in danger of collapse, the BBC reported.

(This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text)

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Linkedin Joseph Sipalan (Reuters) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Mon, May 18, 2020 13:30 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8c5b07 2 SE Asia Malaysia,malaysian-parliament,Muhyiddin-Yassin,Prime-Minister,politics Free

Malaysia's king on Monday said the appointment of Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister during turmoil this year was proper and constitutional, days after parliament put off a vote on an opposition challenge to his leadership.

Muhyiddin's appointment on March 1, at the end of a week of political wrangling that led to the collapse of the ruling coalition, has been challenged by the opposition who say it was not clear that Muhyiddin had majority support from among the 222 members of parliament's lower house, the Dewan Rakyat.

The lower house speaker had initially approved a motion tabled by Muhyiddin's 94-year-old predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, seeking a vote of no confidence in Muhyiddin, but the vote was postponed indefinitely after the government shortened Monday's meeting, only allowing time for the royal address.

"Surely, every contest will have a conclusion. The country's political wrangling could not be allowed to fester without any end," King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said in his address broadcast live on national television.

"Hence ... in line with provisions under the Federal Constitution, I found that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had the majority support of members of the Dewan Rakyat and was qualified to be appointed as the eighth prime minister," the king said, using Muhyiddin's honorifics.

The king's role is largely ceremonial and it is unlikely his endorsement of Muhyiddin's appointment would have any sway over a vote in parliament on his leadership.

Monday's one-day meeting was the first time parliament convened this year. Its next session is scheduled for July 13 to Aug. 27.

In February, the veteran prime minister Mahathir resigned from his second stint in the job when his coalition collapsed.

Muhyiddin, who had served as home minister under Mahathir, was unexpectedly sworn in on March 1 as the head of a government formed with the support of the old ruling party, that was tainted by corruption accusations and defeated by a multi-ethnic coalition in the last general election in 2018.

Muhyiddin has focused on managing the health and economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus.

Malaysia, which imposed curbs on movement and business since mid-March, has reported 6,894 cases of the virus and 113 deaths.
Bibek Debroy By

From the perspective of those who model, amnesia is a desirable human attribute. How many of us now remember a model given wide publicity towards end-March? We were told: (a) 300 to 500 million Indians would be infected by end-July; (b) 30 to 50 million cases would be severe; (c) Indias mortality rate would exceed 3%; (d) With a lockdown, infections would peak in early May. There is a difference between mortality rate and case mortality rate. Mortality rate is deaths divided by population.

Case mortality rate is deaths divided by number of infections. ICMR has testing guidelines, which are dynamic and evolve. Initially, testing was limited to those with symptoms, those with international travel history, those in contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients and so on. Now others have been added. But the point is there is no universal testing. ICMR has also told us asymptomatic patients are 69% or 80% (two different datasets). Cases are those detected. Therefore, a mortality rate will be far lower than a case mortality rate. A few states have case mortality rates higher than 3%, but not all-India, and certainly not a mortality rate more than 3%. We havent reached end-July. But on (c) and (d), this widely publicised model was wrong.

On April 24, findings of another model were presented. The end-March model was private, devised abroad. The April model was indigenous and government-blessed, in the sense that a responsible person within the government presented it and took ownership. We were told: (a) Peak addition of daily cases would be on May 3 and the number would be 1,500; (b) There would be no new cases after May 16. Plain wrong again. There are difficulties in modelling, given uncertainty. All models have assumptions, which may be nullified. The problem is when modellers present findings with certitude, ignoring possible weaknesses in assumptions. If the government has to plan for Covid-19, it needs to know when infections will peak, when they will taper off. Yet, epidemiologists have made the government none the wiser. There are ongoing experiments with bats, pangolins and chimpanzees.

Despite these, we are a long way off from a vaccine. Thats the only thing known with certainty. No one expects medical experts to have perfect information about a possible second phase or third phase. There is nothing wrong with saying, I dont know. What I find odd is those who argued, using muddled models, about a peak in early May are now talking about a peak in July. Not a word about egg on the face.

The worry is because those models were used to argue for lockdown. If the peak is now going to be in July, are we arguing for lockdown extension till end-July? If models were wrong about peak in early May, how does one know they will be right about peak in July? The peak might well be in September. Will we have a lockdown till then? We are continuously told that lockdown has flattened the curve. A lockdown reduces transmission. Thats plain logic. But the moment an expression like flattening the curve is used, there is a hypothetical curve, compared to which, the flattening is supposed to happen. No one knows what that hypothetical curve is. To use the right expression, thats a counterfactual.

These arent like laboratory experiments. Sure, one can construct a hypothetical curve, based on assumptions. But as I have explained, assumptions have been proved wrong and been based on inappropriate data imported and implanted from abroad. Nevertheless, everyone seems to blindly assume some flattening has happened. For all one knows, the lockdown may have simply shifted the curve to the right, delayed the inevitable and postponed the peak. The reason I mentioned the mortality figures is to illustrate that this isnt something to be inordinately scared about. Most people who will get infected will hardly notice it. Yes, some will be serious. But thats no argument for epidemiologists to hold the country to ransom and stifle the economy, especially when they have been wrong in the past and may continue to be wrong in the future. Indeed, we are now being told we will have to live with the virus for a long time.

Think of it this way. Since everyone has been affected by the virus, everyone knows the concept of R0, the rate of transmission. When R0 drops to around one, we can confidently assert the pandemic is under control. All lockdown type restrictions can cease, since there is no longer any significant transmission. Dont get fixated on the number 1, it might also be 1.5. The precise number is not the point. By the same logic, before arguing for lockdown, we should have had some sense of what R0 was, 3 or perhaps more, to justify the lockdown. But we simply didnt know. We didnt know since we had no idea about the spread of disease in the entire population. Its impossible to know about an entire population, but a decent sample would have sufficed. There has been no such sample and there are no such data. As I mentioned before, testing isnt universal. There has been no universal testing for a sample either, quite apart from the fact that testing isnt infallible. It can give false negatives (obvious), but it can also give false positives (less obvious).

Add to that wide variation in tests across states. Delhi has done more than 7,000 tests per million population, West Bengal less than 800. Perhaps tests should be proportional to confirmed cases. With roughly the same number of cases as West Bengal, Andhra has done around 4,290 tests per million population. The case mortality rate varies between 0% in Chhattisgarh and 9% in West Bengal. Questions can be raised about sanctity of such widely varying data. If data are fine, we have no explanations for variations, unless it is the obvious one of problems with health infrastructure and immediate attention paid to serious cases.

Data has the appellation of being the new oil. As I have outlined, we have no idea about how the virus is behaving in India. We have no Indian data to populate the models. Therefore, data from other countries is used to oil models. Hence, models lack both explanatory and predictive power. They arent credible. Basing major policy decisions, with livelihood impacts, on such dubious models is not a good idea. Much better to be less sanguine and say, I dont know. Uncertainty is about that.

Bibek Debroy

Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the PM. Views are personal

(Tweets @bibekdebroy)
A 60-year-old woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 93.

The woman had returned recently from Mumbai to Dehradun, a health department bulletin said here this afternoon.

She was under home quarantine when her sample was sent to AIIMS, Rishikesh for testing



The latest case takes the state's tally to 93 out of which 52 have recovered and one person has died, leaving the number of active cases in the state at 40, the bulletin said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Warning that Super Cyclone Amphan has the potential to cause extensive damage to the coastlines of Bengal and Odisha during landfall later this week, National Disaster Response Force Director General SN Pradhan on Monday said preparing for the super cyclonic storm amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a dual challenge for the force.

Cyclone Amphan is very intense and has the potential to do large-scale damage. Its a big challenge as the cyclone is striking during the outbreak of Covid-19. We have dedicated 53 teams, including those on standby, for Cyclone Amphan and for the people likely to be affected in Odisha, West Bengal, the NDRF DG said at a news briefing.

Cyclone Amphan developed rapidly into a super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on Monday afternoon prompting a series of key meetings in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday afternoon chaired a meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority to discuss the preparations in place to tackle the cyclonic storm. The Prime Minister has directed that all necessary measures be taken to complete evacuation of people from areas in the cyclones path and maintain adequate quantities of essential supplies.

ALSO READ | 21 years later, Bengal, Odisha prep for another Super Cyclone, this time Amphan

The super cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall on May 20 between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia Island in Bangladesh, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). It is an extremely severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging from 195 kmph to 250 kmph.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has spoken to the chief secretaries of West Bengal and Odisha on Monday. He told the West Bengal government that as per their request, 13 teams of NDRF have already been pre-positioned in the state, 4 teams are en-route and 4 teams are on standby for relief and rescue operations if needed.

Bhalla also assured of any assistance if required from the Centre and said help would be provided immediately.

According to definition, a super cyclone usually travels with wind speed velocity of almost 250 kmph and makes a tremendous impact on landfall causing large-scale destruction.

We dont want to take Amphan lightly as its only the second time that India is witnessing a super cyclone after 1999, Pradhan said. Twenty-one years ago, in 1999, another super cyclonic storm had ravaged large parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal. It had taken Odisha, a number of months to repair the extensive damage that the Super Cyclone had caused back then.

Cyclone Amphan will also cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and it has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of the state, a government statement issued on Monday evening said.

The districts of East Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata in West Bengal are likely to be the worst affected due to Cyclone Amphan. The storm is also likely to impact the coastal districts of north Odisha, including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore.

The IMD has warned of a storm surge of a height of about four-six metres above the astronomical tide, which would inundate the low-lying coastal areas of South and North 24 Parganas, and three-four metres in East Medinipur at the time of landfall, the statement said.

The government statement also recommended review of telecommunications in the event of damages caused to them and also to ensure quick resumption of services in the event of any disruption.

The Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. The Army and the Air Force units in West Bengal and Odisha have also been put on standby to prepare for the Super Cyclone.
DUBLIN, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partnering Terms and Agreements (2014-2020)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report provides an understanding and access to the artificial intelligence partnering deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading healthcare companies.



Global Artificial Intelligence Partnering Terms and Agreements includes:

Trends in artificial intelligence dealmaking in the biopharma industry since 2014

Analysis of artificial intelligence deal structure

Access to headline, upfront, milestone and royalty data

Case studies of real-life artificial intelligence deals

Access to over 350 artificial intelligence deals

The leading artificial intelligence deals by value since 2014

Most active artificial intelligence dealmakers since 2014

The leading artificial intelligence partnering resources

The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter artificial intelligence partnering deals. The majority of deals are early development stage whereby the licensee obtains a right or an option right to license the licensors artificial intelligence technology or product candidates. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes.



Understanding the flexibility of a prospective partner's negotiated deals terms provides critical insight into the negotiation process in terms of what you can expect to achieve during the negotiation of terms. Whilst many smaller companies will be seeking details of the payments clauses, the devil is in the detail in terms of how payments are triggered - contract documents provide this insight where press releases and databases do not.



This report contains a comprehensive listing of all artificial intelligence partnering deals announced since 2014 including financial terms where available including over 350 links to online deal records of actual artificial intelligence partnering deals as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners.



Contract documents provide the answers to numerous questions about a prospective partner's flexibility on a wide range of important issues, many of which will have a significant impact on each party's ability to derive value from the deal.



For example, analyzing actual company deals and agreements allows assessment of the following:



What is actually granted by the agreement to the partner company?

What exclusivity is granted?

What are the precise rights granted or optioned?

What is the payment structure for the deal?

How are sales and payments audited?

What is the deal term?

How are the key terms of the agreement defined?

How are IPRs handled and owned?

Who is responsible for commercialization?

Who is responsible for development, supply, and manufacture?

How is confidentiality and publication managed?

How are disputes to be resolved?

Under what conditions can the deal be terminated?

What happens when there is a change of ownership?

What sublicensing and subcontracting provisions have been agreed?

Which boilerplate clauses does the company insist upon?

Which boilerplate clauses appear to differ from partner to partner or deal type to deal type?

Which jurisdiction does the company insist upon for agreement law?

The initial chapters of this report provide an orientation of artificial intelligence dealmaking and business activities.

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the report.

Chapter 2 provides an overview of the trends in artificial intelligence dealmaking since 2014, including details of average headline, upfront, milestone and royalty terms.

Chapter 3 provides a review of the leading artificial intelligence deals since 2014. Deals are listed by headline value, signed by big pharma, most active artificial intelligence dealmaking companies. Where the deal has an agreement contract published at the SEC a link provides online access to the contract.

Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive listing of the top 25 most active companies in artificial intelligence dealmaking with a brief summary followed by a comprehensive listing of artificial intelligence deals, as well as contract documents available in the public domain. Where available, each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the actual contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.

Chapter 5 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of artificial intelligence partnering deals signed and announced since Jan to 2014, where a contract document is available in the public domain. The - Chapter is organized by company A-Z, deal type (collaborative R&D, co-promotion, licensing etc), and specific therapy focus. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.

Chapter 6 lists artificial intelligence deals by technology type.

Chapter 7 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of artificial intelligence partnering deals signed and announced since Jan to 2014. The - Chapter is organized by specific artificial intelligence technology type in focus. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on demand.

Companies Mentioned



1ST Biotherapeutics

23andMe

A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute

A.I. Squared

A2A Pharmaceuticals

Abramson Cancer Center

AcuraStem

Adapt Analytics

Adaptive Biotechnologies

Adents

Adventus Ventures

Adynxx

Aether

Aiforia Technologies

AKESOgen

Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions

Alberta Innovates Technology Futures

Align Technology

AliveCor

Alliance For Clinical Trials In Oncology

ALS Association

Alverno Clinical Laboratories

American Sleep Apnea Association

Amgen

Amitech Solutions

Analytics Engines

Anthem

ArcherDX

Ares Genetics

Arm

ARUP Laboratories

AstraZeneca

Atomwise

Atrapos Therapeutics

ATUM

Auransa

Auron Therapeutics

Automation Anywhere

Avera Health

AXA PPP healthcare

Ayasdi

BASF

Bausch & Lomb

Bayer

Bay Labs

BCG Digital Ventures

BC Platforms

Becton Dickinson

BenevolentAI

Benson Hill Biosystems

Berg

BERG Analytics

BioBeats

BioBright

Biocept

Biorelate

Bioz

Blackford

BlackThorn Therapeutics

Blockshine Technology

Bloqcube

Body Labs

BrainScope

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Bristol- Myers Squibb

Broad Institute

Brown University

BullFrog AI

C4X Discovery

Cancer Genetics

Cannabics Pharmaceuticals

Cardinal Analytx Solutions

Cardiowise

Caresyntax

Carnegie Mellon University

CAS

Ceapro

Celgene

Cellgen Diagnostics

Centogene

Centre Leon Berard

Certis

Charles River Laboratories

CHDI Foundation

Chemi Pharmaceutical

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's National Health System

China Oncology Focus

Christian Doppler Research Association

City of Hope

CLEW Medical

Clinical Research Strategies

Clinigen

Cloudera

Cloud Pharmaceuticals

Cognetivity Neurosciences

Cognoa

Cohen Veterans Bioscience

Columbia University

Concerto HealthAI

Consortium AI

Control Flo Medical

COPAN

Covaris

CrystalGenomics

Cures Within Reach

Cyclica

Cytobank

CytoReason

Dacadoo

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

DarwinHealth

DASH Analytics

Data2Life

Datavant

DEARhealth

DecisionQ

DEEP 6 AI

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qdqu05

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

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Northern Territory Resource Report and Corporate Update

Sydney, May 18, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to announce an independently assessed prospective resource estimate for its 100% owned Northern Territory Beetaloo sub-Basin and McArthur Basin properties.The prospective resource estimate was prepared by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. ("NSAI"), a worldwide leader of petroleum property analysis to industry, financial organizations and government agencies.The results of the NSAI report have been summarised by Empire in the table below. A detailed summary of the NSAI prospective resource estimates can be found at Appendix A*.Commenting on the results, Empire Managing Director, Alex Underwood said:"The prospective resources assessed by NSAI are exciting, with a total best estimate prospective resource of 13.5 TCF. This is a substantial resource for a company of our size. The results of Empire's recent 2D seismic program have enabled NSAI to evaluate prospects in EP187 which have a best estimate prospective gas resource of over 2.3 TCF in the Velkerri Shale and 14 million barrels of oil equivalent in the liquids rich Kyalla Shale. This represents a near doubling of Empire's Velkerri Shale independent prospective resource estimate and is the first time that the Kyalla Shale has been independently assessed as a prospective resource in our properties. The plays evaluated by NSAI in our McArthur Basin properties have substantial resource potential. Our exploration activity to date is yielding strong results and we look forward to continuing to enhance the value of our properties through measured exploration investment."CORPORATE UPDATENT OperationsEmpire is working closely with the Northern Territory Government and the Northern Land Council to facilitate a recommencement of work program activities in the Northern Territory.Empire has submitted a COVID-19 Management Plan to the Northern Territory Government for approval by the Chief Medical Officer. Once approved, the Plan would give Empire and its employees and contractors exemptions to border restrictions to allow Empire employees and contractors to resume activities in the field.Empire continues discussions with drilling contractors regarding the drilling of Carpentaria-1 in EP187. Availability of rigs and oilfieild service companies in Australia has improved over the course of the year due to the material decline in oil and gas prices which has reduced industry activity.US OperationsIn its most recent Quarterly Activities Report, Empire advised shareholders that it had applied for a forgivable loan under the US Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") which forms part of the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act").The PPP has been legislated by the US Federal Government to incentivise small and medium sized businesses to keep employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Empire has 33 employees located in the United States.The loan has been approved and Empire has received US$552,600 under the program.PPP loans can be applied to business expenses including payroll, interest, rent and utilities.Empire has placed the funds in a segregated account and it intends to use the funds for forgivable purposes.LiquidityFollowing receipt of the US PPP funding, Empire has a total of A$11.3m cash at bank. Of this, A$9.5 million is held in Australian dollars and US$1.1 million is held in US dollars.*To view tables, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd

Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators.

Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006.
Q&A

Contact tracing: Where have you been?

By CHARLES ANZALONE

Mark Bartholomew

As states lift their restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, people eating in restaurants, traveling or taking part in other activities that were normal before social distancing can expect contact tracing, the process of locating infected persons to prevent the spread of the virus, says a School of Law expert in technology and cyberlaw. It is possible that restaurants and other private businesses could ask customers for identification and contact information if there is a local coronavirus outbreak, according to Mark Bartholomew, professor of law, who has written extensively about cyberlaw and cybersecurity. People could potentially be asked to provide this information anywhere they travel, says Bartholomew. In fact, contact tracing is most effective when public health officials can obtain a record that is as complete as possible of an infected persons daily movements. He says he knows of no states that now require restaurants to compile information on its customers if they want to re-open. But customers would be required to comply with restaurants individual regulations if they want to be served. Bartholomew talked with UBNow about what to expect in a society transitioning from shelter-in-place requirements and returning to a less-restricted life.

What exactly is contact tracing?

Contract tracing is a process meant to locate infected persons and then research their social interactions to prevent further movement within the potentially infected area and to identify other possibly infected persons.

When would people be affected by contact tracing if cities and governments open up the sheltering-in-place restrictions?

Contact tracing is already starting in earnest with state and local governments looking to hire thousands of people to ascertain the movements of people infected with COVID-19. Contact tracing works best when public health officials have as comprehensive a record as possible of peoples daily movements. That is why most attention has been put on having private businesses like Google and Apple design and implement smartphone apps that can track these movements and potentially make the resulting records available to authorities. Nevertheless, it seems like analog methods of tracing that involve traditional interviews with infected persons and reaching out to their contacts will continue to be important. This is where businesses like restaurants could come in.

Can restaurants patrons expect to be asked to supply their ID/contact information?

At this point, that is really up to the restaurants, kind of like a restaurants decision in pre-COVID-19 times to enforce a particular dress code. So far, I have not heard of any states requiring all restaurants to engage in this kind of tracking if they want to be open for business, though in the scope of a public health emergency that is not a complete impossibility. Still, I think most restaurants and other businesses would want to avoid this kind of intrusion into their customers personal information for fear of driving them away. I think we are more likely to see the requirement of temperature screenings and wearing of face masks than the required disclosure of personal contact information.

Do customers have to comply, or can they opt out if they consider this some kind of breach of privacy or civil liberty?

For the most part, I dont think customers can opt out of things like temperature readings, mask-wearing, or even being asked to present their ID and still expect to get served. It is ultimately up to the restaurant. The only wrinkle here is if the restaurant could be accused of adopting these measures in a way that disparately impacted a particular protected group of people. Then, the restaurant could be accused of discriminatory behavior.

Will restaurants be allowed to hold onto this data or be asked to hand this over to local health authorities in the event of a virus outbreak?

Again, it really depends on both restaurant owners, as well as the decisions of state and local health departments. It is conceivable that public health departments might ask for this information to be turned over to help with contact tracing efforts. The restaurants might voluntarily supply the information  after all, it is in the interest of businesses to keep the infection rate low. If a restaurant refused, we might see a court weighing in on whether such private information had to be turned over in the midst of a public health emergency.

Lets talk about contact tracing apps. Are there examples of governments or organizations requiring these apps, and have they worked well?

Governments outside of the United States have implemented different contact tracing apps, but it is too early to determine their effectiveness. For example, Singapores TraceTogether app uses Bluetooth technology to reveal who an infected person has come into contact with. Someone who tests positive for the virus can log into the app, which then notifies everyone theyve recently come into contact with but without revealing the actual identity of the infected person. Scientists agree that the use of these apps needs to be widespread to be truly effective.

We know the upside to contact tracing apps, but whats the downside? Should we be concerned about that?
The government does not intend to privatise state-owned Coal India Ltd, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday.

The statement comes in the wake of government opening up coal mining for the private sector and stating that the commercial mining will be done on revenue sharing mechanism instead of fixed rupee/tonne.

"The Government of India does not intend to privatise Coal India Ltd. Instead, the government is strengthening CIL and will continue to do so," the Coal Minister said.

The government, he said, has announced an investment of Rs 50,000 crores under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to create and develop infrastructure facilities for Coal India.

It will help Coal India achieve 1 billion tonnes coal production target by 2023-24, the minister said.

CIL accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.

"It's also an opportunity for CIL to open up new mines and increase coal production to reduce country's coal imports saving valuable forex," he said.

He said that CIL will substitute 100 million tonnes of coal import annually in near future.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Is KC divided into different racial groups? curiousKC investigates. Kansas City has a storied history of racism and segregation, one that's been documented well by local historians such as Sherry Schirmer, who wrote a book on the perception of race in the metro and its impact on development.

Just a bit of an old school review . . . We don't dispute the facts of this report, it's just they're not new.What's more exciting is the debate over gentrification and how a great many ethnic groups and people of color fear middle-class white hipsters moving into their neighborhood. Moreover, politicos often work to protect these fiefdoms and have consistently provided a reliable base of support.For now, here's another glimpse at the past . . .
Apple is one of the latest retailers to disclose its plan for reopening stores amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The iPhone giant laid out its blueprint on Sunday, announcing that it'll follow local health guidance in its reopening strategy. That means you'll have to wear a mask and follow other safety precautions if you want to enter the store.

Apple is starting with 25 locations across the U.S., which will reopen this week after being closed for 2 months. Some locations in Florida, Hawaii and California are among the first to reopen.

You can use Apple's Find a Store search tool to check on locations near you.

Amazon launches 3 upgraded tablets: All new' Fire HD 8, Fire HD 8 Plus and Kids Edition

Tired of irrelevant emails? Microsoft enables a feature to block 'reply-all' email storms

Apple will require customers to undergo temperature screenings and wear masks before entering its stores.

Every customer and employee is required to wear a face covering, Apple said in a note on its website. If a patron doesnt have a face mask when they arrive, they will be given a free one by Apple before they are allowed to enter.

You'll also have to agree to a temperature check and may have to wait in line outside as the company curbs the number of people in its stores. Some locations will offer curbside pickup or storefront only.

Each retail location will undergo enhanced deep cleanings throughout the day in a bid to sanitize heavily touched services and cut down the risk of contagion. Apple warns that it could start to close its doors again if coronavirus cases start to spike or lockdown orders in certain areas are reenacted.

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus reopening: Apple prepares to open some stores this week
Communities are coming together by creating ever-lengthening snakes out of painted rocks in public spaces.

The rocks are painted with colourful designs and laid end to end to resemble a snake, with anyone free to add one to the end, creating a giant craft project for communities to take part in together even though social distancing measures mean they are not allowed to congregate.

Faye Rose, who started a Covid snake in Heyford Park, near Bicester in Oxfordshire, said the project has been embraced by people in the village.

Its something nice for the whole community to come together, she told the PA news agency. Children are getting excited by it because every day they can walk round and look at everybodys designs.

Mrs Roses snake has grown to around 100 stones, painted mostly by local children.

She said: The designs completely range  some are really intricate and some you can tell have been done by very small children, so it seems like adults and children are all getting involved in it.

Similar projects are springing up all over the country, with new snakes appearing over the past few days in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, and Shrewsbury, Shropshire, among others.

Mrs Rose was inspired by a similar project in nearby Abingdon, which was started by her sister, Holly Barrett, and her seven-year-old daughter Mimi.

The Abingdon snake, which is outside the towns fire station, has its own Facebook page and is growing every day. By Monday afternoon it contained more than 150 rocks.

We go out every day to check how far weve got, Ms Barrett told PA.

Among the designs are fruit, flowers and peoples names  as well as a number of stones painted in honour of the NHS.

Everyone wants to say thank you to the NHS at the moment for all the hard work theyre doing with coronavirus, Ms Barrett said. I think its a nice way to say thank you.

The snakes also give parents, who may be struggling to think of new activities to do under lockdown, a project to undertake with their kids.

Mrs Rose said her children  Harry, eight, and Amelia-Mae, five  have loved getting involved.

Its nice in the afternoon after school work to be able to sit down and do something arty with them but still engage with them so theyre not just stuck on their iPads, she said.

I think its actually a bit of therapy for us parents as well  its very therapeutic.
Law enforcement officials would not say that Al Qaeda directed Mr. Alshamrani to carry out the shooting, which killed three sailors. But they emphasized his communications with Qaeda leaders, saying they proved that his relationship with the group went beyond simply being inspired to act based on watching YouTube videos or reading extremist propaganda.

Mr. Alshamranis radicalization path began as far back as 2015, and he had associated with Qaeda operatives since, Mr. Wray said. He called the gunman meticulous in planning his attack. Mr. Alshamrani took videos of a classroom building and wrote a final will and saved it in his phone, Mr. Wray said.

Three weeks after the shooting, Qassim al-Rimi, the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said that his group directed Mr. Alshamrani to commit the murders in Pensacola. Mr. al-Rimi had a copy of Mr. Alshamranis will and messages that seemed to show the gunman had been in contact with the Yemen-based group.

Soon after the recorded message was released, the United States confirmed that it had killed Mr. al-Rimi in a drone attack, a major blow to one of Al Qaedas last, vibrant branches.

Mr. Wray said that after the bureau gained access to the phone, it provided valuable information to the intelligence community about Abdullah al-Maliki, a Qaeda operative, who was one of the associates of Mr. Alshamrani. The two apparently had contact while Mr. Alshamrani was in the United States.

A senior U.S. official said Mr. al-Maliki was killed in a C.I.A. drone strike in Yemen in the past week or so. He was in the command structure for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and was an important, emerging communications specialist, pushing out Al Qaedas message not just in Yemen but globally, the official said.

Mr. Barr said the counterterrorism operation had degraded the capabilities of Al Qaeda in Yemen.

Mr. Alshamrani paused to fire at his iPhone during a firefight with security officers and he was found with a second, badly damaged phone that he had destroyed, leading investigators to conclude that the devices held important data and to seek court orders authorizing them to search the phones.
Featured stories

DeWine: We will do whatever we have to do in enforcing safety measures for businesses (WKYC Channel 3)

What Asia can teach Ohio about reopening schools amid coronavirus (cleveland.com)

Coronavirus outbreak in Marion prisons leaves residents scared for those who work behind bars (cleveland.com)

Pike Co. sheriff, face of mass-murder investigation, accused of misappropriating funds: Update (cleveland.com)

Coronavirus in Ohio

Nearly 28,000 Ohioans have been infected with coronavirus: Sunday update (cleveland.com)

Ohio guidelines for reopening swimming pools include reduced capacity, social distancing in the water (cleveland.com)

Ohio Department of Veterans Services confirms 8 coronavirus cases in its Sandusky nursing home (cleveland.com)

Crime

One dead, one seriously injured after gunfire erupts during Cleveland rap music video shoot (cleveland.com)

CLE Clothing Co. vandalized less than 24 hours after reopening amid coronavirus pandemic (cleveland.com)

Two police officers injured in stolen tow truck incident in Cleveland, police say (cleveland.com)

U.S. Marshals arrest third Canton burglary suspect in Pennsylvania (WEWS Channel 5)

Police investigating after truck crashes into front of home in Richmond Heights (WJW Channel 8)

Elyria Walmart evacuated for bomb threat; employee in custody (Elyria Chronicle-Telegram)

Cleveland / Cuyahoga County

David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

35 newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Cleveland; no new deaths reported (cleveland.com)

Lago East Bank issues statement after photos of crowded patio circulate: One moment, one angle, one second in time (cleveland.com)

Crash injures 3, shuts down part of Kinsman Road in Cleveland (cleveland.com)

County-owned Hilton Cleveland Downtown seeing signs of tourism recovery (cleveland.com)

Northeast Ohio bike shops seeing surge in bike sales and repairs while economy reopens amid coronavirus (cleveland.com)

Northeast Ohio sees increase in boat sales, for socially distant fun summer on Lake Erie (cleveland.com)

Virtual job fair planned to try to help match unemployed people in Cuyahoga County with jobs (cleveland.com)

Local news East

1-year-old boy killed in East Cleveland crash, authorities say (cleveland.com)

Survey rates Richmond Heights Police Department excellent; gun safety campaign starts (cleveland.com)

Local news West

Interstate 90 closed in both directions in Avon due to tanker truck crash (cleveland.com)

Rocky River Recreation Department prepares to reopen pool, rec center (cleveland.com)

West side school systems respond to state education budget cuts (cleveland.com)

Westlake rolls out Community Services curbside food pickup for all residents (cleveland.com)

Akron / Canton area

Medina County libraries to reopen in phases; more temporary layoffs (cleveland.com)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the wearing of masks in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain to help minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 90,000 Americans since March. This guidance has been echoed if not mandated by public health officials and government leaders in more than 120 countries and most states.
Mike Pompeo warned China against interfering with the work of US journalists in Hong Kong, and said actions impinging on freedoms there could damage diplomatic relations.

These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world, the secretary of state said a statement.

Mr Pompeo said without offering details that it has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong.

The US and China are escalating disputes across several fronts, including trade and responsibility for the coronavirus pandemic.

The flow of information has been a source of contention, with dozens of journalists expelled from both countries in recent months.

Beijing warned of further retaliation last week after the US reduced work visas for Chinese media staff to 90 days.

Pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong have resumed recently, as protesters hope to regain momentum with the coronavirus showing signs of subsiding in the financial hub.

Beijing is growing increasingly assertive over its role in Hong Kong, looking to tighten its supervision over politics ahead of elections for the city's legislative council in September.

Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms, as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory, Mr Pompeo said.

The Washington Post
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Going forward, all New Mexico workers  even those at call centers and warehouses  will be required to wear masks while working, and employers must screen workers daily for coronavirus symptoms before letting them into the workplace, according to newly issued rules issued by the Governors Office.

Those requirements and others, released by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams office Friday, come at a time when New Mexico employers are beginning to reopen and welcome back customers and employees. Many non-essential businesses were allowed to reopen Saturday.

Many of the rules are nothing new. Limits on store capacity and social distancing, for example, have been in place since March.

Others, like the rules about masks in the workplace and screening of employees before shifts, were optional for employers until now.

The offers specifics for what will be required going forward for all businesses, as well as some specific requirements for certain types of businesses. It also lists suggested, but not required best practices like the installation of plexiglass sneeze guards at registers.

For all employers

Requirements for all employers include:

Arrange workplace to allow for six feet of distance between workers.

Have all employees wear face coverings while in the presence of others.

Have handwashing materials and sanitizer available to all employees.

Screen all employees for coronavirus symptoms before they enter the work place. Direct those experiencing symptoms to free testing from the Department of Health.

Follow maximum occupancy requirements.

Adhere to other CDC and OSHA guidelines.

Suggested practices include installing large plexiglass sneeze guards where interaction is common, arranging for contactless payment and receipt options and screen employees and customers with a contactless thermometer and deny entry to those with a temperature 100.4 F or higher.

Retailers

Retailers must:

Maintain a stringent cleaning and sanitizing schedule.

Establish protocols to allow for contactless pickup and home delivery when possible.

Offices, call centers

Offices and call centers must:

Restrict use of communal dishware.

Maintain a strict cleaning schedule and sanitize shared workstations between shifts.

Grocers, markets

Grocery stores and farmers markets must:

Discontinue service stations and common use utensils and dispenser.

Ban customer-supplied reusable containers.

Clean and sanitize equipment like ladders and supply carts between each use.

Stop delivery drivers from entering sales floor unless as a customer and arrange for contactess signatures.

Farmers markets

Additionally, farmers markets must:

Restrict customers from touching products before purchase.

Require vendors to bring handwashing supplies and hand sanitizer.

Suspend social programs and cooking demonstrations.

Hospitality

Hotels, resorts and other lodgers must:

Close self serve food stations.

Suspend valet service.

Discontinue communal hot tubs, saunas and exercise rooms.

Remove unnecessary items in hotel rooms. Items like coffee machines may be provided with request.

Housekeeping will only be provided by request of guest during stay.

Other

Manufacturers, warehouses and food production companies must:

Arrange for contactless signatures for deliveries.

Vendors entering business must follow employee protocols.

Restrict use of communal dishware.
Highlights BSNL will launch e-platforms for education with the help of partners.

This will be made available for broadband users who can now make their payments online.

BSNL will also launch audio messages for its users soon.

Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is bringing education platforms for its broadband users through partners, a report by ET stated. The education sector has also faced the impact of COVID-19 with schools and colleges being shut and exams and admissions being delayed.

"Since education service is fundamental to the growth of society, we have decided to enable millions of students sitting at home through the various online education platforms available in the market," said Vivek Banzal, Director CFA, BSNL board.

He further said that the Bharat Fibre broadband services have reached major towns, cities as well as northeastern states.

The telco will launch online education along with partners who have the technology platform to deliver educational content online.

BSNL has also enabled the option of online payments for Bharat Fibre users.

The telco also launched a SPECIAL app that can be used by entrepreneurs.

To tie-up with BSNL and make it an online channel partner where partner onboarding and verification will be taken online.

Stating the importance of education, Finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on similar lines said that the government will launch the PM eVidya programme that will give students access to digital education. By May 30, 100 universities will be able to start their online courses.

Sitharaman said that the e-Vidya programme will consist of Diksha that will involve e-content and QR coded energized textbooks.

In other news, BSNL users will be able to send out audio messages to multiple people. It is a first of its kind service in India and no other telco has offered such a service, Telecom Talk reported.

To enable this facility, the users will have to register their BSNL numbers on the online platform. The voice messages have to then be recorded and uploaded on the mobile app.

Following this, users must select the numbers where they want the message to be sent. Once the adios are sent after clicking on the submit button, the receivers will get a call where they can hear the message. In case, they miss the call, they receive another call. This process is called pumping.

The process sounds elaborate in a time when the option of voice notes is available on almost every app.

The tool can, however, come in handy to send messages in bulk or for users who do not use messaging apps.




Lipo-ImmunoTech, LLC, a startup based in Charleston, South Carolina, recently received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant of just over $224,000 to continue to develop its novel adoptive cell therapy technology for cancer. The startup is a joint venture involving Shikhar Mehrotra, Ph.D., an immunologist, and Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D., a sphingolipid expert, both of whom are Hollings Cancer Center researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina. Lipo-ImmunoTech also executed an option agreement with the MUSC Foundation for Research Development, which gives it the rights to evaluate the technology further with an eye toward eventually licensing it for commercialization.

Adoptive cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy in which a cancer patient's T cells, immune cells that can kill cancer cells, are removed and expanded in the laboratory. The expanded T cells are then infused back into the patient. While adoptive cell therapy is a rapidly growing field and an effective strategy for controlling tumor growth, it does present some challenges.

"It is very costly," explained Mehrotra. "But more importantly, when you isolate the T cells and expand them out, they have to multiply many times. The cells at this point are susceptible to cell death. They are also susceptible to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment once they are transferred back into the patient."

Mehrotra and Ogretmen are working to address current challenges in adoptive cell therapy by enhancing the viability of expanded T cells and improving their functionality. Their approach is novel in that it factors in the role that lipids, or the molecules that make up cell membranes, play in suppressing the immune system.

"Lipids have an important role, which is not well studied. They can prevent T cells and other immune cells from functioning properly," explained Mehrotra. "So, we thought that, with our collaboration, we could understand and address these issues to improve the immune response."

Ogretmen explained further how better understanding the role of lipids could improve anti-cancer immunotherapy as well as treatments for other diseases.

"We formed our small biotech company Lipo-ImmunoTech because mechanistic connections between lipids and immunity provide opportunities to develop novel therapeutic agents and strategies to treat various diseases with unmet clinical needs, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and infections, including COVID-19," said Ogretmen.

Mehrotra and Ogretmen are currently investigating the applicability of their new technology to different cancer types. They already have promising data from preclinical studies in prostate cancer, melanoma and lung cancer but are expanding their efforts to other cancers as well.

They will use those data to apply for a larger STTR grant early next year. If the data continue to show promise, they hope to take the technology into clinical trial to see whether it outperforms standard immune cell therapies currently in the clinic.

###

About Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 100 faculty cancer scientists and 20 academic departments. It has an annual research funding portfolio of more than $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org

About MUSC Foundation for Research Development

MUSC Foundation for Research Development is responsible for evaluating all intellectual assets the enterprise owns and generates, extracting value, and forging industry and other relationships resulting in products and services that provide real-life solutions to the world's medical needs. Whether our translations involve a technology license, research collaboration, or new startup venture, we serve as a dedicated one-stop shop for advancing innovation at MUSC. Our team is also dedicated to building an ecosystem of innovation whose activities contribute to MUSC's overall economic impact on our state and country. Please visit us online at frd.musc.edu.
India is facing its biggest and most frightening health emergencies in recent memory. The country has extended the almost two-month-long lockdown by another two weeks, though with fewer restrictions, to prevent the spread of the rampaging coronavirus that is known to have infected at least 96,169 and killed 3,029 people.

With infections rising at a faster clip, Indias healthcare system, which is far from adequate, will we tested by the virus that has overwhelmed even the best facilities in the world.

Warning bells have been ringing for Indias healthcare system for a while now. Health and education are two factors that contribute to the development of a country. Both, in many ways, are inseparable in formative years.

For instance, you may provide children nutrition but fail to educate them on hygiene, which is a matter of life and death in times of a pandemic like the coronavirus. You may also not be able to teach children the difference between a good touch and a bad touch or educate them on gender discrimination. These are basic rules that fall halfway between education and health.

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 absence of education along with a lack of nutrition and health-saving measures ends up maiming future generations. The two cant be looked at separately, at least during primary education years. The separation comes later.

That could in many ways explain why governments may have and continue to risk the health and life of millions of children in India, year after year, which, in turn, will come in the way of Indias ambition of emerging as a global economic powerhouse.

Successive governments have chosen to spend more on votebanks and in pushing policies that have benefitted a favoured few than on quality education and healthcare.

But how does one arrive at the idea that the future of millions of children could be at stake? The answer lies in the United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report 2019.

India doesnt fare too well on UNDPs Human Development Index, a measure of countries social and economic development. It looks at life expectancy, education and per capita income, yardsticks that define the quality of life.

India is almost 30 points away from the highest scorer, and 27 points separate it from the worst. Indias standing reinforces fears that many of the premature deaths in the country were because the government did not set aside enough funds for human development.

Education and health are two key factors in human development. Education is important to lead a good, informed life but it will count for little in the face of poor health, which is known to sap physical and mental capabilities.

Poor spending on education and healthcare is also the reason for India performing badly on the Human Capital Index (HCI), a more sophisticated ranking devised by the World Bank in 2018.

India ranks the poorest in its extended neighbourhood. Only Pakistan is behind India, which is ranked a poor 115 on the index. Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which are much smaller economies when compared to India, have done much better. Even Myanmar, which was under military rule until 2011, ranks higher, at 107.

These countries have moved ahead of India because they have continued to invest in education and health. India despite being the worlds fifth-largest economy continues to flounder on these two vital human development indicators.

The Modi government has launched an ambitious health insurance scheme under Ayushman Bharat but there not enough doctors and administrators to ensure that the programme is properly implemented. Without these people, Ayushman Bharat could end up as a financial dud despite the governments best intentions.

India also has to invest more in medical education to overcome the demand and skill gap.

In light of the UNDP statement mentioned above, India should bring out a white paper, showing how many children and youth died because of misgovernance and policy failures.

On February 11, former ICICI Bank chairman N Vaghul urged the government not to neglect public education. He also pointed out that the government wasnt spending on education even though it had allocated funds for it.

From the 2017-18 annual financial audit of government finances by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), it is clear that Rs 94,036 crore of proceeds of education cess collected over the years by the government is lying unutilised in the Consolidated Fund of India, a media report quoted Vaghul as saying.

India needs to understand how it has erred by not paying attention to education. Two other articles in this series will focus on education, highlighting where policy failures have occurred and the steps that need to be taken to improve education, thereby safeguarding the future of millions of children.

(This is the first article in a three-part series.)
Early morning check ins proved San Antonians were eager to return to the gym after two months of improvised home workouts.

Local gyms were ordered to close on March 18, as part of Mayor Ron Nirenberg's emergency declaration which also shuttered bars and restaurant dining rooms in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Days later, Gov. Greg Abbott issued his own sweeping order, closing gyms in the state. Abbott then allowed gyms to partially open, at 25 percent capacity, starting today.

RELATED: Here's what to expect when you return to the gym

Monday morning's social media scrolls included 5 a.m. posts at gyms like Life Time Fitness, masked employees at Gold's Gym, smiles and thumbs up at Joe's Gym and a shared sentiment of being happy to be "back at it."

Gold's Gym and Joe's Gym each posted promotional videos, assuring clients each of the facilities would be prepared for their return. Both of the businesses shared plans for reopening in accordance with Abbott's guidelines days in advance. The protocols mirrored each other, with practices like sanitation intermissions and asking clients to bring their own face coverings.

A client at Joe's Gym said members are greeted with a run-down of new protocols as soon as they arrive.

Areas like locker rooms and shower facilities will remain closed for the time being.

See photos of the first post-shut down gym day in San Antonio below.
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Linkedin Jerome Rivet (Agence France-Presse) Dizy-le-Gros, France  Mon, May 18, 2020 08:45 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b279c 2 World France,Emmanuel-Macron,WWII,anniversary,World-War-II Free

President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute Sunday to World War II resistance hero Charles de Gaulle at the site of a key battle he said epitomized French resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

Macron took time out from directing the country's latest battle, against the coronavirus, to hail his predecessor's courage in taking the fight to Nazi soldiers sweeping across western Europe in the early years of the war.

"De Gaulle tells us that France is strong when it knows its destiny, when it stays united, when it searches the path of cohesion..." Macron said in the town of La-Ville-aux-Bois-les-Dizy in northeast France.

It is near the site of the Battle of Montcornet, where French fighters inflicted heavy losses on German troops and briefly stalled their advance before ultimately being defeated.

Though lost, the battle is considered one of few effective counter-attacks by French soldiers against the Nazis, and de Gaulle himself later said it was the moment that hope returned to the campaign.

Even as the Paris government of the day capitulated before the German military might, a then-unknown colonel de Gaulle embodied the French spirit: "Fiercely free and proud, determined and unwavering," said Macron.

He laid a wreath at a monument honoring France's war dead, and commended the military bravery that ultimately allowed the country to shake off its Nazi occupation.

The president did not wear an anti-virus mask for the occasion to mark the battle's 80th anniversary, but he and a handful of other participants observed a safe social distance.

Europe has been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak, with more than half the global death toll of over 300,000 in what is described as the biggest crisis since WWII.

The health emergency has seen the continent, and much of the rest of the world, impose strict lockdowns that have devastated economies to an extent not seen in peace time.

Eighty years ago, de Gaulle launched a resistance army from abroad as France's wartime leader Philippe Petain capitulated to the Nazis, which occupied large swathes of the country.

The general-turned president is a personal hero of Macron, who features de Gaulle's war memoirs on his desk in his official photograph, and had the Cross of Lorraine -- a symbol of the Free French Forces -- added to the logo of the Elysee Palace.

Sunday's event was Macron's first official outing unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak in over two months.

He will mark two more de Gaulle anniversaries this year -- his Appeal of 18 June from exile in London for French citizens to resist, and the 50th anniversary of the general's death on November 9.
Hyderabad, May 18 : Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Monday handled a departure repatriation flight for Omani nationals stranded in the city.

A relief charter flight of Star Air with 28 passengers departed for Mumbai at 7.12 a.m. As per the flight itinerary, these passengers were to be airlifted by an Air India Express flight to Oman, airport sources said.

All departing passengers were serviced through the fully sanitised Interim International Departures Terminal (IIDT) as per all safety protocol in place.

Special screening and safety measures were in place during the flight's handling to protect against the Covid-19 threat including thermal screening prior to terminal entry, and mandatory social distancing enforced through special queuing arrangements at all passenger processing points.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, the airport has been handling evacuation flights for both arrivals and departures. So far the airport has handled 14 departures evacuations flights facilitating over 1000 foreign nationals stranded in Hyderabad to various countries.

The airport has also handled nine arrival evacuations flights under the first phase of the Government's Vande Bharat Mission facilitating arrival of about 1,500 Indian citizens from various foreign destinations.

Under the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission, the first flight from Muscat to Hyderabad is expected to land on Monday evening.

Bharat Evacuation Mission Air India Express IX 818 from Muscat (Oman) is expected to land with Indian citizens at 5.35 p.m.
Sravya Annappareddy, a 10-year-old Indian-American girl, has been honoured by President Donald Trump for donating cookies to nurses and firefighters and sending personalised greeting cards to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 pandemic in the US, the worst affected country in the world.

Sravya is a Girl Scouts Troop member and a fourth-grade student at the Hanover Hills Elementary School in Maryland.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Friday paid tribute to several American heroes who are helping on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, including Girl Scouts from Maryland who donated cookies to nurses and firefighters.

"The men and women we honor today remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild," The Washington Times quoted the president as saying.

Sravya was among three 10-year-old Girl Scouts honoured by Trump for their help. Her parents are from Andhra Pradesh.

Girl Scouts Laila Khan, Lauren Matney and Sravya of Troop 744 in Elkridge, Maryland, all 10 years old, donated 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local doctors, nurses and firefighters. They also wrote 200 personalised cards for health care workers, the report said.

"While we are honoured that our troop was invited to be here today, we know that we are just part of the millions of other children out there that are doing amazing things to support their communities, their friends and their families. It is a privilege to be here representing all of them," said Khan, who represented the troop.

Among the honorees was Amy Ford, a nurse from Williamson, West Virginia, who travelled to Brooklyn, New York, to work in a hospital besieged with COVID-19 patients.

"For the past 42 days, she's been working 12-hour shifts in the intensive care units of Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. Amy has been serving the coronavirus patients around the clock, and she once held the hand of an elderly patient all night long, just so the woman would not feel alone," Trump said.

The novel coronavirus which originated in Wuhan in December last year has claimed 315,185 lives and infected over 4.7 million people globally. The US is the worst affected country with 89,562 deaths and over 1.4 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Five Iranian tankers likely carrying at least $45.5 million worth of gasoline and similar products are now sailing to Venezuela, part of a wider deal between the two U.S.-sanctioned nations amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The tankers voyage came after Venezuelas socialist leader Nicolas Maduro already turned to Iran for help in flying in chemicals needed at an aging refinery amid a gasoline shortage, a symptom of the wider economic and political chaos gripping Latin Americas one-time largest oil producer.

For Iran, the tankers represent a way to bring money into its cash-starved Shiite theocracy and put its own pressure on the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has pursued maximalist campaigns against both nations.

But the strategy invites the chance of a renewed confrontation between the Islamic Republic and America both in the Persian Gulf, which saw a series of escalating incidents often involving the oil industry last year, and wider afield.

This is like a new one for everyone, said Capt. Ranjith Raja, an analyst who tracks oil shipments by sea at the data firm Refinitiv, of the gasoline shipments. We havent seen anything like this before.

All the vessels involved belong to Iranian state-owned or state-linked companies, flying under the Iranian flag. Since a pressure campaign on Iranian vessels began, notably with the temporary seizure of an Iranian tanker last year by Gibraltar, the countrys ships have been unable to fly flags of convenience of other nations, a common practice in international shipping.

The ships all appear to have been loaded from the Persian Gulf Star Refinery near Bandar Abbas, Iran, which makes gasoline, Raja said. The ships then traveled around the Arabian Peninsula and through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, according to data collected from the ships Automatic Identification System, or AIS, which acts as a tracking beacon.

One of the vessels, the Clavel, listed its AIS destination as Caracas beginning May 12, according to log data from ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com. The vessel later changed its destination as TO ORDER two days later, though the ship remains on a route that will see it leave the Mediterranean Sea and be in position to sail on to Venezuela.

Another tanker, the Forest, changed its AIS destination to S. AMERICA TO ORDER on May 14.

Three others, the Faxon, the Fortune and the Petunia, all appear on routes that could take them to Venezuela. Given the crushing U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, also-sanctioned Venezuela appears to be the country that would have nothing to lose from accepting the shipments. Raja said Refinitiv had no data on any Iranian gasoline shipment ever going to South America before.

TankerTrackers.com, a website focused on the oil trade at sea, first reported the ships likely were heading to Venezuela.

The capacity of the five ships is some 175,000 metric tons. On the open market, the gasoline and product carried within them would be worth at least $45.5 million, though Iran likely reached a discounted, non-cash deal with Caracas given the circumstances the two nations face, Raja said.

As news about the tankers grew, an Iranian news agency called Nour, believed to have ties to the countrys Supreme National Security Council, published an item on its website early Saturday trying to link a U.S. military exercise in the Caribbean to the tankers. That council includes members of Irans civilian government, its military and its paramilitary, hard-line Revolutionary Guard.

If the United States, like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international highways, it will take a dangerous risk that will certainly not go unnoticed, the agency warned in its brief report.

The Nour item, later picked up by other semiofficial news agencies in Iran, follows a pattern by Tehran of issuing veiled threats through such reports even as officials dont directly acknowledge them.

Quoted by a website affiliated to Iranian state television, Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei on Saturday said he did not have any information on the ships.

We have to sell our oil and we have access to its paths, Rabiei said. Iran and Venezuela are two independent nations that have had trade with each other and they will in the future.

But that all changed late Sunday, when Irans Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying the U.S. piracy threatened the disruption of Irans fuel transmission to Venezuela. Abbas Araghchi, Irans deputy foreign minister, issued a similar warning to the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who looks out for American interests there.

It remains unclear how the U.S. will respond to the tankers. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury, State Department and Coast Guard issued an advisory warning the maritime industry of illegal shipping and sanctions-dodging tactics by countries including Iran.

The advisory repeated an earlier promise of up to $15 million for information disrupting the Guards finances. It also warned anyone knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport or marketing of petroleum faced U.S. sanctions.

U.S. Army Maj. Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to comment on the Iranian vessels. He referred questions to the State Department, which did not immediately respond.

Analysts already have been warning about the growing chance for a renewed confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, whose government downplayed and then struggled for weeks with the coronavirus pandemic.

In April, the U.S. accused Iran of conducting dangerous and harassing maneuvers near American warships in the northern Persian Gulf. Iran also had been suspected of briefly seizing a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker just before that.

Iran seized ships last summer and the U.S. accuses it of attacking tankers in the region amid tensions over Trump unilaterally withdrawing America from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

___

Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
Religious leaders have welcomed the announcement that churches can reopen for private prayer as lockdown restrictions ease.

Drive-in services will also be permitted, providing social distancing is maintained and those attending do not get out of their cars.

The leaders of the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches all expressed their appreciation for the careful preparation that preceded the announcement, which included consultation with them.

In a joint statement the Churches said: "The announcement that we are moving to Step 1 of the pathway is an important and much-needed sign of hope.

"We welcome the cautious approach adopted by the Executive, which continues to prioritise the protection of health and wellbeing, with particular emphasis on those who are most vulnerable.

"We appreciate the recognition in this recovery plan of the importance of the local church, and public worship, in the lives of many people. There is a strong desire to increase the level of pastoral contact where that can be done safely.

"In particular, we are keen to respond to the appeals from those who find great comfort in visiting their church for private prayer, from couples who are anxious that they can proceed with their marriage ceremony and from parents who wish to have their child baptised.

"We are conscious that the Christian call to be good neighbours is a call to civic responsibility in the protection of public health. Partnership across all sectors of society, in solidarity with the most vulnerable, will be critical to minimising the threat of Covid-19.

"In our churches we are currently undertaking risk assessments and putting in place response plans that reflect the unique circumstances of each local context and will be sustainable in the long-term."

A letter of welcome signed by Rt Rev Dr William Henry, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; Most Rev Eamon Martin, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland; Most Rev John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland; Rev Sam McGuffin, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, and Very Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, President of the Irish Council of Churches, was delivered to the Executive yesterday afternoon.

"One of the signs of hope to emerge has been the way communities have pulled together in support of their most vulnerable members," the Church leaders said.

"That same spirit needs to shape a vision for recovery that leaves no one behind."

Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor said the reopening of churches for private prayers may vary from place to place.

"This will be a tremendous consolation to all people of faith, particularly those who are grieving," he commented.

"Each church will open only when it is safe to do so and this may vary from place to place.

"The support and patience of parishioners while these measures are put in place is greatly appreciated.

"Organised gatherings for prayer or devotions are not permitted at this stage, and the public celebration of Mass and the other sacraments remain suspended."
On the occasion of International Museum Day, two studies by UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) confirm that museums have been especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 90% of them, or more than 85,000 institutions, having closed their doors for varying lengths of time during the crisis. Furthermore, in Africa and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), only 5% of museums were able to offer online content to their audiences. Nearly 13% of museums around the world may never reopen.

The two studies, involving Member States and museum professionals, were aimed at assessing the impact of COVID-19 on museums and museum institutions. They also aimed to find out how the sector had adapted to the pandemic and explore ways to support institutions in its aftermath.

Museums play a fundamental role in the resilience of societies. We must help them cope with this crisis and keep them in touch with their audiences, said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. This pandemic also reminds us that half of humanity does not have access to digital technologies. We must work to promote access to culture for everyone, especially the most vulnerable and isolated.

Within the framework of its ResiliArt movement, UNESCO launched in mid-May a series of debates devoted to museums. The first three debates, in partnership with Ibermuseums , will focus on the situation in the Ibero-American region and will explore strategies to support museums and professionals. The ResiliArt movement aims to support artists during and after the COVID-19 crisis and to analyse the issues at stake, through high-level exchanges between international professionals from the cultural sphere.

The study conducted by ICOM highlights the fact that museums that have been deprived of their visitors will face a decrease in their income. Professions related to museums, their operations and their outreach could also be seriously affected.

We are fully aware of and confident in the tenacity of museum professionals to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, said ICOM President Suay Aksoy. However, the museum field cannot survive on its own without the support of the public and private sectors. It is imperative to raise emergency relief funds and to put in place policies to protect professionals and self-employed workers on precarious contracts.

Among the priorities indicated by States in their responses to the UNESCO study are capacity building, social protection of museum staff, digitization and inventorying of collections, development of online content, technical assistance and the equipment of conservation laboratories, all of which require the mobilization of resources.

It should be noted that the number of museums worldwide has increased by almost 60% since 2012 to some 95,000 institutions, according to the UNESCO study. This increase demonstrates the important place that the sector has taken in national cultural policies over the past decade. However, the study reveals wide disparities, with Africa and Small Island Developing States together accounting for only 1.5% of the total number of museums worldwide.

These findings echo the latest report on the implementation by its Member States of the 2015 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Protection and Promotion of Museums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society, published in December 2019. In it, UNESCO underlines the fundamental role that museums play in education and the dissemination of culture, in terms of social cohesion but also in supporting the local and regional creative economy.

UNESCO and ICOM will soon publish the full results of the two studies and will continue their collaboration to support museums worldwide, with the help of Member States and networks of museum professionals.
The central government has declined UTs request to allow people returning from abroad to quarantine themselves at home instead of hotels.

The UT administration was of the view that home quarantining foreign returnees was possible in Chandigarh since residents here were mostly well educated and houses were large enough to allow self-isolation protocols.

Several residents had also approached the administration to allow home quarantining of their family members, rather than forcing them to stay in hotels, citing a higher risk of infection there.

But, UT adviser Manoj Parida said, the Centre was not ready to accept UTs request, which had also come in from various states.

Quarantining in hotels is the only option now as per the existing policy. We will make changes in case Centre amends its policy in the future, he said.

Ward number 1 councillor Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu said there needed to be a more liberal approach. All foreign returnees, who have been clinically declared negative, should be allowed to go home in a weeks time rather than keeping them at hotels for 14 days, he said.

Sector-8 resident Jaspreet Singh, who is waiting for his daughters return, said Punjab had already allowed quarantining of foreign returnees at home after an undertaking from parents. UT should follow suit, since parents here are already willing to abide by any undertaking or protocols, he said.

PRIORITY LODGING OF RETURNEES IN MOUNTVIEW DONE AWAY: UT TO HC

The UT administration on Monday informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that the decision to lodge the returnees on priority basis in Hotel Mountview had been done away with.

It said the administration had shortlisted four private hotels, apart from the two government hotels - Mountview and Shivalikview, who were willing to accommodate air passengers for 14 days of quarantine.

In the new standard operating procedure, the choice for the quarantine accommodation is left to the returnees according to their paying capacity, UT stated, while adding that accommodation in hotel Mountview was costlier compared to other hotels.

It informed the court that returnees who cannot afford expensive hotel accommodation can also opt for Panchayat Bhawan or Panjab University hostels.

UT made these submissions in response to a PIL filed by the Sector 10 Resident Welfare Association, who apprehended the spread of Covid-19 in the sector in case the respondents were permitted to lodge the returnees in Hotel Mountview only.

Disposing of the matter, HC stated that since mandatory requirement of lodging the returnees coming from abroad on priority basis in Hotel Mountview had been done away with, the primary grievance of the petitioner stood redressed.

So far, 13 passengers have reached Chandigarh. While six are lodged in Mountview, the other seven are accommodated in other places.

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Reopening schools across Europe has not caused a spike in coronavirus cases.

Evidence from 22 EU states that have restored classes suggests little or no risk to pupils, teachers or families.

The revelation piles pressure on unions resisting plans to send younger children back from June 1. The National Education Union yesterday even claimed it was not safe for teachers to mark workbooks.

The decision to reopen schools in 22 EU states, including France (pictured) where 1.4million pupils went back to their classrooms, has not caused an increase in coronavirus cases across Europe

The 22 countries, which also include Belgium (pictured) and Germany, say that there is little or no risk to pupils, families or teachers in returning students to classrooms

But an EU meeting was told that the gradual return to school had not resulted in 'anything negative'.

Denmark reopened primaries and nurseries a month ago and has seen infection rates continue to fall.

Norway, which is outside the EU, has taken similar action without a rise.

Around 1.4million French pupils went back to class last week and of around 40,000 schools and nurseries only 70 were closed again following virus cases.

A girl wearing a face mask is pictured using hand gel from a dispenser as she arrives to school in Austria

Schools in Denmark (pictured) have reopened primary schools and nurseries and the number of coronavirus cases are in fact decreasing

Germany have opened schools for their older children, with some even taking examinations such as this biology class in Dortmund (above)

Germany has reopened schools for older children and plans to allow younger year groups back later in the summer term.

Former prime minister Tony Blair last night backed calls for pupils to go back to school, saying some children were receiving no education at all.

Alan Smithers, a professor in education at the University of Buckingham, said: 'The unions have been asking for evidence, and this is it.

'So they should start cooperating fully with the Government so that our schools can open again as soon as possible.'

Schools in Belgium (pictured) have been maintaining strict social distancing guidelines in their classrooms

Labour-run Bury council yesterday became the latest local authority to reject the Government's timetable for sending children back to class. It joins Hartlepool, Liverpool and Stockport.

Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden refused to rule out penalties for town halls that refuse to reopen schools from June 1. In other developments:

The UK death toll rose by 160, the lowest daily increase since the lockdown began, taking the total to 34,796;

In a blow to millions hoping to go abroad this summer, officials revealed quarantine for travellers arriving in Britain could be introduced by June;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock expanded eligibility for tests  they are now available to all over-fives with symptoms;

Losing your sense of taste or smell was added to the official list of symptoms amid fears cases have been missed;

Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam said we may have to 'learn to live with' the virus for several years;

There was new hope of a vaccine after early data from a jab developed by US firm Moderna showed it produced protective antibodies;

Coronavirus outbreaks have now been reported in almost four in ten care homes in England  5,889 in total;

And two million self-employed workers have applied for grants worth 6billion.

Jonathan Van-Tam (pictured), the UK's deputy chief medical officer, says we may have to live with the virus for several years

Blazenka Divjak, education minister of Croatia, which holds the rotating EU presidency, told European colleagues yesterday: 'We haven't heard anything negative about the reopening of schools, but it is probably too early to have final conclusions.'

She noted at the video meeting that schools had imposed 'very high security conditions' including smaller class sizes and very close cooperation with health ministries and epidemiological services.

She stressed the results needed 'to be treated with caution' as the return to normal life was in its very early stages.

UK officials say they hoped the evidence from other countries would reassure teachers.

A source at the Department for Education said: 'We looked closely at international examples when drawing up our plans for a phased return.

'These initial findings from European countries are encouraging and suggest that our similarly cautious approach will minimise the risk of transmission.'

The Government wants a phased reopening from June 1, with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils going back first.

Professor Van-Tam said children were not 'high-output transmitters' of Covid-19.

Mr Blair told BBC Newsnight: 'If you look at all the best evidence, and my Institute has assembled a lot of the different data on this, especially for younger children, the risks of transmission are actually quite low.

Many significant figures in Britain, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair (pictured) have asked for UK schools to reopen as some children are not receiving any education at all

'Private schools will have been educating their children throughout this.

'Parts of the state system will have been. But then there are some children who will have been having no education at all.'

The National Education Union yesterday urged its members to bombard head teachers with health and safety queries.

The union said schools should make it clear that 'no marking should take place' for health and safety reasons, while library books should be regularly sanitised.

The June 1 reopening date applies only to English schools.
Auraiya road accident: Yogi Adityanath shifts blame on Cong govts in Punjab, Rajasthan

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, May 18: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday shifted blame for the road accident in Auraiya, in which 26 migrant labourers were killed, on the Congress governments in Punjab and Rajasthan, saying the party is like the proverbial cat that seeks salvation after killing 100 rats.

Speaking to a news channel, Adityanath said, "In the unfortunate accident that took place in UP's Auraiya, the Congress leadership should understand that one truck (involved in it) was from Rajasthan, while the other was coming from Punjab.

MHA asks states to ensure migrants don't walk on tracks, roads

"A hefty amount of money was taken from the migrant labourers, who were returning to Bihar and Jharkhand. What were they (Congress) doing then? You will exploit people and then put up an honest face." He said the Hindi idiom, "100 chuhe khaakar, billi Haj ko chali (a cat seeking salvation after consuming 100 rats)", fits on the Congress today.

"This is the shameful face of the Congress. I condemn the Congress leadership for making fun of the migrant labourers," the chief minister said.

Twenty-six migrant workers were killed after a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime along with people rammed into a stationary truck with many migrant workers sitting in it, near a roadside eatery on the national highway in Auraiya on Saturday.

Adityanath said for the last three days, he has been asking the Congress to provide a list of the 1,000 buses that the party says have been kept ready to ferry migrants. "I am yet to get the list. I would like to tell the Congress leaders that during this pandemic, they should not do petty politics. The need of the hour is sympathy and sensitivity towards the migrant labourers," he added.

The chief minister said along with the list of the 1,000 buses, if a list of the migrant labourers is also provided, "we will definitely permit them (to come to Uttar Pradesh)". "We have already told them that the list should be provided to us, so that we are assured that all the migrants are from Uttar Pradesh and we can safely take them to their respective destinations. We would be happy to do so, but in the last three days, we have not got any list of the buses," he said.

How do you stop people who want to keep walking: SC on migrants

The remarks of the chief minister come a day after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged him to allow her party to ferry migrant labourers back home in buses arranged by it and kept ready at the state border. She made the appeal in a video message posted on Twitter.
Patna: The evaluation of Bihar Board class 10th exam answer sheet has been completed by the board and marks of students are compiled and fed into the computer system. The BSEB Bihar Board 10th result 2020 is most likely to be declared on Monday, i.e. on May 18, although an official confirmation on the same remains awaited.

The BSEB Matric result 2020 result will be released by the board on its official website - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. The result would be made available on biharboard.online and onlinebseb.in as well. It would also be available on websites like indiaresults.com and examresults.net.

Students who appeared for the Class 10th exam this year can check this space for more updates.

Earlier, tentative dates shared by sources suggested that the board would release the result anywhere between May 18-20. Other reports have also suggested the Class 10th BSEB result would be released on May 25. However, so far there has been no confirmation on the final date of the result by the board.



However, students may please note that since the evaluation of the answer-sheet has been completed, the results would be announced in the month of May itself. Students are advised to keep their admit card or board roll number handy.

Once the result is declared, they can check it by logging into the official website of the board, and entering their Roll No on the result window. They are advised to download their result page for future reference.
An Italian politician demanded the arrest of Bill Gates for crimes against humanity in a passionate speech on the parliament floor.

Sara Cunial, the Member of Parliament for Rome, blasted Gates during her seven minute long speech on Thursday, claiming that he has been working on a depopulation policy and plans for dictatorial control over global politics.

The lawmaker blasted the shut down orders, handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and vaccines.

Cunial claimed that the real goal of all of this is total control. Absolute domination of human beings, transformed into guinea pigs and slaves, violating sovereignty and free will. All this thanks to tricks/hoax disguised as political compromises.

The politician also went off about vaccines, 5G, and facial recognition software  among other things.

The speech wrapped up with Cunial addressing the Italian president saying next time you receive a phone call from the philanthropist Bill Gates forward it directly to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Cunial studied industrial chemistry at the University of Padua and was elected in 2018.

Since taking office, Cunial has caused quite a stir, even being temporarily removed from her party for her opposition to vaccines and comparing them to a genocide in a Facebook post. Just weeks later, she held a press conference on the dangers of vaccines in the Chamber of Deputies.

In April, Cunial publicly ripped up coronavirus decrees of Prime Minister Giuseppe Contes government in the Chamber after she was pulled over for driving, despite having her parliamentary identification with her.

Below is a full translation of Cunials speech:

Hobbes said that absolute power does not come from an imposition from above but by the choice of individuals who feel more protected renouncing to their own freedom and granting it to a third party. With this, you are going on anesthetizing the minds with corrupted Mass Media with Amuchina (a brand of disinfectant promoted by Mass Media) and NLP, with words like regime, to allow and to permit, to the point of allowing you to regulate our emotional ties and feelings and certify our affects. So, in this way, Phase 2 is nothing else than the persecution/continuation of Phase 1  you just changed the name, as you did with the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). We have understood people, for sure, dont die for the virus alone. So people will be allowed to die and suffer, thanks to you and your laws, for misery and poverty. And, as in the best regimes, the blame will be dropped only on citizens. You take away our freedom and say that we looked for it. Divide et Impera (Divide and Rule). It is our children who will lose more, who are raped souls, with the help of the so-called guarantor of their rights and of CISMAI (Italian Coordination of Services against Child Abuse). In this way, the right to school will be granted only with a bracelet to get them used to probation, to get them used to slavery  involuntary treatment and to virtual lager. All this in exchange for a push-scooter and a tablet. All to satisfy the appetites of a financial capitalism whose driving force is the conflict of interest, conflict well represented by the WHO, whose main financier is the well-known philanthropist and savior of the world Bill Gates. We all know it, now. Bill Gates, already in 2018, predicted a pandemic, simulated in October 2019 at the Event 201, together with Davos (Switzerland). For decades, Gates has been working on Depopulation policy and dictatorial control plans on global politics, aiming to obtain the primacy on agriculture, technology and energy. Gates said, I quote exactly from his speech: If we do a good job on vaccines, health and reproduction, we can reduce the world population by 10-15%. Only a genocide can save the world. With his vaccines, Gates managed to sterilize millions of women in Africa. Gates caused a polio epidemic that paralyzed 500,000 children in India and still today with DTP, Gates causes more deaths than the disease itself. And he does the same with GMOs designed by Monsanto and generously donated to needy populations. All this while he is already thinking about distributing the quantum tattoo for vaccination recognition and mRNA vaccines as tools for reprogramming our immune system. In addition, Gates also does business with several multinationals that own 5G facilities in the USA. On this table there is the entire Deep State in Italian sauce: Sanofi, together with GlaxoSmithKline are friends of the Ranieri Guerra, Ricciardi, and of the well-known virologist that we pay 2000 Euro every 10 minutes for the presentations on Rai (Italian state TV. Shes probably talking about Burioni). Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline sign agreements with medical societies to indoctrinate future doctors, making fun of their autonomy of judgment and their oath. Hi-Tech multinationals, like the Roman Engineering which is friend of the noble Mantoan, or Bending Spoons, of Pisano, which are there for control and manage our personal health datas in agreement with the European Agenda ID2020 of electronic identification, which aims to use mass vaccination to obtain a digital platform of digital ID. This is a continuation of the transfer of data started by Renzi to IBM. Renzi, in 2016, gave a plus 30% to Gates Global Fund. On the Deep State table there are the people of Aspen, like the Saxon Colao, who with his 4-pages reports, paid 800 Euros/hour, with no scientific review, dictates its politics as a Bilderberg general as he is, staying away from the battlefield. The list is long. Very long. In the list there is also Mediatronic, by Arcuri and many more. The Italian contribution to the International Alliance Against Coronavirus will be of 140 million Euros, of which 120 million Euros will be given to GAVI Alliance, the non-profit by Gates Foundation. They are just a part of the 7.4 billion Euro fund by the EU to find a vaccine against Coronavirus  vaccines which will be used as I said before. No money, ofcourse for serotherapy, which has the collateral effect of being super cheap. No money for prevention, a real prevention, which includes our lifestyles, our food and our relationship with the environment. The real goal of all of this is total control. Absolute domination of human beings, transformed into guinea pigs and slaves, violating sovereignty and free will. All this thanks to tricks/hoax disguised as political compromises. While you rip up the Nuremberg code with involuntary treatment, fines and deportation, facial recognition and intimidation, endorsed by dogmatic scientism  protected by our Multi-President of the Republic who is real cultural epidemic of this country. We, with the people, will multiply the fires of resistance in a way that you wont be able to repress all of us. I ask you, President, to be the spokesperson and give an advice to our President Conte: Dear Mr. President Conte, next time you receive a phone call from the philanthropist Bill Gates forward it directly to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. If you wont do this, tell us how we should define you, the friend lawyer who takes orders from a criminal. Thank you.
UK-FUNDED PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN IN SYRIA WAS BLOATED, INEFFICIENT & POSSIBLY ILLEGAL

British state-funded propagandists created a constellation of media outlets in Syria and produced so much content that people no longer knew who or what to believe, an internal review into the failed operation has revealed.

Details of the UK governments Syria propaganda campaign, aimed at supporting the so-called moderate armed opposition, were published by Middle East Eye (MEE) in February. The work, which began in 2012, involved establishing a network of anti-government citizen journalists to shape public perceptions of the war, the outlets investigation found.

Now MEE has revealed the contents of a scathing internal government review, which found that the programs  collectively dubbed Operation Volute  were sloppily and inefficiently run and may even have broken UK laws. The review also concluded that some projects were designed to impress the US government, the outlet said.

FUNDAMENTAL SHORTCOMINGS

This image of Britain as a prolific propaganda-pusher is in stark contrast to the mainstream media view of Western powers acting as the ultimate truth-tellers in a world of bad guys and fake news, which Britons are accustomed to hearing about.

The MEE report bursts that bubble, revealing that communications companies contracted by the British government used news agencies, social media, poster campaigns and even childrens comics to covertly bolster the Syrian opposition and to undermine the Assad government, as well as the Islamic State (IS). Efforts were stepped up dramatically in 2013 after the UK parliament inconveniently voted against military intervention in the country.

However, the review, carried out in 2016, found that Londons grand plans werent exactly as effective as envisioned and said the initiatives suffered from fundamental shortcomings  including the fact that no conflict analysis and no target audience analysis was done. Unsurprisingly, the review referred to the work euphemistically as strategic communications rather than propaganda.

The contractors were pumping out so much content that they created a constellation of media outlets, where Syrian audiences and activists got lost and were distracted. The result was that people no longer knew who or what to believe, MEE said.

LAW-BREAKING AND REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE

Ironically, while all this was happening, the British mainstream media was busy obsessing over and publishing stories on Russian propaganda, while completely ignoring and failing to investigate its own governments massive influence operation and potential law-breaking.

The assessment revealed that concerns had been voiced within the UK government about whether there was even a need for the programs, and about the major risk that the activities of the contractors were in contravention of UK law  though there is no more detail given on how that may be the case, MEE reported.

The review also pointed to a duplication of efforts and warned of possible reputational damage to the British government if its funding of the programs was revealed.

DEATHS AND WORK THAT CAUSED HARM

Some of the projects were overseen by a Ministry of Defence (MoD) unit called Military Strategic Effects. Offices were also set up in Istanbul and Amman, where Syrians were recruited for the work. Many of the stringers (part-time local reporters) who were employed inside Syria were not even aware that they were working on projects funded by the British government. The budget for the projects in 2015-16 came to 9.6 million  and more was earmarked for future work.

The British government was seemingly unmoved by the fact that some of these people also lost their lives in the course of the work, noting coldly that one of their contractors suffered losses of core staff that damaged the organisation quite fundamentally.

The department declined to say whether the effects hoped for were weighed against the risk to life; how many people died; and whether the UK was supporting their dependents, MEE said.

The government also noted that some of the stringers working with the moderate rebels were undertaking work which could cause (and has caused) harm, but did not give more details.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Unsurprisingly, the programs were most heavily pushed by the Ministry of Defence. In fact, the only government ministers who were fully committed to the propaganda programs in 2013 were those at the MoD. They felt they were getting extraordinary value for money given current policy restraints. Those policy restraints referring, of course, to parliaments vote not to intervene militarily. Some other ministers were asking whether taxpayers money should be spent on the projects while there remained substantial doubts about them.

While the review is highly critical of inefficiencies, nowhere in the government review is the decision to pour millions into propaganda campaigns and influence operations in a foreign war ever actually questioned.

Russia Today
Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across northeast Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said.

'Amphan'(pronounced UM-PUN) had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm and gathered more strength over Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It lay centred around 780 km south of Paradip in Odisha, 930 km south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal and 1,050 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh, said H R Biswas, director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar.

It is likely to move north-northeastwards and across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between the sea resort of Digha (in West Bengal) and Hatia island (in Bangladesh) as very severe cyclonic storm, the department said.

The wind speed due to the supercyclone over the Bay of Bengal may go up to 230 kmph and even 265 kmph, but 'Amphan' will gradually weaken on the sea itself before its landfall on May 20, Biswas said.

This has raised the likelihood of heavy rains and high velocity winds in coastal Odisha from Monday evening and the state government has started evacuating people from vulnerable areas.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till May 21, Special Relief (SRC) P K Jena said.

Supercyclone 'Amphan' comes a year after Cyclone Fani barrelled across vast areas of Odisha on May 3, 2019, claiming at least 64 lives and destroying vital infrastructure.

Under the impact of 'Amphan', heavy rainfall is likely in some places in coastal districts like Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara, Biswas said.

Jena said collectors of 12 coastal districts have been asked to evacuate people living in low-lying areas, thatched and mud houses or 'kutcha' structures.

People living within five kilometres of the coastline and in vulnerable areas will also be evacuated and the entire process completed by Tuesday. Arrangements have already been made to shift over 11 lakh people to cyclone shelters, he said.

Evacuation will be undertaken by strictly adhering to social distancing guidelines, he added.

The IMD said high-velocity winds might cause extensive damage to mud houses and partial damage to 'pucca' structures.

The calamity may also lead to bending or uprooting of power and communication poles, minor disruption for the Railways by affecting overhead power lines and signal systems, and also cause widespread damage to standing crops, plantations and orchards, it said.

Biswas said five districts - Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Balasore and Jagatsinghpur - are likely to be affected by heavy rains and high speed winds.

Districts like Cuttack, Puri and Khurda are also expected to be affected, he said.

The SRC said there will be total suspension of fishing activity till May 20.

Officials said a total 27 disaster response teams - 10 units of NDRF and 17 of ODRAF - have been deployed in the districts likely to hit. Apart from local fire services, additional 30 teams have been mobilised.

Odisha Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena said the state was prepared to evacuate 11 lakh to 12 lakh people if needed. Besides, generator sets and tankers have been arranged to ensure supply of drinking water in rural areas during the cyclone.

Pregnant women and ailing people will be shifted to hospitals, he said.

Director General of Police Abhay visited Balasore and Bharak districts to assess the situation. Other senior police officers are taking stock of the situation in Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts, officials said.

Senior officers of the Forest and other departments have also been mobilised, Jena said.

Emphasising that the Odisha government was aiming at zero casualty during the calamity, the SRC sought cooperation from all and requested the people to not leave their houses or cyclone centres until the effect of Amphan subsides.

Jena said the district collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh have been asked to be prepared to evacuate people.

"Greater attention is being given to the four districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore. We are keeping a close watch on these districts as the areas are likely to be more vulnerable," he added.

The Met department, which has issued an 'orange' warning for West Bengal, said 'Amphan' would have maximum sustained windspeed of 155-165 kmph before losing some steam ahead of its landfall in the afternoon or the evening of May 20.

The West Bengal government has issued a high alert in the coastal districts of East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and parts of Sunderbans and disaster management teams have been sent, a senior official said.

Relief materials, dry fruits and trampoline have been dispatched, he added.

"We are taking all measures to tackle any contingency. Special control rooms have been set up, and State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed. We are also making announcements through public address systems," the official said.

Quick response teams comprising trained civil defence volunteers and vehicles with necessary equipment have already reached the districts. The State Emergency Operation Centre, functioning at the state secretariat, is in constant touch with district EOCs, the officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
courtesy of the Montgomery County Constable's Office

A man early Friday morning suffered facial injuries and lost teeth upon being stun-gunned outside a Spring strip mall by police who say he was charging at an officer and woman while carrying a knife.

While reporting to the Valero at 322 Rayford around 1:40 a.m., Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constables deputies searched the store restroom, finding fresh tobacco and the odor of marijuana after Demarcus Lakeith Brown, 27, of Spring, had walked out and exited the business. Deputies reporting to the store were told by a cashier Brown was in the store restroom for an extended period of time. Brown left with a woman who banged on the restroom door after deputies arrived, according to the Pct. 3 Constables Office.
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The destruction caused by the cataclysmic Mount St Helens eruption 40 years ago may not be over, experts have warned, as a natural dam created from the explosion's debris threatens to collapse.

In what was one of the largest debris avalanches ever recorded and the worst in US history, 1,300ft of the Washington state mountain, was blown away as its north face collapsed during the May 18 1980 eruption - destroying homes, evaporating lakes and rearranging landmarks in the process.

Magma exploded with 500 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, triggering a chain of events that left 57 people and thousands of animal dead, wiped out 250 homes, nearly 50 bridges, and 185 miles of highway.

The blast of the mountain - which is 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon and 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, completely toppled trees in a 143-square mile area called the blowdown zone that was left smothered in ash. It is believed that 300,000 homes-worth of trees were wiped out in the process.

The cataclysmic eruption remade the famous Spirit Lake by lifting the lake bed 200 feet higher and dumping debris in its wake that continues to act as a giant dam - but experts remain divided in how to protect it.

Magma exploded with 500 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, triggering a chain of events that left 57 people and thousands of animal dead, wiped out 250 homes, nearly 50 bridges, and 185 miles of highway

New aerial photos show thousands of trees decimated in the eruption of Mount St Helens 40 years ago still floating in a lake at the volcano's base

New aerial images have emerged of the wiped out trees 40 years later floating at the base of the volcano

The water remains clogged with wood from a dense forest on the mountain side

The explosion on May 18 1980 was the largest in US history and left 57 people and thousand of animals dead

The devastation may not be over, they have warned, and the situation remains precarious.

There is no natural drainage to the lake system meaning it is holding back a staggering 73billion gallons of water.

A report from the US Forest Service found the lake could burst through the ash, rock and soil around it - threatening 50,000 residents below with catastrophic flooding.

It said: 'Catastrophic breaching of the blockage by high water in Spirit Lake could release more than 300,000 acre-feet of water and 2.4 billion cubic yards of sediment into the Toutle, Cowlitz, and Columbia Rivers, causing massive damage and loss of life.'

A boat holds back logs near the entrance of a drainage tunnel that acts as a relief valve, keeping Spirit Lake from cresting a dam formed by debris left from the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption

Clouds from the Mount St. Helens volcano move over Ephrata airport in Washington, on 19 May 1980

The study said the consequences would be so severe that expensive protective measures should be seriously considered.

Experts have long been grappling with how to deal with the possible breach.

'We are doing everything we can to make sure that never happens. It would be somewhat of a repeat of the 1980 mudslide that went downstream', Chris Strebig, Spirit Lake project manager for the Forest Service told the LA Times.

A huge landslide was triggered which which wiped out river valleys and destroyed enough trees to build 300,000 homes. The explosion completely toppled trees in a 143-square mile area called the blowdown zone that was left covered in ash, as pictured above on May 18 1980

The Mt. St. Helens crater towers above hikers on a trail crossing the Pumice Plain, where the U.S. Forest Service proposes a controversial road

He warned that a surge could inundate cites below and disable Colombian river ports.

The Forest Service wants to drill into the debris to assess how much water the dam can safely restrain and plan how it might react to the highly-anticipated Cascadia earthquake.

At the same time officials are embroiled in a row over how to ferry workers and vital equipment into the isolated section of the 172-square-mile National Volcanic Monument.

Smoke and ash billow from a huge crater atop of Mount St Helens in 1980

The remains of a forest can be seen smothered in ash in the days after the Mount St Helens eruption

Ash and mud surrounds trees that were decimated in the mammoth landslide, pictured on 23 May 1980

Magma exploded with 500 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, triggering a chain of events that left 57 people and thousands of animal dead, wiped out 250 homes, nearly 50 bridges, and 185 miles of highway

Gallons of ash can be seen covering the landscape above in the aftermath, pictured on 23 May 1980

A geologist is standing in an 18 inch deep trench cut in to the ash left by the Mount St Helens eruption, Coldwater Ridge, Washington, 1980

Ash covers a pickup truck May 23, 1980 in the aftermath of the landslide

THE 'CATACLYSMIC' ERUPTION OF MOUNT ST HELENS, 1980 On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington erupted. The cataclysmic event killed 57 people and blasted more than 1,300 feet off the top of the mountain. The eruption was triggered by a magnitude 5+ earthquake, which was accompanied by a debris avalanche. Magma began to rise and bubble, creating the massive eruption which lasted for nine hours. The debris avalanche travelled westward as far as 14 miles down the North Fork Toutle River valley, with a total volume equal to 1million Olympic swimming pools. The blast devastated the surrounding area nearly 19 miles west to east and 12.5 miles to the north. In less than 15 minutes after the blast began, an eruption cloud reached a height of more than 15 miles. Roughly 520 million tons of ash was blown across the United States, causing complete darkness in Spokane, Washington  250 miles away from the volcano, which circled the earth in 15 days. Advertisement

The Forest Service proposes building a temporary 3 1/4-mile long road across the Pumice Plain.

But scientists studying the area say helicopters should be used to transport staff instead so that the fragile ecoystem is preserved.

The area was wiped clear by the landslide and eruption but has experienced an unprecedented return of animals and plants, far more quickly than researchers had anticipated.

A growth of willow bushes attracted songbirds and beavers, deer and elk have also returned to Spirit Lake, which has its own acquatic ecosystem.

The eruption has often been returned to as the most disastrous in US history

Scientists argue they have law on their side and say the Monument was established under an act of Congress that required managers must allow for 'ecological succession to continue substantially unimpeded' - which the road would breach.

Environmental engineer Jim Gawel said that building the track would could introduce invasive species from tyres that would 'take away the whole reason you created the monument'.

Forest Service Monument ranger Rebecca Hoffman said helicopters were not feasible because construction equipment was too large to transport and workers needed to be ferried across often.

Managers are reviewing a final round of objections. If they decide to proceed then construction could start as earlier as next year, with the multimillion-dollar project expected to take two years for completion.

The area is a hotspot for tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the explosion's devastation - though the area is currently out of bounds amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But new aerial photos have revealed thousands of trees decimated in the eruption are ago still floating in a lake at the volcano's base.

Four decades on, the water remains clogged with wood from that forest.

Pilot and keen aerial photographer Jassen Todorov snapped the scene while flying over the area in Washington state in his 1976 Piper light aircraft.

The 45 year old, who is also Professor of Music at San Francisco State University, said: 'I often fly and explore the world from above and Mount S. Helens area in the state of Washington is very photogenic but it is very surreal to picture this scene.

'The explosion in 1980 devastated hundreds of thousands of trees. Entire forests were devastated - these trees have been floating in the nearby lakes for the past 40 years.

'Today, it's a popular spot for hikers - and you can see the tiny people on the rim.'

The volcano remains one of the most dangerous in the United States and the most active of the Cascade Range which stretches from British Columbia to Northern Carolina - but experts have said there shouldn't even be a volcano where Mount St Helens is.

The Imaging Magma Under St. Helens project (iMUSH) was launched in summer 2014 to try and solve the conundrum.

They found the mountain doesnt follow the textbook picture of a peak sitting above a chamber of molten rock.

Instead, partially molten blobs linger below the surface toward the neighboring Mount Adams, according to National Geographic.

Geologist Dorothy Stoffel witnessed the 1980 eruption, and reflected that 'You expect volcanoes to erupt' and 'You do not expect mountains to instantly fall apart'.

The death toll in the eruption could have been far worse, too, were it not for one man.

Volcanologist David Johnston had advocated in early 1980 to restrict access to the volcano.

An increase in seismic activity signaled that an eruption might be imminent so Johnston decided to monitor the volcano from an observation post - which was destroyed by the blast and killed Johnston in the process.

Authors of a 1982 US Geological Survey said: 'The volcano-monitoring effort of which Dave was part helped persuade the authorities first to limit access to the area around the volcano, and then to resist heavy pressure to reopen it, thereby holding the May 18 death toll to a few tens instead of hundreds or thousands.'

The Survey still rates the threat potential as 'very high' for further eruptions, but an explosion of the magnitude 40 years ago is highly unlikely.
By Express News Service

BELAGAVI: A high-level meeting between Karnataka and Maharashtra will soon be held in Bengaluru to resolve the drinking water crisis during summer every year, said minister for water resources Ramesh Jarkiholi.

He was speaking to reporters prior to a meeting on the implementation of the Gatti Basavasnna irrigation project at the chief engineer's office of Karnataka Niravari Nigam Ltd. northern range.

A meeting will be held at Bengaluru with the irrigation minister of Maharashtra on exchange of water, he said, adding that the date of the meeting has not been fixed yet.

"Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is giving priority for farmers' welfare and irrigation projects in the state. I am working to fulfill his vision. I will be visiting all reservoirs of the state and discuss the next course of action with officials. I will be visiting Mysuru next week to review the progress of irrigation projects. The ongoing work in all 18 assembly constituencies in Belagavi has been re-activated," he said.

"In connection with the Mahadayi project, a discussion is required with the central water commission to make them aware about the present situation. I am thinking of travelling to Delhi by car as air services have not yet resumed," he said.

"COVID-19 is not a big challenge when everyone follows medical advice and the government's guidelines," he said, appealing to everyone to follow the government advisory to fight COVID-19.

Raibag MLA Duryodhan Aihole was also present on the occasion.
Mohammed Khan (pictured), 20, is facing jail after pleading guilty to masterminding a 'Covid-19 tax break' scam

A student who masterminded a sickening coronavirus swindle against the most vulnerable members of the public is facing jail.

Mohammed Khan, 20, sent thousands of fraudulent texts and emails inviting unwitting victims to fill in their bank details in exchange for a Covid-19 tax break.

The messages contained logos remarkably similar to UK government websites so one would think it was from Her Majestys government.

The victims personal information was sent to the clearly very clever Queen Mary politics student with a view to committing fraud against their bank accounts.

Khan, who has been described as living in 'abject poverty' with his family in north London, also passed the information along with templates for fraudulent websites to other scammers via WhatsApp.

Khan sent text messages claiming victims where eligible to a tax refunds as a result of Covid-19 (pictured) just before the lockdown came into effect on March 22

District Judge Alexander Jacobs told Khan: Its even worse to capitalise on Covid-19  a phrase that brings shudders to everybody  and youre using it to your advantage.

The judge expressed concern the elderly were especially vulnerable to this scam as they cannot turn to family members to ask if this message is legitimate during the pandemic.

Khan had been operating a number of sophisticated scams since 2017 but began to exploit the crisis the day before lockdown came into effect on March 22.

Khan, who lives with his parents and two siblings, was arrested last week at his home in Camden and appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court via videolink.

His lawyer Kevin Molloy told the court he wasnt doing it to get himself an expensive pair or trainers but because his family lives in abject poverty.

Malachy Pakenham, prosecuting, said: Last month the dedicated card payment unit of London police commenced an investigation into fraudulent texts received by victims purporting to be from government sites promising tax refunds due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Khan also passed the information along with templates for fraudulent websites to other scammers via WhatsApp

Its a phishing campaign to dupe customers to enter their personal details and passwords by sending a fraudulent website link.

It gets them to enter their bank details on a fake website set up by the defendant.

The information is captured and transferred by email to the defendant. This allows the defendant to harvest personal information with a view to committing frauds against their bank accounts.

The number sent out had a link which invited people to enter their details. The fraud has logos, insignia that are remarkably similar to UK government websites so one would think that it was from Her Majestys government.

'He had set up frauds from February 2017. This demonstrates a high level of knowledge of computers and hes obviously a very clever person.

Judge Jacobs said: He was sending text messages to people saying they are entitled to a refund of tax. The police investigation indicates this defendant distributed fraudulent websites and templates to other fraudsters and co-conspirators.

Hes in control of the files, enabling him to receive the duped victim harvested details. Its a main role hes playing in this. There were messages showing he was passing banking details on to somebody via WhatsApp.'

Khan has been described as living in 'abject poverty' with his family at his home (pictured) in Camden, north London

Khan was arrested at his home in Camden last week before appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured) via videolink

The judge told Khan: You have pleaded guilty to a sophisticated fraud in which Im perfectly satisfied you are the main player.

What you did was to prey on the vulnerability of the majority of people in society who at this present moment are worried, petrified, fearful about their future, about their jobs, about their homes, making ends meet, getting back to work or whether they still have a job.

Sometimes this is coupled with having to deal with serious illnesses of themselves or of their family and very many having to deal with bereavement.

Along you come, praying on those people, on anyone who might be gullible enough, and there are people sadly who would click on these scams including the elderly and others who are vulnerable because of the circumstances we find ourselves in right now.

Some of whom might turn to family members to ask if this message is legitimate but so many are isolating so what you have admitted doing is sickening.

Its bad enough to prey on these individuals. Its even worse to capitalise on Covid-19 - a phrase that brings shudders to everybody - and youre using it to your advantage.

The sentencing powers of this court are insufficient to deal with this behaviour. You will be sent to a crown court for sentencing.

Mr Molloy earlier told the court: Hes a straight-A student who turned 20 a number of weeks ago.

This is not somebody in some boiler room with screens everywhere. He lives in a two-bedroom flat and he looks after his sick 10-year-old brother every night who he shares a room with.

He has incredible GCSE and A Level results, hes heading for a first while living in abject poverty in two rooms.

He wasnt doing it to get himself an expensive pair or trainers or spend it on a girlfriend. He got AAB at A level. Hes at Queen Mary University reading Politics and International Relations. He lives at home.

He has a young brother and sister. Sister and mum in one room and him and his brother in another. The father sleeps in the living room.

Khan is a Politics and International Relations student at Queen Mary University (pictured) in London

Khan, of St Marys Flats, Camden, admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of possessing an article for use in fraud.

He was remanded into custody ahead of sentence at Inner London Crown Court on June 12.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson, DCPCU head of unit, said: 'Through this investigation, we have acted swiftly to arrest and charge an individual involved in sending out fraudulent messages related to Covid-19. A large number of account details have also been recovered, helping to prevent customers from falling victim to fraud.

'The DCPCU will continue working with banks and mobile phone companies to clamp down on the criminal gangs callously seeking to exploit the Covid-19 crisis to defraud people. It is thanks to this strong collaboration between the public and private sector that we can bring these criminals to justice.

'Criminals are experts at impersonating trusted organisations like the government or HMRC and will try to play on peoples concerns about their finances at this difficult time. Its therefore crucial to always follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and not to click on links in any messages that ask for your personal or financial details in case its a scam.'

To make yourself more aware on scams such as this, please visit Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, which provides advice on how to stay safe from fraud during the coronavirus.
Being the third in a series of journalist killings in Mexico this year, Jorge Armenta, a reporter who was said to be under government protection after receiving death threats was murdered in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Saturday.

Aside from Armenta, who was the director of the online media outlet, Medios Obson, a municipal policeman who was on his protection detail was also killed and another one was wounded amid the armed attack.

According to a statement by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Sonara's regional prosecutor's office posted on Twitter and confirmed that the attack took the life of the renowned journalist. It was also noted that Armenta has already received several death threats and has police protection due to this.

Moreover, the non-government organization stated that they are already investigating the type of protection that Armenta had.

Meanwhile, the State Governor of Sonora, Claudia Pavlovich Arellano said on a tweet that she had already asked for immediate investigations in order to find who was responsible for the armed attack that took Armenta's life. In response to this, local authorities announced that there is already an ongoing investigation regarding the murder.

He solicitado a la fiscal, Claudia Indira Contreras, se traslade a #Cajeme e inicie de inmediato las investigaciones para esclarecer y dar con los responsables del condenable ataque contra el director de Medios Obson, Jorge Armenta y 2 agentes de la policia municipal.  Claudia Pavlovich A. (@ClaudiaPavlovic) May 16, 2020

According to RSF, Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists alongside war-stricken nations such as Afghanistan and Syria. Since the year 200, there have been more than 100 media killings in the country, 10 of which happened in 2019.

Read also: Study Says Human Host Gets the Blame for Bringing Coronavirus to Wuhan, Not Animals

Furthermore, RFS stated that about 92% of the journalist killings in the country have been unpunished.

Last Friday, RSF also condemned the delays and negligence on the legal process in the investigations surrounding the murder of Javier Valdez in 2017. Valdez was a journalist who was infamous for his pieces criticizing the drug trafficking and organized crimes amidst the Mexican Drug War.

Rampant Journalist Killings in Mexico.

Armenta is the third journalist that has been murdered in Mexico since the beginning of the year 2020.

Back in March, journalist Maria Elena Ferral was brutally shot in broad daylight. Ferral was shot at least eight times by a masked perpetrator riding pillion on a motorcycle. During the attack, she was just leaving the notary public's office in Paplanta, a cite in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz infamous for organized crimes. After the shootout, Ferral was taken to a nearby hospital where she died of the injuries only a few hours later.

According to Jan-Albert Hootsen of CPJ Mexico, the death of Ferral, Veracruz has been dubbed not only the deadliest Mexican state for the press but also as the most violent region for the media in the Western Hemisphere.

The second journalist killing in Mexico for the year happened in early April. Remains of Mexican journalist Victor Fernando Alvarez was found in Acapulco on April 11. Before his body was found, Alvarez has already been reported missing for more than a week.

As the media killings continue to increase, it has become clearer how the press is being oppressed in the country. Media-men have received several threats especially those who are known to reveal the truth behind the drug trade in the country.

Related article: Duterte Administration Cracks Down on Online Critics, Filipinos Condemn Threat on Freedom of Speech

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Government is considering buying a number of the countrys 19 main private hospitals and nationalising them in a bid to increase public bed capacity in the health system post-Covid-19.

Government plans to increase the number of hospitals under the Ireland 2040 capital development project will, if suitable, include the purchase of existing private facilities, as opposed to simply building new ones, several senior sources have said.

Today, the country begins the long road back to normality with the partial lifting of restrictions to personal freedoms, with more than 100,000 construction employees among those expected back to work.

Despite this positive step forward, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirmed last night that a further 10 people with Covid-19 have died. As a result, there have now been a total 1,543 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.

The desire to examine private hospitals for purchase comes amid heightened tensions between the private hospitals and the Government over the continuation of the current 115m-a-month deal which has seen them temporarily nationalised because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is understood that:

Health Minister Simon Harris and his officials are attracted to the idea of purchasing existing facilities for use for elective and non-urgent procedures, as a means of relieving pressure on the acute hospital system;

A number of the countrys private hospitals, which operate on tight margins, could be tempted to sell to the State, saving the taxpayer the expense of building a series of new facilities from scratch;

One senior source pointed to the NHS Golden Jubilee facility in Glasgow, previously a private facility, which was taken over by the state over a decade ago and has operated successfully since then as an elective hospital;

With a desire to expedite the journey to a single-tier health system under the Slaintecare model, private operators are more likely to be willing to sell out as their market share is squeezed, officials believe.

Before you look to build, it makes absolute sense to test the existing market first and such a scenario has significant benefits to the taxpayer and also to patients as it would be far quicker than having to go through planning, developing, and all the other normal headaches, said a senior source.

It emerged last week that private hospitals were threatening to pull out of the agreement which has seen the State take over their facilities during the Covid-19 crisis if the HSE does not increase the number of patients it is sending them.

The hospitals suggested they would look for an alternative arrangement with the Government to provide care to patients, similar to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).

The Government has to tell private hospitals by the end of May as to whether it wants to extend the deal.

In addition to the 10 deaths reported yesterday, it was confirmed that 64 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recorded.

There is now a total of 24,112 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland since the outbreak began in February.

The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

As of midnight on Friday, of the 23,953 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 57% are female and 43% are male.

The median age of confirmed cases is 48 years.

In total, 3,117 cases (13%) have been hospitalised and of those, 389 cases have been admitted to intensive care units.

It was also confirmed that 7,566 cases are associated with healthcare workers.

Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,666 (49% of all cases), followed by Kildare with 1,361 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,352 cases (6%). Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 60%, close contact accounts for 37%, and travel abroad for 3%, the HSE said.

Meanwhile, emergency nurses and doctors have warned that, as the country begins to emerge from lockdown, emergency departments and hospitals must not return to overcrowding in the coming weeks.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, who represent frontline nurses and doctors in emergency departments across the country, warned that the problems of the past may emerge again as the health service gradually ramps up non-Covid-19 activities.

They warned that overcrowding and understaffing may lead to increased infection risk, poor patient outcomes, and unsafe workplaces.
Representative image

The estimated cost of each mobile ventilator donated by the United States to India is about Rs 10 lakh. The US will airlift 200 such mobile ventilators, According to a report by the Hindustan Times.

A government official told the newspaper that the consignment will arrive by May-end or latest by early June.

Each of these mobile ventilators is estimated to cost $13,000 (Rs 9.6 lakh at current exchange rates) without accounting for the transportation costs. In all, the ventilators will cost about $2.6 million (or Rs 19.2 crore) plus freight charges, the official was quoted as saying. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

This cost would be borne by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), government sources told CNBC-TV18.

Underlining the close partnership between the two countries, President Donald Trump, on May 16, announced that the United States would donate ventilators to India.

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

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I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. Were also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy! Trump added in a tweet.

PM Modi responded on Twitter by saying: 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 India  US friendship!.

In April, at Trump's request, India allowed the export of 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 patients in the US, the country worst hit by the pandemic.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced major reforms for Public Sector Undertakings (PSU), as a result of which many sectors are likely to see large-scale consolidation and divestment of State-run firms.

According to Sitharaman, the government will soon announce a new PSU policy, which will focus on privatising PSUs in non-strategic sectors based on feasibility. The policy will, in parallel, specify certain strategic sectors in which the presence of PSEs in public interest will be mandatory.

In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector, but private sector will also be allowed. In other sectors, PSEs will be privatised (timing to be based on feasibility etc), said the finance ministry. It also added that in order to minimise wasteful administrative costs, the number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be only one to four; others will be privatised (or) merged (or) brought under holding companies.

The announcement was part of the final tranche of announcements in the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package, which the government claims will provide stimulus worth around 10 per cent of GDP.

The FM said there was a need for a coherent policy, because sometimes you open up some sectors piecemeal. Now we shall define these areas... where PSU presence will be impactfully felt.

Analysts say that the move is a welcome announcement, because it will open up certain markets to more private competition and consolidate the sprawling network of numerous PSUs. But, how soon such an initiative can be mobilised will play a role in its effectiveness. If this bold announcement is quickly transmitted into action, then it could unlock a lot of value, said Dhiraj Relli, MD & CEO, HDFC Securities.

Sumit Khanna, partner, Deloitte India, also noted that the identification and notification of strategic sectors with limited PSU representation puts definition to the governments privatisation strategy.

While successful privatisation will result in an influx of funds into a cash-starved exchequer, analysts note that many PSUs may not attract sufficient investor interest due to the impact the pandemic has had on the economy.
<! Xi Jinping addressing the WHA >

President Xi Jinping of China announced today it will give $2 billion to support the fight against the coronavirus and assist Africa.

Xi made the pledge at the opening of the first virtual meeting of the World Health Organisations World Health Assembly.

He said the money will be paid out over two years to help respond to COVID-19, which has killed hundreds of thousands and devastated national economies.

Although the entire money is not meant for Africa, Xi said the it will especially support efforts in developing countries.

Specifically, Xi promised that his country will establish a cooperation mechanism to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerate the building of AfricaCDC headquarters.

China will also will work with the UN to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, to ensure the operation of COVID19 pandemic response supply chains.

Xi also said his country supports a comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic after it has been brought under control.

China has always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude, and had shared information on the virus in a timely manner, he said.

Nevertheless, the assembly will discuss a resolution tabled by the European Union that calls for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the coronavirus crisis.

The resolution has the support of more than half of WHOs member countries and will be discussed this week at the decision-making body of the UN health agency, being held virtually this year.

In his speech, Xi said that the inquiry into the global response should sum up experiences and improve shortcomings.
The actress supported the charity campaign days after Mike and Zara Tindall

Encouraged her followers to support the charity initiative's official label Kindred

Prince Harry's ex girlfriend Cressida Bonas has followed in the footsteps of Mike and Zara Tindall by donning a rainbow t-shirt to show support for NHS workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Winchester-born actress, 30, who famously dated the Duke of Sussex, 35, for three years, encouraged her followers to support the Clap for Carer initiative by buying the tee from the campaign's official label Kindred.

Cressida shared a snap wearing the rainbow t-shirt, which is emblazoned with the words 'Thank you', on her Instagram page yesterday.

Posting the picture, she wrote: 'They are 100% organic, 20 and for such a good cause. Get yours today.'

Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas, 30, shared a snap in the official Clap for Carers t-shirt as she encouraged followers to support the cause

In the snap, Cressida, who is isolating in an unknown location, could be seen beaming as she donned the t-shirt with a pair of high-waist denim jeans.

The socialite kept her makeup minimal for the occasion, and opted to wear her blonde locks in loose waves.

Cressida's snap in the t-shirt comes days after Mike, 41, and Zara Tindall, 39, also shared photographs in the charity tees.

Zara and Mike thanked healthcare workers on the frontlines of the NHS by donning matching rainbow t-shirts as they joined Clap for Carers on Thursday night.

Cressida's snap comes days after Mike and Zara Tindall were seen wearing the tees as they joined in the Clap for Carers on Thursday

Mother-of-two Annemarie Plas, 36, from Streatham Hill, London, whocame up with the idea to applaud NHS workers, also teamed up with British social enterprise Kindred to unveil the Clap For Our Carers t-shirt.

The 20 top, available to buy via kindred.co, features a large rainbow on the front with the words 'thank you' underneath. It was designed by Kindred founder Aaron Simpson and his wife Leanne.

One hundred per cent of the money will go towards NHS Charities Together, which supports frontline staff, emergency workers and carers. The aim is to raise 5million.

Annemarie, who came up with the clapping idea after seeing relatives from her home country in The Netherlands doing the same, said: '#ClapForOurCarers was founded to support our frontline staff in the NHS and all the carers across the country

Cressida previously shared an Instagram snap alongside fiance Harry Wentworth-Stanley as she hinted at their postponed nuptials

'We hope you will help support them directly by buying and wearing this iconic Rainbow Thank You t-shirt every Thursday during this pandemic as you #clapforourcarers.'

The first emotional Clap for Carers took place on Thursday, March 26, and has happened every week since, in an act of solidarity and praise for those who are dedicating so much during the pandemic.

Cressida's support for the campaign comes after she hinted her wedding has had to be postponed due to the current crisis, after posting a snap as she and Harry Wentworth-Stanley posed in front of an 'Auto-wed' machine in fancy dress outfits.

Sharing the photo on Instagram, Cressida wished her beau a happy birthday before commenting: 'Well, if all else fails theres always Auto Wed...! Happy birthday my heart. #OneDay.'

The socialite announced her engagement to the estate agent in August last year, popping the question with a stunning ruby ring during a trip to the US

While few details are known about Cressida's big day, it was expected to take place this year.

Cressida and her fiance Harry first dated while studying at university before rekindling their romance in 2017.

Harry, an old Harrovian and the son of the Marchioness of Milford Haven, popped the question with a stunning ruby ring during a trip to the US last August.
Lod (Israel) (AFP) - An Israeli court Monday found a Jewish settler guilty of three murders in an arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents -- a verdict that did little to ease the bereaved family's pain.

Amiram Ben-Uliel, 25, from the West Bank settlement of Shilo, was also convicted of two counts each of attempted murder and arson, along with conspiracy to commit a hate crime in the 2015 attack.

The court did not set a date for sentencing on the charges, which carry a maximum term of life in jail, and the defence team announced an appeal.

Hours after the verdict, the Palestinian family devastated by the attack told AFP that justice was incomplete, having long insisted that there were several attackers.

Ahmed Dawabsha was four when his parents and brother were killed by Ben-Uliel, who threw a firebomb through a window of their home while they slept in Duma, a village in the occupied West Bank. He was severely burned.

When told by his grandfather that a man had been convicted of the murders, nine-year-old Ahmed cried out, "just one!"

The 2015 killings shone a spotlight on Jewish extremism and sparked accusations Israel had not done enough to prevent such violence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled such attacks acts of "terrorism", a word more commonly used by Israelis to refer to violence committed by Palestinians.

The verdict came a day after Netanyahu said Israel's new government should push ahead with annexing West Bank Jewish settlements, a move likely to further inflame tensions in the territory.

- 'Horrific terror attack' -

Ahmed, who suffered severe burns, was the sole survivor in his immediate family of the arson attack that killed his 18-month-old brother Ali, his mother Riham and father Saed.

After the verdict, the prosecution described the "horrific terror attack in Duma" as a premeditated act of revenge for the fatal shooting of settler Malachi Rosenfeld by a Palestinian near Shilo a month earlier.

Story continues

"The court found that the accused planned the attack in advance, equipped himself with two petrol bombs and threw one in the middle of the night through the window of the bedroom where the Dawabsha family was sleeping at the time," it said.

During the investigation Ben-Uliel had confessed to the attack, given details not known to the public and reconstructed the incident, it added.

Ben-Uliel refused to testify at his trial and his lawyer sought to disqualify the confession and other prosecution evidence which he said Shin Bet security service interrogators had extracted by force.

The court ruled the evidence was admissible but defence lawyer Asher Ohayon sought to undermine it.

"This was testimony given after continuous torture for three weeks," he told Israeli public radio before Monday's verdict.

The defence team later condemned "a black day for the state of Israel" and charged that the court had convicted a man "whose innocence cries out to the heavens".

- No celebration -

The Dawabsha family's one-storey house remains the charred ruin it was after the fire, with a small poster showing the family stuck on one wall.

Furniture is burned out and a blackened child's bike lies on the floor.

"Any time I come into this house I relive the moment when it was burned down," said Ahmed's uncle, Nasser Dawabsha, gesturing at the rubble.

He insisted Ben-Uliel's accomplices had escaped justice, telling AFP that "the decision for us is incomplete".

"After five years of deliberations and more than 70 court sessions, today they convicted one person -- witnesses saw more than one."

Israel last May accepted a plea bargain in which a young Israeli confessed to a racially motivated conspiracy to commit a crime and vandalism.

It later convicted the same man of membership in the "hilltop youth", a loosely affiliated group of Jewish extremists who the court said had sought "to instil fear among Arabs while damaging their property and risking lives".

He has not been named as he was 17 at the time of the arson killings and tried as a minor.

The youth had admitted to staking out Duma ahead of the attack with Ben-Uliel, but was said not to have participated in it.

When Ahmed's grandfather Hussein sat him down to explain what had happened at court, Hussein said the conviction was no cause for celebration as "it won't bring back Saed, Riham and Ali".

"For the last five years we haven't been living."
Five Iranian tankers likely carrying at least $45.5 million worth of gasoline and similar products are now sailing to Venezuela, part of a wider deal between the two U.S.-sanctioned nations amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The tankers' voyage came after Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolas Maduro already turned to Iran for help in flying in chemicals needed at an aging refinery amid a gasoline shortage, a symptom of the wider economic and political chaos gripping Latin America's one-time largest oil producer.

For Iran, the tankers represent a way to bring money into its cash-starved Shiite theocracy and put its own pressure on the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has pursued maximalist campaigns against both nations.

Five Iranian tankers likely carrying at least $45.5 million worth of gasoline and similar products are now sailing to Venezuela. Pictured, Persian Gulf Star Refinery in Bandar Abbas, Iran

The oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela are both currently under U.S. sanctions. Pictured, the Iranian flag flies on board the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 (file photo)

But the strategy invites the chance of a renewed confrontation between the Islamic Republic and America both in the Persian Gulf, which saw a series of escalating incidents often involving the oil industry last year, and wider afield.

'This is like a new one for everyone,' said Capt. Ranjith Raja, an analyst who tracks oil shipments by sea at the data firm Refinitiv, of the gasoline shipments. 'We haven't seen anything like this before.'

All the vessels involved belong to Iranian state-owned or state-linked companies, flying under the Iranian flag. Since a pressure campaign on Iranian vessels began, notably with the temporary seizure of an Iranian tanker last year by Gibraltar, the country's ships have been unable to fly flags of convenience of other nations, a common practice in international shipping.

The tankers setting sail is part of a wider deal between the two U.S.-sanctioned nations amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington

Although Venezuela produces crude oil, its infrastructure has been crippled during the economic crisis under socialist President Nicolas Maduro, pictured

The ships all appear to have been loaded from the Persian Gulf Star Refinery near Bandar Abbas, Iran, which makes gasoline, Raja said. The ships then traveled around the Arabian Peninsula and through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, according to data collected from the ship's Automatic Identification System, or AIS, which acts as a tracking beacon.

One of the vessels, the Clavel, listed its AIS destination as Caracas beginning May 12, according to log data from ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com. The vessel later changed its destination as 'TO ORDER' two days later, though the ship remains on a route that will see it leave the Mediterranean Sea and be in position to sail on to Venezuela.

Another tanker, the Forest, changed its AIS destination to 'S. AMERICA TO ORDER' on May 14.

The oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 is pictured in August of last year

Three others, the Faxon, the Fortune and the Petunia, all appear on routes that could take them to Venezuela. Given the crushing U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran, also-sanctioned Venezuela appears to be the country that would have nothing to lose from accepting the shipments. Raja said Refinitiv had no data on any Iranian gasoline shipment ever going to South America before.

TankerTrackers.com, a website focused on the oil trade at sea, first reported the ships likely were heading to Venezuela.

The capacity of the five ships is some 175,000 metric tons. On the open market, the gasoline and product carried within them would be worth at least $45.5 million, though Iran likely reached a discounted, non-cash deal with Caracas given the circumstances the two nations face, Raja said.

As news about the tankers grew, an Iranian news agency called Nour, believed to have ties to the country's Supreme National Security Council, published an item on its website early Saturday trying to link a U.S. military exercise in the Caribbean to the tankers. That council includes members of Iran's civilian government, its military and its paramilitary, hard-line Revolutionary Guard.

Analysts say the gasoline the tankers are carrying came from the Persian Gulf Star Refinery. Pictured, Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, seen in August 2019

Venezuela is in desperate need of gasoline and other refined fuel products to keep the country functioning amid an economic collapse. The country is also suffering from the coronavirus too

'If the United States, like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international highways, it will take a dangerous risk that will certainly not go unnoticed,' the agency warned in its brief report.

The Nour item, later picked up by other semiofficial news agencies in Iran, follows a pattern by Tehran of issuing veiled threats through such reports even as officials don't directly acknowledge them.

Quoted by a website affiliated to Iranian state television, Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei on Saturday said he did not have any information on the ships.

'We have to sell our oil and we have access to its paths,' Rabiei said. 'Iran and Venezuela are two independent nations that have had trade with each other and they will' in the future.

But that all changed late Sunday, when Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying the U.S. 'piracy' threatened the 'disruption of Irans fuel transmission to Venezuela.' Abbas Araghchi, Irans deputy foreign minister, issued a similar warning to the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who looks out for American interests there.

It remains unclear how the U.S. will respond to the tankers. On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury, State Department and Coast Guard issued an advisory warning the maritime industry of illegal shipping and sanctions-dodging tactics by countries including Iran.

Homes cover a hill in the San Agustin neighborhood of Caracas. President Nicolas Maduro is relaxing quarantine measures over the weekend by allowing children and older adults out of their homes for a few hours each day

The advisory repeated an earlier promise of up to $15 million for information disrupting the Guard's finances. It also warned anyone 'knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport or marketing of petroleum' faced U.S. sanctions.

U.S. Army Maj. Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to comment on the Iranian vessels. He referred questions to the State Department, which did not immediately respond.

Analysts already have been warning about the growing chance for a renewed confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, whose government downplayed and then struggled for weeks with the coronavirus pandemic.

In April, the U.S. accused Iran of conducting 'dangerous and harassing' maneuvers near American warships in the northern Persian Gulf. Iran also had been suspected of briefly seizing a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker just before that.

Iran seized ships last summer and the U.S. accuses it of attacking tankers in the region amid tensions over Trump unilaterally withdrawing America from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.




President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday, May 18 2020, address Nigerians in a national broadcast over the coronavirus pandemic.

This was made known by the National Coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19, Aliyu Sani, during an appearance on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics.

Naija News reports that the first phase of the gradual easing of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown comes to an end.

President Buhari is expected to tell Nigerians whether or not the country would go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

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Sravya Annappareddy, a 10-year-old Indian-American girl, has been honoured by President Donald Trump for donating cookies to nurses and firefighters and sending personalised greeting cards to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 pandemic in the US, the worst affected country in the world. Sravya is a Girl Scouts Troop member and a fourth-grade student at the Hanover Hills Elementary School in Maryland.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Friday paid tribute to several American heroes who are helping on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, including Girl Scouts from Maryland who donated cookies to nurses and firefighters.

"The men and women we honor today remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild," The Washington Times quoted the president as saying.

Sravya was among three 10-year-old Girl Scouts honoured by Trump for their help. Her parents are from Andhra Pradesh.

Girl Scouts Laila Khan, Lauren Matney and Sravya of Troop 744 in Elkridge, Maryland, all 10 years old, donated 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local doctors, nurses and firefighters. They also wrote 200 personalised cards for health care workers, the report 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

"While we are honoured that our troop was invited to be here today, we know that we are just part of the millions of other children out there that are doing amazing things to support their communities, their friends and their families. It is a privilege to be here representing all of them," said Khan, who represented the troop.

Among the honorees was Amy Ford, a nurse from Williamson, West Virginia, who travelled to Brooklyn, New York, to work in a hospital besieged with COVID-19 patients.

"For the past 42 days, she's been working 12-hour shifts in the intensive care units of Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. Amy has been serving the coronavirus patients around the clock, and she once held the hand of an elderly patient all night long, just so the woman would not feel alone," Trump said.

The novel coronavirus which originated in Wuhan in December last year has claimed 315,185 lives and infected over 4.7 million people globally. The US is the worst affected country with 89,562 deaths and over 1.4 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
A Wisconsin nurse who was interviewed on TV while at a local bar to support her sister's reopening is now apologizing for not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing.

The apology from Katie Koutsky comes after she was interviewed Wednesday by NBC affiliate WTMJ in Milwaukee for a story on crowds gathering at bars in the nearby city of West Allis after the state Supreme Court struck down the governor's stay-at-home order.

I have a toddler at home, and Im a full-time nurse, so its been very stressful and hard to not be able to go out and be with my friends and family at the bars, Koutski said at the time, telling the outlet that she didn't think being at the bar presented a greater risk than going to a grocery store.

Local nurse apologizes after TMJ4 News interview inside West Allis bar: https://t.co/Ea4UHHcAfP  TMJ4 News (@tmj4) May 15, 2020

More than a dozen people were inside the establishment, Limanskis Pub. A note taped on the outside of the door told patrons to sanitize their hands and remain at least two bar stools apart unless they were from the same family, according to WTMJ.

In a statement on Friday that was released by her employer, Advocate Aurora Health, Koutsky said she was at the bar to help her sister with the reopening and apologized for her "lapse in judgment."

"While my priority was to support my sister and her attempt to restart her business, which has been devastated by this pandemic, Id like to express my regret for not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing while there," she said in the statement.

Koutsky said she does not have any symptoms of COVID-19 and does not believe she's been exposed to the coronavirus, but out of an abundance of caution she will self-quarantine. Before she goes back to work, she said she will undergo a screening for the virus.

Story continues

"As a nurse, I understand the fear and uncertainty everyone is facing and how important it is to practice safety measures not only at sites of care, but while away from work," she said. "I let my guard down and apologize for making anyone feel uncomfortable or at risk."

Advocate Aurora Health said it was "disappointed" and reminded people to continue practicing health officials' safety guidelines.

"The health and safety of our patients, team members and our community are our highest priorities," the company said.
ONEKAMA  A pandemic nor a steady rain could keep the Onekama community from celebrating the Class of 2020 on Sunday.

While students were sent home in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, students have continued their school year via distance learning. School districts around the country have gotten creative in coming up with ways to recognize this year's seniors.

Family and members of the community, as well as members of local law enforcement came together to honor the seniors during a parade in the parking lot of the Onekema Consolidated Schools. Graduates stood outside their cars, some on their cars, in the pouring rain while their friends and family members drove past them, horns and sirens blaring in efforts to wish them well.

Several area fire departments  including Onekama's own  in addition to the Manistee County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan State Police lead the parade of cars congratulating the graduated, that lasted for more than half an hour.

Instead of gathering in the gym at Onekama High School for the traditional commencement ceremony, many families gathered around their computers at 2 p.m. on Sunday to watch their virtual graduation.

All speeches  from administration and the valedictorians and salutatorian  were prerecorded and then edited together, along with the traditional senior slideshow. Instead of the students receiving their diplomas on graduation day, principal Gina Hagen "presented" the graduates for their diplomas and as their names were read in the video, a photo of the student holding their diploma was displayed.

Onekama Consolidated Schools superintendent Mark Parsons gave the welcome speech.

"Welcome to this historical graduation of the Onekama Portagers Class of 2020," he said. "The board of education, administration, teachers and staff along with your family and friends are excited to honor you. Class of 2020, you have completed high school in a difficult time. You have prevailed, so we know you are equipped to be successful in life. When life gives you challenges, you can reference this time and know you can work through it."

The Class of 2020 has eight valedictorians: Taylor Bennett, Kolin Cook, Jackson Gutowski, Sydnee Hrachovina, Hanna Hughes, Colleen McCarthy, Travis Read and Alliyiah Torrey. Salutatorian for the Class of 2020 is Dalron Grey.

Jackson Gutowski, one of the valedictorians and class president, told his fellow seniors that graduation is a time for reflection and to give thanks.

"Its also a time to look toward the future. A time to dream about where we want to go and what we want to be," he said. "Its a time of great happiness and excitement, but also one of great sadness because this is probably the last time the class of 2020 will all be together as a whole. After today, things will never be the same and thats why were all here to say goodbye."

He said that it's easy to get caught up in the pride of accomplishments, but that they all must remember they would not have made it where they are without help.

"We all owe our thanks to those special people whove helped us over the years. They played a large part in making us the people we are today," said Gutowski. "Id like to thank my parents for all of their help; I love you both very much. There's a special feeling of family between the members of the class of 2020 and thats something you cant take for granted. In some ways there are no words that could ever describe what our class means. Im going to miss every single one of you and I wish you good luck on your future endeavors."

Travis Read, another valedictorian and class vice president, said besides academic lessons, he also learned a few things about himself while going to school at Onekama.

"I always need someone to learn from, something to look forward to and to know that I'll make myself proud in the future," he said. "First off, I want to thank my teachers and my classmates, because they are the ones Ive learned from and grown alongside of over the years. Over the past few months you guys have really taught me that we can get through anything as long as we stick together, I mean look, we managed to graduate in the middle of a pandemic. I want to especially thank Ms. Hagen and Mrs. Torrey for making all of this possible  were lucky to have such amazing people looking out for us."

Read ended his speech with a few words of thanks.

"Lastly I want to thank my parents and grandparents. You guys taught me more than you will ever know and you made me the man I am today. I know that if I can make all of you proud, that I will be able to make myself proud in the future. Thank you all and congratulations to the class of 2020. I wish you all the best of luck," he said.

Sally Koon, president of the Onekama Consolidated Schools Board of Education, congratulated the students on their accomplishment.

"I know this isnt what you expected; its nothing that any of us expected. But hopefully this will make you stronger and wiser. Remember, hindsights always 20/20. And look at it this way, you got to spend a lot more time with your parents before going on off on your next adventure in life," she said.

Principal Gina Hagen said she doesn't usually give her speech before giving out the diplomas, but this year is different.

"I feel our time was cut way too short, and I still have so much to say to you," she said.

After reciting a poem about the Class of 2020 by an unknown author, Hagen began to tear up.

Seniors, please note I care and love all of you very much. I care about you like youre my own children," she said. "The times come when I have to let you go. So keep dreaming big and follow those dreams onto the next chapter of your life. Please know that your Portager family is always here and we're really only a phone call or text away. Congratulations to all of you; you make me super proud."

Find the full virtual ceremony at http://ocs.manistee.org/ .

SEE ALSO

MAPS to hold virtual graduation ceremony on May 23

Bear Lake, Brethren to hold virtual graduation ceremonies

CASMAN Academy, MCC announce graduation plans
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Market Research Future Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on Global Bio-Based PET Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023

Global Bio-Based PET Market Overview:

Bio-Based Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is produced from ethylene glycol that is obtained from plants. These plant sources include non-toxicity, recyclability, reduced carbon footprint, and a high resistance to shattering. Market Research Future (MRFR) has reported that the Covid-19 Analysis on Bio-Based PET Market is anticipated to expand at a significant rate through the conjecture period.

Attributable factors to the ascension of the Bio-Based PET Market include the increasing adoption of environment-friendly products to curb climate change and its impact on human health and the fluctuating cost of petroleum-based products. The hazardous nature of traditional plastics is pushing governments all over the world to introduce stringent regulations to curb carbon emissions and the usage of harmful plastic products. This is also estimated to provide momentum to the upscaling of the Global Bio-Based PET Market.

Moreover, rising demand for eco-friendly packaging in several end-use industries is leading to a surge in the consumption of Bio-Based PET products. Such industries include automotive, food & beverages, electrical & electronics, as well as consumer appliances. Such an upsurge in demand for Bio-Based PET products is expected to contribute significantly to market growth. Additionally, technological developments have allowed the production of 100% Bio-Based PET. For instance, the Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC) by Virent, Inc uses paraxylene using beet sugar instead of fossil fuels. These technological developments are anticipated to promote higher adoption of Bio-Based PET products, fueling growth in the market.

Industry Update:

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MRFR has analyzed the Global Bio-Based PET Market for different regions for providing specific insights to its clientele. These regions include Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Among these five regions, North America is leading the Global Bio-Based PET Market during the assessment period. Elevated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate for the manufacturing of bottles and other consumer goods is contributing to the burgeoning of the Bio-Based PET Market in North America. The U.S. is expected to spearhead the country-specific Bio-Based PET Market in the region. This can be attributed to the mounting demand for the same from the automotive sector residing in the country. Similarly, Canada is anticipated to consume higher Bio-Based PET to satiate the increasing demand from the countrys automotive industry.

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Europes Bio-Based PET Market is expected to ascend at a significant rate. This can be owed to the elevating demand for Bio-Based PET from automotive industries residing in the UK, France, and Germany.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:41:31|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's ministry of health on Monday reported 21 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total in the country to 248.

Director General of Health Services Henry Mwebesa said that out of 1,071 samples collected from cross-border truck drivers on Sunday, 21 Ugandans tested positive for the virus.

"All 253 community samples tested negative for COVID-19," Mwebesa said in a statement.

Uganda now requires all truck drivers to undergo COVID-19 testing at its land borders.

"Foreign truck drivers who test positive for COVID-19 are advised to return to their place of origin for treatment while Ugandan truck drivers will be admitted at the various hospitals for treatment," Mwebesa said.

Previously, Uganda allowed truck drivers to proceed with their journey after their samples were taken. When the results turned positive, the truck driver would be followed up.

Out of the 248 confirmed COVID-19 cases, at least 63 have recovered and no one has died from the respiratory disease, according to the ministry. Enditem
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Fidan Babayeva  Trend:

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, has designed a project on developing the country's hazelnut sector, Head of FAO's Partnership and Liaision Office in Azerbaijan Melek Cakmak told Trend.

"The project has been launched since January 2020 within a partnership program between FAO and Azerbaijan. The project will be implemented during three years. Its main objective is to increase the production of hazelnuts and ensure sustainable development of the industry and thus, lead to an increase in the income of small farmers, ensure food and nutrition security, help to reduce poverty in rural areas by creating jobs and self-employment opportunities in the regions," she said.

"Hazelnuts are one of the most profitable agricultural products in the country. Azerbaijan is one of the five largest producers of hazelnuts in the world. In recent years, the government has provided significant support and benefits to farmers, and the area planted with hazelnuts is increasing every year. However, yields remain low (1.2 tons per hectare), and unsustainable farming methods are often used during cultivation," Chakmak noted.

"Another goal of the project is to increase the hazelnut production by introducing modern technologies and enabling small farmers to apply advanced agricultural experience to improve the quality of nuts. The project will also expand the capacity of state institutions on establishing relationships with private sector," she said.

"All activities are aimed at increasing the potential of entrepreneurs. Following the project, initiatives will be launched to ensure sustainable production, marketing chain will be assessed, and knowledge and skills of farmers in the sustainable cultivation of hazelnuts, processing and safe storage after harvesting will be enhanced," Chakmak emphasized.

In November 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the government of Azerbaijan signed a partnership program for 2016-2020.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva
An Instagram model has revealed how she was unable to sit down for six months following a botched bottom surgery that cost her $60,000 to correct.

Shilpa Sethi, 25, from New Delhi, boasts over 1.2 million followers on her Instagram page, where she posts pictures of herself posing in skimpy lingerie.

The influencer, who also has an OnlyFans page where she shares X-rated snaps of herself for a fee, first heard about the so-called Brazilian Butt Lift - where fat is transferred from the waist to the buttocks to enhance size and roundness - when she was aged 20.

She saved up the $10,000 (8,200) required to have the procedure carried out in Miami.

Shilpa Sethi, 25, from New Delhi, India boasts over 1.2 million followers on her Instagram page, where she posts pictures of herself posing in skimpy lingerie

'I have always admired a curvy body and I was very flat at first,' she said.

'Mum said she didn't want me to have it, but I had it anyway'.

But things quickly went wrong.

'I chose my doctor based on what I later discovered to be fake reviews,' Shilpa said.

'That first surgery was botched, and I had complications immediately after the procedure.

The influencer, who also has an OnlyFans page where she shares X-rated snaps of herself for a fee, first heard about the so-called Brazilian Butt Lift - where fat is transferred from the waist to the buttocks to enhance size and roundness - when she was aged 20, and saved up the $10k (8,200) required to have the procedure carried out in Miami

Shilpa says she was always 'flat' and wanted to be curvy so spent thousands of surgery

Shilpa Sethi, 25, from New Delhi, India boasts over 1.2 million followers on her Instagram page, where she posts pictures of herself posing in skimpy lingerie.

After painful surgery, unable to contact the doctor directly, Shilpa did a little investigating and uncovered a culture of deception in the cosmetic surgery trade, with people writing fake reviews

'I was short of breath, and felt a sharp pain in my leg.

Unable to contact the doctor directly, Shilpa did a little investigating and uncovered a culture of deception in the cosmetic surgery trade.

'His office staff members had bribed every patient in the office with free [pain relieving] Arnica cream for their fake reviews

Shilpa Sethi shows her body after the second surgery - she needed three in total to correct

'The only reason I'm telling my story now is because I don't want anybody else to go through what I've been through.

'I wish I had never picked him as my first doctor.'

Shilpa is angry with those who were bought off to write false testimony.

'People don't care about other people as long as they get what they want from writing their fake review,' she said.

The end result of that surgery was not only a lopsided rear end, but considerable discomfort.

'It was very painful, and I wasn't able to sit on my butt for months.

The end result of that surgery was not only a lopsided rear end, but considerable discomfort. She now can sit down again

WHAT DOES A BUTT IMPLANT PROCEDURE INVOLVE? A larger butt can be achieved through the use of silicone implants, transferring existing fat, or a combination of both. Implants are inserted either in the muscle or above the gluteal muscle on each side. The fat transfer procedure is commonly known as a Brazilian butt lift. Fat removed through liposuction from other parts of the body are injected into the buttocks. Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons Advertisement

Following three more expensive and 'aggressively painful' corrective procedures costing a total of $60,000 (49,000) she is now able to put the painful experience behind her.

For the corrective surgery, Shilpa had to travel to Colombia twice and had to undergo a 'J-plasma' to reattach loose skin back onto her muscles.

She has now decided to treat herself to breast augmentation in the final cosmetic procedure.

Despite the massive bill for the work, Shilpa says it's paid for itself as she rakes in thousands through OnlyFans.

'Fans say I have the best butt, especially when it jiggles and makes them go crazy.

'And because its all my fat, it's really soft too' she said.

Still, Shilpa passionately wants her tale to serve as a warning to others.

Shilpa often shows off her surgically enhanced derriere on Instagram, and makes thousands posting X-rated pics on OnlyFans

Shilpa Sethi shows her body after the second surgery. For the corrective surgery, Shilpa had to travel to Colombia twice and had to undergo a 'J-plasma' to reattach loose skin back onto her muscles.

'Doctors with fake reviews are literally taking peoples lives' she said.

'The doctor who did my first surgery killed one girl last year, aged just 28.

'She had a fat embolism.

'People need to be real with each other on this topic surgery and its big, it can take your life, or other peoples'.


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[May 18, 2020] Leading Author and Data Scientist Ankur Patel joins Narrative, Mondelez, IBM Business Services, and Camelot to discuss "How Brands Can Use Data to Optimize Marketing During a Downturn"

NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Narrative , the enterprise data streaming company, and RIVER ai , the data science consulting company, today announced they will host an upcoming webinar panel session on Tuesday, May 19 at 2:00 p.m. ET titled,  How Brands Can Use Data to Optimize Marketing During a Downturn . Leading the webinar will be author and data scientist, Ankur Patel, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, RIVER ai who is joined by Nick Jordan, founder and CEO of Narrative, Ravi Unnam, North America Data and Analytics Lead at Mondelez International, Jorge Malibran Angel, partner at IBM Business Services, and Stuart Watson, senior vice president of emerging media and technology at Camelot.

Webinar participants will learn: How data and analytics are driving new revenue opportunities given shifts in consumer behavior.

How brands use data and analytics to reduce customer acquisition and retention costs.

How to adopt and execute a data strategy as cost-effectivly as possible.



COVID-19 has accelerated the move to digital in a big way; the core of every companys branding, marketing, and sales activity has moved online, said Ankur Patel, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, RIVER ai. Every online search, impression, and click is valuable data, and the brands that win will be those that know how to tap into the data that online users generate. This data will help inform which marketing campaigns are performing best and deserve more funding, which types of users are purchasing your products and how to target more of them, and which users are most at risk of losing to competitors and how to retain them before they churn. Every company, whether they know it or not, needs a data program more than ever before.

To register for this free webinar, please click here . About Narrative

Narrative operates a technology platform that centralizes and simplifies the buying and selling of data with both software and a raw data marketplace. Innovative brands, data platforms, and direct-to-consumer companies leverage Narrative's technology to fuel powerful data strategies, build data monetization businesses, power growth marketing, and inform product development. Narrative's raw data marketplace gives companies access to unprecedented scale, transparency, precision, and optionality to transform their business. Founded in 2016, Narrative is a private company operating in New York City and San Francisco. About RIVER ai Consulting

RIVER ai makes companies more competitive by using artificial intelligence to turn business data into valuable assets. Customer, product, and industry insights that are uncovered with data science and machine learning can increase sales, improve operations, or become a new revenue stream. To learn more about the value of data, take the free Data Value Assessment . PR Contact: Ilona Mohacsi

PenVine for Narrative

[email protected]

+1 631 764 3729

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Industry Reports Project Wellness And Beauty Market To Reach $23.7 Billion By 2023*

WATERLOO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / SponsorsOne Inc., (CSE:SPO)(5SO.F)(OTC PINK:SPONF) A company that utilizes its proprietary platform that combines digital marketing, wholesale and retail distribution, branding and operational & funding capital, giving it a competitive first-mover advantage in rapidly building, launching and selling proprietary brands focused in the craft Alcohol, Functional Beverage and Cannabis Sectors, today announced that It has entered into a collaboration with Volunteer Botanicals, LLC, a Tennessee-based company focused on delivering fully customized, botanical-based products for product creators and medical practitioners, to create a proprietary new branded line of products for the company.

Volunteer is also the source for the two recently introduced products, namely a line of flavored, chewable tablets delivering a 20mg dose of CBG and a CBG sublingual dissolving tablet that delivers 10mg in a very small 6mm size. These products are marketed under the marketing management agreement with GO Nutraceutical's branded line of "Cannabis 2.0" products.

This new line is the company's entrance into beauty markets - "Where Wellness meets Beauty". SPO will create a new proprietary brand under a wholly-owned subsidiary to market the as of yet unnamed brand, utilizing the formulations delivered by Volunteer.

The company has charged Charles Harbison to oversee this subsidiary. He is a full-time employee of the company and is its Executive in charge of Brand Management. He previously launched his own luxury brand HARBISON, which, since its launch, garnered the attention of the fashion world including iconic public figures, celebrity stylists, power influencers, and editors. He dressed luminaries like Beyonce and Michelle Obama in his designs. Both his collection and his creative talent have been featured across major fashion media outlets including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, WWD, Refinery 29, and Elle. Harbison has also consulted for a range of top brands including Emanuel Ungaro, Michael Kors, Cult Gaia, and Nicholas the Label.

Story continues

Mr. Harbison said: "Through my long-standing career in building fashion brands both domestically and internationally, I have found customers today are most excited about the infusion of health, wellness, and eco-responsibility into the beauty and fashion sectors. We will build a beauty product assortment that reflects this current sentiment, aligning the health intentions of today's customer with the naturally derived healing nature of CBG and the culturally relevant, globally inclusive branding of today."

Myles Bartholomew, CEO of SponsorsOne, added: "The beauty and wellness markets require a different marketing technique than the CBD markets. We needed someone with an impeccable track record and the specific experience in the beauty and fashion markets to take the lead on our new brand. We were extremely lucky to have Charles overseeing this foray into the beauty and wellness markets. Consumer acceptance of the infusion markets is growing rapidly we are moving expeditiously to build a really great brand during this window of opportunity. We want to be standing there owning a really terrific brand that will generate revenues for the company in this rapidly expanding market and create a very successful brand that could become a target for acquisition, further enhancing our shareholder's ROI."

About Volunteer Botanicals, LLC.

Volunteer Botanicals is paving the way for an entirely new system of delivering cannabinoids and terpenes to the body through their patent-pending, cutting-edge conversion process called the Lipid Neutralization System (LNS). Converting cannabis extracts into new, more dynamic mediums allows for collaboration with product creators looking to gain an edge by providing new ways that cannabinoids can interact with the body. Offering mediums like pharmaceutical-grade Flowable Powders, Water-Soluble Powders, Water-based Microemulsions, and Alcohol-based Microemulsions, Volunteer Botanicals will work directly with GO Nutraceutical and SponsorsOne crafting custom formulas to meet the specific needs of each product offering from ingestibles to topicals to raw ingredients. Volunteer Botanicals is an intermediate manufacturer of the highest quality ingredients required for the best formulations. Volunteer Botanicals believes that cannabinoids and terpenes will play a substantial role in functional supplements, pharmaceutical formulations, and various food and beverages. To learn more, please visit www.volunteerbotanicals.com

About SponsorsOne Inc.

SponsorsOne is the leader in the next evolution of digital marketing through influencer marketing, storytelling, and digital-commerce with the SponsorCoin platform and its highly scalable - smart contract-based digital-currency. Combined, this allows brands to build and manage exclusive and highly engaged communities of influencers (from pro to micro-influencers) within the social realm. The SponsorCoin platform provides for data-driven marketing campaigns that will change the way brands connect with their customers. SponsorCoin is a tool for brands to inspire real movements around their products and services in which their most valuable customers become their best salespeople, producing far higher ROI than current social media advertising methods. SponsorsOne, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SponsorsOne Media Inc., provides full creative and Brand building/management services to all our Brands as well as manages the influencer communities for each Brand. If the Brand wants to get big - fast, our wholly-owned subsidiary S1 Brands Inc., will build a wholesale/retail distribution channel for the Brand acting as a master distributor. S1 Brands provides sales and marketing on behalf of the Brand to its vast network of national wholesalers and retailers and provides purchase order financing to assist the Brand in fulfilling every order. Ownership of the Brand combined with distribution, digital marketing innovation, and capital is the winning formula to build the next billion-dollar brand.

To learn more, please visit www.sponsorsone.com

Contact: info@sponsorsone.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Gary Bartholomew, Executive Chairman

The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this Press Release.

* The Brightfield Group https://www.brightfieldgroup.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks:

risks associated with marketing and sale of securities

the need for additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key personnel

the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects

the volatility of the volume and price of the Common Shares, the failure of the business strategy, the integrity of the Company's patents and proprietary intellectual property and competition.

The Company cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, and other uncertainties and potential events, including the risk factors, set out in the Company's Listing Statement. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to above will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION.

SOURCE: SponsorsOne Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/590249/SponsorsOne-And-Volunteer-Botanicals-Enter-Into-Collaboration-To-Develop-Proprietary-Brand-Of-Beauty-And-Wellness-CBG-Products




The collapse of Occidental Petroleums deal to sell African assets once owned by Anadarko to French major Total dealt a severe blow to the Houston energy company, which was counting on the proceeds from the sale to pay down its massive debt.

Total on Monday backed out of its agreement with Oxy to buy offshore assets in Ghana, citing low oil prices driven by the coronavirus pandemic. The deal was a key part of Oxys plans to sell $15 billion of assets by the end of next year to repay investors who funded its $38 billion takeover of Anadarko last year.

Its a big blow, said Jennifer Rowland, a senior energy analyst with equity research firm Edward Jones. It leaves them in a precarious situation, because theyve got a lot of debt and a lot of assets to sell in a very difficult environment.

The collapse of the deal with Total adds to the financial woes facing Oxy, which this month warned it might not be able to sell assets quickly enough to repay debt incurred during its high-profile acquisition of Anadarko in August. Negotiations with interested buyers have been disrupted by coronavirus-related travel restrictions, and the value of many of Oxys assets has plunged during the recent oil crash. Oxy was forced to write down about $1.4 billion of its assets in the first quarter after oil prices plunged in March.

RELATED: Unable to sell assets, Oxy seeks other ways to pay debt

Oxys $8.8 billion deal with Total, announced when it acquired Anadarko in August, was the cornerstone of the Houston companys divestment strategy to quickly pay down the $39 billion of debt related to the deal. Oxy was planning to sell former Anadarko assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa to the French energy major.

In September, Total acquired liquid natural gas assets in Mozambique for $4.2 billion, and in January it bought the South African assets for about $110 million. Oxys deal to sell oil and gas operations in the Sahara Desert of Algeria to the French major, however, fell apart in December after Algerias state-owned oil company, Sonatrach, blocked the sale, which faced protests in the former French colony.

Total on Monday informed Oxy that its no longer interested in buying the Ghana assets. Oxy's sale of those assets to Total was contingent upon the company selling the Algerian assets to the French company.

This decision not to pursue the completion of the purchase of the Ghana assets consolidates the Groups efforts in the control of its net investments this year and provides financial flexibility to face the uncertainties and opportunities linked to the current environment, Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said in a statement Monday.

Oxy and Total have signed a waiver to allow Oxy to market and potentially sell its Ghana assets to other companies. Oxy is also soliciting bids for Anadarko oil and gas properties in Wyoming, and it hinted its open to selling assets in Algeria, West Texas and Colorado if the right offer comes along. Now, it is adding Ghana to the list of available assets.

These assets in Ghana are world class, Occidental said in a statement, and function economically well at low oil prices with upside potential over the long term.

Oxy has so far repaid about a third of its $39 billion of debt, not including $10 billion in preferred stock sold to Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway to fund the Anadarko acquisition. The company faces a $6.4 billion debt payment in 2021, and a $4.3 billion debt payment in 2022.

Oxy this month said it had $1 billion in cash and an additional $5 billion under its revolving line of credit as of April 30.

Oxy staked its future on the Anadarko acquisition, which made the company the largest player in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the nations most productive shale play. The megadeal represented a huge bet on oil prices rising amid the shale boom, which suddenly evaporated as the coronavirus pandemic shut down economies around the world.

The company had expected to grow by 5 percent annually after merging with Anadarko. Now its priority is pay its debt and survive the collapse in oil prices. Shares of Occidental rose 9 percent Monday to $15.07.

Oxy slashed its operating expenses by $600 million and its capital spending on new wells by $2.5 billion. The company this month began offering employees voluntary buyouts, according to an internal email obtained by the Chronicle.

But ultimately, Oxy needs to offload its assets to pay nearly $12 billion of debt due between now and 2022, said Rowland with Edward Jones. Oxy is the most leveraged company among energy majors, she added.

Oxy has been saying they dont need to firesale any assets and that theyre focused on getting good value, Rowland said. They dont have that luxury anymore. They need to get some asset sales done. If they dont get their debt paid down, theyre going to be in a tough spot.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: After being shunted out of the Koyambedu wholesale market, 15,000 semi-wholesale and retail traders have been struggling to earn their livelihood as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, the custodian of the market, is yet to provide alternative spaces to them to continue their business.

It has been more than 20 days after the talks on April 28 when retail trade was banned in the wholesale market and the livelihoods of these families, who are dependent on the market, is at stake, says S S Muthukumar, small and semi-wholesale vegetable shop owners association.

While CMDA officials have provided an alternative space to wholesale traders in Thirumazihsai, the retail and semi-wholesale traders, who were initially offered 250 open sites provided by Chennai Corporation, are yet to begin operations.

When The New Indian Express contacted officials on the delay in providing the sites to the traders, it was learnt that the traders were asked to be split into groups of 20 and move to the 250 sites.

"We fear social distancing cannot be maintained, so we had asked them to be split in groups of 20. We still fear that once they operate, crowds will surge and it will be difficult to control them," sources told Express.

Interestingly, during the talks being held with officials on April 28, the retail and semi-wholesale traders of the market suggested to move to CMBT as well as the empty space behind the market but this was struck down.

After the April 28 meeting, retail and semi-wholesale traders announced a three-day holiday, says Muthukumar. Following this, talks were on for allocation of an alternate space.

However, things took a different turn when on May 5, the wholesale market was shut down. As wholesale traders were initially reluctant to move to Thirumazihsai, the retail traders agreed to fill in. On learning about this, the wholesale traders yielded and agreed to move to Tirumazhisai leaving the small traders in the lurch.

"We have been giving petitions in this regard after that. Till now, no sites have been allotted," says Muthukumar. But officials claim that retail and semi-wholesale traders want all the 500 shops to function in one place which poses problems in maintaining social distancing. However, Muthukumar denies it.

It is learnt that the association has submitted a petition to the CMDA member secretary seeking four new places for starting trade. These include Manjambakkam Truck parking yard, vacant land in Anna Nagar West, Ambedkar velayattu thidal in Mogappair and 20 acres of land behind Joyalukkas in T Nagar.

Muthukumar laments that even the flower traders have been given a vacant space at Vembuliamman Kovil but they have yet to be alloted space. It is learnt that a meeting is now going on between CMDA officials and the traders association on offering alternative sites.
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Finnair will start operating flights between Helsinki and Delhi from August, the airline said on Monday.

However, the Indian government is yet to take a decision on lifting the suspension on scheduled commercial passenger flights which was imposed in the wake of a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The lockdown, which was imposed on March 25, entered its fourth phase on Monday.

"Finnair's long-haul operations will commence in phases from July, with strong focus on Asia, which is strategically important for Finnair," the airline said in a release.

In August, Finnair will start flights to Delhi and to New York, and in November to Tokyo Haneda airport, it said.

The announcement by the Fiinish airline comes days after German airline group Lufthansa said on May 14 that it is planning to resume flights to India from June.

Finnair Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orvr said,We expect aviation to recover gradually, starting in July.

Our intention is to operate approximately 30 per cent of our normal amount of flights in July, and we will also start long-haul flights to our key Asian destinations. We will then add routes and frequencies month by month as demand recovers, Orver added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Chinese vendor sells shrimp and prawns at a wet market in Beijing on July 19, 2007. (Teh Eng Koon/Getty Images)

Chinas Commerce Leader Admits Wet Markets Not Up to Standard

Australia's trade minister says China's commerce leader has not returned his calls

The Chinese leader in charge of commerce, Zhong Shan, has conceded that wet markets in China may not be up to standard, meanwhile, the Australian Trade Ministers attempts to speak with Zhong go unanswered.

At a press conference in Beijing on May 18, Zhong admitted: In communities, there are wet markets of varying sizes and patchy quality, overall the standards are not very high.

He said they would push for their standardisation with an improved environment and improved quality.

When Zhong was questioned on his communications with Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, he said, We are communicating with each other.

Birmingham told ABC Insider on May 17, he had made a request to his Chinese counterpart to discuss issues around the proposed barley tariff and the ban on meat imports, however, he was yet to receive a reply.

That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage, he said.

The call ought to be returned, he said.

The Australian government has stayed firm in its belief that it has no case to answer regarding the Chinese regimes proposed economic actions. However, it will still seek to resolve the disputes via the World Trade Organisation.

The Chinese leaders comments come as pressure builds from within the World Health Organisation (WHO) as over 110 nations supported a motion on May 18 for an investigation into the origins of the virus outbreak.

The motion reportedly calls on the WHOs director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus to initiate at the earliest possible moment an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the pandemic, as well as the WHOs actions.

Senator Simon Birmingham, Canberra, Australia, May 14, 2020. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Birmingham told 2GB radio on May 18, the United States would ultimately support the motion as well.

What were seeing is many countries signing up to co-sponsor the initiative, said Birmingham.

We have been clear all along from an Australian perspective, he said. This isnt about ascribing blame or anything else of that sort.

Its purely about whats happened, how it has been handled around the world including through entities like the World Health Organisation so that we learn those lessons and are much better prepared for the future.
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New Jersey cops were cheered by a crowd of more than 200 anti-lockdown protesters outside a gym when they told the owners they didn't have to close down.

Atilis Gym's Bellmawr branch opened its doors in front of a swarm of demonstrators on Monday at 8am in violation of the Garden State's stay-at-home orders because owner Ian Smith was 'sick and tired' of having his rights 'trampled' by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.

Cops then made their way through the people holding American flags and Trump 2020 signs and chanting 'Let's get back to work' and told staff they wouldn't have to shut down, even though they were breaking the executive order requiring all non-essential businesses to stay closed.

'We are and only were here for everybody's safety today. We planned for the worst and hoped for the best, and it seems like that's what we have out here today,' an officer said around 10.30am to the crowd and people inside the gym. 'Formally, you are all in violation of the executive order. On that note, have a good day. Everybody be safe.'

People gathered at Atilis Gym after it reopened for business despite a state order that shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus on Monday

Protesters chanted 'Let's get back to work' and held placards opposing the lockdown in New Jersey on Monday morning

Locals held signs protesting that they had the right to work, worship, to free speech and to 'be free' as they fought for the gym to reopen

Many of the people who gathered in New Jersey, the second worst affected state, wore clothing and held signs in support of Trump's re-election

A cop told the owners and the crowd: 'Formally, you are all in violation of the executive order. On that note, have a good day. Everybody be safe'

Some protesters wore protective face masks, others did not. Police were on the scene overseeing the protests but it didn't appear anyone had been fined for defying social distancing rules.

In Camden County, anyone who goes to a business that is open in violation of an executive order could face a disorderly persons offense. The individual could be fined up to $1,000 for each offense and spend up to six months in jail.

Last week Governor Murphy said he was aware of the gym and said: 'They're out of compliance and that's not going to be tolerated.'

Murphy reported Sunday that there had been 272 deaths from COVID-19 in Camden County where the gym is. There are 5,455 cases in the county.

New Jersey is the second worst affected state, with 146,504 cases and 10,363 deaths.

Gym owner Smith and his business partner Frank Trombetti  whose mother is ill with coronavirus  said they are not denying the pandemic is dangerous but they are thinking of what's best for the state.

'We truly believe that if we don't do this in the end, we will have zero rights and no say in what happens,' Trombetti said as he asked people to gather in the parking lot to show support.

Cops allowed protesters to remain gathered outside the gym after it reopened to fitness enthusiasts. Some stand next to a 'respect law enforcement sign'

One woman (left) is seen waving a flag with President Donald Trump's image on top of a cannon and a bald eagle

A woman and child hold up the flag as they stood near the gym on Monday morning where protesters had gathered

Some people who showed support in the parking lock protected themselves with face masks featuring Trump's name on

Members were asked to line up in an orderly manner on Monday as the gym was open on a first-come-first serve basis

Atilis Gym co-owners Frank Trumbetti, right, and Ian Smith, both wearing masks, hug and celebrate after police notified the crowd that they will not enforce a state order on Monday

Co-owners Ian Smith and Frank Trombetti previously said they believe that if Walmart can be open, their fitness center should be too. Trombetti's mother is currently sick with COVID-19

No gloves: The owners are seen celebrating with a fist bump and an open hand shake after they were allowed to continue

He previously said that he is getting around the order because the gym is a private members facility and not open to the general public, which lockdown measures forbid.

Smith has vowed to operate at only 20 percent capacity and in a set of instructions shared on social media the gym has asked people to keep masks on at all times except when they're in the middle of a set.

They'll have hand sanitizer at the door and around the gym and they'll ask members to complete a medical questionnaire as well as have their temperature checked.

Anyone who doesn't comply will be asked to leave.

The also shared cleaning initiatives, including the use of an electrostatic spray set to clean equipment.

For now they're operating on a first-come-first-serve basis while they work on scheduling.

Police had earlier blocked off the road outside the gym as locals got ready to have their say about the coronavirus social distancing measures

It was estimated that more than 200 people were outside in the parking lot. Some wore protective face masks, others didn't

They'll have hand sanitizer at the door and around the gym and they'll ask members to complete a medical questionnaire as well as have their temperature checked. Anyone who doesn't comply will be asked to leave

'Our actions on Monday are going to be grounded in the ideals of civil disobedience,' Smith previously told Fox News' Tucker Carlson.

'What we intend to showcase is that we reject the premise of essential versus nonessential businesses. Anything that Walmart can do with hundreds, if not thousands, of people passing through the stores every day ... a small business, whether it be a restaurant, a gym, a hair salon, or anything else, can replicate those things ... and we plan to do that.'

Atilis also has branches in Wildwood, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Avalon and Egg Harbor Township (EHT) and Smith's business partners were also looking ahead to how they could reopen when there were no end date to the lockdowns in sight.

Last Thursday one gym owner said he'd received a call from the chief of staff for the governor and said they'd arranged to discuss Gyms and Fitness Mentors on Monday afternoon.

A group of owners said they would wait for the meeting with the governor before deciding their best move.
- Gareth Bale could finally leave Real Madrid this summer

- The Welshman has been linked with a move to join Premier League side Newcastle United

- Los Blancos have identified Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman as a quality replacement for the former Spurs star

- Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Real Madrid have reportedly planning to make a move for Kingsley Coman once they offload Gareth Bale out of the club this summer.

Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane has long declared the Welshman surplus to requirement at the Santiago Bernabeu.

They were inches close to selling the former Tottenham star to China in a deal around 1 million-a-week, but the club's president Florentino Perez pulled the plug on the move.

READ ALSO: Lionel Messi: Barcelona forward makes 500,000 donation for coronavirus fight in Argentina

Bale currently earned 600,000-a-week at Real and the Spanish League giants are looking for ways to reduce their annual wage bills, hence, the need for the winger to leave soon.

And the former Spurs man has been linked with a return to the Premier League side Newcastle United but this can only happen when the takeover is done in the summer.

Daily Star, however, reports that the Galacticos are identified Frenchman Coman as the ideal replacement for Bale at the Bernabeu.

The 23-year-old winger whose deal with Bayern expires in the summer of 2023 is said to have also attracted interests from Barcelona and Manchester City.

He has scored five goals and five assists in 24 appearances for the Bavarians across competitions this campaign having joined them from Juventus in 2017 for a fee around 21 million.

READ ALSO: Asamoah Gyan pays for the construction of major road in Accra

Coman spent his initial two seasons on loan at the Allianz Arena before making the deal permanent and has gone ahead to win four Bundesliga titles among others.

The winger also won league titles in France with PSG and Italy before joining the German League heavyweights.

YEN earlier reported that Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale may be returning to the Premier League this summer with Newcastle United showing interests in the Welshman.

The 30-year-old winger is definitely not wanted by Los Blancos boss who already declared him surplus to requirement in his squad.

He was close to moving to China in a mega-deal last August but the club's president Florentino Perez pulled the plug on the deal.

Exclusive interview with Date Rush contestant, Ignatius Baidoo | #Yencomgh

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: YEN.com.gh
A local company is set to help business and daily life get going again in Ireland, offering temperature-scanning technology on a large scale.

MW Hire Group, headquartered in Urlingford, is well known for its range of equipment including generators, pumps, and construction essentials. But its a new device, a skin temperature-screening unit which is being assembled, that may prove critical as the country returns to work.

Owner of MW Hire Group Matty Walsh says there are already a good number ready to go, with more on the way.

Under new guidelines, temperature scanning could become the new normal here when entering the workplace and many other venues.

Matty realised that many places were going to be crying out for this kind of equipment in the coming months, but says nowhere else in Ireland seems to be providing it at present.

He had been watching a German news station when the topic of temperature scanning came up. He then spoke to a friend involved in the construction industry in a different country, who reckoned he might have to acquire such a device.

I looked it up, and said these are going to be mandatory, he says.

With countries that had (cases of the virus) weeks before us  temperature screening is in them now. I looked here and theres nothing, none.

It takes only one second. The device does not require stopping or even looking at a monitor, and is non-contact to avoid physical interaction. The units have been constructed with one door so that when the person exits, another can enter, allowing for speedy movement as well as social distance.

If a high temperature is detected, the machine will beep. Whats essential is that a safety officer or designated person is on hand to call the individual to one side, calm them down if needs be, and administer another temperature check for certainty, then advise them.

The units can be rented, but the apparatus can go in anywhere  as long as there is a designated room with a controllable ambient temperature. The units have corridor system to allow people to quickly move through whilst observing social distancing.

This is not reinventing the wheel. The basics of it are straightforward, says Matty.

Its the technology is the key, the rest of it is simple. But the actual screening process itself is going to be critical. Its going to be here a lot longer than we all think, Id say.

Elsewhere, the concept of new apps and other health check processes has raised concerns over personal data. Mr Walsh says one of the big selling points of this for 99% of companies is that it does not affect GDPR: It is not a recording device  it is solely checking your temperature, period, he says.

Local councillor Michael McCarthy and Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Peter Chap Cleere have hailed the production of the units as an example of a local company being innovative during a challenging time.

Its phenomenal. Its great to see a North Kilkenny company fighting back and being creative, and adapting to the Covid-19 crisis, said Cllr Cleere.


Surat Diamond Bourse Image credit: SDB



The Indian Gem & Jewellery industry has weathered many a storm in the past, but nothing close to the current COVID19 crisis. This is unprecedented, and to gauge the volatility in the industry is beyond imagination leave alone comprehend the scenario. COVID-19, which took a pandemic shape this March, has completely stalled the Indian gem and jewellery trade. GJEPC vice-chairman Colin Shah opines: This industry has come out of every crisis more resilient and this time it would take longer to find the new normal, which could be about 20% below the pre-corona level in value terms.

When the Coronavirus pandemic was announced much after the disease originated in Wuhan in China, the impact had already begun to show. Demand slowed down from consuming centres, leaving diamantaires staring at huge inventories and low revenues. India has a monopoly in cutting and polishing diamonds, with 14 out of every 15 diamonds in the world being processed here. But, the countrys diamond polishing industry is set to plunge in fiscal 2021 to a low of $13-15 billion, compared with the $24 billion in fiscal 2019, and an estimated $19 billion in fiscal 2020.

The shift in the epicentre of Covid-19 pandemic to the US and the European Union (EU) from China also added to the woes of the diamond industry as both together account for over 45% of Indias polished diamond exports.

Indias polished exports to the two geographies declined by about 41% in February y-o-y. And, it has plunged further since then, especially with the nationwide lockdown which began mid-March. In addition, demand from Hong Kong and China, which accounted for about 45% of the exports, also declined 79% in February and even further since then. As inventory levels increased 15-20% over the March quarter, prices fell by an average 7% across various cuts of polished diamonds in March 2020 as the pandemic hit all major global markets, which resulted in inventory losses. Meanwhile, since March, payments from across geographies have reduced to about 25-30% of the actual monthly dues, putting financial stress on the manufacturing companies.

Of late, the Indian diamond processors have been urged by trade organizations to curtail the import of rough stones for one month from May 15 to June 15, hoping that the move will help the industry clear inventory and ease the working capital situation. This is expected to help processors manage the current lockdown-induced crisis and banking sectors reluctance to finance the sector.

In a meeting with industry members, trade organizations like The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) and other trade organizations too indicated that a curtailment of rough imports will help the industry face the challenges arising out of the drop in demand in the global gems and jewellery market. And also, indicated that the move will send a signal to the banking system, reassuring bankers and prompting them not to reduce credit exposure to the industry.

But, will one-month stoppage of rough imports help, given that the industry is now already overstocked with rough stones? Dilip Mehta, Partner-Star Rays, who is confident that curtailing of rough imports will help the industry said: A temporary suspension on the import will surely help bring some sort of balance between supply and demand. If we continue to manufacture at pre-COVID levels then it may lead to flooding of the market putting pressure on the prices.

As expected, many industry leaders are pro-suspension of rough imports by the industry for at least a few months so as to return to normalcy. Former Chairman of GJEPC, Sanjay Kothari, who is currently the Chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) & Director of Diatrends Jewellery Pvt Ltd said: We are into jewellery, so when the effect for sure would be there across the world, we cant be an exception. Regarding rough imports yes, it needs to be stopped for a few months to have proper cash flow, and prices of polish goods dont fall drastically.

As rough diamonds worth over $1 bln are imported every month on an average, a month's restraint will allow processing units to lower inventories and tide over the current situation at least partially. Most MSMEs are under severe financial stress currently. In fact, they are not in a position to restart even if allowed. This has resulted in another major issue of rendering lakhs of employees jobless, who are now rebelling to return to their homes creating law and order problems in the cutting centres.

While setting up Rs 50 cr COVID-19 Relief Fund, Pramod Agrawal, Chairman, GJEPC, said that the economic situation of the gem and jewellery industry has taken a severe beating but the most affected are the daily wage workers. He added: The industry employs over five million workforces and in such distress times, it becomes important for us to take adequate care of our employees.

Indian diamond industry members expect the rough import curtailing to also give a signal to bankers that the trade would not increase its indebtedness, and make bankers confident to continue supporting the sector. The sector had around $9.5 billion of bank debt at the beginning of the current financial year started on April 1.

The move to suspend the import of rough diamonds for a month will basically cause fewer roughs to enter the diamond pipeline and the producer companies will thus face lesser strain on their finances. That will help in the faster restoration of normalcy in an otherwise healthy business when the pandemic comes under control.

Dilip Mehta, Partner- Star Rays said: Considering the fact that there is a lot of inventory in the pipeline which can easily last for next few months, manufacturing is not the most urgent thing. Looking at the current situation its very difficult to say when the manufacturing can start. Once the required permission is received from the government we can start at the earliest. We have been able to cater to our global clients requirement through our online inventory and overseas offices.

Recently, on being granted permission from the authorities, a few gem and jewellery manufacturing units in the Surat SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and in the Jaipur SEZs and Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) resumed limited production from April 27, observing all safeguards and other prescribed norms.

Similarly, in Surat, eight units had started their operations in Surat SEZ, and the first 10 shipments have been exported from Surat Hira Bourse on April 29 with the Surat-Mumbai transhipment being done by flight. Starting April 29, polished diamonds exports of around $90 mln resumed from Surat to Hong Kong, which is minuscule compared to the inventory of more than $2.3 bln that Surat is sitting on currently. However, the diamond industry in Surat has heaved a sigh of relief with the resumption of exports, though in a small quantity.

As Mumbai, as well as the whole of Maharashtra State, is in under strict lockdown, The GJEPC, in collaboration with SEEPZ Gem & Jewellery Manufacturers Association is actively following up with concerned government departments to enable units in the SEZ in Mumbai commence operations and exports from SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone) under the mandated guidelines of MHA and Govt of Maharashtra. The manufacturers now await permission from the authorities to restart their businesses. It is estimated that around 30 per cent of India's annual exports are still waiting to be executed.

Many industry leaders are of the opinion that if the sector could manage to stop rough imports for the next three months, the situation should come under control, and they also expect demand to be restored by 2021. As of now, after urging the importers to stop rough imports for 1 month (from May 15 to June 15), the trade bodies have decided to review the situation and consider a further course of action in the second week of June.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished




As per media reports, the team tested a combination of the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin and the antibiotic Doxycycline on a group of 60 COVID-19 patients.

A team of doctors in Bangladesh have reportedly claimed that a combination of two common drugs has shown astounding results in the treatment of patients with acute symptoms of coronavirus infection.

As per media reports, the team tested a combination of the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin and the antibiotic Doxycycline on a group of 60 COVID-19 patients, all of whom were cured within four days of treatment with the combo. The patients had reported breathing problems and other symptoms of the coronavirus disease and were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive.

None of the patients showed any side effects and all of them tested negative for the virus in the repeated or the second test.

The team is now preparing to publish their research in an international journal to make it available to health experts across the world.

Ivermectin

Ivermectin is an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug used for the treatment of head lice, scabies, ascariasis, etc. Earlier in March, a study published by the Monash University, Australia, suggested that the drug has strong anti-viral activity against COVID-19. In lab studies, a single treatment reduced the presence of virus by 5,000 fold within 48 hours.

As per the FDA, ivermectin doesnt have any contraindications apart from an allergy to its components. However, the FDA has warned that this drug has not yet been approved for the treatment of COVID-19 and hence should not be taken to prevent or treat the coronavirus infection unless your doctor tells you so.

Doxycycline

Doxycycline is an antibiotic (a type of tetracycline) that is used to treat bacterial infections like acne, UTIs and infections of the eyes and respiratory tract.

Given previous research, it is believed that tetracyclines could prove to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19. From what we know of coronaviruses, they tend to rely heavily on host matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) for infiltrating into the host cells, replication and survival. Zinc is usually a part of the host MMPs. Tetracyclines like doxycycline are highly lipophilic (lipid-loving) antibiotics that are known to bind with zinc compounds on MMPs.

Matrix metalloproteinases are a family of enzymes that, during an inflammatory response, break down the basement membrane around the blood vessel walls to allow white blood cells to enter.

According to the FDA, doxycycline is unsafe for pregnant women and is generally not given to young children (under the age of 8). It is contraindicated in people who are allergic to any of the components of the drug. This drug can cause photosensitivity and cause sunburns so it's best to stay out of the sun while youre on it.

For more information, read our article on COVID-19 Treatment.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
BERLIN - The leaders of Germany and France agreed Monday on a one-off 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) fund to help the European Union recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a proposal that would add further cash to an arsenal of financial measures the bloc is readying to cope with the outbreak's economic fallout.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks to French President Emmanuel Macron, connected by video, during a press conference after a joint video conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, May 18, 2020. One topic was the corona pandemic and its consequences. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

BERLIN - The leaders of Germany and France agreed Monday on a one-off 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) fund to help the European Union recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a proposal that would add further cash to an arsenal of financial measures the bloc is readying to cope with the outbreak's economic fallout.

Following a video call, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan would involve the European Union borrowing money in financial markets to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the pandemic.

Crucially, the money would be disbursed in the form of grants rather than loans, with repayments made from the EU budget, an unprecedented proposal that overcomes long-standing objections in Berlin to the notion of collective borrowing.

Because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path, Merkel told reporters following the joint announcement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, connected by video, after a joint video conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, May 18, 2020. One topic was the corona pandemic and its consequences. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Macron said the proposal was a way to make Europe move forward.

We must draw all lessons from this pandemic, he said, insisting on the need for solidarity between EU member states.

Macron acknowledged that a French-German deal alone doesnt mean an agreement from the 27. The EUs executive Commission would make its own proposal to EU member states and we hope that the French-German deal will help, he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the proposal. It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core, she said.

There has been concern in European capitals that the pandemic and the blocs initial uncoordinated response to it could boost anti-EU sentiment in member states.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint video press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Elysee Palace Monday, May 18, 2020 in Paris. France and Germany discussed Europe's economic recovery plans to respond to the virus crisis. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool)

Merkel said it was important to ensure that all EU countries could respond to the economic challenge and that requires this unusual, one-off effort that Germany and France are now prepared to take.

The goal is for Europe to emerge from the crisis stronger, she said.

National parliaments will have their say on the proposal, which is also likely to run into strong resistance from fiscal hawks in the bloc.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his country remained opposed to the idea of grants.

Our position remains unchanged, Kurz wrote on Twitter. We are ready to help most affected countries with loans. We expect the updated (EU's seven-year budget framework) to reflect the new priorities rather than raising the ceiling.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a press conference following a joint video conference with French President Macron in Berlin, Germany, Monday, May 18, 2020. One topic was the Corona Pandemic and its consequences. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Dutch Finance Ministry spokesman Jaap Oosterveer said the ministry was studying the plan and had no immediate comment.

Merkel expressed cautious optimism, however, that the agreement between Berlin and Paris would win widespread support.

I believe that if Germany and France send a signal, that's something which encourages the quest for consensus in Europe," she said.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte called the proposal a first, important step in the direction hoped for by Italy.

But Conte added in his Facebook post Monday evening: To overcome the crisis and to help businesses and families, the #RecoveryFund needs to be broadened. He described himself as confident of an ambitious proposal by @EU_Commission.

So far, EU countries engage in only limited common borrowing, for instance through the European Investment Bank and the unions bailout fund for crisis-hit governments, the European Stability Mechanism, but require eventual repayment by member states.

By using the financial clout of the whole bloc, bondholders get a high degree of certainty they will be paid back, meaning the EU can borrow on more favourable terms than individual member states, though at the price of collective liability.

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The coronavirus crisis has raised concerns that Italy, which already has a debt pile equal to 135% of its annual economic output, could come out of the recession with so much added debt that bond investors would be reluctant to continue financing its debt, which could trigger a financial crisis.

Merkel noted that combined with an earlier stimulus package of 540 billion euros based on loans and guarantees the EU member states were mustering 1 trillion euros at the EU level, and a total of 3 trillion euros when combined with the multi-year EU budget and measures agreed at the national level.

The total is equivalent to almost 20% of the EUs 2019 economic output.

Macron and Merkel agreed that spending from the recovery fund would focus on areas that would benefit most from future investment, including digitalization, the green economy and pandemic resilience in the health sector.

____

Corbet reported from Paris. Frances D'Emilio in Rome, Raf Casert in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague and David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.
Steve Jacobs recently became the face of Magic 1278 AM's family-friendly breakfast radio program.

But it seems the former Today show weatherman, 53, enjoys following Instagram accounts of a far more 'mature' nature.

A quick glance at the father-of-two's profile shows that he follows a slew of accounts featuring women posing provocatively in various stages of undress.

Forecast is hot! Ex-Today show weatherman Steve Jacobs (pictured) follows a slew of raunchy Instagram accounts featuring nude and scantily-clad women

Some accounts include photos of women posing completely nude, with their modesty strategically obscured from view.

The list of raunchy profiles followed by Steve includes: 'ButtHubNation', 'FratsBabes', 'Smokingirls' and 'WickedLegends'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Steve Jacobs for comment.

Racy: A quick glance at the father-of-two's profile shows that he follows a slew of accounts featuring women posing provocatively in various stages of undress. Pictured: an image from the ButtHubNation Instagram account, which Steve follows

Risque: The list of raunchy profiles followed by Steve includes: 'ButtHubNation', 'FratsBabes', 'Smokingirls' and 'WickedLegends'

It comes after Steve sparked rumours he was dating mother-of-two Amanda King, whom he met at his daughter's primary school.

On October 26, the pair were pictured looking flirty during a boozy picnic at Bronte Park. At one stage, Amanda even flashed her chest at Steve.

The TV host later told Daily Mail Australia that their relationship was strictly platonic.

He's a fan! Some accounts include photos of women posing completely nude, with their modesty strategically obscured from view. Pictured right: an image from the SmokinGirls Instagram account, which Steve follows

'Sorry to disappoint, but there's nothing romantic happening between the two of us,' he said. 'We're great mates.'

Steve was previously married to TV presenter Rosie Jacobs, who is the mother of his two daughters, Isabella, eight, and Francesca, six, but they separated in 2017.

They split just months after relocating to Vanuatu in what friends described at the time as a 'last-ditch attempt' to save their seven-year marriage.

Ex-wife: Steve was previously married to TV presenter Rosie Jacobs, who is the mother of his two daughters, Isabella, eight, and Francesca, six, but they separated in 2017. Pictured in 2011

'I think there were a few people who sensed something was up when they moved to Vanuatu,' a friend told Daily Mail Australia in 2018.

'The sea change was basically a last-ditch attempt to make things work, but it wasn't to be unfortunately.'

Steve famously quit the Today show in 2016 to work on his marriage, before returning to the network in 2017 as a weather presenter on Weekend Today.

He rejoined the main Today show for its 2019 relaunch, but was let go later in the year and replaced by Tim Davies.

In April, he joined Nine's radio station Magic 1278, hosting a new breakfast program focusing on music from the '70s, '80s and '90s.
Factory of Chinese smartphone company OPPO has suspended its operations after six employees were tested positive for COVID-19 today. The factory is situated in Greater Noida, some 40kms away from Delhi and the company is now awaiting test results of all 3,000 employees at the plant.

 Reuters

OPPOs factory in Noida is known for assembling smartphones for companies like OnePlus, Realme and their own branded smartphones. ...we have suspended all operations at our manufacturing facility in Greater Noida and initiated COVID testing for 3,000+ employees, for which results are awaited, an OPPO spokesperson said in a statement.

Will only allow employees with negative test results to resume office following all safety protocols, the spokesperson said. We are undertaking stringent measures to keep the employees safe and disinfecting the premises.

OPPO has said that it will only allow employees who have tested negative for the tests into their factories. The company had resumed operations last week Friday after the company got permission from the UP government to operate with only 30 per cent of employees.

 OPPO

The central government has now extended the nationwide lockdown that was first imposed on March 24th, however, states have now been given considerable relaxations. Factories have been allowed to operate, however, with only 30% of the workforce to prevent further spread of the virus.



While six workers have been tested at the OPPO factory, it is currently unknown whether the virus has spread amongst other workers as well. We can only know for sure once the test results for the remaining 3,000 workers are revealed in the coming days.
NSW public schools will return to the classroom full-time next week, two months after COVID-19 restrictions forced around 800,000 children to study remotely.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the return date of May 25 on Tuesday.

Face-to-face learning resumed across NSW last week for Year 12 students at state and independent schools, but only for an average of three to four days a week. Other student year groups were allowed to return at least once per week.

Assemblies or excursions are likely to remain banned.

'We want to make sure that face-to-face time in the classroom is what maintains and sustains learning through the pandemic,' Ms Berejiklian said.

NSW public schools will return to the classroom full-time on Monday. Pictured: NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian greets students during a visit to Prestons Public School in Sydney in January

'But I do say it will be common for schools to be shut down temporarily, for a specific area to be on high alert, for a particular school to take extra measures if there's a community breakout in that community with cases, and we just have to accept that.'

NSW recorded two new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday from some 5,300 tests, with five people currently in intensive care.

The State Government has warned parents who don't send their kids to school could be in trouble with breaking the law.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said unexpected absences would be followed up.

'We expect students to attend,' she said.

In a statement, Ms Mitchell said she is eager for students to return to school full-time.

'My priority is the education of our children. We know that parents across NSW share our desire for students to be back in school, and that is our expectation,' she said.

'Schools will need to maintain the measures and precautions they have put in place for the foreseeable future, including no assemblies and excursions.

Students were forced to study remotely for two months due to coronavirus

'Teachers will be focused on identifying where their students are at in their education and we will be supporting them to recognise and assist those students who need additional help.'

It comes as Transport Minister Andrew Constance warned of indefinite Sydney traffic chaos as social distancing measures force people returning to on-site employment off public transport.

Ms Berejiklian said peak-hour bus and train services were already at capacity - with just 12 passengers per bus and 32 per train carriage permitted.

Ms Berejiklian and Mr Constance on Monday said workers would for the foreseeable future need to shift their schedules to off-peak bus and train transport, take alternative ferry and light rail routes or drive, drop off, cycle or walk.

Mr Constance said some 87 million vehicle movements were recorded around the state on Friday as people continued to work from home - down from an average 105 million.

The maximum number of daily public transport trips permitted amid social distancing guidelines, meanwhile, would be 600,000 per day - down from 2.2 million.

Ms Berejiklian said public transport commuters should try to travel between 10am and 2pm in order to save peak-hour space for essential workers and construction workers.

Socially-distanced seating on public transport would be marked out in 'green dots' in what Mr Constance characterised as a 'nudge' to keep people 1.5 metres apart.
Pro-democracy legislators carried out of assembly as pro-Beijing legislators attempt to seize control of key committee.

Scuffles broke out between pro-democracy and pro-government legislators in Hong Kong over the leadership of a key committee which could pave the way for a debate on a controversial China national anthem bill.

In chaotic scenes on Monday, pro-democracy legislators charged at security guards surrounding pro-establishment legislator Chan Kin-por, who had taken the chairmans seat in the meeting against procedural objections by the opposition.

One video posted on social media showed Democratic Party Chairman Wu Chi-wai being grappled by the chambers security personnel, while another showed legislative member Ted Hui being physically carried by at least seven masked personnel out of the hall.

Its an illegal meeting. I hope you can leave immediately, Hui shouted at Chan.

As the scuffle erupted, Claudia Mo, another independent member of the council, was seen holding up a sign which read, CCP tramples HK Legislature, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

Breaking: Absolute mayhem here in #Legco as half a dozen guards manhandle #HongKong Democratic lawmaker Ted Hui and haul him out of the chamber. Its become a fierce rugby game with the democrats trying to break through their rivals for a try, to reassert chairmanship of the cmte pic.twitter.com/QyML5Q7Wbc  James Pomfret (@jamespomfret) May 18, 2020

Beijing has accused the former British colonys pro-democracy legislators of malicious filibustering to prevent some proposed bills from going to a final vote, effectively paralysing the legislature.

It was the second time in 10 days that legislators have had physical altercations over the procedures of electing a chairperson.

Last May, scuffles broke out in the legislature over the proposed extradition law which sparked mass protests, forcing the government to scrap it.

Even as the protests continued, Chan called a vote for a chairman of the committee that was won by pro-Beijing legislator Starry Lee.

They can take away the rules of procedures today, but I am sure the Hong Kong people wont forget today, said Democratic legislator Dennis Kwok.





The house committees role is to scrutinise bills before a second reading in the legislative council. It is facing a backlog of bills after failing to elect a chair since late last year.

The backlog includes one bill that would criminalise alleged abuse of Chinas national anthem, which is expected to be given a second reading on May 27 despite the procedural chaos.

Protesters have been calling on social media for city-wide demonstrations on that day.

Political virus

Physical distancing measures imposed as a result of the pandemic helped slow anti-government rallies that had become increasingly violent as 2019 wore on, but protesters have begun to re-emerge in recent weeks.

The arrest of 15 activists in April, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior lawyers, thrust the protest movement back into the spotlight and drew condemnation from the United States as well international rights groups.

The trial of the accused opposition leaders and activists is scheduled to begin later on Monday.





Chinas Hong Kong affairs office warned this month that the city would never be calm unless all black-clad violent protesters were removed, describing them as a political virus that seeks independence from Beijing.

Beijing blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest and says protesters are undermining the rule of law in Hong Kong.

The legislative council has become a battleground between the pro-China and pro-democracy factions of the city, which is supposed to enjoy freedoms not seen elsewhere in China under the one country, two systems framework that was agreed when the former British colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Tensions have escalated over what residents perceive as Chinas efforts to curb those freedoms.
When Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was asked why, after a year and a half, the Department of Education chose to release an upheaval of Title IX during a global pandemic, her response, just last week was: The reality is, civil rights really cant wait.

As student survivors and advocates, we know that she isnt thinking about ours.

DeVos upending of Title IX  the 1972 civil rights law requiring equal access to education regardless of sex  came in the form of a 2,033-page rule completely restructuring the way schools must respond to the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses under Title IX.

The law protects, among other forms of sex-based discrimination, the freedom from sexual violence and harassment in schools. Yet, when we look at these new regulations and the way they were rolled out, genuine protection from sexual violence and harassment is, at best, an afterthought.

When DeVos announced a plan addressing sexual violence on campuses, she declared that one rape is one too many, but also that one person denied due process is one too many. While her words focus on ensuring fairness between accused students and survivors, her actions for the past two years have revealed to us, as survivors and advocates, that shes determined to silence our voices and impede our access to justice.

Despite thousands of students and advocates speaking out against the timing of the regulations, DeVos continued to say that now, in the middle of one of the greatest global health crises in history, is actually an ideal time for campus administrators to begin implementing this when students are not on college campuses. This proves what we have feared since DeVos came into office  these new regulations are meant to exclude us.

Students and community members are grappling with new financial, familial, and educational realities. Most students are also balancing year-end finals. Schools must completely change their Title IX policies by Aug. 14  long before we will return to campus. Its hard to envision a scenario that would make it more difficult for us to have our voices heard. In fact, our own Stanford administration even told us that, given the constraints of this timing, our feedback cant be guaranteed to influence the policy rewrite that happens before the August deadline.

Why, then, does DeVos believe that this is an ideal time for implementation? Because students cant voice our anger as strongly when we are limited to online communication and are separated by state, or even national, borders.

Though DeVoss rhetoric has centered on due process, many of her new changes do not alter a schools adjudicatory process  rather, they restrict many survivors abilities to use it. Among the new rules are numerous provisions designed to weaken school accountability, decrease the likelihood that offenders face punishment, and repeatedly discredit survivors.

For one, schools are no longer responsible for conduct that occurs off-campus or outside of their programs. Yet this doesnt reflect student life and campus culture  assaults, harassment, and domestic violence happen at bars, off-campus residences, and unsanctioned Greek housing. But regardless of where this sexual violence happens, it has impacts on campus.

As survivors, we cant simply flip a switch and forget about our assault. We still have to go to classes, the library, the dining hall  and deal with the possibility of running into our assailant. The Obama-era regulations acknowledged this reality. If you had been assaulted at a bar, but still had to face the possibility of interacting with the perpetrator, the former regulations still gave you access to justice. The perpetrator could be removed from your class, your dorm, or even the school. Weve seen firsthand this system increase many survivors abilities to continue their education.

Under the new regulations, survivors of off-campus sexual violence have no way to access this justice. If Betsy DeVos thinks that one rape is too many, then why is she discounting off-campus sexual violence? Trauma doesnt disappear simply because the Title IX regulations have drawn artificial boundaries across student life.

The narrowing of schools responsibilities is especially troubling in light of COVID-19. Most starkly, under the new regulations, schools face vague and open-ended guidance on addressing online harassment. Most students are off-campus for the indefinite future. If schools dont have to address common forms of online and off-campus sexual violence, where are the civil rights protections DeVos is so adamant about immediately guaranteeing?

We are student survivors and advocates. We have participated in every step of the Title IX rulemaking process, trying to make our voices and needs heard. We have been repeatedly dismissed, demeaned and ignored. Though DeVos claims to value students equally, whether they are accusing or accused, she has proven her dishonesty from the beginning of the rulemaking process to the final rules.

Betsy DeVos  stop pretending you care about us equally. We see through your lies.

Krithika Iyer, Julia Paris and Maia Brockbank are juniors at Stanford University.
State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs after briefing House and Senate Intelligence committees at the US Capitol in Washington on Oct. 2, 2019. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Fired Watchdog Was Looking Into US Arm Sales to Saudi Arabia: Democrats

Democrats on Monday said the ousted State Department inspector general was probing arm sales to Saudi Arabia.

Ive learned there may be another reason for IG Linicks firing. His office was investigatingat my requestTrumps phony emergency declaration so he could send Saudi Arabia weapons, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

I am deeply concerned that my understanding is that the Inspector General may very well have been on the verge of completing an investigation into emergency justifications for arm sales to Saudi Arabia, House Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said during an appearance on MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell Reports.

Engel said lawmakers dont have the full picture yet but called it troubling that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wanted Linick ousted.

President Donald Trump last week fired Steve Linick, the watchdog, telling House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) he lacked the fullest confidence in Linick.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) arrives to hear testimony in Washington on Oct.17, 2019. (Erin Scott/Reuters)

A White House official said Pompeo recommended that Linick be fired and Trump agreed.

A bipartisan challenge to the firing, which doesnt take effect until next month, has come forth since it was announced. Several Republicans, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), are asking for more detailed justification for the move.

And some Democrats are alleging a link between a probe Linick undertook of a $7 billion Saudi arms sale.

Engel had called for that probe after Pompeo in May 2019 invoked a rarely used provision in federal law to bypass a congressional review of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Engel and other congressional Democrats were appalled when Pompeo last year notified Congress of the decision to use an emergency loophole in the Arms Export Control Act to move ahead with the sales in precision guided munitions, other bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support to Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, without lawmakers approval.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a press briefing at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 7, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

In a letter to Linick, some 26 members of Congress urged him to review the matter, saying there were dubious grounds for invoking the emergency.

The law requires Congress to be notified of potential arms sales, giving the body the opportunity to block the sale. But the law also allows the president to waive that review process by declaring an emergency that requires the sale be made in the national security interests of the United States.

In his notification, Pompeo said he had made the determination that an emergency exists which requires the immediate sale of the weapons in order to deter further the malign influence of the government of Iran throughout the Middle East region. He said the transfers must occur as quickly as possible in order to deter further Iranian adventurism in the Gulf and throughout the Middle East.

There was precedent for using the emergency exemption for arms sales to Saudi Arabia. President Ronald Reagan invoked it in the 1980s, and both Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush used it for sales before the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.

Democrats have called for the State Department to turn over any records related to the firing of Linick.

The White House and the State Department didnt respond to requests for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Is the long-delayed Bharti Infratel-Indus Towers merger finally nearing completion? There are hints that a new approach could resolve what is now a two-year-old issue.

Indian press reports are now suggesting that the proposed merger of Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers is likely to be completed after all sides recently agreed that a change to the deal would be acceptable.

The original plan involved Bharti Infratel acquiring Vodafone Ideas entire 11.15 percent stake in Indus Towers for about $594 million. Now, it appears, the main shareholders, Bharti Group and Vodafone, are going for a share-swap arrangement.This means Vodafone Idea and Providence Equity Partners, an investor in Indus Towers, will be issued fresh shares in the merged entity  assuming, of course, that everything now goes ahead smoothly. The merger was first announced over two years ago. Next, the shareholders need to get final approval of the merger from the National Company Law Tribunal in Chandigarh.

The other important point relating to this agreement is that Vodafone Idea had been hoping that the tower merger deal would go through soon in order to raise a large sum from the sale of its stake in the combined entity. This in turn could be used to pay a portion of its AGR dues, which, in total, come to some $7.5 billion. Its not clear whether the new arrangement will allow Vodafone idea to access this sum or, if it does, how quickly.
What happened

On Friday, Brazil's state development bank said that the massive South American country's top three air carriers accepted an aid package worth 4 billion reais ($683 million) in total. There is some confusion about this: Subsequent to the announcement, all three denied they had given their assent.

Regardless, as negotiations on the matter were dragging for weeks, news of its possible closing came as a big relief to investors. The no. 3 out of that trio, budget carrier Azul (NYSE:AZUL), saw its shares climb by almost 33% higher on Monday.

So what

The parties might be at odds over bailout amounts and conditions, but what's indisputable is that the industry badly needs the help.

Even after reducing its planned capacity by 87% when the coronavirus outbreak started to hit, Azul saw serious drops in its April metrics. Revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) dived by 90% year over year, while load factor (essentially the occupancy of its planes) dropped to 68.8%; in April 2019 this was 84.4%.

The coronavirus stalled Azul's operations. In its Q1, it actually managed to grow its revenue from the same period a year ago, although it flipped to a net loss largely due to its considerable investment in peer carrier TAP Air Portugal.

Now what

Any bailout money will strengthen Azul's defenses against the economic damage caused by the coronavirus. The company has furloughed workers and cut many other expenses, but like every airline, it's still vulnerable because of the near-shutdown of its industry.
Representative Image (Image: BMC)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in an update in guidelines for testing of COVID-19, said all symptomatic influenza-like illnesses among returnees and migrants within seven days should be tested for the virus.

All hospitalised patients who develop ILI symptoms should also be tested, apart from asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case, which shall be tested between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact.

Apart from healthcare workers, all frontline workers "involved in containment and mitigation of COVID-19" should also be tested, the ICMR has said.

Apart from these, ICMR has also said no emergency procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of testing. A sample can, however, be sent for testing if the patient develops any of the symptoms. All hospitalised patients who develop influenza-like symptoms shall also be tested for the virus, according to the guidelines.

An ILI case is defined as one with acute respiratory infection with fever more than 38C and cough while a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) is defined as one that has all those symptoms and requires hospitalisation.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

"All testing in the above categories is recommended by real time RT-PCR test only," ICMR has said.
The product contains allergens that are not declared on the label

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA) is recalling one lot of Howling Cow Butter Almond Ice Cream Pints.

The product contains soy and wheat, allergens that are not declared on the label.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled, with UPC 0 74336 65079 6, are stamped with a sell-by date of September 15, 2022, on the bottom of the container. They were sold in Harris Teeter stores in North Carolina and South Carolina beginning Septembe...
Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images

From Cosmopolitan

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly had an agenda to be roving royals.

The couple told friends early in their courtship they didnt plan to stay in one place.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are currently living in Los Angeles after stepping down from senior royal duties, which isnt just a huge deal due to the drama of it all. Its downright historic. Meghan and Harrys decision to split from the royal establishment and forge their own path (with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth, FYI!) is unprecedented, but royal reporter Katie Nicholl says it was always part of their plan.



The speed at which the Sussexes have turned their lives around has surprised everybody, Nicholl told Australian outlet 9Honey. I don't think its a huge surprise they moved overseasthat was inevitable. I think the speed at which its happened has surprised people.

She continued, They had an agenda from the outset to be international royals, and They didnt want to just be stuck in one place. Part of their vision is to be making a difference on the world stage and that entails being international.

Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images

Apparently, the Duke and Duchess told a friend they didnt want to live in one placeand considering theyve posted up in the UK, Canada, and L.A. over the past year, it looks like things are going according to plan.

I was told from a very early stage in their courtship, they had told a friend of Harrys that Meghan met quite early on that they wanted to be international roving royals and that was going to be their focus, Nicholl explained. So I think this idea that they were going to move away and work overseas was always on the cards but as I say, the speed at which its happened has definitely been surprising...Theyve broken away from the royal family. Theyve moved home twicefirst to Canada then to California and all of this before Archie actually turned 1.

Unclear if Meghan and Harry will make Los Angeles their permanent home, but theyre obviously passionate about helping people on a global level, so dont be surprised if they make moves again sometime in the near future.

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Maharashtra recorded 2,005 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases on Monday, the second consecutive day the state reported over 2,000 fresh infections, taking the total cases to 35,058, even as Mumbai averaged close to 1,000 daily cases over the past week, according to official data.

Fifty-one more deaths across the state took the toll in the state to 1,249, according to the states health bulletin. The tally of 2,005 new Covid-19 cases is the second highest single-day count after 2,347 infections recorded on May 17.

The total cases in Maharashtra crossed the 35,000 mark 18 days after the infections surpassed 10,000. Of the total cases, 25,392 were active infections, a health official said.

Mumbai, the worst hit city in the country, recorded its second-highest daily spike with 1185 cases. It also crossed the 21,000 mark and the case count in the financial hub now stands at 21,335. On Sunday, the city recorded 1,595 cases.

Of the 51 fresh deaths, 23 were reported from Mumbai, eight each from Navi Mumbai and Pune, three from Jalgaon, two each from Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Nagpur, one each from Bhiwandi and Palghar. One person from Bihar also died of Covid-19 on Monday in the state, the official added.

Pune, another Covid-19 hot spot, has so far reported 3,707 cases and 196 deaths, an official said, adding that the entire Pune division has reported a total of 4,640 cases and 232 deaths.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Monday sought to understand the Kerala model of fighting the outbreak and underlined the challenge of ensuring social distancing in congested places such as Dharavi, believed to be Asias biggest slum.

Kerala health minister KK Shailaja tweeted: Tope was eager to understand our standard operating protocol, guidelines, treatment and testing methods that Kerala has successfully implemented to fight Covid-19.

Sharing details of the interaction along with a couple of photographs, Tope said he interacted with Shailaja and tried to find out additional measures to be undertaken for curbing the outbreak in the state.
Those who want to vote in the Pennsylvania primary next month must be registered by the end of the day.

Today is the last day to register to vote in the primary on June 2. Voters must be registered by 11:59 p.m. tonight. Under state law, voters must be registered at least 15 days before the election.

You can register to vote online on the states election website.

Registered voters who wish to cast their ballots by mail still have a bit more time. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. May 26. You can apply for a mail-in ballot on the states election website.

This is the first year voters can cast ballots by mail without having to provide a reason. Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Legislature crafted a law late last year allowing residents to vote by mail. Previously, voters had to apply for absentee ballots and explain why they couldnt make it to the polls, for reasons such as illness or military service.

The primary, initially slated for April 28, was postponed until June 2 due to the coronavirus crisis.

Voters will cast ballots to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees in races for statewide offices, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The nominees will face off in the general election in November.

Check out PennLives guide to the primary election.

More from PennLive

Will you need a reservation to go to Hersheypark or Knoebels? How Pa. amusement parks could handle coronavirus changes

Making a go of it: Area restaurant owners staying open (carefully) during coronavirus
Senior Producers, Larger-Cap Near-Term Production

Royalty & Streaming Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Altius Minerals Corp ALS 1.8 C$9.41 42 $278 0.55 0.26 0.36 35.9 25.9 1.03 0.70 0.87 13.5 10.8 -- 2.8%

Anglo Pacific Group PLC (UK) APF 1.6 GBP$1.63 181 $358 0.20 0.20 0.24 8.0 6.8 0.26 0.21 0.24 7.8 6.8 20.9 4.8%

Franco-Nevada FNV 2.5 US$150.48 190 $28,583 1.82 2.19 2.54 68.8 59.3 3.29 3.64 4.22 41.3 35.6 58.3 1.0%

Maverix Metals (CA) MMX 2.3 C$4.58 120 $548 0.07 0.07 0.10 68.0 45.1 0.19 0.18 0.22 26.0 20.7 -- 0.6%

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd OR 1.9 C$14.54 165 $1,707 0.28 0.26 0.42 55.4 34.3 0.61 0.67 0.88 21.8 16.5 60.5 1.9%

Royal Gold Inc RGLD 2.8 US$134.00 66 $8,788 1.97 2.82 3.15 47.5 42.5 4.55 5.63 5.95 23.8 22.5 32.1 1.2%

Sandstorm Gold Ltd (CA) SAND 2.3 US$8.56 190 $1,633 0.06 0.09 0.14 93.6 62.4 0.30 0.36 0.39 24.0 21.8 44.0 0.0%

Wheaton Precious Metals WPM 2.1 US$45.64 448 $20,440 0.56 0.88 1.03 52.0 44.5 1.12 1.48 1.69 30.8 27.0 34.8 1.3%

Average 53.7 40.1 23.6 20.2 41.8

Gold

Large-Cap Gold

Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd AEM 2.1 US$68.93 241 $16,632 0.96 1.39 2.39 49.5 28.9 3.70 4.31 6.26 16.0 11.0 20.7 0.9%

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd AU 2.7 US$27.22 416 $11,418 0.91 2.05 2.65 13.3 10.3 2.50 3.56 4.16 7.6 6.5 8.5 0.5%

Barrick Gold Corp ABX 2.2 US$28.04 1778 $49,858 0.51 0.80 0.97 34.9 28.9 1.61 2.44 2.58 11.5 10.9 15.8 1.1%

Kirkland Lake Gold (CA) KL 1.8 US$40.96 277 $11,403 2.74 2.92 3.73 14.0 11.0 4.38 4.53 5.56 9.0 7.4 61.8 0.9%

Newcrest Mining Ltd (AU) NCM 2.6 US$19.39 808 $15,787 0.79 0.96 1.07 20.3 18.1 1.75 1.84 2.07 10.5 9.4 12.8 1.1%

Newmont Goldcorp NEM 2.1 US$67.90 803 $54,495 1.32 2.13 2.98 31.8 22.8 3.89 5.00 5.99 13.6 11.3 24.7 1.2%

Polyus Gold International (UK) PGIL 1.7 RU$12,306.0 134 $22,535 769.61 1145.54 1252.19 10.7 9.8 1054.82 1278.73 1433.60 9.6 8.6 -- 2.3%

Zijin Mining Group (HK) 2899 1.8 CNY$2.97 25377 $13,307 0.18 0.16 0.24 19.1 12.6 0.45 0.46 0.53 6.4 5.6 23.3 3.7%

Average 24.2 17.8 10.5 8.8 23.9

Mid-Cap Gold Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Alacer Gold Corp (CA) ASR 2.0 US$6.87 295 $2,033 0.37 0.52 0.57 13.1 12.1 0.86 1.06 1.13 6.5 6.1 66.5 0.0%

Alamos Gold AGI 2.3 US$8.47 391 $3,328 0.21 0.34 0.55 25.2 15.4 0.66 0.80 1.14 10.7 7.4 21.3 0.9%

B2Gold Corp BTG 1.6 US$5.40 1040 $5,641 0.23 0.44 0.44 12.2 12.3 0.49 0.77 0.73 7.0 7.4 17.5 0.7%

Buenaventura (ADR) BVN 2.9 US$8.35 254 $1,847 (0.05) 0.10 0.53 81.9 15.8 0.20 0.47 0.83 17.9 10.0 8.0 0.6%

Centamin PLC (CA) CEE 2.1 US$2.14 1156 $2,469 0.07 0.15 0.12 14.2 17.4 0.16 0.23 0.22 9.5 9.6 5.6 4.8%

Centerra Gold (CA) CG 2.1 US$9.64 294 $2,832 0.62 1.02 1.44 9.5 6.7 1.14 2.18 2.54 4.4 3.8 8.1 0.5%

Endeavour Mining Corp (CA) EDV 1.8 US$23.19 110 $2,549 0.67 1.48 1.68 15.6 13.8 2.75 3.94 4.54 5.9 5.1 13.4 0.0%

Equinox Gold Corp (CA) EQX 2.1 US$8.43 216 $1,829 (0.16) 0.85 1.31 10.0 6.4 0.53 1.33 1.97 6.3 4.3 -- 0.0%

Evolution Mining Ltd (AU) EVN 2.5 AUD$5.73 1704 $6,310 0.18 0.28 0.31 20.6 18.7 0.45 0.59 0.60 9.8 9.5 14.6 3.4%

Gold Fields Ltd (ADR) GFI 2.4 US$8.47 883 $7,516 0.20 0.54 1.03 15.8 8.2 1.08 1.33 1.85 6.4 4.6 7.6 0.8%

Harmony Gold Mining Ltd HAR 2.5 ZAR$70.35 543 $2,073 3.76 7.22 9.36 9.7 7.5 10.05 15.22 17.70 4.6 4.0 9.6 0.0%

Kinross Gold Corp KGC 2.3 US$7.44 1257 $9,348 0.34 0.55 0.62 13.6 12.0 0.97 1.21 1.34 6.1 5.5 12.6 0.0%

Lundin Gold Inc (CA) LUG 2.2 US$8.46 224 $1,907 (0.10) 0.27 0.76 31.6 11.1 (0.10) 0.50 1.11 17.0 7.6 -- 0.0%

Northern Star Resources (AU) NST 2.7 AUD$14.04 740 $6,713 0.41 0.83 1.10 16.9 12.8 0.81 1.35 1.68 10.4 8.4 22.3 1.3%

NovaGold Resources Inc NG 2.0 US$11.70 329 $3,842 (0.09) (0.08) -- -- -- -- -- (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0%

Polymetal International PLC (UK) POLY 2.0 US$20.40 472 $9,622 1.25 1.80 1.96 11.3 10.4 1.46 2.34 2.30 8.7 8.9 14.8 3.9%

Saracen Mineral Holdings (AU) SAR 2.3 AUD$5.05 1103 $3,599 0.18 0.33 0.40 15.4 12.6 0.34 0.52 0.62 9.7 8.1 61.8 0.0%

Sibanye Stillwater Ltd SBSW 1.6 ZAR$146.07 2675 $5,191 (1.65) 8.21 11.69 17.8 12.5 15.12 11.58 14.78 12.6 9.9 12.6 0.0%

SSR Mining SSRM 2.0 US$21.31 123 $2,626 0.81 1.47 1.99 14.5 10.7 1.10 2.34 2.77 9.1 7.7 11.7 0.0%

Yamana Gold Inc AUY 2.4 US$5.30 952 $5,046 0.35 0.18 0.26 28.9 20.4 0.55 0.66 0.78 8.0 6.8 9.5 1.4%

Zhaojin Mining Industry Co Ltd (HK) 1818 1.9 CNY$8.61 3270 $3,966 0.15 0.28 0.34 30.8 25.6 0.78 0.60 0.74 14.4 11.7 21.9 0.5%

Average 20.8 13.2 9.4 7.4 16.0

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Small-Cap Gold Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Belo Sun Mining (CA) BSX 2.0 C$0.98 450 $313 (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- -- --

DRDGold Ltd (ADR) DROOY 5.0 ZAR$18.80 865 $882 0.49 0.94 0.50 20.1 37.6 1.17 1.26 -- 14.9 -- 40.4 3.3%

Dundee Precious Metals (CA) DPM 1.8 US$5.18 181 $937 0.19 0.64 0.66 8.1 7.8 0.55 1.09 1.30 4.7 4.0 12.7 0.6%

Eldorado Gold Corp EGO 2.8 US$8.65 167 $1,569 0.04 0.86 0.60 10.1 14.5 0.93 2.20 1.86 3.9 4.6 12.0 0.0%

Gold Resource Corp GORO 2.0 US$4.17 70 $293 0.09 0.08 0.18 55.6 23.8 -- -- -- -- 1.0%

Gold Road Resources Ltd (AU) GOR 2.4 AUD$1.66 880 $941 0.01 0.11 0.11 15.8 15.4 0.04 0.16 0.16 10.4 10.6 -- 0.0%

Golden Star Resources GSS 2.6 US$2.72 161 $299 0.16 0.23 0.45 11.9 6.0 0.21 0.74 0.86 3.7 3.2 8.0 0.0%

Gran Colombia Gold Corp (CA) GCM 2.0 US$4.39 61 $269 0.73 1.33 1.22 3.3 3.6 1.24 1.57 1.65 2.8 2.7 -- 0.0%

Great Bear Resources (CA) GBR 1.7 C$11.60 48 $395 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Hecla Mining Co HL 3.1 US$2.99 526 $1,573 (0.13) (0.03) 0.12 -- 25.7 0.25 0.23 0.43 13.0 7.0 8.5 0.5%

Highland Gold Mining Ltd (UK) HGM 1.7 US$3.15 364 $1,145 0.45 0.32 0.38 9.8 8.3 0.38 0.49 0.51 6.5 6.2 9.3 6.2%

Hochschild Mining PLC (UK) HOC 2.2 US$1.95 514 $1,004 0.09 0.09 0.17 21.6 11.2 0.55 0.39 0.62 5.1 3.2 3.4 0.9%

Iamgold Corp IAG 2.5 US$3.88 470 $1,828 (0.04) 0.20 0.40 19.4 9.7 0.78 0.82 1.05 4.7 3.7 5.0 0.0%

K92 Mining (CA) KNT 1.4 US$2.78 213 $592 0.12 0.25 0.32 11.3 8.7 0.13 0.30 0.43 9.3 6.5 -- --

McEwen Mining Inc. MUX 2.0 US$0.93 400 $373 (0.17) (0.03) 0.04 -- 22.2 (0.11) (0.03) 0.01 -- NM -- 0.0%

New Gold Inc NGD 2.7 US$1.03 676 $703 (0.08) (0.08) 0.04 -- 25.0 0.43 0.31 0.45 3.4 2.3 3.5 0.0%

Oceanagold Corp (AU) OGC 2.2 US$1.86 622 $1,218 0.05 0.06 0.28 31.3 6.6 0.32 0.35 0.59 5.4 3.2 4.7 0.0%

Orla Mining Ltd (CA) OLA 2.0 C$2.67 225 $600 (0.11) (0.06) 0.01 -- NM (0.10) (0.04) 0.01 -- NM -- 0.0%

Osisko Mining Corp (CA) OSK 1.8 C$3.89 291 $806 (0.17) (0.05) (0.04) -- -- (0.01) (0.04) (0.04) -- -- -- 0.0%

Pan African Resources (UK) PAF 1.0 US$0.20 1928 $378 0.02 0.04 0.04 4.9 5.0 0.03 0.04 -- 4.8 -- 13.3 1.0%

Perseus Mining Ltd (AU) PRU 2.2 AUD$1.12 1168 $841 0.03 0.06 0.11 20.0 10.0 0.15 0.18 0.26 6.1 4.3 -- 0.0%

Petropavlovsk PLC (UK) POG 1.6 US$0.33 3310 $1,090 0.02 0.05 0.06 6.9 6.0 0.02 0.05 0.08 7.3 4.1 8.4 0.0%

Premier Gold Mines Ltd (CA) PG 1.9 US$1.33 237 $316 (0.10) (0.07) 0.13 -- 10.3 0.11 0.01 0.28 NM 4.7 6.2 0.0%

Pretium Resources PVG 2.4 US$8.99 186 $1,669 0.55 0.59 0.77 15.2 11.7 1.21 1.30 1.52 6.9 5.9 -- 0.0%

Ramelius Resources Ltd (AU) RMS 1.8 AUD$1.55 789 $788 0.06 0.10 0.14 15.3 11.0 0.23 0.25 0.29 6.1 5.3 14.5 0.8%

Red 5 Ltd RED 1.7 AUD$0.26 1951 $328 0.01 0.02 0.02 16.1 12.1 0.03 0.04 0.05 7.4 5.5 -- 0.0%

Regis Resources Ltd (AU) RRL 2.4 AUD$5.28 508 $1,734 0.38 0.48 0.54 10.9 9.8 0.59 0.69 0.74 7.7 7.2 10.4 3.7%

Resolute Mining Ltd (AU) RSG 2.0 AUD$1.09 1103 $767 0.02 0.15 0.22 7.2 4.8 0.15 0.21 0.30 5.2 3.6 -- 0.0%

Roxgold Inc (CA) ROXG 2.0 US$0.92 372 $343 0.05 0.08 0.12 12.2 7.4 0.27 0.21 0.23 4.3 3.9 33.6 0.0%

St Barbara Ltd (AU) SBM 2.3 AUD$2.92 703 $1,326 0.23 0.28 0.35 10.4 8.3 0.42 0.48 0.61 6.0 4.8 7.0 2.9%

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (CA) SBB 2.3 C$2.24 298 $474 (0.01) (0.02) (0.01) -- -- (0.01) (0.01) 0.01 -- NM -- 0.0%

Seabridge Gold SA 2.0 C$22.08 66 $1,027 (0.19) (0.16) (0.12) -- -- (0.17) (1.40) (0.11) -- -- -- 0.0%

Semafo (CA) SMF 2.0 US$3.29 334 $1,100 0.22 0.34 0.53 9.6 6.2 0.66 0.77 1.00 4.3 3.3 7.5 0.0%

Silver Lake Resources (AU) SLR 2.4 AUD$2.15 880 $1,222 0.08 0.14 0.17 15.7 12.6 0.19 0.27 0.30 8.0 7.3 27.5 0.0%

Silvercrest Metals Inc SILV 1.8 C$11.34 127 $1,023 (0.67) (0.13) (0.15) -- -- (0.62) (0.13) (0.09) -- -- -- 0.0%

Teranga Gold Corp (CA) TGZ 1.6 US$8.17 168 $1,368 0.01 0.44 0.81 18.5 10.1 0.93 1.42 2.01 5.7 4.1 14.6 --

Torex Gold Resources (CA) TXG 1.9 US$13.66 86 $1,173 0.79 0.52 0.80 26.3 17.0 3.51 2.85 4.06 4.8 3.4 7.4 0.0%

Victoria Gold Corp (CA) VIT 2.0 C$13.06 61 $568 -- -- -- -- -- -- (0.40) 0.18 -- 74.6 -- 0.0%

Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd (CA) WDO 1.9 C$12.64 138 $1,246 0.29 0.47 0.84 26.9 15.1 0.51 0.75 1.07 16.9 11.8 -- 0.0%

West African Resources Ltd (CA) WAF -- AUD$0.26 871 $430 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.04 -- 7.1 -- --

Westgold Resources Ltd (AU) WGX 1.3 AUD$2.28 400 $590 0.05 0.23 0.42 10.0 5.5 0.29 0.53 0.71 4.3 3.2 -- 0.0%

Average 17.8 12.5 7.8 7.3 15.3

Select (Gold >US$20MM Mkt Cap)

Gold Springs Resource Corp (CA)* GRC 2.0 US$0.06 249 $14 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Lion One Metals Ltd (CA)* LIO 1.5 C$1.40 118 $118 (0.02) (0.02) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Minera Alamos Inc (CA) MAI 2.0 C$0.42 408 $121 (0.01) (0.01) 0.05 -- 8.3 0.00 0.05 -- 8.3 -- -- 0.0%

Northern Vertex Mining Corp (CA)* NEE 2.0 US$0.19 251 $47 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Nulegacy Gold Corp (CA)* NUG 2.0 C$0.10 407 $28 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Paramount Gold Nevada Corp* PZG 1.8 US$1.13 28 $32 (0.21) (0.17) -- -- -- (0.19) (0.16) -- -- -- 0.0%

Average 8.3 8.3

*includes research coverage by Scarsdale Equities.

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Silver Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Alexco Resource Corp* AXU 2.0 C$2.93 125 $259 (0.08) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Americas Gold & Silver Corp (CA) USA 1.8 US$2.39 98 $233 (0.46) 0.12 0.25 19.9 9.6 0.20 0.42 0.81 5.7 3.0 53.7 --

Coeur Mining Corp CDE 2.6 US$5.10 244 $1,242 (0.25) (0.02) 0.20 -- 25.5 0.42 0.53 0.87 9.6 5.9 7.1 0.0%

Endeavour Silver Corp EXK 3.2 US$1.64 143 $236 (0.36) (0.10) 0.05 -- 34.3 (0.07) 0.17 0.25 9.7 6.6 6.9 0.0%

First Majestic Silver Corp AG 2.6 US$8.80 210 $1,847 0.04 0.17 0.23 51.8 37.6 0.69 0.38 0.81 23.3 10.9 16.6 0.0%

Fortuna Silver Mines FSM 2.5 US$3.98 161 $639 0.17 0.20 0.63 20.4 6.3 0.63 0.40 1.22 10.0 3.3 9.2 0.0%

Fresnillo (UK) FRES 2.9 US$8.93 737 $6,579 0.23 0.26 0.42 34.3 21.1 0.59 0.96 1.02 9.3 8.8 7.0 2.3%

MAG Silver Corp MAG 1.8 US$12.45 87 $1,082 (0.05) 0.01 0.46 NM 26.9 (0.04) 0.10 0.58 NM 21.5 -- --

New Pacific Metals Corp (CA) NUAG 2.7 C$6.61 148 $693 (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0%

Pan American Silver PAAS 2.5 US$24.50 210 $5,163 0.78 0.56 1.57 43.8 15.6 1.40 1.82 3.00 13.4 8.2 19.2 1.0%

Silvercorp Metals Inc SVM 1.5 US$4.52 173 $788 0.22 0.21 0.20 21.5 22.5 0.43 0.40 0.40 11.3 11.3 -- 0.4%

Average 31.9 22.2 11.5 8.8 17.1

*includes research coverage by Scarsdale Equities.

Platinum Group Metals

African Rainbow Minerals (SA) ARI 2.1 ZAR$135.00 223 $1,636 26.48 26.27 22.91 5.1 5.9 17.06 19.26 25.04 7.0 5.4 27.8 8.6%

Anglo American Platinum Ltd (SA) AMS 2.8 ZAR$1,009.89 270 $14,784 70.61 85.84 123.23 11.8 8.2 107.94 89.17 176.57 11.3 5.7 27.4 2.2%

Impala Platinum (SA) IMP 2.1 ZAR$110.27 799 $5,203 9.63 20.78 23.92 5.3 4.6 16.77 32.68 40.69 3.4 2.7 31.4 0.9%

Northam Platinum Ltd (SA) NHM 1.7 ZAR$87.90 510 $2,432 4.94 14.16 16.08 6.2 5.5 11.69 21.34 30.08 4.1 2.9 64.7 0.0%

Average 7.1 6.0 6.5 4.2 37.8

Base Metals & Diversified

Large-Cap Base Metals Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Anglo American PLC (UK) AAL 2.3 US$17.35 1363 $23,656 2.70 1.79 2.41 9.7 7.2 5.97 4.45 5.63 3.9 3.1 5.7 3.8%

Antofagasta PLC (UK) ANTO 2.9 US$9.77 986 $9,630 0.51 0.15 0.46 66.3 21.3 2.12 1.31 1.45 7.5 6.7 8.2 2.8%

BHP Billiton Ltd BHP 2.2 US$20.31 5058 $96,770 1.81 1.70 1.62 12.0 12.5 3.22 2.92 2.90 7.0 7.0 7.0 5.5%

China Molybdenum Co Ltd (HK) 3993 2.2 CNY$2.19 21599 $9,879 0.09 0.08 0.11 28.7 19.2 0.08 0.16 (0.10) 13.4 -- 42.7 1.4%

Freeport McMoran C&G FCX 2.1 US$8.48 1452 $12,313 0.02 (0.12) 0.92 -- 9.2 1.02 1.06 2.45 8.0 3.5 6.2 2.2%

Glencore International PLC (UK) GLEN 2.3 US$1.71 13324 $22,785 0.18 0.07 0.15 26.0 11.1 0.63 0.59 0.54 2.9 3.1 5.6 0.0%

Grupo Mexico (MX) GMEXICOB 2.4 US$2.02 7785 $15,785 0.29 0.15 0.23 13.9 8.9 0.51 0.30 0.30 6.8 6.6 7.1 8.6%

Hindustan Zinc (IN) HZ 2.1 INR$192.65 4225 $10,784 17.27 16.19 16.95 11.9 11.4 20.86 20.97 22.72 9.2 8.5 5.8 0.0%

MMC Norilsk Nickel (RU) GMKN 2.0 RU$5,429.84 158 $43,571 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 16.6 10.7%

Rio Tinto PLC (UK) RIO 2.6 US$47.47 1618 $79,656 6.36 4.83 4.43 9.8 10.7 9.15 7.48 7.08 6.3 6.7 7.1 2.7%

Southern Copper Corp SCCO 2.4 US$32.81 773 $25,364 1.92 1.22 1.80 26.8 18.2 2.47 2.43 2.74 13.5 12.0 13.7 5.7%

Vale SA (ADR) VALE 2.0 BRL$48.42 5284 $43,693 5.01 6.60 7.73 7.3 6.3 10.56 10.80 11.34 4.5 4.3 8.7 3.2%

Average 21.2 12.4 7.5 6.1 11.2

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Mid-Cap Base Metals Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Assore Ltd (SA) ASR 3.3 ZAR$319.00 140 $2,418 52.53 42.12 37.84 7.6 8.4 -- 18.27 27.33 17.5 11.7 12.4 7.7%

Aurubis AG (GR) NDA 2.5 EUR$48.86 45 $2,376 3.09 3.35 4.16 14.6 11.8 5.58 5.88 6.73 8.3 7.3 6.3 3.3%

Boliden AB (SW) BOL 2.3 SEK$191.55 274 $5,344 21.15 16.62 20.33 11.5 9.4 34.52 36.11 38.46 5.3 5.0 5.9 3.9%

Exxaro Resources Ltd (SA) EXX 1.8 ZAR$103.71 359 $2,019 29.62 24.04 23.45 4.3 4.4 (9.28) 19.65 22.02 5.3 4.7 8.8 10.9%

First Quantum Minerals (CA) FM 2.0 US$5.37 689 $3,715 0.36 (0.52) 0.12 -- 43.3 1.29 1.79 2.10 3.0 2.6 13.0 0.1%

Iluka Resources Ltd (AU) ILU 2.3 AUD$7.64 423 $2,087 0.66 0.55 0.80 13.8 9.6 0.76 0.95 1.11 8.0 6.9 -- 1.4%

Independence Group NL (AU) IGO 1.8 AUD$4.70 591 $1,794 0.20 0.30 0.34 15.6 13.9 0.70 0.79 0.79 5.9 6.0 16.3 2.2%

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (CA) IVP 2.1 US$1.91 1198 $2,293 0.02 (0.59) 0.58 -- 3.3 (0.01) (0.03) 0.17 -- 11.3 -- 0.0%

Jiangxi Copper Co "H" (HK) 358 2.5 CNY$6.48 3463 $4,955 0.70 0.55 0.74 11.8 8.7 1.75 1.09 1.39 6.0 4.7 12.8 1.0%

Kazakhmys PLC (UK) KAZ 2.3 US$4.98 472 $2,353 1.17 0.68 0.80 7.3 6.2 1.04 1.21 1.11 4.1 4.5 22.1 1.7%

KGHM Polska Miedz (PO) KGH 3.5 PLN$72.76 200 $3,450 7.11 5.76 9.53 12.6 7.6 25.24 16.34 17.59 4.5 4.1 4.6 0.0%

Lundin Mining Corp (CA) LUN 2.0 US$4.32 734 $3,185 0.22 0.05 0.43 79.7 10.0 0.77 0.66 1.09 6.6 4.0 6.4 0.0%

Mineral Resources Ltd (AU) MIN 1.8 AUD$17.60 188 $2,143 1.35 1.59 1.35 11.1 13.0 1.41 1.89 1.95 9.3 9.0 8.2 3.3%

Oz Minerals (AU) OZL 1.9 AUD$8.66 324 $1,814 0.51 0.29 0.77 29.8 11.2 1.58 1.10 1.72 7.8 5.0 7.6 2.2%

Sesa Sterlite Ltd (ADR) SSLT 2.1 INR$92.95 3703 $4,560 14.68 9.64 12.63 9.6 7.4 50.56 39.63 42.77 2.3 2.2 3.5 3.8%

South32 Ltd (AU) S32 2.1 US$1.20 4846 $5,840 0.12 0.06 0.11 18.9 11.0 0.28 0.23 0.27 5.2 4.5 3.1 2.2%

Sumitomo Metal Mining (JP) 5713 2.0 JPY$2,779 291 $7,535 226.17 171.26 232.33 16.2 12.0 378.82 296.02 241.42 9.4 11.5 9.8 3.5%

Teck Resources Ltd TCK 2.2 C$12.41 531 $4,688 2.75 0.65 2.02 19.2 6.1 6.16 3.62 5.83 3.4 2.1 4.0 1.9%

Vale Indonesia Tbk PT (ID) INCO 2.2 US$0.19 9936 $1,935 0.01 0.01 0.01 33.0 19.4 0.01 0.02 0.02 9.8 8.1 11.9 0.0%

Vedanta Resources PLC (UK) VED -- US$10.85 285 $3,089 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Average 18.6 11.4 6.8 6.1 9.2

Small-Cap Base Metals

Adriatic Metals PLC (AU) ADT 1.7 GBP$0.63 357 $290 (0.02) 0.01 0.31 93.1 2.1 (0.02) 0.01 NM -- -- 0.0%

Atalaya Mining PLC (UK) ATYM 1.3 EUR$1.19 137 $178 0.27 0.11 0.45 11.1 2.6 0.27 0.12 0.30 10.3 4.0 11.3 --

Eramet (FR) ERA 2.2 EUR$29.63 27 $853 (6.93) (4.04) 3.17 -- 9.4 3.24 8.63 13.56 3.4 2.2 6.2 0.0%

Ero Copper Corp (CA) ERO 2.1 US$10.75 86 $923 0.94 0.82 1.25 13.0 8.6 1.40 1.44 1.98 7.5 5.4 -- 0.0%

Hudbay Minerals HBM 2.6 US$3.13 261 $580 (0.27) (0.82) (0.03) -- -- 1.58 0.90 1.65 3.5 1.9 2.5 0.8%

Kenmare Resources (UK) KMR 1.8 US$2.59 110 $284 0.40 0.25 0.85 10.5 3.1 0.69 0.32 6.10 8.1 0.4 51.6 2.6%

Mitsui Mining & Smelting (JP) 5706 2.6 JPY$2,026 57 $1,082 88.59 157.01 231.89 12.9 8.7 622.22 698.89 776.60 2.9 2.6 5.8 2.4%

MMG Ltd (HK) 1208 2.6 US$0.18 8055 $1,434 (0.01) (0.00) 0.01 -- 24.4 0.14 0.09 0.14 2.0 1.2 11.2 0.0%

Nexa Resources NA NEXA 3.1 US$4.21 133 $561 (0.03) (1.11) (0.36) -- -- 0.93 (1.90) 1.58 -- 2.7 -- 15.1%

Northern Dynasty Minerals NAK 2.3 C$1.25 451 $400 (0.19) (0.16) -- -- -- (0.06) -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Outokumpu (FN) OUT1V 2.8 EUR$2.23 416 $1,002 (0.20) (0.15) 0.22 -- 10.2 0.90 0.51 0.57 4.4 3.9 7.2 0.0%

PolyMet Mining Corp PLM -- US$0.26 1006 $264 (0.08) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Sandfire Resources NL (AU) SFR 2.1 AUD$4.28 178 $492 0.54 0.53 0.57 8.1 7.5 1.45 1.65 1.48 2.6 2.9 2.9 3.5%

SolGold PLC (UK) SOLG 1.5 US$0.32 1923 $617 (0.01) (0.01) (0.01) -- -- (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) -- -- -- 0.0%

Trilogy Metals Inc TMQ 2.2 US$1.85 141 $270 (0.20) (0.09) -- -- -- (0.16) -- -- -- -- 0.0%

Turquoise Hill Resources TRQ 3.0 US$0.54 2012 $1,098 0.23 (0.00) 0.14 -- 4.0 (0.01) (0.08) 0.17 -- 3.2 6.2 0.0%

Volcan Cia Ninera VOLABC1 3.0 US$0.09 4077 $1,813 (0.02) 0.01 0.01 6.9 7.2 -- -- -- -- -- 9.0 0.0%

Western Areas NL (AU) WSA 2.1 AUD$2.13 274 $377 0.11 0.18 0.19 11.7 11.0 0.40 0.44 0.42 4.8 5.0 6.6 1.0%

Average 20.9 8.2 4.9 3.0 11.0

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Consensus Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Aluminum Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Alcoa Inc AA 2.6 US$6.66 186 $1,238 (0.99) (1.25) (0.19) -- -- 3.70 2.57 2.72 2.6 2.4 3.4 0.0%

Alumina Ltd AWC 2.4 US$0.91 2880 $2,651 0.11 0.06 0.06 15.9 14.7 0.13 0.08 0.05 11.1 17.4 3.6 5.3%

Aluminum Corp China Ltd (ADR) ACH 2.5 CNY$1.39 17023 $5,862 0.04 0.04 0.08 38.5 18.3 0.73 0.69 0.64 2.0 2.2 13.2 0.0%

Century Aluminum CENX 2.8 US$4.37 89 $391 (1.35) (0.51) (0.11) -- -- 0.20 0.13 0.63 33.6 7.0 21.1 0.0%

United Company Rusal Ltd (HK) 486 2.3 US$0.34 15193 $5,213 0.08 0.09 0.09 3.8 3.6 0.11 0.06 0.04 5.9 7.9 7.7 0.0%

Average 19.4 12.2 11.0 7.4 9.8

Iron Ore

Cliffs Natural Resources CLF 2.9 US$4.10 399 $1,634 1.05 (0.45) 0.49 -- 8.4 1.98 0.09 1.32 43.5 3.1 17.4 6.1%

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AU) FMG 2.9 US$8.05 3079 $24,966 1.22 1.15 0.78 7.0 10.4 1.62 1.58 1.19 5.1 6.8 6.5 9.4%

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd (SA) KIO 3.4 ZAR$387.61 322 $6,777 50.73 44.90 37.94 8.6 10.2 85.20 63.91 53.68 6.1 7.2 6.7 11.2%

Labrador Iron Ore Royalty (CA) LIF 2.1 C$19.45 64 $886 3.21 2.60 2.37 7.5 8.2 3.51 2.27 2.29 8.6 8.5 13.7 7.4%

Mount Gibson Iron Limited (AU) MGX 2.7 AUD$0.63 1158 $471 0.10 0.09 0.09 7.3 6.9 0.08 0.14 0.19 4.4 3.3 16.5 4.2%

Average 7.6 8.8 13.5 5.8 12.2

Fertilizers

CF Industries CF 2.6 US$24.82 214 $5,306 2.31 1.54 1.74 16.1 14.3 6.79 5.24 5.45 4.7 4.6 13.6 4.4%

Compass Minerals CMP 2.3 US$42.51 34 $1,441 1.90 2.85 3.56 14.9 11.9 4.71 6.77 9.03 6.3 4.7 9.6 7.5%

Incitec Pivot Ltd (AU) IPL 2.3 AUD$1.98 1913 $2,430 0.10 0.13 0.16 14.7 12.2 0.28 0.34 0.37 5.8 5.4 8.3 1.7%

Intrepid Potash IPI 3.0 US$0.95 131 $125 0.10 (0.04) (0.02) -- -- 0.38 0.29 0.28 3.3 3.5 -- 0.0%

Israel Chemical (IS) ICL 2.4 US$3.13 1281 $4,003 0.37 0.26 0.37 12.1 8.4 0.77 0.43 0.55 7.3 5.7 6.2 1.4%

K & S Aktiengesellschaft (GR) SDF 2.8 EUR$5.17 191 $1,070 0.46 (0.23) 0.37 -- 13.9 3.34 2.38 2.33 2.2 2.2 7.3 0.8%

Mosaic Co MOS 2.5 US$10.08 379 $3,821 0.19 0.19 0.85 51.9 11.8 2.85 2.49 3.31 4.1 3.0 7.6 1.8%

Nutrien Ltd NTR 2.0 US$31.69 569 $18,033 2.17 1.73 2.29 18.3 13.8 6.29 5.57 5.09 5.7 6.2 -- 5.2%

Sociedad Quimica Minera (ADR) SQM 3.2 US$21.88 263 $5,729 1.06 1.13 1.42 19.3 15.4 1.62 1.81 2.05 12.1 10.7 8.5 4.6%

Yara International ASA (NO) YAR 1.8 US$30.59 272 $8,333 3.09 3.14 3.78 9.8 8.1 7.00 6.26 6.80 4.9 4.5 7.4 5.4%

Average 19.6 12.2 5.6 5.1 8.6

Coal

Large - Mid Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Adaro Energy TBK (ID) ADRO 3.2 US$0.06 31986 $1,994 0.01 0.01 0.01 6.0 6.1 0.03 0.02 0.02 3.1 3.1 3.3 4.2%

China Coal Energy Co (HK) 1898 2.3 CNY$1.75 13259 $5,850 0.47 0.39 0.41 4.5 4.3 1.55 1.00 1.35 1.7 1.3 10.6 4.6%

China Shenhua Energy Co (HK) 1088 2.2 CNY$12.04 19890 $43,028 2.10 1.83 1.85 6.6 6.5 3.17 3.04 3.29 4.0 3.7 4.5 9.3%

Consol Energy CNX 2.3 US$9.74 187 $1,822 0.60 0.51 0.47 19.1 20.6 5.12 3.47 3.78 2.8 2.6 7.7 0.0%

Yancoal Australia Ltd YAL 3.0 AUD$9.25 1320 $1,860 0.69 0.29 0.33 31.9 28.0 -- -- -- -- -- -- 11.4%

Yanzhou Coal Mining Co Ltd (HK) 1171 2.6 CNY$5.41 4893 $4,900 1.91 1.41 1.42 3.8 3.8 3.58 2.51 3.23 2.2 1.7 16.3 9.3%

Average 12.0 11.5 2.7 2.5 8.5

Small Cap

Alliance Resource Partners LP ARLP 2.3 US$2.84 127 $361 3.07 (0.97) 0.09 -- 31.6 1.22 1.30 1.90 2.2 1.5 1.7 65.0%

Arch Coal Inc ARCH 2.2 US$29.04 15 $440 12.58 (0.15) 8.70 -- 3.3 24.26 9.84 20.28 3.0 1.4 -- 6.4%

Banpu Public Co Ltd (TH) BANPU 3.0 US$0.20 5162 $1,038 0.01 0.02 0.02 13.3 8.8 0.08 0.05 0.05 3.8 3.7 14.5 12.2%

Fushan Int'l Energy Group (HK) 639 2.3 HK$1.51 5302 $1,033 0.22 0.23 0.22 6.7 6.7 0.37 0.38 0.42 4.0 3.6 5.6 10.2%

Natural Resource Partners LP NRP 2.0 US$12.60 12 $154 1.72 2.96 3.05 4.3 4.1 2.52 3.51 5.28 3.6 2.4 2.8 14.8%

New Hope Corp Ltd (AU) NHC 2.6 AUD$1.34 832 $717 0.26 0.17 0.16 7.8 8.4 0.34 0.30 0.25 4.5 5.2 9.8 8.0%

PT Tambang Batubara Bukit (ID) PTBA 2.7 IDR$1,815 11521 $1,409 371.00 282.50 289.00 6.4 6.3 383.90 264.69 330.66 6.9 5.5 5.0 0.0%

Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AU) WHC 2.3 AUD$1.75 1026 $1,157 0.32 0.12 0.18 15.1 9.5 0.59 0.33 0.42 5.3 4.1 5.3 5.5%

Average 8.9 9.8 4.1 3.4 6.4

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Uranium Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld

Symbol Rating 15-May-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E %

Cameco Corp CCJ 2.2 C$13.87 396 $3,908 0.10 (0.12) 0.01 -- NM 1.33 0.74 0.64 18.7 21.6 9.0 0.7%

Denison Mines DNN 2.3 C$0.58 597 $246 (0.03) (0.02) (0.01) -- -- (0.03) (0.03) (0.02) -- -- -- 0.0%

Energy Resources Australia (AU) ERA 4.0 AUD$0.18 3691 $417 0.01 0.00 0.00 -- -- (0.19) 0.02 0.00 8.8 -- 25.7 0.0%

Nexgen Energy Ltd (CA) NXE 1.6 C$1.83 361 $470 (0.04) (0.09) (0.08) -- -- (0.04) (0.05) (0.06) -- -- -- 0.0%

Uranium Participation Corp (CA) U 2.1 C$4.87 138 $479 0.01 0.41 0.26 12.0 19.1 (0.03) (0.05) (0.04) -- -- -- 0.0%

Average 12.0 19.1 13.7 21.6 17.4

Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets.

The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items.

Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters.

Commodity Prices

Cash Price (15-May-20)

Silver ($16.61 / oz)

Palladium ($1820 / oz)

Platinum ($782 / oz)

Aluminum ($0.65 / lb)

Cobalt ($13.38 / lb)

Copper ($2.34 / lb)

Lead ($0.72 / lb)

Molybdenum ($8.91 / lb)

Nickel ($5.36 / lb)

Tin ($6.92 / lb)

Zinc ($0.91 / lb)
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Trade unions are opposing ordinances issued by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to relax labour laws

A joint forum of trade unions including BMS has said they will hit the streets as well as file a case

Unions to observe National Protest Day on May 20

A joint forum of central trade unions including RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has vowed to launch double attack, mobilising support in streets and a petition in court, against state governments for relaxing labour laws. Confederation of Central Trade Unions (CONCENT), a group of six unions, in a joint statement on Monday said that the ordinances issued by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh may be detrimental to the interest of workers.

"Rajasthan, Goa, Odisha and Maharashtra have increased working hours from 8 to 12 hours and some states are on the way to do so to dilute labour laws which will add salt to the wounds of the already suffering workers, hence it is unacceptable to us," the unions have reiterated.

Protesting against the move, the unions have decided to hit the streets on May 20 and put forward their demands with local administrative authorities. As part of the multi-pronged protest plan, the office-bearers would organise meetings at district headquarters and in state capitals.

"Necessary steps and consultation should be initiated at various organisational levels to ensure the success of these programs under the banner of CONCENT," the joint forum has said. Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC), National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) Hind Majdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) are part of the joint forum.

Trade unions have been up in arms against various state governments such as BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for suspending various labour laws or sections of it to attract investment and create jobs. While Uttar Pradesh government decided to suspend as many as 30 labour laws for 3 years, Madhya Pradesh diluted state labour laws through a combination of ordinance and executive order. Many states such as Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are also expected to relax their labour laws.

But so far, the decision of UP government has been the most revolutionary. As a result of suspension of key labour laws, workers would have to cede many of their rights such as right to form unions, right to raise an industrial dispute, right to have grievance redressal machinery, right to gratuity and right to have fair machinery in case of their dismissal for alleged misconduct.

Also read: Tranche 2 of COVID-19 stimulus an 'eyewash': Farmers' unions AIKS, AIAWU

Also read: Coronavirus Lockdown XIV: India needs to own and indulge its workers; they are more vulnerable than ever
The FBI obtained access to locked iPhones belonging to a Saudi military trainee who killed three people at a Florida naval base in December, revealing communications with a suspected member of al-Qaeda, CNN first reported Monday.

Royal Saudi Air Force trainee Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani killed three US service members at Naval Air Station Pensacola in December 2019 and wounded eight other people with a handgun before being killed by local police.

Attorney General William Barr later said during a press conference that information in the phone definitively establishes Alshamranis significant ties to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

A Department of Justice statement on Monday alleged that Alshamrani had been radicalized as far back as 2015 and communicated with AQAP associates up until the night before his attack.

The statement also said information found in Alshamranis phone contributed to a counterterror operation that killed one of his alleged contacts in Yemen, Abdullah al-Maliki.

The US Department of Justice has said it considered the incident to have been motivated by jihadist ideology. AQAP subsequently claimed credit for the attack. The FBI said it has found no evidence that any of Alshamranis fellow trainees had any foreknowledge of the attack, which prompted tighter restrictions on foreign military trainees in the United States.

President Donald Trump announced a US airstrike had killed AQAP leader Qasim Al-Raymi in February.

Barr suggested during Mondays press conference that the FBI succeeded in opening the phone on its own after Apple declined to assist in doing so. Thanks to the relentless efforts and ingenuity of FBI technicians, the FBI finally succeeded in unlocking Alshamranis phones, Barr said.

Apple has refused Department of Justice requests to create a back door for encrypted and locked devices for law enforcement, even when a warrant is issued. Apple has said such a back door would leave devices vulnerable to other intrusions.

The FBI previously gained access to a phone recovered from Syed Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 18 people in San Bernadino in 2015. The FBI reportedly did so without Apples assistance following a legal battle with the company.

The Department of Justice on Monday called for a legislative solution to its dispute with the tech giant.
The Uttar Pradesh government has accepted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's proposal to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers back home to the state and sought the list of buses along with the names and other details of the drivers and conductors.

"The offer made to the chief minister through the letter on May 16 in connection with the migrant labourers has been accepted," Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi said in a letter sent to the private secretary of Priyanka Gandhi.

"Therefore, the list of 1,000 buses, names and other details of its drivers and conductors be provided without delay so that these can be used for the migrant labourers," the letter said.

The offer was made by the Congress general secretary in-charge of UP East through a letter which was given to the Chief Minister's Office by the state unit leaders of the party.

Earlier in the day, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) hit back at the Uttar Pradesh government saying it was ready with the list of buses, as desired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but was not getting time to meet him since the past three days.

"This is the list and name of buses that the Congress is seeking permission to run for ensuring the safe return of the migrant labourers. We had been seeking time to meet the chief minister since the past three days but he has no time for it. How will you know sitting in AC rooms the condition of poor labourers,", UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu said, showing a list to the media.

"These poor people have been forced to walk home without food," Lallu said, adding he had gone to the CM's Office with Priyanaka Gandhi's letter for running the buses but got no reply from there.

Speaking to a channel, Adityanath had sought the list of buses and the names of migrant workers.

To allegations that Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan and Punjab have not made proper arrangements for the migrant workers, Lallu said, governments of these states have sought permission to send migrants back who have got themselves registered and are waiting.

"If the UP government has buses and wants to bring the migrants back, then they should be used for thousands who have gathered at Ghaziabad, Noida and Rajasthan borders with UP. We are not making this offer with politics in mind but with sense of service," Lallu said.

Our leaders have clearly stated that we are with the government in this hour of crisis and want to help it with a sense of service, the UPCC president said



Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Misra, who was also present at the press conference, said the government "failed" to bring the migrants back safely and they were forced to walk home or take to unsafe modes of transport.

"If the labourers or workers of Uttar Pradesh have entered the state, whose responsibility is it to ensure their safe return to their homes? The Congress made this proposal when the chief minister failed to discharge his duty. We discharged the duty of a responsible party," She said.

Misra accused the Uttar Pradesh government of betraying labourers after promising to bring them back.

The migrant labourers walking back their homes are being baton-charged at differen places including Mathura, Jhansi and Yamunanagar border, she alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Canberra, May 18 : Australian state leaders were at odds over reopening domestic borders, with some of them resisting pressure to allow visitors from elsewhere in the country.

On Monday, Australia recorded nine new cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of positive tests to at least 7,060, while virus related deaths increased by one to 99, reports Xinhua news agency.

Despite the reduction in active cases, the States of Queensland and Western Australia (WA) maintained strict closed border policies, while Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory applied more relaxed travel restrictions.

The more populous states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria -- which have recorded dramatically higher numbers of COVID-19 -- remained open and over the weekend took part in a nationwide easing of social distancing regulations.

On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian renewed calls for her counterparts to allow interstate travel, noting that a closed-border policy no longer makes sense given the low number of new transmissions.

"I think closing borders doesn't help Australia, it doesn't help any of the states and it doesn't help our population. It doesn't help economic activity," she said.

"This notion that you're going to eradicate the virus from Australia completely is a little beyond reality." Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday said that while the policy would be periodically reviewed, the State's borders could remain closed until September.

"We'll be reviewing those border restrictions at the end of each month and fingers crossed towards the end of the year we will be seeing southerners return to our glorious sunshine state," Palaszczuk said.

In 2019, around 24 million domestic tourists pumped more than $11.5 billio into Queensland, which boasts world-class natural attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays.

WA Premier Mark McGowan sided with Palaszczuk in saying that the time was not right to ease border restrictions and that the decision would be made on the advice of health experts.

"We had very low rates of infection here. They had higher rates in the eastern states, so we will keep the border up until we think it is the right time for the health of Western Australians."
The Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath on Monday accepted a request from Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi to allow 1,000 buses carrying migrants to enter the state from Rajasthan. It also asked her to provide a list with details of the buses, drivers and conductors for smooth transport of the migrant workers.

In a letter addressed to the Congress leader, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the government has accepted her plea to the chief minister made on May 16 regarding migrant workers.

Hence, without any further delay it is requested to provide the list carrying details of buses along with their drivers and conductors, it said.

UP Congress Committee Chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said the details will be provided soon. We had requested the UP government to allow 1,000 buses carrying migrants to enter UP from Rajasthan. We were asked for the details of the buses and drivers along with conductors, we are shortly providing the entire list to the government. We cannot see the pain of the migrants anymore. We would request UP CM to take immediate measures, he said.

Earlier on Monday, Gandhi had attacked the Adityanath government by posting a video of migrant workers from Ramlila Ground in Ghaziabad and alleging they would not be facing any issues had the state made arrangements for them a month ago.

Gandhi's attack followed her appeal on Sunday where she had asked the chief minister to allow buses ferrying migrants from Rajasthan into UP.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote, A huge number of migrant labours have gathered at Ramlila ground in Ghaziabad to go home. No proper arrangements have been done by the UP Government. Only if some arrangements were done around a month back, migrants wont have been facing such issues today.

Yesterday, we offered help by deploying 1,000 buses and even brought the buses to the UP Border, but the UP Government continued playing politics and didnt grant us permission. The government is not ready to provide any relief to the people in times of a pandemic and if someone else is giving help, then also they are not ready, she wrote.

On Sunday, she had posted a video statement asking Adityanath not to politicise the issue and give permission for the buses to enter UP.

Respected CM sir, it is my request that this is not the time to do politics. Our buses are at the border with thousands of migrant labourers. They just want to reach their homes in such times of distress, we need permission to help them and to send them safely to their homes. Thank You, Jai Hind, she had said in the video appeal.
Chinese soldiers guard a China-India border crossing at Nathu La Pass. Photo: CFP

Chinese border defense troops have bolstered border control measures and made necessary moves in response to India's recent, illegal construction of defense facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region, a source close to Chinese military told the Global Times on Monday.

In a fresh flare up in tensions along the China-India border, the Chinese troops' new move, believed to be the strongest military response to India's illegal trespassing incident along the border since the Doklam standoff, demonstrates the strong determination of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to defend its sovereign territory, analysts said.

But the latest border friction started by the Indian side won't lead to another "Doklam standoff" which brought serious tensions between China and India in 2017, as India is merely seeking to divert its domestic attention and pressure since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted its economy, and China has a military advantage in the Galwan Valley region. So, the Indian military won't escalate the incident, analysts said.

Since early May, India has been crossing the boundary line in the Galwan Valley region and entering Chinese territory. The Indian side built defense fortifications and obstacles to disrupt Chinese border defense troops' normal patrol activities, purposefully instigated conflicts and attempted to unilaterally change the current border control situation, the military source said.

The Galwan Valley region is Chinese territory, and the local border control situation was very clear. The actions by the Indian side have seriously violated China and India's agreements on border issues, violated China's territorial sovereignty and harmed military relations between the two countries, according to the Chinese military source.

Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the Galwan Valley is not like Doklam because it is in the Aksai Chin region in southern Xinjiang of China, where the Chinese military has an advantage and mature infrastructure. So, if India escalates the friction, the Indian military force could pay a heavy price.

"The Indian government is being pressured by its society due to the unsuccessful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the number of confirmed cases is lower than the US since it has conducted fewer tests, the impact on its economy is serious," Hu said.

The latest data provided by the World Health Organization on Monday shows India has 90,927 confirmed cases and 2,872 deaths.

US multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts that the Indian economy will experience a recession ever after its already weakened state was further dragged down by the countrywide lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third time that Goldman Sachs has slashed its forecast for India's economic growth for 2020-21, CNBC reported on Monday.

Although the Modi administration's popularity remains high due to rising Hindu nationalism, this won't help the government overcome economic challenges, Hu noted. "So, the Indian government decided to hype the border issue with China again since it's easy to divert the domestic attention by hyping nationalism against China. In the future, it could even use it to bargain with China for medical or economic support," he said.

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that "India intends to make the border frictions with China a new normal, because it has geographical advantages to send troops to the border regions frequently. Although China won't provoke India, the Indian military won't stop their small operations from interrupting the Chinese military. This will be a prolonged issue between the two countries."

In view of the current situation, China's border defense troops have taken necessary measures to strengthen an on-the-spot response and control of border areas, resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty and security and maintaining peace and stability in border areas.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there have been some subtle and complex changes in China-India relations, which have created uncertainties for the improvement of bilateral relations, Qian Feng, director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told the Global Times.

"Some countries, led by the US, have launched an international campaign to discredit China. Some scholars in India believe that the international environment for India is far more favorable than that of China. Under such circumstances, they believe the intensified confrontation between China and the US will be of greater help and benefit to India and advocate reaching out to the US," Qian said.

According to the source, the border troops of China and India will keep in touch with each other on the current situation through meetings and representations.

China and India experienced a 72-day military standoff in Doklam in 2017. Since then, measures have been taken to avoid another similar major incident.

The two countries' leaders had two informal meetings and agreed both sides will continue to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and work on additional confidence-building measures through consultation.
A report recently mentioned that around 200 cooks in Los Angeles have returned to work, introducing a California project to utilize "federal disaster relief money" that is paying restaurants for the delivery of thousands of nutritious meals for seniors who are at risk.

Called "Treat Plates Delivered," the project is part of California's initiative to alleviate the suffering caused by the COVID-19 crisis that has left a trail of hunger, unemployment, and worst, death in its wake.

The Project, Helping not Just Seniors

57-year-old Alba Molina is one of the workers called for duty as a cold food preparation cook at Westin Bonaventure hotel. Molina, who considers what she does as not just any job, said, "Is helping me pay my bills."

She added that it is also "a job with benefits." Molina, as well as her fellow food prep staff from other hotels and restaurants, are packing meals for almost 4,700 elderly individuals in the greater area of Los Angeles.

This undertaking, with this undertaking, Molina said, "I feel honored" that she and her colleagues can provide the elderly with such a service.

Meanwhile in Bonaventure Hotel, a recent report mentioned seing workers busily filling trays with baked salmon, roast turkey, wild rice pilaf, steamed broccoli, vegetables, salad, and fruit.

The renowned news agency reported, the said workers then "packed the meals in boxes with labels and handed them" to taxi drivers who were waiting. The taxi drivers were commissioned to make deliveries twice every week.

52-year-old Fredy Gomez, who had no work for one month, filled the seats and trunk of his taxi with the boxes of meals.

Wearing a black face cover and a pair of surgical gloves, Gomez drove the food to "a cluster of small single-family houses," where he had the meals delivered to senior residents.

Funding for the Project

It was late last month when California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the project along with the specified objectives of providing service to residents susceptible to COVID-19. It also aimed to boost jobs "from farm to kitchen," and generate much-needed tax returns for CA cities according to another report.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA funds 75% of the budget for this program that was originally launched in Los Angeles. They are geared to serving entitled seniors in the entire Los Angeles County.

This initiative is led by the Hospitality Training Academy or HTA and Unite Here, a hotel and restaurant union based on a report. Others who are participating in the project include Beverly Hilton, University of Southern California, and Levy Restaurants of the Compass Group which serves the Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Adine Forman, the HTA executive director said, in the region by far, "have the largest kitchen" in the region so far, they "Have the largest kitchens" that they can spread people out. More so, Adine added they can guarantee too, that everybody is getting the temperatures taken.

Many government assistance projects have been under fire for supporting large instead of small businesses,In the "Treat Plates Delivered" project's case, the employees with full healthcare coverage, Unite Here Local 11 co-president Susan Minato said, "Are the biggest beneficiaries."

Check these out!
Matt Smith and Lily James have rekindled their romance, five months on from ending their five-year relationship.

The Doctor Who star actor, 37, and Downton Abbey star, 31, parted ways in December 2019, but have subsequently continued living together and have grown closer to each other again amid the coronavirus lockdown.

A source told The Sun: 'Matt and Lily's break-up was mostly because their hectic schedules meant they could barely see each other.

Sweet: Matt Smith and Lily James have reportedly rekindled their romance (pictured in 2016)

'They kept the house together when they split because they were both barely around. But when lockdown began, they ended up isolating together.

'Being in the house and having no work and distractions has allowed them to reconnect and get back to a good place. There is such an amazing chemistry between them and they make a wonderful couple.

'It's what their friends had all hoped would happen because they do make each other so happy and their split happened because they were just too busy to see each other.'

Back in March, Matt and Lily were pictured together for the first time this year after reports their romance had hit the buffers over Matt's closeness to Claire Foy, 37.

Back on: The Doctor Who star actor, 37, and Downton Abbey star, 31, split last December after five years as a couple, but they've subsequently continued living together and have grown closer to each other again amid the coronavirus lockdown (pictured in 2017)

The pair were pictured walking down the street in north London but were keen to keep two metres apart from one another.

The split followed rumours that Lily had struggled to cope with Smiths close friendship with Claire, which developed as they played the Queen and Prince Philip on acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.

However, other sources said that the couple  who met on the set of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies in 2014  were driven apart because of their hectic work schedules.

MailOnline has commented representatives for Matt and Lily for comment.

Way back when: Back in March, Matt and Lily were pictured together for the first time this year after reports their romance had hit the buffers over Matt's closeness to Claire Foy, 37 (Matt and Lily pictured in 2018)

Prior to their split last year, Matt had openly spoken about the possibility of starting a family with the 'Baby Driver' star.

The actor - who starred alongside Lily in the 2016 horror movie 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' - admitted he was looking forward to one day becoming a dad.

Meanwhile, Lily had also discussed the possibility of marrying the 'Crown' actor.

She shared: 'I've gone through different phases of wanting and not wanting to get married. I don't know where I sit with it now. What matters is the relationship and how you feel about each other.

'I come from the most incredible family, so that means a lot to me. Eventually, sharing your life with a family is the most important thing.'
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A diverse group of individual and corporate investors has filed a class action lawsuit today against blockchain software firm Block.one, alleging it defrauded them through a year-long illegal initial coin offering that netted the company in excess of $4 billion but left investors with an unregulated asset that became virtually worthless.

The suit, brought in federal court in the Southern District of New York, was filed jointly by leading investor law firm Grant & Eisenhofer along with renowned investor advocate James L. Koutoulas, blockchain and cryptocurrency litigator Jenny Vatrenko, and J. Samuel Tenenbaum of The Bluhm Legal Clinic's Complex Civil Litigation and Investor Protection Center at Northwestern University.

The action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, is brought on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or acquired EOS tokens during the period between June 26, 2017 and the present. The action is captioned: Crypto Assets Opportunity Fund LLC and Johnny Hong v. Block.one, Brendan Blumer, Daniel Larimer, Ian Grigg, and Brock Pierce, 1:20-cv-3829 (S.D.N.Y.). It is related to the action Williams et al. v. Block.One et al., 1:20-cv-02809 (S.D.N.Y.) pending before Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Today's filing is Block.one's second legal challenge over its ICO. Last September, the company agreed to a $24 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission  a relative slap on the wrist that did little to promote investor protection. The new complaint is an effort to hold Block.one and its leadership accountable for duping global investors in what may be "the biggest of all crypto frauds."

In asserting violations by Block.one of Sections 5, 12(a)(1)-(2), and 15 of the 1933 Securities Act and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act, the lawsuit alleges breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment by defendants, who comprise both current and former company executives. They include co-founders Brendan Blumer and Daniel Larimer, who remain with Block.one, and co-founder Brock Pierce, who has since departed. Also named is former partner Ian Grigg.

Block.one, founded in 2017, has operations in Virginia and Hong Kong but is registered in the Cayman Islands. Starting in June 2017 and over the course of almost a year, it sold 900 million EOS cryptocurrency tokens by aggressively marketing to investors in the United States and other countries.

Announced with great fanfare and publicized as a means of funding a new open-source software and superior competitor to the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains, the offering was accompanied by a Times Square billboard ad, a bullish white paper, presentations by company principals at blockchain conferences and meet-ups, and promotion via crypto-focused online news and investor outlets. As the complaint states, "defendants worked cooperatively to promote EOSIO as the next, superior version of the existing blockchain."

As the complaint notes, however, at no time during all of this fanfare did Block.one register its offering with the SEC, as required by U.S. securities law, nor seek an exemption from registration (for which it did not qualify).

The complaint alleges that the consequence of this willful evasion of regulations  expressly established to promote fairness and investor confidence  was to blind the ICO's investors, depriving them of disclosures regarding Block.one's financial history, operations and budget, executive compensation, material trends, risk factors, and other information required by law. In essence, the complaint alleges, Block.one made a wild-card coin offering that profited the company handsomely but ultimately left investors holding little more than crypto-dust. In September 2019, the SEC issued a cease-and-desist order against further sale of Block.one's tokens, determining they were securities under the law and had been sold without proper registration. At no time had the company disclosed that it was subject of a government investigation.

Attorneys representing investors note that Block.one's $24 million settlement with the SEC represents a meager 0.6% of the $4 billion Block.one raised through its ICO. Unusually, the settlement did not require registration of the tokens going forward, or reimbursement or rescission for investors; nor did it disqualify Block.one from making securities offerings in the future. The lawsuit argues that the company's minor mea culpa was only a tiny speed bump in what remains a successful scheme to defraud investors.

"Institutional funds that were lied to by Block.one have a duty to all their investors  large and small  to take action against fraudsters and con artists," said James Koutoulas, CEO of hedge fund Typhon Capital Management and securities lawyer who formed the nonprofit Commodity Customer Coalition and led the 101% recovery of $6.7 billion for victims of the MF Global bankruptcy. He continued, "We believe in the cryptocurrency space, which is why those who exploit it for naked personal gain need to be held accountable. Where the SEC only dipped a toe into upholding securities laws and protecting investors, our action encourages those who were swindled by this biggest of all crypto frauds to join us in pressing the courts for justice and restitution."

Daniel Berger, a director at Grant & Eisenhofer and veteran class action litigator, said, "Investors of all types deserve to be treated equitably and honestly. This lawsuit is an important means to redress the brazenly unlawful conduct that Block.one exhibited in defrauding investors through its EOS token offering."

For investors who purchased or acquired EOS securities during the Class Period, you are a member of this proposed Class and may be able to seek appointment as lead plaintiff, which is a court-appointed representative for the Class, by complying with the relevant provisions for the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA"). See 15 U.S.C. Section 78u-4(a)(2)(A)(i)-(iv). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 8, 2020. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery. You may retain counsel of your choice to represent you in this action.

About Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.

Grant & Eisenhofer is one of the U.S.'s leading litigation firms, with a highly successful track record representing plaintiffs in complex litigation and arbitration matters. The firm has offices in Wilmington (Delaware), New York, Chicago, Birmingham, and San Francisco, and an international docket of high-profile cases. G&E's clients include institutional investors and other plaintiffs in U.S. and international securities matters, derivative and corporate governance lawsuits, shareholder activism matters, bankruptcy litigation, antitrust actions, consumer class actions, whistleblower cases involving the False Claims Act, mass tort and environmental suits, birth injury litigation, intellectual property disputes, and civil rights suits. The firm has recovered over $27 billion for clients in the last ten years, and has twice been cited by RiskMetrics for securing the highest average investor recovery in securities class actions. G&E has been named one of the country's top plaintiffs' law firms by The National Law Journal for more than a decade, and was named one of the U.S.'s "Most Feared Plaintiffs Firms" as well as one of Delaware's "Regional Powerhouses for 2018" by Law360. For more information, visit www.gelaw.com.

SOURCE Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.
Robert P. George criticizes Liberty University for dissolving philosophy department

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Notable Catholic political philosopher Robert P. George is pleading with the prominent Virginia evangelical institution Liberty University to reconsider plans to dissolve its philosophy department.

In a blog post submitted to the site Mirror of Justice on Saturday, the 64-year-old Princeton University law professor and author called Liberty's decision a mistake and asked the schools leadership to reverse course.

You cannot have a true liberal arts college or university that does not have a vibrant philosophy department or some equivalent institutional way of teaching students what is taught in departments of philosophy, George wrote.

Philosophy gives us the tools and motivation and rational justification for asking and seeking by proper methods honestly to answer all the questions that we categorize in other disciplines, from history and economics to chemistry and astronomy.

Last week, the Lynchburg-based university announced that it will collapse it's bachelors program in philosophy amid a declining trend in enrollment and declining trends in degree-seeking philosophy students across the United States.

Due to the lack of interest, over several years, in a B.A. in Philosophy, we began in the fall of 2019 to collapse the program and to stop accepting new students as we had less than [20] students enrolled and five faculty to service them, a statement from Liberty University reads.

A team of some of Libertys best theologians, apologists and philosophers convened to ensure that Liberty continued to integrate and expound upon its curriculum with a deeper focus on theology, apologetics and philosophy.

George said that his plea to Liberty comes from a friend who believes in your mission. George added that he had positive experiences when he visited the campus last year and spoke with Liberty students and staff.

I know that some people do not regard philosophy as practical (though in truth it is the most practical of all academic disciplines). And I am aware that the need to cut costs often tempts people to cut things that seem impractical, George continued.

But far from abolishing philosophy as a course of study at Liberty, you should be strengthening the department (which was already a good one) and encouraging more students to enroll in its courses and even major in the field.

Professors impacted by the programs collapse have been offered generous severance packages, according to the university. The school states that the impacted professors are immediately eligible for rehire in any area that they are qualified for at the university.

One professor impacted by the decision is Mark Foreman, a professor of philosophy and religion who has taught at the school for over 30 years. In a since-deleted Facebook post, Foreman reportedly wrote that no advanced warning was given to department faculty and that there is no retirement program.

In a follow-up post, Foreman assured that he holds no ill-feelings or grudges against Liberty.

My 30 years on the faculty have been rewarding and satisfying, Foreman wrote. I have loved my students and colleagues and have been treated well by the administration. I only wish for continued success for the school. Nobody should read anything negative about the university or its administration from my comments.

Liberty dissolved its masters program in philosophy in 2015 due to waning enrollment. At the time, Liberty began the process of evaluating its bachelors program and worked toward trying to increase enrollment numbers.

In 2012, the bachelors program in philosophy was moved from the School of Divinity to the College of Arts & Sciences.

Last June, Liberty cut faculty from its Rawlings School of Divinity due to decreased student enrollment in the department programs.

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. explained to Inside Higher Ed last year that the cuts were a purely business decision that should have been done earlier.

Its a cultural shift from full-time ministry workers to Christians in all professions working to make a difference, Falwell explained at the time.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Liberty University, one of the largest Christian colleges in the country, has over 79,000 total students enrolled.

The decline in the divinity school's enrollment comes as similar trends have impacted other divinity schools around the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone talk with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

The two discussed the situation in the border regions of Dagestan, where a large number of Azerbaijanis gathered to go home, the Kremlins press service reported

The conversation was initiated by the Russian side.

The difficult situation in the border regions of Dagestan was discussed, where a large number of Azerbaijani citizens accumulated seeking to go home. It was agreed to give instructions to the relevant ministries and departments of the two states to quickly work out all issues related to this in cooperation with regional authorities.
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem expressed satisfaction over the results of the May 15 meeting of European Union foreign ministers. In a statement released after this monthly meeting, the EU said, "Ministers expressed their willingness to work comprehensively and constructively with the new government [of Israel] once it is sworn in, but also reaffirmed their support for a negotiated two state solution. The short statement did not refer directly to the issue of Israels annexation plans, nor did it refer specifically to any possible European sanctions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell addressed these issues carefully in the video press conference that followed the ministerial statement, saying the EU must work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation. Borrell warned, "As always, we are thinking what a geopolitical power as the European Union can do using its capacities, and thats what we will do.  It does not mean that we are going to do that tomorrow, but we are permanently engaged on that, and we will do it as soon as possible.

For Jerusalem, this language reflects growing disagreement between EU member states on sanctioning Israel over plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the West Bank this summer. Israeli diplomats have been campaigning the past two weeks in various European capitals to thwart any EU decision to punish Israel over annexation plans. While the diplomats cannot offer guarantees that the plans will not be implemented, they are arguing that with the new government sworn in May 17, sanctions would be counterproductive for all sides.

Jerusalems diplomatic efforts were focused on European countries considered friendly to Israel, such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, with the idea of preventing a consensus among EU members for advancing sanctions against Israel. For the moment, this strategy seems to be working, as the EU has not made a decision on a broad statement against Israel, which would require unanimity, or on pushing a resolution in that vein in the United Nations.

Still, the fact that such statements or resolutions have not been advanced does not mean that the EU has agreed to sit and wait for Israels new government to make up its mind. Borrell hinted in that direction when he said, "There have been several proposals on the table, from different approaches, and some member states said that we have to think about how we manage to enhance our relationship with Israel and which things we can do in order to try to prevent any possible annexation.

Israeli diplomats are now worried that the EU, with France, Belgium, Ireland and Sweden in the forefront, would push for several preventive sanctions that do not require unanimity but could be adopted by a majority vote. For example, this could include suspending Israel from the 2021-2027 Horizon Europe research and development plan, which could affect significant financial support for Israeli research.

And then there is the issue of Israels new government that now includes the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz; although Benjamin Netanyahu remains prime minister, it is no longer such a right-wing government. Israels Foreign Ministry hopes that the EU will offer the new Cabinet a grace period and try working with, not against, new Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.
The group of 15 charged with organising and taking part in last years Hong Kong protests.

Hong Kong has charged a group of prominent pro-democracy activists for taking part in last years mass anti-government protests.

Among those in court on Monday to hear formal charges were 72-year-old media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily, and Martin Lee, an octogenarian former lawyer who helped write the citys constitution.

The group of 15 also includes former legislators Margaret Ng, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Au Nok-hin and current legislator Leung Yiu-chung.

All of them were charged with organising and taking part in last years assemblies. Five face a more serious charge of incitement, which carries up to five years in jail.

All were bailed out, and some used the appearance to criticise the government.

Asked by a judge if he understood the charges, social activist Raphael Wong shouted: I understand this is a political prosecution.

Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown, reporting from the court, said the case has now been adjourned until next month.

They have been charged under a colonial-era law known as the Public Order Ordinance. This is a very vague piece of legislation, he said. It means they potentially face up to five years in prison for taking part in last years assemblies.

The arrests sparked criticism from the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United Nations human rights body, the latter saying non-violent activists should not be prosecuted for attending unsanctioned rallies.

Hong Kongs government said the police were following the law while Beijing has praised the prosecutions.

Legislators scuffle

The charges came on another day of chaos inside the citys House Committee  a body that helps scrutinise bills  with protesting pro-democracy MPs dragged from the chamber by security guards and scuffles between rival camps.

It is the second time in two weeks that clashes have broken out as pro-democracy supporters try to scupper a law that criminalises alleged abuse of Chinas national anthem.

Calls for greater democracy have snowballed in recent years as fears rise that Beijing is working to erode Hong Kongs freedoms.

Millions hit the streets last year for seven months of pro-democracy rallies that often spun out into clashes between police and petrol bomb-wielding protesters.

200518040708429

Those protests were initially sparked by another controversial bill that would have allowed extraditions of suspects to mainland China to face trial there.

That bill, which was eventually withdrawn, also sparked fights in the legislature before the political unrest exploded onto the streets.

Chinas leaders have dismissed popular anger in Hong Kong and instead portrayed last years protests as a foreign-sponsored plot to destabilise the motherland.

Beijing has made clear it wants new security legislation passed after last years unrest, including an anti-sedition law and the national anthem bill  as well as more patriotic education in schools.
The first fire was reported at 12:38 a.m. in the 1300 block of H Street NE, outside the Atlas Performing Arts Center. A man told police he had been outside the building when the suspect walked by him, doused a shirt with an unknown flammable liquid, and threw it at him, according to an internal police bulletin obtained by The Washington Post.
18.05.2020 LISTEN

TARKWA-NSUAEM

Press Conference  18th May, 2020

Concern Citizens Appeals to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana to Reconsider His Decision of Revoking the Mandate of Hon. Gilbert Kennedy Asmah, Municipal Chief Executive

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media;

Leadership is a call to serve, and a serving leader, Hon. Gilbert Kennedy Asmahs revocation as the Municipal Chief Executive for the TarkwaNsuaem Municipal Assembly has come as a shock to majority of the people in the Municipality, hence the Concern Citizens Association of Tarkwa-Nsuaem are appealing to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, to reconsider his decision.

We are struck to heart with the news that Hon. Gilbert Kennedy Asmah whose able leadership has brought our Municipality to lime light, has been revoked from his position.

The Hon. MCE has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a municipality which had 79th position nationwide in the 2016/2017 District League Table assessment of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana), performed creditably to a 7th position in the 2017/2018 assessment under his leadership. In addition, the Municipal Assembly was also 5th across the entire country under the Local Government performance Management Assessment of MMDAs in 2019, and 1st in the Western region through his efforts.

Hon. K. D. Asmah proactively ensured effective supervision for the implementation of His Excellency the Presidents prudent economic, social and infrastructure development policies, programmes and projects in the Municipality to the benefit of majority of the people.

He has rolled out a series of development projects across every sector of the local economy such as the construction of link roads and revamping of existing markets to open up economic activities, agriculture, CHPS Compounds and other health initiated programmes, the provision of good drink water to communities municipal wide, school infrastructure projects, and many more locally based projects that have helped the people of the municipality to a very large extent.

Hon. Asmah is a perfect and an affable gentleman who is admired and loved by majority of residents in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. He established a very cordial relationship with the traditional authorities, the grassroots party faithful, Hon. Assembly Members and the good people of the Municipality, both young and the elderly.

Infact, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, and the tree with fruits on its branches receives the highest number of stones from children. We are not oblivion of the fact that the good works of the Hon. MCE as a leader of the Municipality has attracted greater inward opposition from people he could have boast to work with for a greater achievement. We are aware that opposition is a threat to every leader and ones opponent power depends on his or her power to influence greater authorities to his or her favor.

Since Hon. Gilbert Kennedy Asmah was inaugurated into office in 2017, he has suffered a series of opposition, threats, humiliation, physical and verbal attacks from some internal members of his own New Patriotic Party NPP that he once led as the Constituency Chairman before becoming the Municipal Chief Executive. These acts of vindictiveness are often orchestrated by the Hon. Member of Parliament, George Mireku Duker and his cousin, Benjamin Kesse to satisfy their personal greed and selfish interest.

Even before this unfortunate incident, the new MCE Nominee, Benjamin Kesse and Member of Parliament-led group have fiercely and consistently threaten to oust Hon. Asmah from his office with macho men on several occasions all because the MCE doesnt buy into their create, loot and share mantra. The most terrible of it all is that the MP Hon. George Mireku Duker has vehemently told Hon Asmah and his close relations barely some weeks upon assumption into office that he will only cooperate and work with, Hon Asmah on ground that, he disassociate himself from the former Member of Parliament and the current deputy Minister of Western Region, Hon. Mrs. Eugenia Gifty Kusi whom he, Mireku Duker dislikes, just to say a few.

We wish to use this opportunity to state just few of the physical developmental projects being implement under the able leadership of Hon. Gilbert K. Asmah in the last three (3) years;

Construction of Bonsa-Benso road - ongoing

Lobbied and facilitated for the construction of Nana Angu-UmatSpace fm road

Construction of Alimens-cyanide link road

Construction of 2 market sheds with axillary at Dompim

Construction of 3 unit classroom block with axillary facilities at Nsuaem

Construction of CHPS Compound at Mile-5

Construction of 6 unit classroom block, office and store with 4 seater W/C toilet facility and 3 unit urinal facility

Construction of 2 bedroom semi-detached story of 4 flats for Government Hospital Doctors.

Construction of 10 unit lockable market stores, 10 unit partitioned sheds,16 unit open sheds, 6 unit W/C toilet facility and 2 bay urinal facility.

Supply of furniture for 3 polling stations and a fire station at Benso, Wassa , Simpa, Dompim and Ahwetieso

Construction of enhanced CHPS compound, 1 open shed, 2 bedroom flat, 2 bay urinal and supply of hospital items.

Continuation and completion of wood sellers market, 20 open sheds for carpenters and board sellers, 11 open sheds for machine shop owners 7 tools room, 4 sheds for sprayer, 1 refuse bay and 2 bay urinal

Continuation and completion of an ultra-modern Assembly Complex.

Construction of 10 unit market shed, 12 unit Market shed and 4

seater enviro-loo toilet and 2 bay urinal facility.

Construction of 3 unit classroom block with office, store, classroom block, computer room and construction of 2 unit KG block, concrete-U drain, 6 seater enviro-lo toilet and 2 bay urinal including latrine filling work to make up levels

Supply and installation of fire hydrant, pipe laying works, construction and mechanization of 1 bore hole with overhead water tank and stand, and connection to Ghana water Company main line at fire station, Ahwetieso, just to mention but a few.

Ladies and gentlemen, the revocation of the Hon. MCEs appointment, if not reconsidered will develop a huge drawback in the development of Tarkwa-Nsuaem and affects the fortunes of our party in the constituency in the upcoming 2020-elections. We are therefore, humbly presenting this appeal to His Excellency the father of our beloved country, and anticipates a response which would demonstrate his fatherhood over all the wellmeaning citizens of Ghana, especially the good citizenry of TarkwaNsuaem Municipality who are currently under a dark horse scenario leadership.

Thank you

SPOKESPERSON-
A family from Nepal, which is stranded in Katra amid the lockdown, has urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to deport them to their native land at the earliest.

The family claimed that they had come here to pay obeisance at the Vaishno Devi Shrine in March but have been stranded since the nationwide lockdown was imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Though the Nepalese family, which includes five women, six men and children, are being given food and shelter by the district administration, they now want to return to their native country.

We have been here since more than 70 days. The administration is providing us with food and shelter but we have families back home where old parents and children are waiting for us. The administration should send us back, a woman from the family told mediapersons here.

Reasi district commissioner Indu Kanwal Chib said, They are neither pilgrims nor tourists. They are destitute people, who generally come to such places. For the past 70 days we are looking after them. We are providing them with food and shelter.

Chib said the administration is now planning to send them back home.

Though sending them to Nepal is a bit difficult for us and not in our domain, we can send them to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh or till Bihar border where they will get a train. The administration is paying for their travel expenses but I want to know their willingness. Sometimes they show the urge to go back but then they backtrack, Chib said, adding that in a day or two they will be sent to a place nearest to their native land.
New Delhi: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday issued fresh guidelines saying 50% of staff below the deputy secretary level will attend offices on alternate days. It has instructed the department heads to prepare rosters to ensure staggered timings for the junior staffers. Since last month, officers of the deputy secretary rank and above have been attending offices daily.

The DoPT, the Centres coordinating agency, had last month allowed only 33% junior staffers to return to work.

The government on Sunday extended the nationwide lockdown imposed in late March to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic until May 31. It has also eased curbs on private offices that were previously allowed to function with 33% staff strength while making the wearing of mask mandatory along with social distancing norms.

Officials said the Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry was also planning a work from the home framework for which feedback has been sought from the Union ministries. Extension of the virtual private network has been recommended to section-level officers to make work from home more convenient, they added.
The South African government is devising a new policy to change the country's marriage laws, including recognising traditional Hindu and Muslim alliances.

Customary Hindu and Muslim marriages are currently not recognised as having the same legal status as civil marriages as per the country's Marriage Act 25 of 1961, which was enacted in the apartheid-era when only Christian marriages were recognised as being legal.

This has led to serious issues, especially in denying rights to Muslim women in second marriages allowed under the Islamic law.

In order to avoid children born into such a marriage being classified illegitimate, Hindu and Muslim couples had to undergo a second civil marriage in a court of law.

The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) explained in a presentation to the Parliament that the legislation which currently regulates marriages in South Africa has been developed without an overarching policy based on the constitutional prescripts of equality, non-discrimination and human dignity.

Despite all the changes that have been made in the marriage legislation post-1994, there are still serious gaps in the current legislation.

For instance, the current legislation does not regulate some religious marriages such as the Hindu, Muslim and other customary marriages that are practised in some African or royal families, the DHA said.

Given the diversity of the South African population, it is virtually impossible to pass legislation governing every single religious or cultural marriage practice.

It is against this background that the DHA is embarking in the process of developing a marriage policy that will lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation, it said.

The DHA said that the policy will be made available for public input during the coming year and for possible approval by the Cabinet by March 2021.

After the democratic order introduced with Nelson Mandela becoming the first democratically-elected President of the country in 1994, an attempt was made to correct this by appointing some Hindu priests and Muslim clerics who conducted Nikaah ceremonies as marriage officers.

They were required to complete the relevant documents at the same time as the traditional marriage and submit them to the Department.

Now the government wants to make things simpler through harmonising the different approaches to traditional marriages, including customary unions in the Black African communities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Moderna's closely watched early-stage human trial for a coronavirus vaccine produced Covid-19 antibodies in all 45 participants, the biotech company announced Monday, sending the company's shares surging nearly 20%.

Each participant received a 25, 100 or 250 microgram dose, with 15 people in each dose group. Participants received two doses of the potential vaccine via intramuscular injection in the upper arm approximately 28 days apart.

At day 43, or two weeks following the second dose, levels of binding antibodies in the 25 microgram group were at the levels generally seen in blood samples from people who recovered from the disease, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said. Those in the 100 microgram had antibodies that "significantly exceeded levels" in recovered patients. Data on a second dose was not available for the 250 microgram group, the company said.

The vaccine also produced neutralizing antibodies against Covid-19 in at least eight participants, the company said. Experts have said neutralizing antibodies appear to be important in acquiring protection.

Four participants were assigned to receive a 25 microgram dose, while the other four received 100 micrograms. Levels of neutralizing antibodies were at or above levels seen in blood samples, the company said. Data on neutralizing antibodies for the other participants were not yet available, Moderna said.

"These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 [micrograms]," Moderna chief medical officer Dr. Tal Zaks said in a statement.

"When combined with the success in preventing viral replication in the lungs of a pre-clinical challenge model at a dose that elicited similar levels of neutralizing antibodies, these data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent COVID-19 disease and advance our ability to select a dose for pivotal trials," Zaks added.
Kerala on Monday



witnessed a big single day spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days with 29 people, all but one returnees from overseas and other states, testing positive for the pathogen, as the state stared at a probable third wave of the dreaded virus.

The LDF government decided to set up special police task force in all cities and towns to implement mandatory wearing of masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Confirming fears of the government, which had expected a rise in cases once the expatriates started returning from the Gulf and other countries besides from other states, the active cases more than doubled to 130 from the 64 just four days ago while over 67,000 people remained under observation.

The total positive cases touched 630 in the state, which had on May 8 declared it had flattened the curve.

Of the 29 cases, as many as 21 areexpatriates, who had been brought back to the state as part of the Centre's "Vande Bharat" mission, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here.

Seven others had come from other states, while a health worker inKannur was infected throughcontact, he said, giving details of the new cases.

The first Air India repatriation flight had landed in the state on May 7 from Abu Dhabi and since then several flights and two ships had been operated with hundreds of people being brought back home. Besides, nearly 1,000 Keralites returned by a special train from New Delhi on Friday.

On May 8, Vijayan had said the state has flattened the COVID-19 curve with only 16 active cases then, but also cautioned the state needed to be careful to avoid another wave of the deadly virus and there cannot be room for any complacency.

The country's first COVID-19 case was reported in Kerala on January 30 when a medical student from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, tested positive in Thrissur.

The second wave of the virus had hit the state during March when a three-member family returned from Italy.

In his media briefing on Monday, the Chief Minister said police have registered cases against three non-resident Keralites, who had arrived here from Abu Dhabi and Maldives recently, for withholding information that they were infected by coronavirus.

The cases were registered under the Kerala Epidemic Act.

Despite clearly being aware that theyare positive for the infection, the three failed to inform the officials, he said, without elaborating further.

For thesecond straight day, none has been discharged from hospitals in the state.

Of the new cases, Kollam reported six cases, Thrissur four and Thiruvananthapuram, and Kannur three each. Pathnamthitta, Alapuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kasaragod recorded two cases each while one case each was from Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts, Vijayan said.

The total coronavirus hotspotsin the state rose to 29, including Kollam.

At least 67,789 people were under observation and 473 of them in various hospitals, inclduing127 admitted on Monday.

So far, 45,905 samples have been sent for testing of which 44,651 have returned negative, he said.

Vijayan said to ensure that people wear masks in public places, special police task force will be constituted in all cities and towns.

On Monday, a total of 1,344 cases were registered against people for not wearing masks and16 were booked for violating quarantine norms.

For lockdown violations, as many as 1,366 cases were registered, 1,496 been arrestedand 692 vehicles seized during the day, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Due to the lockdown in place, most of us have asked our domestic workers to stay home till it is safe to venture out. But, this has hit the workers hard. Since there is no job, they dont get paid and thousands of workers, especially women, are finding it difficult to feed their families. Express spoke to a few of them to find out how they are coping during this difficult time...

Shankari, a widow and mother of three, left Chennai a couple of days before lockdown 1.0. She went back to her home in Tirupattur to be with her children, who were sent back from government residential schools.In a matter of days, all families asked me to stop coming to work. I knew that there was a virus on the loose, but I didnt think it would affect me, said Shankari. With no job, she went to all her employers house to collect monthly wage and return home to her children.

Usually she worked two hours a day in each house and made Rs 10,000 a month. One of them gave me the March wage completely. Two of them gave Rs 1,500 and one old woman I work for paid me only Rs 1,000, Shankari said.

The Rs 6,500 she had, in addition to her savings, kept the family afloat for the first month of the lockdown, but now they have run out of money and supplies. I have no money and the family depends on me. My children are hungry, she said.

She is not the only suffering during the lockdown. A large number of female domestic workers are either single parents or live with alcoholic or abusive husbands. The family loses financial stability if they stop going to work, said T A Lata, General Secretary of the Domestic Workers Union belonging to the CPM affiliated CITU.

Mallika (name changed) a domestic from Kodungaiyur said her husband, an auto driver, barely gave any money for household expenses. He only pays the rent. Since both of us are not working during the lockdown, we have no income, but our landlord keeps asking for rent, she lamented.

When she asked her employers for an advance, they loaned her Rs 10,000 with four per cent interest. I have no idea how I will pay them back, she says. Her friend Sudha (name changed) who works as a cook in three houses said the initial rations and Rs 1,000 given by the government fed her and two sons for a while. My employers did not give me any advance. One of them still has not even paid my March salary. I got some loan from my landlord. I am scared about the future, she said.

I cooked for three families almost every day for the last 6-7 years and yet I cant feed my own family now, she rued.Many live-in domestic workers have also been forced to go back to hostile homes which they left in the first place, said R Geetha, said a labour rights activist.

Issue at hand

Domestic workers stuggle to make the ends meet during the lockdown. Some employers provide them loans, but workers worry about repaying them as they are the sole breadwinners of their families
Pune, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global digital production printer market size is predicted to reach USD 5,939.1 million by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.6% during the forecast period. The shift from conventional offset technology to digital printing will favor healthy growth of the market, states Fortune Business Insights in a report, titled Digital Production Printer Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Technology (Inkjet, Electrophotography), By Feed (Continuous Feed, Cut Sheet), By Technology Vs. Feed (Continuous Feed Inkjet, Continuous-Feed Electrophotography, Cut-Sheet Inkjet, Cut-Sheet Electrophotography), By Application (Transactional, Advertising) and Regional Forecast, 2018-2025 the market size stood at USD 2,352 million in 2017. The escalation in print media consumption involving published books, direct mail, marketing collaterals, newspaper, magazines will spur opportunities for the market.





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An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.



Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market.

Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/digital-production-printer-market-100158





Market Driver:

Rising Proclivity for Inkjet Printers to Augment Growth

Digital inkjet (DI) presses generate offsetquality printing on short-run jobs, making a wider range of products more affordable for the customers. Thus, the development of cost-effective trailblazing feed inkjet printers by manufacturers for fast printing will spur opportunities for the market. The integration of prepress software in DI for the seamless print workflow will favor the growth of the market. The growing production of books and magazines will spur demand for digital inkjet owing to the right-size run lengths in printing paperbacks, thus reducing waste and associated costs when compared with offset. The technological advancement in inkjet printing technology will create a lucrative business for the market in the forthcoming years.

The growing awareness regarding the advantages of digital printing in relation to electronic collation, personalization, instant manufacturing, workflow automation, and improved productivity will boost the growth of the market. The capabilities of inkjets to produce a higher-volume, quick, and personalized prints at affordable prices will bolster the growth of the market. Besides, the color quality of color inkjet print heads is far superior to laser print heads, which in turn, will augur well for the market. In addition, the mass-personalization, evolving advertising channels, and digital advertising will influence the adoption of production printers.





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Regional Analysis:

Advancing Literacy Rate to Aid Development in Asia Pacific

The market in North America generated a revenue of US$ 784.3 Mn in 2017 and is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period owing to the growing production of digital printers in the region. The technological advancement in print and digital technology along with the adoption of personalized printing will promote growth in North America. The market in Asia Pacific generated a revenue of US$ 588.7 Mn in 2017. The growth in the region is attributed to the rising literacy rate in emerging nations. The consumption of books, magazines, transactional emails, and publishing of other paper documents will contribute positively to the growth of the market. The rising income of citizens along with the demand and supply of production printers will have a tremendous impact on the market during the forecast period.

List of Key Companies Operating in the Digital Production Printer Market are:

Canon

Xerox

Ricoh

Hewlett Packard

Konica Minolta

among others.







Quick Buy  Digital Production Printer Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/100158







Detailed Table of Content

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology and Acronyms

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Global Production Printed Pages by Digital Technology Market Overview (Billions of Pages) By Application (Billions of Pages) Transactional Advertising (Direct Mail and Others) Books Newspaper Magazines and Brochure Others (Graphic Arts) By Technology (Billions of Pages) Inkjet/High-Speed Inkjet Electrophotography By Feed Continuous Feed Cut Sheet By Printing One-Sided Printing Duplex Printing Cut Sheet High Speed Inkjet Printer Analysis, By Paper Format Type Global Digital Production Printers Market Overview Installed Base and New Shipments, 2018  2025 Industry SWOT Analysis Price Trend Analysis

Global Digital Production Printer Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-2025 Definitions Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Printing Technology Inkjet/High Speed Inkjet Electrophotography Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Feed Continuous Feed CutSheet Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Printing Technology Versus Feed Continuous Feed Inkjet/HighSpeed Inkjet Electrophotography Cut Sheet Inkjet/HighSpeed Inkjet Electrophotography Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Transactional Advertising (Direct Mail and Others) Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa



TOC Continued..!!!







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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Laser Printer Toners Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Magnetic, Non-magnetic), By Application (Industrial, Household, Commercial) Others and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026





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Two months after effectively freezing American auto manufacturing, Detroit's "Big Three" on Monday began a gradual ramp-up of plants with new configurations and procedures to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.

Some hourly workers have expressed concerns about the risks of assembly line activity, where staff traditionally have worked side-by-side. But automakers say they will be able to work while practicing social distancing and taking other measures to protect workers.

"We will monitor the situation, adapt accordingly and make any changes to policy in accordance with the CDC/WHO-recommended employee safety practices," General Motors said in a safety flier given to workers.

Spokesman for the United Auto Workers Brian Rothenberg said defenders of labor would monitor how things go.

"It's still early but I haven't heard of major incidents, and staffing appears to be at or above estimates as people go through protocols," Rothenberg said.

As they entered GM plants for Chevrolet, GMC and other brands, GM took the temperature of employees and provided facemasks and other personal protective equipment, company spokesman Jim Cain said.

Automakers have disinfected work stations, revamped spaces, staggered shift times and installed soap and cleaning equipment throughout the factories.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said earlier this month that the company would resume production "in a very cadenced and thoughtful way" with just one shift before adding more.

Ford set return-to-work dates for several plants for the week of May 18, while listing a few factories that would not resume until the week of May 25.

Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett said that the company's confidence in the restart stemmed from the success of operations in Europe and Thailand, where workers have been brought back without sparking COVID-19 outbreaks.

"We have not found an infection in any of those factories," Hackett told NPR.

Hackett said the coronavirus crisis had forced a rethink of plant operations.

"Prior to COVID, we would put more than one person in a vehicle as it was moving down the line as they were adding items," Hackett said. "We've rechoreographed that so it's not going to happen."
New MotorCities At Home Virtual Zoom Programs Debuts with a Look at Cool Hood Ornaments +VIDEO























DETROIT May 14, 2020; Since we're all still staying at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, MotorCities is presenting a new series of virtual programs featuring members of our Speakers Bureau discussing interesting automotive history topics. Each program is FREE and presented as a live Zoom conference.

The series kicks off this Friday at noon with "Mascots of Motion" with automotive journalist and photo artist Steve Purdy. His presentation features classic and collector car hood ornaments. The slide show accompanying the talk is a colorful exploration of about 50 of these images, from a Rolls-Royce "Spirit of Ecstasy" Oldsmobile plaque; to a Stutz "Ra."

Purdy is a Williamston, Michigan-based multimedia automotive journalist. He is a charter member of the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and a trustee of the National Automotive History Collection of the Detroit Public Library.

To register for this Friday's event, click https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-CvqzIiG9S8lfyg53CBb3svIqyjp-bB.
Teen Mom OG's Gary Shirley shared the news over the weekend that his stepfather Jody had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The 33-year-old former reality star revealed on Instagram that his stepdad had to be rushed to the hospital, where he also received a pneumonia diagnosis.

Shirley had previously announced that his mother Carol Zizak had been sickened by the coronavirus.

Medical crisis: Teen Mom OG's Gary Shirley, 33, revealed over the weekend that his stepfather Jody had been rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia

'Please continue to pray for my family. Jody (my stepdad) was rushed to the hospital a few days ago with very low levels of oxygen,' Shirley captioned a photo collage of his step-father.

'He was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit and diagnosed with Covid-19 & Pneumonia. He is receiving plasma, a new clinical trial drug and on a breathing machine in hopes to fight this virus.

'As you can imagine this is very difficult on my family,' he continued, before sharing some positive news about his mother.

'Update on my mom.... She is getting stronger everyday and on the mend,' he wrote, adding a prayer hands emoji and tagging his wife Kristina Shirley.

Thoughts and prayers: 'Please continue to pray for my family. Jody (my stepdad) was rushed to the hospital a few days ago with very low levels of oxygen,' Shirley captioned a collage of his step-father; shown in 2017

Looking up: 'Update on my mom.... She is getting stronger everyday and on the mend,' he wrote of his mother Carol Zizak in the same post

A week earlier, he revealed that she had the symptoms of COVID-19 after working in a high-risk assisted living facility.

'This Mothers Day is a little hard because my mother is very sick. A week ago she was diagnosed with Covid-19. Her line of work put her at a higher risk since she was working in activities and house keeping at an assisted living facility,' he captioned a photo of Carol with his daughter Emilee, five.

'My wife and I have been trying to help by dropping off food (curbside) so she could focus on getting rest. We havent hugged her in about 3 months & we havent had her over inside our home for about 3 months. This has been extremely hard for all of us.'

Later, Gary shared a photo of a breakfast feast he cooked for his parents and dropped off outside their home so as not to expose himself to the virus, though he noted that Carol couldn't 'taste much of anything,' a symptom commonly reported by COVID-19 patients.

Helping hand: Shirley posted a photo last week of the breakfast food he dropped off at his parents' house while they recovered from the coronavirus

Playing it safe: The reality starturnedpolice officer revealed he was taking quarantine 'very seriously' because his younger daughter Emilee 'has an immunodeficiency disorder'

Gary also clarified that he was taking quarantine 'very seriously' because Emilee 'has an immunodeficiency disorder' that makes it easy for her to contract illnesses.

In addition to Emilee, whom he shares with his wife Kristina, Gary shares his 11-year-old daughter Leah with his ex Amber Portwood.

Earlier in May, the Teen Mom fixture donated 1,000 N95 masks to Richmond State Hospital in her home state of Indiana.

"Here in the Midwest we're getting hit pretty hard,' she told People. 'We called around to a couple places. I just wanted to do my part any way that I could, and the first place that called us [back] was Richmond State Hospital.

'We just kind of asked them "What do you need most at the moment?" and they said they needed N95 masks. I said, "If this is what's needed, then I'm going to do that." So, I donated about 1,000 masks to them.'
The Commissionerate of



Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack on Monday imposed 12-hour night curfew in both the cities till May 31, official sources said.

Commissioner of Police Sudhansu Sarangi in an order said: Movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am, except for essential activities. Local authorities shall issue orders in the entire area of their jurisdiction, under appropriate provision of law, such as prohibitory orders (curfew) under section 144 of CrPC and ensure strict compliance.

The order is promulgated in urgent need to avoid danger to human life, health safety by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

I direct that movement of all non-essential activities in the jurisdiction of the police commissionerate, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am till 31.05.2020 from the date of the publication of the order, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Naftogaz Ukraine state company Delo.ua

The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine provided the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) with temporary access to official memos of Naftogaz regarding the payment of bonuses to 41 employees of the company, as Our money reports, referring to the decision of May 4.

The court made this decision as part of the investigation into the abuse of members of the Supervisory Board, the chairman and members of the board of Naftogaz, in their decision to pay bonuses to company employees. This decision entailed consequences in relation to state interests.

The investigation established that in February 2018, the Arbitration Institute of the Chamber of Commerce in Stockholm met Naftogazs claims for the recovery of transit debts from the Russian Gazprom in the total amount of $ 4.67 billion. After offsetting, the debt amounted to $ 2.57 billion.

Subsequently, in April of that year, members of the Supervisory Board of Naftogaz appointed bonuses to the board and some other employees, in total 41 people. The total remuneration amounted to 1% of the total winnings of $ 43.6 million.

It is noted that at the time the decision was made, funds to the account of Naftogaz had not yet arrived. In addition, the minutes of the meeting did not provide a list of employees and the number of bonuses payable, and also did not indicate the contribution of each employee from this list to the victory over Gazprom.

The investigation noted that the representation of Naftogazs interests in Stockholm was not carried out by NAC employees, but by Wikbord Rein Advokatfirms AS on the basis of a number of contracts for the procurement of legal services.

NABU detectives had previously obtained access to the documents of Naftogaz, but then they were not provided with all the documents on the basis of which the payment of bonuses took place. In particular, information regarding the circumstances of the preparation of the service notes and their certified copies were not provided.

As we reported earlier, Naftogaz-Ukraine has decided to dismiss its executive director Yuriy Vitrenko who has been involved with legal actions against the Russian Gazprom in recent years.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on May 18, 2020

2020/05/18

CCTV: Health ministers from China, Japan and the ROK held a special video conference on coronavirus on May 15. Could you give us more details?

Zhao Lijian: Last Friday night, China, Japan and the ROK held a special health ministers' virtual meeting on coronavirus after which a joint statement was adopted. This is another important event of experience-sharing among the three countries after the special foreign ministers' video conference in March, the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 and the ASEAN Plus Three Health Ministers Meeting on COVID-19 in April.

China updated the other two countries on its latest epidemic control measures and experience and made three proposals on the future cooperation. First, to support WHO's leading role in epidemic response; second, to boost international cooperation on collective epidemic prevention and control; third, to jointly help countries with fragile health systems to improve preparedness. China calls on all countries to continue working together in the combat against the epidemics, jointly uphold regional and global health security and support the building of a community of health for all. The Japanese and ROK representatives gave briefings on the latest epidemic situation and response back at home, expressed readiness to continue supporting WHO's leading role in global epidemic response, and stated all parties should strengthen global solidarity and coordination in the fight against the virus.

As friendly neighbors, China, Japan and the ROK have a shared future in the face of the pandemic. Since the COVID-19 broke out, the three countries have been lending mutual support and assistance to each other. China stands ready to continue to work with Japan and the ROK to stay in close communication, share experience, coordinate epidemic control measures to jointly win the final victory against the pandemic and contribute to regional and global public health security.

The Australian: More than 100 of the WHO's almost 190 members now support an independent inquiry into the coronavirus. Those countries on every continent in the world include Russia, Japan, India, the EU, Brazil, Australia and almost every nation in Africa. Will China support the independent inquiry when it is introduced at tomorrow's WHA?

Zhao Lijian: What you said is not accurate. The European Union recently submitted a draft resolution on COVID-19 to the 73rd World Health Assembly on which all parties have reached consensus. On the tracing of the origin of the virus, all parties agreed to choose wording following the recommendations of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee and ask the WHO Director-General to closely cooperate with OIE, FAO and the member states to identify the animal source of the virus, its route for transmission to humans and possible intermediate hosts, aiming to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future. This demonstrates a scientific and professional spirit. As to the evaluation of WHO response to COVID-19, the draft resolution requests the Director-General to, after consultations with member states, initiate at the appropriate moment a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation to review experience gained and lessons learnt from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19 and propose suggestions for the work in the future. This is a customary practice for the WHO after dealing with a pandemic. For the international community, the above-mentioned is the largest possible common ground on the relevant issue.

During the consultations on the resolution, the overwhelming majority of countries believed the pandemic has yet to pass and the cooperation on COVID-19 remains the most pressing task. It is immature to immediately initiate the review and trace the origin of the virus for the time being.

We hope all parties will uphold a science-based and cooperative spirit at this WHA and focus on having constructive discussions on enhancing international public health cooperation and improving international public health system.

Follow-up: You said all parties reached consensus on the text of the draft resolution. You said at this press conference earlier that Australia's support for the independent inquiry is politically motivated. Has China changed its position?

Zhao Lijian: Our position is consistent.

I would like to add a few points. The EU submitted a draft resolution on COVID-19 to this year's WHA, and the parties reached consensus on the content of the draft resolution after thorough discussion. China, together with other countries, has actively participated in the consultations on the draft and joined the consensus on the current text.

Against the backdrop of the global spread of the pandemic, the adoption of this resolution aims to support WHO in playing a leading role and focus efforts on current international cooperation in the fight against the virus. The text of the current draft resolution calls on member states to take necessary measures to prevent discrimination and stigmatization, combat misinformation and disinformation, strengthen cooperation in the development of diagnostic tools, treatment methods, drugs and vaccines, and discovering the animal sources of the virus, and review the WHO's response to the outbreak at the appropriate moment. All these are in line with China's position. After the resolution is adopted, you may read the text carefully. The adoption of any resolution is the result of the joint efforts of member states and the text should not be interpreted in an out-of-context and one-sided way.

The content of the text is totally different from the "independent review" you talked about.

Beijing Youth Daily: On May 14, the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relation (CICIR), the Carter Center of the United States and the South Africa Institute of International Affairs jointly held a virtual workshop to discuss trilateral COVID-19 cooperation between China, the United States and Africa. How does the Chinese Foreign Ministry comment on this?

Zhao Lijian: It is helpful for think tanks in China, the US and Africa to have such discussions. The virus is a common enemy to all mankind, regardless of borders or races. Solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon for the international community to defeat the pandemic. The current situation in Africa is grim. Closer cooperation between China, the US and Africa can play an important role in African countries' fight against COVID-19. China holds a positive stance on that.

Associated Press of Pakistan: We noted President Xi wrote a reply letter to Pakistani students at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. Do you have more information to offer?

Zhao Lijian: Thank you for the question. On May 17, President Xi Jinping wrote a letter to all Pakistani students at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. There's a press release on the letter, and I'm pleased to talk about some more details.

In his letter, President Xi said he is happy to know that the Pakistani students have learned a wealth of knowledge and made a lot of Chinese friends. Since the start of the epidemic outbreak, the Chinese government and colleges have always cared about the safety and health of foreign students in China and have provided them with all-round help. Life matters most. The Chinese government and the Chinese people treat and care for Chinese and foreign nationals equally.

President Xi wrote that during the fight against COVID-19, many international students cheered for the Chinese people in various ways. True friendship reveals itself in time of trouble. China will continue providing assistance to all foreign students in our country. China welcomes outstanding young people from all over the world to study in China. He hopes that they will learn more about China, tell more people about what they see here, and actively interact with young Chinese people so as to promote people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

South China Morning Post: According to some Israeli media reports, China will send some people to investigate into Ambassador Du Wei's death. Can you confirm that?

Zhao Lijian: Chinese Ambassador to Israel Du Wei passed away on May 17 in Tel Aviv. According to preliminary judgment, he died unexpectedly due to health reasons. The details await further confirmation. We express our deepest condolences over his passing and sincere sympathy to his family. The Foreign Ministry will make sure that follow-up matters are properly handled.

China Daily: According to reports, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a political agreement with former Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on May 17. The latter will lead the High Council of National Reconciliation with his team joining the cabinet, putting an end to the instability since the presidential election result came out. Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: Bearing in mind the interests of the country and national interests, the Afghan leaders signed a political agreement after reaching consensus through consultation. This is a blessing for Afghanistan as a nation. As a neighbor and friend, China congratulates Afghanistan on it. We hope all parties in Afghanistan will take this as an opportunity to work together for an early launch of intra-Afghan talks and to advance the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process so as to achieve stability, peace, solidarity and development of the nation. China will continue playing a constructive role in this process.

The Paper: According to reports, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently said that Australia and China "draw very clear lines about things that are very important to" each other. He said, "We respect their lines, as we expect our lines to be respected, whether it's on our foreign investment rules, or our rules around technology, our rules regarding human rights and things of that nature. I don't think any Australian would want us to compromise on those important things. And those things are not to be traded. Ever." Do you have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: China always adheres to mutual respect and equal-footed treatment while developing friendly cooperation with other countries. China has never sought selfish gains at the expense of others. Rather, we champion seeking common ground while shelving differences and advocate win-win cooperation. We hope Australia will follow through upon its words of respecting our lines, truly act in its interests, create sound atmosphere for the practical cooperation between the two countries with concrete actions that are conducive to bilateral relations and mutual trust.

Reuters: Yesterday Australian trade minister Simon Birmingham said in a TV interview that he's requested discussions on the trade issues with his Chinese counterpart but those calls have not been accommodated. Can you confirm that? Is China interested in engaging formally with Australia over the recent trade issues?

Zhao Lijian: If the Australian trade minister hopes to talk to the Chinese side, he should contact us via diplomatic channels.

Regarding the recent trade issues, the Ministry of Commerce made a response last week, and I took related questions in the MFA press conference, too. I'd like to re-emphasize that this is a normal case of trade remedy investigation, and we are advancing the investigation according to law and WTO rules. Please consult the competent authorities for more specifics.

The Australian: I went out to Shandong over the last four days and spoke to business people there, who told me Chinese customers like Australian products. Chinese business people told me themselves they are worried about the Chinese government disrupting shipments of Australian products for political reasons. A businessman told me he was importing Chilean wine, not Australian wine, because he was worried about trouble with Chinese customs. What's your comment on that?

Zhao Lijian: As we said repeatedly, it is China's consistent and clear stance that a sound and stable China-Australia relationship serves the common interests of both. However, it takes joint efforts from both sides to maintain such a relationship. We hope the Australian side will work with China to earnestly uphold the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and contribute to mutual trust, bilateral cooperation and the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

Reuters: US Secretary of State Pompeo said yesterday that he believed China has threatened to interfere with the work of US journalists in Hong Kong and he warned Beijing that any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy could affect the US assessment of Hong Kong's status. What's the ministry's comment on this?

Zhao Lijian: For some time, the US side, out of its entrenched Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, has been ratcheting up its oppression on the Chinese media, escalating from asking relevant Chinese media organizations in the US to register as "foreign agents" to enlisting Chinese media as "foreign missions", an expulsion of 60 Chinese journalists in anything but name. Now, its latest move is to limit visas for Chinese journalists to a maximum 90-day stay. These wrong moves severely disrupt the reporting activities of the Chinese media in the US and impede bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchange. We deplore and firmly oppose that.

We said many times that the US caused the current situation and is responsible for it. The US should immediately correct its mistakes and stop its political oppression on the Chinese media. If the US is bent on going down the wrong path and doubles down on its mistakes, China will take countermeasures with a firm resolve.

We said many times that Hong Kong affairs are indisputably China's internal matters. No foreign government, organization or individual has the right to interfere.

CNN: US Secretary of State Pompeo said in an interview yesterday that while the US government believes the virus came from Wuhan, now he is not exactly sure where it came from. That said, he still believes China is not open and transparent enough, and the US will still take countermeasures against the Chinese government's response. Could you comment on that?

Zhao Lijian: This US politician has been a lying blabbermouth. It's a waste of time to comment on his fabrications.
JERUSALEM - Nearly five years after the brutal killing of a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Duma, an Israeli court on Monday convicted a Jewish extremist on three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder but stopped short of finding the perpetrator guilty of membership in a terrorist organization.

According to Israeli authorities, Amiram Ben-Uliel lobbed a molotov cocktail through the window of the Dawabshe family home in the early morning of July 31, 2015, sparking a fire that spread rapidly as the family slept inside.

Saad and Reham Dawabshe and their 18-month-old son, Ali, were killed in the fire. Another son, Ahmad, who was then 4, escaped with severe injuries.

Graffiti scrawled in Hebrew calling for "Revenge," with an image of the Jewish Star of David on a building, nearby quickly led authorities to label it a "price tag" attack. The term is used to describe violence and vandalism carried out by some Jewish settlers and their supporters to extract "a price" for any actions against them, either by Israeli soldiers or Palestinian civilians.

Ben-Uliel, 25, the son of a prominent West Bank rabbi, was formally charged six months later, along with a minor. He confessed to the crime and said it was "revenge" for the murder of Malachi Rosenfeld, an Israeli killed a month earlier by a Palestinian in a drive-by shooting not far from Duma.

The indictment said Ben-Uliel and his young accomplice met several times to plan the attack, even mapping the layout of the village. On the night of the murder, however, the minor allegedly did not show up, and Ben-Uliel went alone to the village, where he threw two firebombs at the Dawabshe home and another residence, police said.

In its ruling, a panel of three Israeli judges explained that Ben-Uliel was acquitted of belonging to a terrorist organization. Although the attack was an act of terrorism, they said, there was not enough evidence to prove any links to organizations, Haaretz reported.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Reham's father, Hussein Dawabshe said that the verdict would not bring his back his daughter, her husband or his grandson. "But I don't want another child to be in Ahmad's place," he said, referring to the surviving son. "We experienced a great trauma, and I won't forget it in 100 years. I don't want this to happen to another family."

Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, which is tasked with combating Jewish extremism, said in a statement that the court's decision was "an important milestone in the battle against Jewish terror." Ben-Uliel's crimes were a "severe crossing of a red line."

Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have condemned the attack in Duma. "We are against murder of any kind," Netanyahu said at the time of Ben-Uliel's arrest. "We are against violence of any kind. We are against violations of the law wherever they occur. We are a state of law, and we will enforce the law throughout the state of Israel and vis-a-vis all citizens of Israel."
It just keeps getting worse for a suspected DUI driver blamed for a violent and deadly crash last week.

As 6ABC in Philly reports, the violent crash happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday in the 4900 block of Whitaker Avenue in Philly.

The driver being blamed for the crash is 42-year-old Charles Smith, who police say was impaired while driving his Acura with a female passenger inside. Both were uninjured.

But the couple in the SUV Smith is accused of hitting in the crash were not.

6ABC quotes Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small as saying the 30-year-old man driving the SUV was killed in the crash and 30-year-old woman, who was 5-months pregnant, was badly injured and has lost her unborn child. She remains in critical condition.

After being struck by the Acura, the SUV slammed into a utility pole and two parked vehicles, 6ABC reports.

Now, the Acura driver, Charles Smith, who police say appeared to be impaired at the scene, now faces charges of homicide, vehicular homicide, homicide by vehicle while DUI, and other counts.

The investigation is continuing.

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Burn the demon out of him: Pa. man accused of trying to light 4-year-old boy on fire

2 Pagans Motorcycle Club members guilty in rivals brutal beating slapped with whopping sentence

Dead body found at Pa. country club

Accused rapist released from prison due to COVID-19 meets fiery end after standoff with Pa. SWAT

Pa. man accused of repeatedly punching female store clerk for telling him to wear facemask; called it marshal law: cops

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Export of steel from Turkey to China surged by 82.9 percent from January through April 2020 compared to the same period of 2019 and amounted to $4.9 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on May 18.

In April 2020, Turkeys steel export to China spiked by 102 percent compared to the same month of 2019, and amounted to $1.7 million.

From January through April 2020, Turkey exported steel to the world markets in the amount of $4 billion, which is 18.1 percent less compared to the same period of 2019.

The overall export of steel from Turkey made up 7.8 percent of the country's total export over the reporting period.

In April 2020, Turkey exported the steel to the world markets in the amount of $903.1 million, which is 26.9 percent less compared to the same month of 2019.

Meanwhile, Turkeys steel export amounted to 10 percent of the country's total export.

From April 2019 through April 2020, Turkey exported the steel in the amount of $12.9 billion.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has said that the Supreme Court nullification of the All Progressives Congress (APC)s victory in the 2019 Bayelsa governorship election still hurts deeply.

Mr Sylva, a chieftain of the APC, is a former governor of the state.

The spokesperson of the APC in Bayelsa State, Doifie Buokoribo, in a statement on Monday, quoted the minister as saying that the APC in Bayelsa should not allow itself to be destroyed by that unfortunate incident.

It (APC) must survive it, reinvent and reposition itself for the great task of transforming Bayelsa State for the good of all its people and residents, the statement said.

The minister appealed to the APC members and supporters in the state to remain strong, steadfast, and committed to the party.

The statement said the minister expressed concern for the pains the people were passing through because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

We are all in this together. I share your pains, he said.

He praised health workers in the state for their sacrifices and expressed hope that the pandemic would be over soon.

READ ALSO:

The Supreme Court, February this year, sacked David Lyon as the governor-elect of Bayelsa State barely 24 hours to his inauguration.

The court said Mr Lyons deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission in aid of his qualification for the November 16 2019 election in State.

The ruling paved way for the Peoples Democratic Partys governorship candidate, Diri Duoye, to be sworn in as the Bayelsa State governor.
Jack Ma, CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, speaks during his visit at the Vivatech startups and innovation fair, in Paris on May 16, 2019.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma is stepping down from the board of SoftBank after the company's Vision Fund posted record-breaking losses of $18 billion.

Ma, whose $41.8 billion net worth makes him China's richest man, is the latest high-profile figure to exit SoftBank Group, which on Monday posted total annual losses of $13 billion for the year ending March 31. Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai stepped down from SoftBank's board in December, while Nidec founder Shigenobu Nagamori stepped down in 2017.

Son said that Ma decided to leave SoftBank's board "on his own". He added: "That's sad, but we still keep in contact directly and right before the Covid-19, we met face-to-face every month to have dinner, to talk about businesses, to talk about lives. And we will remain friends for the rest of our life, I believe."

Ma has become increasingly focused on education philanthropy over the last year. He stepped down as Alibaba's chairman last September and there's speculation that he'll quit Alibaba's board later this year.

Ma's departure (effective June 25) comes after SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son pivoted away from telecoms to backing new companies through the colossal $100 billion Vision Fund, which was launched in 2017.
What does a deputy sheriff do without a sheriff? Australia has spent the last three-quarters of a century as America's uniquely loyal ally. Again and again, Australia signed up for US wars that other American allies refused to join. The Brits were too smart to join the American war in Vietnam. Canada was too wise to touch the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. And Wellington was so wary of US nuclear weapons that it, in effect, took the "NZ" out of ANZUS.

US President Donald Trump has questioned the F-35 fighter jet program. Credit:AP

But Canberra sent troops into even the dumbest American wars in the belief that it was paying an insurance premium against the day when Australia needed US help.

Now that Australia finds itself facing its most precarious geopolitical situation since World War II, the insurance policy is looking pretty threadbare. Donald Trump has shown that he is happy to ignore, insult and injure American allies whenever the mood takes him.

On Friday it was through the F-35 fighter jet program that Australia, among other allies, has relied on. Trump called it "crazy". Australia decided to join the US in supporting the F-35 program more than a decade ago under the Howard government, when it was just an idea. It was then known as the Joint Strike Fighter project.
Russia could be the first country to host a Formula 1 race with spectators in 2020.

That is the view of Alexey Titov, boss of the Sochi race promoter Rosgonki. He says the current plan is for the race to go ahead exactly as scheduled on September 27.

"I think our race has every chance to be the first with an audience," he said.

"But we also must understand that the situation with the epidemic is quite difficult and it's premature right now to say how everything will look in late September.

"Our date is unchanged. Any versions of the calendar that are going around on the internet are just guesses, because Formula 1 only has one clear understanding: that the races in Austria will be on July 5 and 12.

"There is no detailed understanding beyond those two races," said Titov.

Another race promoter with a September date, Singapore, has announced that it is "not feasible to conduct the race behind closed doors".

"The calendar for the 2020 season is currently being finalised and Singapore GP has been maintaining an open dialogue with F1, the government and our stakeholders during this time, to assess different possibilities," a spokesman told the Straits Times.

Former F1 boss Flavio Briatore told Italian news agency Adnkronos: "The first races in Europe in the summer will certainly be behind closed doors.

"But we hope that there will then be a reopening - even if it is partial - to the public," he said.

(GMM)
Davie, FL, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gigi Stetler and her company RV Sales of Broward boldly took on General Electric Commercial Distribution Finance (GECDF), the finance division of the goliath General Electric Company, for breach of settlement and won in a stunning and extremely hard-fought victory at the Broward County Courthouse in September 2019. However, a notice of appeal GECDF filed on May 1st will bring Stetler back to court again to face off against the corporate giant and legal powerhouse Greenberg Traurig.

"GE hired one of the biggest law firms in the country and are actually spending more in legal fees than they owe me, said Gigi Stetler, CEO of RV Sales of Broward. Its just baffling to me that GE would go to these lengths to take me and my business down rather than take ownership for their negligence over a decade ago.

Due to her extensive knowledge of the case, Stetler represented herself during the 8-day trial.

Stetlers company, RV Sales of Broward, was represented by Peter Ticktin of The Ticktin Law Group. Stetler faced numerous challenges. The trial was delayed at one point because of Hurricane Dorian. There was also a full day of motions for summary judgements that could have stopped the whole case from even going to trial but Stetler prevailed.

The case goes back to 2008, when GECDF, the former finance company for RV Sales, erroneously audited Stetlers company and removed her entire RV inventory without cause. Despite GE admitting it was all a simple auditing mistake, the damage had been done.

Overnight, RV Sales of Broward went from a profitable, booming business to one saddled with $11.5 million in debt. Stetlers RV inventory ended up in the possession of Stetlers competitor Camping World and was even rented to some of Stetlers former customers.

In 2009, Stetler and GECDF entered arbitration over the case. It went to trial in 2011, and on the fourth day of trial, the two parties reached an undisclosed settlement agreement. Stetler also agreed to drop a class action lawsuit claiming GECDF wrongfully charged thousands of RV dealers hundreds of millions of dollars in interest.

But in March 2013, GECDF had yet to fulfill its side of the settlement, so Stetler and RV Sales were forced to file another lawsuit in Broward County against the corporate giant for breach of settlement agreement.

We have endured an incredible amount of corporate bullying and endless foot dragging to rack up legal bills and get me to back down, said Stetler. But Im not going let GE or anyone else push me around. I was forced to rebuild my entire company because of a corporate error and I just want what is fairly mine. Nothing more.

Gigi Stetler is available for interviews. Please reach out to Kelcey Kintner at Kelcey@redbanyan.com or 646.391.8001.

About Gigi Stetler

A fearless entrepreneur, Gigi Stetler created and leads the first female-owned RV company in the United States, RV Sales of Broward . With 30 years of experience in the industry, she is one of a handful of top RV experts in the country.
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Centre's fiscal expenditure will be Rs 1.50 lakh crore of the Rs 20.97 lakh crore package, as per Barclays Research. CARE Ratings pegs Centre's outgo at Rs 2.8 lakh crore, while Ernst & Young estimates the same at Rs 3.08 lakh crore. SBI Research has calculated Rs 2.03 lakh crore capital outgo for the centre.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the package details in five tranches during the week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said the package would be 10 per cent of the GDP. Let's take a look at all the announcements made by the Centre to soften the impact of coronavirus pandemic on Indian economy.

Here is the detailed breakup of India's Atma Nirbhar economic package:

RBI MONETARY POLICY ACTIONS

The RBI on April 14 had announced monetary policy actions worth Rs 8.01 lakh crore, thereby injecting additional liquidity into the system. Key announcements included CRR reduction to 3 per cent from 4 per cent, ensuring additional liquidity worth 1.37 lakh crore. The apex bank announced targeted long-term repos operation (TLTRO) twice to increase liquidity in the markets. Marginal standing facility (MSF) was decreased to 2 per cent from 3 per cent, allowing banks to avail an additional Rs 1.37 lakh crore worth liquidity under the LAF window. The central bank also announced special refinance facility worth 50,000 crore to NABARD, SIDBI and NHB.

As Franklin Templeton closed six schemes due to redemption pressure, the RBI stepped in and offered Rs 50,000 crore special liquidity facility (SLF-MF) to the MF industry to maintain liquidity.

The RBI through purchase of government security in open market injected liquidity worth Rs 90,000 crore and provided additional liquidity worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore through long-term repo operations (LTRO).

PRE-TRANCHE MEASURE

GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE

TAX CONCESSIONS

The Centre announced the Garib Kalyan Package worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore on March 26, a day after the first phase of lockdown was announced in India. The package comprised measures taken for poor, elderly, women and migrants. The government offered free rice/wheat and pulses; free cooking gas for three months; hike in MNREGS wages to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182; direct money transfer to elderly, poor widows and disabled; and direct money transfer to women Jan Dhan account holders. The Centre also announced PM Kisan payment; assistance to construction workers; and measures to prevent job disruption by paying 24 per cent of monthly wages of employees earning less than Rs 15,000 directly into their PF accounts for three months.Through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), money stuck in pending tax refund claims was also released, increasing cash in hand for many.

The Centre also initiated refund and drawback disposal drive, under which Rs 7,800 crore worth revenue lost due to tax concessions since March 22 was given, thereby increasing liquidity and buying power.

The Centre also announced emergency health response preparedness package worth 15,000 crore, which will be implemented in three phases between January 2020 and March 2024 to strengthen emergency COVID-19 response.

Further Measures announced in five tranches

TRANCHE I

The FM announced first tranche of the fiscal package worth Rs 5.94 lakh crore on May 13. The package comprised credit guarantee worth Rs 3 lakh crore for MSMEs; subordinate debt assistance worth Rs 20,000 crore; equity infusion for MSMEs worth Rs 50,000 crore; PMGKP EPF support worth Rs 2,800 crore; reduced EPF contribution worth Rs 6750 crore; liquidity window for NBFC/HFC/MFIs worth Rs 30,000 crore; partial credit guarantee scheme worth Rs 45,000 crore; relief to discoms worth Rs 90,000 crore; and TDS/TCS relief worth Rs 50,000 crore.

TRANCHE II

In the second tranche, measures worth Rs 3.10 lakh crore were announced for poor migrants and farmers. Under the package, the FM announced Kisan Credit Card (KCC) worth Rs 2 lakh crore; emergency working capital for farmers worth Rs 30,000 crore; Mudra Shishu loans - interest subvention worth Rs 1,500 crore; special credit facility worth Rs 5,000 crore for street vendors; free food for migrant workers worth Rs 3,500 crore; and housing credit subsidy worth Rs 70,000 crore for middle-income people.

TRANCHE III

The third tranche worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore comprised agri infrastructure fund worth Rs 1 lakh crore; formalisation of micro food enterprises (Rs 10,000 crore); Rs 20,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY); animal husbandry infrastructure development fund worth Rs 15,000 crore; Rs 4,000 crore for herbal cultivation; Rs 500 for beekeeping initiatives; and Rs 500 crore under operation green to fruits and vegetable owners.

TRANCHE IV

The fourth fiscal package consisted of measures for opening up key sectors along with viability gap funding of Rs 8,100 crore. The Centre opened FDI limit from 49% to 74% under automatic route in defence manufacturing; introduced commercial mining in the coal sector; reduced restriction on the use of Indian air space to increase the efficiency of passenger aircraft; allowed private businesses in the field of satellites and other space-based services; and permitted ISRO to partner with private companies. The government also gave nod to setting up of nuclear reactors via PPP mode for the production of medical isotopes; paved way for privatisation of discoms in UTs; and approved social infrastructure worth Rs 8,100 crore.

TRANCHE V

The final package announced today comprised measures worth Rs 40,000 crore, in which additional funding worth Rs 40,000 crore was provided under the MGNREGS; increased public health expenditure to make India future pandemic ready; and launched PM eVIDYA for online access to education.

The Centre also allowed decriminalisation of Companies Act involving minor technical and procedural defaults; raised minimum threshold for initiating insolvency proceedings to Rs 1 crore from Rs 1 lakh earlier; announced a new coherent policy allowing private players' entry into strategic sectors; and increased borrowing limits of states from 3% to 5% for 2020-21.
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.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

"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.
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said he will begin an independent evaluation of the UN health agencys response to the coronavirus pandemic at the earliest appropriate moment.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the pledge after an independent oversight advisory body published its first interim report about the agencys response to Covid-19 from January to April.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether the WHOs warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to reassess the WHOs role in providing travel advice to countries.

The advisory bodys review and recommendations appeared unlikely to appease the United States administration, which has been scathing in its criticism of the WHO  in part over President Donald Trumps allegation that it had criticised a US travel ban that he ordered on people arriving from China, where the outbreak first appeared late last year.

The full opening remarks by @DrTedros at the virtual #WHA73 https://t.co/GVPDrCM2uu  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 18, 2020

Mr Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for the WHO from the United States  the health agencys biggest single donor  pending a review of its early response. But the review panel, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the heat of the response could hurt the WHOs ability to respond to it.

Earlier, the European Union and other countries called for an independent evaluation of WHO response to the pandemic to review experience gained and lessons learned. The resolution has the support of more than half of the WHOs member countries.

The move comes amid Australias call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic and the WHOs response to it.

The EU resolution proposes that the independent evaluation should be initiated at the earliest appropriate moment and should, among other issues, examine the actions of the WHO and their timelines pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The WHO announced the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on January 30, its highest level of alert. In the following weeks, the WHO warned countries there was a narrowing window of opportunity to prevent the virus from spreading globally.

"Now more than ever, we need a healthier world.



Now more than ever, we need a safer world.



Now more than ever, we need a fairer world.



And now more than ever, we need a stronger WHO.



There is no other way forward but together"-@DrTedros #WHA73  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 18, 2020

WHO officials, however, repeatedly described the transmission of the virus as limited and said it was not as transmissible as flu; experts have since said Covid-19 spreads even faster.

It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China will provide two billion dollars over two years to help with the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr XIs announcement via video-conference at the start of the WHOs annual assembly marked a sharp contrast to the United States: The Trump administration has announced a suspension of its funding for the WHO over its alleged mishandling of the outbreak and praise of Chinas response.

Mr Xi added that China had provided all relevant outbreak data to the WHO and other countries, including the viruss genetic sequence, in a most timely fashion.

We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation, Mr Xi said. We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need.

In his address to the annual meeting of WHO member countries, Dr Tedros warned there is still a long road to travel before the pandemic is contained, noting that the majority of the worlds population remains susceptible to the virus.

"The WHO Results Report, launched today, provides a comprehensive picture of what WHO, its Member States and partners have achieved in the past two years"-@DrTedros #WHOImpact #WHA73https://t.co/8C8G5dcezL  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 18, 2020

Dr Tedros said the pandemic has exposed critical fault lines between countries that could jeopardise stopping the virus.

Science has been hailed and scorned, nations have come together as never before and geopolitical divisions have been thrown into sharp relief, he said.

Dr Tedros emphasised that The WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on January 30, its highest level of alert, at a time when there were fewer than 100 cases outside of China.

He added that the WHO was committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement and welcomed the proposal for an independent evaluation of the global response to Covid-19, including the WHOs coordinating role.

I will initiate an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment, he said.
The Upper Peninsula and several counties in the northern Lower Peninsula will be allowed to reopen bars and restaurants in a reduced capacity, as well as other retail or office businesses, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce Monday.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Whitmer said bars and restaurants in two northern regions of the state could soon reopen with 50 percent limited capacity. Servers would be required to wear face coverings and groups would be required to stay 6 feet apart.

This is a big step, but we must all remember to continue doing our part to protect ourselves and our families from the spread of COVID19, Whitmer said in a statement provided to the Associated Press.

Whitmer is expected to discuss the move during a 1:30 p.m. news briefing.

Related: U.P.s painful dilemma: Almost no coronavirus now, but at what cost?

Michigan has been subject to a statewide stay-at-home order since late March, which banned in-person business and social activity deemed non-essential. Although some industries have been allowed to return to work with additional precautions, most businesses remain closed - including in areas like the Upper Peninsula, where far fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported.

State Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, said shes excited to hear what the governor has to say, adding economic development groups, hospitals, university leaders and others have been studying how to safely reopen the Upper Peninsula while taking precautions to limit spread of COVID-19 for weeks.

Should a spike in COVID-19 cases occur, Cambensy said the region has a detailed plan prepared for how to isolate and contain the virus.

We feel were getting to the point where were ready for a partial reopening, she said.

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.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus
A family of 11 have been caught on a 120-mile trip from Manchester to Wales during the coronavirus lockdown.

Police stopped the three-car convoy, which was made up with people from three different households.

North Wales Police slammed the incident as 'unbelievable' after the family made their way to South Stack on Anglesey to enjoy the day together.

Wales still have strict lockdown rules in place, which state that people should only leave their home if they have 'a reasonable excuse'.

A family of 11 were caught by police on a 120-mile trip from Manchester to North Wales

The family's three-car convey to South Stack on Anglesey, North Wales was described by officers as 'unbelievable'

Visiting a beauty spot on the coast of Wales is not considered essential  with the public warned that meeting friends and family is not allowed during the lockdown.

Chief Officer for the North Wales Police Special Constabulary Mark Owen tweeted: 'Unbelievable.... 11 people from Manchester travelling in three different cars thought it would be a good idea to have a day trip to South Stack.

'One family but from different households. Each person prosecuted under Covid legislation @NWPSpecials #StayHomeSaveLives'

The family's excursion comes days after police were forced to break up a 70-person rave in Telford, Shropshire.

Officers in Telford said they shut down a 'mass gathering' at the Granville Country Park on Saturday amid the coronavirus lockdown.

In a series of tweets, officers explained they were 'shocked that people would care so little' about the restrictions on social gathering, which have been in place for weeks due to the pandemic.

A map shows the 120-mile trip from Manchester to South Stack the family made on Sunday

Meanwhile, Morecambe Police found 'dozens' of revellers from different households gathered together for a baby shower in a communal play area outside their homes last week.

The partygoers, who were set up with a buffet and a bouncy castle, became abusive towards officers when they arrived at the gathering, telling police it didn't matter they were together because 'schools were going back in June.'

The force said it first believed reports of '30 people on the street having a baby shower' were 'exaggerated' - but 'on this occasion it was accurate.'
Former home secretary Sajid Javid refused the request last year.

London: India's request for the extradition of Tiger Hanif, an alleged aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim wanted in India in connection with two bomb blasts in Surat in 1993, has been turned down by the UK government, official sources have confirmed.

Hanif, whose full name is Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel, was traced to a grocery store in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in February 2010.

The 57-year-old since lost a number of legal bids to stay in Britain, claiming that he will be tortured in India.

However, his final bid to then home secretary Sajid Javid succeeded as the Pakistani-origin minister refused the request last year.

"We can confirm that the extradition request for Hanif Patel was refused by the then home secretary and Patel was discharged by the court in August 2019," a UK home office source said on Sunday.

Hanif''s extradition to India was first ordered by then home secretary Theresa May in June 2012.

During an appeal at the High Court in London in April 2013, Justice Kenneth Parker noted the information provided in India's request described how, following the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992, "internecine hostilities" broke out between the Muslim and Hindu communities in Gujarat.

"The requesting state's case is that the appellant was part of a Muslim group which obtained explosives, guns and other weapons and then carried out revenge terrorist attacks on the Hindu community, including two explosions which resulted in loss of life, injury and damage," the judge noted.

The first explosion was in January 1993 in a market on the Varacha Road in Surat, which killed an eight-year-old girl and the second explosion was in April 1993 at Surat railway station.

Arguments made on behalf of Hanif claimed there was "a real risk of torture" if Hanif was extradited to India.

"There is nothing to suggest that the appellant [Hanif[ is now no longer able to recall the events in question, or that the court in India would be unwilling or unable to consider the extent, if any, of any prejudice to the fairness of the criminal trial by reason of the passage of time," the judge had ruled, clearing Hanif''s extradition.

Under the India-UK Extradition Treaty, India is category two country, which means the home secretary has final sign-off on any extradition request, which in this case was turned down.

Similarly, the Indian government''s request for the extradition of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya in the fraud and money laundering case involving loans to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines is with UK home secretary Priti Patel for a formal certification, after he lost a last-ditch attempt seeking leave to appeal in the UK Supreme Court last Thursday.

The 64-year-old businessman, who remains on bail, can also make representations to the minister, though his legal avenues now remain limited and may only involve a temporary reprieve due to the coronavirus crisis.
Bengaluru, May 18 : Alarmed by a rapid rise in positive cases across the state since the movement of people, especially returnees was allowed last week, Karnataka banned entry of citizens from three Covid-hit states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, a senior minister said on Monday.

"We have decided to stop people entering from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu till May 31, as many coming or returning to the state tested positive and infected others," state Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said here.

Maharashtra till Sunday reported a whopping 33,053 cases, followed by Gujarat with 11,380 and Tamil Nadu 11,224 as against 1,123 in Karnataka.

"Data indicates many people in the state who were free of the virus were suddenly infected by it after the entry of affected persons from these states," recalled Narayan A record number of 84 positive cases were reported on Monday, which is the highest in the state, with 54 of them from Mumbai, 2 from Solapur and 1 from Raigad in the neibuouring Maharashtra.

"As 14-day institutional quarantine is compulsory for returnees in buses or own or hired vehicles, trains and flights, the state government has barred the people entering from the 3 states, as there are not enough medical warriors and beds to check them and keep them confined," said the minister.

As per the guidelines for the fourth phase of lockdown since Monday till May 31, the inter-state movement of people will be allowed between or among states with mutual consent of their governments to contain the virus spread.

Covid cases were also reported from those entering the state from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Ajmer in Rajasathan and Chennai in Tamil Nadu recently.

Though Karnataka has decided to enforce the extended lockdown only on Sundays, it has re-opened many places, including shops, salons and offices.

Anything that would involve large gatherings also remains banned. All places of worship shall also be strictly prohibited for public and religious congregations, the government said.
ARCHIVED - Wearing facemasks in public places will become obligatory in Spain within the next few days



The Ministry of Health will publish the decree regulating the wearing of masks in the BOE

Each weekend the regional presidents of Spains 17 autonomous governments discuss measures relating to the management of the covid-19 crisis with the national government and following the 10th video-conference on Sunday morning it was announced that the government had taken on board this request from several regional governments and would be introducing new regulations this week to make the wearing of face masks obligatory in public spaces.

The figures produced daily show that the epidemic is waning in Spain but the risks still persist, the government spokesperson said, for which reason restrictions continue to be essential. "We have to maintain caution and prudence; we have come a long way, but we have not reached the end of the road."

The health minister said that the government would now examine the practicalities of implementing the measure and would publish the order in the BOE during the next few days.

The Murcian regional government has been amongst the most vocal presidents pushing for this measure to be implemented, regional president Fernando Lopez Miras, determined to secure this restriction which he views as being crucial.

The president is very concerned about the risks faced by Murcia due to the movement of second home owners and the increased chance of spreading the virus through mobility. Even within the region there are a significant number of second home owners who tend to travel from the cities to the coast at the weekends and this was certainly noticeable this weekend as cyclists, walkers and motorcyclists descended en-masse to coastal areas, and were visible standing in groups talking at service stations as though there was no state of emergency and nothing to worry about!.

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Murcia region: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/
By SA Commercial Prop News

An artists impression of Secunda Value Centre in Mpumulanga showing Builders Warehouse. The project has been funded by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance at R69.3 million.



Nedbank Corporate Property Finance has approved R69.3 million funding for the development of the 8722m first phase of the Secunda Value Centre, Mpumulanga.

The bank continues its commitment to the development of areas outside South Africas major centres, this time in partnership with Neotrend Khala Cose Developers (Pty) Ltd for the first phase of a new value centre in Secunda, Mpumulanga.

DAnvo Jones, Regional Head at Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, Pretoria says the value centre will be anchored by a stand-alone Builders Warehouse, a 2300m Westpack Lifestyle Centre and a drive-through free-standing Burger King, supported by several line stores and an assortment of home furnishing retailers.

The developer has acquired neighbouring land and will be constructing a further two phases of the value centre, adding an additional 12868m of retail and office accommodation.



Offering ample open parking, the centre is well located along a busy arterial road within the Govan Mbeki Municipality, P.D.P Kruger Road. The property is within close proximity of the Secunda CBD and is less than one kilometre from the new Secunda Mall.

Construction commenced this year and is expected to start trading in April this year.



Jones says that the bank was particularly attracted to funding the development because of the demand for retail property in Secunda.

According to the Govan Mbeki Integrated Development Plan, Secunda is by far the most active business zone in the municipality, underlined by the fact that 45% of the financial, administrative and professional concerns are situated here.

Govan Mbeki Municipality is highly urbanised, with 82% of the population located in urban areas. In addition, the annual population growth of 2.84% between 2001 and 2011 has been higher than the national average of 1.4% (Source: Stats SA). These location and population factors bode well for the foot traffic into retail centre.



The Neotrend Group is one of the heavyweights in this particular sector of the retail market and Nedbank Corporate Property Finance is proud to partner with them once again to bring the Secunda Value Centre to market. In addition, the long leases signed by Burger King and Builders Warehouse make for an attractive investment and offer destination shopping to the broader community.



The Neotrend Group offers property development, investment and management services and has over 30 years experience within the challenging property development industry. Current projects include the Summit Place mixed use development, the 10 000m Lynnwood Lane Centre near Equestria, the 12 000m Silver Stream Retail Centre near Silver Lakes, all in Pretoria; and the Secunda Corridor Retail Development.



This is the second retail development supported by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance in the area, following the finance provided and equity stake taken in the development of the 52393m Sasol Secunda Mall in 2013.
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Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is stepping down from the board of SoftBank Group Corp., as the Japanese technology company struggles over its risky investments such as office-sharing venture WeWork.

Tokyo-based SoftBank announced Ma's resignation Monday, ahead of releasing financial results. It did not say why he was leaving.

Ma, co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has been focusing on philanthropy lately, such as donating masks and test kits to help in the efforts against the new coronavirus pandemic.

SoftBank announced three new board members, including SoftBank Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto and Waseda University professor Yuko Kawamoto.

Another new member is Lip-Bu Tan, founder of Walden International, a venture capital firm focused on computer chips, cloud and artificial intelligence. He is also chief executive of Cadence Design, a US electronic design automation software and engineering services company.

Also Monday, SoftBank said it was buying back its own shares, of up to 500 billion yen (USD 4.7 billion) in value, to shore up its bottom line.

SoftBank is a major investor in Alibaba. Ma, who joined the SoftBank board in 2007, has a close relationship with SoftBank founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / MOGUL.sg is a Singapore based startup from the real estate segment. It is an ad-free, keyword-based property search portal that helps home-seekers in Singapore to find their dream home in a structured yet straightforward manner.

MOGUL.sg was established in November 2018 by a group of entrepreneurs who desire to redefine the Real Estate industry. The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MOGUL.sg are Gerald Sim. He established this company with the mission to redefine the meaning of 'where.'

MOGUL.sg is an advanced property search tool that uses aggregates locational data from Singapore's Land Authority OneMap and makes it searchable as keywords. MOGUL.sg's platform utilizes its knowledge of geospatial data technology and helps agents list all their properties' surrounding amenities. This is done with just an input of the postal code. Over 40 government agencies have verified this platform, which means that agents have lesser fields to fill.

This portal is all set to revamp how property search listings work. It is now known as Singapore's Smartest Property Portal.

How Does This Platform Work?

MOGUL.sg uses Artificial Intelligence to simplify the search process and make the matching between home seekers and property owners secure and transparent. The Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Sim, was aware that users are tired of scrolling through multiple search results. Hence a platform was created, which works similarly to Google and delivers useful and accurate search results.

The platform has more than 5,000 custom keywords in its database that describes the characteristics of a property such as "patio," "west view," "pool," and so on. The list of words was gathered from the firm's research and after taking inputs from buyers, Real Estate agents, and developers.

Success Stories at MOGUL.sg

MOGUL.sg also offers a Property Concierge (PC) service to people who do not want to scroll through multiple listings or contact numerous agents. The concierge team helps users by being their only point of contact throughout their real estate journey. These agents are prequalified and they are specialized in their field. Before you partner with them, you can go through their past transactions and testimonials provided on their dedicated profile page. Your one agent will be your concierge, whether you want to sell or buy.

An example of MOGUL.sg's PC is Mr. Marcus Ong of Century 21 Agency, who has found success on the MOGUL.sg's platform. He says, "I joined the MOGUL.sg PC team in February this year and shortly after setting up my account and listings, I received a promising lead to one of my condo projects. 2 weeks out and just a few viewings with other potentials, the same lead from the first viewing issued the Option to Purchase (OTP) with an agreed commission of 2% at a $2.45M sale price. That was probably the fastest transaction and $50K I have ever experienced in my last two years in the profession, most of all, the seller was very pleased because the previous agent was unsuccessful for after almost half a year."

Ong further added that what worked very well for him was the portal's proprietary search method and filtering sequence feature, which helped to qualify his buyer's standard requirements and 'added feature needs' before any viewing was arranged. These features were quite different from the other portals that he had previously used. Not only does MOGUL.sg provide qualified leads; it has a "sell feature," which connects direct sellers to their Property Concierge agents. These agents are matched based on his/her expertise. So far, Ong has gotten more than 7.5 million dollars' worth of properties to market.

General Manager of C21 Agency- Mr. Gerard Yeo supported Ong's views by saying: "We knew MOGUL.sg was a game-changer when Gerald presented it to us. We expect to see more successes not just from the PCs but from any agent who manages to utilize what the MOGUL.sg team has to offer. MOGUL.sg's portal features are innovative, and their vision of creating a transparent property landscape aligns with our group's vision."

Even in the COVID-19 phase, MOGUL.sg is helping buyers view property through VR tours allowing them to buy and sell homes from the comfort of their home. The video takes them on a virtual tour of their desired property. They can practically see every nook and cranny of the house; they can zoom in to have a closer look. It's just like you are actually in the property!

MOGUL.sg aims to deliver a transparent and data-driven platform and become a pioneer in Singapore and at large, Asia.

To find out more about MOGUL.sg, please visit their website at www.mogul.sg

Contact:

Company: MOGUL.sg

Contact Person: Gerald Sim

Email: support@mogul.sg

Website: https://www.mogul.sg/

SOURCE: MOGUL.sg

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/590246/MOGULsg-Singapores-Smartest-Property-Portal-A-Revolution-in-Property-Search
Queensland is facing a tense wait to see whether any more COVID-19 cases emerge from a Rockhampton aged care facility where a nurse tested positive to the virus late last week.

It comes as the state plays the waiting game with its counterparts around the country to see whether their own virus cases reduce enough to allow interstate travel later this year.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young visited the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre for a briefing on the sick nurse. Credit:Levi Appleton/AAP

Queensland recorded two new coronavirus cases on Monday, both women who had travelled overseas before returning to the state's south-east.

The new cases take the states cumulative total to 1057, with 13 active cases, four of those being cared for in hospital.
Photo: Dag Peak/Flickr

Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Denver.

Man paroled over coronavirus concerns charged in woman's killing

A parolee suspected of killing a 21-year-old woman had been released from prison three weeks before the slaying because of concerns over the coronavirus. Police arrested Cornelius Haney last week in connection with the fatal shooting of Heather Perry in an alley in east Denver on May 9.

Read the full story on FOX 29.

Foreign Form reinvents gallery opening for pandemic age

If theres a model for everyone in the commercial gallery world on how to move forward, this just might be it.

Read the full story on The Know.

Grevy's zebra born at Denver Zoo

The baby Grevy's zebra was born early Wednesday. The species is critically endangered.

Read the full story on CBS Denver.

Stolen truck with dog inside returned to owner

A Denver man is grateful to not only have his stolen truck back, but also his dog.

Read the full story on CBS Denver.

4 shootings, 2 stabbings within hours over weekend

Police responded to four shootings and two stabbings over a span of about six hours from Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday.

Read the full story on 9NEWS.

This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has just announced that the long-awaited graduate entry medical school at Magee has been approved.

"It will allow the first student intake of 70 in September 2021," she explained, "this is a hugely important investment decision for the North West and it adds to the Executive's recent announcement on the Derry and Strabane City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund.

"It will prove to be instrumental in the regeneration of the region and will help to support our health service who we much rely on at this point and into the future."

Speaking after today's Executive announcement where it agreed to establish medical school in Derry and the first student intake of 70 students in September, MLA for Foyle Karen Mullan said: "Today's announcement by the Executive that it plans to establish the graduate medical school at Magee is a major boost for Ulster University and for Derry.

"The benefits of this investment to the economic regeneration of Derry and to the North West cannot be overstated. I warmly welcome the decision which adds quite significantly to the City Deals and Inclusive Future Fund commitment announced in recent weeks too.

There is widespread support for the medical school and the expansion of Magee. There is a united voice in the city at political and community levels and today's announcement represents a huge step forward towards the goal of delivering the medical school at Magee in the fastest time possible.

"Sinn Fein is committed to working with Ulster University, local business leaders and all other parties to see the project delivered without any delay."

While welcoming the Executive recommitting itself to a medical school as part of the expansion of Magee, SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood called for 'further detail and guarantees' on a September 2021 intake.

Mr Eastwood said that whats needed now is 'more than warm words' but a detailed plan and the resource needed to lift the project off the ground.

Colum Eastwood MP said: During the negotiations to restore power sharing, I made it a personal priority to secure not just a political commitment to the expansion of Magee but resource for developing the medical school. That was critical to SDLP support for the Executive. I welcome the statement from the First Ministers recommitting to university expansion in Derry today.

What people here need is more than warm words or restated promises. We need a guarantee from the Executive and from Ulster University that the first students will enrol starting in September 2021 and we need to see a plan for university expansion beyond that. The medical school is the first step, not the end product.

I will work constructively with all parties to deliver on the potential of our university. Providing young people with the opportunity to study, work and make a life for themselves here is a priority for me. Todays news must be something genuinely new, rehashing previous commitments or announcements will not be enough."

Meanwhile, Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton said 'all parties' have worked hard to secure the medical school.

Mr Middleton said: Enhanced commitment from the Executive for the graduate medical school is very welcome. We have been working with all parties in Londonderry to move this issue forward and make it a reality.

"During the Confidence and Supply Agreement, Gregory Campbell was able to bring the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond to the City to show him the potential. Indeed, with support across the British Isles, this key project has been able to be moved in the right direction. It is a symbol of what can be done when people work together.

"I hope in 2021 we will be able to see the first students enrolled. It will be good for the North West but also for the Health Service.

The British Government backed a medical school in Derry in the New Decade, New Approach document.

Former Secretary of State for NI, Julian Smith, who helped broker the deal also welcomed the news saying: "Great news for Derry - such great community commitment to this project - well done to all involved in the campaign.

"A new decade and a new approach to ALL parts of Northern Ireland being delivered."
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (File image: Reuters)

As part of the Rs 20 lakh crore COVID-19 economic package, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a scheme that offers Rs 5, 000 crore worth loans to street vendors. According to the government, street vendors will get Rs 10,000 initial working capital from banks.

Around 50 lakh street vendors will be able to avail Rs 10,000 loan from Rs 5,000 crore special credit facility; once the lockdown is lifted they can start their business back," Sitharaman added. According to bankers, PSU banks will soon get targets to disburse these loans once the government frames the detailed rules. This will logically put pressure on bankers to meet the targets set for each bank.

There are three reasons why these loans may backfire on the banking sector and could end up as non-performing assets (NPAs) on their books.

One, commercial banks do not typically deal with such low-ticket loans (Rs 10,000). Also, they do not have the expertise to assess the creditworthiness of this segment of borrowers since there is no credit history available for street vendors. For this reason, street vendors typically borrow from microlenders or local moneylenders. It is impossible for banks to conduct the due diligence of such borrowers. Only field officers of microlenders who know the background of such borrowers and are familiar with the area can ensure that this money is coming back, said Kishor Kumar Puli, managing director and CEO of Pradakshina Fintech, an NBFC based in Hyderabad that operates among small borrowers as a corporate business correspondent.

Two, bankers fear the indulgence of political middlemen in street vendor loans. If indeed this happens, there are possibilities of major misappropriation and misuse of this Rs 5000 crore scheme. According to bankers, this happens rampantly in Mudra loan scheme. There have been complaints from across the country about local politicians approaching bank officials to give loans under Mudra scheme to their people. Typically, these politicians pocket a part of the loan as commission. In fact, this is true for any government schemes, said CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees Association. According to Venkatachalam, already bank officials have started getting calls from local politicians seeking the availability of loans under schemes announced by FM Sitharaman last week.

Three, much of these loans will likely go for consumption purpose, rather than investing in business as working capital. This will make repayments difficult. Street vendors have been out of work for over 50 days due to the nationwide lockdown. This money will be used to repay their old borrowings and other necessary expenditure. This essentially means that banks are not getting their money back. This will likely end up as loan mela, said another banker who didnt want to be named. Basically, these loans are highly likely to turn to NPAs in the books of banks.

What can the government do?

Instead of giving loans, the government should have done direct cash transfers to street vendors and other economically weaker sections in rural India as one-time assistance. This would have been a real demand stimulus for this segment of the population who have been hit hard by the lockdown. Also, such an approach would have spared PSU banks from the burden of giving risky loans.

Sa-Dhan, an industry lobby of microfinance companies, has written to the government pitching that MFIs are better positioned than banks to do street vendor loans. We have asked the government to give us financial support to do these loans. MFIs know this market and have the expertise to transact with this segment of borrowers. According to Sa-Dhan, 45 percent of the borrowers of MFIs are from urban and semi-urban areas. Of this, 31 percent are street vendors, the letter written by the body says.
India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist

Arunachal Pradesh govt extends night curfew till May 31

India

pti-PTI

Itanagar, May 18: The Arunachal Pradesh government on Monday extended night curfew from 7 pm to 5 am till May 31 to contain COVID-19 pandemic, an official said here.

The state government also urged the business community to cooperate with the administration and ensures strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SoPs) like compulsory wearing of masks, use of sanitizer and social distancing while running their business.

Talking to reporters, Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Komkar Dulom said that the earlier order of opening of shops alternately on left and right sides of the NH-415 would continue to be in force in the state capital till the end of the lockdown.

Lockdown 4.0: Cabs, buses, private offices allowed in Delhi; No salons

Highlighting about the quarantine facilities in the capital region, the DC informed that the Police

Training Centre (PTC) quarantine facility at Banderdewa has the capacity to accommodate 444 persons and at present 119 people are staying in the centre.

The state government has also set up paid quarantine centres in the capital by requisitioning 34 hotels at Itanagar and Naharlagun having a total of 608 rooms, the DC said.

Moreover, Dulom added, the BPL complex at Lekhi, near here, would start functioning as quarantine facility in a few days which would be able to accommodate 200 persons initially and a total of 570 persons once the whole complex is made ready.

We are expecting around 350 stranded students coming from various states to the capital region, the DC added.

Dulom appealed to all not to venture out of their homes unless very urgent especially, senior citizens above 65 years of age, children below 10 yrs of age and pregnant women.
Hong Kong: Employment scheme details outlined

Subsidies for the first tranche of the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) will be calculated on the basis of the wages paid in one of the months specified by the employers from December 2019 to March 2020.

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong made the remarks during a press conference today to introduce the scheme's implementation details.



Applications can be submitted online via the ESS portal from May 25 to June 14.

Basically in the application form, there is no need (for employers) to declare the salary or the number of employees they employ. What they have to do is provide consent so that our processing agent can obtain the relevant information from the trustees of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Schemes.

All those records are historical records, so there is no particular declaration that is required. Also, there will be no exaggerations or manipulation of data so to speak, because all these things were already part of the history by the time that we announced the details of this scheme.

(Employers) will be required to submit the relevant information after they have received the subsidy, so that is the checkpoint. By the time they are applying for the second tranche, they should be able to provide the information for June and for July too.

The scheme's subsidy period is from June to August and employers who apply for the wage subsidy must have contributed to their employees MPF or Occupational Retirement Schemes that were set up on or before March 31.

From June to August, for the first tranche, all the relevant information will be part of the history. After that time, they will be required to provide the information again through the trustees to our processing agent for us to double check the information, Dr Law noted.

Employers joining the scheme have to provide an undertaking not to implement redundancies during the subsidy period and spend all wage subsidies from the Government in paying wages to their employees or face being penalised.

They will be penalised if the number of employees on the payroll in any one month of the subsidy period is smaller than the number of staff in March. The penalty percentage varies according to the number of people employed.



If an employer fails to use all the wage subsidies received for a particular month during the subsidy period to pay employees' wages in the same month, the Government will claw back the unspent balance of the subsidy.

I can add one very minor point in terms of the procedure. Because there will be two tranches of the subsidy, the penalty or the claw back for administration can be applied to the second tranche subsidy.

Instead of getting the money back directly, we can deduct them in the second tranche. But for the second tranche, the claw back or penalties, we will definitely have to go back to the employers and ask them to give us back the money. It is slightly different in the first and the second tranche arrangement.

Click here for more details.

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Lucknow:

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has challenged other political parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against him.

Addressing party workers here on Saturday, he claimed since Independence, the condition of Muslims in the country has gone from bad to worse and none of the other political parties, including the Congress, has ever bothered to address the issue.

SP, BSP, Congress and BJP leaders call me communal and accuse me of giving inflammatory speeches. Do flowers shower from the statements of their leaders? he asked.

I challenge all the other parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against me, said Owaisi.

The MP from Hyderabad claimed that the contribution of Muslims in Indias freedom struggle and that maulanas had issued fatwas against the British were not mentioned anywhere by historians.

He also claimed that Muslims in India have trusted everyone but got nothing except backwardness in return and called leaders from the community representing other political parties such as Azam Khan of the SP, Naseemuddin Siddiqui of the BSP and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress Muslim dealers.

Accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh of spreading casteism, he said Yadavwaad, instead of samajwad (socialism) had taken root in the state.Taking a jibe at Azam Khan, Owaisi said that the UP ministers buffalo was not stolen but it ran away after being harassed.

He said following Azams footsteps, a BJP MP has now lodged a complaint alleging that his dog Kallu has been stolen.Politics in Uttar Pradesh is now revolving around a buffalo and Kallu, said Owaisi.

In a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently taking a tough stance on hooliganism in the name of cow protection, the AIMIM chief said, I have told (Union Home Minister) Rajnath Singh that all the so-called cow vigilantes actually belonged to his party.

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Cleaners hit Puerto Morelos beaches as sargassum begins to arrive

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  The government of Puerto Morelos reports their first cleaning task due to the arrival of sargassum. Municipal president Laura Fernandez Pina says beginning this week, city council staff will be increased along beaches to clean arriving sargassum.

We will not neglect any front of the administration despite the health emergency, always protecting our staff, she said. We are attending to all fronts of the contingency caused by the new SARS CoV-2 coronavirus that has required all our effort and non-vulnerable city council personnel, said the mayor.

She pointed out that now is the time to face the phenomenon of sargassum, which has not given truce to the Mexican Caribbean in recent years. We have held meetings between the three levels of government to mitigate again, the affectation by this macroalgae, she said.

Laura Fernandez explained that as of this week, the presence of city council personnel will be increased to carry out the cleaning work along beaches with the gradual arrival of sargassum.

A group of public services workers comes every day with the a sweeper and tractors among other tools, to remove the macroalgae from the public areas of the municipality. We are ready for the installation of the marine barriers, that helped us so much last year, to avoid massive landfall on the sand and to be able to collect the plant from the sea with special barges, she added.

She noted that at this time, preventive maintenance is given to the marine bands, which are installed on the seashore and allow the sargassum to go directly onto the collection trucks.

City workers begin the task of removing sargassum arriving in Puerto Morelos beaches

Beach cleaning is essential to be ready to revive tourism after we overcome the health emergency due to Covid-19. Our sandy areas and the turquoise blue of our sea are one of the main assets that we have as a tourist destination, so we must take care of them and maintain them, she said.

Luis Cardena Pena, Project Director of the municipality reported that at the end of April, the first arrivals of sargassum to Puerto Morelos began, but it was minimal. However, over this past week, it has increased which means more personnel and efforts to attend the contingency.

This year, nature gave us a truce in the first months of the year to be free of the macroalgae, but we are prepared for what arrives now, he said.
President of Ukraine stated about his intention to appoint Emine Japarova as First Deputy Foreign Minister

President of Ukraine meets with representatives of Crimean Tatars Official website of the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with representatives of Crimean Tatars and told them that a presidential decree on granting the Islamic religious holidays of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr the status of state holidays would be signed in the coming days. This was reported by the press service of the President's Office.

Zelensky also noted that representatives of Crimean Tatars should be represented at the highest diplomatic level, so he approved the candidacy of Emine Japarova for the post of First Deputy Foreign Minister.

In addition, in order to resolve the problematic issues of Crimean Tatars, Volodymyr Zelensky initiated the creation of a working group under the President's Office that will include representatives of Crimean Tatars.

"This task group will make proposals to us, we will share these proposals and move very fast," the president said.

As we reported earlier, today, on May 18, Ukraine marks the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Crimean Tatar People's Genocide.

On this day the Soviet government deported the Tatars from the Crimean peninsula deep into the mainland - to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic that has delayed mega projects scheduled for this year in Egypt, such as the New Administrative Capital and the Grand Egyptian Museum, work on Egypts first nuclear project continues around the clock.

The work is currently underway despite the coronavirus and there is no amendment to the timetable for the Dabaa nuclear plant project, Ayman Hamza, spokesperson for the Electricity and Renewable Energy Ministry, told Al-Monitor.

The Dabaa nuclear power plant (NPP), located along the northern west coast of Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea in Dabaa city in Matrouh governorate, is designed to diversify the countrys energy sources.

Russian-Egyptian cooperation on the NPP started in 2015 when both countries signed an agreement for Russia to construct Egypts first nuclear power plant.

According to the agreement, Russia would provide a $25 billion loan to Egypt to cover 85% of the construction cost, while Egypt would fund the remaining amount through private investors.

The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) will be responsible for building the four VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors, which are capable of producing 1,200 MW each for a total of 4,800 MW. The project will be owned and operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Authority under the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.

The first unit is expected to begin operations in 2026 and the three remaining reactors in 2028-2029.

Hamza said that a set of strict precautionary measures have been taken at the site due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including holding meetings via video conference.

Egyptian workers and Russian experts who are present at the Dabaa site or other foreign experts at all the sites affiliated with the ministry have a medical examination every 14 days, he explained.

Hamza said that the work at the site is taking place in three stages that started in 2017.

The first one was to prepare the site, and this was started in December 2017 and lasted 30 months. The second stage will start after obtaining the construction permit. This includes all works related to construction, training and preparations to commence the operational tests. The last one includes pre-operation tests and the official opening of the unit, he explained.

The site selection approval permit, issued in March last year, verifies that the project site and its specific conditions comply with national and international requirements.

Hamza did not give a date, saying, The [nuclear power plant authority] is working to get the construction permit soon from the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority.

Meanwhile, three Egyptian contractors won the tender for constructing the first nuclear unit at the Dabaa plant, Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroyexport announced in February.

The three winning contractors are Petrojet, Hassan Allam Holding and the Arab Contractors construction company.

According to Atomstroyexport's vice president, Grigory Sosnin, the companys top priority in the Dabaa project is to have 20% participation by Egyptian companies in the first phase. He added that a number of other tenders are due to be held this year for the rest of construction work and the goal is for Egyptian participation to reach 35% by the end of work.

Experts hailed the Dabaa project for its great potential impact on the countrys economy as well as a guarantee to prevent future crises resulting from shortages in electricity.

Yousry Abushady, a former senior inspector at the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the electricity generated by the plant will adequately meet the growing demand for electricity in Egypt.

He added that the Dabaa project will increase the gross domestic product of Egypt, not only by increasing the revenues of local contractors, but also by stimulating growth in related industries such as building materials, equipment, machinery, facilities and other services as well as over 50,000 job opportunities.

Karim al-Adham, former president of the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control, told Al-Monitor, Generating electricity from nuclear fuel is more environmentally friendly than any other fuel, like gas or petroleum. He pointed out that the plant will operate using modern reactor technology.

The plant contains a safe and error-resistant design for human factors. It can work over 60 years and it has an unprecedented ability to resist damage, Adham said. He explained that it could withstand the impact of a 400-ton plane with a speed of 150 meters per second or earthquakes up to an intensity of nine on the Richter scale.

The nuclear reactors are also characterized by safe operation without any negative effects on the surrounding environment. These reactors also prevent radiological leakage through filters, multiple barriers and automatic failsafe systems, he added.

The Dabaa plant is not the only mega project between Russia and Egypt. There are a number of other important projects underway between the two countries, including the establishment of the Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which is expected to attract investments worth $7 billion.

Acting Russian trade representative in Cairo Nikolai Aslanov said in an April 12 interview with Egyptian business newspaper Almal that Russian companies are planning to invest another $1.5 billion in Egypt during this year. He added that the value of Russian investments in Egypt at the end of last year reached $7.5 billion, 60% of it in the oil and gas sector. Aslanov stressed that Egypt is one of Russia's strategic partners in Africa and the Middle East.

He pointed out that last year Egypt received more than 130 business delegations from Russian companies to discuss joint projects and job opportunities.

The Egyptian-Russian discussions included investing opportunities in the fields of oil and gas exploration, nuclear energy, the establishment of the Russian industrial zone, mining, the manufacture of cars and agricultural machinery, information technology, pharmaceuticals, banking services and modernizing the infrastructure of the railways, Aslanov added.
In recent years, local governments have been forced to adapt to a wildly changing world, especially as it pertains to sending bills and collecting payments.
OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau will take a break today and tomorrow from his COVID-19 briefings to spend some long weekend time with his family at the Harrington Lake prime ministerial retreat in Gatineau, Que.

The briefings will resume on Tuesday as some provinces begin loosening restrictions that have locked down their economies for two months to try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Ontario will enter its first stage of reopening on May 19 by lifting restrictions on certain retail businesses and the construction industry. Some surgeries will also resume.

British Columbias government will allow a partial reopening of the provinces economy starting Tuesday. However, the reopenings are contingent on organizations and businesses having plans that follow provincial guidelines to control the spread of COVID-19.

In New Brunswick, licensed daycares can begin reopening Tuesday. And while children will not have to wear masks they will be separated into small groups as a safety precaution.

Meanwhile, Alberta welcomed the arrival of the Victoria Day weekend by increasing the limit for outdoor gatherings to 50 people  up from 15.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2020.
In this article:

The Warrior, Green Zone, The Void.

So much to choose from on telly, so why not pick a movie from this list? Theres a Frank Sinatra thriller, a Lovecraftian horror, and a Korean classic to choose from as TopFilmTip brings you the best films on TV today: Monday, 18 May.

Some films may require a Sky subscription.

Outstanding odd-couple romantic adventure sees Hepburn Bogart steam up the Congo to battle Germans in charismatic classic The African Queen 5:05pm Sony Movies Action

Psychopathic gangster Frank Sinatra holds household hostage in plot to assassinate the POTUS in electrifying thriller Suddenly 5:30pm Talking Pictures TV

Amnesiac teens brave infanticidal cyborg-spider infested labyrinth in enigmatic, childhood-to-puberty allegory The Maze Runner 6:50pm Film4

Matt Damon draws fire from his own fractious forces while truth seeking in mid-war Iraq in top taut political thriller Green Zone 9:00pm Sky 1

Suave sentinels seek superiors' soul, prize-fighter's pride prevents profit and odd date accidentally ends in OD... Tarantino's flawless masterwork of script and style Pulp Fiction 9:00pm Sony Movies

Inspirational OCD insomniac brutalises Russian mobsters in intelligently expositioned, character led B&Q badassary The Equalizer 9:00pm ITV4

Kidnapped girls must manipulate the multitude of personalities residing in their imprisoners body in Beast Mode thriller Split 9:00pm Film4

Read more: Film released early to streaming

Amid an English heatwave, naive boy ferries illicit messages between upper-class debutant and farmer in period drama The Go-Between 10:00pm Talking Pictures TV

The Go-between, poster, US poster art, Julie Christie, (center), Alan Bates, (bottom right), 1970. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)

Hospital besieged patients and medics endure tentacled transcendental onslaught in visceral vicious love letter to Lovecraft The Void 10:50pm Horror Channel

A Ronin brings on a violent reign of vengeance after escaping his bloodthirsty master in Himalayan onslaught The Warrior 11:15pm Film 4

Opportunistic apolitical cab owner and German journalist bond as they travel into heart of violent political protests witnessing ugly truth of soured power in Oscar-nominated drama A Taxi Driver 1:00am Film4

Story continues

Playboy politician persuaders Afghan arming policy for exploding helicopters literally causes Soviet downfall Charlie Wilson's War 11:20pm Sky Atlantic

Four friends repay mob debt with poorly planned kidnap in Dan Stevens twisted and banter fuelled thriller Criminal Activities 00:40am Sony Movies Action

Everything new on streaming in May:

Netflix UK: Mays new releases

NOW TV: Mays new releases

Amazon Prime Video UK: May's new releases

Disney+ UK: May's new releases
Lauretta Onochie, the Personal Assistant to President Buhari on Social media, has revealed why the president doesnt wear face mask.

The NCDC, Ministry of Health, and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have repeatedly advised Nigerians to wear a face mask to prevent getting infected with the Coronavirus.

President Buhari has engaged in several meetings since the Coronavirus pandemic started and pictures shared from those meetings show him as the only one not wearing face mask.

Backing the president, Onochie pointed out that expert medical protocol states that there is no need for face mask when in a safe environment, hence Buharis reason for not wearing it.
BERLIN - The leaders of Germany and France agreed Monday on a one-off 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) fund to help the European Union recover from the coronavirus pandemic, a proposal that would add further cash to an arsenal of financial measures the bloc is readying to cope with the outbreaks economic fallout.

Following a video call, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan would involve the European Union borrowing money in financial markets to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the pandemic.

Crucially, the money would be disbursed in the form of grants rather than loans, with repayments made from the EU budget, an unprecedented proposal that overcomes long-standing objections in Berlin to the notion of collective borrowing.

Because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path, Merkel told reporters following the joint announcement.

Macron said the proposal was a way to make Europe move forward.

We must draw all lessons from this pandemic, he said, insisting on the need for solidarity between EU member states.

Macron acknowledged that a French-German deal alone doesnt mean an agreement from the 27. The EUs executive Commission would make its own proposal to EU member states and we hope that the French-German deal will help, he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the proposal. It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work on a solution with the European budget at its core, she said.

There has been concern in European capitals that the pandemic and the blocs initial uncoordinated response to it could boost anti-EU sentiment in member states.

Merkel said it was important to ensure that all EU countries could respond to the economic challenge and that requires this unusual, one-off effort that Germany and France are now prepared to take.

The goal is for Europe to emerge from the crisis stronger, she said.

National parliaments will have their say on the proposal, which is also likely to run into strong resistance from fiscal hawks in the bloc.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his country remained opposed to the idea of grants.

Our position remains unchanged, Kurz wrote on Twitter. We are ready to help most affected countries with loans. We expect the updated (EUs seven-year budget framework) to reflect the new priorities rather than raising the ceiling.

Dutch Finance Ministry spokesman Jaap Oosterveer said the ministry was studying the plan and had no immediate comment.

Merkel expressed cautious optimism, however, that the agreement between Berlin and Paris would win widespread support.

I believe that if Germany and France send a signal, thats something which encourages the quest for consensus in Europe, she said.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte called the proposal a first, important step in the direction hoped for by Italy.

But Conte added in his Facebook post Monday evening: To overcome the crisis and to help businesses and families, the #RecoveryFund needs to be broadened. He described himself as confident of an ambitious proposal by @EU_Commission.

So far, EU countries engage in only limited common borrowing, for instance through the European Investment Bank and the unions bailout fund for crisis-hit governments, the European Stability Mechanism, but require eventual repayment by member states.

By using the financial clout of the whole bloc, bondholders get a high degree of certainty they will be paid back, meaning the EU can borrow on more favourable terms than individual member states, though at the price of collective liability.

The coronavirus crisis has raised concerns that Italy, which already has a debt pile equal to 135% of its annual economic output, could come out of the recession with so much added debt that bond investors would be reluctant to continue financing its debt, which could trigger a financial crisis.

Merkel noted that combined with an earlier stimulus package of 540 billion euros based on loans and guarantees the EU member states were mustering 1 trillion euros at the EU level, and a total of 3 trillion euros when combined with the multi-year EU budget and measures agreed at the national level.

The total is equivalent to almost 20% of the EUs 2019 economic output.

Macron and Merkel agreed that spending from the recovery fund would focus on areas that would benefit most from future investment, including digitalization, the green economy and pandemic resilience in the health sector.

____

Corbet reported from Paris. Frances DEmilio in Rome, Raf Casert in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague and David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.
So Fauci uses the debunked Imperial College model to convince Trump to shut down the U.S. economy and throw 33 million people out of work. Then, he testifies to the Senate that we probably should not open schools in the fall. What is his basis for this? Meanwhile, Prtizker says that we cannot go to the next phase of opening up Illinois until there is a 20% positivity rate. Where did this come from? We all know that the positivity rate is increasing because of more testing, which the lamestream media breathlessly reports every day. These clowns all claim that they are using science and data, but they are really making it up as they go.
Jonathan Ross' wife Jane Goldman has denied reports she is in advanced talks with Strictly Come Dancing bosses to star in this year's line-up.

Sources claimed the screenwriter, 49, had a meeting with the series' booker Stefania Aleksander about her potential future on the show last week, but representatives for Jane told MailOnline no such talks have taken place.

Strictly is currently set to air later this year amid the coronavirus crisis.

Denial: Jonathan Ross' wife Jane Goldman has denied reports she is in advanced talks with Strictly Come Dancing bosses to star in this year's line-up (pictured together in 2019)

Speculation Jane could feature in the show occurred when an insider said: 'Jane is one of the names at the top of the list for this year's show. She has told friends she would love to have a whirl on the dancefloor.'

While being married to TV veteran Jonathan, 59, for 32 years, the film executive has forged a successful writing career in her own right.

The producer co-wrote screenplays for Hollywood blockbusters X-Men: First Class, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Kick-Ass.

Keeping the ball rolling: Sources claimed the screenwriter, 49, had a meeting with the series' booker about her potential future on the show last week (pictured in 2018)

Impressive: While being married to TV veteran Jonathan, 59, for 32 years, the film executive has forged a successful writing career in her own right (pictured in 2017)

MailOnline has contacted Jane's representative for further comment. A spokesperson for Strictly declined to comment.

Earlier this month, it was reported that TV producers have scrapped Blackpool week and group dances.

Sources claim TV executives 'made the difficult decision' to exclude the some of the show's stand-out features in a bid to comply with current social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shake up: Earlier this month, it was reported that TV producers have scrapped Blackpool week and group dances for this year's series(Chris Ramsay and Karen Hauer pictured last year)

Earlier this month, BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore has revealed producers are still assessing contingency plans such as enforcing a face mask rule, dancing two metres apart and even quarantining celebrities and professional dancers.

Blackpool week, set at the iconic Blackpool Tower, usually takes place during the later stages of the series, while group dances are performed during the results' shows.

A source told Daily Star: 'Strictly will be a very different show this year. A lot of the things fans love have been dropped.

'Group dances and a studio audience just can't happen with social distancing. Cancelling Blackpool weekend was not an easy decision. But doing it in the current climate is too difficult. It isn't worth doing if there won't be a crowd.'

Drastic measures: Sources claim TV executives 'made the difficult decision' in a bid to comply with current social distancing guidelines (Emma Barton and Anton Du Beke pictured)

Tradition: Blackpool week usually takes place during the later stages of the series, while group dances are performed during the results' shows (Alex Scott pictured at Blackpool last year)

Last week, BBC boss Charlotte revealed TV executives are considering putting forward drastic measures in an attempt to save the show amid the coronavirus crisis.

Charlotte told The Times: 'We're looking at how that would work. Could you quarantine people? Can we test everyone before filming? There's a lot of work being done. It's a big task.'

She also said fans could see the show go on-air without a live audience, with the BBC also looking into testing participants' temperatures and installing glass divides inside the studio 'so that people feel even more protected'.

Strictly distanced: Bosses are considering putting forward drastic measures in a bid to save the show amid the crisis (2019 winners Oti Mabuse and Kelvin Fletcher pictured)

The Strictly set-up has included a live audience since the show first aired back in 2004, when it was fronted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.

Insiders previously claimed keeping participants in isolation was not plausible due to family ties.

They told MailOnline: 'Strictly are looking at options. At this stage, there's no chance they could isolate as individuals or couples. That would leave any married or parent dancers not seeing their families for up to three months.

Pulling out all the stops: BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore has revealed producers are still assessing contingency plans (cast pictured on tour in 2019)

'At the moment, it's not being considered. No one knows where we'll be in the world - if the series is a much shorter run, say. The isolation is not something that's currently on the table.'

Despite the recent claims, Charlotte insisted the option could now be on the table to enable filming goes on without breaching government guidelines.

A BBC spokesperson said: 'We will continue to review all productions on a case by case basis and will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the Foreign Office, World Health Organisation and Public Health England.'
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan has called on Armenians not to believe conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that doing so may result in letting ones guard down and losing vigilance as the numbers of confirmed cases grow.

Parallel to the growth of coronavirus disease cases the number of those who believe in conspiracy theories is also growing. This is concerning in terms of people potentially letting down their guard towards the disease. And this in turn means that this can contribute to more cases happening soon, Torosyan said on social media.

Torosyan said there are many phrases like We are definitely going to get micro-chips, No such disease exists, It wont get us, It is an international bluff, It is all a lie, Its for getting foreign funding on social media.

Such opinions are also widely covered by the press. We dont want our population to lose vigilance and if this trend continues we will have to report the details of social media users spreading such false and unsubstantiated claims to the law enforcement agencies, first of all to understand who stands behind this and what are their motives on endangering our citizens, the minister said.

Given the growing number of COVID-19 cases, Torosyan once more asked citizens to be highly vigilant and maintain all safety precautions to slow down the transmission rate.

He also urged citizens to follow official information as a reliable source.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Ranching may sound like a good way to be socially isolated without doing anything out of the ordinary. That is not always the case, though, particularly at branding time. Its a tradition for folks to gather from miles around to help another ranching family work the young calves.

While cowpokes as young as 7 help hold down the calves, cowpokes as old as 70 brand, castrate, vaccinate and tag. Others on the scene are visiting or preparing food. Children are playing. Its part of the ranching lifestyle. However, this year, traditions have had to give way to health and business realities, due to a virus that respects nobodys property lines.

Mike Henry, North Platte feedlot operator and cattle producer, said they opted for several small brandings this year, working only 40 to 50 calves at a time. A lot fewer people are involved that way. There are no big gatherings.

The precautions are critical, said Randy Saner, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator based in North Platte. This year, leave the children and the elderly at home, along with people who have health conditions that put them at special risk. Even physically fit people who do not take social precautions seriously, may not be the ones to invite to a branding, Saner said.
My name is Casey Jenkins, the new director for Downtown Blacksburg Inc. (DBI), a nonprofit business advocacy group in downtown Blacksburg. We are a membership organization dedicated to fostering community and economic development in the downtown district.

Although I have only been in the role for about two months, most of which during this novel pandemic, one thing is very clear to me. Downtown Blacksburg is comprised of a plethora of small businesses that have a common denominator: resiliency.

That is the word I keep coming back to during this health crisis. Our small business community is made up of many individuals who demonstrate resiliency and grit at every corner. I see downtown merchants mobilizing in unprecedented ways to remain solvent as businesses pivot to curbside and delivery operations as well as promoting the value of gift cards to buy now and use later. These and many other creative strategies have allowed our business community to reach out to their customers.

While some of our merchants have temporarily closed their doors to comply with the governor's executive order, they are still here and migrating sales to online platforms as they learn new approaches and strategies to employ through direct response marketing. Many of these folks have found success in new approaches that will sustain them well past the pandemic.

Yesterday I read a quote from George Lopez which read when things are bad, its the best time to reinvent yourself, and that is exactly what I see of our downtown businesses. A sense of resiliency and perseverance to endure this crisis by finding new ways to adapt and remain open. This inspires me to do my very best work as an advocate for our small business community.

I would also like to applaud and thank our local community for hearing the call to action to support local. It warms my heart to see the Blacksburg community and its residents wrap their arms around our merchants during this time by buying local.

We are a strong community filled with strong merchants and that strength is predicated on resiliency. My heart is with all of you and I know we will prevail through this storm together. Stay safe and be well.

We are downtown strong.

CASEY JENKINS

BLACKSBURG
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Linkedin Dominique Charton (Agence France-Presse) Chalons-en-Champagne, France  Mon, May 18, 2020 09:56 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8bae43 2 World France,Catholic,Sunday-mass,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,pandemic,virus-corona,SARS-CoV-2 Free

Catholics in France's virus hit east on Sunday gathered for their first mass in weeks, praying and singing hymns from the relative safety of their cars.

Some 500 believers gathered in Chalons-en-Champagne in about 200 cars parked at least a meter from one another outside the city's main exhibition hall.

"It is a triumph of life," bishop Francois Touvet told AFP, adding that the initiative was a first for France and went ahead only after the authorities gave special permission.

It was held on the seventh day of a progressive easing of France's strict lockdown instituted in mid-March to brake the spread of the virus which has killed more than 27,000 people in France.

Under new, looser regulations, people are allowed to leave their homes and travel up to 100 kilometers.

But gatherings of more than 10 people remain prohibited as the country seeks to progressively get back to normal without unleashing a new infection wave.

At Sunday's service in eastern France, hard hit by coronavirus, strict rules applied.

Cars were checked at the entrance to ensure each occupant was wearing a mask and had access to virus-killing hand gel.

No more than four people were allowed per car, and no-one was allowed to get out.

At the front of the car park, a pulpit complete with a cross and a statue of the Virgin Mary had been erected on a truck trailer, from where Touvet delivered his sermon over a microphone.

At the foot of the stage, a dozen priests and deacons sat arranged in a semi-circle, their chairs carefully spaced a safe distance from each other.

Worshippers who wished to receive communion were asked to switch on their car's hazard lights, and to clean their hands with sanitizing gel.

Priests wearing face masks, their hands also disinfected, then went around from car to car.

"Clean hands give the communion, clean hands receive it," said Touvet. "An exceptional measure for an exceptional situation."

For Marie-Lorene, a 21-year-old resident of Chalons-en-Champagne, the mass was an opportunity to pray "for all those who have died of coronavirus for all those who fight against coronavirus and then for all the people who help the sick".

Touvet told the faithful they would celebrate Pentecost together at the end of the month, either in church, "or here again", to worship "in this world wounded and overwhelmed by a small, invisible virus".
I ts easy amid the economic doom and gloom to lose sight of the innovative ways businesses have found to cope with the lockdown and all its difficulties.

Banks, law firms and accountants have decamped to home working in ways nobody would have thought possible eight weeks ago. From spare rooms and attic offices, armies of skilled advisers have raised billions of pounds of rescue funds for clients, saving a generation of jobs.

Pearsons digital learning team has helped the worlds schools and universities switch relatively painlessly to home learning.

Construction firms unable to open show homes have kept sales going by using virtual showrooms online. Not to mention totally changing building sites to maintain social distancing.

The crisis has forced businesses, through trial and error, to innovate, change and probably improve the way they operate forever.

For drug companies, experimentation has always been bread and butter. It has stood us all in good stead for the current emergency.

AstraZeneca today pledged to have 30 million coronavirus vaccines available by September in the UK if late stage trials succeed in the coming months.

And GSK announced a stunning HIV breakthrough that could save millions of mens lives around the world.

Not only have trials found its HIV prevention drug significantly more effective than Gileads rival medicine, but men only need to have an injection once every two months rather than take a daily pill.

GSK led the way against HIV/Aids with the first anti-retroviral AZT in 1987. At that stage the world was hunting for a cure. Now, it is close to stopping people getting the virus in the first place.

Reasons to be cheerful as a sunny week gets underway.
Determined: Inga Dainauskiene said it had been scary to take the case

"At first I felt like I was useless, and asked 'did I do something wrong?' But, that's really not true."

Inga Dainauskiene, who had worked at sausage maker Rudd's in Co Offaly for 13 years, was told that she could either come back from maternity leave for a lower paid role, or be made redundant. Now she has been paid more than 60,000 after she lost her job.

She was awarded 45,000 after the WRC said she had been discriminated against, on top of the 16,673 she received in a redundancy payment.

Ms Dainauskiene (38) told the Irish Independent she had been "very disappointed" to be told her job at the Birr factory was gone, because she had been eager to get back to work.

Ms Dainauskiene also has a 10-year-old son, and had come back from maternity leave with "no problem" after he was born. She said it had been "scary" to take the case, but she was glad she did and hoped it encouraged other women in a similar position. "I didn't want to keep this problem just to me, everybody needs to know about it. Women need to be more brave," she said.

Ms Dainauskiene's case was that she was dismissed on the grounds of gender and family status, which amounted to a discriminatory dismissal. She thanked Mairead Carey, her solicitor, who she said had been "the best".

Ms Dainauskiene started working at the factory on September 1, 2005 after moving to Birr from Latvia. She said at the time of her dismissal she had been the longest-serving employee at Rudd's.

In 2017, Sean Loughnane Galway Ltd bought Rudd's sausages from the O'Brien Fine Foods group and Ms Dainauskiene continued to work there. She was promoted to supervisor. On November 20, 2018, Ms Dainauskiene went on maternity leave ahead of the birth of a little girl, who is now 16 months old. She was due to come back to work on July 1, 2019. But a month before her return, her employer contacted her.

Ms Dainauskiene was told her job was gone. She was offered a more junior role, which paid 9.80 an hour, and would include a six-month probation. She had been paid 14 an hour before she went on maternity leave. When she complained, she was told she could either take the more junior job or accept redundancy.

In October 2019, she got a new job with Brady Family Ham, which is owned by the O'Brien Food Group that used to own Rudd's. She said her managers are "lovely".

Rudd's said the company had been restructured while Ms Dainauskiene was on maternity leave, but confirmed she was the only person who had been made redundant during this restructure.
People should now self-isolate if they lose their sense of smell or taste because it is a definite symptom of coronavirus, the government announced today.

In the first change to the policy since the beginning of the outbreak, officials have added a third tell-tale sign to the government's definition of COVID-19.

The chief medical officers of the UK say anosmia - the scientific name for the loss of the senses - is clearly linked to the virus and should be treated with the same amount of caution as a fever or a new cough, the only other two official symptoms.

Angered doctors welcomed the move but said it had 'taken too long', with the UK lagging behind other countries and the World Health Organization after nose and throat specialists first sounded the alarm about this in March.

US health authorities listed the symptom on the weekend of April 18, for example, and the boss of the French health service warned citizens about it as early as March.

One researcher who runs King's College London's COVID Symptom Tracker app said up to 70,000 current coronavirus patients are roaming free or still working because the government is not warning people about minor symptoms.

Professor Tim Spector said his team have linked 14 symptoms to the virus but the Department of Health is only recognising three.

Ministers were last week warned that as many as one in four patients are unaware they have COVID-19 because they don't get a cough or fever, but do suffer from anosmia or other less well known signs.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said officials hope adding the symptom to the list will help medics to detect three per cent more patients.

'With a cough or fever, sensitivity was around 91 per cent,' he said in a telephone briefing this morning. 'By adding anosmia, in terms of case pick-up, we think that might go to 94 per cent.'

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said this morning that officials hoped adding anosmia to the list of official symptoms would help them to pick up two per cent more COVID-19 cases

Until today, a fever or a new continuous cough had been the only officially recognised symptoms of the coronavirus. Now, anosmia - a lost or changed sense of smell or taste - will be added to the list

Professor Van-Tam added: 'The reason for making the change now is that there has been a signal around the importance of anosmia as a symptom of COVID-19 for a while now.

'It has been important to continue to look at that and be sure that we consider it and introduce it at the right time... this has been quite a difficult piece of science.'

ENT UK, which represents specialist ear, nose and throat doctors, last week accused government officials of 'clinical negligence' in taking so long to include anosmia on its official list of symptoms which require someone to self-isolate.

Professor Nirmal Kumar, the president of the association and a practising doctor in London, told MailOnline that anosmia was a worrying symptom because it didn't stop people carrying on with their lives and spreading the virus.

WHAT SYMPTOMS IS THE GOVERNMENT MISSING? Researchers at Kings College London and healthcare science company, ZOE Global, are running an app called COVID Symptom Tracker, which is being used regularly by more than three million people. It works by people logging on every day to report, anonymously, how they are feeling and whether they have tested positive for coronavirus. They have come up with a list of at least 14 symptoms which, if someone reports having them, increases their likelihood of testing positive for coronavirus. This suggests they are symptoms of the disease. The top three, in bold, are the only ones officially recognised by the NHS and government. If someone phoned 111 and described their illness but did not have one of those three, they would be told they do not need to self-isolate. The 14 symptoms are: Fever

Persistent cough

Anosmia (lost smell/taste)

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

Diarrhoea

Delirium

Skipped meals

Abdominal pain

Chest pain

Hoarse voice

Skin rash

Hives

Severe muscle pain Advertisement

Fatigue, for example, would leave someone bed-ridden, while a cough might make someone think twice about going out in public, Professor Kumar said.

'We're relieved that this has finally been accepted but we alerted people about this eight weeks ago,' he said.

'Everyone else, including the World Health Organization, took it up urgently, but it has certainly taken too long here.

'The prevalence is widespread. We used to see these patients occasionally but now we see them regularly.

'If we had recognised this earlier we would have reduced the spread. The reproduction rate of the virus would have been lower.'

Professor Tim Spector said that thousands of coronavirus patients are going under the government's radar because its symptom definitions are too narrow.

He said on BBC Radio 4 today: 'We list about 14 symptoms which we know are related to having a positive swab test, and these are not being picked up by the NHS.

'At the moment, people are being told to go back to work if they're a care worker, and they've got something like loss of smell or taste or severe muscle pains or fatigue - things that we know and we've shown are related to being swabbed positive.

'This country is missing the ball in underestimated cases but also putting people at risk, and continuing the epidemic.'

He pointed the blame at Public Health England, which experts say was told weeks ago about other symptoms of the disease.

A paper outlining the symptoms Professor Spector's COVID Symptom Tracker app has picked up on includes fever, persistent cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, delirium, skipped meals, abdominal pain, chest pain, hoarse voice, anosmia, skin rash, severe muscle pain and hives.

'There's no point telling people to be alert if they don't know the symptoms,' Professor Spector added.

The government has come under fire for not listing a lost sense of smell and taste as a symptom of coronavirus sooner. Pictured, the NHS website as it still appears

'At the moment they're not really being offered tests, and they're being told not to self isolate if they don't have the fever and the cough and it's probably around half of the people in the population who are in that situation.

US AND FRANCE LISTED SYMPTOM WEEKS AGO The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US listed 'New loss of taste or smell' under its list of coronavirus symptoms on the weekend of April 18 and 19. Its addition followed reports from doctors in the US as well as in China and South Korea, where the early coronavirus outbreaks took place. It appears alongside chills, muscle pain and sore throat, which also are not listed in the UK. In France, anosmia is included as the third question in an official 22-question run-through which directs people to the right medical care. The head of the French health service, Jerome Salomon, warned his countrymen about the sign as early as March, The Connexion reported. He said that if people suddenly lose their sense of smell or taste they should stay home and phone their doctor. Advertisement

'We are probably missing at the moment between 50,000 and 70,000 people out there who are infected. We know that their swab tests will be positive.

'Someone has got to urgently ask this question of why we're the only country in this crisis that isn't really widening our group of symptoms and get on with it and do something.'

It is not yet clear how many people who catch COVID-19 do lose their sense of smell, and Professor Van-Tam said estimates range from the 'teens' to more than 50 per cent.

But data collected by Public Health England about the first few hundreds patients in the UK has convinced officials that there is a strong enough link connecting the two.

The deputy CMO said today: 'We're absolutely sure that other symptoms exist, including symptoms you wouldn't usually associate with a respiratory virus, such as abdominal pain.

'Some are so non-specific they would cause more confusion than clarity. Fatigue, for example, is a genuine symptom of COVID but any number of people suffer fatigue for a variety of reasons.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted he had lost his sense of smell when he fell ill with the virus, but that it had returned soon after he recovered.

NOSE AND THROAT DOCTORS SOUNDED THE ALARM IN MARCH Specialist doctors called for the British Government to recognise anosmia - the loss or change of sense of smell and taste - as a symptom of COVID-19 two months ago. ENT UK, which represents ear, nose and throat doctors, said medics worldwide were seeing 'significantly' higher numbers of patients with the symptom. On March 25 ENT UK said in a statement: 'We believe this is related to COVID-19 infection. 'At present, many affected patients do not have other symptoms, or only mild disease, and therefore do not meet the criteria for testing. 'While loss of smell may be caused by other viruses, we think that it is reasonable to assume that COVID-19 is the cause until tests prove negative. 'We therefore advise that patients follow current guidelines for self-isolating if they develop new onset anosmia. This will also apply to cohabiting friends or family.' The government did not take up the call and did not add anosmia until the list today. On May 13, last Wednesday, the same organisation said in a scathing press release: 'We have been in regular contact with PHE regarding the utility of anosmia as a marker of infection. 'However, anosmia is not yet included in the list of associated symptoms used by the NHS 111 service. Key workers, often dealing with vulnerable groups, are told they must still go to work as they do not meet the criteria for diagnosis. 'At the time of writing, NHS 111 declares "it is unlikely you have COVID-19" unless you have a cough or fever; loss of sense of smell and taste, myalgia, fatigue and gastrointestinal upset are all disregarded. 'In the face of the current evidence base, this now amounts to clinical negligence.' ENT UK today welcomed the announcement but said 'it has certainly taken too long'. Advertisement

Professor Van-Tam said officials in the UK had not rushed to include the symptom because it was not certain in many cases that people were losing their sense of smell or taste directly because of the coronavirus.

Other viruses which affect the airways are known to have the same effect, including common colds and the flu.

Adding the symptom to the list too soon may have caused confusion or led people without the virus to believe that they had it, the deputy CMO added.

In most cases people's senses do return to normal after their illness but it is possible that it can be permanent.

The UK's four chief medical officers, led by Professor Chris Whitty, said in a statement today: 'We have been closely monitoring the emerging data and evidence on COVID-19 and after thorough consideration, we are now confident enough to recommend this new measure.

'The individuals household should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines and the individual should stay at home for seven days, or longer if they still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell or taste.'

Today's step comes after government ministers were warned last week that the virus was going undetected in as many as a quarter or people who have it, because they had atypical symptoms.

NERVTAG, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, warned officials last week that more people say they are losing smell or taste than have a cough and fever together.

They called for the public to be given a 'wider perception' of signs that could indicate COVID-19, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Professor Peter Openshaw, an experimental medicine expert at Imperial College London, told the newspaper that as many as a quarter of patients could be missed.

He said: 'In the self-reported symptoms, the loss of sense of smell comes out as a very, very frequent one.

'But in terms of how often that would actually lead to a diagnosis of COVID, that's not quite clear...

'It is important people have a wider perception of how it may present.'

Scientists today welcomed the news that anosmia had been added to the list but echoed concerns that it had taken so long.

Professor Carl Philpott, a rhinology expert at the University of East Anglia, said: 'The announcement that the CMOs have now recognised smell and taste disturbances is extremely welcome, albeit much later than other European counterparts and at least two weeks after the WHO added it to their list.

'This will hopefully now be another measure by which the pandemic can be contained, especially as in some people it may be the only symptom or may precede other symptoms.

'This is particularly pertinent in healthcare workers where reports of smell and taste disturbances have been commonplace, meaning the transfer of infection from colleagues to each other and to uninfected patients will have been happening unchecked.

'There will also be a recognition that although many patients will recover these senses, the need for ongoing support will be faced by a minority in whom these sensory losses persist.'
Five outstanding business leaders have been selected as honorees of the 23rd annual spring Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Laureates include David Dittenber of DRI Restaurants and DLR Development; Dan Streeter of Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan; and Jim Terry of P.F. Markey, Incorporated. Becky Johnson of Chemical Bank, a division of TCF Bank, will receive the Volunteer of the Year award and Jenny Geno of the Saginaw Intermediate School District will receive the Educational Achievement award.

The Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding business leaders who have demonstrated excellence through their contributions, not only to the business world, but also to their communities. Honorees are nominated by members of the community and are selected into the Hall of Fame by a consensus of past laureates.

The 2020 JA Business Hall of Fame is presented by Nexteer Automotive. With the current cancellation of public gatherings, this 23rd annual spring event has transitioned from a formal evening event to a social media event. To join the 2020 JA Business Hall of Fame celebration, follow the honorees and their stories of inspiration at Twitter (@JA_NCM), Instagram (@ja_north_central_mi), Facebook (@janorthcentralmichigan) or LinkedIn (Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan). Additional information may be found by visiting the JA of North Central Michigan website at www.janorthcentralmi.org.

We are absolutely thrilled with our inductees into the JA Hall of Fame Class of 2020. As a group, the energy, enthusiasm, and optimism they pour into the community is unmatched. Each one has been tremendously flexible and so engaging with our 'celebration' in this unusual time, we couldnt me more proud or thankful, said Mike Rush, president of Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan.

The 2020 JA Business Hall of Fame honorees include:

Laureate Dittenber is the president and CEO of Downtown Restaurant Investments and DLR Development in Midland. For over 25 years, he has owned restaurants in the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan. He also founded GENE-5, a Start-Up Business Accelerator, in 2018. After graduating from Aquinas College with a bachelor of science degree with majors in biology and chemistry, he worked in healthcare for 10 years. He then spent four years as a consultant with Global Sales and Marketing Solutions, working on marketing and change management strategies for small to medium enterprise businesses. He later earned a master of business administration from Phoenix University.

Dittenber is recognized as a leader of economic development in Michigans Great Lakes Bay Region and is a very active member of the community, serving on a wide variety of regional and statewide boards. His commitment to the community has earned him recognition and prestigious awards including the Top 30 Under 30 in the Great Lakes Bay Region and Entrepreneur of the Year by Saginaw Valley State University and Central Michigan University. He is a past chairman of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association and a Regional Board of Director at TCF Bank. He is also a member of numerous non-profit boards including Infuse, and the Michigan Health Improvement Alliance. He resides in Midland with his wife, Amy, and their two children.

Laureate Streeter began his ministry at City Rescue Mission of Saginaw in 1992. During his tenure, he served as mens disciple program director from 1992-2000 and director of operations from 2000-2005. In the summer of 2001, representatives of several Bay area agencies asked for help of the Saginaw Rescue Mission in establishing a similar outreach in Bay City. The old Samaritan Hospital was available and friends of Bay Medical Center were influential in securing the building. When the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission was established in 2005, Streeter was appointed by the board as the mission director. Then, the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan Board of Directors named him to succeed his father as the executive director. He became the CEO of the ministry in 2016. Leading the ministry with passion and focus, his desire is to combat homelessness while sharing the love of Christ at the same time, which is evident in his ministry assignment.

Laureate Terry began his career at the P. F. Markey Company, an Industrial Distributor of Cutting Tools and Abrasives, in inside sales in 1986. Terry became a junior partner in 1994 and in 2000 he purchased the company from Paul Markey, who founded PFMI in 1977.

A lifetime Michigan resident, Terry graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a BBA in marketing. Terry is also the owner of Great Lakes Escape Games in Frankenmuth and R&S Cuttergrind in Saginaw Township. He is president of the Great Lakes Bay Manufacturing Association and sits on Saginaw Future board and the IBC OC council. He and his wife Ellen are the parents of 20 year-old triplets.

JA Volunteer of the Year Johnson is currently the AVP, banking center manager III at the Saginaw Midland Road Chemical Bank office. Her career began with Chemical Bank in July of 2002. She earned a bachelors degree in business management from SVSU. She also graduated as president of her class from the Perry School of Banking with the Michigan Bankers Association in 2018. Johnson has been a volunteer for over 14 years and heavily involved with Junior Achievement, The Great Lakes Bay Child Abuse and Neglect Council and the Saginaw/Freeland communities. She served on the Freeland Chamber of Commerce Board for five previous years. She is currently a participant in 2019/2020 Saginaw Leadership Program with the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce.

Distinguished Education Awardee Geno is the executive director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at the Saginaw Intermediate School District. She completed her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and then earned her masters degree from Saginaw Valley State University. Geno also completed an education specialist degree from Saginaw Valley State University in educational leadership, with additional credits in career and technical education from Wayne State University. She was a Gerstacker Fellow in 2016 and was part of the Leadership Saginaw County 2019 Cohort. She is currently part of the 2020 Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy Cohort.

Geno has served on a variety of state and local boards throughout her career and is currently a board member on both the Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works Career Education Advisory Council and the Great Lakes Bay Manufacturers Association. She is also serving as president/chairperson for Michigans CEPD (Career Education Planning District) Council, which represents all CTE directors from across the state. She also serves on the Perkins V. Executive Board for Michigan, which oversees and provides direction for Career and Technical Education in Michigan and was just appointed to the Saginaw Future, Inc. Board of Directors.

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Market Research Future Published a Half Cooked Research Report on Global Transparent Plastics Market Research Report  Forecast to 2023

Market Synopsis:

The properties of Transparent Plastics that are expected to facilitate the generation of demand over the next few years are resistance to corrosion and chemicals, low thermal conductivity, durability, micro-organisms repelling, etc. Covid-19 Analysis on Transparent Plastics Market has been studied in details by Market Research Future in its latest report. It unveils that the market is projected to exhibit a healthy CAGR over the assessment period 2018 to 2023.

The growth of the market is expected to be driven primarily by the demand for packaging in the food industry. Also, the product has penetrated the booming industries such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, consumer goods, electrical & electronics, etc. This, in turn, is poised to catalyze expansion of the Transparent Plastics Market in the years to come.

Competitive Dashboard:

DowDuPont (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), and Evonik Industries (Germany) are some of the noted participants of the Global Transparent Plastics Market expected to contribute substantially to its development in the upcoming years. Other key players profiled for the share analysis of the market are LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V. (Netherlands), Covestro AG (Germany), INEOS (U.K), LANXESS (Germany), PPG Industries, Inc. (U.S.), TEIJIN LIMITED (Japan), Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan), Denka Company Limited (Japan), LG Chem (South Korea), Trinseo (U.S.), SABIC (Saudi Arabia), and Eastman Chemical Company (U.S).

The market is anticipated to remain highly lucrative in the years to come. Some of the key trends supporting the growth of the market participants are mergers & acquisitions, facility expansion, research & development, partnerships, etc. Case to the point is, in February 2019, the U.S. based Aurora Plastics has completed the upgradation and expansion of its Texas compounding facility.

In March 2019, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation based out of Japan, has announced the acquisition of Welset Plast Extrusions Private Limiteds PVC compound business in India.

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Market Segmentation:

The Segments of the Global Transparent Plastics Market, based on Type, are Rigid and Flexible.

The Different Types of polymer identified in this MRFR report are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and others.

The important End-Users assessed for a detailed segmental analysis of the Global Transparent Plastics Market are building & construction, packaging, electrical & electronics, consumer goods, automotive, and others.

Regional Analysis:

For an in-depth geographic assessment of the Global Transparent Plastics Market, it has been segmented into five regions namely Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa (MEA), Europe, and North America. Asia Pacific is assessed to be dictating the growth of the global market in 2016. It has been projected that the regional segment is likely to retain its forefront position in the global marketplace over the next couple of years. Rapid industrialization being observed in the region has led to exponential developments in the end-user industries such as automotive, consumer goods, packaging, etc. This, in turn, is likely to fuel demand for Transparent Plastics, thus, expediting the expansion of the regional market. In addition, the rising standards of living, in conjunction with the increasing purchasing power of the population, is also poised to catapult the Transparent Plastics Market in the region on an upward trajectory.

North America, which was the second leading regional market in 2016, is prognosticated to expand at a substantial pace in the forthcoming years. The growth can be ascribed to rising demand from the food packaging industry. In addition, the investments injected for revamping the construction industry is further expected to accelerate revenue generation for the participants of the Transparent Plastics Market in the upcoming years. Europe is forecasted to exhibit a similar growth trend in the nearby future. The key players in the Transparent Plastics Market in the region are expected to capitalize on the increasing demand from the automotive industry.

NOTE: Our team of researchers are studying Covid19 and its impact on various industry verticals and wherever required we will be considering covid19 footprints for a better analysis of markets and industries. Cordially get in touch for more details.

COVID-19 Study in Detail:

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Bio-Based Chemicals Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-bio-based-chemicals-market

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Surfactant Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-surfactant-market

Impact of COVID-19 on Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-recycled-polyethylene-terephthalate-market

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MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described as encouraging, the presence of young Ghanaian medical research scientists at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR).



The development, he said, was good for the nations future given the crucial role scientists played in any societys development and growth.



It is very encouraging that many scientists are emerging and having the opportunity to put their knowledge to a practical and concrete use, the President remarked, when he paid a working visit to the facility at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi.



The visit was to enable him assess at first hand operations of the Centre, an international platform for biomedical research, mandated to carry out tests on and validate COVID-19 blood samples.



KCCR had since March 12, this year, processed more than 49, 920 blood samples presented to the facility from health facilities, especially in the northern sector of the country.



The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that 913 of the samples tested positive.



Facilities inspected by the President at the Centre included; the COVID evaluation, negative pressure (biosafety level three) and DNA isolation laboratories, as well as other testing laboratories.



President Nana Akufo-Addo commended scientists and other staff at the KCCR for the excellent job they were doing in Ghanas fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.



Professor Richard Odame Phillips, Scientific Director at the KCCR, disclosed that the Centre had received a specialized DNA robot, which could extract 48 samples within 17 minutes.



This had replaced the manual extraction method, which were used for isolating DNA of the samples presented to the facility.



Professor Philips appealed to the government for more of such specialized robots in order to facilitate work of the scientists.



Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, assured the President of the Universitys commitment to training more local scientists to spearhead the nations quest for sustainable growth through research and cutting-edge technology.

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.

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Rajasthan on Monday reported 173 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths, taking the total number of coronavirus positive cases to 5,375 in the state.

At least 133 people have succumbed to the deadly infection till date in Rajasthan. There are 2,170 active Covid-19 cases currently, according to the state health department.

On Sunday, Rajasthan had recorded the highest single-day spike of 242 new Covid-19 cases and five fatalities.

ALSO READ | 45% of Rajasthans coronavirus patients in 21-40 age group: Govt

On Sunday, two more deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Bharatpur, Bikaner and Kota.

Of the 242 fresh Covid-19 cases, Jaipur had recorded the maximum of 60, followed by Jodhpur 43, Dungarpur 18, Udaipur 17, Pali 14, Churu 13, Sikar 12, Nagaur 11, Rajsamand and Sirohi 10 each, Bhilwara, Kota and Bikaner five each, Barmer four, Jalore three, Alwar, Chittorgarh and Jhunjhunu two each, Ajmer, Dausa, Jhalawar, Karauli, Pratapgarh and Sawaimadhopur one each.

In the state, a total of 3,055 Covid-19 patients have recovered.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has directed officials to form a separate team for intensive monitoring of the coronavirus infection, which would provide thorough feedback on its spread and other aspects. Based on this, the state government will formulate its strategy, a senior government official said

.Gehlot said that a large number of migrants from other states have reached villages. Special attention should be given in rural areas as there may be a risk of the infection spreading in such areas, the chief minister cautioned.

The Rajasthan government will soon be running Shramik Special buses for migrants heading home on foot through national highways after Sundays lockdown 4.0 guidelines permitted inter-state travel through buses and other vehicles.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) to pare stake in its insurance subsidiaries to 50 per cent or below. HDFC owns majority stake (more than 50 per cent) in both HDFC Life Insurance and HDFC Ergo General Insurance.

In a statement to the exchanges, HDFC said the RBI had directed that, after the merger of HDFC Ergo Health Insurance with HDFC Ergo General Insurance, it had to bring down its stake in the merged entity to 50 per cent or below within a period of six months from the date of the merger. It has to pare its ...
A man and woman were arrested early Saturday morning in Lyon Township after being suspected of impersonating police officers.

The arrests came after undercover detectives from the Oakland County Sheriffs Office were patrolling in the area of 400 Boyne Street in Kensington Place, which is near Grand River Avenue and I-96.

They noticed they were being shadowed by a 2010 Dodge Durango, which had a blue emergency light on its windshield. The detectives stopped the Durango at 2:42 a.m. Saturday, May 16.

Eventually, the pair would be arrested for having a concealed weapon and some narcotics materials.

During a search of the vehicle detectives recovered a police style (blue and red) emergency LED flashing light, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a black semi-automatic starter pistol, a police style badge, a set of police handcuffs, a police scanner and a spotlight, the sheriffs office reported. In addition, detectives recovered a plastic straw containing suspected cocaine residue.

The sheriffs office also said the man driving admitted to having used the police lighting equipment and spotlight to impersonate an office in the metro Detroit area, which will be further investigated with other police agencies.

Two small children were also in the vehicle, ages 2 and 1, and they were turned over at the scene to their grandmother.

Leonard Charles Harris, 51, and Leanna Paige Garcia-Stowe, 24, were arrested and released on personal bonds after being charged.

Harris faces a weapons charge, possession of cocaine, and possession of flashing lights. Garcia-Stowe is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of cocaine.
Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray said the FBI unlocked phones belonging to the gunman who attacked a Florida Navy base last year and found new evidence of the shooters ties to al Qaeda. Photo: Handout/FBI/AFP
Defense minister: Iran ready for strategic partnership with Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 9:06 AM

Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has voiced Iran's willingness to forge a strategic partnership with neighboring Iraq and turn bilateral ties into a "successful model for cooperation."

Hatami made the comments on Sunday during a video call with his Iraqi counterpart, Lieutenant General Juma Anad Saadoun Khattab, who was recently appointed to the post by new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Hatamai underlined the need for defense cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran to restore security and stability in the region.

"We are willing to offer all our potential to Iraq and become strategic partners and turn our bonds into a successful model of cooperation," he said.

Iran has maintained close ties with Iraq since the ouster of former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In 2014, when Daesh unleashed its campaign of terror in Iraq, Iranian military advisers rushed to the aid of Iraqi armed forces on Baghdad's request, helping them reverse Daesh's gains and ultimately liberate their entire homeland from the Takfiri terrorist group some three years later.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Hatami congratulated the Iraqi defense minister on his appointment and wished him success in his career.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the formation of the new Iraqi administration, saying, "A united, independent and powerful Iraq, with the participation of all ethnic and religious groups, is our principled policy."

"Therefore, we hope that the Iraqi government will be successful in fulfilling its inherent responsibilities and duties, especially in materializing national demands, improving economic conditions and fighting the coronavirus disease."

Hatami also touched on the common history, culture and religion of the two neighbors, and extended an invitation to his Iraqi counterpart for an official visit to the Islamic Republic.

Iraq swore in al-Kadhimi as the new prime minister earlier this month after months of political deadlock that had hampered the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic and stepped-up Daesh operations.

The United States is strongly opposed to close relations between Iran and Iraq, pressuring Baghdad to keep Tehran at an arm's length.

However, Washington's efforts have been trumped by the extent and depth of the relationship between Tehran and Baghdad.

Iraq's former electricity minister said this week that Iran will remain a key source of energy for the Arab country for years to come despite the US opposition.

"The only available option we have at the moment right now is Iranand let's be frank," Luay al-Khatteeb said in an interview.

The US has been enlisting its companies and allies such as Saudi Arabia to replace Iran as Iraq's source of energy.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A murder warrant has been issued against a 31-year-old man accused of stabbing his mother-in-law to death earlier this month.

Ottawa County Sheriffs Office deputies announced the issuing of the warrant Monday, May 18. The suspect has yet to be arraigned.

The man is currently being held in the St. Joseph County Jail in Indiana without bond and is awaiting extradition.

Deputies say the man fatally stabbed Holland resident Michelle Lynette Speck, 52. Deputies found Speck dead from a knife wound in the early hours of May 14 in a room at StayBridge Suites on James Street, near U.S. 31.

Related: Police identify woman found slain at Holland Township hotel

She was found after a family member called police about concerns for Specks welfare. Deputies then tracked the suspect to Indiana and said he was driving Specks vehicle.

A two-count warrant of open murder, which encompasses both first- and second-degree murder, and third-time habitual offender was issued against the man.

Deputies say he hails from Holland Township and is Specks son-in-law.

Extradition proceedings are underway, and a court appearance has not yet been set.

Read more:

Inmate shot by tower officer during gang-related fight on prison yard

Mushroom hunter finds human remains in Macomb County

The flu has killed 2,200 Michiganders since 2000. Coronavirus topped that in a month.
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is stepping down from the board of SoftBank Group Corp, as the Japanese technology company struggles over its risky investments such as office-sharing venture WeWork.

Tokyo-based SoftBank announced Mr Mas resignation on Monday, ahead of releasing financial results.

It did not say why he was leaving.

Mr Ma, co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has been focusing on philanthropy lately, such as donating masks and test kits to help in the efforts against the new coronavirus pandemic.

SoftBank announced three new board members, including SoftBank chief financial officer Yoshimitsu Goto and Waseda University professor Yuko Kawamoto.

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Another new member is Lip-Bu Tan, founder of Walden International, a venture capital firm focused on computer chips, cloud and artificial intelligence.

He is also chief executive of Cadence Design, a US electronic design automation software and engineering services company.

Also on Monday, SoftBank said it was buying back its own shares, of up to 500 billion yen (4.7 billion US dollars) in value, to shore up its bottom line.

SoftBank is a major investor in Alibaba.

Mr Ma, who joined the SoftBank board in 2007, has a close relationship with SoftBank founder and chief executive Masayoshi Son.
A married nursery worker who had sex with a 13-year-old boy and gave birth to his child has been jailed for 30 months.

Leah Cordice, 20, seduced the teenager by pulling down his trousers and asking for sex after a drunken night out in January 2017.

The boy had been playing on his Xbox when Cordice walked into his room and began a sexual relationship, which she kept hidden from her husband.

She also sent the teenager complimentary text messages and bought him presents of fish and chips.

Leah Cordice (pictured today), 20, from Windsor in Berkshire, had seduced the teenager by pulling down his trousers and asking for sex after a drunken night out in January 2017

Cordice was convicted by a jury of having sex with the child on at least five occasions and appeared in Reading Crown Court for sentencing this afternoon

Cordice had denied the sexual activity, claiming instead that she had been raped by the young boy.

But a jury at Reading Crown Court rejected her version of events and she was convicted of having sex with her victim on at least five occasions.

Judge Peter Clarke QC, said: 'Cordice asserted that the truth was that she had been raped by the victim on multiple occasions.

'I had and have difficulty with that assessment.

'I heard no indication from either Cordice or the victim that she held him in any particular affection, the evidence from at least one witness was of physical obsession and self-indulgence as opposed to emotional attachment.'

The victim and Cordice both lived in the same area of Windsor and had known each other for many years before the abuse began, prosecutors said.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said he had been diagnosed with separation anxiety by a psychologist, which was a result of him having his child taken away by social services.

Cordice pictured on her wedding day with her former husband Daniel Robbins, who ended the marriage when he learned of the abuse

The nursery worker, who was 17 when she seduced the victim, had falsely claimed the teenager raped her but a jury at Reading Crown Court rejected her version of events

The boy told the court: 'I cannot see my child and have not had any involvement with her recently. Seeing my daughter and then having her taken out of my life was very hard to cope with.

'It feels like I was punished for what I have been through. I hope in the future I can move on from this and have a relationship with my daughter.

'Social media has just exploded with comments and posts about Leah. I do not feel anger towards her anymore. If anything, I worry about her. If she does go to prison for what she has done, I hope it is not for a long time. I hope Leah has involvement in her daughter's life.'

In a separate victim impact statement, the boy's mother said: 'He was so young to become a father, but when he started having contact with his daughter it went very well. He has not done anything wrong but she has also been taken away from him.'

Cordice's ex husband Daniel said he felt betrayed by her illegal sex with the teenager

During the trial, the court heard the boy's police interview, where he told how the abuse began when Cordice started to hug him and kiss him, before pulling down his trousers and asking for sex.

Jurors had been told how Cordice groomed the boy by sending him complimentary texts calling him 'cute' and giving him money for fish and chips.

Defending Cordice today, Tara McCarthy revealed that the defendant still stuck by her assertion that she had not done anything wrong.

The lawyer said: 'This is a desperately sad case all around. There are absolutely no winners. The age gap between the victim and Ms Cordice is relatively limited.

'She is a very immature person, she is still and she certainly was then and it makes the situation difficult. She does accept this has had a significant impact on the victim. It is a situation that nobody really wants to be faced with.

'She had a relationship with him. She was also in a relationship with somebody else. Over-zealous outer family members made a union between Ms Cordice and her then-partner and, for a short while, husband. It led to the most awful situation happening and her being stuck and probably to some extent not facing reality.'

In March 2017, the boy she had sex with had been interviewed by police after one of Cordice's friends sent an email to the nursery where she was working to try to blow the whistle on the affair, the judge heard.

Cordice had blasted the allegation as malicious and the friend was issued with a harassment warning and a penalty notice for wasting police time, the court heard.

After the boy victim's mother later complained to the police, Cordice was arrested at her home in Windsor in July 2018 and she was later interviewed under caution.

She had provided a prepared statement, denying any sexual contact with the boy, and adding: 'He has always had a crush on me and would always make inappropriate remarks and do inappropriate things such as grab me and annoy me..'

She denied that the victim was the father of her child but was forced to take a DNA test which showed, with a probability of 14 million times more likely than not, that the 13-year-old boy was the father.

Cordice had been living with her husband, an apprentice mechanic who had believed he was the father and had been bringing up the little girl as if she was his own.

Her husband, who has since separated from Cordice, said: 'There was an argument straight after the DNA test. I was bawling my eyes out. Honestly, if you want to talk about being traumatised, that traumatised me.

'I had a secure job, I had a nice place, I had a good relationship. I had an amazing life. Everything was going so well and all of a sudden everything got taken away from me: my child, my wife, home, job.

'I have trust issues now. I am worried about my relationships in the future. Next time I have a child with another person, I am going to have to say, "can I have a DNA test please".'

Cordice faced a two-week trial at Reading Crown Court, following which a jury convicted her of one multiple-incident count of sexual activity with a child which took place when she was 17.

After the conviction, the judge told the jury they did not need to return verdicts on two other counts which took place during the same time period, because the first count was 'compendious' enough to incorporate them.

The jury then acquitted Cordice on two further counts of the same charge which reflected times when she was aged 18 years.

For the one multiple-incident count, Judge Clarke sentenced Cordice to 30 months detention in a Young Offenders' Institution and said she would be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

She will also have to sign into the Sex Offenders Register.
Tiffany Trump is one step closer to becoming a lawyer after graduating from Georgetown Law on Saturday, May 16.

The 26-year-old bid goodbye to the prestigious university this weekend when a virtual commencement ceremony was held for graduates.

Though she wasn't able to receive her diploma in person due to the pandemic, Tiffany celebrated her achievement on Instagram this weekend and was congratulated by her billionaire boyfriend Michael Boulos.

Ta-da! Tiffany Trump graduated from Georgetown Law School in a virtual ceremony this weekend

What it might have looked like: The ceremony was held online, but a fan account shared this image edited to show what Tiffany would look like in Georgetown Law's graduation robes

Something different: Classes had moved online in March. Tiffany now has to take the bar exam to officially be a lawyer

Tiffany enrolled at Georgetown Law in 2017. She had taken a year off after graduating from University of Pennsylvania with a degree in sociology (with a concentration in law) and urban studies in 2016.

Tiffany shared a video that Georgetown created for its law graduates, writing: 'Congratulations to my fellow Georgetown Law's Class of 2020! We did it!'

Back in September, she marked her first day of her last year at the institution with a photo outside  a photo that would be tricky to recreate now due to the pandemic.

Georgetown Law moved to virtual learning on March 16, with classes meeting online at their normally scheduled day and time.

On Instagram on Sunday, Tiffany shared a video that Georgetown created for its law graduates, writing: 'Congratulations to my fellow Georgetown Law's Class of 2020!

'We did it! We are now #Georgetownlawyers,' she added.

Her boyfriend, billionaire heir Michael Boulos, also congratulated her on the social media.

'Congratulates Tiffy!' he wrote. 'You've come a long way to get to this point and after all the hard work and sleepless nights, you more than deserve it, it's only the beginning now, love you honey and congrats again!'

The beginning: Back in September of 2017, Tiffany had proudly showed off her study setup as she began her first year

According to the Georgetown Law website, the university held a ceremonial degree conferral on Saturday, and on Sunday paid tribute to graduates with a celebratory video.

Congrats Tiffy! Tiffany's boyfriend Michael Boulos congratulated her on Instagram and told her he loved her

Degrees will actually be conferred on June 4.

The school also promised to hold a future event for the students to 'come together safely to celebrate the Class of 2020' in person.

With her degree taken care of, Tiffany still has one important step left before actually becoming a lawyer: She'll have to sit for the bar exam.

Typically, this would next be held in July, but many states are delaying the exam until the fall due to the pandemic.

After Tiffany passes the test, it's anyone's guess as to Tiffany's future plans, as she certainly has numerous options available to her  and is known for being tight-lipped about her life.

It's not even known where the first daughter will choose to settle down. While she could stay in the D.C. area near her father and older sister Ivanka, she may also move to New York to be near her mother, Marla Maples.

Tiffany already has an apartment in New York City, which her dad purchased for her after her graduation from Penn.

Or she may not live near family at all. Her boyfriend is based in London, and Tiffany could decide to move across the pond to live with him, or at least nearby.

There are quite a few career tracks she could take, too, as there are many ways to practice law.

Flashback: Tiffany was able to don her cap and gown when she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016

Ivy League education: She had majored in sociology (with a concentration in law) and urban studies before taking a year off prior to entering law school

Looks different now: Her whole family turned up to celebrate her that day four years ago, but were unable to do so this time due to the pandemic

She may not practice law at all, though, and might opt to put her education to use in a different way, perhaps following in her sister's footsteps and working for her father in the White House, or taking on a role in his company.

Until now, the first daughter has provided few clues as to her future plans, avoiding the press and posting sparingly on social media.

Ahead of her first year at Georgetown, she hinted to George Stephanopoulos that she might join The Trump Organization after getting her law degree.

'Of course, I'm interested. I'm applying to law school though so I like to bring  a different kind [of] skill set to the company,' she said.

Earlier this month, Tiffany's mom Marla revealed that Tiffany had finished her final law school exam while sharing a photo of the flowers her daughter had given her for Mother's Day.

Earlier this month, Tiffany's mom Marla revealed that Tiffany had finished her final law school exam while sharing a photo of the flowers her daughter had given her for Mother's Day

'Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you so much and wish that we could be together!' she wrote. 'I can't believe I just finished law [exams]'

'I am so, so proud of my beautiful daughter as last night she finished her final law school exam! Hallelujah! The Best Mothers Day gift of all. Though I do adore these beautiful red & pink roses and the delicious dinner that just arrived,' she captioned the image.

'Thank you my girl with all my heart for blessing me with the most Divine gift ever, being your mom.'

The first half of Tiffany's message to her mom was visible in the photo, and in the note, she expressed how she wished they could be together.

'Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you so much and wish that we could be together!' she wrote. 'I can't believe I just finished law [exams].'

Marla admitted in February that she can't wait for Tiffany to officially be finished with law school, explaining during an appearance on Carlos & Lisa show on BeondTV that Tiffany is always telling her that she is 'studying'  so she was looking forward to when her daughter was done so she could 'see more of her.'
The English-language newspaper, Myanmar Times announced plans to lay off 70 employees, including 30 journalists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expresses concern over the job insecurity and inadequate information given to staff at the Myanmar Times.

On May 13, employees from the Myanmar Times went public after being told their salaries would be cut 50% in May, followed by forced unpaid leave throughout June. Wai Lin, the chief operating officer of Myanmar Times said: At the end of June, well make a decision on whether or not to call them back in. The paper has not elaborated on the reason for the layoffs.

Employees expressed concern the company is firing staff without making severance payments, as mandated by the labor ministry. The Covid-19 outbreak has continued to slam media revenue worldwide forcing layoffs and newspaper closures.

In November 2019, Myanmar Times let go 13 editors during a reorganisation exercise with the aim of improving the quality of the paper.

The IFJ said:

During this unprecedented health crisis and incidental economic insecurities, the Myanmar Times must be transparent with their employees. The IFJ urges the Myanmar Times to focus first and foremost on securing their employees rights."
For months, the Class of 2020 had all of its milestones vanished, postponed or moved online, with video commencement speeches, drive-by selfies from principals and Instagram yearbooks.

Now high school seniors will get another chance to pin a corsage to their tuxedo or gown: The prom is going virtual, too.

Former first lady Michelle Obama has partnered with MTV to provide this rite of passage Friday for high school students who are in quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. The event is being held in partnership with When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for which Obama is a co-chair, to increase voter participation in every election.

MTV said Friday that the 20 high school students who won a contest would be highlighted in Fridays Prom-athon, featuring short-form original content from the winners, prom-themed movies and a virtual party with surprise guests and live performances.

The winning students were surprised last week by Obama during a Zoom call on the NBC morning show Today with Hoda & Jenna.

Were coming together to throw you and students across the country a virtual prom, Obama said, after her image popped up on a grid of students displayed across the screen during the broadcast. She said that both her team and MTV had called a lot of our friends and that there would be a lot of special guests and performances and a lot of surprises.

It might not be what you were envisioning for this special occasion, she said. I promise you that it will be a night that you are going to remember.

The voter participation initiative, called the 2020 Prom Challenge, began before social-distancing measures were in place in the United States and was promoted by Obama in February, when she shared a photograph from her own prom in 1982, wearing a pink satin dress covered with polka dots while sitting in a large wicker wingback chair. Her photograph was shared on Twitter and included a link to a form that encouraged students to take part in the prom challenge.

The contest was intended to showcase how high school students were integrating voter registration into their schools. The winners of the competition would receive up to $5,000 each to make their schools prom dreams come true, organizers said in a statement. The 20 winning high schools are in states across the country, including California, Michigan, Texas and North Carolina.

Organizers said the Prom-athon would have a special focus on commemorating another important milestone for young people this year: registering and voting in the national election in November, a statement said.

The Prom-athon will be a fun, music-filled experience full of exciting surprises, complete with celebrity appearances and exclusive performances, the statement said.

For many students across the country, prom was just another event marking the end of high school that was rescheduled multiple times before finally being canceled.

You guys are missing out on a lot of major milestones, Obama said in the Zoom call on Friday. It doesnt seem fair.

Former President Barack Obama has also stepped into occasions for the Class of 2020, delivering two virtual commencement addresses Saturday. Like other traditions marking the end of high school, the events come at a time when social-distancing norms have obliterated graduation traditions  from the ritual of walking across the stage to the tossing of the graduation cap.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 07:24:14|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 17, 2020 shows a captive-bred Himalayan vulture at the Xining Wildlife Park in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province. Two captive-bred Himalayan vultures made their public appearance at the Xining Wildlife Park on Sunday. The two baby birds, both in good physical conditions, are the third and fourth existing captive-bred Himalayan vultures across the country. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)
UK government is aiming to have 30 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine ready by September if the human trial phase at Oxford University is successful, UK's Business Secretary Alok Sharma said while speaking at a press conference. He appreciated the vaccine development research at Oxford University and Imperial College London, adding, the progress was going well. However, he warned against basing hopes entirely on a vaccine as he emphasized that a successful vaccine may never be found.

Last month it was announced that a new vaccine task force would be formed to co-ordinate the efforts of Government, academia, and industry in the critical mission of development of a vaccine against the coronavirus, Sharma said, speaking at Downing Street news conference. It is a proud moment how quickly the scientists and researchers have done the research for one in their efforts to combat the deadly COVID-19 disease, he added. Further, he said that the first clinical trial of the Oxford vaccine was progressing well with phase one participants, who have been injected with a vaccine dose on schedule earlier this week.

The race to discover the vaccine to defeat this virus is not a competition between countries, but the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes.



Its humanity against the virus - we are in this together, and together we will prevail.  Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) May 5, 2020

Read: Fact Check: Did The First Volunteer In The UK Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Die In 2 Days?

Read: UK To Begin Human Trials Of Coronavirus Vaccine From April 23

47 million has been invested

The secretary of state, lauding the progress of the complex trials, said that the Imperial College London would move vaccines into clinical trials by mid-June, with larger-scale trials in October. Over 47 million has been invested by the UK government in the Oxford and Imperial vaccine programs and a further 84 million is expected in new funding to help accelerate vaccine work, as per media reports.

The pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca, finalized a "global licensing agreement" with Oxford University with the UK governments support. This implies AstraZeneca will work to produce over 30 million doses by the month of September, over 100 million doses in total as part of an agreement, Sharma mentioned.

UK's first vaccines manufacturing innovation center will reportedly be established in summer 2021, a year ahead of plan, and it would have an extra 93m government funds. The center, which is already under construction, will produce doses in quantity which should be enough for the entire UK population, in as less as 6 months, Sharma told the press conference. However, there was a need to explore other drug treatments, as at this time, there was no guarantee of the vaccine, he warned.

Read: China Begins Clinical Trials Of Two Possible Coronavirus Vaccines

Read: Russia Ready To Start Testing Coronavirus Vaccines On Humans In June

(Image Credit: PTI)
Did Jennifer Aniston hold on to the engagement ring Brad Pitt proposed to her with back in 1999?

The former couple became Hollywood's hottest couple in the day and started dating in the late 90s after their agents introduced them together.

Two years later, Brad proposed to Jennifer. And though their marriage ended in 2005, the engagement ring stood the test of time.

Back in the day, the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor reached out to designer Silvia Damiani for a custom-made ring for his then-girlfriend.

According to reports, Brad Pitt paid $500,000 for the ring to have Jen's hand in marriage.

The engagement ring is reportedly based on the earrings he had also purchased for Jennifer. It has a large center stone that is surrounded by small diamonds, but nobody knows how many karats it has.

Additionally, the "Fight Club" actor sued the jewelry designer for making replicas of Jennifer Aniston's engagement ring, despite agreeing that the ring was supposed to be an "exclusive" piece.

Considering how much Brad has shelled out for that piece of jewelry, many of their fans wondered whatever happened to the engagement ring, following their divorce. After all, it was worth half a million dollars.

The "Friends" actress has never told anybody what she did with the engagement ring.

But in January at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, after the two accidentally met backstage, Jennifer Aniston was seen wearing a very familiar ring that resembled her first engagement ring that Brad Pitt gave years ago.

Photos of the two reuniting at the awards ceremony showed the pair smiling, chatting, and then eagle-eyed fans spotted Jennifer wearing the ring.

pic.twitter.com/3y11WM3AV3 How the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston SAG awards reunion photo came to be after photographers were told it was the 'shot of the night' https://t.co/6rpdcOZ2uI  Anna (@Speak2Anna) February 8, 2020

Fans immediately compared pictures of Jen's old engagement ring and the one she wore, and it can be confirmed that it is the same one.

After seeing how Jennifer still held on to what Brad Pitt gave her from years ago, fans are still hoping that the two will finally end up together once again, after Brad and his failed marriage to Angelina Jolie, and Jen to Justin Theroux.

Coincidentally, when Justin proposed to Jennifer ten years later, he spent $500,000 on her engagement ring. But Jennifer Aniston didn't just wear it at the SAG Awards. She wore the ring at the Golden Globes early this year as well.

The Golden Globes red carpet happened HOURS ago and yet I am yet to see a single source story about how Brad Pitt gave Jennifer Aniston this engagement ring she seems to be wearing. Chop chop. pic.twitter.com/6UpsnN2mbU  Olivia Foster (@Livsdarling) January 6, 2020

The "Friends with Money" actress raised some eyebrows when she walked the red carpet with a sparkler on her that time.

What does it mean for Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt?

Jennifer may have forgiven Brad for all the heartaches he gave her in the past, as the two are now reportedly good friends.

Brad spoke highly of Jennifer Aniston at the Golden Globes red carpet, and he called Jennifer his "good friend." Jen was also spotted cheering him on as he accepted the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

None of the representatives for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have addressed any of the dating-again rumors.

After all, it seemed like Brad is dating Alia Shawkat, as per numerous reports.

READ MORE: Sorry Angelina Jolie! Brad Pitt Happier Being With Jennifer Aniston, Ex Bodyguard Claims
India has joined 61 other countries that are seeking an independent inquiry to detect the origin of coronavirus and conduct an "impartial" evaluation into the WHO's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a draft resolution proposed for 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting.

As per the draft resolution, an "impartial", "independent", and "comprehensive" probe must be done onto coronavirus crisis. Besides, the draft also called for an inquiry into the actions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and "their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic".

Also read: Lockdown 4.0 Live Updates: Biggest ever spike of 5,242 COVID-19 cases, 157 deaths in 24 hours; tally 96,169

China has been accused of concealing information about the deadly virus during the early days of the outbreak. The country, however, has contested that the deadly Sars-CoV-2 pathogen, that causes coronavirus, could have originated just about anywhere. In fact, the Chinese foreign ministry officials have shared conspiracy theories that accuse the US military of starting the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to this, WHO and its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have been blamed for playing along with China till the virus started spreading rapidly.

The draft also asks countries to provide WHO "timely, accurate and sufficiently detailed public health information related to the COVID-19 pandemic as required by the international health regulations".

Australia was the first country to call for an independent inquiry. Other countries that have come together to identify how the Sars-CoV-2 virus was transmitted from animals to humans are Japan, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, Brazil, and Canada.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: What activities will be allowed in red zones from today?

Also read: Lockdown 4.0: Delhi to issue own set of guidelines; here's what may open
Your friends and family back home are bound to be jealous of your stay in Budapest  so the very least you can do is get them a souvenir or two, so they can share in a little bit of the joy of the Hungarian capital with you.
US unlikely to default on its debt held by China: experts

Global Times

By Xie Jun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 19:53:40

Threats to default on debt mirror rising hostility

It is unlikely the US government will default on its debt held by China and other countries, as some US politicians have suggested, but the threat signals Washington's lack of confidence, as the US' leading economic position is being challenged by China, Chinese financial experts say.

"The US wants to hurt China, but it would hurt itself more if it chooses to default on its national debt, as the action would shake the credibility of the US dollar," Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times.

Several US politicians have reportedly said that Washington should consider defaulting on its debt held by China to "punish" China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which the US politicians alleged was not transparent enough.

One of them is Senator Lindsey Graham, a close White House ally, who argued that the US should start writing off part of its debt to China, as he blamed the pandemic on China, and he believed that China has to pay the US, according to a recent Washington Post report.

Chinese experts said that the US government is unlikely to turn words into action, as it wouldn't risk its international creditworthiness which bodes ill for the country.

"One consequence of a default is that all the countries holding US debt will worry about the safety of their assets and start dumping US Treasuries, which may trigger a crash of the US dollar," Dong said.

Also, it might spark countermeasures by China, and the US assets and companies in China could be at risk, he said.

The Chinese mainland held $1.08 trillion of US Treasury bonds at the end of March, the second-largest international holder of US debt after Japan.

Dong also said it is unlikely that the Chinese government will dump US debt.

"Doing that will trigger huge market volatility, and China won't go that way. China does not want to provoke friction with the US, and also it's not easy to find foreign exchange reserve assets that can replace US dollar assets now," he noted.

Although the threats are unlikely to become a reality, they do reflect rising anti-China sentiment in not only political circles but the broader US society, as China increasingly draws abreast with the US in economic strength, experts said.

Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times that some US politicians are trying to deflect blame of the Trump administration's mishandling of the pandemic, while playing up China threat in the country.

"I think China-US relations will be tense till the US presidential election" in November," Gao said.

Some US politicians have introduced a bill that would establish a "compensation mechanism", as they have accused China of not responding appropriately to the coronavirus outbreak in the initial stage, according to media reports.

However, the truth is more American politicians are increasingly worried about the rapid rise of China's economic strength, Dong said. He criticized some of those political games, like the threat to default on debt, as being "rogue" practices that could lead to the undesired results.

"For example, despite repeated crackdowns on Huawei, the US can't stop the company from growing stronger. Likewise, the US can't sever business ties with China because of its dependence on the Chinese market, which is still growing," Dong said.

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extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' on Monday turned into a super cyclonic storm, only the second over the Bay of Bengal in two decades, and is spiralling towards Indian shores, prompting West Bengal and Odisha governments to start evacuating people from vulnerable areas, officials said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 37 teams in the coastal areas of the two states, its chief S N Pradhan said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and top government officials in New Delhi, as the impending super cyclone compounded the its worries at a time when it is grappling with mounting COVID-19 deaths and cases.

In somewhat comforting for the Centre and the state governments, the India Meteorological Department forecast that the storm will lose some of its intensity on the way and slam West Bengal as a very severe cyclonic storm during the landfall between Digha in the state and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh on Wednesday evening.

It will still have a maximum sustained windspeed of 165 to 175 kmph gusting up to 185 kmph, the weatherman said.

Howling winds travelling at a speed of 220 to 230 kmph and gusting to 255 kmph were being witnessed over west-central and adjoining parts of south Bay of Bengal. It is likely to increase further to 230 to 240 kmph and gusting to 265 kmph by Monday night, IMDs Regional Director G K Das said in Kolkata.

An unspecified number of people were evacuated from coastal areas of Odisha where Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore were likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds, particularly on May 19 and 20, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The meteorological department, which has issued an "orange message" for West Bengal, warned of extensive damage in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.

Disruption of rail and road link are likely at several places but that will not have a major impact on human lives as only skeletal traffic ply the roads and railway tracks.

Large-scale damage to communication and electricity lines, crops and houses is feared, official sources said.

Official reports reaching Kolkata said 40,000 people have already been evacuated from South 24 Parganas district.

"Storm surge of 4 to 5 metres above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of South and North 24 Parganas and about 3 to 4 metres over low lying areas of East Midnapore district of West Bengal during the time of landfall," Das said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured all possible central assistance to the states likely to be hit by the cyclone.

"Reviewed the preparedness regarding the situation due to cyclone Amphan. The response measures as well as evacuation plans were discussed. I pray for everyone's safety and assure all possible support from the Central Government," Modi tweeted soon after the meeting.

He also reviewed the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

"During the presentation of the response plan, DG NDRF (SN Pradhan) informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve. Twenty-four other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country," the statement said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata that NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were in a state of readiness to evacuate those who will be hit by the cyclone and also to reach relief.

"We will be monitoring on the situation for cyclone Amphan 24X7. Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, Home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and secretary disaster management will be monitoring the situation," she told reporters.

Amphan is only the second super cyclone over the Bay of Bengal after the one that savaged Odisha in 1999, claiming nearly 10,000 lives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nothing beats collapsing onto your bed after a long day  so ensure youre falling into the most comfortable mattress, and sleep, possible. Time for an upgrade? Weve rounded up some of the best Memorial Day sales to keep you feeling cozy all night and refreshed the next morning after a long night of sleep.

Price: $799

This sale ends today, May 18, but if you purchase a mattress from Nectar, youll get $399 of free accessories, including a mattress protector, sheets set, and premium pillows. Their mattress has adaptive memory foam with a medium-firm level of comfort and support.

Queen-sized mattresses are going for the price of a twin, and king-sized mattresses are going for the price of a queen at Mattress Firms Memorial Day sale. You can also snag a free adjustable base with code ELEVATE when you spend $699 or more.

Helix is having a sale all through the month of May. If you use the code MDWS100, you can get $100 off your mattress purchase and two free Dream Pillows which absorb excess heat at night to keep you cool. You can take a quiz to find out which mattress is best for you.

If you spend $1,250 or more, you can get $150 off and two free Dream Pillows with code MDWS150. If you spend $1,750 or more, you get $200 off and two Dream Pillows.

Price: $1,299 (reg. $1,499)

This eco-conscious mattress by helix is sustainably made with birch wool for comfort and insulation from New Zealand, latex for support from Southeast Asia, and moisture-wicking cotton from the United States. You can get $200 off any mattress with code MDSW200.

Price: $640 (reg. $800)

Their original 10-inch mattress is on sale for 20 percent off and comes with two free cloud pillows, as do all of the mattresses on their site. The original Bear mattress is memory foam and has cooling graphite-gel memory foam to remove unwanted body heat, and high-density support foam for long-lasting durability and comfort. If youre not interested in memory foam, they also offer one with copper foam thats 12 inches, and one with luxury coil and foam thats 14 inches  both 20 percent off and coming with two free cloud pillows.

Nolah is offering 25 percent of mattresses, 20 percent off adjustable bases, and 40 percent off all bedding.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 11:58:30|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- After the successful maiden flight of the Long March-5B large rocket and the testing of China's new-generation manned spaceship, more details of China's space station have been unveiled.

The space station, expected to be completed around 2022, will operate in the low-Earth orbit at an altitude from 340 km to 450 km for more than 10 years, supporting large-scale scientific, technological and application experiments, according to a report in the People's Daily.

The space station Tiangong, meaning Heavenly Palace, will be able to accommodate three astronauts in normal circumstances and up to six during a crew replacement.

The station will be a T shape with the core module at the center and a lab capsule on each side. Each of the modules will be over 20 tonnes, with the total mass of the station about 66 tonnes, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program.

If China's Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 space labs are like one-bedroom apartments, the space station is equivalent to an apartment with three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and a storage room, said Zhu Guangchen, deputy chief designer of the space station from China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The core module of the station, named Tianhe, has a total length of 16.6 meters, a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a takeoff mass of 22.5 tonnes, and is currently the largest spacecraft developed by China.

The Tianhe core module will be the management and control center and the main living space of the crew, and will support some scientific and technological experiments.

The living space in the core module is about 50 cubic meters. Combined with the two lab capsules, the whole living space could be up to 110 cubic meters, according to CAST.

The core module has two berth ports connecting to the two lab capsules, and three docking ports for the crew spacecraft, cargo and other craft. It also has an exit for astronauts to conduct extravehicular activities.

The first lab capsule, named Wentian, will be mainly used for scientific and technological experiments, as well as working and living space and shelter in emergency.

This capsule is equipped with a special airlock chamber to support extravehicular activities and a small mechanical arm for automatic installation and operation of extravehicular instruments.

It possesses some key functions of the core module, which means it can perform the management and control of the space station if needed, according to CAST.

The second lab capsule, named Mengtian, has functions similar to the first lab capsule. It is equipped with a special airlock chamber to support the entry and exit of cargo and instruments with the help of astronauts and mechanical arms.

The Long March-2F carrier rocket and Shenzhou manned spacecraft will be used to transport crew and some materials between Earth and the space station. The Shenzhou can carry three astronauts and be used as a rescue spacecraft in emergency.

The Long March-7 rocket and Tianzhou cargo spacecraft will be used to transport materials, propellants and instruments for the station.

The Long March-5B rocket will carry into space the core module and lab capsules, as well as a capsule holding a 2-meter-caliber optical telescope, which will fly in the same orbit as the space station.

The telescope capsule, named Xuntian, is expected to provide observation data for astronomical and physical studies to help scientists better understand the universe. During its expected 10-year operation, it will be able to observe over 40 percent of the sky, said Zhou.

The capsule can dock with the space station for maintenance and refueling.

China's space station can be expanded and upgraded according to research needs, and will give full play to the role of people in space, said Zhou.

Twelve flight missions are planned to construct the station. After the maiden flight of the Long March-5B, the core module and the two lab capsules will be launched for assembly in orbit. Four manned and four cargo craft will also be launched, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

China will face great challenges and complexities in the coming high-density launch missions, said Zhou Jianping.

Chinese astronauts will shoulder many tasks in the construction of the space station. They will conduct many complex extravehicular tasks, and work with mechanical arms to complete the installation, testing, adjustment and upgrading of the payloads in orbit.

One astronaut can operate the mechanical arm inside the capsule while another works outside. The space station will have two kinds of mechanical arms, and the cooperation between astronauts and mechanical arms will enable the construction and maintenance of the station, said Zhou. Enditem
Some states, mostly in the south and Midwest, have been gingerly moving toward reopening restaurants with sit-down dining. You would be separated from other tables (no more din) and your server will look creepy with a mask, but at least you will be able to get out of your home and have someone else cook and wait on you. There has of course been considerable controversy over whether relaxing government rules to permit this activity is safe, and many states, such as Pennsylvania, are not there yet statewide and will change by county if they do.

However, what happens when businesses are allowed to reopen depends not just on government rules but also on how restaurant owners and potential patrons respond  the owner has to be willing to reopen and the diners have to be willing to come. On the latter score, in particular, we see large but not unexpected partisan differences. In a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll, 36% of Republicans say they would be comfortable eating out versus 10% of Democrats. An NBC-WSJ poll similarly finds 77% of Democrats opposed to reopening the economy but only 39% of Republicans. If people do what they tell pollsters they will do, a restaurant that chooses to reopen had better be in Republican territory and expect to attract GOP fans. Avocado toast will not be a big seller.

There are some serious messages here but, like everything else in the pandemic, they are hard to align. On the one hand, it is interesting to an economist that the market can exert strong discipline here  if consumers are afraid, neither business owners looking for a return to positive income nor politicians desperate for something feel-good will prevail. One note of dissonance is that worker views and fears are probably going to be ignored here, at least those of lower-income workers. (In a previous post I proposed that their employers pay workers for testing and more for a positive test result.) On the other hand, the most strident off-key message is that even the boldest, gun-carrying protester should rationally want others who might be contagious to stay home. It would compound the foolishness if you wanted everyone including nursing home staff on an outing to join you on Opening Day at the ballpark.

 READ MORE: A Bellmawr gym reopened despite Gov. Murphys orders. The owners were issued a citation but plan to continue operating.

What is the solution to the problem when some people want to emerge from lockdown even though they might infect others? Obviously, a strictly enforced lockdown as in Wuhan would work but seems practically and politically infeasible in the U.S. Is there a way to permit some reopening for consumers really dissatisfied with confinement that still limits harm in an efficient way?

Here is an idea based on sound economic theory. Persons exiting home confinement potentially can harm others in the community if they carry the disease; in economics this is called a negative externality. So, one obvious step would be to permit people to emerge from sheltering at home only after a negative test for current coronavirus infection (and future testing at some reasonable interval). Now we know that available tests are not perfect, but waiting for a perfect test will not fly. A person leaving lockdown with a positive test is surely much more likely to infect others than those with negative tests  so it will be valuable to the rest of us to require potential carriers to continue to be quarantined if they are tested and found to be positive  as long as the proportion of true positives is reasonably high. Middle class non-essential consumers who want to enter the community should pay (or have their insurance pay) for their tests, to avoid further burdens on state and federal budgets.

Finally, and more speculatively, because there can be false negative tests so someone who mingles can still do harm, perhaps there should be a charge paid into a public compensation fund for those who test negative and then want to gather, at a risk and cost to others. The fewer the false negatives, the smaller the payment to re-enter for non-essential reasons.

At this point many people have begun talking about the need for the federal government to step in on testing (though they appear to be thinking of a federal government that would follow their desires, not the one we actually have). Science can tell us what the tradeoffs are (if only the models would settle down and stop moving the target) but it cannot make the decision on tradeoffs between (as they say) lives and livelihoods. Some more sensitive instrument than polls and the November election needs to be found to elicit what individual preferences are and how to make a decision for all when they disagree. Having middle class people pay for testing and the privilege of full social interaction could be one such method.

Mark V. Pauly is Bendheim Professor in the department of health care management, professor of health-care management, and professor of business economics and public policy at the Wharton School, and professor of economics in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the Inquirers Health Advisory Panel.
A Huawei sign is on display during the 10th Global mobile broadband forum in Zurich on Oct. 15, 2019. (Stefan Wermuth/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Threatens Retaliation After US Imposes New Export Ban on Huawei

Beijing is threatening retaliatory measures against the United States, after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new export rule to block Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from obtaining semiconductors made with U.S. technology.

On May 17, Chinas Ministry of Commerce issued a statement, accusing the United States of abusing export control measures and damaging market principles and fair competition with its new rules on Huawei.

The ministry called on the United States to end its wrongful measures, or else China will take all necessary measures to defend its interests.

Last year, the U.S. government placed Huawei and its 114 affiliates on an Entity List, citing national security concerns. That means American companies need to obtain special licenses in order to do business with them.

However, Huawei was found to be undermining the blacklist restrictions by continuing to purchase from foreign chip fabrication firms that use U.S. technology and software to design and manufacture semiconductors.

As a result, the U.S. Commerce Department amended the foreign direct product rule on May 15, blocking shipments of semiconductors made by global chipmakers to Huawei. Items shipped in the next 120 days are exempt from the ban.

After the Commerce Departments announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo applauded the action, saying it protects U.S. national security and the integrity of 5G networks, as the Chinese company is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders, he said in a May 15 statement.

Huawei has extensive ties to the Chinese military, as its founder, Ren Zhengfei, is a former director of an information engineering department within Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

And as with all Chinese companies, Huawei must hand over intelligence information to Beijing if requested, in accordance with Chinas National Intelligence Law. The law went into effect in 2017, giving Beijing access to all data stored within its national borders.

The United States will continue to restrict most U.S. exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten U.S. national security and international stability, Pompeo said.

While Chinas commerce ministry was vague about what actions it might take against the United States, Chinas hawkish state-run newspaper Global Times, citing an unnamed source in government, wrote on May 15 that Beijing was ready to investigate and impose restrictions on Apple, Cisco, and Qualcomm, and suspend purchases of Boeing airplanes, as countermeasures against the new Huawei restrictions.

Global Times, citing an unnamed insider, wrote on May 16 that China will launch rounds of endless investigations on those firms, just like swords hanging over their heads. It will dampen investors confidence and squeeze their income in the Chinese market.

Meanwhile, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC)the worlds largest contract chipmaker, which recently announced a plan to build a $12 billion manufacturing plant in Arizonahas announced that it wont accept new orders from Huawei, Nikkei Asian Review reported on May 18, citing multiple sources it didnt identify.

But those already in production and those orders which TSMC took before the new ban are not impacted and could continue to proceed if those chips could be shipped before mid-September, an unnamed person familiar with the situation told Nikkei.

TSMC said in a statement that it doesnt disclose order details; the company said the Nikkei report is purely market rumor.

Huawei was TSMCs second-biggest customer in 2019, accounting for 14 percent of TSMCs total sales or 152.876 billion New Taiwan Dollars (about $5 billion), according to Taiwans government-run Central News Agency.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus new government on Sunday, mere days after warning the International Criminal Court (ICC) against investigating Israel for alleged war crimes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

We are extremely fortunate to have such strong and experienced partners in Jerusalem, and we will work together to advance the security and prosperity of our peoples, tweeted Pompeo.

His warm remarks toward the new Israeli government stood in sharp contrast to his stern rebuke of the ICC on Friday, when he threatened to exact consequences should it move forward with investigating Israel.

As we made clear when the Palestinians purported to join the Rome Statute, we do not believe the Palestinians qualify as a sovereign state, and they therefore are not qualified to obtain full membership, or participate as a state in international organizations, entities or conferences, including the ICC, Pompeo said in a statement.

Why it matters: The Palestinian Authority joined the ICC in 2015, though Israel is not a member. After a years-long preliminary investigation, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda determined in December that there is reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine. She released the 60-page legal basis for the investigation last month.

Netanyahu took to the worlds largest Christian broadcasting network in January to urge concrete actions, sanctions against the international court  its officials, its prosecutors, everyone. Pompeo has threatened to employ similar tactics for any ICC officials investigating alleged American war crimes in Afghanistan.

Whats next: Officially, Netanyahu hopes to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank as well as the entire Jordan Valley as soon as July under the auspices of President Donald Trumps peace plan. But neither Netanyahu nor Pompeo publicly mentioned it during the secretarys visit to Israel last week, raising questions about whether the Trump administration is fully on board with July as the annexation date.

Know more: Mazal Mualem brings you up to speed on the new Israeli government and its push to rapidly annex much of the West Bank. And Ben Caspit details Pompeos efforts to deepen ties with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. Finally, Bryant Harris reports on the American Israel Public Affairs Committees efforts to get the majority of Congress to push back on an ICC investigation.


Jim Rafferty, owner of Kelly's Korner in Placentia, grabs a beverage for a customer to take out on Saturday. The sports bar is effectively grounded as the pandemic shutdown has limited it to take-out only. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Californians traveling between county lines may soon need a field guide to assess coronavirus restrictions in various parts of the state as permissions to reopen continue to fluctuate day by day.

The state has surpassed 80,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3,200 deaths. Although the numbers continue to increase overall, the case count has started to taper off in some areas.

So far, 24 rural counties have contained the virus enough to ease stay-at-home restrictions beyond the allowances of more urban areas, where the virus remains active. The modifications include dine-in services and in-store shopping.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that 53 of the state's 58 counties will soon have that ability if they meet new state criteria.

"Were many parts, and every part of the state of California is unique and distinctive," Newsom said when asked about the patchwork of modifications. The governor noted that areas like Los Angeles County and the Bay Area may not be ready to move as quickly as other communities.

L.A. County accounts for the bulk of the states tallied infections, with more than 38,000 cases, and accounts for more than half of the states death toll.

Officials reported an additional 14 coronavirus-related deaths Monday and 477 new cases. Monday's numbers are typically lower than other days because testing is limited over the weekend.

As county officials continue to slowly lift stay-at-home restrictions, they say social distancing practices are still needed. Face masks are required at all businesses and throughout the city of Los Angeles, and in-person gatherings are still not permitted.

County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday that an estimated 1 million residents visited newly reopened businesses and outdoor spaces over the weekend. Ferrer used that number with a hypothetical scenario to warn the public about what could happen if social distancing rules aren't followed.

If the positive rate of infection in the county is 4%, it's possible that 40,000 of the 1 million people who were out this weekend could be infected. If each of those people infected one other person, the number of infections could climb to 80,000. If 5% of those people were to become seriously ill, that could lead to an additional 4,000 people in need of hospital care, which could overwhelm the system, she said.

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On average, 1,700 people are hospitalized each day with COVID-19 symptoms. There are 1,570 people currently in hospital care, Ferrer said. Of those individuals, 27% are in intensive care and 20% are on ventilators.

While Los Angeles County's overall infections and deaths continue to climb, some cities in the county of 10 million have been less infected by the virus and hope to see further modifications to the stay-at-home order.

The cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale have asked the county for permission to reopen more fully.

Amid the push, San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties were easing some restrictions Monday, allowing for curbside delivery at retail stores.

We do see the numbers flattening, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said last week. They have not declined, but the fact is we are in a better place.

Newsom's order on Monday adjusted some of the more stringent requirements to create a more generous threshold for reopening across the state. Counties now must show no more than 25 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the last 14 days  a standard that was originally one new case per 10,000 residents.

Counties can, instead, show that less than 8% of residents tested for the virus over a seven-day period were positive.

Counties also must show that hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients have stabilized, meaning they cant increase by more than 5% over a seven-day period or that a county cant have more than 20 hospitalizations on any single day over a seven-day period.

Times staff writers John Myers, Taryn Luna and Phil Willon contributed to this report.
By PTI

LONDON: The UK's "historic" new strategy for visas and immigration, which is pitched as a points-based system established on skills rather than the country of origin, returned to the House of Commons on Monday.

The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020, which was tabled in March but had its progress slowed down due to the coronavirus crisis, forms the basis for the UK's post-Brexit plans once the European Union (EU) free movement rules come to a close at the end of the year.

"This historic piece of legislation gives the UK full control of our immigration system for the first time in decades and the power to determine who comes to this country," said UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is leading the charge on the new strategy.

"Our new points-based system is firmer, fairer, and simpler.

"It will attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy," the Indian-origin minister said.

Under the new system, to be enforced from January 1 next year, the magic number of points required to apply to work and stay in the UK will be 70.

These will accrue in increments of 20 or 10 based on professional skills, English language proficiency, a job offer from an approved sponsor and salary levels between GBP 20,480 and GBP 25,600 or above.

The changes have previously been largely welcomed by the Indian industry and student groups, who have called for flexibility for employers and visa sponsors to be able to attract the right kind of skills.

Patel has described the bill, which will have its second reading in Parliament this week, as a "once in a generation" opportunity to build a future that works for the whole of the UK and for employers to focus on upskilling and investing in the workforce this country has.

This bill gives the UK flexibility and control over its borders so it can attract top talent from around the world to complement the skills already here, the Home Office said.

"Talented doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are currently playing a leading role in the NHS' efforts to fight the coronavirus and save lives and we thank them, and all our NHS [National Health Service] staff for the work they are doing.

"Our new immigration system will make it easier and quicker for medical professionals around the world to work in the NHS through a new fast-track NHS visa," the Home Office statement added.

However, Opposition parties and critics of the Conservative government's changes have expressed concerns over the timing of the bill, given that a large group of care workers on the coronavirus frontlines come from within the EU.

The Labour Party's Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said the plans were "not fair and not in the national interest".

The devolved Scottish government's immigration minister, Ben Macpherson, has also written to Patel, asking her to "pause and reconsider" the plans.

"The pandemic has shown beyond doubt that jobs which the UK Government has previously described as 'lower-skilled' are in fact a whole range of absolutely vital roles, filled by dedicated people with valuable skills and knowledge," he said.

The free movement of people within the EU was seen as a key factor behind the UK's vote to exit the 27-member European economic bloc in the June 2016 referendum, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's landslide general election win in December last year viewed as a vote in favour of his skills-based immigration system manifesto pledge.

However, a latest YouGov opinion poll commissioned by the UK's Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) found a shift in perceptions over immigration, with 54 per cent of people now shown as supportive of looser immigration controls for workers regarded as essential during the pandemic.

JCWI Chief Executive Satbir Singh said that such workers on the frontline, including carers and supermarket workers, "are not 'unskilled' or unwelcome, they are the backbone of our country and they deserve the security of knowing that this place can be their home too".

A group of small businesses based in the UK have also issued a joint letter to Priti Patel to put off the changes beyond the January 2021 deadline in order for businesses to cope with the coronavirus pandemic fallout.

"Preparing for the new system was already a huge challenge for employers, even before we were also facing the coronavirus pandemic," reads the letter signed by nearly 30 small businesses in the country.
If this were a normal school year, students at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School would be preparing for the joys contained within the last days of school, said Jesse Kraft, principal of the Herndon, Va., school  field day, sixth-grade promotion and end-of-year parties. Teachers and staff would be finding creative ways to repackage old content so that its fresh in kids brains as they depart for summer vacation. Summer slide is real, Kraft said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 19:52:30|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province have captured two suspects for smuggling nearly 1,300 cartons of cigarettes in a recent case.

After receiving a tip-off that a group of people smuggled a batch of counterfeit cigarettes into China from Myanmar on May 1, police in Changning County in the city of Baoshan started to investigate.

On the same day, police seized a total of 1,296 cartons of smuggled cigarettes from two vehicles at a toll station in Longyang District, Baoshan, with two suspects surnamed Cao and Yuan caught on the spot.

Further investigation into the case is underway. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 05:21:09|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on parties in Syria to engage constructively in dialogue to seek a political settlement of the crisis in the country.

China attaches great importance to the appeals by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Special Envoy Geir Pedersen for a cease-fire in Syria, and calls on all parties to enhance mutual trust, de-escalate the situation and jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic, said Yao Shaojun, China's acting deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

There is a window of opportunity to promote inclusive dialogue and create favorable conditions for a political solution, he told a virtual meeting of the Security Council.

The Syrian parties should continue to engage constructively with each other and maintain dialogue within the framework of the Constitutional Committee, he said.

The future of Syria must be decided by the Syrians on their own, without foreign interference. It is fundamental to respect and safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, he added.

At the same time, the international community should keep vigilance at terrorists seeking to take advantage of the current situation in Syria, said Yao.

Terrorist groups are still making assaults in Idlib in the northwest as well as other provinces, posing constant threats to the security and stability of Syria and the entire region. The Security Council should pay close attention and support Pedersen's call for effective, cooperative and targeted counter-terrorism efforts, he said. "We call on relevant parties to step up dialogue and negotiations to find a long-term solution in terms of counter-terrorism at an early date."

Although the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is comparatively limited in Syria, containment and prevention measures are indispensable, given the quick transmission of the virus, he said.

The Syrian government is taking effective measures in medical, transportation, education and many other sectors. China appreciates these efforts. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the people and government of Syria in combating the virus, and offer assistance within its capacity, said Yao.

The international community should provide more support for Syria in the fight against the virus as the Syrian government's efforts serve the interests of the Syrian people, he said.

Unilateral sanctions should be lifted without delay as they undermine countries' capacity to mobilize resources and respond to the pandemic, he said. Enditem
MATEWAN, W.Va.  The bullet holes in the brick wall of a former post office serve as a reminder of how Appalachian coal miners fought to improve the lives of workers a century ago.

Ten people were killed in a gun battle between miners, who were led by a local police chief, and a group of private security guards hired to evict them for joining a union in Matewan, a small company town in West Virginia.

Plans to publicly commemorate what became known as the Matewan Massacre have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic until September at least. But historians consider the bloodshed on May 19, 1920, memorialized in the 1987 film Matewan, to be a landmark moment in the battles for workers rights that raged across the Appalachian coalfields in the early 20th century.

The company town system was extremely oppressive, said Lou Martin, a history professor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and a board member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan. The company owned the houses, the only store in town, ran the church and controlled every aspect of the miners lives.

Company towns were particularly prevalent in remote areas like southern West Virginia, which had the nations largest concentration of nonunion miners in 1920. And when the United Mine Workers came to town, coal companies retaliated.

The Stone Mountain Coal Co. hired Baldwin-Felts Agency detectives to evict union families from company-owned homes. Executive Albert Felts brought a dozen men to Matewan, including two who had been involved in violent strike-breaking efforts six years earlier in Ludlow, Colorado.

The detectives removed the families and were headed out when they were confronted by a group led by Matewan Police Chief Sid Hatfield. Killed in the gunfire were Albert Felts, his brother, Lee, five other Baldwin-Felts detectives, Matewan Mayor Cabell Testerman and two bystanders.

Fifteen months later, Hatfield was gone, too, gunned down by Baldwin-Felts detectives on the McDowell County courthouse steps. He was 28.

More determined than ever to organize, miners marched by the thousands, leading to the 12-day Battle of Blair Mountain in the summer of 1921. Sixteen men died before they surrendered to federal troops.

The UMWs campaign in southern West Virginia then stalled, along with labor setbacks in steel, meat packing and railroads following World War I. Appalachian coal operators felt they needed to remain nonunion in order to survive, Martin said.

They believed everything else was against them  the terrain, freight rates, he said. But paying lower wages, they could stay in business and remain profitable.

But miners would long remember the lengths that the companies went to to prevent them from having basic rights that would help them organize and get a standard of living, Martin said.

In her 1925 autobiography, union organizer Mary Harris Mother Jones said she witnessed multiple conflicts between the industrial slaves and their masters during visits to West Virginia.

State officials were reluctant to challenge the coal operators.

There is never peace in West Virginia because there is never justice, Jones wrote. Medieval West Virginia! With its tent colonies on the bleak hills! With its grim men and women! When I get to the other side, I shall tell God Almighty about West Virginia!

When workers were finally guaranteed the right to collectively bargain in 1933 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal, West Virginia coal miners joined the UMW in droves, Martin said.

The UMW also bankrolled the organization that would become the United Steelworkers, and with John L. Lewis leading the UMW from 1920 to 1960, national membership peaked at about 500,000 during World War II.

The union helped push through major improvements to health, safety and pensions, across the U.S. workforce. But over the next half century, mechanization, fierce industry opposition and the rise of competing fuel sources severely reduced coal jobs and union membership.

The Stone Mountain Coal Co. is long gone, but Matewan still stands, as does its union hall. The town has lost half of its population since 1980, but it has survived the shootings, three dozen floods from the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River before a floodwall was built, a 1992 fire that destroyed several downtown businesses and the opioid crisis that has ravaged the state.

Feelings about unions are mixed, but locals say the movie helped lift a shroud of silence that kept people from even mentioning the shootings. Resident Wilma Steele, whose husband is a retired union miner, said she didnt read about the battles of Matewan and Blair Mountain until she went to college.

Now the Kentucky border town of about 430 residents leans on tourism about the massacre, as well as the famous feud between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. A vast network of ATV trails draws also draws recreational tourists.

Museum tour guide Kim McCoy, whose maiden name is Hatfield, married a great-grandson of the McCoy family. She grew up in Matewans coal camps and is a great niece both of family patriarch William Anderson Devil Anse Hatfield and Sid Hatfield, who resisted when hired guns evicted his neighbors a century ago.

The Hatfield name is very distinctive in our area, McCoy said. Sid being part of the Matewan Massacre and really standing up for the miners and the miners basic human rights, theres a lot of honor in that.

David Hatfield, who operates a Matewan bed-and-breakfast and is Sid Hatfields great nephew, said Americans today benefit from what the miners strived for, including better working conditions.

Its important to me because my family helped bring that about in some part, he said.

___

Online:

http://www.historicmatewan.com
Coronavirus deaths in the United States have topped 90,000, but President Trump claims the number of infections are going down as states reopen their economies.

On Sunday, the United States reached a grim milestone when the number of Americans who've died of the coronavirus reached 90,068.

The number of deaths rose by at least 519 since Saturday, which recorded a death toll of 89,549.

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States hiked up as well, with 1,519,401 Americans infected with the deadly virus.

Despite the growing number, President Trump on Sunday claimed that coronavirus cases were going down in the Untied States.

'The number of Coronavirus cases is strongly trending downward throughout the United States, with few exceptions. Very good news, indeed,' Trump wrote on Twitter.

He added in an earlier tweet that his administration was excelling at finding a solution to the coronavirus pandemic.

'Doing REALLY well, medically, on solving the CoronaVirus situation (Plague!). It will happen!' he wrote.

President Trump said on Twitter that the number of COVID-19 cases is 'strongly trending downward' inn the United States

He also told followers that his administration making strides in finding a solution to the pandemic

States across the country have begun to reopen their economies and begin phasing out stay-at-home guidelines.

But some states, including Texas, are still seeing an increase of coronavirus cases as residents venture out into the public.

Trump's optimism comes as officials have repeatedly criticized his handling of the pandemic, including former president and political foe Barack Obama.

During a commencement address to high school graduates, Obama further lambasted the Trump administration's apparent downfalls.

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.'

He made similar comments on Saturday on 'Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,' a two-hour event for students graduating from 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 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.

Former President Barack Obama spoke during a televised commencement ceremony for high school graduates of the class of 2020

Presiden Trump (pictured) called Barack Obama 'grossly incompetent' in response to recent comments

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.

Trump told reporters that he had not heard Obama's comments, but called him 'grossly incompetent.'

'Look, he was an incompetent president That's all I can say. Grossly incompetent,' Trump asserted.

Trump had already launched several tweets at the 44th president and encourage #Obamagate on Twitter after it was reported Obama and Joe Biden knew the FBI was seeking to investigate and 'unmask' the identity of former National Security adviser Michael Flynn.

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro blasted Obama in Trump's defense, calling him Biden's 'press secretary.'

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro launched an attack on Barack Obama after the former president criticized the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic

'I want to congratulate the former president on his new job as press secretary for the candidate locked in the basement. Good job,' Navarro said in an interview with Fox News.

Meanwhile, Eric Trump suggested in a Fox News interview that the coronavirus pandemic is a Democrat scheme to sabotage his father's re-election campaign.

'They think they are taking away Donald Trump's greatest tool, which is being able to go into an arena and fill it with 50,000 people every single time,' Eric Trump said of Democrats during an interview which aired on Fox News on Saturday.

'You watch, they'll milk it every single day between now and November 3.

'And guess what, after November 3 coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear and everybody will be able to reopen

During an interview with Fox News, Eric Trump (pictured) suggested that the coronavirus pandemic was manufactured by Democrats to sabotage his father, Donald Trump

In February, President Trump called criticism of the White House response to the coronavirus outbreak a 'new Democrat hoax'.

At the time, there were only dozens of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US and just a few deaths.

During his Fox News appearance on Saturday, Eric Trump told Judge Jeanine that the criticism of his father's administration over its preparedness for the pandemic was a political tactic used by Democrats and their 'propaganda arm' - the news media.

'They're doing it for one reason: They want to hurt Trump,' Eric Trump said.

'They tried to do it with the Russia thing, they tried to do it with the Ukraine scandal, they tried to do it with impeachment,' he said.

'Now they're trying to do it with coronavirus.'
The Corporate Graphic Center helps businesses communicate critical information and offers support and resources to their customer base.

The Corporate Graphic Center (TCGC) announced that it will expand its social distancing printing and PPE offerings to assist businesses in communicating new policies sparked by COVID-19.

We are committed to leading the way in social distancing signage during this time of economic uncertainty for businesses, said Gaby Thierer, CEO and founder of TCGC.

The company offers social distancing products, including:



Floor decals to indicate social distancing measures

Outdoor signage such as sidewalk signs, car magnets, yard signs, flags, and banners

Indoor posters and window clings

Stickers that communicate proper hygiene techniques, including how to cover coughs and hand-washing reminders

But more than social distancing signage, TCGC helps businesses like restaurants, gyms, salons, and spas with solutions as they start to reopen and must follow health and safety guidelines. TCGC also offers:

PPE, including masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer

Clear partitions

Sneeze guards

FDA-approved personalized fabric masks

Touchless keys

The main goal of TCGCs social distancing signage and PPE products is to help businesses stay profitable during this uncertain time, while communicating to audiences how much they care.

TCGC helps businesses communicate critical information and offers support and resources to their customer base, Thierer said.

The full impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still unclear. Businesses across the country are closing their doors temporarily or for good, and unprecedented numbers of American workers are claiming unemployment benefits. As more states and cities transition back to normal in responsible and safe ways, effective signage related to the virus and social distancing measures is more important than ever.

Social distancing signage is a new concept for Americans and U.S. businesses, but they are important and relay necessary procedures to keep people safe.

These signs are especially crucial for essential businesses like medical treatment centers and grocery stores. These community resources need effective ways to communicate social distancing guidelines as recommended by government officials to keep patrons safe and healthy.

Social distancing signs from TCGC communicate:

Instructions, such as how far apart to stand in line

Tips for health and safety, including how many seconds to wash hands and how to prevent the spreading germs

Information like new business hours or showcasing necessary licenses and approvals for a business to continue to operate

TCGC consults with businesses about their specific needs and customers. Strategies for promotional and informative printings are created based on each companys goals. COVID-19 response suggestions speak to the best form of social distancing that each business offers, and they incorporate logos and brand names.

TCGC helps your business become part of the healing process that the country is just beginning, said Thierer.

About TCGC:

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:Kerala Chief Minister



Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the five-phased financial package announcements by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had nothing for the public healthcare sector.

During this Covid situation, a substantial public healthcare package was required,he told reporters.

"Many international agencies have pointed out that the package will cost an additional Rs 1.5 lakh crore from the central budget this year.

Even if we add free ration and direct cash transfer to ordinary people, it would not have been five per cent of the total package", he said.

The bulk of the Rs 20 lakh crore was the amount made available to banks as part of the RBI's monetary policy and the amount that these banks are expected to pay to farmers and small businesses, he said.

The reality is that banks are wary of giving loans during the present financial uncertainty,he said and charged that the centre had opened up most sectors for private investment while the public sector will be limited to some strategic areas.

However, strengthening Public Sector Units is the Kerala Governments policy, he said.

The state government had earlier announced a package for the Micro-Small and Medium-Sized (MSME) sector and this will be implemented in conjunction with central announcements,the Chief Minister said.

The government will take immediate steps to make maximum use of the credit facilities announced by the central government for MSMEs.

Kerala will take full advantage of the Rs 40,000 crore increase in the budget allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said.

Steps have also been initiated to utilise the additional refinance fund available to Kerala Bank and the Kerala Grameen Bank through NABARD with the Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Local Self Government and Self Help Groups, Vijayan said.

While welcoming the increase in borrowing limit of states from three to five per cent of the GDP, he said thepre- conditions laid down by the centre, however, were not acceptable in the federal set up.

"Kerala has been in the forefront in demanding a hike in the borrowing limit of the states and we welcome this decision.

But we are not happy with the conditions set for the use of the increased limits", he said.

The states' domestic revenues have fallen drastically during the Covid situation. So even if the borrowing limit was increased, it will be of limited benefit.

Such preconditions are not acceptable in a federal set up, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Mobility analysis report has shown that population movements have changed since mobility restrictions were introduced and lifted, as part of the governments response to the COVID-19 outbreak.



The report released in Accra on Monday by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Vodafone Ghana, and the Flowminder Foundation is the second in the series of the mobility analysis report.



A statement issued jointly by three organisations said the GSS and the Flowminder Foundation had extended their mobility analysis using anonymised and aggregated data from Vodafone Ghana, following a first report released on April 3, 2020.



It said the organisations analysed the effects of mobility and social distancing interventions between February 17 and May 3, 2020, and highlighted the differences in population movements before, during, and after the mobility restrictions were introduced, including the lockdown in parts of the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Areas.



Madam Tracey Li, Data Scientist at Flowminder in the statement explained that: Our analysis highlights a dramatic reduction in movements between districts and between regions throughout the study.



She said they have paid particular attention to the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions but also analysed movements in other areas around the country.



Overall, we see similar trends across the areas of the study compared to the norm: a reduction of movements when the first measures were introduced, and a significant decrease in journeys during the lockdown period, she added.



She said now that the lockdown had been lifted, we are starting to see an increase in movements again, but lower than what was the norm back in February.



Professor Samuel Annim, the Government Statistician, said: The observation that mobility after the partial lockdown was lifted remains at levels lower than mobility during the periods of the baseline and the initial restrictions, including sanctioning social distancing and adherence to public health hygienic protocols; endorses the effectiveness of the use of moral suasion as a complementary intervention in the fight against COVID-19.



He said residents in Ghana deserve commendation for not reverting to the ways of living before the imposition of the initial restrictions and urged them to continue with the change in behaviour to contain the epidemic.



Madam Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana said: It is gratifying to know that our aggregated and anonymised data has produced insights which evaluate the effectiveness of the measures being implemented in this crucial fight and will ultimately support governments response against the pandemic.



She said the second report highlighted how mobility insights could support policy-making as it provides the Government with an accurate picture of how people moved between districts and regions.



The report presents changes in travel within and between regions as well as changes in dispersion.

Source: GNA









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Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his U-turn on the MGNREGA scheme, and thanked him for allocating an additional Rs 40,000 crore for it.

The Prime Minister has approved an additional budget of Rs 40,000 crore for the MNREGA scheme created during the UPA era. We express our gratitude to him for understanding the vision of MNREGA and promoting it, he tweeted in Hindi.

On Sunday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the fifth and final tranche of the Centres stimulus package to revive the Covid-19-hit economy. The government allocated an additional Rs 40,000 crore to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), over and above the Rs 61,000 crore budgeted earlier.

The announcement came at a time when the nationwide lockdown has forced migrant workers to walk thousands of kilometres back to their home states.

Gandhi used the hashtag  ModiUturnOnMNREGA  as he put out a video clip of Modis speech in the Lok Sabha after he assumed power in 2014.

Do you think I will disband the scheme? My political wisdom does not allow me to do it. This is a living monument of your failures to tackle poverty in 60 years, Modi had said about MGNREGA in his speech in Parliament in February 2015.

Modi also said that even after 60 years of independence, the Congress had to send people to dig ditches and pay them.
It is no secret that Apple is allegedly working on a bunch of new AR features that will debut on iOS 14. As part of the efforts, Apple is developing an AR app that lets users scan QR codes and view the content on the iPhone or an AR headset. Josh Constine from Moving Products has got his hands on the iOS 14 dumps and reveals some of the features from the iOS 14 AR app.

Apparently Apple seems to have reimagined QR codes. The app was first discovered in an internal build and is apparently named GObi. On iOS 14 users should be able to generate funky QR codes that look way better than the dotted matrix. The dump consists of different types of QR codes with names like Mac Pro, Cosmic and Starbucks. Each type is further associated with tags.

The circle format tags are based on the length of the lines that connect to the center. Furthermore, the files titled Mac Pro and Apple Watch apparently open Apple Store for the respective devices. One of the QR codes directs to Rogue One movie on iTunes while the one with the Starbucks logo seems to offer promotions at various Starbucks stores. Interestingly you also get to see an augmented reality pagoda tower that can be placed on a real-world coffee table.

It is to be seen whether iOS 14 will arrive with a standalone Gobi app or the features will be baked into the camera app. iOS already supports QR codes scanning in the Camera app.

The internal files also tell us how the Find My app will change the way it interacts with users. Haptic feedback and audio files will seemingly help Find My app users locate their missing devices. The audio cues include encouraging sound when you are in the same direction as the lost device. On the other hand, discouraging tones with the help you realize that you are looking in the wrong place. Apparently, the feature is aimed at locating AirTags tracking tags once it is released.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 14 at the WWDC 2020 in June and will most likely reveal more about the custom QR codes as well.

[via Moving Products
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Companies active in the medical ventilator industry are focusing on R&D investments aiming at introduction of novel product offerings, pushing sales and profit margins.DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / The global pandemic of COVID-19 has turned medical equipment sector upside down within a matter of a few months. Medical ventilators have been at the forefront as lifesaving equipment for COVID-19 patients, but are currently facing immense pressure due to significant shortages at a global level. Coronavirus primarily affects the respiratory systems of patients, which fosters the demand for medical ventilators at intensive care units. The medical ventilators market is witnessing a rapid increase in the gap between supply and demand owing to skyrocketing demand amid supply chain disruptions.A new Future Market Insights (FMI) study has projected the medical ventilators market value to expand at 8.7% CAGR during 2020 - 2030. Favorable initiatives taken up by the governments to boost production capacities will sustain market growth through the pandemic. The demand for low-cost, portable ventilator variants will generate lucrative opportunities, says the FMI report."The market is currently witnessing continued focus of stakeholders on the development of portable and mechanical medical ventilators. Investments of market leaders as well as start-ups in ventilator prototypes and innovative yet cost-efficient ventilator models uphold market prospects," says the FMI Analyst.Request report sample with 250+ pages to gain in-depth market insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11287 Medical Ventilators Market - Key TakeawaysCritical care ventilators will witness a boost in sales owing to massive increase in hospital based critical care applications.Invasive ventilators are anticipated to gain a greater demand share with widespread penetration in healthcare organizations.Hospitals remain the primary end user of medical ventilators, with the growing number of patients with respiratory ailments and COVID-19 cases.North America will be a prominent regional market with high revenue share and remunerative opportunities. However, Asia will also witness substantial growth driven by favorable government initiatives.Medical Ventilators Market - Key Driving FactorsNotable rise in the number of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases is a key growth driver.Upsurge of demand for low-cost, portable medical ventilators, remains a major growth influencer.The recent increase in the number of severe COVID-19 cases are significantly bolstering market growth.Support in terms of government funding and favorable policies and regulations is also a driver for global market growth.Medical Ventilators Market - Key ConstraintsLengthy regulatory and approval processes for new medical ventilators continue to limit adoption rate.High price point of medical ventilators remains a longstanding challenge facing manufacturers.Anticipated Market Impact by Coronavirus OutbreakAs the toll of the coronavirus outbreak continues to climb, approximately 30% of all patients need ventilator support. Consequently, intensive care units in hospitals around the world have become overcrowded. However, there is an acute shortage in the number of ventilators available to handle the coronavirus pandemic. This trend is anticipated to generate substantial growth opportunities for market players. As a result, manufacturers are focusing their resources on boosting their manufacturing capabilities by up to 60% to keep up with the global demand. On the other hand, the demand for medical ventilators is likely to stabilize after the pandemic subsides.Competition LandscapeKey players in the medical ventilator market are Getinge AB, Medtronic, GE Healthcare, and Koninklijke Philips N.V. Majority of these players are seeking to collaborate with universities and non-health industries to boost ventilator supplies to hospitals. Further, players are also seeking to leverage the demand from home care and long term care centers in the years to come.Explore the global medical ventilator market report with 184 illustrative figures, 40 data tables and the table of contents. You can also find a comprehensive market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-11287 More About the ReportThe FMI's market research report of 300 pages offers comprehensive insights on medical ventilator market. The market is analyzed on the basis of product type (critical care ventilators and transport ventilators), technology (invasive ventilators and non-invasive ventilators) and end user (hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, long term care centers, and home care settings) across seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and Middle East and Africa).Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices LandscapeExosome Diagnostic and Therapeutics Market: Find detailed insights on the global exosome diagnostic and therapeutics market with detailed segment-wide analysis, market statistics, key influencing factors, prominent players and critical developmental strategies adopted by them for a 10-year forecast period.Endodontics and Orthodontics Market: FMI's report on the global endodontics and orthodontics market offers comprehensive insights on the market poised for prolific growth during 2018-2028. The study covers comprehensive evaluation of key restraining forces, revenue sources, and market leaders in addition to with essential market strategies.Thyroid Function Testing Market: Get a deep-dive analysis on the thyroid function testing market with essential insights on growth levers, opportunities, restraints, regulatory policies, regional market forecast and key forte of market leaders.About Future Market Insights (FMI)Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.CONTACT:Mr. Abhishek BudholiyaUnit No: AU-01-
While many states have allowed veterinary clinics to use telemedicine for routine pet appointments during the coronavirus pandemic, California has largely limited the practice.

That means that, even though public health officials are urging people to stay at home and avoid contact while COVID-19 spreads, many vets have to schedule in-person meetings for simple issues like treating allergies, prescribing heartworm medications and managing behavior issues.

A big frustration during the past two months is how do we keep our clients and staff safe? said Brandy Kuentzel, chief counsel at the San Francisco SPCA.

The California Department of Consumer Affairs will consider that question this week as it reviews two motions from the states Veterinary Medical Board to loosen the restrictions on how telemedicine is used in the treatment of pets.

During a meeting held May 14, focused on veterinary telemedicine, the board voted to ask the DCA to approve two motions: The first would allow for a temporary waiver of a pre-existing condition requirement for established veterinarian-client-patient relationships. The second motion seeks permission to prescribe medication for up to 18 months from the date of the pets last examination. (The current deadline is 12 months.)

If approved, both provisions would be in place through the duration of the state of emergency declared by Gov. Gavin Newsom, or until Jan. 1, 2021, whichever date is earlier.

There were a lot of concerns expressed, especially with vulnerable individuals, said Kuentzel. We heard from a lot of seniors and groups of ethnic and socioeconomic minorities. These are the individuals who have a hard time to get to the vet, whether its because they have to take the bus, or don't have child care. We want to be able to service these individuals.

More than 5,000 people have signed a Change.org petition asking the state to loosen the telemedicine restrictions for pet owners.

Kimberly Kirchmeyer, the director of DCA, working with the governors office, state and local health officials, is expected to approve or deny the boards requests this week.

Motions are typically processed between four and seven days of being filed, said Veronica Harms, deputy director of communications for the DCA.

Shea Cox, founder of PetHospice, a Berkeley-based company that provides in-home hospice and end-of-life services for pets nationwide, told The Chronicle the states telemedicine restrictions have greatly limited her services.

We can't get into peoples homes because of the shelter-in-place order, she said. I am not able to offer guidance without physically seeing the patient, which I don't need to do. Most of my patients are referred to me by a primary vet after a diagnosis has been made and I receive all the medical records.

Cox, a hospice and palliative care expert, said with telemedicine she can help pet owners analyze an animals comfort level, arthritis pain, breathing rate, and even examine their gums.

Within the current rules, she cant even prescribe flea medication unless it was for a pre-existing condition.

We are unable to help a very large population of pets, she said. And they're the pets that need the most help.

The federal Food and Drug Administration relaxed its own veterinary requirements for pets in March, dropping the requirement for in-person examinations within established veterinarian-client-patient relationships.

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.

Some of the states that allow telemedicine consultations for veterinarians include Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Maine and Vermont.

Many veterinarians and pet owners are hoping California follows suit.

Our next step is to make contact with DCA and let them know this is something that needs to be acted on urgently, said Kuentzel. It matters to everybody. Every trip somebody makes out of their community is of concern to all of us.

For pet owners like Susan Morey of San Francisco, the decision cant come soon enough.

I would have used telehealth twice so far during this quarantine for my beloved 13-year-old cat, Pearl  once for a fall and separately for a behavioral assessment on additional vocalizing, Morey said in a letter to the board. Because the fall wasnt an obvious case whether to bring her in or not, I had to choose between improving her health and that of humans risking exposure during COVID. I have chosen so far not to have her seen.

This article was updated to reflect that Kimberly Kirchmeyer is the current Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:43:01|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Portugal started on Monday the second phase of lifting restrictions imposed earlier to combat the COVID-19 pandemic with the opening of several services and businesses. However, hygiene rules, social distancing restrictions and capacity limitations remain in force.

Cafes, restaurants (also with outdoor terraces), museums and shops up to 400 square meters can now reopen after weeks of confinement.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa had his morning coffee at a pastry shop in Lisbon's Benfica neighbourhood in an attempt to encourage "normal" activity.

The head of government stressed the need to respect the health and safety measures, such as the use of disinfectant gels, keeping a distance between tables and employees wearing masks or gloves.

He appealed to the Portuguese to resume "their life in freedom, overcome fears, with confidence but always with caution."

SCHOOLS REOPEN

Safety was also the watchword when about 80 percent of students in the last two years of high school returned to the country's over 500 schools. Daycare centers also reopened on Monday.

The National Association of School Leaders (ANDE) said that some teachers were absent from this resumption of face-to-face classes either for fear of infection with the novel coronavirus or for a history of diseases.

"We knew that at the beginning things would be more complicated, but as families realize that everything is going well, the number of students should increase," ANDE President Manuel Pereira was quoted by Lusa News Agency as saying.

The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) has accused the Ministry of Education of "imprudence" in preparing for the reopening of schools.

Fenprof Secretary General Mario Nogueira said that the government should have screened the students for COVID-19 infection because young people, in most cases, are asymptomatic.

"There is a sense of insecurity among teachers. What the schools could do, they did, including cleaning, preparing rooms, coordinating schedules," he told reporters.

"Teachers will have to be more cautious and strict in demanding that all health safety regulations are respected," he said.

DUTY TO RESPECT RULES

Secretary of State for Health Antonio Lacerda Sales said at his daily news conference that it is "a duty to scrupulously respect the rules" set by the health authorities in this period of uncertainty.

He asked people to behave responsibly and with civility because "each action has an impact on the others" and "we all continue to be public health agents."

Lacerda Sales said that in this second phase of reopening, it is not possible to "waver, nor relax."

"We are on the first day of the second phase of deconfinement. It is natural that people are afraid as they were when it was necessary to retire. It is a path that we will take collectively with awareness, responsibility and civility," he said.

However, he pointed out that 6,430 patients have recovered from COVID-19, which is an increase of 1,794 cases in the last 24 hours.

"Right now, 22 percent of the confirmed cases are considered recovered. It is the biggest increase in the number of recoveries," he said.

Portugal on Monday registered 13 more deaths related to the novel coronavirus, totaling 1,231 fatalities.

As of Monday, there had been 29,209 cases of infection, an increase of 173 cases over Sunday, according to the epidemiological bulletin issued by the Directorate General for Health. Enditem
Riddled with holes: Making flexible thin-film electronics more durable

The prospect of the widespread commercialization and application of flexible electronics has kept researchers worldwide searching for ingenious ways to enhance their performance and durability. From wearable smart devices to solar cells and health sensors, flexible electronics holds much promise in many engineering fields. Unfortunately, flexible devices are usually as fragile as they look; mechanical deformations, such as bending, can induce the formation and propagation of microscopic cracks that ultimately cause devices to fail.

In a recent study, a research team led by Professor Jae Eun Jang from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology found a method to greatly improve the durability of thin-film flexible electrodes and transistors, key components in electronics. The method is simple: take your standard flexible conducting film and fill it with micrometer-sized holes in a zigzag pattern.

The researchers actually drew inspiration from civil engineering, as Prof. Jang explains. "We happened to be passing by a construction site, when we saw steel plates with holes, often used in construction. We knew that these steel plates with holes are used to reduce stress. We thought that this method could also be a solution in the micrometer world and, based on this idea, we began conducting experiments." In the field of mechanics, the word "stress" refers to the forces that the particles of a material exert on each other. External forces increase the stress of a material and can induce the formation of cracks.

In regular thin-film flexible conductors, cracks form in random locations when bent. However, if the flexible conductor bears the array of micrometer-sized holes, the stress distribution of the material changes so that cracks only form at specific points near the edges of the holes and propagate over a short distance. This, as proved through simulations and experiments, allowed their flexible metal electrodes to endure thousands of bending motions. Professor Jang states: "Our devices were able to maintain conductivity up to 300,000 bending cycles, which means that they can be bent over 80 times a day for 10 years." What's more, compared with other methods for improving the durability of flexible electronic devices, the proposed approach is inexpensive and easy to adopt using equipment already employed in the display industry.

###

Reference

Authors: Gwang Jun Lee1, Su Jin Heo1, Seungchul Lee1,2, Jae Hoon Yang1, Byoung Ok Jun1, Hyun Sik Kim3 and Jae Eun Jang*1

Title of original paper: Stress Release Effect of Micro-hole Array for Flexible Electrode and Thin Film Transistor

Journal: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02362

Affiliations: 1Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)

2Samsung Electronics

3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hongik University

*Corresponding author's email: jang1@dgist.ac.kr

About Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) is a well-known and respected research institute located in Daegu, Republic of Korea. Established in 2004 by the Korean Government, the main aim of DGIST is to promote national science and technology, as well as to boost the local economy.

With a vision of "Changing the world through convergence", DGIST has undertaken a wide range of research in various fields of science and technology. DGIST has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive studies in some of today's most vital fields. DGIST also has state-of-the-art-infrastructure to enable cutting-edge research in materials science, robotics, cognitive sciences, and communication engineering.

Website: https:/ / www. dgist. ac. kr/ en/ html/ sub01/ 010204. html

About the author

Jae Eun Jang received a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, U.K. in 2006. After working at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, he joined DGIST, Daegu, Korea, as a Professor in Information and Communication Engineering in 2011. Since 2019, he serves as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning. He first demonstrated mechanical nanoswitch in 2004, and mechanical DRAM concepts in 2008, using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. Recently, he was involved in nanodevices for ultra-fast driving, biomimicry concepts, and brain-machine interfaces. He has authored over 200 journal and conference papers and is an inventor of 100 granted patents.

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hurricanes have become stronger worldwide during the past four decades, an analysis of observational data shows, supporting what theory and computer models have long suggested: climate change is making these storms more intense and destructive.

The analysis, of satellite images dating to 1979, shows that warming has increased the likelihood of a hurricane developing into a major one of Category 3 or higher, with sustained winds greater than 110 miles an hour, by about 8 percent a decade.

The trend is there and it is real, said James P. Kossin, a researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and lead author of the study, published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Theres this remarkable building of this body of evidence that were making these storms more deleterious.

Kerry Emanuel, a hurricane expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was not involved in the study, said the findings were much in line with whats expected.
Some of the countries of the world are very densely populated, but there are others where there are just a handful of people per square kilometer. In fact, there are even countries that are so sparsely populated that there isnt even one person per square kilometer. Sometimes its because although the country may be large, a significant part of it may be uninhabitable, or at least not very desirable for living. Here are the three least densely populated countries in the world. Let us examine how geographical and other factors influence their population densities.

Mongolia

Mongolia has a very sparse rural population, and the people who live on the plains reside in traditional dwellings called yurts.

The land of Genghis Khan is the third least densely populated country in the world. The country of Mongolia, consisting entirely of Outer Mongolia (Inner Mongolia is now under Chinese rule), is located in Northeast Asia and is sandwiched between Russia in the north and China in the south. It is fairly large but has a small population compared to countries of similar size. Roughly three-fourths of the countrys land is pastureland, hence the Mongolian tradition for keeping herds of grazing livestock. The rest of the country is equally divided between barren deserts and forests, so the Mongolians ability to plant crops is quite limited. There is a greater concentration of the population in the country's northcentral region, where the best pasturelands and croplands are located. Mongolias population was overwhelmingly composed of nomadic herders at the beginning of the 20th century, but now most of the countrys population is urban, though there is still a sizeable rural population.

Nearly one-third of the countrys population lives in rural areas, and it is in these areas where you will find many of the traditional Mongolian dwellings, known as yurts. The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar, with a population of over one million people, which translates into roughly two-fifths of the countrys total population. For most of the 20th century, the country was governed by a one-party communist dictatorship, but that regime came to its end in the early 1990s, and now, Mongolia is a parliamentary democracy. The Mongolian parliament is known as the Great Khural. The countrys population is relatively young, with over half of it made up of people aged 29 or younger.

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are rich in wildlife but not in people. Photo by Paul Carroll on Unsplash

The British colony of the Falkland Islands is the second least densely populated territory in the world. The islands are located off the coast of southern Argentina. They are also known as the Islas Malvinas in Spanish. In 1982, a conflict arose over the islands, as Argentina invaded the British territory on April 2nd of that year. In response, the British sent military forces to retake the islands, and by late June, the Falklands were back in British hands. The islands remain a focal point of dispute between Argentina and the U.K. to this day. The land area of the islands is almost equivalent to the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. However, Connecticut contains more than three million people, and the Falklands have a population of just over three thousand, with most of them being of British descent.

About two-thirds of Falkland Islanders live in the capital, Stanley, which is also the territorys main port. Outside of Stanley, most of the population is engaged in sheep farming. Efforts have been made, however, to diversify the economy, and the sale of fishing licenses is now a major source of revenue for the British colony. Licenses have also been issued to companies to explore the waters off of the islands, which could contain oil reserves. The tourism sector has also grown significantly in the past twenty years and has become another major sector of the economy. The Falklands have enjoyed sustained economic growth since the late 20th century.

Greenland

Welcome to the worlds largest island and the least densely populated territory on Earth. Greenland is not a country on its own, but rather an overseas territory controlled by the European nation of Denmark, though the island does now have a wide degree of autonomy. It is located between the eastern coast of northern Canada and the island nation of Iceland. The name, Greenland, is quite ironic since most of the landmass is covered not by greenery but by ice. In fact, Greenlands ice sheet is second in size only to Antarcticas. It covers over four-fifths of the islands land area and is about 1,500 meters thick. The ice-free land is found on the coast, which is where most Greenlanders live.

Although controlled by Denmark, most of Greenlands people are not Danish, but Inuit, which means that they share a common heritage with the Inuit of northern Canada. The Inuit name for Greenland is Kalaallit Nunaat. Like Mongolia, the people of Greenland are relatively young, with over 40% of them being aged 29 or younger. The islands economy is overwhelmingly based on the fishing industry, but like the people of the Falklands, the Greenlanders have made efforts to diversify their economy, with great emphasis on the tourism industry. As a result, revenues from tourism have grown significantly.
WASHINGTON - Two states and the District of Columbia announced Monday that they plan to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for not enforcing a court-ordered agreement to dramatically lower pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary.

The attorneys general of Maryland, Virginia and D.C. are claiming that EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stood by as New York and Pennsylvania allowed levels of pollution that violated the plan into rivers that feed into the Chesapeake. Under an agreement signed by six states in the bay watershed - also including West Virginia and Delaware - the federal agency is tasked with policing the cleanup.

Before the agreement was signed in 2009, each jurisdiction committed to individual plans to limit nutrient pollution runoff from wastewater treatment facilities and farms into the watershed. Nutrient pollution from human and animal waste contributes to massive algal blooms that lower the level of oxygen in the bay and blocks sunlight from underwater grasses that serve as a sanctuary for marine life.

The EPA pledged to review each state plan and require them to meet their goals, depriving them of permits that allow pollution to run from construction sites, livestock farms and other operations if necessary.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, D, said his state has invested hundreds of millions in upgrading wastewater facilities and monitoring farms since the cleanup started in December 2010, only to have states upstream repeatedly submit inadequate pollution reduction goals and violate them.

"The state of Maryland made major sacrifices," Frosh said. "This is a fight we cannot win without our neighbors and the commitment of the EPA. The EPA has flat out walked away from its responsibility."

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland Watermen's Association, Anne Arundel County and others also issued letters of intent to sue the federal government under the same claim.

"From what we can tell, the claim has no merit," Wheeler said of the intent to sue. He was on a call with reporters Monday to announce that EPA will commit $6 million to reduce agricultural runoff in the six bay states.

Wheeler questioned the timing of the announcement, saying the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was notified Friday that EPA intended to announce the additional $6 million funding on Monday.

"I don't think that was a coincidence," Wheeler said. "I think it shows they would much rather litigate and make news sound bites than they would work on and solve the problems with the bay."

The EPA has 60 days to respond before the attorneys general and their partners can file federal lawsuits.

"The water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has recently reached the highest standards in more than 30 years," Wheeler said in the statement before he addressed reporters. The statement said the focus of the funding is the "continued reduction of nitrogen from agricultural sources, one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome as we strive to make the Bay ever cleaner."

The EPA said the funding is part of an increase in the Chesapeake Bay Program budget approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. But the EPA's critics argue that the bay's cleaner health was achieved without much help from the Trump administration.

Each year since taking office, Trump has sought to cut the bay program budget to zero, only to be denied by Congress. Trump's budgets would have removed the program's staff of 100 and eliminated science projects and water quality monitoring that helped the cleanup. During Trump's administration, the bay's water quality has declined by 4%.

The funds to lower agriculture pollution will not bring New York and Pennsylvania into compliance, critics said. According to their claim, Pennsylvania should have reduced its nitrogen pollution to the bay to 28 million pounds, but achieved half that. New York's plan would meet 61% of its commitment by the end of the cleanup. Both state plans had funding shortfalls amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, but neither was penalized by the EPA.

Officials in New York said the state is on track to meet its commitment to implement a pollution reduction program for the Chesapeake through 2025. Without addressing the coalition's specific claims about Pennsylvania's performance, state officials there said a lawsuit "would undermine the cooperative spirit" of the partnership and harm the goal of improving water quality.

"The Trump EPA is rubber-stamping plans that are plainly inadequate and allowing some watershed states to do less than what they're supposed to," said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, D. "And because they have failed, we must take action to stop the Trump EPA from shirking its responsibility to protect the Chesapeake Bay."

"While I hope the EPA will do its job, I believe it's unlikely," said Will Baker, president of the foundation.

Baker's organization joined several environmental groups in a 1999 Clean Water Act lawsuit that led to a bay cleanup plan 12 years later. Fish, crabs, oysters and other wildlife were dying in the Chesapeake's unhealthy waters despite an agreement among states to restore it.

A previous plan among the states that began in 1983 had failed because there was no entity that could enforce the terms.

The 1999 lawsuit compelled the EPA to step in as a steward of the Clean Water Act. The Obama administration established the most ambitious plan yet to clean the bay by 2025, with requirements to upgrade sewage plants, stop overflows of human waste from municipalities, limit animal waste from large feed operations and add EPA enforcement tools.

In 1607, when John Smith arrived, fish were so abundant in the bay that his crew members tried to scoop them into a frying pan and they could walk on enormous oyster reefs that breached the surface.

Now, wild oyster populations are about 1% of their historic numbers, crab populations have reached historic lows and a recent study found that juvenile striped bass that remain in the bay a year before venturing to the Atlantic die off at a rate of 70% a year.

Under the 2011 cleanup plan, the bay, a major source of recreation, tourism and commerce for Maryland and Virginia, was returning to life. "Populations of species that were in rapid decline are now coming back at incredible rates: blue crabs, clams, oysters and many others are starting to flourish," Herring said. "The waters are healthier today than they have been in decades. But we still have a lot of work to do before we can declare victory."

States cannot afford to backslide, Herring said. "That means as administrator of the agreement the EPA has to enforce its terms. EPA has to treat all states in the watershed equally and make sure each is pulling its own weight," he said.
Hyderabad: With the number of Covid-19 patients rising to 1,551 in the state, the Telangana government on Monday permitted private hospitals to treat coronavirus patients and issued guidelines for the same.

Currently, Covid-19 patients are being treated at Gandhi Hospital, Chest Hospital, King Kothi Hospital, Sarojini Devi Hospital and TIMS Hospital.

In the initial phase of the outbreak in the state, some Covid-19 patients were treated in corporate hospitals. However, the private outpatient medical services and pre-scheduled surgeries have been put on hold for 50 days. The government has now enacted regulations for Covid-19 care for private hospitals and has also laid down rules for general medical services.

The state medical health department has released fresh guidelines in keeping with the central government's regulations.

The government has directed hospitals to set up specific admission and exit routes for suspected Covid-19 patients. It has also asked hospitals to ensure that separate wards and rooms are designated for the patients so that they can be placed in isolation. Further, it also instructed the staff to take all necessary precautions while testing and treating suspected patients.

The guidelines also state that patients who test positive for Covid-19 should be regularly examined by physicians. Cardiologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists must conduct regular video consultations. If the patient succumbs to the viral infection, the hospital must strictly follow the rules while shifting the body of the deceased and performing the last rites.

For other clinics and hospitals, the government directives said that appointments should be given to four patients per hour and the patients with fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and other symptoms should be treated outside the hospital and should be sent to hospitals designated for Covid-19 treatment. If patients with these symptoms have been given an appointment in the Outpatient Department (OPD), then they should be examined in a different room.
Occidental Petroleum's (NYSE:OXY) deal to sell its assets in Ghana to French oil giant Total (NYSE:TTE) has unraveled. Total called off the planned transaction after it wasn't able to acquire Occidental's assets in Algeria, which was a condition of the deal.

Occidental initially planned to flip its entire African portfolio to Total following its acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum for $8.8 billion. It was able to close the sale of its LNG assets in Mozambique last September for $3.9 billion. It also completed the sale of its exploration assets in South Africa.

However, Algerian authorities blocked the sale of Occidental's assets in the country to Total. Meanwhile, a $500 million tax claim initially delayed the closing of the assets in Ghana. While the sides tried to work out a settlement, Total opted to walk away, given the significant deterioration in market conditions since it signed the initial purchase agreement.

Occidental now plans to retain ownership and continue operating in Algeria. However, it intends to sell its business in Ghana and will begin marketing them to third parties now that Total has officially walked away from the purchase.

The sale of Anadarko's African assets was a key piece of Occidental's debt reduction strategy. It initially aimed to sell up to $15 billion of assets to help pay down some of the debt it took on to buy Anadarko. With these African sales falling apart, Occidental no longer believes it can sell enough assets in the near-term to address its upcoming debt maturities. It has $6.4 billion due in 2021 and another $4.7 billion maturing in 2022. Because of that, the company is exploring alternative financing options so that it can manage its debt.
Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans) (Paris:ALIMP), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, today announces that it has entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the sale of its MADISONTM total knee prosthesis activities.

The transaction would relate to all assets, rights, titles and contracts pertaining to the Company's MADISONTM activity relative to the design and marketing of implants for prosthetic knee surgery. Beforehand, and in order to facilitate the operation, this branch of activity will be the subject of the creation of a dedicated subsidiary within Implanet.

This is in line with Implanet's strategy of fully focusing on accelerating the growth of the Spine market. Firstly, continue the development of its range of flagship JAZZTM products, latest generation implants aimed at improving the treatment of vertebral disorders requiring spinal fusion surgery. Secondly, accelerate commercial deployment across the Company's priority regions. The JAZZTM range of implants, protected by 4 international patent families, has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, ANVISA in Brazil and has CE marking in Europe.

This project is, nevertheless, subject to a certain number of conditions notably including the carrying out of financial, technical, legal and regulatory audits, an agreement regarding the documentation and the granting of regulatory approval.

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO of IMPLANET concludes: "Implanet is delighted to announce the initiation of exclusive negotiations to sell its Knee platform. The objective, to accelerate our growth, is to focus our strategy entirely on our Spine activities. In the future, Implanet will be 100% devoted to the treatment of spinal disorders. Thanks to this operation, we will benefit from significant additional financial resources to strengthen our organic growth and, at the same time, be able to seize potential opportunities for acquisitions that correspond with our goal of making Implanet a powerful player in the field of spinal pathologies."

Upcoming financial events:

2020 H1 revenue, July 7th, 2020 after market close

- 2020 H1 results, 15th September, 2020 after market close

About Implanet

Founded in 2007, Implanet is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around two product ranges, the latest generation JAZZ implant, designed to improve the treatment of spinal pathologies requiring vertebral fusion surgery, and the MADISON implant designed for first-line prosthetic knee surgery. Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on product traceability. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ and MADISON have obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark as well as the ANVISA authorization in Brazil. Implanet employs 36 staff and recorded 2019 sales of 7.4 million. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, Implanet established a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. Implanet is listed on Euronext Growth market in Paris.

The Company would like to remind that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, OCAPI, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding, is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005627/en/

Contacts:

IMPLANET

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO

David Dieumegard, CFO

Tel.: +33(0)5 57 99 55 55

investors@Implanet.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Sandrine Boussard-Gallien

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu
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At least one person was killed and nine were injured when a possible tornado struck a small town in central Louisiana.

The tornado, which has not been confirmed by the National Weather Service, was reported on Sunday evening near Prudence Highway in Church Point.

Witnesses said it touched down for about 30 seconds, tearing apart trailer homes, shredding trees and flipping cars in its path.

Residents were seen sifting through piles of debris on Monday as news emerged that a 26-year-old woman, who was not named, had been killed in the trailer where she lived with her mother and brother.

'It's sad,' Martin Guillory, who owns the property where the family lived, told the Daily Advertiser. 'It's amazing what a tornado can do, just lift (the house) off its blocks and destroy it.'

At least one person was killed and nine were injured when a possible tornado struck near Church Point, Louisiana, on Sunday evening. Residents are seen surveying the damage on Monday

The tornado, which has not been confirmed by the National Weather Service, was reported at around 9pm near Highway 751

Witnesses said it touched down for about 30 seconds, tearing apart trailer homes, shredding trees and flipping cars

Residents were seen sifting through piles of debris on Monday as news emerged that a 26-year-old woman, who was not named, had been killed in the trailer where she lived with her mother and brother

A flattened field of debris is seen where homes once stood before the tornado struck

Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson said nine people were hospitalized after the severe weather moved through.

Among them were the mother and brother of the woman killed. Guillory said the pair were in critical condition.

At least one woman, who was trapped inside a trailer, underwent surgery for a broken femur, according to her fiance, Jordyn Malbrough.

The woman was inside with six of her seven children, who suffered minor scratches and bruises, Marlbrough said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said it was sending experts to investigate Sunday night's incident as social media was flooded with photos and videos of what appeared to be a large tornado.

The NWS office in Lake Charles had issued a tornado warning for Acadia Parish effective until 9.15pm CST after radar picked up the potential twister.

Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson is seen surveying damage on Monday. Gibson said nine people were hospitalized after the severe weather moved through

A metal structure crumpled beyond recognition is seen near Highway 751 on Monday

Winds from the severe weather episode flipped the trailer home above on its side

Workers are seen repairing a downed power line on Monday in Acadia Parish

Church Point Police Chief Dale Thibodeaux said on Facebook that the town itself received 'very minimal damage' from the severe weather, and that no injuries were reported locally.

'Just out of Town our neighbors to the North of us on La Highway 751 were not so lucky,' Thibodeaux wrote. 'I ask everyone to please pray for our neighbors in the Acadia and St Landry Parish area on Highway 751. Our Hearts and Prayers go out to you at this tragic time.'

Cathy Jo Furlow Moffitt posted on Facebook that a friend of her daughter's home was hit by the tornado. The woman and her children were inside, Moffitt said in the post. The family was unharmed, but they 'lost everything' when their trailer was picked up by the possible tornado and thrown across the street.

Tracy Freeman Thibodeaux reported that her daughter's home had been wrecked by the tornado while she and her four children were inside.

Her friend, Cathy Jo Furlow Moffitt, shared a photo of the crumpled trailer.

'This is her trailer. Across the street from where it was supposed to be. They were inside,' Moffitt wrote, noting that all five occupants survived.

Phillip Thibodeaux Sr (center) salvages belongings from a home devastated by the suspected tornado

Church Point Police Chief Dale Thibodeaux said on Facebook that the town itself received 'very minimal damage' from the severe weather, and that no injuries were reported locally
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Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 18, 2020 16:28 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8d6668 2 National Indonesia-Military,Air-Force,fighter-jets,female-pilot,Wing-Day,graduation,inauguration Free

At the age of 25, Second Lt. Ajeng Tresna Dwi Wijayanti has already gone down in history as the first female fighter pilot in the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Yuyu Sutisna congratulated Ajeng as one of 44 pilots in the 97th batch to complete their training at the Air Force flight school, including two female pilots and two soldiers from the Indonesian Army. The 97th Wing Day graduation ceremony took place on May 18, 2020 at Ignatius Dewanto Auditorium of the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Ajeng, who is a 2018 graduate of the Air Force Academy, is to pilot the KAI T-50i Golden Eagle with the 15th Squadron of the 3rd Air Wing Fighters stationed at Iswahjudi Air Force Base in Madiun, East Java. Manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the T-50i is a supersonic advanced trainer and light attack aircraft.

Ajeng would serve the Air Force in defending Indonesias air sovereignty, the Air Force announced.

The instructors motivated me to become a fighter [pilot], and it has become a reality, said Ajeng.

Born in Jakarta on Sept. 25, 1995, Ajeng is the daughter of Air Force Col. Prayitno and has been fascinated with fighter jets since she was a child.

Military history of pre-modern Indonesia recorded that the Royal Navy of the Aceh Sultanate had a female admiral named Malahayati who established the Inong Balee, an all-female combat unit consisting of the widows of Acehnese soldiers.

[Ajeng] is expected to be an inspiration for other women to become fighter pilots and break the glass ceiling in the Indonesian Air Force, Air Force public communications head Col. Muhammad Yuris said in a written statement titled Indonesias Captain Marvel has been born.

This years Wing Day ceremony was conducted in compliance with COVID-19 health protocols, with graduates joining the ceremony virtually from Adisutjipto Hall at the Air Force Academy in Yogyakarta, he added.

Only the top two pilot trainees and one Army representative would attend the ceremony at the Air Force headquarters to receive their awards, he added. The top pilots are Second Lt. Ravi in the fixed wing aircraft category and Second Lt. Sandro in the rotary wing aircraft category.
Queensland's three additional COVID-19 cases across the weekend and on Monday are each located in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Ipswich, according to the latest data breakdown from Queensland Health.

One extra case was identified on Saturday and two more were added to the total - now at 1057 - today.

The cases in Brisbane and the Gold Coast are described as 'overseas acquired' while the source of the Ipswich case remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, health authorities have traced one old Cairns case to overseas travel, meaning there are no longer any Cairns cases under investigation.

An existing patient in Logan caught the virus through local contact with another confirmed case and another Sunshine Coast COVID-19 patient acquired the virus through overseas travel.

The source of infection for all cases in both areas have now been confirmed.
Witnesses said they saw two masked men watching as the family burned. A teenager, whose name has not been made public because he was a minor at the time of the attack, struck a plea bargain a year ago, admitting he conspired to commit ethnically motivated arson in exchange for prosecutors dropping murder charges.

Honenu, a right-wing legal aid organization that represented Mr. Ben-Uliel, called it a black day for the state of Israel and its citizens and said it would appeal. It said the conviction had relied on a confession obtained by torture and that such a confession was not worth a garlic peel.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a right-wing politician and lawyer who represented the minor defendant in the case, said he opposed the use of torture against Israelis and Palestinians alike. The goal is to get to the truth, he told Israeli radio. Im outside of a school now, and I could take the pupils, put them in one of those basements and get any result I want.

Mr. Ben-Uliel, wearing a white knitted skullcap, a surgical mask and a white shirt, sat slumped as the verdict was announced, reading from a small book. His wife, Orian, whose testimony that her husband had never left their bed the night of the murders was deemed unbelievable by the court, denounced the judges after the verdict. What do you care if an innocent person sits in jail? she said. The case is full of holes. You will be remembered as a disgrace forever.

In a rare statement, the Shin Bet called the Duma attack a grave crossing of a red line, calling the verdict a significant milestone in the battle against Jewish terror. Noting efforts to delegitimize its operations during the trial, the agency said it would continue to pursue its mission and combat any terror.

But Saad Dawabshehs brother, Nasr, said the verdict was unjust and insufficient, saying that Mr. Ben-Uliel should not have been the only person convicted of murder.

We know that at least two people were involved in the crime of killing Ali, Saad and Riham, he said by telephone from the courthouse.
With the coffers being hit, museums across the world have been forced to forego, in partial or in full, safekeeping of the past, and focus on the present with an eye towards the future. Reportedly, the Museum of London has asked people to donate objects that reflect their life during the Covid-19 pandemic. From face masks to slippers, documentary evidences have come in various forms. And more than 900 pieces of work have been submitted already to the Covid Art Museum  a virtual gallery created by three advertising creatives from Barcelona  that aims to document life in the lockdown on social media.

As COVID-19 affects our lives in unprecedented ways, we want to collect objects and experiences of Londoners.



From how London has transformed from a bustling metropolis to a maze of hushed streets, to the effects on our social & working lives. More info: https://t.co/xr4l6v9599 pic.twitter.com/iCYOJS6ZYQ  Museum for London (@MuseumofLondon) April 23, 2020

In the United States, the Smithsonians National Museum of American History is collecting objects including personal protection equipment (PPE) and patients illustrations. In India, however, an initiative to archive such materials is yet to be initiated. Sanjib Kumar Singh, archaeologist at the National Museum in Delhi, says museums are pivotal in protecting the culture and experiences of a place. We must focus on both tangible and intangible aspects of the pandemic when we eventually go out to record how coronavirus impacted India. From masks, PPE kits to thermometers and photos, all will go on to help future generations understand this period, he says.

'  &  '

DMCS is delighted to present a webinar to commemorate the International Museum Day on the 18th of May 2020.

The webinar will go live on our Facebook page: DMCS2020 at 4.30 PM IST. Save a spot & share away! pic.twitter.com/tkvSqoQ1gi  Development of Museums and Cultural Spaces (@a_dmcs) May 14, 2020

Gurugram-based Aditya Arya, who has converted a badminton court into a camera museum to showcase the art and science of photography, believes that photographers are the best visual historians and future generations will rely on images as an important source of reference. He has started an initiative called Lockdown Diaries, where people can upload images of their life as its being experienced during the pandemic. For what he calls as a means to capture the journal of our times, Arya says, While we are all in isolation and confined to our homes, our lives continue even during this standstill. It is the little things that we have started paying attention to what was formerly an insignificant aspect of our lives. We intend to create an exhibition with prints of such images at Museo Camera, once the things are back to normal.

Author Kishwar Desai, however, feels that the time to document the pandemic in India is still at least six months away. Desai, who is the Chairperson of The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust that set up The Partition Museum in Amritsar, opines, To ask people to donate to the museums for documentation may come across as insensitive at the moment as the wound [of battling the coronavirus] is still fresh for many. Its also impractical to an extent during the lockdown. But, Desai does accord great significance to the oral history that can be preserved at this point in time. Individuals can record their experiences in a diary, or videos, which can later become a part of the metanarrative of any museum. And these voices must come from all strata of the society; from migrants to NGOs to ordinary citizens who have responded to this crisis in different ways, Desai adds.

Adwaita Gadanayak, director general of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), concurs with Desais sentiment and says that he isnt sure of how the pandemic is going to permanently affect museums. He elaborates: We are in touch with different artists who are working under adverse conditions during the lockdown. NGMA is also taking the virtual route to digitise various documents. But, two things are for certain  People are not coming back to our brick and mortar buildings for a while, and we will have to rethink our long and short term strategies.

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
IndiGo co-promoter InterGlobe Enterprises' bid for crisis-hit Virgin Australia has been rejected for the next round, according to a company source.

When contacted, an InterGlobe Enterprises spokesperson said they have taken note of Australian media coverage but did not specifically clarify on their bid status.

Australian media reports said the company was not shortlisted for the next round of bidding for Virgin Australia.

Last week, Rahul Bhatia-led InterGlobe Enterprises said it has signed an agreement to participate in the sale process for Virgin Australia.

"We have taken note of the Australian media coverage, we have nothing further to add," the spokesperson said.

The company source told PTI that InterGlobe Enterprises was not shortlisted for the next round.

On Monday, the administrators of Virgin Australia said the process to find a new owner for Virgin Australia has taken a significant step forward with the shortlisting of a small number of parties.

However, details of the shortlisted parties were not disclosed.

Australian media reports said four parties have been shortlisted for the next round of bidding for Virgin Australia.

The Australian Financial Review reported that InterGlobe Enterprises was not shortlisted.

InterGlobe Enterprises earlier argued it was pointless submitting an indicative valuation with its proposal given the limited due diligence and non-binding nature of the number, and did not budge on that stance across the weekend, the report said.

As per the report, the four shortlisted parties for the next round are Bain Capital, BGH Capital, US aviation firm Indigo Partners and New York-based investor Cyrus Capital Partners.

Impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Virgin Australia Group entered into voluntary administration in April. Group entity Velocity Frequent Flyer is a separate company and is not in administration.

In a statement on Monday, the administrators of Virgin Australia Group said the process to find a new owner and bring Virgin Australia out of voluntary administration as soon as possible, had taken a significant step forward with the shortlisting of a small number of parties to be invited into the next stage of the process.

"We understand some parties will be disappointed that they have not been invited to continue their interest... We cannot comment on who the shortlisted parties are due to confidentiality commitments but we will be working intensely with them over the next four weeks to enable binding offers by mid-June," the statement said.

The administrators are Vaughan Strawbridge, John Greig, Sal Algeri and Richard Hughes.

At the end of March, InterGlobe Enterprises had 37.87 per cent stake in InterGlobe Aviation, parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prosecutors to check protection of coronavirus lockdown violators personal data

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

15:57 18/05/2020

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI)  Moscow prosecutors will check the use of personal data of violators of the coronavirus self-isolation, RAPSI has learnt in the city prosecutors office.

Earlier on Monday, Kommersant newspaper reported alleged violtions related to the use of personal data of people, who had been fined for breaching the lockdown. According to the media report, everyone can find through a fine payment service passport information of persons brought to administrative liability by entering a uniqe identificator of 20 or 25 figures on the website.

The article authors state that such a way to receive personal information violates the Personal Data Law but add that a special soft is required to acquire the information.

According to the prosecutors statement, following the check results prosecutors response actions may be taken if needed.
Buffalo, N.Y.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo is offering nursing homes new help with testing for the coronavirus.

Labs in the state have reserved capacity to process at least 35,000 tests a day for nursing homes, Cuomo said today during a press conference in Buffalo. The state is also sending 320,000 test kits to nursing homes across New York this week.

Cuomo last week ordered twice weekly testing for all staff at the states nursing homes. He said the measures announced today are meant to help the facilities meet that requirement.

"I know the nursing homes' operators are not happy about this," he said. "I get it. It's very hard to administer."

He also said the testing is necessary to protect residents.

Cuomo has faced criticism over how the state has responded to the virus in nursing homes. A syracuse.com story earlier in May found New Yorks response has been plagued by weak direction, inaccurate data and poor communication.

Courthouses

Judges and staff members will return to courthouses in 30 Upstate New York counties this week, Cuomo said. His office has not yet said which counties those will be or how the reopening will proceed.

Courts in the state continued to operate during the pandemic, but not in person. Judges, lawyers, court stenographers and defendants connected only over video conferencing.

It's unclear what Cuomo's announcement today means for pending cases.

Cuomos results

Cuomo took a test for the coronavirus during his press conference on Sunday. He said today the result came back negative.

"When you find out you're negative, it's actually a nice sense of relief," he said. "It is peace of mind. There's no reason why people shouldn't be getting tested."

The state has expanded testing eligibility to thousands more people as the reopening of the economy begins. Many of New Yorks 700 testing sites have more capacity than theyre using, Cuomo said.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

After mom dies of coronavirus in NYC, Syracuse woman takes on a final promise: a place to rest

Who can get a coronavirus test in NY? Cuomo widely expands eligibility for thousands

Cuomo: No more New York lockdowns planned, even as coronavirus is expected to slowly spread

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
The world's largest rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate and could contribute to the next pandemic, a scientist warns.

Ecologists David Lapola warns the Amazon rainforest could be a hot zone of infection, as human encroachment on animals' habitats is on the rise.

The urbanization of once-wild areas contributes to the emergence of zoonotic diseases - those that pass from animals to humans - and could spark a new coronavirus outbreak.

The stark warning comes as deforestation in the Amazon surged by 85 percent last year, with more than 3,900 square miles of the treasured land being destroyed by loggers and miners.

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The world's largest rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate and could contribute to the next pandemic, a scientist warns. Ecologists David Lapola warns the Amazon rainforest could be the next hot zone of infection, as human encroachment on animals' habitats is on the rise

The coronavirus, which is said to have started in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has slowed most of the human activity around the world  except for the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

The majority, around 60 percent, of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil, the biggest county in South America.

It is also the epicenter of the Latin American COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10,000 deaths already recorded in the country.

The removal of logs and mining in the area increased by nearly 64 percent in April.

And more than 156 square miles of the land was destroyed last month.

Brazil officials have sent more than 3,000 soldiers to the Amazon to help stop the illegal activities that are impacting the rainforest, CNN reported.

The next pandemic could include the novel coronavirus, which is said to have been passed from bats to humans in China. The stark warning comes as deforestation in the Amazon surged by 85 percent last year, with more than 3,900 square miles of the treasured land being destroyed.

The rainforest's immense biodiversity could make the region 'the world's biggest coronavirus pool

That is bad news, not just for the planet but for human health, said Lapola, who holds a PhD in earth system modeling from the Max Planck Institutes in Germany and works at the University of Campinas in Brazil.

'When you create ecological disequilibrium... that's when a virus can jump' from animals to humans, he said.

Lapola noted that similar patterns have been observed in the spread of HIV, Ebola and dengue fever, which is a mosquito-borne tropical disease.

One reason he is looking at the rainforest is due to its immense biodiversity that could make the region 'the world's biggest coronavirus pool.'

'That's one more reason not to use the Amazon irrationally, like we're doing now,' he said.

And one more reason to be alarmed by the surge in deforestation by illegal farmers, miners and loggers, he added.

Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office last year and is deemed to be a 'climate change skeptic.'

Bolosonaro is working to let mining and farming into the rainforest, but has deployed the army into the area to fight deforestation.

However, Lapola said he would rather see the government reinforce the existing environmental agency, IBAMA, which has faced staffing and budget cuts under Bolsonaro.

The coronavirus, which is said to have started in Wuhan, China December 2019, has infected more than four million people and resulted in over 294,000 deaths

'I hope under the next administration we'll pay more attention to protecting what may be the planet's greatest biological treasure,' Lapola said.

'We need to reinvent the relationship between our society and the rainforest.'

Otherwise, the world faces more outbreaks - 'a very complex process that is difficult to predict,' he said.

'We'd better just play it safe.'
Maryland Enacts AIHA-Support Bill Protecting Workers from Heat Stress

A new bill in Maryland requires employers to protect employees from heat-related illness caused by heat stress.

Maryland House Bill 722 has been enacted into law. The law requires the states OSHA to develop and adopt regulations that require employers to protect employees from heat-related illness caused by heat stress by October 2022.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) supports the new law since it will help protect workers from occupational heat stress. IHA President Kathy Murphy remarked, Heat stress is a significant problem that can result in occupational illnesses and injuries, and in some cases death. This bill is both timely and needed, she continued, marking an important step forward on heat stress prevention for Marylanders. Other states may be inspired by Marylands leadership to introduce and enact similar bills of their own.

For more information about Mary House Bill 722, visit the Maryland General Assemblys website.
A COVID Analysis Goes Viral: How the Virus Spreads Indoors, Outdoors and in Other Spaces

One Dartmouth Professor and scientists blog post on the science behind the coronavirus and what it takes to get infected has gone viraland the explanations are straightforward and easy to understand.

It takes as few as 1,000 SARS-CoV2 viral particles to infect someone with the coronavirus. That is based on the MERS and SARS outbreaks.

A single breath releases 50 to 50,000 droplets. If a person coughs or sneezes, 200,000,000 viral particles go everywhere.

At the start of this year, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Professor Erin Bromage chose the pathogen emerging in China for his class to study. Now, after a pandemic has taken hold of the world and scientists are working to understand the novel coronavirus, Dr. Bromages blog post on the virus has gone viral.

The blog post, titled The RisksKnow ThemAvoid Them, is an impressive analysis of citations, graphics, research and statistics to help readers understand the coronavirusand it is incredibly accessible and easy to understand.

The New York Times even caught wind of it and wrote, By now, a friend may already have forwarded you a much-discussed blog post from a biologist named Erin Bromageit has more than six million views. Its an impressively clear explanation of how the virus often spreads inside confined spaces, like restaurants, churches, workplaces, and schools.

The blog post discusses how the virus spreads with a simple equation: successful infection = exposure to virus + time.

He then explains how that formula works in various settings including the outdoors, public transit and restaurants. He addresses simple questions with very straightforward answers including: Where are people getting sick? How much Virus is released into the environment? What is the role of asymptomatic people spreading the virus? He also discusses the commonality of outbreaks and shares his personal reactions to openings up the economy and public spaces.
"Our greatest role to play in difficult times like these is to support those most at risk in our communities, and Louisianans rose to the challenge by using their voices to spread hope and give back to thousands of families in need," said Michael Morse, CEO of Louisiana Fish Fry. "We are endlessly grateful to those who participated in this fun project, and to our local food bank partners who work tirelessly to combat food insecurity issues in our state every single day. They need our help now more than ever."

The campaign was birthed in an effort to spread joy and help those in need during the coronavirus crisis. Louisianans rose to the challenge virtually to support the project and share their musical talents through song, dance and instrumentals.

"We are truly grateful for the impact of this campaign to bring a little sunshine in the form of food for so many families in need right now," said Mike Manning, president and CEO of Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. "The outpouring of love and support is an inspiring testament to the spirit of Louisiana and its sense of community that withstands even the toughest times."

Louisiana Fish Fry curated all of the submissions received into a collaborative video, showcasing Louisianans united in support of this cause. The video will be released on Louisiana Fish Fry social media channels and on the Louisiana Fish Fry website in the coming days.

"This unique project gave Louisianans from all backgrounds an opportunity to join together in support of our mission and we are so appreciative of the generosity demonstrated," said Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. "We give our thanks to Louisiana Fish Fry for bringing this to life, and to every participant who did their part to help make it possible."

For more information about the project, visit louisianafishfry.com .

About Louisiana Fish Fry:

Louisiana Fish Fry invites the rest of the world to experience the essence of the state of flavor: Louisiana. Founded in Baton Rouge in 1982, Louisiana Fish Fry manufactures and distributes a broad selection of Louisiana-inspired food products to a national customer base of leading grocery and mass market retailers, as well as foodservice distributors. Products include fry mixes, boil seasonings, sauces, entree mixes and more. Visit louisianafishfry.com for more information.

About The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that addresses the issue of food insecurity and hunger. We solicit, inventory, and distribute donated products to over 100 member agencies that directly serve people facing hard times. Our mission is to feed the hungry in Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes by providing food and educational outreach through faith-based and other community partners. With community support, we have served the food insecure in our 11-parish service area for more than 30 years.

About Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank is leading the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food to more than 700 community partners across 23 parishes. Together, we make up the largest charitable anti-hunger network in the state. With help from our communities, we can make food security a reality for every household in South Louisiana.

Second Harvest Food Bank is an affiliated ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, a member of Feeding America, and a United Way partner agency. To join us in the fight to end hunger, please visit no-hunger.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/2ndHarvestGNOA or on Twitter and Instagram @2ndHarvestGNOA.

SOURCE Louisiana Fish Fry Products

Related Links

https://www.louisianafishfry.com


Finland's national airline, a major carrier between Europe and China, said Monday it will add more flights and routes beginning in July if governments ease their lockdowns enough for travel to resume.

The outlook for flying overall, however, remains uncertain, with companies forecasting a slow recovery even next year due to public health restrictions and concerns.

Finnair, which had been forced to temporarily cancel flights to mainland China and other Asian destinations because of the coronavirus, said it will restart in phases, with a strong focus on Asia, which is strategically important for the state-controlled airline.

The Helsinki-based company said it will fly to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, adding it was pending government approval, but also to Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo Narita in Japan; and to Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok.

We expect aviation to recover gradually, starting in July, Finnair Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orver said in a statement. "Our intention is to operate approximately 30 per cent of our normal amount of flights in July, and we will also start long-haul flights to our key Asian destinations.

We will then add routes and frequencies month by month as demand recovers.

In July, Finnair would also resume flying to several major cities in Europe, including Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, London, Moscow, Munich, and Paris, as well as six domestic routes.

Destinations in Spain, Italy and Poland would be added in August.

Budget airline Ryanair, which had been the busiest carrier in Europe before the pandemic hit, has also said it is preparing to restart flights in July, pending an easing in lockdowns.

On Monday, it said it expects a record loss of 200 billion euros (USD 220 billion) for the April-June quarter, when the heaviest restrictions on public life were implemented across Europe.

It also expects a slow recovery, estimating it will carry only 50 per cent of its previously forecast number of passengers in the fully year 2021.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A driver has escaped uninjured after a head on collision with a brick wall in a supermarket car park

A driver has escaped uninjured after a slamming through a brick wall in a supermarket carpark.

The silver Toyota Yaris went straight through the wall of the Woolworths loading dock at Hannah Street, Beecroft, in Sydney's northwest at about 7.15am on Monday morning.

A spokesperson for New South Wales police told Daily Mail Australia it was a 'case of misadventure'.

The driver collided with the wall after hitting the accelerator instead of the brakes.

Images posted online show the car suspended inside the wall as emergency services puzzle over how to remove it.

The driver collided with the wall after hitting the accelerator instead of the brakes

The back window was totally smashed and the back bumper seriously dented.

Police and Firefighters were called to the scene but it was a towing company which eventually dislodged the damaged car.

Social media went into meltdown over the images, with many joking the driver had misunderstood the idea of Woolworths drive-through.

Another suggested the driver was rushing to get the last packet of toilet rolls in an earlier reference the widespread panic buying surrounding the coronavirus.

The silver Toyota Yaris went straight through the wall of the Woolworths loading dock at Hannah Street, Beecroft, in Sydney's northwest at about 7.15am on Monday morning

A spokesperson for New South Wales police told Daily Mail Australia it was a 'case of misadventure'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 18:41:09|Editor: huaxia

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BANGKOK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Through his social media page, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the 20 Thai billionaires from whom he sought help during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"All of the 20 billionaires had responded to me directly and offered to assist, especially to the vulnerable group whose business operations had to close due to the pandemic," Prayut wrote in his Facebook.

Prayut said that it was not the amount of money or the value of the projects the tycoons undertook to assist those in difficulty, but their willingness to offer a helping hand to ease the hardships of the Thai people at an extremely challenging time.

"The unity, generosity and care of Thai people for their fellow countrymen and others are unique," said the prime minister.

In addition to the billionaires, from whom he sought help directly, the prime minister said that there were others who volunteered their help, as well as members of the public who did whatever they could to alleviate the sufferings of others.

Noting that despite many sectors calling for the lifting of the emergency decree and the curfew, Prayut said the present situation has not been promising enough for an immediate end to the imposition.

"But we have relaxed several lockdown restrictions measures, despite the pandemic hitting on the Thai economy, the health and the well-being of the Thai people is my priority," said Prayut.

Thailand on Monday reported three new COVID-19 cases, raising the total cases to 3,031 while the death toll remains at 56. Enditem
While the 100-day no-sail order issued to cruise lines by the U.S. Congress seems to suggest the ships would be docked and empty, many vessels are in fact out at sea, sailing in the maritime equivalent of a holding pattern. New reports indicate ships from Carnival (NYSE:CCL), Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE:NCLH), Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL), Disney Cruise Line (NYSE:DIS), and MSC Cruises still have a total of approximately 100,000 crew trapped aboard.

Some of the ships are docked in ports around the world, with their crews either not permitted or otherwise unable to get ashore. Others are sailing the Caribbean without passengers, awaiting permission to return to port and disembark their crews. According to numbers reported by The Miami Herald, the proportion of crews actually repatriated varies by cruise line, ranging from an estimated 23% of Royal Caribbean and 37% of Carnival crew members to 76% of MSC shipboard personnel.

In the case of U.S. citizen crew, the CDC's requirement of using charter flights to transport people off cruise ships makes repatriation prohibitively expensive. In many other cases, countries have sealed their borders entirely, meaning crew who are citizens there must wait on board at the dock until the border closure is lifted. Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell noted in one instance "we have 7,500 Filipinos on our ships in Manila, currently waiting to be allowed to go ashore."

Long confinement on the ships has caused two workers to kill themselves by jumping overboard. COVID-19 continues to spread in the closed environment of some ships, infecting at least 578 crew and killing seven. Many are also currently unpaid or have received only reduced wages.
Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take his oath as a member of legislative council on Monday afternoon. This is the first time a Sena chief will become a member of the state legislature and the second from the Thackeray clan after his son Aaditya Thackeray.

Thackeray was one of the nine candidates belonging to the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, an alliance comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party who were declared elected unopposed to the council last week.

The other eight new members of the council are Shiv Senas Neelam Gorhe, NCPs Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari, Congresss Rajesh Rathod and BJPs Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Pravin Datke and Ramesh Karad.

Fourteen candidates were in the fray for the elections to the council, but subsequently four candidates--two each from the BJP and NCP-- withdrew their nominations and an independent candidates nomination was rejected in scrutiny.

The election of Uddhav Thackeray was crucial for him to continue as the chief minister as he had to fulfil the constitutional requirement of becoming a member of either of the houses before May 27--six months from the day he took the oath as chief minister.

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BCAP Partners ("BCAP"), a global investment management and advisory firm, announced today that it has completed an investment into Orka Investments Ltd ("Orka") on May 12, 2020.

"This transaction is the second investment under our Launchpad initiative. We see an abundance of arbitrage opportunities where Orka can make high-quality, future-proofed real estate investments in defensive locations. Unlike other managers, Orka provides investors direct access to deals, and returns are standalone and not cross-diluted. We are excited to help Orka grow its business in the coming years," states Robin Yan, a Partner at BCAP.

"Orka is delighted to welcome BCAP as investors and partners and looks forward to building a successful platform together. There are clear synergies between Orka's real estate expertise, and BCAP's experience and networks across global capital markets and parallel sectors," states Raoul Malhotra, Co-Founding Partner of Orka.

Oskar Skoldberg, Co-Founding Partner of Orka, states, "Global markets are going through unprecedented turmoil, leading to generational changes in how we live and consume. This undoubtedly will present opportunities for us to deliver projects that generate superior risk-adjusted returns for our investors."

ABOUT BCAP

BCAP Holdings Limited is a global investment and advisory platform that operates out of London, New York, Hong Kong, and Seoul. BCAP Launchpad provides value-add capital to scale early-stage founder driven businesses. BCAP's management team includes partners with strong track records in the transportation, logistics, and related financial services industries. For more information and contact details please visit www.bcap.london .

ABOUT ORKA

Orka Investments Ltd ("Orka") is a pan-European technology-driven alternative investment and advisory firm that sources and manages investments in real estate and asset backed businesses. Orka gives investors direct access to deals and is currently investing in three main strategies: Social Infrastructure, Mixed-Use Urbanisation and Special Situations. Orka's Team has a strong track record in excess of 3bn across hospitality, logistics, retail, office, residential, and mixed-use. For more information and contact details please visit https://orka.club.

SOURCE BCAP Partners

Related Links

http://www.bcap.london


Japanese carrier KDDI has announced that it will begin selling the Sony Xperia 1 II on May 22, priced at JPY 133,600 (1,145;INR 94,000;$1,243, converted), for the lone 8/256GB variant.

NTT docomo is also expected to release the Xperia 1 II to its Japanese customers soon.

There's still no official word on the exact date of the global release of the Xperia 1 II, much to the disappointment of the many holding out for the Sony flagship. It was expected that the Xperia 1 II would launch globally by the end of May, but if that's to happen we should see pre-orders open very soon.

Sony announced the Xperia 1 II back in February and it has a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display, a triple 12MP camera with regular, 16mm ultrawide and 3x telephoto sensors, eye autofocus for the main and ultrawide cameras and a 4,000mAh battery.

Source | Via
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By Jacqueline Garcia | CalMatters

California's undocumented immigrants can begin applying today, for disaster relief payments of up to $1,000 per household under Gov. Gavin Newsom's coronavirus emergency assistance plan.

In April, Newsom announced a one-time, $75-million fund for undocumented adults who are not eligible for other forms of government assistance, such an unemployment benefits and federal stimulus checks. A qualifying undocumented adult can receive $500, with a maximum of $1,000 per household.

Since the announcement was made, many undocumented immigrants have been waiting for information to apply as soon as the application period opened.

California has more than two million undocumented immigrants. Nearly one in ten workers is undocumented.

With the funds spread among so many people, most families will not receive the funding. Applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis, until the money runs out.

"In the best case scenario, these funds would reach one in 10 people," said Unai Montes-Irueste, director of communications with United Ways of California.

PEOPLE IN NEED

Magdalena, 47, an undocumented essential worker who up until recently worked making face masks in a sewing factory, hopes to receive the assistance.

"I haven't worked for about a week because my 74-year-old mother became ill and we don't know if she has the coronavirus," said Magdalena, who preferred not to give her last name because of her undocumented status.

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Magdalena said if she receives help from the state government, she could close the gap on her lack of income, which affects her family of four.

"This money would help me pay the rent," she said.

Another possible beneficiary is Julio Peralta, 45, a single father of a 16-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter with spina bifida.

Peralta said that none of them has a legal status in the country since they arrived in Los Angeles from Guatemala five years ago in hopes of obtaining a cure for his daughter.

"But right now with the pandemic, I already fell behind on my rent payments for April and May," said Peralta, who is not working.

Peralta said if he receives the financial aid from the government, he would use the money to find a place to live in Los Angeles since his daughter is receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles

"But I don't know how it is applied," he said.

HOW TO APPLY

Montes-Irueste of United Ways of California -- which has helped undocumented immigrants without bank accounts during the pandemic -- said it is important for people to know where to get help and avoid being scammed.

Called the Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants Project, the $75 million in state funding will be distributed to 12 organizations throughout California.

Additionally, the governor said $50 million would be available from philanthropy groups to be supervised through the organization Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR). However, as of Thursday, only $13 million had been collected from philanthropy through immigrantfundca.org.

The organizations were selected from among Immigration Services Financing contractors who have existing agreements with the state. The state Department of Social Services also selected nonprofits that have the ability to provide a high volume of application assistance services to undocumented populations in specific geographic locations.

Applications will be available until funds for each region are exhausted.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

An applicant must be undocumented, over 18 years of age, ineligible for federal assistance related to COVID-19 such as the stimulus check or unemployment benefits, and able to demonstrate that they have faced financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic.

Organizations will verify the applicant's documents to ensure they match the information provided and will make the final decisions.

To apply, undocumented immigrants should contact the group representing their area:

Los Angeles and Orange County:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

(213) 241-8880 www.advancingjustice-la.org

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)

(213) 201-8700 www.chirla.org

Los Angeles Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

(213) 315-2659 www.carecen-la.org/

Inland Empire:

San Bernardino Community Service Center

(888) 444-0170, (909) 521-7535 www.sbcscinc.org

Covering Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino

TODEC Legal Center Perris

(888) 863-3291 www.TODEC.org

Covering Inyo, Riverside, San Bernardino

San Diego and Imperial County

Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Imperial County: 760-206-3242

San Diego County: 858-206-8281

Northern California:

California Human Development Corporation

(707) 228-1338 www.californiahumandevelopment.org/

Covering Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma Tehama, Trinity

Bay Area:

Catholic Charities of California

Alameda and Contra Costa: www.cceb.org

Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo: www.catholiccharitiessf.org/

Santa Clara: www.catholiccharitiesscc.org/

Central Coast:

Mixteco / Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)

www.mixteco.org/drai/3

Santa Barbara: (805) 519-7776

Ventura: (805) 519-7774

Community Action Board Santa Cruz

(800) 228-6820 www.cabinc.org/

Covering Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz

Central Valley:

United Farm Workers Foundation (UFWF)

(877) 527-6660 www.ufwfoundation.org

Covering Ash, Kern, Kings, Wood, Merced, Tulare and Mono

California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF)

(877) 557-0521 www.crlaf.org/drai

Covering Mariposa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne Yolo and Yuba

Jacqueline Garcia is a reporter with La Opinion. This article is part of The California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California. It was first published by CalMatters on May 14.
Who says we can't control the weather?

Human-caused global warming has strengthened the wind speeds of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones around the globe, a new study released Monday said.

These storms, collectively known as tropical cyclones, are some of nature's most powerful and destructive storms. Category 5 Hurricane Dorian, for example, laid waste to portions of the Bahamas last year as the storm's 185-mph winds cut through the nation like a buzzsaw.

Scientists studied 40 years of satellite images to reach their conclusions.

"Our results show that these storms have become stronger on global and regional levels, which is consistent with expectations of how hurricanes respond to a warming world," said study lead author James Kossin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Category 5 Hurricane Dorian laid waste to portions of the Bahamas last year as the storm's 185-mph winds cut through the nation like a buzzsaw, killing dozens of people.

Global warming, aka climate change, is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. This has caused the planet to warm to levels that cannot be explained by natural factors.

The study was led by scientists from NOAA and the University of Wisconsin and was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Kerry Emanuel, a hurricane expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was not involved in the study, said the findings were much in line with whats expected, according to the New York Times.

Scientists said that the chances of hurricanes becoming a Category 3 or higher have increased each of the past four decades. Much of the death and destruction from hurricanes comes from storms of Category 3 strength or higher, which are known as "major" hurricanes.

"The change is about 8% per decade," Kossin told CNN. "In other words, during its lifetime, a hurricane is 8% more likely to be a major hurricane in this decade compared to the last decade."

Story continues

The study only looked at hurricanes' wind speed, not their rainfall or storm surge, Kossin said.

The research builds on Kossin's previous work, published in 2013, which identified trends in hurricane intensification across a 28-year data set. However, says Kossin, that timespan was less conclusive and required more hurricane case studies to demonstrate statistically significant results.

"The study agrees with what we would expect to see in a warming climate like ours," said Kossin. "It's a good step forward and increases our confidence that global warming has made hurricanes stronger."

NOAA will release its forecast for the 2020 hurricane season on Thursday. Most forecasts from other research groups are calling for an active season, which has already gotten underway with Tropical Storm Arthur spinning off the Southeast Coast this week.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Global warming is making hurricanes stronger, study suggests
According to Ukraines Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, the investigation is going not as fast as desired

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin stated that Ukraine might appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the case of the UIA plane crash in Tehran, as Radio Liberty reported.

If the talks reach a deadlock then we will be forced to appeal to the international arbitrages, particularly, to the International Court of Justice. The issue is not only about Ukraine but about the united front of the states of Canada, the UK, Sweden, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, he said.

Besides, Yenin noted that the investigation is going not as fast as desired. Particularly, the issue is about reading and decryption of black boxes.

January 8, Boeing 737 of Ukraine's International Airlines, flight PS752 with 176 passengers aboard crashed in Tehran, not far from Imam Khomeini airport.

11 citizens of Ukraine died in the crash of Boeing 737 of Ukraine's International Airlines (PS 752 flight). President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the passenger plane crash in the Iranian capital left no survivors.

On January 19, the bodies of the Ukrainians, who died in a plane crash in Iran, were delivered to Ukraine. The farewell ceremony took place at Boryspil Airport.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) -- Muntinlupa City has recorded the highest recovery rate in Metro Manila, the citys Health department said on Monday.

City Health Officer doctor Tet Tuliao said in a statement that as of May 16, the citys recovery rate is at 56.85%, which is considered to be the highest among local government units in the National Capital Region.

Data from the Department of Health showed that there are 235 cases in the city with 146 active cases as of May 17. Of these, 24 deaths and 65 recoveries were recorded.

Tuliao attributed this to the citys intensified target mass testing as well as contact tracing, isolation, and treatment of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases.

The city also has an ongoing express mas testing through polymerase chain reaction tests which is free for residents who are experiencing symptoms. As of May 16, there were 2,005 residents and frontliners already tested by the local health department. Confirmed cases were immediately brought to quarantine facilities, while their families and those who had close contact with them were isolated.

Meanwhile, doubling time of cases in the city also showed slowing down over the past days. Doubling time has improved to eight days. Doubling time is the number of days it takes for local cases to double.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said that this improvement could help boost the confidence of their frontliners. However, residents should still not let their guards down. They should still follow measures against the spread of the virus, which include physical distancing, and proper personal hygiene. Other health safety measures like curfew, quarantine pass system, and liquor ban are still in place despite the citys transition to modified enhanced community quarantine.

Total cases in the country have now reached 12,718 with 831 deaths and 2,729 recoveries.
(Photo : H Shaw on Unsplash) A New Antiviral Facemask Could KIll COVID-19; Protein Spikes Could Be Separated By Proteolytic Enzymes From The Coronavirus, Killing It (Photo : De An Sun on Unsplash) A New Antiviral Facemask Could KIll COVID-19; Protein Spikes Could Be Separated By Proteolytic Enzymes From The Coronavirus, Killing It

As COVID-19 continues to infect individuals around the world, various personal protective equipment (PPE) are being used by medical professionals to avoid contacting the coronavirus. However, the current PPEs aren't a hundred percent full proof. As many healthcare workers have experienced, one can still be infected even while wearing a mask and PPE. But that may soon change.

According to a report from Newsweek, experts have developed a new antiviral face mask that could potentially kill the coronavirus on contact. However, it was clarified that the face mask designed by the researchers at the University of Kentucky is still at the development level.

The idea came from Dibakar Bhattacharyya, a chemical engineer professor and the director of the university's Center of Membrane Sciences. According to the professor, the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19 can be "captured and deactivated" by the new antiviral face mask.

The university said that a $150,000 grant provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) was secured by Bhattacharyya for the development of the new face masks. Bhattacharyya will serve as the principal investigator on the research team. He stated that it would take about 6 months to develop and test the membrane mask before it is proven effective enough to kill COVID-19.

A new antiviral facemask could kill COVID-19; Protein spikes could be separated by Proteolytic Enzymes from the coronavirus, killing it

The university clarified that a large-scale manufacturer would facilitate the work, designing and testing the new antiviral face mask.

Bhattacharyya explained that the masks will contain enzymes that will attach itself to the protein spikes and separate them from the novel coronavirus, thus potentially killing COVID-19.

"The novel coronavirus is covered in club-shaped 's-protein' spikes, which give it its crownlike, or coronal, appearance," explained Bhattacharyya.

He reiterated that the face mask will feature proteolytic enzymes that have the ability to attach itself to the protein spikes that allow the virus to penetrate the host cells once it enters the body. The enzymes separating from the virus's cell, killing it in the process.

It was also explained that the new membrane mask would reduce the number of virus particles circulating in the air that could infect other individuals in the vicinity by capturing COVID-19 on its surface.

The researches clarified that they have the capability to develop a membrane that would not only properly filter out the COVID-19 particles like the N95 mask does, but also deactivate the novel coronavirus completely.

Bhattacharyya claimed that the new innovation could protect against a number of human pathogenic viruses by slowing down and preventing the spreading of the virus. People would be able to breathe easily through the mask since it would be very thin. It can also change color when COVID-19 or other viruses are detected on it.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Laura King | Los Angeles Times (TNS)

WASHINGTON  A coronavirus vaccine by years end is possible, but not something to bank on, a leading public health expert warned Sunday as the Trump administration continued to push for swift business reopenings in a bid to revive the battered U.S. economy.

Aides to President Donald Trump have touted vaccine prospects, but theyve also tried to de-couple significant progress toward an immunization protocol from the need to return to workplaces, schools and public life, as many states are now moving to do.

Everything does not depend on a vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on CNNs State of the Union, echoing language used two days earlier by Trump when he announced an ambitious public-private initiative to achieve widespread inoculation by January.

Vaccine or no vaccine, were back, Trump said Friday.

With the U.S. death toll approaching 90,000, public health experts described the presidents vaccine timetable as ambitious  perhaps overly so.

Everything would have to break in the right way, and there are many ways that it might not work, said Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, interviewed on NBCs Meet the Press.

So I dont think we should bank on it, he said, calling a vaccine this year far from a sure thing.

Similar caution was voiced by Tom Frieden, a former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, he said a vaccine was the single most important weapon we could develop against this virus, but we dont have one yet.

We hope we will, said Frieden. We hope it will be soon, but we cannot count on it.

Even if a vaccine is developed, logistical challenges to mass inoculation would be daunting, said former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb.

A lot of things can go wrong, Gottlieb said on CBS Face the Nation. A lot of things can be delayed. Its very hard to get to the point where youre manufacturing at high, high quantities.

The U.S. has the worlds highest known tally of coronavirus infections, with more than 1.5 million confirmed cases. But Azar said an overall plateau in cases and deaths was ample grounds for moving ahead with restarting the economy.

We are in a position to be able to reopen now, Azar said on CNN. He also played down any alarm over televised images of packed bars and restaurants in states that have eased shutdowns, casting those who fail to follow physical-distancing guidelines as a minority.

In any individual instance, youre going to see people doing things that are irresponsible, he said. Thats part of the freedom that we have here in America.

Other Trump allies used similarly benign language to describe crowding in public places and newly reopened establishments.

Well, I certainly see a small subset of Wisconsinites celebrating a little freedom, said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., interviewed on CNN. But he said most people were being very responsible in terms of mask-wearing and physical distancing.

Azar also said that predicted spikes of infection had not materialized in states like Georgia and Florida, which moved quickly to reopen, although he acknowledged that it was still early days. An upsurge in illness likely would take a couple of weeks to detect since many people dont develop symptoms right away.

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican who has sometimes challenged Trumps push for a speedy end to shutdowns, said he hoped to avoid a resurgence in his state as restrictions are eased.

We certainly hope we dont see that, he said on CNN, noting that so much is in every individuals control.

Experts like Inglesby said an easing in the growth of the U.S. caseload should be seen as proof that shutdowns worked, rather than a signal that they should not have been imposed in the first place.

I think lockdowns were necessary, he said. They actually have changed the course of the epidemic in the United States.

He said with the curve moving in the right direction, it was now appropriate for states to be thinking about how to very carefully reopen, and do it as safely as possible.

Frieden, the former CDC head, predicted a long and uneven course for outbreaks in individual states, warning that too-rapid lifting of restrictions could bring painful new setbacks.

Were likely to see multiple waves in different parts of the country, he said. If we go too fast, it will backfire.

Trump spent the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, holding strategy sessions on subjects including the vaccine push.

We did a lot of terrific meetings, he told reporters upon returning to the White House on Sunday. Tremendous progress is being made on many fronts, including coming up with a cure for this horrible plague that has beset our country.

At the same time, a senior aide unleashed an angry new tirade at Richard Bright, a vaccine expert turned whistleblower who told Congress last week that the administration ignored early warnings about the perils of the virus.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, appearing on ABCs This Week, said Bright, who was ousted from his post as the head of a federal medical research agency and refused reassignment to a lesser post, had deserted the administration at a moment of tragedy.

We could have used him on the battlefield, said Navarro, who refused an invitation to testify before the same congressional subcommittee as Bright did.
French auto major Renault on Monday launched the automated manual transmission (AMT) version of its compact multi-purpose vehicle Triber in India with price starting at Rs 6.18 lakh.

The company has opened booking for the Triber EASY-R AMT, which will be available in three variants RXL, RXT and RXZ at a price difference of Rs 40,000 above the respective manual transmission versions, Renault India said in a statement.

The three variants of the Triber EASY-R AMT is priced at Rs 6.18 lakh, Rs 6.68 lakh and Rs 7.22 lakh respectively.

The Renault Triber EASY-R AMT is powered by a 1-liter petrol engine.

"With the AMT version of Triber, we will further enhance the unique selling propositions (USPs) of Triber - flexible, attractive and affordable," Renault India Operations Country CEO & Managing Director Venkatram Mamillapalle said.

Mamillapalle further added that "looking at the evolving customer preferences, the AMT technology is becoming a popular choice across segments and we are happy to build on our portfolio with the Renault Triber EASY-R AMT."



Triber has played a significant part in driving Renault's total sales in India in 2019, which grew by 7.9 per cent with sales of 88,869 units. The company has also exported more than 13,500 cars in 2019.

Renault India said it has also commenced exports of Triber to South Africa and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region.

"Renault will continue this growth momentum and expand the exports of Triber to other parts of Africa and the SAARC region, alongside growing the Triber family in India," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Captain Amarinder Singh

With the persistent efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to woo investors and investments, the investments in IT/ITeS sectors in state have touched Rs. 605 crore, which is approx 65 percent higher than the investment figure of last financial year.Disclosing this here today, the CEO Invest Punjab Rajat Agarwal said that the trend of increase in IT investments in the state is continuing as even during the previous financial year 2018-19, the IT sector investment had seen a major jump from Rs. 121.49 cores in 2017-18 to Rs 365 Cr in 2018-19.

The CEO stated that the investments in IT/ITeS sector have risen substantially during the financial year 2019-20 and have touched Rs. 605 crores with the aggressive policy advocacy and proactive follow up with the investors. He said that this investment would further boost employment opportunities by generating job avenues of approximately 4600 IT professionals. He said that some of the major companies who have invested during 2019-20 were Aeren IT Solutions, Entella Pvt. Ltd. a Sweden origin Company, Target Everyone IT Pvt. Ltd., Miran Informatics Pvt. Ltd., Mark Software, EON Infotech and Vertex Infosoft Solutions Pvt. Ltd. among many others.

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Carrying forward the sucess of STPI Mohali towards development of an IT ecosystem in Mohali, the CEO pointed out that another STPI centre was being setup by the Punjab Government at Amritsar. Aggarwal said that the Information Technology Department of State Government is bearing the entire cost of land, approx Rs. 6 crores has already been released to PSIEC besides Rs. 1 crore as grant-in-aid and Rs. 4 crores towards construction of 10,000 sq. ft. against total construction cost of approx Rs. 20 crores for 38000 sq. Ft total buitt up area. This initiative of State Government is extected to go a long way in encouraging new IT/ITES knowledge entrepreneurs for setting and starting their operation and for generating employment in the Amritsar region, he added.

Notably, Punjab is on the way to transition from Agri based to a Technology Driven economy and has identified IT/ITeS/ESDM as a thrust sector. Invest Punjab is actively promoting this sector by offering special incentives over and above the non-thrust sectors and implementing state policy initiatives that supports IT/ITeS/ESDM industry.

In order to further promote high tech technology development in the state, Agarwal mentioned that the State IT Department has collaborated with Softaware Technology Parks of India (STPI) and submitted proposals to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for setting up of Centres of Excellences in Punjab in IT, AI, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, IoT etc.

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He said that Punjab Government had signed a MoU with Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) and STPI for setting up Center of Excellence (CoE) in Microelectronics/ASIC DESIGN in STPI premise in Mohali for the Development of Electronic Design and Manufacturing ecosystem in the state of Punjab. The said CoE will undertake Research & Development in the areas of Advanced VLSI Device Fabrication, VLSI Device, semiconductor Circuit Design and Device Modeling, said CEO adding that the SCL would provide the technical guidance & mentorship to COE.

It may be recalled that Punjab Government had envisaged to transform Mohali into a world class IT hub of the country with world class amenities. The state has developed an IT city next to the Mohali International Airport with modern facilities. The region is also home to Quark City, Bestech Towers and STPI with ready to move in, plug and play infrastructure. STPI, Mohali provides regulatory support to all IT units in the tricity and has touched exports to the tune of INR 4,400 crores in FY 2018-19. The state also has Indias only large-scale ASIC Fabrication Laboratory in SCL-Mohali, which is aiding in international research and technology projects by developing cutting edge technology for Chandrayaan 2 and a Large Hadron Collider, CERN Geneva besides many other strategic electronics sector projects.

The Punjab Start Up hub (NEURON) at STPI identifies and evaluates promising startups in the field of AI/Data Analytics, IoT, Audio, Visual and Gaming. Built at a cost of approx INR 60 Cr, the facility is spread over 1.40 lakh sq ft. of built up space and is one of the countrys largest incubation facility.The IT sector was able to quickly adapt to the lockdown situation and all 23 Incubated IT companies (400 Employees) operating from STPI Mohali Incubation center were able to work from their home during the lockdown.
The term clean politics has acquired a new meaning in these coronavirus-afflicted times. Political parties have started putting in place a mechanism that reflects increasing consciousness among them about the need to continue with Covid safety protocols in their offices even when the lockdown, which has been extended till May 31, ends.

Already, seating arrangements are being reworked at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Uttar Pradesh. A sanitation or disinfectant tunnel is the latest addition to the BJP office through which all entrants would have to pass. Automated sanitiser machine with sensors at various places in the party office is an added novelty. A mask vending machine is also in place at the party office to help those walking in without a face cover. Wearing a mask or face cover has been made mandatory in the state. Violation of this norm would lead to a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1000.

All entrants would be subjected to a thermal scan, UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

The state government has banned large public gatherings in Uttar Pradesh till June 30.

During the lockdown, the BJP has been relying on technology to connect with its cadres and functionaries over an online platform. Its state general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal has been operating from the party office while state chief Swatantra Dev Singh has been connecting with cadres from home.

BJP state general secretaries Govind Narayan Shukla and Vijay Bahadur Pathak, who were seen entering the party office and passing through the disinfectant tunnel, said the party was preparing for the post lockdown phase.

As a responsible political party, we are putting in place a seating arrangement which would ensure that even post lockdown we follow social distancing during work, said the BJPs Manish Dixit.

Outside the Congress office, workers were seen providing sanitisers to everyone entering the office.

We have got sanitisers and masks at our party office. In fact, our leader Priyanka Gandhi has sent one lakh masks for cadre and commoners alike, said Congresss Lallan Kumar.

The main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) says it put the mask-sanitiser drill in place at the party office since February.

At our office, the social distancing drill is followed. Masks and sanitisers are being used since February. The party office is closed due to lockdown, but when it opens we will ensure that our entire office is sanitised. Even today, we have a sanitiser in each room, said Samajwadi Partys Ashish Yadav Sonu.

The Bahujan Samaj Party too claims to be ensuring cleanliness.

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Republicans are preparing a multi-million dollar, multi-state effort to recruit volunteers to monitor voting places for fraud, a move that could bolster President Donald Trump's claims Democrats will cheat in the November election.

President Trump repeatedly has complained elections are rigged: that Bernie Sanders lost the Democratic primary to Joe Biden because of it, that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016 through cheating, and even last week's California special election, that Republicans won, was rigged.

'They are trying to steal another election. Its all rigged out there,' Trump tweeted ahead of last Tuesday's contest, which saw Republican Mike Garcia won.

Republicans are planning a $20 million, multi-state effort to bolster President Donald Trump's claim that elections are rigged and Democrats cheat

President Trump also has complained about mail-in voting, which could be used more because of the coronavirus, claiming it helps Democrats even as Republicans won last week's special election in California; above, voters line up to vote in that California race

Even as multiple studies show voter fraud is very low in the United States and the president's own voting integrity commission found no evidence of wrong-doing, Trump has not let up on his debunked claims.

Trump also is pushing the false argument that mail-in voting favors Democrats as that voting option becomes more of a reality for November should the coronavirus pandemic still be flaring.

The Republican Party is taking his claims seriously. It's looking to make a $20 million investment in a plan to recruit up to 50,000 volunteers in 15 key states to monitor voting sites and challenge both ballots and voters who are seen as suspicious in November's election, The New York Times reported.

The plan also includes money to challenge lawsuits by Democrats and voting-rights groups to loosen state restrictions on voting. Many states require voters to have a reason to request a mail-in ballot, a provision Democrats are looking to lift in November because of COVID-19.

House Democrats included $3.6 billion in election funding as part of the $3 trillion coronavirus relief package they unveiled last week. The money is intended to help states with programs like mail-in voting.

Complications from the coronavirus has sparked fears, particularly among Democrats, that President Trump could use the coronavirus to delay or delegitimize November's contest.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive 2020 nominee, warned about the threat of a delayed election at a fundraiser last month.

'Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow  come up with some rationale why it can't be held,' he said of Trump.

The coronavirus pandemic - which led to the cancellation of schools, delayed sporting events, closed churches and put an end to any large scale gatherings like the annual SXSW conference - has already affected the Democratic primary process.

Voters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, line up to vote during the April 7 primary

New York canceled its June primary because of the disease and 15 other states moved back or extended mail-in voting for their primaries.

Such moves have been controversial and lawsuits have been filed with the argument people have the right to vote.

New York's case illustrates that. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang sued the state over the move. And the judicial branch showed its strong commitment to protecting the right to vote, ordering the election to go forward. State officials have appealed.

Additionally, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers lost his bid last month to delay his state's primary until June. The court ordered it to go forward amid criticism that in-person voting could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. Voters queued to vote on April 7 in long lines - many of them wearing face masks and practicing social distancing - due to the limited number of polling places open because of a shortage of workers to staff them.

The Wisconsin Department of Health traced 19 cases of the coronavirus to that election.

Trump has long sounded the voter fraud drum beat.

After the 2016 election, he launched a voting integrity commission, led by then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to investigate Trump's unsubstantiated claim that between 3 million and 5 million ballots were illegally cast.

The commission found no evidence of wrong doing. Trump disbanded it in 2018.
Arka: Tackling SRH By Francesca Mudannayake View(s): View(s):

At the time of writing, Colombo has endured more than a month of curfew to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Roads are empty, businesses are shut. But on the Arka Initiative Whatsapp group, a hive of activity is taking place. Proposals are being written, livestream videos on SRH (sexual and reproductive health) are being planned, social media queries about the availability of contraception during curfew have to be discussed. The group makes a unanimous decision to donate reusable pads to women who are running out of sanitary products. The lockdown may have forced us all into our homes, but that doesnt mean life behind closed doors stops.

I came to know of Arka Initiative through its founder, Manisha Dissanayake, an attorney-at-law, who had an idea to start an organisation that provided support and solutions to fill in the SRH gaps in Sri Lanka. I had experienced first-hand, and heard so many stories about the terrible experiences young men and women have trying to access services and basic products in the sphere of SRH, and wanted to bring together a team of young professionals who would advocate for other young people in Sri Lanka, Manisha said.

Taking into account SRH involves physical, mental, emotional and social aspects, Arka consists of a dedicated group of psychologists, lawyers, researchers, doctors, and volunteers, of which I am one. Dr. Rashmira Balasuriyas experience as Head of Mentors for Arka put it into perspective how her primary job informs the other  Working in a neonatology unit meant that I spent a significant amount of time conversing with new mothers and their partners and through this I became very aware of the significant lack of SRH education among them. When I came across Arka Initiative, it was a perfect fit.

To get a general overview of whats happening in Sri Lanka, I turned to Tharakie Pahathkumbura (Arkas resident researcher). Reliable information seems to indicate that 1000 abortions are performed daily, 70% of menstruating women do not use pads or tampons, and only 57% of young people used contraception during their first intercourse. But as Tharakie reiterates, there are huge gaps in the data and no clear figures can be given. So, why are we struggling with SRH in Sri Lanka?

Tarangee Mutucumarana (lawyer and part of operations for Arka) puts it down to stigma, lack of awareness, patriarchy and the inability for men to see womens issues as equally important  particularly in Parliament where the lack of representation means there is less focus on these problems. For example, sanitary napkins are branded as luxury items and are taxed at a current rate of 62.6%.

So, considering the taboo nature of what Arka deals with, I asked Manisha whether they experienced any initial setbacks. We did encounter obstacles, but our approach was to keep going. We were once told that there would be backlash if we tried to provide women outside Colombo with reusable sanitary pads because people in those communities believed it would make them infertile.

Despite this, Arka has persevered and gained a lot of online traction for itsmultilingual approach and commitment to inclusivity. Talking to Natasha Perera, graphic designer and Head of Creative, I ask whether she always has to be consciousof Arkas audience when designing. Design and creativity is one of the most fundamental and effective ways of communication so it is critical to be attentive to our audience  whether its to create online engagement for an Arka event or in the case of people living outside the city, making sure they are comfortable enough to attend a session.

These sessions that Natasha refers to are part of Arkas most ambitious endeavour yet  The Sustainable Sanitation Project (SSP). Headed by Kemalie Herath and facilitated by Sathyani Wevita, SSP aims to provide women from low income families (who primarily use cloth as their mode of sanitation) with reusable sanitary napkins. The goal is to travel to all 25 districts and organise two-hour sessions with 50 women in each district on menstrual hygiene, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases, along with how to wash, use and dry the reusable sanitary napkins. Since mid-2019, five districts have been covered but Kemalie mentions its been tough finding groups of women in the North and East, so anyone with contacts is welcome to get in touch with Arka.

Im interested to know what the response was like and Kemalie said, In terms of Colombo and Matara, which are considered to be developed areas, women were more educated but also reserved and not open to conversation. However, in places like Monaragala (considered one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country) our discussions were nuanced and extensive. Medical access is scarce in this area and they would have to walk a few kilometres to see a doctor or buy pads.

Our best session yet has been in Mathugama where women were interactive and well versed on what their contraceptive options were but most seemed reluctant to use them because of their own bizarre beliefs (like using a copper IUD could be dangerous during lightning). However, Tharakies follow-up included a testimonial from a woman who attended this session who said, I feel like we learned a lot of information and corrected many misconceptions.We havent spoken this openly before and I feel happy. It seems now like a lie to feel shame about these things.

Adding to the success of SSP is also the interactive sex education sessions Arka holds in schools for 11-12-year olds and 16 and above headed by biology teacher, Tamara Jayasinghe. Issues with SRH are constantly being addressed in the classroom but it is very theoretical in nature  it is all just to pass an exam, which I completely disagree with. Children are reluctant to approach me with their questions, but once they realise its a safe space, the questions are endless. However, despite my efforts I can only do so much. I believe that it is essential that they are given access to a wide spectrum of help and a safe environment to discuss questions and concerns.

It seems it takes a village, or rather a country to make something like SRH awareness work but for now, Arka remains optimistic and committed towards its goals. What particularly fascinates me is the community Arka has built within itself -the core organisation voluntarily give up their time and energy despite having hectic full-time jobs. Manisha is full of praise  Im always in awe, not only because theyll be at the cutting edge of their respective professions one day, but also because of their heart to serve. Everyone works so hard, despite their demanding careers, and thats very humbling.

These are scary times but the future looks bright for Sri Lanka if these are the leaders propelling our country forward, one step at a time.

(The writer is a volunteer with Arka Initiative)
Opalesque Industry Update - The Geneva-based asset management firm NOTZ STUCKI has appointed Frederic de Poix Head of its Wealth Management division and as a member of its Executive Committee. He replaces Damiano Paterno Castello, who will manage the Zurich office and sit on the Board of Directors. NOTZ STUCKI will expand its business activities in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, focusing particularly on the distribution of investment solutions to institutional clients. NOTZ STUCKI also intends to pursue implementation of the development strategy as announced in June 2019. New composition of the Executive Committee Damiano Paterno Castello is leaving NOTZ STUCKI's Executive Committee to relocate to the Zurich office, following the retirement of Ulrich Hohn who has run the office since its opening in 1991. His main mission will be to develop the business activities in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, while continuing to look after his substantial client base. Damiano Paterno Castello has joined the Board of Directors of Notz Stucki & Cie SA. He will be replaced as Head of the Wealth Management division by Frederic de Poix, who is now also a member of the Executive Committee. Frederic de Poix joined NOTZ STUCKI in 2013 and was previously Deputy Head of the Wealth Management department. He began his career as a commodities trader at Sucres et Denrees, and then at Finagrain, and then worked for 15 years as a private banker at Morgan Stanley and Hyposwiss in Geneva. German-speaking Switzerland: a strategic development area With a presence in Zurich since 1991, NOTZ STUCKI views German-speaking Switzerland as a strategic region for growth and the relocation of Damiano Paterno Castello to Zurich underlines its strong commitment to the area. In addition to wealth management, the Group intends to develop its asset management business by stepping up its efforts to promote and distribute its in-house investment funds. "Although we have been around for half a century and are one of the largest independent asset managers in Switzerland, we are not particularly well known in Zurich. Being conscious that the country's largest financial place has not waited for us to prosper, we are convinced of the quality of our asset management and we want to introduce our solutions to the German-speaking market and develop our presence in Zurich", explained Damiano Paterno Castello. Two major focuses for development: the distribution of investment solutions and external growth NOTZ STUCKI's range includes more than 20 alternative and traditional Luxembourg funds, most of which are registered in a number of European countries, covering a variety of strategies and asset classes. In 2019, NOTZ STUCKI set-up an "Investment Solutions & Institutional Investors" department, headed by Cedric Dingens, focusing on the promotion and distribution sale of its products to Institutional investors. "Although for over 50 years, we have been known as pioneers in alternative management, we have also been developing, for more than a decade, a broad range of traditional investment solutions, which have the generation of alpha as their common denominator", added Cedric Dingens. "Despite being less fashionable, after more than 10 years of rising markets, alternative strategies have, in recent weeks, shown their ability to protect investors' assets. At the same time, NOTZ STUCKI intends to continue playing an active role in the consolidation of the Swiss independent management industry. Announced last June, this intention led, in December 2019, to the acquisition of the Geneva-based alternative management company Jam Research, and NOTZ STUCKI is going to continue with this strategy, either by acquiring existing companies or by attracting management teams that wish to join an independent and thriving group.
BOGALUSA, La. - Police in southeast Louisiana havent made any arrests in a weekend shooting that wounded 13 people at a memorial for a homicide victim, officials said Monday.

Bogalusa police Maj. Troy Tervalon said the person who was most seriously wounded remained in critical condition.

The shooting Saturday night occurred at a vacant lot where at least 150 people had gathered to remember Dominique James, whose death Tervalon described as a homicide. He wouldnt give details.

James was last heard from May 2, as he went to pick up an all-terrain vehicle. Officers in a helicopter found his vehicle May 8, with his body inside.

James family had asked Bogalusa officials if they could have a regular memorial service for James but were turned down because of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Tervalon said.

Bogalusa is a city of about 12,000 people and is 70 miles (110 kilometres) northeast of New Orleans.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Changan Automobile on May 13 struck a deal with Liandongyun, a Shenzhen-based car rental service provider, attempting to jointly develop car-sharing solutions that further facilitate consumers in daily trips.

The Chongqing-based automaker agreed to provide Liandongyun with 35,000 vehicles that are set to be used in the latter's ride-sharing service, according to an agreement signed on spot.



(Photo source: Changan Automobile's WeChat account)



In addition, both parties plan to collaborate on such areas as product customization, vehicle procurement, platform operation, finance services and logistics businesses.

The newly-forged partnership shows Changan's deeper strategic foray into mobility service domain, which is ushering in a faster development phase thanks to OEMs' driving forces.

To offer business clients more options, Changan Automobile will furnish them with its entire lineup of models under such brands as Changan, Oshan and Kaicheng, based on particular demands, the automaker said.

To fulfill the shift away from being a mere car maker to being an intelligent mobility technology company, Changan has already launched and operated its own mobility service platform dubbed Changan Travel that offers a variety of services like hourly car rental and smart EV charging.

Driven by the trends of automobile intelligence and sharing, the NEVs deployed in the car rental service have been fitted with keyless entry and intelligent charging systems, and can be picked up and returned by users' self-assistance. Reportedly, consumers in cities like Nanjin, Chongqing and Hefei are able to use the services through the Changan Travel App.
Private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care announced on Monday that it has reached agreements with the National Health Service in England and the Western Australia government to make its operations available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramsay, which has private hospital operations spanning 11 countries, is raising $1.4 billion and negotiating deals to support the public health system in geographies where it operates as bans on elective surgery hit its core business.

Ramsay Health Care CEO Craig McNally said the company's facilities around the globe have been mobilised to assist governments to manage the impact of COVID-19. Credit:AFR

The NHS England agreement is for a minimum of 14 weeks from March 13, when it started making services available to the health service. Ramsay said the agreement will continue on a rolling basis but can be terminated by NHS England with one month's notice.

Ramsay said it will receive cost recovery for its services, including operating costs, overheads, use of assets and interest less a deduction for urgent elective care provided.
Tourists return to the popular attraction.

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The traditional wooden rafts beloved by tourists have returned to the Dunajec River in northeast Slovakia. You can discover the many other beauties of the region with our Tatras guide.

The detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.

Visitors can raft and rent bikes under strict measures. There are 15 wooden rafts available, with a maximum capacity of ten passengers each. All passengers should wear masks and maintain distance from each other.

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The 10-kilometre stretch of the Dunajec, Majere-Cerveny Klastor-Lesnica, which lies on the Polish-Slovak border, is suitable for rafting.
Germanys national carrier, Lufthansa, has announced resumption of flights from Dubai to Frankfurt for June 7, Arabia Business reports.

People want to and can travel again, whether on holiday or for business reasons. That is why we will continue to expand our offer step by step in the coming months and connect Europe with each other and Europe with the world, said Harry Hohmeister, member of the executive board of German Lufthansa AG.

The three weekly flights are part of an overall plan by Lufthansa Group airlines  Lufthansa, Swiss and Eurowings  to offer around 1,800 weekly roundtrips to more than 130 destinations worldwide, the Dubai-based media notes.

The resumption is subject to government approval.

The airline is also set to resume flights to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain next month.

Passengers will continue to be asked to wear a nose-and-mouth cover on board during the entire journey, the carrier said.
GREENWICH  The Greenwich Police Department partnered with Neighbor to Neighbor to conduct a Community Food Drive on Saturday at the public safety complex in town.

A volunteer group of about a half-dozen members of the Community Emergency Response Team assisted police officers in collecting over seven truckloads of nonperishable food items donated by residents to the local food pantry.
Student awards

Jordan DeShawn McCray of Statesville was honored with an academic Achievement in Business Award at Greensboro College for the 2019-20 school year.

Luke Johnson of Statesville, a senior agri-business major, recently received the Agribusiness Student of the Year Award from the University of Mount Olive. The award is presented to an outstanding senior with a GPA of 3.0 or better with leadership qualities, community contributions and other interests.

Musical performance

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual musical extravaganza, Makin Music 43, did not take the stage. However, the shows producer decided to live stream a run through performance to share with Freed-Hardeman University students, alumni and friends. Emilee Speer, a biology major from Statesville, was involved in the show which drew nearly 12,000 viewers to this online production.

Honor society

Thirteen Iredell County students were recently initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the nations oldest honor society for all academic disciplines. Two from Statesville are William Stramecky, a student at North Carolina State University and Tami Wooten, a student at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Eleven from Mooresville are Alexis Hollingshead, Kelly Kistler and Amy Estridge, all students at East Carolina University; Grace Grenga, a student at Queens University of Charlotte; and Jordan Byers, Nickcoy Findlater, Brittany Nichols, Hannah Powell, Elizabeth DeLoach, David Fink and Taylor Strauss, all students at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Speaking in the House of Commons last Monday - following his ministerial broadcast the previous evening - Boris Johnson noted: "Different approaches by the devolved administrations are to be welcomed where those are appropriate to their specific needs. But overall, and I think that all leaders of the devolved administrations would confirm this, there is a very, very strong desire to move forward as four nations together."

Yet, the fact that three of those four nations made it pretty clear that they weren't keen to follow his lead and speed on easing lockdown restrictions suggests that the "move forward" together line will be difficult to hold; particularly if the 'R' rate levels are not consistent across the UK.

There are, of course, a number of political/constitutional factors at play in all of this. It suits both the SNP and elements of nationalism within Northern Ireland to ensure that there is a significant gap between the "English" (by which they really mean Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings and the Conservative Government) approach to dealing with the Covid-19 crisis and the approach of the regions.

Different approaches paint a picture of a disunited kingdom; and lack of unity, be it on Brexit or Covid-19 (or anything else, for that matter), is crucial to the agenda of those who support the break-up of the United Kingdom.

As a recent piece in The Economist puts it: "Nicola Sturgeon makes it her business to find ways of highlighting differences - sometimes real, sometimes contrived - between the way that the Scottish and United Kingdom Governments do things. She normally treats the UK Government's difficulties as opportunities for point-scoring."

In other words, it's her version of what used to be known by Irish republicans as the "England's misfortune is Ireland's opportunity" card.

Crisis is often helpful for local nationalism. It allows elements in the devolved regions to make the case for doing things differently and better (albeit thanks to the financial largess of a central Exchequer), while expanding their support base for independence.

But in England, we have also seen the emergence of a new generation of nationalism which is beginning to question the benefits - particularly financial - of the Union in its present form. And that could be a particular problem for unionists in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The lack of Labour (which doesn't field candidates) and Conservative MPs from Northern Ireland exacerbates the problem for unionists here, because it means that their voice isn't properly, specifically heard within those parties.

And while the DUP did increase its national profile when it was propping up the last Conservative government, the ending of the relationship was brutal and left many unionists believing Johnson's "border down the Irish Sea" proposal was a massive act of constitutional betrayal.

Arlene Foster (along with broader unionism) faces a battle on three fronts. She doesn't want a situation in which Northern Ireland is significantly out of lockstep with Johnson on tackling Covid-19, she will have renewed worries after last week's seeming admission from UK Government sources about expanding border control posts at ports and the potential impact on local businesses, and she has to find a way of keeping Sinn Fein on board because she knows that another collapse of the Assembly would probably mean the end of the entire political process.

And, on top of all that, she will worry that Johnson's decision (though nothing is ever set in stone with him) not to seek an extension to the withdrawal timetable for leaving the EU at the end of the year means that the UK would leave (possibly without a deal) at a time when there could also be a second Covid-19 surge in the long, cold, dark nights of late autumn/early winter.

For all sorts of reasons, I don't think the present DUP/Sinn Fein consensus (which is already shakier than it was a few days ago) would survive the stress of that double-whammy.

There is another problem: it's called Boris. Most unionists are wary of both his commitments and intentions.

I was at the DUP conference in November 2018, when Johnson promised to defend unionism from Theresa May's deal. I remember the roar of approval and the ovation. I also remember him supporting the deal shortly afterwards and the eventual abandoning of the DUP (under pressure from Johnson) by the entire ERG wing, which had promised to support it against any threat to Northern Ireland's constitutional status quo.

Back in November, Johnson told Conservative members at a reception in Northern Ireland to ignore all the media stories about "borders down the Irish Sea" and to bin any letters they received on the subject. Yet, a few days ago, the story changed and it became his November pledges that seemed destined for the bin.

Responding to the news, the UUP leader, Steve Aiken, said: "That this week we are now being briefed that border control posts have been agreed by London further underpins our sense that the severe political and economic consequences of the government's policy have still not been realised."

In an exchange a few months ago, a very senior figure within the DUP told me: "Unless significantly amended, the present deal (Johnson's deal last autumn) would imperil the Union, not only because of the Irish sea border, but, more seriously, it shifts the political axis from primarily east-west to north-south. For a whole range of key economic matters, the EU context will propel those who need representation to look to Dublin rather than London ... there have been times when Northern Ireland was in turmoil that there was a section of the British establishment who believed it better to get rid of the problem, rather than solving it. We are past that stage now, but English, and at times personal, self-interest seems to trump the bonds of friendship and loyalty."

That line about "... English, and at times personal, self-interest ..." was striking six months ago. It is even more striking now.

The Covid-19 pandemic was no more than a wargamed exercise at the time of the interview, so unionist fears were entirely focused on whether Johnson could be persuaded to protect Northern Ireland's position within the UK.

But now a potential constitutional crisis is unfolding against the background of the pandemic and there are concerns in some unionist quarters that their constitutional fears will take second place to Johnson's desire to "Get Brexit done" and get Britain back to work as soon as possible in order to regenerate a post-EU economy.

That, in turn, raises very difficult questions for the Northern Ireland/Great Britain relationship, the DUP/Sinn Fein relationship and the future of the Assembly.

Boris Johnson has talked a few times in the last month about his responsibility as Prime Minister of the "United Kingdom of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". He insists he wants to keep it intact and "moving together as four nations". His responses to the pandemic and the still-on-course departure from the EU in December will, I suspect, determine the fate of the Union.

My personal fear is that his dependency on his political/electoral/party bases in England could push him in an extraordinarily reckless direction when it comes to supporting his supposed fellow unionists in all parts of the United Kingdom.
Ken Osmond, the actor who played Eddie Haskell on Leave it to Beaver, died Monday, according to Variety. He was 76.

Osmonds died at his Los Angeles home, according to the report. The cause of his death is unknown. Henry Lane, Osmonds former partner with the Los Angeles Police Department, told Variety he had suffered from respiratory issues.

He is best known for his role in the classic 50s show Leave it to Beaver," where he portrayed the high school friend of Wally Cleaver, the Beavers brother. According to Variety, his role was originally intended to just be a guest appearance. However, he wound up becoming a key component to the shows six seasons.

Osmonds first role as a child actor was in the film So Big, at the age of 9. He also guest-starred on other television series including Lassie, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Wagon Train." He later played Eddie Sr. in the Leave it to Beaver reboot movie.

Osmond joined the LAPD in 1970, when he even grew a mustache to be less recognizable, according to Variety. In 1980, he was hit five times by a bullet while chasing a suspected car thief on foot. Four of the bullets were stopped his bullet-resistant vest, while the fifth bullet ricocheted off of his belt buckle, the report said.

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Testing kits need to be distributed evenly across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to effectively fight the new coronavirus, Dr Denis Mukwege, a gynaecologist and co-winner of 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping female victims of rape, has said.

Speaking from his hometown of Bukavu in the DRCs South Kivu province, Mukwege, who coordinates the regional response to the coronavirus pandemic, praised the national efforts to contain the virus but called for continued vigilance.

He identified the lack of testing capacity outside the capital, Kinshasa, as a major challenge in the battle against the highly contagious virus and raised concerns that if numbers increase, cities such as Bukavu may not be able to cope due to a shortage of facilities and testing kits.

To date, Kinshasa remains the epicentre of the outbreak in the DRC, with more than 1,000 confirmed infections and 40 related deaths. Across the country, 1,455 cases have been recorded and 61 deaths.

Al Jazeera spoke to Mukwege about the efforts to tackle the pandemic, the quest for a vaccine and the coronavirus-related risks faced by the victims of sexual violence. Excerpts of the interview have slightly been edited for clarity and brevity.

Al Jazeera: You are a key member of an official committee overseeing the COVID-19 fight in South Kivu. What have you learned so far?

Denis Mukwege: In this role, I have realised that there are many strategies adopted in different countries in the world, but there are also strategies that may not work in our context.

It is very important to study our context to adapt our response to the realities of our province and, above all, highlight the imperative need to prevent the spread of the pandemic and adopt all the measures necessary to prevent this spread.





Al Jazeera: Could these efforts be transferred to the rest of DRC and across Africa?

Mukwege: We have seen how the pandemic has evolved in different countries in different ways. For me, the most important thing is to find local solutions adaptable to different environments.

For the moment, Kinshasa is the most affected city in the DRC and, as I said, the response to the pandemic will be very different in a different environment.

For example, Kinshasa is a megalopolis that is home to millions of people, so the strategy must be quite different.

Al Jazeera: What challenges are you facing in the fight against the virus in Bukavu compared to Kinshasa?

Mukwege: The major problem we face in Bukavu is the capacity of testing. We believe our best preventative measures against the virus are: testing, identifying, isolating all the cases and placing them in quarantine.

These are the best strategies for fighting and preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Unfortunately, for the moment, we do not have the ability to test.

Our fear is that if the cases grow, it will be even more difficult to manage.

Al Jazeera: How is your collaboration with the central authorities?

Mukwege : We have a positive relationship with Kinshasa. Today, it is thanks to INRB Kinshasa (National Institute for Biomedical Research Kinshasa) that we obtained the results of the cases here in Bukavu.

So our collaboration is positive but I believe it could be reinforced by distributing the new test kits to Bukavu and all the provinces, so that all the provinces have the testing capacity and everything is not centralised.

A health worker checks the temperature of a child amid the coronavirus outbreak in Goma [Olivia Acland/Reuters]

Al Jazeera: In your opinion, what more must be done to fight COVID-19 in Bukavu, the rest of DRC and Africa?





Mukwege: I believe it is very, very important that the DRC, and even the rest of Africa, remains vigilant even though we have a lower number of cases [compared to other parts of the world].

Several hypotheses have been made about these numbers, but I do not think we should think that these numbers are just a coincidence.

It must be said that for many African countries, the DRC is viewed as a measure of prevention for the virus.

We deployed some prevention measures, even in places such as Bukavu before the first case of coronavirus. We are doing a good job and we must recognise this work.

If we do not remain more vigilant, unfortunately, we risk experiencing an exponential increase in cases, and we will not cope due to the fragility of our health system.

Al Jazeera: Are victims of sexual abuse facing any particular risks amid the pandemic?

Mukwege: Victims of sexual violence experience stigmatisation and are often rejected by the community. For this reason, they often live in poverty and are extremely vulnerable.

In such a situation, catching the coronavirus will render them increasingly poorer and vulnerable than the people who are already integrated into society and who have the capacity to earn a living and are in good health.

We are very, very afraid. We know that they are more vulnerable if they are infected by the coronavirus.

Al Jazeera: Dr Jean-Jacques Muyembe [DRCs top microbiologist in charge of the countrys fight against COVID-19] said recently that DRC would be a candidate country for vaccine trials which caused public uproar. Is this the right move?

Mukwege: It is logical that we are conducting tests. However, it makes sense that if the vaccine is to be tested, it should start where there are more infections, not in Africa where there are fewer cases.

You can understand why the issue provoked a lot of uproar in Africa, because if, for example, we asked to test the Ebola vaccine in Stockholm or Oslo, the Swedes and the Norwegians would find it abnormal to start testing this vaccine in a place where there is no Ebola.

The COVID-19 vaccine is important, but it makes sense to start testing it where the virus is more widespread today.

Al Jazeera: Dr Muyembe later clarified that the vaccine would be trialled in the DRC only after trials in other hard-hit countries. Can you reassure the Congolese and Africans that they will not be used as guinea pigs?

Mukwege: If our approach is logical, people will understand. If not, we actually open the door to speculation, which does not help in the efforts to understand the virus.

Al Jazeera: Do you have a message about the fight against COVID-19 in Bukavu and the rest of DRC?

Mukwege: I would like to tell all Africans that it is very important that we know that Africans can understand and find endogenous solutions to our problems.

We have seen very well during this pandemic period that we have young people who can undertake [the mission to fight the virus] and who have innovative ideas.

It is very, very important that we can put our capacities at the service of African countries.
[May 18, 2020] Panasonic HomeHawk WINDOW: Monitor Your Home, From the Inside Out

NEWARK, N.J., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Panasonic announced its newest addition to the HomeHawk family, the HomeHawk WINDOW. This solution takes home monitoring beyond your front door by recording outdoor activity through any window in your home, eliminating the need for cumbersome outdoor systems or repurposed indoor monitoring cameras. Many home monitoring solutions require modifications, often resulting in damage, to the exterior of your home, as well as access to complicated power sources, only to result in limited views. The WINDOW, however, solves all of these problems with its simple set-up, excellent picture quality, smart sensors and customization via the HomeHawk smart phone app. When monitoring outdoor activity, consumers found using standard indoor monitoring cameras resulted in extraneous reflection from the window glass causing poor image quality. The WINDOW solves the problem by mounting to the glass and is equipped with the same 1080p Full HD camera found in the HomeHawk SHELF and FLOOR, and a high-sensitivity sensor to provide bright color night vision. The unit body has the same 16:9 aspect ratio as the captured image to ensure a high-quality picture with less reflection from the window. Users can customize the camera's motion activated areas through the martphone app to reduce unnecessary alerts and notifications caused by pets or neighbors. In addition, the WINDOW has two-second pre-recording to capture critical activity.



Joining the HomeHawk suite, the WINDOW rounds out Panasonic's DIY home monitoring solution by taking it beyond the front porch. The FLOOR, SHELF, FRONT DOOR, OUTDOOR, and now WINDOW all work cohesively to bring you peace of mind by discreetly watching over every inch of your home from the inside out. Live view and 24/7 recording

Bright color night vision

1080p full HD quality

150-degree wide angle view

Person detection to reduce unnecessary notifications

Customizable activity zones with selecting non-detection area

Easy monitoring with any iOS or Android smartphone

Two second pre-recording to capture critical activity

Video storage on microSDXC card

No contracts, no fees

Window mountable with suction cup or double-sided tape

Works with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant The HomeHawk WINDOW will be available on Amazon.com in August for SRP $149.95.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Newark, NJ, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. The company offers a wide range of consumer solutions in the U.S. including LUMIX Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Blu-ray players, Home Audio, Technics, Cordless Phones, Home Appliances, Beauty, Grooming, Wellness and Personal Care products and more. One of Interbrand's Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2018, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to consumers, businesses and government agencies across the region. Follow Press Updates for Panasonic Consumer Products:

Internet - http://us.panasonic.com/news

Facebook - @panasonichomehawk

Instagram - @homehawk_by_panasonic View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panasonic-homehawk-window-monitor-your-home-from-the-inside-out-301060405.html SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America

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" " No, the race between Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and a great white shark won't go down like this. Though it sure would be entertaining. David Jenkins/MCT/Getty Images

The Discovery Channel is upping its "Shark Week" antics on Sunday, July 23, with a much-hyped race between 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps  arguably the fastest man in water  and a great white shark. Yes, a real, live great white, the largest and most feared predatory fish on Earth.

But how exactly does a human go head to head (nose to nose?) with a shark? Did they fill an Olympic-size pool with salt water and hope the great white stayed in its lane (and his trunks)? Did Phelps take to the open ocean with a chum bucket tied to his leg?

Discovery hasn't divulged many details about the prerecorded race, which will air July 23, but Phelps  who is alive and in one piece, thankfully  has been leaking some clues on the morning talk show circuit. So, here's what we know:

The race won't be happening in a swimming pool. It will be in the cold open ocean off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa , a migratory hot spot for great whites, which make the trek from Australia to feed on fur seals.

The shark and the human will not be swimming side by side. "We're not in the water at the same exact time," Phelps told the "Good Morning America" hosts. "I think that's the one thing we all wanted everybody to know  I was safe, which is number one." Phelps was chaperoned by 12 to 15 scuba divers in the water.

The contest was tweaked to make the race more even. A great white can swim up to 25 mph (40 kph) an hour while Phelps tops out at 6 mph (9.6 kph). Phelps swims the race with a monofin (a short mermaid-like fin attached to his feet) to give him extra speed  this pushes up his time to 10 or 12 mph . Further, Phelps mentioned to Jimmy Fallon that sharks only swim at their top speed in short bursts  say when charging for an attack  implying it would not sustain it over 100 meters.

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Shark School

Discovery is kicking off Shark Week with the epic race, which it's dubbing "Phelps vs. Shark: The Battle for Ocean Supremacy." The record-breaking swimmer will also appear later in the week in "Shark School with Michael Phelps," in which Phelps travels to the Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas to swim with some toothy fish and dispel some myths about these fascinating creatures.

Samuel "Doc" Gruber, who holds a Ph.D. in marine science, runs the Bimini Shark Lab and is a leading authority on shark behavior and physiology. A former competitive swimmer and diver himself, Gruber introduced Phelps to some of the shark species found in the warm Caribbean waters.

Reached by phone at his office in Miami, Gruber scoffs a bit at the premise of the "Shark School" program, which is that Phelps is in Bimini to overcome his innate fear of sharks.

"For the story's sake, he had never been in the ocean with a shark and had a certain trepidation," says Gruber. "He really wasn't afraid." To suit the story line, Gruber eased Phelps into the water with a succession of increasingly large and potentially threatening fish. Phelps started with Caribbean reef sharks, first in a cage, then out. Then he "graduated" to bigger animals, including a great hammerhead that Gruber lured in with bait.

"These great hammerheads are really nice animals," says Gruber. "Michael was able to go down and hand feed them and swim with them, do all kinds of things with them. Then he graduated to bull sharks, which are supposed to be the most dangerous ones. He stayed in the cage for that one."

Gruber wasn't involved in the South Africa race, but he and his team helped Phelps prepare by taking his first timed open-water runs in Bimini with the monofin. They clocked his 100-meter time at around 18 seconds, easily fast enough to outswim a patrolling great white, which was cruising at a leisurely 2 mph (3.2 kph).

"There are 500 species of shark and 600 rays, all of which have different swimming styles and speeds," explains Gruber. Some, like the great white, swim like tuna (aka thunniform swimming) with very little side-to-side head movement, lots of thrust from the tail, and very stiff bodies, which are highly hydrodynamic for high-speed long-distance swimming.

Like the rest of us, Gruber is puzzled how exactly Phelps could manage to race a great white in open water. "I don't know how you get a shark to swim a course on command," says Gruber.

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The Truth About Sharks

Despite their oversized presence in the popular imagination, great whites are some of the least understood of all shark species. Great whites are solitary hunters with unpredictable migratory paths, and none have survived long in captivity, making them very difficult to study. No researchers, for example, have ever witnessed great whites mating or giving birth. Underwater footage of great whites on the attack show massive animals that can turn and change direction on a dime, making a side-by-side race impossible.

"I wouldn't want to do it," says Gruber, who otherwise rejects the popular notion that sharks are bloodthirsty man-eaters. "Shark attacks are blown out of proportion by the media and the hype we see in Shark Week, which tries to portray the shark as a death fish from hell that wants to eat you for breakfast. That's all total nonsense."

According to a Stanford University study, California surfers have a one in 17 million chance of being bitten by a shark. Sharks don't want to eat humans  they may mistake your moving arm or leg for a fish, but once they take a bite, they'll let you go when they realize you're not tasty.

Gruber's advice if you do come face to face with a shark while snorkeling or scuba diving? "Whip out your camera and take a picture."

Let's add to that: If a shark is passing you by, National Geographic says to stay as still as possible (no swimming). In the unlikely event that you are attacked, you should fight back as best you can. Avoid using bare hands and feet and concentrate on hitting blows to the eyes and gill area. "Playing dead" at this point doesn't work.

To avoid encountering a shark, the NOAA recommends that you stay in groups, avoid the water in the early morning and at twilight, and do not go in at any time if you're bleeding or wearing jewelry. Also, avoid areas where fishermen may be dropping bait, which attracts sharks. Be cautious around sandbars  sharks like to hang out there.
Nearly three months after a woman lost her father in the communal violence that gripped northeast Delhi in February, she will be able to carry out his last rites after a Delhi court has allowed the release of the charred remains that were with the police for investigation.

Gulshan had moved the court seeking release of the remains of her father, who was allegedly shot and thrown into fire by a mob during the riots, so that she could, to perform the last rites.

Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Karawal Nagar to release the mortal remains of the victim and to duly adhere to the norms of human empathy and respect.

Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case the application moved is hereby allowed. SHO PS Karawal Nagar is directed to release the mortal remains of the victim to the applicant (Gulshan) as is deposited in the malkhana (storage), duly adhering to the norms of human empathy and respect, the court said in a recent order.

It further directed the investigating officer of the case to extend all cooperation and assistance to Gulshan so as to avoid unnecessary delay or inconvenience to her.

During the hearing, the court was informed that some body parts are still in the forensic lab and the results are awaited.

The judge then directed the IO to make efforts to expedite the proceedings at the forensic lab, and added that Gulshan was at liberty to move a fresh application at a later stage to obtain those remains.

According to the FIR, complainant Saleem Kassar alleged that February 25, he was at his home when he found out that the violent mob had surrounded his brother Anwar in Ramleela Park in front of his house and allegedly shot him and threw him into the fire.

The police told the court that during the investigation, one burnt leg of man was recovered from the area on February 27 and after its post mortem, the deceased was identified.

Later, blood samples were given by the deceased's daughter Gulshan and brother Kassar for DNA sampling, the IO said.

The DNA report has been obtained and it has matched with the relatives, he said, adding that some of the parts were now sealed in the 'malkhana' of the police station, but another viscera box containing some body parts was still at the forensic lab.

Advocate Ritesh Dhar Dubey, appearing for Gulshan, told the court that she has no objection to receiving the mortal remains of her father which are deposited in malkhana, at this stage to perform the last rites.

Kassar had alleged that on February 25, around 9.30 am, a mob barged into Anwar's house and set it on fire after dragging him outside.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between supporters and protesters of the Citizenship Amendment Act 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.)
The Australian draft resolution at the World Health Assembly calling for an investigation into the sources of the virus is necessary, and India has rightly supported it. Chinas decision to treat this as an unfriendly act has given the resolution a political hue. It has also drawn attention to Chinas absurd refusal to not allow the World Health Organization (WHO) or any international scientific team to study ground zero of the outbreak. Given the destruction the virus has wrought, Beijing could only have improved its battered image by allowing an investigation. The United States, which sees Covid-19 through the prism of great power rivalry, did not join in because China was not directly mentioned.

Having a global scientific investigation into the origins of a pandemic should have been a routine affair. That it has now become a geopolitical battleground is a sign that the international health system, particularly WHO, needs reform. Though a United Nations agency, it was unusual in being funded and directed by non-governmental organisations. This is why it proved so inept at navigating global politics or rejecting the unreasonable demands of Beijing. Member-states should lay the ground for a larger debate on how WHO should be overhauled. The world cant afford another pandemic, and this should be the overriding thought of all countries, including China.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:41:29|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The global coronavirus crisis would be overcome "faster and better" if the world works together, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly on Monday.

"No country can solve this crisis alone, we must act together," said Merkel during her video message at the World Health Organization's (WHO) meeting.

The coronavirus pandemic would show "emphatically" that more needs to be done worldwide, for "better early warning mechanisms and prevention measures, for more research cooperation and for stronger health systems," according to Merkel.

"The World Health Organization is the legitimate global institution where the threads come together," said Merkel. Because of this, "we must constantly examine how we can further improve the processes in the WHO."

It was "most urgent" to contain the coronavirus pandemic, stressed Merkel, adding that appropriate diagnostics and therapeutics worldwide were needed. Furthermore, it was also necessary to develop a vaccine which had to be "accessible and affordable for everyone."

"I am convinced that we will overcome the coronavirus pandemic," stressed Merkel. "The more we work together globally, the faster and better we will succeed." Enditem
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 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.
She announced her departure from BBC Radio 1 last week.

And Maya Jama certainly looks as though she has moved one from the career change as she shared a duo of sizzling snaps on Monday.

The stunner, 25, looked stunning in a tiny tie-dye crop top and shorts which showed off her incredible figure before later enjoying a bubble bath.

Hot stuff: Maya Jama certainly looks as though she has moved one from the career change as she shared a duo of sizzling snaps on Monday

Maya looked sensational as she sizzled in the two-piece while donning a pair of trendy perspex backless heels. Her dark locks were worn in bouncy curls.

She added a caption reading: 'Flung a heel on indoors to switch up my Monday'.

Maya's flawless 'lockdown curves' are the result of her her trainer Ciara Madden's Body By Ciara Squad subscription service, which sees participants pay 15 a month for daily workouts, nutrition tips, remote dance parties and much more.

Maya has previously trained with the north London based PT, who goes by Ciara London on Instagram, and hasn't let lockdown prevent her keeping in shape.

Bubbled up: The stunner then shared a striking snap while enjoying a bubble bath and reclining in the water with her hair in a half up half-down do

Cool down time! Maya's flawless 'lockdown curves' are the result of her her trainer Ciara Madden's Body By Ciara Squad subscription service, which sees participants pay 15 a month for daily workouts, nutrition tips, remote dance parties and much more

The stunner then shared a striking snap while enjoying a bubble bath and reclining in the water with her hair in a half up half-down do.

Her sultry snap comes just days after it was revealed that Maya is stepping down from her role as BBC Radio 1 Breakfast host.

The corporation confirmed on Friday afternoon that the star has 'made the difficult decision not to continue her contract' due to other commitments.

Maya said: 'Thanks to all you cuties that tuned into the show. It was so great to hear that we have been getting the largest proportion of under 35s tuning in for our on-demand show via BBC Sounds. So we are going out with a bang! Love you.'

Gone: She announced her departure from BBC Radio 1 last week (pictured on May 2)

Maya, who joined the station in 2018, broadcast her final show on Friday 3 May.

A press release read: 'Exciting commitments later in the year mean that she is not able to dedicate the time needed to her show.

'She has loved every moment of her time at Radio 1 and would like to thank the team for their hard work and friendship during the last two years. '

BBC Controller Popular Music, Lorna Clarke said, 'We'd like to thank Maya for all her commitment and work at Radio 1, and we wish her all the very best with her future.'

Later on Friday, Maya shared an Instagram post, in which she penned: 'My lovees. I've made the very difficult decision not to continue my Radio 1 contract from June...

Announcement: Later on Friday, Maya shared an Instagram post, in which she penned: 'My lovees. I've made the very difficult decision not to continue my Radio 1 contract from June'

Gone: Maya, who joined the station in 2018, broadcast her final show on Friday 3 May

'As you know I have been juggling & There are a lot of exciting commitments happening that would mean I'm not able to dedicate the time needed to my weekly radio show. I've loved every moment of my time at Radio 1...

'I would like to thank the team for their hard work and friendship during the last two years. It's been a JOURNEY, Thanks to all you cuties that tuned into the show...

'Every weekend, it was so great to hear that we have been getting the largest proportion of under 35s tuning in for our on-demand show on BBC Sounds. So we are going out with a bang! Love youuuuu listeners'.

Back then: Maya shared an image of her temporary pass in December

Radio 1 has a temporary schedule in place during the coronavirus crisis with a smaller number of presenters rotating each week. Jordan North and Dev & Alice will be continuing to cover Weekend Morning on Radio 1, on rotation.

The news of Maya's departure comes shortly after it was revealed that she had landed a frontwoman role on her BBC3 show Ibiza Dreams.

The show is described as: 'Follow an ambitious group of young Brits as they embark on a transformational summer: living, working and playing on Ibiza.'
Some pubs in New South Wales reopened over the weekend, with new guidance allowing a maximum of 10 people going into effect from Friday May 15.

For example, The Cat and Fiddle Hotel in Balmain reopened for diners from Friday, saying demand from regulars has been immense.

Some venues, like the Oxford Tavern in Petersham, opt for unique strategies like letting people rent out the entire pub  with unlimited beer and full control of the playlist.

Visit Business Insider Australias homepage for more stories.

With New South Wales allowing pubs and clubs to reopen with up to 10 sit-in diners, some pubs have taken up the offer.

While the Norfolk Hotel in Redfern didn't immediately reopen its doors last Friday when the restrictions were lifted, the pub will open to diners from this Thursday.

Madeline Huett-Auld, Marketing Manager of The Norfolk Hotel told Business Insider Australia via Facebook, "After consulting with our chef weve decided to give it a trial to try and make the best out of a very complicated and hard situation."

View this content at Business Insider

The Cat and Fiddle Hotel in Balmain, however opened once the restrictions were lifted, with Manager Chris Matthews saying it was an easy decision.

"It wasn't even a thought because of our set up," he said. "We're quite lucky with the setup of the hotel  we've got a restaurant here."

The hotel is opening with two sittings for dinner on Friday, at 6pm - 7.30pm and 7.30pm - 9pm. It has even more opening times during the weekend.

Matthews explained that the business is receiving the JobKeeper payment and has been doing a lot of takeaway and delivery as well.

"So to open up the restaurant even only for 10 people with different seating, it was very easy because we didn't really need any extra staff," he said. "And because we've got JobKeeper, that means our wages are covered so it's just extra income for us which is fantastic."

Story continues

Matthews said the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has provided the business guidelines related to the coronavirus. He added that the restaurant is large enough so that it can have people spaced properly and there will be one waiter per table. Plus it will have hand sanitiser available.

"We're taking a lot of care and making sure all of [our] systems are in place to ensure there is no risk to anyone," he said.

And plenty of people were gearing up to dine at the Cat and Fiddle from the first moment.

"A lot of our locals are very keen to come back," Matthews said. "We're fully booked pretty much for the whole weekend."

Some pubs are allowing patrons to hire out the entire venue

The Oxford Tavern in Petersham initially didn't plan on reopening from Friday due to its venue model and the 10-person limit.

"We dont have a dedicated 'restaurant' set up for allocated dine-in customers and beyond that a 10 person limit just wouldnt work for our venue," Jenna Phillips, Licensee at The Oxford Tavern in Petersham, told Business Insider Australia via Facebook last week.

However, the Oxford Tavern has since launched a new offering, letting customers rent out the entire venue.

"The lonely gal has had a gutful of the long, quiet nights, and with the Stage 1 easing of restrictions, we can finally invite ten suitors over to live out the secret fantasy we've all had: to have an entire pub to yourself!" the Tavern said.

It includes unlimited tap beer, a main meal each, unlimited sides and full rein over the music playlist.

But not every pub is ready to reopen just yet

Hotel Mosman won't be reopening as it is using the opportunity to complete renovations. A spokesperson for the venue said for some larger pubs to reopen, it would be better if different areas had their own 10-person limit.

"There needs to be clear guidelines in place for pubs and clubs, most venues are larger than cafes and restaurants and have multiple areas. If you are allowed 10 people in different areas throughout the venue it could be viable," the spokesperson said.

"We will be looking to open possibly in stage 2 if we have finished renovations and there are clear guidelines."

And Hotel Mosman isn't the only pub yet to reopen, with several others posting on social media announcing they would not open until further restrictions were eased. This includes venues like the Ambarvale Hotel and The Friend In Hand Hotel Glebe.

View this content at Business Insider

READ MORE:
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EmpirePromos (https://www.empirepromos.com/) recently highlighted its newest promotional product, the Adver-Mask: a highly customizable promotional mask that can be printed edge to edge with full color logo designs. The two-ply polyester and cotton-material mask is for non-medical use, but was developed to help protect workers, staff, and customers from spreading and receiving pathogens as they move through the community and workplace. Each mask displays a full-bleed imprint with black or white binding, and may be printed with any business or organizational logo desired. The attractive, full-color mask is also reusable, easily cleaned via hand-washing or in a delicate machine cycle. EmpirePromos is an industry leader in bulk promotional products created to be both fully functional while showcasing corporate and organizational brands and messages.

Promotional Face Mask

"The pandemic has absolutely redefined our world in such a short period of time," said EmpirePromos President, Carol Mayer. "Companies and organizations across the globe are currently struggling to find the new normal. And unfortunately, that new paradigm involves wearing protective masks. But though we must work to keep community spread of COVID-19 down, we can do so in full solidarity with our co-workers and employers. The Adver-Mask is perfect for identifying members of the same company or organization, in addition to being a great way to promote branding, protect people, and foster solidarity all at the same time."

EmpirePromos: Customizing the Adver-Mask

Imprinting an Adver-Mask with a company brand or individualized logo is a streamlined process that EmpirePromos makes easy and simple. EmpirePromos also offers multiple imprinting methods to suit any artistic design or logo aesthetic on thousands of products.

ColorPrint: Printed with ink, color by color, ColorPrint is cost effective and a good choice for many brands and logos. AKA Silkscreen, Pad Print, Screen Print, Transfer.

Printed with ink, color by color, ColorPrint is cost effective and a good choice for many brands and logos. AKA Silkscreen, Pad Print, Screen Print, Transfer. Full Color: Using a digital photographic process, Full Color can display halftones and color gradations, much like a normal color photograph. AKA Digital Imprint, Four Color Process.

Using a digital photographic process, Full Color can display halftones and color gradations, much like a normal color photograph. AKA Digital Imprint, Four Color Process. Deboss: Intended to be both sophisticated and subtle, artwork is pressed onto a product. It can be color filled, though often is not.

Intended to be both sophisticated and subtle, artwork is pressed onto a product. It can be color filled, though often is not. Laser: An expensive look, created inexpensively. Artwork is etched onto the surface and may include fine details. AKA Laster Engraving.

An expensive look, created inexpensively. Artwork is etched onto the surface and may include fine details. AKA Laster Engraving. Embroidery: Logos and brands, fully reproduced using thread colors in a tactile, embroidered approach.

Logos and brands, fully reproduced using thread colors in a tactile, embroidered approach. Hot Stamp: Using a variety of foil colors, logos are imprinted in bright metallic flare. Silver and gold are the most popular.

Go online or call today to explore all the options EmpirePromos has to offer, and learn why including promotional products is often the key to any successful marketing campaign.

About EmpirePromos.com



Based in New York City, EmpirePromos has provided first-class promotional programs and products to small, mid-sized and large companies and organizations for over 35 years. A proud member of both The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) and The Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY), EmpirePromos has a dedicated team of promotional product experts who ensure clients receive top value and unparalleled customer service throughout the entire ordering process - from customization options and virtual proofs, through samples and guaranteed on-time delivery. EmpirePromos offers literally thousands of promotional items, along with the expert logo design and adjustment assistance needed to create the perfect representation for any business or organization. Explore all that EmpirePromos has to offer at: www.EmpirePromos.com..

Media Contact:

Carol Mayer

917-589-5547

[email protected]

SOURCE EmpirePromos
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday condemned the World Health Organization's delay on whether to grant Taiwan observer status, saying it proved the UN body's chief was pleasing China.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' "lack of independence deprives the Assembly of Taiwan's renowned scientific expertise on pandemic disease, and further damages the WHO's credibility and effectiveness at a time when the world needs it the most," Pompeo said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs and University of California-Los Angeles are studying whether a chemotherapy drug for prostate cancer can help reduce the severity of COVID-19 in men.

The VA announced last week that it will test degarelix, also known by its brand name Firmagon, in nearly 200 veterans hospitalized with the novel coronavirus at VA medical centers in Los Angeles, New York City and the Puget Sound area of Washington.

The goal is to determine whether the medication, which suppresses the production of testosterone, plays a role in disrupting the development of a protein that serves as a gateway to the coronavirus in the lungs.

Related: Drug Touted as COVID-19 Treatment Has Troubling Side Effects, Experts Say

Studies show that, worldwide, more men die of COVID-19 than women. There are many theories as to why this is occurring, including that men often have higher rates of underlying health conditions or possess a weaker immune response than women.

The VA is exploring whether reducing the production of a protein that serves as a gateway to the coronavirus in the lungs could affect health outcomes. The protein's growth is thought to be fueled by testosterone.

According to the VA, the drug will be given only to veterans "in need of immediate care."

"This trial is an important step in advancing knowledge of a potential treatment for those infected with COVID-19. We are here to do everything in our power to preserve and protect life," VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a release Friday.

The announcement of the degarelix trial follows concerns from some veterans advocates and congressional Democrats that the VA is using untested medications on its patients. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S., the VA has used hydroxychloroquine, a medication used to treat malaria and promoted in March by President Donald Trump as a potential "game-changer" to treat veterans with the illness, despite any conclusive evidence of its effectiveness.

In a review of its hydroxychloroquine use for veteran COVID-19 patients posted online, the VA found there were more deaths among veteran patients who received the drug than those who received standard care.

According to the retrospective study, 28% of veterans who received the drug died and 22% of those who received hydroxychloroquine along with the antibiotic azithromycin died, while just 11% of patients in the study who received standard care died.

"At what point did the VA know that the results were this dire, and when did they act upon those results? What are the VA's current procedures for approving and administering the drug?" asked Jeremy Butler, chief executive officer at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, in a release last month.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, also called on the VA to explain the purchase and testing of the drug, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis but also can disrupt heart rhythms.

"There are concerns that [VA doctors] are using this drug when the medical evidence says it doesn't help and could hurt," Schumer told The Associated Press in an interview.

In a phone call with veterans organizations, however, Wilkie said hydroxychloroquine was given only to the sickest veterans under an agreement between the patient's doctors and the patient or family member, according to the AP.

As of Monday, more than 12,000 veterans and VA employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since March and 1,202 veterans have died. While the number of active cases among veteran patients has declined steadily since early May, the department has 2,033 active cases, including 700 in New York City and more than 220 in Los Angeles and the Puget Sound region, where the degarelix study is to be conducted.

According to the VA, it will conduct the clinical research on the prostate cancer drug while UCLA will assist in the analysis of data and specimens. The study is expected to take four months.

On Friday, Trump announced an initiative between government officials and industry to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 by January 2021. Dubbed Operation Warp Speed, Army Gen. Gustave Perna, head of Army Materiel Command, will co-chair the effort.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Read More: Veterans on Burn Pit Registry May be at HIgher Risk for COVID-19
Emteria, an Aachen, Germany-based adapted Android platform for customer-specific products and off-the-shelf hardware, secured a seven digit funding round.

Backers included High-Tech Grunderfonds and Runa Capital.

Led by Dr. Igor Kalkov, founder and CEO, emteria offers an adapted Android platform for customer-specific products and off-the-shelf hardware. The software solution, including the entire ecosystem for device management and secure updates, is an in-house development and is all servers are hosted in Germany. With support for Raspberry Pi 3B/B+ and Raspberry Pi CM3, emteria has already over 70,000 users worldwide and is currently working on support for Raspberry Pi 4, as well as for industrial hardware platforms from NXP, Qualcomm and Rockchip.

Customers use it to build all kinds of products, including ticket scanning devices, cashier desks, ticketing machines, smart home controllers, video conferencing & alarming systems, etc.

FinSMEs

18/05/2020
Bank restrictions on the financing of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic are akin to past practices known as redlining  of not loaning to communities of color, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette told Axios in an exclusive interview.

The big picture: A decades-long battle over Arctic drilling is suddenly escalating even as the world grapples with a pandemic. Five of Americas six biggest banks have recently announced they wont finance oil and gas development in the Arctic, prompting conservative and industry backlash.

"For years and years and years, banks would not lend money, insurance companies would not write policies in minority areas in the country. Redlining is the term used all throughout those debates. We didnt want banks redlining certain parts of the country. We dont want that here. I do not think banks should be redlining our oil and gas investment across the country."

 Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette

What theyre saying: Brouillette cited his past work at USAA, a financial services firm. Experts said, though, that the redlining comparison is both inappropriate and inaccurate.

Its offensive and astounding that they would go there, said Mehrsa Baradaran, a law professor at University of California-Irvine and an expert on redlining and racial discrimination in banking.

A massive corporation being cut off from a few banks is absolutely nothing like the systematic exclusion and exploitation of black communities for hundreds of years. It displays an unfortunate ignorance about the history of redlining.

Redlining had to do with race and race is specifically constitutionally protected as an area you cant discriminate against, said Tony Fratto, a former top official in the Bush administration who's now at the public affairs firm Hamilton Place Strategies. There is no similar protection for businesses.

The other side: Secretary Brouillette has zero tolerance for discrimination of any type, and he was not in any way equating the plight of minority communities to that of energy companies," Department of Energy spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said of the redlining analogy. "Accusing him of doing so in order to manufacture a dramatic headline is both disingenuous and not based in any truth."

"What he did do is make the powerful point that historically there had been discrimination practiced by some in the financial services industry, a custom he and many others worked hard to eliminate and continue to oppose.

Driving the news: Three dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the Trump administration on May 7, urging it to use every administrative and regulatory tool at your disposal to prevent Americas financial institutions from discriminating against Americas energy sector while they simultaneously enjoy the benefits of federal government programs.

Reality check: Theres probably not much the administration can do.

At the end of the day, theyre private companies, Fratto said.

I think its a really slippery slope to have the government making those kinds of decisions for lending institutions, he continued. They may feel like they want to do it while theyre in charge, but will they feel the same way if its a Democratic administration pressing those decisions on banks?

For the record: Spokespeople for the banks and spokespeople for the White House and Treasury Department declined to comment.

Catch up fast: Since last December, five of Americas six biggest banks  Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citi, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan  have announced they wont directly finance new oil and gas development in the Arctic. This includes specifically the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Congress tucked a provision into the 2017 tax law allowing drilling in a small portion of the refuge, a victory Republicans and oil executives had sought for decades.

Its unclear how much oil and gas exists under the refuge  though it could be a lot. Alaskas overall oil production has been slowly declining for decades. New investment interest is similarly tepid (particularly with oil prices in the toilet).

How it works: Generally speaking, these banks (and other global ones) have increasingly supported financing in renewable energy. In this case, they argue that financing of Arctic drilling is risky as the world transitions to cleaner sources of energy to address climate change.

Yes, but: Critics of the banks moves say the policies are crafted narrowly enough to still allow financing of Arctic oil and gas projects, as long as its general financing to a company, not specific to a project.

JPMorgan Chase and Citi are the top two bankers of Arctic oil and gas in the world, according to a March report by Rainforest Action Network that analyzed financing before the new policies.

JPMorgan provided $1.7 billion worth of financing to Arctic oil and gas companies (led by Russian-state owned firms) between 2016 and 2019. Citi, meanwhile, provided $1.4 billion over that time frame.

The intrigue: In private, even officials in the industry say these moves are rather modest financially speaking, despite the outsized political backlash.

I think what were seeing at all the banks is an effort to make a shift in their energy businesses to be slightly less carbon intensive, said a banking industry official who would only speak anonymously about the politically charged topic.

So youre seeing all these commitments around renewable energy and very modest restrictions on the fossil side.

What were watching: What, if any, action the administration takes in response to Republicans. Meanwhile, the Interior Department is on the cusp of announcing next steps in leasing drilling rights in the Arctic.
Narcotics police in Myanmar have seized a large amount of liquid fentanyl, providing the first evidence that the synthetic opioid is being produced in quantity in Southeast Asia's infamous Golden Triangle region.

The discovery during a series of drug raids in Myanmar's Shan state suggests a market for the drug has been created in the region, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said Monday.

Big international syndicates already active in the Golden Triangle are well positioned to take advantage of regional heroin demand and produce synthetic opioids alongside other drugs, the agency's regional representative, Jeremy Douglas, said in a statement.

The UN agency warned that the development suggests that Southeast Asia is poised to become a significant source of synthetic drugs for other parts of the world.

What has been unearthed through this operation is truly off the charts, and it is clear that a network of production facilities like those found would not be possible without the involvement and financial backing of serious transnational organized criminal groups, Douglas said.

Massive amounts of methamphetamine and other drugs and their components were also seized in what the agency described as one of the largest and most successful counter-narcotics operations in the history of the country and region.

The Golden Triangle, a remote jungle area where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, was once a major source of the world's opium and heroin. In recent years it has also become a major producer of methamphetamine.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. It has been blamed for a large part of the waves of deaths from opioids that have swept through the United States in the past few years.

Experts say fentanyl is easier to make and smuggle than heroin, and far more profitable to sell. U.S. authorities accuse China, Myanmar's northern neighbor, of being the source of fentanyl imported to the United States, a claim denied by Beijing.

The agency said the raids were carried out between Feb. 20 and April 9 in Kutkhai township of Shan state, in eastern Myanmar.

Shan state, like many border areas of Myanmar, is not tightly controlled by the central government, and armed ethnic minority militias and guerrilla groups hold sway over much of the territory.

The UN agency said without elaborating that evidence of militia involvement was uncovered during the operation which resulted in the arrest of 33 Myanmar and foreign nationals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Liquidators have been appointed by the High Court to a company operating Irelands only private boarding school for children aged between seven and 13 years.

Headfort School in Kells, Co Meath, run by Headfort School Designated Activity Company, has to close due to an inability to pay its debts which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the court heard.

Some 44 boarders and 65-day pupils will now have to find alternative school places. Fees at the school were up to 18,000 a year for boarders and just under 15,000 for under-10s. Class sizes were, on average, between 12 and 15 students.

Housed in an 18th-century Georgian mansion since opening in 1949, it also operated a Montessori school in recent years and employed about 25 staff.

The operating company has charitable status and while it received certain State funding for the Montessori element, it did not receive capitation grants, Garret Byrne BL, instructed by Doug Smith solicitor, told the court.

Mr Byrne said the winding-up petition was being presented by the company, the landlord of the school, as a creditor in circumstances where the board had agreed this was the best option as it was not possible to convene a meeting of the shareholders, two of whom are deceased.

The school had been in financial difficulties with a net liability for the year ended August 2018 of some 267,000.

While the unaudited accounts for 2019 showed a profit of some 79,000, there was still a net negative liability of 172,476, counsel said.

Its financial position was "very suddenly and seriously undermined" due to the pandemic, he said. The school was closed in March due to the crisis and it had not been in a position to pay salaries and rent.

While interim accounts up to March showed a profit of 144,00, some 100,000 of that is a loan from one of the directors, counsel said.

The company was clearly operating on an insolvent basis, counsel said.

Due to the closure, fees which would have been expected for the coming summer will not now be paid, including those from parents of children from other countries who attended it.

Mr Justice Mark Heslin said, having heard the petition and read affidavits of directors presented to the court, he was satisfied the company is not in a position to pay its debts, including rent and monthly salaries of nearly 100,000. This was also in circumstances where it would not receive any income between now and the end of August.

He appointed David O'Connor and Peter Doherty of BDO as joint liquidators.
It's a no-go for the "Pharma Bro."

A federal judge has flatly denied pharmaceutical fraudster Martin Shkreli's request to be released early from prison despite his arguments that he both is at risk of catching the coronavirus and that he could help develop a treatment for Covid-19.

Shkreli "has not demonstrated 'extraordinary and compelling' factors that would mandate his release," Judge Kiyo Matsumoto wrote in a nine-page ruling in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York.

The ruling means that Shkreli will likely serve out the remaining 40 months of a seven-year sentence for securities fraud in a prison.

"Not surprised, but very disappointed," Shkreli's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, wrote in an email to CNBC about the ruling.

Mastumoto's written ruling denying Shkreli's request for "compassionate release" noted that the 37-year-old inmate is healthy, is not in a high-risk category for the coronavirus and is being kept in a prison with no known cases of Covid-19.

Matsumoto also wrote that she "did not find that releasing Mr. Shkreli will protect the public, even though Mr. Shkreli seeks to leverage his experience with pharmaceuticals to help develop a cure for COVID-19 that he would purportedly provide at no cost."

She added, "Mr. Shkreli's self described altruistic intentions do not provide a legal basis to grant his motion."

She also noted that federal probation officials had argued that Shkreli's claim that "he can develop a cure for COVID-19 that has 'so far eluded the best medical and scientific minds in the world working around the clock' is the type of 'delusional self-aggrandizing behavior' that precipitated the offenses for which he was properly convicted."

Shkreli last month asked Matsumoto to grant him compassionate release to allow him to serve the remaining time of his sentence in home confinement with an unidentified fiance in Manhattan.

Matsuomoto presided over Shkreli's 2017 trial, where he was convicted of defrauding investors in hedge funds he ran, and of conspiring to fraudulently manipulate stock shares of Retrophin, the pharma company that he created after his hedge funds collapsed.

Shkreli's defense lawyers warned in a court filing that he has a "susceptibility to infection [from the coronavirus] due to allergies and asthma."

They also said that while in prison he "has been conducting significant research" into finding a treatment for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The judge wrote that Shkreli has no documented current diagnosis or treatment for asthma, and that he himself "failed to mention asthma in his March 30, 2020 petition" to the federal Bureau of Prisons seeking early release.
Entire office need not be closed if 1 or 2 COVID-19 cases are reported: Govt

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 18: The entire office building need not be closed if one or two cases of COVID-19 are reported there and work can resume after it is disinfected as per protocol, the Union health ministry said on Monday. However, if there is a larger outbreak, the entire building will have to be closed for 48 hours.

All staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation, it said in the guidelines on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

The document outlines the preventive and response measures to be observed to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings.

It stated that any staff reportedly suffering from a flu-like illness should not attend office and seek medical advice from local health authorities.

Such persons, if diagnosed as a suspect or confirmed case of COVID-19 should immediately inform office authorities, it said.

No dilution of Centres restrictions: MHA tells states

"Any staff requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home. DoPT guidelines with respect to organizing meetings, coordinating visitors shall be scrupulously followed," the guidelines stated.

The high-risk exposure contacts will be quarantined for 14 days and they will follow the guidelines on home quarantine and undergo testing as per ICMR protocol while low-risk exposure contacts shall continue to work and closely monitor their health for next 14 days, the ministry stated in the guidelines.

It stated that since offices and other workplaces are relatively close setting with shared spaces like corridors, elevators and stairs, cafeteria, meeting rooms and conference halls, coronavirus infection can spread relatively fast among officials, staff and visitors.

"Thus there is a need to prevent importation of infection in workplace settings and to respond in a timely and effective manner in case a suspect case of COVID-19 is detected in these settings so as to limit the spread of infection," the ministry said in the document.

The basic preventive measures include maintaining physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks, practising frequent hand-washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Respiratory etiquettes such as covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue, handkerchief or flexed elbow and disposing of used tissues properly should be strictly followed besides self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest, the guidelines state.

As for offices, guidelines with respect to preventive measures specific to offices issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) should be followed, it said. The ministry, however, stated that, despite taking the measures, occurrence COVID-19 infection among the employees working in the office cannot be ruled out.

"If there one or two cases are reported, disinfection procedure will be limited to places/areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hrs. There is no need to close the entire office building/halt work in other areas of the office and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol," the guidelines noted.

When one or a few persons who share a room or close office space are found to be suffering from symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, the ill person should be placed in a room or area where they are isolated from others at the workplace and should be provided a mask or face cover till such time he/she is examined by a doctor.

Central or state health authorities concerned should be reported about such cases and a risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority, and accordingly, further advice shall be made regarding the management of a case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection, the guidelines stated.

If a suspected case reports very mild or mild symptoms on an assessment by the health authorities, the person would be placed in home isolation, subject to fulfilment of criteria laid down in Health ministry, it stated.

The rapid response team of the district concerned shall be requisitioned and will undertake the listing of contacts. The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of the workplace will start once the test report of the patient is received as positive, the guidelines said.

"If there are large numbers of contacts from a pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic case, there could be a possibility of a cluster emerging in a workplace setting. Due to the close environment in workplace settings, this could even be a large cluster.

"The essential principles of risk assessment, isolation and quarantine of contacts, case referral and management will remain the same. However, the scale of arrangements will be higher," the ministry said.

Contacts are those who have been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case anytime between 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the date of isolation or maximum 14 days after the onset of symptoms.

High-risk contact are those who have touched body fluids of the patient, had direct physical contact with the patient, including physical examination without PPE, touched or cleaned the linens or dishes of the patient and was in close proximity (within 1 meter) of the confirmed case without precautions and travelled in same environment but not having a high-risk exposure.
Kuleba says there will be no limitations on Ukrainians' travel abroad after the lockdown is lifted.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said Ukraine will coordinate its actions with European partners while opening the borders.

Read alsoShehyni checkpoint on border with Poland resumes work

"We are absolutely liberal in this issue, but we will take into account two factors: the first is how the partners open [borders], and the second is the real situation with the pandemic in Ukraine. But no one is going to keep Ukrainians under lock and key, and there are no such ideas," he said in an interview to the RBC Ukraine media outlet.

As UNIAN reported earlier, checkpoints across the state border were temporarily closed for international passenger rail, air and road (for buses) traffic on March 17.

Commenting on plans to restore air travel, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii said Ukraine's actions would be similar to those of European countries. Yet, he said, the situation might vary by region depending on the epidemiological situation.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  Operations of malls in the province of Cavite will be temporarily suspended starting Monday, Governor Jonvic Remulla said.

The local official said all malls in the province, including supermarkets and drugstores located inside, will be temporarily closed after residents were found to violate social distancing measures.

He added several residents from Cavite  which is under general community quarantine  were found to present their work IDs even if they weren't on duty so they could walk around the malls. He said some were also found to order takeout from restaurants, only to eat them inside mall premises.

The governor reminded mall operators it is their responsibility to enforce proper physical distancing and apprehend shoppers who are strolling around the malls.

"Pasensya na kayo, inabuso ang sistema at kailangan higpitan... MAGBUBUKAS RIN naman pag napakita ang plano ng operators ukol sa social distancing," he wrote on his official Facebook page.

[Translation: I'm sorry, but the system has been abused. Malls will reopen once operators present a plan on how they will enforce social distancing.]

Related: Govt threatens to close down malls that fail to enforce physical distancing rules

On Sunday, Remulla signed an executive order implementing the temporary closure of malls in the province. Cavite shifted from a strict enhanced community quarantine to a relaxed general community quarantine on May 16.

He said days after lockdown rules were loosened, the province had already logged 40 new cases of COVID-19. He reminded his constituents that quarantine restrictions should still be observed.

"Akala ninyo ang GCQ ay FREEDOM PASS. Akala ninyo na ang pag bawas ng checkpoint ay pwede na ipagbaliwala ang mga pass para maka labas ng bahay. Akala ninyo na ang work ID ay lakwatsya pass. Tandaan, Ang Q sa GCQ ay 'Quarantine.' Hinde pa po tapos ang sakuna," he said.

[Translation: You think GCQ means you are free to do anything. You think you are allowed to go anywhere you please. You think your work ID allows you to roam freely. The Q in GCQ means quarantine. The COVID-19 crisis isn't over.]
In his CNN interview about Tara Reades allegation of sexual assault, Joe Biden told Mika Brzezinski that he wasnt attacking Reade. Instead, he was just saying the alleged assault didnt happen.

Biden knew that he didnt have to attack Reade. The mainstream media and his other Democratic allies would do that work for him.

Now, they have. They are attacking the victim in ways that would outrage feminists and #MeToo types if the accuser were alleging sexual harassment by a figure they didnt want to see in office.

Other than the hypocrisy of it all, I have no problem with trying to discredit Reade by delving deeply into her past. Contrary to what Biden said after Christine Blasey Ford made her claim against Brett Kavanaugh, when a woman waits decades to go public with allegations of sexual harassment, her claims should not be presumed to have a basis in fact. They should be presumed false. And in determining whether that presumption is overcome, the accusers past should be scrutinized.

The problem with what Bidens allies have come up with in Reades case isnt that they are attacking the victim. The problem is that their attacks dont tend to show that Reades claim is false.

The main attack on Reade is that, in recent years, she became a chiseler. Allegedly, she told people that she was down on her luck and took advantage of their good will to skip rent payments and avoid paying bills and debts. In short, they say, Reade is manipulative.

Reades attorney responded to the criticism of his client by saying:

If the assertion is that someone. . .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.

Any bona fide feminist would surely agree with that statement. Lying to get a roof over ones head is very different from inventing a claim of sexual harassment.

Even so, I would probably give some weight to this apples to oranges comparison if Reade were making her sexual assault allegation for the first time in the same period during which she was lying to avoid paying rent, etc.

But shes not. Reade complained about sexual misconduct by Biden, including assault, long before she allegedly cheated some of her neighbors.

The attacks on Reade as a chiseler and manipulator are based on her alleged behavior in recent years  mostly on incidents from the past few years when, apparently, Reade faced serious financial hardship. The fact that Reade became manipulative in that period of time doesnt tend to show that in the mid-1990s, when she was complaining about Biden to family members, friends, and the man she would marry, she lied.

When Reade complained to her boyfriend about Biden, she was neither down on her luck nor pretending to be. She was young, attractive, and had a good job. In fact, she was still working for Biden.

Was she trying to manipulate her boyfriend by inventing a tale of sexual harassment? Possibly. But to what end? The guy clearly was attracted to her, and for good reason. I doubt that Reade needed to complain about sexual harassment to advance the relationship. And she certainly wasnt trying to lay the ground work for derailing Biden nearly 30 years later.

Similar logic applies to her complaints to family members. For what manipulative purpose would she lie to her brother and mother by inventing a tale of sexual harassment? To explain her departure from Bidens employ? Possibly. But if she wanted to cover up being dismissed by Biden (assuming thats what happened) by lying, she could have said she quit for any number of reasons.

And what of the friends to whom Reade complained about Biden in the mid 1990s? What reason would Reade have had to tell them a tale like that? How did this advance her interests? No obvious manipulative reason comes to my mind.

Indeed, if Reade had been out for personal gain, her best move would have been to try and sell her story to someone. Biden was a prominent public figure from time Reade left his office until 2016. Yet, as far as I know, Reade never tried to cash in during that period.

Finally, lets address the statements by Reades unhappy neighbors and associates that she spoke highly to them about Biden and certainly never complained about sexual misconduct. As I recall, some of Harvey Weinsteins victims spoke well of him. How much ice did that cut with feminists?

Moreover, it has never been the standard in these cases that the alleged victim must complain to everyone she meets for decades. When the left is going after someone, a rumor that the alleged victim complained to one person is deemed good enough by feminists, Democrats, and large chunks of the mainstream media.

Finally, to the extent Reade was trying to gain the trust of folks during the past decade through manipulation  and thats their story  it didnt serve her interests to speak about Biden disparagingly. Better to tout a positive relationship with him. This fairly obvious point manages to come through in Politicos expose of Reade.

I believe that, more likely than not, Reade experienced some level of sexual harassment from Biden, but that, more likely than not, there was no sexual assault. This is just a guess, though.

Its more than a guess to say that the response to Reades allegation by Democrats, feminists, and many in the media will set the #MeToo and related movements back by something like 30 years. Thats too bad. These movements only deserve to be set back by something like 10.
Good for Employers, Who Still Resist

More of a Managerial Challenge

Making Sure Everything Gets Done

Some Permanent Shifts?

Developers looking to do big projects in Waukesha County, Wis., have to get approval from a lot of different disciplines  soil analysis, stormwater, road design and all the rest. Typically, that involves setting up a big meeting so that all the review entities can make recommendations without conflicting with each other.Just setting up the meetings can be a time-consuming process, but lately its become easier. Developers are sending in digital files including all their plans, which are then displayed and reviewed during video conferences. This was designed initially as a workaround, with employees of the suburban Milwaukee region scattered by the coronavirus, but now this more efficient way of holding meetings will become standard.We will not go back, says Dale Shaver, director of parks and land use for Waukesha County. This has changed the way we work forever.Its one example of how the sudden shift to remote work has changed the way governments operate across the country. The pandemic caused governments to shut their doors quickly, sending workers home and managers scrambling to figure out who would need what tools and what sort of supervision.There have certainly been some problems, but most administrators say its gone better than initially expected. There have been some bumps along the way, but overall, I think its gone much smoother than I would have anticipated its going, says Amy Fecher, who heads the administration department for the state of Arkansas. It really has opened up every states eyes to what can be done in a remote work environment.With states and localities having furloughed thousands of workers due to budget pressures, many employees are more concerned about whether they'll still have a job than whether they can work remotely.There are other hurdles. For managers, there are extra challenges in measuring productivity when you cant see your workers. Some workers love remote work, while others miss the sociability of the office, as well as the ease of getting questions answered by dropping by someones desk. For many functions that involve direct interaction with the public, its still easier to take care of business in person than via computer. The unemployment application debacles in many states have provided flashing warning signs about online processes.Despite all that, governments that had long resisted remote work have found that it can work well. It might represent a permanent change in how they do business  or at least certain types of business. Depending on adoption levels, it might also allow them to save a good amount of money on leased space.The wholly unexpected circumstances of the pandemic have given the state of Kansas the opportunity to dust off our telework policy long term, says DeAngela Burns-Wallace, secretary of the state Department of Administration. For those employees who are delivering services effectively remotely, then we want to keep them there."When Fecher worked for a nonprofit, she worked from home. The days passed by in a blur.When I was working remotely, I can remember thinking it was 6 oclock, Im just going to check my email while making coffee, she says. Id look up, and it would be noon.Thats the potential time trap of working from home. There are no boundaries. You check email and might find yourself working at 6 a.m. over coffee, or at 6 p.m. through dinner.Ive heard from many of the managers that their staff is reporting to them that they are more productive at home without the distractions, that they can focus, Fecher says.This points to an irony at the heart of remote work. Its employers who benefit, seeing improved performance among workers who dont have to spend time commuting and arent faced with as many interruptions through the course of their day. Studies indicate that remote workers are more productive and work longer hours, says Jennifer Glass, a sociologist at the University of Texas who studies the issue.Glass notes that having children underfoot at home  which is not typical for remote workers under normal circumstances  is an entirely different question. Yet its workers themselves who normally lobby to be allowed to work from home, often out of a desire for flexibility in scheduling. Right now, we have a lot more people who want it than can get it, Glass says.As in other states and localities, Fecher in Arkansas had to figure out who could work from home and who couldnt. Even at the height of the shutdown, there were some public employees who still had to show up in person  workers in public safety, corrections, child protective services and the like.There have always been a lot of jobs that could be done remotely, such as administrative functions including human resources and finance. For a long time, government workers in those types of fields were the only ones allowed to work from home. Despite the growth in technology, the number of remote workers has barely grown over the past decade, Glass says. Nobodys faced this kind of emergency labor change before, she says. Its an interesting natural experiment in innovation and change.One reason why governments, along with private companies, have been slow to embrace remote work is that it requires them to come up with different metrics for measuring performance. No matter what a government or organizations policy, letting people work remotely is generally left to line managers discretion. Making it work is more of a management challenge than a question of technology, says Jason Grant, advocacy director for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). When any personnel policy is in place, it governs the work environment, he says. The uncertainty of creating work from home or regular work from home policies, thats newer for most governments.But many governments turned out to be ready to send workers home, even if they werent planning on it. Most have continuity of operations plans in place. Those might have been designed for temporary  and local  disruptions, such as fires or inclement weather. They turned out to be handy for an enduring, nationwide (and indeed global) pandemic. Some agencies already had classified workers as essential or knew who could perform most tasks remotely.Many agencies had already switched from desktops to laptops, or moved some functions to cloud-based applications such as Office 365. Whatever grumbling happened during those transitions  and theres always grumbling when procedures or equipment are changed  everyone is glad for the flexibility now.Many managers arent sure what metrics to use when people are working remotely. John Mondlak, deputy director for development services at Philadelphias Department of Planning and Development, believes he has a pretty simple way of keeping track. The goal for me is to make sure its all getting done, he says.Thats easier said than done. Rather than being able to catch up with people while he walks around stretching his legs, Mondlak finds that hes copied on a lot more emails, which proves time consuming. Having an open chat going with his staff is also less efficient than quick conversations in the office. Im going back to emails when the kids go to bed, he says. Its a lot more time. Its not an efficient way to manage.Mondlak says hes now juggling laptops, getting the sound turned on for one video conference while another ones winding down. Still, no matter the advances in technology, building relationships in person still matters. Glass says that remote workers who never come into the office end up at a disadvantage when it comes time for promotion.Its important for managers to keep in touch with their direct reports individually, picking up the phone occasionally and not relying solely on email. Some supervisors are holding virtual town halls, while others are borrowing the idea of going on rounds from hospitals, checking in quickly with everyone. Many are cascading, a fancy management term for setting up telephone trees to make sure goals and information are passed down through the ranks.In work like planning, theres a lot of public involvement, Mondlak notes, for meetings, hearings and charettes. All those can be done virtually, but being sure to get a good sample of public input when not everyone lives online can be difficult. Even in internal meetings, there are a lot of side conversations that can be useful. Chat functions during teleconferences dont always work as well.Mondlak worries about all that. Nonetheless, he recognizes that the pandemic has forced adaptations that might endure. People who might not have taken the time to sit through long meetings at city hall can tune in and monitor the items that interest them remotely. Even when we go back to having meetings in person, the remote public access stays, Mondlak says. Now we dont need a film crew. Just hit record, and anybody can watch it.Its possible that as they reopen, many offices will be reconfigured. Burns-Wallace says state administrators have been sharing ideas among themselves about signage, floor markings, plexiglass and other physical changes to promote distancing and safety.The mostly newfound openness to remote work will make it easier for governments to rethink and reshape their footprints. In Kansas, up to 75 percent of the state workforce has been working remotely. That number will drop, but it gives a sense of how many people dont necessarily need to gather physically on a daily basis.Its certainly possible that governments will take a stop-and-start approach, with people coming into the office one week and then being sent home again soon after. For the future, we want to remain flexible and agile, Burns-Wallace says. Can we cut our footprint in half at any given time? Remote work is a critical leverage in being able to ensure were keeping our employees safe and delivering services.In Waukesha County, the Parks and Land Use department tracks cash flow and project volume, using databases to monitor turnaround times for permits and other applications. It also has a customer service survey thats monitored daily in terms of employees attitudes, timeliness and whether theyre informative. Shaver predicts about 20 percent of his workers will end up telecommuting on a permanent basis.Our numbers have actually ticked up a bit as a result of the pandemic, Shaver says. Our people are finding that theyre a lot more productive at home.
FORT COLLINS, Colo., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DH2i, the leading provider of multi-platform Software Defined Perimeter and Smart Availability software, today announced that it will be presenting a webinar entitled, "Using SDP-Enhanced Availability Groups to Unlock Your Free Azure Replica." Kevin Farlee, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft will join DH2i's Connor Cox, Director of Business Development, for the live discussion.

When:

Thursday, May 28, 2020 at 11:00 am  11:30 pm Pacific Time (2:00 pm  2:30pm Eastern Time)

Why Attend:

Microsoft recently announced a significant licensing change that applies to SQL Server 2012 and newer. Now, licensed SQL Server covered by Software Assurance is allowed up to three free secondary replicas, including High Availability (HA), Disaster Recovery (DR), and Azure secondaries.

In this webinar, attendees will learn about DH2i's SDP-enhanced AG software that makes deploying and managing these free Availability Group replicas easier than ever, including:

Support for automatic failover across mixed Windows and Linux AG clusters

Hybrid cloud implementations between on-premises and Azure without a VPN

Peak performance with simple configuration and setup

About Kevin Farlee, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft:

Kevin Farlee has over 30 years in the industry, in both database as well as storage management software. In his current role as a Principal Program Manager on the Microsoft Data Platform team, he is responsible for developing features in the SQL server platform focusing on HA/DR for SQL Server solutions across platforms.

Learn more and register here:

https://dh2i.com/using-sdp-enhanced-availability-groups-to-unlock-your-free-azure-replica/

Tweet this: @DH2i webinar with guest presenter Kevin Farlee @Microsoft to discuss "Using SDP-Enhanced Availability Groups to Unlock Your Free Azure Replica" https://dh2i.com/using-sdp-enhanced-availability-groups-to-unlock-your-free-azure-replica/ #Microsoft #Azure #SQLServer #HA #DR

About DH2i

DH2i Company is the leading provider of multi-platform Software Defined Perimeter and Smart Availability software for Windows and Linux. DH2i software products DxOdyssey and DxEnterprise enable customers to create an entire IT infrastructure that is "always-secure and always-on." To learn more, please visit: www.dh2i.com, call: 800-380-5405 or +44 20 3318 9204, or email: [email protected].

DH2i Company 2020. DH2i, Smart Availability, DxEnterprise, DxOdyssey, DxConsole, DxHADR, DxTransfer, DxCollect and InstanceMobility are trademarks of DH2i Company. All other brand or product names contained in this press release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

PR Contact:

Nicole Gorman

Corporate Communications / PR

DH2i

M: 508-397-0131

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Bengaluru, May 18 : The Karnataka forest department has captured three leopards, suspected to have carried away and devoured a sleeping boy and an old woman in the state's Ramanagara district in the last week, an official said on Monday.

"We have captured three leopards, two male and one female. Male leopards aged about two years each and the female, four and half years respectively," Deputy Conservator of Forests, Ramanagara, Sadashiv N. Hegade told IANS.

On May 9, a leopard took advantage of a door left ajar in a house in Kadiraiyanapalya village of Magadi taluk, to enter and carry away three-and-a-half-year-old Hemanth Kumar, sleeping with his parents and grandparents.

In the similar fashion, on Saturday morning, 67-year-old Gangamma, sleeping outside her home, was also carried away by a leopard, killed and eaten.

"The leopard took away the woman around 4 a.m.," he said.

Forest officials are awaiting the postmortem report of the leopard victims, and have decided to give a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh each.

Following the double deaths, the department has set up a camp to undertake round the clock vigil in the terrorised villages to capture the killer cats.

"We have arranged 13 cages with baits such as a goats and dogs to capture the big cats," said Hegade.

On Sunday, a drone was also flown over the forest and villages to know the whereabouts of the cats but could not find any trace of the leopards.

"Maybe because of the bushes and rocky places, we could not get any sign of the leopard," he said.

The Forest Department camp is also making announcements telling people not to venture out of home and has also distributed some pamphlets with the same message.

More than 20 forest officials are maintaining the vigil.

"We are also fixing some camera traps to catch a glimpse of the cats in our efforts to capture them." Hegade said the villages are located on the fringes of the Bantarakuppe forest.

Meanwhile, the department also found a pair of very young leopard cubs, probably a week old which will be left at the place where they were found.

The department has examined the canines of the three captured leopards, along with other tests, before releasing them deep inside a different forest, Male Mahadeshwara Betta.
Gov. Greg Abbott pressed ahead with the states reopening Monday, allowing nearly all businesses and activities to resume at limited capacity, except in a handful of counties where COVID-19 outbreaks are still being contained.

Our focus is to keep you safe while also restoring your ability to get you back to work, said Abbott, a Republican.

Child care facilities including the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club are allowed to fully reopen, and restaurants already operating can expand to 50 percent of maximum occupancy beginning Friday.

Bars can reopen Friday as well, at 25 percent capacity. Camps and summer school will be allowed to follow in late May and early June, though the Boy Scouts has said it is still canceling in-person summer activities.

Youth and professional sports can resume later this month, but fans will be allowed only at youth events. Professional teams are waiting to see how outbreaks unfold in several states before deciding on whether to start up again.

OVER THE WEEKEND: Texas reports biggest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases since pandemic began

The announcement comes after the state reported its highest daily death count late last week at 58. New cases have also risen, though Abbott noted again Monday that the rate of people testing positive is falling, and that there are plenty of hospital beds and medical equipment to contain future outbreaks.

Daily testing has increased, though it is still short of the governors immediate 30,000 goal. State health officials say they still dont have enough contact tracers to track down every reported infection.

Democrats accused the governor of rushing to reopen and ignoring recent increases in deaths and reported infections. New cases have ticked up over the past week, now averaging about 1,300 per day. At least some of that is likely the result of expanded testing, especially in Amarillo.

The governor has also ordered widespread testing for nursing home residents and inmates, which may impact the data as it rolls out.

Last week he said he would be guided by doctors and data, state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, said of the governor. Today its clear he is simply cherry-picking data.

Abbott has said that he expects new cases to grow as testing expands, and that the rate of positive results is a more relevant measure. The state reported about 25,000 tests per day on average over the last week, though that data includes at least some antibody tests, which are less reliable and arent meant to track infections.

The governors office said the number of antibody tests included in the testing total will be disclosed publicly going forward.

More Information Reopening of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the next phase of reopening the state. Here's what has changed. Guidelines: Social distancing and increased cleaning practices are still recommended for all operations. Orders are delayed by a week in five counties where with fresh outbreaks, including El Paso County. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY Workplace rules: Businesses in office buildings can open with 25 percent of workforce or 10 employees, whichever is greater. Child care centers: Can reopen, includes YMCA and Boys and Girls Club programs. Youth clubs such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can meet with a maximum of 10 participants. Personal care services: Services such as massage and tattoo studios not previously covered can reopen; must provide at least 6 feet between workstations. Health care: Elective medical procedures can continue. Gyms: Allowed to reopen at 25 percent occupancy starting Monday; their childcare facilities remain closed. EFFECTIVE FRIDAY Restaurants: Can increase occupancy to 50 percent of maximum capacity. Bars, wine tasting rooms and craft breweries: Can reopen at 25 percent occupancy. Entertainment businesses: Bowling alleys and some others can reopen at 25 percent occupancy. Water parks remain closed. EFFECTIVE MAY 31 Youth camps: All summer camps can open, including overnight programs. Youth sports: Little League and other programs can reopen. Professional sports: Basketball, baseball, softball, football, golf, tennis and car racing can resume - without fans on site. Effective June 1 Schools: Can reopen facilities for in-person instruction. See More Collapse

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Until now, child care was available only to essential workers. As they reopen further, advocates said it will be critical to monitor outcomes.

During the pandemic, the safest option is for parents to keep their kids at home, so it will be important for employers to support remote working options and paid leave, said David Feigen, with Texans Care for Children. Additionally, it will be important for child care providers to closely follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines and requirements established by the state of Texas.

State health officials still recommend that public gatherings be restricted to no more than 10 people, though its not an enforceable rule. Abbott barred local officials earlier this month from enforcing stricter standards.

Texas has been closely watched as reopenings continue nationwide. It avoided the early outbreaks that hit other states such as New York and Louisiana, but public health officials have warned that reopening too quickly could spark new surges.

Restrictions remain in place for El Paso and several counties in the Panhandle, where state officials are responding to outbreaks from meatpacking plants near Amarillo. Abbott said those counties will be able to further reopen a week from Friday.

Last week officials in El Paso asked the governor to delay their reopening, saying they arent ready to loosen restrictions, according to the Texas Tribune. El Paso now has one of the highest case counts in the state.

Dr. Marc Boom, president of Houston Methodist, said Abbotts approach continues to be reasonable.

The main thing is that hes doing this in a staged fashion and taking a pause to look at the data to see its going in the way youd like it to be going before you move on to the next step, Boom said.

It may be too soon to know how the first phase of reopenings impacted the state. Hospitalizations and deaths typically take several days to appear in the states data, and some businesses did not reopen immediately, even when given the go-ahead.

Editor's note: A previous version of this report included an error about the reopening date for zoos. Zoos can reopen at 25 percent of their maximum occupancy as of May 29.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
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The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called for an end to the discrimination against the Ogoni people in Nigeria. President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, made the call in his message to MOSOP Kingdom Coordinators and Chapter Leaders meeting in Gokana today.

Nsuke said the Ogoni struggles centered around a peaceful, simple and easily enforceable demands for justice in Nigeria. He said the Ogoni demands especially the demands for the exoneration of the nine Ogoni civil rights campaigners including Ken Saro-Wiwa who were murdered by the Nigerian state on November 10, 1995 and the demands for the political rights of the Ogoni people to self determination were justifiable given the enormous Ogoni contributions of over $200billion to the Nigerian economy and the central place Ogoni occupies in the economy of Nigeria.

Nsuke said it is unjust for Nigeria to exploit Ogonis huge natural resources without any benefits for the Ogoni people, leaving the Ogoni with the painful consequences of natural resources exploitation and repressing a simple demand for justice and equity

Nigeria must conduct itself properly to earn her the respect it deserves before the international community. No country can commit the crimes Nigeria has committed and encouraged against the Ogoni people and expect the people to be silent and the world to celebrate her Nsuke said

He told the Kingdom Coordinators and Chapter Leaders that Ogoni generates more revenue than 20 Nigerian states put together and were repressed for making simple demands for equity.

Nsuke further said, the MOSOP grassroot coordinators must ensure that the Ogoni people are well mobilized to peacefully resist injustice and all forms of human rights abuses against the Ogoni people.

He reminded the MOSOP grassroot coordinators that the movements primary goal is to fight against the injustices perpetuated against the Ogoni people for as long as these injustices continue and ensure that the Ogoni people get justice.

Nsuke said the Ogoni people have paid the price for freedom in Nigeria and demand an end to the discrimination and respect for their political rights to self determination.

The MOSOP leader said Nigerias reputation and future within the international community depended on its handling of the Ogoni problem noting that our country cannot prosecute a highly brutish genocidal war against the Ogoni people and expect honor and respect from the international community

The MOSOP president held that in a multi-ethnic federation like Nigeria, the Ogoni people as a distinct ethnic nationality were entitled to enjoy their political rights to self determination which is being enjoyed by other ethnic nationalities in the federation especially the Yoruba, Ibo and the Hausa/Fulani.

He said denying the Ogoni people their rights to function within Nigeria as a distinct ethnic nationality and not caring about the future of the Ogoni people while focusing on extracting the Ogoni natural resources for the benefit of other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria while the Ogoni people are left to suffer neglect is genocide and should not be condoned in a civilized world.

Nigeria must act responsibly by accommodating the concerns of the Ogoni people as expressed in the Ogoni Bill of Rights and stop the repression and killing of the Ogoni people just to force their way into the Ogoni oilfields for oil drilling. These are not acceptable and should be strongly and peacefully resisted he said.

Nsuke further noted that the rights to self determination is a fundamental human right and the Ogoni people led by MOSOP will continue to protest the violations in every way decent and legitimate until they are addressed.

He said Nigeria cannot lay claim to modern civilization until it upholds the tenets of a free society by putting an end to the persecution, discrimination and repression of the Ogoni people who have been subjected to the most brutal and inhuman treatment by the Nigerian state.

The MOSOP president regretted that the violations of peoples rights in Nigeria has been phenomenal and urged the authorities to take practical steps to unite the country by respecting the rights of citizens and peoples.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters push ambulance cots at the scene of a structure fire that injured multiple firefighters in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 16, 2020. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)

Investigators Open Criminal Probe Into LA Explosion

LOS ANGELESPolice and fire investigators launched a criminal probe Sunday into the cause of an explosion at a hash oil manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles that sent firefighters running for their lives.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Departments major crimes division were working with the city Fire Departments arson investigators to determine what might have sparked the blast that shot a ball of flames out of the building Saturday night and scorched a fire truck across the street, police spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.

Were in the very early stages of the investigation  to understand what happened and figure out how to move forward, he said.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was assisting local fire investigators, an agency spokeswoman said.

The blast injured a dozen firefighters. Some of them ran out onto sidewalks, where they tore off their burning protective equipment, including melted helmets, officials said.

Everybody off the roof! a firefighter shouted in scanner traffic captured on Broadcastify.com.

Mayday mayday mayday! All companies out of the building. Mayday mayday mayday! another shouted.

Firefighters first thought they were battling a routine structure fire, city fire Capt. Erik Scott told KNX Radio, but as they got a little farther in the building they started to hear a loud hissing sound and a significant rumbling that you could feel vibrating throughout the area.

He said one significant explosion shook the neighborhood around 6:30 p.m. Firefighters inside had to run through a wall of flames he estimated as 30 feet high and wide, and those on the roof scrambled down a ladder that was engulfed in flames.

A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter works the scene of a structure fire that injured multiple firefighters in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 16, 2020. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)

Three firefighters were released after spending the night in the hospital, fire department spokesman Nicholas Prange said Sunday. Of the eight who remained hospitalized, two were in critical but stable condition, he said. Officials initially announced that 11 firefighters were injured. But Prange said a 12th was treated and released for a minor injury.

All were expected to survive.

Things could have been so much worse, said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Marc Eckstein, who helped treat the injured at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center.

There was light to moderate smoke when firefighters entered the one-story building in the citys Toy District and went on the roofnormal procedures to try to quickly knock down any flames.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said one of the firefighters inside the building thought things didnt seem rightthe pressure from the smoke and heat coming from the rear of the building were increasing. He directed everyone to get out, and they quickly started exiting the building as it was rocked by the explosion.

Firefighters on the roof scrambled down ladders with their protective coats on fire. The wall of flames shot out the building and burned seats inside a fire truck across the street.

More than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene, and dozens of engines, trucks and rescue vehicles clogged the streets. The fire spread to several nearby buildings, but firefighters were able to douse it in about an hour.

Massive explosion and fire reported in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on May 16, 2020. (Courtesy of Celia Esguerra/Twitter/@RawMaterials)

Scott said the building was a warehouse for SmokeTokes, which he described as a supplier for makers of butane honey oil. Butane is an odorless gas that easily ignites, and its used in the process to extract the high-inducing chemical THC from cannabis to create a highly potent concentrate also known as hash oil. The oil is used in vape pens, edibles, waxes and other products.

A call to SmokeTokes went unanswered on Sunday, and the companys voicemail was full.

On its website, SmokeTokes advertises a variety of products including puff bars, pipes, dab tools, vaporizers, torches and butane, and cartridges. The company says it is an international distributor and wholesaler of smoking and vaping products, and related accessories.

Prange, the LAFD spokesman, said carbon dioxide and butane canisters were found inside the building but that it was still not clear what caused the blast.

Adam Spiker, executive director of the cannabis industry group Southern California Coalition, said he didnt know what activities were taking place inside the building. However, if the business was using butane in cannabis extraction it would be illegal because the city has never issued a license for that type of operation.

Because of safety concerns, such businesses are typically restricted to industrial areas and kept away from urban centers.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, stands next to Engine 9, updates the media on the conditions of multiple Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters who were injured in an explosion, in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 16, 2020. (Stefanie Dazio/AP Photo)

If they were doing volatile extraction with butane  they couldnt be legal in the city of LA to do those types of activities, Spiker said.

He said the coalition was unaware of the business having any type of license and something about this doesnt pass the smell test.

Information so far puts up a lot of alarm bells, Spiker said.

In 2016, there was another major fire at a business called Smoke Tokes at a nearby address. The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that it took more than 160 firefighters to put out the blaze and that they encountered pressurized gas cylinders that exploded in the fire.

No one was injured in the fire. It was unclear whether that business and the one that burned Saturday were connected.

By Stefanie Dazio and Frank Baker
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav



Thackeray on Monday handed over the new COVID-19 health centre with the capacity of 1,000 beds to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Anticipating rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country's financial capital, the facility has been readied in 15 days on the MMRDA ground in suburban Bandra, an official said.

"The COVID-19 centre has a capacity of 1,026 beds. The work for it started on May 2 and completed on May 16," he said.

Along with an oxygen supply system, the centre has facilities like pathology lab, ECG and X-ray.

A team of 13 doctors, eight nurses, 14 ward boys and seven clerks has been appointed at the facility. "Their number will be increased as the demand surges," the official added.

By Sunday, Mumbai's tally of COVID-19 cases stood at 19,967 with 734 deaths.

The hand-over function was also attended by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, state chief secretary Ajoy Mehta, BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tehran, May 18 : Iranian officials have warned the US against any attempt to block the fuel delivery by Iranian tankers to Venezuela.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday that "the illegal, dangerous and provocative US threats" against the Iranian tankers was a form of piracy and a big threat to international peace and security, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The US must stop acting as a bully at the international level and respect the rule of international laws, in particular the right to free shipping in free waters," he said in his letter.

Zarif noted that the US administration would be responsible for the consequences of any "illegal move".

Also on Sunday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi summoned the Swiss Ambassador, whose country represents US interests in Tehran, to voice the Islamic Republic's strong protest at what he called American "provocations".

Araqchi urged the Swiss envoy to convey "the Islamic Republic's serious warnings to the American officials against any possible threat posed by the US to the Iranian oil tankers".

Iran and Venezuela enjoy "completely legitimate and legal trade relations", he added.

On Saturday, Hamid Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Association of Exports of Crude Products, said that the US would be practically unable to block shipments of fuel from Iran to Venezuela at a time when the two countries need to cooperate to mitigate the impacts of American sanctions on their energy sectors.

He described Iran's decision to ship large consignments of gasoline to Venezuela as a right move which is meant to help Caracas tackle its fuel shortage.

He also said Iran should continue to export more of such shipments in the future to offset a reduction in domestic demand for the fuel which has come as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On May 13, media reports said that "at least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela ... which could help ease an acute scarcity of gasoline in the South American country".

The next day, the White House announced that the US was considering measures it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela.
Photo: Jeff Turner/Flickr

Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Charlotte.

Mayor, RNC discuss safety concerns around hosting 2020 meeting

Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele discuss safety concerns around hosting this year's convention.

Read the full story on MSNBC.

Never Trumpers plan to hold their own GOP convention in Charlotte in August

It would coincide with the Republican National Convention.

Read the full story on The News & Observer.

This is your moment, President Obama encourages JCSU seniors at virtual graduation

Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and other historically black schools took part in the virtual ceremony.

Read the full story on The News & Observer.

Churches hold indoor services

At Harvest Church in Charlotte, the families wore masks and gloves and sat almost benches apart.

Read the full story on Spectrum News North Carolina.

This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Restaurants and bars look ahead Bay Area restaurant and bar owners imagine what reopening might look like. Here's what they say you can expect.

Restaurants and bars look ahead Bay Area restaurant and bar owners imagine what reopening might look like. Here's what they say you can expect.

Remember restaurants? Not the empty storefronts where you grab a takeout bag from a masked employee standing behind a makeshift counter in the doorway, but those places where youd gather with friends, enjoy hours-long meals and allow chefs and waitstaff to take care of you?

That type of experience now feels like a distant dream. On March 17, Bay Area counties ordered residents to shelter in place and avoid public gatherings. In an instant, every restaurant dining room was made off-limits to customers, and businesses rushed to implement social distancing guides. California as a whole followed suit two days later.

On May 12, the California Department of Public Health released a set of guidelines for dine-in restaurants. Included are requirements for social distancing measures, disposable menus, face masks for front-of-house staff like food runners and servers, and the end of self-service silverware and soda. However, Bay Area counties could impose even stricter protocols. Even once shelter-in-place orders lift and Bay Area restaurants  or at least, the restaurants that survived the shutdown  can reopen, it seems clear that going out to eat wont feel normal for a long while.

This unprecedented scenario is likely to be part of your dining experience in the near future, and the bizarreness wont stop there. In the Netherlands, a vegan restaurant is already experimenting with tables encased in glass booths to limit patrons exposure to each others biospheres. Youll have to make certain compromises in order to access this altered version of restaurant dining and bar hopping. And you may, like us, begin to wonder: What will it even mean to be a restaurant anymore?

Read on as we imagine what the Bay Areas dining scene might look like in our post-shelter-in-place future. Well posit some fictional scenarios and follow with what real-life experts think we can actually expect.

You walk up to your favorite neighborhood bar, but before you cross the threshold, the bouncer stops you. He asks you to download an app called Coronavision, a contact-tracing program. You pull it up and it scans your GPS data, comparing your BART rides and coffee shop visits to a global registry of individuals whove tested positive for COVID-19. The app shows that someone on your train car had tested positive, and a bright red AT RISK window pops up. The bouncer shakes his head. Youve been 86d.

Contact tracing apps could be a key development to reopening gathering places like bars and restaurants, said Brian Sheehy, owner of the Future Bars group, which counts Bourbon & Branch, Local Edition, Zombie Village and Rickhouse among its many bars. He was curious about an app called Coalition, and pointed to examples in Shanghai, where some bars have begun using using similar apps to admit guests.

Flashing the app, Sheehy said, could become standard procedure when you show your ID at the door. And it wouldnt just be for customers. As an operator, I would say to each of our employees, You have to have this app on all the time. Youre going to have to show it to us when you come to work, Sheehy said.

Privacy, of course, would be a major concern. A lot of people would revolt, Sheehy acknowledged.

A logo reading 'Covid tracker' is pictured in a call centre dedicated to 'contact tracing', where phonecalls are made to map how many people in Brussels have contracted the Covid-19, on May 8, 2020 in Brussels, amid the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ / BELGA / AFP) / Belgium OUT (Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images) less A logo reading 'Covid tracker' is pictured in a call centre dedicated to 'contact tracing', where phonecalls are made to map how many people in Brussels have contracted the Covid-19, on May 8, 2020 in Brussels, ... more Photo: Laurie Dieffembacq / Belga / AFP Via Getty Images Photo: Laurie Dieffembacq / Belga / AFP Via Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Imagining the Bay Area bar and restaurant scene of the near future 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Its pizza night, so you decide to order takeout from Cammareris, the new place youve been hearing about. When the driver arrives with your gourmet mushroom pie and bottle of wine, she pulls a tote bag from her shoulder. Screen-printed with the restaurants logo, it contains branded enamel pins and a DVD of the sommelier talking through the wines provenance. While watching the DVD, you slowly realize that the restaurant setting is all a studio set: Cammareris might as well be Mystic Pizza. Well, the pies still good.

Even after shelter-in-place is lifted, most restaurants may continue to do primarily takeout and delivery business, and owners are racking their brains to try to improve the experience. I think you can make going to pick up or receive delivery fun, like with packaging, said Yuka Ioroi, who co-owns Richmond District restaurant Cassava with husband Kris Toliao. Like Stitch Fix, where its fun to choose; when you receive the box its fun; when you wear the clothes its fun, said Ioroi, referencing the subscription clothing company.

If most customers will interact with restaurants only through social media or the takeout window, the physical space of the dining room might not be much of a factor in the future. Anjan Mitra, owner of the Dosa group of restaurants, expects ghost kitchens and other delivery-minded restaurants to proliferate. This year, hes brought Dosa to nine virtual restaurants across the Bay Area.

The question is, how can you put the essence of a restaurant in a bottle, jar, box or bag and deliver it in a unique way? Thats something Hanson Li, an investor with ties to the Crenn Group, Brown Sugar Kitchen and Humphry Slocombe, wondered.

Imagine you and I want to have a remote dinner, he said. I order Crenn for us: One goes to you, one to me. We get a download of a five-minute video of a chef talking about what were eating tonight. And then we have a remote dinner together. The overall idea is, how do we bring our restaurant into your home?

Youre scoping online reservations at one of the Missions hippest spots when you realize, wow, there are a lot of options. You could snag the last table at 9 p.m., or you could take home one of the restaurants meal kits. The make-your-own uni udon sounds pretty good, and while youre there, you could pick up a dozen pastured eggs. You check your fridge. Its empty. Yeah, you might as well get eggs, too.

The economic reality of socially distanced dining rooms means that many restaurants will continue whatever pivots theyve made during shelter in place, whether its creating meal kits, selling pantry ingredients or completely switching to takeout-friendly dishes, said Anthony Strong, chef-owner of San Francisco restaurant Prairie. They could even do a mix of things  Strong turned Prairie into a grocery store and plans to continue selling canned tuna and toilet paper for the foreseeable future.

Prairies private dining room could turn into a miniature restaurant within the store  Strong expects other restaurateurs will also rely on private dining rooms to lessen the chance of strangers mingling. If something happens in a place and you get a bunch of staff members and customers infected, thats it, Strong said. You dont come back from that.

Similarly, Mama, a full-service Italian restaurant in Oakland, switched from a prix-fixe menu to sandwiches during shelter in place, and owners Stevie Stacionis and Josiah Baldivino plan to continue that model indefinitely. Theyd rather sell sandwiches to-go than perform an adulterated version of the restaurant they had before.

As soon as you find out your favorite neighborhood restaurant is back open, you race over and grab a seat. Your go-to order  pappardelle with wild boar sugo  is still on the menu but youre startled by the price. It used to cost $22, and now its $30. The Caesar salad has gone from $7 to $15, and a single glance at the wine list has caused the blood to drain from your face.

Restaurateurs agree that higher prices are a likely outcome of the coronavirus. The math is simple. If theres a massive demand for people wanting to go to bars and restaurants, and we can only serve 30% (as many diners) as in the past, prices are going to have to go up to make the business viable, said Future Bars Sheehy.

Some think its a good thing. Its unsustainable for restaurants to live paycheck to paycheck  that just means workers live paycheck to paycheck. We need to figure out how every part of the restaurant industry can charge what should actually be charged for food, said Danny Stoller, co-owner of Square Pie Guys.

On the other hand, restaurateurs are also anticipating more cost-conscious diners if theres a recession. That doesnt mean fine dining will go away, but the days of $300, 12-course, three-hour experiences with mignardises carts could be over.

I think we can still do what we want to do with the narrative of a menu where youre having different flavors, textures, products, dishware, said Kyle Connaughton, chef and co-owner of SingleThread in Healdsburg. Its totally possible to still have every single one of those elements in a shorter menu.

Its 6 p.m. on a Friday, and you feel like hitting up a bar, so you group-text the three friends in your isolation pod. You start calling various neighborhood bars to ask about their availability. Sorry, were booked through the end of September, says the receptionist at the dive bar on the corner. You and your pod wait in line for 45 minutes at a beer joint that is already at capacity, with 24 people inside. Once the host finally escorts you to a table, a bartender comes over to take your order for $3 PBRs. You spy a group of cute singles at a table across the room, but you cannot go speak to them.

Many bars, like the Sea Star in Dogpatch, have 49-person capacities, and if a 50% restriction is enforced by authorities, that could lead to long wait times. Some bar owners are considering requiring reservations; OpenTable has already made itself available to bars and wineries. Will bar staff also have to police how people mingle with each other? Were expecting that well have to limit it to small groups or couples, which is challenging, said Sea Star owner Alicia Walton. Ultimately, you want big groups of people in your bar having fun.

That also means that not everyone can be at the bar at happy hour on Friday. Reservation systems would have to encourage people to space out their visits throughout the week, said Sheehy of Future Bars.

It all sounds pretty bleak, said ABV owner Ryan Fitzgerald. No one wants to go into an empty bar, he said. He was already re-thinking his spaces acoustics. We made a quiet bar on purpose, and (now) its gonna be possibly deathly quiet, he said. We can play the music really loud.

One weekend morning, your friends propose meeting up for brunch at a new vegan pop-up, hosted by a plant shop in Oakland. Plus, theres a DJ! But when you get there, you realize that youre at the wrong vegan pop-up at a plant shop that also has a DJ  the one you want is across the street. In fact, you wonder, when was the last time youve gone to a regular, old-school restaurant? But you cant say youve been doing much home cooking, either: Last nights dinner was brought to you by a chef on a bike, and you still have the remnants of a pie you bought in the park nestled in your fridge.

For the month of April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that of the 20.5 million jobs lost in the United States, more than a quarter were in the restaurant industry. Now, many unemployed cooks, servers and others have found their footing in pop-up concepts and side hustles, slinging Singaporean curry noodles, arepas or home-baked pies to their communities.

For Monifa Dayo, selling Californian-West African-Francophone meals and ingredients was her way of staying afloat when the pandemic broke. Her consulting gigs had dried up, and thankfully she was able to turn to her pop-up shop for income.

I noticed early on that the traditional model wasn't sustainable, she said. Shed seen how the industry systematically shut out black women like her from career advancement, and she sought community elsewhere. Dayo foresees more food workers like her moving to the pop-up model, thanks to its relative accessibility.

From her culinary studio in Oakland, shes been serving Senegalese-Gambian peanut stew, tonics made from fruits and turmeric, and cut mango with salt, lime and chile powder. My offerings have to uphold the cultural relevance I embody, she said.

You finally score a reservation at the San Francisco Oyster Bar, which was your favorite place to go for $1 happy hour oysters pre-pandemic. Youve been dreaming for months of the moment you can slurp down one of those cold, slimy bivalves. Well take a dozen Kumamotos and a dozen Marin Miyagis, you announce to your server, without needing to look at the menu. Oh, the server says, sheepishly avoiding eye contact. You havent heard. All of the oyster farms in Northern California shut down. You can feel your heart beating faster as the panic sets in. What about oysters from somewhere else, you ask? Were doing New Zealand oysters on the half shell for $120 a dozen, the server replies.

Reducing restaurants capacities also means reducing their buying power, and that would seriously threaten the viability of local farms, ranches and seafood purveyors. Oyster farms sell more than 90% of their products to restaurants. For Bay Area fishermen who dont export their catches, restaurants account for more than 80% of sales, according to some estimates. What happens if many of those restaurants close, and the ones that remain open can buy only a fraction of what they used to?

Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski used to spend more than $50,000 a week on local ingredients for their restaurants State Bird Provisions and the Progress. Best case scenario, we are all OK eating a lot of previously frozen food, or oysters that are the larger size, or less variety from our farmers, Brioza and Krasinkski said by email. Local farmers who do survive will likely be the ones who adapt to subscription and Community Supported Agriculture-style models, geared toward home cooks. When restaurant chefs do eventually want to buy local produce, dairy, meat and seafood again, its unclear how many of the products will still be available to them.

Youre really enjoying the sisig at one of Daly Citys popular Filipino spots and ask the person at the cash register if you could talk to the owner, just to express your appreciation. She raises her eyebrow and gestures to the person running bagged delivery orders out the door, the person cleaning the bathroom and to herself. Were all the owners! she says. Now, how can we help you?

The pandemic has made restaurant owners like Reem Assil of Reems California in Oakland and San Francisco confront the traditional business model  and ultimately has made them want to upend it.

For one, Assil doesnt expect to bring back the tables and chairs to her Oakland location. Possibly ever. Instead, she is reimagining what Reems can become, whether its continuing to operate as a commissary kitchen to feed people in need, focusing almost entirely on catering or transitioning to a wholesale online business.

Shes also thinking about overhauling the governance structure, potentially through giving employees shares or forming a worker-owned co-op. As a recession unfolds and workers protest unsafe conditions, Assil predicts an invigorated labor movement, with more restaurants centered on workers.

When we restore this system, how do we do so equitably? Resources need to trickle from bottom up instead of top down, she said.

Of course, Assil fears that the coronavirus will decimate most restaurants, but shes hopeful, especially, about the resiliency of small mom-and-pops.

Theyll figure out how to re-create themselves, she said. Its in our blood. We have to survive.

Soleil Ho, Janelle Bitker and Esther Mobley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com, jbitker@sfchronicle.com and emobley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @hooleil and @JanelleBitker @esther_mobley
Fashion designer Alex Perry has unveiled a complete body transformation.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 57-year-old fashion star left fans gobsmacked when he showed off his extremely muscular physique during an at-home workout.

Alex flaunted his broad shoulders, muscular chest and bulging biceps in a tight grey singlet while working up a sweat.

What a difference! Fashion designer Alex Perry unveiled his jaw-dropping body transformation during an at-home workout on Sunday, right. He is pictured on the left in 2014

Alex paired the revealing top with fitted black sweatpants and black gloves for a heavy weights session.

The designer also revealed his very youthful visage, wearing a blue trucker hat which drew attention to his angular jaw.

On the grind: Despite being fit for a number of years, Alex appears to have bulked-up even more over the past few months. Here: December, 2019

The star is certainly no stranger to playing with his aesthetic. He previously admitted to getting cosmetic injectibles to enhance his appearance.

Alex, whose celebrity fans include Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, told Yahoo Lifestyle in 2013 that he is not ashamed of using fillers and Botox.

'There is nothing not real, there are a few fillers and there is a bit of Botox but that's that. That's normal, right?... It's all real. It's all real,' he said.

Enhancements: The star is certainly no stranger to playing with his aesthetic. He was previously admitted to getting cosmetic injectibles to enhance his appearance

In 2016, the Australia's Next Top Model judge was criticised for his appearance by one of the show's contestants, Kassidy Ure.

After Alex criticised one of her photos, she sniped back: 'At least my lips are real!'

The significant transformation comes after Alex announced his flagship store on the Strand Arcade, in Sydney's CBD, will shut its doors permanently.

The fashion designer said his decision came after customer numbers dwindled with the ascent of online shopping.

Perry said he his focus will instead be re-directed towards his booming online store.

The designer has said it is where he makes almost four times as many sales.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

Russias Dagestan has exported 4,277 tons of potatoes to Turkmenistan through the Makhachkala International Sea Trade Port since the beginning of 2020, Trend reports with reference to Fruitinfo portal.



The quality of exported products was confirmed, as lab tests revealed the products to be free of quarantine organisms and comply with the phytosanitary requirements of Turkmenistan.

Owners of mentioned products received phytosanitary certificates, which allow them to export products from Russia.

In general, Dagestan has exported 32,443 tons of potatoes since the beginning of this year.

Makhachkala International Sea Trade Port is the only warm-water and deep-water port of Russia on the Caspian Sea. The port receives vessels up to 150 meters long and up to 4.5 meters drought.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
Getty

Beleaguered Americans long to return to their favorite restaurants and other non-essential neighborhood spots as soon as it is safe to do so. We are ready for late weekend mornings spent over a cup of diner coffee, or calendars booked again with familiar rituals like haircuts or color appointments.

Something we might not be prepared for: the lines outside those businesses, which will undoubtedly have new capacity caps limiting how many people may enter at a time.

States Are Starting to Reopen Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic. Here Are Their Plans.

Sure, the past two months have conditioned many to accept the kind of interminable tediousnessand muscle achesunique to time spent waiting in line as an inescapable part of life. (Though Americans remain regionally divided when it comes to describing the activity: standing in line or standing on line?)

We have queued for the mundane on our weekly grocery store trips or to pick up money from an ATM. Other lines, like those hemorrhaging out of shelters or soup kitchens, feel ripped from a century-old Jacob Riis photograph. One woman reported sitting in her car for 18 hours at a drive-thru food bank in San Antonio, Texas.

James Winans is the interim CEO & chief development officer at the Bowery Mission, a New York homeless shelter that has operated since the 1870s. Winans estimates that interest in daily free meals has doubled during this crisis; the food line now stretches down the street and around the block.

We have certainly taken on space that doesnt belong to us, Winans said. We are sandwiched between, and have friendly relationships with, a museum and a hotel. No one knows when those businesses will open back up yet, so for now that curbside serves as the Bowery Missions standing room.

NYPD officers now marshal the line. We havent had that police presence before now, Winans added.

Especially in congested cities like New York, its not hard to imagine a near-future where queues stretch out of multiple businesses on the same block. Many owners pledge they will keep their lines socially-distanced with guests waiting six feet apart. Bar bouncers could turn into ad hoc queue deputies. But how will that take up curb space? What about pedestrians?

Story continues

Close your eyes and you can almost dream of the next viral fight video, where a row breaks out between an errant line stander and someone just trying to take a walk around the block.

To alleviate stress, cities like Nashville, Seattle, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have closed streets to cars in an attempt to add space for walkers.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 40 miles of city streets will be opened by the end of May. The goal is ultimately 100. A group in the states Department of Transportation hopes to find ways restaurants can turn curbs and streets into outdoor dining space. But so far, there are no concrete guidelines.

Its a far-away question, a spokesperson for the New York mayor told The Daily Beast. Were not there yet, unfortunately. Other cities may be able to think about that, but we are still trying to save lives. Were just not at a point where reopening restaurants in a thoughtful way is the first thing on our radar.

Until such guidance trickles down to business owners, it is anyones guess what the first night out post-lockdown might look like.

Bowen Goh co-owns the Brooklyn nightclub Mood Ring. I would be happy if we could partially open sometime in July or August, he said, though that is an optimistic timeline. We had lines every single weekend on Fridays and Saturdays. In the future, managing the line, it would be a matter of having two security people.

There is a sense that after weeks staying at home to slow the spread of the virus, patrons might naturally police their own actions. Many Americans have swiftly adapted to requirements like face masks and social distancing; business owners hope they would also have the sense to leave a line if it is too long for everyone to have the required physical space.

The block [outside of the bar] is public property, Goh added. I cant exactly ask someone to get off of a line. At a certain point if the line is down the block, I think people will automatically either go somewhere else or go home.

Goh understands a crowd is not guaranteed when bars reopen. The last weekend before shutdown, we were at 5 percent capacity, he said. The night was really dead; people were taking it seriously. We didnt have a line for a decent part of the night. I dont know what its going to look like in the future. How much are people going to want to go out once were allowed to open again?

Amid the uncertainty of spacing out social distance-friendly sidewalks, urban planners see opportunities to make American cities more walkable.

A number of us are just fighting to pedestrianize as many streets as possible, Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, said. We just need more space. Thats a big push.

New Yorks famous rectangular grid layout of streets took route in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811. The utilitarian design prioritizes space for buildings over open blocks and parks. Detractors have long lambasted the grid for its uniformity, with Henry James calling it a primal topographic curse.

Fallout from the pandemic has left many wondering how the city plan can be changed over 200 years after its conception. But Chakrabarti warns against pie-in-the-sky problem solving.

We need easy, cheap, low-tech solutions, he said. We dont know how long these conditions are going to last, and we dont have a lot of money as a city now. Closing streets is preferable, but nearly impossible on larger avenues. So Chakrabarti recommends using the parking space as a roadway.

Cone off the parking lane, and youve doubled the width of the sidewalk on the side, he explained.

J. Manuel Mansylla, the co-founder of Brooklyn-based real estate development and urban design firm Totem, said that even without any pedestrians, sidewalks are cramped spaces.

Walkers share the curb with Jersey barriers (traditionally used to separate lanes of traffic), construction signs, and garbage cans. Some of those items can be repurposed to aid the flow of socially-distant lines.

Can a Jersey barrier become a bench or a high table? Mansylla offered. I could easily envision a situation where people have to wait outside for a long time. Instead of hunching down and looking at a cellphone, there could be a situation where you have an outdoor bar table. A nice wooden bench could be attached to a Jersey barrier that is also on the street to direct traffic or delineate a bike lane.

New York is famous for its well-traversed sidewalks; other cities where citizens mainly rely on cars to get around face the opposite problem.

In most places, sidewalks have become quite empty, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, a professor of urban planning and design at UCLA, said. Unfortunately, that means sidewalks do not have the amenities that are necessary for people to stand in line. I hope there would be some kind of retrofitted amenitiesmoveable seating, more shading and protection from the sun. Lines could be herded into parking lots to allow for extra space on the curb.

There is no magic bullet to making lines bearable, says MIT operations research professor Richard Larson, known as Dr. Queue.

A lot of it is cultural, Dr. Larson said. The British learned in World War II how to line up for things. Theyre thought of as the highest-etiquette queue-ers in the world. A British gentleman who arrives at a place will start a queue of one, very orderly and gentlemanly.

Will the coronavirus pandemic whip Americans into better line-waiters? Maybe. The culture of first come, first served requires a lot of patience, Dr. Larson said. Thats a social order you dont usually associate with the United States.

According to Julie Niederhoff, an associate professor of supply chain management at Syracuse University, people are more likely to accept a long wait if they feel that the line is set up fairly, and business staff communicate about how long the wait will be. People like to be given an explanation for lines, Professor Niederhoff said.

Lines outside of a restaurant or bar traditionally signify exclusivity; getting in felt like a victory. Post-pandemic, lines do not feel nearly as sexy. Professor Niederhoff predicts, There is going to be some amount of competition between businesses in making line-waiting a more comfortable and safe environment.

Dr. Larson added that businesses might put up signs informing customers how long the wait will beeven if that information is not entirely truthful.

He referenced the crowd-control at Disneyworld as a prime example. Disney is Machiavellian in managing peoples expectations, Dr. Larson said. Theyll put up signs saying the line for a ride has a 60-minute delay, when they know the delay is 45 minutes. So people will wait 45 minutes and still be happy customers, because they feel as though the line moved 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

Maybe businesses can mentally game us into a better line-waiting experience. But our bodies tell a different story.

Dr. Joe Simon, a physical therapist in Manhattan, has noticed customers asking the same question during their virtual appointments over the past two months: Why do my shoulders hurt so much?

There is a massive shift with whats happening with our bodies during the pandemic, Dr. Simon said. People lean on one hip while they wait in line, so the alternate shoulder gets tight. Its like a rubber band thats being pulled and the effect is usually discomfort. When people stop doing things for the day and go to bed, thats usually when they realize something hurts.

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A coronavirus patient who spent a record 58 days in intensive care on a ventilator has 'a good chance of pulling through', her doctor said this morning as he praised the NHS staff who have helped to save her life.

The patient, 35, is at Southampton General Hospital and is still supported by a ventilator although she is not reliant on one - but still has 'a long way to go'.

She regained consciousness yesterday and was able to speak for the first time since being admitted to the ward.

Dr Sanjay Gupta, lead consultant of critical care at the hospital, told Nick Robinson on Radio 4 today: 'There is varying data from around the world and mortality figures quoted as high as 90% in some places - but she's definitely one of our good news stories.

'It's a testimony to the hard work of the ICU [intensive care unit], nurses and the rehab team that have got her through.

'She's still got a long way to go, but clearly I think she's got a good chance of pulling through this.

Southampton General Hospital's lead consultant for critical care Dr Sanjay Gupta (above) today said that a 35-year-old female patient who spent 58 days in intensive care on a ventilator 'has a good chance of pulling through'

Dr Gupta added: '[The patient] has been with us for nearly two months, and has clearly come a very long way.

'One of the key things for her was that we put the tracheostomy tube in, which is part of our weaning process. And this happened about three weeks into her stay.'

The tube allows her to breathe more comfortably after being inserted via an opening at the front of her neck into her windpipe (trachea).

Dr Gupta continued: '[The tube] means we don't have to sedate [patients] so deeply and that allowed us to wake her up. Through the tracheostomy tube, we were able to put in a speaking valve a few days later, which is what allowed her to speak to us.

'It's not uncommon for patients to have a prolonged period on intensive care, and I think this is new because we haven't come across this in Covid patients before.'

Dr Gupta also said the patient will require a prolonged period of rehab, The Sunday Times reported.

He added: 'She has virtually no muscle strength left - barely enough to breathe. If you're on a ventilator or in intensive care, your skeletal muscles decondition.'

Generally, the sickest patients face the longest recovery and some of those who spend weeks in intensive care have to be taught to walk and breathe again. It comes after several studies calculated the mortality rate of patients on ventilators could be as high as 90%. (File photo)

He said that the longer a patient spends on a ventilator, other problems - such as a weakened diaphragm - start to emerge.

Generally, the sickest patients face the longest recovery and some of those who spend weeks in intensive care have to be taught to walk and breathe again.

It comes after several studies calculated the mortality rate of patients on ventilators could be as high as 90%.

Some researchers said some studies only included those who had died or left hospital and excluded those who were still in intensive care.

Professor Colin Cooke of Michigan University's pulmonary and critical care division said: 'It is always disheartening to know that some people are out there saying if you end up on a ventilator it's a death sentence.'

The female patient, 35, is at Southampton General Hospital (file photo) and is still supported by a ventilator although is not reliant on one

Ventilators pump oxygen under pressure directly into the lungs via a tube inserted down the throat

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association examined the health records of 5,700 patients hospitalised with the virus at Northwell Health, New York.

The final outcomes were known for 2,634 patients. It found that roughly 20% of coronavirus patients died but for patients placed on ventilators, 88% died.

Another study on a sample of 6,720 critically-ill coronavirus patients by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) found that just under two thirds of patients requiring ventilation died.

Professor Cooke added that that's not what we're experiencing and he doesn't think the data is showing that.

In the UK there are 10,484 people in hospital with coronavirus and 20 per cent of critical care beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 04:37:11|Editor: huaxia

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ALGIERS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese medical experts have provided guidance on the prevention of COVID-19 for Chinese and Algerian workers at projects of Chinese companies in Algiers, capital of Algeria.

The Chinese medical team visited the project of Baraki Stadium undertaken by the China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) on Saturday.

The experts evaluated the protective measures of the project and conducted on-site training on epidemic prevention for the project management personnel and 60 worker representatives.

They also provided psychological counseling to Chinese and Algerian employees.

Pi Xiangkui, manager of the Algeria branch of CRCEG, said that the expert team brought not only knowledge and materials, but also confidence and hope to them.

"The project's staff are confident in achieving the double victory of epidemic prevention and production management," the manager said.

The Chinese expert team also visited a quarantine center set up by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) in Algiers on Friday.

The experts offered training on epidemic prevention and treatment.

Zhou Lin, the expert team leader and the deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, said the expert team is willing to work together with Chinese companies to fight against the epidemic, strengthen the exchange of experience and provide guidance and assistance in epidemic prevention and personal protection.

At the invitation of the Algerian government, the Chinese medical expert team arrived in Algeria on May 14.

During their 15-day stay in Algeria, they will carry out extensive and in-depth exchanges with their Algerian counterparts on the prevention and control measures of the epidemic situation, clinical treatment techniques, laboratory testing and information exchange.

At the same time, they will also carry out epidemic prevention and control training for the Chinese medical team in Algeria and provide prevention guidance for Chinese people and Chinese companies in the African country. Enditem
Nurses and other healthcare workers, who recently quit jobs in West Bengal's capital Kolkata and returned to Manipur, on Monday said inadequate safety measures and a dearth of protective gear were the major reasons why they left the state.

A nurse, who reached Manipur from Bengal on Sunday, said they were asked to reuse personal protective equipment (PPE) by their employers at a private hospital.

"We were told to work for 12 hours every day. During these 12 hours, we needed to use the washroom, eat our meals, for which we had to remove the PPE, which is for one-time use.

"Once removed, it has to be substituted by a fresh one. We were, however, told to wear the same PPE again, making us vulnerable to the dreaded (COVID-19) disease," she said.

The nurse also refuted the claims that the Manipur government had called them back, or offered them any incentive, as suggested by some hospitals in Kolkata.

An association of private hospitals in Kolkata had on Sunday said it had found out that the Manipur government had called the nurses back home and offered them a lucrative stipend, a claim refuted by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

Singh clarified that no such advisory asking nurses to return was issued.

The chief minister also contended that he could not have forced the healthcare workers to stay put in Kolkata if they were feeling uncomfortable there.

Another nurse, who returned to the northeastern state from Bengal, said scarcity of water and the lack of proper quarantine facilities forced her to resign.

"There was not enough water to wash clothes or take a bath. Add to that, there was no isolation unit for the nurses attending to COVID-19 patients. Many of us had to go back to our hostels, where other inmates lived. They (other hostellers) were exposed to the risks too," she noted.

Over 350 nurses quit their jobs at private hospitals of Kolkata last week and left for their homes in Manipur and other states amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases.

The sudden exodus of nurses from West Bengal has put the state's healthcare sector in a spot, with the hospitals now limiting the number of admissions and counselling the remaining staff.

The CEO of AMRI hospital in Kolkata, Rupak Barua, had last week said the decision by the governments of Manipur, Tripura and Odisha to call nurses back to their home states will cause a serious crisis for the private hospitals in Kolkata.

He had, however, admitted later that a misunderstanding had prompted him to make the statement.

"Since the Manipur government had arranged for transit passes for so many nurses from across Kolkata, it was initially thought that the state wanted to take them home. We have, however, learnt that the nurses themselves had approached their government through local MLAs, wanting to go back. We have no dispute with any government," Barua said.

A health worker from Manipur, however, cited discrimination as the reason for his return.

"I had gone there for work. There are many like me who hail from financially downtrodden families and are in a dire need of jobs. They continue to live in other cities, despite the taunts and discrimination. I, however, could not put with it and returned to my home state," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI - On March 17, Livingston County saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease linked to the novel coronavirus.

A little more than a month later on April 21, the positive test total climbed past 300. The death toll was at 11. From March 26 to April 21, about two-thirds of the days featured double-digit case increases.

In about the same span of time since that April day, there have been just 81 additional coronavirus cases, according to the Livingston County Health Department database. While deaths have more than doubled to 25, that could be due to the nearly two-week lag in the virus incubation period, health officials have said.

Now, daily case increases in the county rarely surpass more than one or two. The worst of COVID-19 in the county appears to be over -- at least its first wave, said county health department spokeswoman Natasha Radke.

On the one hand, it definitely is promising, she said. Its nice to see that obviously...that sheltering in place is having an effect...but were not in the clear yet. We need to continue to take precaution.

With the initial outbreak subsiding, answers are starting to form in Livingston County on how the disease arrived, how it flattened and what steps are required to prepare for any future hazards.

How the virus possibly transported into Brighton and Howell

The two most affected cities in Livingston County are Howell and Brighton, with a combined 227 of the countys 381 cases, according to the county health departments interactive map.

While Howell and Brighton are the two biggest cities in the county, the virus may have centralized there due to what many of their residents due for work: Health care.

More than 3,200 health care workers at the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan Health System reside in Livingston County, according to data provided by Michigan Medicine.

Michigan Medicine announced 110 employees tested positive for COVID-19 on April 7. Health department officials believe that infected workers, including ones at medical facilities in Washtenaw and Ingham counties, commuted the virus into Livingston County, Radke said.

110 Michigan Medicine employees test positive for COVID-19, officials say

While we dont have a clear cut picture of where it originated in the county, our original belief is that people commuting to work went to higher risk areas," she said. It didnt start here originally."

Washtenaw County has seen 1,236 confirmed coronavirus cases and 87 deaths, while Ingham County has 629 cases with 20 fatalities as of Friday, May 15, per the statewide database.

The majority of Livingston Countys positive cases are in working-age people. Residents between age 50 and 59 account for 118 cases, while there have been 136 infected people between age 30 and 49, according to the county database.

Radke did eliminate one possible explanation for the initial spread in the county, saying that nursing homes and long-term care facilities havent been as affected there as in other counties, such as Hillsdale.

51 coronavirus cases attributed to same Hillsdale nursing facility, more than half of county total

However, all the countys COVID-19 deaths are in people age 60 and above, and all had underlying health conditions, Radke said.

The elderly population in general is high risk and more likely to come down with a severe form of the disease, she said.

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Following protocols, taking precautions helped slow spread at nursing homes, beyond

There have been 45 positive tests within Livingston County nursing homes, per the statewide database. The Caretel Inn, 1014 E. Grand River Ave., has 41 patients who tested positive, while Wellbridge, 2200 Dorr Road, accounts for the other four.

The fact only two facilities were affected was by design, said Natalie Bauer Luce, spokeswoman for Caretel.

The facilitys leadership made a proactive decision to set up (this) facility for dedicated care of COVID-positive patients, she said. (The goal was) to prevent further spread rather than wait for it to infiltrate throughout the network (of facilities). So, before the virus was detected at (Caretel Inn), we transferred out negative patients to other facilities and prepared this particular unit for positive COVID-19 patients.

The preparation involved training staff on screening for symptoms, distributing protective gear and setting up an isolation wing, Luce said.

While the current number of positive cases at Caretel is 41, there have been as many as 55 confirmed cases, Luce said. Seventeen of those patients have been discharged and recovered, she said.

There have also been five deaths, including four that were admitted specifically for hospice care, she said.

Contact tracing, more testing are foundation of future response

There have been 325 recoveries in Livingston County, according to health department statistics.

And, the reason the coronavirus curve has now flattened is people following stay-at-home orders and taking other precautions, Radke said.

Its a sign that these measures do have an effect, she said. People arent out and about as much. Theres not as much contact in general, and it seems people are following the guidelines."

The next phase of Livingston Countys coronavirus response is to bolster its contact tracing -- the ability to find out where spread occurs, Radke said.

The county didnt emphasize this before, as people primarily were staying home and health officials wanted to wait until the states stay-at-home orders were lifted, she said. With people beginning to interact with each other again, the health department expects contact tracing to pick up, Radke said.

That means testing will also have to increase, she said.

As of Thursday, May 14, the Livingston County Health Department has sent 2,376 COVID-19 tests to the statewide lab in Lansing, Radke said. Testing numbers in the county actually are much higher, though, as she said this number is from Michigans electronic database, which can lag behind county data.

Currently, the rate of positive cases per test is 7.3%, Radke said, about a percentage point more than Michigan. This is why the Livingston County isnt out of the clear yet, Radke said.

But I think our residents have done really well," she said. "And its important to let our residents know that.

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.
India is observing the 46th anniversary of its first nuclear test in Rajasthans Pokhran on Monday. The peaceful nuclear test was codenamed the Smiling Buddha and conducted on May 18, 1974. It made India a nuclear power.

The test was named Smiling Buddha because it was conducted on Budda Purnima that year, and the message conveyed by Raja Ramanna, the director of Indias premier nuclear research institute Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also said, The Budda has finally smiled.

It was the first confirmed nuclear test by a nation that was not a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Though the yield of the device detonated at Pokhran is debated, it is believed that the actual yield was around 8-12 Kilotons of TNT. The highlight of the test was that India had managed to avoid detection by the United States and other intelligence agencies.

But India did suffer under the sanctions imposed by industrialised nations like the US which said that such tests can lead to nuclear proliferation. Indias test came six years after the international community concluded the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968 that divided the world into the nuclear haves and havenots.

India undertook its first nuclear journey on September 7, 1972 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi authorised scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to detonate an indigenously designed nuclear device.

After the 1974 tests, explosions of five nuclear devices - three on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998 - were conducted by India, again at the Pokhran test range. Codenamed Operation Shakti, the tests were carried out under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees term.

India conducted Pokhran-II tests, a series of five nuclear explosions, in May 1998 at the Indian Armys Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11 as a reminder of the anniversary of Pokhran-II tests.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had requested the UP government on Sunday to let Congress ply 1000 buses for migrant buses. She also slammed the party today for not doing enough for migrants and not giving the permission to run these buses.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday has accepted the proposal of Congress party to run 1000 buses for migrant workers to their hometowns. State Additional Chief Home Secretary Awanish Awasthi wrote to Priyanka Gandhi today accepting the offer and asked her to submit details of the buses and their drivers as early as possible so that they can be deployed to the service of migrants.

In his press conference, Awanish Awasthi added that UP CM Yogi Adityanath has directed the concerned officials to make water and food arrangement at the state borders for migrants. More than 60 lakh migrants have returned to the state in last 8-9 days.

Earlier on Monday, Priyanka Gandhi slammed the UP government for turning a blind eye to the distress of migrants. She said that a large number of migrants are at Ghaziabads Ramlila Maidan waiting to go home. The UP government has not put any system in place. These migrants would not have suffered so much if the state government had established a proper procedure a month back.

Also Read: CBSE 12th, 10th date sheet 2020: Schedule for pending Board exams released @cbse.nic.in

Also Read: Congress leader P Chidambaram expresses disappointment over COVID-19 economic package

Awanish Awasthi, Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) writes to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accepting her proposal to deploy 1000 buses for migrants. Seeks details of 1000 buses & drivers without delay. pic.twitter.com/6PrtlMQtYb  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 18, 2020

She added that the Congress party arranged for 1000 buses talked to the state government and even brought these buses to the border but UP government started doing politics and did not even give permission. They are not helping the migrants and when someone offers them, they refuse it.

Thousands of Migrant workers flouted the social distancing norms on Monday to register themselves for Shramik special trains. ADM City, Ghaziabad told ANI that about 6 trains are being run, of which 3 are for different parts of UP and 3 will leave for Bihar. While most of the people have gathered for train tickets, some of them are also waiting for buses.

#WATCH Ghaziabad: Thousands of migrant workers gather at Ramlila Ground for registering themselves for the three Shramik special trains, which will leave for different parts of Uttar Pradesh later today. pic.twitter.com/SwXhqdpqQf  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 18, 2020

Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold meeting with NDMA, MHA at 4 pm today over Cyclone Amphan

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An official guide on how to give Leaving Cert students calculated grades is expected to be issued to teachers this week.

Details on the system of calculated grades, the alternative arrangement brought in after this summer's exams were cancelled, are currently being finalised.

The Department of Education has asked schools to have their end of the data submitted to it as close to the end of May as possible. However, educational groups have expressed doubts around this timeline.

As the first phase of the lockdown lifted today, staff are now able to access school buildings in some circumstances. Teachers can also access schools to carry out the work required for calculated grades.

Official guidance on calculated grades is currently being finalised and is expected to be sent to the teaching unions this week, according to Education Minister Joe McHugh.

"Most principals have written to parents, and I know that engagement with students has stopped," Mr McHugh said.

"The next step is for teachers to start working with the whole school community approach in terms of calculating the grades. That work hasn't started yet because the guidelines haven't come out.

"I've stated that I would like to see the results come out as close to the traditional date as possible," he added.

Once the data is submitted by schools, it goes to the Department of Education.

"We are engaging with outside expertise and there's going to be a big element of statistics around that as well.

"We're engaging with the outside expertise to ensure that we have fairness in terms of standardisation, so whether its a post-primary school in Cork or in Donegal that there is a level standard so each school knows that there is fairness built into the system.

"Once we have that model built, we're going to bring in another outside expert to ensure that there is fairness and integrity built into the system."

Both the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland and the Teachers' Union of Ireland have expressed concerns around the fairness and equity of using calculated grades.
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A judge has rejected a request by disgraced pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli to be released from prison amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shkreli, known as the "Parma Bro", is serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted in 2017 for lying to investors about the performance of two hedge funds he was running, as well as defrauding investors in a drug company.

His lawyers had argued that if released from a low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, he would be about to research a treatment for the coronavirus, which has infected 1.4 million Americans and killed more than 88,000.

However the claim was dismissed by probation officials as being the kind of "delusional self-aggrandising behaviour" that had led to his conviction.

US district judge Kiyo Matsumoto released a nine-page ruling denying Shkreli's request to be freed, saying the 37-year-old had failed to demonstrate extraordinary and compelling factors that would require his release.

Benjamin Brafman, Shkreli's attorney, said the decision was "disappointing but not unexpected".

In a research proposal posted online, Shkreli said the pharmaceutical industry's response to the pandemic was "inadequate" and said researchers at every drug company "should be put to work until Covid-19 is no more".

He said his background "as a successful two-time biopharma entrepreneur, having purchased multiple companies, invented multiple new drug candidates" would make him a valuable asset.

However, the judge noted the concerns of probation officials that Shkreli's claim that he could develop a cure for coronavirus that "so far eluded the best medical and scientific minds in the world working around the clock" is "delusional self-aggrandising behaviour".

Shkreli first gained notoriety by buying the rights to a drug used to treat an infection that occurs in some Aids, malaria and cancer patients and raising the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill. He is also known for attacking critics on social media and offering a bounty to anyone who could give him one of Hillary Clinton's hairs.

Story continues

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Read more

'Pharma Bro' Shkreli asks for prison release to make coronavirus drug

Shkreli put in solitary after running pharma company from his cell'

How Martin Shkreli is still running his company from prison

Martin Shkreli sentenced to seven years in prison

Judge orders Martin Shkreli to hand over Wu-Tang Clan album
With exports being suspended, mango farmers are exploring alternate channels to sell their produce.

Also, with Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) relaxing norms, farmers have got a go ahead to sell directly to customers.

We are tying up with housing societies to sell our mangoes, said Ashok Khandge, a small time farmer from Ratnagiri district in Konkan, the heartland for mangoes.

Mangoes from Ratnagiri district in Konkan region enjoy geographical indication or GI tag. GI is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin.

A farmer has formed a WhatsApp group through which residents place order for mangoes. Every week a tempo comes with around 100 boxes from the farm, said Viral Kothari, a resident of Bandra HIG Society.

The Maharashtra government has allowed farmers to sell their produce directly to the consumers, eliminating APMC markets due to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic.

This has helped farmers in deriving better realisation by eliminating intermediaries. Consumers too gain from the lower prices. When a consumer purchases mango worth Rs 100, the farmer only gets Rs 23 while the last mile retailer gets Rs 30 and the money in between is shared by three-to-four intermediaries including the transporter, another mango farmer explained.

Also, late arrival of mangoes owing to transport challenges due to COVID-19 led lockdown has impacted the price of mangoes.

By April-end, mangoes from Konkan were sold in Mumbai and Thane housing societies directly at Rs 650 per dozen, which dropped to Rs 600 in May and now retails at Rs 500.

In 2018, Devendra Fadnavis, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, had decided to reform the APMC and allow farmers to directly sell their fresh farm produce of vegetables and fruits, but later backed out due to pressure from traders.

No export of mangoes have taken place due to COVID-19. Indian farmers cultivate around 40 percent, or 15 tonne, of mangoes only for exports.

The US is an important market destination for mango exporters. However, there is a protocol in place to export mangos to the US, said a mango trader.

A US inspector comes to India to inspect the cargo, which is then exported. But this year due to COVID-19, the inspector has not arrived and so the exports didnt happen to any of the countries, he added.
Because of Covid-19, the global farm produce supply chain has been interrupted because of logistics problems. Now is the right time for domestic farm produce to conquer domestic consumers hearts, experts say.

Chair of the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA) Truong Gia Binh said at an online workshop on solutions to agriculture production in the context of Covid-19 that Vietnamese food companies now have great opportunities in the home market as people are consuming more domestic products.





Previously, urbanites were using more imports, but now they have to consume domestic products because of problems occurring with the worlds logistics networks.



Experts says domestic firms have about a year to do this.



The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported that in the first three months of the year, Vietnam imported $294 million worth of vegetables and fruits, a decrease of 29.8 percent over the same period last year.



The sharpest decrease has been reported for imports from Thailand, by 90 percent. Meanwhile, imports from China fell by 27.7 percent and from Australia by 18.5 percent.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported that in the first three months of the year, Vietnam imported $294 million worth of vegetables and fruits, a decrease of 29.8 percent over the same period last year.

Vo Quan Huy, director of Huy Long An  My Binh Company in Long An province, said he can see a clear tendency of consumers shifting from imports to domestic products.



He said Covid-19 brought opportunities to agriculture. Farm produce has been selling well in the domestic market and can also be exported.



Bananas are exported to China and they are selling very well, Huy said. Ecuadors bananas, Vietnams major rival in the Chinese market, have seen lower output because of the pandemic.



According to Nguyen Hoang Cung, director of Dai Thuan Thien Clean Agricultural Products in Can Tho City, though demand has decreased in the epidemic, if clean farm product can satisfy requirements, they still can live well. Only farmers who make products for export to China across border gates face difficulties.



The domestic market is very large, which promises great opportunities to those who sell clean food at reasonable prices, Cung said.



It is time for producers to have a sense of responsibility for their products and attach importance to sustainable development rather than run a race for higher yields, he said.



A survey by the Institute of Social Public Opinion showed that 92 percent of polled consumers said they were very interested in domestic goods, while 63 percent of consumers affirmed that they would prioritize using Vietnamese products, and 54 percent said they advise relatives and friends to choose Vietnamese goods.

Le Ha

Vietnam seeks new markets for farm produce The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has asked its Vietnam Trade Offices (VTRs) overseas to help connect Vietnamese enterprises with foreign partners to boost farm produce exports.
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Natasha Akpoti, on the election held last year.

SDP and Ms Akpoti had filed the petition to challenge the return of Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the grounds that the governorship poll was marred with irregularities.

The respondents in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC and Mr Bello.

But while delivering judgement in the suit on Monday, the three-member tribunal led by Justice Kashim Kaigama held that the petition failed woefully.

Mr Kaigama also held that the testimonies given by the petitioners witnesses amounted to hearsay, were doubtful, illogical, and of no probative value.

READ ALSO:

Consequently, the tribunal ordered the petitioners (SDP and Ms Akpoti) to pay N100,000 to each of the respondents.

The total cost to be paid by the petitioners sums up to N600,000.

In the election, Mr Bello polled 406,222 votes to defeat his closest opponent, the Peoples Democratic Partys candidate, Musa Wada, who scored 189,704 votes.

Ms Akpoti came a distant third with a score of 9,482 votes.
The claim: "The number of Texans who have RECOVERED from #COVID19 now exceeds the number of active COVID cases for the past 2 days. Thats exactly what we want to see. Texas ranks 3rd highest among states for number of people who have recovered from #coronavirus."  Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Abbott made the claim on Twitter May 4, ahead of his announcement that Texas would commence the second phase of its reopening after a statewide stay-at-home order had lifted.

PolitiFact rating: Half True. The available figures on cumulative COVID-19 recoveries by state show that Texas ranked third at the time Abbott made the statement  but that data has limitations.

A better metric for comparison is the recovery rate of the virus, given Texas population size. Using this measure, Texas ranks 16th among those states with data. Abbotts statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details.

Discussion: Recovery statistics are not a factor that indicate a states readiness to reopen, according to guidelines from the White House.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

The guidelines, released in April, highlight certain criteria states should meet before opening: a downward trajectory of COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests and a robust testing program for healthcare workers, including antibody testing.

"Recovery, even if it were measured properly, does not reflect interventions because we have almost none," said Dr. Myron Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills School of Medicine. "Such statistics are generally used to measure the success of a health care system when testing and treatments might be robust."

The raw counts of recovered cases available show that Texas did rank third as of May 4, but there is a lot to unpack with this data. Abbotts office did not return a request for comment seeking information about the data behind his statement.

The main difficulty in weighing the statement is the quality of the data on recoveries. Fourteen states do not have current recovery data.

There are also different definitions for what it means to have recovered from COVID-19.

In Texas, the number of patients recorded as recovered is an estimate "based on several assumptions related to hospitalization rates and recovery times, which were informed by data available to date. These assumptions are subject to change as we learn more about COVID-19," according to the states coronavirus dashboard.

But even using the limited data available, there is also the size of the states population to consider.

Given that Texas is the second most populous state, it makes more sense to consider the rate of recovery by state  the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 relative to the total number of those infected  than the total number of recoveries.

At the time of Abbotts claim, nearly half of all people who tested positive for coronavirus had been reported as recovered  a recovery rate of 49.76%.

Using this figure to compare across the 37 states and Washington D.C. that have recovery data, Texas ranks 16th using this measure.

Montana has the highest recovery rate, as more than 88% of the 457 people who tested positive have been reported as recovered.

About PolitiFact

PolitiFact is a fact-checking project to help you sort out fact from fiction in politics. Truth-O-Meter ratings are determined by a panel of three editors. The burden of proof is on the speaker, and PolitiFact rates statements based on the information known at the time the statement is made.
The internet is filled with talented people... like this YouTuber, Funk Turkey, who programmed a bot to create a new AC/DC track.

Titled 'Great Balls', the song was assembled after Funk Turkey put all the AC/DC lyrics through a Markov chain. The modeling software is commonly used for complex analysis like predicting thermodynamic states, DNA evolution, stock market trends and more. Apparently, it can also write new songs!

Funk Turkey explained the process where he put AC/DC lyrics into a bot and asked it to write a song. He also noted how hard it is to sing like Brian Johnson.

Listen to the AI song below.
As we struggle to contain COVID-19, virtually everyone is paying the price while the economy faces an unprecedented storm.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

As we struggle to contain COVID-19, virtually everyone is paying the price while the economy faces an unprecedented storm.

Many members of Parliament are sharing in that sacrifice by donating their automatic pay raise to charity. The rest need to follow that example. And all MPs need to take the next step.

Nearly six million Canadians have already applied for either employment insurance or temporary income replacement. The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  with the consent of all the opposition parties  has already passed legislation to spend more than $180 billion to help families and businesses cope during this unprecedented emergency.

With no clear sense of when we might be able to return to even semi-normal life, its difficult to accurately predict just how big the tab for emergency measures will get. And given that there are potentially thousands of lives at stake, its understandable that concrete deficit calculations will have to wait.

But as taboo as it might be to observe, theres still no ignoring the elephant in the room: this crisis is very, very expensive. Thats why its important for our MPs to get ahead of the inevitable fiscal challenge and vote to cut their own paycheques.

For both practical and symbolic reasons, Canadians need to know the people in charge are willing to make sacrifices before asking the rest of us to endure even more.

Consider first the enormity of the task. The Parliamentary Budget Officer projects next years federal deficit will be $184 billion , or seven times larger than it was predicted to be just two months ago. And that analysis assumes that, more than a month into the shutdown phase of this crisis, there will be no additional spending measures forthcoming. Eventually, all of these measures will have to be paid for, and that will require many painful choices.

It wont happen overnight, but over time in the broader government sector, salary cuts, job reductions or both are inevitable. Pet spending projects and nice-to-have programs will take a backseat to core government services. Prospective tax measures designed to recoup government revenues decimated by a dormant economy will have to be balanced against the risk of trampling on the green shoots of recovery.

Many Canadians who have seen their paycheques shrink through no fault of their own fairly wonder why MPs (and government in general) should be immune to this predicament.

Many MPs already understand this, which is why nearly half of them have voluntarily agreed to donate their annual pay increase this year. They know full well that taking a pay hike during this crisis is a bad look, especially when you already earn $178,900 , triple the average Canadian household income of $59,800 .

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While its good to see MPs donating those pay raises to charity, they need to go further. Most Canadians arent merely forgoing raises. Most Canadians are struggling with sharp drops in their incomes and savings, and millions are out of work. MPs need to take a pay cut.

The sooner MPs lead by example to show both the bureaucracy and taxpayers that our leaders too are willing to share in the pain of this sobering new reality, the better placed they will be to make the case for necessary reductions elsewhere.

Around the world, many politicians seem to understand this. Hong Kongs leader is taking a 10 per cent pay cut. New Zealands prime minister cut her pay , along with her entire cabinet and top bureaucrats, by 20 per cent for the next six months. In Japan and India , politicians are cutting their pay by 20 and 30 per cent, respectively, for at least the next year.

Canadian politicians would do well to follow suit.

Aaron Wudrick is a lawyer and the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation .

 Troy Media
The use of armed force is there as a last resort. This statement was made in February 2016, half a year after the beginning of the European refugee crisis. Frauke Petry, then chairperson of the far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), demanded that police use firearms if necessary to prevent refugees, men, women and children, from entering German territory.

At that time, politicians and the media hypocritically expressed their outrage. Four years later, the order to shoot at Europes borders has become a reality. Greek soldiers not only used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets, but also live ammunition against refugees stranded in the no-mans-land between the two neighbouring countries, Greece and Turkey.

The WSWS reported on the brutal war against the refugees in March. In a detailed background research from May 8, the German magazine Der Spiegel has substantiated allegations made against the Greek government.

The murder of Muhammed Gulzar

On March 4, the 42-year-old Pakistani Muhammed Gulzar was struck by a bullet on the border along the Evros River and died a few minutes later. Research teams from Forensic Architecture, Bellingcat and Lighthouse Reports and Der Spiegel have evaluated eyewitness reports, video material and an autopsy report and investigated the course of events.

After the Turkish government opened the border in early March, thousands of refugees traveled to the Evros to enter the European Union, including Gulzar and his wife Saba Khan, 38. Gulzar had lived continuously in Greece since 2007, where he learned the language and repaired fireplaces for a local company. Having fallen in love with Saba Khan, he flew to Pakistan to marry her in January and planned to return to Greece with his wife.

They spent the night in a meadow in the border region, together with other refugees. On the day of his murder, Gulzar tried his luck one more time and approached the border fence, where he spoke to soldiers in Greek. He was then hit by a fatal shot. The report shows in detail that the border guards regularly fire live ammunition. According to analyses and witnesses, at least two Syrian refugees had already been shot dead and dozens seriously injured while crossing the Evros border.

A Greek officer, a member of a special army unit on the border, told Der Spiegel, We fired both blanks and live ammunition. The Greek military leadership had given a green light for the use of ammunition, he says.

As expected, the government headed by the right-wing Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy, ND) denied the allegations and spoke of fake news. In an official statement the government defended Greeces right to protect its borders. Its denial is a feeble attempt to preserve appearances for the EU. The soldiers who shoot down desperate refugees are not operating on their own authority, nor are the police officers who carry out illegal pushbacks and deport refugees back across the border at night.

There is a definite purpose behind the anti-refugee policy in Greece. It goes back to decisions taken not simply at Evros or in Athens, but rather in Brussels and Berlin. As acrid clouds of tear gas still hung over the border area, the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), rushed to the Aegean Sea and praised Greece as Europes shield. She gave Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis carte blanche to deter and repel refugees, promised up to 700 million euros in support and strengthened the EU border agency Frontex.

After the Der S piegel article, some members of the European Parliament, including politicians from the Greens, the SPD and the Left Party, felt compelled to request an investigation by the EU Commission, a well-known procedure used to cover up their crimes. The fatal shot on Europes border, as Der Spiegel titled its report, is the consequence of the war being waged by the EU against refugees, supported just as aggressively by the Social Democratic, Green and left parties as by the nominal right-wingers.

Following the EUs deal with Turkey in 2015, backed in Greece by the pseudo-left Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left), a regime of terror has been established in southern Europe aimed at deterring refugees. Millions of people face the alternative of drowning in the Mediterranean or vegetating in one of the overcrowded camps on the Aegean Islands.

The corona virus is our biggest concern

The situation is exacerbated by the prospect of COVID-19 infection when the coronavirus hits the camps. On Tuesday, the Greek health authority said that two newly arrived refugees had tested positive but had no symptoms. Health workers had checked nine randomly selected refugees, out of a total of 70 who arrived on the island of Lesbos last week and were quarantined in a facility as a precaution.

Instead of alleviating conditions in the coronavirus crisis the government has tightened up its policy against refugees. One week ago, the Greek parliament passed a new immigration law, which creates additional hurdles for asylum procedures and facilitates the detention and persecution of refugees. While the right of asylum in Greece has not been in effect for some time, it was officially suspended by Mitsotakis on March 1. Although this violates EU law, the move was approved in Brussels.

The ND currently has a majority in parliament and was able to enforce the law without the support of Syriza (whose deputies quit the chamber before the vote) and the other parties. Syrizas toothless criticism of parts of the bill was a predictable manoeuvre aimed at disguising its anti-refugee agenda. When the army attacked people with tear gas on the Evros border, the leader of Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, backed Mitsotakis and bragged about the record of his own government in confronting refugees.

Given the growing risk of infection in the notorious Moria camp on Lesbos, where 20,000 people are crammed together, refugees have started to take their protection into their own hands. In mid-March they founded the group Moria Corona Awareness Team. Its spokesman is 30-year-old pharmacist Deen Mohammad Alizadah, who fled Afghanistan with his family in 2018 and has been living in Moria since November 2019.

The coronavirus is our biggest concern, he said in an interview with the German taz newspaper last Tuesday. An outbreak would be very dangerous here and would infect many people in a short time. The most important precaution is physical distance, as is being tried all over the world. This is completely impossible here.

They founded their team because there was no official help to deal with the pandemicnot even information. We wanted at least to do what we could to protect ourselves. The 40 team members, refugees from six different countries, are active in the camp three times a week to help and educate those incarcerated, despite the adverse conditions.

On May 10 the Corona Awareness Team sent a letter to the EU, the governments of EU countries and the public, the second letter within a few months. They are outraged at the inaction and silence of politicians so far.

We ask: Are we not worth getting an answer while so many people talk about Moria and a German minister even called it Europes shame? This refers to the German Development Minister Gerd Muller (CSU), who made the statement earlier this month merely to put in a nutshell what the desired result of EU policy is.

It is more than two months now that this and other camps faced the Corona Crisis without any assistance. We were on ourselves and tried to help ourselves as good as we could. Camp inmates still only have three hours of water every day, the letter continues. They are demanding aid in solving the most burning issues, such as water, trash, insulation, food supply, hygiene and disinfection, fire protection, security and education.

The situation is also worsening in other camps. In the overcrowded camp on the island of Samos, 7,000 people live in a former military facility designed for around 650 people. At the end of April huge fires broke out again and 500 refugees lost their homes and belongings.

The announcement that several EU countries would accept a few dozen or hundred refugee children can only be seen as mockery. At the beginning of April, the German government promised to accept 50 refugee children at special risk of infection from the virus. But even this ridiculous number was a bluff as it soon turned out. Of the 47 children and adolescents who arrived in Hanover on April 18, none was on a list of those with previous illnesses drawn up by aid organisations. Instead, almost half of them had relatives in Germany and therefore a legal right to family reunification.

The refugees demands must be urgently met and in particular all those with pre-existing health conditions, especially women and children, immediately evacuated from the camps. The experience of recent years, however, has shown that appeals to governments and the EU are useless and deceptive. For the ruling elites, the millions of refugees are merely an annoying by-product of their military policiescollateral damage that needs to be contained and, when necessary, eliminated. At best, the ruling class uses the refugees as a scapegoat, thus spreading the poison of nationalism and racism.

The appeal of the Moria refugees will fall on deaf ears in the political and corporate elite in Europe. The appeal must be directed to the international working class, which is being forced back to work as governments seek to open up economies at great risk to human lives. Workers in Europe, regardless of their origin, must urgently set up protection and action committees to advance their own perspective against the deadly last resort policy of the EU: the unification of refugees and workers across Europe and worldwide against the capitalist EU and for the creation of a United Socialist States of Europe.
John Paul II was born on this day in 1920 and died in 2005. He was born Karol Jozef Wojtya in Wadowice, Poland.

John Paul II was a unique man. He was at the forefront of fighting the three great evils of the last 100 years.

First, young Karol fought Hitler's Germany and saw some of his Jewish friends captured and subsequently tortured by the Nazis. Dr. Andrew Swafford recalls the challenges of growing up in a land occupied by Hitler's Army:

In 1935, a Polish tailor named Jan Tyranowski heard a homily where the priest said, "It's not difficult to be a saint." For whatever reason, this line moved Tyranowski  and in God's providence, prepared him to contribute in a momentous way to the dramatic and tragic history of the twentieth century. George Weigel notes that by the outset of World War II, Tyranowski was "living a daily schedule of prayer and meditation more strict than that observed by many religious orders." Little did he know what (or who) was right around the corner  little did he know what God was preparing him for. With priests being rounded up in Poland by the Nazis, the formation of the youth had to pass into different hands. Tyranowski created the "Living Rosary," groups of fifteen young men, each led by a more mature young man. Each of the group leaders would be personally mentored by Tyranowski; one such leader was the young Karol Wojtyla, who met Tryanowski [sic] in 1940. It was Tyranowski who introduced Wojtyla to the writings of St. John of the Cross  which eventually became the subject of Wojtyla's first doctoral dissertation. By 1943, the Living Rosary involved some sixty young men  ten of whom eventually became priests! As Weigel recounts, "For the young Karol Wojtyla and his friends in the first Living Rosary groups, Tyranowski represented a unique lay combination of personal holiness and apostolic zeal, a kind of life 'that was completely unknown to us before.'" Indeed, one man can make a difference  even in the midst of the Nazi occupation!

Second, as a priest, he fought communism. Often, he challenged the Polish communists and put his life in danger. He understood that communism is a secular philosophy that violates human dignity.

As a pope, he fought against the culture of death. He was a strong critic of abortion and moral relativism.

John Paul II was one of the great men of the last 100 years. This is why we still remember him many years after his death in 2005.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
With Phase 1 beginning, Coillte's forest parks will be open and car parks will be free of charge to all those who live within 5km of them in line with the Government's Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business.

It was stressed, though, that social distancing measures which protect public health and wellbeing must be respected. Coillte thanked the public for all their cooperation during the COVID19 crisis.

Imelda Hurley, Chief Executive of Coillte says;

The wellbeing and safety of all people in Ireland is at the forefront of Coilltes activities. With that in mind, and in line with the beginning of Phase 1 of the Governments Roadmap, we are confirming that our forest parks will be open and car parks will be free of charge from today for those who live within 5km of them.

However, this easing of restrictions will only function if people continue to observe the COVID19 related Government and HSE advice, including social distancing advice.

We all have a part to play and I want to take this opportunity to thank the public for their cooperation so far and ask that they continue to observe social distancing when visiting our forests and forest parks. COVID19 is a crisis unlike any ever experienced before. By holding firm and taking care of ourselves and each other, we will get through this. Coillte will play its part in helping us all to do so.
Tony Cardella grabs absentee ballot applications in both Spanish and English along with fliers to stuff into food boxes distributed by the city, school district, and nonprofit groups. Read more

Philadelphia elections officials are distributing 92,000 absentee ballot applications and promotional fliers in food boxes given out across the city, an effort to reach low-income voters who they fear will risk their health to vote in person or skip voting altogether.

We have a responsibility, said Lisa Deeley, chair of the Philadelphia Board of City Commissioners, which oversees elections.

The commissioners gave 32,000 packets to the city for its food boxes, 40,000 to the Philadelphia School District, and 20,000 to the nonprofit Share Food Program.

Data show voters in low-income neighborhoods are requesting mail ballots at disproportionately low rates. That suggests those voters will either show up in person at disproportionate rates or not vote at all. And the commissioners have cut the number of polling places by 77% because of the coronavirus, meaning voters will be gathered at fewer locations than normal, likely increasing crowding and health risks.

Elected officials, community organizations, voting rights activists, and political campaigns have urged people to vote by mail instead, but their work has been made harder by the pandemic, Deeley said.

We dont have the ability to see people at community meetings or church gatherings or other places where we would normally be able to do outreach, she said.

Some voters may be wary of voting by mail because its new to them, said Omar Sabir, another city commissioner. Voters may also be unsure that their ballots will be delivered or correctly counted.

Theres a lot of stigma around voting by mail, and some people are still saying they want to vote in person, but we dont want you to risk your life for a vote, he said. We want you to be safe, thats our first concern.

 READ MORE: Pa. Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit to extend absentee ballot deadlines because of coronavirus

The English and Spanish fliers being distributed in the boxes urge voters to vote by mail in the June 2 primary election as a safe and convenient method. Directly providing an application helps voters who might not be able to go online to request a ballot, which requires a drivers license or state ID number.

When things ground to a halt in March, the city, School District, and food banks came together to establish a free food program to hand out boxes of groceries and pantry goods at dozens of sites across Philadelphia.

Deeley said she hopes the materials will help boost turnout among low-income voters. The application form in the boxes is not a ballot itself  voters need to fill out the form and mail it back. Once approved, voters will be mailed an absentee ballot to fill out and return.

This pandemic, and this situation that we find ourselves in as Americans, really, it has taken away so much from us with regard to our freedom," Deeley said. We certainly want to do all we can to make sure we dont lose one more thing.
Catherine Tyldesley was feeling nostalgic on Monday as she shared a throwback snap from a recent sun-soaked vacation.

Despite the clement spring weather in the UK, the Coronation Street star, 36, was pining for the tropics in the flashback, as she posed nude in a bathtub overlooking the crystalline blue ocean.

The sultry snap showed off her lithe frame, her mane loosely falling down her back.

'Take me back!' Catherine Tyldesley was feeling nostalgic on Monday as she shared a throwback snap from a recent sun-soaked vacation as she posed nude in a bathtub overlooking the crystalline blue ocean

She captioned it, 'Im done. Take me back,' along with a slew of holiday-themed emojis.

The actress has had a trying time in lockdown, with her parents and grandfather contracting COVID-19 and her mother being rushed into hospital for emergency surgery recently.

But there appears to be much to look forward to if the rumours that she's set to take over from Holly Willoughby on Celebrity Juice are true.

Holly shocked fans earlier this month after revealing she had quit the ITV2 show after 12 years as one of the show's team captains.

Wish you were there! She captioned it, 'Im done. Take me back,' along with a slew of holiday-themed emojis

Successor? Catherine is reportedly being lined-up to replace Holly Willoughby on Celebrity Juice

And now bosses apparently have their eye on Catherine, who reportedly said she would be 'up for it'.

It's said that Catherine, who is pals with the show's host Keith Lemon, would be the 'ideal' replacement' for the This Morning presenter.

A source told The Sun: 'Cath is brilliant fun, naturally very sharp and witty, and already has chemistry with Keith as they're pals.

'She's also got a girl next door appeal, much like Holly.

Gone: Bosses apparently have their eye on the actress, with Catherine reportedly saying she would be 'up for it' after Holly quit the job earlier this month after 12 years

'Producers have got a short list of around eight stars, and Cath is very much up. For her part, she has told pals she would be up for it.'

Catherine, who played barmaid Eva Price in Corrie, has previously made an appearance on Celebrity Juice and is therefore very aware of the hilarious goings on.

Fellow Coronation Street alumni Michelle Keegan was also in the running to join the panel.

It comes after host Keith Lemon admitted that the future of the programme is uncertain following Holly's exit as he admitted: 'I don't know what the future of Celebrity Juice is at the moment.'

'Ideal': It's said that Catherine, who is pals with the show's host Keith Lemon, would be the 'ideal' replacement' for the This Morning presenter

The comedian, 47, also revealed that he believes Holly and former captain Fearne Cotton left Celebrity Juice because they 'grew up'.

In an interview on HELLO! magazine's Instagram show HELLO! Let's Gab, the presenter told how he's been inundated with queries about who will be replacing Holly.

However, he's still uncertain what's next for the comedy panel show as he's been in lots of 'meetings' with show bosses.

He explained: 'Everyone keeps asking me who the new captain is but I don't know what the future of Celebrity Juice is at the moment, it's a lot of meetings.'

Unsure: Celebrity Juice host Keith Lemon admitted that the future of the programme is uncertain following Holly Willoughby's exit

Moving on: Holly shocked fans earlier this month after revealing she had quit Celebrity Juice after 12 years (pictured in 2012)

When asked if the show would definitely be coming back for another series, the star hesitated before answering.

He then said: 'It's a lot of meetings. I'm probably supposed to say it's meant to come back, lead with positive words but we've got to get it right, the next phase has to be right I guess.'

Meanwhile Keith went on to discuss both Holly and Fearne's departures, with the latter quitting the show in 2018.

Time to go: The comedian, 47, also revealed that he believes Holly and former captain Fearne Cotton left Celebrity Juice because they 'grew up' (pictured in 2008)

He explained that he 'wasn't surprised' by their decisions as they have both 'grown up'.

'It wasn't a surprise if I'm honest,' he said of Holly's choice to leave.

'She's so busy, she's doing This Morning, Dancing on Ice, a new show with Bradley Walsh and she has been doing Juice for 12 years and I think what happened is Holly and Fearne grew up, and I didn't.

'They have to go and do what they have to do as grownups but I still have fun on a Wednesday night filming Celebrity Juice.'

Future unknown: He explained: 'Everyone keeps asking me who the new captain is but I don't know what the future of Celebrity Juice is at the moment, it's a lot of meetings;'

Farewell: 'I think what happened is Holly and Fearne grew up, and I didn't. They have to go and do what they have to do as grownups but I still have fun on a Wednesday night filming Celebrity Juice'

Meanwhile, Holly revealed that she fully intends to return to the show as a guest, in scenes from Thursday's Celebrity Juice.

The TV presenter promised co-star Keith she would be back for 'special occasions' as they reflected on her time in the special episode, titled Show Us Your Best Bits.

Speaking to each other via video-link from their homes, Keith said: 'We've had some fun times over the past 12 years, haven't we?'

While Holly reminisced: 'We really have, we've laughed a lot.'

Keith added that he was going to miss Holly, and she gushed: 'I know, I'm going to miss you too... lots!'

Assurance: Meanwhile, Holly promised Keith she WILL return for a special appearance on Celebrity Juice in scenes set to air on Thursday night's episode Show Us Your Best Bits

Hoping she would return, Keith asked: 'Will you come back on special appearances on my birthday or something like that?'

To which Holly promised: 'Absolutely, like try and keep me away, I will be back.

'Obviously I wont be team captain anymore because that will go to someone very very lucky but I will be back on the panel, I'll come and play stupid games with you.'

It comes after Keith admitted that he nearly quit Celebrity Juice after he was left 'gutted' over Holly's shock exit.

Keith and Holly started presenting the show alongside Fearne, who left in 2018, in 2008 - meaning Keith is the last man standing from the original lineup.

Request: Hoping she would return, Keith asked: 'Will you come back on special appearances on my birthday or something like that?'
Nikol Pashinyan didnt even try to explain or clarify the whole story about the export of cigarettes or diamonds. This is what Armenias ex-Ambassador to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan said today in the fifth part of his End of Lies Facebook series, titling it as Second Plane with Contraband Cigarettes Stopped: These People Are Really Crazy.

Nikol Pashinyan didnt even try to pretend to institute a criminal case because it turns out that the cigarette business has been going on for the past two years. For the past two years, Armenia has been a part of an international mafia system and has earned large amounts that are directly geared towards Nikol Pashinyans family budget. The government didnt even set up a formal commission to try to explain to the public how it was possible to organize the processing and export of diamonds worth AMD 20,000,000 without appropriate factories, workers and workplaces. Nikol Pashinyan, who refutes everything, wasnt even able to refute the cigarette scandal and tried to answer with a word game, saying that there is a problem, but the Armenian customs service has acted according to the law, he said.

Mikayel Minasyan is certain that Nikol Pashinyan is personally involved in this act and recalled that, in this period when Armenia is in a state of emergency, all plans landing in and departing from Armenia must have the governments permission.

When Armenians were celebrating Victory Day on May 9th, Pashinyan was busy making money. On May 9, a new plane carrying contraband cigarettes departed from Yerevan and headed towards Voronezh where the plane landed at around 8 p.m. and was carrying 18 tons and 831 kilograms of cigarettes, he said.
Additional mental health funding to support children and teachers in Wales announced

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

Over 3.70 million of extra funding to provide mental health support for schools in Wales has been announced.

School counselling services currently provide direct support to young people from the age of 11, or Year 6, up to the age of 18.

The 3.75 million announced today by the the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, and Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, will extend support to provide mental and emotional support to children younger than Year Six.

Around 11,500 young people each year access lower level mental health support, outside specialist NHS provision, in schools and community counselling services.

450,000 will also go towards supporting mental health and well-being of the school workforce. The Welsh Government is working with partners to develop further plans on how that support will be delivered.

The funding is in addition to 1.25m announced by the Education Minister last month, for local authorities to deliver counselling services in schools, taking the total support to 5 million this financial year.

Speaking about the funding announcement, Kirsty Williams said: The coronavirus is inevitably causing additional anxiety for people of all ages, not least children and young people.

We must therefore anticipate increased demand for mental health support among younger people.

We know that by tackling problems early you can stop them escalating. Although serious mental health issues are less prevalent among younger children, were extending the support available so that children under 11 can also receive support with their emotional well-being, if they need it.

We know traditional face-to-face counselling is not necessarily appropriate for younger children, who may lack the maturity to explain and understand the issues which concern them.

Instead specialist therapies, such as those based on play and working with the wider family are much more effective and we will work with providers to develop these services as part of our wider whole school approach.

Vaughan Gething, added: With the necessary restrictions on young peoples lives due to coronavirus, including less time with their friends and other family members, we must be prepared for an impact on childrens emotional wellbeing.

So its important we continue to invest in mental health support for our young people during these very difficult times.
In the rush to mobilize home workers in the wake of the pandemic, local government agencies may have opened up security vulnerabilities that could lead to attacks. Many of the applications governments use were never intended for completely remote management; they lack two-factor authentication and other security controls.

As we move forward, however, agencies must consider secure remote work strategies a top priority. Hackers and criminals see crises like this pandemic as an opportunity to gain access to data they couldnt have accessed previously.

Local governments do their constituents a disservice if they view the current crisis as a wait it out scenario. I have been working with city and state governments for 25 years and have found that those that actively planned for long-term remote-ready operations have fared better in disasters and are better equipped to meet challenging circumstances, such as the ones we face today.

Both the public and private sectors will likely not go back to business as usual after the pandemic passes. For one, if the coronavirus resurges in fall and winter, employees may again shift to remote work. Second, many agencies have found that they can provide a more efficient, cost-effective experience to their constituents with digital services.

Security is more difficult to achieve with remote operations, but its not impossible. As local governments transition from short-term to long-term remote operations, here are eight tips to enhance security:

1. Honestly evaluate security capabilities. Can the current system securely support remote work as it stands? What are the biggest risks? Are there any staffing gaps? Agencies may have to bring in an experienced partner to assess the current system. Knowing what is working and what is not is the first step in making a solid security plan for the future.

2. Write a remote work policy. Many organizations, in their rush to close physical offices, made the mistake of implementing remote work solutions first and then writing the policy to fit the solutions. This puts security at risk. Now that COVID-19 is stabilizing, local governments should be rewriting their remote work policies and guidelines. These policies should include use cases -- identifying different worker profiles and what each type of worker needs to be productive. Only then should they consider what architecture, technology and providers they need to enable those policies. This process will enhance the security of these technologies.

3. Assume ransomware attacks will happen. Dont think, it will never happen to us. I have seen many municipalities with this mindset, and it has led to a lack of preparedness. In October, CNN reported that over 140 local governments, police stations and hospitals had been held hostage by ransomware attacks in the 10 months prior. Other studies have shown that ransomware attacks are increasing more than 300% year over year.

4. Everyone  not just the IT department  should know about security risks. Educating employees is one of the most important steps in securing systems. Providing regular employee security awareness training can teach employees to recognize signs of a phishing attack, examine links and attachments before opening and adopt a password management strategy.

5. Train for remote work. Share remote work guidelines, such as best security practices and what communication platforms will be used. Use one single source to communicate critical information to employees and let them know what that will be -- a secure website, an email from a known email address, a messaging platform or a videoconferencing platform. This will lessen the likelihood of an employee unknowingly clicking on a false email or link. Additionally, when employees are back in the office and new systems have been implemented, hold a trial remote workday so any kinks can be worked out.

6. Have a digital backup of all data. Creating digital copies of both physical records and backups of digital records is critical for ensuring continuity of service and will be essential in restoring systems in the event of a security breach.

7. Know whos on the team. IT managers must identify a chain of command and a list of people who will be engaged if a security breach occurs. This should include government managers, legal teams, service providers, compliance teams, insurance companies and relevant vendors.

8. Have the right digital tools. Scale the organizations ability to provide services to constituents requesting services from home. This could include making payments through a website and having a phone payment system as a backup if the online system is down.

As delivery of government services shifts from physical to virtual, we must thoughtfully balance the practical realities of working from home with the security of systems and data. Remote work is the future -- in both the public and private sectors -- and local governments protecting valuable citizen data should prioritize remote-work security strategies. This will ease potentially crippling burdens on staff and enhance constituent trust.
A lightweight, cool material to block mosquito bites and a push for using peoples genetic codes to improve their medical care are two of the research programs Gov. Kay Ivey just funded in Alabama.

Ivey awarded almost $2.3 million in research funds today to Auburn University and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville. The funds come from the Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund, a state program established in 2019.

- Develop an advanced biosensor using forest and agricultural products to detect pesticides in water, among other things ($245,865).

- Develop a lightweight, cool material that blocks mosquito bites ($868,145)

- Develop a filter to remove from water and landfill runoff perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, manufactured substances used in food packaging, stain repellents, cookware and firefighting foam ($193,960)

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) will administer the grants. Director Kenneth Boswell said Ivey is partial to home-grown innovation that brings jobs to Alabamians, and ADECA is pleased and honored to be a partner in the program.
Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to ask CBS owner Shari Redstone to fire 60 Minutes reporter Norah O'Donnell after her interview with the whistleblower who claims the president's coronavirus response cost lives.

Dr. Rick Bright told a congressional hearing on Thursday that the United States could face 'the darkest winter' of recent times if it does not improve its response to the pandemic.

He told 60 Minutes: 'I am frustrated at a lack of leadership. I am frustrated at a lack of urgency to get a head start on developing lifesaving tools for Americans. I'm frustrated at our inability to be heard as scientists.'

Trump took to Twitter shortly after the segment, with aired on Sunday, claiming the show is 'doing everything in their power to demean our Country, much to the benefit of the Radical Left Democrats'.

The president went on to label Bright 'a creep' who 'fabricates stories and spews lies', writing: 'I don't know this guy, never met him, but don't like what I see.

'How can a creep like this show up to work tomorrow & report to @SecAzar, his boss, after trashing him on T.V.?'

Singling out host O'Donnell Trump also called her a 'third place anchor'.

He added: '@60Minutes report was incorrect, which they couldn't care less about. Fake News! I also hope that Shari Redstone will take a look at her poorly performing gang. She knows how to make things right!

'This whole Whistleblower racket needs to be looked at very closely, it is causing great injustice & harm. I hope you are listening @SenSusanCollins.'

Dr. Rick Bright spoke to 60 Minutes reporter Norah O'Donnell for an interview on Sunday

Following the interview Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets appearing to ask CBS owner Shari Redstone, pictured, to fire 60 Minutes reporter Norah O'Donnell

The president hit out at the show last week, too. He wrote then: '@CBS and their show, @60Minutes, are doing everything within their power, which is far less today than it was in the past, to defend China and the horrible Virus pandemic that was inflicted on the USA and the rest of the World.

'I guess they want to do business in China!'

Bright says he was removed from his government post for raising concerns about coronavirus preparedness.

He was removed last month as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responsible for developing drugs to fight the coronavirus.

'What we do must be done carefully with guidance from the best scientific minds. Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get worse and be prolonged,' Bright said during his testimony.

The pandemic has infected more than 1.5 million people in the United States, gutted the economy and killed more than 90,000 people.

Bright testified to the subcommittee on health that he would 'never forget' an e-mail he got in January from a U.S. supplier of medical-grade face masks warning of a dire shortage.

'He said 'we are in deep s***. The world is. We need to act,' Bright said. 'And I pushed that forward to the highest level that I could of HHS and got no response.'

Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to ask CBS owner Shari Redstone to fire 60 Minutes reporter Norah O'Donnell in a series of tweets Sunday evening

Trump, pictured, took to Twitter shortly after the segment, with aired on Sunday, claiming the show is 'doing everything in their power to demean our Country, much to the benefit of the Radical Left Democrats'

Trump had already called Bright a 'disgruntled employee' on Twitter last Thursday.

In a whistleblower complaint filed with a government watchdog last week, Bright said that he warned about the virus in January and was met with hostility from HHS leaders.

Bright, who was reassigned to a new government job last month, said he was ousted from BARDA because he resisted efforts to push the drugs hydroxychloroquine and the related chloroquine as cures for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.

Bright said in the statement last month that the U.S. government has promoted the medicines as a 'panacea' even though they 'clearly lack scientific merit.'

Bright, pictured, told 60 Minutes : 'I am frustrated at a lack of leadership. I am frustrated at a lack of urgency to get a head start on developing lifesaving tools for Americans. I'm frustrated at our inability to be heard as scientists'

Singling out host O'Donnell, pictured, Trump also called her a 'third place anchor'

HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley has disputed Bright's account, saying in a statement on Tuesday that he was transferred to a job where he was entrusted to spend around $1 billion to develop diagnostic testing.

'We are deeply disappointed that he has not shown up to work on behalf of the American people and lead on this critical endeavor,' Oakley said.

Bright testified that he has not started his new government job because he has hypertension and took a medical leave.

The House subcommittee was also hearing on Thursday from Mike Bowen, co-owner of Prestige Ameritech, the largest U.S. surgical mask producer.

It was Bowen who sent Bright an email in January warning that the United States would run out of medical-grade face masks if it did not ramp up production, according to documents included in Bright's whistleblower complaint.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says HHS whistleblower who warned of 'darkest winter' ahead should 'show up for the job he has' despite battling stress and hypertension

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the HHS whistleblower, Dr. Rick Bright, should 'show up for the job he has,' after he testifed to Congress that hypertension and stress have kept him out of work since his controversial demotion.

'He takes a $285,000 salary - that's extraordinary for a federal government salary - and he is still on taxpayer-funded medical leave so he can work with partisan attorneys who malign the president,' McEnany said at Friday's press briefing.

Bright had previously led the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, but on April 21 was moved to an undefined role at the National Institutes of Health.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if the administration wanted to see HHS whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright return to work at his new position at the National Institutes of Health. McEnany replied that he should 'show up for the job he has'

An HHS press release at the time and McEnany on Friday characterized suggested that the transition was a standard job change.

'He was transferred to lead a bold new $1 billion testing program,' McEnany said Friday.

Her comments were almost verbatim to a release sent to reporters from the HHS press office Thursday.

'Rick Bright was transferred from his role as BARDA director to lead a bold new $1 billion testing program at NIH, critical to saving lives and reopening America. Mr. Bright has not yet shown up for work, but continues to collect his $285,010 salary, while using his taxpayer-funded medical leave to work with partisan attorneys who are politicizing the response to COVID-19,' the press release read.

His lawyers put out a statement Thursday explaining that 'contrary to administration talking points, Dr. Bright has never refused to report to NIH, and now that his position there has been identified, he plans to being next week.'

'Dr. Bright is fully prepared to step into this new role unless [Health and Human Services] Secretary Azar honors [the Office of Special Counsel's] request and grants a stay of his reassignment,' the statement read.

Bright hasn't started at NIH, telling lawmakers that he was first out on medical leave and then took vacation time to testify before Congress.

'I had a conversation with my physician about my hypertension and weve been managing it over the last three weeks because this has been very stressful to be removed suddenly without explanation for my role and my position. Its a life change for me,' Bright said.

Rep. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, said he was 'confused' how Dr. Rick Bright could testify before Congress, but not show up to his new position at NIH. Bright testified that he's been battling hypertension and stress since losing his job leading BARDA

Rep. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, challenged Bright on how he could be out on sick leave, yet sit before Congress.

'I guess I'm kind of confused here because you say you have hypertension but yet you were able to do these interviews, you were able to make the report and you were able to prepare for this hearing,' Mullin said. 'Yet you're too sick to go into work, but you're well enough to come here, while you're still getting paid by the United States government.'

Bright answered, 'Sir, I've been on medical leave.'

When Mullin asked him why his hypertension was acting up now and not when he was in charge of BARDA, Bright responded, 'I didn't have the level of stress of being removed from my position while I was at BARDA sir.

'This has been very stressful,' the doctor added.
Even teleprompter could not take so many lies: Rahul's dig at PM Modis Davos speech

Rahul Gandhi takes dig at PM Modi for 'U-turn' on MGNREGA

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 18: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for his "U-turn" on the MGNREGA scheme, and thanked him for understanding its vision and allocating an additional budget of Rs 40,000 crore for it.

"The prime minister has approved an additional budget of Rs 40,000 crore for the MNREGA scheme created during the UPA era. We express our gratitude to him for understanding the vision of MNREGA and promoting it," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Gandhi also used the hashtag "ModiUturnOnMNREGA" while putting out a video clip of the prime minister's speech in Parliament after he assumed power in 2014.

Nirmala Sitharaman slams Congress over migrant workers; Calls Rahul Gandhi's act 'Dramebaazi'

"MGNREGA is a living monument of your failures," Modi had said about the scheme in his speech in Parliament, while noting that even after 60 years of the independence, the Congress had to send people to dig up ditches.
The situation that has developed with Covid-19 at a meat processing plant in the midlands has been described as 'a disaster waiting to happen'

That's according to Laois/Offaly Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley who was speaking about the ongoing situation at Rosderra Meats in Edenderry.

Also read: Workers at Ballymahon plant tested for Covid-19

Deputy Stanley, who is his party's Spokesperson on Agriculture and Food said that workers' health had been 'unnecessarily put at risk along with this important industry'.

He said, "what workers have been telling me over the past six weeks, combined with the huge escalation in the number contracting Covid-19, underlines the fact that proper measures were not put in place to protect them.

"It also calls into question the effectiveness of the inspection regime that is supposed to be carried out by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Department of Agriculture and Food. Workers have consistently complained about the lack of personal protection equipment (PPEs), social distancing and congested washroom facilities."

Deputy Stanley said that when a number of workers became infected over a month ago, all staff should have been tested immediately and only allowed back on production lines when they had the all clear.

He continued, "but even this week when all workers were eventually tested, they were sent back into the factory without allowing two to three days for their results. This is similar to the situation at Rossderra Plant in Roscrea with infected workers sent back to work and the virus spreading to other staff.

"I raised these issues with Minister Creed and senior officials at a meeting as far back as April 15 and in the Dail two weeks ago. I also spoke to him about it within the past few days and I am very concerned about the calamity that has now unfolded. Next week I intend raising the matter again in the Dail."

Also read: SIPTU calls for meat industry task force to tackle Covid-19

The Laois/Offaly TD said the measures that need to be taken immediately across the meat industry must include, mandatory testing of all workers in factories where an outbreak occurs and staff not returning to work until they have the all clear. He added that full sets of PPEs have to be available to all production workers along with mandatory temperature testing, adequate hygiene facilities and proper social distancing.

"The health of workers and the protection of this important food supply chain require this, Deputy Stanley concluded.
It's hard not being able to order in food whenever you want, but there are ways to make daily meal prep less onerous.

The restaurant industry as we knew it before the pandemic has come to a screeching halt. Gone are the fast and convenient dinner options that many of us relied on to fill our bellies at a minute's notice, or if we just wanted to offload the chore of making dinner because we felt exhausted or lazy. But all of a sudden, it's all on us. We're responsible for preparing every single meal, day in and day out, with little hope of reprieve; and to make matters worse, grocery shopping has become an unpleasant ordeal of its own.

This is the new reality of food preparation during pandemic times, and while I'm living through it just like everyone else, I feel as if I made this transition away from convenience to all-homemade ten years ago when I moved out of Toronto into a small rural town. That is why I consider myself well-positioned to give advice on how to survive the sudden dearth of options.

It came as a shock initially, going from living in College Street's Little Italy neighborhood that is famous for its fabulous and diverse restaurants to... nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. My new town had a McDonald's, a Tim Horton's, a Subway, a handful of restaurants serving pub fare, and two options for finer dining. But gone were the options for everything else that I'd grown to rely on in the city  Thai, Indian, sushi, falafel, European bakeries, great pizza. No matter how badly I craved healthy, delicious takeout, there was no option to do so. I had to make dinner, night after night.

It was a rough transition. There were many nights I felt hungry and dissatisfied with what I'd pulled together, times when I felt like crying because I wanted hot and sour soup or sushi rolls so badly, but it got easier as time passed. Over time, I adjusted and figured out a few things. Perhaps this advice can help you, too. (Fortunately my town has added a few decent options in the decade since I arrived, but they're still all closed on Sunday and Monday nights, which throws me for a loop occasionally.)

1. Don't leave it too late.

Do not wait until 6 p.m. to wonder what you're going to make for dinner. That will usually result in frustration. Think about your dinner plans first thing in the morning, even if it's just for five minutes. I usually do it right after breakfast, pause and ask myself what we're going to have, which gives me time to soak chickpeas or beans, take something out of the freezer to thaw, or add an item to my list to pick up if I'm heading out for an errand at some point in the day.

2. Don't overlook simple food.

I have an annoying tendency to overplan meals. I feel as though I haven't had a decent dinner unless it's got multiple dishes and complex flavors. This is not a good thing on busy weeknights, so I've had to learn to let go. Scrambled eggs on toast are perfectly acceptable for a Wednesday night. Peanut butter and jam sandwiches, cheese quesadillas, or even a can of reheated beans is perfectly fine.

3. Establish your "back pocket" recipes.

These are the easy family favorites that you can pull off in less time than other recipes because you know them so well and they require fewer ingredients. For me, those are dishes like fried rice, coconut-lentil soup, flatbread pizzas, homemade macaroni and cheese, and Spanish tortillas. Read: What to cook when there's (almost) nothing in the house

4. Keep a few prepared ingredients on hand.

I'm not talking about making double or triple amounts of something else and putting it in the freezer, although that's impressive if you can pull it off. (I never can because my family eats whatever is made.) I mean buying pre-made ingredients that can help you pull off a last-minute meal when you have no energy left for cooking. For me, that's frozen meatballs (beef, pork, and veggie), jarred pasta and pesto sauce, gnocchi or tortellini, perogies, canned soup and chili, frozen spanakopita.

5. Make partial restaurant orders.

I rarely feel like ordering in pub fare because it only appeals to me if I'm out for drinks with friends, but I've realized that making partial orders for takeout and pairing with homemade side dishes can be a quick and healthy fix for dinner. For example, we occasionally order a batch of battered fish from a local fish 'n chips joint and serve at home with salad and rice, rather than the mountain of fries it usually comes with. This is particularly relevant at a time when restaurants are closed to in-house diners and only offering takeout. Always remember you can supplement orders to stretch them further and make them healthier.

6. Focus on the positives.

It took me years to accept this, but there are benefits to not having instant access to delicious takeout. You'll save lots of money. (I cringe now in retrospect when I think how much I spent on last-minute emergency meals.) There are usually more leftovers when you cook from scratch, often covering the next day's lunch for all my family members. There's much less plastic and food packaging waste in general, and I don't have to argue with restaurant owners about why I should be allowed to bring my own containers. And you're probably becoming a better, more versatile cook as time goes on, maybe even learning to make some of the takeout standbys you once relied on restaurants to make.
A top BMX rider who was in a Fast & Furious movie and starred in ads for Nutri Grain is accused of asking a teenage girl for oral sex in exchange for alcohol.

Rhys Kember, one of Australia's most high-profile riders, appeared in ads for the breakfast cereal brand earlier this year in which he was described as having an 'unstoppable attitude'.

But last week police accused the 32-year-old athlete, who had big dreams of competing in the Tokyo Olympics next year, of grooming an underage girl on Instagram.

Kember allegedly bought alcohol for her and asked her to give him 'head'.

As a result, the wannabe actor who was an extra in 'Fast & Furious 4', became a person of interest in an anti-child exploitation police sting where detectives set up a fake Instagram account posing as a teenage girl.

The fictional girl asked Kember to buy alcohol for her.

Rhys Kember, one of Australia's most high-profile riders, appeared in ads for the breakfast cereal brand earlier this year in which he was described as having an 'unstoppable attitude'

Kember, 32, allegedly bought alcohol for a teenage girl and asked her to give him 'head'

'I'm not old enough to buy alcohol coz I'm only 14 and hanging to get smashed at school camp lol,' she wrote, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Later in the conversation, Kember allegedly said: 'Show me your boobs then.'

When she said she was at school, Kember allegedly asked why she didn't take the intimate photo while she was in the toilet.

'You asked what I want, maybe you will get what you want,' he allegedly said.

Kember told police he thought one of the girls he messaged was at least 16 and admitted asking her for illicit images.

Court documents stated that he denied asking the other girl for similar images.

The fictional girl asked Kember to buy alcohol for her. He then asked her to take illicit photos of herself for him

Last Monday police accused the athlete, who had big dreams of competing in the Tokyo Olympics next year, of grooming an underage girl on Instagram

He was charged with grooming offences and procuring a child for sexual activity.

He pleaded not guilty and will appear in court in August.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in jail.

A Kellogg's spokesman said: 'We are deeply concerned about the disturbing charges made against Rhys Kember.

'We have removed all Nutri-Grain media activity featuring Rhys, effective immediately.'
Many students at Tan Tao University in the southern Vietnamese province of Long An have overcome all types of challenges to achieve excellent performance and success in their education.

Walking with confidence

After six years of studying, Le Hoang Duc Toan, a medical student at Tan Tao University (TTU), is now a practicing physician at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, as part of the '18-Month High-Quality Practice Program,' a collaboration between the two facilities. The content is almost entirely similar to the residency training curriculum for newly graduated doctors in the United States.

Toan said he and other students had always tried their best since the beginning of their study thanks to the trust and efforts of their teachers, as well as the schools training strategy and quality commitment, in which developing English skills is one of the top priorities.

During the first two years, the university focuses on teaching its students medical English and communicative English (TOEFL) with the help of Vietnamese and U.S. teachers.

In the following years, students will have many opportunities to talk with famous American lecturers during their internship at Vietnamese hospitals.

The teaching method of our school is the most important feature as it helps us stand out from medical students from other universities, Toan said.

I believe that English proficiency is the fastest way for doctors to be more confident when practicing at hospitals and prepare themselves to work in a global environment."

For Pham Hoang Gia Nguyen, being a medical student at TTU means she has to be ready to face challenges and everything was very novel to her.

However, the challenges are necessary for students to become more independent and mature.

What I remember the most is the teachers dedication to giving us knowledge and experience, Nguyen remarked.

Nguyen has registered for a masters degree in psychology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City to acquire more knowledge and skills for her major in psychiatry.

Students at the School of Medicine at Tan Tao University pose for a photo in their classroom. Photo: Tan Tao University

A learning environment with international standards

Over the past years, the School of Medicine at Tan Tao University has been striving to foster and create the best conditions for students to develop to their full potential.

According to Dr. Pham Nguyen Vinh, head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Tan Taos School of Medicine, the three main factors that create the success of students are teachers dedication, a breakthrough curriculum, and students diligence.

To create a breakthrough curriculum, the School of Medicine has been sending students to the best hospitals in Vietnam for their internship, such as Tam Duc, Binh Dan, Thong Nhat, Nguyen Tri Phuong, and Cho Ray Hospitals, among others.

Students are also provided with a two-month summer course in the U.S., during which they are allowed to do a clerkship at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center at the University of Texas in Houston, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana, and Yonsei University, South Korea.

In addition, Professor Thach Nguyen, vice-rector of TTU, has also helped them in their scientific reports, which are presented at seminars in foreign countries, Dr. Vinh continued.

These are the necessary preparations they need if they want to continue their study in the U.S.

All students who graduated from Tan Tao University last October are now practicing at hospitals in Vietnam.

Directors of these infirmaries are very impressed by the graduates from TTU as they are active, eager to learn, and have good English skills, which is very helpful when it comes to providing healthcare for foreign patients.

Seven medical doctors from Tan Tao are now preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) in July or October this year, as well as for their interviews for residency at U.S. hospitals in 2021.

Many students at TTU are also prepping for their tests from the International Foundations of Medicine (IFOM) with the help of many experts at the university.

Training quality is top priority

Students from Tan Tao University examine a patient at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana, the U.S. in 2017. Photo: Tan Tao University

Developing the School of Medicine is one of the top priorities at TTU, with quality of training ensured to meet Vietnamese and U.S. standards. TTU is also the first to implement bilingual medical training programs in the country.

The important goal is to create a modern training environment capable of integrating with advanced medicine in the world.

According to Prof. Thach Nguyen, learning in both Vietnamese and English helps students easily acquire knowledge from advanced medicine in other countries.

All students are able to intern at the best hospitals in Vietnam, have the opportunity to practice in the U.S., and present their scientific reports at Vietnamese and international seminars.

As a result, students have the expertise and skills as a young American doctor after graduation, helping them become confident, proud, and eager to learn in countries with a leading medical sector.
When Ahmet Davutoglu was Turkeys foreign minister from 2009 to 2014, he frequently called a group of journalists to share his vision of Turkish foreign policy. A chatterbox who can speak for hours, he would reveal his views on history, strategy and international relations. He loved to talk geopolitics and emphasize Turkeys central role in the international arena. He used to frequently refer to a compass metaphor placing Turkey at the heart of every major conflict zone in the world.

He argued that Turkey has to adopt a foreign policy with a 360-degree vision. The current foreign policy-makers of Turkey are following in the footsteps of Davutoglu, who succeeded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as prime minister and party chairman in 2014 until he was fired by him in May 2016.

Today Davutoglu is the leader of the Future Party, breaking away from the ruling Justice and Development Party. Regardless of whether one agreed with his arguably ambitious views regarding foreign policy, he was a high-profile figure as Turkeys foreign minister. His successor Mevlut Cavusoglu is underwhelming in comparison.

Nonetheless, Cavusoglu inherited Davutoglus Turkey with foreign policy issues to contend with in every direction. Promoting Erdogan as a leader with global stature means Turkey needs to act as a global international relations player far beyond its means, in conflict or friction with so many foreign governments.

With this in mind, the Turkish Foreign Ministry's reaction to the joint declaration by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and France on the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya is noteworthy.

The five countries clash with Turkey regarding the Eastern Mediterranean's gas drilling, maritime boundaries and Libya. The Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the group of "seeking regional chaos and instability."

With the fiery language employed so frequently in Turkey's domestic politics, it characterized the five countries as "have fallen into a delirium as their agendas are disrupted by Turkey." The statement avoided the word Cyprus and used GCA instead, referring to the Greek Cypriot Administration. Three of the countries facing Turkey's wrath are members of the European Union, with which some observers say Turkey will need to repair relations in the wake of the pandemic crisis that has left a devastating impact on the Turkish economy.

Among the three EU members, France was singled out and accused of seeking to establish "a state of terror in Syria" that would naturally be detrimental for Turkey's security.

"It is apparent that France, whose intentions to establish a state of terror in Syria were disrupted with a heavy blow by our Operation Peace Spring, is attempting to be the patron of this axis of malice," the statement said.

Interestingly, the Turkish military operation conducted against the Syrian Kurds in October 2019 could be interpreted as foiling the intentions of France  Turkeys NATO ally  in northeastern Syria. Moreover, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused France of being "the patron of this axis of malice," a metaphor reminiscent of US President George W. Bush's qualification of "axis of evil" including Iran, Iraq and North Korea in a 2002 speech.

On May 11, the day the Turkish Foreign Ministry's belligerent statement was issued, Cavusoglu accused the UAE of "bringing chaos to the Middle East," speaking to Akit TV, a hard-line Islamist television channel.

"If you are asking who is destabilizing this region, who is bringing chaos, then we would say Abu Dhabi without any hesitation," he said, and added, "It is a reality that they are the force that unsettled Libya and destroyed Yemen."

He also accused the Emirates of extending support to the militants in Somalia, where Turkey has a military base to train Somalian troops.

Turkey's uneasy foreign policy objectives seem not to be confined to France, the UAE and the other countries in Ankara's "axis of malice" but spread throughout the vastness of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East and North Africa. It also extends to the United States and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, as they are involved in mediating between rival Syrian Kurdish groups.

"Turkish disgruntlement was palpable in a May 11 dispatch in Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. It characterized the effort to unite disparate Syrian Kurdish factions as more of a conspiracy aimed at creating 'international representation space' for the 'terrorist organization in northern Syria,' wrote Al-Monitor's Amberin Zaman. Ominously and unusually, Turkey also fingered Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a longtime ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Anadolu said Barzani had been commissioned by France and the United States to implement the plan.

Turkey seems to be pursuing a conflict policy with everyone.

At the crossroads of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis that requires Turkey to reconcile with the United States and European Union, the trajectory of Turkish foreign policy puzzles many sober minds.

The Wall Street Journal reported May 13 that against the pressures of the pandemic, Turkey's practice of using up its foreign exchange reserves has become unsustainable and the country is headed for a crisis.

Such a situation demands flexible and soft-spoken foreign policy, contrary to what Erdogan's Turkey manifests today.
By Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK, May 14 (Reuters) - An attempt by Estonia and Germany to overcome an impasse between the United States and China at the United Nations Security Council instead appeared on Thursday to have reinforced their stalemate over action on the coronavirus pandemic.

For more than seven weeks the 15-member council has been trying to agree on a text that ultimately aims to back a March 23 call by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres for a ceasefire in global conflicts so the world can focus on the pandemic.

But talks on a resolution drafted by France and Tunisia have been stymied by a stand-off between China and the United States over whether to urge support for the World Health Organization. The United States does not want a reference to the global health body, while China has insisted it be included.

So on Tuesday, Estonia and Germany circulated a new streamlined draft text to the Security Council that simply focuses on backing Guterres and calling for a 90-day humanitarian truce in conflicts around the world. It does not reference WHO.

"All we want to see is a resolution that states the ceasefire," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said during a Thursday online conversation with the Institute of Politics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"It doesn't matter what country puts forth that resolution. What matters is that it's streamlined, it speaks about the global ceasefire and making sure that humanitarian aid is reaching those people that are most in need," she said, signaling support for Estonia and Germany's draft.

However, a Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the French and Tunisian draft resolution, which made a veiled reference to the WHO, "still enjoys the overwhelming support from the members and represents the best way forward."

"There is no possibility for adoption of the German and Estonian draft," the diplomat said.

Story continues

Washington has halted funding for the WHO, a U.N. agency, after President Donald Trump accused it of being "China-centric" and promoting China's "disinformation" about the outbreak, assertions the WHO denies.

It appeared last week that the Security Council had reached a compromise on the French and Tunisian-drafted resolution. Instead of naming the WHO, the draft referenced "specialized health agencies." The WHO is the only such agency.

But Washington rejected that language, diplomats said. The Chinese diplomat said Beijing had agreed to the compromise.

While the Security Council - charged with maintaining international peace and security - cannot do much to deal with the coronavirus itself, diplomats and analysts say it can project global unity by backing Guterres' ceasefire call.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Mary Milliken and Aurora Ellis)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Defying the states order that shuttered health clubs due to coronavirus (COVID-19), a gym in New Jersey reopened with the support of hundreds of protesters on Monday, according to NJ.com.

Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, unlocked the doors and let some members inside after their temperatures were checked, NJ.com, the Advances sister publication, reported. Police were seen responding to the club.

Smith said the club was limiting capacity to 20 percent, or about 44 people at a time.

Protesters, some without face coverings, sang the National Anthem, shouted slogans about the need to reopen businesses and return to work in New Jersey. Some protesters also expressed support for President Donald Trumps re-election campaign.

Smith previously appeared on Fox News to announce that his gym would be reopen. In response, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a daily press briefing that such action would be clear violation of his executive order.

A law firm presenting the gym is questioning the constitutionality of business shutdowns, based on a copy of the letter posted on social media by Fox 29.

Governor Murphy, in a gross abuse of power, has seized the Covid-19 pandemic to expand his authority by unprecedented lengths, said a letter from the Mermigis Law Group in Syosset, L.I.

We intend to file an action which challenges the constitutionality of Governor Murphys Orders to curb my clients civil rights and liberties by ordering draconian shelter-in-place orders and effectively shuttering so-called Non-Essential businesses all across the State Of New Jersey, said a letter signed by Attorney James Mermigis.

The letter warned, If this unconstitutional harassment of my clients and their business continues, I will be forced to contact the local U.S. Attorneys office in addition to the Department of Justice.
One new case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Manitoba, the province announced in a media release Monday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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One new case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in Manitoba, the province announced in a media release Monday.

That brings the total number of lab-confirmed and presumed positive cases in the province to 290. It had been thought that number had been reached last week, but a presumed positive case ended up testing negative in the lab.

There are now 26 active cases in the province, with 257 people having recovered from the virus. The location of the new case and whether it is lab-confirmed or a presumptive positive were not disclosed, but COVID-19 statistics hosted on the provincial government's website indicate that it is likely not in Prairie Mountain Health as that health region is shown as not having any presumptive cases.

That breaks a streak of consecutive days without a new case dating back to last Monday, May 11. However, there is good news in that there was only a single COVID patient hospitalized in Manitoba on Monday, compared to two on Sunday. Also, there are no longer any COVID patients in intensive care.

Over the past week, cases at Paul's Hauling's maintenance shop in Brandon, the Safeway gas bar at the Corral Centre and the Maple Leaf Plant in Brandon have been identified, but tests for those individuals happened prior to last Monday and would already have been reflected in the province's statistics.

While the recent statistics in Manitoba have been positive, the provincial government is advising Manitobans that significant work still has to be done to prevent the virus from spreading. People in Southern Manitoba are still not allowed to travel north of the 53rd parallel in order to prevent the spread of the virus to northern communities.

Those going to the cottage or going camping are advised that they still need to follow social distancing rules.

After 487 tests were performed on Sunday, the total number of COVID-19 tests completed in Manitoba has climbed to 35,200. Manitobans suffering from COVID symptoms no longer need a referral from Health Links or their family doctor to get a test.

All COVID-19 testing sites in the province except for a few in Winnipeg, Selkirk and Winkler were closed on Victoria Day. Provincial chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin did not hold his usual Monday afternoon press conference on Monday due to the statutory holiday.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday shifted blame for the road accident in Auraiya, in which 26 migrant labourers were killed, on the Congress governments in Punjab and Rajasthan, saying the party is like the proverbial cat that seeks salvation after killing 100 rats.

Speaking to a channel, Adityanath said, "In the unfortunate accident that took place in UP's Auraiya, the Congress leadership should understand that one truck (involved in it) was from Rajasthan, while the other was coming from Punjab.

"A hefty amount of money was taken from the migrant labourers, who were returning to Bihar and Jharkhand. What were they (Congress) doing then? You will exploit people and then put up an honest face."



He said the Hindi idiom, "100 chuhe khaakar, billi Haj ko chali (a cat seeking salvation after consuming 100 rats)", fits on the Congress today.

"This is the shameful face of the Congress. I condemn the Congress leadership for making fun of the migrant labourers," the chief minister said.

Twenty-six migrant workers were killed after a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime along with people rammed into a stationary truck with many migrant workers sitting in it, near a roadside eatery on the national highway in Auraiya on Saturday.

Adityanath said for the last three days, he has been asking the Congress to provide a list of the 1,000 buses that the party says have been kept ready to ferry migrants.

"I am yet to get the list. I would like to tell the Congress leaders that during this pandemic, they should not do petty politics. The need of the hour is sympathy and sensitivity towards the migrant labourers," he added.

The chief minister said along with the list of the 1,000 buses, if a list of the migrant labourers is also provided, "we will definitely permit them (to come to Uttar Pradesh)".

"We have already told them that the list should be provided to us, so that we are assured that all the migrants are from Uttar Pradesh and we can safely take them to their respective destinations. We would be happy to do so, but in the last three days, we have not got any list of the buses," he said.

The remarks of the chief minister come a day after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged him to allow her party to ferry migrant labourers back home in buses arranged by it and kept ready at the state border.

She made the appeal in a video message posted on Twitter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In many ways, islands are worlds unto themselves. Surrounded on all sides by vast stretches of open water, they develop their own cultures and languages and folkways, known to all islanders, but strange and fascinating to new arrivals. And some islands, it must be said, are better than others, and those that are far-flung, well, they tend to be the best. In these strange days, when even a trip to the supermarket feels like a journey, dream with us about isles and atolls and keysfilled with natural wonders, and well off the beaten path; I think youll agree that these are some of the very best.

South Georgia Island. (Courtesy Adeline Heymann Photography)

South Georgia Island

Sometimes called the Serengeti of the Southern Ocean, the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is about 100 miles long, bisected by a line of soaring, snow-capped mountains and some 160 glaciersand absolutely pulsates with wildlife.

Here, three days sailing from the closest inhabited civilization, penguins gather in rookeries numbering in the hundreds of thousands (one spot, called Salisbury Plain, is inhabited by about half a million), with millions of king, macaroni, Gentoo, and chinstrap penguins lining beaches and coves, all along the lee side of the island. Theyre joined by wandering albatross (the worlds largest bird, by wingspan), fur seals (almost extinct, a century ago), and lumbering, alien-looking elephant seals, who joust for supremacy along the shore.

And theres history, tooa little over a century ago, explorer Ernest Shackleton landed here in a lifeboat, having navigated almost 1,000 miles of roiling ocean from Elephant Island, seeking rescue at a whaling station, and saving his stranded men.

Haida Gwaii, Canada. (Courtesy Destination BC)

Haida Gwaii

Wrapped in mist, and mystery, this archipelago of 150 islands sits off the coast of northwest British Columbia, near the bottom edge of the Alaskan Panhandle. Once known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, its the ancestral home of the Haida people, whose ancient villages, with their longhouses and carved memorial and mortuary poles, abandoned more than a century ago, still line the shores. (One, SGang Gwaay, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.)

With almost half of it preserved inside the Gwaii Haanas National Park Preserve and Haida Heritage Site, these are islands of ghosts, and legends, temperate rainforestfilled with Sitka spruce and hemlocks and towering western red cedarsthick enough to swallow you whole. Take in the views, and the stories, with each village attended by full-time Haida Watchmen, who share the history (and the mysteries), with visitors.

Guernsey, U.K. (Enrapture Captivating Media/Unsplash)

Guernsey

Closer to France than England, this group of three islands, floating out in the middle of the English Channel, is quirky, charming, and indisputably independent, neither part of the United Kingdom, nor the European Union. Formally a bailiwick (and ruled by a bailiff) dating back to the 10th century, the sweeping landscapes on the main island were painted by Auguste Renoir, and Victor Hugo, exiled here for 15 years, was a resident of the hilly capital, St. Peter Port.

But even amongst the three islands here, theres diversitytake a one-hour ferry ride from St. Peter Port to Sark (tourism slogan: A World Apart) and youll be in a whole different place, a fiefdom where feudalism was only recently abandoned, and a land without cars, where youll need a bicycle, or a tractor, to get around. Cross the Coupee to Little Sark, enjoy a glass of sloe gin at La Sablonnerie, then emerge to a canopy of stars, in one of the worlds greatest dark sky preserves.

Mount Pico, Azores. (Courtesy of Visit Azores)

The Azores

Sitting about a third of the way across the North Atlantic, this string of volcanic islands has, since their first settlement in the 15th century, been a way station for those seeking new horizons, and the New World, visited by everyone from Christopher Columbus to Mark Twain.

Technically an autonomous territory belonging to Portugal, each of the nine islands has its own unique mix of church spires and old-town cobblestones and wild country. Shaped like a dragon, Sao Jorge makes some of the worlds best cheese. On Terceira, you can hike right into the heart of an empty volcano. Pico, dominated by a massive summit, features UNESCO-recognized vineyards, protected by walls of black stone, rectangular plots known as currais. And on the island of Sao Miguel, visit the volcanic town of Furnas, where you can take a dip in a hot spring, then lunch on cozido, a juicy combination of meats cooked by the earth, the food buried in a little metal container, just below the surface.

Molokai

Sitting amidst one of the worlds great tourist destinations, this Hawaiian island, which can be seen rising off the coast of Mauis west side, remains largely undiscovered to visitors (in part because its home to no large hotels or resorts). Preserving a traditional heritage, life moves at a wonderfully slow pace. You can hike down the face of a cliff to Kalaupapa, once a leper colony, and now a National Historic Park, shop local fruit stands, or learn more about island culture with a guided walk in the sacred Halawa Valley. Then head to one of the islands regular jam sessions, where locals gather to play the ukulele and slack-key guitar, and dance the hula.

Faroe Islands. (Rogerio Toledo/Unsplash)

Faroe Islands

Located about halfway between Iceland and Norway, this North Atlantic archipelago occupies a lonely, blustery stretch of sea. Settled by Vikings in the 9th century, these 18 grassy, green, basalt islands only emerged on the tourist map very recently. With vast, windswept landscapes, bald, jagged peaks, and thousands more sheep than human beings, its a wonderful place for those who love long drives, hikes, and, in general, beautiful isolation. Hop between fishing villages populated by traditional homes with sod-grass rooftops, walk past plunging waterfalls, then maybe join a local farmer for a hearty mealknown as heimablidni. These five-course meals showcase time-honored local hospitality, and usually feature lamb, codfish, and beer made nearby.

Easter Island. (Thomas Griggs/Unsplash)

Easter Island

Known locally as Rapa Nui, this super-isolated placemore than 1,200 miles from the nearest inhabited island (which itself is only home to 50 people), and more than 2,000 miles from the South American mainlandhas a puzzling past. Settled centuries ago by Polynesians from the Marquesas, or Gambier Islands, or maybe somewhere else, the first residents had to navigate canoes over vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean.

Once here, they set up a complex civilization, buildingfamouslythe islands iconic moai, towering monolithic statues, lines of huge stone heads. Later, that society devolved to war and destruction, battles that toppled many moai and disrupted the flow of the history on the island. Most believe the moai honored ancestors, and projected protective power over communities here, and nearly 1,000 remain. A visit to see these statues can be a transformative experience, inspiring awe at their size, and catalyzing thoughts on the past, and life.

Toronto-based writer Tim Johnson is always traveling, in search of the next great story. Having visited 140 countries across all seven continents, hes tracked lions on foot in Botswana, dug for dinosaur bones in Mongolia, and walked among a half-million penguins on South Georgia Island. He contributes to some of North Americas largest publications, including CNN Travel, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail.
(CNN)  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears to be backing away from a theory he and President Donald Trump were pushing that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated at a lab in Wuhan, China.

Pompeo said in an interview with Breitbart that aired Saturday that "we know it began in Wuhan, but we don't know from where or from whom, and those are important things."

"We have repeatedly asked to have teams go in to assist them in identifying where the virus originated," the secretary said.

Pompeo has for weeks publicly espoused the theory that the virus that has infected more than 1,400,000 Americans originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, claiming in an interview earlier this month that there was "enormous evidence" and a "significant amount of evidence" this was the case. He later conceded that he couldn't be certain of its origin and that the evidence that it came from "the vicinity" of the Wuhan lab "could be wrong."

While Trump has similarly claimed that he has seen evidence linking the outbreak to the Wuhan lab, assessments by scientists and those circulated among US intelligence-sharing allies have posited that it is "highly unlikely" the virus originated in a lab. The US intelligence community has said it is looking into both possibilities.

The Chinese government has pushed back on the claim, describing it as a "smear" intended to bolster Trump's reelection chances.

Pompeo has repeatedly condemned Beijing for a lack of transparency about the pandemic.

In his interview with Breitbart, Pompeo emphasized that knowing where the outbreak began is "key" for scientists working on developing a vaccine, and blamed China for "attempting ... to undermine the central understandings of transparency that every country has a responsibility to deliver."

Pompeo also reiterated that the US intends to punish China for the global pandemic, but noted that "the precise mechanisms that we will choose -- I want to make sure that (Trump) gets the chance to get fully briefed and make those decisions."

CNN reported in late April that the Trump administration is formulating a long-term plan to punish China on multiple fronts for the deadly outbreak. Multiple sources inside the administration said they are considering various tools, including sanctions, canceling US debt obligations and drawing up new trade policies, to make clear to China, and to everyone else, where they feel the responsibility lies.
The German foreign affairs minister, Heiko Maas, is to hold talks with his counterparts in various countries with the aim of reopening borders in order to allow tourist travel.

Maas is to seek coordinated measures with Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. The German government wants to end restrictions on travel but provide travel alerts so that tourists will be able to assess risks in different countries. Germany will be opening its borders from 14 June.

Towards the end of April, Maas said that "we have not reached the point where we can recommend carefree travel", but he had also said earlier in April that the German government was re-evaluating the situation week by week. He has consistently called for any loosening of restrictions to be coordinated at a European level. Although the European Commission last week didn't go so far as to set an exact timeframe for reopening borders and lifting travel restrictions, it did establish a framework and guidelines by which member states can operate.

In one of the countries that Maas has identified, Portugal, a third of hotels on the Algarve are already open. The Algarve has been less affected by coronavirus than other regions of the country. The anticipation is that 75% of hotels will be open in June, which is when beaches will be open, and that all of the hotels will be open in July.
Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships

New York, New York - Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the American Foundation of Savoy Orders (Savoy Foundation) announced the extension of the deadline for submission of 2020-2021 Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships Applications from May 15 to June 15, 2020. Applications and supporting documents may be submitted by email to facilitate the process. A complete list of guidelines, qualifications, and applications is available on its website visit https://www.savoyfoundation-usa.org/savoy-orders-pigott-scholarships.html. All applicants will be notified at the end of July.

Scholarship recipients are selected based on criteria established by the Savoy Foundation, under the generous support of the Pigott family, which endowed the scholarship fund to support gifted and deserving students by assisting them with the costs of their education in the fields of fine arts/ humanities and international studies. International studies scholars participate in the Savoy Foundation NGO program at the United Nations. Since 2010, the Savoy Foundation has awarded scholarships to 24 students to support their college and graduate studies. For detailed information, please visit https://www.savoyfoundation-usa.org/savoy-orders-pigott-scholarships.html . Questions about the scholarship process can be referred to Larissa Van Duser at 646-489-1242 or amsavoy@aol.com.

About the American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated

The American Foundation of Savoy Orders, Incorporated, a U.S. charitable 501(c)(3) organization, has three endowments: charitable causes, educational programs and operating expenses. The Savoy Orders Pigott Scholarships were also established by the Foundation to provide financial aid to students in the Humanities and International studies. Annual grants are also made to childrens and hospital programs. In order to raise funds for the support of its activities, the Savoy Foundation sponsors a winter event, Ballo di Savoia and a spring event, Festa della Primavera in New York City and an event on the West Coast, Notte di Savoia Los Angeles. The Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Roster Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Members of the Italian Royal Family, headed by His Royal Highness, Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, actively support, attend and lend their names through formal patronage of the Savoy Foundations events. The Foundation also sponsors an annual history series on Italy and the Savoy dynasty which dates back over 1,000 years and is one of the oldest royal families in Europe.
Lifeguarding has always been a high-risk job. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, those who work to protect beachgoers are facing a new level of danger.

From stubbed toes to cardiac arrests, open water lifeguards are trained to act as first responders for all manner of medical emergencies that can happen at the beach, often putting them in close proximity to beach patrons. And when it comes to making water rescues, they sometimes come in direct physical contact with people who might be spitting up water or gasping for air  an aspect of their job thats raising new concerns due to the ways that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads. Lifeguards from places across the country who spoke to TIME expressed concern that the unique nature of lifeguarding will lead to a high level of risk of exposure to coronavirus this summer. They say that although they are working to minimize that risk, the fact remains that many protective precautions are useless in the water.

With Memorial Day  the May holiday weekend that marks the start of the summer season at many U.S. beaches  swiftly approaching, lifeguard patrols are doing what they can to try to ensure that their employees will be equipped to do their jobs without risking exposure to the virus. Unfortunately, with the prospect of crowded beaches and the dangers of water rescues in the mix, there doesnt yet seem to be a foolproof method to guarantee lifeguards protection from infection.

Effective coronavirus safety measures are particularly complicated given that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 25% of people infected with the virus may not show symptoms. Cary Epstein, the owner of professional lifeguarding service Epi-Center Rescue and a longtime lifeguard at Jones Beach in Wantagh, N.Y., says that this statistic requires lifeguards to operate under the assumption that everyone they come in contact with on the beach is infected. There are people who are symptomatic and people who are asymptomatic, so theres no way to look at someone and judge whether theyre a carrier of the coronavirus, he says. We need to assume that every person we come in contact with has the virus [and interact with them as such].

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As states like Delaware, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are set to open some state beaches in time for Memorial Day weekend, Epstein says that lifeguards will likely need to be supplied with more personal protective equipment (PPE) on a daily basis than they have been in the past. Although basic lifeguard first aid kits typically include some PPE like surgical gloves and safety goggles, he says that N95, surgical or other protective face masks recommended by the CDC to combat the spread of coronavirus arent a frequent fixture. Reassessing these types of safety protocols is a top priority for lifeguard patrols across the country right now, Epstein says.

A sign outside of a lifeguard tower on a beach in San Diego, Calif. | B. Chris Brewster

In San Diego County, where the year-round beaches began reopening with limited access at the end of April, B. Chris Brewster, chair of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Certification Committee and former lifeguard chief for the city of San Diego, says that on-duty lifeguards are wearing masks at all times to comply with the countys May 1 public health mandate requiring all residents to wear face coverings while in public. But thats not the case everywhere.

There could be a state or county regulation that required [face coverings], or even if there wasnt, it could be a decision made by lifeguard employers to protect employees and the public, Brewster says. Each area is going to vary not only on regulations, but also on the employers decision.

Thats what we do

Of course, when lifeguards need to rush to the aid of a swimmer who is struggling in the water, PPE that works on land isnt applicable. Theres this whole other issue of how do we have the same conversation [about safety] when we talk about making water rescues. Because thats what we do, Epstein says. Of course we respond to emergencies on the beach, but lifeguards make water rescues, and N95 masks and surgical gowns and whatever other personal protective equipment you can think of to use on land cant be used in the water.

In Broward County, Fla., where the closure of year-round beaches was extended to an undetermined date on May 7, Jim McCrady, vice president of the USLA Southeast Region and a longtime beach lifeguard in Fort Lauderdale, says that the countys lifeguards are currently working alongside police officers to keep people off beaches. But he says there isnt a clear answer to the difficult question of how to safely execute water rescues once beaches do open.

The preventative measures that lifeguards already take  keeping an eye out for emergencies before they happen, guiding people away from potential hazards like rip currents or shorebreak, etc.  will be more important than ever to limit the number of water rescues that need to be made going forward, says McCrady. According to annual statistics that the USLA calculates by polling its chapters, beach lifeguards made nearly 86,000 rescues and took over 8 million preventative actions in 2018, the most recent year with data available. Lifeguards generally do a lot of preventative lifeguarding, McCrady says. But once beaches do open up, well have to be extra vigilant and even more preventative.

If a lifeguard does need to make a water rescue, physical contact with the victim should only be initiated if absolutely necessary, McCrady says. If we do have to rescue somebody, we can take either a kayak or paddle board out to the victim and throw them a rescue tube or rescue can to grab onto so we can tow them back to shore with the length of the buoy lanyard separating the victim from the rescuer, he says. If that person is incapacitated to the point where they cant grab onto the buoy themselves, then and only then would we go in the water, physically hold the person on the buoy and bring them in.

Its not foolproof

Theres also the question of how to safely perform CPR on a victim who needs to be resuscitated to consider. Lifeguards have been using pocket masks and bag valve masks  resuscitation devices that protect rescuers from bodily fluids that can carry pathogens  for years. But due to the fact that coronavirus can spread through the air and pocket masks necessitate near face-to-face contact, Epstein says that lifeguards will need to exclusively rely on bag valve masks this summer to decrease their risk of exposure to the virus. He says the downside of bag valve masks is that they usually require two people to operate efficiently.

Getty Images

The rule of lifeguarding is that if youre the first [rescuer on the scene] and someone needs to be resuscitated, you whip out your pocket mask and use that first, he says. Then when someone else gets there, you can switch to a bag valve mask or continue to use your pocket mask. But with COVID-19 being transferred through aerosol, the new reality is that this isnt a practice we want to see our lifeguards performing.

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And then theres trying to prevent the spread of the virus amongst their own ranks. From routine temperature checks to social distancing to decontaminating lifeguard chairs between shifts, patrols are also working to institute protocols that will decrease in-house infection rates. While the CDC recommends that people wash their hands often, avoid close contact with people who are sick, cover their mouths and noses with a cloth face covering in public, cover coughs and sneezes, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, some of these measures arent always practical or possible for lifeguards on the beach.

In Fort Lauderdale, McCrady says that in addition to maintaining six feet of distance between themselves, guards are closely monitoring each other for coronavirus symptoms. When we get to work every morning, we have to have our temperature taken and were asked a series of questions with regards to any symptoms that we may have, he says. Any time we enter our lifeguard headquarters, we have to check our temperature again and answer the same series of questions.

For some teenage and college-aged lifeguards who work at seasonal beaches, the status of some of their summer jobs is still up in the air. But even with the additional safety concerns, the younger lifeguards who TIME spoke to are all planning to forge ahead with lifeguarding this summer if their beaches are open.

Even weighing the dangers of it, its still something I would definitely do, says Cameron DeGuzman, a 21-year-old Binghamton University student who lifeguards at New Yorks Jones Beach during the summer. I think that if were able to get back on the job, were going to be taking precautions and were going to be smart about it. Its not something that Ive considered not doing for my own safety.

Pat Wilson, a 20-year-old Fordham University student who also lifeguards at Jones Beach, agrees that his worries arent big enough to keep him from doing his job. The beach is part of everybodys summer and lifeguards are a vital part of that, he says. So its a risk were willing to assume even if theres a bit of additional risk this summer.

Someone has to watch the water

As far as Dillane Wehbe, a 20-year-old Fordham student who lifeguards at Sachuest Beach in Newport, R.I., is concerned, its his civic duty to do his job, knowing that people will be in the water regardless of whether beaches are open. Someone has to watch the water, he says. Whether or not its open, people are going to go to the beach and swim.

Although the situation is still evolving, Epstein says safety remains the top priority for lifeguards and that some of the new measures being put in place will likely transcend this summer.

I think the changes were witnessing arent going to just be for summer 2020. I think what were going through is going to be a shift in the world, in culture and in how we safely approach things from a lifeguarding perspective, he says. It seems safe to say that moving forward, lifeguarding has definitely gone up in terms of the level of hazards and the dangers that you could encounter on an everyday basis.

Please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com.
(Photo : Kim Kyung Hoon on Reuters ) Alibaba's Jack Ma Resigns from SoftBank to Focus on Something Else (Photo : Toru Hanai on Reuters) Alibaba's Jack Ma Resigns from SoftBank to Focus on Something Else

Alibaba's co-founder and former executive official Jack Ma has recently announced resignation from his post in the top conglomerate company SoftBank. Ma is one of the top allies of the company's CEO Masayoshi Son. Despite this, why did he decided to let go of his position for nearly 13 years?

Alibaba's Jack Ma resigns from SoftBank! Here's why

As first reported via Reuters, Ma, which is one of the world's top billionaires, resigned from his position as SoftBank's board member.

Back in Sept. 2018, Ma also let go of his position in Alibaba, to focus on his philanthropic vision.

"I can never be as rich, but one thing I can do better is to retire earlier. I think someday, and soon, I'll go back to teaching. This is something I think I can do much better than being CEO of Alibaba," he said two years ago.

There was no announcement on why Ma decided to resigned from his post or if it still relates to his movement on helping other people in need.

However, Reuters speculates that it could come down to the pressure on SoftBank's top management operation, including the recently record-breaking multi-billion-dollar annual loss worth $100 billion Vision Fund.

Despite the bearish market of the conglomerate, Richard Kaye, fund manager at Comgest, an asset management firm with a $50m stake in SoftBank, confirmed that no large losses were reported after this incident.

"Although the [loss] figure might look large, the implications in terms of cash flow to a SoftBank shareholder are much smaller," said him. "WeWork is only one of many stakes at the Vision Fund ... the value in many of the company's stakes I think is fascinating."

Aside from this, there could also be a possibility that this action was part of activist investor Elliott Management's demand to improve board diversity after the loss happened.

Who will replace Jack Ma?

As reported, SoftBank will recommend three names to replace Ma as a member of the board. This includes group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto, Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of chip design software firm Cadence Design Systems who is also chairman of venture capital firm Walden International, and Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School as one of the outside directors.

Once accepted, Kawamoto will be the only female board member inside the company.

The final decision regarding the re-assignments will be tackled at its annual general meeting on June 25. The number of board members will expand to 13.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Taliban on Monday denied claims on social media that it could join Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, underlining that the Taliban was clear that it does not interfere in internal affairs of other countries.

The statement published in the media about Taaliban joining Jihad in Kashmir is wrong. The policy of the Islamic Emirate is clear that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Suhail Shaheen, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the political wing of Taliban calls itself, tweeted on Monday evening.

The strong clarification comes a day after officials monitoring social media noted a spike in posts around claims that a Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said it was impossible to be friends with India unless the Kashmir dispute is resolved. The spokesperson was also claimed to have said that the Taliban would, after capturing power in Kabul, capture Kashmir from infidels also.

Diplomats based in Kabul and Delhi told Hindustan Times that the Taliban spokespersons clarification came after India worked the backchannels to confirm reports about the groups approach to India, and on Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Watch | Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo eliminated: All the key details

New Delhi was told that the social media posts were fake and did not reflect Talibans position.

But analysts have also underlined that the Taliban wasnt a monolithic body and comprises people holding different beliefs. For example, while the group has deep linkages with the Pakistani deep state, there are also some who favour an independent line.

Since the Afghan Talibans top decision-making body Shura is based in Quetta and its sword arm, the Haqqani network based in Peshawar, both in Pakistan, an Af-Pak watcher said, one should not be surprised if there is a tweak in this stance under pressure from Pakistan.

Already, political equations are changing rapidly in Afghanistan with the US all set to withdraw from Kabul. Unlike in the past where Islamabad for decades acted as a proxy for the US during the Soviet-Afghan war, this time Pakistan is riding on China, who in turn has close partners in Russia and Iran. This time, Washington is the common enemy.

While the US has ensured that Ashraf Gani and Abdullah Abdullah have joined hands in power sharing, it hopes that the Tajik-Pashtun leader may sign an agreement with the Taliban as the former has refused to be any party to it.

The Indian initiative in Afghanistan is also at cross-roads as Pakistan based terrorists groups will use Taliban-ruled Kabul to target India without fear of any Balakot. For all the main players, Afghanistan is turning full circle with Pakistan strategically placed in the great game.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail
Over the weekend, Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in for another stint as Israels prime minister. This time, hes the head of a coalition government and, if the agreement he struck with the opposition holds, will serve for only 18 months.

Netanyahu doesnt want to waste them. His next big initiative will be the annexation of portions of the West Bank. Netanyahu wants to get this done before the U.S. presidential election because Joe Biden would likely oppose annexation, and proceeding against Americas wishes would pose a big risk for Israel.

The question is, what to annex. Annexation of the large settlements that, in effect, are suburbs of Jerusalem should be a no-brainer. Other established settlements should also be included.

Even if one takes the peace process seriously, established settlements will be part of Israel under any peace agreement it would sign. Everyone understands this, or should. Thus, it does no violence to future prospects for peace with the Palestinians to recognize reality and annex these settlements. They should fully be integrated into Israel.

It also makes sense to annex territory on the West Bank that Israel considers vital to its defense if, one day, there is a state for Palestinian state. This means the Jordan Valley  the area between the West Bank ridgeline and the Jordan River. That territory plus the settlements apparently amounts to about 30 percent of the West Bank.

Regarding the Jordan valley, Armin Rosen notes:

Even some of the leading figures in the history of the more left-wing Labor Party might have agreed with a Jordan Valley annexation, at least in principle: Yigal Allons post-1967 war plan imagined the valley would remain in Israeli hands while much of the rest of the West Bank would be returned to Jordan. In his final speech to the Knesset, Yitzhak Rabin advocated an Israeli security border that extended to the West Bank ridgeline.

How would the Trump administration view these annexations? The U.S. ambassador to Israel has told Israeli media that, with Netanyahu having expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Palestinians, the U.S. is ready to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the settlements.

This is consistent with Americas position that annexation should not look like a land grab and should not preclude the so-called two-state solution. Annexing existing settlements would do neither.

As for the Jordan Valley, Rosen says its population is relatively small and more or less evenly divided between Jewish and Palestinian inhabitants. Thus, annexing this area arguably falls within with U.S. parameters, as well.

Netanyahu must also take into account the views of his coalition partner, Benny Gantz. According to Rosen, the two partners are in general agreement regarding the annexations described above. Well see.

Israels relations with Arab states are another consideration worth mentioning. This consideration points the same way as those already discussed.

Key Arab states have a strategic interest in a working relationship with Israel. They arent likely to jeopardize that relationship over a relatively small West Bank annexation that simply recognizes reality. But an overly aggressive annexation might make life difficult for Arab leaders who work with Israel. It is not in Israels interest to do that.

Under Netanyahus deal with Gantz, he can begin formally seeking annexation on July 1. He wont hesitate to push for this crowning achievement of his unprecedentedly long run as prime minister of Israel.
Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Simeon Nwakaudu, is dead.

The River State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement released on Sunday, said Nwakaudu died at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital after a brief illness.

The statement reads, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has expressed shock over the sudden death of his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu.

He described late Nwakaudu as a loyal and dedicated professional who contributed immensely to the implementation of the Rivers vision.

The governor on behalf of his family, the government and good people of the state condoled with the bereaved family.

He prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great loss.
Ariana Grande celebrated her latest number one single by hitting back at controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ines claim that the top spot had been paid for (Ian West/PA)

Ariana Grande celebrated her latest number one single by hitting back at controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ines claim that the top spot had been paid for.

Stuck With U, Grandes hit with Justin Bieber in aid of the coronavirus relief effort, topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts in its first week.

It beat Tekashi 6ix9ines Gooba, which came in at number three behind Doja Cats Say So in second.

Expand Close Ariana Grande has hit back at claims she paid for her latest number one single (PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ariana Grande has hit back at claims she paid for her latest number one single (PA)

He reacted angrily, sharing a video on Instagram claiming the charts are corrupt and had been manipulated by the bulk-buying of Grandes song.

The hip hop star, currently under house arrest after being released from prison early while serving a sentence for gang-related activity, said: I want the world to know that Billboard is a lie. You can buy number ones on Billboard.

He claims 60,000 Stuck With U units were bought at the last second and half of those were purchased with six credit cards.

He also showed a spreadsheet on his phone, claiming it showed Gooba had had 20 million streams disqualified. Billboard has been contacted for comment.

Grande issued her own response, saying numbers arent the driving force in anything I do.

She then addressed the claims of buying the number one spot, saying hers and Biebers fans had bought the music.

Video of the Day

Without naming Tekashi, she added: To anybody that is displeased with their placement on the chart this week or who is spending their time racking their brain thinking of as many ways as they can to discredit hardworking women (and only the women for some reason..), i ask u to take a moment to humble yourself.

be grateful youre even here. that people want to listen to u at all. its a blessed position to be in. ive had a lot of almost number ones in my career and i never said a goddamn thing because I FEEL GRATEFUL TO EVEN BE HERE. TO WANT TO BE HEARD AT ALL . and you should feel that way too.

Expand Close Justin Bieber has defended his song with Ariana Grande amid cheating claims (Instagram/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Justin Bieber has defended his song with Ariana Grande amid cheating claims (Instagram/PA)

Bieber has also defended the single. Writing on his Instagram Story, he said the 60,000 Stuck With You units arrived late because we dont disclose our numbers until the end of week.

Thats called strategy, Bieber added. The Canadian pop star said claims six credits cards had bought 30,000 units are a lie and that the numbers have all been verified by market research company Nielsen Corporation.

Bieber added: This is my song with Ariana Grande and Im honoured to work with her to raise money for a great cause. If you gonna say her name make sure you say mine because its our song.

Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, is one of the most controversial stars in modern music.

He has clashed with a string of high-profile figures  including Meek Mill and Snoop Dogg  and faced a lengthy prison sentence for his involvement with a violent street gang before he turned star witness for the prosecution.

He was released from prison early in April over fears his asthma made him vulnerable to coronavirus. The rapper is under house arrested in New York.
LENZING, Austria, May 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The start of 2020 was met with different challenges due to the global COVID-19 pandemic which, alongside the impact on public health, has resulted in economic and environmental shifts. During this time, everyone must take the responsibility to keep themselves and those around them healthy and strong, given the aftermath of the virus is sure to bring further challenges.

Despite global headwinds, the TENCEL brand shall continue to "stay on course" through good and bad times and find ways to sustain its core DNA to promote sustainability. Last year, the brand launched multiple initiatives across the trade and consumer sector, aligning with business development goals. This year, TENCEL will continue long-term business planning to offer expertise and products across different segments, improve customer experience, and work closely with stakeholders on driving sustainability awareness and industry reforms.

Some latest TENCEL brand stories include:

TENCEL Luxe collaborates with Red Carpet Green Dress to unveil sustainable eco-couture textiles and custom-made gowns for Oscars 2020

TENCEL Luxe partnered with RCGD to deliver an exceptional range of eco-couture gowns for the Oscars 2020. With high-end fashion historically lacking in naturally-sourced materials, this groundbreaking partnership is driving sustainable fashion to new heights. TENCEL Luxe is leading the charge for the future of eco-couture by meeting the increasing demand from high-end fashion brands for environmentally friendly fabric alternatives.

Lenzing introduces TENCEL Modal fibers with Eco Pure technology to strengthen sustainability commitment at Premiere Vision

With sustainability always front of mind, Lenzing introduced TENCEL branded modal fibers with Eco Pure technology at Premiere Vision. Manufactured using a chlorine-free bleaching process, textiles made of these fibers tend to be softer and are perfect for making undergarments, loungewear, bedding and more.

Lenzing bagged two awards at Transform Awards Europe for excellence in brand transformation

At Transform Awards Europe, Lenzing and branding partner Siegel+Gale, were awarded "Best Brand Architecture Solution" and "Best Visual Identity from the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector". Lenzing was thrilled to receive the awards in recognition of the brand's transformation and collaborative efforts.

GUESS announces sustainable Summer collection using TENCEL and LENZING ECOVERO branded fibers

Lenzing is once again excited to partner with GUESS as they continue to grow their "Smart GUESS" collection made with TENCEL and LENZING ECOVERO branded fibers. An array of styles that incorporate Lenzing's environmentally conscious fibers have been created for men and women, demonstrating GUESS' rapid progress in sustainability.

TENCEL encourages young designers to BEDifferent in bedding design competition to promote sustainability

The TENCEL brand launched the "BEDifferent" project, during which they asked design students from European fashion academies to create a bedding collection that expressed the future of eco-friendly bed linen using TENCEL x REFIBRA fibers. Three winners were selected for their truly unique collections that brought the "BEDifferent" campaign to life.

Italy's ACBC put their best foot forward with sustainable shoe concept in collaboration with TENCEL

Two Italian designers came up with a solution to revolutionize footwear sustainability. Their shoe brand, ACBC, designed a "Jogger" shoe that came in two parts, the skin and the sole, connected via a patented zipper system. The biodegradable "skin" of the shoe offers wearers multiple footwear design options and is made from TENCEL branded fibers for enhanced breathability and, above all, environmental sustainability.

Fashion and sustainability unite at Neonyt in Berlin

During Neonyt, Harold Weghorst, Lenzing's Vice President of Global Brand Management, spoke on a panel titled "SDGs X Fashion  The UN's Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action," alongside industry peers. The panel discussed the charter, upcoming industry challenges and how the fashion industry can collaborate effectively to address current issues in sustainability.

TENCEL and fashion brand, LANIVATTI launches first eco-collection in Jakarta

TENCEL and fashion brand, LANIVATTI, launched an exciting collaboration for their "Beyond Borders 2020" collection in Jakarta. 80% of the materials in the collection were made from TENCEL branded fibers. The grand launch event saw top influencers, fashion experts, and local media come together to celebrate the special occasion.

SOURCE TENCEL

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Two news stories related to the ever-topical subject of taxation of service providers have recently emerged: in Indonesia a new tax is about to be imposed, while in Syria an unpaid tax is being pursued.

The Indonesian finance ministry has been reported as instituting a new regulation taxing over-the-top (OTT) services. More precisely, the government of Indonesia seems to be ready to charge a 10 percent value-added tax on the sale of digital products and services from 1 July 2020.

This, according to a report in Reuters, will apply to digital products sold by non-domiciled internet companies with a significant presence in the Indonesian market, including streaming services, applications and digital games. How Spotify and Netflix, said to be among the companies targeted, will respond remains to be seen.

By contrast, SyriaTel should perhaps not be surprised at the Syria Telecommunications Regulatory Authoritys (SyTRA) warning that it will take all legal measures to collect back taxes it claims the operator owes.

The company has already missed a deadline for arranging a mechanism for the payment, and, along with rival provider MTN Syria is said to owe a total of $1.09 billion in back taxes related to licence fees.

MTN, however, is in the process of negotiating a mechanism for the payment of the owed amount; SyriaTel has yet to do so.
Photo credit: Facebook/Toshua Parker, Toshco

From Woman's Day

As we all know, social distancing and stay-at-home orders have been implemented since mid-March. For most folks, these mandates limit how frequently people can go to the grocery store and other essential businesses that have been allowed to stay open during quarantine, but for one Alaskan town, its meant restricted access to food.

Gustavus is a remote seaside town situated in southeastern Alaska. Less than 500 people call the small town homeand, fun fact, moose actually outnumber people there. The town is just 38 square miles and, despite sounding like an idyllic beach escape, is surrounded by the ice fields of Glacier Bay National Park on three sides and the Atlantic Ocean on its fourth side. Since there are no roads to or from the island, it requires all food, supplies, and other goods to be transported by plane or boat. As you might have guessed, this can prove to be challenging on even the most normal day, let alone when a pandemic hits.

Due to the limited access to the island and supply chains being altered as a result of COVID-19, delivery was cut off to the small town during the past couple of months of quarantine. Fortunately, Toshua Parker, a Gustavus resident and grocer, stepped in to remedy the situation.

Since deliveries were cut off in April, Toshua has led his team on a 14-hour voyage every week to ensure Gustavus residents dont go hungry. Each week, Toshua plans a 7-hour sea voyage to Juneau, Alaska, where he uses his Costco card to stock up on $20,000 worth of essentials, including canned goods, eggs, flour, meat (not to mention ammunition to hunt your own), produce, andyou guessed ittoilet paper, as well as personal orders from his neighbors. He then turns around and makes the 7-hour voyage back to Gustavus where he uses the supplies to stock his grocery store, Icy Strait Wholesale (AKA ToshCo). Once stocked, he notifies the town via the stores Facebook page .

Speaking of the stores Facebook page, locals are quick to show their appreciation and support. Thank you Toshua, Cassie, and all the wonderful employees at Toshco that keep Gustavus stocked, one commenter wrote. We are fortunate to have such dedicated people keeping us fed and supplied.

Story continues

Toshua pretty much saved the town, Gustavus Mayor Casipit said in an interview with Tanks Good News . I really dont know what we wouldve done without him.

Its like Christmas when the load gets here, Toshua added. Everyone is waiting for it. Word gets out, and they all seem to know when its coming."

Want more Womans Day? Subscribe to Woman's Day today and get 73% off your first 12 issues. And while youre at it, sign up for our FREE newsletter for even more of the Woman's Day content you want.

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C oronavirus vaccine trials are taking place around the world, as governments hope a vaccine to stop the virus will be ready for distribution in the coming months.

There are more than 300 vaccine candidates, according to the World Health Organisation. Around 40 of these are being tested on humans, and nine have reached the phase 3 trials  the last stage before possible distribution. They have all already signed purchase agreements with global governments.

AstraZeneca is developing one of those nine at Oxford University. The other advanced vaccine candidates come from companies in China, Russia, and the US, including one led by US multinational Johnson & Johnson.

A UK Vaccine Taskforce is being led by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Jonathan Van Tam to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

Researchers at the Oxford Vaccine Group began testing the vaccine candidate ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in humans on April 24 to see whether it can protect healthy people from Covid-19.

Here's what we know so far about the coronavirus vaccine.

Microbiologist Elisa Granato, 32, is injected as part of human trials in the UK for a coronavirus vaccine / PA

Is a coronavirus vaccine nearly ready?

Producing a vaccine, which some have predicted could take up to 18 months, is a "colossal undertaking", Business Secretary Alok Sharma has said.

Although nine vaccine candidates are in the final stage of testing, it may be months before they are ready to implement.

The phase 3 vaccine trials will all end when a certain number of people who have received the vaccine and those in the control group have contracted the virus and displayed symptoms.

The study works by randomly allocating volunteers either a ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, or a licensed meningitis vaccine, to be used as a control for comparison.

Statisticians will compare the number of infections in the control group, with the number of infections in the vaccinated group.

Therefore, it is necessary for a small number of study participants to develop Covid-19.

How quickly researchers reach the numbers required depends on the levels of virus transmission in the community.

If transmission remains high, enough data may be available in a couple of months but if transmission levels drop, this could take up to six months.

When will a vaccine be available to the public?

Scientists forecast that the first vaccine could have a positive phase 3 trial result by next month at the earliest, or mid-2021 at the latest.

AstraZeneca has already had to pause trials twice after participants fell seriously ill. Although the trials have resumed in the UK, they remain on hold in the US. When the trial restarted in the UK in September,

AstraZeneca said it was on track to submit its vaccine for regulatory approval before 2021. As many as 18,000 people in the UK, US, South Africa and Brazil have received its AZD1222 vaccine in trials so far.

Analysts estimate that a successful vaccine could be approved by a regulator within a month of showing positive phase 3 trial results. However, it would take another six months before the vaccine could be made available for wider public campaigns, as full data would need to be collected and analysed first.

This is 12-18 months after the coronavirus, officially known as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged - however, there are no guarantees.

The vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is made from ChAdOx1, a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees.

It has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans.

Researchers hope their version will make the body recognise and develop an immune response to the spike protein  recognisable in images of the virus  that will help stop Covid-19 from entering human cells and therefore prevent infection.

What has the UK government said about a coronavirus vaccine?

The UK has pre-bought six different vaccines - including AstraZenecas vaccine, which has been pre-ordered around the world.

Mr Sharma has said he is "proud" of the work taking place at Oxford University.

Patrick Vallance, the UK governments chief scientific adviser said this week that a few doses of an effective coronavirus vaccine may be available for use before the end of the year.

There is good progress being made, he said. Many vaccines now have shown they generate an immune response of a type that ought to be protective, and several vaccines are in very late stage clinical testing, aiming to show that they are both effective and safe.

We dont yet know that they will work. But there is increasing evidence that its pointed in the right direction.

Its possible that some vaccine could be available before the end of the year in small amounts for certain groups, [but] much more likely that well see vaccines becoming available over the first half of next year. Again not certain, but pointed in the right direction, which then of course gives the possibility of a different approach to this virus.

The Financial Times reported this week that London is to host the worlds first Covid-19 human challenge trials. Healthy volunteers will be deliberately infected with Covid-19 to test the effectiveness of experimental vaccines in UK government-funded trials beginning in January at a secure east London location.
When it was first being mooted early this month that Playa de Palma might act as a "test resort" for the reactivation of foreign tourism, residents associations expressed their opposition. Playa de Palma, it was said, needed to recover without there being "business experiments with risks for health".

Last week it was confirmed that the intention is for Playa de Palma to be the test resort. Three hotels, yet to be agreed on, will accommodate foreign tourists arriving in Majorca on "test flights". These are likely to be some time in the second half of June. Given the previous objection, it is no surprise that residents are again taking issue with the plan; they are going to be "treated like guinea pigs by the tourism industry in collusion with public administrations". "We want to decide on our health."

A residents group in Arenal insists that Arenal is "more than just the tourist brand of Playa de Palma". This is "not a theme park for the tourism industry and its economic activity". "It is an area where tourist and residential uses coexist with no few conflicts that administrations have been unwilling to resolve for years."

In this regard, the residents go on to complain about the general lack of commitment to the area and the absence of a "true model for change that addresses underlying problems that existed before the current crisis".
A carcass of a leopard with bullet injuries was found in a forest in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Monday, officials said.

The six-year-old male leopard was found dead in a water stream in the forest near upper Dandi village, around 3-km from Bhaderwah town, they said.

The Forest department officers reached the spot after locals informed that they herd gunshots in Neeru range, the officials said.

"We rushed to the scene and found the leopard dead in a stream. The postmortem was conducted by the veterinary doctors on the spot which revealed death due to gunshot in the stomach," Range Officer, Bhaderwah forest division, Shafqat Khankan Malik told PTI.

He said although the vital parts of the animal were intact, poaching cannot be ruled out.

"The suspected poachers apparently could not get time to reach the dead animal due to prompt arrival of our team," Malik said, adding that police were informed and an FIR was lodged in the case.

Later, Bhaderwah Tehsildar Zeeshan Tahir and SHO Shamim Ahmad also reached the spot and started investigations.

"This is a very serious offence and any body found guilty will not be spared. Carrying any firearms in the forest is an illegal and heinous crime," Tahir said.

After completing all the formalities, the carcass of the leopard was consigned to flames in the presence of a witnesses, the officials said.

A manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Using new, science-led protocols and service measures, partnering with industry leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey, and launching a global IHG Clean Promise, the strengthened measures will give guests greater confidence and hotel teams the protection needed.

Keith Barr, Chief Executive Officer, IHG, commented: "The future of travel may look different, but a safe, secure stay is fundamental to deliver True Hospitality  and that will never change. By combining IHG's world-class knowledge and processes, with cutting-edge expertise from Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey, we can reassure guests and colleagues that we're focused on protecting their health and wellbeing. This includes looking at where technology can make a difference, deploying enhanced, highly visible and more frequent cleaning measures, and different approaches to food and beverage, all underpinned by our new IHG Clean Promise."

Enhancing IHG Way of Clean

IHG has a long-standing commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures. Launched in 2015, the IHG Way of Clean programme was developed with Ecolab and Diversey, both world leaders in hygiene and cleaning technologies and services. This programme is now being expanded with additional COVID-19 protocols and best practices - many of which are already in place - to reflect the advice of the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and local public health authorities in markets around the world.

IHG Way of Clean already includes deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants and going forward guests can expect to see evolved procedures in every area of the hotel, which may include:

Reception: Reduced contact at check-in, touchless transactions, front desk screens, sanitizer stations, sanitized key cards, paperless checkout

Reduced contact at check-in, touchless transactions, front desk screens, sanitizer stations, sanitized key cards, paperless checkout

Guest Room: Visible verification of sanitized items (e.g., glassware, remote control), reduction of in-room furnishings/high-touch items, new laundry protocols, use of new technology

Visible verification of sanitized items (e.g., glassware, remote control), reduction of in-room furnishings/high-touch items, new laundry protocols, use of new technology

Public Spaces and Facilities: Additional deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces, social distancing, "last cleaned" charts, best practices for pools, fitness centers and lounges

Additional deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces, social distancing, "last cleaned" charts, best practices for pools, fitness centers and lounges

Food & Beverage: New standards and service approach to buffets, banquets, room service and catering

Supporting the Wellbeing of Guests and Colleagues

Enabling the personal wellbeing of guests and colleagues is key. IHG is working closely with a team of medical experts at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic to develop guidance and resources for hotel teams on returning to work and keeping guests safe in this new environment, which may include:

Cleanliness information in hotels and on IHG's booking channels



Social distancing operating procedures and signage



Guidance on the use of protective equipment as necessary by hotel colleagues



Updated colleague training and certification



Availability of individual guest amenity cleaning kits



Hand sanitiser and disinfecting wipes available in guest rooms and at high-touch points throughout hotels

IHG Clean Promise and Global Cleanliness Board

With updated measures in place, IHG is launching a Clean Promise. Rolling out globally from 1 June 2020, guests can be reassured that their room will meet IHG's high standards of cleanliness. If not, the hotel will make it right.

Leading this work is IHG's new Global Cleanliness Board, a group of IHG experts in operations, health, safety and guest experience, working with our new external specialists, including James Merlino, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Cleveland Clinic, to define solutions, best practice and implement processes.

While on-property, hotel teams will also appoint Clean Champions to continue building the culture of clean instilled in IHG hotels around the world. These champions will focus on guests and colleagues as they navigate the new environment and help on-property teams to consistently deliver these elevated cleanliness standards.

For more information, please visit www.ihg.com/clean.

About IHG:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites, and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns approximately 5,900 hotels and nearly 882,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with almost 2,000 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: https://www.ihgplc.com/en/news-and-media and follow us on social media at: https://twitter.com/ihgcorporate, www.facebook.com/ihgcorporate and www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group.

About Cleveland Clinic:

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 67,554 employees worldwide are more than 4,520 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,026-bed health system that includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 18 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, and locations in southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2019, there were 9.8 million total outpatient visits, 309,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 255,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic's health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CCforMedia and twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
Face masks are one of the biggest selling items across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. If youre still looking to cover your face when you go out, we found this money saver at Old Navy online: Five face masks for $12.50.

Old Navy says the masks are designed per the CDC recommendations on non-medical grade masks. The over-the-ear straps are elastic. The masks are made with 3-ply woven 100% cotton and are machine washable. Old Navy also is donated 50,000 face masks to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Michigan mandate where people are required to wear a face mask in enclosed public places remains in effect until May 30. A face mask can also be a scarf, bandanna or handkerchief, as long as it covers both your mouth and nose. Businesses can refuse service to people if you are not wearing a face mask.

The CDC also recommends everyone wear a face mask in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

SPORTS FACE MASKS:

Detroit Lions face masks

Detroit Tigers face masks

Detroit Red Wings face masks

Detroit Pistons face masks
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Accord (GNA) has summoned the Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations Mission in Libya, Yacoub El Hillo, to protest recent press statements from his office deemed "unfair" about the repeated shelling of residential areas of the capital, Tripoli
Hawkers in West Bengal on Monday



threatened of staging protests if they are not extended cash support by the government, insisting that merely opening their stalls will not help them tide over the crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mamata Banerjee-led government had earlier in the day said that hawkers' markets will be allowed to reopen from May 27.

"We have told our hawker friends to be ready for protests if cash support is not received for six months either from the Centre or the state government. Already, hawkers are surviving on their business capital," National Hawker Federation general secretary Shaktiman Ghosh told PTI.

The hawkers' body said it welcomed the decision to allow reopening of stalls in the state but expressed apprehension about product sales amid the lockdown.

"We have written to the Centre that we don't require loans now, we require cash support of Rs 5,000 a month for a period of six months to survive," Ghosh said.

Some states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Odisha have given cash subsidies to hawkers, he claimed.

There are 16 lakh hawkers in West Bengal, out of which 2.75 lakh are in the metropolis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Popular video conferencing app Zoom is reportedly down as suggested by DownDetector. Thousands of people on social media have started posting about the issues including problems with audio, video, allowing people to enter into meetings or logging in themselves.

It is said to be down since 9AM, mainly in the UK and the company is yet to acknowledge the outage. The issue was spotted as churches attempted to hold their Sunday services on the platform. Weve tried using the app, and it seems that the issues are only limited for specific regions.

Zoom has been making news ever since the world was gripped by the deadly coronavirus pandemic. It became one of the top choices for hosting video conferences due to its simple controls and the ability to add up to 100 members in a call. However, ever since the rise of the platform, it has faced backlash for failing to disclose that its service was not fully end-to-end encrypted.

Recently the company Zoom acquired secure messaging and file-sharing service startup Keybase, in its effort to revamp its security. During that time the company had said that it has planned to develop tools that will give more controls to meeting hosts and allow users to securely join a meeting.
NEW FAIRFIELD  Town officials have been getting ready for some local businesses to open their doors again Wednesday as part of the states coronavirus reopening plan.

The first phase of the plan is very specific, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said during Thursdays Board of Selectmen meeting.

Offices, restaurants, museums and zoos, retail stores and malls in Connecticut will be allowed to reopen Wednesday, under certain conditions.

There are guidelines for all of those sectors, said Del Monaco, adding New Fairfields health and zoning departments have been working with local businesses to get them up and running by May 20.

The states reopening guidelines require businesses to exercise caution and ensure strict adherence to rules that include  but are not limited to  procuring personal protection for employees, thorough cleaning, staggered shifts and employee training.

Restaurants, which have been only offering take-out and delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, can start welcoming back customers, but only to the outside of their establishments.

Under phase one of the reopening plan, only outdoor areas of restaurants can reopen at this time  indoor and bar areas shall remain closed. Same goes for museums and zoos.

Restaurants that reopen must also limit capacity to 50 percent, follow cleaning and disinfection protocols, stagger shifts, restrict group gatherings to no more than five people, and require face mask usage.

Del Monaco said she believes all restaurants in New Fairfield have signed up to offer outdoor dining.

Hair salons and barbershops were originally included in phase one of the states reopening plan, but Gov. Ned Lamont pushed their reopening until June.

Town hall

New Fairfield Town Hall falls under the reopening plans offices category, Del Monaco said, but physical changes need to be made before it reopens.

It wont be quite the same to come visit town hall for a while, she said. We need to maintain social distancing and also rotate shifts. We can only have half of our staff in the building at any one time.

An announcement will be made once changes to town hall are finalized, Del Monaco said.

The second phase of the states reopening plan is slated for the end of June.

If all goes well with the first phase, well move into the second phase with perhaps additional businesses, Del Monaco said.

There have been more than 100 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in New Fairfield.
Bengaluru, May 18 : Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayana, is a medical doctor by profession, and Karnataka's deputy chief minister handling a range of portfolios, prominent among them being Information Technology and Biotechnology (ITBT). Interacting with IANS, he spoke about the state's experiences with COVID-19, and the likely way forward.

Q1 What has been the most challenging aspect of COVID-19? A The movement and migration of people was the biggest challenge that emerged out of the COVID-19 lockdown for us. What has helped immensely was, the Centre took very strong stand and it took lots of decisions, Stringent guidelines were given. Otherwise left to each state, it would have been difficult. Because we'll be under lot of pressure. Each person comes with their opinions, his solutions, then it becomes difficult in execution in a democratic set up. Handling in a centralised way made a huge difference. Otherwise it would have been very difficult. each state would have found it difficult to handle in their own way.

Q2 How did the COVID-19 lockdown affect the state's Information Technology and Biotechnology (ITBT) sectors? A During lockdown, all our sectors were actively working. None of our sectors suffered and they have in fact performed better. They were able to provide all their global client services. Even locally also, for handling, leveraging, enabling, throughout the covid lockdown, it was handled excellently by the IT sector. Except for some start-ups who suffered a little setback, and we hope they'll be able to recoup their losses once normalcy sets in. The BT sector was also active throughout the lockdown and in fact together, the ITBT sector in Karnataka delivered around 30 products targeting the COVID-19 challenge.

Q3 Will the work from home (WFH) concept affect Bengaluru's position as one of the IT sector's prime location? A I agree with you to some extent, but an ecosystem that creates the connect chemistry should also be there. Connectivity of different culture, of mix and match. Everything matters. Ultimately, everything cannot be done from home. Preferably, IT professionals can do most of their work from homes, but there will still be substantial amount of work that needs an office ecosystem. We hope growth will double, in this way. The government of Karnataka has already begun moves to attract investors keen on moving out of China. Shortly, I'm also going to initiate contact with foreign investors through their embassies and consulates.

Q4 According to you, what is the time required for things to return to pre-lockdown status in Karnataka? A Once things start rolling, getting money or generating revenues is not a big issue. Our system is strong and sufficiently structured to withstand any reasonable kinds of shocks. So, we can pull on and bounce back. It's only a matter of time. Once normalcy is restored, transport resumed, without quarantine, if all these restrictions are not there, I think gradually people will return. It should take no more than 6 months for us to get back to normal. But more than finance and money, I think it is the current rapid rate of reforms that will bring positive transformation. Earlier, reforms used to take more than five years to happen. Now reform process is fast.

Q5 But how will Karnataka cope with the migrant exodus? A Whatever available resources are there, we'll be able to do it. We'll keep utilising our existing workforce. And whoever has gone, will come back. Some sectors there might be challenges, such as construction. But even construction technology has changed for the better. For every change there will be a solution. Everything will change.

Q6 As a medical doctor, do you see COVID-19 as a temporary issue or more permanent challenge? A We have to live with it. Definitely, spiking or increase in cases will be there, and we were in an unorganised condition. Due to the lockdown, we were able to organise ourselves, put systems in place. Along with the technology and monitoring systems in place, now people can avail treatment from their homes. Now with a system in position, we'll be able to cater to anyone, in any place. If you had asked me this question two months ago, I would have said it's definitely not possible!
About 14% of Malaysias COVID-19 cases have been attributed to interstate travel, the countrys health chief revealed yesterday after hundreds attempted to return to their hometowns ahead of Hari Raya celebrations.

Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullahs Sunday statement came after authorities revealed on Friday that 508 vehicles were stopped at interstate borders and ordered to turn back. The figure doubled the very next day when 1,248 vehicles were stopped. Eid celebrations begin Sunday.

About 18 clusters from a total of 48 recorded in the country are linked to interstate travel activities. Ten of these clusters are still active, he said during a press briefing yesterday.

We look at the experience of other countries, such as Iran. Many citizens returned to their hometowns during a festival, which caused a spike in COVID-19 infections, he added.

He also encouraged Malaysians to practice hygiene and social distancing, especially with the upcoming festivities.

Malaysia, which has been under lockdown since March 18, has reported 6,894 COVID-19 cases so far. Currently, Malaysians are not allowed to travel across states without a police permit, which is mainly issued to those traveling for work purposes.

Meanwhile, those who managed to sneak back to their hometowns illegally could still get caught, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob warned on Saturday.

During a separate press conference, he said that there is no guarantee that interstate travelers wont get caught as the authorities plan to tighten enforcement efforts, including imposing fines.

Sacrifice returning to your hometowns for the greater good, he said.

At the moment, 146 roadblocks have been set up throughout Malaysia to monitor interstate travels.

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This article, 14% of COVID-19 cases linked to interstate travel: Health DG, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
As unemployed Americans search for relief during the COVID-19 crisis, the US Secret Service has suspected a foreign fraud ring uses "hacked data" to perform identity theft and eventually steal millions of dollars allotted for unemployment benefits.

Nigerian criminals, the Secret Service believes, could be the ones using personal information which were stolen in previous "cyber-attacks" and worries, "theft could reach about hundreds of millions of dollars." This was indicated in a report.

Essentially, the main target of the said fraud ring has been the unemployment office of Washington state. However, a Secret Service memo stated, as specified by the said newspaper, the attacks also reached North Carolina, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Florida, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island.

In addition, the Secret Service validated weekend that it has been able to identify "crooks" targeting the unemployment insurance program funds of the state. However, the agency did not provide further details about the investigation.

Use of Social Engineering

Usually, according to the agency, the thefts comprise of criminals who use identity theft so they can file fake claims for unemployment. Then, they use social engineering for the laundering of the money released for the unemployment package so that they wouldn't be traced.

In a statement, the agency explained, the main priorities of investigation of the Secret Service are to alleviate any attempt by criminals to steal the identity of their target citizens.

It is also the agency's main priority to mitigate cyber-enabled criminal acts since they are related to the pandemic.

Last month, the US Federal Trade Commission referred to over 100 identity theft reports related to COVID-19 pandemic, as well as fake claims for unemployment stimulus payments. Nevertheless, the news report indicated a much larger and well-organized fraud initiative.

Reportedly, as of this week, over 36.5 million individuals "have filed for unemployment benefits" due to job losses because of combat against the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the unemployment benefit offices of the state have been overwhelmed with millions of residents of the United States who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis.

A Well-Organized Fraud Ring

US Secret Service investigators explained, through a memo which The New York Times was able to obtain that the tactic came from "a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring." More so, it could lead to probable t losses multi-million dollars.

A special agent specializing in financial fraud at the agency, Roy Dotson also explained that investigators were still in the works of pinpointing those who were involved and where exactly they were. Dotson also added, they were actively running down each lead they were receiving.

Additionally, according to the special agent, it appeared that the scheme was being supported by considerable quantities of "mules"-people, frequently in the US, who, he elaborated, were used as mediators to launder money after they connected "with fraudsters online."

Dotson warned the people as well, to be cautious of "easy-money" employment offers, or other doubtful financial offers.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 04:08:52|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Health Minister Nizar Yazigi on Monday urged the lift of the Western sanctions on Syria for the country to protect its health security amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the state news agency SANA reported.

Yazigi said the medical teams in Syria are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic "with bravery in exceptional circumstances" as the country has suffered from more than a nine-year-long war amid sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies.

The sanctions are "inhuman" and prevent the medical sector in Syria from responding to the pandemic and securing the necessary needs and tools for protection and diagnosis, he added.

The minister made the remarks as Washington is close to implementing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, a U.S. law that sanctions the Syrian government including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for its alleged war crimes against the Syrian people.

The Caesar Act, expected to be implemented in June, also includes sanctions on any side that might be aiding the Syrian government. Enditem
Vietnamese face mask producers will have to satisfy CE and FDA standards when exporting products to the EU and US markets.

In the first months of the year, the textile and garment industry suffered from the lack of input materials because Chinese partners were busy struggling with the epidemic in their country. Later, it faced a sharp fall in demand from import countries as the epidemic began devastating Europe and the US.



According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), textile and garment export turnover in April 2020 decreased by 20 percent compared with March.



In the first four months of the year, export turnover of the industry was $10.63 billion, a decrease of 6.6 percent, while import turnover was $6.39 billion, a decrease of 8.76 percent compared with the same period last year.



Only face mask and medical protective clothing producers can earn money at this moment. As of April, Vietnam had exported 415 million face masks, worth $6.3 million to the markets which were the hotbeds of the epidemic, such as Japan, South Korea, the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.



However, the figure of $6.3 million, as commented by Truong Van Cam, deputy chair of Vitas, is insignificant compared with the annual export turnover of $40 billion of the textile and garment industry.

In the first four months of the year, export turnover of the industry was $10.63 billion, a decrease of 6.6 percent, while import turnover was $6.39 billion, a decrease of 8.76 percent compared with the same period last year.

The government of Vietnam gave considerable support by loosening export conditions, thus helping Vietnams face masks get customs clearance quickly.



However, Vietnamese producers have been warned that it would not be easy in the time to come to export face masks to the markets as the epidemic has been step by step controlled.

Vitajean, a mask producer, said it is difficult to satisfy the requirements and procedures set by import countries. It has to provide transparent information about products, including fabric structure, chemical content, and antibacterial results.

The EU and US will tighten requirements on the quality of face masks. The products to the EU would need to satisfy CE standards and products to the US will have to meet FDA standards.



They have also been warned that Vietnam would have to compete with other countries in the region which also have strength in the textile and garment industry such as China and Indonesia.



According to Dinh Ngoc Long, an expert on CE standard certificates, in order to get CE certificates, Vietnamese-made face masks and medical protective clothing must satisfy three requirements  safety, good for health, and friendly to the environment.

Kim Chi

France to import hundreds of millions of masks from Vietnam France has announced it would import hundreds of millions of antibacterial cloth masks from Vietnam by air.
Praj Industries on Friday (15 May) said it tied up with Sweden's Sekab E-Technology AB to produce advanced biofuels and bio-chemicals from forest residue as feedstock.

Praj Industries and Sekab E-Technology AB, Sweden signed a cooperation agreement to upgrade and commercialize base technology to produce advanced biofuels and bio-chemicals from forest residue as feedstock. As a part of this cooperation, Praj will add significant value to Sekab's CelluAPP technology of converting forest residue in the form of softwood to ethanol, through Praj's proven capabilities to improve, optimize, integrate and scale up advanced biofuel technologies globally.

The Praj-Sekab partnership will facilitate CO2 reduction by offering Bio-mobility solutions for the transportation industry in the form of advanced biofuels produced from softwood. Praj's Bio-Mobility platform promotes the use of renewable resources to produce low carbon transportation fuel modes of mobility, namely surface, air and water.

Speaking on the partnership, Pramod Chaudhari, the executive chairman of Praj Industries, has said that, "We are pleased to extend our enfinity platform to now process forest residue as feedstock based on Sekab's CelluAPP technology. This partnership will offer sustainable decarbonization solutions through a circular bio-economy. He further added that this association with Sekab, one of Europe's leading chemical and environmental technology companies will help fulfill RED-II mandate and LCFS. This agreement will provide a strong platform to service emerging opportunities in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as well as renewable chemicals, strengthening India's position in the advanced biofuels market globally."

On a consolidated basis, Praj Industries net profit declined 7.85% to Rs 20.67 crore on a 9.07% fall in net sales to Rs 300.34 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018.

Praj Industries is a global process solutions company driven by innovation and integration capabilities, offers solutions to add significant value to bio-energy facilities, Compressed biogas plants, critical process equipment & skids, brewery plants, industrial wastewater treatment systems and HiPurity water systems.

Shares of Praj Industries slipped 0.44% to Rs 56.25 on BSE. The stock traded in the range of Rs 52.70 to Rs 57.50 so far.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China is urging domestic companies to look at listing in London, several sources told Reuters, as the country aims to revive deals under a Stock Connect scheme and strengthen overseas ties in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

The Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme, which began operating last year, aims to build links between Britain and China, help Chinese companies expand their investor base and give mainland investors access to UK-listed companies.

The original plan was for several companies to take part in the scheme in the first couple of years, but so far only one company, Huatai Securities, made the trip from Shanghai to London last June.

But now Chinese authorities have given the go-ahead for China Pacific Insurance and SDIC Power to move ahead with their London-listing plans, the sources said, after both deals were halted last year.

They also gave the nod to China Yangtze Power to begin preparations for a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is confidential.

In a statement to Reuters after publication of the report, the Shanghai Stock Exchange said it had been continuously promoting the Shanghai-London Stock Connect scheme that benefits both companies and investors.

The exchange added that offshore listings under the scheme were companies own decisions based on their development needs and market conditions, while the timing of a London listing by SDIC or China Pacific Insurance is also subject to approval from British regulators.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission and China Pacific Insurance did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. SDIC Power and China Yangtze Power declined to comment. The London Stock Exchange declined to comment.

Under the London-Shanghai Connect Scheme, first announced in 2018, Chinese companies are allowed to add a secondary listing of Global Depositary Receipts in Britain that would be linked to shares in Shanghai.

The sources, including officials from banks, government and exchanges, said that the aim was to push for a resumption of listings under the Stock Connect scheme as China seeks to improve ties with the outside world and help to fund its post-lockdown recovery.

In the second half of this year, we could see one or maybe two Chinese companies list in London, said one of the sources, who is closely involved in the process.

China is among the first countries to come out of lockdown, and is keen to get back on track with plans to improve trade relations with the UK, he added.

Anti-China sentiment in the United States on several fronts and the troubles surrounding U.S.-listed Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee may have made the route to New York harder to navigate.

Pipeline Builds

In the London-Shanghai listings pipeline, China Pacific Insurance is likely to be the first Chinese company to make its London debut this year, seeking to raise between $2 billion and $3 billion, and could price the sale in September or October, a second source said.

China Yangtse Power is another sizeable listing that could raise about $2.5 billion from a deal equivalent to about 5% of its share capital, the source added.

The listings will not necessarily be an easy sell in the current environment, said a third source, a London-based banker involved in some transactions.

The IPO market is likely to remain shaky for a good while yet, and these are not need to own assets. Investors will already be busy supporting the companies in their portfolio and are likely to be selective, he said.

The market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has been all but shut since the virus outbreak, which has hit global economic growth, wreaked havoc on stocks and pushed market volatility to its highest in years.

Many companies have been raising funds in secondary markets to keep businesses going through lockdowns. But the first quarter of 2020 saw only eight new listings, the lowest number since 2009, Refinitiv data showed.

(Reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan, Julie Zhu and Michelle Price; additional reporting by Samuel Shen in Shanghai and Xiaochong Zhang in Beijing; editing by Pamela Barbaglia and Jane Merriman)

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Over 600 people from Mizoram are



stranded in different parts of the world due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, an official said here on Monday.

The official said that more than 630 people belonging to various districts of the state are currently stuck in more than 14 countries, including China.

He said that more than 350 people are stranded in neighbouring Myanmar and 211 are seafarers.

Nineteen people are stranded in Nepal, 18 in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 12 in Kuwait.

As per the record maintained by the state government till Monday, the majority of the stranded people belong to Aizawl district at 298 followed by Siaha and Champhai at 115 and 106 respectively.

Though the state government was yet to submit the overall final list to the Centre, it has submitted the list of people, who are stranded in Myanmar and asked for their return, the official said.

He also said that the state government has asked Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate the return of 30 Myanmarese nationals, who are stranded in Mizoram



Earlier on May 9, state Health minister Dr R Lalthangliana had asked Union Health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to bring back the stranded people from abroad, during a video conference with health ministers of the northeast.

The state government is bringing back its people, who are stranded in different parts of the country, in a staggered manner to avoid rush in quarantine facilities.

Hundreds of people have returned from four Northeastern states- Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura during an exercise conducted between April 30 and May 2. The returnees were released for home quarantine last week on completion of 14 days institutional quarantine.

About 883 people were also brought from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by a special train on May 15.

Official sources said that more than 10,000 people were yet to return from various parts of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Almere, The Netherlands

May 18, 2020, 9 p.m. CET

International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today announces the voting results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 18, 2020, at its offices in Almere, the Netherlands.



The shareholders approved all resolutions as proposed to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.

The main approved resolutions include the following:

Mr. Benjamin Loh was appointed member of the Management Board as successor of Mr. Chuck del Prado.

Mrs. Monica de Virgiliis and Mr. Didier Lamouche were appointed as Supervisory Board members for a term of four years. And Mr. Van Pernis was re-appointed for a period of two years. At the same time Mr. Ulrich Schumacher retired as member of the Supervisory Board having reached the end of his third term of appointment.

Furthermore the financial statements for the year 2019 were adopted, and the shareholders discharged the members of the Management Board and Supervisory Board from liability in relation to the exercise of their duties in the financial year 2019. In addition the shareholders approved the new remuneration policy and the remuneration report.

The shareholders also voted in favor of a regular dividend payment of 1.50 per common share and an extraordinary dividend 1.50 per common share. As 1.00 per common share was already paid as an interim dividend on November 12, 2019, the remaining dividends amount to 2.00 per common share, which will be paid on May 28, 2020. Finally the withdrawal of 1,500,000 common shares was also approved.

About ASM International

ASM International NV, headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, its subsidiaries and participations design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International, its subsidiaries and participations provide production solutions for wafer processing (Front-end segment) as well as for assembly & packaging and surface mount technology (Back-end segment) through facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASMI's website at www.asm.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, epidemics and other risks indicated in the Company's reports and financial statements. The Company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

CONTACT

Investor contact:



Victor Bareno

T: +31 88 100 8500

E: victor.bareno@asm.com

Media contact:

Ian Bickerton

T: +31 625 018 512




Three soldiers who posed naked next to a memorial to two dead airmen had been at a boozy party after ten days of coronavirus testing duty, reports claim.

Colour Sergeant 'Tats' Taylor, shared pictures on Facebook posing next to a Red Arrows jet with Corporal Shane Woods and Private Anthony Panton.

The 49-year-old posted the images with the caption 'Think we took over RAF Scampton' and a laughing emoji.

Three soldiers 'took over' RAF Scampton on Friday night by posing naked on a Red Arrows jet, next to a memorial to two airmen who died in 2011

The jet was next to a memorial for two dead airman at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire

Senior figures are said to be furious with the pictures which were taken on Friday, at the historic home of The Dambusters after a boozy party, The Sun reports.

The aerial display plane is parked next a plaque marking the deaths of Flight Lieutenants Jon Egging and Sean Cunningham, who died in separate accidents in 2011.

Sgt Taylor's pictures showed all three men, all of 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, naked, except for regimental headdress.

All three soldiers were boozed after they were given alcohol as thanks for their efforts at Lincolnshire's mobile testing sites, it is claimed

A source told The Sun: 'Tats put the pictures up on Facebook but took them down after, but it was too late, everyone had seen them. They know theyre in the s***.'

It is claimed the three soldiers had been given alcohol as a token of appreciation by the local council after spending 10 days at the mobile Covid-19 testing site at the Lincolnshire base.

A spokesman for the Army said the soldiers' behaviour 'clearly contradicts' the discipline expected of personnel

Sgt Taylor's friends say he didn realise the significance of the plane while posing naked on it on Friday night

Friends of Sgt Taylor told The Sun he did not realise the significance of the plane.

An Army spokesman said: 'This behaviour clearly contradicts the discipline we ask our personnel to display and it undermines the support we provide to health authorities with mobile testing and other tasks across the UK.

'We are looking into this incident and will deal with the matter accordingly.'

Flt Lt Cunningham died on November 8, 2011, when the ejection seat suddenly engaged while his Hawk T1 aircraft was still on the runway.

The Iraq veteran was hurled up to 300ft into the air before plunging to the ground at the RAF aerobatics team's base at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln.

The soldiers posed naked next to a memorial for flight lieutenants Jon Egging and Sean Cunningham, who died in separate accidents in 2011

The main parachute on the Mk 10 Martin Baker seat, which should have saved his life, failed to deploy and he suffered multiple injuries.

Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, suffered an 'almost loss of consciousness' when he pulled six times the force of gravity as he broke formation at an air show near Bournemouth Airport.
Ghanaian actress, Regina Adu Safowaa, in a bid to prove her innocence to fans and the general public, has rained curses on herself should some sexual allegations leveled against her be true.



The actress has been rumoured to have engaged in a sexual relationship with Ghanaian businessman, Dr Kwaku Oteng, who is allegedly married to 4 women.



Dr. Kwaku Oteng owns a chain of businesses in Ghanas herbal medicines, broadcasting, beverages, and transport industries. He also is known as a philanthropist who funded scholarships for needy students over the years.



Taking to her Instagram page on May 17, 2020, to address the supposed rumours, the budding actress who is the face of Adonko bitters in Ghana, and some parts of Africa rained three curses on herself.



"I speak for the first time... I am the #girl on the billboards of Adonko bitters at some places of Africa and the whole of #Ghana ... If I've ever had #sex, kissed, with Dr. Kwaku Oteng (CEO & owner of Adonko bitters brand), I personally impose this curses on myself



1. I will never give birth...



2. God almighty punish my entire generation...



3. Again God punish me deeply for lying to the public all my days..." she wrote.



Her fans who are surprised at the turn of events have shown support by encouraging her to forget about the naysayers.



"I know you and I must say that you're not someone with a questionable personality. You uphold your values clearly!! You're one of the first ambassadors of Lsbg Africa and we choose you for a reason. So don't you worry! God will fight your battles for you," one Ada Iloka wrote.



Safowaah has worked with actors like Majid Michel, John Dumelo, Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson among others.



Read her full Instagram post below:





































Source: ghanaweb.com/Instagram









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.

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The 2021 Toyota Venza marks the return of a crossover nameplate that dates back to 2009. That original model shared underpinnings with the Toyota Camry, and it was designed specifically for, and built in, North America, though it was later exported to Russia and Ukraine. This new Venza, however, is actually the descendant of a different crossover, one from the Japanese market called the Toyota Harrier, which has a history going back to 1997.

As it so happens, we got those early Harriers here in the United States, but they were rebranded as the RX 300 and offered here until 2003. The second-generation RX and Harrier were also same vehicle, and launched for 2004. In 2009, The Lexus RX became its own unique vehicle, leaving the Harrier to continue with the old design until it got a new model in 2013. That crossover had unique engines and interior and exterior styling distinguishing it from the Lexus. With the models diverging, the U.S. didn't get the Harrier either as a Toyota or a Lexus for a full generation. You can see the previous generations of Harrier in the gallery below.



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As for the new model, the American Venza and Japanese Harrier are basically identical save for branding. They each use the TNGA-K platform, have very similar exterior and interior styling, and each can be had with Toyota's naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid with all-wheel drive. The key difference is that the hybrid all-wheel-drive powertrain is the only option in the United States, whereas the Japanese Harrier can have the hybrid powertrain with front-wheel drive, or it can have a non-hybrid naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The hybrid makes a respectable 219 horsepower, whereas the smaller non-hybrid engine makes just 169 horsepower and 153 horsepower. We don't think Venza customers will be upset that we aren't getting the little one.

Story continues

Now that America gets the Harrier again, we are curious what Toyota and owners will do with them in the future. Owners of older Lexus models have been known to swap out badges and grilles for Japanese models, so we might see some American Venzas with Harrier logos. We're also going to be watching to see if Toyota adds a GR Sport version of this Harrier as it did with the last one. Perhaps such a variant could also appear here as a TRD model. Though based on the looks of the last GR Sport Harrier, shown in the gallery of past Harriers up above, we may prefer TRD handle the styling of a performance version.

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy skies. Morning high of 38F with temps falling to near 20. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 8F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph.
The U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise team and its mission partners successfully launched the USSF-7 mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for the Department of the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office

The missions was launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 launch vehicle May 17 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.



This morning's liftoff at 9:14 a.m. EDT marks the 80th successful mission in a row for the National Security Space Launch program. This launch continues the Department of Defense's America Strong initiative, recognizing healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel on the COVID-19 frontlines.



"The National Security Space Launch program leverages commercial launch services to deliver the Nation's most critical space capabilities safely to orbit," said Col. Rob Bongiovi, director of SMC's Launch Enterprise. "Executing this important mission during an incredibly difficult time for the Nation and the world demonstrates the tenacity of the dedicated government and contractor professionals who worked tirelessly in new and innovative ways to safely achieve 100 percent mission success."



"Congratulations to the USSF-7 integrated team on a successful launch," said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. "Launching USSF-7 is just the latest example of the big things the Department of Defense continues to accomplish every day in defense of our nation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."



The USSF-7 launch is one of many achievements the Space and Missile Systems Center plans to accomplish this year. SMC's Launch Enterprise team intends to successfully and responsibly launch seven additional National Security Space missions throughout 2020.



The Space and Missile Systems Center is the U.S. Space Force's center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. SMC's portfolio includes space launch, global positioning, military space vehicle communications, defense meteorological space vehicles, range systems, space vehicle control networks, space-based infrared systems, and space situational awareness capabilities.



Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Hemlock High School robotics team Gray Matter has stepped up to assist with the needs of the medical community workers.

Hemlock High School students have been 3D printing face masks, face shields and ear savers for medical workers since the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus hit in March. To date, Hemlock has made multiple face masks, 150 face shields and over 3,000 mask-ear savers.
The Congress on Monday said the fiscal stimulus package announced by the government is 'hopelessly inadequate' given the gravity of the economic crisis as it amounts to only Rs 1.86 crore, which is 0.91 percent of the GDP

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said the fiscal stimulus package announced by the government is "hopelessly inadequate" given the gravity of the economic crisis as it amounts to only Rs 1.86 crore, which is 0.91 percent of the GDP.

The party sought a revised and comprehensive package of 10 percent of the GDP.

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said the stimulus package has left several sections like the poor, migrants, farmers, labourers, workers, small shopkeepers and middle class high and dry.

"We express our thorough disappointment and request the government to reconsider the stimulus package and announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore of real additional expenditure equivalent to 10 percent of GDP," he said at a press conference through video-conferencing.

Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

Chidambaram also accused the government of being opportunistic by pushing reforms. It is bypassing Parliament and a discussion on the package and this will be strongly resisted, he added.

Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets

"I think the government is deliberately sidelining Parliament. A meeting of the Parliamentary Committee should at least be held to discuss the fiscal stimulus package," he said.
Speculation Sebastian Vettel might retire at the end of 2020 is ramping up, with McLaren revealing that it never even negotiated with the Ferrari refugee.

"The subject of Sebastian was never raised with us," team boss Andreas Seidl, who is reported to have been close with the quadruple world champion, told Sky Germany's 'Warm up - das F1 Spezial' program.

"Negotiations were never held. It was always Carlos (Sainz) or Daniel (Ricciardo)," he added.

Seidl said he is "very happy with the outcome" of last week's sensational moves in the 2021 driver market, and has no hard feelings about Sainz's departure.

"We had a very open, transparent exchange with Carlos at all times," he said. "We knew he was going to talk to Ferrari.

"At the same time, we have been talking to Daniel for a long time."

As for Vettel, Seidl revealed that the German never enquired about joining McLaren, which would seem to indicate that retirement is on his mind.

"We didn't assume that Sebastian would be available," he said.

"I have good contact with Sebastian, we have spoken repeatedly in the past few days, just not about Formula 1."

Finally, Seidl said he hopes Germany returns to the F1 calendar this year as the scene of a 'ghost race'.

"We have also heard that Chase Carey is talking with Hockenheim," he said. "I can well imagine a race in Germany happening."

(GMM)
(TNS)  The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the House to allow lawmakers to vote by proxy, without physical presence at the United States Capitol. The significant, yet temporary, change to operations was not enacted during any other national crisis in history.The House voted 217-189 Friday to approve a package of historic changes to the chamber rules to allow Congress to continue much of its business through the pandemic that has made gathering together and travel threats to public health.Convening Congress must not turn into a super-spreader event, said House Rules Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass.Under the new rules, lawmakers will be able to join millions of Americans in working from home if they are unable to travel to Capitol Hill to participate in House business.Debate over the changes has been fiery, as Republicans want to follow the lead of the president and GOP-led Senate and resume regular business. Democrats say that short-term reliance on technology will provide a safe way to work as the pandemic drags on. But Republicans objected to what they called a power grab by the Democratic majority during the crisis.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.Still, Democrats prevailed on the rules change. The question before us today is a simple one: Will this institution, which has adapted to challenges and technology time and time again throughout its history, adapt so we can continue legislating during this public health emergency, said McGovern.Proxy voting and remote committee business would only be allowed for a 45-day period, but it could be renewed. The authority to enact a period of proxy voting ends at the close of the 116th Congress. This limited window did not quell concerns from Republicans that remote governing would set a precedent that they said would erode the institution.Oregon Republican Greg Walden called the temporary changes to House rules, a wrecking ball of Democratic lawmaking.The resolution authorizes House committees to hold virtual hearings, markups and depositions using software platforms certified by the chief administrative officer, the office in charge of cybersecurity and technology in the House.While some House committees and caucuses have held roundtable discussions and other meetings by video conference in recent weeks, existing House rules did not permit official committee business to be conducted remotely. Panels can now consider and advance legislation and hold official hearings on oversight.Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Ryan said hes been doing virtual meetings and plans to move forward with hearings on fiscal 2021 spending.Were doing appropriation committee hearings online. Its not the best, but its pretty good, said the Ohio Democrat, who also toldthat hes pretty good at Zoom, the video conferencing platform.Committee leaders would have the choice to conduct the proceedings entirely online or in a hearing room with some lawmakers on-site and others remote  a hybrid model the Senate has used in recent weeks.Members participating remotely would count toward a quorum for purposes of determining committee proceedings and voting.Michigan Republican Tim Walberg warned that technological hiccups could have an outsized impact on a member being able to voice their viewpoints, citing a meeting last week when his microphone would not unmute.I was passed over. When I texted in to find out why, I was told basically Thats too bad; well catch you at the end, said Walberg.The House Rules Committee early Friday issued a wide array of regulations governing remote committee proceedings, from the rules of when the mute function can be utilized to the work-from-home dress code for video conferences.The regulations specify that the mute button cannot be used as a weapon to enforce decorum, but that committee chairs or their designee can mute microphones of members not recognized to speak for the purposes of eliminating inadvertent background noise.Lawmakers are not allowed to have a campaign slogan or other political displays as their background during a committee video conference.Members participating remotely must conform to the same standards for proper attire as are required to participate in a committee proceeding in person, according to the regulations.Never before have House members been able to cast their vote while absent from Washington.Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., quoted President Abraham Lincoln, telling his colleagues, We must act and think anew.Under the proxy voting allowance, members will send a letter, electronically, to the House clerk to authorize another member to vote on their behalf. The proxy designation must provide exact instructions on how to vote on each question on the floor. The authorization could be updated as procedural or other unexpected votes arise during the session.Members able and willing to vote in person on their own behalf could still do so. Those physically present would be eligible to cast votes on behalf of their colleagues, with a member limited to serving as a designated proxy for a maximum of 10 members. This limitation was included to appease concerns from Republicans that designated proxies would hold too much power.Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, argued that proxy voting would violate the Constitution and give too much power to leadership.Its just dangerous when you start allowing proxy votes and the power becomes more centralized, Jordan toldahead of Fridays vote.Many Republicans spoke on the floor about the perceived power gained by leadership when rank-and-file members are not gathering casually on Capitol Hill or able to offer a check on the top ranks of each party.Despite the establishment last month of a bipartisan Virtual Congress Task Force to explore remote operations options and strategies for continuing House business during the coronavirus crisis, the rules changes approved Friday were not born out of that effort and were opposed by Republicans.Rep. Tom McClintock said proxy voting would dilute constituents representation in Congress.Each of us is a proxy for our constituents. They expect us to speak and vote for them and answer to them and not hand off that trust to someone entirely unaccountable because were too lazy or too scared to show up for work, said the California Republican.Democrats emphasized the proxy could not deviate from instructions on how to vote from the member they were voting for. They said they have no interest in replacing traditional voting and legislating and that the solutions offered in the temporary change, while not perfect, will allow the House to get to work.We need to get back to regular order in some way. If proxy voting and virtual committee meetings lead us there, we need to do that, said Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur.Were not suggesting permanent changes. No one believes we do our best work in-person and side-by-side more than me, said McGovern. Remote legislating will only be utilized so long as this pandemic continues.The rules change resolution also included a requirement that the House Administration Committee study the feasibility of using technology to conduct remote voting in the House, including an evaluation of operable and secure technology options. The Rules Committee is required to develop regulations on implementation of such a remote voting system.While proxy voting and virtual markups are a step too far for many Republicans, Hoyer, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and other Democrats say these changes are just the beginning.I think its a halfway measure to remote voting, which I think will be the ultimate solution, said Krishnamoorthi of proxy voting.The Illinois Democrat toldthat a fully remote voting system needs to be the ultimate goal, but not for regular use. He said having the rules and technology for remote voting ready is key for continuity planning in the case of a future threat.Long term there needs to be a system in place for remote voting in the most extreme of circumstances, he said.Hoyer has been a cheerleader for using technology to solve operational problems posed by the pandemic. Hes made it clear that he would like proxy voting to be the first step toward a fully remote voting platform that could be used in emergencies, with a preference for video technology.Whether its Zoom, FaceTime, Team, WebEx or any other technology of that type, when Im looking at Tom Cole  I see him on the screen; I know its Tom Cole, said Hoyer. And when Tom Cole says something, I know that is what Tom Cole is saying. Theres no secrecy here. Theres no smoke and mirrors.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 22:26:30|Editor: huaxia

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JOHANNESBURG, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday called for the Africa continent to be assisted to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the virtual 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA).

"Africa is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus and needs every possible support and assistance, including much-needed resources, to bolster its response and offset a potentially devastating social and economic fallout," he said.

He said the AU has taken very deliberate steps to respond to the scourge.

"We have developed a comprehensive COVID-19 strategy, established an African Union COVID-19 Response Fund and embarked on a fundraising drive to strengthen the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.," said the South African President.

"The African Union has made a call for developing countries to be assisted in their efforts to combat the pandemic and to rebuild their economies," Ramaphosa said, "this assistance needs to include debt relief, more Special Drawing Rights Allocations with the international financial institutions, and the provision of comprehensive and robust stimulus packages to vulnerable countries.

He called the international community to work together to fight against the pandemic.

"To turn back the frontiers of the pandemic, we also need to deepen international collaboration around research and development and investment in essential medical technologies, in COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics and in vaccines."

Ramaphosa commended the WHO for guiding and support to African governments with early detection of the pandemic, training health workers and strengthening surveillance in communities.

He said the continent supports World Health Organization's (WHO) call to develop and produce vaccines and therapeutics and ensure that they are distributed quickly and equitably across the globe.

"Let us also continue to work together to improve our emergency preparedness for potential future outbreaks of this nature and take forward the proposal made at the previous meeting of the WHA to develop a global disaster response plan. Let us continue to collaborate and to act in the best traditions of social solidarity," he said.

The WHA annually meeting was meant to discuss major policy questions and the work program of the WHO. Enditem
Literary agent Frances Goldin died May 16. A left-wing activist and longtime agent, Goldin, who had been struggling with health issues for years, was 95.

Goldin launched her eponymous firm in 1977. The goal of the Frances Goldin Literary Agency, said Sam Stoloff, was to "champion left-wing authors." Stoloff, who is now president and a senior agent at the firm, said that Goldin, in addition to her career in publishing, was "known for her activism in various movements, especially the fight against real estate development and gentrification in New York."

Her clients were a mix of notable bestselling authors and literary heavyweights, including Dorothy Allison, Barbara Kingsolver, Martin Duberman, Adrienne Rich, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Mike Wallace. The agency changed ownership in 2009, but continues today under the same name.

Goldin's enduring passion was left-wing politics, and Stoloff said that one of the highlights of her career was the 2014 publication of Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA, which featured contributions from a number of her clients and friends.

Stoloff, in an announcement about Goldin's passing, said that she was particularly passionate about establishing affordable housing in her home city of New York. To that end, she was a founder of the Cooper Square Committee, which still exists today and was created, Stoloff said, "to fight predatory redevelopment on [Goldin's] beloved Lower East Side.

Goldin, Stoloff added, became a well-known fixture among civil rights groups in her later years and was, he said, "known for her dependable presence at the Gay Pride Parade in New York, with her famous sign 'I Adore My Lesbian DaughtersKeep Them Safe.'" Stoloff said that, in 2017, Goldin was asked to ride on the lead float in the parade. She also was among the protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

"The agency has changed with the times," Stoloff said, "but we will continue to dedicate ourselves to the work that Frances began: the fight for self-determination for all people."

A memorial for Goldin will be announced at a later date, when social gatherings are once again permitted.
Canada's cities are continuing to appeal to Ottawa and the provinces for emergency funding to absorb mounting costs associated with COVID-19  a commitment some mayors say is necessary to avoid taking drastic measures to make up for revenue shortfalls brought on by the crisis.

Drops in transit ridership, mounting costs of purchasing new equipment to implement public health and safety protocols, and deferred property tax payments are just some of the financial drains municipalities across Canada are contending with amid the pandemic.

While cities are largely a provincial responsibility, federal and provincial governments have been slow to offer financial aid for municipalities, despite acknowledging that they need support.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson says he understands that there are jurisdictional issues at play, but said a lack of movement on the problem could lead to serious consequences.

"Sanitation, public transit and clean water, those things shouldn't be up in the air right now," Iveson said in an interview with CBC's French-language service Radio-Canada. "Yet the uncertainty that the mayors are dealing with ... is that we're now having to start looking at potentially cutting back on infrastructure precisely at the time when other governments want to start moving into stimulus mode."

Iveson said he's had to lay off 4,200 people who work for the City of Edmonton and its agencies, adding that he doesn't have the resources to hire them back.

"The biggest challenge we've seen directly is the loss of $10 million a month in revenue on our transit system," he said. "I'm beginning to wonder if we may have to shut transit down over the summer and hope we can turn it back on in the fall, when it gets cold again."

WATCH | Edmonton mayor on asking for province's help to secure aid

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the topic of more support for cities was raised on a call with Canada's premiers as recently as Thursday.

Story continues

"I highlighted my concerns that Canada's big cities  and indeed municipalities of all sizes across the country  are facing significant challenges as they continue to deliver services in difficult situations for their citizens, while at the same time seeing massive drops in revenue," Trudeau said following his Saturday briefing.

"We respect ... and we know that cities are the responsibility of the provinces, but I highlighted that the federal government is eager to hear from the provinces on how we can support cities."

Cities bleeding millions

In April, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) said that the pandemic had pushed cities to the "brink of financial crisis."

Iveson said Edmonton is currently facing losses of between $90 million and $260 million, while Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante says her city's losses could hit $500 million by the end of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the City of Toronto estimates that it's losing $65 million each week alone. Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin told Radio-Canada that without extra funding, he would be forced to consider raising taxes and cutting services.

The FCM says at least $10 billion in emergency federal funding is needed to shepherd municipalities through the pandemic. The group's proposal includes additional pockets of money for cities with transit systems and those with a greater need to support vulnerable populations.

Michael Wilson/CBC

Toronto Mayor John Tory said his city has spent millions to help those experiencing homelessness, such as opening up recovery centres and securing hotel rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19.

"We have spent millions of dollars [and] at the same time we're losing millions of dollars in revenue from people not using transit and things like that," said Tory.

"The way this country works ... is that a lot of big decisions are made by federal and provincial governments, but the implementation of those decisions  whether it's transit, whether it's housing, whether it's child care  happens in local communities.

"We're just saying recognize that fact and ... please don't forget about cities, because we have grave financial problems right now."

Municipalities part of Canada's economic recovery

Although Trudeau did not commit to providing aid for municipalities on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Federation said the prime minister's remarks were encouraging.

"FCM is pleased to hear the prime minister saying the federal and provincial governments must work together to assist municipalities," the spokesperson said. "Communities need immediate emergency funding from governments to keep people safe and be ready to drive Canada's economic recovery."

That's crucial for Iveson, who says the financial health of cities is critical to restarting the country's economy as a whole.

"The health of Canada's municipalities, and especially our big cities, should be a concern for everybody, every premier and the federal government," he said.

The sentiment is echoed by Tory, who says time is running out for co-operation between provinces and the federal government.

"I just hope now that they can get together  the other two governments  with us and find a way to make sure cities are financially viable, because right now they're not at all."
In a unique start to a Monday morning, a large pod of dolphins entranced bystanders when they cruised along the Piako River in the Hauraki Plains.

Witnessed by Hauraki District Council and Waikato Regional Council staff members, the large pod appeared to be chasing down food and heading out to the causeway.

Hauraki District Council's mowing labourer, Peter Pakinga, had arrived in Ngatea for work around 8am.

He quickly joined a number of other witnesses in watching the pod as they moved at a great pace.

"It was something you'd never see here," he says.

"Everybody was just aghast watching it, and everyone said it was something we might never get again."

Peter says the pod was "a really good number" - around 60, he estimates.

It was something to tell the grandkids, for sure.

"It will be something to cherish, and it was an awesome feeling."

A Waikato Regional Council works supervisor also saw the unique visit, and in a statement posted to Twitter said how awesome it was to see the marine mammals so far upstream on the Piako.

-Stuff/
The General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu has disclosed that the opposition NDC boycotted the last meeting of the Interparty Advisory Committee (IPAC) held on March 25, 2020, at the EC conference room, citing the Covid situation in the country as their excuse.



According to him, it was at this very meeting of the political parties platform with the EC, known as IPAC, that, the Commission discussed details of its proposed amendments to the existing Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91) for the conduct of Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.



The proposed amendments, he said, included the decision to exclude the old voters ID card from the requirements for voter registration among other things.



NDCs ACCUSATION



The NDC had, in a Press Conference addressed by its National Chairman, Ofosu Ampofo, on Thursday, May 14, 2020, accused the EC of flouting Regulation 2(3) of C.I. 91 which mandates the Commission to inform political parties on any proposals for the amendments to the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 91) not later than 21 days before the first day of the national registration of voters.



The largest opposition party proceeded on the basis of this to slam the election management body accusing it of conspiring with the NIA to rig the 2020 general elections for the governing NPP because it had consistently failed to involve the NDC in its processes.



They also accused the EC of surreptitiously removing the old ID card as well as birth certificate as part of the requirements for voter registration.



JOHN BOADU SETS THE RECORDS STRAIGHT



However, the General Secretary of the party expressed shock at the conduct of the NDC. He disclosed in a one-on-one interview he granted to the AM Show on the Joy News Channel on Monday, 18th May, 2020, that, the NDC is being desperate and hypocritical. According to him, the NDC has rather chosen not to make itself available for such engagements with the EC.



The NDC boycotted the last IPAC meeting at which meeting details of the ECs CI on the registering of voters and the conduct of election 2020 was exhaustively discussed before it was laid in Parliament. How can you boycott a meeting and then months later, hold a press conference accusing the election management body of failing to discuss the CI with political parties? You just cant understand the NDCs desperation," he disclosed.



The NPP Chief Scribe added that, the parties were given ample opportunity to make inputs into the CI, a lot of which were taken on board by the EC in fine-tuning the document. Indeed, according to him, it was based on the inputs that the political parties made at this meeting that compelled the EC to withdraw the initial proposed amendments it had laid before Parliament in order to incorporate the inputs made by the parties.



On the exclusion of the old voters ID card and birth certificate from the requirements for a new voter registration, John Boadu, said, majority of the political parties at this meeting [which the NDC boycotted] agreed with the ECs proposal to exclude the old ID card and start on a clean slate having justified same.



On the decision not to include the birth certificate as one of the requirements, John Boadu stressed that it birth certificate, has, since the year 1994, never been a requirement for voter registration. It has also not been provided for in C.I. 94. And so, it is disingenuous for the NDC to accuse the EC of deliberately excluding birth certificate from the requirements for voter registration.



On the use of the Ghana card as one of the requirements for voter registration, the NPP General Secretary, John Boadu, who doubles as the partys Campaign Director of Operations for Election 2020 said, the political parties at the IPAC meeting, did not express any reservations regarding the ECs decision to maintain the Ghana Card as requirements for voter registration as already provided for in C.I. 91.



NIA AND EC DENY CONSPIRING TO RIG THE 2020 ELECTIONS FOR THE NPP



Meanwhile, both the NIA and the EC have rejected accusations by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it is conspiring to rig the 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and have dared the NDC to produce the so called evidence of this conspiracy it claims to have. The NDC is yet to respond to this challenge.







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.

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First Minister defends decision to scrap COVID-19 test booking portal in favour of UK wide one

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 18th, 2020

Mark Drakeford has defended the decision to scrap an online platform for key workers in Wales to book a coronavirus test wales and adopt a UK-wide system which was launched last month.

Ministers in Wales dismissed the UK Governments portal because it wasnt capable of sending results back into the Welsh NHS.

Welsh government had decided to work with Amazon in developing a testing portal, it was only rolled out in the south east of the country.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said at the weekend: At the starting point we werent able to take proper advantage of the UK testing programme because wed only have known if people had a test  the other information wasnt coming back into our health and care system, so the value was really limited.

Despite facing the same issues, Scotland and Northern Ireland adopted the system which meant key workers there and in England have been able to book COVID-19 tests.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales this morning, Mark Drakeford said: We didnt go in with the English system originally was because it wasnt capable of sending results back into the Welsh NHS.

You could have had a test as an individual citizen, and you would have known the result but your GP wouldnt have known it, the Welsh NHS wouldnt have known it and in effect the value of that test will be pretty low.

Now that data problem has been sorted out over the last couple of weeks with a lot of hard work, and it is possible to use the UK system.

Results (from tests) carried out on people in Wales will be fed directly back into GP records and into the NHS, therefore those tests are now very useful to us.

Asked how much money had been spent setting up the now scrapped Welsh testing portal, Mr Drakeford said: I dont have a figure in front of me but the point is in a crisis of this sort, you have to prepare all the time for different eventualities.

Think of the money we have spent in field hospitals in Wales, we havent actually needed to use those field hospitals (including the one built in Deeside) to anything like the extent that we expected but its really important to prepare.

Pressed again on cost, the First Minister said: Im sure the figure will be available I just dont have it in front of me  you will be able to make inquiries through press office in the normal way.

He added: The general point is that youve got to prepare for different possibilities in the crisis and thats what were doing with our portal.

If we hadnt been able to sort out a UK portal we would definitely had had to use it and so its not wasted money, its making proper preparations to be able to provide the services the people in Wales need.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns MS, has welcomed what shes described as another Welsh Government u-turn, she said: This is great news for key workers in Wales as they will finally be treated the same as the rest of the frontline against the Covid-19 fight.

It is however a massive shame on the Welsh Government for the time and money wasted when they should have joined up with the UK Government on this right away.

For weeks testing in Wales has stagnated and the people that we owe our lives to are being let down.

The Welsh Government claim they want a four nation approach to defeat Covid but at each and every opportunity given to them they have to delay, waste time and money and then eventually decide that it is in the best interests of the people of Wales.

They urgently need to come to that realisation quicker and stop playing party politics with peoples lives.

Link to the UK testing portal: https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/test-type
The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

Whats happening

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has been one of the most trusted and prominent faces of the federal governments response to the coronavirus pandemic.

His calm demeanor and decades of experience have served as a counter to President Trumps at times erratic and misleading messaging at White House briefings. Many Americans have consistently regarded Fauci  who has served six presidents and played a critical role in battling the AIDS epidemic  as their most trusted source of coronavirus information.

Faucis standing among Republicans, however, has begun to lag in recent weeks, as his cautious message is conflicting with the presidents enthusiasm for lifting stay-at-home orders in an effort to revive the economy.

In April, Trump retweeted a post that contained the hashtag #FireFauci shortly after an interview in which Fauci said earlier intervention in the crisis would have saved lives. The White House pushed back at media speculation at the time that Fauci might be fired, though the doctors presence at administration briefings was noticeably reduced.

Fauci came under more direct criticism from conservatives last week after warning during a Senate hearing that reopening the country too soon would lead to avoidable suffering and death. The hearing featured a tense exchange with GOP Sen. Rand Paul over when children should return to school. Fauci was chided by several hosts on Fox News later that night, with Tucker Carlson calling him the chief buffoon of the professional class. The next day, Trump said Faucis statements about reopening schools were unacceptable.

Why theres debate

Some observers see this series of rebukes from the president and his allies as part of an escalating conflict that ultimately ends in Fauci being fired. Faucis caution against reopening the country has put him at odds with the administrations goals. Trump may not tolerate having one of his top advisers contradict him, especially if he believes its hurting him politically, some pundits argue.

Story continues

The pressure for Trump to distance himself from Fauci could increase if conservative news pundits continue or escalate their criticisms. Trump wouldnt necessarily need to fire his top pandemic adviser to silence him. Faucis role on the coronavirus task force could quietly be diminished in a way that would avoid potential fallout from an outright dismissal.

The administration has consistently scoffed at reports of tension between Trump and Fauci, saying that's a narrative pushed by the media. Today I walk in, I hear Im going to fire him. Im not firing him, Trump said earlier this month. The level of respect Fauci has garnered among the American people for his role in combating the pandemic would make firing him an enormous political scandal, some argue. Others say Fauci has built up enough political savvy during his many decades in public service to navigate the complexities of working under Trump.

Firing Fauci would also present some practical challenges. As head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases  a post hes held since 1984  Fauci is not a political appointee and cant be removed directly by the president. The order would have to come from one of Faucis bosses, likely Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Fauci also would likely have the opportunity to appeal any dismissal, which could lead to a drawn-out legal struggle that draws major media attention.

Perspectives

Fauci will quietly have his role reduced down to nothing

The only federal official who stands between us and repeated waves of COVID will continue to be downsized by Trump, if not fired, so that Trump apologist Deborah Birx can take center stage.  Frank Rich, New York Magazine

Trump has a history of jettisoning officials who disagree with him

Past public disagreements between Trump and officials serving in his administration have not ended amicably. ...The spats frequently led to more public disparagement by Trump followed by an eventual dismissal or resignation. But in the case of Fauci, who holds no policymaking position in the government, Trump could simply ignore him rather than work with him.  Allyson Chiu, Washington Post

Sustained criticism from Fox News could push Fauci out the door

The right-wing propagandists seem to be on a mission to force the top infectious disease experts removal from the administration amid an ongoing pandemic.  Matt Gertz, Media Matters

Drama around Fauci is mostly created by the media

The point is that Paul and Fauci did not actually engage in some huge clash of conflicting visions, but agenda-setters in the media need something to fight about.  Robby Soave, Reason

Firing Fauci would be a complicated, drawn-out process

Could Trump actually fire Fauci if he wanted to? Its not so simple. Even if you put aside the political firestorm it would cause, Trump could not just oust Fauci from his position by tweet. He would need to tell Faucis supervisor to remove him, and that person would need to state a valid cause in writing, with the outcome subject to a legal appeal.  Dan Friedman, Mother Jones

Trump knows to avoid the political fallout that would come from firing Fauci

Fauci, though, is the public face of the epidemic-response team and immensely popular. To fire him, simply because he tells the truth, carries a political risk that Trump is apparently unwilling to take  for now.  Michael Specter, New Yorker

Fauci has the political skills to challenge the president and keep his job

While Trump may have turned against Fauci, he is unlikely to go away. The 79-year-old is fighting the battle of his professional life against the pandemic and has political savvy to spare after decades in Washington.   Stephen Collinson, CNN

Pushback against Fauci helps keep his role focused on his areas of expertise

Part of the hostility to Fauci on the right is an understandable reaction to progressives and the media putting him on a pedestal he doesnt deserve. They want to make Fauci an unassailable authority to put the lockdowns beyond question or debate. This is a rhetorical and political move that should be resisted.  Rich Lowry, Politico

Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com.

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Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images
With their cries for help going unheard, and desperation to get back to home becoming unbearable, migrant workers across the country began a silent, Gandhian protest of sorts in the first week of May. Leaving behind their jobs and unpaid wages, they began walking towards home with the little possessions they could carry with them. They marched as workers who had given up hope in the economic and social models that have done little to safeguard their interests. From May 6 till Saturday, 119 such workers were killed in different accidents.

Governments sprung up to help. States organised transport while the Centre promised funds. Philanthropists donated large sums, volunteers provided food and water. A journalist covering the tragic tale of a group travelling by foot from Punjab to Madhya Pradesh gave away his shoes to a labourer who had been walking barefoot for almost a week. But all of these noble gestures came a tad too late. For 50-plus days, the labourers suffered in silence. What hurt them during the lockdown was not the virus, but the system that has for a long time now ignored their existence. The rural poor have employment guarantee programmes that help them stay back in their native lands. Migrant labourers have no such relief.

The urban working class has minimum wages, provident fund coverage and other benefits. Many migrants are not even aware of these concepts. Most states offer groceries through PDS and free healthcare for card holders. Migrants are left out of these schemes too. Having no voting right in the states they work, they are hardly cared for. Even when employers fail to pay up pending dues, authorities do little to protect their rights. In Chennai for instance, two groups are stranded at construction sites in the city, waiting for wages pending since March.

This pandemic is a wake-up call to reframe Indias labour laws to protect the rights of migrant workers. After several long battles, at least on paper, Indian farmers have mechanisms to protect them from exploitation. Its time we do the same for the men and women who build and maintain our cities.
LOS ANGELESLast month, Michael Avenatti  the former lawyer for AVN Hall of Famer Stormy Daniels, who now faces a barrage of legal troubles himself  was released from a federal jail in New York City due to concerns that he could contract a coronavirus infection while behind bars. A judge allowed Avenatti to serve time confined to the home of a friend in southern California.

Avenatti now wants his trial on charges that he bilked Daniels out of nearly $300,000 moved to Los Angeles as well. The request, made in a court document filed Friday, marks the second time that Avenatti has asked a federal Southern District of New York Judge to relocate his trial on the charges to the Central District of California.

In September of last year, Avenatti asked Judge Deborah Batts to relocate the case, but Batts said she could identify no legal reason to do so.

Batts, however, died in February. In a response to Avenattis request, Jesse M. Furman  the new judge on the case  said that he would be willing to revisit Avenattis request, but only if the accused lawyers legal team submitted arguments that did not repeat those used in the earlier request to Batts.

The decision by Batts is now the law of the case, Furman said, stating that he will not reconsider any arguments on which the previous judge has already ruled.

Avenatti is accused of wrongly diverting a publishers advance for Daniels 2018 book Full Disclosure into a bank account that he controlled. According to the charges, Avenatti then freely spent the cash meant for Daniels to finance his jet-setting lifestyle, including using the cash on airfares, expensive restaurant meals, and car-lease payments on a Ferrari.

Avenatti in February was convicted in a separate case of attempting to extort the Nike footwear company out of $20 million. That trial took place in New York, and Avenatti was held in Manhattans Metropolitan Correctional Center to await trial in the Daniels fraud case, until he was released due to coronavirus fears.

In his court filing Friday, Avenattis lawyer Tom Warren cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to move the trial to Los Angeles. Furman gave Warren and United States Attorney Geoffrey Berman until Friday, May 22, to submit their new arguments as to why the trial should or should not be relocated.

In another filing Friday, prosecutors and Avenattis defense lawyers agreed to postpone the trial at least until October, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Originally set to begin April 21, the trial had already been pushed to July 14 due to pandemic-related restrictions.

Photo By CBS Los Angeles YouTube Screen Capture
The Indian Railways has operated 1,300 'Shramik Special' trains since May 1, ferrying more than 17 lakh workers, it said on Sunday. During the last three days, more than 2 lakh people 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. The state has so far given approval for over 500 trains, followed by Bihar with almost 300 trains.

The operation of these trains has, however, led to a political mudslinging with the opposition accusing centre of charging fare from migrants.

The Union government has clarified that the fare is being shared on a 85-15 ratio between the Railways and the state governments.

"We are fully ready for large scale operation of Shramik spl (special) trains. So far more than 1300 trains (have operated) and more than 17 lakh people (have been ferried)," a railway spokesperson said.

The centre has also said it has the capacity to run 300 Shramik Specials per day with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal appealing 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 the transporter 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 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.
The new study found funny people are twice as likely to originate from the North of the country. (Getty Images)

Funny people are twice as likely to come from the north of the country, a new study by the Beano comic has found.

To determine this, statistician Dr Geoff Ellis, looked at the characteristics and traits of 50 of Britains top comedians.

Not only are funny people most likely to be from the north, theyre also most likely to be the youngest out of their siblings, born in a city and taller than average.

It must be a joke a minute for the tall, young one in the family, born in a city up north.

Read more: Britains best loved cake revealed

Thats not all Dr Ellis found out from his analysis, though.

The likes of Sarah Millican, Richard Ayoade and Noel Fielding all have something very specific in common.

Theyre all Gemini star signs.

While people born in May and June might be the funny ones of the zodiac signs, fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) are seen as the least comical in their families.

Read more: Top 50 things that make us proud to be British

To make sure Dr Ellis had the most accurate information, he used various sources to determine the top 30, top 50 and top 100 top comedians in the country and then based his statistics around that.

To back up Dr Ellis theory, 3Gem conducted separate research in May on 2,000 British adults.

This research found that 71% of Brits perceived people born in the north of England to be funnier than those in the South.

Nine in ten people also believed that people were born with a funny gene which inherently made some people funnier than others.

Read more: One in five under 30s have never eaten a fry up

The study was commissioned by Beano, which is on the hunt to find Britains funniest family in partnership with mental health charity YoungMind.

A team of Beano joke writers, led by head judge Romesh Ranganathan, will select a shortlist, before asking the public to vote online for the winner.

At Beano were always looking for ways to tickle funny bones and long suspected a Funny Gene existed too, Mike Stirling, head of Beano Studios, said.

Story continues

But were on a mission to help keep the nation smiling with our hunt for Britains Funniest Family and cant wait to see the comedy gold that all families across the UK can create together at home.

Families can submit their funny videos at beano.com/funfam. Entries close on May 24.
A serial sex offender is to appeal against the severity of his 14-year sentence for attacking women he met through the Tinder dating app, while the State is to argue that the sentence, of which the final two years were suspended, was too lenient.

Patrick Nevin (38) attacked three women during their first meetings in the space of eleven days.

The sentencing judge, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, heard that he had a preoccupation with sex and hostility towards women; he was at a high risk of re-offending.

Nevin had pleaded guilty to raping one woman at Bellewstown, Co Meath on July 12, 2014 and to sexual assault four days later of a second woman at an unknown place in Co Meath.

The father-of-two had been due to stand trial at the Central Criminal Court, but changed his pleas to guilty following a legal ruling, which would allow the prosecution to introduce evidence from the other women describing sexual assault by Nevin on a first date.

The court heard that Nevin, previously of Meadowlands Court, Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire and Dundalk, Co Louth, met both women in this case on Tinder.

Justice Creedon imposed a 14-year sentence but suspended the final two years.

The computer programmer is also serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence imposed previously for the sexual assault of a third woman he met on Tinder. This offence took place at the UCD campus on July 23, 2014, only weeks after the Brazilian woman had arrived in Dublin.

He had appealed that conviction, but subsequently withdrew it.

Mr Justice George Birmingham today set 30th July as the date for Nevin's appeal.

Both appeals will be heard remotely on the same date in line with current social distancing guidelines.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:30:31|Editor: huaxia

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Staff member disinfects handrails in a carriage of Shanghai Metro in Shanghai, east China, Feb. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Under the deal, the 5G infrastructure building will be completed before Shanghai hosts this year's China International Import Expo in early November.

SHANGHAI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's metro operator on Monday signed a strategic cooperation agreement with major telecom firms to cooperate in the construction of a 5G network that will cover the city's all 297 metro stations this year.

Under the deal, the 5G infrastructure building will be completed before the city hosts this year's China International Import Expo in early November.

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Co., Ltd. signed the agreement with the Shanghai subsidiaries of China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Tower to commence the cooperation.

Under the deal, all parties will explore innovative 5G applications in metro safety management, operation services, intelligent operation and equipment maintenance.

The city has planned to invest 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 5G network construction this year. By the end of this year, Shanghai will see 30,000 outdoor 5G base stations and 50,000 indoor small stations built.

At the 2019 edition of the China International Import Expo, Shentong Metro Group and the telecom operators launched a "5G + smart metro innovation demonstration application."

Shanghai Metro Group said the cooperation in the building of the metro system's 5G network will integrate traditional and new infrastructure for high-quality development of urban infrastructure, which will meet the demands of the future applications of the Internet of Things, unmanned driving and intelligent transportation. 
AHCA Board of Governors Appoints New Members, Elects Executive Committee Liaison <p> The American Health Care Association (AHCA) announced today two new members of the AHCA 2021-2022 Board of Governors and named the AHCA 2021-2022 Board of Governor Executive Committee Liaison.</p><p><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/NormanRokeach.jpg" alt="Norman Rokeach" class="ms-rtePosition-1" style="margin:5px;width:96px;height:96px;" /><strong>Norman Rokeach,</strong> president and founder of Marquis Limited, was elected to fill through October 2022 the unexpired At-Large seat that was vacated by Chris Wright of iCare Health Network when he was elected as AHCA Board Secretary/Treasurer on October 13, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/NateSchema.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:0px;" /><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/NateSchema.jpg" alt="Nate Schema" class="ms-rtePosition-1" style="margin:5px;width:96px;height:96px;" /><strong>Nate Schema,</strong> new president and CEO of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, was elected to fill through October 2022 the unexpired Not-for-Profit seat that was vacated by Randy Bury when he retired as president and CEO of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society on December 31, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/2022/SarahSchumann.jpg" alt="Sarah Schumann" class="ms-rtePosition-1" style="margin:5px;width:96px;height:95px;" /><strong>Sarah Schumann,</strong> vice president of operations for Brookside Inn, and currently serving as an AHCA Board At-large Representative, was elected to serve as AHCAs Executive Committee Liaison for a one year term effective November 2021.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>We are incredibly fortunate to have Sarah, Norman, and Nate step into these important leadership roles, said AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson. We are grateful for all of their time and years of expertise. I look forward to working together with them to continue to shape the future of care for our nations most vulnerable population.</p><p>Based in Woburn, Massachusetts, Rokeach has developed and refined innovative approaches to long term care for over 22 years. As president and founder of Marquis Limited, he represents the fourth generation of a family of long term care providers, with 46 facilities, in seven states under his leadership.</p><p>Schemas longstanding career with the Society began in 2006 as an administrator-in-training in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. He was a nursing home administrator at multiple Society locations, and held positions as associate director of operations, regional executive director of operations and most recently, vice president of operations. </p><p>Members of the AHCA Board of Governors are elected by the Associations governing body, the Council of States, at AHCAs Annual Convention & Expo. </p><p>Read more about <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/AHCANCAL-Elects-Board-of-Governors%2c-Directors-at-Annual-Convention.aspx" target="_blank">AHCAs 2021-2022 Board of Governors.</a></p><p><br></p><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><strong>ABOUT AHCA/NCAL</strong></span><br style="font-size:8pt;"><span style="font-size:8pt;">The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represents more than 14,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers, and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit </span><a href="http://links.ahca.org/u/click?_t=3abc5280edfa42b5905fbea7c0fff5c2&_m=761990b29f074d63b15226a8a1fefbe1&_e=9UX-52GsIipuwlOQI7aWyTnsDshT1AdlE7s0I9jtRoyRWpD4jY9bMmt5_lbkj67c5xkqOmDu9EmY1tP7xmjEcvLHWy3Q9lqp3lDfA397DMhMihRZPB2kdm3WMEtm2WrPGjF5e5tDkHmpO54I-TYHUu4mHZNFkDfngHQ0IEsMx1YIqI2JmyjWzQDNfYhROPRBDJtTRpN-47-TxoyBR7ecCLwiLRRMXu47J4xYXBD8YyUK_AshnMIPyVEL4BMB8PT5" title="http://links.ahca.org/u/click?_t=3abc5280edfa42b5905fbea7c0fff5c2&_m=761990b29f074d63b15226a8a1fefbe1&_e=9UX-52GsIipuwlOQI7aWyTnsDshT1AdlE7s0I9jtRoyRWpD4jY9bMmt5_lbkj67c5xkqOmDu9EmY1tP7xmjEcvLHWy3Q9lqp3lDfA397DMhMihRZPB2kdm3WMEtm2WrPGjF5e5tDkHmpO54I-TYHUu4mHZNFkDfngHQ0IEsMx1YIqI2JmyjWzQDNfYhROPRBDJtTRpN-47-TxoyBR7ecCLwiLRRMXu47J4xYXBD8YyUK_AshnMIPyVEL4BMB8PT5" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">www.ahcancal.org</span></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"> or </span><a href="http://links.ahca.org/u/click?_t=3abc5280edfa42b5905fbea7c0fff5c2&_m=761990b29f074d63b15226a8a1fefbe1&_e=9UX-52GsIipuwlOQI7aWyaujGuctjemiyDHJXa96Ud6Zg5xnoBnlDPS7MXn5Xj4CitFKtLzID3XQQkJ6tRxI2g7VdCT99xvOydrXKxHb0WbCvKbDgJ1n_PfS3BDBUKt3FpSaBW3vHnx1y8f4EaSmV7aOo8DsThUThTavuEH7dfO4uOlDbcFsUoKB4W9MjdmJE3oBa2-ewaEMLQd6qiVdSR1JAVIyzbn9xsmTgBOwA0w8HaP-RQh9omPAvjW1U4i3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">www.ncal.org</span></a><span style="font-size:8pt;">.</span><br></p> 2022-01-19T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/boardroom.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> Quality AHCA announced two new members of the AHCA 2021-2022 Board of Governors and named the AHCA 2021-2022 Board of Governor Executive Committee Liaison.

Delivering Trauma Informed Care is Vital in Long Term Care <p><span class="rollup-image"></span>Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is an approach to care that requires specific staff competency and a system of care delivery that provides the necessary support to care for nursing facility and assisted living residents who may suffer from trauma.</p><div aria-labelledby="ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_ctl01_label" style="display:inline;"><div>TIC also is a regulatory requirement for skilled nursing facilities. At least eight CMS F-tags cover various aspects of TIC making compliance with this critical form of care vital to nursing facility survey success and quality care. </div></div><span class="rollup-image"></span><p></p><div aria-labelledby="ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_ctl02_label" style="display:inline;"><div>The recently released <a href="https://educate.ahcancal.org/products/trauma-informed-care-training#tab-product_tab_overview" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:underline;">Trauma Informed Care Training</a> contains simple foundational steps and practical recommendations for implementing a TIC program that can help improve resident outcomes. Individuals will learn how to screen and assess for trauma and incorporate TIC into the discharge process. There also is a focus on building awareness of TIC among staff to help them deliver appropriate care and deliver meaningful activities and other services from a TIC perspective.</div><div><br></div><div>This nine-module online course was developed through a joint collaboration between AHCA/NCAL and the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN). The training is designed to educate long term care providers and nurses about how to implement TIC in their facilities with staff who are appropriately trained and competent to care for residents who are at risk for re-traumatization. </div><div><br></div><div>TIC is an important aspect of care given that 62 percent of adults have had at least one traumatic event and 25 percent have had three or more traumatic events. </div><div><br></div><div>The cost of the program is $350 for AHCA/NCAL members and $650 for non-members. The program is approved for 5.75 NAB CEs for administrators and 5.10 AANC continuing education hours for nurses.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Members will need to login to <em>ahcancalED </em>with their AHCA/NCAL usernames and passwords to <a href="https://educate.ahcancal.org/products/trauma-informed-care-training#tab-product_tab_overview" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:underline;">register for the course</a><span style="font-size:11pt;">.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;">For assistance obtaining usernames and passwords, members should e-mail <a href="mailto:educate@ahca.org" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:underline;">educate@ahca.org</a> with their name and facility contact information. <br></span></div></div> 2022-01-12T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/senior_hands_cane.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> Caregiving;Workforce Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is an approach to care that requires specific staff competency and a system of care delivery that provides the necessary support to care for nursing facility and assisted living residents who may suffer from trauma.

AHCA/NCAL's Parkinson Named "Most Influential" <p>Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is one of Modern Healthcares <a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/2021-most-influential-healthcare-mark-parkinson" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">100 Most Influential People in Healthcare</a> for 2021. This is Parkinsons second consecutive year on the list.</p><p>Parkinson was recognized for his efforts leading the charge to fund and protect the 14,000 skilled-nursing facilities and assisted-living centers his organization represents during the pandemic.</p><p>A quote from Parkinson was featured in the piece:</p><blockquote><p><span class="ms-rteStyle-Emphasis"><span class="ms-rteFontSize-2">The key is for leadership to not panic. Instead, we need to assess the real damage, what can be done to repair it and develop a plan to move forward. Leaders who articulate that plan, work it and stay steady while reassuring their team that there is a way out will shine during a crisis.</span></span></p></blockquote><p>Parkinson was previously the governor of Kansas as well as owner/operator of multiple long term care facilities. He also appeared on the list in 2015.</p> 2022-01-10T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/MPark_convention.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> Quality Parkinson named to top list for 2021.

Deadline Approaching for National Quality Award Applications <p style="text-align:center;"><strong><img src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/QualityAward1_logos.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:526px;height:423px;" /><br><br></strong></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-9-0"><a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Application Deadline: Thursday, January 27, 2022</a></strong></p><div>The National Quality Award application deadline is quickly approaching. If applicants have not done so already, Quality Award staff encourage providers to download and review the following essential resources to help submit an application before the deadline on Thursday, January 27, 2022, by 8 p.m. Eastern. </div><div><br></div><h2 style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><strong class="ms-rteForeColor-2" style="font-size:20pt;">APPLY TODAY!</strong></a></h2><p><br></p><p>The following resources are available on the <a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/Quality/National-Quality-Award-Program/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">National Quality Award website</a>.</p><ul><li><strong>Month-by-Month Action Plan & Key Dates</strong> - Bronze, Silver, Gold</li></ul><p><em>A month-by-month break down of where applicants should be in the application process. </em><br></p><ul><li><strong>Criteria Video Series</strong> - Bronze, Silver, Gold</li></ul><p><em>Short videos, each covering an individual question or category in the Criteria to help applicants work through the application. </em></p><p></p><ul><li><strong>Quality Award Survey Requirements</strong></li></ul><p><em>These survey requirements provide SNF applicants information on whether they currently meet the survey requirements to receive a Quality Award. A full description of the survey requirements at each level is available in the application packet.</em></p><p></p><ul><li><strong>Silver and Gold Scoring Calibration Guidelines </strong></li></ul><p><em>Only for Silver and Gold applicants, the scoring guidelines are tools that Examiners utilize to score the applications. Applicants can use these to understand the demands of the various scoring ranges. </em><br></p> 2022-01-07T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/QualityAward_logos.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> Quality Awards Quality Award deadline is Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Review the resources to help submit an application before the deadline.

AHCA, NCAL Release Statement on Vaccine Mandate Injunction <p>The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) have released the following statement regarding the United States District Court in the Western District of Louisiana issuing a nationwide injunction on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers. <br></p><p>The statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, AHCA/NCAL president and chief executive officer. <br></p><p>We appreciate the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Louisiana issuing this injunction. We have always supported vaccinating as many residents and staff as possible. However, we are deeply concerned that the current mandate issued by CMS will cause nursing homes to lose staff at a time when we are already grappling with a historic labor crisis, Parkinson said.</p><p>We continue to urge CMS to allow a regular testing option for unvaccinated staff and, therefore, support any legal remedy or CMS action that would bring about this solution. <br></p><p>There are currently four active cases regarding the CMS interim final rule staff vaccine mandate: the Louisiana litigation, which was filed by a 14-state group, the Missouri litigation filed by 10 states, and individual cases filed by the states of Florida and Texas. Floridas request for a preliminary injunction was denied by the District Court last week and is being appealed. A hearing in the Texas case is scheduled for Dec. 2.</p><p>While the interim final rule is, as of Dec. 1, prevented in all states from going into effect, Medicare providers should continue to prepare to have policies and procedures ready so that if the governments arguments prevail, they can be quickly implemented, AHCA/NCAL said. As employers, providers should consider what policy they want to have in place until a government mandate requires it, which is not certain, the association said.<br></p> 2021-12-01T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/0220_News1.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> COVID-19;Policy Association supports vaccination for nursing homes, but fears critical loss of staff members under current mandate.

Roy Christensen, A Man For The Ages <p>Roy Christensen, a major innovator and 58-year veteran in the long term care profession, died peacefully on Nov. 11, 2021, at the age of 87.</p><p>Christensen, along with his son, Christopher, founded the health care company Ensign Group Inc. in 1999, and he served as a member and chairman of its Board of Directors until 2019, when he became chairman emeritus and director. Ensign Group Inc. is the parent company of the Ensign group of 245 companies that invest in and provide skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative care services in 12+ states.</p><p>Its difficult to sum up the influence Roy had on our industry and the little company we started 22 years ago, said Christopher Christensen, Ensigns executive chairman. He truly was a pioneer and a visionary who has impacted so many that knew him and even more that did not.</p><p>At the core of Ensigns vision was achieving a culture of leadership and values in individual facilities that would better serve patients and their families, Christopher said. His father was especially honored when he talked about all of the thousands of co-founders and heroes that strive every day to carry out this collective mission, he said. Words cant describe how much he was loved and will be missed.</p><p>Barry Port, Ensigns chief executive officer (CEO), added, Roy once told me that his involvement in helping to form this Ensign family was one of the crowning achievements of his entire life. Roys place in the culture of Ensign is irreplaceable, but our entire company is joined together in our determination to honor his legacy.</p><p>Prior to founding Ensign, Christensen was founder and chairman of Beverly Enterprises in 1963, which grew to be the largest nursing home company in the country, with more than 1,000 facilities. He also served as chairman and CEO of GranCare, which later merged into Mariner Post-Acute Network. In 1994 he founded Covenant Care, another successful long term care company.</p><p>In the course of his long career, Christensen also taught at Brigham Young University and served as a member of President Nixons Advisory Task Force on Medicare and Medicaid. He spent four years as a member of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfares Advisory Task Force.</p><p>Roy Christensen was an absolute giant in the long term care industry, said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. In developing Ensign with Christopher, he proved that a very large company can provide exceptional care to residents and create phenomenal jobs for employees. The lessons of Ensign will survive for many years.<br></p> 2021-11-22T05:00:00Z <img alt="" src="/Breaking-News/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/Roy%20Chirstensen%20head%20shot.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> Management An eminent entrepreneur in long term care is remembered for the gift he left behind.
Anusha Ravi By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: A day after the Ministry of Home Affair issued guidelines for lockdown 4.0, the Karnataka government announced a slew of relaxations.

However, it has decided to opt for a complete shutdown every Sunday till May 31. No activities will be allowed on Sundays except essential services.

"Every Sunday will see a complete lockdown. No shops will be allowed to function. People won't be allowed to travel as well," said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

The state has also decided to restrict the entry of people from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat owing to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"Permission will be given only in case of emergencies," said Yediyurappa who announced the easing of lockdown restrictions on Monday morning after convening a meeting of ministers and senior officials.

Karnataka has decided to open up auto, cab, taxi and bus services - both government and private - starting from Tuesday.

"Security and vigil will be heightened in containment zones and criminal cases will be filed against those violating lockdown. To help people it has been decided to allow public transport with restrictions. BMTC, KSRTC, NEKSRTC and NWKSRTC will ply everywhere except red zones and containment zones. Private buses can also ply under the condition that only 30 people will be allowed to travel at a time. Social distancing should be maintained. Wearing masks is compulsory failing which cases will be filed," Yediyurappa said.

He added that those arriving from other states will be quarantined and permission will only be given to those with emergency requirements. "Autos and taxis can have two passengers plus the driver. Maxi-cabs will be allowed three people plus the driver," the CM said, adding that permission will be given starting from Tuesday.

Except malls, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and all shops can function. Intra-state trains are also permitted. Saloons can be opened.

Parks will be open but only from 7 AM to 9 AM and 5 PM to 7 PM. The health department will categorise red zones. Areas with a high concentration of cases will be declared containment zones.

"We will see till May 31 how people coordinate. Since states have been given autonomy, we will decide whether to withdraw these relaxations," the CM said.

"We will not increase bus fares for now. KSRTC will bear the losses caused due to carrying limited number of passengers. The curfew between 7 PM and 7 AM will be followed. Street hawkers and vendors will be allowed to function," he added.
Prayagraj : , May 18 (IANS) After the Auraiyya road mishap in which 24 migrant workers were killed on Saturday, senior police officials in Prayagraj zone have decided that from now on goods carriers, ferrying migrants, would move together in convoy during night hours.

The idea of moving in a convoy is designed to control the speed and minimize the risk of accidents.

As per police orders, the convoy of 10 or 12 vehicles in numbers will have to strictly follow speed limits to ensure safety and security of migrants. Police will ensure that only empty goods carriers should ferry migrant workers, the order said.

Mobile police pickets will be keeping a strict watch on the vehicles carrying migrants. Police will not allow movement of migrants on two-wheelers/bicycles or on foot.

A senior official said that to ensure safety and security of all migrants returning to their native places by carriers on national and state highways, drivers of goods carriers have been asked to drive at a speed of 40 km/hour. They have also been asked to maintain proper distance between two vehicles.

As the city limits touch seven neighbouring districts, the policemen on duty have been asked to be extra vigilant to ensure safety of migrants.
Aspiring parents who had their fertility procedures thrown into limbo due to the coronavirus pandemic are waiting months to start treatment  ironically, due to a delay in laws promising to accelerate access to IVF.

The reforms, which abolish the need for police and child welfare checks on people trying to conceive, were flagged by the Victorian government in July last year after IVF patients told an inquiry they felt the checks were "unfair, humiliating and a cause of distress".

Sabrina Romano waited more than a month for her police checks to be processed. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Victoria is the only jurisdiction in the world that requires couples and individuals wanting IVF and other assisted reproductive technology treatments to undergo checks for sexual or violent crime convictions. Parliamentary delays sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic mean the legislation is yet to be passed by the upper house, and Australian fertility experts are now calling on the Andrews government to fast-track the reforms.

Monash IVF's Professor Beverley Vollenhoven said undergoing police checks or child welfare checks took weeks or sometimes even months, depending on patients' individual circumstances.
COLUMBUS, OH  Numerous videos and images showing crowded restaurant patios and storefronts were shared this weekend in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine reacted to the photos with a sobering warning on Monday, urging Ohioans and business owners to take health and safety protocols seriously.

"When we look at how restaurants and bars operate, distance is key. We got reports over the weekend that most were doing an amazing job. But, it's clear that we have some outliers  businesses that were not doing what they should do," DeWine said, before rehashing the safety guidelines restaurants and bars must follow. Most notably, he said, customers must be at least 6 feet apart.

The governor said he received numerous reports and saw numerous images of customers at bars packed together. He said bar owners have an obligation to control the environment or close their establishment.

Don't miss the latest updates from health and government officials in Ohio on the coronavirus. Sign up for Patch newsletters and news alerts.



Law enforcement around the state are being brought together under the banner of the Department of Public Safetys Ohio Investigative Unit to investigate bars and restaurants around the state. If an establishment violates the state's protocols, a bar or restaurant could lose its liquor license.

"Further, we will work with municipal prosecutors to take potential criminal actions against these bad actors," DeWine said.

Monday's Numbers

Ohio confirmed 531 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday afternoon, the state health department announced. That is down versus the state's 21-day average of 578 new cases daily. Since the start of the outbreak, at least 28,454 Ohioans have contracted the virus.

Over the past 24 hours, at least 32 Ohioans have died due to complication caused by COVID-19. At least 1,657 Ohioans have died because of COVID-19 since the outbreak began.

The state also confirmed 77 new hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 on Monday, and 23 people were admitted to intensive care because of the virus.

Story continues

More reading:

This article originally appeared on the Cleveland Patch
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over San Francisco Bay in the US state of California.

San Francisco Bay, almost 100 km in length, is a shallow estuary surrounded by the San Francisco Bay Area - an extensive metropolitan region that is dominated by large cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The densely populated urban areas around the bay contrast strongly with the surrounding green forest and park areas.

In the upper right of the image, the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers is visible - with the brown, sediment-filled water flowing down into San Pablo Bay. Here, the murky waters mix before flowing into the larger bay area, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean via the Golden Gate strait. A large sediment plume can be seen travelling westward into the Pacific in the left of the image.

The Golden Gate Bridge, around 2.7 km long, is visible crossing the opening of the bay into the Pacific Ocean between Marin County and the city of San Francisco - which can be seen at the tip of the southern peninsula in the centre of the image. Treasure, Angel and Alcatraz islands can be seen sticking out of the waters of the bay, with several bridges connecting its east and west shores. Several boats are also visible.

The bright green and yellow colours in the bottom right of the image are salt ponds and are part of the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. Covering an area of around 120 sq km, the refuge contains salt marsh, mudflat and vernal pool habitats for millions of migratory birds and endangered species.

Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe's Copernicus programme. The mission's frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution allow changes in water bodies to be closely monitored.

This image, captured on 25 January 2019, is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme.

- Download the full high-resolution image.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
News outlet says its editor-in-chief was arrested by Egyptian security forces outside Cairos Tora Prison complex.

The editor-in-chief of a prominent investigative media outlet in Egypt, Mada Masr, has been released hours after being arrested by security forces in Cairo.

Lina Attalah was arrested outside the capitals Tora Prison complex where she was interviewing Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.

She was released on bail late on Sunday.

According to the media outlet, Attalah remained in police custody for about three hours after her bail fee of 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($126.53) was paid, before being released from the police station in Maadi, a Cairo neighbourhood.

UPDATE: Lina Atallah, Editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, has just been released from the Maadi police station. pic.twitter.com/YgtPXJI1EX  Mada Masr   (@MadaMasr) May 17, 2020

Lawyer Hassan al-Azhari had told AFP news agency that the reason behind the arrest and the charges against Attallah were unclear.

Attalahs arrest is the latest amid a wider crackdown on dissent in the North African country.

Mada Masr is one of the hundreds of websites blocked by the Egyptian government in recent years.

The outlet has continued to publish through mirror sites. It has produced investigative pieces looking into some of Egypts government institutions, including intelligence agencies, military and the presidency.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisis government has repeatedly harassed Mada Masr and its journalists. In November, security forces raided its offices, briefly detaining Attalah and two other journalists.

The November raid came just a day after Mada Masr said security forces arrested one of its editors, Shady Zalat, from his home in Cairo. Zalat was later released.

Media clampdown

Egypt has increasingly targeted journalists in an continuing crackdown against dissidents since the 2013 military removal of then-President Mohamed Morsi.





The clampdown has swept up thousands of the late Morsis supporters as well as activists, lawyers and academics.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says at least 29 journalists are jailed in Egypt, which ranks 166 out of 180 countries in its 2020 world press freedom index.

Egyptian officials have increasingly deployed the vague accusation of fake news to silence and jail critics in the governments sweeping and often indiscriminate crackdown on dissent.

Last week, security forces arrested Haisam Hasan Mahgoub, a journalist who regularly wrote for the independent daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Mahgoub was arrested on Wednesday on charges of joining and financing a terrorist group as well as spreading fake news that threatens national security, according to his lawyer.

Earlier this month, a local journalist and a freelance photographer were arrested on charges of joining and financing a terrorist group as well as spreading fake news that threatens national security.

Among dozens of media workers imprisoned in Egypt is Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Hussein, a Doha-based journalist who was arrested in 2016 during a visit to his family in Cairo.

He has been held without charge for more than 1,200 days, and there are concerns for his health during the coronavirus pandemic.
62 Countries Back Joint Australia-EU Initiative For Independent Inquiry Into COVID-19 Outbreak

Sputnik News

15:06 GMT 17.05.2020(updated 15:36 GMT 17.05.2020)

The development comes as the number of those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 strain of coronavirus is gradually approaching the five million mark. Almost 314,000 people have succumbed to the disease and 1.8 million have recovered.

A coalition of 62 countries, including Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey, have backed a joint Australia-EU initiative for an independent investigation into the coronavirus outbreak, ABC news reported. It calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the World Health Organisation-coordinated international response to COVID-19".

Australia was the first nation to call for an inquiry into the origins of the virus. This prompted an aggressive response from China, with Beijing describing the decision as a propaganda war launched by the United States and accusing Canberra of parroting some US officials.

However, the joint EU-Australian motion does not mention China or Wuhan, where the first cases of the coronavirus were reported. It stressed the need for the WHO to work with the World Organisation for Animal Health to conduct "scientific and collaborative field missions" and "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts".

"This is about collaborating to equip the international community to better prevent or counter the next pandemic and keep our citizens safe", said Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

Neither the United States nor China has backed the motion. Previously, senior US officials, including President Donald Trump, called for a specific probe into Beijing's handling of the virus. The US president accused Chinese authorities of a cover up, which he said allowed the virus to spread all over the world.

Virginie Battu-Henriksson, the European Union's spokeswoman for foreign affairs, assured that the motion tabled by Canberra and Brussels is not focused on putting the blame on a certain party, saying it was about "getting together and finding a solution which is workable for all".

 Sputnik

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By Jung Min-ho







A Vietnamese worker in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, has tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting the club "Queen" in Seoul's popular multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon on May 1.





The man, 32, whose identity is being withheld, took a coronavirus test in Bucheon, where his friend lives, on May 15 after showing flu-like symptoms, the city government said Sunday.





He is being treated at the Gyeonggi Province Medical Center Anseong Hospital.





Health officials are tracing the people the man has since contacted. So far, one of his Korean colleagues in Gwangju has tested positive for COVID-19. Among 10 others the two had been in close contact with, four tested negative and six are waiting for results.





After a 29-year-old Korean patient infected with the virus visited multiple clubs and bars in the area from the night of May 1 to the early hours of May 2, there was a resurgence in new cases, with the daily increase reaching over 30 on May 10 and 11, the highest of the month.





On Sunday, the country reported 13 new cases, with club-linked infections showing signs of a slowdown over the weekend.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:27:48|Editor: huaxia

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A journalist takes photos of the exhibits during a special exhibition with a selection of cultural relics dating from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) to the Qin and Han Dynasty (221 B.C.-220 A.D.) at the Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, May 17, 2020.(Xinhua/Li Bo)

The number of museums in China increased by 181 year on year to 5,535 in 2019 and they held about 28,600 exhibitions and 334,600 educational events in 2019.

NANJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of visitors to Chinese museums across China increased by over 100 million visitors year on year to reach 1.23 billion in 2019, said Liu Yuzhu, head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), at the opening ceremony of the International Museum Day celebrations in China on Monday.



The number of museums in China increased by 181 year on year to 5,535 in 2019 and they held about 28,600 exhibitions and 334,600 educational events in 2019, Liu said in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, the main venue for the celebrations.

"Equality has become a distinctive characteristic of the development of Chinese museums, while innovation has accelerated their modernization and intellectualization," Liu said.

Photo taken on May 17, 2020 shows the bronze chariot and horse of Han Dynasty during a special exhibition with a selection of cultural relics dating from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) to the Qin and Han Dynasty (221 B.C.-220 A.D.) at the Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province.(Xinhua/Li Bo)

Themed "Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion," this year's campaign for International Museum Day will include special activities held across China to boost interactions between museums and the public, according to the NCHA.

In collaboration with Xinhua News Agency, the NCHA launched a platform to show the best of the online exhibitions of China's museums at the opening ceremony.

A special exhibition with a selection of over 200 cultural relics dating from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) to the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) were jointly launched by eight cultural institutions as the first livestream project under the cooperation.

In a tribute to medics, a batch of materials demonstrating China's collective efforts in the combat against the epidemic was donated to Nanjing Museum at the opening ceremony of the main event.

Online activities will be intertwined with offline events for the first time due to the epidemic, and activities at the main event venue will be livestreamed via the 5G network.

A total of 11 Chinese cities including Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Changsha have hosted the main event in turn since 2009. 
Rajasthan reported 173 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases on Monday, as the overall tally in the desert state rose to 5,375.

There were reports of two fresh deaths, as the Covid-19 related toll climbed to 133.

Most of the new Covid-19 positive cases were reported from districts, where migrants are returning home for other states, including hotspots such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, amid the easing of lockdown restrictions, which were imposed since end-March to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak. So far, 588 migrants have tested Covid-19 positive.

Dungarpur reported 64 new Covid-19 positive cases and Jaipur 22.

Bhilwara, which was on the verge of being declared free from the viral outbreak, has reported 22 fresh cases. Udaipur reported 15 new cases, Barmer (10), Bharatpur, and Bikaner six. Dausa recorded five new cases, Banswara, Sikar, and Pali recorded four cases each, Dholpur (3), Rajsamand and Nagaur two each and Jhunjhunu and Chittorgarh reported one each.

Rohit Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, health, Rajasthan, said one Covid-19 related death each has been reported from Kota and Nagaur districts. Both the patients died at Jaipurs Sawai Man Singh Hospital, where they were undergoing treatment.

State heath minister Raghu Sharma said that the restrictions in lockdown 4:0, which came into effect from Monday and will be in place till May 31, would be further eased.

We need to get the economy back on track. Efforts are on to ease the lockdown restrictions. We need to fight against the pandemic and at the same time ensure that people can get on with their jobs and economic activities are revived, the minister said.

Sharma said that the central government is evacuating Indian nationals, who are stranded abroad, and those from the state would return next week.

The minister said that the state is prepared to follow the centres guidelines to quarantine the evacuees from abroad and have identified a few hotels near Jaipur International Airport.

Weve identified a few hotels near the airport, where these evacuees will have to stay under quarantine for 14 days at their own cost, he added.

The minister warned that there could be a spike in Covid-19 positive cases, as hundreds and thousands of migrants are returning home from hotspots such as Maharashtra and Gujarat.

He also pointed out the state could take a heart from the fact that over 3,000 people have recovered and its recovery rate is double than the national average.

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Coronavirus claims retired NY priest weeks after killing his successor

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NEW YORK  St. Clares R.C. Church in Great Kills on Staten Island announced the loss of Pastor Emeritus Msgr. Joseph P. Murphy to the coronavirus on Saturday, just over a month after the virus killed his successor. He was 91.

It is with a very heavy heart that we share with you that our beloved Pastor Emeritus, Msgr. Joseph P. Murphy, affectionately known as Monsignor, has returned to the Lord, the church said in a statement on their website.

Murphys death came two days after he celebrated his 66th anniversary of priestly ordination.

Monsignor bravely battled and defeated COVID-19 but had a long recovery, the church said.

The beloved priest, who led the church from 1985 to 2008, was described as a strong spiritual leader and visionary.

It was Msgr. Murphy who foresaw the importance of engaging lay ministers in the Church, especially women ministers. Monsignor was the first to enable women to become active ministers in the Church. He had a particular gift at identifying the talents of others and encouraging them to use their talents to serve the Church. The engaged and active lay ministries that make our parish thrive today is a direct result of his leadership, the church said.

Looking at the fruits of his labor, we can all agree that this world was made a better place because God had blessed it with the gift that was Monsignor Murphy for the last 91 years. Now he belongs to his Maker. In the loving arms of his friend and successor, Fr. Richard, may Monsignor journey to be at peace with God forever.

Monsignor Richard J. Guastella, who succeeded Murphy in 2008, died last month at the age of 73 after battling the coronavirus.

It is with the utmost sadness that we share with you that our beloved pastor, Msgr. Richard J. Guastella, affectionately known as Fr. Richard, has returned to the Lord. Fr. Richard passed away in the early hours of Holy Thursday, April 9, 2020, after bravely battling the COVID-19 which led to his hospitalization last week, the church announced then.

Guastellas death came exactly a week after the passing of his brother, Joseph.

It is fitting that the Lord chose to call Father home, after nearly 48 years of priesthood, on the day that we celebrate the Supper of the Lord, the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. He is indeed a priest forever. We can all agree that this world was made a better place because God had blessed it with the gift that was Fr. Richard for the last 73 years. Now he belongs to his Maker, the church noted of Richard Guastellas death.
Getty Images | filadendron

By now it's very clear that the coronavirus pandemic will change the way we work in offices  perhaps indefinitely. Less certain is the impact these physical and structural changes will have on corporate culture, which has become an intangible asset that companies now long to perfect. Corporate culture can also be used to describe the warm feelings employees have or the high expectations of a company's management team. "Think of it as safe, not sad," explains Marc Spector, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and principal at Spectorgroup, referring to the measures companies will need to implement in order for employees to return to the office in a post-pandemic world. He emphasizes the aim for a greater focus on health and welfare and less so on "togetherness." The New York-based global architecture, interior design and master planning firm's portfolio includes such high-profile properties as Brookfield Place, 60 Wall Street and the Nikon USA Headquarters. "Companies are going to have to reorient workstations so people aren't facing one another. That may mean changing where the computer is or where the power source is located. Companies are going to have to remove all of the tabling and the seating in conference rooms or other communal areas to give greater flexibility to space distance. Any personal effects at desks or offices need to be removed. That way, these spaces can be completely and thoroughly cleaned," says Spector. He also recommends companies institute measures like touchless entry for restrooms and elevators and voice-over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, so there will be less direct contact with various surfaces.

A turning point in corporate culture

The office of the future post-pandemic may resemble more a place out of a dystopian movie, leaving some to worry this may have a massive impact on employee morale and corporate culture. Others believe the new normal will be more positive. Corporate culture is the secret sauce that builds the loyalty and trust workers have for their employer and defines the nature of an organization. It's the ephemeral feeling that CHROs and chief people officers speak of and work feverishly to build at their corporations. Up until recently, it was built within the confines of a company's office. The pandemic will likely change corporate culture at most companies long-term as businesses contend with a more remote workforce that lack the ability to connect in one room or even, in some circumstances, face-to-face. While it may keep workers safe, it will likely feel more sterile, less connected and perhaps involve fewer chances for employees to grow.

Statistics are already starting to bear this out. According to an April survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, 2 out of 3 employers say that maintaining employee morale during the pandemic has been a challenge, particularly companies that have 500 employees or more. One third of companies say they found maintaining company culture difficult during the pandemic. And while employers may be sensing a dip in morale, employees might just be happy to have a job during the pandemic. According to the Q2 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey, workers are happier with their jobs than they were pre-pandemic, yet more than half (54%) say their jobs have become increasingly more difficult. On the flip side, some companies are finding strength from their culture, having been able to successfully navigate during these times. "We use our culture to frame it. We always had a collaborative culture and a supportive one. We are engaging our employees more than ever," explains Tracy Keogh, CHRO at HP. "We are an agile culture, and we pivoted to the needs of our employees. I also think this situation made us do things over a matter of weeks that might have taken us years otherwise to do." HP is engaging with their workforce in a number of ways, through informational sessions and weekly Zoom-based town halls with doctors who can provide the latest updates on the coronavirus and other health-related issues, along with weekly homeschooling seminars for parents. "We make sure that managers check in with their teams constantly and connect with them in different ways. Zoom is also a big game changer for us. Our CEO used to barnstorm around the world to meet with teams, but now through a series of Zoom calls, he can reach everyone and speak directly with them. We are seeing that people are able to connect more globally, and we are seeing that there are ways to be more inclusive with their employees by meeting them where they are," says Keogh.

Flexible work arrangements will be critical to many of the issues women have struggled with during the pandemic in balancing personal life and a career. ArtMarie

But meeting your employees where they are doesn't always make up for chance meetings and unexpected moments that help a team or a department gel with one another. According to Andy Molinsky, organizational and cross-cultural psychologist at Brandeis University, there are a lot of serendipitous meetings and conversations that take place in the office  like catching someone in the hallway or at the watercooler to ask them a quick question  that won't be happening with a remote working experience and digital landscape. "Now it's sort of distant and disengaged," he said. Spector of Spectorgroup agrees: "Employees are being productive from home, but the sense of community and connection is what is most missed. Impromptu casual conversations aren't happening and have been replaced with more task-driven conversations."

Positive change requires bold, firm leadership

Michelle Penelope King, a gender-equality expert and author of "The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work," says the workforce right now requires some very strong leadership skills and that it is up to managers to rethink their management styles and how to best engage their teams. "Leaders are going to have to lean into the vulnerability and create space so people can innovate and grow," says King. "Transformational leaders won't just dive into an agenda but will check in with their members and get diverse points of view before they right to business. I think a relational-style of management will really help company culture during this time." King says the first thing managers should do is check in with their colleagues and understand their individual needs. "Constructing a workday that is effective will likely look different to various employees. For example, a 9 a.m. meeting may not be great for a parent but may be ideal for someone who lives alone. There needs to be a new level of compassion at companies, and successful managers will craft an environment that is conducive to each member of their teams to have people achieve success."

One aspect about work post-pandemic that appears to be universally agreed upon is that employees cannot come back all at once. "They have to stage it in teams or staggered in 25% increments," says Spector of the architectural firm Spectorgroup.



HP's Keogh agrees: "The big challenges we see coming now is that it won't be a quick return, and you can see that frustration already out there in the streets," she says. "It is going to be a long haul. We have set up mechanisms to support people from a mental health perspective and give manager training on that. We have put a lot of responsibility on our managers right now. It'll be difficult to keep people's spirits up long-term, especially those who have been impacted by the illness, but we are continuously getting smarter and making sure we are capturing lessons learned in each phase." Spector says his team will also return in phases. "It will be important to extend the office culture into the work-from-home culture by encouraging casual Zoom coffee breaks to check in and see how people are doing, or getting creative with birthday celebrations and events that might have played a big role in the company culture pre-Covid."

"It is going to be a long haul ... but we are continuously getting smarter and making sure we are capturing lessons learned in each phase. Tracy Keogh CHRO at HP
Observing that shopkeepers in Pakistan will "die of hunger rather than the coronavirus" and that the virus does not go anywhere on Saturdays and Sundays, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered that shopping malls and markets should be allowed to operate throughout the week across the country.

Markets and shopping malls in Pakistan were shut down during the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

A five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed was hearing a suo moto case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak.

During the hearing, Justice Ahmed remarked that if shops are shut down then shopkeepers will "die of hunger rather than the coronavirus".

Rejecting the provincial governments' logic to keep markets closed on weekends to reduce the spread of the virus, he said, keeping businesses shut for certain days in a week violates the Constitution.

"Coronavirus does not go anywhere on Saturday and Sunday. What is the reason behind keeping markets closed on Saturday and Sunday?" Justice Ahmed asked.

The chief justice also questioned the "logic" behind keeping malls closed and ordered that shopping malls and markets should remain open seven days a week.

Pakistan has reported over 42,000 coronavirus cases and more than 900 deaths due to the disease.

"Provinces should not create hurdles in opening shopping malls after getting permission (from the health ministry). The court expects that the health ministry will not create any unimportant hurdles and will (allow) businesses to open," the chief justice observed.

During the hearing, the Sindh provincial government showed reluctance to allow malls to reopen but the court rejected the reservations.

The court said it will be the provincial governments' responsibility to ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being followed and implemented.

The apex court also expressed displeasure at the way the money is being spent to deal with the coronavirus crisis and grilled the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) over the expenditure.

The NDMA had submitted a report over the amount spent on medical equipment and quarantine centres for suspected patients.

"What is the reason behind spending hundreds and thousands of rupees on one patient?" the chief justice asked the NDMA representative.

He expressed concerns over the money allocated to cope with the health crisis and said: "Coronavirus did not come so that someone can take away Pakistan's money. Billions of rupees are being spent on tin charpoys."



"Coronavirus in Pakistan is not as severe as the money being spent on it," the bench observed and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

A Midland teen died early Monday morning in a pickup-pedestrian crash in West Odessa, according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Reyna Rodriguez, 16, was walking in the center of Knox Avenue, seven miles west of Odessa. An Odessa teen was driving a Dodge Ram southbound on Knox Avenue and hit Rodriguez, according to the release.
OP SAMUDRA SETU PHASE 2 - INS JALASHWA BRINGS HOME 588 INDIANS FROM MALDIVES

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 17 MAY 2020 4:14PM by PIB Delhi

INS Jalashwa, deployed for Op Samudra Setu, entered Kochi harbour today morning concluding her second voyage to bring back Indians from Male, Maldives. The ship disembarked 588 Indian citizens including 70 women (06 expectant mothers) and 21 children at the Samudrika Cruise Terminal, of Cochin Port Trust.

INS Jalashwa berthed alongside at Cochin Port Trust at 11:30 am and was received by the personnel from Indian Navy, State Government, District Administration and Port Trust. Extensive arrangements were also made by the Port authorities for streamlining the process of COVID screening and immigration procedures as also by the civil administration for transportation for the evacuated Indian nationals to respective districts/States for further quarantining.

INS Jalashwa had embarked Indian citizens at Male on 15 May 20 as part of the Indian Government's national efforts to facilitate return of Indian citizens from foreign shores. The ship's scheduled departure on 15 May was delayed due to inclement weather, accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds and the ship had departed Male on 16 May 20.

************

VM/ MS

(Release ID: 1624668)

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At the end of March, Time published an essay by distinguished New Testament scholar N.T. Wright, with the rather brazen title Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus. Its Not Supposed To. The title is wrong, and the essay is strange, to say the least. But it serves as an interesting catalyst for asking what answers the Christian faith does have regarding the present pandemic.

Dr. Wright reflects on the privations were experiencing, which are indeed painful  not to mention the many who are sick and have died. He notes that a pandemic makes for an unusually severe Lent, And this Lent has no fixed Easter to look forward to. We cant tick off the days. Then he begins to muse about the Christian response:

No doubt the usual silly suspects will tell us why God is doing this to us. A punishment? A warning? A sign? These are knee-jerk would-be Christian reactions in a culture which, generations back, embraced rationalism: everything must have an explanation. But supposing it doesnt?

For Wright, those who try to offer explanations are silly, rationalistic, and acting in a pseudo-Christian manner. Now, I dont doubt that some of those offering explanations for the coronavirus are silly, that some of the motivations for offering answers are pseudo-Christian, and maybe even that rationalism has some onions in the soup. But I hardly think that a charismatic preacher declaring coronavirus is the punishment for x sin is showing heavy rationalistic influence. Nor is it really the case that the desire to explain a pandemic is a sign of the Enlightenments footprint; the search for answers is a characteristically human trait, and can be found in similar circumstances in other times and places. Rationalism is an ideological bogey-man in this situation, and Wrights conjuring of it is significant.

Wright doesnt think that offering an explanation is the appropriate Christian response; nor does he think that offering concrete hope is: What if, after all, there are moments such as T.S. Eliot recognized in the early 1940s, when the only advice is to wait without hope, because wed be hoping for the wrong thing? Instead, he exhorts Christians to embrace lament, and in the strongest part of the essay, he points to sections of lament in the Psalms. He then turns to theology proper, and is apparently no friend to classical theism and the doctrine of divine impassibility.

Having noted Jesus grief at the tomb of Lazarus and the testimony to the Spirits groaning, Wright drives home his main point: It is no part of the Christian vocation, then, to be able to explain whats happening and why. In fact, it is part of the Christian vocation not to be able to explainand to lament instead. As the title says, Christianity offers no answers.

Now, there surely are bad ways to offer answers in a time of crisis. People do offer trite and unhelpful words to those who are suffering. People go well beyond what God has revealed, and declare that the disaster is a punishment for x sin, and will go away if people do y. Lament is certainly a part of the Christian response to the suffering of the world, and at times it may be the only response: mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15, NIV). But has the church really no answers, no hope to offer?

The church does not have a specific answer for this specific disease. But the church does have an encompassing answer that applies to this disease as to every disease of this world, the people on it, and our souls: the sufferings of this world are the result of sin. And the church does have a hope, and should Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15). God has provided a wonderful answer to all suffering, the gospel of Jesus Christ: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Is the coronavirus pandemic a punishment? Yes, for our world is in rebellion against God Almighty. Is it a warning? It should be. Every disaster and disease is a memento mori, urging us to remember that we should use this short life to prepare for the life to come. Is it a sign? It signifies that this world is broken, and our time here is short. But does that mean the only advice is to wait without hope, because wed be hoping for the wrong thing? Not if were hoping for the Parousia.

T.S. Eliot has good things to say, but I prefer the apostle Paul on this one (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 16-18):

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hopeFor the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

But in offering these answers, are we manifesting some silly, pseudo-Christian rationalism that has sunk into our bones? This is where the church must correctly reconnoiter the culture. Generals are always fighting the last war, the saying goes; rationalism is the last war  or maybe a few wars ago. We are dealing now with a late-modern or post-modern culture that is allergic to truth, answers, and certainty. Indeed  and this is the salient point  Dr. Wrights essay fits in Time because it offers the message our time wants to hear: we dont know any more than you do. But what our time needs to hear is the Christian message: a pandemic is the result of sin, it should be taken as a memento mori, and there is certain and eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

This harsh Lent is bad, and we should lament; but remember Easter.
Lieutenant Colonel Vinicius Carvalho, who ran the 41st battalion until recently, said supervisors in rough areas must often rely on hardened police officers who thrive in dangerous environments  even those charged with murder or suspected of other crimes  because the force is severely understaffed.

Its better that I have him there  an experienced, coldblooded man who has been through a number of situations  than if I perhaps put someone who lacks experience, Lt. Col. Carvalho said in his office, with its numerous decorative skulls, including one standing four feet tall next to his desk.

Rio de Janeiros military police is 15,000 officers short of its authorized force of 60,000, and the gap is particularly acute in violent districts. As of early January, the 41st battalion had 612 officers, fewer than half the number the police department deems necessary. Of those, more than 20 percent were on leave or pulled off the streets for physical or psychiatric disability.

Lt. Col. Carvalho said officers who have been involved in a killing would ideally go off duty for a few days to cool off. But doing that in districts where gun battles are a near-daily reality, he said, would be utopian.

Beyond that, he said, officers who get suspended often ask to go back on duty because theres an addictive quality to the adrenaline rush of being in combat.

Your sweat smells different after combat from all the stuff you poured out, he said, inhaling as he pulled up his collar to his nose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  About 20.3 million families can expect cash aid from the government this month, as the government recalibrates subsidies to families displaced by the pandemic, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

At a Monday press briefing, Roque said that more families are seen to receive financial aid from the government for the second tranche of fund releases, coming from 19.4 million recipients between April-May.

READ: COVID-19 cash aid goes digital to accelerate distribution

This is broken down into 12 million families who are part of the original Social Amelioration Program that received 5,000 to 8,000 the past month. The original list included about 18 million low-income households, but some have been dropped as their communities already transitioned to general community quarantine which allowed laborers to return to work.

Roque also said these beneficiaries have been replaced by 4.9 million additional families, following President Rodrigo Duterte's order to broaden the coverage of dole outs meant to sustain basic needs while under lockdown. They will receive their two-month cash aid in one go, which may be worth as much as 16,000.

RELATED: More officials face graft charges for alleged cash aid distribution anomalies

Cebu City and Mandaue City remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Meanwhile, Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City, and Laguna were placed under modified ECQ from May 16 until May 31 to contain COVID-19 infections.

Another 3.4 million workers will also receive relief via the Small Business Wage Subsidy program, Roque added. Help has been extended to some 2.1 million employees, the Department of Finance said last week.

The presidential spokesperson said the latest tally of beneficiaries is higher than the 18 million required under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The first tranche included the payout of the first month of the cash aid to poor families, as well as funds meant to assist rice farmers, displaced workers, and OFWs forced out of jobs, he said.

Last week, Roque announced that the President has asked Congress for help in looking for additional funding for the second tranche of the government's financial assistance program. Economic managers earlier warned that cash is running low for these dole outs as the COVID-19 crisis stretches to May.
More firearm thefts are occurring in regional Australia, with Queensland recording a quarter of the nation's incidents, an Australian Institute of Criminology report states.

There were 847 incidents of firearm theft, in which 2425 firearms were reported stolen, in 2018, the Firearm theft in Australia 2018 report by Samantha Bricknell shows.

Of these, 584 firearms were stolen in Queensland, ahead of Victoria with 572 stolen, NSW with 466 stolen and Western Australia with 382 stolen.

Firearm thefts are becoming more prominent in regional communities, says an Australian Criminology report focusing on 2018. Credit:GREG NEWINGTON

Dr Bricknell wrote that most thefts targeted residential premises with an average of three firearms stolen in each incident.
A former Deputy Finance Minister, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson says the countrys public debt of GHS236.1 billion if shared among all 30 million citizens, each Ghanaian owes GHS7,836.

Mr Forson says his position is backed by data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) reveals that Ghanas debt increased from GHS120.3 billion in December 2016 to GHS236.1 billion by 31 March 2020.

He further accused the central bank of financing government operations without recourse to the laws of the country.

Below is Mr Forsons full statement:

I have been looking at the Summary of Economic and Financial Data for May 2020 put out by the Bank of Ghana. It is intriguing to observe that Ghana's total debt stock as of March 2020 stood at GHS236.1 billion. The data further reveals that Ghanas debt increased from GHS120.3 billion in December 2016 to GHS236.1 billion by 31st March 2020. Despite his vociferous public debt politics in opposition, President Akufo-Addo has added some GHS116 billion to our public debt in just 3 years and a few months.

Indeed, we have to #KickNanaOut

Analyzed closely, President Akufo-Addo's debt accumulation is almost akin to Ghana's entire public debt since independence. It is even more troubling to note that if the public debt is shared among all Ghanaians, each of us owe a whopping GHS7,836.00.

There are other observations I must proceed to highlight:

First, it is wrong for the Bank of Ghana to express the actual public debt as at 31st March 2020 as a percentage of the projected GDP for end of the year, that is December 2020 which creates an obvious erroneous impression.

Secondly, BoG is using December 2020 projected nominal GDP of GSH398,048 billion instead of the official projected nominal GDP of GHS385,251 billion which the government shared with the IMF in April 2020.

In effect, the Bank of Ghana is deliberately using a higher Nominal GDP to create the false impression that government's nominal debt as percentage of GDP is low. This is intellectual dishonesty and dangerous not only to Ghanaians but to the investor community. This is not only shameful but goes a long way to damage the otherwise reputable image of the BoG.

Bank of Ghana should be reminded that it is not a political institution but an important technical and professional institution of State whose reputation is very crucial to Ghana's economic progress.

I therefore call on the BoG to as a matter of urgency come clean and rectify what is now an exposed plot to deceive Ghanaians and the investor community.

Thirdly, I wish to draw the attention of the Governor and the Minister of Finance to Section 30 of the Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612) as amended by the Bank of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 918) regarding the breach of the ceiling for central bank financing that has occurred.

The 2019 Domestic Revenue was GHS51,988.01m and 5 per cent of this is about GHS2,599.40m

Regrettably, the Bank of Ghana has already disbursed GHS5.5bn to finance Government of Ghana's operations without recourse to the laws of Ghana.

In clear terms, the Bank of Ghana has printed GHS5.5bn to finance GoGs operations and is planning to print even more. This is a flagrant breach of the Bank of Ghana Act.

The Minority in Parliament, therefore, cautions the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, that there are consequences for his actions.

In any case, why has the Bank of Ghana become an extension of the Ministry of Finance? Instead of government aggressively embarking on fiscally austere measures such as pruning down the size of government by cutting down the number of government appointees to make savings, government is rather stampeding the resources of the Bank of Ghana at will.

It is time to end the financial recklessness and give way to prudent and credible management of the economy to avoid this #TotalFailure

Source: BoGs Summary of Economic and Financial Data
US special operations forces ill-equipped to counter China, Russia

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 6:26 PM

American military officials say the US special operations forces are ill-equipped for high-tech warfare with China and Russia, stressing the need for Washington to develop new capabilities in the field of military power to be able to compete with the two geopolitical rivals.

General Richard Clarke, commander of special operations command (Socom), told a virtual conference this week that the US needed to develop new capabilities to "compete and win" with Russia and China.

Clarke added that the 70,000-strong Socom forces, which include US Navy Seals, Army Green Berets and Marine Corps Raiders, must develop cyber skills and focus on influence campaigns rather than "the kill-capture missions" that characterized their time in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Clarke made the comments as both Russia and China are developing high-tech military capabilities to field the technology and erode America's military dominance.

"Maybe we are further behind than we know,"Colonel Michael McGuire, director of combat developments at Socom, also told the conference.

"Things just moved much more quickly than we expected," he said of the new threats from adversaries, citing the erosion of America's traditional military advantages in the sky, space and communications.

Proposing shifting focus to defense over attack, McGuire highlighted US vulnerabilities in cyber security and said soft-power tactics by America's rivals could "drive fissures through some of our alliances."

A former US military commander, not named in reports, said Socom would need to plan operations without GPS or access to satellites, and needed to develop cheaper equipment in case satellites were shot out of the sky.

"Special operations forces are not ready for operations against a near-peer foe, such as China, in a direct engagement," the former commander told the Financial Times.

"We need special operations forces to find a way to operate in running gun battles and other scenarios without communications," he said, adding that units would have to be cut off from higher command and execute plans on the ground with "substantially less oversight than we have practiced in the recent war on terror."

In a rhetoric that fueled fears of a new nuclear arms race, President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US was building "incredible military equipment, at a level that nobody's ever seen before."

Trump said that Washington has "no choice with the adversaries we have out there," referring to China and Russia.

The US Defense Department said in March it had successfully tested an unarmed hypersonic missile, a weapon that could potentially overwhelm other missile defense systems.

Back in 2018, Trump directed the Pentagon to establish the Space Force  the first new US military branch in 72 years  calling for the US's "dominance in space."

Late last year, he signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that includes funds for the country's controversial Space Force.

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China has been trying to avoid fallout from coronavirus. Now 100 countries are pushing for an investigation



Russian President Vladimir Putin once called Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, a "lone warrior."



Putin was joking, but that description is starting to look more and more accurate. Russia has joined about 100 countries in backing a resolution at the upcoming



World Health Assembly (WHA), calling for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.



The European Union-drafted resolution comes on the back of a push by Australia for an inquiry into China's initial handling of the crisis.



That was met with an angry response from Beijing, which accused Canberra of a "highly irresponsible" move that could "disrupt international cooperation in fighting the pandemic and goes against people's shared aspiration."



While the resolution to be presented at the annual meeting of World Health Organization (WHO) members, which begins on Monday in Geneva, does not single out China or any other country, it calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of "the (WHO)-coordinated international health response to Covid-19."



The wording of the resolution is weak compared to Australia's previous calls for a probe into China's role and responsibility in the origin of the pandemic. This may have been necessary to get a majority of WHO member states to sign on -- particularly those, such as Russia, with traditionally strong ties to Beijing.



But that doesn't mean China's government should rest easy. The potential for an independent probe, even one not initially tasked with investigating an individual country's response, to turn up damning or embarrassing information is great. Australian government sources told the ABC, the country's public broadcaster, that the resolution's language was sufficiently strong to "ensure that a proper and thorough investigation took place."



Beijing has previously said it would only support an investigation held by the WHO, which has been accused of being overly influenced by China -- a charge top WHO officials refute.



Speaking last week, China's ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming said: "We're open, we are transparent, we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. We welcome an international, independent review, but it has to be organized by the WHO."



With more countries signing on to the EU resolution as the assembly nears, that may be out of China's hands. There were also indications that Beijing may accept the resolution: Chinese state media reported Monday that Xi would deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the WHA, an unlikely move if Beijing was preparing to push back against a key agenda item.

Source: CNN









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.

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A South Carolina mother is accused of setting her car on fire with her 14-month toddler inside on Interstate-126 Sunday, according to multiple reports.

According to WLTX 19, Caylin Allise Watson, 23, of Elgin, South Carolina, is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The report said she is charged with attempted murder, third-degree arson and abuse of great bodily injury upon a child.

WLTX 19 report that police say she parked her car along I-126 Sunday around 1:30 p.m. and set it on fire while her son was inside. It said the toddler suffered severe burns all over his body, and is in critical condition at the Augusta Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia.
Darwin, Malthus and the Political Use of a Science of Limits

The science of limits became the foundation of an oligarchical economic science for the elite and naturally had to be kept hidden from the minds of the general population since it followed Thomas Malthus mathematical principle of population growth. Malthus principle of population supposed that unthinking humans reproduce geometrically while natures bounty only grows arithmetically and as such periodic population collapses were an unavoidable law of nature which could at best be managed by an oligarchical scientific priesthood who were obliged to periodically cull the herd.

Malthus and the X Club leaders believed that nature bestowed upon the ruling class certain tools to accomplish this important task (namely war, famine and disease) and Malthus stated so cold-bloodedly in his 1799 Essay on Population:

We should facilitate, instead of foolishly and vainly endeavoring to impede, the operations of nature in producing this mortality; and if we dread the too frequent visitation of the horrid form of famine, we should sedulously encourage the other forms of destruction, which we compel nature to use. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more people into the houses, and court the return of the plague.

The X Clubs support of the Darwinian theory of Natural Selection was less a scientific decision in this respect and more of a political one, as Darwin later admitted in his autobiography that his own theory arose directly from his study of Malthus:

In October 1838, fifteen months after I had begun my systematic inquiry, I happened to read for amusement Malthus on Population, and being prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on, from long-continued observation of the habits of animals and plants, it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. The result would be the formation of a new species. Here then, I had at last got a theory by which to work.

By universalizing Malthus onto all living creation, the X Club obscured the qualitative difference between humans and monkeys which was advantageous for an empire that can only control humans when they adopt the law of the jungle as standards of moral practice and identity formation rather than anything actually moral.

It was thus no accident that Henry C. Carey targeted Darwinism, Malthus and the X Club relentlessly in his Unity of Law: An Exhibition on the Relations of Physical, Social, Mental and Moral Science (1872). In this important book, Carey attacked all systems founded upon master-slave relations saying:

Hence it is that it has given rise to the doctrine e of over-population, which is simply that of slavery, anarchy and societary ruin, as the ultimate condition of mankind; that, too, coming as a consequence of laws emanating from an all-wise and all powerful Being who could, if He would, have instituted laws in virtue of which freedom, order, peace and happiness would have been the lot of man. That these latter have been instituted- that the scheme of creation is not a failure; that is marred by no such errors as those assumed by Mr. Malthus; is proved by all the facts presented for consideration by the advancing communities of the world- the habit of peace, among both individuals and nations, growing with growth of numbers, and increase in power for self-direction.

Anti-Darwinian Approaches to Evolution

Although we are told too often today that no alternative system ever existed outside of Darwins theory of evolution, a closer inspection of science history during the 19th century proves that to be far from true.

During this period, an anti-Darwinian scientific revolution was blossoming in the life sciences under the guiding leadership of figures like James Dwight Dana, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Alexander von Humboldt, Georges Cuvier, Karl-Ernst von Baer, and Benjamin Silliman. These scientists not only began questioning the static theory of nature as derived from a literal reading of the Bible, but made huge strides in realizing the higher causal mechanisms defining the flow of evolution. This process was outlined in a 2010 lecture delivered by the author of this report entitled the Matter Over Darwins Missing Mind.
On behalf of my family and the City of Gary, our prayers and condolences go out to the family of Demetrius Townsel, Jr., Prince said in a statement. Its never easy to hear of a loss of life, especially when a victim is so young. Our investigators continue their work into this tragedy, and we will employ every available resource to get to the bottom of this and to see that justice is served.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:02:53|Editor: huaxia

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NANNING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- As the tide was still on the ebb at 6 a.m. on Weizhou Island in south China, Chen Mo, a marine biologist, got up, donned a wetsuit and grabbed his sampling tools, rushing to the intertidal zone of the islet's northern coast.

At 7:10 a.m., Chen set foot in the shoal, sporting a waterproof camera. "The best time to search for any kind of marine organisms in the intertidal zone is about an hour before the low tide," he said.

His research on the marine biodiversity of Weizhou is part of the fundamental works to help conserve Bryde's whales, a member of the baleen whale family that has been recently spotted off Weizhou after decades of absence.

Halfway through the zone, Chen said his biological clock, which has adjusted after long-term field surveys on Weizhou, has become in sync with the islet's tide cycle, as he naturally awakens nearly at the same time as the low tide.

Chen, 37, works for the Guangxi Academy of Sciences as an associate scientist in marine ecology. He has led the institution's marine mammal research team on Weizhou after noticing a rise in reported whale spottings in 2016.

For now, Weizhou and its surrounding waters consist of the only known area in China where Bryde's whales hunt for food, Chen said, noting that Weizhou is also the only inshore coastal water where the mammal's activities can be spotted, sometimes as near as only 300 meters from the shore.

Weizhou Island, located in the Beibu Gulf, is the youngest volcanic island in China. A national geological park was established on the island in 2004.

Whales normally migrate after food resources, and the nutrient-rich waters brought to the islet by ocean circulation in the Beibu Gulf keep attracting the Bryde's whales, noted Chen.

"So far we have found over 30 members of the herd near the islet," he said. "This place is like a dining hall. We must protect it for the survival of the species."

Whales are placed under state protection in China. Lin Deguang, director of the island's tourist zone administration, said previously that the city government of Beihai, which administers Weizhou, set up a protection zone for whales in July 2018 and that they will continue their efforts to protect marine biodiversity.

Since then, the use of styrofoam food containers and other non-degradable bags and wrappers were prohibited. Trash transfer stations and sewage treatment plants have also been built to facilitate better protection.

Lai Chaoyun, a 35-year-old islander and president of the island's tourism association, has witnessed the changes.

"We have 53 villages and a total population of 19,000. Household waste used to be dumped or burnt in a reckless manner. Now it needs to be shipped 21 nautical miles northbound to the mainland for proper treatment," Lai said.

Tourist visits to Weizhou reached 1.61 million in 2019, and more than 800 hotels and B&Bs are run on the islet, according to local authorities.

Apart from an economic boost, tourism also brings environmental costs, said Lai. "But the island's management commission has more actively regulated the hotel market for environmental protection, including stricter sewage discharge standards."

The tourism association also planned to limit hotel items to non-disposable ones only, Lai added.

Alongside the yearly moratorium from May to August, the local government also declared in 2018 a permanent moratorium zone stretching 6 km off the islet's coastline since Bryde's whales reappeared on the periphery.

"For two consecutive years we have found mother and baby whales hunting here. We cannot rule out the possibility that this area is the breeding place for whales," Chen said.

"Once confirmed, there will be stricter protection in the future," said Chen. Enditem
Kaia Gerber fired up her Instagram this Sunday to post a smoldering bikini snap of herself in the pool reading Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion.

The 18-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford dislocated her wrist this week and could be seen wearing her long blue cast.

She revealed in her caption that when she does an Instagram livestream about Play It As It Lays next week she will be joined by fellow model Emily Ratajkowski.

'Couldn't put it down': Kaia Gerber fired up her Instagram this Sunday to post a smoldering bikini snap of herself in the pool reading Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

Her Instagram album showed Joan posing against her yellow Cadillac Stingray in a 1970 picture Julian Wasser took for Time magazine.

That photograph was taken the year Play It As It Lays was published, seven years after Joan made her literary debut with the novel Run, River.

Kaia wrote: 'for book club this week were doing play it as it lays by joan didion! found the perfect book stand and couldnt put it down.'

The teen model shared: 'i have already started another book by her' although she did not reveal what her selection was.

Iconic: Her Instagram album showed Joan posing against her yellow Cadillac Stingray in a 1970 picture Julian Wasser took for Time magazine

Window reflection selfie: The brunette beauty also uploaded this image of herself to her Insta Story on Sunday, wearing a bikini top and leopard print trunks

She added: 'there will be SO much to talk about on friday with a very special guest who advocates for us women with such passion @emrata !! go read the book, bring questions, and we will see you friday at 5pm PST.'

Her previous book club guest was none other than Cindy herself, who joined her to chat about the 2018 novel Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Kaia announced her injury Saturday by posing on Instagram in a bikini and a cast, telling fans she 'had a little accident but im okay!'

Her picture was part of an Instagram album with an X-Ray photo indicating that she had dislocated her wrist.

Whoops: Kaia announced her injury Saturday by posing on Instagram in a bikini and a cast, telling fans she 'had a little accident but im okay!'

Early in lockdown Emily shared the books she was keeping busy with including All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks and This Life by Martin Hagglund.

She recently told British GQ that 'one of the main things Ive been doing' in lockdown is writing her own 'book of essays.'

'Id say its like a memoir, but with added political thinking. Im trying to use my experience as a model and someone who has capitalized on their image and also someone who has been maybe a victim of their image. Its complicated,' she said.

Oops: Her underwear picture was part of an Instagram album with an X-Ray photo indicating that she had dislocated her wrist

Also on Sunday: The Cindy mini-me added a shot of a get-well package to her IG Story, delivered to her by friend Travis R. Jackson

She tweeted this Sunday that she has been poring through Alexander Chee, who has written a book called How To Write An Autobiographical Novel among others.

Emily wrote on social media that she was 'hoping I can soak up his voice and his weaving of mangoes and class and boyhood and outsiderness in order to maybe, one day, if Im lucky, write something half as good.'

She is currently self-isolating in Los Angeles with her hunky producer husband Sebastian Bear-McClard and their dog Colombo.

Family time: Her previous book club guest was none other than Cindy herself, who joined her to chat about the 2018 novel Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Although they were initially hunkering down in New York City, the American epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, they flew to Los Angeles on April 15.

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention issued an advisory on March 28 asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.'

While isolating amid the pandemic Kaia has managed to get in time with pals like Tommy Dorfman, Ashley Benson, Cara Delevingne and Margaret Qualley.
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Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java  Mon, May 18, 2020 13:38 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8c625c 1 National COVID-19-in-Indonesia,East-Java,surabaya-raya,malang-raya,PSBB,airlangga-university Free

Epidemiologists from Airlangga University (UNAIR) in Surabaya have strongly criticized the East Java provincial administration's policy to allow mosques in Greater Surabaya to perform congregational prayers, including upcoming Idul Fitri mass prayers, saying the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the area would be rendered useless by the breach.

"With the letter, the extended PSBB in Greater Surabaya and a new PSBB in Greater Malang have become useless as efforts to flatten the curve," epidemiologist Windu Purnomo, who leads a team of epidemiologists from UNAIR's public health faculty, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Greater Surabaya consists of the city of Surabaya as well as its two satellite regencies, Gresik and Sidoarjo.

"It's better to cancel the two PSBBs because it will give additional burdens to the people but will be of no use in flattening the curve."

Windu said the provincial administrations policy revealed its lack of seriousness in the mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic using a scientific approach.

The East Java provincial administration sent a letter to Al Akbar Mosque on Thursday signed by administration secretary Heru Tjahjono on behalf of Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa allowing the largest mosque in Surabaya to hold mass prayers during Ramadan, including the upcoming Idul Fitri prayer, in accordance with physical distancing rules.

The letter stated that the same health protocols should be implemented during mass prayers in other mosques and in open spaces.

Khofifah said on Sunday that the letter was addressed only to Al Akbar mosque despite language that seemed to address all of the mosques in the province.

Khofifah, chairwoman of Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) womens wing Muslimat, defended the policy, citing examples of Islamic law that supported the policy.

Read also: COVID-19: Govt plans to loosen PSBB regulations, starting with transportation

She said the letter was preceded by suggestions from the East Java branches of NU and the Muslim Ulema Council (MUI) that requested the reopening of mosques in East Java for mass prayers.

MUI East Java secretary Ainul Yaqin told the Post that the council had requested that the government provide Muslims with a detailed map of confirmed COVID-19 cases in which the designation of green or red zones was made at a more local level  not by regency or municipality.

"Many villages in red zone regencies, for example, are still free of confirmed cases. Muslims in those villages should feel free to join mass prayers at nearby mosques," he said.

Ainul said the request was driven by the fact that the government had given permits to factories to stay in operation even in areas under PSBB.

"Factory workers go to work every day, but mosques are closed. Where can they do their daily prayers while they are not at home?" he said.

Windu, however, warned that the MUI's argument for using a smaller scale to determine whether a village was free from confirmed COVID-19 cases was dangerous, citing the governments low testing ratio, which had likely not captured the full extent of the outbreak.

"We can rely on the government data on confirmed cases only if the government can conduct mass tests at a reasonable ratio [of the population]. Now, the testing ratio is only about 400 tests per 1 million people. So how can we determine which areas are really free of cases?" he said.

Windu said the provincial administration's loose policy had been caused by the central government's inconsistency, such as giving permits to factories to stay in operation in regions under PSBB.

East Java is the second-hardest-hit province in the country, with 2,150 confirmed cases and 211 confirmed fatalities as of Sunday. All of its 38 cities and regencies have been declared red zones, with at least one confirmed case each.

Greater Surabaya, the hardest-hit region in the province with 1,059 cases and 122 fatalities, has extended PSBB until May 25.

Meanwhile, Greater Malang, consisting of the city of Malang, Malang regency and Batu city, imposed PSBB on Sunday.

Read also: COVID-19 kills elderly, haunts the young in Indonesia

Windu said his team had suggested on May 1 that PSBB be imposed in the entire province because the virus had continued to spread.

"We suggested PSBB for the entire province before all the cities and regencies in East Java were declared red zones. The number of PDP [patients under surveillance] in East Java is very high, almost 5,000, stretching throughout the province," he said, adding that PDPs had more than a 60 percent chance of having been infected.

He said that the official case fatality rate (CFR) in East Java was one of the highest in the country at 9.81 percent, far above the national CFR of around 6 percent.

As of Sunday, East Java had 4,943 PDPs with a province-wide fatality rate of 9.59 percent, or 474 deaths. The number of people under monitoring (ODP) was 22,734.

However, Windu said the team had stopped advocating for PSBB after reading the provincial administration's letter to the mosques.

He said the team from UNAIR would continue to give advice to the government despite the unproductive policy, which was not in line with social restrictions.

"The government should conduct mass testing and make sure that those who are positive for the virus are properly quarantined," he said. "All PDPs and most ODPs must be tested."

In East Java, which has a population of about 40 million, at least 80,000 people should be tested, he said

"That equals 2,000 tests per 1 million people, a minimum ratio. The US testing ratio is 200,000 per 1 million people, and South Koreas is 15,000 to 20,000 tests per 1 million people," he said.
Youve probably seen the recent images of the cars on Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor, backed up as far as the asphalt horizon, or the one-mile procession of vehicles in Branch Brook Park in Newark, where they paused to have an emergency meal kit  thats what they call them  dropped into their trunks.

You only have to watch a few hours of daily activity at any food bank distribution point to know that were at a break-glass moment here. The math is startling: Before the pandemic struck, 11 percent of Americans were food insecure. Today, the figure is 23 percent.

Yet food insecurity is far worse in households with children ages 12 and under: It has soared to 40.9 percent, unprecedented in modern times, a Brookings researcher said.

This reality has slammed New Jersey harder than most, because food insecurity typically mirrors the unemployment rate, and the coronavirus has effectively vanquished 1.1 million jobs in our state alone.

Its reported at every site: Every other family is folks we are seeing for the first time, says Carlos Rodriguez, the CEO of the Community Food Bank for New Jersey, whose powerhouse stocks more than 1,000 pantries, kitchens and shelters across 16 counties. You always hear some variation of, I had money saved up, but the rent came due, were both out of work, and all the good saving habits we followed just werent good enough.

We hope this is temporary, but face it, even in February about 10 percent of New Jersey needed help. So were in this for the long run, and we really need the community to help us out.

Lets stick a pin in that and come back to it.

The CFB is arguably the most efficient institution we have in this state. It often boasts that it can take a single dollar and stretch it into three meals, but cash donations are down and the food supply chain is stretched thin.

Typically, 60 percent of the food CFB distributes is unsold inventory from supermarkets, but the markets have less to donate or sell because their own customers are leaving very little on the shelves.

So CFBs food donations are down a whopping 55 percent, and it is now forced to buy what it used to get for free  at prices that are much higher than normal.

Food insecurity in U.S. households with children under 18 has increased by about 130% from 2018 to today. https://t.co/T6c7WEUnpx  BrookingsInst (@BrookingsInst) May 7, 2020

Consider this number: One year ago, in May of 2019, the Community Food Bank spent $317,364 for food purchases.

In May of 2020, Rodriguez expects the CFB to spend $1.5 million on food alone. This is unsustainable. He expects a $20 million shortfall in this six-month budget cycle.

Fortunately, our legislators are paying attention. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) says the three-month spending plan will make food assistance a priority. Because I know the food banks are reaching a dire situation.

If you want to be a great state, there are minimal things you have to do. And feeding your people must be one of them.



Legislation is on its way to the Senate to help fund NJ's food banks, but these organizations need everyone's help right now: https://t.co/80kh7Fx9O1  Speaker Craig Coughlin (@SpeakerCoughlin) March 30, 2020

The problem is, in a state that just had revenue collections plunge 60 percent in April, filling a $20 million hole is a tough ask.

Some large employers try to help, mindful that theyre feeding their own workers. United Airlines donated 15,000 pounds of food last week to Newark area food banks, where thousands of airport workers find help. The Atlantic City casinos gave $400,000 Monday to the Shore Region food banks, where their laid-off casino employees stock up.

But the rest of us can pitch in.

The easiest way is to log into the Community Food Bank of New Jersey website and follow their donation link. If your wallet or purse is in the other room, theres good news: They take Paypal and Google Pay.

They also take food donations (call ahead before you drop it off), but if you cant give edibles, pantries and kitchens are in need of cleaning supplies, paper products, and baby supplies (diapers, formula, etc.).

A cash donation is still the most cost-effective way to help, as it allows the banks to purchase from suppliers and farms at reduced costs, it lends flexibility, and it reduces waste.

And you can also volunteer your time.

Yes, there are better ways to do this. Congress should expand the SNAP program, the best poverty fighter we have, because it lets people choose what they need in grocery stores, where they already have the supply chain figured out. Its far better than waiting for an hour or two in your car.

But until they figure that out, we have a crisis to manage, and it will take every one of us to manage it. The link is right here, and it takes just a minute to help a neighbor. People have to eat, today.

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Pakistan on Monday announced to partially resume the train services and its apex court ordered that shopping malls and markets should be allowed to operate throughout the week across the country even as the coronavirus cases crossed 43,000.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that the government has decided to allow the railways to start its limited operations from May 20.

"Pakistan Railways will resume partial services on 30 trains 15 up and 15 down from May 20," said a press release by the Pakistan Railways.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given the permission to partially resume train services from Wednesday on the condition that standard operation procedures (SOPs) were adhered to as the country battles the novel coronavirus.

"If the situation [of the coronavirus pandemic] remains stable during the current month, then all train services will be resumed across the country from June 1," Rashid said.

Thousands of people have made advance bookings to travel home ahead of Eid, which would be celebrated later this month.

Pakistan has already made partially operational the domestic air services as the nation continues to lift its nation-wide lockdown.

Prime Minister Khan in his effort to reach out to the vulnerable groups launched cash support program for the jobless workers. He said at the launch in Islamabad that over Rs 3 billion were so far collected in the Corona Relief Fund, which would be used to provide support to the people who lost jobs.

Meanwhile, a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed ordered that shopping malls and markets should be allowed to operate throughout the week across the country.

Markets and shopping malls in Pakistan were shut down during the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Hearing a suo moto case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak, the chief justice questioned the "logic" behind keeping malls closed and ordered that shopping malls and markets should remain open seven days a week.

"Provinces should not create hurdles in opening shopping malls after getting permission (from the health ministry). The court expects that the health ministry will not create any unimportant hurdles and will (allow) businesses to open," the chief justice observed.

The apex court also expressed displeasure at the way the money is being spent to deal with the coronavirus crisis and grilled the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) over the expenditure.

The NDMA had submitted a report over the amount spent on medical equipment and quarantine centres for suspected patients.

In his press briefing, Faraz said the directives of the Supreme Court to open businesses was a proof that the government's plan of action for tackling the outbreak and easing lockdown was correct.

The minister asked the people to adopt precautionary measures as the virus had not gone away, only shops were opened.

"Corona has not disappeared. It is here and no one knows how long it will stay for. But we appeal to the public, that just because things are opening back up [...] they can't continue on with the lives they lead before the virus, he said.

The nationwide tally of coronavirus cases has soared to 43,158. Out of total 43,158 patients, 17,241 cases have so far been detected in Sindh, 15,346 in Punjab, 6,230 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,692 in Balochistan, 997 in Islamabad, 540 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 112 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

A total of 11,922 patients have so far recovered from the virus whilst the death toll stands at 923 with 50 new deaths reported. So far 387,335 tests had been conducted, including 13,925 in the last 24 hours.

In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the authorities have announced to revoke relaxations in the lockdown from Tuesday after a dangerous surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"In view of the tendency of rapid outbreak of COVID-19 and increase of patients to a dangerous level, the government is suspending relaxations in the lockdown from Monday-Tuesday midnight," according to a notification issued on Sunday.

"There will be complete lockdown that had been imposed earlier on March 23 under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1958, the notification added.

Only pharmacies and grocery stores were allowed to open for specified hours during the lockdown.

Earlier, Planning Minister Asad Umar said that a capacity of 30,000 tests per day would be sufficient for Pakistan to control the spread of the deadly virus.

Currently, we are in a position to hold over 25,000 tests per day and with every passing day our capacity to conduct tests is increasing. We hope that by the end of the month or at the start of next month we will be able to hold 30,000 tests per day, he said.told Dawn.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COLUMBIA, Miss., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Beautiful Belligerence is a first-person dark comedy based on real events. In 2013 four friends decided to plan a trip to a Kansas City Chiefs game. What ensued was a wild tale of experience, exuberance, excess, fate, and friendship played out across Kansas City, MO. Set to the backdrop of an emotional undoing, this first person narrative tells the story of a weekend where four friends left their inhibitions to the wind and decided to live free for the sake of their friendship.

Beautiful Belligerence Cover Brent Beamer Pic

"Beautiful Belligerence is a story for anyone who has experienced hard times and laughed with friends. It is a story of becoming. It is rambling, nonsensical, radical, ridiculous, and hilarious. It's the truth. One of the major themes in Beautiful Belligerence is the constant battle between being locked in your own head full of negative thoughts versus the outside world that your friends help you experience. Love and laughter can conquer all if they are embraced. I find the honesty in this book to be refreshing. I focused on presenting the characters, as well as myself in all of our glory. I had three friends who were there for me in a tough time. My friends kept my mind off of the negativity for the most part. They made me laugh. This book is in honor of them."  Brent Beamer

"Honest. Ridiculous. Hysterical. Beautiful Belligerence knows how to party!"  Aaron Warbritton

Beautiful Belligerence is self-published by Brent Beamer. RRP $9.99

ISBN 978-0578674223

Available on Amazon and Kindle. Soon to be available on Audible in audiobook format.

About The Author

Brent Beamer is a self-published author as well as a self-released indie music artist. Brent's writing is largely inspired by the wild country and characters of Northeastern Missouri where he grew up. Brent tends to approach writing with a realistic perspective, blending in a fair share of wit and humor into his honest interpretations of modern life ethos. Brent counts among his many influences to be John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Hunter S. Thompson and Bob Dylan.

www.BrentBeamer.com

Media Inquiries: Please Contact Brent

573-356-3292

[email protected]

Follow on social @brentbeamer

SOURCE Brent Beamer
Large queues have been reported on social media at hardware stores as the Covid-19 restrictions ease.

On Friday, it was announced that phase one of reopening Irelands society and economy could go ahead.

This means some shops and outdoor amenities are allowed open their doors from today.

At Blanchardstown shopping centre in Dublin, hundreds of people queued from 8am to go into hardware store Woodies and electrical store DID electrical.

Security personnel manned the queues, while staff wore gloves and protective shields.

Stores operated a one-way system for entering and exiting, while shoppers were told to use hand sanitiser before going in.

My sister just sent me this video of the queue outside B&Q in Liffey Valley this morning.

Calm down folks your paint tins and plants aren't going anywhere pic.twitter.com/jv7nPqwVNb  Nathan Nash (@nathannotnash) May 18, 2020

Queue at B&Q Airside now. Its raining. And a Monday. All cheerful! pic.twitter.com/oyGPflJwaa  Helen O'Rahilly  (@HelenORahilly) May 18, 2020

Some Bamboo for Woodies today, I dunno  pic.twitter.com/daM25AzRGW  G  (@Graham92) May 18, 2020

Well marshalled and good humoured. 40 minute queue to get into B&Q Airside. pic.twitter.com/Qny1qSlox6  Helen O'Rahilly  (@HelenORahilly) May 18, 2020

On RTEs Morning Ireland, reporter Angus Cox spoke to customers at Woodies in Bray where it was reported to be "getting very busy".

One customer praised the main products like paint being at the front of the store so most people would be able to grab what they need and go fairly quick.

Another questioned why hardware stores had shut down at all as they had great procedures before.

Woodies CEO Declan Ronayne told the station that by the end of this month, they will have spent close to half a million euro on protective equipment like face guards and perspex screens.

He said they expect to sell quite a lot of everything today.

We dont think were going to get many more customers than normal, but we think theyre going to spend a lot more.

And weve seen that. Everyones got a trolly and a basket this morning. Not necessarily just popping in for one small thing.

So we look forward to doing some good business.

Addressing the store's

Read More:

Under-16s had been banned after staff were worried that social distancing would be harder to achieve if children are let in.

The decision was then reversed and the store said under-16s are welcome in our stores when accompanied by an adult.

Mr Ronayne said: We were probably a little bit heavy-handed in how we did that.

And we put our hands up and say the feedback says thats probably the wrong approach to take.

And weve reversed it and we move on.

Haven't seen Blanch this busy since Christmas eve.



To quote one man in the queue - "Sure, isn't it great to be out." pic.twitter.com/Ug4tMIxNG5  Aine McMahon (@AineMcMahon) May 18, 2020

Elsewhere, car showrooms reopened with social distancing measures in place, as did motor and bicycle repair shops.

Brian Cooke, director general of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) said the size of dealerships relative to footfall lends itself to social distancing.

Sanitisation and other measures have been put in place for both premises and vehicles, and should give customers reassurance.

Increased opening will allow members to contribute to their local economies in terms of business activity and supporting employment.

- additional reporting by Press Association
"It's so selfish to all the people of Rhode Island who have worked so hard for so long, putting their lives on hold so that we can all be safe," she said Friday. "That is a reckless thing to do and I really hope they don't do it."
Massachusetts is implementing its first phase of reopening the state economy following the shutdown of non-essential business to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In guidance shared with Massachusetts city and town leaders Sunday, part of the phase one of the reopening plan was revealed: places of worship, manufacturing and construction.

MassLive learned of the plan ahead of Gov. Charlie Bakers planned announcement on Monday. More details are expected to be shared on Monday.

The reopening plans four phases are named Start," Cautious, Vigilant and "The New Normal, respectively.

In the start phase, limited businesses will be able to reopen with severe restrictions. In the second phase, additional industries, previously designated as non-essential, are expected to resume operations with restrictions and capacity limits.

The vigilant phase will see more businesses begin to reopen with guidance, and in the fourth phase, the development of a vaccine or a recommended treatment for the viral respiratory infection is expected to allow for the start of a new normal.

If the state sees a rise in cases of the illness as well as hospitalizations, according to Baker, the commonwealth could return to an earlier phase of the reopening plan and issue new business restrictions.

Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in March, only allowing essential services to continue operates as state public health officials sought to curb the spread of the virus.

Essential businesses will be allowed to continue operations while maintaining public safety protocols.

Here are the new restrictions on construction:

Social distancing: All crews must stay at least six feet a part at all times.

Companies are advised to avoid face-to-face meetings whenever possible - and not shake hands when in-person meetings are needed. No more than 10 people are allowed during in-person meetings.

Individual work crew meetings should be held outside with workers following social distancing protocols while wearing masks, gloves and eye protection.

Workers should limit time spent together in confined spaces and are asked to drive separately to worksites.

Face coverings: Workers must wear face masks and gloves while working. When social distancing is not possible due to potential safety hazards, workers must wear eye protection in addition to masks and gloves.

Hygiene: Work sites must have restroom facilities or portable toilets with handwashing stations supplied soap, hand sanitizer and paper towels. Restroom facilities or portable toilets must be cleaned regularly.

All common areas must be cleaned at least daily. All high-contact surfaces must be cleaned at least twice a day.

When equipment or vehicles are shared between multiple workers, exterior and interior door handles must be wiped with disinfectant.

Illness: If feeling ill, workers must stay home. Workers will check in with their managers prior to starting their shift and self-certify to the following conditions: they didnt have a cough, trouble breathing or a fever above 100.3 degrees in the past 24 hours: havent been asked self-isolate or quarantine by their doctor or a health official: and they have not had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact is defined by the reopening plan as living in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, caring for a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, being within six feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for about 15 minutes, or coming in direct contact with secretions (e.g., sharing utensils, being coughed on) from a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, while that person was symptomatic.

If a worker is feeling sick during their shift, they must report their symptoms to their supervisor and go home immediately. If a worker notices another worker exhibiting or complaining of possible symptoms, they should be told to speak with their supervisor and head home.

If a worker tests positive for COVID-19, they must self quarantine and are asked to report their results to their supervisor.

If managers are made aware a worker tests positive, the contractor is mandated to take immediate steps to sanitize common areas and direct work places," according to the state guidelines. "This includes all on-site bathrooms facilities, any break facilities, and any other common areas on the job site that may have been in close contact with the infected worker. The company must notify the local board of health and work with contact tracers to limit further spread of the virus.

Employees who are at higher risk of serious illness form the virus due to age or pre-existing health conditions are encouraged by state health officials to stay home.

Health notices and safety measures must be posted for workers.

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After years of lobbying and funding requests, members of The Woodlands Fire Department began to receive their new, second set of bunker gear on Friday, giving the more than 140 firefighters another set of critical personal protective equipment to change into when multiple incidents happen in one day.

Fire Chief Palmer Buck, who began work last fall in the top role at The Woodlands Fire Department, confirmed that the project to obtain a second set of heavy-duty protective firefighting gear had started and distribution would continue on May 22 and May 29 as all 160 firefighters get the new pants, jackets and hoods.

The drive to get more bunker gear was initiated by former fire chief Alan Benson, who retired in May 2019, and was widely supported by former and current members of the townships Board of Directors who carved out extra funding for the gear in the 2020 township budget.

The bunker gear that firefighters wear to fires and other accidents can become coated in various cancer-causing substances such as soot from chemical fires, liquid carcinogens and other contaminants. When firefighters return from a scene, the sets of gear they wear are placed into super heavy duty washing machines that can only clean two sets at a time. The drying of the gear is also an issue.

Due to the contaminants, the gear has to go through two stages of decontamination: a gross decon at the scene of an incident, which means the firefighter is sprayed with water and has contaminants brushed off while wearing the gear, and then at the fire station, where the uniforms are put into a specialty, heavy duty washer  which holds only two suits  before they must dry for hours. The issues related to cleaning and drying the gear led Lt. Chris Polnick to make his own, home-made dryer.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Woodlands firefighter invents unique uniform dryer

As part of the 2020 budget, the board approved a second set of firefighting gear, or bunker gear. This is a huge win for the fire department, the gear we were able to purchase was the newest, top-of-the-line gear. It is specifically designed to keep our firefighters safe not only from the fighting fires, but also to reduce the incidences of cancer, Buck explained. Cancer has been very problematic in the fire service, with a higher rate of incidences than the normal population.

Buck noted that smoke, chemicals and other elements from fires and motor vehicle accidents have an ability to seep through various tiny gaps in older sets of bunker gear and the new equipment is more sealed to keep those elements from reaching sensitive areas on the body. The new sets also prevent bringing contaminated gear into sleeping quarters.

Second set sought after

Former board members such as John McMullan and Carol Stromatt, as well as current board members Bruce Rieser, John Anthony Brown, Gordy Bunch and Ann Snyder were vocal in their support for the extra set of gear, something Erik Secrest, president of The Woodlands Professional Firefighters Association, said is very appreciated by members of the department.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Woodlands devotes funds to fire department equipment upgrades in 2020 budget

The township approved significant funding in the proposed 2020 township budget initiatives in September 2019 that allowed fire department officials to purchase the extra sets of firefighting uniforms. The funding request also included new technology to control traffic signals and two additional high-water heavy duty trucks. In the special budget initiative, the fire department will buy 140 second sets of bunker gear for all department staff at a cost of $448,800, said Monique Sharp, the townships assistant general manager for Finance and Administration.

The new equipment includes a set of pants, a coat and a firefightering hood. About one-third of the departments firefighters received the new uniforms on May 15, while the remaining two-thirds of the department will get the new sets of gear on May 22 and May 29.

Firefighters faring well with COVID-19

Buck said two months into the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, the departments staff is doing well and staying healthy. At one point in April, between 12 and 24 firefighters went into quarantine due to possible interactions at fires or accidents with COVID-19 symptomatic or positive patients, however as of May 15, there are no firefighters in quarantine and nobody ever tested positive for the virus.

They are all back to work. Nobody ever tested positive. We would cycle people in and out (with quarantine). Were doing very well, Buck said of the possible exposures to COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

The pandemic is also leading to new opportunities for the department to serve the public. Under orders from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, local firefighters are being enlisted to test residents of elder care and nursing homes for the virus. Buck said The Woodlands Fire Department is helping with that task as best possible.

We are working on a taskforce with Montgomery County Hospital District, Montgomery County Public Health and and Montgomery County Fire Marshals office. The first wave is to test residents and staff in state-licensed nursing homes. There are 12 in Montgomery County, Buck noted. We have a mandate to get it done within two weeks. Were looking at bwteeen four and eight of our firefighters to be part of the (local) task force. We will augment (officials) and help them out with nursing homes in The Woodlands.

jeff.forward@chron.com
A 60-year-old Plainsboro woman was struck and killed by car in the township Saturday, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office said Sunday night.

Donna Lawrence was in a crosswalk when she was hit by a Buick sedan shortly after noon on Plainsboro Road at Morris Davidson Park, according to a statement from the prosecutors office.

Lawrence was flown by medical helicopter to an area hospital, where she died, authorities said. The driver remained at the scene, a prosecutors spokeswoman confirmed.

More details were not immediately made public.

Anyone with information can call township police at 609-799-2333 or the prosecutors office at 732-745-4328.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
HONOR has just announced quite a few new products in China, which are either HONOR Choice or HONOR Life branded, depending on the product. This does not exactly come as a surprise considering that a bevy of new products were teased by the company. HONOR just launched a smart TV, new TWS earbuds, smart vacuum, and much more, 11 new products in total.

Lets list all the products first, before we start talking about each of them separately. The company introduced the HONOR MagicBook Pro laptop, ViewPad 6 tablet, Router 3, Vision X1 smart TV, TWS Earbuds X1, Smart Vacuum, Air Multiplier, Humidifier, Smart Desk Lamp, SMart Ultra-Sonic Toothbrush, and a Smart Kettle.

Most of the products that the company announced are smart home products, but some additional entries have been added, as you can see.

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The company did not share a ton of information about each of these products, but it did share some info. For some, more information is available than for others, though. Well talk about each of the products separately, by the way.

HONOR MagicBook Pro

The HONOR MagicBook Pro is a very sleek-looking and powerful tablet. This device features a 16.1-inch display, and has 4.9mm thick bezels. It has a 90-percent screen-to-body ratio.

This laptops most powerful variant is fueled by the Intel Core i7-10510U processor, and comes with the NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics card. A version with an i5 processor is also available, by the way.

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The Core i5 variant comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The Core i7 model packs in those very same specs, and the graphics card is the same on both models. This laptop will first reach Russia in September.

HONOR ViewPad 6

The HONOR ViewPad 6 is fueled by the Kirin 985 SoC. The device supports 5G connectivity, and WiFi 6+. It also comes with a 2K FullView Display, and stereo speakers.

This tablet is compatible with the HONOR Magic-Pencil, by the way. It is made out of metal and glass, and it will go on sale starting from June 2020. That is pretty much all the information that we have.

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HONOR Router 3

The HONOR Router 3 is a router that supports Wi-Fi 6+. IT comes with the Gigahomes processor with two cores, and is clocked at 1.2GHz. This router promises speeds of up to 3,000Mbps, and supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.

This router also supports OFDMA multi-user technology. The device will become available in Europe and other markets starting from July this year. The pricing is still unknown.

HONOR Vision X1

The HONOR Vision X1 is the companys new smart TV. This device features 8K decoding, motion compensation, and four 10W speakers. This is essentially a high-performing smart TV.

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This device comes with the companys smart assistant, and can be controlled via HONOR devices. The HONOR Vision X1 will come in 50, 55, and 65-inch variants.

HONOR TWS Earbuds X1

The HONOR TWS Earbuds X1 are the companys newest fully wireless earbuds. These are powered by a new binaural synchronous transmission technology, says the company.

These earbuds are able to transmit sound signals with extremely low latency, claims HONOR. They feature a dual-microphone, and can reduce environmental noise quite a bit, despite the lack of ANC.

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HONOR Smart Vacuum

The HONOR Smart Vacuum is powered by 350W 100,000rpm motor, and it comes with powerful suction and mopping technology. It also offers a battery life of up to 65 minutes. This vacuum features ultraviolet-sterilization cleansing system as well.

This vacuum can also automatically detect and calculate your calorie consumption as well as transfer the timely data to Huawei HiLink. This vacuum is also extremely lightweight.

HONOR Air Multiplier

This is a rather interesting device whose goal is to keep the air flowing. It is designed to keep the air flowing consistently, and keep your room at your desired temperature at the same time. Its silver-colored, and designed to fit in basically any room of the house.

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HONOR Humidifier

The company also announced a humidifier whose goal is to help people with respiratory symptoms, first and foremost. It can help keep the air in your house moist.

This product comes with a 3-liter tank, and 400ml/h humidity capacity. IT can be used anywhere in the house, basically, and is equipped with an anti-bacterial design.

HONOR Smart Desk Lamp

The company has also announced a smart lamp. It offers a modern design, and can produce soft light with three-dimension lighting technology. It covers up to 1.12m diameter area.

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It has the TUV Eye Comfort Certification, and can emit far less blue light to create a calm work environment for you. That is not something many lamps can say for themselves.

HONOR Smart Ultra-Sonic Toothbrush

A smart toothbrush is now also a part of HONORs portfolio. It comes with a curved design, and the sonic technology provides deep cleaning experience. This device comes with the in-wall charger, and can keep cleaning your teeth for up to 30 days on a single charge.

HONOR Smart Kettle

The last product the company announced is the smart kettle. This device is powered by 1,800W heat source, and can boil water extremely quickly. You can boil it remotely via the HiLInk app.

There you have it, those are the 11 new products that HONOR announced. The company did not share much detail regarding their availability outside of China, though, as its possible not all of them will ship to global markets.
Puerto Morelos man arrested for selling pot brownies on Facebook

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  Elements of the Quintana Roo Police in Puerto Morelos have arrested 30-year-old Pedro L.P. after he was denounced for selling pot brownies online.

Pedro L.P., a resident of the Villas Morelos II subdivision, offered his products via social networks with home delivery service. He was arrested by police for the alleged crime of selling brownies prepared with marijuana derivatives. His service was brought to the attention of police after citizen complaints.

Officers attended the home of Pedro L.P. on Mangle Street, intercepting him during a delivery. According to data collected, the brownies are made with CBD, which is a cannabinoids derived from the hemp plant. He was arrested and held for the FGE on drug distribution charges.
Lawsuits and legal concerns in the cannabis business are too numerous to count  just like with many other industries  but there are few that insurance professionals in the business should keep an eye on, according to cannabis legal expert Ian Stewart.

Stewart, a partner in Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, offered his take on three ongoing legal matters of importance and what the insurance industry should takeaway from them.

1. Federal Grand Jury Targets Weedmaps and Others

A federal grand jury subpoena that was made public in March 2020 has raised the question of whether the U.S. Department of Justice will be taking a more aggressive enforcement posture against the cannabis industry.

The subpoena was issued in September 2019 to the parent company of California-based Weedmaps, the online directory of cannabis retailers and delivery services. Weedmaps made news in 2018 when it was accused by California state regulators of aiding and abetting in violations of state law by advertising unlicensed and illicit operators. Weedmaps changed its practice in January 2020 and now requires all companies that advertise on its site to list a license number.

The grand jury subpoena appears to be an attempt to determine whether Weedmaps, other companies and state officials have complied with state cannabis regulations and other laws. The subpoena orders production of records pertaining to dozens of licensed and unlicensed companies and individuals, including numerous well-known cannabis retailers, distributors and brands. It also includes a demand for records related to communications and payments to state and federal employees and elected officials.

The Takeaway for the Insurance Industry

The case is a reminder that for anyone operating in the commercial cannabis sector, compliance remains the cornerstone of risk management. It has been more than two years since the DOJs Cole Memo (essentially stating that DOJ would not prosecute state-compliant marijuana-related activity) was rescinded, yet no federal enforcement actions have been reported where the sole basis for the action is commercial cannabis activity within a state-regulated market. This lack of enforcement activity may have resulted in some elements within the cannabis industry lowering their guard on compliance. In light of the Weedmaps grand jury subpoena, the time may be coming where the DOJ throws down a cautionary gauntlet by making an example of cannabis industry players who have pushed the boundary too far in the eyes of the federal government. Carriers would be wise to take note and watch closely how this matter develops.

2. Nevada Federal Court Throws Enforceability of Cannabis-Related Contracts into Doubt

Federal courts have increasingly ruled on disputes arising out of the cannabis industry or applied federal statutes to cannabis-related matters. There is a strong trend toward the enforcement of contracts and other rights of cannabis industry litigants in federal court. An order entered in April 2020 by the Nevada District Court, however, raises concerns because the court refused to enforce a loan agreement that was legal under Nevada state law on the basis that it violates the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Bart Street III v. ACC Enterprises LLC et al. arises from the defendants alleged breach of a multimillion-dollar loan contract to finance the expansion of the defendants marijuana cultivation business in Nevada. A portion of the loaned amount was earmarked toward operating capital, and the plaintiff was granted a first right of refusal to obtain shares in the defendants entities. When the defendants failed to repay the loans, the plaintiff sued in the Nevada District Court for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The defendants argued that they could not be held liable for breach of a contract that is illegal under the CSA.

In an order dated April 1, the federal court refused to enforce the contract by finding that the right of first refusal and operating capital terms violated the CSA because the right of first refusal term would have allowed the plaintiff to profit from the sale of marijuana, and the operating capital provision provided direct assistance to the defendants cultivation of marijuana. The court further noted that it is irrelevant that marijuana is legal under Nevada state law because the CSA preempts Nevada law under the Constitutions Supremacy Clause.

The court also rejected the plaintiffs claim for unjust enrichment, noting that allowing recovery for unjust enrichment would undermine enforcement of federal law by giving prospective investors increased confidence in funding marijuana businesses. The court further rejected the unjust enrichment claim on the basis that the parties contract involves moral turpitude. Apparently anticipating a negative public reaction to this conclusion, the court took the precaution of explaining that it is not the job of the court to weigh the policy considerations behind federal marijuana prohibition against Nevada law and the growing trend of state legalization.'

The Takeaway for the Insurance Industry

Insurers should understand the difference between how federal agencies and the federal courts are responding to the growth of state commercial cannabis markets. Federal policy regarding enforcement of the CSA has shown ambivalence where the possession and distribution of marijuana is consistent with well-regulated state law. Some federal courts, however, take a nuanced but strict position with respect to enforcement of cannabis-related contracts and other rights by evaluating whether enforcement would require the litigant to actively violate the CSA.

For example, various federal courts have enforced cannabis-related contracts pertaining to insurance, federal labor and employment statutes, federal intellectual property protections, and contracts around ancillary products and services. In those cases, the courts determined that enforcement of the contract or right would not result in the litigant directly profiting off of the possession, cultivation or distribution of marijuana. Consistent with several prior federal court decisions, however, the Nevada District Court in the Bart Street decision has drawn a line where enforcing the contract would mandate violation of federal law. This decision raises questions on where the line is drawn for enforcing a contract in federal court. This has deep implications for every cannabis stakeholder, including their insurers.

The case is a reminder that for anyone operating in the commercial cannabis sector, compliance remains the cornerstone of risk management.

3. A Unifying Strategy for Defending CBD Class Actions

The number and frequency of CBD class actions are increasing. It is predictable that each new round of FDA warning letters will be followed closely by class action complaints. Many cases have been filed by the same small handful of plaintiffs law firms and most of the complaints make similar legal claims, including (1) that the CBD products are illegal drugs, foods or supplements under FDA guidelines; (2) that the products make impermissible health or disease claims; or (3) that the products are mislabeled in terms of their CBD content. These lawsuits seek to shut down the entire industry one company at a time.

The law firms that defend these lawsuits, including the authors, raise similar legal defenses. This means that courts across the country now are being asked to rule on very similar legal issues that are critical to the future of the CBD industry. The stage is set for potentially inconsistent legal rulings and additional confusion as to the legality of CBD products, which the industry and the public can ill afford.

Currently, most CBD class actions are being defended by arguing that the FDA has primary jurisdiction over the regulation of CBD, and that the courts should therefore refrain from making inconsistent piecemeal rulings. The primary jurisdiction doctrine permits courts to stay or dismiss litigation pending resolution of an issue within the special competence of an administrative agency.

On Jan. 3, a Florida district court stayed a case involving CBD products based on the primary jurisdiction doctrine pending guidance by the FDA. In Snyder v. Green Roads of Florida LLC, the court concluded that the current regulatory framework is inadequate to resolve the issues posed by the case. The court concluded that FDA regulations currently provide little guidance with respect to whether CBD ingestibles, in all their variations are food, supplements, nutrients or additives and what labeling standards are applicable to each iteration. Several other courts around the country are currently considering similar arguments in pending motions.

Adding to the urgency is the recent acknowledgment by current FDA Commissioner Stephen Hanh that CBD products are here to stay. On Feb. 26, Hahn stated: People are using these products. Were not going to be able to say you cant use these products. Its a fools game to try to even approach that. The FDA issued an updated report to Congress in March 2020, and is due to report the results of a CBD labeling study in June, though there may be a delay due to the ongoing disruptions from coronavirus.

The Takeaway for the Insurance Industry

Insurers should continue to proceed with caution when it comes to CBD products, which are the subject of many more lawsuits and more regulatory uncertainty than their THC-containing cousins in the marijuana industry. There is nevertheless reason for optimism. The basis of many CBD class action complaints  that the CBD products are broadly illegal throughout the United States  is overstated. FDA simply has not engaged in the final, formal rulemaking process that establishes a regulatory structure that carries the force of law. Rather, the FDA is at a much earlier stage in the process. It is working with industry and other stakeholders to gather data and determine how it should regulate the industry. In the meantime, uncertainty creates risk and opportunity for the CBD insurance industry.

Topics Lawsuits Legislation Cannabis Market Nevada
Gordon Wilkinson has been the CEO of Driver Group plc (LON:DRV) since 2016. 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 process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.

View our latest analysis for Driver Group

How Does Gordon Wilkinson's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

According to our data, Driver Group plc has a market capitalization of UK27m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK496k over the year to September 2019. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK420k. We examined a group of similar sized companies, with market capitalizations of below UK165m. The median CEO total compensation in that group is UK275k.

Now let's take a look at the pay mix on an industry and company level to gain a better understanding of where Driver Group stands. On an industry level, roughly 63% of total compensation represents salary and 37% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that Driver Group pays out a greater portion of remuneration through salary, in comparison to the wider industry.

Thus we can conclude that Gordon Wilkinson receives more in total compensation than the median of a group of companies in the same market, and of similar size to Driver Group plc. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the pay is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Driver Group has changed from year to year.

AIM:DRV CEO Compensation May 18th 2020

Is Driver Group plc Growing?

Over the last three years Driver Group plc has seen earnings per share (EPS) move in a positive direction by an average of 84% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down 6.6%.

Story continues

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Although we don't have analyst forecasts shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Has Driver Group plc Been A Good Investment?

With a total shareholder return of 16% over three years, Driver Group plc shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median.

In Summary...

We examined the amount Driver Group plc pays its CEO, and compared it to the amount paid by similar sized companies. Our data suggests that it pays above the median CEO pay within that group.

However, the earnings per share growth over three years is certainly impressive. We also note that, over the same time frame, shareholder returns haven't been bad. While it may be worth researching further, we don't see a problem with the CEO pay, given the good EPS growth. On another note, Driver Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about.

Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
France and Germany proposed Monday a 500-billion-euro ($542-billion) fund to finance the recovery of the European Union's economy from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus crisis. Putting aside past differences and seeking to prove that the Franco-German core of Europe remains intact, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the unprecedented package after talks by video conference. European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde told major European newspapers that "the Franco-German proposals are ambitious, targeted and welcome." With the European economy facing its biggest challenge since World War II, Macron also acknowledged that the EU had fallen short in its initial response to the virus and needed to coordinate more closely on health. Financed by "borrowing from the market in the name of the EU," the 500 billion euros will flow to the "worst-hit sectors and regions" in the 27-member bloc, the two countries said in a joint statement. "We are convinced that it is not only fair but also necessary to now make available the funds... that we will then gradually repay through several future European budgets," Merkel said. Countries benefitting from the financing would not have to repay the money, Macron added, emphasising that the funds "were not loans." The eurozone economy overall is forecast to contract by a whopping 7.7 percent this year, with the damage set to be most severe in southern members like Italy and Greece. - 'More solidarity' - The agreement of such borrowing marks a major shift by Germany, which has until now rebuffed calls by Spain and Italy for so-called "coronabonds" for joint borrowing on financial markets to provide stimulus cash. Germany, the Netherlands and other rich countries had seen them as an attempt by the indebted south to unfairly take advantage of the north's fiscal discipline to raise money more cheaply. The Merkel-Macron plan now faces a potentially painful negotiation with all 27 member states and then a vote in European Parliament, which had been eyeing an even larger package. In the first signs of cracks within the EU, Austria insisted that any help should be in the form of loans, not grants. "We will continue to show solidarity and to support those countries which have been worst affected by the corona crisis, but this has to be in the form of loans not grants," a statement from Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's office said. On the other side of the spectrum, the Spanish government called the plan a "big step in the right direction," adding it picks up a significant part of Spain's proposals for a rapid and joint exit from the crisis." A source in the office of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte described the plan as a "good starting point", but said it was a package that should not be "revised downwards, but rather expanded." European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who would have to help implement the package, hailed the plan as a "constructive proposal." "It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic challenge that Europe faces," she said. Merkel said the seriousness of the crisis meant that "solidarity" must be the order of the day. "The aim is to ensure that Europe comes out of the crisis more cohesive and with more solidarity," she said, calling the proposal "courageous." - 'Learn the lessons' - Traditionally seen as the engine that powers Europe, the French-German alliance had until the announcement appeared to be stumbling in recent months. Paris wanted Germany to show more fiscal flexibility and some reports suggested Berlin was irritated by Macron's supposed grandstanding on the European stage. Macron said stronger European coordination on health issues must be a priority, admitting that the EU fell short in its initial response to the coronavirus outbreak. "Europe was without doubt put at fault at the beginning of this crisis," Macron said. He added that unilateral steps by some EU countries to close borders -- without consulting their neighbours -- had given a "sad image" of Europe, with some members showing "nationalist reflexes". He said Europe needed "very concrete capacities" to handle health crises with shared stocks of masks and tests, and prevention plans to combat epidemics. "A Europe of health -- which has never existed -- has to be our priority," he said. "We need to learn all the lessons from this pandemic." In a sign of how the pandemic has changed global diplomacy, their joint press conference saw them stand at lecterns in cities hundreds of kilometres (miles) apart, with Merkel in Berlin and Macron in Paris. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed on a 500-billion-euro rescue programme The Macron-Merkel plan must now be approved by the European Parliament The agreement of such borrowing marks a shift in Germany's position
Australian News Recap  May 16

Heres what happened last week in Australia:
The twins, 33, started the Occupy Democrats Facebook page eight years ago and, combined with an accompanying website, they have reached a digital dominance rarely seen among liberals  one that keeps pace with viral news sites and regularly outperforms President Trumps own page, as well as the Daily Caller, Fox News and other right-wing websites or personalities. What was once a hobby between gigs has grown into a full-fledged, full-time operation with five additional staffers.

Over the past month, nearly half of the 40 top-performing videos on Facebook that mention Trump were from Occupy Democrats. They have had a top-10 performing post on Facebook regularly for months. A video they recently posted called The Liar Tweets Tonight, sung by a choir of individually recorded voters to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, was viewed 41 million times, among the most-watched videos on Facebook over the last month.

Democratic voters are tired of the Democratic Party kind of taking barrages from Republicans on the right on social media and Trump himself, taking that lying down and not fighting back, Omar Rivero said. So we fight back with the truth. But we make sure that we punch them in the mouth with the truth.

Though they claim not to have taken tactics from the right, there are some clear commonalities between the Occupy Democrats posts and some of the right-wing sites that have mastered the art of writing shareable copy that acts like gasoline on a social media outrage fire  amplified by anger-inducing adjectives contextualizing the news, or an all-caps BREAKING to introduce a post.

They also are relentless in their posting on Facebook. On Sunday, a relatively slow news day by the Trump-era pandemic standards, the Facebook page published 80 items, a mix of original, text-heavy memes; cross-posts from Mr. Bidens social media pages; commentary with links to mainstream news stories and videos; and links to original posts on the Occupy Democrats website.
Discipline is at the very heart of the socio-economic and structural development of every nation. No group of people, no society and by extension no country can see any sustainable development if its members or citizens are not disciplined.

Discipline is the attitude of obeying rules or a code of behaviour. It is the use of punishment to correct disobedience. Discipline is both a mentality as well as a teachable behaviour. It is an action or inaction that is regulated to be in accordance with a particular system or order.

It is in order to maintain discipline as a way of facilitating development that every country has a certain form of leadership. And the political leadership, be it clerical, monarchical, democratic or autocratic, also establishes various entities, referred to mostly as Law Enforcement Agencies, and mandates them to maintain law and order. The police and military, often, are the ones at the forefront of this task.

In a 2007 article published on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) website, MS Kumar said, and I agree that "discipline is especially important if countries, industrial as well as developing, are to successfully meet the challenges, and reap the benefits, of economic and financial globalization."

After reading through Kumar's article, and many such authors, I have come to understand why Ghana's development is so slow. Too many people are indisciplined in this country. Too many of us take too many things for granted. Too many Ghanaians behave as if there are no laws and too many law enforcement agencies do not do their job. Sadly, I am beginning to lose hope in Ghana.

As part of directives issued by the president, Nana Akuffo Addo, in his first address on measures to be implemented to mitigate the spread of the deadly Corona Virus Disease (COVID19), okada riders are not supposed to be operating because they and their passengers cannot practice physical distancing. The police have been mandated to enforce this directive, among many others.

It will interest you to know that the police have seized this as an opportunity to make some extra money for themselves. Reports gathered to show that the police are extorting money from okada riders who disobey the rule.

In interviewing some of the okada riders, they express their frustration about how the police officers stop them and demand between GHC200 to GHC300 before letting them go. Hitherto, it was a matter of GHC20 to GHC50. Now, the corruption has more than doubled because those in uniform have been given the authority to 'molest' those in plain clothes. And so, knowing how corrupt the police are, the okada riders also find ways and means of flouting the law without being caught. After all, only the one who is caught is a thief, right?

As I write this article, I just witnessed an interesting incident in which two police officers were chasing Okada riders (commercial motorbikers) at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, popularly known as 'Circle', in Accra ostensibly to arrest them for flouting the presidential directive. Funny enough, the two officers of the law were doing this using a motorbike. Both of them were sitting on the same motorbike. Ironically, the law enforcers were using a motorbike to stop motorbike riders from using motorbikes to make earns meet. In short, the police broke the law in order to enforce the law.

In a similar situation, sometime this week, I saw a photo on social media in which two police officers arrested a young man for not wearing a nose mask while he was selling nose masks in traffic. And this case too, the officers themselves were not wearing nose masks.

Walk around Circle and you are bound to see posters plastered on almost all the huge pillars which hold the interchange in place with "Post No Bill" written boldly on them. What beats my understanding is not that right beside those posters are stickers of all kinds and sizes displaying advertisements for churches, political parties and candidates and for other commercial businesses. What bothers me most is the fact that the posters announcing to people to desist from pasting papers and stickers on the pillars are also pasted on the pillars. It means that whoever sought to pass that information on did the exact wrong thing he or she hoped to prevent.

I can go on and on citing examples of the indiscipline in political leadership and its attendant bribery and corruption scandals. A case in point is the recent conviction of three civil servants who pleaded guilty to causing financial loss to the state up to a tune of four million dollars. We can mention how undisciplined prison wardens smuggle drugs and sell to inmates. Don't you wonder how come that prisoners who are supposed to come back into society as reformed people ready to contribute to socio-economic development, come back more criminal and more damaged than they went in?

Somewhere in the middle of 2019, Citi FM and Citi TV launched their "War Against Indiscipline" campaign. It was disgusting to see how people had the effrontery to disobey road traffic regulations right in front of the police and media cameras. There were even instances in which Members of Parliament and Officers of the Customs Unit were caught on camera openly jumping the red light or driving against oncoming traffic or creating their own bypasses, not to go address an emergency, but just because they are men uniform.

Anytime I encounter some of these scenes, I wonder why it is that Ghanaians cannot seem to obey simple rules. Is it in our nature or it is in our nurture? Is it that we are born to disobey or that we are wired to do so? What exactly is the problem with us?

Maybe our problem is one of a lack of stern and focused leadership. Our leaders seem to be more concerned with winning political goodwill from voters and so they are unable to enforce the laws. In order to get the power to syphon our collective monies into their own pockets, leaders allow citizens to be undisciplined. We have leaders in this country who spend time and money arguing about which government was more corrupt or which one borrowed more money from the IMF or the World Bank. Our leaders do not see that making it easy for citizens to obey the right laws is the foundation for any sustainable development project.

It is only in Ghana that you have to pay a bribe to file your tax returns. It is here that you have to pay a bribe to get a fair trial or even a judgement. The system is so discomforting that it seems the only way to do right and to have any respite is to do wrong. If only our leaders would focus their attention on how to make the citizens more comfortable, then, maybe, there would be some discipline in the system and subsequently, some sustainable development.

On the other hand, it is in our own interest, as citizens of this nation, to understand that no matter how uncomfortable being disciplined feels, it is the surest way to see any proper change in our living conditions. And so, it is very critical that we maintain a high level of self-awareness and discipline in our dealings if we want to enjoy a more enabling and conducive environment.

Kwame Nkrumah once said, "Revolutions are brought by men; by men who think as men of action and act as men of thought". To this, I add, that development is brought by citizens who dare to be disciplined.

Efo Korku Mawutor

GIJ
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,029 and the number of cases to 96,169 in the country on Monday, registering an increase of 157deaths and a record jump of 5,242 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 56,316, while 36,823 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

"Thus, around 38.29 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said.

The total confirmed cases include foreign nationals too, the ministry said.

Of the 157deaths deaths reported since Sunday morning, 63 were in Maharashtra, 34 in Gujarat, 31 in Delhi, six in West Bengal, five each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, four in Tamil Nadu, three in Punjab and one each from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Odisha.

Of the 3,029 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,198 deaths. Gujarat comes second with 659 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 248, West Bengal at 238, Delhi at 160, Rajasthan at 131, Uttar Pradesh at 104,Tamil Nadu at 78 and Andhra Pradesh at 50.

The death toll has reached 37 in Karnataka, 35 in Punjab and 34 in Telangana.

Haryana has reported 14 fatalities due to the disease. Jammu and Kashmir has 13 deaths, while Bihar has registered eight and Kerala and Odisha each have reported four deaths.

Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three COVID-19 fatalities each, while Assam has reported two deaths.

Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Puducherry have reported one fatality each, according to the data shared by the ministry.

According to the ministry's website, more than 70 per cent of the deaths are due to comorbidities, the existence of multiple disorders in the same person.

According to the health ministry data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 33,053, followed by Gujarat at 11,379, Tamil Nadu at 11,224, Delhi at 10,054 Rajasthan at 5,202, Madhya Pradesh at 4,977 and Uttar Pradesh at 4,259.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 2,677 in West Bengal, 2,407 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,964 in Punjab.

It has risen to 1,551 in Telangana, 1,262 in Bihar, 1,183 in Jammu and Kashmir, 1,147 in Karnataka and 910 in Haryana.

Odisha has reported 828 coronavirus infection cases so far, while Kerala has 601 cases. A total of 223 people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 191 in Chandigarh.

Tripura has reported 167 cases, Assam 101, Uttarakhand 92, Chhattisgarh 86, Himachal Pradesh 80 and Ladakh 43.

Thirty-three COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Goa have reported 29 COVID-19 cases, while Meghalaya and Puducherry have registered 13 cases each.

Manipur has seven cases. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadar and Nagar Haveli have reported a case each till how.

"410 cases are being reassigned to states," the ministry said on its website, adding "our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR".

State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gov. Kate Brown week lifted her statewide stay-at-home order and gave the OK for many residents to journey out again.

But the governor and health experts agree that part of the success of these next steps depends largely on the decisions each of the states residents makes about wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet from others whenever possible, working from home if their jobs allow, traveling the minimum distance necessary for shopping and finding safe places and times to exercise or recreate.

But Oregonians were already out and about more, even before the recent loosening of restrictions. That raises the question: Can the state reopen now while keeping the coronavirus from making a vicious resurgence?

Heres what else you need to know Monday.

PROTESTS IN SEASIDE, MEDFORD: A rally calling for Oregon officials to reopen the coast drew 15 to 25 people Saturday afternoon in Seaside, according to a city official who said the event was peaceful. A rally in Medford, however, drew several hundred to oppose Gov. Kate Browns coronavirus restrictions and support a range of conservative causes.

DEATH TOLL HOLDS FAST: Oregon health officials reported no new deaths linked to the new coronavirus over the weekend. The number of known cases climbed to 3,623 as of 8 a.m. Sunday.

TRAFFIC COMEBACK: Highway volumes plunged during coronavirus shutdown. Now, its starting to rebound, at least on weekdays. Heres what that says about the economy.

PANDEMIC ART: Before March, Southeast Foster Road in Portland was bustling with neighbors and visitors out shopping, getting a drink, and sharing a meal. Now, many of those businesses are closed. Up and down Foster Road, businesses have boarded up windows. But a group of muralists are bringing life to a street shut down by coronavirus.

EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT: Oregon hospitals will be provided with an experimental drug that has shown some promise treating extreme cases of COVID-19, state health officials said Sunday.

CAMPS OUT: Oregon will allow day camps to move forward with significant restrictions, but overnight camps for school-aged children will not be allowed to operate this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.

PANDEMIC CLOSURE: Genevas Shear Perfection, a barbershop and salon hailed as a cornerstone in Portlands black community, has closed in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the owners Facebook post.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive

Subscribe to our Oregon coronavirus newsletter:
Brent Larkin has moved so far to the left, his commentary has suffered (Householders attacks on Acton are just bullying, May 17). I agree that the protests regarding COVID-19 measures should be directed at the politicians responsible for their implementation. I further agree that protesters have the right to express their displeasure with those measures. Where we part company is when Larkin attempts to paint the protesters as far-right neo-Nazis and extremists. Although some of the participants may hold those views, theres no evidence that they constitute a significant portion.

Furthermore, although Im sure Gov. Mike DeWines intent was to save lives, Im not as certain that the measures he took were necessary or constitutional. I wouldve much preferred a measured response that didnt so drastically curtail my basic liberties. Japan weathered this crisis without such draconian methods.

I myself didnt participate in these protests, but, unlike Mr. Larkin, Im not confused regarding the presence of firearms. I support this action as a subtle or not-too-subtle reminder to the government that the American people will only tolerate for so long an infringement of their liberty. That is, after all, the purpose of the Second Amendment.

Wayne Strunk,

North Ridgeville
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus on Monday extended a ban on commercial flights into and out of the country until May 28 as the government considers ways to restore the country's tourism industry to meet an anticipated swell in demand from vacationers eager to escape coronavirus lockdowns.

Since Cyprus imposed a flight ban on March 21, only cargo planes, authorized repatriation flights, and some humanitarian flights have been exempt.

The government hopes to have airports operating full schedules after June 9, depending on how the pandemic unfolds domestically and abroad.

Authorities are trying to come up with plans for safely bringing back holidaymakers to Cyprus, where tourism accounts for 13% of gross domestic product. Cyprus tourism ministry officials said the Mediterranean island nation is conservative estimated to see a 60% drop in annual visitor arrivals this year.

Hoteliers' Association Chief Haris Loizides told private TV station Sigma on Monday that thanks to strong efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Cyprus is high up on the list of destinations that other countries and airlines see as a popular choice for vacation travelers.

But the business environment remains uncertain since Cyprus' two main tourist markets  the U.K. and Russia  are still coping with large numbers of COVID-19 cases, Loizides said. Cypriot officials are looking at bringing in vacationers from new tourism markets in the Gulf and the Middle East that have comparatively low numbers of coronavirus cases.

Loizides said strict social distancing, health and hygiene rules will be in effect at all hotels whenever they are allowed to open.

Cyprus counts to date 898 confirmed virus cases and 16 deaths.
A Vietnamese woman, who was a victim of child sexual abuse, has spent nearly 15 years protecting her countrys minors from having the same traumatizing experience in positions she held in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and as the founder of a social enterprise that works toward the cause.

Cao Huyen Dieu Huong, better known as Huong Cao, set up the OpenM social enterprise in 2016 to raise awareness among the community about sexual abuse and pedophilia and to support victims of sexual assault.

Before establishing OpenM in 2016, Huong, now 33, had spent almost 15 years taking part in similar non-governmental projects.

The woman said she wanted to break free from NGOs dependence on funds from sponsors so that she could focus on long-term projects that bring about more sustainable values.

Unable to stand aside

When Huong and OpenM organized a photo exhibition called Voices Out in 2018, it was the first gallery in Vietnam that shone a spotlight on child sexual abuse.

The exhibition featured stories about pedophile victims and the mental damage they and their families endured.

I was molested by my own cousins when I was young so personally [child sexual abuse] is a frightful topic. At the time of our project, stories of pedophile attacks reported in the media were getting so abundant and horrifying that I could no longer sit still and do nothing, Huong said.

With 'Voices Out,' we hoped to create a humane community and share accurate information [on the subject] to its members so that parents and teachers can be the first ones to stand up and protect their children."

Since then, she has organized childrens education programs at schools across the country.

Her team includes nearly 30 lecturers who are psychology experts and lawyers with experience in helping victims of sexual abuse.

Four years on, Caos dedication to the work she does has not faltered. She still accompanies sex educators from province to province across Vietnam to impart their knowledge about gender, reproductive health, puberty, and abuse prevention to local residents.

When you build a library or a school, the fruit of your work is physical and instantly visible, but to measure the impact of education on children can take years, Huong said.

Different lessons must be taught at each phase of a childs growth, and [we] must follow their entire path of growth and maturation. The task cannot be pulled off by an organization without government intervention," she told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

So I chose to be one who raises issues and advocates for policy changes."

Education is of the essence

Huong's enrollment in Fulbright Universitys public policy masters program helped her approach her work from an academic perspective and equipped her with the scientific evidence needed to advance her cause.

Research cannot be drawn from 100 or 200 cases. It must have a much bigger sample. By now, more than 30,000 students, parents, and teachers in 11 provinces and cities that we traveled through to teach have reported experiencing abuse and harassment at different levels, the woman said.

But what I and the project need is acknowledgment and cooperation from the teachers and the schools leadership that what happened to these victims is real, and that education on sex, reproductive health, adolescent psychology, and abuse prevention is of high priority."

Her primary obstacle is that although she has successfully convinced schools leadership to bring the program to their schools, few school leaders have sat down to observe what her team taught or what the students learned.

For now, what she wants to achieve is that such education can be added to Vietnams Law on Education not only as complementary lessons but as part of a compulsory curriculum.

Many people still wonder why it is necessary to give sex lessons to kids and consider it egging them to practice sex from a young age. It is an issue that we have addressed for many years, Huong said.

Why is it that sexual abuse and harassment does not only occur among teenagers and children but has become increasingly common throughout a persons life? Why does sexual harassment happen at work or on public transportation?" she underlined.

Sexual abuse is not limited to urban or rural settings, or to certain educational backgrounds. Perpetrators of pedophilia can be anyone, from strangers to one's own siblings."

According to Huong, what her and other similar projects have been doing is merely scratching the surface of the problem.

Most parents think that in order to protect their children, they must send them to school. They do not think that they themselves, their families, relatives, and neighbors also need to be aware [of the issue]."

So the root [of the problem] here is education. Everyone must be educated as early as possible on gender, reproductive health, and sexual abuse."

Sex education for one million children

Huong and her teams goal is to teach sex education to about one million Vietnamese children by 2021.

It is a huge effort for a single organization, but it is nothing compared to [Vietnams] 26 million children. Therefore, it is necessary to make such education a mandatory part of the law on education, she shared.

To have funding for the project and pay educators salaries, OpenM offers English training courses for business leaders, managers, and individual consultants.

Balancing between business and social work is very difficult. OpenM has always refused to accept funding, but we plan to start looking for like-minded philanthropists from 2020 to accompany us, she said.

But if projects are only designed to spend money or live off funds or sponsors, then social enterprises are no different from NGOs."

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Starting last Friday, all counties in Iowa can have certain businesses reopen to limited capacity. That's despite concerns about reopening the state's economy too soon during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)
Who got married? Who had a baby? Have we lost anyone?

Through crackling internet lines and jumpy connections, a group of Syrian students recently reunited after nearly two years, recreating their English language classes and their small community online from pockets of opposition-held areas.

In the age of the coronavirus, schools and universities across the world have rushed to switch to education online. In this corner of Syria, the move also brings together students separated by war, distance and technological hurdles.

The students spent much of the first lessons catching up, at times extending their Zoom call twice. One student said her brother was released after three years in government jails  rare good news in a civil war where tens of thousands are unaccounted for.

Some had babies, others got married or changed jobs. Many lost their homes or were displaced in Syrian government military offensives. The countrys grinding war is now in its 10th year.

In one class, eight students reunited halfway into the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. They talked over internet connections that often broke mid-sentence. Walls visible in some screen backgrounds bore what appeared to be cracks from past bombings.

This is the worst Ramadan, said one of the students, Fatima Darwish, displaced in a government offensive on Aleppo province and forced to spend the holy month huddled in a strange new place, a village where she knows no one.

Her teachers offered sympathy, then reminded Darwish that countless others in the shrinking rebel-held enclave share her fate.

In another class last month, 19 students discussed coronavirus restrictions. One said people were not taking the pandemic seriously, seeing it just as another wave of killing. Another said it has not changed daily life because in rebel-held areas, people still feel as isolated from the world as before.

Before the pandemic, the general perception here was that online education was an expensive and impersonal experience. Now, that view is changing.

Everyone is online. The idea of online courses changed in peoples minds, said Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a co-founder of the Institute of Language Studies, himself displaced in Idlib. That is why we had the courage to do it.

Its a family of sorts  especially for those who lost their own, he added.

Founded in the eastern, rebel-held half of the city of Aleppo in 2015, the institute relocated to Idlib the following year, after government forces recaptured all of Aleppo.

The school survived government offensives and rebel infighting but it was the distance that finally forced the shutdown. Alhamdo lived a two-hour drive from the school, a deadly trek in the war zone. The institutes co-founder, Wissam Zarqa, moved to Turkey to join his family and start graduate studies.

A recent Russian-backed military campaign against the last rebel enclave displaced nearly a million people inside the territory, and also targeted schools and hospitals. Shortly after a cease-fire took effect in March, coronavirus restrictions began, further upending life.

Resilient Syrians in rebel-held territory have overcome many obstacles in the countrys civil war, pulling together to hold classes in underground shelters or moving schoolrooms between displacement camps.

The war-battered region has sporadic electricity and relies on satellite internet for communication.

Now, nearly 60% of the 500,000 enrolled students in northwestern Syria are estimated to have joined online education programs, said Layla Hasso of Hurras Network, a group facilitating virtual education in the region.

For Darwishs English-language-for-adults classes, Zoom sessions take place late at night, hosted from neighboring Turkey by Zarqa.

Last week, students lamented how the virus restrictions have dampened the Ramadan spirit  gone are the large family meals with many visiting relatives and friends, and the late-night communal prayers, so characteristic of the holy month.

They all agreed they miss one thing online classes cant replace: the handing out of sweets among themselves to celebrate marriages, newborns and other happy news.

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The H-East ward, which covers Bandra East, Khar and Santacruz and houses CM Uddhav Thackerays family, crossed the 1,000-mark with 1,138 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, within 10 days of crossing the 500 mark.

Six other wards  G-North (Dharavi, Dadar, Mahim), G-South (Worli, Prabhadevi), K-West (Andheri west, Oshiwara, Jogeshwari), L (Kurla) and FN (Wadala, Antop Hill and Matunga)  have crossed the mark.

According to the figures provided to the elected representatives by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the H-East ward recorded 1,138 cases on Sunday, up from 1,064 cases on Saturday and 595 cases 10 days ago. It had 269 cases on April 26. According to the BMCs figure of May 13, the doubling rate of the ward is 9.7 days.

The ward was one of the first in the city to start door-to-door survey to identify suspects. The authorities are identifying senior citizens for comorbidities, and referring them for further treatment.

Tulip Miranda, a Congress corporator from H-East ward, said, Contact-tracing is being done properly, but the food distribution work can improve. Too many people require the aid, but the BMC cant reach everyone. Since April 1, I am distributing 1,000 food packets daily to the needy.

On Monday, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over a 1,000-bed makeshift hospital built on MMRDA grounds in BKC to the BMC in the presence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The hospital will have a quarantine facility for those who test positive and a facility for isolation, testing, X-ray and ECG. It will act as dedicated health care centre (DCHC) for Covid-19 patients. Municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal on Sunday said the BMC will start shifting patients to the facility by Wednesday. Local Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique has demanded that preference be given to locals.

Meanwhile, the daily average of cases being reported in Mumbai has gone up to 915 between May 11 and May 17, compared to the daily average of 670 from May 4-10. The daily average deaths have also risen to 32.28 from 23.4 in May 4-10 period. Between May 4 and May 10, 4,691 cases were reported with 164 deaths, and between May 11 to May 17, 6,411 cases were reported in Mumbai with 226 deaths.

The highest number of cases (1,595) was reported on Sunday, followed by the highest single-day deaths on May 16 (41).

The state has projected that Maharashtra would see the peak in the number of cases by June-end. The BMC is ready for a projection of over 50,000 cases in Mumbai in three weeks. It is in the process of getting 1,000 beds ready. Chahal had on Sunday said, We have decided to have the number of beds in surplus compared to the projection. We are not going for playgrounds or open space due to the upcoming monsoon, but we will largely tap into the available parking lots.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:11:37|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Monday announced the reopening of its skies for international passenger flights.

Isack Kamwelwe, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, said in a statement that the reopening of the east African skies for passenger flight was effective from Monday.

Kamwelwe said business, humanitarian, diplomatic, emergency and other special flights were allowed to land, take off and fly across the country's skies as it was before.

He said the opening of the skies followed an announcement by President John Magufuli on Sunday that the number of COVID-19 infections has been dropping citing statistics from health centers treating COVID-19 patients across the country.

Kamwelwe directed the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) to inform the International Civil Aviation Organization about the decisions made by the government.

He also directed the Tanzania Airports Authority and the Kilimanjaro Airport Development Company Limited to ensure that they provided services to flights landing in the country in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children.

Kamwelwe also directed the national carrier Air Tanzania Company Limited to make arrangements for resuming its international flights to various countries.

On April 12, TCAA announced suspension of international passenger flights to the eastern African nation over the COVID-19 pandemic.

TCAA said cargo flights will be allowed but crew members will be quarantined at designated places by the government at their own costs for the duration of their stay. Enditem
Iran is currently in a standoff with the United States regarding shipment of fuel to Venezuela, an issue has the potential to ignite tensions between the two countries. US officials have said they will consider taking measures to prevent Iran from doing so. Both Iran and Venezuela are under US sanctions.

Spokesman for Irans Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi said today, Free trade between independent countries is a legal act. What is illegal is robbery in the sea, which the US is the leader of. He continued, [President Donald] Trumps America is undoing world order and ignoring norms and is seeking world anarchy. He added that what US officials said about the Iranian ship carrying fuel to Venezuela is shameless and their actions will be met with our response.

Mousavi said that Iran has issued warnings about possible US actions against the shipment of fuel to Venezuela through the Swiss embassy, which acts as an intermediary between the United States and Iran as well as the United Nations.

Spokesman for the President Hassan Rouhani administration Ali Rabiei also spoke up, saying, No country is required to follow unilateral US sanctions and we have a responsibility to fulfill our commitments to Venezuela and this was at their request.

Rabiei also talked about the countrys efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. He said today that Iran has entered the containment phase of dealing with the virus. Speaking live in the presence of reporters, Rabiei said, We have passed through the phase of managing and controlling the coronavirus illness and have entered the containment phase. Rabiei said the next major goal for the Rouhani administration is to keep the economy on its legs.

However, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, speaking via teleconference, told reporters that the country's coronavirus numbers are increasing. Jahanpour said that in the last 24 hours there have been 2,294 new confirmed cases, nearly triple Iran's lowest number on May 2. Iran had lifted many restrictions in recent weeks and its numbers are climbing back up. Irans total confirmed coronavirus cases number 122,492 and total deaths from the virus now stand at 7,058. In the last 24 hours, 69 Iranians have died.

The country's efforts to fight the pandemic have included mass shut downs and testing. In mid-April the country began to reopen, allowing traffic to resume from province to province and allowing stores to reopen. Authorities conducted what they called mass screening, primarily via phone calls to residents. Jahanpour said that Iran has conducted over 700,000 tests.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also made a rare televised addressed to students today. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Khamenei had addressed government officials or crowds only via television. Speaking to university students, Khamenei said that the United States will be expelled from Iraq and Syria and that America has lost its attraction in the world.
Verizon is calling on emerging technology to rescue network and technology specialists from clunky legacy software. The telecommunications company has distilled functionality from more than 20 legacy applications into a digital platform that employees use to support the development of 5G and other critical systems, says Lynn Cox, Verizons senior vice president and network CIO.

Called Canvas, the platform layers predictive analytics based on machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), chatbots, intelligent search and other tools atop a hybrid cloud, says Cox.

These are the tools people need to plan, build and run the network and provision services better, Cox tells CIO.com.

Canvas, which was nominated for an IDG CIO 100 award recognizing achievement in technology innovation, is the centerpiece of Verizons initiative to make operations more efficient by digitizing manual processes and consolidating workflows from several disparate systems. But more importantly, Canvas improves the morale of the employees who use it.

Companies that offer compelling workforce experiences generate 22 percent higher engagement among their workers, who are also four times more likely to stay in their jobs, according to Deloitte. Moreover, the consultancy says, organizations with the best workforce experiences also enjoy a 12 percent greater customer satisfaction than other organizations.

Digital tech boosts employee engagement

Better employee and customer experiences are core to Verizons transformation. For much of the past 20 years, Verizon network and technology specialists had slogged through a hodgepodge of legacy web applications, switching from one screen to the next as they provisioned service jobs, fielded calls and completed other tasks. The tools, a mix of bespoke and off-the-shelf software rolled up from years of mergers and acquisitions, created duplications and other process inefficiencies that resulted in poor customer experience and reduced productivity.

We cant continue to run and operate legacy systems, Cox says. The cost of doing that is significant for any company.

Applying design-thinking and agile principles, Verizon user experience (UX) designers, subject matter experts, user interface programmers, server-side developers and quality assurance experts embedded with the network and technology centers to learn what specialists required. They conducted bi-weekly sprints to build Canvas, which essentially operates like an iPhone from which employees access several applications, says Anirudha Joshi, Verizon IT director.

Now Verizons network and tech specialists use the portal to support customers via a single user interface that uses guided navigation to walk them through equipment and inventory management and network maintenance, as well as highly surgical tasks such as circuit design. Responsive web design enables employees to access Canvas through desktops, tablets and smartphones with ease, creating efficiencies for product owners and reducing training requirements. The intent is to open work items within the same screen, eliminating swivel-chairing, Joshi says.

Canvas feature list checks most of the bell-and-whistle boxes found in leading digital platforms. With the help of 66 RPA bots, Canvas has automated 173,000-plus hours of manual work. For instance, one bot created to eliminate manual screening of each dispatch job has saved about 32,000 labor hours. Moreover, Canvas has automated 95 percent of manual email, chat and phone hand-offs between provisioning staff and engineering teams.

Chatbots help staff solicit and retrieve information in a conversational messaging interface. The integration of communication software, along with camera, photo management and GPS technology, enables team members to share contextually rich information about tasks. ML-based predictive analytics assesses risk score in customer commitment, including the likelihood of churn.

When Canvas rolled out in 2019, some workers long accustomed to using bespoke apps were skeptical, but Verizon conducted an internal marketing campaign to promote the platform and grease the wheels, part of a change management program.

We got a really good response from people who were apprehensive because they were so used to working in one way, Cox says. To cultivate greater adoption, Canvas incorporates gamification, enabling employees to compete in friendly contests designed to facilitate engagement, according to Cox.

The importance of modernizing the workplace experience cant be understated, as employees are 38 percent more likely to stay in organizations that shape the employee experience and are 44 percent more likely to be high performers than those in organizations that dont, according to Gartner research.

KPIs dial in business value

The efforts are paying off. According to KPIs Verizon tracks using analytics software, the company has identified an 80 percent reduction in chair-swivels associated with multiple system log-ins; a 50 percent reduction in clicks required to complete a task; and a 50 percent reduction in the number of screens accessed to complete a task. Moreover, the chatbots and search capabilities has reduced the time it takes employees to perform a typical task by 60 percent.

Today Canvas consumes its compute power from Verizons private data centers and via Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud, but soon the platform will run entirely in AWS, says Nash Sivaganesh, Verizons executive director of network systems.

This will yield Verizon greater business agility while reducing reliance on its infrastructure. Eventually, Verizon expects to roll out Canvas to customers, providing them a user-friendly portal through which to request additional services or assistance, Nash adds.

For CIOs mulling a similar digital platform, Cox says the key lies in creating a strong partnership with business clients, including showing them the operational and financial benefits that a new solution offers their organization.

We need to understand what the user needs and create a shared vision with the business to show them the art of whats possible, Cox says.
IBRI, Oman, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, announced it will supply 1500V SG250HX inverter solutions to the 500 MWac IBRI II project in Oman, which is the largest utility-scale PV plant in the Sultanate to date, demonstrating the Company's robust efforts in supporting Oman's ambition of lifting the renewable energy mix by 10%. The delivery of inverter solutions will commence in Q2 this year.

A Landmark Independent Power Plant

The IBRI II PV project is an Independent Power Project (IPP) to be developed on a BOO (build, own, operate) basis. The $400 million project was funded on a debt to equity ratio of 70:30 and a consortium consisting of ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and the Alternative Energy Projects Company (AEPC) has achieved the financial closure of it recently.

The project is expected to come online in the summer of 2021, barring aside any potential COVID-19 related considerations. It will supply clean power to state-owned utility Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) under a 15-year contract. The plant can generate roughly 1,300 GWh annually, which is enough to power an estimated 33,000 homes and offset 340,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

SG250HX Paves the Way to Lower LCOE

The project is located in a desert around 300 km west of Muscat with ample sunshine and abundant flat land. The system poses strict requirements on a minimized LCOE with cutting-edge PV technologies and the resilience to harsh conditions like high temperature and sand corrosion.

Sungrow's SG250HX, the world's most powerful 1500V string inverter, to be installed onsite is an ideal match to the project. The solution features 12 MPPTs with maximum efficiency of 99% and enables flexible block design allowing for up to 6.75 MW blocks. Compatible with bi-facial modules and tracking systems, the solution can significantly maximize ROI for a PV project.

The improved Power Line Communication (PLC) will decrease installation cost without excessive communication wiring. Equipped with 24-hour Static Var Generator (SVG) function, the solution can provide an instantaneous and effective response to power quality problems, enabling improved power system stability, reduced energy losses and complying with most demanding local power quality standards and grid codes, saving approximately $1,143,000.

Particularly with IP66 and C5 protection together with the smart forced air-cooling technology, the 250 kW inverter can operate without derating even the ambient temperature is up to 50 degree Celsius, strongly resilient to scorching deserts of Oman.

Tap More Potential in MENA

"As a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water desalination plants, ACWA Power has considerable experience in deploying PV Independent Power Plants worldwide. The Oman IBRI II Solar PV is expected to play a strategic role in building Oman's renewable production capacity. We are delighted to partner with best-in-class entities such as Sungrow, that will support us in delivering long-term sustainable benefits for all our stakeholders through providing advanced, tailor-made solutions such as the SG250HX to our customers," commented Rajit Nanda, Chief Investment Officer from ACWA Power.

"Sungrow and the SG250HX complement our ongoing mandate to provide low-cost power to communities through utilizing the latest, most cost-efficient technologies and we look forward to working on this venture with them," he added.

"The 1500V 250 kW string inverter has been attracting around 3 GW orders since it was first rolled out in Intersolar Europe 2019. We're glad to decarbonize the local economy by bringing in more flagship products," said James Wu, Vice President of Sungrow.

"It's another fabulous milestone we did in Oman, even in Gulf Cooperation Council. It once again demonstrates that growing number of customers are impressed by Sungrow competitive products and services," he added. Wu also mentioned, Sungrow supplied a 105 MW project in Oman which will be put into commercial operation soon.

As one of the most energetic PV and BESS players in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sungrow has the regional hub established in Dubai. In addition to remaining a remarkable market share in Omani PV market, Sungrow expands its footprints in other key markets in MENA as well. With the 500 MWac project added to its portfolio, the Company is expected to hit 1 GW in this region.

About Sungrow

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 100 GW to be installed worldwide as of December 2019. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 23-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 60 countries, maintaining a worldwide market share of over 15%. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com.
UPDATE: Former Mayor Edwin Pawlowskis motion for early release from prison was denied Monday.

A U.S. district court judge has denied a request by Allentowns former mayor for early release from federal prison due to the high risk of death from contracting COVID-19.

A motion filed by attorney Jack McMahon said former Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski should be released from prison immediately before he contracts the highly contagious disease.

If this high probability of COVID-19 infection occurs, a high probability of death or serious long term consequences will follow, McMahon wrote in a motion filed Tuesday, May 12.

U.S. District Court Judge Juan Sanchez heard arguments for Pawlowskis release on May 12. He denied the request Monday, May 18, according to the online court docket.

Pawlowski was sentenced in 2018 to 15 years in federal prison for public corruption. A jury determined he participated in a scheme to award city contracts in exchange for campaign contributions.

He previously had his left lung removed, which puts him at risk of death if he contracts the respiratory illness, the motion says. Hes also at risk due to his age, 55.

A motion from the government says its too early to release Pawlowski since hes only served 18 months on a 15-year sentence. The prison has taken steps to protect inmates from infection, according to the motion from U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony J. Wzorek and Michelle L. Morgan.

Federal guidelines under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act allow for the release of inmates on home confinement during the last six months or the final 10% of their sentences, whichever is shorter, according to the prosecutors.

Pawlowski is in federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Three inmates have died there due to COVID-19, according to McMahon.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
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.




Business leaders yesterday supported President Mnangagwas decision to extend the national Covid-19 lockdown indefinitely but at level two with periodic reviews fortnightly, saying the policy would save both lives and the economy.





The national lockdown has helped the country keep the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases at low levels but the Government has, by moving up from level four to level two, allowed large swathes of the economy to reopen under tight conditions that minimise risk.





Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry president Mr Henry Ruzvidzo said industrialists were supportive of the move to avoid worst situations as witnessed in the United States and Europe.





Essentially the President said the lockdown will be reviewed after every two weeks but we are happy that most of the industry is now running, he said.





This cautious approach is something we need to support. The main challenge that we are facing as industry is to get our workers to work on time due to the restrictions in the transport sector. This pandemic has to be handled with caution and we need to support all efforts being undertaken by Government to contain it.





Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Mr Paul Zakariya said remaining at level 2 of the Covid-19 lockdown for an indefinite period ensured that the country minimised infections.





He said if properly followed, the lockdown measures would see the nation recording huge successes in the containment of the pandemic.





However, agriculture and agribusinesses, which rely on both formal and informal markets for survival, will take a knock for the foreseeable future. This means that, going forward, it will not be business as usual, said Mr Zakariya.









Agricultural business models that ensure that public health concerns are prioritised will have to be explored. Both inputs and output markets will need to be re-organised to meet the requirements of what will be our new normal.





Our farmers will be required to adapt and adopt new ways of doing business. Organised farming that will see farmers pooling their resources to work together in the form of cooperatives, private companies and other forms, will save the day.





Zimbabwe Council for Tourism Business President Ms Winnie Muchanyuka said although the decision was to save lives, there was need for monitored inter-city travel to be allowed if tourism was to survive.





We can approach this from two angles. Our revival in the short term relies on domestic tourism, so we expect to see more movement so that our players can generate and earn something, she said.





Until travel business from source countries returns after the current travel restrictions, our focus will be on local players. We will continue to lobby Government to allow travel so there can be domestic tourism even at a minimal scale to avoid total business collapse in the sector.





Most of our operators are struggling. They are not operating save for a few players like ZimSun and Cresta who have a few hotels open. The rest are closed. We are optimistic about the proposition that private players can provide quarantine services. A lot of our players are interested and are in the process of being assessed by authorities. That may save a lot of jobs and companies.





Tanganda Tea finance director Mr Henry Nemaire said the extension of the lockdown was necessary.





All formal businesses have been allowed to resume operations. Informal economic players should explore syndicating under one organised business and using one fiscalised invoicing system.





Businessman and former Arda chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza said the country was not yet out of danger and the extension was necessary.





We are not yet out of the woods and if we look around at neighbouring countries, they appear to be struggling and its important that we maintain a very vigilant approach to Covid-19, said Mr Nyabadza.




CHIPPEWA COUNTY, MI  Two men are in police custody after the larceny of up to $100,000-worth of construction equipment, including a covered trailer and a tractor.

Jordan Jeffery Dewitt, 35, of Evart, and 33-year-old Matthew James Mclemore, of Lawton, have been arraigned on charges related two larcenies in Chippewa County. They are also suspected, but have not yet been charged, in relation to a third larceny. In addition to charges related to a criminal larceny ring, the suspects are also facing gun and drug charges.

The Chippewa County Sheriffs Office took a report early Wednesday morning, May 13, of a white enclosed trailer having been stolen from a road construction site, according to a news release. The trailer contained tools and equipment. Heavy-duty batteries were also taken. The total value of the stolen items was estimated between $60,000 to $80,000.

The same morning, the Mackinac County Sheriffs Office received a report of a stolen Bobcat-type tractor in Cedarville, police said. A witness identified a white pickup truck and white enclosed trailer that backed up to the tractor at the time of the larceny.

By mid-day, Chippewa deputies collected evidence that linked the two crime scenes, police said. The tractor brings the replacement cost of the items stolen in the two incidents to around $100,000.

Two men are accused of conducting larcenies of items valued around $100,000 in Chippewa and Mackinac counties.Chippewa County Sheriff's Office

After Dewitt and Mclemore were in custody, deputies took a report on a third larceny. Evidence collected at the scene led them to suspect to two men in that case as well. They have not yet been charged related to this incident.

On Wednesday, Chippewa deputies tracked the white pick and white trailer using street-view surveillance video of M-129 and M-28. Sheriffs deputies from Chippewa and Mackinac counties, along with troopers from Michigan State Police Sault St. Marie and St. Ignace posts, and detectives from TRI-DENT worked together in a search of northern and central Chippewa and eastern Mackinac counties.

That evening, the state trooper conducted a traffic stop on M-134. The vehicle was not known to be involved in the larcenies, but evidence collected during the stop lead to a break in the case.

Soon after, the covered trailer was found hidden behind a building in Mackinac County and great lengths had been taken to change its appearance. This led officers to a cabin in Chippewa County. While searching for the cabin, officers saw the suspect vehicle on backroads nearby its location. State troopers conducted a traffic stop that resulted in the arrests of Dewitt and Mclemore.

Two accused of conducting larcenies of items valued around $100,000 in Chippewa and Mackinac counties, including a white covered trailer stolen from a road construction site. Police found the trailer after it had been spray painted black in an effort to disguise it.Chippewa County Sheriff's Office

Additional search warrants were then issued, leading to the recovery of most, if not all, of the stolen items.

Dewitt, a habitual offender, and Mclemore were initially charged with larceny over $20,000 in the 91st District Court Thursday, May 14. On Friday, both suspects were arraigned on that and additional charges of criminal enterprise, receiving and concealing stolen property over $20,000, possession of burglary tools, felony firearm, possession of methamphetamine and malicious destruction of property.

Two other people of interest were interviewed and released.

The Chippewa County Sheriffs Office continues to investigate this case. Charges have been requested in the third larceny incident.

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On the eve of the Nevada caucuses in February, Bernie Sanders and his supporters were feeling invincible.

I've got news for the Democratic establishment, he declared on Twitter on Feb. 21, the day before he went on to a landslide win in the Nevada caucuses. They can't stop us.

Since then, not only did the establishment stop Sanders  it stamped out the candidacies of a string of left-wing insurgents, leaving the progressive movement reeling and in a state of despair.

Three highly-touted liberal House candidates  Jessica Cisneros in Texas, Robert Emmons in Illinois, and Morgan Harper in Ohio  lost their primary races against more moderate members of Congress. They are now playing defense as Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the four members of the squad, faces a stiff primary challenge in Michigan. And Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass), whos managed a late-career makeover into a left-wing darling, with endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other progressive groups, is consistently outpolled by primary challenger, Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.).

The movement has also had limited influence on the proposals House Democrats have put forward to address the coronavirus, with leadership rejecting its most ambitious ideas.

The abrupt reversal of fortune has prompted introspection among many left-wing activists, who only three months ago were confident that the future of the Democratic Party was theirs.

Interviews with more than 15 left-wing leaders  including grass-roots organizers, down-ballot candidates and former aides to Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren  revealed strife over what went wrong and what to do next.

Some asserted that Sanders' and other challengers' losses were just the result of campaign missteps and that their ideas remain popular. They argued that progressives still are on track to take over the party in the coming years and are looking to other down-ballot races this year to make a mark.

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But others were less sanguine about the left's future, after their losses this year and in the 2018 midterms. Several pointed to progressives' failure to make serious inroads with older black voters, the most loyal base of the Democratic primary. And some said they fear the Democratic Party is drifting away from the more class-based politics they are advocating for, as national Democrats increasingly target wealthier, more educated suburban voters to make up for losses in rural areas.

These clashes and internal debates are beginning to set the course of the post-Sanders left and could be key to whether the young, demoralized progressives remain engaged or withdraw.

Even the left-wings highest profile win this year was less of a triumph than the left has spun it as. Marie Newman, who had a Sanders-esque platform  supporting the Green New Deal and Medicare for All  defeated Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski in March. While many left-wing groups backed her, her victory was also attributed to support from more mainstream liberal groups like EMILYs List and Planned Parenthood and several presidential candidates.

Perhaps more concerning for the left, her base of support more closely resembled Joe Bidens than Bernie Sanders hopes for a working-class coalition. Newman focused on suburban women, while Lipinskis base was made of more traditional Democrats...very much more non-college, older, sort of the traditional white ethnic vote of Chicago, according to Donna Victoria, Newmans pollster.

Some progressives compare the recent defeats to Barry Goldwaters drubbing in 1964  a temporary setback but a harbinger for what became the Reagan Revolution. They argued that the rise of the left will continue as young Democrats who overwhelmingly voted for Sanders become an increasing share of the party.

I do believe progressives are in the ascendancy in the Democratic Party and we are still in the midst of that transition, said Faiz Shakir, Sanders campaign manager, who described the recent losses as growing pains. He pointed to Biden and other Democrats who have embraced progressive policies far to the left of where the party was a decade ago as evidence of the left's expanding influence.

But others see a need to significantly revamp the lefts approach after its failure to make significant inroads with older black voters. Some former Sanders aides believe that portraying the party itself as an enemy alienated some black voters who strongly identify as Democrats.

We tried very, very hard in a lot of different ways to make the appeal to older African-American voters, Shakir said, adding that growing support for Medicare for All among black voters in states they lost offers reason for hope.

"A majority of Democratic primary voters agree with us on the issues but see the main conflict in American politics as being between the red team and the blue team, said Claire Sandberg, Sanders' former national organizing director. I think weve seen that leading with an anti-establishment message can be counterproductive because it allows the establishment to paint us as divisive and disloyal, which hurts us with the high propensity older voters we need to do better with to win Democratic primaries."

Others expressed concern that the partys further expansion into the suburbs is a sign that the class-focused politics of the left represent the past, rather than the future, of the party.

On one matter, they all agreed: They are desperate for a win. Many are scouring the remaining congressional primaries and state legislature races for opportunities. Sanders himself endorsed three statehouse candidates last week  two primary challengers in Michigan and Pennsylvania and one progressive in a contested race for an open seat in Missouri.

One of those candidates said that the left needs to realize it cant win on its own and suggested Newman's victory could be a blueprint.

You can't run an exclusive [left] campaign because there isn't the infrastructure and that's just not how society is structured, said Nikil Saval, who is challenging a Pennsylvania state senator this year and whom Sanders endorsed this week. Saval, a former editor of the literary magazine n+1, added: And you don't really want to  the point is not just for the left to win, you want to build a hegemonic bloc of people that is diverse and can govern with you when you become an elected official."

Some progressives are cheering on Kara Eastman in Nebraska. She lost a Nebraska congressional race in 2018, but ran again and won the Democratic primary last week; in November, she'll square off against Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) in a rematch.

Others are looking to Samelys Lopez, who is running in a crowded primary for a Bronx congressional seat and is endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez. The climate-focused Sunrise Movement, Justice Democrats, and some aides from Sanders and Warrens campaigns have zeroed in on Bronx principal Jamaal Bowmans primary challenge against powerful Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) on June 23.

It is the right moment for some hand-wringing  I think progressive activists were really hungry for a Bernie victory, so there wasnt necessarily a plan for what happened after, said Julia Barnes, Sanders national field director in 2016 and a progressive political consultant. We need to recalibrate the timeline for what victory looks like. ... Did we have a setback? Is there a need for a bigger analysis of what a progressive base could look like? Yes, but I havent lost faith yet.

Holly Otterbein contributed to this report.


People cant stay at home when the government says return to work, and we have no money if we dont go, Elham said in a telephone interview. They rushed to open with no plans in place, and now they are blaming us for the surge. She did not want to give her last name for fear of repercussions.
Dogtor Moose is on call!

On Friday, Virginia Tech's College of Veterinary Medicine celebrated its 2020 class with an online commencement ceremony, including one special graduate, an 8-year-old therapy dog named Moose.

The adorable Labrador retriever has worked as one of the school's four therapy animals and ambassadors for mental health awareness at the university's Cook Counseling Center since 2014, and received an honorary doctorate in veterinary medicine.

"The students here talk a lot about how Moose has broken down the stigma around mental health care on campus," Moose's owner, Trent Davis, a licensed counselor, told CNN. "Veterinarians are unfortunately a very challenged population. They have high rates of suicide, and this profession can be quite disturbing. He has really helped the students and staff at Virginia Tech and has gotten a lot of recognition for that."

RELATED: Labrador Retriever Named the Most Popular Dog Breed for 28th Consecutive Year

According to Davis, Moose has helped countless students cope with anxiety and other mental health issues, and has even assisted in more than 7,500 counseling sessions. Davis has worked at the Cook Counseling Center for nearly a decade and helped launch the school's animal-assisted therapy program.

"Some humans haven't had the best experience with other humans, or even other dogs. In both those cases, Moose provides a very safe and comforting force in the room," Davis told CNN.

"These students see Moose as someone who's going to accept them," he added. "They don't worry about him judging them."

Virginia Tech Moose

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Moose's honorary degree comes after the pup himself had to overcome some challenging months after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February, requiring radiation and chemotherapy. He was treated by veterinarians at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, a joint venture of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland at College Park.

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RELATED: Therapy Dog Brings Joy to Emergency Room Workers Fighting Coronavirus at Denver Hospital

Davis said Moose continues to receive chemotherapy and has been seeing positive results from the treatment.

The pup has also returned to work. Amid the coronavirus pandemic Moose has even been holding virtual office hours for students, as well as some in-person meetings if a student is experiencing an emergency, Davis said.

He added that watching Moose do his job has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

"I'll often meet people and they'll be petting him, and all of a sudden they're on the ground, talking in a baby voice," Davis told CNN. "So when people ask, 'How does this dog therapy thing work?' I'm like kind of like ... I have never met you before and now you're sitting one foot away from me petting the dog and talking to me about the meaning of life."
The Delhi police on Monday told a court here that an Special Investigating Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate all the incidents of violence which happened in the JNU campus in January this year in which students and teachers were injured.

The incidents of violence had taken place on January 3, 4 and 5.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vipul Sandwar was hearing a plea filed by Professor Sucharita Sen, who suffered head injuries during the attack by masked people inside the campus on January 5, seeking registration of FIR in a case.

The court had earlier directed the crime branch of Delhi police to file a status report in a case.

In its report, the crime branch said that the incident of January 5 was related to those that took place on January 3 and 4.

"During investigation various students and teachers, security personals and other persons who got injured or witnessed the incident were examined. CCTVs footage of the Cameras installed in JNU Campus have been collected, the police said in its status report filed before the court.

It further told the court that some of the teachers and students have also filed separate complaints at police station Vasant Kunj (North) regarding the incident of violence and they have been transferred to Crime Branch by the local police.

The applicant Ms Sucharita Sen was also injured in the incident at Sabarmati T- Point on January 5, 2020 and she filed a separate compliant at PS Vasant Kunj (North) on February 6, 2020. This complaint has been transferred to the Crime Branch. During investigation, statement of Ms Sucharita Sen has been recorded on February 20, 2020 in which she has reiterated her version mentioned in her complaint.

Her statement under section 161 of CrPC has also been recorded. MLC (Medico-legal case) of Ms Sucharita Sen has been collected from AIIMS which shows the nature of injuries as 'Simple Blunt', the report said.

It further added, The investigation of the case is in progress and all efforts are being made to identify all the attackers/ assailants and conclude investigation in a time bund manner.

The court will pronounce it's further order on Tuesday.

The court had sought the status report after taking on record another status report filed by the officials of Vasant Kunj North in pursuant to an earlier order.

The report filed by police had said that an FIR was filed in the matter which has now been transferred to the crime branch along with the present complaint filed by Sen.

In her submission, Sen claimed that no action has been taken so far and that the case that was transferred to crime branch was a separate FIR.

In her plea, Sen had told the court that the lodging of an FIR was urgent since investigation could take place only after the case is registered.

The court had in February directed the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned to file an action taken report (ATR).

The plea, filed by Sen, had sought lodging of FIR into wanton acts of violence suffered by Sen at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

It claimed that the complainant (Sen) had to approach the court on account of inaction on the part of the police authorities despite "clear and cogent" facts and underlying material placed by her before the investigating agency.

On January 5, masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police which conducted a flag march.

At least 28 people, including JNU Students'' Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.

Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Senior Union ministers and JNU alumni S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman had condemned the violence.

According to police in its status report, prior to that on January 3, 2020, at the students of the anti-registration group (JNUSU) broke inside the main server room where facility for computerization and information services is located. They disrupted the online services, heckled the staff and prevented the students from registering themselves for the new semester.

A complaint regarding this disruption was filed by the JNU administration with PS Vasant Kunj (North) and a case was registered.

Again on January 4, 2020, some students affiliated to JNUSU against registration entered the server facility room from the rear side and damaged the fiber optic cables and wiring, thereby totally disrupting the online registration services, the report said.

In this regard the JNU administration filed a complaint at P.S. Vasant Kunj North and a case, was registered for the same, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers launched PRAM, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, aboard an Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on May 17 as part of a comprehensive investigation into prospective terrestrial use of solar energy captured in space.

"To our knowledge, this experiment is the first test in orbit of hardware designed specifically for solar power satellites, which could play a revolutionary role in our energy future," said Paul Jaffe, PRAM principal investigator.

The 12-inch square tile module will test the ability to harvest power from its solar panel and transform the energy to a radio frequency microwave.

"PRAM converts sunlight for microwave power transmission. We could've also converted for optical power transmission," said Chris Depuma, PRAM program manager. "Converting to optical might make more sense for lunar applications because there's no atmosphere on the Moon. The disadvantage of optical is you could lose a lot of energy through clouds and atmosphere. "

The use of solar energy to operate satellites began at the start of the space age with another NRL spacecraft: Vanguard I, the first satellite to have solar cells. This current experiment focuses on the energy conversion process and resulting thermal performance. The hardware will provide researchers with temperature data, along with PRAM's efficiency in energy production. This information will drive the design of future space solar prototypes.

Depending on the results, the team aims ultimately to build a fully-functional system on a dedicated spacecraft to test the transmission of energy back to Earth. The development of a space solar capability could potentially help provide energy to remote installations like forward operating bases and disaster response areas.

This flight experiment enables researchers to test the hardware in actual space conditions. Incoming sunlight travels through the Earth's atmosphere, both filtering the spectrum and reducing its brightness. A space solar system traveling above the atmosphere would catch more energy from each of the sunlight's color bands.

"There's more blue in the spectrum in space, allowing you to add another layer to solar cells to take advantage of that," Jaffe said. "This is one reason why the power per unit area of a solar panel in space is greater than on the ground."

The National Security Space Office recommended in a 2007 feasibility study to investigate solar power satellite technology. NRL's expertise with solar-powered satellites since the late 1950s and long history as a pioneer in space, including in the development of GPS, led researchers to further explore this emergent field.

###

Contributing and supporting partners for this effort included the Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, the Department of Defense Space Test Program, Boeing, TSC Praxis Operations, Gulfview Research, Odin Engineering, and SpaceQuest.

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, Key West, Florida, and Monterey, California, and employs approximately 2,500 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.
Starting off as a student at Norfolk Hotel, where he became an apprentice chef, Obado Obadoh has been in the hotel industry for 30 years.

In 2010, Obado founded Cafe Deli, three years after a fall out with his business partners at a pastry shop in Westlands. Now, Cafe Deli has three branches in Nairobi CBD, with plans to have 15 branches in 3 to 4 years.

Obado Obadoh shared his entrepreneurial journey with Hustle.

How did that journey begin?

Cafe Deli is born of a dream, risk and commitment. I worked in five-star hotels for 15 years. I worked at Safari Park, Block Hotels (now Nyali Beach) and Sarova Hotels. While at Sarova, I made a friend that would turn out to be a godsend. She progressed under my tutelage at the hotel and then left for the United Kingdom at a time when many Kenyans flew to the European country. Upon her return in 2004, the lady, her boyfriend and I decided to open a pastry shop in Westlands. They named it Metropolitan Limited.

How did the three of you share the roles?

I was the pastry chef, her boyfriend was the pastry artist. She, on the other hand, contributed about 10,000 pounds while the guy and I contributed about Sh 100,000 each. The shares were equally divided among us. But two years later, we would have a fallout.

Why?

We lacked a plan that was aligned for the three of us. The distribution of profits led to a serious disagreement. While she wanted her share of the profit to go back into repaying the loan she had taken for her contribution to the business, the rest of us were ploughing back our profits into the business. While she was not actively involved in the running of the business, the two of us were totally reliant on the profits from the business. Our manager also seemed to be sending inaccurate information to her, which may have made her afraid that we were trying to shortchange her. But ultimately, what led to our break up was my ambition. While I wanted them to expand and open new branches of the pastry shop, they maintained that sticking on the one we already had made management easy.

So you had a go at it alone?

Yes. In 2007, I took my share; Sh700,000 and walked away to start anew, alone. Shortly after, I almost ran broke after buying a car (for Sh400,000) and using nearly Sh300,000 on house rent for four months and on kitchen equipment. But I got things in order.

Did you sink or swim?

For three straight years, I would bake and supply to many restaurants in town. One of them was Coffee World, which was along Moi Avenue. In 2010, the founders of Coffee World informed me of their decision to quit the market, citing poor business. When they said that, I felt that I knew what was ailing them.

What was ailing them?

They had made it a vegetarian restaurant. In the middle of the city, people need meat! The place was also overstaffed. I saw a business opportunity too. I made a bid to acquire the hotel even though I had only Sh40,000 in my bank account. The asking price for the hotel was sh18 million.

That was quite a leap

Yes it was. But I set out looking for financiers and haggling to reduce the price of the hotel began in earnest. The price was reduced to Sh14 million. Through a friend I learnt about a growth finance company called GroFin. I presented my case and I won them over. They would finance me. They said that they believed in me because I believed in my idea. I had a clear goal of what I wanted. I was resilient, and my journey convinced them that given the resources, I would gun for everything within reach. And thus, Cafe Deli was born.

How long did it take to pay back your financiers?

Although I was to pay money owed to GroFin in six years, it took me only four years to do so. I then opened up two other branches in town.

Are you content with how far you have gone?

Not quite. I am collaborating with a financier because I want to expand Cafe Deli to 15 branches in three years.

Are you actively involved in the running of the restaurants now?

Well, I delegate a lot. I hire experts instead of acting as a know-it-all. I know something about accounting but I have to listen to my accounts manager; he is a fully-trained professional in that field. I have about 105 employees. I am still working with many that I started with. They are part of my success story. There is a vegetable supplier who I used to pay Sh4,000 a month when my business started. Now that I expanded, I need more supplies from him. I find myself paying him Sh750,000 a month. Weve grown together. But demands are higher and in spite of our friendship, if he gives me lower quality produce, I send him away.

What is the ultimate lesson you have learnt about entrepreneurship?

When you enter into a partnership, understand one anothers goals. Those determine where you direct your energies. Also, the motives of some partners may not be pure. And basing business partnerships purely on trust is akin to signing a death wish. Record-keeping is of immense importance, every detail should be inked down for easy reference.

What advice would you give when getting into a business partnership with an investor?

You have skills and the investors have capital. The relationship should be symbiotic and both parties should hold their end of the deal. Draw a step-by-step growth and development plan complete with timelines and projections. Transparency, honesty and discipline are crucial components of successful partnerships. Communicate promptly and honestly always. Make decisions that do not conflict with company interests and most importantly, keep records of everything.

And if one wants to get out?

Be flexible enough to jump out of situations that are unfavourable. A shareholder agreement we had signed took care of my interests at the time I broke free of my partnership at Metropolitan. The agreement saves the day in case of a disagreement. Also, partners must agree that one of them is in charge and is more powerful, and that he/she makes the decisions. The rest have to stand by that.

Would you recommend employment or entrepreneurship to your son?

I think that innovative minds should quit the comfort of employment and follow their dreams. I used to earn around Sh50,000 by the time I left employment. Now, I can own a few cars.

Economists say that way of doing business will change post-Covid-19. How do you think your industry will be affected?

I believe robotics will be the way to go for hotels as less people will be required. Already, restaurants are grappling with offering takeaway services to customers, the Kenyan culture, being anything but a takeaway culture. People are used to eating while seated at eateries. But heres a new norm, and we will have to adapt. Buy food, carry it along, eat on the way. We have managed to inculcate a coffee-drinking culture in Kenya, why not a take-away one?
Share of Reliance Industries Ltd gained over 1% after the US-based private equity firm General Atlantic decided to invest Rs 6,598.38 crore for a 1.34% stake in its digital arm Jio Platforms.

The shares of RIL opened at Rs 1470 and touched an intraday high and low of Rs 1482 and Rs 1459.4, respectively, in the session so far. RIL stock quoted a 52-week high of Rs 1601.69 and a 52-week low of Rs 867.06.

General Atlantics agreement to take a 1.3% stake sets an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 trillion or $68 billion for Jio Platforms, the Mumbai-based company said Sunday.

The transaction takes investment raised by Jio in recent weeks to almost $9 billion, including stakes sold to Facebook Inc, Silver Lake and Vista Equity Partners. The four deals will help Reliance Industries group pare its debt and become a net debt-free company by 2021, in line with the dream of Mukesh Ambani.

The deal announced late Sunday also broadens backing for Jios plan to use its almost 400 million mobile phone subscribers as a base for an e-commerce drive to shake up Indias vast consumer markets from retail to education and payments.

(With agency inputs)
New York state has rejected the controversial Williams pipeline that would have carried fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey, running beneath New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean before connecting to an existing pipeline system off Long Island.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announced the decision Friday, arguing that pipeline construction would have harmed water quality and threatened marine life. 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, DEC spokesperson Erica Ringewald said in a statement reported by POLITICO. The decision is a victory for grassroots activists who have long campaigned against the pipeline. After Oklahoma-based company Williams submitted its most recent application, New Yorkers sent in more than 25,000 comments opposing the pipeline in two weeks, according to the Stop the Williams Pipeline Coalition. We know [New York State Gov. Andrew] Cuomo only did this because we pressured him to do so, anti-pipeline campaigner Lee Ziesche told HuffPost. At the end of the day, he still needs to make a plan to get New York off of gas.

WE STOPPED THE WILLIAMS PIPELINE! Read our full stament here: https://t.co/ZVPbkPmfeh#StopTheWilliamsPipeline pic.twitter.com/001XBpamwf  Stop the Williams Pipeline (@NoNYHarborPipe) May 15, 2020

The rejection comes a little less than a year after New York state passed ambitious climate legislation requiring the state to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. That deadline is one of the reasons that NYSDEC rejected the pipeline, according to POLITICO. While the Department recognizes that many building assets in the State currently rely on natural gas for heating and other energy uses, the continued long-term use of fossil fuels is inconsistent with the States laws and objectives and with the actions necessary to prevent the most severe impacts from climate change, DEC wrote in a letter explaining its decision. Without appropriate alternatives or GHG mitigation measures, the Project could extend the amount of time that natural gas may be relied upon to produce energy, which could in turn delay, frustrate, or increase the cost of the necessary transition away from natural gas and other fossil fuels.

NYDDEC also said that construction would disturb toxic sediments like copper and mercury and harm habitats like shellfish beds. Williams disagreed with New Yorks assessment. 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 reported by NJ.com. New York utility National Grid has argued that the pipeline is necessary to meet growing demand, according to HuffPost, but a study released in April by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found no evidence this was the case.

While the Williams pipeline, officially called the Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline, has been rejected before by both New York and New Jersey officials, this rejection is more final, HuffPost explained. The previous rejection was without prejudice, meaning the pipeline owners were invited to reapply if they addressed environmental concerns. Fridays rejection was with prejudice. Thats the end of the line, anti-pipeline campaigner and former NYSDEC regional director Suzanne Mattei told HuffPost. A denial with prejudice means the department has determined the environmental impacts of the pipeline are unacceptable and that the company has not given it reason to believe that it can make changes to its proposal that would convert it into an acceptable proposal. The project received yet another blow later Friday, when New Jersey also denied the pipeline the permits it would have needed to cross the state, NJ.com reported.

Incredible!  Following New Yorks lead, New Jersey also STOPPED the Williams Pipeline! A truly victorious feat for communities across the Northeast! #ActOnClimate #StopTheWilliamsPipeline https://t.co/c14uuQkIX9  NRDC  (@NRDC) May 16, 2020
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at the immigration detention facility in Batavia are being sued by New York legal organizations over allegations they are not protecting immigrants in their custody from COVID-19.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York filed a federal class-action lawsuit Monday against ICE and the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility. The lawsuit claims the facility has not been enforcing guidelines to protect medically at-risk immigrants from COVID-19, in violation of a federal judge's April decision.

Prisons and detention centers are smack in the middle of a vicious cycle involving the spread of the disease, Karen Murtagh, executive director of the Prisoners' Legal Services of New York, said in a press release. The virus comes from the outside into confined congregate settings where social distancing is impossible. It then spreads like wildfire. ... We are deeply concerned that the failure of ICE to protect the at-risk individuals at the Batavia facility will result in a death sentence for many in and outside of the facility.

As of Monday, there are 49 people in the Batavia facility  which holds a number of undocumented immigrants from the Capital Region  out of about 300 total detainees who had contracted COVID-19, according to ICE's website. One month ago, on April 12, there were seven people confirmed to have COVID-19, the Times Union then reported. The facility had the seventh-highest number of confirmed cases out of all ICE facilities in the country, according to ICE's website.

In a statement, ICE said the seven people have since tested negative for the virus, bringing the facility's confirmed cases down to zero. However, attorneys in the lawsuit contested the integrity of that information.

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"We have a lot of questions about those representations because based on public testimony, it seems to be based on testing methods that are not actually confirming people have tested negative, but rather waiting a number of days after a symptom to claim theyre not infectious," said NYCLU attorney Bobby Hodgson.

The class-action representative, Dioris Ramon Rivera de los Santos, is a 65-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension. On May 8, Santos described being forced to live in a multiple-occupancy room, not having easy access to soap or cleaning supplies and being forced to interact regularly with staff who do not wear protective gear.

"I think what happened to me is very unfair," he wrote. "There are a lot of people here in jail who are in the same situation as me. I want to help them as well."

In a statement, ICE said it is taking numerous steps to protect immigrants from the disease, including alternatives to detention programs, ending social visitation and staggering meal and recreation times to implement social distancing.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The April 27 federal court decision ruled that detained people who are 65 and older, or otherwise considered to be at-risk, have the right to protections from contracting the disease such as single-occupancy cells, guaranteed access to sanitary supplies and permission to eat in cells to maintain social distancing. If the Batavia facility could not guarantee those protections, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo wrote, it would be constitutionally required to release the immigrants in danger.

Vilardo identified 10 people in his decision out of 23 initial petitioners, based on information provided by ICE. But the attorneys bringing forth the lawsuit estimate, based on national studies about the health of incarcerated populations, there are at least 100 people in the facility who are at-risk and not being identified or protected by ICE.

"ICE officials are the only ones who know how many medically at-risk people are in their custody, and their decision to continue jailing those people without proper protections creates an unacceptable risk of death and serious illness," Hodgson said. "No ones life should be put at risk because they are stuck in ICE detention while they proceed with their immigration case."

The Times Union reported last month that a number of immigrants are stuck in the facility because they are unable to afford bonds upwards of $10,000, or judges deny them bonds in the first place.

There are so many people that need to desperately get out, and it is truly a life or death situation," said Lee Wang, the director of the Immigrant Freedom Fund.
By Trend





Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 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 surrounding regions.
Representative image: Reuters

Susumu Kataoka was just looking for a diversion from long days sheltering at home with his family during the coronavirus outbreak. He grabbed his drone and took it for a spin around their Tokyo house, snapping some pictures and posting them on Facebook.

His wife, Aki, was not amused. If he had time to play around like that  revealing their household clutter, no less  shouldnt he have time to take on more domestic chores and child care?

Susumu Kataoka, a marketing web consultant, believed he was already doing his share. He gave his wife a list of tasks he regularly performs: bathing their two pre-school-age children, washing dishes, overseeing tooth brushing.

How little he knew. In a meticulous spreadsheet, his wife, a nursing student, enumerated her 210 tasks to his 21.

I really wanted him to understand just how much I was doing, she said.

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For working couples, Japans efforts to combat the spread of the virus  encouraging teleworking and asking residents to stay inside  have highlighted disparities in the division of domestic work that shape households across the globe but are especially pronounced in Japanese society.

Men who usually see their families only briefly in the morning and at night have been spending weekdays at home during Japans coronavirus state of emergency, allowing them to witness just how many chores must be done. Women who toil invisibly doing laundry, dealing with finances and cooking meals are now asking their husbands to pitch in.

The results can be combustible: Arguments sometimes erupt over whose turn it is to sweep up or help with math lessons for newly homebound students. Living quarters are cramped, and feel even smaller with everyone stuck inside. And there are doubts that this dose of domesticity, which may be over in weeks, will open mens eyes enough to reverse entrenched patterns.

Still, some men say they now feel closer to their families, and hope Japans often inflexible work culture will change sufficiently to allow them to spend more time at home even when the pandemic passes.

Susumu Kataoka is trying to adjust his habits.

When he uploaded his wifes spreadsheet on Twitter  writing that they had been in danger of getting a coronadivorce, a term that has trended in Japan  the post was shared about 21,000 times.

We have a long life ahead of us, he said during an interview on Google Hangouts from the family kitchen, where a printout of his wifes spreadsheet was stuck to the refrigerator door. If I refused to accept this, then we might face more resentment of each other.

Japan is by no means the only place where women shoulder a disproportionate household burden. And with schools closed in many countries, the extra strains from child care and imbalances in parental help with homework have surfaced around the world.

But men in Japan do fewer hours of household chores and child care than in any of the globes wealthiest nations. In a survey last year by Macromill, a market research firm, about half of Japanese working couples reported that men did 20% of the housework or less.

Japans prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has long promoted a platform of elevating women in the workplace. Yet many women are held back because they bear a heavy load at home.

If we cant split the work at home equally, Aki Kataoka said, then we cannot create a world in which women are empowered.

About half of working women in Japan are employed in part-time or contract jobs without benefits, according to government data, compared with close to 1 in 5 men. That has reinforced a sense among some men that their paid work takes priority over their wives jobs, leaving women to carry the bulk of household chores.

Japan fundamentally, and compared to other countries, imposes a lot more of the domestic work on women, said Yuiko Fujita, a professor of sociology at Meiji University. I dont think it is suddenly going to become a society in which it is much easier for women to work just because of this state of emergency.

Men at home temporarily are unlikely to share chores and child care equally, said Lully Miura, a political scientist who runs the Yamaneko Research Institute in Tokyo. Most of my friends on Facebook post the nice homemade dishes made by their husbands, Miura said. But this is not the majority of people.

Employers are also a major obstacle. Telecommuting was rare in Japan before the government strongly encouraged companies to let employees work from home to help dampen transmission of the virus. Even during the emergency declaration, many companies, wedded to antiquated office practices, have been reluctant to let their staffs telework.

According to a government survey, just over half of respondents in Tokyo said they were working at home under the declaration. Across the country, it was just over a quarter. With the prime minister lifting the emergency declaration in 39 of the countrys 47 prefectures on Thursday, some employees may go back to the office.

Hiromasa Tsuzaki, 39, a manager at a Tokyo recruitment advertising firm, has not been permitted to work from home at all. His wife, Yuriko, 34, has a job in the same industry and has been teleworking while staying at home with their 5-year-old son.

Tsuzaki said he wished that the government  which has the power only to request that companies encourage remote working  would give more bold direction to promote a more comprehensive teleworking system so that he could share some of the household burden.

With her husband still not coming home until 9:30 p.m., Yuriko Tsuzaki relies on frozen meals for dinner and YouTube for her son when she has to conduct meetings on Zoom.

But even men who are able to work remotely during the emergency period may feel extra pressure to prove their productivity to employers who value long hours and displays of devotion to the job.

When Yoshiaki Terajima, 36, first began teleworking about a month ago, he buried himself in his work for a large trading company.

He conducted video meetings at the dinner table in the two-bedroom apartment in Tokyo that he shares with his wife, Erica, 34, a media literacy consultant, and their three children. Terajima, who was accustomed to being away every weekday from 8 a.m. until at least 8 p.m., rarely had time for household chores during the week.

With school and day care closed, Erica Terajima was overwhelmed trying to supervise lessons for their daughters, 7 and 9, or find something other than Legos and videos to occupy their 5-year-old son. I was doing 90% of the child care, she said. I could not get my own work done at all.

Her daughters, noticing she was tired and frustrated, offered to do the laundry. Terajima finally pleaded with her husband to help because she could not sustain everything else on her own. So he started making daily lunches for the family, cleaning bathrooms and assisting their daughters with schoolwork.

Once the state of emergency is lifted  currently scheduled for the end of May  he would like to continue working from home. Now that Ive spent so much time with them, I feel this is normal, Yoshiaki Terajima said. I think we can take this situation as a good opportunity to change the work culture drastically.

That could be a challenge. Not only are punishingly long hours common in Japan, but so are long stretches working out of town, which often leaves women alone at home.

Since October, the husband of Nanae Minamiguchi, 44, has been in his native Chile on business with his trading company. He is now stuck there because of travel restrictions.

Minamiguchi works five mornings a week stocking fruits and vegetables at a supermarket in Osaka. She has no choice but to leave her children, 11 and 7, at home alone.

Their teachers dropped off workbooks shortly after the emergency was declared in early April, but there is no other online curriculum, so the children have little to occupy them while she is at work.

She acutely feels the loss of visits from her parents, who normally help with child care when her husband travels. But with the risk of infection, they are staying away.

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.

Aki 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.

Susumu 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, he 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.

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E-commerce companies are waiting for more clarity from states before taking a final call on resumption of services in various locations.

New Delhi: E-commerce companies are likely to resume full services across most parts of the country from Monday under the fourth phase of the lockdown that allows greater relaxations, although industry watchers say they are waiting for states' decision on the matter.

According to the latest Union Home Ministry's order, "all other activities will be permitted, except those which are specifically prohibited" under the fourth phase of the lockdown that ends on 31 May.

However, in containment zones, only essential activities will be allowed. States and union territories-based on their assessment of the situation-may prohibit certain other activities in various zones or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary, the order added.

Emails sent to Flipkart and Amazon India did not elicit a response, PTI said.

Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President of Paytm Mall, said the move will help the company deliver to most of the metro cities which were in the red zones.

"We thank the government for taking the decision for allowing the delivery of non-essentials in red zones across the country. This move will help us deliver to most of the metro cities which presently fall in the red zones," he said, adding that the company has received a sizeable number of consumer electronics wishlist orders from metro cities.

"...people have been waiting to buy laptops, mobile phones, as well as other daily use items for the last several weeks now. The government's decision will also help in opening up supplies of consumer electronics from warehouses which are in the red zones," Mothey said.

He added that the company has already had discussions with its merchant and logistics partners, and will start taking orders and delivering from Monday itself.

"We are ensuring that all state and central guidelines are followed to operate in the red zones. In the coming week, we hope for more relaxations in the interstate movement of non-essential goods so that e-commerce activity scales up," he added.

An industry executive, who did not wish to be named, said companies are waiting for more clarity from states before taking a final call on resumption of services in various locations.

A Snapdeal spokesperson said the MHA guidelines pave the way for a broader resumption of economic activities across most parts of India.

"E-commerce has played a crucial role in the last two months by delivering a range of much-needed goods to consumers-within the safety of their homes. Our sellers and delivery partners have worked extensively to meet these requirements while exercising strict safety measures and we applaud their commitment in rising to the occasion," the spokesperson said.

He said the company is "ready and equipped" to now start serving customers all across India-in red, green and orange zones-and added that the development will enable lakhs of medium and small online sellers to start rebuilding their businesses.

In the first two phases of the lockdown (that started from 25 March), e-commerce companies were allowed to sell only essential items like grocery, healthcare and pharmaceautical products.

In the third phase (from 4 May), these platforms were allowed to sell all items in orange and green zones, but only essential items were allowed to be shipped in red zones that include top e-commerce hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

Sales of non-essential items on e-commerce platforms in the first week of May were lower than last year on account of the lockdown, but orders were scaling fast as people bought apparel, smartphones and grooming products among other items.

The industry continues to face the challenge of availability of limited manpower for warehouses and delivery.

Similarly, cab-hailing services like Ola and Uber may also resume services across locations.

The MHA order said inter-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses with mutual consent of the states and union territories involved.

It added that intra-state movement of passenger vehicles and buses, as decided by the states and union territories.

These activities will be permitted with restrictions, except in the containment zones. Also, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for movement of people will continue to operate.

Ola and Uber did not respond to emailed queries.
GENEVA - The World Health Organization bowed to calls Monday from most of its member states to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the U.S. and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and levelled the global economy.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting on opportunity zones in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Monday, May 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

GENEVA - The World Health Organization bowed to calls Monday from most of its member states to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to the coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the U.S. and China over a pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people and levelled the global economy.

The comprehensive evaluation," sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review "lessons learned from WHOs co-ordination of the global response to COVID-19, but would stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the new coronavirus. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from animals.

In Washington on Monday, Trump faulted WHO for having done a very sad job and said he was considering whether to cut the annual U.S. funding from $450 million a year to $40 million.

They gave us a lot of bad advice, terrible advice, he said. They were wrong so much, always on the side of China.

Later Monday, Trump tweeted a letter he had sent WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In the letter, Trump said the only way forward is if WHO can actually demonstrate independence from China.

Trump said that unless WHO commits to substantive improvements over the next 30 days, he will make a temporary suspension of U.S. funding permanent.

WHO's normally bureaucratic annual assembly this week has been overshadowed by mutual recriminations and political sniping between the U.S. and China. Trump has repeatedly attacked WHO, claiming that it helped China conceal the extent of the coronavirus pandemic in its early stages. Several Republican lawmakers have called on Tedros to resign.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday it was time to be frank about why COVID-19 has 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, Azar said. Speaking hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would provide $2 billion to help respond to the outbreak and its economic fallout, Azar said the U.S. had allocated $9 billion to coronavirus containment efforts around the world.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation of WHO's response at the earliest appropriate moment  alluding to findings published Monday in a first report by an oversight advisory body commissioned to look into WHOs response.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHOs warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to reassess WHOs role in providing travel advice to countries.

In his opening remarks at the WHO meeting, Tedros held firm and sought to focus on the bigger troubles posed by the outbreak, saying we have been humbled by this very small microbe.

This contagion exposes the fault lines, inequalities, injustices and contradictions of our modern world," Tedros said. "And geopolitical divisions have been thrown into sharp relief.

China, meanwhile, sought to divert attention to its renewed efforts to slow the coronavirus pandemic, with Xi announcing the $2 billion outlay over two years to fight it. Last year, China donated about $86 million to WHO.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot characterized Chinas newly announced contribution as a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese governments failure to meet its obligations. He said that since China was the source of the outbreak, it had a special responsibility to pay more and give more.

Xi insisted that China had acted with openness, transparency and responsibility" when the epidemic was detected in Wuhan. He said China had give all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the viruss genetic sequence, in a most timely fashion.

Xi said that in recent weeks, China has dispatched medical supplies to more than 50 African countries and that 46 Chinese medical teams were currently on the continent helping local officials.

Other world leaders including the presidents of France, South Korea and South Africa and Germany's chancellor were also piped in to throw their support to the WHO, which has been put on the defensive from a Trump administration that has blamed it for mishandling the outbreak and showering excessive praise on China's response. The European Union and others staked out a middle ground.

The Trump administration has claimed that WHO criticized a U.S. travel ban that Trump ordered on people arriving from China.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States  the health agencys biggest single donor  pending a review of its early response. The advisory body, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the heat of the response could hurt WHOs ability to respond to it.

Xi said China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 and that it should be "based on science and professionalism led by WHO, and conducted in an objective and impartial manner.

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Tedros emphasized that WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency on Jan. 30, its highest level of alert, at a time when there were fewer than 100 cases outside of China. In the following weeks, WHO warned countries there was a narrowing window of opportunity to prevent the virus from spreading globally.

During the first few months of the outbreak, WHO officials repeatedly described the virus's spread as limited and said it wasn't as transmissible as flu; experts have since said COVID-19 spreads even faster. It declared the outbreak to be a pandemic on March 11, after the virus had killed thousands globally and sparked large epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and elsewhere.

___

AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng reported from London. Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. And Aamer Madhani contributed to this report from Chicago

___

Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Reliance Industries name sells in the stock market. Historically, whenever Reliance wanted to raise money, investors did not disappoint the conglomerate. In return, investors have been handsomely rewarded with dividends and capital appreciation over the years.

This time India's most valuable company with market capitalisation of Rs 9.20 lakh crore is entering the market with a huge Rs 53,125 crore rights issue. But these are not normal times. The broader index, the BSE Sensex, has fallen from 40,000 to 30,000 level in last two months.

The right issue is for existing investors and not for general public. Theoretically, this makes it easier for any well run company to sell the issue. But Reliance Industries, with interest in oil, retail and telecom, is not a company which will take things lightly.

They have lined up over a dozen investment bankers and banks to manage the rights issue. The big names are JM Financial, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Axis Capital, BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets, DSP Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs (India) , HSBC Securities, ICICI Securities, IDFC Securities, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley , HDFC Bank and the SBI.

JM Financial has done critical tasks including capital structuring, following Sebi guidelines for letter of offer, filing with stock exchanges and Sebi, selecting bankers to the issues.

There is a specific responsibility assigned to each investment banker. ICICI Securities has the responsibility of formulating the retail strategy. This includes all the work related with retail investors such as coordination of queries. ICICI Direct, which is a broking arm of ICICI Securities, was a pioneer in tapping investors for online trading with its three-in-one digital offering of broking, demat services and banking.

Similarly, the work on the domestic institutional marketing strategy has fallen on the shoulders of Kotak Mahindra Capital, which is a well known name with a goodwill amongst HNI (High New Worth Individuals) and institutional investors. Almost every mutual fund in the country has a shareholding in RIL. Insurance giant LIC has 6.01 per cent stake in the company. Kotak has also done the entire work on rights entitlement intimation to shareholders.

Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Ltd has formulated the international marketing strategy. There are over 1,300 foreign portfolio investors holding 24 per cent stake in the company. The Govt of Singapore has more than 1 per cent stake.

IDFC Securities got the role of drafting and approval of all the publicity material including corporate advertisement, brochure , corporate films, etc. In addition, along with SBI, the country's largest private sector bank , HDFC Bank is banker to the issue. The private sector bank has been a challenger to top market cap companies like RIL and TCS in terms of market capitalisation.

Covid-19 outbreak and the lockdown have created an environment of uncertainty with stock markets wobbling around the world. Governments are pumping in trillions of dollars to save the economy from falling into recession. In India, the government has unveiled a stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crore, which is a mix of liquidity from RBI and loans from banks, NBFCs and other financial institution to help the economy.

The issue issue opens on a May 20 this week. "You need a clear market strategy as stock markets are wobbling globally and there is lot of uncertainty in the minds of investors," says one of the investment banker.

RIL's rights issue is part of a bigger plan to be zero debt company by the end of March 2021. The rights issue, which comes after a gap of nearly three decades, offers one new share for every 15 shares held in the company. The price fixed is Rs 1,257 per share. The current market price of RIL is trading at Rs 1,451 per share.

Also read: After General Atlantic deal, US firms to own 13.82% stake in Jio Platforms

Also read: Reliance Industries share price gains 2% as General Atlantic to invest Rs 6,598 crore Jio Platforms
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland expressed their support to the Crimean Tatar people in their struggle for their rights and noted the inviolability of sovereignty, territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders and political independence of Ukraine.

This is stated in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of six countries on the 76th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people.

The diplomats noted that the tragedy of the Crimean Tatar people of May 18, 1944, when the Soviet regime criminally deported the Crimean Tatar people from the territory of their historic residence - Crimea, repeated in 2014, when the Russian Federation seized and illegally attempted to annex Crimea, which is an integral part of Ukraine.

"It is no coincidence that Russia, which glorifies Stalin's totalitarian regime, continues its criminal policy in the 21st century in the temporarily occupied Crimea: ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, systemic repressions, persecution and violations of the rights of Crimean Tatars, who opposed Russia's armed aggression against the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It forced thousands of Crimean Tatars, indigenous people of Crimea, to leave their homes and move to mainland Ukraine, reads the statement.

The six foreign ministers honoured the memory of numerous innocent victims of Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. "We express our support to the Crimean Tatar people in their struggle for their rights. We emphasize the inviolability of sovereignty, territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders and political independence of Ukraine, they stated.

The diplomats condemned Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and new repressions against the Crimean Tatar people. "We call upon Russia to stop violations of the fundamental principles of international law, implement fully UN General Assembly resolutions on Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, and comply with the demands of the international community regarding the deoccupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, they stressed.

Whatever attempts Russia undertakes to legitimize its occupation of the peninsula, the fact remains undisputed: Crimea is Ukraine.

May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People.

The deportation of the Crimean Tatars began at 03:00 on May 18, 1944 and lasted until the beginning of June.

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In Libya's vast southern desert, three men have resumed what they call their "taxi service."

The passengers aren't tourists or locals. They are mostly young men from neighboring African countries desperate to cross the border and head north toward Europe. And with each ride paying $180 to $250 even as coronavirus wreaks havoc on some of the world's poorest people, it's a business that's still proving as lucrative as ever.

"We don't reduce our fees because those who want to migrate have no other choice," said one smuggler based near Sebha, a city in Libya's southwest, 480 miles (770 kilometers) by road from the war-torn capital of Tripoli.

Migration through Libya eased during the height of the pandemic after governments locked down and closed frontiers to curb the spread of the deadly virus. As African economies crater because of disruptions to supply chains and farming, violence and food insecurity are increasing-and traffickers say people are on the move again. The alarm has already gone off in the European Union.

The EU has invested heavily in keeping arrivals at bay since 2015, when more than a million people mostly fleeing Middle East war zones sought safety. It's paid Turkey to house refugees and given money to the Libyan coastguard. But the political damage has lasted as anti-immigrant populists gained succor across the continent.

Back then, the influx came on the heels of a debt crisis that crippled Greece, the EU's gateway to the east, and the country is still struggling to cope. This time, the coronavirus has put Italy, the main destination for people crossing from Libya, in the spotlight as Europe's soft economic underbelly.

In April, the Italian government declared its ports "unsafe" due to the pandemic and said it wouldn't authorize the landing of rescue boats until the end of the emergency.

"In Brussels, the impact of covid in Africa is something they know they need to address," said Camille Le Coz, a policy analyst at Migration Policy Institute Europe. "The European Commission is preparing for different scenarios. The last migration and refugee crisis in 2015 taught them they need to plan in advance."

Europe is facing its biggest financial hit since World War II as the virus ripped through the continent and governments confined people to their homes. The U.K., Italy, Spain and France have recorded the most deaths after the U.S. But they also have the money. In Africa, where casualty rates are lower, it's a matter of surviving the economic fallout.

On the edge of the Sahara, the south of Libya is bristling with foreign mercenaries and jihadist groups, and illicit trading of everything from weapons to gold. Those in the business of trafficking humans said they are mostly seeing people from neighboring Chad, Sudan and Niger because the trip costs less. But they are also seeing some trekking from further afield, such as Eritrea, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

The three Libyan smugglers interviewed for this story were in their late 30s and early 40s, and hail from the country's south. They spoke on the condition of anonymity.

People paying to transit Libya "feel that once they reach Europe, their lives will be better than it is in their countries, where their salaries and income is weak,'' said one trafficker. "In the world and in stable countries, especially Europe, the situation is good," said another. "They have this belief that their arrival means that they will never go to bed hungry."

One of the men said he recently received a phone call from a contact outside Libya who hadn't been in touch for a long time. After the conversation, he now expects the numbers of new migrants crossing into Libya to increase once tighter border controls in central African countries are loosened.

The drivers said they were busiest in the summers of 2015 and 2016, when they made about 30 trips carrying 20 passengers each time. Last summer, they did only two trips as European efforts to thwart irregular migration started to bear fruit. But the trend is upwards again.There were 2,800 arrivals in Europe from the central Mediterranean route between Jan. 1 and April 5 this year, five times more than in the same period of 2019, according to EU border agency Frontex. Many of them would have already been stuck in Libya.

People smuggling through the country has generated annual revenues of as much as $1.5 billion, according to an estimate by the International Crisis Group.

The "taxi service" meets customers at an agreed point along the Chad-Libya border, a 1,000-kilometer straight line through the red sands of the desert. It's an area that's near impossible to police, so the drivers only really fear rival gangs and Islamist militants. "We can easily move the meeting point to another spot if we have to," said one.

They then travel in groups of a dozen to a western city near the Mediterranean coast. From there another trafficking ring asks for additional fees to ferry the passengers to the water's edge, load them onto boats and direct them across the sea toward European shores. What happens next is simply down to luck.

While just a snapshot of one part of a vast and complicated network, the activity in this regional crossroads is an early indication of the toll that the measures to fight the pandemic are having on sub-Saharan African countries.

EU policymakers are discussing offering humanitarian assistance, building resilience in African health-care systems, and helping economies, said Le Coz in Brussels. There's also a focus on how to compensate for the drop in remittances, the money sent home from successful migrants that's a lifeline to many families.

French President Emmanuel Macron has even called for a moratorium on African debt, saying the continent was already facing unsustainable finances before the pandemic. "Difficulties will continue to arise even if Covid does not become a health catastrophe," he said.

Well before the pandemic there were already plenty of potential migrants in Libya. Fabrice Leggeri, Frontex's executive director, told the European Parliament last month that Covid-19 and Libya's conflict are prompting more people to attempt a crossing. The Libyan coastguard is also having more difficulty stopping them, he said.

Not everyone makes it. Some are arrested and put into Libyan detention camps, others are returned to their point of departure by coastguards. Since the EU ended search and rescue operations, more and more are drowning at sea.

Of course, it's impossible to say how big a new migration flow might be. As Andrew Geddes, director of the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute in Florence, put it, there's a misconception "that the whole African population is sat on its suitcase ready to go to Europe."

Most African migration takes place within Africa, while there's also a route through Yemen to the Gulf. Researchers say the true picture will only become clear in months to come and they caution against using the word "wave."

But some European countries and parties that oppose migration have already started talking about the potential for increased arrivals and the need for more border control.

In Italy, nationalist opposition leader Matteo Salvini has denounced a government plan to give legal status to some 500,000 illegal migrant workers-many of them in the agricultural sector-because of the coronavirus emergency. He said "just the idea" of legal status "fosters crime."

The smugglers say that as long as they have no other means of income, they'll continue their work, and as long as people keep arriving, migrants will keep trying.

"The migrants, especially those who want to go to Europe, follow only good news,'' said one. All they want to know, he said, is "are there migrants who are managing to reach their destination or not?"


By Jung Min-ho







Patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus after recovering from their first bout of the disease do not infect other people, health authorities said Monday.





The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said it will not apply 14-day self-quarantine rules to such patients after concluding that the virus detected from relapse cases does not make other people sick.





"There have been no secondary infections from people who were in close contact with such patients," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official, told reporters. "Also, the results from culture tests back up the conclusion."





So far, officials have confirmed 447 relapse cases, about 4.5 percent of all infection cases.


The founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on February 15, 2020.

Mark Zuckerberg has again sounded the alarm on China, calling out the country's approach to regulating internet services.

The Facebook CEO on Monday said that he was worried about other countries that are looking to replicate the Chinese model, which he labeled "really dangerous."

"What I worry about is, right now I think there are emerging two very different frameworks underpinned by very different sets of values," Zuckerberg said in a livestreamed debate with EU official Thierry Breton organized by the Center on Regulation in Europe (CERRE).

"Just to be blunt about it, I think there is a model coming out of countries like China that tend to have very different values than Western countries that are more democratic," Zuckerberg said.

He said Western countries should counter China's approach with a democratic alternative. He praised Brussels' 2018 overhaul of privacy laws, claiming the reforms have prompted Facebook to change its approach to data privacy around the world.

The "best antidote" to China's approach "is having a clear framework that comes out of Western democratic countries and that can become a standard around the world," Zuckerberg said.

It's not first time the billionaire Facebook co-founder has warned about China. He's previously called out Chinese-owned video platform TikTok over censorship, claiming the app had limited mentions of the protests that erupted in Hong Kong last year.
DECATUR  Macon County officials announced four new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the county's total to 170.

Of those, 57 people have been released from isolation. Two are hospitalized and 94 are in home isolation. Seventeen people have died.

See more details about the cases here:

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell.

Do not go to an emergency room or doctor's office unless it is a true emergency. Call your primary doctor first.

If you don't have a primary doctor, you can call:

DMH Medical Group at (217) 876-2856

HSHS Medical Group Patient Advocate at 844-520-8897

Crossing Healthcare at (217) 877-9117

SIU at (217) 872-3800

For COVID-19 screening, the following resources are available:

Crossing Healthcare (217) 877-9117

HSHS St. Marys Hospital 24/7 COVID-19 Hotline at (217) 464-2966.

HSHS Medical Group offers free virtual assessments for COVID-19 at www.anytimecare.com

PHOTOS: Everyday life during COVID-19 in Central Illinois

Contact Allison Petty at (217) 421-6986. Follow her on Twitter: @AllisonAPetty

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France and Germany on Monday laid out plans for a 500-billion-euro ($544 billion) European fund backed by joint EU borrowing to fight the economic fallout from the coronavirus, as the continent pushed ahead towards normality with major landmarks reopening after a two month-hiatus. St Peter's Basilica and the Acropolis in Athens opened their doors to visitors alongside many European shops, restaurants and churches, as Italy reported that its daily death toll from the virus had fallen below 100 for the first time since early March. More than 4.7 million people have tested positive and 315,270 have been killed by the disease since it emerged in Wuhan late last year, according to an AFP tally. Recent days have seen soaring infections in Brazil, India and South Africa. Battling against allegations from the United States and elsewhere that it concealed the scale of the problem, China vowed to back an independent inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus after it is "brought under control". Chinese President Xi Jinping insisted during an address to the World Health Assembly -- the WHO's decision-making body -- that Beijing had been "transparent" throughout the crisis. Beijing also offered to share a vaccine once one became available. But China's main critic US sharpened the tone at the same talks, accusing the WHO of being too close to Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited the continued exclusion of Taiwan from the UN health agency as a sop to Beijing, as he charged that China "continues to withhold vital information about the virus and its origins". Amid the blame game, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned the virus' impact on the southern hemisphere could be "even more devastating" than in the global north. - South America, Africa hit hard - In Asia, India extended its lockdown covering 1.3 billion people to the end of May as it reported its biggest single-day jump in infections on Sunday. But natural catastrophe threatened to derail the plans to keep transmission at bay -- with Cyclone Amphan barrelling towards India and Bangladesh at speeds of 240 kilometres (145 miles) per hour, two million people face evacuation. In Latin America, Brazil now has the fourth-highest caseload in the world at 241,000 confirmed infections, and deaths have risen sharply in recent days. Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has blamed lockdowns for unnecessarily hurting the Brazilian economy. He has defied social distancing measures, even as experts and regional leaders have warned that the country's healthcare infrastructure could collapse. Ecuador reported the first COVID-19 case in one of its indigenous Amazon tribes, deepening the crisis in one of South America's hardest-hit countries. Nicaraguan hospital staff have said the country's health system is overwhelmed with patients suffering from respiratory illnesses. Relatives have reported that the bodies of loved ones were being carted off in pick-up trucks for "express burials" without their consent. "Mourners are forced to chase trucks with the coffin to find out where their loved ones are being buried," the opposition National Coalition said in a statement denouncing government secrecy. There was also grim data in Africa, where the number of infections rose rapidly. South Africa on Sunday reported 1,160 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since the first case was recorded in March, taking the total to 15,515 -- the highest on the continent. - Deep economic pain - The coronavirus has also left the world economy facing its worst downturn since the Great Depression. Fresh evidence of the deep economic damage came when Japan announced its first recession since 2015. The world's biggest economy is also going to suffer a massive downturn, US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warned. "The data we'll see for this quarter, which ends in June, will be very, very bad. There'll be a big decline in economic activity, big increase in unemployment," Powell said. Global markets were nevertheless buoyed by the Franco-German economic relaunch plan, lower death rates in some countries --- and encouraging results from clinical trials of a potential vaccine by Moderna. The first stage trial provoked an immune response similar to people convalescing from the COVID-19 disease in eight recipients, according to the company. It has a larger phase 2 trial involving more patients due to begin soon. - 'Courageous' - In a sign of solidarity, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed "borrowing from the market in the name of the EU" to fund 500 billion euros of spending on the 27-strong bloc's "worst-hit sectors and regions". Countries benefiting from the financing would not have to repay the sum, said Macron. "The aim is to ensure that Europe comes out of the crisis more cohesive and with more solidarity," said Merkel, calling the proposal "courageous". If agreed with other EU members, the fund would break through the bloc's fiscal deadlock. Northern countries such as Germany have until now firmly rejected joint debt in the name of budget discipline. But it immediately ran into resistance, with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz insisting that any help "has to be in the form of loans, not grants". With infection numbers falling, Europe sought to pick up the pace on its exit from the lockdown. In Venice, the gondolas returned to the waters again, even if the gondoliers wore gloves and masks. Locals welcomed the sight. "It's good news, a sign of everyone's desire to get back to normal as soon as possible, but without ever lowering our guard in order to defeat the virus once and for all," said Giovanni Giusto, city councillor for the Protection of Traditions. burs-tgb-hmn/jj
Mphasis announced its partnership with the SNP Group, a transformation software company, to provide support to customers in their digitalization journey. Under the partnership agreement, Mphasis will provide its proven system, application, and product capability to build a Digital Transformation Center for SNP in Pune, India. The center aims to deliver an SAP Transformation Solution to SNP clients across the world.

SNP is a pioneer in providing transformation services to its customers using industry-proven SAP software. SAP as an enterprise application is critical for large enterprises, and the transformation center set up by Mphasis will help with development, data migration, and code remediation activities for SNPs customers. The SNP Group has platforms and solutions that enable migrations to take place in a predictable manner and within a reduced timeline.

Through this partnership, Mphasis and SNP agree to use the SNP software CrystalBridge and the SNP BLUEFIELD approach to supply combined SAP transformation offerings to their strategic customers and provide business values across the entire value chain.

Elango R, President, Mphasis Hi-tech Business Unit, said, Mphasis is excited to partner with the German company SNP. As a leading global provider of SAP landscape transformation solutions, SNP applies its automated software CrystalBridge to deliver seamless SAP solutions for all scenarios, including carve-outs, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures. SNP also offers its unique BLUEFIELD approach to SAP S/4HANA integration that enables enterprises to upgrade and migrate to S/4 in a single go-live project. Mphasis will continue to garner product implementation knowledge from this partnership to assist all customers in migrating and transforming to the latest SAP version, S/4HANA, quickly and efficiently.

Michael Dirks, Managing Director and Global Head of Services at SNP, said, We are thrilled to collaborate with Mphasis and have access to Mphasis vast SAP capabilities for the optimized execution of projects. As Mphasis utilizes our innovative platform for their clients SAP transformation programs, we look forward to helping customers realize value from their deployments.
E ver since John Law, the Scottish financial adviser to the Duke of Orleans, more or less bankrupted the French state 300 years ago through the financial alchemy of the Mississippi Bubble, economists have worried about the dangers of government solvency and the temptations of the printing press.

Frankly, the Duke should have known better. Long before his misguided attempts to reinvigorate French finances following the military and economic disasters of Louis XIV, Law had already demonstrated an unhealthy appetite for risk. Sentenced to death for murdering a rival in a duel in Bloomsbury Square, he absconded to Amsterdam, thereafter frequenting Europes most exclusive gambling salons.

On the whole, our modern-day policymakers are rather more conservative. Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, doesnt look like the sort of chap who has been involved in a duel. Nor, I suspect, does he regularly visit the casinos of Europe. Nevertheless, Bailey and his peers are faced with challenges not so different from those that led Law to turn on the printing press.

Until and unless Covid-19 is under control, health-inspired lockdowns will persist. As such, and in the absence of government support, mass bankruptcies and depression-era unemployment are real threats. Our governments may not be spending our national resources on the muskets, flintlocks and palaces so enthusiastically embraced by Louis XIV but they are, nevertheless, borrowing from the future. Debt levels will eventually be a lot higher. What then happens? The answer partly depends on the circumstances of each individual country. Many so-called emerging nations are wary of borrowing. Experience tells them they might eventually have to pay a higher interest rate to appease nervous creditors; or impose capital controls to stop would-be creditors from taking their money elsewhere; or devalue; or deliver painful austerity; or  to copy Law  turn on the printing press.

Stephen King / Alamy Stock Photo

Throughout history, kings, queens, and governments have sought to debase the coinage. Printing money and pumping it into the economy typically leads to higher inflation, in turn eroding the real value of government debts. Those who lend to governments in good faith subsequently discover that the amount they get back has been debased via inflation. Think of the Weimar Republic, post-war Hungary, Brazil in the Seventies, Zimbabwe just over a decade ago or  the latest example  Venezuela.

Those lending to governments in good faith find that the amount they get back has been debased via inflation

The Bank of England has upped its purchases of UK gilts, a process that might to some look like a slippery slope towards so-called helicopter money. The Federal Reserve has done much the same in the US. And the European Central Bank is even now wondering how to avoid being constrained by bond-purchasing objections emanating from the German Constitutional Court.

These central bank purchases of government debt are not intended to create inflation but to provide some stability to government bond markets that were beginning to look twitchy. In any case, creating inflation in countries with ageing populations would hardly be a popular outcome: those in retirement or heading that way would not be happy to find the real value of their hard-earned cash savings had been destroyed at the flick of a switch.

Still, if inflation is not the answer, what is? In an ideal world, we would be able to grow our way out of the problem. This is what Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be hoping for. As many countries found in the decades after the Second World War, debt doesnt have to be repaid if economies are strong enough to service the interest payments (and if regulations are skewed enough to keep interest rates on government debt low).

John Law thought the swamps of Mississippi would deliver a similar economic bounty but, sadly, he was wrong. Apart from wrecking the French economy, he went on to lose his own fortune, dying a pauper.

A few decades later, William Pitt the Younger had learned the lesson. With the costs of fighting Napoleon adding rapidly to Englands national debt, he introduced income tax.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast

Rapidly rising government debt may not lead to inflation. Without strong and sustained growth, however, it does have consequences.

Stephen King (@kingeconomist) is HSBCs Senior Economic Adviser and author of Grave New World (Yale)
Rural Texas transit agencies are set to receive some $75 million in infrastructure funding from the bipartisan CARES Act, part of which will help 12 area counties meet the transportation needs of seniors and the disabled.

The laws name is an acronym for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. And as with virtually all federal funding, the money goes through a maze of agencies with acronyms of their own before it gets to Texans. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will send the money to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), where the Texas Transportation Commission will distribute it to 36 regional transit districts.

The districts include Alamo Regional Transit (ART), which covers a dozen counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, McMullen and Wilson. ART falls under the Alamo Area Council of Governments, or AACOG,

What this really means, explained Sean Scott, director of ART, is that no one will miss their bus when theyre going to the food bank or to see their doctor or to get groceries. Even in a pandemic, our folks will have seamless service with no interruption.

Based in San Antonio, Scott runs a fleet of about 75 buses that are 20-seat vehicles similar to those used by VIAtrans for passengers with disabilities. Hes got a crew of 50 to 55 drivers spread among the counties.

With the infusion of federal funds - though ARTs exact share wont likely be known until the end of the month -- Scott said he will be able to offer, among other things, three months of hazard pay to his drivers, install Plexiglass shields in his buses and purchase more masks and sanitization equipment.

The money may also allow the purchase of new buses, which are needed because under COVID-19 social distancing protocols one of ARTs buses that would normally carry 20 people can now only carry five. That might mean two buses will have to run the same route to accomplish what one did originally, Scott said.

ART normally runs on about 70 percent federal funding, he said, with the rest coming from member cities and counties.

The new CARES Act funding is just the first half of some $143 million made available to Texas. The remainder will be distributed at a later date, according to TxDOT. The federal funds will have restrictions and can only be used to address county needs that have arisen after Jan. 20. It cant be used for building or repairing roads, added Scott.

You wont see anyone fixing potholes with this money, he said.

Nor could a county, for example, use the money to finish the construction of a building that started last year, even if its failure to be completed could be logically blamed on the COVID crisis.

Related: VIA will resume collecting fares on June 1

The $2.3 trillion CARES Act stimulus package was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law on March 27 by President Donald Trump. More than $26 billion is going toward financial relief for transit and intercity rail services whose ridership numbers have plummeted since January. In San Antonio, VIA Metropolitan Transit has lost at least half of its riders and is scheduled to receive $93 million in CARES funds.

TxDOT released a statement this week saying, At this time, its too early to identify funding amounts going to individual transit providers in Texas. That is set to be decided by the Texas Transportation Commission at its meeting later this month.

Bruce Selcraig is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Bruce, become a subscriber. BSelcraig@express-news.net
The case notes of a midwife who worked through the Second World War have been uncovered by her family.

Charlotte Turnbull, who died in 2011 aged 96, qualified as a midwife in the UK and worked in Birmingham and Scotland before moving to Canada with her husband in 1946.

Her text books and case notes, which date back to the 1930s, were recently discovered by her daughter Janette Schiewe and granddaughter Meghan, at home in Alberta, Canada.

Charlotte Turnbull, who died in 2011 aged 96, qualified as a midwife in the UK and worked in Birmingham and Scotland before moving to Canada with her husband (pictured) in 1946

Her text books and case notes, which date back to the 1930s, were recently discovered by her daughter Janette Schiewe and granddaughter Meghan, at home in Alberta, Canada. Pictured, a page detailing a birth in Edinburgh in June 1939 (left) and folding hospital corners (right)

The collection also included Charlotte's professional identification badge, which is dated 20 August 1940, pictured

The pair were sorting through Charlotte's belongings when they came across the artifacts, including a helpful guide on how to fold hospital sheets.

The collection also included Charlotte's professional identification badge, which is dated 20 August 1940.

Meghan said: 'She loved what she did - patients loved her, doctors trusted her and she was really good at her job.

'We found letters from the matron at the Birmingham Hospital talking about how glad they were that she passed one of her midwife exams.'

Charlotte, second from right, pictured with fellow nurses in a photo published in the Birmingham Mail in December 1934. Charlotte later moved to Scotland

A home nursing textbook from December 1932 (left) and details of a home birth in May 1939

Charlotte qualified as a midwife in Scotland before moving to Canada at the end of the Second World War. Pictured, Charlotte in a photo taken in an unknown location. Date not known

The opening page of Charlotte's notebook where she kept a detailed account of her home births, left. Right, details of a baby delivered in May 1939

Charlotte was born in Coventry in 1915 and moved to Birmingham to train as a nurse. Pictured, Charlotte as a young woman

Charlotte was born in Coventry in 1915 and moved to Birmingham to train as a nurse. She later relocated to Scotland, where she qualified as a midwife.

During the war she spent time working in a factory and met her husband, who was not named by the family.

'She was a war bride and moved to Canada in 1946 by ship where she continued midwifery,' Meghan explained. 'It must have been really hard for her, leaving her entire life behind to be with her husband.

The cover of her leather-bound midwifery case book (left) and a page of notes (right)

'When we found these notes and letters, I was amazed and we are expecting to find more as we haven't been through all of her belongings yet.'

Charlotte's daughter, Janette, followed in her mother's footsteps and became a midwife.

Meghan added that the family 'still really miss' Charlotte, nine years after her death.
OSHAs Alert to Protect Retail Pharmacy Workers from COVID-19

The Department of Labor just issued safety tips for employers to protect retail pharmacy workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

OSHA has issued an alert and safety tips for employers and workers in the retail pharmacy industry. Pharmacies are a critical part of society, and the publics need to prescriptions and medications does not stop during a pandemic.

OSHA recommends that retail pharmacies follow the following safety measures:

Encourage customers to submit prescriptions online or by phone. Allow customers to provide their insurance information verbally or virtually (e.g., through mobile apps or the pharmacys website);

Increase the use of self-serve checkouts to minimize worker interaction with customers;

Frequently clean and disinfect checkout and customer service counters;

Install clear plastic barriers between workers and customers at order/pickup counters;

Use signage and floor markers to keep waiting customers at least 6 feet from the counter, other customers and pharmacy staff; and

Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns. It is illegal to retaliate against workers for reporting illnesses or for reporting unsafe or unhealthful working conditions.

The new alert is available for download in English and Spanish. Visit OSHAs Publications webpage for other useful workplace safety information.
Nigerians should expect new directives on Monday as the movement restriction put in place to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus ends on Sunday.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said this shortly after he led members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting was to brief the president on the PTFs activities in the fight against the global pandemic.

President Buhari had on April 27 announced the gradual easing of a five week lockdown in FCT, Lagos and Ogun state. The lockdown was eased to a nationwide night curfew (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.) from May 4 to May 17.

New Directives

Mr Mustapha, who chairs the PTF, said it is already 13 days since the president announced the gradual easing of the lockdown.

He said new processes should be expected as the country is in for the long haul.

We have supplied him (President Buhari) with all the materials that is required to look at the issues. Because we are in for the long haul.

But remember on the 27th of April, he addressed the nation and in place the easing down of the lockdown effective from the 4th of May.

From the 4th of May to date is about 13 days, tomorrow we should expect new processes to be put in place, Mr Mustapha said.

The national coordinator of the PTF, Sani Aliyu, also told Channels Television that Mr Buhari would address Nigerians on Monday.

Total lockdown

President Buhari had declared a two-week lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun during his first address on the COVID-19 pandemic on March 29.

The lockdown was part of other measures to limit the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

On April 12, the president addressed the nation again on the same issue and announced the extension of the lockdown by another two weeks.

In his third address on April 27, the president extended the lockdown by one more week.

He, however, said the lockdown would be relaxed from May 4.

The president said the decision to relax the lockdown was taken based on the recommendations of the PTF, the various federal government committees who reviewed the socio-economic impact of the restrictions and the Nigeria Governors Forum.

Airport closure

To limit the importation of new cases into the country, the Nigerian government shut down its international airports and land borders on March 23, for an initial period of one month. It was later extended by two weeks.

Following the completion of the two weeks extension, the closure of all Nigerias airports was extended by another four more weeks.

However, emergency and essential flights are allowed to operate from any of the airports within the period.

Despite the closure of Nigerias land border, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation shows that migrants have been defying the lockdown and border closure and are moving between Nigeria and its West African neighbour, Benin Republic, by sea.

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They do so with the support of corrupt security personnel who extort travellers and turn blind eyes.

A total of 5,959 infections have been reported in Nigeria since the index case in February. Of that number, 4,183 cases are still active, 1,549 have recovered and have been discharged, and 182 deaths have been reported.

Interstate travel ban

To contain the spread of the virus, President Buhari on April 27 announced a ban on interstate travels except for essential products.

There have however been several reports of travellers violating the interstate bans.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the massive movement of travellers across the states, mostly smuggled in trucks carrying food items or livestock.

One of the sure things about the pandemic is that as long as people keep moving the virus keeps spreading.

Only two states  Cross River and Kogi  are yet to have any confirmed case of the virus in Nigeria.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure is no longer a problem as Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family is about to bring out their "secret weapon" soon.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world when they announced their decision to step down as senior working members of the royal family in January 2020.

Currently, the royal couple is busy living their new lives in Los Angeles while the whole royal family is battling against the coronavirus pandemic.

When royal watchers thought that their departure would leave the monarchy crippled, a leading charity worker believes otherwise since the royal family still has Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

In an interview with Daily Mirror, Karen Sugarman -- the executive vice-president of Shooting Star Children's Hospices -- said that Sophie is the key person who could help restore the monarchy after it faced troubles in the past months.

To recall, the royal family seemed to be crumbling after Prince Andrew got involved in an embarrassing case and the Sussexes decided to leave their senior royal positions.

"I've heard Sophie being called the royal's family's secret weapon and I can see why, but to us, she is simply our guardian angel," Sugarman suggested. "It's never about the so-called PR opportunity for her, and the way I have seen her interact with each child and family on her visits, radiating warmth and kindness and really caring about what we do, means an awful lot."

In the end, she expressed how people are so lucky to have the countess participate in charitable works, most especially after Megxit took effect on March 31. She also believes Sophie could step up her role and fill the void that Prince Harry and Meghan left.

Sophie Got More Support!

Meanwhile, Jo-Ann Airikkala, co-founder of Nourish Our Nurses, also complimented Sophie.

She recalled how she got a call from Buckingham Palace, telling her that the countess saw their initiative to raise donations to provide nursing staff with fresh goods.

Airikkala mentioned how Sophie wanted to volunteer privately as part of the International Nurses' Day.

"Sophie couldn't have been nicer. She arrived without fanfare, rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in," she went on. "She had time for everybody and just wanted to help out, very unassuming but selflessly dedicated and just beautiful both inside and out."

In addition, Jane Harris of the National Autistic Society also applauded the countess' initiatives, calling her "selflessly dedicated."

In her interview with the Mirror, Harris said that Sophie is more interested in meeting autistic children and their families. She has been a loyal patron of them for years, and she has been showing nothing but selfless dedication to extend her help.

Sophie officially became part of the royal family in 1999 after she married Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II's youngest child, 12 years after they met at Capital Radio in London.

The two share two wonderful children: Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

Sophie is notably famous for supporting a number of charities, including Shooting Star Children's Hospices, Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, National Autistic Society, and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Paris, May 18 : Confirming that museums have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic with nearly 90 per cent of them shut, the UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) on Monday expressed concern over the global cultural space.

More than 85,000 institutions shut their doors for different durations during the crisis and nearly 13 per cent of museums might never reopen, they said in a statement on the International Museum Day.

"Museums play a fundamental role in the resilience of societies. We must help them cope with this crisis and keep them in touch with their audiences," UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said.

"This pandemic also reminds us that half of humanity doesn't have access to digital technologies. We must work to promote access to culture for everyone, especially the most vulnerable and isolated," Azoulay said.

In Africa and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), only 5 per cent museums were able to offer online content to their audiences, they noted.

According to an ICOM impact assessment, museums deprived of visitors will face a decrease in income. Professions related to museums, their operations and outreach could also be seriously affected.

Stating that museums can't survive without the support of the public and the private sectors, the ICOM said it was imperative to raise emergency relief funds and to put in place policies to protect professionals and self-employed workers on precarious contracts.

According to the UNESCO study, the number of museums worldwide has increased by almost 60 per cent since 2012 to some 95,000 institutions and that reflected the importance the sector has got in the national cultural policies over the past decade.
A scanning electron microscope image shows the coronavirus, in yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, shown in blue and pink, cultured in the lab. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-Rocky Mountain Laboratories)

The former pharmaceutical executive leading the White House's coronavirus vaccine effort is divesting from vaccine developer Moderna Inc., the biotech company said Monday after early-stage test results sent its stock soaring.

Moncef Slaoui resigned from Moderna's board of directors when the Trump administration tapped him last week to be chief advisor for its Operation Warp Speed, a push to develop and distribute a vaccine to address the COVID-19 pandemic. But he still had stock options for about 156,000 Moderna shares; based on Friday's closing price, they were worth about $10 million.

Moderna is among the companies developing a potential vaccine for the virus, and in April the federal government agreed to award it up to $483 million to speed up that process.

As Slaoui's new White House role involves weighing in on which companies' efforts should receive federal backing, concern about conflicts of interest arose. Patient advocacy groups and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called last week for Slaoui to untangle his finances from the company's fortunes.

Then Moderna announced promising results from an early-stage trial of its vaccine. Its shares soared 20% on Monday.

Moderna told the Los Angeles Times midday that Slaoui "is divesting all of his equity interest" in the company so there would be no conflict of interest. It did not respond to a follow-up question asking about the timeline of the divestment.

Slaoui did not respond to a request for comment sent via LinkedIn.

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that Slaoui's divestment would take effect Tuesday morning and that he would donate to cancer research the value his options gained since before his White House role was announced.

Slaoui had been a member of Moderna's board since 2017. Previously he led the vaccines division at GlaxoSmithKline.
President Xi Jinping on Monday announced a USD two billion fund to help countries hit by the COVID-19 as he firmly backed the World Health Organisation and its leadership, amid the growing pressure faced by China over the global spread of the deadly virus and the criticism from his US counterpart Donald Trump.

"China will provide USD two billion over two years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries, Xi said while addressing the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA), which is being held virtually in Geneva.

The speech by 66-year-old Xi, who is known for announcing big-ticket funding during the international conferences, came as China faced growing global pressure over the lockdowns, death toll and a huge increase in coronavirus cases that has brought the world to a standstill.

Referring to China's own battle with the COVID-19 which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, Xi said, "in China, after making painstaking efforts and enormous sacrifice, we have turned the tide on the virus and protected the life and health of our people."



He dispelled the criticism of secrecy and cover-up, saying "all along, we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility. We have provided information to WHO and relevant countries in a most timely fashion.

Trump has accused China of covering up, while Australia and the European Union have called for more transparency in China's COVID-19 control efforts including an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus.

Without referring to the global calls for an inquiry, Xi said, "China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control to sum up the experience and address deficiencies. This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by the WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner."



He heaped praise on the UN health agency and its Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whom Trump described as "pro-China".

The two-day meeting is being held amid concerns over the role of the WHO chief who had given a clean chit to China's handling of the pandemic.

The WHO should lead the global response against COVID-19, said Xi, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China.

China earlier announced USD 30 million additional funds for the WHO after Trump withdrew over USD 400 million funding to the UN body.

"Under the leadership of Dr Tedros, WHO has made a major contribution in leading and advancing the global response to COVID-19. Its good work is applauded by the international community. China calls on the international community to increase political and financial support for WHO so as to mobilize resources worldwide to defeat the virus, he said.

He also called for greater support to African countries, where China has emerged as a major investor in recent years.

"China has sent a tremendous amount of medical supplies and assistance to over 50 African countries and the African Union. Five Chinese medical expert teams have also been sent to the African continent, he said.

Calling for united efforts by the world to fight the COVID-19, he said, "China will work with the UN to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, ensure the operation of anti-epidemic supply chains and foster green corridors for fast-track transportation and customs clearance.

"COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good. This will be China's contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, he said.

China will also work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries, he said.

"What we are facing is the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War II," Xi said.

"Catching the world by surprise, COVID-19 has hit over 210 countries and regions, affected more than seven billion people around the world and claimed over 300,000 precious lives. I mourn for every life lost and express condolences to the bereaved families," he said.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the Geneva-based World Health Organisation. The annual meeting, being held virtually on Monday and Tuesday, is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.

India is among 120 countries which backed the draft resolution put forward by the European Union and several other countries. India is expected to be elected Chair of the Executive Board of the WHA replacing Japan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Comedian Marc Maron paid tribute to director Lynn Shelton, his late girlfriend, on his podcast Monday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Comedian Marc Maron delivered a touching tribute Monday to director Lynn Shelton, his late girlfriend and collaborator, who died over the weekend at age 54 in Los Angeles as a result of a previously unidentified blood disorder.

On the latest episode of his podcast, "WTF With Marc Maron," the "GLOW" actor reflected on Shelton's loving spirit, their happy relationship and his distressing last moments with the beloved indie filmmaker before she was taken to the hospital.

Shelton's publicist, Adam Kersh, previously told the Los Angeles Times that Shelton had died on Friday, while Maron said in his podcast that she died "at about 12:45 a.m. on Saturday morning."

"She was my partner. She was my girlfriend. She was my friend, and I loved her. I loved her a lot. And she loved me, and I knew that, Maron said, choking back tears. I dont know that I had ever felt what I felt with her before. I do know, actually. I did not. I have not. And I was getting used to love in the way of being able to accept it and show it properly in an intimate relationship.

The comic tearfully recalled feeling "nervous" and "curious" the first time he met Shelton, who appeared as a guest on his podcast in August 2015. He later starred in Shelton's 2019 family comedy, "Sword of Trust." More of Shelton's credits include "We Go Way Back," "Little Fires Everywhere" and her 2009 film-festival darling, "Humpday."

She was an amazing woman. She was an inspiration to so many people. So many people loved her," Maron continued. "She was a very determined artist who just needed to put her expression out into the world in any way. Tremendous love for people, for her friends, for her son, Milo.

"My relationship with her is, I cant even explain it. But I gotta tell you, nobodys got anything bad to say about Lynn Shelton, thats for ... sure. She was amazing. Her movies were amazing  they are amazing. Ive worked with her. Everyone whos worked with her loved her.

Story continues

Before Shelton died, Maron said they thought she had come down with strep throat and treated the illness as such after Shelton tested negative for COVID-19.

"In the middle of the night, I heard her collapse in the hallway on her way to the bathroom, and I got up and she was on the floor and she couldnt move," he said of the weekend's events. "She was conscious but delirious a bit. I called 9-1-1. They came and got her, and that was the last time I saw her alive was on the floor being taken away. Then, over the course of the day, there was never any good news  and they eventually had to let her go.

While hospitalized, Shelton suffered from anemia, low blood pressure and internal bleeding, among other complications.

Maron also expressed gratitude to the many well-wishers from Shelton's circle who had checked on him in the wake of his girlfriend's death, saying, "It's really helping."

Its undeniable that we connected," he said of Shelton. "My connection with her is almost seamless. I have no self-consciousness when Im with her. Im totally comfortable, even in my infantile ridiculousness, the whole arc of me. ... I was definitely a better person when I was engaged with her  as a comic, as a guitar player, as a lover, as a human, as everything. I was better in Lynn Sheltons gaze.
The United States government is sending 200 ventilators to India and this consignment would be a gift from the US while the cost would be borne by USAID or United States Agency for International Development, sources in the Indian government have confirmed.

"The plan, as of now, is to deliver half (100) of them in May and the remaining (100) in June. USAID will finalize the delivery schedule next week", said a senior official requesting anonymity.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that the US government would be donating ventilators to India.

"I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and Narendra Modi during this pandemic. Were also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy!", he said.

I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. Were also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2020

Prime Minister Modi also thanked POTUS on twitter for the gesture. "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 India-US friendship!".

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

According to reports the total cost of the 200 ventilators is estimated to be $2.9 million and the company supplying these ventilators would be paid by USAID. The US aid agency would soon share the model and technical specifications of the ventilators with the Indian government.

India like most countries has been trying to meet the domestic shortage of ventilators amidst COVID-19 by importing ventilators from abroad. Major automobile manufacturers have also been roped in to make ventilators in collaboration with existing manufacturers.
The white woman whose brother and father have been charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black jogger in Georgia posted a graphic photo of Ahmaud Arberys body on Snapchat.

Lindsay McMichael, 30, took a photo of the 25-year-olds blood-soaked body while police set up a crime scene in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick on February 23.

McMichael said she posted the image because she is a true crime fan.

Lindsay McMichael, the sister of 34-year-old Travis McMichael and the daughter of 64-year-old Gregory McMichael, posted the graphic image showing the dead body of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery on Snapchat. Arbery was shot and killed on February 23 in Brunswick, Georgia

Lindsay McMichael (pictured), 30, said she 'had no nefarious or malicious intent when I posted that picture'

I had no nefarious or malicious intent when I posted that picture, she told The Sun.

The thing is Im a huge fan of true crime - I listen to four or five podcasts a week - Im constantly watching that sort of thing.

It was more of a, Holy s***, I cant believe this has happened, she said.

It was absolutely poor judgment.

An attorney for Arberys family slammed McMichael for posting the image, saying it was deeply disturbing.

The picture Lindsay McMichael posted was very disturbing and very disturbing to the family, attorney S. Lee Merritt told the Sun.

It actually fits the pattern of the McMichael family engaging in a weird, violent form of voyeurism.

Lindsay McMichael, 30, was in her pajamas when her father Gregory, 64, and brother Travis, 34, shot and killed Arbery down the road from their Brunswick, Georgia home on February 23.

She told The Sun that she does not believe Arbery's slaying was racially motivated, claiming that her father and brother have 'loved' all her non-white boyfriends.

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

'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?'

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'.

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

'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.

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

Ahmaud Arbery 'was chased for FOUR MINUTES' by father and son before he was shot dead in a Georgia neighborhood, family lawyer says

The lawyer for Arbery's family said the 25-year-old was chased for four minutes before being gunned down by a white father and son in February.

According to Merritt, the initial video that was leaked by Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker and revealed Arbery's last moments on February 23 is much longer.

Merritt confirmed to Fox News on Monday that the new video shows William Bryan, who recorded the shooting, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, chasing Arbery for four minutes while he was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia.

According to attorney, S. Lee Merritt (above), the initial video that was leaked by Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker and revealed Ahmaud Arbery's (right) last moments on February 23,shows the McMichaels chasing Arbery for four minutes

No other information has been released regarding the extended video, but Arbery's family is expected to release a statement today.

Arbery was killed February 23 after the father and son trailed him in their white pick-up truck after he jogged past their yard.

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 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 on December 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 December 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.

Officers with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are seen arresting both McMichaels on May 7

The video fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made.

Hundreds of people came to the Glynn County courthouse demanding accountability on Saturday.

Arberys family ended the 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.'

The McMichaels have been jailed on murder charges since May 7.

Merritt 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.'

Protesters gather outside the Glynn County Courthouse during a rally to protest Arbery's killing on Saturday

The crowd 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

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 also 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.'
(Photo : REUTERS/Bruno Kelly) A view of the Parque Taruma cemetery during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Manaus, Brazil May 13, 2020.

A member of one of the indigenous Amazon tribes in Ecuador was the first tribesperson in the world to be diagnosed with COVID-19, health officials announced.

The infected person has been identified as a Waorani tribe's 17-year-old pregnant woman who started showing symptoms on May 4. She was taken to a hospital in Quito, Ecuador's capital, and placed in solitary confinement, a statement from the health ministry said.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus Brazil Update: After Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Amazon Tribe, Rio's Christ the Redeemer Statue Lit Up

Federal gov't working closely with IPs

According to the Agence France-Presse, Ecuador's federal government worked with indigenous leaders to check 40 individuals the woman contacted in the Miwaguno community.

"Seventeen citizens with a history of respiratory systems were found. To date, six of them have symptoms, so 20 rapid tests and seven nasopharyngeal swabs were performed," the health ministry said.

The results of the tests and details regarding the girl's health have yet to be made public.

According to the news agency, Waorani organizations had cautioned that COVID-19's effects on their populations could become "catastrophic and highly lethal" because of their susceptibility to disease. The city of Miwaguno has a population of approximately 140.

The Waorani nation has around 2,000 members live within the modern Ecuadorian provinces

of Orellana, Napo, and Pastaza - located in the far west Amazon region.

Amazon Frontlines, a non-profit that works with indigenous peoples in Amazon, said the tribes historically lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers in small clan villages.

COVID-19 hits more than 30 tribal communities in Brazil

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the coronavirus pandemic has hit 38 indigenous communities, affecting a fearful population with a history of being affected by different diseases.

A survey conducted by the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples' Association (APIB) recorded 446 coronavirus cases and 92 deaths among the communities - most of them located in the Brazilian Amazon.

"The virus is reaching indigenous territories across Brazil with frightening speed," APIB said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.

As of Monday morning, May 18, data from Johns Hopkins Universit showed that Ecuador had more than 33,182 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 2,736 deaths from the virus.

The port city of Guayaquil in Ecuador has been described as the center of one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Latin America between March and April. Cemeteries were running out of spaces. Reuters said that families were forced to store dead bodies of their relatives in their homes or on the streets.

Attention is now directed at Quito in the region, which has 2.8 million residents under strict lockdown.

"Quito's health system is reaching its limit," the city's mayor, Jorge Yunda, said on Friday, May 15, according to the news organization.

The outbreak has increased in Brazil in recent weeks. More than 241,080 cases of coronavirus and at least 16,100 deaths from the virus have occurred in the country. In terms of the overall number of events, it's behind just the USA, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

ALSO READ: NEW VIRUS! Scientists Find Virus in Brazil: Is This Worse Than Coronavirus?

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A non-profit organisation Child Online Africa (COA) is calling on parents to be wary of threats posed by a surge in online sexual predatory behaviour and cyber bullying in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.



According to the organisation, following the spread of COVID-19 predator handbook; an online grooming manual describing ways to manipulate and exploit the increased number of children at home and online during the pandemic, many abusers have found a safe haven, bypassing Government restrictions and parental controls to carry out the condemnable acts.



Due to a shutdown on schools, children have increased internet usage as many of them now have to rely on e-learning platforms to make up for the lost contact periods in school. Child Online Africa says although the decision to leverage on educational technology in the time of the pandemic is apt, Parents and other authorities have left young children to surf the internet with little or no supervision hence exposing the school children to explicit contents and other undesirable materials in the cyberspace.



Speaking to Class News on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2020, Executive Director of Child Online Africa Awo Aidam Amenyah pointed out that there has been an increase in the threat that children and young people are faced with in the digital space. Its not only the sexual one, its actually because grooming is more or less an entry point to sexual exploitation and trafficking. So obviously once they prepare them online its easier to get them off.



In describing the modus operandi of the sexual predators, she said: what they do is actually to get these young people to produce photos or videos of themselves, naked or in the act and all of that and those are the contents that the predators usually feed on. So, they might not come to get this child from you physically but they getting them online and having them produce those contents adding that it is important we work to safeguard children from situations like that.



Child online Africa is also calling for immediate government interventions to avert threats posed by the perpetrators.



The NGO advised parents to increase parental control and guidance mechanisms to ensure that young children derive optimum benefits from the use of Information Communication Technology.



At the origination level, COA says it is developing a manual to help parents install basic settings that will aid them to ensure that their children use the internet responsibly.









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.

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PARIS, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EKINOPS (Euronext Paris - FR0011466069  EKI), a leading supplier of telecommunications solutions for telecom operators, has drawn up a term sheet with its bank partners with a view to obtaining a new 12 million credit facility.

The loan, 90% of which is guaranteed by the French state under the PGE state-guaranteed loan scheme (ministerial orders of March 23 and April 17, 2020 awarding the state guarantee to credit institutions and finance companies, implementing Article 6 of Law no. 2020-289 of March 23, 2020), will have a maturity of one year with optional extension for up to five additional years (May 2026) at the Company's discretion.

Meanwhile, US subsidiary Ekinops Corp. has obtained USD 596,000 of financing under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a scheme offered to SMEs by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in tandem with State governors to help them get through the crisis. This loan is granted for a maximum two-year term with a six-month payment deferral.

For more information, visit www.ekinops.com

EKINOPS Contact



Didier Bredy

Chairman and CEO

[email protected]

Investors

Mathieu Omnes

Investor relation

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92

[email protected]

Press

Nicolas Bouchez

Press relation

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74

[email protected]

SOURCE Ekinops

Related Links

http://www.ekinops.com


Richmond Public Schools hasnt released potential plans for the fall, but the citys schools superintendent, Jason Kamras, said Monday that hes thrilled to hear Northams optimism.

We cant wait to see our students again, Kamras said.

Chesterfield County Public Schools and Hanover County Public Schools said they are considering their own plans but are still waiting on guidance from the state.

Ultimately ... we are awaiting guidance from the governor as to how to proceed, Chesterfield schools spokesman Shawn Smith said.

Said Hanover schools spokesman Chris Whitley: We are eager to see our students back in our hallways, and we are working through a wide variety of scenarios in anticipation of reopening in the fall. Our plan will be largely dependent upon the official guidance we receive from the governor, the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Health. In all scenarios, our primary focus will be upon providing the best possible education and support to our students and families.

Many colleges in the state have already announced plans to return to on-campus instruction in the fall.
A married vicar from Shropshire is spending lockdown living with his girlfriend, wife and his mother, it is claimed.

The Rev. Bob Wiltshire, 69, split from his wife and mother-of-three Sue, eighteen months ago, after 40 years of marriage, to live with married nurse and fellow mother-of-three Lucy Baker.

However, Rev. Wiltshire, who is a grandfather-of-ten, is said to have persuaded his wife to let him and Ms Baker move into an annexe in the 450,000 detached three-bed home, he once shared with wife Sue.

The Rev. Bob Wiltshire (pictured centre along with volunteers from the parish of Christ Church in Wellington and Holy Trinity Church in Hadley) split from his wife and mother-of-three Sue, eighteen months ago

'He thought he would be able to get his wife and mum out of the house but they refused,' a friend told The Sun.

'When lockdown hit and he had nowhere to go, he moved his mum out of the annexe so he and Lucy could have it. '

The Rev. Wiltshire joined the church in 2018 and is serving an interim role.

The Diocese of Lichfield said they would be discussing the allegations with Rev. Wiltshire (pictured Holy Trinity Church in Hadley where the Rev. Wiltshire serves)

He is known for driving a jag and serves at the Holy Trinity Church at Hadley, in Telford, Shropshire.

The Diocese of Lichfield said they would be discussing the allegations with the vicar.

The Rev. Wiltshire said he has no comment to make when asked about the allegations.

Mrs Wiltshire and Ms Baker did not respond.
Just when you thought travel wouldn't be possible for the rest of the year, it turns out Bali could reopen to tourists as early as October!

Back in March the Indonesian foreign affairs minister began travel restrictions that meant only Indonesian citizens, diplomats and family members would be able to enter the country.

Fast forward to now and COVID-19 has so far, been successfully controlled and now the tourism ministry is looking to get things going again!

On Friday Bali only had 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths.

If the NZ government makes Bali part of the proposed international travel bubble, perhaps our dreams of travelling in 2020 are still a reality.

A much needed tropical holiday could only be a few months away!
By PTI

GHAZIABAD: Thousands of migrant workers from Delhi and other NCR towns reached Ramlila Maidan here in the city on Monday to secure passes for Shramik Special trains to their homes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh amid the COVID-19 lockdown, triggering chaos and confusion.

The Indian Railways had arranged six special trains to ferry a total of 7,200 migrant workers from Ghaziabad railway station to leave for Patna, Muzaffarpur and Raxaul in Bihar and Azamgarh, Banaras and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh during the day.

According to administrative instructions, the workers had to reach Ramlila Maidan in the heart of the city to first secure their passes to board the trains after which they were to be ferried to the railway station in buses.

Accordingly, the workers from Delhi and other NCR town had begun reaching Ghaziabad since Sunday evening and early morning on Monday along with their family members including women and children to secure train passes.

FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE

This resulted in -- by conservative estimates -- over ten to twelve thousand workers reaching the sprawling field by noon on Monday with hundreds of them queuing up in five to six lines, each 500 to 600 meters long, to secure passes from as many make-shift counters set up in the maidan.

While thousands of workers queued up before counters, their family members and others sat in the field, braving scorching sun for hours altogether with hapless women and children getting restless with thirst and fatigue, said eyewitnesses.

Yet others queued up before buses parked in the fields under the impression that they would be ferried to the railway station in them, only to be dismayed after coming to know after hours of wait that they were going nowhere, said eyewitnesses.

Among the people waiting in the field, the precautionary steps of maintaining social distancing or wearing face masks against possible COVID infection stood thrown to the wind, with even a few policemen present there unable to do anything about it.

Eye witnesses said the police too appeared to take the crowd quite casually, adding it goes to the credit of workers themselves that they maintained a semblance of discipline without losing their patience amid the trying and testing circumstances.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani, however, brushed aside the charges of policemen handling the crowd casually.

Several thousand workers reached here from Delhi and other parts of the NCR.

They were gathered at border of Delhi and Ghaziabad.

Arrangement for their stay was also made in a mall and two farmhouses, Naithani told PTI.

After seeing the huge crowd of workers, the district also administration managed to deploy 100 buses to dispatch workers to various districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Additional District Magistrate (Executive) Santosh kumar Vaish told PTI.

He said out of six trains, out of six trains two have already left Ghaziabad during the day while two would leaving during the evening and remaining two during the night, he added.
New Delhi, May 18 : Government may revive plan for further consolidation in the public sector oil companies by allowing mergers between producing, marketing gas transportation and consultancy companies leaving just few large integrated entities in operation.

The expected move is in line with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement on Sunday to privatise most non-core public sector enterprises while leaving just one or maximum of four in core strategic sectors and allow private investments in all areas.

So, after 2018 merger of PSU oil refiner and retailer HPCL with upstream major ONGC, sources said, the government may now look at creating another public sector integrated 'oil behemoth' by considering merger upstream oil producer Oil India Ltd (OIL) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). Moreover, after proposed split of gas transportation company GAIL into two, one of the entities in gas marketing may also be considered for merger with IOC.

Public sector oil refiner IOC has also in the past shown its interest to buyout government equity in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) but PSUs are not allowed to bid for BPCL that is currently tried for strategic sale to the private sector global companies. Sources indicated that IOC's case for BPCL may also be considered if proposed bidding for BPCL fails to evince requisite interest.

Sources said that oil may be included in strategic sector as it ensures energy security for the country. But there are around 12 oil PSUs ranging from upstream oil producers like ONGC and Oil India to downstream oil refining and fuel marketing firms IOC, BPCL and HPCL to gas transporter GAIL India Ltd and engineering firm Engineers India Ltd. This leaves consolidation through further mergers and strategic sale the only route to restrict the number of PSUs to at least four as the news PSU policy is likely to state.

While consolidation may be looked at once again, care will be taken to ensure that such mergers only happens where there are synergies and mergers does not result in addition to debt burden on companies. ONGC's acquisition of government's share in HPCL had pushed the upstream oil major from debt-free status into one where debt levels reached closer to unsustainable levels.

In one of the most expensive buys, ONGC paid Rs 36,915 crore to buy the government's entire 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL. But the deal brought down ONGC's cash reserves to Rs 1,013 crore as of March 31, 2018, from Rs 10,799 crore as of March 31, 2014 and saddled it with Rs 25,593 crore debt in FY18.

The things could get worse if an M&A is pushed onto IOC that has already has limited cash balance. Though the company is showing relatively fair financial performance, a consolidation exercise would push it to add debt in its books that could weaken its operations. The company is in the midst of an expansion diversification exercise that could suffer if debt gets added to its books. IOC is sitting on special oil bonds (liquid holdings) of value running into a few thousand crores, but this could only part-finance any M&A deal.

The proposal to merge oil PSUs was earlier mooted during the time Mani Shankar Aiyar. It was identical to the one that was explored by the current government -- to merge HPCL and BPCL with ONGC, and OIL with IOC to create two large integrated oil and gas corporations.

However, Aiyar's idea was spiked by an official committee that studied the matter in 2005 but felt that a merger or formation of the holding company was not advisable at that juncture.

The proposal was again revived in 2014 by the BJP-led government, but again in September 2015 a high-level panel on the recast of public sector oil firms did not favour mergers to create behemoths and instead suggested greater autonomy by transferring government shareholding in oil PSUs to a professionally managed trust.

The talk of a merger once again started after then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget for 2017-18 proposed to "create an integrated public sector 'oil major' which will be able to match the performance of international and domestic private sector oil and gas companies".

(Subhash Narayan can be contacted at subhash.n@ians.in)
According to the Pentagon, the US will have losses in a war with China, and Taiwan will be lost with Guam military bases put at greater risks in such a scenario.

War game conducted by the Pentagon have exposed fears of weak spots in the US offensive and defence, that might be bypassed by China in the offensive, with the US having irreconcilable defeat as per the sources.

All these losses in the analysis will be expected, as the Pentagon will run simulations of the 2020 China military report that will be ready this summer.

This alarming situation grew out of the tension between the US and China, that is the row caused by Beijing's duplicitous actions in the COVID-19 Pandemic and the nudging towards a serious stand-off that is brought about by lies throughout the coronavirus crisis.

These simulations by US defense sources were revealed to The Times, this scenario was run in the hypothetical year 2030. In this scenario, China will have attack subs, aircraft carriers, also destroyers that will defeat the US in battle.

One concern is the danger of US bases in the Indo-Pacific Command region, getting overrun in 2030. The greatest threat faced by these theatres of war is China's increased production of medium-range ballistic missiles that will be a serious challenge to US Navy forces.

Analysis of these scenarios will put Guam, that has three bases in the direct middle of a conflict, based on the simulated games.

Sources in the US defense confirmed to The Times, such weapons as long-range anti-ship ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles that can knock out US carriers farther.

Also read: US Warships Challenge People's Liberation Army in South China Sea as Tensions Escalate

Inputs about such conflicts and warnings

One expert, Bonnie Glaser said this about the projections shared by concerned government agencies. He told The Times it will be Taiwan in the middle, as the US-China dukes it out over tensions, to trigger a nuclear war.

The nation of Taiwan has been in the power struggle of both nations, politically and militarily that can have a volatile result.

One of the biggest issues is the Communist Party in China wants to rule Taiwan as their own but Taiwan is an independent state that stands against mainland China's ambition.

A 'One China' policy is strived by Chinese President Xi Jinping declaring that Taiwan should be ruled by the CCP in 2050, even cajoling the leaders of Taiwan to accept Beijing as its main government to be able to join WHO.

Beijing has been claiming territory in the south or east china seas, harassing ship all over the place and placing installations to ward off other fleets in disputed areas, as theirs.

US Navy forces are conducting operations to show China it is the best navy and stand off the Chinese Navy. Beijing is most angered by the sales of US arms to Taiwan because the CCP sees it as an affront.

Glaser then said every scenario showed a crushing of US forces in 2030, per all simulations run. Overall, Taiwan is the flashpoint to future hostilities, even a nuclear exchange between the two nations.

In America, the Pentagon, state department with the White House, agree that the Chinese threat looms because of past administrations in the US, and a resurgence to take down China is needed.

The present administration according to the regional commander Admiral Philip Davidson, when he said the Pentagon is changing approach to stop that from happening.

A threat of the US losing to China even in a scenario is unacceptable, moves are on to add and rearm the US war machine to protect America and allies against all threats.

Related article: Two US Warships Warned Chinese Navy to Stop Coercing an Unarmed Drilling Ship in Malaysian Waters

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Patna:

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has again made the demanded of special category status for Bihar saying it will make the state a major contributor in the nation's growth.



He raised the issue in a letter to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in response to his letter over formulation of vision and strategy for the period beyond the 12th Five Year Plan.



"For us to realise the dream of developed India and developed Bihar by 2030, it is absolutely necessary to relook and consider the lack of resources of less developed states like Bihar and its demand for special category status," he said in the letter, made available to the media.



Kumar stressed on regional imbalances since Independence as the country witnessed different trajectory of development and deprivations which, he said, has resulted in creation of "island of development within the country."



"Bihar with a population of 8 per cent of the country's population contributes only about 3 per cent of the national GDP. It has always been our quest to be a contributor and not a drag to national growth. This can be achieved if the 8 per cent population of Bihar contributes say 10 per cent to the national GDP," he added.



The delay in redefining poverty measurement and release of socio-economic-caste census 2011 data is regressive, Kumar said in the letter.



"One size fit all or centralised strategy" has never worked or can never be fruitful for the country, he said.



"The government of India initiates entitlement & habitation based planning which would galvanise the planning process in meeting the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) challenges," he said.



The Bihar CM also pointed out that reduction in central allocation and alterations in the funding pattern of various centrally-sponsored schemes has resulted in increased burden on the states.



The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was earlier fully funded by the Centre but now the states have to pay 40 per cent of the cost affecting states like Bihar, he said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Sandusky didnt have a formal background in higher education, but she did have a lifetime of experience all around the world, and she was ready to share it. Her bachelors degree, in journalism, was from Texas. Her masters degrees, in Russian and East European Languages, political science and strategic policy, were from Philadelphia and London. She earned additional graduate certificates from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.

In the U.S. Army, she served in much of sub-Sahara Africa: Zimbabwe, Liberia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and more. She also served in Yugoslavia, where she made a point of studying the Croatian language.

Understanding those around her, regardless of where they live or which language they speak, is something that has been a part of Sanduskys life, both in uniform and in her post-service role. Throughout her U.S. Army career, she connected with higher education at West Point, the Army War college and DLI, and she accepted assignments throughout the world.

While at BGSU, in addition to her doctoral studies, Sandusky earned graduate certificates in the French language and in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, both through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sandusky's military and civilian ambitions came together at BGSU. Her Ph.D. dissertation was Predicting Student Veteran Persistence at BGSU, a topic that her advisor, Wilson, suggested.

Sandusky defended her dissertation in March and shared it with Ohio Link.

It explored the importance and challenges of using student-level institutional data to examine persistence of contemporary student veterans.

Service to her country is something that Sandusky spoke of in grateful and humble tones. She acknowledged American taxpayers generosity in paying for her education through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill program.

For the fall, Sandusky has already accepted a position teaching political science at Tiffin University.

I learned a great deal about teaching from one of my BGSU courses, College Teaching, with Professor Wilson, she said.

The course, HIED 7340, covers the development of skills and strategies for active learning with a diverse group of learners in a college setting.
"Our focus is on how people can lead lives that are rewarding, enjoyable and helpful to others," says Oosting.

Originally broadcasted on radio and in print media to guide, inspire and motivate thinking and action, Kenneth W. Oosting shares brief essays of wisdom in his new book, Ounces of Wisdom.

The life enhancing guidebook uses both Christian and secular sources to encourage readers to live a positive life, regardless of their beliefs, by recognizing the various concepts presented in the book. In a world that comes across as negative, there are many things in life to be optimistic about. Oosting offers reflective questions to encourage readers to think about their own lives and to push them to think about their futures.

Our focus is on how people can lead lives that are rewarding, enjoyable and helpful to others. Most of the quotes from the Bible are good advice for anyone regardless of the status of their faith, says Oosting. We have included bits of wisdom that range from John Wayne to the Old Testament. They are all designed to get people to think about how these thoughts could positively impact their lives.

The book has received praise from Tom Andrews, owner of Tom A Productions, LLC.

I have served on several non-profit boards and I have never seen something this potentially meaningful to a persons life happen so quickly. I truly believe that Ounces of Wisdom, with Dr. Ken Oostings authorship, is a blessing and an anointing. Further, I believe it will be a guiding inspiration to you and me as a reader and practitioner of its Biblical principles. -Tom Andrews.

Ounces of Wisdom will help readers apply positive guidelines to their lives as they seek to grow as a person, be a leader in their family and relate with the general public. Readers can find the quotes from the Bible and from secular sources beneficial to living a positive life regardless of their religious status.

Ounces of Wisdom

By Kenneth W. Oosting

ISBN: 9781982239374 (softcover); 9781982239398 (hardcover)

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the author

Dr. Oosting grew up in Muskegon, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in history, received his M.A. from Central Michigan University and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has been a high school teacher, college professor, Rotarian, college dean and president as well as a consultant to about 150 Christian colleges and universities. He wrote The Christians Guide to Effective Personal Management and numerous college and university courses and articles. He and his wife, Jacklyn, reside in Brentwood, TN. To learn more, please visit http://www.ouncesofwisdom.com.

About the editor

Dr. Richard K. Smith is a member of the Gods Plan for Service Board of Directors. He grew up in Ohio and earned a B. A. from Asbury College, a B. S. from Nyack College and an M. A. and a Doctor of Missiology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has served as a pastor in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, missionary to Indonesia, faculty member at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Georgia, adjunct faculty for several institutions and ten years as Senior Consultant with Oosting and Associates, Inc. He and his wife Janet, a school principal, live in Pataskala, Ohio.

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Meghan Bowman

480-306-6597

mbowman@lavidge.com


How fake news is manufactured By Dr. Robert Owens

Our President has pointed out the fake news at many of his rallies and news conferences. He specifically identifies CNN, MSNBC, The AP, The New York Times and The Washington Post as primary sources for the misinformation and downright lies that pass for news among the low-information voters. The Democrats who identify as journalists served up a perfect case in point on Friday. Every freedom loving patriot celebrated the dismissal of the trumped-up charges against General Michael Flynn. After years of news articles calling him everything from a liar to a Russian agent the media begrudgingly had to report that all charges were dropped. Why after ruining this good mans finances and career did the Justice Department finally release him from their gulag of lies? The US attorney reviewing the Flynn case, Jeff Jensen, recommended the move to Attorney General William Barr earlier this month and formalized the recommendation in a document last week saying, Through the course of my review of General Flynns case, I concluded the proper and just course was to dismiss the case. I briefed Attorney General Barr on my findings, advised him on these conclusions, and he agreed. The Justice Department said it had concluded that Flynns interview by the FBI was untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBIs counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn and that the interview on January 24, 2017 was conducted without any legitimate investigative basis. This recommendation led to the court action by the Justice Department. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Timothy Shea said in a court briefing, The United States of America hereby moves to dismiss with prejudice the criminal information filed against Michael T. Flynn. The government has determined, pursuant to the principles of federal prosecution and based on an extensive review and careful consideration of the circumstances, that continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice." Without prejudice means the government cannot refile these charges. These conclusions, recommendations, and actions were based on the release of previously secret Justice Department documents relating to the Flynn case that included a handwritten note from former FBI counterintelligence director Bill Priestap. After he met with then-FBI Director James Comey and then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Priestap wrote: Whats our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired? Another document in that release indicates the FBI was planning to close the investigation into Flynn before Trump took office in January 2017. But, then two weeks before Trumps inauguration, anti-Trump former FBI official Peter Strzok wrote: Hey, dont close RAZOR, using the codeword for a probe into whether Flynn was a Russian agent. Strzok wrote that 7th floor involved. The 7th Floor is a reference to FBI leadership. The Flynn part of the coup attempt was summed up by President Trump, Hes in the process of being exonerated if you looked at those notes. These were dirty, filthy cops at the top of the FBI. So here we have an innocent man hounded and railroaded into pleading guilty to a crime he didnt commit. The wheels of justice slowly roll around and hes completely exonerated. Here is where the fake news industry gets rolling. Enlisting their biggest spokesman himself fires off the following broadside of bilge. The next day President Obama emerges from his palatial retirement and does his best to cast the mud of these false accusations back on a man who served this countrys military honorably for more than thirty years saying, The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn. And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That's the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic  not just institutional norms  but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we've seen in other places. These opinions were then published, broadcast, and in general swilled out for those locked into the Corporations Once Know as the Mainstream Media. These outrageous statements didnt require more than twenty-four hours for even other Progressives to start punching holes in them. According to Jonathan Turley a professor at the George Washington University Law School, a legal analyst in broadcast and print journalism, who has testified in United States Congressional proceedings about constitutional and statutory issues, who participated in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, and who is a self-avowed liberal said, "It is a curious statement. First and foremost, Flynn was not charged with perjury. Second, we now know Obama discussed charging Flynn under the Logan Act which has never been used successfully to convict anyone and is flagrantly unconstitutional. Third, this reaffirms reports that Obama was personally invested in this effort." Continuing Turley pointed out theres precedent for the Justice Department's sudden decision. And to find it President Obama had to look no further than his own Attorney General, Eric Holder. To give substance to his statement Turley said, "There is a specific rule allowing for this motion under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 48(a). There are specific Supreme Court cases like Rinaldi v. United States addressing the standard for such dismissals. The Justice Department has dismissed cases in the past including the Stevens case. That was requested by President Obama's own Attorney General Eric Holder for the same reason: misconduct by prosecutors. It was done before the same judge, Judge Sullivan. How is that for precedent?" Lies are propagated and disseminated as truth broadcast 24/7 by the discredited media which is nothing more than a Democrat echo chamber. In this case theyre straining at the bit and trying valiantly to keep the Russia Hoax which was the center piece of their failed coup attempt alive, at least in the minds of the low-information voters. This is how the fake news is manufactured. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, Global Studies, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com  2020 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home


The Hon Melissa Price MP

Canberra, May 18, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Morrison Government is continuing to invest in Australia's growing defence industry, awarding $2.4 million to local businesses looking to boost their capability.Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Melissa Price MP, said the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants are about scaling-up our defence industry to support Defence's most critical capabilities."The funding we're providing these seven businesses will help build capacity and resilience," Minister Price said."Australia's defence industry will play an essential role in our economic recovery post-COVID-19 so it's vital we continue these investments."New South Wales-based Owen International supports advanced electrical systems used by the ADF in maritime environments. Their grant funding will be used to establish test facilities for visual landing aids and advanced fire control systems."Minister Price said another recipient, Western Australia's Future Engineering, is upgrading its machining capabilities to continue to support ADF maritime and land-based platforms."This funding will enable Future Engineering to invest in equipment and facilities to increase the cost effectiveness, speed and scale of their manufacturing."The grants program, established by the Morrison Government, support eligible Australian small businesses which provide significant contributions to one or more of the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities.Grant applications can be made at any time through the Centre for Defence Industry Capability.The Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants announced today:State: SACompany: APS Adelaide Profile ServicesGrant Amount: $437,760Details: Grant funding will be used to purchase equipment required for the construction of a storage facility that will expand manufacturing production to meet Defence requirements.State: SACompany: B.E. SwitchcraftGrant Amount: $149,697Details: Fund manufacturing plant and equipment, improve productivity and enhance employee skills.State: WACompany: Future EngineeringGrant Amount: $421,237Details: Purchase capital equipment and to undertake building modifications that will increase the cost-effectiveness, scale, and speed of manufacturing.State: VICCompany: Glyde Metal IndustriesGrant Amount: $207,880Details: Purchase, install and commission capital equipment and train staff in its operation to increase efficiency in production.State: SACompany: The Dynamic Engineering SolutionGrant Amount: $295,596Details: Purchase of capital equipment, and the design and construction of test facilities for military grade components in a controlled environment.State: NSWCompany: Owen InternationalGrant Amount: $64,216Details: Establish and commission a test and repair facility.State: ACTCompany: XTEKGrant Amount: $835,000Details: Fund plant, equipment and building modifications to establish state-of-the art production facilities.To view the Minister's Release, please visit:About Xtek LtdXTEK Limited (ASX:XTE) is an Australia-based company. The Company is engaged in the supply of homeland security products and services to defense and law enforcement agencies throughout Australia and the region. XTE offers a range of bomb search and render safe equipment, including bomb disposal robots, exploders, detectors and disrupters, portable X-Ray kits, electronic stethoscopes, bomb suppression blankets, endoscopes and other specialist equipment.
Ryanair cut its annual passenger traffic target by another 20% and warned it will look at pulling out of some airports across Europe as it booked a 13% rise in annual profit after tax on Monday.

The Irish low-cost carrier, Europe's largest, said it expects to fly "somewhere under" 80 million passengers in the coming year, down from a target of 100 million given last week and from an original target of 154 million.

CEO Michael O'Leary admitted it was essentially guesswork at this stage.

"For the next 12 months it's obviously impossible for us to today to give you any guidance on either traffic numbers or on profits," O'Leary said in a video presentation.

"We have no idea because it is entirely subject to passenger numbers, yields and the lifting of government restrictions."

Ryanair reported a profit before tax of 1 billion euros for the year to March 31.

Ryanair shares opened up 4% at 8.82 euros.

O'Leary said the airline would first look at loss-making bases in the UK, Germany and Spain for closure, but may then look at Italy, Belgium and central and eastern Europe if necessary.

It is also likely to close the main base of its subsidiary Lauda in Austria, which is undergoing an "existential crisis" due to COVID-19, he said.

Ryanair is currently undertaking a major cost cutting drive, with 3,000 pilots and cabin crew likely to lose their jobs as well as 250 people at head office.

Ryanair expects to post a loss of "just over" 200 million euros in the three months to the end of June and either break even or post a small loss for July-September, O'Leary said.

He admitted to having "no visibility" on customer behaviour but said he expected demand to return pretty quickly on deep discounting.

Pre-crisis ticket price levels will not return until 2022 "or later", O'Leary said.

The airline last week has said it expects a surge in bookings in the coming weeks from people who have been cooped up at home for months.

While there has been an increase in searches for sun holidays in recent days, it remains "early days" to gauge that demand, Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said in an interview.

CASH BURN FALLS

Ryanair reported a current cash balance of 4.1 billion euros and said its weekly cash burn has dropped to just over 60 million in May from around 200 million euros in March.

The airline booked an exceptional charge of 353 million euros for hedging on fuel and currency hedges it put in place last year which it did not need.

That includes foreign exchange hedges worth around 40 million that offset some of the losses caused by hedging at high prices.

The airline is "sitting on the sidelines" for now in terms of hedging future fuel bills, Sorahan said. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Theres a fun bit of pop trivia I once read which claims that, at any given point in time, somewhere in the world, at least one radio station is playing the Eagles Hotel California.

Those with a close ear to news programming during this lockdown might think the same is true of Matt Hancock.

The mans simply everywhere, isnt he? Switch on the radio or TV news right now, and chances are youll find the Health Secretary waxing forth on the corona crisis.

If there were such a thing as airwave miles, he and the wife would have a couple of first-class, round-the-world trips banked by now, with enough left for a family holiday to Lanzarote.

Switch on the radio or TV news right now, and chances are youll find the Health Secretary waxing forth on the corona crisis

Whats the secret behind his eternal zestfulness? Caffeine pills? Celery juice? Whatever it is, the rest of the country could use some once the lockdown comes to an end.

Yesterday, he was in the Commons to deliver a statement to the House on the Governments track and trace scheme.

Say what you like about Mr Hancock, but hes a resilient so-and-so. Yes, he had the mildly contemptuous air of the head prefect who addresses the younger pupils as boy, but he is a minister largely on top of his brief.

There are no ums, or ers, or dya mind if I get back to yous when he appears in the chamber. Questions are usually met with answers.

There was some early argy-bargy with his opposite number Jon Ashworth, with whom relations have hitherto been fragrant.

Mr Ashworth, an erstwhile sensible voice, made some chippy remarks about the private sectors involvement in testing.

Hancock bristled. Not one single test, he affirmed, would have been possible without the private sector.

With an expansive wave of the arms, he announced he had hoped that wing of the Labour party had left the Shadow Cabinet when Jeremy Corbyn slinked off to the backbenches.

Matt Hancock enjoyed some early argy-bargy with his opposite number Jon Ashworth (pictured)

Quite right. Dread to think where we would be in this mess without our bustling private sector.

Where would we have been without the skills and expertise of our supermarkets supply chain?

It was notable that when Alan Brown (SNP, Kilmarnock and Loudoun) made a similar criticism about private business, Hancock once again took issue with his remarks.

The crisis, he said, had ended for good the idea that public services alone should deliver certain services... teamwork is the best option.

As if to demonstrate that point, up popped Joy Morrissey (Con, Beaconsfield) to offer praise to initiatives in her constituency to provide the NHS with PPE.

Hancock agreed, singling out the Daily Mail-backed Mail Force appeal, which had raised enormous amounts of money in procuring medical equipment for our NHS heroes.

Sourness soon returned as Barry Sheerman (Lab, Huddersfield) piped up, decrying the shambles the Government was presiding over.

He wondered why the lockdown was being eased when the R rate of infections had doubled in Yorkshire.

It hasnt doubled at all, said Hancock insouciantly, treating Sheermans comments with the same regard as lunchtime suppers ignore the snarls of the ranting pub bore.

If there was a patronising tone in Sheermans voice as he addressed Hancock, it might partly be explained by a widely held assumption that, as one of George Osbornes former acolytes, the minister was one of David Camerons posh Notting Hill set.

Not so. When Nick Smith (Lab, Blaenau Gwent) demanded provisions be made for miners in his constituency whose weak lungs from their time in the pit had left them vulnerable to the virus, Hancock sympathised, hailing from mining stock myself. This is not a card hes shy of playing.

Towards the end that never-ending conundrum over protective masks was raised. Hilary Benn (Lab, Leeds Central)  appearing in front of a sparse mantelpiece and bare walls, possibly an unused room in his mansion  wanted reassurance that teachers returning to the classroom would be permitted to wear them. Hancock replied that was a matter for the school head to decide. It always is, you know.

As the clock struck 16.30, the Health Secretary headed for the exit. More meetings, more briefings and, no doubt, another appointment with the airwaves.
Shares in Galileo Resources have enjoyed a significant boost in recent weeks as the company moved to consolidate its ground position in Zambia, where it holds licences for the Star Zinc and Kashitu projects.

Galileo's chief executive Colin Bird describes those developments more as a 'mopping up exercise' than as anything drastically new.

A more significant departure came with the subsequent acquisition of a major copper exploration portfolio in Botswana, although it remains to be seen how much value the market will attribute to those assets in the near-term.

Galileo Resources moved to consolidate its ground position in Zambia

Still, one way or another, Bird has made it very clear that Galileo is a company that is on the move, and that however unfortunate the wider circumstances may be during the coronavirus crisis, there are nevertheless opportunities to be had.

The company's shares spiked up to just over 1p earlier in May, and are now trading at around 0.84p, a higher level than they have been for the past 18 months. To put it another way, all the ground that was lost during the worst of the coronavirus market crash has been made up, and the shares have risen by an additional 100 per cent for good measure.

But there should be more to come. Following completion of the earn-in requirements on the Zambian projects, Galileo now owns 95 per cent of Star Zinc and all of Kashitu.

With the ownership structure of the project now finalised, the company is ready to start getting down to some real work, subject only to the granting of a small-scale mining licence by the Zambian government.

The granting of such a licence would normally take around 90 days, although under the circumstances of the coronavirus crisis it may take a little longer.

Even so, it is certainly realistic to expect that Star will be up and running and producing ore within a few months, shipping across the project boundary to Galileo's sister company, Jubilee Metals, which owns the Sable zinc smelter next door.

The current thinking is that selling ore from Star into the Sable smelter should generate around $10million per year in cash flow for Galileo over a period of six years.

The resource is constrained, at around 400,000 tonnes, and is unlikely to grow much bigger even if more drilling is completed, so we're not talking about a long-term operation here.

What we are talking about is a project that will provide plenty of wherewithal for Galileo to get on and work up the Kashitu project, and the new copper projects too, down the line.

'Kashitu is a much larger animal,' says Bird. 'BHP came up with an estimate that it contains 50million tonnes at (grades of) at least 3 per cent, but that could be upgraded.'

One reason why he thinks so is that within that unofficial estimate BHP drilled out several areas with much higher grades. Bird's judgment on matters like this is worth taking seriously, as seasoned investors will know.

He was the driving force behind Kiwara, which was sold to First Quantum for $260million during the middle part of the last mining boom, and he was also the progenitor of Galileo's neighbour at Star, Jubilee Metals, which has now built up a strong track record of cash generation.

Galileo is a different proposition again, but there is no reason it can't be built up using the standard old model: use cash flow from a smaller operation to build something bigger.

Everything is in place: following a recent fundraising, there's enough to get going at Star, which is a shallow orebody with high grades and nothing at any great depth. Contract miners will be used, so overheads will be low, and at a corporate level Bird is keeping a tight rein on costs too.

Whether anything of the current cash pile will be left over from the re-start at Star for exploration at Kashitu remains to be seen. But with cashflow likely within the year, that latter point is somewhat moot  either way, there should be cash to drill Kashitu before too long.

Bird knows this, and it gives him a certain confidence. 'I can't wait to get it underway,' he says.

Others are confident too. The vendors of the Botswana copper projects were quite happy to take the bulk of their payment in Galileo shares, and have already done well out of that decision.

It is a precedent that bodes well for the future, and marks Galileo out as a company to watch as we begin to emerge into a post-lockdown world.
Read what is in the news today:

Society

 Vietnam logged two new cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Sunday evening  both are Vietnamese returnees from Russia who were quarantined upon arrival  and no new infections on Monday morning. The national tally is now 320, with 260 recoveries and no deaths.

 Vietnam Navys court-martial on Monday morning opened the trial of Nguyen Van Hien, a former vice-minister of national defense, and seven other defendants for violations in relation to a prime land lot on Ton Duc Thang Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

 Officials in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday morning held a flag salute ceremony on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, in front of a statue of late President Ho Chi Minh, to mark the 130th anniversary of his birth (May 19).

 A heatwave lasting until May 20 or 21 is forecast to continue scorching central Vietnam, with temperatures averaging 34-37 degrees Celsius, while southern Vietnam will start to experience occasional rain in the afternoons, cooling down the region and lowering mercury to 32-35 degrees Celsius.

 Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on May 13 successfully performed a heart transplant on a woman using the heart of a brain-dead donor from Viet Duc University Hospital in Hanoi.

 Two Vietnamese nationals were confirmed to catch COVID-19 in South Korea on Sunday. One of them visited a bar in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul on May 1 while the other is a colleague of the first patient.

Business

 Chinese nationals are the de facto owners of over 160,000 hectares of coastal land in Vietnam  some in locations vital to national defense  by taking advantage of loopholes in Vietnams 2014 Law on Investment to establish consortia with Chinese-Vietnamese people in the country and pump money for the latter group to acquire land.

 Vietnam Electricity (EVN) reported a pre-tax profit of VND12.5 trillion (US$535 million) against a net revenue of VND394.9 trillion ($16.92 billion) in 2019, up 38 percent and 17 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to its consolidated financial statements recently released.

Education

 Grade school teachers in Ho Chi Minh City are complaining that their first-grade students have forgotten how to read and write and fail to remember basic math after three months of school interruption owing to COVID-19.

World news

 The novel coronavirus has infected over 4.8 million people and killed more than 316,600 around the globe as of Monday morning, according to statistics. More than 1.85 million patients have recovered from COVID-19.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/Egalitarian-Society-Jewish-Style.html

The parsha of Bamidbar is generally read on the shabbat before Shavuot, zman matan torateinu, the time of the giving of our law, the revelation at Sinai. So the Sages, believing that nothing is coincidental, searched for some connection between the two.

To find one is not easy. There is nothing in the parsha about the giving of the Torah. Instead it is about a census of the Israelites. Nor is its setting helpful. We are told at the beginning that the events about to be described took place in the wilderness of Sinai, whereas when the Torah speaks about the great revelation, it talks about Mount Sinai. One is a general region, the other a specific mountain within that region. Nor are the Israelites at this stage walking towards Mount Sinai. To the contrary, they are preparing to leave. They are about to begin the second part of their journey, from Sinai to the Promised Land.

The Sages did, nonetheless, make a connection, and it is a surprising one: "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" (Numbers 1:1). Why the Sinai Wilderness? From here the Sages taught that the Torah was given through three things: fire, water, and wilderness. How do we know it was given through fire? From Exodus 19:18: "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke as God had come down upon it in fire." How do we know it was given through water? As it says in Judges 5:4, "The heavens dripped and the clouds dripped water [at Sinai]." How do we know it was given through wilderness? [As it says above,] "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness." And why was the Torah given through these three things? Just as [fire, water, and wilderness] are free to all the inhabitants of the world, so too are the words of Torah free to them, as it says in Isaiah 55:1, "Oh, all who are thirsty, come for water... even if you have no money."1

The Midrash takes three words associated with Sinai  fire (that was blazing on the mountain just before the revelation), water (based on a phrase in the Song of Deborah) and wilderness (as at the beginning of our parsha, and also in Exodus 19:1, 2), and it connects them by saying that they are free to all the inhabitants of the world.

This is not the association most of us would make. Fire is associated with heat, warmth, energy. Water is associated with quenching thirst and making things grow. Wilderness is the space between: neither starting point nor destination, the place where you need signposts and a sense of direction. All three would therefore make good metaphors for the Torah. It warms. It energises. It satisfies spiritual thirst. It gives direction. Yet that is not the approach taken by the Sages. What mattered to them is that all three are free.

Staying for a moment with the comparison of Torah and the wilderness, there were surely other significant analogies that might have been made. The wilderness is a place of silence where you can hear the voice of God. The wilderness is a place away from the distractions of towns and cities, fields and farms, where you can focus on the presence of God. The wilderness is a place where you realise how vulnerable you are: you feel like sheep in need of a shepherd. The wilderness is a place where it is easy to get lost, and you need some equivalent of a Google-maps-of-the-soul. The wilderness is a place where you feel your isolation and you reach out to a force beyond you. Even the Hebrew name for wilderness, midbar, comes from the same root as word (davar) and to speak (d-b-r). Yet these were not the connections the sages of the Midrash made. Why not?

The Sages understood that something profound was born at Mount Sinai, and this has distinguished Jewish life ever since. It was the democratisation of knowledge. Literacy and knowledge of the law was no longer to be confined to a priestly elite. For the first time in history everyone was to have access to knowledge, education and literacy. The law that Moses gave us is the possession of the assembly of Jacob (Deut. 33:4)  the whole assembly, not a privileged group within it.

The symbol of this was the revelation at Mount Sinai, the only time in history when God revealed Himself not only to a Prophet but to an entire people, who three times signalled their consent to the commands and the covenant. In the penultimate command that Moses gave to the people, known as Hakhel, he instructed

At the end of every seven years, in the Sabbatical year, during the Festival of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place He will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the peoplemen, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your townsso they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. (Deut. 31:10-13)

There is an echo of this in the famous verse from Isaiah 54:13, And all your children shall be learned of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children. This was and remains the unique feature of the Torah as the written constitution of the Jewish people as a nation under the sovereignty of God. Everyone is expected not merely to keep the law but to know it. Jews became a nation of constitutional lawyers.

There were two further key moments in the history of this development. The first was when Ezra and Nehemiah gathered the people, after the Babylonian exile, to the Water Gate in Jerusalem, on Rosh Hashanah, and read the Torah to them, placing Levites throughout the crowd to explain to people what was being said and what it meant, a defining moment in Jewish history that took the form not of a battle but of a massive adult education programme (Neh. 8). Ezra and Nehemiah realised that the most significant battles in ensuring the Jewish future were cultural, not military. This was one of the most transformative insights in history.

The second was the extraordinary creation, in the first century, of the worlds first system of universal compulsory education. Here is how the Talmud describes the process, culminating in the work of Joshua ben Gamla, a High Priest in the last days of the Second Temple:

Truly the name of that man is to be blessed, namely Joshua ben Gamla, for but for him the Torah would have been forgotten from Israel. For at first if a child had a father, his father taught him, and if he had no father he did not learn at all . . . They therefore ordained that teachers should be appointed in each prefecture, and that boys should enter school at the age of sixteen or seventeen. [They did so] but if the teacher punished them they used to rebel and leave the school. Eventually, Joshua b. Gamla came and ordained that teachers of young children should be appointed in each district and each town, and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven.2

Universal compulsory education did not exist in England  at that time the worlds leading imperial power  until 1870, a difference of 18 centuries. At roughly the same time as Joshua ben Gamla, in the first century C.E., Josephus could write:

Should any one of our nation be asked about our laws, he will repeat them as readily as his own name. The result of our thorough education in our laws from the very dawn of intelligence is that they are, as it were, engraved on our souls.3

We now understand the connection the Sages made between the wilderness and the giving of the Torah: it was open to everyone, and it was free. Neither lack of money nor of aristocratic birth could stop you from learning Torah and acquiring distinction in a community in which scholarship was considered the highest achievement.

With three crowns was Israel crowned: the crown of Torah, the crown of Priesthood and the crown of Kingship. The crown of Priesthood was conferred on Aaron  The crown of kingship was conferred on David  But the crown of Torah is for all Israel  Whoever desires it, let them come and take it.4

I believe that this is one of Judaisms most profound ideas: whatever you seek to create in the world, start with education. If you want to create a just and compassionate society, start with education. If you want to create a society of equal dignity, ensure that education is free and equal to all. That is the message the Sages took from the fact that we read Bamidbar before Shavuot, the festival that recalls that when God gave our ancestors the Torah, He gave it to all of them equally.

Bamidbar Rabbah 1: 7. Baba Batra, 21a. Contra Apionem, ii, 177-78. Maimonides, Hilkhot Talmud Torah, 3:1.

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By PTI

WASHINGTON: Sravya Annappareddy, a 10-year-old Indian-American girl, has been honoured by President Donald Trump for donating cookies to nurses and firefighters and sending personalised greeting cards to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 pandemic in the US, the worst affected country in the world.

Sravya is a Girl Scouts Troop member and a fourth-grade student at the Hanover Hills Elementary School in Maryland.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Friday paid tribute to several American heroes who are helping on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, including Girl Scouts from Maryland who donated cookies to nurses and firefighters.

"The men and women we honor today remind us that the bonds that unite us in times of hardship can also raise us to new heights as we reopen and recover and rebuild," The Washington Times quoted the president as saying.

Sravya was among the three 10-year-old Girl Scouts honored by Trump for their help.

Her parents are from Andhra Pradesh.

Girl Scouts Laila Khan, Lauren Matney, and Sravya of Troop 744 in Elkridge, Maryland, all 10 years old, donated 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to local doctors, nurses, and firefighters.

They also wrote 200 personalized cards for health care workers, the report said.

"While we are honored that our troop was invited to be here today, we know that we are just part of the millions of other children out there that are doing amazing things to support their communities, their friends, and their families. It is a privilege to be here representing all of them," said Khan, who represented the troop.

Among the honorees was Amy Ford, a nurse from Williamson, West Virginia, who traveled to Brooklyn, New York, to work in a hospital besieged with COVID-19 patients.

"For the past 42 days, she's been working 12-hour shifts in the intensive care units of Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. Amy has been serving the coronavirus patients around the clock, and she once held the hand of an elderly patient all night long, just so the woman would not feel alone," Trump said.

The novel coronavirus which originated in Wuhan in December last year has claimed 315,185 lives and infected over 4.7 million people globally.

The US is the worst affected country with 89,562 deaths and over 1.4 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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Guizhou, the only province in China that does not have a plain, is always considered a region located in high mountains and deep valleys.

Villagers plant vegetables near the barrage area of Rongjiang county, southwest Chinas Guizhou province, April 7. Photo by Liu Jinyin, Peoples Daily Online

However, the Chejiang Dam north of Rongjiang county in southeast Guizhou is presenting a totally different view  villagers busy farming on a vast flat land which is covered by steel-structured greenhouses, numerous vegetable plantations, as well as newly ploughed farmland.

Its hardly imaginable that the high-quality cropland in the barrage area, which is rare in Guizhou province and covers an area of nearly 700 hectares, was once in extreme chaos.

The lack of systematic planning and development was once a major problem of the place. Ponds, chicken farms and agritainment facilities popped up in flocks, but they seldom achieved major success. Besides, as a dam built close to the Rongjiang county, it is densely populated with migrants from other regions, where unapproved construction projects were prevalent.

Farmers spray fertilizer in the cropland of the barrage area of Rongjiang county, southwest Chinas Guizhou province, April 7. Photo by Liu Jinyin, Peoples Daily Online

Since last November, Rongjiang county started orderly industrial construction in the barrage area, and the first step was to dismantle unapproved construction projects. The county restored over 97 hectares of illegally occupied land, dismantled 207 unapproved buildings that covered 5.5 hectares, and removed 73.6 hectares of nursery stock and 7.6 hectares of ponds whose usage of land was illegally changed. Thanks to these efforts, the Chejiang Dam was finally brought back to what it should be  a piece of high-quality cropland covering 700 hectares.

Few people made a fortune from agriculture in the barrage area in the past. Ou Anyang, a 71-year-old farmer who owns only 0.27 hectares of land, considers farming his lifetime business. When he was young, only by working a few months in the land, the rice he cultivated was able to supply his whole family. However, in recent years, he only made less than 10,000 yuan ($1,408) each year after 12 months of bustling in the watermelon and sugarcane plantations run by him and his fellow villagers.

A villager picks tomatoes in the barrage area of Rongjiang county, southwest Chinas Guizhou province, April 26. Photo by Wang Bingzhen, Peoples Daily Online

To scale up the profits, the priority is to select proper crops for the barrage area. After studies on the regions natural conditions and market demand, high value-added crops such as pepper, pumpkin, cowpea, eggplant, pea seedlings and flowering cabbage were selected by authorities as the optimal plants for the county.

Besides, Tongjiang county invited Guiyang Agricultural Investment Group to conduct systematic operation in the barrage area. It also established a joint corporation with agricultural investment companies and cooperatives in the county. At first, the land was transferred at around 1,600 yuan per 667 square meters, and local farmers were prioritized in the employment of the corporation. The farmers land was later converted into shares of the corporation when operation and profit stabilized.

By May 11, a total of 631 hectares of land have been transferred in the barrage area, over 99 percent of which have been planted with vegetables. It created 38,268 jobs for local people, including 25,234 from registered impoverished households, helping them gain a total income of 2.52 million yuan.

Farmers sow cabbage seeds in a vegetable plantation base of Zhongcheng township, Rongjiang county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of southwest Chinas Guizhou province, March 28. Photo by Li Changhua, Peoples Daily Online

With the opening of Guiyang-Guangzhou high speed railway and multiple expressways, the marketing channel of Rongjiangs agricultural products was further expanded. Guiyang Agricultural Investment Group has contacted many national and provincial wholesale markets for the barrage areas first batch of vegetable products, and 142 grocery stores and merchants have inked procurement agreement.

Efficient utilization remains the best way to protect the Chejiang Dam, said Ma Lei, secretary of the Communist Party of China Rongjiang county commission. The high-standard renovation of the farmland upgraded the vegetable growing industry of the country, and the annual output is expected to hit 238 million yuan when a vegetable base is completed. This year the number will reach 140 million.

This is just a start, and we will integrate agriculture, culture and tourism in the future by combining with secondary and tertiary industries, Ma noted.
San Antonio star chef Jason Dadys restaurants have joined an expanding list of businesses that have sued their insurer for denying coverage for loss of business income caused by stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Five Dady restaurants and his catering business filed the lawsuit Friday in state District Court in San Antonio seeking more than $1 million in damages from Acadia Insurance Group.

Its the fifth coronavirus-related lawsuit that Dadys counsel, San Antonios Loyd Law Firm, has filed against insurance companies in San Antonio. It has filed 11 overall in the state.

The firm has filed similar business-interruption complaints here on behalf of: bar and grill Southtown 101; The Wash Tub, which operates 28 car washes in San Antonio and elsewhere in Texas; Diesel Barbershop and six other San Antonio-area barbershops; and San Antonio alterations and tailoring shops Sew Chic.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio barbershops sue State Farm after coronavirus claims denied

The restaurants named in Dadys lawsuit are Tre Trattoria, Two Bros BBQ, Alamo BBQ Co., Range and Chispas. All of the restaurants are in San Antonio except for Chispas, which is in Austin. Dady Premier Catering also is a plaintiff.

Plaintiffs were already enduring substantial income losses and had to lay off nearly all of their staff, when on March 19, 2020, Plaintiffs were prohibited from opening their restaurants for dine-in service, the lawsuit says.

Some of the restaurants have responded by offering take-out and delivery but the loss of income remains significant, the suit continues. The catering business also has had many large events canceled.

Acadia denied the insurance claims April 2, in part, on a virus endorsement that excludes losses caused from any virus, the suit says. But Dadys businesses say they are making a claim for losses due to the orders in March from the city of San Antonio and Bexar County that restricted restaurant service to take-out, drive-thru and delivery. Austin and Travis County issued similar orders.

As a result, the businesses say have suffered physical loss to their properties, as well as the loss of income, which are not specifically excluded by the insurance policy, the suit adds.

The coverage also was denied based on a lack of physical damage. But the lawsuit counters that the policy does not require a loss caused by physical damage, only physical loss.

Plaintiffs clearly suffered physical loss to the Covered Property because they were unable to operate and use the restaurants for in-person dining pursuant to he Orders, the suit says.

Acadia has taken the position that patrons could still access the restaurants, the complaint adds.

Even when dine-in service resumes, Dady expects his restaurants will still lose income due to fear of Covid-19, the action says.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

An Acadia representative didnt respond to a request for comment Monday.

Pandemics are not insurable events, and the federal government remains the only source of financial help to recover from an event of this scale, said Camille Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Council of Texas. Its a trade group that represents property and casualty insurers.

The standard business insurance policy has an exclusion for communicable diseases, including virus or bacteria, she said in an email. She was not aware of the specific details in Dadys lawsuit.

Furthermore, when extending coverage, whether for business interruption or civil order, one of the triggers that must be met is physical damage that involves direct loss, damage, or destruction of insured property by a covered peril such as fire, windstorm or hail, she added.

Sandrine Shelton-Denbow, an attorney with the Loyd Law Firm, said that even though the lawsuits the firm has filed are similar, the outcomes could be different.

Theyre all policy specific, she said. So the key in all of these lawsuits will be looking at the policy language. A lot of it can just turn on minor words, depending on how certain things are written and how the language is put forth in the policy. So its going to get hyper-technical.

It will be up to the judges to interpret the contract language, Shelton-Denbow said.

The businesses are suing for breach of contract, noncompliance with the Texas Insurance Code and other claims.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

Trend:

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the 28th anniversary of occupation of Azerbaijan's Lachyn district by Armenia, Trend reports citing the ministry.

"May 18 marks the 28th anniversary of the occupation of the Lachyn district of Azerbaijan by the armed forces of Armenia.

"As a result of the occupation of the Lachyn district, which was not part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of Azerbaijan, 237 people were killed and 67 people went missing. Inhabitants of the region were subjected to ethnic cleansing and currently 77,700 Lachyn residents live as internally displaced persons (IDP) in different regions of Azerbaijan.

"The occupation of Lachyn, as a continuation of the aggression policy of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan, has also inflicted serious damage to state and private property of the district. Thus, 217 cultural, 101 educational, 142 healthcare, 462 commercial enterprises and 30 communications, 2 transport and various other production facilities were destroyed. Many historical monuments of national and world significance have been subjected to vandalism by Armenia. Among them the sixth century Albanian Aghoghlan cloister and the fourteenth century Malik Ajdar tomb, the mosque in Garygyshlag village and the ancient cemetery in Zabukh village were destroyed; the Lachyn Museum of History and its unique collection of ancient gold, silver and bronze artifacts were plundered.

"Like in the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the aggressor country Armenia continues its illegal activities in Lachyn district as well, grossly violating international humanitarian law, as well as its commitments under the Geneva Conventions. Geographic names of the region are changed, natural resources are exploited, illegal infrastructural changes are carried out, and deliberate resettlement policy with the aim altering the regions demographic situation is implemented.

As it is known, a decision has been adopted in favor of the Azerbaijani nationals who were forcibly displaced from the occupied Lachyn district of Azerbaijan on June 16, 2015 on the case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia of European Court of Human Rights, identified violations by Armenia of a number of their rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, namely, those relating to the protection of property, the right to respect for private and family life.

"Ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 adopted in 1993, which reaffirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan and demand immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as numerous decisions and resolutions of other international organizations, Armenia under the cover of peaceful settlement of the conflict, tries to strengthen the dangerous status quo regime based on the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts of Azerbaijan and pursues the policy of annexation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

"However, there is an unchanging truth that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, including its Nagorno-Karabakh region and other adjacent districts, are recognized, as well as the consequences of the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories are unequivocally rejected by the international community. The military occupation of the Azerbaijani territories will never yield the political results pursued by Armenia. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders has not been and cannot be a subject of negotiations.

"The aim of the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, thus ending the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and restoring the fundamental human rights of the internally displaced persons. The norms and principles of international law as enshrined in the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter constitute the basis of the negotiation process for the settlement of the conflict. Armenia's speculative attempt to delay the negotiation process, thus the political settlement of the conflict by falsehood and deception, is unacceptable and poses a major obstacle to peace in the region.

"Eliminating the grave consequences of the conflict along with being the commitment of the international community is an unconditional right of Azerbaijan under the Charter of the UN," reads the statement.
Shillong, May 18 : Meghalaya on Monday became the 5th Covid-19-free state out of the eight northeastern states as its lone corona patient, a woman, recovered from the dreaded disease, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said.

With Sikkim and Nagaland have not reported any cases, two other northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram - currently have no active cases as two patients, one in each state, have recovered and been discharged from the hospitals.

Covid-19 cases are, however, rising in the other three NE states - Tripura, Assam and Manipur. Currently, Tripura leads the tally with 167 cases, among which 80 are active, followed by Assam with 104 (58 active and three deaths) and Manipur with seven cases, of which five are active.

Sangma in a tweet, said: "Second re-test of the lone active case (positive patient) was done again, and the test has come out negative. The patient can be declared as recovered." According to the state's health officials, the woman had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 13. The mountainous state has so far recorded a total of 13 cases out of which, one person, a veteran doctor, died.

The 69-year-old doctor, who was the founder of the private Bethany Hospital in Shillong, had tested positive for the coronavirus three days before his death on April 15. The deceased doctor had no travel history but his son-in-law, who is an Air India pilot, had been to Covid-19 infected countries, and had returned home on March 22. Most of the positive cases in Meghalaya are either family members or private hospital's staff.
The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has kicked against the Public Universities Bill laid before Parliament seeking for it to be shelved because its likely to be retrogressive, rather than enhancing what Ghanaian universities have achieved over the years.



The Academy in a five-page document tabled before Parliament said they strongly believe this bill is dangerous and uncalled for insisting is a recipe for total chaos in Ghanas tertiary education system.



In the view of the Academy, the Bill is also not in conformity with the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and must be dropped.



It suggested: rather, Ghana needs a differentiated and diversified, but not necessarily hierarchical, university system, to offer the flexibility needed to address the changing needs of students and nations in an increasingly competitive and uncertain world.



The decision by government to introduce a New University Bill has been greeted with reactions and various concerns from UTAG and some members of the general public.



The proposed law will seek to change the structure of the governing councils of the public universities with the majority of the council members being appointed by the President.



This will be a deviation from the norm where the universitys members are normally the majority.



Admission of students into the public universities will also be altered with the introduction of a centralised system.

Source: kasapa FM









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Islamabad, Pakistan  Scientists and public health experts are continuing to conduct research into why some South Asian countries  despite their ramshackle health infrastructure and dense populations  have witnessed lower coronavirus mortality rates compared with many Western countries.

By early May, the worlds richest countries accounted for more than 90 percent of all reported deaths from COVID-19, according to a paper published in The Lancet medical journal. Adding China, Brazil and Iran to that list takes the number up to 96 percent.

By contrast, many densely populated developing countries in South Asia and parts of Africa have fared far better when it comes to the mortality rate from COVID-19, data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) shows.

In Europe, the observed case fatality ratio (CFR, or the percentage of deaths among confirmed coronavirus patients) has been high, with France reporting a rate of 15.2 percent, the United Kingdom 14.4 percent, Italy 14 percent and Spain 11.9 percent, according to JHU data. In the United States, the CFR is 6 percent, the data shows.

By contrast, in South Asian countries, those rates have been far lower. India has a CFR of 3.3 percent, Pakistan 2.2 percent, Bangladesh 1.5 percent and Sri Lanka 1 percent.

Researchers and public health experts are baffled by the low coronavirus mortality rates in South Asia [File: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

The rest of the world  historically far more used to being depicted as the reservoir of pestilence and disease that wealthy countries sought to protect themselves from, and the recipient of generous amounts of advice and modest amounts of aid from rich governments and foundations  looks on warily as COVID-19 moves into these regions, write Richard Cash and Vikram Patel, public health experts at Harvard University, in The Lancet.

200318040314568

Doctors and scientists say there are a number of possible explanations for the discrepancy in how COVID-19 is affecting populations in different parts of the world, whether due to varying demographics, different levels of exposure to similar viruses or even incomplete data on mortality in some countries resulting in faulty conclusions.

In Pakistan, home to 220 million people and rickety health infrastructure that offers just six hospital beds per 10,000 people, the first case of the coronavirus was reported on February 26, a returning traveller from neighbouring Iran.

Since then, the virus has spread rapidly, with at least 42,125 cases reported countrywide as of May 18, making Pakistan the 20th in the world in terms of the total number of cases. It has reported 903 deaths, making it 26th worldwide on that list, with a CFR one-third that of the US, and up to 13 percent lower than some European countries.

Is the data accurate?

The first question researchers have asked when examining the data is whether the number of deaths being reported in Pakistan and other countries is, in fact, accurate.

South Asia coronavirus cases India

Cases  96,169

Deaths  3,029 Pakistan

Cases  42,125

Deaths  903 Bangladesh

Cases  23,870

Deaths  349 Sri Lanka

Cases  981

Deaths  9 Nepal

Cases  304

Deaths  2 Maldives

Cases  1,090

Deaths  4 Bhutan

Cases  21

Deaths  0

In neighbouring India, for example, some have questioned whether deaths are being accurately documented, with as many as 78 percent of deaths not being medically certified under normal circumstances.

In Pakistan, too, this is a possibility  although medical experts working with the government in its fight against the pandemic suggest the error rate would be far lower.

There is such a stigma around the whole business of COVID, that people do not want to bring their patients to the hospitals, said Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the largest government hospital in Karachi, the countrys most populated city.

The bodies of those confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 at the time of death are dealt with through strict measures at government hospitals, with officials in full protective kits bathing the body as part of traditional Islamic burial.

The district [officials] come to receive the dead body, and we pack it in a body bag. There needs to be a better mechanism for transporting the dead, because this is something that people dont want to [happen], says Jamali.

Bathing [the dead body] is a very important ritual for Muslims in Pakistan, so it is not possible that you to completely sideline people and say you will bury [their family members] yourselves.

Nevertheless, Jamali and other experts agreed that this appeared to result in only a modest decrease in the reporting of deaths  whether COVID-19-related or not.

Dr Faisal Sultan, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khans focal person on the coronavirus crisis, says the government has put systems in place to ensure that all deaths are being accounted for, including direct coordination with provincial health authorities and community outreach using Pakistans extensive network for polio vaccination.

The health system is so sensitised right now to COVID that in the present situation, the possibility of [large numbers of] underreported deaths is unlikely, he told Al Jazeera.

Dr Faisal Mahmood, head of infectious diseases at Karachis Aga Khan University Hospital, the largest research hospital in the country, concurred, saying results from a preliminary survey at the citys graveyards had not suggested a rise in deaths as opposed to the previous year.

Al Jazeera also interviewed doctors and officials at major government hospitals in Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore, the capital Islamabad and the southwestern city of Quetta  where a number of coronavirus cases have been reported. None noted any marked increase in patients who were dead on arrival, whether from the coronavirus or other causes.

However, Dr Mahmood cautioned: It may be that our death rate is not low, but that our epidemic is slow or that we are earlier in our epidemic, and that eventually, we will have the same death rate.

Younger populations

If the data on the number of deaths is relatively accurate, that leaves several other possible explanations for why Pakistan is seeing so few deaths compared with other countries.

The US, for example, at the same stage in its outbreak (66 days since 100 cases were confirmed) had reported more than 65,000 deaths. Pakistans 903 is two orders of magnitude below that number.

Pakistan has a young population, median age 22.5, which could contribute to a low mortality rate [File: Fayaz Aziz/Reuters]

Dr Adnan Khan, a public health researcher and infectious disease specialist, says much of the exploration of correlations with coronavirus mortality rates is conjecture at this point without the backing of hard facts and comprehensive study, but that the demographics of South Asias population, and South Asians physiology, may have the answer.

The younger population hypothesis is more credible [than other theories], he says, citing Pakistans relatively younger demographics as compared with countries where COVID-19 has claimed more lives. Many of the deaths in developed countries have reportedly happened in elderly people living in nursing homes.

In the UK, more than 37 percent of the countrys 33,614 coronavirus-related deaths have occurred in elder care homes, according to the UKs Office of National Statistics. In the US, that number is also about one-third of all coronavirus deaths, according to a report in the New York Times.

By contrast, Pakistan  and South Asia in general  has a far younger population than those countries, with a median age of 22.5.

This may be one of the reasons, because if you look at the population pyramid, we have fewer elderly people as compared with the US and Europe, and we know those are the folks who are dying more frequently, said Dr Mahmood.

Varying immune responses

Another factor that has been suggested is differences in the populations immune characteristics.

Is it the environment around us? Different environmental factors that have changed our immune system in some way? We have chronic infections like tuberculosis and others [in this part of the world], or it may be because of vaccinations, says Mahmood. We dont know the answer to that particular one.

Adnan Khan, the public health researcher, believes there could be higher immunity due to exposure to other infections, but that any correlation with vaccine use would have to be borne out by further study.

In India, some have questioned whether deaths are being accurately documented, with as many as 78 percent of deaths not being medically certified under normal circumstances [Harish Tyagi/EPA]

Pakistani children receive expanded immunization, with vaccinations against nine different diseases being administered in several rounds before the age of 18 months.

Dr Sultan agrees that this could be a factor, but cautioned against jumping to conclusions  as many have hastily concluded that use of the BCG tuberculosis vaccine gives greater resistance to COVID-19.

People talk about how our exposure to various pathogens or patterns of immunisation change how our immune system is, he says. All of these things are possible, but no one has been able to categorically prove it.

Another possible factor could be the environment in South Asian countries, he said, indicating that regions with higher average temperatures and levels of sunlight and its associated ultraviolet radiation have shown relatively lower death rates so far.

Researchers have, based on the data available so far, downplayed the possibility that the strains of the virus affecting South Asia are different in any meaningful way from those hitting European and other countries where death rates are higher.

Biologically we know that the coronaviruses do not mutate that much  whenever a virus replicates, there is a bit of mutation built in, but the coronaviruses have error-proofing enzymes, so they tend to mutate less, said Dr Mahmood. And these mutations dont always affect how virulent the virus is [] they are more useful in terms of identifying the strain than affecting its [lethality].

Whatever the reason, all researchers that Al Jazeera spoke to said it was far too early to say categorically why certain countries were seeing lower levels of deaths from the coronavirus.

I want to be clear: we dont know exactly what is going on right now [with the lower deaths], said Dr Sultan.

Wide prevalence, lower deaths

On the other end of the spectrum from examining deaths, Dr Wajiha Javed, the head of public health and research at Getz Pharmaceuticals in Karachi, has been examining the prevalence of the virus among Pakistanis. Her findings tend to bolster the conclusion that something is causing people in Pakistan  and the region generally  to react differently to the virus.

Pakistan, like many developing countries, is performing limited numbers of tests per day, which are almost exclusively Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab tests. The country has conducted 387,335 tests since the outbreak began, according to government data. Those tests are being conducted largely only on those who have exhibited symptoms.

Javed, however, found that the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of the virus in her surveys has been far higher than expected. In results from 4,000 tests carried out on factory and office workers, her data shows that between 7 and 8 percent were testing positive.

This was in normal people, not people who are going to the hospital, who are even sick or have any symptoms whatsoever, she said. Out of her sample, roughly 90 percent had not exhibited any symptoms at all, she said.

Our disease is different. We have people who are exhibiting mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. That might show that we have some sort of innate immunity that is protecting us from going into severe or moderate disease, she added, stressing that those who do experience severe forms of the disease have the same risk of death.

That doesnt mean we are not infected, and that we are not infecting others.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim.
Mercedes Okwukogu is a woman to be admired. In the past three weeks, Nigerian Facebook has been greatly shaken. On Ola Bisis Facebook wall, she started sharing stories of women who are divorced. She used the hashtag, #DivorceNotStigma, and I was one of the women whose stories got shared. She reached out to me to share my story, and even before she reached out, I was planning on doing so anyway. Of course, my own story was already very public, so sharing a summary of it on Facebook was no problem. It was through this series that I met todays guest, Mercedes Okwukogu.

Let me tell you a bit about Mercedes Okwukogu. Shes an engineer in Nigeria, six feet tall, absolutely beautiful, 42, a strong woman by all indications, and a pleasure to be around  even virtually. Although she did not describe herself as humble, this was a trait I picked up from her through our long conversation (we spoke extensively on the phone before we actually recorded our podcast). You can connect with Mercedes Okwukogu on her Facebook page or through Whatsapp: +234-909-916-2263

The point of todays episode is not to rehash everything that went wrong in the marriage of Mercedes Okwukogu, but to discuss where she is now, how she feels about remarrying and dating in general. You may remember that I already shared my thoughts on remarriage. Listen and learn!

On Remarrying After Divorce and Lessons Learned

You can also listen at any and all of the following places: online, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Sticher, Google Play Music, Tunein, Spreaker, Blubrry, Digital Podcast, Deezer, Podchaser, and the Sono App (no link). If theres a podcast player you prefer that isnt listed here, let me know and Ill see if I can submit my podcast there. But thats not all! I have also finally finished creating the home for the I Am African Podcast, here on Verastic. See for yourself.

Id love to connect with you on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Please, please, please share and rate the I Am African podcast. Apple Podcast lets you leave reviews. Help a girl out, please. Rate and Share. Rate and Share. Rate and Share. Thank you!!!
States in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States began lifting restrictions on businesses and public gatherings Friday amid record increases of the COVID-19 illness in the state of Virginia. Both Maryland and Virginia have recorded more than 30,000 cases each as of Sunday. Virginia has reported 1,009 deaths and Maryland is likely to surpass 2,000 by Monday.

Both states are abandoning the already-inadequate preconditions for reopening set out by the White House last month, which included a decline of daily infection rates throughout the course of two weeks. Neither state has met even this criterion, let alone provided an adequate number of tests, contact tracing and other necessities.

In contrast, the government of Washington, D.C.s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser announced last week plans to continue sheltering in place until June 8. The city has counted over 7,000 positive cases as of Sunday. However, Bowser has also hinted at the possible easing of restrictions for nonessential businesses prior to that date.

On Thursday, Virginia reported a record number of COVID-19 infections in the 24 hours prior to its reopening. The state counted 1,067 cases of the disease the day before. A seven-day average of the states infection rate reported by the Washington Post on Friday shows that Virginia saw 790 cases daily, with 485 of those infections concentrated in the heavily-populated suburbs of Washington, D.C. The state has seen an average of 25 deaths a day.

The Virginia government has failed to meet its stated daily goal of administering 10,000 tests to residents. The overall daily average has been around 6,000 throughout the past week. Further undermining the states testing data was the Virginia Department of Healths announcement that nearly 10 percent of its findings came from serology tests, which are meant to determine the presence of antibodies in individuals previously infected.

Virginias Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has increasingly shed his earlier posture of being driven by a concern for the health of the population. His initial statements, in which he advocated a science-based approach to dealing with the sickness and reluctantly implemented mild social distancing measures, had been seized on by the Trump administration to attack the state government as hampering efforts to reopen the economy.

Today is a big step for us, moving into phase one, Northam declared at a press conference Friday. The last thing that we need as a health issue, the last thing we need as an economic issue is to have to go back to where weve been. So lets work together and not let that happen, he added, referring to the social distancing measures he previously had advocated.

While areas especially hard hit by the pandemic will be allowed to remain closed, Northam is allowing retail businesses and restaurants to open at 50 percent capacity in regions less affected. Places of worship will also be allowed to open at half capacity.

Indicating that his administration had come under tremendous pressure from the tourist industry, Northam told the press, Im prepared to make an announcementprobably on Mondayregarding our beaches. With Memorial Day a week away, retailers and hotels in the Virginia Beach and Eastern Shore have demanded they be included in the states reopening plans.

Were in a really bad situation, said hotel developer Bruce Thompson to the Post last week. I dont question the need for social distancing or sanitizing. Its going to be 80 degrees this weekend. People are gonna go to the beach.  So why not let us regulate it and control it? said Thompson, a major political donor in the state and a member of Northams task force for reopening its economy.

The state of Maryland also began lifting restrictions Friday evening. According to the regions CBS affiliate, daily cases of COVID-19 reported in Maryland have been flat for more than a week. They arent getting worse, but they arent getting better. The state has averaged 990 new cases on a daily basis for the past week.

Maryland was a little bit lucky that we werent Washington [state] or New York, that we had several weeks to plan, Dr. Gabe Kelen, the director of Johns Hopkins Department of Emergency Medicine, told the Post. According to the publication, Kelen insisted that despite certain positive data, the disease has not peaked.

Were predicting a new spike. At first, it might be a little baby spike, three to six weeks after everything opens up. There could be a huge spike in early to late summer, depending on how much responsibility individuals choose to take and how rationally this region opens up.

As in Virginia, Marylands Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, has set similar conditions for businesses reopening at 50 percent capacity. However, Maryland has not allowed restaurants to begin offering in-house dining. The state allowed popular beach destinations such as Ocean City to reopen to tourists earlier this month.

On Friday, several Maryland state lawmakers sent a letter to the governors office protesting the plans to reopen. Without a robust testing, tracing, and isolation system in place, there is little doubt that any easing of restrictions will lead to additional COVID-19 cases, said the letter, which was signed by a number of Democratic party lawmakers in the states more populated areas. As in Virginia, the majority of those cases have been concentrated in the Washington, D.C., suburbs north and east of the nations capital.

There is a farcical element in the states decision to stagger the reopenings in the region. As with other states that have begun reopening, the resumption of business will immediately attract out-of-area customers, leading to a further spread of the virus. The effort to reopen prematurely has the intended political consequence of encouraging other regions to begin a hasty resumption of business.

According to the Post, state governments have reported a staggering loss of tax revenue compared to the same period last year. Virginia has reported a 26 percent drop in its tax receipts from April 2019, while Maryland has forecast the loss of roughly $925 million in revenue by June. The precipitous drop off of taxes, combined with the explosion of unemployment, is set to lead to a massive budget crisis in the coming years.
(Photo : Image Courtesy of Sami Vellamo/Facebook)

A cafe in Germany celebrates its reopening by letting its customers practice social distancing with pool noodles on their heads, and yes, you read that right.

Read More: Pirates Attack But Fail to Take Stolt Apal Tanker in the Ninth Incident This Year by Pirates in the Gulf of Aden

Cafe Rothe in Schwerin Operating Once Again

A cafe located in Germany opens its doors once again to customers and is handing out pool noodles to maintain a safe distance of social distancing.

Last Saturday, the owners of the cafe, which is at Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania -- were allowed to open amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions were lifted, with a few changes in how they operate, of course.

The motto of the cafe is: "Keep the social distance." which makes sense with everything that's happening in the world. However, it didn't stop the customers from enjoying the beautiful weather and ambiance the cafe brought along with their spectacular servings and drinks.

Their decision to use pool noodles to maintain social distancing practices as compared to merely placing an X on the ground and say this should be where you sit is a creative way, and customers loved the idea. Despite it looking funny to some customers and bystanders, this might be the norm in our society as we struggle to fight the virus as well as maintain a little bit of social sanity.

Read More: ABC Streams 'American Idol 2020' Finale; How to Watch it Live at Home for Free

Cafe Owners Having a Blast With The Idea and Reopening

To celebrate the occasion, owner Jaqueline Rothe posted a photo on her cafe's Facebook page, which shows the customers sitting at tables wearing their colorful headgear.

The caption she posted alongside the photo said, "Today it's like this: distance measurement."

Rothe, 52-year-old German native, told CNN that there had been a lot of happy customers that flocked over to the cafe to enjoy everything they had to offer after the lifting of some of the restrictions.

Rothe told a local TV company named RTL, which filmed the reopening of cafes and restaurants said, "This was the perfect method to keep customers apart -- and a fun one,"

"It was a perfect gag, and of course it was funny, our customers were really into it. But what it did show to us (was) how difficult it is to keep a distance of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet),"

Rothe was surprised that her photo caught the eye of people worldwide and supported the idea of other businesses who made ways to operate despite the coronavirus pandemic but still offered a sense of normalcy.

The cafe has 36 tables inside and also had about 20 tables outside, which would cater to customers who enjoy the outdoors a bit more.

Rothe said, "But with the new hygiene and social distancing measures we only have 12 tables inside and only eight outside," and added, "We will see what to expect when Germany opens up. Further, more people are allowed to travel, and we have more tourists coming in the next few weeks, we will take it as it comes,"

Germany was able to lift some restrictions when Chancellor Merkel said that the country has now passed phase one of the pandemic.

Read More: Pilot in Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Did Not Have Drugs or Alcohol in System Based on Autopsy

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tumor cells inhibit myeloid cell phagocytosis and dendritic cell antigen presentation through the novel "Don't eat me" signal mediated by CLEC-1

CLEC-1 represents a new therapeutic target for immuno-oncology

Antagonists of the CLEC-1 myeloid checkpoint pathway represent an innovative cancer immunotherapy approach

Regulatory News:

OSE Immunotherapeutics (Paris:OSE) (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE), today announced that new preclinical data identifying a novel myeloid immune checkpoint target for cancer immunotherapy, CLEC-1 (a C-type lectin receptor) have been selected for oral presentation(1) at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II, to be held on June 22-24, 2020.

Nicolas Poirier, Chief Scientific Officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics, comments: "These data indicate that the myeloid checkpoint CLEC-1 is a new therapeutic target in immuno-oncology and that antagonists of the CLEC-1 pathway constitute an innovative cancer immunotherapy approach synergistic with chemotherapy or tumor-targeting antibodies. The identification of CLEC-1 and its antagonists continue to reinforce our presence in the highly attractive field of myeloid cells and macrophages, identified as poor prognostic factors in oncology and in immune escape mechanisms of cancer immunotherapies."

These findings come from a research program conducted by OSE 's R&D team in collaboration with

Dr Elise Chiffoleau (Center for Research in Transplantation and Immunology, UMR INSERM 1064, Nantes University Hospital). This program isfocused on the development of a cancer immunotherapy targeting a newly identified C-type lectin receptor, CLEC-1, to block suppressive functions of myeloid cells and to restore anti-tumor response of T-lymphocytes. Suppressive myeloid cells have the ability to accumulate in the tumor microenvironment and to deregulate the immune activation of T-lymphocytes.

This research has demonstrated that novel myeloid immune checkpoint CLEC-1 is a new therapeutic target of interest in immuno-oncology. The main findings being presented at AACR are:

CLEC-1 is a novel "Don't eat me" signal (similar to the SIRPa-CD47 axis) and CLEC-1 antagonist antibodies developed by OSE Immunotherapeutics restore the phagocytosis function of macrophages and dendritic cells in synergy with tumor-targeting antibodies.

CLEC-1 acts as a "sensor of death" by recognizing stress conditions and cell necrosis of tumor cells.

CLEC-1 genetically deficient mice more efficiently eradicate tumor cells, in particular when combined with cytotoxic and immunogenic chemotherapy that induces cell stress conditions.

CLEC-1 is expressed by specific subtypes of dendritic cells specialized in antigen presentation in the tumor; in vivo the receptor inhibits T lymphocytes cross-priming and dampens adaptative memory immune response. The absence of CLEC-1 favors the generation of adaptive memory immune responses.

(1) AACR Virtual Annual Meeting II presentation details

CLEC-1 is a novel myeloid immune checkpoint for cancer immunotherapy controlling damaged and tumor cells phagocytosis.

Gauttier V*, Drouin M*, Saenz J, Evrard B, Mary C, Teppaz G, Desalle A, Thepenier V, Wilhelm E, Poirier N*, Chiffoleau E*

*authors contribute equally to this work

CLEC-1 suppress dendritic cell antigen presentation and is a novel myeloid immune checkpoint target for cancer immunotherapy.

Drouin M*, Saenz J*, Evrard B, Gauttier V, Teppaz G, Lopez-Robles MD, Louvet C, Poirier N*, Chiffoleau E*

*authors contribute equally to this work

ABOUT OSE Immunotherapeutics

OSE Immunotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and partnering therapies to control the immune system for immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases. The company has several scientific and technological platforms including neoepitopes and agonist or antagonist monoclonal antibodies, all ideally positioned to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases. Its first-in-class clinical and preclinical portfolio has a diversified risk profile:

Tedopi (innovative combination of neoepitopes): the company's most advanced product; positive results for Step-1 of the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer post checkpoint inhibitor failure; due to Covid-19, voluntary definitive suspension of new patient accrual in the Step-2 initially planned in the trial.

In Phase 2 in pancreatic cancer (TEDOPaM, sponsor GERCOR) in combination with checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo.

BI 765063 (OSE-172, anti-SIRPa monoclonal antibody): developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim; myeloid checkpoint inhibitor in Phase 1 in advanced solid tumors

FR104 (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): positive Phase 1 results; Phase 2-ready asset in autoimmune diseases or in transplantation

OSE-127 (humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IL-7 receptor): developed in partnership with Servier; positive Phase 1 results; two independent Phase 2 planned in ulcerative colitis (OSE sponsor) and in Sjogren's syndrome (Servier sponsor) to start in 2020.

BiCKI: bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 (OSE-279) combined with new immunotherapy targets; 2nd generation of PD-(L)1 inhibitors to increase antitumor efficacity. Additional innovative research programs

CoVepiT: a prophylactic vaccine against COVID-19, developed using SARS-CoV-2 optimized neo-epitopes. First preclinical results expected start of H2 2020, possible clinical trial by year end

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, accrual of new patients in the clinical trials TEDOPaM and BI 765063 is temporarily suspended and initiation timelines for both Phase 2 trials of OSE-127 could be impacted during the coming months.

For more information: https://ose-immuno.com/en/

Click and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics' management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.

These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "target", "plan", or "estimate", their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import. Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics' shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on 15 April 2020, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2019, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics' website. Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200517005015/en/

Contacts:

OSE Immunotherapeutics

Sylvie Detry

Sylvie.detry@ose-immuno.com

+33 153 198 757

French Media: FP2COM

Florence Portejoie

fportejoie@fp2com.fr

+33 607 768 283

U.S. Media: LifeSci Public Relations

Darren Opland, Ph.D.

darren@lifescipublicrelations.com

+1 646 627 8387

U.S. and European Investors

Chris Maggos

chris@lifesciadvisors.com

+41 79 367 6254
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 19:08:50|Editor: huaxia

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by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh saw its deadliest day of the COVID-19 pandemic so far with the highest single-day hike of 21 in deaths of COVID-19 patients Monday.

Professor Nasima Sultana, a senior Health Ministry official, told an online media briefing in Dhaka that "another 21 COVID-19 deaths were confirmed in a 24-hour period, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country since March 18 to 349."

Earlier on May 13, Bangladesh reported the highest 19 deaths of COVID-19 patients in a day.

According to the official, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased to 23,870, with the biggest daily rise of 1,602 cases reported in the last 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Bangladesh earlier recorded the highest 1,273 cases in a 24-hour period on May 17.

According to the official, 9,788 samples were tested in the last 24 hours in scores of labs across Bangladesh.

During the last 24 hours, she said 212 more patients were released from hospitals and clinics, bringing the number of recovered patients in the country to 4,585.

Sultana said Bangladesh capital Dhaka remained the country's epicenter of the COVID-19 infection with many new cases and fatalities every day.

Against this backdrop, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have again tightened restrictions on the flow of people into and out of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

DMP personnel were seen Monday reinforcing the checkpoints at key entry and exit points to the city.

DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam has instructed officers strengthening check-posts to check any person entering or exiting Dhaka barring an emergency, a DMP official said anonymously.

"DMP decided to tighten COVID-19 curbs following hefty rises in infections in the recent days amid eased lockdown for allowing more business activities ahead of the Muslims' Eid festival."

With days left before Eid-ul-Fitr which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan that started here on April 25, more and more Bangladesh capital dwellers are now going out with more and more shops and markets reopening though on a limited scale.

The Bangladeshi government recently extended the nationwide lockdown again to May 30 but softened restrictions on business activities.

Bangladesh allowed re-opening of shops and markets in the country from May 10 on a limited scale. Thousands of the country's readymade garment (RMG) factories have resumed operations since last month.

"We'll be able to contain the virus though the lockdown has been relaxed on a limited scale for the sake of ensuring livelihood of millions," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier said.

Bangladesh announced first a shutdown of offices and public transport from March 26 to April 4. Enditem
North Carolina officials responded to a judges order with a sheaf of documents outlining what the state is doing to stem the spread of COVID-19 in its prisons.

They described providing at least two masks to each inmate. In dorms packed with bunk beds, they are asking prisoners to sleep in a head-to-toe arrangement to maximize the space between their heads. And they are directing inmates in prison manufacturing plants to churn out face masks, gowns and thousands of gallons of disinfectant and non-alcoholic hand cleanser for use in the prisons.

But, some attorneys and experts say, what was most notable in the states response is what was left unsaid.

Neither the Department of Public Safety, which oversees state prisons, nor the governor, who has power to commute prison sentences, outlined any plans to release more inmates early  a step that some experts say is crucial to allow for more social distancing in currently crowded prison dorms.

Officials also didnt announce any plan to test more adult inmates for COVID-19. So far, the state has tested about 4% of inmates  well below the national average for state prisons, according to data compiled by the COVID Prison Project.

I think the necessary steps to limit the spread of disease include de-population and test, test, test, said Dr. Brie Williams, who heads a team of medical experts at the University of California, San Francisco that focuses on the health of people who live and work in prisons and jails.

When little testing is done, undetected cases of COVID-19 are inevitable, said Alison O. Jordan, a nationally recognized public health consultant with expertise in jails and prisons.

The consequence is that more people will spread the disease, Jordan said. More people will get sick. And more people will die.

To evaluate how prison officials are attempting to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the prisons, reporters from six newsrooms across the state examined records from the May 8 court filing and interviewed inmates, experts and officials from other states.

Story continues

COVID-19 thrives in the cramped quarters of prisons, and it endangers more than inmates and prison employees. Thats because employees can transport the virus to their families and communities.

COVID-19  does not respect the boundaries of a prison wall or a jail wall, Williams said.

If they test us, theyre going to find theres COVID-19

Limited testing makes the true scope of COVID-19 in state prisons impossible to know.

About a third of North Carolinas prisons have yet to test a single inmate, state data shows. And at 24 more state prisons, fewer than a dozen inmates have been tested.

Friday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said more people now qualify to get a COVID-19 test. That includes people who live and work in congregate facilities, including prisons and county jails.

But when asked how inmates would gain access to a test, she demurred.

The good news is we havent seen other outbreaks in other facilities, Cohen said.

DHHS defines a COVID-19 outbreak as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases, which means that North Carolina has seen outbreaks in 11 of its prisons.

The states two largest outbreaks have been at Neuse Correctional Institution, in Goldsboro, and the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, in Raleigh.

At Neuse, all the inmates were tested after medical staff saw a spike in confirmed cases in mid-April. More than 460 inmates  about 70% of the prisons population  tested positive. At NCCIW, more than 90 inmates  about 40% of those tested  were found to be infected.

Inmates at Neuse Correctional Institution, in Goldsboro, move between buildings Sunday.

The lack of known outbreaks at more facilities may be due to limited testing.

Given what we know about how quickly this disease spreads, the result of such limited testing is putting people in DPS care in grave danger, said Leah Kang, a staff attorney for the ACLU of North Carolina who helped represent civil rights groups in a recent lawsuit aimed at reducing the states prison population in response to COVID-19.

Inmates at several prisons have told reporters over the last several weeks that prison officials are not testing people who show symptoms of COVID-19.

At the Wake County Correctional Center, in Raleigh, the states statistics show that just one inmate has been tested and that no one has tested positive.

But one inmate there, who asked not to be named because he fears retaliation, said that, based on what he sees, he thinks a number of inmates have contracted COVID-19.

We see guys who dont smoke but they cough for like a week, the inmate said. They dont want to test us. Because you know what? If they test us, theyre going to find theres COVID-19.

On Saturday, DPS announced that it would test all youth at the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center in Concord after a staff member there tested positive for the coronavirus. But no other large-scale testing initiatives have been announced.

State prison officials say theyre simply following the recommendations of government health agencies, which urge testing when people show symptoms.

The stance has been that CDC guidelines dont call for mass testing. DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) guidelines dont call for mass testing, prison spokesman John Bull said on Friday. Both call for symptom-based testing.

Yet those guidelines are changing. On Friday, DHHS issued new guidance recommending that testing be available to people in correctional facilities, regardless of symptoms.

Some other states have taken a far more aggressive approach.

Tennessee was the first state to enact a plan to test all staff and people housed in state prisons on May 4, after seeing the results of mass-testing at four prisons.

On May 12, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced the mass-testing of inmates through self-administered tests after seeing a surge in illness and deaths among inmates and staff.

Michigan, a state with comparable numbers of people in prison to North Carolina, has already tested more than 16,000 inmates  about 12 times the number tested in North Carolina. The states goal is to test all 37,000 inmates, according to Michigan prison spokesman Chris Gautz.

Theyve accomplished this mass testing with the help of 75 National Guard troops.

Each test costs about $50. But Gautz said prison officials have found that its worth the cost.

You cant solve a problem if you dont know you have one, he said. And you cant solve a problem if you dont know where it is.

Its a breeding ground

Those who live and work in prisons are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because inmates live so closely together.

In interviews over the past month, more than a dozen inmates described cramped conditions: Bunk beds so close together that prisoners can reach out and touch their neighbors. Inmates who line up right next to each other for food and medication. Prisoners who crowd around televisions in prison day rooms, sometimes without masks.

Carl McMillian, an inmate at Carteret Correctional Center, near coastal Morehead City, is serving time for a low-level drug charge and is scheduled to be released from prison in August.

He said the states measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are hardly being followed. The prison set down markers on the ground to keep people apart while they line up for meals or for medicine, but the markers are ignored, he said.

I aint come to get a death sentence, cause I dont know if this thing will get me, McMillian said last week. I got 84 days left.

Pamela Humphrey, an inmate at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, said that in her dorm, the bunk beds are still no more than about 2 feet apart  even after the death of 67-year-old fellow inmate Faye Brown on May 6.

Faye Brown

Brown was one of more than 640 state prison inmates who tested positive for COVID-19  and one of five state prison inmates who died from the disease.

Its a breeding ground, is what it is, said Humphrey, 58. Its literally putting our lives in danger.

In some prisons, as many as 80 people are packed into a single room, said Kang, of the ACLU.

Prison officials acknowledge that the cramped conditions make social distancing difficult.

All bunks in all dorms in all facilities are already spaced as far apart as possible, and at a minimum three feet apart, state prisons commissioner Todd Ishee said in an affidavit filed in response to the ACLU lawsuit.

However, due to limited square footage, the bunks cannot be spaced out any further than they already are positioned.

To compensate, prison officials are now telling inmates at some prisons to sleep head-to-foot, a recommendation from the CDC. This suggestion has been greeted with some skepticism by infectious disease doctors.

I dont know if it helps, said Williams, the professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. ...I would count that as a very small step that may or may not have efficacy.

Dr. Sandra Springer, an associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine, said having inmates sleep head-to-foot in dormitories isnt enough. The bunks should be spaced at least six feet apart, she said, but thats a problem because not every facility has space.

One of the ways to create adequate space, she said, is to release inmates.

Experts: Releasing more inmates early would help

Given the cramped conditions inside many prisons, some experts believe corrections officials need to consider releasing as many inmates as they can, provided they can do it in a way that doesnt pose a significant risk to public safety.

In North Carolina, about 700 inmates  a little over 2%of the total  have been released early due to COVID-19. Some of them are completing their sentences in the community, under the supervision of probation and parole officers.

Unless those inmates were released from just a few prisons, it seems unlikely that releasing 2% of the population will have a discernible impact, said Dave Rosen, a UNC epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases in prisons and jails.

In Connecticut, Springer noted, the state has reduced the prison and jail population from 13,000 inmates to fewer than 10,000.

And in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear has commuted the sentences of more than 1,200 inmates. convicted of nonviolent and nonsexual crimes. The commutations will help protect both inmates and staff members, said J. Michael Brown, secretary of Beshears executive cabinet.

This is lightening the load on our corrections system and at the same time protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals who are in the corrections system, Brown said at a recent press conference.

But in their statements to the court, North Carolinas top prison officials asserted that theyre hamstrung by inadequate resources to monitor and aid recently released inmates once they get back to their communities.

In my professional opinion, there is simply no way to accomplish a mass release of offenders into the community at one time without sacrificing either the services that in our opinion are essential to reentry success, or the interests of public safety, Nicole Sullivan, DPS director for Reentry Programs and Services, wrote in an affidavit on May 8.

Do inmates have enough protective gear?

Prison officials say theyve taken multiple steps to protect the health of inmates and staff. They have suspended in-person visitation and sharply limited prison-to-prison transfers. Theyve begun taking the temperatures of all staff members before they enter prisons each day.

And theyve retooled prison manufacturing plants, instructing inmates to make enough masks, disinfectant and non-alcoholic hand cleanser for all inmates and staff.

Gloria Estes

But until several weeks ago, many inmates said they had no masks. Even now, some still say they have no access to some of the supplies they need to protect themselves.

Gloria Estes, 68, an inmate at the womens prison in Raleigh who suffers from a variety of health problems, said inmates in her dorm still have no access to hand sanitizer. And she says the phones that inmates share still arent disinfected between uses.

Im an endangered species, she said. Im pretty brave, but Im fearful.

This story was jointly reported and edited by Kate Martin, Jordan Wilkie and Frank Taylor, of Carolina Public Press; Ames Alexander and Gavin Off, of The Charlotte Observer; Dan Kane, Lucille Sherman and Jordan Schrader, of The News & Observer; Nick Ochsner, of WBTV; Emily Featherston, of WECT; and Tyler Dukes of WRAL.

Heres your guide to what will  and wont  change as Charlotte starts to reopen
Designed for the busy renter seeking an upscale living community in the heart of Jersey City, The BLVD Collection comprises three high-rise buildings with more than 1,200 apartments and 30,000 square feet of curated lifestyle amenities. The three buildings are now named BLVD 401, BLVD 425, and BLVD 475.

"These three buildings have played an important role in our portfolio of Gold Coast multifamily properties, and we're eager to breathe new life into the community and provide our renters with all the modern lifestyle conveniences they have come to expect," said Michael J. DeMarco, Chief Executive Officer of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation. "Our audience of sophisticated, urban, Jersey City renters will enjoy upgraded finishes, even more amenities and services, and unmatched transit access around New Jersey and to Manhattan."

The BLVD Collection offers studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, featuring hardwood floors, gourmet kitchens, top-of-the-line finishes and appliances, walk-in closets, in-unit washer/dryers, floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious terraces in select units.

Across the three buildings residents enjoy 24-hour concierge services as well as a wide range of luxury amenities at their fingertips, such as: two state-of-the-art fitness centers; heated outdoor pool, whirlpool spa and lounge pool; terrace with BBQ grills, fireplaces, sundeck, and lounges as well as chic clubrooms and an exclusive sky bar. The children's indoor playroom was completely redesigned, and a brand-new karaoke room has been added as part of the rebranding upgrades. There is also a private conference room; dog run and washing station; theater room and covered garage parking.

The idea behind The BLVD Collection is to bring three distinct buildings, which lease out of the same office, under one family, streamlining the leasing process for renters and providing them with plenty of options. The buildings all feature serene living spaces and ultra-luxe amenities, but each with their own unique identity. One remnant of the properties that certainly stays with The BLVD Collection is the strategic location  residents are just minutes to the Harsimus Cove Light Rail station and a few blocks to the Newport PATH. Commuters who drive are close to the Holland Tunnel, and The BLVD Collection boasts easy access to the NY Waterway ferry. Newark Liberty International Airport is also just 30 minutes away by car.

In response to the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, all Roseland residents also have access to a new microsite, Roseland Events , that features virtual classes and resources - from guided meditations to cooking classes. This effort to help connect residents while remaining apart during isolation amplifies Roseland's unwavering commitment to fostering community for its residents.

For more information or to inquire about leasing at The BLVD Collection, visit www.BLVDAPTSJC.com .

About Roseland Residential Trust

Roseland Residential Trust is an owner, manager, and developer of luxury multifamily properties in high-barrier-to-entry waterfront locales throughout the Northeast. A subsidiary of New Jersey-based Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, one of the country's leading Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Roseland develops innovative, lifestyle-oriented communities in waterfront neighborhoods that provide quick access to mass transit.

Roseland, which owns and manages a large collection of luxury residential units, has a long history of creating communities that enrich the quality of life for residents, and enhance the beauty, economic vitality, and energy of their surrounding environs. Fully integrated and self-managed, the company is the master developer for several nationally recognized, mixed-use waterfront destinations, including Port Imperial, a $3-billion, 200-acre neighborhood on the Hudson River Waterfront in New Jersey, and Portside at East Pier in East Boston, where the company is redeveloping a half-mile of Boston Harbor into a luxury community. For more information on Roseland Residential Trust and its communities, please visit www.roselandres.com .

Media Contact:

Christian Rizzo

Antenna Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

Related Links

www.mack-cali.com


Woman blind for 13 years healed instantly by husband's intercessory prayer, study says

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A Baptist woman diagnosed with incurable juvenile macular degeneration that left her legally blind for 13 years instantly regained her sight after her pastor husband laid hands on her and prayed for a miracle, a recent study from The Global Medical Research Institute explains.

The study of the miracle claim was conducted by Indiana University professor of psychological and brain sciences and GMRI board chair, Joshua W. Brown; Texas Tech University associate professor of ophthalmology Kenn Freedman; retired radiologist David Zaritzky; and GMRI research associate Clarrissa Romez.

The researchers were told that the unidentified woman was 18 when she lost the majority of her central vision over three months in 1959.

But after her condition deteriorated over the next 12 years to the point that she relied on a cane and learned to read braille, she regained clear eyesight instantaneously in 1972 after receiving proximal intercessory prayer from her husband.

Based in Cleveland, Tennessee, GMRI reviews evidenced-based testimonies from various ministries applying rigorous methods of research to show the effects of proximal intercessory prayer in the resolution of conditions that would typically have a poor prognosis otherwise.

Researchers at the organization are also developing randomized and controlled clinical trials of healing prayer effects.

Proximal intercessory prayer  or PIP  refers to direct-contact prayer, which frequently involves touch by one or more persons on behalf of another.

It is described by the researchers as a prayer that typically lasts for less than 15 [minutes] and involves touch, often with the intercessors eyes open to observe results.

The person administering the prayer typically uses soft tones and may offer different kinds of prayers. An example is to petition God to heal, invite the Holy Spirits anointing, and/or command the healing and departure of any evil spirits in Jesus name.

Researchers noted that the woman had recently completed a program to learn how to use a cane and read braille. But she claimed to have been healed by an intercessory prayer from her husband one evening before going to bed in August 1972.

The PIP was presented in a Christian tradition, extended to God as both asked for her eyesight to be restored that night, the study reads. When the couple went to bed later than normal (after midnight), her husband performed a hurried spiritual devotional practice (reading two Bible verses) and got on his knees to pray.

According to the woman, she and her husband began to cry as he began to pray with a hand on her shoulder while she laid on the bed.

[W]ith great feeling and boldness he prayed: Oh, God! You can restore [...] eyesight tonight, Lord. I know You can do it! And I pray You will do it tonight, the study explains. At the close of the prayer, his wife opened her eyes and saw her husband kneeling in front of her, which was her first clear visual perception after almost 13 years of blindness.

While the woman and her husband never doubted the possibility of spiritual gifts and healing in the present day, they had never previously experienced anything like that as believers before.

The only healings we knew about were in the Bible, the woman was quoted as saying.

Even though her husband is a pastor, she said her husband had also never prayed for anyone who experienced such a remarkable recovery before.

In summary, the patient was blind for [13] years because of a condition that appeared to be a severe form of Stargardts disease, the researchers wrote. Following a PIP event, her vision was spontaneously restored and remains intact to date, 47 years later.

The study states that the symptoms were resolved in the context of personal intercessory prayer. A notable aspect of the recovery, according to the study, is the theological acceptance of healing prayer with specific belief recognized through the authority of Jesus.

The study concludes that the findings from the research and others like it warrant investment in future research to ascertain whether and how PIP experiences may play a role in apparent spontaneous resolution of lifelong conditions having otherwise no prognosis of recovery.

According to the researchers, "research on the potential for PIP to affect the [autonomic nervous system] and/or reverse vision loss associated with JMD is limited."

What people need to understand is I was blind, totally blind and attended the School for the Blind. I read braille and walked with a white cane," the woman was quoted as telling the researchers.

"Never had I seen my husband or daughters [sic] face. I was blind when my husband prayed for me. Then just like that, in a moment, after years of darkness, I could see perfectly! It was miraculous! My daughters picture was on the dresser. I could see what my little girl and husband looked like. I could see the floor, the steps. Within seconds, my life had drastically changed. I could see, I could see!
The others largely will be aimed at the citys black and Latino communities, including sites at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy in Little Village, Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Senka Park in Gage Park and Gately Park in Pullman. Locations have been chosen because theyre near public transportation, easily accessible by vehicle and have large spaces for proper social distancing, city officials said.
The Plutus Foundation is pleased to welcome Capital Group, home of American Funds, as its major partner for Plutus Voices and the Plutus Awards in 2020. This represents a continuation of the partnership established in 2019 when Capital Group served as the headline sponsor of the 10th Annual Plutus Awards in Washington, D.C.

Im excited to continue partnering with Capital Group, said Harlan Landes, the founder and executive director of the Plutus Foundation. Our overall mission is to help provide community-based opportunities for financial education and empowerment, and Capital Group is a powerful ally in that aim.

Plutus Voices focuses on financial education efforts in under-represented communities and features small-group opportunities for collaboration and learning. Recent programs have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are hopes that more programs can be held in the fall.

Capital Group remains steadfast in its commitment to financial education, and improving lives through successful investing, said Tom Joyce, senior vice president and head of communications at Capital Group. The personal finance content creators associated with the Plutus Foundation play an important role in helping people achieve financial security. Working together, we hope to continue the conversation on the importance of investing for the long-term.

Plans to move forward with the live Plutus Awards ceremony, scheduled for October 2, 2020, in Long Beach, California, continue. The Plutus Awards is a program that recognizes the best in independent online financial content creation. Capital Group continues to be a strategic partner in ensuring that bloggers, podcasters, video producers, social media creators and others in the online financial space to educate and help consumers feel more secure about money, saving and investing.

While were hoping to get back to in-person events again in the coming months, right now were focused on highlighting the resources available, said Landes. Weve been holding free webinars and collecting other resources from around the community to hopefully help people get through this challenging time.

###

About the Plutus Foundation

The Plutus Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides grant money and resources to provide opportunities for the financial media to create, develop, and administer community-based programs that enhance financial literacy, education, and empowerment. The Plutus Awards celebrates excellence in financial media with an annual awards ceremony recognizing the best content from independent producers. The Foundation also produces Plutus Voices, a series of learning and networking events for the financial media, bringing attention to important topics.

About Capital Group

Since 1931, Capital Group, home of American Funds, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. As of March 31, 2020, Capital Group manages more than $1.7 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors around the world.

The Capital Group companies manage equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups.

For more information, visit: https://www.capitalgroup.com/
This morning many got a Facebook reminder that May 17th is my birthday. It is not; May 17th was Dan Martino's birthday.





Dan and I were good friends. Dan was frequently in the local and national news. He determinedly picketed abortion clinics and adult book stores. He appeared numerous times before the Hamilton County Commission, Chattanooga City Council, zoning boards, school boards and various hearings.





Three teenagers came up and hit him. They knocked out a front tooth and ran. I have seen him laughed at and threatened outside abortion clinics and adult bookstores. When that didn't work people called him the vilest of names, drove cars at him, hit him with their fists, spit on him and threw urine all over him. He trudged on. I was with him one night when he was preaching outside a homosexual bar.Three teenagers came up and hit him. They knocked out a front tooth and ran. I have seen him laughed at and threatened outside abortion clinics and adult bookstores. When that didn't work people called him the vilest of names, drove cars at him, hit him with their fists, spit on him and threw urine all over him. He trudged on.





On his birthday, May 17, 1993, the abortion clinic in Chattanooga was closed. The pro-life community of Chattanooga took possession of it in a bankruptcy sale that was held in Federal Court. The pro-life community was able to successfully outbid the abortionists for the building.







Before the abortion clinic closed Dan moved out of town. Later, when he came back to Chattanooga, I took him to lunch. We pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and before we went in, he said, "Tell me how the abortion clinic was closed." I told him and ended by telling him, "And we took possession of the building on May 17th."





There was dead silence in the car. He said, "Do you know what day that is?" I said, "Sure, it's your birthday. God's trying to tell you that He loves you." Every year my family had a birthday party for Dan. Some of my children were small and didn't understand the importance of their contribution. Dan was a lonely man. He was never married; he didn't own a car. He lived in a rundown house that had no stove so he ate cold meals.





But Chattanooga should be thankful that Dan Martino was born on this day and that God had him pass this way. Dan died in 2003 in his hometown of Altoona, Pa.

Charles Wysong
KYODO NEWS - May 18, 2020 - 17:33 | All, Japan

Two hotels in a western Japanese city have been reprimanded after refusing to rent a room to a gay couple despite a law that bans turning away guests because of sexual orientation or gender identity, a city official said Monday.

The official said the couple was rejected by two so-called love hotels, accommodations for couples typically booked by the hour, in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on May 5. Two days later, one of the rejected customers consulted the city.

Related coverage:

FOCUS: Freelance, LGBT wary of Japan's new anti-harassment law

City officials visited the hotels and told the operators to ensure that a case like this never happens again.

The operator of one of the hotels accepted the order. However, the other said the couple was turned down "not because they were of the same gender," but for a different reason that the city declined to reveal, according to the official.

There are currently 51 municipalities across Japan, including Amagasaki, which issue certificates recognizing same-sex partnerships as being equivalent to marriage, according to Out Japan Co., which handles consulting and marketing related to sexual minorities.

"We'll continue to enlighten the hotel business in the city not to make those of sexual minorities feel discomfort," the city official said.

The health ministry banned hotels and inns from refusing any guests because of sexual orientation or gender identity in an amended guideline under the hotel business law in January 2018.
This article is published through a partnership with New York Medias Strategist . The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York Media. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York Media may earn an affiliate commission.

Even in the best of times doctors are often sleep-deprived and overworked. But during the COVID-19 crisis thats amplified more than ever, as physicians work longer hours and put their own lives at risk to treat infected patients. Many are also staying away from home to keep their families safe. All of which is to say, if theres ever a good time to give doctors gifts, its right now. Doctors dont so much need a flashy new pair of shoes as they could use a pair of well-cushioned sneakers to stay comfortable and efficient at work, and ways to decompress when they leave. For some specific gift ideas, we consulted a range of practitioners  from ER professionals to family doctors to medical directors  about the most thoughtful gifts theyve ever received and what they would recommend as presents for colleagues. While most doctors told us the best gift is often just a sincere thank-you card, in case youd like to give a little more than that, weve also assembled this mix of practical essentials, soothing items, and experiential gifts. (Click here for more information on how to help doctors and other frontline workers right now.)

Self-care gifts for doctors

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration While the personal protective equipment and face masks doctors wear is necessary for keeping them safe, it can also wreak havoc on their skin  as we learned when an emergency room doctor wrote in asking us for help. Gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal tells us hes experienced similar issues. I have been dealing with bruises and cuts now for weeks, he says. Strategist writers Tembe Denton-Hurst and Rio Viera-Newton recommend this extremely soothing cream, which should work for Sonpal and any other doctors suffering from irritated skin. $34 from Amazon



Kiehls Ultimate Strength Hand Salve Because doctors are constantly washing and Purell-ing their hands in between shifts, a rich hand cream would help rehydrate rough hands. Nice lotion is super helpful because I wash my hands and use alcohol sanitizer a million times a day, says family medicine physician. Shilpi Agarwal. Michelle Lee, a dentist in Manhattan, says this Kiehls cream is the perfect moisturizer for our dry hands from lab work and glove wear. $37 from Amazon



LOccitane Hand Cream Trio A gift set of pocket-size hand creams would also be a wise choice if youre not sure exactly what scent theyll prefer. You cant go wrong with one of LOccitanes covetable shea butter hand creams, which are a favorite of Nieca Goldberg  medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Womens Health  for their rich consistency. This three-pack includes the brands original cream plus almond and lavender-scented versions. $29 from Amazon



Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat For dealing with the mental and physical stress of being a doctor, Lee says yoga is a great way to release tension and tightness in the upper body, as well as addressing lower body issues due to long periods of sitting or standing. Whether they want to pop in a quick downward dog in between patients or take a full vinyasa class on a day off, give the doctor in your life this mat recommended by three yogis. The Manduka mat is indulgent  its grippy, soft, and breaks in very well, says instructor Kyle Miller. From $66 from Amazon



Johnnie Walker Blue Label Several doctors told us they loved receiving bottles of fine wine or liquor. Ive always felt that this was a thoughtful gift that showed appreciation for hard work, says reproductive endocrinologist Thomas Molinaro. Ive been sent lots of bottles I would never buy for myself and found new things to enjoy. Even though hes not a big drinker, bariatric surgeon Daniel J. Rosen still likes being gifted a good bottle of booze, saying, it makes me look like a superstar if I roll in with a bottle of Blue Label to a party. From $230 from Drizly



Educated by Tara Westover It can be hard to find time to relax, but a good book can definitely be helpful when I am trying to unwind, Molinaro says. If theres a book that a patient has found particularly entertaining or life-changing, I always appreciate the recommendation. Books that have inspired him recently include the memoir of former Disney CEO Bob Iger  Molinaro says, Its a great example of how to be a great leader while still exhibiting kindness  and Educated, which he describes as a story of someone who excelled through hard work despite a very traumatic childhood. $15 from Amazon



The Sill Snake Plant Laurentii I love to come home after a long day to something green, says Navya Mysore, a primary care physician at One Medical. Studies show that interacting with plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress. A notoriously hard-to-kill snake plant (Rebecca Bullene, founder of Greenery NYC, once told us its pretty much indestructible) would fit with a doctors busy schedule. $65 from The Sill



A stressed doctor who wants to decompress will appreciate a soothing essential-oil set and a diffuser. Nada Milosavljevic, director of the Integrative Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, says theyre a quick pick-me-up that are much appreciated during a long day at the clinic. We wrote about this handsome ceramic diffuser in our gift guide for insomniacs, so it should do the trick of helping a frazzled doctor relax. With options like soothing lavender and energizing grapefruit, this oil set will give them everything they need to get started.

Nodpod Weighted Sleep Therapy Because sleeping during the day is a necessary evil for many doctors, emergency medicine physician Wallace Blake McKinney suggests this NodPod weighted eye pillow to nod off faster. The weight is just right and it stays in place  lets me get comfortable on my side, too. I like that I can throw it in the washer and dryer. Definitely giving this as a gift to friends who could use help getting to sleep. $42 from Amazon



Tonys Chocolonely Bundles - Tonys Rainbow Treats or sweets to be shared with the office staff is always a great break during long office hours and gets everyone in a good mood, says plastic surgeon John Paul Tutela. Fellow plastic surgeon Gary Linkov agrees. When it comes to medical professionals, he says, most of us love dessert  especially if its good chocolate. Molinaro agrees: Everyone deserves a little mid-afternoon chocolate. Here at the Strategist office, weve been happily noshing on Tonys Chocolonely bars so we suspect that this set, including flavors like dark chocolate pretzel toffee and milk chocolate honey almond nougat, will be a hit with any doctor and their staff. $64 from Amazon



Hyperice Hypervolt When we wrote about gifts for dads with neck and back soreness according to chiropractors and physical therapists, all five of our experts mentioned this powerful, vibrating massager, with one calling it the ultimate tool for working out sore areas or knots. Lee tells us itd also be an excellent gift for doctors because of the awkward and strained postures in our profession. Although its expensive, she says the tool ends up paying for itself: Ive saved a lot of money from getting biweekly massages just by having this machine. $299 from Amazon



Caffeinating gifts for doctors

Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine by Breville Given that doctors are known to work long hours and run on very little sleep, its not surprising that Christie Prendergast  a plastic and reconstructive surgeon  says anything coffee-related would always be appreciated. With lots of coffee shops closed due to stay-at-home orders, many doctors are now brewing on their own. Three doctors we spoke with are fans of this Nespresso machine for keeping the java coming. Its compact and effective for home and office use, says Lee. Dentist Inna Chern of New York General Dentistry loves that it comes with plenty of options from coffees to lattes in an array of flavors, and gastroenterologist Austin Chiang agrees itd make a good gift. $200 from Bed Bath & Beyond



KeepCup 12oz Reusable Coffee Cup Mugs and tumblers came up a lot when we spoke to doctors, and while most agreed that anything that keeps their coffee hot will do, were partial to this reusable glass one that comes highly recommended by baristas. Joanna Lareau, a general manager and former barista at Blue Bottle Coffee says its small size and wide mouth is ideal for drinks like cappuccinos and cortados. Some reusable cups are so big they dont fit into the espresso machine and you cant really pour into them well, she says. $29 from Amazon



Ember Temperature-Control Ceramic Mug This temperature-control smart mug that keeps your drink at a chosen temperature between 120145F for up to an hour was one of the most popular gifts of last years holiday season, and it makes sense that doctors would love it, too. Aliza Rabin, a psychiatrist in New York, was gifted one and raves about it: I love it because I am constantly being pulled away from my cup of coffee, but now I dont have to worry about it. $100 from Bloomingdale's



Work-related gifts for doctors

Baron Fig Squire Rollerball Pen Most doctors appreciate practical gifts. We do a lot of writing, even though most patients have electronic medical records, says UCLA Health anesthesiologist Goldie Winge. We can never have too many pens. For a pen that feels like a true gift, and not just one you picked up at the drugstore, this Baron Fig rollerball came out on top in our ranking of the best 100 pens. We like how it practically dances across the page. $55 from Baronfig



Montblanc Meisterstuck Gold-Coated Classique Ballpoint Pen Chern also notes that all health-care providers tend to write a lot. She suggests a pen from Montblanc, a great brand for beautiful writing instruments. In our pen ranking, we called the Montblanc Meisterstuck a luxury pen that looks and feels like one. Its an expensive choice, but it would be a fitting gift for a new med school grad to use throughout their career. As Rosen says, doctors always need good pens. In fact, I use a pen a patient gave me years ago. $420 from Saks Fifth Avenue



Bosca Single Gusset Stringer Bag Help streamline their commute with a briefcase or messenger bag that has room for all of their work essentials. Chicago-based emergency medicine specialist Jeremy Rothfeld says that one of the best gifts hes ever received is one of Boscas leather briefcases. Hes been wearing it since his residency and loves its roomy compartments and professional look. And I carry a lot of things  my journal for notes, my stethoscope, my hospital pass, power bars, personal belongings, and more. $625 from Bosca



Tumi Stanton Irina Brief As a physician who does home visits in addition to office visits, Ive always loved the classic black leather doctors bag that older physicians used to carry, says Amna Husain, a pediatrician and founder of Pure Direct Pediatric. This bag from Tumi, one of Cherns top picks for briefcases, is a modern and feminine take on the traditional doctors bag. $515 from Zappos



Therafirm Core-Spun 20-30mmHg Moderate Graduated Compression Support Trendsetter Knee High Socks Like nurses, doctors spend a lot of time on their feet and have to deal with aching legs. Compression socks are incredibly useful when youre seeing patients or rounding for many hours during the day, says Cherilyn Cecchini, a pediatrician in New York City, and a consulting physician for Your Doctors Online. She likes that they help minimize swelling of your lower legs or ankles and encourage blood flow. $46 from Amazon



Along with compression socks, comfortable shoes are vital for doctors who can spend hours in the operating room or walking around a hospital. Danielle DonDiego, who practices family and obesity medicine in Atlanta and, like Cecchini, consults for Your Doctors Online, says most hospital doctors wear sneakers if they wear scrubs, so foot support is important. She likes APL sneakers (which we called the new status gym shoes), but says they get worn quickly due to her busy schedule, so a new pair is always appreciated.

Upmatic Cloudlite Supercharged Insoles These insoles really take the stress off during long days spent on your feet, Sonpal says. Plus, they can be easily cut to fit anyones specific shoe size. $37 from Upmatic



We can barely find time to do anything these days  like laundry, says Sonpal, so having a clean pair of scrubs is always great. Cecchini agrees that extra pairs of scrubs are definitely a useful gift for physicians. Figs, a new brand of stylish and functional scrubs for women and men, came up as a favorite among doctors and nurses, and Chern says she likes to wear the brand because their styles are chic, fun, and comfortable. Sonpal also likes the brands scrubs because they are ridiculously soft, easy to clean, and honestly make us look good. Chiang likes them, too.

Gadget gifts for doctors

Anker PowerCore Metro 20,000 mAh Portable Charger We work long hours and have very little time to sit, says Sonpal. Having a portable charger keeps our phones alive, keeps us connected to the world, and helps us communicate with colleagues about work-related matters, and in touch with our families. Hes a fan of Anker PowerCore chargers, which are also very popular among Amazon reviewers. This one works for all USB-powered devices and can even power two units at once  helpful if a doctor relies on both a phone and a tablet during the day. $50 from Best Buy



iRobot Roomba 614 Robot Vacuum In the spirit of making life easier for doctors during this difficult time, Chiang suggests a Roomba robot vacuum, which he once received as a gift. One Amazon reviewer writes that this affordable model does a WAY BETTER job than a regular vacuum, and it will certainly save doctors precious time in keeping their homes clean. $224 from Amazon



Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones Whether they use them to zone out and listen to music or block out background noise and get to work, nearly all of the doctors we spoke with said headphones or earbuds are a must-have. While there are lots of styles to choose from, Milosavljevic advises going wireless. Since physicians are moving around (wearing a lab coat, scrubs, stethoscope, etc.), its easier not to be directly connected to the phone and get tangled up, she says. DonDiego tells us that, among the doctors she knows, the Beats Solo Pro noise-cancelling headphones are definitely everyones favorite. She breaks them out when its time to crank out the paperwork. $300 from Amazon



Apple AirPods Pro Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, relies on earbuds when he needs to focus. This year, hes hoping to upgrade to Apples new AirPods Pro. Not only are they better at blocking out background noise, but the microphone is improved, which should make dictating into the phone much easier, he says. $235 from Amazon



Sony WF-1000XM3 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds Doctors who work long shifts, or those on call at odd hours, also use their earbuds to steal a moment of peace and quiet when they finally get a break. Indianapolis-based plastic surgeon Stanley Harper says that this truly wireless pair would be the best gift for those doctors who work nights and need to sleep during the day. I use mine to listen to crashing waves which is relaxing. $198 from Amazon



Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Many surgeons listen to music in the operating room, says New York plastic surgeon Melissa Doft, and she recommends a small, portable Bluetooth speaker that wont be a distraction. Since the speaker sits far from the operating table, it doesnt need to go through a full sterilization process, but she likes that this one is waterproof so she can easily wipe it down with alcohol. As for what tunes go best with wielding a scalpel, Doft tells us, for a very delicate procedure, I like soft old school music like Frank Sinatra. For surgeries with a lot of sewing, I prefer something very modern and upbeat. $120 from Amazon



Fitbit Inspire HR Although theyll be the first to espouse the benefits of exercise, busy doctors often dont have time to work out. With having so many things to do, exercise sometimes does not go to the top of my list, says Amber Robbins, a family doctor located in Washington, D.C. and Your Doctors Online consultant. Wearing a Fitbit helps keep me accountable. It also gives me motivation to increase the number of steps I have each day. DonDiego agrees that step tracking is a great tool for those busy days, and she finds that her Fitbit is extremely accurate. Tech writer David Pogue calls this streamlined model the brands best marriage of form and function yet. $99 from Amazon



Apple Watch Series 5 For a smartwatch with even more functionality, DonDiego likes all the features offered by the Apple watch, including the ability to quickly view messages without taking out her phone. They also have great workout apps aside from tracking steps alone, she says. $484 from Amazon



Experiential gifts for doctors

Sakara Life Signature Meal Plan Family medicine doctor C. Nicole Swiner recommends subscription services that make doctors lives easier while theyre not at work. These things can help doctors relax more when at home so they can rest up and continue working on your behalf for your health, she says. As Michael Richardson, a family doctor at One Medical admits, Im losing the mental bandwidth to keep up with the routine necessities like grocery shopping, so anything food-related can be a big help. Doctors living away from home, or any who are struggling to find time to cook healthy meals, could use a subscription to Sakara Life, a favorite of naturopathic doctor Kate Denniston. They make everything plant based and organic with nutrition in mind, she says. Its important that doctors are supported with nourishing foods to fuel them for long hours and critical decision making. Sakara Life offers a variety of subscription options, or you can opt to donate meals (starting at $100 for 5 meals) to frontline workers at Los Angeles and New York City hospitals. Request Price from Sakara Life



Seamless Gift Card For an even easier way to feed doctors, family medicine doctor Colin Zhu suggests giving restaurant gift cards so they can order in  whether to their home or at the hospital. Help them support local restaurants with a Seamless gift card thatll let them order from any of their favorite spots. From $10 from Seamless



Melissa Wood Health Subscription Like the rest of us, doctors are working out at home (or at the hospital if they cant get a break), and its just as necessary for their mental health. Working out really helps alleviate the mental and emotional stress doctors experience and that stress is heightened right now, says Denniston. She suggests giving a subscription to Melissa Wood Health, which includes access to pilates-inspired workouts that dont require any equipment and can be done anywhere. The workouts are quick and efficient which makes them great to do between patient appointments or on your lunch break, she says. From $10 from Melissa Wood Health



CorePower Yoga On Demand If youre shopping for a doctor whos more of a yogi, Mysore loves CorePower Yogas on-demand classes for breaking a sweat and releasing tension. From $20 from CorePower



Calm Premium 1-Year Gift Card Being a doctor can be a stressful job, says Michael Chen, an internal medical physician with the cancer screening startup Ezra, and he suggests treating the doctor in your life to a meditation class. Meditation has many benefits, including improving stress, insomnia and even blood pressure, he says. With this gift card, they can access meditation, relaxation, and sleeping program on the Calm app from their phone, wherever they are. $70 from Calm



Spafinder Wellness 365 Gift Card Soothing massages and facials are another popular gift idea among physicians who work around-the-clock. Jennifer Haythe, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia, says she loves getting in some R&R as a working mom. Prendergast adds that spa days are an especially thoughtful choice for surgeons who are on their feet and working with their hands constantly. Even if spas are closed right now, doctors will appreciate having this gift card waiting for them when things go back to normal. From $50 from Amazon


May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer NextDecade Corp said on Monday it will not decide whether to build the proposed Rio Grande LNG export plant in Texas until 2021 as demand destruction from the coronavirus affects the global LNG market.

The company, which announced the delay along with its first-quarter earnings, said as recently as May 11 that it still planned to make that final investment decision this year.

NextDecade also said Monday that it took several steps to preserve liquidity, including an 18% decrease in headcount, furloughing 14% of staff, and voluntary reductions in pay for its chief executive and other members of the executive team.

Rio Grande is one of several North American LNG projects delayed this year as government lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus cut global demand for natural gas and other forms of energy.

Over the past month or so, Sempra Energy delayed its decision on building the proposed Port Arthur LNG export plant in Texas until 2021. Cheniere Energy Inc, the biggest U.S. LNG producer, also signaled it may not make a final investment decision to expand its Corpus Christi export plant in Texas until 2021.

At the start of this year, 12 companies, including Sempra, Cheniere and NextDecade, said they planned to make final investment decisions in 2020. That total is now down to just four. Analysts said it was likely that only one of those projects would actually go forward this year.

Shares of NextDecade were up 16.7% to $1.40.

Analysts at U.S. financial services firm Cowen & Co said the market was not surprised by NextDecade's delay. Cowen said it assumes NextDecade will not make a decision until 2022.

NextDecade said it has a 20-year agreement with a unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc to sell 2 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Rio Grande.

NextDecade said in its earnings it can achieve a final investment decision with an additional 9 million tonnes per annum of capacity sold under long-term contracts.

NextDecade has a contract with engineering firm Bechtel to build two liquefaction trains for $7.042 billion or three trains for $9.565 billion. Each train can produce about 5.87 million tonnes per annum of LNG, or about 0.77 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New YorkEditing by Leslie Adler)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman through five tranches of announcements laid out the Centre's relief package in response to the biggest economic crisis India has faced in the last four decades. The response was a combination of immediate and long-term policy measures.

Here are the biggest decisions that the Centre took during the last week:

Migrant workers

Finance Minister Sitharaman in her address on Thursday announced that one nation, one ration card will be rolled out to benefit migrant labourers who are currently either outside their states due to the lockdown or have no access to fair price shops where they are registered.

Along with this, the Centre will also provide food grains to those migrants who have no ration cards for the next 2 months. "Migrants who are neither registered under national food security act or state card beneficiaries will be provided 5 kg of grains per person and 1 kg chana per family per month for two months," Sitharaman had said.

The government estimates that about 8 crore migrants will benefit through this move. Rs 3,500 crore will be spent on this intervention for two months. State governments will be responsible for implementation, identification of migrants, full distribution and coming up with the required guidelines.

Employment in rural areas

Highest-ever allocation of more than Rs 1 lakh crore was made to MGNREGA in order to boost employment opportunities in villages and bring relief to migrant labourers who are heading back to their native places.

Announcing the last tranche of the economic package, Sitharaman on Sunday said Rs 40,000 crore will be allocated to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) over and above the budgetary allocation of Rs 61,500 crore.

Eighteen crore person days of work has been generated so far, which is 40 per cent compared to the same period in the last financial year. Further, it will help in generating nearly 300 crore person days of work in total and create larger number of durable and livelihood assets, including water conservation assets.

MSME and Street Vendors

Sitharaman announced the first tranche on Wednesday, detailing six measures to revive micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME) that have taken a serious hit due to the lockdown implemented in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for businesses, including MSMEs, was announced by the Centre. Under this, borrowers with upto Rs 25 crore outstanding and Rs 100 crore turnover are eligible.

Secondly, Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt for stressed MSMEs was announced. Third, Rs 50,000 equity infusion for MSMEs through fund of funds was announced on Wednesday. A fund of funds with corpus of Rs 10,000 crore will be setup immediately, said the finance minister.

Fourth, the Centre revised the definition of MSMEs to help more firms fall under its purview. Investment limit was revised upwards and additional criteria of turnover was also introduced.

The fifth measure said that global tenders will be disallowed for government contracts up to Rs 200 crore. Lastly, MSME receivable from the government and CPSEs will be released in 45 days.

In order to revive businesses of street vendors that have taken a serious hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the Centre on Thursday launched a special credit facility amounting to a total of Rs 5,000 crore that will provide Rs 10,000 as initial working capital.

Agriculture

The government will bring in a facilitative legal framework to enable farmers for engaging with processors, aggregators, large retailers, exporters, etc in a fair and transparent manner. This will ensure assured returns and risk mitigation for farmers.

A central law will be formulated to provide adequate choices to farmers to sell produce at attractive price, barrier-free inter-state trade and a framework for e-trading of agriculture produce. Cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potatoes will be deregulated. Essential Commodities Act will be amended to enable better price realisation for farmers.

State Borrowing

In the final phase of her announcements, Sitharaman said that the government has decided to increase the borrowing limits of states from 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for the year 2020-21, but only if they meet certain reform conditions.

Sitharaman said that the state governments, so far, have borrowed only 14% of the limit which is authorised to them while 86% of the limit remains unutilized.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 14, 2020 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 14, 2020 | 12:58 PM | PADUCAH

The McCracken County Courthouse will reopen its offices today with restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.



Anyone entering the courthouse, including employees, will be required to wear a mask. Employees will not be required to wear masks when in their personal office space, but will have to put them on when assisting members of the public. Masks may be made of paper or cloth. If a health condition prohibits you from wearing a mask, you must provide a written medical exemption from a doctor.



Everyone in the courthouse will be required to maintain a minimum of six feet of social distancing at all times. There will be markings on the floor to help people keep this distance in the hallways.



All county offices will remain at 50 percent staffing until further notice, and at no more than 33 percent of the occupational capacity of the building.



Meetings will continue to be conducted via phone, Zoom, or any other practical remote method.



From now until June 22, the McCracken County Clerk's Office will be open by appointment only, and services will be limited to private vehicle transfers, notary public applications, and marriage licenses. All other business must be conducted by mail, telephone or internet. You can call 270-444-4700 to schedule an appointment.



The clerk's office will also be open for voting from June 8-23.



All offices will continue to be cleaned and disinfected daily. If a county workstation is used by more than one employee, each employee will be required to properly clean and disinfect the area after using it.
"Now that I can't send money back home, my family is also suffering and cannot buy food, and my old parents can't get any good medical treatment," Islam told CNN Business. "I have no savings because I have a big family back home."

Islam and his family are not alone.

Migrant workers around the world are being laid off as the coronavirus crisis cripples economies and lockdowns shutter many industries, such as construction, that employ migrant workers. The families who rely on their migrant relatives for money are already feeling the consequences.

The World Bank estimates that global remittances will fall 20% in 2020 due to Covid-19  cutting about $100 billion from a vital source of funds for the world's poorest people. By comparison, the fall in remittances in 2009 after the global financial crisis was 5%.

"The kind of fall we are expecting in remittances is unprecedented in history," said Dilip Ratha, lead economist for migration and remittances at the World Bank, who wrote the analysis on the payments migrants send back to their low and middle-income home countries.

An estimated 800 million people  one out of every nine people on Earth  are supported by remittances, according to the United Nations.

"The human scale of this phenomenon is very, very large," Ratha said. "They won't be able to buy food; they cannot sustain their families' livelihoods."

The drop in remittances will also dramatically impact the growth rate in developing countries that have come to rely on the income to spur their economies. Remittances contribute more than a third of GDP to the tiny economies of Haiti, South Sudan and Tonga, for example, according to the World Bank.

"This is actually an important economic lifeline to the developing countries," Ratha said. "The poorer the country, the smaller the country, the more fragile the country, the larger the dependence on remittances."

With around 270 million migrants living abroad worldwide, Ratha urged governments to do more to protect the most vulnerable.

"We should not ignore the plight of this huge part of humanity," Ratha said. "We need to take care of them, we need to be inclusive in our policy responses to the coronavirus crisis."

'Some days we have nothing to eat'

Many migrant workers face a triple threat from this crisis: They lose their jobs and can't send money home to their families; they are unable to return home due to national lockdowns; and they risk contracting the virus in cramped living conditions with zero social distancing.

"I don't have money for my survival here. How can I send money home?" Islam said. "Now the situation is so bad that we have no money, no food, nothing. Even if we want to die, we have to die here."

In April alone, 7,200 migrant workers were laid off in Bahrain due to Covid-19, according to the Bahrain Foreign Ministry. That's 1.5% of the 480,000 foreign workers in the country. The government says it is providing free food and a visa amnesty to the laid off workers, along with free tests for coronavirus.

Since Islam lost his job, his family in Comilla Daudkandi village in eastern Bangladesh say they are struggling to survive.

"It has been around three-four months since he stopped sending money. Now, due to coronavirus, he can't work there, nor can he eat properly," said Rokeya Begum, Islam's 60-year-old mother. "I have had to take a loan from people for survival, at very high interest."

"We cannot buy enough food and we cannot buy our medicines," Begum added. "Some days we have nothing to eat, and some days we ask the neighbors for food."

Islam said despite their desperation, his family's requests for his help have now stopped.

"When I speak to my parents they don't even ask me for money anymore, as they love me so much and they know I am in this bad situation too," he added.

In 2019, the World Bank estimates that people in Bangladesh received $18.3 billion in remittances from abroad.

"Overseas employment is big for Bangladesh," Shahriar Alam, the country's deputy foreign minister told CNN Business. "The economy relies on three major pillars: agriculture, remittances and garments."

Seven million Bangladeshis are currently working abroad, Alam said, and the government has set aside $25 million in loans for workers who return so that they can set up small businesses. A larger stimulus package is also being worked on in case larger numbers of migrant workers start coming back to Bangladesh.

"We have doubled the coverage of our social safety net," he said, adding that the government now provides financial support and food to 25 million of the 165 million people who live in the country. There is also a hotline for those in dire financial need.

Left homeless

For many migrant workers around the world, they also rely on their jobs to provide accommodation.

When Maria Cristina Y Baolos got fired from her job as a domestic worker in Hong Kong a few weeks ago, for example, she was also left homeless.

The 46-year-old Filipina says she was paid out in cash for her notice period, then given an hour to pack her things and leave. After hours of being stranded on the side of the road with all her belongings, eventually a friend helped her find a temporary boarding house.

"I'm sitting on the floor, all my luggage there," Baolos said. "The life of a helper, it's not easy."

Many of the 390,000 domestic workers in Hong Kong are women, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, who are working abroad to send money back to their families. The Philippines consulate in Hong Kong says around 350 domestic workers from that country have lost their jobs due to Covid-19.

Before she was laid off, Baolos was sending a third of her income home to support her four sons, a husband who can't work due to the lockdown, and a mother who needs expensive medical treatment.

"I take care of old women, but my mum is sick," she said. "It's very hard for me. I'm also a mother. I need to sacrifice myself."

Baolos has now extended her visa so she can search for another job. She hasn't even told her family that she lost her job yet.

"I don't want to give [them] another problem to worry," Baolos said.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department says they have offered flexible arrangements and visa extensions for domestic workers who lose their jobs or become stranded during the crisis. Baolos is also receiving assistance from employment agency HelperChoice to find a new job. And the Philippines, where remittances contribute 10% of GDP, said that it has extended cash assistance to more than 1 million workers during the lockdown, including overseas workers.

As well as the layoffs, domestic workers are also reporting that employers are cutting their salaries.

"There are many employers who said they would cut the monthly salary," said Chuni Thapa, a Nepalese domestic worker and the chair of the Union of Nepalese Domestic Workers in Hong Kong. The minimum legal salary for domestic workers in the city is about $600 per month.

"Domestic workers are being overworked," Chuni said. "They have to sanitize everything, they have to clean more, they have to work longer hours, and the employer is also trying to cut their money."

She added that many women are "scared" to complain to the authorities as they fear losing their jobs.

This has a knock-on effect on the Nepalese relatives that rely on their monthly payments. Remittances make up nearly a third of Nepal's GDP.

"It is very difficult because obviously they have to look after their own kids back home, so when the wage is cut they have less to send," Chuni said.

Half a trillion dollars

The developing world's dependence on remittances has soared over the past two decades. The opportunities for the global low-paid workforce have increased dramatically, providing people the option to earn more money than they ever could at home.

Incoming payments to low and middle-income countries have grown from nearly $75 billion in 2000 to an estimated $554 billion in 2019  an increase of more than 630%, World Bank figures show. Remittances now contribute more to those countries' economies than foreign direct investment or foreign aid.

The amount of money being transferred annually is even more staggering when taking into account the size of the individual transactions. Each monthly payment averages around $300, according to money transfer giant Western Union.

The company, which has 550,000 locations in 200 countries and territories around the world, has been forced to temporarily close some of its branches due to national lockdowns, as they are not classified as essential services in some places.

"Right now we are seeing this dip, especially in our retail business," said Khalid Fellahi, the president of consumer money transfer at Western Union, adding that more people are now using digital remittance services instead of physically taking cash to retail outlets.

He believes the impact on remittances this year will be less severe than the 20% predicted by the World Bank, though. Any drop in remittances, he said, will bounce back because these payments are so essential.

"If a son leaves his mother, it is ripping his heart, so he has to send money back," Fellahi said.

But for many people in that situation  including Islam and his mother back in Bangladesh  that's just not an option right now.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "'I can't send money back home': How a lifeline for the world's poorest is being cut off due to Covid-19"
Anyone with with an old, dead home security system can give their wired sensors new lifebut prepare to get into the weeds to set up a Konnected system.

The good news is that new technologies are giving old alarm systems new life. I reviewed Safe by HUB6 last year and found it a capable if complex way to add wireless features to your old alarm panel. The Konnected Alarm Panel has a similar goal, but gets there in a different way. Rather than adding a new board on top of your old, wired system, the Konnected Alarm Panel system replaces the old board entirely. (Konnected also offers a separate system similar to Safe by HUB6the $35 Konnected Interface Module , which lets you use your old system in parallel with the new one, but that is not reviewed here.)

Homeowners with old, wired alarm systems often feel as though theyre stuck with what they have. But not taking advantage of all those wired sensors embedded in the walls seems foolish. Why discard and replace perfectly functional components if you can incorporate them into a modern smart home system?

So, why would you want to remove your old alarm board? If the panel doesnt work, but you suspect the sensors are intact, Konnecteds approach makes a lot of sense. Ditto if you move into a new house that has an alarm system that you dont know how to activateor maybe you just dont want to pay for professional monitoring and would rather get alarm system alerts on your phone.

This review is part of TechHives coverage of the best smart home systems where youll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyers guide to the features you should consider when shopping.

The $99 Konnected Alarm Panel board is a surprisingly tiny thing, a bare circuit board about 2.5 x 1 inches in size. A row of terminal posts along one side allows you to connect up to 6 sensors. That may sound low, so if you need more sensors, a 12-sensor version of the board is available for $199. You can also run multiple boards in parallel, and its even possible to connect multiple door sensors to a single terminal post if theyre wired in series.

Updated September 8, 2020 to report that Konnected is now shipping a new version of this product that adds ethernet, power-over-ethernet (PoE), and the ability to control up to 12 zones from a single board. The Konnected Alarm Panel Pro is now available for $209 at the companys website.

Konnected If you have lots of wired sensors, you can install multiples of the Konnected circuit board.

The small size of the board makes wiring tricky but easily doable with some care and attention to detail. Youll need a tiny flathead screwdriver to secure the posts and relocate the wires from your old panel to the new board. Take special care to photograph the old panel before you start pulling out wires, and label it if possible. Konnected walks you through this process, but only on its website. The scant quick-start guide included in the box is of minimal help.

Connecting the Konnected board to your Wi-Fi network is, surprisingly, the more daunting task. The extremely arcane setup routine requires you to connect your phone to Konnecteds temporary Wi-Fi network, then open a web browser and tap in a hard-coded IP address. At this point, a page directs you to provide your home Wi-Fi network credentials, then reset the board. After this, you can use the Konnected mobile app to configure the alarm panel.

I ran into significant trouble throughout this process because the Wi-Fi setting process failed repeatedly, and then after it finally succeeded, the Konnected app couldnt find the hardware, even though I confirmed through my routers interface that it was connected to the network. The catch? After a troubleshooting session with the company, we found that Konnected didnt like working through a nearby repeater. Once I unplugged the repeater and got the Konnected board connected directly to the router, I was able to connect to it through the app.

Christopher Null / IDG Konnected relies on an arcane process in which you connect to a temporary Wi-Fi network, navigate to a hard-coded IP address where youll choose your Wi-Fi from a drop-down list and provide your Wi-Fi password. Then youll reset the board itself.

If all of this sounds user-unfriendly to work with, thats because it is, and the product is sure to lose many novice users at step one. Theres really no excuse in 2020 for requiring a user to use a web browser to configure wireless settings; this kind of operation should have been built directly into the app, as it is with virtually every other smart device around. I ultimately spent several hours troubleshooting the quirky systemall just to get it connected to my networkin part because the system is very slow to reboot, and every change made in the app seems to take an eternity before it successfully updates.

Once youre finally in Konnecteds environment, you might be surprised to see that the app, well, it doesnt really do anything. Its primary function is to let you define what specifically is connected to each of those six zones. In most homes, these will be door or window sensors, but Konnected also supports motion sensors, smoke detectors, temperature sensors, and a variety of sirens and buzzers. You just tell the app whats wired to each zone.

What the Konnected app doesnt have is an ecosystem where you can be alerted if the front door opens or motion is detected (and, given the plodding speed of the app, that may be for the best). Instead, youll need to connect with a third-party hub to make use of these alerts. Konnected supports Samsung SmartThings and Hubitat Elevation, and I found it easy to connect the system to SmartThings by simply giving Samsung access to my Konnected credentials. With the two systems linked, I was able to see when sensors were tripped directly in the SmartThings app. Performance was quick; the system would update almost instantaneously when any sensor changed state.

Christopher Null / IDG Once youve completed the initial installation, youll use a third-party hubsuch as a Samsung SmartThingsto manage your home security system.

The catch is that, while it has some of these capabilities, SmartThings has never made for a great security system, particularly if youre using third-party gear. Youll need to hand-code automations for any interactions with the sensors. This isnt difficult, but youll need to be careful about how you write them. Do you want a text message sent every time a door is opened or only if SmartThings is set to Armed (away)? (And will you remember to arm SmartThings?) Should the siren sound if it detects motion only during certain hours? A purpose-built security system makes a lot of this simple, but with a system like Konnected, youll need to spend considerable time fine-tuning everything, because no one is there to hold your hand.

If you want to do anything else with Konnected, it will need to be through the hub. Konnected can technically work with voice assistants but only because SmartThings and Hubitat do. You can get professional monitoring for the system via Noonlightbut again thats only if you configure it through one of those hubs; Noonlight cant hook into Konnected directly.

If your old, wired security system is defunct but you want to keep using your wired sensors, Konnected can be a smart optionin fact, as far as I know, its the only optionto make this possible. For most users, however, a forklift upgrade to a newand completely wirelesssystem will arguably be more effective and easier to install and manage. While most home-security starter kits come with bulky door/window sensors that stick out like sore thumbs, youll find plenty of third-party alternative sensors (such as this sensor from Monoprice) that can be completely hidden inside door and window jambs. They communicate with the control panel using wireless protocols such as Z-Wave and Zigbee.
Description

As we already know, we are living through a "new normal" now. But in the past we have had to deal with other "new normals", one being the horrific mass shootings at schools, the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 being one of the earliest in many people's memories and the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018 being one of the most recent.

The film THE NEW NORMAL intimately follows five student survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Gabby, Nicole, Daniel, Brandon, and Kelsey, as they cope with finishing the school year and the year beyond. It is a testament to the resilience of youth and the trauma inflicted on students.

75 minutes

The virtual screening will include a Q&A with director Codi Barbini, moderated by Tom Needham, the host of Tom Needhams The Sounds of Film on WUSB radio.

Tickets, $7 (to defray the cost of screening) and in support of independent filmmakers at this uncertain time at: portjeffdocumentaryseries.com

The film will start at 7pm EDT on May 18th and you will receive an e-mail with links to film and Q&A approx. 15 minutes before the start time.
Disney has ordered the closure of unauthorised clones of its Club Penguin online game after a report found that it was being used as a platform to send explicit messages to children.

The fan-run Club Penguin Online, which was launched in 2005, surged in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic with one million new players logging on during lockdown.

The site is a copy of an official-Disney website that closed in 2017, where young players could visit other players igloos and play mini-games, but where moderators and content filters stopped inappropriate messages being shared.

However, an investigation found racist, homophobic, and anti-semitic messages were common on the unofficial website. Content filters had been removed to allow slurs and personal information  such as Zoom, Instagram, and Discord accounts  to be shared.

Moderators had also stopped removing racist content, with one igloo "decorated to spell out the n-word. Players were also involved in penguin e-sex by sending and receiving sexual messages.

Recommended Disney to release films at home despite Universal backlash

I've seen people advertise strip club igloos, I've seen people ask for pimps. There's a lot of swearing on there and I've been asked a lot of crazy things. It's really put me off going on these mature servers, said one 14 year-old speaking to the BBC.

The online video game reportedly made approximately 9,000 per year through advertising, with many of its staff comprised of unpaid volunteers, according to one former worker. In order to reduce competition, one volunteer says they performed DDoS (distrubuted denial of service) attacks to shut down other websites by overloading their servers with traffic.

I would find out and publish [users'] personal details, like addresses, what they looked like, their family's information," the volunteer said. "I carried out DDoS on other users, and I would threaten people. The stuff that I did was similar to what happened to me, which affected my whole family, but I do feel really bad about it now.

Disney shuttered the online game, sending copyright notices to all private servers. In a statement, the company said: Child safety is a top priority for the Walt Disney Company and we are appalled by the allegations of criminal activity and abhorrent behaviour on this unauthorised website that is illegally using the Club Penguin brand and characters for its own purposes.

We continue to enforce our rights against this, and other, unauthorised uses of the Club Penguin game.

In a statement on its Discord group, Club Penguin Online said that it would be shutting down at the end of the month.

Due to recent events, we have decided that Club Penguin Online will be officially closing on 31 May, 2020. From the Club Penguin Online staff team, we want to thank each and every one of you for the memories over the past two years. It has been a pleasure to contribute to the success of Club Penguin Online and we wish you all the best in the future.
In One Good Meal, we ask cooking-inclined creative people to share the story behind a favorite dish they actually make and eat at home on a regular basis  and not just when theyre trying to impress.

In a former life, the Austin, Texas, hotelier Liz Lambert served as a trial lawyer in the Manhattan district attorneys office. By the end of each grueling week, shed be passed out on the couch and her brother Lou, who was then training at the Culinary Institute of America, would stop by her apartment and cook. Hed be trying out some sauces, Lambert says, or ravioli and broth, or a roast chicken, and hed wake me up  it was amazing.

Lambert eventually left legal practice, and in 2006, back in her home state, founded Bunkhouse, the influential hospitality micro-chain that included the Hotel San Jose and the Austin Motel in the state capital and the chilled-out compound El Cosmico in Marfa. In 2015, however, she sold a majority stake to the Standard hotel group, then in 2017, Standard itself sold a large stake to a Thai real-estate developer, and on her birthday last September, after becoming what she half-jokingly calls an unmanageable employee, Lambert departed the company.
Khandwa city in Nimad region, 271 kilometres north west of Bhopal, with a population of about 2 lakh as per 2011 census, witnessed as many as 90 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, most of them from a colony inhabited by trading community members whereas in the same period, Indore known as the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, with a population of about 20 lakh (as per 2011 census), added 92 new patients, as per heath department data.

Khandwa is among the smaller districts emerging as a new Covid hot spot in the state.

Burhanpur, the neighbouring district of Khandwa, and situated, like Khandwa, on the Maharashtra border, is another district which is, of late, witnessing a spurt in new Covid-19 cases in the city.

On April 28, the city with a population of about 2.10 lakh had its first Covid patient. In the past 20 days the city has registered as many as 195 positive cases; 11 people died from the infection.

Whereas Indore, which reported its first Covid patient on March 25, has a Covid-19 positive case for about every 800 people, a small town like Burhanpur now has a Covid-19 positive case for every 1100 people. Khandwa has one Covid-19 patient for 1100 persons.

The other smaller districts worrying the government include Khargone, Dhar, Raisen, Dewas, Mandsaur and Neemuch.

As many as 45 of 52 districts have been affected by the disease, which has claimed 248 lives so far among 4977 cases.

Dr Yogesh Sharma, an epidemiologist in Khandwa, said, The sudden spurt in positive cases is because of a particular locality reporting most of the cases. Now, we are tracing those who came in contact with these people. We are yet to know how these people contracted the virus.

Burhapur collector Praveen Singh, said, Initially some of those who tested positive for coronavirus happened to be public figures like two ex-corporators and a few doctors. Our contact tracing suggested that many contracted the virus from them. I have instructed authorities to ensure strict compliance of curfew restrictions in the city.

However, public health experts and social activists said that had the state government paid attention to these districts right from the beginning, they would not have become new hot spots.

A health official from Burhanpur, who didnt want to be named , said, We suggested to the then collector that there should be more and more sampling and testing but he turned down our suggestions. However, the new collector has asked us to go for a massive survey and screening.

Prakash, a social activist from Khandwa, said, An alarming increase in Covid cases is quite unfortunate. Had the administration been alert this situation would have been averted.

Public health expert, Amulya Nidhi, said, Lockdown has failed and so have the state governments other strategies as announced so far in containing the virus. The situation remains that even after two months of lockdown the government is not able to control the disease. It is high time the government should chalk out specific plans for every district, ward and block and also involve representatives of all the sections of society including health experts in this exercise.

A health department official who didnt want to be named said, Since districts in Nimad region are situated on MP-Maharashtra border, travel of people from MP to Maharashtra and vice versa appears to be one of the main reasons. Testing of samples has been increased in these districts from an average 50 per day to more than 200 per day.

He said, We have identified at least 10 districts which were added to the list of Covid-19 patients in the past fortnight due to migrant labourers testing positive. On humanitarian grounds, we cant stop the influx of the migrant labourers but the system is being strengthened at village and panchayat level to ensure quarantine of labourers strictly to ensure that these districts dont emerge as further hot spots in the state.

Health minister Narottam Mishra said, The situation is much under control in the state. More and more people are recovering from the disease and are being discharged from hospitals. The recovery rate has gone up to more than 46%. However, we are taking all the precautions and measures for further improvement in the situation.

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The lifting of government restrictions on peoples movements and business activity has helped to accelerate the spread of coronavirus in Armenia, the Ministry of Health said after reporting another daily high of new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

The ministry said that 351 more people tested positive for the virus in the past day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,823. The latest number of new cases is sharply up from the previous record high of 259 cases reported on Saturday.

Also, the 7.8 percent increase represents the highest rate of daily infections recorded since the beginning of April.

With one more fatality registered in the last 24 hours, the official death toll from the virus reached 61. The number does not include the deaths of 25 other people infected with the respiratory disease. The ministry claims that they died primarily as a result of other, pre-existing conditions.

Alina Nikoghosian, the Ministry of Health spokeswoman, said that one of the reasons for the increased number of new cases is that in recent days more isolated people have had coronavirus tests at the end of their two-week confinement.

Those who have been in contact with the confirmed cases are also tested en masse, Nikoghosian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. We are talking about whole families and other large entourages. This is the second reason.

Nikoghosian admitted that the end of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown also contributed to the faster spread of the disease.

The Armenian government issued stay-at-home orders, banned public transport and shut down most nonessential businesses in late March. It began gradually easing these restrictions already in mid-April.

The number of new coronavirus cases has been steadily growing since then. Despite that, the government decided last week to scrap the last remaining lockdown restrictions, lifting the ban on public transport and allowing kindergartens, shopping malls, indoor restaurants and cafes and gyms to reopen on Monday.

In Yerevan, 800 minibuses and 300 buses resumed their work in the morning. Police officers were deployed at bus stops across the city to ensure that drivers and commuters comply with social distancing and hygiene rules set by the government.

The rules require them to wear face masks and gloves and disinfect their hands with sanitizers that must be available inside all buses, minibuses and even taxis. They also limit the number of people who will be allowed to ride them.

Most commuters interviewed by RFE/RLs Armenian service backed these requirements even if some of them claimed to be having trouble breathing through masks. For the sake of our health, we must stick to them as much as possible, said one woman.

Nikoghosian agreed that the end of the lockdown could facilitate further spread of the virus. At this rate, we will have about 6,500 cases by May 24 and more than 12,000 cases by June 8, said the official.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian downplayed the rapidly rising number of cases when he spoke at a news conference on Saturday. Pashinian 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. Armenia will face a serious health crisis only if the number of seriously ill people exceeds 1,400, he said.

Nikoghosian said that the health authorities still have enough capacity to hospitalize or isolate all infected citizens. But echoing statements by Health Minister Arsen Torosian, she cautioned that they may soon have to tell asymptomatic patients to stay at home.

Pashinian stated on May 4 that the onus is now not only on his government but also on ordinary Armenians to contain the virus. He again defended last week this decentralized tactic of fighting against coronavirus.

Critics accuse the prime minister of trying to dodge responsibility for his administrations failure to contain the epidemic. They say the authorities never properly enforced the lockdown, ended it too soon and are now paying the consequences.
Diana Doria found her purpose sharing a lifetime of experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Then, seven months into her two-year assignment in the Dominican Republic, Doria, 75, received a shocking email from her supervisor  she had to evacuate the country. All volunteers were to report to the capital, Santo Domingo, by 5 p.m. the next day.

Doria rushed to pack two bags and arrange transportation to the airport before the country closed its borders. Her flight left at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday  the airport closed at 6 a.m. the next day.

It was the first time in the history of the Peace Corps that all of its volunteers were recalled from around the world. Doria was among more than 7,000 volunteers evacuated from posts in 60 countries.

It was a little disheartening, she said in the living room of her North Side home. People dont understand that as a returning volunteer, youre going through a grieving process. You joined because you wanted to do a job and then  boom  youre gone.

On ExpressNews.com: Young hunger fighter works with San Antonio Food Bank as AmeriCorps volunteer, serving the community she loves

About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse

After tearful goodbyes to her host family, the volunteer who always wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, boarded a Guagua, (pronounced wawa) a minivan of sorts, her mode of transportation during her stay in the rural area. As the white minivan rolled along, she took one last look at the cacoa trees and sugar cane fields that stretched across the lush countryside.

Hours later, Dorias plane landed at the Miami airport, packed with travelers from around the world, many without personal protection equipment. During her three-hour wait in customs, she kept her mask and gloves on, a practice she started aboard her plane.

While cashiering at a San Antonio International Airport gift shop, Doria learned about the Peace Corps from a gray-bearded man.

He put a couple of magnets on the counter he was buying for his friends in the Ukraine, where he was a Peace Corps volunteer. She told the 70-year-old retired computer science professor from St. Marys University that she was too old to join the organization.

He said that there wasnt an age limit on Peace Corps volunteers.

What can I do? she said. I dont have a teaching certificate. Im not a certified engineer.

No, but you have something others dont, he said, pointing his finger towards her, you have life experiences.

That encounter led to Doria researching the organization. Doria retired from IBM after 44 years, she said, often the only female in the boardrooms. Moving wasnt a problem. Shed lived all over the country traveling for the company.

She decided the Peace Corps answered the why in her life.

Her three children and family supported her decision. She filled out an application in January 2019 and after a background check, she received notification in August she had been accepted.

You dont have to be locked into retirement and youre bored, she said. The Good Lord has blessed me with good health. There are options out there.

She arrived in the Dominican Republic on Aug. 20, 2019. There were weeks of training in the capital and the town of Peralvillo, where she learned about living in a small pueblo.

She lived in Sabana al Medio or Sabana in the Middle, an area without internet, transportation, a clinic, supermarket, or mail service.

She learned to coexist with native creatures from the land, including a tree frog on her bedroom wall, a hand-sized tarantula on the front porch and a snake coiled in the bathroom one early morning.

Thats part of the adventure, she said.

Her hosts were the Brios family, that included the mother Daisi; her son DOmar, 17, and daughter Ambar, 12.

Doria recalled evenings sitting on the front galleria or porch of the green-painted house, waving to passersby and watching the world go by.

She was assigned to the pueblos school, where she used her bilingual skills as a youth development coordinator in the community school.

The students treated her as if she was their grandmother.

Dorias first project was to clean up the trash littered across the town. Over the course of one afternoon, she joined 60 students to gather the rubbish strewn across the grass and beneath the foliage. When they finished, 50 large bags of trash were piled beneath a sprawling mango tree.

A precursor to the perilous days ahead came with a presentation about the coronavirus. The teacher, with glitter on her hands, shook the kids hands as they entered the room. When she asked the class to raise their hands if they had glitter on themselves, a large number raised their hands.

You now have the virus, the teacher said, explaining that the glitter represented the disease. Thats how easily its transmitted.

Doria said the students shared the information with their parents and families about the importance of washing hands and social distancing.

Since her return to San Antonio, shes only seen her family through social distancing. She still hasnt hugged any of her sisters or children.

She has also met with the group Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of San Antonio to talk about shared experiences. Some members had returned 50 years ago, some just a month ago.

There are quite a number of volunteers who are older than 50 said Joshua Castro, regional recruiter for South Texas.

Castro, 31, said there were more than 230 volunteers from Texas in the field before the evacuation. More than 8,700 Texans have served since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961.

When people ask him about volunteering, he said he answers, why not?

A lot of people want to do something impactful on the grassroots level, Garcia said. Its not too late to follow new dreams.

Castro said there are around 150 members on an email chain and 30 attendees at monthly meetings.

On ExpressNews.com: Food distributor continues fathers legacy of charity across San Antonio

Doria still thinks fondly of her host family and her unfinished mission. She talks to her former hosts on the phone about a day in the future when they can visit her and learn about the country they only know about via television.

Theres a lot of misconceptions about us, Doria said. Thats where the Peace Corps plays a vital role. Its part of our mission to help them understand America.

Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Vincent, become a subscriber. vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting Monday afternoon to review the situation arising out of cyclone 'Amphan', which is likely to hit the eastern coast.

Union Minister Amit Shah said the Prime Minister's meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the National Disaster Management Authority will take place at 4 pm.

"To review the arising cyclone situation in various parts of the country, PM @narendramodi ji will chair a high level meeting with MHA & NDMA, today at 4pm," Shah tweeted.

The Prime Minister is the chairman of the NDMA.

Cyclonic storm 'Amphan' is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185 km per hour on Wednesday, the Home Ministry earlier said.

In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the ministry has said 'Amphan' (pronounced as UM-PUN) was spotted on Monday morning over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

It has been moving nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST on Monday.

The storm is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm by Monday evening.

It is very likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting up to 185 kmph, the official said.
In getting updated about the pandemic, I suspect many of us are more likely to check on the local spread of the virus than to track COVID-19s path across the globe. We want to know first about the personal risk.

This is a contrast to how we keep abreast of that other unfolding global catastrophe, climate change. For this crisis we more quickly note the impacts occurring at a safe distance from home, say of Californias susceptibility to wildfire or the Midwests recurrent flooding. We tend to look away from how our local weather fits with the global trends.

Unfortunately, there is no doubt that Birminghams climate is changing. This past December through February was our wettest for that three-month period since record keeping began. Our 2016 drought of 61 days set another local record.

And it is getting hotter. The heatwaves in our metro areas are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense. Going forward our average daily summer high is projected to reach 97and we know that the immediate burdens of climate change fall hardest on those with low incomes. These folks, for example, are less likely to have functioning air conditioning that they can afford to run.

In part, simply because extreme heat makes it more difficult and less safe to work outdoors, we can expect global warming to slow our metro economy. Climate change also threatens the broader Alabama economy. It makes our forests more vulnerable to disease, drought, insects, and fire,6 and it increases the pests and weeds that damage crops.

Compounding the local economic vulnerabilities, both the US and global economies on which we rely, will also fall prey to global warming. As a consequence, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, advises that climate risk is investment risk. [Because] climate risk will impact the global system that finances economic growth, every government, company, and shareholder must confront climate change.

As taxpayers Alabamians are already paying for global warming as the federal government spends billions to help recover from climate-related disasters. This includes damages to federal assets. Hurricane Michaels $5 billion devastation to Pensacolas Tyndall Air Force Base is just one recent near-by instance.

In fact, 74 US mainland military installations are threatened by sea level rise, drought, desertification, wildfires and thawing permafrost over the next 20 years. This infrastructure vulnerability is among the reasons the Department of Defense considers climate change to be a threat to our national security, a reality in which all Alabamians have a stake.

Taxpayers will also help foot the bill for adapting to our future climate. These expenses range from relocating homes and businesses inland from the coasts to restoring streams and wetlands to protect against urban heat waves and flooding.

Perhaps it is trivial, but it is sure interesting to add the grim possibilities for our coffee and our beer.There is a distinct chance that higher temperatures and drought will harm the yields of coffee beans and barley, making both these beverages more scarce and expensive.

However, accompanying this troubling litany there is some very encouraging news around climate change.

In sharp contrast to whats needed to stall the pandemic, to mitigate climate change does not require that we wreck our economy nor that we add to the governments debt. In fact, there is authoritative analysis that implementing a revenue neutral carbon tax would not only effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but by accelerating the transition to a clean economy it would actually boost overall economic activity.

To avoid a climate future that is more devastating, deadly, and permanent than COVID-19, we need to respect the conclusive findings from atmospheric experts and get aggressive in stabilizing the Earths climate.

SOURCES:

1 https://sercc.com/perspectives

2 https://www.weather.gov/bmx/climo_2016review#part2

3 http://urbanclimate.gatech.edu/pubs/Habeeb_2015.pdf

4 https://www.climatecentral.org/news/sizzling-summers-20515#daysabove

5 https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-the-geography-of-climate-damage-could-make-the-politics-less-polarizing/

6 USDA Climate Hubs; https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southeast/topic/focus-forestlands-southeast .

7 USDA Climate Hubs; https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southeast/topic/focus-croplands-southeast .

8 A Fundamental Reshaping of Finance (1/2020); https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter

9 Government Accounting Office (2019) Climate Change - Potential Economic Costs and Opportunities to Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposure; https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/703452.pdf .

10 National Public Radio (2019) Tyndall Air Force Base Still Faces Challenges In Recovering From Hurricane Michael; https://www.npr.org/2019/05/31/728754872/tyndall-air-force-base-still-faces-challenges-in-recovering-from-hurricane-micha

11 US Department of Defense (2019) Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense; https://climateandsecurity.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/sec_335_ndaa-report_effects_of_a_changing_climate_to_dod.pdf

12 Department of Defense Climate Change Adaptation Road Map

13 New York Times (11/26/2018) Five Big Ways the United States Will Need to Adapt to Climate Change; https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/climate/adaptation-us-climate-change.html .

14 Time (6/21/2018) Your Morning Cup of Coffee Is in Danger. Can the Industry Adapt in Time?; https://time.com/5318245/coffee-industry-climate-change/.

15 Washington Post (10/23/2018) Our research found that climate change could cause a beer shortage. Heres why.; https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/10/23/our-research-found-that-climate-change-could-cause-beer-shortage-heres-why/.

16 https://citizensclimatelobby.org/price-on-pollution-studies/,
CHIREDZI police have launched a manhunt for three border jumpers who fled from a COVID-19 quarantine centre at Rupangwana four days ago.





The fugitives were part of the 21 people who were intercepted by security agents around Area 18 near Crooks Corner in Malipati, while illegally crossing into the country from South Africa and were taken to the quarantine centre.





They were identified as Simbarashe Magidi from Mutapurwa School under Chief Gudo in Chiredzi, Vakiridzai Mabika of ward 24 also under Chief Gudo, and Isaac Chikamhi from Chenhaka Benzi, Zaka.





Chiredzi district development co-ordinator Lovemore Chisema, who is vice-chairperson of the district COVID-19 taskforce, confirmed the development.





Yes, I can confirm that three inmates at Rupangwana quarantine centre have escaped and are now on the run.





Police are already on the ground tracking them. We are appealing to members of the public to help with any useful information that can lead to the arrest of the trio, he said.





Illegal entry points along Chiredzi districts porous borders with both Mozambique and South Africa continue to derail the countrys efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.





Border control officers and cross-border truck drivers are reported to be demanding bribes to aid the illegal entries.





Shop operators along the border are also reportedly illegally crossing into neighbouring countries to restock their shops.





Despite various lockdown measures put in place by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, it is business as usual in the south-eastern town of Masvingo with most sit-in restaurants fully operational.





On the issue of people being smuggled by truck drivers into the country people should immediately report them so that they can be taken to proper places if need be. I am even surprised how they pass through all security checkpoints along the road. Even shop owners who are going back and forth to South Africa are not allowed to do that, Chisema said.





South Africas COVID-19 cases currently stand at 14 355 with 6 478 recoveries and 261 deaths, while Zimbabwes cases has risen to 44 in the past few days with 17 recoveries and four deaths.





Meanwhile, Zambia claims six Zimbabwean truck drivers tested positive for COVID-19 when tested while crossing the Chirundu Border Post from Zimbabwe.





The six were part of 14 new cases recorded in Zambia on Friday.





Zimbabwes COVID-19 national response co-ordinator Agnes Mahomva said: We have very good collaboration with the Zambian government, those who miss screening this side will be picked up in Zambia. We have appropriate quarantine measures for them.





Zambia, by yesterday had 753 cases, with Chirundu and Nakonde border posts cited as new hotspots. Newsday
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez owes $2,000 in unpaid taxes from a failed business venture.

The New York Tax Department's records show that a warrant has been filed against he business, Brook Avenue Press, which was dissolved in October 2016.

The publishing house was founded in order to 'help develop and identify stories and literature in urban areas .specifically in communities like The Bronx,' Ocasio-Cortez says in a 2011 YouTube video.

She was just 22 years old at the time she started the company.

Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez owes $2,000 in unpaid taxes from a failed business venture

At the time, Ocasio-Cortez, who is known for supporting higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, supported doubling tax deductions for small businesses like hers.

'You don't really make a profit in your first year,' Ocasio-Cortez said in 2012.

'To get taxed on top of that is a real whammy.'

The state issued a warrant to the company in July of 2017, just two months after Ocasio-Cortez declared her candidacy in the Democratic primary, over a $1,618.36 unpaid bill.

The tax warrant had still not been satisfied as of Friday, the New York Post reported, and the outstanding payment has climbed to $2,088.78.

The company was founded in order to 'help develop and identify stories and literature in urban areas .specifically in communities like The Bronx,' Ocasio-Cortez says in a 2011 YouTube video. She was just 22 years old at the time she started the company

A spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez claimed the tax warrant was made in error and the congresswoman was challenging the bill.

'The congresswoman is still in the process of contesting the tax warrant. The business has been closed for several years now, and so we believe that the state Tax Department has continued to collect the franchise tax in error,' said Lauren Hitt.

'As anyone who's tried to contest a tax bill in error knows, it takes time.'

Ocasio-Cortez's publishing house was launched through the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator, a New York City-subsidized program designed to help small businesses in The Bronx.

The initiative was headquartered in an old converted factory in the Hunts Point section of The Bronx, where entrepreneurs like Ocasio-Cortez paid monthly rent which ranged between $195 and $275 per person.

Nonetheless, the company failed to publish a book.
LEASING

Lidcombe

A&A Studios has signed a lease for an 816 sq m industrial facility at Unit 2, 10 Hill Road for a net rent of $180 per sq m from private investor OPG Pty Ltd. The three year lease is for a modern building combining office space with a high-clearance warehouse and a generous parking allocation. CBREs Janet Joljian and Raj Chaudhary managed the lease campaign.

Botany

El Cafetero has leased a 452 sq m refurbished, freestanding office/warehouse at 25 Hale Street from a private investor for $288 per sq m gross. The lease term is 10 years. Artie Kalpidis and Chris Sully of Link Property Services negotiated the lease.
President Ho Chi Minh and children of the southern region visiting the north on February 13, 1969 (File photo: VNA)

In his article, the professor said that President Ho Chi Minh is respected by the Vietnamese people as the greatest hero in the countrys history, adding that on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary in 1990, UNESCO recognised him as a hero of national liberation and great man of culture of Vietnam.

The Korean scholar described the late leader of Vietnam as the embodiment of patriotism who devoted his whole life to the struggle for national independence and freedom and the peoples happiness.

He also highlighted Nhat ky trong tu (Prison Diary), a collection of poems Ho Chi Minh created while he was imprisoned by the Chiang Kai-shek administration in China, as a masterpiece of Vietnams literature.

Besides, the scholar also reserved part of his article for the childhood, family and hometown of Ho Chi Minh, noting that the knowledge of the late President is critically important to the promotion of cooperation between the RoK and Vietnam.
Although the proposal represents a significant shift in German thinking, Ms. Merkel described it as a one-off effort, with Germany agreeing to a plan whereby the European Commission, using its excellent credit rating, would borrow money for the fund. The debt would be paid back over time through the joint European Union budget, which is financed by a set formula by member states.

We are experiencing the biggest crisis in our history, Ms. Merkel said in a joint video news conference with Mr. Macron. It is time to fight back. Germany and France are fighting together for the European idea.

She added: Because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path.

For Ms. Merkel, the proposal holds political risks at home, where it might bolster the far-right Alternative for Germany party, founded on a euroskeptic platform. That party is just beginning to stir back to life as the country reopens.

But the move might also be the only way to salvage a deeply divided currency union and the chancellors legacy on European unity.

The proposal must be agreed to by the other 25 member states of the bloc, some of which have flatly rejected collective indebtedness in the past. Austria has already suggested that it and countries like the Netherlands want to help the afflicted states only with loans, not grants, as called for in Mondays proposal.

There is still work to do, Mr. Macron acknowledged. But it is a profoundly unprecedented step.

Details of the plan were scarce on Monday, but the leaders said that the money would be provided to the sectors of the economy and the regions the worst affected by the virus. That would include countries like Italy and Spain, whose borrowing costs are much higher than countries like Germany.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmonic Bionics, Inc. announced today that they will be hosting live virtual demos of the company's new upper body robotic rehabilitation system, Harmony SHR. Rehabilitation professionals are invited to participate in the 15-minute demonstrations that will include an overview of the exoskeleton and how it works followed by a Q&A session with the company's Product Director.

Harmony SHR by Harmonic Bionics Harmony SHR by Harmonic Bionics

Harmony SHR works with a patient's scapulohumeral rhythm (SHR) to enable natural, comprehensive therapy for both arms. When combined with Harmony SHR's Weight Support mode, this unique shoulder design may allow for earlier initiation of post-stroke therapy.

Harmony SHR's Preprogrammed Exercises promotes functional treatment through patient-specific movements that can enable an increased number of repetitions per session without increasing the therapist's physical burden. As the only rehabilitation exoskeleton with Bilateral Sync Therapy, Harmony SHR enables intent-based therapy by registering healthy arm movements and synchronizing that motion onto the stroke-affected side.

"We are excited to show Harmony SHR's unique design and to hear feedback from the rehabilitation community on how it may help patient recovery through enabling early intervention, increasing intensity and employing patient-specific intent-based therapy," said Harmonic Bionics CEO Christopher Prentice. "Our aim with robotics in rehabilitation is to provide programmable, customized exercises that can help reduce physical burden on therapists while improving the quality and efficiency of the therapy. We believe the future of rehabilitation lies in technologies, like Harmony SHR, that increase access by facilitating more community-based therapy and home-based therapy."

Visit HarmonicBionics.com/Events to register for a live demo of Harmony SHR. Currently, virtual demonstrations will be held through June and Harmonic Bionics plans to begin scheduling in-person demonstrations of Harmony SHR in late summer.

Harmonic Bionics, Inc.

Harmonic Bionics is redefining neurorehabilitation with intelligent robotic technology designed to maximize patient recovery. With our flagship product, Harmony SHR, we intend to optimize upper extremity therapy by enabling early intervention, increasing intensity, and employing patient-specific intent-based therapy through novel exercises.

Media Contact:

Stephani Shipman

585.746.7214

[email protected]

SOURCE Harmonic Bionics

Related Links

http://www.HarmonicBionics.com


The head of the World Health Organization says he will begin an independent evaluation of the UN health agency's response to the coronavirus pandemic at the earliest appropriate moment.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the pledge Monday after an independent oversight advisory body published its first interim report about the UN health agency's response to COVID-19 from January to April.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO's warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to reassess WHO's role in providing travel advice to countries.

The advisory body's review and recommendations appeared unlikely to appease the United States administration, which has been scathing in its criticism of WHO - in part over President Donald Trump's allegation that it had criticized a U.S. travel ban that he ordered on people arriving from China, where the outbreak first appeared late last year.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States - the health agency's biggest single donor - pending a review of its early response. But the review panel, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the heat of the response could hurt WHO's ability to respond to it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The allegations against Sen. Richard Burr, who until last week was chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, go something like this: While he was telling his constituents that the U.S. response to this novel coronavirus was under control, he was actually selling more than a million dollars worth of stock. This was back in February, when most Americans were still going to work or riding trains and buses. Burr is under suspicion for insider trading because around the time he cashed out that stock, he was saying remarkably different things about the coronavirus in public and in private: He co-wrote an op-ed for Fox News saying that the Trump administrations coronavirus response was going smoothly, but a few weeks later, privately speaking to donors and lobbyists, he warned that the coronavirus threat was serious.

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Tim Mak, NPRs Washington investigative correspondent, was one of the first reporters on this story. On Mondays episode of What Next, I spoke with Mak about the secret audio recording he unearthed that helped launch this investigationand how much trouble Burr is really in.

Mary Harris: What are the challenges of investigating a senator like this? I imagine proving insider trading here would be difficult. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the briefings Burr got about the coronavirus may have been confidential. So its hard to know what did he know, who can know what he knew, and how that might have changed his mind about where to move his money.

Burr never warned the public of his view on this, despite his expertise on biological threats.  Tim Mak

Tim Mak: Thats true. But there are ways for investigators to get around that issue. For example, his communications with his family and broker are not classified. They can be obtained by investigators.

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I dont think there was an expectation that this would balloon in this way. There was no telling at the beginning of this that it would become what is essentially a criminal investigation.

Part of the reason Burrs stock sales seem suspicious is the context in which we learned about them. You uncovered this audio of him from Feb. 27. Wheres it from? Whats happening?

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In order to understand that audio, we have to put ourselves back in the mindset of what the world was like in February, this precoronavirus crisis era: The stock market had not crashed. We hadnt done all these stay-at-home orders. The first person had not died in the U.S. from the virus. But on Feb. 27, Burr went to a luncheon with a group of well-connected constituents. These are business leaders in North Carolina who have lobbying firms representing them in D.C. At the luncheon, Burr says hes worried that the coronavirus crisis will possibly become as bad as the 1918 flu pandemic.

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At the time, I dont think people were making that comparison as much.

He seemed to really have dug into this question of what the coronavirus crisis would mean for America. And he seemed to have some sort of information about how bad it would be. He warned about schools shutting down. He warned about travel being shut down. He warned that military hospitals would need to be set up in order to create beds and provide treatment to people who were sick.

All of these things, before most of the public had any inkling that this would happen. Burr never warned the public of his view on this, despite his expertise on biological threats. He never decided to put out a press release, go to a television camera, go to any of the reporters mics. He warned this private group of individuals, and that was pretty much it.

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And a few weeks earlier, hed co-written an op-ed for Fox News in which he basically said, Youre in great hands, the Trump administration is going to handle this coronavirus well. Then as soon as you reported that private meeting, other information started to come out about Burrs stock trades.

Theres this legislation called the STOCK Act. It requires lawmakers to periodically disclose their stock transactions. ProPublica went through Burrs stock transactions and realized something that I hadnt, which is that Burr, on Feb. 13, made 33 stock transactions and sold up to $1.7 million worth of stock in a single day. And thats just a few days after that op-ed.

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How big a deal is $1.7 million worth of stock for someone like Burr?

For a senator and for someone of his age, his net worth is not particularly high compared with that of his colleagues. So this would represent a substantial portion of his assets. Remember, he has said that hes not going to run for reelection when his term ends in 2022. So hes presumably thinking about retirement, and he makes a move here, it appears, to secure his future.

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At NPR, you teamed up with Dartmouth College to analyze Burrs transactions. You looked at Burrs stock sales on Feb. 13 to see how they compared with trades hed made in the past.

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Between 2012 to about 2019, Burr is a very bad stock picker. On average, if you look at his stocks six months after he purchases them, theyre down about 0.8 percent relative to other stocks in the same industry. And after a year, theyre typically down about 6 percent compared with that same benchmark.

He is kind of lousy about stock picks. He doesnt trade in high frequencies. In a quarter he would probably make an average of 3.2 stock sales. But on Feb. 13, he made more than 30 stock sales. On a single day he does 10 times what he would normally do in a quarter. And not only that, these stock sales are amazing: incredibly well-timed, incredibly well-chosen. After they were sold, they underperformed the market by 8 percent. That means those stocks performed worse than comparable ones in that same sector between the sale and the end of March.

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You wrote to the senators spokesperson to comment on these stocks and she wrote back, lol.

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Thats correct. That happened. I cant speculate why she would do that.

How does the senator defend himself and explain the stock sales?

The defense for an allegation of insider trading is to say, I didnt use nonpublic information, I only relied on public information, information that you or I or anyone else would have. So his argument is that he made these very well-timed, precise, successful sales based only on CNBC reporting on the coronavirus.

We should say that this opened up interest in other lawmakers and how they were dealing with their own stocks. But it seems like Burrs case is different. I wonder if you can articulate why.

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There are a number of reasons why his transactions are more suspicious than those of some of the other names weve heard, like Sens. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Dianne Feinstein of California. He had this enormous number of transactions in a single day. And that volume of transactions was very unusual for him. He sold a lot of stocks, up to $250,000 worth, in the hospitality sector, which, as we know, has really been hit by the coronavirus crisis. His private comments show that his personal view contradicted his public view, and his statement in response to some of this reporting showed that he personally directed the sales. Loeffler, for example, has said that she used a third party and didnt personally direct any of her sales. So if you look at the totality of those circumstances, you realize Burrs are far more suspicious than the others.

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Burr is no longer the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee for the time being. Can you talk about the significance of that?

Burr has been a mainstay. If you talk to Democrats on the committee, youll find that many of them have a lot of respect for Burr and that hes worked in a generally bipartisan way when it comes to matters of intelligence. In fact, since the 2016 election and the fallout in 2017, hes been working across the aisle on a series of reports on Russian interference in the 2016 election and afterward. As chairman, Burr has not been super public or particularly accessible to the press. But I think, generally speaking, a lot of folks have praise for the work hes done.

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I was surprised to see this investigation move forward against a Republican senator. Im curious if you can tease out the decision-making here, because there has been speculation about why its been Burr, since he was among the more bipartisan senators and was looking into Russian interference in the election. I wonder if you think that speculation is fair.

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I think the answer to the question really depends on whether you think the Justice Department maintains its independence in the William Barr era: if the attorney general is working as the attorney general of the United States or as the presidents attorney general. If you think the DOJ has become hopelessly politicized, then you might have a fair question to raise about whether Burr was targeted here. You look at the history: Those close to the Trump White House are not fans of Burr because, as part of the Russia investigation, he helped approve a subpoena of Donald Trump Jr. to bring him before the committee. That was a surprising move by Burr that angered a lot of folks in the Trump orbit. Now, if you think the DOJ maintains a level of independence, you can look at the evidence and see that theres a fair amount to suggest wrongdoing and to investigate.

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I wonder if you can talk a bit about how news organizations handled the story, because it looked different if you went over to Fox News instead of NPR.

I dont think you can understate the influence of Fox News commentary on prime time. What was remarkable to me was how quickly Tucker Carlson turned on Burr and targeted him regarding these trades. It kind of set the tone for the conservative response to this scandalno one was lining up to defend Burr at any point. In fact, Carlson explicitly asked for Burr to resign, a remarkable demand from a Fox News host to a sitting Republican senator. That was a very important moment that I think set the tone for how folks on the right would respond to this.

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I guess Burrs defense could be, The insider information I was getting as the intel chair wasnt that the hotel industry is going to tankand yet he sold a lot of hospitality stock.

You dont need to have specific information that says Marriott is going to go down. It just needs to be material and nonpublic, meaning that if you or I as a stock buyer or seller were to have that information, it would be meaningful. So if hed receivedfor example, Im not saying that he dida briefing that outlined the number of deaths or cases of the coronavirus that were to come to America, that would have been nonpublic information. And if hed made transactions based on that information, there is a real possibility he could be charged with insider trading.

Listen to the full episode using the player below, or subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Her production company just got a deal to produce two romantic comedies for Netflix.

And she's also having to juggle homeschooling her son Tennessee, seven, with working from home during the coronavirus lockdown.

So it's probably not surprising that on Sunday, Reese Witherspoon decided to give herself a little break and grabbed some Italian food to go for the family.

Errands: Reese Witherspoon picked up some food to go in Malibu on Sunday, dressed for the sunny day in a blue patterned smock and wide-brimmed straw hat along with a face mask

The Hollywood star, 44, was dressed for the sunny day in a blue patterned smock and wide-brimmed straw hat.

She stepped out in flip flops and sported sunglasses along with a face mask as now required in Los Angeles County to combat the spread of COVID-19.

She had a large purse on a leather strap slung diagonally across her body and carried her meal purchases in a large brown paper bag.

Tennessee, whom she shares with husband Jim Toth, accompanied his famous mom on the errand.

Had company: The Hollywood star, 44, was accompanied by the youngest of her three children, son Tennessee, seven, whom she shares with second husband Jim Toth

Reese and talent agent Jim, 50, tied the knot in 2011.

The actress was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe with whom she shares daughter Ava, 20, and son Deacon, 16.

On Mother's Day a week ago, she posted a photo to Instagram of her three kids posing with the family dogs and wrote in the caption: 'So lucky to be the Mama of this crew!'

Proud mom: Reese paid tribute on Instagram to her children on Mother's Day - Tennessee as well as daughter Ava, 20, and son Deacon, 16, from her marriage to Ryan Phillippe

Successful: The actress and producer has just secured a deal for her company Hello Sunshine to produce two romantic comedies for Netflix

On Saturday, Reese had paid tribute to TV and movie director Lynn Shelton, 54, who passed away on Friday.

She had worked with Shelton on the series The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere.

'Im in complete shock that this vibrant, talented, and soulful filmmaker is no longer with us,' Reese wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the two women together.

'Lynn was so passionate about our show, Little Fires Everywhere. She said the book truly spoke to her, and that she longed to direct a show that spoke meaningfully about motherhood, sexuality, race, and class in America. And she did.'

Reese went on: 'I feel so fortunate that I got to collaborate with Lynn on both The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. Her spirit touched so many people in the filmmaking world. Her memory lives on in our vivid days together on set and in her wonderful films.'
Its hard to feel much sympathy for a predator like Mr. Weinstein or to shed tears over Mr. Lauers firing. And readers may brush aside these reporting issues as the understandable desire of a zealous young reporter to tell his stories as dramatically as he can.

But Mr. Farrow brings that same inclination to the other big theme that shapes his work: conspiracy. His stories are built and sold on his belief  which he rarely proves  that powerful forces and people are conspiring against those trying to do good, especially Mr. Farrow himself.

At the heart of Catch and Kill is an electrifying suggestion: that Mr. Weinstein blackmailed NBC executives to kill Mr. Farrows story on his sexual misconduct with the threat that The National Enquirer would expose Mr. Lauers misconduct if they did not. This is the conspiracy in the books subtitle. And it is the thread that holds together its narrative.

In Mr. Farrows telling, by the end of July 2017, he had nailed down the story of Mr. Weinsteins pattern of sexual predation, and the NBC brass had begun to shut him down. He has said repeatedly that he had at least two women on the record for his story at the time he left NBC for The New Yorker. He told NPR in an interview, There is no draft of this story that NBC had that had fewer than two named women. But NBC has disputed that claim, and an NBC employee showed me what he described as the final draft of Mr. Farrows script, as of Aug. 7. It had no on-the-record, on-camera interviews. (It did have one strong piece of reporting that Mr. Farrow took to The New Yorker: an audio recording of Mr. Weinstein appearing to confess to an Italian model that he had groped her. )

Nor does Mr. Farrow provide any proof that NBC executives were acting out of fear of blackmail when they refused to air his story, a central theme he promoted on his book tour. When the ABC host George Stephanopoulos asked Mr. Farrow about the suggestion that Mr. Weinstein was blackmailing NBC News, Mr. Farrow replied, Multiple sources do say that, and the way in which thats framed is very careful. Pressed on whether NBC had let the story go because they were afraid information about Matt Lauer was going to get out, Mr. Farrow replied, That is what the extensive conversations, transcripts, and documents presented in this book suggest.

But the reporting in the book does not bear that out. And in the absence of compelling proof, Mr. Farrow relies on what the critic and private detective Anne Diebel earlier this year described in The New York Review of Books as New Journalism on the sly  using novelistic technique to make his case. Mr. Farrow, for example, describes the facial expressions and physical gestures of NBC executives during his meetings with them, and then deduces dark motives.
The race for a coronavirus vaccine received boost on Monday following positive interim results in a trial on humans by a United States...

The race for a coronavirus vaccine received boost on Monday following positive interim results in a trial on humans by a United States-based company.





Moderna, the biotechnology company leading effort to create the vaccine, announced the positive outcome from its first human safety tests carried out in eight patients.





It said in the patients who were monitored for a month and a half, doses of the vaccine triggered blood levels of virus-fighting antibodies that were similar or greater than those found in patients who recovered.





The company said it plans to launch a large clinical trial in July to confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Tal Zaks, Modernas chief medical officer, was quoted as saying if the trials go well, a vaccine could become available for widespread use by the end of this year or early 2021.





These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 g, Zaks also said.





When combined with the success in preventing viral replication in the lungs of a pre-clinical challenge model at a dose that elicited similar levels of neutralising antibodies, these data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent COVID-19 disease and advance our ability to select a dose for pivotal trials.





Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, added that the company is aiming to scale up manufacturing so we can maximise the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2.




The year was 2012 and young Ravi Patel had no idea about blogging. At that time, he was a student for Bachelors Degree in Computer Science Engineering. However, he was aware of a need for a website, where he could share his knowledge and pass on information regarding his area of expertise. That led him to Blogger.com by Google  a platform to create a blog, easily and free of cost. So, as a B.Tech student, Ravi created his first blog on computer errors and their solutions.

Today, this charismatic young man earns 5-digit monthly in dollars, which is no less than a miraculous achievement for someone who didnt know blogging till 8 years back.

Ravi is the guy who forces one to believe that it is only in-depth knowledge, which gives a man everlasting wisdom and a basis to create a distinctive identity for self. It is with this single-minded focus on gathering information that has made Ravi a self-made entrepreneur with his company Sync Web Solution, based in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Quite expectedly, Ravi had no idea that starting his entrepreneurial journey would take him to such great heights in the fields of blogging, SEO and digital marketing. And more interestingly, he has based his knowledge only on a trial and error method.

It is not like Ravi become an entrepreneur in one night; he had done a job as well. But soon after joining the job, he got to know that a 9 to 5 job can never fulfill his dream. And hence after a few months of joining, he left the job, took a risk, and walk towards the direction of his dreams; higher the risk, higher the reward. He thought that business idea is important, but the execution of is that idea is underrated by most of the people. He strongly believes that today, at what stage he is, it is because of the successful execution.

What is even more heartening is the fact that he is keen to share this wealth of experience with his community. To help other bloggers achieve their respective goals, Ravi has started Gujju Bloggers Meet, where bloggers from different parts of the state and country share knowledge and ask questions. As for himself, Ravi still takes out time to continue understanding blogging, SEO, website traffic management and digital marketing.

No surprise then that after 8 years of diligent effort, he is where he is!

Disclaimer: This is a company press release. No HT journalist is involved in creation of this content.
Sweden recorded its deadliest month in almost 30 years in April, according to statistics released on Monday.

The country has stopped short of introducing the restrictive lockdowns seen elsewhere in Europe, with its approach instead based on the 'principle of responsibility'.

It has kept schools open for children under the age of 16, along with cafes, bars, restaurants and businesses, and urged people to respect social distancing guidelines.

However, a total of 10,458 deaths were recorded in the country of 10.3 million inhabitants in April, Statistics Sweden said, the most since December 1993.

It comes as 234 new cases and 19 new deaths from coronavirus were announced today.

Tomas Johansson, population statistician at Statistics Sweden, said in a statement: 'We have to go back to December 1993 to find more dead during a single month.

'In total, 97,008 deaths were recorded in Sweden during the whole of 1993, which in turn was the deadliest year since 1918, when the Spanish flu pandemic ravaged the country.

Johansson told AFP there was no official breakdown explaining the high death toll in December 1993 but said there was a flu epidemic at the time.

According to preliminary data, the number of deaths has been on the decline since the end of April, including in Stockholm - the epicentre of the Swedish epidemic - where the highest number of deaths were recorded in early April.

The Swedish approach to the novel coronavisrus has come under criticism both at home and abroad, particularly as the number of deaths have far exceeded those in neighbouring Nordic countries, which have all imposed more restrictive containment measures.

People respect social distancing as they sit at the Gallerian shopping center in Stockholm, Sweden

As of today, the country has reported a total of 30,377 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 3,698 deaths.

Also today, Sweden recorded one of its largest ever earthquakes after a 4.1-magnitude tremor hit the world's biggest underground iron ore mine today.

The quake north of the Arctic Circle was just short of Sweden's record 4.3-magnitude tremor, which hit the south of the country in December 2008.

Thirteen people were in the mine at the time, but none were injured and the facility has since been closed.

The mine, which is more than a century old, produced more than 14 tons of iron ore products in 2019.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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CLAIM: Nancy Pelosi is trying to pass a law called HR6666 which would allow people to come into your home and take your family members for quarantine.

THE FACTS: House bill 6666, the COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act, clearly states that individuals who test positive during testing for COVID-19 would quarantine at their residences. Following the introduction of the bill May 1, social media users began misrepresenting components of the bill online.

The text posts shared thousands of times across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter said that the bill would remove family members from households and force them to quarantine. Nancy Pelosi is trying to pass a law called HR6666. If this passes, strangers can come into your house and take (by force if needed) your family members including your children to a quarantined area, states one widely shared post on Facebook. In reality, the House bill would give $100 billion to local organizations, such as community health centers or nonprofits, to help with testing and contact tracing by funding door-to-door outreach, the purchase of testing supplies and the hiring and training of people to run mobile testing sites.

Preference would be given to hot spots and medically underserved communities. The bill states that grants will be awarded for diagnostic testing for COVID-19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals and to support the quarantine of such contacts, through mobile health units and as necessary, testing individuals and providing individuals with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, a Democrat from Illinois who introduced the bill, said on his website that the bill would not require that anyone be tested for the coronavirus and would not force anyone to quarantine. Ive seen these alarming posts as well, but I can assure you that they are completely false, he says on his website. This bill does not authorize anyone to enter your home, for whatever reason, without your permission, nor does it allow the government to remove anyone from your home because of the coronavirus.

Posts online expressed outrage and suggested that the bill would allow the government to enter homes and do as they pleased. The post is part of a common misleading theme emerging on social media around government efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. As of Friday, the bill was in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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CLAIM: Former President Barack Obama is the first president to speak out against his successor.

THE FACTS: Several former presidents have made comments criticizing the policies of their successors, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter  even Theodore Roosevelt. On Sunday, Trump retweeted a tweet that included the false claim: Barack Hussain Obama is the first Ex-President to ever speak against his successor, which was long tradition of decorum and decency, the tweet stated, misspelling Obamas middle name, which is Hussein.

In his retweet, Trump asserted that he got caught. During a private call last Friday with former members of his administration, Obama criticized Trumps handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it an absolute chaotic disaster. A recording of the call was obtained by Yahoo News. Obama also discussed the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying he worried that the basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.

Although there is a traditional reluctance among presidents to criticize a successor, Obama is not the first president to do so. Historically, recent presidents do not attack sitting presidents that often and when they do, they are measured, Peter Loge, a professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a University of Pennsylvania professor who focuses on political communication, agreed.

When presidents have criticized other presidents, they tend to do so while not naming them, she said, noting that such criticism would generally be made in private. In April 2015, former President George W. Bush was seen as criticizing successor Obama during a closed-door Republican Jewish Coalition meeting, quoting Sen. Lindsey Grahams comments on Obamas policies in the region: Pulling out of Iraq was a strategic blunder. Former President Clinton criticized the administration of his successor, George W. Bush, over its Iraq policy: The point is, there is no military victory here, he told Good Morning America in July 2007.

Former President Jimmy Carter ripped successor Ronald Reagan for sending arms to Iran in hopes that Americans held captive in Lebanon would be released. Carter said Reagan mishandled the Iran-Contra affair and is making believe hes telling the truth to the American people about it. President Theodore Roosevelt called successor William H. Taft a traitor of reform, and criticized him for not advancing his progressive policies.

Experts noted that Trumps rhetoric around former presidents has gone far beyond the norm, particularly his criticism of Obama on social media and at political rallies.

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CLAIM: The California Department of Social Services sent a letter to participants in state assistance programs mandating testing for the coronavirus for all family members receiving benefits. Failure to be tested by June 1, 2020, will result in the temporary suspension of benefits and children may be removed from the household if someone tests positive.

THE FACT: The letter was fabricated and falsely attributed to the California Department of Social Services. Social media users shared the fabricated letter widely online, expressing outrage that benefits would be taken from those who were not tested for COVID-19. "This is scary beyond belief, one post on Facebook said. Refuse to test and they can take more than unemployment benefits. They can remove your children and place them in foster care!!

The letter said that participants in state assistant benefits including cash aid, Cal Fresh or Medical, you are being informed that COVID-19 testing has been declared mandatory for all members of your household receiving assistance. Failure to obtain a test by June 1, 2020 will result in the temporary suspension of your benefits beginning July 1, 2020. The California Department of Social Service letterhead was included on the document and it appeared to have been signed by Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services. Both were used without consent. We have alerted the appropriate county authorities for investigation, the California Department of Social Services said on its website. If you receive this letter, please disregard it. State departments and county human services departments NEVER will ask about your health status in connection to an application for benefits. The letter stated that Merced County in California would be offering the free tests at participating locations and included a website and phone number. Merced County debunked the fake letter in a post on Facebook, calling it counterfeit.

The letter also falsely claims that if someone tests positive for COVID-19, his/her children may be removed from the home and placed into foster care, Merced County posted on Facebook on Monday. Should you have any questions regarding social services or child welfare, please contact the Merced County Human Services Agency child welfare hotline at 209-385-3104.

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CLAIM: Individuals in Washington state who refuse to cooperate with contact tracers, or those who refuse testing, will not be allowed to leave their homes for necessities.

THE FACTS: Numerous posts circulated on Facebook falsely claiming that people who refuse to participate in contact tracing in Washington will not be allowed to leave their homes to purchase basic necessities such as groceries and/or prescriptions.

Not so, said Amy Reynolds, communications director with the Washington State Department of Health, who said the posts are not accurate summaries of contact tracing or enforcement. Reynolds confirmed to The Associated Press in an email that contact tracing is voluntary. Anyone can choose not to participate in an interview if they are contacted by public health professionals, she said. We hope to make it easy for people who test positive or who are identified as close contacts to voluntarily follow public health recommendations, which may include staying home for a period of time.

Jay Inslee, governor of Washington, announced the launch of a contact tracing plan this week to keep track of the spread of COVID-19. The state has 1,371 contact tracers ready to assist local health departments. According to AP reporting, Inslee said that the goal is to box in the virus by first having people who think they have symptoms quarantine themselves and seek testing.

The goal is to contact those who test positive within 24 hours of testing and to contact those the people encountered within 48 hours. At the sign of any symptoms, people should confine themselves at home. Voluntary confinement for both ill persons and the members of their households will be a major challenge, but it is one of the most critical portions of this entire endeavor, Inslee said. Last week, Inslee announced that stay-home restrictions will be extended through at least May 31.

As the Governor mentioned, our experience with infectious disease shows that the vast majority of people voluntarily comply when asked to stay home, Reynolds said. We believe most people are eager to take steps to protect their own health and that of their loved ones and communities. She added that local health officers have some authority related to individual enforcement but they rely on people voluntarily following public health recommendations. The authority to enforce involuntary isolation or quarantine rests with local health officers, she specified. Each local health jurisdiction in Washington has existing plans and processes should involuntary isolation or quarantine be needed. They would need to speak to their authority in more detail.

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CLAIM: Dr. Fauci has sat on Microsofts board of directors with Bill Gates as his boss.

THE FACTS: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has never served on Microsofts board of directors. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has become a target of misinformation as he oversees the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest posts are trying to link Fauci to Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who has long been a target for his work around vaccines. I bet you didnt know Dr. Fauci sat on MicroSofts Board of Directors- and that Bill Gates - was his Boss...Now did, ya, the text posts online say.

Posts with the false claim circulated widely on social media, with posts on Facebook shared thousands of times. Microsoft confirmed to The Associated Press that Fauci has not served on Microsofts board. Fauci has, however, collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which announced in 2010 that Fauci would serve on the Leadership Council for the Decade of Vaccines Collaboration.

The effort was part of the foundations Global Vaccine Action Plan, which the leadership council would oversee. On the Gates Foundation website, it shows that Fauci also participated on a board in 2003 with other medical officials and scientists to help the Gates Foundation with their work around AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

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CLAIM: Video says that onions can cure bronchitis, fever and kill viruses in the air.

THE FACTS: While onions offer nutritional and health benefits, there is no evidence that they can cure bronchitis, fever or kill viruses in the air if placed around a room.

Myths around using onions to cure various ailments have existed for years. As medical researchers around the world struggle to find a vaccine for coronavirus, social media users are searching online for ways to treat themselves at home. One video on Facebook with more than 50,000 views was shared with the comment, onions better than any VACCINE. Do you know if you have fever or bronchitis, if you chop up onions and put it in like a cheese cloth or a thin cloth, put it on your chest, it gets rid of bronchitis? says a woman featured in the video. If you have a fever, cut a piece of the onion in slices, put it under your foot bottom and put on a sock. By morning your fever gone.

The woman also suggests cutting the tops off the onions and then putting them in every corner of a room. It will pull out every virus, any bacteria out of the air, she says. Myths about onions and viruses are totally undocumented by science, said Ruth S. MacDonald, who chairs the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University.

According to the National Onion Association, myths about onions date back to the 1500s when it was said that putting cut onions around a room would protect against the bubonic plague. Back then it was believed diseases were spread through noxious air. The myth continued to live on to the influenza pandemic of 191819. In short, there is no scientific evidence that a cut raw onion absorbs germs or rids the air of toxins/poisons, the association says on its website. Medical experts say it is important to consult a health care professional if you are showing signs of fever or bronchitis rather than relying solely on home remedies.

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CLAIM: Video shows massive protests in Germany against Deepstate, Bill Gates and vaccines.

THE FACTS: The video shows a July 2017 protest in Warsaw, Poland, against plans that would put the judicial system under the control of the conservative ruling party. The aerial video, taken in the evening, shows thousands of people demonstrating near the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on July 23, 2017. It has been circulating on social media falsely captioned as showing protests in Germany.

#Breaking #BreakingNews #Germany ERUPTS in MASSIVE Protests against the #NWO Corrupt #Deepstate & the NAZI Eugenics World takeover by #BillGates #vaccine Sterilization & Depopulation Campaign as they know about it better than anyone with their history, stated a May 11 Twitter post with the video. The tweet refers to anti-vaccine rhetoric and conspiracy theories that have circulated around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across Germany there have been multiple protests in recent weeks with demonstrators demanding an end to coronavirus lockdown restrictions there. Twitter users falsely suggested that the video was linked to those protests. But the falsely captioned video being shared with some social media posts was filmed on Krakowskie Przedmiescie, an elegant promenade in Warsaw, on July 23, 2017.

Anti-government protests erupted in Poland as the ruling party moved to take control of the courts. According to AP reporting, on July 16, 2017, thousands protested, outraged over legislation they said would violate judicial independence and the rule of law. The protests lasted for days.

___

CLAIM: Videos show proof that actor Tom Hanks and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot support the New World Order, a conspiracy theory built on the idea that the worlds most wealthy and powerful are plotting to overthrow democracy and install a single, global authoritarian government.

THE FACTS: The videos are being misrepresented. The YouTube clip featuring Hanks was taken from a five-minute video of him addressing the class of 2020 at Wright State University. Social media users claim Hanks  who called the graduates chosen ones"  was congratulating members of the New World Order for a successful coup because of the pandemic.

A review of the video shows Hanks simply told students they would enter a post-college world that will look very different after coronavirus has spread throughout the globe. You chosen ones are going to form the new structures and to find the new realities and make the new world, the world after all that we have been through and after your time here in the final years, the final weeks at Wright State, Hanks told the graduates. Hanks video message was played during a virtual ceremony on May 2 for graduates of the colleges Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures.

The video featuring Lightfoot was edited to take her words out of context. She was not planning a global coup, she was talking about ending a long-standing and unusual custom in Chicago called aldermanic prerogative, which gave aldermen absolute power on zoning and development decisions in their home wards. The video with Lightfoots comments was taken during an April 2019 interview with the Chicago Tribune, days after she won her mayoral bid with a historic campaign that vowed reforms that would root out corruption in the city.

During the interview, Lightfoot said she would put a stop to aldermanic prerogative, practice some have criticized as unchecked power that was easy for aldermen to abuse. To help get rid of the practice, Lightfoot says she plans to sign an executive order that says the city will no longer honor the practice. She tells the Tribune that after that order is signed, she will then hire new officials across key departments in the city, like zoning and housing, who are on board with abolishing the custom.

You pick the people to run those agencies and the deputies that are pledging allegiance to the new world order and good governance, Lightfoot said. Social media users are sharing an edited, one-minute video clip of that comment to suggest she is talking about trying to overthrow the government with a new world order. Other social media posts share a screenshot of her quote to make the misleading claim. In May 2019, after she was inaugurated, Lightfoot signed an executive order limiting aldermanic prerogative.
Dozens of residents and employees of a nursing home in Yerevan were hospitalized or isolated at the weekend after testing positive for coronavirus.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, three of its 17 hospitalized residents remained in a critical condition on Monday.

The 28 other persons infected with the virus are care home personnel. A spokeswoman for the ministry, Sona Martirosian, said they are kept in isolated hotels because of showing no symptoms of the disease.

Some 200 elderly people lived in the nursing home located in Yerevans Nork district until the outbreak. Martirosian said that they all underwent coronavirus tests immediately after the health authorities detected the first infections there late last week.

Martirosian told Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that those residents whose test results were negative will be tested again later this month. She said the authorities have deployed additional medical workers to monitor their condition around the clock.

Armenia has only three nursing homes where a total of 580 retirees live and receive care and, if necessary, medical assistance. All of them were placed in strict lockdown in late February even before the authorities registered the first coronavirus case in the country.

So far COVID-19 infections have been reported only at the Nork home. The primary source of those infections is not yet known.

Vahan Zurabian, the director of another Yerevan-based care home, confirmed that there have been no coronavirus cases among its 210 residents. He said that his employees looking after them have strictly observed the confinement rules.

The personnel also dont go home [after finishing their daily work,] said Zurabian. There have been no visits or physical contacts [with outsiders.]

All over the world care homes have been particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of the virus because of the old age of their residents and close physical contact among them.
Lina Attalah, a leading journalist in Egypt, was arrested - AP

Egypt briefly detained and fined one of the country's dwindling number of independent journalists on Sunday as the nation mounts a crackdown on the media and political dissent.

Lina Attalah, the editor of the investigative news website Mada Masr, was arrested outside of Tora prison in Cairo, where she was interviewing the mother of a jailed activist.

Ms Attalah's lawyer says she was accused of filming a "military complex" - referring to the prison - without permission.

She was fined 2,000 Egyptian pounds (104) and eventually released from custody late on Sunday.

It was unclear on Monday whether she faces further charges, as the Egyptian authorities have not elaborated further on the reasons behind her arrest.

The government of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's has repeatedly targeted Mada Masr and its journalists.

In November, security forces raided its offices, briefly detaining Ms Attalah and two other journalists.

The raid came just a day after security forces arrested one of its editors, Shady Zalat, from his home in Cairo. Mr Zalat was later released.

Amnesty International, which recently published a report warning that journalism has in effect been outlawed by Egypt, called Ms Attalah's detention a "shocking development."
The International Space Station (ISS) can be seen with the naked eye flying from southwest to southeast over Russia until the end of May, the press service of Russias State Space Corporation Rososmos said.



"The International Space Station will be been over most of Russia and its closest neighbors until the end of May! Just look up to say hello to Anatoly Ivanshin, Ivan Vagner, and Chris Cassidy," it wrote on its VKontakte account.



"The station will be seen as a bright star flying from the southwest to the southeast within a span of several minutes," TASS cited the statement as saying.
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 19 2020

State airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II is applying new policies at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, after images of passengers crowding the airport went viral.

The policies include dividing passenger lines into four sections, separating the document verification and health check process, as well as limiting flights to only seven per hour.

AP II is set to enforce the new rules, aimed at supporting physical distancing measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, in the airports Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 starting on Friday.

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The Zacks Steel Producers industry serves a wide range of end-use industries such as automotive, construction, appliance, container, industrial machinery, transportation, and oil and gas with various steel products. These include hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils and sheets, hot-dipped and galvanized coils and sheets, reinforcing bars, billets, wire rods, strip mill plates, standard and line pipe, and mechanical tubing products.



Some of the prominent industry players are ArcelorMittal (MT), Nucor Corporation (NUE), and POSCO (PKX).



Here are the industrys three major themes:

Sluggish demand spells trouble for the steel producers industry. The industry players are facing headwinds from softer demand across major steel end-use markets such as automotive and construction in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, a slump in crude oil prices has led to a slowdown in demand for steel in the energy space. In particular, the coronavirus-induced economic slowdown has triggered a contraction in steel demand in China, the world's top consumer. The pandemic has slowed down activities in the construction space and put brakes on automobile production in China due to shortage of manpower and disrupted supply of auto parts. While China has crawled out of the worst of the coronavirus impact and is limping back to normalcy, business activities in the country are likely to remain sluggish over the near term. This is likely to thwart a material recovery in the demand environment for steel.



U.S. steel producers are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. The outbreak has led to a downward spiral in U.S. steel prices amid ebbing end-market demand. After gaining some momentum in late 2019 on the back of consecutive price hike actions by major U.S. steel mills and supply-side actions, domestic steel prices came under pressure during the first quarter of 2020 amid the virus crisis. The benchmark hot-rolled coil steel prices tracked downward on concerns over the fast-growing pandemic in the United States and worries over demand slowdown amid production shutdowns by automakers. Weak demand and falling prices forced some of the domestic steel makers to shutter plants, leading to lower production. While U.S. steel prices have gained some ground of late on the back of steel mills price hikes, the current feeble demand situation does not look favorable for a significant rebound in prices over the near term.



The steel producers industry remains hamstrung by sustained oversupply of steel in the market, made worse by continued growth in Chinese production. China, which accounts for more than half of the global steel output, is a significant contributor to global steel excess capacity. Rising steel production in China has led to high levels of finished steel inventories in the country amid weak steel demand at home. Bloated inventories have built pressure on steel prices in China and globally. As such, Chinas steel overcapacity remains an overhang for the short haul.

Story continues





Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bleak Prospects

The Zacks Steel Producers industry is part of the broader Zacks Basic Materials Sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #170, which places it at the bottom 33% of more than 250 Zacks industries.



The groups Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates gloomy near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



The industrys position in the bottom 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of negative earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, it appears that analysts are pessimistic about this groups earnings growth potential. Over the past year, the industrys earnings estimate for the current year has gone down 109.1%.



Despite the industrys grim near-term prospects, we will present a few stocks worth considering for your portfolio. But before that, its worth taking a look at the industrys stock market performance and current valuation.



Industry Lags Sector and S&P 500



The Zacks Steel Producers industry has lagged both the Zacks S&P 500 composite and the broader Zacks Basic Materials sector over the past year.



The industry has declined 38% over this period compared with the S&P 500s rise of 0.6% and the broader sectors decline of 10.1%.



One-Year Price Performance







Industrys Current Valuation

On the basis of trailing 12-month enterprise value-to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, which is a commonly used multiple for valuing steel stocks, the industry is currently trading at 6.67X, below the S&P 500s 10.37X and the sectors 9.47X.



Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 10.96X, as low as 5.13X and at the median of 7.96X, as the chart below shows.





Enterprise Value/EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) Ratio













Enterprise Value/EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) Ratio





Bottom Line



The steel producers industry is reeling under the effects of falling demand across major markets amid the coronavirus outbreak. A weakening China economy amid the pandemic has triggered a slowdown in steel demand in China. Weak U.S. steel prices are also hurting American steel producers. The industry is also grappling with sustained overcapacity, driven by continued growth in Chinese production.



Currently, none of the stocks in the Zacks Steel Producers industry carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). We are presenting three stocks with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) that investors may choose to hold on to. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



United States Steel Corporation (X): The Pennsylvania-based company has delivered positive earnings surprise in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 23.2%. The stock also has an expected long-term earnings per share growth rate of 8%.



Price and Consensus: X







Gerdau S.A. (GGB): The Brazil-based company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 20.1% in the trailing four quarters. Moreover, it has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 12.1%.



Price and Consensus: GGB







Shiloh Industries, Inc. (SHLO): The Ohio-based company has an expected earnings growth of 207.7% for the current fiscal year. The company also delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 200% in the trailing four quarters.



Price and Consensus: SHLO







Today's Best Stocks from Zacks



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United States Steel Corporation (X) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Shiloh Industries, Inc. (SHLO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



POSCO (PKX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Nucor Corporation (NUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



ArcelorMittal (MT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-17 21:33:22|Editor: huaxia

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Visitors experience 5G products at the booth of Huawei at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the lastest U.S. export controls targeting Chinese tech giant Huawei, said spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday that it will impose new restrictions on Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors.

The United States has used state power to persistently suppress and contain a specific foreign firm in the name of national security and abused export controls. It is a violation of market principles and fair competition, a disregard for basic international economic and trade rules, and a severe threat to the security of global industrial and supply chains, according to the spokesperson.

"The move not only undermines Chinese and U.S. firms' interests, but also hurts the interests of enterprises from other countries," the spokesperson said.

The Chinese side urges the U.S. side to immediately cease such actions and create conditions for normal trade and cooperation between enterprises, the spokesperson said, adding that China will take any necessary measures to defend Chinese firms' legitimate rights and interests. 
Anti-theft devices can help drivers protect their vehicles from thieves and save money on insurance. Advanced anti-theft devices can help drivers save as much as 25%, while basic devices may save drivers 1% to 3%., said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents how anti-theft devices can help drivers pay lower car insurance rates.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/install-anti-theft-devices-and-save-car-insurance-money/

Anti-theft devices can help drivers reduce the risk of having their cars stolen. Most new vehicles come equipped with some form of anti-theft device. Drivers who own older vehicles can make their cars safer by installing one or more anti-theft devices that are available on the market.

To find out more about anti-theft devices and how they can help lower the insurance premiums, read the following:



Most providers are offering discounts for installed anti-theft devices. GEICO offers its customers a discount of up to 25% for anti-theft gear. Other insurers offer discounts between 3% to 15%., depending on the type of anti-theft device installed. Drivers should know that this discount is only offered to the comprehensive coverage part on an insurance plan. Drivers who only have liability coverage are unlikely to significantly reduce their insurance premiums, even if they have an anti-theft device installed.

What anti-theft devices are available on the market. Theres a wide range of anti-theft devices available to anyone. Systems like LoJack or OnStar can remotely shut down the vehicle in the event of theft. GPS trackers can let vehicle owners monitor their cars location after its stolen. Many drivers have active or passive car alarm systems installed on their cars. Some alarms might make a loud noise when someone reaches through the windshield, while other systems might silently alert emergency personnel in the event of theft. Etching the vehicle identification number (VIN) into the windshield is another anti-theft measure.

How much money drivers can save. This type of discount can vary widely between providers. Some companies offer steep discounts for OnStar, for example, but they hardly offer anything for car alarms. Some drivers are getting discounts that are as low as 1%. Drivers who have advanced anti-theft devices like OnStar or other remote shutdown systems installed in their vehicles can save as much as 25%. However, anti-theft devices are becoming more common and the chances to get a huge discount are smaller. Even advanced anti-theft devices are not that uncommon on newer vehicles. The good news is that some providers stack anti-theft device discounts. In this case, for example, a driver can get a 10% discount for OnStar and a 3% discount for a car alarm. This means that the driver can obtain a premium bill that is 13% lower.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.
Police are investigating a threat made against Massachusetts state lawmaker Mike Connolly after Mr Connolly signed onto a letter urging Governor Charlie Baker to extend the commonwealth's lockdown installed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Connolly, a Democrat who represents the towns of Somerville and Cambridge, just north of the Charles River from Boston, told The Boston Globe over the weekend that the threatening message was shared on one of his Facebook posts in response to the letter.

In a pair of comments on 15 May, an account with the name "Acile Lopes" told Mr Connolly to "[shut] your f***ing mouth or we will show up at your house like we did Bakers house , you communist pig!" and later posted an image of an assault rifle with the message, "You might want to rethink your letter."

Mr Connolly told the Globe that he was "taken aback" and that he'd spoken with a detective from the Cambridge police department about the matter.

It gave me the chills to be honest, he said of the comments.

Cambridge police later confirmed to the Globe that Mr Connolly had made contact with them about the a threat linked to the letter he and 11 other Democratic state lawmakers sent to Mr Baker, who is a Republican.

The letter urges Mr Baker not to reopen Massachusetts for business until if fully meets the guidelines of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation, which the commonwealth so far has not.

The WHO advises regions to get below a 10 per cent infection rate for new people taking tests for Covid-19 before beginning to reopen the local economy.

Massachusetts has been stuck at around 12 per cent for some time.

Weve been stuck at 12 per cent for several days and I dont see any reason why we couldnt follow the advice of the scientists and the epidemiologists to tell us we have to do more in terms of testing, Mr Connolly said in an interview with Boston 25 News.

While many of Mr Connolly's recent Facebook posts about keeping the commonwealth closed at least through early June have received comments from angry constituents, that is not reflective of the overall sentiment of people in Massachusetts. Recent polling has found that most people support keeping socially distancing measures in place until the health crisis subsides.

It seems like an unfortunate reflection of the rhetoric that comes from Donald Trump and others, Mr Connolly told the Globe of the social media backlash.
After financial institutions and technology companies came a variety of industries that share a commonality in that they process and store a vast amount of PII (personally identifiable information), PHI (protected health information) and PCI (payment card industry) data. These companies are very concerned with the privacy exposure that they hold, explained Mauro Signorelli, head of international cyber at Aspen Insurance.

In the last 18 months or so, weve seen more and more industrial and manufacturing risks come into the market, said Signorelli. I think its partly to do with the fact that were seeing a broad expansion in coverage on business interruption in the supply chain, and therefore cyber has become the place to go to get insurance for that network interruption exposure. Also, we see in the press a massive uptick in terms of ransomware attacking industrial control systems and manufacturing companies, and we see how disruptive the prolonged effects of these kind of events can be. So, anything that has to do with manufacturing, industrial plants, power and utility, but also transport and logistics tend to be the new category of buyers of cyber insurance.

Another element driving more companies and more industries towards the standalone cyber insurance market is the wider commercial insurance markets efforts to address silent cyber exposure. In a movement spearheaded by Lloyds of London, insurers today are under pressure to either affirmatively include cyber risk or exclude it on traditional non-cyber policies. As Signorelli pointed out, historically, some professional services firms relied upon their E&O policy to cover some of their cyber exposure, but now theyre facing the reality that cyber has been excluded under their E&O policy, so theyre looking for somewhere to place a tailor-made solution for their cyber risks. And thats not just the case for professional services firms; it will impact all industries.

I think another element that were seeing more and more is that cyber is becoming a contractual requirement in many jurisdictions and in many industries, Signorelli added. Also, given the increase in litigation activity from a class action and security class action standpoint around how companies are handling data breaches, boards are becoming much more responsible and aware of the consequences to the organization of privacy and cyber-related exposure. So, were definitely seeing boards integrating cyber insurance as part of their risk management programs.
KAMLOOPS, British Columbia  A Canadian aerobatic jet crashed into a British Columbia neighborhood during a flyover intended to boost morale during the pandemic, killing one crew member, seriously injuring another and setting a house on fire. Video appeared to show the planes crew ejecting.

The crash left debris scattered across the neighborhood near the airport in the city of Kamloops, 260 miles (418 kilometers) northeast of Vancouver, on Sunday. The Snowbirds are Canadas equivalent of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds or U.S. Navys Blue Angels.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was deeply saddened by the death of Capt. Jennifer Casey, who served as a spokesperson for the Snowbirds, and the injuring of Capt. Richard MacDougall, one of the teams coordinators and pilot of the aircraft who survived landing on the roof of a house.

For the past two weeks, the Snowbirds have been flying across the country to lift up Canadians during these difficult times. Trudeau said in a statement. Their flyovers across the country put a smile on the faces of Canadians everywhere and make us proud.

The morale boosting mission is now on indefinite hold and the fleet of Tutor jets has been placed on operational pause.

Video posted to Twitter appears to show two Snowbirds taking off from Kamloops Airport. One of the aircraft subsequently climbed into the sky before rolling over and plunging to the ground. The video appears to show at least one person ejecting from the plane before it disappears behind a stand of trees and an explosion is heard.

A local resident who lives seven houses from the crash site and had been watching the aircraft said he saw the Snowbird going straight down.

I saw what looked like a parachute about, say, 20 feet over the house, and it disappeared from sight, and the parachute hadnt fully deployed yet  it was still sort of straight up and down, Kenny Hinds said.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Rose Miller lives directly across the street from where the plane hit. Shed watched the Snowbirds arrive on Saturday, and she went to her front window on Sunday when she heard the roar of jet engines.

Miller said she heard a loud bang and wondered whether it might be a sonic boom. Then she watched the plane smash onto the ground.

It looked to me like it was mostly on the road, but it just exploded. It went everywhere, she said. In fact, I got a big, huge piece in my backyard. The cops said it was the ejection seat.

Miller said a couple in their early 70s lives in the home. Both are OK, she said, noting that shed spoken with them after they were evacuated to a nearby street. The woman had been in the basement while the man was behind the house.

Miller said section of roof on a home on a nearby street has been covered up.

This accident really shakes us to our core, Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian said. About five houses had to be evacuated.

Operation Inspiration started in Nova Scotia earlier this month and features the teams signature nine-jet formation. It was aimed at boosting morale amid the pandemic.

Marni Capostinsky said she lives across the street from the crash site and was out on the deck when she heard the plane getting closer.

We ran out under the cover to look and saw something black coming towards us, everyone hit the deck it was so loud, she said.

Hinds said it looked like the living room of the house where the crash occurred was on fire.

I just started running down the street. And I got there maybe a minute after it crashed and there was a couple of residents that had their hoses out and they were trying to put the flames out because it hit a house, he said.

Its been a difficult few weeks for Nova Scotia and the Canadian military as a navy helicopter went down over the Mediterranean last month, killing six people  three of whom were from Nova Scotia. Caseys roots were in Nova Scotia  a province that saw a gunman kill 22 people in rampage amid the pandemic last month.

Sundays crash follows the downing of another Snowbird in the U.S. state of Georgia last October, where the team was scheduled to perform in an air show. Capt. Kevin Domon-Grenier sustained minor injuries when he ejected from the plane, which crashed into a farmers field. No one else was hurt.

The Snowbirds have performed at airshows across Canada and the U.S. for decades and are considered a key tool for raising awareness about  and recruiting for  the air force. Eleven aircraft are used during shows, with nine flying and two kept as spares.

The air force obtained its Tutor jets in 1963 and has used them in air demonstrations since 1971. Prior to Sundays crash, seven pilots and one passenger had been killed and several aircraft had been lost over the course of the Snowbirds history.



Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
Argos has unveiled plans to reopen some of its stores in Ireland from Monday, May 18, in line with the latest guidance from government.

From Monday, Argos stores on high streets and in retail parks will start to reopen. Stores in shopping centres will remain closed, in line with government guidance.

Also read: Restart Scheme will be critical for a successful return for many Longford businesses

The company says it will start with usual store opening hours and will review these over the next few weeks as it sees how people are shopping with. Open hours may extend opening hours in the future if it is safe to do so.

For more details, you can visit the Store Locator and opening hours page on the company's website from Monday, May 18 by clicking here.

There will be a range of measures in place in each store including a limit on the number of customers allowed in store at any one time. Customers will need to queue a safe distance away from each other outside the store and there will be staff on hand to help with this.

All stores will have perspex safety screens at the tills and staff will be following social distancing guidelines at all times, including when they pick items from the store warehouse and bring them to the collection counter.

RELATED STORY: What shops and retail outlets can open in Phase 1 of the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions
You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on your favorite app including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Subscribe/follow and rate the podcast via your favorite app.

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | May 18, 2020

The jobless in Pennsylvania can now get unemployment benefits for up to 39 weeks. Meanwhile, a software issue causes 61 voters to receive eight mail-in ballots. A Penn State fraternity has its charter revoked. Patti LaBelle, Questlove and other Philadelphia stars are hosting a televised fundraiser to help raise money for COVID-19 relief.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Julia Hatmaker. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories in the state.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, we like to know what you think of the program.

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.
Troops of 130 Battalion and Army Super Camp in Baga had a fierce encounter with Boko Haram and ISWAP members at Baga town on Sunday....









Troops of 130 Battalion and Army Super Camp in Baga had a fierce encounter with Boko Haram and ISWAP members at Baga town on Sunday.





The battle left many terrorists dead, while some soldiers suffered injuries.





Major General John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, made this known in a statement.





He said the fighters, armed with mortars, rocket propelled grenades and small arms, had been on their way to attack villages surrounding Baga.

The troops attacked their convoy with overwhelming firepower killing 20 BHT/ISWAP criminals, captured six AK 47 Rifles, 520 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and five 36 hand grenades.





Nine of our gallant soldiers were wounded in action with no loss of life. They were evacuated to Sector 3 hospital for treatment, he said.





The Defence Headquarters commended the gallant troops for their professionalism and urged them to remain resolute towards eradicating the insurgents from the North-East.





The military, also at the weekend, announced an air raid conducted against Boko Haram.





Fighters jets took turns to bombard the sects enclave located inside Sambisa forest.





Several terrorists were eliminated, while their armoury and other facilities were destroyed.








The hair care market size in the US is expected to grow by USD 1.15 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 2%. Request free sample pages

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005439/en/

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Major Five Hair Care Companies in US:

Amway Corp.

Amway Corp. has business operations under various segments, such as nutrition, beauty, home, and energy and spot. The company offers hair care products, such as hair sprays, shampoos, and conditioners through the brands Satinique, Artistry Studio, and Body Blends.

Coty Inc.

Coty Inc. operates its business through segments such as consumer beauty, luxury, and professional beauty. The company offers a wide range of hair styling products, shampoos, and colorants under brands such as Clairol, Wella, BioColor, O.P.I., and others.

Henkel AG Co. KGaA

Henkel AG Co. KGaA operates its business through segments such as adhesives technologies, beauty care, and laundry home care. The company offers hair care products such as conditioners, hair styling products, shampoos, and colorants under brands such as Syoss, Gliss Kur, Indola, Palette, Perfect Mousse, Poly Kur, Schwarzkopf, Schauma, and others.

Kao Corp.

Kao Corp. operates its business through various segments, such as cosmetic business, skin care, hair care business, human health care business, fabric and home care business, and chemical business. The company offers several hair care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, hair colors, and hair styling products through the brands Merit, Essential, Liese, Cape, Rerise, John Frieda, and Success.

L'Oreal S.A.

L'Oreal operates its business through segments such as Professional Products Division, Consumer Products Division, L'Oreal Luxe Division, and Active Cosmetics Division. The company offers hair care products such as conditioners, hair styling products, shampoos, and colorants under brands such as Belle Color, Casting Creme, Garnier, Elseve, Elvive, Excellence Creme, Kerastase, L'Oreal Paris, Matrix, Purete Naturelle, Redken, and others.

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Hair Care Market in US Product Outlook (Revenue, USD billion, 2020-2024)

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Hair Care Market in US Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD billion, 2020-2024)

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Himachal Pradesh on Monday recorded six fresh coronavirus cases, including five who returned from Mumbai recently, taking the total number of infected to 87, officials said.

The Mumbai returnees, four men and a woman, are from Hamirpur district and were kept under quarantine.

The men, including a 60-year-old, had no symptoms of the disease, Special Secretary (Health) Nipun Jindal said, adding that a 24-year-old woman has tested positive in Kangra district.

Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harikesh Meena said three fresh cases are from Sujanpur subdivision, whereas two from Nadaun subdivision.

Meanwhile, one patient recovered from the infection in Hamirpur district, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 38 and fatalities at four. A total of 45 patients have recovered.

Of the 38 active cases in the hill state, 15 are in Kangra, eleven in Hamirpur, four each in Chamba and 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.)
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI  A mushroom hunter discovered the remains of a missing person while searching in a swampy area in Macomb County.

The 35-year-old white male was reported missing person in Eastpointe in July 2018, police said.

The mushroom hunter from Chesterfield led Chesterfield Township Police to the body in a heavily wooded, swampy area south of 23 Mile Road just east of I-94 at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Police say the remains included bones, heavily weathered clothing, and camping equipment. No signs of trauma were discovered, police said, and the man was identified by a Michigan ID recovered from the scene.

The remains were collected and secured by the Macomb County Medical Examiner for further analysis.

Next of kin, who live in Texas, have been notified. The case remains under investigation by the Chesterfield Township Police Department, but there is no sign of criminal activity.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday discussed the possibility of holding parliamentary committee meetings through video conferencing amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown and asked the secretary generals of both Houses to give a detailed report on it.

Naidu and Birla met at the Rajya Sabha chairman's chamber on the first day of the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, imposed since March 25 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that has claimed 3,029 lives and infected 96,169 people in the country.

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretary generals were asked to examine all issues regarding holding of parliamentary committee meetings through video conferencing and submit a detailed report for further consideration, sources said.

This is the second meeting of the presiding officers of both Houses of Parliament on the issue. The first meeting was on May 7.

On Monday, Naidu and Birla were briefed by the secretary generals on discussions they have held so far and in particular, about a safe technical platform for video conferencing to be provided by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the sources said.

They were also informed about the technical arrangements to be put in place for enabling video conferencing and the issues likely to be faced during virtual meetings of the committees, they said.

Naidu and Birla also discussed activities of members of Parliament during the lockdown and reported restrictions on their movement in some states, the sources said.

Some chairmen of parliamentary committees and a number of opposition members have sought holding of parliamentary panel meetings immediately.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also called for immediately holding such meetings, while noting that parliaments in some countries have held their sessions through video conferencing.

Congress leader Anand Sharma, who is the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, has already written to the chairman and demanded early holding of such meetings.

Both have said that the economic stimulus package announced by the government should be discussed in committee meetings as part of parliamentary scrutiny.

Chidambaram accused the government of being "opportunistic" and bypassing parliamentary discussion and scrutiny.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is chairman of the parliamentary committee on Information Technology, has also written to the speaker for early holding of panel meetings.

He cited examples of other parliaments, including that of Canada, which are holding their sessions through video conferencing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. and German physicists have found surprising evidence that one of the most famous phenomena in modern physics -- the quantum Hall effect -- is "reincarnated" in topological superconductors that could be used to build fault-tolerant quantum computers.

The 1980 discovery of the quantum Hall effect kicked off the study of topological orders, electronic states with "protected" patterns of long-range quantum entanglement that are remarkably robust. The stability of these protected states is extremely attractive for quantum computing, which uses quantum entanglement to store and process information.

In a study published online this month in Physical Review X (PRX), theoretical physicists from Rice University, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany, presented strong numerical evidence for a surprising link between 2D and 3D phases of topological matter. The quantum Hall effect was discovered in 2D materials, and laboratories worldwide are in a race to make 3D topological superconductors for quantum computing.

"In this work we've shown that a particular class of 3D topological superconductors should exhibit 'energy stacks' of 2D electronic states at their surfaces," said Rice co-author Matthew Foster, an associate professor of physics and astronomy and member of the Rice Center for Quantum Materials (RCQM). "Each of these stacked states is a robust 'reincarnation' of a single, very special state that occurs in the 2D quantum Hall effect."

The quantum Hall effect was first measured in two-dimensional materials. Foster uses a "percolation" analogy to help visualize the strange similarities between what occurs in 2D quantum Hall experiments and the study's 3D computational models.

"Picture a sheet of paper with a map of rugged peaks and valleys, and then imagine what happens as you fill that landscape with water," he said. "The water is our electrons, and when the level of fluid is low, you just have isolated lakes of electrons. The lakes are disconnected from one another, and the electrons can't conduct across the bulk. If water level is high, you have isolated islands, and in this case the islands are like the electrons, and you also don't get bulk conduction."

In Foster's analogy the rugged landscape is the electric potential of the 2D material, and the level of ruggedness corresponds to amount of impurities in the system. The water level represents the "Fermi energy," a concept in physics that refers to the filling level of electrons in a system. The edges of the paper map are analogous to the 1D edges that surround the 2D material.

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"If you add water and tune the fluid level precisely to the point where you have little bridges of water connecting the lakes and little bridges of land connecting the islands, then it's as easy to travel by water or land," Foster said. "That is the percolation threshold, which corresponds to the transition between topological states in quantum Hall. This is the special 2D state in quantum Hall.

"If you increase the fluid level more, now the electrons are trapped in isolated islands, and you'd think, 'Well, I have the same situation I had before, with no conduction.' But, at the special transition, one of the electronic states has peeled away to the edge. Adding more fluid doesn't remove the edge state, which can go around the whole sample, and nothing can stop it."

The analogy describes the relationship between robust edge conduction and bulk fine-tuning through the special transition in the quantum Hall effect. In the PRX study, Foster and co-authors Bjo?rn Sbierski of UC Berkeley and Jonas Karcher of KIT studied 3D topological systems that are similar to the 2D landscapes in the analogy.

"The interesting stuff in these 3D systems is also only happening at the boundary," Foster said. "But now our boundaries aren't 1D edge states, they are 2D surfaces."

Using "brute-force numerical calculations of the surface states," Sbierski, Karcher and Foster found a link between the critical 2D quantum Hall state and the 3D systems. Like the 1D edge state that persists above the transition energy in 2D quantum Hall materials, the calculations revealed a persistent 2D boundary state in the 3D systems. And not just any 2D state; it is exactly the same 2D percolation state that gives rise to 1D quantum Hall edge states.

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"What was a fine-tuned topological quantum phase transition in 2D has been 'reincarnated' as the generic surface state for a higher dimensional bulk," Foster said. "In 2018 study, my group identified an analogous connection between a different, more exotic type of 2D quantum Hall effect and the surface states of another class of 3D topological superconductors. With this new evidence, we are now confident there is a deep topological reason for these connections, but at the moment the mathematics remain obscure."

Topological superconductors have yet to be realized experimentally, but physicists are trying to create them by adding impurities to topological insulators. This process, known as doping, has been widely used to make other types of unconventional superconductors from bulk insulators.

"We now have evidence that three of the five 3D topological phases are tied to 2D phases that are versions of the quantum Hall effect, and all three 3D phases could be realized in 'topological superconductors,'" Foster said.

Foster said conventional wisdom in condensed matter physics has been that topological superconductors would each host only one protected 2D surface state and all other states would be adversely affected by unavoidable imperfections in the solid-state materials used to make the superconductors.

But Sbierski, Karcher and Foster's calculations suggest that isn't the case.

"In quantum Hall, you can tune anywhere and still get this robust plateau in conductance, due to the 1D edge states," Foster said. "Our work suggests that is also the case in 3D. We see stacks of critical states at different energy levels, and all of them are protected by this strange reincarnation of the 2D quantum Hall transition state."

The authors also set the stage for experimental work to verify their findings, working out details of how the surface states of the 3D phases should appear in various experimental probes.

"We provide precise statistical 'fingerprints' for the surface states of the topological phases," Foster said. "The actual wave functions are random, due to disorder, but their distributions are universal and match the quantum Hall transition."

The research was supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant (1552327), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (LPDS 2018-12), a KIT research travel grant, German state graduate funding and the UC Berkeley Library's Berkeley Research Impact Initiative.
Sugarcanes are either eaten or trampled upon. This is a glimpse at a sugarcane field destroyed by Asian elephants that covers around 5 mu (0.33 hectare) in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of southwest Chinas Yunnan province.

An herd of elephants that have strayed near Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan province for six days, cause damages to local villagers and farms, Sept. 11, 2008. Photo by Li Yunsheng/Peoples Daily Online

Zi Yanping, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as the vice president of a health center in Jino township, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, arrived at the sugarcane field for investigation after driving two hours in scorching heat.

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is a major habitat for Asian elephants, a species under first-class national protection in China, and the prefecture has established a national nature reserve to protect the tropical forests where Asian elephants live. However, the gradually rising number of Asian elephants in the region is also resulting in increasing conflicts between local residents and the animal.

A villager of Daguang village, Mengla county, Yunnan province check the banana trees damaged by elephants, Dec. 7, 2008. Photo by Li Yunsheng/Peoples Daily Online

Zi learned that the farmer would lose at least 10,000 yuan from the destroyed sugarcane field as every mu of sugarcanes generates an income of around 2,000 yuan, and this does not include the farmers prior input. The Asian elephants activities are causing severe impacts on local farmers production and life, Zi said.

As one that has lived in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture for years, Zi knows the prefecture has a special compensation program for damage caused by wildlife. According to the program, local farmers can receive 600 yuan for every mu of rice destroyed, 400 yuan for every mu of corns destroyed and 800 yuan for every mu of sugarcanes destroyed.

Farmers earn 2,000 yuan from every mu of sugarcanes, and 800 yuan from corns, so the current compensation program is only able to cover around half of the farmers losses. That is a conclusion reached by Zi after investigating in three villages.

After learning all the 6,133 cases of damages caused by wildlife in the prefecture since 2011, Zi found that 322 had casualties and 66,963 households were affected. Asian elephants were the major perpetrators.

Villagers try to scare off elephants in the rice field of Menggang village, Mengla county, Yunnan province, Aug. 6, 2008. Photo by Li Yunsheng/Peoples Daily Online

We must try our best to reduce the damages on lives and property of the people while ensuring protection over the Asian elephants, and to raise the compensation standard remains an urgent task, Zi said, deciding to make a relevant proposal to this years National People's Congress (NPC).

The preparation of the proposal started last June and lasted till this April. To better it, Zi consulted experts with forestry departments and verified the latest statistics with the local government. In her proposal, it is suggested that the compensation standard be raised for damages caused by wildlife, including the Asian elephants.

Zi became a delegate of the 12th National Peoples Congress since 2013, and a member of the CPPCC in 2018. As one that works at the primary-level health system, she had proposed to raise the income for rural doctors. As one from the Jino ethnic minority, she had proposed to protect the traditional culture of the Jino and enhance the input of educational resources in areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups.

The proposals raised by Zi were in different areas, but every one of them was raised by her after field trips and investigations. In recent years, Zis has left her footsteps on almost every corner of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.

Only by studying the primary level can we have a thorough understanding of the difficulties encountered by the people and present their concerns to the country, she said.
ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) and Pact have agreed to a set of safety guidelines to resume television production in Britain.

Producers and broadcasters must make provisions in six areas before commencing production on television projects across all genres. These include:

Specifically consider people at higher risk of harm

Heighten safety precautions for everyone at work

Reduce the number of people involved in shoots

Consider on-camera requirements, such as changing scripts to encourage social distancing

Consider mental health and wellbeing of cast and crew

Establish feedback loops

The guidance has been produced through a collaboration of cross industry experts in this area along with external expertise provided by Dr Paul Litchfield CBE. The guidance also lays out the key areas to consider when assessing risk on productions and suggests controls:

Travel: Travel should be reduced where possible and public transport should be avoided.

Location: Film outdoors where possible, or in locations where social distancing can be observed.

Work activities: Plan to maintain a 2-metre distance between people, installing plexiglass when people are close to each other, ensuring talent applies their own hair and makeup.

Work equipment: Sanitising filming and recording equipment, providing crew with dedicated equipment.

Work patterns: Allow people to work in small groups or cohorts, and stagger shift patterns.

Rest areas: Reconfigure areas including lunch zones, including marking out spaces for people and ensuring that catering does not become a breeding ground for cross-contamination.

First aid and emergency services: On-set medical provision should be increased.

Personal protective equipment: PPE should be a last resort and should only be considered when all other forms of control have been considered and/or implemented.

Mental health: Consider how coronavirus is impacting employee health, and provide spaces for people to have downtime during the working day.

BBC director general Tony Hall said: Everyone across the TV industry wants to get production back up and running. Recent weeks have shown just how important shows are to the public. But we can only move forward with the right safety measures in place. This guidance is an attempt to get that right.

ITV CEO Carolyn McCall added: Our production teams are now working hard to bring many more much loved shows back for viewers. This requires really innovative thinking, but above all, the safety and well-being of all those who work on the programmes is paramount.

A 15 page document is available here.
YPSILANTI, MI -- President Donald Trump is expected to tour Ford Motor Companys Rawsonville manufacturing plant in Ypsilanti Township on Thursday.

A White House official confirmed plans for the visit Monday morning.

It will be the presidents second visit to Michigan this year. He toured another auto plant in January.

The president is scheduled to tour a factory that has shifted efforts to produce ventilators and personal protective equipment to help in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Ford began making ventilators at the plant during the week of April 20 and set a goal of producing 50,000 ventilators in 100 days at the facility.

Following the tour, Trump is expected to deliver remarks including comments on a partnership of Ford and General Electric to produce personal protection equipment and ventilators. Ford, GE Healthcare and the United Auto Workers have all collaborated on the production efforts over the last few weeks.

The White House asked to visit Fords Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., as part of the Presidents tour to thank businesses producing PPE and important medical equipment," Ford officials said in a statement. "Were proud to assemble more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker and welcome Thursdays visit as part of Fords longstanding history of hosting sitting presidents and senior government leaders.

Details on the timing of the presidents visit have not been released. It was unclear if the event will be private or if the public will be invited to attend. Trumps last visit to Michigan came four months ago, when he toured an auto parts supplier facility in Warren.

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.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

Monday, May 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Man who tested positive for coronavirus arrested after spitting at, threatening ER staff

How coronavirus arrived and the curve flattened in Livingston County
ALBANY  You may remember Howie Hawkins for his quixotic attempts to unseat Andrew Cuomo. A three-time Green Party nominee for governor, Hawkins received just 1.7 percent of the vote in the 2018 race  placing a verrrry distant third.

Given the humble metrics of success observed by the Greens, that result was apparently enough to make Hawkins the party's presidential nominee. So far, the Syracuse resident has won 17 of the 19 Green Party state presidential contests.

Want more from Chris Churchill? Sign up for his weekly newsletter.

Running for president as a Green is a weird and thankless task. You won't win, but you might do just well enough to become a scapegoat.

That's what happened in 2000 to Ralph Nader, who some Democrats blamed for tilting the election to George W. Bush. And that's what happened four years ago to Jill Stein, who received just one percent of the national vote but still was fingered as a culprit in Hillary Clinton's surprise loss to Donald Trump. Clinton even called her "a Russian asset"  an outrageous, evidence-free smear.

You're sure you want to do this, Howie? Yes, he's sure.

"I think the people who like what we're saying will like that we said it," Hawkins told me during a recent call, saying regular voters welcome the choice third parties offer. "It's the talking heads who may not like it."

Hawkins, 67, is a former construction worker and UPS employee, now retired. He has run for office many times, never successfully. He grew up in sunny California, but has lived in snowy Syracuse for decades.

When we spoke, Hawkins made it clear his campaign will be aimed squarely at supporters of Bernie Sanders and other progressives. If you support Medicare for All or the Green New Deal, he said, then the presumptive Democratic nominee shouldn't get your vote.

"We're the campaign that is for those things, while Joe Biden isn't for any of those things," Hawkins said. "Don't waste your vote. Make your vote count."

Those words will terrify (or infuriate) Democrats who worry that disaffected progressives, Sanders supporters especially, will hand the election to Trump by refusing to vote for a centrist. Some argue that the November election is too crucial to be messed up by third-party candidates who can only cause trouble.

As evidence, they point to the 2016 results in Michigan, one of several key swing states where the Green Party allegedly tilted the race to Trump. There, Stein received 51,000 votes while Trump defeated Clinton by a mere 10,000.

A clear-cut case that Stein is responsible for Clinton's defeat? Hardly.

People forget that Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate and a former Republican governor of New Mexico, received 172,000 votes in Michigan and 4.5 million votes nationally. If we're to believe that all the Johnson votes would have gone to Trump and all the Stein votes would have gone to Clinton, then Trump would have won Michigan easily  and won the national popular vote, too.

But that's poppycock. Elections don't actually work that way, in part because if Johnson and Stein hadn't been on the ballot, many of their voters would have stayed home.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

I mean, imagine if a store offered only two brands of cereal, a kind you don't like and another you despise. Wouldn't you leave without buying cereal?

Meanwhile, we're often told that voting for third-party candidates is akin to voting for the opposing ideology, as in: A vote for Hawkins is really a vote for Trump! And why would a progressive want to help a guy who opposes everything progressives want?!

While that argument might resonate in swing states, most Americans don't live in swing states. Instead, they're in places like New York, where the Electoral College dilutes the value of a vote. Joe Biden will win deep-blue New York as surely as Donald Trump will win scarlet-red Oklahoma, so New Yorkers (and Oklahomans) are free to vote their consciences without worrying about the consequence.

OK, but some on the left, including environmental activist Bill McKibben, argue that Hawkins should explicitly "stand down" in swing states to avoid aiding Trump. Hawkins rejected the suggestion when we spoke, though, saying Democrats could make the whole issue irrelevant by tailoring their appeal to progressives and the large number of working-class voters who rarely vote.

I asked Hawkins what he'd do if he, like the shopper in my silly cereal analogy, were forced to choose between Biden, Trump or not voting at all.

"I'd probably vote for Biden," he said. "Biden is the lesser evil. But if you vote for the lesser evil, you keep going with evil."

If Hawkins keeps talking like that, somebody's going to claim he's working for the Russians.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
For every one lakh population, there are 7.1 coronavirus cases in India so far as against 60 globally, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday as the death toll due to COVID-19 in the country rose to 3,029 and the number of cases climbed to 96,169.

It also said the recovery rate of coronavirus cases in India stood at 38.39 per cent.

Referring to data from WHO situation report, the ministry said 45,25,497 COVID-19 cases have been reported till Monday which is about 60 cases per lakh population.

Among the countries with very high load of coronavirus cases, the USA, with 14,09,452 instances of the infection so far, has around 431 cases per lakh population. Russia has reported 2,81,752 cases and has around 195 cases per lakh population, it said.

The UK has so far reported 2,40,165 cases which is 361 cases per lakh population while Spain with 2,30,698 instances of the disease has about 494 cases per lakh. In Italy has 2,24,760 total cases and about 372 cases per lakh population and Brazil with 2,18,223 cases has 104 cases per lakh population.

Germany which has registered 1,74,355 instances of the infection has around 210 cases per lakh population, Turkey with 1,48,067 cases has 180 cases per lakh population, France with 1,40,008 cases has around 209 cases per lakh population and Iran with 1,18,392 cases has 145 cases per lakh population.

The Union health ministry, in a statement, said, "Aggressive and early measures so far have shown encouraging results."



India registered 157 deaths and a record 5,242 cases in 24 hours till Monday 8 am The number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 56,316 with 36,824 being cured of the disease. A total of 2,715 patients are reported to have recovered in the last 24 hours.

"We presently have a recovery rate of 38.29 per cent, the ministry said.

It had on Sunday issued guidelines to the states for categorising areas into red, orange and green zones on the basis of parameters such as total active cases, cases per lakh population, doubling rate calculated over a seven-day period, case fatality rate, testing ratio (number of tests per lakh population) and sample positivity rate.

This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines for the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, giving power to states and union territories to delineate red, green and orange zones as per the COVID-19 situation taking into consideration the parameters shared by the union health ministry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appeared stumped that mandatory testing catches asymptomatic coronavirus cases during a television interview.

The Premier appeared on The Project on Monday when host Carrie Bickmore asked her if she supported mandatory testing for aged care workers.

The question came after a Rockhampton nurse tested positive for coronavirus last week, forcing an aged care home into lockdown and more than 40 nurses into isolation.

'I think it comes down to something even more basic than that (mandatory testing) and that is clearly if you are sick you must stay home,' the Premier said.

Project co-host Waleed Aly then asked about the problem posed by people who have the virus - but don't show any symptoms.

'It's worse than that, because you can have asymptomatic cases,' he said.

'Isn't that the problem? People can be taking all the precautions necessary - without the testing you're open to this sort of thing happening?'

'Yes absolutely,' Ms Palaszczuk replied with confidence.

'I agree and there's a lot of testing going on, I'm very happy with our test rates, I think we've done 150,000 in Queensland, and now we're doing extra testing,' she said - before urging people 'if they have any symptoms' to get tested.

Carrie Bickmore then asked if she would endorse mandatory testing for aged care centres.

'Well, like you said, mandatory testing is not necessarily going to pick up if you're asymptomatic, so you can have a test and you still may be positive but I think the issue here is a bit different,' said the Premier.

Looking startled and concerned, Aly then interjected.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appeared confused by the questions that people without symptoms may be a problem - having urged symptomatic people to get tested

The Project host Carrie Bickmore started by asking if the Premier supported mandatory testing of aged care home visitors, following a coronavirus case in a Rockhampton aged care home

'Sorry, isn't that exactly what the testing would do?' he asked.

'So if you're relying on people to come forward with symptoms then sure, you're not going to pick up asymptomatic people - but if you're testing anyone who walks onto the facility, you will pick up asymptomatic people and then you will stop it at source.'

Ms Palaszczuk faltered.

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

'Yeah, look, I'm happy to look into that,' she said, before going into the specific details of the Rockhampton nurse having turned up to work after getting a test and showing symptoms.

Social media users were not impressed the Premier appeared not to have a plan for potential asymptomatic spreaders in nursing homes.

'The Premiers lack of knowledge on the details (or even a policy stance) on testing and asymptomatic people in health occupations was staggering,' tweeted Tim Robinson.

'Freudian slip or not ... disturbing.'

Twitter user Heath Wild said: 'Wow ... not cool.'

'Asymptomatic means presenting NO symptoms, testing is important to catch those without symptoms who can still spread Covid-19. Waleed's face was priceless though.'

Other Twitter users leapt to the Premier's defence.

'Of course she f****g knows,' wrote Twitter user David.

'She has been dealing with it for months. It was a slip up in an interview, momentarily. Grow up.'

Queensland Health has said there will be an independent investigation into how the nurse with coronavirus continued to work at a Rockhampton aged care home, while showing symptoms.

Twitter users laughed at Waleed Aly's stunned yet concerned facial expression

The North Rockhampton Nursing Centre, in central Queensland, which has been locked down

'We want to understand exactly how it happened, what went wrong, why it went wrong and how we can make sure it never happens again,' said Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles told the ABC on Sunday.

More than 40 nurses who worked in the same unit as the nurse who tested positive are in isolation and have so far all tested negative.

They will remain in isolation for two weeks in case they show symptoms, triggering a re-test.

The 35 residents of the aged care home were moved to other facilities across Rockhampton over the weekend so they could have private rooms.

Australia's confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 7060 on Monday with 1057 cases in Queensland.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:21:49|Editor: huaxia

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Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (C) salutes during the opening ceremony of the first parliament session since the change of government in March in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 18, 2020. Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah urged the country's politicians on Monday to work towards stability and to avoid sparking further political problems in the time of COVID-19 outbreak, delivering his speech to the parliament. (Malaysia's Department of Information/Handout via Xinhua)

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah urged the country's politicians on Monday to work towards stability and to avoid sparking further political problems in the time of COVID-19 outbreak, delivering his speech to the parliament.

In his speech to open the first parliament session since the change of government in March, Sultan Abdullah called on the members of the parliament (MPs) to unite as the country is facing difficulties brought on by COVID-19 and its effects on the people and economy.

"I advise you not to drag the country into a political abyss of uncertainty at a time when the people continue facing many problems as well as a difficult future brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Sultan Abdullah also urged the government, headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with a multi-party coalition, to focus on ensuring the people's well-being and safety, and to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Lower House of Parliament or Dewan Rakyat was initially scheduled to sit for 15 days, but this had been reduced to a one-day sitting limited to the king's speech over the current COVID-19 outbreak with MPs and parliament staff being tested for the disease beforehand.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who resigned in late February before Muhyiddin took over as the prime minister on March, had sought to table a non-confidence motion against his successor.
Children's Minister Katherine Zappone will face the Dail on Wednesday to answer questions on the collapse of the government's proposed childcare scheme for frontline workers.

The scheme would have seen childcare workers taking care of children of frontline workers at a cost of 90 per family. However, it was cancelled late last Wednesday after only six providers signed up.

Providers cited concerns on the transmission of Covid-19, a lack of insurance availability, an inability to meet rest and break obligations as well as concerns on safety of staff working alone.

Speaking in the Dail the following day, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he had heard about the scheme's collapse on the news.

On Wednesday, TDs will have the opportunity to question Minister Zappone on the scheme's collapse, with many pushing the need for a replacement to be put in place immediately.

Fianna Fail TD for Cork North West Aindrias Moynihan says an alternative plan is urgently needed.

An alternative solution needs to be found here and quickly. We cannot expect frontline staff to be worrying about how they are going to meet their childcare needs at a time when they are doing tremendous work across the country, he said.

Our healthcare workers deserve proper childcare supports to enable them to do their job without sacrificing annual leave, asking family members to move into their household or pay over the odds for childcare in their home.

The failure to get this scheme off the ground is embarrassing for the Minister and one that must be re-examined immediately."

Labour Party Cork East TD Sean Sherlock said that a clear place was needed on reopening the entire childcare sector.

We saw with the poorly planned out, now panned scheme for healthcare workers just how important it is to get every detail right.

Many healthcare staff are still left in the lurch without childcare, which also means less essential workers on the frontline.

That is why we need a clear and coherent plan for the reopening of the childcare sector as a whole that takes all these issues into account; the Government needs to show a real sense of urgency on this."

Wednesday will also see Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty and Education Minister Joe McHugh before the Dail.

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25 years ago: Clinton and Republicans move forward with historic budget cuts

Clinton delivering 1997 State of the Union while House Speaker Newt Gingrich, right, and Vice President Al Gore look on

On May 18, 1995, the United States House of Representatives passed its version of the deficit reduction plan by a vote of 238 to 193, with eight Democrats joining the Republican majority. The Clinton administration had been moving forward with the plan for unprecedented cuts to federal spending, wiping out social programs and destroying jobs. The campaign to destroy social programs was conducted by both parties under the banner of deficit reduction and the need to balance the federal budget.

Clinton endorsed all but $1.5 billion of the $16.5 billion in cuts passed by the Senate but had threatened to veto the first specific spending bill from the Republican-controlled Congress. The maneuver allowed Clinton to posture demagogically as a defender of education programs while bargaining cuts with Newt Gingrich, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Robert Dole, Senate majority leader.

The Senate voted May 25 to approve a seven-year budget blueprint drafted by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici. All 54 Republicans were joined by Democrats Robert Kerrey, Sam Nunn, and Charles Robb to provide the 57-42 margin. A conference committee of Democrats and Republicans from both houses was appointed to work out a consensus budget bill after recess.

The House plan called for a $350 billion tax cut, heavily weighted to the wealthy through cuts in capital gains, more favorable depreciation write-offs, and other loopholes. The House plan also provided for $43 billion more in military spending than the Senates.

Both plans cut more than $1 trillion in projected spending on Medicare, Medicaid, federal entitlement programs for the poor like AFDC and food stamps, and other domestic programs ranging from agriculture to mass transit to NASA.

The Senate plan cut $256 billion from Medicare and $175 billion from Medicaid, while the House version cut $283 billion and $187 billion, respectively. Both eliminated Medicaid as a federal entitlement program, transforming it into a block grant provided to the states.

The Clinton administration had repeatedly signaled it was ready to work out a budget-cutting deal with the Republicans, though an impasse in negotiations between Congress and the White House would lead to the government shutdown between November 1995 and January 1996.

50 years ago: East and West German leaders hold summit

Willy Brandt, left, and Willi Stoph

On May 21, 1970, Chancellor Willy Brandt of West Germany and Premier Willi Stoph of East Germany met in Kassel, a city in the West German state of Hesse near the border with East Germany. Stoph was the first East German leader to visit West Germany since the country had been divided by the Soviet Union and the imperialist powers of the US, UK, and France following the defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of WWII into a capitalist German Federal Republic (BRD) and a Stalinist German Democratic Republic (DDR).

Brandt presented a 20-point proposal for how the states should go about normalizing relations. The proposal, more rhetoric than policy, included language regarding respecting human rights, freedom of movement, and non-interference in domestic affairs between the East and West. Brandt also made comments insisting that, if adopted, the points would be initial steps to reunification.

Stoph, however, rejected the proposal, emphasizing his desire for a treaty that would give East Germany international recognition as an independent state. West Germany, backed by the United States, treated East Germany as an illegal government. Only the other Warsaw Pact countries and a handful of Arab nations had officially recognized the DDR. Stoph charged Brandt with subordinating the West German government to the global strategic aims of American foreign and military policy.

Rival demonstrators, some from the neo-nazi National Democratic Party, others from the West German Stalinist party, the KPD, clashed during Stophs visit. As part of the trips agenda, Stoph had planned to travel to lay flowers at the site of a memorial to the victims of Nazism. Right-wing protesters had gathered in large numbers to block his entrance and shouted death threats at the East German leader.

The newly organized German Trotskyist group held a meeting in Kassel which provided the only serious political analysis of the Brandt-Stoph summit. They explained that while Brandt supported capitalism in both the West and the East, the Stalinist program in East Germany had abandoned even building socialism in one country and had settled for less than half a country while banning any socialist organization that advocated an alternative program.

The Trotskyists issued a series of demands, among them, full trade union rights, including the right to strike, in both east and west; the legalization of the KPD in West Germany and of all socialist and working-class parties in East Germany; and unrestricted right to travel between East and West Germany, in preparation for the reunification of Germany on a proletarian and socialist basis.

75 years ago: British wartime coalition government ends

Churchill

On May 21, 1945, the British Labour Party voted to withdraw support for the Conservative Party government of Winston Churchill, ending a de facto wartime coalition. The move prompted Churchills resignation on May 25, at the request of King George VI, and his formation of a caretaker ministry that would govern the country until elections were held on July 5.

The Labour Party action was a response to mounting social expectations within the working class after years of Depression-era conditions and the privations of the Second World War. Labour withdrew its support from Churchill only after the effective victory of Britain and the Allied powers in the European conflict, with the surrender of Nazi Germany just weeks before.

Previously, Labour had supported Churchills repressive measures, including bans on strikes and industrial action, enforced with the backing of Labour and the Stalinist Communist Party, and the attacks on the Trotskyist movement. Labour had done nothing to oppose raids on the London headquarters of the Revolutionary Communist Party, British section of the Fourth International, in April 1944. Its leaders were charged with illegal striking, incitement, and conspiracy offences in the first use of the Trades Disputes Act after it was introduced following the 1926 General Strike.

Labours support for the Conservative government also implicated it in such crimes as the Allied bombing of densely populated civilian centers in Germany, such as Dresden, which constituted a war crime aimed at intimidating the European working class. Earlier in 1945, Labour had supported Churchills brutal suppression of anti-fascist partisans in Greece, who were attacked by British troops seeking to ensure the restabilization of capitalism in territories formerly occupied by Nazi Germany.

The Labour leadership feared a growing popular radicalization and recognized that it needed to separate itself from Churchill in order to capture and contain the leftward movement of the working class. This shift to the left was reflected in the July election, which Labour won in a landslide, securing 393 seats compared to the Conservatives 213 and forming a majority government for the first time. In office, Labour would implement a series of social reforms, including the establishment of the National Health Service, amid the post-war boom of capitalism and the suppression of the revolutionary struggles of the working class throughout Europe.

100 years ago: Battle between coal miners and company thugs in Matewan, West Virginia

Station in Matewan, West Virginia

On May 19, 1920, in what has come to be known as the Battle of Matewan, West Virginia coal miners confronted agents from the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency who had been hired by the Stone Mountain Coal Company to evict miners and their families from company housing.

Police chief Sid Hatfield and miners whom he had deputized attempted to arrest the agents at the train station as they sought to leave town, including Albert Felts, the brother of Baldwin-Felts co-owner Thomas Felts.

Albert Felts claimed he had an arrest warrant for Hatfield. Miners then brought in the mayor, Cable Testerman, who had earlier refused bribes from Baldwin-Felts to allow them to set up machine-gun nests in town. Testerman told them, This is a bogus warrant.

An exchange of fire followed immediately. Testerman was killed. Hatfield shot Albert Felts, who also died. Altogether, ten men died, three from the miners side and seven Baldwin-Felts thugs.

The successful defense by miners of their rights in the face of company violence sent shockwaves throughout the coal field and strengthened union support.

The Battle of Matewan was a key event in the West Virginia Coal Wars that lasted from 1912 to 1921, essentially a sporadic civil war fought between miners and the coal operators in a period of mass working class struggle.

In November 1919, some 400,000 coal miners had struck in the American coalfields, in a movement that began with a defense campaign for jailed socialist leader Tom Mooney. The Great Steel strike occurred that year in the United States, part of a global upsurge of the working class that included the Russian Revolution of 1917.

The Battle of Matewan and the other episodes in the Coal Wars represent one of the most heroic periods of the struggles of the international working class. Filmmaker John Sayles effectively portrayed the events of May 19, 1920 in his 1987 movie Matewan.
The Centre on Monday asked 50 per cent of its junior employees, below the level of deputy secretary, to join work in office, according to an official communique.

IMAGE: Kerala high court employees board a bus, arranged for them, as offices open during the fourth phase of COVID-19 lockdown, in Kochi, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Till now, only 33 per cent of such employees were asked to attend office due to the novel coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said the move will help towards normal functioning of central government offices.

"Allowing 50 per cent staff to resume work from office is a move towards normal functioning of central government offices. The work in offices will gain efficiency and expediency," Singh told PTI.

He said there will be staggered entry and exit timings for central government employees joining office.

"Social distancing norms will be strictly followed by central government employees resuming work from office," the minister said.

For regulating attendance of officers and staff, below the level of deputy secretary, all heads of department have been asked by the Personnel Ministry to prepare a roster so as to ensure that 50 per cent of officers and staff attend office on every alternate day, the communique issued to all central government departments by the ministry said.

All officers of the level of deputy secretary and above shall attend office on all working days, it said.

Those officers or staff who are not required to attend office on a particular day, shall work from home and should be available on telephone and electronic means of communications at all times, the ministry said.

All heads of the department have also been asked to ensure that the 50 per cent of officers and staff who attend office observe staggered timings, the personnel ministry said.

There will be three shifts for the central government employees -- 9 am to 5.30 pm, 9.30 am to 6 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm.

These instructions shall be in force 'with immediate effect', the personnel ministry said, adding that bio-metric attendance shall remain suspended until further orders.

"Wearing of face cover is compulsory in all public and work places," it said, citing the national directives for COVID-19 management.
This adds to a tangle of complicating factors cited by Beasley. Lockdowns and resulting economic recessions in the developing world have pushed many of the working poor toward hunger. Nearly 370 million children are missing out on school meals. The level of remittances has fallen along with economic activity. Tourism  which accounts for a large portion of national income in many African countries  has collapsed. Oil-rich countries such as South Sudan and Nigeria have seen oil prices dramatically decline. And most destructively, more than 45 million people worldwide have been driven from their homes by violent conflict, leaving them particularly vulnerable to hunger and disease.
A group calling itself the Northern Youth for Nana Akufo-Addo (NOYONAA) has condemned the recent comments by Major (Rtd) Kojo Boakye-Gyan, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) describing it as unfortunate and unguided.

NOYONAA however expressed disappointment that the NDC was silent in condemning the said comments, saying, this doesnt come to them as a surprise since the party is noted for violence.

Major Boakye-Djan in his comments on OKAY FM on Tuesday May, 12, 2020, said that the dismissal of Madam Charlotte Osei, the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) was politically motivated by the current administration.

He also mentioned that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) dismissed Madam Osei to brighten up their chances of winning elections.

The retired Major also said, what the current EC is doing presently, could drive the country into a civil war.

"In the post-independence Africa, all crises and civil wars have been on the back of disputed electoral results".

But NOYONAA in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Abdul Rauf Napari and copied to the Media at the weekend said: "We are in an election year and such comments if allowed have the potential of destroying the peace and democratic credentials Ghana has jealously built over the years."

The statement added, "it was a common knowledge that the NDC as a party lacks a message for Ghanaians and therefore, preparing themselves with all diabolic and Machiavellian tactics to secure electoral victory in the upcoming elections."

It emphasised that the NDC has the penchant of using propaganda instead of data and facts to make their point and that these comments made by Maj. Boakye-Gyan endorsed by his party and his flagbearer by extension was a classic example.

"To set the records straight, the current NPP government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won the 2016 general elections genuinely without any underhand dealings and by the grace of Almighty Allah will do same come December 7, 2020," it stressed.

It continued, "The NPP won the 2016 elections because the party had a message and proved to Ghanaians their competence in managing not only the economy but also all other spheres of government".

The statement added, "while the NPP was busily campaigning and explaining their policies to Ghanaians, the candidate of the NDC was busily dancing the famous yenti obiaa a song by Dady Lumba and Mahama paper by Shatta Wale a popular musician in Ghana."

The statement further states that the incompetence of the NDC in managing the country's economy took Ghana to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which brought a lot of hardship onto the ordinary Ghanaian.

It further referred to the former regime ban on public sector recruitment and many other conditionalities by the IMF and the cancellation of Nurses and Teacher trainees allowances as the incompetence that led to the NDC electoral defeat, adding, "this is still fresh on the minds of Ghanaians who are not people with short memories.

The NOYONAA reminded Maj. Boakye-Gyan of what former President John Dramani Mahama emphatically said on November 18, 2016, that the EC cannot rig elections, quoting, Ghanas electoral system is one of the best in the world because it has inherent instruments for guaranteeing its integrity.

It said: "With the above comments, NOYONAA wishes to ask Maj. Boakye-Gyan and his cohorts of what have changed? The record of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia led administration is unmatched and does not need any help to win the upcoming elections. The NPP government have built a strong economy with which for the first time in our history as a nation, the government have absorbed in full the cost of water supply to Ghanaians and lifeline consumers of electricity as well as a 50 per cent for all other consumers as a means to support Ghanaians in this era of COVID-19."

The statement noted, "this tariff absorption is not by chance or luck but as a result of competent economic management. The Free Senior High School, the restoration of Teachers and Nurses Allowance, One Village-One Dam, the Nation Builders Corps and more.

"With this spectacular performance, why will the NPP need a new voter register to win the election? We are going into an election with a candidate who lost with a huge margin to us, we dont need a new voter register to defeat him."

The statement concluded that: "We the NOYONAA wish to call on the National Peace Council, the Clergy, the media and all other well-meaning Ghanaians to call Maj. Boakye-Gyan and the NDC to order before they plunge our beloved country into chaos."


Kyocera completes Progenza Due Diligence

Sydney, May 18, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Regeneus Ltd ( ASX:RGS ), a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company, today announced that it has received notification that Kyocera Corporation ( TYO:6971 ) has completed its due diligence process on its lead stem cell platform technology Progenza for treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis (Progenza OA).Progenza OA has met Kyocera's due diligence criteria and the completion of this phase progresses the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced on 2 March.Pursuant to the terms of the MOU, the milestone triggers a payment of JPY100M (approx. A$1.5M). The payment is refundable if a definitive commercial licence is not executed.Under the terms of the MOU, Kyocera now will have until the end of July 2020 for exclusive rights to negotiate a commercial license for Progenza OA in Japan.About Regeneus Ltd

Regeneus Ltd (ASX:RGS) is a Sydney-based clinical-stage regenerative medicine company using stem cell technologies to develop a portfolio of novel cell-based therapies. The regenerative therapies seek to address unmet medical needs in human health markets, focusing on neuropathic pain, including osteoarthritis and various skin conditions, with its platform technologies Progenza(TM) and Sygenus. Visit www.regeneus.com.au for more information.
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Linkedin Harumi Ozawa/Natsuko Fukue (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan  Mon, May 18, 2020 13:07 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8c4b02 2 Art & Culture Japan,pandemic,coronavirus,COVID-19,tradition,culture,Amabie Free

Move over Pokemon and Hello Kitty, in coronavirus-hit Japan, a new character has captured hearts and hopes: Amabie, a beak-nosed, long-locked mythical mermaid monster said to repel plagues.

In recent weeks, the mash-up monster has become the unlikely mascot of hopes for an end to the pandemic, emerging from relative obscurity to become a trending Twitter hashtag, as well as the inspiration for everything from cakes to nail art.

Her revival in fortunes was sparked in early March, when the Kyoto University Library tweeted an 1846 drawing of the creature floating above the sea, accompanied by a text explaining her apparent infection-fighting powers.

The scaly social media star is supposed to have appeared to a samurai in southern Kumamoto prefecture, warning of the spread of an infectious disease and instructing him to draw a picture of her and show it to people to protect them.

The post quickly went viral, and sparked the "Amabiechallenge", with everyone from amateurs to artists posting their renditions of the mythical monster.

The long-locked legend has also sparked on outpouring of creative content, including an udon dish featuring Amabie in the form of a fish sausage emerging from a bowl, with the traditional wheat noodles for her hair.

She has also found herself immortalized in bento form, her body and distinctive beak carved from a piece of luncheon meat and hair represented by thin strips of Japanese rolled omelette.

Amabie is part of a rich pantheon of Japanese mystical monsters called yokai.

Many have faded from popular imagination, but others live on, including in the form of modern-day mascots like the turtle-inspired river monster Kappa, now associated with Tokyo's famed kitchen street Kappabashi.

Read also: Japan raises travel alert for 13 countries over virus pandemic

Amabie-themed cakes

Amabie's recent revival has come as something of a surprise to some yokai experts, including Masanobu Kagawa of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History.

"Amabie is not the oldest yokai in Japanese history to warn of an epidemic, so it's not that important to researchers," he told AFP, describing others including "Jinja-hime" (shrine princess), who features a woman's face and a dragon's body.

But none seem to have captured the imagination quite like Amabie.

At one Japanese cake shop in northern Akita prefecture, a version of her rendered as a traditional wagashi cake in pastel pinks and blues has been flying off the shelves, sales manager Hirohide Kato told AFP.

"This is the first time we've made Amabie-themed cakes," he said.

They can only produce 250 a day, but "they're so popular they sell out by noon."

And at an aquarium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, a sea lion who has gained fame for his calligraphy and painting skills has been trained to draw the monster.

"He started drawing Amabie in late March, practicing for about a month," keeper Sae Ishino told AFP.

"We perform the drawing of Amabie hoping the pandemic of the new coronavirus will come to an end soon."
Izzi noted that lake levels also are at near-historic highs, and warned there could be a storm surge later Monday as the wind shifts and the storm system moves out of the area. The lake has been closing in on its all-time highest level for some time, and Izzi said that because the lake typically reaches its annual peak in the fall, Weve never had the lake level this high in May before.
The Ukrainian side is looking for a way to negotiate with the participation of real representatives of Donbas, from among internally displaced persons, to have this type of consultations supported by the OSCE and the Normandy Four.

Any direct negotiations with Russian-controlled militants are off the table, assures Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, First Deputy Representative of Ukraine to the Trilateral Contact Group for the Donbas settlement, Oleksiy Reznikov.

Speaking at an online discussion "What awaits Donbas: public opinion trends against the background of the latest news from the Minsk TCG, hostilities, and a pandemic", Reznikov said: "We aren't talking about any direct negotiations, and there can't be any."

Vice PM added that the negotiation process is being misunderstood. In this regard, he noted that the text of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of Minsk Agreements refers to several areas of settlement  in the field of security, socio-economic and political areas. Local elections should complete the final stage of political settlement, Reznikov recalls.

"But this is preceded by a certain set of legal changes, starting from decentralization by amending the Constitution and to with the adoption of a number of legislative acts, such as, for example, the law on the peculiarities of local government in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which we today habitually brand a 'law on special status'. Such a law has been adopted, and these eight appendices to Paragraph 11 of the Minsk Agreements are included in this 'law on special status', laying down issues such as people's police and the rest," Reznikov said.

At the same time, he recalled that paragraphs 9, 11, 12 of the Package of Measures mentioned three times "the need for coordination and consultation with representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions".

Read alsoFM Kuleba comments on idea of setting up "advisory council" with representatives of occupied Donbas

In this regard, Reznikov noted that Ukraine is trying to fulfill all the conditions of the Minsk agreements to settle and end the war, informing international partners of its efforts.

"Everyone's asking us, how we're going to coordinate and how we'll have these consultations. And fortunately, to date, the package of measures doesn't say how these discussions and consultations should be held, while the very requirement remains. And therefore, when we talk with foreign ambassadors, I explain to them that we're looking for a path, and we will find this path toward consultations, while not encroaching on sovereignty. And in no case, under no circumstances shall we legitimize those with whom we can't sit at the negotiating table. We only negotiate in the trilateral format," Reznikov emphasized.

The official specified that the TCG includes Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE.

"Everyone else is invited parties. Today we perceive them as those invited by the Russian Federation," the vice prime minister added, underlining the fact that these 'invitees' are also holders of Russian passports, which "indicates the existence of that effective control of the Russian Federation over these territories."

Reznikov says Russian citizenship of militants Russia has invited to talks "will be essential for international trials."

"On our part, we plan to attract real representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions who today live in the territory controlled by Ukraine and have the status of internally displaced persons," Reznikov said.
The second tranche of 435 containers of wheat weighing 10,024 metric tonnes left Chabahar Port yesterday and is now on the way to Afghanistan. @MEAIndia @vkumar1969 pic.twitter.com/fehZDjuI8L  India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) May 14, 2020

These have been unprecedented times for both India and the world at large. Nations have been grappling as affected cases and the death toll climbs up, while the world is racing against time to find a vaccine to protect humanity.

While some nations have been turning inwards in their fight against the virus, India has played a vital role in the global arena in terms of helping neighbours and other countries. The country has been sending assistance such as medicines and equipment, along with health professionals, to various countries to help them fight the pandemic. India is also set to move on to a leadership role at the World Health Organisation (WHO) as it assumes the role of Chairperson of WHOs executive board.

In his virtual speech on the occasion of Buddha Poornima, PM Narendra Modi said that India was fulfilling its duty by selflessly serving other nations amid the pandemic. A number of countries have thanks India for its assistance during these testing times.

Lets take a look at all the times that India has been helping out in its neighbourhood and the world.

Medicines and medical know-how:

India has stood by its moniker, pharmacy of the world by supplying medicines to many nations across the world. In the last two months alone, India supplied paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine to more than 120 countries. India is one of the largest manufacturers of the anti-malarial drug, which has been identified as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

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Early April, India had banned the export of the drug but reversed the decision after US President Donald Trump requested that the country ship medicines to the United States. According to Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, the restrictions had been placed on the export of these medicines to ensure that rich countries did not corner the majority of medicines, at the cost of the poorer nations. India has also sent the drug to countries in Africa and Latin America on humanitarian grounds. So far, more than 40 nations have received the medicines free of cost. As per reports, these medicines have been sent out after ensuring that there is enough supply in the country.

In a mission it named, Mission Sagar, India sent Indian naval ship INS Kesari to five nations in the southern Indian Ocean, Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comores and Seychelles in response to their requests for help in dealing with the pandemic. The ships carried medical teams, essential food items and COVID- related essential medicines. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, around 600 tonnes of food items were sent to the Maldives and a special consignment of Ayurvedic medicines was sent to Mauritius.

Rapid response teams and diplomatic outreaches:

Ever since the early stages of the pandemic, Indias foreign minister, S Jaishankar has been reaching out to nations across the globe, including the smaller ones such as Comores to offer them aid and support. This has been in line with PM Modis advise to reach out to as many countries as possible with assistance. According to a report, India is expected to spend around Rs 110-120 crore as part of its diplomatic outreach to help authorities across 90-plus countries combat the virus. This, as per the report, would be in addition to the medicines and equipment that the country is supplying to various countries. The foreign ministry has currently pledged to supply drugs and medical assistance to 67 countries

As per reports, India has responded to requests from countries for the deployment of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs). These teams will comprise of doctors, nurses and paramedics, which will train and exchange best practices with local teams on aspects of dealing with the pandemic. The RRTs have been deployed to Maldives and Kuwait, at the request of their governments, and more teams will be dispatched to other countries when requested.

Further, in what is being seen as a revival of its role in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) region, India took the first step of reaching out to the member nations on March 15, soon after the WHO declared the spread as a pandemic. It conducted a virtual meeting where India donated USD 10 million as a SAARC joint relief fund, while also requesting other members to contribute to the fund.

India has since held a series of virtual meets with SAARC nations, and their trade and health officials. India also developed the SAARC COVID-19 Information Exchange Platform (COINEX), for use by all SAARC nations. This will be used for the exchange of specialised information and tools on COVID-19 and will also offer various online training and e-learning modules. India has sent medicines such as HCQ to Bangladesh and Nepal, while it has also sent essentials such as hand sanitisers, personal protection equipment (PPE), digital thermometers, glycerine and fumigations systems to Bhutan. India had also sent its army to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan to help the nations fight the rising cases.

India, including PM Modi and Jaishankar, has also been conducting high-level virtual meetings with heads of other nations, primarily to offer support and assistance. These gestures come at a time when China is increasingly being questioned for its role in not stemming the spread earlier on, and the United States for its failure to control the pandemic in the country.
As part of the deal, Honan bosses will continue to lead the commercial insurance broker and be shareholders alongside TA. These are group chief executive and executive director Damien Honan, CEO Andrew Fluitsma, and chief operating officer Laurence Basell.

We are very pleased to welcome TA Associates as an investor in Honan, said the group CEO and executive director. In choosing to partner with TA, the Honan team was particularly attracted by the firms global presence, long history of investing in the insurance brokerage sector, and experience in partnering with growing companies.

We believe that TA will be a valuable partner as we seek to further grow Honan both in the domestic Australian market and overseas.

Founded in 1964, Honan specialises in the corporate, strata, real estate, and employee benefits markets. The World Broker Network member employs more than 200 people in seven offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Lifting the lid on the investment, TA senior vice president Andrew Tay noted: With a commitment to providing tailored recommendations and high-quality customer service, Honan has grown significantly over the past few years.

We are excited to be investing in Honan alongside a talented management team, and we look forward to building on their track record of growth.

Meanwhile Fluitsma described the development as an important milestone for Honan.

The opportunity to bring aboard a long-term, well-respected growth-oriented global investor such as TA, that is fully-aligned and supportive of our business model, is very exciting, he stated. We are confident that Honan will benefit from TAs complementary array of resources and skills.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Champignon Brands Inc. (Champignon or the Company) (CSE: SHRM) (FWB: 496) (OTCQB: SHRMF), a human optimization sciences Company with an emphasis on ketamine and psychedelic medicine, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Dr. Roger McIntyre as Chief Executive Officer.



Dr. McIntyre is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto and Head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Dr. McIntyre is also Executive Director of the Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation in Toronto; Director and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) in Chicago, Illinois.; Professor and Nanshan scholar at Guangzhou Medical University; and Adjunct Professor at the College of Medicine at Korea University. Furthermore, Dr. McIntyre is a Clinical Professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, and a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine.

Dr. McIntyre had the vision to implement and develop Canada's first ever treatment center, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (the CRTCE), providing rapid-onset treatments for persons with mood disorders. The CRTCE is involved in knowledge application (using existing scientific research to improve outcomes in depression, PTSD and substance and alcohol use disorders [DPS]); knowledge generation (new research and development); and knowledge application (educating health care providers throughout North America and the world on new rapid-onset treatments for DPS).

The CRTCE is the only center in North America and globally to demonstrate that rapid-onset treatments improve health outcomes in one to two weeks and get people back to work, which is of enormous importance to individuals, as well as payers in the private space.

My overarching aim as Chief Executive Officer is to establish Champignon as the apotheosis of integrated ketamine treatment delivery and the commercialization of our own IP psychedelic-based treatments. The clinical infrastructure, complementary asset base and human capital that Champignon has acquired leaves me very confident we will provide life changing treatments for persons with depression, all the while contemporaneously rewarding our investor base, stated Dr. McIntyre. I have been honored as a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto, as well as a Professor at Universities across the United States and Asia and currently head the worlds largest clinical R&D network in Depression. The Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence, that I envisaged and successfully implemented, is the worlds first integrated clinical and R&D centre in ketamine and psychedelic-based treatments and is identified as the most influential scientific centre for depression research.



Clarivate Analytics has named Dr. McIntyre one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds each year from 2014 to 2019. Dr. McIntyre is widely regarded as the world's most recognized psychiatrist in relation to mood disorders. He has extensive experience collaborating with private sector partners, including, but not limited to, entities within the pharmaceutical industry, the insurance industry and the health care industry in Canada, the United States and globally.

According to expertscape.com, a professional research database and repository of medical journal/scientific publications which objectively ranks people and institutions by their expertise in more than 29,000 biomedical topics, Dr. McIntyre is the top ranked expert worldwide as it pertains to depression.

Dr. McIntyre has published over 600 articles on the topic of mood disorders, along with an extensive number of books and chapters, and he has delivered thousands of lectures nationally and internationally on the topic of mood disorders.

We are extremely pleased and fortunate to be able to bring Dr. McIntyre aboard as CEO, commented Gareth Birdsall director of Champignon. Dr. McIntyres is the worlds leading authority on depression and associated mood disorders, which is further crystalized by his foresight in founding Canadas first integrated mood disorder treatment and integrated research center in the CRTCE. Dr. McIntyres clear ability to execute and his entrepreneurial nature, along with a demonstrated capacity to lead and delegate in dynamic and growing organizations, represent the skill sets that Champignon needs as it moves towards our North American clinic expansion and maturing novel drug discovery initiatives.

The Company also announces that Gareth Birdsall has relinquished the role of CEO to Dr. McIntyre and will maintain his directorship of Champignon. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Birdsall for his services throughout his tenure as CEO. Furthermore, the Company announces it is contemplating a name change to better reflect its diverse business lines and operating subsidiaries.

About Champignon Brands Inc.

Champignon Brands (CSE: SHRM) is focused on the formulation and manufacturing of novel ketamine, anaesthetics and adaptogenic delivery platforms for the nutraceutical and psychedelic medicine while being supported by a leading psychedelics medicines clinic platform. The Company is pursuing the development and commercialization of rapid onset treatments capable of improving health outcomes, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as substance and alcohol use disorders. Under a collaborative research agreement with the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, the Company is conducting preclinical studies and eventual human clinical trials, with the objective of demonstrating safety and efficacy of the combination of psilocybin and cannabidiol in treating mTBI with PTSD or stand-alone PTSD. Champignon continues to be inspired by sustainability, as its medicinal mushroom-infused SKUs are organic, non-GMO and vegan certified. For more information, visit the Companys website at: https://champignonbrands.com/ .

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Roger McIntyre

Chief Executive Officer

T: +1 (613) 967-9655

E: info@champignonbrands.com

FOR INVESTOR INQUIRIES:

Tyler Troup

Circadian Group

E: SHRM@champignonbrands.com

FOR CHAMPIGNON BRANDS FRENCH INQUIRIES:

Remy Scalabrini

Maricom Inc.

E: rs@maricom.ca

T: (888) 585-MARI

The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement
The future of 6,000 workers is in doubt at Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge after its owner confirmed a notice of intent to appoint administrators has been filed at the High Court.

The restaurant group, which also operates the Las Iguanas chain, said the move will give the firm 10 days breathing space to consider 'all options' for restructuring.

Earlier on Monday, the company confirmed that it is working with advisers from corporate finance firm AlixPartners over a potential restructuring programme aimed at putting the restaurant group on a sustainable footing.

A Casual Dining Group spokeswoman said: 'As is widely acknowledged, this is an unprecedented situation for our industry and, like many other companies across the UK, the directors of Casual Dining Group are working closely with our advisers as we consider our next steps.

Owner Casual Dining Group confirmed a notice of intent to appoint administrators had been filed at the High Court

'These notifications are a prudent measure in light of the company's position and the wider situation.

'These notifications will also protect the company from any threatened potential legal action from landlords while we review the detail of the Government advice, and formulate a plan for the company in these difficult times.'

The announcement comes amid reports that troubled rival chain Carluccio's is closing on a rescue deal which could save 900 jobs at the business.

Restaurant chains have been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic after the Government-mandated lockdown forced them to shut their doors in March.

Last month, the Restaurant Group announced it would close down the majority of its Tex-Mex Chiquito restaurants. It said 61 out of 80 branches wouldn't reopen following the coronavirus crisis.

The restaurant group, which also operates the Las Iguanas chain, said the move will give the firm 10 days breathing space to consider 'all options' for restructuring (Bella Italia in Argyll Street, London)

Leaders in the sector have warned that social distancing measures on reopening will significantly hinder profitability in the industry.

It is understood that a variety of arrangements are still being looked at by the Casual Dining Group, including company voluntary arrangement (CVA) restructuring deals or the administration of specific brands.

The group, which has furloughed the majority of its staff, traded from around 250 sites across the UK before the lockdown.

It is understood the group has seen profitability improve since it agreed a refinancing deal with US private equity firm KKR in 2018.

The announcement comes amid reports that troubled rival chain Carluccio's is closing on a rescue deal which could save 900 jobs at the business

Meanwhile, the owner of rival chain Giraffe, Boparan Restaurants, is reportedly closing on a deal to buy Carluccio's in a move which would save around 900 jobs.

Sky News said Boparan is looking to conclude a deal which would include taking over the Carluccio's brand, head office and approximately 30 restaurants.

Last month, insolvency experts from FRP Advisory were appointed as administrators to Carluccio's, which had around 70 sites before the pandemic.

Carluccio's and administrators FRP have declined to comment.
NASA has formally announced the "Artemis Accords" - a series of principles and processes whereby America and other countries would agree to a common set of principles covering how the Moon is to be explored and its resources utilized. But what are these accords and why do we need them?

Given the renewed and expanded interest by many nations to explore the Moon this makes sense. There are two main issues involved here. One has to do with the common sense approaches that need to be made among multiple parties to ensure that things go smoothly. The other is the legalistic and diplomatic tedium that goes into international agreements.

I have been working in and around the space community here in Washington, DC in a variety of roles since the mid 1980s. During this third of a century I have heard arguments from "experts" ranging from the libertarian ultra-capitalistic crowd who says that anything they want to take in space is theirs if they can take it - to the globalistic-minded who say that everything in space belongs to everyone so no one can use it unless everyone everywhere agrees. Neither extreme is realistic or desirable. But here we are poised on a new rush back to the Moon and it is going to get crowded - fast. Someone needs to find a way to set forth some basic principles. That is what NASA is trying to do with the Artemis Accords.

No matter what I write here every one of these 'experts' is going to disagree with me and point out my lack of understanding of international law. I have had jobs in and around NASA ranging from overt science to hardware design and programmatic and mission planning. I have been on expeditions to remote, dangerous places for long periods of time. It is within that context that I am going to dive into the Artemis Accords.

Let's Start From The Beginning

In the 1960s only two countries tried to go to the Moon. Both landed robots. One nation managed to send humans there. While the Soviet program was transparent to the extent that they crowed about their successes after the fact and made no mention of failures the US was more or less transparent as to what they were doing - good, bad, and in between. These choices were rooted in the overriding sociocultural aspects of the competing political philosophies that powered these two nations.

Flash forward half a century and we live in a world with a dizzying mix of globalism and nationalism with a plethora of unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral agreements and treaties. And instead of only two nations wanting to go to the Moon there are a dozen nations and pan-national space agencies who are planning to go. And there are billionaires who are planning their own self-funded plans independent of nations. During the Cold War the efforts by the US and USSR were propelled by ultra-polarized politics of one on one competition. Now it is vastly more complicated.

So, to riff on a line from a song from my youth in the 60s, "Everyone (wants to go) to the Moon". How do we do this without bumping into one another?

Before we get into the details of what makes up the Artemis Accords lets get to the heart of the matter: There are existing treaties - some of which the US is a signatory, and others they are not - that would seem to prevent or strongly hinder any activity on the Moon (or elsewhere) that involved any commercial entity or resource utilization. It has been a half a century since Apollo and to date only sporadic robotic missions have visited. Now the interest is being dialed up to do all manner of things above and on the lunar surface. To date everyone has gotten along since these missions have been scientific, usually involve multiple countries, and result in a lot of open data sharing. That is about to change.

Around the time that the exploration of space began the exploration of Antarctica was starting to increase. Most of it was scientific but there was a fair amount of commercial or mineral exploitation interest. In a nutshell treaties were put in place that facilitated the peaceful use of Antarctica including provisions that ensure that everyone helped everyone else when emergencies arose, put all territorial claims on hold, and prohibited any commercial resource exploitation. Half a century later and it all seems to be working. Much of this success story would seem to be applicable to the Moon - and it is obvious in the Artemis Accords that this has been considered. There is one major distinction - enabling of activities related to possible commercial utilization of lunar resources. The Artemis Accords do not try and get around the current binding treaties but rather seeks to append clarity to certain aspects while dealing into areas that had previously not been addressed.

Seeing This From An Expeditionary Mindset

I'm not going to get into the legalistic per se because all of the experts and non-experts will start waving their arms. Rather I am going to go through the main points - as listed by NASA - and talk about what the Artemis Accords address and what this means for the exploration and utilization of the Moon (and other worlds) from an exploratory and expeditionary mindset.

My expeditionary mindset arises from several activities. One was the participation of myself and my business partner Marc Boucher in activities conducted by the Haughton Mars Project on Devon Island located in the Canadian high arctic in Nunavut 800 or so miles from the North Pole. The land there is under various jurisdictions - Crown Land (national) and Inuit land managed by local inhabitants. And land use permits are required with periodic environmental reviews. Marc and I donated and built the 12 x 24 foot "Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse" which was outfitted by various other partners including the Canadian Space Agency to function like a remote greenhouse - on Mars. I spent two, 1-month stints in 2002 and 2003 and another week-long stay in 2007. This involved construction in a hostile environment, atop permafrost, living in often brutal arctic camping conditions, with medical help far away. But the various governmental and organizational parties involved all cooperated to make things work smoothly for everyone.

The other influential experience was spending a month living at 17,600 feet at Everest Base Camp supporting astronaut Scott Parazynski's summit of Mt. Everest. My Devon Island training served me well as we experienced illness, somewhat ad hoc responses to emergency operations involving deadly avalanches, challenging satellite communication and logistics, and, as was the case on Devon Island, the isolation from the rest of the world that one experiences on such expeditions. While we were in the country of Nepal, China was one linear mile away and its influence over the region was hard to ignore and had to be taken into account. Indeed, I had to cancel my plans to join Scott on his first attempt in 2008 when China all but annexed the Everest region in Nepal temporarily so as to prevent Olympics-related protests. I would have most likely been arrested and deported for my media-related activities had I attempted to travel to Everest. And oh yes Nepal had just ended a decade long civil war a few years earlier with barbed wire still in evidence.

Two remote, challenging - yet austere and exciting locations - with many similarities and many differences. So ... when it comes to trying to do things in a dangerous, remote locations, I have seen many of the things that the Artemis Accords touch upon with my own eyes. I have seen situations where the rules of engagement are both clear and murky - often simultaneously. As such it is reassuring to see NASA leading the way in grappling head on with the obvious issues that will confront expanded operations on other words - and not side stepping them as has been the case for far too long. The Artemis Accords may not be perfect and are obviously an opening step, but they do provide an excellent basis to build upon.

Examining The Artemis Accords

Let's take NASA's list of Artemis Accord attributes one by one - in the order they presented them in their promotional material "Principles for a Safe, Peaceful, and Prosperous Future".

"Peaceful Purposes - International cooperation on Artemis is intended not only to bolster space exploration but to enhance peaceful relationships between nations. Therefore, at the core of the Artemis Accords is the requirement that all activities will be conducted for peaceful purposes, per the tenets of the Outer Space Treaty."

The core intent of prior treaties regarding space has been the peaceful uses of space. According to the United Nations Office of Outer space Affairs The Outer Space Treaty was intended to adhere to these principles:

- the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;

- outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;

- outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;

- States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;

- the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;

- astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;

- States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;

- States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and

- States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

The Antarctic Treaty has similar intentions:

- Article I: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only

- Article II: Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end ... shall continue

- Article III: Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available

There is also a "Moon Treaty" that the US is not a signatory to. Among its provisions are:

ARTICLE 3

1. The moon shall be used by all States Parties exclusively for peaceful purposes.

2. Any threat or use of force or any other hostile act or threat of hostile act on the moon is prohibited. It is likewise prohibited to use the moon in order to commit any such act or to engage in any such threat in relation to the earth, the moon, spacecraft, the personnel of spacecraft or man-made space objects.

3. States Parties shall not place in orbit around or other trajectory to or around the moon objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction or place or use such weapons on or in the moon.

4. The establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on the moon shall be forbidden. The use of military personnel for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes shall not be prohibited. The use of any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration and use of the moon shall also not be prohibited.



ARTICLE 4

The exploration and use of the moon shall be the province of all mankind and shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development. Due regard shall be paid to the interests of present and future generations as well as to the need to promote higher standards of living and conditions of economic and social progress and development in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

2. States Parties shall be guided by the principle of co-operation and mutual assistance in all their activities concerning the exploration and use of the moon. International co-operation in pursuance of this Agreement should be as wide as possible and may take place on a multilateral basis, on a bilateral basis or through international intergovernmental organizations.

Putting the commercial and utilization issue aside both the Outer Space Treaty (first signed in 1967) and the Antarctic Treaty (first signed a few years earlier in 1959) emerged in the Cold War era as the world was seeking to become polarized. These efforts sought to do the opposite and bring nations together in the peaceful exploration of two new frontiers. The fact that these two treaties still operate half a century later speaks well to their core intent. "The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space", "Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space", "Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects" and "Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies " aka "The Moon Treaty" followed.

While most to these treaties and agreements help clarify how signatories will are to conduct their various space activities The Moon Treaty goes on with some specificity to lay out a series of principles to guide activities on the Moon and other worlds. The wording is inherently proscriptive and restrictive which led the US to decline to sign it. Russian and China haven't signed it either. So that limits its ability to govern much of anything right now. The Artemis Accords are, on the other hand, decidedly enabling. So maybe they will work where the Moon Treaty has not.

The Antarctic Treaty grew out of many of the activities of the International Geophysical Year in 1957-58 which included Soviet and American attempts to launch an artificial satellite. There was a follow-up event of sorts, the International Polar year, that covered 2007-2009. Today the Antarctic continent is home to a myriad of scientific endeavors with many participating nations - all of whom seek to avoid interfering with one another while simultaneously collaborating when it is in everyone's best interests - especially when it comes to the safety of personnel.

Space had its own version of a global event, the International Space Year in 1992 to commemorate Columbus' first voyage to the Americas. Most of what emerged that year was meetings and rhetoric. That said, these events did manage to underscore the value of international and peaceful cooperation in space. Since then the only purposeful international space effort that has occurred is an ongoing one - the International Space Station. While countries on Earth continue to misbehave and polarize the same countries have managed to keep terrestrial politics out of the operations of the iSS. Indeed, some people think that the ISS should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Cooperating in space may have some lessons for how to live on Earth - and unexpected "spinoff" to be sure.

As such framing the Artemis Accords as an extension of the Outer Space Treaty with its focus on peaceful space activities is in keeping with a record of success in these regard. With an increased focus on the military aspects of space - the recent creation of the US Space Force being the most visible aspect thereof - reaffirming a peaceful intent is certainly worth the effort of emphasizing.

"Transparency - Transparency is a key principle for responsible civil space exploration and NASA has always taken care to publicly describe its policies and plans. Artemis Accords partner nations will be required to uphold this principle by publicly describing their own policies and plans in a transparent manner."

During the earliest days of the "Space Age" the US and USSR dominated activities in space. The USSR spared no expense to trumpet their triumphs but managed to hide their failures. The US on the other hand tended to allow more or less everything good, bad, and in between to be released. The US showed things live - as they happened. The Soviets did not. The CIA knew all about their moon rocket but the rest of us did not. Imagine the US trying to hide the Saturn V? As other nations from the western block entered space they tended to adhere to the openness that the US had pioneered. Countries like China stuck with the Soviet model.

While the Cold War "Space Race" to the Moon had its roots in geopolitical competition it was also the source of some of America's most potent "soft power". Jim Bridenstine often notes that the live transmissions from the Apollo 8 crew on Christmas Eve as they read from the Bible were shown on TV in the Soviet Union where religion was highly suppressed. For a brief moment the Space Race opened an unexpected window in the Iron Curtain for the Soviet people to see a piece of the rest of the world. Not a single shot was fired and nothing was censored.

Information about exciting discoveries wants to get out. With regard to the Moon the Lunar and Planetary Science Conferences and other meetings in the late 1960s and early 1970s pumped out prodigious amounts of information about Apollo mission science activities. As more nations began active space activities this accelerated. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the advent of the Internet, it has become more or less the norm to release information in a global fashion - not just in the space arena but in all other aspects of science.

When humans first walked on the Moon a live webcast was seen by somewhere around 650 million viewers. This happened at a time when only 3.6 billion people lived on Earth. That's one-fifth of humanity - while satellite distribution of television was still in its infancy. There was no way that such an event was going to not find its way as far as technology could send it.

Today we have the opposite problem when it comes to sending information about news, events and discoveries out. Everyone is doing it everywhere about everything. It is expected. Even remote impoverished nations have cellphone towers for people with cellphones and data plans. As such there is simply no way that a renewed and expanded exploration of the Moon is not going to need to be as open and transparent as possible. This does not mean that everyone will be paying attention though. We have a generation of people reaching adulthood who have never known a time when there were not people living in space permanently. Yet they do not make it the highlight of their lives. Yawn. So what. So, as the Artemis Accords talk about transparency, it would be incorrect to equate that with visibility or interest. That is something that the participants need to figure out when it comes to selling their efforts to audiences back on Earth. No treaty or accord can mandate that.

Transparency does apply to what everyone is doing on the Moon and who the sponsors are. According to NASA's Acting Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations Mike Gold, who spearheaded the Artemis Accords, while countries are expected to sign these accords with NASA, individual companies are not. Yet the Outer Space Treaty mandates that companies operating from nations who have signed the treaty are bound to observe it as part of their host nation's participation in the treaty. So, one way or another what everyone is doing on the Moon needs to be out in the open. Companies may have their own internally held intellectual property that serves to justify their commercial investments - but how they behave amidst all other activities needs to be done out in the open. So, no secret Moon lairs for evil villains, please.

"Interoperability - Interoperability of systems is critical to ensure safe and robust space exploration. Therefore, the Artemis Accords call for partner nations to utilize open international standards, develop new standards when necessary, and strive to support interoperability to the greatest extent practical."

During the Apollo 13 mission the issue of standardized connectors within a spacecraft taught NASA a valuable lesson. If the crew did not have duct tape and other things on board to fashion a hacked container to scrub CO2 from their cabin air they would have died. During the Apollo-Soyuz mission the non-compatibility between one nation's space systems and another's was so profound that a special docking module had to be created to allow each nation's docking systems and internal atmospheres to be connected.

Flash forward to the Shuttle-Mir efforts and much more commonality was enabled. This was quickly followed by the International Space Station which is a full merger of Soviet era Salyut and Mir designs with American and European standards. The best of both worlds were incorporated where some standards are used everywhere and in other places multiple standards can be equally accommodated. Now you can dock visiting spacecraft with the Russian segment using the Russian APAS system, be berthed with the US segment using the Common Berthing Mechanism, or dock with the US Segment station using the new International Docking Standard. If China were to dock with the ISS they'd have several options open to them (politics not withstanding).

The ISS has been a trailblazer for true international interoperability and NASA has made it clear that they intend to continue with this philosophy during Artemis missions to the Moon. Interoperability is not a new idea by any means. Lightbulbs adopted a socket design that industry has used for over a century. Railroads have several century-old standards but they are ubiquitous. The Internet is based on a series of protocols that allow an endless array of interactions. Automobiles have inter-compatible fuel nozzle and electrical interfaces, tire sizes, and are often built using parts that are used in vehicles made by many different manufacturers. When you agree on simple interfaces you no longer have to worry about the interfaces themselves. Rather, you can focus on the things you can do with the global acceptance of those interfaces and the flexibility that provides.

If you have common, interoperable interfaces then any vehicle - crewed or automated - can interact with one another. This allows routine docking and landing to occur, traffic to be routed, and in the case of contingencies, allows one spacecraft or system to be reassigned to another role more easily. Apollo 13 showed how dissimilar interfaces without interoperability were a problem when it came to CO2 removal - but having the Lunar Module with its own guidance and propulsion allowed things to be done with minimal planning and an admittedly ad hoc fashion.

In remote expeditionary locations such as Antarctica or the Himalayas, climbing gear, food, fuel, communications, transportation and overall logistics are, by definition, interoperable. Lives depend on having everything available to everyone - everywhere - in both routine and contingency situations. The ability to function with a high level of interoperability is critical to the safety and productivity of people in the Antarctic. Indeed it is difficult to imagine what it would be like if every nation used their own unique standards. The Artemis Accords are, to a great extent, stating the obvious from an expeditionary point of view but there are times when adopting a specific design solution for a certain task can save money or time and it is tempting to just use a one off solution.

The Artemis Accords serve as a reminder that doing so can come back to bite you - or someone else.

"Emergency Assistance - Providing emergency assistance to those in need is a cornerstone of any responsible civil space program. Therefore, the Artemis Accords reaffirm NASA's and partner nations' commitments to the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space. Additionally, under the Accords, NASA and partner nations commit to taking all reasonable steps possible to render assistance to astronauts in distress."

In the expeditionary world interoperability extends through communication devices for routine and emergency operations. First aid and medical systems have an inherent common logic. Space-based communications have played an important role in making expeditions safer. SAR - Search And Rescue capabilities are in place on orbit aboard satellites from multiple nations. Constellations of satellites allow precise navigation via multiple global systems. Some use more than one. This interoperability and ubiquity is so pronounced that you can now carry a small device and simply push a button and your location and situation will be known instantly anywhere in the world. On the Moon this capability will have to evolve over time with the emplacement of some sort of satellite constellation in lunar orbit as the scope of lunar activities expands. As is the case on Earth it will be obvious to participants that a common system is worth adopting. Again the Artemis Accords serve as a reminder that this needs to be forefront in the development of mission architectures. They also include a healthy does of common sense.

On the Nepal side of Mt. Everest individuals seeking to climb Everest need to do so under the auspices of a permit grants by the government to an outfitter. They also need to pay a fee that serves to support the enforcement of various standards associated with Everest activities. Responsible outfitters adhere to the letter and spirt of this process while some other smaller ones do not. The responsible outfitters have a number of unwritten but commonly accepted norms of mountaineering behavior and ethics that they use to arrange the laying of fixed ropes, location of base camps, and to some extent, organizing summit pushes. With the insane number of people trying to climb Everest this has become of paramount importance and the existing interactions have been stressed almost to the point of breaking at times.

In 2009 I saw examples of some teams who did not adhere to all of these conventions and the problems that this causes. But even when everyone is cooperating issues can arise. I witnessed two immense avalanches while I was at Everest. One was deadly. An Austrian climber had to be pulled out of a crevasse. They were injured but survived. Their Sherpa climbing guide was not so lucky. During the initial hour after the avalanche there was a lot of confusion on the radio since everyone was using the same frequencies and it was hard to tell who was saying what to whom and who was in charge of what. After that there was some consultation between the main outfitters and some new rules of the road were established.

No one needed a treaty to do this. An uncommon event that should have been anticipated happened without all of the responses figured out in advance. So the participants fixed the situation. Luckily this experience was still fresh in people's minds when an even more devastating avalanche happened in 2015. Now, with an ever-growing pressure to accommodate more people who want to climb Everest, there are more discussions underway between outfitters and the Nepalese government as well as with China on their side of the mountain. Things are still in flux, exasperated by the pandemic, but the discussions are among all affected parties motivated by a series of competing interests that all eventually focus on how to make climbing Everest as safe and efficient as possible.

"Registration of Space Objects - Registration is at the very core of creating a safe and sustainable environment in space to conduct public and private activities. Without proper registration, coordination to avoid harmful interference cannot take place. The Artemis Accords reinforces the critical nature of registration and urges any partner which isn't already a member of the Registration Convention to join as soon as possible."

The issue of space traffic management in Earth orbit is now a great concern - even more so as space debris and massive communications constellations are being launched. Allotment of frequency spectrum slots is also an issue due to potential interference with existing communications systems and services such as weather satellites. The Moon is a blank slate to a great extent. But with an expanded presence the issue of space debris, satellites (large and small) and landing activities will become an important concern. For example, if one party wants to conduct activities that could alter the Moon's tenuous atmosphere while another party wants to study the atmosphere as it exists naturally there is going to be a conflict. Mechanisms need to be enabled to prevent conflicts that are predictable and deal with those that arise unexpectedly.

At Everest the Nepalese government tracks how many people are on the mountain so as to be able to respond in the case of contingencies. In Antarctica all sponsoring countries keep track of who is there - whether they are scientists or support personnel. Everyone knows what aircraft assets are available and where they are and provisions at every base are in place to assist others in case of contingencies. On Devon Island and the rest of the Canadian High Arctic the Polar Continental Shelf Program has a system of regular radio checks with bases and research parties. If they do not hear from you after a set period of time they eventually check in on you to make sure you are OK. This happens by alerting other parties flying nearby to detour and do a flyover or land and make visit. And there's always a little extra prop fuel on the landing strip for visitors to tap into as needed on a barter basis. Again, you need to know where everyone is in order for this to work. And in some cases, regions are restricted to specific uses and some level of common enforcement is required.

"Release of Scientific Data - NASA has always been committed to the timely, full, and open sharing of scientific data. Artemis Accords partners will agree to follow NASA's example, releasing their scientific data publicly to ensure that the entire world can benefit from the Artemis journey of exploration and discovery."

As mentioned above "transparency" can have a variety of meanings. One aspect is the release of information about what you plan to do, what you are doing, and what you have done - and what you learned. Various space treaties often refer to celestial bodies as being a common heritage of humanity. This is an implicit call for anything that anyone learns to be shared with everyone. The Artemis Accords reiterate and echo that.

In the US and Europe there have been a variety of efforts to make the results of publicly funded research even more open to the public than they already were. NASA is now required to openly release all research publications within a set period of time regardless of where they are published. But In advance of that they have taken various efforts to do so even sooner. They have also embraced citizen science wherein the public and external participants can collaborate in NASA projects. These citizen science projects are often done in a crowd sourced fashion whereby the public is intimately involved in the generation of information and solutions. The agency also supports use of open source resources wherein code, data, and other information are openly shared and published in an open access fashion.

The push for open access and citizen participation is now ubiquitous and not confide to NASA by any means. The pandemic and the need to adopt a virtual lifestyle has simply served to push the need for open access further - not only for citizen but for the researchers seeking to find treatments for COVID-19. People are going to get used to this open sharing and release of data and accept it as part of the "new normal" if indeed they have not already done so.

Releasing this information allows people in many places within and outside of the US to actually participate in the generation of new knowledge about space science. And in so doing engenders a sense of personal connection to the research being done. People who have a personal connection develop an affinity with the projects generating the science and seek to support their continuity. By making the information globally available, NASA will once again be engaging in the use of soft power wherein this knowledge becomes part of the common heritage of humanity - a phrase that appears often when treaties are concerned.

"Protecting Heritage - Protecting historic sites and artifacts will be just as important in space as it is here on Earth. Therefore, under Artemis Accords agreements, NASA and partner nations will commit to the protection of sites and artifacts with historic value."

When I visited Devon Island I was keenly aware of the need to not trample places that needed to be left in a pristine condition and to give artifacts of historic significance a wide berth while appreciating their meaning. I also helped erect memorials to the crews of Challenger and Columbia in a fashion resonate with local culture. At Everest I spent 6 weeks with history - recent and ancient - coursing through my mind non-stop. I recall using my twenty-first century iPhone to take pictures of mani stones that had been carved a thousand years ago and left unmoved since being put in place. And then an hour later I'd pass a memorial to a someone who died climbing Everest mere years in the past. As we move outward from Earth the places where we first arrive are going to assume equal significance - and they deserve the same reverence and respect as do places of importance on Earth.

In 2011 NASA released the recommendations from an effort it initiated "NASA's Recommendations to Space-Faring Entities: How to Protect and Preserve the Historic and Scientific Value of US Government Lunar Artifacts" which states "Until more formal USG guidance is developed and perhaps a multilateral approach is developed to reflect various nations' views on lunar hardware of scientific and historic value, NASA has assembled this document that contains the collected technical knowledge of its personnel - with advice from external experts and potential space-faring entities - and provides interim recommendations for lunar vehicle design and mission planning teams. As such, this document does not represent mandatory USG or international requirements; rather, it is offered to inform lunar spacecraft mission planners interested in helping preserve and protect lunar historic artifacts and potential science opportunities for future missions."

One would assume that the Artemis Accords will build upon this preliminary document as NASA signs agreements based on the Artemis Accords with other nations.

"Space Resources - The ability to extract and utilize resources on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids will be critical to support safe and sustainable space exploration and development. The Artemis Accords reinforce that space resource extraction and utilization can and will be conducted under the auspices of the Outer Space Treaty, with specific emphasis on Articles II, VI, and XI."

This is where the issues pop up in terms of visiting and studying the Moon and using the sources that it can provide to support a long term human presence. ISRU - In Situ Resource Utilization is a feature of mostly all exploration scenarios fo rah eMoon, Mars, and elsewhere. You need to use materials you find at your destination to let you stay there and then return home. That means digging them up or collecting them in one way or another. Another word for that is "mining" although that tends to be more applicable to large scale efforts as practice on Earth.

ARTICLE II says "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means."

ARTICLE VI says "States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty. .... etc."

ARTICLE XI says "In order to promote international co-operation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, States Parties to the Treaty conducting activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, agree to inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and results of such activities. On receiving the said information, the Secretary-General of the United Nations should be prepared to disseminate it immediately and effectively."

So if you take the most restrictive interpretation of the treaty then anything that any entity that was created or resides under the authority of the US does reflects back on the US and since the treaty frowns upon using anything one might find on another world for non-scientific uses that would hamper a lot of the architectures that call upon use of local resources. Of course you could argue that the use of local resources is needed in order to conduct those scientific activities.

I specifically asked Mike Gold if any US company would need to sign the Artemis Accords and he said that they did not need to sign. So that would seem to put them out on their own. But NASA intends to sign Artemis Accords on behalf of the US with other nations that include provisos for the use of resources on the Moon - so this places the activities of any party that the US is responsible for under the terms of the agreement being signed. In essence the Artemis Accords, as they are signed between individual nations and the US will build up a consensus in a piecemeal fashion that enables things such as local resource utilization. At this point Russia has not been a party to these discussions and the US cannot deal with China under existing law so these agreements can only go so far.

One would imagine that if the US and any of its Artemis Accords partners do not make national claims and only reserve the right to manage the immediate vicinity of their operations, and that care will be taken to otherwise preserve the lunar surface, that living and working on the Moon will not be all that much different than it is in Antarctica. Right now in Antarctica local resources such as air and water are used, the surface is moved around for bases built atop the permafrost or the ice, waste is handled with care, and access to the continent is somewhat restricted. No one is mining for coal or minerals, virtually all of Antarctica is treated as a scientific preserve in a way that all participants adhere to, and participating nations have put aside any national territory claims for more than half a century, and cruise ships can visit specific areas under stick guidelines so as to protect local ecosystems. Sounds like a nice working precedent for the Moon to me.

Afterthought: When the Apollo crews prepared to depart from the Moon they jettisoned spacesuits, unneeded items, and bags of human waste. Given the harsh nature of the lunar surface it is highly doubtful than anything living survived these harsh conditions. If we are going to use the Moon in the "sustainable" fashion that NASA says they intend to do then these types of discarded materials would be of immense value. Any lunar architect that does not use the sun's energy to reprocess organic waste to recover precious carbon and nitrogen should be fired. Not only can waste be reused for life support systems but it can be used for more imaginative things. Indeed. ESA recently released information about a study whereby urea from astronaut urine served as a construction material for lunar habitats. When we hear talk of utilizing local resources or ISRU we usually only think of mining. Well mining our waste is going to be a critical technology to living on the Moon. Indeed, I'd rewrite the Artemis Accords to require that all parties reuse their waste instead of releasing it into the lunar environment.

"Deconfliction of Activities - Avoiding harmful interference is an important principle of the Outer Space Treaty which is implemented by the Artemis Accords. Specifically, via the Artemis Accords, NASA and partner nations will provide public information regarding the location and general nature of operations which will inform the scale and scope of 'Safety Zones'. Notification and coordination between partner nations to respect such safety zones will prevent harmful interference, implementing Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty and reinforcing the principle of due regard."

As mentioned above there are ample precedents within Earth's polar, alpine - and also oceanic realms for multi-party, multi-national, public/private activities using a common area whereby all of the parties involved seek to cooperate in a collaborative fashion (for the most part) to ensure freedom of access and protection of property.

Afterthought: With regard to the behavior of people living in space, NASA has codified its own requirements - which have been agreed to tby the other participants in the ISS program - 14 CFR  1214.403 - Code of Conduct for the International Space Station Crew which "sets forth the standards of conduct applicable to all ISS crewmembers during preflight, on-orbit, and post-flight activities, (including launch and return phases). ISS crewmembers are subject to additional requirements, such as the ISS Flight Rules, the disciplinary policy, and requirements imposed by their Cooperating Agency or those relating to the Earth-to-Orbit Vehicle (ETOV) transporting an ISS crewmember." It would make total sense for NASA to include a similar code of conduct as part of the Artemis Accords.

In addition there is already a document set forth by NASA "NASA's Recommendations to Space-Faring Entities: How to Protect and Preserve the Historic and Scientific Value of US Government Lunar Artifacts". There are also "Special Region" designations on Mars for locations that might be hospitable to Earth life so as to prevent human artifact from entering these zones without prior sterilization to prevent any possible contamination. There have already been cases where intriguing locations on Mars that a rover could have visited being declared off limits because the rover was not sterilized to the extent required to entire these areas.

There is also an existing set of planetary protection standards set up by COSPAR and supported by space faring nations that deal with the issue of planetary protection I.e. preventing the contamination of locations on other worlds by Earth life and vice versa. Right now, with regard to planetary protection, the Moon is categorized as "Unrestricted Class V" - "Earth-return missions from bodies deemed by scientific opinion to have no indigenous life forms." No one found any evidence of indigenous life present or past on the Moon. Its up to us how much we wish to bring there. Given the harsh conditions its is improbable that any life could survive on the Moon. But you could say that about much of Antarctica and yet everyone does their best to avoid contaminating the environment so as to preserve it for possible future study if nothing else.

However there are other forms of contamination and interference that are potentially at issue. Spacecraft can affect the local lunar environment during landing and surface operations. They can also affect the EM spectrum used for scientific observations. And special sites such as historic locations could have their current condition altered by nearby landings and human activity.

One time when I was at Resolute Bay on Cornwallis island waiting for my flight over to Devon Island a bunch of us went out to view some ancient indigenous habitation sites. There were no park rangers around. A few signs remind us of what to do and not do. Given the condition of the site, everyone adhered to these rules. In Nepal ancient artifacts are everywhere but I never saw anyone attempt to do anything improper. Today in Antarctica there are numerous huts and materials left behind by explorers more than a century ago. The deep cold and dry conditions have preserved them to an amazing extent. Many can be visited. The rules whereby they are approached and visited are laid out. Again - no park rangers to enforce the rules.

With regard to operational bases or research experiment locations on the Moon, it should don't be difficult for sponsors to provide reasonable areas with varying levels of access so as to prevent navigation hazards, scientific disruptions, or communications interference. Indeed if we are going to have multiple human bases on the Moon at some point it would be unlikely that we'd not know where everyone is simply due to satellites in orbit observing the Moon. "Deconfliction" is a term you normally hear used to define the process of making sure that military forces do not mistake one another or interfere with each other's zones of influence or operations. No one seems to be talking about military bases on or near the Moon - and they are already prohibited by virtue of international treaty. As such the wording use by NASA is probably in need of some slight revision.

In summary a lot of what is contained in the Artemis Accords, as NASA has public described them thus far, has ample precedent on Earth. As noted above, I have been on expeditions where I lived in remote, dangerous locations where help form the outside was unlikely and local resources were called upon in contingencies. The last thing I'd think of doing would be to hamper my neighbor's operations in any way since they might be the people who come to rescue me tomorrow if I get in trouble. I don't want them to have logistic issues and I certainly do not want them to be mad at me if I call for help.

"Orbital Debris and Spacecraft Disposal - Preserving a safe and sustainable environment in space is critical for both public and private activities. Therefore, under the Artemis Accords, NASA and partner nations will agree to act in a manner that is consistent with the principles reflected in the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Moreover, NASA and partner nations will agree to plan for the mitigation of orbital debris, including the safe, timely, and efficient passivation and disposal of spacecraft at the end of their missions."

This aspect of the Artemis Accords is really nothing new. The issue is already covered in one treaty and is a topic of active discussion and research internationally with missions being developed to address the issue with regard to activities in low Earth orbit. With regard to the Moon, up until now, missions that ended with the deliberate de-orbiting and crashing of spacecraft was done mostly to prevent future traffic issues. Of course anytime you hit the Moon there are various scientific observations to be made. During the Apollo era the S-IVB stages were often deliberately crashed so as to provide a signal for recently installed surface seismometers to analyze the interior structure of the Moon. In the case of LCROSS the intent was to see if water ice bearing material could be kicked up such that another spacecraft could make observations.

It goes without saying that as more people and instruments are placed on the lunar surface, the crashing of spacecraft will need to be a much more structured process so as to not hit anything important or me sup someone's science. There is also another thing to consider: reusing materials once their original purpose has passed. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that spacecraft in orbit could be recycled for other uses and that spacecraft crashed in a certain location might end up providing useful material for reprocessing and reuse on the lunar surface. If all of the potential uses for polar ice are realized then there is going to be a lot of traffic up and down. Since every launch is an opportunity for something to go wrong, a sustained flow of traffic to and from the lunar surface is going to need a traffic and location system that works hand in hand with the need to safely dispose of spacecraft.

So what do these Artemis Accords really do?

The reason that they are being pursued now is that the US is working hard to get back to the Moon with humans at an expedited pace. The intent is to sign agreements between NASA (representing the US) and individual nations and/or their space agencies. Every space agency that NASA works with is going to bring their own interest to the table and it would make sense that these one on one agreements reflect the pressing issues while including all of the other issues as mentioned above. The US is not likely going to be able to sign agreements with China in the near future and it is uncertain how Russia wishes to approach things. So if the US were to wait for a standard UN style agreement to clarify things for Artemis missions they'd be waiting a long time.

Also, the original treaties that are now seen as limiting what can be done on other worlds were crafted half a century ago during the height of the Cold War when no one really knew what lay ahead. As I noted, there was some hope that perhaps some future human activity could be carved out in a preemptively peaceful fashion - one based on avoiding the pervasive Cold War paranoia and cynicism of the time. Now we are in that future on the cusp of wanting to return to the Moon with for scientific, exploratory, and possibly commercial reasons - twenty-first century reasons. Existing treaties (which only refer to "mankind" and not "humanity"), like anything else, evolve over time.

As for those who fear that we will destroy what we seek to visit on the Moon and other worlds, well, they certainly have a good example here on Earth as to what not to do. But we also have an example of what we can do orbiting over head with people living on board - one that has managed to operate for two decades outside the sphere of petty terrestrial politics. Meanwhile our robots have left our solar system and have begin to traverse interstellar space. It is possible to get things right.

Despite a half a century of absence from the lunar surface the Apollo missions showed us last summer just how compelling the exploration of another world can be. More than half of humanity has never seen people do this live on TV. Let's go back there enabled by twenty-first century reasons - and not be limited by twentieth century, Cold War thinking.



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BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks rose sharply on Monday on hopes for an early economic recovery as some states moved to ease quarantine restrictions. Italy yesterday recorded its fewest daily deaths since March 9 and its fewest new infections since March 4 in the latest sign that the crisis is easing. Shops, bars and restaurants are re-opening today along with churches such as St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The country will re-open its borders on June 3 and travel restrictions will be lifted in a 'calculated risk' to rescue its tourism industry after the coronavirus crisis. New York and Spain are also gradually removing restrictive measures. The benchmark DAX jumped 302 points, or 2.88 percent, to 10,766 after rallying 1.2 percent on Friday. Conglomerate Thyssenkrupp soared almost 4 percent on a Reuters report that it was in talks with international peers about consolidating its loss-making steel business. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
There is one staple in politics  hypocrisy  which is never in short supply and that has never been more evident than in the controversy about alleged sexual assault charges against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Democrats accuse Republicans of going after Bill Clinton while ignoring the charges against President Trump. Republicans complain that Democrats believed Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, but now are giving Biden a pass.

And so it goes back and forth, each side very selectively choosing facts to prove their case. In this instance, they are all right in indicting their opponents of invoking a double-standard.

(For the purposes of this column, I am not going to point to facts in the Biden case which favor one side or the other. It is a waste of time because, ultimately, the question cant be proven with the evidence at hand.

(The major point in these sexual harassment and assault cases, many of which happened decades ago, is that no one knows the truth except the two people involved.)

But in the Biden controversy Democrats are vulnerable and they have no one to blame but themselves.

They committed themselves to a #believewomen, slogan and philosophy which developed in the #MeToo movement and basically argues that womens accusations of sexual harassment and assault must be accepted as true.

That is probably the most difficult hurdle that Biden needs to overcome as he defends himself against allegations leveled at him by former Senate staffer, Tara Reade.

During the Kavanaugh hearings, Biden said that if a woman comes forward in the glaring lights of focus, youve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she is talking about is real.

In his first interview dealing with the Reade accusations on the TV program Morning Joe recently, Biden was asked: Are women to be believed unless it pertains to you?

Biden, who knew full well he would face that question, responded that women should be given the benefit of the doubt and [we] should start off with the presumption theyre telling the truth

if they come forward and say somethingthat they said happened to them, they should start off with the presumption they are telling the truth. Then you have to look at the circumstances and the facts. And the facts in this case do not exist  they never happened. He continued:

Believing women means taking the womans claim seriously when she steps forward, and then vet it, look into it. Thats true in this case as well.  But in the end, the truth is what matters, and in this case, the truth is the claims are false.

That is not the end of it, of course. Biden will be asked the same question many times in the next six months and he will continue to struggle with a definitive answer that he hopes will settle the issue. It will be an uphill, insurmountable battle.

Why? Because the #believewomen premise is wrong. You can no more accept that women are always telling the truth as you can agree with the concept #believemen because the male species never lies.

As New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote: To suggest that every woman who alleges a sexual assault is as credible as the next is absurd. The idea that no woman can ever be wrong just hurts women. Half the human race is female. Who has never been lied to by people of both genders? Who has never seen the mesmerizing female psychopaths of film noir?

Actress and leading #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano, who sat behind Kavanaugh during his televised confirmation hearings to show her support for Ford and who is credited with helping develop #believewomen, is now trying to explain the implications of #believewomen.

As Tara Reades allegations swirled around Biden and with the Democratic Party finally uniting around him, Milano wrote a piece for Deadline.com acknowledging shades of gray and reiterated her support for the former vice president.

Believing women was never about believe all women no matter what they say it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default, Milano wrote.

Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist who worked in Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign, rejected comparing the Reade case to the one involving Kavanaugh.

Finney said believe women doesnt mean accepting as fact any assertion, but instead means affording women the default credibility to take claims seriously.

She said, If you start from the premise that this person is telling the truth, then you do the investigation and look at the facts, and if the facts tell a different story, then thats an important conversation to have.

In trying to argue away #believewomen, Finney does just the opposite when she states that  you start from the premise that this person is telling the truth

No, you dont start with that premise; you start with neutrality and investigate the charges. Indeed, if anything, in our system of justice we begin with a presumption of innocence. And no, Vice President Biden, you dont give women (or men) the benefit of the doubt.

Lets put the belated defenses of #believewomen in the category of nice tries. It is too late to point to some underlying intent. The record is pretty clear and Democrats must now grapple with the apparent contradiction and hypocrisy.

If someone at the time had only thought to replace #believewomen with #befairtowomen.

Berl Falbaum is a veteran political journalist and author of 11 books, including Not One Normal Day, Trumpedia: A Tome of Scandal, Lies, Corruption and Much More.
In January, when news that a novel virus was raging in China and taking lives at alarming rate, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut. I immediately started spraying things around me with rubbing alcohol. Im sure my colleagues thought I was crazy. My gut told me that it would soon make its way into the United States and reach South Dakota. My gut was right.

But I also trusted that the United States government as well as state and local governments would do everything in their power to stop the spread of this novel virus called Covid-19 in an effort to protect the lives of the vulnerable and keep its citizens safe.

Each day as I saw the numbers of Covid-19 cases rise across the U.S. and the world, my trust in governments begin to wane.

Now, that the number of Covid-19 cases in the United States has reached 1,367,638 with more than 80,787 deaths and 4,235,237 Covid-19 cases worldwide with more than 285,946 deaths, I have come to appreciate a harsh reality.

I no longer feel safe and can no longer trust governments especially here in South Dakota where our Governor Kristi Noem not only refused to issue a stay-at-home order but never shut down businesses nor restricted travel.

Anunkasan Waste (Ernestine Chasing Hawk). Photo courtesy Native Sun News Today

I have to give Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender much credit for shuttering businesses and thereby slowing the spread. We also shut down Native Sun News Today briefly.

Now I see Kristi Noem on T.V. bragging about how We flattened the curve. Kristi Noem cannot take credit for flattening the curve.

It was the people who made personal decisions to shelter in place in spite of Governor Noems refusal to issue a state order. Many people took personal responsibility like myself and stayed home, wore a mask and gloves when out for groceries even though at the time the CDC had advised against it.

The people flattened the curve in spite of Governor Kristi Noem and her genocidal public Covid-19 policy which is currently infecting people of color in South Dakota at a disproportionate rate.

Now she is trying to close down the check points, set up at the borders of the Cheyenne River Reservation and the Oglala Lakota Nation, designed to protect tribal members and in reality everyone who resides within the boundaries.

But now this virus has hit closer to home than I ever imagined, two of my daughters just tested positive for Covid-19. Not shuttering the doors of businesses, especially child care centers and health care centers and other places where the virus can spread and infect many people, lands squarely on Kristi Noems shoulders.

Contact Anunkasan Waste at staffwriter@nativesunnews.today

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today

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President Moon Jae-in visits a cemetery, Monday, for citizens who died during a pro-democracy uprising that began in Gwangju on May 18, 1980. Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



President Moon Jae-in has pledged full government support to uncover the final truth about the bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, adding this will make distortions and disparagements against the uprising disappear.



Moon attended a ceremony in the southwestern city, Monday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the May 18 pro-democracy movement against the military junta led by former General-turned-President Chun Doo-hwan.



This is the third time for him to take part in the ceremony since he took office in May 2017. About 400 people, including families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as well as politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, attended the event, with the number of participants being minimized to avoid any possible spread of COVID-19.






Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 17)  Millions of employees began returning to work on Monday, two months after COVID-19 quarantine restrictions forced nonessential businesses to stop operations.

As workers go back to work, they not only have to protect themselves from the invisible threat of the coronavirus disease, they also have to face another grueling challenge: How to get to their workplaces when all public transportation remain closed.

Workers in Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, Angeles City, and Laguna from select nonessential sectors are allowed to physically report back to their jobs after their areas transitioned from enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to a looser modified ECQ on May 16.

Several sectors were allowed to partially operate in MECQ areas to restart the country's economy. However, public transportation is prohibited from operating. The national government told employees to use private cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. Companies were also urged to provide transportation services to their employees.

Mall employee Erickson Diego was spotted along Marcos Highway, which connects residents from Rizal to Metro Manila, early Monday morning. He said he was walking from his home to Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City.

Workers were also seen awaiting rides along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, employees with their own cars or motorcycles have to endure traffic jams and checkpoints.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque previously said companies should remain closed if they could not offer shuttle services to safely ferry their employees.

There is no requirement for all returning employees to undergo COVID-19 testing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Sunday. She said this is among the decisions of the national task force.

"We have emphasized that symptomatic screening is ideal, and test only when symptomatic. IATF resolution stated that in no case shall testing be a condition for return to work," she said in a Viber message to reporters.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said testing employees reporting back to work is important because they may be silently carrying the virus.

"We need to test workers returning to work. This needs to be arranged by employers & DOH. Marami sa mga kaso walang sintomas. We cannot afford a second wave," she said on Monday.

The government is looking to jump-start the economy after a two-month lull. Overall economic output is expected to shrink by at least 2 percent this year, with the pandemic seen to have cost about 2 trillion in lost opportunities.
The total number of people hospitalized in Connecticut for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, continued to fall over the weekend, slipping below 1,000 on Saturday and down to 937 Sunday, data reported by the state shows.

The drop in hospitalizations comes as the state looks to reopen some businesses, including hair salons and restaurants for outdoor dining, starting Wednesday.

Statewide, 69 new deaths associated with the disease were reported, bringing the official death toll to 3,408.

Health officials also reported 716 new infections, for a total of 37,419 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state.

As the states gradual reopening is set to begin Wednesday, state officials Friday counted fewer than 1,400 businesses that certified they have taken preventative measures to halt the spread of the disease  steps that include the wearing of masks, and disinfecting areas people often touch.

The reopening businesses include non-essential retail stores, barbershops and hair salons, and restaurants for outdoor dining only.

In Ansonia, city officials announced over the weekend that Main Street would be closed to motor vehicle traffic in order to expand options for outdoor seating.

Several are colleges announced plans to hold graduation ceremonies remotely. Yale University in New Haven said it would host virtual gatherings on Zoom or pre-recorded ceremonies for Art, Drama, Engineering & Applied Science, Forestry & Environmental Studies, Management, and Music, along with pre-recorded messages from deans.

Death and infection data by county continues to show Fairfield County leading with 1,146 deaths and the highest number of infections at 14,248.

The state recorded 5,852 new tests, bringing the total number of tests performed to 170,607.

Cuomo urges testing

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a plea for residents of his state to get tested  including people who will return to work under that states phase one of reopening, which includes construction workers and curbside retail workers.

We have more tests and more sites than we are using, Cuomo said. As a demonstration of how non-invasive the testing procedure is, the governor had a doctor in full protective garb swab his nose with a test kit during a live teleconference.

It is so fast and so easy that even a governor can take this test, Cuomo said.

Later on in the press conference, Cuomo hinted that a newly identified syndrome affecting children that doctors believe is linked to COVID-19 could affect summer camps or even schools reopening in the fall.

Cuomo said the state is investigating 120 cases of the syndrome, which researchers said causes inflammatory symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease or toxic shock syndrome. Several children have died after contracting the syndrome in New York, and a handful of cases have been reported in Connecticut.

We were told children are not affected, and weve been operating on that basis. And thats one conversation with summer camps when we say children are not affected, Cuomo said Sunday during the daily teleconference.

If you now change your facts again and you say oh, children may be affected  not with the traditional COVID respiratory illness but, they may have this more serious inflammatory illness that could be a heart disease issue  thats a different set of facts.
Front line Port Authority of New York and New Jersey employees will get something theyve requested for at least a month - testing for the coronavirus.

Port Authority officials confirmed to NJ Advance Media that the testing is now being offered to all Port Authority/PATH essential employees at testing sites across New Jersey and New York, said Scott Ladd, an authority spokesman.

Coronavirus testing is something that PATH unions had lobbied for almost a month and that a police union took upon themselves to offer. The PATH was the only transit system in the metro area that had not offered COVID-19 testing for workers.

In New Jersey, testing access has been established for essential authority workers through Agile Urgent Care & Accurate Diagnostics at locations in East Rutherford, Somerset and Sewell.

Weve advised employees using any one of those locations to register online or by phone with Agile Urgent Care and have provided that contact information, Ladd said. These tests are voluntary and diagnostic, determining if a worker tests positive or negative for the virus, not if they have antibodies.

In New York State, testing sites are available to essential Port Authority workers in 15 counties, including all five NYC boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland counties. Appointments can be scheduled by registering online or by phone.

The health and safety of our employees is the Port Authoritys highest priority, Ladd said.

Prior to Mondays announcement, employees were on their own to get testing.

Were happy the Port Authority did this and we applaud them for it, said Bob Egbert, a spokesman for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association. We took it upon ourselves to set up anti-body testing more than 2 weeks ago.

The PBA got the head start on safety for its members by setting up testing programs similar to what other other police unions have done, he said.

While its sad that it took weeks of our members demanding to be tested for COVID-19 for the Port Authority to finally do the right thing, were glad that this basic protection for workers and the riding public, will now be offered," said Joseph Dominiczak, a spokesman for the coalition of PATH unions and a union official. "PATH will no longer be the only transit system in the Northeast refusing to provide priority testing for its employees.

PATH unions said they had been discussing testing with Port Authority officials for several weeks.

If an employee had (COVID-19) symptoms, they had to find a doctor to authorize a test and then they have to find a test, Dominiczak said. Then there are the asymptomatic people.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced on April 30 that NJ Transit employees could get tested at the American Dream site in Secaucus, which has been serving first responders. The MTA contracted with Northwell Health for employee COVID-19 testing on April 14 and has expanded testing and tracking.

PATH union employees are approaching a tenth year working without a new contract.

The decision comes almost a month after Port Authority officials lauded employees for working to transport essential employees to and from their jobs, after announcing two workers, including a PATH worker had died due to COVID-19.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 12:11:11|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Inspector General for the U.S. State Department Steve Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had asked a staffer to run personal errands for him, U.S. media outlets reported on Sunday.

NBC News, citing two congressional officials, reported that Linick, whom U.S. President Donald Trump announced fired late Friday night, was investigating whether Pompeo "made a staffer walk his dog, pick up his dry cleaning and make dinner reservations" for him and his wife.

The officials said they are working to learn whether Linick may have had other ongoing investigations into Pompeo, according to NBC News.

CNN and The New York Times also reported the allegations on Sunday.

Trump said he's firing Linick because he hasn't had the fullest confidence in the official, who began his tenure as the State Department's watchdog in 2013.

A White House official reportedly said Pompeo, the administration's second secretary of state, recommended the move and Trump agreed.

The decision has triggered an inquiry from Democrats and scrutiny even from several Republicans.

Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who co-authored a law asking U.S. president to notify Congress 30 days prior to the removal of an inspector general along with the reasons for the move, tweeted on Saturday that the White House has not provided the kind of justification for the firing of Linick required by the law.

"I have long been a strong advocate for the Inspectors General," she said. "They are vital partners in Congress's effort to identify inefficient or ineffective government programs and to root out fraud and other wrongdoing."

As inspector general, Linick was responsible for, among other things, conducting administrative and criminal investigations of waste, fraud, mismanagement, and misconduct in the State Department, according to his online biography. Enditem
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced steps to restart the economy amid relaxation in the fourth phase of the lockdown to tackle the spread of Covid-19.

We have to open our economy gradually. All industries will be allowed to reopen in Delhi. Construction activities will restart but only local workers will be allowed. Workers beyond Delhis borders will not be allowed, he said in a video address.

Containment zones will continue to remain sealed. There will be no activities in containment zones except for essential services, he said.

All private offices will be allowed to reopen in the national capital but the Kejriwal said he would encourage employees to work from home.

All shops will reopen with odd-even formula except those selling essential items which will remain open on all days. Restaurants can open but only for take-away food.

Kejriwal also announced the resumption of public transport such as buses, taxis and autorickshaws.

Autorickshaw, cycle rickshaw will be allowed to ply with only one passenger. Taxi and cabs will be allowed to two passengers while maxicabs will carry five passengers, he said.

Buses will carry a maximum of 20 passengers who will be screened before boarding. The transport department will ensure social distancing.

Two wheelers will be allowed without any pillion.

The announcements came as Delhis Covid-19 tally soared past 10,000.

Delhi has reported 10,054 cases of Covid-19 out of which 4,485 people have been cured. One hundred and sixty people have died so far, Kejriwal said.
Shinto shrines, a go-to place for many Japanese to pray for good health and safety, have largely shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. But one Tokyo shrine went online for those seeking solace.

Onoterusaki Shrine in downtown Tokyo was live-streaming prayers on Twitter during a May 1-10 holiday, allowing those stuck at home to join rituals.

The shrine also accepted worshippers messages, which were printed on a virtual wooden tablet and offered to Shinto gods to keep away evil spirits and the epidemic.

I thought about how people can pray and have a peace of mind at a time everyone is feeling uneasy about all the news and going through major changes in their life but still cannot go out to pray. The idea is to provide a chance for people to pray from home, head priest Ryoki Ono said. For Machi Zama, a freelance writer, thats just what she needed. Zama prayed for her friend who recently had surgery, and everyone else experiencing difficult times, as well as for an early end to the global pandemic.

Watching the priests perform the purification rites, she felt as if she was at the shrine, Zama said. When one of the priests faced the screen and waved a religious paper streamer, she would bow. It was like her prayers were answered, she said.

Wherever you are, I think its your feelings and thoughts, the wish to pray, thats whats important, Zama said. Whether online or offline, I dont think it matters. For Ono, praying in the sacred shrine is still better. He said he hoped people will visit the shrine for a real experience when it reopens. The shrine ended the online prayers last Sunday to prepare for its upcoming annual festival.

Shinto is Japans indigenous religion that dates back centuries and it literary means the way of kami, which refers to Shinto gods or spirits. Its a form of animism that believes in sacred spirits residing in living things and nature, including wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility.

Purification is key to Shinto rituals to keep away evil spirits. Worshippers can also make a wish for traffic safety, good health, success in business or exams, safe childbirth and many other things.

There are about 80,000 shrines in Japan. Revered as the most sacred is Ise Shrine in central Japan that venerates the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythological ancestor of the emperor.

Not everyone in the conservative religion agrees with the departure from the traditional in-person prayers.

Naomi Shiba tweeted six prayers at the online shrine, in the hopes of an early end to the pandemic, for her two sons to be able to resume their work and studies, and for herself to lose some weight.

Perhaps this is the way to do it in the current age, she said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. )

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A 29-year-old Dublin man, who broke the Covid-19 movement restriction laws when he carried out a litany of fuel drive-off thefts from petrol stations has been given a four-month suspended sentence.

Serial offender Richard Kiely, from Ballyowen Lane, Lucan, Co Dublin was also handed a two-year road ban after he paid 850 for the fuel he stole from stations 20 times in recent months.

Kiely, who had been driving a 181-reg Skoda, had been reselling the fuel to help pay a debt built up from using cocaine, Dublin District Court heard.

He had pleaded guilty to 20 counts of theft from petrol stations in Dublin and Kildare. He also admitted 13 offences for breaking the new movement restrictions laws brought in to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. These happened while he was stealing the fuel and on occasions, he did alter alter the reg-plate of his car to get away with it, said Detective Garda Rachel Goggins.

Gardai also asked for a road ban to be considered because of the use of the car in the thefts.

Family 'horrified' to find out

Pleading for leniency, defence solicitor Simon Fleming said his client had used the fuel to sell on, to pay a cocaine debt. The court was entitled to make a disqualification order.

Mr Fleming said his client had hidden his drug use from his family who were blissfully unaware of what was happening, but were horrified when they found out.

He has now come under the wing of his father, who was in court and paid the money for the thefts. He has also given Kiely a job.

Judge Jones described him as a decent man and said his son was lucky not to be getting a 10-month prison term.

He imposed a four-month sentence but suspended it for two years and banned him from driving for the same period.

He is a lucky man not to be sitting in a cell, he added. Describing Kiely as a serial offender, he said he was keeping him on a very short leash and he will be going to prison for a very long time if he re-offends.

He instructed gardai to bring him back before him at any time if he is caught driving while banned.

He had 11 prior convictions including driving without insurance and motor tax, possession of articles for use in theft, and assault causing harm.

His solicitor also said that his client was pleading guilty to other further fuel theft charges. Judge Jones adjourned these to a later date.
1. The first coronavirus vaccine tested in people appears to be able to stimulate an immune response.

The findings are encouraging but do not prove that the vaccine works. Only larger, longer studies can determine whether it can prevent people in the real world from getting sick. But the drugmaker Moderna will begin testing 600 people soon, and thousands more starting in July.

The development  along with the signals from the Federal Reserve chair that the central bank has more firepower to lend to recovery efforts  pushed Wall Street to its best day in about six weeks.
Varanasi, May 18 : The temple administration of the Kashi Vishwanath temple (KVT) in Varanasi has allowed eight priests of different states to enter the temple for performing rituals as per tradition.

The decision comes after the team probing the May 7 Kashi Vishwanath temple's Saptarishi Aarti row, submitted its report to the district authorities.

However, the entry of temple's former mahant and his family members to perform the rituals of Saptarishi Aarti has not been permitted as they did not reply to the notices issued to them, said KVT chief executive officer Vishal Singh.

Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said: "The ADM City and SP Security, who had been assigned the task to probe into the May 7 incident of performing of Saptarishi Aarti on road near gate-4 of temple, have submitted their report to me.

"This report has been forwarded to the principal secretary (religious affairs), divisional commissioner, temple administration to initiate further action with the finding of investigation and recommendations." The district magistrate said that during the investigation it was found that some photographs, which were taken when the house of former mahant was getting vacated in March, were issued by them claiming them as current photographs to prove that portions of a temple inside KV corridor had been damaged.

"The investigators found that these photographs were released with ill-intention of instigating religious sentiment of people at the time of lockdown. This could be a conspiracy," he said.

The district magistrate of Varanasi is the ex-officio member of the temple trust.

Recommendation has been made by investigators to initiate action against a member of former mahant family who led the entire episode.

"The livelihood of former mahant family depends on temple, but instead of performing their responsibility at a time of lockdown, this act amounts to disloyalty for the temple and breach of trust," said the district magistrate.

He said that course of action in this regard would be decided by the religious affairs department, divisional commissioner, temple administration and trust. He said a case has already been lodged against the persons who performed rituals on road by violating lockdown.

Regarding action against the priests who took part in the rituals performed on road on May 7, the temple's CEO said that eight priests from different states had given their reply to temple administration against the notices issued to them for their act.

He said that satisfied with their reply, the temple administration had allowed them to perform rituals in temple like past. The former mahant and his family did not give any reply against notices given to them hence no decision had been taken to allow their entry in temple to perform rituals of Saptarishi Aarti.

It may be recalled that on May 7, an awkward situation was created in and around the KVT when two parallel Saptarishi aartis of Lord Vishwanath were performed.

While a group of priests belonging to family and group of former mahant of temple performed the aarti on road, another aarti was performed inside temple's sanctum sanctorum by the priests arranged by the temple administration.

Later a probe was ordered into the incident.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
When Amarachi Moses announced to her husband that they were expecting their first baby soon, their joy knew no bounds.

Eight weeks into pregnancy, Ms Moses began her antenatal sessions.

For Ms Moses, the sessions were worth looking forward to. I enjoy(ed) every moment with other women in the hospital. We played and engaged ourselves in other activities, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

But a few months later, the coronavirus pandemic hit Nigeria, first subtly, then hard.

This heightened her anxiety of giving birth in the time of a pandemic. Not only this, all the plans she had seemed to have been blown away.

Nobody was expecting this, she said.

For her, when Nigerias index of the COVID  19 was reported in Lagos, life was still business as usual, until the antenatal sessions were halted so the women could practise physical distancing.

At the Kubwa general hospital in Abuja where Ms Moses had her antenatal sessions, pregnant women were told to stop coming for the weekly routine sessions and to only come when they had complications.

I registered at the general hospital in Kubwa and they said that anybody that does not have a case for now should just stay at home till when they are due, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

This decision was to minimise the risk of the transmission of the infection by the women.

The Federal Capital Territory is the fourth hardest-hit state in Nigeria with health workers scurrying to keep the curve flattened.

This leaves many expectant mothers like Ms Moses without any option but to look for new ways to stay healthy.

Now at home due to the lockdown, she said she can only do some prenatal workouts with her husband.

There is no antenatal, I just stay at home and do some workouts with my husband. And sometimes, I take a walk around my house, she said.

When asked if the hospital provided any alternative measures, she said none for now.

But she is optimistic that her baby will arrive well with or without the pandemic and things will work out fine.

I have no fear. I believe in God and he will put me through, she said.

Irregular antenatal sessions

Fatima Musa, another pregnant woman, says her only fear is how she would cope during her third trimester.

She says often a fever could cause her to panic and wonder about the movement of the child in her womb.

According to her, once she observes this, she tries to keep calm and inform her doctor about it.

But she added that,most times, she feels healthy and does not have any reason to visit the hospital since antenatal had stopped at the University Teaching Hospital Zaria due to the lockdown in Kaduna.

Another Lagos-based expectant mother, Olayinka Kolawole, told PREMIUM TIMES that she still goes for antenatal sessions in the hospital, although this is different from the usual antenatal.

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Ms Kolawale said the antenatal sessions at Christ Apostolic Church Hospital is conducted in a different way.

She said at the hospital in Lagos, social (physical) distancing and other preventive measures are being observed but only a limited number of persons see the doctor at a time.

We dont hold social gathering where we sing and do some workouts as part of prenatal exercise. What we do is that selected persons get to see the doctor at a time, she said.

Another, Elizabeth Ayo, told this reporter that the first three weeks of the lockdown were unprecedented and quite challenging for her as she had to deal with the new lifestyle.

Antenatal sessions at Cedacrest Hospital, a private hospital in Abuja where she registered with, were not held during those weeks. She said staying indoors was boring.

When she was told antenatal sessions had resumed, she was elated.

My hospital made a plan for us to come Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The hospital is always almost empty.

There is a system they use for booking appointment with the doctors: our bio-data are arranged and (we are) connected to doctors who would indicate that it is each persons turn for the regular check up.

From there, they prescribe drugs or tell you the next step on what to take, she said.

Ms Ayo said that women who are almost due come for the check-up every week while those who are less than 25 weeks visit at four-week intervals.

There, you get to talk to the doctor on phone. So, you can call him, tell him whatever you are feeling, he tells you what to do and what not to do.

Normally, when I go for my antenatal, they usually take my urine sample but the last time they didnt take my urine sample because the lab is closed, she added.

Panic mode activated

For post-natal mothers like Ijeoma Owecha who had her baby at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) hospital, Abuja, before the lockdown commenced, the tale is similar.

When she learnt that an isolation centre will be built beside the hospital, she asked to be discharged.

I was afraid of coming into contact with COVID-19 patients, though the hospital management might have found a way to control the situation. I just couldnt bear it and I did it out of concern for my baby, she said.

The World Health Organisation has warned that the transmission of the virus from a pregnant mother to the newborn is probable.

She said her panic made her forget to keep close contact with doctors there.

As at when I was discharged, I didnt have any personal contact with a doctor, she said. There was this nurse who we got her number then my mum called her sometimes to keep tabs on me. But as per contact with a doctor, its a NO.

She said since the pandemic started, she has resorted to attending a primary healthcare facility at Area 2, Garki beside the National Library for medical check-up.

She later had her baby at the NAF hospital.

The women also lamented the hike in the prices of baby products and the possibility of being infected while purchasing them.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire

I just picked few small things, though I still need some things. I cant go to the market because of rowdiness and fear of contracting the disease, Ms Moses said.

Asides this, she said there is a hike in the prices of these commodities if purchased from local stores on the street.

Ms Musa said she was lucky to have purchased some items before the lockdown began.

She said markets in Kaduna State have been partially open which makes things easier for her.

She also complained about the hike in prices of baby items in the market. Ms Kolawole said she is still unable to purchase the necessary things because of the increase in prices.

The last time I went to market, I went with N20,000 and I could not buy anything (all I needed) in the market, she said.

Ms Ayo is worried about getting baby items now because of the rush, one might end up doing impulse buying and might not buy what one needs.

If one buys out of fear of not getting it, one may spend more and eventually may not buy everything. But we wil survive, she said.

Protect these women

A gynaecologist, Oliver Ezechi, said protecting pregnant women during the age of the pandemic is important.

He told PREMIUM TIMES the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Nigeria recently brought out a guildeline on the management of pregnant women during the pandemic.

Their movement is not restricted. (But) It will no longer be antenatal as usual where they gather in one place. Now, its now on appointment, he said. When you get to the hospital, you see the doctor and leave. This is because of social distancing. The day you have appointment, you come, see the doctor and go.
The Suspects

5 persons linked to the death of a 25-year-old man, Monsur Kareem, have been arrested by the Ogun state Police.

The suspects identified as Toheeb Popoola, Ibrahim Ridwan, Mutiu Tijani, Akeem Ishola and Lawal Afeez were arrested for reportedly beating Kareem to death.

Ogun state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the suspects were arrested after the father of the deceased Najeem Kareem, filed a complaint at Sango Police Station.

Najeem said his son was beaten to death while trying to broker peace between a tricycle rider and Popoola following a heated argument they had.

Oyeyemi said in a statement;

Preliminary investigation revealed that while a landlord in the area was coming in his tricycle loaded with kegs of water, he fell down with the kegs of water and while picking the kegs, Toheeb Popoola, whose house is situated in the place, came out to question him for staying there.



This led to an argument between them and it was at that point that the deceased met them and tried to intervene.

His intervention did not go down well with Toheeb, who invited the other four suspects to the scene, and ordered them to beat both the deceased and the tricycle rider.

In the process, the deceased was rushed to hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The corpse of the deceased has been deposited in the Ifo General Hospitals mortuary for autopsy.

The states Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation and diligent prosecution.
Managing Editor of the Dispatch and Pollster, Ben Ephson has challenged herbal medicine producers who claim to have a cure for the coronavirus to infect and heal themselves with their products.



Mr Ephson said this is the only way most Ghanaians will believe the herbal medicine practitioners who claim to have a cure for the COVID-19.



Some herbal medicine petitioners have asked the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ministry of Health to adopt the use of herbal medicine in treating COVID-19 patients because, in their view, these medicines are potent enough to wipe the virus from the patients.



But speaking on 3FM Monday, May 18, Mr Ephson said although he does not belittle the work of the herbal medicine practitioners, they must go the extra mile to prove that their medications are good enough to tackle COVID-19.



If you trust your medication and your medication is good, infect yourself and heal yourself. That way you have proof, he said.



He added: If you are tested and you are negative, there are some people who have been tested and are positive.



You can go and eat with them and when you are tested positive then you heal yourself. That will be the best example to quieting everybody.



He, however, stressed, I am not belittling traditional medicines.

Source: 3news









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.

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Demand for Gileads remdesivir has been growing given the lack of approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19.

The European Union may give an initial green light in the coming days for sale of the drug remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment, the head of its medicines agency said on Monday, fast-tracking the drug to market as global competition for resources mounts.

The United States, which has angered the EU with aggressive tactics in a procurement race during the global pandemic, has yet to issue a similar approval for the drug, made by US pharmaceutical company Gilead.

Demand for remdesivir has been growing as there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

It might be that a conditional market[ing] authorisation can be issued in the coming days, the head of the European Unions medicines agency Guido Rasi said on Monday at a hearing in the EU Parliament in Brussels.

An EU conditional marketing authorisation allows a drug to be sold for a year in the 27-nation bloc before all necessary data are available on its efficacy and side effects.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has already recommended the compassionate use of remdesivir, which allows a drug to be administered to patients even before its sale has been authorised.

EMAs recommendation on compassionate use matched an emergency authorisation granted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier in May, after Gilead provided data showing the drug had helped COVID-19 patients.

But the EU is now moving rapidly to the next step in the authorisation procedure.

The equivalent procedure in the US is called accelerated approval, as opposed to the standard authorisation that the FDA grants to medicines which pass all tests before their marketing.

As pressure mounts to ramp up production of the drug, Gilead has said it was in discussions with chemical and drug manufacturers to produce remdesivir for Europe and Asia until at least 2022.

The company is also negotiating long-term licences with several generic drugmakers in India and Pakistan to produce remdesivir for developing countries.

But it is still unclear how soon sufficient amounts of the drug could be available to meet the worlds need for a treatment.

Apart from remdesivir, Rasi said other possible treatments against COVID-19 that may be available quickly are those based on monoclonal antibodies, which can neutralise the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

He also warned that Europe could face shortages of a COVID-19 vaccine if it were developed in a years time, echoing concerns raised by EU health ministers and officials earlier in May.

Because the vaccine could be developed outside of the EU, and the blocs production capacity may be insufficient to meet all needs, he said the EU should have a common strategy to deliver shots first to people most in need, such as medics and nurses.
I hesitate to say what Im going to say because later Im going to say, DID I SAY THAT?

But here goes. The coronavirus crisis has taught me one thing. Not that self-quarantine can be a painful experience. Not that our healthcare workers are among the most selfless in the world. And not that China cant be trusted, because I already had that sneaky suspicion.

What it taught me, in the words of my father, is You cant always believe what you read.

Throughout this crisis, Ive often scratched my head in bewilderment and befuddlement and asked, Can I really believe that?

I read the FDA said theres no evidence that groceries can transmit the virus, and then I read that gloves dont help in the supermarket and that the New York Public Library may quarantine books so they dont spread germs. (So groceries are OK, but books can kill?) I also read the virus is not transmitted through sex, and that it can live up to three days on metal and plastic but only 24 hours on cardboard.

Ive seen interviews with more experts than at a National Institutes of Health happy hour, and I came away thinking, That person doesnt know what the #%*@#$ hes talking about. Ive heard one expert say one thing and another expert say another.

It reminds me of a civil lawsuit, where one expert gets on the witness stand and you think, Heck, she really knows what shes talking about. Then, another expert gets on the witness stand and says the exact opposite, and you ask yourself, What is truth?  to quote Pontius Pilate.

Experts have been disagreeing ever since they told us masks wouldnt help and might harm us because special skills were required to put them on. If face masks dont work, then why were members of the House of Representatives wearing the super deluxe models  not masks made in China  while they debated the relief package?

Gandhi put it best: The expert knows more and more about less and less until he knows everything about nothing.

The same is true of politicians, but politicians do it for self-promotion and self-preservation. Experts do it because a reporter puts a microphone in front of them, and they feel compelled to say something, anything, to convince us they know what theyre talking about.

Even when experts all agree, they may well all be mistaken, said Bertrand Russell, himself a self-proclaimed expert on the existence of God.

So what should we believe? I put all the headlines and expert opinions together and came away scratching my head, wondering whether masks work or dont work, whether I can catch the virus from touching my mail, whether it will be worse in the autumn, whether it began in a Chinese wet market, laboratory or fried pork dumpling.

Then, I turned to celebrities for guidance. Lady Gaga wants us to reach into our pockets and give our grocery money to the World Health Organization, while Chelsea Handler wants to lift our spirits by posting nude photos of herself in the bathtub.

George Burns said, Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair. He should have added, and taking nude photos of themselves to put on the Internet.

Im also reluctant to believe what newspaper columnists say ... especially this one. Just because someone has a column doesnt mean he knows what hes talking about. Always remember that most columnists have no other claim to credibility than a bachelors degree in English literature. Which leads me to Edgar Allan Poe.

In one of Poes stories, the head of a mental institution tells his protegee: You are young, my friend, but the time will arrive when you will learn to judge for yourself what is going on in the world, without trusting the gossip of others. Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.

So instead of this column, you should be reading Poe. Did I really say that?

Joe Pisani can be reached at joefpisani@yahoo.com.
English Estonian

With this correction the Company changes the Stock Exchange Announcement published on March 27, 2020. Stock Exchange Announcement text:  The court has set a date to present the reorganisation plan to the court for approval by June 1, 2020. will be replaced as following The court has set a date to present the reorganisation plan to the court for approval by May 25, 2020. 

AS Baltika's comment on the change: Two dates are important for Baltika's reorganization plan - the deadline for creditors to vote set by the reorganization adviser is 20 May 2020 and the deadline for submitting the plan to the court is 25 May 2020. All documents and correspondence prescribed for creditors by the law have been based on these dates, i.e creditors have been provided with the correct information.

The date of June 1, 2020 was stated in the company's stock exchange announcement of March 27, 2020 and was based on preliminary information. Later, this information was clarified and further official communication to creditors was based on the specified dates. No creditor has approached to AS Baltika with concerns that they are confused about the dates.





Aktsiaselts BALTIKA (hereinafter Baltika) informs that Baltika submitted an application for the commencement of reorganisation proceedings to Harju County Court on March 25, 2020 and on March 26, 2020 the court decided to initiate reorganisation proceedings.

As stated in the Baltika`s stock exchange announcement on March 19, 2020, the coronavirus COVID-19 is having a significant negative impact on the financial results and liquidity of Baltika Group. COVID-19 has had the greatest impact so far on the activities of Baltika Group in Lithuania, where all stores have been closed since March 16 due to orders given by the Lithuanian government. The Estonian government has ordered all shopping malls in Estonia to be closed as at March 27. Latvian stores face restrictions limiting opening hours during the weekdays and are closed on weekends. In addition, non-recurring expenses related to the restructuring (mainly regarding the cessation of production in Estonia) of Baltika Group have also had a negative impact on the financial results and liquidity of Baltika Group. As a result of these circumstances, Baltika Group is having solvency problems, which according to Baltika are temporary by them nature.

In order to overcome the above mentioned difficulties, Baltika has applied for the commencement of reorganisation proceedings. Baltika is in the opinion that in the current situation reorganisation of the company is the best way to protect the rights and interests of the shareholders, the employees, the creditors and the partners of Baltika. The company believes that as a result of the reorganisation proceedings and the measures taken in these proceedings, Baltika will be able to overcome its economic difficulties and restore its liquidity, improve profitability and ensure its sustainable management. This is also supported by the restructuring and efforts to improve business model which have already been made by Baltika Group, such as cessation of production operations in Estonia and thereby reducing production costs, and various other measures to reduce fixed costs.

If reorganisation of Baltika is successfully completed and the company`s financial difficulties overcome, it will be possible to continue with the activities of Baltika and retain several valuable jobs. In addition, the successful reorganisation of the company would help to ensure the durability of the Estonian design industry, as Baltika Group is the only Estonian fashion company that exports much of its production and offers professional work in the field of industrial fashion.

Following the commencement of the reorganisation proceedings, Baltika must prepare a reorganisation plan. The court has set a date to present the reorganisation plan to the court for approval by May 25, 2020. The reorganisation plan will be prepared in consultation with Baltika's main partners. The reorganisation plan specifies which reorganisation measures will be implemented, including the impact of the reorganisation on the creditors. The reorganisation plan is accepted by way of voting of the creditors. The final decision on whether to approve the plan is up to the court. The reorganisation only concerns AS Baltika, not any other Baltika Group entities.

Maigi Parnik-Pernik

Member of the Management Board

maigi.parnik@baltikagroup.com
PONTIAC, MI  Dozens of Michigan greenhouses destroyed a popular geranium after cuttings were found to be infected with rare bacteria that could threaten U.S. food crops if spread.

Authorities ordered greenhouses to destroy the Fantasia Pink Flare and disinfect their facilities to prevent any spread. State inspectors visited greenhouses to ensure plants were properly destroyed and will continue to monitor for the disease this summer, the Associated Press reports.

The infected cuttings of Fantasia Pink Flare geraniums imported from Guatemala went nationwide, but Michigan was the hardest hit, said Elizabeth Dorman, a plant pathology lab manager at the state agriculture department.

RELATED: Guatemalan bacteria infecting Michigan geraniums

In Michigan, 41 facilities imported the geraniums. A grower notified authorities after noticing a strange wilt on the flowers, according to AP.

This disease in particular (could cause) major devastation to our food crops, like potatoes, peppers and tomatoes, Dorman said. Countries that are dealing with this disease cannot ever plant these crops back into that same soil. Theres no effective chemical control to manage the disease. Dorman said geraniums will be available at greenhouses this year, but not the Fantasia Pink Flare. Ralstonia spreads through irrigation water, soil or equipment. It kills plants by blocking water and nutrients from moving through their vascular systems.
Ayatollah Khamenei: Americans support terrorists, will be expelled from Syria and Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 5:46 PM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says due to its support for terrorists, the US is hated in most parts of the world and will be soon expelled from Syria and Iraq, where it is illegally present in the two Arab countries.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks while speaking in an annual Ramadan meeting with Iranian university students on Sunday, which was carried out through videoconferencing in the light of this year's coronavirus pandemic and in compliance with health officials' recommendations.

"The long-term performance of the United States, including warmongering, helping notorious regimes, harboring terrorist, [and] sparing no effort in supporting oppression, has caused this government to be hated in an important part of the world," the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei added, "Today, the American society and political system are not attractive, but are a subject of hatred in an important part of the world too."

The Leader noted that part of the existing hatred for the United States emanates from the behavior of its current officials, including its president and its "talkative, illogical, and nonsensical" secretary of state.

Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted US warmongering in other countries, including in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria as another reason why the US regime is hated so much.

"Americans explicitly say 'we have sent military forces to Syria, because there is oil [in that country]'. Of course, they will not remain long neither in Iraq, nor in Syria and must certainly leave them and will undoubtedly be expelled [from those countries]."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader touched on the country's current situation from three different viewpoints, saying, "The Islamic Republic is currently engaged in a major struggle against the oppression and arrogance front."

"The country enjoys a very high potential for confrontation [with the oppression and arrogance front] and past experience with different issues shows this to us," Ayatollah Khamenei explained.

The Leader emphasized that the victory of the Islamic Revolution has "institutionalized a sense of power and dignity in our country and people."

"Of course, the enemy is looking for an opportunity to strip us or our sense of national self-confidence," Ayatollah Khamenei warned.

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Ford started resuming vehicle production in the U.S. on May 18, 2020 with new coronavirus safety protocols such as health assessments, personal protective equipment and facility modifications to increase social distancing. Ford

The Detroit automakers on Monday started producing vehicles in the U.S. for the first time since late-March, but there are no guarantees that they'll be able to continue to successfully do so while the coronavirus pandemic continues to kill thousands of people every day in the U.S. The reopening of plants for General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler will test their capital-strained supply chains, coronavirus safety protocols and consumer demand. All three must be in tact for any hope of a steady recovery for the U.S. auto industry. "Those are really the hurdles that are coming," said Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at IHS Markit. She said it's doubtful the industry would once again completely shutter, but the automakers and their workforces need to remain flexible and adapt to any changing circumstances. "It's really hard to say specifically what would trigger an actual shutdown," she said. "It depends on what happens, how well it's maintained and how well it's responded to." The Detroit automakers and others have taken steps to assist with all three issues. They've implemented extensive safety protocols for workers and attempted to provide time for suppliers to come back online. For demand, they're offering 0% financing of up to 84 months as well as big discounts on vehicles.

While U.S. retail sales were down by about 41% during March and April, they have been more resilient than expected during the coronavirus pandemic, according to J.D. Power. When the "stay-at-home" or "shelter-in-place" orders were initially enacted some expected U.S. sales to fall by up to 80%. "We continue to see evidence that we are over the worst and we are firmly in recovery," said Thomas King, J.D. Power president of data and analytics, earlier this month. Such continued demand, particularly for pickup trucks, provides a base for production to restart for the Detroit automakers despite historic unemployment and a volatile economic environment, according to officials.

Industry reboot

Daimler was one of the first to reopen last month, producing Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Alabama. It became the first to shut back down this week due to a supplier parts shortage. "The management is monitoring the situation diligently and will decide on short notice to start operations as soon as possible," the company said last week in an emailed statement. That's something the Detroit automakers would like to avoid as they gradually restart their plants in the coming weeks, if not months.

GM has said it could have its plants back up and running to pre-pandemic levels in the next four weeks, while Ford Chief Operating Officer Jim Farley said it's "too early to tell" when it will be back to producing where its was ahead of the coronavirus pandemic. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley has said "production levels will be aligned to consumer demand to ensure we do not build up inventory." Ford, for example, is keeping some of its plants closed for at least another week, while starting to operate on two shifts at its plant near Detroit that assembles its popular F-Series pickups. GM and Fiat Chrysler are taking similar measures to slowly ramp up production, prioritizing pickups and SUVs over slower selling cars. They are also operating just one shift at their plants, instead of two or three a day. All three of the automakers worked with the United Auto Workers union to reopen their U.S. facilities as well as local public officials.

Ford started resuming vehicle production in the U.S. on May 18, 2020 with new coronavirus safety protocols such as health assessments, personal protective equipment and facility modifications to increase social distancing. Ford

Protocols in place

The reopening of plants is being closely monitored by other industries as well as government officials as a test of whether social distancing and coronavirus safety protocols for densely populated work areas such as assembly plants can successfully reopen without a resurgence of Covid-19. To keep workers safe, the automakers have to implement new rules that ensure employees are kept at least 6 feet apart, frequently sanitize work areas and monitor employee temperatures. They've had to reconfigure their factory floors to accommodate the changes. "We have drawn on our collective global expertise and best practices to rethink our production processes to put in place comprehensive protocols to keep our workforce safe," Fiat Chrysler's Manley said in a statement. "There is no question that coming to work will look and feel different." Some of those changes include plastic screens or barriers being installed along assembly lines to separate workers, redesigning workspaces when possible for less interactions and mandatory wearing of face masks or shields.

A weld curtain hangs over the chassis line at Fiat Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan to protect employees from the spread and transmission of COVID-19. FCA

The automakers also have redesigned lunch and break areas, established new procedures to enter and exit facilities and have arranged testing protocols for anyone believed to have contracted the disease. That's in addition to pre-training exercises related to Covid-19 and pre-work health questionnaires. "The UAW will continue to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of all members as plants reopen," UAW President Rory Gamble said in a statement Sunday. "We will continue to be vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our members, their families and their communities." The UAW did not have an estimate on how many of its 150,000 members with the Detroit automakers are back to work as of Monday. Both Fiat Chrysler and GM said about 12,000 employees for each returned to work Monday. Ford declined to provide an estimate. Union spokesman Brian Rothenberg, in an email to CNBC, said that the reopening of the plants "has been smooth" with staffing levels at or exceeding where they were expected.

Suppliers

Unlike major automakers, which have billions of dollars in cash available, many suppliers weren't prepared for such a drastic downturn in the economy. The coming weeks, as automakers attempt to reopen and ramp up U.S. factories, will be trying times for suppliers, particularly small-to-medium-sized companies. Julie Fream, CEO and president of the Original Equipment Supplier Association, a trade group representing hundreds of auto suppliers, previously told CNBC that the industry needs an influx of around $20 billion to $25 billion as soon as possible to avoid widespread dislocation, including bankruptcies.
The 76th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars is observed on May 18.

Ukraine, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have expressed support to the Crimean Tatars in their struggle for rights, having issued a joint statement on the 76th anniversary of the Crimean Tatar people deportation.

"We honour the memory of numerous innocent victims of [Joseph] Stalin's deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. We express our support to the Crimean Tatar people in their struggle for their rights," they said in the statement posted by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website on May 18.

Seventy-six years ago, on May 18, 1944, the Soviet regime criminally deported the Crimean Tatar people from the territory of their historic residence  Crimea  to distant areas of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation.

Read alsoRussia calls Ukrainians in Crimea "foreigners", treads on land ownership rights

Just in the first years of exile almost half of all deported Crimean Tatars died. The period of the ban on return to their homeland, Crimea, lasted until 1989 and was accompanied by purposeful linguistic and cultural assimilation.

"The tragedy of the Crimean Tatar people repeated in 2014, when the Russian Federation seized and illegally attempted to annex Crimea, which is an integral part of Ukraine," the six countries said in the statement. "It is no coincidence that Russia, which glorifies Stalin's totalitarian regime, continues its criminal policy in the 21st century in the temporarily occupied Crimea: ban the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, systemic repressions, persecution and violations of the rights of Crimean Tatars, who opposed Russia's armed aggression against the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It forced thousands of Crimean Tatars, indigenous people of Crimea, to leave their homes and move to mainland Ukraine."

"We emphasize the inviolability of sovereignty, territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders and political independence of Ukraine. We condemn Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and new repressions against the Crimean Tatar people," they said.

They called on Russia to stop violations of the fundamental principles of international law, implement fully UN General Assembly resolutions on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, and comply with the demands of the international community to end the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

"Whatever attempts Russia undertakes to legitimize its occupation of the peninsula, the fact remains undisputed: Crimea is Ukraine," they said.
Could China PengFei Group Limited (HKG:3348) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. Yet sometimes, investors buy a stock for its dividend and lose money because the share price falls by more than they earned in dividend payments.

That said, the recent jump in the share price will make China PengFei Group's dividend yield look smaller, even though the company prospects could be improving. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below.

Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on China PengFei Group!

SEHK:3348 Historical Dividend Yield May 18th 2020

Payout ratios

Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. Looking at the data, we can see that 25% of China PengFei Group's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. With a low payout ratio, it looks like the dividend is comprehensively covered by earnings.

Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. China PengFei Group's cash payout ratio last year was 20%. Cash flows are typically lumpy, but this looks like an appropriately conservative payout. It's positive to see that China PengFei Group's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note China PengFei Group's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose.

Story continues

Consider getting our latest analysis on China PengFei Group's financial position here.

Dividend Volatility

Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. This company has been paying a dividend for less than 2 years, which we think is too soon to consider it a reliable dividend stock. Its most recent annual dividend was CN0.05 per share.

It's good to see at least some dividend growth. Yet with a relatively short dividend paying history, we wouldn't want to depend on this dividend too heavily.

Dividend Growth Potential

Examining whether the dividend is affordable and stable is important. However, it's also important to assess if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Growing EPS can help maintain or increase the purchasing power of the dividend over the long run. Strong earnings per share (EPS) growth might encourage our interest in the company despite fluctuating dividends, which is why it's great to see China PengFei Group has grown its earnings per share at 19% per annum over the past five years. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggests this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future.

We'd also point out that China PengFei Group issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

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. It's great to see that China PengFei Group is paying out a low percentage of its earnings and cash flow. We were also glad to see it growing earnings, although its dividend history is not as long as we'd like. China PengFei Group performs highly under this analysis, although it falls slightly short of our exacting standards. At the right valuation, it could be a solid dividend prospect.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for China PengFei Group 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.
The care sector could be plunged into financial crisis as fearful families choose not to put their loved ones in homes, experts warned last night.

Resident numbers could plummet by as much as ten per cent as a result of deaths from coronavirus, as well as fears about going into care.

This would leave more than 40,000 empty beds in care homes across the UK.

Lawyers, care providers and charities say they have been inundated with calls from families wanting to remove relatives from homes over fears the facilities are ticking time bombs.

The number of residents in care homes could fall as much as ten per cent due to coronavirus deaths and fears about family members going into care

And a leading analyst said it will take the sector at least two years to recover from the sharp dip in income  with another expert predicting Covid-19 could be the straw that broke the camels back.

It comes after the Mail revealed the devastating toll of the Governments policy of encouraging care homes to take in discharged virus patients.

Yesterday Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove admitted there are big lessons to be learned from the treatment of care homes during the crisis.

After research last week suggested more than 22,000 residents in England and Wales may have now died from the virus, Britains largest care provider, HC-One, revealed it has already suffered a six per cent fall in occupancy levels  more than 1,000 residents  largely driven by Covid-19 deaths.

Nick Hood, of Opus Restructuring, which advises social care operators, said the occupancy drop could easily reach as high as ten per cent.

William Laing, of care industry analysts LaingBuisson, predicted a hit of five per cent plus, adding: This will be due not only to mortality itself, but also people not wanting to go into care homes. They are more likely to want to have live-in care.

Trudi Scrivener, who runs Ashridge Home Care in Berkshire, said she has seen a huge increase in families wanting to remove loved ones from homes or withdraw plans to admit them.

Its really frightening for relatives. They cant go in and visit family members and theyre scared. Ive been inundated with requests, she said.

A leading analyst said it will take the residential care sector at least two years to recover from the significant dip in income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic

Miss Scrivener, 51, who helps run a body representing 21 live-in care providers, said inquiries have almost doubled for all these home care operators during the virus crisis.

Its not just family members calling us, she said. We had an inquiry directly from a chap with capacity in a home wanting to come home. He is now safely in his own home with live-in care.

Emma Jones, a human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, said before coronavirus it was highly unusual to be approached by clients wanting to move relatives out of care homes.

Now Im in the position where there are a number of people contacting me every week, she said.

Miss Jones added: There is fear about hospital discharges, the lack of PPE equipment, [families] cant even visit them.

'Its easy to understand how people see this as a ticking time bomb.

Charity Age UK said it has also been helping families who want to withdraw their relatives from care to try to safeguard them.

With care homes spending 38.6million a week on Covid-19 costs, experts warn the sector is hanging by a thread.

Mr Hood said operators were barely profitable before coronavirus, now the revenues dropping like a stone and costs are rising like a rocket. He added: I think it will cause some operators to fail.

Local authorities have been given 3billion to help services such as care homes.

Mr Gove said the Government had taken significant steps to improve the situation of those in care.

But he told The Andrew Marr Show: We are still living through this pandemic and there will be lessons to be learned.

HC-One said the outbreak has been hugely challenging but insisted facilities will return to being as popular as ever.

'The hospital didn't tell the care home staff my mum had coronavirus' A daughter accused a heartless hospital of putting the vulnerable at risk after she claims it tried to send her mother to a care home without telling staff she had tested positive for coronavirus. Tracey Goddard said North Middlesex University Hospital in north London was trying to discharge 82-year-old Shirley to the care facility without revealing her diagnosis. Shocked: Tracey Goddard with her mother Shirley, who died last week It was only after Miss Goddard rang Protheroe House, the care home in Tottenham, that staff there learned the grandmother  who had vascular dementia  had tested positive. Miss Goddard said that the care worker was in shock about being kept in the dark. She added: It is outrageous because the manager told me there were other vulnerable and elderly care residents there. In the end her mother was placed in another home  which had been made aware of her infection  where she died last Wednesday. At the time Government guidance said patients could be released into care if they had tested positive or not been tested. A North Middlesex University Hospital spokesman said it is investigating. Advertisement

Care home hikes fees for 81-year-old dementia sufferer by more than 300 a month to pay for staff PPE as husband fears he won't be able to cover 575-a-week bill

By Liz Hull for Daily Mail

A CARE home has hiked the fees for an elderly dementia sufferer by more than 300 a month to pay for PPE during the coronavirus pandemic, it was claimed last night.

Kevin Meridith said his father, Doug, 81, had been told the cost of his wife Pats care was going up by 75 a week from May 1.

In a letter, Chestnut House care home in Manchester claimed they had to increase Alzheimers sufferer Mrs Meridiths fees due to increased costs for protective equipment and staff.

They added that the price increase was also due to bigger living wage, pensions and supplier costs, since April.

But Mr Meridith said his father, who receives no financial support from the local authority and pays his 79-year-old wifes monthly fees from his pension, would struggle to cover the 575-a-week fees.

Mr Meridith said his father was not a rich man, and added that the care home have not given us any warning, just told us it is going up from May 1 and thats that. It is ridiculous, it is not right. Chestnut House failed to respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: From the outset of the pandemic we were aware that the care sector would need additional support.

They said the council was in daily contact with care homes to ensure they are coping in the pandemic.

They added: We will be shortly speaking directly to our providers about additional financial support we can offer in regard to... the continued costs of fighting Covid-19.
Who could read this and not feel at least a fraction of the pain this father felt when his normally happy-go-lucky kid revealed these feelings? It makes me incredibly sad, not necessarily for this child who has a strong support system to help him get through these anxious times but for the thousands of other children in our communities who do not. They may be sheltering in place in a less-than ideal situation, perhaps minus the technology needed for learning and socializing, or lacking adults in the home who have the time, patience or inclination to guide them through tough questions and even tougher feelings.
spacex was forced to delay its eighth launch of Starlink satellites on Sunday due to a tropical depression forming off the Southeast Coast and is now targeting Tuesday.

The payload of 60 new devices will take off aboard the firm's Falcon 9 rocket May 19 at 3:10am, bringing the total of satellites in low orbit to 482.

This batch will be different, as some of the satellites will feature a special 'visor' that dims the brightness of the technology.

Called VisorSat, the new addition is said to keep the antennae on the satellites in the shade and prevents sunlight from reflecting off them by forming a barrier over the devices.

Scroll down for video

SpaceX was forced to delay its eighth launch of Starlink satellites on Sunday due to a tropical depression forming off the Southeast Coast and is now targeting Tuesday. Featured is a picture of the firm's launch at Kennedy Space Center in March

SpaceX is developing the constellation of satellites with the hopes of providing high-speed internet to everyone on the globe  no matter their location.

However, scientists and stargazers have voiced frustrations that the devices are hindering their ability to see the night sky.

Furthermore, the orbiting satellites can also interfere with the workings of ground-based radio telescopes that experts use to see more distant phenomena.

'The night sky is a commons  and what we have here is a tragedy of the commons,' Imperial College London astrophysicist Dave Clements told the BBC.

This batch will be different from previous ones, as some of the satellites will feature a special 'visor' that dims the brightness of the technology

Called VisorSat, the new addition is said to keep the antennae on the satellites in the shade and prevents sunlight from reflecting off them by forming an umbrella over the devices

The proposed constellations, he added, 'present a foreground between what we're observing from the Earth and the rest of the Universe.'

'So they get in the way of everything. And you'll miss whatever is behind them, whether that's a nearby potentially hazardous asteroid or the most distant quasar in the Universe.'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced last month that the firm was 'fixing' the problem with the 'VisorSat.'

'We have a radio-transparent foam that will deploy nearly upon the satellite being released, and it blocks the sun from reaching the antennas,' Musk said.

'They're sun visors, essentially: they flip out and block the sun and prevent reflections.'

Along with the new feature, Musk also shared that the firm may adjust how the satellites are laid out in orbit, which could also reduce the amount of light reflected back to Earth, Newsweek reports.

SpaceX is developing the constellation of satellites with the hopes of providing high-speed internet to everyone on the globe  no matter their location. However, scientists and stargazers have voiced frustrations that the devices are hindering their ability to see the night sky

Along with the new VisorSat, Musk also shared that the firm may adjust how the satellites are laid out in orbit, which could also reduce the amount of light reflected back to Earth.

The tactic, called 'orientation roll', would shift the alignment of the solar panels, which would 'have a significant effect on the brightness during orbit raise,' said Musk.

The billionaire also revealed that Starlink's service will be available to certain locations in six months, with private beta in just three.

Musk had noted in the past that the project needed at least 400 satellites to launch and Wednesday, he said he sent 60 more devices into space last month.
Mumbai, May 18 : Sonakshi Sinha has revealed that she loves to draw faces. The actress on Monday shared a video where she can be seen making a painting of Buddha's face. Her painting titled "The Enlightened One" has been put up on auction to raise funds for the daily wage earners.

Sharing the video on Instagram on Monday morning, Sonakshi wrote: "I love drawing faces, so decided to draw the most peaceful one - "The Enlightened One" is up for auction to raise funds for the daily wage earners... if you'd like to make it your own, do bid for it on https://bit.ly/FankindAuction (link in BIO as well) @fankindofficial #artbyaslisona."

Sonakshi has decided to auction her artworks to raise a fund which will help her provide ration kits to daily wage workers. The artworks include digital prints, sketches and large canvas paintings made by the actress over the years.

The actress recently shared a video on social media where she can be seen sitting inside a room full of her creations, sipping a cup of coffee and staring at them.

"Creating art brings a sense of calm and relief to me. And relief is what I want to bring to those for whom this lockdown has been a nightmare. People who have no income and therefore no food to feed themselves or their families, the daily wage earners. With the help of Fankind, I have decided to auction a mix of canvases and hand sketches that I have created with all my heart. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to GiveIndia, to help provide meals to the daily wagers, the homeless and the less privileged..." Sonakshi can be heard saying in the video.

"So select an artwork you would like to bring home and bid generously, because what good are we if we can't do good for others! Please take good care of my art. I have made it with nothing but love. And I hope it makes you feel proud for helping people, makes your house a little bit more beautiful and makes you feel a little bit closer to me," she further said.

For this initiative, Sonakshi Sinha has collaborated with actor Arjun Kapoor's sister Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform Fankind.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Paul Pogba's older brother Florentin Pogba has joined Sochaux in the French second division, the club said on Monday.

The 29-year old defender has agreed a three-year deal and will take a medical, the club added.

Florentin was born in Conakry but played for France at youth level before going on to become a Guinean international.

He began his career at Celta Vigo in Spain and has had stints at Sedan and Saint-Etienne in France as well as Genclerbirligi in Turkey. He has been a free agent since MLS outfit Atlanta United released him late last year.

Sochaux were 14th in Ligue 2 when competition was halted in mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Malaysia's Parliament held an unusual half-day meeting Monday that was shortened due to the coronavirus and allowed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to avoid a no-confidence vote after more than two months in office.

More than 200 lawmakers, including former leader Mahathir Mohamad, wore masks and sat apart from each other in the hall as they listened to a speech by the king. The sitting was dismissed right after the speech, with all policy discussion and debates shelved until the next session in July.

The government said the shortened session was meant to prevent the spread of the virus as the country emerges from a lockdown, but opposition lawmakers accuse Muhyiddin of being scared to face the no-confidence vote against him that is being sought by Mahathir.

We cannot accept the excuse that we can only meet for two hours because of the pandemic, Mahathir told a conference later.

The two-time prime minister said Parliament could have remained sitting since strict health measures were observed, including temperature screening and social distancing. Mahathir said debates were also crucial as government aid to help the poor cope with the pandemic hasn't reached target groups.

Malaysia, which has 6,894 cases of virus infection and 113 deaths from COVID-19, recently allowed most businesses to reopen but mass gatherings are still banned.

Mahathir quit as prime minister in late February to protest Muhyiddin's move to pull their party out of the then-ruling alliance and work with the corrupt-tainted former Malay ruling party that they ousted in May 2018 polls. The move triggered the alliance's collapse.

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said he had appealed to Mahathir to stay but Mahathir refused. The king said he picked Muhyiddin as the new leader after finding Muhyiddin had majority support of lawmakers following a weeklong political crisis.

Mahathir, 94, has sought to return as premier, contending he has majority support. But his support couldn't be tested after Muhyiddin prorogued parliament by two months.

The king called for national unity in his speech.

Do not drag the country into another political mess at a time when the people are facing hardship and an uncertain future due to the COVID-19 pandemic," the king said, adding that focus should be given to the people's welfare.

Mahathir and leaders in the opposition bloc later issued a statement supporting the king's call to fight against corruption and abuse of power.

They said prosecutors' recent decision to drop money laundering charges against Riza Aziz, Wolf of Wall Street producer and stepson of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak, has tarnished Malaysia's image and gave the perception that it wasn't serious in fighting graft.

The pandemic has given Muhyiddin a window to consolidate his power.

Parties in his government declared plans over the weekend to formalize their loose coalition, partly to thwart talks that their alliance is shaky. Some in the former Malay ruling party, where Najib and several leaders are on trial for corruption, have said their party was not treated fairly in terms of government positions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Were it not for the unusual times of Covid-19 pandemic, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia would have been busy gracing the Islamic fast breaking activities across the country.

Iftar, as it is called, is a social engagement which brings together members of the faith and sometimes non-members in a communal fast breaking activity, the bonding advantage of which cannot be overemphasized.

This year, however, the restrictions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic had stopped the iftar engagements.

The Vice-President, Mahamudu Bawumia, who chose to restrict the iftar to his family, was shown breaking the fast with the Second Lady, Samira Bawumia and Nadia and Chief  their children. Call it a Covid-19 defined iftar, and you have not erred.

In the past few years, the US embassy, as has the Jubilee House, hosted Muslims to the breaking of the fast activities which sought to reaffirm the cordiality of the relationship between the hosts and their guests.

The Vice-President tweeted about the moment, thus the time of Iftar (breaking of the fast) offers Muslims unique opportunity with the family.

In the past few years, the Iftar has also offered me the opportunity to engage and pray with fellow Muslims across the country. This hasn't been possible this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

As we observe the restrictions and intensify prayers at our various homes towards the end of Ramadan, let us remember our families, loved ones and the country in prayers.'

---Daily Guide
Le Thi Thu Hang, Director of the Press - Information Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), on May 15 granted licences to foreign press agencies to establish representative offices in Vietnam.

Le Thi Thu Hang, Director of the Press - Information Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and delegates at the hand-over ceremony.

They are Asia Today and Aju Business Daily from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Rossiya Segodnya news agency from Russia.

Hang said the establishment of the representative offices reflects the attention and importance foreign press agencies have attached to Vietnam.

She thanked the agencies for their contributions to boosting the friendship and fruitful multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK and Russia.

Nearly 40 foreign media agencies are now operating in Vietnam, Hang said, and she hoped these newcomers will publish stories about the land and people of Vietnam in a positive and objective manner.

The Press - Information Department and MoFA will facilitate the work of foreign journalists, thus helping to further enhance the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam, and Russia and the RoK.

The chiefs of the representative offices pledged to cooperate with the MoFA, work with a professional spirit, and observe regulations on foreign media in Vietnam./.VNA
Photo: Ryan Armand The scene of Sunday's Snowbirds plane crash in Kamloops.

Sunday's horrific crash in Kamloops is not the first crash the Snowbirds have been involved in.

At about 11:40 a.m., a Snowbirds plane crashed into Kamloops' Brocklehurst neighbourhood, just seconds after two planes took off from the Kamloops Airport. Public relations officer Capt. Jennifer Casey was killed, while another person was taken to Royal Inland Hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The planes were en route to Comox, after spending the first half of May travelling across Canada as part of "Operation Inspiration," as a "salute to Canadians doing their part to fight the spread of COVID-19."

Below is a timeline of some of the more recent crashes involving Canada's Snowbirds aerial acrobatic squadron. Before Sunday, a total of seven pilots and one passenger have died in Snowbirds' history.

Oct. 13, 2019: Snowbirds plane crashes in Brooks, Georgia, prior to a performance in Atlanta. Capt Domon-Grenier survived the crash.

Oct. 9, 2008: Snowbirds plane crashed near the Snowbirds' home base of 15 Wing Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan while on a non-exhibition flight. Cpt. Bryan Mitchell and military photographer Sgt. Charles Senecal were killed.

May 18, 2007: Snowbirds plane crashed during practice flight near Great Falls, Montana. Cpt. Shawn McCaughey was killed.

Dec. 10, 2004: Two Snowbirds planes crashed in midair during training near Mossbank, Sask. Cpt. Miles Selby was killed, while Cpt. Chuck Mallett suffered only minor injuries.

June 21, 2001: Two Snowbirds planes collided in midair during a media shoot over Lake Erie in Ontario. Major Robert Painchaud suffered minor injuries, while his passenger sustained serious injuries.

Dec. 10, 1998: Two Snowbirds planes collided in midair during a training exercise near Moose Jaw, Sask. Cpt. Michael VandenBos was killed in the crash.

Additional crashes date back to 1972, when Capt. Lloyd Waterer was killed during an airshow at CFB Trenton, the first Snowbirds fatality in history.

B.C.'s Interior has seen other fatal crashes in recent years as well.

Four people, including former Alberta premier Jim Prentice were killed in a plane crash on the evening of Oct. 13, 2016, shortly after taking off from the Kelowna International Airport.

Three people were killed in a float-plane crash near Brenda Mine on the evening of May 13, 2012.
The Andrews government will use its $24.5 billion COVID-19 emergency fund to help pay for the construction of 10 new schools and 57 school upgrades across the state.

But many of the projects on the list were announced before the 2018 state election, prompting the Coalition to accuse Labor of using its enormous pandemic-related borrowings to honour its election commitments.

Neil Turner, Sarah-Louise Donovan and their son James have just moved to Gisborne. Credit:Wayne Taylor

The government said that it selected projects that could be under way within the next six to 12 months, as part of a $2.7 billion jobs stimulus package that includes $1.18 billion for schools.

It declined to say how much of the investment would be drawn from the COVID-19 fund.
Queensland will not risk the lives of residents by lifting border restrictions ahead of advice from the chief health officer, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

The border closure, expected to remain beyond the July date flagged in the states timeline for winding back public health measures, has come under fire from New South Wales and the tourism industry after Ms Palaszczuk said this week it could be in place until September.

But speaking to reporters after delivering an update on the states economic recovery, the Premier says she will not bend to demands against the advice of chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young.

It is Dr Youngs clear medical advice that has got us to this stage, Ms Palaszczuk said.

I am not going to put at risk the lives of Queenslanders.

Ms Palaszczuk pointed to the health advice in NSW and the federal governments own roadmap which urged against non-essential domestic travel.

She said the review element contained in her own states roadmap could allow visitors from states without community transmission, such as South Australia.

Absolutely, Im open to that, but I will accept the advice of the chief health officer.

Dr Young said on Monday that states would need to be free from new COVID-19 cases for two incubation periods  up to 14 days  before domestic travel could be allowed.
President Muhammadu Buhari had a virtual meeting with all 36 governors of Nigeria on the way forward in containing the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the president, he has directed the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to work very closely with all State Governors in the fight against the virus.

Buhari also stressed the need to continue to educate Nigerians on the new reality and do as much as possible to stay safe.

In his words, In my meeting with the Governors today, I informed them that I have directed the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to work very closely with all State Governors. To succeed in containing this pandemic we have to improve collaboration.

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Read Also: Nigerians Roast Buharis Aide Over Comment On Second Niger Bridge

I also stressed the need for extensive public education and enlightenment. We need to continue to educate and persuade Nigerians to accept the reality of the situation, and do all that is necessary to stay safe.
New Delhi: Markets ended marginally lower on Friday after a choppy session.

Investors weighed the fiscal impact of the government's economic stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore package. After slumping over 350 points during the day, the 30-share index pared most losses to settle 25.16 points or 0.08 per cent lower at 31,097.73.

Similarly, NSE Nifty slipped 5.90 points, or 0.06 per cent, to close at 9,136.85.

Here are the stocks in focus on May 18, 2020

Vedanta

Board of Directors of the Company is scheduled to meet on May 18 (Monday), to consider the proposal for voluntary delisting of the equity shares of the Company. Vedanta Resources has said it will buy back Vedanta shareholders at Rs 87.50 a share and take the company private.

Maruti

Maruti Suzuki India Limited would re-start production of vehicles at its Gurgaon plant from today, May 18, 2020. All activities would be carried out strictly following the Government regulations and guidelines and observing the Company's concern for the highest standards of safety.

Cipla

The Pharma major on Friday reported a 33 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 238.49 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 357.68?crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Mahindra Finance

Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Ltd on Friday reported 66 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 239 crore for March quarter 2019-20 due to higher provisions. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 701 crore in the year-ago same period.

Tata Chemicals

The company on Friday reported a 48 per cent decline in consolidated profit after tax (PAT) during the quarter ended March 2020 at Rs 198 crore.

The company's PAT in the corresponding quarter a year ago stood at Rs 383 crore
Better reporting systems eyed for quicker disease response: expert

Doctors guide the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients at Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital in early April. Photo: Courtesy of Guan Xiangdong

As China's most important political events are around the corner, during which the government will subject itself to public oversight and pool the wisdom of national legislators and political advisers, participants of the events and the general public are ready to seize the opportunity to review and reflect on China's response to COVID-19 at the early stage, and make proposals to improve China's overall emergency warning and reporting system to better cope with the possible resurgence of COVID-19 and future infectious diseases.

The annual two sessions are designed to summarize the achievements and problems in the past year, and this year, after the major public health emergency that has engulfed China and other countries around the world, reflecting on the experience and lessons learned from handling it is a must.

The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has received nearly 300 proposals related to epidemic response from political advisers as of Wednesday.

A fast track for handling the proposals has been set up to ensure that epidemic-related proposals or those with high priority are dealt with promptly.

The third annual session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, will open on May 22 in Beijing, and the third annual session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC, the nation's top political advisory body, will start on May 21.

Reporting and warning system

Many NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members proposed the establishment of a mechanism for direct communication between the central and local governments over major public health emergencies and to improve the current infectious disease reporting system, as the heavily-invested system, built after the SARS outbreak in 2003, was largely believed to fail to properly function during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Zhang Boli, an NPC deputy and a key expert-consultant in the epidemic fight in Central China's Hubei Province, sorted out the timeline of COVID-19 reporting in Wuhan.

He said Zhang Jixian, a local doctor who was the first to report the cases of pneumonia of unknown cause before the outbreak, reported the cases to the hospital on December 27, then the hospital reported it to local centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) and then to the Wuhan city government and provincial government. At that point, different level governments arranged inspections at hospitals, the China Youth Daily reported Tuesday.

The reporting procedure was not incorrect in this case according to the current system, but it wasted time. Zhang Boli said the grass-roots level governments should be authorized to report to the central government directly in the future.

NPC deputy Li Weimin, President of West China Hospital of Sichuan University and one of the team leaders of the local medical staff battling COVID-19, told the Global Times that his proposal to this year's two sessions will focus on the establishment of a direct and long-term reporting system for public health emergencies.

In China, medical institutions lack alertness to public health emergencies such as major infectious diseases. When clinical medical staff find early clues of the epidemic, they are not clear about the reporting process, and fail to use the direct reporting system to inform the possible epidemic the first time, Li said.

He noted that the current direct reporting system still has the intermediate link of manual examination and approval after the medical institutions report the information of infectious diseases, which will delay the reports.

"The system is capable of monitoring known diseases, but is not capable of providing an early warning for new and major infectious diseases unknown to us," he said.

Under the current reporting system, it is too late to report important information after the identification of the local CDC, Li said. It will delay the time for hospitals to conduct detections, such as pathogenic bacteria detection, making it difficult to detect the epidemic, he said.

While reporting unknown coronavirus cases, a doctor has to write down the case on a reporting record card after detecting a possible infection, and then hand the card to the infectious disease unit of the hospital. The medics from the unit would include it in the electronic reporting system to report to the higher level administrative organ, Wu Hao, a CPPCC National Committee member and head of the Fangzhuang community health service center in Beijing, told the Global Times.

Wu plans to propose linking the infectious disease reporting system to the electronic patient record system, which could automatically intercept infectious diseases, tumors and deaths, and report and warn of unexplained or newly emerging diseases.

Wu, who is also the head of the expert team on community prevention and control of the COVID-19 sent to Wuhan in February, said we could develop a testing machine that could automatically report patients' test results to the infectious diseases system to reduce underreporting by medics' manual entries.

Huang Xihua, an NPC deputy from South China's Guangdong Province, pointed out that in the beginning of the outbreak, the reporting and approval system revealed obvious deficiencies in rapid emergency response, which affected the emergency response and failed to achieve "effective prevention and timely control."

For example, the emergency response law clearly states that "when necessary, the report can be submitted beyond that level." But in practice, due to the constraints of the administrative system, it is difficult to apply, Huang said.

She told the Global Times that she proposed the establishment of a mechanism for direct communication between the central and local governments.

For example, in the case of public health emergencies, all levels of health emergency offices or public health emergency centers, apart from reporting to their superior departments, should also report important information, through a direct mechanism, to the health administrative department under the State Council or national public health emergency command center.

Some advisers also suggested that the National Health Commission come up with a detailed warning system of infectious diseases, especially unknown diseases, and classification standards of warnings on different levels, and then include them in China's infectious diseases prevention law.

Former NPC deputy Guo Qiyong, who is the former president of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, told the Global Times that China has encouraged the use of big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital technologies to play a better role in epidemic monitoring and analysis, virus tracing, prevention, control and treatment.

Guo, chief expert of ViewHigh, a research center dedicated to studying hospital information technology and data services, suggested that the relevant government departments strengthen the construction of a public health emergency response system and establish a database through which big data monitoring technology can be used to effectively prevent an epidemic and scientific decisions can be made in a timely manner.

The Chinese government has been improving its response after detecting shortcomings. The Wuhan government corrected its COVID-19 death toll in April to include deaths which were not reported and misreported as medics were busy saving lives at the peak of the COVID-19.

China has started to discipline officials for mishandling the epidemic as early as February. More than 3,000 officials in Hubei Province have been punished since the epidemic outbreak for delayed reporting of confirmed cases, and failing to properly separate suspected patients, according to a magazine affiliated to the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Enough medical reserves

The lack of laboratories to run tests, test kits, medical protective gear and professional healthcare workers was also exposed by the inadequate COVID-19 response in Wuhan and Hubei Province in the early stage, legislators and advisers said.

The Chinese central government has realized and addressed these problems in several of its central guiding group meetings in the past months.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, head of the central guiding group overseeing the epidemic control work in Hubei, stressed the need to enhance medical emergency supplies in a meeting on April 2. She called for focus to address the shortage in material support in major public health emergencies, improve the variety and size of emergency medical supplies in reserve, and innovate the way they are stored to effectively enhance China's capacity for emergency response.

Wu said that China needs to train more public health professionals to prepare for future emergencies, adjust the personnel structure in health management administration and governments on different levels to include more health professionals.

Guo said a material management database could be established, which could help the government to obtain data on material reserves and suppliers. When an epidemic occurs, this would allow authorities to allocate and manage materials effectively. A similar database could also be used to manage medical staff.

Zeng Guang, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview with news portal ifeng.com last week that the past 10 years saw China's public health sector steadily slide despite the country's enhanced public health construction after the SARS outbreak in 2003.

He said that many public health professionals moved to other fields, but the public health system needs them to communicate with policymakers wisely and mobilize the public.

Wu said we need to regularly invest in public health sectors, attach greater importance to professionals in the sector so that we could better handle future emergencies like COVID-19.
Sweden has recorded one of its largest ever earthquakes after a 4.1-magnitude tremor hit the world's biggest underground iron ore mine today.

The quake north of the Arctic Circle was just short of Sweden's record 4.3-magnitude tremor, which hit the south of the country in December 2008.

Thirteen people were in the mine at the time, but none were injured and the facility has since been closed.

The mine, which is more than a century old, produced more than 14 tons of iron ore products in 2019.

Sweden has recorded one of its largest ever earthquakes after a 4.1-magnitude tremor hit the Kiruna underground iron ore mine (file photo) today

The facility run by state firm LKAB is known as the Kiruna mine after the city where it is based.

Fredrik Bjorkenwall, a spokesman for LKAB, told Aftonbladet that the water level in the Kiruna mine was rising but pumps were working.

The Norwegian Seismic Array NORSAR said the earthquake was tied to the ore extraction activities.

Swedish officials plan to move the city centre of Kiruna two miles to the east for safety reasons under a plan drawn up in 2004.

The Swedish National Seismic Network said the earthquake shortly after 3am this morning had a magnitude of 4.1.

The Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University also measured the quake with a magnitude of 4.1.
Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Following last week's explosion of the coronavirus cases in Mauritania, the Inter-Ministerial Committee in charge of the fight against the pandemic has taken a series of measures to address the spread, following a meeting held Sunday afternoon in Nouakchott
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Taipei, Taiwan  Mon, May 18, 2020 08:17 612 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b0c1b 2 World Taiwan,LGBT-rights,LGBTQ,same-sex-marriage,same-sex-relationships,Gay-Pride,gay-marriage,gay-rights,gay-sex-law Free

Taiwan on Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of legalizing same-sex marriage, as gay couples and rights groups called for full recognition of unions involving foreigners.

The island is at the vanguard of the burgeoning gay rights movement in Asia and became the first place in the region to legalize same-sex marriage after a bruising political fight.

But the gay marriage law still contains restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples.

Same-sex couples can only wed foreigners from countries where gay marriage is also recognized, and can only adopt their partners' biological children.

Activists say the coronavirus pandemic has made it more urgent to allow all foreign marriages, as many international same-sex couples have been separated due to border controls and lockdowns in many countries.

"Last year we watched other couples get married but we couldn't," said Cho Yen-chun, 44, whose partner of three years is Hong Konger.

"It's depressing enough, and now we can't even meet because of the coronavirus."

Around 3,600 couples have wed since the first legal gay weddings were held a week after the law was enacted last year.

On Sunday, gay couples posted notes, photos and airline ticket stubs on "Lennon Walls" set up near President Tsai Ing-wen's office in Taipei to appeal for more inclusiveness.

"I hope President Tsai's government can amend the law as soon as possible," Cho said.

Tsai won a landslide victory in January when her party also retained a majority in parliament.

Her presidency is popular among Taiwan's youth who are more supportive of her reform agenda.

Rights groups estimated at least 1,000 international same-sex couples are waiting for their unions to be recognized in Taiwan.

"There is no legal protection for us if we can't get married," said Malaysian Tan Bee Guat, 39, who has been staying in Taiwan on a student visa to be with her partner.

"I can't be a student forever."

Taiwan is home to a thriving LGBT community and its capital, Taipei, is due to host Asia's Gay Games next year.

Last year a record 200,000 people attended a pride march in Taipei to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriages.

"Marriage equality should not be restricted due to nationalities," said Chien Chih-chieh, secretary-general of Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights.

"We hope the government can make it complete soon."
The slew of booster measures by the government will 'positively impact' start-ups in the country, especially in sectors like social infrastructure, atomic energy and space exploration, by providing these fledgling organisations with a larger playing field and improving ease of business, according to Indian Angel Network

New Delhi: The slew of booster measures by the government will "positively impact" start-ups in the country, especially in sectors like social infrastructure, atomic energy and space exploration, by providing these fledgling organisations with a larger playing field and improving ease of business, according to Indian Angel Network.

As part of the Rs 20-lakh crore financial package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has announced a number of initiatives to help various sections of the society, including MSMEs, migrant labourers, farmers and entrepreneurs.

"The FM has made some key announcements that stand to positively impact the start-up ecosystem. These range from the policy changes aimed at improving GST, Direct Benefit Transfer, and ease of doing business to expanding the playing field for startups across sectors such as power distribution, social infrastructure, atomic energy, and space exploration, among others," Indian Angel Network (IAN) co-founder and Chairman Saurabh Srivastava told PTI.

He added that IAN is hopeful that the government will take more of such relief measures in the near future to enable the start-up ecosystem to play a crucial role in driving the nation towards becoming a self-reliant economy.

Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets

On 13 May, the government introduced the first set of measures aimed at helping MSMEs by providing collateral-free automatic loans and equity infusion via a Fund of Funds for such businesses, as well as revision in the definition of such enterprises. This had drawn a mixed response from the start-up community as many believed the package will benefit start-ups, even as others disagreed.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday clarified that start-ups were eligible for the measures announced for MSME.

With businesses seeing significant impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many start-ups have frozen hiring, slashed salaries and laid off people.

To give relief to companies defaulting on loans due to the COVID-19 stress, Sitharaman on Sunday said no fresh insolvency will be initiated for one year under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, while the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceeding has been raised to Rs 1 crore from Rs 1 lakh to benefit MSMEs. Besides, coronavirus-related debt will be excluded from definition of default.

"We welcome the decisions taken by the Government of India today (Sunday) to raise the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore which will help insulate MSMEs to a great extent. Additionally, the move to not have any fresh insolvency proceedings for up to 1 year will provide businesses a reasonable amount of time to get back on their feet, in a post-COVID scenario," Kishan Jain, director at Goldmedal Electricals, said.

He added that the provision will allow MSMEs to "reorganise themselves and put in all their energies towards further growth and expansion".

For the education sector, the government said PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education, will be launched immediately. Manodarpan, an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being, will also be set up.

Edu-tech company upGrad co-founder and MD Mayank Kumar said offline education has taken a massive hit since the closure of schools and institutions was imposed in mid-March in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The push from the government to online education will further drive everyone to get accustomed to e-learning and with SWAYAM PRABHA DTH, within a short period of time, everyone across the country will seamlessly have access to all educational content," he added.

The government has also decided to allow private sector to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities. Liberal geo-spatial data policy will provide remote sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs across various sectors.

This move is expected to help start-ups leverage these technologies to develop cutting-edge products in the country, in line with the government''s vision of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat''.

Startups happy

Zishaan Hayath, CEO & Co-Founder, Toppr said, "The initiatives announced by the FM are a welcome move and if given an opportunity, we are always open to collaborate with the government to support students with our commitment to make high-quality education accessible to them and keep them engaged through our adaptive learning techniques. Besides this, our video lectures are free for all students of classes 5-12 across 20 boards including CBSE, ICSE and major state boards.

Vibhu Bhushan, Founder, Goprep, said, "Its a welcome move. However, there are some challenges in the implementation of these policies and ideas. A complete transition from offline to online is not an easy task; there are a number of points to be considered such as training and guiding teachers for giving Live online courses, organising content and delivering it in a structured manner. This is the reason why we believe the government and EdTech industry should work together for a successful transition from offline to online."

Meeta Dasgupta, Assistant Professor, Strategic Management Area, MDI Gurgaon, said, "The initiatives announced to drive education technologically are very commendable. They have come at a very appropriate time, especially when going forward the new normal is expected to be digital. When operations of industries all over the globe were disrupted because of the Covid 19 pandemic, online education through various mediums ensured that learning for students and learners never stopped. However, students, teachers and parents who are used to face-to face interaction and bonding need encouragement to get accustomed to this new mode of engagement," Dasgupta said.

Anant Goyal, Director and Founder, Bright Tutee, said, "In midst of the current situation, digital learning is definitely the way forward for students across all state and national boards. We laud the government's efforts for thinking on these lines and launching the e-VIDYA initiative. If given an opportunity, Bright Tutee is always open to work with the government to make high-quality education accessible to all students through our adaptive learning techniques, similar to how we partnered with Rajasthan, Haryana and Nagaland governments."

Anil Nagar, Founder and CEO, Adda247, said, "The latest announcement by the finance minister regarding the state of the pedagogical sector in a post-COVID environment underlined the need for an overarching tech-empowered transformation of the entire educational vista. The need to go online through the digital mode is immediate and rampant to effectively continue the learning process for the countless students of the country. we at Adda 247 would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the visionary government of India for its part in envisaging a slew of brilliant and promising learning initiatives which are relevant to the present world dynamics such as launching the PM eVIDYA program that enables a holistic for multi-mode access to digital education for all classes."
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joel Miller/DVIDS

From Popular Mechanics

The Air Force will test a 60 kilowatt laser on an AC-130 gunship in 2022.

The weapon wont be powerful enough to kill, but it will give the gunship less than lethal options for dealing with enemies on the ground.

The AC-130 still has plenty of offensive firepower, including 30-millimeter guns and an onboard howitzer.

One of the most fearsome planes in the U.S. Air Force arsenal is about to get a high tech upgrade. The service plans to test a laser weapon system aboard the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship in 2022, making it the first offensive laser weapon tested aboard an Air Force aircraft. The laser will give the gunship the ability to damage equipment and injure but not kill enemy combatants, a less than lethal capability the heavily armed airplane has lacked until now.

The service announced the plans at the Virtual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, a conference typically held in Tampa, Florida every year but held online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laser weapons produce unique effects not possible with kinetic energy and chemical energy weapons. Laser weapons use concentrated pulses of light to transfer energy to the target, quickly heating it. A laser could theoretically kill someone, burning smoking holes in people and severing limbs like lasers do in movies, but it needs enough power (rated in kilowatts) to do so.

The Air Force is installing a laser on the AC-130J in the 60-kilowatt range. Thats not enough to burn a hole in someone or punch through the steel armor of armored vehicles. But sixty kilowatts can melt a satellite antenna dish, burn a hole in the hull of a small boat, torch the arms off a quadcopter, or even ignite a rubber bladder full of fuel. It could also burn through the hood of a moving car or truck, disabling the engine and bringing it to a stop.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick/DVIDS

The AC-130J Ghostrider is the latest in a long line of fixed-wing gunships dating back to the Vietnam War. The AC-130J is a C-130J Super Hercules transport fitted with one GAU-23/A 30-millimeter cannon and a 105-millimeter howitzer. The AC-130J can also equip 250-pound GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs for longer range precision strike capability, as well as the AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-176 Griffin missile. The AC-130J is designed to loiter high above enemy targets, bombarding enemy forces below.

Story continues

The Air Forces long line of gunships has traditionally emphasized firepower over all else. The Air Force is starting to diversify the modern gunships capabilities, and the recent incorporation of SDB glide bombs and Griffin missiles gives the gunship a standoff attack capability it previously lacked. The AC-130Js laser will be the first weapon with a scalable nonlethal capability: that is, the weapons power can be adjusted to produce a range of less than lethal effects. In the future, more powerful lasers will be capable of both lethal and nonlethal fires.

Photo credit: AFP - Getty Images

The 60-kilowatt laser gives U.S. commanders options for crippling an adversary without immediately using lethal weapons. The crew of a small armed speedboat might break off an attack when they notice the paint on their outboard engine bubbling. If that fails to dissuade them, the AC-130J could crank up the power and burn the engine out completely. If the target continues to be a threat to U.S. forces, well, theres always the 105-millimeter howitzer:

The AC-130s laser feels like the future, but in fact its actually a few years late. In 2015, the Air Force challenged industry to put a 120-kilowatt laser on a gunship by 2020. The reality is the laser will enter testing two years late and with only half the output.

Gunships may add laser weapons to the menu, but probably wont replace chemical energy guns entirely: lasers are arguably less effective than cannon shells. Still, they offer a unique nonlethal capability other weapons cant offer, including defusing a dangerous situation by immobilizing enemy forces.

Source: Forbes

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A group of senior ministers that included home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, railways minister Piyush Goyal, and aviation minister Hardeep Puri met on Monday to review Covid 19-related relief work, the stimulus package announced by the Modi government , and the opening up of the economy, two officials said on condition of anonymity.

The officials added that the ministers also discussed relief to migrant workers returning to villages.

There was no specific issue and there had not been any specific decision taken, one of the officials said. A finance ministry spokesperson declined comments.

According to the second official, the meeting started at noon and went on for about an hour. The broad theme of the meeting was the road ahead for the country, the official said.

Now that the stimulus package is out, there was a freewheeling discussion on the economy and the road ahead. The steps to be taken, what the ministers see as the immediate future, and broad themes, the official added.

Over the past five days the finance minister has announced the governments five-part policy reform and fiscal incentive package worth a total of Rs 20,97,053 crore under the Atamnirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Initiative). This also includes the Rs 1.7 lakh crore welfare package under Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and Rs 8,01,603 crore monetary measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

According to the second official, there will be another meeting of this group of ministers by the end of this week and the Prime Minister will also be briefed about its outcome.
TANZANIA, Tanzania - The U.N. special envoy for Syria called Monday for talks between Russia and the United States to help end the more than nine-year-old war, saying the two major powers could play a key role.

Geir Pedersens encouragement to Moscow and Washington to take a leading role was his first public appeal to the rival powers on opposing sides of the conflict  Russia which has been the key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the United States which supports the opposition.

Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the three countries that have taken the lead in arranging cease-fires in Syria  Assad allies Russia and Iran and opposition backer Turkey are key players too.

He said members of a committee from the Syrian government, opposition and civil society who are supposed to draft a new constitution for the country and the 15 council nations are key players as well.

Pedersen said there have been too many fleeting opportunities in the past decades to move from conflict to a political path that were lost, and those missed moments were followed by renewed violence and a hardening of positions among regional and international actors.

We must not repeat this pattern, he said.

Pedersen said there is anxiety that while violence has somewhat abated at the moment it could escalate at any time, and deep disappointment that the political process hasnt delivered tangible improvements for the Syrian people.

And there is a widespread sense that international competition is more prominent than co-operation, with Syrians paying the price, he told the U.N.s top council.

With some calm at the moment and the world facing common threats from the COVID-19 pandemic and Islamic State extremists, Pedersen stressed that building trust between key international parties and with Syrians is essential  and could unlock progress toward peace.

He then encouraged the U.S. and Russia along with the others to engage in dialogue.

Ultimately, Pedersen said, there is a need to come together to support a renewed effort in a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, U.N.-facilitated political process toward a political settlement based on the 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed a road map to peace including drafting a new constitution and U.N.-supervised elections.

The longstanding divisions between the U.S. and Russia over Syria were evident in their speeches to the council that followed, which gave no indication of a desire for talks.

U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said fully implementing the 2015 road map, starting with an immediate nationwide cease-fire, is what will move Syria toward a future of peace  and thats what the Security Council must pursue.

She urged the council to ensure that the Syrian government reverse its destructive pattern of behaviour against its own people and agree to a cease-fire instead of pursuing a military solution to the conflict.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called for the lifting of unilateral suffocating sanctions imposed by the U.S. and others which he said were preventing Syria from buying medical items to tackle COVID-19, and he criticized the illegal presence of U.S. forces in northeast Syria.

Nebenzia said Syrians themselves need to address common threats including the coronavirus, terrorism, foreign occupation and restoration of the countrys unity and territorial integrity.

The external community should come together to provide humanitarian assistance and the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria to facilitate the political process without interfering in it, he said.
Mel Gibson teams up with Kate Bosworth and Emile Hirsch to fight off some deadly criminals in the midst of a Category 5 hurricane in the first trailer for Force of Nature.

Lionsgate will release this action-thriller on digital and video on demand formats June 30, simultaneously arriving on Blu-ray and DVD the same day.

Gibson plays a retired detective who enlists the help of a disgraced cop (Hirsch) to save his daughter (Bosworth) from a gang of criminals during a massive storm in this new trailer, via People.

Mel returns: Mel Gibson teams up with Kate Bosworth and Emile Hirsch to fight off some deadly criminals in the midst of a Category 5 hurricane in the first trailer for Force of Nature

Save: Gibson plays a retired detective who enlists the help of a disgraced cop (Hirsch) to save his daughter (Bosworth) from a gang of criminals during a massive storm.

The trailer begins with Hirsch's Cardillo and his partner Jess (Stephanie Cayo) are trying to evacuate a high-rise apartment building.

They knock on the door of Dr. Troy (Bosworth), who reveals her father Ray (Gibson) will not leave her apartment.

'I'm staying here, I'm not leaving,' Ray says, as Troy reminds him, 'There's a Category 5 hurricane outside, you forgot about that,' as Ray inquires, 'They think it's a 5 already?'

Evacuate: The trailer begins with Hirsch's Cardillo and his partner Jess (Stephanie Cayo) are trying to evacuate a high-rise apartment building

After news reports reveal that the storm, with winds upward of 160 mph would 'devastate Puerto Rico, Cardillo informs Dr. Troy that, 'if your dad doesn't wanna leave, I can't force him.'

She asks him to help her get him out of this building, but then a violent gang of machine gun-wielding criminals arrives, lead by John the Baptist (David Zayas).

Cardillo rushes back to get Dr. Troy, telling her they have to leave, as one of the criminals takes Jess hostage, until he's gunned down by Ray.

Can't force: After news reports reveal that the storm, with winds upward of 160 mph would 'devastate Puerto Rico, Cardillo informs Dr. Troy that, 'if your dad doesn't wanna leave, I can't force him.'

Ray then tells his daughter and the cops that John the Baptist is, 'part of a crew' who pull off 'high end heist jobs,' adding he has a friend downtown who has been chasing them for a month.'

When Troy asks what these guys want, Ray says he might have 'a pretty good idea' as John says there is '$55 million in this building.'

Cardillo says that it's 'blood money,' which may imply that it's money Ray stole during his time as a cop.

Crew: Ray then tells his daughter and the cops that John the Baptist is, 'part of a crew' who pull off 'high end heist jobs,' adding he has a friend downtown who has been chasing them for a month'

'If we're gonna stand any kind of chance, we're gonna need all the firepower we can get,' Ray says, as they find a cache of weapons.

John the Baptist says that Ray, Troy and Cardillo, 'are trapped' adding they'll go 'floor by floor until we find them.'

The trailer features a number of quickly-edited action shots including one where John mentions they're in the eye of the hurricane, and Ray getting into a fistfight with John and Ray telling Jess to 'shoot to kill, kid.'

Force of Nature, directed by Michael Polish (Big Sur) and also starring Will Catlett, Swen Temmel, Tyler Jon Olson and Jorge Luis Ramos, will be available on digital, on demand, Blu-ray and DVD formats June 30 through Lionsgate.

Any chance: 'If we're gonna stand any kind of chance, we're gonna need all the firepower we can get,' Ray says, as they find a cache of weapons

Trapped: John the Baptist says that Ray, Troy and Cardillo, 'are trapped' adding they'll go 'floor by floor until we find them'
- President Cyril Ramaphosa says that not even he can prevent a citizen from challenging the government in court

- While the politician admits it is preferable for the government not to be facing legal action during the Covid-19 crisis, Ramaphosa acknowledges the right to do so

- Ramaphosa welcomed those challenging the government over the lockdown, saying it aids the response in democratic SA

PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded South Africa's democracy as one of the nation's greatest assets.

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa acknowledged that citizens were not strangers to tackling the government over pressing issues:

"We enjoy nothing more than robust engagement with our government and among ourselves on the burning issues of the day. We have an active civil society ever ready to safeguard our fundamental freedoms and rights."

Briefly.co.za reported that Ramaphosa had told journalists he had anticipated legal action over the current Covid-19 lockdown.

"While we would prefer to avoid the need for any legal action against government, we should accept that citizens who are unhappy with whatever action that government has decided on implementing have a right to approach our courts for any form of relief they seek. This is a normal tenet of constitutional democracy and a perfectly acceptable practice in a country founded on the rule of law."

READ ALSO: Covid-19: Ramaphosa denies claim that SA is 'stuck' in Level 4 lockdown

Acknowledging the immense burden the pandemic has taken on South Africa, Ramaphosa commented that:

"Just as government appreciates that most court applicants are motivated by the common good, so too should we recognise that the decisions taken by government are made in good faith and are meant to advance, and not to harm, the interests of South Africans. Our foremost priority remains to save lives. Our every decision is informed by the need to advance the rights to life and dignity as set out in our Constitution."

In fact, Ramaphosa welcomed those helping evolve the response to the crisis through legal action:

"We will continue to welcome different  even dissenting  viewpoints around our national coronavirus response. All viewpoints aid us and help us to work better and smarter. The exercise of the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and speech is a barometer of the good health of our democracy. But much more than that, these rights are essential to the success of our national and collective struggle to overcome the coronavirus."

Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!

Source: Briefly News
LNG market in the wake of oil collapse and coronavirus pandemic

Russian follies during Opec Plus meeting in Vienna on March 6, as well as oil roller-coaster on April 20, struck the whole world. The price of a barrel of benchmark US oil plunged below zero. There seemed to be nothing like this in principle. But it happened. Unlike the oil market, on the gas market everything looks pretty calm, although prices are also moving down dynamically. But this calm is very relative. Gas turbulences are still ahead What will be the gas market after going through the current crisis?

GOLDEN AGE OF GAS

In 2010, the International Energy Agency, announcing a forecast for 2035, declared the onset of the "golden age of gas". The IEAs then chief economist Fatih Birol said at the time that gas prices would fall due to excess supply, at least until 2020. As we can see, this prediction came true, unlike the prediction of Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, who, as a mantra, repeated that the "era of cheap gas" was over. Although oil and gas prices have been going up in the early decades, the North American shale revolution has done its bit. Of course, the IEA could not have predicted the current pandemic and its consequences.

The global economic downturn caused by COVID-19 and the oil crash due to Russia's desire to destroy shale production in the US will have the effect of changing the mix of primary energy use. Global energy will no longer be what it was. The oil era, like the coal one, is not ending because of the lack of oil and coal. We just need other energy resources in the new round of technological development and in the context of overcoming environmental challenges and climate change. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and the European Union's 2019 large-scale Green Deal plan remain relevant. While health care issues will be a priority for national governments, it does not mean that environmental and climate issues will come to the fore.

At present, the "we cant stand living like this" approach is triggered, that is, to burn fossil fuels and emit CO2, so we need to switch to RES immediately. This powerful impulse adds to the subconscious public feeling that a pandemic is a natural vengeance for humankind for a wild environment. On the other hand, the transition to the free sun and wind energy is still quite costly and beyond the means of poor people. The EU Green Deal has not yet been fully finalized by a number of member governments. Well, here cheap hydrocarbons - how not to use them in the transition to a bright and green energy future, but a little later. That is, we have a point of bifurcation, but at the same time, we should not hope that everything will change instantly.

The attention of the energy industry before oil collapse has been largely focused on natural gas as the cleanest fossil fuel that produces the lowest CO2 emissions compared to using coal or petroleum products. In the diagram below (see Figure 1), Robert A. Hefner III in 2006, based on statistical processing, showed the growing dynamics of the increase in the share of natural gas in the global energy mix.

Figure 1. Hefners Wavy Lines

Therefore, natural gas has a great future for the coming decades, especially if, after all, commercially viable methane hydrogen production technology emerges. There is no of its shortage, as well as the oil shortage.

It is important that the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and commerce emerged rapidly. And it is no coincidence. LNG has been present in the gas market since the 1960s. But its boom began in the passing decade. Largely due to the exploration of huge deposits of unconventional gas in North America and Australia. The future of gas will not be problematic, but its use, in our view, has prospects, in spite of all economic issues. It can be said that the emergence of LNG from Australia in the global market, while increasing its exports from the US, will have a significant long-term impact on global energy as a whole.

The great advantage of LNG is that, unlike pipeline gas, it can be delivered more widely, making it a global commodity, similar to oil or coal. This feature greatly limits the possibility of using gas as a means of manipulation, economic and political pressure, which was characteristic of Putin's policy in Europe, where Russia made gas supplies a weapon. In particular, this was characteristic of Gazprom's deliveries to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is worth to mention the massive gas crises of 2006 and 2009, provoked by Moscow, have been directed not only against Ukraine but also against the EU as a whole. By the way, Russia's use of gas as a weapon has accelerated the development of the LNG market.

LNGS GLOBAL POWER

The unprecedented and dramatic collapse of oil prices on March 9 and its continuation in April has a profound effect on all commodity markets, albeit to varying degrees. The situation is complicated by the limitation of economic activity in connection with the pandemic of the coronavirus, further fueling the fall in gas prices. LNG production in the world has been growing at a rapid pace until recently. In addition, Qatar, Australia and the US are becoming influential players in the global gas market. LNG, which was a kind of counterbalance to peak demand in isolated markets a decade ago, has become a factor of their integration, security of gas supply and the emergence of a global gas market. With LNG, the three largest gas markets - Asian, European and American - have evolved into three segments of the global gas market.

The construction of new LNG facilities in and around the world has been planned and is still in force for the 2020s. In the US, in 2018-21, capacity for the production of more than 81 million tons (106 billion cubic meters) of liquefied gas, is introduced. It was expected that by 2021 the development of production infrastructure would make the United States the third country in the world in terms of LNG exports following Australia and Qatar (see Figure 2). The situation is not so certain at the moment, however, it is unlikely that a price collapse will put a cross on these plans, rather, there will be some delay until the market situation changes. Certain projects will be frozen.

Figure 2. LNG export forecasts till 2021, million tonnes

In total, according to the US Department of Energy (see Figure 3), from 2016, when LNG exports began and through 2019, about 107.3 billion m3 of gas was exported. Moreover, almost 28 billion m (26%) has reached Europe. In 2019, exports amounted to 51.4 billion m3. The weighted average cost of these shipments was $ 4.99 per 1 million British thermal units, or about $ 175 per 1,000 m.

Figure 3. US LNG export in 2016-2019 (bcf, share by regions)

It seems that Australian gas is very far from European gas networks. However, Australian LNG is already affecting the EU gas market. Australia becomes the world leader in LNG exports. The implementation of two more LNG projects - Prelude and Ichthys - have increased LNG exports in 2019 to a record 78 million tonnes and in 2020, according to the Australian Government, up to 81 million tonnes (see Fig. 4). The main destination for Australian exports remains Asia - Japan (43%), China (35%) and South Korea.

Figure 4. Australian LNG export destinations in 2018-2019, %

However, the strong impact of LNG from Australia on the global gas market is evident when looking at the rapid growth in its exports over the last 5 years (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Australian LNG export volumes in 2010-2019/2020 (forecasts)

Meanwhile, Russia is trying not only to continue construction of geopolitically motivated and economically unjustified gas pipeline projects across the Baltic and Black Sea, but also to initiate new ones - the Force of Siberia-2. And even the collapse of the oil market has not yet led to the complete shutdown of Putin's Nord Stream-2 pipeline project and the second strand of the TurkStream, although with the oil crash, the coronavirus pandemic and its market problems, the chances of their accelerated completion are more than ghostly.

The Russian Federation aims to increase the EU's dependence on Russian gas and maintain its monopoly on Russian supplies to the European market from the east. Russia has also launched a large-scale campaign to counter US liquefied natural gas in Europe. Instead, it offers Europeans its LNG produced at the gas fields of the polar Yamal, where its industrial activities are accompanied by both serious risks to the fragile Arctic nature and additional uncontrolled methane emissions from the permafrost layers. The economy of LNG production in the Arctic and its exports to Europe and Asia is lame because of its high cost. Its profitability is provided by tax benefits, unlike competing projects in the US, Australia or Qatar.

Interestingly, at a time when the European Commission is trying to prevent an increase in EU dependence on Russian gas, Russia has significantly increased its LNG supplies to the member states. In 2018, according to MacKinsey, Russian pipeline gas imports alone accounted for over 39%. Also, during the first half of 2019, part of the Yamal LNG to be exported to Asian markets was unloaded at European terminals. The idea behind Russia is, in principle, clear: to take the EU into gas pincers by the Nord Stream and TurkStream pipelines, make it dependent on its supplies, including LNG, and at the same time counteract the construction of rival pipeline and LNG projects that bring non-Russian gas to the EU market. Of course, one can say that in the face of surplus and low prices, energy resources cease to be a weapon. But it is obvious that the Kremlin continues to live by inertia of the idea of Russia as an energy superpower.

LNG PROGRAMS UPDATES

While coronavirus is spreading around the world, most countries are introducing restrictive measures that worsen demand for energy products. LNG market has its particularities , but is no exception, and LNG demand is also slamming. Just look at the East Asian Region, where countries currently import the lion's share of the world's LNG output.

In 2019, total LNG imports by the three leading Asian consumers - China, Japan and South Korea - amounted to 179 million tonnes (or 240 billion cubic meters). This is 51% of the 354 million tonnes (478 billion cubic meters) imported worldwide. ICIS Heren estimates that in 2020, LNG imports to China will fall to 58.1 million tonnes (5.2%), to Japan - to 76.2 million tonnes (-1.1%), to South Korea - to 38, 5 million tonnes (- 4.7%). (see Fig. 6).

Figure 6. LNG import volumes to East Asia, million tonnes

Thus, an excess supply is created and pressure is exerted on key price markers of both pipeline gas and LNG. Most long-term LNG shipments (60% of imports to China) are priced, depending on previous months' oil quotes.

Australian exporters, which account for almost half of China's total LNG imports, said the viral pandemic had limited impact on their operations, given that they were under-represented in the spot markets. A similar statement was made by Russian Novatek, which also supplies China with oil-indexed LNG. At the same time, oil indexation creates a discrepancy between the expected prices at the initial stage of signing contracts and the market pricing for LNG at the time when deliveries begin. The gap between spot and oil-dependent prices has now widened due to growing LNG supply from the US, weakening demand, particularly in China, which has led to lower spot prices, destabilizing the LNG market.

Therefore, these factors together will adversely affect long-term LNG production and regasification projects worldwide. The response of leading energy companies to the fall in world oil prices has not slowed down as a result of oversupply and falling demand from the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, their investment programs are shrinking.

But despite the unfavorable current situation, Qatar is not going to shorten its gas production and development program. According to Rystad Energy, Qatar will increase its LNG production capacity from its current 77 million tonnes to 126 million tonnes in 2023. Qatar is most likely to want to repeat the success of Saudi Arabia in squeezing Russia from the oil market, only in the case with the gas market.

EUROPEAN TRANSFORMATIONS

In 2014, the European Commission, in an effort to enhance energy security after the gas crises caused by Russia in the last decade, developed a new Energy Security Strategy (SWD 2014 330 final), as well as a special strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage. It is noted that by 2030 overall gas consumption in the EU is likely to decline, although this raises doubts over radical decisions by the largest EU economy, Germany, to shut down coal and nuclear generation. Due to the fall in gas production, there will be a continuing trend of increasing dependence on imports, which in the baseline scenario will be 73-79% of total gas consumption in the EU in 2030. The adoption of the ambitious European Green Deal in December 2019 may make some adjustments to gas consumption projections, as gas is the most environmentally friendly of all fossil fuels.

In order to minimize the potential negative effects on the EU of rising pipeline gas imports, LNG has been regarded as the main source of diversification of gas supplies in Brussels, specifically highlighting new sources and opportunities for its imports from the US, Qatar and East Africa. The strategy does not envisage the import of Russian liquefied natural gas. On the contrary, in order to reduce dependence on the Russian Federation, it was planned to implement a number of infrastructure projects, including construction and reconstruction of LNG terminals or placement of floating mobile terminals for storage and regasification in Poland, Baltic countries, Greece, Croatia. The LNG terminal in Poland and the FSRU in Lithuania are already in operation.

Figure 7. Natural gas imports to Lithuania: LNG displacing Russian pipeline gas supplies. 2010-2019. Source: Eurasia.expert

Figure 8. Dynamics of changes in the ratio of imports of pipeline and liquefied gas to Poland, 2005-2027. Source: Biznesalert.pl

At Fig. 7 and 8, we show clearly the examples of Lithuania and Poland where the structure of gas imports changes - more LNG, less pipeline imports from Russia.

When the capacity of European LNG terminals is compared to the pipeline import capabilities, an important example is Germany. This country is the largest EU importer of gas, including Russian gas. Since the 2000s, this factor, together with a particularly trusting relationship with Gazprom, has made a significant impact on the foreign policy of the German chancellors. Germany, unlike France, still has no direct access to the global LNG market. However, now the need to build LNG terminals has been admitted even in Germany. It is enough to look at the coalition agreement of the German Government of 18 February 2018, which contains a special section on the need to expand LNG infrastructure in Germany. It is clear that the pro-Russian lobby in Germany continues to attempt to torpedo LNG imports from the US, pushing to complete the Nord Stream 2 at any cost. These attempts are intensified after the end of the Merkel era and the transformation of the German political landscape after the elections.

Generally, in 2013-2018, 5 terminals were built (or increased in capacity) in 2013 by a total of 26.5 billion cubic meters, in particular in Italy, Lithuania, France, Poland, Malta and Greece. In 2021, the Croatian LNG project on the Krk Island (2.6 billion cubic meters) is completed. Spain will complete the Tenerife terminal (1.3 billion cubic meters) in 2021, and the Gran Canaria (1.3 billion cubic meters) in 2022. In April 2019, a decision was made to expand the Polish LNG terminal in Swinoujscie. Germany announces projects of Brunsbuttel terminal with capacity of 8 billion cubic meters and Terminal Wilhelmshaven, which offers 10 billion cubic meters.

The increase in interest in Europe for LNG imports has been driven by lower prices due to increased production, reorientation of LNG flows from Asia, falling oil prices and other factors.

About 75% of gas in the European Union is consumed in a competitive liquid market. The implementation of a strategy to enhance interoperability and network connectivity allows to flexibly redirect gas to demand-seeking or supply-depressed regions. The International Energy Agency predicts that targeted implementation of interconnector construction projects and full implementation of European directives on the internal gas market can help to eliminate bottlenecks. This will complete the creation of a fully integrated internal gas market, while diversifying sources of supply and improving energy security.

It is important that Ukraine, which has an Association Agreement with the EU, implements European gas legislation (enters the same legal field with the EU) and becomes a full-fledged part of the EU's integrated gas market. Gaining access to the LNG market, an alternative to Russian-dominated pipeline gas, is particularly important for Ukraine's national security. Some positive progress can already be noted here. In November 2019, the LNG pilot batch of 90 million cubic meters for Ukraine arrived from the USA at the Polish LNG terminal in regasified form and further was included into the GTS of Ukraine. So the beginning starts. The signing at the end of 2019 of new interconnection agreements between the GTS operator of Ukraine and Gazprom, as well as the neighboring European operators, allows to use the large gas transportation capacities previously blocked by the Russian monopoly and to conduct gas swap operations. Underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine are a good fit for the new configuration of the gas market in the east of the EU, which is formed not only by pipeline supply but also by LNG.

The development of a single European gas market opens up prospective opportunities for access to the world LNG market and its regasification from LNG terminals in Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Turkey, and Croatia.

Projects for the construction / reconstruction of LNG reception capacities in the EU have been awarded the status of Projects of Common Interest (PCI). Consequently, they are eligible for funding from the EU's 30 billion euro fund, which was created to enhance energy, transport and digital infrastructure. In 2020, CEF provides  979.6 million to finance projects of common interest aimed at improving security of supply, eliminating isolated markets, interconnecting gas networks, achieving the goals of the European Green Deal.

The terminal built in Croatia (Krk Island) is one of the most important. According to the LNG Croatia projects operator, over 60% of all construction works have been completed. Currently, the Golar Viking LNG tanker is being transformed by a Finnish Wartsila project into a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU). This ship is due to arrive in Krk in October. After commissioning from January 1, 2021, the FSRU will start to receive LNG and supply gas to the GTS after regasification. And these are additional opportunities for Ukraine. So, the coronavirus has not yet affected construction.

In turn, establishing relations with the Russian gas monopolist on the basis of European gas legislation contributes to greater integration of the European market, facilitating free gas flows, reducing the market distortions that Gazprom created, in particular in five EU Member States (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) and Ukraine, and ultimately contributes to the security of gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe.

To summarize, it should be noted that the global hydrocarbon collapse can lead to changes in the implementation of LNG infrastructure projects. But how important they will prove to be will become clear in the future as:

coronavirus pandemic has a huge impact on both the European and world economies;

the implications, including the feasibility of introducing planned new LNG facilities, will be specified;

LNG imports to East Asia are projected to widen the price gap between long-term contract prices and the spot market;

there is a tendency to reduce capital investments by the leading players in the global LNG market;

measures taken in the EU to prevent COVID-19 increase the risks for the European economy and, as a consequence, for the implementation of infrastructure gas projects.

In order to quickly ope with the effects of a coronavirus outbreak, a  37 billion investment initiative has been launched in the EU to support vulnerable parts of the economy. Which implies changes in funding from European Structural and Investment Funds. The Commission's winter economic forecast, published on 13 February 2020, has already identified coronavirus as a risk to the European economy.

SAVE THE ARCTIC!

Australian gas has already created a domino effect in the global gas market. Its entry to the Asian market - in China, Japan, South Korea - not only reduced gas prices in the Asia-Pacific region, but also forced Qatar and the US to pay more attention to the European market dominated by Gazprom, providing with other Russian state-owned company Rosneft the lion's share of Russia's budget revenues. Oil and gas revenues are one of the main sources of financial support for the Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine, its intervention in Syria, interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela, Libya, the Central African Republic, and subversive activity against the European Union and the US from inside, using a variety of proxies.

In December 2019, Russia loudly opened "Power of Siberia" pipeline, designed to export gas to China from the East Siberian gas condensate fields. But these fields have not yet been brought to project capacity. All the necessary infrastructure for their development will be built not earlier than 2025, and even so, provided that Gazprom is able to do it in the conditions of collapse of its revenues. For the first quarter of 2020, there is a double drop in its revenues. Gas collapse will be followed by oil, it is still ahead. And Gazprom's Enron-like bankruptcy, caused by concealing losses and pumping out financial resources from the company, on the backdrop of delay of the Putin's "streams" in the Black and Baltic Sea and the "forces" of Siberia, is a process that is accelerating. Obviously, the adverse for Gazprom environment in the European market will remain as prices will be volatile. So, the next 5-6 years will open a window of opportunity for US, Australian and Qatar gas expansion. According to Reuters, LNG deliveries are less vulnerable. As the analysts at one of Australia's leading energy consulting company EnergyQuest mentioned, the coronavirus is adding to the LNG market, but Australian exports are still steady.

The more non-Russian liquefied natural gas on the world market, the lower the prices, the lower the incomes of the Russian aggressive regime, in the conscience of which the lives of 13,000 Ukrainians killed in the East by Russian interventionists and their proxies, tens of thousands of Syrian citizens killed during the brutal bombing of Syrian cities, death of 298 citizens of different countries at MH17 flight, destroyed by rocket attack of the Russian anti-aircraft missile complex in 2014, use of nerve agent in Salisbury.

Therefore, when there is a surplus of supply in the global oil and gas markets, there is an opportunity to take advantage of buying more hydrocarbons from non-Russian sources and Russian gas and oil from non-Arctic sources. Predatory development by Putin's kleptocracy of Arctic fields not only violates the fragile nature of the Arctic but also threatens uncontrolled mass emissions, triggering a global methane catastrophe scenario.

It would be advisable for the European Union, Canada and the US to abandon exploration of Arctic oil and gas fields as there is no shortage of hydrocarbons. Significantly, the Norwegian Supreme Court is beginning to consider a lawsuit against hydrocarbon exploration in the Arctic, which was initiated by Greenpeace and other environmental organizations against the state-owned company Equinor. This lawsuit could set a precedent that would entail similar actions against companies from other countries seeking to engage in oil and gas production in the Arctic. First of all, this concerns Russia's Rosneft, Gazpromneft and Gazprom.

The states-violators should be subject to sanctions - their oil and gas must be subject to restrictions, or import duties should be imposed. Such a ban is fully justified against the background of the lack of gas shortages and the availability of alternatives in the form of Turkmen, Qatar, Australian, American gas, both pipeline and liquefied. It is through the use of natural gas and, in particular, in the liquefied form, that the path to greening the energy industry lies in the transition period.

Mykhailo Gonchar, Igor Stukalenko

CGS Strategy XXI
The State is expected to oppose an application by an Irish-born seven-year-old boy currently in Belarus with his mother, to have his passport renewed.

The case, by Abdul Malik Bekmirzaev, is deemed to be a complex one by lawyers acting for the State due to issues including the 2010 naturalisation of the boy's father Alexandr Bekmirzaev, who it is alleged went to fight in Syria for ISIS.

The boy and his mother, Iryna Paltarzhytskaya, were deported to Belarus from a refugee camp Turkey in January.

They want to return to Ireland over their concerns about the Belarus government's poor response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

An application to have Abdul's passport renewed was made in February, but no decision has been made, resulting in the bringing of proceedings against the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Justice before the High Court.

The action came before Mr Justice Charles Meenan when Frank Callanan SC, for the respondent Ministers, said his side needed time to take instructions on the complex issues raised.

Counsel said there was an issue over the naturalisation of the boy's father, who he added is thought to be in Syria.

The boy, represented by Michael Lynn SC, instructed by solicitor Wendy Lyon, claims that the passport was being withheld because the Minister for Justice intends to revoke Alexandr Bekmirzaev's Irish citizenship

This, they claim, is because the Dept of Justice believes a 2001 marriage by Mr Bekmirzaev to a woman believed to be a British national, was one of convenience.

It was on foot of that marriage which enabled Mr Bekmirzaev to remain in Ireland and ultimately obtain Irish citizenship in 2010.

That first marriage was dissolved in early 2010, and later that year the boy's parents were married in a ceremony in Belarus.

After hearing submissions from the sides the judge, who said he was prepared to facilitate an early hearing of the dispute, adjourned the case to a date next month.

The court heard that Alexandr Bekmirzaev, who converted in Islam in the 1990s, came to Ireland from Belarus in 1999.

He departed for ISIS-controlled Syria to allegedly fight for ISIS shortly after his son's birth in April 2013.

The family reunited in Syria in 2014 where they lived together, until the ISIS 'caliphate' was defeated in 2018.

The family was split up. Mr Bekmiraev was imprisoned following his capture by Kurdish soldiers, and his son and wife were moved to various camps, before being deported to Belarus.

His wife and son say they have not heard from Mr Bekmirzaev for some time and fear he may be dead.

They want to return to Ireland because of the Belarusian government's response to the Covid-19, Mr Lynn said Belarus was an "authoritarian state" that was "in denial" over the pandemic.

In February, an application to have the boy's Irish passport, which was confiscated by the Turkish authorities, renewed was made.

No decision has been made by the Minister, which resulted in lawyers acting on his behalf bringing judicial review proceedings.

It is claimed the exceptional delay in making the decision to renew his passport has endangered the boy's health and well-being.

It is also claimed the boy's rights and benefits of Irish citizenship are also being interfered with and that he is being severely prejudiced by the ongoing delay.

The boy seeks orders requiring the Minister for Foreign Affairs to issue the boy with a new Irish passport, or that the Minister make a determination in relation to the application.

He further seeks declarations including that the Minister for Foreign Affairs' delay in making a decision in relation to the application to renew the passport is unreasonable.
Zesty.ai, a California insurtech start-up, is hoping to fine-tune fire-risk scores that sometimes can make it challenging for homeowners to find coverage.

Marketing Director Nick Allain said the company wants to help insurers who might otherwise overlook fire-resistant structures that will likely escape major damage even if they happen to be located in areas that are likely to experience wildfires.

We know from our data that about half of the people who were denied coverage should not have been denied coverage, he said.

Zesty has joined as an associate member the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and is using IBHS research to add to its hail and fire risk models data about the resilience of landscaping and construction materials such as decking, roofing and fences. The information is combined with data about the slope of the land and the year of construction to score the buildings chances of surviving a wildfire.

Allain said the survivability test adds a second level scrutiny that underwriters can use to assess fire risk. Most insurers now use risk scores that assess risk at the ZIP-code level. They are based on U.S. Geological Survey Maps with U.S. Forest Service overlays showing vegetation levels. Allain sometimes the data dates back to the early 1990s.

Zestys system adds a second score that expresses the buildings ability to withstand a wildfire. Allain said some homes located in, say, a level 10 fire risk area may rank as a level 1 for survivability because they are built with fire-resistant materials, properly landscaped and equipped with modern features such as vents that deflect embers.

Not every house burns down in wildfire, Allain said. When you look around neighborhoods after a wildfire, you will find some that are completely burned and some structures arent damaged at all.

He said some properties have defensible space, more fire resistant materials and landscaping, and other factors that artificial intelligence can factor into a risk score.

Data on building construction is also useful when predicting the risk of hail damage. Both perils are growing sources of claims.

Bloomberg News reported that hail usually caused $8 billion to $12 billion in insured losses up until 2008, when the total jumped to $19 billion. Annual losses remained near $19 million or were higher for the next 10 years.

Wildfire was once considered an insignificant risk on the global stage, but Californias 2017 and 2018 fire seasons got noticed with a record $16 million in insured losses, according to Aons 2019 global risk assessment.

Allain said the IBHS data will have the most impact on Zestys fire risk model. Hail storms dont generally cause complete destruction of homes, but wildfires often do, he said. A fire-survivability score can determine whether a risk is accepted.

Insurers have been skittish in California for good reason.

A lot of insurers got 10 years of profits wiped out in two years of fires in California, Allain said.

Allain said the IBHS data on building materials and landscaping adds a new database from which the artificial intelligence in Zestys system can draw to add to its risk assessment. The system also surveys city and county building permits, which was tricky because each city and county writes their reports in different ways, Allain said.

The date of construction is important, he said because newer structures will be built according to stricter standards for fire resistance.

Zesty also uses aerial imagery to discern facts about landscaping and slope. To measure slope, at least two images are needed, he said.

CoreLogic and Verisk Analytics also sell wildfire risk modeling software.

Verisks Fireline provides property-specific hazard scores that are based on the risk factors of fuel, slope, and access, and flags risks exposed to wind-borne embers, the company says.

CoreLogics system scores the wildfire risk for properties on a 5 to 100 scale based on the propertys distance to high risk vegetation, whether it is located in the Wildland-Urban Interface, and the surrounding areas residential density.

Roy Wright, president and chief executive officer of IBHS, said while most of the groups members are property and casualty insurers, the collaboration with Zesty.ai will build the role that IBHS can play for the insurance industry.

Our deeper understanding of embers, fire behaviors and the like will inform their models that show how the physical science plays out in the real world, Wright said. Scaling the physical science through models will help grow and improve risk models for the insurance industry.

Similarly, Wright said the institutes research on hail stones  IBHS had measured, weighed and crushed more than 3,000  will help improve risk models.
A man tested positive for coronavirus in a swab test done in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia. The 40-year-old patient caused a commotion in the city because he refused to be taken to the hospital for treatment and quarantine by a team of medical workers.

Angered over being taken to the hospital

Initialed as AR, became enraged when the team of medical workers, wearing hazmat suits, appeared on his doorstep on May 15, ready to pick him up. His house is located in the Empangsari subdistrict in the city. He was fuming when he saw his neighbors recording the whole incident on their mobile phones AR then ran after his neighbors who were recording at the time and he hugged them in an attempt to infect them with coronavirus.

According to Kompas.com, AR was challenging the people in the area, angrily shouting at those who were staring at him. He also started running a threatening people that he will hug them so they can all be monitored by medical workers. In the end, the medical workers were able to calm him down and persuade him to go to the hospital with them and be quarantined in a special isolation room.

Also Read: Terrorist Group Attacks Afghanistan Maternity Ward, Kills Women and Children

The Deputy Mayor of Tasikmalaya, Muhammad Yusuf, said that a patient had gone berserk when medical workers picked him up. Yusuf said that the authority had to intervene and persuade the patient to go to the hospital because he refused to isolate himself. He added that he had ordered a team to forcibly take AR because if not, the whole neighborhood will be in danger of transmission of the virus happens.

The medical team is now tracking the contacts of the patient and they have disinfected the area around his house.

Coronavirus cases in Indonesia

Indonesia have recorded 17,514 coronavirus cases, with 1,148 total deaths and 4,129 recovered cases. The Indonesian government, led by President Joko Widodo, was so concerned by the impact of the pandemic on their economy, that they delayed containment measures.

In a desperate attempt, they relied on the unproven claim that warm weather will eventually stop the spread of the virus. Everything changed when Indonesia recorded its first coronavirus case in March. By then, Indonesia's neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, were also steps ahead as they've rolled out mass testing and implemented mobility restrictions to help contain the spread of the virus in their respective communities.

Widodo then ruled out lockdowns, suggested that people work from home if possible, and allowed limited school closures nationwide. Because of the late implementation of containment measures, the country's coronavirus deaths increased so much that Indonesia was named as the country with the highest cases in Southeast Asia by April.

The crisis forced the government to declare a national health emergency and they immediately imposed social distancing measures nationwide. Restrictions on air, sea, and land travel were also implemented. The equipment was imported to speed up mass testing and they are manufacturing personal protective equipment for the country's medicals staff and ventilators for patients.



Related Article: Vietnam Will Reopen After Two Months of Lockdown, What Will Life Be Like?

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Brenda Richards is the correct person to fill the vacant Senate seat for District 23. Brenda will enter the Senate with the ability to work with the other legislators from day one. She has built working relationships with legislators and other elected officers in the state during her service as Owyhee County Treasurer and her service with the Public Lands Council. She has experience working with federal bureaucrats, and knows how to deal with them in a manner that will limit federal intrusion into the state. She has a full understanding of issues related to public land use: including grazing, endangered species, recreation, and fire control. She will protect the private property rights related to public land use, and Idahos interests related to public lands.

Brenda is an expert on property taxes, after servicing 12 years as Owyhee County Treasurer, she has the expertise to work on property tax relief that is meaningful and would stay within the confines of the Idaho State Constitution. She will work to find the balance to create property tax code that will provide for the essential service of school and county needs, while protecting the taxpayer.

Brenda is a strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment and will work to protect that right. She believes in right to life and the values that make Idaho the great state that it is. She will represent all citizens of District 23 and will not pander to the pressure of a single group just to gain their approval.

Brenda will be there to make a difference. Vote Brenda Richards for District 23 Senate.

Shawn and Annette Dygert

Owyhee County

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UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen urges rival powers Moscow and Washington to take leading role in talks to end conflict.

The United Nations Syria mediator has urged the United States and Russia to make the most of some calm in the war-torn country and talk to each other about a push for peace.

A crackdown by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, with Moscow backing Assad and Washington supporting the opposition. Millions of people have fled Syria and millions are internally displaced.

The ISIL (ISIS) armed group also took advantage of the chaos to gain a foothold in Syria.

UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen told the 15-member UN Security Council that since the war started too many fleeting opportunities to turn dynamics towards a political path were lost, warning that those missed moments were followed by renewed violence and a hardening of positions.

With some calm, with the common threats of COVID and ISIS, and with the Syrian people continuing to suffer, I want to stress that renewed and meaningful international cooperation, building trust and confidence between international stakeholders and with Syrians  is essential, Pedersen said on Monday.

I believe that Russian-American dialogue has a key role to play here, and I encourage them to pursue it, he said.

Ultimately, Pedersen said, there is a need to come together to support a renewed effort in a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process towards a political settlement based on the 2015 Security Council resolution that endorsed a road map to peace including drafting a new constitution and UN-supervised elections.

Pedersens encouragement to Moscow and Washington to take a leading role was his first public appeal to the rival powers on opposing sides of the conflict.

Pedersen is the fourth UN envoy to try and mediate peace in Syria.

Northwestern Syria is the last major piece of territory held by rebels fighting al-Assad. Backed by Russia and Iran, al-Assad waged his latest offensive to recover the area earlier this year.

Fighting has calmed since March when Turkey, which backs some groups opposed to al-Assad, agreed to a ceasefire with Russia.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

ITU-APT believes that the 5G reserve prices are too high that has resulted in no auction

At TRAI's recommended prices, each telco would have to spend Rs 50,000 crore for pan-India spectrum

TRAI chairman RS Sharma said that auction without reserve price is difficult

Since January, the 5G trial proposals of the telcos are lying with the DoT

In a rather strange twist to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, the telecom industry body ITU-APT Foundation of India has asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to hold 5G spectrum auctions (in 3.6 gigahertz and 26 gigahertz bands) without any reserve price so that the government's goal of a self-reliant India could be achieved.

In a virtual event, Bharat Bhatia, the president of the foundation, said that 5G auctions have been bogged down due to high reserve prices, and that there's a need to hold the spectrum auctions immediately. The foundation argued that the real market price cannot be determined as the whole industry is suffering.

Though TRAI chairman RS Sharma said that the 5G auctions without any reserve price may be difficult.

ALSO READ: Disappointed that telecom sector's demands didn't figure in economic package, says COAI

In India, the base price of the 5G spectrum (in 3300 megahertz to 3600 megahertz band) is highest in the world. At telecom regulator TRAI's recommended reserve price of Rs 492 crore per MHz (megahertz), operators will have to pay around Rs 50,000 crore for 100 MHz pan-India spectrum - that's the minimum spectrum required to deliver 5G services (in sub-6000 MHz bands), as per global body ITU.

As per brokerage CLSA, the base price per MHz for spectrum in this band is $70 million in India as compared to $26 million in Italy, $18 million in South Korea, $10 million in the UK and $5 million in Australia.

Given the high level of stress in the sector, and the lingering Rs 1.69-lakh crore AGR (adjusted gross revenues) issue, the telcos seem to be in a precarious position and would likely not attempt to buy spectrum at the current prices. The telecom bosses, on various occasions, have termed the 5G reserve prices exorbitant.

ALSO READ: After General Atlantic deal, US firms to own 14.8% stake in Jio Platforms

"Such demand is unlikely to be met. The government is staring at a revenue deficit this year. It would be interesting to see if Jio, which has been flushed with liquidity after a series of investments, could take a lead in the 5G race by participating in the auctions when they happen, and signal its rivals to raise their game," says a telecom analyst.

But there has been inordinate delay in the 5G trials and spectrum auctions already. Since last year, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has been talking about holding 5G trials. In January, about two months before the lockdown, the telcos had submitted their trial proposals with the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). But since then, there has been no action. It's unlikely that the trials would begin anytime soon - at least until the situation normalises.

As such, industry lobby body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has said that the telcos don't need additional spectrum to maintain service quality during COVID times.

ALSO READ: Climbers can now enjoy 5G coverage at the peak of Mount Everest

Besides, the foundation has asked the DoT to de-license E and V bands to improve the last-mile access of the internet. It may be noted that TRAI had recommended that these high-frequency airwaves be given on allotment on a fixed fee basis rather than the usual auction route. The E and V bands are typically used to connect two mobile towers which are otherwise not connected with the fibre. At the moment, just about 22 per cent of the towers are connected through fibre.

The foundation further said that the small area and captive telecom licensing needs to be de-licensed to support industrial, captive and campus-based telecom networks which will strengthen the goal of Atamnirbhar Bharat. Indeed, localised telecom networks for industrial purposes are going to be the prominent use cases of 5G along with enterprise solutions, and enhanced mobile broadband.

ALSO READ: Tech Mahindra banks on 5G, home connectivity to drive growth
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.Now that several states have begun allowing businesses to re-open despite the continuing threat from the coronavirus COVID-19, Hustler Hollywood has announced that it has begun to officially re-open stores in select locations that had been closed due to the virus, with the most recent openings including St. Louis, Missouri and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Each Hustler Hollywood location will be regularly cleaned and sanitized per the CDC guidelines, as well as offering hand sanitizing stations upon entrance and throughout the boutiques. Social distancing guidelines will continue to be followed by limiting the number of customers in-store. The retailer kindly asks all customers who wish to enter the store to wear a face mask and encourage them to pay with credit cards to minimize contact. Trying on apparel and lingerie is prohibited as fitting rooms will remain closed to customers.

We have been helping people with intimacy and relationships for years, and right now, many people have the extra time to do some exploration, and that is where we come in. We have new guidelines and protocols in place for our employees, along with customers, and we will do everything we can to continue to provide a safe and clean environment in which to shop," said Philip Del Rio, vice president of retail.

The retailer will also provide customers with curbside pick-up service that will be available daily from Noon to 8 p.m. at both its St. Louis location at 9802 Natural Bridge Road and its Fort Lauderdale location at 1500 East Sunrise Blvd., for those customers who chose this option. Customers can phone the St. Louis store directly at 314-428-5069, or the Ft. Lauderdale store at 954-828-9769, to place an order and have it delivered to them curbside without having to leave their car or enter the store.

For those not sure as to what they might want to purchase, they can visit the company's website HustlerHollywood.com for products.

Hustler Hollywood will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and make updates as needed. For more information and a full list of store re-open dates, visit its store closure updates page.

The first Hustler Hollywood opened in 1998 on the famed Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, making this the company's 21st year in business.
When Roberto's Trattoria & Chophouse launched curbside-pickup service May 6, nearly two months after temporarily closing during the coronavirus pandemic, the South County Italian restaurant was really, really, really busy, owner Roberto Zanti said. But when he looked at Roberto's numbers at week's end, he drew a stark conclusion: There is no way a restaurant like this can make it.

Zanti needs customers in Roberto's dining room, deciding in the moment to order both an appetizer and a main course, a bottle of wine with dinner, a drink or coffee after.

Beginning Monday, restaurants in St. Louis city and county can reopen their dining rooms again  with restrictions. Zanti will welcome the first guests inside Roberto's on Monday. How many other restaurants will choose to seat diners this week is not yet clear. The complexity of the decision is evident.

The protocols and guidelines for reopening dining rooms in the city and county are similar, though not identical: Wear masks. Check employees' health on their arrival for work. Maintain 6 feet of social distance among employees and between employees and customers. Wash hands and disinfect surfaces frequently. Keep tables 6 feet apart, or place plexiglass partitions between them.

(The county is not allowing banquet rooms and bars that do not serve full meals to open.)

Zanti is opening Roberto's at 25% of its usual capacity. He has installed plexiglass partitions between the tables in two dining rooms, or diners can sit in a third room with the tables 6 feet apart but without partitions. There are also a few sidewalk tables.

With all of the precautions, Zanti feels confident about the safety of working and dining at Roberto's.

I'm not nervous at all, he said.

Vito's in the Valley is also restarting dining-room and patio service Monday. The Chesterfield restaurant has been open during the pandemic, offering curbside pickup. Owner Giovanni La Fata said during this time his team has also been preparing for the new realities of socially distanced dining. Among the changes: QR codes diners can scan with their phones to access the menu.

The decision to reopen was easy because I feel like it's time, and we're ready, La Fata said. That was the biggest thing. We've met, and we've met, and the kitchen staff has met, and we will be ready  safe and ready.

Lodging Hospitality Management is opening the dining rooms at four properties Monday: Three Sixty, the St. Louis Union Station Soda Fountain, Basso and Westport Social. Occupancy will be capped at 25%.

LHM director of restaurants Blaise Pastoret said he drew from his experience grocery shopping during the pandemic. He didn't feel comfortable doing so until he found a store that was limiting occupancy to 20 customers at a time.

I took that as I have to make the restaurants feel that way or it's not going to make any sense for us, he said. So we're putting in a lot of protocols and procedures (about) how we do this to make the guests feel as well as the staff very safe.

Providing an opportunity to staff was also an important consideration for LHM.

We wanted to get out there and get the people that do want to work (working), Pastoret said.

The sheer number of restaurants that can open their dining rooms now makes it challenging to track how many will do so. And there is no shortage of restaurateurs choosing not to open their dining rooms yet, from prominent chefs to the owners of small neighborhood establishments.

Qui Tran said he is trying to keep his employees and customers safe by continuing with takeout and delivery service at his family's restaurant, Mai Lee, and two locations of Nudo House, which he operates with Marie-Anne Velasco.

Right now, obviously, everyone's struggling, Tran said. We're struggling as well. But I just think it's a little bit too soon.

Angel Jimenez-Gutierrez said that, for the safety of employees and customers, he is waiting until at least June 1 to open the dining room of Malinche Mexican Culinary Experience in Ellisville. Terry Lee said Sides of Seoul, his family's Overland restaurant, will not open the dining room until it is "completely safe" for customers.

As much as I would love to open back (for) dine-in, our family as a whole discussed that we have a responsibility to keep the community safe as they supported us through this time, Lee wrote in a text message.

There are also practical considerations. Bob Brazell recently reopened his Marine Villa restaurant Byrd & Barrel for drive-thru service only. As for dine-in service, he said, if I follow those (reopening) guidelines, I could literally only have four people at a time inside of Byrd & Barrel because it's so small.

Last year, Brazell and his business partners took over the Tenderloin Room inside Chase Park Plaza. There, he said, he would have to spend thousands of dollars on partitions and other modifications for a very minimal number of customers.

From a safety standpoint, Brazell is able to operate Byrd & Barrel with a skeleton crew whose members are not crowding each other.

And now we're supposed to bring more employees in and put more people in harm's way just to serve a very small amount of people, and our businesses only thrive when we're at 100% capacity, he said.

Whether customers will return is maybe the biggest question surrounding the reopening of dining rooms.

Sunset 44 Bistro & Banquet begins dine-in service Monday. Manager Carrie Menendez, whose family operates the Kirkwood restaurant, said customer demand drove the decision to do so.

We thought about it, (and) we thought about it, and we decided that 'why not serve people if they want to be served, but in a new setting?' she said. So we thought that we could do it in a way that is safe and sort of viable for us.

Sunset 44's usual dining area is too enclosed and has too many surfaces to open right now, Menendez said. The restaurant will seat diners in its banquet room and on its patio. As of Thursday, about 80% of diners who had made reservations had requested patio seating.

Menendez said when she emailed customers the news of the restaurant's reopening, the result was phone calls all afternoon.

If customers are eager to return to dining rooms, will a limited number of them be enough to sustain restaurants for weeks or even months?

It'll be a lot better than the curbside, but I don't know, Roberto Trattoria's Zanti said. I don't know. It's going to be hard.

500+ restaurants where you can get takeout or delivery

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(Alliance News) - Unicorn AIM VCT PLC on Monday reported a deterioration in its first-half performance, declaring an interim payout and then putting its dividend policy under review.

The stock closed untraded on Monday in London, last quoted at 119.00 pence each.

The venture capital trust said that for the six-month period ended March 31, net asset value per share fell 11% to 128.4 pence from 144.4p the year prior. As at the end of September, NAV per share was 153.9p each.

NAV total return was negative 14.3%. The FTSE AIM All-Share Total Return Index fell by 21.3%. Net assets as at the end of March were GBP167.0 million, down by GBP11.3 million year-on-year and GBP34.1 million lower than at the end of September.

For the first four months of its first half, NAV increased by 10.8%. However, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic damage caused performance to decline in the two months from February 1 to the end of March.

Unicorn declared an interim dividend of 3.0p unchanged from the year prior. However, it said it will keep its dividend policy "under careful review" amid the pandemic.

Hazardous waste treatment & disposal company Augean PLC, IT solutions provider Instem PLC, video games service provider Keywords Studios PLC, online educational services provider Wey Education PLC, and contamination control products manufacturer Tristel PLC contributed positively to performance.

However, testing systems maker AB Dynamics PLC, Surface Transforms PLC, pub owner City Pub Group PLC, surface coating firm Hardide PLC and media company Bonhill Group PLC detracted from performance.

Looking ahead, the trust said that while the environment is currently uncertain, it believes most of the companies in its portfolio will survive and see an up-tick in future.

"The majority of companies held in the portfolio should survive and recover value in due course. A number of these businesses continue to trade reasonably well, while some are either already beneficiaries of, or have an opportunity to benefit from, the pandemic," said Chair Timothy Woodcock.

Unicorn added that it has implemented measures to ensure it continues to operate such as retaining higher than usual levels of cash, limiting new investment activity, and disposing of holdings where necessary.

The company said Peter Dicks has retired as a non-executive director effective immediately. Dicks was chair from the launch of the company until January 2020.

"On behalf of the company's shareholders and the board, I would like to thank my predecessor, Peter Dicks for his excellent stewardship of the company over the past eighteen years and wish him well for the future. I know he will continue to take a great interest in our progress," said Woodcock.

By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
MARION, Iowa, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eco Lips (www.ecolips.com), known as the original organic lip balm brand, has just released their latest Hand & Body Balm and announced a new initiative to help support frontliners. From now until June 1, 2020, Eco Lips will be donating 20% from every online purchase to the Frontline Hero Fund (https://frontlineherofund.org), a non-profit to help financially support families of Frontline Heroes who have passed away or are critically ill from COVID-19. Funding from donations is directed towards funeral expenses, food, and other critical needs so families can focus on healing.

"Right now we've all been increasing handwashing and hand sanitizing, but it's been taking a toll on our hands, causing extreme dry skin, especially for health professionals who wash and sanitize more than anyone," begins CEO and Founder of Eco Lips, Steve Shriver. "I'm really proud of our new Hand & Body Balm. It's perfect for moisturizing every day, all day long if you need it. We even designed the blue color used on our label to symbolize the typical blue scrubs worn by frontline workers."

The new Hand & Body Balm is a gentle, all-over moisturizer  like a lotion in a stick. The soothing formula features Fair Trade Certified Cocoa Butter, which is high in fatty acids to help nourish and provide a protective barrier over the skin. Paired with organic beeswax and organic coconut oil the balm comes in a convenient .56 oz. stick. No fragrances or flavors were added, and the fast-absorbing balm makes for an accessible, natural remedy for daily use at home or on-the-go.

"As a B Corporation, we have an obligation to be socially responsible," continues Shriver. "With that, we are always looking for opportunities to use our business as a force for doing good. We can't think of a better way to honor our frontline workers at this moment than giving to an organization that helps them and their families directly."

Eco Lips manufactures the highest quality certified organic, fair trade, and non-GMO lip care products on the planet. They also offer private label and contracting manufacturing services with a wide variety of options. Eco Lips is currently available for purchase on www.ecolips.com and Amazon, as well as select natural food grocery stores and Wal-Mart stores across the U.S.

To learn more about Eco Lips visit ecolips.com, or email [email protected].

About Eco Lips

Founded in 2003, Eco Lips is the original organic lip balm. They manufacture the best USDA organic and Fair Trade Certified lip care products FOR the world using 100% renewable energy. Eco Lips products are Non-GMO Project Verified, Leaping Bunny Certified, and gluten-free. Eco Lips is a certified B Corporation focused on the triple bottom line - people, planet, and profit. Private Label and Contract Manufacturing is also available.

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Citizen complaint leads to detainment of 2 for Cancun robbery

Cancun, Q.R.  Elements of the Quintana Roo Police arrested two youths under the age of 25 for the robbery of a pharmacy in central Cancun.

In an information release, authorities identified the alleged thieves as 24-year-old Javier N and 21-year-old Carlos N who are accused of robbery. Police explained that the pair were picked up after a citizen complaint.

Police were patrolling the area of Jose Lopez Portillo avenue with Uxmal when a citizen stopped them and told them of the robbery in progress.

Police responded to the pharmacy report where they found the two youths. They were taken into custody and held for authorities.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The 73rd Shramik Special train for migrants chugged off from Chikkabanawar railway station in Bangalore Railway Division to Jaipur, Rajasthan on Sunday. The 1,511 passengers on board helped the South Western Railway Zone cross the one lakh figure in the number of passengers transported.

Upto 9pm on Sunday, 1,01,370 passengers left for other states from Bengaluru, Hubballi and Mysuru Railway Divisions.

The first train ran on May 3 and there was a two-day break (May 6-7) following the state governments decision to halt migrant special trains from the state. It resumed train services from May 8. On Sunday, 10 Shramik Special trains were run by 9pm and two more were yet to be run by day end. The first three train were from Hubballi Railway Division - from Ballari station to Azamgarh in Bihar, Hubballi station to Basti in UP and Hospet station to Azamgarh in UP. The fourth train left from Ashokapuram in Mysore Railway Division to Gorakhpur.

From Bengaluru Railway Division, trains chugged off from Malur towards Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur in Bihar. From Chikkabanavar railway station, trains were run to Jaipur, Basti and Azamgarh in UP. The 74th train, also the first train from Hassan, was run to Katihar with 1,440 passengers on board.
Depicting the Buddha By Aatish Taseer His image is so commonplace that you could believe it must always have existed  yet for six centuries after his death, he was never once depicted in human form View(s): View(s):

We flew through the thin, light-suffused mist of a December afternoon in north India before landing among open fields outside the paramount site of Hindu pilgrimage: Varanasi, a temple town that curls around the Ganges, the equivalent of Rome or Jerusalem in the Hindu imagination. It was here, scarcely 15 miles from the airport, among fields now yellow with mustard flowers, that a renunciant prince had, upon gaining enlightenment some 25 centuries ago, given his first sermon, setting what Buddhists call the Wheel of Dharma into motion.

At a deer park once called Isipatana, now Sarnath, a 35-year-old Gautama Buddha, hardly older than Christ when he climbed the hill of Calvary, revealed the eightfold path to liberation from suffering, his four noble truths and the doctrine of the impermanence of everything, including the Self.

It was to the remains of the monastery and shrine at Sarnath that the pilgrims from East and Southeast Asia came, as pilgrims had for well over 1,500 years, along a subsidiary branch of the Great Silk Road, which ran through the high snowy mountains that girdle the Indian subcontinent into a riverine plain that stretches across what is today Pakistan and north India. The pilgrims took an exit off that highway of goods and ideas that ran from China to Rome in order to honour what may well have been the most influential doctrine to travel along its lines of transmission  the word of the Buddha, and the art made in his name.

For the first six centuries after his death, the Buddha was never depicted in human form. He was only ever represented aniconically by a sacred synecdoche  his footprints, for example; or a parasol, an auspicious mark of kingship and spirituality; or the Wisdom Tree, also known as the Bodhi Tree, under which he gained enlightenment. How did the image of the Buddha enter the world of men? How does one give a human face to god, especially to he who was never meant to be a god nor ever said one word about god? How, in rendering such a man in human form, does one counterintuitively end up creating an object of deification? And what is the power of such an object?

These were the questions that were uppermost in my mind as I drove to Sarnath. Gautama, believed to have been born in the fifth century B.C., had lived and taught the entire duration of his 80-year life within 200 miles of where I was. His doctrine, partly a reaction to the rigidity of Vedic religion, or Brahmanism  widely seen in India as an early form of Hinduism  had flourished here for more than a thousand years, patronized and disseminated by kings.

Indias oldest stone architecture was Buddhist. There had been viharas, or monasteries, that stretched across the Indian mainland, from Sarnath in the north to Nagapattinam, deep in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. There were the glorious painted caves at Ajanta, in western India, and, most intact and enchanting of all, there was the great stupa at Sanchi, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The remains of stupas and viharas are scattered all across India, including at Sarnath, but Buddhism, as a religion (though curiously not as a philosophical doctrine) left this land hundreds of years ago. Many explanations have been given for why Buddhism vanished from India. Some say its core teaching was absorbed into a resurgent Hindu faith  in one major branch of modern Hinduism, the Buddha is seen, somewhat controversially, as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu  while others suggest that Buddhism grew too insulated and doctrinal.

Sarnath was full to overflowing. I picked my way through the low-lying slabs of Buddhist foundations, their red brick now black with time. The fragments of ruins lay all around me. Ahead, set among manicured hedges and neat flower beds, were the eroded remains of the Dhamek stupa.

We know from two highly detailed accounts by the Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang, who visited Sarnath in the beginning of the fifth century A.D. and the middle of the seventh, respectively, that this had once been a vast monastery complex composed of hundreds of sacred monuments, where, according to Xuanzang, no fewer than 3,000 monks lived and taught. Opposite the stupa, he had seen a mighty column of blue colour, bright as a mirror. The base of the stupa today, 93 feet in diameter, still conveyed solidity and strength, but its top half was worn down to a brick drum, hardly more impressive than the kilns that dotted the countryside in these parts.

To gaze up at the empty niches in its eight projecting faces, which scholars believe once held statues of the Buddha, long since destroyed or plundered, was to be reminded of how powerful an absence this figure could leave. The image of the Buddha, with all its iterations, from India to Japan, variant yet somehow changeless, is so literally iconic that we forget that the business of giving a face, let alone a human face, to divinity is fraught with anxiety.

The history of religious art, from Byzantine iconoclasm to Islams horror at representing any aspect of Gods creation, is replete with examples of how provocative such an act was. In the case of Buddhism, the provocation was twofold: Early Buddhists did not regard the Buddha as a divine being but a great teacher. He could not be deified for the simple reason that although Buddhism, unlike Jainism  another doctrine, which emerged at the time of Buddhism, as a reaction to Brahmanic orthodoxy  is not actively nontheistic, it is so reticent on the subject of god as to virtually eschew him. The other problem with representing the Buddha in human form, as the great Sri Lankan art historian Ananda K. Coomaraswamy points out in his 1918 essay Buddhist Primitives, is that early Buddhism was disdainful of art itself. He writes: The arts were looked upon as physical luxuries and loveliness a snare. Quoting the Dasa Dhamma Sutta, an early Buddhist text, Coomaraswamy adds: Beauty is nothing to me, neither the beauty of the body nor that that comes of dress. The relationship between religious and artistic expression is profound, but the evolution of one does not always coincide with the other. Before the early Buddhists found an aesthetic language of their own, they had to rely on a pre-Buddhist lexicon, no less than early Christianity had to borrow from Greece and Rome. In the case of the early Buddhists, the austerity of their doctrine stood in marked contrast to existing forms of non-Buddhist art in India, which were an expression of what Coomaraswamy calls the Indian lyric spirit.

The story of how the image of Buddha finally broke forth into the world after 600 years of symbolism is one of the most intriguing in the history of art  one that is inextricably tied up with the advent of a new dynasty in India that, unconstrained by the conventions of the past, was able to set the image of the Buddha free into the world of men.

It begins with the Kushans, descendants of pastoral nomads who emerged like a wind out of the Eastern steppe around the second century B.C. They were heirs to a dazzling hybridity, which included the first ever confluence of Greece, China, Persia and India. Evidence suggests that it was under their reign that a reconstituted form of Buddhism, known as Mahayana (Great Vehicle) Buddhism, flourished and was transmitted along Kushan-controlled trade routes, deep into the East, through China, and eventually Korea and Japan. It was this rare meeting of politics and faith that led to the discovery, Coomaraswamy felt, that the two worlds of spiritual purity and sensuous delight need not, and perhaps ultimately cannot, be divided.

The Kushans had come into a world that was already in flux. The rise of the Achaemenids in Persia around the time of the Buddha had produced the first truly global empire. Gautamas own semi-independent tribal state of the Shakyas, on the border of India and Nepal, with its capital at Kapilavastu, was less remote than we imagine.

Everywhere, across what was not yet the Silk Road, old enclosed societies were being changed by a new awareness of the world beyond. The Achaemenids had waged war with Greece, inadvertently exciting the future ambitions of Alexander the Great. In the wake of Alexander came the first centralized Indian state, the Maurya Empire, their founder known as Sandrocottus to the Greeks, Chandragupta Maurya to the Indians. The support shown by Chandraguptas grandson, Ashoka, of Buddhism in the third century B.C. had an electrifying effect on the fortunes of the new religion, not unlike that of Constantines conversion to Christianity. It was Ashoka who is said to have erected the column of dazzling blue that Xuanzang saw at Sarnath in the seventh century A.D., and to have spread Buddhism in both India and Sri Lanka. But it was the Kushans who turned Buddhism from a local Indian cult into a world religion.

The greatest of all Kushan kings was Kanishka, great-grandson of Kujula Kadphises, and to look upon his headless statue from the first centuries A.D., now in terribly reduced circumstances at the shabby Government Museum in Mathura, 115 miles southeast of New Delhi, is to feel as profound a sense of cultural dislocation as I have ever known. He is made of red Mathura sandstone but dressed in nomadic riding boots, redolent of the steppe. He holds a sword and mace, and across his long cloak, the inscription in middle Brahmi, an ancient Indian script, now extinct, reads: The Great King, King of Kings, Son of a God, Kanishka.

It was on coins issued by this museum-quality narcissist that we see some of the earliest images of the Buddha in human form. Was the depiction of the Buddha as a human being the legacy of Greek influence in Bactria, or was there, as Coomaraswamy believes, a now lost origin story of the first Buddha in India, which was then adapted by Greek-trained craftsmen? These are the questions that swirl around this enigmatic moment in the history of art.

The clearest answers lie in the fact that the Kushans would go on to establish two great centres of statuary. One was Gandhara, a region that stretches across modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, and where the statues are of ashen schist and bear the unmistakable mark of Hellenism. The other school  one I like more, for being less derivative  was Mathura, where craftsmen worked with a white-speckled russet stone. These Buddhas, unlike those of Gandhara, are of fuller body, with soft Indian bellies. They look less vain and haughty than the Gandhara Buddhas, and their faces possess a deep sympathy  that hint of a smile, as sorrowful and knowing an emotion as has ever been expressed in stone.

From these two great workshops some of the earliest Buddhas burst forth into the world. This new physical representation, writes Craig Benjamin, helped the ideology of Buddhism transform itself into a religion and spread along the trade routes as far south as Sri Lanka and as far east as Korea and Japan. It was an image that adjusted itself to the places it travelled to, from Cambodia and Korea to Indonesia and Nepal. In addition to the mass production of Buddhas self, historical Asian texts indicate that Kanishkas reign also saw the widespread construction of monasteries and stupas, the convening of a major Buddhist conference in Kashmir and the large-scale translation of Buddhist texts into Sanskrit, which served the newly reconstituted religion as a major lingua franca.

At Sarnath standing at the base of the Dhamek stupa, a giant embroidered band of sculpture, geometric designs and verdure wrapped around its midriff, I was reminded of the power of the image of the Buddha. Sacred images in ancient India were not made primarily as objects of beauty but rather as the expression of a philosophical thought, which is why the same image was made again and again. The Swiss artist and scholar Alice Boner, who lived in Varanasi from the 1930s until just before her death in 1981, cautioned against treating these images as mere objects of aesthetic enjoyment. They were visual aids, born in meditation and inner realization. Their ultimate aim, as focusing points for the spirit, was to lead us back to meditation and to the comprehension of that transcendent reality from which they were born.

Aatish Taseers latest book, The Twice-Born: Life and Death on the Ganges (2019), was recently released in paperback. His documentary, In Search of Indias Soul, produced by Al Jazeera, is streaming now. He is based in New York City.

(Courtesy New York Times Magazine)

For full article please see www.sundaytimes.lk

When its safe to travel  There are many reasons to travel to northern India, including visiting the holy city of Varanasi. For the purposes of exploring early Buddhist history, the great Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath is a must-see, as is the Government Museum in Mathura, home to some of the best sculptural works made during the Kushan Empire. For a more extended trip through the country, the rock-cut Buddhist caves of Ajanta, in Maharashtra, are also a sight to behold.
Syria's telecommunications authority on Sunday said a deadline for a cellular company owned by the cousin of President Bashar Assad to pay back its debts to the state has ended, adding that legal measures will be taken against the company to recover the money.

The announcement came hours after Assad's cousin, Rami Makhlouf, released a new video in which the businessman said he was asked to step down from the leadership of Syriatel, the biggest telecommunication company in the country.

Syriatel has 11 million subscribers, with 50 per cent of revenues going to the state. The new video by Makhlouf, the third in less than a month, was another hint of a rumored major rift in the tight-knit Assad family, which has ruled Syria for nearly 50 years.

Makhlouf was once described as central to Syria's economy and a partner to the president. His videos, posted on a new Facebook page, seem to be a running public diary of a widening rift and the fall from grace of a once-powerful tycoon.

In the latest video, Makhlouf, who is under American and European sanctions, vowed not to give up the company and apologized to his arrested employees, whom he was unable to get released after they were detained in recent weeks. Makhlouf did not say who had called on him to step down.

The Syrian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement carried by state agency SANA that Syriatel had refused to pay fees to the state, therefore Syriatel will be responsible for all the legal repercussions for refusing to give back the dues.

In his first video in late April, Makhlouf pleaded with Assad to help prevent the company's collapse through excessive and unjust taxation.

That month, Makhlouf had been told to pay the equivalent of dollar 180 million purportedly owed to the government by his telecom companies, according to The Syria Report, which follows the country's economy.

That claim appeared to be the trigger for the series of videos by Makhlouf over the past month.

Makhlouf, who is four years younger than the 54-year-old Assad, had declared that he was stepping aside from business to focus on charity work in 2011, at the start of Syria's conflict. But he remained associated with the government. For the opposition, he has been the face of government hard-liners and the decision to crack down on dissent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Pet cats have become dangerous killers across Australia, as the treacherous animals slaughter more than 230 million animals each year.

There are 3.7 million domestic cats in Australia, but more than half roam outside freely to hunt prey.

A new analysis found each roaming feline slays 186 reptiles, birds and mammals per year and 110 are native species.

Experts are urging pet owners to lock up their furry friends for the sake of the continent's wildlife.

Scroll down for video

There are 3.7 million domestic cats in Australia, but more than half roam outside freely to hunt their own prey. A new analysis found that each roaming feline slays 186 reptiles, birds and mammals every year, which is some 8,000 creatures per square mile

The study was led by Dr. Sarah Legge with the University of Queensland, who pulled data from 66 different studies about cat behavior to understand the hunting habits of domestic cats, compared to feral.

There are more than two million feral cats running wild in Australia, The Guardian reported - compared to the three million domesticated that are kept indoors or allowed to roam freely outside.

But understanding how pet cats are affecting wildlife has been difficult to track.

The team used a range of technologies, such as GPS trackers, video callers, scats analysis and surveys from pet owners to follow the trail of domestic cats.

Results from the latest work found each feral cat kills an average of 576 native birds, mammals and reptiles per year, while each pet cat kills 110 native animals  40 reptiles, 38 birds and 32 mammals.

However, the domestic creatures kill about 186 animals in total every year.

The study finds that domestic cats are slaying 66.9 million native mammals, 79.7 million birds and 82.9 million native reptiles each year

The study finds that domestic cats are slaying 66.9 million native mammals, 79.7 million birds and 82.9 million native reptiles each year.

Legge and her team also determined that because these pets typically live in higher densities, they are able to carry out larger murder sprees  they kill up to 50 times more animals per square mile than their feral counterparts living outside of towns.

'If we accept that feral cats in the bush are a problem, then we have to accept that pet cats in town are also a problem,' Legge told The Guardian.

'But it's easier for us to manage the impacts of pet cats than feral cats. Either keep them inside, or in secure pet runs outside.'

Researchers found that out of the three million house cats, more than two million of them are allowed outside at some point during the day  giving them the opportunity to hunt.

Researchers found that out of the three million house cats, more than two million of them are allowed outside at some point during the day  giving them the opportunity to hunt

Although some argue that the pets are controlling the rodent population, Legge noted that they will search for other animals such as birds and lizards, as well.

She said blue-tongue lizards and possums were also known prey for pet cats.

'From a technical perspective, the pet cat impacts can be reduced more effectively and humanely than those of feral cats, while also enhancing pet cat welfare, reads the study published in the journal Wildlife Research.

'We review the management options for reducing predation by pet cats, and discuss the opportunities and challenges for improved pet cat management and welfare.'
JCPenney will be closing nearly 30 percent of its 846 stores across the United States as part of a restructuring after filing for bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The retailer said Monday that it plans to close about 192 stores by February 2021 and then 50 additional stores in the year after that.

That would leave the company with just over 600 stores.

It is not yet clear how many of the company's 85,000 employees will lose their jobs as a result.

The 118-year-old department store, which has not turned a profit since 2011, is the latest American retailer to be pushed into bankruptcy by the coronavirus pandemic.

The iconic business, based in Plano, Texas, announced late on Friday it was filing for Chapter 11, a mechanism that allows a company that can no longer pay its debts to restructure.

JCPenney will be closing nearly 30 percent of its stores across the United States after filing for bankruptcy amid the coronavirus pandemic

The company said it has $500 million in cash and has received financing commitments of $900 million from lenders.

The company missed a debt interest payment in April, fueling rumors of an impending bankruptcy.

'The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our families, our loved ones, our communities, and our country,' CEO Jill Soltau in a statement.

'The American retail industry has experienced a profoundly different new reality, requiring JCPenney to make difficult decisions in running our business.

'Until this pandemic struck, we had made significant progress rebuilding our company... While we had been working in parallel on options to strengthen our balance sheet and extend our financial runway, the closure of our stores due to the pandemic necessitated a more fulsome review to include the elimination of outstanding debt.'

JC Penney's online sales have not been enough to compensate for the significant losses it has incurred while keeping stores closed across the US in response to lockdowns aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Retail sales plunged a record 16.4% in April - more than the 12% predicted - amid the coronavirus pandemic

While the company has enough cash to survive in the coming months, it faces a $105million debt payment due in June and about $300million of annual interest expenses.

More than $2billion of debt comes due in 2023.

Founded in 1902 in Wyoming by James Cash Penney, the chain survived the Great Depression and established itself in the second half of the 20th century as an anchor of giant suburban shopping malls, then symbols of American consumerism.

But - like clothing company J.Crew and department store Nieman Marcus, which have also filed for bankruptcy since the pandemic began - it has struggled for years.

Its decline began a decade ago with the advent of online shopping and the rise of Amazon as well as trendy, cheap chains like H&M and Zara.

In February, JCPenney had about 90,000 employees and nearly 850 stores in the United States, according to documents provided to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company plans to reduce its number of stores in stages as part of its comprehensive restructuring plan.

It reported sales of $10.7 billion in 2019, a decrease of more than $7 billion in 10 years.
Students will return to NSW public schools full-time from Monday, two months after Premier Gladys Berejiklian triggered the biggest education disruption in decades when she asked parents to keep them home.

While face-to-face teaching will resume after weeks of remote lessons, school will not return to normal, with no assemblies, no inter-school sport, and parents to be kept off campus to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

The decision will come as a relief to many students, who have been missing their friends and teachers, and to parents, who have been struggling to supervise lessons while managing their own workloads.

The head of the NSW Secondary Principals Council, Craig Petersen, said principals would also welcome the decision.

"There's still anxiety around social distancing, but this in between was killing everyone, with the rosters and logistics," he said.
Texas recorded its largest daily increase of reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began as deaths in the state climbed over 1,300.

The state moved forward with its plans to reopen on Monday, with nonessential manufacturing, work offices and gyms operating at 25 per cent capacity.

Under the reopening rules, gyms must space out equipment and provide cleaning products while those working out must wear gloves while exercising. It is recommended they wear a mask while working out, and they must also disinfect equipment before and after using it.

The Lone Star State now has 47,784 cases reported, including an estimated 27,570 recovered and 18,967 active, according to figures from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The 1,801 reported cases on Saturday was the state's highest single-day increase, with the majority of those, 734 cases, coming from employees of meat plants in Potter and Randall counties as a result of targeted testing by the state's health department in the Amarillo region.

An additional 31 deaths reported on Sunday brought the total fatalities to 1,336, while there are 1,551 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases currently in state hospitals.

The largest daily increase of positive coronavirus cases follows the deployment of a surge response team that included the National Guard and the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force to conduct testing of meatpacking employees.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said an additional allotment of the antiviral drug remdesivir was sent to the region while employees testing positive would be offered area hotels to self-isolate.

"As Texas continues ramping up its testing capabilities, there will be an increase in positive cases as the state targets the most high-risk areas: nursing homes, meatpacking plants and jails," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

"By immediately deploying resources and supplies to these high-risk areas, we will identify the positive cases, isolate the individuals and ensure any outbreak is quickly contained, which is the strategy being deployed in Amarillo."

The state has 516 hospital beds and 236 surge beds available in Amarillo, with 110 ventilators on hand and the capacity to send more if the region worsens.
Easing restrictions further as the COVID-19 induced lockdown entered the fourth phase, the Karnataka government on Monday allowed public transport services to operate from May 19, except in containment zones.

Following the recent spike in coronavirus infections, the government said it has decided to allow people from states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu entry into Karnataka in a staggered manner, while special cases will be allowed on request.

With the lockdown 4.0, the government also decided to do away with colour coding of districts into red, orange and green zones and instead, focus on containment for monitoring.

On April 23, the Karnataka government partially relaxed COVID-19 lockdown norms in the state, allowing IT and IT- enabled services to operate with essential minimum staff and also certain construction activities, manufacturing of packaging materials, courier services, among others.

In earlier relaxations, the government had allowed certain industries to operate, besides opening of liquor outlets and some standalone shops.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday convened a meeting with Ministers and senior officers on permitting various activities in the fourth phase of the lockdown in the state, as per guidelines issued by the Government of India.

Detailed discussions were held about holding economic activities, people arriving from other countries and states, their quarantining, restarting public transport and the law and order situation, along with containing COVID-19.

"Lockdown will continue till May 31.In containment zones, there will be strict restrictions. If anyone violates the law, we will book criminal cases against them," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters,he said for the benefit of movement of people, all four state transport corporations (BMTC, KSRTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC) have been allowed to operate, except in containment zones, from Tuesday morning.

Private buses have also been permitted to ply, he said, adding that only 30 people would be allowed to travel in a bus with mandatory wearing of masks and maintaining physical distancing.

Amid apprehensions about bus fare hike due to losses faced by these transport corporations, the government has made it clear that the fares would not be increased and it would bear the losses.

Inter-state transport of people would not be allowed, except in emergency cases, the Chief Minister said.

"We have decided not to allow people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu till May 31, but allowed in stages (staggered manner)," he said.

According to sources, the decision follows the recent arrival of a large number of people from these states, especially Maharashtra and Gujarat, and them testing positive in quarantine, leading to a spike in the number of infections in the state.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai too said, "we are wary of people entering the state from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat... looking at these people adding to the tally in Karnataka."



Autorickshaws and taxis were also given the green signal to ply, but only with three passengers, including the driver.

In maxi-cabs, the maximum number should be four passengers, including the driver.

Trains can operate within the state, but there will be no inter-state services till May 31.

Saloons can also function.

Parks have been allowed to be open from 7 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm, Yediyurappa said.

Except shopping malls, cinema halls and hotels, all shops can open, he said, adding that in hotels, parcels can be given as takeaways for the benefit of customers.

The Chief Minister said night curfew would continue from 7 pm to 7 am and that "there will be a complete lockdown on Sundays".

To a question on classification of zones, Yediyurappa said the government's main focus was containment zones.

He said the government will review the relaxation based on how things pan out in the days to come.

"States have been given the freedom, so we can withdraw or modify as necessary," he said.

According to top official sources,the government is doing away with the colour coding of districts and instead will focus on containment zones, which will be closely monitored.

Extending the lockdown with a new set of guidelines till May 31, the Centre on Sunday had given states and union territories powers for delineation of Red, Green and Orange Zones as per COVID-19 situation.

The nationwide lockdown was initially imposed from March 25 to April 14, then extended to May 3 and again to May 17 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sekyere Central District Assembly is putting in place pragmatic measures to improve on the security situation and strengthen law and order in the district.



As part of the measures, the assembly is constructing police stations and a police post in three communities.



The communities are; Atwea and Asubuaso, where the police stations are being constructed, and Kruwi-Junction, which is benefiting from a police post.



Mr Kwadwo Banahene Bediako, District Chief Executive (DCE) told the Ghana News Agency during a visit to the projects sites that, the aim was to control the rising spate of social vices, while protecting lives and property in the communities.



He was accompanied by Chief Superintendent Mr Kwaku Amoako, Asante Mampong Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service and Superintendent Mrs Doris Amewu, the Nsuta District Police Commander.



Mr Bediako said the government was committed to ensure safe environment for everybody to undertake his or her business without fear.



He said the police station, when completed would ensure that the people lived in peace with one another, while preventing criminals from coming to the communities to attack the people.



Mr Kwaku Amoako, the Divisional Commander, assured the beneficiary communities that personnel would be posted to the stations to serve the intended purpose.



He appealed to the people to help provide accommodation for personnel who would be posted to their communities.



Members of the beneficiary communities thanked the assembly and said they were working through communal labour to construct residential accommodation for personnel who would be posted there.

Source: GNA









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ACTU CALL FOR TWO MILLION NEW SECURE JOBS AND HALVING OF JOB INSECURITY TO REBUILD ECONOMY

The peak body for working people in Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), has released a comprehensive blueprint for rebuilding the economy and restoring jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Its eight-point plan has called for the creation of two million new secure jobs and the halving of job insecurity to be set as a target for rebuilding the Australian economy. The plan aims to harness the spirit of cooperation between Australian governments, business, and civil society that has guided our response to the crisis to ensure we rebuild in a way that delivers a better and fairer Australia, the ACTU said.

COVID-19 has revealed fault-lines in our economy that must be addressed as we look to rebuild. Thirty years of neoliberal trickle-down economics have led to rising inequality, an erosion of the social safety-net, record-low wage growth, and too many people in insecure employment or without enough work.

The ACTUs eight-point principles for the post-pandemic rebuild are:

1. Improve the quality and security of jobs by creating two million new permanent jobs and halving the number of insecure jobs.

Ending forced casualisation, outsourcing, offshoring, continuous rolling contracts and over-use of labour hire.

2. Lift wages and living standards.

Money in workers pockets drives business, creates jobs and lifts living standards.

3. Strengthen and invest in public and community services that are our first line of defence against shocks like COVID-19, bushfires and drought.

Strong healthy communities and strong public services create a strong Australia.

4. Support nation-building projects that create decent jobs and set Australia up for a brighter future.

Build for the future provides jobs, training and incomes today and tomorrow. Investment in infrastructure, manufacturing and service industries.

5. Education and training

Rebuild our domestic skills and training system with public investments in schools, TAFE and higher education will ensure working people are able to meet the demands of work in the post-COVID world.

6. Deal with the crisis of climate change.

Reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, restore the environment. Support existing industries and create new jobs in industries embracing new energy technologies.

7. Improve social, health and economic outcomes for people and communities that experience disadvantage.

Improve and increase public and community services and income support payments. Tax reform needs to be targeted at ensuring corporations are paying their fair share for the services and support every Australian needs.

8. Embrace industry policy and Australian made.

If we can make it or provide it here and create jobs here then we should make it or provide it here. Trade must deliver for our national interest, deals that give away our sovereignty, jobs, and undermine household incomes should not feature in our post-pandemic future.

We need to rebuild the Australian economy and society and make jobs more secure. Setting a goal of creating two million new secure jobs and halving job insecurity in Australia can drive an economy-wide rebuilding effort and lift the living standards of millions of working people, ACTU president Michele ONeil said.

These eight guiding principles will help shape a rebuilding effort that puts people in more secure jobs, gets wage growth going again, ensures Australia is making what we need, putting our national interests above any vested corporate interests and investing in our communities.

We look forward to working with governments, employers and communities to develop the programs Australia needs to rebuild and make jobs more secure.

We cannot allow the economy to go back to the way it was before: rising inequality, record low wage growth, a gutted social safety-net and public services, and too many people in insecure employment or without enough work.

If a disaster destroys your house, you dont rebuild in all the old cracks and flaws  you rebuild with improvements, you fix the things you know were wrong and you make your home even better than it was before.

We must rebuild our economy and our communities so they work for all Australians.
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday announced that Cyclone Amphan has intensified into a super cyclone and issued a warning of heavy rainfall for six states till May 21. The weather bureau said Odisha, West Bengal and its sub-Himalayan parts, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya will receive heavy rainfall till May 21.

Cyclone Amphan will the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185km per hour on Wednesday, said IMD.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday (May 18) to review the situation due to a cyclonic threat in parts of coastal India. The meeting began at 4 pm today at the Prime Minister's official residence in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, MHA officials, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and officials of NDMA ad NDRF are said to be present at the meeting.

Soon after the meeting, the PM wrote on Twitter that he prays for everyone's safety 'and assure all possible support from the central government.'

At the review meet, Modi took stock of the situation and reviewed the measures as well as the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. "During the presentation of the response plan, DG NDRF (SN Pradhan) informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve. Twenty-four other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country," the statement said.

The Prime Minister said he "reviewed the preparedness regarding the situation due to cyclone Amphan. The response measures, as well as evacuation plans, were discussed."

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said.

Destruction in Kerala:

Heavy rain and winds caused massive destruction in Vaikom and surrounding areas of Kerala. Around one hundred houses were damaged after trees fell over it, caused by the storm. More than a hundred electricity posts were also damaged.

A portion of the Mahadeva temple was damaged in the heavy rains and wind. The rooftop tiles of temple Oottupura, Devaswom office, Committee office flew away in the storm.

Heavy rains are continuing in various parts of Kerala causing inconvenience for the public as traffic along the NH has been halted in many parts and widespread destruction reported in various parts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Idukky and Alappuzha.

Evacuation drive:

An unspecified number of people were evacuated from coastal areas of Odisha where Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore were likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds. Official reports reaching Kolkata said 40,000 people have already been evacuated from South 24 Parganas district.

A senior government official said relief materials, dry food and tarpaulin have been dispatched to the coastal areas of Odisha. About 600 multi-purpose cyclone shelters and 7,092 other permanent buildings with cumulative capacity to accommodate nearly 12 lakh people have been identified in 12 districts of the state. It has also been directed to arrange adequate food, drinking water, lighting, sanitation and health facility at each shelter and keep the tower light and chainsaw and other emergency equipment ready to meet any eventuality.

Damage prediction:

Disruption of rail and road link are likely at several places but that will not have a major impact on human lives as only skeletal traffic ply the roads and railway tracks. Large-scale damage to communication and electricity lines, crops and houses is feared.

MHA issues warning to Odisha, West Bengal:

In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the Union Home Ministry said that cyclone Amphan was spotted on Monday morning over central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal. The cyclone is all set to unleash heavy rains coupled with high-velocity winds in coastal Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal.

While the Odisha government is preparing for a possible evacuation of 11 lakh people residing in vulnerable areas, the West Bengal government has issued an alert in coastal districts and sent relief teams.

MeT dept issues Orange alert for West Bengal:

The MeT department has issued an 'orange' warning for West Bengal, saying Cyclone Amphan is likely to cross the state in the afternoon or evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155 to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph before losing some steam ahead of landfall.

Odisha Spl Relief Commissioner PK Jena said widespread rains are expected in coastal Odisha on Tuesday. On May 20, there could be heavy to very heavy rainfall in northern districts of Odisha, with wind speed reaching up to 110 kmph in certain parts Odisha.

Tamil Nadu to not face the impact of cyclone Amphan:

The Tamil Nadu government said that the state will not face the impact of the cyclone but it was constantly monitoring the situation along with IMD. Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar said satellite images of the storm have been released.
ALTON  Main Street United Methodist Churchs Team Honduras Mission Team is hosting its inaugural Perennial Plant Sale via Facebook in support of next years mission trip.

Our plant sale was scheduled for this past weekend at the church, but due to the Pandemic, we decided to utilize Facebook to allow folks to order plants via that platform and then make arrangements to pick them up, said Greg Gelzinnis, mission leader of Team Honduras for 2021. We felt, this way, we could still host our sale and be respectful of social distancing.

Rose Schollmeyer, avid plant enthusiast and Team Honduras 2021 team member, came up with the idea for the team and has worked tirelessly to make it a success, Gelzinnis said.

We have over 600 plants: hostas, daylilies, iris, forget-me-nots, and more, Schollmeyer said. The plants are only $5 each, a real bargain.

The link to the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Team-Honduras-Plant-Sale-110089017364258/ and payment may be made by Venmo or PayPal (preferred as noted in the shopping instructions on the page). The team will also accept checks, cash or credit at the time of pick-up. Donations are welcome, too.

All proceeds from the sale will go toward construction expenses for a second floor of a church in the small village of San Miguel in El Paraiso, Honduras, that the team first began building in 2005 near the Nicaragua border.

Teams from Main Street UMC have been doing mission work in Honduras every other year since 2005 and are planning their ninth trip to the country in June 2021.

More than 50 individuals have been part of Team Honduras since the beginning and the 2021 Team has 18 members presently. Six of them will be making the trip for the first time.

We are always happy to welcome new team members, Gelzinnis said. We have been using Zoom to meet during the pandemic and are planning to do so in June.

Anyone with questions or wishing to join the team may contact Gelzinnis by phone at 618-550-9291.

Team Honduras normally meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Main Street UMC.
Chelsea and England winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was arrested at the weekend after police responded to a report of an "unwell woman", British media reported on Monday.

Police officers and an ambulance attended Hudson-Odoi's London home in the early hours of Sunday.

The 19-year-old was arrested and taken into custody before being released and bailed.

"Police and London ambulance service were called at 03:53hrs on Sunday, 17 May to a report of an unwell woman," a police spokesman said, adding that the woman was taken to hospital.

The reports said Hudson-Odoi was in breach of coronavirus lockdown guidelines. Chelsea have declined to comment, according to the reports.

Hudson-Odoi made a full recovery after becoming the first Premier League player to test positive for COVID-19 in March.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 71-year-old man infected with coronavirus died in Assam taking the number of COVID-19 fatalities to three while eight others tested positive for the deadly virus as the cases in the state rose to 108, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

The man, who was suffering from neck cancer and tested positive last week after returning from Mumbai by bus, died due to respiratory distress in Guwahati Medical College Hospital, the minister said.

"He died at 11.05 am... and the cause of death has been marked as both neck cancer and COVID-19," the minister said at a press conference here.

The wife and son of the deceased have been shifted out from their quarantine facility in a hotel and admitted to the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Sarma said



Four more positive cases have been reported on Monday night taking the total number of positive cases to eight during the day, the minister said.

Among the eight cases, four are from Golaghat, two from Cachar and one each from Nagaon and Jorhat.

Of the 108 positive cases in the state, there are 62 active cases, three deaths, two migrated out and 41 have been cured and discharged from the hospital, the minister said.

The death of the cancer patient is the third fatality due to COVID-19 in Assam with the first being a Tablighi Jamaat returnee from Hailakandi who died at Silchar Medical College and Hospital and a 16-year-old girl who was detected to be positive after she passed away at B Barooah Cancer Hospital in Guwahati



"There is, however, no need to panic as most of the cases detected positive are from quarantine camp and so far community transmission has not taken place", he said.

The health department has conducted community surveillance in 16,000 villages so far and not a single case has been detected, he said.

"The COVID-19 tally will increase in the state but the success of Assam's COVID management will depend on the strict quarantine system adopted and it will spread to the community, only if this fails", the minister said.

The state has adopted the policy of 'ruthless quarantine with a big heart' which implies that all coming from outside will have to undergo "strict quarantine and the government will take care of them", he said.

People are keen to return to their homes "and this is quite natural but we appeal to them to space out their travel, so that we can provide them with the best quarantine facilities", he said.

The minister said that so far 48,000 people have returned to the state and more will come but "if they all come together, it will be difficult for us to provide them with quality quarantine facilities which will pose a problem leading to possible community transmission of the disease".

The state government was likely to incur an expenditure of Rs 300 crore for the quarantine of one lakh people and to provide financial assistance to four lakh people from Assam staying in other states under Assam Cares, he said.

The Assam government is negotiating with the World Bank in this regard and "it will help us considerably, if it works out", Sarma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Asif Iqbal Tanha, a Jamia student, accused of violence in Jamia area of the national capital, was remanded to judicial custody till May 31 by Saket court.

The Delhi Police arrested Tanha on Sunday and produced him before the court.

Tanha is identified as a student of B.A third year in Persian language in Jamia Millia Islamia and also an active member of Students Islamic Organisation.

According to Delhi Police, Tanha is a key member of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) and also played an active role in organising a protest and is accused of instigating riots in Jamia in December last year.

"He is a close associate of Umar Khalid, Sharjil Imam, Meeran Haider and Shafoora who had been the key members of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and subsequent riots," police said.

Violence broke out in consequence to the protest march organised by Jamia students against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Friends Colony and Jamia area in December last year
New Innovation Centre will promote green energy systems in the West Midlands

Construction has begun at a new University of Birmingham sustainable energy research and innovation centre based at Tyseley Energy Park. This will promote innovation in waste, energy and low carbon vehicle systems across the West Midlands.

The 7 million Birmingham Energy Innovation Centre (BEIC) is funded by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP). It will be the home of R&D, benchmarking and validation, business support, manufacturing systems integration and modelling expertise across the (public/private/academic) energy, waste and transportation systems sectors all in the one facility.

Working with existing energy and transportation system stakeholders, the BEIC will stimulate collaborative research and development projects to overcome local energy and low carbon transport challenges, demonstrating new and emerging technologies.

By supporting the development and deployment of these new technologies at scale, the BEIC can help decarbonise the electricity and heat and improve the environmental performance of the city as it seeks to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2030.

Speaking about the BEIC, Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor for the University of Birmingham said: The Birmingham Energy Innovation Centre will make the city of Birmingham a leader in addressing key energy challenges, including the decarbonisation of energy, providing a clean transport system for the city and developing sustainable ways of dealing with waste. These are challenges faced by many other cities across the UK and we expect that the breakthroughs achieved by the BEIC here in Birmingham will be applied more widely in this country and also globally.

We are particularly delighted that the BEIC will be based on the 300 year-old Webster & Horsfall Ltd manufacturing site, a location that was instrumental to the industrial revolution and will now drive forward the energy solutions of tomorrow as a part of the regions first Energy Innovation Zone.

The Centre will also stimulate investment into the energy and low carbon and emissions transportation markets by bringing large global energy firms together with early stage researchers and SMEs with innovative ideas. Together, these stakeholders will rapidly scale technological innovations and commercialise new energy technologies and systems.

Tim Pile, Director of the GBSLEP said: The potential of the BEIC to accelerate decarbonisation in our region and beyond is immense. The centre will bring together leading research with industry and support local businesses with the development of new technologies. Collaboration of this nature will be an important part of our economic recovery following the current Covid-19 crisis.

Greater Birmingham is well positioned to lead the country and the world in developing low-carbon technologies to help create truly sustainable growth, with existing strength based in a concentration of both academic and commercial expertise.

Our investment reflects our commitment to embed world-class expertise here in the region, and to enable demand-led innovation to tackle one of the largest challenges we collectively face.

David Horsfall, Director for Tyseley Energy Park said: The collaboration between Tyseley Energy Park and the University of Birmingham is already starting to see transformational change in Tyseley and Hay Mills. The delivery of the Sustainable Energy Research and Innovation Centre is a great step forward that will accelerate the transition to a zero carbon future in Birmingham. We are delighted to be part of this initiative and look forward to working together driving clean growth and tackling key societal challenges such as energy poverty, poor air quality and delivering jobs and investment into one of the most deprived areas of Birmingham.

Notes to editor:
China's state TV has labelled US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro as a 'lying trio' as it steps up its rhetoric against Washington amid coronavirus tensions.

CGTN, the English arm of Beijing's state broadcaster CCTV, accused the Trump administration of 'spinning a web of coronavirus lies' to dodge their responsibilities after failing to contain COVID-19 in the United States.

The news came as Pompeo warned over the weekend that China poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' with its global expansion drive in his latest rant against the Communist superpower.

CGTN, the English arm of China's state broadcaster, has attacked the Trump administration by calling Trump, Pompeo and Peter Navarro as a 'lying trio' amid escalating political tensions between Beijing and Washington. President Trump is pictured at the White House on Sunday

US Secretary of State Pompeo (pictured on May 6) warned over the weekend that China poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' with its global expansion drive in his latest rant against the Communist superpower. Chinese media called him 'evil' and 'insane'

Peter Navarro, 70, has become one of the White House's most prominent spokespeople, first over trade with China, and now as point man for procurement of essential supplies to deal with the coronavirus crisis. He is pictured preparing for an interview at the White House on Friday

CGTN blasted Trump, Pompeo and Navarro last Friday during an opinion show 'Headline Buster'.

'Over 80,000 Americans have lost their lives to the coronavirus so far, with over 1.4 million infected.

'The US economy is in freefall. Unemployment is heading [towards] record highs and Americans are understandably upset,' criticised the show's Canadian-Chinese anchor Li Qiuyuan.

'Now somebody's got to take the fall, and Trump is bound and determined it's not going to be him,' she continued.

Li Qiuyuan, a Canadian-Chinese anchor, ripped Trump, Pompeo and Navarro one by one in an opinion show from Beijing. She is seen during the programme 'Headline Buster' on Friday

Ms Li then told her audience to look at what she referred to as the 'facts'.

She said: 'Months were squandered between January 21 - when the US reported what was [at] the time thought to be its first case of coronavirus  and March 31 when Trump declared a national emergency and started talking or taking steps to fight the virus domestically.'

'Trump, Pompeo, Navarro team up to debut as the "lying trio",' the station claimed on its account on Weibo, the equivalent to Twitter, while introducing the episode of the weekly programme.

The coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December before sweeping across the world. The pandemic has so far killed more than 315,000 people and infected over 4.7 million.

The coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December before sweeping across the world. The pandemic has so far killed more than 315,000 people and infected over 4.7 million. Pictured, patients wait at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on January 24

The United States has been the country hit the worst by the disease, with over 90,000 deaths

The United States has been the country hit the worst by the disease, with more than 90,000 deaths. Chinese officials have reported 4,634 fatalities, but Western countries have expressed doubts over their virus figures.

Political tensions between China and the United States have erupted in the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic as the two superpowers slam each other's handling of the health crisis.

The US accuses China of covering up the full scale of its epidemic and hiding the virus's origin. Trump and Pompeo have repeatedly used the phrases 'China virus' and 'Wuhan virus' to describe the pathogen.

China accuses the US of carrying out 'smear campaigns' and avoiding its responsibilities in containing the disease. A spokesperson also suggested that the virus was planted in Wuhan by the US troops.

In an interview on Saturday, Pompeo said the dispute between Washington and Beijing went 'far beyond' COVID-19.

Pompeo told right-wing news site Breitbart over the weekend: 'What the Chinese Communist Party is doing, it goes so far beyond what's happened in the time of this coronavirus'

Pompeo said China had backed out of promises not to send warships to the South China Sea and 'diminished' the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy in Hong Kong.

He told right-wing news site Breitbart: 'What the Chinese Communist Party is doing, it goes so far beyond what's happened in the time of this coronavirus.

'I think the American people, and I hope people all across the world, understand the risk to the globeto freedom-loving countries and democracies around the worldthat [is] presented by the actions of the Chinese Communist Party.'

Pompeo's statements are the latest in a war of words between the world's two largest economies.

Earlier this month, Pompeo said there was 'enormous evidence' that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan. The picture shows worker at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2017

UK joins international demands for inquiry into handling of coronavirus By JAMES TAPSFIELD, POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE China is facing mounting pressure over coronavirus as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease. Calls are set to be made for a full probe as the World Health Organisation holds its virtual assembly today and tomorrow. The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding. Meanwhile, the UK is among the backers of an EU resolution urging an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the international response to COVID-19. Although the text does not refer explicitly to China it is seen as an opening shot in a looming battle over the origins of the disease. Beijing has been accused of causing deaths by covering up the early stages of the outbreak, and hiding its death toll. At least 116 countries have signed the resolution - well over the two-thirds threshold needed for it to be put forward tomorrow. The text calls on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to initiate 'field missions' to identify the source of the virus and how it crossed the species barrier to reach humans. The WHO and most experts believe the virus emerged in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan late last year. Advertisement

Last month, Pompeo accused the Chinese Communist Party of not being transparent about the spread of the coronavirus, claiming they had not shared samples of the bug 'making it impossible to track the disease's evolution.'

On Friday, a Chinese official indirectly admitted that the country destroyed early samples of COVID-19 at unauthorised laboratories.

Earlier this month, he said there was 'enormous evidence' that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a laboratory in Wuhan.

His harsh words prompted a state-run Chinese newspaper to accuse him of betraying his faith.

The Global Times, a major Communist propaganda outlet, alleged that as a 'devout Christian', Pompeo had committed the sin of lying and suggested that he should be punished while the Chinese state broadcaster labelled him 'evil' and 'insane'.

In his interview with Breitbart this weekend, Pompeo said: 'They've come at me too. All kinds of names.'

He added: 'Those attacks demonstrate weakness, not resolve, by the Chinese Communist Party.'

Pompeo's critiques echoed that of the President's in recent weeks as the coronavirus death toll in the US continued to soar, making the country the worst-affected in the world.

Donald Trump has insisted that Beijing recklessly concealed critical information about the outbreak.

Trump claimed that he had seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory. He also warned he could impose tariffs of $1trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic.

And on Wednesday, the President said 'the ink was barely dry' on a trade deal when the 'world was hit by the Plague from China'.

Yesterday, Pompeo warned China against interfering with American journalists working in Hong Kong.

US President Donald Trump has said that he no longer wishes to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and warning he might cut ties with Beijing over the rival superpower's handling of the virus. Pictured, Trump speaks after a tour of a medical supply company on May 14

Chinese state-run newspaper the Global Times claimed that Beijing was drawing a plan of retaliation against the US after some American politicians and states blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic. Chinese President Xi is pictured at a political meeting in Beijing in 2018

In a statement, Pompeo said: 'It has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong.

'These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres.

'Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory.'

'One Country, Two Systems' is the arrangement under which Hong Kong was handed back to China from Britain in 1997, designed to guarantee rights and freedoms in the semi-autonomous city.

In February, China kicked out three journalists from The Wall Street Journal after the newspaper ran an opinion piece on the coronavirus crisis with a headline that Beijing deemed racist.

Weeks later, Washington curbed the number of Chinese nationals from state-run news outlets in the United States.

On Wednesday, the President said 'the ink was barely dry' on a trade deal when the 'world was hit by the Plague from China'

Beijing responded in March by expelling more than a dozen American journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

China's foreign ministry also made the landmark announcement that these journalists would not be allowed to work in Hong Kong, even though the financial hub is nominally in charge of its immigration policies.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Pompeo's Sunday remarks by condemning Washington for requiring Chinese media outlets in the US to register as 'foreign agents'.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian today expressed Beijing's 'strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition' to America's 'erroneous actions in interfering the Chinese media's normal reporting activities in the US' in response to Pompeo's remarks

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry, today expressed Beijing's 'strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition' to America's 'erroneous actions in interfering the Chinese media's normal reporting activities in the US'.

Zhao claimed that the current situation was caused by the US itself.

'The US side should immediately correct its mistakes, and halt the political oppression on Chinese media,' Zhao warned. 'If the US side insists on having its own way and makes mistakes after mistakes, the Chinese side will take strong countermeasures.'

Zhao added: 'Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, no foreign governments, organisations or individuals has the right to intervene.'

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous financial hub, is a major regional base for international media partly because it boasts certain liberties denied on the authoritarian mainland. In the past, foreign journalists expelled from China often relocated to Hong Kong.
UW Flittie House Applications Due Friday

The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, May 22, for visiting faculty members to apply to use the University of Wyomings Flittie House in the 2020-21 academic year.

In accordance with the late Professor Ed Flitties will, in which he bequeathed his house to the university, UWs Faculty Recognition and Development Committee is soliciting applications for the use of the house. The house is currently reserved until July 1. The maximum period of occupancy is one calendar year.

Applications, with an explanation of the specific use proposed for the house and a justification for that use, may be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by emailing Mandy Gifford at mandyj@uwyo.edu.

The Faculty Recognition and Development Committee will review the applications and make final decisions. Applications should include specific dates for use of the house.

This property includes two bedrooms, a washer and dryer, full kitchen, large flat-panel TV, Blu-ray/DVD player and high-speed internet. Visiting faculty are responsible for up to $400 in snow removal, lawn care and utilities costs.
Wuhan's massive COVID-19 testing drive aims to eliminate fear, discrimination: govt

Global Times

By Zhao Yusha Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 10:36:31

The Wuhan government on Saturday said its citywide testing aims to eliminate fear and discrimination of COVID-19 among its residents, while the cost, which was estimated at 1 billion yuan by some analysts, will be shouldered by the city and district governments. Virologists believed the massive scale of testing will make the city "a safer place."

With a population of more than 11.2 million people, Wuhan's health commission said that those who have done the nucleic acid test will not have to do it this time, and advised against testing children below the age of 6. Priority is being placed on residential complexes where there are infections, communities with many elderly residents and those which are densely populated.

Every district has different rules, Zheng Li, a Wuhan doctor, told the Global Times. In Wuchang district, where Zheng works, residents will undergo not only nucleic acid tests, but also serum antibody tests.

The Wuhan health commission said that the citywide test was launched because of daily reports of asymptomatic cases, which created anxiety among people who have resumed work. It was being conducted in order to better prepare for the city's return to normalcy, to get a clear picture of how many asymptomatic patients there are, and to cut off infection chains as soon as possible.

Even though the lockdown was lifted on April 8 and the risk level has been lowered, the city's vitality has yet to return, with many restaurants and buses still empty, Yang Zhanqiu, a deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the Global Times.

"The massive testing will make Wuhan a safer place and let the outside world know about the city's real situation," said Yang, who added that it is a sign that Wuhan is taking the initiative in fighting the virus. "It's like a war. You take the initiative, you win."

This citywide testing will help both the government and people to understand Wuhan's real infection situation, as well as lower people's cautiousness and push forward production resumption, said Yang.

"As long as we have a clear picture of Wuhan's infection, we can get a glimpse of the nationwide infection situation. Proving the authenticity of Wuhan data's will serve as a guidance for China and the global battle against the virus," said Yang.

The government said that the costs of the tests will be equally shared by the city and district governments. Some experts have estimated that the costs could reach 1 billion yuan ($150 million).

When asked if the huge cost of citywide testing will put a heavy burden on local economy, which has already been ravaged by the coronavirus epidemic, Dong Dengxin, director of the Finance and Securities Institute at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, shrugged off the concern.

The Wuhan government is likely to use some of its virus prevention expenditure allocated by the central government, said Dong. The Xinhua News Agency reported in March that the central government has allocated 62 billion yuan to help Hubei battle against the virus.

Dong said making the tests free of charge encouraged more people to take them. "About 90 percent of the city residents volunteered to test, which also shows a responsible attitude towards their families," he said.

In order to avoid large gatherings and cluster infections, people from residential compounds are being tested in strict order. Tests must be held in ventilated places, residents should wear masks, and the collectors must change or disinfect their medical gloves every time they finish collecting a sample, according to the Wuhan government.

Zou Furong, a resident of Baibuting community, told the Global Times that residents can only go for testing after being notified by the community. "The testing was well organized. The medical workers constantly reminded us to keep a 1.5-meter safe distance, and they constantly disinfected the place while we were waiting," said Zou.

He added that the test took no more than five minutes. "Everyone is fully equipped to avoid infection. Now, Wuhan people are on high alert. After what we have been through, Wuhan people are very cautious."

The Wuhan government said it will be strict in its selection of testing agencies in order to ensure accurate results, while the city and district governments also vowed to set up quality control groups to supervise the results.

It also said the residents' nucleic acid results will be stored safely in an independent system with strict login requirements to ensure residents' information security.

The government will notify residents who have tested positive and take immediate measures. Those who have tested negative will not be notified, said the Wuhan government.

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New Delhi, May 18 : The Delhi High Court, while disposing of an application seeking a CBI probe into the 'Bois Locker Room row, on Monday directed the Cyber Crime Cell of Delhi Police to "expeditiously" conduct the probe in this regard.

After hearing both the sides via video conferencing, a division bench of the high court presided over by Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh disposed of the petition directing the police to file the final report before the concerned court as per law.

The plea filed by Dev Ashish Dubey stated that a CBI or SIT probe is required into the matter as the students involved in the incident belonged to "influential families" and could hamper the investigation by the local police.

"The entire issue needs to be investigated by the SIT or CBI as these students belong to high profile families and there is an apprehension that the investigation or enquiry conducted by the local police will be influenced and wrongdoer's will never be arrested and punished," the plea said.

The plea filed through advocates Dushyant Tiwari and Om Prakash Parihar also sought the court's direction to the Centre and Delhi governments to provide safety to the girls and women who have exposed the students, so that they cannot be harmed by the members of the "Bois Locker Room" group.

The plea further stated that the action of these students shows the mindset of the young generation towards girls and "if it is not stopped at this time and these people are not punished at this time, it will create lot of issues and increase crime against girls and women in the future." The petitioner sought that the culprits should be punished under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 too because "the crime has been conducted against minor girls and various members of the Instagram chat group were minors." "The group is run by and has membership of 16 to 18-year-old boys from posh schools in South Delhi, all of whom were involved in the objectification of their classmates and other women, some as young as 14. The expletive-laden chats show the boys discussing having physical relationship with their classmates," the petitioner claimed.

Dubey stated that when the leaked screenshots of the chat group went viral, many of the users of the group allegedly deactivated their social media profiles and "also allegedly threatened to leak nude photos and hack accounts of the women who had exposed them." Leaked screenshots of the private Instagram chat group stirred up a storm after numerous boys were allegedly seen sharing photos of underage girls, objectifying them, and allegedly planning 'gang rapes'.
In the district of Euskirchen has started on Wednesday a Corona-mass test for around 1000 members of a Church. At the end of last week, 13 of the Corona were found to be infections in a five ten-person family, the Mennonite Church in Euskirchen in North Rhine-belongs to Westphalia. The Test is now to be determined whether other members of the community have been infected.

other than in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Corona-protection regulation of ethnic German repatriates from the Soviet Union founded the "gospel Christian brothers community" the participants of your worship services not specifically covered, what chains are the authorities now, the Infection had complicated prescribed Research. As a precaution, the district of Euskirchen, therefore, the whole of the parish to 18. July under quarantine. Since it was in the community to a closed community, it is unlikely that the Virus had also spread in the other Euskirchen population, according to the district administration.

Meanwhile, announced the North Rhine-Westphalian Economics Minister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), the state of NRW wants to allow for larger Corona eruptions protection measures, unlike in the previous Lockdown rules of the Federation and the lander is provided also below the County level. The decision of the higher administrative court in Munster, which was set on Monday for the "Lockdown" in the district of Gutersloh in force, because there were outside of a large slaughterhouse hardly any new infections, facilitate the discussions of the Federation and the lander.

Updated Date: 09 July 2020, 00:20
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says its put in place a system of checks and balances to ensure that the $491.5 million in COVID-19 emergency loan to Uganda wont be stolen, including publication of the names of companies awarded significant contracts and the names of the owners, in addition to an independent audit in one year.

The Ugandan regime, under Gen. Yoweri Museveni, is notorious for human rights abuses and corruption . In recent weeks Museveni has come under fire for abusing the COVID-19 related lockdowns to brutalize political opponents, including a member of Parliament who was arrested and tortured.

In approving the nearly half a billion dollars loan to the Museveni regime, the IMF said it was balancing the need for immediate COVID-19 relief against appropriate accountability and transparency. There will also be in place targeted transparency and accountability measures, the IMF said.

The IMF made the disclosure regarding the emergency loan to Uganda in response to a series of questions from Black Star News addressed to Tao Zhang, a deputy managing director.

Given the level of regime corruption what measures have the IMF put in place to ensure that the funds will not be diverted to personal bank accounts by Gen. Yoweri Museveni and his officials or for unintended purposes such as next year's Presidential electionwhich incidentally the dictator now says could be postponed? Black Star News wrote in the letter of inquiry to the IMF. You must be aware that Chinese national named Patrick [Ho] was convicted in federal court in New York in 2018 of bribing Gen. Museveni and his foreign minister Sam Kutesa $500,000 each in return for illegal oil concessions for CEFC CHINA ENERGY. Did the IMF Board weigh this as a possible risk factor?

The letter also noted the millions of dollars  embezzled from the hundreds of millions donated by the International community to aid refugees in Uganda who fled from the Sudan conflict.

The regime has also been abusing the COVID-19 lockdown to attack opposition leaders including a Member of Parliament named Francis Zaake who was arrested and tortured after he distributed food to his starving constituents, the Black Star News inquiry stated.

The regime has also refused to investigate the Kasese massacre of more than 100 civilians in 2016 including women and children as reported by Human Rights Watch , the letter added.

The Black Star News inquiry concluded, While it's true that Uganda like all African countries is a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic, without any extraordinary guarantees to protect the disbursement and distribution of these funds how can this not be seen by Ugandans (and other global citizens) as rewarding, endorsing, and legitimizing a brutal and corrupt dictatorship?

In the statement, the IMF spokesperson said in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMF maintains its commitment to address governance and corruption vulnerabilities in member countries. The IMF is working to balance the need for immediate COVID-19 financing against appropriate accountability and transparency to ensure, as best as possible, that financial help reaches those in need.

The IMF has also agreed with the Ugandan authorities on targeted transparency and accountability measures to follow the emergency assistance, the IMF statement continued. For example, they have committed to a separate reporting of funds received to allow easier tracking of resources; a publication of all large procurement contracts, together with the names of awarded companies and their beneficial owners and to conduct an independent audit on the use of the funds in about one year, and the publication of its results.

The audit will include an ex-post validation of delivery of the large procurement contracts..." the IMF statement said.
The mayor of Ithaca, New York, told CNBC on Monday that the city's economy faces dire consequences if local colleges do not hold in-person classes this autumn due to the coronavirus.

"If the students don't come back in the fall, we're in real cataclysmic trouble," Svante Myrick said on "Squawk on the Street."

Ithaca is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. Cornell, an Ivy League institution, has more than 20,000 students while Ithaca College has about 6,700.

Myrick's comments came as Ithaca College announced Monday that it plans to hold in-person instruction this fall, with the autumn semester now slated to begin Oct. 5  more than a month later than originally scheduled.

Colleges and universities across the U.S. are planning for how, or whether, they can safely welcome students back to campus in the fall. The decision has implications for students and staff, as well as for the financial outlook for schools.

But as Myrick's comments illustrate, the cities and communities in which schools are located also are impacted by decisions on reopening campuses. College students play a vital role in the economy of Ithaca, a city of about 30,000 residents, Myrick said.

"It's not just pizza shops and it's not just bars. It's not just restaurants. It's barbershops. It's nail salons. It's accountants. It's law firms," he said. "The ripple effects of all of our students staying home and not coming back to campus, would be crippling."

Ithaca, like many municipalities across the U.S., is facing a budget shortfall due to a decline in tax revenue brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Myrick said the city is now looking at a deficit of around $15 million, which he said is the worst in its history.

"Honestly, that budget deficit assumes that the students are coming back in the fall," said Myrick, a Democrat who was began his first term as mayor in 2012. He was elected to city council at age 20, while he was a student at Cornell, and graduated from the university in 2009.

Tompkins County, in which Ithaca is located, has 141 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to the New York State Department of Health. New York overall has 351,371 cases as of Monday afternoon, the most of any state in the U.S.

Myrick said praised the manner in which Ithaca residents and the county responded to the Covid-19 outbreak. But he said the city's economic future is linked to what happens elsewhere in the world, even as Ithaca's region of the state, the Southern Tier, begins its phased reopening of businesses.

"We cannot actually get back to where we were ... unless the rest of the nation and, frankly, the rest of the world gets the virus under control, because a big part of our strength is our interconnectedness," Myrick said. "If we're not sure that our students can come back to the United States or if parents in California will feel comfortable sending their kids to Cornell in the fall, then our economy won't get back to where it was."
Once upon a time (2yrs ago) the current National Identification Authority (NIA) said to Ghanaians it had acquired some huge sum of money to be used to continue the Card issuance the previous Government started. We were all excited.



The previous government was issuing cards to all Ghanaians of all ages. It was a National Card. In fact my children of 7years and 9 years were registered for the card.



For Ken Attafuah, cards are issued to Ghanaians 15years and above. Is it still a National Card? Why start from 15 years? Is there any tangible reason for that?



Again, we were told Ghana Card will be issued to all Ghanaians. On the contrary ECOWAS Identity Card was issued instead. In fact, there is no inscription anywhere on the card showing Ghana Card. Unless our Lawyers will want to confuse us as usual by attempting to convince us that ECOWAS Identity Card means Ghana Card.



I live in Adenta Constituency/ Municipality and the pilot of the Card issuance began with us. They used barely 6 weeks to register the several thousands of Ghanaians living in Adenta. How is that possible? Several residents in Adenta could not get the card. After venting our frustration on the last day of the registration, the NIA officials told us Adenta was only a pilot and that they will return to continue. We are still waiting for them. It's been 2 years.



Across the Country, the NIA's card issuance has been a total mess and that's why many people do not have it.



In Ghana, general elections are a serious business. Why didn't the NIA tell Ghanaians the new card will be the main I.D to be used for the acquisition of the New Voters I.D?



Before the introduction of the ECOWAS Identity Card, Ghanaians had and carried several other forms of I.D (Passport, Voter's I.D, Driver's license etc.) which they used for various transactions. If Ghanaians are NOT told from inception that without the ECOWAS Identity Card one cannot apply for a New Voter's I.D Card, there will be no immediate motivation to acquire one. And many people intend to acquire it at their convenience because they have other cards. For example, my mother in -law always asked why should people rush to sleep at NIA centers when at the appropriate time one can just walk freely to an office to acquire one, just as when the health insurance began.



In fact I dare say that even for people in the Jubilee House, if the NIA had not gone there to issue them cards directly, most of them wouldn't have had cards. Because, they will not like to join long queues to acquire it.



My opinion is that the NIA has not proven to be credible and professional. As I write, even the Banks and other organisations DO NOT accept the much touted Ecowas Identity Card as authentic for their transactions.



Now, the Electoral Commission (EC) has served notice it will admit ONLY the ECOWAS Identity Card and the Ghanaian Passport for the issuance of the New Voter's ID Card.

Does it make sense or not? To acquire a Ghanaian Passport, you have to produce your Birth Certificate. To renew your already acquired Passport you only need to produce the expired Passport and you are done.



To acquire the Voter's ID Card we currently possess, we produced our Birth Certificate or Passport.. To acquire a New Voter's ID, we are told we CANNOT produce the old one to get a New one in replacement. Again, does it make sense? NEVER. I think we are making a mockery of our institutions.



In my household, 3 of us have the ECOWAS Identity Card and 3 don't have. My business is located within Adenta. I have 19 employees. 9 of them have the Card and 10 do not have. One out of the 10 has a Passport. So EC says these workers have to struggle to acquire the New Voter's ID even though they have the current Voter's ID Card? How?



The most ridiculous and nonsensical argument I have heard is that you have to get some people to guarantee or introduce you if you don't have a Passport or the ECOWAS Identity Card. Meanwhile, you have the current Voter's ID Card.



Hmmmm.... We say we are advancing but our behaviour and actions typify the stone age form of existence.



The EC CANNOT stop Ghanaians from using their current Voter's ID Card to acquire a New Voter's ID Card. It's a nonstarter and does not make sense.



I want to call on the following groups to caution the EC on this dangerous path they intend to take. It's obviously a recipe for chaos and confusion.



The Parliament of Ghana

The Council of State

The National House of Chiefs

The Catholic Bishops Conference

The Christian Council of Ghana

The Ghana Pentecostal Council

Our Former Presidents

The TUC

The General Legal Council

The Civil Society Organisations

And other Professional bodies.



This is an issue bothering on fundamental human rights and it's a situation the Supreme Court of Ghana should observe keenly.



Let's use common sense to save our Democracy, Peace, Oneness and the Country's reputation.



Thank you.







Source: J.A Manso, a concerned citizen of the Republic of 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.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a CCP virus briefing at Northwell Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, on May 6, 2020. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Cuomo: No Matter What Was Done During Pandemic, Older People Were Going to Die

Older people would have died during the pandemic no matter what was done, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on May 17.

Cuomo, facing a wave of criticism over a controversial mandate requiring nursing homes not to deny admission or readmission to residents based solely on a COVID-19 diagnosis, was told of a family who lost two relatives to the disease.

Theyre looking for accountability, and they feel like they were failed. Whats the comment to that? a reporter asked.

We lost 139 people yesterday in hospitals. Who is accountable for those 139 deaths? How do we get justice for those families who had 139 deaths? What is justice? Who can we prosecute for those deaths? Nobody, Cuomo responded.

Describing the hospital system in the state as the best in the world, Cuomo said doctors and nurses did their best, and no patient was denied a bed.

Emergency medical technicians wheel a man out of the Cobble Hill Health Center nursing home during an ongoing outbreak of the CCP virus in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 17, 2020. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

And still people died. Older people, vulnerable people are going to die from this virus. That is going to happen. Despite whatever you do, Cuomo said.

The governor said he speaks to people regularly who lost loved ones to the CCP virus. The most difficult conversations, he said, are with people who lost loved ones who werent elderly and who didnt have an existing health condition.

Theres a randomness to this virus that is inexplicable. Why do people die? Thats beyond this. Whos accountable? You can have a situation where everyone did the right thing and everyone tried their best. And people still died, he said.

Pressed on whether, if certain mandates were implemented sooner lives would have been saved, Cuomo said: I dontlook, people rationalize death in different ways. I dont think there is any logical rationale to say they would be alive today.

The governors office didnt respond immediately to a request for comment on the remarks, including Cuomos position on calls for an independent probe into the states March 25 directive.

Cuomo has faced harsh criticism even from some in his own party over his handling of the pandemic.

Hes unwilling to say theres anything they did that was wrong, and he doesnt seem willing to learn from his mistakes, Ron Kim, a Democrat in the state Assembly, told the Albany Times-Union.

Were all learning as we go with this, and the governor is allowed to make mistakes. But not being able to recognize mistakes so we dont repeat them in a possible second wave of the pandemic is dangerous.

The March order informed nursing home operators that they couldnt refuse to accept residents even if they tested positive for COVID-19, drawing widespread criticism from advocacy groups, relatives, and officials.

The Isabella Geriatric Center in New York City on May 1, 2020. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)

No resident shall be denied readmission or admission to a nursing home solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19, the order stated. It was later deleted from the states website. Officials reversed part of the order last week but said operators still cannot deny residents based on testing results.

Cuomo in April said the state was probing nursing home operators, who could lose their license or face a fine if they couldnt prove they were following state policies.

Some 5,300 nursing home patients have died in the homes with COVID-19. That number doesnt include residents who were rushed to hospitals and died there.

A provision inserted in the states budget bill in March provided immunity for nursing homes and other health care facilities, and health care professionals, from any liability, civil or criminal, for any alleged misconduct or mistakes while providing care.

At least 14 other states have granted similar protections to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to an Associated Press tally.

The provision was cheered by some. Calling themselves deeply grateful to Cuomo and state lawmakers, the Greater New York Hospital Association said in a statement that the legislation collectively eased at least part of your frontline health care workers massive challenges.

Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy said the change could make even gross or willful negligence lawsuits more difficult, since any problems found could be blamed on the pandemic.

Everything cant be blamed on COVID-19. Other things can happen that are terrible, she told the Insurance Journal. Just to say were in this pandemic so anything goes, that seems too far.
Californias disadvantaged communities and the Cap & Trade money allocation across these vulnerable communities, give rise to the perfect formula to design a feasible community-scale decarbonization strategy.

The Energy Coalition and Community Electricity, in collaboration with UCLA and a consortium of best-of-breed partners, have been awarded a $9M+ California Energy Commission (CEC) EPIC grant. The Basset-Avocado Advanced Energy Community (BAAEC) is a local community that is defined as the site host of the project. The award-winning consortium will deploy an innovative and versatile model focused on providing affordable, locally produced renewable energy and energy services at scale within a disadvantaged community. This model will further support communities highly affected by the COVID-19 crisis, introducing a feasible and concrete protocol to decarbonize and improve the overall health of the community.

The BAAEC, a 28,000-resident community will serve enrolled participants using a complex system comprised of seven main components:

1) a digital application to engage and guide community members towards decarbonization: people first

2) a smart community solar and storage system to offset annual electricity load

3) a campus microgrid resilience hub to provide clean back-up power to the community in emergencies, severe heat days or blackouts

4) a prosumer network and a virtual power plant integrating 50 single-family homes equipped with solar photovoltaic and battery storage to demonstrate a Blockchain community network pilot

5) a mobile grid that includes a community-operated EV vanpooling service and a network of fast EV charging stations to decrease the use of fossil fuel vehicles, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality

6) an indoor-outdoor smart pollution sensor network including an IoT-based NOx emissions monitoring system to measure and improve emissions from fossil fuel vehicles still operating within the community

7) a mobile living laboratory to periodically perform rounds throughout the community, measuring and reporting real-time decarbonization impact

The design of the prototype began as Phase I in 2016. Phase II is expected to start implementation by June 2020, targeting to be completed by 2023.

According to Luis Felipe Cano, Community Electricity CEO, Californias disadvantaged communities and the Cap & Trade money allocation across these vulnerable communities, give rise to the perfect formula to design a feasible community-scale decarbonization strategy. Our data-driven decarbonization protocol - a new social and economic community system - is designed to empower community members with multiple options towards clean electrification resulting in collective gains, including quality of life improvement and economic benefits derived from the sale of locally produced electricity and carbon credits. The motivation and potential are huge - approximately two thousand similar disadvantaged communities could benefit from this protocol inside California, and even more when we replicate the formula outside the state. Cano added, We are excited to be part of the co-development of this multi-asset community-scale prototype using a blockchain backbone, making this Advanced Energy Community the biggest and most versatile in the world when built out.

Funding for the project comes from the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) Program, which supports clean energy research in California. The BAAEC Prototype Phase I and Phase II total investment will be close to $20 million dollars, including partner matching funds. Additional partners in the prototype build-out include: ACLIMA, Ampere Energy, EnelX, Google, Green Commuter/EVShare, Grid Alternatives, IoT SENSORCOM, Purple Air, Solarays, Sonnen, Space AI, StrongBlock, Tetra Innovations Group, Tritium, and Winn Energy Control.

For media inquiries, please contact Kili Wall at (310) 260-7901 or Kili[at]melrosepr[dot]com.

About the Energy Coalition

The Energy Coalition (TEC) is a California-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with over 45 years of experience designing and implementing programs and strategies that transform energy use and empower communities to take action. By bringing ideas, technology, and expertise to public agencies, businesses, educators, policy makers and others, TEC is creating the building blocks for a new energy economy in which communities become energy-producing networks and clean energy becomes affordable and accessible for everyone.

http://www.energycoalition.org

About Community Electricity

CommunityElectricity.IO, Inc, is a Los Angeles-based Advanced Electricity Community Developer that designs, finances, develops and manages self-sufficient electricity communities. We specialize in upgrading existing communities and co-developing altogether new communities. We use a decarbonization protocol that integrates real estate with such clean technologies as solar photovoltaic; energy storage; electric vehicle and charging infrastructure; and pollution sensors. A key innovation - a first in the industry - is interconnecting these systems to a blockchain middleware to certify and mine data. The community-owned-data is orchestrated by a Community Operating System that aggregates, manages and maximizes efficiencies while digitalizing and decarbonizing our communities, creating a new social and economic system, benefitting the well-being of people first.

http://www.communityelectricity.IO
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 12:28:35|Editor: huaxia

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A novice wearing a mask walks along a street for alm in Yangon, Myanmar, May 18, 2020. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has risen to 187, with three more confirmed cases reported on Monday, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports. (Xinhua/U Aung)

YANGON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has risen to 187, with three more confirmed cases reported on Monday, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports.

Of the newly confirmed cases, two patients are from Kayin state while another one is from Thanintharyi region, the release said.

According to the release, all patients were under quarantine as they had traveling history in the past 14 days.

According to the ministry's release, 97 patients have recovered from the disease so far.

Myanmar has reported six deaths of COVID-19 disease as of Monday since the infectious disease was first detected in the country on March 23. Enditem
A federal appeals court said the parents of a Louisiana State University freshman who died during a hazing ritual can pursue a lawsuit that accuses the university of committing sexual discrimination when disciplining sororities and fraternities.

Stephen and Rae Ann Gruver filed a lawsuit in 2018 on behalf of their son Maxwell Gruver, who died from alcohol poisoning after a Phi Delta Theta fraternity party.

The university claimed sovereign immunity seeking to nullify the suit but on May 12 the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that because LSU accepts federal funding, it waives immunity from lawsuits claiming sexual discrimination, The Advocate reported.

The lawsuit, which seeks $25 million, alleges that LSU responded with deliberate indifference to allegations of hazing at fraternities. It also said Phi Delta has a long history of dangerous misconduct at universities across the country.

The suit said LSU committed discriminatory disciplinary actions by policing sorority hazing incidents stricter than fraternity hazing. It said the university committed intentional discrimination that forces males to seek benefits of Greek life with greater risk of injury, the newspaper reported.

LSU did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Max Gruver, from the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia, had been at LSU for a month when he died of alcohol poisoning in 2017.

Matthew Naquin, 21, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced in November 2019 to five years in prison, but a judge suspended all but 21/2 years.

Witnesses said Naquin didnt like Gruver and singled him out during a hazing ritual at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. Naquin ordered Gruver to chug a bottle of 190-proof liquor in September 2017. Gruver died the following morning. His blood-alcohol level was 0.495%, which is more than six times the legal limit to drive in Louisiana.

Phi Delta Theta is banned from the LSU campus until at least 2033 as a result of the events leading to Gruvers death.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has accused the Electoral Commission of hiding to escape their rejection of any new voters' register.

He said the EC refused to consult political parties for inputs prior to the laying of the Constitutional Instrument for the governing of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Electoral Commission has presented a number of Constitutional Instruments in Parliament but had to withdraw them because according to the Minority in Parliament the Instruments were defective.

A new one is currently pending in Parliament for approval. The instrument will among other things amend C.I 91 to make Ghana card and passports the only forms of identification before one could be captured onto the yet to be compiled new voter's register.

The Commission is abandoning its current register for a new one.

It intends procuring a new biometric voter management system which among other things have facial recognition technology for a fresh registration exercise.

But the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi speaking on Eyewitness News, said: On our blindside, the EC has laid in Parliament a Constitutional Instrument to govern the 2020 elections and the processes leading to same. Blindside because this C.I. was laid in Parliament without any consultation with political parties at IPAC in violation of what the tradition has been since 1994.

We were not consulted. When the Afari Gyan-led EC decided to pass CIs and LIs to regulate elections in this country all political parties were involved in the drafting of the law and the same thing happen under the tenure of Charlotte Osei with the legal committee being put in place with OB Amoah of the NPP heading and we (NDC) were represented by the venerable Hudu Yahaya with Kwabena Bomfeh representing the CPP as part of stakeholder deliberations before it was laid in Parliament. To our utter shock, the Jean Mensa-led EC decided to lay this C.I. before Parliament without any consultations or whatsoever with political parties, and it was done on our blindside, he said.

---citinewsroom
Is Texas Pacific Land Trust (NYSE:TPL) 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 high yield and a long history of paying dividends is an appealing combination for Texas Pacific Land Trust. We'd guess that plenty of investors have purchased it for the income. Remember that the recent share price drop will make Texas Pacific Land Trust's yield look higher, even though recent events might have impacted the company's prospects. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below.

Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis

NYSE:TPL Historical Dividend Yield May 18th 2020

Payout ratios

Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Texas Pacific Land Trust paid out 33% of its profit as dividends. This is a middling range that strikes a nice balance between paying dividends to shareholders, and retaining enough earnings to invest in future growth. One of the risks is that management reinvests the retained capital poorly instead of paying a higher dividend.

We also measure dividends paid against a company's levered free cash flow, to see if enough cash was generated to cover the dividend. Texas Pacific Land Trust paid out a conservative 38% of its free cash flow as dividends last year. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

Story continues

While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note Texas Pacific Land Trust's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose.

Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Texas Pacific Land Trust's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health.

Dividend Volatility

Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. Texas Pacific Land Trust has been paying dividends for a long time, but for the purpose of this analysis, we only examine the past 10 years of 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 US$0.19 in 2010, compared to US$16.00 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 56% per year over this time.

Dividends have been growing pretty quickly, and even more impressively, they haven't experienced any notable falls during this period.

Dividend Growth Potential

While dividend payments have been relatively reliable, it would also be nice if earnings per share (EPS) were growing, as this is essential to maintaining the dividend's purchasing power over the long term. Strong earnings per share (EPS) growth might encourage our interest in the company despite fluctuating dividends, which is why it's great to see Texas Pacific Land Trust has grown its earnings per share at 49% per annum over the past five years. With high earnings per share growth in recent times and a modest payout ratio, we think this is an attractive combination if earnings can be reinvested to generate further growth.

Conclusion

Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we like that the company's dividend payments appear well covered, although the retained capital also needs to be effectively reinvested. That said, we were glad to see it growing earnings and paying a fairly consistent dividend. Texas Pacific Land Trust has met all of our criteria, including having strong cash flow that covers the dividend. We definitely think it would be worthwhile looking closer.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Texas Pacific Land Trust (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing.

If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%.

Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
After reading Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited's (SEHK:2727) most recent earnings announcement (31 March 2020), I found it useful to look back at how the company has performed in the past and compare this against the latest numbers. As a long term investor, I pay close attention to earnings trend, rather than the figures published at one point in time. I also compare against an industry benchmark to check whether Shanghai Electric Group's performance has been impacted by industry movements. In this article I briefly touch on my key findings.

View our latest analysis for Shanghai Electric Group

How Well Did 2727 Perform?

2727's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 March 2020) of CN2.9b has declined by -8.6% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 7.2%, indicating the rate at which 2727 is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Well, lets take a look at whats occurring with margins and if the rest of the industry is facing the same headwind.

SEHK:2727 Income Statement May 18th 2020

In terms of returns from investment, Shanghai Electric Group has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 5.1% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 1.4% is below the HK Electrical industry of 3.7%, indicating Shanghai Electric Group's are utilized less efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Shanghai Electric Groups debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 5.2% to 4.1%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 25% to 51% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Companies that are profitable, but have capricious earnings, can have many factors impacting its business. I suggest you continue to research Shanghai Electric Group to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 2727s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 2727s outlook. Financial Health: Are 2727s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 March 2020. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
New Delhi, May 18 : May 20, a couple of days from now will witness the first major organised protest since March 24 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the lockdown for the first time, virtually bringing the economy to a suspension and keeping individuals inside their home to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. On Wednesday, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the RSS-backed trade union, has given a call of nationwide protest against recent labour law reforms, particularly against "Black ordinance of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat" - all BJP-ruled states. But with mass assembly still not being allowed and authorities going into a tizzy over the prospect of a large number of agitated protestors taking to the streets, the BMS seems to rethink its strategy.

Meanwhile, to complicate matters for the authorities, not just the Sangh-affiliate but now Confederation of Central Trade Unions (CONSENT), an umbrella body of Central Trade Unions like BMS, NFITU, NLO, INTUC etc too have jumped to it with a 3-phase formula starting with submitting memorandum to District Magistrates on May 20. This will take place in each and every district, claims the BMS.

Moreover, on May 20 itself, the BMS plans to assemble at cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Ahmedabad and Lucknow to shout slogans and carry placards. However, the CONSENT is the view that instead "awareness programmes" can be carried in state capitals in either green zones or orange zones. Meanwhile, the umbrella body is also exploring to legally challenge the change of labour laws.

However, the question that's troubling the BMS is how can a mass protest and lockdown go hand in hand. It had made elaborate arrangements across North India to launch a scathing attack on state governments against "unilateral changes in labour laws in 11 states", "freezing labour laws" in three BJP-ruled states, non-payment of wages of workers during lockdown among others.

One of the posters prepared by the BMS reads, "Participate enmasse, maintain social distance", highlighting the contradiction between the two that's been troubling them as well.

Speaking to IANS, Virjesh Upadhyay, thenational General Secretary of the BMS, accepted the tricky situation they are facing. "You will appreciate the situation we find ourselves in. While planning a massive protest across India, we were sure that there won't be any curb in assembly at least in the green and orange zone. But with the lockdown 4.0 kicking in, we are reviewing what and how much can be done." Asked on whether there will be any assembly or shouting slogans, Upadhyay said a review meeting will decide the contours of the nationwide protest that they hoped would force the state governments, particularly that of Gujarat, MP and UP to listen to its demands.

But seeing the prospect of thousands taking to streets to shout anti-government slogans looking increasingly bleak, the BMS has started to stress focus on the migrant crisis and the alleged failure of state governments to contain this through its different social media handles. Even one of the latest posters on the May 20 protest lists the migrant crisis on top, superseding its original objection of dilution of labour laws.

While the BMS refuses to accept that the protest will be on hold, it is mindful of the reality. "We also have to keep in mind the larger interest," said Upadhyay. However, sources within BMS insist that the protest may not take place is as aggressive a manner as it planned but it will be "relentless" in questioning the state governments, particularly in those three states, through one way or another.

And what better way to embarrass them than targeting the state governments over its handling of the migrant crisis? (Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at Anindya.b@ians.in)
Lockdown 4.0: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to unveil a detailed plan for Delhi based on the Centre's guidelines today. He also hinted that his government might be relaxing some of the restrictions.

Lockdown 4.0: It seems that Delhi CM is likely to relax some restrictions in the fourth lockdown barring the containment zones, announced by the Centre last night. According to revised set of guidelines released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nationwide lockdown has been extended till May 31 with some relaxations. Delhi has a total 76 containment zones where all the restrictions will stay as it is, with no relaxations.

On Sunday, after, Centres revised guidelines, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hinted that his government might relax some restrictions. He expressed himself on Twitter saying that the latest guidelines were largely in line with the proposal sent by the Delhi govt. He added that the Delhi government has used the lockdown period to make arrangements in the healthcare system and they are prepared to handle increasing number cases of coronavirus in the capital.

Further, Delhi chief also said that the Delhi government is currently working on a detailed plan based on Centres guidelines which will be announced on Monday, May 18. According to the data shared by Health Ministry on Sunday, nearly 10,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Delhi including 148 deaths, and a total of 3,926 recovered after suffering from the virus.

Also Read: MHA issues lockdown 4.0 guidelines; air, rail and metro services, schools, colleges, malls to remain prohibited till May 31

Delhi govt will prepare the detailed plan for Delhi based on the Centre's guidelines and announce it tomorrow https://t.co/eBfrLKUpP9  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 17, 2020

Some days back, Arvind Kejriwal also said that outside the containment zones in Delhi, economic activities should be started, following all the precautionary measures like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. Further, in the Centres decision, it has empowered states and Union Territories to decide Green, Red, and Orange zones and now they can also declare containment zones in their areas.

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: Andhra Pradesh Chief



Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday indicated that LG Polymers plant at Visakhapatnam will not be allowed to function as it used to in the past even as he maintained that culprits responsible for the gas leak will be booked.

Speaking through video conference with officials and some of the victims, Reddy blamed the previous N Chandrababu Naidu-led government for allegedly according permission to the company for expansion.

"We will not spare anybody. Whoever is responsible for the incident,action will certainly be taken against them.

Once we get reports from all the committees including those constituted by the centre, we will seek answers from the company.The answers will be examined by the experts," Jagan said.

As many as 12 people were killed when styrene vapours leaked from the LG Polymerss plant on May 7, while several hundred fell ill after inhaling the poisonous chemical at RR Venkatapuram near Visakhapatnam.

"Whatever action is recommended by the committees, those proceedings will be implemented transparently.

We will not allow such a situation that the company will undertake the same activities at the same location in future.

That is why that raw material Styrene has also been sent back," Reddy said.

LP Polymers in a statement on Monday said it successfully completed the transportation of the Styrene Monomer (SM) inventory within the plant as well as in the styrene tanks that were at the port.

"There is now no SM left at the LG Polymers plant in Vizag.

Additionally, in collaboration with related institutions, we are devoting our resources to analyse the cause of the accident, prevent re-occurrence, and most importantly provide assistance to the families of the deceased and injured.

Our immediate focus is to provide assistance to the people in the local area to help them continue with their normal lives as soon as possible," Jeong Sunkey, Managing Director of LG Polymers, said.

There had been an unequivocal demand from people of Venkatapuram and surrounding villages that the plant be completely shutdown as it posed a threat to their lives.

The state government has announced Rs one crore to the kin of the deceased as ex-gratia and different packages to victims depending on the severity of ailments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rapid testing to detect infected travelers the new norm says governor

Cancun, Riviera Maya, Q.R.  Due to the coronavirus health emergency, a gradual return to productive activities is required, says Governor Carlos Joaquin. In a public address, the governor says that the return will be based on the new normal, which will include new protocols in tourism.

The Governor of Quintana Roo participated in a virtual meeting with members of the cabinet of the Government of Mexico, led by the Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero to review the model for restarting economic activities.

The tourist reactivation requires the constant and permanent application of rapid tests of COVID-19. It is urgent that the GobiernoMX authorize its customs clearance. Health protocols will be essential for the travel and arrival of tourists to our destinations. TogetherWell Go Forward, he posted on social media.

Carlos Joaquin expressed that the tourism industry in Quintana Roo is in a crisis due to the COVID-19 emergency that resulted in the cancellation of 8 million passenger seats and the loss of almost 80,000 jobs, which forces them to generate economic development as soon as possible.

He said that many hotels have already started with their new action protocol schemes and that ferry ports and airports are also working on the new schemes that they will have.

We require restarting activities with all security measures in tourism. A private group was created that is headed by the Secretary of Tourism, by the Secretary of Labor, by the governments of Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur to initiate these processes, explained Carlos Joaquin.

He announced that in the coming days, this group will review the protocols, procedures and ways to start some activities in the tourism sector within the traffic light color system of the New Normal Plan.

Governor Carlos Joaquin emphasized that sanitary protocols in the tourism industry will be the basis of the new normal and that the constant and permanent application of rapid tests of COVID-19 is required to detect infected people, react in a timely manner and close the gap of uncertainty of new infections.
New coronavirus infections traced to the clubs and bars of Seouls Itaewon district seem to be easing.

Korea reported 15 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 11,065, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and only five of them were local ones.

About a week ago Korea saw more than a dozen cases a day, but now they have decreased to single digits for three straight days -- nine on Saturday, six on Sunday and five on Monday.
Agricultural students at Harper Adams have won this year's Farmplanner competition with their plan to tackle issues faced by a Rutland farming business.

The competition, now in its 27th year, is open to all UK agricultural colleges and challenges students to tackle real life problems facing a significant farming business.

The teams this year came from Bishops Burton, Hadlow, Hartpury, Harper Adams, Newcastle, Nottingham and Riseholme.

This year's host business was the Exton Park, a 1,286-hectare estate which has a suckler herd, 900 hectares of arable enterprises and ancient woodland.

Students were required to advise the estate management team on a range of questions including future staffing arrangements and how to develop redundant buildings.

They also looked at opportunities for diversification in woodland as well as the future cropping and livestock systems.

The winners were BSc (Hons) Agriculture students Alex Williams, Nicholas Hill, Annie Metcalfe, Frances Thomas and Hugo Dwerryhouse and BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management student Hannah Proctor.

Nicholas, 22, from Tavistock, Devon, said the team started by undertaking a full business appraisal and then identifying areas that could be improved.

From here a lot of research and number crunching was carried out to find enterprises which would fit into the estate and meet the criteria set out by the estate owner.

"Fortunately for us the case studies, facilities and location allowed us to explore a number of options," he said.

Some of the key recommendations put forward were: planting miscanthus as a means to reduce labour requirement and concentrate on improving combinable crops; trial soya as a break crop to replace OSR; and replace the low input suckler heard with a heard of red deer.

We also saw opportunities for diversification; a funeral barrow was identified as an option which fits into the traditional ethos of the estate, Hannah, 22, from Hexham Northumberland said.

"Due to the popularity of the area and the number of walkers a cafe and woodland adventure park were also proposed."

Hugo, 22, from Tadley, Hampshire, explained how the team tackled the challenges presented by social distancing and lockdown: It was a challenge to adapt to the new circumstances.

"We were fortunate to get most of the report done before we had to social distance. However, we still had to do a final draft and produce a presentation."

He added: "Initially not being able to meet with the team and the uncertainties surrounding our studies knocked motivation and the report got set aside for a couple of weeks.

"When we had started to settle down in isolation and got on top of workload, we soon moved our focus back to preparing for the competition."

Through the use of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the students were able to plan, prepare and practise the presentation.

Due to the virus, the competition had to be moved online and the students did their final presentation over Zoom.
Saudi Press: Saudi Arabia Supports Private Sector to Remain Strong in Light of COVID-19

Saudi Press Agency

Sunday 1441/9/24 - 2020/05/17

Riyadh, May 17, 2020, SPA -- Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional, and international arenas.

Al-Riyadh newspaper reported in its editorial that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has confirmed its unremitting support for the private sector in the light of the Coronavirus Pandemic in order to remain strong and firm in performing its role in the local economic system.

The paper added that the local industry is seen as one of the important economic sectors that can achieve the key goal of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, through increasing the national income of the country without depending on oil revenues.

The government provided the private sector with unprecedented support, so that it could contribute 20% of Saudi Arabia's total national income, which is the same rate in major industrial countries, the paper concluded.

Al-Yaum newspaper reported in its editorial that the world is witnessing a difficult stage due to the effects of COVID-19, which caused dozens of thousands of infections and deaths.

The paper added that the Pandemic has negative repercussions on the economy of countries as a result of suspending of many activities, interests and trade exchanges and the decline in oil market prices.

The paper concluded that the matter is totally different in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, as all efforts are in full swing in combating the virus outbreak through providing various precautionary and preventive measures to protect the health and safety of citizens and residents, along with providing unremitting support for the heath sector.

--SPA

09:08 LOCAL TIME 06:08 GMT

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:32:07|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The output value of China's satellite navigation and location-based service industry reached 345 billion yuan (about 48.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, up 14.4 percent from the previous year, according to a white paper released on Monday.

The output value of the industry's core sectors, which are directly related to the development and application of the satellite navigation technology, topped 116.6 billion yuan, said the white paper issued by the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location Based Service Association of China.

However, the growth rate of the core output value of chip, device, algorithm, software, navigation data, terminal equipment and infrastructure sectors, was 9.1 percent, lower than that of 2018.

The decline was affected by multiple factors, such as slower demand in the domestic market and tougher competition, said Yu Xiancheng, head of the association.

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) contributed more than 80 percent of the core output value, according to the white paper.

In 2019, China sent nine BDS-3 satellites and one BDS-1 satellite into space through seven launches. The output value of BeiDou-related applications topped 228.4 billion yuan, up 17.3 percent year on year.

The number of satellite navigation patent applications in China exceeded 74,800 last year, ranking first in the world, the white paper said. Enditem
DETROIT -- Essential workers who cross the U.S. border with Canada using the Ambassador Bridge will no longer have to pay tolls during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release announcing the move, Matthew Moroun, chairman of the Ambassador Bridge, said the cost of passenger vehicle tolls will be covered by the Canadian Transit Company, a company owned by his family.

We appreciate the men and women on the front lines who are working to keep us safe. We wanted to take this action to try to alleviate some of the stress of a daily commute for essential workers who cross our bridge every day. This is a small thing we can do to show that we see your daily sacrifice and we are grateful," Mouron said in the release.

The border between the two countries has been closed for non-essential travel since March 21. Only those workers who were crossing to perform essential services related to the COVID-19 pandemic are allowed to cross. Last month, workers crossed the bridge an estimated 52,000 times.

The press release does say the duration of the tolls coverage depends on future developments and circumstances. More information will provided in the future if necessary, the company said.

This is the right thing to do under the circumstances. Nurses and other critical infrastructure employees need all of the support we can provide at this time," said Ambassador Bridge President Dan Stamper in the press release.

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.

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.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

Monday, May 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Man who tested positive for coronavirus arrested after spitting at, threatening ER staff

How coronavirus arrived and the curve flattened in Livingston County
HK urged to nurture 'closer economic ties' with mainland

Global Times

By Qi Xijia Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 21:18:40

With China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) facing a worsening outlook in economic growth and rising unemployment, experts called for closer economic ties with the Chinese mainland.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said Sunday that Hong Kong still faces a bleak situation as a recent flare-up of local COVID-19 infections have added uncertainty to the outlook. Chan was not optimistic about Hong Kong's second-quarter economic outlook.

GDP shrank 8.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, the HKSAR government said on Friday - the worst quarterly drop since records began in 1974 - as the pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the city. The government forecast an economic contraction of 4-7 percent this year.

Chan said that the city's unemployment rate had probably climbed last month as many sectors were badly affected by disease-control measures.

The unemployment rate surged to a 10-year high of 4.2 percent in March. For the first quarter as a whole, the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, the highest in nine years, and the underemployment rate was 2.1 percent, the highest in the past 10 years.

Ongoing social violence and the novel coronavirus outbreak have hit Hong Kong's labor market hard in the past year, Hong Kong-based economist Liang Haiming, chairman of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"A lot of companies had to lay off workers or ask them to take unpaid leave. Export-oriented and service-oriented sectors were hard hit," Liang said.

To stabilize the job market, the HKSAR announced an HK$81 billion ($10.5 billion) relief plan, which includes wage subsidies to eligible employers who avoid layoffs. In terms of job creation, Hong Kong is to invest HK$6 billion to create around 30,000 time-limited jobs in the coming two years.

"If relevant measures are in place, they should avoid ... a worsening unemployment rate," Liang said.

He said that Hong Kong should seize opportunities for the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, as well as development of new infrastructure and new consumption.

"Hong Kong should continue to attract companies related to new infrastructure and consumption to list and set up their Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. This will not only boost Hong Kong's financial market and advance its development as an international technological innovation center but also provide more employment opportunities for young people," Liang said.

He also urged Hong Kong's foreign trade companies to grab the large market of 1.4 billion people in the Chinese mainland, especially markets in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Experts have warned that in the second half of this year, the Hong Kong economy will contract further and employment prospects will remain bleak.

"Throughout 2020, Hong Kong's GDP will continue to shrink. A decline of 1.5 percent is the optimistic outlook. The economy will pick up slightly due to relief policies, but Hong Kong's retail, tourism and other consumer markets will face challenges this year," Liang said.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on the world Monday to rally behind the World Health Organization and support developing countries as he opened a WHO annual assembly after weeks of acrimonious jostling between China and the United States and its allies over a proposal to investigate the origins of covid-19.

Xi's speech, delivered over video at the invitation of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, signaled a growing sense of assuredness from China. For weeks it had been anticipating - and bitterly opposing - a proposal from Western countries to conduct an international probe into the pandemic's beginnings, generally believed by scientists to be in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

China's opposition has melted in recent days as international support for an inquiry grew to include Russia, Turkey and European and African countries, and as drafts of the proposed resolution showed a focus on international collaboration to manage the pandemic, with relatively limited emphasis on questioning its source.

Another prospect that China opposed vehemently - a Taiwanese presence at the World Health Assembly - also dissolved Monday after Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Taiwan would withdraw its bid for observer status, which Beijing had resisted.

Xi used his speaking platform on Monday to not only support the mooted international review once the pandemic was over but to air his own initiatives. Framing China as a defender of the international community and particularly the developing world, Xi announced a $2 billion donation to the international fight against covid-19 and offered to help set up hospitals and health infrastructure in Africa.

In an address that contained repeated references to China's support for multilateral institutions and developing countries, particularly in Africa, Xi appeared to be differentiating himself from President Donald Trump at a time when the two countries are locked in a duel over economic primacy and global influence.

Any vaccines produced by China would also be considered a global public good and shared, Xi said. He called on countries to lend their support to the critical work of the WHO and Tedros after both were accused by Trump of deference to the Chinese government. Trump ordered a temporary freeze on WHO funding in April and said on Twitter this weekend he is weighing how to proceed.

Although Xi did not specify a recipient for his $2 billion pledge, that amount would overshadow the amount of WHO funding that the United States promised before it was frozen last month. During the 2018-2019 two-year period, the United States committed to contributing about $893 million to the WHO budget, which came to $5.6 billion in total, according to funding data published by the agency.

"At this critical juncture, to support the WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle to save lives," Xi said. "China takes as its responsibility not only the lives and health of its citizens but global public health."

Rather than address criticisms that Chinese officials covered up early signs of the outbreak in Wuhan, Xi called on the world to "step up information sharing." China provided information to the WHO and other countries in a timely fashion and released the genome sequence of the coronavirus at the earliest time, he said.

"All along we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility," Xi said. "We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need."

The Chinese government has repeatedly characterized the pandemic as a crisis that is global in nature and called any targeted inquiry that draws undue attention to covid-19's roots in Wuhan as a ploy by Washington and its allies to make it a scapegoat. Chinese officials and state media responded furiously last month after Australian officials suggested that agencies like the WHO, which have relatively limited powers, should be able to swiftly dispatch investigators to the site of emergencies.

Following the Australian comments, China threatened to boycott Australian products. Last week, it effectively cut imports of Australian beef on technical grounds; on Monday, its Commerce Ministry announced it would impose 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley as part of a long-standing anti-dumping investigation.

But Xi reversed course on the proposal during his speech, saying he supports efforts to improve response times for future public health emergencies and would back a review as long as it was "objective and impartial" - and held after the pandemic was under control.

The draft resolution, submitted by the European Union on Monday and supported by more than 100 nations, does not mention Wuhan or China. It asks the World Health Organization to work with other United Nations agencies to "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts."

The document does not propose a review to identify missteps in how countries handled the outbreak and is instead forward-looking. It calls on the WHO to potentially arrange "scientific and collaborative field missions" to help prevent similar future outbreaks. It also appears to rule out the possibility that the virus was man-made or experimented upon - a possibility that U.S. officials have raised but that is considered unlikely by most epidemiologists.

Responding Monday morning to a report of the broad international support for an inquiry, Trump tweeted, "We are with them!"

Speaking to reporters Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China supported an international inquiry all along. A review that focused on combating discrimination, finding the zoonotic source of the virus and assessing the performance of the WHO response was "consistent with the Chinese position," he said.

Before Xi's speech, official Communist Party media outlets warned the United States against politicizing the assembly or turning the WHO into a tool for "geopolitical games."

"A politicized appeal won't be supported at the assembly," the Global Times said in an editorial. "The U.S. has messed up its covid-19 fight but intends to shift the responsibility to China. Such a plan is bound to backfire."


Scientists say they have found the most detailed evidence yet of long-flowing, ancient rivers on Mars.

The discovery supports existing evidence that Mars  which today is dry and cold  was once a water-rich planet. The researchers say their findings suggest rivers may have flowed on the surface of Mars for hundreds of thousands of years.

The evidence came from new satellite pictures of the Martian surface. These images were captured by a camera on NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The camera is able to take detailed pictures of the surface while orbiting the planet from about 400 kilometers away.

A team of scientists studied the images, which showed a rocky area within the planets Hellas Impact Crater. An impact crater is formed when a space object crashes into a planet or moon. The Hellas Impact Crater, in the southern Martian hemisphere, is one of the largest formations of its kind in the solar system.

The team was led by Francesco Salese, a geologist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. The research results were recently published in a study in Nature Communications.

Salese said the scientists studied sedimentary rocks from a 200 meter high rocky cliff. Sedimentary rocks form when sediment, transported by water or wind, settles and forms solid rock.

These are sedimentary rocks, 3.7 billion years old, and were formed by rivers that were likely active for over 100,000 years of Martian history, Salese said in a statement.

OK, it is not like reading a newspaper, but the extremely high resolution imagery allowed us to read the rocks as if you are standing very close to the cliff, he added.

Salese said even without the ability to examine the cliff area up-close on Mars, the pictures show strong similarities to sedimentary rocks found on Earth.

The researchers created three-dimensional, or 3D, images of the area to get a more detailed understanding of it. The pictures suggested that some ancient Martian rivers were several meters deep.

William McMahon is another geologist who was part of the investigation team. He said sedimentary rocks have long been studied on Earth to learn what conditions were like on our planet millions, or even billions of years ago.

Now we have the technology to extend this methodology to another terrestrial planet, Mars, which hosts an ancient sedimentary rock record which extends even further back in time than our own, McMahon said in a statement.

Another leader of the team was Joel Davis, a researcher with Britains Natural History Museum. He said scientists had never before been able to examine such a rock formation with such great detail.

Davis said the discovery is one more piece of the puzzle in the search for ancient life on Mars. He added that it also provides new evidence of how much water existed on Mars in ancient times.

The rivers that formed these rocks weren't just a one-off event - they were probably active for tens to hundreds of thousands of years, Davis said.

Salese added that the findings show Mars had an environment able to support large, flowing rivers for extended periods of time.

This kind of evidence, of a long-lived watery landscape, is crucial in our search for ancient life on the planet, Salese said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Britains Natural History Museum, Utrecht University and Nature Communications. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - New Evidence Found of Ancient Rivers on Mars Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

crater  n. a large hole in the ground

geologist  n. a scientist who has studied rocks and soil in order to learn about the history of planets

cliff  n. an area of high, steep rocks

sediment  n. a solid substance that forms a layer at the bottom of a liquid

resolution  n. a measure of sharpness for an image

three-dimensional  adj. appearing to have length, depth and width

terrestrial  adj. relating to the Earth, not space

host  v. to serve as a host for something

puzzle  n. a game or activity in which you have to put pieces together or answer questions using skill

crucial  n. extremely important or necessary
A day after the Centre issued revised guidelines for the fourth phase of lockdown in India, the BS Yediyurappa government in Karnataka added more relaxations to it, allowing most economic activities to resume in the state. Notably, the home ministry has specifically told states not to dilute the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines on the lockdown 4.0.

Though the Centre, in its guidelines, has not permitted salons and spas to open, the state government has given them permission to start services. Malls and shopping complexes will still remain closed. Barring red and containment zones, all four state bus transport corporations will resume services across the state from tomorrow. While Sundays will see total lockdown in the state, all shops, businesses and train service within the state will remain functional during the rest of the week.

The decision was taken during CM Yediyurappa's meeting with state ministers today. The revised lockdown guidelines say only 30 people will be allowed to travel on a bus, while cabs or taxis can't ferry more than two passengers. Wearing face masks and maintaining social distance is also mandatory. The state government has allowed parks to open from 7 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm, while restrictions will remain in place from 7 pm to 7 am.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: Govt makes Aarogya Setu app optional in latest guidelines

The Centre extended lockdown by over three weeks till May 31 on Sunday, while allowing states to decide on various zones and activities within them. The authority also permitted all activities outside the containment zones, except those specifically prohibited. Diluting the curbs, the Centre also allowed inter-state movement of buses with mutual consent of states or UTs. As per the Centre's guidelines, shops and markets can open with staggered timings. While spectators will not be allowed inside a complex, sportspersons can practice as they will remain open.

The home ministry has said no state or Union Territory will dilute the guidelines issued for the nationwide lockdown. In a communication to the chief secretaries of the states and Union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has said the guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown were issued after taking the views of the states, following a video-conference held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers on May 11.

Despite widespread relaxations in #Lockdown4 restrictions, States/UTs cannot dilute the restrictions imposed in MHA guidelines. Certain other activities can be prohibited or restrictions can be imposed, as deemed necessary: Home Ministry



Read: https://t.co/eFfUcfF37M pic.twitter.com/pql6yhNypU PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 18, 2020

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: States can't dilute guidelines, says MHA

"As emphasised in my earlier letters, I would like to reiterate again that States and Union Territories cannot dilute restrictions imposed vide the aforesaid guidelines issued by MHA. States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain other activities in various zones, or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary," he stated in the letter.
Hong Kong: Exemptions for medical personnel

The Government today announced the mechanism for The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKUSZH) and Hong Kong enterprises providing medical or dental services on the Mainland to apply for exemption from the compulsory quarantine arrangement.

In accordance with the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation, the Chief Secretary may designate any person or category of people for exemption from quarantine if their travelling is necessary for purposes relating to manufacturing operations in the interest of Hong Kong's economic development.

The Chief Secretary has exempted more categories of people from the quarantine arrangement, including up to 50 people employed and authorised by HKUSZH.

They also include owners of a Hong Kong enterprise with a valid Hong Kong Service Supplier Certificate in relation to the provision of medical and dental services on the Mainland under the Mainland & Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and up to one person employed and authorised by the enterprise, or up to two people employed and authorised by such an enterprise.

An exempted person must take a COVID-19 nucleic acid test at HKUSZH within seven days before entry to Hong Kong and present a valid certificate of a negative test result to authorised officers at the control points.

The exempted person must also only travel to and stay in the area or city where the services are provided, and must take every precautionary measure to ensure personal hygiene and avoid unnecessary social contact.

After returning to Hong Kong, the exempted person will be subject to medical surveillance arranged by the Department of Health for a period of 14 days.

Currently, travellers to the Mainland would still be subject to the 14-day compulsory quarantine requirement imposed by Mainland authorities.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is discussing with Mainland authorities the mutual recognition of COVID-19 testing results conducted by recognised medical laboratories, with a view to exempting the quarantine requirement for Hong Kong travellers to the Mainland.

This story has been published on: 2020-05-18. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Jio Platforms Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries has raised a jaw-dropping Rs 67,000 crores in less than four weeks from four marquee global tech investors. Over the weekend, private equity firm General Atlantic which has around $34 billion in assets under management, joined the likes of Facebook, Silver Lake and Vista Equity Partners. The New York headquartered firm announced an investment of Rs 6,598 crore to pick up a 1.34 percent stake in Jio Platforms, valuing the latter at Rs 4.91 lakh crores.

Moneycontrol caught up exclusively with Sandeep Naik, managing director and head of General Atlantic's business in India & South-East Asia to discuss the deal rationale, impact of COVID-19 on the digital segment and the firm's top sectoral picks, among a raft of topics.

Edited excerpts:

Q: General Atlantic has invested in disruptive entrepreneurs and companies around the world, including Airbnb, Alibaba, Ant Financial, Facebook, Slack, Snapchat and others. Jio Platforms , a fast growing digital and tech platform, is its biggest investment yet in India. Are there any common characteristics that General Atlantic saw between Jio Platforms and other tech focused companies in its global portfolio?

A: For 40 years, tech enablement has been a core tenant of the businesses in which we invest, and we have a long history of backing entrepreneurs driving positive change and global disruption. Now more than ever, we view the adoption and acceleration of digital as critical in driving social and economic growth. We believe Jio is uniquely positioned to democratize data and digital services across the country and advance India to a position as a global leader in the digital economy.

Q: What is General Atlantics outlook on the opportunities in terms of penetration of data and digital services in India?

A: India has made enormous strides in the digital space, and we have even more runway ahead of us to continue advancing. There is vast potential for growth in terms of purchasing power, and we see many digital ecosystems springing up across diverse sectors. We believe Jio is at the forefront of this digital revolution in India and we are thrilled to be backing the company as it works towards creating a holistic Digital Society for India.

Q: What are the specific strategic areas where General Atlantic believes it can assist Reliance Jio to further accelerate digital connectivity in India?

A: General Atlantic has a 40-year track record of backing innovation and entrepreneurship globally, and nearly two decades of experience of investing in technology companies in India and helping them scale. We feel that this deep expertise positions us well to support the Jio team as they look to solve the needs of Bharat and leverage connectivity to promote innovation, inclusivity, and growth across the country.

Q: Has the global outbreak of COVID-19 opened a floodgate of opportunities for new age digital firms as compared to the old economy ones? What is the General Atlantic view?

A: We believe that the impact of COVID-19 has changed behaviors and considerably accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. At General Atlantic, we think this can be a catalyst for positive change in terms of efficiencies, inclusion and overcoming physical barriers, and as a result, we expect accelerated growth and expanded investment and entrepreneurial activity in many sectors.

Q: Does General Atlantic see any potential synergies in India between its latest investment in Jio Platforms and its other bets in the tech space like Byjus, Unacademy , NoBroker and Billdesk?

A: We did not invest in Jio on the premise of any specific synergies with our business in our portfolio. That said, we strive to find areas of collaboration across all of our global portfolio where appropriate to do so, including for the purposes of best practice sharing and lessons learned as these high-growth companies scale.

Q: Will General Atlantic look to invest more in consumer technology startups in India , including at the early growth stage? If yes, what are the deal sizes we can expect?

A: In India, we focus on supporting the entrepreneurs who are addressing the real needs of Bharat and leading innovation in business models through digitization and digital disruption. We continue to see compelling opportunities in this realm and will continue with our strategy of backing local entrepreneurs solving real Bharat specific needs.

Q: Other than the digital segment, which other Indian sectors excite GA in terms of fresh investments ?

A: We continue to see exciting opportunities across all four of our sectors  Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Consumer. In todays environment, we are particularly focused on the ability of technology across many different types of businesses to overcome barriers and address critical needs, particularly in dealing with the vast challenges posed by the pandemic.

[Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.]
Nearly two months after it lost power in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress has started restructuring and is drafting a strategy to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in crucial by-elections to 24 assembly seats later this year despite no let-up in internal strife.

The process started with Congress president Sonia Gandhi accepting the resignation of Deepak Babaria, the general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, and naming senior leader Mukul Wasnik as his replacement last month.

Babaria, who hailed from Gujarat and was considered close to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, cited ill-health as the reason for his resignation.

But his exit was inevitable after former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress to join the BJP in March. Scindia had repeatedly flagged his concerns about the Congress governments failure to implement the party manifesto or pre-poll promises.

Twenty-two legislators loyal to Scindia also quit the Congress and resigned from the assembly, resulting in the fall of the Kamal Nath government. BJPs Shivraj Singh Chouhan then took oath as chief minister for the fourth term.

As Congress general secretary, Wasnik also oversees party affairs in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Soon after he assumed the charge of Madhya Pradesh, two new secretaries were named to assist him.

CP Mittal, who hails from Delhi, and Kuldeep Indora, a party leader from Rajasthan, were appointed as All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries. Both are said to be close to Wasnik.

Mittal and Indora replaced Varsha Gaikwad and Harshvardhan Sapkal, while the Congress chief retained Sudhanshu Tripathi and Sanjay Kapoor as the two other AICC secretaries.

Wasniks immediate challenges are to set the party house in order, try to end factionalism and prepare for crucial by-elections, whenever they are held.

Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh familiar with developments said he had chalked out a plan for the by-polls and started working on it though hurdles remain.

Of the 24 seats in which by-elections will be held, 16 are in Gwalior-Chambal region, a stronghold of Scindia.

Wasnik is facing a tough task in appointing a Congress legislature party (CLP) leader who will also be leader of opposition (LoP) in the Madhya Pradesh assembly.

A Congress functionary said the party had almost finalised the name of senior leader Govind Singh, a close associate of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, but the move was stalled due to opposition from the Kamal Nath camp, which is pushing the names of Sajjan Verma and Bala Bachchan.

Wasnik is expected to take a call on the LoP soon.

But the BJP has taken a dig at the Congress and appears confident of winning the by-elections in all 24 seats. The Congress continues to be a divided house. They are yet to decide the name of the LoP. The infighting between the Digvijay and Kamal Nath camps is on. They have lost everything but have not yet learned the lesson, said BJP leader Pankaj Chaturvedi.

We will win the by-elections on all the 24 seats and provide a stable government, he added.

Congress leaders have blamed Babaria for his failure to resolve internal dissension in the Madhya Pradesh unit, which eventually resulted in the loss of power that the party had regained after 15 years by ousting the BJP in the 2018 assembly elections.

Wasnik was one of the front-runners for the Congress presidents post last year after Rahul Gandhi refused to take back his resignation in the wake of the partys drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when it won just 52 seats in the 543-member House against the BJPs tally of 303.

However, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in its meeting on August 10 last year prevailed on Sonia Gandhi to again assume the reins of the grand old party.

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Jacksonville, North Carolina - A former subcontractor for the U.S. Marine Corps pleaded guilty Wednesday to destroying records in connection with a federal investigation of bribery and procurement fraud at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL), located in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

William J. Thompson, 56, of Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of records in a federal investigation before U.S. District Chief Judge Terrence W. Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to documents filed with the court, Thompson owned and operated C&D Painting and Construction, a construction company with its principal place of business in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. Public Official 1 was a civilian employee of the U.S. Marine Corps who directed the procurement of information technology services and equipment to be used by the Marine Corps at MCBCL and elsewhere. Company A was an information technology services company and was owned and operated by Person 1.

On March 28, 2018, agents of the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) interviewed Thompson. During the interview, agents of the aforementioned agencies informed Thompson that they were investigating an alleged bribery conspiracy between Public Official 1, Person 1, Company A and Thompson. The agents questioned Thompson about work that C&D Construction completed as a subcontractor for Company A at MCBCL and about renovations that Thompson performed at Public Official 1s residence. At the time of the interview, the investigation was covert and not known to all subjects, including Public Official 1.

On the same evening of the interview and the following morning, Thompson exchanged several text messages with Public Official 1 in which Thompson informed Public Official 1 that the FBI, NCIS, and IRS-CI were investigating Public Official 1s involvement in contracting matters while Public Official 1 was employed by the Marine Corps. After informing Public Official 1 of the pending federal investigation, Thompson deleted the relevant text messages from his phone, despite knowing that the messages constituted evidence related to the federal investigation into bribery and procurement fraud at MCBCL.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS, Naval Audit Service and IRS-CI. Trial Attorney Erica OBrien Waymack of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
More than half of Irish adults are now drinking every week, with 25% drinking more during the Covid-19 crisis, a new study has found.

A large majority (88%) said that they drank at this time 'to help relax and unwind as almost half (47%) of survey respondents said that tensions in their household had increased in the past 30 days.

However, the study also found that as many respondents who reported a rise in alcohol consumption also reported drinking less since the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions.

One-in-four said they now drink less and 31% reported making positive changes to their drinking habits during lockdown.

The survey carried out by Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, has published findings from new research on behaviours, attitudes and motivations driving alcohol consumption among adults in Ireland since the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions.

The study, which focused on the 30-day period until 24th April 2020, found:

52% of adults are now drinking alcohol on a weekly basis compared to 44% of adults surveyed last year.

those who drink are also drinking more, 14% of adults reported drinking four or more times each week in the past 30 days

a further 24% consuming alcohol between two and three times a week.

one in five (19%) said they had noticed an increase in consumption among other adults in their household

This nationally representative research, conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of Drinkaware, is the first to look in-depth at drinking behaviours and attitudes since government restrictions were implemented.

Sheena Horgan, Drinkaware CEO, said the research shows how the new norm is changing drinking habits and attitudes.?

"For some its a time to reflect and to change their alcohol consumption.? For others alcohol is a coping and stress relief at a difficult time.

"The use of alcohol to relax or unwind is not new but it is concerning, and at 88% almost universal.

"As we enter the first phase of easing restrictions, we need to renew our efforts to explore alternative and healthier coping strategies that dont involve consistent and potentially harmful drinking."

The Drinkaware website had almost 90,000 visits in April alone, which shows that people are concerned about their drinking habits at home during isolation and proactively seeking information and tools to help, Ms Horgan said.?

"There is clearly an appetite for and willingness to change among Irish adults, with almost one-third having already made positive changes to cut down or cut out alcohol over the past month.

"So, the more troubling evidence that includes more frequent drinking (4+ times every week), sits alongside positive findings regarding attitude and behaviour change.

"The real value of this new research is that it allows us to dig deeper to understand what is driving this increase, and also the positive shifts in behaviour where some are choosing to drink less."

John OMahony, Behaviour & Attitudes Director, said that gathering data on alcohol consumption is now crucial so that we can learn from the impact disruptive events like a global pandemic can have on public attitudes and behaviour.
PR-Inside.com: 2020-05-18 20:19:02

Portland, Oregon, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Sortis Holdings, Inc. (SOHI), a Portland, Oregon-based alternative investment fund manager, announces the launch of its sixth investment fund, the Sortis Distressed Opportunity Fund, which will look to capitalize on once-in-a-cycle real estate and business opportunities created as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.



The Sortis team does not estimate a lengthy recession following the pandemic, but they do believe the crisis will have a deep enough impact on certain areas of the real estate market to create special situation opportunities. While the fund will remain asset class agnostic, the management team is eyeing a few particular areas within the real estate market initially.

The Sortis Distressed Opportunity Fund will look to acquire qualified distressed debt, physical real estate, and select operating businesses across the Western United States. This could include, but not limited to: failed projects, discounted performing & non-performing loans, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and other complex situations.

Building upon its existing fund family foundation, the Sortis team will continue its thematic approach into distressed opportunities, while maintaining a keen focus on capital preservation through built-in downside protection and safeguards.

Fund officers will include:

 Jef Baker: Sortis Holdings President and CEO

 Paul Brenneke: Sortis Holdings Executive Chairman

 Sam Ross: Sortis Holdings Asset Manager

Our team and platform worked through the last recession, to successfully underwrite and sell over a billion dollars of distressed real estate loans and assets from bank balance sheets. This background added to our lending and real estate developing expertise puts us in the perfect position to bring significant value to our investors participating in the opportunities this current economic environment provides, stated Paul Brenneke, Sortis Holdings Executive Chairman.

Sortis Distressed Opportunity Fund joins the Sortis Income Fund, the Sortis Growth Fund, the Sortis Opportunity Zone Fund, and two project specific Opportunity Zone Funds, as the company continues to build its family of funds.

For more information on Sortiss funds, please visit https://sortis.com/funds/.

About Sortis Distressed Opportunity Fund, LLC

Sortis Distressed Opportunity Fund, LLC (the Fund) is a Delaware limited liability company established by Sortis Fund Manager, LLC (the Manager) to capitalize on the dislocation and market stress in both the real estate and business markets caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent economic fallout. The asset class-agnostic fund will focus on distressed debt, physical real estate and operating businesses opportunities primarily across the Western United States.

About Sortis Holdings, Inc.

Sortis Holdings (OTCBB:SOHI) is an investment firm with a primary focus on real estate, both as a lender and as a direct investor. From its origins as a bank holding company, Sortis has evolved into a diversified firm that both lends and opportunistically invests in real estate, with a focus on the Western U.S. Since real estate and financial markets are constantly evolving, the firms ability to move between asset classes and positions in the capital stack makes it nimbler than its competitors. In 2017, Sortis merged in a loan/real estate acquisition and disposition platform and team that began in 2008 that successfully transitioned over a billion dollars in distressed real estate loans and assets. Sortis is also a developer of real estate through its affiliate companies. Operating under the principles of client focus, integrity, hard work and creativity, Sortis Holdings provides its accredited investors with well-managed, diverse asset-based investment strategies. Learn more at s ortis.com.

This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Sortis Holdings, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "can," "believe," "potential" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Sortis Holdings ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. More information about the potential factors that could affect the business and financial results is and will be included in Sortis Holdings and Sortis Income Funds disclosure documents and filings.

This announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities. Any offer will be made only by means of an offer memorandum. This announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into, directly or indirectly, any jurisdiction other than the United States.

IR Contact: Spotlight Growth

SOHI@spotlightgrowth.com
Future inTense "...if the product doesn't operate based on some form of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, you won't see it in Future inTense," said Dr. Peter Stephenson

Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industrys leading electronic information security magazine announces the addition of Dr. Peter Stephenson, one of the most well known cybersecurity analysts in the world, to share new cybersecurity product analysis exclusively at CyberDefenseMagazine.com, called Future inTense.

This program, Future inTense is about the next generation of attackers, their tools and, most particularly, the tools we need to fight back.

Dr. Peter Stephenson will be analyzing next generation security tools - those using some legitimate form of AI - and putting them through their paces in his lab.

In fact, if the product doesnt operate based on some form of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, you wont see it in Future inTense, said Dr. Peter Stephenson.

We believe there are several distinct advantages that you will gain from reading Future inTense:



First, unlike typical reviews that may stretch to 750-1,000 words, these analyses will average about 1,500 words. That gives Dr. Stephenson enough space to take a fairly deep dive into the product, how it works, where it fits in your security stack and how well it performs its mission;

Second, unlike his prior work, he will not be rating or comparing products;

Third, he will look at the product in the same context that you would: how applicable is it to my use case? There will be no star ratings, shoot-outs or bake-offs here.

In each analysis, Dr. Stephenson will tell you how he performed his in depth analysis so you can try to duplicate his results. For CISOs looking for next generation solutions that might help stop or mitigate serious risk in their next potential breach, this could save them and their team countless product selection and testing time and help spotlight the innovators who deserve it.

We are excited that Dr. Peter Stephenson has joined our team and is launching this comprehensive deeper dive program, which will go way beyond traditional pay-for-play product reviews. We expect this to be very exclusive to only a small group of next generation and innovative solutions that meet their astounding claims, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

Bio of Peter Stephenson, PhD

Dr. Peter Stephenson has reactivated himself to exclusively focus on deep next generation Infosecurity product analysis for Cyber Defense Magazine after more than 50 years of active consulting and teaching. His research is in cyber-legal practice and cyber threat/intelligence analysis on large-scale computer networks such as the Internet. Dr. Stephenson was technology editor for several years for SC Magazine, for which he wrote for over 25 years. He is enabled in his research by an extensive personal research laboratory as well as a multi-alias presence in the Dark Web.

He has lectured extensively on digital investigation and security, and has written, edited or contributed to over 20 books as well as several hundred articles and peer-reviewed papers in major national and international trade, technical and scientific publications. He spent ten years as a professor at Norwich University teaching digital forensics, cyber law and information security. He retired from the university as an Associate Professor in 2015.

Dr. Stephenson obtained his PhD at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England where his research was in the structured investigation of digital incidents in complex computing environments. He holds a Master of Arts degree in diplomacy with a concentration in terrorism from Norwich University in Vermont.

Dr. Stephenson is a full member, ex officio board member and CISO of the Vidocq Society (http://www.vidocq.org). He is a member of the Albany, NY chapter of InfraGard. He heldbut has retired fromthe CCFP, CISM, FICAF and FAAFS designations as well as currently holding the CISSP (ret) designation. Learn more, here: https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/future-intense/

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine was founded in 2012 by Gary S. Miliefsky, globally recognized cyber security thought leader, inventor and entrepreneur and continues to be the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA, BlackHat and Infosecurity and IT-SA conferences and our limited edition paid reprint subscribers. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com. Cyber Defense Magazine is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group.
The global chemical company Oxea has officially changed its corporate name to OQ Chemicals as a token of its final integration into the newly formed energy company OQ. Complementing the name change is a new corporate identity, reflecting the potential of the group. OQ aims to become a global leading energy company and offers a diversified product mix, including energy, polymers, and oxo chemicals.

We are committed to provide the same service level and to support the growth and success of our customers, said Dr. Oliver Borgmeier, responsible for the Downstream International Assets at OQ. Long-term, our customers will benefit from synergies at OQ: We will continue to invest in innovation. In 2021, we aim to add 30 percent to our companys total production capacity for carboxylic acids with a sixth world-scale production plant. For the same year, we plan to bring on-stream additional production capacity for TCD Alcohol that will cover the anticipated global demand for years to come, he added.

Oxea became part of the Oman Oil Company (OOC) in 2013. Since then, numerous growth programmes were initiated and implemented. At the end of 2019, under the leadership of OOC and Orpic Group, nine Oman based companies which were already affiliated formed the new brand identity OQ. Having one brand globally was highlighted earlier in the integration process as a key enabler for integration. Much of the feedback we received then was that we needed a new platform and a new identity to enable us to come together and create the future company we are all proud of. The choice was also for a new, fresh, bold, and global brand that will represent the new company that we are. So that was OQ! explained OQ Group CEO Musab Al Mahruqi.

Our aim with this new company is to develop a unique integrated model for an energy company that delivers sustainability and business excellence. The world will know us for our people, our agility, customer-centric approach and innovation. We have an ambitious growth plan aiming to double our EBITDA in the next ten years and investing over USD 28 Bn in new projects. We will also invest in alternative energy, retail, and gas-to-plastics projects. This will be exciting for our people, our customers, and our communities, he continued.
Number of US verified COVID-19 cases surpasses 1.5 million as White House attempts to deflect blame for grim milestones.

The coronavirus death toll in the United States surpassed 90,000 on Monday as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed above 1.5 million across the country, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

The grim milestones came as US President Donald Trump tweeted to REOPEN OUR COUNTRY! and the White House attempted to shift blame, including onto its own scientists, for the high number of deaths.

On Sunday, members of the Trump administration disagreed on whether the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) let the country down with testing efforts.

Early on in this crisis, the CDC, which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space, really let the country down with the testing, Peter Navarro, Trumps trade adviser, told NBCs Meet the Press programme.

Not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test, and that did set us back, Navarro, who has no medical training, said.

The CDC, which is under the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and part of the Trump administration, faced early criticism for its handling of US testing efforts, which Trump now touts without evidence as the best in the world.

The CDC initially sent out faulty test kits and struggled to ramp up testing efforts as the virus took hold across the US.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaking during a news conference on the coronavirus pandemic in the White House in Washington, DC [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]

HHS Secretary Alex Azar responded to Navarros remarks, defending the agencys efforts as an important health role.

I believe the CDC serves an important public health role and what was always critical was to get the private sector to the table, he said.

Navarro suggested that the USs high death toll was partially due to the fact that the country has high levels of underlying conditions, making complications from the virus more likely.

Unfortunately, the American population is very diverse, he told CNN.

It is a population with significant unhealthy comorbidities that do make many individuals in our communities, in particular African-American, minority communities particularly at risk here because of significant underlying disease health disparities and disease comorbidities  and that is an unfortunate legacy in our healthcare system that we certainly do need to address, Azar said, emphasising that he was not blaming one particular group, but we do have greater risk profiles here in the United States.

This is not about fault. Its about simple  simple epidemiology and stating that, if we have hypertension, if we have diabetes, we present with greater risk of severe complications from corona  from this coronavirus, Azar said.

There have reportedly been heightened tensions between the CDC and the White House in recent weeks over guidance for reopening.

According to US media, citing leaked documents, the CDC had drafted 68 pages of strict reopening guidelines, but only published six pages of decision trees graphics as updated guidance.

CDC Director Robert Redfield said last week that the US was on pace to exceed 100,000 coronavirus-related deaths by June 1.

Support grows for WHO probe

The Trump administration, meanwhile, continues to blame China, where the new coronavirus is believed to have originated, and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the viruss deadly spread.

Azar on Monday said the pandemic had spun out of control in great part due to a costly failure by the WHO, and called for a more effective WHO.

There was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives, Azar told the WHOs two-day annual assembly being held online.

Azar, without naming China, said: In an apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak, at least one member state made a mockery of their transparency obligations, with tremendous costs for the entire world.

We saw that WHO failed at its core mission of information sharing and transparency when member states do not act in good faith. This cannot ever happen again, he added.

More than 100 countries, including 50 African nations and all European Union member states, have backed a resolution calling for an independent probe into the coronavirus pandemic, Australia said before the two-day assembly began.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible.

China has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but President Xi Jinping signalled that Beijing would be amenable to an impartial evaluation of the global response once the pandemic is brought under control.

Xi pledged $2bn over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries. The amount is roughly equivalent to the WHOs entire annual programme budget for last year, and more than compensates for Trumps freeze in US payments that had been worth about $400m a year.

Trump urges reopening, despite risks

Back in the US, Trump has ramped up his push to reopen the US, despite the health risks.

Last week, the president rebuked the countrys top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, over a warning he gave about reopening the country too quickly.

A worker stands outside Pier 424 Seafood Market as coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased after two months, including allowing for 25 percent of permitted occupancy in stores and restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana [Kathleen Flynn/Reuters]

Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that a premature lifting of lockdowns could lead to additional outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus.

There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, Fauci said.

Trump called the warning unacceptable, and said the US was back with or without a vaccine.

I dont want people to think this is all dependent on a vaccine, Trump said on Friday as he announced the US efforts to develop a vaccine that would be ready to deploy by 2021, within eight months  a timeline that contradicts many health experts, who say a vaccine will take 12-18 months to develop and test.

Vaccine or no vaccine, were back. And were starting the process, Trump said, adding that he would like to see schools open before the end of the year.

Men receive haircuts as social-distancing guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 are relaxed at Dougs Barber Shop in Houston, Texas [Callaghan OHare/Reuters]

Most states have started to reopen, at least partially, over the last month. Health experts say it could be weeks before the US knows the effect of its reopening.

Texas, which has allowed non-essential businesses to reopen with restrictions, reported its largest single-day jump in the number of coronavirus cases on Saturday.

The state reported 1,801 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 46,999.

Officials attributed the jump to increased, targeted testing in high-risk areas, including meatpacking plants, which have seen a surge in cases across the US.

Although nearly all 50 states are reopening, only 13 had met federal government guidelines for lifting measures as of Sunday, according to a Reuters news agency analysis, raising concerns that infections and deaths could surge anew.

Trump continued to contradict health experts opinions on Monday, saying that with his doctors approval, he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medicine against the coronavirus despite medical warnings about the use of this malaria drug to treat the coronavirus.

In an April 24 statement, the US Food and Drug Administration said it is aware of reports of serious heart rhythm problems in patients with COVID-19 treated with hydroxychloroquine or an older drug, chloroquine.
Brian Kemp, then a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, attends a rally in Athens in 2018. (John Bazemore / Associated Press)

Nothing about the spread of the coronavirus or the nature of the disease suggests that its safe to get back to business as usual. And yet reopen is the word on almost every Americans lips, despite apocalyptic warnings from public health experts suggesting that, without an aggressive national public health strategy, the country could face its darkest winter.

In the absence of a coherent federal public health response, millions of Americans are trying to will the coronavirus away through the sheer force of their God-given exceptionalism.

Mass delusion seems a dubious strategy for ending the coronavirus crisis. And yet if you look at the data coming out of Georgia over the past month  which had one of the earliest and most aggressive efforts to reopen its economy  you might be convinced that there is little danger in a broad economic reopening.

According to state data models, which Gov. Brian Kemp used to justify Georgias aggressive reopening, the states infection curve has been rapidly heading in a direction that would be the envy of states like California, with its aggressive lockdown rules. The Wall Street Journal hailed the Georgia Model as evidence that aggressive lockdowns were needlessly harming the economy.

Georgia's miraculous curve seemingly played an important role in the changing public sentiment around reopening nationally. If it's working in Georgia, why can't it work here?

Georgias flattening curve defied all scientific logic. Pandemics dont end because the economy is suffering and we want them to.

And yet data don't lie. Or do they?

Thanks to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, we now know things did indeed look too good to be true. Georgias coronavirus numbers looked so rosy because officials misrepresented the data in such a way it's difficult to believe it wasn't done on purpose.

The state of Georgia made it look like its covid cases were going down ***by putting the dates out of order on its chart*** May 5 was followed by April 25, then back to May again, whatever made it look like a downslope. https://t.co/H8pSvY6rxn  David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) May 17, 2020

"I have a hard time understanding how this happens without it being deliberate," microbiology and molecular genetics PhD and state Rep. Jasmine Clark told the Journal Constitution. "Literally nowhere ever in any type of statistics would that be acceptable."

Story continues

Georgia isnt the only state itching to reopen that has a penchant for dubious data. Florida actively tried suppressing county coroners from releasing COVID-19 death tallies.

Time will tell if Georgians will pay the price for the irresponsibility and incompetence of their leaders, or if theyll catch a break. Hot, humid summer weather could send coronavirus into a remission unearned by responsible public health strategies.

One thing, however, is certain: Wishful thinking isnt going to end this pandemic. If the numbers look too good to be true, they probably are.

Stay home if you can, wear a mask, and dont let politically motivated talk of reopening lull you into a false sense of security.
Need more mobile data but don't want to upgrade your phone?

With a SIM only plan, there are tons of different deals to suit your mobile data needs, including 5G ready data, and/or unlimited data plans so you and your family can connect via a personal hotspot. There are even plans which give you the freedom to cancel anytime or swap and choose how much data you need on a monthly basis.

From virtual mobile operators like SMARTY and giffgaff to network providers like Vodafone, Three and EE, these are some of the best SIM-only deals to take advantage of right now.

SMARTY, which uses the Three network, recently revealed research that explored the nation's mobile data usage habits over the past few months and it showed that Brits use an extra 11GB mobile data on average per month.

The mobile virtual network operator is currently running a special double data offer for one of its many affordable SIM plans, which allows you to get 100GB of data per month for the same great price as 50GB. This is ideal if you use your phone as a mobile hotspot for work and for at-home family use. The SIM plan is just 15 per month and you'll also get unlimited calls and texts.

There are no speed restrictions and tethering is unrestricted in the UK. The pay monthly plan requires no credit check and can be canceled anytime. This offer ends on May 28 2020 so you'll need to hurry if you want to take advantage of it.



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For just 18 per month for 24 months, Three is offering 100GB of data for the price of 30GB. This also includes unlimited calls and unlimited texts.

Another great feature included with this plan is Three's Go Binge, which allows you to use Snapchat, Netflix and Apple Music to your hearts content without eating into your data.

It is 5G ready at no extra cost, and personal hotspot means the whole family can connect to your mobile to access data, or you can stream from your laptop at no extra cost.

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For just 20 per month for an 18-month contract, you can get an a O2 SIM with 100GB of data and six months of Disney Plus. Amazon Prime Video and many more optional add-ons are available at no extra cost with this selected plan.

If you find this is too much data after three months, O2 Refresh lets you switch your plan so you can stay flexible.

This offer is valid for a limited time, ending June 10 2020.

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Vodafone is treating customers to six months half price on its Unlimited Max SIM only plan, which means you'll only pay 15 per month for half a year and save 90.

This option offers the fastest speed, which is ideal for super-fast downloads and UHD streaming. The plan also includes unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts, a three-month free trial of Secure Net and 81 roam-free destinations.

This offer is available up until May 28 2020.

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EE has slashed two of their affordable data plans by 50 per cent as an introductory offer, meaning you can get 50GB of data for just 10 for the first three months (after which you'll pay 20 per month), or 100gb of data for 12.50 for the first three months (after which you'll pay 25 per month).

It is an 18-month plan, which also includes Unlimited minutes and texts and up to 60Mbps 4G data speeds. This offer is valid until June 2 2020.

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This 20 per month offer comes with 80GB of data, of which a massive 20GB can be used in the EU and selected destinations. The plan is contract-free, which means you can swap and change your data plan for the month ahead when it comes up for renewal, or cancel at anytime.

Virtual mobile operator giffgaff use O2's network, which gives you great coverage and incredible data speeds.

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Customers sit at a cafe on the first morning of eased CCP virus restrictions, allowing up to 10 patrons to sit at a time inside establishments, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, May 15, 2020. (Reuters/Loren Elliott)

Aussies Reunite After Coming Out of Lockdown, Active Virus Cases Low

All Australian states and territories have begun to lift pandemic restrictions, allowing businesses to begin operating as close to normal once again, and family and friends to socialise outdoors once more.

In addition to this, so far one million Australians have been tested for the CCP virus, and the number of positive results is low compared to other developed nations.

In the last week, there have been 100 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 (11 in the last 24 hours), according to federal Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on May 18.

There remain around 50 active cases of COVID-19 nationwide, the disease caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

The number of patients that have recovered is 6,367 out of 7,045 that originally tested positive. Meanwhile, the total number of deaths attributed to the CCP virus stands at 99 as of May 18.

The most recent death attributed to the CCP virus was in New South Wales. A man in his 60s who had underlying health conditions contracted the disease from someone he had close personal contact with.

NSW authorities have urged people to keep their distance from each other as social and economic restrictions are eased across the state.

NSW has conducted over 355,700 tests for the CCP virus, the most out of all states and territories.

Victoria became the last jurisdiction to begin lifting restrictions on May 13, giving people back the freedom to enjoy outdoor leisure activities such as boating, and reuniting with friends and family in gatherings up to 10.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has scheduled the restrictions to be lifted in stages. Venues will soon be able to host up to 20 people in an enclosed space from June 1, increasing to 50 from June 22, and to 100 in the second half of July.

McDonalds has closed 12 outlets across Melbourne after a delivery driver tested positive.

The driver was the extended family member of a worker at the McDonalds in Fawkner in the citys north, where a cluster of 10 cases emerged earlier in the month.

A Dominos pizza outlet has been shut for cleaning after a worker contracted the virus; meanwhile, while the Cedar Meats abattoir linked to 99 cases is beginning to reopen.

Victorias figures for virus testing are around 324,000.

Western Australia (WA) is easing some CCP virus restrictions from May 18, allowing more regional travel and 20 people to dine at restaurants, pubs, and cafes. In addition, community pools, libraries, and some regional borders will reopen.

About 130,000 public servants have been encouraged to return to offices and the government is urging other businesses to send staff back to work.

Premier Mark McGowan hopes to further loosen restrictions by June 8, a week earlier than initially expected.

My view is if the health advice allows it, we should significantly expand the numbers of people able to attend restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs because clearly 20, while its a massive improvement, is not enough for many of them to open or make a profit, he said.

Three WA patients have recovered, five cases remain active with one person in hospital.

In Tasmania, 10 people will be allowed in cafes and restaurants, at auctions, and in libraries. People are also allowed to gather for real estate purposes, religious congregation, and weddings. Funerals can have up to 30 attendees.

The state recorded no new virus cases over the weekend and just five infections have been confirmed this month.

Premier Peter Gutwein said there is no date forecast for lifting border measures but hopes they can be eased sometime later this year depending on public health advice.

The last thing Tasmanians would want the government to do, would be to open the borders and let the virus back in, he said.

The deadly hospital outbreak in the northwest, where 12 of 13 of the states deaths have occurred, likely originated from returning Ruby Princess passengers, a report released in April found.

Of the 226 COVID-19 cases in Tasmania, just 16 remain active.

States and territories have agreed to eventually reach the third and final stage of the federal governments three-stage plan to reopen the country by July. Each jurisdiction will progress its reopening at its own pace.
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England suffered more coronavirus deaths than Italy during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a shock new analysis.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers looked at total excess mortality, which shows how many more people than average have died in a period.

Figures showed Italy's outbreak peak occurred on March 27, with almost 15,000 fatalities that week - 103 per cent higher than the average for the same week in previous years.

Data also revealed England hit the peak two weeks later, which chimed with claims throughout the early outbreak that Britain was a fortnight behind Italy. It showed there were almost 20,000 deaths in the week ending April 10, a 109 per cent jump on the same week in years before.

It comes as officials have been accused of a cover-up by ditching the global death comparison charts in the daily Downing Street briefings. Critics noticed the slide was withheld from the press conferences after it clearly showed the UK had become Europe's hardest-hit nation.

The Government has said now is not the time for international comparisons, and tried to paint them as unreliable as the death toll continues to rise in Britain.

Figures showed Italy's peak occurred on March 27, with almost 15,000 fatalities that week. Analysis showed the total number of deaths was 103 per cent higher than the average for the same week in previous years. Data also revealed England hit the peak two weeks later, which chimed with claims throughout the early outbreak that Britain was a fortnight behind Italy. It showed there were almost 20,000 deaths in the week ending April 10, a 109 per cent jump on the same week in years before. Figures are the most recently available from the national statistical bodies of each nation

Graphs show how the number of excess deaths compared across the US, with New York City having the biggest spike in extra fatalities

Official figures show 34,636 Brits who have tested positive for COVID-19 have now died since the first death was confirmed at the start of March.

But the true death toll is likely to be much higher because it only takes into account laboratory-confirmed cases, missing thousands of suspected patients.

And the official toll - given by the Department of Health every day - is also affected by a recording lag. Hospitals can take weeks to announce a death.

Using this way of looking at deaths, the UK has the world's second-highest death toll - behind only the US (90,000).

The UK's Office for National Statistics is collecting more accurate data and suggests that, so far, the true death toll is considerably higher, probably in excess of 45,000.

The ONS figure is much higher because it has always included people who die anywhere in the community, as well as those who were never officially tested but had COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate.

Department of Health data does not include anyone who has not tested positive.

Many scientists say the most accurate way of looking at the true scale of the COVID-19 crisis is to take an in-depth look at 'excess deaths'.

Figures also show how the region of Lombardy was the hardest hit area of Italy, with an almost 300 per cent jump in excess deaths towards the end of March

WHAT ARE EXCESS DEATHS AND WHY ARE THEY THE BEST WAY TO COMPARE DEATHS? Excess deaths are those which occur in addition to any that would be expected to happen in the same period in an average year. They are measured in the UK over a five-year average. For example, if the average number of deaths in the first week of April over the least five years was 10,000, the 10,001st person to die in that week is considered an excess death, along with any others who come after them. Ministers have admitted 'excess deaths' are the most reliable measure of how many fatalities the coronavirus has actually contributed to. They take into account not just infected people who have died of COVID-19 but also those who died because of indirect effects of the outbreak. The biggest contribution to this is expected to be people whose medical treatment was interrupted or stopped because of the pandemic, including people who avoided going to hospital. NHS data shows A&E attendances have halved since March. Advertisement

Excess deaths are those which occur in addition to any that would be expected to happen in the same period in an average year.

They are measured in the UK over a five-year average.

For example, if the average number of deaths in the first week of April over the least five years was 10,000, the 10,001st person to die in that week is considered an excess death, along with any others who come after them.

Ministers have admitted 'excess deaths' are the most reliable measure of how many fatalities the coronavirus has actually contributed to.

They take into account not just infected people who have died of COVID-19 but also those who died because of indirect effects of the outbreak.

The biggest contribution to this is expected to be people whose medical treatment was interrupted or stopped because of the pandemic, including people who avoided going to hospital. NHS data shows A&E attendances have halved since March.

ONS figures released last week - the most recent available - showed at least 50,000 more people than usual have died in Britain since the pandemic began.

Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, said analysing all-cause mortality was the best way to look at scale of the crisis.

He told independent organisation FullFact: 'I feel the only unbiased comparison you could make between different countries is by looking at all-cause mortality.

'There are so many questions about the rise we have seen in deaths that have not got COVID-19 on the death certificate.'

He added that many of these will be 'inevitably linked in some way to this epidemic', saying that those figures he would 'prefer to look at'.

Professor Michael Coleman, an epidemiologist at LSHTM, told The Guardian: 'Even if all the persons whose death certificate mentioned Covid-19 are counted, a quarter of the excess mortality in England and Wales is not explained.

'This occurs because some deaths caused by coronavirus occur among people who were not tested.

'Other deaths occur among people with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory conditions that were made worse by coronavirus, and some deaths from unrelated conditions may occur because the health system was overwhelmed.

'All these deaths form part of the overall public health impact of the epidemic, but they will not be revealed by restricting reports to deaths among people who were tested for Covid-19.

'So, in a fast-moving pandemic, the cause of death on the death certificate is not a good way to assess the overall public health impact of the disease.'

Scientists say that accurately comparing countries is difficult and unreliable because each government records death and disease differently, making like-for-like comparisons impossible.

But looking at even raw numbers shows the UK is doing worse than its neighbours, experts say, and can give a broad view of what is happening globally.

Another EU monitoring project has shown England has had the worst excess death rate in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic.

EuroMOMO assigns each country a 'Z-score', showing the deviation from a five-year average of excess deaths.

Many countries, including Spain, Germany, France and Italy, have recorded a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic.

But figures collected by EuroMOMO show England performing worse than Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or any other European country.

England's Z-score peaked at 44.1 during the week that ended April 19, according to the monitoring project, with Spain in second place at 34.7.

The other three UK nations had a far lower Z-score, with Wales peaking at 19.3, Scotland at 17.3 and Northern Ireland at 8.5.

This chart shows the excess death rate of ten European nations as calculated by EU-backed monitoring project EuroMOMO, with England in a clear lead. The figures are for Week 16, which ended April 19

An EU monitoring project assigns each country a 'Z-score', showing the deviation from a five-year average of excess deaths. Many countries, including Belgium, have recorded a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic

France has also recorded a spike in excess deaths amid the coronavirus pandemic. The charts, collected by EuroMOMO, show the average Z score dating all the way back until 2015

Italy recorded a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic but Greece and Hungary have yet to experience a spate of deaths, according to EuroMOMO figures

The Netherlands has also experienced a spike in excess deaths, the charts show. In comparison, Norway, Malta and Luxembourg have avoided a wave of extra fatalities

Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have all suffered a spike in excess deaths, whereas Portugal has yet to experience a rise

England's Z-score peaked at 44.1 during the week that ended April 19, according to the monitoring project, with Spain in second place at 34.7. The other three UK nations had a far lower Z-score, with Wales peaking at 19.3, Scotland at 17.3 and Northern Ireland at 8.5

The UK announced a further 170 deaths from coronavirus today on the first Sunday since draconian lockdown measures were eased

The global death comparison graph has been a fixture of Number 10 coronavirus press conferences but the data is no longer being published by the Government. This chart was taken from a Downing Street briefing last week

It comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer last week accused Boris Johnson of a cover-up after officials scrapped the international death toll comparison graph.

The graph - comparing the UK to Italy, the US and other nations - was a fixture of the daily Number 10 press conference throughout the outbreak.

Sir Keir claimed at Prime Minister's Questions the data is being withheld because it shows the UK is the worst affected nation in Europe.

The Prime Minister hit back and said it was 'premature' to make such comparisons as he labelled coronavirus a 'once in a century epidemic'.

But Mr Johnson's defence was called 'baffling' by Sir Keir, as he pointed out that the Government has repeatedly published the graph during the crisis.

Jenny Harries, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, then piled the pressure on Number 10 to change tack.

She told the daily Downing Street press conference last week there was 'no reason' why the data could not be published.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters during a protest against lockdown measures: Reuters

The healthcare system in Brazils largest city is on the verge of collapse due to coronavirus, its mayor has said.

Bruno Covas, mayor of Sao Paulo, said public hospitals in the city of 12 million people had already reached 90 per cent capacity, and could run out of space within two weeks.

It is hard to believe that some prefer the population to be subjected to Russian roulette. Indifference in the face of death is unseemly, he said of those flouting social distancing measures, which includes the countrys far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil confirmed 7,938 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of Sunday, as well as 485 related deaths, according to data from the Health Ministry. It brought the total number of deaths to 16,118, and the confirmed cases to more than 240,000 - the fourth highest in the world, having overtaken Spain and Italy on Saturday.

Sao Paulo is one of the countrys worst-hit regions, accounting for around a fifth of its confirmed deaths so far.

Mr Covas said he was in discussions with the state governor about introducing a strict lockdown, as although a quarantine was imposed on the city nearly two months ago, there is little punishment for those who ignore the rules.

Despite the grim figures, Mr Bolsonaro has consistently opposed medical experts advice that stringent measures be taken to slow the spread of Covid-19.

On Sunday, he flouted social distancing rules by posing for photographs with children plucked out of a crowd of supportive demonstrators.

In an online video, Mr Bolsonaro said he welcomed the demonstration at the presidential palace in what has become a nearly biweekly affair.

Above all (the people) want freedom, they want democracy, they want respect, he said, adding that Brazilians want to get the economy back up and running as quickly as possible.

But an opinion poll released last Tuesday showed two-thirds of Brazilians agreed with the need for social distancing to contain the outbreak, which governors and health experts recommend, while Mr Bolsonaro tries to open gyms, hair salons and other businesses.

Story continues

On Friday, Nelson Teich resigned as health minister as he and the president showed themselves increasingly out of step, with Mr Bolsonaro calling for a rollback of state quarantines and for the widespread use of unproven drugs, such as chloroquine, to fight the virus.

Chlo-ro-quine! Chlo-ro-quine! chanted Mr Bolsonaro's supporters outside the presidential palace in Sunday, as well as, We want to work!

Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European nations. Brazil had processed nearly 338,000 novel coronavirus tests in official labs by the beginning of last week, according to the Health Ministry. An additional 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting in line.

By contrast, Italy and Spain have each run some 1.9 million official diagnostic tests for the virus.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Read more

How coronavirus could spread like wildfire in Brazils favelas
A migrant labourer allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at a quarantine centre in Balod district on Monday. He was 26.

The police said that the reason of the suicide is yet to be ascertained and the investigation is underway.

Suraj Yadu, a resident of Paraswani village under Arjunda police, returned on Sunday from Surat ( Gujarat) and was kept in a quarantine centre near his village. On Monday evening, he committed suicide by hanging himself, Additional Superintendent of Police, Balod, ML Kotwani told HT.

On Monday, Suraj gave samples for Covid-19 tests after which he was seen inside the school-turned-quarantine centre, the police said.

Later, he was found hanging. The body has been sent for post-mortem and investigation is underway, said Kotwani, adding that he had returned to his village after two years.
CHANGSHA, China, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Zoomlion) announced financial results for its first quarter on April 29. Operating income was 9.066 billion yuan (USD 1.276 billion), 49.9 million yuan (USD 7.05 million) increase versus the prior-year quarter with strong growth seen in concrete machinery, mobile cranes and construction hoisting product sales. Net profit attributable to equity shareholders of the Company was 1.026 billion yuan (USD 145 million), delivering a 2.39% year-on-year growth.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety and health of our workforce, partners, and communities, as well as continuing to operate with growth remain the company's top priorities. Zoomlion implemented several precautionary measures to protect the health of returning employees. The high return-to-work rate also ensured the company is meeting the strong and increasing market demand from home and abroad. New business forms such as "Cloud Marketing" have strengthened the business operation and led to better profit results. The revenue growth rate is significantly higher than the average performance in the industry.

Q1 Business Updates

Benefiting from improvements in product competitiveness, the company's stronger business sectors continue to grow steadily, while emerging business sectors have started to boom. The market share reached the highest level in company history.

During the first quarter, the sales volume of Zoomlion's concrete machinery products witnessed strong growth, retaining the leading position in the market. The sales volume of pump truck products increased by 25% year-on-year and reached the highest sales peak in recent years. The market share of mobile cranes has also grown significantly, with sales both at home and abroad, achieving a record high. Zoomlion continues to maintain the leading position in the construction hoisting category. The booming of the agricultural machinery industry has lead to increased sales of the company's agricultural machinery business sector, which significantly improved the company's profitability. New products such as rice seedling throwers have enjoyed a favorable sales figure in the market. Zoomlion actively explored the market in the earth moving machinery sector and achieved a significant year-on-year growth in sales, while the successful launch of the arm aerial work platform bring forth new growth opportunities to the company.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to COVID-19, Zoomlion actively took precautionary measures to ensure workplace safety prior to the resumption of work and production. Since returning to work from February 5, the company's production capacity has quickly recovered.

As of the report is being released, the company's production capacity has reached the same level as the time before the outbreak of COVID-19, with the total return-to-work rate reaching 100%. Sales in the second quarter are expected to achieve better growth.

About Zoomlion

Founded in 1992, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (01157.HK) is a high-end equipment manufacturing enterprise that integrates engineering machinery, agricultural machinery, and financial services. The company now sells more than 600 cutting-edge products from 55 product lines covering ten significant categories.

SOURCE Zoomlion

Related Links

www.zoomlion.com


Italy's La Biennale di Venezia said on Monday its 17th International Architecture Exhibition would be postponed until 2021, the latest high-profile cultural event to be disrupted by the coronavirus crisis.

The show, entitled "How will we live together?" and curated by Hashim Sarkis, will now take place from May 22 through November 21 next year. It was originally scheduled to run August 29 until November 29.

The cultural institution, which organizes internationally prestigious events in arts and architecture, as well as cinema, dance, music and theatre, said that it was "impossible to move forward" in organizing the exhibit before August due to the coronavirus emergency.

"The current situation, up to now, has definitely prejudiced the realization of the exhibition in its entirety, jeopardizing the realization, transport and presence of the works and consequently the quality of the exhibition itself," the Biennale said in a statement.

Venice hosts in alternate years a Biennale of contemporary art and one for architecture. The order will now be reversed with the contemporary art show to take place in 2022.

Curator Sarkis, who is Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said he hoped that participants would be able to complete their work "with the time and vigor it truly deserves."

"We did not plan it this way. Neither the question I asked , "How will we live together?" nor the wealth of ways in response to it, were meant to address the crisis they are living, but here we are," Sarkis said, noting that the theme of the exhibit allows for "the possibility to respond to the pandemic in its immediacy."

The Biennale has already announced that its most famous event, the Venice Film Festival, is scheduled to take place September 2-12 this year.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Campus News

Chance encounter brings School of Nursing generous donation of surgical masks

Kevin Augustyniak and Janice Jones with one of the boxes of surgical masks Augustyniak donated to the School of Nursing after his mother had a chance encounter with Jones in the parking lot of the Rite Aid in East Aurora.

By CHARLES ANZALONE

It totally took me by surprise.I said, You know, God has a hand in this. This wasnt necessarily a chance encounter. My angels have planned this. 

A chance meeting in an East Aurora Rite Aid parking lot has led to a donation of hundreds of masks to UB students  and a promise of more to come.

Judy Augustyniak, whose son, Kevin, owns a business selling surgical masks to U.S. hospitals and medical personnel, was leaving Rite Aid the afternoon of April 30 when she saw a PHD RN license plate on a car parked nose-to-nose to hers in the parking lot.

Miss, miss, Augustyniak called to the driver, who had gotten out of the car to enter the drug store. Are you a nurse?

Augustyniak told the woman that her son had 2,500 surgical masks he was looking to donate. Did she know anyone who could use some?

Unbeknownst to Augustyniak, the woman with the PHD RN plates was Janice Jones, clinical professor and coordinator of the School of Nursings nursing leadership and health care systems program. Jones knew the nursing school needed thousands of these masks for its students.

She left with a box of 50 three-ply surgical masks  the kind health care providers wear in hospitals  that Augustyniak had in her car. Augustyniak left with Jones business card, which she immediately gave to her son, who has been staying with her in her East Aurora home after he was unable to return to his job in China. Kevin Augustyniak called Jones that day and the following day  May 1  the pair met in the same drug store parking lot, where Augustyniak gave Jones 10 boxes, each containing 50 masks.

We are using them for our students who have to go into the hospitals, says Jones. We also use them for our students when we teach them how to use this equipment: how to put them on, how to take them off and how to dispose of them.

Augustyniak clearly has enjoyed the encounter.

This gave me a tremendous amount of satisfaction because at this time, there are so many people in need, says Augustyniak, 51, who started his company in mid-March and since then has distributed 4 million masks throughout the U.S.

Its a small token. Its such a good feeling to me if I can do something small and make an impact to help people get through this crisis.

Augustyniak, who grew up in East Aurora, has lived in China for the past 15 years, working as a consultant for a company called BrilliantPad that makes an indoor automatic dog potty that secures waste from dogs without owners having to pick up after their pets.

He had returned to East Aurora in January to visit his parents for the Chinese New Year, then delayed his return to China when the COVID-19 epidemic started to peak there. Then the situation in China worsened, and foreigners were banned from returning.

That two-week home visit turned into a two-week delay, and now has become a months-long vacation, said Augustyniak.

The unexpected stay has proven to be beneficial for Augustyniak, the School of Nursing and other health agencies. While he waited in Western New York, officials he knew from a company that makes the paper for BrilliantPad sent Augustyniak an email. They were making surgical masks at the request of the Chinese government. Did Augustyniak need any?

They werent asking about starting a business or selling them, says Augustyniak. They were concerned about my safety. They were willing to send a box (of masks) to the U.S.

Augustyniak asked for 500 masks. He gave them to friends and family, and quickly became aware of the need. Using his business contacts with paper suppliers in China, he started placing orders there. He and two other partners have since started a company, Chicago PPE, and have sold  under market value, he says  about 4 million masks to hospitals, nursing homes and other U.S. facilities.

In addition to the 500 masks donated to UB, Augustyniak has sent 1,000 to Elderwood nursing homes, and promises another 1,000 to the VA Western New York Healthcare System.

Jones says the School of Nursing will need about 5,000 masks for the summer and fall semester. Augustyniak told UBNow he would try to add to his initial donation.

Jones initial encounter with Judy Augustyniak made her believe something special was going on in that parking lot. Kevin Augustyniaks recent offer to give UB more masks has underscored that feeling.

It totally took me by surprise, says Jones. I said, You know, God has a hand in this. This wasnt necessarily a chance encounter. My angels have planned this.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a close-in super-Earth exoplanet in the HD 164922 planetary system.

HD 164922 is a bright G9-type star located approximately 72 light-years away in the constellation of Hercules.

Also known as Gliese 9613 or LHS 3353, the star is slightly smaller and less massive than the Sun and is 9.6 billion years old.

HD 164922 is known to host two massive planets: the temperate sub-Neptune HD 164922c and the Saturn-mass planet HD 164922b in a wide orbit.

The sub-Neptune is 12.9 times more massive than Earth, and orbits the parent star once every 75.8 days at a distance of 0.35 AU (astronomical units).

The Saturn-like planet has a mass 0.3 times that of Jupiter and an orbital period of 1,201 days at a distance of 2.2 AU.

In a new study, Dr. Serena Benatti from the INAF  Astronomical Observatory of Palermo and colleagues searched for additional low-mass planets in the inner region of the HD 164922 system.

The astronomers analyzed 314 spectra of the host star collected by HARPS-N (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher for the Northern hemisphere), a spectrograph on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

We monitored this target in the framework of the Global Architecture of Planetary Systems (GAPS) project focused on finding close-in low-mass companions in systems with outer giant planets, they said.

The team detected an additional inner super-Earth with a minimum mass of 4 times that of the Earth.

Named HD 164922d, the planet orbits the star once every 12.5 days at a distance of 0.1 AU.

This target will not be observed with NASAs Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite (TESS), at least in Cycle 2, to verify if it transits, the researchers said.

Dedicated observations with ESAs CHarachterizing ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) could be proposed, but they can be severely affected by the uncertainty on the transit time.

The teams paper will be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

_____

S. Benatti et al. 2020. The GAPS Programme at TNG  XXIII. HD 164922 d: a close-in super-Earth discovered with HARPS-N in a system with a long-period Saturn mass companion. A&A, in press; arXiv: 2005.03368
The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated Waziri Bulama as its acting National Secretary, the partys spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, announced on Monday.

Mr Bulama was controversially appointed to the position at the height of the partys internal crisis in March, alongside ex-Oyo governor Abiola Ajimobi and Paul Chukwuma as Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Auditor of the party respectively.

The new scribes appointment was opposed by Victor Gaidom, the deputy national Secretary, on the ground that the party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, imposed Mr Bulama on the committee rather than allowing a resolution of the NWC as a body.

The appointment was made public hours after Mr Oshiomhole was suspended as the party chairman by an Abuja High Court.

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However, the partys spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said Mr Bulama was sworn in by the NWC on Monday at the partys secretariat in Abuja.

Bulama would remain in acting capacity pending the North East zonal convention, Mr Issa-Onilu said.

The partys national secretary position became vacant following the election of the former National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, as Governor of Yobe State.

Asides members of the APC NWC, other party dignitaries at the inauguration included the Governor of Gombe State, Mohammed Yahaya; Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum; Chairman of the APC Forum of State Chairmen and the APC chairman in Borno State, Ali Dalori.

Mr Gaidom was reported to have witnessed the inauguration alongside a few other members of the partys NWC.
Mumbai, May 18 : The Indian Navy's indigenously-made PPE kit, 'NavRakshak', made for enhancing comforts of the health workers under Indian conditions, is helping fight the war against Covid-19 in a better and effective manner, officials said here on Monday.

It was made by a doctor who can understand the agony of his fraternity wearing a multi-layered coverall PPE while treating patients for upto 12 hours in hot and humid conditions.

The 'NavRakshak' with an innovative 'breathable' fabric material, has brought new hopes to the medical world and healthcare professionals from whose perspective it has been designed.

"When it comes to PPE, everyone is concerned only about the water, blood, body fluid resistant levels of the material used in making PPE but the comfort and breathability of such PPE is something few have paid attention to.

"This PPE is made by a doctor, keeping in mind a doctor's pain," said Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Arnab Ghosh from Naval Medical Specialist of Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine in Mumbai.

Navrakshak - which translates to a "novel protector", has two distinctive factors; optimal protectiveness and optimal breathability.

Ghosh said: "As a doctor I can say, most of the PPE available in the Indian market are ignoring the 'breathability' factor. Because of this, the health care workers get easily exhausted due to the prolonged use of substandard, low quality PPE." Breathability is the ability of the fabric to permit water vapour to pass through and to prevent the entry of water. The comfort properties of a fabric depend on its ability to transmit water and vapor from the body to prevent accumulation of liquid on the skin.

In this way, thermal energy generated by the body will be transmitted, and vapour moisture will be diffused, resulting in a comfortable condition.

With a view to cater to the unprecedented demand due to Coronavirus pandemic, many NGOs and organisations have already been actively involved in procuring and supplying PPE to the aid of hospitals.

NavRakshak uses a non-woven advanced quality fabric of specific GSM with a certain stitching technique.

The unique character of the fabric used is its strong uniform structure which can act as an excellent barrier for liquids, particles, blood and body fluids.

Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell (IPFC) of the Ministry of Defence has already filed a patent for the innovative cost-effective PPE developed by Indian Navy, to enable rapid mass production of NavRakshak PPE.

"It took me seven days to make this PPE. I had to do extensive research about a wide variety of fabrics, had to study different medical garments like headgears, gloves etc. Due to the lockdown it was even difficult for us to obtain the raw materials. After much research I arrived at this new technology," said Ghosh.

A pilot batch of PPE has already been produced at Naval Dockyard Mumbai. Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine, Mumbai and the Naval Dockyard Mumbai have collaborated to design and produce the PPE.

The new technology has already been tested by INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences) Delhi, a DRDO organization tasked with the testing and certification of PPE.

The PPE passed with 6/6 Synthetic blood penetration resistance test pressure (Government of India mandates minimum 3/6 and above level as per ISO 16603 standard), certified for mass production and use in clinical COVID situations.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Ford Philippines has begun opening a large number of its dealerships in its network while observing strict sanitation and distancing protocols to ensure the safety of its customers.

As we open the majority of our Ford dealer network, we would like to assure our customers and dealer teams that their health and safety remain our top priority with safety and sanitary measures in place in our Ford showrooms, said PK Umashankar, managing director of Ford Philippines.

Some of Fords Luzon dealerships have already started accepting customers last May 16, Saturday. These include Ford Baguio, Cabanatuan, Clark Dagupan, Davao Global City, Ilocos Norte (sales), Iloilo, Libis, Pampanga, Tarlac, Tagum, Zamboanga, and Otis Manila, the lone Ford dealership to open early from the Metro Manila area.

Ford Expedition

Most of Fords Metro Manila will open starting today, May 18. These include Ford Alabang, Balintawak, Commonwealth, EDSA, Makati, Manila Bay, Marikina, Quezon Avenue. Opening alongside these Metro dealerships are those located in Baliuag, Batangas, Cainta, Calamba, Cavite, Laguna, Malolos, Marilao, Sta. Rosa, and Subic.

Ford Cebu and Ford Minglanilla will resume operations as soon as the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measures are lifted at their respective locations.

Fifteen Ford dealerships have already opened between May 1 to 15, including dealerships in Bohol, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Ilocos Norte (Service), Isabela, Naga, Negros Occidental, Ormoc, Palawan, Roxas, Surigao and Tacloban. These were the areas that registered very little to no COVID-19 cases.

As part of the "new business normal," staff at Ford dealerships are instructed to check the temperature of each customer passing through the doors. Those with high fever-level readings will not be allowed to enter and will be advised to seek medical attention.

Common areas, such as showrooms, have also been reconfigured to ensure social distancing.

Story continues

All Ford employees are required to wear face masks and gloves at all times while in company premises. Hazardous waste containers have also been placed at strategic locations for the proper disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Ranger

Ford is also practicing regular disinfection of its cars and company premises. Remote sales and financing support are also provided to reduce customer traffic at dealership sites.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford Philippines deployed a fleet of Ford Transit vans as a means of public transportation for healthcare workers.

Photos from Ford

Also read:

2020 Ford Super Duty Chassis Cabs Look Ready to Rumble

Ford PH Hits All-Time Sales Record for Ford Ranger in 2019
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18

Trend:

The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan issued a statement in connection with the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Lachin district of Azerbaijan, Trend reports on May 18.

"Lachin district was occupied by the Armenian armed forces on May 18, 1992, the statement said. Lachin is one of the Azerbaijani districts located on the border with Armenia, and of great strategic importance."

As a result of the attack of the Armenian armed forces on Lachin district, a city, one settlement, 125 villages were occupied, while 217 cultural institutions, 101 educational institutions, 142 healthcare institutions, 462 trade enterprises, 30 communication enterprises, two road transport companies and other enterprises were seized and destroyed, the document said.

More than 77,000 residents of Lachin district became internally displaced persons, their houses were looted, the statement said. The people internally displaced from Lachin temporarily settled in 57 Azerbaijani cities and districts.

As a result of the occupation, Albanias Agoglan Monastery Complex of the 6th century, the Melik Ajdar Mausoleum of the 14th century, the mosque in Garagyshlag village, the old cemetery in Zabuh village were subjected to vandalism, and this is only some of more than 200 historical monuments of local importance and 54 monuments of the world significance, the document said.

After the occupation of Lachin, natural resources were looted in the district, the community added.

As in other occupied territories, refugees of Armenian descent, especially from Syria, were illegally settled in Lachin district, the statement said. The change in the demographic composition of the district by Armenia, the violation of the fundamental rights of more than 77,000 Azerbaijanis who underwent ethnic cleansing as a result of the occupation of Lachin, are a gross violation of international law.

It is possible to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict fairly only after the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the return of Azerbaijanis, including residents of Lachin district, who were subjected to the ethnic cleansing, to their native lands, the document said.

"The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is ready to live in peace with the Armenian community of the region within the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the document said. Only in this case, the stable and fair peace may be ensured in the region. Therefore, we, the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, once again call the Armenian community for a dialogue."
<! Buhari: to give a broadcast today >

President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation today, his third broadcast since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The time is yet to be confirmed by Aso Rock.

Aliyu Sani, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 disclosed this on Sunday.

He spoke as a guest on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics.

In the broadcast, Buhari is expected to give an update on the Coronavirus pandemic.

He would also announce to Nigerians whether the country would go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

The president in late March imposed a lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja FCT.

He also imposed a lockdown on Kano in April after reports of a spike in coronavirus cases.

Since the gradual easing of the lockdown kicked off on May 4, Nigeria has recorded sharp rise in cases of Coronavirus.

On Sunday, 338 cases were reported by the NCDC.

Lagos, the epicentre of the virus accounted for 177 cases.
The proposed law would see ministers who weren't reelected removed from office six weeks after an election Photo: Kyran OBrien

Unelected ministers would be removed from office six weeks after a general election under proposed new laws.

The legislation will require the Taoiseach to sack ministers who are not re-elected and nominate successors.

Aontu Leader Peadar Toibin, who is submitting the bill, said unelected ministers are costing the State 40,000 a week.

The Aontu Bill seeks to ensure the prompt appointment of successors to ministers and ministers of state who have as a result of a general election ceased to be members of the Oireachtas, he said.

He said cabinet nominations will have to be approved by the Dail and the President but ministers of state can be replaced by the government of the day under the legislation.

Mr Toibin said 100 days after the General Election the country has a Taoiseach with no Mandate, a Cabinet where some Ministers are unelected, a legislature that cannot legislate and a newly elected Dail with very little ability to scrutinise or hold to account.

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That this democratic deficit would be allowed to continue for so long in the teeth of a such a crisis is absolutely wrong. In no other sector of Irish society would such as dysfunctional decision-making process be allowed, he added.

Mr Toibin said the Ministers and Ministers of State (successors) Bill 202 will bring to an end unelected ministers such as Regina Doherty, Shane Ross, Katherine Zappone remaining in office indefinitely on a ministerial salary.

This would give some effect to the democratic process, improve accountability of Ministers and would save the state money.

It is estimated that the current practice of maintaining unelected ministers is costing the state 40,000 a week. There is also a potential exposure to the exchequer in terms of increased pensions in the future as the terms of ministers and the Taoiseach are undemocratically prolonged, he added.

Mr Toibin said the legislation cannot be passed by the Oireachtas until a new Seanad has been formed but added that the bill is not just for the present but also the future.

Each House of the Oireachtas is individually responsible for its own work and we have a responsibility to resolve this blatant democratic deficit, he added.
EAGLE BUTTE -- The Cheyenne River Sioux and Oglala Sioux tribes are refusing to bow to an order South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem sent the two tribes on May 8. The order states the tribes must remove coronavirus traffic checkpoints from reservation borders or face legal action.

The top elected leaders of the states two largest tribes argue that Constitutional and treaty law establish their tribal sovereignty and authority to protect their people operating the roadside stops within their boundaries.

I regretfully decline your request, Cheyenne River Sioux Chair Harold Frazier said in a letter to Noem on May 8. I stand with our Councilman Ed Widow that the purpose of our actions is to, save lives rather than save face. He also added, We will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death.

One reason the checkpoints are necessary is South Dakotas slow and ineffective response to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Oglala Sioux Tribal President Julian Bear Runner.

The Dewey County Sheriff's Office assisted the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe at a coronavirus checkpoint on the reservation in April 2020. Photo courtesy Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

South Dakota is one of five states that hasnt issued a shelter-in-place mandate, despite a steady increase in confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Due to this lack of judgement and planning of preventative measures ... , the Oglala Sioux Tribe has adopted reasonable and necessary measures to protect the health and safety of our tribal members and other residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Bear Runner wrote to Noem on May 8.

Governor Noem and Bureau of Indian Affairs officials have asserted that the checkpoints must be removed because they are in violation of a memorandum sent by the BIA. The memo states that tribes must consult with state officials before closing or restricting travel on State or U.S. highways.

Both Chairman Frazier and President Bear Runner have said they have not closed any roads and are using the checkpoints to mitigate and track the spread of the coronavirus.

Non-residents whose travel is considered non-essential are advised to pass through the Reservation without stopping, wrote President Bear Runner to Noem. It is not our intent to deny them passage through the Reservation, including on U.S. Highway 18 and State Highways 44, 391, and 407.

Why is it permissible for some to limit travel within their territory, but not acceptable for sovereign Indian nations to do the same? Marcella LeBeau, the 100yo Lakota veteran who served in World War II, defends #Coronavirus checkpoints. @govkristinoem https://t.co/hXNydnQZhS  indianz.com (@indianz) May 11, 2020

At the heart of the debate is the scope of tribal authority on state and federal highways that run through tribal territory. Chairman Frazier and President Bear Runner argue that the law supports the tribes.

In his May 8 response to the governor, Frazier cited Article 16 of the 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty which stipulates and agrees that no white person or persons shall be permitted to settle upon or occupy any portion of the same; or without the consent of the Indians first had and obtained, to pass through the same. He added that while collaboration is crucial during this time, being forced to remove the checkpoints restricts the fundamental right of the tribe -- a sovereign nation -- to protect their people.

I absolutely agree that we need to work together during this time of crisis, however you continuing to interfere in our efforts to do what science and facts dictate seriously undermine our ability to protect everyone on the reservation, wrote Frazier.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe also cited the Ft. Laramie Treaty in their response letter:

The 1868 Treaty recognizes that our Reservation was set apart for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupation of our Indian people, wrote President Bear Runner. He added that, according to the treaty, outsiders would not ever be permitted to pass over, settle upon, or reside in [our territory].

Contact Justine Anderson@justinekanderson@gmail.com

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today

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Autoworkers begin returning en masse to factories and other production facilities around the US today. The auto giants, with the support of state governments and the Trump administration, have pushed ahead with their reopening plans despite the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus pandemic and widespread opposition by workers to a premature and life-threatening return to work.

Over the weekend, reported cases of COVID-19 in the US surpassed 1.5 million, with over 90,000 deaths, according to the Worldometer web site. Throughout last week, over 20,000 new cases and over 1,000 deaths were reported each day. Chicago, where Ford is restarting production at an assembly plant on the economically hard-hit South Side tomorrow, is not even projected to reach its peak in cases until mid-June, according to state health officials models.

Approximately 133,000 workers are expected to return to automotive assembly plants this week, the Associated Press has estimated. This does not include the tens of thousands more at auto parts suppliers, many of whom were recalled last week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that roughly 400,000 autoworkers did not work in April due to plant shutdowns.

The ruling class views the auto industry reopening both as a test run to gauge the level of resistance by workers and key to restarting the flow of profits for Americas corporate and financial elite. Restarting the entire auto ecosystem is how we restart the economy, Fords CEO Jim Farley said on a recent conference call cited by the New York Times. The auto industry is Americas economic engine.

The restart at General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler today, along with the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana, follows the earlier reopening of Honda and Toyota last week, and of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Kia at the beginning of May. Volkswagen was also expected to restart its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee yesterday.

Last weekend, electric carmaker Tesla also reopened, defying an order by California county health officials. Billionaire CEO Elon Musk, who has promoted conspiracy theories downplaying the lethality of the virus, threatened to move the companys operations to Texas or Nevada if he was not allowed to restart, perversely describing social distancing efforts as fascism.

But as the Financial Times noted Friday, Mr. Musk may also have had sound financial reasons to act out. UBS analyst Patrick Hummel estimates that Tesla is foregoing upwards of $500m in revenues a week amid the shutdown, money that a company that has never had a profitable year can ill-afford to forego. Scott Panier, founder of a car subscription service and friend of Musk, added that the billionaire executive is a very libertarian, free-market type who has never wavered on that stuff.

Autoworkers in Sterling Heights, Michigan line up in the early morning hours of Friday, May 15, 2020. These workers were called in to prepare for today's restart of production. (photo: Facebook)

The companies, the United Auto Workers union, and the corporate media have all touted new safety measures such as temperature checks and screening questionnaires in the run-up to the May 18 start-date. But the profit interests of Musk and his fellow oligarchs are incompatible with the provision of adequate protective measures.

They are not testing people so the one standing next to you could be a carrier and doesnt know it, a worker at a parts supplier in Toledo, Ohio, told the World Socialist Web Site. Nobody in their right mind would want to go back with workers breathing on top of each other.

Even with the shutdown of the auto industry since mid-March, forced by the wildcat strikes of autoworkers in a number of states that month, COVID-19 has claimed 22 workers at Fiat Chrysler, 11 at Ford, and one contract worker at GM.

The dangers posed by the lack of regular, universal testing were shown again last week, when a worker at FCAs Sterling Heights Assembly Plant tested positive for the coronavirus after working to prep the plant for several days. According to others at the plant, the worker had forthrightly reported that she had a cough on FCAs questionnaire, and yet was called back to work the next day after management asked whether the cough could be due to other causes, such as allergies.

Workers have widely shared the understanding that it is not yet safe to return to work. A worker at a Lear auto parts plant in Michigan said, We have a Facebook group and have been talking about it. We sent a survey that got 200 responses, and only three people wanted to go back, just because they didnt want to be stuck at home anymore.

Right now, theres still safety concerns. You still have a ton of people testing positive, an enormous amount of positive tests every day, and its really scary. By us working so close together, theres not enough room between us to keep us safe."

Going back to work puts our whole house in danger, a worker at the Ford Chicago Assembly said. Im afraid of catching the virus and spreading it to my own children. Returning back to a plant with so many other people or sending my children out to be looked after gives us a higher risk of being infected.

The auto companies, the UAW and the government are also attempting to use extreme financial pressure, including the threat of losing unemployment benefits or permanently losing their jobs, to strongarm the workers back into the plants. The companies in particular hope to blackmail temporary workers, who receive less unemployment pay and have fewer benefits, key concessions given up by the UAW in recent contracts.

Temporary part-time workers, also known as TPTs, can be fired or lose any chance of being rolled over to full-time if they refuse to work when called in. Fiat Chrysler is reportedly ordering all TPTs to report to work Monday morning because the company anticipates that large numbers of older workers on the A Crew will not show up and use sick time or Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time.

Ford has reportedly hired 1,300 temporary workers because of anticipated absenteeism. A Ford Dearborn Stamping Plant worker told the World Socialist Web Site, Im extremely worried. I go back on Monday night. If I dont go back, Im sure to lose my job. If they think this wont affect our safety, they are nuts.

A number of anxious commentaries over risks facing the auto industry restart have appeared in the corporate press in recent days, concerned about the vulnerability of US supply chains to disruption due to the impact of COVID-19 in Mexico. Mercedes-Benz, owned by Germanys Daimler AG, was forced to idle its plant in Vance, Alabama on Friday because of a shortage of parts. Dozens of workers have died at auto parts plants in Mexico, including 20 at Michigan-based auto supplier Lear Corporations facilities in Ciudad Juarez.

The Trump administration and corporate lobbyists have been exerting significant pressure on the Mexican government to allow suppliers for US businesses to reopen in time for the May 18 auto industry start date. The administration of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has signaled that it will oblige, announcing Friday that auto companies in the country can restart before the countrys nominal lockdown ends on June 1.

For its part, the UAWs Solidarity House has gone virtually silent in recent days, issuing no statements from President Rory Gamble since last Monday, after spending weeks falsely claiming a return to work is now safe. But local UAW officials have continued to beat the drum for a return to work and advocate for the companies bottom line. Everybody is burning cash, Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862 in Louisville, Kentucky told the New York Times. And the company needs to produce, or we wont have a company to go back to.

Workers will not be protected by management, corrupt unions or federal and state safety regulators, which are all beholden to the corporations profit interests. That is why they must take matters into their own hands through the formation of rank-and-file safety committees in every factory and workplace. These committees should select trusted medical experts committed to protect human life and oversee health and safety conditions in the factories. This includes the provision of protective equipment, enforcing social distancing and demanding regular testing of workers, regardless of whether they show symptoms.

These measures must be implemented regardless of their impact on production and the bottom line of the corporations. If management refuses to implement these basic precautions, if supervisors conceal information about infections in the plants or retaliate against workers for informing their co-workers about unsafe conditions, the committees reserve the right to call all workers out. The guiding principle of these safety committees must be that workers lives take precedence over corporate profit.

Who is going to be held responsible if the worst comes? the worker at Ford Chicago Assembly asked. I feel that we are heading for a big setback by starting too early. And not only are workers put on the front lines, but their families and children are too. All for an extra dollar for the company.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 04:44:51|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on parties in Syria to engage constructively in dialogue to seek a political settlement of the crisis in the country.

China attaches great importance to the appeals by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Special Envoy Geir Pedersen for a cease-fire in Syria, and calls on all parties to enhance mutual trust, de-escalate the situation and jointly combat the COVID-19pandemic, said Yao Shaojun, China's acting deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

There is a window of opportunity to promote inclusive dialogue and create favorable conditions for a political solution, he told a virtual meeting of the Security Council.

The Syrian parties should continue to engage constructively with each other and maintain dialogue within the framework of the Constitutional Committee, he said.

The future of Syria must be decided by the Syrians on their own, without foreign interference. It is fundamental to respect and safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, he added. Enditem




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The Vatican is marking the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis' environmental encyclical by calling for the world to map out a sustainable post-coronavirus future that considers the plight of the hungry and poor.

To kick off the week, 42 faith organizations from 14 countries announced they were divesting from fossil fuels. Among them are a handful of Catholic dioceses and religious orders in Britain, Ireland and the developing world, as well as some individual Methodist, Baptist and Quaker churches.

Francis has made protecting the planet one of the hallmarks of his papacy, and in 2015 issued a landmark encyclical, Praised Be, to lay out his appeal in the most authoritative teaching document a pope can pen.

In it, Francis denounced the perverse economic model that had allowed the wealthy to exploit the poor and turn the Earth into an immense pile of filth.

Its main idea is that the world is interconnected, and that climate change, hunger, poverty and migratory flows should not be considered in isolation but as interdisciplinary problems that require global solidarity to resolve.

Top Vatican officials say the coronavirus had proved the point, with a virus outbreak that started in one place quickly turning into a global pandemic and economic crisis that is driving hunger and poverty around the world.

Although COVID has highlighted the fragility of our food systems, it is still an opportunity to change, both in production and consumption patterns and in private and public actions," said the Rev. Augusto Zampini, one of Francis' top envrironmental advisers.

It is time for a deep and global ecological conversion." He spoke at a weekend briefing at the start of a week-long promotion of the encyclical's teachings, which are being promoted at the Vatican and in local churches via Zoom calls and other campaigns.

In these times of pandemic, in which we realize the importance of caring for our common home, I hope all reflection and commitment can help create and strengthen constructive attitudes to care for creation, Francis said Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One week on since France lifted its restrictive measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus, dozens of clusters have appeared in different regions across the country. Health authorities have assured the public that these situations are under control and massive testing is underway.

Health experts had already warned that new contaminations would appear as the lifting of lockdown measures continued, and the only way to contain the spread would be to ensure tests were done and any cases isolated if necessary.

France's health minister Olivier Veran told Le Parisien on Sunday that a national system for testing, isolating and breaking the chain of transmission was operational.

The government objective government is 700,000 tests per week, he said. It is estimated that there are only approximately 350,000 a week at present.

Ambitious testing campaign

Special teams of workers have been established in each region to deal with tracking down anyone who has been in contact with an infected person, and asking them to get tested, a lengthy process.

Daniel Levy-Bruhl, head of respiratory infections unit for the national public health service told Le Journal du Dimanche that "the easing of confinement will inevitably lead to a rise in the number of transmissions."

As the amount of testing goes up, automatically more cases will be confirmed. But this is not necessarily a cause for alarm, experts say.

Antoine Flahault, epidemiologist, told Le Journal du Dimanche that as long as there are under 1000 confirmed cases per day, France "is in a secure zone," when it comes to the epidemic.

Jean-Paul Quillet, the director of Saumur Hospital in the Pays-de-Loire region told France televisions that he would prefer the term "centres of infection" rather than "cluster" and is keen to underline that testing does not necessarily mean someone is ill.

"We have 63 patients who are potentially contaminated, and will be tested, 23 have already tested positive, 40 others negative," he explained.

"Out of 23 patients, on Sunday, 18 have been sent to special covid-19 units in hospital in Saumur since last Wednesday. The five others have been sent home, and are being monitored by their doctors."

Hospitals, abattoirs

Other clusters have also appeared in hospitals, such as 50 cases in Lannion, Brittany, until now considered a 'green' zone with relatively few cases.

There, a patient in a geriatric ward tested positive on 1 May. Some 500 tests were carried out, and 50 cases of covid-19 confirmed, 27 of those health professionals, and 23 patients. All have been hospitalized or put into quarantine.

Three clusters have appeared in abattoirs in the last two weeks, one in Vendee, southwest France, another in the central department of Loiret,and a third in Brittany.

The local authorities have insisted that these cases are under control and all employees are being tested.

They also say there is no danger to the consumer of meat products handled in these abattoirs.

As of Monday, no clusters have been reported in Normandy or Corsica.

Clusters of Covid-19 in France:
MIAMI, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, to provide a business update. The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation Company that controls and operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises. The Company is also a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49% shareholder of the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together these brands operate a combined total of 62 ships with an additional 16 on order as of March 31, 2020. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.silversea.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, www.rclcorporate.com or www.rclinvestor.com.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Related Links

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A virologist at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Kofi Bonney, says Ghana is recording high recoveries of the novel coronavirus because most of the people who contracted the disease were asymptomatic.



Of the 5,735 cases recorded in the country as at last Saturday, recoveries stood at 1,754 with 29 deaths.



Health authorities say a 1,000 more people are expected to recover in the coming days.



The high recovery rate has got a section of the Ghanaian public raising doubts over the credibility of the numbers.



A special aide to former President John Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, questioned the recovery rate as released by officials and wondered how it came about.



How the hell did 790 more people recover overnight!!We need to put these numbers to strict proof! she tweeted.



But Mr Bonney commenting on the issue on 3FM Sunrise morning show said You could see that most of the cases that we had in the country, we had more mild cases and a lot of asymptomatic.



Even if you are asymptomatic so long as there is presence of the virus or in the individual the test is going to pick it as positive. So we do a lot of contact tracing and people who are walking around showing no signs or symptoms of the disease are picked up as positive.



Some of them even question you whether you are sure they are positive, he told host of the show, Alfred Ocansey.



He said it is not surprising to have a number of [high] recoveries especially if you are having mild cases as most of the cases that we are recording. So I am not actually taken aback when I see the figures.

Source: 3news.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.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:33:34|Editor: huaxia

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ABUJA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Twenty Boko Haram militants were killed following a gunfight with government troops in Nigeria's northeastern town of Baga, military spokesman John Enenche said on Monday.

Nine government soldiers were wounded in the encounter in Baga, one of the locations frequently attacked by Boko Haram in the northern state of Borno, on Sunday, the spokesman said.

The Boko Haram militants, armed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, were on the move to attack villages in Baga when the troops stopped their convoy with overwhelming firepower, Enenche said.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, extending its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad Basin.

The group has posed enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges in the Lake Chad basin, which also include Chad, Cameroon, Benin, and Niger, according to the United Nations. Enditem
City workers put up a bigger fence around the fox den. Then, they extended it all the way down to the water, so the foxes had their own private beach.

Soon after, volunteers with the Toronto Wildlife Center, a local charity that rehabilitates sick and injured wild animals, swooped in. They were concerned that the animals were becoming habituated to human contact, which could prove their undoing: If they scratch or otherwise injure a human, the city would euthanize them and test their brains for rabies, Ms. Leiher said.

So the volunteers replaced the fence along the boardwalk with an even taller one, and wrapped it in green cloth, and the foxes were spared not just reaching hands but prying eyes.

Giant signs were posted with a warning: Smile, youre on camera.

The volunteers began staffing the site, for 16 hours a day, to shoo away both humans and any baby foxes that tried to approach human visitors.

Its known as aversive conditioning, and the volunteers can only hope it works.

Theyve been trained to go to people for food, explained Nathalie Karvonen, the Wildlife Centers executive director. Its questionable whether we can turn it around now.

The city also beefed up its patrols in the area. Jogging by one day in early May, I counted five enforcement officers, tasked with ticketing people who gathered too close together in parks.

One officer was yelling at a lone pedestrian for stopping and trying to look over the fence.

Our chief concern is for the animals welfare, said Brad Ross, the City Hall spokesman.
The White House announced Monday that President Trump will nominate Justin Herdman, currently the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

Why it matters: The U.S. attorney's office in D.C. has overseen some of the most politically charged cases in the country in recent years, including the prosecutions of Trump associates Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn and other spinoffs from the Mueller investigation.

Between the lines: In January, Timothy Shea, a close confidante of Attorney General Bill Barr, was tapped to temporarily lead the office after Jessie Liu stepped down earlier this year to take a top position at the Treasury Department. Liu's appointment to that post was later withdrawn after she became a focus of Trump's frustrations due in part to her decision not to indict former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

Shea has since drawn controversy for his interventions in the prosecutions of Stone and Flynn.

In February, Shea submitted a sentencing memo in the Stone case that overruled career prosecutors who had recommended the former Trump adviser serve seven to nine years in prison for lying to Congress and obstructing justice. All four prosecutors withdrew from the case in protest.

Earlier this month, Shea was the sole signatory of the Justice Department's motion to dismiss charges against Flynn due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

The big picture: Shea, whose tenure was limited to 120 days, will become acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, CNN first reported and an administration official confirmed to Axios.
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With the dice still rolling on the upcoming gubernatorial exercise in Anambra State, the presidency has begun making moves towards taking Anambra State in the win column for the All Progressive Congress [APC].

Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from competent sources indicates the presidency has virtually decided on taking Anambra State politically away from the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] following the conclusion of Governor Willie Obianos tenure. It is believed Gov. Obiano enjoys a good relationship with the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

Particularly, a source indicates Dr. Chris Ngige who had served as a Governor and as a Senator and now a Minister of the federal republic of Nigeria is concerned by the movers and shakers within the presidency as the star candidate for Anambra gubernatorial seat and possibly for the presidential seat at the conclusion of President Buharis tenure. The governors position will serve as a stepping stone to presidency.

President Buhari enjoys the company of Ngige and trusts him reveals the source who recalled that it was President Buhari who personally penciled in the name of Dr. Ngige for the ministerial position after it was removed by late Abba Kyari  after Buhari had won reelection. The President sees Ngige as the leader of the party in the south east and as a towering political figure.

However, Dr. Ngige has not been as eager to join the political fray. His foray into the political arena had not been as successful as he might have wanted. Following his stint as the governor of Anambra State, he made several failed efforts to regain the seat using other political platforms. The repeated failures were not encouraging to the once popular political maestro of the south east. He later won the senatorial seat.

Dr. Ngige, as gathered by 247ureports.com had told friends and close associates to stop associating his name with the gubernatorial race  that he is not interested. He made it clear he is doing alright at the Federal Ministry of Labor.

Other major contenders for the gubernatorial seat are  Prof Charles Soludo, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Hon. Chris Azubogu, Dr. Godwin Maduka, Akachukwu Nwangbo, Sen. Ifeanyi Uba and others.
OWOSSO, Mich. - A Texas salon owner who was sent to jail for opening her business during the coronavirus outbreak called Michigan's governor a tyrant on Monday as she stood next to a barber whose license was suspended for cutting hair.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In this Monday, May 18, 2020 photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer seeks during a news conference in Lansing, Mich. Restaurants, bars and other retail businesses can reopen in much of northern Michigan starting Friday, May 22, Gov. Whitmer announced Monday  a key step for the tourism-dependent region before the Memorial Day weekend and summer season. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, Pool)

OWOSSO, Mich. - A Texas salon owner who was sent to jail for opening her business during the coronavirus outbreak called Michigan's governor a tyrant on Monday as she stood next to a barber whose license was suspended for cutting hair.

Gretchen, the state of Michigan will vote you out, Shelley Luther declared, referring to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Luther travelled to Owosso, a small Michigan town, to express support for Karl Manke, a 77-year-old barber who reopened his shop for more than a week before state regulators suspended his license.

Luther, the owner of Salon a la Mode in Dallas, was sentenced to a week in jail for flouting public health orders intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. She was released less than 48 hours later when Gov. Greg Abbott dropped jail as a possible punishment for violations.

One of her first customers after jail was U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Luther told the crowd that she reopened to pay bills, support her employees and offer much-needed services in a clean salon.

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.

"Why does your governor think that it's OK to open up for marijuana, liquor sales? said Luther, whose boyfriend grew up an hour away in Frankenmuth. Can't you get an abortion? But you cannot get your hair cut. What is wrong?

Stop being a tyrant," Luther said of the governor. Open up. You dont get this control. We control you. We have the power."

Whitmer has defended the business restrictions as an important way to stop the virus. She relented a bit Monday by announcing plans to reopen bars and restaurants Friday in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, which havent been hit as hard as the rest of Michigan.

Protesters, some bearing guns, have repeatedly travelled to the Capitol to demand the governor loosen a one-size-fits-all strategy. Republican lawmakers are suing Whitmer over her emergency declarations.

Since March, Michigan has confirmed nearly 52,000 virus cases, although more than 28,000 people have recovered. There have been at least 4,900 deaths from COVID-19  the fourth-highest total in the nation  including 20 in Shiawassee County where Manke cuts hair.

Michigan is among many states that have enacted stay-home orders and imposed an array of restrictions on salons, bars and restaurants. Abbott on Monday lifted most restrictions in Texas as that state continues one of the nations fastest reboots.
Tehran, May 18 : Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US will soon be expelled from Syria and Iraq, "where it is illegally present in the two Arab countries".

Khamenei made the remarks in a video-conference meeting with the Iranian students on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"For sure, Americans will not remain in Iraq and Syria, and they will be expelled" from those countries as the Americans "have supported terrorism" and "are abhorred" by the regional nations, he added.

His remarks come almost two months after he called the US "the most evil enemy of the Iranian nation".
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' with its global expansion drive in his latest blast against the Communist superpower.

Pompeo said China had backed out of promises not to send warships to the South China Sea and 'diminished' the One Country, Two Systems policy in Hong Kong.

He said China's actions take the dispute between the US and Beijing 'far beyond' coronavirus.

Speaking to right-wing news site Breitbart, he said: 'What the Chinese Communist Party is doing, it goes so far beyond whats happened in the time of this coronavirus.

'I think the American people, and I hope people all across the world, understand the risk to the globe - to freedom-loving countries and democracies around the world - that are presented by the actions of the Chinese Communist Party.'

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) said China (Chinese President Xi Jinping, right) poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' in his latest blast against the Communist superpower

China has significant influence over Asia, Europe and parts of Africa with seaports, roads and rail routes spanning miles

State Department IG fired by Trump was investigating Pompeo By LAUREN FRUEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM The State Department inspector general fired by President Trump was said to have been investigating claims Mike Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning. Donald Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Steve Linick in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday night. That made him the fourth government inspector general to be ousted in recent weeks. Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, pictured, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Departments management Two officials have now told NBC Linick was looking into whether Secretary of State Pompeo made the staffer carry out personal tasks, including booking dinner reservations for the Republican and his wife. Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, suggesting Pompeo was responsible, in what 'may be an illegal act of retaliation'. One White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: 'Secretary Pompeo recommended the move and President Trump agreed.' Trump's adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday downplayed the firing of the State Department's top internal watchdog, saying the 'deep state' has caused problems for the administration and those who are not loyal must go. The top Democrats on the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committees questioned the timing and motivation of what they called an 'unprecedented removal.' 'We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions,' House panel chairman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement announcing the probe. The two Democrats said it was their understanding that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally recommended Linick's firing because the inspector general 'had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself.' A State Department spokesperson confirmed Linick had been fired but did not comment on the Democratic investigation or Pompeo's role in the dismissal. The agency said Stephen Akard, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, would take over the watchdog job. Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration, is the fourth inspector general fired by Trump since early April following the president's February acquittal by the Republican-led Senate in an impeachment trial. Pelosi called the ousting an acceleration of a 'dangerous pattern of retaliation.' Advertisement

Pompeo's statements are the latest in a war of words between the two superpowers over China's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first cases of which were reported in Wuhan.

The US has joined international demands for an independent inquiry with calls set to be made for a full probe as the World Health Organization holds its virtual assembly today and tomorrow.

The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Trump having accused it of a 'China-centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding.

Last month, Pompeo accused the Chinese Communist Party of not being transparent about spread of the coronavirus, claiming they had not shared samples of the bug 'making it impossible to track the disease's evolution.'

On Friday, China admitted that it destroyed early samples of COVID-19 at unauthorized laboratories.

Earlier this month, Pompeo said there was 'enormous evidence' that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a laboratory in Wuhan.

His harsh words prompted a state-run Chinese newspaper to accuse him of betraying his faith.

The Global Times, a major Communist propaganda outlet, alleged that as a 'devout Christian', Pompeo had committed the sin of lying and suggested that he should be punished while the Chinese state broadcaster labelled him 'evil'.

Today, China branded Trump, Pompeo and top trade adviser to the President Peter Navarro the professional lying trio.

In his interview with Breitbart this weekend, Pompeo said: 'Theyve come at me too. All kinds of names.'

He added: 'Those attacks demonstrate weakness, not resolve, by the Chinese Communist Party.'

Pompeo's critiques echoed that of the President's in recent weeks as the coronavirus death toll in the US continued to soar, making the country the worst-affected in the world.

Donald Trump has insisted that Beijing recklessly concealed important information about the outbreak.

Trump claimed that he had seen evidence that coronavirus started in the Wuhan virology laboratory and warned he could impose tariffs of $1trillion on China in retribution for the pandemic.

And on Wednesday, the President said 'the ink was barely dry' on a trade deal when the 'world was hit by the Plague from China'.

It comes as Pompeo remains embroiled in controversy over the State Department inspector general fired by President Trump.

Inspector General Steve Linick was said to have been investigating claims Pompeo made a staffer walk his dog and pick up his dry cleaning.

Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Linick in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday night.

That made him the fourth government inspector general to be ousted in recent weeks.

Yesterday, Pompeo warned China against interfering with American journalists working in Hong Kong.

In a statement, he said: 'It has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong.

On Wednesday, the President said 'the ink was barely dry' on a trade deal when the 'world was hit by the Plague from China'

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

UK joins international demands for inquiry into handling of coronavirus By JAMES TAPSFIELD, POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE China is facing mounting pressure over coronavirus as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease. Calls are set to be made for a full probe as the World Health Organisation holds its virtual assembly today and tomorrow. The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding. Meanwhile, the UK is among the backers of an EU resolution urging an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the international response to COVID-19. Although the text does not refer explicitly to China it is seen as an opening shot in a looming battle over the origins of the disease. Beijing has been accused of causing deaths by covering up the early stages of the outbreak, and hiding its death toll. At least 116 countries have signed the resolution - well over the two-thirds threshold needed for it to be put forward tomorrow. The text calls on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to initiate 'field missions' to identify the source of the virus and how it crossed the species barrier to reach humans. The WHO and most experts believe the virus emerged in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan late last year. Advertisement

'These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres.'

'Any decision impinging on Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory.'

'One Country, Two Systems' is the arrangement under which Hong Kong was handed back to China from Britain in 1997, designed to guarantee rights and freedoms in the semi-autonomous city.

In February, China kicked out three journalists from The Wall Street Journal after the newspaper ran an opinion piece on the coronavirus crisis with a headline that Beijing deemed racist.

Weeks later, Washington curbed the number of Chinese nationals from state-run news outlets in the United States.

Beijing responded in March by expelling more than a dozen American journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

China's foreign ministry also made the landmark announcement that these journalists would not be allowed to work in Hong Kong, even though the financial hub is nominally in charge of its own immigration policies.

The semi-autonomous financial hub is a major regional base for international media partly because it boasts certain liberties denied on the authoritarian mainland. In the past, foreign journalists expelled from China often relocated to Hong Kong.

The deputy director of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department Zhao Lijian said in response: 'We have said many times that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and no foreign government organizations or individuals have the right to intervene.'

On Friday, it was reported in Chinese state media China is planning 'necessary' retaliation measures to punish the American politicians.

Liu Dengfeng (pictured), a supervisor with China's National Health Commission, admitted that early samples of the coronavirus had been destroyed

Beijing's sources stressed that the sanctions to be announced by the Communist Party 'will impact' the upcoming US presidential election in November.

The punitive penalties will also be given to Missouri and 'other US individuals and entities' that have sued China over its perceived mishandling of the health crisis, reported the Global Times citing insiders.

Missouri filed a lawsuit against China last month, accusing it of 'lying to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19'. Mississippi said a day later it was also preparing to sue Beijing for similar reasons.

Last month, the US deployed two ships for combined exercises not far from where a Chinese government survey ship, Haiyang Dizhi 8, was said to be operating. Pompeo said China had backed out of promises not to send warships to the South China Sea

The United States Navy announced that it has deployed the USS Montgomery (seen above on Friday) to a contentious area of the disputed South China Sea

China brands Trump, Pompeo and White House adviser Navarro as the 'lying trio' as it intensifies anti-US campaign due to coronavirus tensions

By BILLIE THOMSON and JEMMA CARR FOR MAILONLINE

China's state TV has labelled US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro as a 'lying trio' as it steps up its rhetoric against Washington amid coronavirus tensions.

CGTN, the English arm of Beijing's state broadcaster CCTV, accused the Trump administration of 'spinning a web of coronavirus lies' to dodge their responsibilities after failing to contain COVID-19 in the United States.

The news came as Pompeo warned over the weekend that China poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' with its global expansion drive in his latest rant against the Communist superpower.

CGTN blasted Trump, Pompeo and Navarro last Friday during an opinion show 'Headline Buster'.

CGTN, the English arm of China's state broadcaster, has attacked the Trump administration by calling Trump, Pompeo and Peter Navarro as a 'lying trio' amid escalating political tensions between Beijing and Washington. President Trump is pictured at the White House on Sunday

'Over 80,000 Americans have lost their lives to the coronavirus so far, with over 1.4 million infected.

'The US economy is in freefall. Unemployment is heading [towards] record highs and Americans are understandably upset,' criticised the show's Canadian-Chinese anchor Li Qiuyuan.

'Now somebody's got to take the fall, and Trump is bound and determined it's not going to be him,' she continued.

Ms Li then told her audience to look at what she referred to as the 'facts'.

US Secretary of State Pompeo (pictured on May 6) warned over the weekend that China poses a risk to 'freedom-loving countries and democracies' with its global expansion drive in his latest rant against the Communist superpower. Chinese media called him 'evil' and 'insane'

Peter Navarro, 70, has become one of the White House's most prominent spokespeople, first over trade with China, and now as point man for procurement of essential supplies to deal with the coronavirus crisis. He is pictured preparing for an interview at the White House on Friday

She said: 'Months were squandered between January 21 - when the US reported what was [at] the time thought to be its first case of coronavirus  and March 31 when Trump declared a national emergency and started talking or taking steps to fight the virus domestically.'

'Trump, Pompeo, Navarro team up to debut as the "lying trio",' the station claimed on its account on Weibo, the equivalent to Twitter, while introducing the episode of the weekly programme.

The coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December before sweeping across the world. The pandemic has so far killed more than 315,000 people and infected over 4.7 million.

Li Qiuyuan, a Canadian-Chinese anchor, ripped Trump, Pompeo and Navarro one by one in an opinion show from Beijing. She is seen during the programme 'Headline Buster' on Friday

The coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December before sweeping across the world. The pandemic has so far killed more than 315,000 people and infected over 4.7 million. Pictured, patients wait at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on January 24

The United States has been the country hit the worst by the disease, with more than 90,000 deaths. Chinese officials have reported 4,634 fatalities, but Western countries have expressed doubts over their virus figures.

Political tensions between China and the United States have erupted in the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic as the two superpowers slam each other's handling of the health crisis.

The US accuses China of covering up the full scale of its epidemic and hiding the virus's origin. Trump and Pompeo have repeatedly used the phrases 'China virus' and 'Wuhan virus' to describe the pathogen.

China accuses the US of carrying out 'smear campaigns' and avoiding its responsibilities in containing the disease. A spokesperson also suggested that the virus was planted in Wuhan by the US troops.
Diane Smith Howard, managing attorney for criminal and juvenile justice at the National Disability Rights Network, said the investigation of Fairfax County is the first of its kind her organization is aware of nationwide. But more are likely to follow, she predicted, because so many districts are struggling to serve children with disabilities. While some districts have come up with innovative solutions to continue special education  such as holding speech therapy sessions via videoconference  others are basically trying to dodge the law, Howard said.
The FBI uncovered cellphone evidence that links al-Qaeda to last year's shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, that killed three service members, the New York Times reports.

The state of play: The agency discovered that the gunman, a Saudi Air Force cadet training with the American military, communicated with an operative of a branch of the terrorist group who encouraged the attacks.

The FBI found the texts by bypassing the security features on at least one of the shooter's two iPhones without help from Apple, which refused to give the military access to the encrypted phone data.

It is unclear whether the al-Qaeda operative specifically directed the shooter to carry out the shooting, but an official told the Times that the shooter was in contact with the terrorist branch, including its leadership, up until the attack.

The big picture: The shooting increased tensions between the U.S. and Saudi governments, which were already elevated after the assassination of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2o18.

And whether law enforcement has the right to access encrypted data on smartphones remains unsettled and is one of the most hotly debated issues in tech, with no clear middle ground.

What's next: Attorney General Bill Barr is set to address the finding during an 11am news conference.

Barr said earlier this year that the shooting was an "act of terrorism" and that the Saudi gunman was determined to have been "motivated by jihadist ideology."

Go deeper: Florida shooting spirals into international incident
An Iranian news agency on Monday reported that the outgoing Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani may be proposed for the position of secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

In its report Fars News Agency, which has close ties to the Revolutionary Guard, claimed that the "circles close to Larijani" have decided to propose him for the position, presumably to President Hassan Rouhani who as the Head of the council has the power to appoint or replace its secretary.

Larijani did not run in the February parliamentary elections and holds no other significant position in the government to return to after the termination of his current tenure as Speaker. The current term of the Iranian Parliament and Ali Larijani's three-term tenure as speaker of the Majles will come to an end on May 27.

Some have speculated that the sixty-three-year-old Larijani is preparing himself for the presidential race next year but he has denied having any plans for presidency.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei usually appoints two representatives to the SNSC and one of them becomes Secretary. Currently Ali Shamkhani holds the post so if Larijani is appointed, he should be step aside.

Larijani who is a conservative politician replaced Hassan Rouhani as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in 2005 when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the presidential elections. Larijani was one of the candidates who lost the race against Ahmadinejad.

He remained in the same position until October 2007 also functioning as Iran's top nuclear negotiator. Larijani resigned from his position allegedly under pressure from Ahmadinejad who appointed Saeed Jalili to the position. Larijani was subsequently elected as a representative from Qom in the parliamentary elections of 2008.

The Secretary of the Council is responsible for supervising the implementation of the Council's decisions and is appointed by the President.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei usually endorses the president's choice by appointing the new secretary as one of his own two representatives in the council to make him a voting member of the council.
Director Adil El Arbi says the fourth film in the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, fronted by celebrated actor-comedian Eddie Murphy, is still in the works but it doesn't have a script yet.

El Arbi along with directing partner Bilall Fallah are attached to direct the film set at Netflix.

The upcoming movie will see the Murphy reprise his role as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop who finds himself transplanted to the streets of Beverly Hills.

"We're still involved in that project, and there's a screenwriter now on it that's going to try to write a first draft or a first treatment at least with the story," El Arbi told Digital Spy.

"So we're going to see what the first version will be, but we're very excited and hope that we can work with another icon like Eddie Murphy. That'd be great," the director added.

El Arbi and Fallah were signed on to direct the fourth movie since 2016 but the picture got stalled as they turned their attention to making "Bad Boys for Life", the 2019 film starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.

In the meantime, Murphy starred in Netflix's critically-acclaimed biography "Dolemite is My Name".

In October, Murphy announced work would begin on the fourth installment when he wrapped "Coming 2 America", a follow-up to the 1988 film.

The first two movies in the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise were blockbuster hits, but the 1994 threequel was a commercial and critical disaster.

Paramount Pictures released the three previous films, but has given the rights of the fourth movie to Netflix.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The glitch was something that was a result of the work that was done to build it, Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing on Monday. But they are offering credit reporting for all of those who are affected by it to make sure that they can monitor their credit in case theres any problem that they may undergo. But we are still investigating the number of people who were affected by it and we want to make sure that we get the system completely hack-proof and safe.
Sonu Sood had previously organised transport for migrant workers to Karnataka.

Sonu Sood says he is pained by the plight of migrant workers who are unable to go back home amid the nationwide lockdown and he will do everything he can to arrange for transport for them.

On Saturday, Sonu arranged more buses for the migrant workers after obtaining special permissions from the government of Uttar Pradesh.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

The actor had earlier organised multiple bus services for many such workers heading to Gulbarga, Karnataka from Maharastra.

"It has been an extremely emotional journey for me as my heart pains to see these migrants staying away from their homes walking on streets.

"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," Sood, 46, said in a statement.

As per arrangements, multiple buses left from Wadala and various parts of UP, including Lucknow, Hardoi, Pratapgarh and Siddharthnagar, as well as to states like Jharkhand and Bihar.

The Happy New Year actor was present to bid goodbye to the stranded workers who were stranded in the city since the lockdown began on 25 March.

Previously, the actor also donated over 1,500 PPE kits to doctors across Punjab and provided his Mumbai hotel for the accommodation of the healthcare workers.

Sood has also been feeding thousands of underprivileged people along with providing meal kits to migrants in the Bhiwandi area during the holy month of Ramzan.
A driver who crashed into the Columbia River in Northeast Portland on Sunday remains unaccounted for, police say.

Portland police said late Sunday that the driver had yet to be found. He was believed to have been traveling alone.

His SUV went into the river near Northeast Marine Drive, just west of Interstate 205, according to police. The car was later recovered, but divers werent able to find the driver.

No information about the circumstances of the crash has been released. Police initially said someone had been hurt in the crash but later said that wasnt the case.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Honan Insurance Group, a Melbourne, Australia-based commercial insurance broker, received a strategic investment from TA Associates.

The amount of the deal  expected to close in the second half of 2020, pending customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions  was not disclosed.

Honans Group CEO and Executive Director, Damien Honan, Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Fluitsma, and Chief Operating Officer, Laurence Basell, will continue to lead the business and be shareholders alongside TA.

Founded in 1964, Honan provides a full range of commercial insurance, risk and financial solutions to businesses across a wide range of industries, including financial institutions, healthcare, professional services, technology, biotech & life science, logistics, construction, food & beverages, and mining & energy. Since its founding, the company has expanded from Australia-wide to New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. Honan exclusively represents Australia, New Zealand and Singapore within the WBN. Founded in 1964, the company has more than 200 employees in seven offices and is part of the World Broker Network, a global network of independent insurance brokers and risk advisors.

FinSMEs

18/05/2020
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global HR analytics market size is anticipated to reach USD 6.29billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 14.2% from 2020 to 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. HR analytics involves business analytics and data mining solutions, which examines data created from various HR activities such as employee acquisition, attendance, performance management, engagement, training, and compensation. The HR analytics helps in increasing the productivity of HR functions by predicting important parameters such as performance, retention, and recruitment with the help of data generated. All these factors are contributing to the market growth.

Key suggestions from the report:

The talent analytics solution is anticipated to grow at a faster pace, owing to the need for companies to attract the right talent in their organization with the help of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning

The support and maintenance segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2027. The demand for is expected to grow on account of increasing need for timely maintenance for system patching and security updates

The demand for hosted deployment segment is expected to increase over the forecast period as these solutions are cost-effective, which allows convenient and easy download and storage of data over cloud

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment is expected to register the highest growth during the forecast period. These days, the SMEs are focusing on utilizing the HR analytics solution to work globally and multi-regional workforce

The retail segment is expected to emerge as the fastest growing end-use segment from 2020 to 2027. The retail industry employs a unique blend of full-time employees, part-time staff, contractual workers, and multi-regional stakeholders across distribution networks

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, owing to the rapid digitization initiatives taken by the governments in the region

The key players in the HR analytics market include IBM Corporation; Kronos Incorporated; MicroStrategy Incorporated; Oracle; SAP SE; Sage Software Solutions Pvt Ltd; Talentsoft, TABLEAU SOFTWARE; Workday, Inc.; and Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.

Read 154 page research report with ToC on "HR Analytics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Solution (Payroll & Compensation, Workforce Planning), By Service, By Deployment, By Enterprise Size, By End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/hr-analytics-market

Technological proliferation in the field of Machine Learning (ML), big data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to positively impact the market growth. Analytics solutions test the efficacy of HR policies and enable simplification of various HR policies. It includes data cleansing, data collection, data management, visualization, and forecasting tools. It correlates and integrates data to provide appropriate, actionable, and timely insights to improve performance leading to more relevant decisions and correct actions.

HR analytics solutions and services enables complex compensation planning and allow enterprises to enhance budget allocations and support compensation decisions within the organizational guidelines. Furthermore, organizations around the globe are forming a digital workplace that allows flexibility and mobility, high productivity, and uses modern communication tools. This business shift from traditional systems to digital HR is playing a major role in the centralization of HR data, thus allowing for easy access of data to deploy analytics solutions. Hence, companies are providing comprehensive HR analytics solutions for all HR functions alongside with analytics capabilities.

Grand View Research has segmented the global HR analytics market based on solution, service, deployment, enterprise size, end use, and region:

HR Analytics Solution Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Employee Engagement & Development



Payroll & Compensation



Recruitment



Retention



Talent Analytics



Workforce Planning



Others

HR Analytics Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Implementation & Integration



Support & Maintenance



Training & Consulting



HR Analytics Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)



Hosted



On-premise

HR Analytics Enterprise Size Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Large Enterprise



Small & Medium Enterprise



HR Analytics End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)



Academia



BFSI



Government



Healthcare



IT & Telecom



Manufacturing



Retail



Others

HR Analytics Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



France





Germany





U.K.



Asia Pacific



Australia





China





Hong Kong





India





Japan





Singapore





Thailand



Latin America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa

Find more research reports on Next Generation Technologies Industry, by Grand View Research:

Human Resource Management Market  Global human resource management market size was valued at USD 16.01 billion in 2019 and is expected to exhibit at a CAGR of 11.7% from 2020 to 2027.

in 2019 and is expected to exhibit at a CAGR of 11.7% from 2020 to 2027. Workforce Management Market  Global workforce management market size was estimated at USD 4.80 billion in 2016 and is expected to gain traction over the forecast period.

in 2016 and is expected to gain traction over the forecast period. Analytics as a Service Market  Global analytics as a service market size was valued at USD 4.98 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.9% from 2020 to 2027.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) - The Department of Information and Communications Technology will be turning thousands of internet cafes into digital classrooms and work areas as the country transitions into a "new normal" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are repurposing thousands of internet cafes. They can be reconfigured to become digital classrooms and digital workplaces," DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio said Monday during the virtual hearing of the New Normal cluster of the House Defeat COVID-19 Ad Hoc Committee.

The agency said it has sufficient funds to prioritize the establishment of "very fast and very low-cost internet" in barangays to help students and employees in need of connectivity.

"Kokonektahan na muna natin itong mga community para pwede na hong lakarin ng mga nearby sa community na iyan para makapag-aral at trabaho sila dito sa repurposed internet cafes," Rio told the committee led by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda of Antique.

[Translation: We will first put up connection in communities so that those who live nearby can just walk the distance in order to study and work in these repurposed internet cafes.]

He said the agency will mobilize internet service providers that could improve the connectivity in these digital classrooms and workspaces.

Rio added that they are also working on increasing internet speed to over 3,600 schools before classes open in June.

Less than 50 percent of public schools in the country have a reliable internet connection, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said during the hearing.

In a Senate hearing last week, DepEd reiterated that face-to-face learning will still be prohibited in areas considered to have moderate to high risk of COVID-19 contamination when classes resume on August 24.

House Bill No. 6623 or the New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act of 2020, which was earlier filed on April 27, seeks to establish safety measures and protocols in place as the country adjusts to the new normal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the measure, public and private education institutions must prioritize the establishment of online platforms of learning, instruction, and evaluation.

The measure also requires that rotational, staggered, and work-from-home operations among employees must be detailed in the new normal workforce and workplace management plan.

It also contains universal and mandatory guidelines, such as wearing of masks in public places and workplaces, physical and social distancing, as well as mandatory temperature checks in all closed and semi-closed areas.

Aside from Legarda, co-authors of the bill are House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Deputy Speakers Luis Raymund Villafuerte and Paolo Duterte, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado.

CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Orah mandarins, a mandarin variety that is very popular in China nowadays, are flowering in Sede village, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of southwest Chinas Yunnan province. The plants are expected to generate profits for local growers this year.

A villager picks oranges at an orchard in Xiaoshiqiao village, Xizhuang township, Jianshui county of southwest Chinas Yunnan province, April 12, 2020. Photo by Lu Weiqian/Peoples Daily Online

However, when the proposal to establish an Orah mandarin plantation base in the village was raised by Zhao Qinggang, a member of the poverty-alleviation working team in the village, it encountered indifference from the villagers, and Li Yihua, who now works for the base and earns 3,500 yuan each month, even encouraged fellow villagers to not to contribute their land to the base.

What Li did was understandable, as he has his own calculations. The man explained that there would be at least two penniless years before the plants start fruiting, but his family of seven had to spend 8,400 yuan each year on food, which was not a small expenditure for him.

Zhao responded that the plantation base needed labors, too, and recommended Li to serve as management staff at the base, from which Li could even earn more than growing corns.

The poverty-alleviation team later visited the villagers from door to door to explain policies and clear up misunderstanding. It also invited technicians from a local institution of agricultural science to explain the feasibility of planting Orah mandarins, in an attempt to dispel the doubts of the villagers. Thanks to these efforts, the plantation base was established as scheduled.

A Communist Party of China volunteer helps a villager pick tomatoes in Datan village, Shibao township, Chishui of southwest Chinas Guizhou province, May 10, 2020. Photo by Wang Changyu/Peoples Daily Online

Now Li is very pleased with his 3,500-yuan monthly income. Apart from management staff like Li, other villagers who work part-time at the plantation base can also make 120 yuan per day.

In addition to the Orah mandarin plantation base, oolong tea, apple and beekeeping programs are also popping up in Sede village, lifting 1,708 registered impoverished villagers out of poverty.

To shake off poverty is only a start, and the annual dividend for villagers who contributed their land to the base is also a big sum of money, Zhao noted.

Many regions in China are nowadays relying on plantation, processing industry and e-commerce to create jobs for impoverished people. The country achieved its poverty reduction target last year, lifting 11 million people out of poverty. 2020 remains a year of decisive victory for the elimination of poverty, and the whole country is making more efforts to help the impoverished find stable ways out of poverty.

A woman works at a poverty-alleviation workshop of a garment factory in Jiajian village, Shaoyang of central Chinas Hunan province, May 8, 2020. Photo by Zeng Yong/ Peoples Daily Online

The impoverished population in China had been reduced to 5.51 million last year from 98.99 million in 2012, with the poverty headcount ratio dropping to 0.6 percent from 10.2 percent. The number of people lifted out of poverty each year has been kept above 10 million for 7 consecutive years. The per capita net income of impoverished households grew to 9,808 yuan last year from 3,416 yuan in 2015, with an average annual growth of 30.2 percent.

Upon completion of the poverty eradication task this year, China will achieve the goals set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, lifting around 100 million people out of poverty.

Secretary General of the United Nations said that targeted poverty reduction strategies are the only way to achieve the ambitious targets set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Chinas experiences can provide valuable lessons to other developing countries.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2020 / Las Vegas, Nevada based Talisman Casualty Insurance Company LLC is reaching out to the wider community to explain the benefits of their Marine Insurance Programs. Talisman Casualty Insurance Company is a specialized insurance provider that offers clients an alternative risk transfer option for liability and property insurance.

The company explains that its Marine Program focuses on small-to-medium sized marine accounts. The program provides Maritime Employers Liability (MEL), Hull and Protection & Indemnity (Hull / P&I), and Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) with admission into the program cell. According to Talisman Casualty Insurance Company, their program philosophy is to form long term relationships with their maritime clients and understand their business, risk management practices, and business forecast so that insurance coverage can always match fluctuating exposure.



Further, as Talisman Casualty Insurance Company explains, the selection of insureds is cultivated with caution and care, and the selection of claims adjusters and other service providers is carried out with the primary objective being effective and efficient client service. This strategy has allowed Talisman Casualty Insurance Company to create close working alliances with the management and employees of participating accounts. The company adds that Program Risk selection starts with accounts familiar to the group, and it then involves partnering only with quality insureds that have demonstrated sound management and safety practices.

The company also explains the four specific policies and coverages they provide under their Marine Program. The first, Maritime Employers Liability/Commercial Marine Insurance, is a policy that typically provides coverage for an insured's employees while working on non-owned or operated vessels. The second, Hull Insurance Coverage, provides protection against damage to a covered vessel. The third, Protection and Indemnity coverage, is liability insurance for practically all maritime liability risks associated with the operation of a vessel (other than those covered under a workers' compensation policy and under the collision clause in a hull policy).



Talisman Casualty Insurance Company clarifies that Protection and Indemnity coverage is often written as a package with Hull coverage. Finally, Commercial General Liability policies protect business owners against claims of liability for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury (slander and false advertising).

A representative for Talisman Casualty Insurance Company LLC says, "The Marine Market continues to be under pressure to lower costs in order to keep insured businesses competitive. Captive insurance will undoubtedly provide flexibility by adjusting risk management methods and lowering operational and acquisition costs. At Talisman Casualty, we provide the best captive insurance programs across the whole insurance market."



Talisman Casualty Insurance Company specializes in 'captive insurance,' wherein an insurance business is created that is completely controlled and owned by its own insureds. According to Talisman Casualty Insurance Company LLC's representative, the main purpose of having a captive insurer is the insurance of the risks of its owners. When they are being insured by a captive insurer, the insured companies are able to benefit from the underwriting profits of the captive insurer.

Talisman's representative states, "As an insurance company, our priority is on maintaining a high degree of professionalism in everything that we do. From the carefully crafted policies we have to the high quality and high standard claims process, we can proudly say that we are one of the most trusted captive insurance companies in the marine market. If you are looking for a trustworthy and legitimate insurance provider that does not cut corners, Talisman Casualty is your best option. Our team is composed of industry veterans who have worked in insurance for decades, and their expertise can be seen in each step of the process, from the initial consultation to the claims process and beyond."



Those who want to learn more about Talisman Casualty Insurance Company and the various services they provide can find more information on the firm's website. Additionally, the insurer encourages interested parties to get in touch with them directly via email or phone. They can also be reached through the contact form on their website. In addition to their website, Talisman Casualty Insurance Company maintains a presence on Facebook where they frequently post updates, share information, and communicate with their customers. The marine market is highly litigious and an open line of communication between insureds, underwriters, and claims professionals is paramount to helping insureds protect themselves against financial ruin. More information can also be found at the following link: Talisman Casualty Lawsuit

###

For more information about Talisman Casualty Insurance Company, contact the company here:

Talisman Casualty Insurance Company

800-318-5317

info@talismancasualty.com

Talisman Casualty Insurance Company

7881 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 210 Las Vegas, NV 89117

SOURCE: Talisman Casualty Insurance Company

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/590309/Talisman-Casualty-Insurance-Company-LLC-Provides-Marine-Insurance-Programs
Kolkata: India has begun evacuating thousands of villagers and halted port operations ahead of a cyclone which is expected to hit the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, including parts of India, low-lying Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Fishing boats bombard on a wall due to heavy winds and huge waves in the Arabian sea at Veraval, Gujarat, India in June of last year. Credit:AP

The cyclone, expected to make landfall on Wednesday, comes as India eases the world's longest lockdown, imposed in April against the virus, which has infected more than 96,169 people and killed 3029.

The states of Odisha and West Bengal sent disaster management teams on Monday to move families from mud and thatch homes to shelter from Tropical Cyclone Amphan, which is expected to gain strength in the next 12 hours.

"We have to evacuate people from low-lying areas, and protect them from the coronavirus too," said a senior official of India's home ministry who sought anonymity.
Before actor Neeraj Kabi took on the role of a media tycoon who escapes assassination in his latest project Paatal Lok, he was eyeing the part of Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary after he read about the fascinating journey the character goes through.

It was Jaideep Ahlawat who eventually played the washed out cop who lands the case of a lifetime when four suspects are nabbed in the assassination attempt of prominent journalist, Kabi's Sanjeev Mehra. Kabi, best known for films Talvar, Ship of Theseus, and web series Sacred Games, said the Amazon Prime Video Original was a "dream project".

"I was waiting for a good show on Amazon and Paatal Lok had all of it -- good script, story, and cast. It joined all the dots beautifully. I remember I got attracted to Hathi Ram's character first. 'Kya kamaal ka character hai ye Hathi Ram ka, kya likha hai'. I thought 'What a journey he is going to go through.' I was not even looking at my own character," the actor told PTI in an interview.

But then he began reading his "Macbeth-like" character, who rises to power after but at the cost of his personal integrity. "The writing and the arc were beautiful. The series begins with Sanjeev's downfall. He was once a great hero. He was the poster boy of investigative journalism. Then suddenly, because the TRPs of his channel were down, his boss decides to sack him. He's a slightly broken man who later decides to fight back."

Paatal Lok is a neo-noir show which takes a deep dive into the hinterland India in the form of an investigative thriller, while talking about crime, politics, caste, and class divide.

Creator Sudip Sharma of NH-10 and Udta Punjab fame found the germ of the nine-episode series in 2009 novel The Story of My Assassin, by Tehelka magazine founder Tarun Tejpal. The actor said the show only drew basic idea from the book and Tejpal, who is accused of sexually assaulting his former woman colleague, is not associated with the series.

"The whole plot that this is a story about the four people who are into crime and you are trying to take us into their personal, human world. Not their world of crime, we are telling you how it all began," he added.

Kabi said unless it's a biopic, he doesn't draw inspiration from real-life characters. He has played Mahatma Gandhi in Shyam Benegal's 2014 television series, Samvidhaan. "For example, if I'm playing Gandhi, it's going to be everything about him. But if it's a profession like journalism or engineering, I never take one character because it's too limited a vision. What I took here was the entire concept of journalism. I read on the country's great journalists in the 1990s and understand their philosophy, mindsets and what made them had that courage."

The 52-year-old actor said at one point of time, the viewer will come to empathise with the people of 'paatal lok', a metaphor used in the series for the lower class who have been referred to as 'worms'.

"People from the Paatal Lok are not always criminals. They might perform the crime or be connected to it, but there are another loks (classes) - dharti (middle) and swarg (upper) which initiate that crime. The doers are different and the creators are different. That's the dichotomy of the series," he said.

An acclaimed film and theatre actor, Kabi gained popularity as the corrupt DCP Parulkar in Sacred Games. The actor admitted that both Paatal Lok and the Netflix India Original share certain doomsday undercurrents but both shows have their own identity.

"They have those undercurrents, in fact Sacred Games had it in a very, very big way. Having read the script, there are certain sensibilities over there. But I don't believe that one show supersedes another. Sacred Games was a great show and had its own time, so is Paatal Lok. People might feel that because now comes another amazing series. Each of these shows has the power to stand on its own. They are magnanimous mountains of work. I don't think they were made to outdo any one." In the times of the coronavirus pandemic, the situation is grim and Kabi believes the audience will react to a gritty, graphic thriller like Paatal Lok according to their sensibilities.

Also read: Paatal Lok review: Anushka Sharmas show is Amazons black-hearted yet brave answer to Sacred Games

"Some of them are finding it as a great relief to see something wonderful under lockdown at home. I have got responses from people saying that 'anyway things are not good outside and now to see a show like this it's really pulling me down and I'm feeling emotionally low', even though it is a great watch. This is bound to happen because the show is coming out at a time when things are very grave outside. We are living in very poor times. Times when people are falling sick and dying. This is not just an incident, it's a phase of humanity we are going through. We have never faced this. How people see wars, we are seeing this time," he said.

Next for Kabi is a mainstream Hindi feature film with a leading female actor and a Hollywood web series. He had begun shooting for the series in March but the project is on hold due to the lockdown. "That's a wonderful project and a nice role. I'm very happy about it," he said

Produced by actor Anushka Sharma's Clean Slate Films, Paatal Lok also features Gul Panag, Abhishek Banerjee, Swastika Mukherjee, among others.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Americord Registry, the nation's fastest-growing cord blood bank, today began donating surgical masks to partner OB/GYN offices and hospital staff. Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Americord shifted inventory through a partner organization in order to acquire masks, which are desperately needed by OB/GYN doctors, staff, nurses and others.

"Our partner OBs and their staff are an integral part of our family, and when the opportunity arose to acquire and distribute masks we jumped on it; we hope they will keep medical professionals safer out on the front lines," said Martin Smithmyer, founder and CEO of Americord.

Masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) have become notoriously difficult to acquire, with shortages reported in many major metropolitan areas and elsewhere directly impacting the ability of medical professionals to properly stock their practices. Upon acquisition of a limited supply of masks, Americord Registry began distribution of packs of 50 masks per partnering medical office, and is making more available upon request.

"We know everyone is concerned about their ongoing health, and the health of those in their communities, in the midst of this challenge with COVID-19," said Smithmyer "To us, this was an obvious way to try to help people serving a vital role in their communities across the country."

For more information or to request masks for your impacted practice, please contact:

Jean Roland

Outreach Manager, Americord Registry

646. 768.8432

[email protected]

SOURCE Americord Registry

Related Links

http://americordblood.com


CHICAGO, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced it will provide an additional $7 million in cash bonuses to eligible employees at each of the company's 50 production and distribution facilities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This additional bonus is in recognition of these team members' continued, unwavering commitment to make Conagra Brands food available to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the company has committed more than $13 million in special bonuses for front-line employees.

"On behalf of the senior management team, I'd like to extend my deepest appreciation and thanks to our employees for their refuse-to-lose attitude in continuing to work safely and effectively to deliver our products to customers, consumers and our communities during this unprecedented time," said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer at Conagra Brands. "Over the past two months, our production and distribution facility teams have done a tremendous job to make and deliver food that millions of people need."

Since the COVID-19 epidemic began, Conagra Brands has implemented additional preventative measures beyond its existing health and safety procedures to help reduce the spread of the virus. These include:

Social distancing practices, such as installing plexiglass barriers between work stations where people work less than six feet apart

Staggering shift start and stop times

Screening employee temperatures

Using face masks and shields in the company's facilities

Reformatting breakrooms and limiting conference room usage

Continuing our rigorous plant maintenance and sanitation processes

In addition, the company is continuing to pay any employee who needs to be away from work due to a COVID-19-related production suspension or illness.

A full statement on the swift actions Conagra Brands is taking during the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic is available on the ConagraBrands.com News page.

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA: Dan Hare

312-549-5355

[email protected]

SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.conagrafoods.com


A. Benjamin Spencer selected to lead W&M Law School

Law dean: A. Benjamin Spencer, a nationally renowned civil procedure and federal courts expert and current professor of law at the University of Virginia will begin at William & Mary Law School July 1. UVA photo Photo - of - Hide Caption

The William & Mary Law School  the oldest law school in America  has made an impressive and historic selection for its new dean.

A. Benjamin Spencer, a nationally renowned civil procedure and federal courts expert and current professor of law at the University of Virginia, will begin at William & Mary Law School July 1. Spencer will be William & Marys first African-American dean of any school at the university, including the law school. His selection follows a national search to succeed Davison M. Douglas, who will return to the faculty after serving as dean for more than 10 years.

William & Mary is thrilled to welcome Ben Spencer as our next dean of the law school, said President Katherine A. Rowe. Since the beginning of the search process we sought a leader who values all three aspects of the law: the academy, the bar and the bench. Ben brings that broad view of legal practice, together with a deep appreciation of the ethos of the citizen lawyer that has inspired the oldest law school in the country since its founding.

I would like to take this moment also to express W&Ms heartfelt gratitude to Dave Douglas. This university is better for his leadership in so many ways. On a personal level, his friendship and partnership these last two years have been a gift.

A Career Built in Service, Leadership, Scholarship and Teaching

Service has been a central theme in Ben Spencer's career, both within academia and beyond. He has been a member of the UVA faculty since 2014 and recently completed a year as the Bennett Boskey Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He currently serves as the Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Spencers teaching and scholarship focus on civil procedure, federal civil litigation and military law. Before joining the UVA faculty, he served as Director of the Francis Lewis Law Center and associate dean for research at Washington and Lee University, where he established a reputation as a mentor for younger colleagues, students and early career faculty. Spencer began his career in legal education at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Spencer credits his family with instilling the importance of public service. Although he did not have prior military experience, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate Generals Corps five years ago and holds the rank of captain. He is assigned to the Government Appellate Division, where he briefs and argues appeals on behalf of the Army.

Spencer, who will also serve as the Chancellor Professor of Law at W&M, has earned numerous awards, including a Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award, which is the highest honor for faculty working at the states colleges and universities. He was the first law professor ever chosen in the rising star category for the award, which is presented for excellence in teaching, research and public service. He has been active in multiple university committees, working with faculty and students to help to shape their institutions in areas ranging from curriculum to inclusion.

Spencer is an author of the iconic Wright & Miller Federal Practice and Procedure treatise, which is devoted to Civil Procedure. Last year the treatise published its first volume under the name of Wright, Miller & Spencer in recognition of his contributions. He has authored numerous law review articles, book chapters and books, including Acing Civil Procedure and Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach, used widely by professors and students throughout the country.

Like William & Marys George Wythe, the nations first professor of law, Ben is deeply committed to his students development as citizen lawyers, said Provost Peggy Agouris. When you add his experience as an academic leader, scholar and researcher, he is the perfect fit for a law school known for excellence, community, faculty-student interaction and commitment to the public good.

At UVA, Spencer has been the faculty advisor for the Black Law Students Association and the Saint Thomas More Society. At the University of Richmond, he was a member of the Student Services Committee and Diversity Committee and worked as faculty advisor to the Honor Court, the Black Law Students Association and the Patrick Henry Chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

Allison Orr Larsen, professor of law and chair of the search committee notes, Ben Spencers dedication to his students, both in and out of the classroom, was evident to the search committee after calling his references and receiving feedback from our own students who met him in the interview. It was clear to us that his commitment to student success will drive his decisions for the law school and the larger William & Mary community.

Spencer contributes to the broader law community by sharing his expertise with professional associations and other civic groups, serving on numerous committees for the Virginia State Bar and Virginia Bar Association. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the West Academic Law School Advisory Board. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors for such organizations as the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates, Comfort Zone Camp and Girl Scouts Commonwealth Council of Virginia.

Broad Academic and Professional Experience

Graduating from Harvard Law School in 2001 as a member of the esteemed Harvard Law Review, Spencer received the Judge John R. Brown Award for Excellence in Legal Writing and won the ABA Section of Antitrust Law Student Writing Competition. While there, he also was named best oralist in the semi-finals of the Ames Moot Court Competition and won best brief in the first-year Ames Moot Court Competition.

He holds a masters degree in criminal justice policy from the London School of Economics and a bachelors degree in political science from Morehouse College.

Spencer brings to William & Mary a breadth of legal experience, ranging from private practice to government service. He was appointed to the U.S. Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules in 2017 by Chief Justice of the U.S. John Roberts and remains a member of that committee today. He served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia from 2009 to 2013, where he handled appellate cases in the Fourth Circuit on behalf of the government on a pro bono basis. His other legal positions have included litigation associate for Shearman & Sterling and judicial law clerk for the Hon. Judith W. Rogers with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Transatlantic Ties

Over the course of Spencers career he has forged longstanding ties in the United Kingdom. He was a British Marshall Scholar at the London School of Economics, where he received his Master of Science degree in 1997. As a Marshall Scholar, Spencer was one of 40 college seniors in the nation selected for advanced study in the United Kingdom, with a full scholarship. In the years that followed, he has fulfilled the ambassadorial spirit of the Marshall: serving as a member of the British Ambassadors Advisory Council, as chair of the Marshall Scholarship selection committee in Washington, D.C., and as a longtime member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Marshall Scholars.

Ben is a great example of the type of leader that is produced through the Marshall Scholarship programme, said Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States. His commitment to education, his service to his country and his tireless efforts to support the US-UK relationship are remarkable and I have no doubt that he will find success in this new role.

A Family of 'Firsts'

Spencers selection follows a family tradition of pioneers and professional success. His father, James R. Spencer, was the first African American chief judge in the 215-year history of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. In 1986, he became the first African-American federal judge in the commonwealth of Virginia. Spencers grandfather, Dr. Adam S. Arnold, was the first African-American professor at Notre Dame University, where he taught finance for 30 years. His mother, Alicia Spencer, is a retired elementary school principal in Newport News.

I am delighted with the selection of Ben Spencer as the next dean of William & Mary Law school, said Dean Douglas. He is a marvelous leader and is the right person to help the law school continue its forward momentum. We warmly welcome Ben to the William & Mary community and the nations oldest law school.

A Hampton native, Spencer credits William & Mary law faculty for convincing him to leave private practice for academia.

It was not until the hiring committee from William & Mary approached me back in 2003 that I gave any thought to becoming a law professor. I am tremendously excited that after all these years, I am finally able to join this wonderful community of impactful scholars, Spencer said. I am particularly enthusiastic about the universitys commitment to a whole-person, whole-university approach to learning and its commitment to understanding and meeting the most pressing needs of our time.

He said it is an honor to lead the nations oldest law school into its next successful era, and he looks forward to engaging the entire community.

Dean Dave Douglas has done an absolutely terrific job of stewarding the law school through the many challenges of the last decade, advancing its status as one of the nations top-tier law schools, he said. I look forward to building on that solid foundation and to make William & Mary law a preeminent law school that develops highly competent and engaged citizen lawyers who serve their clients and communities with distinction, integrity and passion.
The "LUXEOSys" project continues to give rise to rumours: Luxembourg's new military satellite will cost double the initial quote.

Minister of Defense Francois Bausch informed the budget commission in March that Luxembourg's military satellite will cost double the initial quote. The expensive acquisition had received the green light in 2018.

The budget commission was tasked to compile a detailed report about the use and users of the satellite, ground stations, and timeframes to name a few key points.

PwC Luxembourg has also already compiled a report that raises several questions. Radio 100,7 addressed some of the findings of the report earlier this Monday. The report, which was requested by the Minister of Defense, for instance found that several stages of the normal procedure were skipped.

According to Pirate Party MP Sven Clement, the Italian firm OHB-I may have been favoured because it counts a Luxembourgish company among its suppliers. Clement told RTL that he suspects that the company adapted its budget calculations to please and to meet the expectations of the commission. OHB-I eventually quoted a budget of 170 million. This amount was a significant underestimation as the initial quote has since been doubled.

Clement did not blame Minister of Defense Francois Bausch for the mishap. He explained that the minister had immediately raised the problem with the Chamber of Deputies. Clement instead argued that former Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider should be brought in for another hearing as the project had been launched under his authority.

According to Clement, it had been clear from the start that the estimated 170 million would not suffice to cover the actual costs of the project. OHB-I had quoted 168 million solely for the construction of the satellite and ground stations before the offer was signed. Referring to the PwC report, Clement explained that the operating costs of the satellite are massive as "highly-qualified staff are required." Officials initially believed that the army could operate the satellite, which was unrealistic, Clement said. Personnel costs amount to 5 million per year. Antennas will also be erected in Belgium, which means that Luxembourg will have to pay additional rental charges.

Clement also explained that officials had declined quotes from other companies because they had estimated the actual costs to be much higher. In hindsight, Clement argued, these other quotes would have been cheaper than the one that was eventually accepted.

The budget commission will come together again towards the end of the month. This meeting is hoped to shed light on the financial concept that PwC are currently working on and the question of how the initial 170 million have already been used.

Clement concluded that the rationality of the project should be questioned. Opponents believe that a satellite costing more than 300 million would be an immoderate acquisition given the fact that Luxembourg is still battling the repercussions of the coronavirus crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 01:31:24|Editor: huaxia

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Palestinian security officers march near closed shops at a street in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, May 23, 2020. The Palestinian government declared easing the restrictions in the West Bank until the end of this week, before banning movement between cities and towns during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official announced on Monday that 11 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the village of Beit Oula, in the district of Hebron, in southern West Bank.

Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila told a news briefing in Ramallah that with the new cases recorded in Palestine, the number of cases infected with the virus has reached 565.

"Among the 11 infected cases, there are a two-year-old toddler, a five-year-old boy, a 31-year-old woman, and three young men," said al-Kaila, adding that seven cases had recovered on Monday.

Al-Kaila also said that in total, there are 106 cases, infected with COVID-19, who are still receiving medical treatment, including 67 from East Jerusalem and its suburbs, 35 from the district of Hebron and four from the Gaza Strip.

"Since March 5, the number of the infected cases that had recovered in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip has reached 459 cases," she said.

Al-Kaila called on the Palestinians to commit to health precautions and social distancing to halt the spread of the deadly virus.

She urged Palestinian workers in Israel to abide by the precautionary measures, mainly to home quarantine, when they return from Israel to the West Bank until they are tested.

The Palestinian government declared easing movement restrictions in the West Bank until the end of this week, before banning movement between cities and towns during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Fox News host Pete Hegseth talks to protesters in New Jersey

Screenshot/Fox News

Fox News sent conservative opinion host Pete Hegseth to Bellmawr, New Jersey on Monday morning to cover a gym that reopened in violation of the state's lockdown order.

Hegseth called the protest "pretty much the definition of responsible civil disobedience," despite the fact that many protesters gathered without face masks and stood near one another.

The host, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, has previously urged "healthy people" to "have some courage" and attempt to contract the coronavirus in order to build "herd immunity."

New Jersey is second only to New York in coronavirus infections and deaths, with more than 146,000 confirmed covid-19 cases and over 10,000 deaths.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Fox News sent conservative opinion host Pete Hegseth to Bellmawr, New Jersey on Monday morning to cover a gym that reopened in violation of the state's lockdown order, which attracted a protest and potential confrontation with law enforcement.

Hegseth, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump who ran for a Minnesota Senate seat in 2012, has previously urged "healthy people" to "have some courage" and attempt to contract the coronavirus in order to build "herd immunity."

"The governor can say the state is closed, but if we the people say the state is open, then ultimately there's not a lot you can do if every business steps out," Hegseth said while surrounded by protesters outside Atilis Gym on Monday. "That's pretty much the definition of responsible civil disobedience."

Many of the protesters, including Trump supporters, violated social distancing requirements as they gathered in the parking lot outside the gym and stood near each other without face masks on. The gym's owner insisted he could keep his gym safe by taking precautions, including placing machines six feet apart and sanitizing equipment.

Story continues

Hegseth's live reporting from the protest was featured on Fox's morning opinion show, "Fox and Friends," and on its straight news show, "America's Newsroom."

A Fox News spokeswoman told Insider that America's Newsroom brought Hegseth on to the program in his capacity as a Fox and Friends host, rather than a news reporter. She added that Hegseth was the only Fox News staffer on the ground and news show wanted an update on the protest as the story advanced.

New Jersey is second only to New York in coronavirus infections and deaths, with more than 146,000 confirmed covid-19 cases and over 10,000 deaths as of Monday. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has begun a limited reopening of his state, but has not yet announced when non-essential businesses, including gyms, will be permitted to fully reopen.

Hegseth, who warned of a "looming confrontation" and potential "showdown" between the gym's supporters and law enforcement, later entered the gym and donned a mask. Police reportedly blocked off the roads leading to the gym and eventually informed the gym owner and protesters that they were violating the law.

"Police just showed up to @TheAtilisGym. Entire exchange was respectful," Hegseth tweeted. "The officer notified the gym they were "violating the Governor's order." Then said, "have a nice day" and walked away. The crowd roared. @GovMurphy blinked. #Freedom #ReOpenAmerica."

He added in another tweet that if the governor enforces his order and shuts the gym down "it's only about POWER," ignoring the public health implications of the gym's decision.

Hegseth has previously praised Americans across the country who are "denying ridiculous orders," including salon and bar owners who've kept their businesses open and pastors who've held in-person services in violation of state-wide stay-home orders.

Even as a slew of Fox's opinion hosts call for the country to quickly reopen, the Fox Corporation announced last week that workers will be required to telework for at least another month.

Experts say the US is a long way from an immunity rate that could protect the population and that attempting to achieve "herd immunity" would dramatically increase the already catastrophic death toll.

The US is currently the global epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with almost 1.5 million confirmed cases and nearly 90,000 deaths.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Since I was sworn in as city controller, my office has worked to make government operate more efficiently and effectively for all Philadelphians. As the city faces a financial crisis and navigates the significant impact of the pandemic on its finances, that work has continued. In my role as the citys financial watchdog, I believe we owe it to Philadelphians to explore every option to avoid serious cuts to services, layoffs, and tax increases.

The budget Mayor Jim Kenney proposed at the beginning of May includes $50 million in tax and fee increases. He also plans to support a 3.95% property tax increase to generate an additional $57 million for the Philadelphia School Districts budget. With unemployment reaching levels not seen since the Great Depression, and the future of Philadelphias economy uncertain, now is not the time to be raising taxes on Philadelphians.

Not only that, but some of the other proposals in the mayors updated budget stood out to me as particularly severe. Specifically, cutting the Department of Commerces budget by 85% when supporting local businesses should be a priority; the complete elimination of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Office of Workforce Development; and a 20% cut in Parks and Recreations budget that will have a substantial impact on its operations.

Its important to note that the city has increased spending by $1 billion since fiscal year 2016. Meanwhile, critical challenges like the high homicide rate, high poverty rate, and burdensome tax structure remain. With that in mind, I cant help but ask: Has the city done everything it can to fill its budget gap without raising taxes and fees, or dramatically cutting department budgets?

My office has conducted a review of the mayors proposed budget and has identified a path forward to balance the budget without raising taxes. Heres how:

The Finance Department has budgeted a $50 million deposit into the citys recession reserve. Instead of preparing for future recessions, the city should use this money to address the financial crisis we are already experiencing.

Despite having increased staffing levels significantly in recent years, the citys overtime costs continue to increase. By reducing overtime to the level of spending in fiscal year 2011 ($6,000 per employee adjusted for inflation) from a present level of $8,000 per employee, the city could save $45 million per year .

In his proposed budget, the mayor plans to increase funding for the Department of Human Services for increased spending on pre-K and community schools. Keeping the budgets for pre-K and community schools at their fiscal year 2020 spending levels would save an additional $13 million .

Currently, the proposed budget includes $8.3 million in technology costs for the new Police Headquarters building. If the city pushed this project back just a few months until the citys finances were more stable, it would free up that money.

The city recently gave raises to all four municipal unions and nonrepresented employees, but still has $6.7 million budgeted to the Labor Reserve for wage increases. Additional raises would not be appropriate this year, and the city should reallocate this money.

The savings Ive presented would fully account for the $107 million generated from the proposed tax and fee increases, while also providing additional savings to offset some of the larger departmental cuts.

We need to remember that the mayors budget proposal is just that: a proposal. I encourage our City Council to seriously consider alternatives to the proposed budget. And to the extent they can, I implore the public to make their voice heard during the public City Council budget hearings in the coming weeks. Its our collective responsibility to provide a scenario in which Philadelphians feel the minimum impact from this unprecedented crisis.

Rebecca Rhynhart is Philadelphias city controller.
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
Indias far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is dramatically intensifying the bourgeoisies class war assault on the working class.

In the name of reviving the economy after an ill-conceived anti-COVID 19 lockdown, the BJP government is now seeking to force a return-to-work even as the pandemic rages.

In a nationwide speech last Tuesday that was supposed to outline the governments plans to stimulate the economy, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi announced an effective policy of herd immunity, in which the authorities abandon any concerted attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. Instead, the highly contagious and potentially lethal virus is to be allowed to run rampant, at the cost of countless lives, until so many people have contracted it that it expends itself.

COVID-19, said Modi, will be a part of our lives for a very long time. But we can't let our lives remain confined around COVID-19. He then vowed that the fourth-stage of the lockdown, set to begin today, will be very different from the three previous stageswith a new form and with new rules.

Indias lockdown, which was initiated on March 25 with less than four hours forewarning, was meant to end after 21 days, but is now nearing the end of its eighth week.

Its impact has been calamitous, because the government refused to provide anything more than token support to the hundreds of millions of workers and toilers the lockdown has deprived of any income.

At the same time, the lockdown has failed to halt COVID-19s spread, because the government failed to marshal Indias resources to conduct mass testing and contract-tracing, and to dramatically strengthen and expand the countrys ramshackle health system.

In his Tuesday address, Modi cynically invoked the suffering of Indias workers and toilers to justify his governments campaign to reopen the economy. In reality, Modi is acting at the urging of big business which is desperate to resume extracting profit through the sweatshop exploitation of Indias workers and toilers.

Herd immunityin which the lives of workers and their families are to be sacrificed so as to swell the profits of Indias business houses and investorsis the cutting edge of a class-war assault of historic dimensions that Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP are mounting at the urging of the ruling elite.

In his May 12 address, Modi vowed a quantum jump in pro-investor reforms, and identified changes to land and labour laws as a top priority for his government. Indian and foreign capital have long been demanding that Indias labour laws be gutted to make it easier for large industrial operations to lay off workers and close facilities, and that the government remove obstacles to the amassing of large blocks of land for business projects.

Even prior to Modis speech, various BJP state governments acting at the urging of Modis administration had announced the suspension of numerous labour regulations to greenlight 72-hour workweeks, including in some states without any overtime pay, as well as other anti-worker outrages.

At a series of daily press conferences, beginning Wednesday and concluding yesterday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamanan provided further details about the governments economic recovery plan.

Sitharamanan announced an impending fire-sale of government assets. She said that the private sector would henceforth be barred from no sectors of the economy, and that public sector enterprises or PSUs will be restricted to strategic sectors of the economy.

She and other BJP government officials also made it clear that in response to the acceleration of the capitalist crisis triggered by the pandemic, including a surge in great-power conflict, India intends to deepen its anti-China military-strategic alliance with US imperialism. This includes New Delhi working with the Trump administration to attract US companies Washington is pressuring to leave China to relocate to India and making India even more attractive as a production site for US arms manufacturers.

With great fanfare Modi had declared last Tuesday that his government has committed 20 trillion rupees (US $266 billion)the equivalent of 10 percent of Indias GDPto stimulating the economy.

Much of this is smoke and mirrors, involving money recycled from previous government announcements. It also includes the huge sums the Reserve Bank of India, the countrys central bank, has provided to the banks and other financial institutions in the form of emergency support to prop up the financial markets and bail out Indias rich and super rich.

Sitharamanan did outline various schemes to bolster different sections of business. But for the masses there were only tiny sums for social welfare, with most of the new support to come in the form of loans and schemes involving private sector partnerships, as in the case of a new program to build housing for migrant workers.

The headline announcement from the BJP government as regards the estimated 90 million day labourers who have lost their jobs due to the lockdowna large portion of whom have been unable to access any government supportis that it will spend 35 billion rupees ($463 million), or the equivalent of about $5 per worker, over the next two months to provide them with food assistance.

This can best be described as famine rations.

The lack of assistance for the day-labour and migrant workers underscores that the Modi government has a deliberate policy of making workers go hungry to impel them to return to work amid the pandemic. And this under conditions where Indias employerswho are already notorious for systematically violating, with government complicity, the countrys lax labour regulationsare being told by the ruling BJP that labour laws are an obstacle to investment and need to be gutted.

Meanwhile, authorities reported Sunday that India had 4,957 new COVID-19 cases, the largest single-day increase to date. During the past week, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose dramatically, from 62,939 cases on May 10 to 90,927 yesterday, an increase of almost 45 percent. During the same period, a further 763 deaths were attributed to COVID-19, bringing the official death tally to 2,872.

Alarming as these figures are, they undoubtedly underestimate the pandemics spread by many multiples, because India has failed to organize systematic mass testing. As of last Friday, Indias per capita testing ratio of 1.48 per thousand people was among the lowest in the world for any country with a major COVID-19 outbreak, and it was less than a twentieth of the woefully inadequate US testing rate.

Typifying the governments indifference to the population, Indian health authorities continue to blithely insist that there is no evidence of community transmission. Given that India effectively suspended all international entries some seven weeks ago, this claim is absurd on its face.

Ominously, the coronavirus has become entrenched in the slums of Indias two largest urban agglomerations, Mumbai and Delhi, where the population is especially vulnerable due to poverty, inadequate access to clean water and cramped dwelling quarters.
Inside the festival cabins adapted to let Dutch care home residents see their family.

Health chiefs are considering installing secure perspex rooms in care homes so families can visit their elderly loved ones without the risk of spreading coronavirus.

Sunday Life has learned the radical proposal is among several mentioned by Health Minister Robin Swann in a draft paper brought before the Executive last Thursday.

He is currently finalising recommendations which will be submitted to ministerial colleagues charting a way forward for the sector which has been devastated by Covid-19.

"One idea is to have perspex rooms inside care homes so relatives can visit elderly relatives," explained an Executive source.

"Families can stand on one side of the partition and their loved one on the other. It would at least allow a degree of social contact without the risk of the virus being spread. The side on which the family sit would be deep cleaned after each visit."

The Executive insider said capital grants should be made available to care homes to provide this service.

"It wouldn't cost a huge amount in real terms and the benefits would be massive," added our source.

"Lots of care homes residents are suffering badly because of a lack of social interaction with their families since they were locked-down in March. This plan would give them something to look forward to every week and really lift their spirits."

Almost half of the 599 Covid-19 related deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), which is higher than the Department of Health figure of 473, occurred in care homes. This included 36 in the week up to May 8, a fall from the 72 registered the previous week ending May 1.

The Belfast Telegraph yesterday reported how deaths in care homes had fallen by half in just one week.

Medical experts have been scathing in their criticism of the failures to protect elderly care home residents during the pandemic.

In a damning assessment Professor Gabriel Scally told the Belfast Telegraph that promises to protect older people "just didn't happen".

He also hit out at the decision to admit hospital patients suffering from Covid-19 into care homes, describing it as a "very bad idea".

People aged over 75 have accounted for 75% of all virus-related deaths in Northern Ireland. There are currently 483 nursing and care homes operating here with 10,500 residents.

The perspex room proposal to allow relatives to visit was hinted at by DUP MP Gregory Campbell (left) last Tuesday when he warned the isolation of care home residents "cannot continue indefinitely".

Mr Campbell said: "We need to strategically look at how interactions with people outside the care setting can be managed without compromising the bio-security of the setting.

"We need to look at what technology is available in each care setting. Do they have broadband access for residents?

"Can new facilities be built to accommodate visiting through a partition wall?

"All of these measures will require long term planning."

cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk
Five more people tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 86 in the state, an official said.

All the five cases were reported from the state's Hamirpur district.

Of the five cases, one was reported from Nadaun's Booni, one from Galore's Fahal and the third from Gwardu panchayat whereas two positive cases were reported from Majhoul Sultani panchayat on Monday, Hamirpur chief medical officer Dr Archana Soni said.

All the five people had returned from from red zones of Mumbai and Delhi recently.

With the five new cases, the number of active cases has climbed to 38 in the state.

The number of people who have recovered from the disease stands at 44.

The virus has so far claimed four lives in the state.

Of the 38 active cases, 14 are in Kangra, 12 in Hamirpur, four each in Chamba and Bilaspur and two each in Una and Sirmaur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An unknown assailants has bombed a base used by the Iranian militias and Syrian government, killing over 20 fighters and wounding others reports Smart News.

On Friday night, a bomb hit the Artillery School in the Ramouseh area of Aleppo, killing and injuring 36 members of the Iranian militias and Syrian government forces.

An exclusive source reported to Smart News that the bomb killed 24 members of the Syrian government forces and Iranian militias, and injured 12 others. The bombing targeted the Artillery School, which is controlled by Iranian militias, according to the source.

The source, who participated in transferring the bodies, added that there is an officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards among the dead and wounded members, and that 11 dead and more than five injured of Iranian nationality were taken to the military hospital in Aleppo.

The source confirmed that 13 bodies and seven wounded members of the Iranian-backed Defenders Brigade were transferred to the al-Razi Hospital. The source noted that the bombing destroyed the command center and nearby buildings, and caused a fire, which was extinguished by the Syrian governments Civil Defense.

The Syrian government media outlets denied that the Artillery School was bombed, without giving details of the explosions heard in the city.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of CVC Thermoset Specialties, a North American specialty chemical manufacturer serving the industrial composites, adhesives and coatings markets. Huntsman acquired the business from Emerald Performance Materials LLC, a majority-owned affiliate of American Securities LLC, for approximately $300 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The all-cash transaction was funded from available liquidity.

The acquisition of CVC Thermoset Specialties, with its highly specialized toughening, curing and other additives used in a wide range of applications and markets, is strongly aligned with Huntsman's strategy of growing its specialty Advanced Materials portfolio. CVC Thermoset Specialties has annual revenues of approximately $115 million with manufacturing facilities located in Akron, Ohio, and Maple Shade, New Jersey.

Scott Wright, President of Huntsman's Advanced Materials division, commented: "These products deliver enhanced performance, such as durability, flexibility, and chemical, crack and impact resistance, in harsh environments. Its applications make vehicles, aircraft, infrastructure and electronics lighter, stronger and last longer. Not only will this acquisition strengthen Advanced Materials' position in North America, it offers products and technologies that we intend to rapidly grow and globalize by utilizing our existing asset footprint and routes to market in Europe and Asia. We expect to achieve approximately $15 million of annualized synergies within two years."

Peter Huntsman, Chairman, President and CEO, further commented: "This acquisition provides unique technology, cost efficiency, an expanded customer base, and greater shareholder value. We look forward to continuing to expand through transactions such as this."

About Huntsman:

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2019 revenues of approximately $7 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com


Sonakshi Sinha had previously extended her support to celebrity shout-out platform Tring to raise money for PPE kits for frontline healthcare workers in the country.

Sonakshi Sinha will auction her artwork to raise money for those affected by the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The nationwide lockdown has affected the livelihoods of many and the proceeds from this auction will be used to provide them with essential items like groceries, according to Mumbai Mirror.

(Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak)

"My art is my sane space, my solace. It helps me channelise my thoughts and brings me happiness. I want to use it to bring relief to those for whom the lockdown has been a nightmare," she said.

The actress, who reprised her role as Rajjo in last year's Dabangg 3, said she will put up three canvas paintings, four sketches and three prints for sale.

Sinha had previously extended her support to celebrity shout-out platform Tring to raise money for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for the frontline healthcare workers in the country.

Recently, Sonu Sood arranged buses for hundreds of migrant workers stuck in Mumbai to Gulbarga, Karnataka. On Saturday, Sood arranged more buses for the migrants after obtaining special permissions from the government of Uttar Pradesh.

Previously, the actor also donated over 1,500 PPE kits to doctors across Punjab and provided his Mumbai hotel for the accommodation of the heathcare workers.

Meanwhile, Vicky Kaushal announced a virtual games night raise money for daily wage workers who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Parineeti Chopra had offered to go on virtual coffee dates with people to raise funds that will feed 4000 family members of 1000 daily wage earners of our country

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,872 and the number of total positive cases climbed to 90,927 on Sunday, registering an increase of 120 fatalities and a record jump of 4,987 cases in 24 hours, since 8 AM Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)
Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As the country registered the highest daily tally of COVID-19 cases on Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research revised the testing strategy for diagnostic tests in India expanding the criteria under which suspects will now be checked for the infection.

Under the new protocol, more individuals with influenza-like illnessesincluding those hospitalized for any reason, migrants and returnees and frontline healthcare workers engaged in containment and mitigation measures will be tested for COVID-19.

The development comes as the 5,242 new coronavirus casesthe highest in a dayand 157 fresh deathsthe second-highest in a daywere reported in 24 hours. India now has a total of 96, 969 confirmed coronavirus cases of which 3,029 have died.

In the country, confirmation of COVID-19 is done through RTPCR testing method that checks for the genetic material of SARS CoV 2 in suspects.

The fresh protocol also says that all asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases should be tested once within 5 and 10 days of coming into contact.

However, the new strategy said that no emergency medical procedure, including delievries should be delayed for lack of tests, implying that non-COVID patients, in hospitals for other reasons, should be tested only if they show related symptoms.

We have widened the criteria in order to catch more people who might be positive, said an ICMR official.  This is our effort to enhance syndromic surveillance in the country and also to ensure that people with ILI are caught in time so that they can be on the medical supervision radar.

The earlier testing strategy suggested that symptomatic people with a history of international travel, symptomatic high-risk contacts of confirmed cases, ILI cases in hotspots and evacuation centres, hospitalised cases of severe acute respiratory illnesses and symptomatic healthcare workers treating COVID 19 patients can be tested using RTPCR technique.

The new move though welcomed by many also disappointed some healthcare professionals who said that ICMR guidelines are silent on the issue of required tests on patients who come from the red zone or those who are posted for high-risk surgeries.

Given the unknown prevalence of COVID-19 in country, surgeons and anaesthesiologists, countrywide, are worried about the risk of contracting an infection during operation, said Dr S P Kalantri, medical superintendent of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Wardha.

The crucial question is- should healthcare providers order a RTPCR test for coronavirus, if they are likely to perform a surgery on a patient who comes from hotspot and is posted for high-risk surgery?, he asked.

For example, a two- hour surgery on oral cancer under general anesthesia can expose surgeon and anaesthesiologists to aerosol transmission despite PPE. Also, PPEs are uncomfortable and surgeons find it impossible to endure them beyond two hours. A clarity on this issue is urgently needed.
Booze shops stay open to keep state coffers replenished By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s):

The closure of the 900 liquor shops for nearly two months to help contain the coronavirus has cost the state Rs. 25 billion in excise tax.

The Excise Department said that illegal operators have caused 10%, or Rs 2.5 billion, of excise tax loss to the state during this period.

The revenue loss is estimated on the basis of the Rs. 130 billion plus revenue target the Government has set for the department.

The department in its countrywide raids in the last six weeks has detected 3,079 instances of illicit liquor distilling and related cases. This includes 466 cases of distilling of moonshine, 1,623 cases of possession of raw materials and production spirits, and 575 related offences.

In other raids, 230 government-approved liquor shops have been caught selling liquor at high prices through the back door.

Others include 137 narcotics-related cases and 27 cases of smoking and possession of imported tobacco for which duty had not been paid.

Excise officials have arrested 375 people and confiscated cash of Rs. 50 million together with three luxury vehicles.

Deputy Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe said the government was pushed to let liquor shops open in areas where the curfew was eased because of the roaring bootleg trade.

In the districts of Gampaha and Colombo, however, only supermarkets were allowed to sell liquor.

Mr. Kumarasinghe said supermarkets were allowed because they follow regulations.

They insist on customers using sanitisers, wearing masks and [maintaining] social distancing, he said.

The government decided to shut all liquor stores on March 22 following the detection of the first Sri Lankan coronavirus patient as health authorities deemed that those consuming liquor could spread the deadly disease rapidly.

But illegal bootleg makers have been ramping up the kasippu production.

Raids by excise officials in rural areas have found illegal operations in the backyards of homes and in the city in the home kitchens.

Mr. Kumarasinghe conceded that opening of liquor stores would also dampen bootleg sales.

He said five units carrying out raids would continue their work to interrupt the illegal trade.
(TNS)  More than $1 million in grant funds are flowing to Alabama amid the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to bolster telehealth and telemedicine services in the state.Last week, the Federal Communications Commission announced two grants totaling more than $800,000 had been awarded to a Birmingham-based counseling service and a Troy hospital, which plans to expand telehealth services across 10 community health centers it serves. The grants follow an earlier round of funds aimed at buttressing telemedicine efforts as social distancing spread across the country this spring.The coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented growth in the telemedicine and telehealth sectors, an avenue some health care practitioners may have been hesitant to pursue before it became vitally necessary. As doctors were forced to cancel non-essential visits and procedures, federal entities such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began relaxing certain reimbursement and co-pay restrictions that allowed for broadened services.But for one Montgomery organization, serving isolated and vulnerable Alabama patients is nothing new. Medical Advocacy and Outreach, or MAO, serves HIV-positive patients through 10 e-Health satellite offices scattered throughout central Alabama and its Wiregrass region."Right now, I can host 100 concurrent video calls, and thats provider to patient. Im working to change that to 200. That is all ours," said Billy Sample, MAO Telehealth Resource Center Program Manager. "That means we dont have to depend on Zoom being up or any other provider out there that are just getting overwhelmed."MAO hope their years of pioneering telemedicine in rural Alabama can serve as a blueprint for health care providers charting new territory in a post-pandemic society."This is terrible, people losing their lives or contracting a virus that is brutal. Theres nobody left untouched. Its horrendous that this has occurred but it has put telehealth in the forefront. We have more organizations who may be seeing the fruits of the labor of people like our agency that have put in the groundwork to make this effective," Sample said.MAO began with another pandemic: The HIV/AIDS crisis, which brought together a group of everyday volunteers in Montgomery in 1987, cobbling together everything from educational materials to transportation services to pastoral care for loved ones suffering in the area. What began out of volunteers home eventually grew to an office space, where social workers, nurses and doctors were eventually hired."This was a group of private citizens, and they were uniquely aware that the public had a need that was not being addressed," said MAO Thomas Stephens last year. "Our willingness to be pioneers, because we had no choice. It's passion."The group spread south from Montgomery, treating patients out of a new Dothan hub by 1998. MAO now receives federal funding for HIV Initially funded by local benefactors, MAO's HIV services were eventually approved for federal funding, and it now offers HIV prevention, Hepatitis C care and holistic general primary care for its patients. Eight years ago, it launched its first e-Health clinic in Selma, offering everything from post-diagnosis mental health care to prevention to specialized care for pregnant people.In years past, MAO would regularly load up a van with a nurse, a doctor and a social worker, making rounds to far-flung communities, eating up valuable clinical hours and funds. They invested early in new technology, which allows them to host teleconferences between satellite clinics and doctors on their own server, which they call the "bridge." Though they still see patients in-person, they're able to do more faster with the telemedicine technology.As doctors around the country were forced to abandon their typical methods of care amid the coronavirus upheaval, MAO is now acting as a bridge to help them reach their patients in a new way."Not only are we seeing our patients, but we are leasing out bridge space so that other agencies can utilize our bridge and see their patients," Sample said. "Because of how simple it is to use, because it is hosted here, we have the ability to maintain the connection. ... We have the ability to help folks. Not only taking care of our patients, but helping others take care of their patients."In their satellite clinics, licensed medical providers are always with a patient, whose information is transmitted over secure, HIPAA-certified connections. This spring, as the majority of their patients are immunocompromised, MAO limited the number of patients allowed in a clinic at any one time. The organization worked to set up secure video chats with patients across Alabama."I have expressed, and a lot of our providers have bought into the fact, that our moral obligation is to inject a little stability back into our patients lives, a little connection," Sample said. "Video takes a little more time to transition to, to get them to understand what to do, but to see their faces light up when they see the doctor theyve been going to for so long makes it worth it. They feel that sense of reconnecting. Its more work for us. Its more work for me. But the moral obligation we have to try to restore a little bit of normalcy to our clients far outweighs anything else."But video conferences require patients to have Internet access at their home, an issue in a state with a significant portion of its population living without adequate broadband coverage.Estimates of how many Alabama households lack broadband Internet speeds capable of maintaining a video chat vary widely, but the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the issue in stark relief as millions of people are depending on home Internet service to provide education for their children, earn a living and access health care.Gov. Kay Ivey in March announced $9.5 million in multiple grants across the state aimed at expanding broadband access . Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, wants to allocate $800 million of $1.7 billion federal money for COVID-19 efforts to expand broadband across the state. U.S. Rep Terri Sewell is co-leading a congressional effort to dedicate considerable funds to broadband expansion in the next federal COVID-19 package."The coronavirus has only further highlighted the importance of high-speed, affordable Internet, as lack of access has made it more difficult for Alabamians to learn from home, access telehealth service and telework during the pandemic, Rep. Terri Sewell said. It is beyond time that high-speed Internet is treated as a basic utility and rolled out to every community across the country."
Nirmala Sitharaman's advisers have been speaking of why fiscal prudence is important to avoid India being downgraded from investment grade by global credit rating agencies

The second week of May seems a game-changer for India.

In 1998,the Pokhran II round of nuclear tests altered the country's place in geopolitics. Can Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 20-lakh-crore package of measures announced 22 years later in the same week amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis be a similar one for economics? That question is not easy to answer because it is full of ifs and buts that can be looked at through four prisms: fiscal prudence, social morality, political history and policy strategy. Each of these separately and collectively will shape outcomes in the coming months and years.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's advisers have been speaking of why fiscal prudence is important to avoid India being downgraded from investment by global credit rating agencies, even as a galaxy of economists such as former chief economic adviser Kaushik Basu, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee and former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan have been focusing more on upping the demand side --- inviting criticism that the government is focusing more on the supply side.

Economists estimate that Modi's package totalling up to 10 percent of the GDP is barely 1 to 2 percent in terms of an increase in fiscal deficit at about Rs 2.1 lakh crore -- with the remainder coming from loans, guarantees and Reserve Bank liquidity that do not cost the exchequer much. Such prudence, however, flies in the face of the accepted public morality of Garibi Hatao since former prime minister Indira Gandhi's call at the start of the 1970s.

The Janata Party in 1977 started its food-for-work programme. Manmohan Singh's 1991 economic overhaul spoke a lot about 'reforms with a human face' while his graduation to the prime minister's throne from the finance minister's chair in 2004 brought in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to cushion rural wages.

Sitharaman's package seems to underplay the unwritten commandment of 50 years: 'Thou shall secure the poorest of the poor.' She, however, says there are many (including indirect) ways to transfer money to the poor. A break-up of her cash transfer schemes as part of a Rs 1.7-lakh crore PM Garib Kalyan Yojana outlay and the increased Rs 40,000 crore for MNREGA when tallied with an estimated 450 million informal sector workers or census estimates that put the migrant number at the same level, suggests the government may be on thin ice. Sitharaman has doubts on the data, but few will deny the magnitude of the problem.

Moving visuals of migrant workers going hungry, their huddling in exploiter trucks and stories of deaths and misery on the highways after the pandemic are such that the government's policies certainly go against the social morality of the past. Not since the Partition days of 1947 has India seen a painful demographic spectacle in large swathes of the country.

The government's handouts total under Rs 500 per person a month for the poor who include low-end farmers, landless MNREGA workers and Jan Dhan Yojana beneficiaries. Is that enough in a crisis year considered substantially lost? And what happens to the services sector jobs that go blank in a health crisis? That is where social morality critics seem to have an upper hand.

That brings us to how historians may view the package. Strangely, and bizarrely for some, the slew of reforms in the 4L package -- land, labour, law and liquidity -- seem to have a top-down slant in a bottom-up polity. The Narendra Modi government may face charges of heartlessness or Tuglakhian arbitrariness, especially when you consider the fact that under the label of an Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliance movement), there is a slew of open-door policies for foreign investors and private entrepreneurs in everything from agriculture to coal mining and outer space. Yet, there could be a strategy behind all this.

To understand this, you have to look at things from the government's viewpoint. If fiscal prudence is essential to maintain sovereign credit ratings at a healthy level, it logically follows that positive benefits can accrue from foreign investment inflows. Two of the government's key reformist aides have been outspoken on this issue. While Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal (a former international banker) speaks of a 1991-style 'reset', Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian (a business school professor) speaks of raising as much as $60 billion by listing government bonds overseas. At Rs 4.5 lakh crore, that is a lot of money!

In the end-game scenario envisaged by these two gentlemen, foreign money should pour in like manna from heaven, thanks to fiscal prudence and economic glasnost. Is that a growth gamble in times of coronavirus, like love in the times of cholera -- a magnificent Marquezian obsession with an economically muscular India? This much is clear: foreign money has to more than shower on Indian soil for the strategy to work. It has to seep into the pores through which hundreds of millions of physical labourers sweat and slog.

On the other hand, there is a rain check that the government can wield yet.

Given that the lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic is still dragging, we are months away anyway from real spending in an economy in which social distancing, masks and uncertainties will rule in the foreseeable future. In that sense, options are still open for Sitharaman to open her khata-book to unfurl a higher fiscal deficit to feed some mouths and silence some others.

Sitharaman's options include infusing a fresh round of capital to strengthen public sector banks -- which would fuel credit growth -- or pumping up state spending on the poor. We cannot simply assume that the government has played all its fiscal cards when the financial year has just begun. There is elbow room for more spending through a mini-budget that could come through demands for supplementary grants in the Lok Sabha. Or there could be new initiatives including bond issues or listings. They may be simply announced one Friday afternoon in a press conference by a minister who has held five in as many days over the past week.

But this much is clear. The jury will be out in the coming days. The gamble is such that failure is simply not affordable.

(The writer is a senior journalist and commentator. He tweets as @madversity)
A two-car crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Chicopee early Sunday morning led to a driver being trapped inside their car and another person being hospitalized, according to authorities.

The collision was reported around 4:33 a.m. at the 50.8 mile-marker on the highway, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. Authorities did not specify whether the crash happened in the east or westbound lanes.

One of the cars was reportedly on fire. The driver of a 2017 Jeep Wrangler was also trapped inside his vehicle but eventually freed by first responders, according to the statement.

The operator of a 2015 Hyundai Sonata was taken to Baystate Medical Center. Police did not disclose the extent of the drivers injuries, the statement said.

The scene was cleared at 6:04 a.m., state police said.
Teenage gangsters are spending up to 5,000 each on American bulldogs and then cutting the ears off to make them look more vicious.

Sources said gardai in the Finglas area, as well as in other Dublin districts, are "monitoring the situation" as it has emerged that a number of young thugs have bought the expensive dogs.

"This is an increasing trend, and in the Finglas area alone there are about a dozen fellas who have these terrifying-looking dogs," a source told the Herald.

"It seems that walking around with these dogs is a status symbol for these individuals, just as much as wearing designer clothes such as Canada Goose jackets.

Sickening

"Having such scary-looking dogs obviously can be used for intimidation purposes as well, and by cutting the ears off the animals it makes them look even more terrifying."

The sickening trend has also been observed in Blanchardstown, Coolock and Ballyfermot.

There are major concerns that the teenagers are guilty of animal cruelty offences.

"Many of the fellas who have these dogs are generally aged between 16 and 19. They're the up-and-coming generation in gangland," the source said.

"The fact that they get the ears of the dogs cut off shows they have no interest in the welfare of these animals.

"The fact they can afford to buy these dogs while not being in employment also raises its own obvious questions."

One theory about the popularity of the dogs among young criminals is that they got the idea from Finglas drug dealer Mr Flashy, who used to have two similar fearsome animals at his home for protection.

Sources said Mr Flashy - the 27-year-old Kinahan cartel-aligned dealer who cannot be named for legal reasons - has been "keeping his head down" during the coronavirus pandemic after being arrested in late March following a garda pursuit across the city involving more than 20 cars.

"He was released without charge on that occasion and seems to have been holed up in a city centre safe house since then," a source said.

Meanwhile, gardai are becoming increasingly concerned about the criminal activities of some of the teenage thugs with the expensive bulldogs.

One of the youth had close links to Paul 'Farmer' Martin a 39-year-old criminal from Kippure Park, Finglas, who was shot to death in the Jolly Toper pub in Finglas in August 2008.

Another of the young thugs, who has been walking the streets with his expensive bulldog, is part of a gang that was formed in the Cloonlara area of Finglas in the aftermath of the murder of criminal John Daly, who was shot dead in October 2007.

Savage

Another up-and-coming criminal who has one of the prized animals was previously detained at the Oberstown Campus for a savage assault he carried out in the Cabra area when he was in his early teens.

It is understood that gardai did not receive a complaint in relation to reports that a bulldog owned by one of the young criminals was stolen by a rival mob, killed and then sent back to him.

"These are the up-and-coming young criminals and their activities are causing a lot of concern in the community - properties linked to these fellas have already been raided by gardai this year," a source said.

"The expectation is that you will be hearing a lot more about these fellas in the years to come."
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah attend a ceremony to sign a political agreement in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: Reuters

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal to end a months-long political stalemate.

Mr Abdullah had disputed the results of an election in September and announced the formation of a parallel government earlier this year, undermining Mr Ghanis administration at a time when the US was trying to advance a peace process with the Taliban to end the 19-year Afghan war.

Today is a historic day for our dear Afghanistan. Afghans have proven that they are committed to their national interests with common thinking, Mr Ghani said. In the coming days, we hope that with unity and cooperation, we will be able to provide the ground for a ceasefire and lasting peace.

Discussions over the final sticking points, including the allocation of some key posts, had been under way throughout the day, sources said.

Mr Abdullah had wanted to control a major portfolio such as finance or foreign affairs, and while Mr Ghani has not agreed, he could offer control of the interior ministry.

It was not immediately clear which ministries each camp controlled.

The US had been frustrated by the impasse, even after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Kabul in March to mediate. It planned to cut $1bn (920m) in aid because the men could not agree.

Mr Pompeo said in a tweet that he was glad to hear about the agreement.

It was not immediately clear whether yesterdays agreement would result in the aid commitment being reinstated.

Afghanistan is facing fiscal pressures, with tax revenues falling and foreign aid pledges expected to shrink.
UN, Aid Agencies Cite Unprecedented Humanitarian Needs in Sahel

By Lisa Schlein May 17, 2020

United Nations and private aid agencies warned Friday that an unprecedented number of people in Africa's volatile Sahel region are in desperate need of life-saving assistance and protection.

Aid agencies say they are alarmed but not surprised by the extent of the humanitarian crisis gripping the Sahel. Years of conflict in half a dozen countries, terrorist attacks, climate change causing food insecurity and now the COVID-19 pandemic have stripped the population of its ability to protect and provide for itself.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports 24 million people, or 1 in 5 of the Sahel's total population of 120 million, need international assistance and protection to survive. This is the highest number ever recorded.

OCHA spokesman, Jens Laerke says children account for half of those affected.

"The multilayered crisis is triggered by a deterioration in security that has led to displacement within countries and across borders, rising hunger, inequality, and the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a reported rise in gender-based violence," Laerke said.

The U.N. reports escalating conflict and instability in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, north-east Nigeria, Chad and northern Cameroon have displaced 4.5 million people in the region, both internally and as refugees. It notes 12 million people are short of food, with many on the brink of starvation and 1.6 million children are severely malnourished.

Aid agencies warn the lean season between June and August, when food stocks are exhausted, will worsen this situation. Another flashpoint is the growing number of coronavirus cases in the region, currently at more than 9,000.

The United Nations has appealed for $2.8 billion to reach 17 million people in need. So far, only 18% of the funds has been received. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Sahel, the U.N. requested an additional $638 million earlier this month.

Aid agencies say failure to support emergency operations in the Sahel will cost many more lives and devastate communities. They warn this humanitarian crisis could spill into new regions and into West African coastal countries if life-saving needs are ignored.

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During his presentation, Mr. Son refused to be drawn out about Mr. Mas departure, saying that Mr. Ma had made the decision on his own and that the two men will remain friends for the rest of our lives. Last year, Mr. Ma retired as executive chairman of Alibaba, saying he would pull back from his business endeavors to focus on philanthropy.

Mr. Son was an early investor in Alibaba. His $20 million initial stake grew to be valued at more than $100 billion, making it one of the best venture capital investments in history and among SoftBanks most valuable holdings.

The company has used those assets as collateral to help transform itself from a telecom firm into the worlds largest and most powerful tech investor. Through the Vision Fund, financed in part with money from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, Mr. Son pumped enormous amounts of capital into cutting-edge and often risky start-ups, companies that he believes have the potential to effectively monopolize entire industries.

That vision was challenged last year by the spectacular implosion of WeWork over allegations of mismanagement and self-dealing. WeWorks failed initial public offering spurred a new focus on profits over growth among start-ups. Prominent SoftBank-backed companies including the dog-walking service Wag, the robot pizza maker Zume and the car-sharing service Getaround scaled back after Mr. Son told many of them that they must become self-sufficient.

Now the coronavirus has threatened to destroy Mr. Sons dream. It has drained huge amounts of value from SoftBank-backed companies like Uber and Oyo, the Indian hospitality company, which have proved particularly susceptible to the pandemics effects. On Monday, Uber laid off an additional 3,000 employees and closed 45 offices around the world, after cutting thousands of other jobs this month.

In a note to employees about the latest cuts, Ubers chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, said it was time for the ride-hailing company to move on from its reliance on venture capital.

We must establish ourselves as a self-sustaining enterprise that no longer relies on new capital or investors to keep growing, expanding and innovating, he wrote in the email, which was seen by The New York Times.
Oliver Clarke was one of the most outstanding leaders to have emerged from the Caribbean private sector in the era of Independence. He served his country most ably and was a strong supporter of Caribbean development.
Mr Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, has confirmed again today (Monday, 18 May) that funding which he allocated to support the running of Agricultural Shows throughout the country this year can be used in 2021 where shows have to be cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus.

The Ministers comments come at the start of what would normally have been a very busy period for Shows around the country.

Speaking today, Minister Ring stated:

Late last year, I allocated 600,000 to the Irish Shows Association to support approximately 120 Agricultural Shows around the country that were due to take place during 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 emergency, the Irish Shows Association has recommended the cancellation of all shows until restrictions are lifted and public safety can be ensured. Due to the extraordinary circumstances that we are experiencing at this time, in cases where an affiliated show is cancelled this year, I have asked the Irish Shows Association to hold the funding allocated for that show in trust, so that it can be used in 2021 if the show goes ahead. Any agricultural shows that can safely take place later in 2020 as restrictions are lifted, and in line with public health advice, can continue to utilise the funding available to them in 2020. I want to thank the Irish Shows Association for working with my Department on this arrangement and for their on-going advice to their members during the COVID-19 crisis.

Minister Ring added:

Agricultural shows are a great celebration of all that is good about rural Ireland. They provide a welcome boost for local economies and attract visitors to support our rural communities. Many shows have experienced disruption before and have bounced back through the efforts and resilience of local organisers. I have no doubt that this will be the case again when the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and we can gather safely in our communities once more in line with public health advice. I hope the contribution which my Department has made to the Shows will be a help in this regard. Each qualifying show will receive a payment of approximately 5,000 to support their event.

In total since 2017, the Department of Rural and Community Development has allocated approximately 2 million to assist with the running costs of the Agricultural Shows.
On May 16, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made three specific announcements for Self-Reliance in Defence, and some additional measures to make faster procurement decisions.

First, a list of weapons/platforms for ban on import, with year-wise timelines will be notified. There would be initiatives to promote indigenisation of imported spares, and there will be a separate budget provision for domestic capital procurement, every year, in the defence budget. Second, is the corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Third, FDI limits in defence manufacturing under the automatic route will be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. The measures for the time bound defence procurement and faster decision-making include:

 Setting up of a Project Management Unit (PMU) to support contract management.

 Realistic setting of General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) of weapons/platforms.

 Overhauling Trial and Testing procedures.

The announcements are indeed an extension of the policy reforms that have been in the pipeline since 2014. Although the defence sector was opened to direct private sector participation way back in 2001, it had not generated enough enthusiasm due to multiple reasons, the key ones being an indifferent policy and the lack of access to users. The plethora of policy reforms over the last five to six years, aimed to bridge the gap between defence modernisation and indigenisation by getting wider private sector participation, had just begun to show results. For example, in the number of industries applying for defence license, number of private industries supporting DRDO projects and the increasing outsourced work of DPSU is being managed by the private industry, particularly MSME.

The first announcement, negative list for import is, therefore, critical to ensure that the pre-coronavirus enthusiasm, generated with so much effort, does not die down. Ban on import together with assured budgetary support for domestic capital procurement should be reassuring for the domestic industry. As of now, indigenisation is the responsibility of Department of Military Affairs headed by CDS, procurement is with DG Acquisition, determining indigenous feasibility is with DRDO, and budget oversight is with MOD Finance. Multiplicity of agencies added with short tenures of some cadres is hurting the process.

Going into the future, for self-reliance, accountability needs to be clearly defined. Draft defence Production Policy, 2018 had identified self-reliance in 13 weapon platforms/systems. These could be reviewed and a clear roadmap be outlined. To make it happen, procurement must be managed by a single agency manned by specialists.

The responsibility for developing indigenous weapon systems/platforms is primarily with the DRDO. It is imperative that alongside the time bound negative list for import ban, there should be a time bound R&D plan, with accountability of DRDO and agencies involved.

An associated challenge is going to be determining the negative list for ban on import. Currently, there are multiple parallel procurements at various stages. For instance, Indian Army is in the process of importing rifles, carbines and light machine guns through fast track procedure for operational urgencies in counter terrorism and line of control. At the same time, ordnance factories are manufacturing rifles for supply to Central Armed Police Forces. Even as the induction of 155 mm Dhanush Artillery guns, manufactured by Ordnance factories are in progress, there is an import procurement of 155mm towed guns, albeit with different specifications (GSQR) in the pipeline. There are similar stories with many other items, cutting across the armed forces and the central and state police forces. Consolidating the requirements in a time-bound manner is essential so that we do not lose advantage of scale.

Like weapon systems/platforms, it is equally important to lay down self-reliance objectives for critical components and material. For example, engine of an aircraft accounts for a substantial portion of the overall cost, besides there are recurring requirements of MRO. With the combined military and civil aviation requirements, this should make attractive business propositions for joint ventures, technology transfer and R&D. Indias software industry needs to be incentivised to participate in defence systems. Algorithms integrate various sub-systems/systems of defence equipment, where self-reliance could be the battle-winning factor. India lags in chip technology. In defence systems, the requirement gets more challenging due to specifications of ruggedness, extreme temperatures and minimising size. The trend is shifting towards systems on chips. Defence could well lead the way by focusing our IT industrys interest towards this field.

Separate budget provision for domestic capital procurement was a long overdue reform. Indias defence budget increased from Rs 3,40,921.78 crore in 2016-17, to Rs 4,31,010.79 crore in 2019-2020. There are competing demands on the budget because of the complex threats that India faces. There is an ongoing sub-conventional conflict being fought, with concomitant preparations for conventional war and other international security responsibilities. Therefore, first the prioritisation of defence modernisation requirements is critical. Second, since defence procurements tend to spread over several years to sustain the self-reliance process, it would be advisable to adopt roll on budget for domestic defence procurements for the duration visualized, instead of year on year budgeting.

Since the opening of defence sector to private industry in 2001, 452 industrial licenses have been issued. Of these 452 licenses, 109 were issued in the last three financial years. That said, the proposed investments indicated by the companies in their license application in the five years from 2015 to 2019 amounts to only Rs 13,743.53 crore. In the same period, the government has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to 204 proposals worth Rs. 4,04,880 crore, under categories enabling indigenous capital procurement, in which Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued only to Indian industries. The vast difference, however, between the AoN worth (Rs 4,04,880 crore) and the proposed investment (Rs 13,743.53 crore), clearly indicates scope for much more private participation.

In June 2014, FDI in defence was increased from 26 per cent to 49 per cent through the automatic route, with prospect for increasing up to 100 per cent, on a case by case basis, provided modern technology is brought into the country. The announcement made for raising FDI limits in defence manufacturing under the automatic route from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, is a positive step. This was part of the Draft Defence Production Policy 2018 as well. In the last five years, FDI amounting to Rs.1812 crore has been reported in the defence sector. The amount pales in comparison to the annual average of Rs 31,000 crores worth of capital procurement being done directly ex-import. Indias advantage is its scale, which makes it attractive for investment. Besides simplifying process, the procurement strategy must help to drive more FDI in defence.

In his inaugural speech at the Defexpo-2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the formulation of long-term integrated perspective plan (LTIPP) for 15 years. It is essential to inform the industry well in advance about armed forces requirements, including numbers, specifications, and timeline. This is currently done through an unclassified version of the LTIPP called Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR). The latest TPCR 2018, is an improvement over earlier ones, as it quantifies some requirements of the armed forces. For the industry to be able to invest securely, the TPCR must be replaced by a Defence Industrial Planning document which comes with a degree of assurance, that items required will be procured within the given timeframe. In addition, the clear business visibility will help attract FDI also.

Some of our defence industries prefer to deliver better technologies abroad as they find it difficult to be price-competitive and sustain the long procurement process in India. The provisions of Enhanced Performance Parameters in DPP 2016, that tried to achieve intersection of best technology (T1) with lowest bid (L1), has not been utilised much. Price Indexing of Technology must be undertaken by the services, with help of technology and costing experts, to get best value from our indigenous manufacturers.

The decision to corporatise the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is a very positive, long overdue decision. OFB is a strategic asset with 41 factories, 13 Ordnance R&D centres and nine Ordnance Institutes of Learning. There have been several issues with quality, timeliness, and cost of OF products. Some incremental progress was made in the last couple of years like reducing items from the core items to the non-core items. The OFB is presently a subordinate office of the MoD, corporatisation will enable more professional oversight, functional and financial autonomy. Corporatisation should introduce staffing structure modelled like manufacturing entities, rather than government departments.

Despite the modernisation of ordnance factories with Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) and other modern machines, the manpower and output issues remained. These should get addressed more conveniently after corporatisation. The diffused responsibility for Quality Assurance and Quality Control between OFB and DGQA, too, needs resolution. Managing the change while meeting aspirations of existing employees will be critical to avoid disruption. To enhance productivity and efficiency of the organisation while ensuring that the stability of the key national strategic asset is protected, combination of approaches involving management structural change, listing in markets, technology infusion through JV, transition to core items only, will have to be adopted.

An overhaul of the trial and testing process has been announced. A great relief to the private industry has been the opening of public sector trial and testing facilities. Further facilitation is planned through government support for trial and testing facilities in the defence industrial corridors. There is scope for further simplification of the trial process for procurements, and substitution of trial with warranty. Currently, import substitution and infusion of latest components/technology are inhibited by the present policy of going through user and DGQA trials afresh. Repeat orders and revenue procurement of already introduced equipment are similarly affected.

Armed forces are generally faulted for stipulating aspirational GSQR. This happens because those formulating the specifications try to factor in anticipated delay in procurement and wish for the best technologies that are emerging. Distinction needs to be made between procurement and development. Procurement should be out of what is available, and in case the desired QR is not available, then development is necessary. Wherever development is required, the scheme should be progressed either as Make 1, Make 2 or through the DRDO.

To enhance output from the private sector and secure independence from imports, implementation of the transformational policies is crucial. Let us target Defexpo 2022 to see these announcements implemented in letter and spirit.
A schoolgirl has used her artistic talents to raise thousands of pounds for front line workers on Altnagelvin Hospital's Covid-19 wards.

Alex Patterson spent over 12 hours at her easel producing two paintings, which she will donate to two local care homes.

The 13-year-old from Eglinton raised more than 5,000 through her sponsored paint in appreciation of the hospital staff risking their lives.

Her mum Joanne explained: "This was an idea Alex had so she set up a GoFundMe page and has raised this amazing amount of money.

"Alex is a student at Foyle College and has been painting for two years now and has her own art studio here in Eglinton.

"She really wanted to do something for the front line staff working in the Covid wards of Altnagelvin - money that would go directly to them to do with as they wished.

"We closed the GoFundMe page at the weekend so the final total came in at 5,025, raised over two weeks, which is an incredible amount of money for a 13-year-old to raise."

Joanne explained how Alex worked through the night to produce the paintings.

"She set aside 12 hours on May 1 to paint two landscapes that she intends to donate to the two care homes close to where we live here in the village.

"As it turned out, Alex wasn't happy with one of the paintings so she started it again and didn't actually get finished until close to 5am.

"So many people were following her progress so I stayed with her, making omelettes at 2am in the morning."

Although the paint has dried on her canvasses, Alex and her mum are holding back on delivering them to their new homes.

Joanne explained: "The two care homes locally are Covid-free so obviously we do not want to do anything that might alter that, no matter how low the risk. Once we come out of lockdown the two care homes will be presented with their painting.

"But as soon as the money from the GoFundMe page is released, which normally takes five days, we will make sure the staff get it directly.

"That was very important to Alex, these are the people who while the rest of us are shielding and social distancing - a luxury they haven't had - they are going out and putting themselves on the front line and this money is our way of acknowledging their efforts."
Oversight for underserved

Regarding HISD plans greater academic, financial oversight of in-district charters (May 13): The misappropriation of millions of educational dollars deserves to be headline news. No one reading this headline would ever know that buried at the bottom of the article is information about a charter school operator that pocketed $4.1 million dollars in loan forgiveness. Why does ripping off Houstons poorest children need to be kept a secret?

The students at Energized for Excellence Academy are 97 percent economically disadvantaged. The $4.1 million dollars that Ms. Bullock helped herself to was their educational money. These students need a voice. They deserve to be championed.

Ann Eagleton, Houston

Sacrifices big and small

Regarding Hidalgos mask order isnt draconian  or new in Texas. Abbott is the one to overreach (April 27): All Texans are anxious to see our state, and our nation, return to business as usual. However, we are currently in a war, and people are losing their lives. And this war in two months has cost the U.S. 30,000 more lives, primarily older Americans, than the entire Vietnam War. We need to step up during reopening of our stores, businesses, and churches in a very different way than we asked prior generations during the wars they faced. Those Americans in their nineties were asked to put their lives on the line in the war with the Nazis and Japanese; those in their eighties put their lives at risk in Korea, and those of us in our seventies were asked to serve our country and possibly risk our lives during Vietnam.

All we need to be demanding of our countrymen and women during this current COVID-19 war is to wear a mask, social distance and wash our hands. That's a whole lot less to ask than asking our older generations to get shot at. If politicians actually had a real interest in both saving lives and restarting our economy, they wouldn't say "pretty please" do these things, but would actually require us all to do them, and then lead by example. Otherwise they can continue saying "pretty please" in an effort to keep up their numbers in the polls...and then watch the second wave of COVID-19 overrun us all.

And everything starts with the president, congressmen and all our political leaders. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Harry D. Smith Jr., Spring

Five years too long

Regarding Voters file criminal complaint against Texas AG Ken Paxton over mail-in voting threats (May 11): Why are Texans okay with being told what they can and cannot do by someone who may be a criminal? Ken Paxton has been under indictment for nearly five years! That is ridiculous. He must stand trial like anyone else. If he's guilty, he should be removed from office. If he's found not guilty, that's fine. For him to be serving as A.G. of Texas for this long, while under indictment, makes a mockery of our judicial process. I have no expertise or conflicts of interest. I am just a concerned Texan.

Dean Osborne, Spring
Since Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders came into effect in the U.S. in mid-March, the workforce has undergone a complete transformation. Remote work has turned kitchen tables into workspaces, Zoom meetings have replaced conference rooms, mandatory virtual coffee breaks are keeping employees connected, and there's now a new definition of and increased appreciation for essential workers.



Surprisingly, however, while the pandemic has abruptly upended nearly everything about the traditional workplace, job satisfaction and happiness measures have ticked up, according to the latest Q2 CNBC|SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Survey. The survey polled a national sample of 9,059 workers in the United States and was conducted May 410, 2020  nearly two months after the large-scale move to remote work and 30 million people filed for unemployment.

Miguel Pereira | Getty Images

After holding steady at a score of 71 all last year, the Workplace Happiness Index now measures a 73 out of 100, with slight increases in positive sentiment on all component measures, which include compensation, opportunities for advancement, feeling valued by colleagues and meaningfulness of the work. When asked directly about the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on their relationship to their job, 38% of workers say they are happier to have their job now than they were before the outbreak  an indication that workers may be reevaluating their views and expectations on work in general, particularly in light of the 14.7% unemployment rate. Just 11% say that now, more than before, they wish they had a different job.

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Nevertheless, while workers say they are happier with their jobs, many say the pandemic's impact on their workplace has made it more difficult for them to do their job effectively, with 1 in 5 saying it has become much harder and 34% saying it has become somewhat harder. For some the difficulty lies in homeschooling children while working full-time; for others connectivity issues or not having easy access to certain programs or files has created work-related challenges; for essential workers the stress of catching the virus and wearing the personal protective equipment and instituting safety procedures has been challenging.

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Nearly half of those polled (48%) have been working remotely during the pandemic and are, for the most part, happy about it. Fifty-seven percent of those working from home say they are currently very satisfied with their job. Many companies are happy with this change as well and have announced they will keep a portion of their workforce remote for much of 2020. Twitter has even gone so far as to say that employees can work from home indefinitely. Even with the ranks of the unemployed already above 35 million Americans, many workers remain concerned about potential job losses or having their work hours cut.

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Companies are already envisioning a new normal when employees start heading back to the office. Key changes could include antimicrobial materials, more and better air filtration, temperature monitoring at entry points and desks spaced farther apart. But the opinions on how much needs to be done is wide ranging. More than half of those surveyed (53%) agree there should be limits on the number of people gathered in one place. When it comes to hot-button issues such as employee testing and wearing masks at the office, a large percentage favor those as well, with 47% favoring companies testing workers before they return to the office and 41% preferring that all employees be required to wear masks. Just 15% say they don't feel any measures need to be put into effect at all when offices reopen.
Kolkata, May 18 : Despite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's special attention to slow down the increasing figures, the total number of Covid-19 cases in Kolkata's twin Howrah district crossed 500 as the state entered its fourth phase of lockdown on Monday.

According to sources in the state health department, the Covid-19 cases touched 511 in the district, till Sunday, affecting a large part of north and central Howrah with fresh cases doubling up in every four days.

Earlier in the second phase of lockdown, the Chief Minister had given a 14-days deadline to the district administration saying, "I don't know about anything. I want the district to turn into orange zone and the green from the red. How will you guys do it, it is completely your call. I want Howrah to be a green zone." There are 76 Covid containment zones in Howrah district with a large part of Salkia area identified as a micro-spot. Ironically, the state secretariat Nabanno, from where Mamata Banerjee controls her entire state machinery, is also located in Howrah -- a high-risk Covid-19 districts that has failed to come out of the red zone tag in last two months.

Even after so many days of lockdown, the district has failed to tackle the situation. No significant steps have been taken to control the rising Corona figures. Many police personnel including Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans got affected by Covid-19 in the district too.

Sources said two officials of Howrah police station had tested positive with Covid-19 on Sunday. Earlier, as many as 16 officers of Howrah's Shibpur police station and two officers of Santragachi police station were affected by the Coronavirus.

Two RPF jawans were tested positive with Covid-19 symptoms in one of eastern India's major railheads Howrah railway station last week. They were admitted to the Railway Orthopaedic Hospital. The duo was posted at the north post of Howrah station's old complex. About 20 RPF jawans were sent to institutional quarantine after the incident.

At least 38 people were tested positive with Covid-19 symptoms and over 50 had been quarantined from a particular pocket in Howrah as community suspected spread was reported. The incident took place at 82/2 Narasingha Dutta Road in the district. They all used to work as sweepers with the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC). All 38 Covid-19 patients had been admitted to various Covid hospitals in the district. They are now undergoing treatments at Sanjibani Hospital at Phuleswar, ILS Hospital and Satyabala ID Hospital.

There are altogether five Covid hospitals in the district. According to reports, about 23 people have already died of Covid-19 from Howrah district. When asked, Howrah district Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Bhabani Das told IANS: "I don't know about anything. I can't disclose any figure about my district. The state health departments will release the figure." Earlier, the Chief Minister had declared Howrah as one of the red zone districts in West Bengal, besides Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, East Midnapore etc. The district also featured in the red zone list released by the Centre. As many as 90 per cent of the state's total Covid-19 cases are from north and central Kolkata and Howrah district, she had said.

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Miners are adapting existing protocols and technology to limit the spread of COVID-19, said Eldorado Gold's CEO George Burns, who spoke to Kitco on Monday.

Eldorado has two operating mines in Turkey, its Kisladag and Efemcukuru mines, as well as two polymetallic mines in Greece and the Lamaque gold mine in Quebec, Canada. The company produced about 395,000 ounces of gold in last year.

Like most precious metal miners the company is moving higher with the good precious metal prices. Year-to-date the company's stock has traded up 20% to $13.18.

Eldorado Gold (TSE:OLD) had a good first quarter. In early April the company announced that it produced 115,949 ounces of gold in Q1, ;a gain of 40% from 82,977 in the same period of 2019. The biggest production jump in Q1 was at the company's Turkish mine, Kisladag, which increased production 84% to 50,176 ounces.

Burns said the company has had good support from the Turkish government.

"Turkey's been a fantastic jurisdiction for Eldorado Gold," said Burns.

He said the company is still exploring the country, and he hopes to open a third mine in the country.

Burns said the company's Quebec operation had a three-week period on care and maintenance due to the province's COVID-19 restrictions. He said that was the only real measurable impact upon production. At this point Burns doesn't believe there will be any major production hits related to COVID-19 for the rest of the year.

Burns said mining is uniquely equipped to manage COVID-19, noting that miners "...actually manage a lot of risks all the time."

Miners are already tracking employees and equipment at the mine site for production and safety.

"I think most mining companies have been leveraging technology. We are tracking and tagging people and equipment, so we can see where people are."

Regarding challenges dealing with COVID-19 going forward, Burns said the biggest challenge is just transporting employees while limiting the potential spread of the virus. Anyone is a potential carrier. Equipment needs to be cleaned at the end of a shift. Safety huddles at the start of the shift are now conducted in wider circles for social distancing. Employees need to be given adequate space while traveling in a transport bus or moved throughout the mine site.

"The worry of spreading a virus across our operations is something we obviously haven't dealt with in the past, but we've been able to deploy many of the controls we use to manage other risks to this specific risk," said Burns.

"We've made the adjustments, we just can't move [our employees] as quickly."
Sen. Ben Sasse spoke during Fremont High School's virtual graduation ceremony Saturday and spent a majority of his 6-minute speech ripping China for causing the coronavirus pandemic and making jokes about psychologists and people named Jeremy  "Everybody named Jeremy is the worst," he said.

Sasse, a Republican, took on a humorous tone to start his speech, which was widely criticized by political opponents. He said he was proud of the students for making it out of their bedrooms and putting on something more formal than sweatpants to watch the ceremony with their families.

"It took a lot of effort, and we want to recognize your sacrifice," he said.

Sasse, who is a 1990 Fremont High graduate and was president of Midland University there before being elected to the Senate, also congratulated parents for assuming the role of teachers since schools closed their doors in March.

"Thanks a lot, China," he said.

Sasse said this year's graduating class would be rare in that the students will actually remember their graduation because of the unusual circumstances.
No fewer than ten COVID-19 patients in isolation centres in Bauchi have overdosed on Vitamin C, Rilwan Muhammed, chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHCDA), says.

According to Muhammed, while speaking to journalists on Sunday, an overdose of vitamin C may result in undesirable health conditions such as gall bladder stone, kidney stones and pelvic ulcer.

A clash between members of two Islamic sects for the position of Imam of Okene Central Mosque position in Kogi State has left eight people injured.

The clash which reportedly occurred on Friday was said to be a spillover of the lingering crises between Tijaniyya and Sunni sects over who would become the chief imam, following the demise of the former imam, Musa Galadima who died in 2019.

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Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika says it has impounded an aircraft belonging to Fair Aviation, a United Kingdom-based aviation, for operating commercial flights contrary to the approval it got for humanitarian operations.

The minister, who made this known in a tweet on Sunday afternoon, described the companys action as callous, adding that the company will receive maximum penalty.

The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected a donation of 10 vehicles by ExxonMobil for use in contact tracing of COVID-19 patients.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Sunday.

The minister of state for labour, Festus Keyamo has come out to query why people are criticising the Madagascan remedy which was created solely to make people recover from the novel coronavirus. Speaking via his official Twitter handle on Sunday, he further queried if the criticism is borne out of the fact that the cure was discovered by an African country.

The Council of Imams and Ulama in Kaduna State has called on the state government to gradually ease the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.

The Chairman of the council, Shaykh Ibrahim Nakaka, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday.

Front line health workers in Kebbi State will now receive daily hazard allowances in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Atiku Bagudu, the state governor, approved the sum of N20,000 and N15,000 for consultants and medical officers respectively.

The Federal Government of Nigeria might impose isolated lockdowns in troubled parts of the country as confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 5,621.

This was revealed in an exclusive chat with ThisDay by the Secretary-General of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), Boss Mustapha.

The House of Representatives has revealed that the order given by an Abuja Federal High Court does not stop the process for the passage of the proposed Infectious Diseases Control Bill 2020.

In a statement by its Spokesperson, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on Sunday it expressed dismay over the alleged erroneous reports on the matter.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai has called on the people of the state to bear with the state government as the inconveniences they are passing through due to the COVID-19 are regrettable.

The Governor commended the people of Kaduna State for enduring the inconveniences of the lockdown and also thanked them for staying home and staying safe during the difficult period.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that he was forced to join politics due to unemployment.

The former Governor of Rivers State made this disclosure during a recent interview with PUNCH.

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has announced the shut down of a company in the State whose members of staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Recall that on Saturday evening, 31 new cases of Coronavirus was recorded in Oyo State; with 30 of the newly confirmed cases being members of staff of a company located Ibadan South West Local Government Area
DETROIT - Can COVID-19 be traced in what you flush down the toilet?

Thats the question that the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Michigan State University and the Great Lakes Water Authority are teaming up to answer to bolster coronavirus outbreak tracking in the city.

The DWSD and MSU started collaborating in November 2017 to generally research whether viruses can be detected in Detroits sewer system, the city said in a Monday, May 18 news release. GLWA provided funding and technical assistance this year to shift the projects focus to the novel coronavirus, the release stated.

Related: Michigan sewage workers worry about coronavirus exposure

Dr. Irene Xagoraraki, an associate professor of civil and environment engineering at MSU, discovered in the study that viruses generally can be detected in untreated sewage, the city said. When combined with county health data from the same time, both MSU and DWSD detected viruses, including previous strains of coronavirus, about one to two weeks before increases in infections, officials said.

We are excited by the efforts of MSU and the implications this work may have in supporting our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Denise Fair, the City of Detroit Chief Public Health Office in the release. I am encouraged and applaud any effort that seeks to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community.

Xagorarakis team plans to collect wastewater samples and determines the genetic makeup to see if there is DNA correlation between the wastewater and COVID-19, the release stated. Next, clinical disease records will be used to determine correlations with the samples and validate predictions, the release stated.

Our approach has the potential to provide warnings earlier than traditional systems focused on clinical diagnostics  rapid or not  which are inherently limited to an after analysis of an outbreak, said Dr. Xagoraraki. Our approach goes above and beyond simple surveillance of wastewater.

Related: SVSU lab to test for early detection of coronavirus through wastewater

The newest study started in April 2020, building off a previous grant from the National Science Foundation, officials said. GLWA saw its potential effectiveness to predict coronavirus outbreaks in the short, medium and long-term," which led to the funding, said Dr. John Norton, director of Energy Research of Innovation at the water authority.

"Short-term use may be to provide information regarding immediate response activities and regulations, while a medium-term use may be to help guide detection of infected people, and long-term uses concern general epidemiological work regarding diseases in general.

DWSD quickly gave permission to MSU in 2017 to study the sewer system, said DWSD Deputy Director and Chief Engineer Palencia Mobley.

I directed our DWSD staff to give the researchers complete access, she said in the release. "This partnership supports our vision of DWSD being an anchor institution that solves problems in the community.

The goal going forward is to make the process user-friendly for utility facilities throughout the city and beyond, Xagoraraki said. Her models are expected to describe patterns of disease spread, identify potential new novel viruses and predict outbreak hot spots.

The method we are using is at a research level at this point and multiple steps need to be followed to make it user-friendly for utilities around the country," she said. Partnering with DWSD and GLWA, which operates the largest single-site wastewater treatment plant North America, is crucial for the development of this method. If it can be done here with this massive system and show predictive results, it can be done in other smaller communities as well.

Her team includes MSU Ph.D. students Brijen Miyani and Camille McCall, recent graduates Huiyun Wu and Evan OBrien, DWSD manager Anil Gosine and other departmental staff, as well as Norton and other assisting personnel, according to the news release. The citys commitment to this project is expected to be long-term, officials said

Detroit has been at the forefront of testing and providing the community resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mayor Mike Duggan. This project with MSU [launched in 2017] again shows that we have a forward-thinking and collaborative mentality that puts the community first.

The city noted in the release that the public is not generally exposed to viruses that can be detected in the sewer system.

The public should be assured that once sewage enters the citys collection pipe, it is not encountered by the general public," the city sad. "Most basement backups are either stormwater or the households own untreated sewage. The treatment process uses chlorine to kill viruses in sewage at the Water Resource Recovery Facility in southwest Detroit operated by GLWA. DWSD, GLWA and health experts always advise precautions when encountering raw fecal matter and sewage.

Read more from MLive:

Monday, May 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

Michigan salons left in the dark as pressure to reopen mounts

Moviegoers pack Michigan drive-in theater, defying Whitmers stay-home order

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.
Shareholders of Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (publ) are summoned to the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. In light of the coronavirus, the Annual General Meeting is conducted through advance voting pursuant to temporary regulations. Therefore, it will not be possible to attend this year's Meeting in person or by proxy.



Right to participate

In order to participate in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) shareholders must be recorded in the shareholder register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB no later than Wednesday June 10, 2020. Notification of participation in the Meeting is completed by submitting an advance voting form in accordance with the instructions set forth in the section "Advance voting" below. In order to participate in the AGM, shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a trustee must register the shares into their own name. Such registration, which may be temporary, must be completed by Wednesday June 10, 2020.

Advance voting

The shareholders may exercise their voting rights at the Annual General Meeting only by voting in advance, so called postal voting in accordance with section 22 of the Act (2020:198) on temporary exceptions to facilitate the execution of general meetings in companies and other associations. A special form shall be used for advance voting. The form is available on www.ibtherapeutics.com. The advance voting form is considered as the notification of participation at the general meeting. The completed voting form must be received by company no later than Monday June 15, 2020. The completed form, in original, shall be sent to Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (publ), Bryggargatan 10, SE-111 21 Stockholm, Sweden. The completed form may alternatively be submitted electronically to ibt@ibtherapeutics.com. If the shareholder votes in advance by proxy, a power of attorney shall be enclosed with the form. If the shareholder is a legal entity, a certificate of incorporation or a corresponding document shall be enclosed with the form. The shareholder may not provide special instructions or conditions in the voting form. If so, the vote (i.e. the advance vote in its entirety) is invalid. Further instructions and conditions are included in the form for advance voting.

Proposed Agenda

Election of Chairman of the Meeting Establishment and approval of the voting list Selection of one or two persons to approve the minutes of the Meeting Approval of Agenda Resolution as to whether the Meeting has been duly convened Presentation of the annual report and the audit report, the consolidated accounts and the consolidated audit report Decision:

a) to determine the income statement and balance sheet and the consolidated income statement and consolidated balance sheet;

b) on disposals of the company's income according to the established balance sheet,

c) discharge from liability for the Board members and the managing director Resolution regarding the number of Board members and Auditors Determinations of fees to the Board of Directors and Auditor Election of Board members

a) Re-election of Margareta Hagman

b) Re-election of Eva Iden

c) Re-election of Anthon Jahreskog

d) Re-election of Kristina Sjoblom Nygren

e) Re-election of Peter Rothschild

f) New election of Robert Nolander

Election of the Chairman of the Board Election of Auditor Resolution regarding the Nominating Committee The Board's proposal for a resolution regarding principles for remuneration to senior executives The Board's proposal for a resolution regarding implementation of an incentive program

Proposed resolutions, etc.

Item 1 - Chairman of the Meeting

The Nominating Committee, which consists, in addition to the Chairman of the Board, Peter Rothschild, of Per-Erik Andersson (Annwall & Rothschild Investments AB), Sebastian Jahreskog (second largest shareholder in the company) and Jannis Kitsakis (the Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund), proposes that the Chairman of the Board, Peter Rothschild, is elected Chairman of the Meeting.

Item 2 - Voting list

The voting list proposed for approval under item 2 on the agenda is the voting list prepared by the company, based on the shareholders' register and advance votes received, and verified by the persons elected to approve the mintues.

Item 3 - Persons to approve the minutes

Jannis Kitsakis och Sten Irwe or, to the extent both or any of them are prevented, the person or persons assigned by the Nomination Committee, are proposed as persons to approve the minutes. The assignment for the persons to approve the minutes includes verifying the voting list and confirming that advance votes received are correctly reflected in the minutes of the Meeting.

The Nominating Committee's proposals regarding items 8 - 13 on the agenda

Item 8 - Resolution regarding the number of Board members and auditors

Six members without deputies. One auditor without deputies.

Item 9 - Determination of fees to be paid to the Board of Directors and auditors

The Chairman of the Board shall receive SEK 250,000 annually and an extra remuneration of SEK 400,000 annually for the duties as working Chairman of the Board. Other members who are not employed by the company SEK 125,000 annually per member. Auditing fees shall be paid in accordance with approved invoice.

Item 10 - Election of Board members

Re-election of Board members Margareta Hagman, Eva Iden, Anthon Jahreskog, Kristina Sjoblom Nygren and Peter Rothschild and election of Robert Molander as new Board member.

Robert Molander, born 1965, holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Washington University as well as two Bachelors in Economics and International Studies from Miami University. Robert Molander has since 2018 been active as marketing manager and since 2019 as sales and marketing manager for Trialbee AB. Robert Molander has 25 years of experience as a marketing and sales manager in the US at pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Pfizer and Pharmacia.

Information about the members proposed for re-election can be found in the annual report for 2019.

Item 11 - Election of Chairman of the Board

Re-election of Peter Rothschild.

Item 12 - Election of auditor

Re-election of Deloitte AB. The proposal is in accordance with the Board of Directors' recommendation.

Item 13 - Resolution regarding the Nominating Committee

The Chairman of the Board shall convene the three, in terms of voting rights, largest shareholders in the company, each of which shall appoint a representative to be a member of the Nominating Committee together with the Chairman of the Board. Composing the Nominating Committee, the ownership structure as per June 30, 2020 will determine who are the largest shareholders in terms of voting rights. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the member representing the largest shareholder as determined by voting rights on this date. If any of the three largest shareholders waives their right to appoint a member of the Nominating Committee, this right shall be vested in the shareholder that, after these shareholders, has the largest shareholding. The names of the three owner's representatives shall be published as soon as they have been appointed, but no later than six months before the Annual General Meeting 2021. The Nominating Committee's term of office extends until the new Nominating Committee is appointed.

In the event that the shareholder the Nominating Committee member represents no longer constitutes one of the three largest shareholders in terms of voting rights, the Nominating Committee, if it finds it appropriate, may dismiss that member and give a representative of the shareholder that is next in terms or voting power the opportunity to be elected. In the event that a nominated member of the Nominating Committee for other reason resigns from the Nominating Committee, the shareholder who appointed the member in question shall be entitled to appoint a new representative in the Nominating Committee. If such shareholder declines to appoint a new representative, the Nominating Committee shall, if it considers it appropriate with regard to the remaining term of office, request that the shareholder that is next in terms of voting power determine, if it wishes to appoint a representative to the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall prepare proposals in the following questions to be submitted to the Annual General Meeting 2021 for decision:

a) proposal for election of the Chairman of the AGM

b) proposal for election of Board members

c) proposal for election of the Chairman of the Board

d) proposal for determination of Board fees

e) proposal for election of Auditor

f) proposal for determination of Auditor fees

g) proposal for a resolution regarding the Nominating Committee prior to the 2022 AGM.

The Board's proposals for resolution regarding items 7b, 14 and 15 on the agenda

Item 7b - Appropriation regarding the company's earnings

The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend be paid and that the result for the period be carried forward.

Item 14 - Proposal for resolution regarding principles for remuneration to senior executives

The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to adopt the following guidelines for remuneration to senior executives in IBT. The guidelines shall be applied to remuneration agreed and changes to previously agreed remuneration, after the guidelines have been adopted by the Annual General Meeting. The guidelines do not apply to remuneration resolved by the Annual General Meeting.

The guidelines' promotion of IBT's business strategy, long-term interests and sustainability

IBT develops, and intends to market and sell, safe and efficacious therapies that affect infants' microbiome and thereby prevent or treat rare diseases that affects premature infants. For more information on IBT's business strategy, see the annual report.

Successful implementation of the business strategy and safeguarding IBT's long-term interests, including its sustainability, require IBT to be able to recruit, motivate and retain competent employees who work to achieve maximum shareholder and customer value. This requires IBT to be able to offer competitive remuneration. These guidelines enable senior executives to be offered competitive total remuneration.

Forms of remuneration, etc.

Remuneration shall be market-based and may consist of the following components: fixed cash salary, variable cash remuneration, pension benefits and other benefits. The Annual General Meeting may in addition - and independent of these guidelines - resolve on for example share-related and share-price based remuneration. The total remuneration package to senior executives should include a well-balanced mix of the above-named components as well as terms of notice and severance pay. The Board should annually evaluate the extent to which share-based or share-price based long-term incentive programmes should be proposed to the Annual General Meeting.

The fixed cash salary shall be individual and based on the senior executive's responsibilities and role as well as the individual's competence and experience in the relevant position.

The variable cash remuneration may amount to a maximum of 30 percent of fixed annual cash salary.

Senior executives who are entitled to pensions shall have pension benefits that are defined contribution. Variable cash remuneration shall not qualify for pension benefits. Pension premiums for defined contribution pensions shall amount to a maximum of 33 percent of fixed annual cash salary.

Other benefits may include life insurance, health insurance (Sw: sjukvardsforsakring) and a company car benefit. Such benefits shall be of limited value in relation to other compensation and be consistent with what is customary in the respective geographical market. Other benefits may amount to a maximum of 5 percent of fixed annual cash salary.

Termination of employment

In the event of termination of employment by the company the maximum notice period is six months. Fixed cash salary during the notice period plus any severance pay may not together exceed an amount equivalent to the individual's fixed cash salary for a one-year period. In case of termination by the senior executive, the notice period may not be less than three months and no severance pay will be paid.

Criteria for distribution of variable cash remuneration, etc.

Variable cash remuneration shall be linked to pre-determined and measurable criteria which may be financial or non-financial. It can also comprise individually adapted quantitative or qualitative targets. The criteria shall be designed so that they promote the Group's business strategy and long-term interests, including its sustainability, through for example having a clear link to IBT's business strategy or promoting the senior executive's long-term development.

Fulfilment of the criteria for payment of variable cash remuneration shall be measured during a period of one year. When the measurement period for fulfilment of the criteria for payment of variable cash remuneration has ended, the extent to which the criteria have been met shall be determined. The Remuneration Committee is responsible for assessment with regard to variable cash remuneration to the CEO. As regards variable cash remuneration to other senior executives, the CEO is responsible for the assessment.

Salary and terms of employment for employees

In preparation of the Board's proposal for these remuneration guidelines, salaries and terms of employment for the company's employees have been taken into account through information on employees' total remuneration, remuneration components as well as remuneration increases and rate of increase over time comprising a part of the Remuneration Committee's and the Board's basis for decision when evaluating the reasonableness of these guidelines and the limitations that are a consequence of them.

Decision-making process to establish, review and implement the guidelines

The Board has established a Remuneration Committee. The tasks of the committee include preparation of the Board's proposal for decision on guidelines for remuneration to senior executives. The Board shall prepare proposals for new guidelines at least every fourth year and present the proposal for decision to the Annual General Meeting. The guidelines shall apply until new guidelines are adopted by the Annual General Meeting. The Remuneration Committee shall also monitor and evaluate programmes for variable remuneration to senior executives, application of the guidelines for remuneration to senior executives as well as applicable remuneration structures and remuneration levels in the Group. When the Board considers and makes decisions on remuneration-related matters, the CEO or other senior executives are not present insofar as they are affected by the issues.

Departure from the guidelines

The Board may decide temporarily to depart from the guidelines wholly or partly if in an individual case there is reason for this and such departure is necessary in order to meet IBT's long-term interests, including its sustainability, or in order to ensure IBT's financial viability. As stated above, the tasks of the Remuneration Committee include preparing the Board's decision on remuneration matters, which includes decisions to depart from the guidelines.

Item 15 - Proposal for a resolution regarding implementation of incentive program

The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to adopt an incentive program for the company's employees via i) a directed issue of warrants to the company's wholly owned subsidiary IBT Baby AB, org.nr 559110-7353 (the "Subsidiary"), and ii) approval of transfer of warrants from the Subsidiary to participants in the incentive program. Each warrant entitles to subscription of one (1) new B-share in the company.

The Board of Directors believes that it is important and in the interest of all shareholders that the employees, who are deemed to be important for the company's further development, have a long-term interest in a good value increase of the company's shares. A personal long-term ownership commitment can be expected to contribute to an increased interest in the company's operations and earnings and raise the participants' motivation and connection with the company and its shareholders.

Based on the existing number of shares in the company, the dilution resulting from the proposed incentive program, assuming that all warrants are exercised for subscription of new B-shares, will be approximately 3.2 percent of the shares and approximately 2.5 percent of the votes. The percentage dilution in respect of the shares has been calculated according to the following formula: 1-(existing number of shares/new number of shares), and in respect of the votes according to the following formula: 1-(existing number of votes/new number of votes). This calculation does not take into account already outstanding warrants in the incentive program that was implemented in 2017. The dilution is expected to have a limited effect on the company's key performance indicators.

This proposal has been prepared by the Remuneration Committee and thereafter by the Board of Directors in consultation with external advisors.

(i) Directed issue of warrants to the Subsidiary

The Board of Directors proposes that the AGM resolves on a directed issue of a maximum of 375,000 warrants. The right to subscribe for the warrants shall, with deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights, belong to the Subsidiary.

The reason for the deviation from shareholders' preferential rights is that the issue is a part of the implementation of the incentive program, with which the company's employees are given the opportunity to take part in a positive development in the company. The existence of such a program is expected to increase the company's ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

Subscription of the warrants shall be made through subscription on a subscription list no later than June 30, 2020. The warrants are issued free of charge to the Subsidiary. Each warrant will entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) new B-share in the company at a subscription price of SEK 400.

Subscription of B-shares by exercise of warrants shall be made in accordance with the terms of the warrants from July 1, 2024 up to and including September 30, 2024. If all warrants are exercised for subscription of B-shares, the company's registered share capital will increase by approximately SEK 102,205.12 (given current par value and provided that no recalculation is carried out pursuant to the warrant terms).

(ii) Approval of transfer of warrants from the Subsidiary to participants in the incentive program

The Board of Directors proposes that the AGM resolves to approve that the Subsidiary transfers a maximum of 375,000 warrants to the company's CEO, senior executives and other employees, or to companies wholly owned by such persons, according to the following principles.

Category A - CEO: The CEO may be allotted a maximum of 50,000 warrants.

Category B - other senior executives: participants in this category may be allotted a maximum of 200,000 warrants collectively and each participant in the category may be allotted a maximum of 40,000 warrants individually.

Category C - other employees: participants in this category may be allotted a maximum of 125,000 warrants collectively and each participant may be allotted a maximum of 25,000 warrants individually.

Transfer can also be made to future employees, or to companies wholly owned by such persons. The principles for different categories set out above shall be applied also in relation to such transfers.

The warrants shall be transferred on market terms at a price established on the basis of an estimated market value of the warrants at the time of the transfer by applying the Black & Scholes valuation model (option premium). Calculation of the option premium shall be performed by an independent valuation expert.

In addition, a so-called pre-emption agreement shall be entered into, pursuant to which the warrant holder shall be obliged to offer the company or the Subsidiary to acquire the warrants, or a portion of them, under certain conditions.

Transfer of warrants to participants in the incentive program requires that such transfer may be lawfully made and that it, according to the Board of Directors' assessment, may be made to reasonable administrative costs.

The employees who are entitled to acquire warrants must notify their intention to acquire warrants from July 1, 2020 up to and including September 30, 2020. However, the Board of Directors shall have the right to extend the time for such notification and to resolve on a new notification period for employees whose acquisitions occur after the initial acquisition period has ended.

Costs for the incentive program

The incentive program has been prepared in consultation with external legal and financial advisers and the costs for this guidance is estimated to amount to a maximum of SEK 80,000. In addition to the advisory costs, the Board of Directors deems that the incentive program will cause certain administrative costs in connection with registration, transfer and share subscription by exercise of warrants.

Other outstanding share-related incentive programs in the company

On May 4, 2017, the AGM decided on an incentive program by a directed issue of warrants to the Subsidiary. The number of issued warrants is 280,000. In June 2017, 200,000 warrants were transferred to employees. Thereafter, 50,000 warrants have been transferred to employees. The transfers have been carried out on market terms at a price determined at the time of the transfers by applying the Black & Scholes method of valuation.

The holder of warrants may, during the period from April 3, 2022 up to and including May 3, 2022, for each warrant subscribe for one and one tenth (1.1) new B-share in the company at a subscription price per share amounting to SEK 272,41 (a recalculation of the terms has taken place due to a share issue).

There are no other share-based incentive programs in the company.

Majority requirements

The resolutions above are conditional on each other and are therefore to be adopted jointly. A valid resolution requires approval of shareholders representing at least nine tenths (9/10) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting.

____________________________

Further information

Shares and votes

The total number of shares in the company amounts to 11,226,184, consisting of 377,736 Class A shares and 10,848,448 Class B shares, carrying a total number of 14,625,808 votes.

Questions and shareholders' right to request information

At the AGM, if any shareholder should so request and the Board assesses that this can be done without significant damage to the company, the Board of Directors and the CEO shall provide information about conditions that could affect the assessment of items on the agenda and conditions that could affect the assessment of the company's or a subsidiary's financial situation and the company's relationship to other group companies.The request for such information shall be made by e-mail to ibt@ibtherapeutics.com or by mail to Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (publ), Bryggargatan 10, SE-111 21 Stockholm, Sweden no later than June 6, 2020. The information is provided by being made available at the company and the company's website, no later than June 11, 2020. Furthermore, the information will be sent within the same time period to the shareholder who so request and provide its postal address.

Available documentation and proxy forms

The annual report and other complete documentation will be presented by being made available at the company and on www.ibtherapeutics.com no later than three weeks before the Meeting and will be sent free of charge to all shareholders who so request and provide their postal address. The shareholders' register for the Meeting is also made available at the company. Proxy form for shareholders who wish to vote in advance by proxy is available on the company's website, and will be sent free of charge to all shareholders who so request and provide their postal address.

Personal data

For information on how your personal data is processed, see the integrity policy available on Euroclear's website:

https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf. Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (publ) corporate registration number is 556873-8586 and its registered office is in Stockholm, Sweden.

Stockholm in May 2020

The Board of Directors of Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (publ)

Attachment
[May 17, 2020] First Cessna SkyCourier twin utility turboprop takes flight

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced the successful first flight of its new twin utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier. The milestone flight is a significant step toward entry into service for the clean-sheet aircraft, and it kicks off the important flight test program that validates the performance of the Cessna SkyCourier. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200517005060/en/ During the Cessna SkyCourier's 2-hour and 15-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft's performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems. (Photo: Business Wire) "Today was an exciting day for our employees, our suppliers and our customers. The Cessna SkyCourier performed exactly as we expected, which is a testament to the entire team of men and women who worked together to prepare for this day," said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. "I'm proud of the way the team has persevered through disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic and remained focused on getting us to this point. The Cessna SkyCourier will be an excellent product in its segment due to its combination of cabin flexibility, payload capability, superior performance and low operating costs. Our customers will be very pleased with what they experience from this aircraft." The Cessna SkyCourier took off from the company's east campus Beech Field Airport, piloted by Corey Eckhart, senior test pilot, and Aaron Tobias, chief test pilot. During the 2-hour and 5-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft's performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems.



"We were very pleased with how the Cessna SkyCourier performed throughout its first flight," Eckhart said. "It was particularly impressive to see how stable the aircraft handled on takeoff and landing. The Cessna SkyCourier already displays a high level of maturity in its flight characteristics, especially for a first flight. We were able to accomplish everything we wanted on this flight, and that's an excellent start to the flight test program." The prototype aircraft, along with five additional flight and ground test articles, will continue to expand on performance goals, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics.

Relentless capability The Cessna SkyCourier, featuring Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines, will be offered in various configurations including a 6,000-pound payload capable freighter, a 19-seat passenger version or a mixed passenger/freight combination, all based on the common platform. The Cessna SkyCourier is designed for high utilization and will deliver a combination of robust performance and lower operating costs. Cessna SkyCourier will feature the popular Garmin (News - Alert) G1000 NXi avionics suite and offer highlights such as a maximum cruise speed of up to 200 ktas and a maximum range of 900 nm. Both freighter and passenger variants of the Cessna SkyCourier will includer single-point pressure refueling as standard to enable faster turnarounds. About Textron Aviation Inc.

Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation brands represent unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership in the industry, and offer an unmatched value proposition rooted in the total ownership experience. Leveraging unparalleled speed-to-market, Textron Aviation provides the most versatile and comprehensive business and general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft and a complete global customer service organization. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in over 170 countries. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry's most capable global service network. For more information, visit www.txtav.com. About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com. Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; the timing of our new product launches or certifications of our new aircraft products; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; performance issues with key suppliers or subcontractors; difficult conditions in the financial markets which may adversely impact our customers' ability to fund or finance purchases of our products; and continued demand softness or volatility in the markets in which we do business. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200517005060/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 17:54:34|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament on Monday tasked the Iranian government to establish a "virtual embassy" in Palestine, Press TV reported.

The commission approved an previously drafted motion bill, which obliges the Iranian Foreign Ministry to lay the groundwork for the creation of "the Islamic Republic's Virtual Embassy in Palestine" within six months and submit the results for approval to the cabinet.

On May 12, Iranian lawmakers approved "a double-urgency motion" which, in case of turning into law, would oblige the Iranian government to take certain measures against "hostile measures" of Israel.

One of the articles of the motion endorsed by the commission states that "the historic land of Palestine belongs to the original Palestinian people."

The approvals of the commission should be turned into a law by the parliament for its enforcement. Enditem
ISTANBUL  While Turkeys next general elections are scheduled for 2023, an economic slowdown stemming from the coronavirus pandemic is shifting the nations political dynamics and giving rise to rumors that snap elections might be called in the not-so-distant future.

Last week, Devlet Bahceli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), added fire to such speculation by proposing changes to electoral laws. The measures would make it more difficult for members of parliament to join newly formed opposition parties and pose a more formidable electoral threat to Ankaras ruling bloc known as the Peoples Alliance, which is composed of the MHP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Bahceli floated the idea in response to statements by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), who said he was open to transferring some of his partys deputies to the new DEVA and Future parties to help them reach electoral eligibility, as the CHP had done for the IYI Party ahead of the 2018 elections.

Analysts say Bahcelis proposals, which would require constitutional amendments through a parliamentary supermajority, may be hard to achieve but signal Turkeys political players are positioning themselves to best navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and any political fallout it might bring about, including the prospect for early elections.

"Bahceli has bitter memories from the earlier CHP move to lend 15 deputies for Meral Aksener's IYI Party to be able to form a group of at least 20 MPs in the parliament and get into the elections without the need to complete other formalities written in the law, Murat Yetkin, editor of the Yetkin Report news site, told Al-Monitor. Bahceli is doing this as a goodwill gesture to Erdogan as a show of his solidarity."

According to Turkish electoral law, political parties are eligible to run in parliamentary elections six months after they hold their first plenary session or if they have 20 deputies already in the parliament. The DEVA and Future parties, led by former AKP members Ali Babacan and Ahmet Davutoglu, respectively, were both founded in the last six months and have yet to hold plenary sessions.

If the CHP transfers deputies to the new parties, as Kilicdaroglu suggested, then the parties might be eligible to participate in the next round of elections, where they might syphon away right-leaning, conservative voters who traditionally vote for the AKP-MHP Peoples Alliance.

Bahceli wants to prevent DEVA and [Future] from participating in the election, political scientist Burak Bilgehan Ozpek told Al-Monitor. This also shows that the AKP-MHP coalitions popularity is declining and right-wing voters might prefer Babacan or Davutoglu due to the economic difficulties.

Ankaras political arena has also been swirling with rumors that Aksener might be open to allying with the AKP, with political commentators suggesting she is looking for a seat at the Presidential Palaces table.

Bahceli responded to such chatter by saying that with the pandemic it's best not to sit at a crowded table, but Ozpek said Aksener might be seeking to sway public opinion by playing a constructive role in changing the nations political discourse.

She wants to show the right-wing voters how she is eager to cooperate and how the AKP and MHP are reluctant, Ozpek told Al-Monitor.

While some analysts doubt the prospects of an IYI-AKP alliance, others say current developments are the early signs of a succession battle, in which leaders in the opposition and within the AKP are vying for influence to lead the country once Erdogan steps down.

Among possible future candidates rising from the ruling bloc are Erdogans son-in-law and Finance Minister Berat Albayarak and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, whose resignation for the mishandling of COVID-19 measures was rejected by Erdogan, possibly strengthening his stature as an indispensable member of the AKP.

Snap elections look very irrational, but I think they are possible, Ozpek said. "The economy will not be better in the following months and the AKP's popularity will continue to decline.

He continued, Furthermore, Erdogan's son-in-law Berat wants to take the helm and form his own cabinet as soon as possible. He is not a popular or charismatic figure so he cannot win elections alone. He might use Erdogan and Bahceli to win a snap election and consolidate his position through his own cabinet.

In this light, Bahcelis proposal to change the electoral laws might be a brilliant move, Berk Esen, an assistant professor of international relations at Ankaras Bilkent University, told Al-Monitor. Noting Bahceli is also seeking remove parliamentary immunities with greater ease, Esen said the combined measures would basically freeze the political situation [which] caters to Bahceli, who has been playing with a weak hand and has gained quite a lot.

Esen added, When you think that three years ago this man was about to lose the chairmanship within the MHP in a humiliating manner to Meral Aksener, and now fast-forward two or three years and hes a coalition partner. Hes calling some shots, so I think hes quite happy with the current situation.

Through its standing in the ruling alliance, the MHP has introduced a number of proposals to benefit its constituency, including a prisoner amnesty bill that released notorious mob boss Alaattin Cakici along with 90,000 inmates to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in penitentiaries. Among more recent proposals, the MHP has introduced controversial legislation that would require social media users to register their accounts with their national ID numbers.

These may all be bargaining efforts on Bahcelis part, Esen told Al-Monitor, adding the electoral law proposals might also be one of several attempts to gauge the nations political climate.

I think they are releasing balloons and seeing which one of them will float, Esen told Al-Monitor. Not many have floated yet.
LEON COX is the proprietor of the Hearing Clinic in Hart Street, Henley, and the Chalfont Hearing Centre in Buckinghamshire. He was born and raised in High Wycombe, where he currently lives with his partner Beth and their chihuahua Willey. He attended The Henley College and then Oxford Brookes University where he gained a degree in business studies. Five years later he gained a masters degree in audiological science from University College, London and then became a registered audiologist in 2007. A keen sportsman, he cycled solo from Los Angeles to New York in four weeks in 2012, raising 2,500 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. His passions are art, music and rum.

Describe your business

We are a hearing healthcare provider, catering for all. Hearing problems can affect the whole spectrum of the population. We offer hearing tests, ear wax removal and tinnitus management advice and we supply a range of hearing aids and hearing protection.

How many people does it employ?

Between the two clinics there are six of us, including my partner who is training to be an audiologist.

What did you do before you started this business?

When I was 17 I left home and came to Henley and lived in the YMCA for five years. While at college and university I had a series of jobs to pay my way. The housing manager at the YMCA, Claire Edmonds, suggested I talk to her father who worked for a hearing aid distributor. He offered me a job in sales and that was the first step in my journey to what I do now.



When did you start your business?

I bought the Chalfont clinic in 2013 and I took the lease on the shop in Hart Street in 2015. I had been trading at the Chiropractic Centre in West Street as I needed to build up my reputation and get some clients.

What was your objective?

I wanted to create something different in my own vision and Ive exceeded my expectations.

Who or what influenced you?

When I took my sister to enrol at Henley College my old business teacher Clare Forgie encouraged me to return to education. That set me on the path to what I have achieved today.

Do you have a mentor or role model?

I have many but Simon Catlin, the father of a former girlfriend, gave me lots of valuable advice and encouragement when I was a bit of a young lost soul.

What would you do differently if you could start again?

I wouldnt put myself at the centre of the business.

What impact is the coronavirus pandemic having?

I closed the clinics a week before the Government announced the lockdown in order to protect my clients, many of whom are quite senior and in the vulnerable category. I have no idea when we will be able to resume full service as our business relies on close contact. All we can do at the moment is send out supplies of batteries and replacement aids and do repairs and maintenance. My staff are still being paid and Im grateful for the help being offered by the Government.

Whats the best thing about running your own business?

Having Beth and my dog with me. Also the freedom to do things the way I want.

Whats the most challenging aspect?

Keeping up with the demand and trying to keep on top of all the technological advances.

Whats the most valuable thing youve learned?

Never take anything for granted or be complacent. Working from home with more time on my hands, Ive discovered what the really important things in life are.

What would you advise someone starting a business?

Dont be afraid. Nothing ever comes to people who dont take risks.

Whats the biggest mistake youve made?

Maybe expanding before having enough staff.

What three qualities are most important to success?

Willingness to take risks, transferable skills and never thinking of profit as your money  cash flow is king.

Whats the secret of your success?

Hard work, focus and always looking ahead.

How organised are you?

Very but I am supercharged with support from Beth and my receptionist and PA Alison.

How do you dress for work?

Smart and approachable.

What cant you be without every day?

Willey. Its not the same place without him and my clients love to see him.

Lunch at your desk or going out?

Sometimes its a whole day without lunch but when we get through this crisis I will make more effort to pace myself and go out for lunch.

Do you continue to study?

Yes. I do several days of courses of continuous professional development every year.

What do you read?

Im not an avid reader. The last thing I read was Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is an inspiration.

How are you planning for retirement?

I would like to do a rum world tour.
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Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 19, 2020 11:09 610 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8b9138 1 National ICT,access-to-internet,inclusiveness,COVID-19,UN,Indonesia,Palapa-Ring,rights-issue,World-Telecommunication-Day Free

The slow pace at which Indonesia is addressing digital inequality could jeopardize basic rights for those excluded, experts have warned, at a time when the world relies heavily on information technology to stay connected.

On Sunday, the global community celebrated World Telecommunication and Information Society Day while much of the world sheltered in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 4.5 million people and killed upwards of 300,000.

During the pandemic, information technology has allowed people around the world to stay connected, and these connections are becoming more important than ever, said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his message to commemorate the occasion.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day reminds us that international cooperation on digital technology is essential to help defeat COVID-19 and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said in a statement on the UN website.

In Indonesia, the rapid internet penetration of the last two decades has yet to benefit the majority of the population, owing to inequitable access to information technology in the countrys rural and remote areas.

According to both the 2020 Economist Intelligence Units (EIU) Inclusive Internet Index and the 2019 Network Readiness Index, Indonesia trails behind most of its neighbors in inclusive access to the internet.

This populous Southeast Asian country experiences considerable difficulties in supporting internet inclusion in every area of the index except for trust and safety, the EIU report states. Indonesia struggles, for example, to ensure affordability of mobile and fixed broadband data, and local content availability leaves much to be desired.

So far, this digital divide has impeded the governments COVID-19 social assistance programs, which rely heavily on online platforms to deliver relief to those in need. It has also weighed down on schools affected by social restrictions, which are expected to shift to online learning with little to no preparation in internet access.

[The effort to increase access] should not simply be about ratcheting up digital industry growth; it should also be about giving the public access to what is already available, said Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) deputy research director Wahyudi Djafar.

Because the internet is an enabler that opens up opportunities, it is important to ensure that [wide] access is available.

A number of reports portray Indonesias digital divide. A 2018 Indonesian Internet Providers Association (APJII) survey, for instance, showed that the countrys most populous island of Java contributes over half of the internet usage, much higher than the rest of the country, with most users living in urban areas.

But Indonesia is not alone. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) secretary-general Houlin Zhao said in a video message on Feb. 25 that almost half the world's population was still not using the Internet, while overall growth in information and communications technology (ICT) connectivity was slowing.

Time is pressing, he said. We need to coordinate and redouble our efforts to connect everyone to the global digital economy, and for those connected, more must be done to ensure that connected life is safe and trustworthy.

The Indonesian government has sought to provide 4G services through the Palapa Ring broadband project, a 35,000-kilometer fiberoptic network throughout the archipelago that was completed last year.

The Palapa Ring will hopefully be able to bring justice to all Indonesian citizens  from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote  and allow them to have an equal opportunity to access advanced technology and high-speed connectivity, President Joko Jokowi Widodo said during the projects launch last October.

In the past, authorities have used universal service obligation (USO) funds collected from telecommunication operators to expand internet access through programs like Desa Berdering (Ringing Villages) and sub-district mobile internet service centers (M-PLIK), among others.

APJII chairman Jamalul Izza expressed appreciation for the Palapa Ring project but said that internet providers needed more outreach to cities in the countrys interior as the infrastructure only connected the outermost regions so far.

In the meantime, the association has been encouraging regional heads and village-owned businesses (BUMDs) to get involved in the internet business, informing them of alternatives to fiber optic internet connections, such as microwave transmission and satellites, among others.

We hope that internet traffic and penetration will increase, he said.  This is important because a good internet connection can add to peoples knowledge [...] whether they are in cities or villages.
The controversial protester who brought a symbolic doll with a noose wrapped around its neck to a demonstration at the state Capitol last week isnt necessarily a coronavirus denier, he said.

James Chapman said Monday that his real beef at Thursdays protest in Lansing was two-fold: restrictions on public gatherings - which he argues violate the First Amendment, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmers unilateral assertion of emergency powers.

The Van Buren Township native sought to make his point by hanging a brunette doll from a noose at the end of his 13-star Betsy Ross flag and a fishing rod.

He has a criminal history and wants to be a Michigan lawmaker. Thursday, he carried a doll in a noose to the state Capitol.

The noose is one size fits all for anyone not standing up to Whitmer and her tyranny, the Republican candidate for the 21st state House district seat said Monday. That includes RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, he said.

The Republicans need to be cleaned out, Chapman said. I would like to give some political symbolism here. That noose is one size fits all, and we will kick your RINO butt out of there... This is the reason Gretchen Whitmer has not been called out on the carpet (the Capitol floor) by the legislature.

Chapman feels a deep connection to the Revolutionary War thats inspired him to research the history of a millstone on the Huron River that may have stood on the Delaware River near Valley Forge back in the 1700s. Its also led him led him to take on an aggressive style of protest that includes depicting violence against political leaders.

The First Amendment protected (these) forms of protest. Its something the original patriots did, he said. They not only hung them in effigy, but they burned them in effigy.

He accused Whitmer of violating First Amendment protections of public and religious assembly. She banned public meetings between anyone not in the same household in Executive Order 2020-42. Places of worship are exempt from punishment under Executive Order 2020-11.

Churches sue Whitmer, claim coronavirus orders hinder religious gatherings despite exceptions

On May 14, Chapman attended a protest organized by the group Michigan United for Liberty against the states stay-home order, carrying the doll by a noose just as he did at an April 15 rally. He told MLive on Monday that the doll was meant to represent Whitmer.

A brief fight broke out when a female protester attempted to take the doll. Lt. Brian Oleksyk public information officer for the Michigan State Police said troopers spoke the man after the incident and that no one involved was injured or arrested.

Erica Pettinaro, a co-founder of Michigan United for Liberty, denounced Chapmans demonstration, as did Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox.

Our organization does not agree with or encourage violent threats or actions of any kind, Pettinaro said, adding that the organization is non-partisan. We have made several statements in regards to keeping our events peaceful.

The scuffle with the female protester led to three violations of his personal rights, Chapman said.

She tried to violently destroy my First Amendment prop, he said. Number one, (Thats) a violation of my First Amendment rights. Number two, malicious destruction of property. Number three was larceny from a person, because they stole my axe.

The axe, which he named Paul Bunyan, is a tool of his tree-cutting service in the Belleville area, he said.

Chapman has had several run-ins with the criminal justice system over the last few decades, according to law enforcement records and local news reports reviewed by MLive.

In 1990, Chapman was found guilty of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and a firearms charge and was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. He was also put on probation for a stalking charge in 2015.

Chapman was sentenced to six months in jail in 2018 after being found guilty of resisting a police officer, according to The Belleville-Area Independent. A Michigan Court of Appeals opinion summarized the incident, noting Chapman argued with and attempted to stab an acquaintance at a house in Van Buren Township, and eventually dove into Belleville Lake in an attempt to evade police.

The criminal record, Chapman said, makes him the most-qualified candidate for the state House Judiciary Committee, should he win the 21st district.

He has a plan to wipe that record clean, however. He intends to visit President Donald Trump during his scheduled visit to the Ford Rawsonville manufacturing plant in Ypsilanti Township on Thursday.

Trump planning Thursday tour of Michigan Ford plant where ventilators, PPE are made

In exchange for a clean record, he plans to give Trump the fishing rod and noose as a gift.

READ MORE

Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus

Monday, May 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

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.
Residents in Obuasi are being stigmatised in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, for being the highest hit with Covid-19 cases in the region.

Obuasi has become the epicentre of the spread of Covid-19 in the region, as hundreds of people have tested positive for the virus so far.

As a result of the alarming statistics, residents of Kumasi are reported to have started to discriminate against residents of Obuasi.

Some of the Obuasi residents, who called into radio programmes to share their ordeal, said they no longer feel welcome in Kumasi.

According to them, nobody in Kumasi was prepared to deal with people that live in Obuasi, which is making life unbearable for them.

Immediately they realize that you are from Obuasi, then they would instantly stop talking to you, an Obuasi resident said on radio.

Obuasi, popularly referred to as the 'Golden City' apart from Kumasi, is among the major commercial towns in the Ashanti Region.

As a result of the vibrant business nature in the two towns, people from Kumasi and Obuasi travel either ways on a daily basis to do business.

But since it was announced that several people in Obuasi had tested positive for the virus, business between residents of the two cities is dwindling.

Our businesses are collapsing because our partners in Kumasi are not prepared to talk and deal with us anymore, an Obuasi resident bemoaned.

Another resident from Obuasi, who mentioned only Dada as his name, said unfortunately any resident of Obuasi was being seen as a Covid-19 patient.

We are suffering great discrimination in Kumasi due to the virus, and so we are appealing to authorities concerned to step in immediately, he pleaded.

---Daily Guide
For a while now, it has been understood that social distancing, the requirement that we remain at least six feet apart from others at all times, also extends to sex (unless your dong is six feet long in which case, you have way bigger problems on hand than coronavirus.) Abstinence-only was the way of the land, except those restrictions didn't extend to couples in relationships, as most experts agreed that physical relations with a long-time partner or spouse were probably okay. As such those who were in relationships held the moral high-ground over us single-folk. They could go at it like meth-addled bunnies, while singles sneaking in a mask covered Tinder date were admonished for not taking the virus seriously enough. Perhaps rightly so, but no longer will the couples hold dominion over the single, at least in the Netherlands, for Dutch officials hath decreed that single people should find a sex-buddy. Huzzah! (Spoken like a person that hasn't had sex in a very long time.)

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health realized that people must be super horny right about now, and rather than start handing out purity rings they opted for a more realistic option. Here's their opinion on the matter:

"It makes sense that as a single you also want to have physical contact. 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."
The Friday news dump - also known as the Friday night news dump - is a political trick with plenty of precedent. Wait till the vast majority of the news business clocks out for on the week, and announce something you'd rather they not cover as much. People won't be reading as much news at that point anyway, and perhaps it'll be dismissed as old news by Monday morning.

Few are as blatant about using this tactic, though, as the Trump White House.

News broke late Friday night that Trump had removed the inspector general for the State Department, Steve Linick. It's the third time in six weeks that such a move has been announced on a Friday night, with each inspector general having done something to pretty obviously alienate President Donald Trump. The unprecedented spate of removals has reinforced how Trump is rather obviously seeking to undermine independent oversight of his administration - and the timing of each of them only reinforces that.

Trump has also over he last month-plus replaced a pair of acting inspectors general with oversight of the coronavirus response, with the latest being the acting Transportation Department inspector general on Friday night. Though those carry less apparent whiffs of political motivation, their roles on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee make the timing notable.

Let's run through each of the five removals.

- State Department inspector general Steve Linick

The action: Fired

When he was removed (first report): Friday, May 15, at about 10 p.m.

What he did:

Issued a report in August 2019 that alleged that leaders in the State Department had mistreated and harassed staffers and accused them of disloyalty to Trump.

Gave the House's impeachment inquiry into Trump documents detailing Ukraine disinformation.

Was allegedly investigating "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for [Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] and Mrs. Pompeo," according to a Democratic aide.

What Trump has said: Retweeted this Byron York tweet suggesting Linick should have come forward earlier if he had such information about Ukraine:

- - -

"So State Department inspector general asks for 'urgent' briefing on Capitol Hill. Trump and Ukraine! Then admits he's had 'urgent' material since May. After seeing it, Dem lawmaker declares 'completely irrelevant.'

- - -

Replaced with: Stephen J. Akard, a former Foreign Service officer and former aide to Vice President Pence dating back to his days in Indiana

- Acting Health and Human Services inspector general Christi Grimm

The action: Removed in favor of a permanent replacement

When she was removed (announcement): Shortly after 8 p.m. on Friday, May 1

What she did: Issued an April report finding "severe shortages" of coronavirus testing kits, delays in results and "widespread shortages" of equipment like masks.

What Trump has said: Of her report, Trump said on April 6, "It's just wrong. Did I hear the word 'inspector general'? Really? It's wrong. And they'll talk to you about it. It's wrong." He added on Twitter the next day:

- - -

Why didn't 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!

- - -

Replaced with: Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Weida

- Intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson

The action: Fired

When he was removed (first reported): Friday, April 3, around 10 p.m.

What he did: Forwarded the Ukraine whistleblower complaint to Congress after finding it to be "credible" and "urgent." The complaint, which was overwhelmingly confirmed by impeachment witnesses, led to Trump's impeachment.

What Trump has said: Trump repeatedly attacked the whistleblower complaint as being without merit and part of an alleged partisan campaign to remove him as president. After removing Atkinson, he specifically cited that action.

"I thought he did a terrible job. Absolutely terrible. He took a whistleblower report, which turned out to be a fake report . . . and he brought it to Congress with an emergency. Not a big Trump fan, that I can tell you."

He also questioned Atkinson's actions, tweeting:

- - -

House Republicans investigating origins of the Ukraine Whistleblower complaint. ICIG Michael Atkinson facing serious questions. "The Democrats know the ICIG is a major problem-didn't release his testimony. Looks so much like everything else we've seen, from the Russia Hoax, to...

- - -

Atkinson later alleged in an extraordinary letter that he had been targeted for doing his job appropriately.

And in a non-Friday night announcement ...

- Acting Defense Department inspector general Glenn Fine

The action: Removed in favor of a permanent replacement

When he was removed: Tuesday, April 7

What he was set to do: Oversee the Trump administration's handling of the new $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, which was signed into law a week and a half earlier.

What Trump has said: "We have a lot of IGs in from the Obama era," he said the day of the announcement. "And as you know, it's a presidential decision. And I left them, largely. I mean, changed some, but I left them. . . . But when we have, you know, reports of bias and when we have different things coming in. I don't know Fine. I don't think I ever met Fine."

Replaced with: Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General Sean W. O'Donnell, who would serve in an acting capacity at Defense until the announcement of a permanent replacement.

- Acting Transportation Department inspector general Mitch Behm

The action: Replaced by a new acting inspector general

When he was removed: The night of Friday, May 15

What he was set to do: Behm has been tapped to serve as a member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. As of Monday morning, he still appeared as a member of the committee -- albeit with his old title of acting inspector general listed.

Replaced with: Howard "Skip" Elliott, the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, who like O'Donnell will keep that job while serving as the new acting IG. The White House also said it was nominated Eric J. Soskin, a Justice Department attorney, to the permanent position.
Citywide

Photo: Chris Arvin/Twitter

Neighbors out for essential errands and shelter-in-place strolls are likely getting tired of seeing the same surroundings every day.

So a group of San Francisco historians is finding a way to brighten their days: posting printouts of historical photos of the city, at the same intersections where they were once taken.

The guerrilla poster project is being spurred by OpenSFHistory, a collection of nearly 50,000 historical images of the city that were donated to the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP).

Best of all, anyone can participate: an online map lets you search for your street, then print out vintage photos of nearby intersections to tack or tape to telephone poles. The posters have information on when the photo was taken, and a QR code to learn more about each photo's history and context online.

Photo: Courtesy of David Gallagher

The OpenSFHistory collection includes photographs from the 1850s through the 1970s. They spotlight infrastructural improvements, residential and commercial architecture, the fallout from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, prominent San Franciscans and informal street scenes and snapshots of daily life.

The idea for posting them outdoors was entirely grassroots, said David Gallagher, a WNP director. In a blog post, he explained that he got the idea when he saw Twitter posts of photos from the collection printed out and posted in windows and on telephone poles.

"I think people are craving human contact and connections," Gallagher tells Hoodline. "I see it in teddy bears and posters in peoples windows."

Getting OpenSFHistory's pictures out into the streets "has been a goal of mine for years," he says. But the prospect of creating posters manually and putting them up all by himself felt too time-consuming to have any real impact.

Instead, Gallagher built a download button for the photos on OpenHistorySF's website. Now, neighbors can head out and put up posters in the surrounding area, "as part of my guerrilla history street team," he writes in his blog post.

Story continues

Photo: Gene Dawydiak/Twitter

The OpenSFHistory project has always had a grassroots component, relying on volunteers who sort the pictures and on members of the community who add descriptions and identifications.

"We can't do this alone," says WNP executive director Nicole Meldahl. "Nor should we."

While it helps to be detail-oriented and conscientious in approaching a historic image, "you don't have to be an academic to tell a story, and you certainly don't have to be a historian to practice public history," Meldahl says.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAVID GALLAGHER

Meldahl says she thinks "the best way to understand photographs is by showing them in situ."

"It's just mind-boggling to stand at an intersection filled with homes or businesses that look like they've been there forever, and see it was once covered in sand dunes, like in the Sunset, or that there were cows grazing through open fields, like in the Richmond District."

She adds that the project is also intended for those who might not have access to a computer or the internet.

"I worry that people who aren't online are having a harder time distracting themselves from the oppressiveness of this moment," she says. "But David has allowed people with a computer and a printer to share cool, fun history with people who don't have access to the same."

Photo: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline

In a pivotal moment in our own history, Gallagher hopes he's giving San Franciscans "something new to discover about their own neighborhoods."

"History provides critical context to our lives," he says.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the III Hemispheric Anti-Terrorism Ministerial Conference at the Francisco de Paula Santander General Police Cadet School, in Bogota, Colombia, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters)

Secretary Pompeo Warns China: Respect the Free Press in Hong Kong

U.S. journalists rights in Hong Kong must be upheld, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Sunday, warning the Chinese communist regime against further suppression of the free press.

Pompeo revealed that he had been alerted by intelligence to such a threat from the Chinese regime and said any action that would weaken Hong Kongs sovereignty would require the United States to reassess how sincere China is about the Sino-British Joint Declaration it signed in 1984 as part of an agreement to return Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997.

It has recently come to my attention that the Chinese government has threatened to interfere with the work of American journalists in Hong Kong. These journalists are members of a free press, not propaganda cadres, and their valuable reporting informs Chinese citizens and the world, he said in a statement.

Any decision impinging on Hong Kongs autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory, he added.

#China doesnt want us to know what theyre doing in #HongKong, so theyre considering interfering with American journalists stationed there. Thanks to @SecPompeo for standing up for free press!, Congressman Jim Banks (R-In.), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, wrote on Twitter.

Pompeo announced on May 6 that the department would be delaying its report to Congress on the status of Hong Kongs autonomy until after Beijings May 22 political event.

First, I mentioned Hong Kong last week. Right now we are delaying our report to Congress that will assess Hong Kongs autonomy, to allow us to account for any additional actions that Beijing may be contemplating in the run-up to the National Peoples Congress that would further undermine the people of Hong Kongs autonomy as promised by China when they entered the agreement with the people of Hong Kong.

Tensions between the United States and China have increased since the outbreak of the CCP virus in China sparked a global pandemic that has devastated the economy. President Donald Trump and his administration have criticized Chinas handling of the outbreak in Wuhan, where the virus originated, for its coverup of the facts about the infectious nature of the virus and its suppression of whistleblowers who tried to warn the international community.

The United States and China have also previously clashed over journalists working in their respective countries.

In February, the Trump administration said it would begin requiring five major Chinese state-run media entities operating in the United States to register their employees and any of their U.S. properties with the State Department.

Beijing expelled two American Wall Street Journal correspondents and then banned all American nationals working in the country for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post as part of a media war with the United States.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chairman of the Republicans China Task Force, condemned Chinas decision to expel American journalist from China.

A pattern of disinformation issued and promoted by the Foreign Ministry amid a pandemic heightens our concerns about this unwarranted and provocative action. We urge the Foreign Ministry to immediately end its role in impeding the free flow of information globally and reverse its decision to expel American journalists, he wrote in a letter sent to Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai in March.
Is this the beginning of a long feud?

Or the end of an age-old brouhaha? In what could be viewed as a match-up or give and take exercise between two heavy weights, the Electoral Commission (EC) has come out with a terse but strong-worded statement and says it wants to set the record straight regarding allegations levelled against it by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

"It must be put on record that the Ghana Card has been a requirement in the current CI [Constitutional Instrument] since 2012."

Did you get that?

The EC stated this fact among other things in a press statement it issued on Friday 15, May 2020.

According to the commission it wasn't unaware of the calculated smear campaign by the NDC to peddle lies and untruths to ruin its reputation and causing disaffection for it.

Is this the beginning of a long feud between the EC and NDC?

Greek philosopher Socrates said this and I quote: "Guard yourself against accusation even if they are false, for the multitude are ignorant of the truth and look only to reputation."

Possibly, that's the circumstances the EC has found itself lately. The agency and another reputable body-- National Identification Authority (NIA) have been accused by NDC of scheming to rig the 2020 election for the ruling NPP. But it remains to be observed whether political watchers will not see more of this going forward or this would be the final straw that will break the camel's back.

Tackling the issue of birth certificate in its statement, the commission reminded NDC that the said document had never been used as a requirement since 1995. Why? Because it does not have photograph for purposes of identification. Not only that but also the EC rejected as false NDC claims of what the party calls 'suppression of votes'.

It says the new CI, if passed by Parliament will afford guarantors the opportunity to guarantee for ten or more people instead of five (5) as stipulated in the current CI. This makes it possible for applicants without Ghana card and passports to register," the statement added.

The commission emphasised that it is impossible for the agency to conspire with any political party or institution as alleged by NDC party national party Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.

"The electoral processes remain transparent at all levels," the statement added.

So, can the EC be influenced?

This is a question, I think should be answered by NPP and NDC who have been trading accusations and counter accusations for decades now.

The reason, both parties have done it before, according to grapevine. And here are a few questions, I think may pique readers interest: How did they (the parties) do it? Who benefitted fron it?

And how did their gestures influence the EC ?

Sometime in July 2018, a leaked audio tape alleged that then ruling--NDC before the epic 2016 election gave $12 million to the EC. What was that for, to influence the agency? The EC debunked the allegation and said categorically that it couldn't be influenced.

In that leaked tape one Madam Paulina Dadzawa, a commissioner made the following disclosure.

"Normally whichever government is in power not necessarily before election or after election. Kuffour did it, they come and say thank you.. NDC is more generous," the commissioner said.

Question: Is that normal? Once again, whoever the cap fits let him wear it. But I put it to both parties.They must tell all Ghanaians if it's normal and acceptable to give an umpire $12 million before a match is played.

It stinks like skunk!

Traditionally, thank you gifts (be it cash or kind) are given after service is provided. I guess the inevitable question is: Did the freebies (if you like) tip the scales of the election in 2016? No, it didn't. What happened? Then opposition party NPP won the election not by a razor-thin margin but by a whopping one million votes. It was a landslide victory-- the biggest in the nation's political history. But how did they manage to unseat an incumbent or pull it together? The electorates made the decision.

American- English author Anthony Pierce Dillingham says: "When one person makes an accusation check to be sure, he himself is not the guilty one. Sometimes it is those whose case is weak who make the most clamour."

Who really benefitted from it?

"Anyway, according to sources they gave Felix Kwakye Ofosu $12 million to come and give to the Commission. You take some and you know...we give the staff. According to sources, when Felix also sensed that they're likely to lose, he took half of the money went and gave Charlotte half. And that actually infuriated us," said Madam Dadzawa.

Note, this happened before the election.

The paradox is,, some smart individual had long figured it out that no matter what, the NDC would lose, hence instead of presenting the bulk amount to the EC he pocketed half of the booty. What does this tell you about EC, does it look like an agency that can be bought? Why must some political parties continue to influence the agency and then turnaround to accuse them of an unfounded wrongdoing?

Composition of EC

The commission is made up of seven members and its independence is guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution. The current commission was established by the EC Act ((Act 451) of 1993.

History

In December 2018, Jean Adukwei Mensa became the chair after her predecessor Charlotte Osei was sacked by the current government. Four of its current members have more or little less than a decade experience on the commission. Of the four, two have been there for more than 15 years and the other two separately served close to 10 years. The remaining three plus the chair have been members since August 2018.

The Commissions Public Relations Officer, Sylvia Annoh, is reported to have said that the EC would continue to perform its functions within the confinement of the law by providing free, fair and transparent elections this year.

And without fear or favour.

On Thursday, May 14, 2020, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo the National Chairman of the NDC, in a press conference alleged that the NIA is focusing more on the Ashanti Region for its exercise since the said region is the NPP's stronghold.

He continued that due to this, the NIA has procured more equipment to the region to capture many people as possible for the exercise because the data collected would be given to the EC for the new electoral roll.

To this end the EC has called on the general public to ignore the lies levelled against the commission by the NDC as the party aims to bring the commissions name into disrepute.

By Gordon Offin-Amaniampong
The main opposition Congress on Monday said the M L Khattar government should issue a white paper on how many jobs have been given during the last five years and specify how many posts were lying vacant in which department.

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the government should also mention how many retired bureaucrats from within and outside Haryana have been re-employed.

During an online conference, the Congress leader claimed that vacancies for a number of posts had been advertised in 2015 and the process including holding of written examination completed, but their results had not been announced leaving in the lurch nearly 10 lakh candidates who had applied for them.

He said the results of 1,538 posts of various categories were pending for the past five years which have not been declared by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission.

"Despite five years having passed, the results of the jobswhich were advertised in 2015 and examination for which was also conducted, the results have not been announced so far and nobody has been able to join," he said.

The posts advertised were for teachers, excise inspectors, food and supply inspectors, station supervisors and foresters.

Surjewala said it has been learnt that now these posts were being withdrawn on the ground that in 2018-19 the criteria for selection had changed.

"The state government should issue a white paper on how many jobs have been given during the last five years. The government should also specify how many posts were lying vacant in which department," he said.

The Congress leader also alleged that during the lockdown period, the Khattar government had sacked 1,500 temporary/outsourced employees who were working in various departments including in the Haryana Tourism Corporation, Kurukshetra Development, and as Safai Karmacharis.

"The irony is that Chief Minister Khattar in his television addresses has been asking the industry, shop owners and other enterprises not to lay off workers, but his own government does not hesitate to sack these temporary employees even during this difficult Covid-19 pandemic period," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has been great: Donald Trump on US-India cooperation against Covid

Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, said that his administration is working 'very closely' with India, to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. He called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'very good friend of mine', and reminisced about his recent trip to India which included a mega event, called Namaste Trump, at the Motera Stadium in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. Watch the full video for more. ...read more
A dad whose baby learned to stand at just eight weeks old has joked she may have been inspired by watching him view strongman clips on YouTube.

Tezra Finn-Johnston, 31, and girlfriend Emily Derrick, 23, from Kingswood, Bristol, first noticed their daughter Lulas strength when they left hospital after her birth.

Even at that early stage she was able to support her own head, they say.

Little Lula was born on 31 January weighing just 5lbs 9oz and was on the fifth percentile, which means she weighed less than 5% of other babies the same age.

Now 15 weeks old, the tot is able to stand unassisted, supporting her own weight.

Little Lula learnt to stand at just eight weeks old. (SWNS)

Read more: Mum gives birth to IVF baby in bereavement suite while suffering from coronavirus

The new dad first spotted his daughters unusual leg strength when she was around a month old.

She was having a tantrum and I tried to sit her on my knee to calm her, Finn-Johnston says.

Instead of sitting down, she just stood on my knee and wouldnt bend her legs.

She did it a few more times later on in the weeks  eventually I thought, well, if she can do it while shes annoyed, maybe she can do it when shes happy.

Lula could stand at around two months. (SWNS)

Finn-Johnston decided to test his theory and after he held and supported his daughter, she managed to take her own weight.

The couple dont know anyone else with a baby who was able to do any of those things so early.

Everyone seems to think that its unusual that she can hold herself up, even just sitting, let alone standing, he says.

From everything Im reading, it should be about nine months to a year that they should be able to support their own weight.

Read more: Teacher gives birth in supermarket car park after paramedic misses plea for help

The first-time parents originally noticed their daughter seemed unusually strong when they brought her home from the hospital, five days after she was born.

Pretty much from the day we left hospital she was able to support her head a little bit more than we thought she should be able to, Finn-Johnston says.

Story continues

She was holding it up for a few seconds and that shouldnt be for a few weeks, but pretty much straight away she was able to do that.

Then we watched the Babies documentary on Netflix and on there they said babies are inherently programmed to crawl from birth.

So I put her down on the mat and she was trying to crawl a bit.

Then I put my arm behind her and she was able to push herself up the mat  propelling herself from my hand with her legs.

She can also do it lying on her front as well.

Lula's parents spotted their daughter's strength from an early age. (SWNS)

Read more: New dad who lost his right testicle to cancer celebrates the birth of baby

While Finn-Johnston doesnt recommend people try similar things with their own babies, he believes his daughter enjoys showing off her new skills.

Its like shes showing off  she looks at you and smiles, its like shes trying to be a big girl!

The dad is a big fan of strongman competitions, regularly watching videos on Youtube.

He believes Lula looks engaged when they watch the videos together and jokes she might have been inspired by the clips.

She sits on my knee and we both watch that, so I like to think she is training herself, he jokes.

While Lula isnt able to walk just yet, her parents believe her first steps might be closer than they think.

She just seems a lot older than she actually is, her mum says.

Im just like, oh dont grow up yet!

Tezra Finn-Johnston and his daughter Lula. (SWNS)

When should babies be able to stand?

According to Babycentre UK, babies have the reflexes needed to stand from birth, by bracing their legs against a surface they feel underfoot.

If you hold your newborn upright on your lap, supporting his head, you'll feel him trying to use his legs. He's not trying to walk, its just basic instincts kicking in, the site says.

It goes on to explain that babies legs arent nearly strong enough to stand at this age and that the reflex will disappear after a couple of months.

Read more: Parents spot baby's eye cancer in picture taken with a flash

Berkshire Healthcare NHS has produced an early-years toolkit that explains how parents can safely encourage their baby to stand.

Your child can be held supported in a standing position from an early age, the toolkit explains.

This allows the child to experience the feeling of their body weight through their feet.

The site says babies may bounce up and down, which they do to develop the strength in their leg muscles.

You can stand your child in many different ways, for example on your lap when you are sitting in a chair, in front of a coffee table or sofa or on the sofa cushion next to you with their back against the back cushions, the toolkit continues.

As they get stronger, they will need less support from you and they will use their hands on the furniture to support themselves more.

When they can stand briefly without holding on, they are ready to learn to step along the furniture or cruise.

Additional reporting SWNS.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle
Show of force: A policeman uses his baton to disperse migrants who had been waiting for a train. Photo: Reuters/Amit Dave

India has extended a nationwide lockdown to May 31, as cases exceeded 90,000 and further clashes erupted between police and stranded migrants.

Schools, shopping centres and other public places will remain mostly closed, though rules will be relaxed in areas with low numbers of cases.

New guidelines have permitted considerable relaxations in lockdown restrictions, the ministry said.

Large gatherings are still prohibited, but outside of containment zones with high numbers of active cases all other activities will be permitted, it said, potentially allowing commerce and industry to reopen in much of the country.

India has now reported more Covid-19 cases than China, where the virus first emerged late last year, although deaths at 2,872 remain much lower than Chinas 4,600.

Indias lockdown, introduced on March 25 and extended several times, had been due to expire at midnight last night. The curbs have sparked a crisis for the hundreds of millions of Indians who 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 by hitching lifts.

In Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat, more than 1,500 migrant workers blocked roads, damaged more than a dozen vehicles and threw stones at police yesterday, after two special trains that were supposed to take them home were cancelled.

Police baton-charged the migrants to disperse them, with several officers injured in the process.

At least 23 migrants were killed trying to reach their homes on Saturday when a truck crashed in northern India. Sixteen migrant workers died on May 8 after being struck by a train. They had fallen asleep on the tracks while walking back to their village after losing their jobs.
Government officials load face masks on a transport aircraft at Gimhae air base in Busan, May 8, to deliver them to U.S. veterans who participated in the Korean War to help them fight COVID-19. Yonhap





By Park Han-sol







The Korean government will supply 10,000 face masks and other protective items to Native American veterans who served in the 1950-53 Korean War to help protect them from COVID-19 infection, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said, Monday.







The 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee has sent the items to Navajo veterans, according to the ministry.







The Korean consulate general in Los Angeles and the Korean community in Arizona initially planned to hold a delivery ceremony on Monday, but the event has been postponed as the local office of the U.S. veterans affairs department was shut down due to the COVID-19 crisis.







"We are trying to hold the ceremony by Wednesday," the ministry said in a message to reporters. "Even if the ceremony is canceled, the masks will be provided to the veterans."







During the Korean War, around 800 Navajo members took part in combat; fewer than 130 of them are alive now.







Native American service members operated as code talkers during World War II by using their native language as a means of secret communication.







It is said the Navajo people, who live mainly in desert areas of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, face difficulties securing masks and other protective gear.







"The Korean government remembers all those who made noble sacrifices to protect Korea, an unfamiliar nation, 70 years ago," committee Co-Chairman Kim Eun-gi said in a press release. "And we hope that the veterans will be able to share the honorable choice they made with their descendants."


An Oregon salon owner who reopened her business in defiance of state stay-at-home orders has been fined $14,000 and claims child protective services investigated her home after she opened her workplace's doors.

Lindsey Graham, the owner of Glamour Salon in Salem, reopened on May 5 in violation of Gov. Kate Browns executive order as Marion County has not been approved for reopening yet.

Graham said she had to open up her salon to pay her bills and provide for her family, including her three young children, but was hit with the massive fine, she announced Friday.

'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 to KPTV.

She claims that two days later on May 7 the state retaliated against her by dispatching Child Protective Services (CPS), a subsidiary state's Department of Human Services, to her home to see if she was a fit mother.

Oregon salon owner Lindsey Graham reopened her business Glamour Salon on May 5 in defiance of the state's lockdown orders

On Friday she announced she was hit with a $14,000 fine by the state and that child protective services arrived to her home to investigate her

'On May 7 child protective services showed up at my home. They questioned my husband and I. Questioned my child without me present. They searched our home,' she said as tears welled up in her eyes during a press conference Friday

'On May 7 child protective services showed up at my home. They questioned my husband and I. Questioned my child without me present. They searched our home,' she said as tears welled up in her eyes during a press conference Friday.

'And I never expected such a violent, aggressive, vindictive thing could ever be done to me or my family because Im trying to earn a living. Because Im trying to work,' Graham added.

Graham is a mother to three kids: a six-year-old son, a three-year-old girl and an eight-week-old son.

A spokesman for Oregon Department of Child Protective Services tells DailyMail.com they cannot comment on whether an open assessment is taking place, but stresses that failure to follow the state's stay-at-home order would not prompt an investigation.

'I want to stress however, that not following Governor Browns Stay Home, Save Lives executive order or not following physical distancing guidelines would never be a reason to assign a CPS assessment,' Press Secretary for Oregon's Department of Human Services Jake Sunderland said.

In Oregon a CPS safety assessment is conducted after Child Welfare receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect and that tip is screened before case workers are sent out.

Graham said that on Thursday OSHA decided to give her a $14,000 fine for operating 'a hazardous facility for my employees'.

Graham said she had to open up her salon to pay her bills and provide for her family, including her three young children, but was hit with the massive fine. Pictured on Facebook working at her salon

Graham pictured with staffers at Glamour Salon in Salem on their social media page

A view inside the Salem salon pictured above. 'Im vowing to stay open as long as I can, basically, until the governor tries to take my entire career, something Ive worked 15 years for, out from underneath me,' she said Friday

Graham claims that's untrue because she hires independent contractors who choose to work at her salon.

'Upon issuing that citation, which will come next week I am told, I will have three days to shut my doors or they will shut my doors or they will cite me yet again for another issue that is once again not legal,' she said Friday.

'The past 10 days when all I've wanted to do was support my familyIm being threatened and intimidated and bullied daily by the government,' Graham stated.

'Everyones job is essential, not because what we do or how we do it, but because its how we make our living,' she added.

Oregons Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed the fine saying the penalty reflects 'both the nature of the violation and the employers willfull decision to violate the law,' according to CNN.

Graham is a mother to three kids, a six-year-old son, a three-year-old girl and an eight-week-old son. Pictured in 2016 social media photo holding one of her newborn children

'She is unquestionably operating in violation of the governor executive order, designed to protect workers and the public,' a spokeswoman said.

In Oregon a willful violation, which is Grahams case, has a minimum penalty of $8,900 ranging up towards $126,000 based on the size of the employer and level of risk they generate.

On May 15 more than 30 counties in Oregon were approved to start reopening, but not Marion County, which covers Salem.

Under phase 1 of reopening restaurants and bars will allow dine-in services until 10pm, personal service businesses and retailers would be opened.

Still, Graham is defiant that she will stay open.

'Im vowing to stay open as long as I can, basically, until the governor tries to take my entire career, something Ive worked 15 years for, out from underneath me,' she said Friday.

Graham also claimed that municipal authorities in Salem threatened to terminate her salons lease because the property is leased from the city.
The board approved the same at the meeting. Proposal by way of special resolution through postal ballot and e-voting, and in this regard the draft of the postal ballot notice and the explanatory statement thereto were also approved, said Vedanta Limited in an exchange filing. "We further wish to inform you that the company has received a letter dated May 18, 2020 from promoter company Vedanta Resources that the floor price of the delisting proposal is Rs 87.25 Per share ...

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It's important for UK, China to cooperate closely to fight COVID-19 pandemic: senior UK official

LONDON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Nigel Adams, Britain's minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, said it is important for Britain and China to cooperate closely in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Friday. The two exchanged views on China-Britain relationship and joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the talks, Adams gave an update of the latest situation regarding COVID-19 in Britain. He also thanked China for facilitating Britain's procurement of medical supplies in China, which played a significant role in Britain's fight against the pandemic.

For his part, Liu said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had two telephone conversations in February and March, in which they reached important agreement on promoting China-Britain relationship and enhancing bilateral cooperation on fighting COVID-19 pandemic.

Liu mentioned the webinar that took place earlier Friday between senior public health experts from both countries. Ma Xiaowei, minister in charge of China's National Health Commission, and Matt Hancock, Britain's secretary of state for health and social care addressed the event, emphasizing that China and Britain should actively implement the consensus between the two leaders, deepen bilateral and international anti-epidemic cooperation and work closely to safeguard global public health.

During the webinar, health officials and experts of the two countries had in-depth discussions on a range of topics including epidemic prevention and control, trend prediction and lockdown easing strategy, among others.

A closer and stronger cooperation between China and Britain, which is mutually complementary and beneficial, is not only the consensus between the leaders of the two countries but also a common aspiration of all sectors from both sides, Liu said.

Liu expressed the hope that China and Britain can work together to continuously increase mutual trust, resist disruptions and deepen cooperation so as to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Attaching high importance to the Britain-China relations, Britain is committed to developing a constructive and friendly relationship with China and is ready to work together with China to implement the key consensus reached between the two leaders and further expand cooperation with China in various sectors, Adams said.

The conversation was joined by Menna Rawlings, director-general economic and global issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
A 17-year-old girl was beheaded by her ex-boyfriend after breaking up with him in Sweden, it is alleged.

Wilma Andersson vanished on November 14 last year and police found a 'body part' two weeks later - which was later revealed to be her head.

Her ex-boyfriend Tishko Ahmed Shabaz was arrested at the time and has now been charged with her murder, which he denies.

Shabaz is accused of decapitating Wilma when she went to collect her belongings before wrapping her head in foil and hiding it at his home.

Wilma Andersson, pictured, disappeared in November last year. Police found her severed head two weeks later and her ex-boyfriend has now been charged with her murder

Charges against the 23-year-old suspect were announced last week in a case that has shocked Sweden, which has long held a reputation as one of the world's safest countries.

According to human rights monitor HRS, the suspect was born in Iraq and took up Swedish citizenship in 2014.

Hundreds of volunteers had joined the search for Wilma after she was reported missing in Uddevalla on November 17, three days after she was last seen.

The 'body part' was found on November 28 in a grim discovery which was announced the following day, bringing the search to an end.

Wilma's boyfriend had already been arrested by then, and has been in custody ever since.

The indictment claims that Wilma was killed on November 14, the day she went missing, and alleges that her ex-boyfriend cut up her body.

Tishko Ahmed Shabaz (pictured left) was arrested last year and has now been charged with the murder of Wilma Andersson (right), which he denies

According to Expressen, Shabaz is accused of hiding Wilma's head in a travel bag where it was wrapped in tape and aluminium foil.

Police also found blood on the floor of his apartment and 'traces of Wilma' on a large kitchen knife, it is alleged.

'The suspect has retained a body part for an unknown reason and got rid of the rest of the body,' the police chief said.

Prosecutors claim that he murdered Wilma by subjecting her to 'repeated violence'.

The rest of Wilma's body has never been found, and relatives have urged people to continue their search.

'We want to find our daughter and sister. It is completely inhumane that we go through so please do not stop looking for Wilma,' her mother Linda told Swedish media.

Hundreds of volunteers had joined the search for Wilma after she was reported missing in Uddevalla on November 17, three days after she was last seen

'I hope people are observant if they see something aberrant in water or terrain. That people have their eyes open.'

Relatives say that Wilma had gone to her ex-boyfriend's house to pick up her things after ending the relationship.

It is also claimed that neighbours heard screaming from the apartment and that Shabaz lied to Wilma's parents by claiming she had left the flat alive.

However, Wilma's coat and handbag were allegedly still hanging in the closet, raising doubts over Shabaz's claims.

Shabaz denies all the allegations, telling investigators: 'You forget that this is a girl that I have loved and that I have lived my life perfectly.'

The trial is due to begin on May 26.
San Francisco, May 18 : Two of Amazon's major rivals -- FedEx and Microsoft - have joined forces for new near-real-time analytics into shipment tracking, which will drive more precise logistics and inventory management.

The new multiyear collaboration will help transform commerce by combining the global digital and logistics network of FedEx with the power of Microsoft's intelligent cloud, the two companies said.

"Now more than ever, organisations are counting on an efficient and capable supply chain to remain competitive and open for business," Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, said in a statement.

"Together with FedEx, we will apply the power of Azure, Dynamics 365 and their AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities to this urgent need, building new commerce experiences that transform logistics for our mutual customers around the world." There will be multiple joint offerings as a result of the collaboration.

FedEx Surround, the first solution resulting from the collaboration, allows any business to enhance visibility into its supply chain by leveraging data.

The solution is designed to provide near-real-time insights -- down to the granular level of ZIP code, for example -- on the progress and movement of physical inventory.

The benefits offered by FedEx Surround will extend to any business with a supply chain and particularly those that depend on highly time-sensitive deliveries.

For example, a hospital may urgently need a package to help save a life, or a part may need rapid transport to a manufacturing facility to avoid an operational shutdown.

In each instance, the near-real-time data insights provided by FedEx Surround offer a significant advantage to not only the organisations using the platform but also the people they serve.

FedEx Surround can also collect multiple data points gathered through the enhanced scanning and proprietary Internet of Things (IoT) technology of FedEx and analyse them using Microsoft's broad suite of AI, machine learning and analytics solutions.

"FedEx has been reimagining the supply chain since our first day of operation, and we are taking it to a new level with today's announcement," said Frederick W. Smith, Chairman and CEO, FedEx.

"Together with Microsoft, we will combine the immense power of technology with the vast scale of our infrastructure to help revolutionize commerce and create a network for what's next for our customers." While FedEx competes with Amazon Logistics - the e-commerce giant's in-house shipping and delivery service - Microsoft is an arch rival of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the cloud computing business.
$16 Million in Aid Set for Oregon Coast Marine Fishery Businesses

Published 05/18/2020 at 5:44 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) said it anticipates some $16 million in federal aid will be made available to Oregons marine-related and coastal fishery sectors impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

There is $300 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) relief aid plan set up for fisheries around the United States, and part of that will go to Oregon coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected.

Oregon and coastal businesses eligible for funding for the CARES Act include commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and other fishery-related businesses.



ODFW will be taking the lead on working with fishery participants to coordinate the aid.

This particular branch of funding does not include businesses farther down the supply chain (including vessel repair businesses, restaurants, or seafood retailers), though these businesses may be eligible for other CARES Act aid. Tribal fisheries on the Oregon coast will also be eligible for CARES Act aid but through another allocation and process not coordinated by ODFW.

These fisheries are a vital part of Oregons economic, cultural and community health, and many businesses directly supporting these fisheries have been severely impacted by the ongoing pandemic, said Ed Bowles, ODFW Fish Division Administrator. We look forward to working with those affected to provide some economic relief.

First, NOAA must spell out the details, criteria and distribute the application materials before spending plans can begin. These will come from NOAA and its Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. That agency will then work with ODFW and affected parties to develop spending plans consistent with the CARES Act and NOAAs guidance.

All spending plans must be approved by NOAA before funds can be distributed. The CARES Act requires distribution of funds no later than Sept. 30, 2021, but ODFW hopes Oregons spending plan and applications can be submitted to NOAA by early fall this year to begin the approval and disbursement process.

More information and the CARES Act and Oregons spending plan process will be available on ODFWs Fish Division webpage (https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/CARES/) once information and application materials become available.

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While the neighbouring countries do not have too many cases of coronavirus, the clothes which come mainly from Europe and the United States, may potentially carry the virus, which is why Government is determined to block the threat.
Here are the stocks in the news today. (image: Moneycontrol)

Companies scheduled to report March quarter numbers today | Bharti Airtel, Torrent Pharma, Astrazeneca Pharma, GSK Pharma, Delta Corp, Dr Lal Pathlabs and Monnet Ispat are among a few companies which will announce their March quarter results.

Reliance Industries | General Atlantic to invest Rs 6,598.38 crore in Jio Platforms. This is the fourth major deal in a little less than four weeks from leading global tech investors that will infuse a total Rs 67,194.75 crore in the digital unit of Indias largest private enterprise. (Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd) (Image: PTI)

Cipla Q4 | Profit at Rs 246 cr versus Rs 367.2 cr, revenue at Rs 4,376.2 cr versus Rs 4,404 cr YoY. Its consolidated operating margin contracted to 15 percent from the impact from COVID-19 related extension in cut-off. The companys consolidated topline slipped 1 percent to Rs 4,376 crore.

Indian Energy Exchange | Westbridge Crossover Fund sold 37.33 lakh shares (1.25% stake) in the company at Rs 160.50-160.52 per share. (Image: PTI)

Equitas Holdings | Julius Baer Multistock-Emerging Equity Fund sold 27.50 lakh shares (0.8% stake) in the company at Rs 49.17 per share. (Image: Wikipedia)

L&T Technology Services | Company registered net profit of Rs 204.8 crore, up 7 percent year-on-year, for the quarter-ended March 31. However, sequential growth in net profit was marginal. Revenue stood at Rs 1446.6 crore, a growth of 8 percent year-on-year for Q4 FY20. The companys growth in constant currency was 3.4 percent. For the year-ended March 31, the companys net profit grew 7 percent to Rs 818.8 crore. The revenue reported for FY20 was Rs 5,619.1 crore, a growth of 11 percent YoY.

IIFL Securities Q4 | Profit flat at Rs 37.3 cr, revenue fell to Rs 196.53 cr versus Rs 206.54 cr YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Q4 | Profit at Rs 102 cr versus Rs 140.5 cr, revenue at Rs 1,026.34 cr versus Rs 1,206.88 cr YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Nippon Life Q4 | Profit at Rs 11.88 cr versus Rs 144.93 cr, revenue Rs 254.51 cr versus Rs 323.94 cr YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Q4 | Profit at Rs 234.8 cr versus Rs 686.4 cr, revenue at Rs 3,101 cr versus Rs 2,880 cr YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Godrej Consumer Products | Company through its subsidiary acquired balance 25% stake in Canon Chemicals. (Image: Moneycontrol)

L&T Finance | Profit at Rs 386 cr versus Rs 547 cr, revenue at Rs 3,355 cr versus Rs 3,304 cr YoY. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Coromandel International | Company redeemed commercial paper of Rs 300 cr. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Eveready Industries | Battery manufacturing facility at Kolkata partially operational. (Image: Wikimedia)

Sterling and Wilson Solar | Company signed an EPC contract of Rs 2,600 crore as well as the operation and maintenance contract of Rs 415 crore) in Australia. (Image: sterlingandwilson.com)

KNR Constructions | Company received orders worth of Rs 2,309.23 crore from Irrigation & CAD Department, Telangana Government. (Image: knrcl.com)

Nilkamal | Company partially resumed operations. (Image: Moneycontrol)

ITC | Company resumed operations at factories and plants manufacturing non-essential items. (Image: WIkimedia)

Future Consumer | Board approved raising of funds up to Rs 300 crore through a rights issue. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Liberty Shoes | Company partially resumed operations of facilities, offices and few retail stores. (Image: libertyshoes.com)

Nelco Q4 | Profit rose to Rs 5.82 cr versus Rs 4.27 cr, revenue increased to Rs 61.23 cr versus Rs 51.51 cr YoY. (Image: nelco.in)

FM's tranche 4 of financial package: Coal stocks in focus - Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government would introduce commercial mining in the coal sector. The measure will remove the government's monopoly in the coal industry, Sitharaman said. Nearly 50 new coal blocks for commercial mining will be offered immediately, with no elegibility conditions except for an upfront payment with a ceiling. Hindalco Industries, Jindal Steel & Power, Adani Power, Coal India and GMDC will be in focus.

FM's tranche 4 of financial package: Aviation stocks in focus - FM said restrictions on utilising Indian air space will be eased and six airports will be privatised. Private companies will make an additional investment of Rs 12,000 crore on 12 airports auctioned before, and tax structure will be rationailised for the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry. SpiceJet and Interglove Aviation stocks will be on the radar.
Updated at 12 p.m. ET on 2020-05-18

Philippine security forces killed three suspected Islamic State-linked militants in a pair of clashes that also left five soldiers wounded in southern Sulu province during the weekend, the military said Monday.

The firefights took place on Jolo, the main island in the Sulu archipelago, where deadly clashes have flared up in recent weeks between the Philippine military and pro-IS members of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The first of the two latest clashes erupted on Saturday when troops with the Joint Task Force Sulu launched an assault on Abu Sayyaf positions in Danag, a village in Patikul town, the local military chief told reporters.

The fighting lasted for an hour, leaving three terrorists killed, Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said. An undetermined number of militants were also wounded, he said.

The Abu Sayyaf men dragged their dead fighters during their retreat, but subsequently abandoned one of them and left behind an assault rifle, Vinluan said.

Troops who were sent in as a blocking force encountered the same band of militants at a nearby village, sparking another gun battle in which five soldiers were wounded, Vinluan said.

Bloodstains were seen on the enemy position, indicating heavy casualties inflicted by our troops, he said.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, vowed to intensify military pressure against Abu Sayyaf.

As the troops close-in on the enemies, they will employ a reasonable amount of combat power to pressure and debilitate the terror group in Sulu, Sobejana, a veteran ground commander who has been fighting the Abu Sayyaf since the 1990s, told reporters.

The military has blamed the Abu Sayyaf for some of the countrys deadliest attacks, including bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. A faction of the group is led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, chief of pro-Islamic State militants in the Philippines.

The military said Sawadjaan had planned twin suicide bombings that killed 23 people at a church in Jolo in January 2019.

Last month, 11 soldiers were killed while 14 others were wounded  the militarys biggest loss in recent years  in a clash with the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo. Nearly a week later, six Abu Sayyaf militants were killed and eight soldiers were wounded in fighting on the island.
International institutes may not offer any fee discounts to students for taking classes online instead of physical lectures, as the quality of education remains unchanged, said Ben Charlton, UK Director for India, Study Group.

Charlton was referring to the shift in the mode of education across international institutes from colleges campuses to online platforms due to COVID-19 crisis.

Study Group partners with universities across the globe to prepare international students for degree-level study. In the UK, the Study Group has partnerships with universities, where international students are taught at an International Study Centre by the group staff on the university's premises before starting their regular undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

The quality of education provided wont change in online education. The academic outcome of the degree programme would remain the same. Hence, the costs would remain the same. Hence, there is no fee discounts that should be expected by students, he added.

Indian students were expecting some reduction in fees from UK institutes, especially since it is widely anticipated that classes would resume/begin online. Student bodies have been of the view that some fee waiver of 10-15 percent should be offered by UK institutes because physical costs like electricity, paper and water are being saved.

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

On average, the fee for an undergraduate degree programme in the UK ranges between Rs 19 to Rs 28 lakh per annum.

Charlton said as far as the UK is concerned, there has been a rapid shift to online-based programmes. Students who have gone back to their home country too, have been continuing lessons online, he added.

There is still uncertainty around whether face-to-face classes will resume from September 2020. But there will be a cultural shift in the way education is offered to students, he said.

As far as students from India are concerned, Charlton said while it is inevitable that students would be hesitant to join classes online, trial lessons are being offered.

He said Study Group is offering a 21-day-trial after which a student can decide if he/she wants to continue with the online module.

There may also be delays in getting the mark sheets and transcripts of students. Hence, we are also giving students the option to submit previous year transcripts. The idea is that educational institutes do not want to disrupt any students study plan, he said.

Study Group offers a one-year soft landing programme before an international student moves into a class with other students to pursue a degree. Charlton said the curriculum remains the same, and there is just an additional hand-holding done for foreign students in areas like English language and parts of the course curriculum so that these candidates are on par with the local students in countries like the UK.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
The World Health Organization has been at the heart of the battle against the new coronavirus since the first reported outbreak in China.

As the WHO's World Health Assembly gathers on Monday to plot the path ahead, here is a timeline covering the key moments in the WHO's hotly-contested handling of the COVID-19 pandemic:

- First cases in Wuhan -

December 31, 2019 -- China reported to the WHO a "cluster" of pneumonia cases "of unknown cause" in the city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. Of a total of 44 cases, 11 patients were "severely ill", while the others were stable.

January 1, 2020 -- The WHO activated a crisis group, putting the body "on an emergency footing for dealing with the outbreak".

January 4 -- The WHO on social media reported a cluster of pneumonia cases "with no deaths", in Wuhan. A day later, it published its first "Disease Outbreak News" destined for scientists and public health specialists on the new virus.

January 10 -- The WHO sent "technical guidance" with advice to all countries on how to detect, test and manage potential cases. Evidence at the time suggested "no or limited human-to-human transmission", the WHO said.

- Outside China -

January 11 -- China gave the WHO the genetic sequence of COVID-19.

January 13 -- Thailand reported the first imported case on its territory.

January 14 -- Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, told a news briefing that there "may have been limited human-to-human transmission", based on 41 confirmed cases, and that there was the risk of a wider outbreak.

January 20, 21 -- WHO experts from China and the western Pacific region went on a brief field visit to Wuhan.

January 22 -- The WHO mission to China said there was evidence of human-to-human transmission in Wuhan -- among close contacts such as families or in health care settings -- but that "more investigation was needed to understand the full extent of transmission".

January 22, 23 -- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an emergency committee to assess whether the outbreak constituted a "public health emergency of international concern" -- the highest alert it can trigger. The committee, consisting of independent international experts, was unable to reach a consensus and asked to meet again 10 days later.

January 28 -- A WHO delegation travelled to Beijing, led by Tedros, who agreed with the Chinese government that an international team of scientists would be dispatched to China.

- The road to pandemic -

January 30 -- The WHO declared COVID-19 to be "a public health emergency of international concern".

February 16-24 -- An international scientific mission of experts from the United States, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore and Canada travelled to Wuhan.

February 24 -- A team of experts from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control travelled to Italy, which became the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak after China.

March 11 -- The WHO designated COVID-19 as a pandemic. At the time, 90 percent of cases were declared in just four countries, according to the WHO, with 81 countries reporting no cases at all, and 57 countries reporting up to 10 cases.

- US turns on WHO, China -

April 9 -- The WHO publishes a chronology of its statements in response to criticism that it had been slow to sound the alarm.

April 14 -- US President Donald Trump halts payments to the WHO pending a review of its role in allegedly "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus", and accuses it of being biased towards China.

April 24 -- The WHO urges member states to speed up the development, production and distribution of treatments and vaccines and ensure universal access to therapeutics.

April 27 -- The WHO urges countries lifting their lockdown measures to test, isolate and treat suspected cases while ensuring physical distancing, or risk a second wave of infections.

May 14 -- The WHO says the virus may never go away and could become a disease that the world has to learn to live with.

May 18-19 -- The WHO's decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, holds its annual gathering virtually, with the spat between between Beijing and Washington threatening to overshadow proceedings.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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The citys authorities will consult the public before making the final decision about the location of the zero milestone.

Since the idea of building a monument marking the zero milestone has been put forth the Hanoi's authorities, the city's residents from all walks of life have gathered in heated debates on where it should be placed around the Hoan Kiem Lake.

A zero milestone is suggested to be located at the position of the flower clock. Photo: Hai Linh (Kinh te & Do thi)

Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association Dao Ngoc Nghiem said that a zero milestone in Hoan Kiem Lake area will affirm the position of the capital city as the starting point of roads across the country. Every visitor would wish to come to see and take picture of it.

Sharing the same idea, Tran Huy Anh from the Hanoi Association of Architects told Kinh te & Do thi that the zero milestone standing at the heart of the country's capital city not only demonstrates the sense of national sovereignty but also aims at educating the young generations of national pride and citizen responsibility to the country.

Nguyen Thi Lan, a resident of 31 Hang Chuoi street, agreed with the idea of building such a marker and said it should stand at the intersection of Hang Khay - Dinh Tien Hoang.

However, the place is where a flower clock is already located. It is a gift from Swiss capital city of Bern to Hanoi on the occasion of the 1000th founding anniversary of the Vietnamese capital. The zero milestone mark needs not being monumental but rather harmonious with the landscape and to enhance the beauty around the lake.

A festival on the street around Hoan Kiem lake area. Photo: Zing

Discussing the location of the work, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, the person who put forth the idea of building the zero milestone in 2009, said that the work should be built with a height of 1m, and designed with the citys symbol.

This milestone is not meaningful in terms of measurement, but culture and tourism. Therefore, it is reasonable to place it at the intersection of Hang Khay - Dinh Tien Hoang, Duc said.

Meanwhile, Huy Anh commented that other locations around Hoan Kiem Lake area should be taken into consideration. Huy Anh suggested the area near the King Le Temple on Le Thai To street because this area has a lot of beautiful architectural works such as Luc Thuy house and the main office of Nhan Dan newspaper. Besides, this is also a public area that attracts a lot of people at the annual festival of King Le.

Nghiem said the area around the lake has been shaped and it seems that no place is left for the work. Therefore, this project should be located near underground space of C9 metro station. As such, the green area of the zero-milestone combined with the public underground space of the station area will create an attraction in the city's center.

This is a symbolic project not only of Hanoi but also of the whole country. Therefore, the citys authorities need to organize a wide range of events to gather ideas since the concept designing stage from all walks of life, before making the final decision, Nghiem said.

Earlier, a proposal to build a zero milestone in Hoan Kiem lake surroundings was presented at a meeting between Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue and Hoan Kiem districts Party Committee on May 9.

The idea was put forth since 2009 and again in 2012 by Professor Ha Dinh Duc. In 2017, the work was included in the Hoan Kiem Lake area renovation project. Hanoitimes

Nhat Minh-Vu Le
Finland's national airline will restart routes between Europe and Asia in July once countries begin to lift coronavirus restrictions on travel, the company announced on Monday.

Beijing and Shanghai will be the first long-haul destinations to reopen, alongside Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok and three Japanese routes, Finnair said in a statement.

Flights to Delhi and New York will follow in August.

The move makes Finnair one of the first European carriers to restart intercontinental flights, after the Lufthansa Group announced on Friday it would resume 19 long-haul routes by early June.

"We expect aviation to recover gradually, starting in July," Finnair chief commercial officer Ole Orver said in a statement, adding that the company intends to bring its operations back to one-third of normal capacity.

Finnair cut 90 percent of its flights on April 1 and issued a profit warning as coronavirus restrictions brought international passenger travel almost to a standstill.

Facemasks will be mandatory on all Finnair flights "until at least the end of August," Finnair spokeswoman Paivyt Tallqvist told AFP.

"We have also taken a number of steps to avoid unnecessary movement on board," Tallqvist said, including having passengers disembark in smaller groups, and limiting capacity of shuttle bus transport between aircraft and the terminal to 50 percent.

Flights along the so-called "shorter northern route" between Helsinki and Asia, bypassing the Middle East, have been a key part of the Finnish carrier's growth strategy in recent years, with passenger numbers on its Asian routes doubling between 2010 and 2018.

On Monday, Finnair also announced it would restart 26 European routes in July, including to Brussels, Moscow, Prague and Paris.

Destinations including Rome, Madrid and Warsaw would be added in August, the firm said.

Finnair said it would open further routes on a monthly basis depending on demand and how travel restrictions change over the summer.
It is one of the many cruelties of the pandemic. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many people hospitalized with COVID-19 cannot have visitors. This means the patients are unable to celebrate life events with loved ones  or even say a final goodbye.

Kaya Suner came up with a solution. The 19-year-old from Rhode Island found a way to collect used smartphones and tablets and get them to patients suffering from the disease. The devices can help the patients communicate with their friends and family.

His idea has started to spread.

Kaya, youre 19, but youre a superstar, youre a hero, Rhode Island Governor, Gina Raimondo, said at a news conference in April. Raimondos son donated an iPad to the cause.

The idea came from Suners desire to help. He considered making protective face coverings. But his parents, both emergency room doctors, inspired him to do more.

One day, Suner was talking online with his mother, who is living separately from her son because her job puts her at a higher risk of getting sick. His mother told him that many of her patients are old and have no way to stay in touch with loved ones while they are hospitalized. Feelings of loneliness are common among the patients.

Theres no way for these sick patients to communicate with their loved ones due to the visitation ban in hospitals," Suner said. "Its really unfortunate that thats whats going on...

So, he and a friend asked for donations of used smartphones and tablets to give to those patients.

They started with a simple request on Facebook. That effort developed into covidconnectors.org. The website lets people donate gently used devices that can record video.

Patients have used the donated devices for everything from celebrating birthdays and meeting new grandchildren to saying final goodbyes, Suner said.

One family member said that they had someone in the hospital who wanted their last rites read," he said. "We were able to get an iPad to them..."

The program has been a success. In fact, the needs of Rhode Islands coronavirus patients have been met. The program is now collecting devices for medical centers in nearby Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Suner hopes to expand into New York soon.

He is concerned that as some states start to reopen, people will think there is no need for donations. But, he said, that is not the case.

This is still a really, really large issue inside of hospitals, he said.

Im Ashley Thompson.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pandemic n. the fast spread of an infectious disease over a very wide geographical area

tablet(s) n. a very thin computer that does not have a keyboard attached

inspire(d) v. to cause someone to want to do something

unfortunate adj. not a good situation, not a desirable condition

last rites n. a religious ceremony that is performed by Catholic priests for someone who is dying
The Boeing Company BA recently secured two contracts worth a combined $2.6 billion for manufacturing air-to-surface and anti-ship missiles for Saudi Arabia and other nations across the globe. Both contracts have been awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.



Details of the Contracts



The first contract worth $1.97 billion involves the production and delivery of 650 Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) missiles to Saudi Arabia, whereas the second contract worth $657 million is related to the delivery of 467 Harpoon Block II missiles. The second deal also entails the delivery of support equipment to Saudi Arabia, Japan, Brazil, Thailand, the Netherlands, India and South Korea.



The first contract secured by the company will mostly get executed in St. Louis, MI, and Indianapolis, IN, with the completion expected in December 2028.



Meanwhile, for the second contract, majority of the work will be performed in St. Louis, MI, and McKinney, TX. Per the deal terms, Boeing will provide 402 Block II missiles and support equipment to Saudi Arabia, 53 missiles to Qatar alongside delivering missiles and support equipment to other nations, mentioned earlier.



A Brief Note on SLAM ER and Harpoon Missiles



Boeings SLAM ER missile is an advanced, stand-off, precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile that is capable of attacking land and sea targets from medium to long ranges. Whereas, the Harpoon Block II is an over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile, which is also the worlds superior anti-ship missile capable of performing land-strike and anti-ship missions.



Our View



With more nations across the globe emphasizing on increasing defense spending, Boeing has successfully been able to acquire frequent order flows from international markets for advanced missiles like SLAM ER and Harpoon Block II missiles.



Notably, the fiscal 2021 defense budget proposal reflects a solid spending provision of $20.3 billion for missile defense and defeat programs. Such improved budgetary provision, if approved, should usher in more contracts for Boeing, as this jet maker is also a renowned munitions manufacturer in the United States. Other prominent missile makers such as Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT, Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC and Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII are also likely to significantly gain from the budget revision.



Price Movement and Zacks Rank



Shares of Boeing, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), have slumped 66% in the past 12 months compared with the industrys decline of 33.9%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues





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[May 18, 2020] Regulus Cyber Raises $4M After Signing Deal With Automotive Tier 1 and Expanding GPS Cybersecurity Product Capabilities

HAIFA, Israel, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Regulus Cyber, creator of the first "anti-virus" software to protect satellite navigation and timing across a wide range of applications, including automotive, mobile, IoT and critical infrastructure, today announced that the company raised $4M. Part of a future Series B-Round, the funds will be used to enhance their R&D and sales efforts around supporting the recent U.S. executive order that emphasized the protection of positioning, navigation, and time provided by GPS. The funding was led by SPDG Ventures (the holding company of the Perier-D'Ieteren family, owners of Belgium's largest automotive business) and joined by btov Partners (investor in Facebook, OrCam, and Volocopter) with all previous investors participating including Sierra Ventures, Canaan Partners Israel, F2 Capital, the Technion TIOF fund and Technion R&D foundation. "There are 8 billion GNSS receivers in use worldwide, powering 7% of global economic activity," said Rainer Schmueckle, one of Regulus' new investors and previous COO of Daimler Group/Mercedes. "Having researched this domain, we realized Regulus is uniquely positioned to address the rising need to protect this trillion-dollar technology, from hacking." Several weeks ago Regulus Cyber also announced signing an agreement with HARMAN, one of the world's leading Automotive suppliers. The solution will be part of HARMAN SHIELD, the company's robust offering for risk management to vehicle manufacturers and mobility companies. The Regulus Pyramid GNSS is a software solution that uses machine learning to detect spoofing and defend any GNSS receiver, device, or chipset against it  ensuring the security and reliability that are essential to safe and accurate navigation. GPS spoofing attacks are becoming more common and are often very difficult to detect and protect against. Pyramid GNSS uses a combination of patented algorithms, developed over years of spoofing experiments to protect against attacks at the firmware, operating system, or application level. Furthermore, Regulus Cyber had recent breakthroughs in their capability to completely mitigate spoofing as well. "The importance of protecting GPS has come to the forefront as President Trump and other governments around the globe define new regulations to potect it," said Yonatan Zur, CEO of Regulus Cyber. "GPS controls so many facets of our lives from transportation, infrastructure and law enforcement. Having a safe and secure software that protects GPS devices is no longer an option; it's an integral component to the safety and security of so many industries."



As a result of the growing demand, Regulus Cyber appointed Nir Sasson as Chief Business Officer to lead global business development activities and solidify their partnerships with timing and location manufacturers and users. Prior to Regulus, Mr. Sasson was the Co-Founder and CEO of Autotalks, leading the company from inception to become a worldwide leader in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology, securing deals with automotive OEMs and Tier 1s, creating a strong presence in global markets, and securing funding from financial and strategic investors. "Our growth in fund raising, recruiting top talent, and partnering with industry leaders is another step in becoming a major player in the GPS protection space," said Mr. Zur.

About Regulus Cyber Founded in 2016, Regulus is based in Haifa, Israel, and is backed by SPDG Ventures, btov Partners, Sierra Ventures, Canaan Partners Israel, the Technion, and F2 Capital. For years, GNSS security has been hard-coded into hardware - at the chip or receiver level. With the rise of software-defined radios and open-source GNSS attack software, these outdated mechanisms have become ineffective and obsolete, failing to protect against the fast pace of new dangerous spoofing attacks. Regulus Cyber is disrupting the GNSS market with the first-ever software-only, connected and system-agnostic solution to detect, protect and mitigate smart spoofing. Pyramid GNSS revolutionizes how satellite position, velocity, and time-critical for numerous systems, including automotive, infrastructure, communication, telecom, mobility, and financials - are protected.

Pyramid GNSS is flexible, lightweight and easy to install. It allows to dramatically lower the cost and complexity of anti-spoofing defense, making it attractive to the vast various markets dependent on GNSS. For more information, visit www.regulus.com. About SPDG SPDG (www.spdg.be) is the holding company of the Perier-D'Ieteren family, one of the two major shareholders of the D'Ieteren Group. Active in the automotive industry for more than two centuries, D'Ieteren currently pursues three distinct activities articulated around strong brands. The mission of SPDG is twofold. On the one hand, SPDG takes on the professional management of its strategic shareholding in D'Ieteren. On the other hand, via SPDG Ventures, it aims to partner with entrepreneurs in ventures that have a lasting impact on society. Companies included in the investment scope relate to mobility, smart city solutions, and e-health in these specific contexts. About btov Partners btov Partners, founded in 2000, is a European venture capital firm focusing on digital and industrial technologies. btov's network of entrepreneurial private investors provides it with unique expertise and access to non-obvious investment themes and founders. With offices in Berlin, Munich, St. Gallen and Luxembourg, the company manages assets of EUR 450 million. Its network of private investors consists of 250 experienced entrepreneurs and executives from all over Europe. The most well-known investments include Blacklane, Data Artisans, DeepL, Facebook, Foodspring, OrCam, Raisin, SumUp, Volocopter and XING. More information at www.btov.vc Contact for inquiries: Roi Mit, Regulus Chief Marketing Officer, [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/regulus-cyber-raises-4m-after-signing-deal-with-automotive-tier-1-and-expanding-gps-cybersecurity-product-capabilities-301060649.html SOURCE Regulus Cyber

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As part of the House bill passed on Friday to deliver relief to a battered economy, people with student debt would get some more elbow room.

The U.S. Department of Education has already announced that due to the pandemic, federal student loan borrowers don't need to make payments on their loans until at least October. And during that time, no interest will accrue.

The $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act  or HEROES Act  calls to extend that break for another year, until Sept. 30, 2021.

People with private student loans would also get their monthly bills covered by the government until that date.

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Economically distressed borrowers and those with private student loans would also be eligible for $10,000 in debt forgiveness.

Higher-education expert Mark Kantrowitz said he expects few of the bill's provisions to pass the Senate. "Republicans do not like loan forgiveness," he said, adding that the extension of the payment pause could find bipartisan support.

Meanwhile, consumer advocates bemoaned the fact that the debt forgiveness in the HEROES Act wouldn't be offered to all student loan borrowers.

"Many borrowers  especially low-income borrowers, borrowers of color and those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic  will still be burdened with historically high student loan debt and will face a potentially devastated economy when they start making payments again," said Persis Yu, director of the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project at the National Consumer Law Center.

"Their student loan payments will likely prevent them from recovering and contributing to rebuilding our economy."
Jodie Marsh has claimed her terminally ill mother was 'thrown out of hospital because of coronavirus'.

Earlier this month, the former glamour model, 41, responded to a tweet by charity Balls To Cancer, which urged sufferers to still 'get advice from doctors and visit A&E' amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bodybuilder disagreed with the organisation's statement, insisting her parent was 'turfed out' of a health facility and told to 'come back in eight weeks' with no treatment for her 'aggressive growing cancer'.

'She has the most aggressive growing cancer': Jodie Marsh has claimed her terminally ill mother was 'thrown out of hospital because of coronavirus' (pictured)

Balls To Cancer wrote: 'We cannot say it enough. THE NHS IS OPEN please do not sit at home with any cancer symptoms, get to speak to your doctor or visit A & E.

'The figures in cancer diagnosis are drastically down. Please remember lives are saved by early detection! Please RT.'

Sharing Kristina's experience of dealing with cancer amid the global crisis, the media personality explained: 'Not quite true.

'My mum was basically turfed out of hospital and told come back in 8 weeks even though she has the most aggressive growing cancer her consultant had ever seen. Thrown out of hospital because of Covid. No treatment. Shes dying at home. No word from hospital.'

Tragic: The former glamour model, 41, responded to a tweet by charity Balls To Cancer, which urged sufferers to still 'get advice from doctors and visit A&E' amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Ordeal: The bodybuilder disagreed with the organisation's statement, insisting her parent was 'turfed out' of a health facility and told to 'come back in eight weeks' with no treatment

'Thats Terrible Jodie. Very sorry yo hear that. What NHS trust is that?' [sic], the charity responded as many social media users detailed similar hospital incidents during the UK's recent lockdown.

The Celebrity Big Brother star later reached out to musician Barry Manilow to ask whether he could wish her mum well amid her cancer battle.

She wrote:' @barrymanilow hi there, its a big ask I know but my mum is fading fast with terminal cancer & she & I saw Barry live together in the UK at least 30 times over the years. She loves him.

'Is there any chance of getting a 10 second video from Barry for her to wish her well please? ' [sic]

A pattern? Many social media users detailed similar hospital incidents during the UK's recent lockdown

MailOnline has contacted Jodie's representatives for further comment.

The TV star's revelation came after experts claimed more than eight million people will be stuck on NHS surgery waiting lists by autumn because of treatment delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

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 COVD-19 crisis, according to the chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think-tank.

Plea: The Celebrity Big Brother star later reached out to musician Barry Manilow to ask whether he could wish her mum well amid her cancer battle (pictured in October)

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, he said.
President Trump again lashed out at China on Monday, telling reporters the country 'should be held responsible' for unleashing coronavirus on the world, but he stopped short on detailing how he would punish Beijing.

'And then China gave us a wonderful gift, it wasn't pretty,' Trump said. 'It came out of China ... spread to Europe, but also came here and the whole world was infected by this horrible thing that they unleashed one way or another.'

He called the fast spread of coronavirus around the globe 'totally preventable.' And blasted China for not allowing medical experts to come in and see what was happening in Wuhan, the city where the first outbreak took place.

President Trump lashed out at China during a meeting Monday with restaurant industry executives

The president said China 'should be held responsible' for coronavirus spreading around the world, but wouldn't give details on what a punishment would look like

Trump complained that people in Wuhan weren't allowed to travel to other parts of China, yet they still allowed them to leave on international flights.

'It's lucky I did the ban,' Trump said.

The president was referring to his policy in late January that barred non-U.S. citizens, except immediate familiy of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, from entering the United States if they had traveled to China within the last two weeks.

Since permanent residents and American citizens could return from China to the U.S., the ban didn't fully stop the spread of coronavirus.

The president continued to lay into the World Health Organization, as well, again calling the organization too 'China-centric.'

'I think they've done a very said job in the last period of time,' Trump said at one point.

'They're a puppet of China,' he said shortly after.

He returned to the subject of the travel ban when remarking that the WHO hadn't been supportive of the policy.

The WHO, in general, doesn't support travel bans because of the economic disruption that can occur.

'When I did the ban, they thought it was inappropriate to do,' Trump said. 'If i didn't do the ban you would have lost hundreds of thousands of more people in this country.'

Trump charged that 'sleepy Joe Biden came out and said I was xenophobic.'

In reality, the presumptive Democratic nominee referenced Trump's 'record of hysteria and xenophobia' on the day Trump imposed the travel ban, but it was unclear if he was thought the policy was xenophobic.

As he continued to attack China, a female reporter asked the president how he specifically planned to hold China responsible for the coronavirus pandemic.

'I'm not going to tell you that question, why would I tell you?' Trump answered.

A male reporter jumped in and asked the question again.

'Yes, China should be held responsible for what they've done,' Trump answered. 'They've hurt the world very badly.'

He again neglected to give any additional details.
Is there anything more 'Friends, let us gather and bow our heads in a solemn moment of silent woe', for the summer holidays are coming. Not that you would know it; there has been no panic to book summer camps, no talk of Irish college, no mentions of staycations or weekend mini-breaks or even a vague discussion of days out. With schools closed, there is only a shapeless stretch of time.

Holidays only exist as a counterpoint to the school term; without the grind of education, there is nothing to look forward to, no blessed release from school runs, lunches, homework, uniforms, and nit combs. Granted, schools are still functioning as best they can, with emails clogging up my inbox advising me on homework and positive thinking, but it's not the same. It feels like school ended months ago and these are just the tingles of a phantom limb, and will soon fizzle out. And what then?

They can't be called holidays as you need time on to have time off. Tedious as the homes-chooling is at times, at least it gives structure; school days, even ones that only mean colouring inside the lines for 90 minutes a day, mean we can have a weekend within which we can relax and colour outside the lines. But even the few scraps of homework will soon finish, and then? Days without end.

Early March to some point in September is six months - that's six months of dead time within which you can't do a whole lot.

How long until the kids can have a friend over, how long until we can go to the beach, how long until we can start to act like we used to, or is that period of human history over now? The youngest loudly exclaimed the other day, 'Thank god for the virus so we don't have to go to school'. He isn't even in school - he was due to start next September, but even that is up in the air.

But the biggest worry is, as ever, the eldest. She was just about dragging herself into school until the lockdown, and has spent every day since telling me how much better life is now she has no school, telling me how she used to cry every day she was there, and that come September she really, really, really doesn't want to go back.

I have tried not to make her illness an issue, to let her live as normal a life as any other teenager, and if she was not sick I would have the same approach - there will be no dropping out, if you fail it is not the end of the world but you will give it your best shot. But for her, it's different - her future will be affected by her condition, her ability to work, the kind of work she can undertake, the career she will have. All these need to be taken into account - she needs to put more thought and foresight into her life than I ever did, something she reminds me about every time I try to get her to consider college courses, careers, and life beyond.

On top of that is that we now know pandemics are not just something that happen elsewhere; they are here now, and they pose a threat to her - this isn't something that she can assure herself only affects others; she is that other, to this virus, she is the old, the sick, the weak. How do you manage that, as a teenager? Seeing your life stretch out in front of you and knowing that for periods of it you will be on the run from an invisible enemy that means you harm.

So, while we wait for schools to return, what should be our summer will be spent contemplating CAO points, college courses, work from home jobs, and avoiding the gig economy like, well, like the plague.
The Kerala government on Monday decided to postpone the SSLC and plus two examinations 2020 again, after the central government extended the nationwide lockdown till May 31. The examinations will be conducted in the month of June. Fresh dates for the SSLC and plus two examinations will be announced next week. The decision regarding this was taken by the state cabinet on Monday.

Earlier, the Kerala Education Department announced that the exams will be conducted from May 26 to 29, but were postponed due to the coronavirus lockdown.

For more updates, students should visit the official website of Keralas Education Department.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference following a National Cabinet meeting in Canberra, Australia, on May 15, 2020. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Says Workplace Reforms Needed for Swift Economic Recovery

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signalled that workplace conditions need to change for the Australian economy to recover swiftly from the CCP virus pandemic.

In an article published in The Australian on May 18, the prime minister said that the economy could not go back to the way it was before the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Noting that employees will be asking for a more flexible workplace, Morrison said that it was now crucial for Australia to develop a set of new workplace arrangements.

If youre looking to start a business from home, share your vision with your family and friends, and set the boundaries you need to be successful. (Shutterstock)

Businesses have to have a competitive cost base. They have to be able to draw on the best of the skills base that match their needs, and they have to be engaged in technology, and they have to diversify into markets that will sustain them, Morrison told The Australian.

Morrison said that Australias resilient economy hasnt encouraged people to seek new and better arrangements. It has left employees and employers to settle for what was there and not reach to the next level where they will both genuinely benefit, he said.

For these industrial reforms to take place, Morrison said workers, employers, unions, industry and the government would all need to work together to lift employment and remodel the economy.

Morrison said hes optimistic about the unions that have so far engaged positivelybut hes not confident that Labor will.

Anthony Albanese speaks to media at Henson Park Oval in Sydney, Australia, on May 21, 2019. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

However, the ACTU did release its plan for rebuilding the Australian economy (pdf) on May 18. Announced via social media, the ACTU believes this plan will enable Australia to move forward.

Writing on Twitter, the ACTU announced that Australia needed a plan that addressed job insecurity, inequality, and record-low wage growth to rebuild after the CCP virus pandemic.

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We need a plan rebuild after #COVID19. Without a plan that addresses job insecurity, inequality and record-low wage growth, all of these problems are likely to get worse. Australian Unions have a plan to rebuild our economy after #covid19australia #ausunions #auspol  Australian Unions (@unionsaustralia) May 12, 2020

Key to the ACTU Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan is the adoption of permanent job creation targets for the federal and state governments, and industry. The ACTU would like to see a target of 2 million full-time jobs set for 2021.

The plan also detailed the need to establish a new living wage, investment in public and community services, the creation of nation-building projects, investment in education and training to re-skill and re-orient the economy, and embracing Australian made products.

Related Coverage Private Business Investment Key to Australian Economic Recovery: Deloitte

While the ACTU encourages nation-building projects, Deloittes latest quarterly Investment Monitor report released on May 6 maps out a road to recovery driven by smaller projects.

This means a wide range of small-scale works spread across the nation, rather than a few big road and rail projects mainly in Sydney and Melbourne, will be the best way to revitalise the economy.

The report states:

There will be a temptation for governments to pursue large nation-building projects as a way of stimulating the economy.

But the focus should instead be on improvements to existing infrastructure and smaller developments.

These types of investment tend to generate the largest economic returns, while smaller-scale projects are also easier for contractors to commence quickly and to deliver on time and on budget.

People queue up outside a Centrelink office for government payments in Melbourne on April 20, 2020. ( William WEST / AFP via Getty Images )

Treasury has reported that Australia has spent $50 billion (US$32 billion) on economic and health measures as a result of the CCP virus pandemic. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced on May 14 that 600,000 Australians lost their jobs in April, raising the unemployment rate to 6.2 percent.

According to Frydenberg, another 6 million Australians are currently receiving the federal governments Jobkeeper wage subsidy, and 1.6 million are receiving the Jobseeker and Youth Allowance payments.

Epoch Times reporter Sophia Jiang contributed to this article.
This article is part of Owning the Future, a series on how small businesses across the country are coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Geller spent the better part of a decade tweaking the focus of Mikes Organic Delivery, which he founded in 2009. Early on, the model was similar to a community-supported agriculture program, or C.S.A., where customers agreed to receive whatever food was in season.

By the third year, the company was up to about 200 deliveries a week: in Fairfield County in Connecticut and Westchester County in New York. Access to organic produce was more widespread and customers wanted options other than a preselected basket. So he created an online organic market, to allow people to pick the fruit, vegetables and meat that they wanted in advance.

In 2018, facing stiff competition from Peapod, FreshDirect and other online food services, he pivoted yet again, renovating part of the companys warehouse in Stamford, Conn., and added a market a year later. Private parties, community events and cooking classes followed.
As New Zealand eases one of the world's most rigid COVID-19 lockdowns, the country's announced it will launch a contact tracing app.

It's designed to help people track their movements.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the app can be best described as a 'digital diary' to help people record their personal movements.

Adding that the data would not be shared to anyone else besides the user.

"This is around what I would describe as a digital diary, helping users when they're out and about keep a log of their own movements, for instance, between cafes and restaurants. That's obviously something that those businesses are doing themselevs. But this is away that people can do it, that keeps the data for themselves."

New Zealand slightly eased curbs in late April and moved to 'level 2' in its scale of alert last week, which allowed cafes, shops, restaurants and other public spaces to re-open under strict social distancing rules.

Twenty-one people have died of COVID-19 since the outbreak was first reported in the Pacific nation - like neighbouring Australia it has largely avoided high casualties.
In Kherson region, 500 apartments for displaced persons from Crimea will be built.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky said this during a meeting with representatives of the Crimean Tatar people on Monday, the press service of the head of state reported.

"Volodymyr Zelensky noted that following the agreements with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 500 apartments for IDPs from Crimea will be built in Kherson region. The president assured that there are no problems with land allocation and construction of apartments. The head of Kherson Regional State Administration will ensure the implementation of this order," the statement reads.

In addition, a new large mosque is planned to be built in Kyiv. The president stressed that he is waiting for a mosque project from the Crimean Tatars and is ready to support it.

A large hub will also be opened on the border of Kherson region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

As reported, on May 18, Ukraine honors the victims of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people and marks the Day of Struggle for the Rights of the Crimean Tatar People.

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Ukraines delegation to the UN will continue making every effort to ensure that the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Stalins regime in 1944 is officially recognized as an international crime.

"Ukraine will continue to spear no effort to make the deportation of Crimean Tatars recognized as crime and remembered forever," Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya said in a video address to the United Nations member states on Monday.

In this regard, he stressed that silencing of crimes and turning blind eye on aggression led to impunity and perpetuated occupation.

"The UN was established to prevent wars and human rights violations," the diplomat said.

Kyslytsya recalled that dozens of thousands of Crimean Tatars had died, lost their relatives and loved ones during the deportation in 1944, and any mention of the tragedy was persecuted by the regime.

"The memory and knowledge of this tragedy had been suppressed by the Soviet Union for decades. Today, Putin consciously glorifies Stalin. He has unleashed yet another campaign of violence and repression in the occupied Crimea," Kyslytsya said.

The Ukrainian Permanent Representative to UN stressed that the incumbent Russian president "utilizes Stalin's methods of terror and expulsion of Crimean Tatars" to solidify the illegal occupation of the peninsula.

The deportation of Crimean Tatars, which began on May 18, 1944 and lasted for several days, was one of the biggest crimes committed by the USSR during World War II.

In 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recognized the actions of the Soviet regime as genocide and declared May 18 the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People.

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Americans have come to expect fast and accurate results on election night, ever since The Associated Press started gathering tallies by telegraph in 1848. But the widespread switch to absentee ballots this year could slow things down so it takes a week or more to make accurate calls in some major elections  including, perhaps, for the presidency. And weve got to prepare for that.

Americas elections administrators have a new imperative amid the coronavirus: Making it safe for voters to cast their ballots. Many more people than usual will seek to vote from home, whether states choose to encourage that or not.

Voting by mail works. The states that have all-mail balloting  Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington  count up their ballots relatively fast and conduct elections that are accurate, accessible, safe and secure. Even the Heritage Foundations voter-fraud database contains only 13 instances of absentee voter fraud  indeed, only 44 instances of any kind of voter fraud  across those five states.

Other states scrambling to handle enormous numbers of absentee ballots can follow their lead. They need to start now to purchase necessary equipment and supplies and to begin educating their voters and staff on how the system will work. And election administrators will need to plan for sufficient time and space for safe, in-person voting for those who choose that option. This is urgent, and Congress should assist by providing the necessary funding.
The Government is investing a further 84 million in the hunt for a coronavirus vaccine as ministers announced a ground-breaking deal which could make millions of doses available in the UK as early as September.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the additional funding would support teams at Oxford University and Imperial College London engaged in the global race to find a vaccine that could finally end the devastating pandemic.

At the same time, he said Oxford had signed a global licensing agreement with AstraZeneca which could see it supply 100 million doses of a vaccine  with 30 million going to the UK  as soon as September if one has been found by then.

The UK will be first to get access but we can also ensure that in addition to supporting people here in the UK were able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost, he told the daily No 10 press briefing.

While the announcement will be seen as a boost to hopes of finding a vaccine, Boris Johnson earlier cautioned that there was still a lot to do and that the search may never be successful.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, he said: There remains a very long way to go, and I must be frank that a vaccine might not come to fruition.

Mr Sharma said, however, that trials of the Oxford vaccine were progressing well with the phase one participants having received their doses earlier this week.

The speed at which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented, he said.

He said the additional research funding would help with the mass production of the vaccine so that if trials are successful we have dosages to start vaccinating the UK population straight away.

In a further move, he said that the Government was putting in 93 million to accelerate the completion of the UKs first vaccines manufacturing innovation centre.

The facility at Harwell in Oxfordshire  which is already under construction  is now expected to open in summer 2021, a year ahead of schedule.

Mr Sharma said that once it was operating it would have the capacity to produce enough vaccine doses to serve the entire UK population in as little as six months.

In the event that a vaccine was found before then, he said the Government was providing 38 million to build a rapid deployment facility which will be able to start manufacturing at scale from this summer.

The UK continues to lead the global response to find a vaccine, and the Government is backing our scientists to do this as quickly as possible, he said.

However if the search for a vaccine was not successful, he said they were also looking at other drug treatments and therapeutics, with six drugs having entered initial live clinical trials.

The announcements came as the latest Department of Health figures showed 34,636 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Saturday, up by 170 from the day before.

Expand Close The Government wants schools in England to begin reopening (Tim Goode/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Government wants schools in England to begin reopening (Tim Goode/PA)

Earlier, senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the Government was on track to meet its target of getting 18,000 contact tracers by next week with 17,200 now recruited.

As a result, he said the coronavirus test, track and trace programme  seen as key to further lifting the lockdown restrictions  would be up and running by the end of month.

Mr Gove also issued a fresh appeal to councils and teaching unions opposed to the Governments plans to begin reopening primary schools in England from June 1 to think again.

He said measures were being put in place to ensure the safety of children and staff  including limiting class sizes to 15  although he acknowledged they could not eliminate all risk.

Expand Close Michael Gove has said there are big lessons to be learned over care homes (Nick Ansell/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michael Gove has said there are big lessons to be learned over care homes (Nick Ansell/PA)

There is always, always, always in any loosening of these restrictions a risk of people catching the coronavirus, he told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show.

The key thing is that we can make these workplaces safe. You can never eliminate risk, but as we know, it is the case that its extremely unlikely that any school is likely to be the source of a Covid outbreak.

If for any reason there are risks then we can take steps to mitigate them.

Mr Gove said there are big lessons to be learned from the treatment of care homes during the outbreak amid growing criticism of the lack of Government support for the sector.

While significant steps had been taken to improve the situation, he said it remained a challenge.

We are still living through this pandemic and there will be lessons to be learned, he said.

There will be a point in the future when all of us can look back and reflect and make sure we have learned the appropriate lessons.
Dental Care Alliance + Safe Smiles Initiative DCA, thanks to its strong leadership, acted much more rapidly to COVID-19 than others and has continued to lead the way for affiliated offices more effectively than, in my opinion, any individual or group of dental practices, commented Bryan Laskin, DDS, of Lake Minnetonka Dental in Minnesota.

Dental Care Alliance (DCA) today revealed a comprehensive new program to support its partner doctors in the safe operation of their practices in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The Safe Smiles Initiative provides step-by-step processes and training on new safety protocols, so that patients can visit a DCA-affiliated practice with confidence.

Utilizing detailed guidelines provided by the CDC, ADA, OSHA, and state dental boards, a cross-functional leadership team was assembled to launch the Safe Smiles Initiative and develop a comprehensive playbook that allows supported practices to safely welcome back staff and patients. Effort was made to make the Safe Smiles Playbook and Training thorough and easy to follow, removing the uncertainty of how to reopen and treat patients safely in a rapidly changing environment.

With many dental providers struggling to understand how to operate in uncertain times, Dental Care Alliance has proactively developed extensive operating manuals, secured Personal Protective Equipment, and conducted hundreds of required training sessions for 100% of its affiliated team members.

Having DCA as a business partner during this unprecedented tragedy has provided a wealth of support, expertise, and teamwork I could never have experienced as a sole practitioner, explains Todd Jorgenson, DMD, East Valley Implant & Periodontal Center. I am happy to have somewhere to turn for solutions I could not possibly offer on my own as a single proprietor.

Bryan Laskin, DDS, of Lake Minnetonka Dental concurs, As a dentist that is actively engaged in entrepreneurship and leadership programs, I have seen many different businesses respond to this unprecedented crisis that we are all living through. DCA, thanks to its strong leadership, acted much more rapidly to COVID-19 than others and has continued to lead the way for affiliated offices more effectively than, in my opinion, any individual or group of dental practices.

As part of the Safe Smiles Initiative, patients will notice enhanced safety measures such as phone screening before appointments, curbside check-in, and required temperature checks before entering the office. They will be treated by team members who are screened twice daily and who wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment. In addition, all patient equipment will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between patients to maintain a safe environment. Additional details of the initiative are explained in an informative patient video on the DCA website, at https://bit.ly/dca-safe-smiles-initiative.

Having a support center that is constantly evaluating the situation and guiding us how to respond and communicate to our teams has been key to navigating this crisis. I believe that, due to the immediate response and ongoing direction we are receiving from the support center, DCA offices will come out of this environment much stronger, Laskin adds.

For further information regarding the Safe Smiles Initiative and Dental Care Alliance, please contact Shawn Wherry, Vice President of Marketing, at swherry@dentalcarealliance.com.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Sarasota, FL, Dental Care Alliance supports more than 325 affiliated dental practices in 20 states, making it one of the largest multi-branded dental support organizations in the country. DCA-affiliated practices provide a full suite of dental services, including general dentistry, hygiene, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery. DCA's mission is to advance the practice of dentistry by partnering with and supporting dental professionals to create a lifetime of healthy smiles.


Presidential politics move fast. What we're watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign:



Days to general election: 169



The Narrative



States are relaxing shutdown and stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Donald Trump is traveling more, determined to model the confidence he believes the nation needs to return to normal. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, continues a virtual campaign from his Delaware residence, determined to heed public health recommendations he says are the first steps toward a national recovery. Meanwhile, the U.S. coronavirus death toll now exceeds 89,000, and there are more unemployed working-age Americans than at any other point in history.



The Big Questions



Is the battleground map really that big?



Biden's advisers have struck a confident tone after other Democrats openly questioned how they're using their early start to the general election. In her most recent conversation with reporters, campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon teased at "a much larger Electoral College victory than we would even need to capture the presidency." She's bullish on Arizona, a state Democrats have won exactly once since Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, distributed a memo claiming the president leads in "the 15 states that could decide" the electoral vote outcome.



Recent polling actually gives Trump plenty to worry about. Yet it's difficult not to remember that Hillary Clinton's campaign conspicuously expanded its operation into Arizona, Georgia and other GOP strongholds in 2016. Clinton lost them all  along with the Great Lakes states where she didn't campaign heavily because her aides considered them a "Blue Wall." O'Malley Dillon notes, of course, that she isn't investing in the likes of Arizona at the expense of Wisconsin.



It will become clear in coming months whether Biden is seriously aiming that wide or merely posturing to make Trump spread his ample resources across more states.



Is this public keepsakes real?



Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar joined Biden for fundraisers. Stacey Abrams appeared with him on MSNBC. Tammy Duckworth headlined virtual events on his behalf. Elizabeth Warren co-signed an op-ed with her former primary rival. Several high-profile Democrats have floated their preferences  effectively advising Biden through the media (if not also privately). So does any of this matter? Are these events basically preliminary interviews? Does Biden read the chatter? All of the above? Those who've gone through the process before offer one consistent reminder: Once you get past the noise, it's a choice made by one person only  the nominee.



Is fundraising parity the new normal?



Part of the Biden campaign's public optimism comes from finally getting his fundraising operation on track. In April, Biden and the Democratic National Committee cleared more than $60 million, just shy of what Trump and the Republican National Committee collected. That's a win for a campaign that battled empty pockets in the primary and for a national party that's looked up at its GOP counterparts for years. To be sure, the GOP team said it has more than $250 million on hand, compared with the Democrats' $103 million. But if Biden roughly keeps pace with Trump in new collections, it will at least ease some Democrats' concerns.



Does the next coronavirus package matter on the presidential trail?



Capitol Hill Democrats want another coronavirus aid package, with a $3 trillion price tag, including support for state and local governments that have watched their tax receipts evaporate during the COVID-19 shutdown. For now, public sentiment still appears to favor aggressive government action to prevent a depression. But there's no easy calculation for how that plays out in the presidential campaign, where the two contestants boast murky records and conflicting priorities.



Once a centrist senator who backed a balanced-budget constitutional amendment, Biden has generally endorsed his fellow Democrats' moves for aid. His team sees little political fallout because of skyrocketing unemployment and economic paralysis. His argument: What is government for if not this? But it's still potentially tricky branding.



Republicans are growing increasingly comfortable drawing a line in the spending sand and casting the opposing party as gluttonous spendthrifts. But Trump doesn't fit neatly. He's not a doctrinaire conservative or budget hawk by any definition, and he wants to boost an economy that just two months ago was his principal argument for a second term. Yet the president, always the eager rhetorical combatant, loves to magnify Republican cries of "SOCIALISM!" against any Democrat.



Does the Flynn flap have legs?



Trump's latest angle against Biden is "Obamagate," the right wing's chosen label for the revelation that Biden, as vice president, was briefed on the investigation of Gen. Michael Flynn's interaction with Russia before Trump took office. Flynn's "unmasking"  being identified by name after intelligence agencies tagged his communications with foreign agents  is a routine part of national security law enforcement. But Trump frames the case as evidence of an endless effort to undermine an entire presidency  now with Biden as a central player. That clearly animates Trump's political base and makes Biden's base yawn. But are the effects wider?



Final Thought



Somewhat at odds with the whiplash of the first three years of Trump's presidency, Year Four has a dominant, ubiquitous storyline. It's forced the incumbent and his challenger into roles beyond their long-cultivated brands. Trump, whether he likes it or not, is the chief executive of a federal government at the center of a pandemic and resulting economic collapse, the showman now responsible for governing. Biden is the avuncular, back-slapping creature of the Senate restyling himself as a chief executive in the mold of Franklin Roosevelt. The winner in November may well be the figure who wears his new part more comfortably.
Arizona News

Yuma, Arizona - The coronavirus pandemic has cost a record number of Americans their jobs as much of the economy shut down in mid-March. Even as some states start to reopen, many businesses will remain closed or operate in a reduced capacity, meaning millions of workers will remain unemployed.

According to Census Bureau data, there are over 15 million self-employed workers in the U.S., making up about 9.7% of the nations workforce. Self-employed workers are especially vulnerable during economic downturns since they do not have the same type of job protections as other workers. The CARES Act provides emergency government aid to workers affected by the pandemic, including the self-employed, who might normally fall through the social safety net. But these funds have been difficult to secure and can have long wait times. Furthermore, confusing messaging around the loans leave many self-employed workers unsure about what the funds can be used for.

The self-employed, which for the purpose of this analysis includes those adults who operate either incorporated or unincorporated businesses, are represented in every industry sector except public administration. Other servicesa catchall industry sector that includes, among others, car repairs, barbershops, salons, dry-cleaning, and pet care serviceshas the largest share of self-employed workers at nearly 26%. Both the Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining industry and the Construction industry have high rates of self-employment, at 24% and 23% respectively.

As of 2018 (the most recent year of Census data available), these three industry sectors accounted for over 5 million self-employed workers, but a combination of non-essential business closures, disruptions of the food supply chain, and a hold on construction work in many states will likely drive these numbers down.

While almost 10% of workers are self-employed at the national level, the self-employment rate varies considerably across cities and states. Montana and Vermont claim the highest percentages of self-employed workers in the country, at 14% and 13.4%, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia has the lowest share of self-employed workers, with just 6.3% of workers who are self-employed.

To find the locations with the most self-employed workers, researchers at Volusion used data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked states according to the share of workers who are self-employed. Researchers also looked at the total number of self-employed workers, the median income for self-employed workers, and the median income for all workers.

The analysis found that Arizona is home to 323,147 self-employed workers, which is 10.0% of its total workforce. Here is a summary of the data for Arizona:

Percentage of workers that are self-employed: 10.0%

Total self-employed workers: 323,147

Median income for self-employed workers: $48,000 (full-time) / $35,300 (all)

Median income for all workers: $45,000 (full-time) / $36,000 (all)

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

Percentage of workers that are self-employed: 9.7%

Total self-employed workers: 15,372,140

Median income for self-employed workers: $50,000 (full-time) / $38,500 (all)

Median income for all workers: $50,000 (full-time) / $40,000 (all)

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results for all states, you can find the original report on Volusions website: https://www.volusion.com/blog/cities-with-the-most-self-employed-workers/
Shares of Reliance Industries on Monday gained nearly 2 percent after the company announced the sale of 1.34 percent stake in its digital unit to global equity firm General Atlantic for Rs 6,598.38 crore

New Delhi: Shares of Reliance Industries on Monday gained nearly 2 percent after the company announced the sale of 1.34 percent stake in its digital unit to global equity firm General Atlantic for Rs 6,598.38 crore.

The heavyweight stock rose by 1.58 percent to Rs 1,482 on the BSE in opening session.

On the NSE, shares of the company went advanced 1.54 percent to Rs 1,482.

However, as the session progressed, the company surrendered the early gains and was quoting 1.07 percent down at Rs 1,443.25 on the BSE in line with weak market sentiment.

Reliance Industries on Sunday announced the sale of 1.34 percent stake in its digital unit to global equity firm General Atlantic for Rs 6,598.38 crore, the fourth deal in less than four weeks that will inject a combined Rs 67,194.75 crore in the oil-to-telecom conglomerate to help it pare debt.

"This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. General Atlantic's investment will translate into a 1.34 percent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis," the company said in a statement.

Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets

The deal follows Facebook picking up a 9.99 percent stake in the firm that houses India's youngest but largest telecom firm on 22 April for Rs 43,574 crore.

Within days of that deal, Silver Lake - the world's largest tech investor - bought a 1.15 percent stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 5,665.75 crore. On May 8, US-based Vista Equity Partners bought 2.32 percent stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 11,367 crore.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries Rs 53,125-crore rights issue will open for the subscription of shareholders on 20 May and will close on 3 June.

Shareholders will have to pay only 25 percent for subscribing to the issue, and the balance will have to be paid in two installments in May and November next year, the company said.

(Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstpost)
The USMCA free trade agreement has been in the news recently. It was originally created back in 2018, following over a year of negotiations by the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Designed to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), USMCA is a newer, free-trade system between the countries that takes into account modern issues like e-commerce, protection of intellectual property regulatory systems, and regulatory systems. It was signed on November 30, 2018, in Buenos Aires.

USMCA also regulates how certain goods are traded within the continent of North America, and governs how trade disputes may be resolved. The main industry sectors affected include chemicals, cosmetic and healthcare products, dairy products, pharmaceuticals, information technologies, and automobiles.

Details About the Agreement

Canada agreed to open its dairy market to American milk. Photo by Amanda Kerr on Unsplash

The 2,082-page agreement has important changes in many areas, such as incentives to open up Canadian markets for American dairy farmers and inducements to increase car production in North America. Here are some highlights:

There are provisions for labor rules in Mexico that require additional worker protections and the blocking of imported goods made with forced labor.

In order to qualify for zero tariffs, automakers must produce 75% of a vehicles content in North America. This is to force car manufacturers to source few parts from other countries. Furthermore, 70% of an automobiles aluminum and steel must originate from North America to qualify.

Canada agreed to open its dairy market to American milk, butter, cream, and cheese in exchange for the United States expanding its market for Canadian sugar and dairy products. There is also a list of different cheese that the U.S. and Mexico can market with restrictions.

USMCA also softens some protections for biologic drugs, which are advanced and quite costly. These drugs will no longer have ten years of protection from less expensive alternatives from Mexico and Canada.

There are stronger protections for some intellectual property rights, like copyrights being extended from fifty to seventy years. There are also new criminal penalties for trade secret theft, including cybertheft. Internet companies will also have more protection from lawsuits that are related to posted user content.

In a move to curtail how much power corporations have, a NAFTA provision for arbitration that permitted companies to sue governments for supposedly unfair treatment will be changed. Going forward, Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) arbitrations between the U.S. and Canada will be eliminated, and ISDS between the U.S. and Mexico will be limited. As for Canada and Mexico, there is no ISDS provision. However, these two participate in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has a provision for ISDS.

When Changes Go Into Effect

The USMCA will be in effect for 16 years. Photo by Ali Tawfiq on Unsplash

By March 13, 2020, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada had ratified USMCA. The three countries have been working to meet the agreements requirements, and on April 2, 2020, Canada reported that they were prepared to move forward. Mexico followed suit with their notification on the following day. Then on April 24, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer stated that he had notified Congress that the agreement would take effect starting July 1. The original start date was June 1; the delay is a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The USMCA will be in effect for 16 years, although after six years its terms can be reviewed and possibly extended. After the 16 years (unless this is changed), the terms can be revisited, negotiated, or withdrawn.
When schools in Owsley County, Ky., closed in early March, James Barrett hopped on his bus each morning to deliver meals to hundreds of students.

Then the special education teacher, who is also a bus driver for the rural district, would head home and log in for Zoom meetings with his high school special education studentssome of whom have 3rd- and 4th-grade level skills in reading, writing, and math.

Across the country, widespread school closures have upended special education, which is administered through carefully constructed plans called Individualized Education Programs and require extensive services that are not easily transferred to the internet, even for families who have access.

And, while each student in Owsley County has access to high-speed internet, that does not mean they have it at home. In this rural community where the median household income is $15,805, the third lowest in the nation, not everyone can afford the $50 per month fees.

So, two or three days per week, during pit stops on his bus route or after his online teaching shifts ended, Barrett puts on gloves and a protective mask and heads out to homes with paper packets of school work for face-to-face lessons with his students. His wife Jenny Barrett, who runs the youth service center at Owsley County High, often joins him to conduct wellness checks, ensuring students have food and clothing.

One of the students the Barretts still visit frequently is a senior who has been the sole caregiver for her middle school-age brother; their mother has been hospitalized for more than a month with diabetes complications. Since the 4,500-resident county in Eastern Kentucky has only had two confirmed cases of COVID-19, the couple figures the visits are calculated risks worth taking.

We wear a mask and try to keep our distances, but probably a lot of times, its borderline, James Barrett said. But we just try to do our best versus them not getting what they need.

See Also: Coronavirus and Schools

Under federal law, roughly 7 million students are eligible for this type of individualized instruction and an array of educational supports and services. Roughly a million of those students live in rural areas and lack of access to the internet is acute in many of these communities, complicating efforts to connect with them during distance learning.

The Center on Rural Innovation, a Vermont-based nonprofit, estimates that 4.6 million students in rural areas nationwide lack access to broadband internet. The actual number could be magnitudes higher because the estimate is based on the availability of broadbandnot if families can afford the service.

So, because you have a cellphone, some people say were connected, were good to go, said Allen Pratt, the director of the National Rural Education Association, a nonprofit that advocates for the interests of schools in rural areas. We all need to be connected, to have the services that all students across America deserve.

Shining Light of Hope

Nearly every child in Owsley, a one-stoplight county on the edge of coal country, qualifies for free and reduced lunch, a school indicator of child poverty. Fifteen percent of themabout 1 in 7qualify for special education services.

Despite its challenges, the entire county and adjacent Jackson County are wired completely for broadband thanks to the Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative. According to a 2019 report from ProPublica and the Louisville Courier-Journal, the cooperative hired a man and his mule, Old Bub, to help string fiber-optic cable through the mountains of the two counties.

We have just enough bad things going on for the schools to be kind of a shining light of hope, said schools Superintendent Timothy Bobrowski, an Owsley County native.

Owsley was also an early adopter of nontraditional instruction days, or NTIs, a provision in Kentucky law that allows students in select districts to continue learning from home when schools are closed because of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

That means Owsley County had experience with distance learning with all students, including those who receive special education services, well before the threat of coronavirus shut down all schools in the state.

The district is also part of the Digital Promises League of Innovative Schools, a coalition of 114 school systems in 34 states focused on innovation in schools. It may seem like an odd fit for a hard-luck, two-school community, but the districts resilience and its focus on providing equitable services for special education students help it stand out, said Kimberly Smith, the executive director of the League of Innovative Schools.

They have been one of the rural districts that has been really thinking about their role as a pillar of their community, Smith said. Its clearly a high-poverty environment but they talk a lot about how they can develop in kids a belief and a hope in opportunities.

Not all school districts can provide opportunitiesand lack of broadband may be holding them back. In neighboring Lee County, Ky., a district which has a similar school enrollment, only about half of students have access to broadband, according to the Center for Rural Innovation.

We are very blessed in Owsley, Superintendent Bobrowski said.

Bobrowski, whose son has cerebral palsy, knows the benefits of having broadband firsthand.

With his sons therapist providing instruction through live video sessions, Bobrowski and his wife guided the boy through his physical therapy lessons from their home.

Its that type of learning that can happen, Bobrowski said. Its not all academic, but this is the type of learning for him, which is just critical.

In Owsley, where classes ended May 13, the district was uniquely equipped to deal with distance learning imposed by the pandemic, but that does not mean the transition has been seamless.

To cut the risk of coronavirus exposure, Owsley County eventually reduced food delivery to one day per week, but that did not lighten the work load of James Barrett in his dual role as high school special educator and bus driver. He would field calls late into the night from students who needed help with their mainstream class assignments.

Whenever they call, the ones that do have access, Im getting on with them, he said. But at least theyve got it. I mean, I can tell you theres some places that have neither, so I can imagine theyre [struggling].

Crystal Gumm, a teacher at Owsley County Elementary School, worked with 11 kindergarten students who are behind in reaching typical developmental milestones in language, thinking, and motor skills.

To make up for the lack of in-person contact her students were used to, Gumm scheduled daily check-ins with each of them via video chat or Apple FaceTime to review phonics lessons and basic counting exercises. She missed the celebratory hugs and high-fives with students that just cant be replicated virtually.

Its changed the way that we interact with the kids, Gumm said. Its an eye opener to how things could be because we dont really know how things are going to go in the future.

Owsley County resident Linda Thomas has two children in the district with IEPs, an 8th grader with ADHD and a 3rd grader whos struggled academically but has not been diagnosed with a specific learning disability.

While classes were in session, Thomas sons completed a combination of paper and online assignments and had access to 30-minute sessions with special education staff if they struggled to understand something.

Were small. The teachers know all the parents and the parents know the teachers, Thomas said. I feel that theyre getting what they should be getting because if I werent, then I would be calling the state department.

The work has been aided by guidance from the state education department.

In an analysis of distance learning plans for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, Bothell, found that only 18 states, including Kentucky, require all districts to include special education in those plans.

Kentucky was just one of only six states that took three key steps to help special educators: The state offered interpretation of legal guidance, required districts to include special education in their distance learning plans, and provided special education resources for special education teachers and administrators.

Despite the praise for Kentuckys and Owsley Countys work, parents and teachers are still hoping for a return to traditional classrooms in the fall.

I mean, theyre not getting probably what they would be getting by coming to school, no way, Barrett said. Education-wise, its going to be better, of course, if theyre in their classrooms every day. But this Zoom, I guess its the next best thing.
A Viking ship buried in Norway for more than 1,000 years is set to be excavated  the first project of its kind in more than a century.

The undertaking is being called 'urgent' by archaeologists as the ship's wooden hull, believed to be made of oak, is being ravaged by a fungus.

It is believed the ship may have been the burial place of a powerful king, queen or chieftain.

Ground-penetrating radar discovered the 65ft-long hull at Gjellestad, just outside Halden in the south of the country in 2018 and archaeologists have been pushing for funding and permission to salvage the relic ever since.

Now, the Norwegian government has allocated 15.6 million Norwegian kroner ($1.5 million) of taxpayer money to ensure the survival of the ship.

Work to pull the ship from the ground could start in June but archaeologists must wait for the findings to formally clear government and pass through all the red-tape.

A Viking ship buried in Norway for more than 1,000 years is set to be excavated  the first project of its kind in more than a century. Pictured, a digital recreation of what the ship may have looked like before it was buried

Pictured, ground-penetrating radar image showing the shape and size of the Viking ship. Researchers say it likely measures up to 65ft long and excavations could begin in June

The ship is less than two feet below the surface and is thought to have been buried between the 8th and 9th centuries, according to analysis of tree rings, known as dendrochronology.

Knut Paasche, head of Digital Archaeology at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), is leading the project.

Speaking to National Geographic in 2018, he said it is possible the ship was the final resting place of a powerful king or queen and functioned as an elaborate coffin.

Despite a preponderance of Viking culture throughout Norway, only three Viking-era ships have ever been excavated, in 1868, 1880 and 1904.

This will be the first time a ship has been excavated with a fully-staffed and equipped archaeological team adhering to modern protocols and guidelines.

'We only know of three well-preserved Viking ship burials in Norway, and these were excavated a long time ago,' Dr Paasche said.

The ship was buried (pictured, a visual representation of the burial, more than 100 years ago and on-board would have been a powerful king, queen or chieftain

Ground-penetrating radar discovered the 65ft long hull (pictured) at Gjellestad, just outside Halden in the south of the country in 2018 and archaeologists have been pushing for funding and permission to salvage the relic ever since

Radar analysis also revealed the presence of at least three longhouses up to 150ft long, but it is unknown if these are as old as the ship. 'The ship burial does not exist in isolation, but forms part of a cemetery which is clearly designed to display power and influence,' says NIKU archaeologist Lars Gustavsen

Pictured, an aerial view of the Gjellestad archaeoligal site. The burial mound was one of several in the region, some several times larger than the one containing the ship, measuring up to 90ft across. Radar analysis also revealed the presence of at least three longhouses up to 150ft long, but it is unknown if these are as old as the ship

How the ship will be excavated and preserved Archaeologists hope to excavate the ship in June, assuming no complications due to delayed funding or the COVID-19 pandemic. Time is of the essence as it is thought the oak hull is being ravaged by a fungal infection. The relic sits approximately 20inches below the surface and the first part of the project will involve removing the topsoil. Archaeologists will sift through this to check for any fragments or goods buried alongside the boat. Christian Lchsen Rdsrud, an archaeologist at the Museum of Cultural History in Norway, told LiveScience that the next step involves erecting a tent to protect the ship from the elements. Archaeologists will then begin the painstaking process of removing the dirt that filled the ship since its burial. Every layer of wood will be analysed and scanned in detail. Some elements of the ship wil likely already be lost or beyong salvaging, and the only evidence of their existence will be via imprints on the ground. 3D scans will immortalise these and allow researchers to study ad recreate them at a later date. Lchsen Rdsrud told Live Science: 'The wooden remains of the ship will have to be kept wet during excavation.' They will then be treated with polyethylene glycol, a tried and tested method which gives rotting objects strength and stops further degradation. Advertisement

'This new ship will certainly be of great historical significance and it will add to our knowledge as it can be investigated with modern means of archaeology.'

The ship would have been dragged ashore by hand from the nearby Oslo fjord and the ritualistic burial then performed, it is believed.

Dr Paasche adds: 'In the context of other, earlier ship discoveries near the Oslofjord, both the shape of the ship and its placement indicate the Viking Age.

'It is a pleasure to have this confirmed through dendrochronological dating.'

Preliminary non-invasive investigations seem to indicate the ship may have once had masts and oars and it could have been entombed alongside some valuable grave goods.

The burial mound was one of several such features found in the region and some of them are several times larger than the one containing the ship.

Radar analysis also revealed the presence of at least three longhouses at the archaeological site, with some of them believed to be up to 150ft long.

However, archaeologists are unsure if these are as old as the ship.

'The ship burial does not exist in isolation, but forms part of a cemetery which is clearly designed to display power and influence,' explains NIKU archaeologist Lars Gustavsen.

The project is being pursued rapidly in Norway as there is concern the fungal infection could destroy the priceless relic.

In 2019, an exploratory dig found the keel to be intact, but there is concern the rest of the ship will be poorly preserved.

The burial mound is close to a drainage ditch which creates damp patches of earth which will likely increase the rate of decomposition.

In 2019, an exploratory dig found the keel to be intact, but there is concern the rest of the ship will be poorly preserved. Pictured, a piece of wood from the 2019 preliminary dig

The relic sits approximately 20inches below the surface and the first part of the project will involve removing the topsoil. The previous dig found at least some of the ship is intact and they hope to urgently renew excavations to preserve the ship which i under attack from a fungus

Pictured, the site of the Viking ship which will be excavated later this year

A team of researchers at stfold University College produced a stunning 3D visualisation of the ship and its burial ground as part of a collaboration with the Institute for Energy Technology, the County Conservator in Viken (stfold) and Nordic Media Lab.

'It was very challenging to build a comprehensive visual representation of the findings at Gjellestad based on the data the archaeologists currently have available,' explains project manager and Dr Joakim Karlsen.

This project involved collaboration with the archaeologists unearthing the ship and is deemed an accurate visualisation.

There was little disagreement over the details and the choices made along the way, as the archaeologists were good at explaining why the ship, houses and site had to look the way they do in the final rendering,' Dr Karlsen told medievalists.net.

It is hoped the online project will give visitors a lifelike view of the site and what it may have looked like more than 1,000 years ago.

The visualisation will be added to, refined and improved as the project progresses, with new data from the excavation being fed back into the simulation.

'It will be very exciting to follow the process as it moves forward. We hope we will have the opportunity to update this visualisation as new data and insights become available,' says Dy Karlsen.

'This project demonstrates the potential that 3D visualisation has for displaying information about cultural heritage sites and artefacts that are not accessible or visible to the eye.

'We can now capture this information and display it using new techniques and methods in digital archaeology.'

Since the discovery of the ship in 2018, researchers have also found another Viking ship in Norway, this time at the north of the country, on the island of Edoeya - 70 miles west of Trondheim.

The ship is thought to be about 56ft long with a 43ft long keel and parts of the fore and aft sterns have been destroyed.

It was first discovered in September 2019 and archaeologists say there are no current plans to dig it out of the ground.

The ship is an 'unusual and exciting' find, according to Knut Paasche, who also led this project.
If you lost your job and the health insurance due to the coronavirus, you many be able to get help buying insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Thats according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that many New Jerseyans, perhaps as many as two thirds, laid off due to the pandemic may qualify for assistance.

Close to 1.1 million workers in the state have sought unemployment payments since mid-March, when New Jerseys economy largely shut down to curb the spread of the virus.

Any recession would cause disruption, said Gary Claxton, senior vice president of Kaiser, a health care research group. This one is massive.

One difference between now and the Great Recession of 2008 is that some of those without jobs may be able to find lower-cost health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, either because New Jersey expanded Medicaid or they can receive subsidies to buy insurance through the marketplaces.

"The problem is many New Jerseyans may not even know they are eligible to apply for assistance, said Ray Castro, director of health policy for New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive research group.

Most of these individuals applying for Medicaid or the marketplace have never participated in a public health program before, and many will be reluctant to apply, Castro said. Many others may not know these programs even exist.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development is telling those applying for unemployment insurance that they might qualify under the ACAs Medicare expansion, known in New Jersey as NJ FamilyCare, or could buy health insurance through the health care laws marketplaces.

More than 73,000 people have applied online for NJ Family Care since March 15, according to the state Department of Human Services. The figures do not include any residents submitting paper applications to county offices.

While President Donald Trump rejected Gov. Phil Murphys request to reopen the ACAs open enrollment period, residents still can obtain coverage at healthcare.gov if they lost their health insurance in the last 60 days or expect to lose it in the next 60 days. Some, depending on income level, can obtain federal subsidies to help cover the cost of their premiums.

They can get help in enrolling from five state-funded navigators, who are offering assistance remotely.

In addition, the state has resurrected its Get Covered New Jersey public awareness and campaign, which usually runs in the fall during the open enrollment period for health insurance.

New Jersey is planning to set up its own exchange under the health care law by November, which would give it the ability to set up its own open enrollment periods in case of emergencies like the pandemic.

The impact of the pandemic on our residents has underscored the importance of having a state-based exchange, which will allow New Jersey to make decisions in the best interest of its residents," said Marlene Caride, commissioner of the state Department of Banking and Insurance.

Those who currently dont have insurance but now want it to guard against health care costs during the pandemic are still out of luck, however.

Right now there are a lot of people who need health insurance and dont qualify for one of these special enrollment periods," said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist. That would include people who didnt have health coverage to begin with or people with junk insurance plans.

The House-passed $3 trillion stimulus bill would reopen the health insurance exchanges for everyone.

At the same time, however, Trump and several Republican-run states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the entire ACA, including the Medicaid expansion, insurance subsidies and protection for pre-existing conditions. New Jersey is one of several states that oppose the effort.

Its certainly an argument for keeping this or something this, Claxton said. Employment is not always a secure place to get coverage.

The health insurance industry last week asked the high court to reject the lawsuit and uphold the law.

These sobering consequences of COVID-19 put into stark relief the fact that the ACAs provisions continue to function meaningfully  and, indeed, are indispensable  separate and apart from a (currently unenforceable) individual mandate," the industry trade group, Americas Health Insurance Plans, said in a court brief.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, today announced that it has received CE Mark for the Edwards PASCAL transcatheter valve repair system for the treatment of European patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

"Although the prevalence of tricuspid valve disease and the associated mortality are high, there are limited effective treatment options for these very symptomatic patients, who often cannot have surgery due to the prohibitive risk," said Prof. Jorg Hausleiter, MD, Medizinische Klinik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen in Munich, Germany. "Transcatheter tricuspid therapy can be challenging due to the fragile leaflets and the large defects during valve closure. In our experience, the PASCAL system's independent grasping ability as well as the flexible and less traumatic clasp design are important features for our patients."

The PASCAL system is indicated in Europe for the percutaneous reconstruction of the tricuspid valve through leaflet repair by tissue approximation. The clasps and paddles gently grasp the leaflets to facilitate coaptation, while the spacer is designed to fill the regurgitant orifice area and prevent backflow. The clasps can be operated independently to facilitate optimized leaflet capture and the implant can be elongated to a narrow profile, allowing for safe maneuvering in dense chordal anatomy.

"Patients with tricuspid valve disease are in great need of solutions," said Bernard J. Zovighian, Edwards' corporate vice president, transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies. "Edwards is the first company to introduce multiple transfemoral tricuspid repair therapies in Europe, providing physicians with both leaflet repair and annular reduction therapies to help meet their patients' needs."

In early clinical experience, the PASCAL repair system demonstrated high procedural success and significant clinical improvements in patients with challenging tricuspid anatomy and severe TR. Sustained TR reduction was observed at 30 days, with 85 percent of patients seeing a reduction to TR 2+ on a five-grade scale.

Edwards continues to build a body of clinical evidence for transfemoral tricuspid therapies, including with the CLASP II TR pivotal study investigating the PASCAL system in patients with symptomatic functional or degenerative TR, the TRISCEND study investigating the EVOQUE system for tricuspid valve replacement, as well as real-world experience. The launch of the PASCAL system for the treatment of TR patients in Europe is focused on procedural success and differentiated patient outcomes, with a high-touch clinical support model.

The PASCAL repair system is not approved in the United States.

Prof. Jorg Hausleiter is a consultant for Edwards and a member of its Advisory Board, receiving compensation for services including proctoring, educational presentations, expert advice and R&D insights, as well as associated travel.

About Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences, based in Irvine, Calif., is the global leader of patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. We are driven by a passion for patients, dedicated to improving and enhancing lives through partnerships with clinicians and stakeholders across the global healthcare landscape. For more information, visit Edwards.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to Prof. Hausleiter's and Mr. Zovighian's statements, overall treatment benefits, early clinical experience results, clinical evidence, and expected patient outcomes. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement. Statements of past performance, efforts, or results about which inferences or assumptions may be made can also be forward-looking statements and are not indicative of future performance or results; these statements can be identified by the use of words such as "continued," "transform," "develop," "preliminary," "initial," diligence," "industry-leading," "compliant," "indications," or "early feedback" or other forms of these words or similar words or expressions or the negative thereof. Investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors as detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. These filings, along with important safety information about our products, may be found at edwards.com.

Edwards, Edwards Lifesciences, the stylized E logo, CLASP, EVOQUE, PASCAL and TRISCEND are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This statement is made on behalf of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and its subsidiaries.

SOURCE Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Related Links

http://www.edwards.com


Iranian officials say a revered ancient Jewish site in the west central province of Hamedan, where the biblical queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai are believed to have been buried, has sustained minimal damage following a fire reported over the weekend.

The cause of the incident on May 15, which U.S.-based Jewish groups have condemned as an anti-Semitic attack, is still not clear.

Authorities have said that the incident is being investigated.

Speaking on May 17 as he visited the site, the head of Tehrans Jewish community Homayoun Somayeh said that the shrine of Esther and Mordechai is completely intact, adding that the incident has been magnified and exaggerated by the enemies of the Islamic republic.

Religious minorities, especially Jews, live in this country under the shadow of the Islamic Republic and all-round support from the government, and are grateful for the services of the government and the system, he was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Mehr news agency.

Ali Malmir, head of Hamedans Cultural Heritage and Tourism department, also said that no damage has been inflicted on the main tomb of Esther and Mordechai by a limited fire in a nearby building which was immediately extinguished.

He also said that some of the wires and a carpet in the side building were burned, while adding that the restoration of the site will start this week. He said that the cause of the fire will be announced as soon as determined.

Hamedans prosecutor, Hassan Khanjani, told the semiofficial ISNA news agency over the weekend that police had not reached a conclusion on the cause of the fire and that no arrests have been made so far.

The official comments come following condemnations by Jewish groups who said the fire at the ancient Jewish site, which is on Irans cultural heritage list, was an act of anti-Semitism.

Irans official government news agency published a report on May 16 saying an individual was caught on CCTV while trying to enter the holy site on May 15, the day after the anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, to perform a series of actions. But the report was later removed without an explanation.

Disturbing reports from #Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight, tweeted Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt on May 15, without providing details about the source of the reports.

U.S. Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr also strongly condemned the attack, which he noted came after a threat to the site in February when a Basij group warned that it would destroy the revered Jewish site and replace it with a consulate of Palestine to protest against a peace plan released by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Iran's regime is the world's chief state sponsor of #Antisemitism," Carr said on Twitter.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center said in a statement issued on May 16 that it had received reports about the arson attack directly from Iranian activists.

Historically, Muslims safeguarded Jewish holy sites from Persia to Morocco, including the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai. 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, the human rights organization said, while calling on world leaders to condemn the cowardly anti-Semitic attack and Irans serial anti-Semitic policies.

The Islamic republic, home to the Middle Easts largest population of Jews, does not recognize the state of Israel.

Iran holds annual anti-Israeli rallies on Quds Day, which is marked on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

This year's Quds Day rallies will not be held due to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 67,000 Iranians and infected more than 120,000, according to official numbers. Real figures are believed to be significantly higher.

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has said that in the capital, Tehran, Quds Day participants will drive in their vehicles rather than march through the streets to avoid spreading the coronavirus. In areas considered to be low risk, participants will be allowed to attend Friday Prayers while respecting health protocols, local media has reported.
The Delhi high court on Monday directed the city police to speed up its investigation of Bois Locker Room -- a social media group in which obscene messages and morphed pictures of underage girls were allegedly shared.

The police have arrested an adult and a minor for allegedly morphing photographs and circulating obscene messages on an Instagram chat group. The members of the group are allegedly students of at least five prominent schools in the city.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh was on Monday hearing a plea seeking probe by an SIT or CBI. Judges said the cyber crime cell was already investigating the case; it disposed of the petition.

Petitioner Dev Ashish Dubey also sought protection for the girls and women who brought the matter to light.

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The PPE developed by the Navy provides protection along with high breathability and is more suitable for hot and humid weather conditions.

The Indian Navy said on Thursday a low cost personal protective equipment (PPE) developed by it has been successfully patented by the Defence Ministry in a step towards its rapid mass production amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The low-cost PPE has been developed by a doctor of Indian Navy, posted at the recently created Innovation Cell at Institute of Naval Medicine (INM), Mumbai. A pilot batch of PPEs has already been produced at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai," a statement issued by the Navy said.

India has been reeling with the PPE shortage since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, around 100 doctors and paramedic staff of the SVP hospital in Ahmedabad went on a flash strike on the issue of lack of the PPE.

The patent was filed by the Defence Ministry in association with the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), an enterprise under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Navy said.

"In a major step towards rapid mass production of the medical PPE developed by the Indian Navy, a patent has been successfully filed by the Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell (IPFC) of Min of Defence, in association with National Research Development Corporation," it said.

The PPE developed by the Navy is made of a special fabric which affords a high level of protection along with "high breathability" as against other PPEs available in the market and is, therefore, more suitable for use in hot and humid weather conditions as prevalent in India, the Navy said.

It said the technology has also been tested and validated by a testing lab approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Eligible firms, the Navy said, are being identified by the NRDC for taking up licensed production of the PPEs on a fast track.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 78,000 persons and killed over 2,500 in the country till now.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:29:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to broaden market access and open up its service sector as part of efforts to keep foreign investment stable amid the COVID-19 epidemic, the country's commerce minister said Monday.

Noting that the pandemic has inevitably brought challenges to cross-border investment, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said at a press conference that the country will take various measures to stabilize foreign investment.

China will roll out incentives to attract foreign investment into the country's central and western regions as well as the old industrial bases in the northeast regions, which have abundant development potential with the help of government supportive measures, Zhong said.

The country will expand the scope of pilot free trade zones, give them greater autonomy in their reform, and further accelerate the construction of a free trade port in south China's Hainan Province, Zhong said.

The ministry will also focus on implementing the Foreign Investment Law, creating a fair and competitive market environment for foreign investors, he said.

China has abundant and high-quality labor resources, a mature and supportive industrial system and a market with a population of 1.4 billion, all of which are advantages in attracting foreign investment, Zhong said.

"No smart entrepreneurs will give up the huge Chinese market," he said. Enditem
Libby Gaige of Jacksonville came out of retirement to take the toughest job shell ever love.

Gaige is the Morgan Country volunteer coordinator for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, and the people she oversees are the official representatives of children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect allegations.

This has touched my life in a way that nothing else ever has, Gaige said. I could work 24/7 with this job because I have such a passion for these kids and their families.

Gaige, 71, took an unusual path to her current position. She spent more than three decades in funds development for public television and then the American Cancer Society before retiring several years ago. Although she wasnt looking to go back to work, friends suggested that Gaige look into a newspaper ad about the volunteer coordinator position for CASA, an organization that she had not heard of before.

I had not intended on going back to work, but I applied thinking I wouldnt get the job because I dont have the background for it, Gaige said. But I got hired!

Gaige has been in the job for two years.

A child is considered a ward of the state once they have taken custody away from the parents. They are placed in foster care, and then we typically get involved as a CASA representative, Gaige said. The volunteers she oversees are the ones who actually take a case and spend time with these kids, the foster parents and parents, case workers, anyone thats involved. Then they go into the court when the childs case comes up and they have a report that they present to the judge and to the attorneys.

The CASA report is an assessment of and recommendations for the child. Based on the CASA report and one from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), a judge decides the next step for the child.

Morgan County CASA now has 13 volunteers who handle cases for around 30 Morgan County children. Gaige has had as many as 20 volunteers but, regardless of the number, its a personal mission for those who are involved.

They get no pay whatsoever, and they are just amazing what they do for these children and the relationships that they have, Gaige said. Our CASA volunteers go above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes they take clothes when they see a need, one has even bought a bus ticket so the child could go see her brother. Its truly above what we ask them to do.

CASAs cases usually begin when someone calls the DCFS hotline to make an abuse or neglect allegation against a parent. DCFS does an investigation and if the allegation has merit, a court hearing is held to determine what should happen to the child or children involved. Thats when the children are assigned a CASA volunteer.

There are all forms of neglect or abuse, it can be the parent is using drugs or alcohol to excess, it could be that the mother and father are having domestic violence problems, it can be a medical neglect, or an educational neglect, theyre not keeping them in school like they should be, Gaige said.

Every two seconds there is a call in Illinois to the hotline reporting child abuse. So its very real, it happens in all counties in Illinois.

CASA volunteers get to know each of their kids so they can be effective court representatives for them. Gaige said the children typically arent in the courtroom, although sometimes teenagers may be asked to be present in court during certain proceedings.

The families have all made mistakes or their children would be with them, but sometimes its something that with a little effort they can get turned around and get back to being good parents, Gaige said. The goal of the court is always to reunite the parents and the children. Now, that doesnt always happen. If the parents cant get to a point where we feel they are safe for the children, then they dont go back home.

Sometimes the CASA volunteers have their own safety concerns.

If we feel like meeting the parents in the home would be a threat, then we ask that they meet at some other facility like a DCFS office or McDonalds or something like that, Gaige said.

As you can probably imagine, being the CASA volunteer coordinator can be an emotional experience.

When a child is brought in to foster care right from the hospital, right after birth, that is very heartbreaking. That typically is because the mother is using some type of drug, Gaige said. We had a situation not long ago with a little girl, she had been moved several times from her foster home and was going to be removed again. If my husband had agreed, I probably would have taken her myself.

But me being the age I am, and her being just kindergarten age, it wouldnt have worked, Gaige said. Im especially fond of the babies, they are just so sweet and innocent, and I would bring them home if I felt like I could. But my husband makes the statement, dont bring anything home.

One afternoon this April, Gaige and several of her volunteers took the time to place purple pinwheels around downtown Jacksonville to draw attention to Child Abuse Prevention Month.

If you walked down the street and saw 10 kids, two of them are probably being abused or neglected, Gaige said. They may not be in the system, but they are experiencing a domestic violence episode, or abuse to themselves, or something that would qualify as a reason to take the children from the home.

Since child abuse doesnt stop during viral pandemics, Gaige recently held her first online volunteer training session for CASA volunteers. She is always looking for more people who love long hours, no pay, occasional heartbreak, but immeasurable rewards.

Its something that Gaige, who has an adult son but no grandchildren, never dreamed shed be doing after retirement.

Knowing what I know now, I tell myself that if I were younger, Id probably be a foster parent, Gaige said. There is such a need in all counties for good people who will take these children and love them and nurture them until they can return to their homes.

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If you have a suggestion about someone who should be profiled, send their name and any contact information available to communitynews@myjournalcourier.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 22:35:51|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday announced concrete measures to boost global fight against COVID-19 including providing international aid and making the country's COVID-19 vaccine a global public good when available.

Xi made the announcement as he addressed the opening of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) via video link.

"China will provide 2 billion U.S. dollars over two years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries," Xi said.

China will work with the United Nations to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, ensure the operation of anti-epidemic supply chains and foster "green corridors" for fast-track transportation and customs clearance, he said.

Besides, China will establish a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerate the building of the Africa CDC headquarters to help the continent ramp up its disease preparedness and control capacity, said Xi.

"COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good," said the president.

"This will be China's contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries," he added.

Moreover, China will work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries, Xi said, adding that China is also ready to work with the international community to bolster support for the hardest-hit countries under the greatest strain of debt service so that they could tide over the current difficulties.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the WHO. The 73rd session of the WHA, scheduled from Monday to Tuesday, is held via video link due to the impact of the current pandemic.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), its agenda was condensed only to essential issues, such as COVID-19 and the executive board members selection.

Currently, COVID-19 has hit over 210 countries and regions, affected more than seven billion people around the world and claimed over 300,000 precious lives.

"China stands for the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind," said Xi, adding that China takes it as its responsibility to ensure not just the life and health of its own citizens, but also global public health.

China has all along acted with openness, transparency and responsibility in the fight against COVID-19, said Xi, adding that the country "has done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need."

Noting that "nothing in the world is more precious than people's lives," Xi urged all countries to put the people first and do everything they can for COVID-19 control and treatment.

He expressed China's staunch support to the WHO, calling on the international community to increase political and financial support for WHO so as to mobilize resources worldwide to defeat the virus.

"At this crucial juncture, to support WHO is to support international cooperation and the battle for saving lives as well," Xi said.

Xi called on the world to provide more material, technological and personnel support for African countries, saying that "helping them build capacity must be our top priority in COVID-19 response."

Furthermore, Xi said the international community must strengthen global governance in the area of public health.

"China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control to sum up experience and address deficiencies," said Xi.

"This work should be based on science and professionalism, led by WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner," he added.

He also proposed to restore economic and social development and strengthen international cooperation.

Noting that the mankind is facing the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War II, Xi said "solidarity and cooperation is a sure way through which we, the people of the world, can defeat this novel coronavirus."

He called on the international community to work as one and make concerted efforts to protect the life and health of people in all countries, safeguard planet Earth and build a global community of health for all.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders from other countries addressed the opening via video link, expressing their support to the WHO and multilateralism, as well as enhanced joint efforts in the global fight against COVID-19.
Huawei ban drags China, US into tech cold war

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing and Li Qiaoyi Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/17 22:13:40

Industries prepare for decoupling as worst scenario, accelerating homegrown technologies as Washington hawks destroy global supply chain

The latest US ban on Chinese high-tech firm Huawei Technologies has officially dragged the two countries, which have seen bilateral ties sour amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, into a prolonged cold war in the tech sector, as such a blatant attack against a Chinese company in full swing sent out a warning shot to the entire domestic industry, which has been partially dependent on the US in core technologies, especially high-end chipsets.

Such unreasonable suppression from Washington backfired in China and more calls have emerged urging acceleration of 'de-Americanization' to be fully adopted for the worst-case scenario, according to industry insiders and analysts, who claimed that a US political virus is now destroying the global supply chain, making everyone including its own firms like Qualcomm and Apple major victims.

Although the Shenzhen-based company did not make any official statement regarding the US move to further block shipments of semiconductors from global chipmakers, Huawei shared on its internal forum on Saturday a picture of a Soviet jet hit by its enemy, claiming that apart from victory, "we have nowhere to go." The revised rules announced by the US Commerce Department on Friday to restrict the Chinese company's access to American-made chipsets is widely considered as another blow to Huawei following a yearlong suppression based on Washington's national security and spying accusations amid a China-US trade war.

"Drop the fantasies and prepare for a real battle" reads a slogan that was widely shared by some Huawei employees and senior executives on social media over the weekend in the face of the US escalating the crackdown, in addition to a series of moves redirecting suppliers of core technologies to move to the US in ensuring its dominance in the high-tech industry.

Just one day before the new restrictions came out, Taiwan-based chipset Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) decided to build a 5-nanometer chip factory - the most advanced and finest in the world - in Arizona in the US, which was considered part of Washington's choreographed intentional plan to cut the Chinese company off from the global supply chain, given TSMC is a major producer of chips for HiSilicon, Huawei's chipset unit.

For more industry insiders and analysts, the new suppression on Huawei sounded alarm bells over the future development of China's homegrown high-tech industry, especially when US politicians could arbitrarily change market rules now based on groundless accusations regarding national security, disrupting the supply chain and causing catastrophic damage to global cooperation. On one hand, more calls emerged for accelerating "de-Americanization" in core technologies while supporting more domestic chipset manufacturers and designers to grow.

"Though China and the US might see a temporary 'ceasefire' in the trade war, a crackdown on China's high-tech sector will continue and now it's just the beginning," Fang Xingdong, founder of Beijing-based technology think tank ChinaLabs, told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that it's unavoidable to see two superpowers confront each other strategically on this domain in the long run.

De-Americanization

Since Washington imposed sanctions on Huawei for the first time in May 2019, it has extended a temporary license to the Chinese company five times, reflecting that the US government has to do so not for the sake of Huawei, but for the business interests of many US companies as the global supply chain has been highly integrated over the past few years.

The US employs national power, uses so-called national security as an excuse to abuse export controls and other measures, and continues to suppress and contain specific firms from other countries. This posed a serious threat to the security of the global supply chain, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Sunday, noting that China will take all necessary means to safeguard the legitimate rights of its domestic enterprises.

As part of the countermeasures, China is prepared to put certain US companies on its "unreliable entity list," imposing restrictions on or launching investigations into US companies like Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple in accordance with Chinese laws like the Cybersecurity Review Measures and Anti-monopoly Law, and suspending the purchase of Boeing airplanes, a source close to the Chinese government told the Global Times.

Eric Xu, the rotating chairman of Huawei, told the Global Times in an earlier interview that once the US government tightens restrictions and changes market rules, it would be like opening a Pandora's Box, which would cause catastrophic damage to the global supply chain and it won't be just one company such as Huawei that will be destroyed.

"Why doesn't China ban US-made 5G chipsets or base stations and smartphones equipped with those chipsets?" Xu asked.

"We're not in 1990s anymore," a Huawei senior executive who preferred not to be identified told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that some US politicians have underestimated the determination of Chinese people.

Some industry analysts believed that a counterstrike against US companies like Qualcomm and Apple might prompt them to lobby against such restrictions as their interests in the Chinese market are important for maintaining their sustainable growth. For instance, 65 percent of Qualcomm's total revenue lay in China, according to media reports in August 2019.

"With supply chains largely rooted in China and the US tech business community relying on the Chinese market for their operations, a relocation away from China, as what's being promoted by the US government makes no practical sense," Han Xiaomin, general manager of Jiwei Consulting in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that rebuilding equally functioning supply chains elsewhere is by no means something that can be done overnight.

"Take Apple. The relocation framework might work if the iPhone maker plans to cancel production of its next two generation phones and decide on a multi-year plan directly for the iPhone 14," he said.

Such decoupling is seen as dangerous for industry representatives but more companies like Huawei have been stepping up efforts to 'de-Americanize' over the past few years as they need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios. For example, Huawei has seen non-US technologies in its telecoms business.

The latest US move would have only a limited impact in software terms, as US firms providing Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools had already terminated partnerships with Huawei last year ending software updates and Huawei's HiSilicon is currently using older EDA versions for its chip design, thereby unaffected by the restriction, read a memo from an investor teleconference hosted by Beijing-based Cinda Securities on Saturday, citing Fang Jing, chief electronics analyst at the securities firm.

Huawei being tied up with French-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics regarding chip design to some extent also allows for the EDA issue to be addressed via outsourcing, Fang Jing said.

Amid growing uncertainties, the Chinese government has been encouraging homegrown chipset designers and manufacturers to catch up with their US rivals while making major breakthroughs in helping accelerate "de-Americanization", according to analysts.

On the same day when the US released the new Huawei restrictions, Shanghai-based chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), which began mass-producing 14nm chips at the end of 2019, announced that it had received an investment of $1.5 billion from China's National Integrated Circuit Fund II and a $750 million commitment from the Shanghai Integrated Circuit Fund II, as the nation ups the ante in its push for homegrown chipmaking.

Collateral damage

From the blame game led by US foreign policy hawks over the coronavirus pandemic to a war of words against China and strangling Chinese companies like Huawei through all possible means, the US government spares no effort in smearing both the Chinese government and the Chinese companies, sparking outrage on Chinese social media platforms, and now a top-down "political virus" inside Washington is biting the foundation of the market economy, going against the spirit of innovation and cooperation, analysts said.

The recent escalation in bilateral tensions and further technological tightening regardless of ongoing global efforts to contain COVID-19, nonetheless, might surprise surveyed respondents, UBS economists led by Wang Tao said in a report sent to the Global Times over the weekend.

There would be increased pressure for supply chain decoupling, according to the report, "US authorities are poised to impose more restrictions on China's access to technology, while some politicians are pushing for faster decoupling from China."

Key players along the tech supply chain such as TSMC " will see further restrictions being imposed by the US on semi suppliers when engaging with entity list companies such as Huawei," the economists predict.

US President Donald Trump behaves according to his wishes, and plans to sanction Huawei lack any continuity, as such a move also reflected Trump's selfishness in achieving his personal political goals without fully taking the consequences of such a ban into account, a Huawei strategic consultant surnamed Lan, who was from a former unique unit of Huawei tasked with offering strategic advice to the company's founder Ren Zhengfei, was quoted as saying in a Cinda Securities memo.

Although US authorities have agreed to give a 120-day grace period to the new ban, the Chinese firm is believed to further adjust its chipset supply by increasing the percentage of homegrown products and formulating back-up plans for HiSilicon, the memo showed. Meanwhile, Washington has limited capacity in pressuring its major allies to cut off business ties with Huawei. Despite continuous lobbying from the US, countries such as the UK and France hold a favorable attitude in cooperating with China.

"Huawei will survive whatever blow the US is set to deal to the firm, which has been testified over the past year," Lan said, noting that the US government has tacitly agreed that it is impossible to completely destroy Huawei.

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The cannabis industry is being affected by COVID-19 much like other business sectors, but the complexities of this budding industry make its eventual recovery from the pandemic and ensuing economic fallout even harder to predict.

Yet that didnt stop us from asking a group of experts to do their best to cast some light on what insurance professionals can expect from the cannabis industry.

Business interruption was an oft-uttered term during Insurance Journals April 15 webinar, Insuring Cannabis: From the Mechanics to Seeing Through the Weeds.

The hour-long session featured three experts taking on a variety of topics in the growing world of cannabis and insurance: Jodi Green, a partner in Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP; Norman Ives, broker and cannabis practice leader for Worldwide Facilities LLC; and Phil Skaggs, assistant counsel for the American Association of Insurance Services.

Despite the economic uncertainty on the horizon, the take-away is that things will eventually pick back up and growth in the cannabis industry is expected to be strong in the long term.

BDSA, a provider of data and analytics for the cannabis industry, recently announced an initial forecast for 2025 global cannabis sales of $47 billion. That represents a compound annual growth rate of 21% from 2019.

New Dawn Risk Group Ltd. in early May issued a white paper analyzing insurance coverage for the U.S. legal cannabis, CBD and hemp markets.

The report: Understanding and opening up the US cannabis insurance market, shows a $1 billion insurance gap in the industry. The pandemic will make it even tougher for cannabis producers to obtain insurance as providers further tighten terms and conditions and introduce exclusions, while insurers who may have been looking to enter the market will put their plans on hold, according to the report.

The panelists on the IJ webinar agreed the biggest fallout of the COVID-19 crisis will be unanticipated and uncovered business interruption losses.

With regard to COVID-19 and business interruption insurance, one thing to be aware of is right now a number of the property carriers, the carriers that are offering business interruption insurance in the cannabis space, have ceased making those placements for the time being, Ives said. Theyve just frozen those markets waiting for things to settle out before they move forward trying to see if there was going to be some legislation come in trying to force the insurers hand in having to pay on some business interruption as theres been some talk in some of the states.

While some companies may have had business interruption options in the past, many carriers are now declining to offer that coverage and are waiting for the impacts of the pandemic to play out, Ives added.

When it comes to coronavirus impacts, Green is paying close attention to coverage lawsuits that dont necessarily involve the cannabis industry but that include policy terms that might be applicable to COVID-19 losses.

And so until those things shake out and we really [dont] understand how the courts are going to construe the provisions that might be applicable to this virus, Im sure carriers are going to be hesitant to issue any new policies that might involve virus, pandemic type losses, Green said.

Green Thumbs Up

Business interruption was the consensus concern, but panelists agreed on another matter. They all gave largely thumbs up responses to a question of whether insurance professionals looking to specialize in the cannabis business should still do so with this crisis and the uncertainty it brings.

Yeah, Id give it a thumbs up definitely, Skaggs said. I think theres still a huge opportunity here to do it and to do it smartly  to step into markets that are more stable and to evaluate companies that are able to weather this COVID-19 crisis and really provide quality insurance, and insurance that is in high demand right now.

Inevitable growth was reason No. 1 for his confidence. New markets continue to open as more states legalize adult use or medical cannabis.

We have new markets in Illinois and Michigan that are pulling in record revenues and hopeful outlooks for several states, Skaggs said. We had 16-plus states that were considering some sort of recreational, whether it be a ballot initiative or pending or anticipated legislation. And then on the medical side, we had another five states including two ballot initiatives that were either going to expand their medical programs or introduce new ones. And some of that still holds true.

Skaggs said the special attention now being paid to business interruption coverage, in addition to increased attention on insurance offerings like product liability on the heels of the vaping crisis, have made cannabis businesses more aware of the value that insurance policies bring  and more interested in engaging with brokers on what insurance products can do for them going forward.

And so, I think theres many opportunities here still, he added.

Vaping

Green discussed the havoc the vaping crisis has caused.

Again, even before the vaping crisis, product liability laws can hold any party in the supply chain responsible for liabilities caused by the product, Green said. For example, if you have a manufacturer of the battery that was manufactured in China and it explodes on a vape pen with a cartridge that was sold by a retailer in the United States, every single party involved in that transaction can be sued and subject to liability. And the company that sold the cartridge might have no recourse against the Chinese manufacturer because that company is not amenable to suits. So that results in a lot of problems when youre looking at coverage for products.

The vaping epidemic has yielded an influx of exclusions and additional endorsements that preclude coverage for anything associated with vaping, such as cartridges and batteries.

Weve seen things called health hazard exclusions, which are almost all encompassing, limiting coverage for any medical condition arising out of the use of a vaping product, Green added. Theyre very prohibitive exclusions because for fairly obvious reasons, carriers are really concerned about the potential exposure and risks associated with those products.

Ives has seen carriers respond to vape issues with health hazard forms, which at best provide muddy generalized descriptions of health ailments that may or may not apply to any number of illnesses.

Im aware of one national carrier issuing a policy without a vape or health hazard exclusion in it right now, he said. Another major carrier has instituted a $1 million sub-limit and tried to specify that to exclude devices from coverage so that it mostly applies to the oil, which again gets a little muddy in trying to parse somebodys intention through legal wordings in an endorsement. But vape is very hard to cover right now.

The one thing even harder than covering vape? Trying to cover vape in CBD products, according to Ives.

Trying to cover vape in CBD right now is basically not available to my knowledge on the product liability side, Ives said. The carriers in the health, wellness and nutraceutical space that were writing CBD products that included vape products have now completely pulled out of there. The two largest insurers of e-cig and vape devices for both tobacco and CBD risk have stopped issuing policies to those classes of business altogether, including Lloyds of London pulling out. So, there is limited options currently in vape and that is definitely an area of concern for brokers to be aware of and to counsel their insureds on where coverage may or may not be available given what their product mix is.

Topics Carriers COVID-19 Trends USA Cannabis
: The Madras High Court on



Monday dismissed a PIL seeking to re-open all places of worship, saying it would lead to crowding and the authorities may not be able to control it in the COVID-19 situation.

A Division Bench of Justice M. Sathyanarayanan and Justice Anitha Sumath, dismissing the public interest litigation (PIL) of social activist RK Jaleel, said the petition has no solution to maintain social distancing by the people coming for worship, which was needed to contain coronavirus.

The petitioner said since most of the shops and offices were allowed to function in non-containment zones, the government could open religious institutions too.

He further said the people have already borne the brunt of the COVID-19 lockdown, therefore they should be allowed to visit their respective places of worship to get peace of mind.

When the matter came up, Additional Solicitor General G. Rajagopalan on behalf of the Central government said freedom of religion is subject to public health and public order as per Article 25 of Constitution of India.

He said if the religious places were opened it may not be possible to control the crowd, and the pandemic would spread further.

Tamil Nadu government pleader Jayaprakash Narayan submitted that even the latest lockdown extended by the Centre till May-end has not exempted religious places from the guidelines issued by it.

The bench, concurring with the submission of Additional Solicitor General and the Government pleader, dismissed the PIL.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Photograph: Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

An international coalition of labor unions has filed a complaint against McDonalds, alleging systemic sexual harassment of its employees around the world.

The complaint, filed at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developments offices in the Netherlands, lists numerous incidents of harassment, including attempted rape and indecent exposure in the United States, a promotion in exchange for sexual acts in Brazil, and a hidden cellphone camera installed in the womens changing room in France.

Theres a rotten culture from the top, said Sue Longley, the general secretary for the International Union of Foodworkers, at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, adding that the fast food giant has failed dismally to take meaningful action about the problem.

Jamelia Fairley, a McDonalds worker in Florida who has become a minimum-wage activist, alleged that a male coworker groped her and another male coworker asked how much it would cost to have sex with her one-year-old daughter. She said that after she reported the mensbehavior, her hours were drastically cut.

No one should have to go through what we have been through, she said.

The complaint, alleges that McDonalds has failed to comply with the organizations Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and is the first-ever case filed related to sexual harassment at a multinational.

Organizers said they filed the complaint with regulators in the Netherlands because McDonalds Dutch offices were the companys nerve center in Europe.

The unions claimed any actions filed in the US, where McDonalds is headquartered, would be met with unclean hands, on McDonalds part because sexual harassment permeates the top ranks of corporate management there.

The complaint does not seek any monetary action, but aims to bring McDonalds to the table to come up with a plan together to combat sexual harassment at McDonalds restaurants worldwide.

Mediation is the goal, said Lance Compa, an international labor law specialist. Its not a case of winning or losing, its about coming together and finding a joint solution to this problem, he said. He said that the complainants cannot force McDonalds to take action, but said these kinds of complaints have proven effective in bringing companies to the negotiation table with unions.

Story continues

Labor unions say one challenge is that McDonalds insists it is not responsible for employees of its franchised operations, which make up over 90% of McDonalds restaurants worldwide.

[McDonalds Corporation] is the employer of all who wear the McDonalds uniform, said Kristjan Bragason, the general secretary of the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions.

McDonalds Corporation said in a statement that they will review the complaint when they receive it. The company said that the conversation about safe and respectful workplaces is deeply important, and the company and its partners have a responsibility to take action on this issue and are committed to promoting positive change.

Related: McDonald's investigated over racism and harassment claims in Brazil

In May 2019, McDonalds was hit with nearly two dozen sexual harassment complaints in the United States, filed by the Times Up legal defence fund. On the same day, federal labor prosecutors in Brazil launched an investigation into systemic sexual harassment and racism at McDonalds.

The majority of these people are humble people and many of them are minors. Theyre vulnerable and being subject to situations that threaten their survival, said Ricardo Patah, the head of Brazils General Workers Union.

There is a new global paradigm  together we will eliminate this cancer of sexual harassment.
Several weeks following the release of Congress of over $2 trillion to in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the oversight commission formed to monitor how the funds are spent, remains with no leader.

Relatively, four of five Congressional Oversight Commission members have been selected. Nevertheless, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both, have not approved of a that left the commission rudderless while the federal government drives exceptional amounts into the economy.

Essentially, minus the leader, the remaining members of the panel can do some oversight work still, although they cannot employ staff, or set up a workspace.

More so, the four members, according to reports, have not met yet as a group, since the passage and signing of the economic rescue law by Congress and President Donald Trump respectively, in late March.

Harvard Law School law and economics professor, John Coates said, if the commission is not effectively working, which, he emphasized, is not, "then, there is no oversight" on a large part of the particular law mentioned.

Panel Created

Congress formed the panel so it can closely monitor the "$500 billion in lending to troubled sectors" supported by the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve. In addition, according to the Fed, the funds can be leveraged to provide over $2 in loans to American businesses.

However, in the absence of a leader, the activity of the panel is now just limited to Twitter posts and letters by each of the commissioners.

McConnel and Pelosi's failure to agree on the so-called "oversight head" is the most recent instance of a "broken Congress," marked by polarization and partisanship.

And, even if both parties acknowledge the essentiality of watching over an expansive economic rescue law, politicians are restrained by a larger fight in politics without resolution instantly imminent.

Meanwhile, Project on Government Oversight executive director Danielle Brian said, the lack of leader of the oversight panel almost two months following the adoption of the emergency law is "disappointing but not surprising."

Brian said, seeing the manner Congress is operating, it would be challenging to "to see McConnel and Pelosi" both approving of an "appointee in the near term," considering their degree of mutual distrust.

The director also added that the clash between the two government leaders far exceeds this specific concern." However, Brian added, oversight needed not to suffer due to the two's leaders' dispute.

Pelosi and McConnell's Stance

Representatives for the two government leaders said they don't have any update as to when the position for the oversight would be filled.

However, Pelosi earlier told the media that she has been talking to McConnell with the hope that a decision would be made soon.

Meanwhile, the two have been known, to have been involved in a high-profile word war over a new rescue law amounting to $3 trillion which the House Democrats pushed.

McConnell, for her part, called the Democrats' bill a liberal wish list of 1,800 pages while Pelosi, on the other hand, criticized the former, as well as the other Republicans who have claimed they wanted to refrain from having more relief spending.

Incidentally, the House already approved on Friday, the Bill, planning the negotiations with the Senate Republicans and the White House that could reportedly continue for weeks.

Check these out!
BENGALURU: In a matter of 16 days, the Corona positive cases in the state have doubled. On May 2, there were only 601 cases and by May 18, it has doubled, reaching 1231, with a whopping 84 cases getting recorded in a single day. State recorded its first Corona positive case on March 9.

These numbers just look like a 'trailer' for the government and the 'main picture' is awaiting them once the state hurriedly opens up to normalcy from Tuesday onwards.

Corona has re-entered green zones- Raichur, Kodagu, Koppal, and Mysuru which had no active cases leaving the state with only 3 districts - Bangalore Rural, Ramanagar and Chamrajnagar in the green zone.

Fifty six of the 84 cases are imported from Maharashtra and three from Chennai.

Of the 84 cases -18 from Bangalore, 17 from Mandya, 8 from Uttara Kannada, 6 each from Raichur and Kalburgi, 5 each from Vijayapura, Gadag, Yadgir, 4 from Hassan, 3 from Koppal, 2 from Belagavi and one each from Mysuru, Kodagu, Bidar, Ballari and Davangere.

All the 17 from Mandya, 6 cases from Raichur and Kalburgi, 5 from Vijayapura and Yadagiri, 4 cases from Hassan, one from Davangere, Mysuru and Kodagu and seven out of 8 cases from Uttara Kannada, 2 out of 3 from Koppal, one out of two from Belagavi are imported from Maharashtra.

One case from Koppal, Gadag and Bengaluru are imported from Chennai.

Two out of five cases from Gadag are reported from its containment zone and two cases were primary contacts of a positive patient.

The case from Ballari has a history of SARI, one from Belagavi was a secondary contact of positive case and the one from Bidar was a primary contact of the infected.

As reported by DC, the Chandni Chowk cluster having a housekeeping staff as a super spreader is growing bigger every passing day and has got an addition of 16 fresh Corona positive cases. All of them who have tested positive are secondary contacts of the housekeeping staff and till date he has added 45 cases.

The other case from the city have a history of travel to Nelamangala.

Karnataka has 672 active cases.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal to end a months-long political stalemate, Ghanis spokesman said on Sunday, a step that could smooth efforts to end the countrys long-running war.

Abdullah had disputed the results of an election in September and announced the formation of a parallel government earlier this year, undermining Ghanis administration at a time when the United States was trying to advance a peace process with the Taliban to end the 19-year Afghan war.

Today is a historic day for our dear Afghanistan. Afghans have proven that they are committed to their national interests with common thinking, Ghani said during the signing ceremony.

In the coming days, we hope that with unity and cooperation, we will be able to provide the ground for a ceasefire and lasting peace, he added.

Discussions over the final sticking points including the allocation of some key posts had been underway throughout the day, three sources said.

Abdullah had wanted to control a major portfolio such as finance or foreign affairs, and while Ghani has not agreed to this, he could offer control of the interior ministry, sources said shortly before the deal was signed.

It was not immediately clear which ministries each camp controlled after the agreement was struck.

Washington has been frustrated by the growing impasse between the two men, even after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Kabul in March to mediate. It had announced a plan to cut $1 billion in aid because the men could not agree.

Pompeo welcomed the agreement but chided Ghani and Abdullah for taking so long. He said the United States looked forward to prompt intra-Afghan talks and a political settlement.

Secretary Pompeo noted that he regretted the time lost during the political impasse, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

It was not clear whether Sundays agreement would result in the aid commitment being reinstated. Afghanistan is facing growing fiscal pressures, with tax revenues falling and foreign aid pledges due this year expected to shrink.

Please reconsider your potential $1 billion aid cut. In fact, since we have the COVID-19 pandemic, add more to it. Thank you, Shamroz Khan Masjidi, a spokesman for the ministry of finance said on Twitter, tagging the Secretary of State.

The State Department did not immediately comment on the aid cut.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed the deal and called on the Taliban to reduce violence and for all sides to work towards peace.

Officials say a deal between Ghani and Abdullah is crucial to launching peace talks, as Abdullahs camp represents much of the countrys north-west.

But the talks face a number of stark challenges, as violence in the country increases. An attack on a Kabul maternity ward this week prompted Ghani to switch the military to an offensive stance against insurgent groups.

The Taliban has denied involvement in the attack, but the government has remained sceptical and angry at ongoing Taliban attacks against the Afghan military, fraying the momentum for peace talks, which were due to start in March.

US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said on Friday that a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks was under discussion, and that he would soon travel to the region and try to encourage a reduction in violence.
A weekend protest to demand an end to lockdown in Northern Ireland was attended by just a handful of people.

The so-called UK Freedom Movement circulated flyers on social media 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 on Saturday. 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 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 refused to move along and remonstrated with police before eventually leaving the park.

Although 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 50 people gathered in Hyde Park.

Standing close together near Speaker's Corner, several held placards and banners including slogans like 'Freedom over fear' as police, including some on horseback, looked on. Officers issued 10 on-the-spot fines and made 19 arrests.

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 said this didnt come as a surprise with the amount of rain that fell in the past four days, and the intensity in which it fell. He said this is on course with being the fourth wettest May on record. Still, he said everything is working in the areas where the utility has completed storm water projects.
More charges have been laid against the accused, who are part of a group of 15 activists arrested in April. The divide between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps is growing deeper. Anti-government LegCo members kicked out of the House Committee.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  Five pro-democracy figures involved in the anti-extradition movement went on trial today at the West Kowloon Court and could get up to five years in prison as more charges were laid against them.

Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Cyd Ho and Figo Chan and trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan are part of a group of 15 people arrested last month for their role in protests that took place on 18 August, as well as 1 and 18 October last year.

They were arrested for announcing an unauthorised gathering, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 12 months.

The 15 on trial also include the father of Hong Kongs democracy Martin Lee, jurist Margaret Ng and magnate Jimmy Lai. All are accused of organising an unauthorised assembly, and knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly

For months, pro-democracy groups have protested against the administration of Chief Executive Carrie Lam for kowtowing to Beijing's interference in the territorys internal affairs.

In June 2019 protests broke out first against an extradition bill (later withdrawn); subsequently, this morphed into a broader movement in favour of democratic freedoms.

The deep divisions between pro-Beijing groups and pro-democracy forces also erupted in Hong Kongs Legislative Council (LegCo).

Today, during a heated session, 15 pro-democracy members were kicked out of a House Committee meeting. The latter scrutinises bills and decides when they can be put to a vote.

Security guards dragged away pro-democracy lawmakers as they attempted to block the appointment of Starry Lee as a committee chairwoman.

The House Committee had been without a chair since last October, when Deputy Chairman Dennis Kwok, a pro-democracy lawmaker, took over from Lee after she had to stand aside from running the election as she was seeking another term.

Beijing accuses Kwok of undermining the committee's work and preventing the election of a new chair.

Now the House Committee can schedule the approval of a controversial bill that criminalises insults against Chinas national anthem.
Iran has warned the United States not to interfere with any Iranian fuel shipments to Venezuela in Caribbean waters, Irans foreign ministry said on Sunday, following reports that the U.S. could consider measures in response to those shipments.

Last week, a senior U.S. Administration official told Reuters that the United States was looking into measures that it could take in response to shipments of fuel from the Islamic Republic to the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

Crisis-hit Venezuela is now reeling from severe U.S. sanctions on its oil industry, years of lack of investments in maintaining its dilapidated refineries, the coronavirus pandemic, and low oil prices. Fuel shortages in the South American country sitting on top of the worlds largest oil reserves are more acute than before.

Iran and Venezuela, both under strict U.S. sanctions, have reportedly boosted their cooperation in recent months. Last month, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said that Maduros regime in Venezuela is paying Iran in gold for help with Venezuelas crumbling oil industry.

According to tanker-tracking data provided to Reuters by Refinitiv Eikon, at least one tanker has loaded fuel at an Iranian port and is currently traveling to Venezuela.

Following the release of reports suggesting U.S. officials had threatened to harass Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, warned the United States about sending troops to the Caribbean Sea with the aim of interfering with the transfer of Irans fuel to Venezuela, Irans foreign ministry said on Sunday.

In addition, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, summoned the ambassador of Switzerland, which represents the U.S. interests in Iran, and asked the top diplomat to relay to Washington officials Irans serious warning over any possible threat by the U.S. against Iranian tankers, Iran said.

Zarif stressed that the U.S. must give up bullying on the world stage and respect the rule of international law, especially free shipping in the high seas, Irans foreign ministry said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
said, "There remains a very long way to go, and I must be frank that a vaccine might not come to fruition. We need to find new ways to control the virus."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there may never be a vaccine for COVID-19 despite the huge global effort to develop one.
Whether it took the corona crisis to bring about the transformation, or otherwise, the change ought to be welcome, notes Virendra Kapoor.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi at the meeting with state chief ministers, May 11, 2020. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

They say every crisis is an opportunity.

The coronavirus lockdown seems to have spurred the Modi government to undertake a comprehensive, all-embracing, reform of the economy.

The humongous Rs 20-lakh-crore economic revival package announced by the prime minister in his Tuesday evening broadcast had evoked genuine scepticism.

For, the mind-numbing number seemed to be a huge exaggeration. And, two, where will such a huge amount of money come from? Both were legitimate concerns. But both had valid official counters.

One, nowhere was it suggested that all Rs 20 lakh crores would be 'new' money in freshly minted currency notes. Post-pandemic packages in most other countries were a mix of new and old allocations -- and some readjustments and pruning and paring of sectoral allocations.

Two, money is not the only thing you need to reform, especially in the Indian context. Policy reforms can often be far more important. Remember the 1991-Narasimha Rao reforms?

Those did not matter because of any fresh fund allocations they had made in the government budget. Those were important for removing artificial policy roadblocks in the path of growth, for dismantling, albeit only partially, the superstructure of controls and restrictions that the previous socialist governments had erected to stymie growth.

So, the big-bang economic revival plan that Modi announced on Tuesday and which on the consecutive five days beginning Wednesday Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has valiantly tried to flesh out with some details is a mix of fresh allocations, reordering of a few old ones, and, above all, a new set of bold policy measures which should go a long way in clearing the path to faster growth.

The long-overdue factor market reforms of land, labour and capital, as also the dismantling of the monopoly Agriculture Produce Market Committees in selling farm produce, and opening of the coal and mining sectors to private parties, etc, are no less important than the reforms that might have been undertaken at any time before.

Should the government succeed in implementing them sincerely there is no reason why the economy cannot return to the path of double-digit growth in the next few years.

The government will have to ensure that the ossified mindsets of babudom, and the conduct of the vested interests in the private sector which have prospered exploiting a system of crony capitalism, do not obstruct change.

Everyone needs to be on the same page for these game-changer reforms for these to bear fruit for the common man and common woman.

Meanwhile, one wonders which is the real Modi? For, when he was first elected with great fanfare in May 2014 the captains of industry and business had pinned great hopes on him.

He was expected to open up the economy like no one else before him.

As a leader of the Jana Sangh-BJP, Modi was supposed to be a natural votary of an open and competitive economy, wasn't he? But soon he dashed the hopes of the business classes, setting the income tax department, the CBI and ED against them on mere suspicion of wrong-doing.

The business class was not only disappointed, it felt let down and frightened. Of course, there was no sign of the widely hoped-for reforms.

To cut a long story short, in circa 2020, with the corona pandemic still tormenting the country, Modi seems to have metamorphosed into a Great Reformer, the one he was originally expected to be before his election as prime minister in May 2014.

Whether it took the corona crisis to bring about the transformation, or otherwise, the change ought to be welcome.

For this is a great opportunity for the economy to break free from the shackles successive Socialist governments had clamped these past seventy-plus years.

The challenge now will be for the entrepreneurial class to try and realize its full potential. It has a ready-made continent-sized domestic market alone of over 130 crore consumers to serve.

The reforms unveiled in the past couple of days, and, if implemented well, --- and, mind you, that is a big if --- hold the promise of transforming the face of the economy.

The business community can no longer excuse failure by blaming politicians.

The role of the government will be two-fold.

One, to put in place a strong regulatory mechanism to oversee private competition, and, two, to ensure a level playing-field in a fiercely competitive marketplace, with each player bringing his own productive and marketing skills to bring to bear on it to get ahead rather than relying on his proximity to the rulers to succeed, as had been the case under the malignant Socialist regimes.

Meanwhile, Modi will face resistance from the Sangh Parivar, especially from the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch.

Given his position as the foremost leader of the country, he can easily brush aside their objections.

He can also dismiss proforma protests by the Opposition. Into his second five-year term, Modi remains in an unassailable position.

He had sought ten years to set the country on the right path in his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha in 2014.

In 2020, there is no credible challenger in sight from both within and without who can replace him.

Thus, he can dare to be tough and stand his ground in order to pull the economy out from the rut of artificial clamps and chains on expansion and growth.

Soon to enter into his seventh year as prime minister, he will have one eye fixed on his legacy.

For, without changing the face of the economy, without putting it on a path of fast growth, he would remain in danger of frittering away the opportunity a decade in office offers him.

Besides, given the ruling party's natural antipathy towards anything associated with Nehru, dismantling the wasteful vestiges of Nehruvian controls and licenses on growth should be a cause of celebration for the Sangh Parivar.

Virendra Kapoor is a veteran political commentator.
Virtual learning will be part of Midland ISDs future, no matter level of the coronavirus pandemic this fall, according to Superintendent Orlando Riddick.

Riddick and other district leaders have seen the impact of virtual learning, specifically Google Classroom, and theres no turning back, according to the conversations during the school districts budget workshop last week.

Riddick provided more details about virtual learning and how MISD will approach it this fall.

He said Midland ISD Chief of Staff Katie Atkins is putting together a team that will develop a plan to revive the virtual learning element in August.

Riddick said some students will need to be in the more formal setting because of achievement and some parents are going to need us in order to work, and the district will be there to provide the care.

So, we have students right now in our Google platform who are doing well, Riddick told the board Wednesday. We might need to touch base with (them) periodically so that could be like a college schedule.

Then we have students who are thriving in an incredible way in the Google Classroom. And those students can continue to stay or should continue to stay in that Google Classroom, and well see them periodically  might be monthly or quarterly, depending on how well theyre thriving. Kids will ebb and flow through these moving parts of what that model could look like.

Its all about re-entry to school and Google Classroom will be part of our framework as we drive forward, he said.

Riddick also said concerns about putting 22 kids in a classroom will be an issue because of the social distancing that will be required and immune issues with those inside the building.

I don't think thats what parents are gonna want when we enter, he said.
ALLEN PARK -- So it begins.

The Detroit Lions have come to terms with their first draft pick, inking Logan Stenberg to a four-year deal according to his agency. Terms were not disclosed, although the deal should be comparable to the one Trevon Wesco signed with the Jets last year. Wesco, the 121st overall pick in the 2019 draft, got $3.2 million and a signing bonus of $704,000.

Detroit, meantime, took Stenberg with the 121st overall pick in this years draft. The club originally had the 109th overall pick in the fourth round, but dished it to Las Vegas in exchange for moving back a dozen spots.

The Lions had just taken another guard, Jonah Jackson, in the third round of the draft. But general manager Bob Quinn loved Stenbergs nasty style of play -- he was literally nicknamed Mr. Nasty at Kentucky -- and took the 317-pounder anyway. It was the first time Detroit has taken guards with back-to-back draft picks since 1978.

Hes a big dude with a pony tail, so its hard to take him serious, Kentucky linebacker Denzil Ware once said. But when he puts his hand down and comes off the ball, its like a big train coming to get you. You got to be careful what you say to him, because he might end your life.

Related: Lions get bigger, whole lot nastier with first back-to-back guard picks since 1978

Stenberg played with an edge at Kentucky, where he was a three-year starter who helped pave roads for a top-five running game last season. He still needs refinement as a pass blocker, but Detroit was turned on by his size, physicality and nastiness.

I love his attitude," Quinn said. I told him that when we drafted him, when I got him on the phone. I said, I love the attitude you play with. I love the aggressiveness you play with. He did have a few penalties where he did kind of go after the whistle a few times, so were going to get that straightened out real quick.

Stenberg is expected to compete with Jackson, plus veterans Kenny Wiggins and Joe Dahl, for the starting guard jobs next season. Dahl and Graham Glasgow were the full-time starters last year, but Glasgow left for a big payday in Denver during free agency. Rick Wagner (Packers) is also gone, meaning Detroit will have an entirely new right side to its offensive line.

Related: Beat writers from around the country break down Detroits draft picks
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her address on the final tranche of 20 lakh crore economic package on Sunday informed that 8.19 crore beneficiary farmers of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) have got an instalment of 2,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

One time of 2,000 has reached 8.19 crore farmers, a total amount of 16,394 crore. NSAP beneficiaries got 1,405 crore in the first instalment and 1,402 crore in 2nd instalment, target of 3,000 crore nearly achieved, Sitharaman said.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% funding from Government of India. The Scheme is effective from 1.12.2018.

Also read: Economic package will have multiplier effect, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

One-time transfer of  2,000 has reached 8.19 crore farmers, total amount  16,394 crore



NSAP beneficiaries got  1,405 crore in first installment and  1,402 crore in 2nd instalment, target of  3,000 crore nearly achieved



- FM #NirmalaSitharaman #AatmaNirbharApnaBharat pic.twitter.com/7mYczlRViK  PIB in Maharashtra  #MaskYourself  (@PIBMumbai) May 17, 2020

Under the scheme, an income support of 6,000/- per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments of 2,000 every four months. Since the launch of the scheme, five instalments of 2,000 have been provided to the farmers so far.

However, those beneficiaries who have not received the instalments in their accounts can check their status online on the government website.

Also read: Govts fiscal stimulus package totally inadequate - Ex-FM Chidambaram

Details of all existing beneficiaries are available on pmkisan.gov.in while a new list, with the details of all new applicants and beneficiaries for 2020 will soon be uploaded on the website. Those who seek an update on their status under the scheme can visit the government website for the same. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will release the new list of farmers benefiting under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi by May 2020.

Farmers can also check the status of their payment through the Farmers Corner in the portal.

Documents required

The beneficiaries must have an Aadhaar Card and a bank account. New applicants can upload their documents through the Farmers Corner in the portal.

How to check status

The beneficiaries can access the online list in simple steps by visiting the Farmer Corner from the menu bar on the PM Kisan website. Click on the link for beneficiary list and enter state, district, sub-district, block and village details. Then click on Get Report to access the complete list.
All conflicts in the post-Soviet space invariably imply the Russian trace as a prime cause or the direct participation of the Russian Federation, as in the war in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.

"In everything you have mentioned [about the conflicts in the post-Soviet space], we can see one common feature that we observe in each conflict. And this is Russia. This is a prime cause. Ukraine wants peace, and we really know the price of peace and make every effort to achieve peace. If the establishment of peace depended only on Ukraine, it would be restored long ago," Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Andrii Sybiha said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek Turkiye.

He also pointed out that Russia used various ways of misinformation in this context.

"Russia wants to take possession of the main role of the victor over Nazism Russia tries to cover up the present-day crimes against Ukraine, by manipulating history. Russia continues waging the hybrid information war against Ukraine in third countries," the ambassador said.

As an example, he cited the organization of "outrageous performances around the world" on Victory Day.

"This is nothing but a manifestation of Kremlins propaganda in an attempt to monopolize the victory in World War II. This victory was common. This is a victory of many peoples of the then Soviet Union and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, not just the Russians," the diplomat stressed.

It is a particularly sensitive issue for Ukraine as these provocative actions are held under the symbols and slogans with which Russia started the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbas in 2014, the ambassador reminded.

Russia cynically distorts the historical truth, presenting itself as the main "anti-fascist." Meanwhile, Russia kills my compatriots, vilely using the symbols of that war," Sybiha said.

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The epidemiology of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) appears to be largely influenced by its geographic distribution and associated risk factors. In particular, we previously noted that clinicopathologic characteristics and oncologic outcomes of UTUC patients vary remarkably between the United States (US) and Asian countries.Likewise, predictors of worse prognosis also exhibit geographic variability.Certainly, differences in screening guidelines, management patterns, and surgical techniques may partially account for these regional differences. However, these curious observations lead us to believe that there may be some underlying biological differences in the disease itself.There are unique tumorigenic risk factors endemic to countries such as China and Taiwan that make for an appealing comparison against UTUC cases arising in the US. Whereas tobacco exposure overwhelmingly accounts for the majority of cases in the latter, consumption of aristolochic acid (AA)-containing herbal medicines and arsenic exposure have been associated with UTUC carcinogenesis in East Asia. Exposure to AA notably creates nephrotoxic aristolactam-DNA adducts that persist in the proximal convoluted tubule of the renal cortex and give rise to tumors with signature TP53 mutationsthat are not evident in other sporadic forms of UTUC. Whether these differences hold implications for targeted therapies warrants further evaluation. Nonetheless, the apparent clinicopathologic differences that may arise from such risk factors are important to consider when designing clinical trials, particularly those that draw from an international catchment.We observed from the literature that body mass index (BMI) had inconsistent, and even conflicting, prognostic implications in UTUC based on the origin of the patient population studied. In our most recent work,we explored this notion further via an international, multi-institutional cohort derived from Taiwan and the US. Interestingly, we found that, unlike in US patients, Taiwanese patients with greater BMI exhibited better oncological outcomes than those with lower BMI. This finding is akin to the so-called obesity paradox seen in multiple immunogenic malignancies such as renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and melanoma.Future studies will need to focus on elucidating whether these observed differences may be influenced by inherent genetics or exposure to certain risk factors. Clinically, this also begs the question of whether such observations hold therapeutic implications, such as in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Notably, UTUC arising in the setting of Lynch syndrome may respond well to immunotherapy by virtue of its high microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden, implicating a potential link between genetics and tumor response.In an era increasingly defined by precision oncology, the molecular basis of pathogenesis will undoubtedly prove to be paramount in predicting outcomes and stratifying patients to the most appropriate therapies. Furthermore, as our study highlights,interethnic differences may be important to consider in preoperative counseling or predictive modeling in patients with UTUC.Written by: Nirmish Singla, MD, MSCS, Urology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Hsin-Chih Yeh, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanReferences:1. Singla, Nirmish, Dong Fang, Xiaohong Su, Zhengqing Bao, Zhenpeng Cao, Syed M. Jafri, Gengyan Xiong et al. "A multi-institutional comparison of clinicopathological characteristics and oncologic outcomes of upper tract urothelial carcinoma in China and the United States."197, no. 5 (2017): 1208-1213.2. Singla, Nirmish, Dong Fang, Xiaohong Su, Zhengqing Bao, Zhenpeng Cao, Haley Robyak, Gengyan Xiong et al. "Preoperative predictors of nonorgan-confined disease in upper-tract urothelial carcinoma differ between China and the United States." In, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 88-e11. Elsevier, 2018.3. Stiborova, M., E. Frei, and H. H. Schmeiser. "Biotransformation enzymes in development of renal injury and urothelial cancer caused by aristolochic acid."73, no. 11 (2008): 1209-1211.4. Yeh, Hsin-Chih, Ching-Chia Li, Tsu-Ming Chien, Chia-Yang Li, Yen-Chen Cheng, Solomon L. Woldu, Haley Robyak et al. "Interethnic differences in the impact of body mass index on upper tract urothelial carcinoma following radical nephroureterectomy." World Journal of Urology (2020): 1-10.

5. Singla, Nirmish. "Re: Alejandro Sanchez, Helena Furberg, Fengshen Kuo, et al. Transcriptomic Signatures Related to the Obesity Paradox in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Cohort Study. Lancet Oncol 2020; 21: 283-93: Unraveling the Obesity Paradox in Immunogenic Malignancies: A Step Toward Precision Oncology?."(2020).6. Sharma, Padmanee, Arlene Siefker-Radtke, Filippo de Braud, Umberto Basso, Emiliano Calvo, Petri Bono, Michael A. Morse et al. "Nivolumab alone and with ipilimumab in previously treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma: CheckMate 032 nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg expansion cohort results."37, no. 19 (2019): 1608-1616.
O tempora! O mores! View(s):

The Constitutional Council with the former Speaker presiding met this week, notwithstanding the fact that Parliament is locked down, in fact, locked up.

By all accounts, the discussions revolved around the general functioning of the independent Commissions and a vote of confidence passed specifically on the infighting Election Commission what with its chairman being somewhat compromised by seeking personal favours from the Government.

The entire Constitution is now being debated in the public domain everywhere, except in the Supreme Court which sits as the Constitutional Court. That honourable court has agreed to go into the constitutionality of many issues that have been left in a state of animated suspension. The issues in the public domain range from the Governments authority to draw funds from the public purse without Parliamentary authority, and the complicated arithmetical calculations on an election date for the next Parliament.

Hair-splitting legal arguments, from the sublime to the ridiculous, have been thrown about dissecting the 1978 Constitution and its Amendments. What is left now is for upright judges of the Supreme Court to make a determination.

It was not long ago that the Supreme Court earned well deserved acclaim, locally and abroad for its unanimous decision that held the palace coup of October, 2018 was unconstitutional ordering the status quo-ante to prevail after the country was thrown into near anarchy for 52 days.

Public perception normally is for a Court to be credited for impartiality only when it holds against a Government. In the case of then Chief Justice Neville Samarakoon, it was only when he went against the Government of President J.R. Jayewardene (who appointed him) that he was hailed by the legal profession (which had questioned his appointment) and the country (which had early misgivings) for maintaining the independence and integrity of the Judiciary. History records his legacy as an upright judge.

The 1972 Republican Constitution gave to the Supreme Court the onus responsibility of being the final court. That was one of the last links severed with colonial Britain. No longer was it the Privy Council. Since then, that Court has had its highs and lows, some Chiefs departed with heads held high having faced the wrath of Governments, others in disgrace for bowing to the partisan wishes of Governments. At all times, the citizens, not necessarily governments, expected it to uphold the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

Some who sat at this weeks Constitutional Council meeting have shown their annoyance at its very existence. They have complained what use is it to be an Executive President if the President could not transfer an OIC to a police station, referring to the 17th Amendment (17A) to the Constitution which set up independent Police, Elections, Bribery and Corruption, Audit Commissions and a Constitutional Council that vetted appointments to top posts, including the apex Judiciary.

17A was a sop to the public outcry at the time for the abolition of the Executive Presidency, but it paved the way for de-politicisation of key elements of the administrative, law enforcement and judicial branches.

Then came the notorious 18th Amendment which neutralised all the democratic gains of 17A. The Constitutional Council was replaced by a five member Parliamentary Council that had rubber teeth with no veto powers, and was a mere rubber stamp to what the Executive Presidency wanted implemented.

It was the 19th Amendment (19A) that revisited 17A and restored the Constitutional Council, but even the then President who personally canvassed to get it passed at times gloating over the fact that he had voluntarily shed some of his Executive powers, went on to rue what he had done. Typically, no Executive President will like 19A or a Constitutional Council and its very continuation is in the balance should this Government get its way to amend the Constitution.

One of the matters taken up at this weeks Constitutional Council meeting was the recruitment of 200 investigation officers to the independent Bribery and Corruption Commission (CIABOC). This Commission has been a thorough let-down ever since its inception; first with flawed drafting of the law establishing it, then with infighting and eventually with inaction. It has been a case of all froth and no beer.

All they have to show are cases against one former Minister, one MP, one Mayor and a bunch of police lower rankers, a school deputy principal, the OIC of the bus stand in Kankesanthurai, a time keeper, a doctor, a Grama Niladhari and former General Managers of Railways, and the CWE. The big fish are all swimming free  on bail, for high level corruption and mega white collar crimes not on charges filed by the CIABOC but by either the Police or the Attorney General.

It would be funny, if it were not so tragic a farce to see these crooks evade justice while watching well known rogue ex-MPs laughing their way in and out of the CIABOC office with files against other rogue ex-MPs. Its nothing but a circus. An ex-Minister currently in hot water over a statement made at a media conference had the audacity not to even appear before the Commission when asked to do so. And the Commission just stood by and watched helplessly.

Like COVID-19 being a pandemic, bribery and corruption are endemic in Sri Lanka. Even the curfew and the virus are being exploited by not just the cop on the street to make a buck but also the Health Ministry and Road Development Authority with questionable tenders that this newspaper has reported in recent weeks.

Bribery and corruption are part and parcel of the Sri Lankan culture now with no real political will to stamp those twin evils out. In its last annual report the CIABOC itself refers to archaic laws, the lack of financial support and reform till 2015. The highest profile public official presently brought to court by the CIABOC is the Chief of Staff of the former President.

Everything is a deal at Government level and even recruiting 1000 investigation officers is not going to change anything unless there is a change of approach from the very top of the Administration.
The young girl who planted the Apple tree which has gone viral on social media after it started bearing fruits died some five years ago, family sources have told Starr News.



Nana Ama Asantewaa, according to reports, planted the seed despite the popular perception that the fruit is an exotic breed and does not grow in Ghana.



Her parents who are farmers nonetheless allowed her to grow the seed and nature it in their home at Wiamoase in the Ashanti region. Along the line, she fell ill and passed while her plant still grew.



Today, the plant is grown and bearing fruits and has sparked conversations in Ghana.



Nana Osei Bonsu who first posted a picture of the Apple Tree with the hanging fruits told Starr News the late Asantewaa was concerned about the welfare of her parents.



She died five years ago. A few years after planting the seed she fell ill. She was concerned about how the family was going to live because they are poor so the family believes this is her own way of helping them, he told Francis Abban Monday.



Osei Bonsu added Agric extension officers are heading to the area to study the nuances around the fruit and if it could be grown in other areas of the country.





Source: Starr News









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.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) - The lack of test kits and enough manpower in laboratories contribute to the backlogs in the countrys testing capacity for COVID-19, said a social development worker.

Senior policy adviser of Thinkwell Philippines Marife Yap, a private consulting agency to the Department of Health, said laboratories are only using one kind of reverse transmission-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit, which is imported from abroad and usually takes two to three weeks before they arrive.

Una sa lahat may mga laboratoryo na may mga makina na nangangailangan ng iisang uri lamang ng RNA extraction kits or PCR kits. Hindi lahat ng nasa merkado ay pwedeng gamitin ng mga laboratoryo natin, said Yap during DOH's daily virtual presser.

[Translation: First of all, there are laboratories with machines that require only one type of RNA extraction kits or PCR kits. Not everything available in the market can be used by our laboratories.]

Medyo hirap tayo kumuha, kasi karamihan nito ay inaangkat pa sa ibang bansa. Nakikipag-kumpetensya tayo sa ibang bansa na nangangailangan ng test kits na ito, she added.

[Translation: Its kind of difficult to acquire, because most of these kits are imported from abroad. We are competing with other countries which also need these test kits.]

An RT-PCR test is recommended by the World Health Organization and can detect the presence of the actual coronavirus in swab samples. The test is done through a manual process and usually takes up to eight hours.

Further, as more local government units conduct target testing, laboratories are getting overwhelmed with the number of samples they receive.

Meron din limitasyon yung mga tao natin, hindi pwedeng madaliin ang proseso na ito. At kung wala kayong automatic extractor, tao ang gagawa noon. At kung hindi pa ganoon kasanay, maingat na maingat talaga kailangan yun, said Yap.

[Translation: We only have a limited number of people, we cannot hurry the process. If you dont have any automatic extractor, people would do it. And if they are not yet familiar with the process, they should be very careful.]

Yung ating mga laboratories medyo nao-overwhelm sila sa dami ng samples, kaya di rin sila nakakatapos.

[Translation: Our laboratories are getting overwhelmed with the large of number of samples, thats why the cannot finish them all.]

Despite these problems in the countrys testing capacity, Yap noted that some laboratories are asking for the assistance of other laboratories in finishing the backlogs, at the same time, they are trying to double their time and manpower as much as possible.

The Department of Health is targeting to conduct 30,000 tests daily for COVID-19.

Currently, there are 30 licensed laboratories conducting an RT-PCR test.
Global dividends from investments around the world could drop by more than a third as coronavirus wrecks parts of the global economy, according to a new analysis.

Experts at Janus Henderson said that investors must expect a sharp fall in the dividends they are paid by the companies they own shares in.

In a worst-case scenario laid out by asset manager Janus Henderson, more than 930 billion US dollars (767 billion) would be wiped off global dividends, a 35% drop.

But even the best-case scenario foresees a brutal wipeout of dividends, dropping 213 billion US dollars (175 billion), or 15%.

Dividend suspensions are inevitable due to the sudden, unprecedented halt in economic activity in many countries Ben Lofthouse, Janus Henderson

The hit is even more stark when considering that dividends were not hit by coronavirus in the first quarter of the year, rising 3.6% to a record first quarter of 275.4 billion US dollars (226 billion).

Europe and the UK will be harder hit than North American dividends, Janus Henderson said.

Investors holding shares in banks will be among the worst affected, while those in the technology, healthcare and food sectors should get off more lightly.

Dividend suspensions are inevitable due to the sudden, unprecedented halt in economic activity in many countries, said Ben Lofthouse, Janus Hendersons co-manager of global equity income.

Many businesses that suspended their dividends are simply doing so out of prudence, as they are unsure when things might return to normal, and how bad the hit might be.

Others slashed dividends in response to social pressure. Companies feel that they should be part of the response to the Covid-19 crisis, and that shareholders and management should feel the pinch along with society.

Pressure has especially built on those firms who have slashed wages or taken government support, to ensure that shareholders also have their belts tightened.

This downturn does look likely be very steep, but the support from governments and central banks has been on an unprecedented scale, which we can only hope will make any recovery swift, Mr Lofthouse said.

He added that diverse companies have been able to escape some of the worst effects compared with their peers that only sell one thing in one market.

Both sector and geographical location are having a significant impact on the ability to pay dividends, which of course, highlights the value of taking a global approach to income investing, Mr Lofthouse said.

Diversification across a wide variety of territories is extremely valuable and investors achieve far superior sector diversification by thinking globally rather than focusing on any one country or region.
(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Monday said Enhertu has been granted breakthrough therapy designation in the US, while Bevespi Aerosphere was approved in China.

The FTSE 100-listed drugmaker said Enhertu was developed for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Astra explained that non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, and prognosis is particularly poor for patients with metastatic disease as only about 6% to 10% will be alive five years after diagnosis.

"Today's news is very welcome as we continue to evaluate the potential of Enhertu to help patients with this devastating type of lung cancer," said Jose Baselga, executive vice president Of Astra's Oncology Research & Development division.

Turning to Bevespi Aerosphere, Astra said it has been approved in China as a maintenance treatment to relieve symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

The approval by the National Medical Products Administration was based on positive results from the phase III Pinnacle 4 trial in which Bevespi Aerosphere demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in lung function, the company said.

"The use of maintenance combination therapies in China is increasing year-on-year and the approval of Bevespi Aerosphere offers an important new treatment and choice of inhaler for patients, particularly those with limited lung function and advanced age who may benefit from using a pressurised metered-dose inhaler," said Mene Pangalos, executive vice president at Astra's BioPharmaceuticals Research & Development.

Bevespi Aerosphere is already approved in the US, EU, Japan and other countries for the long-term maintenance treatment of moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Shares in Astra were up 1.8% at 8,826.00 pence each in London on Monday morning.

By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Congressional Democrats say the State Department watchdog fired by President Donald Trump last week was investigating possible impropriety in a massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year, adding new questions to the watchdog's abrupt dismissal.

Democrats said Monday that ousted Inspector General Steve Linick was probing how the State Department pushed through a dollar 7 billion Saudi arms sale over congressional objections.

Democrats previously suggested the dismissal might have been tied to Linick's investigation of allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have improperly ordered staff to run personal errands for him.

Neither the White House nor the State Department has provided specific reasons for Linick's late Friday dismissal, which comes amid broader concerns over Trump's removal of numerous inspectors general at various executive branch departments.

Trump has said he had lost confidence in those fired but has not given specific reasons, which lawmakers from both parties have criticized. In his first public comments on the matter, Pompeo told The Washington Post in an interview on Monday that he had recommended to Trump that Linick be removed because he was undermining the State Department's mission, but he would not address specifics except to say it was not in retaliation for any investigation.

It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation rather, to the president rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on, or is currently going on, Pompeo told the Post, adding that he did not know if Linick's office had been looking into possible impropriety on his part.

A senior State Department official close to Pompeo, Under Secretary of State for Management Brian Bulatao, told the Post that confidence in Linick had begun to wane after leaks to the media last year about an IG investigation into political retaliation against career employees by political appointees.

When released, that report was critical of several political appointees for having acted against career officials deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.

Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was troubled that Linick was sacked before the completion of the Saudi investigation.

Engel had called for that probe after Pompeo in May 2019 invoked a rarely used provision in federal law to bypass a congressional review of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

His office was investigating at my request -- Trump's phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia, said Engel, D-N.Y.

We don't have the full picture yet, but it's troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr. Linick pushed out before this work could be completed." He called for the State Department to turn over records related to Linick's firing that he and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, had demanded on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Trump ally Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who has pushed in the past for the protection of inspectors general, renewed a call for the White House to provide full explanations for the reasons behind the dismissals of Linick and the earlier ouster of intelligence community watchdog Michael Atkinson.

An expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the IG Reform Act, Grassley said in a letter to Trump.

This is in large part because Congress intended that inspectors general only be removed when there is clear evidence of unfitness, wrongdoing, or failure to perform the duties of the office.

Trump's firing of Linick is effective in 30 days. Over the weekend, congressional aides had suggested that it may have been prompted by a probe into allegations that the secretary had ordered a staffer to pick up take-out food, collect dry cleaning for him and his wife, and care for their dog. While problematic, such allegations are unlikely to result in any kind of severe consequence against Pompeo if proved correct.

A finding of impropriety in the Saudi arms sales could, however, be more serious.

Engel and other congressional Democrats were appalled when Pompeo in May 2019 notified Congress of the decision to use an emergency loophole in the Arms Export Control Act to move ahead with sales of dollar 7 billion in precision guided munitions, other bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support to Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, without lawmakers' approval.

The law requires Congress to be notified of potential arms sales, giving the body the opportunity to block the sale. But the law also allows the president to waive that review process by declaring an emergency that requires the sale be made in the national security interests of the United States.

In his notification, Pompeo said he had made the determination that an emergency exists which requires the immediate sale of the weapons in order to deter further the malign influence of the government of Iran throughout the Middle East region.

It came as the administration actively courted close ties with Saudi Arabia over congressional objections, notably following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based columnist for The Washington Post, by Saudi agents in October 2018.

There was precedent for using the emergency exemption for arms sales to Saudi Arabia. President Ronald Reagan invoked it in the 1980s, and both Presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush used it for sales before the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.

Pompeo has been silent about congressional criticism. But on Sunday, in apparent defiance, Pompeo posted a photo on his personal Twitter account of himself and a new puppy that he and his wife, Susan, have adopted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Imperial Valley News Center

Clinic Employee and Chinese Thousand Talents Participant Arrested for Wire Fraud

Cleveland, Ohio - Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman of the Northern District of Ohio, and FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith announced a former Cleveland Clinic employee was arrested yesterday without incident by law enforcement and had his initial court appearance Thursday.

Dr. Qing Wang, a former Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) employee, is charged with false claims and wire fraud related to more than $3.6 million in grant funding that Dr. Wang and his research group received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

According to the criminal complaint, Dr. Wang knowingly failed to disclose to NIH that he had an affiliation with and held the position of Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) and received grant funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (CNSF) for some of the same scientific research funded by the NIH grant. As a result, Dr. Wangs false representations and promises led NIH to approve and fund grants to Dr. Wang and his research group at CCF.

It is also alleged that Dr. Wang participated in the Thousand Talents Program, a program established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property. As a result of his admission into the TTP, China provided $3 million in research support to enhance the facilities and operations at HUST. Dr. Wang received free travel and lodging for his trips to China, to include a three-bedroom apartment on campus for his personal use. This also occurred at the time Dr. Wang was receiving NIH grant funds yet failed to disclose this affiliation to the NIH.

This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office  Northern District of Ohio.

A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) on Monday accused the Delhi Police of "witch hunting" Jamia Millia Islamia students after Asif Iqbal Tanha was arrested in connection with the violence in Jamia area during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in December last year.

The JCC comprises students and alumni of the university. The group was formed after alleged police brutality on the campus on December 15 after an anti-CAA protest.

It claimed that Tanha was arrested on Sunday from his residence.

"Tanha, hailing from Jharkhand and a final year graduate student in Persian language, has been a vocal leader of JCC and a prominent face of anti-CAA protest across India.

"Police called him first for interrogation, but later produced him in front of a magistrate and sent in judicial custody to Tihar prison," the JCC said.

Earlier, three of JCC leaders Meeran Haidar, Safoora Zargar, and Shifa-ur-Rahman were arrested for anti-CAA protests and allegedly instigating riots in northeast Delhi.

"Instead of enquiring into the northeast Delhi violence and arresting the real culprits, Delhi police is shamelessly witch-hunting Jamia student leaders. While all the conspirators and perpetrators of northeast Delhi violence are roaming free, it is our leaders who are being sent to jail and slapped with draconian laws," the JCC said.

The Jamia Coordination Committee demanded the release of all the activists arrested in connection with anti-CAA protests.

"We request all democratic forces to rise in protest to stop this illegal and revengeful police action and demand the arrest of real culprits behind northeast Delhi violence. We also reiterate that we will not yield to the intimidations of Delhi Police but will continue our fight against laws like CAA/NRC/NPR," the JCC said.

On December 15 last year, protesters torched four public buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with police in New Friends' Colony near Jamia Millia Islamia during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act, leaving at least 40 people including students, policemen and firefighters injured, officials had then said.

In order to look for the accused in the violence outside the campus, police had entered the varsity and allegedly baton-charged and attacked students studying inside the library.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Application of the industry of connected vehicles is speeding up in a variety of fields thanks to the development of advanced technology such as 5G and a series of beneficial policies.

A self-driving taxi in Changsha, Hunan province. (Photo/Chen Zhenhai)

Chinese mapping service provider AutoNavi has recently piloted an unmanned car-hailing project in Shanghai, which enables residents to order a self-driving taxi on the platform.

Unlike normal self-driving cars that can only park in fixed locations, the companys AutoX will pick up a passenger at a safe location based on the passengers starting point and route.

The car will also include a security person to ensure its safe operation and who will also give passengers information on the car during the journey, such as its speed.

Data from the think tank CCID suggests that the market scale of China's Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is expected to reach 115 billion yuan in 2021.

It is believed that the further application of 5G technology will allow IoV to develop in a faster and more stable way.

For example, 5G technology will allow vehicles to upgrade their automatic driving systems remotely and quickly, thus reducing possible security gaps, preventing accidents caused by system crashes and bringing the safety and reliability of the cars to a new level.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued a notice proposing that 5G be combined with the Internet of Vehicles, and the speeding up in formulating the standards of wireless communication technology for the IoV.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport has also rolled out technical specifications on the planning and construction of road ancillary facilities in order to better support automated driving.

A series of related standards are also being established, which will help to effectively control smart vehicles under demonstration and facilitate the trial operation of more vehicles in the future, insiders pointed out.
Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion is reopening Thursday for the first time since the popular Memphis, Tenessee tourist attraction was shut down on March 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The mansion is the second most visited home in the US after the White House, averaging about 500,000 to 700,000 domestic and international visitors annually.

Temperature checks will be required of everyone entering the 13.8-acre estate, purchased by the late 'King of Rock and Roll' in 1957, Graceland says.

Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion (pictured) is reopening Thursday for the first time since the popular Memphis, Tennessee tourist attraction was shut down on March 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak

The mansion is the second most visited home in the US after the White House, averaging about 500,000 to 700,000 visitors annually. Pictured are visitors lined up to visit Graceland before the coronavirus outbreak started in mid-March, forcing the mansion's closing

Staff will be required to wear face masks while visitors will be encouraged to don facial coverings.

However, visitors 'persistently coughing or sneezing,' will be required to wear a face mask during their visit, according to Graceland's COVID-19 protocols.

Restaurants at Graceland will reduce capacity to 50 per cent, under the attraction's COVID-19 safety measures.

Hand-sanitizing stations have been set up throughout Graceland, as well. The rules apply to all tours, restaurant and retail operations.

'We are helping Memphis and Tennessee to get back to some sense of normality,' said Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Graceland Holdings, in a statement.

Presley lived in the home until his death on Aug. 16, 1977. It has been operated as a museum since 1982. Presley's daughter Lisa Marie is the current owner of the attraction.

There have been 17,359 confirmed cases in Tennessee of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for almost 300 deaths.

Across the US there have been 1,536,993 cases and more than 90,000 deaths.

Presley lived in the home until his death on Aug. 16, 1977. It has been operated as a museum since 1982. Presley's daughter Lisa Marie is the current owner of the attraction. Lisa Marie (right) is pictured with her mother Priscilla during a Graceland event before its closing

Visitors come to Graceland every August for an 'Elvis Week' in honor of the singing legend. The commemorations typically include a candlelight vigil procession to Presley's grave site on the grounds.

Graceland also is so popular that the attraction added a $45million extension in recent years. The Graceland Guest House, unveiled by Presley's widow Priscilla in 2016, is a 450-room hotel that gives guests a chance to stay on the mansion grounds.

The mansion contributes a large portion to Presley's surviving estate. Presley, one of the highest-earning dead celebrities, earned $39 million last year, according to Forbes.
A general view of the atmosphere at the Pensacola Naval Air Station following a shooting in Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 6, 2019. (Josh Brasted/Getty Images)

Feds Find al-Qaeda Ties in Pensacola Shooting After Breaking Encryption on Gunmans Phones

Federal authorities said the Saudi military trainee who killed three people and wounded others at a U.S. naval base in a terror attack last year was in touch with a suspected al-Qaeda operative.

The association between the shooter and the terrorist group was uncovered from the shooters locked iPhones. The FBI made the discovery after the bureau successfully broke through the encryption of the shooters two phones over four months after the attack, Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray announced at a press conference on Monday.

The officials update comes about five months after the Dec. 6, 2019, shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida, which killed three U.S. sailors and wounded eight other Americans.

The gunman, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, opened fire at the naval base before he was fatally shot by police. Alshamrani was a flight student at Pensacola, where members of foreign militaries are routinely trained by the United States.

In January, Barr described the attack as an act of terrorism and had publicly pressured Apple to help the FBI access the contents of the two locked iPhones belonging to Alshamrani.

Following the shooting, investigators sought and received court orders to allow them to search the contents of Alshamranis iPhones. They approached Apple for assistance in early January when they were unable to break through the companys security features and had exhausted all readily available options.

Images of two Apple iPhones that the Pensacola naval base shooter, Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, tried to destroy are on display at a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington on Jan. 13, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

At the press conference on Monday, Barr said Apple declined to cooperate despite the calls for assistance by the Justice Department and President Donald Trump.

The trove of information found on these phones has proven to be invaluable to this ongoing investigation and critical to the security of the American people. However, if not for our FBIs ingenuity, some luck, and hours upon hours of time and resources, this information would have remained undiscovered, Barr said in a statement.

The phones contained previously unknown information that definitively established Alshamranis significant ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Authorities said the information showed that Alshamrani was radicalized before arriving in the United States for training in 2015 and had prepared for terror activities years ago.

While in connection with AQAP operatives, who he communicated with using end-to-end encrypted applications, Alshamrani joined the Royal Saudi Air Force in order to carry out a special operation, authorities said. A month before the Dec. 6, 2019, shooting, Alshamrani was communicating with overseas AQAP associates about plans and tactics and was communicating with the terrorist group up until the night before the shooting.

He was meticulous in his planning. He made pocket-cam videos as he cased his classroom building. He wrote a final will, purporting to explain himself, and saved it in his phonethe exact same will that AQAP released two months later when they initially claimed responsibility, Wray said during the press conference. He wasnt just coordinating with them about planning and tacticshe was helping the organization make the most it could out of his murders.

Side-by-side comparison of Pensacola shooter Mohammed Saeed al-Shamranis notes (left side) with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsulas original claim of responsibility. (FBI)

Wray said the information was important because it has allowed the bureau to use it in recent counterterrorism operations to protect the American people.

In just the short time since we finally accessed that evidence, we and our partners have already put it to good use, Wray said. Among other steps weve taken, just a moment ago you heard the attorney general describe the recent counterterrorism operation targeting Abdullah al-Maliki, one of the overseas AQAP operatives that Alshamrani associated with while here in the U.S.

Wray said the bureaus investigation is still ongoing.

We now have a picture of him we didnt have before we obtained this evidencebefore we could confirm that his connection to AQAP was real, before we could track his long and methodical path to violencea picture we would never had obtained without accessing his devices, he said.

In January, Barr and senior law enforcement officials said investigators had found evidence that Alshamrani was motivated by jihadist ideology, including a social media message posted on Sept. 11 2019, stating, The countdown has begun, and other anti-American, anti-Israel, and jihadi messages on social media, as recent as two hours before his attack.

During the press conference, the attorney general criticized Apple for their refusal to assist investigators in breaking the encryption on Alshamranis phone.

I must  express my great disappointment that it took over four months and large sums of taxpayer dollars to obtain evidence that should be easily and quickly accessible with a court order, Barr said.

In cases like this, where the user is a terrorist, or in other cases, where the user is a violent criminal, human trafficker, or child predator, Apples decision has dangerous consequences for public safety and national security and is, in my judgment, unacceptable, he added.

The Epoch Times reached out to Apple for a comment.
Lucknow, May 18 : The UP Congress, here on Monday, claimed to have submitted the list of 1,000 buses to the Yogi Adityanath government.

While UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu was holding a press meet to make the announcement, the state government released the letter sent to Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accepting her offer of running 1,000 buses for migrant workers.

The letter sent by Additional Chief Secretary (home) Avanish Awasthi is dated May 18.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had slammed the Congress for not submitting the list of buses and playing 'petty politics' on the migrant workers' issue.
'The Price is Right' donates $97K to Planned Parenthood on behalf of drag queen Ru Paul

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America's longest-running game show donated nearly $100,000 to the largest abortion provider in the nation in a recent episode featuring drag queen RuPaul.

In a May 11 primetime special of the "The Price is Right," during the final showcase showdown  which occurs at the end of every program  contestants won $97,266 in both cash and prizes. The show made a matching contribution to Planned Parenthood, the charity of RuPaul's choice.

Planned Parenthood's 2018-2019 annual report shows that the group performed 345,672 abortions procedures in 2018, the highest number in recent years, an approximately 4% increase from 2017. The business also does not provide services to pregnant women.

Viewers and fans of the show took to social media to voice their outrage over giving a donation to Planned Parenthood.

"The Price Is Right does a primetime show to raise money for charity and gives it to Planned Parenthood??? I was a lifelong fan, but not anymore," one commenter wrote on Twitter.

"Everything about this is wrong," tweeted the Daily Wire's Michael Knowles.

Pro-life news site Live Action, which has long advocated for government dollars to be withdrawn from the abortion giant, called the move "despicable" and noted that Planned Parenthood performs approximately 40% of all abortions in the United States and has approximately $2 billion in assets yet continues to receive millions of dollars in taxpayer funds each year. In 2018, Planned Parenthood performed over 345,000 abortions nationwide.

"Planned Parenthood is so dedicated to selling abortion to women that even during the biggest health crisis the United States has faced in a century, some of its facilities chose to cancel all health services, instead only offering abortion. As COVID-19 shut down all non-essential surgeries, Planned Parenthood fought to continue to commit abortions  a 'choice'  putting women at risk of not only abortion complications, but exposure to the virus," Live Action added.

RuPaul "coming on down" to play for Planned Parenthood on @PriceIsRight is what we NEED right now! Thank you, @RuPaul ????



Catch the episode on @CBS tonight at 8pmEST. pic.twitter.com/ukXQA1Oehp  Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) May 11, 2020

This is not RuPaul's first time to publicly supported the abortion business.

Women in our culture have been so marginalized and so really beaten down, he said in a 2017 interview with Marie Claire magazine. We live in a masculine-dominated culture. How dare some man tell a woman what to do with her body. That is outrageous! Outrageous. As a human, that is a big issue for me that really strikes a chord.

Planned Parenthood experienced notable internal conflicts last year as their former president, Dr. Leana Wen, was ousted after a brief eight-month tenure at the helm over disagreements about the direction of the business. While Wen had sought to rebrand the organization as a health care provider, the board saw her as insufficiently political as it pertained to abortion despite her stated support for its mission.

Disputes between Wen and Planned Parenthood over the terms of her severance package went public, particularly in matters concerning what she would be allowed to say about her time as Planned Parenthood's president. Wen now holds a position at George Washington University Medical School as an adjunct associate professor of emergency medicine.
Muzaffarnagar : , May 18 (IANS) Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family have been quarantined in his house in Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district. He says he and his family have been following the guidelines issued by the state government.

"Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother, who is 71 years old, got anxiety attack twice. We have followed all the guidelines issued by the state government. We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana. Please #StaySafe #StayHome," he tweeted on Monday.

The actor and his family underwent medical screening and have tested negative for coronavirus.

The actor reached his home on May 15 after taking a travel pass. He and his family have been asked to remain in home quarantine till May 25.

His mother, brother and sister-in-law also made the journey with him in his private vehicle.

The actor told reporters that he underwent medical screening at 25 points during his journey.

Kushalpal Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Budhana police circle, said that health officials had visited the actor's house and told them to be under home quarantine for 14 days.
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A grieving father who lost his wife and daughter in a tragic accident has said the focus is now on his surviving child.

Clare and Bethany Smyth died in the tragedy near their family farm in Co Antrim last Tuesday.

After their funeral yesterday Ryan Smyth said he was touched by the communitys support.

The husband and father said: We very much appreciate all your thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time, and the way that so many people, our neighbours and friends and those we dont even know, paid their respects along the route and outside the church today.

He added: Due to the sensitive nature of what has happened to my family, at this time and with regards Hannahs ongoing hospital stay, our focus will be on her.

As I am sure you can understand, privacy at this very difficult time would be very much appreciated.

Mrs Smyth (35) and Bethany died after the quad bike they were travelling on was in collision with a tractor last Tuesday outside their farm on the Whitepark Road.

Five-year-old Hannah, who was also on the quad bike, was seriously injured, but is making small but significant steps at Belfasts Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children.

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Yesterday there were poignant scenes at the funeral service for the mother and daughter at Ballycastle Presbyterian Church. In line with restrictions, 10 mourners were allowed inside the church, but many others gathered outside for the service led by the Rev John Stanbridge.

Following the processional music Be Thou My Vision, the Rev Stanbridge told the mourners that the Smyth family carried with them into the church every Sunday joy and happiness, purity and love in abundance. In his eulogy, Rev Stanbridge said: We bring you our thanks for Clare and Bethany, for the people they have been, and still are in your presence, for all they have meant to us in so many ways.

We thank you for the warmth of their love, their combined enthusiasm and zest for life, their courage and cheerfulness, their talents and their abilities and inabilities to challenge and cheer us and teach us to love more dearly.

The minister delivered his personal thoughts on the Smyth family, saying he had known them for eight years.

Among his fondest recollections, he said, was watching the two girls dancing with no inhibition at the front of the church.

As the Smyth family joined us each week for worship, we as church family marvelled at this familys love for one another, their love for God and wondered what would surprise us as the girls would come to the front for the childrens address, Rev Stanbridge added.

Hannah so loved her wee sister, as did Clare and Ryan, and yet there was something about the way she expressed it and told everyone about Jesus.

Bethany in fact left me lost for words one Sunday, when I asked her a question, and that was it, I couldnt get Bethany to stop telling me her very long story, until I introduced the Childrens song.

He added: And what about the dancing, the two girls dancing with no inhibition at the front of the church where I stand now and singing along with rest of us at the same time.

At times I could see Clares anxiety when Bethany would come to the front but not for long, they always brought a smile to our faces, sometimes laughter, often stunned us with depth of their knowledge of God word at such a tender age.

During the service of thanksgiving those attending sang My God Is A Great Big God, Bethanys favourite worship song, and The Lords My Shepherd, Clares favourite.

Burial took place in the adjoining graveyard.
An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2020 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam....
Like many performers, Russell Kane has had to postpone his current tour, which has affected his income

Like many performers, comedian Russell Kane had to postpone the remainder of his tour when lockdown hit. While he says hes OK financially at the moment, it could have been a very different story.

Russell, who was speaking on White Wine Question Time, said if the pandemic had hit last year, things could have been very different for him and his family.

I'm lucky in that the bulk of my tour was last year, so my tours just paid out, he told podcast host Kate Thornton. I'm very, very lucky. I've got no worries. If it had been last year

READ MORE: UK vacancies plummet by 50% as firms freeze hiring

This is what people don't understand, they think, 'Oh, you're on stage or on the telly, you've got no worries' but actually, you know, once money runs out, it runs out.

Russell went on to explain that many people who work in show business are registered as Limited Companies and unfortunately, this is the one sector of the economy that the Government hasnt provided for.

Directors of limited companies aren't getting, at the moment, any help at all, he said. I'm one of the lucky ones and I'm not moaning about my position

But there will be many, many, many people like me  one-man-band limited companies  who might be earning anything from 20 to 50 grand a year. Their moneys stop dead. There'll be in trouble very, very quickly.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Four tips to survive 2020 as a small business owner

Russell, who also presents his own podcast Evil Genius, joked the pandemic had made him realise just how insignificant being a stand-up really is.

I am one of the least key workers, he laughed. It's like you really do realise how key you are when everything stops. I mean, if tomorrow every pub, every nightclub, every business reopened, but just stand up stopped, it really wouldn't matter.

He continued: I think it's dawning on a lot of comics  we've all been banned from Timpsons forever because we're so un-key!

Despite being financially OK at the moment, Russell said hed still taken a massive hit on the dates he had to cancel.

Story continues

It's not just the lost income, it is the cost as well, he explained. I dont mean to be coarse and talk about money, but we're talking hundreds of thousands of pounds just gone straight down the drain, because touring is my main income. Nothing's insured, all the money I laid out on accommodation, on tour cars  the list goes on and on.

The lockdown has not only had an effect on his income, but with performers like him cancelling their tours, its also negatively impacted venues across the UK.

Russell said that one venue he played in Bromsgrove last year, has already gone under  and he expected there to be more to follow.

The comedian, whose remaining tour dates have been postponed until later this year, said: A lot of the theatres around the country Not only do they not have any working capital, so they're going to start sinking one by one, but a lot of them are staffed by volunteers who love their work. Great. But guess what age most volunteers are? They're 70 plus.

READ MORE: Jason Manford agrees to work at Iceland for charity after Tesco rejection

If you think a 70-year-old is going to be rushing back to rooms full of a thousand people coughing, youve got another thing coming. Were going to have a staffing issue as well come September and October  who is going to work in these theatres?

Russell, who has taken his comedy to Instagram to fill my days with something, said he doesnt want people to think hes moaning about his finances, as he originally comes from a very poor family.

What he does want though, is for people to start showing each other a little bit of kindness.

READ MORE: Prince Charles makes donation to charity tackling pandemic in conflict zones

I'm not moaning about my situation, he told Kate. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't matter whether you're Prince Charles or someone struggling on the Princes Trust: everyone has their own fears and challenges and worries and anything can hit anyone at any time, at any level.

He continued: I was friends with Caroline Flack for Christ's sake  not everyone has everything you think they have  so it's a time to just show compassion to everyone.

Hear Russell Kane talk about parenting a four-year-old during lockdown and why he loves working with The Princes Trust on this weeks episode of White Wine Question Time. Listen on iTunes and Spotify.
As a city, we have slipped, compared to where we were in the middle of April, for sure, and I am concerned about that, because we want to get to the next phase," Arwady said. "We want to reopen as soon as possible, and the best way we do that is to not have more opportunities for infection. And that means having people try to hang in there with us through May.
"We all need to start thinking about mental and behavioral health in a new way," said Charles Cathlin, a former Air Force officer who retired from the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). "It's not as if there's just something 'off' in your head -- there's a biological mechanism at work and there's a real function that can be identified and addressed."

Cathlin is one of the co-founders of TruGenomix, a company developing technology to identify genomic markers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Based on decades of research, the team behind TruGenomix has created a way to tell who might be more susceptible to the effects of emotional trauma, before they experience the trauma.

"You can't just go around telling people it's all in their head," Cathlin said. "We have to get the word out that science and technology is at the point where we can make a difference in these areas.

"There are genetic markers connected to the HPA [hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal] axis, which essentially regulates your fight-or-flight response, which is a natural protective mechanism for everybody," he explained. "What the research shows is that certain people who enter the fight-or-flight mode cannot turn that off.

"So that mechanism kicks in when they're in danger, but you're supposed to normalize over time," he added. "Certain people don't normalize, and they then experience that trauma over and over again -- and that's when it becomes PTSD."

Cathlin spent years working in the Public Health Service, with 23 total years in uniform. One of his specialty research areas was the effectiveness of military psychological health programs, which he studied as part of a master's degree program in public health in 2009 at Uniformed Services University.

Charles Cathlin in the Public Health Service, one of 8 Uniformed Services of the United States.

"I started doing research on how ineffective these programs were at the time; that's what got me started," he said, referring to TruGenomix. "It was clear that the way we identify mental health problems is broken but, back then, I didn't have the solution yet."

Cathlin's search on PTSD goes back much further.

While deployed to New York City in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, he watched firefighters, police officers and EMTs at work. He watched them struggle to keep up their work after 110 stories of concrete and steel had just fallen on their friends, family and neighbors.

As an engineering officer with the Public Health Service, he had to identify any environmental and physical hazards in the work they were doing. "Very quickly, we would discover the smoke and ash from the rubble would kill so many before their time," he said. "There was another killer in that environment -- trauma.

"I felt powerless, they felt powerless, and that feeling affected their response," Cathlin said. "The mental effect of that day was severe. The trauma of the community of the first responders is hard to imagine."

Cathlin was a young lieutenant on Sept. 11, 2001, but this wasn't his first deployment. He had just transferred to the PHS from the Air Force and had already deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch, the NATO intervention in Albania and elsewhere.

He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1995 as a bioenvironmental engineering officer, preparing airmen for industrial and occupational health, as well as nuclear, biological and chemical environments.

He never prepared for anything like Ground Zero in New York. Watching those first responders was how Cathlin first got interested in mental and behavioral trauma. He would use every bit of his life experience to help those affected, and that experience would culminate in TruGenomix.

While there are many treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, and many work as prescribed, identifying PTSD is something entirely different. Anyone can be exposed to trauma, Cathlin said, but it becomes a disease when it's not identified early enough.

"Right now, the gold standard for identifying PTSD is a survey, where you rely on service members to self-identify," he explained. "But we know many are hesitant to reveal that they're struggling, for many reasons. Even doctor observation isn't entirely reliable. What we're doing is identifying people earlier upstream."

Cathlin co-founded TruGenomix in 2017 and soon retired from the PHS, but his wealth of experience in uniform was instrumental in helping him put the disparate pieces together.

Charles Cathlin, co-founder of biotech startup TruGenomix and an Air Force veteran. (Courtesy of Charles Cathlin)

He spent 10 years reviewing medical devices at the Food and Drug Administration, and served as Chief of Staff of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center prior to retirement in 2018. He also studied technology commercialization at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and entrepreneurship at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Cathlin believes the best way to create sustainable solutions for scientific problems is through business. "Once I understood the problem, I could use business as a mechanism to create a wider solution," he said.

While studying for his master's degree, he began looking for biological markers for PTSD. While he could not find the markers on his own, an introduction to Dr. Rachel Yehuda at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Dr. Florian Holsboer of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry would set the course for TruGenomix. Dr. Yehuda and Dr. Holsboer had discovered the biomarkers through researching Holocaust survivors and their descendants. TruGenomix licensed those biomarkers and developed their blood test for assessing PTSD risk.

When Dr. Yehuda and Dr. Holsboer shared their work with Cathlin, he was ready; he had already done the market research. He knew behavioral and mental health is a very much underserved issue in the United States -- especially for the military-veteran community.

"Now we can look at someone's genetics to identify the dysregulation associated with a greater susceptibility to PTSD," he said. "Then you can provide that person with resources to prevent chronic symptoms of PTSD, and a more informed treatment strategy based on science, not a subjective survey."

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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Francis celebrates mass in the chapel of St. Peter's Basilica where Pope Wojtyla's tomb is on the 100th anniversary of his birth (May 18, 1920). "Let us pray to him today that he give us all, especially the pastors of the Church to all, the grace of prayer, the grace of proximity and the grace of justice-mercy, mercy-justice".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - John Paul II was a man of prayer, of closeness, of justice. Pope Francis said it today in the homily of the mass he celebrated in the chapel of St. Peter's Basilica where Pope Wojtyla's tomb is on the 100th anniversary of his birth (May 18, 1920).

Francis indicated three "traces" of the good shepherd that are in Saint John Paul II: "prayer, proximity to the people, and love for justice. St. John Paul II was a man of God because he prayed and prayed a lot despite the hard work he had to guide the Church."

He knew well that the first task of a bishop is to pray" and "he knew it, he did it. [He was the ] model of bishop who prays, the first task. And he taught us that when a bishop carries out an examination of conscience in the evening he must ask himself: how many hours have I prayed today? [He was a ] man of prayer".

Secondly, he was a man of proximity. He was not detached from the people, on the contrary he went out to find the people and traveled the whole world, finding his people, looking for his people, getting close. And closeness is one of the traits of God with His people. Remember what the Lord says to the people of Israel: 'Look, what people have had their gods as close as I am to you?' A closeness of God to the people which then is becomes even closer in Jesus, becomes stronger in Jesus. A shepherd who is not close to his people, is not a shepherd, he is a hierarch, he is an administrator, perhaps good but not a shepherd. Proximity to the people. And Saint John Paul II gave us the example of this closeness: he made himself close to elderly and the little ones, to the near and far, always close. "

"Thirdly, love for justice. But full justice! A man who wanted justice, social justice, justice of peoples, justice that drives wars away. But full justice! This is why Saint John Paul II was the man of mercy because justice and mercy go together, they cannot be distinguished, they go together: justice is justice, mercy is mercy, but one is not found without the other. And speaking of the man of justice and mercy, let us think of what St. John Paul II did to make people understand the mercy of God. Let us think of his devotion to St. Faustina ", whose liturgical memory is now extended to the whole the church. He felt that God's justice bore a face of mercy, an attitude of mercy. He left us this gift : justice-mercy and right mercy .

"Let us pray today that he give us all, especially the pastors of the Church but to all, the grace of prayer, the grace of closeness and the grace of justice-mercy, mercy-justice".

At the end of the Mass, Francis prayed to God to stir up in us "the flame of charity which incessantly fed the life of Saint John Paul II" and "pushed him to consume himself" for the Church.

Among the concelebrants, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of the Pope for Vatican City and archpriest of the Vatican Basilica, Polish cardinal Konrad Krajewski, apostolic almsgiver, Msgr. Piero Marini, master of liturgical celebrations for 18 years during the pontificate of John Paul II, and Polish archbishop Jan Romeo Pawowski, head of the third section of the Secretariat of State which deals with the diplomatic staff of the Holy See.

Today was the last of the morning masses celebrated in live streaming by Francis from 9 March following the suspension of the celebrations with the participation of the people due to the pandemic.
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Europe Pure Nicotine Industry Overview:

Increase in demand for the Pure Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products is influencing the growth of Pure Nicotine Industry. Industry Research Future, a firm which specializes in Industry reports related to the Food, Beverages & Nutrition sector among others, recently forecasted in its report on Europe Pure Nicotine Industry Research Report- Forecast to 2022 that the Industry will demonstrate an exceptional CAGR of 5.83% during the forecast period.

Pure nicotine is a colorless liquid with a characteristic acrimonious odor. It is a colorless liquid that turns brown and smells like tobacco when exposed to air. It is the purest and freshest nicotine solution available in the Industry that is derived from the finest, pesticide-free tobacco leaves. It is naturally sourced, filtrated, extracted, separated and distilled to amass a true and clean nicotine produce.

The Europe pure nicotine Industry has witnessed continued demand during the last few years and is projected to reach 5.521 Kilo tons at a CAGR of 5.83% by 2022. Increase in demand for the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products will drive the higher demand for the pure nicotine in the coming years. Increase in demand across various applications including e-liquid, smoking cessation products, bio pesticides and other industrial purposes is driving higher demand for pure nicotine.

Europe pure nicotine Industry, based on application, is segmented into e-liquid, smoking cessation products, pharmaceuticals, bio-pesticide and others E-liquid dominated and having more than 50% Industry share in the year 2017 and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR at 5.85% during the forecast period followed by smoking cessation products with Industry share more than 25% and growing at CAGR of 5.8% for the corresponding period. The innovations in pure nicotine products and process prime objectives include achieving reductions in cigarette consumption by providing various product forms, flavors, and packaging styles is supporting the Industry growth.

Europe Pure Nicotine Industry Updates:

Dec 2017 Biohit Oyj and R-kioski Oy have signed an agreement for the distribution of the smoking cessation product, Acetium lozenge in Finland. The contract is a non-exclusive distribution agreement. The new Acetium lozenge is an effective and safe product that helps quit smoking without nicotine.

Nov 2017 The Food and Drug Administration is taking new steps to encourage the development of innovative nicotine-replacement therapies to wean smokers off conventional cigarettes.

March 2015 MOLIQ launched 20 delicious liquids available in 10ml plastic bottles and five nicotine strengths including 0mg, 6mg, 9mg, 12mg and 18mg.

Nov 2014 Chemnovatic launched new website where one can find all VAPY and VAPY Complex flavors as well as Nic Shot nicotine shots.

Browse Full Report @ https://www.Industryresearchfuture.com/reports/europe-pure-nicotine-Industry-2476

Europe Pure Nicotine Industry Competitive Analysis:

With the entry of industry players in the Pure Nicotine segment, a trend of solid, volume-driven growth has been observed in the Industry with the development of different varieties of product types. With companies aiming to capture a considerable share of the Industry segment as early as possible, they are competing and experimenting with various advantage points. Acquisitions and partnership with small companies are other strategic movements made by the key players. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies.

The key players profiled in Pure Nicotine are as Chemnovatic (Poland), Contraf Nicotex Tobacco GmbH (Germany), Nicobrand Limited (Ireland), Purenic (BGP Europe AG) (Basel)
Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement granting Mashreq Bank the naming rights of the ex-Sharaf DG Metro Station. With this, the new name of the station has become Mashreq Metro Station.

The strategic location is near many of the banks customers and will enable Dubai Metros travellers to complete their transactions directly at the station, stated the RTA in its statement.

The agreement was signed by Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younes, CEO of RTA Rail Agency, and Subroto Som, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking Group of Mashreq Bank.

In a related development, Hassan Al-Mutawa, Director of Rail Operation at RTAs Rail Agency, revealed that RTA would rename two Dubai Metro stations namely Palm Deira and Nakheel Harbour and Tower which will become: Gold Souq and Jebel Ali, respectively.

RTA has mapped out a plan for finalising the renaming of the said three metro stations by June 2, added Al Mutawa.

Mashreq Station is an elevated station with an air theme. It spans 6,638 sq m in area and extends 138.28 m in length. It can accommodate 14,244 riders during peak hours, and a daily capacity to handle 256,392 riders.

Jebel Ali Station, a transfer station between the Red Line and Route 2020 has a water theme and covers an area of 8,800 sq m with 150 m in length. It has a capacity of 16,964 riders during peak hours and a daily ridership of 320,000 riders.

Gold Souq station is an underground station with a water-themed design over an area of 20,420 sq m and a length of 145.10 m. It can handle 26,416 riders during peak hours and a daily capacity of 475,488 riders.-TradeArabia News Service
Sukhoi Su-57, Russia's 5th Generation single-seat twin-engine supersonic stealth fighter, is the most advanced combat aircraft with the Russian Aerospace Force. The fighter's name Su-57 reveals its manufacturer, 5th Generation status along with some luck attached to it, reported Sputniknews.com.

According to United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the Russian aerospace and defence corporation of which Sukhoi Company is a part of, the 5th Generation's fighter's name had a simple logic behind it. The Su stands for Sukhoi, 5 reveals that the aircraft belongs to the 5th Generation stealth fighters while Sukhoi Design Bureau considers 7 lucky.

So when it came to the formal name of the aircraft, Su-57 was an easy choice. Russian Aerospace Force started receiving the first fully ready and armed Su-57 in late 2019 after placing an order for 76 jets.

The United States of America-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has codenamed the Su-57 as 'Felon'.

According to Russian defence officials, the Su-57 can take off as well as land on very short runways. The jet is capable of annihilating targets on land, in air and in the sea.

Former Russian Aerospace Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Viktor Bondarev had in August 2017 disclosed that the then under-development 5th Generation fighter had been named Su-57. "The decision has been made and the plane has got its name like a child after birth. Su-57 is how we now call it," Russian news channel Zvezda TV had quoted him as saying.

During the development phase, the Su-57 was called Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA (Perspective Aviation Complex of Frontline Aviation). The jet first took to the skies in 2010.

Initially, India was part of the development process of T-50 PAK FA but later pulled out of the programme following concerns over the huge cost and technical parameters of the then proposed combat aircraft.

The Russian jet is in direct contest with the United States of America's 5th Generation combat jets - F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Keen to land some export orders, Russia unveiled the export version of the fighter called Su-57E during the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019 near Moscow in August 2019.
The family of the slain black EMT whose fatal shooting by police during a botched drug raid in March has sparked national outrage says that Louisville cops obtained the warrant based on false information that investigators gave to the judge.

Attorneys for the family of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor filed a lawsuit against Louisville Metro Police Department alleging that a detective falsely claimed that a drug suspect was receiving postal packages at her house.

In the early morning hours of March 13, Louisville police executed a no-knock raid on her home as part of an investigation centered on two men suspected of selling drugs in the Russell section of the city.

The search warrant used to justify the police raid which left Breonna Taylor (left), 26, dead on March 13 claimed that Taylor's home was used by a suspected drug dealer, Jamarcus Glover (right), to receive suspicious packages. The family says this claim is false and is suing police

Taylor was in bed in her home that night with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. According to the family, Walker, who was licensed to carry a firearm, fired his gun thinking that the couple was being burglarized. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has called for an outside review into the killing of Taylor, who was shot eight times on March 13 by police

Taylors apartment in southwest Jefferson County was more than 10 miles away from the Russell neighborhood, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

Police suspected Taylors home was used to receive drugs, and a judge signed off on a no-knock warrant allowing law enforcement officials to raid her home.

Just before 1am, Louisville police said they identified themselves before using a battering ram to enter Taylors home, where she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed.

Taylors neighbors and her family dispute this. They said police never identified themselves, and that Walker, who was legally allowed to carry a firearm, shot at the cops thinking that he was being robbed.

Police responded with gunfire, killing Taylor, who suffered eight gunshot wounds.

Walker was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer after Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid.

Mattingly, Officer Brett Hankison, and Officer Myles Cosgrove were the three detectives who raided Taylor's home.

Officers fired at least 20 rounds during the raid. The above image shows a bullet hole piercing what appears to be a piece of furniture in Taylor's home

A bullet hole is seen in a glass window at Taylor's apartment in southwest Jefferson County

One of the bullets penetrated a box of cereal in Taylor's home on March 13

Hankison is named in a separate federal lawsuit filed by a Louisville resident, Kendrick Wilson, who alleges that the officer harassed suspects with unnecessary arrests and even planted drugs, according to the Courier Journal.

All three officers are named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by Taylor's family.

Taylor had no criminal record and worked for two local hospitals. The lawsuit alleges that police fired at least 20 rounds into the home.

The warrant which was approved by a judge the day before Taylor died was based on a detectives belief that one of the drug suspects in Russell, Jamarcus Glover, used Taylors residence to receive mail, keep drugs, or stash money from the sale of drugs.

Glover was arrested in a separate raid that same night more than 10 miles away from Taylors home.

A Louisville detective wrote in an affidavit that he saw Glover leave Taylors apartment two months before the raid with a United States Postal Service package which he then transported to a known drug house, according to the Courier Journal.

The three officers in the case - Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly (left) and Officers Brett Hankison (center) and Myles Cosgrove (right) - have not been charged in the shooting and have been placed on administrative leave

The detective wrote that he verified the information through a US Postal Inspector.

But the inspector, Tony Gooden, told WDRB-TV that he was never asked by the Louisville Metro Police about any suspicious packages being sent to Taylors apartment.

Gooden said a different law enforcement agency asked his office in January to investigate whether any suspicious mail was going to Taylors resident.

After looking into the request, Gooden said his office found there was nothing suspicious linked to Taylors home.

There's no packages of interest going there, Gooden said.

Benjamin Crump, a Florida-based lawyer who specializes in high-profile cases involving police shootings of African Americans, said that Goodens statement directly contradicts what the police stated in the affidavit to secure a no-knock warrant for her home.

Crump is now part of a team of lawyers representing Taylors family.

Gooden further stated that no packages of interest were going there, Crump said.

We will continue to demand transparency from the Louisville police on behalf of Breonna's family.

Taylor's death sparked outraged nationwide. Her family is suing Louisville and its police department for wrongful death

DailyMail.com has reached out to Crump and the LMPD for comment.

No-knock warrants are a controversial practice that allows law enforcement officials to raid a suspects home without identifying themselves or notifying the suspect beforehand.

Supporters of the practice say that it prevents suspects from destroying evidence during the time that authorities use to identify themselves.

But opponents say that it poses various dangers.

Houston police stopped the practice of no-knock raids last year after two civilians were killed and four officers were shot during a drug raid that was launched based on faulty information.

No-knock raids have resulted in officers being shot because residents who are legally permitted to carry firearms believed they were being burglarized.

Several states, including Kentucky, have stand your ground laws that allow the use of lethal force in case they fell victim to crimes such as assault, rape, and burglary.

Louisville's top cop and mayor urge DOJ and FBI to investigate deadly police shooting of black EMT

Louisville officials have now asked the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI to review the police department's internal investigation of the killing of Taylor.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad announced their request for additional federal help on Thursday.

They said the results would be forwarded along with the findings of the police integrity unit to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also called for an outside review into the killing of Taylor.

The death of the 26-year-old emergency medical technician sparked a national uproar and calls for federal intervention.

'My priority is always that the truth comes out,' the mayor said. 'We can be transparent with the people of our city. And we can and we must also talk about the relationship between our police and our communities of color: past, present and future.'

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer (left) and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad announced their request for additional federal help on Thursday. They said the results would be forwarded to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron

The police review is going to the state's attorney general since the county's prosecutor, Thomas Wine, recused himself from the case, a statement by the mayor's office said.

Wine also asked state officials to appoint a special prosecutor for the case on Wednesday to avoid a conflict of interest since he is prosecuting Taylor's boyfriend, Walker, for the shooting of the officer.

A lawyer for Walker said he fired in self-defense because the officers did not announce themselves, a point disputed by Louisville police.

'One reason the news of this case hits people so hard is because it reopens old wounds - the history of racism and the mistreatment of people of color in our community,' said Fischer.

Kendall Boyd, the director of the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission, said city officials have put together an initiative, the Synergy Project, to have constructive dialogues about the 'strained' and 'broken' historical relationship between police and communities of color.

'Everybody gets to say their truth,' Boyd said.

Mayor Fischer said in a statement Tuesday: 'Police work can involve incredibly difficult situations. Additionally, residents have rights. These two concepts will and must be weighed by our justice system as the case proceeds.'

Senator Kamala Harris blasted the lack of an independent investigation into the officers' conduct as an injustice.

'When you look at Breonna Taylor. A woman who was 26, an EMT, and this one woman had a dream of becoming a nurse. And shes sitting in her apartment when shes killed by police who were at the wrong place serving a warrant. There should be an investigation. Thats not justice,' Harris said Wednesday on NBC News.

An online petition called #StandWithBre seeking to arrest and charge the police officers involved in the shooting, terminate them, and pursue charges has gained over 171,000 signatures.

Taylors heartbroken family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in April in Jefferson Circuit Court.

Taylor 'had posed no threat to the officers and did nothing to deserve to die at their hands', the lawsuit says.

'More than 25 bullets hit objects in the homes living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, both bedrooms in Taylor and Walker's apartment and into the adjacent home, where a five-year-old child and pregnant mother lived,' the lawsuit states.

The case emerged in the national spotlight when Taylor's family hired Crump, the prominent civil rights lawyer who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery, the black jogger who was shot dead in Georgia in February.

On Wednesday Crump called Taylor's death an execution.

'You can't walk while black. With Ahmaud, you can't jog while black. Driving while black. But Breonna Taylor was sleeping while black in the sanctity of her own home,' Crump said during a news conference.
WASHINGTON  Top congressional Democrats opened an inquiry Saturday into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's ouster of a government watchdog and accused Pompeo of trying to shield himself from an internal investigation.

In a joint letter, Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on the White House and the State Department to "preserve all records related to the firing" of Inspector General Steve Linick.

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 two lawmakers said Saturday in a series of letters demanding documents related to Linick's firing.

"Reports indicate that Secretary Pompeo personally made the recommendation to fire Mr. Linick," Engel and Menendez said, "and it is our understanding that he did so because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself."

A senior State Department official said Pompeos move to fire the agencys top watchdog blindsided everybody and smacks of political retaliation.

Pompeo: State Department watchdog critical of Trump moves fired

The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, confirmed the inspector general, Linick, was investigating Pompeos use of State Department staff to run personal errands for himself and his wife.

If Secretary Pompeo is involved in firing his IG  who is heading up that investigation  then that is definitely retaliatory, the person said. Someone obviously has something to hide that they don't want the IG to find out about.

The State Department press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations that Linick's ouster was a move to shield Pompeo from an internal inquiry and an act of political retaliation.

Story continues

On Friday, the State Department said an ally of Vice President Mike Pence would take over Linick's role at the helm of the IG's office.

The White House is required to give Congress 30 days notice before removing an inspector general, which President Donald Trump did Friday in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at about 8:30 p.m.

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

"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," Trump wrote.

A State Department official declined to say why Linick was fired.

But Democrats said it was part of a broader pattern of purges the White House has undertaken to remove government watchdogs charged with ferreting out malfeasance and corruption.

Other ousted IGs: The Trump administration has recently removed 4 inspectors general. Here are the ousted watchdogs

The Presidents late-night, weekend firing of the State Department Inspector General has accelerated his dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people," Pelosi said in a statement Friday night.

Linick was fired "for honorably performing his duty," she added.

The senior State Department official said that based on his interactions with Linick, the IG is a by-the-book investigator with no political agenda.

"The guy has never picked sides politically. He's just a straight shooter when it comes to doing his job for the taxpayer," the person said.

He said Pompeo knew about the IG's investigation into his use of State Department staff for personal purposes because some of his top aides had turned over documents to the IG's office as part of the inquiry.

CNN reported last year that House Democrats were looking into allegations from a State Department whistleblower who said Pompeo was using his taxpayer-funded security staff to run errands, such as picking up the family dog from a groomer and fetching carryout food.

The State Department official noted that Linick was also involved in the Ukraine controversy, albeit tangentially. After Democrats opened their investigation into Trump's dealings with Ukraine's president, Linick made a high-profile trip to Capitol Hill to brief congressional aides on a dossier the State Department had received related to Ukraine.

Latest on coronavirus stimulus: House passes $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus plan, faces pushback in Republican-led Senate/

The packet contained debunked allegations and political smears targeting former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who Trump ousted after his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, complained about her. Giuliani later admitted that he was the source of the dossier.

"If you look at the recent firings, most of them have to do with those who were involved with Ukraine and Giuliani," the State Department official said. "Theres still things going on with respect to some of that."

After the Senate voted to acquit Trump on the House impeachment charges, Trump fired or reassigned a number of individuals who had cooperated with the congressional investigation  including his ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert who worked on the National Security Council.

Last month, Trump fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community who informed congressional leaders about the whistleblower complaint that led to Trumps impeachment.

And earlier this month, Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department, a move that stripped Fine of his post as chairman of a special committee charged with overseeing the roughly $2 trillion stimulus law to mitigate economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

'A loaded gun': Wet markets, wildlife trafficking pose threat for the next pandemic

Ethics experts have blasted Trump's spate of firings, particularly of government watchdogs charged with ensuring taxpayer funds are not misused.

"The assault on the IG's is late-stage corruption," Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, tweeted Friday night after the news of Linick.

"Trump's kicking down one of the last bulwarks that stand between us and the burgeoning corruption-driven authoritarianism," said Shaub, who resigned after clashing with Trump over the president's refusal to divest from his business holdings, among other issues.

The senior State Department official expressed concern that the Trump administration was working to eviscerate all government oversight.

"If this kind of thing keeps on going and Congress allows it to continue in this manner, there will be nobody that will be able to hold anybody accountable for wrongdoing in federal agencies," he said. "The IGs will have no leverage."

Engel and Menedez called on the Trump administration to turn over all documents related to the "termination, removal, or replacement of Inspector General Linick" by May 22. They also asked for any and all records of pending IG investigations as of May 15, including emails, text messages and other documents.

The State Department announced Friday that Stephen J. Akard, a one-time aide to then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, would replace Linick as the agency's inspector general.

Akard has served in other State Department roles, including as a political officer at the U.S. embassy in Brussels. He worked as an economic adviser for Pence, when the now-vice president was Indiana's chief executive.

More: Trump replaces watchdog who was overseeing $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus spending

More: Trump fires watchdog who handled Ukraine complaint

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pompeo's firing of inspector general Steve Linick sparks investigation
LOS ANGELESIn the lead-up to the Federal Communications Commissions net neutrality repeal vote in 2017, a government website designed to gather public input on the proposal was flooded with about 2 million fake comments, mostly supporting the repeal proposal. News outlets have been attempting ever since to figure out exactly how the bogus comments were able to dominate the FCCs public comment system.

Now, a new study by a Harvard University technology researcher has found that creating automated, phony comments to manipulate debate on government sites is not especially difficult. In fact, Harvard student Max Weiss discovered, comments created by his bot  an automated program  were virtually indistinguishable from comments written and posted by actual human beings.

Weisss bot created comments that were posted on a federal website on which the public was invited to discuss a proposed reform to the national health care system, Medicaid. The student posted 1,001 bot-generated deepfake comments, stopping when his fake comments made up more than half of all comments on the system (he then removed the fake comments).

When humans were asked to classify a subset of the deepfake comments as human or bot submissions, the results were no better than would have been gotten by random guessing, Weiss wrote, in the findings of his study.

FCC Chair Ajit Pai in 2018 admitted that approximately 500,000 of the fake comments on the net neutrality discussion site originated with Russian email addresses. Media investigations have since reported that another 1.5 million were generated by a professional lobbyist for the broadband industry.

A later analysis revealed that of the 22 million comments received by the FCC during the net neutrality repeal public comment period, 96 to 97 percent were likely generated by bots, according to a TechCrunch report by Weiss and two other Harvard researchers.

But even after investigations revealed the comments were fraudulent and made using simple search-and-replace-like computer techniques, the FCC still accepted them as part of the public comment process, the researchers wrote.

The Harvard researchers described the bots used to generate net neutrality comments as relatively unsophisticated, adding that our demonstration of the threat from bots submitting deepfake text shows that future attacks can be far more sophisticated and much harder to detect.

Because federal comment sites  which are mandated under the 2002 e-Government Act  provide the only viable method for members of the general public to express their views and provide information about proposed government policies that affect them, we must adopt better technological defenses to ensure that deepfake text doesnt further threaten American democracy during a time of crisis, the researchers concluded.

Photo By Luis Gomes / Pexels
Jerusalem: China's ambassador to Israel, who took up his post in February, was found dead at his home on Sunday morning in a coastal suburb north of Tel Aviv, officials said.

The ambassador, Du Wei, was found in his bed in Herzliya by an embassy worker, officials said.

Men leave the house of China's ambassador to Israel, Du Wei, after he was found dead in his home in Herzliya, Israel. Credit:Getty

Israeli police found no reason to suspect foul play in the death of Du, 57, officials said, and in preliminary findings, the Chinese government attributed his death to unspecified health problems.

Investigators  including Chen Kugel, the head of Israel's National Centre of Forensic Medicine  declined to comment as they left the ambassador's residence. Du's wife and son were not in Israel at the time, according to Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bengaluru, May 19 : The South Western Railway (SWR) zone operated nine special trains to ferry 13,381 migrants back home to five north Indian states, an official said on Monday.

"Monday's first Shramik special train left from Hubli to Basti in Uttar Pradesh (UP) at 12.10 p.m. with 1,443 passengers," said a SWR zone spokesperson.

The second special train left Malur station on the outskirts of Bengaluru to Madhubani in Bihar at 2.50 p.m. with 1,520 passengers.

"Monday's third Shramik special of SWR left Chikka Bannavara station at 4.42 p.m. with 1,500 passengers bound for Azamgarh in UP," said the official.

The fourth special train departed from Malur at 4.50 p.m. with 1,450 migrants to Madhubani.

SWR's fifth special train on Monday to Guwahati in Assam departed at 4.45 p.m. with 1,507 migrants.

The sixth train departed from Chikka Bannavara at 6.30 p.m. with 1,507 passengers to Basti in UP.

Similarly, the seventh special train departed from Malur at 6.30 p.m. with 1,520 migrants to Jasidiah in Jharkhand.

The eighth special train left Bengaluru Cantonment station at 7.55 p.m. with 1,515 migrants to Howrah in West Bengal.

Monday's last and ninth special train departed Bengaluru Cantonment at 10.20 p.m. with 1,419 migrants to Guwahati.

Hitherto, this was SWR zone's 85th Sharmik special train.

The special trains are being run following the Ministry of Home Affairs' permission for the movement of stranded migrant labourers, workers, students, tourists and others.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - Islamic extremists stormed a village just as people were preparing to break their Ramadan fast after sundown, killing at least 20 people in the first attack of its kind in northeastern Nigeria since the Muslim holy month began, authorities said Monday.

Witnesses said fighters from the extremist group Boko Haram carried out the attack in Gajigana, where they entered the opposite side of the village from where Nigerian soldiers were posted.

The shootings were sudden and intense; people began to flee in all directions, said Baan Bukar, a member of a local civilian defence group.

Many of the victims were too weak to flee after several weeks of fasting, and temperatures had soared to 42 C on Sunday, he added.

Audu Mustapha, a member of the Borno state House of Assembly, said 25 others were wounded in the attack about 47 kilometres north of the state capital, Maiduguri.

Boko Haram has now been waging its insurgency for more than a decade in northeastern Nigeria. Their rebellion has claimed more than 20,000 lives and left more than seven million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Labour representatives at Tata Steel's Dutch operations said on Monday that the company plans to cut 1,000 jobs in the Netherlands and that the subsidiary's chairman will step down after opposing the layoffs.

A spokesman for Tata Steel Europe confirmed that Chairman Theo Henrar will leave Tata Steel Netherlands in a decision agreed by "mutual consultation."

Tata Steel Europe began talks with workers in November over a "transformation programme" that would lead to 1,250 job cuts in Europe, following a decision by European Union competition regulators to block a joint venture with Germanys Thyssenkrupp.

Tata Steel Netherlands' Central Works Council (CWC) said in a statement on Monday that Tata Steel Europe aimed to cut its Dutch operations in order to save its loss-making British operations.

"The CWC does not agree to the scrapping of 1,000 jobs in the Netherlands," the CWC said.

Tata Steel Europe spokesman Damien Brooks said there was no conflict between the British and Dutch subsidiaries, though both are in restructuring talks.

Tata Steel Europe employs 21,500 people, including 9,000 people at Ijmuiden in the Netherlands and 8,500 in Britain.

Brooks said that talks over job cuts in Europe that began in November were continuing.

Labour Union FNV Steel said that Henrar had tried to preserve the Dutch operations.

"The owners of Tata Steel in India are keen to downsize Ijmuiden," Roel Berghuis of FNV Steel said in a statement. "Henrar had been able to convince them time after time of the large importance of the subsidiary for Tata Steel and the Netherlands."

The CWC said that Henrar had been "dismissed" in what they described as an "incomprehensible and ill-considered" decision made in the interests of Tata Steel UK at the expense of the Dutch arm.

"Both the shareholders in India and the European leadership of Tata Steel have been failing to solve problems in Britain for years," it said. "Billions of pounds and euros have not been able to make Tata Steel UK profitable."

Story continues

Tata Steel Europe said last month that it had delayed reorganisation plans until after July 1, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Steelmakers around Europe are operating at reduced capacity due to a drop in demand from the auto industry following the pandemic.

Brooks confirmed that Tata Steel is making use of government support programmes in both Britain and the Netherlands, but the company is not worried that will create political barriers to a restructuring.

"I don't think so," he said. "We need to restructure to survive."

(Reporting by Toby Sterling, editing by Susan Fenton)
Robin and Jim Graves with their son, Joey, who has complicated medical needs and whom they adopted just as they were retiring. Read more

Six-year-old Joey was grimacing in his hospital bed, unable to speak, but in obvious pain from the nine-hour surgery he had just endured. Now his lower body was immobilized in an unwieldy fiberglass cast, his legs angled toward the ceiling. The intent of the operation was to stabilize his hips and release ligaments in his rigid legs. It was only the latest of the myriad, agonizing surgeries he had endured alone.

Robin Graves stood over his bed, her eyes misting. She was not related to Joey. But in that moment, she made him a silent promise. Never again would he spend a night by himself with no one there to squeeze his hand, whisper words of encouragement, or plant a kiss on his forehead.

That promise has changed her and her family in ways they never could have imagined.

Joey was healthy and normal when he was born in July 2008. Several months later, he suffered a traumatic brain injury at the hands of a relative and was permanently taken from his biological family. He was eventually admitted to Childrens Specialized Hospital in Toms River, N.J., a medical facility for severely challenged children, where he had lived ever since.

Today, at 11, he is unable to speak, stand, or walk alone, or lift himself in and out of the wheelchair in which he is strapped. Hes connected to a feeding tube, because he cannot swallow. Until he met Graves, his medical caretakers and his social worker from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families were his only family.

Graves, now 66, had just retired from her job running a vitamin website for a physician. She lives in Toms River with her husband, Jim, now 67, a retired captain in the Newark, N.J., fire department. They were eager to see what this new phase of life would bring them.

They were just 20 when they met at a Pocono Mountain resort where they were both working  he as a waiter after returning from Vietnam, she as a waitress on summer break from nursing school.

This guy kept coming up to me asking for a date, she remembers. He always wore a wig, so I thought he had cancer. When he finally picked me up for a date, my mouth fell open. He looked so handsome, with this shoulder-length, thick, brown hair. It turned out he preferred to wear a shorthair wig, instead of a hairnet, over his long locks, because he was serving food.

The pair continued to date through the summer. During their breaks, they might simply sit under a tree and talk. It was so easy and I just felt safe, Robin said. She and Jim didnt have all the same interests, but their values pulled them together. Family was huge for both of them.

The couple married less than two years later, at Sacred Heart Church in Newark. Jonathan, their first child, arrived nine months later, just under the wire, Robin said, smiling. We loved being parents and this little boy was Jims life.

Jared was born three years later. Then came Ashley. All were healthy, normal children, and their parents were grateful. Together with Carlos, their black-and-white Jack Russell terrier, and Gracie and Ollie, their German shepherds, one ebony and one chocolate, their happy family was complete.

In retirement, they envisioned traveling, spending more time with their children and four grandchildren, planning festive holiday dinners, and reading the books they loved.

Change in plans

But something inside of Robin nagged at her, insisting it was not enough. On the beach that summer, she confided to her three sisters that she was restless, that she wanted to do something meaningful. Did they have any thoughts?

How about the childrens hospital where I volunteer?" asked her sister Laurel, a retired nurse, referring to the Childrens Specialized, where Joey lived. They could use more volunteers."

Robin took up her sisters suggestion and in her first year came to know all the children.

I found myself gravitating toward a couple of little boys, she said. They were so damn cute. When I learned that one of them"  Joey, then 6  "was going to the hospital for major surgery and there would be no one with him, I was floored. How could that be? He doesnt speak so he cant even let you know if he is in pain.

After passing a background check from the social-services agency overseeing Joeys care, Robin received permission to visit one-on-one with Joey in the hospital. Once there, she never left his side except to go home for a quick shower while her sister kept watch. She became friends with Kathy Schwed, Joeys teacher at the nearby school he attended. Kathy, too, was enchanted by Joey and showed up often in his hospital room.

Im the kind of person who gets overly involved, and my husband kept saying, Why do you set yourself up to be sad and heartbroken? said Robin. But it was too late. By the time Joeys eight-day hospitalization in intensive care ended, Robin knew she was hopelessly hooked.

Jim had not yet met Joey. But when Robin was about to leave for a long-planned trip to Texas to visit a granddaughter, she convinced him to go to the hospital once a week, to tell Joey that Grandma Robin still loves you and shell be back soon.

The first time I saw him, remembered Jim, Joey looked up at me and gave me a big smile. He grabbed my heart and he wont give it back.

Meanwhile, Robin had given up volunteering to become Joeys everyday visitor at the hospital and was thrilled to watch him break into a happy grin whenever she arrived. She received permission to accompany Joey to all of his medical appointments, and went through training to learn how to give him his medication and tend to his nutrition needs.

The first time she held him in her lap, she shivered. He looked so fragile, and she was certain she would dislodge his feeding tube. When I got it that he wasnt going to break, I just sobbed, Robin said, her voice choking at the memory.

It was Schwed, Joeys teacher, who broached the possibility of adoption to Robin.

Dont even go there, Robin responded. Jim and I are in our 60s, too old for that kind of commitment.

Kathy just smiled and told her that love counted more than age; indeed, over the next two years, Robin and Jim fell more deeply in love with Joey. Finally, they met with a specialist from the Philadelphia-based Adoption Center who was working on Joeys behalf and who explained the options available to the couple  including legal guardianship. It was Jim who pushed for adoption. Both he and Robin wanted to be in Joeys life forever.

Making love permanent

On Feb. 21, 2018, Jim and Robin legally adopted Joey in the packed Monmouth County courtroom of Judge Kathleen A. Sheedy. The judge bought Joey a giant teddy bear and said it was the first time she had ever cried in court. The Graveses invited family, friends, and neighbors for a rollicking celebration.

Joey didnt understand adoption, but he understood the attention and the joy, Robin said.

The Graves adult children  Ashley, Jonathan, and Jared  were not shocked that their parents wanted to adopt Joey.

Were a tight, close-knit family, and my mom has been doing different things since we were little," said Ashley, 38. So we embraced this new adventure.

This was never on the radar for my parents, said Jonathan, 43. "But life takes a lot of different turns. Now, Joey is part of our family.

I consider him my brother, said Jared, 40.

Because of his medical needs, Joey cannot live full-time with the Graves family, so he remains at Childrens Specialized with the caregivers who love and know him well. Until the coronavirus spun the world around, someone from the Graves family would visit him every day, and bring him home on weekends. And Jim wouldnt miss a night at the hospital, where hed snuggle with Joey at bedtime and tell him how much he is loved. Even now during coronavirus distancing, Jim and Robin FaceTime twice a day with Joey. And they are now permitted to see him once a week through a plate glass window.

Its heartbreaking, said Robin. I want to hug him.

Joey is able to sleep at the Graves home, in his own bed, 25 nights a year, which the family reserves for special occasions  holidays, birthdays, family celebrations. Together with his brothers, sister, cousins, extended family, and friends, Jim and Robin delight in taking him to the zoo, the beach, and the park. Joey beams when hes swaying on the swings and dipping in the aboveground swimming pool they had installed in their backyard.

Joey has changed my childrens lives in a way that no one else could, said Ashley. They push him around in his wheelchair, go on the swings with him, and love to make him laugh. At my parents home, they always ask, Is Joey coming? They look at life with a different perspective. No one could teach them these lessons.

Joey is my medicine ball, said his father. I could have the worst day on the planet and as soon as I see Joey, I feel nothing but pure joy.

Robin demurs when people tell her shes special. I feel so blessed, she counters. Im not special. I just fell in love.
New Delhi, May 18 : Without naming any party or state, BJP President J.P. Nadda hit out at "opposition-ruled states" on Monday, claiming that BJP workers as well as those who have been critical over the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak on social media have been targeted.

Nadda called it "unacceptable".

"In the last few days, it has been observed that in opposition-ruled states, the state machinery has been used unfairly to target BJP workers and independent voices on social media, critical of the local government's handling of Covid. In a vibrant democracy, this is unacceptable," Nadda tweeted.

He argued that the culture of debate and criticism of those in public life is an integral part of our democratic process. However, using state agencies to silence dissent is unbecoming of those in power, reasoned Nadda. He also asked the opposition, without naming any political party, that it should adhere to political arguments, when questioned on their alleged failing.

Nadda added, "I want to assure every BJP worker, supporter & well wisher, who is being targeted by those scared of their unprincipled politics getting exposed, that the BJP stands with you. We will defend your right to free speech and resist these tyrannical forces in the democratic framework." While it is unclear whether the BJP President had any particular state government or political party in mind, this outburst comes in the wake of two BJP Members of Parliament, one BJP national General Secretary and its national IT Cell head being named in an FIR in West Bengal. However, most of the FIRs were filed on grounds of allegedly inciting violence and spreading communal disharmony.
Ghani, Abdullah Sign Deal Ending Afghan Political Impasse

By Ayesha Tanzeem May 17, 2020

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a power-sharing deal with his rival Abdullah Abdullah Sunday, marking a possible end to months of post-presidential-election turmoil and years of political tug of war between the two camps.

While Ghani will remain the president, Abdullah will assume the de-facto number two position, will recommend candidates for 50 percent of the cabinet, including key ministries, and will help devise the mechanism for the appointment of governors.

Abdullah will also lead the peace process and future negotiations with the Taliban as the head of a new High Council of National Reconciliation.

The council will guide the team of Afghans negotiating with the Taliban, create national and international consensus on the peace process, and work toward getting continuing support and financial assistance from the international community after a hoped-for future deal with Taliban.

A powerful Uzbek warlord and former vice president General Abdul Rashid Dostum has been granted the rank of a marshall, the highest military rank in the country, through a presidential decree.

In 2016, a political rival accused Dostum, who has a history of alleged human rights abuses, of beating him and ordering his sexual assault. Dostum fled to Turkey for a year before returning to become Abdullah's running mate in the presidential elections.

Ghani and Abdullah announced parallel governments in February after bitterly disputing the results of a presidential election held five months earlier.

The two were also chief rivals in the previous presidential elections of 2014, causing a similar turmoil and forcing then-Secretary of State John Kerry to step in and help negotiate a unity government with Ghani as president and Abdullah as chief executive.

However, the five years of unity government were marred by constant rivalry between the two and their supporters, impacting national decision making and governance.

The two sides have finally come to an agreement under intense pressure from the United States which seemed to be getting wary that the machinations in Kabul might derail a peace-building deal it had signed with the Taliban in February.

In March, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used some of the harshest words seen in U.S. diplomacy with Afghanistan over the failure of Ghani and Abdullah to come to a compromise to form an inclusive government.

"Their failure has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghans, Americans, and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country," a Pompeo statement said.

The U.S. also reduced its aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion in 2020 and threatened to take away another billion if the two sides did not come to terms.

The deal, while helping bring political stability to the country, will also strengthen the position of their team during future negotiations with the Taliban. Previously, many thought the Afghan government was in a weaker position since various political factions were divided.

The negotiations with the Taliban were expected to start in March, ten days after the insurgent group signed a deal with the U.S. They have been constantly delayed, mostly due to the delay in release of Taliban prisoners that the militant group has said is a pre-requisite to the start of talks.

Ghani's government was furious over the U.S. pledging the release of prisoners to Taliban as it reduces its leverage in its own negotiations with the militant group.

Ghani wanted the Taliban to announce a cease-fire before the prisoners were released.

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Uber to focus on core rides, delivery business as it cuts 23% of workforce FILE PHOTO: Uber's logo is pictured at its office in Bogota

By Tina Bellon and Supantha Mukherjee

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc <UBER.N> will concentrate on its core businesses in ride-hailing and food delivery and cut 23% of its workforce in an attempt to become profitable despite the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in an email to employees on Monday.

Uber will cut a total of 6,700 jobs, including the 3,700 it had announced earlier this month, Khosrowshahi said, adding that the company plans to reduce investments in several "non-core projects."

Shares in Uber were up 6.9% to $34.69 following the announcement.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Uber said the layoffs and restructuring measures will result in one-time, mostly cash-based charges of between $210 million and $260 million in the second quarter. Overall, the measures are expected to generate $1 billion in annual cost savings compared with pre-pandemic budget plans.

Uber employed 28,600 people before the pandemic crippled its business, according to a regulatory filing at the end of the first quarter. The company's initial wave of 3,700 layoffs affected less-costly customer support and recruiting teams, while Monday's announcement affects 3,000 employees across nearly all departments.

Smaller U.S. rival Lyft Inc <LYFT.O> said late last month it would cut about 17% of its workforce.

Khosrowshahi said Uber must establish itself as a self-sustaining enterprise no longer in need of outside capital, calling the company's food delivery business Uber Eats the "next enormous growth opportunity."

Before the pandemic struck, Uber said it would become profitable on the basis of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by the end of this year. The company withdrew that guidance as global stay-at-home orders to curb the virus pummeled its ride-hailing business.

Ride-hailing trips, which generate the bulk of Uber's revenue, dropped 80% globally in April, but the company said demand was slowly recovering.

Story continues

Uber on May 7 said it was now aiming to become profitable on an adjusted basis at some point in 2021, partially thanks to an uptick in restaurant food order deliveries.

Khosrowshahi on Monday called Uber Eats a silver lining during the crisis and said be believes the currently loss-making unit would one day be profitable.

Demand for Uber Eats jumped 50% in the first quarter, but the unit still lost $313 million on an adjusted EBITDA basis.

Uber is currently in talks to buy food delivery rival GrubHub Inc <GRUB.N> to expand its market share.

Uber has been working on various other businesses, including the development of self-driving cars and a freight logistics network. Khosrowshahi did not directly mention these businesses in his email and a spokesman declined to comment beyond the email.

His email said Uber would close its startup incubator program and artificial intelligence research lab. Uber was also looking at strategic alternatives for Uber Works, a platform Uber launched in October to help companies fill staffing gaps with temporary workers during peak demand.

Khosrowshahi also said the company was closing or consolidating some 45 office locations globally as part of the restructuring.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru and Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Marguerita Choy and Steve Orlofsky)
On a regular day, Durga Vaidyanathan wakes up at 6am, finishes her morning routine and goes for a walk in the park right outside her home. She is 31 and fighting the Weaver- Williams syndrome, with moderate mental retardation. But Durga is fairly independent. She enjoys shopping. She can go to the store nearby with no help. By 9am 0n weekdays, shes off to PAPCP, or Parents Association of Persons with Celebral Palsy and Associated Disorders, a day-care centre in Bengaluru where she is with her friends and teachers until 3pm. There was a rhythm. Since March, she has not had any of it. She is confined to her home. It is sometimes heavy on her, says her parent.

These children are used to touch, feel and sound. Now all their social interaction is taken away. We have used Skype and other sessions with her. We try to address it through technology but still we cant bridge that gap. And in her category we dont want her to be anywhere near the virus. We are overprotective too about her not going out. We have restricted her physically and emotionally. She interacts a lot with her friends too. When we interact with her we tend to stress her a bit. We expect her to be proper. Whereas shes more forgiven with others, say her friends. We can see internally that stress is built up. We are trying to defuse it but it will take a while till she goes back to her routine," says Vaidyanathan LK, her father.

Durga was routinely engaged in work during their time at the centre with her classmates making paper bags, candles, paintings or data entry jobs for which she and the others here are paid a stipend. Back home, she is involved in some activities but it isnt as structured as it would be at the organisation. Vaidyanathan is unsure how she would react once she steps out again when the world is not fully out of the pandemic.

We make her watch television every day, make her understand news, ask her to paraphrase the news and put a few lines. We ask her to write whats Covid, whats virus. We tell her she has to wash hands when she enters her home from outside. But this in a controlled environment. We dont know how she is going to react once she steps outside after these many days. Also, there is this independence we built in her. To regain it, it would take some time. Making her wear a mask, not touch her face would be difficult. We also forget sometimes and we touch our faces involuntarily and then realise. That realisation may not happen with her," adds Vaidyanathan.

Durgas friend and classmate Swathika is fully occupied with dance, music, yoga lessons online. Shes glued to the phone or laptop and is attempting to learn what the teacher is teaching her. She is an adult with cerebral palsy and fighting mental retardation.

My computer teacher came on the small screen (phone). Then music teacher came on the large screen (laptop). I enjoyed the bigger screen. Now yoga is also happening. Please call me on my number," says Swathika over the phone of her father as she slowly tells her personal mobile number.

64-year-old Swaminathan, her father, is a single parent ever since her mother died 22 years ago. His parents took care of her until they died in 2012-13. Since then, he has been working from home.

Sometimes she gets irritated because I might be getting multiple calls, mails after mails. But shes mostly busy speaking to her aunts, nieces and nephews. She maintains personal hygiene, is independent and is organised," says Swaminathan.

From the balcony of her home, Swathika sees police patrolling the streets, making announcements about Covid-19. She has her understanding of the lockdown and even tells her father to wear a mask. She also lit a lamp and applauded the corona warriors in March and April.

The centre which was temporarily shut on March 11 has 44 students, some with cerebral palsy, others with intellectual disability, mental retardation or Downs syndrome.

Each one has reacted to the sudden shutdown differently. We should be able to open the centre now for at least some students who need to come in. Some enjoy the time with family, some do not have the cognitive ability to fully understand the shutdown," says PAPCP secretary KMS Pradeep, also parent of a special child.

The children here are all young adults. Mostly averaging age of 30. Like all other citizens, they are all frustrated. At the centre there was physiotherapy, music therapy, movement therapy, none of which is available to them now. Some parents are trying out things on Zoom. Things like physiotherapy. In my case, my son has at least five family members around and he knows since everybody is home something is going on, says another parent of a special child who did not wish to be named.

13-year-old Ranjan* was not convinced at all when he was told about the lockdown. His mother Rajitha* showed the police outside, tried explaining, but Ranjan, who is fighting intellectual disability, would not be convinced. He was then taken around the town, shown his regular chocolate and ice cream stores shut. Ranjan was still unsure why he couldnt travel around which he loved doing during breaks from school. He was then taken to a cop nearby.

I requested the policeman to explain it to him. He explained to my son that there is a virus which we might contract, it is dangerous and we must all stay indoors. Since then he has not thrown tantrums. Now I give him some activities at home. I label vegetables, fruits and utensils and ask him to get something or I teach him how to grate a carrot with a good grip, how to operate the washing machine, a mixer and how to arrange things inside a refrigerator, says Rajitha, whos also a special educator.

Some others like Nikhil V needed none of these. He has been comfortable at home, happy with family. Nikhil is 21 years old and is fighting severe mental retardation, speech and hearing impairment.

His strength is his vision although he cannot focus on online classes throughout. We make him walk in the house. He enjoys being at home. Hes playing by himself, comes and sits with us sometimes or roams around the house. He is comfortable also because he is not forced to do any activity. But he has tactile issues. He wont allow you to touch his face or head. He will not wear a mask so we have to be extremely careful to ensure he or any of us dont fall sick. If he does, we cannot take him to a hospital. Him falling sick would be a big worry. So, in a way, staying at home is a big boon," says Priya Vinay, Nikhils mother.

Many parents are now trained professionals who teach at day-care centres along with supporting their children. In addition, the centres coordinate with parents using technology explaining the activity that needs to be done.

The coping strategies of the individuals with different/special needs dont really have to be based on their conditions, but yes their qualities do influence their way of understanding and responding to this situation. Having said that, for adults and children with different functionalities/abilities, who are used to and comfortable in their regime or structured routine like any of us, they need to adapt to any change or shift in the structure or conditioning. Here it is a challenge to adapt to that change because they can get triggered due to the sudden and discomforting changes. The family members will have to support them and settle them to this new regime or environment, says Janavi Ananth, a counseling psychologist based in Bengaluru.

Asha KS, a Bengaluru-based educationist had enrolled her sister Sharadha to a short-stay home in the city. In the midst of her 18-month-long course, she was taken home during the lockdown. All those residing at the centre with a family were temporarily sent home to avoid infection. Sharadha is 48 and fighting schizophrenia. Since its first attack when she was 20 years old, she has had multiple relapses. Asha had survived breast cancer and is fighting its relapse which occurred in 2018 with regular treatment. Their 76-year-old father had a heart attack less than a year ago.

It is stressful. You have to constantly monitor her. Every three days or so, she would have an attack where she would get violent, aggressive, harm herself. She also has visual and auditory hallucinations. She may not eat or sleep on time, walks up and down; she is exhausted and she is confined to her room or the hall in the house. There is absolutely no social interaction. She understands we are stressed too so even that takes a toll on her, says Asha, an educationist.

Asha says the bigger challenge is to fight the stigma against a person with mental health concerns within and outside the family to an extent where institutional care is also not seen as acceptable.

Family situation may not be conducive sometimes for recovery of patients. This is the longest period some of them have been away, beyond six weeks. It has its own difficulty and complications. There are concerns about interaction with family members which could cause relapse. For example, if family members have issues with client not waking up on time, client is repeatedly told what to do, criticising them, negative remarks made, criticism, which brings a hostile situation, negative communication, overindulgence, overinvolvement could all be contributing factors, says Latha Hemchand, clinical psychologist at the Richmond Fellowship Society which runs the short-stay home.

The society, an NGO, also runs a long-stay home where people with family back home have been living for 18 to 25 years. Here, too, some fight anxiety issues during the pandemic. One could be triggered by seeing someone bring vegetables from outside, fearing it carries the virus.

Among those in the short-stay home, we have seen mild relapse in three or four cases. It is not necessarily related to the Covid situation. They sometimes have relapse, due to various factors. Now, they are all confined to the same building, not allowed to go out of the main building. There is lack of socialisation in those recovering. It can be a reason for some of them. We try to talk to them, modify medication before it gets out of hand. We do get feedback from some of them saying they are not doing well. Missing medication could be a major cause of relapse and each time a relapse occurs it affects the brain. Medication for mental health is not taken seriously by many like in the case of physical health issue like diabetes or blood pressure. It is taken for granted which is dangerous, says Dr Kalyanasundaram, CEO of the Richmond Fellowship Society in Bengaluru.

Its day-care centre has been temporarily shut like many others across the country. Some are preparing to reopen with lockdown restrictions being slowly lifted. But a bigger challenge lies ahead for many. All this while, they have fought to learn and live the way considered normal by society. And now, there is a new normal.

(*name changed to protect identity)

This reporting was supported by the ESSENCE Media fellowship for sensitive reporting on mental health.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday took oath as a member of the Legislative Council.

At a function held at Vidhan Bhawan in south Mumbai, Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar administered the oath to Thackeray and others who were elected unopposed to the Upper House on May 14.

They include Council Deputy Chairperson and Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe, four candidates of BJP Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Praveen Datke and Ramesh Karad, NCPs Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari and Rajesh Rathod of the Congress.

The nine seats fell vacant on April 24.

The 288-member Legislative Assembly was the electoral college for the biennial elections to the nine seats.

With this election, 59-year-old Thackeray, who is also the president of Shiv Sena, makes his debut as a legislator.

He was sworn in as chief minister on November 28 last year and required to become a member of either House of the legislature before May 27.

Thackeray's son Aaditya is a member of the Legislative Assembly and also a minister in the three-party alliance government led by him.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Stranded for over two months in a foreign land, over 2,400 Indians in Sri Lanka are still making rounds to the High Commission in Colombo with no announcement yet about their possible evacuation from the island nation.

Adding to their woes are dwindling finances, homesickness and uncertainty about when they will be back home with their families.

The government launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' on May 7 to bring back home Indians stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

Sri Lanka is not among the countries for which evacuation flights have been announced so far.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism and Development Authority, over 2,400 Indians are stranded in the country due to the lockdown and travel restrictions imposed in view of the global pandemic.

"I am stuck in Colombo since two months. With limited financial support, I am struggling for my survival every day in this country.

"I have contacted the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka in this regard but the response from them is to wait for further phases of evacuation by Indian government, which is really painful and heart-breaking," Vineeta, a Noida based techie, told PTI over phone from Colombo.

Vijay Pal Singh and his wife wanted to take some time off their hectic work schedules and planned a vacation to Sri Lanka, leaving their kids with the grandparents.

However, the vacation turned out to be much longer than what they desired.

"We had plans to take a break and spend time with each other, hence we left the kids back but our four-day break has now become a really long wait to be back home with our children.

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"We have been forced to take time off work because we are not even in a position to work remotely from here," Singh said.

Satendra Mishra, who went to Sri Lanka on a tourist visa, said, "Till now no plans for evacuation from Sri Lanka have been announced. We are a group here and we are running out of savings to survive. Every morning we wake up to see a positive answer to our queries but there has been no news yet".

Under phase one of the mission, the government has evacuated a total of 6,527 Indians from the Gulf region as well as countries like the US, the UK, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives.

In the second phase of the evacuation mission, the government will bring back people from Canada, Oman, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Tajikistan, Singapore, the US, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Kuwait and Italy.

The government has also announced that Indians will also be evacuated from Nepal, Nigeria, Belarus, Armenia, Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Georgia and the UK.

Chennai resident Ramakrishnan Srinivasan said, "We have contacted the Indian High commission in Sri Lanka. They are trying their level best to send us back. But so far there has been no favourable reply. Unless they get government orders from India what can they do".

As per the government's policy for evacuation, Indians having compelling reasons to return like pregnant women, elderly people, students and those facing the prospect of deportation are being brought back home.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus which has infected over 96,000 and killed 3,029 people till date, according to the Union Health Ministry.

During this time operations of all international and domestic flights have been ceased.
Advertisement

Belgians are natural born artists.

Thats what French photographer Jean-Luc Feixa concluded after spending three years photographing objects on windowsills across Belgium.

They are installed like personal museums, strange and intriguing treasures clearly on display for passers-by. Feixa - who moved to Brussels in 2013 - snapped so many that he ended up compiling them into a book called Strange Things Behind Belgian Windows, published by Luster.

He said: Belgians love cats and dogs, have a strange passion for pharaohs, figurines and miniatures of all kinds, and are clearly natural born artists. This is my conclusion three years after having started my public window project. Before the start of this journey, I thought I was living in a cold, grey country. [The] windows allowed me to enter delirious worlds - I took a deep plunge right into the Belgian soul.

Could these windows be a form of dialogue? My wish is to believe that they actually are. Although no one seems to be posting them on social media, they are actually out there on the streets, just for the sake of conversation with anyone passing by.

Scroll down to see a selection of the 160 images that appear in Feixas tome.

French photographer Jean-Luc Feixa spent three years photographing objects on windowsills across Belgium

Feixa - who moved to Brussels in 2013 - has created a compendium of windowsill snaps called Strange Things Behind Belgian Windows

Feixa said: 'Belgians love cats and dogs, have a strange passion for pharaohs, figurines and miniatures of all kinds, and are clearly natural born artists'

Feixa said the windows allowed him to enter 'delirious worlds - I took a deep plunge right into the Belgian soul'

Feixa likes to think that Belgian window displays are a form of dialogue

Feixa describes the objects photographed as 'strange and intriguing treasures'

The objects appear to Feixa to be a way of communicating 'with anyone passing by'

Feixa said in regard to his project: 'You walk down the street, look through a window and get to see something from a new perspective. You get a glimpse of another universe very different from your own, and get to feel something new'. This display is evidently some sort of shrine to Beavis and Butt-head - and Kurt Cobain

Belgium just seemed like a cold, grey country to Feixa before he started his window project

In this scene, alongside a picture of two ferries is a note that says 'please dont put bikes or motorbikes here, only residents'

Some window scenes have apparently disappeared - but have been recorded for posterity by Feixa

One of the stranger displays photographed for the project - and the competition is stiff

Weigh to go: This window contains some sort of homage to sets of scales. Probably...

Land of hope and gory: Feixa stumbled across a few slightly chilling windowsill displays
With Texas gradually reopening after weeks of stay-at-home orders, local hospitals are beginning to ease its visitation restrictions.

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 visitor to accompany a patient.

READ MORE: The latest news and features about coronavirus in San Antonio

At Baptist Health System, visitors will be screened for fever, respiratory symptoms and travel history before entering. They will also be required to sanitize their hands and to wear visitor identification and a face mask.

In March, hospitals placed restrictions on visitations in response to the coronavirus. Several hospitals around the country did not allow visitors unless they were deemed necessary for a patient's care, including Bexar County's University Health System.

Scroll below for the hospitals that are easing visitation restrictions in San Antonio.
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) said on Monday it mutually agreed with Lebanons Bank Audi to stop the potential acquisition of its Egypt business, according to a statement.

FAB, which is Abu Dhabis biggest lender, said the decision was made as a result of the unprecedented circumstances and the uncertain outlook relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said late on Monday.

The bank also said the decision was in the best interests of its shareholders, customers and employees.

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The two suspects in Sheetz: (Louisa Police Department)

Two men were caught on camera stealing from a convenience store, while wearing watermelons on their heads as disguises.

The men robbed alcohol from convenience store, Sheetz, in the town of Louisa, Virginia, on 6 May, while wearing watermelons on their heads.

One of the suspects, Justin Rogers, was arrested on Saturday, but police are still searching for his unidentified accomplice.

Mr Rogers was arrested on a felony prohibition of not wearing a face covering in public, as is the requirement in his area, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He was also charged with misdemeanour possession of alcohol by an underage person and misdemeanour larceny of alcohol.

The suspects documented the incident in a series of TikTok clips, that showed them preparing the watermelons, before they left to go to the store.

In the videos, they are shown cutting holes out of the watermelons for eyes, and walking around local shops.

Over the weekend, the Louisa Police Department put out an appeal on Facebook to help identify the suspects.

Local residents immediately replied to the post, informing the police where they had seen the suspects, which led to the arrest of Mr Rogers.

The department ask that anyone who has any information about the two suspects to contact officer Taylor of the Town of Louisa Police Department at 540-967-1234 or Crime Solvers at 1-800-346-1466.

Read more

The viral Olly Murs TikTok isnt a prank, it could be sexual assault
They never saw their first birthdays.

In March three Mexican gray wolf pups in southwestern New Mexico, from two different families, were gunned down by federal agents, likely from a plane. The father of one of the pups was also shot.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is responsible for recovering this critically endangered subspecies of gray wolf, specifically targeted pups in one of its kill orders.

The service also targeted the papa wolf, despite his valuable DNA, which could have bolstered this dangerously inbred population.

The March massacre of Mexican wolves was the worst such debacle since the 2006 federal destruction of the nine-member Hon-Dah pack in Arizona.

Altogether government employees have shot 20 Mexican wolves since reintroduction began in 1998, and theyve inadvertently killed another 22 intended for live capture.

Our conservation organization has filed Freedom of Information Act requests with both the Fish and Wildlife Service and Wildlife Services, the federal wildlife-killing program that actually pulled the trigger. We want to know the sordid politics behind such heartless and calamitous actions. And we want to determine how the survivors in both packs are faring.

Scientific studies show that killing wolves does not make up for underlying negligence in safeguarding livestock. Thats because other wolves will use the same territories, run into the same problems, and suffer similar fates.

Case in point: Before the young brother and sister of the Mangas pack were killed on March 28, the Fox Mountain pack was destroyed through federal trapping in the same area. On the mesa where the papa wolfs Prieto pack lives, generations of wolves had scavenged on livestock carcasses before they began actively preying on cattle.

And records received from a previous Freedom of Information Act request show the Prieto alpha male had scavenged on livestock carcasses.

Removing wolves does not save livestock. And while the government maintains that federal wolf control builds tolerance for wolves, peer-reviewed research from the Midwest suggests the opposite: that official sanction of wolf-killing actually leads to more illegal killing of wolves. More than 100 Mexican wolves have been lawlessly killed, a higher rate than in other wolf recovery programs.

The question of how agencies manage our fragile Mexican wolf population now has increased importance, since, through June 15, the Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting comments on the scope of a wolf management rule change.

A federal court ruling prompted this review. It found the service had committed an egregious oversight in earlier rule making by ignoring scientists findings that removing many wolves from the wild  while releasing few from captivity  would cause severe genetic problems.

The agencys 2015 rule itself stemmed from an earlier Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit pertaining, in part, to the effects of wolves scavenging on livestock carrion, a problem the service has repeatedly ignored.

The agency has no authority to ignore what citizens consider to be important in wolf management. Those who want their voices heard can comment at www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2020-0007.

Let Fish and Wildlife officials know: Every wolf pup should be alive to frolic on its first birthday. Wolf parents and their pups shouldnt have access to livestock carrion that will start them on a path toward their own destruction.

Michael Robinson is author of Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of Wolves and the Transformation of the West.
String inverter leader builds new factory to meet global demand for solar

NINGBO, China, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginlong Technologies (Stock Code: 300763.SZ), a global leader in photovoltaic string inverter manufacturing, announced plans to raise over $100M USD (700M Chinese Yuan), through a non-public offering to finance the expansion of its manufacturing capacity. Facing a rise in the global string inverter market, Ginlong will use these funds to double its production capacity of Solis products to 20GW per year. This expansion will enable Solis to boost its supply to grid-connected and solar-plus-storage projects for customers world-wide.

"The demand for our ultra-reliable Solis inverters has driven this push to double our capacity," says Yiming Wang, Ginlong President. "We are seeing a boost in demand for string inverters over other technologies due to its cost-competitiveness and reliability. This doubling of our production represents an exciting milestone for Solis."

The expanded factory will add 1,000,000 square feet to its existing facility in the Binhai Industrial park, bringing the company's total capacity to 20GW. Construction plans include a new state-of-the-art R&D center, high-volume production lines equipped with advanced automation machinery, increased warehousing capacity and new offices. A new corporate campus includes state-of-the-art offices, a multi-functional conference center and apartments for dedicated personnel.

"Our new corporate campus will add more than 500 new jobs to the Solis team, bringing in fresh talent and new ideas to boost innovation and drive growth," adds Wang.

Ginlong raised 533 million yuan during its IPO on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in March of 2019, making it the only publicly-traded company focused exclusively on PV string inverters. Solis has since experienced strong demand fueled by residential, commercial and utility solar markets across Asia, the Americas and Europe. In Q1of this year the company reported its strongest quarter ever with first quarter profits up 766% from 2019.

About Ginlong Technologies

Established in 2005, Ginlong Technologies (Stock Code: 300763.SZ) is one of the most experienced and largest manufacturers of solar inverters. Presented under the Solis brand, the company's portfolio uses innovative string inverter technology to deliver first-class reliability that has been validated under the most stringent international certifications. For more information on how cost-effective Solis delivers value while maximizing reliability for residential, commercial, and utility customers, go to ginlong.com.
Ladies That Wear Makeup Have Low Self Esteem  Nigerian Lady

A Nigerian lady identified as Arny has taken to Twitter to state that it is only ladies who have low self esteem that apply makeup on their faces

According to her, this set of ladies are not proud of their natural look.

Ladies that use makeup are the ones with low self esteem. They are not proud of their natural beauty. she said.

He statement has however generated a whole lot of mixed reactions on social media with many users blasting her over her opinion, while some other were in support of what she posted.

See some reactions below;

Not true.. everyone does make up one way or another.. as long as its done accordingly, has nothin to do with self esteem

See who is talking using filter, ur head dey shake

 Coming from someone using Snapchat filter. All of us Dey low self esteem table sister

Makeup has nothing to do with self esteem; its just a matter of choice

Why do you wear clothes, youre obviously not proud of your body
The lawyer for Ahmaud Arbery's family said the 25-year-old was chased for four minutes before being gunned down by a white father and son in February.

According to attorney S. Lee Merritt, the initial video that was leaked by Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker and revealed Arbery's last moments on February 23 is much longer.

Merritt confirmed to Fox News on Monday that the new video shows William Bryan, who recorded the shooting, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, chasing Arbery for four minutes while he was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia.

No other information has been released regarding the extended video, but Arbery's family is expected to release a statement today.

Scroll down for video

According to attorney, S. Lee Merritt (left), who is representing the Arbery family, the initial video that was leaked by Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker and revealed Ahmaud Arbery's (right) last moments on February 23,shows the McMichaels chasing Arbery for four minutes

Shocking cellphone video captured the moment Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery in the street. In the footage Travis is seen engaging in a physical fight with Arbery before shooting him with a shotgun

This map shows the February 23 encounter between Arbery and the McMichaels

Arbery was killed February 23 after the father and son trailed him in their white pick-up truck after he jogged past their yard.

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 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 on December 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 December 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 video fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made.

Hundreds of people came to the Glynn County courthouse demanding accountability on Saturday.

Arberys family ended the rally thanking the crowd for their support and saying 'we are all running for Ahmaud'.

Arbery was killed February 23 after Gregory McMichael (left), and his son Travis McMichael (right) pursued him when he jogged past their yard just outside the port city of Brunswick

Officers with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are seen arresting both McMichaels on May 7

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.'

The McMichaels have been jailed on murder charges since May 7.

Merritt 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.

Protesters gather outside the Glynn County Courthouse during a rally to protest Arbery's killing on Saturday

The crowd 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

'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 also 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.'

'What was he doing wrong?' 911 operator confused by caller's description of a purported crime that a man was in a house that was under construction

During the 911 call that was placed just before the McMichaels pursued Arbery on February 23, the dispatcher asked the caller: 'You said someone's breaking into it right now?'

'No, it's all open. It's under construction,' the caller says, 'And he's running right now. There he goes right now.'

The dispatcher says she'll send police, but 'I just need to know what he was doing wrong'.

The 911 dispatcher expressed confusion when a caller said Arbery (pictured) was inside a house that was under construction

A second call comes in six minutes later: 'I'm out here in Satilla Shores. There's a black male running down the street.'

The operator is trying to get more details when a man yells: 'Stop. ... Damnit. Stop.' Then, after a pause, the man yells: 'Travis!'

According to the police report, Gregory McMichael said he saw a person he suspected of burglary 'hauling ass' down the street.

He and his son Travis grabbed their guns, hopped into their pickup truck and chased him down.

Gregory McMichael told police they wanted to talk to Arbery and tried to corner him, but Arbery began to 'violently attack' Travis McMichael, the report says.

The two fought over the shotgun, and Arbery was shot. The McMichaels claimed self-defense.

Police called the district attorney's office, where Gregory McMichael had worked for more than two decades, for advice, and they were released.

Arbery's mother got a call from an investigator.

'He went on to say that Ahmaud was involved in a burglary, and in the midst of the burglary he was confronted by the homeowner, and in the midst of that confrontation, there was a fight over the firearm and Ahmaud was shot and killed,' Wanda Cooper-Jones told The Associated Press.

Checkered past of law enforcement in Brunswick as cops face numerous lawsuits and increasing scrutiny

Just days after Arbery's killing, Glynn County Police Chief John Powell and three former high-ranking officers were indicted in what investigators described as a cover-up of an officer's sexual relationship with an informant.

Officers calling the DA for guidance is not unusual. But theres disagreement over what happened next.

Just days after Arbery's killing, Glynn County Police Chief John Powell (pictured) and three former officers were indicted in what officials described as a cover-up of an officer's sexual relationship with an informant

Peter Murphy, an elected commissioner in Glynn County, alleged that the DA's office told police arrests weren't necessary.

The district attorney's office calls that a 'malicious lie' and says it was police who raised the self-defense angle.

Police say they were told the day of the shooting that more follow-up was needed but the McMichaels weren't flight risks and could go home.

A second prosecutor brought in after the first recused herself quickly decided no charges were necessary. He was eventually removed over his own conflict of interest.

J. Tom Morgan, a former metro Atlanta district attorney, said it would be a 'big misstep' for the DA to advise police against arrests if officers decided a crime likely occurred.

'I can't imagine saying "stand down" ... If police believe they have probable cause, I'm not going to second-guess them,' Morgan said.

In any homicide, it's important to interview witnesses immediately. If that was delayed because officers were told not to make arrests, it could make it harder for prosecutors to bring a successful murder case and easier for defense lawyers to argue the crime scene was tainted.

Bowling Green State University criminologist Philip Stinson said it appears investigators started with an assumption of justified shooting.

'Because of all of the assumptions that are made, all of the steps in the investigation that are not taken, they made the job much more difficult for the AG's office,' Stinson said.

Glynn County Police Department has been plagued with multiple scandals with 17 lawsuits against the force in the last decade
GRANTS PASS, Ore., May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Grants Pass Downs, Oregon's premier horse racing track, will hold its summer meet without spectators, with racing beginning June 16. The decision comes as the state of Oregon eases coronavirus-related shutdown restrictions and as most racetracks reopen across the nation. The meet will take place over nine days June 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and July 1, 6, 7 and 8, post time at 4 p.m. and includes between 80 to 100 races and $60,000 in purses each race day. The track opens for training ahead of the meet today, May 18.

One of the featured races in the meet is the prestigious American Quarter Horse Association's Adequan Derby Challenge. The 400-yard quarter horse race offers a total purse of $35,000.

The track is implementing strict COVID-19 health protocols to ensure the safety of all participants during the meet. All Grants Pass Downs employees will be required to wear masks, and the Oregon Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association will provide masks to participating horsemen and women, trainers and support staff. Additionally, the track has set up racing operations to be conducted in compliance with social distancing standards and is implementing two checkpoints with COVID-19 screening equipment to check temperatures and look for symptoms. Any person exhibiting an above-average body temperature or COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed into the venue.

"Since we opened our track for training on May 18, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that we can safely run races while complying with Oregon's COVID-19 public health regulations," said Randy Evers, president of Grants Pass Downs. "Although we are disappointed that we cannot allow spectators at the summer meet, we are committed to doing our part to help keep our community safe and healthy. We are pleased to take this first step of opening up the track for races again, and we know our fans will be following the action closely on TVG Network and other participating ADW sites."

The track is operating in full compliance with plans from the Oregon governor's office to safely re-open the state and provide jobs for the local Grants Pass economy. The races will generate between 150 to 200 jobs, even without fans, as Grants Pass Downs staff, horse trainers, veterinarians, pony riders, gate crew and others are going back to work to safely put on the summer meet for racing fans around the world.

Grants Pass Downs' summer meet is available for spectators to watch and wager at TVG Network and other advance-deposit wagering (ADW) websites. A list of participating ADW sites is available on Grants Pass Downs' website at www.gpdowns.com.

ABOUT GRANTS PASS DOWNS

Located at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, Grants Pass Downs has hosted live pari-mutuel horse racing since 1968 and is now home to the largest race meet in the state of Oregon. More information about Grants Pass Downs can be found at www.gpdowns.com.

Media Contact:

Ryan Asbury, Finn Partners

[email protected]

(626) 487-2561

SOURCE Grants Pass Downs

Related Links

https://gphorseracing.com


Secretary Pompeo's Call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

May 17, 2020



The following is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke today with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the new Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation. Secretary Pompeo congratulated the two leaders for reaching an agreement on inclusive governance for Afghanistan. Secretary Pompeo noted that he regretted the time lost during the political impasse. He reiterated that the priority for the United States remains a political settlement to end the conflict and welcomed the commitment by the two leaders to act immediately in support of prompt entry into intra-Afghan negotiations.

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The World Health Organisation on Monday kicked off its first ever virtual assembly, but fears abound that US-China tensions could derail the strong action needed to address the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Health Assembly, which has been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, Monday and Tuesday, is expected to focus almost solely on COVID-19, which in a matter of months has killed more than 310,000 globally, and infected nearly 4.7 million.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the event, lamenting that a number of countries had ignored the recommendations of the WHO.

"Different countries have followed different, sometimes contradictory, strategies and we are all paying a heavy price," he warned in a video address.

WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was also due to address the virtual assembly, as were a number of heads of state, including Xi Jinping of China, government chiefs and health ministers.

Tedros said on Friday the event would be "one of the most important (World Health Assemblies) 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.

US President Donald Trump last week threatened to cut ties with China, where the outbreak first emerged 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 accusations it initially downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak, and was kowtowing to Beijing. Despite the tensions, countries hope to adopt a resolution by consensus urging a joint response to the pandemic.

The resolution, tabled by the European Union, calls for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the international response to the coronavirus crisis.

Consultations around the text concluded last week after "tough" negotiations, according to Nora Kronig, who heads the international affairs division of Switzerland's public health office.

After several days, a tentative agreement was reached to approve the resolution, which also calls for more equitable access for tests, medical equipment, potential treatments and a possible future vaccine.

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 has achieved 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".

The resolution also calls for the WHO to work closely with other international agencies and countries to identify the animal source of the virus and figure out how it first jumped to humans.

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.

"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".

Nearly 15 countries, including Belize, Guatemala, the Marshall Islands and Honduras, have written to Tedros asking that the question of Taiwan's participation be added to the agenda.

The United States, which will be represented during the assembly by Health Secretary Alex Azar, is not among the countries who are asking the WHA to make a call on the issue of Taiwan's participation.

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 insurmountable logistical challenge.

It would "torpedo" the entire assembly, one diplomatic source warned.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On May 16, Sorrento Therapeutics, a Us-based company, proclaimed the discovery of an antibody that has the ability to completely block SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, from infecting healthy cells after laboratory experiments.

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, which reportedly originated in Wuhan China.

On Friday, results of the preclinical experiment showed that STI-1499, Sorrento's anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, only needed to be administered at a very low dose in order to thoroughly neutralize the virus' infectivity. Thus, it became a top candidate for additional testing and development.

According to an antibody-centric biopharmaceutical company in San Diego, California, initial biochemical and biophysical analysis indicate that STI-1499 as a strong antibody candidate.

In a statement by Henry Jo, Chairman, and CEO of Sorrento, he noted that the STI-1499 antibody showed extraordinary therapeutic potential and may possibly have the ability to save lives after necessary regulatory approvals are received.

Sorrento claimed that they are working around the clock to complete the steps needed to get their candidate product approved and be readily available to the public.

Read also: Trial Takes Place to Test If Dogs Can 'Sniff Out' Coronavirus

Sorrento heads in generating an antibody cocktail product which could be a protective shield against the new coronavirus infection and stay effective even if the virus mutates and could lessen the effectivity of single antibody therapy.

Billions of antibodies have been screened by the company and they have determined hundreds of antibodies that have the ability to bind S1 subunit of the new coronavirus spike protein.

According to Sorrento, about a dozen of these antibodies have established the ability to block the S1 protein's interaction with human angiotensin which converts enzyme 2(ACE2), used as a receptor for viral entrance into human cells.

These antibodies were tested in an in vitro SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection model in harmony to an agreement of preclinical testing for new coronavirus drug candidates announced on March 31.

STI-1499, among all antibodies which have shown the neutralizing activity, protruded because the experiment showed it has the ability to perfectly block SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection of healthy cells.

Sorrento noted STI-1499 will probably be the first-ever antibody in the concoction that the company is cultivating. COVID-SHIELD is intended to address this through a concentrated mixture of different antibodies which could protect against the different strains of the new coronavirus, but the Sorrento claims it will also pursue in cultivating the STI-1499 antibody as a stand-alone therapy.

The company discusses with regulators regarding the expedition of the development of the treatment, increasing the production capacity, the aim to produce about a million doses, and seeking the approval of FDA for its use.

Moreover, the company seeks support from the government and pharmaceutical companies working in partnership with the latter in scaling up the manufacturing capacity of STI-1499 with the aim of producing tens of millions of doses in a short period of time and meet the large projected demand.

It is worth admonishing that no such vaccine or treatment can be a fast cure to the new coronavirus, but the discovery of this antibody is a promising development, and one must follow as it passes through clinical trials, regulatory processes, and therapeutic development.

Related article: Scientists Speculate That Coronavirus Can Exploit 'Hidden Mutations,' Increases Its Chances to Kill the Host

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Burundians will vote Wednesday in a tense general election, despite a largely-ignored outbreak of coronavirus which is set to be the first major challenge for the new president.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005, shocked observers by deciding to step aside, five years after a controversial third-term run plunged his country into political and economic crisis.

While Ethiopia decided to delay its election this year due to the pandemic, Burundi has pushed forward with the vote at all costs, with heaving crowds of thousands attending political rallies, with only buckets of water and soap available as a nod to the virus.

Burundi has so far officially recorded only 42 cases and one death from the virus, but doctors and the opposition accuse the government of hiding the true extent of the outbreak.

Burundi has pushed forward with the vote at all costs despite the coronavirus, with heaving crowds of thousands attending political rallies. By - (AFP)

The government has expelled the four top World Health Organization (WHO) officials steering the response to the epidemic, with no explanation. They left the country on Saturday.

Officials in Burundi have cited divine protection for the country's ostensibly low infection rate and urged citizens to go about their daily lives without fear.

Burundi has not taken any measures to confine or limit the movement of the population, unlike most other countries in the region with the exception of Tanzania -- where many fear the virus is also spreading out of control.

"Do not be afraid. God loves Burundi and if there are people who have tested positive, it is so that God may manifest his power in Burundi," said General Evariste Ndayishimiye, the presidential candidate for the ruling CNDD-FDD party.

The heir

With a possible major health crisis looming, the nation with a population estimated at roughly 11 million people is preparing to turn the page on Nkurunziza's long rule, marked by widespread human rights violations.

Burundi has so far officially recorded only 27 cases and one death from the virus, but doctors and the opposition accuse the government of hiding the true extent of the outbreak. By Onesphore NIBIGIRA (AFP/File)

At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 400,000 displaced in violence between April 2015 and May 2017 that the UN says was mostly carried out by state security forces. Less than a quarter of those displaced have returned to their homes.

No official death toll has been released since, but UN investigators have said crimes against humanity in the country were ongoing, citing summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence.

The UN and rights organisations attribute much of the violence to the Imbonerakure, members of the ruling party's youth wing which the UN describes as a militia, as well as the feared national intelligence agency which answers directly to the president, the police, and to a lesser extent the army.

The World Bank lists Burundi as among the three poorest countries in the world. By Tchandrou Nitanga (AFP/File)

Nkurunziza had been widely expected to run for office again, after a constitutional change would have allowed the move. However internal party sources say he came under pressure from an influential group of generals to step aside.

At the end of January the party unveiled Ndayishimiye as his successor -- a veteran party operator nevertheless seen as softer than Nkurunziza.

While Ndayishimiye is seen as the frontrunner, his main rival among six other candidates, Agathon Rwasa, has mobilised large crowds at his rallies.

A legitimate rival

Rwasa comes from the country's oldest ethnic Hutu rebel movement Palipehutu-FNL which he led in the early 2000s. It was one of the two main rebel groups during Burundi's 1993-2006 civil war, which pitted Hutu rebels against the minority Tutsi-dominated army. The war left more than 300,000 dead.

Agathon Rwasa, presidential candidate of the main opposition party the National Congress for Liberty, is seen as the main rival to Ndayishimiye. By - (AFP)

In the eyes of the Hutu, who make up 85 percent of the population, Rwasa has as much legitimacy as a presidential candidate as the leaders of the other rebel group, now the ruling party.

"The people won't let their victory be stolen," warned Rwasa, after the ruling party made clear it expects no other outcome than a resounding win.

The campaign was marked by violence such as clashes between the members of rival parties and the arrests of opposition members.

Evariste Ndayishimiye, a veteran party operator, is viewed as the frontrunner in the presidential vote . By - (AFP)

The election will take place far from the eyes of the world -- the government has refused any observers from the UN or the African Union, accusing the latter of being too close to the opposition.

The East African Community was meant to send a team of observers, but Burundi announced they would have to spend 14 days in quarantine due to the coronavirus, meaning they would be unable to do their job on the day of the election.

The victor of the election has a tough job ahead to stabilise the economy, already battered by the years of turmoil, and flagging further under the impact of the coronavirus.

The World Bank lists Burundi as among the three poorest countries in the world, with 75 percent of the country living in extreme poverty and six out of 10 children suffering growth stunting due to malnutrition.

Burundi's 5.1 million registered voters will vote from 0400 GMT to 1400 GMT, for a new president as well as members of parliament and local officials.
Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) along with other national trade unions and federations have decided to hold a nationwide protest on May 22 against the anti-labour policies of the central and state government.

They have also decided that they will take this matter to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). A one-day hunger strike will be observed at Rajghat, New Delhi. Similarly, demonstrations will also be organised in the state, district and block headquarters.

Himachal Pradeshs convenor of the Joint Forum of Trade Union Kashmir Thakur said that the government and capitalists are using lockdown to increase exploitation of workers by making changes in labour laws.

He said that like other states, working hours in Himachal have also been increased from eight hours to 12 hours under the Amending Factories Act, 1948 which will result in exploitation and retrenchment of workers and labourers. Changes in Industrial Dispute Act 1947 will ease the process of retrenchment of workers and they will also be deprived of retrenchment compensation.

Joint Forum of Trade Unions have warned the central and state government to reverse anti-labour policies or they will intensify the labour movement.

Joint Forum of Trade Unions has also written a letter to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur regarding this matter.
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Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Mon, May 18, 2020 11:50 611 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8bfe07 1 National COVID-19,East-Java,Sidoarjo,coronavirus,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients Free

At least 15 people have contracted COVID-19 after they opened the coffin of a resident who had died of the virus to perform a traditional bathing ritual, ignoring health protocols and warnings from local authorities.

"The relatives and neighbors of the deceased opened the plastic wrap on the deceased body and even bathed the body. That is so careless," acting Sidoarjo Regent Nur Ahmad Syaifudin told reporters on Sunday.

He said a villager who had tested positive for COVID-19 died two weeks ago in a hospital. The deceased body, wrapped in plastic sheeting and placed in a wooden coffin, was sent home at the request of relatives.

The relatives and neighbors performed a normal funeral procession for the deceased body, without COVID-19 protocols.

Read also: PSBB fails to flatten COVID-19 curve in East Java: Task force

The incident prompted the Sidoarjo COVID-19 task force to conduct contact tracing in the village. The task force confirmed 15 cases of the virus and listed dozens of other people as patients under surveillance (PDP).

Nur said the test results were announced on Saturday, the day Sidoarjo saw 45 new confirmed cases, the highest daily increase it had ever recorded.

He said Jati village had been partially closed to contain the spread of the virus.

"We have strictly limited access from and to the village. We have also ordered the mosque there not to conduct mass prayers," he said.

Sidoarjo, Surabaya city and Gresik regency have extended large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) until May 25.

The satellite regency of Surabaya is the second-hardest-hit region in East Java after Surabaya with 285 cases and 31 fatalities as of Sunday.
Some of Sydney's major arts companies have been caught up in the multimillion-dollar collapse of Carriageworks, the art space in the historic Eveleigh rail yards.

The first major arts institution to fail due to the impact of coronavirus-led shutdowns, Carriageworks owes more than $2 million to 225 creditors, company records to the market regulator shows.

Among its creditors are the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art ($22,000), the Sydney Theatre Company ($12,083), Moogahlin Performing Arts ($17,600), and chef Kylie Kwong ($5500), the documents lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) show.

Carriageworks knew it was in financial trouble as soon as coronavirus took hold. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart was owed $71,500, primarily for the exhibition and publication costs of the Katthy Cavaliere Fellowship.
Emergency Department (ED/A&E) nurses and doctors have warned the HSE and the Minister for Health that hospitals must not return to overcrowding as Covid-19 measures are eased.

The warning is contained in an unprecedented joint statement issued by the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). The organisations represent frontline nurses and doctors in emergency departments across the country.

Their statement cautions that the problems of the past may emerge again as the health service gradually ramps up non-Covid-19 activities.

They warn that overcrowding and understaffing may lead to increased infection risk, poor patient outcomes, and unsafe workplaces.

The joint statement calls for measures to counteract this, including:

- Retention of access to private hospitals until a vaccine is secured.

- Immigration and travel priority for migrant health professionals.

- A commitment that no recruitment embargoes will apply to doctors or nurses.

- Extra priority and decision-making powers in the community to avoid unnecessary emergency department referrals.

- A working group to urgently look at staffing issues in the health service.

IAEM President, Dr Emily OConor, said: We need to reset care in Irelands Emergency Departments and allow care continue to care for those patients that need EM expertise in a way that is safe for patients and staff.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said: Overcrowding, understaffing and COVID-19 pose a triple threat to patients and staff alike.

Emergency department and hospital overcrowding is always unacceptable, but it is exceptionally dangerous when added with the risk of COVID-19 infection.

We have never seen trolley overcrowding figures as low as the past few weeks. We must build on that and resist any return to the problems of the past.

In the short term, that means keeping the extra capacity of the private sector, prioritising immigration of migrant health professionals, and no more recruitment embargoes. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, she said.



The full statement, sent to the HSE and Minister for Health, below:

Joint Statement from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine

As healthcare professionals, we have been to the forefront of providing expert care at the frontline of the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

The healthcare service will gradually return to providing more non-COVID-19 services. We are concerned that, without action, conditions may worsen, and the problems of the past may return.

We share four essential aims:

1. Emergency Departments and hospital wards must not become reservoirs of healthcare-acquired infection for patients

2. Emergency Departments and hospitals must not become crowded again

3. Emergency care must be designed and resourced to look after vulnerable patients safely

4. Emergency Departments and hospitals must be safe workplaces for all staff

To achieve to these four aims, the INMO and IAEM jointly call for the following:

A. A permanent increase in bed capacity: in the short term this will involve retention of access to private acute hospitals and their services until (a) the majority of the population is immune to COVID-19 and (b) the health services have the capacity to deliver COVID and non-COVID care. A maximum occupancy rate of 85% across hospitals will be necessary for patient safety.



B. Adequate staffing to ensure good patient care despite staff sickness and the reduced productivity related to use of PPE. This should include prioritised immigration and travel arrangements for nurses and doctors, a renewed recruitment campaign and terms and conditions that would make the HSE an employer of choice. No further recruitment embargoes should apply to nurses or doctors.

C. A high-level working group, to report within one month of the formation of a new government, to examine and set the nursing, midwifery, and medical workforce priorities for the health service over the coming year. This would examine the staffing deficits experienced by these essential front-line workers, set out where additional staff are needed and prioritise services to fully return to work.



D. That staff health and safety is not compromised, ensuring the ongoing provision of adequate PPE and intensive mental health supports.

E. Universal provision of supports needed for decision-making by clinical teams in the community to ensure care is delivered as close to the patient as possible and that unnecessary referral to Emergency Departments are avoided.

F. Investment in expanding Community Intervention Teams and maximising care in the community to ensure adequate capacity for step-down, recovery and rehabilitation allowing acute hospitals return to their core purpose.
Ukraine's central bank predicts decline in labor migrants' remittances in 2020 over COVID-19

13:25, 18.05.20 2773

Money remittances from labor migrants may shrink from US$12 billion in 2019, to US$10 billion.
Increased frequency and severity of droughts threatens California's endangered salmon population--but pools that serve as drought refuges could make the difference between life and death for these vulnerable fish, according to a study by researchers from UC Berkeley and California Sea Grant, a partnership between NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. The research could help resource managers strategically protect and restore salmon habitat.

The new study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, tracked nearly 20,000 tagged fish in Sonoma County streams over a seven-year period from 2011 to 2017. The Russian River watershed is home to a highly endangered population of coho salmon, which nearly collapsed in the early 2000's, but has been recovering since then through a conservation hatchery program and other efforts.

"We were able to measure survival during this historic drought, which will help us understand how future droughts will impact this population of salmon," says University of Wisconsin- La Crosse Assistant Professor Ross Vander Vorste, who conducted the analysis for the study as a UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher in collaboration with California Sea Grant's Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring Program.

Climate change is projected to lead to more frequent and severe droughts in California. In the Russian River watershed, and elsewhere in coastal California, salmon spend much of their lives in small streams. These streams often dry up in places during hot, dry conditions, leaving pools of water that become disconnected or completely dry.

A major question has been to what extent habitat fragmentation caused by more severe drought threatens salmon survival, and just how much water is needed to support the salmon population through the dry summer months. Previous research by the team has shown that even a trickle of water through salmon rearing pools can keep salmon alive. With a larger dataset spanning an extreme drought, the new study provides insight into what habitats can serve as refuges during extreme conditions, and what physical and environmental conditions may influence survival of juvenile salmon.

Even during the most extreme drought years, the study found, summer survival in certain reaches was similar to survival in non-drought years, indicating that many stream pools act as drought refuges. In other reaches, lack of flowing water led to salmon being trapped in drying pools where they experienced high mortality.

"For the most part, as long as water persisted in pools throughout the summer, salmon were able to survive," says Vander Vorste. "So even though we saw decreased survival in many pools, there were some places that emerged as refuges."

"With the trend towards increasing drought, it's going to be harder and harder for these salmon to hang on," says California Sea Grant Extension Specialist Mariska Obedzinski, a Scripps researcher who heads the salmon monitoring program. "So it's really important that some of these pools did maintain conditions that supported survival. That gives us hope that there is at least some habitat out there that can support these fish during drought."

California Sea Grant's Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring Program works closely with resource managers in the Russian River watershed, providing current data on salmon survival and monitoring stream conditions throughout the year, informing streamflow augmentation projects as well as emergency fish rescue operations. The new study, which emerged from a partnership with the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership Program, provides new information that could help resource managers strategize as to what measures are most effective and feasible to protect salmon during a drought.

"There are limited resources to address streamflow issues, so this study helps focus our attention in certain areas," says Obedzinski. "There are different strategies for different conditions." Knowing which areas are likely to serve as refuges could lead managers to prioritize those areas for protection, while knowing what areas are most impaired in a drought can help prioritize areas for streamflow enhancement.

In addition to answering important questions for local salmon recovery, the study also informs broader ecological questions about the role of habitat fragmentation for endangered species.

"Drought is not only going to affect the Russian River, but will also affect streams and rivers up and down the West Coast and around the world. Identifying environmental factors that are limiting salmon survival during those periods is an important finding that could have broader implications," says Vander Vorste.

###

About California Sea Grant

NOAA's California Sea Grant College Program funds marine research, education and outreach throughout California. Our headquarters is at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. The program is one of 34 Sea Grant programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.
Passengers hoping to secure a refund for cancelled Ryanair flights may be facing a long delay as the airline warned they may have to wait until "this unprecedented crisis is over".

The airline said it is happy to accommodate customers who want refunds, vouchers or to be re-routed, but said they are currently processing 10,000 times their usual volume of cancellations and have fewer staff available to do the work due to social distancing measures.

The budget airline has been the subject of considerable ire on social media in recent weeks as many passengers complained of the difficulties they have endured in trying to secure a refund for cancelled flights.

Ryanair are not the only airline to be criticised by the public, with many other carriers also accused of prioritising vouchers over cash refunds.

Last week, the European Commission (EC) confirmed letters have been sent to 12 countries for breaching consumer guidelines which guarantee the right to a cash refund for cancelled flights. More than a dozen countries, including Ireland, had signed a letter urging the EC to temporarily scrap the law and, instead, allow vouchers to be offered. While the EC said it would support the issue of "more attractive" vouchers as an option, it warned customer rights could not be undermined and cash refunds have to be offered.

Ryanair said it is giving customers "all of the options set out under EU regulations".

"The process time for cash refunds is taking longer due to the fact we are having to process 10,000 times the usual volume of cancellations and have fewer staff available due to social distancing measures," a spokesperson said.

They are offering "vouchers and free moves as these are automated", while vouchers which are not redeemed can be swapped for a refund after 12 months.

"Customers who choose not to accept a free move or voucher will be refunded in due course, once this unprecedented crisis is over," they added.

Aer Lingus has reiterated that customers can choose a voucher to the value of their flight plus 10%, whether it has been cancelled or not, for all flights booked until the end of September. These vouchers are valid for up to five years from date of issue and the airline says it has also honoured refunds for customers.

However, it noted the seven-day turnaround time required under existing EU regulations is "challenging in the current environment" but hopes expanded teams and "new processes" will speed up the response time.
At the Lalkuan railway station in Nainital district on Sunday night, 1,400 migrant workers who travelled on a special train from Ahmedabad seemed delirious with joy at just being in their home state.

Bhola Dutt, resident of a village in Champawat district said I worked in a steel plant in Ahmedabad. I faced so many problems financially due to the lockdown. My landlord took rent till May 14, while we had been sitting home since the lockdown started in March. We were not being given salaries and there was the constant worry of how will we would eat or live. We are now counting on the Uttarakhand government to give us employment opportunities here as we do not want to go back.

Vikas Chamola, a resident of Dharchula in Pithoragarh district said Lockdown taught that our home state is much safer in comparison to other places in the country. I worked in a hotel in Ahmedabad and after the lockdown was imposed, no one helped me and I was not even getting paid. I will do anything here in my own state, but not go outside now.

Even those working in multinational companies hold the same view after returning to Uttarakhand.

Mohan Singh, a resident of Someshwar in Almora district who worked in a multinational company said that in the past one month he spent anxious days and sleepless nights wondering how we will return home.

We stopped getting our salaries as the office was closed and securing every meal seemed like a major task. We hope that the Uttarakhand government gives us employment here now, he said.

On Monday, another 1,595 migrants returned to Nainital from Surat. Savin Bansal, district magistrate Nainital said Around 1,595 migrants arrived from Surat and each passenger was screened at the station itself.

Out of the 1595, 125 migrants were from Nainital, 417 from Bageshwar, 116 from Champawat, 197 from Almora, 336 from Pithoragarh, 131 from Chamoli, 17 from Dehradun, 14 from Uttarkashi, 125 from Rudraprayag, 51 from Tehri Garhwal, 56 from Pauri Garhwal, 35 from US Nagar and 14 from Haridwar.

Bansal said that every migrant was given water bottles, juice, masks and food packets before they were sent to their respective destinations in 61 buses.
In 2004, while I was spending a summer in Prague and working for the local English-language radio station, I got the opportunity to interview Frank Zappas former saxophone player Napoleon Murphy Brock, backstage at a show featuring what was left by that point of Zappas band, the Mothers of Invention. Zappa was, and is, a huge deal for Czechs: His music, along with the Velvet Undergrounds, was a touchstone for the countrys dissident artists during the 1960s and 70s, and he later served as an informal adviser to post-communist President Vaclav Havela huge Zappa head.

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During the interview, Brock told me about visiting Czechoslovakia with the Mothers in 1978 and the euphoric reaction they received from fans hungry for the subversive energy of rock music. It was a great story, but it never happened. As Czech Zappaphiles quickly informed me after the piece was aired, the band never played Prague in 1978 and wouldnt until years later. The Communist authorities would never have allowed it.

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I was reminded of that story while I was listening to Wind of Change, Patrick Radden Keefes fascinating new podcast about the role of rock in the last days of Communism as well as the unreliability of historical memory. (All eight episodes are currently available on Spotify and are being released weekly on other platforms.) Keefe is a staff writer at the New Yorker best known for Say Nothing, his searing portrait of Troubles-era Northern Ireland, which won the National Book Critics Circles 2019 award for nonfiction. The more whimsical Wind of Change feels like a bit of a palate cleanser, though theres some continuity between the two projects, which are both about the stories countries tell themselves during moments of political transition.

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The inspiration for the series is a tip Keefe received from a source within the CIA, who had heard from an older agent that the agency had written the 1990 power ballad Wind of Change by the German band Scorpions. The hair-metal stalwarts are remembered in the U.S. mostly for Rock You Like a Hurricane, but they were one of the biggest bands in the world for decades, including behind the Iron Curtain, where their music was banned but circulated on samizdat cassettes. And no song was bigger than Wind of Change, which was released shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and before the breakup of the Soviet Union. With its Russia-referencing lyrics, themes of international brotherhood, and iconic whistled intro, it served as the unofficial anthem of the end of the Cold War. It was an uncharacteristic song for a band more likely to court controversy with its NSFW album covers than its politics, which makes it a little easier to believe someone else may have had a hand in writing it.

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Its not much of a spoiler to say that the podcast doesnt prove that anyone else did. Indeed, it says a lot about Keefes skills as a storyteller that its an extremely entertaining listen, despite how weak the evidence is for its central theory. Even after years of reporting, the strongest evidence that the story is true is the account of a CIA source who heard it secondhand and who refuses to be interviewed on tape.

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Luckily, the story surrounding Wind of Change is interesting enough even without the spycraft, and the podcast format allows Keefe to follow the kind of amusing rabbit holes and subplots that would have been cut from a magazine piece. The show is at its strongest in the episodes recounting the story of the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival, an unprecedented event at which bands including Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and Skid Row played to euphoric crowds at Lenin Stadium while engaging in a bender of historic proportions backstage. It was at this event that Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine was inspired to write Wind of Changeat least, according to the official story. The festival was ostensibly, and hilariously, given the acts involved, billed as an anti-drug benefit. The organization that put on the festival was set up as part of the community service for Doc McGhee, the manager of most of the bands, including Scorpions, as well as a career drug smuggler who had recently been indicted in one of the biggest pot smuggling cases in American history. McGhee is the most believable, if totally unprovable, link between Scorpions and the United States government. (McGhee deniesnot very convincinglythat the government had anything to do with the concert itself.)

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It says a lot about Keefes skills as a storyteller that its an extremely entertaining listen, despite how weak the evidence is for its central theory.

The reason why most of the intelligence community sources interviewed in the show arent willing to totally dismiss the Wind of Change theory is that it seems like the kind of thing the CIA would do. Even if it didnt write it, the CIA could have helped promote or distribute it somehow. The agency has a long history of dabbling in arts promotion, from funding left-wing literary magazines, to printing copies of Doctor Zhivago, to flying an unwitting Nina Simone to a festival in Nigeria. For me, the fact that we know quite a bit about these examplesas well as far wilder CIA behavior, from the LSD mind-control experiments of MKUltra to Castros poisoned cigarssuggests that a story like this, involving one of the biggest songs and bands of its era, would not stay secret. But others see these stories as the tip of the iceberg, evidence that there are far worse and weirder stories we havent heard yet.

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Keefe considers at one point that he may be the one unwittingly helping spread CIA propaganda. From Argo to Zero Dark Thirty, the agency has been adept at pushing flattering portrayals of itself into pop culture. Or maybe its Russian propaganda: The Kremlin has suggested that the CIA has been behind everything from the Chernobyl disaster to Netflix.

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Wind of Change was reported while Russian interference in the U.S. political system was in the news, and its being released at a moment when both the U.S. and Chinese governments are pushing unverifiable conspiracy theories blaming the other for creating the coronavirus. While the podcasts spandex-and-spies subject matter may be 30 years behind us, it speaks to a current moment when anti-democratic leaders deliberately use conspiracy theories and disinformation to undermine public discourse and create the sense that, as the Russian-British writer Peter Pomerantsev puts it, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible.*

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In this sense, Keefes podcast isnt exactly helping. Since the podcast aired, Klaus Meine has been asked about the CIA claim by other reportershe calls it fake newsand the songs Wikipedia page now references the theory, with the podcast cited as the source. Keefe is a scrupulous reporter and is careful to make clear what he can and cant verify, but the idea that the CIA wrote the song is so alluring that many will repeat it, and others will remember it as fact. Its now part of the songs story, whether its true or not. The Wind of Change tale may be less about political motives or disinformation than humans tendency to remember things in the most compelling and flattering light, whether its giving a German power ballad credit for bringing down an Evil Empire or giving a U.S. spy agency credit for writing it.

Ultimately, I dont think Napoleon Murphy Brock was lying to me on purpose about the Zappa gig that never happened. It was a long time ago, and he may have been remembering a concert that happened somewhere else in Europe or mixing it up with one that happened later. He took a few true things and mixed them together into a much better story. Or maybe Frank Zappa was in the CIA, too.
An IT glitch in the COVID-19 testing in Singapore resulted in 357 patients receiving an erroneous message informing them that they had tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting authorities to apologise for the mistake, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

A follow-up message was sent to all affected individuals to clarify that the earlier SMS message had been sent in error, and to apologise for any inconvenience and anxiety caused, it said.

The messages had been sent due to an IT system testing glitch as we sought to improve the efficiency of our system," the Channel Asia quoted the ministry as saying.

The Ministry added that no confidential information was breached.

Two former COVID-19 patients who received the SMS on Saturday told the Channel that they had previously been confirmed as negative and had already been discharged.

Another patient said he received the message while he was in the D'Resort community isolation facility. He was confirmed as negative the next day and discharged.

"On May 16, at about 7pm, 357 patients who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 received an erroneous SMS message informing them that they had tested positive for COVID-19, although they had already been informed earlier," the Ministry said.

"The Ministry of Health has taken immediate steps to rectify the situation once the error had been detected. A follow-up message was sent to all affected individuals by 10pm to clarify that the earlier SMS message had been sent in error, and to apologise for any inconvenience and anxiety caused," it said.

The ministry said that they have reviewed their processes to ensure that a similar error will not recur.

Meanwhile, the Ministry said that 303 foreign work permit holders living in dormitories were among the 305 new COVID-19 cases as of Monday, taking the nationwide tally to 28,343.

The other two cases are Singaporeans, it said.

"The lower number of cases today is partly due to fewer tests being processed as one testing laboratory is reviewing its processes following an earlier apparatus calibration issue, and will need time to ramp up its testing capacity," the Ministry said.

A total of 495 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged. In all, 9,835 patients have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, it said.

There are currently 1,036 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and 12 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. A total of 17,450 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Almost two months of suspended operations has left the hospitality and tourism companies bleeding and industry associations are extremely disappointed with the absence of any relief package from the government.

The industry is struggling without any umbrella direction from the government and without any fiscal and monetary support, said the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), which represents the entire industry in India.

The sector was expecting some relief measures as part of the 20-trillion Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package aimed at boosting the economy and support industries hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Im devastated as are most of my colleagues in the hospitality business. Between hospitality, hotels, and airlines we have taken the biggest brunt of this pandemic and a lot of us will not survive, said Ajay Bakaya, managing director, Sarovar Hotels.

The industry had urged the Centre for a 6-12 month waiver on loans, both on principal and interest. It has also approached state governments to consider electricity charges on consumption basis, waiver of municipal taxes, and deferment of licence fees, including for alcohol. Some states such as Gujarat and Kerala along with few others have given exemptions. We will all huddle and keep pushing for more measures, Bakaya said.

The hospitality industry urgently needs the government to facilitate a one-time restructuring of loans by banks without having to take a provisioning hit, besides soft loans for working capital, said Sanjay Sethi, managing director and chief executive , Chalet Hotels.

We now look to states for relief on benefits as an industry for electricity tariff, excise fee waiver, property tax reduction, and ease on labour laws.

The absence of immediate funds will lead to job losses, bankruptcies, and destruction of the tourism model in India, said Vijay Dewan, managing director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd, and chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industrys West Bengal State Council.

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), which represents more than 1,600 operators for inbound tourists, had sought financial support, refund of advance payments made to airlines for tickets, refund of advance payments made for luxury trains and wildlife safaris and all funds stuck with the airlines.

It has also urged the governments to abolish the goods and services tax and reduce GST and the visa fee to make India an attractive destination when normalcy returns.

IATO estimated that 38 million jobs associated with tourism are at stake and the economy can lose revenue of about 5 trillion in the next year.

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Deep Learning Chip Market 2020 Global Industry research report explores analysis of historical data along with size, share, growth, demand, revenue and forecast of the global Deep Learning Chip and estimates the future trend of market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares market performance both in terms of volume and revenue and this factor which is useful & helpful to the business.

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Driving factor such as the rising investments in deep learning chip start-ups is propelling the growth of the . Further, the increasing adoption of cloud-based computing across several industries is anticipated to boost the deep learning chip market growth in the near future. With ever-increasing use cases of AI and the evolving market landscape, the advancements in present chips have become a necessity. Deep learning chip is majorly used in data center training market where NVIDIA is a market leader. However, the demand for application-specific custom deep learning chips and inference on edge and data center are the fast-growing segments in deep learning chip market, and many new startups are coming up to tap this market. The innovative technologies and solutions offered by these start-ups are going to intensify the competition in the deep learning chip market. The funding scenario is looking good for these startups majorly due to huge interest of industries in artificial intelligence and its capabilities to transform business processes. Some of the important developments in the start-up landscape include, in May 2019, Hailo Technologies Ltd. an Israeli private limited company launched the first of their deep learning processors named Hailo i-8 chips. This chip is expected to provide 26 tera operations per second (TOPS). In November 2019, Intel Corporation grew its prominence in artificial intelligence with the launch of its Nervana Neural Network processors for deep learning.

The deep learning chip market is segmented on the basis of chip type into GPU, ASIC, FPGA, CPU, and Others. During the forecast period of 2019 to 2027, the GPU chip type is anticipated to be the largest contributor in the deep learning chip market. However, the ASIC segment is projected to be the fastest-growing chip type with the highest CAGR over the forecast period.

The US dominated the deep learning chip market in 2018 and is expected to dominate the market with the highest share in the North America region through the forecast period. The US holds major share of the total spending in the deep learning chip technology. The growth in the deep learning chip market in the US is mainly driven by considerable growth of tech start-ups each year, which are funded by several capitalists, thereby increasing the scope of the market. The companies in the market are developing a dedicated platform for AI and its sub-sets. For instance, in March 2017, Mythic, a US-based AI platform provider, launched an AI platform that provides the benefits of processing analog/digital calculations in memory, which leads to improved performance, power life, and accuracy of various devices. The above-mentioned factors are, therefore, contributing to the growth of the deep learning chip market in the country. The figure given below highlights the revenue share of the Mexico in the deep learning chip market in the forecast period:

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NORTH AMERICA DEEP LEARNING - CHIP MARKET SEGMENTATION

NORTH AMERICA DEEP LEARNING - By Chip Type

GPU

ASIC

FPGA

CPU

Others

NORTH AMERICA DEEP LEARNING - By Technology

System-on-Chip

System-in-Package

Multi-chip Module

Others

NORTH AMERICA DEEP LEARNING - By Industry Vertical

Media & Advertising

BFSI

IT & Telecom

Retail

Healthcare

Automotive & Transportation

Others

NORTH AMERICA DEEP LEARNING - By Country

US

Canada

Mexico

Deep Learning Chip Market - Companies Mentioned

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Baidu, Inc.

Alphabet Inc. (Google)

Intel Corporation

NVIDIA Corporation

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Xilinx Inc.

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Based in New York, Business Market Insights is a one-stop destination for in-depth market research reports from various industries including Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Semiconductor & Electronics, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing & Construction, Medical Device, and Chemicals & Materials. The clients include corporate and academic professionals, consulting, research firms, PEVC firms, and professional services firms.

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" " The xoloitzcuintli, or Mexican hairless dog, also called the xolo, is well-known among owners for being loyal and protective. In ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures, they were thought to be ushers into the underworld. www.anitapeeples.com/Getty Images

Also called the Mexican hairless dog, the xoloitzcuintli (pronounced "show-low-itz-QUEENT-ly," and called "xolo" for short) carries a storied history that goes back 3,500 years to the pre-Columbian era  before Italian explorer Christopher Columbus colonized the Americas in the early 1490s and indigenous cultures were conquered or significantly influenced by Europeans. One of the most ancient of dog breeds, according to the Xoloitzcuintli Club of America, Aztec and Mayan civilizations looked to this hairless, ugly yet cute dog not only as a healer (their fur-free bodies are excellent heat conductors, making them a kind of ancient hot-water bottle for the ill and the elderly), but also an occasional food source (along with turkeys, xolos were one of the only domesticated animals eaten by ancient Mesoamericans).

The xolo (pronounced "sho-lo") even was considered as a symbolic guide to the underworld  hence its name, which is derived from two words in the Aztec language: Xolotl, the god of lightning and death, and itzcuintli, or dog. According to Aztec belief, the Dog of Xolotl was created by the gods to guard the living and guide the souls of the dead through the dangers of Mictlan (the underworld).

"Xolos are still, to this day, a national treasure in Mexico, with a long and respected history in the country," says Nicole Ellis, a certified professional dog trainer with Rover.com, in an email interview. "Despite the xolo's long history, however, they are still quite a rare breed in the U.S. That doesn't mean you won't see someone with one though, as they have slowly been gaining popularity in the past few years."

Today, the xolo can be found in different sizes, ranging from toy to standard, averaging from 10 to 23 inches (25 to 58 centimeters) tall, and is either hairless or coated, according to Ellis. "The breed is generally a dark color, either black, gray or bronze, and occasionally bronze or red," she adds. "Their faces are described as being 'thoughtful,' and their overall looks is that of an elegant, but rugged creature." Read on to find out what some experts have to say about one of the most unusual dogs in the world.

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They Are Faithful Companions

"They have an amazing temperament, but are known for being loyal and protective, which can translate into some barking," says Lazhar Ichir, founder of Breeding Business, a popular platform educating dog breeders and breed fanciers worldwide, via email. Adds Ellis: "It's important with this breed to do lots of socialization as a young dog to set them up for success as an adult. They are known to be intelligent, and if properly trained, a xolo will grow into a well-mannered watchdog that is great in the house."

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They're Not Recommended for Newbies

"In general, xoloitzcuintli do not make the best pets for families who are first-time dog owners," says Steffi Trott, owner and head trainer at SpiritDog Training in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in an email interview. "Due to their watchdog origin, they are wary of strangers and can become reactive and aggressive without the right training." She adds that they also can be timid about new situations and slow to make friends. "They are usually highly attached to their owner and require a lot of interaction and stimulation," she says. "Within their family, xoloitzcuintli are very loving and affectionate dogs."

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They Are Highly Intelligent

That means they learn very quickly, but they should be trained with positive methods due to their sensitive personality. "Because they have a high prey drive, they can be difficult to train in the presence of wildlife," says Trott. "It can, for example, be difficult to train your xoloitzcuintli to not chase rabbits. They enjoy learning tricks, and playing fetch and Frisbee."

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They Have a High Need for Exercise

Because they are rather high-strung, they don't do well with limited activity, according to Trott. "Even though they might look fragile with their hairless skin, they enjoy rigorous exercise and actually excel at dog sports, such as agility. They are not suitable for sedentary owners who do not enjoy being outside and active with their dogs."

While they do need lots of exercise it's a good idea to measure activity levels at each unique, individual level, says Russell Hartstein, CEO of Fun Paw Care, via email. "I have known several Golden Retrievers who didn't want to retrieve or go for walks and lots of English bulldogs who retrieved and wanted to exercise often. It depends on the individual."

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They Aren't Exactly Maintenance-free

In addition to a regular exercise regimen  which includes long walks and plenty of play time  Ichir recommends bathing them every few weeks, using grooming wipes in-between to clean specific spots such as the paws and stomach. Ellis, meanwhile, says some people actually apply coconut butter on them to prevent dry skin, and some of the paler or reddish xolos need to have sunscreen applied to them before going out in the sun for an extended period of time.

"They are generally very healthy dogs (usually living between 12 and 15 years), but they get cold easily and must not be left our during rain or cool temperatures," says Trott. "In winter, they need to wear a sweater (or two)."

As you would expect, the hairless Mexican dog does not shed, according to Ichir. "This makes this breed an ideal hypoallergenic dog," he says, "just like the Chinese crested dog, which is also mostly hairless." Adds Ichir: "People suffering from pet allergies tend to have virtually no issues with a xolo."

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They Don't Come Cheap

"In Mexico, a xolo can be bought for $750, but in the U.S., you would have to pay $1,500 to $3,000 on average," says Ichir. "However, at this price, the puppy should come with paperwork and American Kennel Club (AKC) registration." But where can you even find one? "Breeders across the U.S. (you can see a list on the AKC's website), a xoloitzcuintli-specific rescue or in Mexico (where they are more popular) from a breeder," says Ellis. Adds Ichir: "There are breeders of xoloitzcuintli dogs in some U.S. states, but you may prefer an original Mexican breeder for increased authenticity."

The best place to find a well-bred xoloitzcuintli? "Through a breeder registry, such as the AKC," says Trott. "Because they are a rare breed, be prepared to have to travel by plane to pick up a puppy."

"Like all breeds, finding a rescue is possible, but not very common with xolos," says Ellis. "Like all breeds, there are breed-specific rescues for xolos and you can look on Pet Finder for them, too. You can always reach out to breeders to see if they have any that need re-homing." Ichir adds that while you may be able to find some xolo in rescues throughout the country, a better source is the nonprofit Xoloitzcuintli Primitive Breed Rescue.

Now That's Interesting "They tremble a lot," says Trott. "This is due to a combination of being cold and being nervous."
This also marks the 32nd straight day Vietnam has been clear of community transmission.

Among the total, 180 are imported cases which were quarantined upon their arrival in the country.

Up to 260 patients or 81% have recovered from the coronavirus disease, and there have been no deaths.

Two of the 60 remainders still under treatment have tested negative once for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and 12 others negative at least twice.

There are 10,692 people kept in quarantine at present, including 293 at hospitals, 8,631 at other quarantine facilities, and 2,038 at home.

The national steering committee requested people to continue implementing disease prevention and control measures in the new context. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the pandemic is still developing complicatedly around the world, recommending Vietnam enhance long-term pandemic control measures.

Earlier on May 17 evening, Vietnam reported two new COVID-19 cases who are Vietnamese people returning from Russia. Both were immediately quarantined upon their arrival at Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninh province.

Patient 319, 26 years old, is being treated at the Hanoi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No. 2. Meanwhile, Patient 320, 29 years old, is under treatment at the General Hospital of Thai Binh province.
Netizens Excited by Photo of Elusive Black Panther Captured in an Indian Sanctuary

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Making toddlers wait patiently in front of a bowl of candies and asking them not to eat, does it sound like a challenge? Well, it has become the latest trend to go viral after makeup mogul Kylie Jenner posted a video of her daughter, Stormi Webster, doing so as she directs her not to eat the candies till her mom returns. The clip of Webster, 2, exhibiting complete self-control went viral, garnering millions of views.

With the challenge becoming popular in India, Delhi resident Pooja Dixit attempted it with her three-year-old daughter. My kid just could not wait for me to return and had eaten at least half of the chocolates kept in front of her, she quips, adding, I need to show her Stormis video.

Not everyone who appreciates the challenge is in favour of trying it. Mommy-blogger Tanya Puri is all praises for the challenge, but doesnt feel thats how she will teach her son.

Psychologist Dr Pulkit Sharma, too, suggests other ideas to teach kids. [Rather] than putting kids in such a situation, parents should find their own ways to teach kids. You need to be calm in dealing with them. The best way a child learns is through example, he says.

Interact with author/sanchita_kalra.
Seoul, May 18 : South Korea has decided to postpone a major maritime firing exercise, initially scheduled for this week, due to adverse weather conditions, the Defence Ministry said on Monday, rejecting allegations the decision was aimed at avoiding angering North Korea.

The Army, Air Force and the Navy had planned to carry out their biannual live-fire drill off the southeastern coast of Uljin on Tuesday, involving major assets, such as ballistic missiles, combat ships and fighter jets, reports Yonhap News Agency.

But the military decided to put off the maneuvers, sparking speculation officials were overly concerned about possible protests from North Korea, as the decision came after the North's military reacted angrily to a Navy-Air Force joint drill in the Yellow Sea earlier this month.

"We carry out diverse drills throughout the year to beef up the jointness of our military. But this time, we decided to postpone the planned drill due to weather conditions," Ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo addressed the media here on Monday.

The official expressed regret over media reports the decision has to do with the North, said the Yonhap News Agency report.

"Several media outlets reported as if other factors affected our decision, which distorts our normal decision-making procedures," Choi said, calling on the press not to stoke "unnecessary security fears" and to stop hurting public confidence in the military.

Following the joint exercise earlier this month, the North's Ministry of the People's Armed Forces issued a statement, claiming it is "a grave provocation which can never be overlooked and this situation demands a necessary reaction from us".
May roses are blooming in Grasse, the birthplace of French perfumes, but out in the fields, some of those who pick them face a problem this year. "Working with a mask and not smelling," the flowers, "is pretty frustrating," horticulturist Carole Biancalana acknowledges. Owner of the Domaine de Manon which works with the Dior fashion house, she nonetheless told her seasonal workers they must wear a mask owing to the risk of catching the coronavirus. Biancalana can still tick off a list of adjectives to describe the "complex, multiple and varied" scent of the centifolia rose, a fragile variety that cannot even stand by itself in a vase. "It is somewhere between honey, spicy, fruity, lychee, it is a perfume all by itself," she sighs. After two months of confinement marked by resounding silence broken only by buzzing bees, the gathering of rose petals began over a week ago and continues depending on the weather, under extra sanitary precautions. "Normally, everyone grabs a smock, we help each other out and go down the rows facing each other, we chat and it's nice," Biancalana says. This year, each worker has a separate row, starting at 9:00am and stopping before 1:00pm when the sun gets too hot. The rose's temperature and chemistry are paramount criteria in the gathering process. "We are 'timed'. The rose has odour molecules that work at certain hours," explains Vincent Rossi, who at 26 is one of the youngest workers. Biancalana adds that they must also demonstrate "rapidity, dexterity and delicacy: you must pluck without breaking buds that will flower in the coming days." - 'Break its neck' - Working by hand, "the goal is to not touch the heart of the rose. You take it just below the peduncle, and hop, break its neck," Vincent explains. Each worker has a personalised burlap bag to contain the risk of contamination, and only one person drives to a collection site where the pink petals tumble into extraction vats. Biancalana inherited the three hectares (more than seven acres) cultivated by her family and rents another plot under a local plan to foster perfume plants. In 2018, Grasse was included on a Unesco heritage list owing to its decades of know-how in the perfume sector. But budding horticulturists have trouble finding land in this coveted sector of France's Cote d'Azur where housing is also at a premium. - Steep entry fee - "It costs at least 30 euros a square metre," Biancalana notes, or well over $100,000 an acre. "It is hard to make a profit, given all the other investments required," she says. Her solution was a partnership with the Dior house that ensures a guaranteed revenue in exchange for respecting a set of specifications established by the luxury brand. "Acquiring land is basically out of the question," confirms Morgane Russo, an intern who is mulling setting up shop on her own after working abroad as an agricultural engineer. Russo's arms bear scratch marks, not from rose bushes but from bitter orange trees that have just been picked around the nearby town of Vallauris. Flowers from those tree are used to produce neroli, a natural fixing agent in perfumes. France's confinement, which lasted eight weeks, made things harder there too, said Guillaume Gillet, head of the local Nerolium cooperative that works with Chanel. Pickers were wary of coming to work in the region, he said. As is the case with those who grow roses, the prices paid for the orange flowers are secret, and everyone wants to increase production. "This year we exceeded five tonnes, up from four last year," Gillet confided. That is far from what the region provided a century earlier, when annual production was around 1,800-2,000 tonnes. As for centifolia roses, yearly output is roughly 100 times less than a century ago. Picking roses is a lot nicer when you can smell them, workers agree Valuable rose petals are gathered in burlap sacks before they are taken to extraction vats Fragile May roses must be picked by hand and require dexterity in addition to rapidity, horticulturalists say Seasonal workers are supposed to respect minimum distances and wear masks this year
China Telecom Global (CTG) has selected Angola Cables as its preferred carrier to bolster its long-haul links between Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The two companies will launch an express transmission route to connect three BRICS countries (China, South Africa and Brazil) via the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS). CTG will be in a position to extend its global reach by accessing the high capacity network comprising the WACS, SACS and Monet subsea cable systems of Angola Cables, including their Points of Presence (PoPs) and data centres in Africa and Latin America.

CTG and Angola Cables have also agreed to set up a network interconnection in South Africa, and by leveraging both companies advanced network capabilities, the transmission capacity and latency between China, South Africa, Angola and Brazil will be significantly improved. With its extensive network coverage and capacity, this initiative provides a highly effective and reliable digital highway to connect East and West.

Our relationship with Angola Cables underlines our strong commitment towards improving regional connectivity and supporting our local partners in growing their international presence, said Changhai Liu, Managing Director of China Telecom (Africa and Middle East) Limited. With this cross-continental express route, we can better serve the growing demand for digital connectivity and business interactions between Asia, Africa and South America - including the BRICS countries.

CTG in conjunction with its partners is committed to establishing a high-quality ecosystem and global network that offers reliable, diversified international routing resources. Through the current network infrastructure  and leveraging the capabilities and potential of SACS, CTG customers can enjoy secure, cost efficient low-latency speed of ~156 ms connecting Johannesburg to Sao Paulo.

Angola Cables is in a unique position to provide a seamless solution to China Telecom Global through our robust network connections in the transatlantic region. Using our advanced network of WACS, SACS and Monet submarine cables, we are able to offer a more direct routing of traffic and data between markets in the East to the rapidly expanding Latin American markets and busy IP traffic centres worldwide, said Antonio Nunes, CEO of Angola Cables.
France Still Bans Burqas and Niqabs Despite New Compulsory Face Mask Mandate

Like much of the world, France has declared that wearing a face mask in public is now mandatory due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the new mandate, however, France still has a ban on burqas, niqabs and other Islamic face coverings.

A controversial ban now implemented in a number of other countries in Europe as well as in Quebec, France outlawed women from wearing full face veils, niqabs and other kinds of head and face coverings in 2011. The French government claimed that the ban was set in place because they believed full face coverings were a violation of womens freedoms. Many Muslim women and others in the country, as well as throughout the world, called out the ban for what it truly was: Islamaphobic. "I want to say solemnly, the burqa is not welcome in France, the French president at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy stated. In our country, we cant accept women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. Thats not our idea of freedom. Many protests were held throughout the country of women defending their right to wear a head and/or face covering and fighting for their religious freedom.

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Another common excuse French and European lawmakers gave to justify the Islamaphobic ban on niqabs and burqas was that they pose a security threat. Former president of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, stated covering ones face in public at a time of terrorism presents a danger to society.  You could carry a rocket launcher under your veil. Its not funny. While its a good thing that France adopted the face-mask mandate in order to protect public health, one has to wonder why they dont consider cloth and medical face-masks to be a security threat. Even though the rest of France will now be required to wear face coverings out in public, Muslim women who do so will continue to be punished and fined upward of 150-eruo ($163 USD). Wearing a mask intended to prevent any risk of contagion by COVID-19 does not constitute a criminal offense," Frances interior ministry stated.

Many have taken to Twitter to speak out on the topic including Qasim Rashid, who is running for congress in the state of Virginia:

Not the Onion



France mandates masks to control CoronavirusBurqas remain banned.??



Frances ridiculous anti-Muslim women policies are showing loud & clear



Even in the face of global pandemic France wont admit its bigoted burqa ban is wrong. Smh

https://t.co/r8Dx3oFIMn  Qasim Rashid for Congress (@QasimRashid) May 10, 2020

In France, in these days, a woman could be fined  165 for covering her face, wearing a niqab; but at the same time risks to be fined  135 for not covering her face walking in public without a face maskhttps://t.co/GgoZOTj0vb pic.twitter.com/zctKk0tLkz  laspide (@aspide_l) May 16, 2020

Coronavirus exposed the real reasons behind France's 'burqa ban'



if an observant Muslim woman wanted to get on the Paris Metro, she would be required to remove her burqa and replace it with a mask". https://t.co/X7jK0JE2tJ May 18, 2020

While the burqa and niqab ban was wrong long before the Covid-19, France has made it even clearer that the law comes from a place of prejudice. Now, people are once again speaking out about the fact that the French face covering ban was not created for public safety nor to protect womens freedom, reminding the world that the ban is purely Islamophobic.

Image via DW News on YouTube

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Aliza is a Creative Writing BFA student and former BUST Magazine intern! When she's not writing, reading or scrolling through TikTok for hours on end, you can find her consuming copious amounts of iced coffee or doing something witchy. Follow her on Twitter @alizapelto.
Aussie hip hop collective OneFour has opened up about the future of their music and a collaboration with US rap sensation ASAP Ferg following months of turmoil with the police.

The notorious rap group, from Mount Druitt in western Sydney, has been plagued by legal dramas since two members were jailed over a brutal pub room assault, and cops moved to effectively shut down their 2019 national tour.

In a tell-all interview, one half of the group, J Emz and Spenny, revealed their upcoming musical pursuits have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

'We got big plans, that got ruined by this f**king virus,' J Emz laughed. 'Hopefully it all goes well after everything blows over.'

J Emz also teased OneFour would be dropping an album at some point this year, but he didn't give too much away on when they would release more music.

Rapper Spenny shed light on OneFour's successful collaboration with A$AP FERG, who flew into Sydney from his native New York earlier this year.

'We had a meeting earlier that day where we were planning out what tracks we were going to bring out next,' Spenny said.

In a tell-all interview, J Emz (right) and Spenny (left) said their upcoming musical pursuits have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic

OneFour opened up about their recent collaboration with US rap sensation ASAP Ferg (right) on their song Say It Again. Pictured: Say It Again's video clip

The notorious rap group, from Mount Druitt in western Sydney, has been plagued by legal dramas since two members were jailed over a brutal pub room assault

'At the end of the meeting our manager, Ricky, was like "Ferg said he wants to jump on this" and he wanted to link up.'

But due to scheduling, the band only had a small window of opportunity to meet up with ASAP Ferg (real name Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr).

'We just wanted to meet him, that's it,' J Emz said.

'We were waiting at the studio and his security came up and checked the surroundings and made sure everything was all clear.

'We showed him some of our tracks and had a chat.'

The rap group - who have amassed more than 30 million views on their YouTube channel and 28 million plays on Spotify - were initially told their meeting with ASAP Ferg would only be for 10 minutes to take a photo.

But after the US rapper took a liking to their music, Spenny realised a collaboration was on the cards.

'He was showing us some of his beats as well and I was kind of getting the hint... and then bang he wanted to jump on it and said "let's do a video clip tomorrow",' Spenny said.

The group immediately left the room to celebrate after ASAP Ferg's proposal.

'We were in the hallway and we were like "I can't believe this is happening right now",' J Emz said.

CCTV footage of the brawl at a western Sydney pub that landed three of OneFour's members in jail

Pio Misa (pictured), a member of the OneFour rap group, was last year jailed for four years over a brutal attack in Western Sydney's Rooty Hill in 2018

'It's war against the feds right now - we tryna get outta the hood. These guys hate seeing us do well and it's a shame but f**k what anyone thinks,' the group wrote on Instagram as the sentencing was announced

Spenny said OneFour learnt a lot from seeing ASAP Ferg produce music in his element.

'The way he was recording just taught us a lot about working with big artists,' he said.

'And he didn't have to do that, he didn't need to come out to [Mount Druitt ].'

J Emz and Spenny said in 10 years from now they want their fans to remember them as 'successful kids that came from Mount Druitt'.

'We want them to remember mainly the good [things] we've done,' J Emz said.

The candid interview comes just months after two members of the 'drill rap' group were jailed for bashing three men in a pokie room with a hammer and a chair leg.

Pio Misa, known as Youngest Player or just YP, was jailed for four years in December.

Dahcell Ramos, who goes by the rap name celly14, was jailed for 10 years.

In the early hours of July 21 2018, Misa and Ramos were at the Carousel Inn in Rooty Hill when they viciously assaulted Anthony Hayward, Tony Taylor and Shayne Turner.

One of the men was so beaten so severely he was left unconscious on the floor and covered in blood.

OneFour cancelled their national tour late last year after claims police pressured venues out of hosting their shows.

'Our entire national tour has now been cancelled. Our fans have never caused any issue at our concerts. So why can't you see us perform?' OneFour wrote on their social media channels in November.

'Making and performing music is not a crime. And when they tell you you've got to make a better future for yourself why do they want to trap you in your past?'

The sudden cancellation came after Strike Force Raptor teamed up with Strike Force Imbara to stop gang related violence in western Sydney.

OneFour then declared 'war against the feds' in retaliation to Misa and Ramos' jailing.

The group shared an angry rant against law enforcement just hours after Misa and Ramos had their sentences announced at Sydney District Court.

'It's war against the feds right now - we tryna get outta the hood. These guys hate seeing us do well and it's a shame but f**k what anyone thinks,' they wrote.

Misa and Ramos (photo of the two in court pictured) were both jailed for four and ten years respectively over the attack in western Sydney's Rooty Hill in 2018

Members of the group based in western Sydney (pictured) admitted in the documentary they can 'relate to stabbings and punch-ons'

The group is understood to consist of four main rappers who go by the nicknames YP, J Emz, Lekks and Spenny - along with friends who feature including Celly.

Those associated with the group have proudly boasted of attacking police who try to break up their late-night parties.

In a documentary filmed by VICE in 2019, the group took filmmakers through one of their main homelands of Mount Druitt in Sydney's far west.

'We can't relate to shooting or something but we can relate to stabbings and punch-ons though,' one of OneFour's rappers told filmmakers.

In another part of the documentary, one member told of how they would hold what are called OneFour parties in a suburban garage.

'Everyone from the area would come and it would go off you know,' a member said.

Pio 'YP' Misa (left) and Dahcell 'Celly' Ramos (right) viciously assaulted three men at the Carousel Inn in Rooty Hill

'Everyone used to turn on the coppers after the parties were getting shut down - they would just wait for the end and just try and turn on the cops.

'There were bottles, rocks, everything (thrown at police)'.

'They won't let us perform in AUS right now but one day they gon' beg for it, NZ here we come,' the group wrote.

The artists perform drill rap, a hardcore version of hip hop that moved from Chicago to the UK, that has come under fire from UK police for inciting violence.

They have developed a cult following online, with singles Shanks and Shivs, The Message and Spot the Difference racking up millions of views on YouTube.

In some songs the rappers talk about stabbing people and putting them in coffins.

Misa (centre) had hidden a wooden chair leg inside his clothes and used it to hit a man inside a pokies room

The rap group (members pictured above) apologised to their fans and said jailed member YP understood that the 'show must go on'
ISIS kills 9 in Syria in 24 hrs 3 incidents in eastern part of country

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 18 - Over the past 24 hours, the Islamic State (ISIS) has carried out three attacks in eastern Syria and killed at least 9 people.



Local media, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and ground sources reported the news. The sources said that the jihadists had attacked a vehicle east of Homs along the highway to Deir al-Zor that was carrying four people including a Syrian government official and a woman, killing them instantly. In another incident in the town of Sukhna on the same highway between the capital and Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, other jihadists beheaded four adult men on charges of being ''spies''.



The ISIS website Amaq published photos of the execution in a unspecified location. In the third incident, ISIS killed at least one Kurdish Syrian fighter in eastern Deir al-Zor in the town of al-Busayrah, in an area under the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and patrolled by the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.



(ANSAmed).




Accusations of a deep state conspiracy. Allegations of personal and family corruption. Painting an opponent as a Washington insider not to be trusted.

Its 2016 again. Or at least that's President Donald Trump's hope.

Trump and his allies are dusting off the playbook that helped defeat Hillary Clinton, reviving it in recent days as they try to frame 2020 as an election between a dishonest establishment politician and a political outsider being targeted for taking on the system. This time, however, the so-called outsider is the sitting president of the United States.

Eager to distract from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 89,000 Americans and crippled the economy, Trump and his advisers have started their fog machine again, amplified by conservative media as it was during the Russia probe and the impeachment investigation. Their latest target: the presidents likely general election foe, Joe Biden, in an urgent effort to drive up his negative approval ratings less than six months before the election.

The strategy already centered on playing up allegations that Bidens son, Hunter, profited off the vice presidency. Trump recently added Bidens ties to China, the country the White House now squarely blames for the spread of COVID-19. And it kicked into overdrive last week when Trump seized upon revelations that Biden was informed of the investigation of ties between Russia and Michael Flynn, a senior Trump official, as evidence of a plot to undermine a presidency before it began.

Flynns so-called unmasking, a common request by a government official for an intelligence agency to identify someone in contact with a foreigner under surveillance, became the centerpiece of unprecedented attacks by Trump on his predecessor. Trump said, without evidence, that Barack Obama  and, by extension, his vice president  had perpetrated the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country."

This was all Obama. This was all Biden. These people were corrupt  the whole thing was corrupt  and we caught them, Trump said. People should be going to jail for this stuff.

The Biden campaign quickly pushed back, denying wrongdoing and noting the routine practice of unmasking to help officials understand intelligence. They're painting Trump's reaction as a tired play that will have little effect on voters who've watched three years of a scattershot presidency now struggling to handle the pandemic.

We have a president who doesnt want to talk about the central issue in this campaign right now, said Mike Donilon, one of Bidens longest-serving advisers. This isnt new. Its not like Trump started attacking the vice president today or yesterday. Hes been at him all year long.

The president, Donilon asserted, falls back on an all-out effort to try to take people away from what theyre living through, describing a tactic that he acknowledged has succeeded in the past in terms of throwing up distractions and smokescreen.

Trumps ability to distract, deflect and dominate headlines remains peerless among politicians.

77 Photos: President Trump holds campaign rally in New Hampshire

Four years ago, among his countless broadsides against Clinton, were accusations that her use of a private email server as secretary of state endangered national security and charges that she used her government connections to enrich her family through the nonprofit Clinton Foundation. For many voters, the insinuations worked, underscoring existing doubts about the integrity of a woman who'd been in the public eye for decades and, along with her husband, the former president, had struggled at times with being viewed as trustworthy.

Polls suggest an uphill climb for a reprisal against Biden. Fewer voters dislike Biden than they did Clinton. And in 2016, voters who had negative views of both candidates overwhelmingly broke for Trump; for now, they favor Biden.

There are other inherent limitations to Trump's effort to repeat his 2016 strategy.

The FBI did investigate Clintons use of the email server and, while it did not bring charges, the fallout was politically damaging. But while the optics of the younger Bidens lucrative work in China and with a Ukrainian gas company have frustrated some Democrats, no one has charged either father or son with any wrongdoing.

And it was Trumps push for Ukraine to find politically damaging dirt on the Bidens that led to the presidents impeachment.

But the storyline wont go away. Trumps allies in the Senate will hold hearings into the younger Bidens work overseas to portray the former vice president as a longtime Washington insider whose family benefited from his stature.

From his involvement in the unmasking of General Flynn to his son Hunter Biden repeatedly landing lucrative foreign business deals while his father was vice president, Joe Biden embodies the D.C. swamp, said Trump campaign spokeswoman Sarah Matthews.

Trumps attempts to turn the routine into the sinister has also fueled his latest effort to undermine special counsel Robert Muellers report, which identified substantial contacts between Trump associates and Russia but did not accuse him of a crime or allege a criminal conspiracy between his campaign and the Kremlin. Now the plan is to link the Democratic standard-bearer to the probe.

Biden allies display something approaching amusement as they tick through the attacks Trump has leveled against the former vice president, including calling him Sleepy Joe.

The campaign is responding with a two-fold approach: detailed defenses of Biden on the merits and then arguing the attacks demonstrate Trumps own weaknesses. They point to the Trump family's ongoing business entanglements across the world while his daughter and son-in-law work in the White House to his weeks spent complimenting Chinese President Xi Jingping before blaming Beijing for the pandemic.

In that environment, Biden's team doesn't believe a pervasive narrative like Hillarys emails will shadow this campaign.

People have a really good understanding of who Joe Biden is, Donilon said, arguing that Trumps handling of the pandemic plays into arguments about experience, competence and temperament that Biden has made since he launched his bid last spring.

Yet similar Trump smokescreens confused Americans about both the Russia and Ukraine investigations. And while the unmasking accusations may inspire the GOP base more than persuade swing voters, Trump allies believe it can help negatively define Biden and prove a coordinated effort to thwart a duly elected president.

Its a reminder that Trump is the outsider trying to take on those who were entrenched in power for decades, said Jason Miller, a top aide on Trumps 2016 campaign. And if Trump is the outsider, Biden is the insider.
Amazon, the worlds largest retailer, is powerful and with great power comes great responsibility. Responsible power is accompanied by transparency and especially when you have staff deaths.

The CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos will be a trillioniare by 2026. Thats the approximate worth of Amazon as a corporation in 2020.

Workers health and safety have taken a backdoor to profit margins. The greatest example of this is Amazon already cutting off recently granted $2 raises to its employees.

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Should we believe the Amazon employees or executives?

The first protests against Amazons treatment of its employees started in New York with Chris Smalls.

Chris Smalls raised concerns with superiors at Amazon on behalf of his subordinates. They ignored and smeared Smalls as unintelligent and incapable of leading a unionized effort.

The conversations of top board members leaked to media. The shared emails included Jeff Bezos.

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Soon after Chris Smalls did not have a job at Amazon.

This invigorated Smalls to take on the role of an Activist in lieu of his firing. He has since been interviewed by Lesley Stahl on 60 minutes (CBS). Head of Operations Dave Clark who is in charge of over a thousand Amazon facilities got interviewed in contrast.

The cross examination offers a very sanitized version of events on behalf of Amazon.

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Amazons PR stunt had Bezos walking through a warehouse

Jeff Bezos did a PR stunt by walking through a warehouse. The media arm put out a bunch of ads about how theyre here for everyone in these trying times. Many companies have now switched to this compassionate advertisement model.

The first employee to have COVID-19 was reported in early March. The first employee that died from the disease was Operations Manager from Southern California. Business Insider states this happened March 31.

I originally stated A worker died at the Bronx fulfillment center in April. I was mistaken. There was an employee who worked at the Staten Island facility who died in April. It was at that facility. There have been calls from RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum to close and disinfect it according to ABC.

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Amazon has thus far spent $800 million (of a promised $4 billion) in response to this. The problem is; for a trillion dollar company that amounts to a drop in the bucket. Since the first fatality happened there are now seven Amazon workers who have died.

Amazon is instituting 150+ new sanitizing methods to quell COVID-19. But the numbers of deaths do not coincide with what one might consider safe.

The company maintains any cause of cases of COVID-19 came from outside the facility. COVID-19 can be asymptomatic.

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They understand the severity of the situation because they pulled out of MWC in February to protect its public facing reps.

VP Tim Bray stepped down over the firing of whistle blowers. He said it speaks to an element of toxicity in the companies culture from the top down.

Now would be a great time for those Amazon Drones. As the worlds largest retailer, Amazon has to do better.

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UPDATE: An Amazon Spokesperson has since issued the following statement:

In regards to the worker compensation: This appreciation pay incentive enabled us to deliver essential items to communities during these unprecedented times. We are grateful to associates supporting customers during a time of increased demand, and are returning to our regular pay and overtime wages at the end of the month.

In regards to the firing of Chris Smalls: We did not terminate Mr. Smalls employment for organizing a 15-person protest. We terminated his employment for putting the health and safety of others at risk and violations of his terms of his employment. Mr. Smalls received multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines. He was also found to have had close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was asked to remain home with pay for 14-days, which is a measure were taking at sites around the world. Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite further putting the teams at risk.
TDT | Manama

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa hailed yesterday Bahraini businessmen and their role in spurring economic growth, supporting investments and consolidating the Kingdoms standing as an outstanding regional and international business hub.

His Majesty said this as he received at Al Safriya Palace, in the presence of HM the Kings Personal Representative HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) chairman Samir Abdulla Nass and Bahrain Businessmens Association chairman Khalid Rashid Alzayani.

HM the King discussed with the key issues related to the private sector to continue programmes and activities in all sectors, in light of the current circumstances resulting from the pandemic outbreak. HM the King hailed BCCI and commended its contributions to revitalising the trade and industrial sectors.

He lauded BCCI-led efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) and mitigate its spread, being an active partner in national development and a pivotal representative of the private sector. He also commended the activities and events held by the businessmens association in supporting the trade sector.

HM the King said that Bahrains businessmen back the trading and economic communities as well as the chamber, and help continue their vital contribution to national development. HM the King stressed the importance of harnessing efforts to preserve national gains and double work to overcome the repercussions of the current stage, in a way that supports and enhances the national economy.

He expressed confidence in Bahrains ability to overcome this phase thanks to the efforts and assistance of loyal citizens and patriotic competencies, and to move towards the future with determination and steadfastness to pursue development for a better future for coming generations.

The BCCI chairman expressed his deepest thanks, on behalf of the trading community, to HM the King, hailing royal directives and keenness on the trading and economic sectors in Bahrain. He praised the royal support to the chamber and the private sector, pledging to spare no effort to mitigate the pandemic fallout in cooperation with all competent authorities.

He underlined the BCCIs long-standing support to the governments efforts to develop the national economy, spur growth and serve the interests of the private sector.

The BCCI and businessmens association chiefs congratulated HM the King on the last 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan, praying to Allah the Almighty to bless HM the King and the loyal people of Bahrain and lift the pandemic off the Arab and Islamic nations.
Editors note: Moose was recognized as part of virtual commencement proceedings at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine by serving as ceremonial proxy in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs hooding ceremony for the graduating class. This story has been updated from an earlier version to reflect these details.

A Virginia Tech staffer who has spent a career serving and supporting the university community will be recognized today in a special commencement ceremony.

Hes also sure to receive plenty of treats and a hearty Good boy!

Moose, an 8-year-old therapy dog at Virginia Techs Cook Counseling Center, will be lauded Friday evening as part of virtual commencement exercises at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, serving as the Class of 2020s ceremonial proxy in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs hooding ceremony. Its the latest recognition for the pawsome member of Hokie Nation.

Like the Hokies he helps, Moose has had a challenging few months. Just a week after his birthday in February (his 64th, in human years), the Labrador Retriever was diagnosed with prostate cancer and began a treatment regimen of radiation, chemotherapy, and other therapies.
Khamenei Threatens The US With Expulsion From Iraq And Syria

Radio Farda May 18, 2020

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says the United States will be "expelled from Iraq and Syria," adding that "The U.S. government's long-term performance has led to abhorrence by a major part of the world."

Khamenei's remarks came during a virtual meeting via video teleconference on Sunday May 17 with a group of students and the members of student political, scientific, and cultural associations in Tehran.

Khamenei also accused the United States of "warmongering, helping notorious governments, training terrorists, unconditional support for oppression and the like."

The U.S., several regional counties and at times leading European states have accused Iran of exporting violence and extremism to other countries. It seemed Khamenei was intent to blame the United States for the same behaviour it stands accused of.

He said "Other than the nations, many of the leaders of the states that cooperate with America privately reveal their hatred and distrust of the United States."

The Americans say clearly that they have deployed forces to Syria because it has oil. But "the Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria; they'll be expelled."

Although Khamenei's official website highlighted his remark about "expelling America from Iraq and Syria" on its English front-page, the message to the domestic audiences on the Persian page was about the 2021 Presidential election.

Addressing the students, he called for a young administration and president after 2021, but at the same time made it clear that "I do not mean Iran's next president should be a 32-year-old man."

After listening to questions by the students, he also made it clear that he was addressing the Iranian youths "who own the future of Iran" calling on them "to hoist the flag of idealism, be inquisitive, voice their demands without aggression, try to expand the revolutionary front, do not pay too much attention to differences in tastes, distance themselves from those who question the foundations of the Islamic revolution and be alert to the enemy's plots against Iranian youths.

In repeated widespread protests since 2017, throngs of young Iranians have come out into the streets to demand an end to corruption and mismanagement in the country and at times they have even demanded an end to the Islamic system of government.

However, hardliners in Iran led by Khamenei have blamed the protests on foreign enemies, while security forces keep a tight lid over citizens.

Khamenei said "Iran is facing a widespread front of oppression, blasphemy and imperialism that wishes to make the Islamic Iran surrender. If they succeed, it will be too costly for the future of the country."

He said the enemies wish to stop Iran in order to prevent it from becoming a desirable model to be followed by other nations. "but Iran's military and non-military experiences during the past 40 years prove that it has all the potentials to defeat its enemies."

As an example of Iran's capabilities, Khamenei said that in comparison to what has been done in the West, Iran's scientific success in its effort to know the virus, as well as the launching of a satellite into the space have led Iranians to believe they are power and dignified.

He called on the youth to be idealists and demand justice and elimination of corruption in a bid to create an Islamic civilization. But he warned that their demands should be voiced in a way that would not be mistaken for protest.

Khamenei once again explained his idea about a new "young and Hezbollah government," as an administration that is always ready to work to solve the country's problems.

"Some people remain young despite their age. Martyr Haj Qassem Soleimani was 60 years old, but I would have kept him in the same position for another ten years if he was not martyred," Khamenei said.

Meanwhile, Khamenei suggested that the youth should expand the revolutionary front. "There might be a difference of opinion between you and others who also believe in the fundamentals of the Islamic revolution. Assimilate them and expand the revolutionary front as much as you can," he said. "But never compromise with those who question the fundamentals of the revolution."

He said at the end of his speech, "We should take care of our youth to prevent their recruitment by the enemies."

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/khamenei- threatens-the-us-with-expulsion-from -iraq-and-syria/30617296.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.

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China will send a special team to Israel on May 18 to conduct an internal investigation into the death of the Chinese ambassador to the Jewish state, Du Wei, who was found dead at his residence near Tel Aviv on the morning of May 17, TASS reported referring to Haaretz.

According to the source, the special team will conduct an internal investigation of the circumstances of the death of the ambassador and will coordinate the activities of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Israel.

The team will organize the transfer of the diplomat's body to the homeland, and Wei's family will fly to Israel with a special team, the newspaper said. Du Wei took his post in February 2020.

China Central TV on Sunday reported that the ambassador to the Jewish state died due to health reasons, noting that the cause of the ambassadors death requires further verification and confirmation. The Chinese MFA expressed sincere condolences to the family members of the diplomat.

Earlier on Sunday, the Jewish state FM Israel Katz has also expressed his condolences.
The violence in Nigerias northwest is rooted in the intense competition for land between Hausa farmers and Fulani herders, both of whom respectively mobilise vigilantes and bandits, a coming report is saying. The report by the International Crisis Group is due for release next Monday. It identifies the effects of climate change, the proliferation of small and light arms, demographic explosion, Jihadi infiltration, and weak governance, among others, in exacerbating the violence.

The report brings a perspective, that is rarely acknowledged in commentaries on Nigerias spreading violence: as the herders are involved in violence with farming populations in the Middle Belt and further south, so are they with Hausa farming groups in the northwest, commonly regarded as the core north. This perspective may help improve the understanding of the herder-farmer conflict in Nigeria as one not essentially rooted in any ethnoreligious expansionist agenda but competition for resources in the context of ecological degradation and unchecked population growth. Ethnicity and religion as well as weak governance may have only drawn out the conflict and made a solution rarely possible.

Read the executive summary of the ICG report below

Nigerias arid North West is beset by violence between herders and farmers, which has been compounded by an explosion in criminal activity and infiltration by jihadist groups into the region. The last decade has seen thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, with many fleeing into Niger Republic next door. State-level peace efforts with several armed factions have had some success, but these will not prove durable unless more actors lay down their weapons. To roll back the mayhem, federal and state authorities should focus on reducing tensions between herders and farmers, including by expediting implementation of the national livestock plan. They should also support dialogue between the Hausa and Fulani, the regions two communities most closely tied to farming and herding, respectively. In addition, Abuja needs to improve security and law enforcement in the region in order to curb criminality and bolster its ability to protect citizens, as well as to step up efforts to address environmental and economic issues underlying the violence.

The causes of violence in the North West are complex and inter-related. At its root, the regions security crisis derives from long-running competition over land and water resources between predominantly Fulani herders and mainly Hausa farmers, both of whom have over time mobilised armed groups (referred to by the authorities as bandits and vigilantes, respectively) for protection. Climate change-related environmental degradation and high population growth have intensified this struggle. Amid a boom in the trade of small arms and light weapons in the region, organised gangs operating from ungoverned forests have proliferated, engaging in cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery, including of miners and traders in the largely unregulated gold mining sector, as well as pillage of communities. Having originated in Zamfara state, gang violence has since spread to five other nearby states, namely Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger, the last of which is in North Central Nigeria.

As security has deteriorated, the region has steadily come under the renewed influence of jihadist groups, which have sometimes attacked security forces. The spike in jihadist activity in the North West has raised fears that the region could soon become a land bridge connecting Islamic insurgencies in the central Sahel with the decade-old insurgency in the Lake Chad region of north-eastern Nigeria. Security sources point to a resurgence of the long-dormant Boko Haram splinter group, Jamaatu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Group of Partisans for Muslims in Black Africa), better known as Ansaru, which was active in north-western Nigeria between 2011 and 2014. Elements of other Boko Haram offshoots, notably the Islamic State in West Africa Province, are arriving in the area. A poorly secured international boundary, meanwhile, enables the influx of arms and facilitates the movement of jihadists to and from the Sahel, where the Islamic State has been expanding its influence.

Violence has had a far-reaching humanitarian and economic impact on the region and created a domino effect of security problems. Over the last decade, more than 8,000 people have been killed  mainly in Zamfara state  with over 200,000 internally displaced and about 60,000 fleeing into Niger Republic. Livestock and crops have been decimated, further depressing human livelihood indices that were already the countrys lowest. The violence is aggravating other security challenges: it has forced more herders southward into the countrys Middle Belt, thus increasing herderfarmer tension in that region and beyond.

Nigerias federal and state governments initially responded to the violence primarily through military and police operations, and by prescribing harsher punishments for armed attacks, but results were disappointing. President Muhammadu Buhari repeatedly charged troops with eliminating armed elements destabilising the North West, deploying soldiers and police along with air assets to the region over the course of several consecutive operations. But the state security presence on the ground remains too thin and poorly resourced to subdue the armed groups or protect communities across the vast territory. At the same time, military operations against armed groups in the region have dispersed some of them to other regions, deepening insecurity countrywide

Some state governments have more recently engaged in peace talks with herder-allied armed groups, partly because these groups are perceived as the major actors in the violence. They are offering amnesties to those willing to disarm, while pledging to address herders grievances and needs. These concessions produced peace agreements that curbed the violence in late 2019, but with deadly incidents continuing and the region awash in arms, the sustainability of these deals is highly questionable.

Durably ending the violence in Nigerias North West requires a multi-pronged approach, some of which must necessarily focus on the long term. The foremost priority is to encourage negotiated settlements between herders and farmers, as well as to disarm, rehabilitate and reintegrate members of their allied armed groups. In support of this effort, the federal and state governments should prioritise reforming livestock production systems in a manner that addresses the needs of both herders and farmers, and thereby minimises friction between them. Abuja should work with Niamey to improve border security to stem the flow of jihadists and weapons into the North West and strengthen its forestry departments to regulate the woods where armed groups make camp. It should also better regulate the regions potentially lucrative gold sector, while working with international partners to address dire humanitarian needs and doing what it can to mitigate the effects of climate change in the region.

This mix of short- and long-term measures is hardly guaranteed to succeed. But if vigorously pursued and well supported by international partners, it represents the best chance for staunching the spread of violence and achieving a measure of stability in a region that has already seen more than its fair share of conflict, crisis and humanitarian need.
Its still a tear-jerker to watch it, Loquist said.

On Saturday, a parade of friends and family gathered for a welcome-back car caravan in front of the Lansing home of Russell Loquist, 57, and his wife, Yvonne, 56. After being away from home for so long  first at a hospital and then at a rehab facility  Russell Loquist was finally able to return home and was greeted by a drive-by celebration.

He said it all began in late March. Russell Loquist began to feel feverish and was short of breath on March 25 and the next day he went to the Community Hospital in Munster.

Yvonne helped get me into a wheelchair and into the ER lobby but she was told she couldnt go any further," Russell Loquist recalled. They put a mask on me and I took a selfie going into the ER, and that was the last thing I could remember.

He said after arriving in the emergency room, he doesnt remember much of anything. He was moved to the ICU and put on a ventilator for two weeks. During this time, he had to be out into a drug-induced coma to ease the strain on his lungs.

I could see people moving around the room but I couldnt move, he said. I was just out of it.
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(Kitco News) - Silvercorp Metals Inc. (TSX: SVM, NYSE American: SVM) and Guyana Goldfields Inc. (TSX: GUY) have amended their previously announced merger agreement, the companies reported Sunday.

The deal basically sweetens the pot for shareholders of Guyana Goldfields, with the companies saying the increased offer values Guyana Goldfields at C$227 million. The amended agreement also increases the termination fee to C$9 million that Guyana Goldfields would have to pay Silvercorp if the deal is terminated for certain specified reasons.

The companies said they amended the agreement after Guyana Goldfields received an unsolicited all-cash proposal from a third party. The board of directors of Guyana Goldfields last week rejected an all-stock offer from Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM) and signaled its intention to keep pursuing a merger with Silvercorp.

With the revised offer, each shareholder of Guyana Goldfields shares will receive, for each share held, C$0.25 in cash and 0.1849 of a Silvercorp share. This will mean total consideration of C$1.30 per share, based on the volume-weighted average price for Silvercorp shares during the five trading days ending Thursday, the company announced.

Under the original agreement announced on April 27, Guyana Goldfields shareholders were to receive either C$0.60 in cash or 0.1195 of a Silvercorp common share.

The companies said both boards of directors voted in favor of the amended transaction unanimously. A circular will be mailed to shareholders of Guyana Goldfields in early June, and special meeting and vote on the transaction is planned for June 29.

The companies said Silvercorp now holds 16,549,000 Guyana Goldfields shares, representing 9.48% of all outstanding shares.

After accounting for Silvercorps existing shares, the revised cash offer of C$0.25 implies a total cash component of C$39.5 million, and the share consideration of C$1.05 implies a total share component of 29.2 million shares, the companies said. Based on this, existing Guyana Goldfields shareholders would own 14.4% of Silvercorps pro forma basic shares following the transaction.

Silvercorp is a Canadian company producing silver, lead and zinc from mines in China. Guyana Goldfields, also based in Canada, is focused on the exploration, development and operation of gold deposits in Guyana, South America. The companys flagship mine is the Aurora gold mine, which reached commercial production at the start of 2016.
SEVERAL parks and public amenity sites in Limerick are to reopen from today following the government decision begin Phase 1 of the Roadmap for re-opening society and business.

Limerick City and County Council has confirmed the immediate reopening of the Great Southern Greenway and Lough Gur while Coilte has confirmed that Curragh Chase Forest Park will also reopen today having been closed to the public for several weeks.

From today, barriers at the entrance points along the 40km Great Southern Greenway Limerick have been removed, allowing people to re-use the amenity. igns have been erected telling people that the greenway has re-opened and that they must continue to practice social and physical distancing and other guidance as outlined by the government and health experts, said a spokesperson for the local authority.

Lough Gur Amenity will also reopen for visitors this Monday morning. However, the Heritage Centre and the toilet block on the site remain closed and wont be open until a later phase.

As with the Great Southern Greenway Limerick, visitors to Lough Gur are reminded they must continue to observe social physical distancing and follow all other guidance.

Additional signage and road markings are being erected to remind visitors of their obligations. Certain extremely narrow walkways will continue to remain closed.

Limerick City and County Council is reminding people that those who are using the Great Southern Greenway Limerick and Lough Gur should only do so if within their 5km limit of their home.

Imelda Hurley, Chief Executive of Coillte, is also appealing to those visiting Curragh Chase Forest Park to adhere to the public health guidelines.

The wellbeing and safety of all people in Ireland is at the forefront of Coilltes activities. However, this easing of restrictions will only function if people continue to observe the Covid-19 related Government and HSE advice, including social distancing advice., she said.
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Authorities are set to crackdown on quarantine-fatigued New Yorkers after hundreds were seen congregating outside of restaurants and bars all over the city this weekend, as takeout cocktail and beer services surge in popularity as warmer weather moves in.

With temperatures registering well into the seventies in the Big Apple on Saturday and Sunday, large swaths of residents were seen flocking public spaces and familiar haunts for a sense of normalcy after spending the last two months largely confined to their apartments.

Clusters of people stood outside bars, sat down on sidewalks, and in some cases, even planted themselves down in chairs in the streets outside a number of hotspots across the Upper East Side, the East and West Villages, and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

In what Mayor Bill de Blasio has branded a blatant violation of the citys social distancing orders, revelers were seen downing beers and frozen margaritas in lively scenes that lasted long into the evening.

Im not comfortable at all with people congregating outside bars, de Blasio said during a Sunday press briefing of the lively scenes. That violates what were saying about social distancing. That puts lives in danger.

Authorities are set to crackdown on quarantine-fatigued New Yorkers after hundreds were seen congregating outside of restaurants and bars all over the city this weekend

With temperatures registering well into the seventies across Saturday and Sunday, large swaths of Big Apple residents were seen flocking public spaces and familiar haunts for a sense of normalcy

In what Mayor Bill de Blasio has branded a blatant violation of the citys social distancing orders, revellers were seen downing beers and frozen margaritas in lively scenes that lasted long into the evening

The Upper East Side was singled out as having a particular problem across the mid-May weekend. At least one UES restaurant served customers on premises, a blatant violation of Marchs statewide emergency order

Police officers will be asking groups outside businesses to disperse, de Blasio added, and anybody who refuses may be given a summons. Get your drink and Go home, the mayor warned.

For restaurants in New York - which was deemed the countrys coronavirus epicentre in March - offering cocktails and wine for takeout amid a state-wide shutdowns and bans on in-restaurant dining has been become a critical strategy to avoid permanent closure.

The city's lockdown orders have thrown the jobs of more than 150,000 people working in restaurants and bars into jeopardy.

And with the governments $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) running low, the motivation for owners of bars and eateries to reopen their businesses or expand their services has become more pressing than ever.

De Blasio singled out the Upper East Side as having a particular problem across the mid-May weekend. At least one UES restaurant served customers on premises, a blatant violation of Marchs statewide emergency order, according to NBC New York.

An army of officers from the New York Sheriffs Department lined up along Second Avenue and 84th Street on Sunday night to enforce social distancing guidelines and combat the violations seen the night before, officials said.

If we have to shut places down, we will if theyre starting to violate these rules, de Blasio assured.

For restaurants in New York, which was deemed the countrys coronavirus epicentre in March, offering cocktails and wine for takeout amid a state-wide shutdowns and bans on in-restaurant dining has been become a critical strategy to avoid permanent closure

Clusters of people stood outside bars, sat down on sidewalks, and in some cases, even planted themselves down in chairs in the streets outside a number of hotspots across the Upper East Side, the East and West Villages, and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

A woman wearing a protective mask carries glasses of beer as some restrictions begin to lift during the coronavirus on May 16y, 2020

The city's lockdown orders have thrown the jobs of more than 150,000 people working in restaurants and bars into jeopardy (pictured: People congregate outside a Manhattan bar to drink frozen margaritas in the sunshine)

Elsewhere in the city, outside the upscale West Village spot Extra Virgin, diners were seen crowding outside of the restaurant while they awaited their orders.

A manager at the restaurant told Eater on Sunday night that theyre asking customers to be mindful of their neighbors and not to loiter, however, once people arent on our property, they technically are not within our jurisdiction, he said.

The city has been closing down streets to allow for more outdoor space and to make social distancing easier. Officials have also touted plans for outdoor dining options for restaurants and bars over the summer, however discussions are still in the early stages.

While the uncertainty persists, some restaurants have reportedly been running underground dining operations, Air Mail reported.

Its claimed that as many as 20 to 40 people have been frequenting basement venues all over Manhattan and Brooklyn since the lockdown orders were issued in mid-March.

Lower East Side nightclub Omars La Boite has also reportedly held parties during the shutdown, though the claims have been vehemently denied by its owners, Eater reported.

They just switch nights every week, an insider claimed. If the police come, everyone just says theyre there to pick up their to-go order.

With the governments $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) running low, the motivation for owners of bars and eateries to reopen their businesses or expand their services has become more pressing than ever

A person in protective face mask carries a bag of food as he leaves a restaurant in Chinatown on Sunday

As of Monday, New York City had 190,408 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15,888 deaths and another 4,832 probable deaths (pictured: a couple wearing masks dance in Times Square on May 17, 2020)

Most of the dwellers seen bar-hopping across the weekend were young, and many opted not to wear masks.

City Councilman Mark Levine, who chairs the Health Committee, blamed the recklessness on quarantine fatigue and said he feared it might lead to a rebound in COVID-19 deaths.

As of Monday, New York City had 190,408 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15,888 deaths and another 4,832 probable deaths.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said opening the city's strands 'is not the right thing to do in the epicenter of this crisis'

Levine warned its only going to get worse as we head into a hot New York City summer. The democrat urged de Blasio to plan for the safe outdoor use of streets, parks and beaches or risk driving noncompliance underground.

During his press briefing on Monday, de Blasio said the city may begin phased reopening in the first half of June, allowing construction to resume and retailers to reopen with some restrictions.

The state has identified seven indicators it must follow, including the number of available hospital beds and number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, that it must meet to begin reopening.

According to de Blasio, New York has so far met three of those seven indicators.

New York City has seen a 14-day decline in net hospitalizations and a 14-day decline in hospital deaths and its testing more than 30 people per 1,000 residents every month.

In order to meet the remaining guidelines, the city must further drive down new hospitalizations, increase the share of total hospital beds available and increase its share of ICU beds.

'Theres a real subtle balance that needs to be struck but if the question is do we believe well meet all seven state indicators, yes. When? The first half of June,' De Blasio said at a news briefing. 'You cant guarantee anything in life.'

Circle of gloom? Sunbathers stay within painted zones in Domino Park, Brooklyn on Sunday

People are seen practising social distancing in white circles in Domino Park, Brooklyn on Sunday

Sun-seekers were expected to stay inside the large circles - dubbed human parking spots - which were sprayed six feet apart

Officials are now trying to invent new ways to implement crowd control to stop potential outbreaks. On Sunday law enforcement helped to hand out 7.5 million free face coverings across the five boroughs.

After giving updates about the coronavirus in the city, de Blasio addressed questions about beaches reopening in the city.

'There's obviously a huge interest in the beaches and the state of New York has said that different localities can make different choices and some are deciding in the metropolitan area to open beaches for Memorial Day - the traditional start of the beach season.

'I've said before and I'll say it again. We are not opening our beaches on Memorial Day. It is not safe. It is not the right thing to do in the epicenter of this crisis.'

De Blasio said city officials are going to be 'very smart and careful' about reopening and will continue to watch indicators, which don't 'have us where we need to be yet'.

'After all of the progress we've made fighting back this disease, we're not taking that chance,' he added.

The mayor said he hasn't ruled out beaches reopening later in the summer.

Central Park, Manhattan: People wearing protective masks walk their bicycles past a social distancing sign reading "KEEP THIS FAR APART" at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park on Sunday

A view of people enjoying the weather at a very busy Hudson River Park on Saturday afternoon, many of whom aren't wearing face masks

De Blasio said walking on beaches is permitted, but if people start to swim or defy social distancing guidelines then the city will take more drastic measures and put fencing in place to keep people out.

Managers at one New York City park have painted white circles on the grass in a bid to enforce social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, sun-seekers arrived at Domino Park in Brooklyn to find that they were unable to lay out where ever they wanted.

Instead, they were expected to stay inside the large circles - dubbed human parking spots - which were sprayed six feet apart from one another.

On Sunday Cuomo received a test in order to demonstrate how 'easy' and 'fast' it is to get one done because New Yorkers are not getting tested.

'The new problem is we have more sites and more testing capacity than we're using. We have drive-thru sites that can do about 15,000 [tests] per day. We're doing about 5,000 per day,' Cuomo said.
" " HistoryNmoor/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 An artist's impression of Mansa Mura with his hordes of soldiers.

In Europe, the 1300s were dark days  a period of religious insularity and superstition made even worse by the arrival of the Black Death, an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed an estimated 50 million people on the continent alone. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in sub-Saharan Africa, the Mali Empire was experiencing a medieval flourishing of culture and learning fueled by unimaginable wealth.

At the center of it all was a West African king named Mansa Musa, who reigned over a vast Muslim empire stretching 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean to modern-day Niger. But more important than the size of Mansa Musa's empire was the richness of his natural resources  two highly productive gold fields renowned for producing the purest and most coveted gold in the world.

If the stories told about Mansa Musa are true  that he and his court were bedecked in pure gold, and that he spent so much gold on a pilgrimage to Mecca that he devalued the price of gold for decades  then he may have been the richest man to ever live. The website Celebrity Net Worth says he was worth $400 billion in today's dollars, making Mansa Musa nearly four times as rich as Jeff Bezos.

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The Gold King

Mansa Musa inherited the throne of the Mali Empire between 1307 and 1312 (Mansa means "sultan" or "emperor" in the Mandinka language) and cemented the empire's position at the center of a vast medieval trade network that connected Asia, the Middle East and Europe via Africa by annexing 24 cities. A percentage of all the gold mined in the empire was sent as tribute to the king. Some sources say it was as much as 1 to 1.

An elaborate 14th-century map called the Catalan Atlas features a prominent illustration of Mansa Musa seated on a plush throne, crowned in gold, holding a scepter in one hand and a large golden orb in the other.

" " This detail from the Catalan Atlas Sheet 6 shows Mansa Musa crowned in gold, holding a scepter in one hand and a large golden orb in the other. Bibliotheque nationale de France/Wikimedia Commons

"This Moorish ruler is named Musse Melly [Mansa Musa], lord of the negroes of Guinea," reads the map's description. "This king is the richest and most distinguished ruler of this whole region on account of the great quantity of gold that is found in his lands."

The 14th-century Arab historian Al-'Umari provides a secondhand account of Mansa Musa's opulent throne room, supposedly dripping in gold.

"[The king of Mali] has with him his arms, which are all of gold  sword, javelin, quiver, bow and arrows," wrote Al-'Umari, who then described the members of the Malian royal court. "Their brave cavaliers wear golden bracelets. Those whose knightly valor is greater wear gold necklets also. If it is greater still they add gold anklets."

Historians warn that we should take these ancient accounts with a grain of salt, since they are often biased and almost certainly exaggerated, but they also carry elements of truth.

Kathleen Bickford Berzock is the associate director of curatorial affairs at Northwestern University's Block Museum, where she curated a stunning exhibit about the trans-Saharan trade network that made Mansa Musa so fabulously rich. She says that the "broad strokes" of the stories surrounding Mansa Musa are factual even if the details were embellished over time.

"Certainly Mansa Musa and other rulers from these West African kingdoms had access to huge amounts of wealth, and the gold itself was considered the purest, most valuable gold of its day," says Berzock. "Whether he was the richest man in the history of the world, I don't know."

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Mansa Musa Goes to Mecca

A devout Muslim, Mansa Musa wanted to complete the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. So, in the year 1324, the Malian king set out for modern-day Saudi Arabia with a caravan of mythic proportions.

According to Al-'Umari, the Islamic scholar who was born a decade after the famous hajj, Mansa Musa's caravan swelled to 60,000 people, including 12,000 slaves and countless court officials, soldiers and singing poets called griots. As for traveling money, Al-'Umari said that Mansa Musa brought a "hundred loads of gold" for the trip. If a single load equals 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of gold, as some estimate, that's a lot of bullion.

The journey to Mecca and back took a full year with long layovers in Cairo. According to Al-'Umari, Mansa Musa went on an epic spending spree in the Egyptian capital, handing out gold like it was candy.

"The man flooded Cairo with his benefactions," wrote Al-'Umari. "He left no court emir... no holder of a royal office without the gift of a load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in buying and selling and giving and taking. They exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and caused its price to fall."

That's right. The exchange rate for gold fell throughout the Middle East because of the shopping habits and courtly bribes of a single man. And according to some sources, gold prices stayed down for a decade.

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Salt Above Gold

Mansa Musa was so crazy wealthy because he sat atop the medieval world's most vibrant trade network. The hunger for West African gold was so great that traders were willing to cross the Sahara Desert to get their hands on it.

"That journey by camel caravan took three to four months, with stretches of 10 days or more between stops," says Berzock. "It was a really demanding and arduous journey, with some considerable risk."

But the risk was worth the reward. West African gold was literally the "gold standard," and kingdoms across the world wanted to mint their gold currency with the purest material. Surprisingly, the commodity that was most prized in gold-glutted Mali was salt. It was even used as a currency there. So, caravans would stop along the way to Mansa Musa's empire and trade their textiles and spices for large slabs of Saharan salt.

The medieval Arab writer Ibn Battuta claimed that the Saharan outpost of Teghaza was so rich with desert salt that its buildings were made of pure rock salt. Once in Mali, some sources say that heavy slabs of salt could be traded for their weight in gold.

Berzock says that the lucrative salt-gold trade supported a much larger trans-Saharan trade network with "entrepots"  intermediary trade hubs  in cities like Sijilmasa in Morocco, Niamey in Niger and Tadmakka in Mali.

"On the heels of this gold and salt trade come all these different commodities: glass beads, glass vessel ware, books, textiles, spices, enslaved people," says Berzock. "It's a very complex economy that developed out of this essential trade of gold for salt."

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The Overlooked History of Africa

Berzock says that a larger-than-life figure like Mansa Musa highlights the central and influential role of sub-Saharan Africa in medieval global trade, a story often overshadowed by what came after it: centuries of transatlantic slave trade and European colonialism.

" " The Djinguereber Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali, was commissioned by Mansa Musa who allegedly paid the architect 440 pounds (200 kilgrams) of gold. The mosque still stands today. Ellen Mack/Getty Images

Before and after the reign of Mansa Musa, the Mali Empire was not only wealthy, but a capital of Islamic learning. The fabled Malian city of Timbuktu was home to one of the largest libraries of Islamic scholarship in the medieval world.

"We want to reshape how African history is taught and to reinvest it with the true agency and the true import it deserves," says Berzock. Her exhibit, "Caravans of Gold," is set to open at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in 2020 at a date to be determined.

Now That's Cool When al-Qaeda militants threatened to destroy hundreds of thousands of Timbuktu's medieval Islamic manuscripts, some "badass librarians" plotted to smuggle the priceless texts to safety.
HOLYOKE  The citys school system is collecting donations for 50 students and their families displaced by a windstorm Friday night that tore the roofs off two apartment buildings in the Flats neighborhood.

The school district set up a white van to collect donations Monday at Holyoke High School North at 500 Beech St. Additional collections are scheduled Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Jose Bou, the director of Family and Community Engagement, said the collection addresses the families immediate needs. An hour into the drive, the van was filled with supplies.

"Its been an overwhelming response from the community. Were getting a lot of toiletries, Pampers and gift cards, Bou said. He tried to imagine what a family would need if they were suddenly displaced. The families woke up and had nothing, he said.

For now, people can donate diapers, baby wipes and formula, faces masks, forehead thermometers, hand sanitizer and toiletries all of types, including toothpaste, deodorant and feminine products.

In the era of COVID-19, were worried about sanitation and making sure nobody gets sick, he said. Once we feed and take care of them, how do we continue with the education piece? Were trying to get them computers and education packets.

The Flats neighborhood endures economic distress daily, Bou added. Coming in the midst of a global pandemic, the roof collapse only compounded the stress for the families  what he called a triple trauma.

Amanda Stafford was one of the donors Monday. An occupational therapist, Stafford said she saw a Facebook post about the collection. She had spare boxes of diapers at home. When I saw that families were in need, I thought it was a chance to help them out, she said.

The district welcomes cash donations and gift cards for local restaurants and stores. The drive is currently not accepting food or clothing donations. Donors can send electronic gift card codes to Rebecca Lamb at rlamb@hps.holyoke.ma.us.

High winds ripped the roofs off two apartment complexes on West Street Friday evening, forcing about 140 people including 50 school-age children  from their homes.

The fallen and flying debris also damaged cars. Two people suffered minor injuries and were transported to Holyoke Medical Center. The City of Holyoke and the American Red Cross assisted the families.
Rush Transcript: Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces New York State Has Doubled Testing Capacity to Reach 40,000 Tests Per Day, Encourages Eligible New Yorkers to Get Tested For COVID-19

May 17, 2020

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Happy Sunday. Glad to see you all here, Sunday crew. Hope you're getting overtime, double overtime, triple overtime. I'm on comp time. I have enough comp time to take off nine years now. I've added it up.

Let's look at the facts today. Total hospitalizations is down, good news. Net change is down, intubations is down, and new COVID hospitalizations are down. So, it's a good day across the plate. It is interesting, and we've always been talking about this and been looking at this. It is interesting to see how the decline has actually been relatively flat. Remember, we always talked about we knew how sharp the incline was, what was the decline going look like, what was the contour of the mountain going to look like? Look how long it takes on the way down compared to on the way up. That's why those spikes are dangerous. Once you have the spike, coming down from the spike is a prolonged period of time. Number of deaths are down, 139. At a different time and place, if I had that news to deliver, that would be incredibly shocking to people. Only in this environment is it not shocking. And relative to where we were, it's good news.

Again, we're right about where we were when we started. We just want to make sure we never go back to where we were. The question is reopening, not reopening or not. Everybody wants to reopen. Nobody wants to reopen more than I do. The question is how. We've said the five upstate regions are reopening. We have said there's a dashboard with all the facts and data that are driving these decisions. There's been a shift in the Capital Region and in Western New York where on the seven metrics, on the metrics, they are now qualified for reopening. There is still a need to increase tracing, the number of people who are prepared to do tracing, and that is a pure administrative function. And we'll be working with both the Capital Region and Western New York to get that tracing up but that is a purely administrative function. In the Capital District, we have - we need 383 tracers. We need an additional 166 identified. Western New York, we need 521. We'd need an additional 352. We'll be talking to the regional heads today to find those additional personnel and get them trained and get them ready. But that's the only function that has to be performed for those regions to open. And again, that's something that we anticipated, and that's just administrative and working together with the regions. We can get that done. So, that's good news.

Today is day 78. Day 78, 78 days, a long time or a short time? You can argue both. When you shut down everything and you've gone through the trauma that we've gone through, 78 days is a long time. And people are feeling it, and they're feeling it in a number of ways. We've talked about it, but I don't know that any of us have really explored the depths of the mental health issues that have been created inadvertently through these 78 days. We've been so anxious about the day to day and operationally oriented, we've been talking about hospitalizations, talking about death, talking about infection rates, but there's also a more subtle but very present mental health crisis that has been going on. Don't underestimate the trauma that this has created for people. Out of the blue comes this virus, something we've never seen before. You're living a science fiction movie. It's been incredibly anxiety producing, traumatic, disturbing, and we've felt and seen all along evidence that this is creating a significant mental health challenge for people.

Look at some of these numbers now that people are reporting. The number of Americans who are reporting serious mental distress, up to 38 percent, doesn't even discriminate by age. Eighteen to forty-four. It's a multiple of what its ever been and this something that I think deserves more attention than it has gotten because it's very real. How are you? It's a simple question that we ask. How are you, really? The Mental Health Coalition is working on a project, my brother-in-law Kenneth Cole, his daughter, my niece, Katie Cole - who is a tech genius - are working with the Mental Health Coalition and they're working on a website How Are You, Really? They ask people to answer that question and share their feelings and their thoughts.

Not just "how are you." How are you? Oh I'm doing fine. Thank you. How are you? I'm okay. How are you? You know, pretty much alright. Getting by. Yeah, but forget that answer. How are you, really means let's get to a different depth in the question and a different depth in the answer. How are you, really? You can't be fine. It's not a trite answer. We're going through hell. How are you when you're going through hell? Not good. That's what happens when you're going through hell. I'm not good. I'm anxious, I'm stressed. I'm nervous. I'm afraid. I'm afraid. I'm living a science fiction movie. I am afraid. That's how I am. We're not comfortable talking about that. That's not the normal social back and forth.

The "how are you doing?" question is almost a throwaway. The expected response is "fine." It's almost a rhetorical question. "How are you doing?" Fine, good. How are you doing, really? And let's talk about it and let's be aware of it. Government can do a lot and groups can do a lot, we can also do a lot in our own lives, with our own families. I'm trying with my family on the telephone, the ones I have in person. How are you doing, really? Really, let's talk about this. I want you to understand how I feel and the stress I feel and how are you doing, really? It sounds simple but I think it can be very constructive individually. I know it's been helpful for me and this how are you really can actually provoke a good conversation, so I would suggest people look at it.

For people that have issues, we have a support hotline where we've asked mental health professionals to volunteer their time to connect by FaceTime or on the telephone. We've had a tremendous response, use it. This is nothing to be ashamed of ever in life, but especially now. Of course there's going to be mental health issues and of course people are going to have stress that they need to work through and anxiety that they need to work through. Nothing to be ashamed of ever, but especially now. Also at headspace.com, that has been very helpful and we thank them for their support.

On the reopening strategy, we've said all along that it's data driven and a big piece of the data driven strategy is the testing component. We've all been talking about this testing, especially diagnostic testing, which has been very important. In the beginning, the challenge was what is diagnostic testing? How do we ramp up diagnostic testing? This is a scale that this nation has never done before. How do we do it? How do we do it quickly? It involved the federal government, it involved the state governments. FDA had to approve tests. We then had to get our labs up and running.

We set an initial goal, March 13 - seems like a lifetime ago, but it actually was right over a month. Six thousand tests a day, we were going to try to do and that sounded like a very ambitious goal. We then got to 10,000 tests a day, then got to 15,000 test per day, 20,000 thousand tests. I then met with the President and we talked about an institutional agreement between states and the federal government, where the federal government would help with the supply chain and getting materials to the national labs and the states would be responsible for organizing their labs. We said we were going to try to double our capacity at that time on April 21 or thereabouts and everybody said, "Oh, you're being too aggressive, you can't do it, you can't do it." I said, "well, can I tell you, that's who I am."

We're at doubling the goal. We're now at 40,000 tests per day. So that's May 17. We started with about 6,000 tests. So, we now have a really significant number of tests that we can do so much, so that per capita we are doing more than other countries -significantly more. Diagnostic tests by population, New York is 7.1. Italy is second, 4.1. Canada, USA, nationally is doing 3.3. We're double the national average. So, thank you to the Department of Health team and everybody who has been working so hard to do that. When you compare us to other states in the nation again we're double the percentage. Not raw numbers because we're bigger than many states, but by percentage we're much, much higher and this is a very big advantage for us because testing originally was used to control the virus.

Now testing is really going to be very helpful in monitoring the virus. We're all talking about what is the spread of the virus when you increase economic activity. Well, how do you know what the spread of the virus is? Testing, testing, testing. Not only do we have a large capacity to process the tests, we also have put together a network of testing sites all across the state and we have a new agreement with CVS which has a tremendous network across this state where they're going to be bringing on testing capacity so we thank them very much for that.

But we have now 700 testing sites. Okay? So we can do more tests and we have 700 testing sites across the state which means there's a testing site near you. So many sites that it doesn't fit on a map. That's how many sites. That's what a map looks like when you plot all the sites. It's meaningless, unless you like those blue things all over the state. So it's 700 testing sites.

What's the new problem? The new problem is we have more sites and more testing capacity than we're using. Okay? That's a good problem but that is the next. From hurdle to hurdle, right? Stone to stone. I see it more like from hurdle to hurdle down the track. Now we have more testing capacity and more sites than we're actually using. We have drive-in sites that can do 15,000 per day. We're doing about 5,000 per day. The more tests, the better for the state, the better for society, the better for your family, the better for you.

Who can get a test today? Any individual who thinks they have a Covid symptom. Covid symptoms, coughing, sneezing, fever. What else? Sneezing, coughing, chest pain, cough - because Covid symptoms are basically like flu symptoms. If you think you have symptoms get a test. Get a test. It's up to you. Any individual who has had contact with a person who you find out had Covid, right? You get that phone call. Oh, I was with you last night at a party. Turns out I tested positive for Covid. Okay. you now qualify for a test. You lose your sense of smell. You lose your sense of taste. That's a symptom of Covid. Any individual who is on quarantine, precautionary or mandatory, any healthcare worker, any nursing homeworker, any first responder can go for a test today. Any essential worker who interacts with the public. Food delivery personnel, person working in a retail store, they're all eligible and we're increasing it today. Any individual who would return to work in Phase 1, construction, manufacturing, curbside retail, okay?

But again, it's anyone who thinks they have covid symptoms. So, it's a tremendously large universe of people who can get tested. And all you have to do is go to a website, find the testing site near you, and get a test. And it is a fast and easy thing to do. Now, we've been working on this for a period of time. And first we ought to get the testing capacity up, then we had to get the sites up, then we wanted to make it easy, then we increased eligibility. And we just don't have enough New Yorkers coming to be tested.

So, I've been asking people, have you been tested? No. Why not? Well, they can't say it's inconvenient, because we have 700 sites. They can't say they're not eligible, because if you have any symptoms you're eligible. There is a general proclivity where -- and I don't mean any disrespect to the medical profession. My sister is a doctor. But some people just don't like to go to the doctor and don't like to get tested. On a personal level, they love doctors. How can you not? But there's a reluctance to go to a doctor's office, which I understand. I am not good when it comes to this. I don't do the scheduled, all the scheduled check-ins that I'm supposed to be doing. And it's sort of like do I really want to know? Do I really want to go and be poked, and prodded, and investigated, and have a test and then worry about what the test says? It's just being honest. So, I am not good at this. But this test is not an invasive test. There is no pain to this test. There is nothing about this test that should intimidate people from not taking this test. It is fast, it is easy. It is so fast and so easy that even a governor can take this test. That's how fast and easy it is. And for you doubting Thomases, which is what you all are, gender neutral, because by profession you are doubting Thomases. I am going to show you how fast and easy it is to take a test and demonstrate why there should be no reluctance.

This is Dr. Elizabeth Dufort, who is in the appropriate PPE wear. Nice to see you, doctor. You make that gown look good.

Doctor Dufort: Head up a little bit.

Governor Cuomo: Head up.

Doctor Dufort: Close your eyes.

Governor Cuomo: Close my eyes? Why do I need to close my eyes? You can question the doctor. That's okay. Why do I need to close my eyes?

Doctor Dufort: For comfort, it might make you tear a little bit.

Governor Cuomo: Okay, if I fall asleep?

Doctor Dufort: Then we'll have you sit down.

Governor Cuomo: that's it?

Doctor Dufort: Yeah.

Governor Cuomo: That's it? Nothing else?

Doctor Dufort: That's it.

Governor Cuomo: Told you. Thank you very much, doctor.

That is the whole test. I'm not in pain. I'm not in discomfort. Closing my eyes was a moment of relaxation. There is no reason why you should not get the test. And you don't even have to be New York tough to take that test. You do have to be smart to get that test, and you have to be united, and you have to be disciplined for the period of time that you close your eyes. And you have to love yourself, and love your family, and love New York.

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Ken Osmond, who made television history as Eddie Haskell in Leave It to Beaver, has died at the age of 76.

The actor died surrounded by family in his Los Angeles home, according to Variety.

Born in 1943 in Glendale, California, Osmond started out as a child actor.

His first speaking part came in the 1953 film So Big.

Later on in that decade, Osmond found mainstream fame in the sitcom Leave It to Beaver, in which he played Wally Cleavers best friend Eddie.

He was first featured on the show in 1957 and was supposed to be a guest performer  but his portrayal of Eddie was so successful that he remained for the shows six seasons.

Eddie Haskell went on to become a common pop culture archetype used in reference to sycophants.

Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1970.

As a police officer, he was shot three times during a 1980 shoot-out and only suffered minor bruises thanks to a bulletproof jacket, The New York Times reported at the time. He retired from the police department in the 1980s.

That same decade, Osmond reprised the role of Eddie in The New Leave It to Beaver, a sequel to the original show.

Osmond was married and had two sons. One of them, Eric, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement: He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father.

He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed.
Disney hasnt been running any form of Club Penguin since 2018, but that hasnt been stopping some from running clones  and the media giant has apparently had enough. The BBC reports (via Gamesindustry.biz) that Disney has ordered the closure of various sites that include Club Penguin Online, a clear knockoff that was anything but kid-friendly. Multiple servers had content filters disabled, allowing racism, harassment and other harsh language to flow freely. There was also e-sex, arrangements for Zoom meet-ups and (at least in the past) doxxing campaigns.

A man involved in the site has also been arrested on allegations of possessing child abuse images. Club Penguin clones by themselves are illegal as theyre based on source code and branding used without permission.

Disney said in a statement that child safety is a top priority, and that it was appalled by allegations on a site that was illegally using the Club Penguin brand.

The shutdowns appears to have come relatively late. Club Penguin Online was the largest clone, having recently reached 7 million users due in part to over a million people joining during the pandemic. Disneys crackdown is important for protecting kids, but its coming after a significant amount of damage has already been done.
18.05.2020 LISTEN

The coronavirus pandemic continues to chronicles the discussions in the lips of Ghanaians since the outbreak in Ghana. The political commentaries and debate do appear to be an ending. Ghanaians must be mindful that, the virus has caused a lot of deaths across cities, countries, and all divides of our life.

We must put the politics aside and embrace the pandemic as a collective sense with a high sense of nationalistic tendencies and the spirit of we feeling. In a space of 60 days, Ghana's case count now stands at 5,735 with 1,765 recoveries and 29 deaths. The recent increase in the case of recoveries is good for Ghanas in tackling the pandemic.

We must commend ourselves as a country that is doing considerably well in the fight against the pandemic. The closure of the borders, rigorous testing with only two initial testing centers, KCCI and Nuguche, the partial lockdown of epicenters of Tema, Accra, and Kumasi, and nationwide compliance on handwashing and adherence to other precautionary measures issued by GHS/ WHO has been critical in the reducing the infection.

Despite the significant gains in the fight against COVID- 19, the astronomical increase in case count is worrying.

The Ghana Health Service indicated, the cases are increasing because they are doing rigorous testing and contact tracing'. Although it has been the best approach, we must appreciate the fact that if the route of transmission is not tackled, contact tracing will be an unending activity and testing will also continue unabated.

The biggest challenge contributing to the continuous increase in the number of cases is our inability to quarantine suspected persons during contact tracing, inadequate isolation, and quarantine centers or support systems for people who are not capable of doing effective self-isolation. For example, the recent 1000+ cases recorded in Obuasi mines could have been avoided if the first infected person identified early and isolated or quarantined away from the rest. We would not have been recording these cases in the Obuasi enclave.

Many Ghanaian are still divided over the government's decision to lifting the partial lockdown. While others feel the lockdown even though had its impact on the lives and businesses, it was better to have it imposed until total control, the government on its part feels 'science and data' suggest things were under control. The lifting of the ban whether for political or whatever reason is indeed concerned.

Many Ghanaians especially those who survive daily saw the lifting of the partial restrictions as going back to their normal life activities escalating of infections. Lifting of the ban has made people underestimate the precautions stipulated by WHO and Ghana Health services and wants to live a normal life in these unusual times.

Viral Diseases such HIV and AIDS came as a global pandemic and we are here with it, many health experts have predicted that COVID- 19 has come to stay even if a cure is found, it will take time to eliminate it from the surface of the earth. Research has shown that proper personal hygiene has helped in a drastic reduction in communicable diseases such as cholera and many other related diseases. Experts have it that, proper handwashing with soap under running water is one key way of preventing covid19 infection coupled with social/physical distancing. This has led to the increase in demand for veronica bucket and other hand washing related tools, the handwashing precaution has also triggered the innovation drive where various artisans and organisations coming out with various types of handwashing facilities which are very good for the country these innovations have become resources that should propel the national behavioral change drive through adopting a positive attitude personal and organization hygiene.

Ironically, Ghanaians see the handwashing precautionary measures as the first time, organisations such as UNICEF Ghana, WaterAid Ghana, World Vision International, and other sanitation-related organizations in partnership with Government of Ghana have invested a lot of money in the area of handwashing practice as a behaviour change concept for all persons in our various communities especially those in the rural areas under various national sanitation more especially Community-Led Total Sanitation otherwise known as CLTS.

As a country, especially the Ministry of Sanitation must coordinate and harmonize the various handwashing facility innovations across the country and communicate the most appropriate ones as standard handwashing facilities for various category of the population; the middle, lower and the rural poor as a guide, otherwise most of the existing facilities have the high potential of recontamination.

There must be a national and concerted effort to influence a sustained behaviour change in the area of proper handwashing with soap under running water, personal hygiene, and Environmental Health Sanitation. This has become very important at a time that coronavirus is said to be found stool of infected persons, in an era where open defecation is a norm, then we can imagine the danger the population is faced with?

As we plan to reopen schools what measures are we putting in place to ensure school children and students generally practice and observe proper handwashing with soap under running water to ensure their safety in school and our homes?

Sustained behavior change has become the most significant step to preventing COVID-19 and many other communicable diseases through a coordinated effort by all stakeholders who matter in disease prevention.

We must continue to wash our hands with soap under running water most frequently with or without covid19 to stay alive and safe.

Writer: Alhassan Inusah Agambire

Job: Environmental Health Expert / Sanitation Entrepreneur

Wa, Upper West Region
The document contains witness of sailors, results of expert studies, which are the basis of Ukraines claims to Russia

Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin Liga.net

At the moment, Ukraine holds the preparation of memorandum for the Arbitral tribunal on the seizure of sailors and vessels in Kerch Strait by Russia in 2018, as Radio Liberty reported citing Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Yenin.

We are at the final stage of agreement of the proper memorandum. It is not just a text; it is evidence, the witness of our sailors; it is the results of particular expert studies, which are the basis of our claims; it is the guarantees of the end of the criminal persecution toward our sailors, who could not be prosecuted by the Russia side, certainly; it is the issue of the compensation of material and moral nature, Yenin stated.

Considering the particular demands of the regulation of the arbitration, the diplomat refused to reveal particular sums of details of the memorandum.

Meanwhile, the official noted that Ukraine will succeed to file the mentioned document in terms.

One of these days, the term will end for Ukraine to file of memorandum to the Arbitral tribunal on the seizure of vessels and sailors in Kerch Strait.

As it was reported earlier, on November 25, 2018, Russian border guards seized the Ukrainian Yana Kapu raid tug and small armored artillery boats Berdyansk and Nikopol of the Naval Forces of Ukraine in the Kerch Strait area, using weapons.

On September 7, the prisoners exchange took place between Kyiv and Moscow in 35 for 35 format.

24 Ukrainian sailors and 11 political prisoners - already ex-political prisoners - captured by Russia over the past five years, returned to Ukraine. Faces of the released Ukrainian sailors, left activist Oleksandr Kolchenko, filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, journalist Roman Sushchenko, Crimean Tatar Edem Bekirov, and the rest of former captives were seen in the crowd.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 20:33:27|Editor: huaxia

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MADRID, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Spaniards dedicated the last round of a nationwide applause to health workers in Spain on Sunday evening, praising their efforts to save lives during the COVID-19 epidemic as infections drop in the country.

The end of the daily homage came at the request of health workers, who saw the number of people who were clapping had fallen over the past couple of weeks after the Spanish government allowed adults over 14 years old to go outside for exercise during limited time periods.

Since March 14, many people in Spain have been taking to their balconies and opening their windows to clap for health service workers almost every day.

That tradition continued for 64 consecutive nights as Spain suffered a pandemic which has seen over 27,000 deaths. Over 50,000 health workers have been infected with COVID-19 and over 70 have lost their lives.

Heath workers decided to ask for a "dignified" end to the homage with "the best and the longest applause" on Sunday, while raising awareness of the need to follow the rules to stop the coronavirus from spreading.

"We want a dignified end and not to let the applause die bit by bit. This Sunday at 8 p.m., we are going to give the best and the longest homage from out balconies to all of the people who work in the health sector and the other sectors who have given their work and efforts to protect us and beat this pandemic," said journalist Carme Chaparro on social media.

Meanwhile, health workers interviewed on Spanish television network RTVE had a clear message "the best homage you can give us is to follow the advice, follow the social distancing regulations, and stay safe to help make our jobs easier." Enditem
Operation Toothbrush.

Thats what the Gee family of Gaylordsville called a recent campaign to collect and distribute toothbrushes to those in need during the pandemic.

Jacob and Ryder Gee, students at Canterbury School and Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford, respectively, posted a request via their mother, Tara, on social media for donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste.

The family collected more than 100 personal toiletry items, including toothbrushes and toothpaste, from members of the community.

Last Friday, some items were donated to a local woman who makes deliveries to the Danbury Food Pantry, Ryders organization of choice.

Jacob selected Camellas Cupboard in New Milford as the recipient of another batch of products.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Hanging out on the Onondaga Lake Creekwalk, Justin Dougall wanted a beer. Most days, he usually drank one every four to six hours.

He told his girlfriend Nicole Greene that he loved her and headed out with a friend to find that beer.

Greene texted him later. He told her he was hanging out in a house on Herbert Street, a three-block street on the citys North Side.

Not long after, police found a car on fire in the yard of the house. Firefighters pulled from the car a body that was later identified as Dougall.

Im still having a hard time wrapping my head around this, about how did my son end up in this car dying in a fire," said Justin Dougalls father, Alvin Dougall.

Justin Dougall, 44, died in the car fire on April 21. Its not known yet if his death was accidental or criminal. Syracuse police have questioned someone who may know more about how he died, according to his father.

He fought homelessness on and off for 10 years and alcohol addiction for at least as long, said Greene, who knew Justin for about 20 years.

Justin would give you support and make you smile when you were feeling down, said John Tumino, of In My Fathers Kitchen, a Syracuse non-profit that helps the homeless through direct street outreach.

He could always make you smile, Tumino said at Justins funeral on Friday.

After graduating from Henninger High School in 1994, Dougall worked for Mountain Valley Water and Dukes Sale and Service. He used to enjoy trips to Alexandria Bay, where he liked to swim, camp and fish. He even liked to take airplane and helicopter rides over the Thousand Islands.

Trying for a new start, he went to Maryland in the early 2000s. There, he had a son and daughter, but he returned to Central New York without them.

At times, he was in and out of rehab, in and out of handcuffs and in and out of lives.

He moved in with his grandmother on North McBride Street in Syracuse. Greene, his girlfriend, was his grandmothers neighbor. She became the person who knew him best and one of the only ones who could stitch together the scenes of his life.

When Dougall hadnt had enough to drink, his addiction to alcohol inflicted its own sort of cruelty. It brought on grand mal seizures and pseudoseizures, Greene said. When Dougall had too much to drink, he was known to get into street fights, his father said. He was arrested at least twice for harassment while drunk, once beating and choking a neighbor, according to syracuse.com | The Post-Standard archives.

Dougall particularly struggled for the last year, according to Greene. Homelessness had its own ebb and flow  sometimes hed couch surf, sometimes hed end up at the shelter.

Last year, hed found housing on Elm Street, Greene said. They didnt get along with neighbors and battled with the landlord.

Dougall lived on temporary public assistance. Greene worked at the Ramada Inn on Carrier Circle before losing her job. They couldnt afford to stay in the apartment when the landlord raised the rent.

His drinking then intensified, Greene said. He drank beers with 8% or 10% alcohol content instead of the Natural Lights he drank before. Dougall once drank so much he blacked out and ended up in the hospital, Greene said.

In recent years, hed gone to rehab in Rochester, Auburn, Pennsylvania and Syracuse. The blackout that landed him in the hospital gave him one more shot at rehab. He was in the process of finding a place to go when he died.

He would go to a detox, do well, come back out and relapse, said Tumino, who met Dougall several years ago.

Dougall tried to cultivate his relationship with his father. Many times he would visit his father as Christmas approached.

Last year, he came home in the fall and the two played another game Scrabble. Theyd played hundreds of games.

This time, he pulled off his first win against his father. Justin Dougall at times was an avid reader, flipping through the pages of James Patterson books. Alvin Dougall remembered a few words that scored so high, they forced him to flip through the Scrabble handbook to make sure his words were real. They always were.

The good times only lasted so long. Justin Dougalls stays often ended with arguments, his father said. Last fall, he left his fathers house after their latest squabble.

Sometimes they would bump into each other at a local store like Tops and quickly catch up like old friends you only see now and again, his father said.

Im broke, whats new? he joked with his father once. Theyd apologize for how the last visit ended and leave the option open for another.

Around Christmas, Justin Dougall didnt rely on a chance encounter at a store. He called his father to let him know he was sorry how his latest visit ended and that hed call soon.

But on April 20, Justin Dougall parted with his girlfriend for that beer and for some reason ended up later that night in the car on the citys North Side. Police are still investigating the case.

The next day, when Alvin Dougall pulled into Shop City Plaza, he was approached by two plain clothes police officers.

What did I do this time officers? he remembers joking.

They didnt laugh. Theyd looked for him at home and spotted him driving nearby. Not wanting to pull him over to tell him his son had died, they waited and told him in the parking lot. They all drove back to Alvin Dougalls house where the officers briefed him on his sons death.

Alvin Dougall said his mind wandered as they talked. The officers told him theyd interviewed someone who might know more about his sons death. He wondered how the fire started. He wondered who, if anyone, would leave someone in a burning car.

Alvin Dougall put in a call to his sons kids, a 19-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter to let them know their father was dead. Their father hadnt seen either of them in about 10 years, Alvin Dougall said, but Greene said he tried to call.

A week and a half after his son died, Alvin Dougall was finally able to flip through Yellow Pages to find a funeral home to bury his son.

At the funeral Friday, people shared kind stories about Justin and looked at photos of his life.

His phone, he said, rang with messages about Justin Dougall, including kind words and condolences. At some point, he said, he received so many calls that his phone battery burned out.

But there will always be one call missing. His son promised to call. He never did.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter.
David Benham, Keith and Kristyn Getty join Trail Life USA for backyard movie and campout

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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.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) speaks during Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to serve as Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 4, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Grassley Demands Justification for Trumps Firing of State Department Watchdog

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is among several Republican lawmakers to call for a more detailed justification of President Donald Trumps firing of the State Departments inspector general.

Congress requires written reasons justifying an IGs removal. A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress, Grassley, co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus, wrote in a statement.

Trump told Congress in a May 15 letter that he had decided to dismiss State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, stating: 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.

A White House official said on May 16 that the decision to oust Linick was prompted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo himself. Secretary Pompeo recommended the move, and President Trump agreed, the official said.

Linick is expected to serve for several more weeks as, by law, the administration must give Congress 30 days notice of plans to dismiss an inspector general.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was another Republican lawmaker to criticize the move, writing on Twitter that the 2008 Inspector General Reform Act requires a president to detail the reasons for firing an inspector general.

The President has not provided the kind of justification for the removal of IG Linick required by this law, Collins wrote.

Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, a vocal Trump critic, responded more broadly to the dismissal of Linick, who was the fourth watchdog axed in the last three months.

The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose, Romney wrote in a tweet. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.

Defending the presidents actions was senior adviser Peter Navarro, who on Sunday said Trump clearly has the legal authority to remove Linick.

Theres a bureaucracy out there. Theres a lot of people in that bureaucracy who think that they got elected president and not Donald J. Trump, he told ABC in an interview.

Some people call it the deep state. I think thats apt, Navarro said, adding, Theres always going to be somebody better to replace them, somebody more loyalnot to the president necessarilybut to the Trump agenda.

So, I dont mourn the loss of people when they leave this bureaucracy, he added.

In his call for justification of Linicks dismissal, Grassley said that while he objected to how the watchdog handled the inquiry into the role the State Department played in the controversial Trump-Russia collusion probe, he said the important role inspectors general play in American democracy demands a detailed explanation in case of firing.

Here again, inspectors general are crucial in correcting government failures and promoting the accountability that the American people deserve, Grassley said. Although he failed to fully evaluate the State Departments role in advancing the debunked Russian collusion investigation, those shortcomings do not waive the Presidents responsibility to provide details to Congress when removing an IG.

Earlier, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin sent Linick a letter, in which they raised a series of questions about his inquiry into a key October 2016 meeting between top State Department officials and British ex-spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a controversial dossier that played a key role in launching the probe into the Trump campaign.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz criticized the DOJ and the FBI for at least 17 significant errors and omissions related to the bureaus reliance on Steeles discredited dossier and to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
A Florida woman has been arrested after going up to random strangers in a bar and trying to kiss them.

She then is alleged to have called 911 to complain about a lack of social distancing.

Audra Adams, 32, dialed 911 five times while at the Monkey Bar and Grille in Indialantic near Melbourne after being asked her to leave as she tried to pile on the PDA with random customers.

The bar is currently serving food and drinks after reopening under phase one of Florida's relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

Audra Adams, 32, was allegedly going around a bar and trying to kiss people

Audra Adams, 32, seen here in 2019 is said to have dialed 911 five times while at the Monkey Bar and Grille in Indialantic near Melbourne after being asked her to leave

By the time Adams called the cops the fourth time, the Melbourne Police Department were already on the scene.

The bar's owner alleged Adams was trying to kiss random strangers at which point people complained.

The coronavirus can be spread through direct contact with saliva.

Adams was asked to leave but initially refused and argued with police according to the complaint as seen by ClickOrlando.

Adams is alleged to have tried to pile on the PDA with random customers before being asked to leave

Adams was at the Monkey Bar and Grille in Indialantic near Melbourne, Florida which reopened until phase one of Florida's relaxation of coronavirus relaxation restrictions

After Adams finally left the bar, she then refused to leave the parking lot despite being warned about trespassing.

'I'll sit in the parking lot all night,' she told officers.

As she was being taken to the police car, Adam attempted to break free.

Police asked her why she had called 911 so many times. Adams said she did not believe the bar was following health guidelines introduced to stop the spread of the virus.

Adams faces charges of trespassing after a warning, disorderly conduct, resisting an officer without violence and misuse of the 911 system.

After refusing to leave the parking lot, Adams was arrested and charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting an officer and misusing 911

Police asked Adams her why she had called 911 so many times. Adams said she did not believe the bar was following health guidelines introduced to stop the spread of the virus

The bar explained in a Facebook posting that they were taking the health of patrons seriously
The market extended early losses and hit fresh intraday low in morning trade as investors were unimpressed by the government's economic relief measures. A steady rise in coronavirus cases in India also spooked investors. Extension of the nationwide lockdown also hurt sentiment.

At 10:24 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 691.86 points or 2.22% at 30,405.87. The Nifty 50 index was down 195.35 points or 2.14% at 8,941.50.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was down 2.08% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 1.88%. The decline in both these indices was lower then the Sensex decline in percentage terms.

Sellers outpaced buyers. On the BSE, 467 shares rose and 1266 shares fell. A total of 111 shares were unchanged.

COVID-19 Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 47,13,769 far with 3,15,187 deaths. India reported 56,316 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 3,029 deaths, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Meanwhile, in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centre on 17 May 2020 extended the nationwide lockdown till 31 May 2020. According to the new guidelines, the delineation of red, orange and green zones will be decided by respective states and Union Territory governments after taking into consideration the parameters shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) was down 0.96% at Rs 1444.85. RIL and Jio Platforms on 17 May 2020 announced an investment of Rs 6,598.38 crore by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm.

Q4 Results Today:

Bharti Airtel (down 0.37%), Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.49%), Torrent Power (down 1.48%), Dr. Lal PathLabs (down 1.18%), Astrazeneca Pharma India (up 2.08%) and Maharashtra Scooters (down 3.69%) are some of the companies that will announce their quarterly results today.

Earnings impact:

Cipla rose 3.02% to Rs 587.40. On a consolidated basis, Cipla's net profit declined 33% to Rs 245.95 crore on a 0.7% rise in net sales to Rs 4301.60 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. The company said its India Rx business grew by 12% on a year on year basis recording a third consecutive quarter of market beating growth. South Africa business continued the strong growth momentum to deliver growth of 10% on a year on year basis in local currency. US business reported $118 million oost normalisation of IP-enabled opportunity.

Cipla reported its Research & Development investment stood at Rs 311 crore in Q4 March 2020, which is 7.1% of sales. Consolidated EBITDA declined 33% to Rs 652 crore in Q4 March 2020 from Rs 972 crore posted in Q4 March 2019. EBITDA margin declined to 15% in Q4 March 2020 from 22% reported in Q4 March 2019.

In a separate announcement on Monday (18 May) the drug major announced its submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Fluticasone propionate and Salmeterol inhalation powder to the United States Food and Drug Administration. The drug is indicated for treating asthma in patients aged four years and older and is also used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to IQVIA (IMS Health), Advair Diskus and its generic equivalents had US sales of approximately $2.9 billion for the 12-month period ending March 2020.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals fell 1.23% to Rs 205 after it reported 29.5% fall in standalone net profit to Rs 99.81 crore on a 15.6% decline in net sales to Rs 1018.05 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Growth remained strong across all products till the lockdown (Jan and Feb growth 14% Y-o-Y). Market share increased in Fans and Consumer Lighting. Appliances business continued to deliver strong double digit growth based on excellent consumer offerings behind Coolers and Geysers.

Profit before tax stood at Rs 133.90 crore in Q4 March 2020, down by 20.4% from Rs 168.13 crore in Q4 March 2019. PBT margin increased sequentially with strengthened cost reduction programmes neutralizing the adverse volume impact due to Covid- 19, the company said.

On a consolidated basis, Crompton's net profit contracted by 27.4% to Rs 102.10 crore on a 15% fall in net sales to Rs 1024.34 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019.

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Beverly Hills Cop (Credit: Paramount)

Plans for the fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie are very much still in the pipeline, according to Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directing duo signed up to make it.

Arbi and Fallah were behind Bad Boys For Life, unleashed in January this year, the long-in-gestation actioner reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for the action comedy.

Read more: Sam Neill updates on Jurassic World: Dominion

Prior to that movie's release, the pair were confirmed to be helming the also long-in-gestation comeback for Eddie Murphy's wise cracking cop Axel Foley from the 1984-94 franchise.

Netflix confirmed that it would be producing the movie too, but like so many projects now suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it's current status has now been updated by the Belgian filmmakers.

El Arbi told Digital Spy: We're still involved in that project, and there's a screenwriter now on it that's going to try to write a first draft, or a first treatment at least with the story.

Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah attend the World Premiere of Bad Boys for Life (Credit: Jemal Countess/FilmMagic)

So we're going to see what the first version will be, but we're very excited and hope that we can work with another icon like Eddie Murphy. That'd be great.

When I was a kid, it was one of my favourite movies. It was the quintessential Jerry Bruckheimer movie  a buddy-cop, humour action movie. Bad Boys is a Beverly Hills Cop kind of movie. And of course, Eddie Murphy is an idol.

Murphy took his bow as the reckless Detroit cop in 1984, causing a stir in upscale California society when he arrives to investigate the murder of a childhood friend.

Read more: Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 pushed back

Originally set to star Sylvester Stallone as Foley, it cemented Murphy's status in Hollywood, after star turns in 48 Hrs. and Trading Places.

Produced by the legendary Simpson and Bruckheimer, it earned $300 million and spawned two sequels; Beverly Hills Cop II, directed by Tony Scott in 1987, and John Landis's Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994, though the latter, with a spiralling budget, struggled to make any money at all.

Filming of the fourth instalment was set to begin once Murphy had finished making the sequel Coming 2 America, which is set for release in December.
Florin Solomon, 28, had been using his mobile phone just three seconds before he ploughed into the side of a Toyota Corolla car

A lorry driver who killed a decorated former soldier in a 50mph road smash moments after jumping a red light while placing an Amazon order at the wheel of his 40-ton truck was jailed for four and a half years today.

Florin Solomon, 28, had been using his mobile phone just three seconds before he ploughed into the side of a Toyota Corolla car which was turning right on to a dual carriageway in Wigan.

Former army sergeant Mark Byrne, 58, who was driving the Toyota, took the full force of the 49mph impact as the car was hurled into a central reservation. He died at the scene from multiple injuries.

His wife of 38 years Julie, 56, had been in the front passenger seat next to her husband and had to wait for an hour to to be cut free from the wreckage whilst her husband lay dead next to her. She survived the crash but suffered a fractured sternum.

She told Bolton Crown Court: 'I screamed: 'It's a lorry, it's a lorry' and I don't remember anything else until the rescue people were cutting open the car. I was in a lot of pain and I was scared.

'I tried to turn to Mark but I was told to keep my head still so I tried grabbing his jumper and saying his name. I couldn't understand why he wasn't answering and I didn't know he was dead.'

When arrested Solomon said: 'I'm going to jail. I went through on amber.' He later lied to police claiming he had slowed down and suggested Mr Byrne had pulled in front of him. He also claimed he had placed the Amazon order whilst stopped at a junction and was distracted because he and his girlfriend were about to split up.

Former army sergeant Mark Byrne, 58, pictured receiving his MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, was killed by a lorry driver who was shopping on Amazon at the wheel

Romanian-born Solomon had been delivering fruit and vegetables in his Scania lorry had had ten seconds to brake when the lights turned red against him - but he flew through the junction after he became distracted due to him checking his Amazon basket.

He closed the app just three seconds before the impact on the A580 East Lancashire Road in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

In a moving statement to police Mrs Byrne told how the accident had robbed her and her late husband of the chance of fostering children in their retirement. The couple were childhood sweethearts who had three children and several grandchildren.

Mr Byrne, a Ministry of Defence civil servant, had previously served in Germany with the Adjutant Generals Corps and was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2003 for his services to the armed forces.

The couple were also active in their local church, ran a Sunday school together and raised money for various charities including children who were affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Mrs Byrne added: 'We did everything together, I've lost my soulmate, my lover, companion, helper, carer and best mate. Everything is different now and my plans have changed. I cannot even cuddle my own grandchildren. Getting through each day is a task for me.'

The couple's son Craig Byrne said: 'This incident has affected my mum physically and all of us emotionally and financially and has changed all our lives forever. The shock and upset of hearing about this incident over the phone will be a dark memory at the back of my mind for the rest of my life.

'Mum's life has been completely changed. She no longer has a husband, she no longer lives independently and is now relying on her father to live with and for me to drive her to doctor's appointments and the shops. She can no longer follow her dream of fostering children which was their retirement plan. She has had to deal with the trauma of what happened and suffers nightmares.'

At Bolton Crown Court, Soloman of Worcester, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and he was also banned from driving for six years as well as being jailed for four-and-a-half-years

At Bolton Crown Court, Soloman of Worcester, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and he was also banned from driving for six years as well as being jailed for four-and-a-half-years.

The accident at 10.20am on January 21 this year occurred whilst the Byrnes were returning home to Warrington after a doctor's appointment. They were in a queue of traffic turning right onto the dual carriageway after the lights had turned green in their favour.

David Lees prosecuting said: 'Mr Solomon had been driving along the dual carriageway and had moved into the left hand lane accelerated gradually and stayed at that speed as he approached the junction.

'But he made no attempt to brake and was crossing the junction at 49mph when the collision occurred. The traffic light had been showing red against him for at least eight seconds and he would have ten seconds to think and brake'.

In mitigation Solomon's lawyer Rebecca Caulfield said her client, an agency worker had a clean driving licence and had never had previous complaints about his driving.

He left Romania at the age of 15, spending 11 years in Italy before moving to the UK and he claimed he was distracted by the imminent break up with his girlfriend of eight years at the time of the crash.

Miss Caulfield said: 'It was his own stupidity and recklessness that led to the death of Mr Byrne and serious injury to his wife. He is distraught and full of remorse and he will have to deal with killing someone of the calibre of Mr Byrne for the rest of his life.'

Sentencing Judge Graeme Smith told Solomon the damage caused by the crash impact was 'immense' and added: 'The dangers of using mobile phones whilst driving are well known -even more so when driving an HGV because of the size and weight of such a vehicle means the consequences of a collision are likely to be far more serious.

'Mrs Byrne lost not only her soulmate but also her lifestyle and her home because of the impact of her husband's death on her financial position. Any case of this nature is a tragedy - in particular for the victims and their families.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 15:52:29|Editor: huaxia

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BISHKEK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan's health authorities reported 78 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number to 1,216.

The country's Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usenbaev said that among 1,669 tests carried out in the past 24 hours, 78 came back positive.

He noted that among the newly infected, 46 are imported cases. All 46 are Kyrgyz citizens evacuated from Russia, among them four medical workers and the rest contacts of the confirmed cases.

The official noted that the total number of contracted medical workers infected amounted to 255 people, while 212 of them have recovered.

The number of recovered cases increased to 827 with 23 new recoveries in the last 24 hours, Usenbaev added.

Currently, 375 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals, and six of them are in intensive care. In total, 2,236 people who had contact with infected patients are under medical observation.

In addition, the number of contacts of the infected is 6,050, all of them under the supervision of doctors in home quarantine. Enditem
The Saudi military student who killed three Americans at a US naval base in December had longstanding ties to al-Qaeda and planned an attack before he arrived in the United States, US justice officials said Monday. The December 6 attack by Mohammed Alshamrani, a Royal Saudi Air Force flight student at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, "was actually the culmination of years of planning and preparation," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. Evidence discovered on an encrypted cellphone shows he was radicalized at least as far back as 2015, and has since been associating with "dangerous" operatives from the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Wray added. The FBI and Justice Department revealed their findings after a months-long effort to crack the encryption on Alsahamrani's iPhones, which they said Apple refused to help with. US Attorney General Bill Barr accused Apple of putting its own financial interests ahead of the nation's in refusing to provide US investigators a way to break encrypted phones. "If not for our FBI's ingenuity, some luck, and hours upon hours of time and resources, this information would have remained undiscovered," Barr said. "The bottom line: our national security cannot remain in the hands of big corporations who put dollars over lawful access and public safety. The time has come for a legislative solution," he said. - Discussed plans and tactics - Wray said the 21-year-old-Saudi had expressed a desire to learn to fly years ago with plans for a "special operation," enlisting in the Royal Saudi Air Force and joining flight training in the United States. "In the months before the attack, while he was here among us, he talked with AQAP about his plans and tactics -- taking advantage of the information he acquired here, to assess how many people he could try to kill," Wray said. The December 6 shooting in a classroom building at the naval base left three US sailors dead and wounded eight other people, including two responding sheriff's deputies, before Alshamrani was killed by police. AQAP claimed responsibility, but there was no immediate evidence of a direct link. The incident forced the temporary freeze of all US training for foreign military officials to review security precautions. The decades-old US-Saudi training program has been crucial to the close relationship, with thousands of Saudis undergoing military training in the United States. The US expelled 21 of Alshamrani's classmates for reasons including that some had allegedly been aware of his radical leanings and others possessed jihadist material and child pornography. The program has since resumed, but with heavier vetting of Saudi students, and a ban on them accessing firearms. The December 6 attack by Saudi Royal Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Mohammed Alshamrani involved years of planning, says the FBI FBI DirectorChristopher Wraysays encrypted files on Alshamrani's cell phone showed his ties to al-Qaeda
To the Editor:

The weather is finally getting warmer here in Syracuse and lovely spring flowers are popping up in my lawn. Unfortunately, another unwelcome sign of spring is popping up everywhere: those yellow signs of shame that declare Pesticide Application: Do Not Enter.

Whats wrong with applying chemicals on your lawn? In Central New York its a waste of money. You dont need chemicals on your yard to grow beautiful grass. We have perfect grass-growing conditions here  cool weather and plenty of rain. I have a lush green lawn and Ive never put chemicals on it. As an added bonus, I have lovely flowers growing in the grass  right now violets and forget-me-nots are blooming.

More importantly, according to a flyer on the EPA web site: When lawn chemicals run off into lakes and streams, insects and fish are harmed or killed, causing disruption to the entire food chain. The same flyer cites studies that show that there are risks to humans and pets from the use of lawn chemicals (hence the signs of shame). If you are lucky enough to live in a home with a yard, you are responsible for the health of the people and pets in your house, the wildlife in your yard and the wildlife downstream from your property.

Please dont put chemicals on your lawn! Take the money and hire a local landscaper to plant a tree. Or give the money to your local food bank. Let that money do good instead of causing harm.

Susan Wulff

Skaneateles
A 12-year-old Filipino boy was chased by a Siberian husky as its owner's friend told his family to 'go back to China' and 'take your COVID-19 with you'.

The boy's father, who wanted to be known as Rob, was taking a walk with his wife and sons, aged 12 and four, around their neighbourhood in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday night.

They noticed the husky when it was about 100m away and Rob started barking at it in a bid to keep it away from his family.

But Rob said the dog caught their scent was gearing up to attack, the NZ Herald reported.

A 12-year-old Filipino boy has been chased by a Siberian husky (pictured with its owner and others at the scene) as its owner's friend told his family to 'go back to China'

He snatched his youngest son from his pram, as the pet's owner came running towards them.

'I said you really need to control your animal ... because I'm ready to hit your dog with this pram,' Rob told the dog owner, whose friend had appeared on the scene.

The situation then turned into what Rob described as a 'racial attack' when the friend started yelling at his family.

'Go back to China, you bloody ... take your COVID-19 with you,' the dog owner's friend yelled at the family, who are from the Philippines.

The dog chased Rob's oldest son while the situation unfolded.

The husky owner's friend said the boy started running away, but the animal chased him thinking it was a game.

The dog owner denied Rob's claims the husky was aggressive.

He told the publication Rob scared him when he threatened the kill the dog while wielding the pram. He also said Rob grabbed his arm.

The dog owner's friend claimed Rob was assaulting him and started yelling for neighbours to call for emergency services to intervene, but no one called the police.

The situation then turned into what Rob described as a racial attack when the friend started yelling at his family. Pictured: Two people involved in the altercation

The friend said the video, which was filmed by Rob's wife, put him in a bad light and only showed a snippet of the larger event.

He said he is not racist but made the comments in the heat of the moment. He wanted Rob to leave because he kept arguing, which is why he told the family to go back to China.

He does not know why he told them to 'take COVID-19 with you'.

About a dozen neighbours came outside to ease the situation.

One can be heard in the video telling both parties to calm down.

Rob's family made a complaint to police about the racial slurs made by the dog owner's friend, who is trying to charge Rob for assault.

A police spokeswoman told the publication they are making inquiries about the incident.
The clash between China and the United States over COVID-19 has caused a rift between European nations at the U.N. Security Council over a call for cease-fires 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 administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The same day, U.S. 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.

'Clean up the mess'

"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 U.S. 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 U.S. funding.

Trump has accused the WHO of responding too slowly to the illness, which had killed more than 311,000 people worldwide as of Saturday evening EDT, 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 did not reference the WHO, while the United States has indicated it would do likewise if the text did mention the U.N. 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 that 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.
Salvation Ministries, in Port Harcourt, Pastor David Ibiyeomie

Popular Nigerian televangelist, and founder and senior pastor of Salvation Ministries, in Port Harcourt, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has accused politicians of lying about coronavirus and using it to steal money.

He said there is no coronavirus in Nigeria. The renowned cleric stated this on Sunday while preaching at Salvation Ministries, Headquarters in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Pastor Ibiyeomie also said what Nigeria has is the normal malaria that Nigerians are seriously immuned to and not Coronavirus. Making reference to the experience of the Founder of DAAR Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Ibiyeomie questioned the alleged treatment they were giving to Covid-19 patients and expressed serious doubts over the daily statistics issued by the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control, NCDC.

The cleric also condemned the borders closure and lockdowns declared by the Federal and State Governments due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

He further condemned the use of facemasks even when speaking, describing those who wear the facemasks as masquerades.

Pastor Ibiyeomie also advised the Federal Government to give money to other states like was given to Lagos State Government so as to appease the other aggrieved governors. He made special appeals for governors from oil producing states, saying if monies are giving to other Governors as was given to Gov.Sanwo-Olu, Coronavirus will automatically end.

The Pastor also advised Nigerians to read their Bible always for them not to suffer from the Coronavirus.

Watch the video below:
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The Houston Police Department received a call about a suspicious person outside the Fiesta Mart. According to authorities they received a call reporting that the suspect was asking for change and threatened the customers with a knife outside.Police Chief Art Acevedo said that they immediately responded six minutes after the call. However, they were unable to find the suspect when they arrived around 10:11 on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, an unsuspecting 80-year-old woman was about to go back to her car after shopping when she saw the man and she was attacked. The suspect then stabbed the woman at the chest and he attempted to start the car and drive away. Luckily, witnesses saw the crime sought attention of an officer nearby. The responding officer immediately and ordered the suspect to step out of the vehicle. The suspect stepped out of the vehicle, but was still armed with a knife and tried to stab the police officer instead of cooperating.

The woman was identified as Rosalie Cook was brought to the nearby hospital, Memorial Hermann, where she was declared dead due to the wounds she suffered. The police officer discharged two rounds to defend himself because the suspect was violent. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by the Houston Fire Department.

Families and Friends Grieve Over the Tragic Death of the 80-Year-Old Woman

Rosalie Cook's family and friends grieve over her unexpected tragic death. Cook is survived by her four children and six grandchildren. They said that their mother is so sweet and affectionate most especially to her grandchildren

Oscar Lara, a family friend, and her neighbor for 14 years said in an interview: "I got a message from her yesterday, and I want to keep it. She's so sweet. She always takes care of everybody. The cookies... nobody makes cookies like her. To be honest, I don't believe it. I was thinking, maybe it was someone else."

He also added that the last time he saw Rosalie Cook was when she waved at him as she pulled out of the driveway. Until now, he can't believe what happened to his sweet neighbor for 14 years.

The Police Officer Who Shoot the Suspect

The Houston Police Department said that the police officer who responded in the scene wore a body camera. Acevedo said that he reviewed the recorded video including the security footage of Walgreens as part of the investigation.

He said in an article: "What was found, that makes me angry, is this suspect didn't just stab an 80-year-old woman. He then goes down and starts rifling through her stuff and then tries to steal her car."

He also added that based on the recorded videos, the officer had no choice but to shoot the suspect who stabbed the woman and attempted to stab him as well.

Moreover, the Special Investigation Unit will conduct an independent criminal investigation on how the responding police officer handled the incident and to investigate the murder of the woman.

Read related articles:
Nationwide lockdown measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 are facing legal challenges from residents and state officials who want to see them loosened.

The lawsuits against largely Democratic lawmakers allege that the stay-at-home rules have been taken too far and have even infringed on people's civil liberties such as the right to protest.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, admitted that the state was being 'challenged'.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, admitted that the state was being 'challenged'

Gov. Newsom on @elonmusk reopening Teslas Alameda County facility and defying the countys stay-at-home order: They came together and they were able to work out a framework of modifications to keep their workers safe they believe they will have this issue resolved" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/j2h6eVRwgr  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 17, 2020

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against the state of California, Fox News reports, alleging the state has unjustly shuttered gun shops as well as halted religious services.

One state resident has alleged that the lockdown measures amount to being held in forced detention without due process.

'All across this country, every single day, governors are being challenged, local health officials are being challenged, and it's a spirit of collaboration. Those that continue to pursue things that put people in harm's risk, you have to have stepped up efforts and enforcement and sanctions,' Newsom told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.

Fremont plant pictured on Wednesday. Tesla founder Elon Musk reopened his company's California branch despite the countywide health order put in place, creating a dispute between Tesla and San Francisco Bay Area authorities

Tesla founder Elon Musk reopened his company's California branch despite the countywide health order put in place, creating a dispute between Tesla and San Francisco Bay Area authorities.

Musk reopened the plant last Monday in defiance of county orders.

It's unclear if Tesla and Mush would face any punishment for reopening. But in a statement, the Alameda County Public Health Department announced last week that the Fremont plant will be able to go beyond basic operations this week and start making vehicles on Monday - as long as it delivers on worker safety precautions that it agreed to.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is facing a legal challenge from Republicans who control the Michigan Legislature

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is facing a challenge from Republicans who control the Michigan Legislature, who on Friday urged a judge to strike down stay-home orders and other restrictions related to the coronavirus.

They argued Whitmer had 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 COVID-19 and conservatives who believe the steps are excessive.
New Delhi, May 18 : A meeting of group of ministers (GoM) with the responsibility of monitoring Rs 21 lakh crore special economic package is to take place at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Cabinet Minister Smriti Irani among others will attend the meeting to be held at 12 noon on Monday.

The GoM is likely to review the announcement of the economic revival package totalling an economic value of Rs 21 lakh crore by Finance Minister Sitharaman on five consecutive days.

The economic package will tend to the needs of the MSME sector, as well as reform certain agricultural infrastructure in the country. The central government has stepped up reforms for sectors including coal, minerals, defence production, air space management, and airports.

The GoM is also likely to strategize how the benefits of the economic package reach to the needy and the most vulnerable as they are the ones who are the hardest hit by the prolonged lockdown enforced due to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with retired general, Theophilus Danjuma, at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agenda of the meeting between the president and the visiting elder statesman, whose last visit to the State House was over three years ago, was unknown.

Mr Danjuma did not speak to State House correspondents on the outcome of his meeting with the president.

NAN, however, gathered that the president and Mr Danjuma may have deliberated on domestic and sub-regional issues bordering on security and socio-economic development in the country.

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NAN reports that the president also met with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.

Mr Akpabio also declined comment on the outcome of his meeting with the president.

(NAN)
Executive Speakers Bureau is pleased to announce the first ESB Virtual Summit on May 19-20, 2020 featuring ten elite business keynote speakers that include former executives, bestselling authors, thought leaders, and even an astronaut. You will gain cutting edge insights into the new workplace and how to innovate during this unique time. As we embrace this time of unprecedented change, you can equip yourself and your team with the tools and training to prepare for the future, increasing your knowledge and forging ahead to lead through uncertainty.

Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut, is a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and the senior advisor for space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. He received a BS from Columbia University, and MS degrees in mechanical engineering and technology and policy, as well as a PhD in mechanical engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mike will kick off day two of the ESB virtual summit with his presentation titled, Surviving and Thriving in Isolation. Mike has experienced the greatest isolation a human being could ever know: the solitude of space, hundreds of miles above humanity. A NASA astronaut for 18 years, Massimino spent about a month total sheltering in placeor, more accurately, sheltering in spaceaboard two separate missions on the space shuttle, donning a suit and stepping out into the ether to repair the Hubble telescope, and taking in the greatest view a human could ever know. In this timely session, Mike shares tips on how to make the most of isolation, the importance of keeping lines of communication open, and ways to pursue meaningful distractions (emphasis on meaningful).

OTHER KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:



TICKETS:

Individual Pass: $99

Group Pass (5ppl): $399

Company Pass (Unlimited): $699

The ESB Virtual Summit is for everyone from the C-Suite to the budding professional who is looking to get ahead of the curve. The insights gleaned will be able to help you and your team not only during the Pandemic but also for years to come. Dont miss this opportunity to learn from 10 elite speakers, which equate to more than $175,000 worth of speaking value, all on one agenda!

To register or learn more information, visit https://esbvirtualsummit.com/ or call (901) 754-9404.

ABOUT EXECUTIVE SPEAKERS BUREAU

Executive Speakers Bureau is a full-service speakers bureau, taking pride in our ability to provide world-class service as well as our ability to deliver today's foremost professional speakers and expert trainers to clients around the world. It is our commitment to provide our clients with unparalleled service, access to hundreds of motivational speakers worldwide and individualized personal attention. For more information, visit http://www.executivespeakers.com or call us at (901) 754-9404.
The first known Covid-19 death in the United States happened on Feb. 6 in Santa Clara County. Three months later, government testing in the state remains spotty, in part because of its decentralized and tangled network of test providers spread across a population of 40 million. While California now conducts more than 30,000 tests per day  compared with a few hundred a little more than a month ago  only 26 of every 1,000 Californians have been tested, ranking the state 26th in the nation.

Among the vast numbers of the untested are many high-risk groups, but none more so than the 150,000 homeless people living throughout California. Their encampments, often crowded and lacking basic sanitation, could provide a place for the virus to flourish or rekindle.

One of the most aggressive efforts currently underway to examine the extent of infection in homeless encampments is being led by the Innovative Genomics Institute, a biochemistry lab at the University of California, Berkeley, best known for its work at the forefront of the CRISPR gene-editing process, and Lifelong Medical Care, a community health center also based in Berkeley. The two have begun expanding testing to low-income and homeless populations in Alameda County, including the test given to Mr. Harris at the Lake Merritt camp.

[Read more about Californias testing capacity.]

The institute offered Lifelong high-speed automated processing of 5,000 tests, with more to come. Lifelong, which serves about 66,000 patients, had performed fewer than 300 diagnostic tests before the partnership.

If we cant help the vulnerable, what are we doing? asked Fyodor Urnov, the institutes scientific director for technology and translation.

Not far from Dr. Urnovs office on the Berkeley campus, two professors in the School of Public Health have teamed up for a different kind of study. Dr. Harris, the infectious disease expert, and Lisa Barcellos, a genetic epidemiologist, are investigating the infections spread throughout the Bay Area.

They are testing thousands of residents to look for the presence of active Covid-19 virus as well as antibodies in the blood. This could reveal patients who were exposed but never showed symptoms, and it could also shed light on how widespread the disease truly is in California.
Scientists around the world are in a desperate scramble to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine. According to the science journal Nature, more than 115 vaccines are in various stages of development.

On December 31, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was informed of a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin from Wuhan in China. By January 7, Chinese scientists identified the source of the infection as the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A few days later, on January 11, the Chinese National Health Commission published the genetic structure of the virus on the internet for the international scientific community.

The discovery of the genetic structure of the virus was the first step in the development of a vaccine to deal with the virus outbreak that has ravaged the world. It was also the starting gun for a wild free-for-all by private companies bidding to win the bonanza that will fall to the successful candidate vaccine.

With the genomic sequence, we were off to the races, said the head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Scientists were able to identify that the virus is a type of coronavirus like those causing the common cold, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which caused epidemics in 2003 and 2012, respectively.

The human coronavirus was first identified in the 1960s and is distinguished by club-like structures that cover its entire surface, giving the appearance of the suns corona in electron micrographs. Its genetic structure is made up of a single strand of ribonucleic acid (RNA) surrounded by a shell made of a protein membrane from which the spike proteins, club-like structures, protrude.

The COVID-19 virus invades cells in the human upper-respiratory tracts by first using its spike proteins to attach to and then fuse with the membrane of a host cell, in this case the respiratory tract of the infected individual. At this point, the virus can release its RNA, its genetic codes, into the cell, thereby commandeering the hosts genetic apparatus to reproduce the virus in massive numbers.

These new virions are released back into the extracellular spaces, spreading further into the host. They are also expectorated into the environment, where they can infect other people and spread the disease. The life cycle of the virion in the host cell ultimately destroys the host cell, but it also leads to an intense host immune response.

The lethal nature of the COVID-19 virus is due to the hosts immune system responding by going into overdrive, in a little understood process that overproduces chemicals known as cytokines in what is known as a cytokine storm.

The production of cytokines is part of the bodys natural immune response, aimed at destroying the invading virus. For an unknown reason, in response to the COVID-19 virus, the cytokines are produced is such vast amounts that they can cause dangerous levels of inflammation in the lungs and the respiratory system that lead to respiratory failure.

Influenza and other viral infections have been known to elicit such heightened immune responses. Additional clinical manifestations include severe cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and neurological damage as a by-product of multi-organ failure, or a disseminated viral infection that can kill the host.

It has also recently come to light that the virus can cause severe inflammation in blood vessels, leading to an increased propensity to develop blood clots. That, in turn, can lead to strokes, pulmonary embolisms, kidney failure and other manifestations such as Kawasaki-like disease in young children. There is still much about SARS-CoV-2 that remains unknown.

In producing a vaccine, scientists try to stimulate the bodys immune system to generate antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent or limit the scope of the infection. The scope of this work is quite multiplex, requiring careful study of the virus for vaccine targets, the design of the vaccine and protocols to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. These are usually initiated in animal trials, also called preclinical trials, where suitable models such as mice are initially given the vaccine and exposed to the virus.

Success in these initial investigations is followed by the designing of phase 1 human trials, in which healthy volunteers are given the vaccine in escalating doses to determine if the drug is safe to check for efficacy. Phase 2 and phase 3 trials are larger trials that check efficacy and safety. If a candidate vaccine proves successful, it is licensed for production and distribution, entering a long-term phase 4 post-marketing surveillance to evaluate the drugs long-term effects. The process is extraordinarily complex and very few vaccines are ever approved.

Although politicians and several scientists have optimistically speculated that a vaccine can be produced within 12 to 18 months, this has never been done and remains in the realm of the theoretical. Such statements, however, facilitate specious arguments like that made by President Donald Trump on Fox News: We think we are going to have a vaccine by the end of this year.

These statements completely ignore the objective difficulties in producing a respiratory vaccine, even in the era of modern science with its powerful investigative tools. Many candidate vaccines never reach the licensing and production stage. The mumps vaccine was the quickest ever produced so far. It was developed in the 1960s in a process that took four years.

Considerable time is necessary for the proper testing of candidate vaccines, as the human body is an incredibly complex system and problems may take some time to emerge. During the SARS outbreak in 2003, a vaccine candidate resulted in the dangerous enhancement of the disease in human subjects, necessitating the abandonment of its development.

According to Dean Peter Hotez of Baylor Universitys National School of Tropical Medicine in Houston, Texas: A year to 18 months would be unprecedented Maybe with the new technology, maybe with throwing enough money on it, that will happen. But we have to be really careful about those time estimates.

The chair of the Translational Research Institute (TRI), Professor Ian Frazer from the University of Queensland, told the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) said that there has never been an effective vaccine produced for any coronavirus, making it a tricky endeavour. The institute co-invented the Human Papilloma Vaccine that prevents cervical cancer.

The coronavirus attacks the upper-respiratory tract, where the immune system is relatively weak. It is a particularly difficult place to target a vaccine.

Its a separate immune system, if you like, which isnt easily accessible by vaccine technology its a bit like trying to get a vaccine to kill a virus on the surface of your skin, Frazer said.

To achieve this difficult goal, several strategies are being adopted by the various research laboratories. Overall, 115 research teams are in the hunt for a vaccine, using several different techniques. Seventy two percent of the laboratories are working with private pharmacological companies, with only a minority controlled by university or hospital laboratories. Major pharmaceutical companies such as Janssen, Sanofi, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are funding research.

This is a completely inefficient and wasteful process, with the various laboratories competing against one another when they should be working collaboratively. It is the result of a market approach to science, which prevents investigators from working in unison to share their findings with one another.

The essential issue is that in the effort to save lives, the profit motive is leading to loss of life, as delays in finding a successful vaccine lead to continued devastation from the pandemic. The resulting competitive pressures on scientists are so great that they will be compelled to take shortcuts that may lead to failures or compromise safety.

The pressure is so intense that Moderna Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company, started phase 1 human trials on March 16, before animal testing had been completed. I dont think proving this in an animal model is on the critical path to getting this to a clinical trial, said chief medical officer at Moderna, Tal Zaks.

Several other laboratories have commenced phase 1 trials, including three in China and another based in the US. Various strategies are being pursued internationally. Many of these techniques are very speculative and scientists have never successfully produced a vaccine using these techniques.

All vaccines in one way or another are based on getting the bodys immune system to mount an attack on the invader. In one of the oldest techniques, the virus is injected into the body after it has been made inactive. The immune system reacts to proteins made by the infecting microbe, stimulating the production of antibodies. The Chinese firm Sinopharm based in Shanghai has used this technique and has been licensed to advance to phase 2 trials.

Scientists more recently realised that instead of using the whole virus, they could use a single protein to get an immune response. Vaccines using this technique are the easiest to produce and the method has been used to produce many existing vaccines. The Chinese firm CanSino, based in Tianjin in northern China, has started a phase 1 trial and uses a spike protein, Ad5-nCoV, which the virus uses to penetrate the host cell. The company has used this technique to produce an effective vaccine for Ebola.

A research group based at Oxford University in the UK is using a spike protein and is in phase 1 testing.

Companies such as Moderna inject DNA or RNA to stimulate the bodys immune response. The candidate vaccine gives positive responses in animals, but has proven ineffective in humans. Scientists continue to pursue this technique, as such vaccines would be relatively easy to produce.

Maria Elena Bottazzi, the associate dean of medicine at Baylor Universitys National School of Tropical Medicine, said, If you look at all the attempts people have done for HIV vaccines using the DNA platform, they havent found the exact formula of how these DNA molecules should go into the right cell... Its a little bit of dark science. That is why they are still experimental.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania is working on a vaccine based on a similar method and is in phase 1 trials.

Queensland University, in conjunction with the Dutch group Viroclinics Xplore, has used a technique known as a molecular clamp. This was developed in conjunction with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The molecular clamp technique uses a synthetic version of the virus to stimulate an immune response.

The molecular clamp technique has been patented, highlighting the commercialisation of scientific discoveries.

In contrast, the great scientist Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine in the 1960s, was asked, Who owns the patent? Salk replied, The people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?

Even though Queensland University is a governmental institution, it has been so starved of funds that it must resort to patenting scientific discoveries that should be for the benefit of humanity, not profit. Commercial arrangements such as patents have the effect of blocking scientific research.

If, and nobody really knows when, a successful vaccine is produced, it must be manufactured for release internationally. This may not be a straightforward process.

There is no guarantee the vaccine will be made available to the impoverished masses across the planet who are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. It is estimated that billions of doses will have to be produced to inoculate the worlds population. Arguably, political quid pro quos resulting in the vaccine being denied will be a factor in such geopolitical considerations.

Moreover, with nations armed with vaccines, biological weapons will no longer be restricted to the domain of science fiction writers.

For the newer vaccine technologies, mass production methods may have to be developed, making treatment expensive and out of reach of poorer people.

Geopolitical rivalry will come into play over who gets the vaccine. Most of the facilities researching a vaccine are in the US. In March, reports emerged that US authorities attempted to buy the German pharmaceutical company CureVac in order to gain exclusive access to any vaccine it might develop.

It is a little naive to think because the US is doing a lot of the vaccine development, they are going to put us (Australia) right at the front of the queue They are going to look after their own first, said Dr. Craig Rayner, a former executive at pharmacological companies Roche and CSL, and now president of integrated drug development at Certara.

The existence of 115 research laboratories in competition with each other does not guarantee the development of an effective vaccine. In fact, it is extremely wasteful, as scientists are using various methods for arriving at the same end.

There must be a rational plan and division of labour in regard to how the research is approached.

Workers must demand that the research institutions be taken out of the control of the pharmacological giants and the market and brought under public ownership, so that the results of scientific research and any resulting vaccines will be freely available to the worlds population.
96-year old Ukrainian Vira Opanasiva was facing serious problems when her bank card used for pension payments expired in March. This meant that Vira Opanasiva  already impacted severely by the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, forcing her to flee her home in Miusynsk  could not buy the vital medicine she needed for her high blood pressure.

Vira, who is today living with her son and daughter-in-law in Svitlodarsk in eastern Ukraine, has a very low income, and the whole family mainly relies on modest pensions of around USD 350 per month. After having received cash assistance from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Vira was able to purchase her medicine as well as an electric tonometer to ensure that her family could monitor her blood pressure. UNHCR and partners also provided social support to the family, liaising with state and bank offices in order to renew the lost document that Vira needed to re-establish her pension payments. This had been impossible for the family to take care of, due to the national COVID19-quarantine.

Despite her senior age and being uprooted for the past six years, Vira still dreams of returning to her own apartment in Miusynsk: I have already lived through a century of wars and disasters, and then recently I had to leave my home again because of shelling in East Ukraine. I think all I tried to do in my life has been to survive.

Vira Opanasiva is one of 1,4 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian authorities. Since the conflict broke out in 2014, shellings due to regular ceasefire violations have taken place in Eastern Ukraine. In February alone, 20,300 ceasefire violations were recorded, resulting in civilian casualties as well as damaging and destroying houses.

Estonia has been an important and frequent donor to the chronically underfunded and too often overlooked displacement crisis in Ukraine. The latest Estonian contribution of USD 218,000 will help strengthen UNHCRs protection and humanitarian work in the country.

UNHCR provides cash-based assistance to displaced or other conflict-affected people in eastern Ukraine, just like Vira Opanasiva. This individual assistance is supporting some of the most vulnerable, including a large elderly population, preventing them from being exposed to further risk, and allowing them to buy food, medicine, and more essential items.

Besides financial assistance, UNHCR and its partners provide items such as blankets, kitchen sets, clothing as well as legal and protection assistance to make sure that the elderly and other vulnerable groups have access to social services such as their pensions. In the first three months of 2020, 3,971 internally displaced and others affected by the conflict received legal assistance, and 373 received psychosocial support. Almost 40 percent of the people living in the non-government-controlled areas of Donetska and Luhanska have experienced trauma resulting in stress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the violence.

Ukraine has one of the largest populations of internally displaced people in the world. Many of them are extremely vulnerable and in need of material, social and financial support. With the donation from Estonia UNHCR is able to continue and strengthen our work in Ukraine and make sure that the most vulnerable get the humanitarian assistance they need, says Henrik M. Nordentoft, UNHCRs Representative for Northern Europe.

On top of the conflict in eastern Ukraine the country is now faced with another crisis: The threat from COVID-19. An estimated 21 million people in the country could be impacted by the virus, making the situation even more dire. UNHCR is stepping up the COVID-19 response in Ukraine, including by supporting local authorities and medical facilities with e.g. shelters and medical supplies.

I have already lived through a century of wars and disasters, and then recently I had to leave my home again because of shelling in East Ukraine. I think all I tried to do in my life has been to survive, says Vira Opanasiva.  UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska Five years of conflict in eastern Ukraine has uprooted around 1.4 million people, while many more endure cold, hunger, hardship and the threat of sudden death at home. In all, 3.4 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection.  UNHCR/Oksana Parafeniuk

Estonia as a donor to UNHCR

Estonia is a consistent donor to UNHCR and its operations in Ukraine. In 2019, Estonia contributed a total of USD 477,547 to UNHCR, and USD 225,479 of this sum, went to Ukraine.

Estonia has also been a regular supporter of UNHCR efforts in the Middle East, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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In a global pandemic, there are days when you think you can handle the fear, confusion and isolation. But there are other days when you realize youre going to need a Navy SEAL to pull you through.

On the bad days, you ought to listen to the hard-earned wisdom of Brian Iron Ed Hiner. The ex-SEAL now shares with mere mortals  through books, speeches, executive training  some of what he learned on his personal journey from a hardscrabble childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to an exclusive membership in one of the most elite units in the U.S. military.

Of every 10,000 people who apply to be SEALs, only 1,000 are invited to endure the training. Only about 200 complete it. Thats an 80 percent fail rate.

Hiner went through nine major deployments on five continents, four of which were combat tours. He has fought in three wars  including those in Iraq and Afghanistan  and conducted hundreds of combat missions.

And youre stressed out because you still cant dine in at your favorite restaurant.

Hiners first book  which was titled First, Fast, Fearless: How to Lead Like a Navy SEAL  gives advice to business leaders about how to go from the battlefield to the boardroom. His new book  due to be published later this year  is titled GUTS: Greatness Under Tremendous Stress.

The timing isnt bad. This warrior is in a position to help everyday Americans whose personal lives suddenly feel like a battlefield due to the coronavirus.

Its all unfolding right in front of me, he told me.

Our lives have been turned inside out, and our stress level ratcheted up, not just by COVID-19 but also by how the government has responded to the threat, and how the public has in turn reacted to the government. The coronavirus is scary. But the rest of the story is just as frightening.

Why is everyone acting crazy?

Hiner calls it the fear trap. He says people fall into it because, lacking the discipline to control their focus, they awfulize a bad situation. They imagine the most terrible outcome.

Everyone is falling for the fear trap, he told me. When people have unknown fears, like going into battle, their mind goes right to the worst-case scenario always happening to them. Thats the awfulizing phase, and its easy to get stuck there.

I get it. It can be something minor that I blow up into something major. I think to myself: The kids may not be returning to school until the end of the year. What are we going to do? When, according to Hiner, I should focus on making sure my kids and I get through one day at a time.

Most people dont have the discipline to control their focus, he explained. It starts with language. Your language creates your internal thoughts, and your thoughts create emotions, and your emotions create your actions. Right now, people are out of control with their actions.

Control, huh? That word comes up a lot these days. Its interesting that, at a moment when we feel as if we dont have a lot of control over our personal lives, the first thing some people worry about is that the government is trying to seize even more control from us.

We seem to be having some success in slowing the spread of COVID-19, thanks to the same social distancing that were sick of and now cant wait to end. Thats like showing gratitude to your life preserver by tossing it away. What sense does that make?

But, while we may be flattening the curve in some places, were losing the mental game. Were just not thinking clearly.

Hiner chalks some of that up to the debilitating power of isolation.

Under the Geneva Convention, its a form of torture, he said. Isolation will drive you insane.

So how do you survive it?

You dont waste that (bleeping) time, he said. Its a lot of reflection time. Reset your life. Read books. Meditate. Find out your purpose in life. Most people are so busy, and their lives are so cluttered, they have no idea what their purpose is. Ask yourself: Whats my life worth? What do I do with it? And, of course, reach out to others. And check to see how theyre doing.

So, I have to ask: How are you doing? Whats your life worth? And, when this is over, what are you going to do with the rest of it?

If you need help sorting it all out, I know just the frogman who can help.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
New Delhi:

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, on Sunday, called upon international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the long-standing Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

Speaking at the celebrations of the 70th Independence Day in Pakistani High Commission in Delhi, Basit said that he dedicates the Jash-e-Azadi to freedom struggle of Kashmiris.

The High Commissioner stressed that the political aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir could not be suppressed, nor could anyone belittle or wish away their legitimate struggle and enormous sacrifices. It was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the long-standing Jammu & Kashmir dispute, said the official press statement from the commission.

According to press brief, the High Commissioner said, Pakistan will continue extending its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu & Kashmir till they get their right to self-determination.

On Pakistan and India relations, Basit said that Pakistan had always desired and endeavoured to have cooperative relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of the bilateral disputes.

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Last Sunday, two days before Narendra Modi's speech announcing a range of measures to boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), it seemed the prime minister's train of thought had taken a long halt at Lucknow station before reaching Delhi

Last Sunday, two days before Narendra Modi's speech announcing a range of measures to boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), it seemed the prime minister's train of thought had taken a long halt at Lucknow station before reaching Delhi.

A statement from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath preempted what was about to be announced nationally. His government announced a gift basket of loans, easy clearances and a single-window format for MSMEs.

"We will accept this as a challenge and make the state the hub of the MSME sector. This will provide employment to people at the local level with minimum capital, minimum risk," the statement said.

You don't associate flowing gerua clothes with economic poster boys. But from India's most populous state (think of the populations of Italy, Germany and the UK combined) is slowly emerging a monk who wants to rev up the Ferrari.

Yogi Adityanath is turning out to be Indian economy's unlikely poster boy. He has shown a commonsense approach to issues which few dogmatic pundits on the Right or Left have. He is working to convert a full-blown pandemic into an opportunity.

Adityanath is the son of an Uttarakhand forest ranger. He completed his BSc in Mathematics before initiated into the life of a sanyasi at 21. He eventually became the head priest of Gorakhnath Matth, but those who work with him say he never lost his way with numbers. It's tough to bamboozle him with numerical jugglery.

Late last week, his government gave Rs 202 crore to 56,754 individuals and units under MSME funds. Not a massive amount, but he reckons it would bring nearly 2.5 lakh jobs, with an average of five people per unit. The state has unveiled MSME Sathi, an app for single-window clearances.

Adityanath is among the first chief ministers to grab business flying out of China, the alleged originator and chief spreader of the coronavirus epidemic. US president Donald Trump has openly declared a trade war on China, the European Union (EU) is furious, and Japan has drawn up a $2.2 billion incentive for its companies to wind up China operations.

A coalition of 62 countries including India on Sunday backed a joint Australian and EU push for an independent inquiry into the outbreak ahead of a crucial World Health Assembly meeting on Monday in Geneva.

In this scenario, Yogi has moved to organise webinars with stakeholders starting April. About 100 foreign companies are in talks with the state to shift base there. The Jewar airport project is being fast-tracked to be completed with two-and-a-half years, especially its cargo wing built and made operational as soon as possible.

The state has set up separate US, Japan, Korea and Europe desks. It has already conducted two webinars attended by international business councils and EU governors.

Last year, before the COVID-19 twister hit the planet, Adityanath had predicted that Modi's projected $5 trillion economy will pass through the hinterland. He seems to have preempted Modi's recent 'vocal-for-local' call. He went about tending to the small things methodically.

Uttar Pradesh started a One District One Product (ODOP) initiative which harnessed local tradition, art and enterprise. The government started channelising effort into developing zari-zardozi from Saharanpur, black pottery from Azamgarh, furniture from Maharajganj, and ghee from Auraiya, for instance.

Now, the state is trying to bring investment into each district's pride. Interestingly, Thailand has a similar initiative running from mid-2000s. It is called One Tambon (sub-district) One Product, or OTOP. The Thai government now wants to sync Uttar Pradesh's ODOP with its own OTOP and set up some sort of a trade-and-tradition exchange.

While chasing business, Adityanath kept a tight check on handling of the pandemic and its tragic fallout on migrant workers with a firm hand.

He implemented the lockdown and social distancing with an iron hand without any favours to a particular religious or social group. He organised thousands of buses to bring home a hapless labour force  statewise India's largest.

If investments and industry make Uttar Pradesh their address, Adityanath could turn a punishing pandemic and a harrowing homecoming of workers into the states enviable strength. The dispossessed, dejected and jobless may never have to venture out. They may find worthwhile employment just a cycle ride from home.
Apple reopening 25 more U.S. stores, will soon top 100 worldwide FILE PHOTO: An Apple store employee informs people that the store is closed, after further cases of coronavirus were confirmed in New York, in Manhasset, New York

(Reuters) - Apple Inc will this week reopen more than 25 of its branded stores in the United States, the company said on Sunday, continuing a gradual process that has unlocked doors at nearly a fifth of its worldwide retail outlets.

The iPhone maker in March shut all its stores outside of Greater China in response to the spread of the coronavirus. It started shutting its more than 50 Greater China stores in January and reopened them by mid-March.

"Our commitment is to reopen our stores when we are confident the environment is safe," Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's head of retail, wrote on Sunday in a note on the company's website.

The stores will impose social-distancing rules, limit occupancy and some will offer only curbside or storefront service, she said.

Apple does not disclose its retail store revenue. Direct sales, including retail stores, web and corporate sales, accounted for 31% of its $260 billion in 2019 revenue.

Chief Executive Tim Cook declined last month to provide an outlook for the June quarter, citing business uncertainty created by the virus. First-quarter sales in China, reflecting that country's store closings and lockdown, were $9.46 billion, about $1 billion less than for the same period a year earlier.

Last week, Apple reopened its first five stores in the United States, requiring customers and employees to undergo temperature checks and wear masks before entering the premises.

Apple has 510 stores worldwide and 271 in the United States.

The website 9to5Mac reported that the company would reopen 10 of its stores in Italy beginning on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Peter Cooney)
[May 18, 2020]

Primis, Video Discovery Offers Out of the Box RTB Capabilities

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Video Discovery company Primis has announced an upgrade in their monetization, now giving publishers an Out of the Box RTB tech capability.

Up until now, publishers could only connect to the SSPs or Exchanges with their own seat, through Primis, via client-side tech solutions, either with a regular VAST tag or header bidding (e.g. Prebid.js).

Primis' Out of the Box RTB improves this capability by providing publishers with a full RTB, Server-to-Server integration solution to their own seats at the SSPs. It is supported by a simple select-box UI flow where a publisher chooses their SSPs, integration type (for example, RTB) and inserts its seat Id.

"As the industry continues to evolve, and video advertising is on the rise, technical capabilities for publshers are becoming more crucial," said Eyal Betzalel, Co-CEO of Primis. "Publishers are constantly looking for platforms that can provide them with various integrations solutions for monetization."







The Out of the Box RTB solution is supported for all devices and all video formats.

These capabilities give publishers more control over the monetization and better monitoring of their brand. That means more efficient and effective revenue streams along with fully transparent reporting.

About Primis, Video Discovery

Primis, a part of Universal McCann and Interpublic Group (IPG), is a video discovery platform that increases revenue for publishers by helping users discover engaging, high-quality video content. The discovery engine is applied in a fully customizable video unit designed to fit natively in all websites. For more information, reach out to a representative .

Primis Press:

+972-3-7686898

[email protected]

https://www.primis.tech

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/primis-video-discovery-offers-out-of-the-box-rtb-capabilities-301060646.html

SOURCE Primis
When Iran began to reopen late last month, commuters packed subways and buses, young people lined up for takeout hamburgers and pizza, and traffic snarled highways. Shoppers crowded the traditional bazaars of Isfahan and Tehran. Worshipers resumed communal prayer at mosques during Ramadan evenings.

Three weeks later, the country has been hit by a new surge of coronavirus cases, according to health officials in some of the eight provinces where the numbers have spiked again. Health experts had predicted this would happen when the government made the call to ease restrictions in late April.

Iran, an epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East, reopened without meeting the benchmarks recommended by health experts, such as ensuring that widespread testing and contact tracing was in place, and recording a steady drop in cases for at least several weeks.

The central government has claimed for weeks that Iran was prevailing against the pandemic. But in reopening the country, President Hassan Rouhani said the battle could not fully succeed independent of salvaging the economy, which was being pummeled by United States sanctions even before the virus hit.
Our draft distribution sales across from New Jersey and Pennsylvania have ground to a 100% halt. All distributor orders have been canceled indefinitely for draft beer, which is a significant portion of our business, Geller said.

+10 Local craft beer brewers still dealing with shutdown uncertainty While life has slowly flowed back into the federal government, local beer and spirits produc

For Paul Simmons, owner of Glasstown Brewing Company in Millville, nothing has been good or beneficial about the shutdown even though he was fortunate to have a beer canner and to have invested in a large brew house in December. They are selling to liquor stores. Walk-up customers can buy beer from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

We are still hopeful of having a decent year, Simmons said.

Simmons is concerned about what the rules will be for bars, restaurants and even his own tasting room when customers are allowed back inside for service. Based on other states, bars and restaurants are operating at 25% capacity because of social distancing, which he sees as problematic.

After two weeks, I can see either businesses being lax, or customers rejecting it. It will very difficult to maintain it, Simmons said.

The current environment is the most challenging that Cape May Brewing Company CEO Ryan Krill has operated in for the nine years his business has existed.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro greeted hundreds of supporters and joined some in a series of push-ups who gathered before the presidential offices Sunday to back his open-the-economy drive even as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the country.

Demonstrators in Brasilia and Sao Paulo defied local stay-at-home orders to join the pro-Bolsonaro rallies at a time when the president is facing increasing pressure over his handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 15,000 Brazilians.

We hope to be free of this question soon, for the good of all of us, Bolsonaro told the crowd in Brasilia. Brazil will come back stronger.

Bolsonaro later invited a group of about 20 paratroopers, who were taking part in the protest, to join him on the stoop of the presidential office.

The men, wearing camouflage trousers, black Bolsonaro t-shirts and red berets, swore allegiance to the president and his family, stretching their right arms, before some joined him in a series of push-ups.

Supporters have gathered daily at the presidential residence, with larger crowds turning out on weekends.

Among the protesters Sunday were members of the 300 from Brazil, a group of fierce Bolsonaro supporters who have been camping outside the presidential offices to defend the president against a possible coup since the beginning of May.

In an interview with BBC Brasil, the group's spokesperson, known as Sara Winter, acknowledged the presence of arms on the site for members to protect themselves.

In their convocation message, members wrote: You are not a militant, you are a military man. Prosecutors in Brasilia, denouncing the presence of armed militias outside the presidential offices, have asked that a judge order for the group to be removed. So far, the campsite has been allowed to remain.

Some displayed banners denouncing Congress and the Supreme Court, which they believe are part of a plot to derail Bolsonaro's presidency.

Others have called for broader release of chloroquine, an anti-malaria drug touted by Bolsonaro as a coronavirus treatment despite a lack of scientific evidence.

Chloroquine ... I know you save me, in the name of Jesus!, some sang during Saturday's gathering at the residence.

Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday, a day after Bolsonaro told business leaders in a videoconference he would ease rules for using chloroquine to treat people infected with the virus.

Teich had said the drug was still an uncertainty, and warned of its side effects. He had served less than a month.

While many states and cities have renewed their stay-at-home measures or introduced stricter lockdowns, Bolsonaro has campaigned to reopen the economy and get people to go back to work.

In recent days, more than 800 people have been added to the official COVID-19 death toll every 24 hours and experts say the crisis' peak has yet to hit Latin America's largest nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Market Research Future Has Published a Half-Cooked Research Report on the Global Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) Market.

Market Overview:

In terms of value, the global acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) market is expected to reach USD 1,050.6 Million in 2025 and register a CAGR of 6.1%. Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) is produced by copolymerization reaction between styrene and acrylonitrile. It is tough and exhibits properties such as thermal stability, chemical resistance, and rigidity. Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate is significantly used in the construction industry.

The increasing spending on renovation activities is driving market growth. Additionally, increasing investments in infrastructure projects such as transportation, water management, and energy sectors are favoring the growth of the Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate Market in the region. In the US, revenue from the construction industry crossed USD 1 trillion in 20162017 and is expected to reach USD 1.7 trillion by 2020. Moreover, the exterior parts of automobiles require high-performance materials such as ASA to protect them from harsh weather conditions and aging. The application of ASA in the manufacturing of automobile components has increased owing to its unique properties and increasing preference for lightweight vehicles.

Competitive Analysis:

The prominent players in the global acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) market include Lauren International (US), BASF SE (Germany), A. Schulman (US), LANXESS (Germany), INEOS Styrolution Group GmbH (Germany), LG Chem Ltd (South Korea), Chi Mei Corporation (Taiwan), Entec Polymers (US), and SABIC (Saudi Arabia).

Market Segmentation:

The global acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) market has been segmented on the basis of manufacturing process, application, and region. By manufacturing process, the global acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) market has been divided into extrusion, coextrusion, injection molding, and others. The extrusion segment held significant market share in 2018 and is estimated to be dominant in the next five years owing to the growing use in the construction industry. The global market has been segmented based on application into automotive, construction, furniture, and others. The high demand for ASA in the construction industry is expected to fuel the growth of the segment during the review period.

Regional Analysis:

The Asia-Pacific market is projected to register a healthy CAGR during the forecast period due to high public sector investments in the construction industry. The growing urbanization in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, and China has increased the spending in infrastructure development. The US is expected to be the leading market in North America; it registered a CAGR of 5.2% in 2018. The South and West regions are projected to register a CAGRs of 6% and 5%, respectively.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Deputies from the NYC Sheriffs Office paid visits to borough restaurants that set up outdoor dining over the weekend to enforce social distancing rules. The business owners say officials told them to pack up their al fresco table and chair setups.

Deputies support NYPD officers in enforcing social distancing guidelines across the five boroughs, in line with Mayor de Blasios directives. As of mid-March restaurants and bars are permitted only be open for take-out and delivery service. Dining in -- including supping at outdoors -- is not permitted at this time in New York City.

Ed Gomez said he put tables for two eight feet apart on the sidewalk, boxed out with colored tape, outside his Cargo Cafe on Bay Street in St. George. Gomez said he offered the seats as a convenience to guests waiting for their food orders. By his standards, he overcompensated on the space, which mandates six feet apart. And he also understood -- apparently mistakenly -- from a handout by New York City Small Business Services about recent City Council bills that sidewalk seating was permissible.

The flyer read, Sidewalk cafe fees will be waived through February 28, 2021. Gomez interpreted that text to mean that it was legal to function with outdoor seating and offered the option as an extension of his hospitality.

The Council bill addresses fees, not a restaurants ability to run outdoor dining, said a Council spokesperson in a statement to the Advance.

But 311 calls from neighbors about the Cargo sidewalk arrangement on Bay Street drew the attention of the Sheriffs office and hence the visit. Gomez said he was ordered to close it down. He took that to mean his whole operation and closed on Sunday but reopened for take-out on Monday.

A Department of Finance spokesperson could not address the specific Staten Island incident and said, The health and safety of all New Yorkers is paramount to the Sheriffs Office, especially when the City is battling a virus that has already taken the lives of thousands of people."

The spokesperson added, "Sheriffs deputies are among the first responders responsible for helping ensure restaurants and bars follow the social distancing guidelines set by the mayor and governor, and they do not take their task lightly. Deputies will continue enforcing the social distancing guidelines until the mayor and governor allow businesses to fully re-open.

Patrons waiting for take-out service should social distance and try to stay six feet away from others, as much as possible, according to the pandemic rules.

The Finance spokesperson pointed out that restaurants and bars doing dine-in service are in violation of the citys emergency orders and Sheriffs deputies will close down the dine-in option.

Deputies will also ask people who are congregating to disperse. Individuals who pose a serious threat to deputies or others, or who act in violation of the law against uniformed officers, are subject to further enforcement actions, as per the Finance Department.

Deputies also showed up at Cabo in Richmond Valley on Sunday. Head waiter Rudy Sarceno said the staff allowed customers to sit on barstools in an open air space as their orders were readied. The restaurant complied immediately.

Sal Finocchiaro, proprietor of Palermos Pizza on the South Shore, was stunned when a Sheriff car approached him over the weekend.

Yesterday we took our dining room tables into the parking lot. I happened to be one of the diners at the tables when the sheriff said we werent social distancing," said Finocchiaro, who was dining with his wife and sat six-feet apart.

The sheriff said we werent social distancing. I said we were married. He didnt want to hear anything. We had to finish up and put the tables inside, said Finocchiaro.

He said he obliged the deputies request as he didnt want things to get out of control and was uncertain of the consequences. In the meantime Finocchiaro took to social media to cite the Fourteenth Amendment in his disgust with the incident.

Finocchiaro added, Are we open? Absolutely. We have a dining room for 42 people. How can we give that up? The landlord isnt budging on the rent. So were getting hit all over the place. As a small business owner all of us got the PPP money but that went already.

The sheriffs incident truly rankled Ed Gomez. He fumed over city and state restrictions on businesses. Thats enough, man. Im dying now. Im drowning. When they say were all in this together, were not. They just left us all to drown. Im just trying to work and they just took everything away and all they gave me is debt.

South Shore Councilman Joe Borelli hears business owners frustrations. In a statement to the Advance he said, The city needs to get out of the way of people trying to feed their family and preserve their lifes investment. If they have customers willing to sit outside, we should just be thankful.

He added, Judging from pictures weve seen from all over the city, people are done with the lockdown. We cant sit around and wait for de Blasio and Cuomo to get their acts together.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
As States across the US reopen after weeks-long coronavirus lockdown, more than 70 per cent people in the energy sector still prefer working from home to returning to their offices as they fear contracting the deadly COVID-19, according to a study.

The study, a collaboration between the University of Houston, Robert Gordon University and Texas A&M University, involved 448 energy workers, 81 per cent of whom normally work in an office.

The study found that more than 70 per cent of workers preferred to continue working remotely. About 20 per cent of those surveyed said they would prefer taking an unpaid furlough to a physical return to their offices next month. And nearly 5 per cent said they would consider quitting rather than returning to the office now.

"Workers expected good sanitation and cleaning protocols as well as solid supplies of masks, sanitiser and supervisors who they feel are committed to eliminating workplace transmission of COVID-19 felt more comfortable," said Indian-American co-author of the study Ramanan Krishnamoorti, who is chief energy officer at University of Houston (UH).

The researchers make a number of policy recommendations for human resource professionals, supervisors and other company executives.

Christiane Spitzmueller, professor of psychology at the University of Houston and an expert on work-family issues, said the study offered insights into other factors workers will consider as they return to work.

"Those who live in multi-generation households were more wary about returning to work," she said.

Researchers also found that employees with health issues that can raise the risks of contracting COVID-19 were no more reluctant to return to work than those without pre-existing health conditions.

Similarly, older workers, who also are at heightened risk, were more likely to return to work than younger workers.

Among other findings, 6.6 per cent of respondents said they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms but had been unable to get tested. Three had tested positive for COVID-19. 25 per cent reported pre-existing conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from the virus.

While most respondents said their physical health remained good, the reported mental health issues exceeded pre-COVID-19 national norms.

A total of 28 per cent said they had experienced six or more days of poor mental health in the previous month. Energy workers who had been laid off and those struggling to balance work and family responsibilities were at particular risk.

Concerns about childcare and whether companies are able to effectively reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission in their immediate workspace were linked to workers' reluctance to return to the office.

The study suggests concerns about mental health issues in the workforce will need ongoing attention.

Rhona Flin, professor of industrial psychology at Aberdeen Business School and a co-author, said those concerns were particularly pronounced for workers who had been laid off.

"Discussing mental health issues will need to become a more routine part of the workplace. Laid-off workers have suffered the most during this pandemic," Flin said.

The study concludes with that and other recommendation for company executives.

Valentini Pappa, a researcher with the Texas A&M Energy Management Institute, said employers may wish to consider a slower-than-planned return to physical workspaces given employees' reluctance to return, as well as acknowledging issues around childcare and other work-family conflicts.

Employers also may consider adding mental health training for supervisors and managers, she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Q I have had a shotgun for years and the only real use it's had is for scaring crows after I've sown corn. I've always had a licence for it and no issues getting this from the local Garda station.

The other week I lent the gun to my neighbour who has borrowed a few times in the last couple of years since he started doing a bit of tillage. He's used a crow banger and he has asked to borrow my gun when pigeons have been a problem.

My issue is that last week I got a call from the Garda station.

The field my neighbour was using the gun in is near a built-up area and it seems that his son took the gun with his friend and they fired a shot that hit a house near the field. No one was hurt, but the owners of the house called the Gardai and they want a statement from me. My neighbour didn't mention it when he returned the gun, but I'm worried I could be liable as the gun owner?

AFor the benefit of readers, I will first look at how you get a Firearms Certificate in Ireland. You must have a valid Certificate to hold/possess a firearm. Each application for a Firearm Certificate should be made to the applicant's local Garda Station. Once granted, it is valid for three years unless it is revoked. It is likely you have an unrestricted one usually granted to farmers and is used solely for the purpose of shooting vermin, crows etc.

Before granting a Firearms Certificate, a Garda superintendent must be satisfied that the applicant complies with certain conditions and that the applicant can continue to comply with such conditions

These conditions include: nthe applicant has a 'good reason' for requiring the firearm

nthe applicant can be permitted to possess, use and carry the firearm or ammunition without danger to the public safety or security of the peace

nthe applicant is not a person who is disentitled to hold a firearm because, for example, of intemperate habits

nthe applicant provides secure accommodation for the firearm and a member of An Garda Siochana can inspect the accommodation

nthe applicant complies with such other reasonable conditions specified in the firearms certificate.

On the application form for a Firearms Certificate, particularly for those farmer applicants seeking an unrestricted Firearms Certificate to shoot vermin, crows etc on their lands, they must specify the land on which it is proposed to use the firearm.

Revoked

The firearm can then only be used on this land and not on any other land. Otherwise the Certificate can be revoked.

You say you have been letting your neighbour borrow it for the past few years.

It is illegal for any person to use, carry or possess a firearm without a valid certificate.

You, as the holder of the Firearm Certificate, should not have allowed your neighbour to borrow it. You say it has been fired near a built-up area.

As outlined above, the conditions attaching to your Certificate will most likely specify the land on which it can be used and therefore, in addition to your neighbour not being permitted to use the shotgun, he used it in a location that was not covered by the certificate.

Your neighbour's son took the firearm without your knowledge. Again, it is illegal for him to use a firearm.

Even if he had a Firearm Training Certificate, he cannot use the gun without the supervision of a person over 18 who actually holds a certificate for that firearm.

Firearm Certificates can be revoked if the Superintendant believes you are a person that cannot hold a firearm without endangering public safety or security or peace.

Unfortunately for you, your behaviour in allowing your neighbour to borrow your firearm will most likely result in your Firearm Certificate being revoked. Your solicitor will be able to provide you with specific advice after reviewing your certificate and the conditions thereof.

You should speak with your solicitor immediately to get specific advice before making a statement or indeed doing anything else.

Deirdre Flynn is from a farming background and practices as a solicitor at Deirdre Flynn Solicitors, 4 Ivy Terrace, Tralee, Co Kerry

The information in this article is intended as a general guide only. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information provided, Deirdre Flynn does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions howsoever arising. You should seek legal advice in relation to your particular circumstances at the earliest possible time.
SsangYong Tivoli

KPMG Samjong, the auditor of Mahindra and Mahindra-owned Korean automobile company SsangYong Motor, has issued a 'disclaimer of opinion' on the automaker's quarterly financial results, according to a a report by Yonhap News Agency.

SsangYong's net loss widened in the first quarter of this financial year, making it the 13th consecutive quarter where the company continues to post hefty losses. The auditor said these issues raised a question over the company's ability to remain viable.

As its current debts surpassed its current assets by 576.7 billion won this quarter, SsangYong's shares tumbled on the back of the news.

A 'disclaimer of opinion' is one among the four different types of auditor's opinions issued against a company's financial results.

Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra owns around a 74 percent stake in the Korean carmaker. SsangYong has been struggling to keep up its numbers due to declining sales, while the parent firm has yet decided against liquidity infusion.

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

Earlier this year, M&M had plans of putting in 230 billion won into SsangYong subject to its board's approval. However, the board struck down the plan last month in light of the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the domestic automobile industry.
Grossly incompetent President: Donald Trump hits back at Obama

US President Donald Trump has hit back at his predecessor Barack Obama. Responding to Obama's criticism, Trump said that his predecessor was grossly incompetent. On Saturday, Obama had criticised the Trump leadership for bungling their handling of the coronavirus pandemic saying 'a lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge'. Watch the full video for all the details. ...read more
The ex-ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican, Mikael Minasyan, recently announced that a whole plane of smuggled cigarettes has been supposedly taken out of Armenia to Afghanistan, but sales in Russia were envisaged, said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, News.am reports.

His remarks came during his Saturday big press conference.

I want to say that the State Revenue Committee has not committed any lawlessness on the issue of exporting cigarettes, as exporters are the culprits. They should have taken everything to another country, but decided to sell it in another state, said Pashinyan.

At the same time, the PM did not comment on the words of Minasyan that this smuggling scheme was managed by members of PM's family, including his wifes brother, My Step ruling bloc MP Hrachya Hakobyan.

I am aware of the episode concerning my wifes brother, Hrachya filed a lawsuit. And I will not answer this question, everything will be presented publicly: what is true and what is not, the PM noted.
The International Criminal Court on Monday rejected a demand for compensation by former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was acquitted of war crimes and crimes against humanity after he spent a decade in the ICC prison.

The former warlord, now 57, had sought more than 68 million euros ($74 million) in compensation and damages, according to his lawyer.

The court had mismanaged Bembas frozen assets, including seven airplanes and three villas in Portugal, which were simply left to rot during the time he was jailed in The Hague, the lawyer argued.

But the court ruled that Bemba had failed to establish that he had suffered a grave and manifest miscarriage of justice, according to a press release.

Bemba was initially convicted for crimes committed by his private army in the Central African Republic including murders, rapes and looting between October 2002 and March 2003.

He was sentenced to 18 years at the ICC prison, but was acquitted on appeal in June 2018.

The court also sentenced Bemba to one year in prison for bribing witnesses in a case that thwarted his bid for the DR Congo presidency.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 19:52:30|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, May 18 (Xinhua) -- A man was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Monday in Hong Kong for carrying petrol bombs in a violent incident during the social unrest last year.

The man, 23, was found carrying five petrol bombs on Oct. 31 2019 in Mong Kok area where rioters blocked roads, threw petrol bombs and set fires. At a previous trial, he admitted to committing the offense of holding offensive weapons in a public place.

A judge of the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts said the case was fairly serious and petrol bombs, considering their lethality, cannot be regarded as something used for self-defense. Enditem
GRANDVIEW, MO (KCTV) -- Police are investigating after a 21-year-old woman was found shot to death in Grandview last month. Police responded about 3:10 a.m. on April 17 to a call of a shooting in the 13100 block of 15th Street. When officers arrived on scene they found the woman dead in a vehicle.
Refugees rescued in early May floating adrift in the Bay of Bengal are held at an island prone to deadly monsoon.

Hundreds of Rohingya rescued by Bangladesh and sent to a flood-prone island after being stranded at sea for weeks should be moved to existing refugee camps, the UN secretary-general said.

Antonio Guterres made the appeal to Bangladeshs foreign minister in a letter that was obtained on Sunday by AFP news agency.

The Rohingya were rescued in early May after floating adrift in the Bay of Bengal and sent to Bhashan Char island  a silty strip of land that is vulnerable to monsoon storms.

Dhaka has said the 308 were sent to the island rather than the camps in Coxs Bazar because authorities were afraid they might have the viral disease, also known as COVID-19.

Guterres said the refugees should be moved to the camps after their time in quarantine is completed.

Dhaka has not said how long the Rohingya will remain in isolation.





While those rescued at sea may be quarantined for public health purposes, they must also be extended the protection they deserve as refugees, Guterres said in the letter to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen dated Friday.

I trust that they too, will benefit from the humanitarian services offered to the Rohingya in Bangladesh and that, at the end of their quarantine period they will be allowed to rejoin their families in Coxs Bazar.

We dont want any more Rohingya

Momen told AFP he had yet to receive the letter but said those concerned about Bhashan Char  where facilities for 100,000 people were built last year  should host the Rohingya in their own countries.

We dont want any more Rohingya, Momen told AFP.

We dont have any other place to keep them. If they (other countries) dont like Bhashan Char, let them take them back to their countries. (Or) else, let them return to Myanmar.





He said more pressure should be put on Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingya to their home state of Rakhine.

The foreign minister previously said the refugees would most likely have to live in the shelters on Bhashan Char until they return to Rakhine.

Nearly one million Rohingya live in crowded camps in Coxs Bazar. Many fled Myanmar after a 2017 military crackdown.

Emergency teams are racing to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the camps after the confirmation of four cases.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International reported on Friday that at least 1,000 Rohingya remain stranded off the coast of Indonesias Aceh as Southeast Asian nations tighten their borders.

The group urged immediate action to ensure they were not buried in an invisible graveyard at sea.

Saad Hammadi, from the South Asia Regional Office of Amnesty International, said the refugees could have been sailing for several weeks or even months without food or water, citing information from humanitarian agencies and local news reports.
Flags throughout the state will be flown at half-staff Monday in honor of Rep. Mitch Greenlick, who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2003 until his death Friday.

Gov. Kate Brown has ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Monday. Greenlicks family will honor his life and memory the same day, according to the governors office.

Greenlicks family said he died of natural causes. He had battled a number of health issues during the past year.

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 term, which was his ninth. The district spans parts of the greater Bethany area of Washington County and part of Northwest Portland.

Greenlick, who was 85 when he died, was considered a leading and influential voice in Oregon health care policy.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Noelle Crombie contributed to this report.

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Where was President Trump? He and his administration were still debating whether to ax some or all of the U.S. contribution to the WHO. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, in video remarks to the assembly, parroted Mr. Trump, blaming China and the WHO for the crisis, a crude scapegoating intended to divert attention from Washingtons own failures. Hasnt it occurred to Mr. Trump and his advisers that, if they really want to learn how the pandemic began, it would be far better to show up for the investigation than to walk away? Mr. Xi is opening his checkbook, just as Mr. Trump is gathering up his marbles to go home.
A protester has filmed the hostile moment she clashed with police after they visited her home to fine her for attending an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne.

The protester filmed the interaction after two officers turned up at her doorstep to confirm her identity and issue a caution in relation to the May 10 mass protest which breached social distancing rules.

The protester, who isn't seen in the footage, is initially cautious but quickly becomes defensive when the female officer requests to see her identification.

'What for? Why do I have to show it?' the woman argues.

The protester filmed her confrontation with police (one pictured) who turned up at her home

The female officer politely explains they are there to issue 'a quick caution' regarding her attendance at the recent rally in Melbourne's CBD.

The resident repeatedly refuses requests to provide her details or identification, even after the Melbourne West Police officers state their full names and show identification when asked.

'I don't have to. I'm not driving, I'm at home,' the woman argues.

The woman is told she has committed an offence under the Crimes Act for failing to provide her name and address.

She continues to argue and interrupt the officers who say he also breached coronavirus lockdown directions by attending the protest.

The protester repeatedly refused the female officer's (pictured) requests to see identification or to provide her name and address, which she says is an offence under the Crimes Act

'I have committed no offence!' the woman exclaims.

'You can issue whatever you like.'

The encounter ends when the officers say the $1652 fine will be served in the mail.

'Okay and I'll serve it write back. Don't waste my time again,' the woman calls out as the officers walk away.

The heated exchange titled 'The citizens of Melbourne, Australia no longer have the right to protest anymore' was posted to YouTube on Sunday and has since gone viral.

'This tyranny has to stop in the land of the free and the brave Australia tuning into new China,' the four minute clip was captioned.

The footage was inundated with comments.

'Absolute disgrace, we have every right to protest the way our governments do things, it's part of our rights. This tyranny must be fought against and brought down,' one viewer wrote.

Another added: 'People are fighting the fines in Canada. Some are going too far. We flattened the curve so why the heavy handedness? They are breaking good faith with the people.'

More than 300 protesters breached coronavirus lockdown directions when they attended a mass gathering in Melbourne's CBD. Pictured are officers making one of 10 arrests they made at the May 10 protest

While Victorians have the right not to answer questions from police, there are time where they must give their name and address, according to the state's Legal Aid service.

'The police do not have the right to demand your name or address without a reason. Generally, a police officer can only ask you to give your name and address if they believe you have committed an offence or are about to commit an offence,' the Legal Aid Victoria website states.

'It is an offence to refuse to give police your name and address or to give police a false name and address if they have a lawful reason to ask you for your details.'

A fine can be issued if you refuse or fail to comply with a lawful request from police.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed 20 people had been fined for attending the rally in Melbourne on March 20.

'Police made it very clear that if the planned protest were to proceed, it would be in direct contravention of the Chief Health Officers directives,' the spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia

The heated exchange ended when police said the $1652 fine would be served in the mail
Doctors said it was 'concerning' that there was so much internal spread

This is thought to be lower nationwide but higher in specific hospitals

Hospital bosses say between 10 and 20 per cent of cases caught inside building

Up to one in five coronavirus patients in NHS hospitals caught the virus while they were there being treated for something else.

NHS officials have admitted that there has been a significant problem of inpatients catching COVID-19 from staff or other patients at hospitals around the country.

The director of patient safety for NHS England said he was 'concerned about the rates of... spread within our hospitals'.

So far 24,739 people are known to have died with COVID-19 in hospitals in England and around 175,000 patients and staff have tested positive since the outbreak began.

Thousands of those people may have picked up the virus in hospital, The Guardian reports, even if they were there for completely unrelated conditions.

Bosses in the health service say that between 10 and 20 per cent of hospitalised COVID-19 patients were catching the virus while in a hospital.

This is believed to be unevenly spread across the country, with some hospitals having worse infection control than others, although none have been named. Nationally, in-hospital infection is thought to account for five to seven per cent of patients.

Patients are spreading the coronavirus between themselves and it is also spreading between patients and staff in NHS hospitals, bosses at the health service have warned. Pictured: NHS staff in protective gear at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge

One anonymous surgeon told The Guardian: 'Multiple patients my department treated who were inpatients pre lockdown got the bug and died.

'Obviously the timeline supports that they acquired it from staff and other patients.'

NHS staff and hospital patients have been the focus of government testing efforts since the start of the outbreak but there are still concerns the virus is spreading unchecked.

Some staff members may catch the illness but not develop any symptoms, or develop ones which don't fit the criteria for a test, and be required to keep working.

There have also been reports of shortages of personal protective equipment, putting medical workers at extra risk of catching the coronavirus from patients.

Meanwhile, the virus is known to be able to live on surfaces for hours or even days so it is easy to transmit in confined spaces where a lot of people are.

Hospitals are giving their best efforts to quarantine infected patients but some do not develop any sign of illness until days after they became infectious.

Dr Aidan Fowler, director of patient safety at NHS England, said he is 'concerned about the rates of nosocomial spread within our hospitals,' the Health Service Journal reported.

Nosocomial infection is that which takes place inside a medical facility.

Dr Fowler said around 5,000 NHS staff with symptoms are being tested every day for COVID-19, but efforts to track down and stop infection spread must increase.

'There's been an enormous amount of work being done to increase what is a very complex system.

'We've now got multiple labs doing COVID-19 testing on 22 different platforms using a multitude of different swabs. That's been quite a challenge.'

NHS hospitals are now testing all new patients who are admitted to their wards in a bid to stop people bringing coronavirus in without being detected.

The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, a professional body representing critical care doctors, said it was concerned about the findings.

APRIL WAS QUIETEST MONTH EVER IN A&E IN ENGLAND 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

Dr Alison Pittard, the dean of the faculty, told The Guardian: 'I'm very concerned that the incidence of [hospital-acquired] infection has gone up during this pandemic.

'It's conceivable that asymptomatic staff may unintentionally infect some patients and that could be a mode of transmission and help explain the rise in intra-hospital infection.'

An NHS spokesperson said: 'This new global health emergency means hospitals faced an unprecedented challenge, but they have established and effective mechanisms for infection prevention and control.

'These are continually being supplemented in new ways, as the science regarding the specific features of this coronavirus develops.'

The worrying statistics come as the NHS has started to plan a return to business as normal.

Bosses are keen to get operating theatres open again and start routine treatments in a bid to clear a backlog of patients who had therapy delayed because of the crisis.

Health officials and charities have raised concerns that cancer patients are missing treatments and diagnoses, and that the impact the coronavirus is having on slowing down medical services is putting lives at risk among people who don't even catch the virus.

CEO of the Nuffield Trust, a health think-tank, said he thought the surgery waiting list in England would have doubled by the autumn because of treatment delays.

Nigel Edwards 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.

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.

Speaking at a virtual House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee meeting last week, 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.'
By Andrea Shalal, Alexandra Alper and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers and officials are crafting proposals to push American companies to move operations or key suppliers out of China that include tax breaks, new rules, and carefully structured subsidies.

Interviews with a dozen current and former government officials, industry executives and members of Congress show widespread discussions underway - including the idea of a "reshoring fund" originally stocked with $25 billion - to encourage U.S. companies to drastically revamp their relationship with China.

President Donald Trump has long pledged to bring manufacturing back from overseas, but the recent spread of the coronavirus and related concerns about U.S. medical and food supply chains dependency on China are "turbocharging" new enthusiasm for the idea in the White House.

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that gave a U.S. overseas investment agency new powers to help manufacturers in the United States. The goal, Trump said, is to "produce everything America needs for ourselves and then export to the world, and that includes medicines."

But the Trump administration itself remains divided over how best to proceed, and the issue is unlikely to be addressed in the next fiscal stimulus to offset the coronavirus downturn. Congress has begun work on another fiscal stimulus package but it remains unclear when it might pass.

The push takes on special resonance in an election year. While anti-China, pro-American job proposals could play well with voters, giving taxpayer money or tax breaks to companies that moved supply chains to China at a time when small business is flailing may not.

BIPARTISAN APPEAL

Both Republicans and Democrats are crafting bills to decrease U.S. reliance on China-made products, which accounted for some 18% of overall imports in 2019.

"The whole subject of supply chains and integrity of supply chains... does have a greater place in members' minds," Representative Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, told reporters May 7.

The medical supply chain and defense-related goods are top of the list.

Story continues

"Coronavirus has been a painful wakeup call that we are too reliant on nations like China for critical medical supplies," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in a press release on Friday. He is expected to issue a new bill this week.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley is pushing for local content rules for medical supply chains, and "generous investment subsidies" to encourage increased domestic production of a range of goods and components. Republican Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill on May 10 that would bar sale of some sensitive goods to China, and raise taxes on U.S. companies' income from China.

A bipartisan bill introduced by Democratic Representative Anna Eschoo and Republican Representative Susan Brooks would commission a panel to recommend ways to cut drug supply reliance on China.

Republican Representative Mark Green's "SOS Act" proposes funding takeovers of vulnerable U.S. companies that are critical to our national security.

Lawmakers also hope to include reshoring provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, a $740 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon that Congress passes every year.

PAY TO STAY

A controversial idea being floated in Washington would allocate as much as $25 billion to companies that make essential goods to move production home, ensuring that even products far down the supply chain were sourced domestically, according to two administration officials.

No lawmaker has publicly embraced it, but several congressional aides acknowledged it is part of the broader discussion in Congress. One of the administration officials said states could administer the funds through their separate economic development organizations.

That would be a boon for states that are struggling to pay their own bills after widespread lockdowns, plummeting tax revenues, and a huge surge in COVID-related costs, one state official said.

But given longstanding concerns about the government setting "industrial policy", the notion of subsidizing industry directly is polarizing, even among Trump's top advisers.

Outright subsidies are a non-starter, said one of the two administrative sources. "Internally some are questioning why we should be providing funds to companies that have left in recent years."

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has talked publicly about using tax incentives instead to prod U.S. companies to move some manufacturing home.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wants the federal government to buy more U.S.-made medical goods and drugs, but Trump has not signed an executive order Navarro is promoting.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and others favor building trusted networks of drug and medical suppliers, said two officials familiar with the discussions.

Giving federal dollars directly to companies to shift supply chains away from China would likely run afoul of World Trade Organization rules, and could discourage foreign companies from doing business in the United States, critics of the idea say.

The State Department, meanwhile, is working with other agencies and foreign governments to diversify American supply chains from China. "This includes returning manufacturing to the United States and expanding our base of international manufacturing partners," said a spokesperson.

(Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk. Editing by Heather Timmons, Chris Sanders and Diane Craft)
As the pandemic continues to spread illness and destruction across the globe, the health of Jason Sellyns friendships has only gone one way: up.

Its the same shooting the shit, but also, [youre] making sure that your friends are OK, says Sellyn, an East Malvern owner of a recruitment firm, noting that hed never previously been in the habit of inquiring about friends emotional wellbeing.

Jason Sellyn, pictured right, with friend Adam Lang and their dogs Archie and Ringo, is experiencing a deepening of his friendships during COVID-19. Credit:Joe Armao

The virus has even erased some of the friendship barriers that existed previously.

Normally people would say how busy they were, maybe they are still busy but Ive got some friends that have been stood down, some friends on JobKeeper from people who have been incredibly successful, driving businesses, now their businesses have stopped, he says. Everybody seems to be on a level playing field. Everybodys in, there seems to be a bit more cohesion. Nobodys too busy to talk.
Thank you, Class of 2020! Its an honor to be delivering your college commencement address, even with this awkward Zoom connection. Testing

Im sorry you and your friends wont be partying tonight but, when you think about it, today isnt all bad.

You didnt have to rent the purple cap and gown that hasnt been restyled since the school was founded in 1907. You avoided arriving at 8 a.m. in the parking lot behind the student union, only to be scolded by Mr. Walsh for being in the wrong alphabetical position.

You didnt have to stand in the sun while Jessica Shapiro struggled through God Bless America, followed by Chancellor Botwick, who promised to be brief but spoke for 35 minutes about plans for the new science building that youll never set foot in. You missed hearing him say, Im proud to know each of our students personally, even though in four years he never found time to meet you.

You skipped the humiliation of Dean Martin (hat-tip to Rodney Dangerfield) reading the names of 164 classmates graduating with academic honors, with your parents hoping youd be included despite your 2.3 GPA.

You didnt have to walk across the platform and shake hands with trustees who werent bothering with Purell. You were spared worrying if dad got those few seconds on videoconsidering that he was some 400 feet away on the school lawn using the flip phone he bought when you were in 9th grade.

You missed the awkwardness of introducing Ryan and Sakiko and wondering what your parents thought of his tattoos and her purple hair. You dodged having to answer questions from other parents about your future plans, considering that you dont really have any.

Plus, picture this: the lawn is muddy. The punch at the reception makes you think of Kool-Aid, except that youve never actually had Kool-Aid. It starts to rain just as you and dad lug your stuff from the dorm to the car. Mom wont stop complaining about what the humidity is doing to her hair.

Look, the saddest people today are your parents. Theyve managed to forget the awkwardness of their own college graduations. Or, maybe, they werent fortunate enough to go to college, and today was to be a combination of vicarious pleasure and parental pride. Give them a hug. Promise that when the pandemic restrictions are lifted youll find a way to get that cap and gown and pose with them, and that your sister will use her iPhone 11 Pro to take a photo for their mantel.

So, whats your next move? If you can afford it, volunteer this summer: deliver meals, entertain seniors, offer to pick up and distribute books from the library. If you and your family need money, postpone your career goals for at least a few months and work on the front lines. Deliver pizza, handle the cash register at the supermarket or take a temp job on a U.P.S. route.

I put on this suit and tie today to talk in front of my computer because I believe in you. Im counting on you to see beyond the fear and frustration of the moment.

You knew that graduation would mark the start of a new chapter in your life, filled with mysteries and challenges. You understood that college prepared you for the future. You just didnt expect the future to arrive so soon. Good luck.

Wait, what? Im on mute?

Peter Funt is a writer and speaker. Columns distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate.

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A longtime cruise ship executive slammed for her low profile during the Ruby Princess coronavirus debacle is renovating her iconic cathedral style mansion during lockdown.

Ann Sherry, 66, has long been the face of Carnival Cruises, first as the company's CEO, then as executive chairman, and now as an adviser to the business.

But Ms Sherry has recently attracted the ire of 2GB breakfast host Alan Jones for her uncharacteristic low profile during the Ruby Princess fiasco - in which dozens of passengers infected with coronavirus disembarked in Sydney, leading to outbreaks across the country.

Exclusive pictures showed labourers hard at work on Monday giving a facelift to 'The Abbey', the high-flying businesswoman's 50-room gothic revival manor decorated with gargoyles in Sydney's inner west.

Face of the cruise industry: Ann Sherry, 66, has long been the face of Carnival Cruises, first as the company's CEO, then as executive chairman, and now as an adviser to the business - but recently attracted the ire of 2GB's Alan Jones

Exclusive pictures showed labourers hard at work on Monday giving a facelift to 'The Abbey', the high-flying businesswoman's 50-room gothic manor in Sydney's inner west. It's no secret extensive work is being done to the property, with 130-year-old roof materials and some decorative features being replaced, according to council documents

'The Abbey': Ms Sherry and her husband Michael Hogan's 1882 home is heritage-listed and described as one of Australia's most famous properties. It was built by the same architect behind Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral

22 people died after being infected with coronavirus on board the Ruby Princess. (Carnival says Ms Sherry has not been involved in the day-to-day management of the company for more than a year)

Council documents show the family architect was granted permission for renovations which were 'crucial' to conservation under heritage rules in February.

The facelift involves replacing part of the building's 130-year-old roof, fixing stone parapets and reinstating decorative features.

Ms Sherry and her husband Michael Hogan bought the historic property for $4.9 million in 2009 at a time of career success.

The businesswoman is regarding as having turned around the cruise industry in Australia, successfully surpassing a goal of getting one million Australians onto a cruise ship by 2020.

Ms Sherry (with husband Michael Hogan on left, and riding a Segway on board a ship on right) quietly stepped down as Carnival Australia chair last year - but is still listed in that role on the business's international website - and is a part-time adviser to the company

But the longtime businesswoman has copped flak for her alleged quiet over the coronavirus cruise ship saga.

During an editorial about the Ruby Princess - and Ms Sherry's former Rugby Australia board role - last month, Jones fumed: 'Now with the Ruby Princess .... Ann Sherry has vanished.

'Not a word from her! She's renowned to be front and centre.'

Journalist and commentator Janine Perrett tweeted that it was 'interesting' Ms Sherry 'who is usually keen for media spotlight has been missing thought the Ruby Princess fiasco.'

Both broadcasters described Ms Sherry as the current executive chairman of Carnival Australia, as does Carnival Corp's international website.

But the company insists that is no longer the case, with a representative telling Daily Mail Australia she has been just a part time 'adviser' to the business for the past year.

A Carnival spokesman branded questions asking about Ms Sherry's renovations and her response to criticisms as 'muckracking at its worst'.

'Ms Sherry has had no role in day-to-day operations of the company for more than a year,' the spokesman said.

The company declined to confirm whether Ms Sherry is still a paid employee.

Alan Jones fumed on air last month that Ms Sherry (left and right during events on cruise ships) was 'renowned to be front and centre', but a Carnival spokesman said she has not been a day-to-day manager of the company for more than a year

The Carnival Corporation's international website still lists Ann Sherry as the executive chairman but her LinkedIn profile and the company's spokespeople say she left a year ago

Face of the cruise industry: Former Carnival Australia chair and company adviser Ann Sherry at her heritage-listed home in Sydney's inner-west - which is undergoing renovation and repair work as she is criticised for her alleged low profile

Like a castle: Ms Sherry and her husband purchased the home in 2009 for $4.7 million. Property company Domain now estimates its value at $9 million

The home's breathtaking view takes in the skyline of Sydney, the Anzac Bridge and the Blackwattle Bay parklands in Sydney's inner west

The Carnival spokesman said 'any commercial arrangement between her is a matter between her and Carnival Australia.'

The spokesman described Mrs Sherry as an 'outstanding Australian who led the exponential growth of cruising in Australia and New Zealand to the point where it was contributing $5 billion to the Australian economy annually.

The historic home was constructed John Young, the same architect who designed Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral

'Her advice is valued but having no involvement in the day to day operation of the business she could never have been reasonably expected to take a public stance on the response to coronavirus.

'She is also entitled to privacy in terms of her life beyond day to day involvement in cruising.'

Ms Sherry's heritage-listed home is considered a landmark of its own and has been described as one of Australia's most famous properties.

It was constructed by John Young - the builder of the city's St Mary's Cathedral - in 1882, and through its history has been used as a boarding house and home for an artist community.

Ms Sherry, who started her career as a prison social worker in the United Kingdom, is the current chair of the board of Enero Group Limited, a network of modern marketing and communications firms.

The well-respected businesswoman holds a swag of directorships including non-executive roles at Sydney Airport and National Australia Bank. Her CV includes work as a senior executive at Westpac, including as CEO of its New Zealand operations.

Ms Sherry is a member of the Order of Australia and won the Australian Financial Review's '100 Women of Influence' award in 2015. She was approached for comment.
BMS Group, the London-based specialist re/insurance broker, announce it has signed a preferred partner agreement with the independent Chilean reinsurance broker and existing trading partner Insurex Re, a company owned by Insurex Group.

A long-term business plan has been agreed between the two firms that will see them target facultative and treaty reinsurance placements, spanning property catastrophe, financial lines, surety and construction.

In addition, BMS will work with the wider Insurex group including its InsurTech and retail divisions to distribute specialty products with a particular focus on financial services, surety, mining and property, and the public services sector.

We are very pleased to be taking our strong working relationship with BMS to a new level. Having the backing of a leading international broker such as BMS will allow Insurex Group to grow through Insurex Re across all lines of reinsurance in Chile, while BMS will benefit from our local expertise and presence, said Eduardo Riquelme, CEO of Insurex Re.

BMSs international strategy is based on establishing BMS hubs in key global financial centers, which in turn work closely with the best independent partners in their regions. Our Miami-based team will enhance its access to new opportunities in the Southern Cone through this new close partnership with Insurex Re, commented David Battman, head of International at BMS.

Topics Mergers Agencies Reinsurance
New Delhi, May 18 : Faced with serious challenges amid the coronavirus crisis, the automobile gas industry is seeking urgent policy help from the government to be able to support itself post the lockdown.

According to the apex industry body Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC), sales volumes have been affected by more than 90 per cent due to the country-wide lockdown and the comprehensive traffic restrictions. The demand from three-wheeler segment which is among the largest consumers of auto LPG has been almost zero since public transport has been strictly off roads.

As per the body, even after the lockdown is lifted, it would take several months for public transportation to return to normalcy due to social distancing requirements.

The sector is therefore staring at a long period of economic slump and suppressed demand, it said in a statement, adding that long term fiscal and non-fiscal policy incentives from the government are needed to revive the industry quickly.

"The auto LPG sector has been hit the hardest because the major consumers of this clean fuel in the country are commercial vehicles and three-wheelers which are not plying. The industry needs help from the government through a series of fiscal and non-fiscal policy interventions to survive this difficult period," the association's Director General Suyash Gupta said.

"We particularly request that corporate tax on auto LPG operators and station owners be reduced to 15 per cent for FY 2020-21 and a six-month tax holiday is provided for new retail outlets to be commissioned during FY 2020-21," he added.

While the demand for petrol and diesel is expected to pick up again once restrictions are lifted, the auto LPG association expects the curve to be longer because of three-wheeler usage is likely to remain low on account of social distancing norms.

Currently, there are over 1,400 Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS) in the country. With the nationwide lockdown resulting in the stoppage of all transport vehicles across the spectrum of transport, the operators and franchisees of the ALDS stations are bearing the costs of salaries, rentals and other overheads on almost zero revenues, the industry body said.

Apart from direct tax concessions, IAC also reiterated the need to tax auto LPG at 5 per cent GST - the same rate as domestic LPG.

This move should help in reduction of price to the customer and reduce pilferages in the system, it said, adding that auto LPG accounts for less than 2 per cent of the overall LPG sales in the country.
Summer is around the corner and for communities on Cape Cod, that normally means its time for tourism to drive the economy with over 4 million people visiting each year. Beaches have historically been the draw for people from across the state and country to visit the Cape, the South Shore and North Shore, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket.

Phase one of Gov. Charlie Bakers four-part reopening plan will see the beaches in Massachusetts reopen on May 25, Memorial Day. However, restrictions on visitors have been introduced.

All beach visitors need to wear face coverings in public places where social distancing is not possible. The order requires any person over the age of 2, whether indoors or outdoors, to wear a face covering or mask when they cannot maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and others.

All shuttle services to the beaches in Massachusetts are closed in Phase one of the plan.

A recent TripAdvisor survey found that most travelers are looking forward to their next vacation. It also found that 44% of travelers are more likely to take a road trip, and 40% are more likely to take a beach vacation.

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Wendy Northcross is part of a task force making plans for how the Cape will reopen.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said on Wednesday that he's taking a "wait and see approach" to reopening beaches.

Watching Maine and Massachusetts, he wants to see how these states deal with their reopening and then he will judge the best time to open.

"It's May 13th," said Sununu. "It snowed a few days ago. There isn't a mad rush to the beaches right now, which is good news because it allows us to see how their model plays out, how they handle parking, crowd control. They're kind of opening the door saying, 'What's going to happen.' We get to see what's going to happen."

Crane Beach in Ipswich has already introduced a strategy to encourage social distancing and reduce the number of beachgoers.

The Trustees announced that they will adopt a ticket system for beachgoers starting on in June. It has been open since May 12 for visitors but has been limiting people on the beach to half its capacity.

The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in Massachusetts.

"We will be asking new things of people. We are going to be asking people to change their behavior a little bit," said trustee Alicia Leuba to NECN. "This really does require a change of behavior, a ticket in hand, and a smile to make sure everyone has a good time."

Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has delayed phase two of her reopening plan until June which is when the beaches will be opened.

Rhode Island started its reopening plan on May 9 but has yet to open its beaches. Phase one consisted of the state lifting its stay-at-home order, allowing restaurants to offer outdoor dining and let non-essential retail stores to open. But social gatherings are still capped at five people and close-contact businesses. Barbers, hairdressers, tattoo parlors and nail salons are to stay closed for the immediate future.

Im sorry if that created confusion, but as a rule of thumb it will be a month-ish between phases, Raimondo said on Friday. Phase 2 ought to start at the beginning of June, assuming things go well."

Rhode Island is looking at a series of metrics to judge when to move to the second phase. Massachusetts will also follow a similar goal with each phase will lasting at least three weeks and can revert to a previous phase if state health officials see a spike in cases of cornavirus.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Thursday that New Jersey beaches will be open this summer with social distancing measures in place.

The Jersey Shore, after all, is where memories are made," Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. The last thing any of us wanted was for a summertime down the Shore to be a memory.

Under Murphys executive order, beaches and lakefronts must limit the number of visitors given access so people can properly socially distance. Families and households are allowed to cluster together, but otherwise, people need to be six feet apart, the governor said.

This weekend was the test run for Memorial Day weekend, which is next weekend and typically billed as the unofficial start to the summer season at the Jersey Shore.

On the boardwalk in Belmar people stood in clusters, some wearing masks, some not, in a bustling Jersey Shore town that can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors on a summer day.

Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer conceded that adjustments needed to be made in anticipation of Memorial Day weekend.

The reopening plans four phases are named Start," Cautious, Vigilant and "The New Normal, respectively.

In the start phase, limited businesses will be able to reopen with severe restrictions. In the second phase, additional industries, previously designated as non-essential, are expected to resume operations with restrictions and capacity limits.

The vigilant phase will see more businesses begin to reopen with guidance, and in the fourth phase, the development of a vaccine or a recommended treatment for the viral respiratory infection is expected to allow for the start of a new normal.

If the state sees a rise in cases of the illness as well as hospitalizations, according to Baker, the commonwealth could return to an earlier phase of the reopening plan and issue new business restrictions.

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Billionairess businesswoman Lady Ballyedmond has retained her place as the richest person here despite her wealth reportedly dropping by 293m in 12 months.

The pharmaceuticals tycoon, who is vice-chairman of Newry-based Norbrook Laboratories, kept her place at the top of Northern Irelands Sunday Times Rich List despite an 82% drop in profits in 2018-19.

Despite the decline, attributed to supply chain problems and manufacturing difficulties, the familys overall wealth still stands at a staggering 1.345bn.

Lady Ballyedmond, formerly Mary Haughey, is the widow of Norbrook founder Baron Ballyedmond, Edward Haughey.

Coming in a close second is Martin Naughton and family, who have also seen their overall wealth drop 74m to 1.158bn, according to the paper.

The family owns Glen Dimplex in Newry, which is the worlds largest maker of electric heaters and suffered a 5.98m loss in 2018 across 1.14bn in sales.

The deficit was put down to an 18.48m restructuring, the Brexit slowdown and a change in its accounting period.

Both Mary Haughey and Martin Naughton remain the richest people in Northern Ireland despite losing a combined total of 367m.

Bucking the downturn at the top, all eight millionaires in the top 10 have seen increases in their wealth over the last 12 months.

Engineering boss Chris Rea saw the biggest increase in riches with a 50m boost, according to todays Rich List.

Recently made a CBE, Mr Rea began working at the age of 11, picking potatoes and manning petrol pumps in his native Co Down.

He later moved to South Yorkshire and joined seal manufacturer AES, taking control in 1979 when it was crippled by debt.

With profits rising to 27.7m in 2018 and showing 116.5m in assets, the renamed AESseal is now a 260m business with Reas 70% stake valued at 182m.
India's military may respond across the border if a terrorist attack on it is is linked to Pakistan, said Air Force chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on Monday. "Whenever there is a terrorist attack on our soil, Pakistan should be worried and they were rightly worried.

They have to stop abetting terrorism in India if they have to get out of these worries," said Bhadauria when he was asked if the neighbouring country should fear retaliation for the encounter in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that the armed force is constantly ready to deliver whenever ...
A potential coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University won't be open for use immediately in the United States. The United Kingdom announces that once the vaccine turns successfully into clinical trials, the country will be the first to test it. Meanwhile, a Californian celebration of Mother's Day turns into something horrifying after a COVID-19 patient was invited, risking the lives of over 180 people at the same celebration.

UK's top choice of COVID-19 vaccine will not prioritize Americans

As reported via ABC News, an Oxford University-studied COVID-19 vaccine is now ready to deliver 100 million doses of its substance. After signing up with a global licensing agreement with U.K.-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the said vaccine will no longer give priority to anyone except British people.

Not that they won't share the vaccine, but the U.K. government said that their people will have the first chance to test the vaccine if experiments are successfully completed soon.

"This deal with AstraZeneca means that if the Oxford University vaccine works, people in the U.K. will get the first access to it, helping to protect thousands of lives," said the U.K.'s Business Secretary Alok Sharma.

After sending 100 million doses, Oxford and AstraZeneca will be working together to create another 30 million doses of the vaccine, to be sent by September as part of the agreement.

Human clinical trials of the said vaccine already began last month. Researchers at both U.K.'s prestigious schools like Oxford and Imperial College of London will receive about $101 million from government budget in line with their experiments for the vaccine.

Mother's Day tragedy happens in California

Due to implemented stay-at-home orders in the U.S., social gatherings like parties, birthdays, or even congregation meetings are still prohibited by law.

However, a religious service during Mother's Day happened in Butte County, Northern California decided to break the law, resulting in a much worse punishment.

According to Fox News, Butte County Public Health said in a press release that a public church located in the area re-opened despite the rules against gatherings.

What they didn't know was that a COVID-19 patient was one of the guests. Over 180 people attended the event and now possibly have the virus due to the infected person.

As explained, the patient only knew he was positive with the virus a day after the gathering.

Meanwhile, health officials from the county said that they had already spoken with the organizers of the service, to inform them that social gatherings are still unallowed today.

"At this time, organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations, the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk," Butte County Public Health Director Danette York said in a statement. "We all need to do our part to follow the orders and mitigation efforts so that our Reopen Butte County plan can continue to move forward."

ALSO READ: COVID-19 UPDATE: Coronavirus Infection Can Be Prevented by Mouthwash Potentially Destroying Outer Layer of COVID-19

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 03:03:12|Editor: huaxia

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A medical worker uses a swab to take a sample at a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 14, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

"Our biggest challenges are having the patience and the wisdom to wait long enough to return to work and school, and having enough testing in place to react quickly if there is a flare in transmission," Robert Schooley said.



by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- "If we do not have expanded testing in place, we will be flying in the dark, once again. We have already seen how that comes out," a leading U.S. epidemiologist said Sunday.

Robert Schooley, a professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua in an interview that the biggest challenges facing the United States are having the patience and the wisdom to wait long enough to reopen, and having enough testing in place to react quickly if a flare in transmission occurs.

As many states across the United States are lifting stay-at-home orders and reopening businesses, many experts are concerned that the failure to flatten the curve and drive down the infection rate in places could lead to many more COVID-19 deaths.

"I fear that we will see flares as we race to get back to work in places where the number of new cases has not fallen sufficiently," Schooley said.

Recently, many influential COVID-19 models cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have raised death projections.

The National Ensemble Forecast suggests that the number of cumulative reported COVID-19 deaths are likely to exceed 100,000 by June 1.

"State-level ensemble forecasts indicate that states with low numbers of deaths reported to date are not likely to see a rapid rise in the coming weeks, while states with high numbers of deaths reported to date are likely to see substantial increases," said the CDC.

The model produced by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation of the University of Washington, often cited by the White House, projected 147,040 COVID-19 deaths by Aug. 4.

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Michigan are projected to have the highest cumulative COVID-19 death tolls through August.

Schooley said projections regarding COVID-19 case rates have continued to fluctuate for a number of reasons.

"There are still areas in the United States where testing is more limited than it should be which has artificially held down the case reporting rate," he noted.

Furthermore, as a number of states reopen their economies and allow a resumption of a number of activities, it would not be a surprise to see the result be a reversal of the epidemic curve, Schooley said.

This has been observed in a number of places in which people resumed activities when virus was still circulating, he said, citing countries including Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

"There is a good chance that we will also see some of this in the United States," Schooley added.

Without a vaccine or cure, staying away from infected people is the effective way to stop the virus. Across the country, states that instituted stay-at-home orders have seen plateaus or slower-than-expected declines in COVID-19 cases.

"The restrictions really do work when people follow them assiduously," Schooley said.

New Zealand and Australia are the most recent examples of how successful distancing can be if people take it seriously and do it for long enough, he told Xinhua.

Still, many states, after weeks of shutdown measures, are already moving to loosen these measures before the first wave of coronavirus has abated.

"Our biggest challenges are having the patience and the wisdom to wait long enough to return to work and school, and having enough testing in place to react quickly if there is a flare in transmission," Schooley noted. 
Scientists at the University of Kentucky are working on a new medical face mask that could capture and kill the novel coronavirus on impact.

The virus is covered in 's-protein' spikes, which allow the pathogen to enter and infect the body's cells.

The new mask would have enzymes in its membrane, or layer, that would attach to the protein spikes of the coronavirus, separating and killing them.

If successful, the mask would be able to be used by millions of frontline healthcare workers that come into contact with the virus every day, and many of whom have an inadequate supply of personal protective equipment.

Researchers are developing a new face mask with a membrane (pictured) that would attach to to the 's-protein' spikes on the outside of the novel coronavirus

The mask would capture the virus, separating the number of particles in the air that could spread to other people, and kill it. Pictured: Researchers at the University of Kentucky working on the development of the face mask

The team was just awarded a $150,000 grant and says it will need six months to create and test the finished product. Pictured: Nurse Karen Hayes administers care to a patient in the acute care COVID-19 unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, May 7

'We have the capability to create a membrane that would not only effectively filter out the novel coronavirus like the N-95 mask does, but deactivate the virus completely,' said Dr Dibakar Bhattacharyya, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Kentucky, in a press release.

'This innovation would further slow and even prevent the virus from spreading. It would also have future applications to protect against a number of human pathogenic viruses.'

One of the new mask's most important features is that it captures the virus on the surface, which would lessen the number of particles in the air that could spread to other people.

Bhattacharyya told LEX 18 that the masks, which would be nontoxic and thin, might even change color when they detect coronavirus on their material.

The team just earned a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, which is calling for proposals that help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Bhattacharyya says the team will need six months to create and test the finished product.

To test the mask, the scientists at the College of Engineers will also be working with those from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Bhattacharyya says the cooperation across several departments is evidence of the university's 'collaborative spirit'.

'At the University of Kentucky, we have great resources at our fingertips and many opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research across disciplines,' he said.

'Our researchers work together and lend their expertise to solve challenges for the greater good of humanity, not only at a time like this, but every day.'

The team says it has no timeline for when the mask might be made available to the general public.

The University of Kentucky isn't the only institute of higher educations that is working on face masks development.

A team at Stanford University is trying to redesign N-95 masks, which reduce oxygen intake by five to 20 percent, so that oxygen deficiency is minimal.

Additionally, the Queensland University of Technology in Australia has developed a mask filter than can remove virus particles smaller than 100 nanometers, which is about the size of the virus.

In the US, there are more than 1.5 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 90,000 deaths.
The bravery medals of a hero pilot who took on the fearsome German battleship the Tirpitz are being sold by his family for 12,000.

Lieutenant Commander Sidney Hall's 12 campaign medals, logbooks and other personal affairs are being auctioned off by his family with London-based Dix Noonan Webb.

Lt Cmdr Hall was born in Liverpool in 1917 and joined the Merchant Navy aged just 16 in 1933.

He led 40 Barracuda dive bombers in a daring attack against the 823ft long vessel the Tirpitz in April 1944.

The Tirpitz posed a huge threat to the Allied convoy ships to Russia and the operation put it out of action for three months.

A month later Lt Cmdr Hall led his squadron in successful strafing attacks on German shipping in Norway.

Lieutenant Commander Sidney Hall's 12 campaign medals, along with logbooks and other personal affairs, are being auctioned off by his family on Thursday

The officer received a prestigious Distinguished Service Cross for 'undaunted courage, skill and determination'.

His DSC citation in the London Gazette read: 'For undaunted courage, skill and determination in carrying out the daring attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz on 3rd April 1944.'

A spokesman for the auction house said: 'Lt Cmdr Hall received a Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry in leading 800 Squadron's Hellcats from HMS Emperor during Operation Tungsten, the raid against the German battleship Tirpitz.

'He was mentioned in Despatches for Operation Pot Luck, when he led his squadron in strafing attacks of German shipping and aircraft at Rorvik, Norway.

'He further took part in operations in support of the D-Day landings and was heavily engaged against ground targets during Operation Dragoon.

'This is an outstanding group.'

Lt Cmdr Hall supported the D-Day landings in June 1944 by going after German ground targets and dive-bombed enemy defence batteries, bridges and trains as part of Operation Dragon, the invasion of southern France, in the August.

In one attack his squadron wiped out 70 per cent of a column of German tanks.

In 1951 he served as an Air Group Commander in the Fleet Air Arm and flew in a large number of sorties in the Korean War.

He served on various ships before joining the Royal Navy Reserve in 1938.

Lt Cmdr Hall led 40 Barracuda dive bombers in a daring attack against the 823ft long vessel Tirpitz in April 1944

He was commissioned to the Navy in 1939 and joined the cruiser HMS Berwick in January 1940 before transferring six months later to the HMS Vortigern.

Lt Cmdr Hall changed course and undertook pilot training at the end of 1940, completing his training in February 1942.

He had postings to Ceylon, Sri Lanka, and Scotland before being given command of 800 Fleet Air Arm Squadron in June 1943.

A month after the raid against Tirpitz, Lt Cmdr Hall led Hellcats from his squadron on Operation Pot Luck, an attack on German shipping at Rorvik.

The attack resulted in three enemy merchant ships being hit and damaged and five He115 floatplanes strafed and destroyed.

The following day, Lt Cmdr Hall led a similar attack which involved a further attack being made on the fish oil factory at Fossevaag.

Two armed trawlers were strafed and sunk.

Lt Cmdr Hall was mentioned in dispatches for 'outstanding services in HMS Emperor and HMS Striker in operations against enemy shipping in Northern waters'.

His logbook mentions successful attacks in August 1944 for Operation Dragoon.

His entry from August 21, 1944 said: 'Attack on 11th Panzer Division withdrawing up Rhone Valley, bombed and strafed transport on road. 70 per cent of column wiped out.'

Lt Cmdr Hall led his squadron in operations in the Aegean Islands in September and was granted leave the following month suffering from 'exhaustion' from his wartime efforts.

After returning to Britain, he married Dorothy, a Woman's Royal Naval Service cypher officer, and was appointed commanding officer of 718 Squadron, based at RNAS Henstridge, Somerset, remaining in post until war's end.

In November 1946, he joined 807 Squadron, being installed as its commanding offcer a year later.

He served at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, earning another promotion to Lieutenant Commander.

In October 1950, he was appointed Air Group Commander of the 14th Carrier Air Group, serving aboard HMS Glory.

In April 1951 the aircraft carrier arrived in Korean waters and was used as a base to launch a large number of sorties.

Lt Cmdr Hall carried out armed reconnaissance missions, strafing attacks and escorting flights over the next five months.

The officer received a prestigious Distinguished Service Cross for 'undaunted courage, skill and determination', among other medals through his career

He was shot down near Choppeki Point in September 1951 but picked up by a helicopter after an hour in the water.

His distinguished career was almost curtailed in unfortunate fashion as he was court-martialled in September 1952.

Lt Cmdr Hall, who had returned to Britain, was executive officer of the minesweeper HMS Wave which broke from her moorings in St Ives, Cornwall, and went ashore on the rocks.

There were no casualties but the ship was sunk, with Lt Cmdr Hall duty-bound to take the wrap for it.

However, owing to his two decades of stellar service, he was given a reprimand and allowed to continue his career.

Lt Cmdr Hall converted to piloting helicopters, spending time at RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland, and RNAS Yeovilton, before retiring in 1959.

He died aged 54 in 1971.

Lt Cmdr Hall's medal group consists of a Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross, 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Arctic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Italy Star, Defence and War Medals 1939-45 and U.N. Korea 1950-54.

The sale will take place on Thursday.
For the first time in weeks, customers at specialty running store Fleet Feet in Schererville, Indiana, can walk inside and try on a pair of shoes. But first, theyll need an appointment. To encourage social distancing, the shop just across the Illinois border can only handle about three fittings at a time.
A woman and a 5-year-old boy drowned in the backyard pool of former MLB outfielder Carl Crawfords house on Saturday afternoon, according to The Houston Chronicles Paul Takahashi.

The 5-year-old reportedly started having trouble breathing in the pool on property owned by Crawford. The 25-year-old woman then jumped in and tried to save him.

The Houston police and fire departments were reportedly called around 2:40 p.m. and found the woman and boy unresponsive. They were declared dead after being transported to Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital.

Carl Crawford played in MLB for 15 seasons. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

According to Houstons KHOU, the woman was named Bethany Lartigue. Her family told the outlet that she was filming music videos when she drowned and was in a relationship with a woman who recently signed a deal with Crawfords music label, 1501 Certified Entertainment.

She was reportedly not related to the boy who drowned.

Crawford had six people gathered at his house (gatherings of 10 people or fewer are allowed in Houston), per TMZ. The boy had reportedly wandered out and fell into the pool, and Crawford reportedly tried reviving both him and Lartigue after they couldnt exit the pool safely.

Crawfords 15-year MLB career ended in 2016 after stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He now manages his label in Houston and made headlines earlier this year as the defendant in a lawsuit filed by rapper Megan Thee Stallion over an allegedly over-restrictive contract.

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Market Street on the Drexel University campus in University City, shown in a file photo, was a popular food truck zone before a move in late 2019 to ban them. Then came the pandemic, when trucks throughout the city were closed. Read more

Food trucks probably will not return to Philadelphia soon, as the Kenney administration is not keen on an idea to allow a dozen vendors a day to set up in private lots with contactless takeout.

The city says it is committed to a more holistic review of the order that curbed food trucks a week after the March 16 shutdown of dining rooms and bars as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania to pull food trucks off the streets.

City officials met by Zoom on May 12 with Matt Rossi, president of the Philly Mobile Food Association, to discuss the groups proposal to set up four trucks a day on each of three private lots. Customers would place and pay for orders in advance, then pick them up from tables next to the trucks in the lot  a process identical to that used legally by most takeout restaurants. The truck windows would remain closed. The meeting was positive, said city spokesperson Lauren Cox. A follow-up meeting on May 15 with Karen Fegely, deputy commerce director for neighborhood business services, was less promising, Rossi said.

Cox said a timeline for the review and potential changes was not determined but could come after the citys lockdown status is moved from red to yellow.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has said it will not stop using an unproven anti-malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump on veterans with coronavirus.

The department declined to say how many patients had been treated with hydroxychloroquine for the virus since January, but a recent analysis of VA hospital data showed that hundreds of veterans had taken it by early April.

By comparison, in the first week of May, 17 patients had received the drug for COVID-19, the highly-infectious disease caused by the virus.

In responses provided to Congress and obtained by The Associated Press, the VA said it never 'encouraged or discouraged' its government-run hospitals to use hydroxychloroquine on patients even as Trump heavily promoted the medication for months without scientific evidence of its effectiveness.

However, a recent VA study found that more coronavirus patients treated with the drug died than did those who didn't receive it.

It comes on the heels of Trump admitting on Monday that he's been taking the drug for 'a couple weeks' to protect against the virus.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has said it will not stop using the unproven anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine on patients with coronavirus. Pictured: A nurse puts medication into the feeding tube of a COVID-19 patient on the MICU floor of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York City, April 24

Hundreds of veterans had taken the drug from January to April but, by comparison, only 17 took it during the first week of May. Pictured: A 93-year-old World War II veteran shops at the Vons located in Torrance, California, April 27

President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he has been taking the drug for a couple of weeks to protect against the virus. Pictured: Trump in the State Dining Room of the White House, May 18

'A lot of good things have come out about the hydroxy. A lot of good things have come out. You'd be surprised at how many people are taking it,' Trump told reporters at the White House.

'I happen to be taking it, I happen to be taking it I'm taking it hydroxychloroquine, right now.'

The department did acknowledge that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie had wrongly asserted publicly without evidence that the drug had been shown to benefit younger veterans.

The VA, the nation's largest hospital system, also agreed more studies are needed on the drug and suggested its use was now limited to extenuating circumstances, such as last-ditch efforts to save a coronavirus patient's life.

'VA has not endorsed nor discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients and has left those decisions to providers and their patients,' the VA said.

'While all drugs have the potential for adverse events and some drugs in particular, like hydroxychloroquine, are known to have specific risks, when they are used carefully and judiciously, they can be managed safely.'

As of Friday, 11,883 veterans had been confirmed to be infected with the virus and 985 had died, according to VA statistics.

Responding to written questions from Sen Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, the department admitted it had no studies or evidence to back up Wilkie's claim that hydroxychloroquine had shown effectiveness in younger veterans in particular.

'The use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID has dropped off dramatically,' the VA said.

President Trump has repeatedly urged the use of hydroxychloroquine, which is also used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Not long after, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the drug.

However, reports began to emerge that has potentially serious side effects, including altering the heartbeat in a way that could lead to sudden death.

This lead to the FDA issuing a formal warning and advising that hydroxychloroquine not be used except in clinical trials and in hospital settings.

So far, no large, rigorous studies have found the drug - taken with or without azithromycin - safe or effective for COVID-19.

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie (pictured) wrongly asserted publicly without evidence that the drug had been shown to benefit younger veterans

ANTI-MALARIA DRUG DID NOT IMPROVE SURVIVAL ODDS IN 600 PATIENTS By Natalie Rahhal, Acting US Health Editor for DailyMail.com Patients treated with hydroxychloroquine are no better of than those who don't receive the drug hailed by Trump as a 'game-changer' results of a New York state Health Department trial suggest. 'I think from the review that I heard basically it was not seen as a positive, not seen as a negative,' said Governor Andrew Cuomo during CNN's coronavirus town hall. Ultimately, the study, conducted by SUNY at Albany, is intended to involved some 4,000 coronavirus patients, but the preliminary results are from a sample of 600 patients. Disappointingly, survival rates were no better among the group treated with the experimental drug than among those who got the standard supportive care, including oxygen, IV fluids and, if necessary, mechanical ventilation. Of the 600-some coronavirus patients treated at 22 New York City area hospitals, some were treated with hydroxychloroquine alone, others were treated with the malaria drug plus the antibiotic azithromycin, and a third group got only the typical supportive care. 'We don't see a statistically significant difference between patients who took the drugs and those who did not,' Dr David Holtgrave, who led the SUNY Albany study told CNN. Notably, there were not higher rates of heart problems among the patients given hydroxychloroquine, despite the potential for dangerous arrhythmias as a side effect. Advertisement

Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine.

And two new ones published on Thursday in the journal BMJ, one by French researchers and the other from China, reached the same conclusion.

Tester, from Montana, who received VA's responses this week, said he remained concerned about the drug's safety.

'Any drug used to treat patients with COVID-19, especially veterans living with debilitating preexisting conditions, must be proven safe and effective before its administered,' he said.

'Given recent studies from both VA and other hospitals, hydroxychloroquine seems to fall short of those requirements.'

Major veterans organizations and Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had called on the VA to explain why it allowed the use of an unproven drug on vets.

Last week, a whistleblower complaint by former Health and Human Services official Rick Bright alleged that the Trump administration wanted to 'flood' hot spots in New York and New Jersey with the drug.

Jeremy Butler, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said Friday that his group was heartened by the VA's preliminary explanations and called it imperative that it release additional details.

'It remains concerning that it took this long to begin to get answers to basic questions,' he said.

The analysis of VA hospital data, done by independent researchers at two universities with VA approval, was not a rigorous experiment.

Researchers analyzed medical records of 368 older male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at VA medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.

About 28 percent of veterans who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11 percent of those getting routine care alone.

In its response to Congress, the department provided copies of some of its guidance issued to VA physicians on hydroxychloroquine from March to May.

It made clear that hydroxychloroquine should be considered mostly for use in clinical trials or when medically appropriate after a full discussion with the patient about risks.

The VA did not explain the circumstances in which veterans in the recent analysis of hospital data were given the drug, only suggesting that 'it is possible' they were prescribed as part of last efforts to save a patients life.

'Based on the principles of patient-centric care, it would be inappropriate to deny patients access to hydroxychloroquine under these dire circumstances,' VA wrote.

It said it had followed the approach of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases by 'summarizing the medical literature regarding unapproved treatments for COVID-19 and making that available to VA clinicians in their shared decision-making with patients.'

That guidance now includes preliminary studies on remdesivir, which has been federally approved for emergency use to treat COVID-19.

One VA document dated March 25 notes a few 'very small cohort studies' showing possible 'beneficial effects' but adds 'these data have NOT been verified in randomized controlled trials and are extremely preliminary.'

The VA acknowledged to Congress that it had placed bulk orders for hydroxychloroquine from February 1 to April 23 for 6.3 million tablets worth $208,000 in anticipation of a possible shortage of the drug.

However, the VA claims most of it was being used for approved uses, such as treating lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It said it did not have breakdowns.

The department also said it planned further studies and clinical trials on hydroxychloroquine, including whether it could help prevent infection in veterans who were potentially exposed to COVID-19.

It is in discussions with Novartis to have some VA facilities participate in a national clinical trial that will look at the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in combination with azithromycin in patients with moderate and severe disease.
After a few hiccups, the Jordan schedule of Prithvirajs Aadujeevitham has been finally wrapped up. We learnt that the team has been able to complete some of the films significant portions after the local government eased the pandemic-related restrictions.

Director Blessy, Prithviraj and the crew encountered some obstacles in the past three months. They were initially permitted to shoot the film but then had to halt production after the Jordanian government imposed stringent measures. The 58-member crew had been filming in Wadi Rum.

Prithviraj has now returned to his hotel adjacent to the international airport. They will be permitted to return home once they get the go-ahead from the civil aviation authority.

Aadujeevitham is one of the two Malayalam films  the other being Djibouti  shot in a foreign location after the pandemic outbreak.
Oil fell after the biggest oil ETF said it would sell out of its June WTI futures position as physical oil storage levels continue to balloon.

Futures in New York slid as much as 30%, snapping a four-day recovery as the United States Oil Fund LP said it will move all the money it invested in the front-month June WTI oil contract starting today, triggering a massive swing in the price relationship between the June and July contracts. At the same time, the global oil market is on track to test storage capacity limits in as little as three weeks, requiring the shut-in of nearly 20% of global production, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Some of this downward pressure particularly in the June contract is an increasing lack of liquidity, said John Kilduff, a partner at hedge fund Again Capital LLC. This is not coming only from the USO, but also due to brokerage firms, like Marex Spectron and TD Ameritrade, restricting clients abilities to add new positions to certain crude contracts, according to Kilduff.

Its going to exacerbate the whole marrying of the June contract with the over supplied physical conditions and the lack of storage, Kilduff said.

While U.S. drilling is sliding and Saudi Arabia has started reducing output ahead of the start date for OPEC+ supply cuts, an immense surplus of oil means storage tanks are close to capacity around the world. OPEC+ expressed frustration by the lack of oil cuts by other nations. Equatorial Guinean Oil Minister Gabriel Obiang Lima said on a conference call that producers such as the U.S., Mexico and Norway need to chip in with supply cuts.

PREVIOUSLY: Oil buoyed on production cuts but glut still looms

In order to avoid Cushing storage from becoming over 90% full in May and June, total production shut-ins would have to equate to 1 million barrels a day in May, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. note. A further 500,000 barrels a day of shut-ins may be needed in June as well, the report said.

South Korea, which holds the fourth-biggest commercial storage capacity in Asia, was said to have run out of onshore space. Singapores coastline has become even more congested as the number of oil-laden tankers anchored offshore wait to be redirected to a willing buyer. Some vessels are being used to hoard fuel at sea as onshore tanks fill up. At least three tankers from Baltic and Black Sea ports with a combined 280,000 tons of Urals is heading to Malaysia, likely for storage, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

With a number of producers commencing output cuts, some of the huge discounts seen in physical markets have eased, particularly in Europe. Swaps markets in the North Sea and Russia were trading stronger last week, though theres still plenty of cause for pessimism. On a global level, the swelling glut is set to test storage capacity limits in as little as three weeks, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., with traders, refiners and infrastructure providers seeking novel ways to hoard crude, including on tiny barges around Europes petroleum-trading hub, and in pipelines.

There were tentative signs at the weekend that the coronavirus outbreak might be loosening its grip, with death tolls slowing by the most in more than a month in Spain, Italy and France. Reported fatalities in the U.K. and New York were the lowest since the end of March.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Vedanta Ltd on Monday said its board has approved the proposed de-listing of mining baron Anil Agarwal's flagship Indian unit from the BSE and the National Stock Exchange.

"The meeting of the board of directors of the company (board) was held today (Monday)...de-listing proposal was considered... Approval was granted to the de-listing proposal, after having discussed and considered various factors," Vedanta Ltd said in a filing to the BSE.

The nod was given to the company to seek shareholders' approval for the de-listing proposal by way of special resolution through postal ballot and e-voting, the filing said.

"Approval was granted to the company to seek shareholders' approval for the aforesaid de-listing proposal by way of special resolution through postal ballot and e-voting, and in this regard, the draft of the postal ballot notice and the explanatory statement thereto were also approved," the filing said.

Last week, Agarwal announced the intention to take his Indian listed firm Vedanta Ltd private by buying out shares held by public.

"The company had received a letter...from Vedanta Resources Ltd (VRL), a member of the promoter and promoter group of the company, expressing its intention to, either individually or along with one or more subsidiaries, acquire all fully paid-up equity shares of the company (equity shares) that are held by the public shareholders...and consequently, voluntarily de-list the equity shares from the recognised stock exchanges where they are listed, namely BSE Ltd and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd," the filing said.

Agarwal-controlled Vedanta Resources will offer Rs 87.5 per share to nearly 49 per cent public shareholders of Vedanta Ltd, the company had said.

VRL along with the other members of the promoter group currently hold 51.06 per cent equity of the company. Public shareholders hold 169.10 crore or 48.94 per cent of shares.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
City students appearing for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 examinations heaved a sigh of relief and resumed their preparations after the board declared the datesheet for the pending exams on Monday.

Majority of the students said that during the last few days, they were perplexed about the conduct of the remaining examinations. They had last appeared for an exam on March 18 after which the board postponed the exams in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Srishti Verma, a Class 12 commerce student of BCM Senior Secondary School, Basant Avenue, said, Since the imposition of the lockdown, I have started reading newspaper daily to keep myself updated with the current affairs and also read up online regarding the situation globally. Now, I will plan my day in a way that I can continue reading novels along with the preparations for the examinations. I am left with only two exams -- computer science and business studies.

Another Class 12 student of humanities stream from Guru Nanak International Public School, Gaganpreet Kaur, said, I was left only with Punjabi examination, but was shocked on not finding it in the datesheet declared by the board. When I called up my class in-charge, I got to know that the subjects date will be decided by the regional office and will be intimated to us soon. Meanwhile, I have started preparing for the examination.

CBSE city coordinator Paramjit Kaur said, We are coordinating with the regional office, Chandigarh, to know the date for Punjabi examination. As soon as we get to know the date, it will be intimated to the board affiliated schools and students across the city.

GUIDELINES FOR CENTRES

As per the CBSE guidelines, at the examination centres, 12 students will be accommodated in one room at a distance of 1 metre each and one invigilator will be deployed in each room. Earlier, as many as 24 students were accommodated in one room with two invigilators.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOLLOWED STRICTLY BY THE CANDIDATES APPEARING FOR BOARD EXAMINATIONS

All the candidates will carry their own hand sanitiser in a transparent bottle.

The candidates will cover their nose and mouth with a mask/cloth.

All candidates will follow physical distance norms.

Parents will guide their ward(s) about precautions to be taken by them to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Parents will ensure that their ward is not sick.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has decided to introduce a 20-mark project work for English and Mathematics papers for Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination in 2021. The CISCE had earlier planned to implement it from 2022.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has decided to introduce a 20-mark project work for English and Mathematics papers for Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination in 2021. The CISCE had earlier planned to implement it from 2022.

The English and Mathematics exams will be divided into two parts  theory (80 marks) and project work (20 marks)  instead of a single written exam of 100 marks.

According to a report in The Times of India, council chief executive and secretary Gerry Arathoon explained to school heads about the plan in a letter. Students may write about the day they learnt the value of punctuality. Review of a TV serial can be favourable or unfavourable, Arathoon said.

The principal of St James School, Kolkata, T H Ireland told the publication that candidates will now have less stress since the theoretical paper will just be for 80 marks.

The pattern of assessment of the project work shall be the same as given in the document ISC Year 2022 Regulations and Syllabuses, said the CISCE in a circular.

The project work for English is divided into listening skill (5 marks), speaking skill (5 marks) and writing skill (5 marks for internal + 5 marks for external).

In speaking skill, candidates have to choose from topics like narrate and experience, giving a report and expressing an opinion or theme-based conversation.

Writing skill requires candidates to write on topics in 500 and 1000 words. Specimen question papers for English and Mathematics will be soon available on the CISCE website. The mathematics projects would consist of graphs, trigonometric functions or linear equations among others.
A health worker with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment talks with a man who is waiting for a drive-up testing site for the CCP virus to open in Denver, Colo. on March 13, 2020. (Jason Connolly/AFP via Getty Images)

Free CCP Virus Testing for All Colorado Residents, Even Those With No Symptoms: Governor

All Colorado residents can get tested for the CCP virus even if they dont have symptoms, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said Monday.

We now have enough testing that if you have symptoms, you can get tested: convenient, near you, free, he said at a press conference.

We are now testing in Colorado everybody whos asymptomatic who wants to get tested. Its free, no out-of-pocket, whether you have insurance or not, he added later.

Residents with flu-like symptoms are particularly encouraged to get tested. State officials said the number of flu cases are down amid strict social distancing measures, making it more likely that people with symptoms like fever, cough, or headache, have COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

According to the COVID-19 website for Colorados government, people do not have to get tested if they dont have symptoms.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, center, talks with President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on May 13, 2020. (Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images)

If you think you have been exposed, limit your contact with other people. However, if you work in a care facility, work at a facility with an outbreak, or you have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, it may be advisable to get a test even if you dont have symptoms, the website states.

People can use a map on the site to find a testing location near them. There are 32 across the state.

Testing is an important part of making progress against the virus, Polis said. Thousands of tests are being done daily in the Western state, which has nearly 22,000 confirmed cases out of over 126,000 people tested as of May 17.

Officials have recorded over 3,800 hospitalizations due to the new virus and 878 deaths due to COVID-19.

A number of regions have carried out free testing, including Los Angeles, some parts of West Virginia, and several sites in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

A crowded field of candidates for New Mexicos 3rd Congressional District discussed the pandemic, a struggling state economy and the effect of dark money in a televised debate Sunday.

The debate, co-sponsored by KOAT and the Albuquerque Journal, featured seven candidates for the Democratic nomination to replace Rep. Ben Ray Lujan in a seat that has not had a Republican representative in more than two decades.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed 265 New Mexicans and put thousands more out of work, dominated much of the debate. Candidates were specifically asked how they would assist the Navajo Nation, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.

Navajo President Jonathan Nez recently said that aid from the federal government had been slow to arrive.

Many candidates said the overall infrastructure of the Navajo Nation, in which 40% of people do not have running water, needs to be addressed to decrease the number of cases.

What the Navajo Nation is facing is really just a culmination of historic failure of the United States, Santa Fe attorney Teresa Leger Fernandez said.

Former CIA operative Valerie Plame said red tape from the federal government needs to be removed to better help the Navajo people.

They also discussed the wider effects of the pandemic on New Mexico.

Since the coronavirus outbreak hit the state in March, more than 139,000 claims for unemployment benefits have been filed.

State Rep. Joseph Sanchez said jobs at Los Alamos National Laboratory and corporations such as Intel need to be protected, because many northern New Mexicans rely on those entities for work.

Environmental attorney Kyle Tisdel, meanwhile, criticized the federal governments stimulus plan for providing too much relief to corporations compared with small businesses.

As the debate progressed, candidates began to launch attacks at one another more frequently, especially toward Leger Fernandez, who recently came under fire for not denouncing support she has received from so-called dark-money groups.

John Blair, who most recently served as New Mexicos deputy secretary of state, denounced outside spending in New Mexico elections.

I feel that Teresa has to live up to the values of our Democratic Party and call for these ads to be brought down immediately, he said.

Leger Fernandez responded by highlighting her endorsement by groups such as Emilys List and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and said dark-money groups do not make up the bulk of her supporters.

The majority of my campaign support is coming from New Mexico, she said.

Other candidates later denounced outside spending in New Mexicos elections.

On the issues, candidates were divided on two topics  health care and fossil fuels.

New Mexicos government relies heavily on oil and natural gas for its revenue, and historically low oil prices have brought into question the health of the states economy.

In light of this, some candidates said the state needs to transition to renewable resources as a response, to become less reliant on fossil fuels.

New Mexico has operated as an energy colony for big oil for generations, Tisdel said.

First Judicial District Attorney Marco Serna said he opposes the Green New Deal, a plan by some representatives to tackle climate change, because of the negative effects to New Mexicos oil-based economy.

Sanchez, who serves on the states House Appropriations and Finance Committee, said switching from oil to renewable energy could have negative consequences if done too quickly.

Oil and gas is important, but we have to phase out over a reasonable amount of time, (you) cant just flip a switch, he said.

And although all candidates said health care needs to be more available, they differed over how much the federal government should be involved.

Serna said he wants to expand Americans access to health care but does not support Medicare for All because its not workable.

Sandoval County Treasurer Laura Montoya also spoke out against Medicare for All, because, she said, it would hurt small businesses in the state.

Medicare for All has a lot of problems, she said.

Plame, Leger Fernandez and environmental attorney Kyle Tisdel all said they supported Medicare for All, although Plame added that she would like a transition period.

Television ads in support of Plame and Leger Fernandez ran before and during the debate.

The candidates will face off in the states primary election on June 2.

The debate can be viewed on KOAT and the Journals website.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro was filmed performing press ups with his supporters at an anti-lockdown protest on Sunday as Sao Paulo's hospitals reach 'near collapse' in the battle against covid-19.

Mayor of Sao Paulo Bruno Covas, who is leading the response in Brazil's most-populous city, today warned that the city's health service is on the verge of collapse with ICUs already 90 per cent full and set to reach capacity within two weeks.

He pleaded with people to start obeying lockdown measures that were brought in two months ago, but have been largely ignored amid a lack of enforcement.

Meanwhile, footage showing Bolsonaro joining yet another anti-lockdown protest outside his offices in Brasilia and taking part in military style push-ups delivered a contradictory message to the people of Brazil.

It comes as Brazil leap-frogged Italy and Spain to record the fourth-highest number of coronavirus infections in the world.

On Sunday, the Health Ministry reported a total of 241,080 cases of the virus along with 16,118 deaths.

The only countries with higher totals are the UK, Russia and America, which has confirmed almost 1.5million cases and 89,567 deaths.

In Sao Paulo, which is one of Brazil's worst-hit cities, there have been a total of 38,605 confirmed cases and 135,381 suspected cases.

Footage shows President Jair Bolsonaro (in blue on left) joining yet another anti-lockdown protest outside his offices in Brasilia

He is seen taking part in military style push-ups as Sao Paulo's hospitals are said to be 'near collapse' in the battle against covid-19

As of Sunday, the city had also recorded 4,688 deaths from the virus.

In March, Covas closed offices, public places and schools, with people told to stay at home and wear masks if they had to go out to slow the spread of the virus.

But the measures were not attached to large financial penalties of the kind seen elsewhere and were largely ignored, the BBC reported.

In an attempt to force people into their houses, cars were banned from city roads on May 11 - with Covas saying the move stopped 1.27million vehicle journeys per day.

Intensive care units in Sao Paulo are 90 per cent full and will hit capacity within two weeks, the mayor warned as he begged people to follow social distancing rules (pictured, freshly-dug graves at the city's largest cemetery)

A graph showing the number of coronavirus cases reported each day in Brazil, which has been steadily increasing over the past month. The country now has the fourth-highest overall total of any country in the world at 241,080

Still, it is estimated that only 48 per cent of the city are currently isolating compared with a target of 70 per cent.

Mr Covas said he is now in talks with the state governor, who controls the police force, to bring in stricter measures.

Without bringing in additional measures, he said there is little hope of being able to provide everyone with care.

Despite nine out of ten patients being discharged and hospitals adding beds as quickly as possible, because the rate of infection is still increasing hospital beds are filling quicker than they can be emptied.

'The city is coming to the limit of its options,' he added.

A graph showing the number of coronavirus deaths reported each day in Brazil, which has been steadily rising. The country now has a total of 16,118 deaths

Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro (centre) has faced criticism both at home and abroad for urging ministers to keep the economy open, despite risks from the virus

Despite warnings being issued by Mr Covas and other regional leaders in Brazil, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has continued to push for the country to reopen.

He has often flouted lockdown rules while meeting with supporters, though has taken to wearing a mask.

On Sunday he was pictured with crowds of hundreds of people in the capital Brasilia for a political rally.

He even joined some of them in performing push-ups as part of his 'open-the-economy' drive.

The Americas are now at the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to WHO data, which on Sunday showed 1.9million cases in the region.

Previously, it was Europe at the centre of the pandemic. The continent now has 1.8million cases of the virus.

Europe still leads the world in terms of deaths, with 166,121, but the Americas now has almost 119,000 deaths and is gaining new ones at a much faster rate.
Republican Mike Garcia may have won a nearly all-mail congressional runoff election in California last week, but thats not stopping GOP leaders from fighting efforts to expand voting by mail in states across the country.

In a telephone news conference Monday, Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, accused Democrats of using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to file lawsuits that would destroy the integrity of our elections.

Some of the suits would require states to send mail ballots to every voter, eliminate long-standing restrictions on absentee ballots and remove restrictions on ballot harvesting. Theyre little more than a Democratic wish list that has nothing to do with concerns raised by in-person elections during a pandemic, she said.

Republicans wont stand still while Democrats try to sue their way to victory in November, McDaniel said.

California and its election rules were the target of a number of GOP complaints.

Allowing ballots postmarked by election day to be counted, as California does, can allow losing candidates to find enough late votes to change an election, Republicans charge, and is ripe for weeks of prolonged litigation, which undermines the confidence and legitimacy of the election, McDaniel said.

Republican leaders have said they are weighing their legal options for a possible challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsoms executive order this month requiring counties to send a mail ballot to every voter registered for the November election.

The GOP already has sued Newsom and Secretary of State Alex Padilla in an effort to ban ballot harvesting during the pandemic. Ballot harvesting, which allows party groups and other organizations to collect signed and sealed mail ballots from voters and transport them to the registrar, has been legal in California since 2016.

This is nothing more than a cynical political ploy to strip citizens of their freedom to choose, for themselves, who they trust to return their vote-by-mail ballots, Padilla said in a statement when the suit was filed late last month. A pandemic is no time to make it harder for citizens to cast their vote-by-mail ballots.

State officials have argued that Californias election rules are designed to ensure that every eligible resident can cast a ballot and that all those ballots will be counted. Thats even more important when the threat of the coronavirus has many people, in California and across the country, worried about voting in person, Newsom said.

No Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to vote, the governor said in announcing his executive order.

While there is little or no evidence that an increase in mail voting leads to illegal ballots being cast, McDaniel and other Republicans argue that since ballots are sent out to all registered voters, including those who may have died or moved, that obviously leaves room for fraud.

With support from President Trump, GOP leaders are fighting Democratic efforts to expand voting options. The party recently doubled its legal budget to $20 million, much of it aimed at election issues. Republicans also have a website, protectthevote.com, that highlights those legal efforts.

Republicans see even their victories through the lens of potential election fraud.

When Garcia, a GOP businessman and former Navy pilot, beat Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), in a runoff election last week, he became the first Republican to flip a Democratic-held seat in California since 1998. In an election that was virtually all-mail because of coronavirus concerns, he won easily.

But according to GOP leaders, Garcias win came in the face of Democratic attempts to steal the election by allowing ballot harvesting and opening an in-person voting center at the last minute in a largely minority area of Lancaster (Los Angeles County). Democrats pointed out that it was requested by Lancasters mayor, a Republican, and that the decision to open the center was made by a nonpartisan county official.

Mike Garcia won despite the Democrats best efforts to turn the election in their favor, said Mandi Merritt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. These efforts were clearly done with partisan intentions, and underscore exactly why we are fighting back.

But Republican efforts to fight the expansion of mail ballots may be pushing against the tide, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., which provides voting and ballot information for political parties and other groups.

It may be impossible to run an election in November without voting by mail, he said. With the threat of the coronavirus, people arent going to to be able to vote in the garages, libraries, fire stations, senior centers and schools they usually do. And many of the poll workers are at the age of people most at risk.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
No US airstrikes in Somalia for five weeks: AFRICOM

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 2:05 AM

US military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced that airstrikes in Somalia have not been carried out for five weeks -- the longest halt in more than a year  due to torrential rains that have complicated the battlefield environment.

"With the rainy season there can be shifts in al-Shabab and broader activity," said AFRICOM spokesman Col. Chris Karns as quoted by the US-based military journal Stars & Stripes. "There is always effort, not always opportunity to conduct airstrikes. There is certainly no pause."

Somalia has been hard-hit by floods that have displaced nearly 300,000 people this spring, the United Nations has said.

According to the report, even with the five-week lull, AFRICOM has so far conducted nearly 40 airstrikes in the impoverished country this year, putting it on pace to eclipse last year's tally of 63 air raids.

The number of US airstrikes has surged in recent years as part of Washington's move to support Somali government forces in their long-running battle against al-Shabab militants.

The most recent US strike in Somalia took place on April 10  around the time the rainy season in the country began  capping a series of attacks against the al-Qaeda-linked Shabab group.

This is while AFRICOM has faced criticism from human rights groups that insist civilians have been caught in the crossfire and casualties from US airstrikes are higher than have been reported.

US military officials, however,have disputed some of such reports and recently begun publishing their own quarterly reports on potential civilian casualties.

AFRICOM authorities further claim that the deadly airstrikes keep the Somali militants off-balance and confused.

"Where confusion exists, mistakes occur," Karns said. "The armed over-watch capability very much remains an option. Where opportunity presents itself and airstrikes are the appropriate option, strikes will resume."

AFRICOM is also involved in building up a specialized commando brigade in Somalia in efforts to assist government forces to fight off al-Shabab and reclaim territory held by the militant group.

However, the report adds that despite the airstrikes, al-Shabab has proven resilient and is still able to carry out high-profile attacks in the country and neighboring states such as Kenya, where three Americans were killed in January when a base used by US forces was ambushed.

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Construction and mining company Sany India on Monday said it has donated 5 lakh face masks, both N-95 and 3-ply varieties, to the Maharashtra government.

The company, in a statement, said it handed over 1 lakh N-95 masks and 3 lakh 3-ply masks to state Health Minister Rajesh Tope.

Besides, it has been donating masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to various hospitals and people who have been working at the construction sites. Food ration has also been supplied to needy families, the company said.

"As a socially conscious company, we have taken this small but significant step in providing the N95 masks with an intention of keeping our corona warriors i.e. our doctors, nurses, paramedic staff, district administrators and police personnel safe from this deadly virus," Sany South Asia and India Managing Director Deepak Garg said.

The company firmly believes that the fight against COVID-19 should be a combined effort of the government, corporates, healthcare professionals and the citizen in general, he added.

The contribution was made through the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 10:20:38|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump fired back on Sunday at his predecessor, Barack Obama, who swiped at how the current administration has handled the coronavirus outbreak.

"Look, he was an incompetent president," Trump said of Obama, after returning to the White House by Marine One. "That's all I can say. Grossly incompetent."

In a tweet later, the Republican called the Obama administration "one of the most corrupt and incompetent in U.S. history," claiming that Obama and his deputy, Joe Biden, are the reasons why he's in the White House.

The comments came a day after Obama, a Democrat, issued a thinly veiled criticism of the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"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 during a virtual commencement speech on Saturday. "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge."

In a private call with supporters earlier this month, details of which was leaked to media outlets, Obama called the Trump administration's coronavirus response "an absolute chaotic disaster."

"It's part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty," Obama reportedly said. "It would have been bad even with the best of governments."

More than 1.48 million people in the United States have infected with the coronavirus, with at least 89,550 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Sunday. Both numbers are far higher than those in any other country or region.

The Trump administration has aggressively defended its handling of the public health crisis, while critics have pointed out that its leaders and officials ignored early warnings, were slow to act and not responding adequately, and tried to politicize the situation to shift blames.

The trading of barbs also occurred against the backdrop that Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is set to be challenged by Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, in this year's election. Obama has thrown support behind Biden for the White House. Enditem
The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Parliament and MP for Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has held discussion with the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Mr Shi Ting Wang on reported maltreatment of Africans and Ghanaians in China.



According to Mr Shi Ting Wang, the Deputy Governor of Guangdong Province in China has led a special task force to investigate the issue with support from the ministry of Foreign Affaires of Ghana .



Mr Wang said the task force has set up an African Team which has made great efforts to consult with the African Consulates General in Guangzhou and settle the relevant appeals on daily basis.



The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic period, Guangdong Province wont take legal actions against illegal immigrants in the spirit of humanitarianism. He said during the period there will be no arrest of immigrants nor penalties and repatriation of immigrants .



Mr Shi Ting Wang said the visa of illegal immigrants are extended on monthly basis. He also said when African tenants are discharged from quarantine, the local government assists them to obtain accommodation .



Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh said the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Parliament will continue to follow the issue with keen interest to ensure the safety and respect of the rights of Ghanaians in China . He noted that Ghana and China have had strong bilateral relationship since the government of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah .



Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh urged the people of China not to take the law into their hands with regard to issues involving Ghanaians and Africans but allow the law to take its course to ensure Justice.

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.

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Company Continues to Evolve Its Business Model and Expand Nano-Product Portfolio

HOUSTON, May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- C-Bond Systems, Inc. , (the Company or C-Bond) (CBNT), a nanotechnology solutions company, has reported an operational update focused on the recent establishment of two new divisions focused on its core intellectual property to serve existing markets with an evolving nano-product portfolio, as well as reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.



First Quarter 2020 and Subsequent Operational Highlights

Established C-Bond Transportation Solutions, anchored by our patented C-Bond NanoShield product line, and focused on sales efforts to fleet operators, new car dealers, service providers, warranty and F&I companies, and windshield OEMs, and evolving to address the needs of the broader transportation market.





Established C-Bond Safety Solutions, anchored by our patented C-Bond BRS (ballistic-resistant system), and focused on sales efforts for safety installations at schools, government buildings, media outlets, and other high-security facilities, and evolving to address additional facility safety and security demands.





Entered into a strategic partnership with MACOMA Environmental Technologies, LLC to sell C-Bond FN NANO, a nanotechnology photocatalytic coating used in healthcare facilities and other facilities with high foot traffic to reduce the spread of airborne toxins and allergens. Expands the breadth of C-Bond Transportation Solutions offerings.





Signed joint marketing and distribution agreements with THOMS Aviation, THOMS Automotive, and EXEGi Trading Company to expand its nano and probiotic products portfolio. Expands the breadth of C-Bond Safety Solutions offerings.



Received facility registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Company continues to grow its ability to expand and manufacture new nanoproducts to complement its core C-Bond patented technology and product suite.



Partnered with Nano Liquid to offer a more offer a more robust product suite, powered by nanotechnology, for superior cleaning, anti-bacterial, and protection in automobile applications, with new branded products ranging from paint sealants to surface protectors.



Released C-Bond Secure, developed in partnership with one of the industrys largest film suppliers, intended to replace C-Bond I as the industry standard for the installation of window film.

 Increased distribution potential of C-Bond Secure through a distribution agreement with 44Tools, an industry leading, online retail outlet with a comprehensive line of tools and equipment for the professional application of window film, with a robust customer base of window film installers globally.



Installed C-Bond BRS (ballistic-resistant system) in a law enforcement office in Hawaii and at several San Antonio, Texas area schools, as well as C-Bond Secure at a U.S. General Services Administration complex in Texas. C-Bond BRS consists of the patented C-Bond glass strengthening nanotechnology solution and a private-label security film.





Temporarily converted manufacturing facility to produce hand sanitizer to assist in the fight against COVID-19 for both health professionals and consumers.





Formed a Medical Advisory Board to advance the breadth and use of products offered by C-Bond Safety Solutions Group, primarily its C-Bond FN Nano Coating, which is used in hospitals and other facilities to reduce the spread of pathogens.





Granted key U.S. patent notice of allowance supporting underlying nanotechnology of the companys product portfolio.

Story continues

Management Commentary

The first quarter of 2020 was highlighted by our evolving business model and adaptation to address new market needs, said Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C-Bond Systems. I am incredibly proud of our teams ability to remain nimble, growing our nano-product portfolio through strategic partnerships that complement our existing products and the industries we serve.

Our core products continue to make exciting progress as well  while C-Bond sales were naturally affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, we saw forward-thinking government buildings and schools installing our ballistic-resistant and C-Bond Secure products to further strengthen building security before their employees return to work and students return to class.

We believe we are well positioned to continue to achieve new milestones throughout 2020, and I look forward to executing upon the opportunities facing C-Bond Systems today, creating long-term value for our shareholders, concluded Silverman.

First Quarter 2020 Financial Summary

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2020 was $61 thousand, as compared to revenue of $87 thousand in the same year-ago quarter. This decrease was primarily attributable to the economic slowdown and widespread stay-at-home orders in the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2020 were $942 thousand, as compared to $2.4 million in the same year-ago quarter. The reduction in operating expenses was primarily attributable to a decrease in stock-based compensation.

Operating loss in the first quarter of 2020 decreased to $896 thousand, compared to an operating loss of $2.3 million in the same year-ago quarter.

Net loss in the first quarter of 2020 was $1.5 million, as compared to $2.4 million in the same year-ago quarter.

Cash used in operations in the first quarter of 2020 was $301 thousand, as compared with $343 thousand in the same year-ago quarter.

About C-Bond

C-Bond Systems, Inc. (CBNT) is a Houston-based advanced nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, developed in conjunction with Rice University and independently proven to significantly strengthen glass in key automotive and structural applications. The Companys Transportation Solutions Group sells C-Bond NanoShield, a liquid solution applied directly to automotive windshields, sold through distributors. The Companys Safety Solutions Group sells ballistic-resistant glass solutions and C-Bond FN NANO Coating directly to private enterprises, schools, hospitals and government agencies. For more information, please visit our website: www.cbondsystems.com , Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbondsys/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBond_Systems .

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about our future expectations, including the likelihood that the Company is well positioned to continue to achieve new milestones throughout 2020, and the likelihood that the Company will execute upon the opportunities facing C-Bond Systems today, creating long-term value for our shareholders; constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and our actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, C-Bonds ability to raise capital; the Companys ability to successfully commercialize its products; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors may be described in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including its Form 10-K filed on March 25, 2020, its Forms 10-Q filed on May 15, 2020, November 14, 2019, and August 12, 2019, and in future filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Investor Contacts:



Luke Zimmerman

Senior Vice President

MZ Group - MZ North America

949-259-4987

CBNT@mzgroup.us

www.mzgroup.us



Allison Tomek

VP, Corporate Communications

C-Bond Systems, Inc.

atomek@cbondsystems.com

832-649-5658
Martin Amidu

18.05.2020 LISTEN

Last week could be described as judgement week in Ghana with three very interesting court decisions, including the Supreme Court case over the age qualification or otherwise of the Special Prosecutor (SP), Mr Martin Amidu and whether age 66 at the time of his nomination in 2017 and appointment, he was qualified to hold public office since he was above the retirement age under Articles 190(1)(d) and 195(1) of the 1992 Constitution. The Supreme Court decided by 5 to 2 majority that he was qualified to be appointed and hold the position of SP. This article is a critique of the dissenting judgement.

I have had the privilege of reading both the 50 and 28-page majority and dissenting written decisions respectively in the case of Ayine v Attorney General and I agree with the majority Justices but disagree with the dissenting Justices.

My view is that, whilst the two Justices of the Supreme Court were right to rely mostly on Articles 190(1)(d) and 195(1) in the determination of whether the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is a public service and if so, whether the SP is a public officer/servant and not Article 295, with supporting evidence from the Parliamentary Hansard of the OSP Bill debate, I disagree with them because not only did they place too much emphasis on the two constitutional articles but also restricted themselves and ignored the requirement to interpret the constitution in its entirety.

Though, the Justices accepted that reading Articles 190, 195 and 295 collectively as it should be the case, there were two types of public officers. One that retired at age 60 subject to two contract extensions of 2 years each but not exceeding 5 years in total and another that retired at 70 but strangely excluded the latter and concluded that the SP is only restricted to the former. I totally disagree with this conclusion as it does not serve the constitutional object of purposive interpretation, the spirit behind the law or the intent of the framers within the current circumstances.

I was also surprised to note that, the dissenting Justices claimed that the framers of the constitution avoided the use of the words public servant but used public officer because the word servant has derogatory meaning. I have never come across this anywhere and in fact, across the western jurisprudence, public servants take pride in their work and office to be servants of the public. I should point out this this is not a legal problem but a view of the Justices.

The dissenting Justices also found the nomination process of Martin Amidu under Section 13 of the OSP Act 2018 (Act 959) unconstitutional because in their view, the Attorney General (AG) nominating the candidate to the president was wrong and it should have followed the usual process of the president in consultation with the Public Services Commission or the Council of State nominating, then to parliament for approval as in Article 295 of the Constitution.

They may be justified in taking this line of view, but forgot that the power to prosecute crime is reserved solely for the AG as in Article 88(3) of the constitution, therefore there was wisdom in the AG nominating the candidate since the power to prosecute emanate from the AG. Assuming without admitting that the nomination process was fraud and unconstitutional, the question is, what would have been the outcome if the nomination route had started with the president in consultation with PSC or Council of State? Would that have disqualified Martin Amidu? The answer would have been, emphatically No.

Would that also have disqualified Martin Amidu because of his age? Again, my answer is no because Sections 13(5)(9) and 15 of Act 959 make the SP equivalent to Justice of the Appeal Court, because SP takes oath of office and secrecy and the processes for the removal of SP is by petition and impeachment.

Clearly and from the above, the object was to give the SP security of tenure and avoid political interference in the affairs of the OSP by the executive, which the dissented Justices accepted. Had the SP been an ordinary public officer required to retire at 60 but can serve up to 65 at the wishes of the president then he would been unqualified at the time of his nomination and appointment but that is not the case when the Sections 13(5)(9) and 15 of Act 959 and Articles 190(1)(d), 195(1), 199 (4) and 295 of the Constitution are read and interpreted in unison. For these reasons, the dissenting Justices were wrong to give an inflexible interpretation of Act 959 and not in totality with the Constitution.

Again, assuming, the dissenting Justices were right in restricting themselves to Articles 190(1)(d) and 195(1) and therefore Martin Amidu was disqualified by virtue of his age 66. What about customary practice? An important principle in law when there is ambiguity.

The 1992 Constitution has been in force for 28 years now. In terms of constitutional practice, that is a relatively short period but not irrelevant. Not only are well established customary practice or precedence but also what have been prescribed by the Constitution. That is, any public officer/servant who is appointed by the president, swears an oath of office and secrecy, must be qualified to be appointed as Appeal Court Judge and dismissed through a petition and impeachment has a retirement age of 70. This is unambiguous. The examples are those of the chairs of Electoral Commission, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the National Commission for Civic Education. So why should the retirement age of the SP with the exact requirements be different? It shouldn't be different because that would have been less favourable treatment and breach his constitutional right not to be discriminated under Articles 17 (1) (2) of the Constitution.

Finally, the OSP Act 2018 (Act 959) specified that the term of office for the SP shall be 7 years non-renewable. This is to ensure security of tenure and non-interference. However, considering that Martin Amidu was 66 years old at the time of his appointment, he will be 73 and not 70 at the end of his term. That to me is, constitutional absurdity to say the least. It's unconstitutional for all public officers/servants appointed by the president under Articles 190(1)(d), 195(1), 199(4) and 295 to continue to serve after age 70 because that is the upper limit set by the constitution is 70. The majority Justices also failed to point out this important constitutional anomaly.

To avoid a constitutional crisis, Martin Amidu should be wise to voluntarily retire at age 70 and not stay in office one day longer than permitted by the constitution on his 70th birthday.

In conclusion, the cardinal principle for the interpretation and application of law and constitutional jurisprudence is to take a holistic view and not piecemeal approach. That is, to avoid the letter of the law trap and instead pursue the spirit of the law cause (in liberal democracy) and that has been the case in Ghana since independence, the route taken by the majority Justices. For the above reasons, I disagree with the dissenting Justices and therefore, they were wrong to decide in favour of the applicant that Martin Amindu was disqualified by reason of his age to be appointed SP. I rest my case.

Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK
Weeds crop up beneath the solar panels on the capped landfill in Williamstown.

Williamstown Con Comm Allows Tree Removal at Residence, Weeding at Solar Plant



Unwanted vegetation thrives on the access road leading to the solar installation on Williamstown's capped landfill. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Conservation Commission on Thursday OK'd the removal of two pine trees on a Sand Springs Road property.

Although the commissioners questioned the reasons given for removing the trees, it was determined that cutting them down would not significantly impact the nearby Broad Brook.

Maxine Morin sought permission to remove the trees, which are within the outer riparian zone of the brook and, therefore, under the jurisdiction of the commission. According to her application, similar trees on the property recently came down in a windstorm, and it is feared that the tall pines could do the same and damage a single-family home at 136 Sand Springs Road.

"I personally see no reason for cutting them down," Con Comm Chair Lauren Stevens said.

"It's hard to make a case that removing those trees would injure Broad Brook. On the other hand, I think personally they're overreacting to the situation."

Conservation Agent Andrew Groff said it was "hard to tell" if the trees in question could hit the house. He did note that the trees that came down in the storm came close to hitting the residence, and he thinks the trees in the application would at least hit power lines if they came down.

Phil McKnight indicated that he was uncomfortable allowing the removal of "two apparently healthy trees because the homeowner is afraid."

"All of the homes in town have trees near them that could come down," McKnight said. "It just happens that this is jurisdictional to us. Do we want to be cutting down healthy trees."

Stephanie Boyd said it would be awkward to deny the trees removal and later have them come down in a storm and damage the homes as feared.

"In terms of our jurisdiction, the question is: Does it impact the wetlands," Tim Carr said. "If, in Hank's view, those pines do not impact Broad Brook, to me, that's a done deal."

Longtime Commissioner Henry Art made a site visit to the property and advised his colleagues that, in fact, the trees do not appear to play a role in the life of the waterway. He characterized them as being at the edge of the jurisdictional area and on the other side of an historic, abandoned road.

"Cutting them down, in my judgment, is not going to have much of an impact whatsoever on the wetland functioning relative to the functioning of Broad Brook," Art said.

The commission voted 5-0 that the Wetlands Protection Act does not apply to the project in question but placed one order of condition on the project, that the trees -- which Art said are probably in excess of 100 feet tall -- are removed in a way that they do not fall into Broad Brook.

Stevens noted that the commission should be grateful that the landowner recognized the trees were under the Con Comm's jurisdiction and sought permission for the removal.

"In terms of timber, they're beautiful trees," Art said. "I hope that when they take them down they actually use the trees for timber rather than cutting them up and putting them in a landfill somewhere."

The bulk of Thursday's meeting was spent on the town's application to construct the 2.4-mile Mohawk Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail, but its first order of business was to discuss plans to manage vegetation under the solar array on the capped landfill near the Hoosac River.

Williams College Associate Vice President Matthew Sheehy told the Con Comm that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection asked for the local panel to sign off before the state agency reviews plans to control woody vegetation at the site.

The college, which manages the site, is looking for permission to cut down woody vegetation and treat with the herbicide Garlon to prevent the plants from gaining a foothold and possibly puncturing the membrane that encapsulates the landfill.

"Part of the problem is that the [solar] panels are so low to the ground that you can't get underneath it to mow," Stevens said.

Groff said the ground maintenance is permissible if done further than 50 feet from the bordering vegetated wetlands, which the work in question would be. Art said the herbicide in question meets the state standard.

"I think it's entirely reasonable, the approach being taken," Art said.

Stevens said he would ask Groff to draft a letter for him to sign and send to Mass DEP.

In other business on Thursday, Groff explained why the town is not filling the pond at Margaret Lindley Park, which is under the custody of the Conservation Commission.

"My office and the Board of Health and DPW decided not to fill the pond at Margaret Lindley Park until we know more about the future of social distancing in Massachusetts during the [COVID-19] pandemic," Groff said. "It's such a small swimming area, we didn't think it would be appropriate at this time."

The town drains the pond at the popular swimming hole each fall in order to prevent ice damage to the dam and allow for dam repair, which is underway this spring, Groff said.

"The park is open for hiking," he said. "We're just not going to fill the pond."
India took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday, asserting that the country has done well in dealing with the disease till now and is confident of doing better in months to come.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally monitored the situation and ensured a preemptive, proactive and graded response, leaving no stones unturned to contain the deadly virus from spreading, Vardhan said addressing the the 73rd World Health Assembly via video conferencing.

"India took all necessary steps well in time, including surveillance at points of entry, evacuation of nationals stranded overseas, massive community surveillance through robust disease surveillance network, strengthening of health infrastructure, capacity building of over two million frontline human resources, risk communication and community involvement," he said.

"I think we did our best and we did well. We are learning and we are confident of doing better in the months to come," Vardhan added.

The minister stood up towards the end of his speech to hail the efforts of the COVID-19 warriors around the globe.

His remarks come after India on Monday joined nearly 120 countries at the crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for an impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the global response into the coronavirus crisis as well as to examine the origin of the deadly infection.

The two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the WHO began in Geneva amid growing calls including by US President Donald Trump to investigate how the virus originated in China's Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lost a bit amid the daily news coverage of the novel coronavirus, state shutdown debates, and reopen-Pa. protests is a look at spending by the Pennsylvania Legislature.

We know  and often decry  the fact that Pennsylvania taxpayers foot the bill for one of the nations most expensive lawmaking bodies with notoriously ineffective results.

Last week, the Associated Press published a look at that spending, highlighting some of the costs to taxpayers for signs, meals, office supplies and other necessities of maintaining offices and staff for the 253 members of the General Assembly.

That spending totals $360 million annually, up from $318 million a year ago, AP reported.

Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press wrote that reporters combed through more than 6,000 pages of spending line items from last year. The details they found included expenditures to flavor office water, buy fancy furniture, have locks changed and reserve choice parking spots.

The review showed that legislators go through a lot of money for food and drink, not only for their own and staff meals, but also for community events or for groups visiting the Capitol, with costs that sometimes ran in the hundreds, even thousands of dollars, the report stated.

The vendors used for some of these expense also create some reason to pause: Nearly 200 orders by the Senate of snacks and soda last year were from Breski Beverage, in the Harrisburg suburbs, which is owned by Rep. Tom Mehaffie, R-Dauphin. He said he began supplying the General Assembly before being elected to office in 2016. He said he took legal advice that he stop dealing with the House after being sworn in, but that sales to the Senate were permissible.

Besides food, lawmakers also like pictures and nameplates. To decorate their own offices, lawmakers can order up government-paid custom framing, sometimes to display pictures of themselves. The AP review found about half the 203-member House ordered framing last year, Scolforo wrote.

In one example, when AP reporters questioned a retired state representative about expenditures for framing, he admitted the amount seemed high. Former state Rep. Bill Keller, a Philadelphia Democrat, offered to reimburse the state for the 2018 expense and sent a check for $2,200 to the House.

Legislators spend a lot of money on signs and nameplates, according to the report  $50,000 in 2018-19. The AP report singled out Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd Dist., for signage at his Lansdale office that cost $1,300. The purchase was to fabricate a main exterior sign, a brushed aluminum suite marker, a vinyl sign for the front window and a 2-foot-by-3-foot sandwich board to catch pedestrians.

The lions share of the Legislatures costs is easily its $299 million in payroll and benefits, according to AP. There are about 300 district offices in the House and 97 leased district offices and 122 satellite district offices in the Senate and roughly 2,200 employees.

Phones, computers and high-end video equipment for the Legislature are another major cost, with page after page of invoices, and individual items sometimes running into the tens of thousands of dollars. Along with video gear, the Senate also paid an installment on a $6,750 music licensing fee for its video productions, AP reported.

One expense of note was paper shredding. Those public shredding events, often advertised as free, cost taxpayers more than $44,000 in 2018-19, with lawmakers hiring vendors to do the work, Scolforo wrote.

The spending documents included hundreds of invoices to pay the cost of maintaining notaries public in legislative offices, a convenience that can be helpful in performing constituent service. But when it comes to governing and addressing the tough issues of fair school funding, economic development, pension reform, transportation and taxes, theres little progress.

The detailed spending report doesnt have a smoking gun or gotcha revelation. But the extensive costs of running such a massive operation  from office supplies to toilet paper  are not in keeping with the legislative benefits to Pennsylvania.

The fundamental questions of whether public service is for the individual problems with getting a drivers license renewed or the larger question of how to pay for road repair is reflected in much of this spending analysis.

We suggest that lawmakers spend less on keeping individual constituents informed, snack-fed and entertained. If Pennsylvania is to prosper, the priorities must be to work for the state as a whole and improve the states economy, education and infrastructure. Tackling those goals would be time and money well spent.


BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Sohu.com Limited (SOHU), China-based online media, video, search and gaming business group, reported that its first-quarter net loss attributable to the company narrowed to US$20 million or US$0.52 per ADS, from US$54 million in the first quarter of 2019.



Non-GAAP net loss attributable to the company for the first quarter of 2020 was US$18 million or US$0.47 per ADS, compared to a net loss of US$52 million in the first quarter of 2019.



Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a loss of $0.72 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.



Total revenues for the first quarter of 2020 were US$436 million, up 6% year-over-year. Analysts expected revenues of $427.85 million for the quarter.



Total online advertising revenues, which include revenues from the brand advertising and search and search-related advertising businesses, for the first quarter of 2020 were US$263 million, down 5% year-over-year and 17% quarter-over-quarter.



For the second quarter of 2020, Sohu estimates total revenues to be between US$410 million and US$445 million.



Excluding the expected accrual during the second quarter of withholding income tax of approximately US$88 million, non-GAAP net results attributable to Sohu.com is expected to be between a net loss of US$5 million and a net income of US$5 million.



Non-GAAP results per ADS for the second-quarter is expected to be between a net loss of US$0.13 per ADS and a net income of US$0.13 per ADS.



The company expects quarterly GAAP net loss attributable to Sohu.com to be between nil and US$10 million, and GAAP loss per fully-diluted ADS to be between nil and US$0.25.



Excluding the profit/loss generated by Sogou, and further excluding the expected accrual of withholding income tax, the company projects quarterly non-GAAP net income attributable to Sohu.com Limited to be between nil and US$10 million; and GAAP net income/loss attributable to Sohu.com to be between a net loss of US$4 million and a net income of US$6 million.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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It's been a good week for SAF-Holland SE (ETR:SFQ) shareholders, because the company has just released its latest first-quarter results, and the shares gained 8.5% to 4.97. It looks like a credible result overall - although revenues of 283m were what the analysts expected, SAF-Holland surprised by delivering a (statutory) profit of 0.17 per share, an impressive 21% above what was forecast. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.

View our latest analysis for SAF-Holland

XTRA:SFQ Past and Future Earnings May 18th 2020

Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus, from the eleven analysts covering SAF-Holland, is for revenues of 943.8m in 2020, which would reflect a substantial 23% reduction in SAF-Holland's sales over the past 12 months. Earnings are expected to tip over into lossmaking territory, with the analysts forecasting statutory losses of -0.065 per share in 2020. Before this latest report, the consensus had been expecting revenues of 952.2m and 0.053 per share in losses. So it's pretty clear the analysts have mixed opinions on SAF-Holland even after this update; although they reconfirmed their revenue numbers, it came at the cost of a per-share losses.

Although the analysts are now forecasting higher losses, the average price target rose 7.8% to 5.02727, which could indicate that these losses are expected to be "one-off", or are not anticipated to have a longer-term impact on the business. It could also be instructive to look at the range of analyst estimates, to evaluate how different the outlier opinions are from the mean. There are some variant perceptions on SAF-Holland, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at 7.70 and the most bearish at 3.50 per share. Note the wide gap in analyst price targets? This implies to us that there is a fairly broad range of possible scenarios for the underlying business.

Story continues

Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 23% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 6.1% 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 6.0% next year. It's pretty clear that SAF-Holland's revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that the analysts increased their loss per share estimates for next year. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that SAF-Holland's revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. There was also a nice increase in the price target, with the analysts clearly feeling that the intrinsic value of the business is improving.

Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple SAF-Holland analysts - going out to 2024, and you can see them free on our platform here.

You still need to take note of risks, for example - SAF-Holland has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has delighted royal fans by sharing her mother's recipe for her 'favourite cookies' Argentine alfajores.

The royal, who was born in Argentina, posted the instructions to Instagram yesterday to mark her 49th birthday, which she spent at her home Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.

Glamming up for the occasion, King Willem-Alexander's wife sported a stunning golden one-shouldered blouse, with an eye-catching cut-out feature, while holding a tray of the baked goods.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (pictured with her baked treats) has delighted royal fans by sharing her mother's recipe for her 'favourite cookies' Argentine alfajores

The royal, who was born in Argentina, posted the instructions to Instagram yesterday to mark her 49th birthday. She also shared step-by-step pictures (seen above) alongside the recipe

How to make Queen Maxima of the Netherlands' Argentine alfajores Ingredients: Biscuits: 300g cornstarch

200g flour

200g butter (at room temperature)

150g sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate

2 level teaspoons of baking powder

Small vanilla pod or a pinch of vanilla powder

1 lemon (grated)

1 teaspoon of cognac Filling: Dulce de leche (ready-made or homemade with condensed milk and sugar)

Grated coconut Method: Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients with the soft butter. Add the egg yolks and the cognac and knead by hand until firm. Form a ball and let it rest for about an hour. If the dough doesn't appear to be sticking together, then add 2 spoons of lemon juice. Roll out the dough into a 5mm to 7mm shape and cut out circles (with a glass) of about 4cm in diameter. Then place the cookie dough pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper, about 2cm apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 160 degrees. The cookies should discolor a little, but not too much otherwise they will become too dry and break. Take them out of the oven and let them cool before sticking two cookies together with a layer of dulce de leche. Spread the dulce de leche to the edge and roll in the grated coconut. Advertisement

She finished off the look with attention-stealing drop earrings, embellished with several tiny gems, and a smattering of glamorous makeup.

Revealing the recipe, Maxima said: 'During this time I celebrate my birthday at home with a typical Argentine delicacy: alfajores with dulce de leche.

'I grew up with alfajores, they are my favourite cookies! I bake them according to my mother's recipe, which I am pleased to share with you. So you can bake them yourself at home.'

The royal spent her birthday at home at the Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, along with her husband King Willem-Alexander, 53, and their three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, 16, Alexia, 14, and Ariane, 13.

Revealing the recipe (pictured, the third step), Maxima said: 'During this time I celebrate my birthday at home with a typical Argentine delicacy: alfajores with dulce de leche'

The royal added: 'I grew up with alfajores, they are my favourite cookies! I bake them according to my mother's recipe, which I am pleased to share with you. So you can bake them yourself at home.' Pictured: Some of the steps to the recipe

The night before her birthday, Maxima's family viewed the replacement Eurovision event, Europe Shine A Light, after the popular annual song competition was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They shared an adorable family portrait of themselves together to Instagram ahead of the event.

Alongside the snap, King Willem-Alexander said: 'Europe is going through a very rough time. Lets keep our eyes and ears open for each other. Together, we stand strong. Europe, shine a light and keep the music alive!'

After the mixture is baked, the royal says two cookies should be stuck together with a layer of dulce de leche (pictured left). Spread the dulce de leche to the edge and roll in the grated coconut (pictured right)

Glamming up for the occasion, King Willem-Alexander's wife sported a stunning golden one-shouldered blouse, with an eye-catching cut-out feature, while holding a tray of the baked goods (seen above)

Queen Maxima, an international financier by training, was born in Argentina and married into the Dutch royal family in 2002, three years after meeting her husband-to-be in Seville, Spain.

She reportedly had no inkling that Willem-Alexander was heir to the throne when the pair first met.

Willem-Alexander became king after his mother, Beatrix, abdicated in April 2013 after 33 years as reigning monarch.
MIDDLETOWN  When police Capt. Gary Wallace began hearing about communities of color being more likely to be impacted by COVID-19, he decided to take action.

About a month ago, I started hearing news reports that people of color were having more negative outcomes for COVID-19, Wallace said. I knew that underlying issues such as diabetes, asthma and heart conditions are more prevalent in black communities and Hispanic communities, which would make them more likely to have complications.

Wallaces plan to help create more positive outcomes led to the Middlesex County COVID-19 People of Color Initiative, designed to provide communities of color in Middletown with free masks, sanitizers and information on how to stay safe from the disease.

The initiative now involves 17 agencies and organizations, including the citys health department, school system, Middlesex Health, the city council, the Middletown Chapter of the NAACP and the Ministerial Health Alliance Advocacy Coalition. The groups are working to spread the message about how members of these communities can protect themselves.

People in apartment complexes have multiple people touching doorknobs and mailboxes and if you want to go into the laundry area, you might not be alone, said Rev. Robyn Anderson, director of the Ministerial Health Alliance Advocacy Coalition, which advocates for health equity among underserved communities. All those things you take for granted put people at more risk. Thats why its so important to get information out there and make sure they have face coverings and hand sanitizer so they can mitigate those risks.

Those are the same people who use public transportation and are more likely to be working outside the home during the pandemic, Anderson said. We were concerned about the number of people of color who were dying of COVID-19, she said.

According to a study reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately hospitalized for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which is easily spread through person-to-person contact.

In Connecticut, the rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths is much higher per 100,000 for African Americas and Hispanics compared to whites, state data shows. The most recent statistics released by the state Department of Public Health indicates that African Americans have a rate of 1,089 cases or deaths per 100,000 compared to Hispanics who have a rate of 976 per 100,000 and whites who have a rate of 454 per 100,000.

Health equity has been a focus of our last two community health needs assessments, said Catherine Rees, director of community for Middlesex Health. It is an issue that needs to be addressed, especially now with the spread of COVID-19. The disproportionate COVID-19 mortality rates among people of color is troubling, and the health system wants  and needs  to be part of the conversation as our community looks for more ways to positively impact health outcomes."

The community needs accurate information about the disease and how to stop the spread, said Yvette Highsmith-Francis, regional vice president for Community Health Center, which is also involved.

Communities of color are the essential workforce, Hightower-Francis said. People have been bombarded with information but what they needed was accurate, pertinent, evidence-based information from the CDC and it needed to get out in a manner that would make a difference in the community.

This weekend volunteers from the initiative again went door-to-door at housing projects and apartment complexes distributing items and asking about the needs of residents, including if they are getting enough food and know how to recognize symptoms of the illness.

During their first venture out a few weeks ago, the volunteers handed out flyers, masks and hand sanitizer at the Maplewood Terrace and Travers Square housing complexes, Wallace said.

They were very appreciative that we came out, he said. We also asked people about food insecurity and were able to give a couple of people referrals because they were short on food.

The initiative received a large donation of masks from the Rossi Family Foundation in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. The masks and flyers are now also being distributed at city schools to parents who are picking up daily meals for students, Anderson said.

The group is now working on gathering supplies to distribute wellness packages that will include thermometers, soap, masks, disinfectant and gift cards, Anderson said.

These are front-line workers who have a higher rate of high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma that make them more vulnerable to the disease, Anderson said. They have compromising health conditions but no way to protect themselves.

Anyone who wishes to donate for the wellness packages can contact Anderson at 860-817-3330.
Millions of Britons without smartphones risk being treated as second-class citizens because they won't be able to use an app to limit the spread of coronavirus, campaigners warn.

Ministers will this week set out the details of how the new contact-tracing app will be deployed nationwide as part of their 'test, track and trace' strategy.

But campaigners representing older people last night urged the Government to take steps to include those without the latest technology.

Britons will be encouraged to download the NHS app, currently being tested on the Isle of Wight, when it is launched across the country within the next fortnight.

Britons will be encouraged to download the NHS contact tracing app, currently being tested on the Isle of Wight, when it is launched across the country within the next fortnight

It uses Bluetooth to detect when a person's phone has been near another owned by someone reporting symptoms of coronavirus, and sends a notification to the user.

Those without smartphones will be able to benefit from the army of 18,000 contact tracers who will manually gather information about the places infected people have visited and anyone they have been in contact with.

But ministers have been asked to look at the possibility of giving those without smartphones simple Bluetooth-enabled bracelets, which other countries including Germany have been developing, so they can benefit from the new technology.

Figures from Ofcom show that while 80 per cent of adults owned a smartphone in 2018, the figure dropped to 47 per cent of 65 to 74-year-olds, and 26 per cent of over-75s.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: 'Any new technology that may help tackle the outbreak is welcomed by us, but we must ensure that no one is disadvantaged or locked out of services simply because they don't have a smartphone.

'We hope [the Government] will find a way to develop the app so that the millions of people without smartphones can participate too, to avoid them being treated like second-class citizens.'

Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded the Silver Line helpline for older people, added: 'A lot of us now rely on Facetime or WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, but many of our callers are not comfortable with mobile phones or the internet and that is a concern.'

During the pilot, users have complained that they have been unable to use the app on some new Huawei phones as well as some older smartphones

Dame Esther agreed that Bluetooth-enabled bracelets could be a solution.

She said: 'A lot of older people already do wear a special pendant if they live alone in case they fall or get into some sort of problem, so they can ask for help.'

Bob Seely, the Tory MP for the Isle of Wight, said: 'On the island, about two thirds of people who can download the app have done so, which is a massive figure and absolutely enables us to begin work suppressing the virus here.'

He said people without smartphones had been able to benefit from manual contact tracing.

During the pilot, users have complained that they have been unable to use the app on some new Huawei phones as well as some older smartphones.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove yesterday said the Government had recruited 17,200 contact tracers for its test, track and trace programme.

Mr Gove told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday that officials were on course to achieve their target of 18,000 this week, adding that the programme would be running by the end of the month.

Hours later, it was claimed that the hiring drive had been paused due to problems with the NHS app.

In an email published by The Guardian, recruitment firm HR Go told contact tracing applicants: 'Unfortunately earlier today the roles were put on hold.

This is due to a delay in the launch of the 'Track and Trace' app itself while the government considers an alternative app.'

A spokesman for the Department of Healthand Social Care said the email was 'wrong' and 'could cause confusion'.

They stressed that recruitment for both online and phone-based contact-tracing services was continuing 'at pace'.

HR Go confirmed it had sent the email but added: 'What has been said is a miscommunication and false.'
The Delhi government on Sunday directed that no sample would be drawn for coronavirus test from a person after his death. However, it would be disposed as coronavirus case if doctors are satisfied by clinical examination that coronavirus infection caused the death, as per a new SOP issued for the disposal of bodies.

In its order, the Health Department suspended an earlier order on the 'Disposal of Bodies of Covid-19 affected persons' issued on April 3.

"No sample for Covid-19 test will be taken from the dead body. However, if doctors are satisfied from clinical examination that the cause of death may be Covid-19 infection, the body may be released as suspect Covid-19 infected body," the order signed by Padmini Singla, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), said.

It also said the body would be managed in accordance with "Covid-19: Guidelines on Dead Body Management" issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, if the person tested positive before death; person found positive on the basis of the sample taken when he was alive; and person admitted to the hospital with severe symptoms of Covid-19 and doctors categorise him/her as a Covid-19 suspect.

The Health Department, however, issued the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the disposal of the bodies of Covid-19 patients/suspected patients if the death occurred at hospital or corona positive patient is brought dead; body found at a public place unclaimed or otherwise; or death occurred at home or at a healthcare centre.

As per the SOP, if death occurred at hospital or Covid-19 positive patient is brought dead, the hospital should provide trained healthcare workers to handle and wrap the body.

"Hospital should provide hearse to carry the body to the cremation/burial ground to ensure that no further infection is caused. A properly wrapped body will be handed over to the relatives as per the Centre's guidelines."

The SOP said in case no relative is available, the hospital should store the body in the mortuary after ensuring proper disinfection of the body and the body bag as per the guidelines. "Hospital should decide whether to carry out an autopsy or not."

The SOP said if the death occurred at a Covid care centre, Covid health centre or Covid testing centre of a positive person, then it will be managed by the linked hospitals as if it has occurred at their hospital.

"The hearse (in this case) will be provided by the area District Magistrate to transport the body to the mortuary of the link COVID hospital and further for cremation/burial."

For the death occurring outside the healthcare facility/home, relatives of the deceased patient should immediately inform area District Magistrate's office.

"The District Magistrate shall immediately inform the nearest hospital in the district."

The SOP said the District Magistrate shall provide the van to carry the body to the hospital and thereafter to the cremation/burial ground to ensure that no infection is caused.

"Trained healthcare workers shall be provided by the designated hospital to the District Magistrate for the van. They will handle and wrap the body after ensuring proper disinfection as per the guidelines. The body will be brought to the hospital for this purpose," it said.

If an unclaimed or otherwise a dead body is found at a public place and if the death is not falling in any of the categories of Covid-19 infection death, the body would be handled by agencies like Delhi Police and local bodies.

The order directed the DMs, Directors of hospitals and Delhi Police to follow the procedure to ensure protection from spread of coronavirus infection.

So far, about 150 Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the city.
ANN ARBOR, MI  James Dalton, dean of the University of Michigans College of Pharmacy, has been selected to be the executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama.

In a message to the College of Pharmacy, Dalton said he will be stepping down on July 1. Interim Provost Susan Collins will develop a plan to appoint an interim dean and Dalton will work with that person to ensure a smooth transition, officials said.

Dalton will take over as provost at Alabama on Aug. 1 after approval by the UA Board of Trustees.

I didnt foresee a second 'once in a lifetime opportunity to arise. But please know that I value our many shared successes, recruitments, promotions, graduations, and moments of pride and happiness that come from working in the best College of Pharmacy in the world, Dalton said. You all will forever have a place in my heart.

Dalton has a bachelors degree in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry from Ohio State University.

Dalton became dean and a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the College of Pharmacy in September 2014. Before UM, Dalton spent time as a professor at the University of Tennessee, Ohio State University and was vice president of preclinical research and development and chief scientific officer at GTx, Inc.

During his five years at UM, Dalton said the College of Pharmacy has doubled its research expenditures, launched a new master of science program, received full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and had a $121 million building for the College of Pharmacy approved by the Board of Regents.

UM President Mark Schlissel tweeted his congratulations to Dalton, calling him a tremendous academic leader... who believes deeply in the importance of public research."

Congratulations to @UMichPharmacy Dean James T. Dalton on being named @UofAlabama's next provost. You are a tremendous academic leader & @theNAMedicine member who believes deeply in the importance of public research. Thank you for your leadership & best of luck in your new role.  Dr. Mark Schlissel (@DrMarkSchlissel) May 18, 2020

According to a release from UA, Dalton was recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

Im thrilled to join The University of Alabama and look forward to working with President Bell and the leadership team, faculty, staff, students and alumni, Dalton said.

Dalton is succeeding Kevin Whitaker who served as provost since January 2017 and was a UA administrator and faculty member for 30 years.

READ MORE:

University of Michigan gradually resuming laboratory, studio-based research in coming weeks

Construction crews resume work at University of Michigan buildings

University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library seeking submissions to document COVID-19 pandemic
The body of a 29-year-old man from



Navi Mumbai has gone missing from a civic hospital in Vashi, police said on Monday.

Senior inspector of the Vashi police station Sanjeev Dhumal said police have received acomplaint from relatives of the deceased and also hospital authorities about the body going missing from the mortuary of the NMMC-run hospital.

"We are probing into the complaint," he said.

Details will be available only after the probe is over, Dhumal said.

The body of the 29-year-old was handed over to the NMMC hospital on May 8 to check if he had contracted COVID-19, police officials said.

His relatives were asked to return after four days to take custody of the body, they said.

After four days the hospital called up the relatives and informed them that the deceased was found to be negative for coronavirus and asked them to take the body, the officials said.

However, the body was later found to be missing from the hospital's mortuary, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France said on Monday it was making all efforts to address logistical and planning challenges to welcome Indian students for the next academic year, as it highlighted strong people-to-people ties as the core of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

As the COVID-19 pandemic brings about lockdowns and suspended events, France proposed several innovative ways to foster the cooperation with India across the scope of their bilateral relations.

The French embassy in India said in a statement the crisis will be turned into opportunities to boost the partnerships in education, research and culture.

"Logistical and planning challenges are being actively tackled to welcome Indian students for higher studies for the next academic year. Thanks to a strong social and public healthcare system, France has taken care of its foreign students on an equal footing with French students, ensuring their safety and well-being. Visas and scholarships have been extended wherever necessary," it said.

For new students, the embassy said France is fully geared up to enable the commencement of the academic year through virtual classrooms, if necessary.

"France has also augmented its proportion of scholarships by 50 per cent - equivalent to Rs 10 crore - for this academic year. These scholarships will be awarded regardless of whether a student starts the semester in India or France, as Indian students are still keen on following their dreams in France," the statement said.

The embassy said it will organise a virtual version of its bi-annual 'Choose France Tour' at the end of September for the intake of students for the 2021 academic session.

This will enable a greater number of French institutions to interact with Indian students, reaching aspiring scholars from all over India, it said.

"At the core of the strategic partnership between India and France lie strong people-to-people ties. As France and India gradually emerge from their lockdowns, enhanced exchanges will pave the way for a new world," said Emmanuel Lenain, the Ambassador of France to India.

"Trusted global scientific collaboration is the need of the hour since no country can achieve a breakthrough alone. Our country recognises that will play a critical role in shaping a post-pandemic world, and thus reiterates that Indian students and researchers are welcome in France, he said.

On the cinematic front, while the Festival of Cannes will be missed, the film market will be held online in June - as will upcoming professional meetings for the film industry, the statement said.

On the artistic front, in these difficult times, the embassy said it is continuing collaborations with its Indian partners.

India will remain the Guest of Honour Country at the 2021 Paris Book Fair, for which preparations are underway," the statement added.

"The French Institute in India, through its #ifionline programme, is bringing France to Indian homes like never before through films, documentaries, museum visits, online training, dance and music performances," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) - Americans will be expelled from Iraq and Syria, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, renewing Iran's demand for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from the Middle East.

Iran almost got into a full-blown conflict with the United States when a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3, prompting Tehran to retaliate with a missile barrage against a U.S. base in Iraq days later.

Khamenei said Americans' actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria had led to them being hated, according to a transcript of a speech to students published on his website.

"The Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria and will be expelled," Khamenei said.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had instructed the U.S. Navy to fire on any Iranian ships that harass it at sea, but said later he was not changing the militarys rules of engagement.

After Trump's statement, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said that the Islamic Republic would destroy U.S. warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf.

(Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)
(Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

The Midland City Clerks Office will begin processing and mailing absentee ballot applications for the Aug. 4 primary election next week to registered voters in the City of Midland who have joined the Permanent Absentee Voter List  and theres still time to sign up.

Voters who join the citys Permanent Absentee Voter List will automatically receive an application to vote by absentee ballot, in the mail, eight weeks before every election. After completing and returning this application the voter will receive his or her absentee ballot in the mail. The entire voting process can be completed by mail and does not require a visit to City Hall. The dual application that is available for the August election also allows you to request your November ballot at the same time.
Since its founding more than three decades ago, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has built its business by working behind the scenes to make customers like Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. shine. Now the low-profile chipmaker has landed squarely in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war, an incalculably valuable asset that both sides are vying to control.

The Trump administration opened up a new front in the conflict on Friday by barring any chipmaker using American equipment from supplying Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. without U.S. government approval. That means TSMC and rivals will have to cut off Huawei unless they get waivers from the U.S. Commerce Dept. TSMC has already stopped accepting new orders from Huawei, the Nikkei newspaper reported Monday.

The move threatens to wreak havoc throughout the complex ecosystem that produces technology for consumers and companies around the world. An attack on Huawei threatens not just its workers and its standing as a world leader in making smartphones and telecom equipment, but also hundreds of suppliers. The Chinese government has vowed to protect its national champion, with threats of retribution against U.S. companies that depend on China like Apple Inc. and Boeing Co.

China likely will retaliate, and investors should brace themselves for a possible trade war escalation, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analysts led by Mark Li wrote in a research note on Friday.

Huawei suppliers across Asia fell on Monday, with AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., Q Technology Group Co., Sunwoda Electronic and Lens Technology all sliding 5% or more. TSMC, which gets an estimated 14% of its revenue from Huawei, dropped as much as 2.5%.

The U.S. already blacklisted Huawei last year, preventing American companies from supplying the Chinese company unless they got a license. The latest move tightens those restrictions to prevent chipmakers  American or foreign  from working with Huawei and its secretive chip-design unit HiSilicon on the cutting-edge semiconductors they need to make smartphones and communications equipment. The Trump administration sees Huawei as a dire security threat, an allegation the company denies.

We must amend our rules exploited by Huawei and HiSilicon and prevent U.S. technologies from enabling malign activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a tweet.

Huawei countered by accusing the U.S. of ulterior motives.

The so-called cybersecurity reasons are merely an excuse, Richard Yu, head of the Chinese tech giants consumer electronics unit wrote in a post to his account on messaging app WeChat. The key is the threat to the technology hegemony of the U.S posed by Huawei, he added.

The U.S. decision is likely to hurt not just Huawei and TSMC, but also a clutch of American players including gear-makers Applied Materials Inc., KLA and Lam Research Corp. themselves, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. Disruptions to Huaweis production will also hurt U.S. customers from Micron Technology Inc. and Qorvo Inc. to Texas Instruments Inc., they said. But it bears repeating that any escalation of trade tensions is negative for the stocks overall, they wrote in a research report.

It would have been impossible to imagine TSMC becoming such a coveted chit between the worlds great powers when it was founded in 1987. Morris Chang, born in China and trained in the U.S., started the company as a so-called foundry, manufacturing semiconductors for any customer that didnt want to construct its own fabrication facility, or fab.

At the time, the business wasnt nearly as glamorous as making chips yourself. Dominating the industry at the time were companies like Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which made processors for personal computers. Real men have fabs, AMD co-founder Jerry Sanders would say, making clear that was an insult.

But in the intervening years, the foundry industry has become far more strategic for the technology industry. Customers from Apple and Huawei to Qualcomm and Nvidia Corp. have found they can innovate more quickly if they focus on chip designs and then turn to foundries like TSMC to produce them. Innovators in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence or the internet of things also depend on foundries to crack open new markets.

Today, many of the chips for mobile phones, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and any other key technology are made at foundries. TSMC has become the leading foundry in the world by investing heavily in ever more advanced fabs, with annual capital spending of about $16 billion this year.

It can now manufacture at 5 nanometers, about twice the width of human DNA, while Chinas top foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., or SMIC, is at 14 nanometers. That makes TSMCs chips far more powerful and energy efficient.

Huawei and HiSilicon will have few good options if they are cut off from TSMC. One possibility is to procure off-the-shelf chips from Taiwans MediaTek Inc. and South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co., an option Huaweis rotating Chairman Eric Xu mentioned in late March. But even that may no longer be viable under the new Commerce restrictions.

SMIC itself is keen on moving up the technology ladder, eyeing a secondary share listing that could raise more than $3 billion on top of a large capital infusion from the state.

But thats a longer-term endeavor and Huaweis products meanwhile are likely to suffer, putting them at risk of falling behind those of rivals like Apple or Xiaomi Corp.

For TSMC, its growing ever more difficult to remain neutral amid the growing tensions between the U.S. and China. The company brands itself everybodys foundry, effectively the Switzerland of the tech industry. It supplies Chinese customers like Huawei and the American military, while relying on U.S. producers of semiconductor-making equipment like Applied Materials and Lam Research.

TSMC did take one step closer to the U.S. last week, saying it would build a $12 billion chip plant in Arizona. The Department of Defense has expressed concern that overseas fabs may be vulnerable to cyberattacks and domestic manufacturing would assure a more reliable supply of chips.

The proposal appears to be carefully calculated to address such security issues without too much damage to profits or its political balancing act. Suppliers to the military, such as Xilinx Inc., would be able to use the U.S. fab, but the facility would likely account for less than 5% of revenue so margins wont be compromised.

Its not clear if the plans for a U.S. plant will win TSMC leniency in supplying Huawei, however.

TSMC will not be granted or granted a license based on their intent to build a 5 nanometer fab here in the United States. Thats not part of it at all, Keith Krach, undersecretary for economic growth, energy and the environment at the State Department, told reporters on a call. Theres no assurance on that and we dont anticipate that.

Meanwhile, China appears to be preparing to retaliate for the new restrictions on Huawei. On Friday, the Global Times  a Chinese tabloid run by the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party  reported Beijing was ready to initiate countermeasures, including imposing restrictions on Apple, suspending the purchase of Boeing airplanes and putting U.S. companies on an unreliable entity list.

The list will cover foreign entities that cause actual or potential damage to Chinese companies and industries, the newspaper said.
The British government has turned down India's request for the extradition of Tiger Hanif, an alleged aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim wanted in India in connection with two bomb blasts in Surat in 1993, the UK home office has confirmed.

Hanif, left, whose full name is Mohammed Hanif Umerji Patel, was traced to a grocery store in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in February 2010.

The 57-year-old since lost a number of legal bids to stay in Britain, claiming that he will be tortured in India.

However, his final bid to then home secretary Sajid Javid succeeded as the Pakistani-origin minister refused the request last year.

We can confirm that the extradition request for Hanif Patel was refused by the then home secretary and Mr Patel was discharged by the court in August 2019, a UK home office source said on Sunday.

Hanif's extradition to India was first ordered by then home secretary Theresa May in June 2012. During an appeal at the high court in London in April 2013, Justice Kenneth Parker noted the information provided in India's request described how, following the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992, internecine hostilities broke out between the Muslim and Hindu communities in Gujarat.

The requesting state's case is that the appellant was part of a Muslim group which obtained explosives, guns and other weapons and then carried out revenge terrorist attacks on the Hindu community, including two explosions which resulted in loss of life, injury and damage, the judge noted.

The first explosion was in January 1993 in a market on the Varacha Road in Surat, which killed an eight-year-old girl and the second explosion was in April 1993 at Surat railway station.

Arguments made on behalf of Hanif claimed there was a real risk of torture if Hanif was extradited to India.

There is nothing to suggest that the appellant [Hanif[ is now no longer able to recall the events in question, or that the court in India would be unwilling or unable to consider the extent, if any, of any prejudice to the fairness of the criminal trial by reason of the passage of time, the judge had ruled, clearing Hanif's extradition.

Under the India-UK extradition treaty, India is category two country, which means the home secretary has final sign-off on any extradition request, which in this case was turned down.

Similarly, the Indian government's request for the extradition of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya in the fraud and money laundering case involving loans to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines is with UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for a formal certification, after he lost a last-ditch attempt seeking leave to appeal in the UK Supreme Court last Thursday.

The 64-year-old businessman, who remains on bail, can also make representations to the minister, though his legal avenues now remain limited and may only involve a temporary reprieve due to the coronavirus crisis.

Photograph: PTI Photo.
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Minister De Weever emphasized that during a crisis of this magnitude, cooperation toward a common goal is necessary to achieve the best possible level of recovery. She added that although the pandemic is an unprecedented public health and economic challenge, it can also present an opportunity to enhance St. Maartens tourism industry and improve the business and investment climate.





Minister of TEATT Ludmila de Weever reached out to various stakeholders in the past several weeks to create an Economic Recovery Group with the aim of achieving a sustainable economic recovery as St. Maarten and the world begin to ease shutdown measures amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The diverse group comprises both up-and-coming and established professionals from the private and public sectors. They have offered to volunteer their expertise and collaborate with the common national goal of restoring economic activity and safeguarding the quality of life. The intention is to maintain this group throughout the ministers term and work closely with our partners in the hospitality, wholesale, retail, marine, and financial services sectors for the economic well-being and benefit of all St. Maarteners. A revived economy means the return of jobs and income for the countrys workers and much needed revenue for the countrys government.
Tomato growers in the region are staring at huge losses as the wholesale prices have crashed drastically to 3 per kg amid the lack of buyers.

Today, I sold tomato at 60 per crate (containing 22-24kg) to the local traders as no buyers from Delhi are coming to our area due to the lack of demand amid Covid-19 lockdown, said Ajay Kumar, a young farmer from Ladwa in Kurukshetra district.

Moreover, the tomato growers have predicted further drop in rates as it is just the beginning of harvesting, which will be at its peak in the next two weeks.

Worried, the farmers have started dumping their harvest stating that the prices do not even cover the charges of transporting the crop to Delhi or any other big vegetable markets.

A crate of tomato is being sold at 80 in Delhi, but transporting one will cost 40. This will incur a profit of only 40 for 22kg of tomato, said Om Prakash, a farmer from Dhanokheri of Karnal district.

Haryana horticulture department director general Arjun Singh Saini said, To protect farmers from losses, the government has extended the deadline of registration under the Bhavantar Bharpai Scheme, which assures prices of 5/kg.

However, farmer Mahinder Singh from Yamunanagar said, The governments support is not sufficient as 5/kg price for 140 quintals does not cover even the input cost, which is around 70,000/acre.

Ram Kumar from Bhiwanis Kharkhari Makhwan village said, Even with compensation of 1/kg, I will bear a loss of 60,000/acre. So, I have dumped my produce in the field, allowing cattle to graze on it. He and with 50 other farmers from his village have been sitting on a dharna since May 15 demanding hike in the minimum support price of tomato.

Bhiwani deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar said he will raise the issue with senior officials.

ABHAY CHAUTALA MEETS PROTESTING FARMERS

Ellenabad MLA and INLD general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala on Monday met the protesting farmers in Bhiwani. He alleged that they were forced to dump crop due to governments poor policies.

They should be given compensation of 60,000/acre. If the state fails to do this, the grief-stricken farmers will shift towards old crops, which are not profitable. I will raise this issue with the chief minister and officials concerned, Abhay said.

Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
These conditions are hazardous to any occupant or emergency responder in an emergency situation. It has therefore been determined that the site poses an immediate danger and constitutes an imminent threat to the public at large, the letter said. A review of the entire operations has to be conducted by the city of Chicago to ensure the appropriate safety measures are in place to prevent this from happening in the future.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann's daughter Ariana is all grown up  but she may not be flying the coop just yet.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Sunday, the Don't Be Tardy star gave an update on Ariana's college plans. The 18-year-old graduated from high school earlier this month and was supposed to head to Arizona State University this fall, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may alter her plans.

"She's supposed to go to ASU. I think with maybe the corona and kind of not knowing what's going on with schooling, she might go to Georgia here," said Zolciak-Biermann, 41. "She's enrolled in ASU right now, but we may pull her from that. ... Why am I going to pay $50,000 for her to just do it on the computer in Arizona? It doesn't make sense. So we're up in the air. I think a lot of people are up in the air, unfortunately."

As for whether the family would relocate to Arizona if Ariana were to go to school there? It's not outside of the realm of possibility, according to the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star.

"Well, I love Arizona a lot. We're there a lot  I found a hairdresser there four years ago so we're there all the time. I actually love it there," said Zolciak-Biermann. "So it would be kind of a place that would work, and I love Vegas. I don't know, I can't imagine being away from any of my children. So if one of them is going to leave, I'm probably going to follow."

RELATED: Brielle Biermann Faces Backlash After Defending President Donald Trump  He 'Has Feelings'

Last fall, Zolciak-Biermann dropped a hint about Ariana's college plans after her daughter attended her very last homecoming dance.

"I can't take it!! @arianabiermann you look incredible," the proud mom gushed on Instagram. "This year is not easy for me. This is Ariana's last homecoming, she turns 18 next month, graduates in May, heads off to college in another state far away."

"Guess we are moving too then," she added with a winking emoji. "If you see me crying this is just a few of the reasons why .. . My dream [is] we all live on the same street forever. Ariana we are so PROUD OF YOU."

Zolciak-Biermann is also mom to daughter Brielle, 23, son KJ, 8, son Kash, 7, and twins Kane and Kaia, 6.
A group of Oregon churches and individuals have asked a judge to rule that Gov. Kate Brown's social distancing order infringes over them due to the coronavirus pandemic are unconstitutional.

Including as lead plaintiff the Elkhorn Baptist Church in Baker City, the plaintiffs filed the suit in Baker County Circuit Court on Wednesday represented by Salem-based attorney Ray D. Hacke, according to Baker City Herald.

The plaintiffs are Elkhorn Baptist Church, Baker City, Calvary Chapel, Newberg, Calvary Chapel, Lincoln City, Calvary Chapel Southeast Portland, New Horizon Christian Fellowship, Klamath Falls, Camas Valley Christian Fellowship, Peoples Church, Salem, Prepare The Way, Bend, Bend Community Church, Covenant Grace Church, Roseburg

They have so far respected the governor's order banning gatherings of more than 25 people and discouraging Oregonians from being around more than 10 people at a time, according to Hacke.

But the churches no longer believe such an order is justified, the suit says.

The suit was filed in Baker County for the "symbolism,'' Hacke noted, a county that recorded its first positive case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, The Oregonian reported.

"If we're risking our lives to go to church, if we survive great,'' said Salem-based attorney Ray D. Hacke, who filed a motion for a temporary restraining order Thursday. "If we die, then we're going to heaven. If we want to take that risk, then it's on us.''

Brown on Thursday modified the order, allowing social gatherings of up to 25 people with social distancing as a part of state-approved reopening plans. But the churches said that Is not realistically sufficient. "It's an infringement on religious liberty.'' The churches are done "having their rights trampled on with no end in sight,'' Hacke added.






MEXICO CITY  General Motors is tentatively planning to restart operations at its auto assembly plant in the Mexican city of Silao on May 20, according to a message to workers seen by Reuters on Sunday, as the car industry prepares to exit the coronavirus lockdown.

Separately, the president of GM's Mexican unit advised suppliers to prepare to resume operations. We are now beginning a new phase given the Mexican governments official announcement earlier this week to consider the transportation manufacturing industry as essential for the countrys economy, Francisco Garza, president ofGeneral Motors de Mexico, wrote in an email to suppliers dated on Friday that was viewed by Reuters.

The reopening of the plant in Silao would be a positive signal for the auto sector in North America, whose supply lines are highly interconnected between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The plant in the central state of Guanajuato has been idled for weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. Workers had previously been told to plan to return to their jobs on May 18.

A GM spokeswoman said the company could not confirm when it would restart operations at any of its facilities in Mexico because it is awaiting more guidance from the government.

The message to the plant's workers came after the government on Friday clarified when the industry could begin easing restrictions imposed because of the health emergency.

On Wednesday, the government said automakers could start going back into production from May 18. It then withdrew that advice and suggested the new start date would be June 1.

Finally it indicated the sector, which forms the backbone of Mexican manufacturing, could begin operating as soon as next week if companies had the required safety measures in place.

U.S. officials and its auto industry have pressed Mexico's government to get its factories open again because American operations depend heavily on parts from south of the border.

Story continues

However, some politicians are wary of opening too fast. Mexico registered its first case of coronavirus weeks after the United States and Canada and the toll of daily infections and deaths in the country reached new peaks over the past few days.

The Silao production facility, which makes highly profitable pickup trucks for GM, is one of the biggest automotive plants in Guanajuato, a major Mexican carmaking state.

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Loveworld is the third broadcaster in the UK to be sanctioned for airing potentially harmful claims on coronavirus.

Ofcom, a regulatory authority for broadcasting in the United Kingdom, has imposed a sanction on Loveworld Limited for airing potentially harmful claims about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Loveworld is a religious television channel owned by Nigerian pastor, Chris Oyakhilome, who has himself championed outrageous claims about the coronavirus outbreak.

Ofcom announced in a statement on Monday, May 18, 2020, that a news programme and a live sermon on the channel aired unsubstantiated claims that 5G technology was the cause of the pandemic, and that the outbreak was the subject of a global cover-up.

The agency said the report on 5G was particularly sensitive because in the preceding days a number of attacks had been committed on mobile phone masts in the UK as a result of claims that 5G technology had caused, or was in some way linked to, the coronavirus.

There is no reputable scientific evidence to corroborate the claim that there is a link between 5G technology and the Coronavirus, which runs contrary to both the international and UK official position, Ofcom said.

The media watchdog also noted that it found fault with a sermon broadcast on the channel that cast serious doubt on the necessity for lockdown measures, and the motives behind official health advice on COVID-19, including in relation to vaccination.

Since it was first detected in China in December 2019, the coronavirus disease has infected nearly 5 million people globally, killing over 315,000.

However, Pastor Oyakhilome in a series of broadcasts in April said the outbreak of the disease was a sinister plot by shadowy figures to install 5G technology, which he said was the real cause of infection, around the world.

The 56-year-old also insinuated that the goal of spreading panic about the coronavirus across the world was to implement an evil scheme to vaccinate everyone against their wishes.

Pastor Oyakhilome believes the coronavirus outbreak is the implementation of a sinister plan by evil figures who want a New World Order [Christ Embassy]

Pastor Oyakhilome believes the coronavirus outbreak is the implementation of a sinister plan by evil figures who want a New World Order [Christ Embassy]

Loveworld was also cited for suggesting that hydroxychloroquine was a cure for the coronavirus disease without acknowledging that its effectiveness and safety as a treatment was clinically unproven, or making clear that it has potentially serious side effects.

There is no ban on broadcasting controversial views which are different from, or which challenge, official authorities on public health information.

However, given the unsubstantiated claims in both these programmes were not sufficiently put into context, they risked undermining viewers trust in official health advice, with potentially serious consequences for public health, Ofcom said.

Ofcom said Loveworld did not adequately protect its viewers from the potentially harmful content in the news programme and the sermon, and the news reports were not duly accurate.

The agency directed the channel to broadcast its findings while it considers whether to impose any further sanctions.

Ofcom said Loveworld has expressed a readiness to broadcast a summary of its decisions, but that the channel has also pleaded against additional sanctions, noting that it would be unnecessary.

The Ofcom Sanctions Panel will consider the matter further, following due process which provides for the Licensee to make written and oral representations to the Panel before reaching its decision, Ofcom said in its bulletin.

Loveworld is the third broadcaster in the UK to be sanctioned by Ofcom for broadcasting potentially harmful claims on coronavirus, after London Live, and Uckfield FM were both sanctioned last month.
A video conference will be organised on May 19 to announce the Public Administration Reform (PAR) Index 2019 and the Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) 2019, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).

At a taxation office in Hanoi

The annual PAR Index report assesses administrative reforms in 63 provinces and cities, and 19 ministries and ministerial-level agencies (excluding the Ministries of Public Security and National Defence and the Government Office) based on two different sets of criteria.

The report was based on the result of a sociological survey involving over 20,000 leading and managing officials in ministries and localities, and over 33,000 civilians and representatives from organisations and associations.

Meanwhile, the SIPAS 2019 was built on the basis of replies of 35,268 individuals and organisations about the delivery of public administration services as well as the service of administrative offices in 16 fields.

The index aims to serve as a basis for state administrative agencies to take measures to streamline procedures and promote service quality, thereby helping to improve peoples living standards, the business environment and national competitiveness.

The northern province of Quang Ninh and the State Bank of Vietnam led the PAR Index 2018.

Meanwhile, the citizen satisfaction towards the delivery of public administration services averaged 82.99 percent in 2018./.VNA
Award-winning Journalist and former worker of Adom FM, Kofi Adoma Nwanwanii has added his voice to the list of celebrities sharing their views on the resignation of the broadcaster, Nana Yaa Brefo from Adom TV.

Nana Yaa Brefo who was the host of Badwom on Adom TV, on Friday, May 16, 2020, resigned from Multimedia Group Limited after working at the outfit for a decade.

It is still unclear what might have necessitated her resignation but many are speculating that she was forced to resign following an interview with Nana Ama McBrown about the demise of the late Bishop Bernard Nyarko, an actor.

Her resignation seems to be no business of some Ghanaians as she has suffered another barrage of attacks on social media.

Reacting to her resignation, Kofi Adoma took to his Facebook wall to expose what exactly goes on when one is on air and how the public sees the whole process on TV.

Feeling extremely disdained the Kofi TV boss wrote:

"Sad reading comments about Nana Yaa Brefos resignation from Multimedia. She is a fine Devoted hardworking journalist. He eulogized her.

 Unfortunately when youre behind the scene, you hardly know what goes on when one is on air.

He continued Then came what might have pushed Nana Yaa Brefos line of questioning when on air. Producers push you with questions and directions. Also, you think on top of your mind. One thing I know about her is dedication and passion.

Kofi Adoma feeling so emotional, ended his revelation with a question.

 I wonder whether people would have written all these insults if she were to be dead. Just thinking aloud  He ended his revelation.

Kofi Adoma, Afia Pokuaa, Manasseh Azure Awuni are top-notched Journalists who resigned from the Multimedia group with Nana Yaa Brefo being the latest.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-19 00:12:18|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The world must be united and the irreplaceable World Health Organization (WHO) should play a stronger role in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis, said world leaders at the first ever virtual session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) that opened on Monday.

"COVID-19 must be a wake-up call," said United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when opening the 73rd session of the WHA focusing on the pandemic that has infected over 4.5 million people and taken away more than 300,000 lives globally in a matter of months.

"We have seen some solidarity, but very little unity, in our response to COVID-19," deplored the UN secretary general.

"Many countries have ignored the recommendations of the World Health Organization," he said. "Consequently, the virus has spread across the world."

Guterres reiterated the UN's call for a coordinated large-scale response led by the WHO with emphasis on solidarity with developing countries and vulnerable people.

"Unless we control the spread of the virus, the economy will never recover," the secretary general said. "We must massively increase the resources available to the developing world."

Simonetta Sommaruga, president of the Swiss Confederation that hosts the WHO's headquarters, thanked the WHO for its tireless commitment to tackle the pandemic.

"Director general (Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus), as you go through this crisis, be assured that you have the Switzerland's full support and cooperation," she said.

"Our support to you is based on our commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and international cooperation," added the Swiss president. "Today, more than ever, these things are absolutely essential and they need to be strengthened."

Calling for more funding for the WHO, she said the organization, which has always managed to learn lessons from the epidemics that it had to deal with, will also be able to carry out a thorough review of the current crisis in order to improve its future emergency management.

French President Emmanuel Macron also stressed the need for more funding for the global health body, which he said plays an "irreplaceable role" in coordinating action thanks to its scientific expertise and knowledge of the situation on the ground.

Calling the assembly "one of the most important assemblies in the history of the WHO," Macron said that this must be a moment of unity and solidarity, and also a moment of clear thought and effective action.

He urged all stakeholders, including states, organizations, funds, pharmaceutical companies or ordinary citizens, to cooperate with the WHO.

The French president hailed the "Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator" (ACT) initiative, which is an international cooperation project launched by the WHO in April to speed up the development, production and equitable distribution of new tools, treatments and a vaccine in particular, to combat COVID-19.

"If we deliver a vaccine against COVID-19, it will be a global public good, and everyone must have access to it," said Macron.

"No country can save itself alone. We must work together," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "COVID-19 shows that we need to do more in prevention and research."

"The WHO is a legitimate world organization in the area of health. We should continue to work to improve the procedures within the WHO," she said. "We should also look into its financing to ensure that it is sustainable."

Moon Jae-in, president of the Republic of Korea, said his country will provide 100 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid this year and will continue to share its experiences in fighting epidemics with the international community.

Affirming full support for the WHO, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley called for attention to the debt pressure on vulnerable nations, such as the Caribbean states, which has been worsened by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Stressing the WHO's key role in leading the global fight against the pandemic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, chairperson of the African Union, called for more assistance, debt relief and medical supplies in particular, for the developing countries.

"Africa, extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus, needs every possible support and assistance," Ramaphosa told the virtual assembly.

"The African Union has made a call for the developing countries to be assisted in their efforts to combat the pandemic and to rebuild their economies. This assistance needs to include debt relief. It also needs to include assistance with regard to diagnostic and therapeutic medical supplies," he said.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the WHO. The 73rd session of the WHA, scheduled from Monday to Tuesday, is held via video link due to the impact of the current pandemic.

According to the WHO, its agenda was condensed only to essential issues, such as COVID-19 and the executive board members selection. Enditem
After an initial scramble to purchase hard-to-find medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic, Spains health authorities have reported somewhat easier procurement conditions and a growing reserve of equipment to deal with future spikes.

The supply of protective gear has been one of the weak points in the countrys management of the Covid-19 crisis, which hit Spain particularly hard. The official death toll is 27,650, while nearly 124,000 people have been hospitalized.

The health crisis caught Spain without a strategic reserve of medical supplies. By the time authorities reacted, the international market was already saturated. Desperate procurement officials rushed to place orders, and occasionally ended up with subpar material.

Weve all been scammed at some point. Now we have personnel thats become specialized in checking the material and determining whether something looks suspicious Jon Guajardo, Basque healthcare manager

On March 22, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the creation of a strategic stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medication to deal with future pandemics as soon as the country develops the capacity for self-supply.

In the meantime, the Health Ministry has so far spent over a billion euros on medical equipment, including 140 million units of products that it is keeping at an undisclosed location. The ministry has also signed emergency contracts with four airline operators, and there are three weekly Madrid-Shanghai flights that deliver the shipments of medical supplies.

Regional governments  which have devolved powers over healthcare  are also stockpiling their own protective gear to make sure that they qualify to move forward in the four-phase deescalation plan devised by the central government.

Deescalation

A face mask manufacturing company in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) is making nearly 20,000 masks a day. Manu Reino (EFE)

Once a week, regional authorities have to report to the Health Ministry with an updated list of their existing supplies of face masks, PCR testing kits, eye gear, gloves, gowns, cotton swabs and hand sanitizer.

Having sufficient medical equipment to deal with a potential new surge in coronavirus cases is a condition for transitioning towards a new normality that is expected to arrive in late June at the earliest. Many regions of Spain are currently in Phase 1, which allows for limited social interaction and business activities. Madrid and Barcelona remain in Phase 0, while a few islands in the Canaries and the Balearics moved to Phase 2 on Monday.

Central authorities have just sent a letter to regional health chiefs asking them whether they have enough supplies to cover their needs for five weeks, and offering to send them equipment if they do not.

Save for the odd exceptional situation, they [the regions] all have enough reserves, said Fernando Simon, head of the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies at a news conference on Sunday. A few of them have only just enough.

Regional authorities have criticized the governments early decision, taken when the state of alarm was decreed on March 14, to centralize purchases rather than allow the regions to buy their own medical supplies. Central authorities say that these government purchases were just meant as additional support for regional governments, who were not prohibited from making their own purchases.

Procurement war

The stockpiling comes at an enormous cost. The region of Castilla-La Mancha, with a population of over two million, nearly 700,000 of whom live in the province of Toledo, needs 300,000 surgical masks a week.

We have been at war, says Luis Ruiz Molina, the regional secretary general for health services. Buying is easier now, but prices are stuck at a high level and have not gone down.

And it is still difficult to buy from manufacturers in China, where products that were supposed to arrive today finally get here four or five days late.

Alfredo Martinez, the contingency plan coordinator for the region of Navarre, says they have enough stock for a new spike, but there is still tension to secure the material. When you dont have problems with one product, you have them with a different one. The problem is the international market.

We have been at war. Buying is easier now, but prices are stuck at a high level and have not gone down Luis Ruiz Molina, head of health services of Castilla-La Mancha

Gloves are the problem right now: a box of 100 units that used to sell for three euros now costs up to 12. One of the Health Ministrys latest contracts was for 17 million gloves, which cost 6 a box.

Faced with these issues, most procurement officials are now seeking local manufacturers. In Castilla-La Mancha, 57 companies have switched production and four of them have applied for health authorities approval to make face masks. And a Basque cooperative named Oiarso last month signed a contract with the Health Ministry to start making 10 million face masks a month for six months.

Current consumption is very high and will remain so for a long time, said Jon Guajardo, manager of the Galdacano healthcare area in the Basque province of Vizcaya. Weve had a lot of donations, and thanks to that weve managed to stay afloat.

Guajardo adds there is tremendous speculation with prices, not to mention the defective products. Weve all been scammed at some point. Now we have personnel thats become specialized in checking the material and determining whether something looks suspicious. We check everything before using it.

English version by Susana Urra.
Donald Trump said he is surprised his hand-picked attorney general, William Barr, announced earlier Monday he does not expect an internal Justice Department review of the agencys Russia election meddling investigation will lead to criminal charges against Barack Obama or Joe Biden.

The sitting president accused the 44th chief executive and his vice president were participants in what he called an illegal takedown attempt of his 2016 presidential campaign and then hobble his presidency.

Whether or not it was criminal, I think it would be very serious, Mr Trump said. In my opinion, it was an illegal takedown.

Only Mr Barr, the countrys top law enforcement officer has concluded otherwise after reviewing the findings of US Attorney John Durham, who is assessing the departments Russia meddling investigation..

Based on the information I have today, I dont expect Mr Durhams work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Mr Barr told reporters earlier in the day at the Justice Department. Our concern over potential criminality is focused on others.

The former vice president is the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, meaning Mr Trump is accusing his opponent of unspecified crimes and signalling his AG to launch a campaign-season criminal investigation.

As the president returned to the White House from Camp David on Monday, he called his predecessor grossly incompetent in response to Mr Obamas criticism of the administrations response to the coronavirus pandemic in which nearly 90,000 Americans have died.

During a virtual Saturday commencement address to graduates from historically black colleges and universities, Mr Obama said: 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.

It was the second time within the last two weeks that Mr Obama directly addressed his successor, after leaked audio revealed Mr Obama calling the Trump administration an absolute chaotic disaster as the president furiously spun his Obamagate allegations.
The global coronavirus pandemic has not stopped the negotiation process for the signing of Ukraine-Turkey Free Trade Agreement.

"Negotiations on the FTA continue despite the pandemic. The Ukrainian and Turkish sides continue to work, remaining true to the slogan Let's grow together, Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Andrii Sybiha said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek Turkiye.

He pointed out that both countries were trying to maintain the dynamics of bilateral relations despite the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to new quarantine realities.

"Meetings and exchanges of views have taken place at all levels, from the highest to the lowest. We exchange views to minimize the negative consequences of the pandemic in the economy," the diplomat added.

Sybiha reminded that Ukraine-Turkey trade turnover had increased by 22.3% in 2019 compared to the previous year and reached almost USD 5 billion.

"Actually, we are working not to lose this dynamics. In this context, we have also found a mutually beneficial formula for the movement of cargoes by trucks, which play an important role in trade between the two countries. At present, they work unhindered," the Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey stressed.

As reported, the consultations on economic cooperation with Ukraine took place in Turkey last week.

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President Trump announces that he has nominated Justin Herdman as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia on May 18, 2020. (Department of Justice)

Trump Taps New US Attorney for District of Columbia as Timothy Shea Moves to Lead DEA

President Trump announced Monday that he has nominated a new U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

Justin Herdman, current U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, will replace Timothy Shea.

Herdman received his B.A. from Ohio University in 1996, a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow in 1998, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2001.

He has been a member of the Attorney Generals Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys since 2017. Hes currently the vice-chair of the committee. His role in the committee, along with 14 other U.S. Attorneys, is to develop and offer recommendations to improve management, operations, and functions of United States Attorneys offices nationwide, as well as the Department of Justice.

As the permanent replacement, Herdman requires Senate approval. He was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2017 to be the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Attorney General William Barr applauded the decision.

I am pleased that the President has chosen Justin Herdman as the nominee to be the next United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, he said. Justin has taken an increasing role in the leadership of the Department and this nomination is a reflection his sharp intellect, sound judgment, and dedication to the mission of the Department of Justice.

This undated photo provided by the Department of Justice shows Timothy Shea, currently U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Shea will become the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and will be replaced by Justin Herdman, the U.S. attorney in Cleveland, who will move into the role as a top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia. (Department of Justice via AP)

Shea will be designated as acting administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Justice Department (DOJ) said in a statement.

The current DEA acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon, will take on a role as a senior official at the Justice Department, DOJ said.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in the District of Columbia, the largest in the country, has historically been responsible for some of the most significant and politically sensitive cases the DOJ brings in the United States.

In February, Barr and Shea overruled prosecutors in Roger Stones case, arguing that an initial recommendation from the prosecutors was excessive. The entire Stone trial team quit the case, and one of the prosecutors left the DOJ altogether.

Shea also signed a motion seeking to drop the charges against Flynn earlier this month. In court papers, the DOJ said a review of the case uncovered troubling legal issues, including what Barr believes were irregularities in the FBIs 2017 interview of Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to agents about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.

The judge presiding over Flynns criminal case has appointed a retired jurist to evaluate whether the former Trump administration national security adviser should be held in criminal contempt.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
CHERNIVTSI, Ukraine  A breathing machine at a Ukrainian hospital breaks down, leaving a coronavirus patient gasping helplessly for air. Dr. Olha Kobevko rushes from room to room to see if there is an electrician among her other patients who can fix it.

Eventually, she figures out a way to get the device working again on her own.

We are like in a war situation here, like on a front line! she exclaims in despair.

Kobevko, 37, is the only infectious disease specialist at the infection division of a hospital in the western city of Chernivtsi that is supposed to accommodate 60 patients but now holds about 100.

The deplorable conditions  broken or substandard equipment, a lack of drugs, low wages  reflects the meltdown of Ukraines health care system, which has been quickly overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic even with the countrys relatively low number of cases.

Ukraines corruption-plagued economy has been weakened by six years of war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. President Volodymyr Zelenskiys year-old administration inherited an underfunded health care system that was further crippled by a reform launched by his predecessor that drastically cut state subsidies.

It has left Ukraines hospitals without vital equipment. The infectious disease wing of the main regional hospital in Chernivtsi was built more than a century ago when the city was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it lacks a centralized oxygen supply system that is standard in any modern clinic.

The hospitals oxygen supply system is located in just one room, and nurses have to manually refill bags they call oxygen pillows every few minutes and carry them to patients elsewhere.

A patient would beg, Air, air, give me air! and there is nothing you can do, Kobevko said. You just keep squeezing the bag, unable to save a life. That is the most painful thing, and it costs very little to secure centralized oxygen supply.

The sound of coughs muffled by oxygen masks mixes with the squeaking of medical equipment in the hospitals old building as nurses rush through dimly lit corridors to change the oxygen bags. The air smells of ozone from the ultraviolet lamps used to disinfect the wards.

The critically ill are moved to a separate building that has a few ventilators, but its also filled beyond capacity and cannot always accept new patients, even those in serious condition.

Ukraine has 18,616 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 535 deaths. Chernivtsi has 2,713 of those infections, a hot spot of contagion, along with another western city, Ivano-Frankivsk, 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, and the capital, Kyiv. Thousands of Ukrainians who had temporary jobs in Italy, Spain and other European countries returned home amid the pandemic and some carried the infection with them.

In the hospitals kitchen, workers nap on mattresses. But ambulance crews soon arrive with more patients, giving them little chance to sleep, even after an exhausting tour of duty.

Svetlana Padynich is a medic on an ambulance crew that brings in COVID-19 patients during her 12-hour shifts.

Lately, workers on the crews have been falling ill. A week ago, one died of pneumonia caused by the virus. Another four medics at her station also have come down with pneumonia but are in stable condition.

We are experiencing a staff shortage, said Padynich, 42. Half of ambulance personnel have gotten sick and those who remained have to carry a colossal load.

Padynich wears an FFP2 mask, which offers some but not complete protection, and she wears another medical mask underneath it.

I understand that Im taking high risks, but someone needs to work, she said.

Protective gear is in short supply, with most of it coming from private donors. Deliveries have been irregular.

I worry about my safety, Padynich said. Im afraid of getting sick, but I fear infecting my family with COVID-19 even more.

Because of that, she says she has not seen her mother since the start of the outbreak.

Medical workers account for about a fifth of all coronavirus cases in Ukraine, with more than 50 getting infected daily.

Aware of the weaknesses in the health care system, the government ordered a strict lockdown on March 12, including closing most enterprises. But under pressure from desperate farmers, businessmen and others, it eased the restrictions May 11, allowing some stores, hair salons, beauty parlors and other ventures to reopen.

Doctors fear that move could trigger a new wave of contagion.

If we end the quarantine and leave the health care system in the same shape, it will bring a disaster, Kobevko said.

Government subsidies previously covered wages for health care workers and hospital utility bills. Under a new medical reforms that began last month, however, those funds have been sharply reduced, putting many clinics on the verge of closure.

Ukraines president has sharply criticized the reforms ordered by his predecessor, warning it could mean closing more than 300 hospitals and leaving 50,000 medical workers jobless.

Except for the medics  the excellent professionals who are among the best in the world  we have nothing else, Zelenskiy said.

Faced with the outbreak, the government has offered a subsidy to medical workers dealing with the outbreak that quadruples their monthly wage.

Kobevko said her basic monthly salary of $175  on a par with the nations current minimum wage  reflects the general low regard of medical professionals in Ukraine. She gets an extra $25 in monthly hardship pay for working in the infectious disease clinic.

It shows the governments lack of respect for our work, she said. That kind of indifference should scare not just me. We have nothing and are driven by enthusiasm, but we are running out of it.

___

Yuras Karmanau reported from Minsk, Belarus.

___

Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
LOS ANGELES  The Walt Disney Co.s top streaming executive, Kevin Mayer, resigned on Monday and will become the chief executive of TikTok, the app for making and sharing short videos that has exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayer, 58, will also serve as chief operating officer of ByteDance, the Chinese conglomerate that owns TikTok.

As Americans have stayed home during the pandemic, a growing number have turned to TikTok to help pass the time. New users in the United States downloaded the app about 11 million times in March, nearly twice the total in December, according to Sensor Tower, a company that tracks app usage data.

But national security concerns about TikToks growing influence have been raised by members of Congress, who have also questioned if there is a risk that the app could share user data with its Chinese parent company.

Mayers departure from Disney is not entirely a surprise. Disneys board of directors passed over him earlier this year when it was looking for a successor for Robert A. Iger, who abruptly stepped down in February. (Iger remains executive chairman, with a focus on the creative process.)

Many people in Hollywood and on Wall Street had viewed Mayer, 58, as the logical internal candidate because the future of Disney rests on its ability to transform itself into a streaming titan. The top job, however, went to Bob Chapek, the lower-profile chairman of Disneys theme parks and consumer products businesses.

Kevin has had an extraordinary impact on our company over the years, Chapek said in a statement. Having worked alongside Kevin for many years on the senior management team, I am enormously grateful to him for his support and friendship.

Despite being passed over, Mayer had indicated that he was not in a hurry to leave. There is no business more important to Disney than streaming, and Mayer has relished working on services like Disney+, which rolled out in November and now has about 55 million subscribers  a runaway hit. Disney+ will arrive in parts of Asia and Latin America later this year. Hulu, which has about 30 million subscribers, and Hotstar, the leading streaming service in India, have also been part of Mayers portfolio.

For the last two years, Mayer has served as chairman for a Disney division called Direct-to-Consumer & International. The international part of his job includes cable television, with more than 350 channels in 170 countries. His division has also housed ad sales  worldwide  for all of Disneys media properties, including ABC and ESPN.

Mayer is best known as Disneys longtime deals maven. Before he was promoted to run the direct-to-consumer and international division, he served as Disneys chief strategy officer, helping to orchestrate the purchases of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, most of 21st Century Fox, and BamTech, a technology company that specializes in streaming video.

Mayer joined Disney in 1993 before leaving in 2000 to run Playboy.com. He soon returned to Disney to work on Go.com, a web portal that eventually failed, and other Disney websites, including ESPN.com, before moving to strategic planning.

Disney named Rebecca Campbell as Mayers successor. She has been ascending quickly. Just last year, she was named president of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Before that, Campbell had a senior leadership role at Disneys Europe, Middle East and Africa operation; she worked on the launch plan for Disney+. Disney also named a new chairman for theme parks and consumer products: Josh DAmaro, who was previously president of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Border Patrol agents discovered a total of 62 individuals in three failed smuggling attempts.

The first incident occurred in the early afternoon of May 14, when a tractor-trailer approached the Interstate Highway 35 checkpoint. After an immigration inspection of the driver, a non-intrusive scan of the tractor-trailer revealed several individuals being transported in the trailer. Upon opening the trailer, agents discovered 48 individuals, including two juveniles, who were determined to be illegally in the United States from the country of Mexico. All 48 individuals and the driver, a U.S. Citizen, were arrested pending further investigation. The tractor and trailer were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

The second incident occurred just over an hour later, when agents working the U.S. Highway 83 checkpoint encountered a second tractor trailer. During the immigration inspection of the driver, a Service canine alerted to the tractor area. An inspection of the tractor led to the discovery of 10 individuals inside. The individuals, from the countries of Mexico and Ecuador, were determined to be illegally present in the United States. The 10 individuals and the U.S. Citizen driver were placed under arrest pending further investigation. The tractor-trailer was seized by the United States Border Patrol.

The final incident occurred later in the evening. Agents working south of U.S. Highway 59 performed a roving patrol stop on a black pickup. During an immigration inspection, it was determined the driver was a U.S. Citizen, and the other four occupants were illegally present in the Unites States from the countries of Mexico and Honduras. All occupants were placed under arrest. The driver and truck were turned over to Duval County Sheriffs Office to face state charges.

Despite the ongoing international COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant smugglers endanger the lives of individuals they transport and put at risk the health and safety of our Nation. U.S. Border Patrol agents strive to prevent the flow of illegal immigration and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Sunday night that his office is suing a bar owner who plans to defy the state's stay-at-home order Monday, reports CBS Minneapolis.

Shady's Hometown Tavern in Albany will open at noon, according to owner Kris Schiffler.

He owns five other establishments as well, which he says will open Wednesday.

Schiffler says if his bars remain closed, he's in danger of losing them. "I can end up broke and on the street, just like 163 employees of mine are going to do the same thing in a little bit here if we don't get operating," Schiffler said.

Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka said Sunday night that he won't enforce the stay-at-home order but instead will "educate and ask for compliance."

Ellison's office can seek $25,000 fines.

"We don't know what the outcome's going to be," Schiffler said. "We have the backing of all small businesses now. We really feel it."

Shady's started a GoFundMe page, which had raised more than $171,000 as of early Monday.

kris-schiffler.jpg

Minnesota bar owner Kris Schiffler CBS Minneapolis

Schiffler says the money isn't for paying potential fines. It's for attorneys fighting the stay-at-home order, so people like him can reopen without worry.

"It's very emotional  to go out and meet these small business owners," Schiffler said, his eyes tearing.

Ellison's announcement Sunday night said in part. "The owner of Shady's  has declared his intention to break the law and endanger his customers and employees  in Stearns County, with the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota. My office has the duty to enforce the law and the Governor's order, to protect Minnesotans' health, and to protect businesses that are complying with the order from unfair competition. I take that duty seriously.

Schiffler says he'd ask his lawyer what to do if he's hit with a hefty fine.

Story continues

48 states partially reopen as COVID-19 cases continue to rise

How staff shortages at nursing homes affect infection control amid coronavirus pandemic

Fired State Department watchdog was investigating whether Pompeo made staffer do personal errands
Mary Clare Gibson Gibb ("Mom", "The Mother", "Gram", "Big Clare", "Aunt Clare", "friend") was born Oct. 13, 1935 to Catherine and William Gibson. On May 15, 2020 after a brief fight with COVID-19, she joined her two brothers and four sisters, as well as countless other relatives in Heaven. Before she passed, she saw her father, who had died before her birth, waiting at her bedside to carry his little girl up to join a joyous family reunion with Jesus in Paradise.



Clare was raised in the Seventh District of Southern Maryland. She graduated from Holy Angels Catholic School and Margaret Brent High School, and went on to attend Strayer College. She was an energetic and loving woman. People were special to her, and she made sure that they felt it by the little thoughtful things she did. When you saw her, you could not help but break out in a big smile to match hers. What a joyful laugh she had.



She was a role model for beautifully balancing motherhood and a career. She thoroughly enjoyed her many varied jobs and the friendships that she made in each and every job. Her friendships lasted a lifetime. Because she lived in California, New York, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, every move meant a new job and more people who would quickly know and love her as a friend. Some jobs included the FBI (for Hoover himself), law firms, universities (including Stanford), a credit union, a health clinic, and her favorite job as an Office Manager for her son Freddy and son-in-law Sean.



One benefit of her many careers was that she had little time for cooking and cleaning, but plenty of time for playing with her children, shopping with her sisters, children, and nieces, visiting with friends and relatives, enjoying her children's piano, ballet, and sporting activities, going out to dinner, DAR meetings with three generations (followed by going out to lunch), playing Bridge, trying to teach her children and grandchildren to play Bridge (they came for the Dove Bars), traveling, and, of course, daily Mass, which she always had time for her entire life, (followed by going out to breakfast if possible). She passed her love of daily Mass on to her children and grandchildren, as well as the joy of the Rosary and other special prayers.



Clare had an unbreakable positive, cheerful outlook on life and she will be sorely missed by her ex-husband Frederick W. Gibb II, their children: Mary Delana (Sean), Frederick W. Gibb III (Renee), and Catherine Bailey (Chip); 12 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.



Clare made the world a better place. She made a difference.



All Funeral Services will be private at this time.
CINCINNATI, Ohio  Police are investigating after an 8-year-old boy was killed Sunday in a shooting at an apartment in the citys Mt. Airy neighborhood, according to reports.

Police Capt. Craig Gregoire tells WCPO Channel 9 that investigators had few details on what happened in the shooting Sunday afternoon. It remains unclear if the shooting was an accident. No arrests have been made, WCPO reports.

I want to say that our hearts and our prayers are out with the family," tells WCPO. "This was a very tragic day for all and were trying to get to the bottom of this.

According to cincinnati.com, the city has seen a spike in gun violence since a stay-at-home order went into effect on March 25. Homicides have increased 131% from the previous year, cincinnati.com reports.

At this point, we dont know any details about the shooting, but we do know that all life is precious and this young child deserved to be protected," City Councilman Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said in a statement, according to Fox 19. "All of our children and all of our citizens deserve to live in safety. Our prayers go to the family of the young victim and our hearts are with them.

More Northeast Ohio crime news:

One dead, one seriously injured after gunfire erupts during Cleveland rap music video shoot

1-year-old boy killed in East Cleveland crash, authorities say

Brook Park man seeking porn has email account, personal information stolen

Two police officers injured in stolen tow truck incident in Cleveland, police say
The Mumbai Police, till Monday, sent 161,261 stranded people, most of them migrant labourers, back to their home states, while over 3 lakh are still on the waiting list. Pranaya Ashok, DCP (ops) and Mumbai Police spokesperson confirmed the updated figures.

Mumbai Police fears the exercise of sending back stranded people may take more than a month if the number of trains is not increased significantly this month.

Many have left on foot without registering with us as they see registered people getting frustrated waiting for several days; hence more trains are needed. Another issue is, we need over a thousand people in one group for one train, otherwise, we have to make them wait till we reach that figure, said a senior police officer.

One of the deputy commissioners of Mumbai, who acts as a nodal officer, said, The response from Uttar Pradesh has been good so far but West Bengal (WB) needs to provide more trains. The WB government has given just eight trains to Mumbai when more than double that amount is needed.

The task of sending the migrants back is tedious and a lot of logistical movement is involved. We have to arrange their travel right from their residence until the railway station while ensuring we maintain social distancing. Also, there is a waiting time of six hours. The documentation and identity of every migrant are checked because tomorrow if he/she turns positive, then the documentation will be crucial for contact tracing, added the officer.

651 positive in Mumbai Police

The Mumbai Police has reported 651 cases so far. Among all police stations, JJ Marg (46 cases) and Sahar police station (26 cases) are the worst hit. This is followed by police stations with 10 to 20 cases  Agripada (11), Dharavi (19), Nagpada (11), Nirmal Nagar (14), Pydhonie (13), Shahu Nagar (11), Shivaji Nagar (11), Vakola (12), and Wadala (17).

Apart from police stations, there have been several cases in other branches of Mumbai Police as well. Local arms reported 134 cases, traffic (26), protection and security (20), motor vehicle department (16), quick response team (12), crime branch (11), and eight each in the special branch and economic offenses wing (EOW).

The police stations which have five to 10 cases are Byculla (6), Chembur (8), Cuffe Parade (6), Dadar (5), Deonar (5), Ghatkopar (6), Juhu (7), Kurla (8), LT Marg (10), MRA Marg (6), Mankhurd (5), Matunga (5), NM Joshi Marg (7), Powai (7), Sakinaka(6), Samtanagar (5), Santacruz (6), Sewri (5), VP Road (5), Wadala TT (5), Worli (5)and Yellow Gate (8).

The remaining police stations have less than five cases. Police stations with no cases of Covid-19 are Airport, Andheri, Charkop, Dahisar, Gorai, Jogeshwari, Kalachawki, Kanjurmarg, MHB Colony, Malabar Hill, Malvani, Nehru Nagar, Pant Nagar, RCF, Shivaji Park, Versova, Vikhroli, Sagri-2 and Cyber police station.

Cop arranges ambulance for senior citizen with Covid 19

A 28-year-old woman on Sunday who lives in an SRA building in Malad (East) was unable to find an ambulance for her 61-year-old father who had tested positive for Covid-19. She then rushed to a nakabandi at 11.30pm where PSI Swapnil Patil of Dindoshi police station called the control room and managed to get an ambulance to take the senior citizen to SevenHills Hospital where he is now being treated.

43 booked, 25 arrested on Sunday

Mumbai Police on Sunday lodged 31 FIRs against 43 people, arresting 25 of them for lockdown violations. Of the 31 FIRs, 19 are for gathering, six for unnecessary use of vehicles, four against shops, and two for not wearing masks. Ten FIRs each were registered in the central and west regions, alongside nine in the south region.

Man accused of domestic violence, booked for not wearing mask

Sakinaka police booked a 37-year-old man for not wearing a mask after he turned up at the police station as his wife had accused him of domestic violence. According to the police, on May 15 the accuseds wife complained against him at Zarimari beat chowky that he assaulted her when she asked him to pay attention to their one-year-old daughter. The accused was asked to come to police chowky but he turned up without a mask and was booked for the violation.

1, 273 in state police positive for Covid 19

A total of 1, 273 have tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra Police, of which a maximum of 1,142 are constables while the remaining are officers. Of the total infected, 971 are being treated and 291 have recovered. A total of 11 personnel have died.
TRENTON  Already hit with a disciplinary Rice notice and facing a possible censure, Robin Vaughn has joined joined the inglorious ranks of corrupt ex-Mayor Tony Mack as the latest capital city lawmaker to face a recall.

A five-person recall committee filed papers with the Trenton clerks office Monday afternoon, kick-starting the effort to oust the West Ward legislator from office following her homophobic attack on openly gay Mayor Reed Gusciora during a coronavirus briefing this month.

The Trentonian published the nearly 54-minute call that captured Vaughn calling Gusciora a pedophile and telling councilman Joe Harrison to suck the mayors d**k.

Committee members include co-chairs Bernard McMullan and James Allen, and members Kelli Williams, Alana Burman and Donald Brokate.

We seek to recall Robin M. Vaughn, the West Ward City Council Representative, for conduct unbecoming of a public official, the committee said in the petition statement.

Vaughns cell phone went straight to voicemail, as it always does whenever The Trentonian calls her for comment.

Some West Ward residents suggested theyd move to hold the controversial West Ward councilwoman accountable after her remarks during the call received national attention.

In an email to members of Trentons Hiltonia neighborhood late Sunday, Brokate hinted to antsy West Ward residents that the recall effort was coming.

Things are in the works in a very well organized fashion. By the end of tomorrow you will know more and you will know how you can be of assistance. Remember, We have the power!' he wrote, according to a copy of the email obtained by The Trentonian.

Trentonians havent attempted to recall a city elected officials since Mack, the notorious ex-mayor whose name still looms large over the capital city.

The recall failed, but Mack and his brother Ralphiel were convicted in February 2014 of a bribery scheme to $119,000 kickbacks for influencing the sale of city-owned land that could be developed into a parking garage.

Mack has since been released from federal prison after he was sentenced to 58 months for his role in the scheme.

Once Vaughns recall petition is reviewed and approved by the clerk, the recall petition has has 160 days to obtain signatures from 25 percent of the registered voters in Vaughns district, as required under New Jersey law.

If it gets that far, a special election to replace Vaughn could cost the city $22,500, according to the petition.

McMullan told The Trentonian that he voted for Vaughn in the runoff against incumbent Zachary Chester.

He remembered her coming across as well-spoken and thoughtful although she lacked experience in municipal government.

Since then, the 38-year-long West Ward resident and many of his neighbors have watched with disgust over some of the councilwomans antics.

Her homophobic rant against Gusciora was the final straw.

Whatever was said came out of her mouth too easily and too quickly, McMullan said. We have lost any confidence that she represent our values about respect and integrity. If any of us had said those things to coworkers or colleagues in a work environment, we would have been fired.

Moments before the councilwomans meltdown, Gusciora went on the offensive against Vaughn suggesting she was an idiot and a child.

He went on to call her an little a**hole and suggested she should be lobotomized.

The focus has remained on Vaughn, who called Gusciora a motherf***king drug addict pedophile.  You need to get the f**k out of office and get the f**k out of Trenton.

The Trentonian has since sued the city to get access to other recordings of all the coronavirus briefings contending they involved meetings of the legislative body, Mayor Gusciora and cabinet members.

The clerk Harris, whose last day is this week after he suddenly resigned, contended the calls arent official meetings subject to the Open Public Meetings Act.

Gusciora, who lives in the West Ward, told the newspaper in a phone interview that he wouldnt rule out signing the recall petition but denied at all influencing the recall petitioners to take action.

Ill keep that choice [about signing] to myself, said Gusciora, who has faced criticism from the West Ward leader. My neighborhood is generally fed up with how much waste of resources she uses, and little gets accomplished with her efforts, except more strife on council.  I have my personal views, and Im just as fed up as a lot of my neighbors.

The Gusciora administration has twice taken Vaughn to court, as recently as last week, over repeated alleged violations of the Faulkner Act.

Judge Mary Jacobson ruled against Vaughn last year, but refused to sanction the councilwoman last week, finding many of the alleged violations the mayors attorneys cited hadnt violated her order or the Faulkner Act.

Seemingly nothing has stopped Vaughn, who also continued making venomous attacks about Harrisons family during the call.

She called his mother a whore. and suggested his father was a deadbeat.

Why dont you go find your father, Joe Harrison? Go find your father, you village idiot, Vaughn said on the call.

Go ask your whore-a** mom who your father is? Everybody in this city knows who my father is, motherf**ker. And my brother, Vaughn said.

We dont have b**ch-ass men in my family. We dont have b**ch-ass men like you and Reed Gusciora in my family. We got real men in my family. B**ch-a**es. Nothing but a bunch of women. Thats all you are. B**ches. Thats right. Running around here with young men. Reed aint nothing but an old pedophile. B**ch-ass motherf**kin mayor.

Harrison has threaten to sue over the attacks on his family.

The East Ward councilman has called on Vaughn to resign from council but said it wasnt his place to tell the voters what to do about Vaughn.

Thats the communitys decision, he said. If theyre upset with me or any of my colleagues thats their right. They have the right to do that. Im not gonna tell people in the West Ward what they should be doing.

This was the latest outburst for Vaughn, who defended council president Kathy McBride when she came under fire for using an anti-Semitic slur during a closed-door meeting.

McBride lambasted city attorneys over her belief that were able to Jew down a woman into accepting a lesser settlement in a personal injury lawsuit.

Vaughn suggested the slur wasnt offensive but rather a verb. She later apologized for the anti-Semitic endorsement.

Vaughn also apologized for melting down on Gusciora on the coroanavirus call but resisted demands of some of the states top Democrats, including Gov. Phil Murphy, and two pro-gay rights groups that she step down.

The councilwoman asked for time to prepare a transcript to defend herself against a possible censure after the clerks office issued her a Rice notice upon advice of law director John Morelli.

Vaughn intends to use the transcript to pursue a counter-censure against Harrison for insulting her on the call, including calling her ugly.

Harrison suggested he was referring to Vaughns behavior on the call, not her looks.

Harrison also referred to Vaughn by her Trentonian-dubbed nickname of Radioactive Robin, the woman who attacks her own family.  Nobody knows you before the election, and they wont know you after the election.

You cant even find a man. You cant even find one, Harrison told the councilwoman at one point on the call. Go to the hospital and find a psychiatrist.

McMullan said the many West Ward residents tired of reading about Vaughns outbursts.

He said she has lambasted virtually every council member and often silences critics who disagree with her over social media.

Im not sure what the motivation is, McMullan said. It seems to be more looking for a headline or a spotlight without necessarily a clear objective.
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center, inspects the company's chip factory in China's Xian, some 1,000 kilometers southwest of Beijing, on Monday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's chip factory in China to assess an expansion plan following the country's reopening of its economy amid a slowdown in coronavirus infections, the company said Monday.



Lee, the de facto leader of South Korea's top conglomerate, inspected Samsung Electronics' chip plant in Xian, some 1,000 kilometers southwest of Beijing, and encouraged workers there trying to overcome the fallout from the pandemic.



"To secure new growth engines, we need to be preemptive and be prepared for forthcoming changes," Lee said in comments provided by the company. "We have no time and we cannot lose this moment."



South Korea and China began to operate a fast-track entry system this month, which exempts business travelers from 14-day mandatory isolation, in a move to help minimize the fallout from entry curbs prompted by the novel coronavirus pandemic.











Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
A Congress legislator in Meghalaya has demanded that the people residing along the international border with Bangladesh be tested for COVID-19.

Mawsynram MLA Himalaya Shangpliang's demand came after a positive case was allegedly reported in Dhormopur village in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh, just 500 metres from Ryngku Bazaar in Mayswnram block in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

Shangpliang said he got the information about the case from the BSF company commander of the Ryngku border outpost.

"In view of the proximity of the Bangladeshi village to India, it is mandatory that all protocols related to safeguarding the people from the spread of the disease be enforced," he said.

Follow the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak in India here

The legislator said he has informed Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma about the case and requested the administration to immediately conduct random testing of people residing in villages along the international border.

Shangpliang has suggested that the tests be conducted in Ryngku, Sonatola and Dangar villages.

He said the tests will enable the health department to survey the villages and also prevent its residents from contracting the disease.

"Although the government has announced that the international border has been sealed, there is a continuous exchange of essential commodities across the border even during the lockdown," the Congress leader alleged.

He claimed that residents of Cherakata and adjoining villages in the area recently heard sounds of gunfire from the BSF's border outpost.

"It was later reported that they had resorted to firing to chase away Bangladeshis who had tried to sneak into India. Therefore, our villages are not safe from the outbreak in the neighbouring country," he said.

Shangpliang also requested Home Minister Lakmen Rymbui to immediately call a meeting with the director general of police and inspector general of the BSF to take stock of the situation along the international border in view of the recent rise in the number of cases in Bangladesh.
As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, many scientists, institutions, and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop an effective vaccine.

Now, a team of Oxford University scientists, in partnership with AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, has developed a vaccine that has shown promise against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease.

The researchers trialed the potential coronavirus vaccine on six monkeys, wherein some were given a single shot of the vaccine and went on to develop antibodies against the virus within 14 days. The single dose of the investigational vaccine protected six rhesus macaques from SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Published on the preprint server, bioRxiv*, the study findings are not yet peer-reviewed but are made available in advance of journal publication so as to help in the battle against the novel coronavirus which has infected more than 4.71 million people across the globe.

SARS-CoV-2 - Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

The vaccine

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford announced an agreement for the global development of the vaccine, which is a recombinant adenovirus vaccine aimed at blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The vaccine candidate is known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, and was developed by the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group. It utilizes a replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver a SARS-CoV-2 protein to trigger a protective immune response.

The vaccine will be carried by a vector that has been made from a virus affecting chimpanzees, known as adenovirus. The vector has the genetic code of the protein spikes seen on the coronavirus. Just one dose will trigger a robust immune response. The adenovirus vector cannot replicate, preventing causing an ongoing infection in the vaccinated person.

The investigational vaccine has been used to develop vaccines against other pathogens, such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, which is a close relative of the current SARS-CoV-2. The biopharmaceutical company is responsible for developing and worldwide manufacture of the vaccine.

As COVID-19 continues its grip on the world, the need for a vaccine to defeat the virus is urgent. This collaboration brings together the University of Oxfords world-class expertise in vaccinology and AstraZenecas global development, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities. Our hope is that, by joining forces, we can accelerate the globalization of a vaccine to combat the virus and protect people from the deadliest pandemic in a generation Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca, said.

The trial

The team of scientists adapted the platform to SARS-CoV-2 and showed that the vaccine rapidly triggered immune responses against the coronavirus in mice and monkeys. The latest trial was on testing in rhesus macaques at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana.

During the trial, six monkeys received the vaccine about 28 days before being exposed to SARS-CoV-2, which were compared to three control animals who did not receiver the vaccine. The team observed a significantly reduced viral load in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and respiratory tract tissue of vaccinated monkeys, compared to the control groups. In the vaccinated monkeys, there was no pneumonia observed.

After showing promise in laboratory animals, the vaccine is now ready for human clinical trials. The safety, immunogenicity, and effectiveness of the vaccine against COVID-19 will now be assessed in randomized controlled human clinical trials.

The coronavirus disease has ravaged through 188 countries and territories, prompting scientists all over the world to develop a vaccine to prevent infection. Finding and developing a potent vaccine is vital to help protect the population, especially those who are at a high risk of experiencing severe COVID-19.

The United States is the hardest-hit nation with a staggering 1.48 million confirmed cases and more than 89,000 deaths.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Timothee Chalamet is paying tribute teachers!

On Saturday night, the actor took part in Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. The event was curated by LeBron James in collaboration with high school students and educators across the United States.

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, stars are taking the time to honor graduates. On Saturday evening, Chalamet joined LeBron, President Barack Obama, delivering the commencement message, Pharrell Williams, the Jonas Brothers, Timothee Chalamet, H.E.R., Kevin Hart, Alicia Keys, Lena Waithe, Megan Rapinoe, Maren Morris, and Olivia Wilde for the graduation special.

"Hello to the class of 2020. I'm happy to get a chance to be here and to celebrate with all of you tonight," Chalamet said. "I can't imagine what the last couple of months has been like for students, let alone for high school seniors, and not being able to attend your graduation ceremonies. I'm joined by this year's 2020 graduates from LaGuardia High School, who are behind me in thanking those teachers who inspire us."

Celebs Celebrating the Graduating Class of 2020

"I want to shout out three of my own Mr. Lobenhofer, Ms. Faison and Mrs. Lawton. Thank for your valiant efforts to teach me the art of statistics. Thank you for everything," Chalamet concluded his message. "Congratulations to the class of 2020. Be well, be safe. Peace and love."

Timothee Chalamet, Graduate Together 2020, livestream

Congratulations to the class of 2020!

You can watch the virtual ceremony above!
Ryanair will need considerably more than 3,000 job cuts if unions dont agree to pay cuts for pilots and cabin crew, chief executive Michael OLeary has warned.

And he said there had been a spike in bookings on the airlines website over the weekend as Ryanair prepares to start operating 40pc of its normal flight schedule from July.

The airline boss today predicted a dramatic increase in passenger numbers within a short time. He was speaking as Ryanair released full-year financial results for the 12 months to the end of March. It made a profit of just over 1bn in the year.

Ryanair recently said that it will need to axe up to 3,000 staff after the coronavirus battered global air traffic and saw fleets grounded all over the world. It has already cut 250 jobs at offices in Dublin, Stansted, Madrid and Wroclaw.

Theres a dialogue going on with the unions, said Mr OLeary. What weve said is that we will need up to 20pc pay cuts. Its 20pc for higher paid people like the captains. It is down at around 10pc for the lesser paid cabin crew. Its variable. But if we dont get those pay cuts, we will be back for considerably more than 3,000 job losses at the end of June.

Were not messing, he added. Everybody knows theres an existential crisis going on in the industry.

Mr OLeary said Ryanair intends to try to restore the pay cuts within a three or four-year period as the industry recovers.

But he said the airline group needs the lower pay imposed for the remainder of the current financial year, which ends next March.

If were doing well in the summer of 2021 and into 2022, the first people who will be sharing in this recovery will be our people, he insisted. The pay cuts will be restored over a three or four-year period.

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Mr OLeary said he also hopes that the job losses can be restored, but that people would not be individually guaranteed that they would be rehired.

Were not going to give anybody the right that you could be the first one back, but clearly we will favour re-hiring those pilots and those cabin crew who lost their jobs through no fault of their own because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

The airline chief also predicted a sharp rebound in passenger demand.

Once people begin to fly, even if its wearing facemasks, confidence will be restored relatively quickly, he said. And then I think youll see a very dramatic restoration of passenger volumes, but on the back of discounted pricing and very aggressive pricing both from the airlines and also from the hotel and tourism providers.

Mr OLeary insisted that facemasks would be effective at eliminating about 98.5pc of the risk of the spread of Covid-19.

He said Ryanair had seen a significant spike in bookings since last week.

I wouldnt want to get too excited, but this weekend for example, bookings were up 60pc over the previous weekend, but that was off a very small base, he pointed out.

But we are seeing a significant number of hits and searches over the weekend, particularly from families looking at going on the two weeks summer holidays, from northern Europe to places in Italy, Spain, Portugal et cetera.

Mr OLeary claimed that making people self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in a country is bonkers and unimplementable.
A Ramsey County resident has died with COVID-19 and 31 new cases were reported since Sunday, most of them in the state hot spot of Cass County, state officials reported on Monday.

The woman who died was in her 90s and had underlying health conditions. Her death is the first in the county to be tied to COVID-19 and the 44th in the state. Ramsey County is in northeast North Dakota and is home to Devils Lake, the states 12th largest city with a population of about 7,300.

Twenty-six of the new cases were reported in Cass County, home to Fargo, the states largest city. A previously reported positive case from Cass County was determined to be from another state. Three cases were reported in Burleigh County and one each were reported in Sioux and Ransom counties.

Mondays results bring the states number of positive cases to 1,931, up by 31 from Sunday. A total of 56,561 individuals have been tested, an increase of 1,340 from Sunday, with 54,630 testing negative.

A total of 133 people have been hospitalized by the disease, up by three from Sunday. Thirty-two, two more than on Sunday, remain hospitalized. Of those who have tested positive, 1,219 have recovered. Thats an increase of 41 in the last 24 hours.

Gov. Doug Burgum will not hold a press conference on Monday. Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum will be participating in a video conference briefing with President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and senior administration officials, said Burgums spokesman Mike Nowatzki.

Antibody testing issued

North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread issued guidance to health insurers Monday regarding testing to determine if a person has COVID-19 antibodies. The testing is done, at times, to determine if a person who has not shown any symptoms of the virus has contracted it. It can be an indication that they might have some immunity to the disease, although researchers are still studying whether a person can become infected more than once.

"The Insurance Department expects carriers to cover antibody tests only when such tests are medically necessary in order to support diagnosis or treatment for COVID-19 or for treatment of another disease when information about COVID- 19 antibodies may impact the future outcome of that treatment for an individual," the department said in a statement.

Antibody testing done for public health surveillance or screening employees is not considered medically necessary, according to the department.

The department expects insurance companies to cover initial testing to determine if a person has COVID-19 "when a patient's symptoms indicate the medical need to conduct a test."

Our health insurance industry has stepped up to the plate by expanding services and waiving cost sharing for testing and treatment related to COVID-19 and will continue to cover those tests and treatments," Godfread said. "These protocols are developed in support of our medical professionals, but regarding public health data and employment screening those responsibilities have always rightfully remained with government or the employers seeking that screening.

The full bulletin Godfread issued Monday is available at insurance.nd.gov/bulletins. Questions can be directed to insurance@nd.gov.

Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com

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Buba Galadima, a former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, says former military head of state, Sani Abacha, was advised to save enough money for Nigeria abroad.

According to reports, the Abacha regime looted about $5 billion from Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Galadima, who was a principal official of the Abacha regime, said Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi were one of those who advised Abacha.

I have a completely different idea about what you called Abacha loot. I know as a fact that at that time, Abacha with knowledge of key members of his government, who knew about this money being stacked out, he was rightly advised by some of his colleague presidents around the world, Galadima said.

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Saddam Hussein was one of them. Muammar Gaddafi was one of them. They advised him that there was the likelihood that the US could sanction Nigeria and as such he should save money outside that could last the country, at least, six months, even Nigerias account was blocked by the US, there wont be panic.

Read Also: Abacha $311 Million: Its An Investment, Not Loot: Daddy Freeze

I was a key figure in that government. I was one of the so-called Abacha boys if you must know. I was the Director General, National Maritime Authority, whereby export and import to Nigeria, including crude, were directly coming under my desk. So, am in position to talk about Abacha and the so-called loot.

It is true that some Nigerians believe Abacha was a monster and you cannot fault their ignorance. Yes of course. It is based on ignorance.

But the truth of the matter is that we are running a constitutional government called democracy. People can hold different opinion provided it does not encroach on anothers liberty. What I have said to you now is my own opinion based on what I knew of the government and the man at that time.
Has the ministry of home affairs (MHA) walked back a March 29 order asking all employers to pay wages to workers even during the lockdown?

The union home ministrys latest Covid management guidelines doesnt mention this provision. Crucially, the third paragraph of the guideline issued on Sunday, said that all other orders issued under Section 10(2)(I) of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005except those issued in the latest guidelineshall cease to have effect from 18.05.2020.

The March 29 order also said there would be action taken against house owners who evicted migrants or students during the lockdown.

The part of the order on wages was challenged by some companies in the Supreme Court in early May.

Both MHA and the labour ministry refused to comment on the issue.

All employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments, shall make payment of wages of their workers, at their workplaces, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown, said the March 29 order .

In the latest guideline, the government has issued specific orders on standard operating procedures for movement of stranded people; working from home; and the opening of offices.

But there is no mention of its previous order, asking employers to pay salaries.

On May 8, Indian industry bodies asked for suspension of many labour laws and to treat the ongoing lockdown period as lay-off (a furlough) and payment of wages to workers during this period as expenses under CSR funds. The Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 terms a lay off as the inability of a factory to operate normally on account of shortage of raw material or power or a natural calamity. It stipulates compensation for such lay-offs at 50% of the basic and dearness allowance that would have been payable. And it adds that if the furlough extends beyond 45 days no additional compensation need be paid.
Tirupur Exporters Association



(TEA) on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend by at least another three months the moratorium on servicing of interest and principal on loans for MSMEs and non-MSMEs which are not big corporates, saying it would take six months for their revival.

In a letter to Modi, TEA President Raja M Shanmugham said the COVID-19 lockdown period has been now extended to May 31 and taking into account the global market closure, the industries had not been operational for three months.

The leading global retail stores would reopen only from June onwards and place orders gradually. "Without having any activities and the house totally in disorder, the MSMEs could not repay the interest and principal," he said.

The non-MSME units, which could be categorised just above the MSMEs but not in the league of big corporates such as Reliance Industries and Grasim Industries, had also been facing the liquidity crisis and certainly need government support to tide over the crisis, he said.

"Therefore, we request for extension of the moratorium on servicing of interest and principal at least by three to six months," he said in the letter, a copy of which was released to media here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two people are trying to run a scam on residents by selling and distributing pine needles and then demanding large amounts of payment, Winston-Salem police said in a news release.

Police said that a man and a woman driving a dark-colored Ford F-350 Dually pickup truck have been riding through neighborhoods in an attempt to sell and distribute pine needles.

After the pine needles are placed on the ground, the two people then demand a resident pay them for "an extremely high amount of bales which is not consistent with what was placed on the ground."

Police said that, in two cases, the two people claimed over 500 bales had been distributed on a small lot. This has happened in and around the Buena Vista neighborhood, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at (336) 773-7700, Crime Stoppers at (336) 727-2800. Spanish-speaking callers can contact the Crime Stoppers at (336) 728-3904. You can also view Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem on Facebook.

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Officials on Monday identified the five people - including a 4-year-old boy - who were killed when the SUV they were in slammed into a construction vehicle on Route 3 in Bergen County late Sunday.

The SUV driver, Michelle Toledo, 38, along with passengers Irvina Gee, 20, Sheckylle Chain, 23, and Ayana Navas, 16, all of Paterson, died at the scene of the devastating wreck, authorities said.

The child, Noah Alexander Dejesus, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, succumbed to his injuries later at an area hospital.

Authorities did not describe any relationships among the occupants.

The crash occurred around 10:45 p.m. Sunday on Route 3 West in Rutherford, just west of the entrance ramp from Route 17 South, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. The five who died were in a Nissan Rogue, which crashed into the back of a front-loader vehicle that was also headed west on Route 3 after pulling onto the highway from a Route 17 south ramp.

The operator was returning to the Route 3 construction site after dropping a load at the construction yard, Musella said in a statement. While traveling west on Route 3, he was struck from behind by the Nissan Rogue. The operator immediately pulled to the side of the road and called 9-1-1.

Authorities arrived to find a horrific crash, where the Nissan had major front-end damage. Emergency workers managed to briefly resuscitate the 4-year-old at the scene, but he could not be saved.

The initial thought is that its simply an awful accident  nothing criminal in nature, Rutherford police Chief John Russo told NJ Advance Media earlier on Monday.

Local police and the county prosecutors office were continuing to investigate the crash, Musella said.

The prosecutor commended the Rutherford police for their efforts and professionalism in response to this tragic event," he added.

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Actor Geno Silva, best known for his role in the 1983 crime drama Scarface, has died. He was 72. Silva passed away on May 9 at his home here of complications from frontotemporal degeneration, a form of dementia. His family shared the news of his demise, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

During his four-decade career, Silva also featured in Luis Valdezs Zoot Suit (1981), Robert Townes Tequila Sunrise (1988), Steven Spielbergs Amistad and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (both released in 1997), David Lynchs Mulholland Drive (2001) and F. Gary Grays A Man Apart (2003).

Also read | Neelima Azeem on divorce from Pankaj Kapur when Shahid Kapoor was 3.5 years old: I didnt decide to separate, he moved on

On television, he appeared in episodes of Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Walker, Texas Ranger, Star Trek: Enterprise and Alias.

Silva is still most remembered for playing the silent assassin The Skull, who murders Al Pacinos Tony Montana in Scarface. He is survived by his wife, Pamela, their daughter, Lucia, as well as two grandchildren and his sister.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Washington, May 18 : Steve Linick, the ousted Inspector General (IG) for the US State Department, was looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had asked a staffer to run personal errands for him, media reports said.

In a report on Sunday, NBC News, citing two congressional officials, said that Linick, who was fired by President Donald Trump on May 15, was investigating whether Pompeo "made a staffer walk his dog, pick up his dry cleaning and make dinner reservations" for him and his wife, reports Xinhua news agency.

The officials said they are working to learn whether Linick may have had other ongoing investigations into Pompeo, according to NBC News.

CNN and The New York Times also reported the allegations on Sunday.

Trump said he's firing Linick because he hasn't had the fullest confidence in the official, who began his tenure as the State Department's watchdog in 2013.

A White House official reportedly said Pompeo recommended the move and Trump agreed.

The decision has triggered an inquiry from Democrats and scrutiny even from several Republicans.

Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who co-authored a law asking the President to notify Congress 30 days prior to the removal of an inspector general along with the reasons for the move, tweeted on May 16 that the White House has not provided the kind of justification for the firing of Linick required by the law.

"I have long been a strong advocate for the Inspectors General," she said.

"They are vital partners in Congress's effort to identify inefficient or ineffective government programs and to root out fraud and other wrongdoing." As Inspector General, Linick was responsible for, among other things, conducting administrative and criminal investigations of waste, fraud, mismanagement, and misconduct in the State Department.

He was appointed to the role in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama.
Attorney General William Barr said Monday he does not expect that the review of the origins of the Russia probe, being conducted by U.S. Attorney John Durham, will lead to a criminal investigation of either former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump told reporters later Monday he was "surprised."

I think Obama and Biden knew about it. They were participants, but, so I'm a little surprised by that statement, Trump told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, saying he would need to take a closer look at Barrs remarks, which he said he just recently learned about.

PHOTO:President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response, in the State Dining Room of the White House, May 18, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Asked if he will be disappointed if there is no criminal investigation into his political rivals, the president wouldnt say, but said he has no doubt of their involvement in the origins of the Russia probe.

I dont know about being disappointed or not, Trump said. But I have no doubt that they were involved in this hoax. One of the worst things ever to befall this country, in terms of political scandal. I have absolutely no doubt that Obama and Biden were involved and, as to whether or not it was criminal, I would think it would be very serious. Very, very serious. It was a takedown of a president, regardless of me -- It happened to be me. And in my opinion, it was an illegal takedown.

Trump called the move a "double standard."

If it was me, I guarantee that theyd be going after me. In his case, theyre not so -- I think it's just a continuation of a double standard. I'm surprised by it, Trump said.

Even as the president leveled serious accusations without evidence that his predecessor was involved in illegal activity to take down his presidency, he said he will stay out of the matter and leave it to his honorable attorney general."

I've decided to stay out of it, Trump said. I will say this: we have an honorable attorney general. He's going to do an honorable job. He's a very honorable man and he's going to do a very honorable job.

Story continues

PHOTO: Attorney General William Barr speaks at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., May 18, 2020. (ABC News)

Barr's comment came at an earlier "virtual news conference" from the Justice Department.

As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mister Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Barr said.

Barr said there have been increasing attempts to use the criminal justice system as a political weapon, and that what happened to President Trump was abhorrent and grave injustice as law enforcement was used to advance what he called a false and utterly baseless Russia collusion narrative.

FBI finds al-Qaeda link to Pensacola naval base shooting suspect: AG Barr

The proper investigative and prosecutorial standards of the Department of Justice were abused, in my view, in order to reach a particular result, Barr said.

But Barr emphasized that abuses of power were not necessarily criminal offense.

He pledged that the criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends.

Trump has been promoting the idea that Obama and Biden committed crimes.

PHOTO: Attorney General William Barr speaks at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., May 18, 2020. (ABC News)

Without presenting any evidence, Trump claimed in a Fox Business News interview, this was all Obama, this was all Biden. These people were corrupt, the whole thing was corrupt, and we caught them.

At a May 11 press conference, Trump was asked about tweets that appeared to accuse President Obama of the greatest political crime in history. Trump responded by using the term Obamagate, saying that it had been going on for a long time, but was unable to explain what crime he was alleging had been committed.

PHOTO: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk through the the Capitol for Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, in Washington, Jan. 20, 2017. (Pool via Getty Images, FILE)

Last weeks declassification of the list of Obama administration and career government officials that requested the unmasking of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn stoked Republican claims that former Vice President Biden was involved in an abuse of power.

Bidens name appeared on the list as the last of 48 requests by 16 people was the last of 48 requests for the unmasking that would have revealed Flynns name to those officials. According to a National Security Agency memo accompanying the declassified list, the unmasking was authorized and occurred through the NSAs standard process, which includes a review of the justification for the request.

Barr blasts Trump's tweets on Stone case: 'Impossible for me to do my job': ABC News Exclusive

A leak of Flynns unmasked name would potentially be illegal and it's unclear whether the Justice Department has identified or will charge anyone for such a disclosure.

As Durham continues his review, Barr said that some aspects of the matter are being investigated as potential crimes. He was not more specific, but suggested the focus has been on the actions of current and former FBI officials and Barr has been reviewing the involvement of U.S. intelligence agencies in the origins of the Russia probe.

Trump 'surprised' by Barr saying he doesn't expect criminal investigation of Obama and Biden originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
SLT Group 1Q 2020 operating profits rise by 28% View(s):

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC Group operating profit for the quarter to end-March 2020 was reported at Rs.3.2 billion, an improvement of 28.6 per cent compared same period in the previous year.

Total revenue for the quarter was Rs.22.1 billion, a 3.8 per cent increase compared to Rs. 21.3 billion during the same period in 2019.

In a media release on Friday, the company said group net profit fell by 14.6 per cent to Rs.1.9 billion when compared with the previous end March 2019 quarter. This, it said, was due to provisioning for overdue debtors, exchange loss and increase in financial cost.

During the period under reference, SLT paid out a total of Rs.4.4 billion as direct and indirect taxes and levies to the Government. Stringent measures were taken to manage operational cost and investments in capital expenditure, which resulted in cost savings of 5 per cent for the quarter amounting to Rs.704 million.

Due to the depreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee arising from the coronavirus crisis, the total forex loss for the group was Rs.683 million compared to a gain of Rs.172 million for the same period in 2019.

Commenting on the results, Rohan Fernando, the Group Chairman, stated, Im proud of the management team and staff for their dedication and commitment in proving an uninterrupted service to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, while recognising the national responsibility of the group. The group offered free unlimited data and several other offers by both SLT and Mobitel, making the connections among family, friends and relatives easier. By now, we are fully prepared and equipped not only to survive amidst the pandemic, but also to reap the emerging opportunities with novel digital products and services.
The implementation of the Minsk deal in the Russian interpretation is a disaster for the Ukrainian people and for the Ukrainian state, former Ukrainian Prime Minister and founder of the Open Ukraine Foundation Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said.

"Under current circumstances, I strongly believe that the Minsk deal is not even the deal with the way to nowhere, this is the deal with the clear-cut way directly into the Russian trap," he said during the Kyiv Security Forum online discussion on May 15.

Yatsenyuk emphasized that it is unacceptable that Russia is trying to force Ukraine "to legitimize Russia's proxies with these so-called "local elections" and these weird workshops of different representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk."

"The Russian idea is to dismantle Ukraine as an independent state. So I strongly believe that in current circumstances the implementation of the Minsk deal in the Russian interpretation is a disaster for the Ukrainian people and for the Ukrainian state," he stressed.

Yatsenyuk underlined that the best response is "to have one united position, to be on the same page with the European Union": "We need the strong EU leadership and the leadership of the United States."

"Putin has to realize that he cannot solve his problems at the price of Ukraine. He has to realize that an appeasement policy, which showed its ineffectiveness in the previous century, will not be applied to Putin in current circumstances," Yatsenyuk said.

"Putin wants to be a focal point of all the dictators in Europe. We need to stop them and we need to defend Ukraine as one of the key defenders of democracy in Europe. We showed it, we proved it, so lets do it together," he said.

He underlined that he "feels a certain vacuum of power in the contemporary world": "Nature abhors the vacuum. Dictators abhor the weak democracies. And that's what we have right now."

"Democracy has to produce strong leadership in order to defend itself and to deter dictators. Dictators are feeling quite good right now. For example, President Putin," Yatsenyuk said.

Yatsenyuk recalled that 13 years ago he as a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine had a meeting with then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He noted that during this meeting he said: "Ukraine is encircled with the Russian military and Russian forces. Look at Belarus, look at Russia, look at what is happening in Crimea, look at what is going on in Transnistria. We are under Russia's siege." And seven years later Russia illegally annexed Crimea and sent its troops to Donetsk and Luhansk.

"Ukraine deterred Russian aggression. No doubt we did it with the support of our Western allies and the free world. But Ukraine is still under the Russian siege and the threat of large-scale Russian aggression. So we defended our homeland and we defended your independence and your democracy," he emphasized.

"We need strong American leadership. And we need strong both the United States and the European Union. Transatlantic unity is the best recipe on how to stop and how to deter dictators like President Putin," Yatsenyuk said.

op
The very severe cyclonic storm Amphan over central parts of south Bay of Bengal intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday morning.

It is expected to further intensify into a super cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 230 kmph to 240 kmph, gusting to 265 kmph during the next 12 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday morning.

The super cyclonic storm is, however, likely to weaken marginally in strength when it crosses the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh during the afternoon or evening on May 20. By then, it is expected to be a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum wind speeds of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph.

We are expecting Amphan to cross the coasts as a very severe cyclonic storm. Preparatory measures for damage control are being taken by both West Bengal and Odisha, said IMD director General M Mohapatra.

Large-scale damage is expected in West Bengal and Odisha, according to IMDs latest bulletin. There will be extensive damage to kutcha and even old or damaged pukka constructions, uprooting of communications and power poles, disruption of rail and road links, extensive damage to crops and plantations, and large boats and ships can get torn from their moorings.

This is the first super cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 super cyclone that hit the Odisha coast and killed more than 9,000 people.

There was a super cyclone in the Arabian Sea last year called Kyarr, which formed in October and was concentrated in the ocean. There were no fatalities from Kyarr. The last extremely severe cyclone to hit land was Fani, which hit Odisha in May 2019.

Sanjib Banerjee, deputy director general of IMDs Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, said: Even though Amphan is likely to intensify into a super cyclone over the sea, it will then start to lose its steam as it approaches the coast. It will first weaken into an extremely severe cyclone and then further de-intensify into a very severe cyclone before hitting the land.

Tuhin Ghosh, director of the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University, said: The damage that Amphan can inflict will depend much on the direction in which it travels and the timing of the landfall. If it hits in a south to north direction and there is high tide at that time, the damage could be more. Thats what happened when cyclone Aila hit Sagar Island in May 2009. But if it travels in an oblique direction and there is low tide, then the damage could be less, as was seen in November 2016 when Bulbul hit the Bengal coast.

Authorities and people are faced with a unique situation where evacuation has to be quick and effective in the face of a deadly storm, but at the same time social distancing has to be maintained and first line responders protected.

Amphan will be a test case on how to handle natural disasters during the Coronavirus pandemic. As the monsoon is set to advance, more exigencies are expected such as urban flooding, landslides and more cyclones. This would mean the need for more rescue shelters and sanitary facilities for them.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has shared an advisory with all cyclone-prone states on disaster preparedness during the Covid-19 crisis.

We have underlined that first-line responders like police, state disaster response forces, and all volunteers engaged in relief work will have to be provided with PPE kits and N95 masks. Cyclone-prone states like Odisha have a lot of multi-purpose cyclone shelters. But now we can use them to only one-third capacity because social distancing needs to be maintained. So, states have been asked to identify new shelters and buildings, Pavan Kumar Singh, joint advisor for NDMA, said on Sunday.
Houston Methodist West Hospital has resumed all regular services, including services deemed elective through Gov. Greg Abbotts March 22 executive order. The hospital, located at 18400 Katy Freeway, typically offers a full spectrum of medical services.

Abbotts order, however, closed many of the hospitals programs and treatments.

After Abbotts May 1 revision of COVID-19 protocols, hospitals and clinics were once again able to open at full service. Houston Methodist Wests administrators chose to reopen the hospital in stages, allowing for added safety and reduced risk of infection.

According to Sarah Lam, senior marketing and communications specialist for Houston Methodist West, the hospital has reopened all standard services including diagnostic imaging, physical therapy and procedural and surgical appointments that had previously been restricted due to coronavirus-related guidelines.

While the hospital remained open for critical procedures and surgeries, all procedures that could be postponed, including some cancer surgeries, were shuttered.

Pausing our services was a necessary step in preparing to treat COVID-19 cases in our community, said Wayne Voss, CEO of Houston Methodist West Hospital. With proper planning, we were able to implement safety procedures that protected our patients and employees.

According to Voss, hospital administrators now feel that the hospital is prepared for a full reopening.

Now that the number of COVID-19 cases has stabilized in Harris County, we can begin to reopen various services to our patients and begin performing procedures that were delayed out of an abundance of caution, he said.

The hospital has fully reopened, but administrators have integrated new health protocols for the safety of patients and providers.

All patients will be screened upon arrival. Hospital staff will check temperatures and conduct a basic health and exposure questionnaire. Patients and staff will be given additional appropriate personal protective equipment in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

All patients and employees will be required to wear a mask, and the hospital will limit the number of people allowed to accompany a patient.

The hospital is also implementing additional sanitation processes to disinfect all equipment and surfaces.

In an effort to minimize contact with others, Houston Methodist West has also integrated virtual waiting rooms and staggered appointment times.

The staff at Houston Methodist West has gone above and beyond to demonstrate their full commitment as caregivers to the community, Voss said. The use of their skills, expertise and positive attitude made all the difference as we worked to meet the challenges of COVID-19. Thanks to these efforts, and the communitys commitment to social distancing requirements, we are ready to see patients with other health care needs.

claire.goodman@chron.com
New Delhi, May 18 : Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Monday blamed the BJP for the plight of the migrants and called the party "anti-poor" and "pro-rich".

Speaking to the media, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP is blind towards the massive exodus of poor migrant labourers which is happening all across India.

"Today's situation has exposed the BJP and now it has become clear that they are anti-poor and pro-rich party. These poor migrant labourers are grieving from trauma, hunger, poverty and unemployment." Singh said the migrants are walking thousands of miles every day to reach their homes, they are dying in road accidents and some are killed by train.

"We have seen how these poor people are carrying their tired children. BJP is not at all looking at this crisis. BJP does not care about labourers, farmers, poor and marginalised people." Singh also said that right now the biggest issue is the exodus of poor migrant labourers. The only way to solve this issue is by running more trains.

"Indian Railways can carry 2,30,00,000 people per day. But the BJP government is not at all serious about the issue. Sometimes they say they are running 100 trains and sometimes they say they are running 15 trains. The BJP government can provide luxury flights for the people who were stuck in other countries but they cannot arrange trains or buses for these poor people?" Singh said the country has witnessed violence against poor people in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

"All these states are run by BJP and they are only torturing these poor migrant labourers. We expected a proper vision of the Centre on the issue of migrants but the government has not kept any concrete vision in front of us." Singh said while the protection protocols should be in place, but the lockdown cannot continue indefinitely as economic activities should start at some point.

"I believe that we have to continue social distancing, wearing masks and sanitisation protocols for some time. If the economic activities do not begin then more people will die due to hunger than COVID-19." Due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown, thousands of migrants were stuck in the national capital and other parts of the country.

The 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed from March 25 was to end on April 14. However, it was extended to May 3 and then to May 17. Now it will continue till May 31. Migrant workers have started returning to their native villages and hometowns on foot or in overcrowded vehicles, resulting in deaths and fatal accidents. The Centre is running 'Shramik Special trains' from earlier this month and has ferried over 15 lakh stranded migrant workers in 1,074 such trains till Saturday.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Distillery-developed hand sanitizer is leaving a New Mexico warehouse as quickly as it disappeared from grocery stores after Sandia National Laboratories helped confirm the product meets all federal requirements for distribution.

In response to the severe, widespread shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wayward Sons Craft-Distillery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, reconfigured its operations to produce a hand sanitizer they named Elbow Bump, and worked with Sandia to test and confirm that it meets standards set by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"They needed someone with a technical background to help them figure out how to make this product and test its effectiveness," said Sandia chemist Jessica Kruichak, who worked with the company. "Because there has been a shortage, it's humbling that I was able to help them with that."

Sandia worked with Wayward Sons through the New Mexico Small Businesses Assistance program that pairs Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory with small businesses facing technical challenges. The program provides access to the labs' expertise and capabilities at no cost to the company.

Kruichak and Sandia analytical chemist Curtis Mowry provided technical consulting and resources to help the company determine correct quantities of materials for the hand sanitizer and whether manufacturing of the product could be scaled up while maintaining its effectiveness.

Even though the WHO and the FDA distributed guidelines for making the sanitizer, Kruichak said producing it wasn't a simple, straightforward process. She, Mowry and Wayward Sons co-owner Byron Rudolph researched materials and differing alcohol proofs to make sure the combination would work. Kruichak said she also studied how to denature alcohol, which involves adding one or more chemicals that make it unfit for human consumption. Kruichak said the guidelines also presented the hand sanitizer recipe in volume measurements, but Wayward Son's commercial scales measure by mass.

"When you go from volume to mass, it changes things. You have to look at density, the proof of the alcohol, initial ingredient percentages and avoid diluting it too much," Kruichak said. "Even with the guidance, it's not as easy to make hand sanitizer as you might think."

In doing research on how to make the product, Rudolph talked to other distilleries that used different tools.

"It was a matter of deciding what tools work best for Wayward Sons, and the ability to test the product helped us make that decision," Kruichak said.

In addition to research and testing, Mowry said another challenge was the turnaround time because product demand was already high. He provided lab time and expertise by conducting gas chromatography on the materials. That process involves vaporizing a small sample in an instrument that separates and measures each ingredient. This was important in making sure the final product had the right percentages of alcohol to kill the virus, Kruichak said.

"Having the quality-control testing and analysis was phenomenal," Rudolph said. "We appreciated having minds and equipment that could help make sure everything was going the way it was supposed to."

Rudolph said the distillery already had the equipment to make Elbow Bump; the same pumps, hoses and tanks are used to make the company's craft coffee spirits. Wayward Sons co-owner Tom Wolinski said hand sanitizer production not only benefits the public, it also helps provide work hours for office and delivery staff that package and distribute the distillery products.

"When bars and liquor stores shut down, most deliveries weren't taking place," Wolinski said. "Not only has the whole process been truly inspiring, it also enabled our company to provide many extra hours to the warehouse and delivery personnel as they have stepped in for bottling and packaging. Without the hand sanitizer, that wouldn't be happening."

Substantial donations of Elbow Bump have already been made to food banks, shelters and medical organizations, and more are planned, Rudolph said.

"It's very rewarding to feel that we have the ability to contribute in some way to the medical front liners and consumers who can't get hand sanitizer," he said.

Sales have exceeded the distillery's expectations, Wolinski said, with stores in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Texas and Missouri placing orders.

"Every market able to purchase seems to be doing so," Wolinski said.

Jackie Kerby Moore, manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia, said it has been gratifying to see the NMSBA program address issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are proud that Sandia helped a local company create a new product line and retain employees," she said.

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The University of Alabama has hired a dean from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy to serve as the next executive vice president and provost. He will begin work on the Tuscaloosa-based campus on August 1 following the approval of the UA System Board of Trustees.

James T. Dalton, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, will replace Kevin Whitaker, who served as executive vice president and provost since January 2017. Whitaker has been with UA for 30 years.

University of Alabama system planning to reopen for fall: We fully expect to have on-campus instruction

Im thrilled to join The University of Alabama and look forward to working with President [Stuart] Bell and the leadership team, faculty, staff, students and alumni, said Dalton in a release from the university.

Dalton earned his bachelors degree in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati and his doctorate from Ohio State. He spent time working at the University of Tennessee, returned to Ohio State and moved to Michigan in 2014. During his time at Michigan, according to UA, Dalton doubled the College of Pharmacys research expenditures.

Dr. Dalton brings tremendous depth of knowledge and qualifications to this role, said Bell. He garnered support from many because of his experience at leading public research universities, his stellar academic credentials and his entrepreneurial expertise. His passion for teaching and student success align with our Universitys values. He was selected from an impressively strong pool of candidates, and we are honored to have him join The University of Alabama leadership team.

University of Alabama system suffers millions in losses, considering pay cuts and furloughs

UAB cuts pay, adds furloughs to battle shortfall topping $230 million
Over the last month the Gas2Grid Limited (ASX:GGX) has been much stronger than before, rebounding by 100%. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last half decade have been disappointing. In fact, the share price has declined rather badly, down some 67% in that time. Some might say the recent bounce is to be expected after such a bad drop. Of course, this could be the start of a turnaround.

View our latest analysis for Gas2Grid

With just AU$1,228 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers Gas2Grid to have proven its business plan. You have to wonder why venture capitalists aren't funding it. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). It seems likely some shareholders believe that Gas2Grid will discover or develop fossil fuel before too long.

We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Some Gas2Grid investors have already had a taste of the bitterness stocks like this can leave in the mouth.

Gas2Grid had liabilities exceeding cash by AU$11m when it last reported in December 2019, according to our data. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. But with the share price diving 20% per year, over 5 years , it's probably fair to say that some shareholders no longer believe the company will succeed. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Gas2Grid's cash levels have changed over time.

ASX:GGX Historical Debt May 18th 2020

In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. What if insiders are ditching the stock hand over fist? I would feel more nervous about the company if that were so. It only takes a moment for you to check whether we have identified any insider sales recently.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Gas2Grid shareholders are down 33% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 12%. 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 20% 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Take risks, for example - Gas2Grid has 6 warning signs (and 3 which are a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

Of course Gas2Grid 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 AU exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
TNA leader Sampanthan defends party spokesman, says interviewhad ulterior motives

China and US hail Presidents handling of COVID-19 pandemic; Govt. focuses more attention now on economic recovery

General Election likely to be held on July 18; five-judge SC bench hears petitions while CC chairman defends conduct of polls chief

Just two weeks after its meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is embroiled in a crisis over Abraham Sumanthiran, widely viewed in some quarters as a leader-in-waiting.

It is over his remarks during a video interview with a Sinhala social media outlet that he does not accept the policies of late Tiger guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran or endorse his armed struggle for a separate state of Eelam. He said he abhorred anthavaadaya or extremism.

It could not have come at a worst time than now for Sumanthiran. On May 19, the government marks the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas. Just over a year ago, he complained to the Police that there was an attempt to kill him. His security was enhanced and the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) investigated the matter.

Four former TNA parliamentarians  Charles Nirmalanathan (Wanni), S. Sivamohan (Wanni), Easwaran Saravanapavan (Jaffna) and Mavai Senathirajah wrote a letter to their leader, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, protesting against the remarks. Their view is that Prabhakaran had made a great sacrifice to win the rights of the Tamil people and Tamil youth had laid down their lives. They said Sampanthan should take whatever action he deems necessary.

Sivamohan told the Sunday Times, since we wrote, Mavai Senathirajah spoke on the telephone to Sumanthiran. He has explained that the remarks were made in his personal capacity. However, in the near 22-minute interview, Sumanthiran does not say so. He answered a variety of questions and continued to acknowledge the key role he played in the TNA. He refused to admit that he was the de facto leader. He said the leader was Sampanthan who contacted him on all matters related to the alliance before taking decisions. He said he accepted the Sri Lanka national flag and the national anthem. Even recently, he hoisted the Lion flag at a ceremony in Jaffna and was all for the unitary status of the country. However, he admitted that the TNA wanted a federal system and cited the United States of America and Australia among countries where such structures existed.

Nirmalanathan wrote a separate letter to Sampanthan asking that Sumanthiran be removed from the post of TNA spokesperson. He said, Sumanthiran has been expressing views opposing the ultimate sacrifice made by the LTTE for the sole purpose of the liberation of the Tamil people in the recent past. You might be aware that I raised this issue at TNA Parliamentary Group meetings as well. I even requested not to allow him to comment on this topic. However, he made a similar comment to Sinhala media on May 8.

Since he is the spokesperson of the TNA, the Tamil people are very much angry at his comments even though it could be considered as his opinion. I also vehemently condemn his comment.

Sumanthiran should stop expressing critical views against the LTTE or he should be removed from the post of party spokesperson and be replaced by someone. I cordially request you to call for the Central Committee meeting of ITAK (Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi, the key partner in the TNA) immediately to take a decision in this regard.

How much Sumanthiran, a lawyer, will be able to convince Tamil voters that his remarks were personal views, is questionable. It has already raised a storm of protests in the north. TNA parliamentarians were receiving calls by hardline elements protesting over Sumanthirans remarks with claims by sections that he was trying to cut a deal with the ruling alliance. There was, however, no such move. The furthest is that he has moved away from his former Yahapalana partners and ambitiously leaned on the government. In a lamppost outside an Ice Cream Parlour near the venerated high-walled Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna, protestors had hung an effigy of Sumanthiran.

An Intelligence source said that when the Tiger guerrillas dominated the ground in the north during the separatist war, a close relative of Sumanthiran had been tied to the same lamppost and assaulted for being critical of them. Another effigy was found on the ground in Chemmanai. Who was responsible for them is not known, not even to the Police. However, the two instances clearly show that there remains a deep-rooted affinity in the minds of some of the people towards the former Tiger guerrillas. That is understandable even if those in the south abhorred it. Most of them have lost a brother, sister or a relative to the movement and still regard them as martyrs. That is not all. In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a film producer also had an effigy of Sumanthiran tied to a post. The man had come to Jaffna last year and taken part in ceremonies in the University there on Maveerar or Great Heroes day on November 27. Photographs of this effigy have been widely distributed in the social media. A red shirt on the effigy carried a label which said, Traitor of Tamils.

Making matters worse for Sumanthiran in so far as his impression with northern voters was a meeting he held with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last Wednesday (May 13). It was to be slotted originally for Tuesday, but two TNA former MPs had raised issue with those at the Premiers Office. They were Selvam Adaikalanathan who had travelled from Mannar to Jaffna to discuss matters with Dharmalingam Siddharathan. The duo had claimed that he alone cannot represent the TNA and the meeting should therefore be disallowed. Later, the matter has been resolved with other TNA leaders agreeing that Sumanthiran could go for the meeting since he was in Colombo.

By then, Minister Douglas Devananda, had become aware that Sumanthiran had sought a meeting with Premier Rajapaksa. He won an appointment at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Together with a group of his Central Committee members, Devananda discussed a number of issues. This included the release of more private land to their owners in the Jaffna peninsula, the release of LTTE suspects and the conversion of the Oluvil Port in the east as a fisheries harbour. He said with the port not fully operational, sand bars were forming. From the meeting, Premier Rajapaksa telephoned his Secretary Gamini Senarath and asked him to formulate a Cabinet Paper for this purpose.

It was 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday when Sumanthiran had a one-on-one meeting with Premier Rajapaksa at the latters Wijerama official residence. He had brought along with him a list of Tiger guerrilla suspects who have remained in custody for more than twenty years. This is a sequel to this issue being raised at Premier Rajapaksas May 3 meeting with former MPs. Rajapaksa said he would place the matter before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa whose task it was to take a decision on the matter. The government is not averse to releasing at least some of the cadres after a whetting process. The Premier also told him that he wished to have a meeting with women who have been widowed by the separatist war when he visits Jaffna soon.

Sumanthiran also discussed matters relating to a new Constitution. He opined that the issue was whether the country should have a presidential system or revert to the parliamentary form of government. He said he preferred the latter. Rajapaksa explained that it would depend on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who had won the peoples mandate at the November presidential election. He said he would brief the President on the issues discussed.

It is noteworthy that Sumanthiran should now talk of a return to a parliamentary system of governance. Under the previous yahapalana (or good governance) government led by the United National Party (UNP), Sumanthiran was a principal architect when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was in the making. Together with Jayampathy Wickremeratne, an appointed MP, they were responsible for drafting many a provision with the acquiescence of the UNP. That is not all. At his, and Sampanthans behest, the TNA supported legislation under the previous regime to put off elections to Provincial Councils (PC). It was paradoxical from a party that had demanded more devolution of power to make the PCs stronger. Even today, not one PC is functioning.

Sumanthirans remarks, which he has now claimed are personal, will nevertheless impact on the voters at the impending parliamentary elections. He won 58,043 votes at the August 2015 parliamentary elections. In a bid to do some damage control, Sumanthiran has now told Tamil social media that he did not criticised the Tiger guerrillas or Velupillai Prabhakaran. However, the recorded video interview in Sinhala, has gone viral. Criticism against him in the Tamil social media has been on the increase. There is little doubt it will place him on a confrontation course with the Tamil diaspora. Sections of them are demanding a public apology that should also endorse the contribution or sacrifices the guerrillas and their leader have made for Tamils.

On Friday, TNA leader Sampanthan issued a statement defending Sumanthiran and explaining the struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to win Tamil demands. He said the interviewer had asked questions with ulterior motives. Claiming motives when things go wholly wrong is one thing. However, the man who is expected to answer them is no ordinary person. He is a seasoned lawyer and politician. Thus, an attempt to place the blame on the interviewer is transparently flawed and the ploy to place Sumanthiran in good light with bad interpretations is showing. It would have been far better to admit the truth.

And then he says, Sumanthiran was both frank and forthright. Does that mean he accepts whatever he said and later retracted? If as Sampanthan, the senior and largely respected politician that he is, claims the interview was with ulterior motives, why did Sumanthiran give one? Perhaps he could argue that Sumanthiran did not know the motives of the interviewer. Sumanthiran, however, takes up an entirely different position now. He says he did not criticise the LTTE or its leader. Not only people in the north, but throughout Sri Lanka people would not believe in Sampanthans utterances. It is a case of doing more damage to a bad situation. Obviously, a case of having ones cake and eating it. He wants Sumanthiran in the TNA and he wants the support of the others too. Sampanthan is viewed as an older generation Tamil who has stood for their cause but remained an honest politician liked by many Sinhala leaders. This is all the more reason why he should have faced the truth and not gone around the mulberry bush. Here are significant highlights of his lengthy statement which contains many repetitive paragraphs:

Mr. Sumanthiran has been frank and forthright in his answers to questions that have been asked with the deliberate purpose of promoting mischief and disunity amongst the people of this country particularly amongst the Tamil people with the ulterior purpose of sabotaging efforts to find a resolution to the National Question within the framework of a single united undivided and indivisible Sri Lanka. Over the past 30 years after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement and the enactment of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution much work has been done by successive Presidents and Governments.

The questions posed to Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran are intended to promote confusion amongst all people, both the Sinhala and Tamil people. The purpose of this interview is to disturb the ongoing process amongst all people both Sinhalese and Tamils. The people should not get confused and misled by such mischievous endeavours.

During the history of a long political struggle for equality and justice such as the Tamil political struggle which commenced in 1949 and has lasted over 70 years various events have taken place. The Tamil struggle when it commenced was democratic, peaceful, and non-violent. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commenced their armed struggle in the late 70s and early 80s, after a period of 30 years since the commencement of the democratic peaceful and nonviolent Tamil struggle.

If there had been a reasonable resolution to the Tamil Question in the first three decades, the LTTE would never have emerged on the scene. It was the failure of the majority leadership to implement pacts and agreements Mr. Sumanthiran has been frank and forthright in his answers to questions that have been asked.

I would like to communicate to the Tamil people of the Northern and Eastern Provinces that our strength to achieve a reasonable and acceptable resolution lies in your being united behind such a position rather than giving expression to contradictory views on issues that are perhaps not strictly related at present to the resolution of the National Question.

The Tamil people have suffered immensely in several ways during the past several decades. The Tamil people were subjected to racial pogroms even before the emergence of the LTTE. A very substantial number of Tamil people have fled the country. Tamil people will inevitably remember with pain what happened to them, but this should not confuse their thinking in relation to the main issue.

Though the Sumanthiran saga will not impact heavily on the outcome of the parliamentary polls in the north or the east, it is sure to tell on his own candidature. One is not wrong in saying that Sampanthans statement has not made a rational case for his young colleague and perhaps the one groomed for leadership. The word has spread far and wide in the Tamil diaspora and the whisper campaign against him in the north and east has not been salutary. Thus, what his chances are at the parliamentary elections will no doubt be a critical question.

June 20 election likely to be put off

There are strong prospects that the elections scheduled for June 20 will be put off again. It is likely to be held on July 18 if no unexpected developments take place, especially on the COVID-19 front. This is particularly in the light of the pending fundamental rights applications before the Supreme Court. Seven such petitions challenging the conduct of parliamentary elections on June 20 and eight intervening petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court. The petitions have been filed by Attorney Charitha Gunaratne, Journalist Victor Ivan and seven others, Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, and former ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka and Kumara Welgama, the Samagi Jana Balavegaya, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the All Ceylon Makkal Katchi (ACMC). They have all challenged the decision by the Election Commission to fix elections on June 20 amidst what they call the spread of COVID-19.

A five-judge-bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Sisira de Abrew, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena and Justice Vijith Malalgoda has been named to hear the petitions, which will be supported on May 18 and 19.

Among the intervenient petitioners is the Ven. Murutetuwe Ananda Thera. Another has been filed by three persons  Jeevan Thiagarajah, Asoka Nalanda Abeygunawardena and Harsha Kumara Navaratne Weraduwa. They state that

in the most categorical terms that the dissolution of Parliament by H.E. the President by the Proclamation published in the Extraordinary Government Gazette No. 2165/08 dated 02-03-2020, was strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the Law, and cannot be impugned or called in to question either directly and/or collaterally and/or indirectly as has been sought to be done by the Petitioner (the CPA), and that the Counsel appearing for the Intervenient-Petitioners shall more fully elaborate, explain, and substantiate this during the legal submissions.

They add: The Intervenient-Petitioners state that the FR Application of the Petitioner before Your Lordships Court is merely a devious and desperate bid to circumvent, and suppress the exercise of the Franchise of the People who are vested with inalienable Sovereignty, at a General Election at the earliest available opportunity, and to reconvene an expired Parliament which was lawfully, and in accordance with the constitution dissolved by the Proclamation published.

On the conduct of parliamentary elections, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya won praise from the Constitutional Council (CC) for his impartiality. It came after CC Chairman and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya raised issue over malicious campaigns by shady sections of the social media to cause divisions within the Commission with inaccurate and slanted reports. He noted that this was not in the national interest. Jayasuriya feared there could be resignations from the EC.

US, China telephone calls

With a five-judge Supreme Court bench taking up the petitions on Monday and on Tuesday, the government also lifted curbs to allow limited social activity though today (Sunday) will remain under curfew in all parts of the country.

That he handled the campaign against COVID-19 successfully won praise for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa both from China and the United States. Calling him this week was Chinese President Xi Jinping who had a discussion not only on how the deadly virus was being tackled but also on a string of bi-lateral matters. Also telephoning him was US National Security Advisor, Robert OBrien. He too praised President Rajapaksa and offered US assistance where necessary. The call was confirmed by Nancy van Horn, US Embassy spokesperson. Other sources said OBrien also discussed with President Rajapaksa the US offer of a millennium grant of over US$ 450 million. The telephone call coincided with an inclusion of Rajapaksas name in the State Department register  the final procedure in relinquishing his US citizenship.

The relinquishment was in fact from April 2019 but a mention in the register is usually delayed due to procedural issues. That lays to rest claims in sections of the opposition, including court action, that he had not relinquished US citizenship at the time of his nomination for the Presidency.

The same praise was heaped by 16 Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in Sri Lanka. They said, We would like to applaud Your Excellency for the exemplary leadership you are providing in containing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. However, the envoys based in Colombo in a letter said the handling of the bodies of the Muslims who have passed away due to the COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, has come to their attention. To date all three Muslim COVID-19 victims have been cremated, they have said.

Among other matters, the letter says, Scientists, public health functionaries and medical practitioners across countries affirm that the WHO Guidelines carefully and adequately provide for individuals and communities to make a choice in respect of burial or cremation, in keeping with the persons faith. The Guidelines take the full account of public health considerations. During this pandemic, across countries, disposal of the body of a deceased is decided upon by upholding the honour and sacredness of the body and taking into account the persons faith. It is also a matter on which the public figures need to conduct with exceptional responsibility and leadership.

Decision on conduct of the final rituals of a deceased, in accordance to his/her religion, is not imposed anywhere else on the ground of varying topography or conditions of physical environment (e.g. soil, water). It may be noted that the OIC Member States represent countries with considerable diversity in respect of physical/geographic conditions/circumstances or, attributes. While Islam places overwhelming emphasis on knowledge and scientific inquiry and also accords flexibility, there is no conclusive evidence anywhere that suggests the possibility of the spread of virus through burial. We are afraid, the issue of cremation of dead bodies of Muslims in Sri Lanka could cause grievance to the Muslims of Sri Lanka and the world over.

We strongly believe that this matter must not arise as an issue and reach across Muslims elsewhere as such and dent the impeccable standing of a pluralist-inclusive-harmonious Sri Lanka. We candidly view that this is a matter that can and needs to be addressed forthright through frank consultation with the Muslims of Sri Lanka, under the leadership of Your Excellency and Hon. Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The signatories to the letter are: Al Sheikh Jumah Hamdan Hassan Al Shehhi (Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman), Dr Zuhair M.H. Dar Zaid (Ambassador of the State of Palestine), Khalaf M.M. Bu Dhhair (Ambassador for the State of Kuwait), Riaz Hamidullah (High Commissioner, Peoples Republic of Bandladesh), I. Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa (Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia), Hussein El Saharty (Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt), Ahmed Ali al Mualla (Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates), Abdulnaser H.O. Al Harthi (Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Omar Abdul Razak (High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives), Ashraf Haidari (Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan), Ms. R. Demet Sekercloglu (Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey), Major General Muhammed Saad Khattak (High commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan), Nasser Y.M. Al Furjani (Charge df Affairs of the State of Libya), Kutaiba Sobhe Ahmed Alkero (Charge d Affairs of the Republic of Iraq and Ayoub Heydara (Charge d Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran).

Battle on the economic front

With the easing of social restrictions, the governments attention was focused also on the economic front. Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Finance, has set up a committee to examine requests for import of goods that are not essential. Led by Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, a committee has been named to examine import requests on a priority basis. All imports, except non-essential goods, have now been banned. Importers have also been advised to, as far as possible, obtain suppliers credit for at least six months. A decision also awaits on the import cement.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also chaired a meeting of heads of banking institutions on Thursday. It was also attended by Premier Rajapaksa. The subject of loans, some on very concessionary terms to the private sector, was discussed. Premier Rajapaksa said that such loans should be granted without any further delay. Some banks came in for criticism on the grounds that they were delaying loans despite government recommendations.

The number of persons confirmed affected by COVID-19 on Friday stood at 925. A total of 489 are Sri Lanka Navy personnel. Health authorities have so far conducted 41,118 PCR tests.

Though there is a hike in numbers, the government is confident the spread of the virus has been contained with no clusters other than the one at the Sri Lanka Navy. However, it wants to ensure that the guidelines to the public are strictly enforced so it could bring the toll down.

Thus, a new phase has begun. On the one hand, the battle against COVID-19 continues whilst the Government is taking more time to focus on economic issues.
T he FTSE-100 Index today surged more than 2% as figures from Ryanair and Japanese economic data took centre stage.

The index jumped 127.81 points to 5927.39, starting the week on a positive note amid strong gains from giants such as GSK, which had good news on an HIV breakthrough medicine.

Ryanair has been one of the most aggressive airlines in saying it will get its planes flying again and today predicted it would lose e200 million, blaming reduced passenger numbers and the ability of airlines such as Lufthansa to offer cut-price deals when they reopen due to receiving state aid from their countries. However, the figures for last year were strong and the shares surged 4% in early trading.

British Airways owner IAG also had a 4% leap on hopes travel restrictions may not be as harsh as feared.

Data from Japan this morning showed it had moved into a recession in the first quarter of the year, contracting 3.4% on an annualised basis with the final quarter of the 2019 plunging 7.3%. It's a sign of how low we've sunk that those numbers were actually considered better than expected, so Asian markets actually gained, giving positive guidance for European markets.

Weekend reports that the EU and UK were working towards a Brexit hard stop at the end of December may take the shine off some the FTSE-100's gains as the week progresses, although covid remains by far the biggest impact on sentiment.

Great news from drugs giant GSK on its HIV trial of a long-acting injection to prevent men getting the disease should push shares in the group higher when the market opens. Tests for cabotegravir went so well that the trial has been stopped early. Shares jumped 1.5%.

Intu shareholders have already all but given up the ghost for their stakes in the shopping centres giant. The company which was hugely indebted going into the covid crisis is now demanding a standstill from its creditors. Expect a debt for equity swap at some stage although the company is still hoping to sell assets to raise money. Tough market to do that, though. Bombed-out Intu gained 5% but it's still worth less than 5p a share.

BP, Shell and the other oil companies should have a solid session as the price of crude oil leaped by a dollar a barrel to nearly $34 as world economies slowly get back into gear and up demand.
Three weeks ago, Olga Gutierrez called a taxi so she could take her 11-year old son Julio to the hospital. His sore throat was unbearable and she was worried he had COVID-19.

But Julios symptoms werent enough to warrant a test, Gutierrez was told, so she brought her son back to the cramped Bridgeport house they share with 14 other relatives, including Julios sister and father. Two weeks later, an uncle living with them tested positive for the coronavirus - although he, too, was initially told he didnt meet the criteria for a test at Bridgeport Hospital.

Everyone else in the family was denied testing at the local community health center except for one aunt, who had a fever. She tested positive and has quarantined herself in one room of the small home.

Members of Julios family  all undocumented, uninsured immigrants from Honduras  have been out of work since the pandemic hit and dont know how they will pay the $2,000 bill for his emergency room visit last month  or any other medical bills associated with the virus.

Were just hoping no one else has it, Gutierrez said.

While accounts of people being denied testing due to scarcity of supplies were not uncommon at the beginning of the public health crisis, frustration is growing that Connecticut residents living in low income, predominantly minority neighborhoods continue to face larger barriers to testing and other services.

Nine weeks into the pandemic, there are only a handful of walk-up testing sites in the state, prohibiting those without cars from getting tested. Until last Friday, two-thirds of the states testing sites required a doctors note, and many of the residents living in these communities have no insurance or primary care doctor to refer them. Most of the community health centers located in these struggling neighborhoods have not been able to expand the number of COVID tests they can complete.

Kevin Hall, a resident of New Havens Whalley Avenue neighborhood who lost his job because of the pandemic, said he knows there are testing sites in the city, but they arent anywhere near his high-poverty neighborhood.

I havent actually seen any, said Hall. Government moves slower where the money is small. When the money is small, things always take longer.

People living in inner-city neighborhoods also warn that communication about the disease and how to get assistance has been confusing, that financial support for those who have lost their jobs has been sluggish, and that hunger is now a real threat for many blacks and Latinos living in poverty-stricken areas.

There is also a growing sense that, as Connecticuts focus turns to reopening the economy, pandemic-related dangers and hardships experienced by poor people of color are being overlooked or disregarded. Minority lawmakers and community activists are now pushing for a dramatic change in the states coronavirus response in their inner-city neighborhoods.

Weve heard state government talk about helping communities of color, said Jean Jordan, a retired teacher who heads the New London NAACP. But what are they doing about it? I dont see anything being done yet.

Members of the legislatures Black and Puerto Rican Caucus are growing increasingly frustrated with the states slow progress to address gaps in services and testing.

Long story short, our communities are suffering. There is a real need for the government to make this thing right, said state Rep. Brandon McGee, a Democrat from Hartford and the leader of the caucus. One major, major, major, major, major piece, is making sure we have access to testing in some of these areas.

Health equity experts and members of the caucus are calling on the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont to better research the inequalities in communities of color that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and come up with a plan to tackle the problems.

When we dont have a clear strategy that keeps equity at the center when distributing testing resources, were likely to see this kind of disproportionate access, Wizdom Powell, director of the Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health, told members of the caucus during a recent Zoom meeting, speaking of her suspicion that those who live in underserved communities are being tested less. We need to know more.

How hard is COVID-19 hitting communities of color?

Repeated calls for the state to begin tracking the racial and ethnic breakdown of the virus, both in terms of who is being tested and hospitalized and better tracking who is contracting the illness, have not led to any changes.

Members of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, the state chapter of the NAACP, minority residents and health equity experts are increasingly frustrated that their requests for better data collection have not materialized, stymying efforts to better understand how black and Hispanic communities are being impacted by the illness.

We have repeatedly requested that the CT Department of Public Health provide the race and ethnicity demographic data of patients tested for and affected by COVID-19, Scot Esdaile, president of the NAACP, wrote Lamont on April 15. It is critical that this information be collected in a sceintific and organized manner and reported in a transparent fashion for the purpose of addressing ongoing health inequities.

Weeks later, Department of Public Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell told lawmakers during a town hall Zoom meeting that she agrees data is needed to better understand how COVID-19 is impacting black and Hispanic residents.

I will tell you there has been many conversations with [sic] myself and my deputy and a couple of others at the department about the importance of having this racial and ethnic data breakdown. Anecdotally, we know what the story is, right? Do we really need the data to know it? But it helps support the story, she said.

But nine weeks into the public health emergency, the Lamont administration has provided no plan to better understand who is getting access to testing or being hospitalized. The data released each day by the administration shows that black and Hispanic residents are more than twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 - but one out of every three positive test results have no race or ethnicity information filled out. Connecticut has the fifth highest share of cases coming back with unknown race or ethnicity among the 39 states that report the breakdown, a review by Solutions Journalism Network shows.

In Connecticut, a large share of the unknown results are people who live in cities where the majority of residents are minorities.

Town-level data shows communities with high percentages of minorities are being hit the hardest. For example, in New Haven, where 70% of the population is minority, 129 residents out of every 10,000 has tested positive for COVID-19, compared to 42 residents in suburban Orange, where just 13% of the residents are minorities. These figures are accurate through last Wednesday and exclude nursing home residents, who have also been impacted harshly by COVID.

In New London, where 55% of the population is minority, 33 out of every 10,000 residents outside of nursing homes have COVID-19, compared to 14 out of every 10,000 residents in Waterford, where fewer that 18% of the residents are minorities.

Gov. Ned Lamont has frequently acknowledged during his daily briefings the disparate impact the virus is having on underserved communities and highlighted the efforts his administration has made to help those living in these communities. Last Thursday, for example, Lamont announced the state will no longer require a doctors order to get tested and will begin allowing pharmacists to administer tests if they can get them. He also pointed to two mobile vans, capable of testing 60 people a day, that the state Department of Public Health recently began sending to underserved communities.

The issue of the supplies really does dictate how much we can do on a daily basis. But were so committed to this initiative, said Coleman-Mitchell, during a recent interview.

But some urban activists are irate about the multiple weeks its taken state and city governments to start providing such services to low-income communities and insist the pace still isnt fast enough.

I hear promises [testing sites] are coming, said Tamara Lanier, a Norwich resident and head of the southeast Connecticut chapter of the NAACP. But theres nothing I know of right now where I can go to get tested.

We have been asking from the beginning, where are the tests? John Lugo, director of New Haven-based Unidad Latina en Accion, said. Right now, its getting better.

With testing levels still not showing a surge, state and local officials have said in recent days that some of the testing centers are underutilized.

Right now we have a little bit of extra capacity, Lamont said Monday. Look, you got a cough, you got something that makes you think twice about it, I would go get tested.

State officials were unable to provide a rundown last week of which locations have unused capacity, other than a CVS testing site in New Haven. The state is building a data portal to record testing capacity and results from hospitals, pharmacies and other test sites to ensure vulnerable populations have access to testing, officials said.

The state ranks 13th in the nation for the number of tests it has conducted on a per-capita basis, despite having the fifth-highest per-capita rate of residents testing positive for the virus, an analysis of testing data from the Covid Tracking Project and state population data from the Census show.

Meanwhile, residents and activists in many of Connecticuts minority communities say COVID-19 testing in their neighborhoods continues to be absent or inadequate. They insist they need action now rather than more promises from the Lamont administration about ramping up testing in communities of color. People in inner-city neighborhoods also warn that communication about the disease and how to get assistance has been confusing.

Rev. Carl McCluster, pastor of Bridgeports Shiloh Baptist Church, said there are no residents from poor communities of color on the governors reopening advisory committee - proof that these communities are being excluded from the decision-making process.

Look at the list and tell me who is really in touch with their community, McCluster said, pointing out that Lamonts advisory panel is dominated by current or former corporate leaders, academics and scientists - none of whom actually live in poor minority neighborhoods.

I think it took longer than it should have for state government to recognize the necessity of engaging minority communities, McCluster said. Clergy from Connecticuts cities are asking the Lamont administration to include faith-based organizations more in the states COVID-19 response in communities of color.

Turned down for testing at the hospitals

In the weeks after the novel coronavirus swept into Frog Hollow - one of the states most impoverished and segregated neighborhoods - hundreds of sick residents trying to get tested showed up at the local health center.

Some had been turned away from Hartford Hospital because they either werent sick enough to be hospitalized or they didnt have a referral from a doctor in the groups network. Others came straight to the community health center because they didnt have a car to go through the hospitals testing drive-through or lacked health insurance and didnt trust they could leave the hospital without a huge bill.

Too many people showed up.

The health center - located in a neighborhood where 10% of the residents have no health insurance and are significantly more likely to have asthma, diabetes and other chronic health problems that make them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus - had only five COVID-19 tests to administer each day. That meant one out of every three people who needed a test were turned away or given a doctors note and told to go to the drive-up testing site at the other hospital in the city. That hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, at least didnt require a referral from one of its providers.

Right now, most of our patients havent been able to get tested at the hospital. Theyve been turned away. So theyre been coming here, Nichelle Mullins, president of Charter Oak Health Center, said last week during an interview. Access to testing has been very difficult.

Some decided they couldnt wait in the long drive-up line, and so staff at Charter Oak added their names and contact information to the list of people to call when they had an extra test. The mobile van that the governor regularly touts stopped by here twice to help clear that list and has tested 59 people, of which 15 were positive.

This sluggish testing pace continued for weeks as the virus ravaged city neighborhoods. In Hartford, 107 residents have died after contracting the virus, 65 of whom were living outside of nursing homes. Just over 1,100 city residents outside of nursing homes have tested positive for COVID-19.

The stakes are high to identify who has COVID-19 in communities of color so health officials and residents can stop the spread of the virus. Minorities are less likely to have health insurance, and more likely to have respiratory illness, like asthma or other serious health conditions, that make COVID-19 more dangerous.

On Monday - seven weeks after the first Hartford resident tested positive for the coronavirus - the community health center increased its testing capacity from 5 to 60 people each day. It will still take days for people to get their results.

I think the political community took it too lightly at first, McCluster said of the need for swift action in communities of color when the pandemic hit hard. Two weeks is huge in something like this.

Coleman-Mitchell said increased testing capacity at the community health centers is a top priority, adding that the state intends to use some of the federal funds it has received to pay for expanded testing in the coming weeks.

We are committed to testing mass numbers of the underserved and those at greatest risk for COVID-19, she said.

The commissioner does not support the state establishing standards for centers to determine who gets tested.

Some advocates say such a step is necessary to remove any implicit biases that might lead to black and Hispanic residents being turned away.

If everybodys playing by the same rules, then people have a better chance, said Pat Baker, president of the Connecticut Health Foundation. Everyone would have a fair shot at it. So it does take away barriers to securing access that may be there for some populations.

But those decisions are best left to medical providers, Coleman-Mitchell explained.

Theyre more than qualified to make a clinical call as to who should get tested based on what the CDC guidance provides in terms of symptoms, and the likelihood, she said. So they are able to make that assessment and we trust that they do.

With one-third of the states low-income families having access to a vehicle, providing walk-up testing options is critical, legislators and advocates say. The state also needs a centralized repository for all its testing information, including locations, hours and rules.

I would urge the state to think about not only testing sites where people can drive, but how is it you could get to a test site on foot? Where are they? What are their hours? Baker said. I think we need a statewide messaging campaign to reach and target at-risk populations.
Gwalior : , May 18 (IANS) Five members of a family were burnt to death and three others seriously injured on Monday morning when a fire broke out in a paint shop in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, police said.

The family resided on the first floor of the building owned by Hariom Mangal in Roshnighar area in Indergunj police station jurisdiction. Three fire engines were pressed into the firefighting operation.

Gwalior Range Additional Director General of Police Raja Babu Singh said that prima facie the fire was caused by a short circuit.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Even as the country battles a massive economic slowdown and tries to emerge from the lockdown, retailers of non-essentials have started announcing pre-bookings and offers. Central, a chain of retail stores operated by the Future Group has announced pre-bookings for shopping of apparels, footwear, etc. Similarly, LG and Samsung have opened pre-bookings for their consumer electronics devices online. Along with pre-bookings, these companies are offering gifts, discounts and cashback schemes to gain the attention of customers.

Many customers may fall into such pre-booking shopping traps. To avoid getting into such a mess, you must be aware of how discounts work and also develop financial discipline in these COVID-19 times.

Decoding the shopping offers

Central has rolled out pre-booking shopping vouchers for customers. These vouchers can be purchased online from the companys website. When you purchase a voucher worth Rs 2,999 or Rs 4,999 you get to shop for stuff worth Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000, respectively. The pre-booking voucher will be sent to your registered mobile number. The voucher can be redeemed across any Central store in India after it is opened after the lockdown ends. You can redeem this voucher only to shop for apparel, footwear and handbags.

You have to shop and redeem this voucher within the first 30 days of the stores opening. Also, you can shop only from preferred store in selected area as mentioned while purchasing the voucher online. Harshvardhan Roongta, Principal Financial Planner at Roongta Securities points out, You cannot avail the additional shopping benefit if you shop between the 30th and 180th day of the stores opening. However, you can shop for the voucher amount. Roongta says, According to the terms and conditions, you cannot redeem this shopping voucher after 180 days of the stores opening. You will not get any refund.

LG and Samsung have opened pre-bookings for consumer electronic products on their websites. The deliveries will be done from the nearest authorised retailer after lockdown restrictions are lifted by the government in different parts of the country. However, the delivery of products purchased online could be delayed in case you live in containment and red zones.

Samsung is offering a discount of up to Rs 6,000 on its smartphones and up to Rs 40,000 on ultra HD smart 4K televisions of 55 inches size. The discount varies for these products. The companies are even offering cashbacks of up to 15 per cent for using specific credit or debit cards while purchasing. Additionally, Samsung is offering no-cost EMIs with long-term financing options of up to 18 months. Often, no-cost EMIs are offered for up to 12 months. Raj Khosla, Managing Director and Founder, MyMoneyMantra says, Post lockdown, if you shop for consumer electronics from authorised dealers without opting for the no-cost EMI scheme, you may get an additional discount on the purchase. But with a no-cost EMI, for pre-booking online, you arent offered such additional discounts.

Dont to shop from specific stores or e-commerce websites just yet.

The products offered with these discount schemes may be outdated. So, stay alert and shop for the latest versions online.

Avoid shopping for non-essentials in a hurry

Given the very difficult economic environment that we live in  with job losses and pay cuts galore  it is better to be prudent on spends. Dont splurge if you dont have an immediate need. These companies are offering discounts and cashback schemes because they want to convert liquidate their inventory soon.

Khosla says, Eventually dont block your money right now in shopping of non-essentials due to discount offers. Cash is king for at least the next 180 days. So, spend wisely.

Assess your cash flows and job situation first. If your job is secure and you still have EMIs to pay off, then repay your loans first. The COVID-19 pandemic isnt going away soon and the job market would be on tenterhooks for quite some time. So, as consumers, we need to be measured before opening our wallets too much, too fast. Discretionary spends are going to be slow for quite some time. People arent  and ideally should not  rush out to buy luxury items and goods which they can push off for some more time, says Lakshmi Iyer, Chief investment officer-debt, and head-products, Kotak Mutual Fund.

Rather than spending money on shopping of non-essentials, the first priority should be to repay the outstanding liability, and the second to create a passive source of income. Then, if you still have money left, you can buy non-essentials, says Anuj Kakkar, Partner at financial advisory firm, Vriddhi Advisors.
Indian shares suffered big losses on May 18, with the Sensex falling over 1,000 points and the Nifty touching 8,806 on the downside.

With this, the Indian market extended losses into the third consecutive day.

Sensex finished 1,028 points, or 3.31 percent, down at 30,069.93, while Nifty settled at 8,823.25, slipping 314 points, or 3.43 percent.

In sync with the benchmarks, BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices fell 3.87 percent and 2.92 percent, respectively.

Among the sectoral indices, BSE Finance and BSE Bankex fell 6.39 percent and 6.33 percent, respectively.

"Markets were hoping for big-bang government stimulus measures to boost demand and the eventual peaking of virus infections. Both of these have not happened. Stimulus measures have not enthused markets, while lockdown had been extended again due to rising infections. This, in addition to the insolvency procedures announced by the FM yesterday, could lead to an increase in NPAs for banks, which are the worst affected today," said Sony Mathews, Senior Market Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, on May 18.

Here are the top 4 factors roiling the market.

Stimulus disappoints

On May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation at 8 pm announced a Rs 20-lakh-crore stimulus package to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus that boosted sentiment, helping the Sensex close over 2 percent higher the next day.

But the sentiment reversed after May 13, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman started unveiling the details of the stimulus. The market has since been in the red.

Experts and market analysts said while the measures announced by the government are long-term positives, there is no immediate trigger for the market to move upward.

"The market was already weak due to the absence of any positive news flow in the stimulus package. During the weekend, the announcements further dampened the mood and the Sensex saw the breakdown of the last week's low. We expect weakness to continue till 29,900 levels," said Vikas Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities.

Sharp fall in financial stocks

Most banks and financial stocks suffered strong losses as investors feared that the suspension of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for a year may put banks at more risk.

On May 17, one of the most important announcements made by Sitharaman was the ease of doing business through IBC-related measures, which included suspension of fresh insolvency proceedings up to one year, depending on the pandemic situation.

Along with that, there is an exclusion of COVID-19 related debt and defaults. The steps seem to be good for the corporates but experts say it is unfair for the aggrieved party and can create unscrupulous borrowers that can defeat the purpose of IBC.

In fact, it can increase debt levels at banks that are already under pressure, the public sector leaders.

"Suspending IBC for one year may not be a good idea as there may be unscrupulous borrowers/promoters. Instead, each bank could have been directed to form a committee, which could decide whether to initiate any legal action or not under IBC, depending upon the credentials and performance of the borrower as well as putting a reasoned note whether the default is attributable to COVID-19 situation," said Rajesh Narain Gupta, Managing Partner, SNG & Partners.

Lockdown 4.0

India started Phase 4 of the lockdown on May 18. It has been 55 days that 1.3 billion people have been asked to stay in to stonewall the coronavirus.

The new round of lockdown that ends May 31 comes with fewer restrictions, with the Centre giving states a bigger say in deciding the guidelines. Analysts are of the view that this, too, has dampened the mood as the worries that the coronavirus-led economic crisis will linger for a long time remain unabated.

Rising infections

India, has, so far, confirmed 96,169 coronavirus cases, with Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi reporting the highest number of infections. The death toll from the outbreak in India is at 3,029.

With infections rising at a pace, 1-lakh mark doesnt seem to be too far.

"Disappointing package announcements with a large spike in new cases that are bringing positivity rate abound 5 percent," said Sameer Kalra, Founder, Target Investing.

The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Mumbai on Monday reported 1,185



fresh COVID-19 cases and 23 more deaths, taking the total case count to 21,152 and the fatalities to 757, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Of the 1,185 new cases, 300 samples were tested positive in private laboratories between May 12 and 16.

The number of recovered patients mounted to 5,516 with 504 more people being discharged from hospitals, an official release said.

"A total of 804 new suspected cases have been admitted in hospitals," it stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal on Sunday extended the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus until June 2, a day after the country reported its first COVID-19 death.

A decision on the matter was taken during a Cabinet meeting held at the prime minister's official residence in Kathmandu, sources in the Cabinet said.

A high-level committee for the prevention and control of COVID-19 had recommended to the government to extend the lockdown for another 15 days in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases.

The lockdown, which was first enforced in the country on March 24, was to end on Monday midnight.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 14 new patients were registered in the country on Sunday, taking Nepal's tally of COVID-19 cases to 295, while two persons have died due to the disease.

A 25-year-old male from Banke district, who returned from India five days back, died at a quarantine facility after he tested positive for the COVID-19.

On Saturday, the health ministry confirmed the first coronavirus-related death of a 29-year-old female from Sindhupalchowk district. She died following difficulty in breathing.
When times are tough -- and even when theyre not, its always nice when you can save a dime or two. While many of us are itching to get away with our pet, others may have to due to a move, family matter, or other obligation. Whatever the reason for travel, it doesnt have to break the bank if you plan ahead and find the right accommodations for your budget.

There are some hotel chains that not only welcome pets chain-wide, but they also have low room rates and either no or low pet fees. This makes it much easier on the pocketbook as well as a simpler trip to plan.

Red Roof Inn

This pet-friendly chain offers reliable accommodations at over 550 convenient locations. They are known for great, reliable service. Spacious guest rooms include plush bedding, a desk workspace and chairs to lounge in. Even though its budget-friendly, Red Roof Inn offers some really nice amenities -- including extended cable package and free WiFi. Starting room rates come in at about $60 per night and pets stay free of charge.

Motel 6
A long simmering row between the leaders of Germany's far-right AfD party and its radical fringe has boiled over, sapping their strength as Chancellor Angela Merkel climbs in the polls. As voters look for steady leadership amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Alternative for Germany party, which had capitalised on fears linked to the large 2015-16 refugee influx, has struggled to keep a lid on increasingly toxic infighting. A feud between populist ultra-conservatives and elements in the party with ties to the right-wing extremist scene came to a head over the weekend after the party board ousted one of its state leaders, Andreas Kalbitz. Kalbitz, who ran the AfD's operations in Brandenburg, the large rural state surrounding Berlin, had concealed his past membership in a neo-Nazi outfit, "German Youths Loyal to the Fatherland". The censure spearheaded by the party's relatively moderate co-leader Joerg Meuthen was seen as part of a strategy to maintain the AfD as a viable alternative for middle-class voters turned off by an association with radical skinheads. "We are a traditional conservative party," Meuthen, an economics professor, told ARD public television. "We need to demonstrate cohesion but we also need to clearly distance ourselves from extreme-right positions." - 'Political mistake' - Kalbitz ominously warned the party had committed a "political mistake" and vowed to challenge his ouster in court. "If this decision was motivated by the hope of being accepted by the established parties and our political rivals, it will fail," he told ARD. Kalbitz's expulsion sparked an outcry among the most radical AfD faction led by Bjoern Hoecke, who is believed to represent about one-third of the party's supporters and whose star has been rising for months. Deploying rhetoric resonant of 1930s fascism, Hoecke posted a video message accusing the AfD leadership of "treason against the party". "I will not allow our party to be divided and destroyed -- and I know our members and our voters see this the same way I do," he said. The party's leader in AfD stronghold Saxony, Joerg Urban, threw his support behind Kalbitz while MP Frank Pasemann wrote on Facebook that "Meuthen and co. are undermining the principles of the rule of law to banish a valued party colleague". Meuthen hit back on Sunday, saying Hoecke should "watch his own behaviour instead of accusing other people of 'treason'". The AfD power struggle escalated in March when the radical fringe around Hoecke known as the "Wing" was placed under police surveillance due to association with known neo-Nazis and suspicion of posing a "threat" to German democracy. The AfD managing board, which started out seven years ago as a eurosceptic outfit before shifting focus to immigration, scrambled to isolate the radicals. In early April, Meuthen floated the idea of a formal schism but backed down in the face of an uproar within the party. - 'Exploiting the demonstrations' - The discord has led the party to shed support among conflict-averse German voters, against the backdrop of the upheaval wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. Although it remains strong in the economically depressed ex-communist east, the AfD is struggling in the rest of the country and currently polling at about 10 percent, down from nearly 13 percent in the 2017 general election. Meanwhile Merkel, whose resignation the AfD has demanded for years, has garnered international praise for her handling of the outbreak. Her Christian Democrats have surged to 38 percent support, as voters say they trust the veteran leader and trained scientist to see them through the crisis, which has been far less devastating in Germany than for many of its European partners. The AfD has tried to harness the anger of a small but vocal minority who have staged noisy protests against the stay-at-home measures imposed to fight the virus. Several thousand people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday. "We are seeing a trend in which extremists, particularly those on the right, are exploiting the demonstrations," the head of the domestic intelligence service, Thomas Haldenwang, told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local school systems have been notified by the State of Ohios Office of Budget and Management that education budgets are going to be hit by large cuts.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced that statewide funding will be slashed by $775 million -- $300 million of which will be cuts to state money for K-12 schools.

The Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake school district superintendents were asked for their reaction to the cuts. Following are their unedited responses.

Bay Village City Schools Superintendent Jodie Hausmann. Cuts total $631,476:

To our fellow Bay Village residents: As we work hard to fulfill our mission of providing a high-quality education to the children of our school district in the face of this COVID-19 pandemic, we need to share with you some of the challenges we are facing.

"You may be aware that the State of Ohio is under extreme pressure from falling revenues due to this crisis. As a result, significant cuts to the state budget have occurred. Schools are a part of those reductions.

"Effective immediately, state dollars earmarked for our district for our current fiscal year ending June 31 will be reduced by 14 percent, or $631,476. The Bay Village Schools portion of the federal CARES stimulus funds will help offset this reduction by $85,408, bringing the total reduction in revenue to $546,068 this year (for context, our entire transportation budget averages about a half-million dollars per year).

"We can expect to see further cuts from state funding to our schools for the coming 2020-21 school year. It is also possible that delays or gaps in property tax collections could interrupt our district revenue stream if our local economy suffers significantly.

"We will act strategically and proactively to address known and potential reductions or losses in our revenues:

 School and department budgets have been reduced for the coming fiscal year.

 We will curtail purchasing of supplies, equipment and professional development when possible.

 Where it makes sense to carefully consider delays in filling vacant staff positions, we will do so.

 All expenditures will be reviewed as they relate to evolving circumstances for the coming year.

Rocky River City Schools Superintendent Michael Shoaf. Cuts total $805,051:

The cuts to public education across the board are unfortunate, but we did expect a budget reduction due to state revenues decreasing because of the pandemic.

"We are disappointed that it was such a large reduction to the Rocky River City School District and have voiced our concerns to the State of Ohio legislature.

"At this point, we do not anticipate having to make drastic cuts or reductions throughout the district. We remain committed to the highest standards of fiscal accountability and responsibility and will continue to allocate resources only after thorough study and discussion.

Westlake City Schools Superintendent Scott Goggin. Cuts total $1,025,090:

I can comment on the states reductions, but not too much specifically on our in-house reductions. I will try and break it down in bullet points:

 Context: The guidance from the State of Ohio is to be ready to open (for the start of the coming school year).

 The issue is we do not know what open looks like, so we need to have a foundation prepared for 1) Five days per week with safety protocols in place. 2) Hybrid: alternating in-person and virtual instruction. And 3) Fully virtual.

 Our preparation impacts staffing. We need to be prepared for all three scenarios.

 The state reduced our funding by $1 million this year. That is over 40 percent of our foundation funding from the state. We do not know what the reduction will be next year.

 We did receive around $340,000 from the CARES Act. We need to distribute around $65,000 to non-public schools, so will have around $275,000 for WCSD. These funds will be allocated to safely opening or delivering virtual instruction. Items could include PPE (personal protective equipment), modifications to facilities, additional cleaning supplies or equipment, thermometers or temperature-scanning devices, etc.

 We did anticipate a reduction. With the economy being closed for two months, the schools, like any other organization, need to make reductions and adjust our budgets. Fortunately, in Westlake, we have taken advantage of opportunities such as the consolidation of our elementary schools, clearing encumbered funds, union agreements, etc., to make significant improvements to our budget. Our goal was to make smaller reductions that would limit the impact on education but build savings annually.

 As of right now, we believe we have put ourselves in a position to continue with the pattern of smaller reductions that can build value over time. However, that could change depending on additional funding cuts or the format in which we are able to educate our students.

"We know that we will be back in school, full time, together at some point. We need to ensure that we are ready for both a fluid schedule and a traditional schedule. It is a challenge to plan with limited information, but we are resilient and will continue to move forward -- together.

Read more from the West Shore Sun.
Former Finance Minister Chidambaram slams Centre over Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, May 18: Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has expressed "deep regret" that the Centre's fiscal stimulus package has "left high and dry" several sections, including those 13 crore families in the bottom half of the population.

In a video conference, Chidambaram said, "We express our thorough disappointment and request the government to reconsider the stimulus package and announce a revised and comprehensive fiscal stimulus package of not less than Rs 10 lakh crore of real additional expenditure, equivalent to 10 per cent of GDP."

Having tingling pain in your hands? The less common symptoms of coronavirus

Chidambaram also said a fiscal stimulus of Rs 1,86,650 crore, amounting to barely 0.91 per cent of GDP, would be "totally inadequate given the gravity of the economic crisis and the dire situation" in which people find themselves due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of Rs 20-lakh crore stimulus package on May 12, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the press conference and gave details of that package in five tranches.

Nirmala Sitharaman slams Congress over migrant workers; Calls Rahul Gandhi's act 'Dramebaazi'

Reacting to that, the senior Congress leader said he and the party carefully analysed the contents of the five tranches and looked into analyses put out by economists, agencies and banks.

"With deep regret, we note that the fiscal stimulus package has left several sections high and dry, including the bottom half of the population, migrant workers, farmers, landless agricultural labour, daily wage non-agricultural labour, workers who have been laid off or retrenched and units who have lost their jobs, self-employed who have no work, seven crore shopkeepers, lower middle class families who have run out of cash and are forced to borrow, and 5.8 crore MSMEs," he added.

The former Finance Minister said that Nirmala Sitharaman had acknowledged that additional expenditure must be financed by additional borrowing.
Tragic news continues to emanate from the agriculture sector as a teenager in Co Meath became the fifth farm-related tragedy this month.

The 18-year-old male died following an accident in a farmyard at Kellystown near Slane, Co Meath.

The incident occurred shortly before 4pm on Saturday.

According to Gardai, its understood the youth was carrying out works to a vehicle when he sustained serious injuries.

He was treated at the scene by emergency services personnel but died a short time later.

His body has since been removed to the mortuary at Our Ladys Hospital, Navan.

The scene has been examined by Gardai and the HSA, the local Coroner has been notified. Enquiries are ongoing. Foul play is not suspected at this time.

It was the fourth farm-related fatality last week following the death of two children and an adult earlier in the week.

On Monday, Clare Smyth (35) and her youngest child Bethany were killed instantly when their quad collided with a tractor on the Whitepark Road in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, just before 5pm on Tuesday.

Separately, 10-year-old Louise Colhoun died after she was hit by a tractor on the family farm at Bellaghan, Umgall Bridge, Malin, last Wednesday.

While earlier this month, John Reynolds (74), a farmer in Ballinhassig, Co Cork, was killed after being gored by a bull which attacked him from behind as he tended to cattle on his family farm.
New Delhi: Delhi Police's cyber unit (CyPAD) arrested a person for writing objectionable posts on social media platform against a BJP youth leader.

The woman leader, who is also said to be a member of the BJP IT cell, lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police.

Upon investigation it was found that the people who wrote these posts had used virtual private networks and fake identities.

The Delhi Police has since arrested a man named Mohammad Asim who shared the objectionable post.

They victim's pictures had been posted on the social media, also, some objectionable posts were shared by him.

The Delhi Police has since removed all 26 objectionable posts made on Twitter and Facebook through the respective platforms.

The accused hails from Tughlakabad and has a clothing business. His motive behind this is unclear, further inquiry is underway.
Narendra Modi, who had positioned himself over the years as a trade liberalist and a free-trade champion on global platforms such as Davos, has been taking an increasingly and distinctly protectionist turn.

It has been a few days since Narendra Modi delivered his address to the nation, exhorting people to buy local and promote local for an Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) India. There has since been some confusion over the meaning of his words. Not only over the definition of local, but also regarding the way his slogan fits within the paradigm of a more globally connected India  a target that he also set during his 12 May speech.

It would seem that the prime minister wants to strike a balance between making India an integral part of the global supply chain (like China) while promoting local industries and empowering small businesses so that they can compete with the worlds best.

And how does Modi hope to strike this delicate balance?

It seems the government wants to incentivise shifting of global supply chains from China to India, make India attractive for investment through a slew of reforms in labour, land, liquidity and law and at the same time, stress on economic nationalism that  along with policy tweaks  may offer some sort of protection from cheap (read Chinese) imports and fast-track the time it takes for Indian businesses to be strong and globally competitive. In his latest address, where the word self-reliance was uttered 17 times, Modi asked consumers to use and promote local products almost as a moral duty.

Local is not just the need, it is our responsibility also. Time has taught us that we must make the local as a mantra of our life. The global brands you feel today were sometimes also very local like this. But when people started using them, started promoting them, branding them, proud of them, they became global from local products. Therefore, from today every Indian has to become vocal for their local, not only to buy local products but also to promote them proudly.

The way ahead lies in LOCAL. Local Manufacturing. Local Markets. Local Supply Chain. Local is not merely a need but a responsibility. Be vocal about local! #AatmanirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/eYqt5IDtBp  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2020

When economic nationalism becomes a moral duty, the economy suffers the consequences. India has travelled this road before. The prime ministers rhetoric takes us to the Indira Gandhi days when license-permit raj ruled the roost, and under the umbrella of protectionism and import substitution domestic businesses and small producers remained uncompetitive and inefficient. The economy suffered a distortion that led to eventual bankruptcy and brought India to the brink of defaulting on international debt obligations in 1991.

Is Modi bent on repeating the past folly? Worth noting that Modi, who had positioned himself over the years as a trade liberalist and a free-trade champion on global platforms such as Davos, has been taking an increasingly and distinctly protectionist turn. This trend was reinforced during the 2020 budget when Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweaked the Customs Act, 1962.

This trend has been noted and commented upon by economists, including Columbia University professor Aravind Panagariya who has been a former vice-chairman of Niti Aayog and is by no means ideologically antagonistic towards the NDA government.

In his column for Economic Times criticising the tweaking of Customs Act that allows the government to now prohibit imports and exports of any item, not just gold, Panagariya wrote: These measures come on top of numerous tariff increases on virtually all labour-intensive light manufactures of which we ought to be large exporters. Instead, we have chosen to punish our consumers to protect our inefficient small producers, which will never become globally competitive. Our approach, instead, ought to be to create an ecosystem in which small enterprises become medium, medium become large, and large turn larger still. That is what will place us on the path to double-digit growth and gainful employment for the masses.

The turn towards economic nationalism, therefore, is not just a reflex reaction to accommodate the new realities of post-pandemic era. It is rather a calibrated invoking of the swadeshi era of economic policies. There are clear indications that we may return to the import-substitution framework that had been junked during the post-1991 liberalisation and globalisation policies.

A few days ago, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, a heavyweight in the Modi cabinet who handles the MSME and road transport and highways portfolios, urged captains of Indian industry to make technological upgradations and come up with cost-effective substitutes to reduce the countrys inward shipment because the government is considering introducing a policy on import substitution.

In a separate report, Economic Times notes that government has identified pharmaceuticals, furniture and leather as the three sectors where the states will be asked to restructure their procurement process and prefer local manufacturing. The Modi government may offer tax sops, procurement preference in contracts for domestically produced goods while imposing stringent non-tariff barriers to discourage imports, reports the newspaper.

This is also where the confusion around the messaging lies. On one hand, the government clamps down on imports and seeks to promote local manufacturing, on the other hand BJP leaders claim that the concept of local includes even the MNCs if they make in India and the government wont make a distinction or give any directive. The Centre has no isolationist approach, no protectionism, as BJPs Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao was recently quoted as saying.

The government evidently wants to strengthen local businesses and make them globally competitive so that India can become the next manufacturing hub, like China. The prime minister has perhaps taken the disruption caused by the pandemic as an opportunity to push India towards developing its manufacturing prowess and emulate Chinas export-driven rise.

Yet it is not clear at this stage that businesses will leave China en masse or shift their supply chains from China to India. The very impulse that is driving India to focus towards local manufacturing, local market and local supply chain is also driving developed economies like the US or Europe to hedge against reckless globalism and bring a large chunk of the production chain back home.

The Donald Trump administration has already threatened economic decoupling and rip all global supply chains from China but more importantly, it wants to end offshoring of US jobs and bring manufacturing back home.

As Robert E. Lighthizer, US trade representative in the Trump administration, recently wrote in the New York Times, "After we have defeated this disease and reopened our economy, we cannot forget the hard lessons learned from this misguided experiment. Over the long run, the path to certainty and prosperity is the same for our companies as it is for our workers: Bring the jobs back to America.

Not just the US, Europe, too is taking a turn towards economic nationalism. London-based newspaper Financial Times quoted Bruno Le Maire, Frances finance minister, as saying that in the long term we cannot depend on Asia, on China for goods that are strategic for us, whether in the aerospace or medical sectors or in other supply chains.

Notably, US president Trump has reacted irritably to a statement that tech giant Apple may shift its manufacturing base from China to India and has threatened the California-based company with tariffs if it doesnt move all production lines 100 percent to the US.

President Trumps chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Friday floated the possibility of slashing the corporate tax rate in half for American companies operating overseas if they shift their production back to the U.S.  First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) May 15, 2020

If localisation is an increasingly popular global policy response to the lessons taught by the pandemic, it is not clear how India may suddenly become the next manufacturing powerhouse when it doesnt already dominate global supply chains, lacks the manufacturing prowess of China and is faced with a world where countries are busy ring-fencing risks and pulling up the drawbridge.

The danger is that in its push towards becoming more self-reliant and promote domestic manufacturing, India may end up taking an even more unequivocally protectionist turn. When I requested you and the nation to buy Khadi and said it will be a great support to our handloom workers. Today, the demand and sales of both Khadi and handloom have reached record levels in a very short time, Modi had said in his address.

The ideational push may slip very easily towards a policy position, if not already and the protestations, that a self-reliant India will automatically be a more internationalist India do ring a little hollow.

The government insists that a compromise between going local and staying global is possible. As former Union minister and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on finance Jayant Sinha was recently quoted as saying in an interview, We want to first make India a very competitive nation so that our local companies, products and services are purchased by the domestic consumers as well as enthusiastically by consumers around the world. One aspect of being resilient is that our local companies are as competitive as possible.

But it is difficult to make companies competitive by shielding them from the competition. And thats exactly where the policy seems to be heading.

Media reports indicate the government is apparently looking at medical textiles, electronics, plastics and toys as focus areas for local manufacturing in the first phase, while gems and jewellery, pharma and steel could be in focus in the second phase. A report in Economic Times quotes an official promising that Modi governments swadeshi focus was not just an ideological concept presented. It is a serious thought that would be followed up with concrete steps.

Indias competitiveness will be unshackled not by clamping down on imports and asking consumers to go local, buy local and promote local. Rather, small businesses and local producers will become more efficient and even globally recognised in a competitive environment aided by a government that makes land procurement easier, reforms labour policies, ushers in changes in the legal framework and makes liquidity available. But that will require implementation first of structural reforms.

Happily, the government has moved in that direction and announced a slew of deep, sectoral reforms that will bear fruit and make it progressively easier to do business.

When that happens, ironically there wont be any need for the prime minister to request citizens to buy and promote local. Until that transformation happens, the argument that we can suddenly become world-beaters by turning self-sufficient is not convincing, as professor Makarand Paranjape writes in The Print.
Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd's administrators have short-listed potential buyers BGH Capital, Bain Capital, Indigo Partners and Cyrus Capital Partners, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Monday.

The airline's administrators expected to receive as many as eight non-binding indicative offers from potential buyers before a submission deadline on Friday.

Binding offers for the airline are due on June 12. The company entered voluntary administration last month owing creditors nearly A$7 billion ($4.5 billion), making it the biggest Asia-Pacific casualty of the coronavirus crisis hitting the global aviation industry.

The strong interest in Virgin Australia at a time when the world aviation market is largely grounded shows the long-time attractiveness of the Australian domestic market, a duopoly between Qantas Airways Ltd and Virgin.

The administrators at Deloitte said in a statement they had shortlisted a small number of well-funded parties with strong aviation credentials but declined to name them.

Bain, which owns Trans Maldivian Airways, is being advised on its Virgin offer by Jayne Hrdlicka, the former head of Qantas budget airline Jetstar, according to media reports.

One of BGH's founders, Ben Gray, led a failed takeover offer for Qantas in 2007 when he worked at private equity giant TPG.

Phoenix-based Indigo Partners' founder Bill Franke is the chairman of U.S. budget carrier Frontier Airlines, Chile's JetSmart and Hungarian Wizz Air .

Cyrus Capital was an investor in collapsed British regional carrier FlyBe, alongside Virgin Atlantic.

Bain and Indigo Partners declined to comment, while BGH and Cyrus Capital could not be reached immediately for comment.

The shortlisted bidders were first named by The Australian Financial Review.

Other parties that had put in non-binding indicative offers included Brookfield, India's InterGlobe Enterprises and Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Brookfield on Sunday told the administrators it would exit the process if more than two bidders were shortlisted because it would be unworkable given the tight timeframe, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Brookfield declined to comment.

The administrators said they understood some parties would be disappointed they were not shortlisted and hoped they would respect the decision predicated on the business continuing and achieving the best outcome for all people impacted.

The shortlisted parties will receive more detailed financial and operational information, management workshops and meetings with as many of the financiers, landlords, suppliers, unions and other stakeholders of the business as possible before making final bids, the administrators said.

They are aiming to agree a deal with the winning party by the end of June.
Rise in infrastructural development activities across the world and surge in adoption in the construction sector drive the growth of the global geogrid market

PORTLAND, Oregon, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Geogrid Market by Application (Road Industry, Railroad Stabilization, Soil Reinforcement & Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026." According to the report, the global geogrid market generated $0.8 billion in 2018, and is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2026, witnessing a CAGR of 9.9% from 2019 to 2026.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Rise in infrastructural development activities across the world and surge in adoption in the construction sector due to ease in handling, environmental safety, and high tensile strength drive the growth of the global geogrid market. However, the scarcity of skilled workforce restrains the market growth. On the other hand, surge in awareness regarding benefits of geogrid and increase in research and development activities create new opportunities.

Get Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Geogrid Market @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1656?reqfor=covid

COVID-19 Scenario

Due to global lockdown with outbreak of COVID-19, many infrastructure development activities have halted.

Investors have become hesitant to invest in new projects or development activities due to economic turmoil across many countries of the world.

The road industry segment to witness its dominant share throughout the forecast period

On the basis of application, the road industry segment accounted for the highest share of the global geogrid market in 2018, holding more than one-third of the total share, and is expected to witness its dominant share throughout the forecast period. This is due to crucial role played by this industry in the socio-economic development by offering access to transportation, markets, and other resources. However, the soil reinforcement segment is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.2% from 2019 to 2026, owing to rise in usage of geogrids in various applications including road & railways, slopes & earth embankments, foundations, and retaining walls. In addition, its benefits such as ease in handling, environmental safety, tensile strength, and others supplement the growth.

Request Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1656

Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, to offer lucrative opportunities

Based on region, Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, accounted for the largest share of the global geogrid market, contributing for nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2018, and will maintain its highest contribution during the forecast period. Moreover, this region is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.1% from 2019 to 2026. This is attributed to surge in geogrids demand in building construction sector and road industry in the region. Moreover, rise in demand for high speed rail transmission network in the regions including East Asia, South Asia, and South-East Asia boosts the growth. However, North America accounted for the second-highest revenue throughout the forecast period, contributing to nearly one-third of the total share in 2018.

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Leading market players

ACE Geosynthetics

Glen Raven Inc.

Huesker Synthetic GmbH

Low & Bonar PLC

SECI SpA

Naue GmbH & Co. Kg

Tenax SPA

Koninklijke Ten Cate B.V.

Tensar

Wrekin Products

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A man is dead and another is seriously injured after a shooting in Scarborough Sunday evening.

Toronto police and paramedics were called to an apartment building in the area of Sheppard Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue around 6:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting.

They found two men, one in life-threatening condition and the other with serious injuries, and rushed them to hospital.

One man was pronounced dead at hospital.

No suspect information has been released. The Toronto police homicide unit is investigating.
Visakhapatnam: LG Polymers on Monday said it has completed transportation of its inventory of deadly Styrene Monomer (SM) from Visakhapatnam to South Korea.

It has shipped the entire stock lying at its Visakhapatnam plant and styrene tanks that were at the local port there, said LG Polymers, a step down firm of South Korean Petro giant LG Chem, said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the gas-leak incident killed at least 11 people and forced the evacuation of thousands.

"There is now no SM left at the LG Polymers plant in Vizag," LG Polymers Managing Director Jeong Sunkey said.

Besides, an eight-member team sent by the South Korean company from its Seoul headquarter to investigate the Visakhapatnam gas leak incident and rehabilitate the victims of the tragedy has started its work.

It has commissioned a special task force consisting of more than 200 people to actively support the bereaved victims and families.

"This team has been visiting people at the hospitals and their homes. Food and medical services have been organised for the returning residents. Various support activities such as supplying medical and household goods and sanitation of homes will be continued," it said.

LG is also is working closely with related authorities to analyze the cause of the incident, prevent a recurrence, and support damage recovery in a prompt and expedient manner.

"Additionally, in collaboration with related institutions, we are devoting our resources to analyse the cause of the accident, prevent re-occurrence, and most importantly provide assistance to the families of the deceased and injured," said Sunkey, adding "Our immediate focus is to provide assistance to the people in the local area to help them continue with their normal lives as soon as possible".

LG has set up Suraksha Hospital and will take care of all residents' health check-ups and future treatment.

"We will continue to do our best to ensure life is returned to normal," he added.

On Sunday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the nodal department, announced lockdown 4.0 till May 31 to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It was first extended till May 3 and again till May 17.

In March, RBI had allowed a three-month moratorium on payment of all term loans due between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020.

"With the lockdown now extended up to May 31, we expect RBI to extend the moratorium by three months more," SBI's research report- Ecowrap said.

The report said the moratorium for three more months will imply that companies need not pay till August 31, 2020, and this means that there is almost minimal possibility of companies being able to service their interest liabilities then in September.

Failing to repay the interest liabilities will mean the account might be classified as non-performing loans as per the RBI norms.

"Thus, the RBI needs to give operational flexibility to banks for a comprehensive restructuring of the existing loans and also a reclassification of 90 day norm," the report said.

The RBI's June 7 circular is stringent and gives little flexibility to banks.

"The revised restructuring norms should give banks to restructure like say converting interest liabilities up to March 2021 into term loans, repayable in 3-5 years for working capital and at the end of the tenor in case of term loans, the report said.

RBI also needs to also clarify whether working capital expansions classify as COVID-19 debt, it said.
Hit by a labour shortage caused by migrant workers returning to their home states due to the coronavirus crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has asked the Centre to allow farm operations in 2020-21 under MGNREGA.

Sowing and harvesting are not among the jobs normally carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Punjab has now written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to direct the Union Ministry of Rural Development to allow farm operations in the coming kharif and rabi seasons under the scheme.

Singh suggested that the Union ministry of rural development could, in consultation with the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, designate a specific number of man-days per acre (for paddy and wheat) that may be allowed under MGNREGS.

The chief minister said that the initiative would help mitigate the rising labour costs for farmers, promote rural employment, and most importantly, help in preserving food security this unprecedented global crisis on the other.

Pointing out that both the Centre and states are collectively engaged in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Singh said the central government, in its recent economic stimulus package, announced additional funds to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore under MGNREGS.

Drawing Modi's attention towards the "problem of farm labour shortage in agricultural states, especially Punjab, as a result of the migration of labour", Singh said such a situation is likely to impact agricultural operations adversely during the transplantation of paddy in June, as a large proportion of the labour engaged in these operations is seasonal migrant labour from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"Given the rising spread of the disease as well as return of migrants to their native states, it is unlikely that Punjab will see any return of migrant farm labour for the coming Kharif season," added Singh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two migrant labourers were on Monday killed and 20 others injured when the vehicle carrying them from Delhi to Azamgarh overturned in Behda Mujawar area on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, police said.

The incident occurred near Gauria Kalan, Superintendent of Police Vikrant Veer Singh said. Those killed were identified as Ramji (28) and Surendra Kumar Anchal (40).

The injured have been hospitalised where their condition was stated to be stable.

Taking note of the incident Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family of those killed and Rs 50 thousand to each to the injured.

The chief minister also directed the district authorities to ensure best possible treatment to the injured.

On Saturday, a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime and 43 people rammed into a stationary truck with a number of migrant workers sitting in it on the national highway in UP's Auraiya.

The death toll in the road accident rose to 27 with another man succumbing to injuries on Monday. A total of 36 labourers were injured in the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka has announced a series of new measures for lockdown 4:0, which came into effect from Monday and will be in place till May 31 in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The relaxation in lockdown measures came on a day when the state saw the biggest single-day rise in Covid-19 positive cases at 99, taking the total count to 1,246, including 37 deaths. While 530 patients have recovered so far.

Nearly 70 of the 99 new cases have been recorded among people, who have had a recent travel history to Maharashtra. The spike is a cause of concern. Well try to further tighten the Karnataka-Maharashtra borders, said a state health department official, requesting anonymity.

State chief minister BS Yediyurappa told media persons on Monday that state-run buses, private buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws would be allowed to operate from Tuesday.

Public parks would remain open between 7am and 9am and 5pm and 7pm for people to exercise and walk, he added.

Auto rickshaws and taxis would be allowed to carry only two passengers at a time. Maxi-cabs that play a key role in rural last-mile connectivity would be allowed to carry three passengers. All buses would be allowed to operate at 50% of their capacity and carry 30 passengers.

The CM promised to make good for the losses for the state-run buses for operating at 50% of their capacity. The public transport will be available on all days, except Sunday, between 7am and 7pm.

Karnataka has also permitted all commercial establishments to open and operate, except malls and theatres. Earlier, all industrial establishments had been allowed to reopen and operate.

Trains will run within the state, but inter-state rail service is barred.

None of the opening up measures is applicable in the containment zones, which will continue to comply with strict lockdown restrictions. Only 50 guests will be allowed to attend a wedding ceremony. Wearing of masks in public is compulsory across the state and anybody flouting the rule will be penalised.

On Sundays, the state will observe a complete lockdown and only emergency services will be allowed to function.

Yediyurappa made it clear these measures are an experiment that will continue till May 31, and based on how it pans out the government is likely to decide on the next course of action, including re-imposing some of the earlier restrictions, if necessary.
Nicky McCabe has left a proud legacy in his community, says Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

Mr McCabe, a local councillor for 49 years, passed away last week at the age of 92, having retired from politics in 2004.

Over the course of his long career as a Fianna Fail councillor, Nicky was known for his dedication, commitment and his friendly way with people, added Martin.

Our party has taken pride in public service and in helping to make the communities we came from better places to live. There can be no better example of this than Nicky who played an integral role in the development of his beloved county of Louth over his 49 years as a councillor.

Nickys political work spanned many years and impacted so many areas of his life in the county. He worked hard on behalf of the farming community, particularly small farmers, he was involved in large social housing projects in Ardee town, rural road programmes in the 1950s, he was a member of Louth VEC for 20 years and served as chair of Louth County Council eight times.

Nicky has left a proud legacy in his community.

------

Louth county councillor, Fianna Fails John Sheridan has paid tribute to the late Nicky McCabe by referring to his incredibly strong record in the mid-Louth and wider area.

Id like to sympathise with the wider McCabe family on Nickys passing, Cllr Sheridan said.

Nicky was a pillar of mid-Louth politics and over recent days there have been so many stories shared of his great work and humorous tales of the rough and tumble of politics over the decades that Nicky represented mid-Louth.

As a councillor for the same mid-Louth area now, I see Nickys record as being an incredibly strong record to try to emulate in the area.

I remember as a younger member of the party attending meetings and Nicky was always keen to give a historical eye on what had been done over the years on the council. He was always encouraging of younger members of the party to get involved. Equally, he was well-known for lengthy contributions to meetings!

I also remember Nickys delight when Bertie Ahern was present to honour him for his 49 years as a councillor.
Guwahati, May 18 : A retired central paramilitary trooper shot dead his wife, son and brother-in-law in Assam's Dibrugarh district on Monday, police said.

Dibrugarh's Superintendent of police Sreejith T. said that 48-years-old Sanjay Das shot dead his wife Swapna Das, son Nabajyoti and brother-in-law Ghana Kanta Hazarika at Hukan Pukhuri village.

While Swapna died on the spot and Nabajyoti and Hazarika succumbed to their injuries at Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh town.

Sanjay, who had served in the Sashastra Seema Bal, fled from the village after committing the crime.

"We have launched a massive search operation to nab Sanjay," the district police chief, who is leading the operation, told IANS over phone.

Senior police officials in Assam and other northeastern states said that during the ongoing lockdown, overall crime has been reduced but crime against women and domestic violence increased compared to the normal situations.

"As the police and other security forces are very strictly controlling the people's movement due to the lockdown guidelines, overall crimes have drastically reduced. However, the crime against women and domestic violence has been increased," a police official, who refusing to be named, told IANS.
Tel Aviv, May 18 : China will send a special team to investigate the death of its Ambassador to Israel on Monday, Du Wei, whose body was found in his official residence here a day ago, sources told the Haaretz newspaper.

According to a Haaretz report, the special team will carry out "an independent investigation" and will also arrange arrangements to fly Du's body back to China for burial.

A family representative will be joining the team, the report said, adding that it would not be required to enter the 14-day quarantine period normally required for arrivals in Israel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday morning that Du, 57, had been found dead at his official residence in the coastal town of Herzliya located in the Northern part of the Tel Aviv district, The Times of Israel reported.

The Foreign Ministry said police were on the scene.

According to the Ynet news site, aides tried to wake the envoy after they found him on his bed, not breathing.

The initial assessment was that he had suffered cardiac arrest during the night.

Channel 12 news reported there were no external signs of violence on Du's body.

The ministry said that his family members were not in Israel with him.

He arrived in Israel on February 15 to take up his post, and immediately spent two weeks in quarantine due to coronavirus regulations.

He was unable to present his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin in person due to the pandemic.

A statement from China's Foreign Ministry earlier said: "The preliminary verdict is that Ambassador Du Wei died unexpectedly of health reasons. The details await further confirmation."
With 47 more people being confirmed positive for coronavirus, the number of cases of the disease rose to 4,511 in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, officials said.

"A total of 4,511 cases have been reported so far in the state from 75 districts, of which 1,763 are active while 2,636 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Till now, 112 deaths have been reported so far in the state," Principal Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.

Of the total 112 fatalities, Agra has reported the maximum number of deaths in the state at 24. It is followed by 19 in Meerut, 11 in Moradabad, eight each in Aligarh and Kanpur, five in Gautam Buddha Nagar, four each in Firozabad, Mathura and Jhansi, two each in Mainpuri and Ghaziabad.

Besides these, one death each was reported in Lucknow, Varanasi, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Basti, Bijnor, Prayagraj, Jalaun, Sant Kabir Nagar, Pratapgarh, Amroha, Bareilly, Shrawasti, Azamgarh, Etah, Kanpur Dehat, Mahoba and Lalitpur.

Prasad said as many as 6,247 COVID-19 tests were conducted across the state on Sunday, adding that the state is also increasing pool testing facility.

"We are emphasising on surveillance and over 3.23 crore people have been surveyed by 79,825 teams in UP. Those having symptoms (of COVID-19) have been given required treatment," Prasad said.

He said the Aaroga Setu app was used and alerts are being sent to people. "We have made 17,447 calls on the basis of alerts generated by the app and 109 people have been quarantined."



The official said migrant workers coming from other states are been monitored by the health workers. Of them, 466 people had shown symptoms of coronavirus and their samples have been sent for testing, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three Southern Charm cast members revealed this week that they would not be returning to the Bravo series for season 7. After the news broke, disgraced former star Thomas Ravenel took to Twitter to reveal show secrets. In since-deleted tweets, the former South Carolina state treasurer dished about production and claimed he knew exactly why Cameran Eubanks, Chelsea Meissner, and Naomie Olindo refused to return.

Southern Charm stars Kathryn Dennis and Thomas Ravenel | Paul Cheney/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Thomas Ravenel says Southern Charm producers asked him to return

After Eubanks, Meissner, and Olindo announced that they would not return to Southern Charm for season 7, Ravenel tweeted that he knew why and added that he also turned producers down.

He asked fans if they wanted to know why so many people refused to be part of season 7. He also claimed that cast members have no control over how the shows producers portray them.

Once I realized that Tobias Menzies looks nearly exactly like Thomas Ravenel, the villain from Bravo's #SouthernCharm, I could not unsee it. Help! pic.twitter.com/Wg9yxyUw48  Kate Aurthur (@KateAurthur) January 15, 2020

RELATED: Southern Charm: Thomas Ravenel Tears Into Patricia Altschul in Deleted Tweet

For one 40 minute episode they film 40 hours yet as a cast member you cant utter the word edit,' wrote Ravenel. They show you a character acting badly but cut the part out that provoked the bad behavior. Their contract says they have the right to fictionalize your story, its really bad.

Bravo producers fired Ravenel after Season 5 when two women came forward and accused him of sexual assault. Ravenel settled both cases without any jail time.

Cameran Eubanks says that her husband isnt a cheater

Eubanks was the first to reveal that she would not return for season 7. Rumors immediately started to swirl that she quit the show because of her husband Jason Wimberlys alleged infidelity.

The mom of two-year-old Palmer immediately fought back. She posted a lengthy statement on Instagram that slammed the rumor which was first published by AllAboutTheTea.com. She also accused Dennis of planting the accusation that Wimberly was having an affair with Charleston makeup artist Rebecca Wash.

Eubanks denied the allegation, as did Wash, who wrote on Instagram that she has never met Wimberly or Eubanks and claimed she was wrongfully accused.

I have been wrongfully accused of having a relationship with the husband of Cameran Wimberly of Southern Charm, wrote Wash on Instagram. I have never met Jason or Cameran Wimberly in my life. These hurtful accusations are blatant unfounded lies that have shaken me to my core.

Two Southern Charm stars accuse Kathryn Dennis of spreading lies

Wash also wrote in her post that she is not a religious follower of Southern Charm, but as a resident of Charleston, its impossible to not know who the cast is. She added that Eubanks claims Dennis started the rumor were especially hurtful.

Wash wrote that she met Dennis one time in July 2018 when she did her makeup for a photoshoot for a local clothing store. She says that she hasnt seen or spoken to Dennis since that day, and for her to suggest that she was having an affair with Wimberly was dumbfounding, hurtful, and malicious.

RELATED: Southern Charm Season 7: Cameras Are Officially Rolling, Will We See Thomas Ravenel?

Both Eubanks and Olindo re-posted Washs statement and added their own comments.

To all those asking why Cameran, Chelsea [Meissner] and I (and anyone with a life they want to protect) quit the show. Its sh*t like this, Olindo wrote. Shame on you @kathryndennis for this and MANY other things.

Cameran Eubanks added it was so sad that Wash  who she described as a kind, beautiful, innocent girl  has been dragged into the mud.

Eubanks acknowledged she signed up to be on TV, but Wash didnt and that makes her the victim in this drama.

Former Southern Charm villain defends Kathryn Dennis

One of the most interesting twists of this entire drama is that former Southern Charm villain and Dennis rival, Ashley Jacobs, has spoken up to slam Eubanks, Olindo, and Meissner while defending Dennis.

Jacobs  Ravenels ex-girlfriend and a recurring cast member during Season 5  claims the cast was aware of Dennis scandalous behavior the whole time.

She also claims that the three ladies only defended Dennis on camera, never off. They did so because they were afraid of the unpopular opinion of Southern Charm fans.

Ashley Jacobs Slams Exited Southern Charm Stars as They Turn on Kathryn Dennis: 'Cowards' #PeopleNow pic.twitter.com/16lqFlSHlO  People (@people) May 16, 2020

You created your Kween  this reality TV fictional character by condoning that behavior, Jacobs wrote of Dennis. And now youre all upset about it?

Ashley Jacobs acknowledged her treatment of Dennis was wrong. But added at least she never pretended to be something other than herself.

You were ALL enablers. I wish I would have used the word COWARDS instead. Seems a bit more fitting, wrote Jacobs. Who added that the reason Southern Charm season 5 was the highest-rated season in the shows history was that it featured someone who had the courage to speak the truth.

Southern Charm is supposed to return to Bravo with new episodes at some point in .
Economist, Prof. Peter Quartey, has backed Bank of Ghana's decision to support government's budget to cushion the economy from the adverse impact of COVID-19.

The central bank has indicated that it is supporting the Ghanaian economy with ten billion cedis to bridge the budget deficit caused by the global pandemic.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, has said that the central bank is making ready 5.5 billion cedis of the total budgetary support.

He says the support would be in the form of purchasing the government's COVID-19 relief bonds to ease some liquidity needed for various forms of expenditure.

Reacting to this, Professor Peter Quartey told Citi Business News this has become necessary as most economies, through their finance ministers are re-prioritizing their expenditure to determine the shortfalls in revenue; both projected and actual.

So far in the past couple of years, the central bank has provided zero financing to the government, but we are not in normal times, and I believe it is just proper for the central bank to steps in if it has surplus funds to help the government, he noted.

The support from the Bank of Ghana sets aside a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to fund government's budget deficit.

Proponents of this have argued that the move presented fertile grounds for successive governments to overrun their budgets with impunity.

Already, the coronavirus is expected to lead to a revenue shortfall of about 11.4 billion cedis.

But Professor Peter Quartey wants the Minister of Finance to channel majority of this budgetary support from the BoG, to the health and agric sectors of the economy.

Large scale commercial agriculture I believe could be one area that the government can pick about ten farmers to support and then within the health and pharmaceutical sectors. These for me are two critical areas that the Finance Ministry can look into.

Meanwhile, he has urged Parliament to if possible, review aspects of the Public Financial Management Act to cater for the distortion to certain limits such as the budget deficit which is currently pegged at 5% of GDP for any given year.

Parliament would have to look at the limit and set new ones which will be acceptable. Yes, we all agree we are not in normal times, but then it doesn't mean we just need to spend. That has to be done within acceptable limits, Prof. Quartey concluded.

The remaining 4.5 billion cedis to be provided by the Bank of Ghana is expected to be issued in the course of time as the regulator monitors developments in the economy.

---Citibusiness News
She's known to shy away from the public eye, spending her days holed up on a farm in Northern New South Wales.

But on Sunday, Pete Evans' wife Nicola Robinson, 42, was spotted enjoying a rare beach outing with her husband, 47, and his two daughters Chilli, 14, and Indii, 12 in Malabar, Sydney.

Dressed in a black silk midi-dress and a white jumper, the former Playboy model was spotted strolling barefoot towards the seaside with her family.

Family outing! Pete Evans' rarely-seen wife Nicola Robinson, 42, joined her husband, 47, and his daughters daughters Chilli, 14, and Indii, 12 for a beach outing in Malabar, Sydney on Sunday

Thanks to several gusts of wind, Nicola's hair was seen flipping across her face, while the fabric of her frock billowed out.

The Kiwi-born beauty appeared to go makeup free for the occasion, revealing a glimpse at her line-free visage and plump pout.

Meanwhile, former My Kitchen Rules judge Pete was dressed for comfort in a pair of pink-and-white board shorts and a grey hoodie.

Life's a beach! Dressed in a black silk midi-dress and a white jumper, the former Playboy model was spotted strolling barefoot towards the seaside with her family

Windy weather: Thanks to several gusts of wind, Nicola's hair was seen flipping across her face

Natural beauty! The Kiwi-born stunner appeared to go makeup free for the occasion, revealing a glimpse at her line-free visage and plump pout

Casual: Meanwhile, former My Kitchen Rules judge Pete was dressed for comfort in a pair of pink-and-white board shorts and a grey hoodie

The family were also joined by their adorable toy poodle Shikoba, who often features in Pete and Nicola's Instagram feeds.

Once they reached the shore, Pete and his daughters jumped in the water for a refreshing swim, while sun-kissed Nicola waited on a rock nearby.

Nicola and Pete began dating in 2012, and later married in a barefoot wedding ceremony on their picturesque picturesque property near Round Mountain in 2016.

Furry friend: The family were also joined by their adorable toy poodle Shikoba, who often features in Pete and Nicola's Instagram feeds

Staying dry: Once they reached the shore, Pete and his daughters jumped in the water for a refreshing swim, while Nicola waited on a rock nearby

Gusty: At one stage, the fabric of Nicola's black frock billowed out

Watch out! Pete spread his arms and poked out his tongue as he bounded into the water with gusto

New-age: Nicola, who describes herself as 'moon gazing farm girl' and 'nutritional mermaid', has raised eyebrows in recent years with her unusual beliefs about health and spirituality

Nicola, who describes herself as 'moon gazing farm girl' and 'nutritional mermaid', has raised eyebrows in recent years with her unusual beliefs about health and spirituality.

She also received media attention in 2017, when she went under the knife to have her 'toxic' breast implants removed.

Speaking to Channel Seven's Sunday Night after the explant surgery, Nicola said that getting rid of the 'two large bags' on her chest had completely transformed her life.

Explant surgery: She also received media attention in 2017, when she went under the knife to have her 'toxic' breast implants removed

New beginnings: Meanwhile, Nicola is currently enjoying quality time with Pete following his recent departure from Channel Seven

Thrilled: Last week, Nicola celebrated Pete's exit from the network by uploading an Instagram photo of her husband riding a horse alongside the caption: 'Morning rounds (in his PJ's ), with this full time MAN OF THE LAND!'

Controversial: In recent years, Pete has found himself in hot water over his bizarre theories and unscientific claims

Meanwhile, Nicola is currently enjoying quality time with Pete following his recent departure from Channel Seven.

Last week, Nicola celebrated Pete's exit from the network by uploading an Instagram photo of her husband riding a horse alongside the caption: 'Morning rounds (in his PJ's ), with this full time MAN OF THE LAND!'

The former model went on to add the telling hashtag, 'the shackles are off'.

Scandal: Most recently, Pete was fined $25,200 for promoting a bizarre lamp that he claimed could help treat coronavirus

In recent years, Pete has found himself in hot water over his bizarre theories and unscientific claims.

Most recently, Pete was fined $25,200 for promoting a bizarre lamp that he claimed could help treat coronavirus.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration issued two infringement notices Evans' company for alleged breaches of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
Singapore on Monday reported 305 new COVID-19 cases, the smallest increase in over a month, due to fewer tests being processed at laboratories, taking the country's total count to 28,343.

The vast majority of new cases are foreigners on work permits and residing in dormitories, the Health Ministry said in its preliminary daily update.

Two new coronavirus cases reported on Monday are Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners), according to the Ministry.

"The lower number of cases today is partly due to fewer tests being processed as one testing laboratory is reviewing its processes following an earlier apparatus calibration issue, and will need time to ramp up its testing capacity," it said.

As of Sunday, Singapore had 1,210 COVID-19 patients hospitalised and 17,466 kept in isolation facilities.

The ministry said 9,340 patients have been discharged from hospital while 22 have died so far due to complication related to the disease.

As of Sunday, 25,782 of the 323,000 migrant workers living in dormitories, or nearly 8 per cent, have tested positive for COVID-19, reported The Straits Times.

The authorities are continuing to test workers, and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo has said that the aim is to test all of them systematically so they can be cleared before returning to work.

There are signs recently that the COVID-19 situation in Singapore could be stabilising amid the circuit breaker, according to a report by The Straits Times.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18)  The low pressure area, previously known as Tropical Depression "Ambo", is no longer posing a threat to the country hours ahead of its exit, the state-run weather bureau said Monday.

As of 5a.m., the low pressure area was located at 155 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility in the afternoon.

"This weather disturbance is no longer affecting any parts of the country," PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio told CNN Philippines' New Day.

A generally warm and humid weather can be expected in Metro Manila and the rest of the country in the afternoon, he said.

No other weather disturbance is seen to affect the country for the next three to five days, aside from partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers due to localized thunderstorms, Aurelio added.

Ambo is the first typhoon to hit the country for 2020. It made its first landfall over San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar on May 14.

At least one casualty has been reported in the area after a man got hit by shards in an evacuation center, according to regional authorities.

It also left 185.8 million worth of damages to agriculture in ten provinces in the Bicol region, CALABARZON, and Eastern Visayas.

Rainy season approaching?

Meanwhile, PAGASA said that it will be on the lookout for a shift in wind direction, accompanied by consecutive rainshowers and thunderstorms which could trigger the onset of the rainy season.

"We will continue to observe the wind direction from east to southwest for this week before we declare that the rainy season is already here," Aurelio said.

The occurrence of scattered rainfall and a shift in wind direction associated with the southwest monsoon usually marks the start of the rainy season between the second half of May and the first half of June, according to PAGASA.
Members of a Co Fermanagh church have responded to the Covid-19 crisis by producing almost 1,600 medical scrubs for the NHS.

It all became possible after The Church Mouse shop in Enniskillen received a consignment of defective shirts prior to the lockdown.

The manager of the East Bridge Street store, which is run by Enniskillen Presbyterian Church, then thought it might be possible to use them in the quest for PPE.

And that is when Eleanor Harpur enlisted an army of volunteers to turn the sub-standard shirts into scrubs for two Northern Ireland hospitals and care homes in the Republic.

"Quite some time ago we received a large boxed up consignment of white shirts with minor defects that you wouldn't have noticed," she said.

"A large number of boxes had been sent to Operation Rescue in Ethiopia and we were able to sell some in the shop, but we still had a lot left over when we had to close in March because of the lockdown.

"Watching the news one night I wondered whether they would be of any use to the NHS at this anxious time."

Eleanor asked two church members, Alison and Gordon Annan, for guidance as the latter had already helped to distribute PPE across Ireland with the help of fellow bikers known as 'Bikers Coming Through'.

"Gordon told me the shirts, almost 1,600 of them, could be altered and made into scrubs, which was great news," she said.

"As a result Gordon delivered 440 shirts to Margaret Houston of NI Scrubs, a seamstress in Dromore, Co Tyrone, whose team of 60 home-working machinists removed the collars and cuffs.

"They sewed a V-shaped neckline cut into the front and made other alternations, which included sewing on pockets, to produce scrubs for the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen."

Eleanor told how "another 440 shirts went to Co Kildare by van, where Gordon met up with fellow bikers for the onward journey to Co Kerry and machinists there to make more scrubs for care homes in the area".

She added that the "final 700 shirts went to the machinists in Dromore again, where they were altered for use in the new Nightingale hospital in Belfast".

Eleanor said the delivery of the defective shirts was an example of God working in mysterious ways.

"Little did we know, when we received this large consignment of shirts, how useful they would actually become," she said.

"We are so grateful that we have been able to play a small part in helping those who are doing so much for us all."
The coronavirus vaccine being developed by scientists at Oxford University may not prevent people from becoming infected with the disease after all, experts have warned.

In the latest animal trials of the vaccine carried out on rhesus macaques, all six of the participating monkeys went on to catch the coronavirus.

Dr William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School professor, revealed the monkeys who received the vaccine had the same amount of virus in their noses as the three non-vaccinated monkeys in the trial.

This suggests the treatment, which has already received in the region of 90million in government investment, may not halt the spread of the deadly disease.

The bombshell comes after initial reports last week suggested the vaccine offered 'some' immunity against the virus, and stopped it getting deep into the lungs, where it becomes deadly.

The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCov-19, is currently undergoing its first human clinical trial, as nations accelerate their efforts to tackle the deadly virus.

It is the latest setback to hopes of a cure after a professor at Imperial College London, where researchers are also studying a potential vaccine, warned earlier today a working vaccine is unlikely to be ready this year.

He said people should not have 'false expectations' of cure being ready soon despite ministers revealing they are hoping to have 30 million vaccine doses for the UK by September.

A coronavirus vaccine developed in Britain may not stop those treated being infected. Pictured: A volunteer is injected with the vaccine in Oxford University's vaccine trial

Discussing the Oxford vaccine, Dr Haseltine wrote on Forbes: 'All of the vaccinated monkeys treated with the Oxford vaccine became infected when challenged.

'There was no difference in the amount of viral RNA detected from (nasal secretions) in the vaccinated monkeys as compared to the unvaccinated animals.

'Which is to say, all vaccinated animals were infected.'

Professor of Molecular Biology at Nottingham University, John Ball, warned: 'The amount of virus genome detected in the noses of the vaccinated and un-vaccinated monkeys was the same and this is concerning.

'If this represents infectious virus and a similar thing occurs in humans, then vaccinated people can still be infected and shed large amounts of virus.

'This could potentially spread to others in the community.'

Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University Eleanor Riley said the number of antibodies produced was 'insufficient' to prevent infection and viral shedding.

'If similar results were obtained in humans, the vaccine would likely provide partial protection against disease in the recipient but would be unlikely to reduce transmission in the wider community,' she said.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma yesterday announced a deal between Oxford University and AstraZeneca which could see millions of vaccines available in the UK by September

The vaccine' limitations were revealed when the full trial results were published last week.

They also show three of the six vaccinated monkeys began breathing more rapidly than normal after becoming infected, making them clinically ill.

However, none developed damage to the lungs. This was seen in two of the monkeys that did not get the vaccine.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VACCINES CREATED BY OXFORD AND IMPERIAL COLLEGE? The science behind both vaccine attempts hinges on recreating the 'spike' proteins that are found all over the outside of the COVID-19 viruses. Both will attempt to recreate or mimic these spikes inside the body. The difference between the two is how they achieve this effect. Imperial College London will try to deliver genetic material (RNA) from the coronavirus which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. It will transport the RNA inside liquid droplets injected into the bloodstream. The team at the University of Oxford, on the other hand, will genetically engineer a virus to look like the coronavirus - to have the same spike proteins on the outside - but be unable to cause any infection inside a person. This virus, weakened by genetic engineering, is a type of virus called an adenovirus, the same as those which cause common colds, that has been taken from chimpanzees. If the vaccines can successfully mimic the spikes inside a person's bloodstream, and stimulate the immune system to create special antibodies to attack it, this could train the body to destroy the real coronavirus if they get infected with it in future. The same process is thought to happen in people who catch COVID-19 for real, but this is far more dangerous - a vaccine will have the same end-point but without causing illness in the process. Advertisement

Dr Haseltine added: 'It is crystal clear that the vaccine did not provide sterilising immunity to the virus challenge, the gold standard for any vaccine.

'It may provide partial protection.'

The vaccine entered its first human clinical trial last month. As many as 1,110 people across Oxford, Southampton, London and Bristol are taking part. Half are receiving the vaccine while the others are given a control.

The government announced a further 65.5million investment in the Oxford vaccine trials yesterday.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the Government is hoping to be in a position to roll-out a mass vaccination programme in the Autumn of this year.

Mr Sharma praised the Oxford vaccine and said: 'The speed with which Oxford University has designed and organised these complex trials is genuinely unprecedented.

'This new money will help mass produce the Oxford vaccine so that if current trials are successful we have dosages to start vaccinating the UK population straight away.

'The UK will be the first to get access and we can also ensure that in addition to supporting people here, we are able to make the vaccine available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost.'

Imperial College London is also working on a vaccine to stop coronavirus, which it says aims to trigger a rapid immune response using the 'spike' protein on the virus surface.

It has received more than 20 million in funding so far.

However, Robin Shattock, head of mucosal infection and immunity at Imperial, said it is 'important not to have a false expectation that it is just around the corner'.

Prof Shattock said there are an estimated 100 coronavirus vaccines in development around the world.

But the 'most optimistic estimation' would suggest that one proven to be successful will not be 'readily available for wide scale use into the beginning of next year'.

He said it 'may take quite some time' for researchers to get all the data they need to prove without doubt that a vaccine actually works.

Imperial's Professor Robin Shattock today said it 'may take quite some time' for researchers to develop a working vaccine

Asked if the UK is 'on the brink' of getting a working vaccine, Prof Shattock told the BBC: 'I think we need to distinguish two different things. One of the hurdles is making vaccine doses, obviously AstraZeneca can do that and that is a good thing but that is very different to having the data that proves that the vaccine actually works.

'We need to have those data to show that it is ready and appropriate to roll out. It may take quite some time to get that data, it is a numbers game.

US firm Moderna's experimental vaccine shows potential to block coronavirus in human trials Moderna's experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced antibodies that could 'neutralize' the new coronavirus in patients in a small early stage clinical trial, the company announced Monday, sending its shares up by more than 20 percent. The levels of the antibodies - immune cells made in response to a germ, which may provide protection against reinfection - were similar to those in blood samples of people who have recovered from COVID-19, early results from the study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed. Participants were given three different doses of the vaccine and Moderna said it saw dose-dependent increase in immunogenicity, the ability to provoke an immune response in the body. Moderna noted that the early trial is intended to determine the safety and side effects of the vaccine and, although the early results are promising, it's too soon to say whether the shot candidate can actually block the virus. The company has been in the lead of the US race to make a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly neck-in-neck with an Oxford University effort to make one in the UK. Advertisement

'And in fact as we are better at reducing the number of infections in the UK it gets much harder to test whether the vaccine works or not.

'There are no certainties, no guarantees in developing any of these candidates so I think it is important not to have a false expectation that it is just around the corner.

'It may be longer than any of us would want to think.'

Some health experts have suggested a vaccine could take as long as 18 months to develop while others have cautioned one may never be found.

Prof Shattock said: 'I think we need to keep context here. Obviously there could be some success, we could see things working earlier if we get the numbers and the kind of AstraZeneca approach is preparing for that success.

'But it is probably very likely that we won't really get the evidence until into early next year and then there is a difference between a solution in the UK which could be rolled out and a global solution.

'A global solution is likely to take much longer just because of the sheer operational effort to make billions of doses and make them available worldwide.'

Prof Shattock said he believed there is a 'very high chance of seeing a number of vaccines that work' as he said the evidence suggested coronavirus is 'not such a hard target as others'.

He added: 'My gut feeling is that we will start to see a number of candidates coming through with good evidence early towards next year - possibly something this year.

'But they won't be readily available for wide scale use into the beginning of next year as the kind of most optimistic estimation.'

Six drugs for treating coronavirus are currently in clinical trials worldwide.

China has four potential vaccines in clinical trials at present, three of which have entered stage two.

Trials of one vaccine developed by Beijing-based company Sinovac Biotech in April appeared to arrest the development of Covid-19 in monkeys.

However, it used a Sars-Cov-2 virus, whereas the Oxford vaccine uses a weakened version of adenovirus (common cold) that causes infections in chimpanzees, with the coronavirus spike protein added to it.

Sinovac Biotech has secured land and loans for it to develop a facility to mass produce any effective vaccine.

The company has previously been involved in developing vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and H1N1 influenza.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As societal issues continue to constrain markets, including the property sector, My Management has invested in an action plan focusing on tenant care. Its prioritization of putting measures in place at the earliest stages to protect tenants has contributed to immense success in the maintenance of its value and its rental appeal.

Apartments for rent completely renovated with second-chance programs to make renters feel at home.

One-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in Memphis are top commodities; however, many rental businesses have been severely economically impacted. My Management has transformed its business model into a caring property company or that of concerned management. It is a professional venture in which the interests of clients are placed at the fore of the business, providing value for the tenants and the investor.

A caring property company is a new approach to property management. The management company is responsible for the maintenance of its property including the well-being of its tenants. This process is based on the principle that if a property manager takes care of its residents and supports their success, it will support the success of the business.

My Management, which is the management company of Winbranch Complex and owner of ApartmentsNearMe.Biz, responds quickly to situations as a "concerned management" business. A great example is their rapid response to the pandemic upon its arrival to the US in 2020. The company performed a thorough risk analysis which contributed to the creation of an action plan. Processes like this allow My Management to put measures in place that support its professional survival during and after economic impacts.

As stated by Founder and CEO of My Management, LLC, Adam Rudman: "I believe if a management company cares about the tenants as equally as the success of the business, there is no battle that cannot be won. I believe we proved that during the 2020 Covid-19 crisis. Upon hearing of the virus, we implemented a reduced rental program for residents and maintained interest in apartment rentals with move-in offers and online payment systems for prospective residents. To prevent the spread of Covid-19, property managers provided each person entering the office with a mask to maintain social distancing."

To further promote community success My Management has integrated a Resource Center through ApartmentsNearMe.Biz, where residents and the general community are informed of ongoing societal information. The guide extends its reach financially, offering renters the resources they could access should unexpected challenges become a reality.

My Management's tenant-oriented approach has supported the maintenance and value of its apartment complexes preceding and following one of the most trying times in America. Having prevented major economic losses suffered across the US property market, the management company continues to provide reliable and valuable rental services.

Media Contact:

C. Porter

Email: [email protected]

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Biodiversity Day: Virtual session View(s):

Biodiversity Sri Lanka will commemorate the International Day for Biological Diversity 2020, in partnership with Dilmah Conservation through a joint programme on the theme Our Solutions are in Nature.

This years programme will be organized as a virtual one on Friday, May 22 at 9.30 a.m. with panelists IUCNs Director Ecosystem Global Management Programme Dr. Radhika Murti, Emeritus Professor Nimal Gunatilake, Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya and Dilhan C. Fernando, Chairman, Biodiversity Sri Lanka and CEO of Dilmah Tea. Those interested could submit their questions early to the panel, by emailing info@biodiversitysrilanka.org
A 71-year-old coronavirus-infected man died in Assam on Monday, raising the death toll to three, while four more tested positive, bringing the virus count to 104 in the state, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The man, who was suffering from neck cancer, had tested positive last week after he returned from Mumbai by bus.

"He died at 11:05 am due to respiratory distress in Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and his cause of death has been marked as due to both neck cancer and COVID-19," the minister said at a press conference here.

The wife and the son of the deceased have been shifted out from their quarantine facility in a hotel and admitted to Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Sarma said.

This is the third death in Assam due to COVID-19 with the first being a Tablighi Jamaat returnee from Hailakandi who died at Silchar Medical College and Hospital and a 16-year old girl who was found positive after she passed away in B Barooah Cancer Hospital in Guwahati.

Meanwhile, four people have tested positive on Monday with two from Golaghat and one each from Nagaon and Jorhat, the minister said.

Of the 104 positive cases in the state, there are 58 active cases, three deaths, two have migrated out and 41 have been cured and discharged from the hospital, Sarma said.

The state has so far tested nearly 40,000 samples in seven laboratories in the state.

"There is, however, no need to panic as most of the cases detected positive are from quarantine camps and so far community transmission has not taken place," he said.

The health department has conducted community surveillance in 16,000 villages so far and not a single case has been detected, he said.

"The COVID-19 tally will increase in the state but success of Assam's COVID management will depend on the strict quarantine system adopted and it will spread to the community, only if this fails," the minister said.

The state has adopted the policy of "ruthless quarantine with big heart", which implies that all coming from outside will have to undergo "strict quarantine and the government will take care of them", he said.

People are keen to return to their homes "and this is quite natural but we appeal to them to space out their travel so that we can provide them with the best quarantine facilities", he said.

The minister said that so far 48,000 people have returned to the state and more will come but "if they all come together, it will be difficult to provide them with quality quarantine facilities, which will pose a problem leading to possible community transmission of the disease".

The state government was likely to incur an expenditure of Rs 300 crore for quarantine of one lakh people and to provide financial assistance to four lakh people from Assam staying in other states under Assam Cares, he said.

The Assam government is negotiating with the World Bank in this regard and "it will help us considerably, if it works out", Sarma added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Covid-19 testing is to be ramped up to 100,000 a week in Ireland.

From today close contacts of people who have Covid-19 will be tested even if they have no symptoms.

It is estimated that around half of people with the virus are asymptomatic.

Dublin GP Dr Maitiu O'Toole says the testing system appears to be working.

He says: "As of today the aim was that we would be testing 100,000 people a week.

"The fact that the HSE has now announced that not only are we going to be able to provide tests for those that are positive,

"But actually test for their close contacts, and actually two tests on day one and day seven,

"Really shows that the HSE is now very confident that they have the capacity that is required which is really reassuring."

Meanwhile, in the UK, losing your sense of taste or smell is officially a sign of coronavirus - and you should self-isolate.

The government there updating is guidance, weeks after scientists first warned it could be a symptom along with fever and a persistent cough.

It is not been added to the list of symptoms prompting self-isolation in Ireland but Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said that it was up to GPs to decide if someone should be tested.

He says: "If an individual is concerned or worried about any symptoms it is always good advice to contact your GP.

"Your GP will be in a position to assess whether you meet the clinical case definition or not and whether the GP feels a test is appropriate for you."
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for the safe return of migrant labourers from the eastern state who are stranded in Indore due to the nationwide lockdown.

In the letter, Chouhan mentioned that a large number of migrant workers from various parts of Bengal have been working in various areas of MPs economic capital Indore.

Owing to the lockdown and absence of trains or government buses to take these workers to their home state, they are hiring private vehicles to return to their home state. But travelling by private vehicles to Bengal is expensive, inconvenient and unsafe.

While referring to special Shramik Express trains being run by Railways across the nation on the request of various state governments for the safe return of migrants to their home states, Chouhan mentioned in the letter about 85 special trains having brought back around 1.07 lakh MP migrants from different states, adding that the process is still underway.

Chouhan requested the West Bengal CM to coordinate with the Railways to run a special train between Indore and Kolkata for the safe return of Bengals migrants to their native state.

Indore is one of the prime COVID-19 hotspots in the country with 2565 cases and 101 deaths.

Just two days back, the MP CM had also written letters to the CMs of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for providing timely information about inter-state movement of migrants passing through MP.


Placement Completed and Exploration Update

Perth, May 18, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Torian Resources Limited ( ASX:TNR ) is pleased to advise that it has received binding commitments for a placement from strategic investors to raise $395,000 (before costs) through the issue of approximately 26.3 million fully paid ordinary shares at $0.015 per share together with a one-for-two attaching option (TNRO) exercisable at $0.02 expiring 7 February 2022 (Placement).The Company would also like to provide an exploration update on the Mt Stirling Gold Camp exploration program.Regarding the placement, the funds raised will enable Torian to fast track its exploration efforts, with expectation of a strong pipeline of announcements and catalysts as follows:- Exploration results pending for 12 reverse circulation holes for 1,032m targeting extensions to mineralisation at Credo Well and Credo Well North pursuant to the JV with Dampier Gold Ltd ( ASX:DAU );- Exploration drilling with results pending on the Mt Stirling Gold Camp, which sits adjacent to RED5's ( ASX:RED ) tenement package which hosts the King of The Hills mine. This eight-hole drill program will be the first drilling the ground has seen in four years, testing the down plunge on the significant historical intercept of 35m @ 2.99 g/t Au (ASX 13 May 2020);- Mapping of the Diorite prospect with the Mt Stirling Gold Camp. Reconnaissance activities to commence on the Diorite block, which historically produced at a grade of 73 g/t Au [sourced from Mindat.org], with the Diorite King m and Diorite Queen mines to be re-evaluated and other high quality targets to be followed up. (ASX 13 May 2020);- Exploration results of Mt Stirling drilling;- Second phase of exploration at the Mt Stirling Gold Camp to commence in the near term;- Desktop studies of the Mt Monger/Wombola Project which sits adjacent to Silver Lake Resources' ( ASX:SLR ) flagship Mt Monger mine;- Commencement of field works on the Mt Monger Project; and- Zuleika JV exploration with Dampier Gold Ltd ( ASX:DAU ) to commence.PLACEMENT DETAILSThe Company has received firm comments to issue 26,333,334 fully paid ordinary shares (Placement Shares) at an issue price of $0.015 and 13,166,667 attaching options exercisable at $0.02 expiring 7 February 2022 (Placement Options) to strategic investors pursuant to S708 of the Corporations Act, raising $395,000 before costs. The Placement Shares will be issued under the Company's existing placement capacity pursuant to ASX Listing Rule 7.1A. The Placement Options will be issued pursuant to the Company's existing capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1.Issue of the Placement Shares and Options is anticipated to occur on 21 May 2020. In addition, the Company intends to seek shareholder approval to issue 5,000,000 advisor options on the same terms as the placement options.MT STIRLING GOLD CAMP DRILLING UPDATEThe Company has commenced drilling the second hole (MSRC-026) in the eight-hole program and is delighted to report that the first hole (MSRC-025), which was completed to a depth of 336m on Friday afternoon 15 May 2020, intercepted 274m of quartz-carbonate veins containing pyrite and stoping in this mineralisation at end of hole. The RC assay sample chips from MSRC-025 are currently on-route to an ALS laboratory in Kalgoorlie. The Company will make assay results available as soon as the data is received and interpreted. Pyrite is known to host gold in the Leonora Goldfields district and other Archean Gold deposits around the world. The Board and the Competent Person (CP) deems it appropriate to disclose this wide intercept containing quartz-carbonate-pyrite in hole MSRC-025 but notes that there is not enough evidence to suggest that any gold or other economic metallic elementals will be present at this stage. The Company will update the market immediately upon receiving and reviewing the assay results.Non-Executive Chairman, Louie Simens, said: "We wanted to utilise our current placement capacity under listing rules to help fast track our exploration activities. As such we are pleased that a number of strategic and long-term Torian investors have chosen to take up a position in the Company. We are now further funded to embark on a systematic property wide mapping program and continue to drill out walk-up targets to test both length and depth at the Mt Stirling Gold Camp (as announced) and potentially expand on this program once assays are received.Furthermore, the increased funding allows us to commence further works (as outlined above) much sooner than would have otherwise been possible. Following our current drilling campaign at Mt Stirling, (ASX 13 May 2020) a priority focus will be placed on mapping the Mt Stirling Gold Camp on the Diorite prospect that contains the historical Diorite King and Diorite Queen mines.With the finalisation of the Joint Venture on our Zuleika Project and our JV partner's eagerness to drill out the tenements, plus the recent execution of the Malcolm Project option sale agreement, combined with the placement of the convertible note and this raise, we have solidified the Company's cash position and removed significant expenditure commitments whilst maintaining our shareholders' upside across all projects. This is consistent with our previously announced corporate cost saving measures, allowing the majority of the Company's cash to be invested in aggressive exploration at the Mt Stirling Gold Camp and further Mt Monger desktop studies and field activities.We are encouraged by the initial progress of the drill program at the Mt Stirling Gold Camp, as we await the pending assay results from our first of eight proposed holes. At this early stage there is not enough evidence to suggest that any gold or other minerals will be present.However, the results will provide us with a better understanding of the structure and the potential mineralisation of the system at depth.Having established a fantastic team of experienced geologists we are confident that this region is a highly prospective location to be looking for large gold discoveries. The Mt Stirling Project is located within the prolific Leonora region which has produced over 14Moz with Sons of Gwalia, Tower Hill, Thunderbox, Harbour Lights and more recently the Gwalia Mine as key deposits and Red 5's ( ASX:RED ) King of the Hills mine, being in our immediate vicinity.We look forward to updating the market on our exploration efforts with drill results from the Credo JV due shortly and ongoing drill results from the Mt Stirling Gold Camp."About Torian Resources Limited

Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) is a gold exploration and development company with an extensive and strategic land holding comprising eight projects and over 400km2 of tenure in the Goldfields Region of Western Australia.

Torian's flagship project, Zuleika, is located along the world-class Zuleika Shear. The Zuleika Shear is the fourth largest gold producing region in Australia and consistently produces some of the country's highest grade and lowest cost gold mines. Torian's Zuleika project lies north and partly along strike of several major gold deposits including Northern Star's (ASX:NST) 7.0Moz East Kundana Joint Venture and Evolutions (ASX:EVN) 1.8Moz Frogs Legs and White Foil deposits.

Torian's other projects include the strategically located Mt Stirling and Malcolm Projects in the Leonora region (near Red 5's King of the Hills Project), where it recently completed updated Mineral Resource Estimates and preliminary scoping studies, and a suite of other projects in the Kalgoorlie region including Credo Well JV Zuleika JV, Bonnie Vale, Gibraltar and Mount Monger/Wombola.
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Irans foreign ministry announced on Monday, May 18 that preliminary steps and political consultations were undertaken to launch a South Korean humanitarian channel for Iran.

South Korean foreign ministry announced March 22 that Seoul is exploring ways to provide humanitarian assistance to Iran to fight the coronavirus epidemic.

President Hassan Rouhani had reportedly sent a letter to his South Korean counterpart earlier this month and Iran made requests through other channels, prompting Seoul to focus on the issue.

Since the reimposition of U.S. trade and banking sanctions on Iran in 2018, Tehran has been complaining that it cannot meet some of its essential medical needs. The U.S. says that its sanctions do not limit trade in food and medical supplies, but some argue that banking restrictions impact humanitarian trade.

The United States reached a similar agreement with Switzerland in December 2019 to open a humanitarian trade channel with Iran to allow Swiss companies to sell food and medicine, with the first transaction already completed. The agreement means companies that sell approved items to Iran need not fear any U.S. retaliation.

Abbas Mousavi, the spokesperson of Irans foreign ministry, today also referred to the Swiss humanitarian trade channel and said Tehran will try to activate the mechanism, although at least one major shipment was already sent to Iran.

Iran, which has been demanding an end to U.S. sanctions has repeatedly asked for trade channels not to be limited to humanitarian shipments.
The Taliban claimed a deadly attack on an Afghan intelligence agency post Monday, even as they urged the new power-sharing government to accelerate a prisoner swap to pave the way for talks.

At least seven intelligence personnel were killed by a car bomb in the eastern province of Ghazni, Wahidullah Jumazada, spokesman for the province's governor told AFP.

"The terrorists have used a Humvee in their attack. They have targeted the National Directorate of Security unit in Ghazni city," he said, adding that 40 people were wounded.

The interior ministry in Kabul and a health official in Ghazni confirmed the car bomb.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that their insurgents had carried out the attack.

The bombing comes a day after President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a new power-sharing accord in Kabul, ending their bitter months-long feud.

The agreement overcomes one of the hurdles to negotiations with the Taliban, which warned Monday that talks cannot open until a so-far piecemeal prisoner swap is completed.

"That which is taking place in Kabul is only a repetition of the past failed experiences," Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter in what was the group's first reaction to the Ghani-Abdullah deal.

"Afghan sides should focus on real and sincere solution to the issue... The prisoners' release process should be completed and the intra-Afghan negotiations should start."

The prisoner exchange was agreed under a US-Taliban deal signed in February, which excluded the Afghan government. Kabul has so far released about 1,000 Taliban prisoners, while the militants claim to have freed 263 government captives.

- 'Undeclared spring offensive' -

Last week President Ashraf Ghani ordered security forces to switch to an "offensive" position against the militants after two deadly attacks killed dozens of people.

A daylight raid on a Kabul hospital left at least 24 people dead, including mothers and infants.

That attack, which triggered international outrage, was followed by a suicide bombing at a funeral which killed at least 32 mourners.

The Taliban denied involvement in either attack, although Ghani blamed the militants and the Islamic State group.

Following Ghani's order, the Taliban warned it would increase attacks against Afghan security forces.

"They have began their undeclared spring offensive and they have kept ties with international terrorist groups," acting interior minister Masoud Andarabi told reporters.

Afghanistan's chief of intelligence, General Ahmad Zia Siraj, said the US-Taliban deal was expected to lower violence.

"Unfortunately, the violence has not decreased. The Taliban have never welcomed peace," he said at a joint press conference with Andarabi.

The Taliban have carried out more than 3,800 attacks and killed 420 civilians and wounded 906 since signing the deal with Washington, Siraj added.

Afghan army chief of staff General Bismillah Waziri said security forces were now planning "to start cohesive and systematic operations in areas where the threat level is high".

Under the deal, Washington pledged to withdraw all of its forces by next year, in return for security guarantees from the Taliban and a promise that they would hold talks with the government in Kabul.

The United States, which wants to end its involvement in what has become its longest war, expressed hope that those talks could now move forward following the government's political breakthrough on Sunday.

The new power-sharing deal stipulates that Abdullah will lead the peace process and will fill 50 percent of the new cabinet positions.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Ghani and Abdullah "that the priority for the United States remains a political settlement to end the conflict", his spokeswoman said in a statement.

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After individual Bay Area counties branched off of the original regional shelter-in-place order one-by-one last week, a new order issued by health officials Monday establishes a new multi-county consortium in the Bay Area.

The order  signed by health officials in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and the city of Berkeley  announces a move to Stage 2 of Governor Gavin Newsom's statewide reopening plan, which allows for the return of retail and manufacturing with physical distancing measures in place.

Conspicuously absent from the new order is San Mateo County  the first Bay Area county to break off from the original order last week. County health officer Dr. Scott Morrow had suggested in early May he was considering issuing a new order allowing all businesses to reopen if they can adequately implement physical distancing measures to protect employees and customers.

"The next step in reopening businesses will probably be to allow those, regardless of what the business does, that can comply with and implement social distancing protocols to reopen under those procedural constraints, somewhat similar to what you now observe in grocery and other stores that are open," he wrote. "These businesses should now begin thinking about how this would apply to their operations and what modifications need to be made."

The fact that San Mateo County is not part of this new order means it could possibly apply for a regional variance and move to reopen other Stage 2 businesses such as restaurants, shopping malls and office spaces where telework is not possible. Morrow has stated that might be inclined to move beyond the state's Stage 2 reopening prior to May 31  given the state order changes as well.

"I have great hope that the indicators we are monitoring will continue to improve and this Order can be revised before May 31, 2020 in a manner that focuses more on behavior (social distancing, face masks, etc.) and risk of disease transmission in contrast to categories of businesses (essential vs. non-essential)," he wrote. "However, for me to issue such an Order, the State first needs to revise its Order to allow it. While the Governor has indicated that the State will do so in weeks, not months, the actual date is uncertain. Modification by the State of its Order is a pre-requisite for such a change here."

Governor Newsom stated Monday that Stage 3  which sees the return of personal care services and gyms  could begin two weeks from now in the first week of June.

When San Mateo County announced it would branch off from the original shelter-in-place order last Wednesday, it was swiftly followed by San Francisco, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Santa Clara County public health officer Dr. Sara Cody, the architect of the original order, stated last week her county was not ready to move into Stage 2.

On Monday, however, the county reversed and announced it would indeed reopen retail and manufacturing with the rest of the region.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

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Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting
Bengaluru, May 18 : Eighty-four new Covid-19 cases, majority of them with travel history to Mumbai, emerged in the past 19 hours in Karnataka, which is the highest single day rise, taking the state's tally to 1,231, according to an official, here on Monday.

In addition to 54 patients who visited Mumbai, two had travelled to Solapur and one to Raigad in Maharashtra. Total cases with Maharashtra contact were 57 out of 84. Of all the cases, 58 were men and 26 women.

Of the 1,231 cases, 672 are active, 521 got discharged and 37 died from Covid-19.

Nowadays, Karnataka is regularly posting the highest single-day rises, beating earlier maximums.

On Monday, cases spiked in Raichur, Bengaluru Urban, Gadag, Yadagiri, Uttara Kannada and Mandya. Until Sunday, Raichur was a green zone without a case.

Among the new cases, Bengaluru Urban contributed 18, Mandya (17), Uttara Kannada (8), Raichuru and Kalaburagi (6 each), Vijayapura, Yadagiri and Gadag (5 each), Hassan (4), Koppal (3), Belagavi (2) and Ballari, Bidar, Kodagu, Mysuru and Davangre (one each).

Except two patients from Benglauru Urban with travel history to Dabaspete in Nelamangla and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, all others were secondary contacts of 653th case .

All Mandya, Hassan, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Uttara Kannada, two Koppal cases, one Belagavi case and seven Raichuru cases had travel history to Mumbai. A 20-year-old man from Raichuru had travelled to Solapur.

Of the Gadag cases, two were contacts of 913th case, two emerged from the Gadag containment zone and one had a travel history to Chennai. A 25-year-old man from Koppal had inter-state travel history to Chennai.

A 23-year-old man from Belagavi was secondary contact of 575th case. The lone Ballari case, a 61-year-old man, is also suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).

Only 24 of the 84 cases were contacts of earlier cases.

Meanwhile, green zones in Karnataka diminished to five: Kodagu, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar. In the past 19 hours, Raichur and Koppal lost their green zone status with new cases.

Of the 1,231 cases, 11 per cent patients were senior citizens, 66 per cent men and 34 per cent women with a discharge rate of 42 per cent.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Now that were beginning  just beginning  to emerge from the anti-coronavirus shutdowns, and the economy is starting to open up, one obvious question is begging for an answer. The restart, of society of the economy, will depend on the success we encounter in lifting trade and travel restriction. How soon will that happen, and will it happen soon enough?

For the airline industry, at least one answer may be obvious: the restart cannot come soon enough. Airlines have famously thin margins, and with long-distance and international travel simply stopped and air traffic down by 90%, they have been hemorrhaging cash. While the larger airlines may have the resources to survive, there is no doubt that at least some smaller airlines will go under.

Writing from Credit Suisse, airline industry analyst Jose Caiado sees some hope. Low share prices now make an attractive point of entry, and Caiado notes that, as society reopens, air travel will inevitably resume its essential function. There is simply no other efficient way to handle rapid long-distance travel. The key for investors will be finding those airlines best positioned to both to weather the downturn and quickly resume operations.

We believe industry has adequate liquidity to bridge through to an eventual demand recovery, which we expect towards the end of 2020. However, balance sheets are now heavily burdened with incremental leverage, and debt reduction will become industrys primary strategic objective as it emerges from the crisis, Caiado noted.

On a practical note, for investors, Caiado points out three airlines that are solid bets to survive the corona crisis and make gains in the restart. Using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we lined up the three alongside each other to get the lowdown on what the near-term holds for these airline players.

Delta Airlines (DAL)

Delta certainly meets the size test to survive the coronavirus. By fleet size, scheduled passenger numbers, and revenue per passenger-miles flown  all key industry metrics  Delta is the worlds second largest airline. The company boasts a market cap of $12.24 billion, and brought in $47 billion in revenue in 2019. With nine US hubs, and status as a founding member of the international SkyTeam alliance, Delta holds a secure position in the industry.

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The impact of COVID-19 is clear from DALs earnings. The company reported $1.70 per share in Q4, beating estimates by 21%, but that switched to a 51-cent per share loss in Q1. On a bright note, the Q1 loss was less deep than had been forecast, coming in 29% above expectations. Stock performance has not matched earnings, as DAL shares are still down 67% from February levels.

In March, Delta made two moves to improve the companys liquidity situation, which Jose Caiado noted as priority for airlines generally. On March 12, the company paid out a regular quarterly dividend of 40.25 cents per share  and on March 20, the company announced that it was drawing $3 billion from its existing revolving credit facility and at the same time a new credit agreement for $2.6 billion. Accompanying these credit moves, DAL also suspended its capital return policy, halting stock buybacks and dividend payments going forward.

Deltas income structure pre-positions the airline to recover once air travel begins to pick up. Caiado notes, We believe Delta is among the best-positioned airlines to quickly pay down the incremental debt it raised this year and quickly restore its financial strength, including its investment grade ratings we do expect to see a demand recovery in the domestic market before international, and while DAL is a global carrier with international exposure, it has outsized domestic revenue exposure (72%) relative to its network peers, which is also where it earns its highest margins.

Caiado describes DAL as a Top Pick, rating the stock a Buy with a price target of $42. This target implies a robust upside of 96% in the coming 12 months. (To watch Caiados track record, click here)

Overall, Wall Street agrees that DAL is a buying proposition. The stocks Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating is based on 9 Buys and 5 Holds set in the past two months. Share price has fallen to an affordable $21.41, while the $37.91 average price target suggests it has room for 77% upside growth. (See Delta stock analysis on TipRanks)

United Airlines Holdings (UAL)

And now we move on to the largest of the airlines, United. This holding company controls subsidiary companies around the world, and founded the Star Alliance, a cooperative grouping of airlines. With $43.26 billion in 2019 revenues, and the highest revenue per passenger-mile in the industry, UAL is a giant by any standard.

Like Delta, United felt a serious hurt moving from Q4 to Q1, due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Q4 had seen EPS of $2.67, just over the forecast, while Q1 saw UAL report a $2.57 per share net loss. As was the case with Delta, Uniteds Q1 loss was not as deep as expected. Looking toward Q2, however, UAL is expected to post a loss of $9.83 per share. Being the worlds largest airline brings advantages  but it also brings disadvantages. UAL was at the top, and so had farther to fall.

Earlier this month, United Airlines, the chief subsidiary of UAL, announced its intention to make a private offering of $2.25 billion senior secured notes. This capital expansion move is intended to pay off the $2 billion in outstanding principal on a term loan entered into this past March as a move to weather the coronavirus storm. The remaining funds raised by the senior secured notes will be used for general corporate purposes. UAL will guarantee this note issue.

Analyst Caiado has noted two important points about UAL, both in line with his general views of the airline industry. First, he points out that United has proactively led the way with respect to many Covid-19 response actions, including being the first airline to implement steep capacity cuts and suspend share repurchases, and the first to raise additional liquidity, including equity capital.

Second, and more importantly, Caiado shows that UAL is the airline best-positioned to modernize its fleet in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. He writes, Assuming the 737 MAX is ungrounded later this year, UAL will take delivery of 16 aircraft this year (already built), and it will take delivery of an additional 24 MAXs in 2021. UAL also expects to take delivery of eight more 787-9 aircraft this year as well as eight 787-10 aircraft next year.

These new aircraft will not represent a burden on the companys liquidity position: UAL will not take any new aircraft that is not already fully financed and therefore these deliveries are not a drain on cash. Looking further ahead, UAL is in talks with Boeing regarding another 131 MAX aircraft currently on order but not yet under construction.

Caiado puts a $41 price target on UAL shares, to back up his Buy rating. His price target implies a one-year upside of 74%. (To watch Caiados track record, click here)

Wall Street is more bullish here than Caiado is, as the average price target on UAL is $48.92, representing a hefty 108% upside potential. The Moderate Buy consensus rating is based on 12 reviews, including 6 Buys and 7 Holds. (See United stock analysis on TipRanks)

Alaska Air Group (ALK)

Last on our list for today is Alaska Air. With a market cap of $3.14 billion and $8.8 billion in revenue last year, this company occupies a second tier in size within the industry. Its not one of the dominating giants, but it is a major regional player, with a solid reputation for quality service in Alaska and along the West Coast of North America.

Like most of its industry peers, ALK saw earnings turn sour in 2020. The $1.46 reported in Q4 2019 was 3.5% above forecasts, reflecting the generally positive trends in the industry  but Q1 came in with a net loss of 82 cents per share. As with the giants above, this loss was not as deep as expected; it beat the forecast by 35%. Federal bailout actions under the CARES Act and company efforts to cut cost and improve access to credit both worked to ameliorate the COVID-19 impact.

While Alaska Air was forced to furlough employees, the company also took measures at the upper end of the pyramid to cut costs. The company has suspended its dividend (which had been a generous 5.85%), and has drawn on $825 million worth of credit. Top management has taken deep pay cuts across the board, ranging from 20% to 100%. While cosmetic, these pay cuts are an important PR step.

Jose Caiado, in his ALK review for Credit Suisse, sees Alaska Airs flexible position as its greatest advantage writing, ALK will be able to pay down a substantial amount of the debt it has borrowed to manage through the current crisis and leverage metrics can return to pre-crisis levels. We appreciate ALKs great flexibility with respect to its fleet & aircraft order book. ALK has several dozen Airbus aircraft slated for lease returns, and leverage with Boeing with respect to the 737 MAX given the contractual delay.

Overall, Caiado gives ALK a Buy rating, and his $51 price target indicates a high upside potential of 82%. (To watch Caiados track record, click here)

The analyst consensus rating on Alaska Air is another Moderate Buy, this one based on 7 Buy ratings and 5 Holds. The stock is selling for $27.94 right now, and the average price target, at $42.42, suggests a bullish 52% upside potential for the year ahead. (See Alaska Airs stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.
By PTI

JOHANNESBURG: The South African government is devising a new policy to change the country's marriage laws, including recognising traditional Hindu and Muslim alliances.

Customary Hindu and Muslim marriages are currently not recognised as having the same legal status as civil marriages as per the country's Marriage Act 25 of 1961, which was enacted in the apartheid-era when only Christian marriages were recognised as being legal.

This has led to serious issues, especially in denying rights to Muslim women in second marriages allowed under the Islamic law.

In order to avoid children born into such a marriage being classified illegitimate, Hindu and Muslim couples had to undergo a second civil marriage in a court of law.

The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) explained in a presentation to the Parliament that the legislation which currently regulates marriages in South Africa has been developed without an overarching policy based on the constitutional prescripts of equality, non-discrimination and human dignity.

"Despite all the changes that have been made in the marriage legislation post-1994, there are still serious gaps in the current legislation.

"For instance, the current legislation does not regulate some religious marriages such as the Hindu, Muslim and other customary marriages that are practised in some African or royal families," the DHA said.

"Given the diversity of the South African population, it is virtually impossible to pass legislation governing every single religious or cultural marriage practice.

"It is against this background that the DHA is embarking in the process of developing a marriage policy that will lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation," it said.

The DHA said that the policy will be made available for public input during the coming year and for possible approval by the Cabinet by March 2021.

After the democratic order introduced with Nelson Mandela becoming the first democratically-elected President of the country in 1994, an attempt was made to correct this by appointing some Hindu priests and Muslim clerics who conducted Nikaah ceremonies as marriage officers.

They were required to complete the relevant documents at the same time as the traditional marriage and submit them to the Department.

Now the government wants to make things simpler through harmonising the different approaches to traditional marriages, including customary unions in the Black African communities.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The solitude of quarantine may be stressful, but it presents opportunities to reconnect with the joy of creativity, advises Joe Violante, Executive Creative Director at CBX, in an essay for Graphic Design USA.

"When Zoom is your only way to commune with your colleagues, what choice do you have but to look within?" writes Violante, who has more than 25 years of design knowledge and experience in branding, packaging and corporate identity.

Violante: "When you put down your phone or TV remote and embrace what's happening within yourself, you reconnect with your creative wellspring. It's the first step to bringing fresh ideas to your personal and professional work."

In the essay ("Staying Creative While Staying In Place"), the Westchester County resident points to the massive contrast between the pre-pandemic workplace and life under lockdown.

"As head of our creative studio in New York, I'm accustomed to spending my days in our 'brand rooms' riding the energy of in-person collaboration," he writes. "I'll dive into animated debates, hang sketches and designs on the walls and exhort everyone to push the limits of their creativity. I have come to cherish such collaboration every bit as much as the sight of one of my own ideas brought to life on a package or in a logo."

But these days, Violante, like many of us, spends his workdays at home with his family. In the essay, he draws on his personal experiences of this shift to offer tips for staying creative.

Faced with a sense of unease (as when staring at a blank canvas), creatives could easily give in to resistanceprocrastination or losing oneself in tech-driven distractions. Going for a contemplative walk, Violante writes, could be a better alternative. "When you put down your phone or TV remote and embrace what's happening within yourself, you reconnect with your creative wellspring," he explains. "It's the first step to bringing fresh ideas to your personal and professional work."

Another productive option is to take advantage of this time to revisit classical works of art and designeverything from the Bauhaus to Pablo Picasso to Calder. For Violante, that means dusting off an Andy Warhol art tome, putting on Bob Dylan's 1975 classic "Blood on the Tracks" or watching documentaries about groundbreaking artists and designers.

"You're bound to stimulate your own creative impulses," he writes. "If you're a talented illustrator, that could make you more likely to skip the stock images and create something truly original for your client."

Lastly, Violante urges creatives to pay close attention to how the pandemic is affecting them emotionally. "I've been thinking much more about humanity writ largethe beauty and challenge of our lives," he writes. "Sustainability, too, figures more prominently for me as I contemplate the future of our troubled planet. Others I have spoken with describe being more cognizant of history and of the struggles our ancestors overcame."

Consumers are feeling the same way. When the pandemic has faded, the designer concludes, they will respond to brands that are altruistic, beneficial and truthfuland creatives should already be thinking about how to tell those stories.

The full column is available at http://gdusa.com/blog/how-to-stay-creative-while-sheltering-in-place

About CBX

CBX is an independent agency specializing in brand strategy and design services, including branding, innovation, packaging and retail design. Founded in 2003, the company currently employs nearly 100 creative and support staff at its New York City headquarters and Minneapolis office. Its client list includes Mondelez, Kroger, Keurig Dr Pepper, General Mills, Hain Celestial, and Merck.

Press Contact: At Jaffe Communications, Bill Parness, (732) 673-6852, [email protected], or Elisa Krantz, (908)-789-0700, [email protected]

SOURCE CBX
The growing number of COVID-



19 cases in Maharashtra has caused a kind of fear psychosis to such an extent that a state government bus transporting migrant workers to a Uttar Pradesh district struggled to get necessary tools to replace a flat tyre, recalls the bus driver who returned recently after completing the 3200-km journey.

Pradeep Tupe, attached to Vaijapur bus depot in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, recounted how people grew wary when they noticed the bus number-plate with 'MH' abbreviation.

Tupe and his colleague Gokul Thube left for Maharajganj district, located near the Indo-Nepal border, with the bus carrying 22 migrants from Vaijapur on May 9.

"Our bus developed a flat tyre near Ayodhya during its two-day journey to the destination Pipara Kalyan in Maharajganj district. We had tools to unbolt the flattened tyre, but we were not carrying the tools needed to unbolt the spare wheel," Tupe told PTI on Monday.

"We sought help from nearby workshops and garrages, but as soon as they saw the bus's registration number beginning with 'MH', they just didn't cooperate," he recalled.

"Labourers in the bus tried to convince the local people but to no avail. Finally, we broke down the bolt of the spare wheel with a stone, which took five hours," he said.

When asked about his overall experience of the journey, Tupe said he overcame with fear while crossing the Chambal valley, which was once synonymous with dacoits.

He said the bus had to be diverted through Chambal as the borders of Jhansi were blocked.

"We remained inside the bus for nearly 96 hours during the to and fro journey. We got down only for attending nature's call. The bus was well-equipped. We were carrying food," he said.

Tupe recalled that families of the labourers grew emotional after they reached the destination and requested us to stay back for a night.

"However, we started back immediately. And returned to Maharashtra on May 13," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The State Governor proposed that the 26% of the deficit are budget cuts from programs he made in January that included education, healthcare, and, most of all, climate change spending.

In spite of this, and perhaps because in anticipation of backlash, Newsom assured that should U.S. President Donald Trump sign the Heroes Act from the House of Representatives, these budget cuts will be reimbursed by the federal government.

Climate Catalyst Fund a withdrawn proposal

The program was developed for the provision of loans to businesses and companies that were environment-friendly. The budget cuts proposed by Newsom last week would mean that the general fund would no longer be giving $250 million for them.

Earlier this year, the governor promised $12 billion of the state funds would be allotted for projects and programs by companies and organizations to encourage conversion to electric vehicles, environment-friendly business practices, and preparation and prevention of disasters.

The state's Office of Emergency Services was supposed to receive $127 million for the coordination of disaster and recovery responses brought by natural disasters across the state. In particular, Cal Fire should be able to get over $80 million additional funds for handling wildfires.

At around the same time, Newsom made a proposal of a grant worth $100 million for Californians to fortify their homes in natural disasters. Part of the budget was reserved for the preparation for California against sea level rise in coastal cities on the stateside.

Everything was scrapped. On Thursday, Newsom's deficit of an estimated $54 billion from the programs and projects was intended to balance the budget.

Check these out:

Newsom to prioritize clearing air and water pollution

Before the state started mitigation measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, California's Legislative Analyst's Office already advised Newsom against the climate change fund after its proposal last January.

State tax collections are at an all-time low, businesses have closed for two months, and over 4 million Americans are unemployed. The mitigation measures against the transmission of COVID-19 has sent the state spiraling into an economic downturn.

According to the local government, the cuts are a product of the pandemic, which came so unprecedented that the administration was forced to compromise by making sacrifices they would not have been prepared to make in the past.

The budget cuts were not done without due consideration. The Newsom administration eliminated the programs in order to prioritize cleaning the air in vulnerable communities and providing potable water in the state.

However, the program of the state would enable industries to resume factory operations that would further pollute the air and the water. Reopening businesses would mean added credit for the state, but less for the environment.

Closures of businesses that were related to the coronavirus led to improvement of the air quality through the reduction of carbon emissions caused by cars.
Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family has been home quarantined for 14 days in Uttar Pradesh. They have tested negative for coronavirus.

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is currently gearing up for the OTT release of his upcoming film Ghoomketu, has been home quarantined for 14 days along with his family in UPs Muzaffarnagar district. The actor had travelled from Mumbai to his hometown on March 15 along with his mother, brother and sister in law in his private car with the help of a travel pass. The local authorities visited Nawazuddins house post his return and ordered him a 14-day home quarantine.

When tested for coronavirus, Nawazuddin Siddiqui along with his family tested negative. The actor has also revealed to a news portal that he had to undergo medical screenings at about 25 check points along the journey. Before Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rishi Kapoors daughter Riddhima Kapoor had mapped the road journey from Delhi to Mumbai after obtaining a travel pass from the authorities.

Speaking about Nawazuddin Siddiquis upcoming film Ghoomketu, the film has been directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra and bankrolled under the banner of Phantom Films and Sony Pictures. Revolving around the life of an aspiring Bollywood writer, Ghoomketu also stars Anurag Kashyap. It will also have guest appearances by Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. The film is all set for a digital release on May 22.

Due to the recent loss of my younger sister, my mother who is 71yrs old got anxiety attack twice.

We have followed all the guidelines given by the State Government.

We are #HomeQuarantined at our hometown Budhana.

Please #StaySafe #StayHome  Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) May 18, 2020

The total number of coronavirus cases in India has neared 1 lakh mark. A spike of 5242 new cases and 157 deaths was reported in last 24 hours. Of the 96,169 confirmed cases, there are 56316 active cases, 36824 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 3029 death cases.

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Ministers who clap for key workers are only too happy to back immigration reforms which suggest thousands are unwelcome in our country, according to Labour.

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Government was proposing a new immigration system in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic which sends a signal that anyone earning below 25,600 is unskilled.

He dismissed this prospect as he launched a defence of shop workers, refuse collectors and local government staff from overseas for playing their part in the coronavirus response.

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His criticism came as MPs considered measures to repeal EU freedom of movement rules in the UK via the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill, which cleared its first hurdle after receiving a second reading by 351 votes to 252  majority 99.

The legislation is part of the move towards the Governments new points-based immigration system, to be introduced from 2021, although it does not set out the details on this.

These will be fleshed out in the immigration rules, which will explain the future system for EU and non-EU nationals who move to the UK after the Brexit transition period ends on December 2020.

Opening the second reading debate, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Bill will create a firmer, fairer and simpler system that will play a vital role in the countrys recovery from coronavirus.

NHS staff, she said, were the very best of Britain, adding: That is why we are introducing a new fast-track NHS visa to prioritise the qualified staff needed to provide high quality and compassionate professional care.

During these exceptional times, it is right that policies which affect our NHS workers are kept under review including the immigration health surcharge and thats why I recently announced a free automatic one-year visa extension for those with six months or (less) left to stay on their visas.

She also said of the Bill: It delivers on the promise we made to the British people. It ends free movement. It takes back control of our borders.

It gives the Government the powers needed to deliver an immigration system that is firm, fair and fit for the future, the points-based system the public voted for, a system that will support our economic recovery by prioritising jobs for people here in the UK while continuing to attract the brightest and the best in terms of global talent.

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But Mr Thomas-Symonds said: In the midst of this crisis the Government is putting forward an immigration system containing a salary threshold of 25,600  it sends a signal and tells people that anyone earning less than that is unskilled and unwelcome in our country.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said the earnings of frontline workers do not reflect their contribution to society, adding: Those who clapped (for carers) on Thursday are only too happy to vote through a Bill today that will send a powerful message to those same people  that they are not considered by this Government to be skilled workers.

Are shop workers unskilled? Are refuse collectors? Are local government workers? Are NHS staff? Are care workers? Of course they are not.

SNP immigration spokesman Stuart McDonald criticised the dreadful Bill, saying: Its a Bill that will result in many thousands of EU nationals losing their rights in this country overnight and which will extend the reach of the hostile environment still further.

Yvette Cooper, Labour chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, said she believes the Bill is flawed, but that immigration legislation is needed and she will put forward amendments which she hopes will receive cross-party support.

She went on: In that cross-party spirit I will not vote against the Bill tonight, although if the Governments approach does not change, I would expect to oppose it when it returns to the House.

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Labours Diane Abbott, a former shadow home secretary, said the Bill is bad in principle, bad in practice and described it as a slap in the face for the thousands of migrants, including EU migrants, working so hard for the NHS and care sector in this time of Covid crisis.

In February, the Government announced proposals for the new system, with points awarded for specific requirements such as being able to speak English to a certain level, having a job offer from an approved employer and meeting a salary threshold of 25,600.

Other points could be awarded for certain qualifications and if there is a shortage in a particular occupation.

A visa allowing doctors, nurses and health professionals from overseas to work in the NHS was introduced in March.
HENLEY businesses which have struggled to claim compensation for the coronavirus lockdown are pinning their final hopes on a new scheme being rolled out by the Government.

The directors of firms based at the Henley Building in Newtown Road, a three-storey serviced office complex owned by Regus, have been told they cant claim a small business relief grant because their units arent signed up for rate payments.

When they applied for funding last month, they were rejected as the building hadnt been assessed due to an administrative error by South Oxfordshire District Council, which collects business rates on the Governments behalf.

The authority apologised and arranged for the Valuation Office Agency to inspect the premises, which were created by merging three existing premises and opened in December 2018.

But this week, the agency confirmed it would only value the complex as a whole and not the 91 offices within it, so individual tenants still dont qualify for the grant. Instead, they must apply for a share of a nationwide discretionary fund of up to 617 million which will allow local authorities to issue grants of up to 25,000 to companies without a rateable value.

This was announced last week by Business Secretary and Reading West MP Alok Sharma following representations by Henley MP John Howell, who warned that businesses were falling through cracks in the original system.

The district council is drafting an application process and encouraging companies to register but says it cant issue payments without further guidance on who qualifies. Mr Howell says this has already been explained and it is for the authority to take the next steps.

Meanwhile, the tenants, which pay Regus a single monthly bill incorporating rent, rates, utility and service costs, fear they could go under without financial support.

Adam Cotton, from Peppard, whose currency exchange firm SAT FX is among those affected, says he cant get help from any of the Governments schemes.

He doesnt qualify for self-employment income support while Metro, with which he banks, has not yet been authorised to issue Chancellor Rishi Sunaks interest-free bounce back loans. In an email to Mr Cotton, the district council agreed the Valuation Office Agencys decision was devastating news but insisted it had to follow the rules.

An officer said: The rules for the new discretionary scheme are still awaited and... until we know how it will operate, including the funds available to the council, we cannot provide any further information.

Mr Cotton replied: What sounded like tremendous support from the Government has failed to reach those that need it. It is ironic that those who exist to support small businesses are overseeing their demise.

The sacrifices I have made and the suffering, stress and anxiety I am enduring due to the Governments actions may leave me without a business and unable to support a family of five. My business was going from strength to strength in the first quarter of 2020 and had just opened its first overseas office in Spain. I am desperate for some help now.

Mr Cotton told the Henley Standard: The discretionary fund is an encouraging start and Im glad weve been listened to but it remains to be seen whether we will be eligible or whether there will be enough money to go around. Im hopeful but not letting my expectations get too high. There are plenty of soundbites about helping small businesses but its different on the ground as I dont know many people who have actually received their money.

Mr Howell said: The initial relief schemes were put together in the face of an unprecedented crisis and its impossible to get them absolutely right from the outset. What matters is that the Government is listening, particularly to business interest groups and MPs like myself whove suggested how they might be improved. Local authorities have been issued guidance but must adapt according to circumstances.

He said the Government was working to include more banks under the bounce back loan scheme.

The new grants are open to firms with under 50 staff which can prove significant losses under the lockdown. Councils have been asked to prioritise businesses in shared spaces. For more information on the discretionary fund, visit www.svbs.co.uk

Regus says it will pay all retrospective rate bills.
Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he did not expect investigations into the origins of the FBI's Russia investigation to lead to criminal probes into either President Donald Trump's Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, or former President Barack Obama.

Trump has stated without evidence that he believes Obama had committed unspecified crimes, and some of Trump's supporters have encouraged criminal inquiries into Obama and Biden for what they say are unspecified abuses during the investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

But Barr signaled Monday that he would not be swayed by political pressure to investigate the president's opponents, and did not believe that a criminal investigation into the early days of the Russia probe being conducted by U.S. Attorney John Durham would lead to investigations into either Obama or Biden.

Whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man, Barr said.

Trump in the last week has repeatedly tweeted OBAMAGATE"" More broadly, Barr said, We cannot allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thiruvananthapuram: Several heads of shrines, cutting across religious lines, in Kerala have written to the state government seeking its permission to open temples, mosques and churches in a staggered manner in view of the lockdown restrictions that were imposed since end-March to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

They have reached out to the state government amid a growing cash crunch, as devotees are staying away from the places of worship due to the pandemic.

However, the Centres announcement to impose lockdown 4:0, which has come into effect from Monday and will be enforced till May 31, has further disappointed the shrine heads.

The Centres directive has barred gatherings in all places of worship in the state, like the rest of the country.

Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, wrote to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday seeking permission to open Christian religious centres to conduct daily ceremonies with the faithful in a restricted manner.

The All India Imam Council has also approached the government. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which runs 2,000-odd temples in south and central Kerala, including the hill shrine Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district, has urged the state government to at least allow devotees, who want to make significant offerings.

Many are devoid of spiritual support these days. If the lockdown continues, itll lead to a growing psychological conflict. No one will be able to prevent such consequences. Churches must be allowed to open in a restricted manner. Religious ceremonies are essential for a believer for solace and inner peace, said Cardinal Alencherry.

The Syro-Malabar church, which runs thousands of educational institutions, hospitals and other charitable establishments in Kerala, the aftershocks of lockdown restrictions are deeper, as it is struggling to meet the expenses required for both institutional upkeep and payment of staff salaries.

Though the church introduced virtual offerings they failed to attract believers, say insiders.

The Muslim bodies stand divided over the lockdown norms.

The All India Imam Council has written to CM Vijayan, urging him to open mosques in a limited manner. Samastha Kerala Sunni Federation leader Basheer Faizy Deshamangalam in a social media post commented that it is unfair to keep mosques closed when liquor stores and other establishments are allowed to open.

But many within the community dont share Deshamangalams views. We need to apply our minds. Its painful that all mosques are closed during the holy month of Ramzan. Itd be difficult to maintain social distancing norms if the mosques are opened, said a senior Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) leader.

The TDB had introduced an online facility for major offerings in 27 prominent shrines across the state, which met a lukewarm response. Now, the board plans to urge the government to allow darshan for those who book significant offerings online.

The TDB had warned its 3,500-odd employees that monthly salary would be a luxury if the prevailing situation persists.

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  A suicide bomber in a stolen military Humvee targeted a base in eastern Afghanistan belonging to the country's intelligence service early on Monday, killing at least nine members of the force, Afghan officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

At least 40 members of the force were wounded in the attack near the city of Ghazni, the provincial capital of Ghazni, according to Arif Noori, the spokesman for the provincial governor. Eight of the wounded were in critical condition and were transferred to the capital, Kabul, for further treatment, Noori added.

Earlier reports had seven dead but Tariq Arian, spokesman for the Afghan interior minister, confirmed the latest casualty tolls.

According to Noori, the bomber used a stolen military Humvee full of explosives, detonating it as he approached the main entrance gate to the base. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents were behind the attack in Ghazni province, where the Taliban control most of the countryside and the rural areas.

The provincial capital, also called Ghazni, briefly fell to Taliban control twice in recent years. The province has in the past been the scene of many large-scale attacks against both Afghan and NATO forces.

The attack came a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing agreement, two months after both declared themselves the winner of last Septembers presidential election.

The political deal would see Ghani remain president of the war-torn nation while Abdullah would lead the countrys National Reconciliation High Council.

Ghani and Abdullah held parallel inauguration ceremonies in March. They have been locked in a power struggle since the vote. The discord prompted the Trump administration to announce it would cut $1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan if the two Afghan leaders did not work out their differences.

A peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, signed on Feb. 29, calls for American and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan. It was seen at the time as Afghanistans best chance at peace, following decades of war.

Story continues

Since the signing, the U.S. has been trying to get the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin intra-Afghan negotiations, but the political turmoil and personal acrimony between Ghani and Abdullah impeded talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with the two leaders on Sunday, saying he was pleased by their willingness to move toward intra-Afghan negotiations but regretted the time lost."

At a press conference Monday, head of Afghan national security directorate Ahmad Zia Saraj slammed the Taliban, saying they have never welcomed peace and are committed to continuing violence,.

Violence has continued unabated in Afghanistan. On Sunday in Ghazni, gunmen opened fire, killing five people  three civilians and two police officers  as they were traveling in the district of Jaghatu, according to Arian, the interior minister's spokesman. He blamed the Taliban for the attack.

Last Tuesday, militants stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul, killing 24 people, including mothers, nurses and two babies. The attack set off an hours-long shootout with police; the attack also left 16 wounded in the hospital, which is supported by international aid group Doctors Without Borders. No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the clinic in Dashti Barchi, a mostly Shiite neighborhood in Kabul.

Also on Tuesday, a suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a pro-government militia commander and former warlord in the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing 32 people and wounding 133 others. That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.

In a televised speech hours after the attacks, Ghani called on security forces to attack Taliban insurgents, a turn from the defensive posture the government said it maintained since the U.S.-Taliban deal.

The Taliban have not given up fighting and killing Afghans, instead they have increased their attacks on our countrymen and public places, Ghani said.

The Taliban said Monday's attack in Ghazni was a response to the government's recent declaration of war.
The Bauchi State Government said on Monday that two new death cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) had been recorded, bringing the number of deaths in the state to five.

The Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Rilwanu Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi.

Mr Mohammed, who did not disclose the identity of the dead, said nine patients were also discharged, bringing the total number of discharged cases in the state to 112.

Yes! We have just discharged nine patients, this brings the total number of discharged cases in the state to one hundred and twelve (112).

We have also recorded two new death cases, this brings the total number of deaths recorded so far in the state to five, he said.

The PHCDA boss, who is also the Chairman, Contact Tracing Committee on COVID-19 in the state, said they wasted no time by treating any positive patient brought in for treatments, hence the mass recovery of patients in the state.

We are not waiting like other states; we swing into action by treating any positive patient immediately they are admitted.

We give them drugs that are on trial and they are recovering, the only thing is that people are still having denial in their minds.

People should wake up to the reality that COVID-19 is real and should come for testing whenever they are having any of the signs as outlined by health experts, said Mr Mohammed.

Bauchi State has so far recorded 224 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 112 discharged, five deaths and 107 active cases.

(NAN)
Supreme Leader: US to be expelled from Iraq, Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 17, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the US government's long-term performance has led to its being abhorred by a major part of the world and the Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria; they'll be expelled.

He made the remarks in a meeting with the representatives of political, scientific, cultural and student groups on Sunday.

"The US govt's long-term performance has led to its being abhorred by a major part of the world, its warmongering, helping notorious governments, training terrorists, unconditional support for oppression and the like," the Supreme Leader said.

"The Americans won't stay in Iraq and Syria; they'll be expelled."

This meeting, which is held every year during the month of Ramadan with the presence of thousands of students, was held via video conference this year due to the health guidelines issued by the National Committee on Combating Coronavirus that has banned gatherings of large crowds.

"Today, the American society and political system are not attractive, but are a subject of hatred in an important part of the world too," the Supreme Leader added.

He further said that part of the existing hatred for the United States emanates from the behavior of its current officials, including its president and its talkative, illogical, and nonsensical secretary of state.

The Supreme Leader reiterated that the US warmongering in other countries, including in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria is another reason why the US government is hated so much.

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A judge has ruled Amber Heard's drinking of red wine and claims she altered vaccination certificates to smuggle her dogs into Australia will be used against her in Johnny Depp's libel case against the Sun.

Mr Depp is suing the tabloid's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an April 2018 article that referred to the 56-year-old as a 'wife-beater'.

The article related to allegations made against Mr Depp by actress Ms Heard, 34, that he was violent towards her during their marriage - which he strenuously denies.

Johnny Depp's former partners can give evidence at his libel trial against The Sun newspaper over over allegations he was violent to ex-wife Amber Heard, a High Court judge ruled

Mr Justice Nicol gave permission for Depp, 56, to call his former wife 47-year-old Vanessa Paradis (left), 47, and ex-girlfriend Winona Ryder (right) to defend his reputation

During a High Court hearing last week, Mr Depp's lawyers asked for the evidence of four additional witnesses - the actor's former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, mechanic David Killackey and Ms Heard's former personal assistant Kate James - to be included in his case against the publisher.

In a High Court ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Nicol gave consent for the statements of Ms Paradis and Ms Ryder to be included - which NGN lawyers had previously agreed to.

But the judge said Mr Killackey's evidence would be excluded, and only parts of Ms James's evidence could be admitted.

Ms Heard, 34, claims the Pirates Of The Caribbean star beat her in drug fuelled rampages as their marriage failed

The judge ruled Ms James's evidence relating to Ms Heard's consumption of red wine, her impression of Mr Depp, and an allegation that Ms Heard provided altered vaccination certificates for the couple's pet dogs, could form part of Mr Depp's case.

He also allowed a claim by Ms James that Ms Heard asked her to help draft a letter to US Homeland Security in 2014, which falsely claimed one of Ms Heard's employees was just a friend, which meant she would not fall foul of regulations.

However, he excluded other parts of Ms James's witness statement, including evidence relating to Ms Heard's alleged drug taking, the redesign of the actress's apartment and her clothing style - saying they were 'irrelevant'.

The judge also said he will determine during the trial whether Ms James's evidence relating to what was referred to in court as the 'Australia dogs episode', will be allowed to form part of Mr Depp's case.

In 2014, Ms Heard and Mr Depp recorded a now notorious video apologising for bringing their Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo into Australia illegally.

Ms Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying an immigration document to conceal the dogs in a private jet in 2014 and avoided jail under a deal that included appearing in the video warning others against breaking Australia's strict quarantine laws.

At last week's hearing, lawyers for Mr Depp said evidence from Ms Paradis, who has two children with the star, and actress Winona Ryder, with whom he had a relationship in the 1990s, should form part of his case against the publisher.

David Sherborne, representing Mr Depp, said in court documents that his relationship with Ms Paradis ended in 2012, shortly before he and Ms Heard were together 'and when he is first alleged to have been violent'.

In her statement, Ms Paradis said: 'I have known Johnny for more than 25 years.

'We've been partners for 14 years and we raised our two children together.

'Through all these years I've known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous, and non-violent person and father.'

Johnny Depp, 56, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, is suing The Sun

She added: 'He was never violent or abusive to me.'

In her statement, Ms Ryder said: 'I cannot wrap my head around (Ms Heard's) accusations.

'He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me.'

Mr Sherborne said Mr Killackey's witness statement referred to an incident after Ms Heard 'asked for her car to be released without payment', which Mr Killackey refused.

Mr Killackey claimed Ms Heard had said: 'Johnny isn't paying my rent, he isn't paying my bills, f*** him, f*** you,' Mr Sherborne said.

Mr Sherborne said Ms James, who worked for Ms Heard during the early years of her relationship with Mr Depp, claims Ms Heard asked her to lie about 'the Australia dogs episode'.

Sasha Wass QC, representing NGN and Mr Wootton, argued during last week's hearing that the evidence of Mr Killackey and Ms James was 'largely tangential', describing Ms James as a 'disaffected ex-employee' who was giving 'contentious and malicious evidence'.

Mr Depp's lawyer said: 'The Sun attempted to exclude the truth. But in a case about Amber Heard's lies and frauds to get what she wants, we are delighted that we will be able to show Amber Heard's history of lies and frauds to get what she wants.

'Ms Heard's own assistant has testified that Heard lied under oath to a foreign court, defrauded Homeland Security, and she has attempted to suborn the perjury of third parties. It is deja vu all over again in Depp vs The Sun.'

A spokesman for Ms Heard said: 'As the judgment today shows, Depp's team has been attempting to introduce irrelevant evidence.

'This is one of the defining characteristics of their strategy  to adduce irrelevant evidence designed to smear Ms Heard and distract from the facts so that people do not focus on Mr Depp's behaviour.'

A two-week trial was due to start in London on March 23 at which the actor, Ms Heard and a number of Hollywood figures would have had to give evidence, but it was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amber Heard and Depp had a short-lived marriage after meeting on the set of The Rum Diary

The trial is now set to take place at the Royal Courts of Justice over three weeks from July 7, with strict social distancing measures in place.

Mr Sherborne said Mr Depp intends to travel from his home in France to London to give evidence, while Ms Heard will be able to travel from California but will have to observe a 14-day quarantine if current restrictions remain in place.

The libel claim against NGN and Mr Wootton arises out of publication of an article in The Sun in April 2018, under the headline: 'Gone Potty - How can JK Rowling be 'genuinely happy' casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?'

Mr Depp has brought separate libel proceedings against Ms Heard in the US, which the court has previously heard are 'ongoing'.

The pair met on the set of 2011 comedy The Rum Diary and married in Los Angeles in February 2015.

In May 2016, Ms Heard obtained a restraining order against Mr Depp after accusing him of abuse, which he denied.

The couple settled their divorce out of court in 2017, with Ms Heard donating her seven million US dollars (5.5 million) settlement to charity.
Swaraj, Suraj, Ramarajya, self-reliance  these ideas have influenced us for decades. Earlier, they pushed us towards freedom from colonialism. Today, they generate some amount of controversy. India revisited the idea of self-reliance when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation last week. He told us that India will emerge from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis as a self-reliant nation.

But what is self-reliance? How can we achieve it? Can self-reliance achieve the sort of freedom we once wanted? From the radicals to the moderates, people believe that freedom, as it stands today, is incomplete. But it is Indias democratic set-up that allows them the right to dissent, to question, and to protest across the country. When the British left India, Winston Churchill believed that the gulf between the Hindus and Muslims would not be bridged easily. Today, 73 years since, India stands a united country, having proved many naysayers like Churchill wrong.

To overcome crises and grow as a country, leadership is important. The Great Depression, which gripped the United States (US) in the 1930s, is being discussed in the context of the economic aftermath of Covid-19. The economic downturn began in the US around the end of 1929, with a sharp dip in production and GDP, and a sharp increase in unemployment. Production also dropped significantly in other industrialised countries of Europe.

It was in these dark days that Franklin D Roosevelt was elected president. He had a monumental task ahead of him, but he proved that leadership is forged in the crucible of crises. Roosevelt took several hard decisions to stabilise agriculture production and improve the quality of life for farmers. In 1933, one-fourth of the workforce was unemployed. By forming the Tennessee Valley Authority, Roosevelt began the construction of dams and power stations. He took measures to control floods  a common occurrence at that time. In 1935, he instituted the social security Act which guaranteed pensions.

The federal government took on the responsibility to ensure meals for children of the unemployed. Under the head of public work administration, his government provided direct financial assistance to at least three million people. To fund this, he increased the taxes on the rich. Roosevelts efforts led to the birth of a new nation.

Consumerism became the new way of life. The US transformed into a superpower. World War II began around this time and the US assumed a leadership role. Roosevelt was engaged in two battles, one on the domestic front and the other on the global battlefield.

Let us circle back to India. While we do not have all the advantages that the US has, why can we not aspire to become an economic superpower? We have the largest pool of graduates in the world. Yet, India is the source of a massive brain drain. The talented young men and women who have gone from India to different countries have contributed immensely by sheer intelligence and hard work.

But now, when they are under pressure to come back, due to economic setbacks as a result of the pandemic, India needs to ensure that these valuable resources are used to enhance domestic productivity. When Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose came back to India armed with the ideas that they picked up from different countries, they played an important role in the freedom struggle. These young people with bright minds can help find a way out for India, and carry on the baton in different sectors.

India has taken several steps to mitigate the problems brought on by the crisis. It has used the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme to help those without work; it has lent a helping hand to many industries; it has provided funds for industries that were struggling; it has stepped up the free distribution of rations for the people who are vulnerable. A lot is being done, but this is not nearly enough. India needs to think about the long-term.

At a time like this, we have to use our resources to the maximum benefit. For example, India is the largest producer of cotton  our global share is 23%. But are we able to leverage it enough in being central to global brands? Even Bangladesh is ahead of India. The plight of Indian cotton farmers is worrying. Many have committed suicide as a result of poor income generation and loans which they could not pay back. But farm produce for the international market is one of the many options that India has. The country is filled with opportunities in both rural and urban areas. Health, tourism and digital technology are a few sectors that have enormous potential that needs to be realised. In the last 30 years of liberalisation, India has achieved a great deal. But there have been inconsistencies in our growth path. This must be looked into.

The virus has proved a terrible equaliser. Everyone is going through difficulties in different degrees. India must now examine how these can be turned into an opportunity in the long-term while ascertaining who needs a helping hand in the short-term.

The path India and its people choose today will determine the future of the nation.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan

The views expressed are personal
NEW YORK, NY. -- Staten Island wont be getting its long-awaited fast ferry service at least until next summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NYC Ferrys planned expansion from St. George to Midtown West was initially slated to launch before the end of the year but will not open until summer 2021, the citys Economic Development Corporation said.

EDC announced a slew of scheduling and permanent service changes to the NYC Ferry system Friday in response to the coronavirus crisis, resulting in $10 million in budgetary cuts in the fiscal 2021 budget.

Unfortunately, the city is not going to meet the goal to launch the fast ferry slated for Staten Island in 2020. However, they are committed to Summer 2021. I want this ferry. Badly. I have 594 days to get it done, said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, who played a major role in bringing new fast ferry service to the borough.

I believe and appreciate the commitment of NYCEDC President James Patchett, and I know he also wants to get this done. My team and I have put a lot into this fight over the last several years, and losing this struggle is not an option. We need fast ferry service, and we are going to have to keep fighting to ensure it happens, Oddo continued.

Since March 23, EDC said NYC Ferry has reduced service by nearly 30% due to low ridership from coronavirus.

NYC Ferry plans to continue to monitor developments about the coronavirus pandemic and would make additional reductions in service as necessary," EDC said.

As the city attempts to reopen, EDC said NYC Ferry would evaluate how to ramp up service to keep pace with the recovery and make careful choices increasing service.

"The goal of NYC Ferry is to connect communities and provide New Yorkers with additional transit options and that commitment will never change, said James Patchett, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. "Through these modifications to service, we are able to save the city money, provide even better service to our riders, including essential workers. We are also happy to reaffirm our commitment to expansion in Staten Island, Coney Island, and Throgs Neck, areas where New Yorkers have endured notoriously long commutes. We look forward to NYC Ferry service arriving in these locations next year.

NYC Ferry -- initially heralded as a five-borough network despite no Staten Island connections -- was set to launch a new fast ferry route to and from St. George at the base of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark and Empire Outlets to Midtown Midtown Manhattan before the end of this year.

De Blasio unveiled an $89.3 billion executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 earlier this month with billions in cuts, including cuts to the Staten Island Ferry.

The mayors executive budget will have to be adopted before June 30 before the citys fiscal year 2020 ends.

The City Council holds a number of budget hearings before a final budget is adopted in the summer. But this year, those budget hearings were temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The NYC Ferry system -- which launched in 2017 -- saw just 6.3 million riders in 2019, about one-fourth of the 25.2 million who rode the Staten Island Ferry in Fiscal Year 2019, according to city data.

In addition to serving far fewer riders, the NYC Ferry receives much larger subsidies than other mass transit options across the city due to high operating costs and relatively-low fares.

The NYC Ferry system is currently operating on a reduced schedule, with ridership down approximately 90% since Mar. 20. Riders are asked to only travel when necessary and refrain from all recreational trips.

In the meantime, the boroughs elected officials are fighting to have full overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry restored as soon as possible, urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to re-enact full service once the city begins to reopen.

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World Travel owner Sherry Blair understands that her business on Jacksonvilles downtown square isnt alone in taking a financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but while shes losing money as people stay home and cancel travel plans, shes still at work  fighting some tour operators for refunds and insurance claims on her clients behalf.

There are hundreds of tour operators from which to choose, and Blair tends to work with about two dozen of them, she said. Of those two dozen, a small percentage are European operators reluctant to return travelers deposits on canceled tours, she said.

The unfavorable tour operators are having cancel penalties even when they cancel the tours themselves, Blair said. I am struggling to get the money back. I am working very hard to get the money back because I would want to be treated the same way. I strive to get my clients what I would deserve to have myself.

We lost $10,000 in one day  98% of my business has been canceled, maybe a 100, Blair said.

Despite the difficult few, a majority of tour operators with whom Blair works have not only been working with her but adding incentives.

Forty percent (of her clients) are completely canceling (tour plans) and 60% are taking the future-tour credit thats been offered by some tour operators and cruise lines, she said.

The future-tour credit being offered by many cruise lines and some tour operators involves an additional 25% credit. So, for every $1,000 spent on travel, clients are receiving an additional $250  if they apply the funds toward a future tour or cruise rather than asking for a cash refund.

Its enticing to go with the 125%; theyre trying to get you to keep the money with them, Blair said.

The rise in cancellations since mid-March has impacted travel plans for the entire year and, as a result, Blairs business.

What people dont understand is I have got tour cancellations through October, so my year is wiped out, my entire year, she said.

Blairs business offers its clients an assortment of trips, from all-inclusive package deals to Disney trips and international travel.

When Blair hears from one of her tour operators that a tour has been canceled, she is the one who has to give her clients the news.

Theyre taking it very well, she said. Ive had no opposition.

Some clients have dealt with multiple cancellations.

I have some clients where their trips have been canceled three times, Blair said. We started out in March, it was canceled, so we re-booked for April. It was re-canceled, they re-booked for June, it was re-canceled  I actually have a handful of those.

Blair, who has worked in the travel industry for 39 years and has owned World Travel for the past 11 years, realized just what the COVID-19 pandemic was going to mean for her business on March 20, when Mexico, Jamaica and the Caribbean shut down.

Thats when we felt our first blow, she said. I had another huge blow when Alaska cruise season was canceled.

Most of Blairs clients now realize that planned vacations wont be happening this year, though some are planning road trips, she said. Her concern is that people will try to travel places that arent yet open or where states are keeping restaurants closed.
Decency, decorum a must says Venkaiah Naidu as Parliament is adjourned abruptly

'Humankind holds the key': Naidu suggests 12-point framework of living during times of COVID-19

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 18: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has highlighted the need to adopt new ways of living and humanity amidst indications of the deadly coronavirus likely to stay for longer than earlier expected.

In an official Facebook post "A New Normal for Life After Corona", Naidu wrote, "Living responsibly with new attitudes towards life and humankind holds the key to roll back the pandemic."

In a detailed 1,539-word article dealing at length, the philosophical and moral issues thrown by the COVID-19 pandemic and the way life needs to be lived henceforth.

ICMR guidelines for COVID-19 testing: TrueNat machine can now be used for confirmation of cases

The Vice President suggested a 12-point new normal of living during Corona times.

Be aware that life is precious and to be lived meaningfully in harmony with nature and fellow beings

Know that what affects one person anywhere affects everyone everywhere, be it the disease or economy. Realize that your life depends on that of the other and vice versa and that the lives are inter-connected

Rationally analyse the impact on the spread of the virus before undertaking every movement or action

Know that every challenge has a solution and it would come as soon as possible given the global efforts that are on

Don't respond impulsively to the uncertainty and be guided by rationality keeping faith in science and technology

Adapt to the situation with confidence instead of panicking

Stay put with behavioural changes ushered in during the lockdown so far by wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and ensuring hygiene

Change old habits of thinking and working by acquiring new ones to meet the demands of time besides thinking positively and exercising regularly along with Yoga and Meditation

Prevent stigmatisation so that the infected volunteer for treatment;

Check disinformation and prejudices against fellow citizens labelling them as carriers of the virus

All forms of media should disseminate correct and scientific information instead of presenting the disease as a catastrophe

Let the sense of collective helplessness be replaced by the spirit of the virtue of living interconnected with the attendant shared destiny.
With a limited state budget, Vietnam should mobilize social resources to support startups and large-scale enterprises, those considered capable of driving the economy forward.

While the Covid-19 pandemic is transforming the world into a totally different one, Vietnam should readjust its development strategy to make full use of a new economic order, according to economist Tran Dinh Thien, member of the Economic Advisory Team of the Prime Minister.

Economist Tran Dinh Thien speaks at a talk in Hanoi on May 15. Photo: Ngoc Thuy.

As Vietnam is currently focusing on economic recovery, especially on helping the business community to recover, the question is how relief programs should be implemented in the most efficient way, Thien raised the issue at a talk on May 15.

In this regard, the economist said the government should prioritize the creation of a new system of enterprises, instead of reviving the old one, so that they have capabilities to cope with a new situation.

This would help the economy better deal with a new structure of trading activities and global value chains, he added.

According to Thien, this is particularly important, given Vietnamese economys high dependence on the global economy.

Even when Vietnam could contain the Covid-19 pandemic, its economy could only fully recover once the worlds economy is able to do so, Thien, a former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, said.

Meanwhile, with a limited state budget, Vietnam should mobilize social resources to support startups and large-scale enterprises, those considered capable of driving the economy forward.

The country would remain the same if we only want to save the old enterprises, while the pandemic is presenting an opportunity for us to change the economys bloodline. The ultimate goal should not only be the survival of enterprises, but also to make sure that they are able to thrive afterwards.

Thien suggested the government should allocate a significant part of financial support for the Ministry of Information and Communications and universities in setting up startup incubators.

While this process can take up from three to five years to yield results, this moment could be the perfect stage to begin, Thien asserted.

Vietnam should make use of this current crisis to free itself from the old mindset and ensure the adaptation to new requirements, Thien added. Hanoitimes

Ngoc Thuy
Japan's Defense Ministry has launched its first space operations unit to protect Japanese satellites in outer space.

A ceremony to mark the inauguration of the Space Operations Squadron was held at the ministry in central Tokyo on Monday.

Defense Minister Kono Taro handed the squadron's flag to Ajiki Toshihide, who heads the roughly 20-member team.

The new space unit, set up at an Air Self-Defense Force base in Tokyo's Fuchu City, will monitor movements of suspicious satellites and space debris to protect Japan's satellites.

To help support the unit's activities, a radar to monitor outer space will be built in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan.

The team will also work with Japan's space agency JAXA and the US military to establish a space surveillance system which is expected to become fully operational in three years.

Ministry officials say that satellites are indispensable for gathering intelligence, communication, and grasping accurate positional information.

Squadron chief Ajiki said he plans to initially train the members with simulators and other equipment. He also said he hopes to discuss how to share information with counterparts in the United States as the US operates a global space-surveillance network.
Boxcar (Vagon)

Available for free through June 7, this Repertorio Espanol production (in Spanish with English subtitles) tells the story of a group of men who attempt to get into the United States from Mexico in a sealed boxcar, and the border guard who crosses their path. Silvia Gonzalezs play was directed by Repertorios co-founder Rene Buch, a New York theater fixture who died in April at 94.

Love Letters

Few plays are as suited to the age of quarantine as A.R. Gurneys two-hander from 1988, in which a pair of actors sitting side by side read from the 50-year correspondence between their characters. The relationship endures, overcoming hardships and separation. On Thursday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., Broadways Best Shows presents a one-night-only reading by Bryan Cranston and Sally Field, directed by Jerry Zaks. Not too shabby.

Penny Arcade

The writer and performer Penny Arcade has spent more than five decades onstage, and unlike many of her brethren on the Off Off circuit, she had the foresight to record a lot of her work. Now she is making her archive available to her Patreon subscribers, with memberships starting at $1 a month. Arcade regularly adds to the treasure trove, which so far includes interviews pulled from her oral history Lower East Side Biography Project and full-length pieces including La Miseria and Longing Lasts Longer. She also draws from archived streams of the show she presents on Facebook Live every Thursday and Sunday at 5 p.m., in which she interviews front-line workers and scientists alongside cultural figures.

Our Lady of 121st Street

On Saturday at 8 p.m., the Labyrinth Theater Company is reviving this raucous Stephen Adly Guirgis play from 2002 with a free (but donations are welcome) reading directed by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Bobby Cannavale and Laurence Fishburne join eight original cast members, including the mighty Elizabeth Canavan and Liza Colon-Zayas, and they all should have great fun with Guirgiss spitfire dialogue. The show will be available for 24 hours.

Lower East Side Festival of the Arts

Theater for the New City is an East Village fixture, and Friday through Sunday, its annual festivals 25th edition is proudly letting its virtual freak flag fly with 150 participants cranking out theater, dance, poetry, music and puppet shows. (Whats the East Village without puppets?) Of particular note: a sit-around featuring, among others, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Busch, Phoebe Legere and Austin Pendleton on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Israeli PM defies intl. backlash, says next govt. must annex West Bank

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 17 May 2020 1:43 PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again defied the international outcry against his plan to annex more parts of the occupied West Bank, saying that the regime's new cabinet must enforce Tel Aviv's rule over settlements constructed in the occupied territory.

"It's time to apply the Israeli law and write another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism," Netanyahu said on Sunday as his so-called unity government, which he shares with his political rival Benny Ganz, was set to be sworn in later in the day.

He claimed, "These territories are where the Jewish nation was born and grew. This measure won't distance us from peace, it will bring us closer."

The 70-year-old Chairman of the Likud Party said there was no question that "hundreds of thousands of our Jewish brothers in Judea and Samaria will always stay in their place as part of any final peace agreement."

On Sunday, Netanyahu and his former election rival and centrist Blue and White leader Benny Gantz ended more than a year of political deadlock, and swore in their new power-sharing cabinet, after three rounds of elections yielded inconclusive results.

The Israeli prime minister formally presented the members of his new cabinet to the Knesset in the afternoon, while opposition members of Knesset heckled him.

Under his accord with Gantz, Netanyahu will remain prime minister for 18 months before handing over to his new partner.

Netanyahu has set July 1 for the start of cabinet discussions on extending Israeli appropriation to settlements in the West Bank and annexing the Jordan Valley.

His pledge to apply Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements, and annex part of the occupied Palestinian territories has been met with vehement international opposition.

Jordan's monarch King Abdullah II has starkly warned Israel of a "massive conflict" if it proceeds with the controversial plans, as European Union foreign ministers agreed to ramp up diplomatic efforts to try to block such a move.

"Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would mean," King Abdullah said in an interview published by the German news magazine, Der Spiegel, on Friday.

"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.

"I don't 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," the Jordanian ruler added.

Moreover, EU foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for a so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and opposition to any Tel Aviv regime's annexation plan.

The ministers reached an agreement to mount diplomatic efforts in the coming days with the Israeli regime, the Palestinian Authority, the US as well as 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 a virtual meeting with the top diplomats on Friday.

"We must work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation. International law has to be upheld. Here, and there, and everywhere," Borrell noted.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

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Actor-comedian Ricky Gervais says he wants to see people from health services to receive honours from Queen Elizabeth II in the 2021 New Year Honours List and not celebrities.

The After Life star believes the honours, including Knighthoods and Damehoods, should be bestowed upon people who serve the society rather than someone who invented a new type of mascara.

''The New Year's Honours list should not go to celebrities this year. It should go to doctors, nurses and other NHS workers. Give it to someone who gave a kidney to a stranger, not someone who invented a new type of mascara.

"I've seen people given a knighthood for services to fashion. What are you talking about, services to fashion? Christ, it's not that hard. People are finding cures for cancer and AIDS, Gervais said on Australia's The Christian O'Connell Show.

The 58-year-old actor has been vocal in his support for the health workers in past two months, previously slamming celebrities for "moaning in their mansions" while frontline workers die as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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With COVID-19 still consistently creating setbacks in the health care community, we see yet another issue for medical students because of this pandemic. In prior years, the traditional medical student would be expected to be part of a team assisting medical professionals in the field, developing relationships with future mentors, and gaining the experience necessary to take on the difficulties presented in that given field. COVID-19 has been altering the health care community at each level, presenting unseen hardships for Doctors and medical students alike. The workflow of hospitals has since become severely diminished in its lack of personnel, availability of PPEs, and the limitation of hospital beds, all necessary in equipping the institution with the essentials of care needed to treat its patients in a time of crisis.

At the beginning of their academic careers in the health care system, the medical student strives to take all the necessary steps in furthering their medical profession during these unparalleled times. Top organizations, such as the AAMC, are currently recommending a pause in clinical rotations, illustrating the hardship faced by third and fourth-year medical students during their pivotal years of education.

A new dilemma for third and fourth-year students will be the acquiring and attending of audition rotations. During these trying times, committees are seeking to adapt by accommodating for the lack of opportunities by delaying applications and lessening the required amount of away rotations. A specific example of these guidelines can be seen by the Advising Student Committee of Emergency Medicine (ASC-EM), which has recommended a substantial reduction in EM rotational spots for applying students. These guidelines recommend that students without a home program limit themselves to no more than two away rotations, and those with a home program are recommended to visit only one away rotation. These current guidelines put constraints on the ability of the medical student to stand out against ones peers in an already competitive field. These proposals have caused an ethical dilemma to medical students going into their fourth year by limiting the number of rotations they may choose to participate in.

The student is faced with a simple choice that is not straightforward: to follow the suggested guidelines in order to respect other students in the same predicament or to pursue all necessary possibilities to advance their chances of attending their ideal residency.

Here lies the issue: How can one choose between one or the other? On the one hand, a student who may not be a strong applicant on paper may deem it necessary to do as many audition rotations as possible in order to maximize their chances in an already competitive field. Students must illustrate their ability to the residency program director and what better way to do that than in the face of a pandemic.

On the other hand, the student can uphold the ethical principles of the guidelines by shaping an even playing field during a time of deprivation with the trade-off of limiting their exposure with medical professionals in their chosen field. During this time of difficulty in the medical community, the student wants to respect their colleagues and do what is best for all. What can be done in this situation?

This difficult situation is not just limited to the emergency medicine field; other fields are also facing a similar situation with altering their guidelines. Elective surgical specialties may not take students at this time or even applicants for the upcoming year. One example is the PCOM Orthopedic Surgical Residency, who has deferred all elective rotations and will not take part in the NRMP match until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. This suspension of elective rotations will make fields even more competitive and feeds into itself by making elective audition rotations even more imperative to gaining the respective residency position.

Otolaryngology societies such as the Society of University Otolaryngology (SUO), Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology (AADO), and Otolaryngology Program Director Organization (OPDO) have stated they understand the difficulty COVID-19 has placed on students. Their recommendation states that students should try to limit sub-internship rotations at away facilities and instead to rotate at a home facility. In regards to letters of recommendation, they will acknowledge that some students are unable to obtain otolaryngologyHNS faculty letters, and this will not bias their judgment towards candidates who decide to take fewer audition rotations.

Though medical students are currently faced with these ethical dilemmas, ultimately, we must work together to find an optimal solution so that we can maximize both our education and opportunities to get into the field of our choice. To obtain news about the current fluctuating residency program status visiting, we suggest the AAMC specialty information for up to date information.

Amit M. Khan, Javaid Afghani, Taner B. Celebi, and Zachary Scheid are medical students.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Every day, MySA.com compiles the latest headlines and helpful links on the COVID-19 pandemic in the San Antonio area.

COVID-19 case updates: The San Antonio region added 93 more cases of COVID-19 over the last three days as the state prepares for a new round of reopenings this week.

Bexar County now has 2,213 cases of COVID-19, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Monday. No new deaths have been reported since Thursday; the local death toll stands at 62.

Gov. Abbott addresses next phase of reopenings: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will allow bars to open Friday at 25 percent capacity as the state moves into Phase Two of the reopening plan.

On Friday, restaurants can increase their capacity to 50 percent.

Child care centers, including YMCA facilities, can open immediately, Abbott announced Monday. Businesses in office buildings can open to 10 employees or 25 percent capacity.

The governor gave the go-ahead to summer camps to open on May 31. Professional sports like golf, football, baseball, and basketball can also return  without spectators  at the end of the month.

San Antonio areas with high COVID-19 cases: Some of the highest coronavirus rates in San Antonio are found on opposite sides of the economic spectrum  from the citys poorest neighborhoods east of downtown to the Dominion, an affluent enclave filled with multimillion-dollar homes. When the city began reporting the number of coronavirus cases in San Antonio ZIP codes, the first hot spot appeared in 78209  home to Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, among the wealthiest neighborhoods in San Antonio.

Indicators 'look good:' The number of people with COVID-19 who were in the hospital increased slightly from 66 Saturday to 70 Sunday. Of those people, 31 were in intensive care and 16 were on ventilators to help them breathe. No new deaths were reported.

COVID-19 Tracker: Interactive maps track coronavirus cases in San Antonio, Texas counties and the U.S.

THE GOOD NEWSLETTER: A weekly dose of inspiring San Antonio stories, delivered to your inbox
A Supplemental Learning, Health and Psychosocial Support to Children and Parents initiative has been introduced in Tolon, Kumbungu and Savelugu Assemblies to help pupils to learn at home during this era of COVID-19.



Under this initiative, about 150 volunteer teachers in the communities have been engaged to carry out supplementary learning for children at home, and also sensitised parents on the COVID-19 pandemic and its safety protocols.



The initiative is a modification of the Gender Responsive Education and Transformation (GREAT) project being implemented by Right To Play, a child-centred international NGO, with support from Global Affairs Canada.



The ultimate aim of the programme is to deliver age-appropriate home-based supplementary learning, health and psychosocial support to children in a safe environment.



Right To Play, therefore, presented personal protective equipment (PPE) and educational materials to the Tolon, Kumbungu and Savelugu Directorates of Education for onward distribution to the volunteer teachers and pupils to keep them and their parents safe during the supplemental learning period.



The PPE and educational materials valued at GHc150, 000.00, included 8,000 items such as face masks, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizers, soap, story books, posters on COVID-19, pens and pencils among others.



Mr Evans Akannue Atim, Northern Programme Team Lead, Right To Play, who handed over the items to authorities of the Tolon, Kumbungu and Savelugu Directorates of Education in Tamale, said the Supplemental Learning, Health and Psychosocial Support to Children and Parents initiative was to complement governments efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.



Mr Atim said This initiative was borne out of a palpable need to bridge the digital divide for the majority of families, who do not have smart phones or television sets and are unable to benefit from the laudable online and television learning initiative by the government.



He, however, commended the government For all the wonderful initiatives such as online learning platforms and television learning series on a number of digital and free-to-air channels. Indeed, initiatives such as these will go a long way to promote the continuous learning for our dear ones, who are currently out of school.



Hajia Ayishetu Seidu, Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive commended Right To Play for its continued support for quality education for children in the country, and urged teachers to continue to do their best to ensure improved education outcome.



Mr Mohammed Sulley, Tolon District Director of Education, who spoke on behalf of his colleague Directors of Education from the beneficiary assemblies, expressed appreciation to Right To Play for the support, and urged other organisations to emulate its gesture to help keep pupils active during this COVID-19 period.







Source: GNA









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Deripaskas business reputation suit against Navalny to be heard in autumn

 RAPSI

14:56 18/05/2020

MOSCOW, May 18 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Commercial Court has set hearing of a claim over protection of business reputation filed by businessman Oleg Deripaska against Alexey Navalny for September 3, according to court records.

The applicant seeks to oblige the defendant to refute information distributed in several videos on the Youtube-channel of Navalny. Moreover, the tycoon demands a 1-ruble moral compensation from the blogger.

Earlier, Navalny filed a petition with Russias Supreme Court challenging an order to remove and refute information on the Crimean meat processing plant Druzhba Narodov he had distributed. The Moscow District Commercial Court has dismissed Navalnys cassation appeal in this defamation dispute. Navalny challenged the Moscow Commercial Courts ruling of February 2019, and the July 2019, ruling of the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals.

The Moscow Commercial Court ruled in favor of Druzhba Narodov on February 12, 2019. The court declared information distributed by Navalny in one of his videos untrue and discrediting the plants business standing.

The statements read that the meat processing plant inflated prices for food products purveyed for the National Guard, delivered bad quality goods and accused the plant employees of embezzlement during supplies.

According to the court ruling, the defendant did not furnish evidence of credibility of the disseminated information.

On July 26, 2019, the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.
[May 18, 2020] Plymouth Rock Management Company of New Jersey Names Jeff Briglia as Chief Executive Officer and President

Plymouth Rock Assurance has named Jeff Briglia as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Plymouth Rock Management Company of New Jersey, effective immediately. In this role, Briglia will oversee Plymouth Rock's direct to consumer and exclusive agent auto insurance division, based out of its Woodbridge, N.J. office. He takes over for Gerry Wilson, who in November announced his plans to retire. "We are very pleased to welcome Jeff to Plymouth Rock to lead our direct to consumer auto division," said Jim Stone, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Plymouth Rock Company. "Jeff brings a tremendous understanding of the insurance industry, strong leadership experience, and deep knowledge of the direct acquisition channel. We are excited for Jeff to take the reins as Plymouth Rock continues to grow." "This is an exciting time at Plymouth Rock and I'm thrilled to join an organization that is driving digital innovation and developing new ways to put the customer first," said Briglia. "I'm also looking forward to joining such a strong team as the company explores new avenues for growth to take advantage of future opportunities." Briglia joins Plymouth Rock from Metromile Insurance, where he most recently held the dual positions of Chief Insurance Officer and Chief Operating Officer. He was responsible for overseeing all the core insurance related functions, and worked closely with the technology teams that focued on delivering digital innovations to customers.



Prior to Metromile, Jeff worked at Allstate in various executive positions in claims and product, most recently as their Senior Vice President of Product Strategy & Transformation. Prior to Allstate, Jeff spent over 14 years at Progressive in several leadership roles, including special lines, customer relationship management leadership, and product. Wilson, who has led Plymouth Rock's New Jersey operations since 2000, launched the company's direct to consumer channel in 2006. He steps down after a successful two decades with Plymouth Rock. During his tenure he fostered the growth of the New Jersey operation into a leading writer in the state, expanded the business into Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York, and successfully completed numerous acquisitions.

About Plymouth Rock Assurance Plymouth Rock Assurance was established to offer its customers a higher level of service and a more innovative set of products and features than they would expect from an insurance company. Plymouth Rock's innovative approach puts customers' convenience and satisfaction first, giving them the choice to do business the way they want - online, using a mobile device, by phone or with one of Plymouth Rock's independent agents. Plymouth Rock Assurance and Plymouth Rock are brand names and service marks used by separate underwriting, managed insurance, and management companies that offer property and casualty insurance in multiple states. Taken together, the companies write and manage more than $1.4 billion in auto and home insurance premiums across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Each underwriting and managed insurance company is a separate legal entity that is financially responsible only for its own insurance products. Actual coverage is subject to the language of the policies as issued by each separate company. Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, features and benefits are not available in all states and companies. You can learn more about Plymouth Rock by visiting plymouthrock.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005663/en/

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Intu is pleading for relief from creditors after plunging rent payments have left it facing a cash crunch.

The commercial landlord, which owns Manchester's Trafford Centre, says it will breach loan agreements next month unless its obligations are temporarily put on hold.

It is begging creditors to let it delay repayments until December 2021 at the latest, allowing to ride out the coronavirus crisis.

Hard times: Intu, which owns Manchester's Trafford Centre, says it will breach loan agreements next month unless its obligations are temporarily put on hold

The plea for help comes after Intu received less than one third of the quarterly rent payments owed to it in March, with some retailers hit by the virus lockdown struggling to pay or temporarily withholding rent to bolster their own brittle finances.

It was a serious blow to Intu, which was already on the brink before the pandemic struck. The company faces a deadline of June 26 to meet conditions on its loans  after securing a short-term waiver from lenders  but it says it does not expect to manage that either and needs more time.

It is in talks with creditors about longer-term relief. Yesterday the company told investors there was still 'significant uncertainty' about how shops would be affected by the virus crisis even if they reopened from June 1, as the Government has suggested could happen.

Intu said this could further hit rent collections next month and leave it in need of substantial cash injections, at a time when it is harder to sell properties.

Intu's shares have lost more than 95 per cent of their value in the past year. Landlords including Intu, Hammerson and British Land have all been hammered by the virus crisis, which shut thousands of tenants' stores and forced some into administration.

Analysts yesterday expressed doubts about Intu's future, saying it may need taxpayer-funded support.
Karnataka recorded a biggest single-day spike of 99 new positive cases of coronavirus, taking the number of infections in the state to 1,246, the government said on Monday, as it allowed buses, autos and cabs to operate with the COVID-19 induced lockdown entering the fourth phase.

Continuing with the recent trend of those with the history of travelling from other states adding to Karnataka's tally, most of the cases that tested positive on Monday were those who with a travel history to Maharashtra recently, and currently under quarantine.

"As of May 18 evening, cumulatively 1,246 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 37 deaths and 530 discharges," the health department said in its bulletin.

Out of 678 active cases, 666 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 12 are in ICU.

Twenty-one patients, who have recovered, have been discharged on Monday.

The 99 new cases include, 24 from Bengaluru urban, 17 from Mandya, ten from Kalaburagi, nine from Uttara Kannada, among others.

Majority of 99 cases are those with inter-state travel history from Maharashtra, followed by contacts of patients already tested positive and from containment zone from Bengaluru Urban.

Following the recent spike in COVID-19 infections, Karnataka today said people from states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be allowed entry in a staggered manner and special cases will be on request.

"We have decided not to allow people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu till May 31, but in stages (staggered manner)," Chief Minister Yediyurappa told reporters here.

According to sources, the decision follows the recent arrival of a large number of people from these states, especially Maharashtra and Gujarat and ther testing positive in quarantine, leading to a spike in the number of infections in the state.

Meanwhile, easing restrictions further, as the COVID-19 induced lockdown enters the fourth phase, the state government allowed public transport services to operate in the state from Tuesday, except in containment zones.

The government has also decided to do away with colour coding of districts into- red, orange and green zones, and instead focus on containment for monitoring.

"Lockdown will continue till May 31, in containment zone, there will be strict restrictions, if any one violates law, we will book criminal cases against them," Yediyurappa said after meeting with top ministers and officials.

All the four state transport corporations buses and also private buses have been permitted to run their services, with only 30 passengers, except in containment zones, from tomorrow morning.

Wearing of face-masks and maintaining physical distancing are mandatory.

Auto and taxis were also given green signal to ply on roads, but there should be only three passengers, including driver.

In maxi-cabs, the maximum number should be four passengers, including driver.

Trains can operate within the State but not inter-state services till May 31.

Salons can also pull up their shutters.

Parks have been allowed to function from 7 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Further stating that night curfew would continue from 7 pm to 7 am, the Chief Minister said "there would be a complete lockdown on Sundays."



Bengaluru urban district still tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 260 infections, followed by Belagavi 116 and Kalaburagi 114.

Among discharges too Bengaluru urban tops the list with total 122 discharges, followed by Mysuru 88 and Belagavi 62.

A total of 1,51,663 samples were tested, out of which 6,265 were tested on Monday alone.

According to the health department,1,49,566 samples have returned as negative so far, and out of them 6,122 reported negative today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syracuse, N.Y.  Syracuse, one of the cloudiest cities in the U.S., is drawing lots of interest from solar farm developers.

Projects have been proposed recently for multiple solar energy projects in Syracuse suburbs, including these that came before the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency just this week:

In Cicero, Convergent Energy has proposed building two 5-megawatt solar farms on 44 acres off Totman and Island roads for $24.4 million.

In Clay, Green Street Power Partners has proposed building a 5-megawatt solar farm on 30 acres at 9177 Caughdenoy Road for $8.1 million.

In Lafayette, Green Street Power Partners has proposed building a 3.8-megawatt solar farm on 18 acres off Sentinel Heights Road for $6.1 million.

In Lysander, OYA Solar has proposed building 5-megawatt and a 1-megawatt solar farms on 11 acres off Church Road for $11.3 million.

Solar farms are sites covered with solar panel arrays that turn sunlight into electricity. The power they generate is fed into the electric grid through power lines. (Though sometimes referred to as non-wire power generators, they are not completely wireless.)

They have the advantage of requiring no fuel and give off no emissions.

But Syracuse is the 14th cloudiest city in the nation, getting an average of only 46% of possible sunshine annually, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data looked at by NerdWallet.

So why is Syracuse suddenly a popular place for solar farm developers? Solar industry officials cite three reasons.

First, theres a lot of demand for solar power throughout Upstate New York, not just Syracuse. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July 2019 requires the state to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The 70% goal is an increase from the states 50% target set in 2016.

I would say thats the main driver, said Anne Reynolds, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, whose members include solar, wind and hydroelectric companies and makers of electric vehicles.

Currently, 26% of the power generated in New York comes from renewable energy, mostly from hydroelectric plants. Only 1% comes from solar energy, Reynolds said.

Dozens of solar projects have been proposed in Upstate New York, which has plenty of vacant, rural land available for such developments. The biggest is a 200-megawatt project proposed in the Cayuga County town of Conquest that would stretch across 2,000 acres, or more than three square miles, and supply enough electricity to power more than 30,000 average homes.

As part of the states goals, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in 2018 a $1.4 billion commitment to advance 26 large-scale renewable energy projects, including 22 wind farm projects, across the state. The state also makes tax incentives available to solar projects.

Secondly, the cost of solar panels has come down in recent years, making solar energy projects more financially feasible.

Thirdly, solar panel technology has improved to the point that they can produce power even in areas of the country that do not get a lot of sunshine.

The new panels can work not only on very sunny days, but they can work on cloudy days as well, not as well, but they still produce energy," said Joseph Mendelsohn, project manager for Omni Navitas Holdings, which is partnering with Green Street Partners on the solar projects in Clay and Lafayette. They can collect through indirect sunlight, which is something that they werent able to do not that long ago.

The Sentinel Heights Road project proposed this week is one of four that are planned in rural Lafayette. Town Supervisor Daniel Fitzpatrick said the town is an attractive place for solar projects because it has a lot of open land to put them.

They all kind of came at once, he said.

Fitzpatrick said he expects to see even more proposed soon.

Ive been getting calls for developers from Boston, New York, Georgia and Nova Scotia, he said.

The proposed projects are in various stages of approval. Fitzpatrick said the town is requiring that the projects are screened so they do not obstruct landscape views and that developers commit to removing them once they reach the end of their technological lifespan, which can be from 20 to 30 years.

Many of the developments are what are called community solar projects because the owners allow residential customers to benefit, through a subscription, from the electricity they generate.

Mendelsohn said customers who subscribe to Omni Navitas projects can obtain discounts of 5% to 10% off the electrical supply portion of their utility bills. (So, if the supply portion of a typical residential customers bill was $50 a month, the customer would save $5 a month, or $60 a year.)

Some projects will sell their electricity directly to the wholesale power suppliers in New York, who in turn sell it to utility companies. The Convergent Energy solar farms proposed in Cicero, for example, would send their power to National Grid to fill a need for more electrical supply during times of peak demand in the town, said Kevin McAuliffe, an attorney representing the company.

Each of the Cicero projects will include a battery system capable of storing 20 megawatts of power. The solar panels will charge the batteries during the day. When the power is needed, National Grid will draw electricity from them.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
The covid-19 deaths were piling up so fast that New York City bus driver Danny Cruz began to worry that no one understood the toll the virus was taking on his fellow transit workers.

So in early April, he began keeping a list of those killed by the disease and posting it on Facebook. Cruz had lost a friend and fellow driver at his depot to the novel coronavirus a few days earlier. He also had tested positive for it himself.

"Every morning I wake up and one of the hardest things I have to do is to try to keep this updated," he wrote April 7, when the death toll was 41. "Every time I have to add a name, my heart loses a beat. . . . Why is this happening? Why were we not better prepared? How many more members will we have to lose?"

By Cruz's count, 129 New York City transit workers have died of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

As offices, stores and restaurants reopen in the coming days and weeks, trains and buses will almost certainly see more passengers. For transit workers, the return to normal life exacerbates their fears.

Across the country, an estimated 430,000 public transit workers, including train operators and bus drivers such as Cruz, have kept systems operating, moving essential workers such as doctors, nurses and first responders who have been hailed as heroes. By comparison, the lower-paid and largely minority transit workers said they are often abused by riders and insufficiently protected by their employers.

"We run the risk of bringing that virus back into our houses, infecting our children, our wives, our husbands, our parents," said John Samuelsen, president of Transport Union Workers International. "We're not health-care professionals, but health-care professionals wouldn't be able to do what they're doing without transit workers."

No transit system in the nation has been as hard hit by the pandemic as New York City's and its 74,000 workers. At least 10,000 Metropolitan Transit Authority employees have been quarantined during the outbreak.

The novel coronavirus has sickened or killed transit workers in nearly every major system in the country. Transit and union officials - many of whom were slow to recognize the threat that the virus posed to their workforces - have scrambled to implement new safety measures such as more frequent cleanings, adjusting boarding processes to isolate drivers and requiring passengers to wear face coverings.

Such measures may have helped slow the virus's spread, but they have not done much to lessen the anxiety of transit employees who have lost co-workers and infected family members and are regularly being asked to take unprecedented risks.

In Seattle, a bus driver who recently lost his wife, who also was a driver, is left to raise three children while he contemplates continuing in a job that may have exposed his wife to the virus that killed her. In the District of Columbia, where 81 Metro workers have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday, a bus operator who spent three weeks fighting covid-19 recently returned to work, but with mental scars that make her afraid of everything she touches or any cough or sneeze she hears on board.

On the Facebook page where Cruz posts his list, workers routinely complain that they feel pressured to return to work too soon after their symptoms abate, and they routinely worry that the transportation authority's stepped up efforts at cleaning buses and trains are not good enough.

"Some MTA employees have said we signed up for this," Cruz said. "No one signed up to report to work knowing that we are all getting exposed and possibly bringing the virus back home to our loved ones."

- - -

Transit officials countered that they have moved faster than most government agencies to protect workers, even going beyond recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The MTA has been a global leader in protecting the health and safety of our employees," Sarah Feinberg, interim president of MTA NYC Transit, said in a statement.

Since the outbreak began, the MTA has distributed more than 1.4 million N95 masks to drivers, 3.5 million pairs of gloves and more than 17,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, the agency said.

In April, the transit authority raised a death benefit for family members of any workers who die of covid-19 to $500,000. And on May 6, it began shutting down the subway from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily for deep cleaning - the first planned overnight shutdown in the system's 115-year history.

The agency also established a "Temperature Brigade" to check for early signs of the virus in the workforce and even lobbied Costco to include MTA employees among front-line workers receiving priority access to stores.

Still, transit agencies nationwide have struggled to address the fear and mistrust among their workforces. In Washington, Metro, the nation's second-busiest transit system, bus driver shortages and increased absences in late March were part of the reason the system cut service to 25 routes on at least two occasions.

The biggest challenge for transit agencies has been protecting bus operators, whose pay nationally averages $21.74 an hour and who have been hit hardest by the virus. While the overall number of Metro workers infected make up a small fraction of the transit agency's 12,000 employees, half of those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus work among the public, including Transit Police, operators, janitors and station managers. Of 81 employees infected, 20 have been bus operators. More than 500 workers have been quarantined.

Among the ill was Latisa Holmes, who remembers the fever, headache, aches and pains hitting her like a wave in mid-March.

It felt, she said, as if she had been put in an oven. She struggled to breathe - it was like a brick was being pounded on her chest, she said. And she had disorienting headaches. She watched the news as the death toll rose, worried that she was next.

"I saw people dying having underlying health issues," she said. "I said that could be me because I have high blood pressure. I began to panic more because I realized that I might die."

Her son, a typically stoic and unfazed teenager, stood outside her bedroom door crying.

"All I could say to him with a tone of affirmation is, 'Your mother is not going to die,' " she said, though she herself was unsure and prayed constantly.

Metro, meanwhile, raced to institute changes to protect and win back the confidence of its drivers. It cut service hours and routes, required passengers to board through the rear doors, waived fares and roped off the first few seats on buses to lessen contact between drivers and riders.

Many of the changes were brought about through pressure from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689.

"One of the biggest things that we did very early was we worked very closely with the union, particularly 689, our largest union, but also the others, and really started to think about it from the perspective of that bus operator, that mechanic, that rail operator, that station manager, and come at it from that perspective," Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said.

Transit agencies across the country took similar steps.

Some cities, such as Atlanta and Detroit, went further, deciding to compensate drivers for the increased risk in much the same way the military pays soldiers extra for combat duty. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, relying on the money it received as part of the $2 trillion federal bailout package, distributed a one-time $500 "hero" bonus to more than 3,500 of its workers. It passed out surgical masks, gloves and sanitizing wipes, in addition to giving drivers $75 stipends to spend on supplies, spokeswoman Stephany Fisher said. MARTA also has provided an extra 80 hours of sick leave for employees infected by covid-19, free testing and counseling to deal with stress.

In Florida's Miami-Dade County, frustrated and angry transit workers have sued over a lack of protective equipment and challenged Transit Director Alice Bravo to ride the bus so she can see firsthand the lack of social distancing, sanitizer and adequate face masks for drivers. Their battle cry on social media: #RideNotDie.

Bravo declined to say whether she has ridden a bus during the pandemic, but she said she has spoken to hundreds of drivers to address their needs. Like other agencies, Miami-Dade transportation officials scrambled to get enough personal protective equipment for drivers. While the agency acknowledges that it did not initially have enough masks, Bravo said the agency quickly recovered.

"The minute we got our hands on supplies, we distributed them and started using them," she said. "We even have hand sanitizer dispensers on our buses now. I know for a fact we are doing everything other agencies in other cities are doing, and I know we are doing some things other agencies aren't even doing."

Calls for more support for transit workers have been bolstered by national coalitions led by the NAACP and the TransitCenter, a foundation for transit research and advocacy, which have pressed Congress and the White House for hazard pay and more protective equipment for transit workers.

The NAACP views transit workers as essential to helping the unemployed find jobs, while public transportation helps people, already burdened by high mortgage or rent payments, keep costs down.

Some union officials blamed years of budget cuts for what they portrayed as inadequate protection of workers. Transit agencies, for example, could have purchased buses with sealed-off compartments for drivers - similar to models used in Europe, said John Costa, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, North America's largest transportation workers guild.

Even before the pandemic, unions insisted such measures were needed to protect drivers in the wake of several high-profile attacks on drivers. Many agencies, including Metro in the nation's capital, have retrofitted buses with clear shielding, but union officials say the vehicles, which cost upward of $500,000, can be built with separate cabs that could have afforded greater protection.

"For the money we pay for buses, the way they're designed, we should have had them enclosed," Costa said.

Costa said less than half of his members have the masks, gloves and disinfectant they need, and he warned that strikes are possible if agencies don't respond to worker concerns.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has similar worries about shortages of protective gear and workers who feel forgotten.

"Hopefully the American public will recognize that more," DeFazio said. "I mean, they certainly would recognize it if transit went away."

DeFazio said he's pushing for Washington to help pay for protective compartments on buses and has called for more federal aid to be directed to transit in a massive stimulus bill that lawmakers are considering.

Such drivers as Holmes, who recently returned to work at Metro after fighting covid-19 for nearly three weeks, are painfully aware of the stakes. "I think no one knew that we were the front-line people," Holmes said. "It's like they forgot about us and that we're risking our lives every day."

Holmes said she recovered physically before she was mentally able to return to work. Day by day, the aches began to subside and her chest began to open.

But she noticed that she would cry suddenly for no reason. Her doctor advised her that it was normal for a person who has suffered trauma.

Her bosses at Metro told her to take as much time as she needed, and the agency referred her to a therapist, who helped her cope.

She started to feel less and less like she was going to die every time she closed her eyes. She worried less about a stranger's cough or sneeze.

One of her biggest fears when she returned to work was whether her co-workers would treat her as if she had an infectious disease. Those worries went away on her first day.

"When I see you I see hope," her supervisor told her.

But on May 6, Holmes learned she would need to be quarantined for another two weeks. Her 17-year-old son had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"I'm just lost for words right now," she said.

- - -

When Cruz started his list of dead New York City transit workers, the MTA was reporting seven deaths.

But Cruz, who was seeing and hearing about the deaths of colleagues online, worried the transit authority wasn't keeping a good count.

"Every day it was another name and another name," he said. "I thought we should know who these people are. We should be keeping track. He posted his list in a small Facebook group that he had built for his depot and encouraged his fellow drivers to share it as widely as possible.

Within a week it had grown to more than 41 names. The group also has grown to more than 700 transit workers who use it to pay tribute to their dead colleagues, organize and share their fears.

"To go into work is like walking into a death camp with all that's going on around me," one transit employee wrote in April. Another who drove through the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Sandy called the pandemic "the scariest and most emotionally exhausting" stretch of her career.

"I'm only on day 8 of self quarantine," another worker wrote. "My doctor told me to self-quarantine for 14 days," one transit worker wrote recently.

That driver felt as though she was being pressured into going back to work earlier than her doctor advised.

In the early days of the pandemic, many objected to a transit authority directive ordering workers not to wear masks. At the time, the workers did not meet CDC guidelines for mask use.

Pressure from workers and the union forced the agency to change course in early March. MTA officials noted that they shifted their policy on masks before the CDC changed its guidance and ahead of other transit agencies.

For many MTA workers, though, the changes haven't been enough. A popular meme shared among transit workers in Cruz's group is a picture of the MTA shield with blood running down it. Every day, New York City drivers face grim reminders of the risk they face. For Robert Coleman, it is a recently erected sign at the end of his route that states an entrance is for funeral directors only.

"Keep in mind, there's no funeral home there," Coleman said. "I see trucks coming in, and when I see trucks coming in, I know this is where they drop off the bodies."

Coleman, 53, is a survivor of nasopharyngeal cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation for seven months in 2009. Health officials have warned that cancer survivors are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

He remembers walking downstairs to get a mask and gloves at his bus garage just after the city began gearing up for the coronavirus and seeing a sign that explicitly said bus drivers did not qualify for the protective equipment. His friends at the New York Police Department repeatedly tell him, "I would never do your job," he said.

He wonders why transit workers don't qualify for the first responder discounts that are set aside for police and health-care workers.

"We don't look for it," he said, "but we do want to be appreciated like everyone else."

With each passing day, Cruz's list has continued to grow.

Number 18 on Cruz's list is Darlisa Nesbitt, 51, who operated a train for the MTA for more than two decades and died on April 2.

She was just two years from retiring and had planned to join her extended family in Atlanta, where it was a "little quieter," said her brother, the Rev. Charles Nesbitt.

When she became ill in March, Charles began organizing a daily conference call for family members to pray for her.

"She was having tremendous respiratory problems," he said. "Could barely get her breath. She pretty much talked like she didn't expect to survive this. So the conversation leaned more in the direction of, 'I love you, and here are some things I want you to do.' "

Nesbitt left behind a 14-year-old daughter.

Number 39 on the list is Hesroni Cayenne, who died April 9. "He believed men had to go to work," said his wife, Heather.

When the coronavirus outbreak hit New York, the 6-foot-tall native of Carriacou, a small island that is part of the Grenadine Islands, worried more about his wife's health than his own. He pressed her to drive to her job as a nursing educator, rather than taking the train, where she was more likely to fall ill.

She worked days, and he worked nights at a shop in Brooklyn. Before he went to sleep each day, he typically cooked her an omelet with peppers, onions, tomatoes, sausage and cheese, and packed her a lunch. He called her "Chunks," a nickname he had given her when they met, symbolizing that she was a chunk of something special.

He fell ill in late March, complaining of the flu. A week later, Hesroni had trouble breathing. He died on April 9.

Hesroni and his wife acknowledged that working for the transit authority carried risks: terrorist attacks, storms, blackouts and fires. So did nursing.

"We both understood that," Heather said. "When we took our jobs, we both understood we had to take the good with the bad."

In late April, the transit authority began publishing a list of deceased transit workers; initially, it included only first names. To many drivers it was another sign that the city did not take their sacrifice seriously.

"That shouldn't ever be a question," Coleman said. "That shouldn't even be a topic. It should be automatic. It should be automatic that we are respected for what we do."

Cruz pleaded with the agency to change course, which it did a few days later. Cruz's list typically includes more names than the city's list because he updates it more often. These days the list has become a collective effort.

Often, fellow drivers will leave tips in the comments section for Cruz and his colleagues to chase.

"College Point Depot bus operator Harold (idk last name)," wrote one transit worker. "The union received notice on Monday." The tip led them to Harold Germain, a bus operator who died April 16. He's Number 37 on the list.

A few days later, another transit worker posted a picture of his co-worker Palawandir Singh. "It is a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my infrastructure supervisor," he wrote. He became Number 69.

For Jalymeh Medina, who has helped Cruz collect the names of subway employees, the list is a means of humanizing the losses.

"People are dying so fast," she said. "Every day, it is two or three more names, and it gets blurred after a while. It gets lost."

For Cruz, it's also a means of holding the transit agency accountable. On April 26, Cruz's list cleared a milestone, adding its 100th name. "It's just a sad day to see," he said. "Out of all the agencies being affected, we are the worst, and I feel like all of that could've been avoided. If they'd provided us masks, people would be alive today who aren't with us."

He posted the list, as he always does, in the morning. "Nobody needs to see it right before going to bed," he said. And he headed off to work.

Later that day, Cruz added two more names: Mitchell Rosenwasser, a 28-year veteran of the system who worked out of the Casey Stengel Depot, and Cuong Luu, an immigrant from Vietnam who worked for the transit system for 23 years. "Luu was a very quiet guy, but if you ever had an issue or a problem on the job he was the first one to come over and give you a hand," one of his co-workers wrote.

- - -

The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Whether Andrew Forrest is serious about taking a stake in the airline industry and has his cap in the ring for a role in recapitalising Virgin is unclear. What we can be sure about is that Forrest could finance the purchase of the entire airline from the $1 billion in dividends he is anticipated to receive from his mining company Fortescue in 2020.

Forrest counts among his areas of expertise, iron ore, beef production, aquafarming and, thanks to his various philanthropic causes, environmental effects of plastic bags, global slavery and the health ramifications of young adult smoking.

Recently he even received a PhD in marine science.

Of course most of the dividends Forrest receives from this 36 per cent stake in Fortescue go to his Minderoo Foundation. But thanks to Fortescues record high share price, Forrests stake is now worth just over $15 billion. His wealth is riding a revitalised iron ore price which is now sitting at $US93 - up about $US10 over the past couple of weeks.
New York: New York City residents who flouted social distancing restrictions for a night on the town got the mayor's wrath on Sunday.

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, receives a nasal swab during a news conference in Albany, New York, US. Credit:Bloomberg

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio admonished people seen crowding outside bars Saturday night - many with drinks in hand but no masks on their faces - for putting lives in danger. Officials may shut down establishments that break distancing rules, de Blasio said.

City bars and restaurants have been restricted to take-away and delivery since mid-March, when coronavirus cases started to soar, but some in Manhattan were allowing people to dine and drink inside on Saturday.

"We're not going to tolerate people starting to congregate. It's as simple as that," de Blasio said. "If we have to shut places down, we will."
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 18.05.2020:

 A record number of 351 COVID-19 cases has been recorded in Armenia in 1 day, and one new death has been reported.

A total of 4,823 cases have been confirmed as of Monday with 2,019 recoveries and 61 deaths. 2,718 patients with COVID-19 are currently undergoing treatment. In total, 41,850 tests have been completed.

According to health minister Arsen Torosyan, Armenia has more than 100 severe and critical COVID-19 cases.

 Despite the record number of COVID-19 cases, the Armenian government lifts some restrictions approved earlier to stop the coronavirus spread in the republic.

Thus, from Monday, Armenia public transport has resumed operations, however, 'there will be special rules for the operation of public transport to reduce the risk of infection,' said Yerevan mayor Hayk Marutyan.

 The number of COVID-19 cases globally nears 5 million. The death toll has reached 316,730, while 1,860,036 patients have already recovered.

The largest number of infections was reported in the US, Russia ranked second, leaving behind Spain.

China, where the pandemic began, is now in 13th place with 82,954 cases. There are almost no new cases in China.

 The Armenian parliamentary committee leading a probe into the circumstances of the Four-Day Artsakh War of April 2016 has specific information regarding several issues, chair of the parliamentary committee Andranik Kocharyan said after the Monday's sitting.

The committee will finish its activities on June 4, 2020, and will publish the final conclusion of the committee, Kocharyan added.

The sitting today was attended by Armenian PM adviser Arshak Karapetyan, who held the post of Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces during the April 2016 events.

Earlier, Armenian ex-president Serzh Sargsyan and ex-PM Karen Karapetyan have also participated in the meetings.

 The legal team of the Armenian second president Robert Kocharyan has received the decision of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan to deny the motions to commute Kocharyan's current precautionary measure of arrest; the decision consists of 92 pages.

The defense does not agree with the grounds of this decision and is currently preparing appeals, which will be submitted in the prescribed manner to the Criminal Court of Appeal in the near future.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants on the brink of collapse have sent a symbolic key to their MPs to protest that landlords are charging rent throughout the lockdown.

Tens of thousands of small businesses are seeking to highlight how many will be forced to hand over the keys to their premises unless the Government steps in.

Most businesses in the hospitality industry have not received income since shutting in March, yet thousands are paying rent.

Empty tables: Tens of thousands of small businesses are seeking to highlight how many will be forced to hand over the keys to their premises unless the Government steps in

Cheltenham publican Ed Anderson said: 'The whole industry just cannot pay rent in the way it used to. We'll be finished, that's jobs lost and businesses ruined.'

Trade body UK Hospitality has asked Business Secretary Alok Sharma to intervene.

The number of winding up petitions issued against restaurants has almost trebled this year from 20 to 53.

UK Hospitality has called for a 'sharing of the pain' and said a solution must be in place this month.

The group's chief executive Kate Nicholls said: 'The majority of landlords have worked to find solutions, but a damaging minority continue to put pressure on beleaguered businesses at the worst time.'
Opinion: "School districts should not be scrambling to provide students with the basic and necessary digital tools for learning in this century," argues local contributor and educator Judi Moreillon.
Mumbai, May 18 : Eight companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) reached Maharashtra on Monday while two are expected to reach the state later tonight to assist police with Covid-19 duties, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said here.

While 5 companies -- each with 120 highly-trained personnel -- will be deployed in the city from tomorrow, five others will be deployed across the state.

The CAPFs meant for Mumbai are 3 companies from the CISF, and 2 from CRPF, which will be part of 20 companies sought by the state for deployment during Ramzan-Eid and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

They will assist Maharashtra Police with crowd control and physical distancing measures during the lockdown 4.0 which started from Monday in the state.

The deployment will enable the Mumbai Police and police in other parts of the state to get the much-needed break from heavy dutyload for the past two months.

More so, because more than 1,200 police personnel, including around 600 in Mumbai, have tested Covid-19 positive and around a dozen have lost their lives so far.

With the additional forces reaching the state, deployments of Rapid Action Force companies have been made in Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Amravati so far.

For Mumbai's deployment, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh will take the final call on Tuesday.

Official sources said these companies are likely to be divided and deployed in some of the worst-hit Covid-19 zones in the city and the suburbs.

The remaining 10 companies are expected to join them over the next few days as announced by Deshmukh earlier.
Two people died of COVID-19 in Asssam and 15 fresh cases were reported on Monday, taking the total number of deaths to four and coronavirus cases to 115 in the state, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

A person died on Monday night before he was tested positive and a 71-year-old man, who was suffering from neck cancer and tested positive last week after returning from Mumbai by bus last week, died due to respiratory distress during the day, the minister said.

Both the patients died in Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

Besides these two deaths, a Tablighi Jamaat returnee from Hailakandi had died at Silchar Medical College and Hospital and a 16-year old girl who was also detected to be positive after she died in B Barooah Cancer Hospital in Guwahati



Meanwhile, seven positive cases were reported from Guwahati and one of them died, three from Sarusajai Quarantine Facility and three others who were contacts of a migrant worker who had tested positive last week, the Minister said.

The migrant labourer worked in a potato godown in Fancy Bazaar area, the commercial hub of the city, and subsequently 15 others in contact with him also tested positive last week.

A total of 19 people are now positive from the potato godown area and several areas of the commercial hub have been declared as a containment zone.

Eight other cases were reported in the state during the day with four from Golaghat, two from Cachar and one each from Nagaon and Jorhat.

Of the 115 positive cases in the state, there are 68 active cases, three deaths, two migrated out and 41 have been cured and discharged from the hospital, the minister said.

"There is, however, no need to panic as most of the cases detected positive are from quarantine camp and so far community transmission has not taken place", he said.

The health department has conducted community surveillance in 16,000 villages so far and not a single case has been detected, he said.

"The COVID-19 tally will increase in the state but success of Assam's COVID-19 management will depend on the strict quarantine system adopted and it will spread to the community, only if this fails," the minister said.

The state has adopted the policy of "ruthless quarantine with big heart", which implies that all coming from outside will have to undergo "strict quarantine and the government will take care of them", he said.

People are keen to return to their homes "and this is quite natural but we appeal to them to space out their travel so that we can provide them with the best quarantine facilities", he said.

The minister said that so far 48,000 people have returned to the state and more will come but "if they all come together, it will be difficult to provide them with quality quarantine facilities, which will pose a problem leading to possible community transmission of the disease".

The state government was likely to incur an expenditure of Rs 300 crore for quarantine of one lakh people and to provide financial assistance to four lakh people from Assam staying in other states under Assam Cares, he said.

The Assam government is negotiating with the World Bank in this regard and "it will help us considerably, if it works out", Sarma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Long term investing is the way to go, but that doesn't mean you should hold every stock forever. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. For example, we sympathize with anyone who was caught holding China NT Pharma Group Company Limited (HKG:1011) during the five years that saw its share price drop a whopping 94%. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 83% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 34% in the last 90 days. We note that the company has reported results fairly recently; and the market is hardly delighted. You can check out the latest numbers in our company report.

We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

See our latest analysis for China NT Pharma Group

China NT Pharma Group wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last five years China NT Pharma Group saw its revenue shrink by 15% per year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. So it's not altogether surprising to see the share price down 42% per year in the same time period. This kind of price performance makes us very wary, especially when combined with falling revenue. Of course, the poor performance could mean the market has been too severe selling down. That can happen.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

SEHK:1011 Income Statement May 18th 2020

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on China NT Pharma Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that China NT Pharma Group shareholders are down 83% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 7.6%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 42% 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 China NT Pharma Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for China NT Pharma Group (of which 2 make us uncomfortable!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges.

Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
[May 18, 2020] V-Shaped Rebound in U.S. Airbnb Bookings Continues Despite Biggest Markets Remaining Closed

NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Airbnb booking data continues to point to a V-shaped rebound in the United States, with a slower recovery likely in Europe, according to AllTheRooms Analytics, a provider of short-term rental and Airbnb data and analytics. U.S. 90-day Airbnb occupancy rates, the percentage of nights that properties listed on Airbnb are booked over the next 90 days, reached 18.2% as of May 15th. That represents a 36.8% drop year-on-year, compared to a 38.3% decline as of seven days ago, and a 40.2% decline as of fourteen days ago. Top-performing states in the U.S. include Arizona, down only 16.2% year-on-year. Other states closest to 2019 levels of booking activity include Nebraska, down 13.9%, Maine, down 17.4%, Arkansas, down 18.0%, and Georgia, down 23.2%. The U.S. rebound comes despite the three biggest domestic markets for Airbnb still being closed. California, where occupancy is down 46.7% year-on-year, is still on lockdown. Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis extendedthe state's temporary ban on short-term rentals, is down 38.0%, and New York, which largely remains on lockdown, is down 43.4%. These three states are home to 36% of U.S. Airbnb listings.



"The data shows a continuing rebound in the United States, with states that never had lockdowns or eased them earliest leading the way," said Joseph DiTomaso, CEO of AllTheRooms Analytics. "When the bigger markets start to come online, such as California, Florida, and New York, we're going to see the rebound to 2019 levels accelerate. Markets like Arizona suggest that there's still strong demand for short-term rental stays," he added. The recovery in Europe may take longer. European occupancy is down 43.7% year-on-year, with Scandinavian countries outperforming. Airbnb occupancy in Denmark and Sweden is down 21.3% and 25.8% respectively year-on-year. Other significant European markets include Germany, down 34.1%, France, down 42.2%, Spain, down 45.0%, and Italy, down 51.9%.

About AllTheRooms Analytics AllTheRooms Analytics is the leading provider of short-term rental and Airbnb data and analytics. As a recognized authority on vacation rental markets, we track the performance of over 12 million properties across more than 200,000 global markets on Airbnb and Vrbo. Our data and analytics provide actionable insights to vacation rental hosts and investors looking for the best place to buy a vacation rental. For more information please visit our website at alltherooms.com/analytics. Contact: Steven Jankowski, [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/v-shaped-rebound-in-us-airbnb-bookings-continues-despite-biggest-markets-remaining-closed-301060511.html SOURCE AllTheRooms Analytics, Inc.

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Promising to end the Covid-19 crisis ahead of the monsoon, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday made it clear that curbs in red and containment zones will not be relaxed in the fourth phase of the lockdown which began on Monday. While announcing facilities for new industries, the CM also made an emotional appeal to sons-of-the-soil to fill the gap created owing to the exodus of migrant workers.

Addressing the people of Maharashtra via Facebook Live, Thackeray said the battle against the pandemic was still on and people need to show more restraint and discipline. In Maharashtra, cases in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad are rising on a daily basis. In such a scenario, lifting the lockdown is not advisable, especially looking at the experiences of other countries. We will have to tolerate it for some time, but it is in the interest of the state. We cant afford a spike in cases and fatalities due to relaxations. Green zones have already been opened for almost all activities. There could be a few more relaxations in orange zones, but red zones and containment zones cant get those. Everybody is eager to see the lifeline back on the tracks, but it may take some time, he said.

The state government is expected to issue a notification with the set of guidelines, on the basis of the framework issued by the Centre, for the fourth phase of the lockdown by Tuesday. There will be another set of challenges once monsoon sets in. The academic year starts in mid-June. We are chalking out plans for the changes that need to be brought in for the education system, he said.

The CM said that around five lakh migrants have been sent back to their respective states and it may lead to a shortage of labour in industries. The sons-of-the-soil should come forward and contribute to filling the gap in the workforce. It is now your responsibility to help the state stand on its own feet, he said.

Thackeray said there will be no terms and conditions for green industries and the state has reserved 40,000 acres to facilitate new industries. The CM also said that if the industries express their inability in purchasing land to set up their units, the government will make it available on lease.

Thackeray said anticipating a rise in the coming days, the government has readied 2.48 lakh beds at 1,484 Covid care centres. He said the state machinery was fully prepared to face the crisis.
If you live in Texas, the coronavirus pandemic might not get you out of jury duty. Today, Collin County District Court is conducting what officials believe is the first virtual jury trial. The one-day summary judgment trial will be held via Zoom, with jury selection streamed via YouTube, Reuters reports.

Because of the format of this trial, jurors will hear arguments from both sides and offer a non-binding verdict. The parties will then sit for mediation and attempt to negotiate a settlement. This makes the case an ideal way to experiment with a virtual jury, and it will allow jurors in Collin County, which has over 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, to remain at home.

Virtual Jury Selection

According to the National Center for State Courts, 39 states and the District of Columbia have encouraged judges to conduct hearings remotely, but bringing in jurors poses another challenge. Arizonas top court has already approved remote jury selection, and once jury trials resume in Indiana, parties in civil cases will have the option to conduct them remotely, Reuters says.

There are some obvious concerns to address before this becomes the norm. For starters, Zoom has been plagued by security issues, and it may be extra hard to keep remote jurors focused or prevent them from doing research during a trial. At the very least, this could pave the way for virtual jury selection so that people only have to show up in person if they are indeed selected.
Paul Tipping admitted failing to comply with the Isle of Man's strict self-isolation measures after he visited a pharmacy and supermarket. (Getty)

A 62-year-old on the Isle of Man has been jailed for failing to self-isolate after his wife reported showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Paul Tipping, of Onchan, visited a pharmacy and a supermarket on 14 May to buy toothpaste and cigarettes.

Tipping, a retired teacher, admitted failing to comply with the self-governing British crown dependency's strict measures to self-isolate, which were announced in March.

He was sentenced to four weeks in prison by magistrates at Douglas Courthouse, according to the BBC.

Tipping's wife reported showing symptoms on 11 May but subsequently tested negative for the virus.

Tipping told magistrates at Douglas Courthouse, pictured, that the shopping trip was for 'necessary' items and that there was 'no one else' to go for him. (Getty)

He told the court the shopping trip was for "necessary" items and that there was "no one else" to go for him.

The court heard that Tipping had previously received a warning for breaching the emergency laws, followed by a fixed penalty notice.

The Isle of Man announced tight quarantine measures to prevent the illness spreading in March.

Since 18 March, anyone arriving on the island is subject to 14 days of self-isolation even if they do not have symptoms of the virus.

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

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For those already on the island, anyone with symptoms or who is living with someone who has symptoms must self-isolate for two weeks.

Chief minister Howard Quayle said at the time that anyone breaching the quarantine regulations could face a fine of up to 10,000 or three months in jail.

The Isle of Man has a population of 85,000 with an average age of 44.4, compared with 40.5 in the UK.

A spokesperson from the Isle of Man police told Yahoo News: "Our role is to help police this health emergency.

"We appreciate the effort the community are putting in and we are seeing positive results. On occasions we have had to take action against people who have not followed the rules."

Story continues

In the UK, Boris Johnson has ordered all visitors to Britain to isolate for 14 days, in a bid to prevent a second wave of coronavirus.

"To prevent reinfection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time  with transmission significantly lower  to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air," he said in a televised address as he revealed his road map for easing lockdown restrictions on 11 May.

Visitors could face fines of up to 1,000 and even deportation if spot checks later find they have flouted the rules, which the report claimed could be introduced in June.

Coronavirus: what happened today
A 35-year-old suspected Covid-19 patient in Uttarakhand who was staying at a quarantine centre in Pauri Garhwal district died on Monday morning, said health officials. The man had returned from Faridabad last week, informed officials.

The man died two days after a 77-year-old woman suspected to be infected with Covid-19 died at a quarantine centre at the Rikhnikhal block of the district.

Manoj Bahukhandi, chief medical officer of Pauri Garhwal district, said the man has been quarantined at a centre in Birgana village of the district after he returned from Faridabad.

The man was already suffering from asthma and chest related ailments, which seems to be the cause of the death however nothing can be said for sure till the post-mortem examination report is received. If doctors feel the need then his samples will be taken for Covid-19 testing also, said Bahukhandi.

Officials said that two more people have been isolated at a hospital who stayed with the man. On Saturday, a 77-year-old woman who had been suffering from bronchitis and hypertension had died at a quarantine center in Rikhnikhal of the district.

The woman was quite old and did not show any symptoms similar to that of coronavirus, but as per protocol, she had been quarantined at a center in the block. She had been suffering from bronchitis and hypertension, but did not show any Covid-19 symptoms, the chief medical officer had said. The woman was not tested for COVID-19 said the senior medical official.

In April, two suspected Covid-19 patients had died in Government Doon Medical College Hospital.
Is Iran seeking a historic compromise with the United States? By Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall

Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei has announced that Iran is prepared for a full prisoner swap with the United States with no preconditions. He said there are already contacts with the United States on this issue, but Washington still has not responded despite the basic readiness that Tehran has expressed. In any case, Rabiei stated that the Iranian Interests Section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington is prepared to pursue such a deal. Rabiei added that, given the extent of the coronavirus crisis in the United States and the exposure of the Iranian prisoners to many dangers in the American prisons, he hopes the U.S. administration will prioritize human life over political considerations. Rabiei said Iran has information that the Iranian prisoners are not receiving treatment and are in grave condition. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on May 11 that he had already raised the proposal of a prisoner exchange in September 2018 while participating in the UN General Assembly session. According to the proposal, he stated, Iran is prepared to exchange all the American prisoners in return for Iranian prisoners in the United States and in countries under its influence; but Washington is yet to respond. However, in an interview to Irans YJC news agency on May 12, Zarif said no talks were being held with the United States. The Americans have proved that they are unworthy and one cannot trust negotiations with them. The whole world has reached that conclusion. The time has come for the American administration to change its behavior and not make excuses. The words of the senior Iranian officials came a short time after a tweet on May 8 by Ayatollah Khamenei, in which he again, as in past instances when Iran was at a strategic juncture, referred to religious-historical events from the early days of Islam. In the tweet, which marked the birthday of Imam Hassan (the Second Imam), Irans Supreme Leader lauded the heroism of the Shiite figure, who signed a peace treaty with the Sunni ruler Muawiya: I believe that Imam Hassan was the greatest hero in the history of Islam.He was prepared to sacrifice himself, along with his good name among his comrades, to further his goals, and he agreed to peace for the sake of the future of Islam. In 2013, in the midst of the negotiations on the nuclear deal, Khamenei coined the term heroic flexibility, which also appears in the book he later wrote under the title, The Peace of Imam Hassan: The Most Wonderful Heroic Flexibility in History. Back in 2013, Khameneis allusion to Imam Hassans heroic flexibility was seen as a green light to promote the nuclear deal, which was eventually signed in 2015. Many even compared it to Ayatollah Khomeinis famous phrase  to drink from the chalice of poison, spoken toward the end of the Iran-Iraq War on the way to Security Council Resolution 598, which led ultimately to the end of the war. I accept the fact that I must drink the chalice of poison of adopting the resolution. Its adoption is more lethal than venom, but I must submit to Allah and drink the chalice for his sake. In light of its timing, with Iran at a crossroad, Khameneis tweet prompted many interpretations of its significance. Some claimed that these were just the usual sort of words in honor of Imam Hassans birthday and no great import should be ascribed to them regarding any forthcoming strategic moves by Iran. Others claimed they signaled that Iran, which is in very poor economic straits amid the sanctions and the coronavirus crisis, is (again) seeking a compromise with the United States, possibly on the nuclear issue. Some of those who responded on the social networks portrayed Khamenei and Foreign Minister Zarif, who played a decisive role in the nuclear talks with his smile offensive, as flexible gymnasts. The last time Iran and the United States swapped prisoners was in 2019. The Iranians freed the student Xiyue Wang, who was jailed for three years on charges of spying; the Americans released the Iranian stem-cell researcher Massoud Soleimani, who had been charged with violating the sanctions. If a prisoner exchange is carried out, it may include Michael White, a U.S. navy veteran who was arrested in Iran in 2018, and father and son Baqer and Siamak Namazi (dual Iranian-American nationals). The United States, for its part, will expel Iranian Professor Sirous Asgari, who is suspected of stealing trade secrets. The historical disputes and resentments between Iran and the United States are profound. The Trump administrations policy of maximum pressure has intensified them. The two countries are now in the midst of a titanic struggle that encompasses many diplomatic and military arenas and affects many countries in the Middle East. The coronavirus crisis has not brought any letup to this struggle. It has, however, greatly exacerbated Irans economic distress because of the dramatic decline in oil prices and the United Arab Emirates closing of its ports to Iran to prevent the spread of the virus. Iran had been using some of those ports to circumvent the sanctions. Since the outbreak of the virus, Iran has conducted corona diplomacy that seeks to erode the U.S. sanctions on humanitarian grounds. So far, however, this effort has recorded only partial successes that have not significantly alleviated Irans economic plight. Nor has Iran managed so far to free up any of its assets abroad that are frozen because of the sanctions, or to deepen the wedge between the European countries  which are still signed onto the nuclear deal  and the United States. The European mechanism for bypassing the sanctions, INSTEX, indeed was used once (at the end of March and beginning of April) to transfer humanitarian aid, more than a year after it was declared, but this is not enough to improve Irans bleak state of affairs or to compensate for the heavy losses due to the reimposed American sanctions. Despite its difficult situation at home and abroad, Iran continues to adhere to the key objectives of its strategy: to advance the nuclear program and to expand its regional influence through subversion in the Persian Gulf, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. Iran continues to operate in these hot spots even after the high-profile assassination of IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani, through its proxies against the interests of the United States, its Sunni allies (primarily Saudi Arabia, by aiding the Houthis in Yemen), and Israel. Simultaneously, Iran has kept defying the United States in the Gulf with a string of provoked incidents involving U.S. vessels; while in Iraq, Iran acted behind the scenes to appoint Mustafa al Kazimi as prime minister on May 9 and to encourage the Shiite militias it supports to keep monitoring and targeting U.S. interests in Iraq. Iran is continuing its military activity in Syria as well, despite recent reports that Iran was reducing its presence and expenditures in Syria. This week Abu Faisal Sirlak, an adviser to the IRGC, was killed in Syria. Iran has not abandoned the nuclear deal. It keeps acting within its framework and using it to pressure the United States. At the same time, it is gradually eroding and breaching many of its crucial components (by hoarding uranium, raising the enrichment level, and engaging in centrifuge R&D), thereby probably shortening the breakout time towards a nuclear weapon if it eventually decides to withdraw from the deal. In the international diplomatic arena, Iran and the United States are heading for a confrontation in the Security Council in October, when the arms embargo on Iran is supposed to be lifted in line with Security Council Resolution 2231. The United States has already launched an effort to keep the embargo in place. Behind the scenes, Iran is working with Russia, China, and some EU countries which oppose the American move to thwart it. On May 9, the second anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the Iranian foreign minister sent a letter to the UN secretary-general in which he accused President Trump of repeated violations of the UN Charter and called on the secretary-general to hold the United States responsible for actions that damage UN credibility. The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations said the United States was subjecting Resolution 2231 to ridicule while also threatening other countries. In sum, it appears that Iran and the United States continue to be on a collision course. President Trump, who is under harsh criticism at home for his handling of the coronavirus crisis, jeopardizing his second term as president, will try to leverage his maximum pressure policy to secure some sort of agreement with Iran and then glorify it as part of his election campaign. Khamenei, for his part, is (again) hinting that he will facilitate a compromise measure that perhaps will give Iran some relief from its distress, while demonstrating what he calls heroic flexibility toward the United States. The Iranian leader is caught between the hammer of his burning desire to be remembered as one who successfully withstood the American maximum pressure and the anvil of Irans worsening condition. He is still telling the Iranian negotiating team to keep the nuclear deal alive at least, he hopes, until the end of Trumps first  and as far as he is concerned, last  term in office, while promoting the policy of the resistance economy and enhancing self-production to counter intrusive elements such as sanctions. Throughout its revolutionary years, Iran has faced repeated international and regional pressures and has overcome them despite the heavy price it has paid and is still paying. Even if he allows a period of calm between Iran and the United States, Khamenei will not want to be remembered as someone who gave in to America, and he will keep adhering to Irans basic objectives. He is aware of the growing calls in the United States, particularly in the Democratic camp, to ease the Iranian peoples distress in the face of the coronavirus, and the partys candidate, Joe Biden, now appears to be supporting a return to the nuclear deal. IDF Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael (Mickey) Segall, an expert on strategic issues with a focus on Iran, terrorism, and the Middle East, is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and at Acumen Risk Advisors. Home
The Supreme Court will take up an appeal filed by a sacked constable of the Border Security Force (BSF) who has challenged the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat held last year.

Tej Bahadur had objected to the rejection of his nomination as Samajwadi Partys official candidate from Varanasi. On this ground, he sought PM Modis election to be set aside. The Allahabad High Court dismissed his plea at the threshold by a detailed order on December 6, 2019. It held that Tej Bahadur was neither a candidate nor an elector to question Varanasi election result. The appeal in the top court challenges the correctness of this decision.

Interestingly, the apex court received this appeal in February this year. The case suffered many procedural flaws. It took three months to prepare the case for hearing. And now, Bahadurs lawyers will face a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy through video-conferencing.

Bahadurs nomination paper was rejected by the Returning Officer on May 1, 2019. He had earlier filed nomination as an independent candidate from Varanasi but subsequently entered nominated as Samajwadi Party candidate.

He admitted in his nomination form that the BSF, where he was employed, had terminated his services. This happened in April 2017 after his video exposing cheap quality of food provided to soldiers went viral. The Returning Officer wished to know if the ground for termination was corruption or disloyalty to the state. If so, such candidates attract a five-year bar on contesting elections.

Tej Bahadur claimed his dismissal was on other grounds. The Returning Officer followed the rulebook and required a certificate from the Election Commission in this regard. His failure to produce this certificate led to rejection of his nomination. The matter even came up to the Supreme Court which refused to interfere with this decision.

Before the high court, PM Modi made an appearance through his lawyers. He told the court that the petitioner lacked locus to file the petition. Section 81 of the Representation of Peoples Act provides that a challenge to an election can be made either by a candidate or an elector of that constituency.

PM Modis lawyers argued that Tej Bahadur failed on both counts as his nomination stood rejected by the Returning Officer. He was not a registered voter of Varanasi either. In his petition he admitted to be an elector from Bhiwani, Mahendragarh Parliamentary Constituency in Haryana.

The high court concluded that the petitioner was neither an elector nor a candidate and went on to dismiss the petition as not maintainable. On merits too, Tej Bahadur failed to succeed. His non-submission of certificate from the Election Commission went against him. The high court held, When a candidate is dismissed from government service within five years of filing of the nomination, he is under obligation to file certificate from the Election Commission that his dismissal was not on ground of disloyalty or corruption, failing which, he will be presumed to be not duly nominated.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday gave Indira Priyadarshini baby Kits for two newborn girls here, a statement said.

At his residence, the chief minister handed over pink coloured kits for the girls born in Zanana Hospital here, it said.

The government on Monday started providing pink-coloured baby kits for girls born in state medical institutions of Jaipur district and these kits will soon also be available in other districts of the state, the statement said.

Gehlot in the budget 2019-20 had announced to give a kit as soon as the child is born, to prevent the risk of infection and to protect the newborn from hypothermia.

In order to reduce infant mortality rate, newborn boys will also be given blue colour kit from July 2020, it said.

Under Indira Priyadarshini scheme baby kits will be provided for more than 11 lakh newborn boys and girls. It will cost about Rs 10 crore per year, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thermal screening, temperature checks, lift queues and crowd control measures on trains will confront Victoria's office workers as they eventually emerge from home-based hibernation and return to work at hundreds of currently empty CBD buildings after months of absence.

Occupancy rates in Melbourne's office towers slumped to about 5 per cent during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but are expected to rebound to 50 per cent by July, according to figures from global real estate agency JLL.

A survey of tenants by one of the country's largest landlords, Dexus, shows the company's national occupancy returning to levels of about 23 per cent in May, rising to 71 per cent by August. Businesses and landlords say full occupancy could be years away, pending the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

On Friday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews dampened expectations of a quick return for home-based workers despite the relaxation of many other aspects of the state's lockdown restrictions.
Tajik Villagers Block Road To Protest Lack Of Government Aid Following Floods

By RFE/RL's Tajik Service May 17, 2020

DUSHANBE -- Dozens of Tajiks affected by some of the worst flooding and mudslides in years have blocked a key road in a rare instance of public protest in the authoritarian Central Asian nation.

The protesters halted traffic on May 17 along the Bokhtar-Dushanbe road, which connects the nation's capital with the center of Khatlon Province. The road continues on to a border bridge with Afghanistan.

Residents of the Khuroson district have been severely impacted by devastating floods and mudslides in recent days with dozens of homes in three villages partially or fully destroyed.

One person has died and several have been injured from the natural disaster.

Meanwhile, residents have been forced to spend nights outside without emergency aid, they said.

The head of the local police is negotiating with the protesters.

Large demonstrations have been rare in Tajikistan -- which has been run for more than a quarter century by authoritarian leader President Emomali Rahmon -- since the end of its civil war in 1997.

The protest comes amid complaints over the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tajik authorities, who for weeks denied that the coronavirus had reached the nation, claim that only 204 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and only 36 have died as of May 16 .

However, civil activists claim that the number of deaths alone already exceeds 200

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tajik-villagers- block-road-to-protest-lack-of-government-aid- following-floods/30617168.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.

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the Centre's economic stimulus package lacked provisions to compensate the losses incurred by farmers during the lockdown period, which has left no cash in their hands.

He said the package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is "more of the supply chain-centric" whose benefits will take longer time to reach farmers.

The former Union agriculture minister also suggested that the procurement price for food grains be decided after taking into consideration the net profit component, which he said would increase the efficiency of the package for farmers in a true sense.

"At the time of determining the prices of food grains, we do not consider the net profit on the final product. Unless we do it, farmers will never get proper rate for their produce," the former Union agriculture minister said.

Referring to the fiscal stimulus package, Pawar said it would take longer to trickle down benefits to farmers.

"Restructuring of crop loans ahead of Kharif season is paramount. Farmers have already incurred heavy losses during the lockdown, and they do not have cash in hand to make necessary purchases. No provision is made in the Centre''s package to these farmers for their losses," Pawar said.

He further said: "The government should clarify on how it is going ahead with its announced package in sectors such as animal husbandry, fishery, micro-food enterprises, apiculture among others".
President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the United States had "never really fought to win" in Afghanistan, except early in the nearly two-decade-long war, making a sweeping statement about military efforts as thousands of U.S. troops continue to serve, and sometimes die, in counterinsurgent operations there.

In a series of tweets, the president pushed back against a May 17 Wall Street Journal editorial cautioning against abrupt decisions regarding Afghanistan, where U.S. officials are seeking to facilitate a peace deal between Taliban militants and the Afghan government ahead of a planned reduction in U.S. forces.

"Could someone please explain to them that we have been there for 19 years," Trump wrote. "The Taliban is mixed about even wanting us out. They make a fortune $$$ out of having us stay, and except at the beginning, we never really fought to win."

"We are more of a police force than the mighty military that we are, especially now as rebuilt. No, I am not acting impulsively!" he said.

Since the war began in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, more than three-quarters of a million Americans have deployed to Afghanistan, and more than 2,300 U.S. troops have died. During President Barack Obama's troop surge, about 100,000 military personnel were arrayed across the country, fighting to win remote areas from Taliban control.

Over the past year, the military mission has focused on pummeling militants with airstrikes and supporting Afghan forces in an effort to induce the Taliban to embrace political talks outlined in a Feb. 29 U.S.-Taliban deal. That deal halted U.S. attacks on the Taliban and outlined a path toward an American departure.

Officials have declined to give an exact number for the U.S. force, which serves there as part of a NATO-led coalition, but said the number is being brought down to 8,600 this spring as an initial step in the recent agreement.

While officials have acknowledged that the war has been locked in an extended stalemate and that many hard-won battlefield gains have not been sustained, Trump's commentary was unusual for a commander in chief. Typically, presidents have heaped praise on military efforts no matter their outcome.

At other moments, Trump has also lauded the military effort in Afghanistan, including during a surprise Thanksgiving visit last year. Speaking to troops at a U.S. airfield outside Kabul, Trump praised troops who had deployed to "defend liberty" since the start of the war and those who "continue to serve heroically to stamp out terrorism and to eviscerate the enemies of civilization."

It remains unclear how quickly further reductions will follow if peace talks, already delayed, do not begin or progress. Trump, who has spoken about his desire to end the war since he was a presidential candidate, has repeatedly expressed frustration about the conflict and the resources it has involved.

"You can only hold someone's hand for so long," he said in March, referring to Afghanistan.

Richard Fontaine, who served as foreign policy adviser to the late Republican Sen. John McCain and is now CEO of the Center for a New American Security, said that "anybody who said we didn't fight to win would have a hard time explaining Obama's surge, when the military unleashed very serious operations again the Taliban."

The Taliban, meanwhile, has continued to demonstrate its resilience, conducting attacks that have resulted in a surge in Afghan casualties this spring. So far in 2020, four U.S. troops have died in hostile action. Last year, almost 20 died.

U.S. military officials have said that even if a peace deal can be reached, a significant counterterrorism threat will remain given the presence of al-Qaida and Islamic State militants.

In its editorial, the Wall Street Journal appeared to voice concern about a sudden withdrawal order.

"The Taliban know that President Trump is eager to withdraw all U.S. troops from the country, preferably before Election Day in November, so he can claim a diplomatic victory," the editorial read. "But that gives the Taliban an incentive to bide their time in the hope of goading Mr. Trump to do something impulsive."

A Pentagon spokesman referred questions about the president's tweet to the White House. The White House did not provide a comment.

- - -

The Washington Post's Julie Tate and Karen DeYoung contributed to this report.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 822 new coronavirus cases Monday, raising the statewide total to 63,056.

Across Pennsylvania, 4,505 have died due to the coronavirus, including 87 newly reported deaths, the health department said Monday.

About two-thirds of the states COVID-19 deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Thousands of residents of those facilities have been infected, along with more than 2,000 employees.

There are 277,553 patients who have tested negative, the health department said. The department said 4,479 health care workers have been infected.

The health department released new data Monday. The statistics reflect cases and deaths reported as of midnight.

Reopening Pennsylvania

The numbers come as more counties will be moving into the yellow phase of Gov. Tom Wolfs gradual reopening of Pennsylvania later this week.

On Friday, 12 counties, including some in central Pennsylvania, move into the yellow phase. These are the counties: Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne and York.

Currently, 37 counties in northern and western Pennsylvania are in the yellow phase of the Wolfs administration reopening process. Those counties include the Pittsburgh area, along with western and northern Pennsylvania.

In the yellow phase, businesses can resume operations with more restrictions. Companies can reopen but are still encouraged to allow employees to work remotely. Retailers can reopen but are urged to offer curbside pickup or delivery service and child care centers can reopen.

Even in yellow counties, restaurants and bars are limited to delivery and takeout services. Movie theaters, gyms, casinos, barber shops and nail salons remain closed in the yellow counties.

Nursing homes

The health department said 3,086 coronavirus deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. About 69 percent of the states COVID-19 deaths have taken place in those facilities.

Across Pennsylvania, 13,626 residents in long-term care facilities have contracted the virus, along with 2,111 employees.

Cases have been found in 561 facilities in 44 counties.

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China on Monday it was premature to launch an investigation into the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, hours after more than 100 countries including India and ally Russia backed an international probe into the outbreak which emerged from the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at the regular ministry briefing on Monday that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over.

China has been pushing back international demand for a probe, saying that the US and Australia, which has been in the forefront in demanding a probe, were politicising the issue and could hamper the fight against the pandemic.

The resolution, drafted by the European Union, has been put up to the World Health Assembly (WHA), the annual meeting of the WHO. The foreign ministry statement came hours before the UNs global health agencys two-day virtual meet begins on Monday.

The resolution does not single out China or any other country but calls for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the (WHO)-coordinated international health response to Covid-19.

Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with Member States, 1 a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing mechanisms, 2 as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19, the draft resolution said.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday Australia wants the resolution to stipulate that the inquiry be impartial, independent and comprehensive.

In a separate statement, the Chinese foreign ministry announced that President Xi Jinping will address the World Health Assemblys opening ceremony via videolink later on Monday. President Xi had not been listed as a speaker in the schedule circulated by the WHO earlier. The foreign ministry said President Xi had been invited to speak by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

After emerging in China, the virus had rapidly spread around world, killing more than 315,000 people and infecting at least 4.7 million.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 05:42:22|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Two Islamic State (IS) militants and a paramilitary Hashd Shaabi member were killed on Sunday in attacks in the province of Salahudin of Iraq, a provincial police source said.

A force from the provincial police clashed with IS militants group in a desert area in the western part of the province, leaving two IS militants killed and five policemen wounded, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua.

The clash occurred as the force was participating in a major offensive launched in the morning to hunt down IS remnants in the desert and rugged areas in the provinces of Anbar, Salahudin and Nineveh as well as the border areas with Syria, according to a statement by the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

In a separate incident, one paramilitary Hashd Shaabi member was killed and three others were wounded, when a roadside bomb planted by IS militants detonated near the town of Tuz-Khrmato, some 90 km east of Salahudin's provincial capital Tikrit, Ali al-Husseini, a local paramilitary leader told Xinhua.

The blast took place when the Hashd Shaabi members were on their way to help secure and put out fires in wheat farms that were ignited by extremists earlier in the day.

The attacks came as the extremist IS militants have intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens.

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 deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem
Sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, someone spray painted several blue swastikas on the American Red Cross building in Philadelphia.

Crews were on the scene Sunday morning, working to scrub away and paint over the Nazi symbol, Action News 6 ABC is reporting.

At least four swastikas were sprayed onto the Red cross building on the 2200 block of Chestnut Street in Philadelphias Center City, NBC 10 is reporting.

Though workers spent the morning trying to erase the blue symbols on beige building, faded swastikas could still be seen, reports indicate.

Dave Skutnik, the organizations southeastern Pennsylvania regional spokesman, told NBC 10 police also found graffiti at other locations in the area.

Police are investigating. No suspect descriptions have been released.

Shira Goodman, the regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, told NBC 10 the Nazi symbols are a calculated move intended to wound deeply, adding, We must all stand against this.

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World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan believes schools should reopen. (Getty)

The World Health Organizations chief scientist believes children are at a 'very low risk' of being infected with coronavirus if schools reopen in the UK.

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said she believes "society has to restart" but that there will be a new normal.

Dr Swaminathan added that schools should be allowed to reopen providing adequate social distancing measures are in place.

Children dont seem to be getting severely ill from this infection, she said, Children are capable of getting the infection but theres less data on how they are able to spread it.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has defended the government's decision to send some children back to school on June 1. (Getty)

What we have seen in countries where schools have remained open is that there have not been big outbreaks in schools.

And where there have been its been associated with events where a lot of people gather, not in regular classrooms. And its often been associated with an adult who has had the infection.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

So it does seem from what we know now that children are less capable of spreading it even if they get the infection and certainly are at very low risk from getting ill from the disease.

Dr Swaminathan said that the WHO has been analysing data in countries where schools had already been reopened or had remained open throughout the crisis.

She said the data about infection rates has been fairly reassuring and said there are several measures teachers and governments can take to make sure schools are safe.

In classrooms you can rearrange the tables and chairs so children have at least one metre between them, she suggested.

It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) said it was completely aligned with teachers unions that are concerned coronavirus infection rates are currently too high.

The move puts the BMA in opposition to the government which plans to welcome children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6 back on June 1.

Story continues

The BMA said education unions were absolutely right to be cautious and evidence was unclear whether children carried Covid-19.

But education secretary Gavin Williamson said getting children back to school was vital for their educational development.

He said minimising contact and mixing is a "key element" of what needs to be done, adding: "That is why we have gone in this initial stage of much-reduced sizes down to a maximum of 15.

"We have looked all across Europe to see how this best works. We have seen some good examples in nations such as Denmark where it seems to have worked very well."

He added: "We are creating a protective bubble around them, reducing the amount of mixing and making sure that those small groups stay together almost like a family within a classroom."

He suggested that by cutting the amount of contact they have with other teachers and children, it is hoped that the risk of potential infection is "dramatically" reduced.

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Louisianas top school board hopes to name a new state superintendent of education Wednesday, but getting a super majority of the panel to agree on a choice remains a major hurdle.

The pick requires the support of at least eight of 11 members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is a higher hurdle than boosting taxes in the Legislature.

No BESE member has publicly endorsed any of the candidates.

"We are being optimistic that we are going to come to a consensus," said Sandy Holloway, president of the board.

"However, if there is a deadlock we table the matter and in the meantime Beth Scioneaux continues to be the acting superintendent," Holloway said.

The board is set to meet at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

Scioneaux has held the job since March, taking over when former state Superintendent of Education John White left after eight years on the job.

Assistant State Superintendent of Education Jessica Baghian, 35, and Jefferson Parish schools superintendent Cade Brumley, 39, were long seen as frontrunners for the job.

+2 2 favorites to lead Louisiana public schools emerge, and the vote is coming up soon After a four-month hunt in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, Louisianas top school board is poised to name a new state superintendent of e

But questions remain on whether either candidate can get the minimum eight votes needs to land the post, especially amid philosophical splits on BESE over the direction of public schools.

Former St. James Parish schools Superintendent Lonnie Luce, 51, has been mentioned as a compromise candidate, especially since he has experience with both traditional public schools and charter schools, which are public schools that are supposed to offer innovative classrooms.

Luce's departure in 2018 as superintendent of University View Academy  the state's first online charter school  has sparked questions just ahead of the vote.

He said Monday that, when he left the school after two years, his settlement included a "fairly large sum."

"I would just say if I had done anything wrong they would not have paid me a good amount of money," Luce said.

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Luce is currently superintendent of the Louisiana branch of Charter Schools USA, which oversees seven charter schools in five parishes.

The other finalists are Joe Siedlecki, 44, associate commissioner for school system support, innovation and charters at the Texas Education Agency; Heather Poole, 46, executive vice chancellor of Central Louisiana Community College in Alexandria and Paul Vallas, 66, former superintendent of the Recovery School District.

Nearly two dozen applicants to succeed state Superintendent of Education John White A total of 21 people have applied to be state superintendent of education, including both public school and higher education professionals, of

The requirement that at least eight of 11 BESE members agree on a superintendent  73%  is unusual.

Many state and local boards only require a majority of the panel to fill such jobs.

The high hurdle also complicated White's ascension to the job in 2012, and kept him from getting a contract extension during the last four years of his tenure.

Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, said selection of a state superintendent is a huge issue.

"They are making the most important decision they are probably going to make in their BESE tenure and it is hard," Roemer said of board members.

She said the hiring is complicated by the fact that BESE members could not meet personally with the contenders because of the coronavirus pandemic.

All six finalists underwent virtual interviews of roughly 100 minutes each, answering 16 questions on a wide range of school topics.

BESE member Kira Orange Jones, who led the four-person working group to fill the job, said she is unsure how the finalists are viewed.

"I really don't know where individual board members are," Jones said. "Hopefully we can get to board consensus."
A 42-year-old Cork man was arrested yesterday on charges of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault of a girl during a period from 2002 to 2008.

Garda Craig Peterson arrested the man and brought him before Cork District Court yesterday on a total of 42 separate charges related to different dates over six-year period.

One charge referred to rape, two related to attempt to rape and the remaining 39 charges were for sexual assault.

Garda Peterson said that when the defendant was arrested, charged and cautioned he made no reply to any of the charges against him.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial by indictment at the Central Criminal Court.

The sergeant said the DPP also consented to a signed plea of guilty being entered at Cork District Court for sentencing at the Central Criminal Court.

Defence solicitor said a book of evidence would be required in the case.

There was no objection the to the accuse man being remanded on bail for the purpose of preparing a book of evidence.

Judge Olann Kelleher put the case back for four weeks for that purpose.

No outline was given in court yesterday on the background to the alleged sexual offences or on whether there is a family relationship between the defendant and complainant.

For legal reasons it is not permitted to identify the parties in any media coverage of the case.
Madrid, 18 May 2020 (SPS) - The Association of Sahrawi Journalists and Writers in Europe has condemned the unfair sentence issued by the so-called Court of Appeal of the Moroccan occupation against Sahrawi media activist, Khatri Faraji Bujama, of 20 years imprisonment, because of his political positions in favour of independence of Western Sahara and the self-determination of the Saharan people.



The Association considered the sentence against the Sahrawi media activist a crime committed by the Moroccan occupation, in order to continue its practices aimed at intimidating Sahrawis and silencing their voices.



Finally, the Association called on the international organizations to take urgent action to demand the release of Sahrawi media activist, Khatri Faraji Bujama, and all Sahrawi political prisoners in the Moroccan jails. (SPS)



062/SPS/T
A City of Hope molecular researcher has identified a biomarker panel that appears to reveal when pancreatic cancer has spread to lymph nodes, indicating chemotherapy should precede surgery

DUARTE, Calif. -- For years, surgeons have operated on pancreatic cancer patients to remove what they thought was a localized tumor only to discover that the disease had spread to other, inoperable parts of the body. Now, a City of Hope molecular scientist thinks he may have found a way to prevent ineffective surgeries and prolong the lives of these patients.

Unlike breast, skin or prostate cancer, there is no standard-of-care screening test for pancreatic cancer. And because the pancreas is situated deep within the abdominal cavity, today's imaging technology often doesn't see the pancreatic tumors and are not sensitive enough to detect the minority of cancer cells that have already spread to lymph nodes.

"If we know beforehand that these pancreatic cancer patients have lymph node metastases, we probably would not perform surgery because it's complicated, expensive and, most importantly, patients with lymph node spread don't do well after surgery," said Ajay Goel, Ph.D., M.S., A.G.A.F., chair of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at City of Hope and lead author of the new study.

"Instead, we would likely first treat the patient with chemotherapy to kill all the loose-hanging cells in the lymph nodes and then surgically remove the cancer from the pancreas."

On average the five-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer is only 10%, according to the National Cancer Institute. While pancreatic cancer is expected to account for about 3% of all cancer cases in 2020, it likely will be responsible for nearly 8% of cancer deaths this year.

The researchers say City of Hope is the first to perform a comprehensive, genome-wide analysis to identify a novel microRNA biomarker that can be used to detect lymph node metastases in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which makes up about 80% of all pancreatic cancer cases.

Published in the journal Gastroenterology this month, the study identified microRNA, a type of gene, that is highly expressed in people with metastatic pancreatic cancer. With more investigation, doctors could one day use this biomarker to practice precision medicine. In other words, a simple biopsy would help doctors understand each patient's particular disease and empower them to select the most appropriate treatment and disease management strategies for that patient.

"Lymph node metastasis status remains one of the most important predictors of survival in patients undergoing curative resection and is considered to be of tremendous clinical significance for risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making," according to the study.

To find the novel biomarker, the scientists analyzed data in three public datasets. Then they tested and validated their hypothesis using 373 samples that included pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma specimens, samples collected from patients before surgery and biopsies taken prior to any chemotherapy treatment. The median follow-up was 5.5 years in the testing or training cohort and 2.8 years for the validation cohort.

It turns out that there are six distinct genes or microRNAs at play: miR-155-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-365a-5p, miR-629-5p, miR-675-3p and miR-92b-3p. A quality assurance test showed that the scientists' proposed screening test had an accuracy level of 78%.

"This may not seem like a high percentage but in a clinical setting, especially when we don't currently have a pancreatic cancer screening tool, this accuracy level has few equals," Goel said.

Now that Goel and colleagues have created the proof-of-concept biopsy screening test for the presence of lymphatic metastasis in pancreatic cancer, they want to develop the first blood draw test that they hope will identify when pancreatic cancer has spread to lymph nodes. A blood screening test is a less invasive way to deliver personalized therapy. He's already working on it and says more potential clinical innovations are coming soon.

###

Researchers from Baylor University Medical Center, Nara Medical University and Kumamoto University also contributed to this study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (CA72851, CA187956, CA202797, CA214254), Texas Oncology-Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and the City of Hope-Ludwig Cancer Research-Conrad N. Hilton Foundation partnership award.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope's translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is the highest ranked cancer hospital in the West, according to U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals: Specialty Ranking. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
At least seven people killed and 40 others wounded in attack in Ghazni city claimed by the Taliban armed group.

A car bomb attack targeting an Afghan intelligence agency installation in the eastern province of Ghazni has killed at least seven people and wounded 40 others, an official said.

The terrorists have used a humvee in their attack. They have targeted the National Directorate of Security unit in Ghazni city, Wahidullah Jumazada, spokesman for the governor, told the AFP news agency on Monday.

Most of the victims are intelligence personnel, Jumazada added.

The interior ministry in Kabul and a health official in Ghazni also confirmed the attack.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the armed group was behind the attack in Ghazni province, a Taliban stronghold.

The provincial capital, also called Ghazni, briefly fell under Taliban control twice in recent years. The province has in the past been the scene of many large-scale attacks against both Afghan and NATO forces.

The attack came a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing agreement, two months after both declared themselves the winner of last Septembers presidential election.

The political deal would see Ghani remain president of the war-torn nation while Abdullah would lead the countrys National Reconciliation High Council.

Ghani and Abdullah, who held parallel inauguration ceremonies in March, had been locked in a power struggle since the vote. The discord prompted the Trump administration to announce it would cut $1bn in assistance to Afghanistan if the two leaders did not work out their differences.

A peace agreement between the US and the Taliban, signed on February 29, calls for American and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan. It was seen at the time as Afghanistans best chance at peace, following decades of war.

Political turmoil

Since the signing, the US has been trying to get the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin intra-Afghan negotiations, but the political turmoil and personal acrimony between Ghani and Abdullah impeded talks. Negotiations that were to take place in March never happened.

Last Tuesday, gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul, killing 24 people, including mothers, nurses and two babies.

Also on Tuesday, a suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a pro-government militia commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing 32 people and wounding 133 others.

That attack was claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group.
EAST ALTON  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has awarded Caritas Family Solutions a $20,000 grant as part of BCBSILs $1.5 million COVID-19 Community Collaboration Fund.

The grant will be used to ease the stressors of social isolation caused by the stay at home order to the residents of our Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) program, said Caritas Family Solutions CEO, Gary Huelsmann.

Funding will be used to purchase each resident an iPad which will allow them to access telehealth and virtual socialization events, he said. The funds will also be used to support the program through additional direct client support.

We know COVID-19 is challenging the resources that allow local organizations to provide a safety net for people most in need, said Steve Hamman, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. While we continue to help ensure our members have access to the care and coverage they need, these grants allow us to broaden our impact and make a difference in the lives of so many.

Caritas serves more than 4,500 people annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in East Alton, Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney and Effingham. For more details visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.
The 1884 murder of William Druse by his wife, Roxalana, in the couples Herkimer County farmhouse fascinated New York State residents for years, up until her execution by hanging in 1887.

It had all the necessary elements for a great true-life crime story.

It was a shocking crime in the middle of nowhere, and it raised questions about whether a wife was justified in killing her abusive husband and had many asking if women who killed should be punished the same as men for violent crimes.

And the case ultimately helped change the way the death penalty was carried out in New York State and around the country.

By 1884, the Druses had been married for 20 years. The couple had two children together, Mary, 19, and George, 9.

The couple lived in a small farm in the town of Warren in Herkimer County.

It is a hard-looking place for the abode of man, wrote a Utica newspaper about the familys home.

The family was in debt and had a poor reputation in the neighborhood.

William, 56 years old at the time of his death, was described as a lazy oddball with a bad temper. His wife, known to everyone as Roxy, was 14 years her husbands junior.

He kept a long beard, tinkered with inventions, and had a penchant for reading anything he could get his hands on.

The sensational murder of William Druse by his wife, Roxalana, was the topic of newspaper front pages for years during the 1880s. Here are the headlines from the Jan. 17, 1885 Syracuse Daily Standard following the confession of Druse's nephew, Frank Gates. They contain some errors. William's body was not fed to hogs, nor boiled in a kettle. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm

He was unpopular with his neighbors because he worked on Sundays and swore a lot. He often would visit for hours, without speaking to anyone.

He was also abusive towards his wife.

Daughter Mary would testify that William had once struck her mother with a horse whip, then paid a neighbor five dollars to keep it quiet. Twice she remembered her father using a branch from an apple tree to strike his wife. Another time he choked her with a cord. He also threatened to run her through with a pitchfork.

It is little wonder that Roxalana would come to have a low opinion of marriage. (She said her husband was only a decent man to her on their wedding day.)

My advice is never to get married, she said in a prison interview shortly before her murder trial in 1885. I think it is a poor planIt is a dreadful step to take and it ought to have more consideration than people give it.

Her breaking point came just before Christmas, 1884.

On Dec. 18, the couple quarreled over a grocery bill at breakfast.

Roxalana ordered her two children and a nephew, Frank Gates, out of the room. Then she snuck up behind her husband with a revolver.

She shot him in the back of the neck then ordered her daughter to tie a rope around his neck and pull her father to the floor. Roxy shot William twice more.

Incredibly, that did not kill him.

Roxy began having trouble with the gun, so she handed it to her nephew and ordered him, under penalty of death, to finish the job.

Frank emptied the pistol into his uncle, but even that did not kill the man.

Roxy found the family axe and used it to decapitate her husband. She threw her husbands head into the kitchen stove, followed by the rest of William. A thick, black smoke was seen rising from the homes chimney.

Rumors began to run rampant in the small community when William was not seen for weeks. Roxalana would tell neighbors that her husband was visiting New York City.

An official investigation was begun.

Under severe questioning, Frank Gates said he had participated in the murder of William Druse and implicated the rest of the family.

Human bone fragments were found in the ashes which had been dumped in a swamp and a blood-stained floorboard from the kitchen was found.

The entire family was arrested.

It would take almost two years before Roxalana Druse faced a jury.

Her story became used in Americas young womens right movement who declared that her actions had been justified.

One petition said:

Public policy requires that brutal men should be made to know that if their brutality recoils upon themselves the Law will not exact the last drop of blood from their defenseless victims. Those victims have no vote, no home, no refuge, no one on the bench or among the jury who can regard, nor even understand, the plea their sufferings make for them.

Nevertheless, an all-male jury found Roxy guilty and sentenced her to death.

Letters from all over the country pleaded with New York State Governor David Hill to commute her sentence, questioning whether it was ethical to hang a woman.

He refused.

The verdict elicited strong feelings on both sides. One man offered to go to the gallows in her place, while another said he would pay $10 to play the part of executioner.

Roxalana Druse paid the punishment for murdering her husband on Feb. 28, 1887. Here are the headlines about the story from the next day's Syracuse Daily Standard. She was the last woman to be hanged in New York State. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm

Her execution took place in Herkimer on Feb. 28, 1887 and, despite the snow and cold, every road leading into the town was dotted with sleighs crowded with fur-coated men and not a few women, the Syracuse Standard reported.

Roxalana Druse said nothing from the gallows, but she moaned, cried and finally shrieked so loud that her voice was heard in the jail and street, when the cap was pulled over her face.

A counterweight system was used for the hanging. A 213-pound counterweight was dropped which lifted Roxalana up four feet into the air.

Her resulting fall did not break her neck. It took her 15 minutes to die. She would be the last woman to be hanged in New York State

Druses botched execution joined a growing list of others and occurred just as the state had begun a commission to investigate a more humane and practical method way to kill condemned criminals.

In January 1888, less than a year after Roxalanas hanging, the states commission recommended that the electric chair be used.

The Condemned

If you like true-crime stories, be sure to look for our podcast The Condemned" where we explore the stories of five men from Onondaga County who paid the price for their crimes in the electric chair.

Episodes launch on June 1. Bookmark it on our Acast page or other popular platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Google, and Stitcher. Want to be one of the first to listen? Make sure to subscribe on your preferred platform to get new episodes as they become available.

Read more

'The Condemned: A new true crime podcast by syracuse.com

1924-1929: Meet Syracuses Death Juror, the farmer who helped send two men to the electric chair

1881: Hundreds watch Onondaga Countys final hanging

1920: Dressed in their own homemade disguises, two female inmates escape Auburn Prison

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958.

Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
Financial aid for undocumented migrants residing in California set to be available. Those aged 18 and above, and can prove they have lost income and other wages because of COVIC-19 are qualified to get $500, and a maximum amount of $1000 for each family.

Additionally, these particular people are not qualified for any of the federal or unemployment stimulus checks. In relation to this, the state of California has vouched to allot $75 million to assist the undocumented migrants.

Meanwhile, another amount of $50 million is currently being raised through donations and private contributions which, according to news reports, "is also set to be given out."

Finding Recipients

Several non-profit and private organizations across the state have been selected to look for recipients of the money raised and distribute the money.

According to California Governor Gavin Newsom said, to date, there are roughly "150,000 migrants" who he considers as qualified recipients of the financial aid.

Nevertheless, there has been an objection to the money's distribution to the said recipients. Essentially, according to reports, "the Center for American Liberty asked the California Supreme Court to block" California's plan of distributing money to undocumented immigrants greatly affected by COVID-19.

The opposing group claims that the funds' distribution is not allowed according to federal and state law. The Supreme Court rejected the petition on May 6th.

The Center for American Liberty was asked for a comment but no response has been made yet, as of this writing.

Also early this month, Associated Press reported that the Los Angeles Superior Court, in the same way, rejected a petition which Judicial Watch, a conservative group, requested to stop the financial program, as well.

The petition argued that the governor lacked clear authority from the lawmakers of the state to provide money.

Backing from the Other Government Leaders

Earlier on, the New York Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, praised California, for the stimulus funds provided for illegal immigrants. She said, California's recovery program, is "leaps and bounds," better than the initiatives of NY in assisting the undocumented migrants.

Specifically, according to Ocasio-Cortez, the state is recognizing how critical the undocumented people have been, in their economy, and they are working quite hard to have it repaid.

Ocasio Cortez has been known for being one of the most vocal supporters when it comes to providing funds for the undocumented migrants for quite some time now.

More so three other House Democrats have reportedly launched a bill to provide funds for everyone who has Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN, and these would also include the undocumented individuals.

Late last month, roughly nine million stimulus payments have been issued already to qualified citizens of California, as based on data the federal released.

In addition, in April, the IRS released numbers, showing how many people had received their stimulus payments already, as of mid-April. Relatively, California citizens already received nearly 16 billion, roughly averaging $1,174 for every individual.

The amount distributed, according to earlier reports, only accounted for about 35 percent of the eligible citizens of the state.

Check these out!
Detroit  A Grosse Pointe priest recently took social distancing to a creative new level when he used a toy squirt gun to shoot holy water on parishioners Easter food and flowers outside St. Ambrose Church.

The Rev. Tim Pelc was geared up in a mask, face shield and rubber gloves as a precaution against the coronavirus as he greeted each car full of people as they stopped by the steps of the Roman Catholic parish on the day before Easter for the traditional blessing. The photos were posted by the church on social media, according to the Associated Press.

Blessing of the Easter Foods, April 11, 2020 Adapting to the need for social distancing, St. Ambrose continued it's... Posted by St. Ambrose Parish on Sunday, April 12, 2020

Adapting to the need for social distancing, St. Ambrose continued its tradition of Blessing of Easter Food Baskets, drive-thru style. Yes, thats Fr. Tim using a squirt gun full of Holy Water!, the church wrote on its Facebook post.

Blessing of the Easter foods is a tradition at many churches. Typically, parishioners can bring their baskets or boxes of Easter foods and flowers inside the church for a special blessing with a sprinkle of holy water. In some parishes, they are lined up on the steps to the altar. In others, they line the aisle by each pew.

Since photos of Pelcs squirt gun took off on social media, theyve inspired memes, including one of the 70-year-old priest shooting a stream of holy water at the devil, according to the AP.

The priest told BuzzFeed recently he was a bit unsure how the Vatican might take all the attention. I havent heard anything yet," he said.

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.
Kuala Lumpur, May 18 : Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah n Monday urged the country's politicians to work towards stability and to avoid sparking further political problems amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while addressing Parliament.

In his speech to open the first Parliament session since the change of government in March, Sultan Abdullah called on the members of the parliament (MPs) to unite as the country is facing difficulties brought on by the pandemic and its effects on the people and economy, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I advise you not to drag the country into a political abyss of uncertainty at a time when the people continue facing many problems as well as a difficult future brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Sultan Abdullah also urged the government, headed by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin with a multi-party coalition, to focus on ensuring the people's well-being and safety, and to minimize the impact of the pandemic.

The Lower House of Parliament or Dewan Rakyat was initially scheduled to sit for 15 days, but this had been reduced to a one-day sitting limited to the king's speech over the current COVID-19 pandemic with MPs and staff being tested for the disease beforehand.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who resigned in late February before Muhyiddin took over in March, had sought to table a non-confidence motion against his successor.
Tears blurring her vision, Raji Devi watched the bus carrying migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh drive into the distance and turned to her son to say she just wants to be home and never wants to see a big city again.

She couldn't get a seat on the bus and neither could her son Sahab Lal, who worked as a construction labourer, and the rest of the family, all waiting to return to their village in Bhadohi.

The disappointment was almost too much to handle for the elderly woman, perhaps in her 70s, who held her son's hands and told him she won't be back to bother him and it's okay if he's not there for her last rites either.

The family of seven Raji Devi, Sahab Lal, his wife and two children, his nephew and his wife -- were among the hundreds of people waiting at the community centre in Sector 9A Gurgaon from where state transport buses were taking stranded migrants to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

But the seats were allotted on a first-come-first-served basis and the family missed their turn.

This is the first time she came out of her village, and it will be the last, Raji Devi vowed. The big city lights have lost their lustre, she said.

As the buses started leaving, she told her son in the Hindi dialect from her region, "Betua ab hum kabhi nahi aiyai tu beshak humka kandha den bhi mat aiyai. Humka nahi dekhna shehar (Son, I won't come back. It's okay if you are not there to shoulder my bier. I don't want to see the city again)."



The family would have walked to their village Dara Patti in Bhadohi, almost 850 km away, but Raji Devi could not have survived the journey, Lal said.

"God knows how we will go home now... we didn't try to walk because it would not have been possible for my mother to have walked for so long. I brought her here few months back to give her more comfort," Lal, who is a daily wage construction worker, said.

The lockdown, which began on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, scuttled all his plans to give his mother a glimpse of his life in the city. He lost his job and so did his nephew.

"Sir, you know how much a daily wage labourer gets... my nephew and I earned to feed our family of seven We didn't earn much. And for the last two months, almost all construction activity has shut down. Now we just want to go home, he said.

He added that he had exhausted all his money and had to borrow to keep his family going.

Lal, who lived in old Gurgaon, was a construction worker at a real estate project in new Gurgaon, one of the faceless millions who helped build the glass faade high-rises that dot the skyline of the city.

Hearing her son narrate his pain, his mother broke into fresh tears, saying she was happy in her village and will live and die there.

But there are always slivers of hope and humanity in the darkest clouds of human suffering.

Lal was all praise for his landlord who didn't ask for a rent from him and also helped him with rations.

Haryana police personnel at the community centre coordinating the transportation of the migrant labourers also consoled the family, assuring them that in a day or two in next round of the buses to Uttar Pradesh family will get the seat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Earths magnetic north pole is on the move, but scientists might finally know why its racing towards Siberia.

The magnetic north pole as been moving up to 34 miles a year for years, crossing the international date line in 2017 on a journey towards Russia.

But researchers from the UK and Denmark now believe they might have worked out why  and its due to two writhing blobs of magnetism under Earths surface, one in Canada, the other in Siberia, Popular Mechanics reported.

Earths magnetic field is generated by iron in the liquid outer core of our planet, where a hot ocean of iron and nickel flows.

The pole's movement speed has quadrupled (Getty)

Read more: Scientists are having to update maps because the North pole is moving

The researchers wrote: The wandering of Earths north magnetic pole, the location where the magnetic field points vertically downwards, has long been a topic of scientific fascination.

Researchers analysed 20 years of satellite data to track the movement of the pole.

Since the 1990s, the movement has quadrupled in speed, the researchers said, as reported by Science Alert.

Over the last two decades the position of the north magnetic pole has been largely determined by two large-scale lobes of negative magnetic flux on the coremantle boundary under Canada and Siberia.

The scientists said that the flow of magnetic material changed between 1970 and 1999, and a magnetic blob beneath Canada elongated, splitting in two.

Read more: Earths magnetic poles show signs theyre about to flip

Part of this blob shifted towards Siberia, causing the magnetic pole to move in that direction, they said.

Researcher Philip Livermore, of the University of Leeds, told Radio 4: Now historically, the Canadian patch has been winning the war and thats why the pole has been centred over Canada.

"But in the last few decades, the Canadian patch has weakened and the Siberian patch has strengthened slightly, and that explains why the pole has suddenly accelerated away from its historical position

Livermore added: Our predictions are that the pole will continue to move towards Siberia, but forecasting the future is challenging and we cannot be sure.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 16:36:23|Editor: huaxia

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YINCHUAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Looking at the hustle and bustle surrounding him as he drove slowly through the downtown area, Ye Jian (a pseudonym), a taxi driver in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, afforded himself a sense of delight where anxiety once reigned supreme.

"Such heavy traffic used to be my headache, but now I only see the vitality of the city," said Ye, a COVID-19 patient who was cured in February and discharged from home quarantine in March.

As most Chinese provinces downgraded their public health emergency response for COVID-19, work has returned to people's daily life. And for those who have just escaped the coronavirus, returning to work offers them respite from their mental trauma.

Ye has been driving a taxi for two months. Having not found a partner yet, he drives both day and night shifts in a row. He leaves home at about 6:30 in the morning, and returns after 11 p.m., sometimes after midnight.

"Business is picking up. It's a good thing to earn more because I have a baby to raise," Ye said. His child is only five months old.

Five people in Ye's family were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19, including Ye and his wife. Their child was taken good care of in the hands of medical staffers while they were hospitalized.

When the couple ended their quarantine, Ye's wife was worried to go out.

"I didn't know if the neighbors would look at me differently," she said. But a little walk with her baby reassured her.

"People I met have been very kind to me actually. I began to go shopping with friends," she said.

Official data showed that over 78,000 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery on the Chinese mainland, including 75 in Ningxia.

As the COVID-19 epidemic has been gradually brought under control, resumed work distracted the attention of the cured patients, which is beneficial to their psychological rehabilitation, according to Zhang Xuehui, a clinical psychologist in Ningxia's Ning'an Hospital.

Zhang offered counseling to COVID-19 patients during the epidemic. She began to notice that her patients talked more about their spouses and children, and less about the contagion or themselves lately.

"The anxiety and insomnia caused by quarantine have been greatly eased as they returned to work. Many of them have become more optimistic and talkative," she said.

Yang Yu (a pseudonym), 44, also a cured COVID-19 patient, returned to work as a seller at a shopping mall in Yinchuan even earlier than Ye did. The commute between her home and workplace soothed her.

"I was worried that my colleagues would alienate me, or my boss would fire me. Thankfully, nothing happened. I even got my basic salary while I was being treated," she said.

Government workers visited her several times to check on her health and offered to help with job hunting if she needed.

Ye said he had a lot of time to think during his treatment and quarantine, and realized what really mattered in life. He took two days off during the Labor Day holiday so that he could stay with his family.

"For me, making money is important enough, but it would lose meaning if I'm not with my family," he said. Enditem
WASHINGTON  Rep. Jackie Speier wants you to see her in her pajamas  in the hopes of exposing the dirty little secret of members of Congress sleeping in their workplaces.

Its a practice she argues should be banned.

The San Mateo Democrat posted a video Monday that features her at first in work attire, showing off her office as a place where she meets with constituents and does the business of her district.

But then the video cuts to her wearing tasteful black and white floral pajamas, with the offices leather couch made up as a bed. She hopes its jarring, because shes arguing that members using their offices as their D.C. residence is wrong.

Speier wrote a letter this month to the Architect of the Capitol and Congress attending physician arguing that the practice, which she has long opposed, is more dangerous than ever during the coronavirus pandemic.

Unsatisfied with their response, which mostly sidestepped the issue of office sleeping as outside their purview, the longtime advocate for protections against sexual harassment and abuse is upping her game.

Its here where I remind (constituents) that they are the employer and Im the employee, she says in the video as she first shows off her office.

Then the video shows her in her office in bedtime attire.

This is the dirty little secret: At the end of the day when most members go to their apartments or residences, there are upwards of 100 members of the House of Representatives who put on their PJs, or at least I hope they do, and go to bed here, in their offices, she says.

I think its unseemly, I think its unhygienic. ... This office belongs to you, it doesnt belong to me.

More than 100 members of the House use their offices as temporary homes while in town for work, according to Speier. She and other Democrats have opposed the practice on multiple grounds, including that it could lead to unsafe work conditions for staffers who have to worry about catching their boss in scanty attire.

The cost of living in D.C. is among the highest in the country. Lawmakers make $174,000 a year and usually maintain a residence in their home district. While in Washington, some opt to crash at work and use the House gym for showers. That group has in the past included former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and current GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.

Speier says in the video that anyone running for Congress should know the financial situation theyre getting into.

We know that were going to have to maintain a second residence, she says. The fact that members of Congress think its OK to be homeless and sleep in their offices, I think, is wrong.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
By Ayya Lmahamad

Deputy Chairman of the Caucasus Board of Muslims Fuad Nurullayev has said that it is impossible to resume mass prayers in Azerbaijan, including the upcoming Ramadan prayer, due to the ban on gathering of more than 10 people amid COVID-19.

Nurullayev made the remarks in an interview with local media.

While the decision remains in force, the festive prayer will be done individually by the people in their homes, he said.

"Collective prayers can be made after the mosques resume their work. According to Sharia law, on the day of the [Ramadan] holiday, prayer should be made collectively. Friday and collective prayers have been postponed in all Muslim countries around the world in connection with the spread of coronavirus. On the holiday, people can congratulate each other, but collective prayers are not necessary. There is no need to pray in a group of 3-5 people at home," Nurullayev said.

He reminded that all rites in Laylat al-Qadr [holy night in Ramadan] were performed online this year.

According to a fatwa of Caucasus Board of Muslims, Ramadan holiday will be celebrated on May 24 and Ramadan prayer will be performed on that day accordingly.

Nurullayev said that the most suitable time of the Ramadan prayer will be 08:00 or 09:00 in the morning.

Azerbaijan has banned religious gathering as part of the special quarantine regime introduced in the country on March 24. The country also bans the gathering of more than ten people as part of the lockdown.

Azerbaijan has confirmed 3,387 COVID-19 cases so far.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Pets in the Pandemic

The humane society adapts under pressure.

by Anita LeBlanc

From the May, 2020 issue

Like many nonprofits, the Humane Society of Huron Valley took a financial hit when Michigan shut down. CEO Tanya Hilgendorf says the shelter gets about 40 percent of its income from its programs, events, and activities that are now on hold. With so many people suffering financially and nervous about the future, donations also are down--though HSHV reinvented its largest fundraiser, Walk and Wag, as a virtual event (See Events, May 16).



To stay solvent, they've furloughed twenty-seven of their 108 staff members and suspended the Love Train program, which rescues animals from shelters with high euthanasia rates. But while nonessential exams and sterilizations are at a standstill, curbside appointments remain available at its veterinary clinic, along with telemedicine appointments for pets whose owners have been exposed to the virus or at high risk from it.



With the reduced staff observing social distancing rules, and without the volunteers who collectively do the work of about sixty full-time employees, adoptions are proceeding more slowly now, but Hilgendorf says people have been "very patient."



Paradoxically, "this is a great time to adopt," she says, "because families are at home and have time on their hands for good acclimation and training." HSHV has also added a "private adoption" page to its website, hshv.org. Though they don't take responsibility for the postings, it's a place where individuals seeking to place or adopt a pet can connect directly.



The shelter's Emergency Harbor program takes in pets whose owners who are sick, hospitalized, or lack stable housing. In early April, Hilgendorf emailed, they were caring for the "super, sweet pup of a couple who are both in the hospital for Covid-19." The animals "typically stay in our shelter," but more than 250 people have completed foster training online, and plenty of homes are available if needed.



Hilgendorf was encouraged early last month when a longtime HSHV supporter pledged $75,000 for a matching gift campaign in response to the Covid crisis. "HSHV has been here since 1896," she says. "As long as we're still standing, we'll be here to take care of the animals who need us most."



[Originally published in May, 2020.]








Pakistani police have detained three people over the killing of two teenage girls shot dead after video of them with a man surfaced on the Internet, officials say.

Those arrested include two close relatives of the girls, as well as the person who allegedly shot the mobile phone video, police in the North Waziristan tribal district said on May 18.

A relative suspected of carrying out the killing is still at large, district police chief Shafiullah Gandapur told RFE/RL.

The two girls, said to be aged 16 and 18, were shot dead in North Waziristan on May 14.

Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings for violating conservative Pakistani traditions on love, marriage, and public behavior.

Police have come under mounting pressure to investigate these crimes, which include acid attacks, blinding, and murder by relatives of victims.

In the latest reported case of honor killings, a Pakistani women's rights activist exiled in the United States, Gulalai Ismail, said the fact that police in North Waziristan filed a case the day after the two teenagers were killed was a "win for women in Pakistans tribal areas.

"In such crimes, time is of the essence," Ismail said. "And if this is delayed, like seven such murders that happened earlier this month, the incident is swiftly swept under the carpet, with many passed off as suicide or natural deaths."

With reporting by Reuters
Half his salary spent on an auto from Gurgaon, Sukra Kundla has been standing in a queue outside the New Delhi Railway Station for two days just to register for a train ticket back home to Assam.

The queue is long and winding and just the first of the many before Kundla, who worked as a sweeper in Gurgaon, gets a seat on a train that will take him to his family in Kokrajhar. And that will not be from the New Delhi station but the Old Delhi one.

After he gets a registration number, he will be herded into a bus to go for a basic medical check at the Ambedkar Nagar stadium, a few kilometres away. That will involve falling in line as well. Finally, if all goes well, he will join another line -- hopefully the last to enter the Old Delhi Railway station to board a homeward bound Shramik Special train started by the government on May 1.

It's all about lines and a weary, uncertain wait to get to the train. In between, the hundreds of people, pressed close together with no social spacing, queue up to get food being served by civil society members.

As the sun beats down on a hot May afternoon and hundreds of people move towards the counter in fits and starts, 30-year-old Kundla said his patience has not run out but his money just might before he meets his family.

I am left with hardly Rs 2,500 now. I never thought that there would be these long queues and that I would have to wait for this long. I didn't know I had to take a train from Old Delhi. I thought the tough part was reaching here, he said.

Kundla, who earned Rs 6,000 in his job at a paying guest accommodation in Gurgaon, spent Rs 3,000 in travelling the 25 km-odd distance.

I lost my job and don't have a place to live anymore. That's why I can't go anywhere. My only hope is I will get a ticket. My children call me every day and ask when I will be home



I have nothing tosay. I can tell them anything only if I am certain of the day I'll leave, he added, all his belongings packed into a little strolley next to him.

He had already spenttwo days waiting in line for his turn spending the night right there on the pavement outside the station.

Lakhs of workers are making the journey home, courting death and injury as they hitch rides, walk or cycle. And lakhs of others like Kundra have been lucky enough to get to the station any which way but are still possibly days away from a seat on the train.

Many were not aware that the Shramik trains had stopped departing from the New Delhi railway station from May 13 and now leave from the stations in Old Delhi and Anand Vihar.

From May 1 till 16, Indian Railways had operated 1,074 Shramik Special trains, ferrying more than 14 lakh workers.

Explaining the protocol, a senior police official said all passengers reaching the New Delhi Railway Station are registered and taken to the screening centre in Central Delhi's Ambedkar Nagar stadium in DTC buses.

At the centre, all details and whereabouts of their travel destination are collected by the concerned officials. After thermal screening, paperworkrelated to their travel journey is done and travel tickets are issued to them by the government authorities as per due protocol, he said.

After all the procedure is completed, they are then taken from the concerned centre to the respective railway stations as per their destinations, he added.

Not all are as patient or as stoic as Kundla.

Standing in line for a registration that will get him home to Samastipur in Bihar, 28-year-old Subodh is angry and upset. He said he had read about the government's Rs 20 lakh crore package and found it unfair.

It was brought to support the rich and powerful. Not poor people like us, said the daily wager who earned his living as a cart puller in the national capital.

We heard the finance minister is announcing all kinds of loans. Now, who will take these loans? Only the rich, right? You think any bank will give us a loan. We just want to reach home before the corona virus reaches our body, said the father of three.

Not far from him, also standing in the queue, is 40-year-old Dinesh Rai, who broke into sobs when asked about his family in Darbhanga in Bihar.

The 40-year-old rickshaw-puller was monosyllabic and non-communicative till he started talking about his family. And then it was like a dam had burst.

Last night, I called my family to send me some money. They saideven they have very little money left with them. Due to the lockdown I haven't earned a single rupee in two months. Please help me reach my home, he pleaded.

His sobs abated only when a civil society activist interrupted to say food was being distributed nearby. Rai left marking his place in the present queue.

It was time to get into another one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Imperial Valley News Center

California Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

Fresno, California - A Fresno, California, man pleaded guilty to production of child pornography Friday.

Jacob Blanco, 28, pleaded guilty to five counts of production of child pornography, as well as one count of receipt of child pornography, before U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Drozd. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2020.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, the defendant's activities initially came to light in or about March of 2017, when the parents of a then six-year-old discovered that the minor had communicated with and created sexually explicit images at the request of another user on the social media application Musical.ly (now TikTok). Law enforcement investigators subsequently identified this user as Jacob Blanco.

A search of the defendants digital media revealed that he had successfully persuaded and coerced multiple minors to produce sexually explicit material. Blanco accomplished this by using various methods of deception and enticement, including by pretending to be a modeling agent or to be a minor himself. Blanco used Snapchat, Kik, Musical.ly and other applications to communicate with minors for the purpose of having those minors create and transmit to him images of those minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In his interview with law enforcement, Blanco admitted that he communicated with at least 50 minors, an admission confirmed by the communications and images stored on his digital media.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Fresno, with assistance from the Fresno County Sherriffs Office and the Fresno County Police Department. Trial Attorney Nadia C. Prinz of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa of the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Some 60 million people in Asia are dependent on the Mekong River - Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP

Environmentalists have urged Laos not to proceed with the construction of another destructive dam on the Mekong River, a vital Southeast Asian waterway that sustains about 60 million people.

Last week, Laos communist government announced plans for the Sanakham dam  close to the northeastern border with Thailand  to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), as a new step in its ambitious goals to use hydropower to become the Battery of Asia.

The MRC is a dam consultation body for Mekong nations, but has been accused of rubberstamping river projects sponsored by governments and big business and of failing to consult properly with the local population and environmental groups.

Sanakham dam should not be built at all. There are several cheaper, less destructive and faster ways to meet the Mekong regions energy needs, Pianporn Deetes, Thailand and Burma campaigns director at anti-damming group International Rivers, told The Telegraph.

The river nourishes fishing grounds and farmlands as it flows in from China then winds past or through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

In March Cambodia decided not to develop new hydropower dams on the Mekong River for the next decade, after years of protests that the structures were strangling the local ecosystem and the livelihoods of millions.

Last year the Mekong was hit by a damaging drought which some have blamed on dams - Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP

The announcement left neighbouring Laos as an outlier in the Lower Mekong Basin, as the only country still planning to use hydropower. Two downstream dams  the Xayaburi and Don Sahong  have been built in the small Southeast Asian nation, which wants to construct seven more.

International Rivers is pushing for a moratorium on all large-scale hydropower dams on the Mekong and for more equitable energy solutions for local communities.

The Sanakham dam, which is estimated to have a capacity of 684MW, cost over US$2 billion and take eight years to complete, is expected to export its power to Thailand despite exceeding the neighbouring countrys needs, argued Ms Deetes. Given the economic fall-out during COVID-19, the Thai Energy Ministry indicated last month that the reserve margin for 2020 could as high as 40%, which equates to approximately 18,000MW. This is equivalent of over 25 Sanakham dams, she said.

Story continues

Rather than spending eight years and billions of dollars on a destructive dam project to generate 684 MW, the focus should be on sustainable and equitable alternatives which protect the Mekong that millions depend on for their livelihoods. Too much is at stake to proceed.

The MRC says the Sanakham dam consultation includes an environmental impact assessment on the waterway and its communities.

The Mekong in Phnom Penh. Cambodia has declared a ten year moratorium on dams - Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP

However, water levels in the Mekong have dropped to record 50-year lows during a drought last year, causing the massive river to recede and expose sandbanks along some stretches - a phenomenon blamed by villagers in Thailand and Laos on the operations of dams.

In April, a US research company claimed China's Mekong River dams held back large amounts of water during the damaging drought in downstream countries despite China having higher-than-average water levels upstream.

China's government disputed the findings, saying there was low rainfall during last year's monsoon season on its portion of the 2,700-mile river.

But the investigation by Eyes on Earth Inc, a research and consulting company specialising in water, published in a US-government funded study, sparked alarm bells in a region already wary of Chinas management of the river.

Ms Deetes said it was critical that Laos allow meaningful dialogue about the impact of its Sanakham dam plans and that we treat the Mekong River as a shared regional resource.
A man beat his 32-year-old wife to death with a rolling pin in front of their four children in East Delhis Harsh Vihar on Sunday afternoon after a domestic quarrel, police said Monday.

The suspect, Aftaab, 35, fled after the murder. The four children, between the ages of three and eight, sat with the body for nearly five hours before one of them walked over to their grandmothers home some lanes away and informed her.

The weapon was found next to body. Aftaab worked odd jobs. His first wife had left him a few years ago. Their two children lived with him, said Ved Prakash Surya, DCP (north-east).

About a year ago, Aftaab married Sayema, whose husband had died in a road accident. Sayema had got lakhs as compensation after her husbands death, said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

But they would allegedly fight often. Aftaab suspected Sayema of having an affair. He would keep asking for money. If she refused, he would use the alleged affair as excuse to beat her.

Around 8 am on Sunday, the couple quarrelled again. He wanted money for alcohol but she refused. So he accused her of having an affair and began beating her up, the officer said.

He then picked up the rolling pin from the kitchen and beat her. Once she fell unconscious, Aftaab banged her head against the wall, picked up some money and escaped, said the officer.

The four children tried to intervene, but were allegedly pushed away. They stayed with the womans body from 8am to 1pm. When she didnt respond, one of them walked to their grandmothers home and called her, the officer said. A case has been registered.
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives said on Monday that the State Department inspector general might have been fired because he was investigating President Donald Trumps declaration of an emergency to clear the way for military sales to Saudi Arabia last year.

Trump announced the planned removal of Inspector General Steve Linick in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late on Friday night, making him the latest government inspector general that the Republican president has removed over the last several weeks.

Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Republican-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced on Saturday that they were launching an investigation of Linicks firing.

I have learned that there may be another reason for Mr Linicks firing. His office was investigating  at my request  Trumps phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia, Engel said in a statement.

We dont have the full picture yet, but its troubling that Secretary (Mike) Pompeo wanted Mr Linick pushed out before this work could be completed. The administration should comply with the probe I launched with Senator Menendez and turn over all the records requested from the Department by Friday, Engel said.

Even fellow Republicans are now demanding answers about Linicks dismissal.

In a letter sent on Monday, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the most senior Republican in the Senate, warned the president that inspectors general should be free from partisan political interference, from either the Executive or Legislative branch.

Grassley asked Trump to provide a detailed reasoning for the removal of Linick no later than June 1.

In his first public comments on the matter, Pompeo told The Washington Post in an interview on Monday that he had recommended to Trump that Linick be removed because he was undermining the State Departments mission, but he would not address specifics except to say it was not in retaliation for any investigation.

It is not possible that this decision, or my recommendation rather, to the president rather, was based on any effort to retaliate for any investigation that was going on, or is currently going on, Pompeo said, adding that he did not know if Linicks office had been looking into possible impropriety on his part.

Trump infuriated many members of US Congress last year, including some of his fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, by declaring an emergency in order to sidestep Congressional review of eight billion dollars in military sales, mostly to Saudi Arabia.





The House and Senate both passed resolutions to block the sales, but Trump vetoed them, and there was not enough support in the Republican-led Senate to override his veto.

Congressional aides had also said that Linick was investigating whether Pompeo misused a taxpayer-funded political appointee to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife.

US law allows a president to remove inspector generals, who act as watchdogs to expose waste or improper activities within government agencies.
DIG DEEP FOR CUBA

ACFS WA Branch President

The Australia-Cuba Friendship Society (ACFS) branches around Australia have launched an Appeal for Cuba with a target of $30,000 to $50,000. Most ACFS branches have pledged some donations that will be deposited directly to the ACFS WA bank account. The CPA supports the Appeal and encourages members and readers to donate and help break the criminal US blockade on Cuba.

The US administration has tried to dissuade governments around the world from accepting assistance from Cuba in fighting the pandemic. In response, the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society is coordinating a national campaign to assist Cuba in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at home and abroad by raising money to purchase essential medical supplies for Cuba.

The pandemic requires a united, global struggle for the well being of every person on the planet. Dig deep for socialist Cuba!

A My Cause appeal was set up for all Party Members, supporters, the general public and Guardian readers to stand in solidarity with Cuba:

www.mycause.com.au/page/228062/covid19-help-for-cuba

For donations over $500 it is recommended to be deposited directly to the ACFS WA account to avoid any possible fees or delays.

Cheques can be made to ACFS WA and posted to: PO Box 1455 South Perth WA 6951.

To organise bank transfers please email acfsperth@gmail.com or call 0419 812 872.

The funds collected will be sent to Cuba so they can purchase personal protective equipment and any other needs to fight COVID-19 at home and abroad.

Please circulate the above ACFS Appeal link.

For some background information on Cubas solidarity abroad listen to ABC Radio National interview with Professor John Kirk of the Halifax University in Canada.

www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive
TBILISI -- The Tbilisi City Court has remanded opposition figure Giorgi Rurua in pretrial detention on an illegal weapon possession charge that threatens to disrupt a foreign-brokered deal with the ruling party on election reforms.

The court's May 18 ruling was met with harsh criticism by opposition politicians, who along with Rurua have called the charge fake and believe it is politically motivated.

Gigi Ugulava, the leader of the opposition European Georgia-Movement for Freedom party, who himself was released from prison last week after President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him and another opposition politician in a move to salvage the deal on election reforms, said that "without Rurua's release, the deal cannot be considered implemented.

Salome Samadashvili of the United National Movement opposition party said that while Rurua remains in custody, the opposition will not support the agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Rurua, the founder and a shareholder of the opposition-aligned Mtavari Arkhi TV, was arrested on November 18 and charged with the illegal purchase, possession, and carrying of a firearm. Opposition parties insist that Ruruas arrest was politically motivated.

On May 15, after Zurabishvili pardoned Ugulava, who once served as Tbilisi mayor, and former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who leads the opposition Victorious Georgia party, many thought that Rurua also would be released, which would meet the demands by the opposition, who had threatened to abandon the agreement if "political prisoners" were not freed.



Georgias opposition parties claim the release was a condition of the March 8 deal, which the governing Georgian Dream party denies.

Opposition parties insisted that Georgia's electoral system unfairly favored Georgian Dream, and demanded it be changed to a proportional system ahead of parliamentary elections set for October.

Under the March 8 memorandum of understanding facilitated by U.S. and European Union officials, parliament should consist of 120 members elected through a proportional voting system, while 30 members would be elected through a majority system.

The electoral threshold for proportional elections will be set at 1 percent and a capping mechanism will mean that no single party receiving less than 40 percent of the votes cast will be allowed to hold a majority of seats in parliament.

Under the current electoral system, 73 of 150 parliamentary seats are claimed by candidates who finish first in district races. The remaining seats are distributed proportionally to the national share of the vote that a party wins.

This led to Georgian Dream, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, winning 76 percent of the legislature's seats even though it won just less than half of the popular vote.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An 18-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after he fired a gun into a car with people inside in West Brighton, authorities allege.

Rajsean Anderson, of the 100 block of North Burgher Avenue, is accused in the incident that occurred on the street where he lives on April 9 at about 7 p.m. He was arrested on April 23.

Anderson fired a handgun multiple times into an occupied car, hitting the windshield and a window, according to the criminal complaint.

No injuries were reported in the incident, police said.

The defendant recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to another person, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, the complaint states.

In addition to attempted murder, Anderson has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, attempted assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a firearm.

Louis Gelormino, Andersons attorney, maintains his clients innocence.

Mr. Anderson is a young man who comes from a nice family, goes to college and has no previous record, Gelormino said. To think he just randomly fired a gun into a car is ludicrous.

Gelormino said that at the arraignment, the district attorneys office put forward very little evidence that Mr. Anderson committed this crime. We are conducting our own investigation and look forward to having this matter resolved in short order.

Bond has been set at $1 million/$200,000 for the defendant, who is being held at Rikers Island and is due back in Criminal Court on June 26, according to public records.

Anderson was convicted last August of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in Supreme Court, according to the criminal complaint.
Mobile phone makers, carriers should stop deceiving consumers



The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has begun an investigation into suspicions that local mobile phone makers and telecom operators have been colluding to inflate the prices of smartphones. The FTC sent investigators to the headquarters of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics last week to conduct an investigation. SK Telecom and other wireless carriers will face a probe soon.



Samsung and LG are suspected of marking up the prices of their phones before handing them over to the operators. The carriers then falsely advertised the products as discounted or with special incentives to consumers. This tricked them into believing that they were getting a bargain, although the products should not have been so expensive to begin with.



This investigation comes two years after the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, in its complaint along with the FTC, accused the two electronics giants of price rigging and consumer fraud. Apple has not been pointed out.



Inflating handset prices is an act of enticing customers by deception banned under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. It is a trick used to deceive consumers and disturb the market order. The practice should be stamped out through a thorough investigation.



This is not the first time that the FTC has probed price-fixing schemes related to handsets. In 2012, it slapped a combined fine of 45.3 billion won ($40 million) on Samsung, LG and Pantech as well as mobile operators. The companies then defied the FTC's fines, arguing that their "campaigns" were not uncommon as a marketing tool. But they lost the case in the Supreme Court last October.



The FTC's latest probe raises fears that handset makers and telecom operators are continuing to collude to fix phone prices to defraud consumers. The dispute over costly smartphone prices has arisen partly due to the complicated price-setting practice, which causes consumers to become numb to the costs. The FTC should act resolutely to bring the practice to an end and stop consumers from suffering further losses.


Welcome to your Voters Guide to Pennsylvanias 2020 primary election.

Republicans and Democrats across the state will head to the polls June 2 to select their parties nominees for state row offices, Congressional representatives and the state Legislature.

Candidates seeking their partys nomination to these officers were invited by The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania to submit information for this voters guide. Candidates without information listed chose not to submit to the voters guide.

Is your information missing from the voters guide? Click here to submit your information and it will be added to our database May 24.

Follow this link to the voters guide and learn more about the candidates that will be on the Republican and Democratic ballots on election day.
Ladakh Lt Governor R K Mathur on Monday said his administration will ensure every support for the effective functioning of the university and colleges in the union territory.

Mathur was chairing a meeting to discuss the annual Capex Budget and other related issues of the University of Ladakh at Raj Niwas here, an official spokesperson said.

In February last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the University of Ladakh, the first-ever varsity in the region. The Jammu and Kashmir administration had approved the establishment of the university in 2018.

"Funds will not be a problem and UT Administration shall ensure every support for the effective functioning of Ladakh University and colleges in Ladakh, the Lt Governor said, exhorting on timely execution of the development projects.

The revenue plan of six colleges in Ladakh, land allotment for administrative headquarter in Kargil, creation of posts for the University of Ladakh and colleges of Khaltsi and Drass, building construction plans and academic activities were discussed in detail, the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Increasing popularity of innovative and non-toxic tableware products. The growth can be attributed to the increasing pollution caused by the widespread use and disposal of plastic. Governments are also taking initiatives to minimize the use of plastic tableware. For instance, the Indian government has replaced plastic cutlery, teacups, and water bottles with steel and biodegradable products in all government offices. The UK government is also planning to ban plastic cutlery and plates to reduce the impact on the environment.

Biodegradable Tableware Industry is projected to reach USD 990.6 Million by 2025 at a CAGR of 5.98% between 2019 and 2025.

Growth Opportunities in the Market

Expanding foodservice industry: The foodservice industry has witnessed substantial growth over the last few years, especially in emerging economies. The demand for takeaway food has been increasing in developing nations due to the preference by the youth. The busy lifestyles of consumers have led to the popularity of convenience and takeaway food. For example, Chinas foodservice industry was valued at USD 583 billion in 2017. The demand for online food delivery has also been rising. According to MRFR analysis, the sales of online food delivery services was valued at USD 39 billion in 2018 and the market is expected to register a growth rate of 16% over the next decade. Several fast-food chains such as KFC and Starbucks have increased the number of outlets in India. Online food delivery service providers are also expanding their presence in the country. These factors are expected to drive the demand for biodegradable tableware as an environment-friendly alternative to plastic.

The foodservice industry has witnessed substantial growth over the last few years, especially in emerging economies. The demand for takeaway food has been increasing in developing nations due to the preference by the youth. The busy lifestyles of consumers have led to the popularity of convenience and takeaway food. For example, Chinas foodservice industry was valued at USD 583 billion in 2017. The demand for online food delivery has also been rising. According to MRFR analysis, the sales of online food delivery services was valued at USD 39 billion in 2018 and the market is expected to register a growth rate of 16% over the next decade. Several fast-food chains such as KFC and Starbucks have increased the number of outlets in India. Online food delivery service providers are also expanding their presence in the country. These factors are expected to drive the demand for biodegradable tableware as an environment-friendly alternative to plastic. Product Innovation: The key manufacturers of biodegradable tableware are continuously launching products to stay competitive and meet the changing requirements of consumers. For instance, in July 2019, Huhtamaki Oyj launched a new biodegradable double-wall cup for hot beverages made from paperboard that is certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification with a plant-based lining which is certified biodegradable. The product is manufactured in the UK and available only for European consumers.

Browse Full Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/biodegradable-tableware-market-8629

Key Players

Huhtamaki Oyj (Finland)

Dart Container Corporation (US)

Georgia-Pacific LLC (US)

Lollicup USA Inc. (US)

Solia, Inc. (US)

Natural Tableware (Netherlands)

Reynolds Consumer Products LLC (US)

Pactiv LLC (US)

Eco Guardian (Canada)

Genpak, LLC (US)

Biotrem (Poland)

Better Earth LLC (US)

Vegware (UK)

Papstar GmbH (Germany)

Bionatic GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country-level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.
Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that David Seaton, a ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) insider, recently shelled out US$98k to buy stock, at US$41.03 per share. While that isn't the hugest buy, it actually boosted their shareholding by 2400%, which is good to see.

See our latest analysis for ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by David Seaton is the biggest insider purchase of ConocoPhillips shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$40.87 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was David Seaton.

You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

NYSE:COP Recent Insider Trading May 18th 2020

ConocoPhillips is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 0.09% of ConocoPhillips shares, worth about US$41m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

Story continues

So What Do The ConocoPhillips Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of ConocoPhillips we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For example - ConocoPhillips has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

But note: ConocoPhillips may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
NORWALK  John Arrix, who joined forces with three local girls lacrosse teams to help Norwalk Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, was selected this month by the Connecticut Hammerheads as their honorary pick in the 2020 Major League Lacrosse draft.

Arrix, a Wilton resident who played lacrosse at New Canaan High School, is the CEO of Lax.com, which is based in Norwalk.

Working with girls lacrosse teams from Wilton, New Canaan and Darien high schools, he created online stores for each team, selling hoodies and shirts customized with each schools colors, all bearing the logo CT Strong.

Thirty percent of the proceeds were donated to Norwalk Hospital for its fight against the coronavirus.

Weve got to try and do something, even if its small, Arrix said in March. In about two days, weve had about 70 orders and probably raised $2,000. Its a way for us to do a little bit to help people in our backyard who are really in an unbelievable spot helping others.

With the 2020 Major League Lacrosse college draft being held during the pandemic, each of the leagues six teams made an honorary pick, selecting a member of their communities who is helping to lead the charge against the virus.

The Connecticut Hammerheads are honored to select John Arrix as our 2020 honorary draft pick for his extraordinary efforts to help the local community fight COVID-19 through the sport of lacrosse, the Hammerheads said in a press release. The Connecticut lacrosse community thanks Arrix and Wilton, New Canaan and Darien high schools for their support of Norwalk Hospital and dedication to helping stop the spread of COVID-19.

Arrix, a member of New Canaan High Schools class of 1980, was one of the purchasers of Lax.com in 2010 and opened a Norwalk store later that year. The site is a lacrosse hub, with college mens and womens scores, schedules, statistics and standings, along with equipment and apparel sales and even video highlights from games.

david.stewart@hearstmediact.com; @dstewartsports
Matt Rosendale has spent his time in public service getting results for Montanans. Bringing a businessmans energy to government, Rosendale has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments for Montana families and businesses, and he deserves our recognition and our support.

In the state Legislature, Rosendale was a watchdog for Montana taxpayers, eliminating wasteful spending, rolling back government red tape, protecting our Second Amendment and defending the sanctity of life.

As our state auditor, Rosendale has expanded access to health care, reduced health insurance premiums, and taken on the pharmaceutical middlemen to reduce the cost of prescription medicine. Hes done that, all while protecting the most vulnerable Montanans, especially those with pre-existing conditions.

As a member of the State Land Board, Rosendale has been a champion for our public lands. The federal government has been systematically closing down access to public land, and Rosendale is just the person we need in Congress to open our public lands back up. During his tenure on the Land Board he has expanded access to over 45,000 acres of previously inaccessible public land, opening them to all Montanans for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.

If we send Rosendale to Washington, he will shake up the system and get results  just like he has in Montana. Based on Rosendales track record, we know he has what it takes to get it done and make sure Montanans are heard in Congress.

We are proud to support Matt Rosendale for U.S. Congress, and ask that all Montanans consider casting a vote for Rosendale in the Republican primary on June 2.

Sen. Roger Webb, R-Billings, represents Senate District 23, and Rep. Peggy Webb, R-Billings, represents House District 43 in the Montana Legislature.

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Italy has reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus deaths for the time in 10 weeks.

Fatalities climbed by 99 on Monday, the Civil Protection Agency said, in what is the first sub-100 daily total since 9 March  the day before Italys nationwide lockdown began.

It followed 145 reported deaths on Sunday, bucking a long-term trend which has seen fatalities fall on Sundays only to rise again the following day.

The country also identified the smallest number of new cases since 2 March, with 451 more people testing positive.

Italy was the first European country to be hit with a major outbreak of the virus, which authorities say has now claimed 32,007 lives  more than in any other country, save for the UK and United States.

It has now confirmed 225,886 cases since the start of the outbreak, the sixth highest global tally behind the UK, US, Russia, Spain, and Brazil.

There are 66,553 people registered as currently carrying the illness  a fall of nearly 3,000 from the previous day.

At the peak of the crisis in Italy, hospitals were overrun with patients, with shortages of beds and lifesaving equipment forcing medics and families into making heartbreaking decisions the likes of which one doctor told Reuters he had not seen during war.

Mondays figures maintained a long-running decline in demand for emergency treatment, with 749 people in intensive care  down from 762 on Sunday.

It came as Italians enjoyed a first day of regained freedoms amid an easing of lockdown restrictions.

These included being able to sit down at a cafe or restaurant, shop in all retail stores or attend church services, such as Mass. But Italian residents are still forbidden to travel outside their regions, except for work or other strict necessities.

In a bid to restart its tourism industry in time for summer, Italy also announced on Saturday that it would reopen its borders to EU and Schengen area travellers on 3 June, scrapping a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Additional reporting by Reuters
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Constituency, Mr Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu has advised Ghanaians against stigmatizing COVID-19 infected persons and their families.



He pointed out that stigmatization was preventing families from willingly reporting relatives suspected to have the virus to health authorities for immediate testing and treatment.

He stressed that unnecessary stigmatization was hampering governments efforts to curb the spread of the virus.



Mr Aboagye-Gyedu made the appeal in Bibiani when he handed over 10,000 of nose masks to the Bibiani Municipal Health Directorate for onwards distribution to the citizens.



The MP who doubles as the Western North Regional Minister tasked the media to prioritize education on stigmatization to enable people get a better understanding of the disease and by ready for testing to know their status.



Mr Aboagye-Gyedu called on the people to strictly comply with the preventive protocols.



Dr Francis Takyi, the Municipal Health Director upon receiving the items thanked the Minister and the MCE for Bibiani Mr Alfred Amoah for their collaborative efforts and pledged fair distribution of the nose masks to serve the purpose of which they were donated.



He urged the community members to inculcate the attitude of regular hands washing with soap under running water, wearing of nose masks and maintain social distancing to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Source: GNA









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The other day I was attempting to connect to the Wells Fargo website and while typing in wellsfargo.com, I accidentally typed in wellsfargp.com. Yes, I typed a P where I should have typed the letter O. So how did this happen? It was an easy enough mistake to make. I generally type very quickly and, after all, the P is right next to the O on the keyboard. Unfortunately, by the time I realized my mistake, I had already completed the rest of the URL and hit Enter.

Heres where things got interesting, instead of receiving an error message saying that the web page didnt exist, I was actually automatically redirected to the real wellsfargo.com domain. Of course, my first assumption was that maybe this was some sort of look-alike website that was trying to steal my personal information, but after a thorough review, I was able to confirm that yes, indeed Wells Fargo did own this other mistyped domain name.

That got me thinking, I wonder if they own other mistyped domains. So I tried wellsfarfo.com and sure enough, I ended up at the real Wells Fargo! As I spent the next few minutes playing around, I came to a couple conclusions. First, Wells Fargo owns a number of domains that are mistyped by just one character. Second, the mistyped domains that they didnt own were already owned by other people. In fact, during my quick check, I was unable to find a mistyped domain for the bank that had not been purchased by either them or someone else.

On a whim, I tried the same thing with Bank of America, this time typing in bankifamerica.com, which replaced the letter O with the letter I. Sure enough, I was taken to the real Bank of Americas website. It seems that Wells Fargo was not the only big bank that owned mistyped domain names.

The next big question I had to ask was why? What reason would these big banks have in purchasing domains that are literally nothing more than typos? I figured it had something to do with cybersecurity, so naturally I called my good friend Jim Stickley. You may have seen him on the Today Show or pitching LifeLock in the wee hours.

Jim quickly confirmed my suspicions. According to Jim, criminals spend a large amount of time and money buying up domains that are similar to real financial institution domain names. This trend is called typosquatting and the goal is to either trick unsuspecting victims into providing personal/confidential information or to simply install malware on these victims computers. Basically, somebody mistypes the URL for their financial institution and without even realizing it, theyve made themselves prey for these nasty criminals.

But it gets worse. Jim brought up something I hadnt even thought about. Criminals are also using these similar domain names for spear phishing attacks. In these cases, thousands of emails are sent out to potential victims claiming to be from the financial institution with a link that looks so close to the real financial institutions domain, people dont notice the minor difference.

By buying and deploying all these extra domain names, the two big banks I checked in this unscientific experiment were simply trying to head off cybercrime before it could happen. I imagine a lot of people mistype these domains names and never even realize it because of the extra measures taken by these big banks.

Unfortunately, what I found next was a little more disappointing. I started testing credit unions and regional banks, typing in domain names with a mistyped character. Time and again, either the web page did not exist, a random person owned it or in some cases, I was actually directed to a malicious website that tried to install malware on my computer.

Then Jim suggested I try Numerica Credit Union based out of Spokane, Wash. I know some folks there and their tech IQ is pretty high, so I figured Id find out just how high. I tried their website with a mistyped domain and it went to their website. I tried another and again, it went to their website. I tried at least ten more variations and in every attempt, I was directed back to Numericas real website.

I had to know more so I spoke with Kelly Ferguson, Numerica CUs CIO. He told me, Keeping our members secure is paramount to Numerica and that means staying on the cutting edge of technology. We realized trying to figure out every possible domain to secure and then trying to purchase and manage all of those domains would require an incredible amount of work and resources, but we knew it had to be done. Fortunately, we found a service called Domain Assure, from Stickley on Security. This service allowed us to simply provide our domain name and they did the rest. And suddenly it made sense how Jim had known that Numerica CU was secure; his company had provided Numerica with the solution.

After speaking with Kelly, I tested out a few more community financial institutions, optimistic that others might be taking similar measures. Alas, in my simple unscientific experiment, I was unable to locate any other community FIs that had taken the steps to fully secure their domain.

I talked to Jim again and he assured me that the typosquatting problem isnt limited to just financial institutions. While theyre popular targets for obvious reasons, typosquatters can go after any business with a popular website. However, he also assured me that giving typosquatters a proverbial kick in the crotch is easy and not very expensive. Bottom line: If your business has a heavily used website, you should be taking defensive measures around typosquatting.

In the never-ending battle between big banks and community FIs, technology has long been called the great equalizer. But that only works if the community FIs use technology as well as (or even better than) the big banks. This is a good example of attention to detail. All financial institution websites may look the same, but are all consumers protected equally? Unfortunately, in this case, the answer is no. And until community FIs shore up details like these, their consumers will remain vulnerable to attacks from cybercriminals and theyll remain vulnerable to attacks from big banks.
Ethiopia sees no reason to delay filling its controversial mega-dam despite warnings from Egypt that such a move could destabilise the region, according to a letter from Ethiopia's foreign minister to the UN Security Council.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011.

Addis Ababa says the dam is crucial for its economy, while Cairo fears it will disrupt the river that provides almost all its water.

Talks earlier this year involving the two governments and Sudan -- another downstream country -- failed to produce a breakthrough.

In April Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed proposed proceeding with "first stage filling" that would collect 18.4 billion cubic metres of water in the dam's reservoir over two years.

But both Egypt and Sudan fear the reservoir -- which has a capacity of 74 billion cubic metres -- will trap their essential water supplies.

Filling and operating the dam "would jeopardize the water security, food security, and indeed, the very existence of over 100 million Egyptians, who are entirely dependent on the Nile River for their livelihood," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a letter to the UN Security Council dated May 1.

"This is a situation that potentially poses a serious threat to peace and security throughout the region," he said.

In a response dated May 14 and seen Monday by AFP, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew accused Egypt of being obstructionist.

"Ethiopia does not have a legal obligation to seek approval of Egypt to fill the dam," Gedu said.

"Ethiopia has made extraordinary efforts to accommodate Egypt's unending demands and unpredictable behavior," he added.

Egypt wants Ethiopia to endorse a draft agreement emerging from the talks earlier this year facilitated by the US Treasury Department, which stepped in after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi put in a request to his ally US President Donald Trump.

But Ethiopia skipped the most recent round of those talks and denies any deal was agreed.

While Egypt's letter to the Security Council raises the stakes further, the possibility of armed conflict stemming from the dam dispute is still "very unlikely", said William Davison of the International Crisis Group, a conflict-prevention organisation.

"We could expect some sort of diplomatic escalation, more aggressive rhetoric. But a negotiated resolution to this is obviously the best way out for everyone, and there still seems to be plenty of possibility of that," Davison said.
The decision to conduct only Geography exam has been taken as only 4,335 candidates would take this exam

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has decided to conduct only Geography exam for Class 12 students. The Board has, however, not announced the exam date.

The papers for the remaining subjects like Computer Science, Physical Science and Yoga will not be held and marks will be given to students on the basis of their score in the compulsory subjects.

The exams were postponed due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The exams have been cancelled as large number of candidates would have appeared for those papers. People are advised to practice physical and social distancing at the time when coronavirus cases are on the rise

Follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak

The decision to conduct only Geography exam has been taken as only 4,335 candidates would take this exam, according to a report in India Today.

The Board has reportedly asked schools to ascertain the location of students so that centre can be allotted keeping in view their convenience.

The evaluation of Class 10, 12 answer sheets in Himachal Pradesh has already begun and the HPBOSE Class 10 results are expected by mid-June. The Class 12 results are expected to be declared by the end of June.

The board has released the solutions for various subjects. Students can check them out by logging into the official website https://www.hpbose.org/

Earlier, the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education had decided to give grace marks for incorrect questions in the Class 12 subjects of Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies and Accountancy. Grace marks will also be allowed for Sanskrit and Urdu papers in Class 10.

According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, COVID-19 has infected over 75 people in Himachal Pradesh and claimed the lives of three. India has reported over 96,000 coronavirus cases so far and more than 3,000 COVID-19 deaths. Around 36,000 people have recovered from the infection.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have clashed over the virus crisis - Reuters

The World Health Organization has backed calls for an independent inquiry into its handling of the pandemic as China pledged $2billion for efforts to contain the coronavirus in developing countries and the US accused the body of presiding over a costly failure.

Speaking at the World Health Assembly - the decision-making body of the WHO - director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he welcomed a proposal by more than 120 countries - tabled by the European Union and Australia but not China - for a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of its response to the pandemic.

Dr Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate moment.

However, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, told the assembly that the pandemic had "spun out of control" in great part due to a costly "failure" by the WHO.

"There was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives," he said.

An early report into WHOs handling of the crisis by its independent oversight body said that the organisation had demonstrated leadership and that its performance should be reviewed but not during the heat of the response.

The report also said the WHO would need an estimated $1.7 billion to the end of the year, leaving it with a funding gap of $1.3 billion.

Chinese president Xi Jinping told the assembly he would back a comprehensive review of the pandemic after it had been brought under control.

Answering critics who said the country covered up the outbreak when it first emerged in Wuhan, central China at the end of last year Mr Xi insisted his country had acted with openness, transparency and responsibility, providing information to WHO and relevant countries in a timely fashion.

Story continues

He also tried to smooth over criticism by announcing $2 billion to support virus response efforts, calling for continued research into the source of the virus, pledging to make vaccines a global public good when possible, and encouraging information-sharing on best practices.

While it is unclear whether the Chinese pledge would be channelled directly to WHO such a significant sum cannot be overlooked, particularly given the shortfall in funding of both the WHO and the coronavirus response.

The US is by far the WHOs biggest donor, giving $400m in 2019 - however, president Donald Trump has threatened to cut off funding, accusing the organisation of mismanaging the response to the pandemic and of bias towards China. Although in recent days he has appeared to roll back on that.

Amanda Glassman, executive director of the Center for Global Development at Georgetown University in the US, said: My main question is, how will this money be channeled and will it be through the WHO. If yes, that would be interesting since the US has stated its intention to match Chinas contribution to the WHO.

Mr Xis address was aimed at heading off critics, but what he said was very different from what Beijing had messaged, largely resisting a probe. Chinese state media has claimed nations are insisting on an investigation for political reasons, going so far as to blame the US for using China as a scapegoat for its own poor handling of the outbreak.

In his address to the assembly - held virtually and with world leaders dialling in on sometimes shaky video links - Dr Tedros answered critics who said the organisation had been slow to respond at the beginning of the outbreak.

WHO sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often. We notified countries, issued guidance for health workers within 10 days, and declared a global health emergency  our highest level of alert  on the 30 of January. At the time, there were less than 100 cases and no deaths outside China.

He said that every country and organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience, he said.

The WHO is also hoping to hammer out a global agreement laying out how to fairly and affordably manufacture and distribute drugs and vaccines.

The EU has proposed the creation of a voluntary patent pool, which would mean that pharmaceutical companies should surrender the patents which give them monopoly over new vaccines and treatments. All countries would then be able to manufacture and purchase affordable versions.
Mumbai, May 18 : "Bigg Boss 10" winner Manveer Gurjar, who is currently in Mumbai, has urged people to take the current lockdown phase in a positive way.

"One of the perks of social distancing is that it has given us some much-needed space. With less interaction with the outside world, we do not have to worry about pleasing others and putting their needs over that of our own.

"Now is the time to put yourself first and do things that will make you feel happy and relaxed. In such difficult times we all deserve a little self-love," he said.

According to Manveer, it's the best time to revisit your old skills.

"Its a great time of revising an old skill. As all of us have a skill that we have now stopped putting to use due to different reasons. This might be an opportunity to revisit that old skill and rediscover why you fell in love with that particular thing in the first place.

"We often let go of skills that we think are useless because they cannot be monetized. But under current circumstances, mental peace and happiness are a luxury and these skills could just buy us those," he added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The internet has revolutionized our society at an unprecedented speed, with mobile a key tool supporting its rapid growth. A recent study by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) found that a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration yields a 1.8% increase in GDP in middle-income countries and a 2% increase in low-income countries [Source: Katz and Callord, The economic contribution of broadband digitization and ICT regulation (2018)].



According to GSMA statistics, mobile technologies and services generated 8.6% of GDP in 2018 in Sub-Saharan Africa  a contribution that amounted to $144.1 billion of economic value added. By 2023, mobiles contribution will reach almost $185 billion (9.1% of GDP). The mobile ecosystem also supported almost 3.5 million jobs in that same year.



Ghana Mobile Industry Development Overview



The Government of Ghana has placed a strong emphasis on the role of mobile technology in the countrys development. Ghana has one of the highest mobile penetration in West Africa. By the end of 2019, mobile penetration stood at 139%, higher than the Africa average of 85%.



Although in Africa, Ghana's mobile connection is leading, there is still a gap to be bridged with regards to the ITU target of High-Speed Connectivity. There is target to increase unique subscriber penetration by 64% and mobile internet penetration 38.6%. By 2023, 60% of individuals in developing countries will use internet ITU.



Key Challenges that Remain in Mobile Industry Development in Ghana



According to OVEM forecast, Ghana's 2020 3G connectivity will be 52.8%, 2G connection, 39.7%, and 4G connection is only 7.2%. However, Ghana boasts of a very young population with persons under the age of 15 making up 37% of the population. These millennials are known to follow modern trends, these traits make their data demands quite high and thus easier for them to transition to 4G now and 5G later. In order to boost quality of experience and to satisfy the growing demand for high-speed connectivity, transitioning to 4G is particularly important, and in order to roll out and move more users onto 4G networks, an important driver is releasing enough 4G spectrum to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). In 2020, 4G terminal shipments are expected to exceed 3G terminals.



Use Technology-Neutral Licenses to Improve Spectrum Efficiency

Spectrum neutrality during the licensing process should be widely adopted when releasing spectrum to MNOs. This maximizes spectral efficiency in a technical sense and also maximizes efficient use of spectrum. The success of technology neutrality is evidenced by the fact that the 1800 MHz band, originally the second GSM band, is now the worlds most widely used band for LTE.



Dr Pantelis Koutroumpis of Oxford University discovered during his research on some countries that, the increase in broadband connections per 100 people contributed to a cumulative GDP increase of 4.34%.



More Considerations for 5G Spectrum to Secure Future Growth/Competitiveness

Some countries are already beginning to roll out the 5G mobile services. At the end of 2019, 57 MNOs had launched live 5G networks across the globe, in 27 markets [Source: GSMA, 5G reality check: the expected and unexpected, 2020.3]. 5G networks promise significantly faster mobile broadband speeds and support strong growth in mobile data volumes. However, the speed, and quality of 5G services will depend on governments and regulators supporting timely access to the right amount and type of spectrum under the right conditions.



To address diversified requirements 5G needs access to high, mid and low frequency bands. A sufficient amount of harmonized spectrum in each layer should be made available by national regulators in a timely manner to enable mobile operators to deliver 5G services.



Mid-bands between 2 to 8 GHz are crucial to support most 5G usage scenarios in wide-areas. The unpaired Time Division Duplex (TDD) bands at 3300-4200, 4400-5000, 2500-2690 and 2300-2400 MHz deliver the best options between wide-area coverage and high capacity. The low and high frequency band layers can be released as the second step to meet different usage requirement in the later phases of 5G development.



Coverage Obligations



Coverage obligations is in theory an effective mechanism to ensure coverage of rural areas Setting realistic obligations in terms of targets and timelines, and including them in spectrum licenses can be an effective vehicle to drive coverage. For example, in 2013, during the 800MHz spectrum allocation in the United Kingdom, the OFCOM decided to include a coverage obligation in one of the 800MHz licenses. It required the licensee to provide a mobile broadband service for indoor reception to users in an area covering 98% of the UK population.



Price Spectrum Fairly



Governments should allocate spectrum with the aim of fulfilling their connectivity objectives. High spectrum prices and fees increases the cost incurred by MNOs who in turn transfer these costs to consumers thus affecting primarily the affordability of mobile services. This restricts access especially in rural areas. Furthermore, using spectrum to maximize governments revenue can result in spectrum going unsold after an auction. In this case, the spectrum would remain unused, causing an irrecoverable loss of commercial and public value.



Summary



For the foreseeable future, spectrum will remain an important element for (affordable) broadband (particularly mobile) development in GHANA; Spectrum administrators in the country should put in their utmost best to making the country spectrum-ready for 4G and 5G abiding with ITU process and recommendations in allocating and implementing spectrum.



Kafui Amanfu, Director of Operations

Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana

For comments, contact [email protected]

Source: Kafui Amanfu, Director of Operations









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.

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[May 18, 2020] AM BestTV: Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Insurers Donate $320 Million, Volunteer From Home During Pandemic

This episode of AMBestTV highlights how the pandemic has not stopped insurers' charitable giving, according to Bill Ross, chief executive officer, Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), and Kelly Hartweg, executive director, IICF's Midwest Division. Click on http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=insuranceindustrycharitablegiving520 to view the entire program. The IICF is a nonprofit funded and directed by insurance industry professionals, with a mission of helping communities through grants, volunteer service and other charitable endeavors. Ross discussed the IICF's efforts to help at-risk children during the COVID-19 pandemic. "On April 1, IICF launched its first Children's Relief Fund, with its goals to unite the industry, as well demonstrate the generosity of the industry," said Ross. "Since that date, we have raised over $500,000 and gained more than a 100 individual and other types of supporters. Our program is focused on children at risk, focusing on food insecurity, educational disruption and family homelessness. "We are also focusing and asking the industry to provide to us what they're doing in support of COVID-19. I am pleased to say that over 90 companies have been identified or reported to us. Working with the Insurance Information Institute, they have estimated that over $220 million has been granted to COVID-19 and an additional $100 million has actually been contributed internationally." Hartweg said she believes there have been lessons learned regarding philanthropic efforts that will carry over once the pandemic subsides. "One of the things that we have learned very quickly is that we can adapt to new situations," said Hartweg. "We are seeing nonprofits innovating and looking at things in ways that they never have before. Tese are lessons we will carry forward."



Recent AMBestTV coverage includes: Singapore Non-Life Sector Posts First Underwriting Loss in a Decade : Doniella Pliss, director, analytics and Trung Tran, financial analyst, both of AM Best Rating Services , said the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine are expected to impact Singapore insurers' growth in the near term: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=singaporenonlife420.

: Doniella Pliss, director, analytics and Trung Tran, financial analyst, both of , said the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine are expected to impact Singapore insurers' growth in the near term: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=singaporenonlife420. Questions Remain About Impact of IFRS 17 : Anthony Silverman, associate director, AM Best Rating Services, discusses proposed amendments to the International Financial Reporting Standard 17, which will impact the accounting of large insurers outside of the United States and Japan: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=ifrs17520.

: Anthony Silverman, associate director, AM Best Rating Services, discusses proposed amendments to the International Financial Reporting Standard 17, which will impact the accounting of large insurers outside of the United States and Japan: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=ifrs17520. COVID-19 May Have Long-Term Implications on Trade Credit Risk: Mathilde Jakobsen, director, analytics and Sridhar Manyem, director, industry research and analytics, both of AM Best Rating Services, say the COVID-19 pandemic could result in trade credit insurance claims reaching levels last seen during the 2008 financial crisis: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=tradecreditrisk420. AM BestTV covers exclusive AM Best and insurance industry information and reports, targeted topics and key developments in the insurance, reinsurance and related sectors daily. Sign up for alerts of episodes at www.ambest.com/multimedia/ambtvsignup.html. View AM BestTV episodes at www.ambest.tv.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2020 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200518005671/en/

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The city of Killeen played host to a mobile coronavirus testing site on Monday, and 148 patients were tested for the new coronavirus by the end of the day.

Members of the Texas Army National Guard performed drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at the intersection of North Fourth Street and Church Avenue in downtown Killeen. Tests were free, but residents had to make an appointment. In addition to drive-through testing, the city also implemented walk-through testing for patients who chose not to drive to the site.

As mobile testing sites were initially intended to be mostly held in rural areas, city spokeswoman Hilary Shine said the idea of holding the testing site in downtown Killeen came about as time went on and more city residents requested easier and more access to coronavirus testing.

By the start of testing today, we had already had 92 appointments made, Shine said at the site, about noon on Monday. So far today, they have already administered between 60 and 70 tests.

Killeen Emergency Management Coordinator Peter Perez said the testing process happened in three stages, with the patients identity, phone number and appointment time being verified in the first two stages, while the test itself was administered in the third stage.

The testing was being done following strict social distancing guidelines: Patients receiving a test were required to stay inside their vehicles, and communication was done through closed windows.

The test itself consists of a long swab being inserted into the patients nostril and pushed into the back of the throat to obtain a tissue sample.

Perez said the city also implemented a walk-through testing section for patients, as downtown Killeen is generally a higher foot-traffic area.

So far today, we have already seen about 10 walk-through patients, so we are glad we offered that service, Perez said around noon on Monday.

Perez said results from the testing were expected to be returned after four to five days, depending on the number of tests received.

The city hopes to be able to provide at least two more mobile testing clinics for the city, with the next tentatively being held in the Westcliff area of northeast Killeen.

Options available for coronavirus testing Several testing are sites are available in the Killeen area, though all of them require an a

As of 2 p.m. Monday, Bell County was reporting 243 total confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, which amounts to 0.63 cases per 1,000 residents.

Also on Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced 48,693 cases of the new coronavirus have been reported across the state, an increase of 909 new cases from Sundays update.
Princess Alexandra has been hailed as 'a national treasure' and 'the most royal' member of The Firm by experts, after the little-known royal joined the family's efforts to support the nation during the pandemic.

The minor royal, 83, is a first cousin and close confidante of the Queen and has spent the last 60 years dedicating her life to royal duty.

The under-the-radar royal stepped into the spotlight last week as she joined Prince Charles, 71, Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, to pay tribute to healthcare workers on International Nurses Day.

Her Majesty's biographer Hugo Vickers told The Telegraph she was 'a bit of a national treasure', saying: 'Shes the genuine article: the most royal of all of them  the daughter of a British prince and a princess with Greek and Russian royal blood.'

Princess Alexandra, 83, has been hailed as 'a national treasure' and 'the most royal' of the royal family after she stepped into the spotlight and joined The Firm in their Internartional Nurses Day tribute

Last week on International Nurse's Day, Princess Alexandra joined other members of The Firm to praise healthcare workers in a video message.

The minor royal, who is 53rd in line to the the throne, spoke with the head of the Naval Nursing Service in her role as Patron of Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service (QARNNS).

On the calls, members of The Royal Family spoke with nurses about the work they are doing, with many talking about the impact of Covid-19 and how they were coping with the pandemic.

While it may be a definitive step into the limelight for the Queen's first cousin, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, the princess has actually been quietly carrying out thousands of official duties over the years.

The Queen's first cousin was hailed by experts as 'witty and charming', with some praising her for her dedication to service (pictured, Princess Alexandra and the Queen together at Buckingham Palace)

Hugo praised her for her dedication to royal duty for 'all of her life', explaining that there had not been 'so many' members of the royal family when she started working.

Meanwhile royal author Christopher Wilson noted that she was the original 'royal pin-up' before Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, 38, came onto the scene.

He explained that she continued to 'hold her dignity' with 'impeccable manners.'

And royal expert Robin Baird-Smith added to the praise, saying: 'I was introduced to her and found her charming, witty and sharp. In conversation, she is enchanting and she listens.'

Her appearance alongside the other senior members of the royal family comes after her work was highlighted on the Queen's official Instagram account in January (pictured, visiting St Christopher's Hospice)

Earlier this year, Queen used her social media to shine a spotlight on Princess Alexandra, among other 'quiet achievers' within the royal family, in the wake of Megxit.

In February, the Royal Family account, which boasts 7.5million followers, broadened its focus from only the Queen's immediate family - her children and 'working' grandchildren - to include her first cousins and their spouses.

While these minor royals occasionally appeared on the account last year, they have been featured with greater regularity since the start of 2020.

Some royal fans have speculated the Queen and her staff have been eager to highlight the under-the-radar responsibilities of lesser-known, working royals like her cousins in light of the departure of three senior royals: Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex.

The royal joined with other senior members of The Firm including Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton last week to pay tribute to nurses around the country (pictured)

But while her work may be under-the-radar, Princess Alexandra's maintains a full schedule of engagements and lives in Richmond Park, London at the marital home she once shared with her late husband Sir Angus Ogilvy in 2004.

Today, she is patron of more than 100 different organisations and her closeness to the royal family was demonstrated in 2016 when the Queen held a party to celebrate Alexandras charity work and to mark her 80th birthday.

Overseeing organisations ranging from the British Skin Foundation to the Light Infantry Club and the British Goat Society, her workload includes visiting hospices, meeting Alzheimers sufferers and working with the blind.

The under-the-radar royal has long-been close to the Queen, serving as her bridesmaid at her wedding to Prince Philip, 98

Reports surfaced that Alexandra was forced to delay her retirement when Prince Philip stepped down from public duties in 2017.

The princess has suffered a series of health issues in recent years which have forced her to cut back on public engagements, down in 2018 to 67, and the palace were forced to deny the royal was retiring last year.

Once dubbed the 'unsung heroine' of the royal family - and described by a biographer as 'the most efficient working princess in the world - in 2013 she was forced to cancel a series of engagements after developing polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) - and last year suffered a broken arm.

There were reports that Princess Alexandra had been forced to delay her own retirement after Prince Philip stepped back from royal duty in 2017
Narendra Modi

New Delhi: In the midst of the Corona crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to the nation on the 31st of this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought suggestions from the people for discussion in this program. PM Modi tweeted about it on Monday morning and appealed to the people for suggestions.

Photo The Prime Minister tweeted, "I look forward to your suggestions for the Mann Ki Baat program on May 31." This can be done by recording and sending a message on 1800-11-7800, as well as writing on the NaMo app or MyGov.

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Importantly, during the Corona virus outbreak, this will be Prime Minister Narendra Modis third Mann Ki Baat which he will address in the lockdown. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had held talks with the people of the country in late March and April. The country has announced Lockdown 4.0, which will continue till May 31. Narendra Modi

It may be recalled that the Prime Minister had earlier addressed the nation and announced Lockdown 1.0, Lockdown 2.0. Following this, Lockdown 3.0 and 4.0 was announced by the Home Ministry. Addressing the nation, PM Modi had recently announced a package of Rs 20 lakh crore.

In that case, it would be the Prime Minister's first address since the announcement. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has elaborated on the package in the last one week and informed the nation about the decisions taken for small traders, farmers, big businessmen, labourers.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump announced Monday that he plans to nominate a new top prosecutor to oversee the U.S. attorney's office in the District of Columbia, which handles local and federal cases, including several high-profile prosecutions of the president's allies.

Upon confirmation by the Senate, Justin Herdman, the U.S. attorney in Cleveland, would take the position now filled by Timothy Shea, who came to the office in February. The selection of Herdman comes as the office has been pummeled by political controversies surrounding the cases of Trump confidant Roger Stone and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Shea, 60, was named D.C.'s interim U.S. attorney by Attorney General William Barr effective Feb. 3.

Within weeks, Shea came under fire for sidelining the prosecutors in his office and aligning with Justice Department leaders who intervened to soften the sentencing recommendation for Stone, who was convicted by a federal jury of obstructing a House investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference. Shea was criticized again earlier this month when he filed a motion to implement Barr's decision to dismiss Flynn's guilty plea to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador before Trump's inauguration.

Others said the actions, combined with Barr's filling of several other top supervisory positions in the office, left them uneasy and worried that the White House was interfering in prosecutions. The selection of Herdman portends another shake-up at a time when court operations are limited because of the pandemic and most prosecutors are working from their homes.

The U.S. attorney's office in Washington has 300 lawyers and is the largest in the country. It is unique in that prosecutors who work out of the office handle federal and local cases, including national security and political corruption cases as well as homicide, drug and weapons cases. The office also last year took over cases handed off after special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement, Barr thanked Shea and praised Herdman, saying, "This nomination is a reflection [of] his sharp intellect, sound judgment, and dedication to the mission of the Department of Justice. Justin has proven himself to be a fair prosecutor, capable litigator, and excellent manager."

Shea will become the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, an administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. He will be succeeded as of Tuesday on an acting basis by Michael Sherwin, whom Barr had picked to serve as Shea's No. 2, and who can remain through mid-December without need of Senate approval.

Herdman, 44, is a former Navy and active Air Force reserve officer and judge advocate. He holds a law degree from Harvard University, a bachelor's from Ohio University and a master's from the University of Glasgow.

From 2006 through 2013 as a prosecutor in northern Ohio, Herdman handled criminal cases in the office's terrorism squad, including the prosecution of five activists who plotted to blow up the Ohio 82 bridge spanning the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 2012.

Though he was based in Cleveland, Barr made him vice chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, which meant he spent more time than others considering broader Justice Department goals and interacting with Justice Department leadership in D.C.

Before Trump tapped him as U.S. attorney in northern Ohio, Herdman worked as a partner at Jones Day, a Cleveland-based law firm. He also was an assistant district attorney in New York City for several years.

Colleagues praised Herdman's leadership, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney of Maryland Jon Lenzner, who worked with Herdman in New York in 2004 and 2005.

"Since his time in the Manhattan DA's Office, where I first met and worked with Justin, he has been an exemplary public servant and a tough, effective litigator," Lenzner said in an email. "The District of Columbia is getting a good prosecutor and a dynamic leader."

The Ohio-born Herdman was confirmed by the Senate to serve as U.S. attorney for Cleveland in 2017 after Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, recommended his nomination to Trump.

Six weeks after being named U.S. attorney in Ohio, Herdman disbanded that office's civil rights unit - which also handled sex trafficking, labor trafficking and excessive force by police claims - and established a new division that focused on violent crime by working with federal officials to target gangs and build stronger conspiracy cases, according to stories in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Herdman's priorities, he told prosecutors, were national security, narcotics and violent crime. Cases that had been handled by the civil rights unit had been divided among other units within the office.

Herdman must still be confirmed by the Senate for the D.C. position, the administration official said, making it unclear when he will arrive.

Before the pandemic struck locally, Shea held meetings with neighborhood groups and city leaders. In one with leaders in the city's LGBTQ community, he assured attendees he would focus on hate-crime prosecutions, said attendee Kent Boese, a member of the Rainbow Caucus.

"Our concern was how long are you going to be here," Boese said.

Boese said Shea assured the group he had no intention to leave. But Shea also told them such a decision ultimately was not up to him.

Shea's interim appointment was scheduled to expire June 2 if he were not appointed by Washington's federal district court.

The office has seen unusual changes in leadership in the past five months. Jessie Liu served as U.S. attorney for D.C. September 2017 through January 2020. She resigned to take a top job with the Treasury Department, but that nomination was revoked.

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.
The self-made billionaire is expanding her plans for world domination.

Kylie Jenner took to Instagram on Monday morning to share a video to announce that her skincare range is finally launching in Europe via Douglas Cosmetics.

The 22-year-old mogul proudly put her pout on display with plenty of matte nude lip in the short video.

Wow factor: Kylie Jenner took to Instagram on Monday morning to share a video to announce that her skincare range is finally launching in Europe via Douglas Cosmetics

She said: 'I am so excited to finally announce that Kylie Skin will be at Douglas in Europe officially on May 22 which is a really special day because it is also my Kylie Skin one year anniversary.

'So thank you guys for all of your support, I cannot wait. You can shop online at Douglas.'

She also donned a dizzying patterned top for the short video as her highlighted tresses were worn down in a middle-part.

'I am so excited': The 22-year-old mogul proudly put her pout on display with plenty of matte nude lip in the short video

Big moment: She expressed her excitement over the May 22 release as Kylie Skin was launched on the same day last year

Flaunting it: She also donned a dizzying patterned top for the short video as her highlighted tresses were worn down in a middle-part

No doubt this was a huge deal as the German perfume and cosmetics retailer has over 1,900 stores and franchised outlets in over 19 European countries including Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Norway, and France.

Kylie Skin officially launched in May of last year.

This comes just days after she showed off her toned abs in a casual fleece set during an impromptu photoshoot at her ultra-luxurious home in LA on Friday.

Kylie let one side of her tank top fall off her shoulder as she pouted for the camera.

Weekend warrior: This comes just days after she showed off her toned abs in a casual fleece set during an impromptu photoshoot at her ultra-luxurious home in LA on Friday

Planting her hands on her waist, Kylie emphasized her slim center.

The makeup mogul went with neutral tones for her makeup, playing up her cheekbones with perfectly placed bronzer. Her brown locks were slicked back to show her honey-hued highlights in the front.

Though the youngest Kardashian/Jenner sister was indoors, she still hid her eyes behind some dark shades.

In the background you could see the ultra modern decorating of her eight-figure 'resort complex' in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Babe in beige: The 22-year-old billionaire let one side of her tank top fall off her shoulder as she pouted for the camera

Home, sweet home: Kylie picked up the 19,250 square foot home for $36.5million late last month, adding another property to her impressive portfolio

Fancy living: The home features a 24/7 guardhouse, several bars, a gym, and two guest apartments for her closest pals

Kylie picked up the 19,250 square foot home for $36.5million late last month, adding another property to her impressive portfolio. She also owns three homes in Calabasas and another in Beverly Hills.

The home features a 24/7 guardhouse, several bars, a gym, and two guest apartments for her closest pals.

Given the luxurious amenities, Kylie been more than happy to abide by stay at home orders with daughter Stormi.

The other day the mother-of-one shared a clip of her little girl learning an important lesson in patience.

Happy together: Given the luxurious amenities, Kylie been more than happy to abide by stay at home orders with daughter Stormi

Play time: Kylie shared a shot of her little girl in the play room later that day

Worth the wait: The other day the mother-of-one shared a clip of her little girl learning an important lesson in patience

Social experiment: Kylie put out a bowl of candy, telling Stormi she could have three pieces if she waited until her mom came back from the other room. The two-year-old was a master at restraint, waiting until mom came back for her reward

Kylie put out a bowl of candy, telling Stormi she could have three pieces if she waited until her mom came back from the other room.

Though the sweets were tempting, the two-year-old practiced restraint.

'Ooh! Chocolates,' Stormi said softly while leaning over the bowl, before sitting back up and singing, 'Patience, patience!'

The only child excitedly shouted and jumped up and down as her mom returned from the bathroom, giving her some candy.

Stormi is Kylie's only child. She co-parents the little one with on-off boyfriend Travis Scott.
A research group from Nigeria found evidence of long-distance transmission and dispersal between bat coronaviruses isolated in Africa and the ones Europe and Asia, as described in a new paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), became the defining global public health crisis of our time. This virus belongs to the broad group of coronaviruses, which are known to have a zoonotic potential of spreading from animals to humans.

Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow)also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (pink) cultured in the lab. Image captured and colorized at NIAID's Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana. Credit: NIAID

The rich fauna and biodiversity in Africa created a hotspot for emerging viral diseases. Additional opportunity for viruses is an assortment of bats that may serve as reservoirs, and that may efficiently spread the pathogen (for example, African fruit bats are known for covering thousands of miles during their migration cycles).

The evidence points toward African bats as a potential reservoir for several betacoronaviruses that may cause serious outbreak events. Some studies have also suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 likely spilled over into the human population by a zoonotic event involving SARS-related betacoronavirus.

Consequently, a research group from the Federal Medical Center in Abeokuta, Covenant University in Otta, and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria decided to appraise the phylogenetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of African betacoronaviruses among bats, as well as their possible dispersal across the continent.

Analyzing the evolutionary tree

Three data sets were generated from the Virus Pathogen resource databases for the purposes of this study. More specifically, the authors obtained sequences of the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene of bat coronaviruses from seven African, four European and three Asian countries.

Information such as host species, country of origin, and collection dates was combined with sequence data in order to conduct phylogenetic determination accurately. Cluster analysis was carried out with the specific software to identify sequence similarity and reduce data duplication.

Phylogenetic trees were inferred with the use of MEGA software for manual and automatic sequence alignment, distribution analysis (both geographically and evolutionary) was conducted by using Markov Chain Monte Carlo implemented in BEAST (a platform for Bayesian phylogenetic molecular sequence analysis) and visualized with SpreaD3 interactive platform.

A virus that jumps continents

The most prevalent bat species sampled in this study was Peters's dwarf epauletted fruit bat (Micropteropus pusillus). At the same time, Cameroon was the country with the highest distribution of bat species sampled in this study. However, recognized data gaps should be taken into account when appraising study findings.

Peter's Dwarf Epauletted Fruit Bat (Micropteropus pusillus). Image Credit: Dave Montreuil / Shutterstock

"This result does not necessarily represent the true picture of bat species diversity in Africa, as some countries lack sequence information for bats due lack of surveillance," caution study authors.

Actually, thus far, only a handful of studies have been conducted in Africa on coronaviruses among bats, which leaves a considerable rift in epidemiologic information regarding beta bat coronaviruses in Africa.

This study adds additional knowledge on the phylogeny of beta coronavirus sequences, which revealed that a majority of the African strains fall within the lineage D  consisting of strains from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, and Nigeria. It corroborates previous reports that identified a single clade circulating throughout the African continent.

Moreover, the researchers hinted towards inter-species transmission among the lineage D betacoronaviruses, allowing for potential recombination and rapid evolution of this lineage. Also, the circulation of two distinct lineages B and C among African bat species was demonstrated.

Finally, phylogeographic dispersal of bat coronaviruses revealed a plethora of inter-continental and intra-continental spread events. The former shows viral dispersal from China and Hong Kong to Central and Southern Africa, while the latter demonstrates the spread between Cameroun, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Africa, as well as directly from Cameroon into Madagascar.

Study shortcomings and conclusions

Although these insights are pivotal for further tracking of coronaviruses, one major study limitation was the inability to analyze spike protein sequence data of these viruses. Such an approach would have provided more pertinent data on their evolution concerning transmission and infectivity.

In addition, the population demography reported in this study might not realistically depict the viral population since the size of the utilized dataset is limited and might not represent the true demographic population of bat coronaviruses in Africa.

"We have, however, shown the importance of molecular surveillance of viruses with zoonotic potential such as coronaviruses," say study authors. "We advocate for broader trans-continental studies involving full genome sequences of betacoronaviruses to further understand the drivers for their emergence and zoonotic spillovers into the human population", they conclude.

In any case, we have to be aware that bat SARS-related coronaviruses will continue to spill over to the human population. The chances of another deadly pandemic are indeed rare; however, those chances increase with the frequency of such spillovers. Thus the scientific community has to stay vigilant.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Mumbai, May 18 : Ever since news reports of Sonu Sood arranging transportation for migrant workers to their hometowns became public, the Bollywood actor's social media timeline is being flooded with requests from people stuck in various corners of the country urging him to send them home and reunite them with their families amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

On Monday, a student from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur who is stuck in Maharashtra's Thane, requested Sonu Sood to send him home citing the reason as his mother's illness.

"@SonuSood sir I'm a student & I stuck in thane. Nobody is helping me. My mother is very ill, she is very worried for me. I have to go to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. you're my last hope, please help me sir please..." tweeted the student also sharing his mobile number.

Reacting to his tweet, Sonu Sood replied: "Tell your mom you are seeing her soon." Another user tweeted saying he along with a group of 20 people need help to go to their hometown in Bihar as they are stuck in Nalasopara in the outskirts of Mumbai. The user also mentioned in his tweet that his mother is crying everyday for him.

"Tell mom not to cry.. you will hug her soon," replied Sonu Sood.

Innumerable such requests are flooding the actor's timeline day and night everyday.

Talking about the same, Sonu Sood recently told IANS in an interview: "You won't believe my number rings 24x7. I keep getting calls and messages also for PPE kits, ration etc." The actor also mentioned during the interview that he cannot sleep peacefully until every migrant worker reaches home. "I will leave no stone unturned day and night to be with them and make sure that every migrant reaches their destination. To the best of my abilities I will make sure it happens," he further said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
"I want to live the rest of my life in Kerala. Let my death be there in my motherland," says a 79-year-old semi-paralysed Indian man in the UAE in an impassioned plea for help while seeking repatriation amid COVID-19 pandemic.

K Raghavan, who claims to have landed in the UAE in a wooden catamaran 52 years ago and ran two tailoring shops in Dubai and a trading company in Ajman, has been unable to fly home due to the fines he incurred after his business went bust.

The elderly man, who lost everything that he had earned in life by the time he fell sick with an ulcer and was eventually left semi-paralysed, is living with his wife in a cramped room in Dubai's Jaffiliya area.

His visa expired three years ago and he could not renew it as he has a liability of more than 60,000 dirhams (Rs 12.4 lakh) in fines in cases related to non-payment of rent and defaulting license renewals filed by the Ajman Free Zone, the Gulf reported.

"I wouldn't have had this liability if my relative, who was taking care of the Ajman business, had not ditched me without making the payments," Raghavan told the Dubai-based English daily over phone on Sunday.

He owed another 140,000 dirhams (Rs 28.9 lakh) to Dubai Hospital where he was treated. However, he was discharged following a request from the Indian Consulate in Dubai, the report said.

Raghavan says he has been struggling to survive as he has to spend money on medicines, apart from his accommodation, food and other regular expenses.

"I want to live the rest of my life in Kerala. Let my death be there in my motherland," he said.

The ailing man is entirely dependent on his 65-year-old wife Sarojini, who was brought to the UAE on a visit visa by some well-wishers.

"We are worried about the spread of COVID-19 now," Sarojini said.

The last time Raghavan visited home was in 2014. The couple is pinning their hopes on social workers and community members who have been campaigning for their repatriation.

"A few months ago, he had to be hospitalised again. We all helped him pay 7,000 dirhams (Rs 1.4 lakh) in bills while the private hospital waived an equal amount on our request. They will need support even after reaching Kerala. We are all trying to support them," said community member Abdul Majeed Padoor.

The Indian government launched the 'Vande Bharat Mission' on May 7 to bring back Indians who were stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

Under the phase one of the mission, the government evacuated a total of 6,527 Indians from the Gulf region and from other countries like the US, the UK, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)








"Today we are taking 16 COVID-19 patients to Lima, including civilians and health workers, so that they can receive adequate care at Ate Hospital or at the Pan American Village," he said on Sunday from the city of Iquitos.





Zeballos, along with Ministers Gaston Rodriguez (Interior) and Gloria Montenegro (Women) , held a meeting with provincial mayors of Maynas and Nauta, as well as district mayors, to bring together preventive measures against COVID-19 at markets, banks, and transport facilities.





"There must be a commitment on the part municipal governments to enforce social distancing. This is not only a police issue, but a joint work, undertaken with local governments. We must work all together," the President of the Council of Ministers expressed.





"We tell Iquitos inhabitants that everyone has to be attended, every Peruvian must receive help. Hence the presence of Deputy Interculturality Minister (Angela Acevedo) here, to take care of native communities," he added.





(END) NDP/RMB/MVB
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga shared a fun memory with sister-in-law Teresa Giudice in honor of her birthday on Monday.

As Teresa turned 48, Melissa posted photos of the duo - who have had a turbulent relationship throughout the years - posing in red swimsuits for a Baywatch themed shoot they did together in 2016.

'Happy birthday to my beautiful sister-in-law! @teresagiudice So many years of sisterhood showing everyone how family pulls through & making some amazing memories along the way Have the best day! Xox' Melissa, 41, wrote.

Family pulls through: Melissa Gorga wished sister-in-law Teresa Giudice a happy birthday on Monday posting a snap from their Baywatch-inspired photoshoot in 2016

The mother-of-three posted several photos from the shoot which showed the reality stars showing off their toned figures in red swimsuits and holding lifeguard floats.

Another image revealed some of the other costumes the ladies donned for the UsWeekly shoot, including Melissa as Princess Leia and Teresa channeling Raquel Welch from the movie One Million Years B.C.

Melissa is married to Teresa's brother Joe and it wasn't until season three of RHONJ that the family drama was really laid bare with a massive brawl between the Giudice and Gorga families.

But Melissa and Teresa seem to be in a better place these days and have put their differences aside after dealing with legal issues, infidelity rumors and the loss of loved ones.

Iconic: The mother-of-three posted several photos from the shoot which showed the reality stars showing off their toned figures in red swimsuits and holding lifeguard floats

Fun shoot: Another image revealed some of the other costumes the ladies donned for the UsWeekly shoot, including Melissa as Princess Leia and Teresa channeling Raquel Welch from the movie One Million Years B.C

However, in February Jennifer Aydin made some bold statements about the ladies' relationship during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

'I think they definitely get along better than they once did,' she said on the show. 'At the end of the day, Teresa appreciates the fact that this is her brother's [Joe Gorga] wife, and she's not going anywhere, so they make do.'

She then added, 'But they're not the best of friends, to be honest.'

Family ties: Melissa is married to Teresa's brother Joe and it wasn't until season three of RHONJ that the family drama was really laid bare with a massive brawl between the Giudice and Gorga families

Friends: Melissa and Teresa seem to be in a better place these days and have put their differences aside after dealing with legal issues, infidelity rumors and the loss of loved ones

Melissa reacted to Jennifer's comments last month she caught up with Andy over video chat.

'I mean, I think I understand where she was going with that where she was trying to say if Teresa and I were walking down the street and we met each other and we weren't family for the last 20 years, would we choose each other to go to lunch with?' Melissa explained.

'The honest-to-God answer is I don't know. I don't know if we would. But do we love each other? Are we family? Yeah,' Melissa continued. 'But would I raise my hand and say, "Let's be best friends?" I don't know. And I don't know if she would, either.'
Seegene to secure a bridgehead for leading MDx market in Latin America

SEOUL, Korea, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seegene Inc. (096530.KQ), a leading developer of multiplex PCR technologies headquartered in South Korea, announced that it will export 10 million tests of its COVID-19 testing kits to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / World Health Organization (WHO) through Brazilian subsidiary, Seegene do Brasil Diagnosticos Ltda.

Seegene has supplied 5 million tests of Allplex 2019-nCOV assay to Brazil and will supply remaining tests in the following weeks. Also, Seegene will discuss a further increase of up to 100% of the testing volume.

The company said, "This unprecedentedly large export volume emphasizes an explosive increase in demand for Seegene's COVID-19 product worldwide and demonstrates that our high volume testing system is gaining world recognition."

Seegene's Allplex 2019-nCOV Assay is eyeing a good response from the market as the capability of the assay that identifies 3 different target genes (E gene, RdRP gene and N gene) in a single-tube enables accurate and efficient diagnosis, and Seegene's automated system is extremely useful during the coronavirus pandemic where large volume of tests are required.

Seegene has already exported 20 million tests of the COVID-19 assays to over 60 countries and is ramping up the production rapidly to meet an increased demand across the globe.

The export volume to the Brazilian market is expected to rise as Seegene is negotiating supply agreement with the state government and private laboratories in Brazil. In addition, the company is planning with PAHO for further contracts with other countries in Latin America.

As Seegene's assay is already well-recognized in major European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the company's solution for COVID-19 diagnosis surely secures a bridgehead for expanding the market presence to Latin America. This contract indeed marks a significant beginning for Seegene to further occupy the molecular diagnostics market in all of the countries in Latin America.

About Seegene

Seegene (KQ : 096530) is a global pioneer in symptom-based in vitro molecular diagnostics focusing on advancing science to develop multiplex molecular technologies and to manufacture multiplex in vitro diagnostic devices and reagents. Seegene's core enabling power is the passion for wide spreading of multiplex molecular diagnostics to improve the quality of life and health of people. Using its innovative proprietary technologies, Seegene has been making considerable contributions to giving the most economic and clinic-friendly molecular diagnostic solutions for infectious diseases, genetics, pharmacogenetics, and oncology. For more information, please visit www.seegene.com.

Joon Kim

[email protected]

Jisoo Lee

[email protected]

SOURCE Seegene
Two teenage girls have become victims of so-called "honour killings" in Pakistan after a video of them with a young man appeared on social media.

The girls, aged 16 and 18, were murdered by family members last week in the tribal village of Shawm Plain Garyom, on the border between North and South Waziristan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Police told BBC Urdu two men were arrested on Sunday in relation to the case. The two men were the father of one of the victims and the brother of the other victim.

Officials reportedly told a Pakistani news channel that both men confessed to killing the teenagers, and are currently being held in custody awaiting trial.

The video believed to have led to the killings showed a young man recording himself with three young girls in a secluded area outdoors. The young man is reportedly seen kissing two of the women on the lips in the footage.

A senior police officer in Waziristan told local newspaper Dawn the video was filmed almost a year ago and likely went viral on social media just a few weeks ago.

He said: At the moment, our topmost priority is to secure the life of the third girl and the man before taking any action.

As per the information received by police so far, the third girl and the boy are alive.

According to Gulf News, the families of the victims, whose names are not known, moved to their native village of Shakotai in South Waziristan to bury the bodies. A police party has been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident.

Pakistan passed an anti-honour killing law in 2016 after the murder of Qandeel Baloch, a model, sparked public protests across the country. The new law imposed harsher punishments on those carrying out the killings.

However, activists believe about 1,000 such murders are still being carried out across Pakistan annually.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the killings and said in a statement: Despite the passage of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2016, there is a little evidence to suggest that the incidence and acceptance of honour crimes has abated.

Antiquated  and lethal  notions that honour resides in womens bodies and actions still prevail across Pakistan, and it will take far more than laws to effect a change when perpetrators of honour crimes continue to act with impunity.

The patriarchy that upholds casual sexism is the same patriarchy that is used to justify, endorse and perpetrate honour killings. Neither is acceptable, added the HRCP.

The Women Democratic Front, a feminist political group in Pakistan, called on the government to enact more stringent laws against the acts.

A non-consensual and inappropriate video of the young women has been circulating online for a few days, which is believed to have been the reason of their violent murder. Another girl, who was also seen in the video, is currently missing, said Mumtaz Tajik, who leads the group.

We demand that the men involved in inciting violence, as well as those who leaked a private video despite knowing the sensitivities, should be taken into account. Domestic violence still largely remains an acceptable norm in our society, where womens bodies and lives are considered property of the men of the family.
It took 12 years, but it looks like Obama has realized that playing nice doesnt get you anywhere in politics. Sometimes, you have to look evil in the eye and call it what it is. Thats not exactly what Obama has been doing lately, but its close enough.
SAO PAULO - As COVID-19 reached remote indigenous lands in Brazils Amazon, the government agency responsible for protecting native people brushed off calls for action, focusing instead on waging ideological battles, according to agents from the institution itself and others.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros repeated promotion of developing the vast Amazon has for months prompted indigenous activists, celebrities and agents on the ground to sound the alarm. In the face of a spreading pandemic, they warn inaction is enough to wipe out many indigenous people.

The Associated Press spoke to four agents who work with indigenous peoples in the farthest reaches of Brazils Amazon, and they were unanimous in their conclusion: The national Indian foundation, known as FUNAI, is hardly doing anything to co-ordinate a response to a crisis that could decimate ethnic groups.

Theres not enough protective equipment for agents who enter indigenous territories or meet with native people in cities. Necessities like kerosene and gasoline are in short supply. Food deliveries only began last week  a month after indigenous people were instructed to remain in their villages  and remain vastly insufficient.

Since the pandemics onset, there has been fear about the vulnerability of native people who live far from urban health facilities and whose communal lifestyles render them susceptible to swift transmission.

At least 88 indigenous people have already died of COVID-19 in the Amazon, according to a tally by the Brazilian indigenous organization APIB that includes health ministry figures and information from local leaders. The count is likely higher, because hospitals often dont use patients indigenous names when admitting them.

As native people started succumbing to the coronavirus, FUNAIs focus was elsewhere, according to Antonio Carlos Bigonha, who heads the public prosecution office responsible for indigenous affairs. He said the Indian agencys response has been delinquent, lax, insufficient, reflective of Bolsonaros open support of assimilation.

The environment of COVID-19 is so grave, because integration alone is bad, but in the context of a pandemic is genocide, Bigonha said in a telephone interview.

CIMI, a Catholic group that defends indigenous rights, condemned FUNAIs policies for failing to safeguard native peoples. FUNAI fired back, attacking what it called socialist public policies implemented since 2003 by the leftist Workers Party that it maintained made indigenous people dependent on welfare.

This isnt ... a socialist plot, said Bigonha. Its just an interpretation of historical facts: We adopted integrationist policy at the start of the 20th century and it almost did away with the indigenous people.

Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado, famous for his work with indigenous tribes, drafted a manifesto warning of imminent threat to native peoples and calling on Brazils government to take action to protect them. It drew 245,000 signatories, including Paul McCartney, Meryl Streep, film director Pedro Almodovar and model Gisele Bundchen.

FUNAIs response was swift: It returned photographs Salgado had taken of the Korubo people in the isolated Javari Valley, near the Peruvian border, along with a statement recommending Salgado auction them to buy food, personal hygiene products and cleaning goods for indigenous people.

FUNAI told the AP in an emailed response that it adopted all the measures within its reach in the fight against the pandemic. It said it has distributed 45,000 food kits and more than 200,000 personal protection items nationwide, without breaking it down by region, and that another 40,000 food kits were coming soon.

Agents on the ground, including three employed by FUNAI, told a different story. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fears of retribution after several officials in the Bolsonaro administration were fired or reassigned after talking to reporters.

Theres no leadership from above and requests sent to FUNAI headquarters in Brasilia go unanswered for weeks, they said.

The Upper Solimoes region near Brazils border with Colombia has one of Brazils highest COVID-19 mortality rates. The only hospital with ventilators, a military facility in Tabatinga, on the border, has only 13 of the lung machines, the health ministry said.

To contain the virus, since mid-March FUNAI agents have told indigenous groups they should prevent anyone from entering their territories and block roads and rivers near their communities.

But as long as there arent enough food kits delivered, the tribes wont stay on their lands, the agents said. Little agriculture is possible when rivers flood the Upper Solimoes and Upper Negro regions, and the vast majority sell or trade what they fish and hunt.

In the Upper Solimoes, home to some 76,000 indigenous people, only six of the 350 ethnic groups received 1,300 food kits through last week, according to an agent involved in the operation. That has further damaged FUNAIs credibility, the agent said.

FUNAIs Rio Negro regional co-ordinator, Auri de Oliveira, said the chief problem wasnt shortage of food, but indigenous people travelling to nearby cities to receive emergency coronavirus cash aid from the government. He said the food kit delays were due to normal bureaucracy and they have started arriving.

The food kits will help maintain indigenous people in the villages, he wrote in a text message. We will see if they come to town again, because there will be a new cycle of welfare payments.

While some food aid is arriving its not enough: One tribal leader in the Upper Solimoes region said by phone Friday his village received food kits for only 90 of its more than 700 families.

Brazils health ministry said in a statement that the hard-hit cities of Tabatinga and Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira received some help on Monday. A hospital in Tabatinga got another 10 ventilators and 15,000 masks, among other items. Another unit in Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira received eight ventilators and 11 health-care professionals are coming from Brasilia.

Brazils shortcomings in fighting the pandemic in the Amazon are worrying its neighbours. Colombian President Ivan Duque deployed the military to its border with Brazil after a surge of COVID-19 cases. About 8,000 indigenous people live near the Colombian border town of Leticia, where cases have shot up in recent weeks.

Peru sealed its border with Brazil in March. On the Brazilian side, one agent reported the coronavirus has reached the Javari Valley, the remote region featured in the photographs FUNAI returned to Salgado, showing the Korubo people posing with spears, canoeing on a river and carrying a slain tapir through the jungle.

The Javari Valley is home to the biggest concentration of isolated indigenous peoples in the world, including 10 groups, according to FUNAI. Hospitals near Javaris isolated tribes are overcrowded, said one FUNAI agent, who offered a stark warning: If the virus hits harder, collapse will be quick.

___

Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro.
Industry body CAIT has urged the government to reconsider the economic package and announce measures to support traders, saying the community feels let down for exclusion from the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus to aid the economy reeling from the COVID-19 crisis.

However, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which has 40,000 trade associations and seven crore members across India, said the trading community will continue to fulfil its obligations towards the nation during the coronavirus pandemic.

The traders' body "resented with deep regret" that one of the largest and most committed segments of the trading community has not found a place in the wide-reaching announcements of the economic package, according to a statement.

CAIT has shot off a communication to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting her to reconsider the economic package. It has sent similar communication to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Textile Minister Smriti Irani.

CAIT's Delhi NCR unit convenor Sushil Kumar Jain lamented that while announcing the economic package, the government has ignored the traders.

"The trading community is deeply agitated and having gross resentment for its exclusion from the economic package at a time when it was direly needed since traders of the country will be forced to face serious challenges of financial crisis, Jain said.

"The traders of India have stood firmly with the government and the people of India in these troubled times to ensure continuous supply of essential commodities so that every citizen had substantial supplies during lockdown, he said.

"The traders feel that the government has let them down, by non- inclusion in the much awaited economic package, he added.

CAIT said seven crore traders in the country are carrying out business activities in urban, rural and semi rural areas, and many of them with very limited resources and fear being hit by the lockdown further.

It is reiterated that at the time of lifting of lockdown, the traders will have to meet various financial obligations like payment of salary to employees, payment of GST, income tax and other government payment, EMIs, bank interest on loans taken by the traders and various other incidental expenses, the traders' body said.

On the other hand, normal credit extended by traders in B2B transactions will likely accrue back not before 60-75 days from the day of opening the markets. All such circumstances will land the traders in turbulent time of financial crisis," according to CAIT.

It is expected that in absence of any hand-holding of the traders, about 20 per cent marginal traders will have no other option but to close down their business establishments and rest of the traders will have to do great struggle for reviving their businesses, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Philippine government shuts down ABS-CBN, the countrys biggest and leading broadcaster that has been critical of president Rodrigo Duterte while the country is facing the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jes Aznar/Getty Images)

By Pankaj Mishra

Governments around the world say theyre engaged in a war against the coronavirus. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the legend of the Mahabharata, fought over 18 days, as he declared, with little warning, a devastating national lockdown.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who always seems to be mentally screening a film of Winston Churchill in World War II, said that we must act like any wartime government.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has long deployed bellicose language, most notoriously in his violent war on drugs, went further, advising the military and police that if quarantine violators become unruly and they fight you and your lives are endangered, shoot them dead!

This kill-or-die idiom is more than casual rhetorical overkill. Many governments are symbolically but very deliberately calling, in this time of fear and uncertainty, for general conscription along military lines.

This is so they can, while pointing to an insidious foreign enemy, aim their firepower against some of the most valuable institutions of domestic public life. They have been very successful so far. Last week, Dutertes government shut down ABS-CBN television and radio, his countrys largest broadcasting service.

Things are not much better in countries with sturdier democratic institutions. Johnsons Conservative government accused the British Broadcasting Corporation of bias after its flagship investigative program, Panorama, exposed shortages of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers.

The public broadcasters critique of the government was stinging in part because Johnson enjoys a high degree of support among Britains privately owned, overwhelmingly pro-Tory press. Nor does Modi, assured of craven public broadcasters, expect much criticism from the Indian media, which has been described, only semi-humorously, as veritably North Korean in its devotion to the supreme leader.

Modi held a virtual meeting with media editors and owners just before imposing his lockdown. According to his website, the attendees committed to work on the suggestions of the prime minister to publish inspiring and positive stories about COVID-19.

Story continues

In addition to economic and military mobilization, wartime measures typically encourage a high degree of political, social and intellectual conformity. The general idea is that, in the face of an existential challenge from a vicious enemy, criticism of the government ought to cease.

The media tends to become more patriotic, as do former political partisans. Such was the case in the United States during the early stages of its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, when most journalists and even Democratic politicians rallied around the Republican George W. Bush administration.

The trouble is that the war against COVID-19 is actually not a war at all. And no one should feel obliged to sign up for it.

The loss of, and separation from, loved ones, and the fear and anxiety that is devastating many lives is not an opportunity to fantasize about heroism in battle. The pandemic is, primarily, a global public health emergency; it is made potentially lethal as much by long neglected and underfunded social welfare systems as by a highly contagious virus.

A plain description like this is not as stirring as a call to arms  and doesnt justify the more extreme actions governments have taken against critics during the crisis. It does, however, open up a line of inquiry that journalists ought to pursue, now as well as in the future.

According to the Indian governments own statistics, its public spending on health before the pandemic measured just 1.17% of GDP, lower than Nepal and nowhere near comparable to South Koreas 8.1%. Duterte no doubt wants his citizens to forget that as late as March 11, he told an audience: Ive been told, You folks are too scared of this coronavirus epidemic and Fools, dont believe it.

Johnson, whose Conservative party presided over harsh cuts to health services, boasted, on the same day in early March that the U.K. governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned against shaking hands, I shook hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands.

Awakening late to the pandemic, authoritarian or authoritarian-minded leaders have turned it into an opportunity both to shore up their power and to conceal their stunning ineptitude. To fail to see through their manufactured fog of war, as many in the media are doing, can only further endanger the long-term moral and political health of their societies.

Pankaj Mishra is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. His books include Age of Anger: A History of the Present, From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia, and Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet and Beyond.

 2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Damaged fishermen boats are seen following thunderstorm and rainfall due to Cyclone Amphan. (PTI)

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: India began evacuating thousands of villagers and halted port operations ahead of a cyclone expected to hit its east coast this week, officials said on Monday, piling pressure on emergency services grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

The cyclone, expected to make landfall on Wednesday, comes as India eases the worlds longest lockdown, imposed in April against the virus, which has infected more than 96,169 people and killed 3,029.

The states of Odisha and West Bengal sent disaster management teams to move families from homes of mud and thatch to places of shelter from the severe cyclonic storm, Amphan, which is expected to gain strength in the next 12 hours.

We have to evacuate people from low-lying areas, and protect them from the coronavirus too, said a senior official of Indias home ministry who sought anonymity.

Its not an easy task.

The cyclone season usually runs from April to December, with severe storms forcing the evacuations of tens of thousands, causing widespread death and damage to crops and property, both in India and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Authorities at the port of Paradip in Odisha ordered ships to move out to sea to avoid damage as the cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal was likely to intensify into a super cyclonic storm.

Operations have been wound down, said Rinkesh Roy, chairman of the Paradip Port Trust. We are clearing the port.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a meeting in New Delhi, to plan how to mitigate damage and injuries.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan...is likely to gain more strength and intensify further into a super cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours, weather officials said in a statement, forecasting heavy rain in eastern and southern areas.

India, with a coastline of 7,516 km (4,670 miles), gets hit by more than a tenth of all the worlds tropical cyclones, the bulk of them hitting its eastern coast around the Bay of Bengal.
Israeli fighter jets have stuck Syrian territory again, hitting a base near the Syrian-Iraqi border town of Albu Kamal and killing seven writes Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Late-night strikes on a position held by Iranian militias and their allies in eastern Syria killed seven fighters, a war monitor said on Sunday.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the strikes on a base controlled by Iranian forces and their proxies near the Syrian-Iraqi border town of Albu Kamal on Saturday night, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The attack killed seven Iran-backed paramilitary fighters, the monitor said, also reporting material damage.

The Observatory added that military reinforcements for Iranian militias and their allies had arrived to the area days before the attack.

Iranian-backed militias and their allies command a significant presence in eastern Syria south of the Euphrates Valley.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011, targeting government troops, allied Iranian forces and fighters from the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah.

It rarely confirms details of its operations in Syria, but says Irans presence in support of President Bashar al-Assad is a threat and that it will continue its strikes.

Earlier this month, Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said, Iran has nothing to do in Syria (and) we wont stop before they leave Syria.

Bennett accused Iran of trying to establish itself on the border with Israel to threaten Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.

The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Wauseon Machine is pleased to welcome Scott Anair as its new President and CEO. As part of the long-term succession plan, the Board of Directors and Leadership Team of Wauseon Machine began the search for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to succeed Russ Dominique last year. Anair is an accomplished business leader with experience in operations, engineering, program management, and business development. The appointment was effective March 9, 2020.

Scott Anair Bio

Anair graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelors degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering, and was most recently employed at JR Automation as the President of their Systems Division. JR Automation is a global systems integrator for advanced automation systems, and the Systems Division represented approximately 60% of JRs sales, earnings and workforce across 10 locations in North America. Prior to joining JR Automation, Scott worked in various leadership capacities at Sandvik and Johnson Controls, totaling over 30 years.

Wauseon Machine and Manufacturing, Inc.  founded in 1983  headquartered in Wauseon, OH specializes in build-to-print tooling, prototypes, precision machining, machine building, and robotics automation. In 2010, Wauseon Machine and Manufacturing expanded into the Dayton, Ohio area with an office dedicated to the sales of Automation and Robotic Integration.
[May 18, 2020] Monotype Agrees to Acquisition of URW Type Foundry from Global Graphics

Monotype today announced that it has agreed to acquire URW Type Foundry, a subsidiary of Global Graphics PLC. Based in Hamburg, Germany, URW is an innovative font and software provider, with extensive experience in designing and engineering fonts to service the needs of global brands. With the acquisition of URW, Monotype will immediately expand its library of type IP to include 513 new and popular typeface families such as Corporate S Pro, Futura, Franklin Gothic, URW DIN, and Nimbus Sans Global, among many more. The URW designs will be included as part of Monotype's Mosaic solution and available for purchase on MyFonts.com. Monotype's Mosaic solution empowers creative teams to discover, share and prototype limitlessly with 14,000+ of Monotype's premier fonts - while making it easier to license, deploy and manage the usage of fonts across enterprise and partner networks. "Over the last several decades, URW has produced type used by many iconic brands around the world, and provided technology that has been adopted as the standard for digital font development," said Monotype CEO Scott Landers. "The team's design, engineering, and brand expertise will help us deliver greater value to the creative community through the Monotype Library, Monotype Studio and Monotype's Mosaic solution." URW has created custom or modified typefaces for some of the world's most prestigious brands including Daimler, Siemens (News - Alert), Drager, fischer, Deutsche Telekom, and T. Rowe Price, among others. Through its IKARUS system, the company has pioneered digital font design and production for deades. It has been owned by Global Graphics PLC since 2015. "After leading URW through an incredible period of growth in partnership with Global Graphics, we're very excited to join the Monotype family to collaborate with the largest and most experienced foundry in the world," said Peter Rosenfeld, Managing Director of URW Type Foundry GmbH.



In its own statement, Global Graphics acknowledged the mutual support for the deal. "For more than four years, URW has been a key part of the Global Graphics group of companies, so the decision to sell URW to Monotype was not something we took lightly," explains Mike Rottenborn, CEO of Global Graphics PLC. "However, the core business of Global Graphics has moved closer to digital press manufacturers, while fonts are primarily marketed to designers and major brands. Monotype is the world leader in fonts and was already an important sales channel for URW's type library, so their offer to acquire URW assures continuity for URW's customers as well as an excellent value for the shareholders of Global Graphics." About Monotype

Monotype empowers creative minds to build and express authentic brands through design, technology and expertise. Further information is available at www.monotype.com. Follow Monotype on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging (News - Alert) Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2019 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200517005033/en/

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Aarogya Setu no longer mandatory in workplaces. No clarity on the requirement of Aarogya Setu while travelling yet. Authorities can only advise citizens to download it

The Indian government has changed its stance on Aarogya Setu and installing the contact tracing app is now voluntary as opposed to being mandatory, earlier. As per the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the fourth phase of the lockdown, companies have been asked to ensure the installation of Aarogya Setu by employees on a best effort basis. Moreover, local authorities can now only advise people to install the app instead of forcing them to download it.

With a view to ensuring safety in offices and workplaces, employers on best effort basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu is installed by all employees having compatible mobile phones, the latest order reads.

Additionally, District authorities may advise individuals to install the Aarogya Setu application on compatible mobile phones and regularly update their health status on the app. This will facilitate timely provision of medical attention to those individuals who are at risk, it adds.

Indias own contact tracing app was announced on April 2 and has been in the limelight ever since due to the immense amount of personal data it collects when any user registers on it. The app has been scrutinized by privacy advocates and security researchers for putting users personal data at risk and many civic organisations and individuals have either directly or indirectly called out the government over its previous order which made the app mandatory.

In cities like Noida and Greater Noida, district authorities were enforcing the governments directive to make Aarogya Setu a mandatory app to have on your smartphone and people failing to comply could be criminally prosecuted by the local authorities. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) challenged this order in Noida and a plea petition was filed in the Kerala High Court to make it voluntary.

The Kerala High Court held a hearing on May 12 where it stated that the petition raised valid concerns and directed Central government to respond to the issues pertaining to the coercive imposition of Aarogya Setu in India. As a result, the latest advisory makes it clear that the installation of the app isnt mandatory and authorities can only advise citizens to download it.

Having said that, the app is still mandatory for travelling via railways, at airports and even for government employees. Aarogya Setu has also been released for JioPhones that runs on KaiOS.
DALLAS, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Trial lawyer Michael Lyons of Dallas-based Lyons & Simmons, LLP is one of just 52 plaintiffs' attorneys honored by the National Law Journal as "agents of change" who are reshaping expectations on behalf of clients nationwide.

Mr. Lyons was selected to the publication's 2020 list of Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazers based upon his groundbreaking work on behalf of clients involved in life-altering personal injury and wrongful death cases, as well as his proven record of obtaining outstanding results in high-stakes, high-exposure litigation.

"Michael is a tireless advocate for clients, with an unrelenting drive for justice," said Lyons & Simmons co-founder Chris Simmons . "For him, justice is a complex pursuit, starting with protecting his client's interests, but also working towards constructive change to improve whatever precipitated an unfortunate event."

Mr. Lyons was recently involved in litigation related to the worst oilfield disaster in Oklahoma history and the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2010 Macondo Deepwater Horizon blowout. The case had tremendous importance relating to best practices for oilfield drilling operations and helped bring further attention to dangerous industry practices involving well control management and monitoring.

"I think it's vital for all lawyers to continue to fight for the preservation of the Seventh Amendment," Mr. Lyons told the NLJ about his work. "The right to trial should be sacrosanct, but it is under attack. Big corporations and insurance companies shouldn't be the only ones with access to the courthouse. Still, the little guy doesn't always understand the power of the courthouse and if you give up that power, you're giving more to those who already have it."

His success on behalf of clients has earned the notice of the legal community. In addition to the 2020 Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazers selection, he has also earned recognition among the Top 100 Lawyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by Texas Super Lawyers, as well as the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and D Magazine's Best Lawyers in Dallas. He is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums, as well as a member of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.

The full Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazers listing is featured in a special supplement to the May 2020 print edition of the National Law Journal, and can be found online at https://images.law.com/media/nationallawjournal/supplements/NLJTB_Plaintiffs_2020/mobile/index.html.

About Lyons & Simmons LLP

Dallas-based Lyons & Simmons, LLP is a trial boutique representing clients in wrongful death, personal injury, products liability and complex "bet-the-company" business litigation matters across the country. To learn more, visit http://www.Lyons-Simmons.com.

Media Contact:

Rhonda Reddick

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Lyons & Simmons

Related Links

https://www.lyons-simmons.com


YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. A group of Armenian doctors conducting a humanitarian mission in Syrias Aleppo continues delivering medical and other essential items to Aleppos military hospital and other medical facilities, the Armenian Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise told Armenpress.

The heads of the medical centers expressed gratitude to the Armenian doctors for the assistance provided.

The head of the Aleppo military hospital highly appreciated the joint efforts of the Armenian and Syrian doctors, the dedication to their work and thanked Armenias humanitarian group for the constant support.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
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Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that a sharp drop in state revenues could force the state to slash funding for K-12 education by roughly 10% -- comparable to the hit schools took in the Great Recession -- unless the federal government steps in with aid immediately.

On Monday, Los Angeles Unified School District's leader issued a stark warning: such a cut would do deep and lasting harm to the state's largest school system.

"Cuts to funding at schools will forever impact the lives of children," Superintendent Austin Beutner said in his weekly video update. "The harm children are facing is just as real a threat to them as is the coronavirus."

Beutner did not say how badly this cut would hit LAUSD's bottom line, but he promised details "in the coming days and weeks." Tomorrow, the L.A. Unified School Board is scheduled to hold its first open meeting in more than two months -- and an update on the district's budget is on the agenda.

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THE EFFECT OF BUDGET CUTS

Already, Newsom and leading academics are concerned that the pandemic -- and the sudden shift to distance learning that it forced -- could stunt children's academic growth.

In his speech, Beutner said funding cuts could make that problem worse:

Why aren't we able to provide the funding to prevent this from happening? Is it because the harm is silent and unseen unlike the images of overrun hospitals? Is it because children don't have a voice? Or is it because so many of the families we serve are living in poverty and don't have access to the corridors of power in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.?





Beutner's comments also come amid warnings from districts statewide that Newsom's proposed $6.5 billion cut to the state's main K-12 funding formula could jeopardize schools' efforts to resume in-person instruction in the fall -- a task that will likely require more funding for protective gear, more frequent campus cleanings and increased staffing.

In a statement last week, the California School Boards Association's president, Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, warned the governor's budget proposal "would be insufficient in ordinary times and is less than what is required for most schools to reopen safely during a pandemic."

In L.A., Beutner has previously estimated pandemic response efforts will blow a roughly $200 million hole in the school district's budget by year's end. Among the extraordinary -- and potentially unreimbursed -- costs: distributing meals for adults, technology purchases, and an expanded summer school program.

LAUSD is likely dipping into its savings to cover some of those crisis expenditures. Before the pandemic, officials estimated LAUSD would end the year with an unrestricted reserve of $811 million. (The district's approved budget is roughly $9 billion.)

OTHER UPDATES IN BEUTNER'S SPEECH

Here are a few other items Beutner mentioned:

Parent survey results: LAUSD surveyed parents on the district's eastside -- "in the area from Lincoln Heights to South Gate" -- and found mostly positive feedback about how the district has responded to the pandemic, Beutner said. Of more than 12,000 families, 75% rated the district's response as "excellent" or "good," compared to about 21% who rated it "fair" or "poor." Only 13% of respondents said they were receiving LAUSD assistance "less than once per week."

Technology access remains an issue: The same survey numbers showed access to technology and the internet remains LAUSD's "biggest challenge," Beutner said. Roughly half of respondents still lacked reliable internet and about 25% lack a device. While it's not clear when this survey was conducted, LAUSD announced last week that "just about every" student who needed one had received a district-issued laptop.

The same survey numbers showed access to technology and the internet remains LAUSD's "biggest challenge," Beutner said. Roughly half of respondents still lacked reliable internet and about 25% lack a device. While it's not clear when this survey was conducted, LAUSD announced last week that "just about every" student who needed one had received a district-issued laptop. Connection rates: Beutner noted how online learning management systems have gone from being "minor supplements" to in-classroom instruction to being "the main event" for distance learning. But he said different classrooms rely on different platforms. Every school in the district has to use LAUSD's official Schoology website to post grades. But some classroom teachers rely on popular systems like "ClassDojo, Seesaw, Google Classroom and Nearpod" -- and LAUSD is not yet able to track how often students use these sites to complete their schoolwork: "We are working with the providers of these tools to tie them together. Fixing it will take a bit of work but it's not rocket science."

Beutner noted how online learning management systems have gone from being "minor supplements" to in-classroom instruction to being "the main event" for distance learning. But he said different classrooms rely on different platforms. Every school in the district has to use LAUSD's official Schoology website to post grades. But some classroom teachers rely on popular systems like "ClassDojo, Seesaw, Google Classroom and Nearpod" -- and LAUSD is not yet able to track how often students use these sites to complete their schoolwork: "We are working with the providers of these tools to tie them together. Fixing it will take a bit of work but it's not rocket science." English learners: Beutner shared figures from three LAUSD schools showing how many students have been logging into the district's online learning systems. He said "English Learners are participating at the same level as their peers" in these three schools. Beutner said roughly 4,000 educators have sat for training "to hone their skills in creating lessons for English Learners to use in a virtual setting."

Update on May 18th

Actualizacion del 18 de mayo pic.twitter.com/t8VkZofNyq  Austin Beutner (@AustinLASchools) May 18, 2020

MORE ON THIS STORY:
Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, the National Hydrographer to the government of India, has been honoured with the 2019 Alexander Dalrymple Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian hydrography and across the wider Indian Ocean region, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) said in a statement on Monday.

The award, first presented by the UK Ministry of Defence-sponsored UKHO in 2006, is named after the first Hydrographer of the Admiralty, Alexander Dalrymple.

Recipients of the award are selected by the Executive Committee of the UKHO for their efforts in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world.

Vice Admiral Badhwar is a true champion of the hydrographic profession. He has helped to unlock the economic potential of marine geospatial data and further hydrographic science in both India and the wider Indian Ocean region, said Rear Admiral Peter Sparkes, the UK's National Hydrographer at the UKHO.

The important capacity building contribution of our friends and partners at the Indian Naval Hydrographic Office, who work in concert with the IHO (International Hydrographic Organisation), is helping to usher in a safer, more prosperous and more sustainable world. We look forward to continuing to work with Vice Admiral Badhwar and his team as we help all nations unlock the power of their blue economies, he said.

Having joined the Indian Navy in 1982, Vice Admiral Badhwar has extensive hydrographic surveying experience. This includes work in the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands widely recognised as some of the most challenging environments to survey in the world.

In his capacity as National Hydrographer, Vice Admiral Badhwar has been a pivotal member of the IHO's Capacity Building Sub-Committee since its creation. He also leads the Indian Naval Hydrographic Office's own regional Capacity Building programmes.

In this role, Badhwar coordinates efforts to help Indian Ocean coastal states to develop their hydrographic and cartographic capabilities an important step to unlocking each of these states' blue economies.

This recognition would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues in the National Hydrographic Department, who worked tirelessly towards achieving the goals set forth by the United Nations and IHO. Last but not the least, I am also grateful to all my fellow hydrographers worldwide for acknowledging our work, said Badhwar, in reference to his UK award.

His contribution to the sustainable development of Indian Ocean coastal economies was also recognised last year, when he received the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service of an exceptional order during peacetime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A bride-to-be has been blasted online after she sent a list of demands to a wedding guest insisting she should change her appearance for her wedding day.

The anonymous bridezilla, who is believed to be from the UK, text the unsuspecting guest with a series of demands - which included covering up her tattoos and changing her hair colour to avoid clashing with the theme of the big day.

And it wasn't long before the text exchange went viral on Facebook, with many agreeing the requests were too extreme.

In the initial post, the bride began: 'Hey so with my wedding, I wanted to ask if you could please make sure your tattoos are covered and could you maybe fix your hair up so it's a natural colour?'

An anonymous bride-to-be, believed to be from the UK, demanded that a wedding guest change her appearance for her big day (file image)

The bridezilla asked her guest to use a temporary hair dye spray and to cover her tattoos to avoid clashing with the theme

She continued: 'We've put a lot of work into our theme and I'm sorry but your look clashes with it. Even if you just put some spray or something on your hair for the night.

'I just want it too all look perfect and I can send you some ideas, nice long sleeve dresses for you to wear or just wear a jacket. If you want I can give you ***** number because I asked her the same thing and you two could go shopping together'

The guest went on to agree that she would try to make some adjustments to her hair, but refused to cover up for the summer ceremony because she is sensitive to heat.

However, the unimpressed bride-to-be wasn't having any of it and replied she should cover up her tattoos with makeup, or risk not being allowed into the venue.

The guest agreed to try and change her hair colour for the big day, but claimed she couldn't afford to cover her tattoos

The guest explained that tattoo makeup is too expensive for her at the moment, because she has been experiencing some financial struggles following a car accident.

The bride-to-be responded: 'Yeah I know you had an accident, but your money issues aren't my problem. If you want to be there you will figure it out. It doesn't matter that you're not in the wedding party, you'll still be in the photos and you will ruin them.

'You're very pretty normally but your look doesn't work for my wedding and it is very fair to ask you to do something simple, so that my day is perfect,' declared the bride.

The text exchange has since garnered over 2.3k likes and thousands of comments from furious forum users who have slammed the demanding bride.

'If she wanted you there she'd accept you as you are regardless of what colour your hair is and adorning your body art. Tell her sorry but it's her loss as you won't be attending,' wrote one person, while a second penned:

'I just feel sorry for the future husband... if she demands these from her friends imagine the groom.'

A third added: 'Umm, just no. If this friend is really that shallow, they would no longer be my friend. Period.'
The Norwegian government has ratified a new international agreement to counter unregulated fishing in the central Arctic Ocean and to contribute to the global effort to curb unregulated fishing in accordance with the Law of the Sea Convention and the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, the Norwegian government's press service reports.

"The agreement is an important part in the global regulatory framework for the management of living marine resources. Thus, we are avoiding the problems the world has experienced in other ocean areas where unregulated fishing activities have developed in the past," said Minister of Fisheries Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen.

In particular, the agreement commits the five Arctic coastal states  Norway, Russia, the United States, Canada, and Denmark/Greenland/the Faroe Islands  as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Iceland and the EU, to abstain from any unregulated fishing in the international part of the central Arctic Ocean. The agreement follows on from the declaration against unregulated high seas fishing in the central Arctic Ocean signed by the coastal states in Oslo, Norway, in 2015.

"The new agreement underlines the special responsibilities and interests of Norway and the other coastal states, contributes to implementing the Law of the Sea in the Arctic and clarifies rights and duties for coastal states and distant water fishing nations and entities in this area," commented Norway's Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide.

The agreement also calls on states to conduct or to take part in collaborative international research to monitor fish stocks and the effects of climate change on the ecosystems of the Arctic high seas.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 18) Several government and health officials have continuously warned against a possible second wave of COVID-19 due to relaxed quarantine rules, but some experts said they are not even sure if the country has gone past the first wave of infections.

Dr. Ted Herbosa, medical adviser to the national task force on COVID-19, said experts and scientists have varying opinions on whether the Philippines is done or is still in the middle of a first wave of the pandemic.

We dont know (if PH is still going through first wave)..." Herbosa said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source. "There are some scientists who are saying we just pushed the first peak farther, that means we bought time. And as soon as we opened up, the peak will go up.

So some even say this is still the first wave just delayed by about 50 days of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)," he added. "The other thing is that weve already flattened it and the peak will happen from external sources, other sources."

Among the parameters experts review to check the countrys progress in the COVID-19 battle is the reproductive number of the viral disease. Herbosa said the goal is for the statistic to decrease to a value below one.

He noted that the country was able to lower the rate to about 0.6 during the height of the ECQ implementation, but latest data shows the number is hovering around the higher value.

The latest statistics is that were still somewhere there at 1, 1.1, 1.2. so we still have a risk of an outbreak if we are not following all the public health measures, Herbosa warned.

Metro Manila and other COVID-19 high risk areas have been placed under a modified ECQ which sees less strict lockdown policies in a bid to gradually reopen the economy.

However, photos of citizens swarming the malls during its first day of implementation raised alarm for authorities, who have cautioned against a resurgence of infections if Filipinos do not follow proper distancing protocols.

RELATED: Govt threatens to close down malls that fail to enforce physical distancing rules

Citizens behavior a part of countrys COVID-19 fight

Regardless of whether the country is battling the first or second wave of the disease, Herbosa said it is still important for citizens to be wary when they head outside.

He said that aside from the regulations the countrys COVID-19 task force will put in place, the public's behavior will be one of the deciding factors in the countrys new normal.

The second wave is brought about by what happened in the Spanish influenza people went out, had a parade, something like what happened in the malls," Herbosa said. "If people continue to do this type of behavior, we will end up with a second wave, and what we need to do is behave in the new normal.

So, we need to prevent that second wave and if it does happen, it must be a second wave that is within the capacity of our health system, he added.

Aside from mass gatherings, Herbosa mentioned the return of overseas Filipino workers may be another factor in determining a new wave of infections.

The government earlier assured that all returning kababayans will undergo strict quarantine procedures upon arrival.

Several officials and netizens have raised the need for ramped up COVID-19 testing across the country. This is the best way to quickly isolate those infected and contain the spread of the deadly virus.

To date, the Philippines has over 12,000 cases of COVID-19.
The coronavirus pandemic will likely spell the end of one of travels greatest pleasures  the self-service buffet at hotels and airline lounges.



The days of piling plates high with heaping portions of breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, and hash browns are over.



Buffets are delightful playgrounds of excess for travelers. Theyre also germ-ridden venues where disease can spread easily through common serving utensils, public health experts have warned. A contaminated carafe of half-and-half or soup ladle can be vectors for disease.



In a pre-vaccine world, touching something, anything, is considered to be not safe, said Jan Freitag, senior vice president at STR, a Hendersonville, Tenn.-based hotel data firm. The perception is touching is not clean.



Hospitality and travel industry leaders are rapidly devising safer ways to serve amenities like breakfast.



Freitag said hotels could offer more grab-and-go breakfasts that guests can enjoy from their rooms, outside on the hotel terrace, or in a restaurant where tables meet social distancing requirements.



Or guests can choose from a touchless buffet. Food is still laid out before diners, but items will be served deli counter style, upon request by staff.

Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly fare and news email alerts.



What used to be a sneeze guard is now a full blown plexiglass wall, he said. You tell the person what you want, and they slide it to you under the plexiglass.



Hotels that cant shoulder the extra cost of providing breakfast with these safety precautions may get rid of meals altogether, Freitag said.



Or they may adopt a hybrid model, where a cold grab-and-go breakfast is offered for free, but a heartier hot meal will come with a charge.



Airlines will also need to rethink their lounge offerings. In the Bay Area, only one airport lounge is currently open: the United Club at San Francisco International Airport.



The pandemic will likely undo hundreds of millions of dollars airlines have spent into creating lavish lounge experiences in recent years.



American Airlines gave us a preview of a no-frills experience in March. The carrier removed soup stations, and dropped cheese and crudite platters at its Admirals Clubs. Plates of cookies also disappeared.



Instead, passengers received individually portioned snacks, like satchels of dry oatmeal, packaged cheese squares, and plastic wrapped pieces of fruit. At the SFO Admirals Club, meals had to be taken to-go, and the bar was closed to fall in line with public health orders.
"With our Tradier partnership, now were taking the experience to the next level by allowing our users to easily execute those great trades with virtually no friction" said Franklin Gold President of Orion Trading Systems.

Fast growing active trading platform Orion Trading Systems, today announced that it has partnered with Tradier Brokerage to offer seamless commission-free equity and options trading from its popular product, Orion Multi-Trader. Please see details below. This creates a compelling offering for retail active investors, where they can leverage user friendly charting and analysis from Orion and be able to execute fully integrated trading in a "Netflix" like "all you can eat" pricing model.

With Orion, any trader or investor can build their investment strategy and stay on top of the market with a very rich set of tools and features including out-of-the-box automation. The platform is powered by advanced and proven institutional grade technology coupled with a very intuitive and customizable user experience that creates an edge for investors. "Orion helps investors stay engaged in the market with the right combination of features and data. With our Tradier partnership, now were taking the experience to the next level by allowing our users to easily execute those great trades with virtually no friction" said Franklin Gold President of Orion Trading Systems.

"We at Tradier want to enable innovative companies like Orion to offer pioneering and end-to-end trading experiences through our scalable and secure API. Companies like Orion offer an awesome platform on a robust next generation technology that is a great alternative to the siloed vertical platforms by legacy brokers" said Kevin "Lex" Luthringshausen, SVP of Business Development for Tradier.

About Orion Trading Systems

Orion Trading Systems (a dba of SU2 Systems, Inc.) is a financial technology company serving individual and institutional traders through leading brokers. Its flagship product, Orion Multi-Trader (OMT), is an open architecture, multi-asset trading platform. Designed to support equities, options, futures, forex and digital assets, OMT can be connected to any brokerage, market data, or analytics API to create a custom offering that meets a brokers specific needs.

About Tradier Brokerage Inc.

Tradier Brokerage, Inc.  a member FINRA and SIPC is an independent subsidiary of Tradier, Inc. The Brokerage API enables entrepreneurs, businesses, developers and active traders to solve their trading and brokerage challenges using independent content and tool providers of their choice  at simple and competitive prices.

About Tradier, Inc.

Tradier, Inc. is a cloud-based financial services provider and brokerage API company that offers a groundbreaking platform to serve Platform Providers, Advisors, Developers and Individual Investors. Tradier delivers an innovative set of fully hosted API's, modules and "out of the box" tools that are leveraged by a growing list of providers seeking to create innovative trading and investing experiences.

Created by developers, Tradier is a technology linchpin that works with organizations that want to democratize access to data, trade execution, low cost trading and market connectivity through cloud access. In addition, Tradier's APIs empowers third-party developers to build applications such as algorithmic and robotic trading systems.

The Tradier solution features REST-based and Streaming APIs, and turnkey tools that deliver speed, choice and simplicity  all on a secure platform.

Contacts:

Media Relations:

press@tradier.com
Believe it or not, a cap and gown wont protect you from the coronavirus.

I was thinking about that as I drove past a park not far from where I live and saw the 2020 Tri-City High School class scrunched up in a gazebo posing for pictures in a city park. No one was wearing masks and they most certainly werent observing the 6-foot social distancing requirements.

And, yes, I get it. Its not fair that this years graduates arent experiencing the usual pomp and circumstance to mark this milestone in their lives. But this pandemic we are experiencing isnt fair. It preys on the most vulnerable in our society.

Its easy to be dismissive of this crisis as being a Chicago problem and not a concern for folks elsewhere. But just down the road from where these kids were posing, 20 people died in one nursing home of this horrible disease.

I began wearing a mask before Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an edict requiring them. I dont wear it to comply with the government; I wear it as an act of kindness toward others.

Are they 100% effective? No, but they are a deterrent. Wearing a mask during an epidemic is much like at other times covering your nose before you sneeze. Its not only good hygiene, but its a courtesy to those around you.

Sadly, Ive seen the mask rule ignored.

I dropped by an auto parts store in Springfield for some power steering fluid. The place was packed with about 20 customers. Only myself and one other were wearing a mask. Even the employees working the cash register left them dangling around their necks. The story was much the same at a farm supply store, where I went to pick up some pet food.

When I dropped by a nursery, I couldnt help but roll my eyes. None of the cashiers and fewer than one-fifth of the customers wore masks. And the place was packed.

They are not only showing contempt for Pritzkers order, but also for the welfare of others.

Part of the problem has been Pritzkers approach.

He has unveiled a five-phase plan for bringing Illinois back to normal. While well-intentioned, it is unwieldy and ultimately as ineffective as a Soviet five-year plan.

This heavy-handed, big government solution wont work for the simple reason that a law only is effective if it is obeyed. Right now, many people are ignoring the executive orders because they view it as government overreach. Non-compliance, for them, is an act of civil disobedience.

Governor, you want folks working with you  not against you. To achieve this, you need to stop ordering and start listening.

For example, under the governors plan, most in-person worship services are banned indefinitely.

The governors plan says groups of 50 or more wont be allowed to meet until there is either a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19.

There is no guarantee of a vaccine. More than 30 years ago, when I was a medical reporter, I wrote about massive government funding and Herculean scientific efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine. That vaccine doesnt exist yet.

And a COVID-19 vaccine doesnt exist either. Like the AIDS vaccine, it may not come to fruition.

For the governor to pin reopening churches, mosques and synagogues to future medical advances isnt a plan, its a hope. A more effective idea might be to work with religious leaders on ways to minimize the risk of infection.

Things like wearing masks during church services, creating social distancing barriers between families and eliminating a handshakes and hugs would go a long way toward alleviating possible routes of infection.

The governor ought to be working with religious leaders to develop solutions that will allow them to meet, rather than issuing orders that will ultimately result in churches defying the governor and meeting anyway.

Remember, a law is only effective if it is obeyed.

The nature of democracy is compromise and consensus. Our lawmakers represent the different needs and concerns of various areas of the state. And yet, the governor has acted unilaterally for months without any formal input from legislators.

And that does not serve the state well.

In the working-class community where I live, many people are experiencing unemployment for the first time. Once-proud barbers, waitresses, bartenders, cashiers and others have been reduced to scrounging at a food pantry to just feed their families.

People want to return to work in a safe way. Their employers are willing to develop safety plans. But instead of collaboration, we receive one-size-fits-all edicts from Pritzker.

Thats not how our system of government is supposed to work.

Its time for lawmakers to provide input. And its time for the governor to stop telling and begin listening.

After all, a law is only effective if it is obeyed.

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter. He can be reached at ScottReeder1965@gmail.com.
The arrival of British settlers 200 years ago continues to cast a shadow over South Africa

It is not hard to see the roots of 20th century apartheid policies in the legacy of the British settlers.

Two hundred years ago 5,000 people from Britain were settled in the south eastern part of South Africa in an area around present-day Makhanda and Port Alfred, then called the Zuurveld, by the British colonial authorities. To some South Africans (and particularly to many of their descendants) they are heroised as having brought development and civilization to the area.

But should South Africa celebrate or mourn their arrival and legacy?

The settlers were allotted land which African people had occupied for millenia. The western Cape of South Africa had long experienced the dispossession of indigenous land under the regime of merchant capitalism of the Dutch East India Company from the mid 1600s. But British colonialism ushered in powerful and devastating new dynamics.

From roughly the 1770s, wandering Dutch-speaking farmers tried to settle east of the Cape Colony. But for 40 years, their new and strong neighbours, the amaXhosa, resisted their efforts. They fought each other in 100 years of wars, which left the Xhosa weakened .

Once the British took over in 1806, via diplomatic agreements in Europe, everything changed. In the first great removal in South African history, the Xhosa were dispossessed. It began with the expulsion of 1811/1812. What followed was an additional 70 years of war.

The Zuurveld was the crucible of South African history in the sense of being the area where the countrys diverse peoples first encountered each other. It was also the crucible of settler capitalism.

So what should we do with this 200th anniversary? It offers an invitation to sober reflection on where South Africa has travelled as a nation over two centuries and how the savage inequalities established in the past, continue in its present.

Scorched earth policy

This first round of expulsion was particularly cruel. Crops were destroyed, cattle confiscated, homes burnt. This led to 20,000 people under Chief Ndlambes leadership being forced across the Fish River and later the Keiskamma and ultimately the Kei.

This scorched earth policy has been described by the victors as a superbly executed campaign.

British colonialism drove this process of dispossession, employing unprecedented levels of force which soon led to yet another war. As tensions escalated, the British simply went over the borders and seized Xhosa cattle. At the beginning of 1818, the largest to date of such raids saw 2,000 head of cattle taken. By November that year, the number of cattle taken by force from the amaXhosa in yet another raid was 23,000.

The ensuing fifth frontier war in 1819 left the British once again as military victors. The colonial forces nominally controlled the old Zuurveld, as well as new stretches of land beyond the Fish River boundary.

By then, experience had shown that the amaXhosa would not simply stay away from their former homes by diplomatic agreement. The conquered land could only be maintained in British hands by filling it up with its own people.

In other parts of the empire indirect rule, using indigenous leadership, often worked. But this had proven impossible in the borderline areas of the Eastern Cape. The settlement of the 5,000 British in 1820 was a direct outcome of the latest war. It was to be the largest settler scheme undertaken in the whole of the colonial era.

After 1820 a small elite group of British settlers built on this process to create a new and savage social order: settler capitalism.

Settler capitalism

Capitalism involves the process whereby both the means of production and labour become commodities. While in this case the initial dispossession was driven by colonialism, the process of commoditisation was driven by an elite that developed their own brand of settler capitalism.

Deeply embedded in British colonialism, these settler elites soon articulated and perpetuated a virulent racism. It followed hot on the tail of the most massive attack the amaXhosa had ever waged against the Colony. On Christmas Eve 1834, 12,000 to 15,000 armed invaders crossed the full length of the Fish River boundary in one huge wave. They burnt settler farmhouses, killed the occupants and confiscated livestock.

It was an all-out attempt to get rid of the unwelcome neighbours. Most of the direct engagements in the Zuurveld forced the British settlers to abandon virtually the whole country east of Algoa Bay, saving only the towns of Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort. The Xhosa now carried guns as well as their assegais and shields.

But in 1835 the colonial forces soon went on the offensive and cleared the Xhosa not only out of the Zuurveld area once again, but also from strictly Xhosa-occupied lands further east. They suffered severely when the British applied the same strategy as in 1811  a scorched earth policy which destroyed their economic base.

As a result, many were reduced to eating herbs and roots and forced to seek employment in the Colony from the very people who had destroyed them. Once again, the large-scale importation of British troops secured a military victory for them after nine months of fighting.

A militarised racism

The deep-seated racism of settler capitalism was linked to war. The war of 1834-35 was the first in which the settlers participated, and it created a particularly vitriolic racism. In the words of one of the settler elite, Mitford Bowker, the Xhosa were ruthless, worthless savages.

The landscape around Grahamstown was the scene of many violent encounters in the wars of dispossession and the settler elite were directly involved as soldiers, as a source of supplies to the British forces and as members of the colonial administration. They had the most to gain, in the form of new lands available for their own use. Some of these same people made small fortunes as war profiteers and war mongers. Overall, as Timothy Keegan wrote, the British settler elite, were marked as exhibiting acquisitive, warmongering propensities.

This settler elite promoted their personal economic interests. They did so initially through the occupation and commoditisation of Xhosa land and through establishing and extending lucrative trading networks. Land speculation was extensive and involved buying up conquered lands and establishing sheep and cattle farms. Cattle sales and wool exports became the basis of many settler fortunes. Between 1837 and 1845 property prices in the Eastern Cape quadrupled.

Settler capitalism also involved the incorporation and exploitation of the amaXhosa as wage labourers.

The war of 1835 resulted in the importation of 16,000 amaMfengu as cheap labour for the colonists, while the war of 1846 concluded with major labour recruitment among the defeated amaXhosa. Settler capitalism also involved the establishment of the financial institutions and infrastructure to promote speculation and trade.

The new social order that emerged was defined by racism, primitive accumulation and free labour. It involved a continual displacement and transformation of social relations. What historian Clifton Crais calls racial capitalism,

tore up communally based societies and began to replace them with a single colonial order.

It is not hard to see the roots of the 20th century apartheid policies in the legacy of the settlers. From 1811, they advocated total domination and geographical separation along race and colour lines. Over the entire 19th century, the principles of dispossession, accumulation and domination grew and affected more and more land and people.

Jacklyn Cock, Professor Emerita in Sociology and Honorary Research Professor in SWOP, University of the Witwatersrand and Julia Wells, Associate Professor Emeritus and Head, Isikhumbuzo Applied History Unit, Rhodes University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that the state would need around Rs 300 crore to provide proper quarantine facilities under Covid-19 protocol if nearly one lakh of its residents return from other states.

The state government is preparing a detailed plan of how much money we can afford to spend on each person in quarantine while ensuring they get good care. Our estimate says, we will have to spend Rs 300 cr if one lakh people are placed in quarantine, the minister said while addressing a press conference.

The Assam government had provided financial assistance of Rs 2,000 each to nearly 4 lakh workers from the state staying outside. As per that figure, it is estimated that nearly 1 lakh of them could return in the next few weeks.

Sarma said that the Rs 300 cr figure is only for providing care to the quarantined persons including their stay, food, transportation etc. It would cost additional money to treat those found positive. It would cost nearly Rs 30,000 to keep one person in quarantine for 14 days, he added.

Most of the recent cases that have been detected are of people who were already in quarantine facilities after returning to the state from other parts of the country. It is a good sign as there is no chance of community spread from them, said Sarma

But if our quarantine system fails, it will pose a big risk. Therefore all our efforts are effective management of facility as well as home quarantine. We are looking at providing good care to in quarantine with one toilet meant exclusively for one person, he added.

Sarma appealed to those stranded outside and wishing to come back to either delay their return or come back in a staggered manner to that it doesnt put severe stress on their management once they arrive in Assam.

If people come in hordes, we wont be able to give them proper care and they might have to spend time in quarantine in conditions similar to makeshift relief camps set up during floods. That could mean risk of infection and rise in cases, he said.

Sarma said that the government has coined a new slogan - Ruthless Quarantine With Big Heart - which would require strict compliance of mandatory 14 days quarantine for all returnees while giving them good care and facilities.

Till Monday 48,000 people had returned back to Assam from states in the northeast, other parts of the country and abroad.

With the detection of six new cases on Monday, Assams Covid-19 tally rose to 107. While three patients have died, 42 have recovered, 58 are under treatment and two cases have migrated to other states.
The coronavirus pandemic will likely spell the end of one of travels greatest pleasures  the self-service buffet at hotels and airline lounges.



The days of piling plates high with heaping portions of breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, and hash browns are over.



Buffets are delightful playgrounds of excess for travelers. Theyre also germ-ridden venues where disease can spread easily through common serving utensils, public health experts have warned. A contaminated carafe of half-and-half or soup ladle can be vectors for disease.



In a pre-vaccine world, touching something, anything, is considered to be not safe, said Jan Freitag, senior vice president at STR, a Hendersonville, Tenn.-based hotel data firm. The perception is touching is not clean.



Hospitality and travel industry leaders are rapidly devising safer ways to serve amenities like breakfast.



Freitag said hotels could offer more grab-and-go breakfasts that guests can enjoy from their rooms, outside on the hotel terrace, or in a restaurant where tables meet social distancing requirements.



Or guests can choose from a touchless buffet. Food is still laid out before diners, but items will be served deli counter style, upon request by staff.

What used to be a sneeze guard is now a full blown plexiglass wall, he said. You tell the person what you want, and they slide it to you under the plexiglass.



Hotels that cant shoulder the extra cost of providing breakfast with these safety precautions may get rid of meals altogether, Freitag said.



Or they may adopt a hybrid model, where a cold grab-and-go breakfast is offered for free, but a heartier hot meal will come with a charge.



Airlines will also need to rethink their lounge offerings. The pandemic will likely undo hundreds of millions of dollars airlines have spent into creating lavish lounge experiences in recent years.



American Airlines gave us a preview of a no-frills experience in March. The carrier removed soup stations, and dropped cheese and crudite platters at its Admirals Clubs. Plates of cookies also disappeared.



Instead, passengers received individually portioned snacks, like satchels of dry oatmeal, packaged cheese squares, and plastic wrapped pieces of fruit. At the SFO Admirals Club, meals had to be taken to-go, and the bar was closed to fall in line with public health orders.

American did keep the avocado toast bar in operation, a traveler favorite that  so far  has escaped the heartbreaking effects of the pandemic.
Up to five Iranian-flagged vessels are carrying gasoline to Venezuela despite US sanctions and pressure on both countries.

Iran and Venezuela have had strong relations for years, in part due to both of their hostile relations with the United States. Both countries help each other maintain trade in the face of US sanctions.

Venezuela was once Latin Americas largest oil producer, but years of political and economic chaos have left the industry in ruins. The instability in Venezuela, where the United States supports an opposition government trying to take power, has led to a need for gasoline at present.

The five Iranian ships are the Clavel, the Forest, the Faxon, the Fortune and the Petunia. All fly Irans flag and were loaded at a gasoline refinery near Bandar Abbas, Iran, according to The Associated Press.

At least some of the ships made ambiguous reports about their destination. The Clavel first listed its destination as Caracas  the capital of Venezuela  on May 12. However, the vessel later listed its destination as to order. The Forest made its destination "South America to order" May 14.

All the ships are heading west toward the Americas, according to data from marinetraffic.com. Their locations on Monday were as follows:

The Clavel is currently in the western Mediterranean Sea.

The Forest is past the Strait of Gibraltar and in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Faxon is off the coast of west Africa in the Atlantic ocean.

The Fortune is west of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Petunia is near Gibraltar.

Iran-Venezuela ties have come under pressure from the United States recently. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month called for the flights to Venezuela of the Iranian airline Mahan Air to be halted, saying they were being used to support the government of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The United States has indicted Maduro on drug charges.

Iran has warned the United States not to interfere with any of its vessels.

The US itself will have to suffer the repercussions that arise out of any unthinking measure against the Iranian vessels, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said today, according to the Iranian state news outlet Press TV.

This is not the first time Iranian fuel ships have come under US and international pressure. Last year, the United Kingdom seized a Syria-bound Iranian tanker near Gibraltar due to European Union sanctions on fuel shipments to Syria. The tanker, then named the Grace 1, was later released  despite US objections.
By PTI

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Monday ordered evacuation of nearly two million people as cyclone storm Amphan approached towards its southern coasts, with officials fearing it to be a "very serious one."

"The district administration in 19 most vulnerable southwestern coastal districts have been asked to take all preparedness to save lives," Disaster Management Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal said.

Kamal said the local authorities were directed to move out at least 18 to 20 lakh people to safety as 13,078 cyclone shelters were readied while Amphan appeared to be proceeding towards the coastlines.

ALSO READ | All precautionary measures in place, Bengal govt has initiated evacuation: Mamata on cyclone Amphan

Meteorologists said Amphan was proceeding with a strength equivalent to a "Category 4 Atlantic hurricane or super typhoon" in the West Pacific.

Bangladesh's met office on Monday afternoon issued a "danger signal number 7" in a scale of 10 for regions under the purview of two of its southwestern seaports, Mongla and Payra.

Two other seaports of Chottogram and Cox's Bazar in the southeastern coasts were also advised to hoist danger signal number six.

Meteorologists said the powerful cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was heading directly for Bangladesh's coastlines bordering India, bringing with it the potential for major destruction and upheaval in both the countries.

Disaster management ministry officials said preparedness were ordered to launch a massive evacuation on Tuesday as the cyclone was likely to hit the coastlines by May 20 afternoon.

According to weather experts, even if the storm weakened ahead of its landfall, it could cause significant damage as there was also the potential for major storm surges, perhaps even as high as 30 feet.

Reports from the coastal districts said volunteers and officials came out with megaphones asking people to get ready to move to safety and cyclone shelters maintaining physical distancing for coronavirus.

"The weather, however, remained hot in most of the southwestern region, which appeared to be a prelude to a major cyclone," said a journalist, who was in the southwestern coastal Khulna city.
The Karnataka High Court has



rejected petitions filed by Wipro Limited founder Azim Premji, his wife and three others seeking quashing of the summons issued by a city court on January 27 in a criminal case.

The case pertains to the alleged illegality in the transfer of assets worth Rs 45,000 crore from three companies into a private trust and a newly formed company.

Wipro said since the matter is sub-judice, it will not comment and the promoter group will take appropriate legal action.

Justice John Michael Cunha dismissed the pleas on May 15 filed by Premji, Yasmin Premji, Pagalthivarthi Srinivasan, then regional director in the ministry of corporate affairs M R Bhat and chartered accountant G Venkateshwara Rao seeking quashing of the summons issued by the 23rd Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge.

The summons were issued on the basis of a complaint filed by India Awake for Transparency, a Chennai based company.

Hearing the case, Justice John Michael Cunha said he did not find any justifiable ground to interfere in the impugned order and dismissed the petitions.

The complainant India Awake for Transparency (IAT) had alleged that Azim Premji, Yaseem Azim Premji and Pagalthivarthi Srinivasan were entrusted with the dominion over the properties and assets of three companies Vidya Investment and Trading Company Private Limited, Regal Investment and Trading Company Private Limited and Napean Investment and Trading Company Private Limited as directors.

They were allegedly holding the assets of these companies of the total worth of Rs 31,343 crore in fiduciary capacity without having any financial interest or ownership therein.

These companies were founded on the premises that the aforesaid three companies were owned by each other in such a manner that two and three companies held 50 per cent of the share of the first company.

These three companies -- Vidya, Regal and Napean -- had total assets of Rs 51,549.47 crore.

As directors during 2010-2012, the first three accused took away Rs 13,602 crore of assets of the above three companies by way of gifts and transfer the same to a private trust controlled by accused number 1 and 2, the IAT alleged.

In respect of the remaining assets of Rs 31,342 crore, the IAT alleged the accused conspired among themselves and merged the three companies into fourth accused company namely Hasham Investment and Trading Company Pvt Ltd without any payment.

Through this they got control over the entire assets worth Rs 31,342 crore belonging to the transferor companies of which they were the directors, the IAT alleged.

In a statement,Wipro Limited said: "The matter pertains to a complaint filed by a private party against promoters of Wipro Limited with respect to transactions of the promoter group which are in the public domain.

Wipro is not a party to these matters.Considering the matter is sub-judice, we have no comments to offer.

Promoter group will take appropriate legal recourse," it said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The recent economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on businesses across the United States mean that commercial real estate brokerage services will be in greater demand than at any time in recent memory. To help commercial brokers take advantage of the new market for commercial real estate, Commercialrealestatetraining.com is offering How to Take your CRE Business to the Next Level, an online training program that shows commercial brokers how to make the most of market opportunities in a changing market.

Commercial brokers need to revisit current business tactics. With the economic downturn, property owners will be looking for the expertise of brokers to retain survivor tenants, backfill vacancies from business failures, and establish market-specific property values. Business tenants will need brokers to dispose of unneeded space on the sublease market, and to renegotiate leases to ensure viability. Owner-occupied business locations may see a need to recapitalize through a sale-leaseback transaction. Lender REO departments will need brokers to dispose of foreclosed assets.

Most of the problem-solving techniques learned in the last five downturns will need to be re-booted. The challenge is three-fold.



For the past ten years its been mainly routine transactions for both sales and leasingand thats about to change.

The previous low unemployment levels made it difficult to hire fresh talent.

The existing cadre of commercial brokers has been aging out; some will leave, either by economic necessity or retirement.

Brokerage owners and managers have long acknowledged the need to recruit, hire and on-board fresh talent. Most industries have relevant college majors and degrees to provide trainingbut this is not so for creating successful commercial real estate brokers. True, most have higher-level educations, but not for sales and leasing of commercial properties. How to Take your CRE Business to the Next Level fills the gap with practical information that can be immediately applied to build business.

No doubt many talented B2B sales people have imagined the idea of entering the field. What typically holds them back is the lack of a clear path to learning the fundamentals of commercial real estate so that they could apply their sales talents and skills and start earning quickly. The Commercialrealestatetraining.com program gives then the fundamentals to succeed.

Commercial brokerage owners and managers biggest fear is that they train agents who then leave. Their biggest mistake is that they dont train them, and they stay, said Bob McComb, owner of http://www.commercialrealestatetraining.com and a 35-year CRE veteran. Things have changed dramatically, and brokerage firms will need to reboot recruiting and hiring of new agents to meet future demand. The good news is that the high unemployment levels will make that easier, but the new hires will still have to learn before they can earn, so they dont get burned. Thats why we created our online commercial real estate training programs.

For more information about How to Take your CRE Business to the Next Level and other commercial real estate training programs, visit http://www.Commercialrealestatetraining.com.

About commercialrealestatetraining.com

Commercialrealestatetraining.com offers companies and individuals a managed learning platform to provide structured education and best-practices programs specifically designed to help agents and brokers learn and thrive. Program creator Bob McComb has extensive experience as a downtown San Francisco commercial broker, a brokerage owner, plus 20 years as an educator and trainer nationwide. His Top Dogs Commercial Real Estate Training Programs are highly regarded nationally.

Contact:

Bob McComb

415 971 4830

bob@mccomb.com
The Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs has called on the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to as a matter primacy consider businesses owned and run by young people when disbursing the 600 million stimulus package earmarked for businesses.

The chamber said this call necessitated by results emanating from a survey conducted on the impact of COVID  19 pandemic on the operations of its members.

Speaking at the head office of the Chamber, the CEO, Mr. Sherif Ghali indicated that the survey which was conducted from April 13th to April 30th, 2020 revealed that about 45% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) owned and run by young entrepreneurs are likely to fold up which will subsequently result in about 60% of persons employed by young entrepreneurs losing their jobs.

He said, this, therefore, calls for an immediate intervention since young entrepreneurs constitute a greater percentage of the SME population in the country and thus contribute significantly to the growth of the economy. He said the governments 600 million stimulus package, therefore, could not have come at a better time than this.

He called on NBSSI (the Government agency mandated to carry out disbursement of the fund) to earnestly consider young entrepreneurs during the evaluation and disbursement period. on many instances, interventions such as this are only focused on big entrepreneurs or enterprises. Young people are always marginalized for whatsoever reasons. So, we believe the trajectory for this package should be different. Special treat should be given to business owners under 35 years since they are the future giants of our economy. He further stated that most of these young business people are considered high risk and as a result rarely get access to bank loans or investment support. So, this will be the opportunity to help them out especially in these uncertain times. He lamented.

He used the opportunity to thank NBSSI for putting in place measures that seek to make the disbursement process transparent through broad consultations. It is essential to alleviate the fears of many that perceives the fund could be politicized. He added.

The Award-winning young entrepreneur and CEO of the official network of young entrepreneurs also disclosed that the Chamber will soon be launching an initiative that will seek to complement Governments efforts by looking for funds and grants to support youth businesses.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on April 5, announced a soft loan scheme of up to GH600 million for SMEs, which would sustain the country's affected industries and address the disruption in economic activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Government, in collaboration with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Business and Trade Associations and selected commercial and rural banks, will roll out a soft loan scheme up to a total of GH600 million, which will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period for micro, small and medium scale businesses," he stated.

In view of the impact of the disease on Ghana's economy, which is expected to cost in excess of GH9 billion, the government set aside a stimulus package of GH1 billion for industry.
Expressing concern over the exodus of nurses from Kolkata, amid the spurt in COVID-19 cases, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday advised



authorities at the city's private hospitals to look into the option of training local people for basic jobs such as fixing oxygen supply and noting down temperature.

She also advised the medical institutes to call on retired nurses and other healthcare workers and asked them to join service for the time being.

"I have heard that 300-350 nurses have left the state. How will the private hospitals function? It takes two to two-and-half years to train a nurse, and four to four-and-half years to get a doctor. It also takes time to train a technician and prepare a laboratory.

"I have told Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to talk to private hospitals and consider the option of employing locals after providing them soft training for jobs such as fixing the oxygen supply, giving medicines or noting down temperature of a patient. But they will not help with surgeries," she told reporters at the state secretariat.

The private hospitals are working in tandem with the government at this hour of crisis, and steps have to be taken to resolve their problems, she said.

"They (the private hospitals) can also train male and female helpers. I think we can create a mobile app to guide these trained locals (during emergencies). We can further ask retired nurses and technicians to fill in for the ones who have left," the chief minister said.

The retirees may also apply for jobs at state-run hospitals, provided there are vacancies, she said.

Over 350 nurses, mostly from Manipur, Tripura and Odisha, have quit jobs at private hospitals in the city last week and left for their homes amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases.

The sudden exodus of nurses from West Bengal has put the state's healthcare sector in a spot, with the hospitals now limiting the number of admissions and counselling the remaining staff.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Crown: Part Twelve By Michael Moriarty

Onto the screen springs: 1964!! The worst spring of my life! All, experienced in England. The episode, the first of this, so far, final series, is entitled Olding. We North Americans, or few of us, have no real idea of what Olding might be referring to! Not even Wikipedia has a notion. To Wikipedia, Olding is some form of misspelling. Olivia Colman now plays the Queen of England and her first appearance is quite formidably written and perfectly performed. Elizabeth The Mildly Bitter Realist. AH! Olding, a suddenly exposed, Soviet neologism, is Russias KGB code for Prime Minister Harold Wilson. It will eventually appear, I assume, in Wikipedias dictionary. Furthermore, about this episode, great acting, like that of Helen Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, can be quite frightening at times! The previous Margaret, performed by Vanessa Kirby, was splendid in her rage and self-pity, but Ms. Carters Margaret upon her first appearance?! By contrast?! Actually FRIGHTENING! This is a voice and appearance of truly intimidating authority! The great British stage director, by whom I was directed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Sir Tyrone Guthrie himself? He eternally cautioned all actors and actresses, No self-pity! In short, make any other acting choice but self-pity! The great knights and, ultimately, great lords order seems to be Ms. Carters first of the Ten Commandments. Tough-as-nails is an understated description of what Ms. Carters self-image is here and what some acting teachers call the through-line of a role. The role of Margaret, Queen Elizabeths sister, springs alive with, as I say, a terrifying alertness! Now we come to the Queens first official meeting with Prime Minister Harold Wilson. After the formalities, for which the PM was lectured, he ferociously launches into his contemptuous opening statement. The Queen calmly carries on the conversation with questions. Will you, in light of the financial situation, devalue the currency? For Wilson the Labor Party cannot be seen approving of devaluation. Things proceed in an increasingly personal direction. Did you, asks the Queen, ever imagine being Prime Minister? Goodness, no. How could you have done? Mr. Gaitskell was such a young man He was. No one could possibly have foreseen his death. No. So sudden! Yes And unexpected! Yes. Still, we make of our destiny what we can! Indeed. Cut to another Royal dinner party. At the table, the possibility of PM Wilson being a Russian spy is brought up. The Queen is left rather nonplussed. Also at the table, Queen Mary lectures her daughter Margaret about her dark obsessions with her husband, now Lord Snowden; he who is still Tony Armstrong-Jones. The events of Spring, 1964, which I mentioned so painfully at the top of this article?! I returned to London from a life-changing and virtually spiritual renaissance in Florence. speaking and questioning many about their own belief or disbelief in God?! I was lied to and cajoled into being taken to a nightmare called The Priory. It was there that the great baritone, Paul Robson, was given 50 electro-shock treatments from which he never recovered! I, thank God, after blithely signing a permission slip for any medical decisions the staff might make about me? I received 10 electro-shock treatments! Then sent home to Detroit! A basket case. However, a blessing in disguise! After such charges of manic-depressive insanity, a diagnosis which obliged them to electro-shock me till I indeed became radically depressed?! I was branded medically unfit for military service. I escaped being drafted into the Vietnam War and most certainly killed by a Vietcong bullet I would have most certainly thrown myself in the way of. I feel utterly incapable of killing another human being, even for the motive of self-defense. Saved my life. But! The Priorys diagnosis rendered me a basket case for almost ten years! The hell of British good intentions and psycho-babble was transformed by me.eventually after 15 years into the profoundly important realities of sheer survival and ultimately, the spiritual renaissance in which I joyously live now! Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@shaw.ca. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
Restaurant and resort operators in the Lake Geneva region are contemplating more changes in how they serve customers after state coronavirus safeguards are relaxed or removed.

Business owners are concerned about how they will address such issues as social distancing guidelines and possible capacity regulations, if customers return to sit-down dining in restaurants.

Restrictions aimed at preventing spread of the coronavirus are scheduled to expire May 26 and could be removed sooner if opponents win a court ruling in legal challenges on the Safer At Home measures.

Members of the Lake Geneva hospitality industry gathered with officials of the VISIT Lake Geneva tourism agency during the week of May 3-10 to discuss challenges related to resuming customer service during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

VISIT Lake Geneva hosted a series of meetings with different sectors of the tourism industry in an effort to prepare for relaxed virus controls  and the possibility that business owners will become responsible for protecting crowds of tourists and other visitors.

VISIT Lake Geneva president Stephanie Klett said it is difficult to tell whether customers will return, or whether people will remain cautious about visiting restaurants, taverns and other attractions.

Klett noted that parks already crowded with visitors on some recent weekends represent a good sign that visitors are ready to return to other area establishments.

Drive through Williams Bay and Fontana and Lake Geneva on a weekend, and it is packed, she said. It will be interesting to see what really happens.

Most resorts, restaurants and other businesses in the region have been closed or have scaled back operations for about six weeks since the states Safer At Home safety plan was implemented.

Many restaurants have limited their sales to carryout or delivery service, while their dining rooms and bars have sat empty.

Dave Sekeres, general manager for Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, said during a May 6 discussion that he is looking at what other restaurants are doing to determine how the resorts restaurants might be operated when the states restrictions are lifted.

Sekeres said if capacity restrictions limit how many customers can dine at one time, restaurants may offer new takeout or grab-and-go options for customers to gather their food to go more easily.

I think were going to have to adapt our menus to have a little bit more of that speed, he said.

Bill Gage, co-owner of Pier 290 restaurant in Williams Bay, said his restaurants similarly may focus on offering more menu choices that are quicker to prepare.

I think were all going to have to be nimble on what we serve, he said.

Gage said he is considering removing bar stools from Pier 290s bar area and replacing them with high-top tables to allow for more customer seating.

Gage said he also is proposing converting an adjacent boat showroom into a staging area for customers who are waiting to get into the restaurants dining room.

Were all going to get creative and try our best to serve our customers, he said.

Steve Magnuson, managing director for the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in the town of Lyons, said he is concerned about how buffets will be operated. He said he doubts many people will want to gather around a buffet during the coronavirus pandemic.

Magnuson said the Grand Geneva instead may offer pre-packaged food and grab-and-go meals as an alternative to buffets. He said he also is considering how the resort is going to stage customers who are waiting to get into the restaurants.

Its like July Fourth every day in our restaurants, he said. So, that will be challenging, figuring out how we will get everybody in.

Magnuson said he also is considering how to accommodate groups that want to use meeting rooms, if new social distancing and space capacity guidelines are put in place.

Those are the struggles were working through right now, he said.

Deanna Goodwin, marketing director for VISIT Lake Geneva, said when the states Safer At Home restrictions are lifted, people may want to visit family and friends, which often includes dining out.

I think Lake Geneva is well positioned to bounce back, Goodwin said. People are cooped up, and they really are wanting to get out.

The business owners at the May 6 tourism session discussed how they can provide a safe atmosphere for employees and customers.

Gage said employees may be required to wear masks at a customers request.

Sekeres said he currently is working with staff about how they will address customer concerns. He said customers will need to be informed about possible longer wait times, and whether they will be required to wash their hands before entering.

He proposed posting signs near a hostess stand to inform customers about such regulations.

This is a new environment, he said. Were trying to think of those interaction points and questions the customers might have and what should be the response.

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When Canada closed its borders to visitors, growers lobbied for migrant workers to be excluded from the restrictions. The Canadian government agreed and demanded that the newly arrived workers be placed in a 14-day mandatory quarantine.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/5/2020 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

When Canada closed its borders to visitors, growers lobbied for migrant workers to be excluded from the restrictions. The Canadian government agreed and demanded that the newly arrived workers be placed in a 14-day mandatory quarantine.

Forced to share their living quarters with many other workers, the migrants will be hard-pressed to maintain the social distance required to contain the spread of COVID-19. Canadian growers argue that without migrant workers imported from Mexico, Jamaica and many other world countries, Canadians would not have enough food to eat.

But can we adequately protect these essential workers? And will the pandemic enhance other problems migrant workers experience such as xenophobia, social isolation and the resulting mental health issues?

Migrant workers in southwestern Ontario

According to a recent report by the Canadian Agricultural Resources Council, employment of temporary migrant workers increased from 45,600 in 2014 to nearly 60,000 in 2017. That means migrant workers made up one-sixth of all jobs in the Canadian agricultural labour force.

Ontario hires 14,000 temporary migrants to work in the agricultural sector each season. In southwestern Ontario, Leamington and the neighbouring municipality Kingsville have received an annual intake of 5,000 to 6,000 workers, the vast majority of whom are from Mexico.

The growth in the migrant worker population in this area has been triggered by the rapidly growing $1-billion greenhouse industry. With 2,000 acres under glass or plastic, this region represents the largest concentration of greenhouses in North America, according to the municipality of Leamington.

Overcrowded housing and possible contagion

While essential for this booming industry, migrant workers are left unprotected from the spread of COVID-19 and its social and emotional spin-offs. Their housing conditions constitute the greatest threat to these workers.

For the past two years, weve been speaking to migrant farm workers and community members in southwestern Ontario about social integration. Housing conditions were one of the topics we discussed. In 2017, Leamingtons 243 field and greenhouse parcels required on- or off-site accommodation for migrant farm workers.

Many off-site houses have been illegally converted to boarding houses for migrants. Safety of these houses has been a concern for the municipality.

A Jamaican worker interviewed in our study describes his living conditions: "Eight guys living in one house, four guys per bedroom, just one washroom and one stove." Of the housing on the farm, a Guatemalan worker said: "The problem is that we are many people living in a single house. At this moment there are 60. In the rooms with bunk beds."

Migration researchers Diaz Mendiburo and McLaughlin found seven housing-related problems that affect migrants physical and mental health, with over-crowding being prominent among them.

With extraordinary prescience, a public health worker from Windsor, Ont., interviewed in our study commented on the potential for spreading of infectious diseases in migrant houses: "If youre going to put a whole bunch of people living together, sharing a bathroom and sharing a kitchen, infectious, youre just increasing the risk of infection to spread."

She then went on to say those who contract infectious diseases are shunned by their co-workers and the isolation may trigger depression.

Prejudice and social exclusion likely to rise

The mental-health decline among migrant workers is likely to be exacerbated by the fear of contracting or spreading COVID-19.

As we learned from our research, Leamington promotes cultural diversity but ambivalence, tensions and racism persist. Migrant workers have little time in the day and week to meet their own basic needs, including shopping for food, a task that has generated considerable anxieties.

Even before the pandemic, migrants felt excluded. According to one migrant worker: "People look at you differently. You are stereotyped. Everyone always judges you." Says another: "Sometimes you walk into a supermarket and some people feel uncomfortable." This feeling of being hyper-visible and yet invisible was echoed by one health care worker, "somehow with farm workers and migrant farm workers, they just dont exist. And they know that."

There is also a danger that the perception of and attitudes toward migrant workers by the wider community will change for the worse. Cast as workers and not citizens, migrant workers already experience mental-health struggles that are, according to health-care workers, "situational."

Similarly, a study of migrant workers in British Columbia found that a sense of unworthiness, loneliness and social isolation engenders depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety are likely to intensify given the restrictions the pandemic response demands.

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Protecting essential workers

Migrant workers produce, harvest, slaughter and process the food we eat. As countries close their borders to non-citizens, the value of migrant labour to food production becomes clear.

The United Kingdom even called for a "land army"  evoking the Second World War  of domestic workers to replace the 60,000 seasonal workers it relies on yearly. Meanwhile, the United States, which relies on some 250,000 seasonal workers, has halted its visa program. Local agencies there also say that social distancing, health care and risk of coronavirus transmission will be threatened by cramped housing and limited community supports.

Canadians are able to do things such as eating, bathing and isolating without fear of deportation. And just like Canadian citizens, migrant workers need ongoing education in social distancing, illness and mental wellness in these difficult times. They all need open access to the internet and information in their own languages to keep abreast of their familys welfare and to inform themselves in what is an evolving crisis. Their housing arrangements also need to be rethought.

While Canadians are pressed to isolate at home, for migrant workers, housing is not a home.

Tanya Basok is a professor and Glynis George is an associate professor at the University of Windsor.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
TRENTON  The capital city experienced a third murder in fewer than 48 hours, as two men were shot to death hours apart Monday morning  this coming after Saturdays triple shooting that left a man dead and wounded two others, including a former reputed Bloods gangster.

The murders were part of a violent stretch of five shootings since Saturday as the city remains under a relaxed 9 p.m. curfew due to ongoing gunplay and the coronavirus pandemic.

It is disheartening to see the loss of life because of petty grievances and domestic violence, Mayor Reed Gusciora said in a statement.

Mondays first slaying happened around 12:30 a.m. on the first block of Oakland Street.

Authorities said 18-year-old Tayvion Jones was found shot in the chest inside his kitchen. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police identified the suspect and took him into custody, said Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman from the Mercer County Prosecutors Office. His name was being withheld because charges havent been filed.

Trenton Police Lt. Jason Kmiec said there was no indication that Jones killing on Oakland Street was related to Saturdays murder, but detectives were just beginning to dig into that case when they were called out for the third slaying in the last 33 hours.

That one happened more than five hours later, in the same part of the city where Saturdays killing of Robert Smith, 38, of Trenton, occurred.

Officials said the killing happened around 9 a.m. on Daymond Street. The victim was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The victims was identified as 44-year-old Antwuan Bowens, of Trenton.

A source told police they saw a black man dressed in dark clothing and a black mask at the end of the block near where the shooting occurred.

The source also told cops they believed the assailants may have made off in a maroon sedan that drove down Power Street, away from the where the victim was mowed down.

Its unclear if the homicides are linked to Saturdays triple shooting that claimed Smith and injured former Bloods leader Earlie Harrell and a 19-year-old Hamilton man.

The suspects in Saturdays slaying sprayed up a Daymond Street home, where between 30 and 40 people were gathered for a cookout despite the citys curfew still being in force.

Polices sources anticipated retaliatory strikes after Harrell  once a big-time member of the Bloods featured in the History Channels Gangland segment on Trentons Sex, Money, Murder set  was shot in the back in the area of Power and Daymond streets around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.

Cops recovered more than a dozen shell casings, and two vehicles were also struck around 11:40 p.m.

No arrests have been announced in Smiths slaying.

Police were investigating any connection to a fight that happened about 21 hours before Saturdays murder.

The altercation involved Bessie Harrell, 31, who was charged with disorderly conduct after she allegedly tried to start a fight with a 26-year-old woman in front of cops, Kmiec said.

Its unclear how Bessie Harrell may be related to Earlie Harrell.

The women were at a cookout earlier when Bessie Harrell grew irate with the victim for allegedly holding up the line, cops said.

Bessie Harrell allegedly hit the woman multiple times but wasnt charged with assault because the cops didnt witness the initial altercation, Kmiec said.

An unknown male allegedly clocked Bessie Harrell in the head before running off.

She later got into it with the same victim in front of cops, Kmiec said.

The woman who was beaten up refused medical treatment and was told she could sign a simple assault complaint against Bessie Harrell.

Trenton Police also responded to two more shootings Sunday.

Around 1 p.m. Sunday, a 15-year-old girl showed up to Capital Health Regional Medical Center with a wound to her right thigh, police said.

Kmiec said police believe the shooting happened in the area of Edgewood and Hermitage avenues but officers did not find a scene out there.

Officers didnt have much to go off of as the woman wasnt cooperating but ended up charging Nazere Crews, 18, of Edgewood Avenue, with assault, weapons offenses and tampering with evidence.

Cops determined Crews was somehow involved in the shooting, but TPD didnt have more information about what led officers to him.

Another man was shot in the arm around 7 p.m., near Daymond and Power streets, police said.

The 34-year-old man walked up to officers in the area and showed them a gunshot on his right forearm. He refused treatment and to cooperate.

Trenton Police issued 61 citations for curfew violations over the weekend and plan to step up patrols in the crime hotspots, police director Sheilah Coley said in a statement.

We are monitoring this pattern of violence on an hourly basis, she said. We have concentrated our efforts in areas that have caused problems for residents and we will meet the expectation to increase patrols when needed.

Cops ask anyone with information about the killings to call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406 or email mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Editors Note: This story was updated to reflect the correct time of Jones murder. The MCPO initially said the killing happened at 3:30 a.m.
Beyond the gleaming office towers overlooking Interstate 95 in Stamford and the pleasure boats that frequent the citys marinas, thousands of city residents are struggling with hunger, a situation worsened by the pandemic.

Severe food needs in Stamford, which has the most COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, reflect the state and national food emergency wrought by record unemployment. Consistent with the national experience, Latino and black residents, who comprise about 40 percent of the citys population, are disproportionately contracting COVID-19 and losing low-wage work. Latinos comprise 26 percent (33,000) of Stamfords population, blacks 14 percent (17,000).

The Brookings Institution has reported that more than one in five households nationally were food insecure by the end of April. The Connecticut Food Bank, which services 270,000 people in its region, projects that the pandemic will result in as many as 187,000 additional state residents becoming food insecure.

A 2018 DataHaven survey titled the Fairfield County Community Wellbeing Index found that food insecurity was experienced in Stamford by 17 percent of blacks, 13 percent of Latinos, and 9 percent of residents overall. The pandemic and resulting loss of jobs have heightened that food insecurity. Social services providers say the crisis illuminates ethnic and racial disparities in health and income that lead to food insecurity.

Many immigrants are undocumented and cant get unemployment compensation, said Catalina Horak, executive director of an immigrant program called Building One Community, which offers educational and social programs. She says immigrants have lost jobs in restaurants, hotels, construction, landscaping, and as housekeepers and nannies without the luxury of working from home. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, immigrants comprise 34 percent of Stamfords population of 129,775.

Building One Community has transformed into a temporary emergency agency with an onsite food pantry. It is also providing gift cards, Horak said. She gets about 100 calls daily from immigrants who are very, very desperate, she said.

Horak wondered if, after the pandemic, the Stamford community will flip the switch and pretend nothing happened. She said, It has become more clear than ever that there are huge disparities in Stamford. Are we going to address them by giving money and food to the most vulnerable for a few months, or are we going to use this opportunity to understand the underlying issues and address them?

I think thats what will define us, Horak said.

We Make It Work

Before the pandemic, more than 57 percent of Stamford public school children received subsidized school meals, said Associate Superintendent Olympia Della Flora. She predicts that number will rise based on increased unemployment and a statewide surge of applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The school system now gives Grab-and-Go meals to any Stamford families that have asked for them. Between March 13 and April 29, about 131,000 meals were distributed in multi-meal packages, she said.

Lynn McKee gets food for her 5-year-old grandson from Grab-and-Go and from Filling in the Blanks, a nonprofit that provides items like applesauce, cereal and pasta. Disabled and unemployed, McKee receives $34 a month in SNAP benefits. She doesnt complain. I dont want to be ungrateful, she said, adding, We make it work.

Filling in the Blanks, which provides weekend meals to low-income children, added two weekday distributions in Stamford because parents really need the extra food, said Tina Kramer, co-director. The organization is facing a potential loss of $500,000 in fundraising due to canceled events, she said.

Shirl Bond has stopped going to food pantries to supplement SNAP because she is afraid of contracting the virus. Theres too many people out there, Bond said. Her 11-year-old daughter gets Filling in the Blanks meals, which Bond said provides extra food in the house when we run out.

We Cant Go Back

The myriad food programs in Stamford are scrambling for food and money due to skyrocketing demand, supply shortages, canceled fundraisers, and fewer volunteers as people stay home. Some organizations have added home delivery, established virtual fundraisers, and closed mobile pantries that are too small to maintain social distancing.

Person-to-Person, which operates food pantries and provides emergency financial help in seven communities, has seen monthly food costs rise from $15,000 to $32,000, said Nancy Coughlin, chief executive officer. She said the agency, which usually fed about 7,000 Stamford residents annually, now serves nearly 1,000 more. A recent virtual fundraiser brought in more than $400,000 with the help of a $200,000 matching grant from two people.

I worry since were not feeling the burden equally, it might be too easy when this is said and done to go back to the way it was, Coughlin said. We really cant go back to the way it was.

Coughlin has shifted from buying mostly from the Connecticut Food Bank to buying fromwholesalers. Grocery stores no longer have surplus food to donate to the Connecticut Food Bank. Now, the food bank cant meet all of her needs, she said.

Kathleen Lombardo, executive director of the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, said shes competing for groceries with other nonprofit agencies buying food. If they didnt take it, the food bank would have it to distribute to them and other agencies, she said. First responders recently collected 7,000 pounds of food for her food bank.

The Connecticut Food Bank is buying from wholesalers now as well, said spokesman Paul Shipman. He said that from early March through the end of April, the food bank purchased 2.8 million pounds of food, compared to 2 million pounds all last year.

Cara Mitchell, food policy manager of United Way of Western Connecticut, explained that worry about running out of food is also a sign of food insecurity, a factor not addressed in the 2018 County Wellbeing Index.

I hope that whatever we are able to rebuild after this virus will bring a more just food system, she said, adding, Its hard to be optimistic right now with everythings thats going on.

I think everybody is concerned about what the next 12 to 18 months will look like and how were going to get through this, Mitchell said.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team ( c-hit.org ), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
Sylvan Beach, N.Y.  Sylvan Beach wont be one of the beaches that will open in New York state on Memorial Day weekend, village officials said today.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that state beaches will open Friday for this coming Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is Monday.

The governor said local beaches also can open if local governmental officials decide to do so.

Sylvan Beach Mayor Greg Horan said the village beach wont be opened because officials cant enforce social distancing rules required for opening.

"Its a difficult decision, but safety has to come first,'' Horan said.

Horan said the decision to not open the beach for Memorial Day weekend was made in conjunction with Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and the Oneida County Health Department.

Sylvan Beach is down to two employees already, and Horan said he cant see how they can make it work.

The rules include limiting attendance to just 50% of the beachs capacity by controlling exits, parking, enforcing social distancing and prohibiting group activities.

"It comes down to enforcement,'' he said Wed have to hire dozens of people to enforce it. Its just not possible. We just dont have the staff.

Sylvan Beach restaurants are still open for takeout, Horan said, and officials hope people will patronize them.

The village plan is to review the decision again in mid-June.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

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Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
Autoworkers at car manufacturing plants across the country return to work Monday after weeks of staying home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The news comes as U.S. carmakers have reported billions of dollars lost in revenue because of the public health crisis. The New York Times reported that automakers produced only 4,840 vehicles in North America in April, 1.4 million fewer than last year.

Some of the companies have turned to producing personal protective equipment amid the outbreak. Ford Motor Company has made hundreds of ambulances, millions of face shields, tens of thousands of ventilators and up to 100,000 respirators, according to a statement from the carmaker.

Ford Motor Companys first-quarter 2020 financial results were significantly reduced by effects of the coronavirus pandemic, as protecting people and helping society respond to the crisis became primary measures of current success alongside balance-sheet management and operational excellence, the statement said.

General Motors has similarly produced hundreds of thousands of face masks, making up to 1.5 million face masks per month at its Warren, Michigan facility. In April, the company was also awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build 30,000 critical care ventilators.

Profits and car production have dipped substantially over the course of the pandemic, though. Ford saw a loss of roughly $2 billion due to the virus, which has idled a phased restart of production in other countries. Fiat Chrysler has seen a loss of around $1.85 billion as well.

New vehicle sales in May are already down 31% from last year, while used vehicle sales have decreased 6% from 2019, according to Cox Automotive, a market researcher. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sold 446,686 vehicles in quarter one, marking its lowest first quarter in five years, and Ford reported similar numbers.

Ford sold 514,526 vehicles in the first quarter, down 11% from the same quarter the year earlier. The Ford brand, down 12%, accounted for the decline, Cox said in a statement.

With the decline in revenue, "communities are craving a sense of normalcy and know that includes a return to the workplace, GM said in a statement.

As thousands of workers return to assembly, engine, transmission and other plants throughout the Midwest and the South, car-making companies have issued a slew of safety precautions aimed at staving off the spread of the virus and keeping employees safe.

At GM, the company will be implementing procedures based on Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization guidelines. The measures - which have already been instituted at facilities in Indiana, Michigan and Texas that have produced PPE - include temperature screenings when entering plants, improving ventilation systems at factories and requiring employees and visitors to wear face masks.

We do not take the decision to resume operations lightly as we understand the health of our people extends to their families, communities, and partners around the world, GM said in a statement.

Ford is expected to implement similar measures as its phased reopening of its North American assembly plants begins Monday as roughly 12,000 employees whose jobs cannot be done remotely, including those who test cars, return to work, according to a statement from the company.

Face masks will be required upon entry, like GM, and safety glasses with face shields must be worn when jobs do not allow for proper social distancing, the statement said.

Daily health self-certifications must also be done before workers start their shifts each day, and no-touch temperature scans are expected to be conducted, according to Ford.

Anyone with a raised temperature will not be permitted to enter and will need to be cleared of symptoms before returning to work, the company said in its statement.

Ahead of its phased reopening, Fiat Chrysler has analyzed nearly 17,000 workstations to prepare for social distancing guidelines and disinfected more than 57 million square feet of manufacturing floor space, according to a statement from FCA.

The company is also installing thermal imaging cameras as an added safety check, taking workers temperatures less than two hours before going to work and requiring employees to take a self-screening questionnaire, the statement said.

FCA has mailed its Return to Work plan to around 47,000 U.S. and Canadian employees, according to the company.

We have taken a belt and suspenders approach to mitigating the spread of this virus by implementing lots of layers of protection, Scott Garberding, FCAs Global Chief Manufacturing Officer, said in the carmakers statement.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 23:59:09|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer Zhang Dailei

LONDON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Universities have a particularly important role in helping build international relationships and should continue to play a key role in supporting partnerships despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Professor Nancy Rothwell, the first female president and vice-chancellor of the largest single-site university in Britain, said the university will continue to build an "even stronger" partnership with China after getting through the pandemic.

TAKING CARE OF OVERSEAS STUDENTS

Enjoying a long history of strong relationship between the city of Manchester and China, the University of Manchester now has the biggest number of Chinese students in all the European universities.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, the university set up an emergency response group in February, long before the lockdown imposed by the British government, and quickly made the decision to move nearly all of the teaching online.

The vice-chancellor said they also effectively closed most parts of the university while maintained a presence on campus, particularly supporting students in the residences, which include a number of Chinese students. And the university kept things going including mental health support, counselling service, catering for students in residences, and put in place regular contacts with students whether in Britain or overseas.

According to the number offered by the Chinese consulate general in Manchester, about 3,000 -- half of the total number of Chinese students -- are staying in Manchester after the virus outbreak.

"We have regular discussions with Chinese Students and Scholars Association, as well as the Chinese consul general and his staff in Manchester. We ask them to alert us if there are students that may be struggling but we weren't aware of," she said, adding that the Chinese students are always doing well in supporting each other through their strong community and the big indigenous Chinese community in Manchester has always been very supportive.

As the British government published its plan to gradually ease the lockdown restrictions, the universities in Britain are also considering steps to ensure both the safety of students and education quality.

"We are starting to open some parts of the campus and research labs as a test area. We are looking at extra cleaning and keeping social distancing. We believe that in the autumn, most of the lectures will still be online, but we are hopeful the smaller group teaching, the tutorials, will be allowed to be face to face, depending on if that will being safe," said Rothwell.

COOPERATION WITH CHINA

Rothwell, also a professor of physiology, co-chair of the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and president of the British Science Association, has visited China many times during the past 20 years, including two visits with former British prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.

She told Xinhua that she was deeply impressed by the "strong and incredibly fast" development in China's higher education and scientific research sectors.

"From being a number of years, I would say, China was well behind the West, but now it is no longer behind at all. In fact, in many areas it is leading on. The research institutes and universities are among the best in the world," she said, adding that she witnessed many partnerships being built between the University of Manchester and universities and businesses in China.

She particularly noted the university's strong relationship with the Chinese city of Wuhan, a sister city of Manchester, especially during the battle against coronavirus.

"We had sent protective equipment out to Wuhan and they sent it back again to help us. We also have been working with doctors in Wuhan. They have been teaming up with doctors in Manchester to share their experience and advice in dealing with patients with COVID-19, which is really helpful," she told Xinhua.

Besides, the institute has COVID-19-related researches with joint efforts from Chinese partners. One example is the on-going work with the Peking University in genetics trying to understand all the things in human genes that make some people more likely to get infected while others more likely to recover quickly, she said.

PREJUDICE "UNHELPFUL"

The vice chancellor noted that the University of Manchester has always played a leading role in enhancing Britain-China ties, therefore she sees the prejudice and some unfriendly voices emerged in the British society against China since the COVID-19 outbreak "unhelpful".

"I think it's unhelpful. I see the university as having a key role in international relations generally in building bridges and in supporting partnerships. Together with the Chinese community in Manchester and the Manchester China Institute, we're not listening to these voices. We are going to build up strong relationships, even stronger, once we are through the worst of it," she said.

She especially mentioned the Manchester China Institute, which was established on campus particularly for promoting mutual understanding and learning between the two cultures. It is now having a study looking around the social impact of the pandemic, to explore how the British and Chinese public have responded to it.

She reaffirmed that the university is looking forward to welcoming more Chinese students on campus and building a stronger partnership with China in the future.

The university is developing Innovation District Manchester, an ambitious world-class innovation park in the heart of Manchester, which has already attracted big interest from Chinese companies.

"As soon as we start to get back to normal, we will not only start building our existing links, but also developing new ones," she said. Enditem
China has announced that it will contribute two billion dollars in the next two years to countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. ...





China has announced that it will contribute two billion dollars in the next two years to countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.





Chinese President, Xi Jinping made this known on Monday in a message to the World Health Organizations (WHO) annual conference.





He mentioned that the money is not only earmarked for health measures, but also as developmental aid for affected countries, NAN reports.





Xi further appealed to other countries to increase their funding to the WHO.





The WHO should lead the global response. The UN agency is facing a shortfall because the United States has suspended its financial contributions, Xi added.





Recall that former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, had last month requested that China pays compensation to African countries over the Coronavirus pandemic.





Ezekwesili, in a post on The Washington Post, said China must pay for failing to manage COVID-19, adding that it injured Africas development prospects and worsened the conditions of the poor.





However, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria criticized her demands, adding that it was irresponsible.





Sun Saixiong, Press Secretary for the Embassy said China has been transparent and responsible since the outbreak of the disease, hence her remarks make no sense.








Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-18 04:43:45|Editor: huaxia

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ADEN, Yemen, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's health authorities on Sunday recorded six new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total confirmed cases in the war-ravaged Arab country to 128.

According to a brief statement released by the country's supreme national emergency, during the past 24 hours, six new cases were officially recorded, including two new deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 128.

Meanwhile, the death toll climbed to 20 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 since the outbreak of coronavirus on April 10.

Elsewhere in Yemen, health authorities in the 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 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. Enditem
From 14 May, the Delhi government has also not been releasing hospital-wise data on coronavirus-related deaths in its daily bulletin.

The Delhi government on Sunday issued a 'revised order' telling hospitals not to take samples from the deceased who exhibited symptoms of coronavirus. The decision comes amid allegations by the BJP that the Arvind Kejriwal government may have under-reported deaths due to COVID-19.

The Indian Express quoted the order, issued by Delhi health secretary Padmini Singla, as saying, "No sample for COVID-19 test will be taken of dead body. However, if doctors are satisfied from clinical examination that the cause of death may be COVID-19 infection, the dead body may be released as suspect COVID-19 infected dead body."

However, protocols issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will have to be followed not just for deaths that were confirmed to have been due to COVID-19, but also for deaths due to suspected COVID-19.

The Hindu quoted a Delhi government spokesperson as saying that other states are also not testing people for the virus. "Many times, families were insisting for COVID-19 testing of dead bodies before cremation, even if a person died at home as they were scared, the spokesperson told the newspaper.

However, there have been several instances of people testing positive for coronavirus after death (see here and here).

From 14 May, the Delhi government has also not been releasing hospital-wise data on coronavirus-related deaths in its daily bulletin. It has stated that the number of deaths sent by hospitals is being audited, and the data will be updated once the process is complete.

On 15 April, the Delhi government had also stopped stopped providing details of "under investigation cases", or cases in which it is not known how a patient got infected by coronavirus. This would help to assess whether there is community transmission in a particular area.

BJP slams Delhi govt's 'under-reporting'

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Saturday had expressed concern over reports of "under-reporting" of deaths due to COVID-19 in Delhi and asked Kejriwal to clear the air about it.

"It's a matter of extreme shame that the Delhi government is reportedly underreporting the figures of death due to Covid-19 to hide its failure. This is not the time to indulge in politics over a matter of public health," Tiwari said.

With inputs from PTI
Japan and India: An Evolving Partnership

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has been walking a tightrope between the United States and China even as it nurses its own ambitions for global leadership. Horimoto Takenori assesses the role of the Japan-India relationship in this dynamic context.

Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party scored another resounding victory in the May 2019 general election, ushering in a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Modi diplomacy. With a nationalistic swagger reminiscent of such leaders as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi is just the third Indian prime minister to leave such an indelible stamp on the countrys foreign policy (after Nehru, who championed the policy of nonalignment, and Indira Gandhi, who forged Indias partnership with the Soviet Union).

Under the diplomatic leadership of Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, Japan and India have continued to strengthen ties, cognizant of their growing importance to one another in the context of international power politics. In the following, I attempt to analyze and forecast the trajectory of Japan-India relations under Modi diplomacy.

Announcing Indias Global Ambitions

Perhaps the most salient aspect of Indias foreign policy during Modis first term was its explicit reorientation toward a vision of India as a major world power. This reorientation has all but negated the meaning of nonalignment as a pillar of Indian diplomacy.

Narendra Modi came to power following the BJPs historic victory in the general election of 2014. In February 2015, in keeping with his partys India first manifesto, Prime Minister Modi called on top Indian diplomats worldwide to help India position itself in a leading role, rather than just a balancing force, globally. The following May, in a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar took the idea a step further, stating that Indias new aspiration was to be a leading power, rather than just a balancing power.(*1) By substituting power for role, Jaishankar articulated a new vision of India as a major world power, signaling a decisive shift in the countrys foreign policy.

Supporting that vision is the hard reality of Indias rapidly growing economic and military might. According to the World Bank, Indias gross domestic product for 2014, the year Modi took office, was US $2.04 trillion, making it the worlds ninth largest economy. In 2018, it ranked seventh, with a GDP of $2.73 trillion. During the same time, its defense spending rose from $46.1 billion to $66.5 billion, propelling it from eighth to fourth in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. (Japan ranks ninth.)

World Military Expenditure

Spending ($ b.),2018 Change (%),2009-18 1 United States 649 -17 2 China* 250 83 3 Saudi Arabia* 67.6 28 4 India 66.5 29 5 France 63.8 1.6 6 Russia 61.4 27 7 Britain 50 -17 8 Germany 49.5 9 9 Japan 46.6 2.3 10 South Korea 43.1 28

Source: SIPRI

*=SIPRI estimate

But while Modis basic long-term goal may be clear, his actual foreign policy can be mystifying. Over the past five years, India has strengthened its strategic partnerships with the United States and Japan while at the same time taking significant steps to bolster relations with both China and Russia. Calling this multidirectional diplomacy provides a superficial description but sheds little light on the strategic thinking behind Indias foreign policy. What are the driving forces behind Modi diplomacy, and what role can we expect Japan to play in it henceforth?

Charting a Course Between China and the US

The term leading power implies global leadership. But for now, Indias main concern is the Indo-Pacific region, where China and the United States are locked in a battle for hegemony. From Indias standpoint, Japan has a critical role to play in terms of protecting and advancing Indias interests amid this unfolding drama. The converse is also true.

After taking office in 2017, US President Donald Trump removed the pillars of the Obama administrations East Asia policythe Trans-Pacific Partnership and the strategic rebalance to Asia and the Pacificwithout bothering to replace them. In November 2017, when Trump toured Asia for the first time, his administration still had no coherent Asia-Pacific strategy. This explains why it was so quick to embrace Abes Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) concept.(*2)

The December 2017 National Security Strategy, issued by the White House, identifies China and Russia as key threats to Americas interests and criticizes China for attempting to displace the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, expand the reaches of its state-driven economic model, and reorder the region in its favor.(*3) It further states, We welcome Indias emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defense partner. We will seek increased quadrilateral cooperation with Japan, Australia, and India.(*4) The last sentence is a reference to the informal quadrilateral security dialogue (or Quad), originally initiated by Abe in 2007. It was in fact revived in 2017 and upgraded to a ministerial-level forum in September 2019.

When Trump visited India in February 2020, the Modi government pulled out all the stops, staging a massive rally to welcome the president. Trump gushed over a deal to sell US military helicopters to India at a price of about $3 billion (a step toward reducing Indias massive trade surplus with the United States) and spoke of further revitalizing the Quad initiative.

Despite these signs of strategic cooperation with the United States, New Delhis attitude toward China is far more ambivalent and nuanced than Washingtons. To be sure, longstanding border disputes remain a major source of bilateral tension. In addition, New Delhi looks askance at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridorpart of Beijings ambitious Belt and Road Initiativeclaiming that the infrastructure projects are part of a strategy to encircle India. That said, the Indian government is intent on staying engaged with China, particularly on an economic level, and it would love to put the relationship on a more stable footing. Aware of Beijings hostility toward any regional framework that threatens to exclude or contain China, Modi has deliberately rephrased Abes FOIP concept as a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific (FOIIP). This is typical of New Delhis China strategy of engaging while hedging.(*5)

RCEP Shock and Abes Called off India Visit

In November 2019, Modis government abruptly announced its withdrawal from negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free trade agreement embracing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and six ASEAN partners, including Japan and China.

New Delhi had been strengthening ties with ASEAN since the 1990s, when it adopted its Look East policy (which Modi expanded and renamed Act East). In 1995, India became an ASEAN dialogue partner, and in 2012 it concluded a strategic partnership with ASEAN. In 2012, India entered into negotiations for the RCEP, hoping to further strengthen economic ties with ASEAN. Tokyo had welcomed Indias involvement in the initiative as a useful counterweight to Chinas influence.

Indias November announcement came as a shock to the Japanese. The Indian government explained its decision by citing the countrys large trade deficit with China and opposition from business and agriculture interests concerned about an influx of cheap imports. Still, the decision could have the effect of negating the hard-won gains of Indias Look East policy. Today ASEAN, as a whole, accounts for 10% of Indias exports, making it Indias fourth largest export market. Indian affairs expert Kishore Mabhubani compared the last-minute announcement to Britains Brexit decision and predicted that India will come to realize that its Look East and Act East policies will mean absolutely nothing if it does not join RCEP.(*6)

Indias withdrawal from the RCEP represented yet another setback for Japans Indo-Pacific policy, which was still reeling from Trumps decision to pull the United States out of the TPP. Without India, Japans influence in the RCEP would be significantly reduced. Although Beijing has publicly called on New Delhi to reconsider, one can easily imagine that the Chinese are privately pleased with the latest turn of events.

RCEP issue has been followed by Abes called off visit to India. In terms of ties between New Delhi and Tokyo, Modis second term began on a promising note. In November 2019, Japan and India held their first 2 plus 2 meeting of foreign and defense ministers and expressed their intent to conclude an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA) between Japans Self-Defense Forces and the Indian military. The agreement would set the stage for the kind of security cooperation, including joint exercises, that Abe is eager to pursue as a deterrent to Chinese aggression. The ACSA was to be signed at the fourteenth Japan-India summit, scheduled to be held in Assam in December 2019, but Abes visit was canceled amid violent anti-government protests in the region.

Significance and Future of the Japan-India Relationship

Indias emergence as a major power could have a profound impact on the shape of the regional and global order. Much will depend on New Delhis relationship and interaction with Beijing. Given the stark contrast between Indian democracy and Chinese totalitarianism, the rivalry could have major ideological as well as geopolitical implications. Unfortunately, the anti-Muslim Hindu nationalist policies of the Modi government, which have triggered a backlash from Islamic nations as well as protests at home, have tarnished Indias image as a champion of liberal democratic principles.

Beijings ambition is clear: to displace the United States as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific. There is no question, moreover, that Americas influence in the region is weakening relative to Chinas. There are growing concerns that the coronavirus pandemic has handed Beijing an opportunity to seize the mantle of leadership from the United States, providing medical supplies to Spain, Italy, and other countries in need and ramping up its public diplomacy, while the White House does little except blame the Chinese for the epidemic.(*7)

In such an uncertain and dynamic environment, India is understandably hedging its bets. While signing on to FOIP and the Quad, it is also engaging actively with China through participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS summit, and the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral summit. For a country that (whatever its ambitions) still lacks major-power clout, such a balance will be difficult to maintain. A stable, reliable relationship with Japan is very much in Indias interests.

Japan and India are alike in that neither has ever amassed the hard power needed to go it alone in the world. Since the early twentieth century, Tokyo has built its foreign policy around alliances with major Western powers: first the Anglo-Japanese alliance, then the Tripartite Pact (with Germany and Italy), and finally the Japan-US alliance after World War II. India took a different path with its Cold War strategy of nonalignment, but that policy depended on a partnership of nonaligned nations. In the 1970s and 1980s, faced with the US-China rapprochement, it shifted to a de facto alliance with the Soviet Union.

While a great deal has changed since then, Japan and India remain essentially in the same boat; both must still assiduously cultivate and maintain relationships with other countries to support their own position in the global community. In todays perilous world, the two countries are bound to one another by common interests, at least insofar as foreign policy is concerned. While keeping a close eye on developments at the local, regional, and global level, they will have no choice but to proceed with diplomacy that emphasizes bilateral relations tor the time being.

(Originally Published in Japanese. Banner photo: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, with US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, June 28, 2019.  Jiji.)
Jerome Powell must perform a high-stakes balancing act this week when he's expected to urge U.S. lawmakers to back more spending for an economy reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Reserve chairman is scheduled to appear via video conference along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin before the Senate Banking Committee at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. They're testifying on the $2.2 trillion virus rescue package passed by the Congress in March.

Powell told CBS's '60 Minutes' show in an interview aired on Sunday evening that providing more congressional support to state and local governments was " something that deserves a careful look," and also cited the need for policies to limit business insolvencies and keep workers in their homes.

The trick for Powell will be to make his case delicately, not overstepping his role as an unelected central banker and not appearing to take sides in the partisan battle over how much more Washington should do. Overplaying his hand could hurt the credibility of the Fed. Failing to argue persuasively may contribute to insufficient additional support and even deeper economic harm.

"Everything is risky for him right now, but not doing it is risky," said Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives. "He's got to instill a sense of urgency in the Senate."

Republicans have defended their reluctance to swiftly provide more aid, saying Powell has not specified the need is imminent. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News on Thursday the Fed chief didn't say how quickly more money was required, giving lawmakers time to judge the impact of what has already been done.

Meanwhile Mnuchin's key role will be as a cheerleader for the recovery. His views may contrast with Powell, whose role is to provide a more frank assessment of the economy, even if the message is gloomy.

The Treasury boss's job will be to defend his boss' economy a mere five months before President Donald Trump vies for re-election. So far, while Mnuchin has conceded that there will be some "very, very bad quarters," he has said that by "next year, we'll be back to having a great economy just like we had before."

Mnuchin will also face the heat for some failings of his rapidly executed stimulus programs. Some economic impact payments were sent to the deceased. And $669 billion in aid to small businesses was plagued with glitches, with money going to public companies and private schools serving wealthy families, while mom-and-pop firms faced website crashes and muddled rules for obtaining the funds.

Coronado, like other Fed watchers, predicted Powell will mainly rely on the economic data. Despite record federal support already approved by Congress, and a host of emergency Fed lending programs now or soon to be operating, the economy is looking more crippled with each week.

More than 36 million Americans have lost their jobs since February. Countless companies, especially small businesses, are hurtling toward bankruptcy, while states and cities are confronting gaping budget shortfalls that could provoke a massive second wave of layoffs from the public sector.

The news keeps getting grimmer. Government data on Friday showed U.S. retail sales plunging in April, shattering the prior record set just a month earlier, as the virus shuttered businesses and kept Americans at home.

Powell has already been clear about the limits of Fed lending and remarkably outspoken on the likely need for more fiscal action. In a May 13 webinar hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, he made an argument he's likely to repeat this week.

"The recovery may take some time to gather momentum, and the passage of time can turn liquidity problems into solvency problems," he said. "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 was also asked during a press conference April 29, if concerns about mounting government debt should make Congress pause over its next move. His answer was unequivocal.

"This is not the time to act on those concerns," he said. "This is the time to use the great fiscal power of the U.S."

Democratic Senators at the hearing are likely to ask Powell to repeat those remarks. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already pounced on Powell's words to cast him as supportive of the Democrats' proposal for a new $3 trillion relief bill. On Friday, the House passed the measure, though it has no future in the Republican-led Senate.

Republicans have dismissed that package as a left-wing wish list stuffed with unnecessary extras unrelated to the current crisis and begun raising alarms over the deficit. Trump has also said he's in "no rush" for a new stimulus.

That could put Powell -- who was picked to lead the central bank by Trump -- in an awkward position if he comes across as falling too hard on the side of Democrats. But he's well positioned to take that risk.

Powell has worked hard since becoming Fed chair at building strong relationships on Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle, an effort that could help him avoid being painted as partisan. The Fed's fast actions at the outset of the crisis have also lent the central bank some newfound public support that may help.

A Gallup Poll in April, just as the Fed was responding aggressively to the sudden slowdown, showed public confidence in the Fed chair was at its highest since Alan Greenspan was in charge 15 years ago.

"His approval ratings are getting better and better," said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust Corp. "He's leveraging that new standing to be much more forceful."

Still, Powell will know when to stop, said William English, an economics professor at Yale University and a former senior official at the Fed.

"He's already clearly on the record saying the situation is pretty bad and they'll probably have to do more," English said. "But he'll stay away from saying what exactly they have to do."

In other words, he won't endorse any dollar amounts, or say where Congress should direct the aid.

He will also, Coronado predicted, make it clear that spending taxpayer money is not his job. That power lies with Congress.

"He'll tell them, if you want to sit there and do nothing when we're looking at the greatest disruption to the economy any of us has ever seen, that truly is up to the Senate," she said.
As many as nine basking sharks have been filmed swimming off Achill Island, with one believed to be up to nine metres (30 feet) in length.

"The numbers have been steadily rising and sightings have become much more frequent in recent years," says local Sean Molloy, who shot some spectacular drone footage at Keem Bay (below) last week.

"Former shark fisherman, Brian McNeil, estimates that these sharks are above average size with one particularly large one, well over 30 feet or nine metres," Molloy told the Irish Independent.

Capable of growing up to 10-12m in length, basking sharks are the world's second-largest fish (after the whale shark), and can be seen feeding off the Irish coast from April to August.

This year, the sharks have been spotted from the coast of Co Waterford to Kerry, Clare, the Aran Islands and Mayo, according to the Irish Basking Shark Project (IBSP), a group of research studies.

"With the fine weather of sunshine and calm seas (and maybe with people a little more attuned to nature in these unprecedented times), there seem to be more sightings than usual, and for a longer period," it says.

Although basking sharks are plankton feeders, and generally harmless to humans, their arrival has prompted it to recommend swimmers, boaters and kayakers to practise "social distancing" if they happen upon the animals, and for others to safely observe from the shore.

For basking sharks, the recommended social distancing is four meters, not the two meters as required by our species," says Dr Simon Berrow of the IBSP.

"While you should never approach basking sharks, there is a chance that they may approach you," he adds.

If this happens, his advice is to watch from a respectful distance: Don't follow or try and touch them, and enjoy the incredible privilege of being close to one of natures gentle giants."

Basking sharks are listed by the ICUN as a "endangered" species, and members of the public can contribute to research by reporting any sightings.

Irish names include liop an da lapa ("unwieldy beast with two fins") and liamhan greine or liaban greine ("great fish of the sun"), and historically, Keem Bay was the site of one of the world's largest basking shark fisheries.

The last shark was caught locally in 1984.

"Like most other islanders, I love to see them coming back each year, especially in such large numbers," says Molloy, who lives nearby in Dooagh and has been working on the 'Stories from Irelands Wild Atlantic Way' project, a series of some 70 short stories filmed along the coast last summer.

"When I was young the sharks were here, but were still being fished and the only ones that I ever saw as a child were those that had been captured and were awaiting processing at nearby Purteen Harbour.

"Their proximity to the shore in recent days has given people the opportunity to see them up close from the nearby banks.

"Everybodys first thought is how large they really are."

The tourism potential of animals like basking sharks has been mooted in the past, but for now, the IBSP recommends people remain within their 5km and look forward to future sightings.

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Given the fact that heavily pre-treated patients are not usually treated with a monotherapy, the observed responses together with the demonstrated safety profile make us feel very excited about the molecule and the SMARTag technology

Triphase Accelerator and Catalent, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products, today announced interim results for Triphase Accelerator's multi-center, open-label, monotherapy study of TRPH-222 in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed and/or refractory B-cell lymphoma. The primary aim of the study is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of TRPH-222, with secondary aims of assessing safety, anti-tumor activity, and pharmacokinetics of the drug.

In the ongoing two-stage study, TRPH-222 is administered once every three weeks. To date, results in 19 heavily pre-treated patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma have been evaluated, with five confirmed to have had a complete response at TRPH-222 doses of 0.6 to 5.6 mg/kg. Tumor reductions have been observed in patients with both indolent and aggressive disease, and durable responses to date have been observed in follicular, diffuse large cell, and mantle cell lymphoma patients. The trial is currently ongoing with a 10 mg/kg dose cohort.

Throughout the trial, which began in February 2019, TRPH-222 has been well-tolerated, with an overall benign safety profile. Notably, no peripheral neuropathies, which are typically observed with ADCs containing microtubule-interfering payloads, were observed in the patients to date. Similarly, elevations in liver enzymes and alterations in blood cell parameters, also commonly observed with ADCs, have been infrequent and mild and have reversed in all patients.

The feedback from our investigators regarding the overall safety profile of TRPH-222 is very encouraging, commented Nancy Levin, Ph.D., Vice President of Development, Triphase Accelerator and TRPH-222 program lead. We find that the current and emerging clinical data provide additional support for our preclinical observations of an excellent safety profile for this molecule, she added.

Dr. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD, Chief of the Lymphoma Section at Roswell Park, and lead investigator for the TRPH-222-100 study, stated that "These interim results indicate that TRPH-222 is a very well-tolerated novel antibody-drug conjugate in this clinical study. The unique molecular design allows a higher delivery of the cytotoxic agent in the tumor bed, and, at the current doses tested, side effects have been mild and manageable. Of interest, clinical activity has been observed even at the lowest dose tested, and five complete remissions have been achieved in previously treated lymphoma patients. Together, our preliminary findings support our hypothesis that TRPH-222 is an active and safe novel targeted agent in B-cell malignancies."

Given the fact that heavily pre-treated patients are not usually treated with a monotherapy, the observed responses together with the demonstrated safety profile make us feel very excited about the molecule and the SMARTag technology, added Mathias Schmidt, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development of Triphase Accelerator.

"This is an important interim milestone for the program, and the data are important not only in the context of TRPH-222 but also because they signal broader opportunities for the general application of SMARTag technology to improve ADC tolerability and expand its therapeutic index," said Penelope Drake, Ph.D., Director, Research & Development at Catalent Biologics.

TRPH-222 was originally developed by Catalents subsidiary Redwood Bioscience, Inc. using its proprietary SMARTag platform, which provides optimized site-specific protein-modification and linker technologies.

More information about this study can be found at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT03682796.

Experts from Triphase Accelerator and Catalent Biologics plan to present further details in a live webinar on May 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT (11.00 a.m. PDT) regarding the ongoing investigational trial and underlying SMARTag technology platform. To learn more and register, visit http://www.catalent.com/trph-222-webinar.

SMARTag is a registered trademark of Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc.

About TRPH-222

TRPH-222 is a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) composed of an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody modified to allow site-specific conjugation of a maytansine payload via a non-cleavable linker. The drug, formerly called CAT-02-106, was developed by Catalent Biologics using its proprietary SMARTag technology and was licensed to Triphase Accelerator. CD22 is a cell surface protein expressed across all subtypes of B-cell lymphomas.

About Triphase Accelerator

Triphase Accelerator is a private drug development company with a primary focus on oncology and with operations in Toronto and San Diego. Triphase Accelerator is dedicated to advancing novel compounds through Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical studies using a unique, science-based model that is faster and more cost-effective than traditional pharmaceutical and biotech industry drug development approaches. Triphase Accelerator was founded by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), in partnership with Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (formerly MaRS Innovation) and MaRS. It has a strategic relationship with Bristol Myers Squibb for oncology-focused drug development opportunities. In 2016, Celgene (now a Bristol Myers Squibb company) acquired the companys assets related to its proteasome inhibitor, marizomib (MRZ), which is currently in Phase 3 development for glioblastoma. For more information, visit http://www.triphaseco.com.

About Catalent Biologics

Catalent Biologics is a global leader in development, manufacturing and analytical services for new biological entities, cell and gene therapies, biosimilars, sterile injectables, and antibody-drug conjugates. With over 20 years of proven expertise, Catalent Biologics has worked with 600+ mAbs and 80+ proteins, produced 13 biopharmaceutical drugs using GPEx cell line development technology, and 35+ commercially approved products. Catalent has recently acquired MaSTherCell, a technology-focused cell therapy development and manufacturing partner with expertise in autologous and allogeneic cell therapy that complements Catalents industry-leading expertise and commercial success in gene therapy development, manufacturing and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector production. Together, Paragon Gene Therapy and MaSTherCell have produced over 100 GMP batches across 60+ clinical and commercial programs. For more information on Catalent Biologics, visit http://www.catalent.com/biologics.

About Catalent

Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products. With over 85 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable global clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs over 13,500 people, including approximately 2,400 scientists and technicians, at more than 40 facilities, and in fiscal year 2019 generated over $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.catalent.com.

More products. Better treatments. Reliably supplied.


Rising commodity prices helped push Australia's stock market higher on Monday, despite the heavy financial sector dragging due to a weak economic outlook.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed 1 per cent higher, or 55.7 points, at 5460.5, taking it back to where it closed a week ago. Financials declined by 1.2 per cent and utilities, communications, and industrials all ended the day softer. Elders closed at a ten-year high of $10.34 after reporting strong first half results thanks to drought-breaking rainfalls.

Reports that China's iron ore stockpiles are declining, and Brazil is struggling with exports, boosted Australian ore producers. The materials sector enjoyed the biggest rise in six weeks of 4.1 per cent. BHP gained 4.5 per cent, Rio Tinto gained 5.8 per cent, and Fortescue climbed 5.8 per cent to close at a record high of $13.28.

Gold prices are returning to record highs, which helped drive up the stock prices of Australian gold miners. Newcrest Mining gained 6.7 per cent and Saracen Minerals gained 11.3 per cent. Gold was trading for $US1,760.70 per ounce on Monday afternoon, or $2,738.88 in Australian dollars.

Rising oil prices boosted the energy sector as West Texas Intermediate Crude got above $US30 per barrel for the first time since March. This was thanks to more production cuts rather than increasing demand.

RBC Capital Markets head of equities Karen Jorritsma said it had been a directionless day with little news to drive movement.

Its not an exciting market from a volume perspective," she said.

There has been no big news about  were really seeing what we saw from the end of last week: the miners and gold prices are keeping things high."

She expects softness in the financial sector - down 0.64 per cent in late trade - to continue over the coming days.

"The banks are still going to be there (post COVID) but we're all cognisant of the fact their net interest margins (NIMs) are getting squeezed," she said.

Elsewhere, the looming spectre of a US-China trade war will be the biggest influence on the market as the week progresses.

US and China are back at each others throats - we dont know when that is going to erupt but the last one was pretty painful for the markets.